Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Leave your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to join a club if it’s not related to your major

Sep. 26, 2017

This semester, I promised myself I’d get out of my comfort zone for the better. Too often we find ourselves in this Monday through Friday lull where we’ve gotten used to the schedule we’ve set for ourselves, and all we do is blindly follow it. Dear readers, I hope you add some spice into your lives every once in a while, especially if that spice is adding an interesting club to your lineup.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's time to start getting involved in the things you care about

Sep. 24, 2017

As a student at UF, you probably hear the word “involvement” tossed around a lot. Every day we are bombarded with emails, Facebook event invitations and social media posts advertising opportunities for students to get involved.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The airline industry needs some competition

Sep. 21, 2017

I had the opportunity to fly quite a bit this past summer, with a couple trips to New York and Boston, but mostly several trips to San Francisco to visit my girlfriend in Berkeley, California.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The longer I’m in college, the more nocturnal I become, and that's great

Sep. 21, 2017

There once was a time when I would pour my cup of coffee at the crisp hour of 7 a.m. and listen to the birds chirp. You know, the good stuff. Seriously, I had the kind of mornings shown in movies.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Feminism has to be more than a fad

Sep. 20, 2017

Step aside, Nike shorts and Chaco shoes. The must-have fashion trend this fall? Feminism. Well, kind of.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to stop pushing people to go to college, it's not for everyone

Sep. 19, 2017

As I wade through my last semester at UF, it has become evident that a portion of students here weren’t meant to go to college. Does that mean I think they’re not intelligent or competent? Not at all.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Pets are a part of the family, too, please don’t leave them behind

Sep. 17, 2017

It’s been a week since Hurricane Irma did a number on the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Many are still reeling from the damages, stress and anxiety brought on by the storm. More than 6.5 million people were told to evacuate Florida based on the projection of the storm, and a lot of them did. The interstates quickly became clogged with terrified people desperate to get themselves and their loved ones out of the storm’s path.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Trump’s complacency with racism is concerning

Sep. 17, 2017

Another day, another tweet from President Donald Trump. It doesn’t quite come as a surprise to anyone anymore, does it? Our president has desensitized many of us to his cruelty and ignorance by exposing us to his repulsive words on a daily, or sometimes hourly, basis.

OPINION | COLUMNS

What exactly does it mean for UF to be a top-10 university?

Sep. 17, 2017

What makes a university great? Is it the academics? The prestige? The ability to help students move up the socio-economic ladder? And what are we really bragging about when we share a Facebook post about UF being a top-10 public institution?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sorry, but 'American Horror Story: Cult' just isn’t all that scary

Sep. 14, 2017

I have to give Ryan Murphy credit. I didn’t think there could be an “American Horror Story” season worse than the fourth season, “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” but two episodes into “Cult,” I think I have to call it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The preparations we made for Hurricane Irma probably saved our lives

Sep. 14, 2017

As far as hurricanes go, Hurricane Irma was one for the history books. As the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, it steadily grew in power as it meandered its way over warm ocean waters. For more than a week, Irma had the undivided attention of Floridians, as well as the entire country. The week prior, Hurricane Harvey caused billions of dollars worth of destruction in Houston.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Please, let’s stop going out so early

Sep. 13, 2017

Last week, I went to Midtown with wet hair.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Journalism is an underrated, misunderstood and important field of study

Sep. 12, 2017

When I tell people I am a journalism major, I am often met with wary looks. I have had some people make statements about how much money I will make. Others have the completely wrong image of what I want to do.

OPINION | COLUMNS

When it gets tough, Gainesville comes together

Sep. 12, 2017

During the past long weekend, I had a lot of time to reflect on how our community comes together when the possibility of a natural disaster looms over our heads. For one, it touched my heart to see just how close this community has become within the last week or so.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Hurricane memes: Let’s laugh before Irma hits

Sep. 7, 2017

I wanted to write about something political. I really did. I wanted to write about how I was told by two professors that class might be canceled either due to weather conditions or the violent threats of white supremacists. I wanted to write about the repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

OPINION | COLUMNS

One email can bring lots of hope to procrastinators everywhere

Sep. 7, 2017

At this point, everyone has heard the saying chivalry is dead. Honestly, I don’t know whether that’s true, but I have some better news. Regardless of what the boys are up to today, I can affirm that humanity, at least, is still very intact.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's time to realize that AI domination may be imminent

Sep. 7, 2017

Man created computers, but could computers be what ultimately brings mankind’s demise? With the advent of artificial intelligence in the last couple decades, computers have not only developed a mind of their own, but have become better at many of the things humans try to do. It is the classic tale of the apprentice rising up and turning on his master, and I fear we are quickly approaching the iconic moment in every film that has this sequence: the fleeting moment of stillness when the master realizes his fate and that his end will come from the exact thing he created.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Just remember: The newspapers you call fake are run by actual people

Sep. 5, 2017

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last week or so, you’ve probably read coverage on Hurricane Harvey.

OPINION | COLUMNS

President Trump right to end DACA

Sep. 5, 2017

Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced his decision to end DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the controversial Obama-era executive order that allowed illegal immigrants who were brought here as children to remain in the U.S. and receive work permits. The fact is, DACA was the epitome of our nation’s foolish immigration policies, and President Trump was right to put a stop to it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Time management is a skill college students need

Sep. 5, 2017

It’s not uncommon to feel like you have a million things to do but not enough hours in the day to get them done.