Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s time to get rid of the division between high culture and low culture

Oct. 17, 2016

Quite a few things happened this past week that have forced me to reflect on the dichotomy of high and low culture. Perhaps you’ve already heard of the first event: Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, and thus becoming the first musician to do so. As an unapologetically devoted fan of both music and the written word, it goes without saying that I was thrilled to see Dylan join the ranks of Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez and Samuel Beckett. Unfortunately, countless academics, authors and journalists vehemently disagreed with my opinion, citing a variety of reasons but often reaching the same conclusion: Songwriting simply cannot reach the level of artistic achievement pure literature can.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Krishna lunch: Hinduism is more than spaghetti Wednesdays and halava

Oct. 17, 2016

One of the most common freshman mistakes is being in classes from noon straight until 3 p.m.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A critique of critical comedy: self-deprecation

Oct. 17, 2016

Self-deprecating humor is pretty commonplace. It’s easy to pull off, and no one can be offended, because you’re only disparaging yourself. It’s a great way to look humble and witty at the same time, and a self-deprecating joke makes everyone around you feel that much better about themselves. This style of humor is a useful tool, certainly. But, like I said, it’s pretty commonplace. People have a knack for selling themselves short, because doing the opposite makes them look arrogant. And there are a fair number of societal norms that ask us to think poorly of ourselves, including social media and beauty standards. We’re all pretty much in agreement, though, that being humble is more noble than being boastful, right? I like to think so. It’s just the polite thing to do, really. When it comes to comedy, though, self-deprecation gets tricky.

OPINION | COLUMNS

STEM and liberal arts should not be that separate

Oct. 16, 2016

Hearing about the current demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors is nonstop. From high school onward, the STEM vs. liberal arts dichotomy starts to heat up and continues beyond college. Although it may be true that people with these skills are desperately needed, being a STEM major does not mean you are inherently more hardworking than others, and a liberal arts major is not lazy just because the answers to liberal-arts questions might be more open-ended.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t cheat others, don’t cheat yourself

Oct. 16, 2016

When asked what the most infuriating thing in the world is, many potential answers come to mind. For me (and at least some others, I assume), it’s ignorance. Shocker, right? That’s why I am majoring in journalism, and that’s why I spend time each week writing things like this article to hopefully invoke some kind of thoughtful reaction to a variety of topics. Other infuriating things include people who use the 10 items or less line with more than 10 items, cut in line, eat pizza crust-first and chew with their mouths open (just writing that list made me start to twitch). However, there is one habit above all that really shouldn’t be an issue but has come to permeate our already delicate collegiate society: cheating.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Why we should resist the authoritarian temptation

Oct. 13, 2016

On Tuesday morning, Gov. Paul LePage (R-Maine), said in an interview, “we need a Donald Trump to show some authoritarian power in our country.” Not only is it unsettling for the governor of an American state to be endorsing an authoritarian form of government, but it also reveals an underlying shift in the American public — a tilt toward authoritarianism.

OPINION | COLUMNS

You do you: There’s no ‘right’ way to experience your college years

Oct. 12, 2016

There are a lot of times I think I did college wrong. This becomes especially evident as my college career slowly creeps toward a close, while my sister’s is just taking off. Because of the glorious war of sister rivalry, sometimes I can’t help but compare our freshman years. She’s been making new friends every day, working out regularly, going out every weekend and bonding with the people on her floor.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don't ignore environmental issues

Oct. 12, 2016

Fifteen years ago, a little girl was in Washington, D.C. She was sitting in the corner of a conference room playing with Polly Pockets while her dad was in an important round table meeting with the Heritage Foundation discussing water treatment systems. She was promised that if she was as quiet as a mouse during the meeting, her dad would take her sightseeing. Oh, how she was dying to see the Lincoln Memorial.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reflecting on death and life after graduation

Oct. 12, 2016

The halfway point of the semester is fast approaching. Midterms are near.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Stay true to yourself and your beliefs

Oct. 11, 2016

These past few weeks, I have been attending a class in which we discuss climate change. During this class, we have been exposed to data, information and public opinions on the topic. Most of the time, our professor makes us reflect on the correlation between human activities and the increase in temperature. During this time, she calls for us to think about our daily activities. I must admit, it is eye-opening and emotional to reflect on this. For a couple of hours, I sit with these ideas, and in a melancholic way I ask myself, “Are we dooming

OPINION | COLUMNS

Cheese-side down: thoughts on working a crummy job at an Italian restaurant

Oct. 11, 2016

It was the summer after my freshman year of college. I was 19 years old and staying with my parents for a couple of months before the new Fall semester rolled around. After a couple of weeks of putzing around the house, I started to receive subtle signals from my dad. He would come home from a long day of work and say something like,

OPINION | COLUMNS

Politics and religion: The truth is more complex than conservatism and liberalism

Oct. 11, 2016

The downfall of writing for the opinions section is that I only have so many accurate, or semi-accurate, opinions. There is a limit to the amount of truth I possess inside myself; the rest is pure inaccuracy. In light of this, I will nevertheless delve into politics head-first without a second thought about facts. After all, this is politics we’re talking about, the blank canvas we all feel entitled to throw our colorful opinions on. Who cares if the paint I throw looks like a 3-year-old’s attempt at drawing a pony?

OPINION | COLUMNS

The key to understanding the art you love: create

Oct. 10, 2016

Yeah, I talked about “Homestar Runner” two weeks ago. That’s fine. I’m going to talk about it again. Here I go. Let’s dance.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Hurricane Matthew: discerning between fearmongering and facts

Oct. 10, 2016

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the slew of parties and bad decisions that came about in response to Hurricane Hermine. Sure, some people stocked up on bottled water and bread in anticipation of the Category-1 storm, but the majority of us celebrated our day off with some choice beverages and friends. After all, it had been a while since the last hurricane made landfall in Florida and eons since one had caused any long-lasting damage. With Hurricane Matthew, all of that changed.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Think before you help: how intention can hinder effect

Oct. 9, 2016

With the impact of Hurricane Matthew becoming clearer each day, it’s evident Florida was spared the worst of it. It devastated Haiti. While students at UF hoped for the hurricane to cancel class and delay their exams, Haiti was washed out by the hurricane.

OPINION | COLUMNS

What's so special about Gatorship?

Oct. 9, 2016

It’s mystical. It’s magical. No, it’s not a super rare Pokemon — it’s Gatorship.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Prioritize, capitalize and enjoy: It's your time, so make it what you want.

Oct. 9, 2016

Time. What a word. Loved and hated, used as an excuse and seen as a vice. Time is difficult to fully understand. How often do we say we wish we could alter time? We make mistakes, and we wish we could go back and stop ourselves from doing so. We have something exciting coming up, and we wish we could skip everything from now until then. Why do we do this? Why can’t we just enjoy the present? Well, dear readers, probably because the present is not all that pleasant most of the time.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Why people should trust the use of antidepressants

Oct. 6, 2016

I recently saw an argument unfold on one of my friend’s Facebook statuses. The post was a combination of two images: one of a forest with writing that said, “This is an antidepressant.” The second image was of several pill packages that implied prescribed antidepressants, with writing stating the vulgar equivalent of, “This is garbage.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

A look at the music-festival craze

Oct. 6, 2016

Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Coachella: The names sound like exotic, tribal get-togethers deep in a rainforest and, frankly, that description is not far off.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Pressure on Saudi Arabia long overdue

Oct. 6, 2016

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged complicity in the terrorist attacks. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill, arguing it would not only undermine strong diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, but it would also weaken the long-standing tradition of sovereign immunity: the legal doctrine that no foreign nation can be held responsible from civil suit of prosecution. However, the veto was overridden by an overwhelming margin — 97-1 in the Senate and 348-77 in the House.