Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Mid-terms bring about stressful times

Oct. 5, 2015

"Stressed" is a key word in the college student vocabulary. You hear it in class, from your friends, walking through campus and essentially anywhere you’re within earshot of 18- to 25-year-olds. It’s typically around this point in the semester that every area of our lives is moving at maximum speed, and with the first round of midterms rapidly approaching, it seems as though stress is all anyone talks about — myself included.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Latest shooting the latest in a long American tradition

Oct. 5, 2015

It is a dance we Americans have familiarized ourselves with and have become pretty good at since the Columbine High School massacre: One or more distraught gunmen and several or more victims. A school or theater in sanguinary peril. A storm of grief that floods the community and ends up briefly affecting the whole nation. Trivial debates on whether to mention the killer’s name or pretend he is (because, yes, it is always a he) Lord Voldemort. The urge to have the memory of the victims take precedence over the memory of the perpetrators. The manning of the battle stations as pro-gun proletarians exchange fire with those burghers who demand more regulation. A speech from the governor, and if the stars are aligned properly, a head-nodding indie-pop hit about the massacre. In the end, no change in policy occurs, and the timer is reset to mark the seconds from the last blasting till the next one.

OPINION | COLUMNS

UF would benefit from a Public Service Academy

Oct. 4, 2015

Dear President Fuchs,

OPINION | COLUMNS

UF reacts to Catalan independence vote

Oct. 4, 2015

On Sept. 27, Catalonia held elections to its devolved parliament. A coalition of nationalist parties won 72 out of 135 seats, though only 48 percent of the vote. The coalition, which ranges from the center-right Convergència to radical CUP, bills this vote as a de facto affirmative referendum on independence from Spain, and right-wing president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, agrees.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Pope Francis is not as liberal as he seems

Oct. 4, 2015

When Pope Francis visited the U.S., he caused quite the stir with all major news channels covering his every move. The vast amount of coverage was strange, considering only 20.8 percent of Americans considered themselves Catholic in 2014, according to Pew.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Impact wins: We get the government we deserve

Oct. 1, 2015

As I watched the election results roll in live on Twitter Wednesday night, I found myself more and more frustrated, wondering if giving up and embracing cynicism wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. It certainly would do a great deal of good for my mental health.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Planned Parenthood: Worth the stand

Oct. 1, 2015

The new battlefield in the war for women is Planned Parenthood.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Denying the existence of climate change is unfair to poor countries

Oct. 1, 2015

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Josaia Bainimarama of Fiji addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the threat of climate change. As a Pacific Island state, Fiji is already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change; Bainimarama spoke of plans underway to relocate some Fijian villages due to rising sea levels. He urged the general assembly to take action at the upcoming climate change conference in Paris.

OPINION | COLUMNS

While the TSA is harassing a transgender woman, body scans aren’t making us safer

Sep. 30, 2015

The Transportation Security Administration’s policies, intended to fulfill the responsibility to detect and deter terrorist plots in U.S. airports, use largely invasive and discriminatory procedures that end up profiling whole groups of people.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Meet Joselin: Dancer, sister and your UF Student Body President

Sep. 30, 2015

Hello Gators! My name is Joselin Padron-Rasines and I’m your Student Body president. Even more than that, I’m a Gator.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Literary tourism: a rewarding way to learn about life

Sep. 29, 2015

Recently, I read an old article by Laura C. Mallonee in "The Paris Review" titled "Some Realms I Owned: Elizabeth Bishop in Manhattan."

OPINION | COLUMNS

On a scale from one to frat …

Sep. 29, 2015

Last Friday, I observed a sign on the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house that read "ATΩ + ∆∆∆ YOU’RE THE TEN-I-SEE." My first reaction was to scoff and write off the sign as a misplaced joke. But it merits consideration so that we might better understand how Greek life prescribes the interaction between men and women and how our culture inadvertently permits abuse.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: Support 352Arts in Alachua County

Sep. 29, 2015

I have had the pleasure of serving on the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board since January 2012. I am more excited now than ever for the future of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs in this region. Arts and culture are thriving in our area, but there is so much more we can do if we all share in the effort. The 352ArtsRoadmap is a set of priorities that will help chart the future of arts and culture in Gainesville and Alachua County over the next five to 10 years.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The ‘John Oliver Effect’ in action

Sep. 28, 2015

Good satire can make you laugh, think or act; the best satire will make you do all three.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Volkswagen recall may prove to be positive

Sep. 28, 2015

It’s a great day when powerful people get caught doing bad things. Not bad as in being fellatio’d in the Oval Office or molesting-their-sister-while-espousing-conservative-family-values bad — more like corporate greed and deliberate-deception-of-the-public bad. Although it should be noted the exposure of hypocrisy does have its salience, there are bigger fish to broil today (not fry, ‘cause we’re trying to watch our figures).

OPINION | COLUMNS

40 years later, eccentric classic ‘Rocky Horror’ still a crowd pleaser

Sep. 28, 2015

This week ushers in the beginning of October, what I believe to be the best 31 days of the calendar year. This opinion isn’t based solely on the imminent approach of Halloween — which is unsurprisingly my favorite holiday — but also on the variety of changes the month seems to bring with it. With October comes the promise of cool(ish) autumn weather, the inability to escape pictures of girls in pumpkin patches and, of course, showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republican fact checking needs to be more strict

Sep. 27, 2015

C.J. Pearson, a 13-year-old online conservative activist, seems to be overly influenced by Fox News’ hateful rhetoric. It’s not wrong that he has decided to take on political issues. However, I take umbrage with how he has been sensationalized.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: We need to fix the music building if UF wants to be a top university

Sep. 27, 2015

This past January, the Alligator published an article about the UF School of Music building and its desperate need for repair and renovations. Though its faculty and students have long called for changes to the building’s structure, many of us remained unaware of the situation inside the building. Most recently, anti-slip coating and handrails were installed in the stairwells. Though the public attention and minor renovations are a step in the right direction, the condition of the building is still very dire. Recently, I have been given tours of the building by a music student and professor.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Professor Q&A: Kafka and the creeping influence of the past coming back

Sep. 27, 2015

Eric Kligerman is an associate professor of German studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

OPINION | COLUMNS

IS: Terrorism in the Digital Era is cause for concern

Sep. 24, 2015

The Islamic State group, or IS (ISIS) is a name that has seldom been far from news headlines over past two years. After establishing a religious caliphate in swathes of Syria and Iraq, the radical Islamist group has gained global attention for the violent rule it has imposed in these regions. While the Islamic State group’s physical control may be confined to the territories it has claimed, its sphere of influence extends far beyond. The Islamic State group has successfully used the Internet and social media to spread both fear and its ideals, making it a uniquely digital terrorist organization.