Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Conversion therapy poses threat to LGBTQ+ youth

Oct. 19, 2015

On Thursday, the U.S. government issued a report calling for an end to "ex-gay" conversion therapy. A practice devastating to LGBTQ+ children and teenagers, conversion therapies "reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and are not appropriate mental health treatments," according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration official.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Life is what happens while you’re on your phone

Oct. 19, 2015

I’m a people watcher. Whether it be at Midtown, Turlington or in class, you can often find me unabashedly staring at people from a stationary viewpoint — usually just watching, but occasionally taking notes. What started as a slightly creepy habit has recently been exacerbated by my independent research class, which requires me to take extensive field notes on basically anything I observe people doing. Sure, I was used to standing in a corner at any given social event and idly watching people interact. However, something about taking notes took it to a sociopathic level I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Congressman Yoho embodies the American dream

Oct. 18, 2015

Last week, I decided to talk to Gainesville’s own Ted Yoho, representative for the third District. As someone who has previously worked on his campaign, I know he has a lot to say and would make for a great interviewee.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s not 'just a costume'

Oct. 18, 2015

This Halloween, like all Halloweens, the floodgates for offensive costumes will open. In two weeks’ time, lots of people will think it’s OK to make fun of cultures and demonstrate a complete disregard toward the historical and social context of their costume. Darkening your skin isn’t cool; it harkens back to when blackface was used for minstrel shows. Similarly, dressing as a Native American is insensitive to their culture, which was trampled on and remains largely ignored to this day. These costumes parody, rather than honor, other cultures because they act as hollow interpretations that are rooted in assumption, not actual knowledge.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A look at Europe’s refugee crisis and Italy's politics

Oct. 18, 2015

Amie Kreppel is the founding director of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and associate professor of political science.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Live your life and don’t treat age as a mile marker

Oct. 15, 2015

I turned 21 over the summer. It was bittersweet: The luxury of being able to buy beer was offset by a deluge of anxieties about my future. Was I doing the right thing? What should I have been doing? Was I where I was supposed to be at 21?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t just 'save the ta-tas' — let's save lives

Oct. 15, 2015

Tuesday was No Bra Day, which would normally be my favorite public holiday. An excuse to ditch the confinement of underwire? Sign me up.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Israel: False equivalencies, poor arguments

Oct. 15, 2015

On Tuesday afternoon, I was regrettably introduced to an article written by The Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens, a column so repugnant it left a nausea in me that has yet to go away.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gun control reform is muddled by spin zones

Oct. 14, 2015

Last week, presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson made a string of comments on the shooting in Oregon. One of Dr. Carson’s claims was if the Jews in Nazi Germany had been armed, then Hitler’s plans for the Holocaust would have been greatly diminished. This line of inane rhetoric is nothing new, with many in the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun lobby groups citing this ill-thought-out hypothetical for several years.

OPINION | COLUMNS

From President Fuchs: A new path may lead to wonderful possibilities

Oct. 14, 2015

College is where you find your life passion and follow your dreams. Unfortunately, after 42 years as a university student, professor and administrator, I haven’t yet discovered my life passion, and I’m not following a dream.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Let's redefine consent to combat rape culture

Oct. 14, 2015

Last week, UF Student Government coordinated a series of events in accordance with Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Events held during the week included a panel in which survivors of sexual assault spoke of their experiences and the prevalence of the trend.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Columbus: the prototypical American

Oct. 13, 2015

The recent commemoration of Columbus Day, rightly rebranded to Indigenous Peoples Day by nine prominent cities in the country, provides an excellent point of reflection as to who Americans are and what exactly America is.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Politics continue to Trump common sense

Oct. 13, 2015

Somehow, these names don’t fit together: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump. However, many polls measuring the presidential race predict Trump will soon be sitting alongside some of the greatest leaders who built this very country. So, as hundreds of thousands of Americans visit Mount Vernon and Monticello today, I have to ask: Will we be taking our children to visit the Trump Tower?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t mess with Nicki Minaj

Oct. 13, 2015

Last week, celebrity profile writer Vanessa Grigoriadis interviewed rap superstar Nicki Minaj for "The New York Times" in an article titled "The Passion of Nicki Minaj." No big deal, right? Wrong.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A US air raid, a leveled Afghan hospital and no clear answers in sight

Oct. 12, 2015

Last Wednesday marked the 14th anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. While officially as old as this year’s high school freshman class, the conflict seems to only be getting worse.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: Pop-up culture enthralling

Oct. 12, 2015

When I came to UF two years ago, I had no plans of continuing with art because my parents made it seem like it was something that should be left behind in my childhood years.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Faith has its place on college campuses

Oct. 11, 2015

Faith is a subject many students brush aside or simply disregard. School and job opportunities and personal experiences leave little time for spiritual contemplation.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Turlington and the totalitarian architecture

Oct. 11, 2015

"In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first." — Frederick Winslow Taylor, "Principles of Scientific Management"

OPINION | COLUMNS

Equal opportunity still doesn’t exist

Oct. 11, 2015

Equality of opportunity is often cited to undermine criticisms pertaining to the lack of women or people of color in positions of power and in certain professions. Pretending we live in a post-racial and post-sexist society does not make it so. Gender, race, sexuality and socio-economic status can affect the kind of opportunities a person has. The idea of equality of opportunity in the U.S. is a myth. Although things have certainly improved with time, there is still much that prevents equal opportunity from being a reality.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Well-known ‘subversive’ artist Banksy really isn’t

Oct. 8, 2015

I’ve got a bone to pick.