Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Cherish every moment, because life is fleeting

July 15, 2015

We’ve all heard that death is as much a part of life as, well, actually living. At some point in our childhoods, our parents pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, braced for the flurry of questions and tears, and imparted this lesson to us, their children. It might be spurred by a death in the family (in my case, the family dog), or it may emerge totally unprovoked. Regardless of whatever form it takes, the “death talk” is a universally shared experience, and represents a watershed moment in one’s childhood.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Why people wear makeup is no one’s business

July 13, 2015

Despite the pop-song cliche that women are beautiful “just the way they are,” this often does not mean they are beautiful just as they wake up in the morning.

OPINION | COLUMNS

I’m still skeptical about the Bernie Sanders hype

July 8, 2015

I’ve always maintained that a little bit of skepticism can be a healthy thing. Skepticism, at least in my mind, has always occupied a comfortable middle ground between optimism and pessimism; going through life as a skeptic all but ensures that one will neither be too disappointed when the ground falls out from under them, nor all that overwhelmed when life works out in their favor.

OPINION | COLUMNS

An Expert's Guide to Racing Movies: the Good, the Bad and the Corny

July 8, 2015

There are no doubt many lists of the greatest racing movies of all time ranked from best to worst by a variety of highly accredited sources. With those lists in existence I see no reason to rehash what is already out there, so this is merely a compilation of great racing films I have seen with a few critically acclaimed I want to see weaved in.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Slacktivists more important than people think

July 6, 2015

Despite it’s deceptive name, “slacktivism” can be influential. When something becomes fodder for slacktivists, it can engage people who would otherwise be on the fence about an issue.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Forget automatic: Learning how to drive stick makes you a better person

July 1, 2015

I’ve always driven a manual transmission car. In my house, an automatic just wasn’t an option. My parents have always driven manuals, and when I turned 15 and was ready to learn how to drive, that was what was available to me.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Online professionalism: fallacy or reasonable?

July 1, 2015

Since the social media boom of the 2000s, there has been a common refrain amongst parents, professors and anyone generally over the age of 35: Watch what you post on Facebook. As the distinction between our online personas and our physical activities becomes increasingly blurred, more scrutiny than ever has been placed upon an individual to keep their online profile proper, pristine and free of anything remotely vulgar or suggestive. Conventional wisdom holds that once college students enter the professional world, they’ll be surprised to learn how little that picture of them double fisting PBR tallboys will impress their potential employers.

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Marriage equality a step in the right direction

June 29, 2015

On June 26, the Supreme Court took a massive step forward toward equality, making marriage equality the law of the land.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Removing the Confederate flag is only symbolic of bigger issues at hand

June 29, 2015

I agree with the South Carolina governor’s position to take down the Confederate flag, as well as the decisions of Wal-Mart, Sears, eBay, the proposal in Mississippi and other such moves.

OPINION | COLUMNS

An endurance race: Keeping up with the 83rd annual 24 Hours of Le Mans

June 17, 2015

If you read my column last week, you know that I was extremely excited about the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an international endurance race held in France. Whether you follow the series or not, my thoughts on the results and my experience viewing the race cannot be contained.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Rachel Dolezal and the perpetual outrage machine

June 17, 2015

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OPINION | COLUMNS

Rachel Dolezal’s case is not just black and white

June 15, 2015

Last week, the Spokesman-Review questioned whether the president of the NAACP Spokane, Rachel Dolezal, was black.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s Le Mans weekend and the Nissan is back

June 10, 2015

So this weekend is pretty big for me. It’s race season and the mother of them all is here. People ask what type of racing I’m into and sometimes it’s hard to explain because it’s not NASCAR, Formula 1 or Indy racing.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sports organizations need to be held responsible for punishing their athletes

June 8, 2015

The start of the Women’s World Cup raises new questions about the handling of Hope Solo’s case. Solo is the goalie for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, and she has recently been making the rounds on national media in order to redeem herself after facing domestic violence charges.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Caitlyn Jenner detractors need to step up

June 3, 2015

Vanity Fair’s public unveiling of Caitlyn Jenner post-operation Monday ignited a cultural debate that has since remained on the tips of most Americans’ tongues. The attention, coverage and dialogue dedicated to Jenner’s decision to pursue her transition has been extraordinary, especially when one considers how fragmented American society has become in the Internet age.

OPINION | COLUMNS

What Happens When: the Tire Pressure Light Comes On

May 29, 2015

Remember that paperback book that never leaves your glove compartment? You know, the owner’s manual? You can learn a lot by cracking it open every once in a while.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Youth need to care about American politics

May 27, 2015

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OPINION | COLUMNS

Minorities not meant to be the butt of the joke

May 25, 2015

Many comedies thrive off pushing the boundaries into offensive content to get attention. “Pitch Perfect 2,” the sequel to the original “Pitch Perfect,” tells the story of an all-female a cappella group, marketing itself as a boundary-pushing, feminist movie. However, it still relies on unnecessary and out-of-place stereotypical jokes. The one Guatemalan character, Flo, functions as a first-world-problems joke in order to put the girls’ problems into perspective. She doesn’t really have her own story. Even though this may seem like a harmless joke at first, when we don’t know anything else about this character, and she serves no other function in the movie, she becomes a token minority.

OPINION | COLUMNS

'Mad Max’ perfect combo of action and feminism

May 20, 2015

As I was driving home from “Mad Max: Fury Road” last week, adrenaline still permeating my every extremity, I had to remind myself central Gainesville was not post-apocalyptic Australia and there would be little to gain from ramming my 2007 Toyota Camry into fellow drivers.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ask me anything: I'm a one-stop shop for any and all of your car concerns

May 13, 2015

As a public relations major, I receive a lot of questions when I talk about my time as president of the UF chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), an engineering society that designs and builds a small, Formula-style race car and competes in an international competition.