Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Mediocre Advice: Finding love in college

Aug. 24, 2015

Happy Tuesday to all my Random Randys and Anonymous Amys, and welcome to Mediocre Advice. This article is a reboot of Ariel Barnes’ own Mediocre Advice column, which was last published during my freshman year back in the salad days of 2012. Like the triumphant phoenix rising from its own ashes, your weekly inquiries will once again be answered with extremely average and somewhat distorted advice; you might even say the advice offered here could be considered prosaic, middling or any other acceptable synonym for mediocre.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The media’s coverage of Trump is detrimental

Aug. 23, 2015

Thus far, the 2016 presidential election has been the most opulent and luxurious race for the White House in recent memory. The primary reason for this has been the candidacy of Donald J. Trump. The billionaire’s no-holds-barred sound bites and — oddly enough — every-man attitude have rallied many in both the middle and the right to his cause.

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A Farewell to Summer and Some Last Pieces of Advice

Aug. 5, 2015

So we’ve hit a lot of topics here. This was a new endeavor for me and I am glad to have had some of you along for the ride. Since this is my last column I thought I would do a little recap of some of the highlights from this summer. It was my intention with this column to provide automotive advice for college students. I may have missed the mark at some points, but I would like to leave you with a few nuggets that may at least get you through the rest of your college career.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A final goodbye, thank you to my Alligator family

By Melissa Mihm | Aug. 5, 2015

When I first got to UF, I struggled to find a group of friends. I had friends speckled throughout Gainesville, but I always felt like I was lacking that family away from family. I guess you could say, I eventually gave up.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Paynes Prairie: A breathtaking site that should remain state property

Aug. 5, 2015

In storytelling, it is a common occurrence for the protagonist to gain insight or make a personal breakthrough by retreating to nature.

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Conservatives taking on a war against abortion

Aug. 3, 2015

Taking the war on women to the next step, conservatives are pushing for low-income women to be denied healthcare.

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Donald Trump’s the worst, yet he’s the favorite?

July 29, 2015

Dear readers, we can all agree that Donald Trump is the worst, right? I don’t ask that question as if it’s a matter of relativity, or in a “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” type of way: Is it not universally accepted that Donald Trump makes Kim Jong-un look like a reasonable human being in comparison? At least Kim acts within the established parameters for how a statesman ought to behave in North Korea (that is to say, like a petulant child). No such boundaries exist for the Trump.

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How to detail your car and tips for keeping it clean so it lasts longer

July 29, 2015

Just like with anything else you own, if you take care of your car it will look newer longer and its aesthetics will last longer. Here is a simple list of ways to detail your car and tips for keeping it looking fresh.

OPINION | COLUMNS

MTV Documentary addresses white privilege

July 27, 2015

When I first heard about MTV’s documentary about being white in America, I was skeptical of how well the issue would be handled. But Jose Antonio Vargas’ “White People” pleasantly surprised me, spurring conversations that need to happen more often.

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Guest Column: Access Party working to give students the change they voted for in Spring elections

July 27, 2015

The Student Body demanded change in the Spring election.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ambiguity as foreign policy can result in trouble

July 22, 2015

In the early 2000s, the refrain “We will not negotiate with terrorists” proved popular among conservatives. With the nation still reeling from the pain of the Sept. 11 attacks — and our military then deeply embedded in Iraq and Afghanistan — this oft-repeated mantra served no purpose other than to undermine the multitude of criticisms lobbied against President George W. Bush’s “War on Terror.”

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Who wants to hack your car? I don’t know, but I’d rather not give them the option

July 22, 2015

I’ve always feared a "Minority Report" situation. You know, when Tom Cruise tries to make a run for it, but the bad guys are in the government so they take control of his car? They lock him inside his own car, lock all the controls and set the car to return to police headquarters. Tom is forced to kick out a window and huff it on foot in traffic.

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The sad state of the Democratic primary race

July 20, 2015

In the Democratic primary race, as of today, there’s Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and everyone else. While the coverage of Sanders’ campaign is exciting, what he doesn’t have is the idolization that a lot of people have for Clinton. Her supporters are willing to look past her flaws and assume good intentions. No amount of argument will convince them there’s a possibility the emails that we should be most concerned about were not released to the State Department.

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Dealerships are cool, but I'd rather spend an afternoon in a junkyard

July 15, 2015

Some enjoy the occasional browsing of a dealership filled with straight, organized lines of shiny new cars with no more than 10 miles on the odometer, and I have to say I enjoy it as well.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.