Ever since the June 26 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage in all 50 states, the radical Christian community has exploded in outrage. Christian public figures like Franklin Graham and Joel Osteen contend the foundations of Christianity itself are under attack.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The new battlefield in the war for women is Planned Parenthood.
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.
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.
Hello Gators! My name is Joselin Padron-Rasines and I’m your Student Body president. Even more than that, I’m a Gator.
Recently, I read an old article by Laura C. Mallonee in "The Paris Review" titled "Some Realms I Owned: Elizabeth Bishop in Manhattan."
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.
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.
Good satire can make you laugh, think or act; the best satire will make you do all three.
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).
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."
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.
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.
Eric Kligerman is an associate professor of German studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Solutions by The State News
