Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Traditions, family will always count

Dec. 1, 2014

This past weekend, still recovering from our Thanksgiving feast, I participated with my family in our tradition of having Saturday morning breakfast at Einstein Bros. Bagels. We’ve been doing this every week since before my younger sister was born — almost 17 years. We’ve cycled through all the menu and manager changes as time has passed and are familiarized as regulars by the staff.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reality check: All lives matter

Nov. 30, 2014

Two years ago in Mobile, Alabama, an 18-year-old white male, Gilbert Collar, was shot and killed by a black campus police officer. He was running around campus, high and naked, when he approached the officer at the campus police station. Collar was unarmed, but the officer still deemed him a threat and decided to use deadly force against him.

OPINION | COLUMNS

‘#BlackLivesMatter’ is used for a reason

Nov. 30, 2014

One week ago, it was announced Darren Wilson would not stand trial for the death of an unarmed black 18-year-old named Michael Brown.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Universities need to fight sexual assault

Nov. 24, 2014

Recently, Rolling Stone magazine published a story exposing the University of Virginia’s extreme lack of attention to the dangers of sexual assault its students face.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Debunking all the pit bull-y myths

Nov. 24, 2014

One summer night two years ago, a dog named Lilly lost a leg and saved her owner’s life by dragging the unconscious woman off a set of train tracks to avoid an oncoming freight train.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Keystone XL pipeline is lesser of two great evils, needs compromise

Nov. 23, 2014

[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]

OPINION | COLUMNS

Black Friday: The madness needs to stop

Nov. 23, 2014

The glorious day of Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Nothing tops dedicating a whole day to eating platefuls of food, drinking wine and watching football. Thanksgiving is a timeless holiday where we take a moment to slow down, be with the people we love and be thankful for everything we have. Unfortunately, some people are not thankful for what they have. They just want more, which in turn, has cast a dark shadow over Thanksgiving, rendering it less meaningful. This shadow is caused by none other than the dreadful day after Turkey Day: Black Friday.

OPINION | COLUMNS

More mental health care, less gun glory

Nov. 23, 2014

T

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sex education needs normalization

Nov. 20, 2014

Forget math, science and history — students and parents are more concerned about sex in the classroom.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Life lessons for millennials: Be yourself

Nov. 20, 2014

Millennials have a bad reputation for being emotionally distant, lazy and unfulfilled. During my time here at UF, I have tried to counteract this generalization.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Uber’s flippant attitude disconcerting

Nov. 19, 2014

The year 2014 has seen dozens of definitive moments — particularly those in technology — that will no doubt set the tone for the rest of the century.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Political discussions with family over Thanksgiving could use student input

Nov. 18, 2014

In eight days, many students will gather around tables and eat all kinds of delicious, artery-clogging foods with family members and friends.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Liberalism is about more than just spending

Nov. 18, 2014

Clay Olsen’s column, “Democrats mistake government spending for kind-heartedness,” was a conservative attempt to define liberalism as willy-nilly government handouts to the poor. He cites Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and declares it a failure without mentioning its success before former President Ronald Reagan gutted the program. He mentioned Medicare liabilities without mentioning that President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan proposed to cut the same amount from the program. The big difference in the cuts is that Obama targets fraud on the supply side of Medicare, whereas Ryan proposed exclusively consumer-side cuts, which would increase the copay of every American.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Fellow students, go the f*** to sleep

Nov. 18, 2014

Recently, I have gotten less than 10 full hours of sleep every week.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Silencing student journalism harmful

Nov. 17, 2014

A shady attempt to hide an ongoing labor dispute has turned into an attack on student journalism.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Obama: Hiding the truth for health care

Nov. 16, 2014

[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]

OPINION | COLUMNS

Veteran, UF grad: continuing to serve nation’s highest-need classrooms

Nov. 16, 2014

This month marked my second Veterans Day as a veteran of conflict, and I found myself reflecting on this national holiday. I see my uncles and grandfather, who have fought for freedom and opportunity for all Americans in every war since World War II. And I see my students, the unknowing beneficiaries of such sacrifices, growing into the leaders who will carry America into the future — if only they can first master their eighth-grade science concepts.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Hey, Stephen A.: Meritocracy doesn’t work

Nov. 16, 2014

[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]

OPINION | COLUMNS

US owes veterans more than just one day out of the year

Nov. 13, 2014

I sincerely hope that everyone here in Gainesville had a great Veterans Day. Remembering those who have served our country — both the living and those who have passed away or died in action — is incredibly important. Our government is right to set aside a day for celebration and respect for the brave human beings who lay down their lives in the name of protecting every citizen of the U.S. Whether you agree with the military policies and actions the U.S. government has taken throughout history, the sacrifices made by our soldiers should never be diminished.

OPINION | COLUMNS

US-China climate agreement a good start

Nov. 13, 2014

In the past week, we have seen a spacecraft land on a comet, and we’ve seen Kim Kardashian’s glazed donuts. But what most people haven’t talked about — or seem to be interested in — is the recent historic climate agreement between the U.S. and China.