A frequent refrain among heartbroken and sexually frustrated young men: "She doesn’t like me because I’m a nice guy." No, not really.
I love the phrase "Every Gator Matters." It expresses the value of every member of the Gator family and our care for one another.
In 2004, "South Park" aired the episode "Douche and Turd." The episode concerned an election to adopt a new mascot for South Park Elementary, with the two sole choices being the titular Giant Douche and Turd Sandwich. The show, which aired a week before the nation had to choose between George W. Bush and John Kerry for the presidency, not only satirized the often-mediocre choices we face come election season but also the sheer frenzy Americans are prone to work themselves into when they take a stance on public figures.
About two weeks ago, America was hit with the horrifying story of Jeremy Mardis. Mardis was a 6-year-old boy who was shot to death by two police officers while riding in the car with his father in Marksville, Louisiana. Mardis’ father, Chris Few, had no outstanding warrants for his arrest, nor was there a gun found in Few’s vehicle. This information begs the question: Why were shots fired by police in the first place?
Last week, students under the banner of the Million Student March demonstrated on college campuses across the country. There was even a demonstration at UF, although only about a dozen marchers actually showed up. Regardless, the collective demands of the protestors were clear: tuition-free public college, $15 minimum wage and the cancellation of all student debt.
When I was deciding my career as a little girl, full of blind naiveté and enthusiasm for a world that seemed so clearly ready to catapult me to stardom, there were a lot of options on the list. My aspirations ranged from ballerina to doctor to orange-truck driver over the years, but there was one job that kept coming up in the mix, no matter how many years passed: I wanted to be a writer.
Following Friday’s attacks in Paris, the American jingoist machine has begun whirring to life. Monday’s headlines were dominated by the rhetoric of American governors declaring their state would not play host to displaced Syrians. As of press time, governors or state officials of more than 20 states, including Florida and more traditionally liberal states, such as New Hampshire, have released statements saying as much.
Registering for Spring classes is a perpetually stressful experience. Just in case the mid-semester deluge of papers, exams and self-doubt wasn’t enough, you also have to effectively plan four months’ worth of classes (assuming you’ll make it through December alive). While this process used to make me feel as though I had some aspect of my life under control, it has recently become an unavoidable and highly involved burden.
About two months ago, I wrote a column about the plight of 9/11 first responders and the progress of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act.
The free world continues to weep for Paris this week.
There should be no doubt as to whether Friday’s horrific attacks in Paris were political: They were. Any attack on civilians by an "other" always has an agenda to push. The Islamic State groups’ subsequent claims of responsibility ought to remove any traces of skepticism from those who would seek to speak about the attacks in de-politicized terms.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on Texas’ House Bill 2 — a bill that resulted in half of the state’s abortion clinics being closed. The law is a threat to the rights of low-income women in Texas. As the Supreme Court prepares to hear one of its first abortion cases in a while, it must consider the motivations behind such restrictions. Given abortion is a low-complication procedure, many of the restrictions are unnecessary and serve only to make it difficult for women to get an abortion.
This has been a year of magical thinking.
You’ve heard the complaints. We’re lazy and entitled, and when we aren’t staring at a screen, we’re staring at ourselves. We’re millennials, and we’re pretty unpopular.
My worst nightmare came true Friday. It was about 15 minutes after meeting my partner’s mom for the first time. We were walking down the street to the Homecoming parade when someone handed us a copy of the Alligator.
This column concerns the events which transpired at the University of Missouri on Monday. No doubt you’re familiar with it already — along with the heresy of plain red cups, the Mizzou story has captured the country’s imagination.
Our front page story today concerns the investigation of a sexual assault on campus. Our decision to publish this story was not made lightly, nor was it made from malice or a desire to set off a witch hunt. It is no secret that sexual assaults on college campuses are an alarming epidemic. Sexual assault in any form represents a grave threat to the safety — both mental and physical — of college students. Even though it is easy, and perhaps preferable, to act as though such acts of viciousness could never happen here, that is simply not the case.
A wise man who’s either Baba Oje or Gurdijeff once said, "When it rains, it pours." If the rain in this idiom was news regarding police brutality, then this week was a monsoon.
In 1902, two years before he became UF’s first president, Andrew Sledd lost his faculty position at Emory University in Georgia because he spoke out against racism.
The countercultural revolution of the ‘60s coincided with remarkable advancements in recording and broadcast technology. With the two occurring in tandem, it became easier than ever for fanbases to develop around adored figures in pop culture. This proved to be a boon for stand-up comedians who, given the transgressive era they operated in, gained notoriety among young people for putting truth to power — in other words, giving voice to and reflecting the fears, concerns and sensibilities of young people. In short, they called it as they saw it.
Solutions by The State News
