Opinion

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

College summers and the zen of failing up

May 13, 2015

One of my favorite professors once told me that college isn’t just about learning the material of your respective occupation or future career; it’s about learning how to navigate through the everyday things life throws at you, like time management, self-discipline and managing your ambitions such that they actually become realized. His words, compounded by me recently taking “What is the Good Life” — which, let’s be real, isn’t that terrible and could actually be great with a few major refinements — have had me thinking a lot about how I’ve spent my time in college, and how I ought to be spending it moving forward.

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OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels

May 13, 2015

Most of us know North Korea from “The Interview,” its periodic nuclear weapons tests, its threats to destroy the whole world and its completely genuine reverence for a family of paunchy men in unitards. 

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OPINIONS

While competition benefits democracy, GOP’s endless number of candidates creates problems

May 11, 2015

November 2016 is more than a year away, but the Republican Party is already making the same fatal mistake it did in 2012. 

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OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Gay marriage, SG elections and abortion protests in this Darts & Laurels

Apr. 21, 2015

Well, this is it. Here we are, at the end of April, the end of classes — and our last day in print.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Questions never stop, but at least I found my Alligator

Apr. 21, 2015

Let me tell you about journalism.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Working with your friends is hard, but worth it

Apr. 21, 2015

There’s a lot that makes up a “college experience.”

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The long story of having no regrets

Apr. 21, 2015

I always take a deep breath when people ask why I do what I do. It’s a long story.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

What I learned: Challenge yourself, push past the fear, and find a home

Apr. 21, 2015

It took me three and a half years to build up the courage to step foot in the Alligator’s old, sometimes smelly, but overall homey newsroom.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Late start leads to a home found at the Alligator

Apr. 21, 2015

Well, we’ve come full circle.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Saying goodbye to the place I fit in

Apr. 21, 2015

Saying goodbye isn’t necessarily always hard.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Please, for sake of teens, bring condoms back to Alachua County high schools

Apr. 21, 2015

In 2013, 47 percent of high school students reported having sexual intercourse. Furthermore, nearly one in two 12th grade students reported having had intercourse in the last three months. You and I both know that high school students have sex. Why, then, did the superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, Dr. Owen Roberts, take a major step back for the sexual health of local youth and ban the distribution of condoms on campuses of public high schools?

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Pets aren’t as easy to abandon as old furniture

Apr. 20, 2015

The last days of school are here. Classes end Wednesday, which is the Alligator’s last day in print for the semester. It’s the cusp of Spring and Summer; only finals stand in our way.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Think twice before watching: Worldstar Hip Hop and similar media exploit race and poverty

Apr. 20, 2015

Last year, I came home from class to find my roommate and a few of my friends glued to a laptop. “This fight comp is crazy; come see this,” my roommate said. I sat down and watched a series of brutal videos of people fighting. Some were alcohol-fueled altercations outside bars, others were neighborhood events with dozens of local spectators. 

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

IA series missing the positives

Apr. 20, 2015

IA series missing the positives

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Final senior thoughts: Be kind and speak your mind

Apr. 20, 2015

Well, this is it.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Anti-immigration attitude in Europe costing lives

Apr. 19, 2015

A boat laden with up to 950 people capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday. Its passengers were migrants bound for Europe escaping the limited opportunities, war and chaos of their home countries. The ship left from Libya, a failed state which has descended into civil war, where ISIS executes people on the beach. Who can blame them for wanting to leave?

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Federal intervention in education is failing our kids

Apr. 19, 2015

Denisha Merriweather recently wrote about her schooling experience in The Wall Street Journal. She was in fourth grade, and she hated school. She was held back twice, disliked going to school and thought she would end up as a high school dropout. She grew up with her biological mother but moved around a lot, which took a heavy toll on her grades and enthusiasm for learning. In her own words, “learning had become a nightmare — a punishment for being a child.” Denisha’s story is not a unique one. Unfortunately, there are kids in all 50 states who resent education. Some of these negative frameworks are out of the government’s control, but I would argue most of it is due to an educational system stuck in the 20th century and bogged down by bureaucracy. We all know education reform is desperately needed, but no one, especially our elected officials, is ever willing to confront the problem. 

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Please keep Paynes Prairie clean

Apr. 19, 2015

I went to the Paynes Prairie lookout off of 441 on Saturday to show my aunt, who is visiting from Vermont, the beautiful wildlife of Florida. We got to encounter a 6-foot alligator sunning itself right by the dock. Unfortunately, the awe was cut short upon seeing a ton of empty bottles floating beside the alligator.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Let’s end pseudoscience hysteria

Apr. 19, 2015

When even Elmo supports vaccination, it’s hard to believe there are people out there who are so vehemently against it. Since “Sesame Street” is a show that strives to remain inclusive and neutral, something would have to have a pretty strong scientific consensus in order for Elmo to outright endorse it.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Happy graduation: your college sex bucket list

Apr. 16, 2015

It’s finally here — the last real Friday of the semester. Your last Friday to skip classes before you head off to a beach somewhere, to more classrooms for Summer C, or even worse — to the real world.