As the first wave of exams arrives just in time to slug every UF student’s grades, time and sleep habits, now seems as good a time as any to mention it may be time to slow down.
As of Monday, Iowans wrapped up the first stage of the presidential election — the first bit of the process that isn’t merely grandstanding. These are hard numbers, numbers that matter: numbers representing real human beings who will appoint each party’s candidate.
Friday: Great day of the week, or greatest? Friday is the day the shackles of the 9-to-5 workday are temporarily lifted from our weary limbs, and we are free to do whatever craft, hedonistic activity or rejuvenating escape we see fit to pursue. It is also, of course, the day we run Darts & Laurels, which is not only our gift to the city of Gainesville, but presents a weekly opportunity for us to work through our unresolved and conflicted feelings on the events that transpired during the week. With that far too confessional and revealing introduction out of the way, it’s time for… Darts & Laurels
Several weeks ago, a comprehensive list of this year’s Grammy nominations was released. Despite having a nice array of talented artists present, I had to stop scrolling once the words “Taylor” and “Swift” became engrained in my retinas due to sheer overexposure.
At the time of writing, it has been less than 24 hours since the results of the Iowa caucus were released. Although the results proved interesting, Iowa is far from the final arbiter of the primary process.
Several days ago, a column published in this paper accused those who support Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for the Democratic nomination of being “lazy and cowardly.” Now, being a Sanders supporter — there goes my shot at ever being a public servant — sure, I do not necessarily see myself as brave. I get scared of simple things, like heights, clowns and people with two first names, like Taylor Scott, Jennifer Lawrence or Zachary Lee. But cowardly? I’ll have you know I once had a bowl of nails for breakfast. Without any milk.
As a child, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household in which a strong emphasis was put on reading. I still remember dragging book after book up to my grandmother, pointing imperiously to the title and energetically demanding she read to me.
It is readily observable that distinct groups of people within any context speak in distinct ways, to varying extents. Different groups use a “standard” national language to communicate within a national context and may use a different language within specific ethnic groups, tribes and families.
The recent trend of clicker questions in lecture halls has caught on to the point where they are now used in just about every general education course. While the most conventional form at UF is through H-ITT clickers, professors will also use websites such as Learning Catalytics and Top Hat to allow students to answer questions posed in class.
This year has the makings of something special for the Florida baseball team.
Disciples of the Second Amendment have been snubbed. The world’s largest social network took defining steps in the arduous effort for reasonable gun control Saturday. Facebook announced it would be banning users from coordinating private, person-to-person sales of guns on its website as well as through Instagram, though licensed gun dealers and gun clubs will not be affected by the company’s action. (Phew! Thank you, Jesus.)
This past weekend I found myself in an all-too-familiar situation involving a labored conversation, the hole I talked myself into and an unsuccessful attempt to escape. I was partially to blame for this predicament, as I had broken one of the unspoken cardinal rules of social gatherings: Don’t discuss politics with someone you just met.
In “Jurassic Park,” Jeff Goldblum — that most semitic of stallions — plays Dr. Ian Malcolm, a charismatic yet somewhat grating mathematician. Brought to the titular park to assess any possible dangers or shortcomings, he eventually gets into an intense argument with John Hammond, the park’s creator, over the ethical and economic concerns behind resurrecting murderous, ancient creatures and parading them around in the name of capitalism and entertainment. After Hammond defends his work for representing a profound achievement in scientific progress, Malcolm offers the following iconic rejoinder: “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
I tend to focus my column on serious political and social issues, but for the sake of incorporating some occasional variety, I’d like to commit this week’s piece to a more lighthearted topic very dear to my heart: “The Daily Show.”
As journalists, it is our obligation to maintain a cool head when parsing through information and drafting a story. Although we in the Opinions section are not held to the same standards of objectivity as the rest of the paper, it is still up to us to collect and pore over as much information as possible; whether our findings align with our worldview, it remains our job to share and dissect what we may stumble upon in a comprehensive manner.
I am not a conservative per se — as a Jew, a woman and a first-generation American, it wouldn’t be becoming of me to join the openly racist, sexist and xenophobic right wing. But if conservative could mean something else, it might mean this: Things exist, and exist for reasons, and we’d better think about what they are before we burn it all down.
I’m sad and disappointed most UF students — probably an overwhelming majority — don’t participate in local politics. We spend practically four years of our lives in Gainesville. We eat, live and spend a lot of money in this fair city. When issues of utility rates, transportation and public safety are brought up in local politics, students should pay close attention — is there a better time to get involved in Gainesville politics than right now?
The new generation of Barbie dolls represents many different kinds of women of different shapes and sizes. For many little girls, these dolls aren’t sidekicks – they ARE Barbie. Often for girls they symbolize an ideal to aspire to. Many of Barbie’s incarnations have been different professions, including careers in the military, medicine and public service. The point of these has been to show girls this message: “You can do it, too!”
It seems that these days, anyone who is anyone has decided to sit down and write a memoir.
For the past few months, female UFC fighter Ronda Rousey has been all over the news. Her record is impressive: She holds an Olympic medal in Judo, was the first female fighter to sign with UFC and is currently ranked first in UFC women’s bantamweight. Even with her recent loss to fellow UFC fighter Holly Holm, there’s no doubt Rousey’s achievements are noteworthy.
Solutions by The State News
