Opinion

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

An $148,000 gift bag is a sign of how we view celebrities

Feb. 24, 2019

What would you do if someone handed you about $150,000? You could buy yourself a house, maybe even a Tesla, and still have some money to spare. You could choose to pay off all of your student loans. These scenarios are things people spend decades saving money for, but at the Oscars, all 25 nominees for acting and directing will receive a gift “bag” valued at nearly that amount of money, around $148,000.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Listen up, freshmen. Here's Kyle’s declassified school survival guide.

Feb. 24, 2019

We’ve all been there. The good life is not so good, a math class for your major isn’t adding up or the Man’s Food class you’re taking to fill the biological sciences requirement is making you sick to your stomach. In the pursuit of an illustrious degree you’ll (hopefully) obtain after your undergraduate years, there will be many classes you’ll have to take that you’d just rather not. These classes can sometimes be essential, sometimes they’re more or less useless, but all of them are tedious because you don’t want to be there. The problem is common, yet solutions are not as easy to come by.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The overblown UCF funding scandal is a sign of deeper issues

Feb. 24, 2019

As a proud Florida Gator, I’d like to say a few words in defense of our University of Central Florida rivals.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Make no mistake. Libraries are for reading.

Feb. 24, 2019

You can ask this question to any student and suddenly you get an idea of what kind of person he or she is. It’s an aspect of the campus culture that divides us all: What’s your study spot? Is it Library West, with its multiple floors of increasing silence and its proximity to Krishna lunch, is it Marston Science Library, with its open floor plans and cool technology such as virtual reality headsets, or is it Newell Hall with the cool eggshell chairs and whiteboard cubicles? Each one has pros and cons, but I feel these libraries are underutilized. Their vast book collections often go unread.

---

OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: We must keeping fighting against sexual assault on college campuses

Feb. 24, 2019

Author’s Note: If you or anyone you know has been affected by acts of sexual misconduct, please contact the University Title IX coordinator at 352-273-1094 or inform@titleix.ufl.edu or the Gainesville Police Department. Additional resources are included below.

---

OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Feb. 22, 2019

Feb. 21, 2019

You wake up on Tuesday having to mentally prepare yourself for the next two days. Walking through Turlington is already a hassle, but this week is unlike any other — it is Student Government election week, which means you have to perfect your “I’m definitely on the phone right now and not just pretending so you won’t talk to me” face. You’ve been planning to vote anyway, so being stopped in Turlington is not on the agenda for the day.

---

OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: LGBTQ+ Inspire Party members comment on homophobic social media posts

Feb. 21, 2019

In the past week, organizations, parties and groups have released statements in response to homophobic comments made in the past by the newly elected executive ticket. This letter to the editor comes from the LGBTQ+ members of Inspire Party who came together to form a response that somehow expresses the pain, fear and disappointment we and many others have experienced.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

I’m emotional, but that doesn’t make me any less powerful

By Chasity Maynard | Feb. 21, 2019

I’m an emotional woman. I’ll answer the question now: No, I’m not PMS-ing or hormonal. My emotions usually stem from my experiences, my normal and healthily shifting moods and my daily life. Not all women are as emotional as I am, and I think it would be fair to say I am more emotional than most of my female friends. Even so, every woman and every person on this planet has feelings. My slight surplus of feelings doesn’t influence or negate my potential, my intelligence, my professionalism or any aspect of my worth.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Are apps like Venmo putting a price tag on our friendships?

Feb. 21, 2019

Clubs and going out every weekend aren’t my thing. But I do love hanging out with my friends or going house parties because they’re situations where I can enjoy the company of the people around me. Requesting music at a house party is also easier because you know who has the aux. And as a plus, the music won’t blow out your eardrums like the huge stereos in a club will. Overall, the conversations are genuinely interesting, too. But when the night is over, all of the drinks have been drunk and the conversations have been had, it’s time for the college ritual: Everyone takes out their phone and suddenly a flurry of notifications light up the host’s phone. This is the tamest and probably the most appropriate way to make the night easy for everyone. The host gets reimbursed and everyone enjoys their time at the party.

---

OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: Bipartisanship is the problem

Feb. 19, 2019

From the rumors of Impact Party corruption to allegations of Inspire Party ineptitude, students will hear it in the presidential debate, Senate livestreams and each time campaign season comes around. When there are two parties, scandal and controversy ensue.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Documenting our everyday lives is the norm, and here’s why

Feb. 19, 2019

People are expressing themselves in forms of media that used to be reserved for professional companies and social media influencers: vlogs and podcasts.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Eavesdropping is natural, just make sure you’re good at it

Feb. 19, 2019

Everyone has eavesdropped. If you say you haven’t, you’re lying. Some people describe eavesdropping as something only nosy or invasive people do. I don’t agree. I often find myself in places surrounded by people: a bus, a classroom, a restaurant, a library. You name it. In these places, people talk a lot, and there are times when I can’t help but listen.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Drunk driving is one of the dumbest things you can do

Feb. 19, 2019

According to the Foundation for Alcohol Responsibility, deaths caused by drunk driving crashes have decreased by 48 percent since 1982. This is a hopeful statistic, but the nation has a way to go before the problem of drunk driving is completely eliminated. The Global Status Report on Road Safety from 2015 shows that the U.S. is the nation with the third-highest number of road accident deaths involving alcohol, behind only South Africa and Canada.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Alligator endorsement: Between a human meme or past of bad posts

Feb. 17, 2019

Editor’s Note: The Alligator’s editorial board met with representatives from the Impact and Inspire parties on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. We discussed their party platforms and each candidate’s goals if they were to be elected. Our endorsement resulted from these meetings.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Hear me out. The Reitz Union is the most legit study space on campus.

Feb. 17, 2019

I understand this will come as a shock to many, but the evidence is overwhelmingly clear. Of all of the study spaces on campus where Gators can plant themselves to work on homework the Reitz Union is the most legitimate.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The lies from my freshman year from the perspective of my senior self

Feb. 17, 2019

Istill remember every detail from the day I moved into my freshman dorm.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Toys don’t have a specific gender, so stop assuming differently

Feb. 17, 2019

I clearly remember being little and sitting in my booster seat, staring out the car window contemplating which Happy Meal toy I wanted. It was the hardest decision a little kid my age would have had to face, and I was in agony. On one hand, I could have gotten a Polly Pocket (don’t get me wrong, Polly Pockets are fun), but my other choice was a Hot Wheels racer. My gut led me toward the Hot Wheels. “We’ll go with the Hot Wheels,” my dad told the person working the drive-through. “Okay, so a boy toy,” she replied. “Sure, my daughter would like the Hot Wheels,” my dad said.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, but recovery efforts are still ongoing

Feb. 17, 2019

Here’s a topic you probably haven’t seen in the news in a little while: Puerto Rico. As many of you know, this U.S. territory was hit by the devastating category 5 Hurricane Maria in September 2017. Despite over a year passing since Maria made landfall, the island of Puerto Rico is still dealing with the effects of the storm and the muddled response to the crisis.

---

OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Feb. 15, 2019

Feb. 14, 2019

It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, which means the day of love has come and gone just as quickly as that box of chocolates sitting on your dining room table. But today is even better because all things love-related are half off at Target. Were you eyeing that giant Reese’s heart-shaped candy but couldn’t possibly find a reason to buy it? Well, guess what? Today, it’s only $5 — an instant cop. This week was about showing everyone you love how much you care about them, with Galentine’s Day, Palentine’s Day and of course Valentine’s Day.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The mid-semester crisis is an epidemic

Feb. 14, 2019

We all know about midlife crises. For those of you who understand the struggle people face when confronting the issue of time constantly moving, the idea of the midlife crisis may haunt you. You ask questions of yourself: Am I doing enough? What have I done with the time I’ve used? How much time did I waste?