Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: April 20, 2018

Apr. 19, 2018

Graduation is a mere few weeks away, and you find yourself thinking, more often than usual, “How the heck did I get here?” You think back to unloading your parent’s car in the front of Broward Hall in the sweltering August heat, and you remember the nerves you felt as you walked into your first college lecture hall. It feels like just yesterday, right?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Trying to explain the success of Fortnite

Apr. 19, 2018

It was revealed this past week that the new mobile version of Fortnite is reeling in $2 million a day, usurping the insanely lucrative Candy Crush and Pokemon Go. If you’ve been living under a rock the last two months and do not know what Fortnite is, I will do my best to explain it here.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Infiltration mission failure: my attempt to attend the SG banquet

By Zachariah Chou | Apr. 19, 2018

You know those events that happen around the same time every year? As my second year at UF comes to a close, I’ve started to get a sense of when the yearly events happen around here.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

The Alligator’s archives are now online

Apr. 17, 2018

At The Alligator’s office, our articles prior to the 2000s are bound in black-spined books. Articles of more recent years are saved in blue binders with the semester and year etched on its side.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Goodbye column: What writing about feminism taught me about feminism

Apr. 17, 2018

My cursor hovered over the send button after I typed my pitch for a column about feminism. I’d read over the email half a dozen times, but I just couldn’t get myself to click.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Movie theaters aren’t Netflix. That’s a good thing.

Apr. 17, 2018

I love the movie theater. I love buying my ticket and popcorn and finding a suitable seat, usually in the back-center rows. I love the movie previews. I love packed theaters. I love walking out of a good movie and seeing everyone chatting about it with their friends and family because we all have just shared an experience that has, in some sense, brought us together.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

People are losing faith in police, and they should be

Apr. 15, 2018

On the evening of March 18, Stephon Clark was shot eight times by Sacramento police officers. According to The Washington Post, he was shot in the neck, back and thigh. The bullets pierced his lungs and broke a number of the 22-year-old’s bones. The two officers shot at Clark 20 times. About three to 10 minutes after the attack, Clark died.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We learn just as much outside of the classroom

Apr. 15, 2018

Back in high school, I remember going through the lists of organizations and extracurricular activities I could join, perusing different club banners and posters after school. I wondered what it would take to get me into college, what clubs I would most enjoy and what activities I would actually be good at. Nothing felt quite as serious then; though I knew it was important for me to get involved, I didn’t fully understand why.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Artificial intelligence may do more harm than good for our quality of life

Apr. 15, 2018

From the steam engine and automobile to electricity and the computer, dramatic paradigm shifts in society have coincided with monumental leaps in technology. Many predict the next leap will be artificial intelligence.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We should all be advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and their rights

Apr. 15, 2018

At UF, the month of April is more than just the last month of the Spring semester. April is Pride Awareness Month (PAM). Throughout the month, about 20 events address issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate its culture. The events are not limited to members of the community — anyone can come to celebrate or learn more.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: April 13, 2018

Apr. 12, 2018

You’ve been refreshing your email inbox every five minutes since you woke up at 8 a.m., patiently (or not so patiently) waiting to hear back from the company you hope to intern for this summer. You’ve gotten other offers, but this one is really it — the one you’ve wanted since freshman year that you’re finally qualified enough for.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Differences between races exist. So what?

Apr. 12, 2018

What makes someone smart? The answer to this defines what we value in society.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Creating a culture of care: what you can do for the Disability Resource Center

By Zachariah Chou | Apr. 12, 2018

Last week, I wrote about how I had set up meetings with the Disability Resource Center and Counseling & Wellness Center to better understand their mission and needs. On Tuesday, I met with the head of the DRC, Gerardo Altamirano, for a brief talk about disability, inclusion and the needs of the center.

OPINION | COLUMNS

PlayStation Vue will probably replace cable and take over television

Apr. 12, 2018

Three years ago, Sony introduced the PlayStation Vue, an innovative new take on television and entertainment consumption. Breaking free from outdated technology like cable lines and messy cords, PlayStation Vue is a television service that requires only an internet connection to enjoy. Through the use of internet streaming, Vue takes the on-demand elements of Netflix and Hulu and introduces live TV into the mix.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

#SaveStudentNewsrooms

Apr. 10, 2018

The Amherst Student. The Daily Campus. The Sunflower.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Whether you choose to be a bra-burning feminist or not, remember to be happy

Apr. 10, 2018

Amid the chaotic portrayal of parenting while newly divorced on ABC’s new sitcom, “Splitting Up Together,” appears Mae. She’s the middle-school-aged daughter of well-meaning parents played by Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson. When we first meet Mae, we learn she has forgone buying lunch in favor of buying a mug labeled “Male Tears.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Earbuds stop us from embracing the here and now

Apr. 10, 2018

We listen to a lot in a day.

OPINION | COLUMNS

As the semester hits peak amount of work, start thinking strategically

Apr. 8, 2018

Ah, yes. The March and April wave of work has crashed upon our shores once again. We’re entering that part of the semester when suddenly we have so many assignments due, some of them must be in classes we’re not even taking. But never fear.

OPINION | COLUMNS

When a water shortage comes, toilet-to-tap water will be a solution

Apr. 8, 2018

Some may think toilets have a “magic flush.” One does their business, flushes the toilet and the wastewater just disappears. That’s how much people would like to think about it because most wouldn’t want to know more about what happens to “poop water” once it’s flushed.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Safety outweighs privacy with mental well-being

Apr. 8, 2018

In March, the survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, returned from Spring Break to a new set of security measures. Perhaps the most notable of these new measures is a requirement to use a see-through backpack.