Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

I am skeptical of Facebook’s algorithm changes

Jan. 30, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will change their focus and algorithms. According to a Facebook post, Zuckerberg has tasked his employees to care less about “helping you find relevant content,” and more about “helping you have more meaningful social interactions.” Consequently, your news feed will soon show you less global content and more local content, less CNN and Nike and more from your friends and family. Zuckerberg understands this change as an overdue revival of sorts; a return to what Facebook originally purported to do. He wrote in his post, “We built Facebook to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us. That's why we've always put friends and family at the core of the experience.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Judge Aquilina made sure justice was served and victims were heard

Jan. 30, 2018

“Mattel ought to make toys so that little girls can look at you and say, ‘I want to be her,’” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said from behind her bench at Larry Nassar’s sentencing last week. She continued, “Thank you so much for being here and for your strength.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Access to menstrual products needs to be campus-wide

Jan. 28, 2018

Imagine this: It’s about noon, and you’ve been feeling awful all day. No need to worry though — this happens to you every few weeks. You’re in pain, you’re tired and you’re experiencing inexplicable mood swings paired with irritability. You want so badly to curl up in a ball in your bed and lie there for the rest of the day. But you can’t.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

“I got fake people showin’ fake love to me,” and it’s a bigger problem than you’d think

Jan. 28, 2018

When we think of identity theft, we often consider drained bank accounts and staggering credit scores. We think of it as a crime committed for direct and immediate financial gain, not for perceived popularity. But, similarly to what it has done to most aspects of society, social media is changing the standards of identity theft.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: Jan. 26, 2018

Jan. 25, 2018

It’s the third week of Spring semester. The poor decisions you made during syllabus week have finally caught up to you and you’re now coming to terms with the fact that your classes are going to require a lot more effort than you initially anticipated.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Government must facilitate research on marijuana before crafting policies

Jan. 25, 2018

Marijuana wasn’t always prohibited. Due to the 1910 Mexican Revolution, many Mexican refugees migrated to the U.S. With an influx of immigrants of a different culture came the rise of xenophobia along the Mexico-U.S. border. According to Eric Schlosser, author of the article “Reefer Madness,” Texas police officers reported marijuana incited “a lust for blood” in Mexicans who used the drug that gave them “superhuman strength.” To further stir fear, rumors began to spread that Mexicans were giving this “killer weed” to American children.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Another senseless murder happened Tuesday. But you probably don’t care.

Jan. 23, 2018

You’re going to read the story and perhaps feel a pang of sadness. You’ll read the names — maybe even get to know their families for a second.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ways to Overcome Loneliness

Jan. 23, 2018

There is a health crisis in Britain. In response, British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced the creation of a new position in the British government: Minister of Loneliness.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We have the power to redefine age on our own terms

Jan. 23, 2018

On Sunday, actress Nicole Kidman gave a poignant acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards about the crumbling age barriers of Hollywood. “How wonderful it is that our careers can go beyond 40 years old. . . twenty years ago, we were pretty washed up by this stage in our lives,” the 50-year-old said.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor from two SG senators supporting Gators Matter, Period.

Jan. 23, 2018

Last week, the Budget and Appropriations Committee met to discuss the code revision for the Gators Matter, Period initiative, and did not vote in favor of the code revision to allow student organizations to purchase menstrual hygiene products for distribution using the Activity and Service Fees. However, the decision made by the Budget and Appropriations Committee does not reflect Student Government’s stance on the Gators Matter, Period. initiative. Rather, Student Government stands firm in their support for the Gators Matter, Period. initiative, and is currently working to fund this project through Facilities Services and GatorWell.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the editor from SG Supervisor of Elections

Jan. 22, 2018

Hello Gators! My name is Erica Baker, and I am the supervisor of elections for Student Government. I am writing to you to discuss the importance of SG Elections. SG impacts the campus in a number of ways, through their ability to advocate on behalf of the Student Body at UF and in the state and federal government.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Poor leadership does not equal mental health problems

Jan. 21, 2018

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump underwent a four-hour examination of physical and cognitive health. As of late, some were concerned about Trump’s erratic speech patterns, exhibited narcissism, often poor judgment and rash decision making. He was deemed healthy, passing the cognitive test — the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, widely used to test for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — with a reportedly perfect score. This test is fairly high in validity but is not used to assess psychiatric disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, anxiety or depression.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The US underestimates the power of nuclear weapons

Jan. 21, 2018

On Jan. 13, Hawaii experienced 38 minutes of fear from a supposed incoming ballistic missile attack when a state employee clicked the wrong item from a drop-down menu. One would think the U.S. government would handle nuclear prevention programs with the same degree of sophistication that makes these weapons possible. Instead, the warning for the inescapable likelihood of thousands of deaths and the beginning of nuclear war was determined by the same interface that students use to save their homework.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Encouraging children to explore art, music and poetry

Jan. 21, 2018

Does anyone else remember those little “karate belts” we tied to the ends of our recorders in music class? Perhaps a tiny white ribbon for a successful rendition of “Hot Cross Buns,” or a bead hung on a black string for the advanced version of “Ode to Joy?”

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Doctors shouldn’t deny treatment based on religion

Jan. 21, 2018

News headlines last week were dominated by the government shutdown and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program deals. These big ticket items, as important as they are, have taken away focus from another just as infuriating issue in President Donald Trump’s administration.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Serena Williams’ story highlights disparities in American health care system

Jan. 18, 2018

A mother has just given birth to a baby. She recognizes the signs of a blood clot. She tells her doctors and nurses, only for them to brush her concerns aside. When she finally does get the tests and medications she needed, they find she did have a blood clot and could have died if she had not advocated for herself.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Salvaging Gainesville’s local music scene

Jan. 18, 2018

For a town of its size and seemingly small cultural relevance, Gainesville actually has quite the thriving music scene, far outfighting its weight class. Nearly every night, a stroll down University Avenue into the center of town will offer you some sort of live music options from which to choose. For what might appear to be a sleepy college town from afar, Gainesville occupies a unique position in the musical environment — it has a humming live music scene filled with a spectrum of independent artists, but it also has the might of UF to bring in much larger performers every once in a while. There truly is something to satisfy each musical taste, and it is something that sets Gainesville apart from many other towns comparable in stature.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: Jan. 18, 2017

Jan. 18, 2018

You remain snuggled up in your bed as your phone alarm blares next to you. This is the third time you’ve hit the snooze button this morning, but, to be frank, you’d rather die than brace the frigid 23-degree weather waiting for you outside.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Congress needs to act on DACA

Jan. 16, 2018

Hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants continue to live in fear of impending deportation as Congress attempts to finalize their fate with a legislative solution.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We should learn from Logan Paul’s transgression

Jan. 16, 2018

Whatever Logan Paul’s initial thoughts were when he saw a dead person hanging in Japan’s Aokigahara “suicide forest” and whatever his justifications were for making a dead body the subject of a YouTube video, I doubt they were malodorous.