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Friday, July 03, 2026

Opinion

Florida Alligator
Opinion

About last week...

To paraphrase the great American poet Dorothy Parker, “I hate reporting. I love having reported.”


Florida Alligator
Opinion

College is about learning how to take care of yourself

College is hard. For some of us, it’s the first time we’re away from home and juggling school and duties like cooking, cleaning, going to the doctor and more. There’s no parent or guardian telling you that you’re going out too much, not sleeping enough or taking you to the doctor.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Modest fashion is the next big thing

This May, H&M has released their first “modest” clothing collection, LTD. It comes just in time for the Muslim month of Ramadan, a holy time for Muslims around the world. H&M has not explicitly stated that cultural diversity is the target of the campaign, but they have said “we want to be diverse and inclusive to all the markets.”


Florida Alligator
Opinion

First Amendment protects against tyranny better than the Second

You might know this person: he or she has a few guns, strongly supports Second Amendment rights and distrusts the government. Part of the reason they have so many guns is that the government cannot be trusted — you’ll need their armed support to combat an authoritarian and tyrannical Washington one day. Two bumper stickers are neighbors on the rear of their forward-thinking, fuel-efficient Prius. One reads, “Support the Troops,” the other, “The right to bear arms is our only protection from government tyranny.” In this day and age, that job is better done by the First Amendment than the Second.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Navigating the meme-conomy

If you spend enough time on the internet, you learn the language of memes. It’s a market-driven tongue; memes go in and out of fashion frequently. They balloon, they bubble and they burst unexpectedly. If you’re not careful, you might find yourself in a lurch, trading in low-value memes. This is as important as any college course — learning to navigate the meme economy can make or break your online presence. Irrelevance, to any self-respecting, red-blooded citizen of the internet, is a fate worse than death.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Lowering your expectations allows you to enjoy life more

I’m going to paint the scene. It’s around midnight, and you’re craving a snack. You open the fridge and disappointment ensues. You close the near-empty fridge, displeased. After walking around the house, you return. This time when you open the fridge, you’re a little more honest with yourself. You’re desperate. Standards have hit rock bottom. With a renewed expectation, you finally select something. Although it may not have been your first choice, your hunger is subsided.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Motorcycles are dangerous — I might buy one anyway

Through the window of a Regional Transit System bus, you longingly stare at the motorcyclist next to you. Clad in black gear, he takes off at a red light and speeds toward campus. “Stop requested. For your safety: if crossing the street...” You tune it out and daydream of a reality without buses.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Just be positive

Mental health carries a long series of symptoms that can be different for everyone. However, sometimes people not personally dealing with a mental health diagnosis themselves can dictate recovery options or advice, despite having no degree or experience.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Ode to Florida and its weather

Oh, Florida! Land of sunshine and sea spray, with your miles of beaches and acres of swamp, how I have loved your climate in times both warm and slightly less warm. The bountiful depths of your balmy seas are perturbed only by visiting vagabond hurricanes; your peaceful air troubled only by the wind of mosquito wings; your clouds are as lofty and gray as the pristine God himself. For all the trouble you cause, we love you more and more ardently.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Changing tides of time

My Preview counselor did a great job of laying out a roadmap for being a UF student. She told me about what college will be like going forward: how I’d build a work ethic and collegiate-level study habits, find a group of friends that I’d keep for a lifetime and develop myself professionally and spiritually. Preview readies you for changes you’ll see to your student persona. What it can never prepare you for is seeing your hometown change right out from underneath you.



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