Opinion

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Opinion

Letter to the Editor from Branden Pearson

Feb. 7, 2018

When I started at the University of Florida this past fall, my goals were to serve the Student Body and ensure that every student’s voice was heard. When I slated with Inspire Party last September, I believed I was joining a party based on the principles of accountability, inclusivity and transparency. With Inspire Party I saw a way to make tangible change for the Student Body and achieve the mission I set out to accomplish, but soon after being elected as the Lakeside Senator, I began to question what Inspire truly stands for. As the Lakeside Senator, I have always put the students before party. Early in my Senate career, I met with Student Body President Smith Meyers and Senate President Ian Green. During these meetings, I saw opportunities to bring about bipartisan change for the Student Body. However, I found myself being increasingly questioned by members of my party as to why I would even attempt to work with members of the Impact Party.

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Sports

What were the three best commercials of Super Bowl LII?

By Jake Dreilinger | Feb. 7, 2018

Ah yes, the Super Bowl. The event where millions of people around the country flock to a TV set for three and a half hours, not to watch the championship game of America’s most popular sport, but to obsess over the new, fun, flamboyant commercials that debut throughout the night.

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Opinion

Why didn’t UF bring Burrito Brothers on campus?

Feb. 6, 2018

UF does not exist in a vacuum.

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Opinion

Alexa, stop reinforcing gender roles

Feb. 6, 2018

The Amazon Echo, more commonly known as “Alexa,” was the star of the Super Bowl — at least if you’re the kind of person who was in it for the commercials. In the ads featuring the virtual personal assistant, after the automatic voice starts to cough, chaos erupts. While Alexa’s sick, Jeff Bezos and some Amazon employees rush to find a replacement. None of them fit the bill: Gordon Ramsay is too hostile, Cardi B plays Bodak Yellow when asked to play country music, and Leslie Jones and J.B. Smoove can’t agree on what romantic advice to give a lovesick user. The voice of Alexa returns, assuring everyone, “I’ll take it from here.”

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Opinion

In defense of nostalgia

Feb. 6, 2018

Today, we can listen to any song in a never-ending music library, and we have the power to stream nearly any movie ever made. But we always seem to revert to familiar classics in both categories. And there’s a reason why.

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Opinion

Heartwarming TV ads aren’t fooling anyone

Feb. 6, 2018

I grew up watching Super Bowl commercials that worked within the stereotype of them being created for laughter. They were essentially rodeo clowns.

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Opinion

Yes, diversity is still something to celebrate

Feb. 5, 2018

Something we have been hearing way too often lately is diversity is not worth praising. That “it’s 2018,” so diversity and acceptance aren’t things we have to worry about anymore. That racism and prejudice aren’t things we have to worry about anymore. That cruelty, judgement and downright bigotry are a thing of the past. Well, dear reader, these assumptions are, unfortunately, incorrect.

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Opinion

The insanity defense: We should try to help rather than simply punish

Feb. 5, 2018

You may recall a story hitting the news in June 2014 about three girls in the woods in Wisconsin. Two 12-year-old girls lured a third into the woods in Waukesha, Wisconsin, attacked her and left her for dead. This past week, the girl who carried out the attack, Morgan Geyser, was sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution. Her accomplice, Anissa Weier, was sentenced in December to 25 years in a mental institution. To provide a little context, Geyser didn't merely attack the third girl, Payton Leutner. She stabbed her 19 times, all over her body. Why in the world would they do this? Apparently, they were trying to appease a character from a popular online horror game called “Slender Man.”

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Opinion

Don’t mix religion with education in the name of free speech

Feb. 5, 2018

Between all of the chaos to come from this White House administration, it’s been frighteningly easy for us to miss important news or dismiss seemingly innocuous political moves as insignificant. This is something we need to take note of. At this point, we need to learn to ignore nothing.

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Sports

Esports are just as interesting and competitive as traditional sports

By Ethan Bauer | Feb. 4, 2018

I know nothing — I mean absolutely nothing — about video games.

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Sports

Worried about the Gators' recent losses? I'm not. They'll be all right.

By Skyler Lebron | Feb. 1, 2018

The Florida fan base is confused right now. And rightfully so.

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Opinion

Darts & Laurels: Feb. 2, 2018

Feb. 1, 2018

Ah, flu season. The undesirable yet familiar scents of hand sanitizer and DayQuil fill the air. Sniffling noses and phlegm-filled coughs can be heard all throughout campus.

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Opinion

Let’s talk about protecting endangered species

Feb. 1, 2018

Manatees are as much a part of Florida’s identity as oranges and Mickey Mouse. Picture, for a moment, a manatee floating effortlessly beneath the water’s surface, looking for a patch of vegetation to munch on before it innocently moves through a precious Floridian body of water. Pretty majestic, right?

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Opinion

There is a drought of new and original stories in Hollywood movies

Feb. 1, 2018

With award season closing in on us, it’s that time of the year when we look back on all of the entertainment that graced our screens in 2017. Nothing very obvious changed this year in cinema; the box office was still dominated by "Star Wars" and whatever new superhero releases there were, and the Oscar nominations for Best Picture still consisted of films which the majority of people didn’t see.

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Opinion

Ignoring black artists will make the Grammy Awards irrelevant

Feb. 1, 2018

In a year where protest and defiance were highlighted in Hollywood, the Grammys, as always, have played it safe. Although the Time’s Up movement has focused more on actresses and directors, sexual harassment and assault has touched the music industry, too. This year, artists have released numerous songs about politics and activism, but this risk-taking was not recognized.

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Sports

Vince McMahon would like to sell you some mediocre high school football again

By Morgan McMullen | Jan. 31, 2018

Hoo, boy.

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Sports

Looking for a fun way to pass the time during Super Bowl LII? Here’s how.

By Dylan Dixon | Jan. 30, 2018

If you see eye-to-eye with me on this year’s Super Bowl matchup, you’re most likely feeling dejected and dispirited.

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Opinion

Student journalists deserve your support

Jan. 30, 2018

In today’s editorial, we’re going to ask you to remember your high school days.

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Opinion

In a world of weak ties, hold on to your core friends

Jan. 30, 2018

In today’s ultra-connected world, a friend is no longer just a friend.

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Opinion

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.”