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Thursday, May 22, 2025

El Caimán

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Must we let racists spoil ‘Star Wars,’ too?

Most Monday nights I’m holed up in my apartment, elbow-deep in a bag of family-sized Ruffles, spending intermissions between episodes of "Roseanne" on Netflix visiting my ex-girlfriend’s Facebook page (she is so much happier than I am). But this past Monday night was time for a change, and it was the Force that guided me from the dark, damp and Dagobah-like state of my bedroom to the buzz of Mother’s Pub and Grill just a block away. You know, the Force. The thing that gives a Jedi his or her power. That energy field created by all living things. The thing that surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The real winner of last week’s debate: Anderson Cooper and the moderators

While everybody was busy on social media waging a war over who did better in the Democratic debate, I was in the middle of a caffeine-filled all-nighter for a group project that prevented me from watching the debate live. However, missing out on the initial viewing of the debate proved to be an advantage, as I was able to sit down and actually take my time watching the debate over the weekend. I did not have to bother live-tweeting it or looking out for others doing it. Instead, I could pause whenever I wanted without fear of missing anything. And this capacity for reflection allowed me to realize who the real winner of the debate was: Anderson Cooper and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the moderators.


UF football coach Jim McElwain walks out of the visitor's tunnel prior to Florida's 14-9 win against Kentucky on Sept. 19, 2015, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
SPORTS  |  FOOTBALL

Who’s had a better first year: Jim Harbaugh or Jim McElwain?

First-year Florida coach Jim McElwain and first-year Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh have brought life to their respective programs. The Gators are 6-1, ranked No. 13 in the country and on top of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. The Wolverines are 5-2 and ranked No. 16 in the country despite losses to two top-10 opponents. Both programs seem revitalized and their devoted fan bases are optimistic the teams will contend for a spot in the college football playoffs. AlligatorSports editor Graham Hall and managing/online editor Jordan McPherson debate which Jim has had the best start to the year considering the programs each coach took over.



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