A new column is posted each Wednesday at UCF Today. The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the UCF Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.
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Columns from 2015
The Conversation That Determined My Views on Gender Equality, Elizabeth Santiago
Criticism – The Thing We Hate the Most Makes Us the Strongest, Michael Preston
The United States Could Use a Therapist General, Barry Mauer
Today's Libraries (and Librarians) Have Shaken Off Stereotypical Images, Yolanda Hood
The Next Time Someone Has Something Bad to Say About Your Work..., Heather Gibson
You Don't Need Any Special Talent to Join Fight Against Hunger, Terri Susan Fine
The Best Leap of My Life Could Be Yours, Too, Traci Evison
Don't Just Blindly Follow All 'Green' Trends -- Do Your Research First, Michael Bass
Will Millennials Fill the Expected Flood of Open Sales Positions?, William Steiger
We Need to be That 'Shining City on the Hill' for Syrian Refugees, Elizabeth Santiago
Want to Make it in This World? Better Learn to Collaborate, Michael Preston
How Do You Make a Society Wise?, Barry Jason Mauer
I Don’t Control a Lot of Things- but I Can Control What I Read, Yolanda Hood
I Question Whether We Have Learned 'Citizenship' in Our Generation, Terri Susan Fine
Let Theatre Take You to a New World — Without Ringing, Glowing Phones, Heather Gibson
We All Grieve in Different Ways on Different Days, Traci Evison
A Toast! To the International Year of Light, Michael Bass
Temporary Lack of Amenities Taught Me to Appreciate What I Have, Vu Tran
Broad Changes Are Needed to Move Toward Social Harmony, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
My NBA All-Star Team of Socially Conscience Players, Richard Lapchick
‘Be Nice to People’ – Grandmother’s Advice Could Fix Many of World’s Problems, Anthony Major
When You Have a Chance to Influence the Universe..., Todd Dagenais
'Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way', Rick Brunson
What Will Matter to Me in the Coming Presidential Election, Melody Bowdon
This is Our Home - So Please Help Care For It, Alaina Bernard
In Defense of 'Depressing' Books, Laurie Uttich
Take Time to Edit Your Own Writing – You Just Might Improve It, Vu Tran
#BlackLivesMatter – So Keep the Conversation Going, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
Does Major League Baseball Look Like America?, Richard Lapchick
Live, Learn – and Let Live, Anthony Major
Get to Know the Custodians, Todd Dagenais
It's the Duty of All of Us to Stop Sexual Abuse, Rick Brunson
Advocating for Children is Everyone's Responsibility, Melody Bowdon
A Community is More Than a Group of People, Alaina Bernard
Do What You Love (and the Money Might Follow), Laurie Uttich
My Mistake as an Immigrant Student Was Viewing My Difference as a Drawback, Vu Tran
Sagging Pants Does Not Equate to Sagging Values, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
I'm Hopeful the Power of Sport Will Expand to Spur Social Change, Richard E. Lapchick
History Curriculum Needs More Coverage of Black Inventors, Anthony Major
Don't be a Leader Who Turns Around to Look – and Nobody is Following, Todd Dagenais
Corrective Lenses Needed When Looking at Race Issues, Rick Brunson
Leave Them (Texting) Kidz Alone, Melody Bowdon
Our Failure to Understand Mental Illness has Debilitated Nearly 60 Million Americans, Alaina Bernard
Bearing Witness Even When It Seems Too Much to Bear, Laurie Uttich
Take the Opportunities of Travel to Always Learn Something New, Vu Tran
Columns from 2014
The Future Will Require Learning How to Exist in a Multicultural Society, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
Much of Society's Unrest Caused by Barrage of Negative Stereotypes in Films, Anthony Major
No Longer Can We Keep Our Eyes Closed to Human Trafficking All Around Us, Richard Lapchick
'So You're Telling Me There's a Chance.', Todd Dagenais
Listen Up – This is the Most Meaningful Part of My Job, Rick Brunson
Saying Thanks Isn’t Always Simple, Melody Bowdon
It's a Small World After All – and We're All Connected, Alaina Bernard
The Social Media Mirage (and What We're Missing), Laurie Uttich
Winter is Coming – With its Pressures, Joys, Vu chopra
Black Infant Deaths Point to Flaw in U.S. Health Care System, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
Sports News Puts Focus on Society's Problems, Richard Lapchick
Redefining America's Ethnicity, Gender and Race, Anthony Major
What Is the Cost of a Bad Hire?, Todd Dagenais
'One Small Candle of Truth…Dispels a Lot of Darkness', Rick Brunson
Weathering the Storm Surge of Social Media, Melody Bowdon
Get Outside the Box – and Go Outside!, Alaina Bernard
Don’t Label Teens Dying in Our Streets – We Mourn Them All, Laurie Uttich
Be the Best You Can Be- and Then Some, Vu Tran
Are Diversity and Inclusiveness Really Possible?, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton
The Failure of College Sport as an Equal Opportunity Employer, Richard Lapchick
Life Is Like a Salad Bowl (or Should Be!), Anthony B. Major
As Migrant Crisis Hits U.S. Border, Texas Town Keeps it Classy, Rick Brunson
'Would You Let Your Daughter Color Her Hair Blue?', Rebekah McCloud
The Echo Chamber Is Getting Louder, Tom Cavanagh
More ‘Fans in Stands’ Help Boost University’s Brand, Rich Sloane
Lazy Days of Summer: Time to Relax and Contemplate, Mark Routhier
Appreciating the Simple Moments More Than Onslaught of Technology, Leandra Preston-Sidler
What My Grandfather Taught Me About Strategy, Bob Porter
I Wish the Sport I Love – Soccer – Could Help Eliminate Injustice Around World, Erin O'Flaherty
Where Are Your Papers?, Rebekah McCloud
A Parent's Dilemma: When to Let Child be Responsible for Own Actions, Maritza Martinez
This is What Happens When We Forget That Speech Has Consequences, Nathan Holic
Orlando- We’re No More Weird Than Anywhere Else, Tom Cavanagh
U.S. Postal Service Gets My Stamp of Approval, Rich Sloane
Some Graduates Have a Plan – For You Others…, Mark Routhier
Employers Need to do More to Help Maintain Careers of Employees With Babies, Leandra Preston-Sidler
Pay Attention to the Weather of Business and Life – And Don’t Steer Into an Iceberg, Bob Porter
Sometimes We Need to Press 'Reset' Button and Return to Basics, Erin O'Flaherty
You Are the Momma Now, Rebekah McCloud
How Many Credit Card Frauds Must We Endure Before Security Improves?, Maritza Martinez
The Anxiety of ‘Read It Later’, Nathan Holic
Is Today’s Young Music Too Obscene? (Or Has My Perspective Changed?), Tom Cavanagh
Traffic Lights Turn Me Red, Mark Routhier
Wipe That Schmutz Off Your Face- and Keep Reading, Rich Sloane
Toughness, Sensitivity Not Mutually Exclusive in a 'Real Man', Leandra Preston-Sidler
Lessons Learned From Archery: How to Focus and Hit the Bull’s-eye in Life, Bob Porter
America Needs to Reclaim Status as 'Land of Opportunity', Erin O'Flaherty
I Can't Pinpoint When the Problem Started – It Was Just There, Rebekah McCloud
It's Time to Convert the – in Your Life to !, Maritza Martinez
The Struggle of Digital De-Cluttering, Nathan Holic
Even if not Flashy, Any Work That Benefits Humanity has Value, Tom Cavanagh
Columns from 2013
'Cool Hand Luke' Quote was Right: Failure to Communicate is Spreading, Rich Sloane
I Love it When Linus Reminds Me What Christmas is About, Mark Routhier
First Month with My Newborn Was Both the Fastest and the Longest of My Life, Leandra Preston-Sidler
'To Change is to Learn and to Learn is to Change', Bob Porter