Typically we only dole out laurels at the end of the week, but given the circumstances, we don't mind handing out a big one to start the week. Besides, a little positive opining once in a while couldn't hurt.
The circumstances are the 2008 Black Alumni Weekend and UF's 50th anniversary of integration. We all need to realize just how far our school has come.
It's been 50 years since UF admitted its first black student.
George Starke Jr.'s name is one worth remembering, but given the gap between UF's integration and most of our births, it's far too easy to overlook the importance of his admittance.
Because we were born almost 30 years after Starke became the first black student to attend UF, it's difficult to fully appreciate the courage involved in breaking a color barrier.
Everyone can feel small sometimes, but Starke's position was extreme and is a testament to his resilience.
We don't want to sell UF short, though. A southern school's choice to integrate in the late 1950s was probably met with protest, and that protest had to be overcome by a strong-willed group of people, so let's not forget the administration had to do some battling of their own.
Fifty years is not a small step, but it is a transitional one.
UF must keep growing and must continue to become more diverse. It only serves to enrich the college experience. Cheesy? Maybe. True? We definitely think so.
We may not always appreciate the arduous roads that people have crossed to get where they are, but our ignorance cannot let feats like Starke's be forgotten.
