Student Body deserves explanation from UF administration

During my four years at UF, it was obvious that Bernie Machen’s administration had zero concern for the Student Body. When Andrew Meyer was Tasered, when the Graduate Assistants United asked for slightly higher pay to teach classes, and when entire programs were cut without student input, the administration stood squarely against the students. Maybe it is fortunate that the worst offense to the Student Body came the year after I graduated and migrated north. Even if the brutal maiming of Kofi Adu-Brempong was somehow justified, it is the administration’s duty to stand up for its students. The University Police Department exists to protect the Student Body, and when a student is left with gruesome injuries at the hands of a UPD officer, the Student Body deserves an explanation and an investigation. Machen and the UF administration have once again failed the Student Body; blessing a handful of students with a meeting is not enough to fulfill the obligations that Machen is handsomely paid to perform. It has never been more clear that this university needs a new direction and new leadership. We need a university president whose loyalty and responsibilities don’t end with collecting a massive paycheck, and we need justice for the UF Student Body.