Well, this is it. Here we are, at the end of April, the end of classes — and our last day in print.
It’s been a pleasure reporting, writing and taking photographs for you, the reader, over the past four months.
Yes, this job is really, really, REALLY tough, and sometimes there simply isn’t enough caffeine in the world or hours in the day to get it all done the way we want.
But, more often than that, we can count our time here as one of the more fulfilling experiences we’ve had.
So, on this the day of this semester’s last edition, we’d like to look back at our favorite stories from this Spring. Here’s your last-day-of-classes edition of …
Darts & Laurels
Hands down the most exhilarating story we covered this semester was the Student Government election. In a departure from usual procedure, it was the first election in recent memory where the election results were actually contested. The Student Body came out and voted in record numbers, wrestling power from a thoroughly corrupt coalition which had governed us since practically the dawn of time. Tensions were high right up to the moment election results were announced. Now we have a new start to look forward to. For that, we’d like to hand a LAUREL to the Access Party and the Student Body.
Another wonderful thing that happened this Spring was the legalization of same-sex marriage in Florida. Hey, at least we weren’t the last one to go. We were really lucky it happened in the first week of the semester so we could document that historic day.
There was a front-page spread of the first same-sex couple to be married in Gainesville, Steve Allegra and John Anderson. So here’s a LAUREL to the state of Florida for making that stride toward the right side of history, and to all of the activists who fought so hard to achieve that change.
When Created Equal rolled into town a few months ago, everyone was prepared to avoid its activists and its ridiculous posters on their own. Instead, a group of students decided enough was enough, and they let Created Equal know how they felt.
At the protests, students comforted each other, debated activists and escorted each other through Created Equal’s rhetorical minefield. The protests united the UF community in a way that was both empowering and really rad. We’d like to give that whole situation a LAUREL.
And, finally, we’d like to give a LAUREL to you, the reader. Without you, the sum total of all our efforts would be for nothing. After all, you are the reason we peel ourselves out of bed in the morning and drag ourselves into this office. It is because of you that we look forward to doing it.
That’s all for now, y’all. It’s been great, and we’re looking forward to all the crazy news the Summer and Fall semesters will bring.
Which reminds us … be sure to take a look at the Alligator website when Fall comes around — it’s getting a long-overdue redesign.
It’s something at least four of the most recent Alligator editorial boards have fought tooth and nail for, and we finally pulled it off.
Until then, Gainesville: Good luck on exams, and have yourselves a great summer.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 4/22/2015]
