It was a typical day for me on Facebook not too long ago. I look at deserving posts and give them “love” reacts in order to make Facebook’s heartless algorithm realize whatever post I’m looking at is a good one and deserves more love.
As if heralded by some exasperated officer in a GroupMe, or perhaps just by sheer discipline, I started seeing lots of Facebook posts by my friends in our Women’s Student Association (WSA) over the course of several days, promoting their welcome assembly. Speaker announcement post? That gets a “love” react. A profile picture frame? Smash that “love” react! Sharing the event for a second time now—look under your chair! It’s a “love” react!
Half of the WSA probably thinks I’m a weird dude, but that’s not what this is about — it’s about things said by other Student Government dudes that somehow lacked mention of the WSA’s assembly and the Disability Resource Center’s (DRC) assembly.
Let me explain. This starts with our Student Body President Ian Green’s welcome back letter, specifically the part that talks about the welcome assemblies: “There are some big welcome assemblies coming up, I encourage everyone to attend,” he wrote, before listing off the the assemblies for the Hispanic Student Association, Black Student Union, Asian American Student Union and Pride Student Union.
So I read it, then re-read it. I do that thing where I scrunch my eyes since I’m not amused; where are the WSA and DRC in that list?
The DRC hadn’t released the event page for its assembly at the time of the letter’s publication, so I can understand why specifics may not have been mentioned. This will actually be the first ever DRC assembly, but I think that’s an even stronger reason to mention it. We had the opportunity to promote one of our overlooked communities, but no, our SG president chose not to. We could have acknowledged that the assembly exists, but nope, we neglected to.
But for the WSA, the decision to exclude them from the list was even more perplexing. This is a large assembly that has been going on for years, alongside all the other ones. They’re an established organization and exclusion could have definitely been seen as a snub since every other established assembly was mentioned. So, does the Student Body President not encourage people to attend the WSA’s assembly? It’s unclear.
The Student Body vice president mentioned a couple of the welcome assemblies at Tuesday’s Senate meeting but didn’t mention the WSA or the DRC either (though I’ll admit, his was more of a casual list).
I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that the president, vice president and treasurer positions have all been filled by men for the last two years (a move that has drawn criticism, given the demographics of our campus), but it feels fitting to mention it here anyhow.
In any event, the Women’s Welcome Assembly will take place in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Speakers include Assistant Director of Multicultural and Diversity Affairs Diana Moreno, Gator Dad (President) Kent Fuchs, Director of the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic (IPVAC) at the University of Florida Levin College of Law Teresa Drake and faculty English professor Dr. Debra Walker King. There will also be musical and dance performances, plus free food!
The Disability Advocacy Assembly will take place in the Cypress Hall Gathering Room from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 6. The purpose is to “celebrate disability identity and will highlight student groups related to disability at UF” such as the Ambassadors for Disability Awareness and the Delta Alpha Pi honor society (for high-achieving students with disabilities). Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2018, Shevaughn Barnes, will perform a song in sign language and UF Doctorate of Physical Therapy student Erin Waterman will deliver the keynote speech. There will also be refreshments.
Give these assemblies some love.
Zachariah Chou is a UF political science junior and Murphree Area Senator. His column appears on Fridays.
