Don’t wait until the last minute to cast a ballot because U.S. Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman is coming to campus on Election Day.
The gymnast and #MeToo activist will speak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in the University Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Accent Speakers Bureau Chair Gregory Wolf said.
Raisman will be paid $56,000 by the Accent Speakers Bureau, according to the speaker's contract. In a moderated Q&A, Raisman will speak about her Olympic career and her experience with the #MeToo movement.
Though they fall on the same day, the speaking engagement is not related to Election Day, Wolf said. Wolf declined to give the cost of Raisman’s speaker’s fee.
Students can pick up tickets at the Student Government suite on the third floor of the Reitz Union between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Nov. 5 or between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 6, Wolf said. Students can pick up one ticket per Gator 1 Card they bring, and they can have two cards.
Tickets not claimed will be available at the University Auditorium before the show, Wolf said.
The event will include a moderated Q&A followed by a student Q&A, Wolf said. The moderator has not been announced.
Megan Cantor, a 21-year-old UF sustainability studies senior, said she watched Raisman compete in two Olympic games and also watched as she testified about being molested. She said it is empowering that Raisman can open up about her experiences.
“She’s not afraid to talk about it and get justice for it,” she said. “She’s a role model.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
