Ben Shapiro will be coming to UF Oct. 18 rather than Oct. 25, according to a UF Young Americans for Freedom Instagram post.
The event will be hosted at the Phillips Center for free.
The UF Student Government budget for student organizations for Fall 2023 allocated $10,500 to the UF Young Americans for Freedom organization to host Ben Shapiro on campus.
Shapiro is expected as a UF YAF guest speaker at the Phillips Centers October 25, according to the event request submitted by the organization.
The Student Government budget committee does not have a say in speakers chosen for events it allocates funds to.
Shapiro, a notable controversial figure and political commentator, is the co-founder and Editor Emeritus of The Daily Wire and host of “The Ben Shapiro Show.”
Known for his conservative, traditional ideologies, Shapiro’s viewpoints have sparked intense discourse throughout the years.
Shapiro’s notoriety also comes from the compilations of him debating students at college campuses across the nation — the debates are often heated and gather large amounts of publicity.
Shapiro previously spoke at UF in 2017 at an event hosted by the Accent Speakers Bureau, a student government agency, and the UF Young Americans for Freedom.
YAF promotes principles of limited government, individual freedom, free enterprise, a strong national defense and traditional values to youth audiences, according to the organization’s website.
The contract, signed May 26, shows a total of $10,500 that will be paid to YAF — $5,000 is allocated in rental and equipment fees, $5,000 in honorariums for YAF to pay Shapiro and $500 for copies of flyers.
Contact Vivienne at vserret@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @vivienneserret.
Vivienne Serret is a UF journalism and criminology senior, reporting for The Alligator's university desk as the student government reporter and managing editor for The Florida Political Review. She loves debating, lifting at the gym and singing.
