The SG Elections Commission announced polling locations Tuesday. Eight locations on UF campus will be open for student voting from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23.
Students can vote for 50 senators and the Executive Cabinet in SG’s Spring election on Feb. 22 and 23. Five parties are registered: The Gator Party, Change Party, Communist Party, Keg Party and Waffle House Party. Polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on election days, per SG election codes. Students who are unable to vote in-person can request absentee ballots through an online form before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, said Supervisor of Elections Alexandra Stedman.
For the first time since 2020, Student Government Productions opened up its concerts to the general public.
A social media post on Yik Yak Wednesday night spurred University Police Department officers to investigate Turlington Hall at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The post alluded to a suicide in the building or around the area, and it was not threatenining to other students, UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez said.
Santa Fe College students and employees can get $60 for their COVID-19 vaccinations as of Jan. 28. SF announced their second voluntary COVID-19 vaccine incentive, similar to the one in Fall 2021 that resulted in over 2,700 people getting vaccinated, according to the Santa Fe website.
The Black Student Union hosted an opening ceremony to honor the start of Black History Month Tuesday. Nearly 50 UF community members, including students, faculty and the UF BSU, along with two guest speakers walked a small red carpet at the Institute of Black Culture across from UF campus.
On the lawn of the Reitz Union Tuesday morning, the candidates made their debut in front of silver balloons that read ‘FORWARD’ in front of an audience of about 30 students.
SG and Gator Nights partnered to host the inaugural Gator Gala Friday evening at the Reitz Union. The free event was open to all UF students from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom with live music, poker tables and raffles for free items, including a UF basketball jersey worth $109.99.
Two Student Government parties announced their candidates for executive positions three weeks before elections start. Feb. 22 and 23, UF students can cast their votes for a new Student Body president, Vice President and Treasurer. Students will also choose 50 new senators to take over seats organized by college and credit hours.
A new federal grant has not been funded for Spring, causing some students to worry as they continue to face impacts from the pandemic.
A federal judge prohibited UF from enforcing its conflict-of-interest policy, which the university had used to bar professors from testifying in court, Friday morning. Six UF professors suing the university over their academic freedom and First Amendment rights asked District Judge Mark Walker, a double Gator, for a preliminary injunction, an order to end UF’s policy.
Concluding statements were cut short when Siddharth Krishnan, a member of the UF Communist Party, announced from the back of the room that a COVID-19-positive student was on the way to the debate.
The concert, which is for UF students only, will be held at the O’Connell Center at 7 p.m. and was announced through social media posts along with an update to the student government website. Doors to the event will open at 6 p.m.
Gainesville Regional Transit System’s shortage of bus drivers has changed the ability to move around the city. RTS has reduced the frequency of certain stops, pulling nine buses from service.
Despite the surge in Alachua County omicron COVID-19 cases, local gyms’ memberships and business increased this month.
The all-female UF team won the grand prize for the Florida Hacks with International Business Machines competition, of which the results were announced Jan. 6. The team won a grand prize of $30,000 and access to a UF supercomputer.
UF President Kent Fuchs announced Wednesday morning that he will be resigning from his position to transition into a professor role. UF released the announcement for Fuchs’ resignation in a campus-wide email and video message. Fuchs, 67, intends to continue his presidential duties for the rest of the year and step down in 2023 once a new president is sworn in. He plans to return to his home department of electrical and computer engineering.
Obando, a 22-year-old Miami native, graduated cum laude in Fall 2021 with a degree in art history. On Jan. 4, Obando was hit by a pickup truck while she was crossing the sidewalk around 12:30 p.m. on the intersection of Northwest 8th Ave. and Northwest 10th St. Following the crash, she was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital where she died from her injuries.
After a Fall semester that saw graduate seat vacancies and an unusually low number of bills on the Senate floor, SG officers are preparing for the Spring semester.
Under Fuchs eight-year term as UF president, the university became a top five public university in the nation and was embroiled in an academic freedom scandal.
Solutions by The State News
