Students here at UF pay a fee of $19.06 per credit hour called the “Activity and Service Fee.” Multiply that by however many credit hours students are taking, and this is how Student Government gets its $21 million budget.
Wellness, where health and happiness intersect, has become a trillion-dollar industry. It’s come at the cost of science and truth.
Ever wondered if your constant browsing of social media is depressing you? Here’s the science.
Periodically, this story makes the rounds through headlines: Someone with an invisible illness has been publicly shamed for using accessible parking or other aids.
Pop star Demi Lovato’s drug overdose has triggered an ongoing debate over whether addiction is a choice or a disease.
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. It recently passed its 28th anniversary, which means it’s been almost three decades of the official reshaping of society’s accommodation, perception and admission of disabled people.
Everyone is a different person with different needs. Diversity and inclusion are important. In journalism, there are so many stories to tell. But often, some voices go unheard.
Last week, a 5-year-old watched his father die in a gas station parking lot. The shooter, Michael Drejka, will likely face no charges because of Florida’s incredibly lax stand your ground law. The victim, Markeis McGlockton pushed Drejka to the floor after he came back from the inside of the gas station to find Drejka arguing with his girlfriend. Little did McGlockton know that making the mistake of pushing too hard as defense of his family would lead to his death. Drejka shot from the floor at McGlockton who as evidenced in a security video was not lunging at him after the first push.
The drone of rain on the car roof is almost deafening. It comes through to the inside like loud TV static. If you peer out the window at the mute downtown scene, between the droplets, you can see that white water pours off storefront awnings like an avalanche. On the flooded sidewalk, huddled in a shallow doorway, a faceless man’s fingers hold a cardboard shield in defense against the damp. The problem of homelessness is never so striking as it is in a rainstorm. An increased supply of short-term shelter is a more immediate solution to this problem which statistics fail to capture.
It started out innocently enough. “24/7 Study Space Survey” says the subject line for the email that flies into my inbox from former Monroe County Detention Center inmate/Student Body President Smith Meyers. “Your responses to the attached 5-minute survey will be invaluable as we prioritize support for the overnight study spaces needed for your academic success.”
I’ve had dozens of doctor’s appointments this summer.My medical chart classifies me as someone with high-risk medication usage.The people at my pharmacy know my name.I have more than five diagnoses, and they keep coming.I appear out of place in specialists’ waiting rooms and in society.Expectations for my peer group don’t align with the lifestyle I live or want to live.When I’m not in class, doing extracurricular assignments or studying, I’m at the doctor or recuperating with heat pads and ice packs in bed. I’ve never been out to Midtown or even a football game yet because I’m scared about my health and accommodations. An outing can cost me a semester if I’m not careful. Pushing myself doesn’t make me better. It can leave me in the hospital. But I keep doing it anyway because I want to be with friends, gain experience in my major and be a part of the UF community.It’s hard to balance society’s expectations with how I live. What is even harder is how I balance my own expectations and goals with where I’m at. I’m constantly at odds. Even in doctor’s offices, I’m misunderstood. I’m accused of lying or am not taken seriously. “You’re too young to have these problems,” isn’t an uncommon message from doctors. No kidding.Wishing or wondering won’t make my circumstances change. Pushing onward has a silver lining. I’m learning to find my voice, be an advocate and reason with professionals. It’s given me a different kind of strength amid my physical weakness. I hate pity. I just want understanding, especially in health care. If there’s anything my life has shown me, it’s that there is a health care gap. There’s specialized care for older patients but not for young ones with similar issues. That’s a problem.Worse than feeling alone and in pain is going to get help and being refused or unheard.This is a widespread problem. I’ve had to wait months for a diagnosis. I’m still waiting for solutions to other problems. That could take years. Worse than fighting to live “normally” is fighting to be heard and waiting, feeling sick and knowing something is off but jumping from doctor to doctor until someone finally listens. Then it’s waiting for test results. Then it’s becoming your own doctor. It’s turning to Google and scanning medical research and asking for, or demanding, tests. It’s researching at-home treatments.
You have been staring blankly at your computer screen for about an hour. You have made coffee, gone to the bathroom, tried to study, but it just isn’t happening. Maybe you checked social media once or twice. Sound familiar? That’s normal human behavior, and the lack of productivity for most of the day is surprisingly common. If you feel like you often spend too much time doing too little work, idling or just wondering how to get started, pick your most productive hours to work. One thing is for certain, you won’t be productive for a majority of the day if you don’t plan out your day carefully.
What do Kylie Jenner and President Donald Trump have in common? It’s not just the fact that they both get spray tans, they both were born into wealth and expanded that wealth into billions, and they both are part of the most powerful families in the country. Jenner is a part of the Kardashian clan who seem to turn everything they touch into gold. Trump was born into a wealthy real estate developer and profited by literally putting the family name on stuff in gold.
Florida State University President John Thrasher announced this week that the university will be removing a controversial statue of one of its founders, Francis W. Eppes.
Picture this: a lit stage, a buzzing crowd sat in darkness. You’re dressed in some fancy attire and are about to speak in front of a large audience. All eyes are about to be on you. You start to get nerves about your nerves. Is being nervous normal? Is it okay for your knees to be weak, your palms to be sweaty and there to be vomit on your sweater already? Yes. The best way to get over nerves is to rehearse, and when you think you’ve practiced enough, double down.
UF’s campus is full of nature and, with it, sustainability efforts to protect it.There’s the Office of Sustainability, protected natural areas and extensive major and minor studies and classes concerning environmental issues or topics like sustainability, wildlife, agriculture, reporting and more.The signature live oak trees stand alongside Albert and Alberta, Century Tower, Gothic-style brick buildings and more as key elements that make UF’s campus.These trees that are perfect for hammocking can often be under-appreciated or taken for granted.Almost a year ago when hurricanes struck Gainesville, the historic tree in front the New Physics Building met its end. Riding past it on my 120 bus route down Museum Road, I noticed its missing place.
It started out innocently enough. Overnight hours for libraries had been a hot topic for several years in Student Government-land before becoming a reality during the 2012-13 fiscal year. Keep this in mind: SG was the entity that started funding overnight library hours (this will become more important later on).
I’m a loud woman, and I refuse to shut up.
Hey Gator Nation,
Health is more than emotional or physical ailments. It can also be the health of a physical environment, such as your dorm room or apartment. Plus, what’s in this environment can have a real effect on how you feel. Your brain can feel cluttered.
Solutions by The State News
