As a first-generation Latina, iIt’s been up to me to be the glue that puts back the pieces of shattered dreams that once belonged to the 19-year-old version of my mother — a burden placed on me the second I was born.
As you become more entrenched in activism at UF and in Gainesville, you quickly begin to see familiar faces. It can be rewarding, but sometimes it can feel like you are the only ones organizing, and it gets rough when you need to plan action and get a LOT of things done in a short amount of time… all on top of your schoolwork, job and personal life.
The presidential debate June 27 presented a clearer picture of what both candidates have in mind for policies in the United States. A general concluding theme is President Joe Biden is mentally compromised, while former President Donald Trump arguably performed one of his best presidential debates. People from both parties realize Biden doesn’t have the strength to continue the most demanding job in the country.
I tuned into the first Presidential debate of the election season with alcohol in hand. My friends sat around the couch, watching the live political spectacle alongside 51 million other viewers. Drinks ran dry as both candidates made gaffe after gaffe. While former President Trump lied about abortion “even after birth” and denounced Biden as a “bad Palestinian,” our current President’s age became painfully visible as he struggled to form coherent answers to Trump’s rhetoric. Even when silent, Biden unnervingly stared off into space, looking visibly confused.
I co-organized my first protest the spring of my freshman year, opposing House Bill 1557 or the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. During our march through Gainesville, dozens of community members swelled the crowd while others heckled us with homophobic slurs.
Almost a year ago on July 1, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 256 — a bill specifically intended to limit the power of unions in the state. The challenge that the Florida Legislature forced upon us has developed in several ways. While we have seen a growing community stand behind our unions, we have also seen an escalation of attacks on the groups we have a responsibility to protect.
Staying in the closet can feel almost like an act of complicity. Is there a way I could change my family members' minds if I were more open and proud? Am I doing other people like me a disservice by not being out? But surviving as a community isn’t always about large actions, protests and demonstrations. For some of us, the biggest step forward in the fight for queer acceptance is to simply survive. To reach a point of success where we aren’t dependent on those who hate us.
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently issued a state of emergency for multiple South Florida counties in response to the devastating rains and flash flooding. Yet less than a month ago, DeSantis signed a bill that sought to expand natural gas infrastructure, putting concerns about climate change on the back burner.
CORRECTION: This column has been updated to state the case's prosecutor was Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and state that former President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts. The columnist originally wrote that New York Attorney General Letitia James was the plaintiff and did not reference the guilty sentencing. The Alligator corrected the column incorrectly by identifying Alvin Bragg as the Manhattan Defense Attorney and the plaintiff of the case.
The upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, France have been forced to take a backseat as news cycles begin to focus their content on the presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
To all my student journalists: If you find yourself hyper-focused on climbing to the top and leaving everyone behind to fend for themselves, it’s time to put the pen down and ask yourself to remember why you started doing this in the first place.
At the Lavender LLC, I formed life-long friendships and found a welcoming community that helped me grow into myself.
On May 1, Senate Bill 1084 was signed, banning and criminalizing the sale and manufacture of cultured meat in Florida. While other states, including Tennessee, Alabama and Arizona, have considered similar bans, Florida was the first to actually implement it. This push for a ban stems from the science behind cultured meat being viewed as taboo and a strong pushback against having increased competition from the meat industry.
From the Chinese lion dancers roaming about the Reitz Union to the heads of research labs, the Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Desi (ANHPID) community is lively and active at UF.
I can choose my profession and my politics, but I will never be able to choose my ethnicity.
I hope my journalism career outlives The Alligator couch.
Dear the Avenue, I would be lying if I said you were my dream desk from the very beginning. In fact, I actually didn’t know you existed before applying to The Alligator.
The ability to move around Gainesville safely and efficiently is key to four of the City of Gainesville’s Strategic Plan goals: A Great Place to Live & Experience, Resilient Local Economy, Equitable Community and More Sustainable Community.
The current problem
In the past week, there’s been a lot of conversation around RTS buses and what funding they will have in the future. As someone who was first made aware there was an issue between the City of Gainesville and UF when this was made public April 9, I’ve been learning as much as I can before I officially take office April 24 to have better and more nuanced conversations. Let’s talk about what’s been happening, and what the future will look like relating to RTS:
Solutions by The State News
