The UF Supreme Court is a little-known part of Student Government. The adage goes: justice delayed is justice denied. The Supreme Court is insistent on delaying justice.
Walking through Turlington Plaza, in between the chaos of students scrambling to arrive to class on time, you will undoubtedly be asked to sign a petition, join a political movement, or maybe even register to vote. To the average student, the nuisance of being approached despite wearing headphones outweighs the merit of exercising one’s civil duties, as there is a growing sense of voter apathy amongst younger generations.
As I prepare to finish my junior year, the involvement culture surrounding the student body isn’t just a freshman year fad. Before I could even realize it, these questions have quickly become, “What organizations have you been accepted to?” or even worse, “Have you received any internship offers?”
As a high school graduate from New England, I knew little about UF and had never been to Gainesville before I applied. After arriving as a freshman in 1984, I quickly became immersed in the culture of the school, served in Student Government and was one of the many founders of SCAAR, the Student Coalition Against Apartheid and Racism. Florida was still under the radar, but to me it was a hidden gem in large part because of its myriad of cultures.
On March 19, voters in the Republican Party of Florida will head to the polls to vote in the state’s presidential preference primary election, although the contest is purely a formality. Former President Donald Trump (fitting that the first president associated with Florida is actually just a snowbird, right?) has already secured enough delegates to win the GOP nomination.
I am confident the overwhelming majority of our faculty and staff hold this position, and absolutely positive that our students do. While the provost’s promises of maintaining trust and respect may seem disingenuous in this context, I believe most Gators remain steadfast in our commitment to a more equitable university, community, and world.
Over the course of the past few weeks, it became obvious to anyone paying attention that the national crisis in chronic homelessness was manifesting itself in a couple of new tent camps, including one downtown on SE Fourth Place — literally on the street itself. As mayor, I knew my colleagues on the Gainesville City Commission and I had to act, but I also knew we were fiscally restrained, in the middle of an unusually challenging budget year.
Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are on the chopping block at UF and every other state institution of higher learning. Just recently, the administration shut down the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, amongst other DEI positions. In response to The Alligator breaking this story, Gov. Ron DeSantis quote reposted its coverage to further classify DEI as “toxic.”
We, the student body officer-elects of UF, are writing with concern and disappointment regarding the recent decision to close the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer and to eliminate various diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions and appointments.
The dreaded inevitable has finally happened. We have an ever-growing list of book challenges at Eastside High School. School libraries — bastions of diversity, enrichment, inclusion and democracy — are under attack. There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. I have no words to magically shift the momentum of this legislation. Still, I can no longer remain silent.
There’s always more work to be done. This underlying belief has guided Change Party to serve the student body for eight semesters. This thought empowers us to author 200 bills when we are the minority in the Senate chamber. This is our conviction as we strive to put the power back into the hands of all students this election.
From its creation this past Fall, Vision Party has made it its mission to ensure the voices of every student are heard. The very foundation of Vision is based on individuals from all backgrounds coming together to tackle the ineffective governance of other parties.
If you have seen the bright pink Planned Parenthood Generation Action table on campus, you have been asked to sign the abortion ballot initiative. Ballot initiatives get a bad reputation on college campuses, as some paid petitioners who are just doing it for the money and are not invested in the cause can be very pushy. However, it is important not to let this skew your narrative of this pivotal campaign.
On Feb. 8, I listened to the United States Supreme Court oral arguments in Trump v. Anderson, a case deciding if the Colorado Supreme Court was correct that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to be on the ballot due to the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. Many who listened, myself included, are predicting a decision in Trump’s favor.
It’s not easy being a biracial student anywhere. Growing up, I was often faced with challenges of finding my place, of feeling included in certain communities, of feeling accepted.
In 2022, Black journalists composed only 6% of American journalists. Sixty-three percent of Black Americans believed news about Black people are more negative than other racial or ethnic groups. Only 9% believed coverage of Black people told “the full story.”
Embedded in America’s history and tradition is that diversity has always been our strength. Appearing on the Great Seal of the United States is the Latin phrase: “E pluribus unum” meaning “Out of many, one.” The idea is that our country, unlike any other country in the world, benefits from the rich diversity of its people.
At the start of every break, students crowd into buses, cars and airplanes to make the journey home. South Floridians like myself are well-acquainted with the contours of I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike. This journey can become costly, both in time and money. My five-hour commute to and from Miami costs over $400 annually on gas alone. Multiply that across every student, and the exodus looks glaringly inefficient.
Solutions by The State News
