Despite the attacks on unions from Florida's legislature, Graduate Assistants United has achieved a historic win for our members. As a certified labor union, we have the legal authority to bargain with our employer over our Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Understanding all of Florida’s legislation is overwhelming; bills pass during a short period and it seems there is too much to keep up with. However, it is crucial to know how legislation is currently impacting Floridians. A few notable policy areas for the 2023 legislative session include abortion, gender-affirming care and immigration.
The legislation written about in this article, all hot-button issues, serve to 1) protect and defend the most innocent and vulnerable; 2) afford eligible American citizens unfettered access to a constitutional privilege; and 3) stave off the smuggling of drugs, humans and the resulting violence occurring at the U.S. southern crossings. In truth, we should all like to see legislation advance across the states, in one form or another.
UF College Republicans hosted Christian preacher Derek Paul as the speaker for their first meeting of the semester Sept. 6. Paul identifies himself as an “ex-gay” who overcame his same-sex attraction through the Christian faith. As a queer woman who was once religious, a lot of emotions and thoughts came up at the prospect of writing about his speech. I was angry, confused and asked myself a lot of questions.
We call ourselves an AI university. The artificial intelligence page of the UF website claims we are on the brink of a fourth digital revolution. The page — singularly focused on our AI policy and research — highlights specific uses of the technology. The highlights given should be an example of how the president can reshape his communications. The information is there, he just needs to communicate it.
The Alligator would like to formally address its denial of an abortion pill through mail advertisement from MayDay Health that circulated social media over the last 24 hours.
Effective July 1, the Florida Legislature passed SB 256 — a bill specifically intended to limit the power of educators labor unions in the state. Among other things, the bill requires educators unions like GAU to obtain and maintain 60% membership.
This past week the City of Gainesville, along with many other cities and counties across the coastal south, dealt with the effects of Hurricane Idalia. Gainesville and Alachua County were fortunate to miss the worst of the storm, but the sound of chainsaws could be heard across the city as fallen trees and limbs were cleared from roads, lawns and, yes, homes.
UF President Ben Sasse writes his welcome column to the incoming students.
I could’ve told you what it meant to work at The Alligator at any point in the past three years, but I don’t think I would’ve gotten it right.
If you choose to join The Alligator, I hope you also get to experience the love and friendship it can offer.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has continued to grow in prominence as the 2024 United States Presidential Election slowly approaches. DeSantis, who announced he would run for president May 24, has used the state’s 2023 legislation session to mold Florida politics and boost his national campaign.
In my view, Gov. Ron DeSantis is the right man for the job. Through his leadership, he stood up to medical tyranny, put woke corporations in check and defended the rights of parents and students in the schools. DeSantis has the youth, energy and executive experience to move our country forward.
Beyond joining an expansive alumni network, working at The Alligator is a great opportunity to meet other passionate student journalists and make lifelong friendships.
How I wish I had better news. It’s Pride Month after all — one of many occasions throughout the year when we celebrate diversity in a world that doesn’t always embrace such a thing. I’m happier with myself than ever, living my truth has been a blessing, allowing me to thrive. Unfortunately, being happy with oneself, is a different thing from being happy with one’s situation, even further removed, being happy with the state of things.
Last week, The Alligator published a paper with an emphasis on LGBTQ stories. We featured nonbinary drag queens, covered state trans legislation, local Pride info sessions and more. We’re proud to publish these stories our staff worked hard on. We’re honored to cover the stories about our local communities.
At first glance, most people I’ve met don’t realize I’m an Asian American, which led to my desire to embrace my Filipino identity. It pushed me to learn more about that side of my heritage. It was something I was proud to represent in my accomplishments, such as graduating high school and attending UF.
Representation matters. Having two top editors of Asian descent for the first time in The Alligator’s 117-year history matters. Their voices, their perspectives and life experiences matter – not only for their newsroom but for the UF community.
Despite the enormous efforts the community has made to establish its presence, The Alligator has lacked consistent coverage of AAPI people in the Gainesville community. Admittedly, this is the result of an inconsistent amount of AAPI reporters on our staff from semester to semester.
April 24, 2022, I got an email asking me to interview for The Alligator. A year later, I’m publishing my goodbye column in this semester’s final paper. My driver’s license might read the same name, but the kid who got that email isn’t the same as the one typing this column.
Solutions by The State News
