Let’s look back on the events of this nearly completed semester in a somewhat atypical manner.
We begin in August, when the dreadful heat that dominated The Swamp had an impact so large that it still seems like people come up to me asking the seemingly most important question in the history of the world: “Are you registered to vote in Alachua County?” It seemed we couldn’t go more than 10 minutes across campus without being bombarded with information from various political groups. That’s just one of the joys of the election season.
It appears that actor Clint Eastwood suffered from the heat as well. At the Republican National Convention, he lectured to an invisible President Barack Obama in a chair. Fortunately for the esteemed actor, the president’s health care plan should assist him just fine.
In September, first lady Michelle Obama visited campus. Ticket lines practically extended from the gates of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to Jacksonville and back. Remarkably, this led to many of us thinking “Wait, don’t all of these people have jobs?”
When October came, the Gators fought for Southeastern Conference domination. Sadly, the Louisiana State University Tigers claimed they lost to the Gators Oct. 6 because of the heat. Apparently, we didn’t get the memo that the bayou of Baton Rouge was permanently transported to the Arctic tundra.
The same week was the first presidential debate. Now, Obama is waking up from his slumber while, in the meantime, many still insist that not all votes are counted. Where else would this occur but Florida?
According to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the end of the world might soon approach. Scholars dispute this claim, but it’s possible, considering President Obama recently hosted former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at the White House for lunch. If a good faith bipartisan gesture doesn’t convince the apocalypse is near, what will?
As the semester comes to a close, I wish everyone good luck on finals and happy holidays. Don’t be scared of weather getting in the way. After all, it’s not as if the fate of theworld depends on it.
Matthew Schnur is a UF economics freshman. His column appears on Wednesdays. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
