It's not that I particularly enjoy rebutting the Alligator editorial board, but once again I find myself in the unfortunate position of having to defend a project I am involved in from its straw-man arguments and misinformed opinions.
The editorial board would have its readers believe the Student-Run Cafe's failure to get on last semester's ballot is a reflection on the merit of the ideas behind the cafe, when in reality the referendum failed only because of a formatting error in our petition. We started over this semester because we believe the ideas behind the cafe are as valid as ever. But surprisingly, in our two appearances in last week's Alligator, these ideas were entirely overlooked.
What is the Student-Run Cafe? It is a nonprofit enterprise owned by the UF student body and run in a cooperative fashion by student employees, with Student Government and faculty advisers covering the generally hands-off advisory/administrative role.
As a nonprofit cafe, our services would be brought to students at-cost, meaning we will sell goods only to cover operating expenses - not for profits. This translates into lower prices for consumers and would allow us to source high quality fair-trade and organic products while remaining cost competitive with other coffee shops on campus.
As if that weren't enough, we'd also serve as a venue for local artists and musicians, we'd ideally be open all night, and we'd be a proud example of what creativity and solidarity can accomplish on our campus and beyond. So, Alligator editorial board, what's not to love?
