February 14th has been internationally branded as a day of love. But to many Americans, the day is recognized as the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass, which celebrates the work and activism of the historical Black trailblazer.
Britney Deas couldn’t keep her smile hidden as she opened her email. An unassuming email, something she thought was about administration, was actually announcing one of the biggest achievements in her career: becoming the first Black woman to be chief justice of the UF Supreme Court.
Black UF students form strong bonds through diverse campus organizations at the predominantly white university.
David Canton, UF director of African American studies, calls it the “eyeball test.”
A UF student was barred from campus for stealing a pro-Palestinian sign from a protester in Turlington Plaza.
The UF Police Department removed three pro-Palestinian demonstrators from the Reitz Union Tuesday evening after they argued with a pro-Israel speaker inside.
After a search committee announced Sasse as the sole finalist for the presidency in October 2022, the campus erupted in protests that the former United States Republican senator would bring a conservative agenda to campus. Instead, Sasse spent his first year putting his head down to learn the workings of what Danaya Wright called the most complicated institution in the country.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled the organization UF Students for Justice in Palestine failed to prove a state's order to deactivate the chapter infringed on its free speech, as the decision wasn't carried out in any meaningful way.
For vegan students like Maxine Sculthorpe, an 18-year-old UF biomedical engineering freshman, walking into a new dining hall can be intimidating because her food options are frequently limited to meager portions and subpar substitutes, she said.
In the days following the statewide ban on diversity, equity and inclusion funding, students at the University of North Florida are protesting the closure of their school’s LGBTQ+ center. Meanwhile, UF faculty and students are still unsure what the future looks like. The Florida Board of Governors gave final approval Jan. 24 to a ban on universities putting state or federal funds toward DEI or “social activism” programs.
Every semester, a small group of students have the opportunity to play the Century Tower Carillon — an instrument made of bells — ranked among one of the largest university carillons out of the less than 200 nationwide. Since the carillon’s first recital in 1979, each student’s performance is an addition to the tower's historic legacy and unique sound, according to its website.
The Levin College of Law Class of 2026 has seen an increase in diversity among its student body. The Class of 2026 had 3,987 applications and accepted 180 students. Of those students, 53% are women, and 36% come from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, according to UF Law’s entering class profile. About 13.8% of applicants identified as LGBTQ+.
As the curtains rose, the lights dimmed to black, transporting the audience into the realm of ‘Take 5’ — a series of five, 10 minute plays, performed and directed by Santa Fe College students Jan. 26. The ‘Take 5’ festival unfolded with five distinct plays, each delving into themes of overcoming hardships and featuring no more than two actors.
The Florida Board of Governors approved regulations removing sociology from general education requirements and eliminating state and federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs at its meeting Wednesday afternoon.
With a prominent LGBTQ+ community at UF, including the UF Pride Student Union and the UF LGBTQ+ Alumni Association, gendered housing can be a difficult experience for many students on campus. Out of 26 residence halls on campus, UF only has one gender neutral housing option — the Lavender Living Learning Community, located in Springs Residential Complex, hopes to create a more inclusive and diverse housing experience.
UF Student Government opened and announced applications for the reinstated Stay Fresh Laundry Grant Jan. 15. The grant will provide each person with about $30 for washing and drying, and applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until the available funds are depleted.
Students’ first impressions of the temporary dining hall included “eating in the trenches,” “an interesting experience” and “kind of cute” since its opening Jan. 6. The climate-controlled Norman Field structure will serve UF students while The Eatery at Broward Hall undergoes a full renovation.
An animal rescue organization confiscated a rabbit from two UF Kappa Sigma fraternity members for bringing it to a house party. A video posted by Barstool Florida on Instagram Jan. 14 led to Gainesville Rabbit Rescue taking the 1-year-old rabbit, Colby, from her foster parents.
In the past two years, the areas surrounding Gainesville campuses saw both the Thanksgiving weekend shooting and the shootings at The Crossing. Both UF and Santa Fe College received hoax school shooting threat calls in 2023 as well. Both UF and Santa Fe College students have concerns about campus safety.
Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $5 million Dec. 13 among 10 Florida public universities to develop pre-bachelor’s apprenticeship programs. UF received about $1.3 million from the grant, which was the latest effort in DeSantis’ Pathways to Career Opportunities investment to strengthen Florida’s teacher pipeline.
Solutions by The State News
