I wholeheartedly agree that we should not ruin Meyers’ career over these events, however, I disagree on some key details.
If there’s anything we have learned from the past few days, it’s that when there’s a hot-button issue on campus, boy oh boy do people get contentious about it. But what’s funny is what we consider a hot-button issue. Nazi on campus? Racial slurs and vandalism of UF buildings? A one-party monopolization of Student Government elections? The occasional defensive comments on a column or editorial, one or two letters to the editor, but nothing close to what we’ve been seeing.
This is in reference to an Alligator story published March 13, in which a Papa John's Pizza employee was fired after writing a joke about domestic violence on the inside of a customer's box of brownies. The joke asked, "What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nothing, you already told her twice."
I am writing to voice my support for incoming Student Body President Smith Meyers and speak on behalf of the thousands of students who have read his statement and accepted his apology. I don’t know Smith well, but what I do know from mutual friends is how much this situation has weighed on his heart. Smith has worked for four years advocating for students and portraying UF in a positive light. That should not be erased by the actions of one night. I also find it puzzling that the majority of students calling for his resignation — because he embarrassed the university — are the same students sharing the stories and videos all over social media, presumably spreading the embarrassment they claim to oppose. I also find your publication’s criticism of his transparency to be unfounded. As anyone who has ever found himself or herself in a legal situation knows, you do not talk about your case with anyone other than your attorney before it is decided so as not to impact the outcome. This holds especially true for media outlets. What information are you asking from Smith that he could ever possibly give you? Finally, your criticism of administration for their lack of comment is also unfounded. No university official is able to comment on the legal proceedings of a student due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Do you expect administration to ignore this for your interviews? Please practice more responsible reporting in regard to this issue.
I first discovered Jon Ronson’s book “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed” last summer during one of my regular podcast loops at work. Ronson discussed his latest literary endeavor with Chris Hardwick on the Nerdist podcast and shed light on a topic I had never truly thought about on a deeper level: public shaming in the social media age. Cases like those of Justine Sacco, Lindsey Stone and Jonah Lehrer form the backbone of the book as Ronson depicts the swift-moving and often life-ruining mob mentality of public shaming on sites like Twitter and 4Chan.
In case you haven’t heard, there might be cameras in your microwave detecting your every move. That’s a claim made by good old Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, now infamous for using the term “alternative facts” to describe lies. So really, we shouldn’t be that surprised that her most recent stint involves a technology that doesn’t exist to defend a claim that has no basis.
Out of respect for every student, UF’s Student Code of Conduct and the legacy of The Gator Nation, Student Body President-elect Smith Meyers should step down immediately.
UF student made national news over Spring Break.
Today is every college student’s least favorite day of the year: the first day of classes after Spring Break. I completely understand. In fact, I wrote this in a car on the way back from my own fantastic trip. Today is especially irritating because we get all the frustration of returning to normal life without any of the excitement of starting fresh or being close to finishing a semester.
Last week, Republicans offered their take on a new health care plan in order to keep their promise to “repeal and replace” the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Despite criticism from both sides of the political aisle, many Republicans in the House of Representatives zealously pushed their plan through as quickly as possible, with two House committees approving it last Thursday and votes from two more committees coming up this week.
Dear people of the great state of Florida,
I have known Smith Meyers my whole life and know just how out of character his actions were. I know firsthand how regretful he is to have represented our university in a negative light, and I am confident he will work that much harder for students in proving he has character that counts. I am committed to finishing out my term strong and aiding Smith in his transition as much as possible. I know Smith is eager to put this minor misdemeanor charge behind him and learn from it so he may continue to work on behalf of students like he has for the past four years. As the university does not investigate minor offenses for conduct purposes, I understand his status as a student and as a Student Body officer will not change. While many outlets have dramatized the facts of the situation, which are still being determined, my personal sentiments align most closely with Key West Police Department spokesperson Alyson Crean, who stated, “We don’t want to ruin this kid’s life for knocking over a couple of bikes,” according to this publication.
Editor's Notes: Smith Meyers declined questions for an article about his arrest. This is his personal statement he sent in lieu of answers.
On the third floor of Turlington Hall, there aren’t any windows. At least none that professors and teaching assistants, huddled in their dingy, cramped offices can see. The walls are gray, or might as well be, and its narrow corridors taste of stale air. It’s cold.
In the spirit of controversial news, let’s talk about abortion. Something that has always struck me as odd, not to mention hypocritical, is that so many people who consider themselves to be anti-abortion don’t seem to care much about the life of the child or mother after the baby is born.
If you’re reading this, then your Spring Break probably hasn’t started yet. Or maybe it has, and while your friends are off on their expensive cruises or visiting their parents, you’re in good ol’ Gainesville. Or maybe you’re a dedicated student and are determined to show up to lecture with the five other people in the 200-person hall. Whatever it is, we are honored that on this blessed final day before Spring Break, you’ve decided to pick up a copy of your local newspaper and flip open to the pre-Spring Break…
The Democratic Party is in decay. It’s impossible to deny. But the decline didn’t start last November. It’s been a steady deterioration since the resounding victories of 2008, which swept former President Barack Obama into office and took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Since then, it has slowly ceded power, losing the House in 2010 and Senate in 2014. The exclamation point was Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election.
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump gave his first address to Congress. For one of the first times, our president sounded presidential. Reports from all across the media say this was the calmest and most professional our president has been since his inauguration. Some people are praising him for this.
The Judeo-Christian idea of the Sabbath has been on my mind recently, most likely because of my personal schedule. College for most is either boring or impossible, with too much leisure or not enough time. I find myself in the latter position, where extracurricular involvement, tedious classes, relationships and personal hobbies jumble together to form one restless day after another. The reason why, I presume, the notion of the Sabbath has crept into my mind is because of the chaos of this semester. In short, I need rest — or maybe a month of backpacking through Ireland or a week at the beach.
On Tuesday afternoon, Canvas was down. We realized this quickly, frantically taking to Facebook to make sure our computers weren’t just acting up and asking others about assignment information. This problem was not localized to e-learning, however, nor was UF’s spotty Wi-Fi to blame. This stemmed from something much more widespread, with websites all over the internet losing functionality, ranging from small features not working to the whole site or app being down.
Solutions by The State News
