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VOLUME 114 ISSUE 55
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
ISLAM
Santa Fe welcomes new president BROADIE BEGAN AS THE COLLEGE’S FIFTH PRESIDENT ON MONDAY
FA I R
By AJ Bafer Alligator Contributing Writer
When Paul Broadie II started his new job Monday as the Santa Fe College president, he said he felt like he was home when he was greeted by the university community. He is the college’s first black president and only the fifth to lead the college since 1966. He succeeded the now-retired Jackson Sasser. Broadie said he plans to spend the first 100 days listening, learning and leading. He said he will work with faculty to look at enrollment strategies and see if there is any additional programming that can be brought to the college that could further meet its needs. “Santa Fe College is an amazing place, and I’m honored to be there,” Broadie said. “I look forward to working with our faculty, our staff and our students to take the college to even greater heights.” His first major focus will be on the college’s new Blount campus, he said. Located downtown, Broadie said it will offer full services
SEE SANTA FE, PAGE 4
Allison Veliz // Alligator Staff
Israa Ilyas, a 21-year-old UF industrial engineering senior, draws henna on Symone Stanley, a 22-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences and Spanish senior at Monday’s Islam Fair on the Plaza of the Americas. See the gallery on pg. 6.
UF yet to pay graduate fees UF agreed to pay for transportation and health fees By Hannah Phillips Alligator Staff Writer
After winning a battle for relief on fees, Graduate Assistants United is demanding that UF uphold its end of the bargain. GAU, a labor union, and the UF Board of Trustees agreed in August that the university would pay for all graduate assistants’ transportation and health fees. The agreement was supposed to begin Jan. 1 but has yet to take effect. As a result, the union filed a grievance with the university on behalf of its entire chapter Thursday. It asserts that the university has violated the collective bargaining agreement
by withholding the fee relief and failing to provide a date by which it will be distributed, said Stephen Phillips, the union’s spokesperson. UF’s chief bargainer Bill Connellan said the delay is due to a technical difficulty within the university bursar. Once the issue is resolved, the grievance will be invalid, he said. “It is absolutely not true that we violated the contract,” Connellan said. “We agreed to it, we’re doing it — there was a technical difficulty in implementing, and it’s being fixed.” Connellan wouldn’t discuss the nature of the technical difficulty, nor does he know when it will be solved.
Gators host Bulldogs tonight, looking SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Story description finish with comma, pg# to avoid third-straight home loss
Noah Locke and UF will try to continue to take advantage of a weak portion of their schedule against UGA.
“I’ve been telling the union repeatedly: they [the bursar] are working to solve the issue,” he said. Because the university has yet to cover the fees, graduate assistants with financial aid saw the cost of the fees deducted from their loans, Phillips said. GAU is asking that those students be reimbursed. The initial agreement was a major victory for graduate assistants and is the first of its kind in Florida, Phillips said. Once implemented, it will amount to a yearly savings of around $606 for the average assistant. “Graduate assistants aren’t
SEE GAU, PAGE 4
County discusses voting rights THE COMMISSION ADDRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT RESTORING VOTING RIGHTS By Grethel Aguila Alligator Staff Writer
Cherey Daniels, a 60-year-old exfelon and Alachua County resident, is unsure if she can vote in upcoming elections. Daniels had her civil rights restored in 2005. However, she still owes the state $15,000 in restitution, money she’s obligated to pay for serving time in a correctional facility. Even 17 years after her release from prison, she said she can’t afford to pay that fee. “I don’t want to check that box, because I can get in trouble,” Daniels said, referring to the part of the voter registration form that asks about felony status. If an ex-felon checks that box and owes fees, it is
Roll models
Students show appreciation for RTS bus drivers, pg. 5
considered a violation of the law. Daniels is not alone. Exfelons from across Florida have continuously experienced challenges when registering to vote. The Alachua County Commission discussed the restoration of voting rights Tuesday for people like Daniels at its special meeting. It unanimously passed a motion that will address concerns about restoration. The motion focused on revising fees, listing ex-felons eligible to vote in Alachua County, partnering with public defenders, exploring other counties’ actions and community outreach. In November 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 4, which restored felons’ voting rights. It allowed 1.4 million ex-felons to become eligible to vote the following January and excluded those convicted for murder and sexual offenses.
SEE EX-FELON, PAGE 4
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Reaching the Hispanic and Latinx community
Students translated medical forms into Spanish to do that, pg. 5
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