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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 91
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Student Senate votes to approve contested executive nominations THIRTEEN NEW AGENCY HEADS WERE APPROVED TUESDAY By Charlie Daffron Staff Writer
Devon Philip has put in countless hours volunteering and organizing events as part of the Freshman Leadership Council, an organization designed to teach new students leadership skills. This past year, Philip was the FLC chairman. “FLC was the reason I stayed at UF,” the 20-year-old UF business administration senior said. “After the first meeting, I finally felt that I was in a place that was home.” Each FLC class is composed of about 50 freshmen who work with a group of directors who are typically past members. Each year the FLC Chair is chosen by the Student Body president. This year, Student Body President Michael Murphy’s nomination, Austin Carroll, became the subject of controversy, both within FLC and the Senate. Carroll has never been a member of FLC
and was chosen over two past FLC members for the position, Philip said. Carroll’s application was submitted to Murphy via email 38 days after the deadline. It consisted of two pages, a resume and the answers to three questions that totaled just over 350 words. Another applicant, who had two years experience working with FLC, submitted a 10-page application. Murphy said Carroll will be a great fit in the position, bringing new leadership to the organization. Philip was among over a dozen speakers present at Tuesday’s meeting to contest Carroll’s appointment. Speakers aired their grievances about appointments over the course of nearly two hours at the start of the meeting. The Senate was set to approve the president’s nominations for agency heads, cabinet chairs, cabinet directors and executive secretaries Tuesday night. Because of a special rule, all candidates were voted on as blocks instead of each candidate being considered individually. Members of the public, SEE SG, PAGE 3
Alachua County Commission bans conversion therapy ordinance THE ORDINANCE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY By Tien Le Staff Writer
Rows were dotted with dozens of people wearing purple T-shirts, sweaters and bowties in solidarity at Tuesday’s Alachua County Commission meeting. On Tuesday, Alachua County Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 in support of a conversion therapy ban ordinance. “I take our job of making sure that our kids are safe seriously,” County Commissioner Ken Cornell said at the
NEMBHARD WITHDRAWS
meeting. “I think that this is potentially a step in the right direction. Protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors, public safety. I think that’s like job one for us.” Conversion therapy is the practice of changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Terry Fleming, vice president of the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida, said the LGBTQ community is very excited the county commission has passed this conversion therapy ban. The ordinance bans licensed professionals from practicing conversion therapy
Guard Andrew Nembhard withdrew from the NBA Draft on Wednesday and will return to UF for his sophomore season, pg 12.
on minors. Those who violate the ordinance could face a fine of $500. In April 2018, Gainesville passed its own ordinance prohibiting conversion therapy. “A lot of folks don’t believe that it is actually happening in this area,” Fleming said. “They feel like ‘Oh, Gainesville is a great place to live. We have the University of Florida, we’re very progressive,’ so people make assumptions that we have equal rights to the LGBTQ community, that conversion therapy isn’t happening.” @tientle11 tle@alligator.org
Charlie Daffron / Alligator Staff
Ashley Grabowski (left), the Senate Minority Leader, addresses the room during Tuesday’s SG Senate meeting.
U.S. Department of Commerce invests in Santa Fe College THE DEPARTMENT GAVE $4.8 MILLION TO THE COLLEGE By Meleah Lyden Staff Writer
Hurricane Irma destroyed large portions of Florida in 2017, but it paved the way for Santa Fe College to receive a grant to help revitalize the region’s economy. The U.S. Department of Commerce gave Santa Fe a $4.8 million grant for the college’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development, said Jay Anderson, Santa Fe spokesperson. The center works with small startup companies to assist them in developing their businesses and hire local people.
Man arrested, punches K-9
A Gainesville man was arrested for possessing a stolen vehicle and punched a police K-9 while trying to escape on foot, pg 4
The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration created the grant in 2017 to aid those impacted by natural disasters like Hurricane Irma, he said. “When Hurricane Irma impacted the area, basically the entire state was named a disaster area and was eligible for this kind of a grant,” he said. “The college tried to get the grant to help rebuild and expand the Center for Innovation and Economic Development.” Anderson did not know why it took two years to receive the grant, but figured it was because the system moves slowly at times. “Things often do move slowly,” he said. “Wheels will turn not as fast as we would like them to.”
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Bath & Body Works to open at Butler Plaza The new story will open in late July by Target, pg 5
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SEE SANTA FE, PAGE 3