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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 15
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
SG elections see increased first day turnout 5,517 students cast a ballot By Gillian Sweeney Alligator Staff Writer
An increase of 200 students voted on the first day of Student Government elections compared to last Fall. A total of 5,517 students voted Tuesday, said Henry Fair, the SG supervisor of elections. Last Fall, 5,318 students voted on the first day. Students will elect 50 senators based on residence this Fall. Voting will continue today from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and results will be announced at night. Voting locations are scattered throughout campus in places like the Reitz Union printing lab, Southwest Recreation Center and Marston Science Library. Nish Patel, a 20-year-old UF finance junior, cast his first SG ballot. He voted for candidates from both parties in District D, he said.
“They were campaigning pretty hard, and they were sure of what they wanted to accomplish on campus,” Patel said. “I just wanted to support them all.” It was a privilege for Garrett Graham, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, to vote, he said. He voted for Impact Party because he is a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. “They support the fraternity and Greek-life system,” Graham said. After learning her classmate was running with Inspire Party, Lilith Maki, an 18-year-old UF engineering freshman, voted in her first SG election. “I would like to see students have more of a voice in activities and things that directly affect them like football games, food and financial aid,” Maki said. @gilliangsweeney gsweeney@alligator.org
Will Clewis / Alligator Staff
Students sit at voting stations at the Marston Science Library computer lab polling location and cast their votes for Student Government elections Tuesday afternoon. Marston is one of several locations students can vote at on Wednesday.
UF fails on marks of racial diversity UF ‘sparks’ initiative to
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY HAD A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF BLACK STUDENTS. By Dana Cassidy Alligator Staff Writer
A noose left on campus. A white nationalist rallying. A man displaying a Swastika. All within a year. UF has been given an F ranking for racial representation by a University of Southern California Race and Equity Center study. The study was released Tuesday. It shows the university was one of eight in Florida that received the lowest grade in the racial representation category, which is measured by how black undergraduate student enrollment reflects the population of 18- to 24-year-old black Florida residents. A look into the center’s data shows that only 6.1 percent of UF’s Student Body is black. This is the fourth-lowest percentage out of the 13 public Florida universities. Mackintosh Joachim, a 19-year-old UF finance and women’s studies sophomore, and the treasurer of UF’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter, was not surprised that UF failed in
racial representation equity. “They claim they care about diversity, they claim they care about inclusion,” Joachim said. “However, none of it has happened.” Eight other Florida universities received F rankings. Only three schools were given a D rating, including Florida International University. Florida Atlantic University received the highest ranking in the state at a C, according to the report. UF was also given a C for gender equity, a B for completion equity and a B for black student-to-faculty ratio. Joachim said he feels out of touch as the only black student in some of his classes. It’s difficult to go to class with a white female professor discussing the experiences of an African-American woman, he said. “If UF hired more black faculty members, then students would most likely feel welcome at this university,” Joachim said. UF practices a race-blind admissions process, which means race is not considered when selecting a student said Rick Bryant, the UF director of admissions operations. Reports like this don’t take into consideration students who don’t disclose their race
Mullen, Grantham prepare for homecoming
The Gators’ head coach and defensive coordinator are among a handful of ex-Mississippi State coaches returning to Starkville this Saturday, pg. 14
SEE EQUITY, PAGE 4
reduce county utility costs ALACHUA COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN SAVE AROUND $300 YEARLY. By Dana Cassidy Alligator Staff Writer
For some, Gainesville Regional Utilities bills may become cheaper. In August, UF partnered with the Community Weatherization Coalition, a yearlong program that gives people access to energy efficient home equipment and appliances to help residents reduce their utility bills, said the coalition’s program director, Alane Humrich. The UF Office of Sustainability will give $50,000 worth of free installations and adjustments to energy efficient light bulbs, water conserving shower heads and better insulation for pipes for 150 homes this year, Humrich said. The office typically averages assisting 100 homes a year. “That’s really impactful not just for the community, but for the environment as well,” Humrich said.
We stan a queen who comes to campus
Queen Quet, of the Gullah Geechee nation, spoke about hurricane relief and her history, pg. 4
Scoot scoot
City Commission to consider a scooter rental program, pg. 5
The coalition opened 10 years ago and has assisted over 900 houses, Humrich said. A majority of the houses have poor fixtures or old appliances due to a lack of finances, Humrich said. Each house can save around 6,000 gallons of water and $300 each year after the upgrades, she said. Anyone can apply for the program, including UF students, but Humrich said the program typically serves the low-income elderly in Gainesville. Around 40 percent of the households it accepts usually have children, she said. Volunteers from UF will attend 12hour training sessions to learn how to help people perform these upgrades, said Matthew Williams, the director of UF Office of Sustainability. “We’re able to take passion and knowledge and really show a significant difference in our community,” Williams said. @danacassidy_ dcassidy@alligator.org
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