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TR & the Alligator remain in contact. My hope is that every student will know of the block.

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Wow! Finally got my friggin dsl back! Sorry about the quality of that last post. Now to address some of the hecklers. The funniest of all comments was "don't post late at night, watch the basketball game," that one had me in tears. Second of all, the Cingular Bill has come & gone but I don't think it's necessarily a moot issue and I will explain why in a moment. Additionally, I wanted to keep the [Cingular] window open a little longer so that we could read the much awaited response by Sen. J. Clayton Brett (well worth the wait). Thirdly, on the Alligator. I'm not surprised they decided not to print the story on Sam Green. Considering that the Alligator in recent years has already earned itself the scorn of the African American community quite nicely, it would have been radikal, even trend-setting had they taken the initiative to relay news worthy of print to the masses, the Student Body.

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I continue to have faith in Stephanie Garry.

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While gone I've also received a flurry of emails regarding the "Minus Debate." While I really want to tackle this issue, there simply isn't the time in my already busy schedule to start delving into academic matters. The best email I received on this matter came from a fmr. co-worker of mine (Kyle Counce) and I've asked him to write a few words on the matter.

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From Sen. Jordan Loh:
STUDENT SENATE BILL 2006-XXXX

WE, THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, HEREBY RESOLVE:

TITLE: Resolution Regarding Cingular Wireless Service at the University of Florida.

AUTHOR: Senator Jordan Loh

SPONSORS: Josh Richard

WHEREAS, The 51,700 students at the University of Florida represent a great number of present and potential customers of Cingular Wireless; and

WHEREAS, Cingular’s service on the University of Florida campus has been unacceptable; and

WHEREAS, Students have been informed, when attempting to make a phone call, that the ‘network is unavailable’ and that the ‘system is busy’ despite having full reception; and

WHEREAS, Many students rely on their cellular phones as their only means of telephone communication; and

WHEREAS, Recently, there has been some improvement in Cingular’s service on the University of Florida campus; and

WHEREAS, Service has not yet reached an acceptable level; then

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the students of the University of Florida commend Cingular Wireless for recent efforts to improve network coverage at the University of Florida; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the students of the University of Florida admonish Cingular Wireless to continue its efforts to improve coverage, until the time that Cingular’s service at the University of Florida campus becomes acceptable.

***Thank You Sen. Loh
p.s. I agree w/ you, this bill should have passed.
Hopefully w/e Party Sen. Loh is with, will use this as a platform initiative come Spring! STUDENTS DO CARE ABOUT THIS.

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Brett's Letter & The Cingular Bill

Cited from the first sentence (second part) of his letter, Brett states: "if one were to base their entire opinion about the bill, Senator Baker, and myself on the content of that single article, then yes, we look like huge elitist jackasses."

Naturally it's expected of someone such as myself to at least dig deeper, to find out what was really said. Any member of SG that read this article would also dig deeper (e.g. call people, request the senate minutes, or speak to the senators on a 1:1 basis). However, in representing the GDI's (and these GDI's may or not may not be the ones you konw as elected officials), I wanted to relay the general reactions of the student body, of average students at reading the article written over the Cingular debate. While Brett's letter is amazing, it recognizes my prime concerns immediately.

The CINGULAR BILL aside; anything an elected official says in chambers may be printed in the student paper. I guarantee you that for a lot of people, what they read in the Alligator forms or seriously helps form their opinions of SG. These opinions of SG are usually acted out through disregard of SG, disapproval of elected officials, and voter apathy. Everything after the fact, from explanations to wonderfully and eloquently-written verses mean little-next-to-nothing, what matters most is what the Gator Nation reads and what they read were two senators that happened to be great and wonderful civic leaders (though they had no way of knowing this) come off as "elitist jackasses" to quote JCB & that's that. Damage's been done, all I'm saying is watch what you say. Been there, done that, not worth it.

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Sam Green

The Pro Tem is in a very interesting position. While I would never have applied to FBK, I was never in a position like Green. How's it going to be (yes like the song), when Green sits at senate this upcoming Tuesday night, facing his legislative-constituents as well as representing the general student body that elected him and having to carry the shame of getting nastily blocked from an organization (one that prides itself on campus leadership) that he truly wanted to join. The block was anything but cut & dry from what I've read, he had strong chances of being admitted and succumbed to determined parties wanting him left out.

I've heard arguments that make the case that FBK only admits leaders that have completed their terms and that the Pro Tem should wait his turn. I have heard much more genuine arguments conceeding that6 Green was blocked over his presidential ambitions and certain choices he's made (or been thought to make). Currently Green is Senate's second-in-command and if the Alligator did it's work, Green could be in the spotlight. A year from today, he will probably not be in a high-level leadership role, he may not even be in senate. Personally...rejecting Green when he's a little guy again seems a lot easier and even better for PR than blocking him now. My point is, if Green is being told to wait a year and he does so without incident, he might as well grab himself a shovel and help dig his own grave.

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All Questions for the Argento Interview, Due 11/30/06

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My Positon on FBK

I will keep this brief but feel I should set this for the record. I am not an enemy of Florida Blue Key as an organization. I feel it should exist and flourish, no differently than Savant, IDEAL, the Lion's Club, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc. I do have issue on certain fiscal matters and on a personal level am not quite fond of their alleged role in SG or on what basis they recruit & admit. This having been said, I think the organization has improved by leaps and bounds since the days of Charlie Grapski and all but redefined itself from the Pork Chop Gang days of its inception.

There are many wonderful people in the organization, people I followed and served like Jamal Sowell, friends I will talk to for the rest of my life, and politicos that till this day have left me speechless to have been able to work with them and had the chance to have seen them shine.

FBK-the organization did not block Green. The people that blocked him are on record and did so for whatever their reasons might have been. I have not been accused by anoyone of implying FBK as an organization wanted Green out, but I fear some of you might secretly suspect this is the case. I for one do not think FBK as an organization encompassing countless alumni wanted Green out and I don't think anyone else should subscribe to this sort of thinking.

Till next time. :)