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Protesters plan for Donald Trump Jr. speech at UF

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 23:53:56 -0400

Donald Trump Jr. is coming to the University of Florida and students say expect protests.

On Thursday night, Trump Jr. will speak at the Gainesville campus as part of the ACCENT speakers series. According to students on campus, the free tickets to that speech have all been given out.

The event quickly became controversial as some UF students expressed concern over the $50,000 price being paid by the campus for the speech. In a statement last week, representatives for the university said that cost comes out of student activity fees which are separate from tuition.

Still, the cost for a speaker with active political ties isn't sitting well with some. At least two groups at the university say they plan to protest the event Thursday to counter Trump Jr.'s message and to speak out against the funding for the speech. One of those groups is No Nazis at UF -- the group that became known after leading the protest when white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke on the campus in 2017. The protest inside the building during that event essentially drowned out Spencer's speech.

Ashley Nguyen, a member of that group said some of their members have tickets to the speech, but that they will protest outside the event to make their voices heard.

"This is another political campaign stop in effect for Donald Trump 2020," said Nguyen.

Nguyen said No Nazis at UF is demanding that both the student body president and the school's president resign over the situation that they feel is a misuse of student funds. They are encouraging others who feel that way to protest with them on Thursday.

"We don't really see another option because our demands have fallen on deaf ears," said Nguyen.

However, others are looking forward to the scheduled speech on Thursday. Last week, college republicans told FOX 35 that the event would be an opportunity for many to hear a different viewpoint and one from an important figure in the President's son.

"This isn't UF funding Donald Trump's campaign or Don Jr.; it's them paying them to have an event to hear the opposite side and bring different ideas and different movements to campus," said Jared Rossi from the UF College Republicans.

The speech takes place at 7 p.m. on Thursday on UF's main Gainesville campus.

UF lab using high-tech tools to study and better understand hurricanes

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:22:52 -0400

The University of Florida using new technology to help make you safer during a storm.

Call it the "hurricane lab," where the goal for Ryan Catarelli's team is to reproduce extreme wind events at model scale."

With funding from the national science foundation, they're doing it like never before, building a new take on the wind tunnel.

"It's more like a pipe organ than a duct, with a fan in it," says Catarelli. "You can play this thing at will."

To make the wind move and not just hold one speed, and to change power and directions just like in an actual hurricane. Using 3-D printing and other tools they're gauging what those storms can do.

"It allows you to design structures to withstand wind speeds for where they're going to be built," Catarelli adds.

They can create diverse landscapes in under two minutes and then use lasers to see what that wind's doing in specific locations. They're even finding the flaws in hurricane proof windows. The idea behind all of this is to gain knowledge to build things better. Potentially save property and even lives when these dangerous storms hit."

"We wanna have a better understanding of what's happening during these events."

What they learn in this UF lab could one day ease the catastrophic damage we've seen too many times.

Trump Jr. scheduled appearance at University of Florida receives mixed response

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 00:32:10 -0400

The University of Florida has invited Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, his girlfriend and a senior adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, to speak on campus next week.

The Oct.10 event, announced Wednesday by the university’s student-run speakers bureau, will be free for students. It will be funded through student activity fees, which are separate from tuition.

University officials said in a statement they are aware Trump Jr.’s visit may draw a backlash and bring critics of the president and his family to campus but urged showing respect.

“At the same time, the university recognizes the right of members of its community to analytically and respectfully challenge ideas so long as such challenges are conducted in a civil manner that does not stifle the open expression of the opposing ideas,” the statement said.

Pointing to the institution’s “freedom of expression” statement, officials said they are committed to “ensuring that a wide variety of viewpoints are heard on campus as well as to protecting the First Amendment rights of all those in attendance.”

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted free speech resolutions on campuses as “imperative for the future of our society.” In April, the governor called on all state universities and colleges to adopt such resolutions to show that Florida welcomes “debate and the exchange of ideas.”

The University of Florida regularly hosts famous speakers, such as an April appearance by comedian Hasan Minhaj. Some events have been controversial, such as 2017 appearance by white nationalist Richard Spencer, whose speech was mostly drowned out by a protesters’ chants.

Trump Jr. will appear on campus as his father faces an impeachment inquiry in Washington, D.C. Guilfoyle is a former co-host of the Fox News show “The Five.”

Trump Jr. to appear at University of Florida

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 23:19:39 -0400

The University of Florida has invited Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, his girlfriend and a senior adviser to President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, to speak on campus next week.

The Oct.10 event, announced Wednesday by the university's student-run speakers bureau, will be free for students. It will be funded through student activity fees, which are separate from tuition.

University officials said in a statement they are aware Trump Jr.'s visit may draw a backlash and bring critics of the president and his family to campus but urged showing respect.

"At the same time, the university recognizes the right of members of its community to analytically and respectfully challenge ideas so long as such challenges are conducted in a civil manner that does not stifle the open expression of the opposing ideas," the statement said.

Pointing to the institution's "freedom of expression" statement, officials said they are committed to "ensuring that a wide variety of viewpoints are heard on campus as well as to protecting the First Amendment rights of all those in attendance."

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted free speech resolutions on campuses as "imperative for the future of our society." In April, the governor called on all state universities and colleges to adopt such resolutions to show that Florida welcomes "debate and the exchange of ideas."

Trump Jr. will appear on campus as his father faces an impeachment inquiry in Washington, D.C. Guilfoyle is a former co-host of the Fox News show "The Five."