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A world-class university deserves world-class technology. Technology affects virtually every aspect of students' lives, but all too often, student needs are overlooked. As a senator, I will work to represent the concerns of all students.

As I mentioned in my last post, this site is about to go into deep-freeze.

I want a new Web site: one that represents what I’m doing now. (Not only am I no longer a “student senator”, I’m no longer a “student”, so it’s really time to move on.) At the same time, I want to preserve this site, as a historical curiosity if nothing else. Moreover, I want to preserve the URIs of pages on this site (I’ve been on the Web long enough to know how annoying broken links can be). But I don’t want the site to suffer a deluge of comment spam or a hacker attack, or be responsible for deleting spam or maintaining WordPress for the indefinite future (or at least until there are no more spammers or security vulnerabilities, which is not a time I’m holding my breath for).

So I’m replacing the site with a static archive of itself. All the content should be here, and old URIs should continue to work. Comments and trackbacks have been disabled, as has the RSS feed. The only URI that will change is the address for the home page; gavinbaker.com will instead be used for future sites. To find the archive of this site, use gavinbaker.com/sg or sg.gavinbaker.com.

The archive is not an identical copy: I made some fixes and adjustments to the site before archiving, as well as some changes specifically related to the fact that the site is becoming a static historical artifact. The latter set of modifications includes removing links to the WordPress admin interface, as well as my contact information, which will rapidly become out of date. (The curious can still find the old contact information in an HTML comment by viewing the page source.) I’ve also added a notice on the top of each page indicating that the site is an archive.

I apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause, but find it is the best available solution. In addition, I apologize for any problems encountered while I was making these changes to the site. (If you recently attempted to access a URI which no longer existed, please try again, as this should have been a temporary problem while I was shuffling things around.)

Please consider any information on this archived site to be quite probably inaccurate or out of date. I probably would not be proud of every word written on this site, if I were to read it again, but I’ll take this as a mulligan and dismiss it as an artifact of my salad days.

As further evidence of the impermanence of the Web (as if more if needed!), some of the content linked from this site has already faded from existence. Most notably, links to the Unite Party site at uniteuf.com now fail; the best option to view that site is via the Wayback Machine at archive.org. Unfortunately, the archived version of the Unite Party site seems an inadequate copy, with much of the layout broken.

Additionally, the .torrent of the Unite Party TV commercials seems to be missing. When I have a chance, I’ll try to upload these to the Internet Archive, and add a link to reflect this.

Future requests for my main site should go to gavinbaker.com.

Thanks.

Here are my comments from the FCC hearing on media ownership last night in Tampa. It was exciting to get to speak, in my own words, to the commissioners in their flesh and blood — truly an opportunity to “seek redress of grievances,” even if Chairman Martin and Commissioner Adelstein were temporarily out of the room. I’ll be submitting my comments ex parte in writing. I expect to find some video of myself online soon. I was also quoted in stories in the Tampa Tribune and Orlando Weekly on the hearing.

In other news, this blog will be transitioning over to a general-purpose Web site for myself in the near future, since my term in the Student Senate ended in March. I just haven’t had a chance to make the switch yet, due to scholastic obligations. It’ll probably happen later this month.

Comments after the jump. (more…)

Ed.: delivered at the Dec. 5, 2006 meeting of the Student Senate
I want to make a few comments about President Machen’s proposed Academic Enhancement Program. We discuss it at length last week, but almost all of the quibbling had to do with the Oversight Committee, and very little with the proposal itself.

It was important to discuss the Oversight Committee. Although our resolution was non-binding, it was important to be as specific as possible in our recommendations. It was important to present what we think is necessary to keep the program accountable and working for students. The task force did a good job in preparing the resolution, and we passed a good bill.

But some things went unsaid that I think need to be said.

First, let’s get something straight: the “program” is a fee. It’s a tuition hike. Let’s be honest: it’s an expense that students have to pay as a condition of attendance. Trying to hide it under flowery language is a sham, and the administration ought to be ashamed of itself for trying to pull a fast one on us.

Moreover, I have qualms trusting this administration with more of our money. At the same time it waged a campaign to move UF into the “Top Ten,” this administration let our biggest college fall into disrepair. On alcohol policy, it treats us like children; on fiscal planning, it pumps millions of dollars into pimping our already-awesome stadium rather than investing in the needs of our Asian-American students. Openness is not a priority for them: just ask Charlie Grapski. Neither is shared governance: just ask the faculty of CLAS. But this is the administration we’ve been dealt, and ultimately, the resolution was not a referendum on President Machen.

Finally, and most importantly, is the question of who will bear the burden of the Academic Enhancement Program. I think the vast majority of UF students and prospective students need not concern us too much. At an extra $1,000/year, UF will still be a bargain for its value, and still within the reach of most students’ families. But… maybe not everyone.

The design of the program has wisely excluded students on need-based financial aid — and, when the new fee is calculated into UF’s costs, we should expect even more students to be eligible for need-based aid. But what about the students who aren’t on need-based aid, but for whom the costs of attending UF are still a significant burden? What about the student whose family has $1 more in assets and income than would be eligible for need-based aid?

The entire financial aid system is a boondoggle — anyone who’s ever applied for aid knows that. Let’s hope the administrators of higher education in this country, the states, the Congress, and donors get together and find a way to improve things. But until now, we haven’t had to worry too much, since almost any Florida resident admitted to UF would also have the marks to receive a full ride on Bright Futures. If that’s no longer the case, then we — as representatives of the students and future students of this university — we have reason to worry.

The question we face is: what kind of university do we want UF to be? Here’s what I think we should want: a nationally-recognized school that attracts the best students and faculty from across the country, and affords the opportunity to attend to every Floridian. The sole criterion for attendance should be academic performance: if you demonstrate commitment in and out of the classroom, you should be able to attend UF, regardless of how poor or rich your family is or what color they are.

We must not lose sight of this vision even as we strive to improve the quality of education at UF. And sure enough, the proposal before us will improve the quality of an education at UF. We would all benefit from more professors, more sections, smaller classes, and goodness knows I’ve talked to death the need for better advising.

ur challenge is to uphold this commitment to accessibility throughout the administration of the Academic Enhancement Program, or indeed, through whatever may come in the future.

This is our challenge as student leaders, as well as a challenge to UF’s administrators and our overseers on the Board of Governors and in Tallahassee. Let us not forget it.

It’s kind of a big deal.

I’m presenting at the Campus & Community Sustainability conference this Thursday at 10 am in Grand Ballroom A of the Reitz Union. My abstract and slides are here.

Expert from an email by Sen. Pedro Morales:

I have the Senate Contact List with your phone numbers, so if I do not hear an acknowledgment (ack) from you I will ping you personally. Internet Protocol references aside, I will call you!

…Why I can never be Senate President.

Apparently, you need your mother’s help.

Now I know why I couldn’t be Senate President: I don’t have one.

Since I’m in the bloggy mood.

Arturo takes VP (no runoff), Action takes Family Housing and Hume, Swamp else.

Surprised? You betcha.

Turnout was 7,187 or thereabouts.

More surprised?

First, congrats. Then, a quick analysis:

Swamp kept their houses, picked up most of Unite’s, and had pretty much all multicultural support, and kept IRHA support (such as it is).
Nobody ever attacked Arturo on any grounds.

By waffling on the “serious” issues (as deemed by the Alligator, i.e. issues Senate can do nothing about but “advocate” i.e. ask nicely), and taking itself a little less seriously than it should have, Action didn’t make itself the clear choice.

Almost nobody talked about Greek / anti-Greek.

The opposition never really articulated what their problem was with Swamp.

Action had a very tough time getting quality candidates.

Action had a vacuum of leadership once we got into the last mile. The party president was nowhere to be found, and communications from the party to candidates / supporters were limited. Not laying any blame here, just saying a fact. This kind of leadership helps motivate volunteers, and it wasn’t there.

Action had very few shirts on the ground during campaign week. Most of Swamp’s were sitting around the table, but there were still many, many more.

So here’s my breakdown. Keys: Swamp/Arturo was untouchable (or at least, untouched); Swamp kept its base and added multicultural; Action couldn’t make a clear case for itself; Action couldn’t get volunteers out.

So congrats to the winners, good job to the losers, thanks to the voters.

This is the last partisan campaign I work on.

We’re going to be having announcements soon, so I’m shutting down for the night.

Eh, it was a good way to spend 20 minutes.

I’m going to bitch at the reporters for not reading it.

Night, all. Go read them if you want to know what actually happens.

All hail the conquering Tommy.

Not to jinx it or anything.

VP runoff: Chris and Arturo

Senate: Pants - 0; Action - Family Housing, Tolbert, Hume, 4 seats in District D; Swamp - everything else.

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