Vol. 22 | 10.26.2020
Election 2020
University Press First issue is free: Each additional copy is 50 cents & available in the UP newsroom
Table of Contents Vol 22 | 2 | 10.26.20
upressonline.com facebook.com/universitypress @upressonline Editor-in-Chief Sports Editor Zachary Weinberger Jensen Jennings
Staff Writers Natalia Ribeiro Richard Pereira
Managing Editor Joseph Acosta
Features Editor Colby Guy
Photo Editor Alex Liscio
Creative Director Michelle RodriguezGonzalez
News Editor Regina Holloway Web Editor Marcy Wilder
Guest Columnist Madison Hinz Contributing Writer Elliot Rodriguez
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Designers Aitana Gonzalez Emily Meilands Advisers Ilene Prusher Neil Santaniello Michael Koretzky
Publisher FAU Student Government The opinions expressed by the UP are not necessarily those expressed by the student body, student government, and FAU. Address: 777 Glades Rd. Student Union, Room 214 Boca Raton, 33431 561-297-2960
Want to Join the UP? Email: mwilder2019@fau.edu Staff Meetings every Friday at 2 p.m. on Zoom Want to Place an Ad? For National/Regional ads Contact: Joseph Acosta 352-219-0112 jacosta2019@fau.edu Cover Photo/Illustration by Alex Liscio and Michelle Rodriguez-Gonzalez
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Editor’s Letter More Than a Moment: BLM at FAU The Biggest Impact Election Anxiety Biden or Bust Four More Years?
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Viva la Riva-lucĂon
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Know Before You Go
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Editor’s Letter Zachary Weinberger | Editor-in-Chief
Congratulations, you’ve registered to vote. The first step is complete. Now, you actually have to go to the polls when it’s time. This probably won’t be the last time you hear someone to tell you to go out and vote, as anybody with a social media account will do the same. However, it’s important to make your voice heard in this upcoming election, especially for college students. For many like me, this will be our first time voting. The term “battleground state” gets thrown around in politics a lot, and one of the six states accompanied by it is our crazy state of Florida. In some cases, these states make or break an election for a candidate. It’s a common saying that this generation of millennials and zoomers will determine our future, and it’s up to you to decide which candidate you think aligns with your views. However, it doesn’t stop now as the general election is right around the corner. Going out to the polls during midterms and local races in your county proves your voice is heard whether you have progressive viewpoints or a conservative mindset. With this issue, you’ll see a bunch of perspectives about this election that look at at different ideologies people support, whether it be a certain candidateor issues facing the country. We have individuals that are voting for President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden, and even third-party candidate Gloria La Riva of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. While polls right now might show there could be a clear winner in the election, it doesn’t lock in a win. Planning to vote is the best way to go because of COVID-19. You don’t want to be packed next to people on Nov. 3, even with social distancing guidelines. See when the Early Voting Period is in your county, it’s happening right now as you’re reading this. It takes a quick Google search. *The viewpoints expressed in the opinion pieces in this issue don’t express those of the University Press.
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More Than A Moment:
BLM at FAU Feature
On Sept. 10, 2020, students participated in a protest against racial inequality at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Student athletes and faculty were involved in the march for equality.
By: Elliot Rodriguez|Contributing Writer
Photos by: Alex Liscio
How has the social justice movement affected FAU students and organizations? Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., America has been dealing with a large-scale social justice movement. FAU students, faculty, and organizations are not going unheard. They are using their voice to speak up and say how they feel about the situation and if they think the election will affect it. “It woke me up, I thought that I should play some role to make sure that we take steps into the right direction,” Madyson Roye, a member of the Black Student Union (BSU) said.
Roye organized a protest that brought in all walks of life that wanted their voice to be heard. Her protest took place on the Boca Housing lawn, where they marched around the StudentServices building, to the library, through the breezeway, which then ended their march back to the Housing lawn. The protest was a way for Roye to take part in helping the movement, by gathering everyone who wanted to speak on the subject and march for true equality. Roye was very adamant about how she wants the FAU community as well as the nation to open their eyes and see what is going on with social justice. “Everything that brings us down starts with ignorance,” Roye stated.
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Roye wants to see more of an understanding of black students on campus. “We don’t have a lot of Black students in positions that can be fully understood,” Roye said. Roye saw a positive reaction from the people who took part in her march, which lifted the spirit of Roye, knowing that she played a role in giving everyone a voice. It’s not just students who have been affected positively, however. It’s also got some faculty members playing a role in the movement as well. Dr. Kelly Shannon, Director of the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights initiative and also an associate professor at FAU, is pulling faculty together to help the social justice cause. When it’s all put into place, Shannon is planning on hosting virtual events that deal with the issue of race and is bent on being active on the issue. Shannon also addressed how other organizations, for example, the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Education, and Advocacy (IDEAs) have had virtual meetings called Real Talk. Students here can bring up any topic that they feel strongly about and have a discussion about it with the people in the meeting. “Right now we are at a big turning point,” Shannon said. Shannon has more of a long term view, being that she thinks it’s going to take a lot of time and commitment to get serious changes in place. She is starting to see some minor changes, however. “I’m starting to see a lot more white people seeing racism as a problem,” Shannon said.
However, the social justice movement is not just about equality for people of color, but it is also for other groups that are not understood or considered to be in the minority category. Joi Dean, President of the FAU Chapter of The National Organization for Women and Director of Florida Collegiate N.O.W., is actively involved in making a change and trying to get people to understand one another. “Diversity is nothing without inclusion,” Dean said. One of Dean’s dreams is to see all prejudice and bigotry eradicated, but she understands how that could take quite a while to happen. At least during her lifetime, she wants to see people keep taking steps in the right direction towards equality and peace. Dean is also aware of the hand that the election has in the whole movement as well. Dean likes the fact that this election has opened people’s eyes towards problems in America. Dean is hoping to see people push each other to vote during what she calls a “messy” election. With students speaking up about these tough times, young people are paving the way for the future. “The only way to have true freedom, is to make people free,” Shannon said.
“Everything that brings us down starts with ignorance,” Madyson Roye stated. (Roye Pictured Right)
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The Biggest Impact Feature
By: Zachary Weinberger|Editor-in-Chief
Photos Courtesy of NextGen Florida
While NextGen Florida has gone to the schools in person in the past, they had to change their strategies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When roaming the Breezeway at FAU during election season, whether it be on a national or local level, the sight of multiple organizations stressing the importance to show up to the polls was very apparent. With the election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden in full swing, the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic still looms over the country. For FAU, it means tabling is not occurring, as that’s one of the main methods to reach out to people for student organizations and other groups. One of those groups is NextGen America, specifically NextGen Florida. Per their website, they are “a diverse coalition of young people, organized to take power by winning elections for progressive candidates.” The organization spreads the word about voting all across the state, however, they do target a specific demographic. As part of NextGen America’s 2020 plan, the goal is to get the word out to people under the age of 35, which means colleges and universities are an obvious place to get hopeful young voters. At FAU, there are two full-time organizers and three student fellows dedicated to organizing digitally to represent their platform. While NextGen Florida tackles all colleges and universities across the state, FAU is well-represented at the progressive organization.
Justin Atkins, the State Director for NextGen Florida, is an FAU alumnus who graduated in the class of 2018, majoring in political science. Atkins says that circumstances are noticeably different now compared to 2018, saying that back then, the organization was involved and tabling on the Breezeway for the gubernatorial race between Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis. “Back in 2018, we were definitely on campus in our blue NextGen Florida shirts, we were tabling, hosting events, going to club meetings and classes,” Atkins said. “But with COVID, first and foremost, we want to make sure we keep our staff safe.” Strategies that the organization uses according to Atkins, is that every form of communication is being done through the internet, more so, social media and online classes. “Some of the practices that we’re putting into place is that we’re dropping into Facebook groups like ‘FAU Class of 2022’ and other groups, and just talking with people there,” Atkins said. “We’re still going to classes, but virtually. Some professors won’t allow it but some would and one of our organizers or fellows talk to the students about voting and ways they can go about it.”
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NextGen Florida is also doing virtual events to adapt to the times of social distancing and isolation as they organize activities that bring the message of the importance to vote. Kerry Toussaint, an organizer for the Palm Beaches region, says that because of the pandemic, the organization’s focus has been set on the digital aspect. “Meaning from hosting virtual phone banks, hosting countless town hall Zoom meetings,” Toussaint said. “And of course, with phone banks, we were able to reach a seemingly endless amount of audience, so it’s not our traditional way of doing activism work, but it actually benefits us to know that it reaches many people.” For Toussaint, he stresses the impact that the younger generations of millennials and Generation Z will have not only in the 2020 presidential election but on the future of the country. “At the end of the day, we do have a battle between Republicans and Democrats going on but I think what’s equally more important is having young students just going out and actually utilize that power to actually go vote,” Toussaint said. “I think that it’s very important that kids go out and vote because they actually do have more of an impact on our lives. The University of Central Florida alumni recalls having grown up in a marginalized community and how with the next generation of voters, the nature of these communities can be fixed for the future. “A lot of my friends and I grew up in a marginalized community, so it’s going to school and having computers taking like 30 minutes to start or teachers having to go into their own pockets to actually pay for some of the materials,” Toussaint said. “It directly impacts our education and growing up it’s something that we never realized that it actually comes down to politics , so I’m sure getting them into the habit of actually voting will actually bring about the change needed.” NextGen Florida brings on students to help bring their message to campuses across the state and for FAU, they have three. Kamea Unger, a senior who majors in Political Science, was looking for a place to campaign for the election and NextGen was the organization she was really drawn to after seeing them on campus. Unger has a vast interest in politics and campaigning as a result of the 2016 presidential election when Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. “In the 2016 election, I couldn’t vote at the time,” Unger said. “So I turned 18 right after that election, and I was just really frustrated and worried about what was happening. So sitting around and doing nothing and just feeling bad about the nature of our politics in our country, I decided to volunteer.” She also addressed that she has ran into a part of the younger generation that doesn’t care about politics, and said that “it’s very sad” to her. She clicked with the organization’s motive which is to get as many people out to vote as possible.
“Back in 2018, we were definitely on campus in our blue NextGen Florida shirts, we were tabling, hosting events, going to club meetings and classes, but with COVID, first and foremost, we want to make sure we keep our staff safe,” Justin Atkins, State Director of NextGen Florida said.
“I spent quite a bit of time talking to people that are around our age, that are really, really cynical about politics,” Unger said. “Politics affects everything we do. But the only way to change is to pay more attention and be involved. It can change the result of an election and then change who’s representing you and creating the laws that are going to affect you.” With coronavirus in the background, it’s been an unusual but necessary change for Unger as she’s used to connecting with people face-to-face. “It is really different than traditional campaigning, we haven’t done campaigns like this ever,” Unger said. “So most of my job is talking to voters on the phone and then getting people and trying to have the conversations and through text messages, instead of face to face.” Justin Atkins said that NextGen America/Florida is a non-partisan organization and stresses that they are not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican party. However, they have endorsed Joe Biden to become the next president of the United States. “We are supporting Joe Biden because we feel he has the best plan for young people,” Atkins said. “A plan to take off $10,000 of student debt, for free public college, criminal justice reform...we know that Donald Trump doesn’t listen to young people, he’s more self-fulfilling than anything.”
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Election Anxiety Feature
The 2020 Election has nearly arrived, and with that comes an increasing wave of anxiousness about the future of the country.
By: Marcy Wilder | Web Editor 19 FAU students were asked questions about their general outlook, the pandemic, climate change, and politics. All quotes from students are from this outreach project. Answers are not indicative of the entire school population.
Now with the pandemic and the election happening at the same time, as well as the majority of students going to school online, a major increase in mental stress has occurred, said Kominars. According to 21-year-old Kyle Arking, taking classes online is a “headache.”
The next presidential election is right around the corner, and for many students, this is the first election they will be able to vote in. This election is different from any other that these students have seen before, with a pandemic that has put life on hold, increases in depression and anxiety, and the current tense political atmosphere.
“It’s challenging for absolutely everyone,” said Kominars. “Things are very uncertain, and in our current political climate I think it’s very challenging to be an undergraduate [and] see the political dialogue being so charged and uncivil.”
Kathryn Kominars, the director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), is a licensed psychologist who has been working in the mental health field for 30 years. When she began her career, she said, depression was the number one major health issue that students identified with having. Anxiety now joins it in the top five. “Depression, anxiety, [and] stress, they’re all very connected, because when people are depressed, they’re anxious about being depressed often. And when people are anxious, they’re frequently depressed about being anxious,” said Kominars. “Lots of times [when] people identify depression and anxiety, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their level of distress meets a diagnostic category for an illness.”
“The actions taken by the government have been too little and too late,” said 21-year-old Vanessa Van Der Linde. “If they had mandated masks and quarantine earlier and more effectively we may have been close to how countries like New Zealand and others are doing now.” Arking states that the pandemic has caused him to be depressed and “scared for my life and the lives of those around me.” Other students believe having most or all of their classes online is a good thing. “I think FAU’s decision to put most of the classes online was the best they could have done and is better than resuming all in-person classes, so the students are less at risk,” said 21-year-old CC Carson.
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The answers to how the students felt about the current political climate were split between being hopeful about the election to “concerning,” as 19-year-old Pete Gordon puts it. 24-year-old Chelsi Cook described the current political climate as, “hectic, controversial, and unlike anything I’ve seen or heard of before.” Melissa De Jesus , 20, takes a more apathetic approach, saying “I don’t watch the news and I almost just don’t care.” However, 26-year-old Devante Cascoe stated, “It’s an important election that will decide our future.” Kominars said that it’s very discouraging for students to see “a very common lack of kindness, and seeking to understand and create space for divergent views.” “I think the recent climate and events that have occurred have allowed more people to wake up and realize that we are heading towards our damnation if we don’t step up and demand change,” said Van Der Linde. When asked whether or not the current main candidates accurately reflect their beliefs, there was a near-even split between yes and no. “I have yet to see a really good president uncorrupted by money and high social standing to understand there are some laws we need in order to run,” said De Jesus. Van Der Linde said that she’s curious about the outcome of the election and thinks “there may be backlash no matter who is elected.” Kominars also said that the way the current election is going can be discouraging to students. “When we’re talking about living in a civil society, how does it make sense that we’re talking about winners and losers? Aren’t we all in this game together?”
Yes No
About 60% of the students responded “No” when asked if they believe if the current government system was working, but Cascoe said, “This system has problems that can be addressed.” A part of the past president and vice-presidential debates have been climate change and, as FAU is in Florida, which is in its current hurricane season, Kominars believes that climate change affects FAU’s students more personally. “People who are in college are aware of these things, and are wondering what’s wrong with the grownups that they’re not dealing with this? So I think that can give people a sense that our system of government is flawed.” Gordon said that while he believes that the government should take action, “they seem not to care.” “The global and regional response is severely lacking and seems to be still an issue that is debated on,” said Cascoe. Most students agreed that it was a cause of concern. Van Der Linde believes that there a lot of things a single person can do, “but that isn’t really going to change much if big companies continue to produce mass amounts of plastic.” Cook said that making the effort is better than not doing anything at all. At the very least, students believe that there will be change. “Given that some people are thinking about voting for the first time, and they may wonder whether it makes a difference. And it does,” said Kominars. And will they vote? Yes, said Cook. Yes, said Van Der Linde. Yes, said Cascoe. Yes, said Carson. Yes, said Arking. Yes, said Gordon: “If I don’t, I have no reason to complain about anything ‘cause I didn’t do the bare minimum to create change.”
When asked whether or not the current main candidates accurately reflect their beliefs, there was an almost near-even split between yes and no.
*The CAPS Crisis Line is 561-297-3540 A mental health literacy training is available at https://fau.kognito.com/ A web series called the Anxiety Toolbox is available on the CAPS YouTube Channel
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Biden or Bust By: Natalia Ribeiro|Staff Writer
Back in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidential election, I knew he was not the president this country needed nor was he a person fit for the Oval Office. Fast forward to the present day, he has endangered not only the country but the world as a whole, making it more than necessary to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump has subjected this country to displays of dishonesty, misinformation, and scapegoating. His policies are not only very mistaken but also dangerous, harming the very people that live in the country. From debunking the reality of climate change and downplaying a deadly pandemic, to refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose, Trump has shown how unfit he is for the job as president. In a Biden presidency, one wouldn’t have to worry about whether the president would believe in science or not. To Biden, it’s common sense to listen to scientists when the world is battling a deadly pandemic. He would listen to them and follow their advice because fighting the pandemic isn’t a one-man job. It’s a job that takes everyone doing their part. Although Biden isn’t the strongest candidate, he has moral values and an understanding of the rules set forth by the Constitution. He voted for the Iraq war and his 1994 crime bill had negative effects among people of color. Unlike Trump, Biden can admit his mistakes if doing so helps the people of the United States. When one candidate loses the election, they have to be ready to accept the results and Biden is accepting of it. During the first presidential debate, he made it clear that he will accept the results of the election, win or lose. Trump, on the other hand, has claimed many times that he will not accept the results of the election because he’ll “have to wait and see.” He has claimed that mail-in ballots will lead to a “rigged election,” even though fact-checkers have said there is no evidence that mail-ballots lead to fraud. He is willing to cheat on an election because he knows that is the only way he can win.
Opinion
On the Biden agenda, the first thing he’ll do is rejoin the Paris Agreement. The agreement deals with climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, among other things that were signed in 2016. For a country to leave the agreement, they have to wait three years. Trump pulled the United States out on the first day possible. As president of the United States, Trump has exploited his doings as a president. His various takes of not complying with the Constitution and attacking females that don’t agree with him proves it. This includes not wanting to comply with the results of the election and the transfer of power should Biden win. During one of Trump’s rallies, he undermined the credentials of NBC News White House Correspondent Kristen Walker. According to CNN, he claimed that he had known her “for a long time” and that she was “very unfair.” In another instance, he called Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris “a monster.” Biden understands that the United States is looked at as an example for other countries. He understands the responsibility that the country has to the rest of the world. If the United States shows that the country that is fine with a dictator, countries that have dealings with the United States might not want to have any further negotiations with the country. Voting for Biden is not a matter of agreeing with everything he says. It’s voting for those people who can’t have their voices heard. It’s voting for the ones not old enough to vote yet. It’s voting for another day that democracy lives on in the United States. Without democracy, this country will crumble.
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Four More Years? By: Madison Hinz |VP of College Republicans |Guest Columnist I have supported Donald Trump since 2015, when the brash, New York business tycoon rode down the escalator of the famous Trump Tower to announce his candidacy in the upcoming election. Despite him needing to find a better spa for his spray tan, I was eager to Make America Great Again. Many close friends and family question my support for Trump, but, rather than question me about his policies, they attack the President with ignorant and baseless claims of bigotry and racism.
Opinion
Trump signed an executive order in August 2020 designating $35 million to combat human trafficking in the United States; according to an article published in the Journal of Trauma Practice, approximately one-third of all human trafficking in the United States comes from Latin America, and most of this occurs at our southern border. Whatever you make the man out to be in your imagination, the facts prove that his administration and policies are fair, inclusive, and effective.
In 2009, the country faced a far less fatal virus than COVID-19. According to Fox News, the Obama administration asked states Frankly, the main argument I receive is, “Orange Man bad.” He’s a to stop testing people for swine flu in mid-2009, not even halfway through the WHO-defined “pandemic.” Currently, COVID-19 has bigot, he’s racist, homophobic, etc. infected almost 8 million Americans and killed over 200,000 however, H1N1 infected almost 61 million Americans and killed Allow me to respond. more than 12,000 —about 7.5 times the infection rate of COVID, In the 1990s, when Donald Trump bought Mar-a-Lago, his famous but only 6 percent of the deaths.* West Palm Beach golf club, Trump sued the city to allow African Former Vice President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, said Americans, Jews, and openly gay couples to become members, at the time that their successful H1N1 response “just had to do claiming “the town commission sought to protect the discrimiwith luck.” As Vice President Mike Pence pointed out last week, natory policies of many of the town’s other private social clubs.” Mar-A-Lago was the first club in West Palm Beach to allow blacks “if the swine flu had been as lethal as the coronavirus . . . we would have lost 2 million American lives.” Yeah, I’d say they got and gay couples to golf there, and one of the only ones to allow lucky. Jews. ‘Orange Man’ is the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and he moved the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. Most recently, the President also signed the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, a move which has prompted several other nations to consider peace in the region. Stephen Moore of the Heritage Foundation stated in a 2017 op-ed published in the Chicago Tribune, “the sad paradox of Obama’s presidency is that a president who was going to lift up Black America economically didn’t deliver.” Instead, in 2018, Trump signed the First Step Act—an attempt to undo the 1994 Crime Bill that Joe Biden so fervently supported—which helps previously incarcerated individuals reenter society and reforms the federal prison system. ‘Orange Man’ is also the only U.S. President to enter office on a pro-gay marriage platform--Barack Obama flip-flopped on the issue for over 10 years before taking office. In 2020, Donald Trump appointed Richard Grenell to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, making him the first openly gay man to serve in any president’s Cabinet. Grenell previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 2018-19; together, they have vowed to work on decriminalizing homosexuality around the world.
Even health experts, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, have called Trump’s response to coronavirus “impressive,” saying about his White House Task Force in March, “I can’t imagine . . . that anybody could be doing more”--a quote that Fauci says has since been taken out of context. Joe Biden called Trump’s decisions “hysterical xenophobia” and “fear-mongering.” Respectfully, Mr. Vice President, you are in no position to judge the President’s handling of this pandemic. I support Donald Trump because he’s an American fighting for the American people. He doesn’t bow to the will of politicians and lobbyists, he doesn’t compromise in his beliefs or actions, and he doesn’t make empty promises, like so many lifelong politicians. So many people only pay attention to what President Trump says and how he says it, rather than what he does. The same goes for Joe Biden. Start focusing on what’s actually being done rather than what the media and social media tell you is being done. People tell me, “Orange Man bad.” I say, “Orange Man good.”
*Numbers were accurate as of 10/19
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Viva la Riva-lucíon By: Richard Pereira|Staff Writer
Opinion
I know what some of you may be asking as soon as you saw the headline, ‘who is Gloria La Riva and why are you voting for her?’
If climate change is ever going to be taken seriously as an existential crisis, it needs immediate action.
Gloria La Riva is the presidential nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a communist party that advocates for revolutionary socialism.
It’s scary that temperatures continue to rise every year, the polar ice caps are still melting, and certain parts of the world like California are suffering from increasing wildfires.
I am voting for La Riva because she has policies that would help everyone: guaranteeing healthcare, reversing the effects of climate change immediately, and fighting racism in America.
It’s insulting that the main candidates of this election are either content with letting the planet burn or not willing to make quick legislation that will tackle this issue as soon as possible.
La Riva is on the ballot in Florida and 14 other states and she ran for president in 1992, 2008, 2012, and 2016.
“Using truly sustainable energy and seizing the oil and coal companies to stop fossil fuel pollution, are urgent steps needed to reverse climate change,” La Riva says on her website. “Ultimately, only the socialist reorganization of society can assure the future of the people and the planet.”
Before you start dismissing her candidacy, let me explain: Many forms of communism exist in the world besides authoritarian communism. Trump and Biden represent every problem that is going on in America. They are interested in maintaining the status quo and will do anything to not have change occur, at the expense of the working class and the oppressed. It’s infuriating to see these two be the potential winners, and what they’re offering is more chaos or no fundamental changes to the corrupt systems that continue affecting us to this day. There needs to be a left party that is dedicated to fighting for the people, and the PSL could be the party to do so. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that healthcare is an essential everyone must have and will suffer consequences if not addressed immediately. Especially with millions of people losing their employer-based health insurance as a result. Healthcare needs to be guaranteed as a right, and La Riva wants it to be the case. La Riva wants to create a completely free and public healthcare system for everyone as the current system has more than 30 million people who don’t have insurance. To have the funding for it, La Riva is in favor of greatly raising taxes on major corporations so people won’t have to worry about being able to afford it. “Although the Affordable Care Act helped in important ways, it was an inadequate fix for the scale of the healthcare crisis we have in this country,” La Riva said in her stance towards healthcare. “We should be providing universal, accessible, and free healthcare for all.”
Trump refuses to condemn white supremacy, sends in the military to stop Black Lives Matter protests, and will not defund the police as he is complicit amidst the chaos. Biden, on the other hand, supported segregationists, spoke out against school desegregation, wrote the infamous ‘94 Crime Bill which caused the mass incarceration of minorities, and wants to increase police funding. as he is partly responsible for the situation we are in now. To support the BLM protests, La Riva and the PSL have been attending them joining the protesters in demanding to charge the officers who are responsible for the murder of African-Americans. To fight racism, La Riva is in favor of paying reparations to minorities, ending mass incarceration of the oppressed and the working class, and fully prosecuting all acts of police brutality and violence. I am certain my vote is not going to be wasted as it can be an investment for their future. The policies they are bringing to the table are the policies I want to see come to fruition in a future America. In the words of famous American socialist Eugene Debs, “it is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it.” Even though I know it won’t happen in this election, voting for La Riva gives me hope that real change will happen in the future for the benefit of everyone else.
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Know Before You Go By: Joseph Acosta|Managing Editor
Before you head to your nearest polling location, here are the candidates on your local ballot.
News
The 2020 Election is right around the corner, and on Nov. 3, citizens 18 and older will be heading to the polls to vote. Before you go exercise your civic duty, here is a list of Palm Beach County office candidates, and some of their platforms. All the information listed below is from the candidate’s website.
Representative in Congress, District 21 Incumbent: Lois Frankel (D)
Laura Loomer (R) About: Laura Loomer identifies herself as a “Jewish Conservative investigative journalist” and activist who worked for Project Veritas from 2015-2017. Loomer is self-described as, “continuing to fight for free speech and First Amendment Rights for all Americans.” She’s mostly known for her Guerilla-style journalism and conducts ambush interviews on a livestream, and is banned from Twitter, Facebook and Uber for offensive language.
Stances: - Supports the Second Amendment - Advocates for breaking up big tech
Lois Frankel (D) About: Lois Frankel has been
representing the 21st District since 2012. She was also the mayor of West Palm Beach and served in the Florida state Legislature. While in office, Frankel served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs Committees and the Appropriations Committee.
Stances: - A supporter of women’s reproductive rights and Roe v. Wade - Advocates for the increasing of funds for all public schools, special education, and after school programs - Supports the rejoining of the Paris Agreement
Charleston Malkemus (Independent) About: Charleston Malkemus is a
former member of the United States Marines, who worked with international organizations in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and South America. Malkemus was also a Multi-time Chief Technology Office, who has recruited and led high performing engineering teams to build scalable applications.
Stances (according to Ballotpedia): - Advocate for the need of a cohesive strategy to get America out of the COVID-19 crisis - Supporter of returning American families to their lives - Ending extreme partisan politics
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STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 88
Danielle Madsen (R)
Omari Hardy (D)
About: Danielle Madsen is a graduate
About: Omari Hardy is a former civics
of Texas State University with a B.A. in Mass Communication, and a M.S. from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Madsen is the founder of Tech Up Survivors, a non-profit that works to connect computers and phones with survivors of human trafficking to start a new life and achieve their educational goals.
Stances: - Supporter of school choice for residents of District 88 - Creating safe and affordable housing - Equipping church and faith leaders to organize neighborhood watch teams - Improving direct healthcare for local residents
Rubin Anderson (Independent)
teacher at Roosevelt Community Middle School who was elected to the Lake Worth Beach City Commission in 2017. Hardy is also the second Vice President of the Palm Beach County Caucus of Black Elected Officials, and currently works at the Housing Center of the Palm Beaches.
Stances: - Making public colleges and universities tuition-free - Repealing the Stand Your Ground law - Facilitating prescription drug re-importation - Ending all private prison contracts
About: Rubin Anderson is a pastor at First Corinthians Missionary Baptist Church, and holds a B.A. in Ministry. Anderson is involved in several organizations such as the Mothers Against Murderers Association and the Concerned Mothers Southside Coalition.
Stances: - Advocating for school boards being in charge of education - Addressing the root causes of crime and implementing a smart-on-crime approach - Asking other representatives to make the environment green - A transparent record of competent, accountable, and successful economic management
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State Senator, District 31 Incumbent: Lori Berman (D)
Tami Donnally (R) About: Tami Donnally is a former
district-level delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention. In 2015, Donnally organized a Palm Beach County Leadership Class Civic Engagement Class Project on mental health. Donnally is the co-Founder of Greenacres Christian Academy.
Stances: - Advocating for school choice and funding of school choice scholarships - Increasing funding to local mental health agencies - Working with law enforcement, task forces, and families to see that those who are responsible for bringing drugs into the county are fully prosecuted.
Lori Berman (D) About: Lori Berman has been serving as the District 31 state Senator since 2018. Before being a Senator, Berman served in the House of Representatives from 2010-2018. Berman has served as the Chairperson of the Palm Beach County Delegation, Chair of the Women’s Caucus, as well as a variety of leadership roles in the Democratic Caucus.
Stances: - Evaluating who is being sent to prison and why - Banning Assault Weapons - Removing anti-abortion laws
Sheriff
Incumbent: Ric Bradshaw (D)
Lauro E. Diaz (R) About: Lauro E. Diaz has been in law
enforcement for 34 years, and is an honorably discharged military veteran. Diaz has over 1,000 hours of training in specialized law enforcement, and active shooter training. Diaz is a three-time Combat Cross Award winner, recognizing “an outstanding act of individual valor involving great personal risk to life or limb when exposed to an armed adversary.”
Stances: - Continuing the community policing philosophy - Ensuring that tax dollars are responsibly spent on programs that improve the safety and quality of life for all citizens.
Ric L. Bradshaw (D) About: Ric L. Bradshaw is a former
Marine who has been the sheriff in Palm Beach County since 2005. During that time, Bradshaw has served as the Chair of the Southeast Regional Security and Florida Sheriffs Region seven Task Force, as well as being a member of the Law Enforcement Planning Council of Palm Beach County. Before becoming Sheriff, Bradshaw served as the Police Chief in West Palm Beach, beginning in 1996.
Stances: - Continue to lead in police reform - Implementing a “Tactical Pause” while interacting with suspects - Expanded use of mental health teams and experts
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Election Day is November 3. You can vote early. You can vote by mail. You can vote on Election Day. Go to voteamerica.com/students
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