On April 1st, Florida State University and the University of Florida played an epic April Fool's joke. With the coordination of both university presidents, the schools announced the creation of a merged "super university".
The FSView (who I wrote for years ago) had a great article about the fake merger. According to the FSView:
The exact date for the merger and the relocation are still unknown, but a source close to the situation tells the FSView “it should be take about 27 weeks and two days, but no longer than 4-8 months.”
My reaction when I heard the news that I would be an alumnus of the same school as Tim Tebow:
Not to put a damper on the great joke, but the proposed location of the FSUUF super university was listed as Perry, FL, a quaint little town between the two current universities.
When I think of Perry, I don't think of sleepy Florida town along Highway 19. I remember a place where Al Sharpton and other leaders of the African-American community converged to protest a local bar that discriminated against an African-American state politician from Maryland.
According to a 2001 Orlando Sentinel article,
I used to drive through Perry on Highway 19/98 on my trips to see family. After the incident, I made it a point not to stop in town for gas or food. Sometimes I would blast Rage Against the Machine songs at top volume. That was my contribution to fighting racism in Perry.
Being how hyper-aware college students are of social issues, I can imagine this incident being dug up and amplified if the two colleges were really to merge. Thank goodness that is not the case.
The FSView (who I wrote for years ago) had a great article about the fake merger. According to the FSView:
The exact date for the merger and the relocation are still unknown, but a source close to the situation tells the FSView “it should be take about 27 weeks and two days, but no longer than 4-8 months.”
My reaction when I heard the news that I would be an alumnus of the same school as Tim Tebow:
Not to put a damper on the great joke, but the proposed location of the FSUUF super university was listed as Perry, FL, a quaint little town between the two current universities.
When I think of Perry, I don't think of sleepy Florida town along Highway 19. I remember a place where Al Sharpton and other leaders of the African-American community converged to protest a local bar that discriminated against an African-American state politician from Maryland.
According to a 2001 Orlando Sentinel article,
Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth leveled charges of racism this week against a bar owner who was accused of forcing a black patron through a back door and into a back room before serving him.I remember this being a medium-sized deal in North Florida while I was at Florida State. It made the news for a few weeks. Especially because Al Sharpton got involved.
I used to drive through Perry on Highway 19/98 on my trips to see family. After the incident, I made it a point not to stop in town for gas or food. Sometimes I would blast Rage Against the Machine songs at top volume. That was my contribution to fighting racism in Perry.
Being how hyper-aware college students are of social issues, I can imagine this incident being dug up and amplified if the two colleges were really to merge. Thank goodness that is not the case.
