University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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Woody Harrelson talks at the spitfire Tour about hemp and the legalization of Marijuana. Students were divided on these issues. Steve Forbes visited the University of Florida and spoke of his political aspirations. Accent pays all of their speakers. Accent tries to bring speakers that will appeal to a wide range of students. Ellen Degeneres and her mother Betty visited the University of Florida in the fall. They spoke of tolerance and acceptance, of love and compassion and they spoke with honesty and conviction. Many students were touched by her story, one student who pretended to come out of the closet and admit his Ellen was not amused. 74 Student Life

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Alissa Odom and her Dad take a break while moving into her dorm room. Joe Straub stands proudly in his Beatty Towers Leaving for college can be a very emotional time for both students and parents, room. Decorating their rooms gave freshman and both usually welcome the distraction that moving furniture can provide. a sense of independence. Some students at the Maui Moonlight show off their Stu- dents sometimes find it easier to make friends when everyone is on equal footing. Student Life 23

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Accent Accent, the University of Florida ' s Speakers Bureau, has been bringing prominent speakers to the campus since the early 1960 ' s. These speakers share viewpoints, insights, and experiences of their lives and professions with the students of the University of Florida as well as to the Gainesville Community. At the end of each program, the audience is given the opportunity t o engage in a question and answer session with the speakers. The past academic year brought prominent speakers such as Sister Helen Prejean, Businessman Steve Forbes, Actress Ellen Degeneres, The Spitfire tour, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and Roy Firestone, host of ESPN ' s Up Close. Sister Helen Prejean is one of the best known death penalty opponents in the world. Her book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, appeared on the New York Times best seller list for 31 weeks and was translated into 9 different languages. Her book was also the inspiration for the film Dead Man Walking, starring Susan Sarandon. Business tycoon and presidential hopeful Steve Forbes also visited UF this past semester. After running unsuccessfully on the GOP ticket back in 1996, Forbes brought interesting experiences from his business and political life. Forbes hinted that he might be interested in seeking the 2000 ticket if the environment is right. The Spitfire tour visited the University of Florida and consisted of musicians, actors, and activists speaking out on global affairs. The Spitfire Tour included such public figures as actor Woody Harrelson, musicians Amy Ray and Krist Novoselic, MTV VJ Kennedy, and activist Todd McCormick. These speakers lectured on Jelen Prejean talks to students about the death penalty. Such subjects were various topics, from the protection of the environment to the legalization of medical marijuana. Story by: George Glenn of topics around campus this year, leading to many debates. Student Life 25