Finals are filed away, dorms are quieter, and the long stretch between spring and fall is finally yours — sorry to anyone grinding through summer classes like me! 

OutFAU’s April issue was devoted entirely to the Society of Professional Journalists’ notorious SIN (Spread Immoral News) & WIN contest. Critics called the competition “shockingly bad” and “totally out of line,” but we saw it as a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity.

Amidst the chaos and current political firestorm we are experiencing, funding cuts coming from all directions are the latest hurdle.

When I testified in Tallahassee against Senate Bill 1710, a bill to ban DEI in Florida’s medical schools, I knew we were fighting an uphill battle. What I didn’t expect was how fast they’d crush us.

Florida’s 2025 legislative session wrapped up May 2 after 60 days of hearings and horse-trading, but the biggest story landed before the budget ink had even dried: every single anti-LGBTQ+ bill filed this year died in committee or on the calendar.

My first whole semester as Executive Editor of OutFAU has wrapped, and I’m bursting with pride over what our tiny-but-mighty crew achieved. With just four regular contributors, we published 26 stories across five issues from January through May — and even snagged second place in a regional contest (but you can read about that below).