Флорида Блю Ки: История и Влияние Студенческого Лидерства

Student leadership honor society

Florida Blue Key is a student leadership honor society at the University of Florida. It was founded in 1923. The organization is the oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary in the state of Florida. Members include notable politicians and prominent business leaders. Florida Blue Key recognizes a class of students each semester who have displayed exemplary leadership on campus and have made significant contributions to the University of Florida through service.

Florida Blue Key was established November 1, 1923, several days before the University's homecoming celebration. At the suggestion of President Albert Murphree, dean of general extension Bert C. Riley brought together a group of student leaders to form an organization recognizing leadership and promoting service. Among the duties of Florida Blue Key were hosting campus visitors and assisting the university's president. In this respect, Blue Key was given the task of planning and executing homecoming activities that year and has continued to lead this activity ever since. Also included in the 1923 Homecoming was Dad's Day, a time for parents to visit and acquaint themselves with campus life. Dad's Day and Homecoming were held concurrently until the 1930s. The organization quickly became so popular that Blue Key spread to colleges and universities across the country. Initially, membership in the organization was ex officio; a student automatically belonged to the organization if he held one of the major student organization positions on campus. In the 1920s, the University of Florida was the state's only institution of higher learning where a white male could continue his education. During the same time, the leadership of the state was male, predominantly those from Florida. If one of those leaders were college educated, it was most likely he went to the University of Florida and, to a large measure, it was consistent that student leaders at the University of Florida would likely remain in Florida and would assume roles of leadership within the professional, political, governmental, business, education cultural, religious, and social life of the state. The networking of those students with each other, and with other alumni of the institution, provided a powerful force and unique opportunity for service to the University of Florida. While Florida Blue Key membership offered many opportunities for service to the University, it also provided opportunities for personal enhancement and advancement. Many doors were opened to young college graduates whose resume included membership in Florida Blue Key. According to a 1997 lawsuit by Charles Grapski, Florida Blue Key maintains tight control over the student government and University of Florida. Florida Blue Key was found guilty of defamation of character and conspiracy to defame, and held liable for damages of $250,000. Grapski eventually settled for $85,000, and Florida Blue Key has since claimed no liability.

The organization continues to sponsor and organize the University of Florida's annual homecoming celebration and Gator Growl. These events are widely recognized as the largest Homecoming celebration in the country, which has grown to encompass dozens of events and community activities throughout the fall semester. Gator Growl is billed as the largest student run pep rally in the world; an estimated 75,000 people have attended the event in past years. Gator Growl, nicknamed "Growl" by some students, usually features comedians such as Bill Cosby, Frank Thornton, and Dane Cook in addition to the school rallies, but occasionally a top tier musical act headlines the show. The first Gator Growl occurred in 1932, and has been a tradition at the University of Florida for over 80 years. The Blue Key Speech & Debate Tournament, sponsored by FBK since the early 1980s, is one of the largest and most prestigious high school speech & debate tournaments in the country. Other responsibilities include organizing UF's Legal Day, sponsoring the Miss University of Florida pageant, lobbying efforts on behalf of the university, and various community debates regarding issues concerning Florida and UF.

Florida Blue Key's control of politics has been compared to The Machine at the University of Alabama. For decades, members of Florida Blue Key have been the gatekeepers of student involvement on campus. The Independent Florida Alligator wrote that "For students aspiring to hold public office one day, the path seems simple," adding "Go to UF. Get involved in Student Government. Get tapped to join Florida Blue Key. Make the right connections." The publication has also written that a "fluid set of alliances governed by a select group of powerbrokers" called the "System" hovers over Student Government and Florida Blue Key, stating that the System assigns power to a small group of campus leaders who have a decisive influence on who gets tapped to join Florida Blue Key, among other things. Criticism of FBK has propped up, with the organization being accused of intentionally tapping fewer individuals affiliated with multicultural communities. Then U. S. Representative Adam Putnam stated, "Anybody who was anybody in Florida politics had been in Florida Blue Key and not just politics but business, the law, agriculture." Putnam also called FBK "probably more political than the Florida Legislature," and "outstanding preparation for political campaigning, the good and the bad."