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MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2025

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 2 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

AI is reshaping the workforce. Santa Fe College is responding. THE NEW RALPH W. CELLON INSTITUTE FOR SKILLED TRADES WILL EXPAND BLUE-COLLAR JOB TRAININGS

By Leona Masangkay Alligator Staff Writer

Alexandros Theodossis // Alligator Staff

Cameron Hogan, owner of Fade Fitness, leads a space focused on training, growth and consistency. Read more on pg. 5.

AI can perform quick, repetitive jobs like data entry and customer service. But there are still some careers that require a human touch — or chipping hammer. With the implementation of AI in the workforce on the rise, the demand for trade labor has grown. Trade labor, or skilled trade, is a career requiring technical skills and hands-on involvement to maintain and develop infrastructure. Santa Fe College opened the Ralph W. Cellon Jr. Institute to help foster the future of blue-collar employees and its own demand for trade skills, including welding and air conditioning. Blue-collar jobs have been experiencing an increase in both opportunities and demand over the past decade. The development of AI in the workforce leads many individuals to

opt for jobs that are less threatened by newer technologies. For many, such as 32-year-old Santa Fe alumnus Rowdy Turner II, trade jobs are the most stable option. “Learning how to weld is a doorway to hundreds of different things that you can do,” he said. Turner earned a certificate in welding technology from Santa Fe in 2024, and he currently works in Gainesville as a welder contracted under Miller Electric. But the former Dollar General warehouse manager said his love for welding wasn’t the only factor that pushed him to pursue his current career full-time. “AI [is a] reason why people are turning to it. That’s why I turned to it,” Turner said, referring to his job as a welder. Turner learned Santa Fe offered a welding certification program as he transitioned to metalwork after a stroke lost him his warehouse job. Upon enrolling, he discovered there was a long waitlist of people who were also seeking to earn their certification in welding technology. Turner said he nearly “begged” the admissions director to allow him into the program “as soon as pos-

SEE AI, PAGE 3

UF cultural organizations push forward with welcome assemblies despite steep cuts

Cultural and identity welcome assemblies lose Signature Event status following DEI crackdowns By Victoria Riccobono Alligator Staff Writer

The Hispanic-Latine Student Assembly, an annual welcoming event, will go on this year with nearly half the budget it once had, joining other UF welcome assemblies that lost their Signature Event designations. For the past three years, cultural welcoming groups including HLSA, the Pride Welcome Assembly, the Asian American Student Assembly

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Cross-country Story description finish with comma, Lineup features newcomers, pg# returners. Read more on pg. 11.

and the Black Student Assembly were guaranteed funding, staff advising and promotional support under Signature Event status. That security ended when UF declined to renew the designation, forcing the groups to seek new funding sources and handle more of the administrative workload themselves. Hector Isiah Collazo, a 22-year-old UF senior pursuing a dual degree in microbiology and cell science and anthropology, said the budget for HLSA was reduced by nearly half, though The

Alligator could not confirm that number. A university spokesperson could not comment in time for publication. The HLSA event, hosted by the HispanicLatine Student Association, has opened the Fall semester for over 27 years, welcoming students to campus with food and live performances. Last year, the event drew a crowd of about 700, Collazo said. Collazo, HLSA’s executive director, said the group is still expecting 700 to 750 attendees this

The Avenue: Harn museum

French moderns exhibit features famous artists, pg. 7

University: Clubs

Freshmen feel pressure to join, pg. 4

year when it welcomes students to the Reitz Union Aug. 27. But still, the shift has felt unsettling, he said. “We all thought that it was no longer going to be around,” he said. “[It’s] disheartening and also kind of scary.” The assembly’s theme this year is “Stronger Together,” the same phrase the Hispanic-Latine Student Association used in a March 12 Instagram post announcing that UF would not re-

SEE HLSA, PAGE 3

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