Lucy Dillon

The Charge News

All of my briefs, features and hard news articles.

The Charge •

UCF student faces felony charge after protest October 2024 in Orlando

The state of Florida filed a felony charge Friday — three days before the filing deadline — against a UCF student for allegedly committing battery against a uniformed officer during a pro-Palestine protest in October 2024.Chris Gibson, senior information technology major, faces a third-degree felony charge of battery on a uniformed security officer as of Friday, according to reports from case 2024-CF-013587-A-O, obtained through Orange County Clerk of Courts.
Monique Worrell, state attor...
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State, federal actions spark campus-wide gun control conversations

A bill proposed for the upcoming March legislative session aims to lower the legal gun-purchasing age from 21 to 18, sparking campus-wide conversations about gun control.In December 2024, Republican State Sen. Randy Fine introduced legislation to the Florida Senate to lower the gun-purchasing age from 21 to 18. If passed this session, the bill would alter the legal age to purchase firearms as outlined in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Act, which passed in 2018 after a mass shoot...
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UCF students and faculty respond to possible Department of Education shutdown

The U.S. Department of Education released a notice Feb. 15 directing federally funded educational institutions to "end racial preferences," adding another layer to the Trump administration's fight against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.The news of the notice comes while the education department's fate hangs in the balance, as President Donald Trump campaigned in part on the premise of shutting it down.
Dr. Robert Cassanello, associate history professor, said without the Department of Ed...
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Universal Knights event to occur almost two months earlier this year

UCF Student Government announced on Wednesday in an Instagram post the official date for “Universal Knights" is Feb. 23 — almost two months earlier than last year's event. Universal Knights is an annual event put on by UCF SG where part of Universal Orlando Resort is reserved for a night for students to enjoy. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Universal Islands of Adventure. Jarib Benitez, junior visual communications major and UCF SG director of student affairs, said the Sunday th...
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UCF students rally behind second try at recreational marijuana

Only two months after its constitutional measure was defeated, political action committee Smart & Safe Florida is attempting to get the topic of recreational marijuana back on ballots.The constitutional amendment, proposed for the 2026 election cycle, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana for non-medical purposes, according to the amendment.In November 2024, Smart & Safe Florida’s Amendment 3 raked in about 56% of the vote, falling 4 percentage points short of th...
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UCF professor sues to overturn suspension after university investigation

UCF professor Dr. James Hickman filed a lawsuit against the university on Tuesday, seeking to overturn a suspension from research and teaching that began in October 2024, Florida Politics first reported.According to a July 2024 report by the school, Hickman did not make the school aware of two male students’ allegations of sexual harassment against a female graduate student, all of whom worked in his NanoScience Technology Center lab on Research Parkway.
The school’s report details that...
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Final details are being sorted out in Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was reached on Wednesday and is pending approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet according to official documents and reports.Some outlets have announced Hamas and Israel reached an official ceasefire and hostage-release deal, but AP reports Netanyahu’s Cabinet must first approve the proposal. The meeting to approve the agreement was rescheduled to Friday due to Netanyahu believing Hamas may not follow through with parts of the de...
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UCF Celebrates the Arts remembers and honors Floridian veterans

Performers took the stage on Wednesday night at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to remember and reenact the stories of Floridian veterans lost during World War II.Central Florida-area actors brought a dramatic spirit and passion to the stories of the fallen veterans, helping audiences better understand the turbulent emotions and lasting impacts of war.
“It's one thing to help students understand the war; it's another to help students understand how much grief remains a part o...
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Florida Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, voters to ultimately decide in November

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday to uphold a 15-week abortion ban while also allowing the proposed abortion access amendment to appear on ballots in November.Through the court’s approval of the 15-week ban on most abortions, a controversial six-week abortion ban signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year will be put into effect starting May 1. The six-week ban allows exceptions for victims of incest, rape or medical emergencies in which the life of the mother is endangered.
Acc...
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Ushering in a new political era: MadSoul Festival intertwines music and advocacy

Music and political passion filled the air at MadSoul Music and Arts Festival on Saturday as politicians, local musicians and community members gathered in Loch Haven Park.The festival began in 2015 as the brainchild of United States Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Generation Z member of Congress, and his friends Niyah Lowell and Chris Muriel. Now, with Frost’s current role on the national stage, the event has returned to Orlando with even more buzz.
“We want to ensure that if you come to...
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Orlando protestors continue calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

Waving flags and sporting traditional Arab scarves called keffiyehs, which have become synonymous with Palestinian freedom, protestors filled the air with impassioned chants.Dozens of peaceful protestors called for a ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday outside the well-attended MadSoul Music and Arts Festival at Loch Haven Park.
This protest occurred the day after President Joe Biden announced a United States airdrop of aid into Gaza after months of directing financial and military support to...
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UCF student's journey from courtside manager to crowd favorite

Since he was a kid in Bangkok, Thailand, Poohpha “Pooh” Warakulnukroh has been drawn to seemingly divergent pursuits — sports and science.“It’s almost impossible to balance the two things, but I know college is the best time to do it,” said Warakulnukroh, a redshirt sophomore guard on the UCF men’s basketball team and mechanical engineering student.
He began his UCF basketball career his freshman year in 2021 – not as a player, but as a student manager. Before he even bounced a ball on t...
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UCF ROTC and Singing Knights catch eyes at NFL Pro Bowl

UCF’s ROTC and Singing Knights had a bigger-than-usual audience on Feb. 4.The groups performed for nearly 6 million TV viewers and 55,000 fans who packed into Camping World Stadium in Orlando for the NFL Pro Bowl, according to Sports Media Watch and the Orlando Sentinel.
The game propelled the Knights once more to the national stage, building upon a substantial 2 million viewers that tuned into the Gasparilla Bowl in January, according to data from the Black and Gold Banneret.The NFL Pro...