8/9/2019 FBK Letter to Student Body
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FLOB.IDA BL,UE KEY' |"odersbiP hon'lrtrr" slnceFloridn's ]n()sr
pr-cstlgloll'\ re 1923
./
Office of the PresidentApril 19, 1998Dear Srudents:Even though I
do not uke office *!1 Aq+ 256' I can alre2dy see tbat I have my
work cut out for me'Desoite tbe verdict, I d";;;Ft"riarbru"
d;#tb*ilely no-tline to do with Mr' Grapski'sdefamarion. Lrro
uoiltlali-o o,"u., olut t ;"]t;"; "* oJt u"u*Jte' But undentand
that I couidnor and wourd nor associate myself with.any ##;il
i'*"i"Ji" sucir activity' much less aspire to bepresident of it. i
dtfy il;;;i; say or demonstrate
otherwise'CharlesGrapskiwhomlhavenelverperso.nallymet'holdshimselfouttobeanexpertonthetruepurPosesof
Florida Blue Key. ;" ;;;"." f"ri"* "i ot;;;J experieuces o46 s
'-"tl minoritv of FloridaBlue Key members arrJ tno,,taoas or
o"orp^ii"*frJ0"*g'u"t* to
1923' I r6Pct Mr' Grapski'sconvicdons, hoourr"r,l a;*, his
judgment in condemnins an grrynrzation based on nswspapr
accountsand enco'nters with ^ i"i"T"#tir:-r,* ffiffi;. - irfr"tiar
erue Kev's membership is comprisedof outstanding r*a"*
;';h;u.r.*r.y orn"ii"]Tt; ;;f*"-i j:I *-" of those members to want
tohold the highest offices in shrdenr goo.**iffi oGt q4.""t
oreanization? Does that uuke ourorganization ..poiitical?,, I would
suggest "..';;;;; to public *frtou the werwheiming majority
ofFlorida Blue Key *t*Lt' t" *t iriJotved in sildent
govemmenilwonder,thouglr'ifthe..WorldE*p:{onIloridaBlueKeytngwstbatwedonalewer$10,000weryvear
to scholarships f", UJ".*r.y iinonat i.rd*;' t; he knoy Ftorida
Blue Kev's Speaker's'e**o brings *o*"ia.?ii;;il;
a*rr.r,i"#-*itirltu"t"o to tne universitv? I wonder if he
knorvsabout Florida gr,r" K";s-Ho*."o*iog "oa 6tor Growl'
geoe'atinjthe city's second highest
source ofrevenue. Does he ;;H;;^;;;ffi;...:;;il; ii;"l'ra
c;.untv Bovs and Girls club' the RonaldMcDonald House, and
other
communiry "rg#;l;;t*qq """a"t l?n"i^ *"t applied to k a part
of
anv of these events. H",1;;;;;ri.it ,"-#T*.#, Jnoria" Blue Kcy?
of course not, he is ang4'belause ,",r"nty-R r"ffi-rs"
*ligu"j-ti;'"-;;';;tth* ura' sole his ri'rnder' You see' Fiorida
BlueKey,s memb.* n",r.r#* ;"#;;ru"i;;il.in"?ia"'s sur^de'ls
longbefore rr4r- Grapski was even athought. our founaen **,.4
toiriog *tJ;ilu"i""*tty "rnorida'i finest leaders' and we
contrnueto honor trrat prusuiii;;;;;tn1"" r.y i* r*a*tnip n"norary'
and all those who considerthemselves leaders
"irt"Jui".;*y;inJil-;,"pJJ;riJrrp* to be pan of our organizarion'I
am curious as to how many pople recogruzec Mr' Grap*i as-
he.appeared during tnai'
For years Grapskihas presented "**o*f *"i-*',rr" *J."iti,
ytiti";-'n:it"1i' n" s'ddeniy
decided to make achange. whar a time for a makeover, " t#;;A'Ja
pair of giasJ ' u" t*t'"iuery respctable' but itdoes nor tat e a
geruus to understandhi, *",i;;;: iini' JJtitg "gu*t"t' Professor
Liule acnrailyanalogized Grapstit ptight with,T, "f,J..f" e*o fne
aiferen[n'ere is tiat lesus never changedhimself to gain favor
witrr trre people, *, #"'" ii" f; "f t*ttfin;o r "* offended at the
very thoughtof ttnt analogY' 'r w^u' srv
r--rBradBondi,Grapski,sprimarywitnl;,isanotherinreres,tingfellow.IdonotknowBradBondipersonairy,
*a r # "i;;E ;d" u,r" *?"il ";;"tb"t "tl""y Partv in the Spring of
19e5;consequentty, t oo not know what h"pp."J',h,;;'A; tht"q a";;
like to lnow and a question Iwould pose ro lvtr. Bondi: if you
indeed JJ;i;; u* *iutri*ed them to b consented to bvFrorida Blue
Key, rvh.y then didyou, r* #"o,"*"',rr [io, .ppry for and gain
membenhip? why do youcontinue to be an alumni member?
8/9/2019 FBK Letter to Student Body
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Professor Joe Little put on quite a show. Little, himself a
University of Florida law professor, went to trialagainst John
McGovern, a law ordent, ald a shrdent ore"nizarion with nauy
members enmited in thecollege of law, myself ircluded I lnow tbat
Little was Dot outside his bounds as an attomey, but I guestionhis
judgment as a professor. In ftct, John McGovern was in Professor
Little's cl"ass. Despite Litle'sstatemmt tbat this case was abor:f
d"famatio4 it k ry opinion tbat dpfimetion was merely a pretod
forLittle's "tear down the qystem'a.titude, an auitude so consuming
it would dlive him to sue one of hjs.former studenrs. In the pst,
Professor Little haS also tekerr it upon himcelf 1s sue the Florida
BarAssociation rnd even Shenrls ilospital- Are we using tle law as
a shield or a sword?Regardiess of all this, I am confidec we will
win ou appeal I believe Judge Smitb, who recr:sed himself,made a
misuke in his judicial notice. Judicial notice is r:suaily taken of
milor indisputable fachlal issues-For example, the Sun rises in the
east, or the slry is blue. There is no debating those facts. All
otherquestions of fact are reserved for the jury. Judge Smith ook
the cnrx of the decision out of the jury'shands.Firnlly, here is a
lesson for lv{r. Grapski, Professor Little, and tlose who would
tear Florida Blue Keydown. YOU WILL NEVER WIN. Even id, after years
of litig*ion, justice is not done and you, by sornemi.racle, win
the battle in court, you cannot destroy Florida Bluc Kcy. Florida
Blue Key is a collection ofthe best and brightest leaders on this
campus an4 indeed, throughout the State Our success lies not in
ourname or co{porate charter but in our individr:al members and
their ideas and vision for the futue. I am sureyor:, Professor
Litle, are familiar with the Constitrfion of the United States of
America enrl the Bill ofzughts, in particuiar, tbe First Amendmenl
You cannot touch our ideas and vision, fl/en if this
injusticeultimately prwails.I want to assure everyone tlat we will
continue to recognize sutstan.ling leadenhip at the University
ofFiorida. Though some may think us weakened, we are stronger anrl
more determined now than ever.
Florid.e Blue Key, Presidentlect
)-- *silil920
