Rabbi Daniel Wolnerman, of UF Hillel, lights a candle at a memorial ceremony commemorating genocide victims on Bo Diddley Community Plaza on Sunday. April is Genocide Awareness Month.

UF Student and Brain Awareness Week Co-chair Ana Galvan loosely holds a sheep’s brain at a tabling presentation at the Plaza of the Americas. The national and annual event is being hosted by the UF Neuroscience Club and is sponsored by the North Florida Regional Society for Neuroscience and the Dana Foundation. The goal of the week is to promote curiosity of the field of Neuroscience through interactive activities and presentations.

Florida drivers may soon be fined if they are caught texting while driving in the state. Legislators in Tallahassee are pushing for a bill to crack down on this dangerous action. But efforts by Florida legislators would make it a secondary offense to text and drive. Florida State Senator Nancy Detert’s proposed bill would require law enforcement to have a primary reason to stop drivers texting behind the wheel. The secondary offense, would cost first time offenders 30 dollars and court costs but is raising questions on the effectiveness of the program.

Gainesville Police Officer Mike Denmark says this proposal would not only be impractical, but also difficult to actually enforce. Florida is currently one of only 11 states that doesn’t ban texting while driving. Florida State Representative Keith Perry says he doesn’t believe the bill is stiff enough, but says we are making progress. A National Highway Traffic Safety study shows drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash when texting while driving. Federal estimates also show distracted driving contributes to about 5,000 deaths every year.

UF Supreme Court Chief Justice Matt Michel swore in the newly elected student senators in the Reitz Union.

A Gainesville man samples organic crackers at the Cinema Verde Film Festival. The 6 day event aimed to provide environmental education through film and the arts as well as discuss issues facing our present and sustainable solutions for the future.

Christian groups across campus gathered at the Reitz Sunday to help package food as part of Cross International’s You(th) vs Hunger campaign. According to Matthew Young, the organizer of the event, all of the donations and work put in by volunteers on Sunday will help feed nearly 40,000 kids in Haiti.

A bicyclist performs at the UF Homecoming Parade.