Recent Studies Warn That The Kids Are Not Alright
By Kristen Romaine
UWF students walking on campus; The University of West Florida, 2025
Long-term Covid-19 effects, the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, and a rapid surge in technology use have reshaped the lasting physical, mental, and social development of children and young adults, according to a growing body of research.
The 2020 pandemic was a major event that impacted all generations, but researchers state will most influence Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) throughout their lives because the global disaster occurred at a stage of development when life-long values, habits, and skills were being shaped.
Covid linked to loss in IQ
Associate professor of neurology Adam de Havenon of the Yale School of Medicine and author of the 2025 Yale study A growing number of U.S. adults report cognitive disability, has stated that “challenges with memory and thinking have emerged as a leading health issue reported by U.S. adults.”
Young adults in particular (18 to 34) are increasingly self-reporting cognitive disability (difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions), a rate that has escalated over a decade from 5.1 percent in 2013 to 9.7 percent in 2023.
A study from the National Library of Medicine echoes that “modest cognitive decline occurred with the original virus and with each viral variant,” including alpha and omicron.
The research suggests that a loss in IQ was evident in participants who even had mild Covid-19 with resolved symptoms, and reinfection contributed an additional loss in IQ.
“Participants with unresolved persistent symptoms had the equivalent of a 6-point loss in IQ, and those who had been admitted to the intensive care unit had the equivalent of a 9-point loss in IQ … Memory, reasoning, and executive function tasks were the most sensitive indicators of impaired function.”
The research also indicates that vaccinations provided a small advantage in cognitive impacts.
The pandemic’s lasting impact on mental health
The CDC has also determined that “the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing children’s mental health crisis” in their public health study, Pandemic’s Impact on Children and Teens Studied, published in early 2026.
While less prone to severe illness, the 2020 lockdowns and distancing measures aimed at containing the Covid-19 virus had a profound impact on the daily lives of young people globally.
Children and young adults experienced disruptions in their education, leisure, and social interactions with family and peers, which in turn disrupted multiple areas of development.
The review The Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health across the world published by Science Direct in 2023 revealed significant effects of the pandemic on mental health, and specified that “pre-pandemic risk factors amplified the vulnerability” of children and young adults. This is particularly true for individuals in lower income middle class demographics.
Increased classroom screen exposure harm student learning outcomes
In January of this year, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, stating “over the past two decades, the cognitive development of children across much of the developed world has stalled and, in many domains, reversed.”
While digital tools permitted continued instruction and offered innovative learning resources during the 2020 pandemic,”the available evidence shows that increased classroom screen exposure is generally associated with weaker learning outcomes, not stronger ones.”
Digital tools can support surface-level skill gain, “but in most core academic contexts, screens slow learning, reduce depth of understanding, and weaken retention.”
Horvath stressed that it’s not that digital tools are inherently unhealthy, but implementation matters, and application needs to be re-assessed.
2024 Study rates Florida’s eighth-grade reading levels 44th in the nation
In a 2024 assessment by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Florida ranked 44th in eighth grade reading.
The Florida Educational Association (FEA) responded in a statement that these results are “the long-term consequences of decades of underinvestment, overburdened educators, and bad policies that fail to support students equitably. Rather than listening to the experts… leaders have ignored their voices, undermining the respect these professionals deserve and the critical role they play in student success.”
These findings follow Florida Department of Education’s early 2020 eradication of the Common Core initiative and implementation of the Benchmark for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T) Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics in the Florida education system, lead by Governor Ron DeSantis.
A steady decline in literacy in adolescents and young adults
Over exposure to digital media is directly linked to impairing children and young adults thinking and learning abilities.
In a study published by Young Thinkers Review on Research on adolescents' new media literacy and its cultivation by Min-joon Han, Ji-eun Ryu, and Anna Schulz, “new media has certain adverse effects on the construction of a systematic knowledge system and the development of reading, learning, thinking, and critical abilities in adolescents.”
Educators now grapple with the trending issue of a declining literacy rate among students. Futurism reports that some educators have lowered (or completely discarded) earlier standards and shifted their approach to engage the modern classroom.
However, with a majority of Gen Z now in their 20’s and early 30’s, there is concern about the future social impact caused by their collective critical thinking deficit, particularly in how they consume news.
Survey of U.S. adults conducted from Aug. 18 - 24, 2025; Pew Research Center
According to a study published by Pew Research, Young Adults and the Future of News by Naomi Forman-Kastz, Michael Lipka, Katerina Eva Matsa, Kaitlyn Radde, Chris Baronavski, and Justine Coleman, social media is a common place for incidental news exposure. “Young people’s increasing dependence on social media for news demands increasing levels of news literacy,” particularly with the recent integration of AI across digital media. The study highlights that a defining characteristic of online news habits among young adults is that they tend to get their news from social media influencers. The research notes that likability and general agreement in ideology is how some young viewers discern credibility in their sources.
JOU3940, Practicum: Voyager Multimedia News with Dr. Willie Tubbs, Spring 2026
Behind the TAG Exhibition: Storytellers, Tricksters, and Fortunetellers
By Kristen Romaine
“A History of Photography: Storytellers, Trickers, and Fortune Tellers” is the most recent installment of the ongoing EVOLVE Exhibition Series, a program that began in the previous academic year (2024-2025).
The Art Gallery (TAG) is transformed into a classroom, allowing undergraduate art students the rare opportunity to get hands-on exhibition experience.
The collaboration includes Professor Jipson and his History of Photography classes, who worked alongside TAG Team and TAG X interns under the mentorship of UWF Art and Design Instructor, John Dougherty, UWF Historic Trust Exhibition Designer, Richard Rodriguez, and The Art Gallery at UWF Director, Stasha Willis.
The exhibition has been open since Jan. 8 and will continue to run until its closing reception on Feb. 5, which will be held from 5 to 7 p.m at The Center for Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA). For more information, visit uwf.edu/tag.
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View on the Voyager Website
JOU3940, Practicum: Voyager Multimedia News with Dr. Willie Tubbs, Spring 2026
UWF Students Protest ICE with Walk-Out
By Kristen Romaine
On Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 3, students staged a walk-out at the University of West Florida, protesting the growing ICE presence on campus, in the city, and throughout the country.
The peaceful demonstration began at 2 p.m. and lasted until around 4 p.m., with 200 students estimated in attendance.
View on the Voyager Website
JOU3940, Practicum: Voyager Multimedia News with Dr. Willie Tubbs, Spring 2026
Measures Impacting the Pensacola Community Approved on Thursday
By Kristen Romaine
The Pensacola City Council addressed measures on Aug. 14 residents may celebrate, including the city’s stormwater tax assessment program and Board member appointments.
City Council Moves Ahead with Stormwater Tax for 2025-2026 in 4-2 Vote
The Council weighed on the city’s stormwater tax assessment, nearly rejecting the motion after a year of unchanged policy in the approach of how the tax is assessed.
To avoid losing the program altogether, Council President Jared Moore offered a resolution to establish a workshop which would address the council’s concerns while safeguarding the program for the year. “This is an extremely valuable program, I certainly can’t vote against it,” Moore said. “Maybe there’s a way to do it that’s better, and I think we aspire to do that. We have meetings and work collaboratively to do it. But to throw off the whole program, that seems like a very bad precedent to set, and a bad direction to go… I don’t think the way to handle it is to jettison the stormwater fee, which is something that is extremely valuable to Pensacola.”
The Stormwater Assessment Program was implemented in November 2000 and was imposed for the first time in August 2001 for fiscal years 2001-02. This is the 24th year of the program. For fiscal year 2025-26 the city’s charge per equivalent stormwater unit, or ESU, is $120.49, the same amount as last year.
The motion passed 4-2, securing approximately $5.2 million for the fiscal year of 2025 – 2026, revenue that can only be used to fund stormwater management services and facilities.
Appointments of Board Members granted
The Council also approved the 2025 – 2028 Zoning Board of Adjustments Appointments that are relegated to two residents or property owners of the city. The seats were awarded to returning member John Dittmer
JOU4181, Public Affairs Reporting with Dr. Willie Tubbs, Fall 2025
and Dr. Johnny Fortune, who’s qualifications are in architecture, engineering and construction.
Consisting of nine members, The ZBA assembles on the third Wednesday of each month, and responsibilities are to review and grant or deny applications for variances, waivers, and special exceptions to the Land Development Code.
Both Dittmer and Fortune addressed The Council with enthusiasm regarding the three-year role and Pensacola’s community. “I care deeply about Pensacola’s future, a future that I believe requires a balance between thoughtful growth and the preservation of the unique character that makes our city great,” Fortune said. “It is this commitment to our community that motivates me to seek this position and to serve in this capacity.”
Additionally, Marcel Davis, Andrea T. Greer, Micheal Hayes, Leah Langford, Joe W. Glennon, and Michelle Press were awarded the six seats to the West Side Redevelopment Board.
The WRB convenes quarterly and is responsible for recommending a project list and five-year implementation strategy derived from The Westside Redevelopment Plan.
Each appointee was present at the meeting and spoke enthusiastically about their commitment to the community’s growth.
“I’m just glad to see the West Side is growing; they’re very active, they really care about the community,” Dalarian Wiggins, council member for district seven said of the board members. “They really get out, and they help the community a lot.”
The full log of the meeting can be found on Pensacola’s City Council website and is open to the public.
Major Update on ECRC’s Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy
By Kristen Romaine
This past Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC) released the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which they claim will strengthen the economy by uniting the region’s public and private sectors.
Regions The ECRC Serve
The ECRC serves the following seven counties of Northwest Florida: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, and Bay, which are culturally and economically united by the Gulf of Mexico coastline, in addition to six Air Force and Navy installations. According to the ECRC website, The Emerald Coast region is home to over 1 million people (1,017,065 as of the 2020 Census), containing an estimate of 5% of Florida’s population, with the region’s median household income at $55,487. The largest of municipalities within the region include Pensacola in Escambia County, Crestview in Okaloosa County, and Panama City in Bay County.
The Seven Pillars of CEDS
The strategy draws upon seven pillars: talent supply and education; innovation & entrepreneurship; infrastructure & growth leadership; business climate and competitiveness; civic & governance systems; environmental quality, protection, & resilience; and housing. Each pillar is addressed individually in the CEDS action plan, guiding the strategy’s overall landscape, which can be found on the ECRC website.
Economic Resilience
Additionally, CEDS implements a strategy for economic resilience to bolster communities from major shocks such as natural disasters, pandemics, and other events. This strategy includes a Business Toolkit for Covid-19 Impacted Businesses,
Business Continuity Workshop, and Resilience Plan. Each Plan illustrates an economic impact analysis of previous disasters and the current COVID-19 pandemic, best practices and strategies, and the community engagement process.
Current Projects the Public can View
There are eleven projects curated by the ECRC through CEDS available to the public, including the expansion of Co:Lab, Pensacola’s business incubator and “growth accelerator,” and American Rescue Plan Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
How CEDS Will Be Funded
These projects rely heavily on state and federal government funding, citing resources such as U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), The Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Triumph Gulf Coast.
The full details of CEDS can be found on the ECRC website: storymaps.arcgis.com
JOU4181, Public Affairs Reporting with Dr. Willie Tubbs, Fall 2025
Facing the Changes to Medicaid and Health Insurance
By Kristen Romaine
Floridians are facing a new healthcare landscape following this summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA).
In Florida, over 4.3 million people receive Medicaid benefits, and more than 4.7 million are enrolled through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for health care coverage. Healthcare workers and patients alike must navigate the policy changes incurred by OBBBA, the path yielding concern, especially for the most vulnerable communities.
When OBBBA was signed into law on July 4, 2025, it implemented significant funding cuts and policy changes to Medicaid, the Health Insurance Marketplaces, and Medicare physician payment, affecting more than 130 million Americans who rely on these programs. According to The Congressional Budget Office, the law will add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade and will cause 11.8 million people to lose their health insurance by 2034.
Lauren Quail, MS, CCC-SLP, a Speech-Language Pathologist who operates a private practice in Gulf breeze, FL, Speech and Language, also works on-call (PRN) at Solaris Assisted Living, The Arbors, The Beacon, and Summer Vista Hospital. According to Quail, Florida's Medicaid system is difficult to work with. “It's not managed through the state or an independent contractor on behalf of the state,” she said. “Instead, Florida allows private insurance companies to manage Medicaid plans. The result is a convoluted system that makes it difficult to know exactly how much, or when, you can expect payment.”
Per the US Department of Health and Human Services, Medicaid is a “joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. The federal government has general rules that all state Medicaid programs must follow, but each state runs its own program.”
On the impact she has witnessed from the federal funding cuts and policy changes to Medicaid from OBBBA, Quail illustrated that many of her colleagues have received denials for payment for services already rendered, with no explanation and endless runaround. “The Florida Speech Language Hearing Association (FLSHA) has been investigating and working on behalf of those affected, but so far, those clinicians have no answers and no payment,” she said. “This is not sustainable for a private practice, and I suspect many will have to stop offering services for new Medicaid referrals, at least temporarily, to be able to pay their overhead.”
Quail also stated her concern for nursing home patients. “The nursing home patients are who I worry most about,” she said. “Many of the people who end up in nursing homes did not have savings to afford such a high level of care… I worry about how people will remain in those facilities, and I'm worried about the people who will need that (care) in the future.”
Senate Democrats issued a proposal on Wednesday, Sept. 17 to overturn the nearly $1 trillion cuts to Medicaid under OBBBA. The proposal was immediately rejected by Republicans, and in a standoff between the two parties on the budget bill, the Government is now facing shutdown.
JOU4181, Public Affairs Reporting with
Dr. Willie Tubbs, Fall 2025
UWF Communications Department Hosts 3rd Annual HIREDTalk Panel
Seminar Offers Student’s Opportunity to Network and Learn from Working Professionals
By Kristen Romaine, Andrew Enkey, & Emma Hoffman
Communication Professionals respond to audience questions during UWF’s 3rd annual HIREDtalk Panel. In order of appearance, from left to right: Brian Butler, Alyssa Lee, Candy McGuyre, Kierra Potts, Cecil Robinson, and Professor Will Kennedy on MC
Educators and students from UWF’s Communications Department gathered mid-morning, Wednesday, March 26, in the Commons Auditorium for the 3rd Annual HIREDTalk Panel. Professor Will Kennedy mediated a captivating Q&A with five communication professionals across the field, each offering insight in their vocation and occupational experiences. The panel consisted of Alyssa Lee, a Contract Social Media Lead at Media Fusion in support of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center; Candy McGuyre, the Director of Corporate Marketing at Baptist Health Care; Kierra Potts, the Assistant Volleyball Coach at Pensacola State College; Cecil Robinson, an Account Executive for PPK Advertising; and Brian Butler, the UWF Photo and Video Manager. Following the panel, students had the opportunity to sit and speak with the panelists individually, connect with representatives from UWF’s student resources for skill building and resumes, and have their headshot taken. The HIREDTalk event is organized by the UWF Communication College’s front desk and event planning team, Agency. Graduate Assistant Lee McKinney specifies “We had a total of eight GAs in the department that were helping with this event.” When asked when students can expect to attend the next HIREDTalk panel, McKinney states the event is organized annually each Spring, and the next HIREDTalk will take place in Spring 2026.
2025 HIREDTalks event team. In order of appearance from left to right: Elyse Rose, Speech and Debate GA; Lee McKinney, Agency/Event Planning GA; Brianna Malden-Gould, Teaching Assistant; Lindsey Smith, Agency/Event Planning GA; Nicole Deslatte, Agency/Event Planning and ePortfolio GA; Annie Monaco, Social Media GA; Gillian Buckley, Internships GA; Rachel Simpson, Advising GA.
Following Wednesday’s HIREDTalk panel, we spoke with attendee River Fundock, a Junior at UWF majoring in Digital Storytelling & Journalism. We asked what her take-away from the panel was, to which she exclaimed, “the most important things you can do to get hired, beyond just your qualifications, are having a good resume, putting yourself out there, and [be] willing to let opportunities take you places you may not have expected to go.” On whether she’d like to see more events like these on campus, Fundock responds that “they should do
more of these. There are definitely a lot of people who do not know what to do. Everything is changing so rapidly, so having people there to not just network with …[but who are also] working in the field and get advice from is really helpful.” For those who missed Wednesday’s event, we were able to speak directly with members of this year’s panel and gather a few more nuggets of wisdom. We felt students seeking employment in communication would like to know what the most common challenge in this occupation is. Panelist Brian Butler expressed that “keeping up with constant changes,” was no easy task. He emphasized that in an ever-evolving field like communication, one should “try to stay as current with technology and current with messaging as possible.” On whether his present vocation is what he always wanted to do, Butler replied, “I went to school as a sports reporter, I ended up getting a part time job at a television station and working with the sports people there. I did some stuff for the newspaper, stringing… and I quickly found out that I was a sports fan, not a sports reporter.”He continued by saying, “while I was at the station, I got to know the people doing promotions and commercials and saw them doing Adobe After Effects and motion graphics. No… this is not what I originally wanted to do, but I discovered it while working at the news station.” Alternatively, in conversation with Cecil Robinson, when we proposed the same question, he had a different take: “I always knew I wanted to be a marketer or communicator. I was always passionate about storytelling... especially storytelling where you’re talking to people from underrepresented or marginalized communities. That’s always been a passion point for me. It’s always been a no-brainer for me about what I wanted to go into, and how I made my passion my career.” As exhibited by Butler and Robinson’s lived experiences, the road to success is neither linear nor identical to someone else's. The communication field and its many avenues allows for individuals to explore various vocations that cater to their interests. According to the HIREDTalk Panelists, the key is to follow that gravitational pull.
Communication Educator and Advisor, Jonathan Hovell, is hopeful students garnered a new perspective following their attendance of this event. In response to what he hopes student’s gained from the experience, he states “the biggest thing I want kids to take away from this is [learning] to do the things that employers are going to expect. [Building] the resume, looking up the company first, having that background research of at least knowing who you’re talking to, the roles, the structures… Other than that, I think students need to realize that there are buildings here dedicated to service… There are tons of people whose whole job here is to help [students] do these things, and to prepare for these things, and really all it takes is picking out your goals.” When asked if there is any interest in implementing other events like HIREDTalk, Hovell responded “Absolutely. I think the more things that we can do for students [the better], especially to involve students, and get them presenting.” UWF Communication Faculty and Graduate Assistants were pleased with the Seminar’s turnout, and hope that the HIREDTalk Panel leaves students feeling inspired, informed, and confident in their pursuit of professional endeavors after graduation.
JOU3101, Digital & Multi-media Journalism with Christian Garman, Spring 2024
Dame Maggie Smith, distinguished British Actress, Dies at 89
by Kristen Romaine
Throughout her illustrious career on stage and film, Oscar-winning actress Dane Maggie Smith elevated each role she stepped into. Anita Gates and Robert Berkvist announce in The New York Times article published Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 that Smith passed away in a London hospital earlier that eveing. According to her publicist, her family respectfully declines to release the cause of death at present. Most widely known for her depictions of ‘Minerva McGonagall’ in The Harry Potter film series, and ‘Violet Crawley,’ the Dowager Countess in Downtown Abbey, at 89, Smith leaves behind an impeachable legacy.
In the hearts of millions, Maggie Smith was not only a household name, but an integral part of their childhood. Though her career spans across a lengthy filmography, millennials are a generation
raised with Smith adorned in the role of a maternal figure in many of the films they adore. However, her portrayals contradict the stereotype of elderly women overtly granted by Hollywood. From her depiction of an aged ‘Wendy’ in Hook (1991), to ‘Mother Superior’ in Sister Act I (1992) and II (1993), ‘Mrs. Medlock’ in The Secret Garden (1993), and ‘Minerva McGonagall’ in The Harry Potter film series (2002-2011), she captivated a youthful fandom. Bethany Hagen, 38, of Gulf Breeze, FL describes her long-standing admiration of Smith. “She’s kind of this symbol of this era that’s slowly diminishing… a true professional and master of her craft in both film and also in theatre,” Hagen states. There is a consistency of stoic intelligence and humor that carries across each role Smith took on to the point that it's clear this was the part of herself that she brought into the personas she adopted in film and on stage. This combination of empirical intellect and genuine warmth is likely what speaks to millions of women and girls who witness her portrayal in the many characters they admire. Hagen describes her favorite role delivered by Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess in Downtown Abbey. “She was a strong character. Didn’t back down from an argument or a fight, was also progressive in certain ways…I just think that was such an amazing role and really fitting way…to remember her by.” Hagen further elaborates, “I think that she was very good at those types of characters. A strong motherly type, no-nonsense, but soft where she needed to be. I think that’s maybe why she resonates with us, because that’s what we know her as; a
grandmotherly figure who has our backs, but also, she’s not going to take any (flack) from us at the same time.”
Smith’s wit and charm transferred to each of her film portrayals, captivating a fandom that will stand the test of time. She was a remarkable talent, who’s presence, whether she realized it or not, inspired millions. Her singular impact is a reminder that it truly only takes one person standing in their authenticity to make a difference. Smith leaves behind the treasure of her life’s work, for where we can always find a part of her.
COM2713, Writing for Communication Professions
with Dr. Tina Gates, Fall 2024