Spring is a time of change. In change, there is an opportunity for growth. But this is not easy. In the great state of Florida and here in The City Beautiful, things are in a constant state of flux. In spite of this, or because of this, I can think of no better slogan for our Spring 2024 issue than UCF’s own mantra, “Go Knights, Charge On!”

This issue features articles that capture and analyze things changing all around us, both figuratively and literally. Kristina Krasulia observes the physical changes occurring in Celebration, Florida in the form of residential villages being constructed in response to its booming population. Utilizing a New Urbanism framework, Krasulia conducts a spatial analysis of the city, celebrating Celebration’s unique layout while highlighting the ways it adapts to change as new residents populate the area. Taylor McNiff conducts a genre analysis of Dungeons and Dragons Character sheets, arguing that while character sheets may not look like a typical writing genre, they qualify, highlighting the ways they invite players to creatively express themselves, generate social awareness, and reflect on personal growth. This piece highlights how students are expanding on what counts as rhetorical composing.

Diamond R. Williams traces the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements, highlighting the ways that the Blue Lives Matter slogan can be read as an attempt to co-opt identity politics in spite of the fact that a police officer is not actually an identity. And, finally, Ian Beltran conducts a textual analysis of House Bill No. 1557, arguing that the bill attempts to block productive discourses revolving around queer identity, causing widespread suffering for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. He closes his article with a wealth of statistics highlighting the diverse growth that Orlando has experienced in terms of demographics and population, questioning why, in the face of so much change, a bill like this would emerge.

This semester, the Convergence/Rhetoric team experienced a big change ourselves, as our dear friend and former lead editor, Dr. Brandy Dieterle, stepped away from her position at UCF. I want to express gratitude to Dr. Dieterle for all of her good, hard work here at UCF. We will miss her. But change occurs. As Knights, we Go, and we Charge On! Many thanks to the folks who have helped me step into the new position of Lead Editor, most notably Professors Heather Valquez and Adele Richardson and Dr. Mike Shier. Have a great summer!

GKCO,
Joel Bergholtz