LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel "Anne of Green Gables"? 5. AD SLOGANS: Which product is advertised as "the quicker picker-upper"? January 27, 2020 King Features Weekly Service

THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT UPDATES

By Sarah Mandile Alligator Staff Writer

Almost a year after she was reported missing, Jasmine Robinson’s disappearance remains a mystery for authorities.

Robinson was 23 years old and about 6 or 7 months pregnant when she disappeared from her Archer home. She was last seen by family members Feb. 16, 2019, but her family reported her missing to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Offi ce Feb. 18, after spending two days searching for her on their own, said Art Forgey, a spokesperson for ACSO.

While the sheriff’s offi ce continues to investigate her case, Forgey said no signifi - cant updates have been made as of now.

The last day Robinson was reportedly seen, she returned home from work and told her aunt she was headed for bed around 8 p.m. The next morning, she was nowhere to be found. She left behind her toothbrush, money and clothing.

ACSO’s investigation of the case included multiple searches around Alachua County and surrounding counties, Forgey said. The department has also posted several notices on its website, and the community has been “fl ooded with fl iers,” asking for any information about Robinson’s disappearance.

The sheriff’s offi ce, in partnership with the Florida Sheriff’s Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program and Crime Stoppers, has offered $8,000 in exchange for information regarding the case Robinson

since April 2019.

There are currently more than 25 cold cases listed on ACSO’s website. The list includes both unsolved murder cases and missing persons.

One of the unsolved missing persons cases listed involves Tiffany Sessions, a 20-year-old UF student who disappeared while on an evening run on campus Feb. 9, 1989.

Investigators suspect a man named Paul Rowles was involved with Sessions’ disapperance but could not continue with a trial because Rowles died while serving time in prison for the fi rst-degree murder of 21-year-old Santa Fe College student Elizabeth Foster.

Forgey said that because the investigation into Robinson’s disappearance is still on-going, he is unable to reveal any potential leads or suspects to the public.

Any information about Jasmine Robinson and her whereabouts can be shared with Crime Stoppers at 352-372-7867.

@sarahmandile smandile@alligator.org

Some current cases of missing people in Alachua County

Heather Maccrossen, last seen at 26 years old on Aug. 17, 2007

Danny Randall Jackson, last seen at 12 years old on Aug. 24, 1989

Delores Stanton, last seen at 21 years old on April 13, 1976

Gator party offi cial off ers fraternity incentive for voting in SG elections

IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT THE INCENTIVE IS

By Hope Dean Enterprise Editor

Today is one of the days UF students can vote for which Student Government party they want to be in power, but something could be getting in the way of a fair election. Damon Veras, Gator Party’s campaign coordinator according to his LinkedIn, posted in the Hispanic Student Association GroupMe chat Monday that Tau Kappa Epsilon members would receive an incentive for voting in SG elections.

The entire message is as follows: “Regarding SG elections tomorrow, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for our chapter to not reach our goal of getting all of our votes in by noon tomorrow. @Tyler Lucas is literally offering rides to the polls tomorrow morning, and you’ll have brothers with cars. Please be there for each other. Keep in mind the nice incentive spoke about at chapter that we can all enjoy. Check DTL for a refresher to your memory. Text me or Tyler if you have confl icts; check your schedules/calendars for tomorrow now to make sure you can have your vote in and everything in to Jack by noon tomorrow. Long Live TKE.”

He then texted that the message was accidentally sent to the wrong chat.

The message did not mention what the incentive is.

A reporter called Veras, but after he picked up the line went dead and he did not respond to any other messages or calls.

The Alligator also reached out to Gator Party campaign managers Trey Banco and Katie Hernandez, who both said they were too busy to speak. Gator presidential candidate Trevor Pope and Gator treasurer Jessica Jesurajan did not respond to texts or calls.

Gator Vice Presidential candidate Lauredan Offi cial said that he didn’t know about the message because he tries to stay out of these situations. “The only incentive I can think of is to get the best representatives,” he said.

He then declined to answer further questions for the sake of his mental health, he said.

TKE President Tyler Lucas and other members of the fraternity did not answer requests for comment either.

In a previous message in the Hispanic Student Association chat, Veras reminded members that they can get a free drink from the new Starbucks in Norman Hall upon voting, as per an SG promotion.

“Here’s a little incentive to feed your caffeine addictions! If you’re anything like me, voting just got

way easier,” he wrote.

Incentives are not new in SG elections. In 2017, UF’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta received backlash for not allowing its sisters to eat chicken parmesan until they submitted the voting sticker that students receive at the polls after they cast their ballot.

“NO STICKER = NO PARM. If you can get your (a**) to theta for some parm, you can vote at norman and bring your sticker too,” a sister wrote in a leaked group chat post.

In 2010, a leaked audio recording showed the now-defunct Unite Party members talking about campaign tactics, such as bribing Greek life members with alcohol and withholding food until they voted.

Inspire Party President Kristen Jackson, a 21-year-old civil engineering senior, said she saw Veras’ message almost immediately because she has friends in the chat.

Part of the message told TKE members to turn something in to a brother by noon, which Jackson believes is the voting sticker. She’s heard rumors of this happening in fraternities and sororities, and believes that Veras was “saying the quiet part out loud.”

“There’s a difference between advocating for people to vote and actively keeping track of people who are voting,” Jackson said. “It’s your right to decide who you want to vote for, how do you want to vote, when you want to vote. And by collecting stickers, you are not allowed to have that right.”

Chasity Maynard contributed to this report.

@hope_m_dean hdean@alligator.org

every 10 years to update the Student Body Constitution. They proposed 24 revisions.

The ballot grouped all of the changes under one amendment at the top of the ballot. Students had the ability to select “yes,” “no,” or “abstain” to all of them. There was not an option to vote on the amendments individually. The option to not vote was automatically selected when ballot screens opened.

Under the revisions, if more than 50 percent of students vote “yes” for an amendment, it will pass. The constitution currently requires approval from 60 percent of all people who cast their ballot, regardless of whether they voted or abstained from the amendment.

In 2016, the UF Supreme Court rolled back an amendment allowing online remote voting because of this rule. Elections revision commission member William Zelin said he suggested revising this section because he doesn’t think it represents the intention of the original writers.

“This specifi c section for requirement for ratifi cation was written extremely poorly,” he said.

The number of signatures needed to put an amendment on the ballot will be cut in SG, from pg. 1 6,503 students voted On the ballot students voted on 24 amendments to the SG constitution. Here are some key changes being voted on: • Remove any reference to the Student Honor Code. • Remove any reference to the Student Honor Court. Siler said it doesn’t exist anymore. • Add language clarifying that offcampus areas fall under the Fall class of senators. • Amend the anti-discrimination section to follow the university’s NonDiscrimination Policy. half, from 10 percent of the electorate to about 5 percent, if the amendment passes. UF’s current enrollment is about 50,000 students. That drops the number of signatures needed from about 5,000 to about 2,500, Zelin said.

The commission added a 3-week deadline for the Senate to hear executive agency appointments to make them timely, Grosse said. If the deadline isn’t met, the appointments are automatically confi rmed. It is unclear what happens to the timeline if the Senate rejects them.

The proposed revised constitution is available here.

“All of the changes in the amendment proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission are impactful to students,” Grosse wrote in an email.

What to bring to in order to vote:

Your Gator 1 ID card OR a photo ID with your UF ID number

Where to vote on campus:

• Southwest Recreation Center – Social Lounge • Springs Complex – Area Offi ce C2022 • Reitz Union – Computer Lab • Norman – Education Library Computer Lab • Murphree Area Conference Room • Marston Science Library • Levin College of Law – Burton Geer Hall Student Commons • Jennings Hall – Library • Health Science Center – BITS Library Computer Lab • Heavener Hall – Room 202 • Broward Hall – Broward Recreation Room

HIS EX-WIFE STILL LIVES IN THE HOUSE

By Samia Lagmis Staff Writer

An investigation is underway after jars of preserved human tongues were found below a house previously owned by a former UF researcher and faculty member.

On Monday, large plastic jars containing human tongues were found in the crawlspace of the home off Northwest 16th Avenue, said Gainesville Police spokesperson Jorge Campos. A home repair inspector discovered the jars and called GPD after opening one and fi nding the remains.

Ronald Adrian Baughman, the former owner of the house, worked at UF as a faculty member within the College of Dentistry and as a researcher who published studies in the 1970s and ’80s, said UF spokesperson Steve Orlando.

The Alligator tried calling several phone numbers associated with Baughman’s name but was unable to get in touch with him as of Tuesday evening. A reporter was also unable to get in touch with his ex-wife.

Orlando said Baughman retired in 2002 and has not worked with the university since then.

“All indications so far is that the specimen didn’t have anything to do with the university,” Campos said.

Baughman’s ex-wife, who currently lives in the home, told police the tongues were part of her former husband’s pathology research, Campos said. She said she knew the jars of tongues existed but forgot they were under the house.

Campos said one jar was dated from the 1960s written on it, as well as the word “Virginia.” Baughman’s ex-wife told police the specimen came from the University of Virginia. Campos said multiple tongues were found in the jars, but he could not specify how many.

The jars have been handed over to the medical examiner and are currently under investigation, Campos said.

Baughman’s dental license expired on Feb. 28, 2008, and he does not have a current practice location in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health. No public complaints, disciplinary or emergency actions were found.

@SLagmis slagmis@alligator.org

Students, faculty and alumni lobby in the state capital

REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS UF COLLEGES WERE IN ATTENDANCE

By Hannah Phillips Alligator Staff Writer

Orange and blue balloons, streamers and banners draped the walls of the Florida State Capitol. UF mascots Albert and Alberta posed for photos with legislators and passersby alike.

Hundreds of UF faculty, students and alumni fl ooded the halls of the capitol building in Tallahassee to display their research and academic achievements. Representatives from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Colleges of Engineering, Nursing, Liberal Arts and Sciences and countless others were in attendance.

They gathered on Tuesday for Gator Day, the one day each year when volunteers travel to show their support for the university — and ask that the state show it back.

Members of the UF Board of Trustees met with state legislators behind closed doors. They lobbied state representatives for a recurring investment of $50 million and in turn asked: “What can we do for you?”

In exchange for their continued fi nancial support of the university, legislators asked the to university help promote legislative internships, UF’s Director of Government Relations Samantha Sexton said.

“How can we help you help us?” asked Leonard H. Johnson, a member of the UF Board of Trustees. “It’s a

very obvious answer. We open the pipeline to get students working in internships, and they continue to support us.” The board met with about 10 representatives who Sexton said are UF alumni, university stakeholders or state infl uencers. These include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, representatives Chuck Clemons, MaryLynn Magar, Dane Eagle, Chris Sprowls and Ray Rodrigues as well as senators Bill Galvano and Rob Bradley.

Many belong to the Gator Caucus, a group of legislative advocates for UF. These are the representatives who will advocate on behalf of the university to the rest of the House and Senate, Sexton said.

“They’ve been very supportive,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “The budgets are always tight, so they have to make tough choices. But I think the response has been positive.”

If granted, the $50 million request will help UF achieve its goal of becoming a top-fi ve ranked public university, Fuchs said. The funds will be used to hire more faculty, provide pay raises for existing employees and reduce the student-professor ratio to 16:1.

Outside of the meetings in a busy capitol hall, UF astronomy’s department chair Elizabeth Lada stood before a model telescope. She told visitors about the star formation and research on the universe’s expansion that’s underway in her department.

Her blue galaxy earrings shook when she spoke. “Science today is expensive,” she said. “We’re really grateful to the university and the state for what they’ve provided us, but there’s always more that can be done.”

@haphillips96 hphillips@alligator.org

Hannah Phillips // Alligator Staff Adam Lizek, a 20-year-old UF computer science junior, uses virtual reality as part of the College of Engineering’s Gator Day display. The college is researching virtual reality applications in education to create smart classrooms, Lizek said.