www.alligator.org
We Inform. You Decide.
VOLUME 113 ISSUE 68
FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
LIVING IN GAINESVILLE: HOMELESS (PART 1 OF 4)
From tents to shelters, homeless hope for a home MORE THAN 600 HOMELESS PEOPLE WERE IN ALACHUA COUNTY LAST YEAR By Karina Elwood Alligator Staff Writer
Chris Day / Alligator Staff
In Dignity Village, just outside the main gate of GRACE Marketplace, Mark Venzke, 62, describes his plans to renovate his motorhome so he can move out of the 6-foot tent where he currently sleeps.
Editor’s note: In order to protect sources who are victims of domestic violence, The Alligator has changed the name of one of the sources to “Ellen Miller.” This is not her real name. This story is part one of a four-part series on housing in Gainesville. Ellen Miller’s hot pink fingernails peeked out of her fists as she folded her hands together and searched for the words to describe her situation. “I didn’t feel human,” Miller said. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “It could be you.” Some students in Gainesville live in luxury apartments near UF where a one-bedroom apartment commonly costs $1,700 a month. Blocks away, people
like Miller are searching for help with homelessness. Across town in St. Francis House homeless shelter, Savannah Dickson watched her 11-month-old daughter crawl from toy to toy on the dirty floor, reflecting on some of her life choices. “I’m not surprised that I’ve had hardships,” Dickson said. “I never thought I’d be in a homeless shelter with a baby. But hardships? Yeah.” Dickson, 30, is one of 35 people every night who seeks shelter at one of two homeless shelters in Gainesville. In 2018, there were 641 documented homeless people in streets and shelters in Alachua County, a number that has been decreasing, according to the North Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry. On the other side of town in a makeshift city of tents, Mark Venzke sat shirtless in his wheelchair hanging pants on a clothesline outside of his 1980s Chevy motorhome.
SEE HOMELESSNESS, PAGE 8
Pop singer Noah Cyrus to Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary perform at UF this month is the next Accent speaker By Kelly Hayes Alligator Staff Writer
Miley Cyrus’ younger sister, Noah Cyrus, has been chosen as the artist for this year’s Big Orange Festival. The singer will perform March 22 on the Reitz Union North Lawn for the event, which is free for students, said Janzen Rich, vice president of external affairs for the Reitz Programming Board. The event is funded by student activity fees. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and Cyrus is expected to perform an hour-long set at about 8:30 p.m. Ocean Park Standoff will be opening for Cyrus, and the event will also include rides and art installations. This will be the first time the event is held outside to encompass the feel of a music festival, Rich said. Although the event usually also hosts a comedian, new costs from holding it outside, like stage setup,
Gators clash with No. 7 Mississippi State
Freshman Kendrick Calilao and the UF baseball team host MSU with Game 1 starting Friday at 6:30 p.m., pg. 14
meant cutting part of the program. “It’s been really exciting for us to kind of jump into this new kind of challenge,” he said. Megan Pitt, a 21-yearold UF economics and Cyrus political science junior, heard about the event through friends interested in it on Facebook, she said. She wants to see Noah Cyrus not because she listens to a lot of her music but because of her recent relevance in pop culture, she said. “Her relevance is interesting, especially with the Jonas Brothers making a comeback, now it’s all these names coming up in pop culture,” she said. @kellyrhayes khayes@alligator.org
HE IS BEING PAID $95,000 TO SPEAK By Hannah Beatty Alligator Staff Writer
A shark is coming to the Swamp in two weeks. Kevin O’Leary from ABC’s Shark Tank will be the next speaker in the Accent Speakers Bureau series at 8 p.m. March 25 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, said Gregory Wolf, chairman of Accent. He will be paid $95,000 for the talk, according to a contract between O’Leary’s talent agency, Greater Talent Network, LLC and Accent. O’Leary will deliver a keynote presentation for about 50 minutes and then answer questions from the audience for 15 minutes. Wolf said his team did not pick the lecture topic but gave O’Leary general topics to cover including his experiences on Shark Tank
What was that Wendy’s protest?
About 300 protested the fast-food chain Thursday to remove the restaurant from campus, pg. 10
A little bat in a library
Library West had an unexpected vistor this past week, pg. 9
and how to be smart with money as a college student. Wolf said 1,800 tickets will be available March 21 and March 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and March 25 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the third-floor Student O’Leary Government suite in the Reitz Union. The tickets are free with a valid Gator 1 Card. Unclaimed tickets will be made available to the public for pickup at the Phillips Center, Wolf said. O’Leary’s talk isn’t just for business students, Wolf said. “The concepts of Shark Tank aren’t just for people who are financially thinking. There’s an entertainment factor,” he said.
FOLLOW US ONLINE FOR UPDATES @FloridaAlligator @TheAlligator_ @TheAlligator
@hannahbeatty_ hbeatty@alligator.org