July 25, 2019

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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 104

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

RTS bus schedules change for Fall 2019 THERE MAY BE A NEW ROUTE FROM HAILE PLANTATION TO THE UF CAMPUS

By Tori Whidden Staff Writer

Sam Thomas / Alligator Staff

People board and exit an Regional Transit System bus Wednesday afternoon by The Hub on UF’s campus. The RTS Advisory Board annouced a new route on Wednesday that may run from Haile Plantation through campus.

The Regional Transit System Advisory Board announced 22 route changes and a new route 150 for fall 2019 at a public meeting Wednesday night.

The new route would go from Haile Plantation to UF campus — with one stop in Haile Plantation at the Publix on Tower Road — and would stop twice on campus.

The campus stops would be at the Hub and UF Health at Southwest Archer Road, Krys Ochia, the transit planning manager for RTS, said.

The board presented the service change as a way to enhance the bus service effectiveness and efficiency. The goal is to improve network and system operation, as

well as respond to customer concerns and address driver issues.

The RTS services will be implemented Aug. 19, the day before Fall classes start for both UF and Santa Fe, Jesus Gomez, the RTS transit director, said.

The RTS bus routes are changed by the advisory board three times a year following the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. The City Commission will review the changes Aug. 15, Gomez said.

In addition to routes, the advisory board also discussed customer service.

Patti Wiggs, the transit customer advocate, said the majority of the customer service complaints include drivers passing riders at stops and rude drivers.

She presented to the board the customer service summary from May and June. In May, RTS had 76 customer complaints and found 39 valid. In June, RTS had 70 customer complaints and found 48

SEE BUS MEETING, PAGE 3

SG Senate votes to approve 3-percent budget increase THE 2020-21 BUDGET IS $22,087,482

By Charlie Daffron Staff Writer

The Student Senate began the process of deciding how student fees for the 2020-21 school year will be spent.

The Senate did a first reading of the Funding for Fiscal Year 2020-21 Activity Service Fee Budget Tuesday night. The 2020-21 budget is $22,087,482, which is about a 3 percent increase from the 2019-20 budget.

During his presentation of the budget, Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Cooper Brown said the increase came from an

EVALUATING UF’S DEFENSIVE LINE Redshirt junior pass rusher Jabari Zuniga headlines the Gators’ defensive line, pg 11

influx of credit hours, meaning the student activity fee didn’t have to be raised to allocate the extra money.

Brown said it’s common for the next year’s budget to be voted on this early. He said there is usually an amendment process in May, before the fiscal year begins July 1.

“I am very excited that the budget passed with almost a unanimous vote during its first reading,” Brown said. “It’s great to see that this had bipartisan support, and I am elated to see how it will positively impact students in 2020-21.”

During the pro-con debate on the budget, many senators praised it and the work the committee put into it.

Others pointed out even though it had increased, there weren’t allocations for things

discussed by the Senate in the past, like adding more emergency blue lights to Fraternity Drive and setting up livestreams for all meetings.

The Senate Livestreaming Act was passed in January 2018, and it mandated the Information and Communications Committee would livestream all Senate meetings. However, a centralized livestream still hasn’t been set up, with the only livestreams coming from individual senators.

Deputy Minority Party Leader Nikolas Bindi said he sees both the positive and negative aspects of the budget.

“It’s a good budget when it comes to the things it has,” Bindi said. “But a lot of the stuff that’s missing is what detracts from it.”

The budget passed its first reading and will receive a second reading at the next Senate

Florida panther population revitalized

With the help of UF and some Texas pumas, Florida’s state animal has battled back from the brink of extinction, pg 3

UF employee charged with false imprisonment Brian Fischbach, 37, has worked at UF since May 2015, pg 5

meeting.

Open Senate and Committee seats were also a topic of controversy at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Replacement and Agenda Committee submitted recommendations to fill in open seats, including eight students for permanent Senate seats, one for an open District D summer replacement seat and five recommended for vacant Judiciary Committee seats.

There was also a nomination for a vacant Information and Communication Committee seat.

However, the recommendation that garnered the most discussion was Sydney Spence’s for the open District D summer replace-

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SEE SG MEETING, PAGE 3

2 ALLIGATOR THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

Today’s Weather

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 104

ISSN 0889-2423

Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications Inc., of Gainesville, Florida

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Local Events / News in Brief Florida Museum hosts free Creative B movie The Florida Museum is hosting a screening of “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” released in 2014 and rated PG, Friday at 7 p.m.

Visitors can discuss the film with a panel of scientists, artists and special effects experts prior to the movie and explore the balance between science and art. The museum's permanent exhibits, except the “Butterfly Rainforest” and “Discovery Zone,” will be open until 10 p.m.

Corrections: In an article entitled "UF researcher awarded $2.5 million federal grant" that ran in Thursday's edition, the grant total was $1.9 million. The full name of the center to which it was awarded is the Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy. Dr. Duane Mitchell’s full title is a UF professor of neurosurgery and co-director of the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy.

In an article entitled "Disease

Have an event planned?

Add it to the alligator’s online calendar:

alligator.org/calendar that kills palm trees spreads to Alachua County" that ran in Tuesday's paper, there are 7.2 million trees in Gainesville and 43,000 are Sabal palms.

In an article titled "Alachua County therapy ban meets resistance" that ran in Tuesday's edition, The Alligator cited a study conducted by a task force convened by the American Psychological Association.

The task force was convened in 2007, but the report was published in 2009.

FRIDAY 26TH POWER NIGHT (7PM) SATURDAY 27TH YOUTH CONFERENCE (10AM) FAMILY FUN NIGHT (6PM-9PM) SUNDAY 29TH THANKSGIVING & IMPARTATION (9AM)

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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 ALLIGATOR 3

Introduction of pumas helps Florida panther population RESEARCHERS FOUND IMPROVING THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PANTHERS WILL INCREASE SURVIVAL

By Meleah Lyden Staff Writer

Faced with threats from heart defects to habitat loss, Florida panthers have struggled to live throughout the years.

But recent research may give these endangered animals another chance.

Researchers from UF’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted a study to find solutions for endangered panthers.

The study found improving the panthers’ genetic diversity by breeding with Texas pumas helped them not only survive, but thrive, said UF wildlife ecology and conservation professor Madan Oli. The study is a synthesis of 30 years of work.

This is just one of the projects UF has done with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said its communications director Kelly Richmond.

“We collaborate with UF on a variety of different projects,” she said. “It’s a good partnership.”

The problem with Florida panthers stems back to before the mid-1990s when the population was very small — around 20 to 30 panthers in South Florida, Oli said. In addition, the panthers had health problems like heart issues and more.

Wildlife managers decided they needed to do something to recover the population.

They conducted an experiment in which they brought eight pumas from Texas to Florida. Five of these pumas ended up breeding with the panthers to produce hybrid offspring that created more genetic diversity, which is how varied a gene pool is. In addition, the number eight seemed like a good number for this research, Oli said.

“Why not more? Why not less?” he said.

“If you bring in too many individuals from Texas, then what could happen is that Texas genes could potentially dominate Florida panther genes.”

And if one or two Texas pumas were brought in and they happened to die, then the experiment couldn’t happen, he said.

The results showed an increase in the Florida panther population size from 20 to 30 in 1995 to 120 to 230 today, he said. This was from creating more genetic diversity by not inbreeding.

It was found those with mixed ancestry fared better in terms of survival and reproductive success, because more genetically diverse animals tend to be healthier.

“And because they are healthier, they survive better and reach a reproductive age,” he said.

The reproductive age for females is about 2.5 to 3 years, but for males it is 3.5 to 4.

To Oli, these results give hope.

“The significance [of this research] is that there’s hope for endangered species,” he said.

Research also looked for any indication of inbreeding returning to the population and

LifeSouth in need of donors due to low blood supply AN EMERGENCY NEED FOR ALL BLOOD TYPES HAS BEEN ISSUED

By Rosmery Izaguirre Staff Writer

Kaelin MaGrath, a 21-year-old UF health science senior, said she has donated blood on campus once a year for the past three years.

“The experience has been great,” MaGrath said. “The employees showed their appreciation and gratitude for donating. They also made sure that I was in good shape before I left.”

Gainesville is now facing a blood shortage and MaGrath’s contributions are needed more than ever.

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers has issued an emergency need for all blood types. The blood bank has received orders for every blood type, except Type AB, that it cannot supply, said LifeSouth Community Development Coordinator Laura Bialeck.

“You don’t normally see that we’re back-ordered O-positive blood, which is one of the most common blood types, but we are,” Bialeck said.

LifeSouth has back-ordered 38 units of red-blood cells from UF Health Shands, Bialeck said.

Before donating, every person gets a “mini physical” to check blood pressure, temperature, iron levels and cholesterol, and they receive a free LifeSouth T-shirt afterward.

Bialeck said common misconceptions often heard from students on campus are that they cannot donate because they have a tattoo or they have to wait for a 12-month period after getting a tattoo before donating.

“A lot of people think that they can’t donate blood when they actually can,” Bialeck said. “I would encourage people, just because they think they can’t donate, to definitely stop at the bloodmobile or ask one of us, because they may be able to.” @rgizaguirre rizaguirre@alligator.org

Courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

An endangered Florida panther walks in Hendry County. The Florida panther population has risen from 20 to 30 in the 1990s to 120 to 230 today. found the best solution might be bringing five females every 20 years. However, this is not a proven fact, Oli said.

“It’s not like we’re suggesting this be done,” he said. “What we are suggesting is to keep an eye on the population.”

However, conserving the panthers’ habitat is the key to helping this endangered species, he said. Without a good habitat, diversifying the genetics of this species won’t work. Florida panthers live in a mixture of all different environments — from forests to wetlands to swamps. They use all the available resources of their respective environments.

To help conserve the panthers’ habitat, Oli discourages deforestation. In addition, Oli encourages people to be more welcoming to

BUS MEETING, from pg. 1 valid.

“Around 50 percent of the complaints are usually valid,” Wiggs said.

The board said it hopes adjusting the routes will minimize complaints in the following semesters.

Richard Nelson, a learning specialist at the UF Disability Resource Center, spoke on behalf of the population needing the Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations on the bus.

“The majority of the drivers in my routes the last few months have been pleasant,” Nelson said, “but I would recommend some sensitivity training, because those of us who are chair users are still valid customers.”

The board also opened the floor for public com-

panthers and disproves any misconceptions the public may have of the violence of the animals.

“One misconception we hear quite frequently is that by bringing in excess genes, we have created a monster,” he said. “That’s a myth and there’s absolutely no science to back it up.”

Even though work still needs to be done in the future to help these animals, the research still gives hope and showed progress.

“The experiment worked,” Oli said. “And we know that because now the panthers are healthier, happier, and the population increased.” @MeleahLyden mlyden@alligator.org

ments.

Kenneth Levinson, a frequent bus rider, complained many announcements on the bus appear to belong to a different bus route.

“I’ll be on University for quite some time and then I’ll hear an announcement that we are turning on West University,” Levinson said.

The board said they will look into it.

Levinson also complained about buses with large advertisments making it difficult to see outside.

“I know you’re not going to do anything about this, but it’s virtually impossible to see outside of the lawyer bus at night,” Levinson said. @tori_whidden twhidden@alligator.org

SG MEETING, from pg. 1 ment seat.

During public debate, Colin Solomon, a 19-year-old UF criminology sophomore, spoke to the Senate about his frustrations regarding that seat.

Solomon was set to be a District D summer replacement senator, but all of the summer replacements were nullified in May by Senate President Libby Shaw, so Solomon lost his seat.

Since then, Solomon has been applying to open Senate seats. Most recently, he applied to the seat Spence

was chosen to fill.

“This was my seventh application and third interview,” Solomon said.

Solomon said he hopes Spence does well in the position, and he plans to keep applying for vacant seats.

All of the Replacement and Agenda Committee’s recommendations were set to be voted on in a block, meaning all 15 recommendations would be voted on at once.

Before the block was voted on, Bindi moved the block be broken up so each nomination could be heard and voted on individually. A major-

ity of senators present voted against his motion.

“I stand firmly in the stance that it should not be allowed because it’s not a specific right that’s given to us, and it discourages debate on certain applicants,” Bindi said.

Once the block was voted on, it was passed by a majority of the senators present and all of the Replacement and Agenda recommendations were approved. @charlie_daffron cdaffron@alligator.org

4 ALLIGATOR THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

UF to blaze trail in the field of medicinal marijuana THE UNIVERSITY WILL RECEIVE $1.5 MILLION PER YEAR FROM THE STATE FOR RESEARCH

By Charlie Daffron Staff Writer

Earlier this year, colleges all over Florida applied to receive funding to lead a new Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. UF came out on top.

The university announced last month it was selected by the State University System of Florida Board of Governors to take the lead on the project, which will bring other universities and researchers across the state together to explore potential impacts of medical marijuana on public health, said Dr. Robert Cook, a UF professor of epidemiology.

UF will receive $1.5 million per year to fund the research project, Cook said.

The project is still in the early stages of planning, he said. Pending approval from the consortium’s board, Dr. Almut Winter-

stein, a professor and chair of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the UF College of Pharmacy, will be the consortium’s director.

Cook will be the director of the clinical research core within the consortium.

The goal of the consortium will be to explore the effects of medical marijuana products currently dispensed by the state. It will also examine possible harmful effects of medical marijuana to make sure it doesn’t pose a risk to the public, Cook said.

The consortium will compile a database of research relating to medical marijuana from different institutions across the state, he said.

“The consortium doesn’t fund a specific research project,” Cook said. “Its purpose is to provide a research infrastructure that can help us identify and answer the critical questions related to medical marijuana.”

About $600,000 from funding will be used

by UF to provide grants to other state institutions doing similar research and encourage collaboration, Cook said.

UF already has a variety of research pro-

grams related to cannabis, including the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Industrial Hemp Pilot Project and a study on cannabis receptors taking place in the College of Pharmacy.

Since it is still in the early stages of development, Cook said he isn’t sure how UF students will be able to get involved in the consortium’s research efforts. Cook said students may be involved with monthly meetings of people interested in marijuana research or with the creation of an internship program. However, such involvement will be at least a year down the road.

“I hope we can come up with some ways to support student involvement,” Cook said.

“We are certainly open to ideas on how to engage students.”

Christelle Lteif, a 28-year-old UF pharmaceutical sciences graduate student, said she thinks the consortium is a good thing for UF because it will help expand the research the university is already doing.

“As a pharmacist, I think it’s good to know the benefits and clinical outcomes of

UF will lead a consortium dedicated to medical marijuana research. What to know: • The consortium will be statefunded.

• UF will be awarded $1.5 million per year for research efforts.

• Around $600,000 of the $1.5 million will be used to establish a grant program for other institutions conducting similar research.

• Pending approval by the consortium’s board, UF faculty members Dr. Almut Winterstein and Dr. Robert Cook will lead the research efforts. something,” Lteif said. “So if we can do more research on [medical marijuana] to know if it’s useful or not, that’s a good thing.” @charlie_daffron cdaffron@alligator.org

Researcher studies how Syrian children respond to trauma ALMOST 400 REFUGEE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN A STRESS INTERVENTION STUDY

By Alexa Spicer Contributing Writer

A UF researcher spent a year studying Syrian refugee children and their ability to handle stress.

The study, published in PLOS ONE, revealed both factors of genetics and environment play a significant role in how children process and respond to trauma.

Almost 400 Syrian refugee children, who fled to Jordan, participated in an eight-week stress intervention study run by the Mercy Corps, a nonprofit organization focusing on humanitarian issues.

Connie J. Mulligan, an anthropology professor and Genetics Institute

affiliate at UF, said the kids (between the ages of 12 and 18) met twice a week to do arts and crafts, learn computer skills or do a variety of other activities.

Mulligan and five other researchers examined a gene called monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) to determine how genetics may have impacted the amount of stress the children displayed. Decades of previous research studies show if children have the risk allele of MAOA and experienced a form of abuse, they were at an increased risk for developing aggressive or antisocial behavior.

Mulligan said one of her anthropology graduate students, Christopher Clukay, analyzed the results and found the Syrian children who participated in stress intervention and had the risk allele showed reduced stress over time.

The study also looked at the im-

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pact of the environment on the children’s personality traits — specifically resilience — when faced with traumatic situations.

Clukay looked for a relationship between resilience and six psychosocial and mental health measurements developed in Middle Eastern areas, Mulligan said. Some measurements included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Validation of the Arab Youth Mental Health Scale.

“People think of resilience as something that is just about me,” Mulligan said. “You know, am I resilient or not? But actually, resilience is about me, the support I get from my family, the support I get from my community, so it’s a much bigger picture of resilience.”

Catherine Panter-Brick, an anthropology professor at Yale University and principal investigator on the study, adapted an existing question-

Catholic

naire on resilience and studied how support from the family and community affected the resilience shown by the child. If children had both the MAOA risk allele and high levels of resilience, then they showed the most promising stress reduction of anyone in the study.

Panter-Brick said there is a great deal of concern regarding the mental health and social development of the children and adolescents affected by the war. She said the study shows the positive impact of the intervention and helped establish relationships between researchers at Yale, Florida and Jordan.

“The most remarkable aspect of the study was their eagerness to be put on the map of the world by participating in a scientific study,” PanterBrick said. “They were very excited by science.”

Mulligan said the data was collect-

Methodist

ed at three different times along the course of the year-long study: before the stress intervention began, at 12 weeks after the intervention was over and after a year. Significant effects were noticed at the 12-week mark.

Although the results show that nature and nurture are both at work, Mulligan said it would be better to focus on the environment rather than more complicated solutions such as gene therapy. Programs similar to the stress intervention would focus on building up resilience in at-risk children.

Mulligan said she is confident she will receive future grants so she can continue her study into Syrian refugees and genetics.

“Most people don’t have the collaboration like ours, where we have people studying both the genetics and the psychosocial environment,” Mulligan said.

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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 ALLIGATOR 5

Mayor Poe and city commissioners give out reusable grocery bags on RTS routes THIS EFFORT WAS MEANT TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE UPCOMING PLASTIC BAN

By Ashley Lazarski Staff Writer

Gainesville residents saw some familiar faces on their morning commute Wednesday as Commissioner Harvey Ward, Commissioner Helen Warren and Mayor Lauren Poe passed out reusable grocery bags on multiple RTS routes. ,

The reason they did this was twofold, Gainesville spokesperson Chip Skinner said. First, they wanted to raise awareness for the upcoming plastic bag and Styrofoam ban, which will go into effect in January. Second, they wanted to open a dialog with citizens.

“We thought it would be a good idea to give citizens a chance to talk to [Gainesville’s government officials] and ask any questions that they have about the ban or anything else,” Skinner said. “It was very positively received.”

This effort is based on an idea

by Shelby Taylor, Gainesville’s director of communications. Taylor said it is necessary for officials to get out into the community, and she thought the bus system was an effective way for them to do so.

Starting at the Rosa Parks downtown bus station, Mayor Poe, Commissioner Warren and Commissioner Ward each rode on a different route from beginning to end, Taylor said.

“Each one of them probably interacted with anywhere between 30 and 50 residents and spoke with them as [they] handed out bags today,” Taylor said.

They have scheduled two additional routes in the coming weeks, which will feature Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos and Commissioner David Arreola, Taylor said.

“We are working hard to rethink waste in our community,” Taylor said, “and it is important to give citizens the opportunity to learn more about that effort and other ways the city and the county are working together to improve our environmental ethic.” @AshleyLazarski alazarski@alligator.org

January 17: The Gainesville City Commission voted unanimously to pass an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam containers in Gainesville to start on Aug. 1.

February 14: City Commission discussed creating an ordinance that would make plastic straws available by request only before banning the product completely.

March 28: The commission voted 5-2 to move the date to January.

April 2: The Alachua County Commission made a motion to create a single-use plastic and Styrofoam ban.

Jan. 1, 2020: Plastic ban goes into effect.

· CRIME ROUNDUP · Santa Fe student charged with UF employee charged with multiple burglaries, grand theft battery, false imprisonment

By Rachael Schirmer

@rschirmerr rschirmer@alligator.org

Staff Writer

HE TOLD POLICE HE WAS DRUNK AND HAD MONEY PROBLEMS A Gainesville resident used the Find my iPhone app to find his stolen phone and help Gainesville police officers make an arrest connected to three burglaries.

Two roommates were in their Southwest Sixth Street home at the time of one of the incidents Thursday morning. One of the residents woke up around 5 a.m. and noted the house was secured, as the other roommate slept on the couch, according to a GPD report.

When a friend came over to visit at 7:30 a.m., the front door was wide-open.

Both residents noted missing items including approximately $100 in cash, an iPhone and an Xbox One. An estimate of $1,000 in items were stolen, according to the report.

After using the Find my iPhone app, one roommate found his phone on the roof of a nearby home, next door to the house where 21-year-old Santa Fe student Christian Alva-

rez was charged Friday.

Alvarez pawned the Xbox One, according to the report. His ID and fingerprints were provided on the pawn shop form.

After investigating other items Alvarez pawned, Gainesville police identiAlvarez fied two other homes on Southwest Sixth Street that had been burglarized over the last week.

Under questioning, Alvarez admitted to burglarizing the home along with the two other houses. He told police he robbed the houses because he had been having money problems and was drunk at the time.

Alvarez was charged with multiple burglary, grand theft and dealing in stolen property charges. He was released on $130,000 bail Saturday.

He could not be reached for comment.

HE WORKED AT UF FOR OVER FOUR YEARS A UF employee was charged Monday

by Gainesville Police with battery and false imprisonment of his girlfriend for a July 13 incident.

Brian Joseph Fischbach, 37, got into an argument with his girlfriend at his house that evening, resulting in the woman saying she wanted to leave. Fischbach took her phone and car keys to prevent her from leaving or calling 911, according to a GPD report.

Fischbach then grabbed the woman and held her down on the bed. When the woman screamed for help, he covered her mouth and shoved her head into the mattress, according to the report. The woman told police the incident lasted for about three hours.

Fischbach

A warrant was issued for Fischbach’s arrest. He was charged with battery, false imprisonment and preventing communications with law enforcement. The two latter charges are both

felonies.

Fischbach is employed at UF as a data management analyst, according to UF spokesperson Steve Orlando. He has worked at UF since May 2015 at the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute at 2004 Mowry Road.

Fischbach posted a $45,000 bail on Monday and was released. He is still employed by UF as of publishing, Orlando said.

He could not be reached for comment.

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.alligator.org/opinions

T

Editorial

he last thing you want to do right now is go outside, but your dog needs a walk. You grab the leash, clip it to your furry friend’s collar and get ready for the heat and humidity to hit. It’s actually not too bad today, so you feel you might give your dog the walk she deserves. Two miles later, you return to your apartment feeling accomplished and worthy of calling yourself an above-average pet owner. As you get to the pathetic, small grass area around your apartment, you can’t believe your eyes. Someone “forgot” to pick up after their dog. The worse part: it kind of spells something out...

Darts & Laurels

Forever 21 has taken it upon itself not only to deliver the summer’s weirdest styles but also to supply diet bars to customers.

Some customers were given Atkins sample bars in their shipments. Atkins is a weight loss brand known for its low-carbohydrate foods. A dart goes to Forever 21 for thinking for even one second this was a smart idea. No one asked for these bars with their clothing order. Although on social media it seemed the bars were being sent with orders of plus-sized clothing, Forever 21 said the samples were sent with orders of all types of sizing. It is safe to say companies should keep quiet about customers’ diets.

In other food-where-it-shouldn’t-be news, a perfectly kept Inn-Out Burger was found on the street... in New York City. Did we mention In-n-Out is a predominantly West Coast food chain? The closest location to New York City is more than 1,500 miles away.

So, yes, it is bizarre to say the least how a pristine double-double burger ended up in the streets of Jamaica, Queens. We are giving a laurel to this bona fide miracle (or amazing publicity stunt).

A dart goes to the “Cats” trailer because after watching it, not only are we scared, we can’t look at cats or humans the same way. The movie is yet to come out, so there is still hope for the singing, dancing and general magnificence of director Tom Hooper to save us from this CGI creepiness. But after so many disappointing attempts at live-action remakes this past year (we’re looking at you, “Aladdin”), we should be conditioned for just about anything once the movie comes out around the holiday season.

“Blade Runner” actor Rutger Hauger has died at the age of 75. The Dutch cult actor died Friday after a short illness. Hauger appeared in “True Blood” and Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.” He founded an AIDS awareness organization called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association. A laurel goes out to his memory.

A design flaw in Facebook’s Messenger Kids app allowed thousands of chats with unauthorized users, according to the Verge. The whole point of the app is for children to talk to only users approved by their parents. But in a group chat, the protection can be avoided. Children can enter a group chat with unapproved users thanks to the design flaw. A dart goes to Facebook for this flaw because the app is designed for children under the age of 13. This comes the same time the Federal Trade Commission announced on Wednesday that Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, will be personally responsible for any future privacy cases.

Three attorneys commissioned by Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives found five impeachable offenses for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, according to Telemundo. This comes after 12 days of protest, one of the largest ever for the island. On Saturday, 900 pages of group chat messages between the governor and his close associates showed homophobic and misogynistic comments. We are giving a dart to the governor, as he and those in the group chat, but a laurel to the protesters in Puerto Rico for making their voices heard in a time of political mayhem.

Mark Stine EDITOR

Lindsey Breneman MANAGING EDITOR

Hannah Beatty MANAGING EDITOR

Jackie De Freitas OPINIONS EDITOR

Column

A citizenship question on the 2020 census will only hurt Florida

P

state of Florida, according to The Washington resident Donald Trump is scrambling to Post. This would inevitably lead to a deficit of reput a citizenship question the 2020 censources for the state. This would include lack of sus, despite the Supreme Court rejecting funding for Medicaid, which nearly four million Trump’s current rationale for adding the Floridians rely on. question.

There is also likely a political reason for addHowever, on July 11, Trump backed away ing this question to the census. A citizenship from adding the citizenship question to the cenquestion on the census could help Republicans sus and instead said the administration would obCassidy in elections by allowing them to draw electoral tain the information through an executive order Hopson maps based on citizen population, rather than for government agencies. opinions@alligator.org the total population, according to Reuters. This On the surface, it doesn’t seem like a citizenwould weaken the strength of blue states with ship question on the census would be controversial. However, adding this question would defy the purpose large immigrant populations, such as New York and California. More congressional power would then be transferred of the census as stated by the U.S. Constitution.

A once-per-decade census survey is mandated by the to Republican states with low immigrant populations in the Constitution to determine the number of congressional rep- center of the country.

While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with asking resentatives for each state and the amount of federal funding a state will receive. Undocumented immigrants, although not a citizenship question itself, this question doesn’t belong on citizens, still constitute part of the population currently living the census. There are already multiple government agencies in the U.S. Furthermore, many undocumented immigrants that collect this data like the Department of Homeland Secuattend public schools or rely on nutrition assistance pro- rity and the Social Security Administration. It is important for grams, both of which are funded by the federal government. the federal government to have a general idea of how many If the U.S. doesn’t count undocumented immigrants in the people are in the U.S. illegally. This allows them to see if 2020 census, states with high populations of non-citizens, the number of undocumented immigrants has increased or decreased over time. Plus, this data will help Congress desuch as Florida, will lose necessary funding.

Adding a citizenship question to the census will likely termine what immigration policies to put into place and how cause an undercount, according to a projection by think much funding these programs need. tank Urban Institute. If the question, “Is this person a citizen Cassidy Hopson is a UF journalism junior. Her column of the United States?” was added to the 2020 census there would be an undercount of roughly 601,803 Hispanics in the appears on Thursdays.

Column

How to catch a liar (part 3)

In public debate after the vote, we displayed the evidence against Wikan which included selections from our public records request as well as screenshots from Wikan’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter bios; all identified her as a “Former FL udrey Wikan was caught lying to the Legislature District 31 Secretary.”

Student Government Senate about a job Wikan responded, “I find it despicable that she never had. members of the Inspire Party would go to such We brought our allegations before the lengths to accuse me of providing misinformaSenate and attempted to rescind Wikan’s tion to the Senate body…. If a signed statement appointment to the budget and appropriations today did not prove that I served as district secrecommittee. tary, I don’t know what will.”

We got Senate President, Libby Shaw, to read Bold words for someone lying. selections from a public records request which After the meeting a couple things happened.

Zachariah confirmed Wikan never served as district secreI received an email from Sullivan in response Chou tary, was hired as a clerk and had applied with to an email I sent to her office earlier. opinions@alligator.org the “intention of interning” under the actual dis“What was specifically her job title?” I asked. trict secretary.

“She helped perform the duties of that of a Wikan also provided her own “evidence” in the form of District Secretary,” Sullivan responded. a letter from Florida House of Representatives member JenI filed another public records request to the state legislanifer Sullivan. Shaw began to read the letter from the top be- ture since I wanted to see how Wikan’s letter from Sullivan fore Wikan cut her off saying, “I think the second paragraph came to be. I was shocked to receive emails from Wikan is the most relevant.” communicating with the district legislative aide, pushing the We didn’t realize this until later, but the paragraph Wikan aide to make changes to the letter to support her falsehood. got Shaw to skip was the one that says “while serving as my “In addition — can we potentially say ‘ultimately movintern, she had the opportunity to work alongside others in ing into that position.’ after it states ‘While serving as my my office as she was getting trained in the District Secretary intern....’ My job application for the Florida Legislature states position.”

‘District Secretary.’ I want to ensure that the letter reflects Luckily, “later” was mere seconds after Shaw finished that,” Wikan wrote. reading because Minority Party Leader Ashley Grabowski The aide responded, “Unfortunately, I was not able to stood up and inquired if any part of the letter actually said make the changes prior to the Rep going into a meeting ... I Wikan had served as district secretary, causing Shaw to read apologize for the inconvenience.” the first part of the letter, ending with the quoted passage This explains why we ended up with a letter that did not above. support Wikan’s narrative.

The majority party still attempted to defend Wikan.

Weeks later, all references to previously serving as district “Based on just grammatical sentence structure; if you’re secretary of such disappeared from Wikan’s social media trained to fulfill a position then you, as an intern, she was bios. I sure wonder why. trained until she fulfilled the position. That’s just how seFinally, after accumulating enough absences, Wikan lost quential grammar works — mom was third grade teacher her Senate seat. She successfully appealed her resignation we learned that really well,” Allocations Chairwoman Katie and was reinstated but lost her budget seat in the process.

Hernandez incoherently blurted out.

She did not reapply.

Grabowski shot back: “I graduated with an English degree from the University of Florida; that’s not correct.”

Zachariah Chou is a UF political science junior. His Shaw quickly moved us into a vote that ended up with column appears on Thursdays.

Wikan keeping her seat on the budget committee.

A

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.

The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257.

Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

ART

FASHION

Michelle Nagri named Artisans’ The other side of thrifting: the Guild Artist of the Month vintage process explained

Michelle Nagri to The Alligator

Self-portrait of Nagri as photo number 365 for her daily editing project.

NAGRI IS ONE OF FEW NON-GUILD MEMBERS TO GET THIS HONOR

By Tranelle Maner Avenue Editor

Most Floridians recognize a midday rainstorm as an inconvenience or hindrance on the day’s plans.

For local artist Michelle Nagri, it’s only an opportunity to create art and take a different look at the world.

“I like the way nature and man-made objects interact,” Nagri said. “Nature is very accessible and beautiful. I’m usually called to a certain composition or something and then capture things that way.

It was almost a decade ago when the 32-year-old artist and writer picked up her first digital camera to show her friends the details she sees in the world around her. Starting Friday, local residents can gather at the Artisans’ Guild Gallery as she is honored for her great work in photography.

Nagri has been announced as the Artisans’ Guild Gallery Artist of the Month and will have her work displayed in the gallery from July 26 to Aug. 22.

The Artisans’ Guild Gallery, established in 1970, is a co-op of local artists who come together to help promote and sell their art.

After trying her hand at painting, Nagri said she wanted a more accessible art form that could help her show others what she saw in the world.

“I always had, an eye for details that nobody really noticed,” she said. “The photography is a way to be like, ‘Okay, instead of me telling you what it is, I’ll show you what it is that I notice.’”

She attributes her five-year membership in the Gainesville Photography Club to aiding in her discovery of the possibilities of photography and art.

“It gave me insight into where you could go, in some pretty incredible types of photography,” she said. Nagri explained there were a variety of photographers shooting wildlife and landscapes, which showed her a wide range of subjects and digital processing techniques.

Those digital processing techniques became

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the catalyst for starting her complex 365 project.

Post-processing is a core element of photography that people often forget. Nagri explained post-processing digital techniques intimidated her and she stayed away from it until she began working with another photographer who asked her to use Photoshop.

As Nagri started to use the program more in her work, she said she was faced with the conflict of having multiple edited versions of a photo that she liked.

“I had a lot of different versions and thought, what if I let myself keep all of these versions and let go of that fear of ‘I don’t know where I want to go [from] here,’” Nagri said.

It was with that attitude in mind, as she approached 30, Nagri said she decided to defy the aging rut most of her friends fell into and on July 22, 2017, she created the blog for the 365 project. The project consisted of Nagri taking one photo and editing it a different way in Photoshop every single day.

“I created the blog, so people would know the story behind the image and what I was feeling before I made that edit,” she said. That project and blog resulted in the creation of a 232page book available as personally signed copies on Nagri’s website.

Work from the 365 project will be on display in Nagri’s featured Artist of the Month section of the gallery.

According to Gainesville jewelry designer and guild president Jeanne Bunting, the Artist of the Month honor is still a generally new process. She said the selection process isn’t very specific and based on recommendations of interesting artists to feature either in or outside of the guild from its current members.

Nagri said she was very excited when she got the news and added in her Facebook post about the event that it must have something to do with the month of July, which has now become very special to her — July is her birthday month, as well as when she started the 365 project.

Nagri added she is also excited for people to see pieces from her newest project “For the Love of Water.” She said the project came about because of her love of the element and desire to start shooting after 365 ended.

“I missed shooting and water was the first thing that came to mind, especially now because of all the issues with pollution and climate change,” Nagri said.

While she doesn’t know when her current project will be finished, Nagri has already thought of a theme for her upcoming project.

“I have a couple of pieces that have some space qualities to them, so I think it would be interesting,” Nagri said. “It would be fun to see what I can hunt [down] in nature to replicate some of those elements.”

The opening reception for the gallery and Artist of the Month exhibit will be held during Artwalk Gainesville Friday from 7 to 10 p.m.

THERE’S A LOT MORE THAT MEETS THE EYE

By Brittany Wallace Avenue Staff Writer

For thrift store owners the affordable clothing process can cost a lot.

Sabrina Kaar originally owned La Chua Vintage, which she ran and managed alone. The 34-yearold said all of the efforts required took a toll on her as she also balanced being a mother. To alleviate the workload she closed her store and decided to join two women, Nikki Kragiel and Sam Salay, to create the AUK Market located in the Curia Complex.

Amy Greene, 43, opened Future Perfekt Vintage in 2017 and also struggled with management of the store.

Greene said when she first opened the store she wasn’t prepared for the

drastic business slowdown in summer when students leave the area.

Lack of resources forces both owners to travel long distances to find pieces for their stores.

Kaar said she travels to find vintage clothes for her store about once a week, while Greene travels once a month to keep her store stocked.

“The key to this [owning a vintage store] is really traveling, like you’re not gonna be able to do this if you’re just picking local thrift stores or estate sales,” Kaar said.

The hunt to find vintage clothes has taken Greene across Florida, Georgia and Alabam, while Kaar has been as far as Virginia. When searching for vintage clothes you have to be willing to take items that are not in perfect condition, Greene said. However, she said there are some damages

too serious to restore.

Greene spends money on gas, hotels for the night and purchasing clothes; yet, all of the work can still be in vain if no one buys the clothes.

Greene said sometimes she only makes $1 off a piece of clothing.

Although there is a lot of work and expenses in selling vintage, both Kaar and Greene love their job.

Kaar said she wants to encourage more people to sell vintage or second hand. She finds it a great way to start a business despite all the hard work it takes.

“I don’t see it as competition, I think of it more like a community coming together prop each other up. ” Kaar said. @BtNwallace bwallace@alligator.org

@manertt tmaner@alligator.org Brittany Wallace // Alligator Staff

Sam Salay helping a customer at the AUK Market.

Gators in the NFL: Preseason edition Take a look at former Gators preparing the new season as NFL training camps get underway Pg. 11

The agony of being a Mets fan (and why I am one) Pg. 12

8 ALLIGATOR THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

LIFESTYLE

Gainesville club strives for fungal fun THE GAINESVILLE CLUB PROMOTES LEARNING IN LICHEN AND FUNGI

By Priya Dames Avenue Staff Writer

Courtesy to The Alligator

FALaFEL members gather around mycologist, Dr. Rosanne Healy, at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Sunday for the Summer Fungal Foray.

MUSIC

“Did anyone do the optional homework?” a woman at the front of the room asked with a smile.

A few raised their hands as newcomers filed into the small meeting room with baskets of mushrooms.

The woman, Sarah Prentice, walked around the room looking at the field data slips filled out by the 15 members unified by their interest in fungus. Books sprawled on the table with detailed illustrations of mushrooms.

The meeting was the fourth workshop in a five-week series called “The Fungus Among Us,” hosted by the Florida Academic Lichen and Fungi Enthusiast League (FALaFEL) at the Alachua County Library. The workshop teaches participants the different techniques for identifying the fungi.

Prentice used a projector to show the different species of

mushroom while passing around fresh toadstools for demonstration. Participants inspected the mushrooms for gill spacing, cap surface and stem shape to make their decisions.

Connie Morrison, a retiree from Gainesville and new member of FALaFEL, said she wishes she joined earlier. Now, she’s on the lookout for mushrooms wherever she goes. After weeks of searching for mushrooms with no luck, Morrison finally found some over the weekend.

“I got these mushrooms from my neighbor’s backyard,” she said. “I was getting desperate!”

FALaFEL was co-founded in 2017 by Prentice and has grown to include 300 members. Prentice, 30, graduated from UF in 2010 after studying religion and environmental studies. She went on to take a graduate course called Fungal Biology which sparked her interest in fungus.

“I was kind of sad when the class ended,” Prentice said. “I wanted to continue learning about fungus.”

After searching for mycology

clubs in Gainesville with no luck, she decided to start her own. The inspiration for the name of the club came from an unexpected source.

“I was really hungry one day and pitched ‘FALaFEL’ as a joke,” Prentice said, laughing. “Who doesn’t love falafel?”

According to Prentice, the group is very informal and welcome to all levels of experience in mushroom collecting. The group is associated with the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), a nonprofit organization for amateur fungi enthusiasts.

This past weekend, nearly 40 members gathered at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens to collect mushrooms.

Prentice said she hopes more fungi enthusiasts will be encouraged to join the club.

“I just want to make this as free and accessible as possible,” Prentice said. @priya_dames pdames@ufl.edu

The Hippodrome extends ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ musical ‘AT EVERY SINGLE SHOW, THERE’S A STANDING OVATION’

By Harley Smith Avenue Staff Writer

Elvis has not left the building.

The rock’n’roll star and his friends are sticking around through the summer for a few more curtain calls in Gainesville.

The staff at the Hippodrome is extending its showings of “Million Dollar Quartet” from July 21 to Aug. 4. This is the second time the Tony award-winning musical has been extended, and according to the Hippodrome’s marketing coordinator, Julia Campitelli, it’s because the show has been a hit with the audience.

“At every single show, there’s a standing ovation. Everyone is dancing in the aisles. It’s a very interactive show,” she said.

The musical opened at the Hippodrome

Theatre on May 31 and has been drawing record-breaking crowds throughout its entire run,which prompted the need for an extension.

The musical recounts the famous 1956 jam session of rock’n’roll legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley with high-energy musical performances and comedy. On that day, the four musicians, by chance, had shown up at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The musical is recounted from the perspective of character Sam Phillips, who in real life was a record producer at that time. Phillips guides the audience through the pivotal career moments of each famed man.

“I think people love it because, for a lot of people, it’s the songs of their childhood. It’s the songs they grew up listening to, and even if you weren’t alive in the ’50s and ’60s, you still know the songs,” Campitelli said.

Hugh Hysell, who portrays Phillips, told

Gainesville Downtown he has been pleased with the enthusiastic Gainesville audiences and that the production has been extended a second and final time.

The performers play classics such as “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash, “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis and “Hound Dog”

by Elvis Presely.

“Million Dollar Quartet” appeals to just about everyone and anyone, according to Campitelli.

“We have an older crowd, but I’ve seen kids as young as six in the audience and people as old as 99,” she said.

The musical will only be around for about two more weeks, but the staff at the Hippodrome is already looking forward to their new show debuting on Aug. 30.

“Our next show is called ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,’” she said.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-Time” is another Tony award-winning play about a young detective who is trying to resolve the murder of his neighbor’s dog, which has been killed with a garden fork. As the boy details the facts of the mystery, he faces resistance from his father and uncovers life-changing discoveries.

The Hippodrome and UF School of Theatre and Dance are co-producing the new show, according to Campitelli.

“A lot of UF theater students are going to be in the show,” she said.

Details about the remaining showtimes and ticket prices for “Million Dollar Quartet,” as well as information about the Hippodrome’s new season, can be found on their website, thehipp.org. @harleyj_smith harleyjune8@gmail.com

Courtesy to The Alligator

Actors Joe Boover (Elvis Presley), Sam C. Jones (Carl Perkins), James Penca (Johnny Cash) and Brady Wease (Jerry Lee Lewis) play classic rock’n’roll songs that take audiences back in time.

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BEDS - Brand Name, Brand NEW Pillowtop Mattress & Box Set: Twins $89, Fulls $100, Queens $120, Kings $200. Can Deliver 352377-9846. Gainesville Discount Furniture.

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HIRING home/office/apartment cleaners(mf and every other sat). Day and night shifts available. Must own a car. weekly pay $10.00/hr. if interested please call 352-2140868 8-13-19-24-14 Cafe Risque 24/7 Nude Entertainment Exit 374, I-75, Micanopy, FL 352-466-3803 Managers / Cooks Dancer / Waitress Auditions Sunday 10AM 8-30-26-14 Hiring Telephone Interviewers for UF! Seeking telephone interviewers to collect information on a variety of subjects including, but not limited to, academic and business research, health care, and transportation. Pay ranges from $10.00- $10.50 per hour + performance incentive + Paid Training. Search ‘Telephone Interviewer’ on Gator Jobs! http:// jobs.ufl.edu” 8-13-19-13-14 SIMEDHealth is looking for Certified Medical Assistants (MA). Qualified candidates will have graduated from an accredited Medical Assisting program and be BLS/CPR certified.

Apply at www.simedhealth.com today! 7-3019-7-14 Administering and scoring two day batteries of psychological and neuropsychological tests. May be perfect for someone recently graduated who wants experience before applying to grad school. Min. BA in Psychology, may train right person in exchange for 1 yr commitment to paid F/T position. e-mail letter of interest and vita to info@cpancf.com.

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St. Francis House is a homeless shelter located in downtown Gainesville.

Our mission is to empower families with children to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency by providing case management, housing, food, training and educational resources in a secure environment.

If interested in volunteering please contact the volunteer coordinator at 352-378- 9079 ext 317 or sfhcoor@stfrancis.cfcoxmail.com St Francis House depends on monetary support from individual donors and community businesses in order to provide meals to the homeless and the hungry.

To make a donation by mail, please send checks payable to St. Francis House P.O. Box 12491 Gainesville Fl 32604 or our website at

Stfrancishousegnv.org

SOLUTION ON PG. 10

10 ALLIGATOR THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

14

Help Wanted

Sun Country Sports Center Now hiring coaches for Rec and Team Gymnastics, Ninja Zone and more. Awesome kids. Fun, friendly atmosphere. Apply now suncountrysports.com/jobs 9-4-19-14-14 ★★★★★Five Star Pizza on Tower Road is now hiring delivery drivers, pizza makers and phone personnel. Day shift and nightshift available, full time and part time positions.

Please apply in person at 600 NW 75th St 8-8-19-5-14 BARTENDERS, WAIT STAFF & SECURITY Silver Q Billiards & Sports Bar @SilverQgnv Bartenders & wait staff service minimum/tips Security staff $10 per hour Apply in person Thursday July 25th, 1-5pm 225 W. University Ave. Downtown Gainesville 7-25-19-1-14

16 Health Services

19

HIV ANTIBODY TESTING

Connections

Want to make a connection?

Place your ad here to look for someone to share a common interest with or for your true love

Alachua County Health Dept. Call 334-7960 for app’t (optional $20 fee)

Need CPR Training?

Are you looking for LESBIAN companionship or a place to earn extra cash? Call Sapphic Companions.

904-562-9588.

8-8-19-14-19

(352) 727-4733 www.GatorCPR.com CNA Prep Classes from GatorCNA.com 7-5-19-111-16

Now you can easily submit your classified ad

20 Events/Notices

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IS YOUR BUSINESS, CLUB OR ORGANIZATION HAVING AN EVENT? DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT? PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND GET IT NOTICED!

right thru our website!

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15

Services

Do you have a business that provides a service? Place your ad in the Services Section of the Alligator Classifieds for as little as $3.00 per day. Call us at 373-FIND. Want to be a CNA? Don’t want to wait?

Express Training Services now offers a CNA class which can be completed in one weekend.

Perfect for busy college students. www.expresstrainingservices.com/ww 8-1319-24-15 AVIATION Grads work with JetBlue, United, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call AIM 888-242-2649.

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CALL NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS 1-866- 352-5323 352-376-8008 www.uncoastna.org pr@uncoastna.org

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Lung Cancer? Asbestos exposure may be the cause. $30 billion set aside for asbestos victims. Call 1-619-485-4372 or email cancerFL@breakinginjurynews.com 7-25-116

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Personals

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Visit: alligator.org/classifieds

HIV ANTIBODY TESTING

Did you know? On August 10, 1984, Red Dawn became the first movie to be released with a PG-13 rating.

Alachua County Health Dept. Call 334-7960 for app’t (optional $20 fee)

King Features Weekly Service

© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

times does the moon orbit the Earth in a calendar year?

Answers 1. Rosie 2. Nuuk 3. George Frideric Handel 4. Agreement for international recognition of copyright 5. Take over the world 6. “Gangs of New York” 7. Louis XIV, the “Sun King” of France (72 years) 8. The face 9. Dr. James Herrick 10. About 13 times © 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Entertainment

Get the party started! Place your Entertainment classified today to get people up and about. Call 373-FIND.

July 22, 2019

1. TELEVISION: What was the name of the robot maid on the animated series “The Jetsons”?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Greenland?

3. MUSIC: Who composed the 18th-century “Messiah”?

4. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the purpose of the Berne Convention of 1886?

5. GAMES: What is the goal in the board game “Risk”?

6. MOVIES: In which Martin Scorsese film did a group called The Dead Rabbits appear?

7. HISTORY: Who was the longest-reigning king in European history?

8. ANATOMY: What part of the human body is affected by a temporary paralysis called Bell’s palsy?

9. DISCOVERIES: Who is credited with discovering sickle cell anemia?

10. ASTRONOMY: How many times does the moon orbit the Earth in a calendar year?

Answers 1. Rosie 2. Nuuk 3. George Frideric Handel 4. Agreement for international recognition of copyright 5. Take over the world 6. “Gangs of New York” 7. Louis XIV, the “Sun King” of France (72 years) 8. The face 9. Dr. James Herrick 10. About 13 times

Rides

Trying to get to and from somewhere? Want to cut back on that gas bill? Place an ad in the classifieds to find trip arrangements or show off your bus and shuttle service. 373FIND Friends don’t let friends be driven home by drunk drivers

24

Because Cats Don't Understand Abstinence

OPERATION CATNIP

Spaying/Neutering Free-Roaming Cats Borrow a Trap / Make a Clinic Reservation Make a Donation / Volunteer New Expanded Hours

Lots of NEW info at http://ocgainesville.org/

Pets

Furry, feathery, scaly...no, not your roommate...pets. Find or advertise your pets or pet products here in the Pets section of the Alligator.

Did you know? Geckos can turn the stickiness of their feet on and off at will.

Pets

24

25

Lost & Found

Finders Keepers? If you find something, you can place a FREE FOUND AD in our lost & found section. Be kind to someone who’s lost what you’ve found. Call 373-FIND.

Release Date: Thursday, Wednesday, July July 25,24, 2019 2019

DRUG PROBLEM?

18

23

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Diet phrase Kingfood canine 6 pencilWife” 5 Puny “The Good 10 __ fizzGood andgin “The 14 Ancient market Fight” network 15 Island with Iced 8 Long Isn’t honest Tea coloring 14 “Moby-Dick” provider captain 16 15 Double-decker 14-Across’ yes checker 16 In a fog 17 Detergent Target of sold around Yankee campaign finance Stadium? laws 19 Village People 19 Fast-food toy megahit giveaways, 20 Good to go typically 21 Put up 20 Himalayan of 22 Fell off legend 23 21 Title Jazz characters, dance typically 22 19th-century 25 Tetris shape education 26 Chicken reformer __ 27 Jingle for a 25 Bit of election detergent ad? season ugliness 33 with 28 Stuck, In order (to)“down” 35 official 29 Game Cry bitterly 36 31 Mediterranean Travels like a tourist shark site 37 team!”

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31 Thin Risqué 33 nailmessage 34 Flanders” 32 “Moll Lean-to relative novelist 33 J.Lo’s fiancé 39 35 Cause Sailor’sof a brewed telescope awakening?

36 Strand, as in 40 Ammonia “57-Across” component 41 Twisted Sister 43 “Heavens!” frontman Dee 46 of Twisted 42 Snider Some green Sister cards?

48 Sports __ 44 End Elicit oohs and 49 aahs 53 High-ranking off.

45 Earth AnimalDay whose 54 subj. full name 55 “Understood” is from the 56 “Mr.” Greekonfora sci-fi bridge “nose-horned” 57 Film-rating org.

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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

By Paul Howard Coulter Barkin and Sam Buchbinder ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

07/25/19 07/24/19 07/23/19

07/25/19 07/24/19

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.alligator.org/sports

FOOTBALL

Position-by-Position: Evaluating UF’s defensive line

By River Wells Sports Writer

Florida isn’t just known for its secondary.

While UF’s vaunted corners and safeties have often claimed the title of “DBU”, the Gators also boasted a talented defensive front that caused plenty of problems for opposing teams on its own.

As UF prepares to head into the 2019 season, its defensive line will feature both returning stars and new additions.

The player to watch on the defensive front this year is redshirt senior Jabari Zuniga. The edge rusher has made his way onto numerous award watch lists – the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Lott IMPACT Trophy – just as seamlessly as he made his way into the backfield last season, accruing 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

With the loss of both Jachai Polite and Cece Jefferson from last year’s squad, Zuniga will also be the line’s veteran leader heading into the

2019 season. Polite’s presence is certain to be missed: He netted 11 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss en route to a third-round selection by the New York Jets. Jefferson was a consistent mainstay for the group, starting in eight of the 11 games he played in last year.

Kyree Campbell and graduate student Adam Schuler are the only other defensive linemen on this year’s squad who started consistently last year (Campbell started in 11 games and Schuler started in 10). Both players recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks each in 2018 and are two prime candidates to fill the void left by Jefferson and Polite.

The Gators’ roster also features rotational players who could look to play a bigger role in the defensive line. Juniors Elijah Conliffe and Tedarrell Slaton both started two games last year (Charleston Southern and Kentucky) and both recovered a fumble in 2018. Redshirt senior Luke Ancrum

was notable for his efforts against Tennessee, where he notched an interception.

In addition to its returning pieces, UF has a single newcomer on the defensive line for 2019. Freshman Jaelin Humphries is a fourstar recruit out of Mountain View High School in Georgia, where he played on both the offensive and defensive line.

Humphries turned down offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee to come to Gainesville. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native was ranked the 17th best defensive lineman of the 2019 class and made the ESPN 300 at No. 217.

UF may have some holes to fill on the line, but with veteran leadership in Zuniga and a supporting secondary that’s more than ideal, the rest of the SEC could find the Gator defensive front a significant problem come 2019. @riverhwells rwells@alligator.org

Chris King / Alligator Staff

Senior defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga was named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team.

NFL

Gators in the NFL: Preseason edition

By Joseph Salvador Sports Writer

Chris King / Alligator Staff

Third-round draft pick Jachai Polite will make his professional debut with the New York Jets on Aug. 8.

UF kicker Evan McPherson was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List. The award recognizes the best kicker in the nation.

The NFL returns Aug. 1 with the Hall of Fame Game, which means training camp is right around the corner. It’s the perfect time for draft picks and players on the bubble to prove themselves. Here are some former Gators to look out for as NFL training camps get underway: Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 35th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft and will get his first taste of NFL action against the Baltimore Ravens at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8. Taylor, who is set to be a starter at right tackle, joins former Gators Taven Bryan and Lerentee McCray in Jacksonville. The Jags are coming off a disappointing 5-11 season and will look to establish themselves in a competitive AFC South division. They open training

camp today.

Edge rusher Jachai Polite, who was drafted by the New York Jets 68th overall, will make his professional debut against the New York Giants at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8.

The Jets have high hopes this season because of the signing of running back Le’Veon Bell and the expectation that quarterback Sam Darnold will improve after a solid rookie year. Polite will be joined by former UF players Jonotthan Harrison, Marcus Maye, Brian Poole and Deonte Thompson and will serve as a rotational player in the Jets’ pass rush.

Defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was selected in the beginning of the fourth round (105th overall) by the New Orleans Saints and joins a team with lofty expectations.

The Saints were eliminated in the 2019 NFC Championship Game by the Los Angeles Rams after a controversial no-

Six UF lacrosse players named to honor roll Lexi Bolton, Brianna Harris, Haley Hicklen, Kenzii Kittell, Caroline May and Emily Petillo earned at least a 3.50 GPA over the last academic year and were named to the IWLCA Zag Sports Division I Academic Honor Roll.

call on a potential pass interference in the final minutes.

Gardner-Johnson, who performed well in minicamp, joins former UF teammate and linebacker Alex Anzalone in New Orleans. Training camp begins Friday, and the Saints kick off against the Vikings at 8.p.m. on Aug. 9.

Linebacker Vosean Joseph was drafted by the Buffalo Bills (147th overall) and will see his first NFL action against the Indianapolis Colts at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8. The former Gator will start training camp Thursday at St. John Fisher College in New York.

Joseph is likely to make the team after training camp.

His playing time, however, may be limited because the Bills already having an established linebacker corps.

Running back Jordan Scarlett was drafted by the Carolina Panthers (154th overall) and will play the Chicago Bears on Aug. 8 at 8

Follow us for updates

For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/sports

p.m. The Panthers start training camp Thursday and Scarlett will look to fight for a spot in the running back rotation behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey.

Scarlett will have his work cut out for him, as there are four other experienced backs who are competing for spots.

He is joined on Carolina’s roster by former Gator Bryan Cox Jr., who was drafted by the Panthers in 2017.

Offensive lineman Fred Johnson will be fighting for a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers when they begin training camp Friday.

As an undrafted player, Johnson’s chances of making the team are slim; he will have to thoroughly impress at training camp if wants to make his NFL debut. @JSalvador_14 jsalvador@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

Sam’s Strike Zone

The agony of being a Mets fan (and why I am one)

In an unprecedented move, they hired an agent as their GM. He promptly traded some of the organization’s best prospects for 36-yearold Robinson Canó ($120 million over five years remaining on his contract, .250 average) and closer Edwin Díaz (4.81 ERA). Star player he cruelest thing my parents ever did was take me to Shea Stadium. Child Yoenis Céspedes, who was already injured, broke his ankle falling in a hole services should’ve taken me away right there. at his Florida ranch and is out for the season. Manager Mickey Callaway and It was May 17, 2005 – a typical spring day in that area, the temperature pitcher Jason Vargas were fined for cursing out a reporter. Two living people somewhere in the 60s and not a cloud in the sky. I was 6 years old, just were included in a memorial video for deceased members of the 1969 team. wrapping up my first year at Harrison Elementary School and my first I love the Mets, but they’ve (for the most part) never loved me back. That’s season of tee-ball in northern New Jersey. For whatever reason, that was the OK. night my parents decided to change my life.

At this point, they’re just a part of who I am. Suffering is part of being a Sam Campisano They dressed my brother and I in matching Mets shirts and drove us to sports fan. It builds character. It makes the great moments (like the Mets’ run twitter: scampisano Queens. I remember being in awe of the cavernous old ballpark; I had never seen scampisano@alligator.org to the 2015 World Series) even sweeter. If the Mets were like the Yankees (i.e., so much green grass or anything as colorful as that scoreboard in my whole life. successful) I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

The Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds that night 2-1, courtesy of a two-run homer A lot of things have changed in my life since that night in 2005. I don’t have in the seventh inning from Kaz Matsui. I was in love. any of the same friends. I don’t live in the same place. I really don’t care about any of the Unfortunately, that love affair continues to this day. things I cared about then.

I (somewhat obsessively) root for one of the most dysfunctional organizations in sports.

The one constant has been Mets baseball. No matter how I’m feeling, what’s going on in It’s not just that the Mets are a bad team (two seasons above .500 since 2008) – it’s that they my life, I can count on them to be there every day for six months of the year. That’s what are, for lack of a better word, a circus. Some highlights from this year alone: makes being a baseball fan special.

T

MEME OF THE WEEK

The Associated Press

Pete Alonso, one of the few bright spots of this Mets season, looks down in frustration after striking out earlier this month.

By River Wells

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