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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 25
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Not officially associated with the University of Florida
FEATURE FRIDAY
‘I don’t feel like a Gator:’ A year after Spencer, students reflect By Jessica Curbelo and Gillian Sweeney Alligator Staff Writers
People ran away in horror when a man with a swastika print T-shirt approached the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. One year ago, instead of fleeing, Omar Syed put his hand on the man’s shoulder to escort him out of white supremacist Richard Spencer’s speech. “I told him, ‘You’re not welcome here,’ and he just smiled,” Syed, a 25-year-old UF psychology senior, said. Syed was one of the thousands of protestors who spent more than nine hours shouting and waving signs Oct. 19, 2017, at the UF venue, at 3201 Hull Road, protesting white supremacist Richard Spencer’s speech. For many like Syed, this marked the date they lost faith in the university. “There is a person that my univer-
sity hosted who wants to take away my life,” Syed said. From the outside, Syed witnessed people pushing and spitting at the Spencer supporter and eventually saw someone throw a punch at his face. “He was punched rightfully,” he said. Inside the entertainment center, Timothy Tia, a 22-year-old UF economics graduate, was one of the hundreds who grabbed a ticket to hear Spencer’s speech. Protestors chanted “Black lives matter” and “Let’s go Gators.” Their words echoed in the center and drowned Spencer’s speech, Tia said. “There was an electricity in the room among protestors,” Tia said. Spencer and his supporters may not have gotten the reaction they had initially hoped for, UF President Kent Fuchs said, and because of that, groups like Spencer’s have largely stopped
coming to campus. The speech cost the university more than it cost Spencer, Fuchs said. He paid $10,564 to rent the space, but UF spent almost $600,000 on increased security. The event caused people to talk about their values and the need to counter hate with words of support, Fuchs said. “In some sense, the freedom of speech really isn’t free,” Fuchs said. “It comes at a price not necessarily to those expressing it but to those who have to listen to it and endure it.” Since the speech, the university reviewed its policy that allows speakers to rent space on campus even if they, like Spencer, are not affiliated with a student group. Ultimately, UF decided not to change the policy because the facilities of the university are valuable to the larger Gainesville community,
SEE SPENCER, PAGE 4
Q&A: Democrat Lt. Gov. candidate Chris King By Jessica Curbelo Alligator Staff Writer
Chris King felt disappointment and peace when he lost the Florida Democratic nomination to Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in August, he said. Days after Gillum won, King was surprised and honored when Gillum invited him to Tallahassee to ask him to run as his lieutenant governor, he said. King talked to The Alligator about health care, education and equity.
Q: How did you meet Andrew Gillum? A: I met Andrew when we were both running for governor. We competed against each other over and over and over again for 18 months. I spent about as much time with Andrew as I did with my wife during that period of time. Q: Having gone to law school at a Florida university, what are your thoughts on the current state of education? A: Overall, our thoughts are that it
has been underfunded or unfunded at key areas of the educational spectrum. When we say education, we’re thinking about everything from early childhood education to university education. Mayor Gillum and I believe very strongly that the best states and the best economies invest significantly in preparing the workforce for the future. That starts as early as early childhood education. So, we have a plan to invest nearly a billion dollars of new resources in early
SEE KING, PAGE 4
Shelbie Eakins / Alligator Staff
Khadir Trowell, 21, dances as “Rose Chamellion” Thursday night at the first-ever UF Gaytor Drag Race in the Rion Ballroom of the Reitz Union. Trowell earned the titles of best dancer and best outfit and won the competition overall. The prize for the winner was a timeslot to perform at the University Club on Friday night, Gainesville Pride on Saturday and The Copa Nightclub in Ocala, Florida. Go to page 8 for more photos.
About 160 UF Online students might have been in Michael’s path SO FAR, ABOUT 130 AFFECTED STUDENTS WERE CONTACTED. By Gillian Sweeney Alligator Staff Writer
Tonia Perkins’ neighborhood was unrecognizable. Perkins, a 37-year-old UF Online business administration junior,
tried to look for the house she has lived in for 30 years in Callaway, Florida, from the shattered window of her parents’ car. Her house was in the path of Hurricane Michael. “There were people walking up and down the street,” Perkins said. “I had to ask them what road is this.” About 160 UF Online students, like Perkins, might live where Hur-
Report cards: Grading every Gators position
The bye week brings us all closer to UGA week. In lieu of a game, the alligatorSports staff breaks down every position on offense and defense, pg. 14
ricane Michael hit, said Evangeline Cummings, the director of UF Online. Advisors contacted about 130 affected students as of Thursday. Hours after searching for her home, Perkins finally found it with her garage destroyed, sunroom shattered and with extensive water damage. At least the house was standing. Even with her circumstances, Perkins said she did not want to
withdraw from the two courses in which she is enrolled. “I don’t want to redo it,” Perkins said. “I don’t want to start over.” Advisers are contacting students to tell them that instructors are aware of their hardships, Cummings said. “We don’t want them to worry about contacting us, but we want to check in,” Cummings said. Cummings said they are telling
Hotel, motel, Hotel Indigo
A new hotel is coming to Celebration Pointe, pg. 5
affected students about available resources such as U Matter, We Care and Aid-A-Gator, an emergency hurricane funding program. “We are here to help them recover,” Cummings said. “We want them to know that the University of Florida stands with them.” @gilliangsweeney gsweeney@alligator.org
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UF alumna to stay in Israel
After being detained for more than two weeks, the Isreali Supreme court decided she can stay, pg. 3
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