Monday, 3/22/2021

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MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 26

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‘Invisible for too long’: Gainesville mourns Atlanta shooting victims THE CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY HOSTED A VIGIL AT TURLINGTON PLAZA

By Jiselle Lee and Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writers

A crowd of more than 100 people bowed their heads as Pinpin Sheng’s prayer echoed through a megaphone at Turlington Plaza Saturday, followed by a moment of silence held nationwide to honor the victims of the Atlanta spa shootings earlier this week.

“We mourn with the people who lost their families,” the 40-year-old Gainesville resident said in between eight chimes from Century Tower. “Lord, please give us love to love each other. We’re all one family.”

Following the lead of United Chinese Americans, a nonprofit Chinese cultural and heritage organization that planned vigils across the nation Saturday, the Gainesville Chinese American community participated in four simultaneous rallies at street intersections and a subsequent vigil at Turlington Plaza.

Saturday’s demonstrations came after eight people, six of Asian American descent, were killed during three mass shootings at spas and massage parlors in Atlanta on Tuesday.

The shooter may have planned additional shootings in Florida, according to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

More than 3,795 accounts of unprovoked acts of anti-Asian violence occurred from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021, according to Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate, a national organization documenting self-reported crimes against Asian Americans. There have been 987 incidents from January to February.

For Asian American families across the country, there is fear of violence and racism that comes with being associated with the “Chinese Virus.”

Former President Donald Trump used this term to reference COVID-19, revealing how regardless of ethnicity, hatred toward Asian Americans has become an

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Gators choke against Oral Roberts

everyday ordeal.

Rong Zhang, a 40-year-old UF computer science professor, was one of the main organizers for the gatherings Saturday. She said she is relieved the shooter was stopped before he had the chance to come to Florida.

Zhang said Gainesville’s Chinese community began organizing the vigil through the group messaging app WeChat as soon as it heard about the shootings.

By spreading awareness within the Gainesville community, Zhang said she hopes she can stand in solidarity with others who are in mourning and now fear for their lives.

At 6 p.m., protesters came together at four busy intersections: West University Avenue and Southwest 13th Street, Southwest 34th Street and Archer Road, Archer Road and Tower Road, and Northwest 34th Street and Northwest 23rd Street. Many were met with honking horns and Gainesville residents who rolled down their car windows to cheer in solidarity.

Shigang Chen, a 50-year-old UF computer science professor, stood at the corner of Southwest 34th Avenue and Archer Road and held a sign that read “Proud Asian Americans.” Chen said he wanted to speak out against rising anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic to make it clear that Gainesville and the UF community doesn’t tolerate such behavior.

As someone who has lived in the city since 2002, he said his experience as a Chinese American has been relatively neutral.

Chen said he was surprised to see so much support from passersby.

“This is a great nation. We’re here to make it better,” Chen said. “It’s not perfect, but we’re here to begin.”

Ching Zhou was appalled by the attacks in Atlanta. The 57-year-old Chinese American Gainesville resident said the protest was thrown together last minute Saturday afternoon, but the large turnout showed how passionate the community feels

Florida description needed to push the with pedal comma, with six minutes Story finish pg# left against Oral Roberts if it wanted to earn a Sweet 16 berth. But Mike White eased up and Florida stalled.

Read more on why the Gators exited the NCAA Tournament, pg. 12

SEE VIGIL, PAGE 5

Faith Buckley // Alligator Staff

Iris Yunzhi Wang, 6, (left) watches Minmin Jin, 43, a Gainesville resident (right), light a candle in front of Turlington Plaza Saturday, March 20, 2021. The two stood with a large crowd commemorating the tragedy in Atlanta and calling attention to racism against Asian Americans.

Voters elect an incumbent and newcomer to City Commission, what’s next?

"Our neighborhoods now have a fighting chance."

By Alan Halaly and Jack Prator Alligator Staff Writers

Gainesville City Commissioner Gail Johnson eagerly hugged Commissioner-elect Desmon DuncanWalker at an election watch party Tuesday evening to celebrate their victories, signaling a new era of collaboration between the two commissioners.

Johnson was re-elected to the At-Large Seat B on the commission, and Duncan-Walker beat incumbent City Commissioner Gigi Simmons to

represent District 1, which encompasses most of downtown and East Gainesville.

In the coming months, DuncanWalker will brainstorm ways to make sure she is a mouthpiece for the people in her district. She plans to place their concerns at the forefront of her policy-making and is considering holding community engagement events like pancake breakfasts and quarterly district meetings to accomplish this goal.

“I want to make sure that District 1 sees me often and that they are able to engage with me in meaning-

Across time zones

International students studying around the globe face struggles in different time zones, pg. 7

Return to “normalcy”

UF announced plances to return to in-person classes for Summer and Fall semesters , pg. 4

ful ways,” Duncan-Walker said. “I am their voice. And the only way that you can be a voice for the people is to listen to them.”

Duncan-Walker won against Simmons, who was elected in 2018, to represent District 1 in a close race.

According to official results, Duncan-Walker earned 52.49% of the vote and Simmons earned 48.51%.

Johnson won her second term with 88.3% of the vote against Gabriel Hillel, a disbarred attorney who frequently attends Gainesville

SEE ELECTION, PAGE 5

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

UF mandatory biweekly COVID-19 reduced Today’s Weather to only students with in-person classes THE DECISION FOLLOWS LOW POSITIVITY RATES

By Manny Rea Alligator Staff Writer

After a monthlong streak of the lowest number of on-campus COVID-19 cases this semester, UF relaxed its mandatory biweekly testing for students.

In an email sent to students March 12, UF Vice President for Student Affairs D’Andra Mull announced students in Greek life or living in a residence hall and not taking face-toface classes would no longer need to be tested every two weeks starting March 15. As a result, available testing hours will be reduced at on-campus locations.

Epidemiologists from the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect program recommended the pull back following the university’s lowest reported cases since the start of the semester, Mull wrote. UF Health has advised the university since the start of the pandemic, basing decisions on testing and contact tracing data, Ken Garcia, a UF Health spokesperson wrote in an email.

UF’s announcement also mentioned reduced availability in appointment scheduling for tests at places including Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the UF Cultural Plaza parking garage starting Monday.

Garcia said he’s not anticipating any future changes to who is exempt from guidelines.

“Students in face-to-face classes

will continue to be part of routine testing on campus,” he wrote. “There is a natural overlap of these students who also live in residence halls and the Greek community, so there will still be monitoring in these areas for spread.”

The weekly seven-day average for positive cases tested on campus remained below 1% from Feb. 25 to March 11 before returning back to 1%, according to the university’s testing dashboard. The number of people in quarantine also dropped to a low of 221 on March 7, although the number has increased to 418 as of Sunday.

As a student who hasn’t stepped into a classroom this school year, Yami Gonzalez, a 20-year-old UF business administration third year, felt the original precautions were the best way to monitor the spread as students returned to campus.

Gonzalez lives in Beaty Towers where groups of four residents share a kitchen and bathroom. She said COVID-19 cases haven’t been an issue on her floor, but it may differ in other dorms where larger pools of students interact in communal bathrooms and facilities.

Wider student testing requirements aided the university’s efforts to mitigate spread, she said.

“I thought it was uncalled for,” Gonzalez said about the decrease in mandated students under new guidelines.

Juan Varela, a 21-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology junior, also acknowledged the balancing act the university does with

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 26

NEWSROOM:

By Carolina Ilvento and J.P. Oprison Alligator Staff Writer

Actress Tiffany Haddish and TikTok star Tabitha Brown will speak virtually at free UF events March 24.

On the university’s second Gator Recharge Day in a breakless Spring semester, students will have the opportunity to attend two Zoom webinars with Brown and Haddish, starting at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.

Haddish will speak in a Zoom webinar consisting of a 45-minute moderated conversation followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. The webinar will allow for 3,000 attendees, Accent Chair Steven Wolf wrote in an email.

He has not answered The Alligator’s emails asking about the logistics and set up of Brown’s interview event.

Accent will also host a watch party at 5 p.m. of Haddish’s 2020 movie ‘Like a Boss.’ Students can watch the movie virtually or in person at the

Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Anyone with a valid UFL email address can sign up for the interview events until March 24 at noon.

The movie will be available through Zoom and screened in-person to the students at the watch party. Students must bring their Gator 1 ID, wear a mask and be cleared for campus.

There will be 375 tickets available for the Haddish movie watch party, and students will sit socially distanced in pairs, he said. Students will also be required to scan a QR code once seated for contact tracing purposes.

Wolf declined to comment on how much money Accent is paying Haddish and Brown and whether the programming board is paying as well.

Both organizations are funded by student fees. The Alligator requested both speakers’ contracts.

Haddish is known for her roles in the movies “Keanu,” “Girls Trip,” and the TBS sitcom “The Last O.G.” She won an Emmy in 2018 for her performance on “Saturday Night Live” and a Grammy this month for her comedy album “Black Mitzvah.”

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student independence and disease control. He has one HyFlex lecture course he has elected to watch from Zoom but is still required to test for COVID-19 under the updated guidelines.

He lives in Tolbert Hall, which has experienced sporadic positive cases in the last two semesters. When a floormate tests positive, everyone else is urged to get tested immediately which he said has made living on campus a hassle. Varela gets tested weekly at the stadium gate 7 to get ahead of the mandated biweekly scheduling.

He received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week at a Jacksonville site for his clinical volunteering but plans to continue his afternoon testing appointments.

“This is probably the next step towards going to some state of normalcy,” Varela said. “So I’m glad they’re doing it.” @ReaManny mrea@alligator.org

Brown has worked with Haddish starring in the film “All Between Us.” She is also known for her roles in NBC’s comedy show “Will & Grace” and the Freeform drama “Switched at Birth.”

Brown is a North Carolinaborn actress, mother and wife. She amassed two million TikTok followers in 40 days for her videos featuring vegan recipes, cooking tips and nuggets of wisdom, and is affectionately known as “America’s mom,” according to a Facebook event page.

As of Sunday, over 200 people have shown interest in Haddish’s event and over 130 people in Brown’s, according to the Facebook events’ pages.

These are Accent’s second and third shows this Spring. The organization paid $120,000 for the first show of the semester, which featured YouTubers David Dobrik, Cody Ko and Noel Miller. @CarolinaIlvento cilvento@alligator.org @joprison joprison@alligator.org

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UF Accent Speakers Bureau to virtually host actress Tiffany Haddish and TikTok star Tabitha Brown HADDISH AND BROWN WILL SPEAK ON MARCH 24

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MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

UF won’t use McCarty Woods as a building spot in 2020-2030 plans THE DECISION CAME AFTER WEEKS OF STUDENT PROTESTS

By Abigail Hasebroock Alligator Staff Writer

The McCarty Woods conservation area isn’t very big nor is it very green. But after weeks of fighting for its survival, UF students and faculty emerged victorious.

UF announced Tuesday it will not move forward with a plan to use the McCarty Woods conservation area as a construction site.

While UF has not released any alternative plans yet, the university will continue to study “the various uses for McCarty Woods that would most benefit the university community,” UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez wrote in an emailed statement.

The area could still be used in future development plans.

Fernandez did not answer The Alligator’s questions regarding why UF made this decision, which campus leaders made the decision nor what “further study” of McCarty Woods entails. She wrote that the university currently has nothing to add to its statement.

The change to the Campus Master Plan, a 10-year plan for new facilities and buildings on campus, comes after opposition to the plan’s approval in December bred the Save McCarty Woods movement.

In January, leaders of the movement created a Facebook, an Instagram and a petition that reached over 14,600 signatures.

“Every single person who signed that petition and came to protests and just shared our posts, all of that made a difference,” Sierra Scauzillo, the lead organizer of the movement, said. “Everyone

deserves credit for this.”

The group held three protests, two of which were in February and March. Each garnered about 10 attendees who endured cold and rainy conditions. On March 13, the group held a march with about 40 supporters who walked from Lake Alice to Tigert Hall.

Vasilios Kosmakos, a participant in the Save McCarty Woods movement, said he is ecstatic about UF’s decision.

The victory proves that even a small group of passionate people can spur a change, he said.

“We won, we saved McCarty Woods, that’s one step,” the 21-year-old UF sustainability and international studies junior said. “There is a lot more down the line that needs to be done, but I’m really happy that we’ve gotten this far.”

Scauzillo, a 22-yearold UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior, thanked all the members for their efforts shortly after UF’s decision was released.

“We will continue to stand for the preservation of ALL conservation lands, ensuring that McCarty does not face this challenge again in 2030 — that no ‘conservation lands’ do,” she wrote in a Slack message.

Scauzillo is happy about the development but still believes many questions are left unanswered, she said.

“It’s one battle in the midst of a war,” she said. “The decision that they’ve come to doesn’t address some of the root problems of how conservation areas can even be considered for development.” @abbeyhasebroock ahasebroock@alligator.org

Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff

Participants in the “March to Save McCarty” place signs on the steps of the UF Administration building on Saturday, March 13, 2021..

Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff

Supporters of the Save McCarty Woods campaign march past Plaza of the Americas on their way to the Tigert Hall Administration building on Saturday, March 13, 2021. The march was held to raise awareness about McCarty Woods’ designation as a future construction site, which has since been overturned.

UF Summer B and Fall 2021 semesters will have more in-person classes IN-PERSON, ONLINE COURSES TO REFLECT “NEARLY TYPICAL” YEAR

By Manny Rea Alligator Staff Writer

UF will return to a nearly normal Summer B and Fall 2021 course offering, but mandatory COVID-19 testing and masking are still up in the air.

More than 70% of course credits will be in person in the Fall, which is similar to prepandemic offerings, UF Provost and Senior Vice President Joe Glover said at the March 18 UF Board of Trustees meeting. The university based its plan on recommendations from UF Health epidemiologists, Glover wrote in a campus-wide email March 19.

Dr. Michael Lauzardo, the head of UF Health’s Screen, Test & Protect program, also said at the meeting that if masking and vaccine efforts lessen cases in the coming months, his program will recommend full capacity classrooms, no physical distancing and fewer masks for Fall.

In the email, Glover also stated there is zero evidence of transmission in classrooms and on-campus labs as 43% of undergraduate students take in-person classes in the Spring.

UF has yet to confirm whether the health guidelines that defined this past year’s campus experiences will continue in the Fall.

“Masking and testing may still be in place and will be determined based on people getting vaccinated and what the data are showing for COVID-19 cases,” Ken Gar-

cia, a UF Health spokesperson wrote in an email. “We will also follow state and federal guidelines.”

UF isn’t the first major Florida university to announce its Fall semester format.

The University of Central Florida outlined a full face-to-face Fall return with mandatory masking and hand-washing on March 1.

The University of South Florida released its plans March 3 to bring back pre-COVID-19 delivery of Summer B and Fall.

Florida State University is preparing for face-to-face delivery of in-person classes in the Fall alongside face masks, social distancing and limited in-person meetings, Amy Farnum-Patronis, a university spokesperson, wrote in an email.

These announcements come as political pressures and lost revenue push public

universities to make reopening progress, Edwin Michael, a USF College of Public Health professor and epidemiologist, wrote in an email. It also coincides with more students vying for in-person spots, he added.

Repealing social distancing requirements and new COVID-19 strands emerging, even as vaccines roll out, could lead to a resurgence in cases, Michael said. This could all affect Fall semesters across the state.

“They have either taken an optimistic view that it will be safe to go fully in-person or are hedging that somehow things can be controlled under the pressures to reopen,” he wrote. @ReaManny mrea@alligator.org

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

‘I am their voice’ ELECTION, from pg. 1

City Commission meetings. Hillel, also known as Gabe Kaimowitz, received about 12% of the vote, up from the 5% he earned when he ran in last year’s race.

City commissioners are elected to three-and-a-half-year terms, but terms will be extended to four years starting in 2022, Alachua County Supervisor of Elections spokesperson TJ Pyche said. Duncan-Walker will be up for reelection again in Fall 2024. Johnson, who reaches a term limit in 2024, will not be able to run again.

Johnson and Duncan-Walker, whose swearing-in ceremonies have not yet been planned, have continually fought against the construction of luxury student housing in the city’s historically Black neighborhoods. To accomplish this goal before even deciding to run for the commission seat, Duncan-Walker

founded the Gainesville Alliance for Equitable Development (GAED).

In her previous term, Johnson proposed a moratorium on East Gainesville development, which was an effort created in response to the controversial plan to build student apartments in the Pleasant Street neighborhood. Duncan-Walker said she would have supported the moratorium, even though Commissioner Simmons voted against the effort.

The pair have supported each other throughout their consecutive campaign trails.

In a Tuesday night Facebook post, Johnson congratulated Duncan-Waker on her win.

“Our neighborhoods now have a fighting chance,” Johnson wrote in a Facebook post.

She said she is not only looking forward to working with DuncanWalker, but also collaborating with the county commission and school

‘It’s just not right’ VIGIL, from pg. 1 about combating anti-Asian racism.

“If I have a bad day, I guess that’s now an excuse,” Zhou said, in reference to an Atlanta police officer’s rationale for the shootings. “It’s just not right.”

Danling Fu, a 60-year-old UF education professor, said Asian American issues have been largely ignored nationally for many years.

“No matter how many years you contribute to this nation, you will always be considered as a foreigner,” Fu said. “We immediately become the scapegoats.

board in her second term.

Thrilled about her own win, Duncan-Walker said winning by only 118 ballots is a testament to her campaign’s grassroots approach to engaging East Gainesville voters.

“The people want to see you, they want to feel you, they want to touch you, they want to hear you,” Duncan-Walker said. “Pulling the folks in is what really helped them to understand who I am. It may have boosted their confidence in me.”

Simmons’ loss continues a nineyear streak of one-term District 1 commissioners. Scherwin Henry was the last to serve two terms from 2006 to 2012.

Simmons said she wouldn’t rule out another run at city commission and plans to continue working in the community.

“But right now, I want to spend some quality time with family,” Simmons said.

Danielle Chanzes, a 28-yearold East Gainesville resident, spent Tuesday night setting up balloon arrangements at Duncan-Walker’s

Scapegoats for war. Scapegoats for the financial crisis. And now, we are the scapegoats for the pandemic.”

Asian Americans are tired of being treated as if their voices don’t matter, she said.

“We’ve been invisible for too long,” she said. “Most of us are first generation immigrants. We come here for better education.

For freedom, for democracy. We cannot stand for the racism against us.”

At the intersection of Southwest Archer Road and Southwest 34th Street, Han Yi, a 40-year-old city resident, said she is proud to be an Asian American woman who has worked hard to live in this country.

“We come here to pursue our dreams,” Yi said. “Not to become victims.”

By about 7:30 p.m., those who rallied on the street corners were accompanied by

watch party and anxiously refreshing the results page on her phone.

The two met before she decided to run, and both later planned a wellattended #StandForSeminaryLane protest to speak out against a controversial Pleasant Street development proposal.

Chanzes said Johnson has fiercely defended Gainesville’s historically Black communities during her term and knows that DesmonWalker has the integrity and vision to do the same.

“I think when it comes to making decisions about anything, we need to consider the most vulnerable,” Chanzes said. “I’m very, very confident with Desmon, being on the commission now and joining Gail, that the most vulnerable of our citizens will not be forgotten.”

Notably, voter turnout was at its lowest since 1997 in a Gainesville municipal election, with less than 11% of registered voters casting their ballots.

In 2016, the District 4 and mayoral election turnout was 44.36%.

In 2019, just 12.96% of eligible vot-

students, faculty and community members at Turlington Plaza to host a candlelight vigil.

At the center of the crowd stood Jiangeng Xue, a 45-year-old UF engineering professor. Xue said he appreciated President Fuchs’ statement that condemned anti-Asian violence; however, because the Atlanta shootings were not an isolated incident, he said he would like to see more done in Gainesville and at UF to address the issue on all fronts.

“It’s a very good first step,” Xue said.

“But we need more action from the government and from our society to really eliminate discrimination.”

Pengfei Zhao, a 36-year-old UF assistant professor of education, was frustrated to see the media focus on the possibility that

ers participated in the city’s mayoral race.

In 2020’s Regular Election when three city commissioners were elected, 184,103 Gainesville residents were eligible to vote. This year, the city had 90,794 eligible voters.

Voter turnout is typically higher in primary and general elections than in city elections, Pyche said.

“Traditionally, the turnout for these (local) elections is pretty low, so it’s not too far off — given the total number of voters — from what it normally is,” Pyche said.

This was the last city election to be held on its own. In 2018, Gainesville made the decision to start holding city and county commission elections together in Fall 2022.

Combining the elections should increase turnout in future city office races, Pyche said. @AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org @jack_prator jprator@alligator.org

the victims could have been sex workers instead of the tragedy of their deaths.

There is a negative stigma attached to being a working-class Asian woman in the United States, Zhao said.

Zhao brought her 6-year-old daughter, Iris Yunzhi Wang, to the vigil to educate her about injustice against Asian Americans.

“My girl has to grow up in this society,” Zhao said. “She needs to be able to speak up about injustices, chase her dreams and not be judged while doing that.” @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org @AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

SPOTIFY

MUSIC

MAM Concert Series kicks off in Alachua THE SERIES WILL HOST LOCAL VENDORS AND MUSICIANS FOR THREE WEEKENDS IN MARCH, APRIL AND MAY

By Heather Bushman Avenue Staff Writer

Over the next three months, the city of Alachua will be an open market for live music, local vendors and family fun.

The March, April & May (MAM) Concert Series kicked off March 19 at Legacy Park in Alachua, marking the first of three weekend events supporting local businesses and musicians. Partnering with VipperEvents, the city of Alachua sponsored the series to reintroduce small businesses to the community and provide families with a safe and fun weekend outing.

The MAM series will consist of three weekendlong events in March, April and May — March 1921, April 23-25 and May 21-23. The weekend events will run Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday

from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The series will feature live music, local vendors and other entertainment activities. Fridays have been designated as movie nights, and Sundays will begin with a women’s empowerment 4K walk. Entry is free, but attendees can become a “MAMer” with the purchase of special packages that include T-shirts, food and drink tickets and other sponsored items from vendors.

Each weekend will have a distinct musical theme. This weekend was the jazz, Latin and acoustic installment, April’s event will be southern rock and countryfocused, and the series will close in May with southern blues and funk performances.

The idea for the MAM series originated as a way to utilize Legacy Park, a 180-acre recreational site that opened in Alachua in 2017. The city of Alachua contacted VipperEvents, a local event-planning business, in October 2020 to begin putting the series together.

Jonathan Banks, head of

VipperEvents, said his company has been involved with the city for years, spanning all the way back to when it was nothing more than a group of volunteers looking to lend a hand on city-sponsored projects.

“We actually structured this company to service the community,” Banks said. “Now that we have gotten this in line with the goals of Alachua, we formulated a company to reflect that.”

The next step in structuring the series was recruiting artists and vendors to participate. Banks said local and regional musicians submitted video auditions for a chance to perform, and the series enlisted a lineup of surprise “A-listers” to make appearances.

R.L. Bryant, director of the MAM series, said the businesses and artists were curated to provide talented musicians and vendors from the area with an opportunity to showcase their skills and products.

This weekend’s lineup included artists La Lucha, Neptune’s Child, Gypsy Tears and more.

The event primarily serves as a

reintroduction of local businesses to the community, Bryant said.

Following the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryant said the city of Alachua aimed to integrate consumers back into the business fabric.

“The city wanted to throw an event that brought the world back to commerce,” he said.

Live music and other entertainment aspects were added to further incentivize community participation, Bryant said.

“We look at it as the common denominators that bring people together,” Bryant said.

In revitalizing commerce, the MAM series also sought to boost community morale. Banks said with the combination of local business visibility, lodging for out-of-towners and the presence of more people in Alachua for the event, the entire city will benefit.

Bryant said the series will function as a reprieve for people who have been isolated since the onset of the pandemic. Masks will be encouraged, and Legacy Park’s 180-acre space encourages social distancing.

These provisions, Bryant said, will enable Alachua families to be

Scan to listen to The Avenue’s pop culture news roundup.

safe and social — an opportunity Bryant said the city needs now more than ever.

“Overall, we want a fun environment where families can come out, enjoy themselves and go home and say, ‘Hey, it was great to get back to people,’” Bryant said. @hgrizzl hbushman@alligator.org

ART

Black C Art Gallery bringing glaciers with a message to Gainesville THE ART EXHIBITION AIMS TO PROVOKE THOUGHT ABOUT THE ‘GLACIAL WASTE’ SOCIETY PRODUCES ON A DAILY BASIS

By Valeriya Antonshchuk Avenue Staff Writer

Ani Collier brought her artistic vision from the Black Sea to the Black C Art Gallery five years ago. Now, Collier’s latest exhibition takes Gainesville visitors to the glaciers

Courtesy of Ani Collier // Black C Art Gallery

Iryna Konishcheva holds recycled bottles in front of Black C Art Gallery.

of Antarctica.

Inspired by a trip to the icy continent three years ago, the Bulgarian artist said she created the new exhibit “Glacial Waste” to show the beauty of Antarctica and bring attention to environmental issues in a unifying way.

“It just felt like the last continent that’s been kind of untouched by human presence,” she said.

In “Glacial Waste,” Collier showcases her original photography from the trip, driven by her “adventurous spirit,” and fills the gallery floor with plastic water bottles.

“I contrast the beauty of what we have with, you know, the plastic bottles — all the plastic that we keep producing day-in and day-out — and not just plastic, all the trash that we go through,” she said.

The exhibition opened March 12, but the gallery is continuing to collect plastic water bottles for the installation. They ask the public to donate empty plastic water bottles to the gallery at 201 SE Second Place, Suite 111.

Gallery director Iryna Kanishcheva said donated bottles are sanitized and cleaned then added to the installation. Once the exhibition is completed, she said the bottles will be brought to a recycling facility.

Collier plans to add an element of live performance to the exhibition in April. She said she’s exploring several options of how to incorporate the performances.

“It’s very interesting right now because we have the exhibit, we have an idea, but

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with the performances and what we’re doing next, it’s going to happen organically in the next month,” Collier said. “So it’s sort of like an exciting and scary place at the same time.”

In whichever form the exhibition comes together, she said she wants to allow visitors to independently experience and think through the piece.

“I am not gonna lecture, I’m not gonna say anything. It’s just going to be — see what we have and see what we do, you know, and what can we do about it.”

She said she believes art provides a unifying and impactful way to spark thought about issues in society. While environmental issues like climate change may sometimes be divisive, Collier said she thinks art can provide a different perspective.

“Art touches us in a way that somehow you remember,” Collier said.

Kanishcheva, a Ukraine-native who is also the founder and director of GNV Urban Art LLC, echoed Collier’s intentions for the exhibition and upcoming performances.

“We are going to incorporate a meaningful message at the play to make people think,” she said. “We are not going to just say that — hey, don’t waste plastic, you know? Don’t put it here. Try to recycle, don’t you? We’re going to let them experience what’s going on without saying actually the words. That’s the plan.”

She said the exhibition’s main message is

“to look at where we are now.”

She spoke of the way humans approach recycling and sustainability efforts, and the “I’m just one person” mindset which may prompt individuals to be less concerned about their impact. The goal of the exhibition, she said, is to simply “start a dialogue” about these issues through visual and performing arts.

Black C Art Gallery is also cycling through rotational shows including “In Search of,” “The Stronger” and “... there was a Girl,” Kanishcheva said. These are some of the gallery’s performance-based shows, playing to the blend of performance and fine arts embraced by Black C Art Gallery staff. She said some of these shows will be brought back this year after the “Glacial Waste’ exhibition.

“It’s a combination of fine arts and performing arts here in the gallery, and I really like that because I see many ways how I could implement something more experimental or theatrical,” she said.

She also said COVID-19 safety guidelines like masking, social distancing, and limitedcapacity events are in place.

The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Collier said. Visitors can also see the gallery by appointment by emailing blackcproductions@gmail.com. @Vantonshchuk vantonshchuk@alligator.org

Into the Fire

Almost half the baseball team never faced SEC play until last week. Whether it’s their first year or their first full season, many Gators are learning the SEC schedule’s rigors for the first time, pg. 12

Scan to listen to what the Avenue has been listening to this week.

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7

Time zone troubles: UF international students taking classes and exams in their home countries STUDENTS ENDURE OBSTACLES WITH TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES

By Abigail Hasebroock Alligator Staff Writer

An alarm blared at 4:45 a.m. in Oulu, Finland, jolting Meri Karioja to wake up for a proctored physics exam in 15 minutes.

She rolled out of bed and scrambled to scarf down protein-packed peanut butter and chia seed overnight oats before groggily making her way to her desk in the living room. The calculator, scratch paper and photo ID she laid out the night before awaited her.

Her cat, Filip, meowed as she launched her exam, upset about being locked away in Meri’s bedroom.

The 21-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology junior mustered up the strength to endure the two-hour exam before throwing herself back under her covers. She slept for another three hours, then peeled herself out of bed again for a six-hour shift at work.

Karioja said the experience felt like being jet-lagged after a long flight.

When the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic last March forced a campus shut down, UF students and faculty fled home to complete classes and work remotely. Some international students like Karioja have yet to return to campus.

Completing coursework online poses challenges for students and

instructors alike, but these issues are heightened for some international students who attend classes and take exams amid drastic time zone differences.

Only 302 out of about 700 incoming Spring international students who were issued I-20 forms, which allow them to apply for F-1 student visas, actually entered the United States, checked in and registered full time for the semester, Martine Angrand, UF’s International Center director of F-1 International Student Compliance Services, wrote in an email.

The approximately 400 students who did not enter the country either deferred to a future semester, enrolled in at least one course while remaining abroad or chose to attend another university, which subsequently canceled their I-20s, she wrote.

Though he could not provide exact numbers, the dean of UF’s International Center, Leonardo Villalón, said he is certain there was an increase in the number of international students who are remaining at home this academic year.

“Under normal circumstances, it’s very, very few,” he said. “If any.”

Karioja said the physics exam she took was originally scheduled for 3 a.m., but she asked for it to be pushed back, and it was — by two hours. She said her professor wanted to prevent any academic dishonesty.

“Luckily, I woke up,” she said.

“I was stressed out that I wouldn’t.”

About 8,000 miles away from The Swamp, Yile Shi is navigating a similar fate. The 19-year-old UF education sciences sophomore’s first year on campus was cut short after she moved back to her home in Liyang, China, in March 2020.

The city is 12 hours ahead of Gainesville, which poses a challenge for Shi’s synchronous classes.

In the Fall, she had a class that met at 5 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, she said.

“Some classes begin at 4 or 5 a.m., which really kills me,” she said. “It means I will be sleepy for the whole day.”

This Spring, Shi has a class that meets from 11:40 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. three times a week. While she doesn’t mind going to bed late, she stays home on those evenings because she has to complete schoolwork before class begins. Even her eating schedule is disrupted.

“I have to get home early, and eat my dinner early,” she said. “For these three days, I cannot go out and hang out with my friends.”

Though she said all of her professors have been understanding, Shi still struggles with technological issues out of her and her professors’ control. The Chinese government doesn’t allow citizens to view foreign platforms and websites, so she said she had to purchase an expensive virtual private network in order to log into Canvas and perform Google searches, which isn’t always reliable.

“When I am having a Zoom class, I always suddenly lose my In-

ternet connection,” she said.

Villalón said international students possess the same access to everything residential students have, but they may be less aware of how to use the available services.

The center works to pinpoint the students’ exact needs and then connect them with the appropriate office or resource, but he said there are many logistical issues beyond the center’s control.

“Those are just the realities of international work,” he said.

Ultimately, the best remedy is a safe return to Gainesville, which Shi desires more than anything.

“I really miss the campus, hanging out with my friends, taking courses in class physically,” she said. “I really hope to get back to UF as soon as possible.”

Like Shi, Saranya Aphornsuvan is also familiar with burning the midnight oil. The 21-year-old UF psychology sophomore remained in Bangkok, Thailand, from March 2020 until her return to campus in January, she said.

Thailand is 11 or 12 hours ahead of Gainesville, depending on daylight saving time, she said. Finishing her Spring 2020 semester meant attending Zoom lectures after midnight every day of the week.

Aphornsuvan said keeping her brain active and accurately processing information was draining, especially in comparison to her peers who were attending class while the sun was still high in the sky.

“When it’s at the end of the day, even if you try to schedule to carve

out time for class, your biological clock won’t register it,” she said.

Some of her classes, like Spanish, were primarily discussion-based, so she said she found herself having to participate in class conversations.

“Trying to speak a different language is so much harder to do at night when you’re just exhausted,” she said.

Though she said she did not mind being at home with her parents and dog, Mocca, Aphornsuvan said finding motivation was impossible because she had no one physically around her who was also studying for classes. She found herself getting distracted by little things like gazing out her bedroom window or spinning around on her chair.

“Being in the classroom, it’s much harder to distract yourself,” she said.

The hope produced by the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine influenced Aphornsuvan to travel back to Gainesville where she now lives and takes classes. One class is in person, which she said she excitedly marched into on the first day of class.

Aphornsuvan said she doesn’t feel as isolated anymore, and she even appreciates when she hears people complain about assignments and homework.

“You never know what you have until it’s gone,” she said. @abbeyhasebroock ahasebroock@alligator.org

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ANSWER IGLIKN Enjoying REARNIM Seafarer PUTEELA Shoulder ornament SANPLI ____ cord CLUE: ____ is one of the world's largest grain exporters.

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Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble the circled letters to solve the BONUS. 2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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ANSWERS: 1A-Lumber 5A-Karma 6A-Nylon 7A-Brutal 1D-Liking 2D-Mariner 3D-Epaulet 4D-Spinal B-Ukraine

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My Captain!" was written after 2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym meanpresident? to the scientific the death SETI of which community?

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4. TELEVISION: citywas wasthe the first setting 6. HISTORY:What What Monument proclaimed in the forNational the sitcom "Mork and Mindy"?

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7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the 5.island SCIENCE: Whatlocated? is the study of knowlof Luzon 8. MOVIES: Which sci-fi movie edge, reality and existence called?has the tagline, “Reality is a thing of the 6.past”?

ANIMAL KINGDOM: What are male 9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was crabs the name of the United States’ first blue called? nuclear-powered submarine?

10. GAMES: What thehighest four rail7. GEOGRAPHY: What are is the point road properties in Monopoly? in Japan?

Answers 1. 63,360 inches The acai berry is native 8. FOOD & DRINK: 2. Search for extraterrestrial intellitogence which continent?

3. Below or insufficient 4. Grover Cleveland 9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the "Winnie5. Katharine Hepburn the-Pooh" series 6. Devilsbook Tower, 1906for children?

7. The Philippines 10.8.MEASUREMENTS: What is an angstrom?

“The Matrix” 9. The USS Nautilus 10.© Pennsylvania, Short Line, Read2021 King Features Synd., Inc. ing and B&O © 2020 King Features Synd., Inc. answers on pg. 9

©2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

answer on page 9 Release Date: Monday, March 22, 2021 Release Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Los Puzzle Los Angeles Angeles Times Times Daily Daily Crossword Crossword Puzzle Edited Lewis Editedby byRich RichNorris Norris and and Joyce Joyce Nichols Nichols Lewis

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ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE: PUZZLE: ANSWER TO PREVIOUS

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MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 9

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Isotopes©2021 Minor League Baseball club was inspired by a fictional King Features Synd., team Inc. from what TV comedy series?

4. Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle, two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, spent their entire playing careers with what NFL franchise?

5. What traditional Japanese martial art is literally translated as “the way of the sword”?

6. Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated what mixed martial arts superstar in a 2017 boxing megafight in Las Vegas?

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Answers 1. 13. He hit eight of them in his 1962 rookie season.

2. The Big Whistle.

3. The Simpsons.

4. The Chicago Bears.

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U.S.-born referee and later a 3. broadcaster for the New York Rangers, ofwent the Year won the Daytona 500 in 1994 7. Sebastian the Ibis is the official mascot by what nickname? and 1995?

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OPERATION CATNIP

Sports Quiz answers

King Features Weekly Service

May 25, 2020

1. Jacksonville Jaguars punter Chris Hanson was injured by what object used as a motivational tool in the locker room during the 2003 season?

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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

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10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

Alachua County opens registration for rental aid EACH HOUSEHOLD IS LIMITED TO $15,000 OF ASSISTANCE

By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

Julia Coin // Alligator Staff

Desmon Duncan-Walker, the District 1 Gainesville City Commissioner-elect (left), and Gail Johnson, the reelected Gainesville City Commissioner (right), hug after they won their respective races on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

Julia Coin // Alligator Staff

Desmon Duncan-Walker, the District 1 Gainesville City Commissionerelect, celebrates her win with her cousin, Erin McCray, at Cypress & Grove Brewing Co. on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

Alachua County opened applications for an Emergency Rental Assistance Program March 15.

After receiving a federal grant of $8.1 million in funds for a rental assistance program in January, the county launched the program to assist households struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It can assist eligible households, specifically those below the 80% median income, with the payment of late rent and utilities, or pay the rent in advance.

The Treasury Department provided this grant to Alachua County and other counties across the nation as a part of the COVID-19 relief bill signed by former President Donald Trump, which included the CDC’s eviction moratorium that President Joe Biden extended to March 31.

People who seek financial help must be directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton said. According to the program’s application page, one or more adults in the household must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income on or after March 13, 2020.

“It’s not something that’s going to assist somebody who has been having financial difficulties, stemming back before COVID,” Sexton said.

The county is expected to follow strict federal guidelines limiting counties to cover only eligible renters below 80% of median income in the area and prioritize those below 50% of median income in the area, he said. These guidelines would limit the eligible recipients of the

rent aid to, for example, a household size of four people who have a combined income of $55,850.

The money will not be handed over to the renters themselves. Instead, the county will send the requested payments directly to the landlords, property managers and utility companies.

Regardless of the household size, each household is limited to $15,000 of assistance. However, the limit may change based on the demand for assistance from the program, Sexton said.

He said more than 1,000 people have completed, started or are in the process of finishing registration for the rental assistance program, as of Tuesday night.

“Fifteen thousand dollars would be life-changing for a lot of these households,” said Chair of the Alachua County Labor Coalition Jeremiah Tattersall. “It would mean that they don’t have to make the decision between food and housing or health care and housing.”

The County Labor Coalition has a housing committee focusing on renters rights issues through an eviction resistance task force that helps people continue to live in their homes.

The coalition connects citizens who filed for evictions to information about the CDC eviction moratorium, the CARES Act Fund, the ERAP and contact information with Three Rivers Legal Services, an affordable legal service assisting lower-income Florida residents.

These services and grants, especially the CDC eviction moratorium, keep hundreds if not thousands of Alachua County citizens from facing eviction, Tattersall said.

Kai Christmas, a 24-year-old Gainesville resident, co-founded Gainesville COVID-19 Mutual Aid, a Facebook group allowing residents to give or receive help, after they saw the need for community outreach about one year ago.

Since then, Christmas has spo-

ken with dozens of Gainesville citizens in need of monetary assistance to get them a hotel for the night or food to get them through the day.

“As COVID was starting to take hold in our community, we knew that it would have a disproportionate effect on our most marginalized community members,” they said.

The Facebook group receives a lot of posts from homeless people as well, Christmas said.

“I don’t see any way that this program addresses our houseless neighbors,” they said. “And that’s one huge area that I would say needs additional resources.”

One member of the Facebook group, 51-year-old Gainesville resident Shanna Johnson, said she joined the group in May 2020 to become a helper within the community.

Since the start of the pandemic, she made an effort to help residents obtain food through the Civic Media Center and share COVID-19 resources from Indivisible Gainesville with community members in the Facebook group.

“I really think this kind of action needed to happen sooner,” Johnson said. “I know there’s a lot of things that go into getting this done, but I just feel like it didn’t have to be so hard for so many.”

She said she’s noticed many calls for help securing shelter and hotel rooms within the group. By sharing the link to ERAP’s registration page, she hoped it would help someone who risks losing housing or is trying to get housing.

Johnson pointed out that the application is online, which might be inconvenient for people who do not have easy access to the internet.

“I feel like the people who need the help usually have the least amount of resources,” she said. @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

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MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 www.alligator.org/sports

SOCCER

Who should partner Parker Roberts in midfield?

AFTER MORE THAN HALF THE SEASON, FLORIDA’S SECOND CENTER MIDFIELDER IS STILL NOT LOCKED DOWN

By Myles Herbert Sports Writer

As Florida hit Donald R. Dizney Stadium for an extended spring season, head coach Becky Burleigh began experimenting.

Through four games and one exhibition in the spring, Florida has played in a 4-4-2 religiously, a change from the 4-2-3-1 which Burleigh heavily frequented in 2019 and the fall of 2020.

Burleigh picked three different midfield pairings through the five matches the team played.

Redshirt senior midfielder Parker Roberts remained the Gators’ constant. She started next to Laney Steed in the opener against College of Charleston, midfielders Cameron Hall against USF and FSU and Ava Kuyken against Georgia Southern and LSU. Roberts has started every match and played 336 of 380 minutes, the most of any outfield player. The 2020 all-SEC second-team player racked up two goals, two assists and a goal contribution of .84 per 90 minutes.

Roberts’ strength lies in her ability to sit in front of the back four and deliver passes across the field. This allows her midfield partner to focus on other aspects aside from distribution: think the role that Chelsea midfielder Jorginho fit in while he played under Mauricio Sarri at both Napoli and Chelsea-ish.

Two midfielders usually accompany a player in this role on either side. These two play a “shuttler” role, someone who’s very active and transitions the ball forward in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 diamond.

It’s unusual to see this type of midfield system play out in a 4-4-2 wide, so it begs the question — who should partner her in midfield?

When it's sophomore midfielder Laney Steed, Florida keeps its best two passers at the center of the pitch.

With them, the Gators should have generated more chances, but this wasn’t the case against College of Charleston. In the first half, both goals came off set pieces. While the Gators controlled the match, they couldn’t link up play well enough in the opposition’s third.

Florida produced five shots at the half. To start the second half, Steed moved to left midfield. This distributed the creativity through the team more equally with a threat out wide.

Florida then accumulated nine shots and added three goals. Steed worked wonders out wide, opening the offense with passes from the wing.

The next two matches Florida played were against its best opponents: No. 18 South Florida and No. 1 Florida State. Florida managed two scoreless draws against them.

After the teams’ second half against Charleston, Steed started both matches out wide, and allowed Hall to come into the midfield.

While the formation stayed the same, Florida played more defensively.

Hall and Roberts needed to organize the midfield in front of the defense because they would be backpedalling. They stifled the opposition’s attack somewhat yet still couldn’t nullify their shot and chance creations completely.

Florida was outshot 27-9 across the two matches, but held onto clean sheets due to the back line’s defense.

In the game against USF, Hall received a red card and a two-game suspension. It

counted toward the first match against Georgia Southern because the FSU game was an exhibition.

This brought Kuyken into the midfield, and the England youth international shifted how the formation worked.

The team started out in its 4-4-2, but as the game against GSU played out, it shifted to more of a 4-1-2-1-2 with Kuyken playing box-to-box.

As Florida controlled the game, the playmaking ran through her and Roberts handled more defensive duties.

Florida recorded 37 shots in the game with 19 on target and much of this had to do with Kuyken.

Her movement off-ball and ability to link

play in tight spaces made it easy for herself and her teammates. It generated space that they could use to progress the ball either out wide to Steed and Nicole Vernis or through the middle.

While the Gators created their most shots in games where Kuyken started, one weakness glared against GSU in particular.

When making her way up the pitch to occupy advanced attacking positions, space opened up behind her that teams could capitalize on. Opponents can wait for her to receive the ball and use that as a trigger to press.

It is currently unclear who will take up the helm at Florida before the fall but one thing is certain is that they will have their choice on who starts in their midfield.

A hypothetical setup with the opposition in a 4-3-3 formation.

@myles_herbert mherbert@alligator.org

Myles Herbert // Alligator Staff

BASEBALL

Gators opened SEC weekend with several conference newbies NEARLY HALF OF THE GATORS’ ROSTER NEVER PLAYED IN AN SEC GAME UNTIL THE WEEKEND

By Sara Kate Dyson Sports Writer

As the first crack of the bat rang throughout Florida Ballpark on SEC Opening Weekend, so did the bundle of excitement and nerves that encompasses baseball in March.

In the first inning with two outs, Nathan Hickey whizzed a double down the left-field line. The hit marked the first for the Gators in SEC play this year, and Hickey’s first against a conference opponent in his second year on the team.

Nearly one year ago, the Gators baseball team sat in the clubhouse at Alfred A McKethan Stadium and prepared to open SEC play against Georgia. Then, the world stopped, and so did baseball.

Florida didn’t play a single SEC game that spring.

This year, the Gators hosted SEC Opening Weekend AlligatorSports has a podcast.

The AlligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

against Texas A&M. The series marked the first time Florida faced a conference opponent since its one-game battle against Georgia Nov. 1. It became the first full three-game SEC series the team played since May 2019.

The SEC often features the highest level of competition in college baseball. This week, the top-four ranked teams belonged to the SEC. Nearly half the team experienced the SEC’s intensity for the first time.

Last season’s freshmen, dubbed “COVID freshmen,” it’s a belated start to a rite of passage they lost. To this year’s, it’s a sudden change of pace from what they were growing accustomed to.

The first few weeks of Florida’s college baseball season included games against out-of-conference and usually unranked opponents. The opening weeks gave the players and head coach Kevin O’Sullivan the opportunity to tinker with the lineup and find a system that works — all in preparation for the start of conference play.

Due to the extended layoff, O’Sullivan doesn’t have all the answers set for this team. Twenty-two of 39 players

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on the roster are new to conference play, and the coach took longer to figure out what putting his best foot forward meant for this team.

First-year freshman catcher Mac Guscette caught for fourth-year starting pitcher Tommy Mace to open SEC play on Thursday night. Guscette hasn’t been the go-to starter behind the plate all season, but he made a name for himself in the conference with his offensive prowess.

The nerves surfaced, Guscette said, as he squatted behind the plate for the first time, but they soon disappeared as the game went on. So much became obvious after he slapped both a double and a single down the left field line in two at-bats in the same inning.

“Catching Tommy knowing he’s been through this, it kind of helped me, he talked me through it,” Guscette said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org @declanaw dwalsh@alligator.org

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Among Florida’s many woes, two glaring problems sent it home TURNOVERS AND POOR CLOCK MANAGEMENT SPOILED UF’S NCAA TOURNAMENT RUN

By River Wells Sports Writer

Colin Castleton nailed his second free throw and built Florida’s lead to six points. He strode back to defense.

There were six minutes left before the Sweet 16.

In the city that hosts the electrifyingly fast Indianapolis 500, Gators head coach Mike White slowed things down.

The clock ticked, and the Gators idled. Their sevenpoint lead dwindled until a three-point shot from Oral Roberts forward DeShang Weaver put the Golden Eagles up 80-78 late in the game.

The Gators never regained their lead and saw their season come to an end when the 15th-seeded Oral Roberts knocked off 7th-seeded Florida 81-78 to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

“We were tired,” White said. “I thought that part of slowing it down would help us settle in with some of the erratic decisions that we were making offensively.”

Oral Roberts is the second 15-seed to make it to the Sweet 16 after FGCU in 2013. The win over Florida was ORU’s second March Madness win since 1974.

You don’t know how good they are until you actually play them,” Sophomore guard Tre Mann said.

Florida entered the game favored by nine points, according to SportsLine. Yet Oral Roberts exploited faults in White’s strategy. That ill-fated three with two minutes and nine seconds left was the Golden Eagles’ first lead in the second half. But there are more reasons why Florida’s dance is over and Oral Roberts’ Cinderella story continues.

The Gators shot 7 for 9 from the foul line compared to Oral Roberts 19 for23, but turnovers and poor clock management spun UF off course, too. Oral Roberts preyed on

Florida and gave up possession after possession.

Florida turned the ball over a staggering 10 times in the first half and made matters worse by turning the ball over another 10 times in the second half. Oral Roberts finished with 12 total turnovers.

Every UF player who touched a basketball in the first half turned it over at least once. Four players ended with at least three turnovers. Mann claimed four, and junior forward Colin Castleton had five.

“To me it was a mentality that this team, unfortunately, never fully embraced the importance, unfortunately, of each possession,” White said.

Over the two games in the NCAA Tournament, the Golden Eagles’ turnover ratio is +18. They ruined millions of brackets in their win against Ohio State by winning the turnover battle 16-6.

Florida struggled with keeping the basketball all year.

This season, Florida had a turnover rate of 23.2% in halfcourt. When operating in the last 21-30 seconds of the shot clock, it turned the ball over a staggering 24.6% of the time, according to GatorsTerritory’s Eric Fawcett.

With that turnover rate from Florida in half-court, the strategy Oral Roberts implemented became simple. When Florida wasted time with the basketball, it was only more likely to turn the ball over — especially when it’s subsequently forced to rush at the end of the game, as that 24.6% turnover rate would indicate.

Oral Roberts played aggressive all night, and when faced with the opportunity to cash in on Florida’s turnovers, it didn’t waste time. The Golden Eagles scored 23 points off of turnovers and scored 16 points in the last six minutes. Florida, as it tried to milk the clock, only scored seven and attempted eight field goals.

Florida fans made no attempts to hide their clamoring for White’s job after consistent bounces from the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. White may have opted to eat up the

clock toward the end of the game, but the six-year head coach’s time may be running out soon.

I’m crushed right now,” White said. “It’s been a long year. It’s been a really long year.” @riverhwells rwells@alligator.org

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

Coach Mike White stands on the sidelines at the O’Connell Center against Georgia Feb. 20. White and the Gators lost against Oral Roberts 81-78 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday.