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MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 36

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UF faculty union wins paid parental and medical leave in new contract THE UF FACULTY UNION AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ALSO DECIDED ON PROMOTION GUIDELINES FOR NON-TENURE FACULTY AND NEW PRINCIPLES FOR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

By Eve Thompson Alligator Staff Writer

After over two years of negotiation for paid leave and other faculty updates, the Board of Trustees ratified an agreement Thursday, June 10 with the United Faculty of Florida. The collective bargaining agreement, a labor contract defining the relationship between UF and its faculty, is renegotiated every three years. This year, the union bargaining team won paid parental and medical leave, new promotion guidelines for nontenure-track faculty and a clearly defined way to report conflicts of interest and outside activities, among other updates. Hélène Huet, union co-chief negotiator, has been fighting for

paid parental and medical leave since she moved to the United States from France in 2005. “Having a baby is not a vacation, and it’s not an illness. So, you shouldn’t have to use your vacation or sick days,” Huet said. The union bargaining team initially asked for 19.5 weeks, the equivalent of a semester, but won eight weeks of paid parental leave and eight weeks of paid medical leave. “Pretty much every other country in the world has a paid parental leave,” Huet said. “The fact that in the U.S. the only thing this country could come up with is, ‘You get 12 weeks unpaid leave, but we can’t fire you because you are having a baby,’ shocked me.” Before this contract, faculty could borrow time from the university and pay it back later. They could also use vacation or sick days but were allowed no medical leave. The UF faculty union’s

SEE UNION, PAGE 4

Walter Harwood // Alligator Staff

Kristyn Lopez, 37, (right) gives a tattoo designed to emulate a tarot card to Franciso Martinez, 31, a Gainesville resident (left) on Sunday, June 13, 2021. In an effort to raise money for victims of sexual assault, community members had their bodies marked with ink at the Still Not Asking For It tattoo flash event, which raised $1,660 for two non-profit organizations.

How Gov. DeSantis’ latest budget approval affects Alachua County

DeSantis approved two proposals in Gainesville but vetoed another two By Alexander Lugo Alligator Staff Writer

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s state budget June 2, approving $101 billion to distribute across the state. The budget is the highest the state has ever seen and will help fund projects in Alachua County like a sports complex, a youth shelter replacement facility and a one-time $1,000 bonus for full-time teachers and first responders. However, the governor vetoed parts of the budget that would have funded transportation and medical resources for vulnerable Gainesville residents. The budget included $600,000 for the proposed Alachua County Youth Shelter replacement, which is meant to keep children out of the criminal justice system, according to its funding request. The shelter would provide food, counseling and education for children in crisis, including those experiencing human trafficking or domestic violence, State Rep.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Mardal’s Might

Thomas Story description Mardalfinish won with two comma,national pg# championships this year in track and field. The Norway native has come a long way from being a runner in Gloppen, pg. 11

Chuck Clemons said. Clemons requested funding from the state for the youth shelter replacement and the sports complex. He said human trafficking is a problem — especially in Florida — and organizations that prevent it usually run on low budgets, so he appreciates the governor’s support. The North Central Florida Regional Sports Complex also received $2.3 million in funding. It is expected to be built in Celebration Pointe. The complex is being primarily funded with $30 million from Alachua County’s tourism tax funds and $35 million from the private company funding the Celebration Pointe development. “This has statewide and regional impact for tourist development dollars,” Clemons said. “To be able to host athletic and other events in Gainesville at a venue like this is just a fabulous economic development opportunity.”

Some critics questioned the governor’s priorities, but Clemons argued that the governor vetoed over $1 billion for projects across the state. He expressed doubts about if funds would have gone to the vetoed projects whether the sports complex received funding or not. Commissioner David Arreola criticized the decision to fund the complex over other projects in East Gainesville in a Tweet. He argued the $2.3 million could have been better spent on communities that need support as opposed to funding communities that are already thriving. “It just doesn’t seem like his priorities are really considering the needs of everyday people in Florida, because that sports complex is going to make a lot of people lots of money,” Arreola said. “I wish he would value economic development in our most vulnerable communities as much as he does in the wealthiest parts of our community.” The governor slashed a proposed

UMOJA

Black artists recognized in new art exhibit, pg. 8

$250,000 that would have gone to Gainesville Fire Rescue’s Community Resource Paramedic Program. Its goal is to maintain a healthy quality of life in Gainesville by bringing medical services to patients who call 911 the most, such as the elderly and those with chronic diseases. “We’ll literally show up at the person’s house and knock on the door,” Joseph Hillhouse, assistant fire chief at Gainesville Fire Rescue, said. “That’s something that social workers from the hospital don’t necessarily have the opportunity to be able to do.” The goal is to provide preventive care for residents who struggle to get that care so they’re not in the hospital as often, Hillhouse said. Available services include COVID-19 vaccinations, translators to help with language barriers and follow-up check-ins to continue care. For the patients enrolled in the CRP program, 911 calls are down about 40%,

SEE DESANTIS, PAGE 4

Remembering Audrey Cheves

The 18-year-old was killed in a car crash June 5, pg. 6

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

Today’s Gainesville bloodWeather donation centers continue to face shortages

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 36

NEWSROOM:

Blood shortages persist with a critical need for Type O blood as elective surgeries increase By Phong Huynh Alligator Staff Writer

LifeSouth Community Blood Center, a non-profit blood bank, has seen supply shortages and a lack of donors since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. LifeSouth is not alone. Blood donation centers nationwide are still experiencing shortages caused by the pandemic. The center is in critical need of type O-, the universally accepted blood type, and O+, which can be accepted by everyone with a positive blood type. Laura Bialeck, the community development coordinator of LifeSouth Community Center in Gainesville, said the shortage persists with fewer donations and donors. As surgeries canceled during the pandemic are now being rescheduled, more blood is needed, she said. High schools make up 15 to 20% of blood collections per year, Bialeck said. When schools and businesses closed at the beginning of the pandemic in March, blood drives were barred from going to them. “High school students are not as willing to come out and donate if we're not at their school — the camaraderie that they get donating with their friends and getting to miss class when they go out and donate,” she said. Bialeck said LifeSouth has recently been permitted to have blood drives at schools by the Alachua County school district and at UF. Julia Dawson, a 20-year-old UF psychology sophomore, said she sometimes passes out giving blood but continues to donate because she wants to help people.

“I'm more cautious because of the way that my body reacts,” she said. “But it's not really something that has completely turned me away from it.” Dawson said her experiences donating blood have been positive, especially with incentives like T-shirts or gift cards. “They're really good at making sure that you're comfortable and understand everything that's going to happen,” she said. Time conflicts and inconvenience can also limit someone’s ability to give blood, Alex Walker, a 20-year-old UF economics sophomore, said. She also believes misinformation may contribute to the hesitancy to donate. “Maybe people aren't as well informed,” she said. “Maybe they

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think they can't donate blood, and they just don't know how it's going to go.” From June 11 to 14, LifeSouth will give a $20 e-gift card to donors to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, which is June 14. “I would ask people to face your fear and give it a try,” Bialeck said. “They might find out that, ‘Hey, it wasn't so bad, and now I know I've saved some lives.’” @phongphont phuynh@alligator.org

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Tiffany Bach arranges files after collecting blood samples on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

No new transfer station DESANTIS, from pg. 1

and the number of patients following their recommended medical instructions are up by about 60%, Hillhouse said. The project currently has three employees, but Hillhouse wants to expand to offer about 27 positions. “We’re going to continue funding the program,” Commissioner Arreola said. “A quarter-million dollars to scale up the program — I didn’t think it was a huge ask of the state government.” The City of Gainesville asked the governor for $300,000 to set aside in the budget for a transfer station, but Gov. DeSantis also vetoed that proposal. A completed bus transfer station in East Gainesville would require a $4 million budget to help provide residents in the neighborhood access to more transportation options. The transfer station has been under consideration for years, said State Rep. Yvonne Hinson who put the transfer station on the budget to be considered. The Gainesville Regional Transit System recommended the station after a survey revealed that East Gainesville residents struggle to find nearby routes that get them to their destination on time, Hinson said. The governor’s office also boasted about directing money to environmental resources in the budget, but much of that funding may not sufficiently help springs in and around Alachua County, Ryan Smart, executive director at Florida Springs Council, said. Florida land conservation got a total of $400 million worth of funding this year, which Smart said he appreciates. Additionally, the budget for the Land Acquisition Trust Fund

received $75 million, a $25-million increase compared to past years. The trust fund ensures land is acquired to protect and preserve endangered environments and important water sources around the state. Smart said it would take about $15 billion to fix Florida’s springs alone. Another major factor in restoring springs is minimizing agriculture pollution, Smart said. It contributes to 70% of all pollution in springs, but only 1% of the budget goes towards helping minimize agriculture pollution, he said. Some vital water sources, such as the Ichetucknee Basin and the Santa Fe River Basin, received funding for small projects, but they do not come close to addressing the big picture, Smart said. The only project funded by the state in the Ichetucknee Basin would convert 16 septic tanks to sewer systems, which would reduce pollution by 400 pounds a year, Smart said. But pollution needs to be reduced by 200,000 pounds a year to make a real impact, he said. Additionally, the Everglades in South Florida is getting 10 times more funding than springs in Central and North Florida, Smart said. That was decided even though the needs of both ecosystems are not drastically different, he said. The trend of giving about 90% of water resource protection funding to South Florida started under former Gov. Rick Scott and is now continuing under DeSantis, Smart said. “It doesn’t matter how much money you’re going to allocate if you’re not going to use that money in a way that is cost-effective,” he said. @alexlugo67 alugo@alligator.org

Brynn Anderson // Associated Press

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at C.B. Smith Park on Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Gainesville building catches on fire overnight Gainesville Fire Rescue is investigating the cause of the fire after the building’s burglary alarm went off By Jake Reyes Alligator Staff Writer

A small building at 810 NW Eighth Street caught fire Sunday. The building is leased by the City of Gainesville for Aces in Motion, a free after-school program for middle and high school students in Alachua County, Gainesville Fire Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Hillhouse said. The Gainesville Police Department responded to the incident at 2:29 a.m. after the building’s burglary alarm went off, according to a Gainesville Fire

Rescue report. The first GPD officer to arrive discovered a fire coming from the northwest corner of the building and called GFR. Firefighters responded to the fire in less than five minutes. The first to arrive saw heavy smoke coming from the building and were able to put out the fire after containing it to one corner. Though the fire was put out within five minutes, the interior of the building endured extensive damage, especially in the kitchen. The outside of the building is still intact. A total cost of the damages

has not yet been determined, Hillhouse said. Hillhouse said buildings sometimes have a burglary system that dispenses smoke when the burglary alarm goes off, causing the fire alarm to also go off. Hillhouse said the cause of the fire is still unknown and under investigation. It’s also unclear who or what set off the burglary alarm. According to the report, there were no injuries. @frlJakeReyes jreyes@alligator.org

New guideline for non-tenured faculty UNION, from pg. 1

Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff

The UF Board of Trustees discusses capital projects inside the Emerson Alumni Hall on Thursday, March 18, 2021.

bargaining team met with the Board of Trustees’ negotiation team nearly every week since March 2019. The two parties also agreed on new promotion guidelines for non-tenure-track faculty, employees who are hired without the promise of tenure. Many of the existing guidelines were not developed with non-tenure-track faculty in mind, Sean Trainor, treasurer of the faculty union and a non-tenure lecturer in the management communications center, said. Now, departments must create a new promotion process for them. The COVID-19 pandemic made bargaining meetings more difficult because they were virtual, Trainor said. “It also meant that basically everybody on both sides of the bargaining table, whether it was the union side or the administration side, everybody was just more tired, more stressed out,” he said. The union had a larger-than-usual agenda as well, Trainor said, including new rules for paid

leave. The Board of Trustees also proposed a new way of reporting and tracking outside activities and conflicts of interest, Trainor said. He thought it was excessively restrictive. “We did a lot of work to try to make that more usable, more faculty friendly,” he said. William Keegan, the other union co-chief negotiator, said departments have different ways of treating faculty because of UF’s size and complexity. “What we’ve tried to do is make it more equitable across the entire university for faculty who aren’t tenure-accruing but who are looking to make a career here and get promoted for their performance,” Keegan said. The next step is to ratify the contract. The union will send out a summary to all faculty members, who will then vote to accept or reject the agreement. The Board of Trustees has done the same and has voted to ratify. If the agreement is ratified by the union, the agreed-upon start date is July 1, 2021, and it will be in place for the next three years. @evealanaa ethompson@alligator.org

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

FL Commissioner Fried’s UF Law BOT seat in question following gubernatorial candidacy ON JUNE 1, FRIED ANNOUNCED HER CAMPAIGN FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR

By Makiya Seminera Alligator Staff Writer

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried’s appointment to UF’s Law Center Association Board of Trustees is now shrouded in uncertainty. On June 1, Fried, a UF alumna, announced her long-awaited candidacy in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election. In addition to running against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — who boasts a 55% approval rating as of May 12, according to a poll released by the Florida Chamber of Commerce — she will also face Democratic front-runner Charlie Crist. Although Fried’s road to the governor’s mansion will prove a formidable task, the prospect of

her potential election has prompted UF Law to consider the future of her appointment to the Board of Trustees. “This is new territory for us. If she is elected, we will consult with her and the board’s leadership on possible options moving forward,” Senior Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Michael Farley wrote in an email. She will start her five-year term on July 1 with a group of 16 other new members who were invited to join the UF Law LCA Board of Trustees in 2021. Among Fried’s new member cohort is Stephanie Mickle, the CEO of Mickle Public Affairs Agency and daughter of Stephan P. Mickle — the first Black UF undergraduate alumnus and second to graduate from the Levin College of Law. As a Democratic candidate in the gubernatorial race, Nikki has remained a vocal advocate for the protection of LGBTQ rights and re-

form of gun laws. Fried, the only Democrat elected in 2018 to hold a statewide office in Florida, has also pointed to her position as Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services as the main selling point of her campaign. Before becoming the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Fried started her lifelong career in Florida politics at UF. She received her bachelor’s, master’s and JD degrees in political science, political campaigning and law, respectively, from UF. “As a proud alumna of @UF’s Levin College of Law @UFLaw, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve on the LCA board and give back to the #GatorNation,” Fried wrote in a tweet. Beyond being a three-time Gator alumna, Fried also served as the 2002-2003 student body president and was a member of Florida Blue Key.

As a financial support organization formed in 1960, the UF Law LCA currently has 79 active members and 153 Emeritus members — a position earned after a member has served their five-year term. The LCA Board of Trustees assists UF Law’s budgetary process, providing financial resources and managing mentorship programs for students. “We are grateful for the support of our LCA, which routinely supports admissions and career development initiatives in addition to helping with fundraising appeals to the alumni population,” Farley wrote. Nominations to the LCA Board of Trustees are encouraged throughout the year and are discussed at monthly meetings by the LCA Membership Committee. The entire LCA advisory board considers the nominees each August and January — ultimately crafting a list of new members to be voted on in

May. Fried joins a long list of notable active members of the LCA Board of Trustees, including Ashley Moody, Florida’s Republican attorney general. Fried confronted Moody earlier this year about her involvement as a board member of an organization that sent robocalls urging people to participate in the march that led to the Capitol insurrection. If Fried is elected as governor on November 8, 2022, she would be the first Democrat to take the office since former Gov. Buddy MacKay’s 24-day governorship from 1998 to 1999. Fried would also be the first woman to become governor of Florida — an achievement that would mirror her success as the first female student body president of UF after a nearly 20-year-long stint of male presidents. @makseminera mseminera@alligator.org

Alachua County commissioners consider amending rules for tiny homes The county could expand parking accessibility for RVs and tiny houses By Antonia LaRocca Alligator Staff Writer

Following a growing interest in tinyhouse living, Alachua County officials and residents are considering how to incorporate the small homes into the community. The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 June 1 to consider a new use for urban RV parks and designate which zoning districts would allow RVs, along with considering amending the existing mobile home park code. These codes could extend to lesstraditional tiny homes as well. The county’s growth management department provided four options for the board to consider. The options were

to amend the existing mobile home park code to allow RVs, allow RVs to serve as transitional housing in homeless shelters, create a new use for urban RV parks and designate which zoning districts would allow them, as well as allow RV spaces within cottage neighborhoods. The board’s future decisions could expand the parking accessibility for RVs as well as tiny houses. “I don’t think this should ever be a long-term solution, but I do think that it’s a better option than the street,” Commissioner Mary Alford said regarding living in RVs. The board voted to not consider RVs as transitional housing for homeless shelters. It also rejected allowing RVs in cottage neighborhoods, as they would

Antonia LaRocca // Alligator Staff

The inside of a tiny home in a storage container converted by Troy Rosslow, founder of Tiny House Lab LLC on Monday, June 7, 2021.

not be compatible with the tiny houses already allowed in the county’s cottage neighborhoods, Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Chestnut IV said. Cottage neighborhoods are neighborhoods with smaller homes with restrictions on the size, types and other specifications of the houses. “The goal is to skip this step of transitional housing as much as we possibly can,” Commissioner Anna Prizzia said. The average tiny house ranges from 100 to 400 square feet, and building costs can be anywhere from $8,000 to $150,000, according to Business Insider. While tiny homes are compact structures, they can come in many forms. These homes can vary from being on wheels like RVs, converted buses or vans to stationary homes like yurts, shipping containers and cabins. “I’m thinking that around the country, RVs are becoming more and more permanent, and we have to think about that from the standpoint of our local economy,” Commissioner Ken Cornell said. In November, the county adopted changes that allow tiny houses on wheels to reside in agricultural areas, according to Jeffrey Hays, a planner for the county’s growth management department. Troy Rosslow, a 46-year-old Alachua County resident, has been interested in small-housing options since he moved into his family’s garage three decades ago at 16 years old. That garage has been an oasis of liberation for generations: Rosslow’s older brother and father both lived in the space before him. Yet, he said the garage was a dump when he moved in. With an opportunity to update the garage into a tiny space, Rosslow began learning about construction. In 2019, he officially formed Tiny House Lab LLC, his business in Gainesville focused on converting shipping containers into tiny

homes. A bed, couch, small kitchen and other amenities line the metal walls of the container home on his property. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosslow said his tiny house was in high demand on Airbnb because it provided a private and socially distanced alternative to hotels. He said visitors and renters are often surprised by how spacious it feels. Hays said Alachua County accepts tiny homes made out of shipping containers as accessory dwelling units, or smaller homes that share a lot with a stand-alone home. Along with turning to tiny houses in the form of shipping containers, others have converted buses into tiny homes. Taylor Selbe and Nathan Lisko live in a converted bus. Following their struggles finding affordable housing, the couple bought a bus in December 2019, excited for their future. “We want experiences,” Selbe said. “We want to travel.” The couple initially planned on living in a tiny home built on a trailer. But, due to its high price, Selbe said they decided to buy a bus instead. However, after receiving a citation in the Summer of 2020 for having their bus parked in a residential lot, they found that tiny-house living in Gainesville and Alachua County was not as welcoming as they expected. Selbe said they chose to move the bus they are living in onto family property in Volusia County. Selbe is optimistic about living on their bus and traveling. Aside from being affordable, the unconventional form of living allows for more contact with nature and easy travels — something highly valued by tiny-home owners like Selbe. Current county regulations prevent some tiny homes, like tiny homes on wheels, from being allowed in residential areas, said Hays. But the county is continuing to consider changing regulations to accept more tiny-house options in the future. @antoniarlarocca alarocca@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

Pride Community Center celebrates Pride Month THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ALLIES BUILD THE FUTURE AND REFLECT ON THE PAST OF THE PRIDE COMMUNITY CENTER OF NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA

By Joelle Wittig Alligator Staff Writer

LGBTQ pride flags decorated the pavilion at Westside Park as the sun beat down on bagels, donuts, fruit and coffee arranged on a long table. More than 50 people gathered in Gainesville to discuss the future of the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida. On the morning of the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting June 12, the center held a meeting to collaborate with the community to understand the needs and goals of LGBTQ individuals. Tamára Perry-Lunardo, a 41-year-old bisexual woman, has served as the president of the Pride Community Center for a year and a half. She said the turnout exceeded her expectations, and she was energized by the outcome of the meeting. “What we were really hoping to get out of it was community input and involvement, and people really stepped up and did exactly

that,” she said. The meeting focused on four specific needs: leadership, facilities, programming and events. The group brainstormed ideas like outdoor sporting events, LGBTQ parenting groups, arts and craft projects and clothing swaps. The center has been in Gainesville for more than 20 years, meeting for the first time in 2000. Tracy Moorman, a 49-year-old lesbian and UF alumna, helped found the center and served as the co-president for several years. She worked alongside cofounder and co-president Terry Fleming, and the two became close. She said they called each other their ex-wife and ex-husband because of the connection they felt. “He passed away last April 2020, and of course the center just closed down,” she said. Moorman said Fleming would want the center to continue, and the meeting took place on his 60th birthday. “We knew it was his birthday and it was Pulse,” she said. “I definitely sense he was with us today.” The event was brought together with the help of seven board members. Darin Stoneking, a 52-year-old graphic designer and

visual branding consultant, has been part of the board for three months. Stoneking moved to Gainesville from Chicago two years ago and quickly became involved with the center. He said the LGBTQ spaces in Chicago were huge, and this motivated him to become more involved in Gainesville. Stoneking said he hopes his work will lead to a more inclusive space for everyone. “We’re trying to repaint,” he said. “This is a community for everybody.” He said he has become more aware of the complexities of the community and the importance of holding this space and being a voice for others. He said he was surprised by the turnout and recognized the robust community around him. “There’s so many populations,” he said. “The teens, the families, we have a population of older people, larger than any time in the United States’ history. There’s gay and lesbian people older now than there have ever been.” Stoneking was not the only attendee surprised by the turnout. Rebecca Putman, a 32-year-old bisexual woman and the pastor at Westminister Presbyterian Church, joined the center today

for the first time. Putman said she discovered the event after googling ‘‘Gainesville LGBTQ.’’ “I’m relatively new to Gainesville, and my church is open and affirming to the LGBTQ community,” she said. “As a member of the LGBTQ community, I really wanted to find a place to be involved.” She moved to Gainesville from

upstate New York where she said she was surrounded by prejudice. “It was really hard there, so coming here and seeing rainbow flags, where people can be out and proud, it’s just really exciting for me,” she said. @JoelleWittig jwittig@alligator.org

Joelle Wittig // Alligator Staff

Attendees of the Pride Center Community meeting picnic and collaborate in groups to discuss their goals for the upcoming year on Saturday, June 12, 2021. The event brought together families and members of the LGBTQ+ community to give their input in rejuvenating the center while helping themselves to a catered breakfast at Westside Park.

‘She was like a sunflower’: Remembering Audrey Cheves Audrey, 18, died in a car crash June 5 By Juliana Ferrie Alligator Staff Writer

Audrey Cheves stored her life on an SD card. Photos of butterflies and flowers mixed in with important family moments — records of her memories as seen through the lens of her Canon. In her bag, she’d carry up to three camera lenses. Shortly before her death, she took about 500 pictures at her sister’s dance recital, her father Billy Cheves said. On June 5, Audrey Cheves and her mother, Melissa Cheves, were hit by a car

Courtesy to The Alligator

Photo of Audrey Cheves.

on Northwest 39th Avenue while driving out of the Publix parking lot. Audrey Cheves was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 18 years old. “She was our rock,” her father said. A candlelight vigil was held in her remembrance June 12, a week after her death, at the intersection of Northwest 13th Street and Northwest 39th Avenue. Melissa Cheves is still in intensive care and has gone in and out of consciousness, according to WCJB. Audrey Cheves was born June 3, 2003, and raised in Waldo, Florida. She planned to study business and marketing at Santa Fe College this summer, Billy Cheves said. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she started twirling flags in either elementary or middle school, Billy Cheves said. In high school, Audrey Cheves was a part of the Gainesville High School Hurricane Marching Band and Guard. She loved colorguard and took part in it until she had to have surgery on her knee, her father said. After starting with flags, she later transitioned to throwing more advanced tosses with rifles and sabres. Watching her perform alongside the rest of the band on the field is one of her father’s favorite memories of his daughter. The Gainesville High School Band posted a tribute to Audrey Cheves on Facebook June 6. “Audrey Cheves we are so thankful for your days with us and will hold our

families close tonight knowing you left yours too soon,” the post read. She was known as “Peanut” by her mom’s friends, Billy Cheves said. She was given the nickname because of how much she liked boiled peanuts. A single phone call from his daughter was always enough to brighten a bad day, Billy Cheves said. She never failed to make him laugh. Beyond photography, Audrey Cheves adored animals, especially her red nose Pitbull mix, Willow. She was a godly girl, Cheyanne Faulk, 21, a close friend, said. Audrey Cheves loved gospel songs, quoted the Bible and asked people to give her their favorite verses, she said. The last Bible verse she gave Faulk was Psalm 23:4, describing how the presence of God comforts and guides those who are afraid. John 3:16 adorned her wall. Because Audrey Cheves’ and Faulk’s fathers considered each other brothers, the two young women were raised as sisters, Faulk said. “Wherever she went, she always told everybody ‘that’s my sister,’” Faulk said. “She always introduced my children as her niece and nephew.” Audrey Cheves was like a rainbow — a bright, colorful bundle of joy, Faulk said. Even when she was going through a hard time, she was never without a smile on her face. It remained even when their family’s house burnt down and they lost everything, she said. She was always

encouraging and happy. Above all, Audrey Cheves cherished spending time with her family, especially her 8-year-old sister, Chloe, Faulk said. Like the flowers she photographed, Audrey Cheves brought light and happiness to those around her. “She was like a sunflower,” Faulk said. Faulk and Audrey Cheves would go to places like the mall, the park and Dunkin’ Donuts, where Cheves was sure to order a coffee with caramel in it. At her sweet sixteen birthday party, Faulk remembers Audrey Cheves dancing the whole night through. Audrey Cheves was caring and funny, her friend Rosalee Dush, 13, said. The two met at their church, Eden Baptist Church, where Audrey Cheves was baptized, Rosalee said. Through youth group, Audrey Cheves and Rosalee became good friends. “She was like a sister to me,” Rosalee said. “I just really miss her, honestly.” Before Rosalee moved back to upstate New York, she spent time with Audrey Cheves at a youth party thrown for Rosalee last year. For Rosalee, the party was the last time they saw each other — where they all talked and hung out together, she said. As of Sunday, a GoFundMe to support the Cheves family has raised close to $20,000. @juliana_f616 jferrie@alligator.org

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

PRIDE

Gainesville cannabis and art lounge launches Pride Month campaign SWAMP CITY GALLERY LOUNGE IS ENCOURAGING PATRONS TO #PLANTAPRIDETREE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

By Heather Bushman Avenue Staff Writer

Swamp City Gallery Lounge is all about the green, but this June, they’re embracing the rainbow. The local glass art gallery and cannabis lounge is celebrating Pride Month with its #plantapridetree raffle campaign. With the campaign, the lounge hopes to further its mission of creating a safe, inclusive space by showing support for the LGBTQ community. Despite the campaign’s #plantapridetree tagline, greenery isn’t involved. Instead, patrons stop by the Swamp City Gallery Lounge, located at 716 N Main Street, to pick up a custom sticker — a rainbow rework of the lounge’s tree logo. Participants post a picture of the sticker on social media and tag the lounge, which automatically enters them into a raffle for $300 worth of prizes. True to Swamp City’s central fields, the prizes up for grabs include glass crafts and cannabis items like glass pendants and custom pipes, along with an album from Orlando-based hip-hop artist NIKO IS. Michael Austin, a Gainesville-based

glassblower, contributed several of his custom pipes to the prize package. A frequent patron of Swamp City, he said what started as a business venture to sell his glassware developed into a much deeper bond with the staff. “They ended up becoming family,” Austin said. The lounge has been trying to bring the community together since its inception three years ago, general manager of Swamp City Tony Phillips said. Regardless of color, creed, sexual orientation or other factors, Phillips said Swamp City is a place where an appreciation for art and cannabis is the only term of entry. “There is no room for ‘isms’ of any kind when you walk through our gates,” he said. The pride tree campaign has been the hallmark of Swamp City’s pride celebration since 2019, a year after the lounge opened. Tyler King, the lounge’s founder and owner, said Swamp City was seeking a way to express its inclusivity. The pride tree idea struck. “The LGBTQ community has always been a huge supporter of Swamp City, so we just wanted to show support back,” he said. Swamp City regularly adds a pop of color to its otherwise white logo — orange for Halloween, green for St. Patrick’s Day and other festive iterations. The pride logo, King said, was a continuation of that tradition, lasting the entire month of June.

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But King said there is a difference between this campaign and other holiday commemorations. Where others are lighthearted celebrations of passing seasons, the pride logo represents Swamp City’s gratitude toward its LGBTQ patrons. With a subject so closely connected to the lounge’s morals, King said it was important for this campaign to include a little extra effort. “We really wanted to go above and beyond with Pride Month,” he said. The pride tree campaign spotlights a long-spanning link between cannabis and the LGBTQ community. From the treatment of HIV and AIDS to relief in symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental illnesses, cannabis has shown to be an effective tool in combating issues that disproportionately affect members of the LGBTQ community, according to statistics from the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and the American Psychiatric Association. Phillips said he sees this link with the lounge’s LGBTQ patrons, but the relationship doesn’t end there. He said his personal connection to the LGBTQ community is what made this campaign so pertinent to execute. This year’s pride tree campaign is an expansion from years past, King said. In the first two years of sticker circulation, customers could order online. But this year, the stickers are only available at the shop

to encourage more direct engagement from the community. Additionally, Swamp City doubled its usual number of 100 printed stickers to give more patrons the opportunity to participate. Patrons of the lounge meet at the intersection of art and cannabis use, but they encompass a wide range of demographics. The pride tree campaign is just one example of a variety of events and programs hosted by the lounge. Live music of all genres can be heard there on most nights, and a number of other businesses and organizations congregate at Swamp City for different fundraisers and community-oriented affairs. Phillips said the diversity of events is meant to create an inclusive, inviting space for all customers while still centering on the lounge’s key elements. “They want to put us in so many different categories and sub-categories,” he said. “We’re all humans, we all have an endocannabinoid system, and that endocannabinoid system is begging for cannabinoids to heal us naturally.” The pride tree campaign, Phillips said, is another opportunity to celebrate Swamp City’s unyielding community status — open to all. “We are one big happy family here, and we want these people to know that.” @hgrizzl hbushman@alligator.org

New athletic facility shines light on future

The final beam above the entryway for the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Center was set in place and screwed in tight on June 8. Read more on pg. 12

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Gainesville Fine Arts Association hosts first all-Black artist exhibit GFAA PARTNERED WITH THE ALACHUA COUNTY COMMUNITY REMEMBRANCE PROJECT TO CREATE A SPACE TO CELEBRATE ART BY BLACK ARTISTS

By Sam Schaffer Alligator Staff writer

For the first time, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association galleries are completely filled with pieces made exclusively by Black artists. UMOJA, a Celebration of Black Artists in Alachua County, opened May 25 and will fill both galleries at 1314 S Main Street until June 19. The word ‘umoja’ means unity in Swahili, and the exhibit serves as a step toward a more accurate representation of the community around the gallery, Katy Lemle, the GFAA gallery director and operations manager said. The gallery is the culmination of collaboration between GFAA and the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project, a community group working toward the reconciliation of lynchings during the Jim Crow era, Lemle, 37, said. In the gallery, acrylic and oil paintings hang on the walls around various fiber art installations, which are sculptural pieces made with fabrics. The art touches on a range of topics from family gatherings to racial commentary. Lemle said Black art is widely underrepresented in the art in-

dustry. “We recognize that having an all-Black artists exhibition is not really the answer,” she said. “It’s not really a solution. It’s just kind of one step in the direction of making sure that we’re a representation of an arts organization in our community of what our community looks like.” The GFAA has been historically white, and Lemle said they are making efforts to be more inclusive. “We always have more work to do,” she said. Daniel Turnage, an artist with two pieces in the exhibit, said the art industry as a whole is segregated. The 27-year-old customer service representative said his pieces were inspired by his own battles with mental health and getting to a better place in life. His piece “The Day I Took Acid, God Became Me” is a representation of a conversation between the subconscious and the ego, he said. The art was inspired by a rough patch in 2019 when his relationship with his then fiancé ended. It also touches on his struggles with being biracial. “I’m originally from Tennessee,” Turnage said. “Growing up, I’d hang out with the neighborhood kids — the majority of them were Black, and I’d be too white for them. Then I’d come over here to Florida, and I’d be too black for the white kids.”

Sam Schaffer // Alligator Staff

“It Ain’t About You Boo” by Keiaria Williams sits near the entrance of the UMOJA exhibit at the Gainesville Fine Arts Association on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The UMOJA exhibit is a celebration of Black art that will occupy the entire exhibition space at the GFAA until June 19. Turnage said the psychedelic nature of his paintings was inspired by his own experimentation with acid and mushrooms. Drilisa Thompkins is another artist who expressed a need to see a gallery like UMOJA. The 55-year-old retired special education assistant said she’s been doing art all her life and has never seen an exhibit with art exclusively by Black artists.

Thompkins has two pieces in the show: “The Overflow” and “The Reunion.” Both paintings depict large families gathering to eat a meal and celebrate the next generation of children. Thompkins said her art usually focuses on a love of family and friends, and her paintings in the gallery were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she grew up in a large

family and not being able to see her family members during the pandemic was painful, but painting helped her cope. Thompkins said she was happy to see an exhibit like this. “It just made me proud of my people,” she said. “I was proud to see their work.” @samschaf_ sschaffer@alligator.org

Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent chooses not to renew nine administration contracts CARLEE SIMONS IS THE FIRST SUPERINTENDENT IN FIVE YEARS TO NOT RENEW ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF CONTRACTS

By Maya Erwin Alligator Staff Writer

After seven months in office, Alachua County Public School superintendent Carlee Simon has sparked controversy in the community. Simon, who was hired on Dec. 7, did not renew nine administration members’ contracts, removing them from their positions at the school year’s end. Rather than teachers or custodians, administrative staff refers to those in charge of managing teachers and services in the school system. “A nonrenewal is not the same thing as being fired,” Simon said at a school board meeting on June 1. “These are two different things.” “A non-renewal means you are not being renewed into the position you currently hold. You are not prevented from applying for other positions within the district,” she said. Her goals as superintendent are to recruit effective staff, strengthen the district’s infrastructure and prioritize the community’s involvement in the educational process. However, Simon is the first superintendent in the past five years to leave administrative staff’s contracts unrenewed, she said. “I will not be able to offer you clarity into my decision making because there are just some things that are not available for public consumption, and this is one of them,”

she said during the meeting. “It is my belief system that a high quality education is led by administrators that understand the roles, responsibilities and follow board policy,” she said. “Honestly, I’m surprised that administrators have not had this before.” None of the ACPS teachers who were contacted provided a comment. Some teachers and parents, such as Julie Crosby, trust Simon to make the right decision for the county. “I believe in Dr. Simon. I will support her and I will continue to support her as long as she’s matching that vision for the children,” Crosby said during the school board meeting. “I support her, and I think a lot more people do as well.” Others are upset by the superintendent’s lack of transparency. A petition created on May 28 by a group called the Citizens of Alachua County expresses discontent with Simon’s overall leadership, and it was presented during the school board meeting. As of Sunday, it had more than 1,340 signatures. Sandra Carlisi, the mother of Aidan Carlisi, a fifth grader at Glen Springs Elementary School, is among those disappointed by the decision. Her frustration specifically stems from the nonrenewal of Deanna Feagin, the Glen Springs Elementary School principal. Faegin brought a positive energy to the school because she was always smiling and greeting the children, she said. She had murals painted, cleaned up the school and had each student’s name memorized. “No one can tell us a reason, and they say they don’t

have to,” she said. “But it seems like there should be some sort of indication along the way. It doesn’t foster a community of inclusion and input.” Carlisi said her son Aidan, 11, will attend Howard Bishop Middle School in the fall. They will not be directly impacted by Feagin’s departure because of this change of school, but Carlisi said she still wants to voice her concern. “I just thought I should speak up for the parents and children that are staying behind so that they don’t have another disruption,” she said. A campaign created May 26 aims to provide financial support for Feagin’s family and any attorney fees. Carlisi said Glen Springs has seen four different principals during her son’s time at the school, and she is not the only parent who is frustrated with the inconsistency. Jenna Hunnicutt, a Gainesville resident of eight years and the mother of kindergartner Emily Hunnicutt and sixth grader Madison Hunnicutt, said she was shocked by the superintendent’s decision. “It was very emotional for me because I just absolutely love Glen Springs,” she said. “My oldest daughter went there from Kindergarten through fifth grade, and we just love the community of the school.” Hunnicutt said she finds it difficult to respect the decision made by Superintendent Carlee Simon because of her failure to communicate her reasoning. “I feel like the power she is using is being used in the wrong way,” she said. “I am just not liking what she is doing, and it is very frustrating.” @mayaerwin3 merwin@alligator.org

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MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FEATURE

Mardal’s journey to glory THOMAS MARDAL CAPPED OFF HIS COLLEGIATE CAREER JUNE 9, EARNING HIS FIRST NCAA OUTDOOR TITLE

By Kaitlyn Wadulack Sports Writer

In just one day, Florida track and field star Thomas Mardal hoisted both a 16-pound hammer and an NCAA National Championship trophy. Mardal hurled the hammer 76.74 meters (251-9) away to win him his first national outdoor title, one final accolade in a decorated career and senior season. On June 9, the senior thrower ended his collegiate career as a two-time track and field national champion and four-time SEC title holder. He is nothing short of a beast on the field. Yet the most impressive aspect about Mardal’s career isn’t the impeccable resume or shelf of titles — those close to him say it’s his focus. He doesn’t boast about his success or brag about titles or honors. The Norwegian said he doesn’t even stop to bask in the glory after a win. Instead, he looks ahead. “As soon as I'm done with one meet, my focus is sort of on the next one,” Mardal said. “I'm like, ‘Okay, that was good. I did my job. But now, focus on the next thing.’” Florida’s associate head track and field coach Steve Lemke said Mardal is a hard worker with a willingness to get better. His focus complements his consistent determination.

“He’s very focused, he’s very determined, he’s very intense,” Lemke said. “That doesn’t change from day-to-day.” Lemke first saw Mardal compete in-person at the World Junior Championships in Poland, but Thomas wasn’t the first of the Mardals he met. Lemke met his father, Ole Morten Mardal — a former long jumper — about 25 years earlier when he was the national senior and junior throws coach in Norway. “I knew the family, so I knew what we were getting,” Lemke said. Mardal’s father had him playing sports as soon as he could walk. His initial focus centered around running and jumping events, mirroring Ole’s career. But Mardal developed knee pain from his training when he was about 14 years old. Instead of an early retirement, he began to work with coach Jørund Årdal, who helped him with all things throwing, and took up discus throwing. When Mardal met Lemke in Poland, he knew if he wanted to continue, he’d have to move away from his small, west-coast Norwegian village. Lemke and the Gators offered a path. “When I was on my visit [at UF], I really liked it,” he said. “I basically made the decision that I wanted to come over here and experience a few years in the heat.” Mardal threw discus competitively for five years from the age of 14 to 19. He competed for UF in the discus throw in 2018, where he placed 13th at SEC Outdoors. Mardal then transitioned to the hammer throw at 19 years old, soon

Courtesy of the UAA

Florida’s Thomas Mardal poses with his NCAA Indoor national champion trophy during the first day at the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 11 at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Mardal won the NCAA Indoor weight throw title. 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.

realizing that type of training clicked for him. “When I train for indoors, it's a lot of specific strength,” Mardal said. “Once we got outdoors with the hammer, it's more about still keeping as much of the strength as possible but also getting a little faster.” For a thrower, Lemke said Mardal is very fast. “He’s got a lot of fast twitch in him, and that’s something you either have or you don’t have, and he has it,” Lemke said. Despite living in the Swamp for four years, Mardal said he hasn’t explored much of Gainesville. He spends most of his time on campus either studying for his Business Administration degree or training for his next competition, occasionally venturing outside for a stroll. “I like to go on walks around campus,” Mardal said, “especially in the evenings when it's not super hot.” Once the pandemic struck, Mardal’s routine was dismantled. He went from studying at Library West and practicing at James G. Pressly Stadium to secluding himself in his dorm and training alone. “It seemed like everyone was just kind of jumping on the first plane and really stressing about getting home to their home countries,” he said. “I figured I would rather wait for things to calm down a little bit.” From March to early May 2020, he stuck it out in Gainesville. It wasn’t easy. With facilities closed, Mardal struggled to train like he used to, but he didn’t stop. “It was hard because it wasn't necessarily set up easy for us to train in that time because everything was closed,” he said. “It's more about just doing what I could with what I had available.” Mardal returned home to Gloppen, Norway in May where he was able to train with fewer COVID-19 restrictions. His dad helped set up a makeshift weight room in their garage back home. Once Mardal finished his throws for the day, he had the space to lift. “That was a bit of a lifesaver,” Mardal said. With his training schedule intact, the pandemic didn’t set back the thrower. Rather, Mardal had his most successful year coming out of COVID-19. He entered his senior season with two SEC titles already under his belt. He ended it with two more SEC titles and two NCAA titles. Yet, he still only considers himself a slightly better hammer thrower than when

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Courtesy of the UAA

Florida’s Thomas Mardal competes during the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships on February 25 at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. he started. “Coach Lemke here at UF kind of took me from a rough thrower, technically, to at least a slightly better hammer thrower now,” he said. “We've made quite a bit of development through the last four years.” On Feb. 25, he clinched his second indoor regional title in the weight throw, his third championship overall. Mardal won his first national championship in the same event less than a month later on March 11 when he broke the school’s weight throw record with a 24.46 meter (803 ¾) heave. Mardal launched the weight more than 80 feet twice at the national event, becoming the first person in NCAA Indoor Championship history and the second in collegiate history to do so. Then came the gold in the outdoor regional for the hammer throw on May 13, which led to his second national title at NCAA Outdoors June 9. Mardal broke a second school record, this time in the hammer throw, with a 76.74 meter (251-9) hurl. He shattered that record three separate times in 2021 alone. While the national titles and records draw the most eyes to his resume, Mardal said his most surprising gold-medal moment was his first regional title. He won the title on his final throw of the day, unlocking his then-personal record of 73 meters (239-6) and out-throwing Georgia’s defending champion Denzel Comenentia. “That was probably the most fun thing that I've had to win here,”

Mardal said. Even after he heard his name announced for the first time as a national champion in March, Mardal’s deferential nature shone through. He thought of the win more as something he had to do. “I kind of came in as the favorite so it wasn't sort of like an overachievement,” he said. “I did what I was supposed to do.” With his collegiate career coming to a close, Mardal is excited for the time off to immerse himself into nature further than his evening campus strolls. He said he likes to go on hikes and wants to try hunting as well. “Back where I'm from, [hunting is] kind of a big thing, he said. “But it's all things that I haven't really had the time to do.” After the time off, Mardal will chase his next goal: success on the global stage. He wants to make the Olympics or World Championships. His 76.74m hammer throw record would have finished fourth in the 2016 Olympics. In his 16 years at UF, Lemke said he hasn’t had an athlete in throwing events who’s been as focused and intense with his training as Mardal is. Those types of athletes, he said, come very few and far in between. “Every day has been a pleasure because you got a guy coming out that’s trying to get better every day even though he’s got the farthest throw in the NCAA,” Lemke said. “That’s a credit to Thomas.”

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

@kwadulack kwadulack@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021

FOOTBALL

Beam by Beam: Heavener Football Center topped out ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SCOTT STRICKLIN AND FOOTBALL COACH DAN MULLEN SPOKE AT CEREMONY JUNE 8

By Jesse Richardson Sports Writer

The final beam above the entryway for the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Center was set in place and screwed in tight on June 8. UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and head football coach Dan Mullen spoke about the new project to donors, media and hundreds of hard-hatted construction workers while they chowed down on barbecue cuisine from Cowboyz, a local Gainesville joint. Former Gators coach and 1996 national champion Steve Spurrier made an appearance as well to put his signature on the final beam and promote his future restaurants: Spurrier’s Gridiron Grill and Visors rooftop bar. Stricklin mounted the podium first to describe what goals are supposed to be met after the completion of the 142,000-squarefoot facility. “When you invest in this level or something of this magnitude, you realize you have one shot to do it right,” Stricklin said. “You want to have it done just so and you want the people that are using it day-

to-day to have everything they need so that it does impact our program in a positive way for a long, long time.” Mullen went the extra mile while the blueprints were being drawn out, Stricklin said. While sketching out the weight room, pool or even the hallways, Mullen peeked over the architect’s shoulder to see if he could add his input. Student-athlete unity is a point of view that’s very important to Mullen, and he said Florida football’s 2006 national championship was ignited by the basketball team when they won the title in the same year. “The motivation I think that drove the players and the interaction that they had, I think that motivates,” Mullen explained. He hopes the new facility can have a similar effect on camaraderie. “When you think about those things, that was always my vision of, if we’re going to create this massive amenity area that has all these great things, I want all of our student-athletes to be able to utilize that.” Stricklin and Mullen spoke about the new facility’s possibilities, especially in recruiting, before they inked their names on the final beam in orange and blue marker. There will be all kinds of amenities student-athletes will be able to enjoy, including a golf simulator and a recording studio, Mullen said. There will also be five total pools holding 90,000 gallons of water available

Dan Mullen signs a beam at the ceremony on June 8. for all student-athletes. Mullen took inspiration for the facility from other universities and highly regarded corporation headquarters in places like Silicon Valley, California. “Why do people want to work at Google or Apple or why do they want to work at different corporations?” Mullen said. “Recreating that same type of environment where people want to be.”

Courtesy to The Alligator

Mullen and Stricklin strapped on a hard hat to get their front-row view of the top-off and listen to the final screw getting drilled in. The James W. “Bill” Heavener Football facility still holds an expected completion time of Spring 2022. @JesseRich352 jrichardson@alligator.org