Monday, 6/28/2021

Shelby Cotta // Alligator Staff

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021

A look inside UF residence halls Students have 26 options to call home Staff Report Many students’ first foray outside their family home takes them straight to their freshman year college dorm. UF has 26 residence halls for students to choose from. The Alligator interviewed current and former residents of each hall to discover the good and bad in each.

Room layouts are an artist’s interpretation based on courtesy photos of the residence halls.

Beaty Towers Standing over 160 feet tall, the Beaty Towers sit on the southeast side of campus near oncampus dining, Broward Recreational Center, libraries and sorority row. It is an apartment-style residence hall and includes a private bathroom, study and kitchenette in each suite. There are two bedrooms per apartment, each containing two twin beds that can be bunked or separated, according to UF’s housing website.

Beaty Towers houses a living learning community specifically for Innovation Academy students. The towers can hold up to 787 students who can connect through events led by the Tower Area government and residence hall staff.

Kenneth Cruz, a 19-year-old psychology sophomore, was the secretary of the Tower Area government his freshman year and helped plan events for the hall.

“We had a tie-dye and gelato event, and you could see all the residents interacting with each other,” Cruz said.

Beaty Towers’ amenities include 24/7 area desk services, laundry facilities, mail services, nighttime security patrols, furnished bedrooms, food market and a student night time shuttle pick up point, according to UF’s housing website.

It first opened in 1967 as the Twin Towers and were called Tower A and Tower B, housing women and men respectively. They were renamed after UF’s first dean of student personnel Robert Calder Beaty in 1971, and the towers became the East and West Towers.

Beaty Towers was the first UF residence hall with central air conditioning. The apartment-style housing was unusual at the time, making it stand out.

“It’s one of the only apartment-style dorms,” Kristina Tosi, a psychology sophomore said. “I was like, ‘I really want to live here.’”

Pros:

“The study room in the common area was awesome,” Ava Lucke said.

“Having your own bathroom, and then also having staff that comes and cleans it once a week was nice,” Lucke said.

“Our built-ins were really good for closet space,” Samantha Simpson said.

Cons:

“Parking is hard around there,” Lucke said.

“It’s farther from food and things to do,” Tosi said.

“You either have to convert your beds into these weird bunk beds that aren’t actually bunk beds or sleep so close to each other that you could hold hands every night,” Simpson said.

Broward Hall Known for its convenient location on campus, Broward Hall is about a five-minute walk away from Turlington Plaza, the Reitz Student Union and sorority row.

With a capacity of 690 residents, students can choose between single, double and triple rooms. The common area kitchen on each floor includes a microwave, range and stove, but students should bring their own refrigerator, according to UF Housing and Residence Life.

Built in 1954 to accommodate a growing number of female students, Broward Hall was named after Annie Douglass Broward, wife of former Florida governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. After UF’s official acceptance of women, the Guy Fulton Brutalist-style building was the last women’s residence area to be designated coed in 1972.

Julia Palomba, 20-year-old junior biology major, said living in Broward Hall was a great way to start her freshman year.

“If you like your alone time it can be a little more challenging, but it was such a character building experience,” Palomba said. “Having a roommate or two, you always have someone to do something with.”

While Broward was a good introductory hall, Alessandra Sorica, 21-year-old senior health education and behavior major, said students with higher budgets should check out other residence halls.

Pros:

Broward could not be in a better location, Palomba said. She rolled out of bed at 9:30 a.m. for her 9:35 a.m. class, making it on time.

“The library was always quiet, so you could have a place to study — always,” Sorica said.

The sports complex is close by, and there’s a nice parking lot if you have a scooter, Sorica said.

Cons:

Some triples are converted doubles and cramped, Palomba said. She suggests not to bring too much and take advantage of storage space under the bed.

Palomba hated the AC thumping loudly while she was studying, and the rooms were cold in the winter.

To beat crowds, Sorica suggests taking midday showers and doing laundry on weekdays.

Buckman Hall Named after Henry H. Buckman, a Florida Legislature member who authored the act that created the University of Florida, Buckman Hall is rich with history and gothic-style architecture. It was opened in 1906 as one of UF’s first buildings.

Buckman Hall on UF’s east campus is a part of Murphree Area and is within a 15-minute walk from the Reitz Union, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Midtown and more.

With a capacity for under 140 residents, Buckman Hall includes single, double and triple traditional-style rooms, but no two rooms are the same, according to the university website.

Throughout the years, the hall has seen rooms converted to faculty offices and classrooms and has been a site where soldiers lived during WWI, according to the university website. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Buckman Hall has communal bathrooms, lounge areas and kitchens, but students must provide their own in-room refrigerator, accord-

ing to the university website. Air conditioning was added to the hall in 2014, Sara Tanner, the marketing and communications director for UF Student Affairs, wrote in an email.

sues with emergency vehicles driving by to the hospital.

Parking spaces for cars and scooters are limited, especially as a freshman, Poulalion said.

East Hall

Pros:

“Really close to The Hub and classes and everything,” Olivia Feller said.

“The bay windows are beautiful rooms,” said Grace Shoemaker.

“I loved that it was a lot older,” Asha Clarke said. “I’m a big fan of history.”

Cons :

“It can be pretty loud because you’re right across the street from Midtown,” Shoemaker said.

The laundry room is not in Buckman Hall, Clarke said.

Feller said she wished the hall was renovated and had updated infrastructure.

Cypress Hall Cypress Hall sits in the Yulee area located on the corner of 13th Street and Museum Road on UF’s campus.

The three-floor residence hall holds 255 students and offers plenty of amenities.

Cypress Hall rests on the east side of campus and offers pathways to places of interest like the College of Education, College of Arts and the College of Design, Construction and Planning.

The building is fairly new, officially opening to incoming freshmen in 2015.

Although its parking lot for both cars and scooters seems limited, students should find it easy to navigate the area around the other halls, including Yulee, Reid and Mallory.

Cypress is equipped to provide accommodation for 35 students who may have a significant mobility impairment. There are movable sinks, a bidet and a shower with no curtains or sliding door in the restrooms. Its bedrooms are enhanced with SureHands lift systems to aid students in getting from point “A” to point “B.” An extra accommodation is a technology system for controlled access to the rooms feature such as closing the blinds, hitting the light switch and checking on the video-equipped doorbell.

There are three living options in Cypress Hall, which vary in both size and number of beds. The single suite makes room for two beds and a shared bathroom, while the double suite connects two rooms with four beds and a connected shower.

The largest option is properly named the ‘super suite,’ which houses six students in three cut-off bedrooms and two bathrooms on the opposite walls of the unit. Every bedroom in the suite is fully furnished and students get their own desk for classwork.

The hall’s common area offers recreational activities such as a ping pong table and a pool table for residents to hang around and mingle.

The commons also provide various sporting goods to be put to good use.

Pros:

“It was definitely spacious, which was nice,” Matthew Fowler said. “It’s a bit far away from a lot of the classrooms but I actually liked that about it.”

Joshua Poulalion praised Cypress Hall’s ability to accommodate for mobility-impaired students. “The hallways were extra wide, bathrooms were spacious and it was easy to navigate into and out the shower and toilet.”

The washer and dryer units on every floor were referred to as being a “game-changer” by Poulalion.

Cons:

“[Rent] was real pricey,” Poulalion said.

With a location on 13th Street near the hospital, Poulalion said that there were noise is-

East Hall, now the home of the engineering livinglearning community, first opened in 1961. The residence hall is one of seven UF residence halls designed by Guy Fulton, former state architect of Florida, as a part of an $8.5 million construction project.

In 1979, East Hall was appointed as the first honors-only residence hall. The honors program was then moved to Hume Hall when it opened in 2002.

East Hall was renovated in 2008, with $4.3 million used to install fire sprinklers, upgrade fire alarm systems, replace floor tiles and renovate bathrooms.

The hall has 105 rooms and a capacity of 210 residents. Students can live in single, double or triple rooms. It is a traditional-style residence hall with shared bathrooms and kitchens on each floor.

Deven Ellis, a UF computer science sophomore, said he did not enjoy the shared bathrooms.

“I didn’t like how it was the communal kitchen and the communal bathroom. I like interacting with other people, but the communal bathroom is not really my cup of tea,” Ellis said.

The hall is located in the Tolbert Area, close to the Reitz Union and Gator Corner Dining.

Sarah Banks, who lived in the hall Summer 2019, said she liked the convenience.

“I like the location of it,” she said. “It was by the stadium. I like to run stadiums so that was convenient for me.”

While many residents love its convenience, others say the hall is run down.

Anna Peterson, a 20-year-old advertising senior, lived there during her freshman year from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019. She said her experience was mostly negative.

“In all honesty, the dorm was really old,” Peterson said. “It was not well-kept, and it was connected to a building called Weaver Hall, which is the international LLC. And Weaver Hall had an elevator; East Hall didn’t. When you walk in, the aesthetic of it is very prisonlike.”

Pros:

“I think its biggest pro was the location, just being so close to the stadium and the dining hall,” Deven Ellis said.

“It’s really close to that Chomp It and obviously it’s nice to have a place where you can order food really close to your dorm,” Banks said.

“The engineering LLC is, of course, right next to the engineering college, so that was really good for classes,” Peterson said.

Cons:

“There were no updated water fountains,” Peterson said.

“I had heard from my friends that other dorms were maybe a little more lively,” Banks said.

“If you change your major, if you decide hey you know this isn’t for me, or this particular lifestyle of the LLC, I no longer identify with it, then you can feel quite ostracized,” Peterson said.

Graham Hall Nestled between the Reitz Union and Flavet Field, Graham Hall is centrally located on Florida’s campus and affords convenient access to on-campus dining, Gator athletics, a swimming pool, tennis courts and parking.

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Five teenagers shot at Gainesville American Legion THE SUSPECTS FLED THE SCENE AND WERE LATER ARRESTED BY ALACHUA COUNTY DEPUTIES

By Jake Reyes Alligator Staff Writer

A shooting at a party left five teens injured Thursday night.

At about 10:26 p.m., Gainesville Police Department officers responded to several 911 calls about gunshots at the American Legion located at 4701 NW Sixth St. When officers arrived, they discovered four teenage victims outside and one teenage victim inside of the building, all of whom had been shot.

GPD spokesperson Graham Glover said one teen is in serious condition and the other four sustained non-lifethreatening injuries. They were all transported to UF Health Shands Hospital.

Two shooters exchanged gunfire at the party causing the five victims to be shot, according to a GPD press release.

Two suspects, Jakarean Ford, 14,

and Javari Baptiste, 17, stole a car and fled the scene after the shooting.

It’s unclear whether Jakarean was involved in the incident or if he was just the getaway driver for Javari, Glover said.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the stolen car at the 9000 block of West Newberry Road, according to an ACSO press release.

ACSO attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Jakarean, who was driving, evaded deputies and initiated a car chase.

Deputies deployed road spikes during the pursuit and deflated one of the front tires.

The car chase ended at the entrance to Cabana Beach Apartments where the boys fled on foot. However, deputies caught up to Jakarean and arrested him.

Javari fled into the apartment complex, but deputies arrested him after surrounding the area with the help of an ACSO helicopter and K-9 Unit.

Deputies also recovered a stolen 9 mm handgun and ski mask used in the shooting. Both Javari and Jakar-

ean were taken to GPD for questioning before going to the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center at 3440 NE 39th Ave. Javari was charged with attempted felony murder by GPD, possession of a stolen firearm and resisting without violence by ACSO. Jakarean was charged with fleeing and eluding law enforcement, operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license and possession of marijuana

by ACSO. On Friday, GPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit found and arrested two additional suspects.

Christian Jones,16, was identified as the other shooter involved in the incident, and GPD charged him with attempted felony murder and carrying a concealed firearm.

Jarquez Kerreim Mitchell, 17, was charged with aggravated assault and carrying a concealed firearm. It’s unclear what his role was in the incident, Glover said. The motive of the shooting is still unknown. @frlJakeReyes jreyes@alligator.org

Faith Buckley // Alligator Staff

Crime tape surrounds the American Legion Post 16 off of Northwest Sixth Street in Gainesville on Sunday, June 27, 2021.

Iconic ‘The Office’ duo, will speak to students Wednesday The moderated conversation with Oscar Nuñez and Brian Baumgartner is hosted

by UF Accent Speakers Bureau to welcome students during Great Gator Welcome

By Isabella Douglas Alligator Staff Writer

Best known for their roles in NBC’s “The Office,” Oscar Nuñez and Brian Baumgartner will speak to UF students at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center June 30. The event will be the first fully in-person Accent event since October 10, 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic started.

The free event is hosted by Accent Speakers Bureau in partnership with Student Government Productions and Student Activities and Involvement, which are student government agencies funded by student fees. Accent will pay Greater Talent Network LLC $70,000 to perform at UF. The event was announced June 21 on Facebook, and will host the duo in a 45-minute moderated conversation.

With a capacity of over 6,000, the Center will open its doors at 6 p.m. to any UF students with a Gator 1 ID. The one-hour event will start at 7 p.m. and conclude after a 15 minute Q&A. There is no pre-event registration and the event will not be live-streamed. As one of the first large in-person events hosted by Student Government since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Accent Chair Jordan Klein assured the event will abide by the university’s policies and protocols to ensure students’ safety.

“The speakers will share their backgrounds and upbringings, sending positive and uplifting messages to our students in order to engage with and inspire them,” Klein wrote.

Nuñez and Baumgartner, better known by their stage names Oscar Martinez and Kevin Malone, appeared in the nine-season Ameri-

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can sitcom that received 42 Emmy award nominations and five Emmys.

Nuñez was a part of the sitcom’s main staff since season one, and has received an Emmy, two SAG awards, an ALMA award, a TV Land award and an Impact award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition. He has gone on to perform in movies such as “Baywatch,” TV shows such as “Shameless” and “Bob’s Burgers.” The comedian also is a co-creator and lead in “Halfway Home.”

Baumgartner also starred in “The Office” since it first began in 2005. Since its airing, he has appeared in the Amazon Prime Video show “Hand of God,” TNT’s “Good Behavior” and the DreamWorks Animation reboot of “Mr. Peabody and Sherman.”

“We selected Brian and Oscar because we feel like who they are as individuals correlates

A letter from our editorial board, pg. 4

MTV welcome to my gym Southwest Rec explained, pg. 8

with the overall goals our organization has,” Klein wrote. “This event is essentially a lighthearted show to welcome students to campus during Great Gator Welcome.”

Great Gator Welcome is a five-day-long event hosted by Student Government starting Monday to kick-off the start of Summer B and welcome students through first classes and move-in day. Besides Wednesday’s Accent show, the week will feature a movie night, a student organization fair, a picnic and the traditional Gator Night.

This will be the first Accent event of the Summer semester, following founder of Barstool Sports Dave Portnoy and American restaurateur Guy Fieri.

Of the 328 people who responded to the Facebook event, 264 have shown interest in attending the event and 64 have confirmed they will be going. @Ad_Scribendum idouglas@alligator.org

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By Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writer

Funded by student’s activities and services fees, Student Government is a campus organization that allows students to actively participate in the decision-making process within UF. Like the national government, SG is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial.

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MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

"AND THE AWARD GOES TO..."

2020-2021 Alligator Awards The Alligator sports staff honors the best of Florida athletics from the 2020-2021 season The 2020-21 Florida Gators athletics season brought forward both good memories — like a national championship and walk-off victories — and ugly ones — like bitter rivalry losses and early postseason exits.

However, some Florida studentathletes stood out above the rest for their performances on the field, court or arena. The Alligator sports staff came together to bestow the honor of an Alligator Award on the Gators who truly stood head and shoulders above the rest in the previous year.

Male Athlete of the Year: Kyle Pitts

By Michael Hull

While other Florida athletes put up great seasons and were deserving of this award, no one had a 2020-2021 quite like Pitts, making him the clear choice for Male Athlete of the Year.

Pitts dominated in every sense of the word in 2020 when he put together possibly the best tight end season in college football history.

Despite a shortened, conferenceonly schedule and an injury that forced him out of four games, Pitts racked up 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games. The matchup nightmare casually shredded some of the SEC’s top defenses, including a 129-yard performance in the conference championship game against Alabama.

The Philadelphia native entered the COVID-19-stricken season with lofty expectations after grabbing 54 balls in 2019. Pitts shattered those expectations in the very first week of the 2020 season when he roasted the Ole Miss secondary for 170 yards and four touchdowns on eight catches.

Pitts went on a tear and scored four more touchdowns over the next four weeks. After missing two weeks due to injury, the 6-foot-6 junior came back with a vengeance against the Kentucky Wildcats and scored three touchdowns before he went for over 100 yards against Tennessee. Pitts became the third Gator tight end ever to have three 100-yard receiving games in a season.

He was injured a second time ahead of a senior night battle with LSU, and head coach Dan Mullen held the star tight end out of the

eventual loss. Pitts went on to declare for the NFL Draft after the SEC Championship and did not compete in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma.

Pitts capped off his historic season with a slew of national awards.

He was unanimously voted the First-Team All-American—the eighth player in UF’s 109-year history to accomplish the feat and the first since Vernon Hargreaves III in 2015. He became the first tight end to finish top 10 in Heisman voting since Ken MacAfee from Notre Dame in 1977.

No. 84 added some hardware to his mantle as well, winning the Mackey Award, given each year to the nation’s top tight end. He also became the first tight end nominated as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, which honors the nation’s top receiver.

Florida honored Pitts’ time in Gainesville with a brick outside The Swamp, the first one to be laid down since cornerback Hargreaves’ III in 2015. Every UF player named to an All-American team is honored with a brick.

Though his time at UF was done, Pitts shattered one final landmark.

He became the highest drafted tight end in NFL history April 29, when the Atlanta Falcons selected him with the fourth overall pick.

Make no mistake about it: Florida fans may not see another season like Pitts’ for a long time. He led one of the most prolific offenses in recent history, making him the clear choice for Male Athlete of the Year.

Female Athlete of the Year: Trinity Thomas

By Zachary Huber

It was difficult to imagine junior Trinity Thomas topping her impressive sophomore season, but she did just that, despite spending the last quarter of Florida’s gymnastic season marred by an ankle injury.

Thomas became the second Florida gymnast and the first since Alex McMurtry in 2018, to record two 10s in one meet versus Auburn on Feb. 26. She posted the highest allaround score (39.9) in Florida history and fifth-best in NCAA history against No. 2 LSU. Her talent and toughness made Thomas an easy choice for Female Athlete of the Year.

Thomas could’ve captured her

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first national championship and the Gators’ fourth in program history if it wasn’t for the sprained ankle she suffered in warmups against Alabama.

However, Thomas still shined with a bum ankle. She only competed in the uneven bars competition because of her injury at NCAA regionals, but she still secured a 10.

Florida managed to finish fourth in the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 17. The team was hindered in the first rotation by two falls on the balance beam by Thomas and sophomore Payton Richards.

The York, Pennsylvania, native finished her junior season with an All-American nod in every possible category. Thomas collected firstteam honors in every event except for beam. She also earned CollegeGymNews.com Gymnast of the Year.

Thomas made the decision to retire from elite gymnastics because of her ankle injury and withdrew her name from the list of gymnasts who aspired to make the U.S. Olympic Team for the Tokyo Olympics.

She said she made this decision in order to properly heal her injury and prepare for her senior season, where she will make another run at a national title and Female Athlete of the Year.

Freshman of the Year: Danielle Pavinelli

By Karina Wilson

Danielle Pavinelli had no problem adjusting to the college game upon entering The Swamp.

The Gators’ lacrosse midfielder started in 18 out of 21 games during her freshman season and made her mark immediately. She recorded her first goal in orange and blue against the Louisville Cardinals February 13.

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From there, it was all gas, no breaks.

On March 28, Pavinelli recorded a career-high of four goals while playing against the Cincinnati Bearcats — one of four separate occasions where she tallied a hat trick, or three goals in one game.

She rounded out the season with 30 goals, seven assists, 13 ground balls, nine draw controls and nine caused turnovers. The Northport, New York, native ranked fifth on the squad in points, goals and draw controls.

The two-time American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week secured her spot on the All-AAC Second Team. She claimed the title of Freshman of the Year in the AAC to close out the 2021 season.

With a year of experience under her belt, it is safe to say Pavinelli is eager to return to the Donald R. Dizney Stadium and build off her first-year success.

Comeback Player of the Year: Garrett Milchin

By Ryan Haley

Garrett Milchin appeared in 19 games for the Florida Gators baseball team in 2017. The freshman right-hander from Windermere, Florida, authored a 3.29 ERA, second-lowest among freshmen to only Tyler Dyson, and earned a 4-2 record with a pair of starts. In 11.1 innings of conference work, he led the team with a 1.59 ERA. In his final appearance of 2017, a College World Series game against TCU on June 23, Milchin tore his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) and needed offseason surgery. He underwent the same surgery a year later after another injury in practice.

Milchin missed a year. Then another. Then another. It took three seasons and 1,341 agonizing

days before Milchin would see the mound for Florida again.

Athletes have given up careers for lesser setbacks, but Milchin kept his head down and worked, slowly rehabbing himself back into game shape.

He finally received a clean bill of health in 2021. Milchin appeared in a few spring scrimmages before seeing his first action with a start against North Florida on February 23, 44 months to the day after his Omaha exit as a freshman.

Milchin pitched only two innings against the Ospreys that night but surrendered three hits and a single unearned run. He consistently saw weekday action and ended the year with six starts, tied for fourth-most on the squad. In 21.2 innings on the mound, he let up 24 hits, struck out 20 batters and earned 12 runs on his way to a 4.98 ERA. His shining moment came against the rival Florida State Seminoles on April 13, Milchin’s final start of the year. After a 1.2 inning disaster, including eight hits and seven earned runs against the Seminoles a month earlier, Milchin assumed the mound again and set an entirely different tone.

Milchin offered a career-high six innings against the Seminoles, suffocating their bats for three hits, one earned run and a new personal-best five strikeouts. Milchin didn’t quite re-establish himself as the same freshman force he was in 2017, but he proved he was again a key member of the Florida pitching stable.

Coach of the Year: Bryan Shelton

By Ryan Zehnder

When former men’s tennis coach Andy Jackson left the program after the 2012 season, the task was clear:

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SEE AWARDS, PAGE 7

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7

'UF's first national title in program history' AWARDS, from pg. 6 hire a coach who could take Florida tennis to the next level. Under Jackson, the team was consistently in contention for SEC and national titles. But to reach the summit of collegiate tennis, they needed pedigree. Enter Bryan Shelton.

Before coaching, Shelton enjoyed a decorated professional tennis career, reaching as high as 55th in ATP’s singles rankings. He took over as head coach of Georgia Tech women’s tennis in 2000, eventually leading the Yellow Jackets to a national title in 2007.

Florida had a perfect conference record, a pair of undefeated starters in 2021 and only two losses across the regular season and postseason as Shelton expertly arranged lineups all year.

The championship marked the culmination of five years of SEC dominance and consistent national finishes for the program. Former Athletic Director Jeremy Foley brought in Shelton to lead Florida tennis to a national title, and that’s exactly what he achieved in 2021.

Moment of the Year: Ben Shelton, son of Head Coach Bryan Shelton, clinches the national championship

By Ryan Zehnder

It seemed almost too perfect to be true. Florida led the secondseeded Bears 3-1 in the title match, just one point away from clinching the national championship in Lake Nona, Florida. All eyes were glued to court five, where Ben Shelton was poised to record the team’s final point.

Now, head coach Bryan Shelton is not guilty of nepotism. His son Ben may play for Florida’s tennis team, but the freshman’s

performance this season proved he earned his place on the roster.

His athletic, energetic style of tennis captivated fans all year, but Ben forever immortalized his stellar season in one play.

Coach Shelton watched from the sidelines as his son served for a national championship. When Baylor’s Charlie Broom missed a forehand deep to solidify Shelton’s victory, the freshman threw his racket into the air in jubilation and was mobbed by his teammates.

His father fell to the ground with his face in his hands, overwhelmed with emotion. Florida had just won the national championship in storybook fashion, and no one was more excited than father and son.

Team of the Year: Men’s Tennis

By Ryan Zehnder

Florida’s men’s tennis team was more than just national champions.

The season will be remembered for how it ended, but this squad earns Team of the Year honors for more than just their title triumph.

After an opening weekend loss to Texas, Florida caught fire, winning 17 straight matches and clinching the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 seed. The winning streak encompassed both sides of conference play, and the Gators finished a perfect 12-0 in regular season SEC matches.

Two Florida players boast active undefeated streaks of over 20 matches and both finished the year undefeated. Senior Josh Goodger finished the year 16-0 in dual play, while Sophomore Blaise Bicknell finished 23-0.

Statistical perfection is one thing, but Florida tennis also produced cinematic brilliance. In the hotly contested national championship against Baylor, it was none

other than Ben Shelton, son of Head coach Bryan Shelton, who earned Florida’s title-winning point.

The team brought home UF’s first national title in program history, the school’s only team national title in 2021 and the 42nd in school history.

Community Service Award: Lauren Waidner

By Joseph Henry

Lauren Waidner remained dedicated to service throughout her senior season on the Florida women’s golf team and earned a third straight nod to the SEC Community Service team.

The Fleming Island, Florida, native competed in four of 10 events for the Gators this season. Her most notable impact came off the course at UF Health Shands hospital where she volunteers with Streetlight — a program dedicated to the support of adolescents and young adults with chronic illnesses. Waidner first discovered the program after kindling a strong friendship with an 18-year-old girl while working an internship at Shands in the summer of 2019. The girl left a profound impact on the golfer, bolstering her desires to become a doctor.

Waidner’s reach in Gainesville goes beyond her work in the medical field. She can often be found at local schools boxing up shoes with the Florida Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Additionally, she helped plan a Climb for Cancer event — a one-day camp where children fighting cancer and their families are invited to spend time playing with student athletes.

All the volunteer work Waidner did during her years at UF put the life she lived as a student athlete into perspective. She will continue to support causes that give back to those who are less fortunate than herself while starting medical school.

Tre Mann against Mizzou March 4.

Most Improved Player: Tre Mann

By Jesse Richardson

Florida Gators basketball put forth a valiant effort in the 2021 March Madness tournament and overpowered Virginia Tech 7570 in overtime before tripping up in the second round against Oral Roberts in a three-point upset.

Despite being sent home earlier than expected, the Gators still showed improvements throughout the season.

One athlete, guard Tre Mann, made more improvements than the rest. Mann withdrew his name from the 2020 NBA Draft to return to school and enhance his fundamentals on the court before going pro.

In his freshman year, the Gainesville native only put up 5.3 points per game, shot 35.6 percent from the field and averaged 2.9 rebounds. Mann’s confidence grew along with himself his sophomore season; he hit the gym to bulk on 15 pounds of muscle.

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

Mann and the squad used their new strength to overcome teams like West Virginia and rival Tennessee.

His numbers vastly improved in the 2021 season, and his point average blasted to 16 per game and shot percentage to 45 percent. In the final seven regular matchups, Mann averaged 20 points and even put up a remarkable 30 against the Volunteers.

Mann’s three-point shooting also saw an increase, going from 28% his freshman year to 40% in his second go around.

Mann settled into a starting role his sophomore year and earned his teammate’s trust with his clutch gene. He proved his trustworthiness with an ice-cold three-pointer to push Florida ahead of Virginia Tech in the tournament’s first round.

Now that Mann has proved to himself and scouts that he can lead an SEC program, the sophomore declared for the 2021 NBA Draft back in March to capitalize on his draft stock.

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The classic UF gym: Student Recreation & Fitness Center THE OLDEST STUDENT FITNESS CENTER ON CAMPUS CAN BE FOUND IN THE SHADOW OF BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM

By Joseph Henry Sports Writer

Nestled right in the heart of UF’s campus, the Student Recreation & Fitness Center is the university’s original gym.

Opened in 1991, Student Rec is over 37,000-square-feet and is located next to the Student Health Care Center and behind the Racquet Club Dining Center on Fletcher Drive.

Student Rec’s strength and conditioning room spans 6,300 square feet. Three large activity rooms host guided classes like yoga and zumba, and a dedicated cardio room and a cycling studio provide opportunities to get your blood pumping.

The facility is centered around a multipurpose gymnasium that can be used for basketball, volleyball and even martial arts. Five racquetball courts and two squash courts are also housed inside.

Sports equipment is available for checkout at the gym’s front desk.

On a day where the Gainesville heat is especially overbearing, you can take a dip in the Florida Pool, located directly behind Student Rec. The pool features eight 50-yard-long swimming lanes with depths ranging from 4.5 feet to 12.5 feet. It’s also heated up to a toasty 84 degrees in the winter months.

The gym, pool and equipment rentals are free to all UF students who are taking classes.

While smaller in size than the massive Southwest Recreation Center, Student Rec’s main upside is its convenient location. Parking at Student Rec is scarce though, and the facility is best accessed by bike, scooter or foot. With the majority of UF’s residence halls on the east side of campus, they are not walking distance to the state-of-the-art Southwest Rec. So, if you are trying to get a sweat in with only a small amount of time between classes, Student Rec is for you.

Lance Duch, a 20-year-old microbiology junior, fits trips to Student Rec into his schedule almost every day.

“I typically went around 11 a.m. or noon each day and loved going at the time because the gym wasn’t too busy but also not dead either,” said Duch.

Duch wanted to build muscle when he came to college, so he

has spent most of his time in the weight room, which he said has all the machines and weights he needs. He said the location was his favorite aspect of Student Rec because he never had to drive to go to the gym.

The classic recreation center lacks the size and style of its

counterpart, but it overcomes that with its convenience. If you stop by for a work out, make sure you don’t skip out on the free Gatorade offered in the lobby of the Student Health Care Center.

The Student Recreation & Fitness Center on Friday, June 18, 2021

@Josephhenry2424 jhenry@alligator.org

Mingmei Li // Alligator Staff

MTV welcome to my gym, Southwest Recreation Center A LOOK INSIDE UF’S LARGEST GYM

By Michael Hull Sports Writer

Look, I get it. Southwest Recreation Center can be intimidating to the average gym-goer. The 140,000-square-foot facility looks like something out of a utopian sci-fi film. I’m here to make you feel comfortable in UF’s premiere workout environment.

Let’s get started.

The indoor section of UF’s largest gym boasts six indoor basketball courts, five racquetball courts and a multipurpose gym for sports like indoor soccer. Students play pick-up basketball on the courts, which is a great way to get cardio in without feeling like you want to die inside.

Southwest Rec is available for all UF students who are enrolled in classes and paid the Activity and Service Fee. Christian Lopez, a 20-year-old international studies junior, worked out at Southwest for about five days a week this summer. Lopez said he mostly uses the weight room and basketball courts.

“I love doing strength training and hooping,” Lopez said. “Physical activity is super fun and good for your mental and physical health.”

The center offers much more than basketball. There’s a 15,000-square-foot cardio room that spans two levels. The first level features exercise machines like treadmills, elliptical machines and exercise bikes, as well as an open area with free weights, kettlebells and medicine balls.

I enjoy this area, especially since they

added squat racks and benches to it. It’s typically less crowded than the weight room, and there’s more room to do full exercise circuits. The downside is it can fill up quickly. There are only a few squat racks and a couple benches, so this is more of an area for body-weight exercises than anything else in my opinion.

Head upstairs, and you’ll find my favorite spot in the entire center. The upstairs cardio area features an indoor 1/9th mile track, more machines and free weights. Now, I am by no means a runner, so the track is not for me. However, this area is typically the quietest and is the best spot to do bodyweight exercises. It also includes a rack of dumbbells and kettlebells, so there is plenty to work with in a calm area of the gym.

Back downstairs, the facility houses a large weight room that holds both free weight activities like squat racks and bench presses, as well as leg presses and chest presses. This is where you’ll find the true gym hardos (if you’ve been in a gym, you know the type), featuring fraternity formal tank tops, Gymshark leggings and plenty of preworkout to go around. While it does have the most equipment, the weight room can be intimidating to new gym members.

I’d recommend going with a friend at first, then ease yourself into the weight room life.

Southwest offers the ability to workout out on your own or with others. It hosts classes taught by trained fitness professionals, like cycling, zumba, hip hop fitness and yoga classes.

The complex also features an outdoor section that includes beach volleyball and tennis courts, as well as fields for intramural sports.

Students can rent equipment from

Southwest to use on the courts or fields, such as frisbees, tennis rackets and footballs.

Despite all the amenities offered, RecSports still looks for ways to improve the facility. This past Spring, it had gymgoers fill out a survey for ways to better the center. Lopez wishes there were more squat racks and Olympic lifting areas inside of the weight room. Personally, I just want the ShakeSmart located inside Southwest to be open 24/7, but I’m a dreamer.

Put at the edge of UF’s campus near Lakeside Complex, students who live on campus normally take the bus or drive to Southwest Rec instead of walking. However, the size and amenities of Southwest are worth the extra commute. The biggest issue with the distance is parking. Students need a UF decal to park by Southwest until 3:30 p.m. Any decal can be used, though, making

it accessible to off-campus residents with a Park-and-Ride decal.

Now, the most important part of any Southwest experience: timing. Working out at the wrong time can ruin your gym experience. Lopez recommends not going between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. I recommend finding a time in the morning to go. If that doesn’t work, either lunch time or late at night is the way to go. You can always check UF’s RecSports app — available on both iOS and android — for time updates.

The app features cameras and head counts, showing how many people are in each section of the gym at a time.

Hopefully now, with the help of this guide, you can walk into Southwest Rec confidently.

The front entrance of Southwest Recreation Center.

@Michael_Hull33 mhull@alligator.org

Faith Buckley // Alligator Staff

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10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021

George A. Smathers Libraries provide a welcoming community to foster student success THE SMATHERS LIBRARIES FORM THE LARGEST INFORMATION RESOURCE SYSTEM IN FLORIDA

By Makiya Seminera Alligator Staff Writer

During a typical year at UF, the bustle of campus life is hard to miss — with students racing to class, hurrying to catch a bus, or weaving their way through Plaza of the Americas to grab Krishna lunch. Amid the flurry of students, the six George A. Smathers libraries provide an escape for both students and faculty alike to seek refuge.

“There are times when there’s just too many distractions in your living environment,” University Libraries Dean Judith Russell said. “We think the libraries are a place that give the students (another) option. And there’s so many options, many different locations, different libraries with different characteristics.”

Consisting of six different libraries — Architecture and Fine Arts Library, Education Library, Health Science Center Libraries, Library West, Marston Science Library and Smathers Library — The George A. Smathers libraries form the largest information resource system in Florida. The Levin College of Law’s Legal Information Center also holds a collaborative relationship with Smathers libraries.

Library visitors have access to a growing collection of 6.17 million print volumes, in addition to more than 62,000 UF dissertations and theses. If guests don’t have time to visit one of the six libraries, they can access 1.5 million e-books and over 14 million digitized pages by navigating the Smathers libraries’ website.

Like all other areas on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Smathers libraries were forced to drastically adjust their procedures. To ensure safety within the libraries — which collectively attract 4.5 million visitors annually — seating capacities were reduced, face coverings were required and Gator 1 ID cards were mandatory upon entry to check if students were cleared for campus.

“I was dreading the idea that people would show up and want to come into the library, and we’d have to say there’s no room,” Russell said.

Services such as Ask-A Librarian — a free library service that allows students to seek assistance from library staff through email, text, or instant message — flourished during the pandemic when many students found themselves no longer on campus. Now, as campus facilities will

open at full capacity during Summer B and masks are now optional, the six branches of the Smathers libraries look to fully resume their unique services to their patrons.

Library West

After whirling through the revolving entrance doors and grabbing coffee from Starbucks, patrons of Library West hurry up the escalator to find a peaceful seat to study. Serving as the centerpiece of Plaza of the Americas, Library West remains one of the most popular libraries on campus.

With seating for approximately 1,400 visitors and an official “quiet study” space on the fourth floor, Library West is designed to withstand the rush of students who may flood the building during final exams week.

Students can choose to sit at the various tables, chairs, study rooms, or FitDesk study bikes located throughout the building.

Designated as the humanities and social sciences library, students have access to collections from various fields: books, microform materials, newspapers, periodicals, journals and DVDs. In addition to the 18 group study rooms at Library West, students can use unique spaces like the One Button Video Recording Studio — a recording studio equipped with HD cameras, lighting, audio equipment and a green screen function. Another space in Library West, the Accessibility Studio, is available for registered Disability Resource Center students to have a private space to interact with library resources.

The library staff aims to make Library West a more inclusive space for visitors of all backgrounds, according to Library West chair Stacey Ewing.

Like other library branches, a lactation room and gender-neutral bathrooms were added in Library West.

As a way to further accommodate students during the pandemic, Library West added 10 test proctoring booths for students who did not have a quiet area at home to take an exam.

Library East (Smathers)

At first glance, Library East appears to be a modest building, as it blends in with the surrounding lecture halls. However, one step inside reveals that the library is filled to the brim with historical treasures.

Dating back to 1925, Library East is the oldest library on campus with an original capacity of 800. In nearly 100 years, Library East’s four floors have become home to remarkable collections, including the Map and Imagery Library, Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica, and the Latin

American and Caribbean Collections.

Located on the first floor, the Map & Imagery Library is one of the largest academic map libraries in the country, containing around 500,000 maps, 300,000 aerial photographs and 8,000 reference books and atlases.

On the second floor, students can enter the Grand Reading room to be assigned a table to access non-circulating materials. The Judaica Suite, attached to the Grand Reading Room, is filled with rare books from the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica. In addition to the priceless books found in the Judaica Suite, students can observe the handmade artwork of Kenneth Treister, the architect of the room.

One of Library East’s most distinguished collections, the Latin American and Caribbean Collection, was founded in 1951 and is currently located on the third floor of Library East. The collection contains around 500,000 volumes in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and various indigenous languages. The collection also serves as a way for many Latinx students to connect with their culture, LACC public services associate Keith Manuel said.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic reduced Library East’s capacity and hours, it provided a unique advantage: increasing and improving its digital collections. As fewer students were able to access physical prints of literature, library staff were tasked with scanning and photographing the collections so students could find what they needed online.

Marston Science Library

Sitting right beside the Hub and Turlington Plaza, Marston Science Library sits in a convenient spot on campus and garners a substantial amount of foot traffic. With the yellow gangling Alachua sculpture — lovingly known as the French fries — located right outside the building, Marston is hard to miss.

Named after the seventh UF president Robert Q. Marston, Marston Science Library caters to the university’s scientific community. The library was built in 1987 to consolidate the six original UF science branch libraries: Agriculture, Physics, Botany, Engineering, Chemistry and BiologyGeology.

Students can choose which of the five floors best fit their studying needs, with the bottom three floors being designated for group study and the top two floors for quiet study.

Marston Science Library remains a technological pioneer among the other Smathers libraries. In addition to maintaining five computer labs within the building — with one of them specialized for augmented reality development — Marston offers a multi-purpose visualization and conference room for students to reserve for meetings, Marston Science Library chair Valrie Minson said.

Not only does Marston offer an abundance of technology, but their expanding tool library allows students to loan out take-home equipment ranging from drill sets to sewing machines.

Architecture and Fine Arts Library

Photo of Marston Science Library

Makiya Seminera // Alligator Staff

With a growing collection of 125,000 volumes, the academic needs of students from both the College of Design, Construction & Planning and the College of the Arts are satisfied by the Architecture and Fine Arts Library. Since its opening in 1965, the AFA library has emerged as one of the largest art library collections in

the southeastern United States.

Unlike its neighbor Marston Science Library, the AFA library discourages extended group study sessions due to the vast open space of the library. Instead, individual study is enhanced through the use of the famous double-decker carrel units equipped with electrical outlets, which are found throughout the reading room.

Through the AFA library, comprehensive research guides were also created for students pursuing different disciplines supported by the library. The guides include a variety of topics within the arts and architecture professions including ceramics, dance, construction management, interior design and sustainability.

Education Library

Opened in 1980, the Education Library is home to over 80,000 textbooks, children’s and young adult books, and journals. Right outside its doors, a beloved oak tree — winner of the 2021 UF Library Landmark Lollapalooza — stands tall to be admired by the library staff and students alike.

Separated from the main campus

by Norman Field, the Education Library remains hidden from a large part of the UF population. However, its proximity to Sorority Row and other off-campus housing makes it a prime spot for some students to resume their studies close to home, Rachael Elrod, head of the Education Library, said.

Although the library supplies print materials meant to support programs within the College of Education, the expansion of educational technology is on the rise within the Education Library — specifically within the EduGator Makery.

The EduGator Makery is a space within the Education Library that holds traditional educational technologies such as die cuts, a laminator and video editing software.

To Elrod, the Education Library offers an alternative for students who want to get away from the fast pace of UF’s campus.

“I think there’s just this feeling of community,” Elrod said. “It tends to be a very quiet library as opposed to Library West or Marston where there’s lots of activity...there’s nothing wrong with that, but people seeking out a quiet environment in the library would really find a home here.”

Health Science Center Libraries

Unlike the other library branches, the Health Science Center Libraries have two locations: Gainesville and Jacksonville.

The Borland Health Sciences Library seeks to support patrons at UF Health in Jacksonville by providing health resources and research to doctors.

The main Health Science Center library in Gainesville serves over 11,000 students, faculty and staff from the six Health Science Center UF colleges. HSC libraries also serve Shands Health Care by supporting its clinical and research missions through its exceptional health collections.

The HSC library played a critical role in community mitigation of COVID-19 through the creation of a COVID-19 library guide with resources for healthcare practitioners and the public, according to nursing and consumer health liaison Maggie Ansell. The library guide was helpful to many members of the local community who were unsure of how to navigate the emerging COVID-19 health information.

Improving mental health is an-

other mission of the HSC library — whether it be through providing jigsaw puzzles and coloring kits for students to distract themselves, offering nap pods for students to relax in, or inviting local therapy dogs throughout the semester.

Two local therapy dogs, Beau and Lentil Bean, as well as their owners Terry Biehl and Elizabeth Pearlman, are frequent visitors to the HSC library, stopping by a couple times a semester to greet students. “[Beau] loves visiting students, I would have to say of all the therapy work, it’s his favorite,” Biehl said.

In order to abide by CDC guidelines, Beau and Lentil Bean’s visits were moved outside of the HSC library. Guests were instructed to maintain social distancing, wear masks, and wash their hands before and after petting the dogs.

The student debate: which library is the best?

Although each of the six branches collaborate with one another to put on Smathers library-wide events like the annual fall festival, they also enjoy participating in healthy competition — mostly brought about by UF students who have pledged their allegiance to one of the libraries.

Choosing a favorite UF library can be determined by numerous factors: location, the collections offered, seating arrangements, or even the presence of a Starbucks inside. For Gabby Whitler, 21-year-old psychology senior, the ornate aesthetics of Library East secured its location as her regular study spot.

“The ambience of [Library East] is just really nice and helps me focus,” Whitler said. “It almost helps me fantasize [that] I enjoy studying and manifest that mindset.”

Other students like 20-year-old accounting junior Kate Ross found comfort in studying at Library West, even if it meant taking a detour from her normal path on campus.

“Overall, I find the furniture and overall appearance in Llibrary Wwest to be very appealing both to sit in and look at,” Ross said. “Library West is further than a lot of the dorms on campus, but it is definitely worth the extra walk.”

Melanie Halem, a 20-year-old political science and mathematics senior, said Marston’s top floors are the perfect place to focus on schoolwork.

“I think the fifth floor cubbies are just perfect,” Halem said. “There’s a cubby with plants around it that is so beautiful. It has such a great view of Beaty Towers too.”

Haley Geer, 20-year-old animal science junior, also identified Marston as her favorite library at UF, as she felt that the library contained various collections and equipment that catered to her field of study.

“It works really well for STEM students, which I know is the purpose of it, but I always found it very accessible,” Geer said.

For Craft Talbot, a 21-year-old business management senior, Marston Science Library is more than just a favorite study spot. In February, Talbot adopted a bunny from Gainesville Rabbit Rescue and named him after her favorite spot on campus — Marston.

“I can’t wait [for] my senior year,” Talbot said. “I’m definitely going to take graduation pictures in front of [Marston Science Library] with Marston.” @makseminera mseminera@alligator.org

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

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

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4 5

6

7

CLUE

1.

5.

6.

7.

ACROSS

TV show: “Family ____” Expedition Latin dance ____ Hemingway DOWN CLUE 1. Modify, fine-tune 2. Flap 3. Forceful, severe 4. Maximum, ultimate

ANSWER

FA F R I A NUTAJ GOTNA STRENE ANSWER

S U J AT D LFTRTEU IESENNT MSUTTO

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BONUS

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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.

ANSWERS: 1A-Affair 5A-Jaunt 6A-Tango 7A-Ernest 1D-Adjust 2D-Flutter 3D-Intense 4D-Utmost B-Mount Fuji

King Features Weekly Ser vice

January 27, 2020

by Fifi Rodriguez

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Send comments to TCA - 160 N. Stetson, Chicago, Illinois 60601 or DLHoyt@HoytInteractiveMedia.com

1. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson holds the 1. Tommie Aaron, brother of Hank, hit Major League Baseball all-time for shutouts with how many home runs inrecord his seven-seahow many? son Major League Baseball career?

2. Billgolfer Chadwick, NHL’s first 2. What British won thethe Open Championship in U.S.-born referee and later a broad1934, '37 and '48?

(Hint: The European Tour's Rookie of caster for the New York Rangers, went the Yearbyaward named after him.) whatisnickname?

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The for thehired Albuquerque 3. In 1989, the Newname York Knicks what 33-year-old Isotopes Minor League Baseball club to be their head coach? was inspired by a fictional team from 4. Whatwhat college game was first played at TVfootball comedybowl series?

4. Jim in Covert Yankee Stadium 2010?and Ed Sprinkle, two members of the Pro Football Hall of 5. WhatFame Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, spentkicker theirholds entirethe NFL record for regular-season games played with 382 from playing careers with what NFL franchise?

1982-2007?

5. What traditional Japanese martial 6. Nameartthe rookie NHL goaltender whoway started is literally translated as “the of every regular-season game for the Detroit Red Wings in 1964-65? the sword”?

6. Floyd Gail Mayweather Jr. defeated 7. Businesswoman Miller was owner of what NBA what mixed martial arts superstar in a franchise from 2009-20?

2017 boxing megafight in Las Vegas? © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.basketball 7. What Croatia-born player won three NBA championships answers on pg. 12 with the Chicago Bulls from 1996-98 and was the 1996 NBA Sixth Man of the Year?

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021

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MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021 ALLIGATOR 13

GatorWell and the CWC help UF community with mental health SUMMER EVENTS FOR GATORWELL WILL OCCUR DURING UF PREVIEW AND GREAT GATOR WELCOME WHILE THE CWC WILL HOST ONLINE THERAPY

By Isabella Douglas Alligator Staff Writer

When Cassidy Roberts was a freshman at UF, the Student Health Care Center referred her to the Counseling Wellness Center and GatorWell. She said she felt overwhelmed by school and her personal life.

Now, as a junior, Roberts reflects back on her two-year journey with the university’s mental health facilities and resources. Her advice, especially for freshmen in a similar position, has remained consistent through all the ups and downs of her college career: always reach out.

“Don’t let the horror stories or the reviews scare you,” Roberts, a 20-year-old chemical engineering junior, said. “Reach out if you need help, because that’s the most important part.”

UF provides free counseling, coaching, testing and crisis support among many services on campus. Students may reach out to the CWC for licensed counseling support focused on helping individuals work through mental health concerns and GatorWell for wellness and health coaching with an expertise in behavior change.

GatorWell’s offices are located at Reitz Union, Jennings Hall and Springs Complex.

GatorWell’s coaches and health educators provide time management and prioritization, stress management and mindfulness, sleep habits, study and test skills, social connection and holistic balance for optimal wellbeing to help students with their academic performance.

“GatorWell was a really good resource that I don’t think a lot of people use,” Roberts said. “They helped me address some different things like my study habits and my sleeping habits to kind of help curb some of my mental health issues.”

The GatorWell Health Hut travels across campus providing bi-weekly health messages, and activities like a game testing stress management and skee-ball skills. It also gives out useful things such as chapstick, stress balls and condoms.

Jennifer Kennymore, a health promotions specialist at GatorWell, encourages students to reach out to all of UF’s mental health facilities and resources.

“We have students that’ll talk to their counselor about some mental health things they’re working on and then they’ll come and focus more on behavior change with their wellness coach,” Kennymore said.

The CWC has three locations: Peabody Hall for crisis and urgent walk-ins, Radio Road for counseling and workshops and Cypress Hall for scheduled appointments only. The Center boasts a diverse staff from about 20 countries, territories and states who speak about 15 languages and dialects. Staff include different races, genders, sexual orientations, social class backgrounds and world views.

The Center provides brief consultations, online counseling for individuals and couples, and alcohol and drug services. This summer, online general therapy will be provided on select days until August 6, including video sessions on mindful living and coping skills, specialty events like coping with ADHD and peer support.

“I personally think that if you have never been to a therapist before, the CWC is a great place to start because they can help you find someone,” Robert’s said.

But after being referred to the CWC by the Student Health Care Center three times and

receiving no calls back, Roberts had to look elsewhere for counseling.

“When I’ve tried to reach out to CWC they’ve always just been too busy, too full,” Roberts said. “They just don’t have room for people that aren’t emergency cases.”

The CWC includes a 24/7 crisis hotline for students who are in immediate danger of hurting themselves, are distressed over a recent death or have experienced a sexual assault.

Like the CWC, GatorWell is focused on strategies to help students overcome stress and provides helpful resources. By doing so, GatorWell focuses on supporting students

through prevention — taking a direct role in teaching students the skills and behaviors they need to maintain their wellness.

This summer, GatorWell will be attending UF Preview and the Great Gator Welcome, which starts June 27. These events are opportunities for freshmen to ask questions and discuss how GatorWell can help them with health and wellness. HIV testing and mindfulness sessions will also begin this summer. @Ad_Scribendum idouglas@alligator.org

Kelsey Bona // Alligator Staff

UF health education senior Tala Rizkallah, 21, and UF communication sciences and disorders senior Michelle Saade, 21, check out health-oriented pins at the GatorWell table at the Freshman 15 Wellness Fair on the Plaza of the Americas.

Homesickness is part of the college experience. Here’s how to deal with it.

INCOMING FRESHMEN WILL FACE NEW CHALLENGES WHEN GOING OFF TO COLLEGE

By Jake Reyes Alligator Staff Writer

Macayla Bricarell’s cat, Lucy, may be sassy, but that’s exactly what the 22-year-old UF alumna missed about her cat when she was in Gainesville.

“Lucy’s personality is that of a puppy who loves her person. She will wait at the door for you and follows people around,” she said. “She doesn’t believe in personal space and loves to talk.”

Bricarell, who is now an intern at Disney, graduated from UF with a bachelor’s degree in public relations in May. Although college was a fun journey, she said she missed the life she left behind, including her pets.

Going off to college can mean leaving things behind, including family, friends and pets, which may lead to homesickness.

Homesickness is defined as emotional sorrow some feel while being away from home and in a new environment. It can negatively affect productivity, cause depression and grief.

Homesickness can be caused by disruption of lifestyle, difficulty adapting and feelings of not belonging. All are common issues for college students.

Almost 70% of freshmen college students reported feeling homesick

in 2016, according to a survey by the UCLA Higher Education Institute.

Bricarell said her freshman year was especially hard because she was also away from her childhood cat, Angel, who stayed behind at her parent’s home.

“She was like an old lady from the day she was born,” she said. “I missed her every day.”

Hunter Ann Oakley, a 20-year-old UF construction management junior, also said she struggles with homesickness.

Keeping herself busy with classes and the National Association of Women in Construction helps curb some of the homesickness, but she said she still misses her family and three dogs.

She especially misses her Toy Poodle, Hannah, her Shih Tzu, Cocoa, and her Yorkshire Terrier, Ruby, because they make her feel better when she’s alone.

Ways to deal with homesickness

Missing family, friends and pets while in a new place is completely normal and means a healthy relationship exists among them. It will take a while to adjust to new surroundings, according to WebMD. “It gets better,” Oakley said. “It’s rough at first but it will get better, especially when you get more into what you’re doing and excited about your classes or seeing friends. You don’t forget about [family, friends and pets] by any means, but it just gets easier.”

Keep in touch with loved ones While Bricarell was in Gainesville, she made sure to keep in touch with her dad, and he would send pictures of Angel and Lucy to her.

During school weeks, Oakley said she frequently talked to her family on the phone and would FaceTime her younger sister to see her dogs.

“I would text my sister and mom a lot, and my dad would call me on his lunch breaks,” she said.

Find a favorite place Bricarell encourages incoming students to find a place that makes them feel at home in Gainesville.

“There’s a lot of cafes, record stores, bars, restaurants and even libraries,” she said. “Finding a place that makes you feel at home is the best thing because it grounds you.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bricarell coped with being away from her cats by going to animal shelters in Gainesville.

“I would go in the kitten room and hang out with the adult cats,” she said. “The cats there do need attention.”

For incoming students who are cat lovers, she recommends visiting Feeline Good Cat Cafe, a coffee bar and lounge space that partners with the Humane Society of North Central Florida to host adoptable cats in the shop.

Make new friends Bricarell said it’s important for students to find a family.

“I’ve had friend groups since I started college and it made me so happy and kept me from feeling homesick because they are my home,” she said. “I met my core group by talking to two people at a pool party for PACE and then met their friends.”

UF offers more than 900 student organizations. Students can take the involvement quiz to find an organization that best fits their interests, and they can attend GatorMania on Tuesday to connect with and learn about different organizations.

Other resources UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center offers resources for those struggling with mental health, including blogs on how to deal with loss and loneliness and a weekly podcast that covers mental health.

The CWC also offers counseling, crisis support, brief consultations and more for students who struggle with stress, anxiety or any other concerns relating to new surroundings.

Not everyone is nervous about finding a new home in Gainesville, however.

Katie Russell, an 18-year-old Jacksonville native who will be attending UF in the Fall as a chemistry major, said she is excited to come to UF and isn’t worried about being homesick.

She said her older brother went to Florida Atlantic University last year.

“I’ve seen my brother do this. I know I can do this. I’m ready,” she said.

She said some of her friends at her high school will also be attending UF, so she wouldn’t be leaving many friends behind.

However, Russell said she is worried about adapting to independence and figuring out who she is away from her family.

She also said she is going to miss her four dogs, especially her Yorkshire Terrier, Dixie. She said her family adopted Dixie as a rescue when she was 7 weeks old after Russell got a concussion in February.

“She’s like my little buddy,” she said. “She likes to cuddle with me.”

Should Russell feel homesick, she plans on dealing with it the same way her brother does by calling home three times a week.

“It’s a rule my mother made to my brother,” she said. “He has to call at least three times a week.”

Bricarell has one final message for incoming freshmen who may be concerned with being homesick.

“Starting a new part of your life is terrifying,” she said, “But the only way to get to the other side is through; may as well make the best of it. I’ve met so many amazing people and feel like I’ve become such a great person because of who I’ve met. You’re starting over with a blank canvas — have fun adding color to it.” @frlJakeReyes jreyes@alligator.org

14 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2021

Hume, Infinity, Jennings, Mallory DORMS, from pg. 2 The hall’s layout consists of single and double rooms with communal bathrooms and kitchens with a stove and microwave on each floor.

Students need to supply their own personal refrigerator, according to UF’s housing website.

Residents also have access to a recreation room with ping-pong and pool tables, independent study spaces and a P.O.D. Market which includes convenience-style products and food offerings from a full kitchen.

Graham Hall is home to the living learning community of Florida’s Black Cultural student union.

It was constructed in 1961 and is dedicated to Klein Harrison Graham, the longest serving member of the university’s staff at the time of his retirement in 1948. For 42 years, Graham served as the university Business Manager, Treasurer of the University Athletic Association and chair of the Florida Endowment Corporation.

At the beginning of Graham’s tenure with the university in 1906, he wrote student fees were only $5.00 per semester, rent was $2.50 per month and board was $12.50 per month.

Until 1966, Graham Hall exclusively housed men before being redesignated as a coed residence hall. The building remains coed by floor.

Kyle Chambers, a rising sophomore who lived in Graham Hall in the Spring, valued the residence hall’s proximity to campus musthaves.

“I love that Reitz is within a five minute walk,” Chambers said. “[Student] Rec is within a ten minute walk.”

Chambers, who spent his freshman year without a car or bike, said Graham Hall’s central location on campus was critical to his firstyear experience.

“I literally heard from my dorm the sound of cheers from the stadium,” he said.

But Chambers thought Graham Hall had some downsides.

“Walking to my fraternity house [Kappa Phi Epsilon on University Avenue] was pretty obnoxious,” he said.

Kameron Green, who lived in Graham as a freshman in 2018-2019, said Graham was ideal for meeting new people.

“It being a traditional style dorm, I met my first 50 friends in the lounge,” Green said. “It’s a great place to make your first friends at UF.” Pros:

“Chomp It is right downstairs,” Chambers said.

“The bus stop’s right there,” Chambers said. “[Graham is] nearby where you can park, especially as a freshman,” Green said.

Cons:

“You had older facilities, sometimes I would have to wait for showers,” Green said.

“Communal bathrooms were not the best,” Chambers said.

Hume Hall Hume Hall is the residence hall exclusive to students in the UF Honors Program.

The complex, built in 2002, is split into the Hume East and Hume West residential halls, with the Hume Commons in between.

Hume Hall is located just past Gale Lemerand Drive along Museum Road, close to the Reitz Student Union, Flavet Field, College of Engineering, The Hub food court and Gator Corner Dining. Multiple Regional Transit System bus routes are accessible from the Hume Hall bus stop.

Samantha Hsu, a 20-year-old UF sociology third year, said Hume Hall’s central location was a positive aspect of her living experience.

“I liked how it wasn’t right on the main campus, but close enough to everything,” she said.

But the location, outside some of the more popular locations on campus like the Marston Science Library or Plaza of the Americas, was inconvenient at times for residents like Carina Copley. Copley, a 20-year-old nutritional sciences third year, said it took her over 15 minutes to walk to most of her classes.

Hume Hall offers single and double suitestyle rooms. Double rooms include two beds, two desks, a closet, cabinet and drawer space, a sink with a mirror, a microwave and a mini refrigerator. Two double suites are connected by a bathroom, shared among four residents.

Single rooms include one bed, one desk, one closet and a bathroom. Students occupy double rooms, while resident assistants occupy single rooms.

Amenities in Hume Commons include the laundry room, mailboxes for each student, package lockers, study rooms, printers and the Area Desk.

Students in Hume Hall have the opportunity to join honors organizations such as the Student Honors Organization and the Hume Area Council — two organizations dedicated to planning and hosting social events for residents. Between these organized events and the common spaces and study rooms in East and West, Patrick Lewicki, a 20-year-old UF political science and economics third year, said residents have ample opportunities to socialize.

“Many nights were spent in my floor’s common room hanging out with my friends and eating Chomp It,” he said.

Hsu, Copley and Lewicki all credited Hume Hall with introducing them to people they now consider close friends. All three said they had a positive living experience in Hume, and they said the social aspect was the best part.

Pros:

“I had an attached bathroom that I shared with my roommate and two suitemates, which I thought was really convenient,” Copley said.

“Definitely one of the more spacious and newer dorms,” Hsu said.

“I loved the room space and suite style,” Hsu said.

Cons:

”The location was pretty far from a lot of my classes and the main area of campus,” Copley said.

“One time the elevator broke, and one of my friends’ roommates was trapped inside for an hour,” Lewicki said.

Infinity Hall Infinity Hall is one of UF’s newest residence halls and is located next to UF’s Innovation Square, just two blocks from the Plaza of the Americas.

Originally opened in 2015, the hall is close to the College of Business, College of Arts, College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Infinity Hall’s location gives students the opportunity to browse off-campus dining as well as explore local businesses such as Opus Coffee, Midpoint Park and Eatery, and Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza.

The residence hall includes single, double and super suites. There is a common area kitchen on each floor which contains a microwave/convection oven. The suite-style rooms are favored because of the non-communal

bathrooms, said Meghan Gramling, a 20-year-old marketing junior.

Former resident assistant Kyle Cooper said residents can upgrade to a super suite that provides a living room and a refrigerator.

There is a resident assistant on each floor who fosters communication, safety and a social environment.

Mady Dorworth, a 20-year-old elementary education senior, said there wasn’t much of a community environment.

“Off-campus means sometimes you didn’t have the ‘on-campus’ experience,” she said.

Cooper said the front desk and maintenance staff are friendly and happy to help solve any inconvenience a resident may experience. Additionally, he said the janitorial staff cleans the bathrooms weekly.

Gramling said Infinity Hall stood out from other residence halls because it’s one of the newer options. “[It] had study rooms and large common areas,” she said.

The lounge areas are connected to the kitchens, Cooper said.

There are laundry rooms available for residents to use on floors two through five, however, they weren’t always accessible.

“The laundry room experienced relatively frequent floods, which forced residents to use laundry rooms from the other floor,” Cooper said.

He said students will not have to worry about safety, as Infinity Hall provides maximum security with cameras, locked double doors leading to the floor hallway and a main door to each suite.

Pros:

Only sharing a bathroom with one other person was a plus, Dorworth said.

Cooper said Infinity is convenient for those who are disabled, providing a ramp to enter the building as well as a suite that accommodates one’s disability within the shower area A trash chute area on each floor replaces the need to remove garbage via dumpster, Cooper said.

Cons:

The kitchen area does not provide an oven, and instead of a stove, there is at least one hot plate to cook meals, Cooper said.

Cooper said there is limited parking outside of the building. He said it is common for students to obtain parking passes from the Continuum Apartment.

Not directly on campus, however, Cooper said the walk to campus isn’t too inconvenient.

Jennings Hall Jennings Hall is a traditional residence hall that offers double and triple rooms. It is located near Sorority Row, the Education Library and Fresh Food Company, an on-campus dining center.

Sydney Leifermann, a 20-year-old UF political science and criminology junior, said she loved the location and believed it to be in close proximity to her core classes freshman year.

Each floor of Jennings Hall has communal bathrooms and kitchens with a microwave, stove and an oven, according to UF’s housing website.

Washers and dryers are located at the bottom floor of the building.

Jennings Hall construction was finished in 1961 and was the last of six all-girl residence halls built in accordance with the coeducation bill of 1948 that allowed women to enroll at UF. While it is no longer exclusive to women,

two wings separate residents by gender.

It sits in a wooded area of campus and has a two-story atrium lobby. Residents can use common spaces with amenities like a television and ping-pong table. The common space makes it easy to meet new people, said Philip Grandoff, a 20-year-old nutritional science junior who lived in Jennings during his freshman year.

“We had a great spot for people to just really hang out,” Grandoff said. “The classroom downstairs is cool because … it’s kind of a communal study place. It was a fun place to do work.”

The residence hall is well-known for being one of the most social. Morgan Emmi, a 19-year-old health science sophomore, said she and her roommate chose Jennings after hearing it’s where students can make the most friends.

She said the residence hall had a strong sense of community, and the large lobby area made it easy for a lot of students to be in one place.

Jennings is perfect for students who want a social hall, but those who prefer quieter spaces should look elsewhere, Emmi said.

“If you’re looking for the communal dorm experience, definitely be in Jennings,” Emmi said. “It was absolutely perfect, and I would choose it all over again.”

Pros:

“I think it has a nice common space that people get to hang out in,” Grandoff said.

“I never had any problems with bugs, rodents or anything,” Grandoff said.

The furniture is newer, and the desks are large and fit a lot of things, Grandoff said.

Cons:

Air conditioning was a loud window unit placed above one of the beds, Grandoff said.

You have to take toiletries in a shower caddy and walk to the communal bathrooms, Emmi said. You have to be comfortable showering in stalls next to other people.

When it was rainy or especially hot outside the bathrooms felt gross because of the humidity, Leifermann said.

Mallory Hall Mallory Hall is located in the Yulee area on UF’s campus, close to the College of Education, College of the Arts and College of Design, Construction and Planning.

The hall includes single, double and triple rooms. Students are near Broward Dining Center, Broward Recreational Center, Steinbrenner Band Hall and sorority row. While the kitchens on each floor have a microwave and a stove, students need to bring their own refrigerator for their room, according to UF’s housing website.

Mallory Hall was designed by architect Guy Fulton. Mallory, Yulee and Reid Halls are all connected in the shape of a “Y.” The three buildings were combined back in 1950 to allow for common facilities such as kitchens and offices.

The residence hall was named after Angela Mallory, wife of U.S. Senator from Florida Stephen R. Mallory. Mallory, Yulee and Reid Halls were built in 1950 to accommodate UF evolving into a coeducational university, becoming the first permanent halls for women at UF. When they were built, the halls included sewing rooms, hairdressing rooms and separate dining facilities from the men on campus.

While the hall is no longer exclusively for women, UF sophomore Chris Kohlbeck, UF sophomore who lived there from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, said the hall was still filled with mostly women.

“It was basically an all-girl dorm,” Kohlbeck said.

The male floor was only half of the first

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Mallory Hall was renovated in 2006, and more renovations are scheduled within the next decade. Kohlbeck said the bathrooms were renovated when she lived there last year.

“Mallory specifically had renovated bathrooms, which was very nice because the showers were surprisingly always very warm,” she said. “It had really good shower pressure.”

Another distinct feature of the hall is a balcony connected to the kitchen.

“I would sit out there every day,” UF sophomore Alyssa Auderer said.

Pros:

“I liked that there were two bathrooms in the hall so that you were never waiting for a bathroom,” Auderer said.

“It was good for sorority recruitment because it’s a short walk to sorority row,” Kohlbeck said.

“There were definitely a lot of events for the Yulee area and for Mallory Hall,” Auderer said.

“They had a lot of different arts and crafts, yoga and some online games and trivia.”

Cons:

“It was difficult to make command strips stick to the walls,” Powell said.

“The rooms are definitely older,” Kohlbeck said.

“The built-in air conditioner in the window is very loud and it’s very cold,” Kohlbeck said.

Rawlings Hall Nestled behind a bus stop, the entrance to Rawlings Hall lies almost hidden beneath the cover of arching awnings.

First opened in 1958, the residence hall offers mainly double rooms and communal bathrooms. Residents can also live in a single room, a two room quadruple or a double suite, according to the Housing & Residence Life website. Roughly a three-minute walk from Marston Science Library and Turlington Plaza, Rawlings is located near the heart of campus.

Each floor has its own kitchen area, including a microwave and stove. Outside its front entrance, students can find a P.O.D. Market with a Subway inside.

UF plans to demolish the residence hall in 2023, and its bus stop is now closed indefinitely due to road construction.

The residence hall is named after Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings — an author known for her novel “The Yearling.” Originally, Rawlings was home to female students only, but it became coed in 1972, according to “A History of University of Florida Residence Facilities.”

Madelyn White, a 20-year-old UF finance junior, said the building’s age gave Rawlings charm.

“It’s the equivalent of seeing old composites at a sorority house,” White said. “The history is in the building.”

Pros:

“I probably ate that Subway a hundred times,” Evan Combs said.

“I kept [my scooter] right next to Rawlings in that parking garage,” White said.

“You really never had to worry about going to the bathroom or trying to shower,” Aedyn Gorenberg said.

Cons:

“You need to be prepared for the fact that you’re going to be living in a very old dorm,”

Gorenberg said. “It has its times when you’re going to see cockroaches.”

“It was really kind of a far walk to get to the car,” Combs said.

“It’s like 70 degrees at all times, and you could not turn it up because you’d get mold,” Combs said.

Reid Hall The constant sounds of students trying to perfect their melodies would be a bother at most other residence halls at UF. However, Reid Hall is typically occupied by music students attracted by its five-minute walk from UF’s School of Music.

Because of the communal spaces, it was easy to meet other music majors, Kyrsten Wehner, a 21-year-old UF music performance senior, said.

Reid Hall is where Wehner felt most comfortable practicing music inside the units, even into the night, she said.

“As a freshman, not knowing anybody coming in, that was a great place to start,” she said.

A large portion of tenants were sorority members, Wehner said.

“It was an odd combination of music performance majors and sorority girls,” she said.

“You wouldn’t think we would go together, but I met some cool people.”

Although music students are common residents of Reid Hall, any student can live there.

Oscar Santiago, an 18-year-old UF political science and criminology sophomore, said he never experienced anything unusual while living there, other than pranks.

“One of the residents taped the door of the RA,” he said. “They also, one time, dragged a whole table inside a shower.”

Reid Hall is part of the Yulee Complex which is across the street from Norman Field.

The complex was completed in 1950 and served as the first permanent residence halls for women. When it first opened, it had sewing rooms, hairdressing rooms and dining facilities separate from men.

Reid Hall is named after Mary Martha Reid, a Confederate Civil War nurse. She was married to Robert Raymond Reid, Florida’s fourth territorial governor from 1839 until his death in 1841.

Following her husband’s death, Mary Reid became a teacher in Fernandina. She later helped set up a hospital in Virginia to treat Florida soldiers in the Civil War. Pros:

“It’s super close to the music building and the College of Music,” Wehner said.

“Broward dining was right there. It was easy to get food,” Wehner said.

“They didn’t care if you practiced in your dorm,” Wehner said. “We had music through the halls at all times of the day.”

Cons:

“There’s absolutely no parking by Reid unless you want to park in Norman,” Wehner said.

“The quality, I guess, was less than some of the other dorms that I was able to go and see in person.” Santiago said.

Riker Hall Riker Hall is located in the Tolbert area on UF’s campus, across from the Gator Corner Dining Center, and at a walking distance from the O’Connell Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Students can choose to live in single, double or triple rooms. The hall includes communal kitchens and bathrooms on each floor

and lounge areas throughout the building.

Riker Hall was built in 1950 and designed by architect Guy Fulton to resemble an altered Collegiate Gothicstyle residence hall.

Originally known as South Hall, Riker Hall was renamed in 2000, two years after the death of Harold C. Riker, the former director of housing and professor in UF’s department of counselor education.

Janessa Keller, a 19-year-old biology junior, said she enjoyed all the amenities offered in the Tolbert area as well as its surroundings.

“There’s like a mini forest with trees, and I have a hammock, so I could go set up my hammock there which is very nice,” Keller said.

“I actually liked that it was a bit further away from everything, just because sometimes I enjoyed the walk into the main campus,” Meagan O’Malley said.

“If you’re looking for a quiet place where you can study, since I’m in a harder major, it was easier for me to study and do work in my dorm,” Devon Limbangco said.

Cons:

“There’s not a common area [in the building] so it’s kind of awkward. Like if you have people over, you can just bring them in your room and sit on the floor or on your bed,” Limbangco said.

“It’s kind of a long walk [to] the laundry room. I was on the fourth floor and my arms got tired,” Limbangco said.

“If you have to leave for some reason at a weird time in the day, your [parking] spot will definitely be taken and you may have to end up parking all the way down Frat Row,” Isbill said.

Pros:

“There were many bus routes close to that area,” Keller said.

The Tolbert area has a common area with ping pong tables, couches and a projector for students to play movies, Keller said.

“It did have a good location. It’s right next to the dining hall so,” Michael Delsole said.

Cons:

The laundry room is packed on Sunday nights and sometimes on Mondays, Keller said.

Doors are not soundproof so students may hear noises from the hallways, Delsole said.

“The bathrooms are super cramped,” Delsole said. “I’m not a tall guy, I’m like 5’ 7”, but even my knees would be up against the stall doors when I sat down.”

Springs Residential Complex Perched atop Fraternity Row, Springs Residential Complex’s 476-person capacity sprawls across six brick buildings.

Every building is four stories high and filled with single and double suites, which are two rooms adjoined by a shared bathroom.

Each floor has lounges where residents can cook in the kitchen and eat at the tables provided.

Across from the residence buildings sits the commons building, where residents can pick up their mail, relax in the recreation room, do their laundry or work on homework in the study room.

Springs Complex was built in 1995 to assist in relocating male athletes from the nowclosed Yon Hall, which was one of the athletic residence halls eliminated at the 1991 NCAA convention.

Due to its proximity to numerous athletic facilities on the west side of campus, including the Stephen O’Connell Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Springs Complex remains a popular residence hall for UF athletes.

The hall was renamed the Springs Residential Complex in 2000 to celebrate Florida’s environmental landscapes through some of the most popular springs in Florida: Paradise Springs, Gemini Springs, Juniper Springs, Altamonte Springs, Eureka Springs and Coral Springs.

This summer, Springs Complex adopted the Lavender LLC — a living-learning community meant to ensure gender-neutral housing and provide a safe environment for LGBTQ+ students.

Pros:

“There’s so many buses that come by so often, that was really helpful for getting to just roll out of bed and go to class,” Abigail Isbill said.

Thomas Hall Thomas Hall is located in the Murphree Area of the historic district of UF. It’s just off West University Avenue and a five-minute walk from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It’s also near major campus spots such as the Reitz Union, Academic Advising Center, the Student Recreation and Fitness Center and the HUB. Thomas Hall offers single, double, triple or quadruple rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms on each floor. It includes a lounge area, a movie room, a conference room, and recreation opportunities such as a pool table, a ping pong table and other sports equipment.

The hall opened in 1906 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was named after William Reuben Thomas, a Gainesville mayor who donated 517 acres of land and $40,000 from the city of Gainesville to the Florida Legislature with the agreement that UF would be built on those acres.

In 1906, the hall housed administrative offices in the north section and classrooms, laboratories and an auditorium in the middle section. Students paid $2.50 a month to live in Thomas that year.

Leah Rogers, a 20-year-old criminology and psychology major with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience junior, said she loved how each room had a sink in it.

Cheyenne Acker, a 22-year-old UF graduate who majored in biology and psychology, stayed in a single room at Thomas Hall from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019. She appreciated the close proximity to major spots in UF such as The Hub, a food court and a major bus stop on Stadium Road.

Andrew Dang, a 20-year-old UF Biology senior who stayed in a double room at Thomas Hall from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019, said the rooms have a good amount of space.

Pros:

“One pro is location. You are close to midtown, The Hub, Marston Science Library and Library West,” Acker said.

There are only 12 residents on each floor, which means restrooms aren’t as crowded as other halls, Rogers said.

“There are sinks in each room. You can brush your teeth in your room instead of having to walk down the hall,” Rogers said.

Cons:

Thomas Hall lacks enough space for everyone to gather socially or for RA meetings, Acker said. “We sometimes had to all squeeze in the kitchen, but that was only a couple of times a semester,” Acker said.

It’s humid inside the residence hall, Acker

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said. However, she said you can fix that with a dehumidifier.

“It’s far from dining halls if you’re on the meal plan,” Dang said.

Tolbert Hall Tolbert Hall is located in the northeast section of campus near the Gator Corner Dining Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The residence hall opened its doors in 1950 and was named after Benjamin Tolbert, the dean of students from 1928 to 1937. It has a modified Collegiate Gothic architectural style from designer Guy Fulton and houses faculty, students and the UF Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

Tolbert Hall can house up to 252 students.

Richard Mazzula, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering junior who lived in the hall his freshman year, said he liked the close proximity to the Reitz Union and Gator Dining. However, he did not like the social environment.

“Besides like two people I really never met anyone else in Tolbert,” Mazzula wrote in a

text message.

Neha Mathew, a 19-year-old psychology sophomore, also said the location was a benefit of living in Tolbert, but she felt isolated because she wasn’t part of the ROTC. Tenders, or Boots, the campus cat who resides in the Tolbert area, offers residents in the area a companion to destress from school.

“When everyone’s on a run or super stuck in their heads with whatever it may be, [Boots] walking by always offered an “aw” and a smile to make our day better,” Mathew wrote in a text.

Pros:

“My RA was super sweet, and I loved the area as well! It’s super close to the stadium, Reitz, and Gator Corner,” Mathew said.

The ROTC living-learning community and nearby sports facilities are benefits of living at Tolbert, Kayla Norwood, a 19-year-old geology sophomore, said.

Cons:

“The common area was rather small, and so no one really ever went in it,” Mazzula said.

“I did feel a bit out of place because most people were [ROTC,] but I love the friends I met living there,” Mathew said.

Yulee Hall Yulee Hall is located on the eastern side of UF’s campus and sits near the College of Education, College of the Arts and College of Design, Construction and Planning. On campus, students are walking distance away

from Broward Dining Center, Broward Recreational Center, Steinbrenner Band Hall and sorority row.

It includes single, double and triple rooms.

The kitchens on each floor have a microwave and a stove, but students need to bring their own refrigerator for their room, according to UF’s housing website.

Yulee is home to the Global and Social Justice Living Learning Community. Per UF’s housing website, this LLC empowers residents to make the world around them more inclusive. Residents will have the chance to participate in events involving civic engagement and social justice.

Architect Guy Fulton designed Yulee Hall.

Yulee, Mallory and Reid Halls were built as a result of UF transitioning to a coeducational university. The buildings were connected and built in the shape of a “Y” in 1950 to allow for common facilities for the women on campus, such as kitchens and offices.

The residence hall was named after Nancy Wickliff Yulee, wife of U.S. Senator D. L. Yulee. Yulee built a railroad from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico that featured the first rail service to Gainesville.

Yulee Hall is expected to be renovated within the next decade. Lexi Cook, 19-year-

old political science and public relations third-year, lived in Yulee Hall from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020 and said the hall has an older style to it.

“The aesthetic was very ‘70s-ish,” Cook said.

Pros:

“It was super close to the dining hall,” Cook said. “Easy for when I wanted a last minute dinner.”

“There was a large common room for the whole building in the basement that I used pretty frequently,” Cook said. “It had a projector, some TVs and games like ping pong.”

“My floor was social,” Yubin Kim said.

“Pre-COVID, I would have family dinners with the people on my floor, and we would cook together and have movie nights.”

Cons:

“The laundry room was usually pretty busy, and people always forgot to take their stuff out of the washers and dryers,” Cook said.

“On our floor, there was only the kitchen as a communal space with limited capacity due to the pandemic,” McDonald said.

“There wasn’t really much of a social scene specifically for hall.”

“The building was kind of old so there wasn’t a very good water fountain,” Cook said.