November 2, 2020

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 10

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More than half of Alachua County’s voters have cast ballots OVER 113,000 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY HAVE VOTED EARLY IN-PERSON OR BY MAIL

By Steven Walker and Anna Wilder Alligator Staff Writers

Nearly 60% of registered voters, more than 113,000 people, have already cast their ballots in Alachua County. More than 54,000 people voted early in-person in Alachua County in the weeks leading up to the election on Nov. 3. In the 2016 general election, about 80,000 county residents voted early and by mail combined. As of Sunday, 62,353 Democrats, 29,276 Republicans and 21,777 third party or non-party affiliated voters have voted. Early voting in Alachua County started Oct. 19 and ended Oct. 31. The county had six early voting locations. Four early voting locations were in Gainesville, one was in the city of Alachua and the other was in Hawthorne. Here are just a few of the more than 54,000 people who voted in-person during early voting. Some worried about the rhetoric of American politics while others emphasized the importance of voting and supporting their candidate. Dante DeBose, 30-year-old apartment management employee Dante DeBose, a 30-year-old Gainesville resident, voted for the first time on Oct. 25. As a Black man, Debose said voting is one of the most important things Black people can do right now. “It’s kind of hard to feel like we do really have as much freedom as we’re getting told that we have,” he said. ”You have a right to vote, why not use it?” This election marks the first time Debose has ever really educated himself about politics. He attended a “Souls to the Polls” event on Oct. 25 near the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office, where he said he learned more about the candidates before casting his ballot. The decision to vote in this election was easy to make, he said. Everything about this election, from the candidates to this year’s social movements, pushed him to vote. DeBose wasn’t willing to share who he voted for, just that he was confident he “voted right.” Brian Ardavin, 21-year-old UF student Brian Ardavin, a 21-year-old UF psychology senior, is a registered Democrat who voted early for former Vice President Joe Biden on Oct. 22 at the Reitz Union polling

SEE VOTER PROFILES, PAGE 4

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Five years in the making

Story description with comma, Joe Pagdin, who finish committed to UF pg# at the age of 13, is finally hitting the green as a Florida Gator this season, pg. 11

Zachariah Chou // Alligator Staff

Von Brockington, a barber at The Reitz Union Barber Shop, is seen trimming John Smith’s hair on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. Read more on page 6. A look inside a Reitz Union staple - the barbershop

Owner and manager Jay Jarrell followed in his father’s footsteps and is now navigating the haircutting industry in COVID-19, pg. 6

To East Gainesville and beyond

Jones Edmunds & Associates Inc. is teaming up with NASA to send a woman to the moon in the next four years, pg. 7

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2 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Today’s Weather Education organizers urge Gainesville to vote

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 10

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VOTERS CAN DECIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AND SUPPORT EDUCATORS, SPEAKERS SAID By Sophie Feinberg Alligator Staff Writer

Standing in front of a navy tour bus in the pouring rain, public education advocates urged people to vote like their lives depend on it. The American Federation of Teachers, a national union of teachers and other education professionals, held a rally at First United Methodist Church, located at 418 NE 1st St., Thursday. It aimed to increase voter turnout through a bus tour, in which Gainesville was the first of six stops in Florida. A lineup of speakers from the Florida Education Association, UF Graduate Assistants United and the United Faculty of Florida addressed the need to prevent budget cuts and keep schools from fully reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators are seeing a reckless risk to their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Candi Churchill, a field staff member for the United Faculty of Florida, an organization that fights for high quality education in colleges and universities. Florida teachers went to court over the decision to reopen the classroom during the summer. A similar fight has been shaping up at UF, where faculty are fighting a push for in-person Spring classes. “We want to make sure that working conditions are safe and that people are not being forced back to campus,” Churchill said. Graduate assistants are also impacted by government decisions about classrooms as both employees and students, said Meridith Miska, a co-president of UF Graduate Assistants United, a union for teaching, research and graduate assistants. Miska addressed concerns about racial inequities at UF, such as how she hears that Black, international and graduate students feel unwelcome, unsafe and unheard by administration. She also talked about the union’s perspective on a university she sees gentrifying a community and furloughing workers in need. Voters, Miska said, can help control the conversation that administrators are having about faculty returning to classrooms or saving campus

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jobs. “The best way to fight back against it is to get our members out to vote, make sure the community is involved and understands what’s going on at UF,” she said. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said people need to go out to vote because so much is on the ballot, including public education. “If I sound urgent in the rain, I am,” she said. “Because we need to vote like our lives depend on it because they do.” To Fedrick Ingram, American Federation of Teachers secretary-treasurer, every single person matters in democracy. “Some candidates want to talk about Wall Street,” he said. “Some candidates want to talk about Main Street. All those things are important, but we want to talk about what’s happening on your street.” @feinberg_sophie sfeinberg@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 ALLIGATOR 3

4 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Dorm community for first-generation students announced for Fall 2021 THE LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY WILL BE IN THE MURPHREE AREA By Lianna Hubbard Alligator Staff Writer

In Fall 2021, UF will open a Living Learning Community for first-generation UF students to access academic support and community. The First Generation Student LLC will open by Fall 2021 in the Murphree Area, said Dekendrick Murray, the Office of Academic Support’s assistant director. Living Learning Communities are groups in UF’s dorms students can join to participate in activities and have access to course offerings and resources related to their LLC theme. “We’re maximizing resources,” Murray said. “And we’re pulling together different things to make sure that first generation students are supported.” First-generation students are the first in their family to go to college. They often lack the resources and generational knowledge about college’s fast academic pace and daunting social environment. Some of the 16 existing LLCs on campus are the Arts LLC in Reid Hall, the Black Cultural LLC in Graham Hall and the Engineering LLC in East Hall. About 150 to 175 freshman and sophomore students will live in the LLC, Murray said. UF Housing and Residence Education approved the LLC Oct. 5 and is now designing programs for students. The First Generation LLC will give students a community of peers and resources. There will be workshops on adjusting to the

college experience and the professional world, academic advisors from the Office of Academic Support dropping by the LLC, study spaces and mentorship programs, Murray said. The residents will also be able to share an Intro to Natural History and Quest 1, a general education class for incoming students. “We’re really joining together to create a united front for supporting first generation students,” he said. “We call this the first generation alliance.” Murray hopes the resident assistants in the First Generation LLC will be first-generation students themselves. Multiple first-generation scholarships and departments like Promise, McNair Scholars, Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars and First-Generation Student Success Office are collaborating to bring students into the LLC. Daniel Badell, UF Student Government’s First Generation Affairs Cabinet director, proposed the idea to the Office of Academic Support in May. “For first generation students, their family is a really great support system but only to the extent of the things that they know, and they don’t know anything about college,” Badell said. “It can be a struggle to find your place in such a big community.” UF Promise is a program that provides select students with additional support like workshops and access to Academic Support resources to help them adjust to life at UF. Promise also has an LLC for its recipients in the Murphree area in Summer B. About 70% of Promise recipients are also first-generation students, Murray said. UF Housing and Resident Education fund LLCs through the laundromats students pay to

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

use in the dorms, said Mary Jordan, associate director of UF Housing’s Student Learning and Engagement. The amount LLCs get depends on how much students use the washers and dryers. Another new LLC, the Marsha P. Johnson LLC for LGBTQ students, will come to Springs Complex in Fall 2021. It was also announced this month. UF Housing and Resident Education is forming the two LLCs as part of a review and revamp of the department, Jordan said. Along

Early voting ended Oct. 31, Election Day on Nov. 3 VOTER PROFILES, from pg. 1 location at UF. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office implemented COVID-19 precautions to its early voting locations around the county. At the Reitz Union polling location, Ardavin said he never felt unsafe. He said the lines at the Reitz Union were adequately spread out and everyone he saw wore a mask. Ardavin has voted before but never for president. “It felt good to be able to do something that might influence where the country goes for the next four years,” Ardavin said. Ardavin said he voted for Biden because he’s seen too much hateful rhetoric in politics over the past four years. He said the former vice president could help fix that. “There needs to be a reshaping in mindset and environment,” Ardavin said. “There’s a lot that needs to be different.” Alexis Speed, 36-year-old nurse Alexis Speed, a 36-year-old nurse at UF Health Shands Hospital, voted early at the Supervisor of Elections office on Oct. 25. She decided to vote early because she didn’t want to stand in the long lines on Election Day. Speed also attended the “Souls to the Polls” event on Oct. 25 that encouraged people to vote early. “I would say it’s definitely my civic duty to vote, especially to make sure that kids and everyone that’s not able to vote still has their voice heard, and my own voice heard,” Speed said. “Especially this year with everything going on, this was definitely a major election year.”

Treavon Taylor, 32-year-old trash and recycle helper Treavon Taylor, a 32-year-old Waste Corporation of America trash and recycle helper, voted early at the Supervisor of Elections office. Taylor said he planned to mail in his ballot but didn’t have time to send it in because he works 11-12 hour shifts. Taylor said his church, Upper Room Ministries on 3575 NE 15th St. in Gainesville, encouraged him to go vote. He said he hasn’t voted since the 2012 election. Taylor said he didn’t have time with his hours for work, but this time his church encouraged it and he felt compelled to come out. Taylor is a registered Democrat and said he voted for Biden. Lee Givens, 60-year-old school media aid Lee Givens, a 60-year-old retired teacher and current school media aid, voted at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua. He planned to come and vote early but not at the Legacy Park location. He said the other locations were too crowded. “We drove from Jonesville up to here because we heard that it wasn’t as long over here,” Givens said. “Sure enough, 15 minutes and we’re done.” Givens said he didn’t think there were enough early voting locations. He said six wasn’t enough and there should be one location in every town. Of Alachua County’s nine municipalities, only three have early voting locations. Givens said he voted for President Donald Trump. Givens said he has been a lifelong conservative registered Republican, but Trump was not his first choice in 2016, and he would have preferred Republican nominees Ted Cruz or Mike Huckabee, who both ran for president four years ago. However, he said Trump fulfilled all his promises on his campaign the last three and a half years, which is why he trusts him.

with forming new LLCs, the department is looking at the accessibility of their buildings and increasing occupancy. “Where you live is where you spend the most of your time outside classes when you are in college,” Jordan said. “Being able to have this great complimentary experiential residence hall experience is very exciting.” @HubbardLianna lhubbard@alligator.org

Connie Richard, 55-year-old cashier Connie Richard, a 55-year-old cashier, voted at Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, because the line was too long at the Tower Road Branch Library voting location in Gainesville. She is a resident of Newberry, and although this location was out of the way, it was worth it for her. Richard said she did not plan on mail-in voting because she does not believe it is safe this year. She said she voted for Trump and is currently a registered Democrat but is going to change her registration. “He has been good for the last four years, so yeah, I believe he will do good,” Richard said. Richard said she didn’t really feel like there needed to be more locations for early voting. She said she waited about 10 minutes in the Legacy Park line. Keri Guynn, 35-year-old business owner

Keri Guynn, a 35-year-old business owner of Serpentine Plants and Provisions on 209 NW 10th Ave., Gainesville, turned in her mail-in ballot at the Supervisor of Elections office. She said she wanted to see her ballot go into the box herself. Guynn voted for Biden. She said she was a registered Independent in the past, but for the last two or three elections, she changed her affiliation to Democrat. She said Biden was far from her first choice as a Democratic candidate, but between him and Trump, he was the best option. “It is important that I use my vote on behalf of people who don’t have the privilege to vote,” she said.

@swalker_7 @anna_wilderr swalker@alligator.org awilder@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 ALLIGATOR 5

UF faculty and graduate students protest in-person Spring classes ABOUT 40 PEOPLE PROTESTED AGAINST UF’S DECISION TO HAVE IN-PERSON CLASSES IN THE SPRING

By Corbin Bolies and Aurora Martinez Alligator Staff Writers

About 40 members of UF’s faculty and graduate unions protested outside UF President Kent Fuchs’ house Sunday where, despite facing heavy rain and wind, they spoke out against the move for more in-person classes in the Spring.

Members of United Faculty of Florida-UF and Graduate Assistants United-UF, local representatives of the Democratic Socialists of America, Gainesville City Commissioner Harvey Ward and an Alachua County Labor Coalition member spoke at the event against UF’s plans for more inperson classes in the Spring due to COVID-19. The President’s House, across the street from the UF Levin College of Law, served as the backdrop, with masked attendees — including a costumed Grim Reaper — who said the administration’s decisions put lives at risk. Protestors weren’t sure whether or not

Emily Felts // Alligator Staff

Cristina Cabada, the Alachua County Labor Coalition Coordinator, spoke to a crowd assembled across the street from the Dasburg House during a protest against in-person classes this spring at UF, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020.

Fuchs was home. Bobby Mermer, a co-president of GAU-UF, said in his speech that at-risk members of his union are being asked to choose between their lives and livelihoods. “They’re being led into the slaughter,” Mermer said. Jacob Giner, a 19-year-old UF anthropology sophomore and activist with the Young Democratic Socialists of Gainesville, said UF was complicit in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposals to re-open the state. He said only those who’ve proposed face-to-face classes believe them to be successful. “I’m not going to die on a ventilator so the politicians and administrators can ignore the problem,” Giner shouted. The Board of Governors, the 17-member body that oversees the State University System, has not released official guidance on how to administer classes in the Spring. Other speakers, like Roxanne Palmer, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s North Central Florida chapter, used more explicit language in describing their fury. “Gainesville is a very small pond. UF is a gigantic fish and the fish is f------ sick and is bleeding poison into the environment,” Palmer said. “Show some f-----leadership, Kent Fuchs.” The Sunday protest was the latest in a saga of disagreements between the faculty and graduate unions and the UF administration over in-person classes. UFF-UF and GAU-UF were against UF’s partial reopening this Fall, calling it “ill-advised and extremely risky” in a press release. Once UF announced plans to

hold more in-person classes in Spring, faculty members immediately expressed concerns, starting with an Oct. 5 petition that had more than 3,300 signatures as of Sunday afternoon. UF Provost Joseph Glover acknowledged those concerns in a Faculty Senate town hall on Oct. 6 but stressed the importance of returning to the classroom. The unions hosted a press conference on Oct. 20 stating their opposition to UF’s Spring plan, asking the administration to provide the option for faculty to teach remotely, especially for at-risk faculty and staff or for those who live with at-risk family members. “We’re working harder than ever, but why is the University of Florida endangering our health and our well-being by forcing us to go back to face-to-face learning in the Spring?” Paul Ortiz, the president of UFF-UF, asked the crowd. Sunday’s event will not change the UF administration’s mind, Ortiz said afterward, but it will be part of a pressure campaign. He said administration still has time to change their minds regarding in-person classes. “We’re just gonna continue raising our voices and doing what we should be doing as a university community,” Ortiz said. “My main disappointment with President Fuchs right now is I don’t see any dialogue.” When reached for comment Sunday, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando referred to Fuchs’ Oct. 9 video promoting in-person courses next semester. Other UF administration members, including Dean of Students Heather White and Assistant Dean

Kris Klann, attended to observe the protest but declined to comment. Brantlee Spakes-Richter, a UF plant pathology associate professor, attended the protest holding a sign that had written on it, “There is no top 5 without your teachers!” She has worked at UF for 10 years and said she is outraged at the way the administration has made its decisions. Richter said the first article of the UF constitution describes a shared governance system, which means faculty and administrators are entitled to voice their opinions when it comes to making policy decisions. UF did not follow such procedure to decide on announcing in-person classes for the Spring, she said. UF allowed for faculty comments at Glover’s town hall last month, but hasn’t publicly addressed their concerns since Fuch’s Oct. 9 video. “There was no seat at the table, there was no option for us to participate in charting the path forward for UF,” Richter said, “and I find that abhorrent.” That lack of conversation — and commitment to in-person courses — is what’s caused the divide. “We gotta be honest with what this face-to-face policy will do,” said Ara Hagopian, a 24-year-old UF graduate student, who dressed as the Grim Reaper. “It will cost lives.” @AuroraCeciliaM @Corbinbolies amartinez@alligator.org cbolies@alligator.org

UF professors adapt to the Zoom classroom with activities, expectations MANY UF PROFESSORS HAVE MANDATED STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND CAMERAS TO INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT By Kalia Richardson Alligator Staff Writer

UF African American Studies professor Vincent Adejumo said he is like a Methodist preacher in his virtual classroom. His animated storytelling coupled with dramatic pauses hasn’t faltered since switching his Intro to African American studies course online, and his attendance has even gone up. “If you’re a boring teacher then it’s going to be boring,” Adejumo said. COVID-19 has forced many professors to change their curriculum and create virtual scavenger hunts and camera-on policies to engage with students. While some professors have easily adjusted to the change, others miss the in-person interaction. This fall, 4,202 courses were offered online, hybrid and in-person. The number of courses offered online cannot be determined because some professors decided to teach online after low-attendance or fears of catching COVID-19 from unmasked students, wrote UF data literacy professor Norman Lewis in an email. Within the live lecture, Adejumo uses

internet scavenger hunts, breakout room discussions and current events to keep his 60 students engaged online. He watches the shows his students watch like “Lovecraft Country,” a TV drama and horror series that takes place during the Jim Crow era. He also discusses police brutality and Black death within the news, he said. “The passion just comes out when the literature lines up with the current events,” Adejumo said. For more than seven years, Adejumo has taught online and hybrid courses. He has no problem teaching synchronous online lectures in the Spring, and he said he prefers it. “There’s no point of resisting,” Adejumo said. “You just have to embrace it and get the proper training.” The online classroom flexibility also benefits traveling student athletes, Adejumo said. It matters less that a student is styling their hair, making French toast or logging in from their phone for the lecture, he said. He just requires students to have their cameras on and participate in class lectures. “We’re all adults,” he said. “So, that’s what they want to do, I’m not going to be such a stickler on it.” Miklos Bona, a UF mathematics professor, said his class engagement has suffered. While class grades have remained the same, his jokes fall flat and most students don’t bother to turn their cameras on. He misses the tune of students shuffling into class, he

said, and discussing word problems. “That’s always music to my ears when I walk into a regular classroom, and I hear right before class that the students are talking to each other about the material,” Bona said. With muted microphones and blackedout screens on Zoom, he can’t scan the room for confused faces or glance over the shoulder of students writing down the material like in a classroom, he said. Bona often waits for a verbal yes before he moves on, but it is often the same students giving it, he said. While he understands teaching from home is a safety precaution, he’s counting the days until he can return to the classroom safely and better service his students. “I still prefer a traditional classroom,” Bona said. “The online experience is not all negative, but the negatives outnumber the positives.” While UF French professor Rori Bloom has only 10 students in her French literature class, she still finds it hard to see them while she shares her screen. In addition, the informal interaction is lost in their wallet-sized Zoom frames. “You don’t see how they make each other laugh,” Bloom said. “Or that some of them are wearing uniforms because they’ve gotten off work.” To break the ice, Bloom said she’ll ask about a poster or the pink wallpaper in their room to get students comfortable with speaking informally in French. She also

creates one-on-one meetings during class time to make up for time usually spent during in-person office hours. Despite the Zoom headaches and the virtual classroom frustration, Bloom said all of her students keep their cameras on and want to engage in discussion. “It’s going really well in terms of the level of maturity and engagement,” she said. Michael Marsiske, a UF clinical and health psychology professor, wrote in an email that teaching online is among the least of his worries with COVID-19, climate change and political unrest within the nation. “I consider the move to online platforms (Zoom, Canvas) the best thing that ever happened to my teaching,” Marsiske wrote. By requiring his students to have their camera on, three-person breakout rooms and “Get to know you” meetings, he doesn’t feel a disconnect. Students can hear his lecture clearly over Zoom compared to a fading voice within a 50-student lecture hall, he wrote, and students don’t have to squint to see the board. “My personal experience is that Zoom has opened up a door to more fun, effective, engaging and interactive instruction – done with fewer sensory challenges – than the in-person classroom allows,” he wrote. @Kaliarichardson krichardson@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020

A 49-year legacy of hair cuts and southern hospitality JAY JARRELL AND THE REITZ UNION BARBER SHOP: THE HIDDEN GEMS OF UF’S REITZ UNION

By Rachel Slay Alligator Staff Writer

Smiling eyes and the faint fragrance of shaving cream greet patrons as they enter the barbershop on the ground floor of UF’s Reitz Union. The gray tile floors, black leather chairs and Gator sports memorabilia bring a sense of old school, hometown comfort to the building’s business-oriented atmosphere. The Reitz Student Union Barber Shop has been serving customers on UF’s campus since 1967, and current owner and manager Jay Jarrell has been around almost every step of the way. Over his 49 years there, he and the shop have survived major downsizing, building renovations and now, a global pandemic. Jarrell followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a barber. In his hometown of Miami, his dad, John David Jarrell, graduated from and eventually owned Miami Barber College. Jay Jarrell also attended college and became a barber at the age of 16, when he had to cut his dad’s hair and shave his beard for his final exam. Shaving was never one of his strong suits, Jay Jarrell said. In the fall of 1971, Jay Jarrell moved to Gainesville, and after quitting his job at the local Sears Automotive Department, started working at the shop as a UF psychology student. Soon after, his dad sold the barber colleges in Miami and decided to buy the Reitz Union Barber Shop. About 35 years ago, Jay Jarrell said he bought the shop from his father and took over as manager. When COVID-19 caused campus to close during the Spring semester, Jay Jarrell knew things would look different for the shop when

campus reopened again in Fall. The shop closed on March 21 and reopened on May 11, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order to allow barbershops and other cosmetic businesses to open. Before UF required students to leave campus, business was already declining, Jay Jarrell said. Many students had already gone home. This semester, Jarrell has been able to pay his bills, but business is not the same. The shop has seen about 40% of the amount of clients a typical October would have, he said. The shop is not financially supported by the university, so it relies completely on clients and service for profit. UF gave Jay Jarrell a break on rent during April and two months of relief to compensate for COVID-19, he said. “Normally, October is our busiest month,” Jay Jarrell said. “I would never be able to go play golf on a Friday morning.” To keep up with COVID-19 guidelines, clients wear their mask for the duration of their appointment. Jay Jarrell has clients hold their mask over their nose and mouth if they want their beard trimmed and shaves one half of their face at a time. The sanitation of equipment between clients is similar to a barber’s typical process, he said. He sweeps the floor, wipes down the chair and sanitizes all of the tools before another person sits down. The shop still takes appointments and walk-ins, but students are no longer allowed to wait in the shop for their barber to be ready for them. Jay Jarrell asks them to take advantage of the seating out in the Reitz common areas instead. Even at 69 years old, Jay Jarrell was not nervous about returning to work. He was confident in his ability to maintain a sanitary environment. “I’m going to do everything I can to keep from catching it,” Jarrell said. “But if I was re-

Emily Felts // Alligator Staff

Von Brockington, a barber at the Reitz Union Barber Shop, trims John Smith’s hair on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. Brockington’s worked at the Reitz Barber Shop since 2005. ally worried, I wouldn’t be working.” The Reitz Union Barber Shop that exists today is much smaller than the original shop built in 1967, Jay Jarrell said. It was 1,100 square feet and had 10 stations. About 20 years ago, it became difficult to keep that shop busy because it was so big, he said. Jay Jarrell had a conversation with his buddy Michael Schwartz, former dean of UF pharmaceutics, about problem solving and the challenge of maintaining such a large space. “I thought, ‘Well, how can I make this work without just working 60 hours a week for the rest of my life?’” he said.

Downsizing was the answer. In 2010, he signed a new lease with UF and moved into the smaller space. Now, the shop has three stations and a glass window from floor to ceiling looking into one of the main hallways at the Reitz. During his time working on UF’s campus, Jay Jarrell has had countless students and notable professors sit in his chair. He said one of his favorite clients was the late Ralph Lowenstein, who served as dean of UF’s College of Journalism and Communications for 18 years. “I cut his hair about a week before he passed,” Jay Jarrell said. “He was pretty vibrant and pretty healthy right up until the very end.” The university brings him the best types of clients a barber could ask for, he said. “This clientele is elite clientele,” he said. “Everyone has good communication skills, and they’re not shy about telling me what they want so it’s pretty easy to please people.” In the shop, Jay Jarrell works alongside the 39-year-old, gregarious Von Brockington. Brockington is quick with a joke and casually refers to customers as “Buddy.” The Gainesville native has been working at the Reitz Union Barber Shop since 2004 and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon, unless he wins the lottery, he said. It’s Jay Jarrell’s funny, warm spirit that makes working at the shop so special, Brockington said. “In a barbershop, you kind of work for yourself so to be able to work with people you get along with is always good,” Brockington said. When UF President Kent Fuchs arrived at the university in 2015, he asked Jay Jarrell if he was getting ready to retire. Jarrell told Fuchs he will stay as long as he is president of UF. Talk of Jay Jarrell leaving the shop was sad for Brockington. It doesn’t matter who is in charge, as long as he still comes around, Brockington said. “I don’t want to think about the bird leaving,” Brockington said. “That’ll be a sad day.” As he approaches 70, Jay Jarrell hopes to transition from manager to a supporting role. In five years, he would like to see Brockington running the shop so that he can play golf and be a good husband to his wife of 45 years. “I see Von thriving and me chilling,” he said. “My wife’s been waiting a long time to have more time with me.”

Emily Felts // Alligator Staff

John Smith, a retired construction and restaurant worker, is seen getting his hair trimmed at the Reitz Union Barber Shop on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. Smith said he always goes to Von Brockington, one of the barbers, because he “makes his morning better.”

@racheljslay rslay@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 ALLIGATOR 7

Among the stars: NASA awards contract to East Gainesville engineering firm THE FIVE-YEAR CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACT WILL SUPPORT AMERICANS’ RETURN TO MOON

By Edysmar Diaz-Cruz Alligator Staff Writer

An East Gainesville firm could play a role in American astronauts’ return to the moon. NASA awarded Jones Edmunds & Associates Inc. a five-year civil engineering contract in mid-September. The East Gainesville firm, along with two others in Orlando and Viera, will provide architectural-engineer services for the NASA Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman to the moon by 2024 — more than five decades after the first moon landing. With a partnership that spans 28 years, this is the fifth time Jones Edmunds will collaborate with the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The new contract allows the Gainesville firm to provide services to NASA nationwide, firm vice president Terri Lowery said. It also awards $150 million for space-related engineering projects, she added. Projects intended for the Artemis program include utilities infrastructure, site planning, transportation engineering and stormwater and solid waste management. Space innovation is only one of the firm’s initiatives, Lowery said. Located on Waldo Road, the firm has spearheaded multiple projects in East Gainesville. The firm’s engineers helped design the Duval Stormwater Park, restore Sweetwater Wetlands Park and upgrade road safety for traffic, pedestrians

and bicyclists of the northeast. “It’s pretty exciting to see what our team has done over the years at the facility,” Lowery said. “It is a testament to the hard work and the service that our technical team provides to NASA.” The contract is also a financial boost for the firm, which supports more than 130 employees, Lowery said. Many of them are Gainesville residents. Jamie Bell is one of these employees. As an engineer and North Duckpond resident, she gets to be a part of space innovation 10 minutes from her quaint neighborhood. Bell will be working with an infrastructure team to create a wastewater master plan and redesign Kennedy Space Center’s Crawlerway, the roadway used to move rockets to the launch pad, for the Artemis project. “Believe it or not, there’s actually space-related work going on in East Gainesville,” Bell said. “It’s also really interesting to see how the space industry is growing again because it did kind of take a dip for a little while.” The Obama administration approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, which turned to private companies to send astronauts into space, while NASA focused on creating larger rockets to travel further distances. The act canceled the Constellation Program, a NASA mission geared to send astronauts to the moon, in favor of commercial flights to the International Space Station. Gregory Harland, a Kennedy Space Center spokesperson, desires to push the boundaries of space exploration even further. With the Artemis program, Harland and his

colleagues have their eyes set on the moon — and even Mars. “I can only imagine what the Apollo era folks were thinking. I could only imagine what the space shuttle era folks were thinking,” Harland said. “We are at the very beginning of this new pioneering spirit, taking a deep breath in the universe.” NASA hasn’t sent an astronaut into space from U.S soil in nine years until flights resumed this summer through a partnership with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company.

NASA’s mission has evolved to lead the development of a commercial space industry, Harland said. He notes that its multi-user spaceport, which was initially built for the Apollo Mission, has converted from a strictly governmental facility to a blended government and commercial facility. Laura Rochester, director of procurement at the Kennedy Space Center, hopes NASA’s endeavors would inspire children to pursue math and science. With more space innovation, more commercial technology will be created, she added.

Rochester looks forward to space innovation’s comeback. “When we’re on TV launching astronauts to the space station and then watching them safely splash back down, it brings everyone together,” she said. Rochester and Harland may not wear space suits, but both agree steering a rocket is only one of many ways to support space exploration — even from East Gainesville. @EdysmarDiazCruz ediaz-cruz@alligator.org

Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

MUSIC

The show must go on: How Gainesville venues are moving forward LIVE STREAMS AND FUNDRAISERS CONTINUE THROUGH UNCERTAINTY By Heather Bushman Avenue Staff Writer

It’s quieter in downtown Gainesville these days. Residents still filter in and out of local businesses for a bite to eat or a coffee break, and UF students still frequent their favorite spots with friends. But the energy, once electric, has lulled to a low hum. Pat Lavery, facility and events manager at High Dive, felt the change. “Downtown is dead,” he said. The COVID-19 pandemic has left downtown Gainesville, an active area of local arts and culture, at a standstill. A major contributor to the desolation is the absence of live events in local venues. These venues are still trying to decide how to safely provide entertainment and turn a profit in a time that’s been anything but opportune. When the pandemic began in March, temporary closures were the immediate responses from venues both in Gainesville and throughout the country. But what was thought to be a weeks-long hiatus turned into a far more significant break in business. “We were closed completely for over six months,” Lavery said. Venues like High Dive spent the time finding safer alternatives to standard practices, cutting costs and creating solutions for the fact that “business as usual” couldn’t happen. What ensued was an onset of fundraising initiatives: t-shirts, gift cards, a GoFundMe page and more. The options for operation were limited, though. The various fundraisers worked to an extent, Lavery said, and High Dive is still on its feet, but being profitable means selling a product. While restaurants and other businesses could make changes to safely put products into customers’ hands, live venues did not have that luxury. “There’s not really a takeout menu for live music,” Lavery said. Other Gainesville stages have experienced similar struggles. Dave Melosh, owner and general manager of Heartwood Soundstage, said the venue is “barely breaking even.” Heartwood, a venue specializing in audio and video recording of live music, also closed its doors from March to late September, save for one socially distanced outdoor show in June. The past few months were touch-andgo, so much that Lavery said High Dive was “literally adjusting every week,” but new ventures have kept the venues afloat. High Dive initiated an alcohol delivery service for a short while along with their other fundraising efforts, and Heartwood now hosts a weekly farmers market with live music. The alternatives provided some financial relief, but these establishments’ ultimate goal

was left unmet. “Our only purpose is to book and produce shows,” Lavery said. Live entertainment venues exist for exactly that – live entertainment. But with in-person shows no longer an option, the question remained: How does live music start to make its way back? The answer laid in the art of the livestream. Heartwood, High Dive and other venues across the country have taken to the platform to distribute local music to their patrons. Bands play remotely or film at the venue, and the content is streamed to users through Facebook, YouTube or other services. Local artists like Arrows In Action, Driveaway and The Forum have participated in a handful of High Dive’s “Live From Home” streaming benefit concerts, and Heartwood has recruited a host of local singer-songwriters for their “Song From The Heart” streaming series. For MusicGNV co-founder Brandon Telg, live streaming hasn’t just been the most efficient avenue of operations – it’s been the only avenue. MusicGNV is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Gainesville artists. The business was originally set to launch in May as a booking and public relations organization, among other services, but when the pandemic hit, Telg changed plans. Instead, MusicGNV officially launched in March and has since served as an outlet for artists to perform live streams with their ongoing “Safe At Home” series. “That wasn’t our intention, to do livestreams, but that’s what became available,” Telg said. Current conditions considered, livestreams are the safest approach to providing entertainment, but in terms of filling in for the absence of live shows, Lavery said it’s simply not enough. Venues like High Dive didn’t just function as flourishing businesses on their own: they were also profitable for the downtown area as a whole, Lavery said. Attending a High Dive show usually meant grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant, stopping for drinks at a bar after the show or frequenting other local businesses. “For every dollar that people spend on a ticket at High Dive, they’re spending, on average, another $12 elsewhere downtown,” Lavery said. Perhaps the more significant impact, though, is the drain on Gainesville’s morale. The lack of energy is palpable, Melosh said. After months of tightening belts and grasping at straws, of questions unanswered and futures uncertain, of some venues barely getting by and others not at all, Melosh said the lack of energy is palpable. But the hard work is worth it if it means keeping live events in the Gainesville landscape, the venue officials said. It was impossible for them to overstate the value of live entertainment to local culture. For Lavery, it “gives us an identity that we don’t really have otherwise.” For Melosh, it’s “the breadth of what the

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter. Tweet us @TheAlligator.

Courtesy to The Alligator

Gainesville’s High Dive closed temporarily for six months due to COVID-19 business shutdowns. Now, the venue is moving forward as Gainesville’s music scene recovers. Gainesville community is.” And for Telg, live entertainment is the connection itself. “I feel disconnected from my friends, from my community,” Telg said, “And a large part of that community for me was at events, was at concerts and was at live music.” What comes next is still uncertain. Government aid, Lavery said, is the only viable solution to the financial crisis venues are experiencing. However, with the Save Our Stages Act, a Congressional bill drafted to provide aid to independent venues, still suspended in the Senate, these funds are not guaranteed. The next option is support from the community, which the venues have experienced. Melosh said his venue has been kept alive by a loyal group of patrons who have continuously sent donations. “There’s a pretty hardcore group of maybe 300 to 400 people in Gainesville who’ve supported Heartwood through thick and thin,” he said. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’s reopening plans, Florida venues are legally allowed to operate at 100% capacity, but some, like High Dive and Heartwood, are continuing with limitations and distancing guidelines. The approach is a gradual one, with the venues easing back into having a crowd present for live events. Heartwood’s current plan, Melosh said, is to continue relying on their outdoor space for live events. Streaming events from their indoor space to an audience seated outdoors is also a possibility, he said. High Dive is reintroducing live events as well, Lavery said, proceeding first with allowing patrons to watch livestreams from

the beer garden and continuing with distanced seating inside the venue and a mandatory mask policy. As for MusicGNV, Telg and his team are taking the next few months to regroup, with a current plan to step away from livestreaming starting in November. “We are winding down the livestreams,” he said These are the first of many steps to return to normalcy, which Melosh predicts may not happen for at least another year. But it’s a return he said he looks forward to despite the potentially lengthy time frame. Though the marquee acts Gainesville attracts are cause for anticipation, Melosh said the real magic of live shows lies in the little moments of connection and community. “Your scene is only as good as the collection of those moments you have,” he said. And in Gainesville venues, where Saturday nights bleed into Sunday mornings, and hometown heroes pour their hearts out for a crowd of their closest family and friends, those moments exist in spades. There has never been a more challenging time to be in the live music industry, Telg said, but if there were a single truth to be understood from the circumstances, he said it would be this: “There is no equal to live music.” For more information on upcoming events or how to donate, visit High Dive, Heartwood Soundstage and MusicGNV’s websites @hgrizzl hbushman@alligator.org

Commanding athletes in their own right

Online Sports Editor Payton Titus unpacks the sexism behind Gators softball player Jade Caraway’s portrayal as Kyle Trask’s girlfriend and other instances of gender discrimination in sports media, pg. 12

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St. Francis House is a homeless shelter located in downtown Gainesville. Our mission is to empower families with children to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency by providing case management, housing, food, training and educational resources in a secure environment. If interested in volunteering please contact the volunteer coordinator at 352-378- 9079 ext 317 or sfhcoor@stfrancis.cfcoxmail.com St Francis House depends on monetary support from individual donors and community businesses in order to provide meals to the homeless and the hungry. To make a donation by mail, please send checks payable to St. Francis House P.O. Box 12491 Gainesville Fl 32604 or our website at Stfrancishousegnv.org

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January 27, 2020

King Features Weekly Service

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J UMB L E by David L. Hoyt 1

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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.

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: PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Trivia Test answers

9. Common loon 8. "Philadelphia" 7. 1.2 to 1.5 gallons

2. "Gone With the Wind"

6. Chester Cheetah

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 www.alligator.org/sports

FEATURE

Joe Pagdin begins Florida career five years in the making By Michael Hull Sports Writer

Nervous. That’s how I felt the first time I interviewed Joe Pagdin. Pagdin was in eighth grade at the time and was already the No. 1 player on the varsity golf team at Trinity Preparatory School in Orlando. I was intimidated as a freshman about to conduct my first interview for the high school newspaper. Little did I know, Pagdin would commit to Florida a month later at 13-years-old — the youngest golf commit in UF history. That was five years ago. Back then, Pagdin was the smallest kid on the varsity team. “I feel when I go to matches, most of the time, I feel like the other team is looking at me like, ‘Oh, who’s this little kid?’” the young, pimple-faced Pagdin said. Now, Pagdin is the proverbial big man on campus as he begins his much-anticipated career at UF. “For me, it was the right choice and the right timing,” Pagdin said of his commitment. “After I committed, the wait seemed like it was going to take forever, and it did. And then my senior year just flew by, and soon enough, I was moving up here.” Joe’s father, Mark Pagdin, realized his son could have a collegiate future in golf when he was very young. “When he was eight, nine, 10 years old, he used to win everything on the junior level,” Mark said. “People used to say to me that ‘You know what? He'll go to a Division I school, he'll get a top scholarship,’ and I was paranoid because I grew up in England, so I didn't know the system over here.” Mark said Joe received offers from smaller schools when he was 11 or 12. When he committed to Florida, Pagdin had 10 offers on the table. One of the biggest pieces that drew the Pagdins to Gainesville was head coach J.C. Deacon. Joe has a long relationship with Deacon, having known him for more than five years. While Deacon is now considered part of Joe’s family, Mark’s meeting with Deacon won the Pagdins over for good. Deacon met Mark at 8 a.m. on a Friday. “And he walked in, J.C., and he looked like shit,” Mark said. “He's got black eyes and a beard, and I say 'Jesus.' I said, 'have you been up all night drinking?'" Deacon had actually been in the hospital all night with Gordon Neale, one of his players at the time. Neale had fallen off his bike and broken his arm, and since he was from California, his parents could not make it to the hospital. So Deacon went and spent the night with his player. “(Joe) was also looking seriously at Au-

burn,” Mark said. “If anything happens like an accident, or something happens, you need to be within a couple of hours drive rather than eight hours drive.” Mark said that while Deacon was always Joe’s first choice, he sealed the deal when that happened. Joe says Deacon is different from most college coaches since he’s a competitive golfer in his own right and competes in individual tournaments. He does all the workouts the players do, which Joe says inspires the team always to be its best. “Coach Deacon is more than just my golf coach,” Joe said. “For me, looking up, J.C. is a role model.” Joe joined a Gators team looking to meet high expectations. This year’s team is full of talent, notably young talent: The Gators have just four upperclassmen on the 13man roster. However, Joe believes the apparent lack of experience won’t hurt them as they have multitudes of experience in other high-level events. Many on the team, including Joe and sophomore Ricky Castillo, have played in national and international events for years now. Castillo played in the U.S. Open, a professional major championship, in September. Freshman Tyler Wilkes represented the U.S. in the 2019 Toyota Junior World Cup. Joe played in big team events throughout high school, including when he represented the Great Britain National Team in the Youth Olympics in 2018. “I think the standard of our experience and our maturity will take over the fact that we’re young,” Joe said. “But we’ll see. You know, there’s going to be some learning curves out there. And I’ve got things to learn; everyone’s got things to learn.” While youth defines the roster, lack of experience certainly doesn’t. Castillo possibly has the most experience on the team despite being a sophomore. Besides his U.S. Open appearance, Castillo also played in the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup. Once he came to Gainesville, Castillo immediately made his name known, winning the 2020 NCAA Division I Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award, given to the nation’s top college freshman. Joe and Castillo have known each other for a long time. They both committed around the same time and used to room together at amateur events, such as the Sage Valley Invitational. They also play practice rounds together as often as they can. “Ricky’s taught me a lot of things, being a year older. He’s a great kid,” Joe said. “Our friendship and our competitiveness will both push us to be better.” Castillo, Joe and the rest of the Gators have embarked on one of the most unusual seasons ever. Due to the COVID-19 pan-

Gators volleyball set a school record for blocks in a three-set match, recording 19.5 blocks against Alabama Saturday afternoon. Junior Lauren Dooley was responsible for 10 of them.

demic, this season was shortened to just three conference-only events per team. Because of the virus, Joe was unable to travel to England to compete in the British Amateur this summer as he has done in years past. Instead, he golfed with friends, enjoying the sport without the pressures of intense competition. However, Joe was relieved to get back to competitive golf this fall with the Gators. “All we want to do is play,” Pagdin said. “So, we can do anything about that.” Joe and the Gators began their season at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational Oct. 5-7. The men’s team did not have the start they were looking for, finishing 12th out of 14 teams. They improved greatly at the Vanderbilt Legends Collegiate, finishing in a tie for fourth. The team has one tournament left, the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, on Nov. 9 and 10. This season overall, Joe wants to do two things: win and keep his spirits high. “I’m just looking to go out there and be super confident, super positive,” Joe said. “I just want to go out every day and play as good as I can with the best attitude I can.” While this season is the priority, Joe has his future to consider. He acted and spoke like a pro even when he was 13 years old, which makes sense considering he has been on the PGA Tour radar since before then. The current PGA landscape is run by young players, such as Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff and Colin Morikawa. Joe sees these players as examples to follow. Hovland and Wolff were teammates at Oklahoma State University, while

Morikawa played at Cal Berkeley. They all spent multiple years in college, which Joe believes helped them become better pros. He thinks that some people who turn pro too early lack the discipline to be on their own on tour. Joe believes young stars like Morikawa have more confidence after staying in school. “They’re ruthless, you know? They have no fear. They have nothing to lose. And that's dangerous for other players,” Joe said. “I don’t see the point in rushing it.” In preparation for the next chapter of his career, Joe looked back on all that has happened since our first interview five years ago. The biggest thing he has learned, he said, is how to adjust his attitude. “I didn't have the best of attitudes when I was younger, and I changed that,” Joe said. “And now, I go and I enjoy playing golf, no matter for what it is. Whether it's at 8 p.m., or if it's at 6 in the morning. You've got to enjoy what you're doing.” Five years ago, Joe was just a small eighth-grader with dreams of playing collegiate golf. “My goal is to go to college, SEC or ACC,” young Joe said. “Four years at college, then hopefully turn pro.” Now? He is one of the top freshman golfers in the country, finishing in the top 30 in each of Florida’s first two fall events, and he is well on his way to achieving that goal of turning pro.

mhull@alligator.org @Michael_Hull33

Courtesy of The Trinity Voice

Joe Pagdin first committed to Florida when he was 13 years old. Now, five years later, he is well on his way to making his mark on the UF golf program.

Foley named to Second All-SEC Team following XC Championship

Junior Trevor Foley earned Second All-SEC Team honors after a 13th-place finish in the Men’s 8k race at SEC Championships last Friday.

Follow us for updates

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

12 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Remember the Titus

So you want to talk about sexism in sports?

J

ade Caraway is an excellent Division I softball player. The now-senior center fielder started her career at NC State, where she led the team in batting average (.389) and the ACC in total hits her freshman year. In her sophomore season for the Wolfpack, Caraway trumpeted a perfect stolen base percentage, finishing 13 for 13 on the season. She made an immediate impact upon transferring to the SEC. Caraway scored the game-winning run for Florida seven times in her first season. Last year, she managed a seven-game hit streak in a shortened 27-game season. Luckily for Florida, Caraway decided in April to use her extra year of eligibility, granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and return to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for one last season. But, sure, as her boyfriend and Gators quarterback Kyle Trask said, “She’s got a nice little arm.” Now, I know I can’t speak for Caraway, but I would have smacked my boyfriend upside his head if he went in front of 20-something reporters and told them that I write “nice little stories for The Alligator.” I talk a big game about “supporting women in sports” on social media, and that’s usually in the context of sports media specifically. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t use my platform to confront the sexism female athletes face on a day-to-day basis as well. About six-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter, the SEC Network announcers for Saturday night’s game decided to circle back around to this Caraway-Trask narrative. For some context, the Gators’ COVID-19 outbreak forced them to pause all teamrelated activities for two weeks, and that meant no practice. When you’re a Heisman candidate, you can’t afford to stop moving and let the rust corrode your momentum. Naturally, Trask called on Caraway to help him stay in shape. As a fellow Division I athlete and an outfielder, of course she’d be able to hold her own. Same idea — throw, catch — different ball. But Saturday night’s commentators didn’t show similar faith in Caraway. In fact, her name was never even mentioned by either man in the booth. “I mean, Kyle Trask was literally, to keep his arm loose, was throwing to his girlfriend who’s a center fielder on the softball team,” one announcer said over the laugh of another. “I mean, you know, I’m sure she’s a great athlete, but she probably can’t catch the velocity of the throws that he likes to throw to his normal receivers.” Before I get into exactly why these comments were wildly inappropriate, here’s some quick science to debunk the claim that Trask throws too fast of a ball for Caraway to handle. Quarterback throws in the NFL typically don’t reach 60 mph, according to USA Today Sports. At the NFL Combine, Russell Wilson threw a football 55 mph. Nick Foles’ throw reached 57 mph and Kirk Cousins’ topped out at 59. An NFL regulation football weighs about 14 to 16 ounces.

The average overhand throw in Division I softball clocks in at about 57 mph, according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. A 12-inch regulation softball weighs 6.25 to seven ounces. Needless to say, Caraway probably did just fine throwing the pigskin around with her boyfriend. I was texting my dad after I got a message from one of my editors explaining what just happened, since I was in the press box in The Swamp and unable to hear these remarks live. Payton “That was weird, right?” my dad asked, rhetorically. “Maybe the uniforms threw them off and they forgot what year it was.” Titus Twitter: @petitus25 As much as I’d like to believe the throwback uniforms were to blame, there are so many blatant examples of women in sports Email: ptitus@alligator.org being defined by their significant others, their sexuality or some other viciously sexist stereotype. Katinka Hozzu, also known as “The Iron Lady” of the swimming world, destroyed the 400-meter individual medley world record in the Rio Olympics four years ago. Hozzu just reached the pinnacle, the absolute zenith of her sport, and the camera cut to her now-ex husband and coach at the time. “There’s the man responsible for turning his wife into an entirely new swimmer,” NBC commentator Dan Hicks touted. Not “the man who helped,” but “the man responsible.” Another heartbreaking example of blatant sexism in sports is the hypersexualization of track and bobsled Olympian Lolo Jones. In the 2008 Olympics, Jones failed to medal in the 100-meter hurdle event after tripping over a hurdle during the race. The New York Times published an article, effectively kicking her, rather hard, while she was down. It claimed that Jones “played into the persistent, demeaning notion that women are worthy as athletes only if they have sex appeal.” “Essentially, Jones has decided she will be whatever anyone wants her to be — vixen, virgin, victim — to draw attention to herself and the many products she endorses,” the article read. No one would ever write that about a male athlete. Ever. Regardless of how many workout videos Jaguars quarterback Garnder Minshew posts in cut up shorts and tank tops, no major media outlet has published a story casting such claims on him. Imagine that you work your whole life for this Olympic moment, falter and then see your name in The New York Times explaining that all you are is a sorry excuse for a sex symbol. These all too casual instances of sexism in sports are, frankly, disheartening. I remember being so excited when I became one of The Alligator’s softball beat writers last spring. Collegiate softball is a women’s sport with lots of deeply moving storylines and national attention. The women I covered on this beat aren’t girlfriends with “nice little arms.” They’re commanding athletes in their own right. And it’s about time they’re referred to as such.