November 30, 2020

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 14

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President Fuchs looks ahead to controversial Spring semester FUCHS SAID THE SWITCH TO HYFLEX WILL BE HARD ON INSTRUCTORS

By Thomas Holton Alligator Staff Writer

UF President Kent Fuchs talked about his plans to steer the university away from virtual classrooms next semester — from behind a Zoom screen.

Just before Thanksgiving Break, UF President Kent Fuchs reflected on a Fall semester that’s approaching its final stretch.

“I have been immensely proud of the university and how our students and our staff and our faculty have all adjusted,” he said, diplomas and family photos filling up his background.

But not all in the campus community agree that 5,293 cases since March 18, the second most of any university in the nation acording to The New York Times, amounts to functioning with COVID-19.

Fuchs challenged the university to make this academic year the best ever on Aug. 28. Nearing the halfway mark, he faces questions and backlash over the feasibility of HyFlex classes, the health of faculty and students and a Spring semester with no Spring Break.

For as difficult as Fall has been, Fuchs believes Spring will be even more challenging.

In preparation, he’s consulted with UF Health experts and state officials while also accelerating plans to outfit classrooms with needed technology.

“We believe we know how to do this,” Fuchs said. “I’m certain we do.”

To reach administrators’ goal of offering the same number of in-person classes as were offered last Spring semester, face-to-face courses will be taught in a HyFlex method, in which professors will teach to both in-person and online groups. Almost 4,700 in-person classes were taught in Spring 2020.

Fuchs said there was no formal survey gauging student interest in face-to-face classes, but constant emails from students and parents asking for an in-person option helped solidify UF’s plans. He said students who’ve struggled to learn virtually deserve other options.

“It’ll be more difficult,” Fuchs

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Easter Island, Florida Swamp

said. “But I believe it will provide a richer set of opportunities for students.”

However, many professors feel like their health and that of their families are being put at risk.

United Faculty of Florida-UF and Graduate Assistants UnitedUF, faculty and graduate student unions, have objected to the Spring plans since they were announced in October. Members from both unions protested outside President Fuchs’ on-campus house on Nov. 1 and created a petition rejecting in-person classes for the Spring, which has over 3,300 signatures as of Sunday.

Fuchs said he empathizes with these concerns but believes UF has the ability to deliver these classes safely. He thinks student and faculty attitudes toward inperson classes are a mixed bag, with no one prevailing opinion.

“There are also faculty who very much had been eager to get into the classroom and have not been able,” Fuchs said.

At the beginning of the Fall semester, students coming back to Gainesville helped contribute to 1,971 confirmed COVID cases at UF in September. Fuchs has faith in UF’s Spring plan but acknowledged the likelihood of a similar spike in cases in January and February.

“There’s gonna be more COVID in our community, in our state, in our nation, likely than we’ve ever had,” Fuchs said.

Fearing the effects of such a spike, 181 faculty members have received COVID-19-related accommodations for the Spring through the Americans with Disabilities Act. Of those, 78 will be allowed to teach remotely, with the rest being provided “enhanced classroom safeguards” like face shields and N95 masks.

Fuchs believes these accommodations will be sufficient.

Many professors disagree.

“I’m certainly appreciative of anyone that is concerned about their own health or the health of others,” Fuchs said.

Faculty’s concerns don’t stop at health and safety either.

Fuchs addressed backlash over the UF Board of Trustees passing an amendment giving the university the ability to enact furloughs, stressing the administration has no immediate

Rapa Nui Story description soccer player finishIzzy with Kadzban comma,took pg#her talents that landed her on the Chilean national team from one of the most remote islands in the world to the Gators’ soccer team, pg. 11

SEE FUCHS, PAGE 3

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

The Holiday Gator beams orange and blue beneath the Century Tower on Nov. 20, 2020. The steel sculpture, which will be lit until the week of Dec. 21, was crafted by Leslie Tharp, a Gainesville artist and blacksmith who graduated from UF’s College of the Arts.

‘It doesn’t have to be this way:’ UF faculty angry with COVID-19 ADA accommodations for Spring UNION LEADERS SAY MEASURES TO PROTECT FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS AREN’T SUITABLE

By Corbin Bolies Alligator Staff Writer

UF has denied 144 UF professors the ability to teach remotely this Spring, leaving some to feel like UF has put their safety at risk.

As of Sunday, 222 highrisk faculty members requested accommodations through the Americans with Disabilities Act, most asking to teach remotely.

Only 78 people were granted that request, said Jodi Gentry, UF’s vice president of human resources, at a UF Faculty Senate meeting Nov. 19.

Instead, UF provided the remaining professors “enhanced classroom safeguards.” These include personal protective

equipment like N95 masks and face shields as well as increased sanitation, wrote Hessy Fernandez, UF’s director of issues management and crisis communications, in an email.

UF’s choice to offer the professors the safeguards instead of the remote accommodations comes as COVID-19 cases surge statewide. As of Sunday, the university also ranks second in The New York Times’ dashboard of universities with the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

Each disability accommodation request is handled on a caseby-case basis, Fernandez wrote.

The ADA, passed in 1990, prohibits discrimination based on disabilities and requires employers to accommodate them.

That can include changing a person’s expected responsibilities and increasing accessibility in a workplace.

To receive an accommodation for the Spring, faculty members

Couple fights for criminal justice reform

Since Ernest Walker’s release from jail, he’s been working with his girlfriend, Danielle Chanzes, to help repeat offenders, pg. 5

Embattled ACPS Superintendent Clarke to resign Karen Clarke to resign June 30 following negative evaluations, school board election, pg. 4

must fill out a temporary exemption form with their high risk condition and a medical certification, or doctors’ note, confirming the claim.

Then a UF medical advisory committee, made up of UF Health officials, reviews them and determines whether or not an accommodation can be granted.

Fernandez declined to comment on any of the specific professor denials. In their decision letters, professors were not given a reason their accommodation requests were denied.

The process does not have a set deadline, Fernandez wrote, and requests can be submitted at any time.

Stephanie Smith, a 61-year-old UF English professor and cancer survivor who was denied a remote accommodation, said she didn’t feel UF could guarantee her safety.

Smith said she reached out

SEE ADA, PAGE 3

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

County voting demographics Today’s Weather show increased turnout

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 14

NEWSROOM:

THE LARGEST INCREASE IN VOTES CAME FROM VOTERS AGED 66 AND OLDER

By Steven Walker Alligator Staff Writer

New voting data from the November election revealed increased turnout across most demographics in Alachua County.

The county saw turnout increases among voters identifying as Black, white, Hispanic and ‘other’ compared to 2016, according to Alachua County Supervisor of Elections data. Turnout for men and women also increased, but turnout for those who didn’t identify as either decreased.

Alachua County voting trends followed surges in turnout nationwide. A fiery campaign between incumbent President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden drew more voters than ever before. Biden won Alachua County by 27 percentage points, more than 38,000 votes.

More than 154 million people voted despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Associated Press.

Three of every four registered voters in Alachua County cast a ballot in November’s election, according to Supervisor of Elections data. Countywide turnout increased 1.7% from 2016.

The largest increase in votes came from voters aged 66 and older. About 6,300 more people in this demographic voted compared to 2016. Nationally, voters aged 65 and older accounted for about one in five ballots, according to Edison Research exit polling.

Young voters aged 18-25 voted in slightly fewer numbers in Alachua County compared to 2016.

About 1,000 fewer voters in this demographic cast a ballot compared to 2016. However, this data does not account for the numbers of UF students who chose to vote in their home counties instead of Alachua County, as Fall semester has been mostly online. Gainesville saw a disproportionate loss in college-aged voters compared to other municipalities.

Voters 18-29 made up 17% of all voters nationwide, according to exit polling. About a quarter of ballots in Alachua County were cast by voters aged 18-30. That total surpasses national trends but is less than the almost 30% that the group accounted for in Alachua County for 2016.

National estimates show a substantial increase

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in youth voting turnout. An estimated 53% to 56% of the voting-eligible population aged 18-29 voted in the 2020 presidential election, according to an estimate from Tufts University. In 2016, an estimated 45% to 48% of the voting-eligible population aged 18-29 voted in the presidential election.

White voters accounted for more than two thirds of Alachua County ballots, while Black voters made up 15%. This followed national voting trends but was disproportionate to Alachua County demographics, where the population is 60% white and 19% Black, according to 2019 census estimates.

White turnout in Alachua County increased from 76% in the 2016 presidential election to 78% in November. Black turnout in Alachua County increased by less than 1%.

White women were the largest voter demographic in Alachua County in November’s election. The group accounted for 36% of Alachua County’s more than 140,000 votes.

Votes by women slightly surpassed their 52% share of the county’s population, according to census estimates. Nationwide, women were 52% of voters, according to exit polling.

Ballots from Hispanic voters accounted for about 7% of ballots in Alachua County for the 2020 presidential election; less than their estimated 10% share of the county’s population. Turnout in Alachua County among these voters increased 2% from 2016. Nationally, Hispanic voters made up 13% of ballots, according to exit polling. @swalker_7 swalker@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 ALLIGATOR 3

‘We know how to do this’ 3,300 signed petition against in-person class FUCHS, from pg. 1 furlough plans.

“To achieve the goals we have for the institution, which is to be thought of worldwide as one of the top five best public research universities, we can’t shrink our people,” Fuchs said. “We have to grow our people.”

The main personnel change in response to the pandemic was a hiring pause, he said. Another employment effort was UF keeping residence hall staff on payroll even with students away from campus over the summer.

Faculty and students have expressed concern over whether HyFlex classes will provide an adequate educational experience and whether professors will be able to make the adjustment.

To adapt to HyFlex, Fuchs recommends faculty take advantage of resources UF offers on teaching more effectively, both online and in-person, though he’s deferring to specific departments and professors on how they should best handle the actual running of the class.

“I’m not teaching myself, and so I try to not tell the faculty how to teach or how to do it better,” he said.

The HyFlex method was implemented in Alachua County Public Schools this semester with mixed results, with teachers speaking out at school board meetings about the difficulty of splitting the focus between inperson and online students.

Ahead of Thanksgiving Break, Fuchs also touched on UF’s decision to cancel Spring Break this year in favor of extending Winter Break by a week.

Part of what contributed to Fuchs’ reasoning are memories of

Spring Break in 2020, when UF, which had one of the earliest Spring Breaks in the nation, saw COVID-19 first hit Gainesville as Fuchs students came rushing back to campus, causing Fuchs to announce a switch to online classes on March 11, just two days after the semester resumed.

With no break, Fuchs said the Counseling and Wellness Center will inform students and the rest of the UF community how to take care of their mental wellness.

As students express frustration with long wait times at the CWC, President Fuchs implored them to reach out to him directly if they have problems.

“There is now, and there will be, extra mental stress and strain,” he said.

Fuchs said seeing a potential COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon will alleviate some stress that’s been brought on by the pandemic as pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna make progress.

As the Zoom call came to a close, Fuchs said he looks forward to being interviewed a year from now about UF football’s national championship or the university’s Nobel Peace Prize win. Basically anything except the effects of a year that has left 266,000 Americans dead from COVID-19.

“It may be when we look back a couple years, three years, four years, that we’ll say ‘Yep, that was a really good year. That was one of the best years,’” he said. @Thomas__Holton tholton@alligator.org

ADA, from pg. 1

to her physician at UF Health Shands Hospital, who warned her she was at high risk for severe complications from COVID-19 due to her past chemotherapy treatment.

Despite that, when she applied for remote teaching in the Spring, she was denied. That caused her to consider retirement for the first time in her 30-year tenure at UF, she said.

“They’re doing it in a way that is causing a lot of people anxiety, stress, fear and anger,” Smith said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Bobby Mermer, a co-chair of Graduate Assistants United-UF, the graduate student union, said he wants professors who are older than 50, have pre-existing medical conditions or care for other at-risk family members to be given the option to teach remotely.

Those are the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who recommend those in such categories take extra precautions.

“The accommodations that are being offered are perfunctory,” Mermer said.

He would also like to see in-person classes restricted to buildings built in the last 30 years.

“The university should err on the side of caution,” Mermer said.

In a June article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Arlene Kanter, the director of the disability law and policy program at Syracuse, wrote

most courts have not considered working from home a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. In those cases, colleges and universities may consider it an undue hardship, which allows an employer to deny an accommodation it deems as too difficult and unnecessary to grant, she wrote.

Malini Schueller, a 63-year-old UF English professor, was denied a remote accommodation despite having asthma, she said.

Schueller said she is set to teach her Spring course, which centers on Asian American and African American interactions, in Matherly Hall, which was built in 1953. Schueller spent the Fall semester teaching her three global colonialism courses online.

Schueller, who said she hasn’t been to a grocery store since the onset of the pandemic, is not sure whether she’ll enter a classroom next semester. But she feared losing her job.

“It just seems like I put in my hard effort for this university and for the department and, when I need something, the university is just telling me to go dot-dot-dot myself,” Schueller said.

Both GAU-UF and United Faculty of Florida-UF, the faculty union, introduced a number of measures to combat face-to-face courses. That included a petition signed by over 3,300 people as of Sunday, a public press conference and multiple protests.

UF has long stated its desire to return to pre-COVID-19 levels of operation in Spring and announced plans last month to have more in-person courses.

This comes despite COVID-19 cases once again surging throughout the nation. Florida reported more than 10,000 new cases on Nov. 15, the highest number since late July.

“They’re accommodating them by providing an N95 mask and a face shield,” said Paul Ortiz, the chair of the United Faculty of Florida-UF, the faculty union.

“That stretches the idea of what I would call an accommodation.”

Other Florida universities have taken different approaches.

Florida Atlantic University passed a resolution on Nov. 16 that allows faculty and staff who are older than 65 or care for those at high risk for COVID-19 to be equally considered for a remote teaching assignment.

A UF School of Architecture professor who taught online this semester described the accommodation process — coming amid conversations about furloughs — as “unspoken blackmail.”

The professor, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of losing his job, was denied a remote accommodation despite having asthma and a heart condition.

He said UF should be more proactive in how it manages the crisis, including delaying the start of in-person classes until summer.

“This is what the university must understand — no one wants this, but we have to be sensible to each other,” the professor said. @CorbinBolies colies@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

After pressure and negative evaluations, public school superintendent resigns AFTER ALMOST THREE DECADES WORKING IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, CLARKE ANNOUNCED THAT SHE IS RESIGNING, EFFECTIVE JUNE 30

By Sophie Feinberg Alligator Staff Writer

The superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools is resigning effective June 30 after a series of negative evaluations and community pressure.

Karen Clarke, 51, sent in her resignation after poor evaluations from two board members in June and a new board member, Diyonne McGraw, was elected in August.

Education activists have also called Clarke’s leadership ineffective and are demanding changes, such as further addressing the achievement gap between Black and white students in the district.

A special board meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday will discuss the superintendent’s contract, according to the agenda.

Clarke announced her departure three-

Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff

Superintendent Karen Clarke

and-a-half years after being appointed as superintendent in a Nov. 10 letter to the school board. She wrote the board inducted Nov. 3 should have the opportunity to select a new superintendent.

In the letter, Clarke, who worked at ACPS for almost three decades, celebrated the district’s accomplishments, such as gaining voter approval for the Half-Cent for Schools sales tax initiative, which created a fund through a local sales tax for facilities improvements and the rebuilding and remodeling of schools.

She said she resigned effective June because she didn’t believe it would be fair to leave in the middle of a school year amid a pandemic. It also gives the board plenty of time to fill the position, she added.

“It’s a difficult decision to make when you’ve been a part of a district for so long, both as a student and as an employee of the district,” she said.

Alachua County has some of the widest disparities in education outcomes between Black and white students in the state. The student body of around 30,000 is about 30% Black and about 80% of teachers are white, according to the school district’s 2019-20 Equity Plan.

The superintendent, who is white, was rated on six district goals within the evaluation, which include a focus on eliminating all “D” and “F” schools, raising low test scores and implementing the district equity plan, with a focus on the achievement gap.

Lake Forest, Williams and Idylwild Elementary schools have “D” ratings, though there are no “F” schools. There are also continuing inequities. Alachua County, according to the district equity plan, continues to have the widest achievement gap in the state between Black and white students.

In the evaluations, Eileen Roy, who recently retired from her position on the school board, Gunnar Paulson and Robert Hyatt all rated Clarke as highly effective. All of them are white.

However, Tina Certain and Leanetta McNealy, who are Black, rated her

performance as unsatisfactory.

Certain has been on the board for two years. While she was an accountant, she, her husband and her children are products of the ACPS system.

“All of us, the school board as well as the superintendent, we are all fierce supporters of public education,” she said. “We just have different visions and viewpoints on how to get there.”

While Certain has a collegial relationship with Clarke, she said she wanted to see more aggressive action, particularly with lowperforming schools and students.

Leanetta McNealy, a former teacher and principal of almost 40 years, was first elected to the board in 2012.

“I wish her well with whatever her future endeavors might be,” McNealy said. “Just know it was surprising to see the notification about her intent to resign.”

Although she supported other candidates for superintendent positions during Clarke’s 2017 appointment, McNealy said she has much respect for the superintendent and always collaborated with her to improve the school system.

“One thing I can say is that we learned to disagree agreeably, and I think that’s important,” McNealy said.

School Board Member Hyatt said he believes Clarke has done a “superb” job under challenging circumstances. While he’s disappointed she’s leaving, he said he’s not surprised because of the negative June evaluations.

Hyatt praised Clarke for the district’s high graduation rate of about 88.5% and for her support of the arts through efforts like the One Mill that help fund things like magnet programs and the arts, which first passed in 2008, and is up for a vote every four years.

He noted that UF has come to the district for advice on Hyflex.

“She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “I taught for 38 years, and I’ve seen my share of principals and superintendents, and she’s right up there.”

To some community members, Clarke’s June resignation isn’t enough.

Clarke needs to go before the end of 2020, said Armando Grundy-Gomes, an East Gainesville resident and graduate student.

Grundy-Gomes said he has been a community organizer since 2006 and has run for elected office twice, concerned with facets of the Gainesville and greater Alachua County communities.

He attends community meetings, including those for the school board, and said he has expressed concerns about Clarke during the last two years.

People in the Alachua County Community have expressed hope with the historic makeup on the school board and their chance to foster change. For the first time, three Black women are on the board.

However, the three Black women on the school board aren’t a “magic wand” to fix the issues in the school district alone, GrundyGomes said.

“We are all in this together,” he said.

Chanae Jackson, a local parent and community organizer, called for Clarke to resign at an Oct. 20 education event. At the Nov. 3 school board meeting, Jackson called for effective leadership once again.

When talking about Clarke’s resignation, she said ineffective leadership creates an environment where teachers, support staff, students and parents don’t feel safe, protected or heard. Jackson cited the achievement gaps, the school reopening process and increases of COVID-19 cases and teacher resignations.

Clarke said she has always tried to be accessible and responsive to those who disagree with her. She noted that the district’s first equity plan was developed during her tenure and added that graduation rates for African American students increased from 68% in 2017 to 80% in 2019.

While Clarke said she doesn’t know what’s next, her child will continue to attend ACPS. “So obviously, a very tough decision to make. But, you know, it was just the right one for right now,” she said. @feinberg_sophie sfeinberg@alligator.org

COVID-19 opens up parking spots for students still on campus STUDENTS HAVE AN EASIER TIME FINDING PARKING SPOTS WITH FEWER PERMITS SOLD

By Lianna Hubbard Alligator Staff Writer

Fewer students purchased parking decals this semester, piling on a third semester of losses for UF Transportation and Parking Services.

TAPS sold 25% less decals to students and faculty this semester than in Spring 2020, director Scott Fox said. With fewer students on campus this semester due to the COVID-19 crisis and online classes, TAPS has cut down on spending.

“That revenue has to pay for salaries,” he said. “It has to pay for lighting bills on all our parking garages. It has to pay the debt for our parking garages.”

TAPS is an auxiliary service, Fox said. All of the department expenses, from staff to construction, are paid for by the department’s revenue.

Even with decreased decal sales, Fox said the service is making enough to sustain itself.

The department froze hiring, held off on equipment purchases and delayed replacing old vehicles. The

hiring freeze has occurred since the university wide freeze in March.

Sidney Ho, a 19-year old UF biology sophomore, parks her white Toyota Camry at Reitz Student Union’s parking garage every Friday for her organic chemistry lab.

Last semester, Ho left an hour early to visit on-campus friends.

When she couldn’t find a spot after circling parking lots and garages, she would drive back to her offcampus house and take the bus.

Now, she only needs to leave 20 minutes early.

“It was really hard to get a spot.

I had to circle around a couple times, but this semester I was always able to get a spot,” she said.

When UF canceled on-campus classes in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19, TAPS lost over $1 million in decal refunds. It also stopped charging for decals over the Summer.

“From April through the Summer we received no decal revenue,” Fox said. “That’s the primary source of our revenue.”

The department has not used its savings again since making up for the refunds, Fox said. It is waiting to see how many decals will be purchased next semester with more in-person classes.

But, not everyone is pleased with parking this semester.

Molly Pringle, an 18-year-old UF business administration freshman, said finding spaces around her residence hall is still hard.

For the first month of the semester, Pringle couldn’t find any Red 3 spots for her silver Ford Fusion near Yulee Hall. Red 3 is

a decal reserved for on-campus students who have completed fewer than 50 college credits.

She parked on Fraternity Row, a 20-minute walk, for the first month of the semester. She didn’t use her car but walked to and from the Delta Delta Delta sorority house.

After a month, she found parking spots at the Norman

Parking Garage but still doesn’t use her car often.

“There’s never any spots for my decal. I wish I had the option to buy another decal,” she said. “I’d even pay more money.” @HubbardLianna lhubbard@alligator.org

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 ALLIGATOR 5

Gainesville couple fights for criminal justice reform WALKER WAS RELEASED FROM JAIL AFTER MORE THAN 8 MONTHS ON NOV. 3

By Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writer

Danielle Chanzes’ eyes watered when her boyfriend called her from the Alachua County Jail for the last time.

He would be freed that evening.

After hearing the news, she drove to the nearest Burger King and got him his favorite meal, a Whopper with fries. Ernest Walker, Chanzes’ 42-year-old boyfriend, was released from the Alachua County Jail on Nov. 3 after being held more than eight months without bond.

Chanzes, a 27-year-old activist, is fighting for restorative and rehabilitative criminal justice reform to reduce staggering recidivism rates, which is the rate at which convicted criminals become repeat offenders in Florida.

Walker also advocated for others from behind bars, connecting inmates to Chanzes.

In January, Walker was arrested for violating the terms of his probation after being accused of grand theft auto.

He has a long history of incarceration, first serving a ten-year sentence in prison for a slew of charges, including battery and cocaine possession in 2003. Later, he returned to prison for another two-year sentence in 2012 for violating parole.

He also has been in and out of jail on petty charges since his last release from prison in 2014 — before his jail time in 2020.

Prison is where offenders serve their sentences after they’re convicted, while jail is where the accused await trial or sentencing. Walker was held in the Alachua County Jail for over eight months.

Walker’s story of repeated offenses is similar to that of many other former inmates. Between 2007-2015, more than one third of inmates released returned to Florida prisons within five years of their prison release date, according to data from the Florida Department of Corrections.

Chanzes is an organizer with the Florida Immigrant Coalition and formerly worked with the Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Hub. She now collaborates with lawyers as a courtroom advocate to help defendants get lesser sentences.

Often at the jail protesting for criminal justice reform, night shift guards instantly recognized Chanzes when she went to pick up Walker that brisk 50° night, she said.

She said she believes that the U.S. criminal justice system leaves vulnerable people behind.

“The people that end up incarcerated are hurt people,” Chanzes said. “Hurt people, hurt people. These are people with unresolved trauma who are dealing with mental health issues and addiction, sometimes even acting out of survival.”

If someone had intervened and addressed his mental health and addiction issues earlier in his life, Chanzes said she thinks Walker wouldn’t have had to serve 12 years in prison.

“This is an issue that is personal to me,” Chanzes said. “I hope others don’t wait until it becomes personal to them.”

Syraj Syed is a narrative counseling specialist at Your Authentic Self Work, a counseling service that aims to empower individuals and organizations toward conscious growth by owning their life’s narrative. He works with Walker and others formerly incarcerated to address their traumas.

In January, Syed began to counsel Walker while he was still incarcerated both on video chat and in person.

“In a poetic sense, it’s to help them see the boundaries of the prison they exist in,” he said. “Not one of bricks and steel, but one of the mind.”

Syed has also worked with the Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Hub and attended a national participatory defense retreat with Chanzes. He noted the deep connection she felt to Fox Rich, a woman who fought for her husband’s release for decades and is now the subject of “Time,” an Amazon Prime documentary.

“That’s what Danielle has in her,” Syed said. “It’s intrinsic.”

Chanzes said she and Walker have been inseparable since they met in 2018.

They met while Chanzes was registering voters in East Gainesville’s Duval Heights neighborhood with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, she said.

The couple didn’t see each other for a while after that day, Chanzes said, until she returned a month later to register more voters and heard someone honking their car horn at her. It was Walker.

Chanzes was by his side during his hearing, too.

Walker chose an open plea, which meant that his fate was entirely at the hands of the judge. He said it was difficult to hear the prosecution attack his character.

“It intrigued me that he was able to stand up there for seven or eight minutes about how much I’m a bad guy when he’s only met me twice in court in front of a judge,” he said.

Walker said he’s grateful for the leniency the judge showed him because he expected to have been sentenced to up to six years in prison. Chanzes and a team of community activists supported him through the hearing, he added.

While in jail, Walker said it felt as if time was frozen even though the world kept turning.

“When I was released, it was sort of a stillness, a quietness and a sense of peace that came over me,” he said. “On the inside of jail, it’s these cold gray walls, and everything echoes. Everyone talks too loud. Just to be released — that was a blessing.”

What Walker missed most all those years, he said, was being unable to see his three children grow up into teenagers.

While at the jail, Walker organized for Chanzes’ 352 Freedom Fund from the inside, connecting activists to harder-to-reach inmates.

“I’m just her sidekick,” he quipped.

Walker said helping inmates get released from the jail was an effort ordained by God. Many inmates offered to repay him for his help, but he only asked them for one thing — to make the right choices.

After being in and out of prison and jail for almost two decades and spending more than eight months in a bleak

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

Courtesy to the Alligator

Danielle Chanzes, 27, came to visit her boyfriend Ernest Walker, 42, in October 2019 outside the Sid Martin Bridge House, a residential substance abuse treatment program.

jail cell, Walker said he can’t picture reverting to his old way of crime, drug use and evading the police. He said he’s now taking the time to learn healthy habits.

He said he’s overcoming addiction through Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and therapy. He also meets with the Torchlighters Re-Entry Support group, where former inmates share their struggles adjusting to life in the free world. The group is organized by Community Spring, a Gainesville-based organization with a goal of dismantling structural poverty.

“My nine to five was clocking into the streets,” Walker said. “Intensive therapy is something that I welcome. Every day is not going to be a good day, but this is something that I need.”

Hope Johnson is an organizer with Community Spring and co-founder of the Torchlighters Re-Entry Support group where she regularly works with Walker. In her life, she said she’s had relatives behind bars. She met Chanzes while attending a meeting for the family members of incarcerated individuals.

Johnson first saw Walker in person in the courtroom, where he was brought out in handcuffs and a striped jumpsuit. The image, she said, reminded her of slavery.

She said she believes he’s putting in the work to listen and learn, often taking detailed notes.

“I find myself at ease just realizing that I’m not just here to help Ernest,” Johnson said. “I’m here because it’s saving my life knowing that I’m helping to save yours.”

Focused on rebuilding his life, Walker hopes to become an activist, mentor and motivational speaker.

Walker pointed out that he’s seen firsthand how hard it is for former inmates to readjust to society, mentioning how many go on to experience homelessness. Usually they become repeat offenders.

“What I’ve learned is that I have to crawl before I can walk and walk before I run,” Walker said. He sees readjustment like wearing a gas mask during an emergency on a plane. It’s not possible to help others without placing one’s own gas mask on first.

To Chanzes, the criminal justice system should address the needs of people who commit crimes instead of defaulting to lengthy prison sentences. Everyone in the community has value, she said, no matter their record. After organizing from behind bars, Walker said he will join Chanzes when he feels ready and able.

“We shouldn’t address their issues by throwing people in cages, locking them up and throwing away the key,” Chanzes said. “Justice doesn’t have to be punitive or carceral, it can be restorative and transformative. If we want safer communities, that’s the way we have to do it.”

@AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

UF IFAS provides education as farmworkers ask for government aid IFAS IMMOKALEE-BASED CENTER TEAMS UP WITH FLORIDA AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT

By Jack Prator Alligator Staff Writer

Joe Yzaguirre was a farmworker crew leader in Immokalee, Florida, where he bussed workers to farms each day.

On his last day of work before taking time off in June, the 54-yearold started to feel ill. He appeared tired and had difficulty breathing,

which prompted his wife to take him to North Collier hospital in Naples, 30 miles west from Immokalee.

Yzaguirre tested positive for COVID-19 mid-May. After a 17-day battle with the virus, he passed away on June 5.

“Sometimes he has no days off,” said Liza Yzaguirre about her late husband, Joe. “It’s every day, every day, every day.”

Those working in agriculture have asked for aid from the state since June, which has been sparingly delivered. The Florida agriculture commissioner never requested personal protective equipment from

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

Joe Yzaguirre (middle) tested positive for COVID-19 mid-May. After a 17-day battle with the virus, he passed away on June 5.

the emergency management office, according to Politico.

Immokalee, which does not have a hospital, has had 2,574 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Science acts as the bridge between UF scientists and farmers with a research center in Immokalee.

The IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee helped disseminate research for farmers, who inform where research is most needed.

This Fall, it extended its ongoing farm labor COVID-19 safety training through October. But advocates want action from the state beyond the education UF is capable of.

Alliance for Fair Food national co-coordinator Uriel Perez said the Florida government is not helping the local farmworkers, who are piling into buses with 50 others to get to work and not being given PPE by the state.

One recommendation the IFAS center makes is to wait 20 minutes after workers get off a bus to clean it, she said. This was derived from CDC research that found droplets can remain airborne up to several hours.

“UF is one of the top agricultural schools in the country, yet leaves much to be desired in standing with migrant farmworkers,” Perez said.

Yzaguirre shared her husband’s story with the UF IFAS center’s outreach team at the urging of those close to her husband.

“I told my daughter-in-law, I said, ‘It feels like sometimes it has to hit your home so you understand,’” Yzaguirre said. “And those are words that I regret.”

The center’s COVID-19 program aims to educate agricultural

employers on how to protect their farmworkers, Kimberly Morgan, an economist for the center, said.

Cases of young, healthy people falling ill with the virus like Yzaguirre prompted the Immokalee center to start educating agricultural employers on how to keep workers safe, she said.

Morgan said that the agriculture industry was doing things that shouldn’t be done during a pandemic. While states were going into lockdown, tens of thousands of farmworkers were headed to Florida for the harvest.

“We’re not supposed to be on vacation,” Morgan said. “But, you know, these folks aren’t vacationing.”

In six online seminars over Zoom from August to October, the center trained 799 employers and labor contractors across Florida, each employing anywhere from a dozen to several hundred workers.

These trainings discuss case studies of those in the community that have been impacted by the virus as well as tailor CDC guidelines to the unique work environment of a farm.

In Gainesville, UF IFAS students studying agriculture are educating themselves on the lack of protections of migrant farmworkers in Florida during COVID-19.

The UF chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences invited the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to speak at an Oct. 13 event. The coalition is a nonprofit organization made up of migrant farmworkers that was founded to address the abuses that farmers face in the industry.

The event focused on the work being done by the coalition to protect migrant farmworkers from COVID-19 as well as the history of farmworkers’

rights advocacy in Gainesville.

More than 145,000 agricultural workers have tested positive for COVID-19 across the country, according to Purdue University.

The Immokalee coalition has gathered more than 49,000 signatures as of Nov. 30 on a petition demanding community-wide testing, contact tracing, PPE and economic relief to the area. Immokalee has a large Hispanic community –– 72% of its population identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Saddie Vela, MANNRS community service committee chairperson, joined the IFAS Diversity and Inclusion committee this semester, where she helps the college foster a better environment for students of color.

“The governor blamed their spike in cases due to Immokalee, specifically Immokalee and the farmworkers,” Vela said.

In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ statement that farmworkers caused Florida’s spike in COVID-19 cases was disputed by the Florida Department of Agriculture. The department said this was inaccurate because farmworkers had already left Florida when the harvest ended in May. The wife of the late farmworker, Liza Yzaguirre, said her husband planned to finish the year out and then hire another driver to take over for him. He didn’t even have the option to make this choice.

“He was looking forward to getting all his work finished so that he could relax,” she said.

@Jack_prator jprator@alligator.org

Student workers at UF largest recipients of minimum wage increase HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS WORKERS WILL EARN NEW WAGES IN 2021

By Lianna Hubbard Alligator Staff Writer

Many of UF’s student workers will get a paycheck boost in 2021 when Florida raises its minimum wage.

This general election, 60% of Floridians voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. It will raise to $10 an hour in 2021 and increase a dollar every year.

Florida has raised its minimum wage 15 times in the past 10 years.

UF employs 874 people at the current Florida minimum wage of $8.56 per hour, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email. Over 90% of those employees are students.

“The minimum wage increases regularly, and we automatically adjust as part of our normal business process,” Orlando wrote.

“This time will be no different.”

Orlando did not explain how UF adapted to past wage raises, where money for increased wages came from, if employees were let go or if hours were reduced.

About 70% of UF’s minimum wage workers are employed by five departments, Orlando wrote: Office of Student Affairs, Reitz Student Union, Housing and Residence Education, Baby Gator, a UF preschool, and Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,

UF’s agricultural program.

UF Housing and Residence Education employs 79 student assistants for minimum wage, spokesperson Sara Tanner wrote in an email.

“We follow and implement any changes in laws and regulations accordingly,” she wrote.

The wage raise will cost the housing department between $125,000 and $175,000 per year, Tanner said.

Kyleigh Caicedo, a 22-year-old UF sustainability studies senior, has worked as a desk assistant for UF Housing for two years. She works shifts at residence halls across campus helping locked out residents and sorting mail.

Caicedo earns $8.75 an hour after a raise, she said, and has been working for a year. She voted in favor of Florida raising the minimum wage.

“My parents are not rich, I need to afford my own groceries,” Caicedo said.

The job also allowed her to find a work-life balance after struggling with her academics and personal grief after the death of her uncle in sophmore year.

“For students, time is very precious, and it’s easy to feel very torn between trying to work to survive and trying to do well in classes and make sure you don’t fall behind,” she said.

When Caicedo couldn’t pick up as many hours some semesters, her parents would

step in to help her financially.

“I know that there’s a lot of other students who weren’t in that position to be helped out at all,” she said. “With a $10 minimum wage, those would be the students who would be helped out the most.”

Most of IFAS’s minimum wage workers are student assistants in labs and research projects, said Jeanna Mastrodicasa, IFAS’s Associate Vice President for Operations.

These minimum wage positions fill all areas of a research project, from tending to plants and animals to analyzing data.

IFAS hasn’t made any plans on how to compensate for the upcoming wage increases yet.

“Certainly we will pay whatever is required by the state,” Mastrodicasa said.

Faculty factors in these research assistants’ wages when writing research grants, she said. Calculating the increased minimum wage into grants will be the biggest change IFAS will make.

Teresa Marrone, a 21-year-old UF business administration senior, is a supervisor-in-training for the Stephen O’Connell Center. She spends her shifts setting up for basketball and volleyball games, breaking down bleachers and sanitizing them.

She makes $8.85 an hour and has had four or five raises since beginning two years ago. The raise to $10 in 2021 will be her largest single raise.

“When they give us our 20 cents, 40 cents, 50 cents, it truly makes a difference in our paychecks,” Marrone said. “Admin understands that we’re worth more than what we currently get paid, and we understand we’re worth more than we currently get paid.”

Marrone said she voted in favor of the wage raise, as it would give her extra income to spend on groceries and other commodities in her life.

“I would be getting paid what I deserve,” she said.

When UF moved classes and campus events online in Spring 2020 due to COVID-19, Marrone said the O’Connell Center shut down, so she wasn’t getting paid. Only now are events picking up again with basketball and volleyball games.

“There’s events we missed out on hosting because of COVID and therefore money that we weren’t receiving from our clients,” she said.

At the beginning of the semester, she worked only one hour during her shifts out of fear of COVID-19, she said. In November, she got her first paycheck over $100 since the pandemic began.

“It is not a living wage currently,” she said. @HubbardLianna lhubbard@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

FASHION

Thriftika’s clothing library gives garments a second life THE PROJECT ENCOURAGES SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FASHION TRADING

By AJ Bafer Avenue Staff Writer

Fast fashion is a mess that stretches from Moscow to Midtown Gainesville.

Maria Blokhina would know — she was born in Siberia and raised

in Russia’s capital. As global groups like the Russian Fashion Council continue to push for abandoning fast fashion and rethinking consumer culture, the 25-year-old UF graphic design graduate student has been thinking ahead.

She wanted to create something to help consumers navigate the clothing industry in a way that encourages conscious wearing instead of rapid consumption, she

Courtesy to The Alligator

Maria Blokhina, a 25-year-old UF graphic design graduate student, created Thriftika to encourage fashion consumers to shop ethically through trade.

said.

“Clothes are supposed to be used way more often,” Blokhina said.

“I’m looking at my huge wardrobe and understanding that I’m part of the problem.”

So, she started Thriftika.

The “clothing library” works like a typical library but, instead of books, customers can rent and use clothes as payment at Infinity Hall.

Blokhina said she wants people to see clothes as assets instead of closet-fillers.

Participants can bring up to four pieces from their wardrobe in exchange for those in the library’s inventory — preferably the same number they brought. Borrowed clothe must be brought back after an agreed amount of time, she said.

Thriftika had a few participants for its first session Nov. 15, and Blokhina said she moved the program’s next session to early January so more people can participate. People interested can fill out a sign-up form in the @thriftika_ project Instagram account’s bio, and they’ll be sent specific details and instructions.

While the majority of the project’s inventory is Blokhina’s clothing at this point, a couple of people were

able to take part in the swap.

Charlotte Harmon, a 20-year-old UF advertising junior, was one of them. She said she found out about the project through Thrift Club at UF, as Blokhina was a guest speaker at a general body meeting, and knew she wanted to take part.

After choosing a time slot, Harmon said she paid a temporary deposit and signed a document that holds participants responsible if they damage any clothes they take.

Thriftika’s inventory rack held garments tagged with information about each piece, like if the items were ripped, and how much a deposit would be to pick them up, she said. There was also a dressing room to try on the clothes.

In exchange for the four items she brought, she said she took away a pair of jeans — handmade

by Blokhina — and a skirt. Once Harmon gave up her own pieces, Blokhina added them to a document to keep track of them.

Harmon had never seen a clothing library before and said it excited her because she doesn’t get to wear the clothes she has enough.

If other people heard more about the “ugly side” of the fashion industry, like unjust wages and

LIFESTYLE

unethical conditions for underpaid workers, she said they’d support it, too.

“It’s such a waste going through clothes,” she said. “It really hurts my heart when I see the amount of waste that comes from the clothing industry.”

Thrift Club President Gabrielle Ray, a 19-year-old UF anthropology sophomore, said the club gave Thriftika a platform because both projects hope to create sustainability awareness and encourage people to be clothing-conscious.

By putting clothes they don’t wear often in a space where other people can use them, she said Thriftika encourages a culture less focused on consumption.

Ray had also never heard of anything like it and said she wants to take part in the future — even though, like other fashion addicts, she’s very attached to her own wardrobe.

“There are so many pieces in my closet that have probably never been worn or maybe worn once,” she said. “I would love for those to get to see the light.” @ajbafer abafer@alligator.org

SPOTIFY

Socially distanced UF library guidelines alter student study plans STUDENTS HAVE ADAPTED TO REDUCED SERVICES AND SMALLER OPPORTUNITIES

By Manny Rea Avenue Staff Writer

Madison Weech said she preferred not to deal with other people and the noise when she worked in the UF Marston Library basement.

New COVID-19 library practices have curbed those quiet opportunities. Masks, upturned tables and stickers encouraging social distancing have affected studying efficiency, said Sebastian Tirado-Vélez, a 19-year-old UF computer science sophomore.

With overlapping courses, he and Weech, a 19-year-old UF Spanish and health science sophomore, have studied together since freshman year.

Their studies last year in the basement for calculus and chemistry transferred over to studying at home in the summer and now the current library set-up as a “quaranteam.”

To combat the spread of COVID-19 in public spaces, the UF George A. Smathers libraries have reduced computers, tables, hours and capacities. Materials such as books and DVD’s are placed in a 72-hour quarantine before being put back on the shelf.

While understanding the precautions, Weech said she feels there is less structure in their plans since online learning has compounded her new study environment.

“At this point, it’s not just studying,” Weech said. “I gotta make the time to teach myself too.”

Weech and Tirado-Vélez could not return to the usual spots.

“Marston was convenient for me to get my caffeine fix and my

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meal,” he said about the downstairs Starbucks that has been closed for Fall. Marston also closed group study rooms.

The study duo moved to other nooks, including the Health Science Center Libraries, the Latin American and Caribbean Collection of Smathers Library, and the study rooms in Hume Commons. There, they can find spots to work together or find quietude.

However, one time, the duo worked without their masks and were served a notice about UF’s COVID-19 behavioral expectations.

It was only a courtesy warning from the area coordinator, explaining that future violations will lead to conduct charges, Weech said.

“We were let off easy, as the kids say,” Tirado-Vélez said.

At Hume, the rooms are a typical scramble to save seats. Its vicinity to Hume Hall makes it a popular place to be, Tirado-Vélez

said. They often go for the lone closed-door room so they can use the board and enclosure to work on class lectures and homework.

Library West remains widely used with its still-open Starbucks despite differences in services offered in the past.

The biggest change is the shift from 24/7 to limited hours, said Kevin Yang, a 32-year-old UF information systems and operations management master’s student. It operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, closed Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sundays.

His second year at UF, coming from Taiwan, Yang visited the library four times a week. He would take advantage of the dual-monitor computers on the third floor to have applications, assignments and personal browsing side by side.

He has been able to maintain his studying with the transition.

For those sunset drives to Payne’s Prairie.

“I’m doing well with the new practices and because of the smaller number of students,” Yang said. “The staff are doing well with reminding students to be socially distanced and to wear their masks.” mrea@alligator.org

Do you want ‘Bama?

The Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, but they have a few things to work on before they get to the SEC Championship, pg. 12

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 www.alligator.org/opinions

Column

I lost my senses to COVID-19. Now I can’t eat meat

I

was not a person who took COVID-19 seriously. Never would I have imagined that wearing a mask in public would become the norm.

I steadfastly believed it would be all over in a month, two months tops. I was worried more about my plans for the Super Bowl than I was about a year-long pandemic.

It wasn’t until I caught COVID-19 that the actual gravity of the situation really hit me. I caught the virus at the tail end of April, and what started as nothing more than minor symptoms turned into a fiveday hospital visit and $3,000 of medical debt. I worried more about the debt than the fact that I could have died, worried more about getting behind in class than I did about the medical debt.

It turns out I was worrying about the wrong thing.

I lost my senses of smell and taste once I was admitted to the hospital.

There really was not much to eat in the hospital except ginger ale and graham crackers, both of which I could not taste.

It has been seven months since I was first admitted to the hospital, and in those seven months I have not had the joy of being able to smell. My sense of smell is completely gone. My sense of taste is so distorted that no foods taste the same as they did before I had COVID-19.

When I say that COVID-19 made me vegetarian, I am not being hyperbolic.

I have only shot a gun once in my life, but one thing that I can never forget is the smell of firing a gun. It’s a pungent smell, a smell that’s metallic and sulfuric.

It is not a pleasant smell, and I am sure anyone who has ever fired a gun will understand. That smell, the sulfuric

gunpowder smell, is what I taste every time I eat.

When I eat a spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, it tastes like gunpowder.

When I try to enjoy a nice filet mignon from Amy’s Steakhouse back home, it tastes like gunpowder. Almost every food now has a sulfuric taste, except for the majority of fruits and vegetables. I am now entirely vegetarian, which is not something I would have ever wanted to call myself.

With being vegetarian, there exists a certain sort of pain that is a pain unlike any other, which I call “the pain of going to dinner with your friends, only for you to find out that the only vegetarian options on the menu are salad, french fries and onion rings.”

I did not get COVID-19 from going out to parties, or even from friends. I suspect I caught the virus from simply working as a cashier at Publix, before masks became mandatory.

Frankly, I am over the pandemic as well. I’m sick of it, and I am sick of hearing about it. I am sick of having to wear a mask everywhere, and I am sick of being expected to stay cooped up in a dorm. I’m selfish. I want to go out and have the full college experience. I want to be able to actually have class in person instead of over an 11-inch screen.

I understand where people are coming from. I understand why people still go out. I understand why Midtown is packed every weekend. But I do have to ask: Now that you know what happened to me, is it really worth it?

Gabriel Acosta is a UF biochemistry freshman.

Column

What does freedom mean during a pandemic?

A

s an international student from Colombia living in the U.S., every once in a while I find myself wondering: What defines freedom in America? This question appears to be a subject of debate, even among the general populace here. Despite the frequency with which I engage the question, I never quite conclude what it truly means.

As a public health student, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an incredibly rich stage for learning. But it has also brought forward some foundational flaws in how policy is communicated, especially regarding the management of the spread of the virus.

Face masks, for instance, have proven time and time again to be an effective way to reduce the spread of the virus. Yet millions of Americans refuse to wear them, as they see it as a fundamental violation of their freedom. The government and both its parties have failed to enforce mask use in public, with not enough places in the U.S. penalizing the lack of compliance with fines.

While I understand some lawmakers might be hesitant to enact such policies for fear of litigation or political fallout, from the perspective of an outsider, the idea of following science as means to protect the general population possibly ending up in litigation or political blowback is ridiculous.

For example, the U.S. has very strict laws that prohibit driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as doing so would be a public health concern, endangering both the person who partakes and those on the road. If risking the lives of both victim and perpetrator by driving under the influence is against the law, how come the lack of mask use is not, when it is essentially the same thing?

I have a hard time fathoming anyone equating these elements of road safety as a violation of their freedom, but that is exactly the argument anti-mask people are making. From a public health standpoint, driving under the influence and refusing to wear a mask during a pandemic of

an airborne pathogen are comparable behaviors, both endangering the general population.

Why is one referred to as law and order while the other is chastised as a violation of freedom?

If countries across Europe are enforcing mask use with hefty fines in response to the alarming increase in cases, does that mean they are not free under the American definition of freedom? Has the definition of freedom become so politicized that it has completely lost its true meaning?

I do not write with the intention of voicing favor or criticism toward any one political party or ideology. Truly, it all boils down to this: Science is not and cannot be political. Science is based on facts. I can acknowledge how certain fields like climate change have become politicized, as there are large corporations that stand to lose money if there is a transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean options of energy.

There, the motive to muddy the waters of science with politics is clear.

With mask use, however, it is crystal clear that we aren’t doing enough of it because of political reasons that will leave us all in a lose-lose situation.

The American people, first responders, doctors, nurses, the economy and the government are all suffering because of the uncontrolled situation with the virus. I write this not only as a future doctor of public health but as a human being living in the reality of this pandemic.

The truth is, I don’t really know where the lines of freedom are drawn when it comes to the safety and health of the people in America. It is not clear who draws the lines between freedom and laws. Sometimes they’re drawn by science, sometimes by religious beliefs and sometimes by economic or political interest. It seems there is no simple answer to what freedom is in the land of the free.

Daniel Acosta is a first-year public health doctoral student in the Department of Environmental and Global Health.

Column

What life has been like as a COVID-19 contact tracer

I

n mid-March, the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was contracted by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to begin working as an epidemiologist and contact tracer for one of the county health departments. I was excited for this opportunity to utilize the knowledge and skills I had accumulated throughout my studies in public health and epidemiology to help others.

The beginning of the pandemic was a challenge as the other contact tracers and I worked to adapt to rapid changes in guidelines and protocols brought about by newfound knowledge of this novel virus. It was also a unique time in that the concepts of widespread lockdowns, quarantine, contact tracing and even COVID-19 itself were new to many folks in the community.

Following my temporary deployment at the health department, I returned to UF and joined the newly developed UF Health Screen, Test & Protect program. Since then, the program has grown immensely, and the team has acquired some of the most diligent and compassionate individuals from both within and outside of the university.

Most of our team works in one or two large rooms within the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute. We each have our own desks, usually equipped with two monitors and a FDOH laptop, that are spaced at least six feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The area is reminiscent of a call center in that we wear headsets, are on the phones the majority of the day and are connected through a main phone system to easily track incoming calls and transfer calls between one another when needed.

New cases of COVID-19 are reported to us every day. After receiving these cases, we reach out to them as soon as possible to conduct a thorough interview – taking anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour per case.

At the beginning, many folks were skeptical and not necessarily eager to divulge important personal information, such as date of birth and address (these are usually the first questions we ask to ensure we are talking to the correct person and that the person lives in the county we are working for). During the interview, we attempt to identify any close contacts that the case may have had during the time in which they were potentially infectious.

The next step is to reach out to every single contact to alert them of this potential exposure.

Our other responsibilities include answering phone calls from community members and providing public health education on how to prevent spread to others, inputting interview data to the FDOH surveillance system (which is ultimately sent to the CDC) and calling to release cases and contacts from isolation and quarantine, respectively.

Personally, I find the investigative aspect of case interviews to be fascinating and the opportunity to work with and help our community members extremely rewarding.

At the end of the day, I think that, apart from the necessary knowledge, the most important quality of a successful contact tracer is empathy. We work in this field every day, and it can be easy to forget that other people in the community may not have the same knowledge or experience with this pandemic as we do. Therefore, it is important to build trust, not only to acquire information, but also to ensure that members of the community feel acknowledged and supported during this time.

First-hand experience working as an epidemiologist and contact tracer during this pandemic has provided me with a unique perspective in that, while I fully appreciate and adhere to guidelines, I am also able to acknowledge and address the hesitancy and skepticism of others. Working at UF Health Screen, Test & Protect is a constant reminder of the importance of these guidelines.

Prior to the pandemic, I had plans for international travel and family vacations over the holidays. Instead, I had a small dinner with only my immediate family for Thanksgiving and will do the same for Christmas. Although this may seem disappointing, I am thankful for their health and remind myself of the potential implications of large gatherings and travel.

While it is not always easy to make decisions for the collective benefit of others as opposed to personal interests, I believe it is essential in order to prevent further spread, especially to high risk populations such as those over 65, during the approaching holiday season.

Emily Klann has her master’s in public health and is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology. She is currently working part-time as an epidemiologist for the UF Screen, Test & Protect program.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.

The Alligator encourages letters and columns from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 250 words. Columns should not exceed 750 words. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to fact-check and edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters and columns to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

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1

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solution on page 10

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS ACROSS 11 Two-wheelers Risqué Blundershouse 65 Haunted 10 sound Occupied 14 Return fromina 10 Stick a fork cave? at 14 Standing 15 attention, Lets loosesay on 16 Oscar App downloader 15 winner 17 Paquin Waikiki neckwear 18 Property 16 Soft drink nut valuations 17 20 Big Fruitburger tree chain, literally? grouping 20 student 22 Yale Corner PC key 21 for bears 23 Homes Hose problem 22 jobs 24 Con Eco-friendly, as a 23 __ strength: container 28 ability “That’stowhat __ said!” withstand 30 stretching Eaves dropping?

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35 End of a threat 32 Honors a 37 Wile E. with Coyote fancy party explosive 35 Blue 38 “Wild It precedes Yonder” mil.a beauty, per group saying 36 de Janeiro 39 __ Photog’s deg.

40 Dutch Partnership abbr.

37 cheese 41 Worker Not up to 38 in the a shaft task 40 Curve in a road 43 Round Ego Table title 41 44 Locker Vegas action 42 room 45 powder Fashion designer Rabanne 43 Walrus features 46 Mild expletive 44 sports 48 Many Wordsabefore car, “vey”literally? and “gevalt” 48 49 Floor Lola inspace a Manilow calculation song, e.g.

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61 “Get out of 62 One of 12 inthe a way!” foot 62 Item of interest?

63 Farm size unit 63 SALT topic 64 64 Confess Sign of things to 65 Classic come grape 65 soda Slack-jawed 66 colorings 66 Hair Beaujolais grape 67 carryalls 67 Handy Nine-digit IDs

DOWN DOWN Realtor’s move 11 Procreate Taiwanese 22 “Go, me!” laptop brand as data 3 Enter, 3 “Tuesday” special 4 Cardio readout with fowl filling 5 Small apartments

6 4 Wall Supercalendar Mario’s : nail :: shopping dinosaur 5 list Underwater : __ snorkeling done 7 Burden behind metal 8 “__ further bars discussion?”

6 Old W. Coast 9 horse cop force porter 10 Airport Web access 117 Forum wear co.

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30 Sty cry 25 ’70s fashion 31 Snow pea trend ... and holders features of 3-, 532 Come clean, with and 9-Down 26 “up” TV journalist 33 Falco Stahl of “The 27 Sopranos” Puts up 34 28 Butler’s Crunch cousins 29 quarters?

ESPN journalist Storm horse 38 Female

39 Wrath “Casablanca” 31 heroine 36 Roof support 40 beam Town 39 of “You’ve 42 Ryan Wasting few Got Mail” words 42 Game with 43 Sawbuck andmartial a 45 strikes Meditative ball art 43 revue that 46 NBC Restaurant in an gave us “More Arlo Guthrie hit Cowbell” 47 Label Fork prong 47 for two 50 “Aretha” Discus oralbums pole vaulthead honcho 50 Mil.

51 Stretches Prompt, asataa 52 forgetful actor wedding?

52 Tableland Staircase 54 55 Like some divisions 53 oxymoronic “Wheel of odds 56 Lairs Fortune” choice 57 home: 54 Mobile German article Abbr.

55 Kind of drawing: 58 Boxer or Abbr. Borzoi 59 56 Chairman Dijon dad mentioned in 59 the Note-taking Beatles’ aid 60 “Revolution” Aloof 61 __ Jima 60 Pro __

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Roommates

Your roommate hasn’t done the dishes in HOW long?! Find a better dishwasher in the Alligator Classifieds.

Female roommate needed for 2bdrm 2.5 bath townhouse near UF. Rent includes cable and internet. $50 application fee. First months rent and move-in fees paid. Utilities divided equally. Call 352-321-0554.

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Real Estate

NEW CONDOS-WALK TO UF For Info on ALL Condos for Sale, Visit www.UFCONDOS.COM or Matt Price, University Realty, 352-281-3551 12-7-20-16-5

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For Sale

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Goats for Sale & Lease Horse Boarding - 7 miles to UF Charlie - 352-278-1925

By Kurt Evelyn Rubin and Ross Trudeau By Krauss ©2020 Tribune Tribune Content Content Agency, ©2020 Agency, LLC LLC

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Help Wanted

LifeSouth seeking Med Tech Students Get paid while training for career to become a Medical Technologist.

BS required.

Go to lifesouth.org/careers for more info 12-7-20-5-14 HIRING home/office/apartment cleaners(m-f and every other sat). Day and night shifts available. Must own a car. weekly pay $10.00/hr. if interested please call 352-214-0868.

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ROUTE DELIVERY DRIVER IMMEDIATE NEED Delivery driver needed for early morning newspaper route in Gainesville.

Must be EXTREMELY dependable.

Long-term employment desired.

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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

The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Volunteers Needed!

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED to transport cancer patients to treatment.

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Remaining fall semester Mondays only thru 12/7 Spring semester (beginning in January) May increase two days per week - to be determined.

Email elight@alligator.org Please include references.

Services

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Help Wanted

This newspaper assumes no responsibility for injury or loss arising from contacts made through advertising.

We suggest that any reader who responds to advertising use caution and investigate the sincerity of the advertiser before giving out personal information or arranging meetings or investing money.

HOGAN'S GREAT SANDWICHES - NOW HIRING bartenders and sandwich makers.

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10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

King Features Weekly Service

May 25, 2020

21

Entertainment

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Spaying/Neutering Free-Roaming Cats Borrow a Trap / Make a Clinic Reservation Make a Donation / Volunteer New Expanded Hours

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25

Lost & Found

Finders Keepers? If you find something, you can place a FREE FOUND AD in our lost & found section. Be kind to someone who’s lost what you’ve found. Call 373-FIND.

1. The Little Brown Jug is a trophy

1.

Tommie brother of Hank, awarded in Aaron, the rivalry between what hit how many home runs in his seven-seatwo college football teams? son Major League Baseball career?

2. Where did former British 2.

Bill Chadwick, the basketball NHL’s first standout Pops Mensah-Bonsu playa colU.S.-born referee and later broadlege basketball from York 2002-06? caster for the New Rangers, went by3.what Whatnickname? defensive back was known 3. name for The wearing a "profor cap"the on Albuquerque his helmet Isotopes Baseball during hisMinor career League with the Buffalo Bills club was inspired from 1986-93?by a fictional team from what TV comedy series?

4. Who did Ashley Force defeat in the Top 4. Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle, two Fuel Funny Car final race to win the 2008 members of the Pro Football Hall of NHRA Summit Southern Nationals?

Fame Class of 2020, spent their entire 5. Whatcareers Puerto Rican playing withboxing what great, NFLafranchampion in three weight classes, was chise? shot to death in November 2012? martial 5.

What traditional Japanese art6.isWhat literally translated as “the way of two-time NFL rushing yards theleader sword”?

(1938, '40) went on to serve on 6.

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Stanleywon Cup three Finals?NBA championships solution below player 2020 King Features Synd.,from Inc. with the (c)Chicago Bulls 1996-98 and wasanswers the 1996 NBA Sixth Man of ¿hablas español? lee below the Year? alligator.org/spanish/ Answers 1. 13. He hit eight of them in his 1962 rookie season.

R 2. The Big Whistle.

by David L. Hoyt 11-30-20 3. The Simpsons.

1 3 2 4. The Chicago Bears.

5. Kendo.

4 6. Conor McGregor.

7. Toni Kukoc.

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© 2020 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

6

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ACROSS CLUE 1. Type of stinger 5. Red ____ 6. Frozen structure 7. ____ Norwood DOWN CLUE

1.

2.

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4.

ANSWER RNTHEO SOSRC IOLOG DYRBNA ANSWER

Frenzied CICHTE ROEROIM More spacious PNOESLI Fifth Greek letter P O AY N C Awning, sunshade CLUE: Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of ____ in 1769.

BONUS How to play

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-Hornet 5A-Cross 6A-Igloo 7A-Brandy 1D-Hectic 2D-Roomier 3D-Epsilon 4D-Canopy B-Corsica

solution below

alligator

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& Hoyt Designs. All Rights Reserved.

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

: PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

CryptoQuote solution

www.alligator.org/classifieds | (352) 373-FIND | classified@alligator.org

Sports Quiz answers 1. The Michigan Wolverines and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

2. George Washington University.

3. Mark Kelso.

4. Her father, John Force.

5. Hector "Macho" Camacho.

6. Byron "Whizzer" White.

7. Mark Recchi, Boston Bruins.

24

www.WaldoFlea.com

Sudoku solution

ScrabbleGrams solution

We may eliminate death someday, but I doubt if we'll ever eliminate taxes.

— Robert A. Heinlein

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 www.alligator.org/sports

FEATURE

Easter Island to Gainesville: Documenting Izzy Kadzban’s journey to international soccer

By Declan Walsh Sports Writer

Sitting in her Seminole County home decorated with Moai statues and stocked with pareos, a Polynesian cloth garment, a 17-yearold Izzy Kadzban received long-awaited news.

She became the first Rapa Nui player to represent the Chilean national soccer team.

The UF striker’s path to international stardom wasn’t out of the ordinary for the American soccer player. At the age of 4, she signed up for recreational soccer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and joined the Kraze Krush club team in Oviedo after moving to Florida six years later. But Kadzban and her Indigenous roots forged an exceptional experience in the states.

The Rapa Nui are a Polynesian ethnic group that settled Easter Island around the year 1200 and are most remembered for building the giant, anthropomorphic statues covering the island.

In 1888, Chile annexed Easter Island, home to a Rapa Nui population ravaged by climate change and European exploration. The population teetered on the brink of extinction, with just 111 surviving Rapa Nui a decade earlier. The Chilean government helped the Indigenous population rebound to 4,500 and allowed future generations of Rapa Nui to build a life on the island. Kadzban's grandmother is entirely Rapa Nui and came to the U.S. in the 1960s with her husband, who served in the U.S. Air Force.

Despite hailing from one of the most remote islands in the world, Kadzban said her grandmother made sure to keep the island’s culture close to her family. She noted the many Rapa Nui customs and traditions that

Courtesy to The Alligator

Kadzban holds the Rapa Nui flag. The flag depicts a Reimiro, a moon-shaped ornament worn by Easter Island natives, and two heads at each end of it.

she practiced growing up, 50 years after her grandmother left.

“In my upbringing, I grew up listening to Rapa Nui songs,” Kadzban said. “I still listen to them to be honest, quite frequently. I took Rapa Nui dance classes when I was a kid when I was on the island, and when we sing happy birthday, we always sing it in Rapa Nui as well.”

It was likely that her Rapa Nui background led Kadzban to pursue soccer. The world’s game extended its roots to the distant pacific island more so than in America.

“My husband was like, ‘Soccer isn’t even a sport over here,’” said Kadzban’s mother, Jannete Kadzban. “But when I was on the island for my graduation, on Sundays, we would watch the men play soccer on the field from after church until dusk, and it was something that brought our community together.”

Jannete was her first coach. She wanted to introduce the game as a physical activity that her daughters would enjoy. However, once Isabelle chose soccer over gymnastics at 9, the sport became a source of incredible passion and focus for her.

Amid frequent trips to Easter Island, the Kadzban family moved from Michigan to Maryland and finally to Lake Mary, Florida.

The Chilean international initially struggled with these moves, especially to the Sunshine State.

“The first few years, I didn't really like Florida much at all,” said Izzy. “It was just too hot. But now I can't see myself leaving Florida because I love the climate so much.”

With comfort off the pitch came success on it, as Izzy caught the eye of Lake Mary High School coach Bill Eissele.

“Izzy was determined, always on task and worked hard and everything she did,” Eissele said. “She was a really exceptional player.”

Izzy became a prolific striker in Class 7A soccer, scoring more than a goal a game her senior season and earning a United Soccer Coaches All-American selection. Around this time, she and her father uncovered she would be allowed to play for the Chilean national team.

FIFA’s eligibility rules allow players to declare for a nation if a player, parent or grandparent was born in the territory. As her grandmother was born on Easter Island, Isabelle received a call up to the under-17 Chilean national team.

When Kadzban made her first trip down to South America in La Roja’s famous red jerseys, her grandmother, whose initial 5,000-mile journey made Izzy’s success possible, cheered on from the stands.

“Her grandmother has been there,” Janette said. “She saw Izzy’s first goal when none of us did. It’s a testament to who she is and our connection to the island “ After stints with the under-17 and under-20 sides, a 17-year-old Izzy earned the interest of coach Jose Letelier and joined the senior team in October 2019 for two friendlies against Uruguay.

“We had been talking with the coaches all summer about potentially getting a call up,” Izzy said. “I was very excited and had no remorse about leaving school to go play. I was

Kadarius Toney brought back a punt for a 50 yard score in Saturday’s win over Kentucky. It was the first UF punt return for a touchdown in two years, when Freddie Swain did it against Colorado State in 2018.

Courtesy to The Alligator

Kadzban dribbles the ball on a run during the Gators' Covid Cup scrimmage on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. super excited and I was hoping that I could perform well enough just to get called back up again.”

Leaping to senior level international soccer is difficult at such a young age, but Eissele believes Izzy’s success can be attributed to her unique skill set.

“She is unique in the female game,” Eissele said. “There are very few players that want to take players on, one-on-one. It's very difficult to teach, and she has it.”

It takes exceptional maturity to play a game thousands of miles from home, a strength which Izzy’s mother can attest to.

“I almost think Izzy has always been old,” Jannete said. “Just because of her focus, it’s always just been on soccer and school.”

And while most high schoolers spend a Tuesday night in October studying or watching Netflix, Izzy spent it by floating a 92nd minute, left-footed effort over the Uruguayan keeper.

Her strike clinched a 3-1 victory for her country and sent 18,000 Chileans at the Estadio El Teniente into a frenzy.

“I was really excited, but I was also really surprised,” Izzy said. “I wasn't expecting to score a goal to be honest, but I was super excited once it happened. It was probably the best night of my entire life.”

Izzy was a fully fledged international before signing to play collegiate soccer. She committed to Florida in November 2019.

“At UF, the culture is really tight-knit, and I really like that,” Kadzban said regarding her decision to commit to Florida. “I also really liked how Becky Burleigh is super involved, not only in soccer stuff but in players’ lives as well.”

Florida soccer coach Becky Burleigh’s

Florida to play Tennessee at 3:30 this Saturday

The Gators are slated to face off against the Volunteers at 3:30 p.m. ET this Saturday on CBS. UF has played two noon games in a row, and this game will be the second game of Florida’s season to start in the 3:30 time slot.

interest in the Rapa Nui starlet was fueled by Izzy’s character off the pitch as much as her ability on it.

“Becky is more concerned about the character of her players than how good they are on the pitch,” Eissele said. “Izzy is a great kid and a really hard worker. So most of my conversations with Becky were about her character. We already knew she was a great player.”

Kadzban’s grandmother has already returned to Easter Island, and the freshman attacker hopes to join her grandmother in living on the island at some point.

For now, though, Izzy will traverse SEC country and travel between three continents.

She hopes to join many of her international teammates in playing professional soccer in the National Women’s Soccer League or somewhere around the world after her career in Gainesville comes to an end.

While she didn’t see much playing time with the Gators this season, recording a season-high 13 minutes against Tennessee, Izzy bonded with her teammates off the field. She participated in Black Lives Matter protests, including the Aug. 28 demonstration in Gainesville.

Wherever Izzy goes, her Rapa Nui pride, and her flag, will always come along for the ride.

“Honestly, being Rapa Nui is one of the things that I am most proud of,” Izzy said.

“Mostly because of how proud I am to be my grandmother's granddaughter. I'm really proud of her, and I feel really close to her.”

Follow us for updates

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

@dawalsh_UF dwalsh@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

FOOTBALL

You want ‘Bama? Don’t play like Saturday

By River Wells Sports Writer

So far, Dan Mullen cleared his biggest hurdle.

His Florida Gators (finally) defeated the Georgia Bulldogs under his tenure as head coach. That opens up his second hurdle: Barring any particularly unforeseen circumstances, UF will find itself in the SEC Championship Game for the first time under Mullen.

But if the Gators play like they did against Kentucky on Saturday, they won’t celebrate the feat for long.

Florida has started slow the last two games. It ended the first half leading 1710 against a winless Vanderbilt team, and at the end of the half on Saturday, it led Kentucky by only four points, 1410. Both games saw adjustments from the Gators: UF only allowed seven points in the second half of the Vanderbilt game and gave up none in the second half of Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, and the offense scored 21 and 20 points in the second half of both games, respectively.

“I think (the team was) probably a little disappointed with how they played in that first half,” Mullen said after the Kentucky game.

When the Gators get to the SEC Championship, though, they’ll likely be met by college football’s tyrannical empire in the Alabama Crimson Tide.

And the Crimson Tide don’t start slow.

In fact, Alabama has yet to have a first half of football this year without scoring at least 20 points. They score 26 points on average in the first half compared to Florida’s 24.6, and across the last two games, the Tide have outscored the Gators in the first half 49-27.

Quite frankly, managing only seven offensive points against the Wildcats in the first half — the other seven came on special teams due to a punt return from wideout Kadarius Toney — won’t cut it against quite a few teams in the SEC, much less its fiercest combatant.

The defense hasn’t been giving up many points to these types of teams.

However, allowing Vanderbilt to march down the field and score on its first drive and letting Kentucky tie the game early in the second quarter are the types of plays that prompt Mullen to start screaming at defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on the sideline. Florida managed to make the necessary adjustments at the half when facing both unranked teams, but the Crimson Tide will be harder to adjust to when the two squads’ fated clash in Atlanta’s steel arena arrives.

Not only has Alabama let up just 10 second-half points in its last two games, it has let up just 13 points total over the last three and is allowing just 8.8 points per second half all year. The Tide haven’t let anyone adjust to their scheme, and

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Courtesy to The Alligator

Tre’Vez Johnson (16), Jesiah Pierre (40) and Rashad Torrence II (22) celebrate in the Gators game against Kentucky in The Swamp on Nov. 28.

Florida shouldn’t count on doing the same come the SEC Championship.

If Florida wants to beat Alabama, it cannot start slow like it has the past two weeks. The Gators need to come out fast and bolt down on the defensive side of the ball when the game in Atlanta

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rolls around. If they don’t, they’ll find themselves in the same exact spot they were in the past two years of Mullen’s tenure. @riverhwells rwells@alligator.org