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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 22
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UF announces plans for in-person graduation this Spring
A student’s guide to the Student Government Spring 2021 election: learn where to vote and how voting has changed since last year, meet the SG executive candidates and learn more about each party’s platform.
OVER A YEAR AFTER THE LAST IN-PERSON GRADUATION CEREMONY, UF IS BRINGING THE TRADITION BACK
By J.P. Oprison Alligator Staff Writer
Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff
UF plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions starting in Summer B
COURSES WILL BE HELD AT STANDARD ROOM CAPACITIES
By Juliana Ferrie Alligator Staff Writer
UF could return to a pre-pandemic world with the start of the Summer B 2021 semester. Some of UF’s face-to-face courses, which begin June 28, will return back to normal capacity levels, according to an email sent to a course scheduling listserv from Colin Yokomi, UF’s assistant university registrar, and several departments across campus. An academic schedule will be released mid-March, UF Provost Joseph Glover said at a UF Senate Faculty meeting Thursday. It is unclear if masking will still be mandatory and which courses this will affect. UF Spokesperson Cynthia Roldán did not answer
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Football’s economic impact
Local businesses Story description felt finish thewith impact comma, of reduced pg# capacity football games after months surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, pg. 14
questions about what the university means by a return to normalcy; what masking, capacities, cleaning and social distancing will look like; the classes that will be affected; what encouraged the university to make these decisions nor the medical professionals who were consulted about this matter. Roldán wrote in a statement Friday that UF is still finalizing its Summer class plans. “We will continue to monitor developments with vaccines and conditions with the virus, and we will announce plans for this summer when we have more certainty,” Roldán wrote in an email. Summer A and C courses will follow room capacities set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Yokomi’s email. At the faculty meeting, Glover said UF’s COVID-19 guidelines for
Summer B and Fall would be “relaxed,” but did not give any specific plans. Glover and the university are following the guidance of a medical advisory group, which currently approves of their future plans, he said. “At the moment, on the advice of the medical advisory group that we consult every week, the Summer A term we will continue to operate as though we are in the midst of the pandemic, but in Summer B, we will commence a return to normalcy,” Glover said. The university will consult the medical guidance committee for the last time in mid-May before solidifying these plans, Glover said. “As I said, we do consult with them every week, and every week, we ask them, ‘Should we change course?’” he said. “In fact, we consulted with them today, and asked
UF’s Spring 2021 graduation ceremony will be held in person at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center with 20% capacity, social distancing and mandatory masking. The university announced plans Friday to have 14 inperson ceremonies at the O’Connell Center between April 29 and May 3, with the same safety protocols used for athletic events at the arena. Make up in-person recognition ceremonies for 2020 graduates are still being planned. Students who wish to partake in the Spring commencement ceremonies must register by March 31 on their One.UF accounts. Those who previously signed up must re-register due to the increase in ceremonies. The commencement ceremonies will require tickets for people to attend. Graduates who register between Feb. 19 and March 31 will receive two guest tickets, according to the announcement. Each graduate’s set of tickets will be seated as a pair. There will be no extra tickets available for any ceremony. Attendees will be required to physically distance and wear masks. UF will open Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for family and friends who cannot attend the events at the O’Connell Center to view each ceremony live on the big screen. The maximum number of people allowed in the stadium will be about 17,000, and masks will be required. Each ceremony will also be livestreamed for people at home who are unable to attend the in-person events, according to the announcement. The ceremonies will be the first in-person commencement since December 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed all 2020 graduations online. In the Fall, the University Athletic Association opened limited inperson attendance at Gators football games, drawing some criticism from recent graduates who were forced to have virtual graduation. One factor that has helped make in-person graduation possible is COVID-19 data showing a decline in cases. UF is now using less than 3% of its quarantine space. With few exceptions, UF President Kent Fuchs said there has been a universal decline in the positivity rate for COVID-19. Normally, each ceremony has about 1,000 students and 10,000 guests. However, this Spring, Fuchs said the total occupancy will be about 2,000 students and guests, or about 20% of the usual total and limiting the number of guests per candidate to two. At that rate, about 584 students will partake in each commencement ceremony, and there will be fewer staff and volunteers working each one, according to the announcement. In traditional Spring commencement, Fuchs said UF has a high participation rate with an average of about 8,500 students attending ceremonies out of about 10,000 receiving degrees.
SEE GRADUTATION, PAGE 4
SEE SUMMER B, PAGE 4
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UF raises $25.3 million on Gator Giving Day, pg. 4
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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
Today’s Weather Gainesville City Commission responds to traffic safety concerns
CITY OFFICIALS ARE DISCUSSING INCREASED PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING AND ROAD REDESIGNS
By Jack Prator Alligator Staff Writer
Gainesville City Commissioners will meet with Florida traffic officials in a mounting effort to make roads safer after two student deaths less than two months apart on University Avenue. The City Commission has broken down its efforts into a series of shortand long-term policies. Commissioners believe there are a number of immediate changes that can be made to stretches of the state highway inside the city, such as lowering the speed limit, equipping sidewalks with better lighting and increasing traffic enforcement. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe said about 15 to 25 pedestrians and cyclists die each year in Alachua County. “It's a recurring problem, and we have got to get everybody working together on this,” Poe said. In order to move forward with some of these changes, the commission is wrestling for control over the road with the Florida Department of Transportation. Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos said many steps to make University Avenue safer for pedestrians will take collaboration with the FDOT, UF, Alachua County Commission and elected leaders at the state level. “It's horrible to see residents of our community senselessly killed and injured,” Hayes-Santos said. “It's mainly because our roads are not designed for pedestrian safety.” In the discussions with FDOT to make University Avenue pedestrianfriendly, the city is requesting funding to draft a road redesign proposal.
Without this initial funding, Commissioner David Arreola said he believes not much can be done. Being a state highway, Arreola said the road is designed to allow as many cars as possible to travel quickly, which conflicts with bicycle and pedestrian safety. “The whole road needs to be redesigned in a way that slows traffic down,” he said. Arreola is the chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, a joint operation between Gainesville and Alachua County Commissions for transportation planning in and around the city. Both commissions will meet Feb. 22 to discuss safety changes that can be made to state roads and create better crosswalk designs on unmarked crossing areas to decrease jaywalking. He said the committee is asking that FDOT commits funding to redesignredesigning University Avenue, and in the meantime, lower the speed limit and put up additional light signage on the road. “I think that these things could save lives,” Arreola said. He said he asked FDOT District Secretary Greg Evans, who manages Alachua County’s state roads, to attend the Monday meeting. Evans will send a representative from his office to discuss short-term safety upgrades to roads, Arreola said. Hayes-Santos also mentioned reducing University Avenue’s speed limit and lane widths. The road’s current speed limit is 30 mph, but commissioners did not say how much lower a new limit should be. Hayes-Santos said there are other actions the commission can take that are a step up from smaller measures like a city ordinance that restricts people from standing on medians less than 6 feet wide that passed on Feb. 4. One solution is to upgrade city
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 22
NEWSROOM:
Alligator Staff Writer
After two weeks of deliberation, the Gainesville City Commission abandoned a new bar and restaurant mask mandate. Commissioner Adrian HayesSantos’s order to move forward with the mandate ended at the Thursday meeting when no other commissioners voted in favor of it. At the meeting, City Manager Lee Feldman said a mask mandate inside businesses without requirements in the greater Alachua County area would send mixed signals to residents and be difficult to enforce. “Conflicting messaging leads to confusion,” he said. On Jan. 4, the commission approved the drafting of an emergency order to enforce mask-wearing inside businesses. The order would have required patrons to stay seated while eating and drinking in bars and clubs, similar to a Hillsborough County order from December. At a previous commission meeting, Feldman was asked to discuss the effectiveness of Hillsborough’s
order with Hillsborough County officials. He said Hillsborough's order has been difficult for the county to enforce. The few businesses that Hillsborough County fined deemed this as “just the cost of doing business,” he said. The $150 fines there haven’t increased the effectiveness or the enforcement of Hillsbrough’s mask mandate. “They’re only seeking voluntary compliance through this,” he said. Commissioner Harvey Ward agreed enforcement was a big roadblock to the order. He said he doesn’t want to make false promises of enforcement the city can’t fulfill. Ward made a plea to college students packing bars: “If you know better, do better.” He said he did not know what more the commission has the power to do to get bar patrons to wear masks. “I have always hated — and this just makes it much worse — to see people treat Gainesville like it's not real,” he said. “Like they’re here for college and everything surrounding
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lighting along poorly lit busy roads. At a Feb. 11 meeting, Gainesville City Planner Lawrence Calderon said streetlights being scattered unevenly around the city is partly to blame for the poor lighting on sidewalks. The city began replacing its more than 12,000 city streetlights with LED technology after March 2013. As of Feb. 11, GRU has replaced 72% of outdoor lights in city limits with LEDs. GRU chief operating officer Thomas Brown expects the project will be finished by the end of April. The commission voted unanimously Feb. 11 to have city staff research increasing lighting in dark zones where it is inadequate. City Commissioner Reina Saco said greater enforcement of traffic laws through the Gator STEP program is a step in the right direction. From Jan. 18 to Feb. 15, GPD issued 349 speeding tickets and 26 careless driving tickets, according to Gator STEP data released by the GPD. “Those are all short-term solutions because they’re immediate and maybe the lesson will hold,” Saco said. “I've always thought that you never forget a traffic ticket, ever. But that's a moderately cheap lesson compared to accidentally hitting someone.” @jack_prator jackprator@alligator.org
them here just doesn’t matter. It just breaks my heart.” Mayor Lauren Poe said he decided not to vote for the mandate because of a low positivity rate and data from the Alachua County Health Department that showed the virus is spreading more in homes and retail spaces than in bars. “This seems like we’re attacking the wrong problem,” Poe said. He said creating restrictions on bars and clubs could jeopardize their cooperation with the Healthy Gainesville Initiative, a UF studentled mask marketing campaign funded by the city. The project was designed around these bars so a mask mandate might undo this work, he said. Poe said an emergency order is not needed now, but if cases begin to rise in the next couple weeks, the commission still has the option to resume discussions of stricter mask requirements. @jack_prator jackprator@alligator.org
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3
Gainesville’s first soil collection ceremony memorializes the city’s known lynching victims ABOUT 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS GATHERED TO HONOR THE 12 VICTIMS
Two jars of soil dedicated to each of the known Gainesville lynching victims killed between 1868 and 1942, sat on tables in front of the lectern next to bright red roses placed beside them.
By Alan Halaly and Emil Munksgaard Grosen
Guests poured soil into the jars after a slate of speakers including pastors, local officials and community organizers delivered speeches, sang songs and recited poems. One set of jars was dedicated to victims whose stories remain undiscovered. Of the two jars per victim, one jar will be on display in The Legacy Museum and the other will stay in the county. Guests occasionally bowed their heads in prayer, some closing their eyes to reflect on the county’s history. At the lectern, Assistant County Manager Carl Smart recounted all of the known details about city victims in a captivating tone. He expressed anger about the lack of accountability for the crimes of lynching mobs throughout the city’s history. Smart said collecting soil has a significance beyond face value. “The soil is symbolic of the blood crying out from the grounds,” he said. “While collecting soil from the site of a lynching is a simple gesture, it’s an important act of remembrance beginning a process of healing and uniting us to move forward.” Attendees sat in chairs or stood quietly and nodded solemnly. Some were dressed in Black Lives Matter shirts, holding pamphlets that read “Stop Police Killings!” Cynthia Curry, a 65-year-old Gainesville resident, said she came to the ceremony partly because she knew the family of Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, a UF professor who initiated lynching research in the county. As a Black person, Curry said it’s important to engage with the county’s past. She thought the ceremony was a beautiful tribute to the victims. “It’s a matter of history,” she said. “It’s to hopefully recognize the sins of our past and reconcile them going forward.” Speakers took to the lectern for creative, lively performances throughout the ceremony. Gainesville resident Marvin Winston Jr. performed an original spoken word poem called “Ancestors.” He delivered the poem with flow and style, pausing for emphasis to engage listeners as their spirits were lifted. “I know I’m dreaming but can you picture what I’m seeing?” Winston Jr. recited. “An ancestor chained to me saying: ‘Be ready. Go ahead and spit, we got the beat ready.’ And he’s saying to me: ‘Youngin, here’s your chance.’”
Alligator Staff Writers
Latoya Brazil didn’t know the story of how her great-grandfather Lester Watts was lynched in Gainesville until she was 17 years old. Brazil’s great-grandmother, who was with Watts when he was shot, sat Brazil and her cousin down and told them the story. Seventy-nine years after Watts was killed, Brazil brought her family members from across the country together to honor Watts and other Gainesville victims. “From that story, there was a burning inside of my cousin,” Brazil said. “That’s why we are here today to know the true story of what happened that night and what the comings were.” On Saturday, bright smiles quickly turned to tears as people lined up to scoop soil into the clear jars marked with the names of Gainesville’s lynching victims. About 100 community members, Gainesville residents and local officials gathered Saturday for a soil collection ceremony planned by the Gainesville Subcommittee of the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project (ACCRP) and the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) at the Alachua County Administration Building. The EJI’s Community Soil Collection Project gathers soil at lynching sites in ceremonies throughout the country to display in exhibits that bear victims’ names at The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Community organizers along with former County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson traveled across the city to the known lynching sites to collect the soil. Newberry, whose victims are widely recognized as the Newberry Six, held a similar ceremony earlier this month. Saturday’s ceremony is the first event of its kind to be held in Gainesville. Little is known about most of the Gainesville lynchings, but historians are aware of at least 50 Alachua County victims. Lynchings, along with other accounts of white supremacy, are often poorly documented, according to a New York Times report. More accounts of lynchings recently became public, such as the 2017 county report that uncovered more than 21 new victims.
Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff
Alachua County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler, 69, (right) and her granddaughter Tashayla Downer, 8, (left) fill a jar with soil to honor Andrew Ford at the Gainesville Soil Collection Ceremony on Feb. 20, 2021. Ford was lynched in Gainesville on Aug. 24, 1891, according to a pamphlet from the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project. Nii Sowa-La and Ayoka Sowa-La performed a libation ceremony, a traditional African ritual, where Nii poured water on the ground as a tribute to fallen ancestors. Emma Ronchetti, an 18-year-old UF public relations junior, stood in line to pour soil to honor the victims. Ronchetti said the ceremony was somber, emotional and important, but wonders why it’s taken so long for Gainesville to officially recognize its past. “It’s crazy that it’s 2021 and that we’re just now learning about this,” Ronchetti said. Four community pastors led the crowd in prayer, speaking to themes of unity, oneness and divine love. The Rev. Gerald Duncan, a pastor at Prayers By Faith Ministries, said there’s more that unites us than divides us as humans. “Our precious creator, thank you for removing the scale from our eyes and exposing the scars and the wounds of despair that accompany many through life,” Duncan said. “Give
us the courage and will to change the system.” Bre Lamkin, a 36-year-old EJI project manager, visited Gainesville from Montgomery to attend the ceremony. Lamkin said the fight for racial justice persists today through advocating against the death penalty and police brutality. After traveling around the U.S. for similar ceremonies, she said she was excited to see the Watts family come together and honor their relative. “We have to do something about this,” she said. “And it starts with people like you, gathering here on a Saturday morning to memorialize these victims.”
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Over 1,000 people gathered to form one of the largest human blood drop formations in the country. LifeSouth’s North Florida district needs just as many donors per week to meet the need of our community hospitals. Be a part of something big and give blood today.
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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
UF raises more than $25 million on Gator Giving Day THE UNIVERSITY TOPPED ITS GOAL OF 20,000 INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS
By Alexander Lugo Alligator Staff Writer
UF raised $25.3 million during its third annual Gator Giving Day fundraiser Feb. 18, making it the highest yielding year. This year, UF topped its goal of 20,000 individual donations with a total of 22,198 individual donations. Last year, it raised about $23 million, topping the previous amount of $12.6 million in 2019. The College of Design, Construction and Planning got 1,233 contributors, making it the college with the most contributors this year. The College of Journalism and Commu-
nications was hoping to get the top spot for the third year in a row, but fell short with just 916 contributors. Gator Giving Day is part of a larger push to keep UF rising in the ranks of top public universities in the U.S. News and World Report. UF is currently ranked No. 6, and 3% of the annual rating is factored by alumni donations. The money will go toward funding colleges and programs across campus. UF held in-person events last year during Giving Day but moved most online this year due to COVID-19. Brian Danforth, the interim executive director of the UF Alumni Association, said a breakdown of how the UF Foundation’s Giving Day budget was spent this year is not available. He said UF Advancement re-
Two guests per graduate GRADUATION, from pg. 1 “We have to do something more than we’ve done in the past,” Fuchs said during a Senate Faculty meeting Thursday. “We work hard at creating a rich virtual experience. All the colleges have participated in this, and those have been marvelous. But this is the one area where there’s a dramatic difference between inperson commencement graduation ceremonies and virtual.” Fuchs said while he may not attend a few professional degree programs, he plans to attend and be part of the 14 ceremonies scheduled from April 29 to May 3. Because of the limited capacity, three ceremonies will be held each day, and the O’Connell Center will be sanitized in between each event, according to the announcement. Hand sanitizer stations will be available on-site. Besides fewer graduates at the ceremony, there will be no processional, nor recessional, which involves formally entering and exiting the ceremony. There also will be no platform party, and college deans will not be shaking hands with students, according to the announcement. Doctoral students will wear their hoods, which are usually placed on them as part of the ceremony, throughout the event. Every graduating student present will be individually recognized as they walk across the stage. UF Student Government plans to hold various events in the week prior to its Senior Send Off. The festivities will be across campus to ensure physical distancing, according to the announcement. Participants will be required to wear masks during the events as well. UF will work with the City of Gainesville, the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and the Alachua County Hospitality Council to encourage social distancing, masking and sanitizing at hotels and restaurants. “We may be on the cusp of making real progress against this incredible virus,” Fuchs said. “So, I’m encouraged.”
@joprison joprison@alligator.org • Graduation will be in person at O’Connell Center between April 29 and May 3 with 20% capacity, social distancing and mandatory masks • Students who wish to participate must register by March 31 on One.UF • Students who previously signed up must re-register • Commencement ceremonies will require tickets to attend • Graduates who register between Feb. 19 and March 31 will receive two guest tickets • No extra tickets available for any ceremony • Every graduating student present will be individually recognized as they walk across the stage
turns $9 for every $1 invested in fundraising, but did not elaborate further. According to its 2019 990 tax returns, the UF Foundation spent $14 million on fundraising and reported a negative net revenue meaning it lost $7.3 million. GNV Unite, a protest group that has spoken out against UF’s Spring reopening plans, led a Giving Day boycott to bring awareness to UF’s shortcomings in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Danielle Hawk, the head organizer of GNV Unite, said UF is the No. 6 nationally ranked public university, but hasn’t acted like it’s top-ranked in the way it has responded to the pandemic. “We’re not trying to take down the institution of higher education,” Hawk said. “What we’re trying to do is hold UF to a higher standard.” A total of 20 people contributed to the boycott effort, and they contacted about 250 donors during Giving Day. Hawk thinks boycotting Giving Day one year won’t have a huge impact on students because of how much money the university already has and will continue to receive beyond Giving Day. She argued it hurts students to tell them they’ll get the on-campus experience this semester just to be put in HyFlex classes. It’s also harm-
ful to put students in an environment where they show up to class after partying during a global pandemic, she said. Some students feel differently about the boycott. “If we want to go about protesting our COVID measures at the university, there’s probably a better way that wouldn’t cause as much collateral damage to the students,” Bradley Band, a 19-year-old UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience
sophomore, said. The point of the boycott is to get better resources to students and faculty, but boycotting the fundraiser would go against that goal, Band said. “Cutting back on funding during Gator Giving Day would mostly only hurt ourselves,” Band said. @alexlugo67 alugo@alligator.org
Chasity Maynard // Alligato Staff
Derek Chamberlin, 30, a UF fisheries and aquatic sciences doctoral student, walks his dog, Clyde, across Plaza of the Americas on Feb. 17, 2021.
Unclear if masks will be mandatory SUMMER B, from pg. 1 that question, and the answer was no.” Despite the university’s plans for Summer B, it announced its Center for Precollegiate Education and Training, or CPET, Summer programs would not permit overnight stays because of COVID-19 safety precautions, according to its website. CPET will still offer online youth programs. During the meeting, Dr. Michael Lauzardo, UF’s director of Screen, Test & Protect, said the university is looking at Fall like Summer B and remaining optimistic. Through vaccine distribution, Laurzardo believes herd immunity, which occurs when a significant number of people are immune to the virus, can be achieved by early Summer, he said. However, Lauzardo said it’s unclear if everyone will be vaccinated by Summer. He said 750 to 1,000 random students could be chosen for a clinical trial testing if college students can be infectious post-vaccine, but otherwise emphasized patience. Although there are still unknowns and his mind could change based on the data, Lauzardo believes masks may no longer be worn by Fall, he said. “It’s not unrealistic to think that we’re going to be out of this by the Fall and that things will be
different,” Lauzardo said. Lauzardo’s comments come after the CDC released a study Feb. 10 stating double masking could better prevent the spread of COVID-19. While the university is aware of this guidance, it does not plan to change current mask protocols. Corey McZeal, a lecturer in the department of sociology and criminology, law and society, will be teaching Principles of Sociology during Summer B, he said. When McZeal first applied to teach the course, it was scheduled to be online; however, in January, his department informed McZeal it would be taught face-to-face instead, he said. McZeal said he was not shocked by the change. This semester, he is teaching two courses in person and is not worried about the Summer teaching style because it’s what he’s used to. McZeal is unsure what COVID-19 restrictions will be enforced in Summer and assumes social distancing will not be in effect, he said. “We haven’t gotten any guidance on that yet, so I’m just kind of anticipating that it’s going to be like COVID is over,” he said. In the past, the course’s capacity has been 150 students, McZeal said. He does not believe it will be any different for Summer. Frank Bosworth, interim direc-
tor of the School of Architecture, wrote in an email that he also has limited information about the university’s plan. However, the university expects the school to offer face-to-face courses at standard capacities, Bosworth wrote in an email. “At this time we have not discussed the impact of this, nor do I have a sense of how the faculty feel about it,” he wrote in an email. Matthew McKay, a doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant in the department of geography, said the university told his department to mimic Summer 2019 when planning for Summer B. It will have discretion over Summer A, meaning the department can choose to teach online, he said. According to the information McKay received in an email from an academic assistant Feb. 4, both Summer A and Summer B will each have one course faceto-face, he said. The Summer A course will have two sections, McKay said. However, McKay himself will be teaching all online during Summer A, he said. “As much as I would rather go 100% back to normal life, I don’t think it’s safe to do so for one thing,” he said. “I know it’s not.” @juliana_f616 jferrie@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5
Is a new Florida county likely? Here’s Springs County explained IF RESIDENTS SUCCEED, IT COULD BE THE FIRST NEW FLORIDA COUNTY IN ALMOST 100 YEARS
By Jack Prator Alligator Staff Writer
Some Alachua County residents have a plan to resolve differences over ongoing issues like mask mandates and GRU rates. After six years of discussion surrounding a new county split from Alachua County, there are still many unanswered questions. The new county –– Springs County –– would incorporate Newberry, High Springs, Alachua, Archer, LaCrosse and parts of Gainesville in its territory. The proposed eastern boundary is 34th Street, enveloping the city’s booming west side and knocking on UF’s doorstep. A petition supporting the split that started seven months ago reached its previous goal of 7,500 online signatures in February, with 1,000 more hard copy signatures. If residents successfully secede, Springs would form the first new Florida county in almost 100 years. The last time it happened was in 1925, when Gilchrist County split from Alachua. However, some local officials, lawyers and residents aren’t convinced the plan is practical. Because it’s been almost a century since the state created a new county, the legal process lacks a modern example to follow. Unanswered questions about taxes, infrastructure and school districts strain the feasibility of a successful Springs County secession. The county’s goals center around smaller government, lower taxes and fewer social programs, according to its website. In December, about 100 Alachua County residents gathered in High Springs for the opening of The Springs County welcome center. Supporters cited “wasteful spending,” high GRU bills and neglect of cities other than Gainesville as the driving force behind the movement for a new county. Legislative Process
Where or if a county line is drawn is up to the discretion of the Florida Legislature, which is made up of the Florida House and Senate, said Joseph Little, a UF professor emeritus of law who focuses on local government and other topics. “If [the legislature] wished to, it could bundle up counties,” he said. “It’s got the authority to do what it wants to do. It’s the lawmaking process. There’s nothing peculiar about that.”
However, Little said there is more to consider in this process than there was when Gilchrist County was founded in 1925. Denser populations, bigger government reach and school districts raise questions that Springs County leaders have yet to answer. The last movement for a new state county occurred in 1993, when upset residents of cities in Duval County, such as Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach, pushed for a split. Much like Springs County’s namesake, a homage to North Florida’s freshwater springs, the proposed coastal county adopted the name Ocean County. But in 1995, Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney was elected. With a resident and former mayor of Neptune Beach in office, citizens’ support for Ocean County dried up, and it did not get enough traction to be voted on in the state legislature. It would be unlikely for the Florida Legislature to approve Springs County without a vote from Alachua County residents, Little said. At the welcome center opening in December, State Rep. Chuck Clemons pledged to file a bill in August to do just that. Clemons did not respond to multiple emails and phone call requests for comment. Springs County supporters tout Clemons’ pledge as a milestone, but Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said they aren’t reading the fine print. The vote would measure support of the new county, but is not required to create one, which is done through a majority vote by the state legislature, Marlowe said. It is not up to the people. One of the biggest factors in Springs County’s viability is the question of whether it can support itself financially, he said. Gilchrist County, the last state county to be created, is labeled “fiscally constrained” by the Florida Legislature. This means that its tax base can’t support its spending and is bailed out by the state. If Springs County splits Alachua County and the city of Gainesville along 34th Street, there is a possibility that both counties may become fiscally constrained, Marlowe added. “There’s no way Tallahassee is gonna say yes to that,” he said. “Because that means that now they have to subsidize two counties — right now, Alachua County pays for itself.” Marlowe said there are many questions about taxes an accountant would need to answer to find out if the new county could financially support itself. “Until we can answer those questions, it’s really impossible to have an intelligent conver-
sation about Springs County,” Marlowe said. “Because you’re not talking about anything.” Alachua County spokesman Mark Sexton said the commission hasn’t spent much time discussing Springs County, adding that no city commissions have moved to join the county. “There’s not a single small city in the rural areas of the county that have made a motion to support Springs County,” he said. Sexton said Springs County is the minority view of a few thousand people in a county of 260,000. “But the solution to that is not for every county in the United States to break off and let their minority party constituents form their own county,” he said. “The solution in the United States in our republic, is you do the hard work, and you convince voters.” He said the county has been busy navigating the pandemic with a mass vaccination effort underway. “The county commission has a lot of serious business in front of them,” Sexton said. “And, you know, Springs County has not risen to the top of the priority list.” “A Political Divorce”
Renewed interest in separating from Alachua County came when the County Commission flipped its decision and chose not to rescind the mask mandate after receiving pressure from the Gainesville City Commission, Tim Marden, the face of the Springs County movement and Newberry city commissioner, said. “It was pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Marden said. The largest factor in support of a new county is the feeling that the Gainesville and Alachua County commissions are leaving other cities out of discussions, Marden said. He said the Gainesville City Commission’s mention of shutting down bars and restaurants influenced the county’s discussion of closing down those businesses. Marden is a National Development Officer for The John Birch Society, a fringe, right-wing organization. This is an affiliation he has publicly defended. He rejected the idea that the new county would have to build everything from scratch, explaining that roads, power poles and sewage systems would all be annexed by the new county. Debts and assets alike within the proposed borders would belong to Springs County. “All the assets are divided up just like a divorced couple,” Marden said. “I’ve been calling this a political divorce.”
The ultimate goal of Springs County is to create less friction in government, Marden said, adding that government expenses and taxes create this friction. The county government will focus on what he calls core government, including roads, public safety, utilities and courts. “And that’s what pits people against each other,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be that way.” Splitting Up Gainesville
One of the largest hurdles for Springs County concerns its would-be border of 34th Street, which would divide Gainesville into two counties. Littlewood Elementary School sits on the west side of 34th Street. Across from the school is Westwood Middle. Under Springs County’s proposed borders, the sister schools would belong to two different school districts. While there is some support for Springs County in west Gainesville, Marden said this is where the movement’s efforts have received the most pushback. Kansas City and Memphis are examples of cities belonging to multiple counties and states; Gainesville could easily do the same, he added. But Todd Hornberger, a 53-year-old Gainesville resident and supporter of Springs County, believes drawing the line at 34th Street is unrealistic. “It’s just too close, it’s just too too much in the heart,” he said. “You’d be cutting Gainesville right down the center.” Instead, he said the line should run farther west along Parker Road located in the city outskirts. Hornberger, who’s lived in the city for more than 50 years, said he’s in the fight for Springs County for the same reasons as many other supporters –– high GRU utility bills and Alachua County’s focus on social programs rather than core government issues. He said the county’s wasteful spending on community projects and GRU’s hybrid cars while kicking the can on important ones like roads and infrastructure are his biggest complaints, and it should listen to its people. Marden said Springs County would have five commissioners on its board, representing Newberry, High Springs, Alachua, Archer and LaCrosse — cities within the borders. “You’re going to steal Alachua out of Alachua County?” Hornberger said. “Yeah, right.”
@jack_prator jprator@alligator.org
Man wanted for battery at FSU spotted in Gainesville HIS WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN AS OF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
By Anna Wilder Alligator Staff Writer
Editors’ note: This story includes mention of sexual assault. Gainesville and UF Police Departments are searching for a man accused of battery after he was reported for following women and touching them inappropriately near Florida State University’s campus. The battery occured Jan. 29, and the FSU Police Department has since issued an arrest warrant for Vincent Steven Mickelsen, 36. Mickelsen was then spotted by UF students near Midtown Feb. 12. UF sent out a public safety alert Feb. 15 on Twitter with a description of Mickelsen and a situational
awareness alert. UPD Lt. Jacob Pruitt said UF was notified when Mickelsen was spotted in the area and released a public information bulletin about him. UFPD will execute the warrant from FSUPD and arrest Mickelsen if he is found, Pruitt said. However, as of Wednesday, Pruitt said he isn’t aware of any reports of Mickelsen following anyone home at UF. Mickelsen has not been arrested and UFPD and the Gainesville Police Department are asking the community to help locate him, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in a text message. Local law enforcement is working with FSUPD, he wrote. “We’re taking it very seriously,” Orlando wrote. UF students and Gainesville residents have circulated posts on Facebook and other social media claiming to have seen and encountered the suspect on UF’s campus. As of now, those rumors have not been proven.
“Contrary to some social media posts, he’s not a serial rapist and he has not been spotted anywhere on campus,” OrMickelson lando wrote. FSUPD said Mickelsen has rented a hotel in Tallahassee three times since December. The department identified a Tennessee address, drivers license and license tag that belong to Mickelsen, FSUPD spokesperson John Baker said. On Jan. 29 Mickelsen checked into the same hotel again which was the day of the suspected battery. At around 2 a.m. that morning, an 18-year-old freshman at FSU said Mickelsen followed her and a friend home from Clydes & Costello’s, a bar in Tallahassee. She asked to remain anonymous because she is now part of the ongoing battery investigation
and fears for her safety. She said she and her friend were returning home from the bar when he approached them. She said he told them they were the most beautiful girls he had seen and that he was 24-years-old. She said Mickelsen touched her friend on her butt. This incident is what ultimately led to Mickelsen’s arrest warrant. He offered the student and her friend mittens and asked her to wear them. She said she proceeded to put them on. They started to walk away, but Mickelsen followed them, she said. The student said she and her friend asked him why he was walking toward the dorms, but Mickelsen avoided the question and chased them as they ran inside. The 18-year-old said as they ran up the stairs, Mickelsen cornered her. All she remembers is him telling her to take her mask off so he could kiss her before she escaped to her dorm.
The next night, she said she saw him again, this time following other women. She contacted FSUPD and told them about her and her friend’s experiences. On Feb. 11, FSUPD received reports that Mickelsen was in another Tallahassee bar, Baker said. Police brought him in for questioning, but because they could not positively identify if the man was Mickelsen at the time, they released him. By the time police identified him the next morning, he had checked out of his hotel and left. FSU investigators have tried to call Mickelsen to get in contact, but have received no response. FSUPD posted on social media warning students to contact police if they saw him. UFPD advised the public to not approach Mickelsen and instead call UFPD at 352-392-1111. @anna_wilderr awilder@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 www.alligator.org/the_avenue
FOOD & DRINK
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is coming to Butler Plaza THE ITALIAN ICE SHOP IS EXPECTED TO OPEN BY JUNE By Kristin Bausch Avenue Staff Writer
A familiar treat to some and a new treat to others, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is finding its way into the Gainesville community. Butler Plaza announced Wednesday the new franchise will be located at 3232 SW 35th Blvd., right next to McAlister’s Deli in Butler Esplanade. It is slated to open by June. Butler Plaza’s director of marketing, John Dickerson, 34, said he’s “thrilled” Gainesville is continuing to grow despite the troubles from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the announcement on social media, Dickerson said there has already been positive feedback. “I was really happy to see that with the name like Jeremiah’s, it looks like a lot of people have visited them in other cities,” he said. “It looks like they’re excited that they’re coming here to Gainesville.” Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is most known for its gelati, which is Italian ice layered with soft serve ice cream. Flavors range from
the basics, such as chocolate and strawberry, to unique flavors like cookie butter, passion fruit and “scoop froggy frog,” also known as mint chocolate chip. Evan Waldt, the co-owner of the upcoming Jeremiah’s, said after his business partner first tried Jeremiah’s 10 years ago, they knew they wanted to be the ones to operate a Gainesville franchise. “We just kind of knew that Gainesville needed something that was what Jeremiah’s is,” he said, “like the coolest and kind of vibrant colors and the unique flavors and lots of choices.” Waldt said Jeremiah’s is a business that stems from core values like creating a fun and enjoyable experience. “That’s what frozen dessert is all about,” he said. “That kind of moment of bliss, where you bite in, and the ice cream may not melt away, but maybe some of your troubles will melt away and an atmosphere where you’re greeted as a friend.” Sara Florio, a UF elementary education sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, said she was excited when Butler Plaza announced on Instagram that Jeremiah’s would be coming to Gainesville. The 20-year-old said Jeremiah’s is a
“home favorite,” where she has made great memories with her friends. “I think that Gainesville will actually love Jeremiah’s because it’s different than anything I feel like we have,” she said. “Also, a lot of UF students come from Orlando and South Florida where there are Jeremiah’s locations.” Florio said she is most looking forward to getting her cookies and cream gelati with vanilla ice cream. Waldt said Jeremiah’s will not only provide a quick and easy way to get a dessert, but it will also provide jobs to students who want to work in a positive environment. “You know, there’s a lot of folks that assume that just because it’s a franchisors thing, that it’s not a locally owned business, and that’s just not always the case,” he said. “In Butler, I think you have a real opportunity to be kind of at the core center of not just Gainesville, but a lot of all North Florida.” Waldt said he is looking forward to working in a place where everyone’s goal is to make Gainesville great. “We’re just honored that the Gainesville community is as excited as we are to have
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some rocking flavors,” he said. “And who doesn’t like a scoop froggy frog? I mean, come on.” @BauschKristin kbausch@alligator.org
MUSIC
Upbeat GNV launches free mental health programs to support Gainesville music scene REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE UPCOMING MUSICIAN-FOCUSED GROUP THERAPY
By Valeriya Antonshchuk Avenue Staff Writer
Alex Klausner grew up with the Gainesville music scene. Now, he is working to make it better. Klausner, a 30-year-old Gainesville native and UF alumnus, founded Upbeat GNV as a passion project amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group offers free therapy programs geared toward musicians in an effort to uplift mental health within the Gainesville music community. After a few pilot programs last fall and the official launch of its first mental health workshop this month, Upbeat GNV has now opened registration for its free musician’s process group, launching in March. The organization has been working with local therapists who volunteer their time to the group’s programs. The March session will be a free musician process group, guided by local musician and therapist Daimian Holiday Scott. The program will
function like a talk therapy group and host five people, Klausner said. All sessions currently take place on Zoom, and people who register are encouraged to return each week for the duration of the month-long program. He said all are welcome to return for multiple sessions so long as there is space for new musicians to join. Klausner had just followed his music dreams to California when the pandemic struck and shut down live music. Returning to Gainesville, he said he sought to help uplift his community during this challenging time for the industry. As a drummer for Rehasher, a Gainesville-based punk rock band, Klausner said he personally understands some of the mental health challenges many musicians face, now heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Well, if we’re in this dark, terrible time, then I want to be one of the people that’s doing something to try and make things better for people,” Klausner said. Growing up with Gainesville’s music scene, Klausner said he wanted to give back to a community that has impacted him strongly. “I wanted to create a resource for my music scene,” he said. “Those are the people that I love and care
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about. And those are the people that have raised me. Gainesville music, like, raised me from the time I was a teenager. And I’m here because I’m like, okay, I want to do something that’s going to give back to the people that gave me my life.” Exploring his own mental health challenges, Klausner said he did some research about musicians’ mental health. He referenced a book called “Can Music Make You Sick?” which provided statistics revealing the mental health challenges many musicians face. The data indicated that in a self-reported survey, over 70% of musicians reported high levels of anxiety, and nearly 70% suggested they had suffered from depression. This survey was conducted in 2016, which was before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and affected many musicians’ jobs. Facing those numbers, the Upbeat GNV team said they wanted to create an accessible way for musicians to get help and connect with others in their community. Inspired by the organizational model of Nuçi’s Space, a Georgia organization providing accessible mental health resources focused toward musicians, Klausner sought to create a group with a similar function in Gainesville.
“If you’re underinsured or in a position where therapy is just not accessible, this is a way that we can help bring forward affordable, good quality care to our community,” he said. In addition to monthly therapy programs, Upbeat GNV also offers a free affordable therapy resource guide on its website. Klausner said he wants to highlight low-cost mental health support options and expand understanding of the resources that are available. “I think what is a real barrier for people is confusion,” he said. While Klausner and his team sought out to support musicians in facing the challenges COVID-19 has imposed on the music industry, especially pertinent to those who play live, Klausner said he hopes to see Upbeat GNV continue to grow. “Our goal is to establish a longstanding resource for our community,” he said. Emma Magee, 24, serves as the lead branding consultant for Upbeat GNV. Though now based in New York, she met Klausner and his co-director, John Gray Shermyen, from her involvement with the Gainesville music scene during her undergraduate years at UF, and Magee said she was excited to help launch the brand.
“We’re trying to bring the passion and the life of the Gainesville community into that mental health space to say, ‘Hey, there are so many ways that you can find treatment, and it’s so easy, and it can be very affordable. Here’s where you need to go, here’s how we can help you,’” she said. She echoed Klausner’s emphasis on raising awareness of the affordable resources available to this community. “We want the community to know that we’re here for them and that we have free resources and free classes and workshops and therapists who are dedicating their time to give everybody the most help at the cheapest possible cost, if any cost at all,” Magee said. As Upbeat GNV closes out its first official February session, a musicians’ mental health workshop by Let it Shine Counseling, LLC, the group sets out to continue its growth. Registration for the March program is open now. It will be held March 10, March 24, April 7 and April 14th from 7-8:30 p.m. @Vantonshchuk vantonshchuk@alligator.org
Back in the diamond
Seniors Kendyl Lindaman, Jaimie Hoover and Katie Chronister return after the team’s promising 2020 spring season was cut short due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, pg. 15
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7
UF student voter guide to UF Student Government Spring the SG Spring election STUDENTS CAN CHOOSE FROM SIX ON-CAMPUS VOTING SITES. EARLY VOTING WAS NOT APPROVED
By Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writer
The UF Student Government Spring election will take place in-person on Feb. 23- 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at six campus voting sites listed on the SG website. Students can vote at the Reitz Union Computer Lab, the Social Lounge at Southwest Recreation Center, the Broward Hall Recreation Room, the Murphree Area Office Conference Room, the Springs Office Conference Room and the Cypress Meeting Room. Students can also return their absentee ballots to the SG Office by the 8:30 p.m. on the last day of elections. To vote, students must present their Gator 1 Card, their driver’s license or any other government issued identification matching the name on the university registrar’s list, Supervisor of Elections Hayley Price wrote in an email. “To stay safe while voting, I encourage students to follow event guidelines provided by the university, use social distancing practices, use the hand sanitizer provided, and properly wear a face mask at all times,” Price wrote. Price did not answer seven emails from The Alligator asking about specific measures being taken to ensure the safety of students while voting, including disinfection of polling machines and regulations to limit student capacity in voting sites. Students have five fewer options of voting sites to choose from compared to last Spring. Chair of Elections Ryan Wiele, who is responsible for determining polling locations, said the decrease of sites was because some locations were unavailable due to COVID-19 procedures. “We appreciate the support and flexibility of the locations we were able to secure and believe that they will provide students with enough locations to participate in the election safely,” Wiele wrote in an email. An early voting option was not included in the Spring election special rules this year. General election procedures are determined by election codes Senate establishes. An additional set of rules, the special election rules, is determined by the SG Election Commission to adapt voting procedures to the needs of each individual election. Fall 2020 special rules included early voting, allowing students to submit their ballot two weeks prior to election day to avoid crowded polling sites over the two election days. Senator Zachery Utt (Murphree Area, Inspire) submitted an authorization, a piece of legislation ordering an officer to
fulfill a prescribed duty, Feb. 7 to the SG Judiciary Committee, a group of senators who hear all non-budget related legislation, asking for early voting in the Spring 2021 election. Senator Noah Fineberg (District A, Gator), a voting member of the Judiciary Committee, said he felt uncomfortable passing the resolution, as he believed it may be unconstitutional. Article III, Section 7 of the Student Body Constitution says no changes can be made to the election laws over the five weeks preceding the election. Utt said this resolution would not break that law, because it would simply be an addition of a rule and not a change of code or law. The Judiciary Committee unanimously failed the authorization of early voting this semester. Along with four other senators, Utt further filed a resolution to impeach Wiele following a claim that he failed to maintain a “fair and efficient election” as mandated by the election codes and used his power to disenfranchise students. Utt criticized Wiele for his unresponsiveness regarding early voting questions, as well as his decisions to reduce the number of voting sites and stop early voting while there are still COVID-19 cases on campus. In Fall 2020, Senate passed special rules allowing early voting. However, its constitutionality was questioned, as the UF Student Body Constitution states SG elections must take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of the sixth week from Fall term. Mark Merwitzer, a 21-year-old UF political science junior, submitted a case to the SG Supreme Court in Fall asking for an interpretation of whether the addition of early voting to the special rules was constitutional. The court determined the case could not be heard because it required a signature of 20 members of the Student Body to interpret any provision of the constitution, leaving the early voting question up in the air. This Spring, Merwitzer asked the SG Supreme Court not to hear or ratify the election results because of an incomplete Senate if he is not given the opportunity to interview to fill a vacant seat. Typically, election results are approved by Senate by a majority vote after the election. The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the Replacement & Agenda Committee needs to grant Merwitzer an interview for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senate seat. Merwitzer submitted another case Thursday arguing that the committee failed to follow the court’s ruling. The Supreme Court has not scheduled a hearing as of Feb. 21, and the case may become obsolete if it is not heard before the last day of elections on Feb. 24.
@CarolinaIlvento cilvento@alligator.org
Aubrey Bocalan
election party platforms
HERE ARE THE MAJOR RUNNING POINTS FOR ALL THREE SG PARTIES THIS ELECTION CYCLE
By Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writer
The Gator Party and the Change Party released platforms highlighting stances on traffic safety, sustainability and racism. Students will vote for 50 UF Senate seats and the Student Body president, vice president and treasurer Feb. 23 and 24. Gator released a 17-point platform Monday with plans to increase traffic safety on campus, facilitate access to Student Government resources and enhance the student experience through student involvement projects. Change’s 21-point platform, released Tuesday, focused on issues of racism, traffic safety and mental health.
Finances
With a $22 million budget, allocating funds to student organizations is the main priority for both parties. Following student organization struggles with SG’s budget allocation, SG released a new funding model in Summer 2020. Gator will focus on fighting against base tuition hikes to keep the cost of attendance low and updating the Docutraq system, the platform student organizations use to sign up for funding, to be more accessible for student organization treasurers. The Docutraq update would incorporate changes from the new funding model. Change has plans to create accountability measures for SG political party funding. Nicholas said Change wants to revisit the election codes to ensure all political parties receive equal campaign funding. She also said it would advocate for a neutral arbitrator to “ensure there is no bias in regard to how funding will be distributed.” Student experience
Traffic Safety
Following a string of deadly pedestrian crashes on West University Avenue, student organizations and UF administration have taken measures to improve traffic safety for students. Senate passed three resolutions in January advocating for traffic safety but has not brought concrete improvements to campus thus far. Both parties said they want to improve traffic safety by collaborating with the Florida Not One More movement, a student-run organization that advocates for traffic safety on and around UF campus. Kailey Kiss, a 21-year-old UF public relations senior and founder of Florida Not One More, said no matter the result of the election, she hopes to see Change and Gator follow through with their platform promises and translate their words into action. “As students, we want the parties to work with us,” Kiss said. “We can’t wait on another school year because our lives are on the line.” Gator has proposed to include a complete streets approach to make University Avenue accessible to all travelers regardless of the mode of transportation. The platform also includes plans to increase lighting in the Norman area and make an expansion of red decal parking at Norman garage permanent. Gator campaign managers did not answer The Alligator’s questions about how the party will advocate for a Complete Streets approach, bring concrete action toward traffic safety and execute its goal of expanding red parking decal areas. Change wants to advocate for pedestrian safety measures on campus by lobbying in Tallahassee for reduced speed limits on University Avenue, as well as working with the university and the city to create tunnel walks and possibly a skywalk near the Murphee and Stadium area. Change’s platform director and treasurer candidate Amy Nicholas said these changes would be a result of SG’s lobbying and advocacy efforts in working with the Board of Trustees and Gainesville City Commission to propose legislation for public safety. Sustainability
Along with a national concern on climate change, the announcement of the McCarty Woods’ destruction for a future construction site has brought faculty and student attention to sustainable measures on campus. Gator advocates for the protection of conservation areas on campus. The party’s campaign managers have not answered questions on what conservation areas the party will advocate for and how. Change’s platform points include reviewing the campus Climate Action Plan, advocating for university investment in renewable energy companies and promoting sustainability on campus through a thrift shop with Gators Going Green, a student organization focused on bringing sustainable improvements to the university. Nicholas said Change will focus on adding social equity to UF’s Climate Action Plan through the implementation of the thrift shop, which would allow students to decrease their carbon footprint by recycling clothes. She also said the party will support the Neutral UF Coalition initiative to make UF carbon-neutral by 2025.
Gator has plans to create a cabinet-sponsored project to provide a certification week in which students would have access to a wide range of certifications and training and promote free access to engineering and graphic paper, as well as index cards. Regarding health and wellness, the party also has platform points advocating for more funding on projects focused on mental health, counseling, and trained assistance to first-generation students. Gator campaign managers did not answer questions regarding costs, specific logistics or a timeline of any of the platform points. Change is continuing some points from its Fall platform, maintaining its stance to change racist namesakes of UF buildings, such as the Reitz Union, and advocating for online voting for SG elections. Change also has plans to pursue a new food service vendor contract for 2022, stepping away from Aramark’s food service, to ensure student employees are paid a living wage. Nicholas said the party is focusing on providing equitable resources and inclusion to all students. Change wants to create opportunities for international and first-generation students to enter the workforce with companies seeking out these specific students. “We want to advocate for a space for them to have professional opportunities and to build a community as well,” Nicholas said. Additionally, Change is advocating for the improvement of UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center by making it more accessible to students and providing additional resources to sexual assault victims by changing statutes to allow victims to resource to the university four years after the assault, as opposed to one. Gator is running for 48 out of 50 Senate seats. The party is not running for one of the Graduate seats nor the Design, Construction and Planning seat, according to the SG website. Change has 41 candidates running for Senate seats, except for one Agricultural and Life Sciences seat, Building Construction, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, one Sophomore and three Graduate seats, according to the SG website. Keg Party
A third party, the Keg Party, has not released its platform points as of Feb. 21. Keg Student Body president candidate Michael Ackerman said he would be working with his colleagues to get student input on the development of the platform. During the SG Executive Debate Tuesday, Keg party members discussed giving stimulus checks to students and renaming campus buildings named after racist and homophobic people. In a meme posted on the party’s Instagram account, they also advocated for more alcohol availability on campus.
@CarolinaIlvento cilvento@alligator.org
8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
Meet the candidates running for the Spring 2021 executive ticket
GATOR, CHANGE AND KEG PARTY HAVE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND TREASURER POSITIONS By Sofia Echeverry & Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writers Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff
Wynton White Change’s Student Body Presidential candidate Experience: • Impact Party Senator (Spring 2019) • Gator Party Senator (Fall 2019) • Vice-chair of the SG Budget and Appropriations Committee • Vice-chair of the SG Information and Technology Committee • General Education Committee member • Gators Football Team’s Defensive Student Assistant Coach
Wynton White switched to the Change Party this Spring after previously serving as a Gator senator in Summer 2020 because he believes many Gator officials see the opportunity as a resume-builder instead of a way to help students. White, a 22-year-old sports management senior, was motivated to run for Student Body President after being shocked at the lack of action in Student Government. “Time after time, students came into Senate and they advocated, they told personal stories, and they weren’t listened to,” he said. He believes minority voices should be better represented in SG, something he can help achieve as a Black man, he said. He said his time working for the Gators football team as a defensive student assistant coach taught him how to navigate college life on the schedule of a student athlete; his experience working at places such as Rec Sports helped him relate to students who also have to balance work and studies. White’s said his first priority is traffic safety. He intends to advocate for the state to give Gainesville control over University Avenue, an idea he
said came from Florida Not One More, a student-run traffic safety advocacy group. He will also advocate for a tunnel underneath the road and a sky bridge connecting midtown with the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, which would alleviate the high-pedestrian traffic, he said. White did not elaborate on how he would specifically advocate for these changes or the practicality of building this new infrastructure. Change would work on a comprehensive process to address the COVID-19 pandemic, White said. As Student Body president, he would also advocate for student antibody testing to potentially exempt those with antibodies from biweekly testing and encourage them to donate blood. Change also plans to enact a marketing campaign to enforce mask mandates and ensure students act responsibly when going out to bars or restaurants with friends, he said. Sarah Duval, a long-time friend of White’s, said they’ve been close friends since a high school debate competition at Harvard University when he impressed her with his performance. Harvard was his first out-of-state tournament, which are usually more difficult than local tournaments. Despite this, Duval said White performed much better in his event of LincolnDouglas debate than any of his teammates expected. Since then, she said their friendship developed and strengthened even as she moved to Washington D.C. to attend American University while White headed to Gainesville. She said White was always a great teammate, and one of his traits she remembers the most was his commitment to the craft. “He’s one of the most hard-working, ambitious, creative people that I know,” she said.
Matthew Rodriguez Change’s Student Body Vice Presidential candidate Experience: • Gator Party Senator (Summer 2020 - present) • Florida Cicerones presidential host • Students Taking Action Against Racism outreach team member • Latin American Summit director • Co-chair of the LGBT Caucus • City of Gainesville community research fellow
Matthew Rodriguez’s involvement in student organizations is all-encompassing. When his sister asked him what’s new in his life, he began to explain his involvement with the Latin American Summit and his current campaign to be Student Body vice president. When she pressed him for information outside of his academics, he replied, “This is my life.” Rodriguez said representing the Student Body fearlessly will be one of his top priorities if elected as vice president under the Change Party. “We were elected to represent every student on campus,” the 22-year-old UF public relations senior said. “Whether they look like us or believe the same things as us or come from the same back-
grounds, they’re still a part of the Student Body.” Rodriguez, who’s from South Florida, said he doesn’t want students to be afraid of or intimidated by SG. He said he wants his constituents to feel comfortable confiding in him and trust that he will represent them well. Rodriguez, who is currently a Gator senator, said he switched to Change because, over the Summer, he realized the Gator Party didn’t align with his morals. Rodriguez said he first pushed back against the party after Branden Pearson was nominated to Internal Affairs Agency Head. As a member of both the Latinx and LGBTQ+ community, Rodriguez said Pearson’s history of racism and homophobia impacted him personally. Rodriguez also received negative feedback from Gator after drafting a resolution urging UF administration to end the use of prison slavery in UF’s agricultural operations, he said. “I argued with my own party day after day against things that I thought truly were detrimental to the student body,” he said. “It was me at the forefront without fear of any retribution.”
Amy Nicholas Change’s Student Body Treasurer Candidate Experience: • Change platform director (Fall 2020) • Alachua Conservation Trust advocacy intern • Membership coordinator of UF Ignite • UF Campus Diplomat • Co-chair of UF College democrats environmental caucus
Amy Nicholas never set out to be a politician. In high school, Nicholas worked with the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge to write grants and create programs within the community. Her friend and roommate Madison Hillgruber said Nicholas had always been interested in the beauty of nature and the environment. Now, she’s running for Student Body treasurer. The 20-year-old natural resource conservation and political science sophomore joined the political scene after she learned about the lack of representation in SG. Last summer, the Black Student Union asked Senate to execute demands such as changing building names tied to racist people like J. Wayne Reitz and Steven C. O’Connell, requiring diversity training for administrative faculty and instating a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. When Nicholas learned none of BSU’s demands had been met, she
decided to join SG. “You will be asked one day what you did to fight injustice directly, and I would hope that we all have the ability to say that we create positive change,” she said. If elected, Nicholas said she intends to increase funding for the UF Counseling and Wellness Center to further develop individual and group counseling and create multicultural group counseling opportunities so every student can feel represented. She would also advocate for changing the names of buildings such as the Reitz Union — named after J. Wayne Reitz, a former UF President who supported segregation and anti-LGBTQ+ movements at UF — because they don’t represent the marginalized communities of UF. Nicholas also wants to make the university more accessible for disabled students by installing more ramps and advocating for the addition of a cabinet to represent disabled students in SG. Madison Hillgruber, Nicholas’ roommate and close friend, said Nicholas is always looking for opportunities to learn. Hillgruber works with children with autism and learning disabilities and said Nicholas turned to her to make her running platform more accessible and inclusive. “She really cares,” Hillgruber said. “She genuinely wants to see change, and she wants to see the university succeed.”
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 9
Cooper Brown Gator Party’s Student Body President candidate Experience: • Freshman Leadership Council • Director of Sales and Associate Producer of Sales and Outreach Gator Growl (Feb. 2018 - Oct. 2019) • Student Government Senate (Spring 2018 - present) • Budget and Appropriations Chair (March 2019 - March 2020) • Senate Pro-Tempore (March 2020 - Oct. 2020) • Senate President (Oct. 2020 - present)
If elected as Gator’s Student Body president, Cooper Brown said he would be the first Pathway to Campus Enrollment (PaCE) student to serve in the position. “I really just want to show PaCE students, Innovation Academy students, transfer students, non-traditional students, that you are just a part of the Gator nation as any other student and that you can leave your mark,” he said. Brown, a 22-year-old agricultural education communication senior, joined SG Senate Spring of his freshman year. Yvonne Brown said she always knew her son was a natural leader. “He knows how to work hard for what needs to get accomplished,” she said. Brown’s leadership extends to all ages. In his free time, he coaches a children’s baseball team. After they won a game during a challenging season, he drove home with a big smile on his face. “Cooper is the coach,” Clayton Stein, a 22-year-old food and resource economy graduate, said. “He is not someone who will yell at you from the stands; he is down
Michael Ackerman Keg Party’s President Candidate Experience: • Finance and accounting intern at Maroon Group, LLC • Operations Supervisor at UF RecSports • Accounting intern at J. Tech Sales, a Maroon Group company • Employer Relations Ambassador
Michael Ackerman said the idea to create a new Student Government party came to him three years ago when he met Braeden Allen and Benjamin Haut while doing keg stands at a party. And so, the Keg Party was born. Ackerman said the three were freshmen with big aspirations and ambitions coming into college and decided they wanted to run for office. Now, three years later, they are. Ackerman, a 21-year-old finance senior, is one of the founders of Keg Party, the new party running for the executive ticket this Spring. Ackerman is running for the Student Body president position. “The most important thing about us: We’re fun,” he said. “We like to pride ourselves on the fact we are all new to Student Government and a very peoplecentered party.” As a new member of SG,
to get dirty with you and feel the weights of a loss with you.” Stein said he met Brown during fraternity recruitment and became his ‘big brother’ in Kappa Sigma. He described Brown as dependable, saying he always works alongside other SG members and his fraternity brothers and is present behind the scenes to get things done. “He really wants to get to know people and understand their needs,” Stein said. Brown said traffic safety is one of his priorities. He emphasized the importance of the Student Body president’s role in serving as the only student vote in the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for the effective use of the university’s resources. Brown said he will use his position in SG and the Board of Trustees to work with the Florida Department of Transportation advocating to increase students’ safety. He said his administration is committed to enhancing the overall student experience through Accent, Student Government Productions and Cabinet events to alleviate the pressures that come with being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The role of Student Government throughout the pandemic should be to still bring students together in a way that is safe,” Brown wrote in an email. In accordance with his campaign hashtag #CountOnCoop, Brown said he wants the Student Body to not only see him as an advocate but also to count on him as a friend. “I am hoping that students really do feel comfortable approaching me about anything, whether it is a problem we can find a solution for, or if it is simply building a genuine friendship,” he said.
Ackerman admitted to not being familiar with all the policies and responsibilities that come with the position. He also said he is “somewhat” familiar with the Board of Trustees, the university’s final authority body in which the Student Body president serves as the sole student vote — a responsibility Ackerman would be assuming within a week, if elected. Keg has not released an official platform yet, but Ackerman said the party’s main focus is to provide student stimulus checks — or “stimmy” checks as advertised in the party’s campaign. The party is also advocating for more alcohol sales on campus. “If you go to the Reitz Union and want some Pollo Tropical, what’s stopping you from getting a beer alongside it,” he asked. Ackerman is also advocating for safely reopening fraternity houses and parties on campus while following COVID-19 safety guidelines. He believes the university has done a good job at keeping students safe but would like to implement plans to safely speed up the reopening process. “Our goal is to make college life fun and normal again as quickly and safely as possible,” he said. Jane Ackerman said her son has always excelled at everything he does, and knows this is no exception. “He has very strong convictions; however, he is very openminded and willing to listen to all sides,” she said.
Faith Maniti Gator Party’s Student Body Vice President candidate Experience: • SG Freshman Senator — Spring 2019 • SG Budget and Appropriations Committee • SG Information and Communications Committee • SG Cabinet Student Life Divisions Chair • Gamma Eta Sorority Vice President of Administration • Asian Kaleidoscope Month Scholarship Pageant Director • Student member of the University’s Student Petitions Committee • Florida Greek Ambassador
One of Faith Maniti’s favorite stories is “David and Goliath.” She particularly likes its theme of “desirable difficulties,” which emphasizes the hidden advantages one can access while overcoming an obstacle in life. Maniti, who lost her mother right before she began high school, said she strives every day to follow in her mother’s steps to be kind and help others in some capacity. Maniti moved to the United States from the Philippines when she was 7 years old with her mother, who wanted to give her a better education. “Watching my mom and the strength she put in as a single mom, no college degree, bringing us to where we were out of nothing, is something I try to be every day,” she said. “Nobody wants to lose a parent, but it’s a matter of how you react to it that can control the course of your life.” Maniti is a 20-year-old political science junior running for
Braeden Allen Keg Party’s Vice President Candidate Experience: • Captain of Fencing Club • Part time employee of Super-Sensitive Musical String Co.
Braeden Allen is running for Student Body vice president because he feels the current Student Government system is not representative of the Student Body. “Student Government at UF has been inaccessible to the average student for a while,” Allen, a 22-yearold environmental science senior, said. “I mean, it is my fourth year here, and I am still not sure of what happens in that place.” Allen said his decision to run in this election was very spontaneous, as he and the other two party members decided to register a few days before registration ended. Among the Keg Party’s plans, Allen said he wants to work to get rid of the
Student Body vice president. As an Asian American woman, Maniti is passionate about contributing to the representation of minority groups in policymaking. One of Maniti’s main projects aims to increase diversity and inclusion in the university by assigning student organizations to different cabinets. These cabinets would be responsible for advocating for the organization’s needs within SG and helping students find a good fit for them. Through this, she hopes to facilitate the process for students to find an organization they identify themselves with and create a better understanding through each organization of different student experiences on campus, to make them aware of realities outside their own bubbles. “This position at the end of the day is a title, and at the very core of it, every part of my job is just to be here, to be accessible and to serve,” she said. Evelyn Veras, a 24-year-old UF Law student who was SG multicultural cabinet director as an undergraduate, is one of Maniti’s closest friends and a mentor. Veras’s favorite memory of Maniti was during the Gamma Eta Sorority recruitment process when she first saw Maniti’s potential to serve the student body as a leader. Veras said Maniti is naturally the center of attention. However, she was surprised to see Maniti take a step back in a conversation with a group of girls during chapter recruitment and encourage them to share their opinions and insights. “She wasn’t compromising her leadership, she was not shining away from it, but she was spreading it to other people,” Veras said.
two-factor authentication policy to log into UF sites, such as Canvas and One. UF. “That is so annoying,” he said. “We would love to get rid of that.” Allen said while he has no SG experience and is not familiar with the codes and procedures, he is willing to work with his party to learn more about SG and prepare to take over the position. “If given that power, we would use it to be upon the average student, not representing the Greek life or a section of the student population -- but representing everyone,” Allen said. Richard Georgia, Allen’s fencing coach, said Allen is selfless and wants to help people without ever expecting anything in return. Georgia said during Allen’s time as a summer camp leader, he would talk to shy kids to make sure everyone felt included. “Braeden has a way of making people comfortable,” he said.
Giovanna Mompremier Gator Party’s Treasurer Candidate Experience: • Black Student Union (BSU) Treasurer • Multicultural of PreHealth Students (MAPS) • Gainesville Doctors Without Borders (GDWB) • Treasurer of Gator Party (Spring 2020)
Giovanna Mompremier wants to dismantle the belief that Student Government is not for people who look like her. Mompremier, a 21-yearold UF public health graduate student, said she would use her position as Student Body treasurer to be an active representative for those who may not be represented in the current SG system. “My goal is to make sure that my power and influence are rooted in my culture, my Blackness and my hard work,” she said. Mompremier is a Haitian American woman and daughter of immigrant parents. Augustin Mompremier said as a child his daughter was always looking to do extra and volunteer. Mompremier also wants to ensure all students and organizations are able to obtain adequate funds from SG. As BSU’s treasurer, Mompremier said she had experience from the student organization side of the funding
Benjamin Haut Keg Party’s Treasurer Candidate Experience: • Dance Marathon dancer • Gator Growl volunteer • Intern at Simply180 marketing company • Intern at BoatSetter boat rental service • Intern at Silverman Thompson Slutkin and White law firm • Intern at Northwestern Mutual financial services company • Co-founder of Mint Rides electric scooter company
Benjamin Haut doesn’t believe Student Government has used its $22 million budget toward students’ best interests. That’s why the 21-year-old business administration senior and member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity is running for the Student Body treasurer position with the Keg Party. With a budget that large, Haut said he would like to see more funding coming from SG back into the pockets of students. He said not many projects are advertised and available to the average student, except for the rent relief that “no one knew about.” However, the 2020-2021 SG budget includes funding for stu-
system. She said she worked closely with the SG budget system and studied the funding codes to better understand them and provide equitable funding to different organizations. “I am here to serve you — the Student Body as a whole,” she said. “Your demands and needs are important to me, and it is my responsibility to cater to those.” Mompremier referenced the strong impacts COVID-19 has on many students’ financial situations and said she wants to work to make the SG funding system an accessible resource for the Student Body. To accomplish this, Mompremier plans to update the Docutraq system, a system student organizations use to request funding, and expand the SG printing sites to more areas on campus. Gator began advocating for expanding printing services in Summer, asking UF Information Technology for a printing lab in Norman Hall by the end of Fall. Vanessa Nevy, a 21-yearold advertising senior and one of Mompremier’s closest friends, said Mompremier always stops to listen to the people tabling at Turlington Plaza, something she thinks represents her heart and care for people. “She cares about what anyone has to say,” Nevy said.
dent organizations and resources such as membership to campus gyms, student entry to the Harn and Florida Natural History museums, and guest Accent speakers. He said Keg is still working on the specific funding projects and plans they will focus on. “I want to feel that some kid who just got into UF and had this great idea can find funding through SG to turn that idea into reality,” he said. “And that is just not the case right now.” Haut said he wants to make sure students feel like they can talk to them openly and freely, without being scared of sharing progressive and innovative ideas. “We are here for students,” he said. “We want the people who feel like they don’t have a voice to be heard.” Jared Meiselman has known Haut since high school and said he is one of the nicest and downto-earth people he has ever known. Meiselmen, a 22-year-old history and political science senior, said Haut is always looking to help people, whether they ask for it or not. He said Haut has the habit of helping people fix their form while exercising at UF Southwest Recreation Center. “He is always looking for his next move to make a difference,” Meiselman said.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 www.alligator.org/opinions
Editorial
Regardless of who you vote for, just vote
You’re probably tired of hearing the same end-of-the-world sentiment before elections that “the stakes have never been higher.” We’ve even joined in on the madness in the past. But after seeing the difference one or two votes could have made during last semester’s UF Student Government elections, the importance of voting is as relevant as ever. In the Fall 2020 SG elections, voter turnout was abysmal as only 6,130 students out of 57,841 turned out to cast their vote, about 3,000 students less than the Fall 2019 SG elections. Sure, these low turnout numbers could be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the UF provost’s ardent stance on the unconstitutionality of online voting. However, we think what transpired last semester was also a symptom of a disease that’s been plaguing UF much longer: voter apathy. For years, we’ve witnessed the same groups reign in SG. We see the party flags declaring allegiance outside frat houses. We know about students who are expected to return home with an “I Voted” sticker. And when these students are bribed or have their meals withheld, we hear about that, too. But what if you’re not in an organization that incentivizes you to vote? Are you still at the polls? The Gator Party did not win a supermajority last semester from record-high voter turnout. It won because of a minority of voters who have consistently turned out to ensure its victory. Gator knows this, too. We’ve witnessed its indifference firsthand in years past. Often when The Alligator tried to get into contact with Gator members for various stories, requests were left unanswered or with very few details, ensuring a further breakdown of transparency. We’re not surprised though. Why would a party that has the whole Student Government system backing them care to be transparent? It also doesn’t help encourage students to vote when the other SG parties have their own faults. The Change Party’s campaign was centered around branding itself as an anti-Gator Party rather than promoting its own platform –– filled with some unrealistic goals. And the Keg Party is, well, the Keg Party. However, despite all of the parties’ individual shortcomings, it is still essential that you vote and have your voice heard. SG is a fundamental part of enhancing our campus life: it handles a $22 million budget composed of your student fees to fund our libraries, our museums, our gyms, our multicultural organizations, and the Reitz Union, just to name a few. So, if you feel Gator represents your best interests, go vote. If you feel you want to alter SG’s leadership dynamics with Change, go vote. And if you’re sick of SG drama and want to see more alcohol sold on campus with the help of Keg, go vote. We want to see SG elections that are representative of the student population. The first step to reaching that goal is extremely simple: the mobilization of students to vote in SG elections. So, if you don’t belong to a student organization that incentivizes you to cast your ballot, we hope The Alligator provides the push you need to go vote in SG elections. We saw the power of the youth vote during the 2020 Presidential Election. Bring that same energy to the polls on Feb. 23 and 24.
The Editorial Board is made up of the Editor-in-Chief, Digital Managing Editor, Engagement Managing Editor, and Opinions Editor. Karina Elwood EDITOR-INCHIEF
Kaelyn Cassidy ENGAGEMENT MANAGING EDITOR
Payton Titus DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR
Makiya Seminera OPINIONS EDITOR
From the Desk of President Fuchs
Amid the pandemic, gratitude
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mother in California recently sent me an email. We’d never met, but she wanted to tell me about her son, a University of Florida student who is taking classes and working on campus. She wrote to thank our faculty and staff for the education and experience her son is having this year. “He is having an amazing year at UF despite COVID,” she wrote. She contrasted the positive experience of her son at UF with what her daughter is enduring at another highly ranked university in California. Her words touched me and reminded me how important it is to say these words: I, too, am extraordinarily thankful. I am thankful to UF’s faculty. Because of them, this student from California and his thousands of classmates are having an exceptional year of learning and life-changing experiences, despite so many hardships. The commitment of UF faculty members to excellence and to their students as they adopt new and challenging ways of teaching — both in person and online — is so appreciated and remembered by students and their family members. And, in the midst of COVID-19, UF faculty members have continued to excel in their research and better communities locally and globally through their clinical and leadership. I am thankful to UF’s staff. I am thankful to the thousands of staff members who have worked without stopping in the midst of COVID-19 to support our students, to enable our faculty to excel and to keep Gainesville and other statewide campuses moving ahead full speed. Amid disruptions and unfamiliar demands, your persistence has ensured that students can fully experience college life. We are all so grateful to UF Health clinicians, epidemi-
ologists and their colleagues who have guided and enabled us to work, learn and live safely on our campus in the midst of COVID-19. Due to their work and the work of health professionals worldwide, COVID-19 cases are falling steeply both locally and globally. Along with the distribution of vaccines and our commitment to sustaining physical Kent Fuchs distancing and wearing of masks, the opinions@alligator.org outlook is incredibly positive. This brings me to my final expression of thanks. Thank you, students! You are persisting and you are excelling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recognized UF as the top among six universities for indoor mask compliance. You are persisting in keeping others and yourselves safe. You are also excelling in your studies, both in person and online. You are experiencing a different, but rich, life as a college student. COVID-19 has proven to be difficult and exhausting. However, there is nothing more encouraging to me than knowing the hard work of our faculty and staff is making a real difference and that our students are persisting and excelling, as described in the email from the mother in California. I am so encouraged and grateful that this academic year is not just historic, but also great. We have kept our campus open. We have been there for our students. We have contributed to solutions in our community and our planet. For all that and more, all of you have my deepest gratitude and that of many others. Kent Fuchs is the president of UF. You can find his monthly column in The Alligator.
Column
Is UF Doing Enough For Its Black Students?
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his year, Black History Month may feel differOn April 15, 1971, thirteen years after the desegregaent for many of us, especially after the death tion of the university, the BSU organized a sit-in in of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Stephen O’Connell’s office at Tigert Hall to address protests that had taken place during summer. the lack of Black students and faculty on campus. The world has opened its eyes to the centuAfter being met with police, 67 students were arries of racism that Black people have experienced rested and nearly a third of Black students left the and is now putting forth efforts to promote diveruniversity. This demonstration known as “Black sity and inclusion. Institutions like UF have claimed Thursday,” prompted the university to open the Into engage in anti-racism, but are they missing the stitute of Black Culture (IBC) and launch the African Aysia Gilbert American Studies program. mark? opinions@alligator.org Well, let’s take a look. While this event was monumental for Black stuOver the summer, UF President Kent Fuchs dents at the university, almost fifty years later BSU is shared his plan to combat racism on campus in an email en- still demanding the recruitment and protection of Black students titled, “Another step toward positive change against racism.” and faculty. However, if this was truly ‘another’ positive change against racAs long as UF has the mentality of pursuing action to imism, what was the positive change before this anti-racism plan? prove race relations on campus when it is convenient and beneJust a year ago, a young Black student was called the N- ficial for them, Black students will continue to suffer. It certainly word by a white student on a Student Nighttime Auxiliary Pa- calls into question the motives behind UF’s delayed action to trol (SNAP) van. Around that same time, the university also end prison labor contracts or consider renaming buildings, even invited Donald Trump Jr. as a speaker on campus with open though students had been protesting these issues for years. arms despite student pushback. If we wanted to go even further Being inclusive of Black people and creating spaces where back, in 2017, UF hosted white supremacist Richard Spencer we can feel comfortable on campus means allowing us to be and spent $500,000 on his security detail. present in every space available, from the Board of Trustees For comparison, UF has committed $400,000 toward its Ra- (BOT) down. As the most powerful body on campus, the UF cial Justice Research Fund to benefit the Black experience. BOT’s lack of diversity and complete absence of Black represenWhere was the positive change against racism then? If any- tation is unacceptable and needs to change. thing, UF has maintained a historical consistency in its lack of The question remains: how can UF be a more equitable inaccountability for racism, and organizations like the Black Stu- stitution? dent Union (BSU) have continuously taken notice of this and Well, it starts with the plan proposed by President Fuchs advocated against it. last summer, but it does not end there. While the plan for racial Last summer, the BSU created a petition calling for the safety justice from UF pushes the university ahead in the fight against and general well-being of Black students at the university. It racism, we need to create environments where Black students is obvious Black students do not feel safe on campus, but the actually feel safe. administration’s solution to this problem has continually been As important as it is to amplify the Black experience, it is to create task forces and workshops, rather than addressing the even more important that we improve that experience as well. culture of racism at the core of UF. In order to adequately care for its Black students, UF needs to Fuchs’ lack of acknowledgment for UF’s role in allowing listen to them, and take their concerns seriously. anti-Black sentiment on campus was not the only thing missing As students, it is imperative for us to continue holding the from his June email. It also failed to fully recognize the lack of university accountable for the ‘positive change’ it promised to diversity and inclusion of Black students on campus. take last summer. Ensuring racial justice will not be easy, but it Over the past few decades, Black student enrollment at UF is necessary for the advancement of our university. has decreased significantly. In 2009, Black students accounted for 10.1% of total students, but in 2020 the Black population Aysia Gilbert is a History and African American Studfell to 6.7%. ies sophomore at UF. Historically, these circumstances are not anomalies for UF.
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator. The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 11
Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff
Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff
Genevieve Printiss, 20, a forest resources and conservation junior and protest organizer (right) stands in the rain to protest development on UF’s McCarty Woods in front of the Florida Ballpark with CJ Olmstead, Savannah Cantrell and Dakota Holder (left to right) on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.
Julia Cooper // Alligator Staff
Sierra Scauzillo, 22, a wildlife ecology and conservation senior, and lead organizer of the Save McCarty Woods campaign paints a “HONK IF U LIKE OXYGEN” sign to hold during a protest on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.
Students involved with the Save McCarty Woods campaign protest in front of the Florida Ballpark on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. The protest was held in opposition to the UF Board of Trustees decision to designate 2 acres of the McCarty Woods conservation area as a future development site
UF assistant professor on NASA’s Perseverance rover team talks Mars landing AMY WILLIAMS’ PROPOSAL TO JOIN THE MISSION WAS ONE OF THE 13 SELECTED OUT OF OVER 100 SUBMISSIONS
By Abigail Hasebroock Alligator Staff Writer
When Amy Williams watched meteor showers with her parents as a kid she knew it was only a matter of time before she would begin exploring the depths of space herself. Now, Williams’ galactic aspirations are directly contributing to one of the most ambitious missions to Mars. The 35-year-old UF geological sciences assistant professor is participating in her second mission to analyze for signs of ancient life on Mars through NASA’s Perseverance rover team, which landed on the red planet Thursday. The rover initially launched from Earth July 30, and, according to the countdown on its website, it landed around 3:55 p.m. NASA broadcasted the live landing at 2:15 p.m. “I’ve got a lot of nervous energy,” she said. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to search for life in the universe.” The proposal she wrote to join the mission
was one of the 13 selected out of over 100 submissions, Williams said. When decisions were released in the fall, she initially refused to check to see if hers had been accepted for fear of rejection, despite previously serving on NASA’s Curiosity rover team. Two women pursuing their Ph.D.s in Williams’ lab group have also joined the mission. One of them is Lydia Kivrak, a 23-year-old UF astrobiology doctoral student, who believes Williams’ proposal was accepted because of her experience in detecting organic molecules, which she said is one of the rover’s objectives through the use of a Raman spectrometer, a tool that detects molecule vibrations. “The neat thing about Perseverance is that it has an instrument that has never before been sent to Mars,” she said. In a UF press release posted Feb. 8, Denise Buckner, the second doctoral student in Williams’ lab group who joined the mission, said working on the Perseverance team is the coolest thing she has ever done. “Conducting research on another planet and exploring places no one has ever explored before is the most exciting work I can possibly imagine,” she wrote. Williams said she and her colleagues around the world will be following a Martian
day schedule of 24 hours and 37 minutes long for the first three months of the rover’s mission. Each workday will begin 40 minutes later than the previous day. “Your schedule shifts around the clock, so 9 a.m. one day, 9:40 the next day, 10:20 the next day,” she said. “Not seeing the sun until you’re kind of ready to go to bed; it’s very challenging.” The Perseverance rover is engineered to search for data that can indicate signs of ancient life more extensively than the Curiosity rover including retrieving samples to potentially send back to Earth. Williams said taking the mission to this next step is a dream come true. “It is the first step in, I would say, one of the grandest planetary architectures that we’ve taken on since sending humans to the moon,” she said. “Mars sample return is going to be the biggest next step in our understanding not only of Mars but it’s going to give us a lot of insight into planetary evolution in general.” Chance Sturrup, one of Williams’ undergraduate students working on projects with applications to Mars research, said he is fascinated by the sheer amount of new information and opportunities for experiments the mission holds. “We’re not going to find little green men on
Mars,” the 21-year-old UF geology senior said. “But we might find little green specks and bacteria, and that would be amazing. Even just the remnants of possible preserved bacteria would be incredible.” Sturrup said he and his lab group planned for a remote watch party to witness the landing Thursday. The slight nerves Sturrup experienced about something going awry were overwhelmed by his eagerness for the landing and the consequent discoveries, he said. “Knock on wood, right? Something could go wrong, but the people are incredibly skilled and talented, and I’m sure everything’s gonna go fantastically well,” he said. “It’s just incredible to be able to see it first hand.” Williams’ said she is motivated by her ability to provide useful tools and positive experiences for her students, in whom she wants to instill excitement and foster success for their future careers. “You gotta have a good reason to get up every morning, and it makes you want to participate in and give 100%,” she said. “One hundred and ten percent, if you’re on Mars time.” @abbeyhasebroock ahasebroock@alligator.org
Now recruiting those keeping nightlife alive for a COVID prevention study near you QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS MAY BE COMPENSATED
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Timothy Elder, MD (352) 727-7000
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How to Place a Classified Ad: Online: w/ major credit card at www.alligator.org/classifieds
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For Rent
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The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Volunteers Needed!
VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED to transport cancer patients to treatment. Flexible schedule. Training and liability insurance provided. Please call 800-227-2345 if interested.
Great Location 2br 1ba Apts. available immediately or Fall 2021. 1/2 block north of UF O'Dome Clean, Modern, Well Maintained $700/month total rent. Call K & M Properties 352-372-1509 4-19-21-13-2
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BEDS - Brand Name, Brand NEW Pillowtop Mattress & Box Set: Twins $89, Fulls $100, Queens $120, Kings $200. Can Deliver 352377-9846. Gainesville Discount Furniture. 4-19-15-6
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Split Oak Firewood Great for bonfires & fireplaces $75 for 1/4 of a cord stacked and delivered. Or you pick up in Ocala $60 for 1/4 of a cord. Call Mike 352-572-1261. 3-1-21-5-10
●UF Surplus On-Line Auctions●
are underway…bikes, computers, furniture, vehicles & more. All individuals interested in bidding go to: SURPLUS.UFL.EDU 392-0370
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
14
Help Wanted
Part Time Asst needed for Fraternity Management. We handle finances, operations, and properties for Fraternities at UF. Must be able to multi-task and have good attitude. Must know Microsoft and have reliable transportation. Office exp. and/or Greek Life a plus but not req. Office hours are M-F 9-5. Approx 15hrs/ week. Start at $9.50/hr. Email resume to info@fratmanagement.com 3-1-21-3-14 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. 4-19-21-15-14
Help Wanted
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PHONE REPS NEEDED NOW! Easy Commission Work! Customers Asked To Be Contacted, Paid Daily! Choose Your Hours! Email: Jessica@rent2ownservices.com 3-8-21-4-14 Local Camp Hiring w/Family Envir. Lifeguard and Adventure Staff On-Site Training available Apply Online: campkulaqua.com & Call Kristen (352) 318-5501 3-1-21-5-14 University of Florida Survey Research Center 720 SW 2nd Ave. Suite 156 Mon-Fri 9am-9pm 352-392-2908 ext. 105 $10.00 - $10.50 per hour + performance incentive + Paid Training REMOTE POSITION; COMPUTER AND RELIABLE INTERNET REQUIRED Search ‘Telephone Interviewer’ on Gator Jobs! http://jobs.ufl.edu 4-19-21-15-14 Cafe Risque 24/7 NUDE Entertainment Micanopy, FL 352-466-3803 Performers Audition NOW Cooks / Managers / Waitresses APPLY IN PERSON 7-19-20-14 We are seeking current 4-40 & 2-20 licensed insurance producers for a new Property and Casualty Agency opening soon in the Ocala and Gainesville areas. Must have license before hire. Flexible schedule, competitive pay, base wage plus commission and bonuses. If interested please email amandamree@gmail.com with your contact information to set up an interview. 3-8-21-8-14 Hogan's Great Sandwiches now hiring sandwich makers and bartenders. Must have a strong work ethic, great customer service skills, and reliable transportation. Applications can be submitted to the store located at 2327 NW 13TH STREET in Gainesville. 3-22-21-5-14
Services
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Want to be a CNA? Don’t want to wait? Express Training Services now offers a CNA class which can be completed in one weekend. Perfect for busy college students. www.expresstrainingservices.com/ww 4-19-21-15-15
16 Health Services DRUG PROBLEM? WE CAN HELP! 24 HOURS 7 DAYS
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334-7960 for app’t (optional $20 fee)
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read me
©2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
solution on page 13 Release February 22, 16, 2021 2021 Release Date: Date: Tuesday, Monday, February
Los Los Angeles Angeles Times Times Daily Daily Crossword Crossword Puzzle Edited Edited by by Rich Rich Norris Norris and and Joyce Joyce Nichols Nichols Lewis Lewis
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ANSWER ANSWER TO TO PREVIOUS PREVIOUS PUZZLE: PUZZLE:
By Fludzinski and John Witzke ByPawel Fred Piscop ©2021 ©2021Tribune TribuneContent ContentAgency, Agency,LLC LLC
02/15/2021 02/16/21 02/22/21
02/16/21 02/22/21
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 13
The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area announces a hybrid - on-site and virtual public meeting via communications media technology to which all interested persons are invited.
WALDO FARMERS & FLEA MARKET Vintage & Unique - Like EBay in 3D
Sat & Sun 4-19-21-15-21
VIRTUAL: Audio/Video - Cox Channel 12, Facebook and the Alachua County Video on Demand Website [link below] www.alachuacounty.us/video
Because Cats Don't Understand Abstinence
OPERATION CATNIP
Spaying/Neutering Free-Roaming Cats Borrow a Trap / Make a Clinic Reservation Make a Donation / Volunteer New Expanded Hours
Lots of NEW info at
Audio-only - call 301.715.8592, and when prompted use code 670 965 3024 and participant identification code 2522482
alligator.org/section/spanish
answers over there
7. A 1989 Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 1990 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Chicago Bears share what name? ©2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, familial status, religious status, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Michael Escalante at 352.955.2200, extension 114, at least 48 hours prior to the public meeting. 2-22-21-1-20
www.alligator.org/classifieds | (352) 373-FIND | classified@alligator.org
1. Tommie Aaron, brother of Hank, hit how many home runs in his seven-season Major League Baseball career?
6. In 1942, right-handed pitcher Hiram Bithorn became Major League Baseball's first player to hail from what island?
ScrabbleGrams solution
4. In what league did the London Monarchs, Frankfurt Galaxy and Barcelona Dragons compete in from 1991-92?
5. What acclaimed sports documentarian's film credits include "Jesse Owens Returns to Berlin" (1968), "Wilma" (1977) and "100 Years of Olympic Glory" (1996).
Sudoku solution
3. What NHL team ended a 54-year championship drought with a 4-3 Stanley Cup Finals win over the Vancouver Canucks in 1994?
King Features We
2. Bryce Harper, Jeff Bagwell, Jimmie Foxx and Andre Thornton are tied for what Major League Baseball record?
May 25, 2020
1. What World Golf Hall of Famer won 82 LPGA tournaments -- including 13 major championships -- from 1955-69?
CryptoQuote answer
place a free "found" ad in the alligator classifieds! found something? Call 373-FIND or email classified@ classified@alligator alligator..org
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Sports Quiz answers
solution over there
alligator 7. Mark Carrier.
lee
If you find something, you can place a FREE FOUND AD in our lost & found section.
3. The New York Rangers.
¿hablas español?
Due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area will conduct a hybrid on-site and virtual meeting via communications media technology. Public participation for this meeting on-site for this meeting is accommodated, but is limited due to social distancing requirements. On-site public participants are required to wear a face-covering mask at all times. For on-site public comment, participants will be prompted and should follow the direction of the Chair to participate. The public is encouraged to participate in the virtual public meeting. The public may submit comments to the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area through email (escalante@ ncfrpc.org) or by calling into the public comment message line when prompted to call during the meeting. Public comment will be taken by telephone for all non-ministerial items on which the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area votes. Once public comment is opened for an item under discussion, please call the public comment telephone number. In addition, the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization will open telephone lines for a public comment session for the public to discuss items not on the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area agenda. Virtual Citizens Comment agenda item calls should be limited to transportation planning issues within the Gainesville Metropolitan Area. Duration of the Citizens Comment agenda item may extend as long as calls are received. For all CallIn Comments, Callers will be put in a queue, and prompted when it is their turn to speak. TO AVOID FEEDBACK, CALLERS TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT MESSAGE LINE MUST TURN DOWN THEIR MEETING SOUND WHEN ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION. Both call-in and on-site participants should state their names and limit comments to three minutes. The public is encouraged to submit any written or photographic documents prior to the meeting to escalante@ncfrpc.org. Any questions regarding participation should be directed to the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area Office at 352.955.2200, extension 114.
Lost & Found
6. Puerto Rico.
solution below
25
2. Walks in a game (6).
A copy of the agenda may be obtained by visiting our website at www.ncfrpc.org (click Metropolitan Transportation Planning) or may be seen posted at 2009 NW 67th Place, Gainesville, Florida one week prior to the meeting.
FROZEN RAW BEEF In Bulk For Your Pets. $1.50/lb. Call Mike, 334-414-7297. 2-22-1-24
5. Bud Greenspan.
PURPOSE: Regular Business Meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area
http://ocgainesville.org/
1. Mickey Wright.
Live Broadcast Public Comment Call-In - Call 1-800-876-7516
Pets
24
DATE AND TIME: February 22, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. ON-SITE John R. “Jack” Durrance Auditorium, County Administration Building, Gainesville, Florida
www.WaldoFlea.com
4. The World League of American Football.
NOTICE OF ON-SITE/VIRTUAL HYBRID PUBLIC MEETING
Entertainment
21
Solitude either develops the mental power or renders men dull and vicious. — Victor Hugo
20 Event / Notices
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 www.alligator.org/sports
FOOTBALL
How a reduced football season impacted the local business scene THE HOSPITALITY AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRIES WERE AMONG THOSE AFFECTED
By Noah Ram Sports Writer
Businesses in Gainesville used to wait all year for college football gamedays. University Avenue felt like a mini carnival with streets filled with cars and hundreds dressed head to toe in orange and blue as they loitered on the street. Close to the stadium, nearly every corner of campus featured tailgates with a cornucopia of subs, beer and rowdy Gator maniacs. These fanatics didn’t just pull up from around Gainesville to see the orange and blue attack their prey —they came from all pockets of the Sunshine State to frequent local bars, hotels and restaurants. The Sweetwater Branch Inn, with its charming garden, Victorian-style architecture and ornate rooms and cottages befitting of a southern mansion was one of those hotels. Located at 625 E. University Ave., the inn attracted an upscale clientele. But the COVID-19 pandemic put the nearly 30-year-old famed inn on the brink — only to be saved by $325,000 worth of PPP loans. The business is just one of hundreds of others that nearly went belly up after being delivered two near-fatal gut punches. The first was caused by the global recession, and the second by a more Gainesville-specific phenomenon: the reduced number of fans at Gator football games. This past fall, average game attendance was below 15,000, according to data requested from the University Athletic Association. Inside the cathedral of Gator football, there were far more cardboard cutouts than fans, adorned with everyone from babies to Harry Styles. As an older establishment, the Sweetwater never witnessed as much of an uptick in business on football Saturdays as compared to hotels near Interstate 75, general manager Cornelia Holbrook said. Gainesville added 15,000 hotel rooms before the 2019 season, which increased competition for the inn. Before the pandemic, the inn’s average nightly occupancy rate was about 65%, Holbrook added. Lines for the breakfast buffet would be long, and the inn had a communal feeling, relying on word-of-mouth and online reviews to gain occupants. Those occupancy rates plummeted last March. While Sweetwater usually raked in about $18,000 a month, the figure was close to $500 in April. Holbrook said she tried to keep as many employees on staff as possible, but there was virtually nothing for them to do in those early months. The events the hotel hosted, which Holbrook said have yet to start up again, accounted for about 65% of the revenue. However, she said the inn pinned its hopes on football Saturdays as well. Average hotel occupancy in Gainesville during this season’s home football games was
59% — a 26% decrease from the year before, according to data from Elizabeth Reyes, the sales and marketing manager at Visit Gainesville, the city’s main tourism agency. Of the 1.1 million booked hotel nights in Alachua County, 6% came from the prepandemic football season, Reyes wrote in an email. The Red Roof Plus near I-75, located at 3500 SW 42nd St, brought in visitors on a budget. It cannot boast a beautiful garden or meticulously furnished rooms like the Sweetwater, but this accommodation still saw big boosts during the football campaign as orange-and-blue faithful looked for a cheap place to rest their head. During a normal season, the Red Roof usually sold out the whole weekend, general manager Mery Lugo said. This season, less than 10 rooms were filled on any given weekend. The occupancy rate dropped by 15% in October and November of 2020 compared to the previous year. Football weekends in 2020 felt like any other weekend, which never used to be the case, Lugo said. The lobby was barren, and staff anxiously awaited for guests like children waiting for candy on Halloween. “We had our regulars who would come every weekend, and that just didn’t happen,” Lugo said. “Many of them were older and decided not to go to games this season.” Lugo was originally optimistic when UF announced Sept. 3 that the stadium would be open to fans for the season. That buoyancy sunk quickly, despite Lugo’s best efforts through promotions and specials. Restaurants weren’t spared either. 4Rivers Smokehouse, located at 3262 SW 35th Blvd, typically boomed on football Saturdays. Gators paraphernalia throughout the eatery as it felt like attending a Gators-themed party. It would be packed to the brim with customers and catering orders to on-campus tailgates, general manager Zachary Salzer said. The Gator game against Auburn on Oct. 5, 2019 was the most profitable day in the company’s history, Salzer said, as the restaurant made about $92,000 through catering, instore and takeout sales. “We had over 100 deliveries alone,” he said. “So, we set an all-new sales record across the board.” All that ended this past season. UF declared Sept. 3 that there wouldn’t be tailgating on-campus. But catering at 4Rivers has recovered to an extent, Salzer said. The joint has gone back to catering weddings, UF events and even the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team before its game against Florida Jan. 27. The atmosphere a year later doesn’t compare, however. “In 2019, gamedays were thrilling,” he said. “Everyone, including our staff, would be wearing orange and blue, and we’d be packed. But in 2020, we actually had less people than a normal day come into the store those days.” Many fans were watching the game from
Florida gymnastics defeated Kentucky 197.50-196.875 despite missing four starters due to COVID-19 protocols.
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Reduced capacity at Gator football games were like a gut punch for many businesses after months of the pandemic. home and weren’t interested in coming into the restaurant, Salzer said. In March, 35 people were laid off, but they were all hired back. After more than a month operating to-go only, Salzer said the number of patrons coming into the restaurant is increasing. Inside, it feels the same as it did pre-COVID, despite masks and social distancing. “I think a lot of people in Gainesville are really sick of COVID at this point, and especially with more vaccines coming out, people are going to feel comfortable with going out again,” Salzer said. The Spot, which serves up heaping portions of Greek food, is a classic hole-in-thewall joint. The establishment, located at 16 NW 18th St, is easily lost in the hoopla of the more noticeable midtown institutions. After all, it’s hidden on the ground floor of a parking garage. But the restaurant is across the street from the stadium, which led to a large influx of people on game days. “We were super busy usually,” owner Klajdi Kola said. “We counted on those seven, eight games, and this season we had none of that.” Monetary expectations have been lowered by a third, Kola said, and the venture has managed to survive with sales increasing daily. The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, which attempts to stimulate local businesses, has provided webinars and initiatives to aid these enterprises, said Atticus Steinmetz, a data analyst. Two of those programs — Eat GNV and the Gainesville Hospitality Council — have
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aided struggling service industries, said Staci Bertrand, vice president of economic development. The programs help through regular meetings and social media posts, advertising dining establishments of every cuisine. The Hospitality Council has more than 20 hotel members, and the EAT GNV Facebook page has nearly 13,000 members. However, the chamber lowered financial expectations for franchises this year, Bertrand said. “Our goal is to have businesses maintain and survive,” she said. Not all areas of Gainesville struggled during football season. Newer areas like Celebration Pointe and Butler Town Center, which are mostly outdoors, thrived, she said. “Much of the climate is suppressed right now, but in our region, sporting events bring optimism,” she said. “And just having those events, even if it’s a limited number of attendees, have an impact, both emotionally and financially.” To Bertrand, better days are ahead for Gainesville’s businesses once people are vaccinated and sporting events kick off with full swing. These businesses will be swinging for the fences when Gator football returns this September, confident that, after nearly a year of striking out, they will once again be hitting it out of the park.
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For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/sports
@Noah_ram1 nram@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ALLIGATOR 15
SOFTBALL
Unfinished business: three seniors return to Florida softball with extended eligibility A CRUSHING DISAPPOINTMENT BECAME A CRUCIAL DECISION
By Rachel Slay Sports Writer
The 2020 Florida softball team was riding a six-game win streak. No. 7 Florida sat on a 23-4 record, including a 3-0 sweep in the SEC Opening Weekend against Auburn and a 5-2 victory over bitter rival Florida State. They lost just twice at home and outscored opponents 15453. The Gators were rolling full steam ahead until the season derailed. Florida’s softball team walked out of its media room with heavy hearts and tears in their eyes. The team’s promising spring season was cut short March 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Fueled by a graceful combination of pain and passion, first baseman Kendyl Lindaman, outfielder Jaimie Hoover and pitcher Katie Chronister took the field Feb. 13 as fifth-year seniors. The NCAA brought a pillar of hope on March 30, 2020 and granted all student-athletes an extra year of eligibility if their spring season was canceled due to the pandemic. The news of the season’s demise struck Hoover like a truck. She sat back in disbelief and struggled to stay composed as the unimaginable truth set in. She had another opportunity to play in the swamp, and she didn’t hesitate. “I just knew that we had unfinished business to be handled,”
Hoover said. “There was not a doubt in my head that I (was) gonna take it.” Hoover stepped to the plate 169 times and collected 33 RBIs in 2019. She held a .325 batting average with three RBIs and seven runs in just 40 at-bats at the 2020 season’s end. To Hoover, her hard work was paying off. There was more gas in the tank and a lot more to prove. “If we had finished we would have been in a really good place, possibly with rings on our fingers,” Hoover said. “We’re going to continue where we left off.” By the time the NCAA’s announcement came, UF had closed its campus and moved all classes online. Head coach Tim Walton left the decision to come back up to each senior, Lindaman said. As players were home with their families, Walton let his seniors sit back and think about what was best for them. Not finishing last season on their own terms left a bad taste in her mouth. To Lindaman, an extra year playing at UF was a gift. “I didn’t even need to talk to my family about it,” Lindaman said. “It was probably one of the easiest decisions I’ve really made.” She entered 2020 as a threetime National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American and made three appearances on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Lindaman was a primary suspect in all cases of Gator success during the 2020 season, with a .410 batting
average and 22 RBIs. “Being able to end the season the way that we want to, going out together as a team,” Lindaman said. “That’s something I think of when I say ‘unfinished business.’” Unlike her two teammates, Chronister had a lot to contemplate before deciding to return. Chronister, a left-handed pitcher, finished the brief 2020 season with a 1.08 ERA in 13 innings and five strikeouts. The Gainesville native cruised through her final season while getting her ducks in a row for her future. The pitcher graduated that spring with her bachelor’s degree in sports management. She decided to pursue a master’s degree in sports management and considered taking a graduate assistant position. The options bounced around her head as she stood at the crossroads of working or playing for the team. She was certain Florida softball would be part of her future, but she didn’t know in what capacity that would happen. She found solace in having a plan B, but knew her softball career wasn’t meant to be over. She had been thrust to the final sentences of a monumental chapter in her life and forced to skip pages of milestone moments. To Chronister, the end of her career had been taken from her too soon. “I just felt heartbroken for a couple of days,” Chronister said. “I don’t think I was mentally prepared for it.” The intangible characteristics of the
SOCCER
Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff
Forward Madison Alexander plays against College of Charleston Saturday. The Gators won 5-1.
Alligator File Photos
Seniors Katie Chronister (left), Kendyl Lindaman (center) and Jaimie Hoover (right) all return to the diamond after the team’s promising spring season was cut short due to COVID-19. 2020 team, coupled with stellar athletic performance, was what made it so unique. “I felt included with anything I was doing, whether I was playing on the field or not,” Chronister said. “That’s kind of a special feeling that you have when you’re with a group of girls.” Naturally, the Gator softball team is competitive. However, the players focus on something not counted on the stat sheet: having a good time. “Honestly, if you’re not smiling, then why are you doing it?” Hoover said. If Hoover isn’t dancing before a game, something is off. Her pre-game playlist includes Drake, Megan Thee Stallion and more to kick off the good vibes. “He (Drake) isn’t really hype but he gets me moving,” she said as a subtle groove passed through her shoulders. There is a cool balance between competitive intensity and having fun on the field, Chronister said. As the opponent’s starters are announced before games, Chronsiter replays scouting reports in her head. Whether she’s pitching or not, she wants to stay sharp and help her teammates. Despite her desire to stay focused, she can’t help but smile at a certain scent that greets her every time she takes the field. She isn’t met with the sweet fragrance of grass or the thick aroma of freshly raked clay. Rather, it’s right-handed pitcher Natalie Lugo’s perfume that greets her. Lugo always does her makeup for games, crafting each lash to perfection and, after spending so much time next to her, Chronister now associates the scent of Lugo’s perfume with game-time. On game days, Lindaman arrives early to hang out with her teammates to soak up every moment of this season and cherishes those off the field through the laughs, stories and smiles the team shares. “Yes, it’s great to be winning and being on the field with my team but it’s the moments outside of softball… getting to know them as people. Lindaman said. “Not as players.”
But social distancing guidelines shrunk the team’s options for bonding activities. The team usually spent a day at Walton’s lake house, going out on the boat and playing games. The lake day didn’t happen this year, but the girls had a movie night around Christmas where they watched “Miracle” in the stands at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The team also shared presentations with pictures of their family to learn more about each other. “I love getting to know everyone and their background and where they come from,” Lindaman said. The trio was given a nickname by their teammates: “the Great-Grandma Gators.” They welcome this new title with open arms as each is a leader in their respective position group. As veterans, the girls draw from years of experience to help their younger teammates on-and-off the field. They want to help them overcome failure and take care of their mental health as student-athletes. “Being a good person on and off the field is bigger than softball,” Hoover said. “That’s a lifetime thing that we can work on and get better at.” An 11-month drought of competition allowed plenty of time for character building off the field. Now, it’s time for the Gators to remind the country who they are on the field. The team is antsy, and the seniors are chomping at the bit during the season’s start. They’ve been stoking the coals of extinguished flames, preparing for the chance to reignite the fire. “I want to win the natty,” Hoover said. “I want to win, and I want to go far with this team because I think we can do it.” The season will be the last for Hoover, Lindaman and Chronister – what most would call a somber thought. But for them, it couldn’t have started sooner. @racheljslay rslay@alligator.org
16 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
BASEBALL
Too little, too late for Gators in series loss to Miami FLORIDA BASEBALL FELL BEHIND AFTER IT FAILED TO CLOSE EARLY EIGHT-RUN GAP
By Sara Kate Dyson Sports Writer
Fans scattered around Florida Ballpark sat in anticipation Sunday afternoon, awaiting the start of this weekend’s rubber match against Miami. But as the first eight runs crossed the plate, the cheers came only from Miami’s dugout. Florida fell behind early in the last game of its series against Miami and faced unexpected pitching blunders, which head coach Kevin O’Sullivan blames for the Gators’ struggles the entire weekend. “The offense did the job, but the bottom line is the pitching did not,” O’Sullivan said. Left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco kicked things off with a ball to the back of Miami outfielder Jordan Lala. This snowballed into a three-run first inning before the Gators even grabbed their bats. The next couple of innings told a similar story. Shortstop Josh Rivera’s error granted one run in the second inning for the Hurricanes. Miami’s Raymond Gil sailed a ball over
the left-center wall for a solo shot in the third. In the top of the fourth inning, Barco gave up another run before his afternoon came to an end. Freshman right-hander Hunter Mink then took over for the Gators, but Miami still knocked in two more runs before another three-run inning came to an end. The Gators struggled offensively early on, a contrast from the pattern established earlier in the weekend. In the first inning, Jacob Young’s double extended his hit streak to 632 days. However, three consecutive strikeouts followed, and Young was left stranded. In the bottom of the third, two runners managed to get on base, but neither crossed home plate. It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth inning that Gator fans had something to cheer about. Florida delivered three consecutive singles, which finally put a run on the board. However, even with the bases loaded and just one out, the Gators failed to cut farther into the deficit. Then, the momentum seemed to flip in the fifth inning when the Gators started to climb back. A couple of Miami fielding blunders and a single from Jordan Butler scored one for Florida. Still down by six runs, something clicked for the Florida offense.
The Gators earned back two more in the sixth after a pair of Young and catcher Mac Guscette singles, a walk and a balk. The Gators inched even closer in the seventh. Rivera beat out an infield single to open the inning and scored moments later off a Sterlin Thompson double to left-center. With two outs, a hard-hit line drive off the second baseman’s glove sent Thompson home and cut Miami’s lead to just two runs. That’s where the comeback ended. While the defense blanked the Hurricanes, the Gators couldn’t make up the difference at the plate. The Hurricanes took game three — and the series — with a final score of 8-6. As the unanimous preseason No. 1 team, no one, including O’Sullivan, expected Florida to fall two games to one against No. 11 Miami. “I guess the best word to describe it was unexpected,” O’Sullivan said. “There’s no excuses, we’ve just got to get better.” Florida will look to bounce back against North Florida in Jacksonville Tuesday.
THIS WEEK IN GATOR SPORTS Monday Women’s Basketball vs. Kentucky || 88-80 Loss Tuesday Men’s Basketball at Arkansas || 75-64 Loss Wednesday Softball vs. Jacksonville || 1-0 Win Women’s Golf at Moon Golf Invitational || Tied for 11th Thursday Women’s Basketball vs. Alabama || 77-70 Loss Friday Lacrosse at North Carolina || 5-1 Loss Women’s Tennis at Alabama || 5-3 Win Men’s Tennis vs. Alabama || 4-1 Win Baseball vs. Miami || 8-5 Win Softball vs. Georgia Southern || 8-3 Win Gymnastics vs. Kentucky || 197.50 - 196.875 Win
@sarakatedyson skatedyson@alligator.org
Saturday Soccer vs. College of Charleston || 5-1 Win Baseball vs. Miami || 10-9 (F13) Loss Softball vs. Georgia Southern || 2-1 Win Softball vs. Charlotte || 5-3 Win Men’s Basketball vs. Georgia || 70-63 Win Sunday Softball vs. Charlotte || 4-0 Win Softball vs. Georgia Southern || 11-0 Win Men’s Tennis vs. Auburn || 6-1 Win Women’s Tennis at Auburn || 4-2 Loss Baseball vs. Miami || 8-6 Loss Women’s Basketball at Missouri || 96-80
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