September 21, 2020

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Fuchs sees UF on top as students hit rock bottom UF PRESIDENT KENT FUCHS ADDRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19, FOOTBALL AND SPRING BREAK

By Corbin Bolies Alligator Staff Writer

It was nearly 1 p.m. on a Wednesday in September and UF President Kent Fuchs, jacketless and donning a white KN95 mask, was running late.

He was tied up with the daylong Florida Board of Governors meeting, he said as he entered his cream-walled, wood-floored office. UF being named No. 6 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 college ranking left Fuchs, 65, in a heightened state, even by 2020 standards.

Some at UF, however, have hit a new low.

Faced with a pandemic that has killed about 200,000 in the United States, plus nationwide protests against racial injustice, 2020 has forced Fuchs to figure out a way to move the university forward in a time where restrictions — and tensions — are high.

“I felt sorry for myself,” Fuchs said. “Why didn’t this happen to some previous president or some future president? Why’d it have to happen now because things were going so well?”

Regardless of the answer, it’s a problem UF will have to solve as it fights COVID-19 on campus and in the community throughout the Fall semester — and maybe longer.

Since May 6, more than 2,300 members of the UF community have tested positive for COVID-19, with quarantined students facing issues such as a lack of transportation and food.

In an effort to combat the pandemic, UF indefinitely delayed in-person graduations and canceled Spring Break, prompting outcries from students and faculty.

Yet Fuchs sees UF capable enough to handle COVID-19 and doesn’t see it shutting down again — not even for a death.

“We may very well have deaths,” Fuchs said. “But if the other things are not there, which would be the lack of quarantine space and the lack

of hospital space — if those are not present, then a death would not be the trigger.”

One method he’s considering is mandatory testing. While students were not required to be tested before returning to UF, Fuchs noted those in high-risk situations — including labs and some Greek houses — must be.

But a COVID-19 vaccine, should one become available, is a different case.

“We’re not mandating it.

When you mandate it, it comes with just a lot of challenges for those that don’t want to be vaccinated,” Fuchs said. “If we can get the vast majority to be vaccinated, we believe that’ll be sufficient.”

Even without a vaccine, Fuchs believes UF can power through its plan for the Fall, one that includes football — and doesn’t include graduations.

As to why commencements can’t be hosted, Fuchs cited the need for hundreds of guiding marshals and staff along with the 12 ceremonies necessary to honor everyone in contrast to only fewer attendees at football games.

However, despite student frustration with the lack of clarity for future ceremonies, Fuchs said the only way an in-person ceremony can be possible is with a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Our tradition is that every student be personally recognized, and it’s likely we won’t do that ever in person during 2020,” Fuchs said. “We promise that, when COVID is gone, we’re going to have in-person ceremonies and we’re going to welcome them all back.”

Spring Break has been another point of contention between the administration and community.

UF’s Faculty Senate voted Sept. 17 to cancel the March Spring Break and add an extra week to Winter Break, with the administration expected to announce a final decision soon.

Students and faculty have expressed their issues with it, indicating it could lead to burnout.

Fuchs understands and even agrees with those concerns, but believes the university must prioritize public health and academics over the need for a break.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Students react to Swamp capacity

Football Story description writer Christian finish withOrtega comma,asks pg# UF students how they feel about The Swamp only hosting 2,000 students for home games, pg. 11

SEE FUCHS, PAGE 5

Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff

Alexandra Scott, an 18 year-old wildlife ecology freshman, watches a prerecorded chemistry lecture on Thursday at the Reitz Student Union.

UF’s March Spring Break canceled, Winter Break extended by a week

UF’S FACULTY SENATE APPROVED CHANGE DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS.

By Corbin Bolies Alligator Staff Writer

UF’s initially planned 2021 Spring Break was canceled.

The Spring semester will now run from Jan. 11 to April 21, with no break aside from Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 18. The change was made during a UF Faculty Senate meeting Thursday afternoon, where the 160-member group voted to extend Winter Break by a week and eliminate the March Spring Break.

The university leadership is reviewing the change and will release a final calendar soon, according to an email sent out to students and faculty Friday.

The amended calendar shifts the Spring semester from Jan. 5 - 11. To offset that, six additional instructional days would be added from March 8-13.

Of the senators present at the meeting, about 79% voted for the motion while about 21% voted against.

The purpose of the change is to give additional time at the beginning of the year to let the COVID-19 pandemic potentially subside and prevent a surge during spring travel, UF’s associate provost for undergraduate affairs Angela Lindner said.

Students speak on UF law professor’s past

Robert Wood, a Levin professor, has a controversial history dating back to time at UCF, pg. 4

African American Vernacular English explained

Local linguists and teachers discuss the origin and impact of terms like “sis” and “lit,” pg. 6

Sylvain Doré, the chair of the Faculty Senate and a member of the UF Board of Trustees, said the proposal was in line with UF health experts’ prevention recommendations.

“This is not an optimal year and we have to plan for essentially the best scenario for our students, faculty, staff and graduate students,” Doré said. “I understand that it’s going to be demanding mentally and physically for everyone.”

@CorbinBolies cbolies@alligator.org

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Sunday's Top AP Briefs Wanted: Bilingual poll workers who reflect U.S. diversity The national Mi Familia Vota organization has long been involved in voting rights issues and other matters of civic engagement, but this year it's added a new initiative: Recruiting bilingual poll workers.

The Phoenix-based group is joining advocacy organizations, nonprofits and even businesses across the U.S. in trying to persuade younger people to work at polling places, especially those who are bilingual.

The coronavirus has upended how elections officials recruit poll workers, who are typically older and thus more susceptible to becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. Using digital recruitment campaigns and celebrity endorsements, various groups are selling the role as a key to democracy. Major companies such as Old Navy also have jumped in, offering employees paid time off to work the polls. Eduardo Sainz, Mi Familia Vota's Arizona state director, said ensuring that poll workers can communicate in Spanish is critical even in a state where most voters cast ballots by mail or by using drop boxes. Newer voters especially seem reluctant to trust their ballot to the Postal Service. “We need to make sure that every voter gets their vote to be counted and no voter gets turned away, and that means investing and having individuals who are culturally competent and speak several languages,” Sainz said. That will be especially important in a year that is projected to see a record turnout of eligible Latino voters — some 32 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Census data shows about 12.6 million Latinos cast votes in the 2016 general election — about 47% of those eligible to vote. In Arizona, Latinos account for nearly a quarter of registered voters. In Florida, where Latinos could help swing the presidential election, several organizations are actively recruiting Spanish-speaking poll workers in counties across the state. Among them is Florida For All Education Fund, which has added Haitians who speak Creole to its recruiting drive. Harvey Soto, the fund's democracy coordinator, said it has already recruited 300 poll workers

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for Miami-Dade County alone. He said he has worked polling places in Florida and Georgia, and seen how voters with limited English proficiency struggle when there is no translator. He did not want that to be an obstacle this year.

“We decided not to sit back and be proactive and help out,” he said.

America Disrupted: Troubles cleave a nation, and a city It was difficult to celebrate America in Saginaw this year. The deadly coronavirus had torn through the county. Unemployment had surged five-fold. Weeks of protest over racial inequality left many debating what should be hallowed and what must be changed. But Tom Roy had given it his best. As the head of the July Fourth fireworks board, he struggled to save the display of red-rocketed flares and bursting peonies, fruitlessly seeking a venue that felt safe from the sickness. He couldn't do it. So Saginaw canceled its festivities, upsetting many of Roy’s neighbors who lost an opportunity to unify a bitterly divided community for one night. The dark skies over this mid-Michigan city were a plaintive marker of a nation utterly disrupted in a matter of months. This period of national crisis has not inspired unity.

Americans are aiming their anger at each other, talking past each other, invoking race, class and culture.

They cannot even agree on the need to wear a mask to protect against a virus that has killed more than 130,000 Americans. These forces are converging as the country hurtles toward a convulsive presidential election. President Donald Trump continues to portray himself as a disrupter, with a wrecking-ball agenda that is rooted in nationalism and roils racial divisions — taking the stage over the July Fourth weekend to warn of “new far-left fascism" that would tear down “our national heritage." His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, meanwhile, calls for a national reset to something resembling normal for a “suffering” nation. “It’s never been this divided,” says Roy, vice chair of Saginaw’s Republicans. Will younger voters, whose generation is the first since World War II to be faring worse than their parents, turn out? Will older voters, those most vulnerable to

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the coronavirus, seek change? Will the growing political power of Black women manifest itself in ways that swing key states? Will the suburbs once again provide the pivot points in the country’s partisan divide? The election will provide answers to all these questions, but not necessarily to the central issue of American life in the year 2020: Can the United States pull itself together? The country is beset by “parties who see each other as ‘the other’ instead of collaborators in a democracy,” says historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

“A crisis allows you, if you’ve got the leadership, to unite the nation.

What’s needed — and we’ve seen this for a while — is a national direction," she said.

'If not now, when?': Black women seize political spotlight The little girl ran up to her, wideeyed and giddy. “Are you Charisse Davis?” the fourth grader asked.

Davis was stunned. A former kindergarten teacher and librarian, she was more accustomed to shuttling her two sons to basketball practice than being seen as a local celebrity. But now she had been elected the only Black woman on the Cobb County School Board, gaining office in a once conservative suburban community where people who look like her rarely held positions of power. Something had changed in this place, and something had changed in her. “I love your hair — your hair looks like my hair,” the girl squealed, calling friends over. It was a moment both innocent and revealing: Not just a child seeing herself in an elected leader, but also a reflection of the rapidly building power of Black women. It’s a momentous change that could make history on a national ticket and determine the outcome of the presidential race.

Black women have long been the heart of the Democratic Party — among the party’s most reliable and loyal voters — but for decades that allegiance didn’t translate to their own political rise. There have been zero Black female governors, just two senators, several dozen congresswomen. And the people representing them instead have not met their needs: Disparities in education and opportunity resulted in Black women making on average 64 cents for every dollar a white man makes. Long-standing health inequities have caused Black people to die disproportionately from COVID-19. And countless cases of police brutality have left many Black women terrified every time their children pulled out of the driveway, fearing that they might not make it home alive.“We’ve been watching from the sidelines and allowing other people to take their turns, and take these positions of power,” Davis said. “Now here we are to essentially fix it.”

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UF now ranked #6 among public universities – U. S . N E W S & W O R L D R E P O R T 2 0 2 1

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faculty, staff and students. It is because of you we can celebrate this success. As the flagship university in the nation’s number one state for higher education, the University of Florida’s momentum is on an unstoppable trajectory.

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Mixed reactions from Gainesville residents about increase in GPD funding GPD’S BUDGET WILL INCREASE BY $220,000 DESPITE CALLS TO DEFUND THE POLICE

By Asta Hemenway Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville Police Department’s increase in funding this year has community members divided.

The Gainesville City Commission approved a $220,000 increase to GPD’s $36.33 million budget, bringing it to $36.55 million, on Sept. 11, totaling to 26% of the city’s overall budget.

This decision follows after protesters rallied against increasing funding and a summer of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25, after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

Some local activists are unhappy with the city commission’s approval of GPD’s budget increase, while others want GPD to continue funding local youth programs.

Since 2011, GPD’s adopted budget has increased by $5.18 million.

About $100,000 of this latest increase is for mental health specialists and three teachers at the Reichert House, an education program for at-risk youth, said Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe. The rest of the money is for police body cameras.

Values represented in the city should be representative of the budget, Poe said. It’s why the city is focusing on mental health, education and decreasing the number of officers.

“There’s valid voices on all sides,” Poe said.

GPD will buy about 300 cameras, said Assistant Police Chief Terrence Pierce.

“Everyone’s being issued one from the chief of police on down to the newest rookie,” Pierce said.

The cameras will ensure that officers are following GPD’s policies, like use of force, he said. Residents can request footage on the GPD records website.

Jhody Polk, an activist who founded the Jailhouse Lawyers Ini-

tiative, said she doesn’t believe body cameras will change anything if the court system isn’t reformed. Polk said the body cameras don’t instill trust in GPD. “Body cams cannot be protective if you do not have a protective court system,” Polk said.

The $220,000 increase isn’t enough for adequate changes in the police department, she said, so the money is wasteful. This amount isn’t even enough for Polk’s organization of eight members, so she said she can’t imagine how it would help GPD. As an East Gainesville resident, she said the community and its youth have had negative relations with police long before the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, some residents support GPD’s funding increase.

Doris Edwards, a 73-year-old activist and East Gainesville resident, said she has come to trust and value GPD. She believes GPD made a difference after getting involved in her neighborhood by frequently checking up on children and adults and attending neighborhood watch meetings, she said.

Edwards has collaborated with GPD for more than 25 years through her neighborhood watch at Lincoln Estates. As a Black resident, Edwards said she has witnessed how GPD has helped deescalate dire situations.

“If I could triple that money, I’d do it in a minute,” she said.

Edwards said about six weeks ago police used their crisis intervention team to help a man with mental health issues. The man remained calm, went to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare and later came back to the neighborhood.

In the past, the man would have gone to jail, Edwards said.

GPD’s youth program Reichert House has saved lives, she said.

Little boys she has met became police officers after the program.

“When you can have a bunch of young men, especially in the area that I live, that can go up and talk with another teenager that’s having an issue, that’s golden,” she said.

Manu Osorio, a 24-year-old Dream Defender and 2017 UF economics and political science alumna, said she was disappointed in the budget increase because the commission put more money into the problem.

To Osorio, those who won’t hear their cries for change are willing to live in the same world with the same issues.

“This isn’t going to end,” she said. “We’re gonna continue asking for change.”

@astahemenway ahemenway@alligator.org

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

More than 70 people gathered Sept. 3 to protest Gainesville City Commission’s proposed increase to GPD’s budget.

UF law students express dissent on hired UCF professor AFTER THE HIRING OF A PROFESSOR WITH PREVIOUS OFFENSIVE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST WOMEN, STUDENTS QUESTION UF LAW’S HIRING PROCESS.

By Kalia Richardson Alligator Staff Writer

A former University of Central Florida associate professor accused of misogynistic behavior is teaching at UF’s Levin College of Law this Fall.

While at UCF, Robert Wood faced 10 separate accusations, according to a report filed by the University’s Compliance, Ethics, and Risk Department and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs. He was said to have inappropriately commented on a female student’s clothing as well as “kissed or licked” a female staff member on the forehead while drunk at a party.

The accusations were not deemed severe enough to violate UCF’s policies, throughout the 64-year-old’s nearly two decades of teaching at UCF, according to the report.

Despite this, some UF law students are angered by the school’s decision to hire him in the first place.

Levin administrators knew about Wood’s history when they hired him, but there was no violation of the UCF Title IX law, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, Levin College of Law Dean Laura Rosenbury wrote in an email. He was hired because of his extensive experience at UCF and the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Miami.

Wood was hired as a temporary adjunct professor for the Fall semester to teach administrative law A, which is not mandatory, Rosenbury wrote.

A full-time professor will teach it in the Spring.

“Given the lack of a finding, the positive evaluations and references from Barry Law School, and our general belief that individuals should not be

harmed by unfounded allegations, we decided to hire Professor Wood for the fall 2020 semester,” she wrote.

Wood retired from UCF in May of this year in good standing, according to his personnel file.

“Even if these allegations were true, it didn’t violate Title IX, and in my position, they didn’t happen,” Wood told The Alligator.

UF Law students enrolled in the administrative law A course received an email from Brian Mitchell, Levin assistant dean, 12 days before the start of UF Fall classes. The textbook had been changed, and professor Robert Wood would be teaching the course.

No comments of previous allegations were mentioned in Wood’s UF employee personnel file.

Sophia Serrao, a 25-year-old third-year UF law student, said she dropped the course after finding out Wood would teach it. She doesn’t want a professor who demeans students and staff.

“I wasn’t gonna put myself in a position to maybe be harassed by a professor,” she said. “My own self worth and my own safety is at much higher value to me than being in this class.”

The UCF investigation began in 2016 after Wood raised his voice at a female student for using her phone during class, required that she respond with “yes, sir” and then dismissed her, according to the report. When a male student used his phone the following month, he did not receive the same treatment.

“I told her to put it away, and she got embarrassed and went to complain to the head of my department,” Wood said.

Amber Little, a 25-year-old third-year UF law student, took two of Wood’s classes during undergrad at UCF and is enrolled in administrative law.

Little said she recalls a similar encounter where a female student was kicked out of class for using her phone. She could not confirm if this was the same allegation from the investigative report.

In his UF administrative law class, Little said he has not made any sexually charged comments or inappropriate comments so far and expects students to pay attention if they want to do well in

class.

“I do believe in survivors, but at the same time, I do believe you are innocent until proven guilty,” Little said.

Wood said UCF’s administration disliked him because he proposed a faculty satisfaction survey from 2013- 2014 as a member of the UCF faculty senate. He hoped the survey would show opinions on new faculty members earning higher salaries than professors with seniority. The survey was voted unanimously by faculty, but denied by administration and the provost office.

“The investigation was biased from the beginning,” Wood said.

During a class discussion on appropriate attire for an interview in July 2014, Wood singled out a female student with a low neckline, according to the report. He said she would not go to an interview “with everything hanging out.” He proceeded to make a comment about yoga pants with “Juicy” written on the back, stating “some girls can’t pull that off,” implying she could, according to a witness in the report.

“It looks terrible that some professor made all kinds of sexist comments and only got a slap on the wrist, but that’s not what in fact occurred,” Wood said in response to the 2017 Orlando Sentinel article.

He said the head of his department took one or two student complaints and escalated them into an Equal Employment Office complaint.

In 2016, Wood received a letter of reprimand from the UCF Equal Employment Office and Compliance Office in response to the complaints made against him. But Wood told The Alligator the letter was removed from his personnel file in 2018 following a settlement.

At UF, Serrao and four others started We Believe Survivors last year, a coalition created to protect UF law students. The Facebook page posted about Wood’s “misogynistic behavior” in August, before the Fall semester began.

Serrao was already disappointed in the law school’s decision to bring Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to teach this past Spring.

Anita Hill, who was paid to speak at UF earlier this month, accused him of sexually harassing her in the 90s.

After speaking with the school’s administration, Serrao said she was disheartened by its decision to hire Wood. She is advocating for the university to either change their hiring policy or to never let someone like Wood be hired again.

“Where are you drawing the line on student safety?” Serrao said.

Wood disclosed that working at UF was a “one semester gig,” but expressed he would teach at UF again.

“If the situation arose, depending on my schedule, I would be willing to teach again,” Wood said.

Hanna Rubin, a 25-year-old third-year UF law student, said she had an interest in pursuing administrative law and planned to take the class this Fall but dropped it when she learned Wood was teaching the course.

“I definitely felt upset,” Rubin said. “I felt that I had been in a position where I had to choose between taking that class that was important to me and protecting myself.”

Sebastian Campbell, a 23-year-old third-year UF law student, once sat in Wood’s class at UCF, said he could not stomach sitting in his virtual classroom now.

“I think that’s the behavior of a pig,” he said.

“That’s highly unacceptable, especially in an institution like UF.” Campbell believes the law school has a greater interest in the school ranking than the quality of the education. He said it was unfathomable that UF would hire a professor with such an “allegedly checkered past.”

“If you want to talk all the time about how you’re a top-25 law school, act like it,” Campbell said. “This is not the behavior of a premier legal education institution.”

@kaliarichardson krichardson@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 ALLIGATOR 5

An exclusive interview with UF’s President FUCHS, from pg. 1 “We believe the most important thing is that we be able to finish the semester from beginning to end; that students complete their courses; get an education that’s as best as possible in the midst of COVID; and in that we be as safe as possible,” Fuchs said.

The added challenge, in a true 2020 twist, is managing the issues of physical safety while trying to address systemic racism.

“There’s just not a vaccine for racism,” Fuchs said, “but I do believe we can take steps.”

In a June letter to all students, Fuchs outlined 15 actions he planned to take to lessen the impact of systemic racism — including the end of the “Gator Bait” chant.

Fuchs views the public reaction to the decision to end it, which he admits was symbolic, as misunderstood. He placed the blame on the racist history of the phrase.

“People that read that felt I was accusing them of a racist cheer, which is not the case at all,” he said. “I just can’t have the symbolism of that, which is actually in our library, associated with what we’re saying in our athletic events.”

Another step is a committee to review UF’s honorary namings for buildings, indicating which names may have ties to racism. That project is expected to be completed by the end of the Spring semester, with names Fuchs has in place.

The goal, Fuchs stressed, is to initiate the discussion on whether those buildings should be renamed, which would then have to be approved by the Board of Trustees.

“As president, I can’t put a name on anything and I can’t take away a name.

Nobody at this university can,” Fuchs said.

“So we’re creating the context that people would then base those decisions on.”

How well-equipped Fuchs and UF are to deal with these issues is another question.

In a 2018 survey conducted by the University of Southern California, UF re-

ceived an F ranking on racial representation. Just this year, the Levin College of Law temporarily dropped two classes on race, leading to student protests and an eventual reinstatement of the courses.

Regardless of those ever-present physical and emotional issues, Fuchs sees UF on the rise. Though where he sees the end of his presidency is still to be determined.

Before his five-year contract expired in June, Fuchs amended his agreement to serve at the will of the BOT. He plans to see the university through the end of its $3 billion “Go Greater” fundraising campaign, which is expected to be completed in the Spring, though he hasn’t set a date for his retirement.

His hope this year, though, is that UF stays determined.

“Make this as one of the best years, even though that’s an unfair request,” Fuchs said. “Sometimes, tough years can be the best years.”

@CorbinBolies cbolies@alligator.org

Emily Felts // Alligator Staff

Corbin Bolies, 21, university administration reporter for The Independent Florida Alligator, met for an exclusive interview with UF President Kent Fuchs, 65, on Wednesday.

Female boy scout delivers 700 healing stones to Shands Hospital AS PART OF HER FINAL STEPS TO JOIN THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF FEMALE EAGLE SCOUTS, OLIVIA FOLI GIVES BACK

By Kalia Richardson Alligator Staff Writer

As a toddler, Olivia Foli used to trek campgrounds alongside her brother, who was a Cub Scout.

She too was a scout, a Girl Scout, and rose from Daisy as a young girl to Cadet in middle school earning bronze and silver awards.

Despite this, she craved the experiences that her brother had.

Olivia founded all-female Troop 21 in Gainesville in February 2019, and decided to complete her final project at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital last Friday, in order to achieve her Eagle Scout status. The 16-year-old PK Yonge junior donated 676 painted healing stones from more than 100 people from six different states: California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida

and Oregon.

Twelve 20-inch rocks with words like “courteous” and “brave” peeked out from the bushes of the UF Health Children’s Healing Garden. Olivia said each stone symbolized the 12 points of the Scout Law. Each pediatric patient can complete a scavenger hunt with the 12 stones and collect a healing rock as a reward. Patients will get physical prescriptions to play in the garden and pick out a rock that speaks to them.

“It’s very taxing on a childhood to be in and out of the hospital,” she said. “This is just something to bring joy to those patients.”

Olivia said she wished that someone had done something like this for her when she was younger. She was born with brachial plexus, a nerve damage injury, leaving her right arm paralyzed from her neck to her fingertips, she said.

Once she completed her surgery, she went to occupational therapy at UF Health Shands Hospital from age 7 to 14.

“When I found out this garden was going to be for pediatric patients it really called me,” she said.

The donations are part of Olivia’s Eagle Scout project. On Feb. 1, 2019, females were accepted into Scouts BSA, Boy Scouts of America and more than 14,000 female scouts have joined since April 2019.

An Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Scout can achieve. They’re required to complete a service project, earn 21 merit badges, attend a scoutmaster conference and be approved by the board of review, according to the 2019 Eagle Scout fact sheet. Only 8% of scouts ever rise to this rank.

Olivia plans to be a part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts in America.

Amy Wegner, the director of the child life services at Shands Hospital, said Olivia’s project will support children of all ages in the hospital, even family and staff members.

“She really took the lead and created this wonderful project,” she said. “We couldn’t be more thankful.”

Wegner said the pediatric patients haven’t had an opportunity to utilize the garden recently because of COVID-19, but plans to allow children with volunteers or staff members to play in the garden individually.

“We know that the outdoors really benefits children in many, many ways as far as healing and relaxing them,” Wegner said.

Two years ago, this would’ve been impossible, Troop 21 Scoutmaster and Olivia’s mother Kim Foli said. Her daughter would ask incessantly about when she could be a Boy Scout. She recalls her daughter’s reaction when she first shared the news that Scouts BSA was accepting females.

“She jumped up from her plate and started running around the house,” Kim Foli said. “This previously impossible idea was now possible.”

Olivia Foli has completed all her rank requirements and merit badges so far. She did so in about 19 months, a process that normally takes five to six years, Kim Foli said.

The next step is the review process. On Feb. 8 she can officially receive her certificate to become an Eagle Scout.

“This has been a dream of hers since she was a little girl,” Kim Foli said. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”

@kaliarichardson krichardson@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

UF isn’t offering an S-U grading option to students this Fall S-U GRADING WAS OFFERED IN SPRING DUE TO COVID-19 CLASS DISRUPTIONS

By Rachel Slay Alligator Staff Writer

UF gave students an academic safety net in the Spring that won’t be available this Fall.

UF isn’t planning to offer an S-U option and is not anticipating another transition to fully online classes this Fall, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email.

When COVID-19 moved UF’s classes online in the middle of the Spring semester, students could opt for a Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory grading style for any course. For UF’s Fall semester, S-U grading can only be used for one elective course per term, as usual, but must be approved.

S-U grading is not the same as pass/fail grading, though the names tend to be used interchangeably. UF does not offer pass/fail grading where a grade of D- or above is a “Pass” and E grades are con-

sidered a “Fail.”

General education requirements cannot be taken S-U, according to UF’s policy.

“UF offered this option in the Spring because of the disruption caused by switching to being fully online mid-semester,” Orlando wrote. “That did not happen over the Summer or this Fall.”

Under S-U grading, a student must earn a minimum of a C by the end of the semester to pass a class with an “S,” according to UF’s grading policies. This means the letter grade would not show up on a student’s transcript and would not affect their UF grade point average.

In his 11 years at UF, Kevin Knudson, mathematics department chair, has only had a few students ask for pass/fail grading during that whole time, he wrote in an email. Knudson said they only requested it because the courses were electives.

The change of policy in the spring was appropriate because of how sudden the move online was, Knudson wrote.

“This term, however, we all knew in advance what the teaching format would be and so I think it’s less necessary now,” Knudson wrote.

Because students knew how classes were going to be set up for

the Fall semester, Erin Hilsabeck, a 20-year-old UF psychology junior, understands why S-U isn’t an option.

During the transition to asynchronous classes in the spring, meaning there are no live class meetings, Hilsabeck struggled with time management and procrastination. She considered S-U grading for some of her classes.

“I really liked the schedule of going to lectures at a certain time, and having to be there in class and listen,” Hilsabeck said. “It was really hard for me to keep up and actually watch the lectures when I was supposed to.”

She didn’t end up choosing S-U in spring, but this semester, she said she wishes she had the option now because of her asynchronous organic chemistry class, which doesn’t meet at a scheduled time online.

Unfortunately, students hoping for the same S-U option from the Spring will have to keep their GPAs in good condition the old-fashioned way: good grades.

@racheljslay rslay@alligator.org

Sanitation and distance: How UF’s gyms are handling COVID-19 DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, UF’S GYMS CONTINUE TO SERVE THE UF COMMUNITY.

By J.P. Oprison Alligator Staff Writer

After closing in Spring 2020, UF’s gyms are open once again, but students looking to lift are in for a different experience.

Since the onset of COVID-19, staff members at Southwest Recreation Center and Student Recreation Center, two of the main UF student gyms, have implemented preventative measures to help students exercise safely. These include a screening process, a mask requirement at all times and limited hours and capacity.

During the screening process, staff mem-

bers take the temperature of all patrons and ask about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.

Staff members also do three times the amount of cleaning they usually do, and equipment is disinfected by a Clorox Total 360 System, a spray machine that sanitizes surfaces. This is done prior to opening at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, said Marty Dempsey, the associate director for facility operations for all UF facilities.

Gym hours have decreased due to COVID-19.

“We are continuing to assess our policies and our procedures to make sure that everybody has a safe and enjoyable time,” Dempsey said.

Equipment is spaced 6 feet apart. Each room has a capacity limit based on how large it is.

Gyms on campus have faced new hurdles due to the COVID-19 restrictions, like long lines and wait times to get in. If a room is full, students have to wait until others leave to enter.

Alexander Hanson, a 20-year-old UF criminology and psychology senior, went to Southwest Rec five days per week in the summer but has opted to an off-campus gym this Fall to escape the long wait.

“Oftentimes there’s a 40-minute plus line, which is just not something I’m necessarily willing to do,” he said.

To combat this, Dempsey said staff members began dispersing gym equipment to different areas so fewer students would try to use the same room. Additionally, live cameras on the RecSports website show how many people are in the gym in real time.

Emily Lyssenko, an 18-year-old UF international studies freshman, has been going to Southwest Rec at least four times per week this Fall and feels it’s one of the safest places on campus because visitors are allowed to clean their own surfaces.

While Lyssenko is aware of the risks, she continues to exercise because it’s important not only for her physical health, but also her mental health.

“It’s kind of the break that I give myself in the day,” she said. “But I still think that I can lead in a way where I’m still taking all those precautions and I’m not giving up one for the other.”

@joprison joprison@alligator.org

A tale of two Englishes: African American Vernacular English’s role WHILE AAVE WORDS AND PHRASES, “SIS,” “LIT” AND “ON FLEEK” HAVE BECOME POPULAR ONLINE, MANY BLACK STUDENTS WHO SPEAK AAVE AREN’T UNDERSTOOD AND SOMETIMES EVEN RIDICULED BY TEACHERS

By Asta Hemenway Alligator Staff Writer

Using African American Vernacular English as a Black person is expected and encouraged but also criticized.

While AAVE words and phrases, such as “sis,” “lit,” “yas” and “tea” have become popular online, many Black students who speak AAVE aren’t understood and are sometimes even ridiculed by teachers. In the American education system, Black students may speak AAVE, which some teachers consider incorrect because of its different speaking and writing patterns.

The debate about AAVE’s validity even led to a successful lawsuit against school systems in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1979, after teachers denied AAVE’s existence. Oakland, California, recognized AAVE as a language in 1996.

Expert linguists, like Diane Boxer, a UF linguistic professor, said AAVE is a highly developed, systematic language with its own predictable grammatical rules.

AAVE is a language variety essential to Black culture, Boxer said.

The variety, which has its own grammar, vocabulary, syntax, pronunciation, word forms and context, was formerly known as Black English Vernacular or Ebonics.

The variety grew after slave owners purposely grouped slaves from different areas of Africa so they couldn’t understand each other, Boxer said. The rise of the variety began as a pidgin language, which develops when two speakers don’t share a common language.

While most speakers of AAVE acquire it by hearing it at home while growing up, linguists like Boxer believe it isn’t something that can be taught.

Bidialectal students are similar to children who grow up bilingual, Boxer said. Speakers of AAVE grow up with one way of talking in their community and another way of talking in formal situations. The situ-

ation differs because AAVE speakers are usually exposed to English.

However, Boxer said students may not find using standard English necessary — this is where they may find educational trouble.

Students in Davida Holmes’ English classes at Eastside High School sometimes used words often perceived as slang, like “finna,” “gon’” and “ion.” Holmes, their teacher, said she never bashed them or told them they were wrong.

Many of the students in her classes were fluent speakers of AAVE, so few students using standard English when writing papers can have experiences comparable to those learning English as a second language, Holmes said.

Holmes, who taught general and Advanced Placement English courses, had her students read books that combine AAVE and SAT prep words with a standardized writing style. Her students read The Hoopster Trilogy by Alan Lawerence Sitomer, a novel about a young Black basketball player navigating racism while pursuing journalism.

When growing up, Holmes said her mother wouldn’t allow her and her siblings to use AAVE until they knew standard English. Her mother said if she wanted to use a phrase like “Ion like that” or “I’m

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

finna go to the store,” she needed to know how to say “I’m not going to do that” or “I’m getting ready to walk to the store.”

“It was not a matter of learning a foreign language per se,” Holmes said. “I think it was more so my mother just telling me ‘This is the way that you’re expected to speak within society and be respected, so you gon’ do it.’”

People who say the variety is grammatically incorrect are misinformed, insensitive and dismissive of Black history, Holmes said.

However, she added that many students told her they felt they were perceived as ignorant or stupid because of the way they spoke.

“I think language has a way of doing that,” she said. “I think it has a way of making people feel like they’re inferior or superior to others, and that is why I teach the way that I teach my students.”

When she felt relaxed, Holmes said she used words like “finna” in classes.

This is called code switching, or the swap from one language variety to another, Boxer said. AAVE speakers everywhere do it every day.

AAVE speakers may code switch to be recognized as a member of a cultural group, Boxer said. A Black person may be seen as an outsider to the culture if they don’t speak like those around them in informal situations. The change, often a subconscious one, involves shifting all aspects of language — grammar, vocabulary, tone, intonation, diction and pitch and volume — depending on what someone is trying to say, she said.

As a code switcher herself, Holmes said students have asked her how she learned to talk differently, even telling her that she “talks white.”

“It’s almost like you’re a chameleon,” Holmes said. “You need to be able to adapt to the situation that you’re in, OK?” To Boxer, teachers need to adapt as language evolves.

“Language is always in the process of changing,” Boxer said. “It’s not accepted by the wider public, especially people who are in the teaching profession who ought to be able to accept different varieties of English.”

@astahemenway ahemenway@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 ALLIGATOR 7

You can register to vote now using your campus address.

You can vote early.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

LIFESTYLE

‘Dad Bods’ and the male beauty standard EXPLORING THE MALE BODY IMAGE ALONGSIDE A PANDEMIC

By Alan Halaly Contributing Writer

Grady Svetly grew tired of being the butt of the joke because of his weight in middle school.

Even though they were just jokes to his peers at the time, they left a lasting impact, as these negative interactions laid the foundation for how he built a relationship with his body, the 18-year-old UF computer science freshman said.

According to researchers from the University of Birmingham, ev-

eryday worries about looks can be exacerbated by increased phone usage and less face-to-face interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many students self-isolate and spend hours scrolling through social media, a sense of self-worth can be derived by comparing themselves to others.

With the popularization of the controversial body positivity movement encouraging women to love their bodies no matter their size or build, some men feel they are left out of the narrative.

“Men are left out of the conversation of body positivity because in order for them to participate in the movement, there needs to be vulnerability,” Svetly said. “That isn’t a quality that is considered ‘manly’ to have,

meaning that most men don’t open up about their insecurities.”

Research from The Body Project shows that 95% of college-age men are dissatisfied with their bodies on some level. Men are also less likely to seek help for body image issues, on average holding off longer than women due to feelings of shame.

When Karin Kratina of Gainesvillebased Nutrition Therapy Associates chose to specialize in nutrition therapy 35 years ago, men almost never came in for treatment.

“The way our culture demonizes fatness and pushes everyone to idolize a standard that is unreachable for most people often causes intense feelings of inadequacy not specific to one gender,” Karin Kratina said.

In Kratina’s experience, however, body image is especially a problem with Alachua County’s college-aged men, as they worry about social pressures and the transition to adulthood.

“Oftentimes, eating issues or an increased interest in shaping the body happens in times of transition or times of stress, as men focus on their bodies as a way to feel better and they’re worried about whether things are going to work out or not,” Karin Kratina said.

Caroline Kratina, Karin Kratina’s niece and media and marketing director of Nutrition Therapy Associates, feels media portrayals play a critical role in the development of male body image.

“Take underwear ads, for example. They always portray one type of man: tall, a six-pack, great hair, with

no fat whatsoever,” Caroline Kratina said. “Nobody is going to 100% fit into those categories, and men are beating themselves up over that.”

“Dad bod,” is a slang term meaning, “a male physique that is relatively slim but not lean or toned,” according to Oxford Languages.

While this may lead us to believe that social expectations for male bodies are starting to shift, for Bryce Brown, an 18-year-old UF journalism freshman, dad bods are just another unattainable category men feel pressured to put themselves in.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/the_avenue

@alanhalaly alanhalaly@ufl.edu

Opinions Column

MUSIC

R&B artist Kelsea Martinez describes News even thousands of masks can’t muffle what love is in upcoming album “LOVE IS…” RELEASES SEPT. 25

By Marlena Carrillo Avenue Staff Writer

Former Gainesville resident and music artist Kelsea Martinez believes there are three loves: the first love, the innocent and naive one; the second love, the one where you learn the most lessons; and the third love, the unexpected one where you might even find your soulmate.

Martinez, , discusses all of the above with her new album “Love Is…” set to be released on Sept. 25. The album will consist of six tracks, including her recently released single, “Lemon,” which dropped on Aug. 21.

Martinez, , said she became interested in making music as a child. She began writing songs at age 9 and immediately wanted to reach listeners through her music.

Making music became a pivotal part of Martinez’s life in high school when she was , a condition affecting the nervous system.

Martinez had already witnessed the effects of illness through her mother and turned to music and dance to process tumultuous time of her life.

Martinez lived in Gainesville for four years while attending Santa Fe College, where she studied dance. She returned to her about a year ago and now teaches dance in addition to making music.

“Love Is…” will be Martinez’s first album release, a collection of songs that she said are based on love and growth. Martinez said the album takes on an R&B sound and will feature

some rap elements as well, citing The Notorious B.I.G. as one of her musical inspirations.

The three loves will be the first focus of the album. The track “Damn Shame” is Martinez’s dedication to the first, idealistic love; “Sociopath” details a second, more toxic relationship where hard lessons learned; and the single “Lemon” describes the third love, an unexpected relationship where you might meet “the one.”

Though Martinez said she didn’t find the third love to apply to her, she wrote “Love Is…” as a portrayal of herself in past relationships and as a recognition of the strength she developed, even at the lowest of points.

Accompanying Martinez on this journey was fellow Jacksonville artist and friend , known professionally as L3V!, who mixed and mastered the album’s six tracks.

Wilson worked to capture the flow and theme of Martinez’s album and believes the finished songs offer something every listener can enjoy and take away from.

Martinez said she is proud of the new album and the release marks a big step for her, citing the relationships discussed in “Love Is…” as an obstacle she has overcome.

“Those relationships, they always hindered me,” she said. “They always made me feel like what I had wasn’t good enough. This album is almost like an ‘awe moment’ for me. I’m like, ‘I did it.’”

“Love Is…” will be released on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon Music on Sept. 25.

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter.

Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

@marcar313 mcarrillo@alligator.org

M

y feelings are mixed as I In student outcome measures (retenwalk around campus this tion, graduation performance, social fall. I’m happy to see stumobility and student debt), we were dents in masks studying in ranked No. 7 in the nation among all the Reitz Union or enjoyprivate and public universities, which ing each other’s company outdoors, includes universities such as Harvard, but I miss the energy of Turlington Yale, Princeton and Stanford.

Plaza during class changes and the A top rank even benefits students lunchtime crowds on the Plaza of the after they graduate, since it raises the Kent Fuchs Americas. value of their UF degrees in the eyes opinions@alligator.org Library West and Marston are quiof graduate schools and employers. et, even by library standards! And though I can’t Keep in mind, our ascent has occurred during a wait to see the Gators play football, the Swamp time when our in-state tuition ($6,380 for this Fall) will be quieter, too, with fewer than 18,000 fans has barely budged. We are one of the nation’s allowed for games due to COVID-19. very top higher education values, and often cited So I am grateful this Fall’s rankings of the na- as such. tion’s best public universities give us all someFinally, a top ranking benefits students in thing to shout about. many indirect ways. For example, the higher we Last week, U.S. News & World Report ranked are ranked, the more effective our fundraising.

UF the No. 6 public university in the country. This For the second year in a row, we raised more than continues our rising trajectory among the nation’s $500 million from donors this fiscal year, and we top ten public universities for the fourth year in a expect to complete our $3 billion capital camrow and puts UF just one step and one point away paign ahead of schedule this spring. For students, from our goal of joining the top five. this means more and bigger scholarships, more We had to cancel Homecoming because of professors funded by endowments and more COVID-19, and we won’t play, and beat, our tra- beautiful and advanced facilities. ditional rival, FSU. But in addition to being a welTo be sure, we have room for improvement. come cause for celebration, our rise in the rankAs we gain in stature and in selectivity, we ings is its own victory — especially for students. will redouble our efforts to ensure access to stuWhy a victory for students? Because the rank- dents from underprivileged backgrounds and ing is based to a large degree on increasing excel- increase our numbers of Black and other minority lence in education. students. We will work even harder to make sure Key measures that go into the ranking include that all admitted students are supported and can smaller classes. UF’s student-to-faculty ratio is succeed. steadily improving, which means more personal Still, UF’s No. 6 ranking is great news in this interaction and small-group discussions with year of living and learning with COVID-19. It is instructors. A second key measure gauges the news we can share on Zoom or while standing in amount of resources devoted to faculty. For stu- line for Krishna lunch, which continues complete dents, this translates to increasingly exceptional with masks, plexiglass and social distancing. It is faculty, well-equipped to teach and do research. news even thousands of masks can’t muffle.

Our rising ranking is also tied to rising graduation rates. Graduating faster helps students hold Kent Fuchs is the president of UF. You can down costs, which reduces debt and allows them find his monthly column in The Alligator. to quickly move on to graduate schools or careers.

An analytical look at UF’s schedule

Resident stats expert Brendan Farrell examines the Gators opponents, pg. 11

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FOOTBALL

Students torn over limited attendance this season

By Christian Ortega Sports Writer

He spent his life as a Gators fan.

Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer’s championship runs fueled Shane Solana's, a 21-yearold UF animal sciences junior, love for the program.

So when he enrolled at UF, Solana made it his mission to attend as many games as possible. This included a five-hour road trip from St. Augustine with his girlfriend and two friends to watch Florida’s 2019 Orange Bowl win in Miami. He’s only missed two games as a student.

But the odds that Solana attends one this year are in limbo. As a way to balance fans attending games while limiting the chances of spreading COVID-19 through social distancing measures, only 17,000 fans will be in The Swamp during home games. Of that, no more than 2,000 tickets will be given to students through a lottery system.

Solana isn’t alone, as many students expressed frustration over the small proportion of tickets allotted to students for games.

“I feel like students are the ones that provide the most to the university,” he said. “It's just, it's a shame that it's only 2,000. I just feel like it's kind of a little ridiculous.”

Up to 10,000 students will watch games at home this season because once one wins the lottery, they’re no longer allowed to enter. Gators Students, the official Twitter page for the Gators Students Rewards Program & Student Info for UF athletics, said the decision was made to maximize the number of

students and general season ticket holders that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium can host on game days.

Many took to social media to voice their displeasure. One suggested a petition to allow students to have an extra year of eligibility to receive discounted tickets. But most just used it as a platform to vent.

One reason they are bothered by the limits is the experience of attending games at The Swamp. Solana says the atmosphere is part of the reason he loves being a UF fan, and his best experiences were watching Florida upset LSU in 2018 and Auburn in 2019.

It’s the camaraderie that Drake Kavanaugh, a 21-year-old UF biology junior, thinks is quintessential to the student experiencing at games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“I think we serve as the loudest voice in the stadium,” Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh, a first-generation college student, wasn’t a fan before enrolling at UF. But his first experience hit him like a semitruck. This season, it won’t be the same.

“When you're a student, you give like 100 percent going into the stadium,” he said.

“You cheer for everything, you get loud, you motivate your friends to get up and get loud with you, and I just don’t see that happening.”

That sentiment is shared by Leslie White, a 20-year-old UF agricultural education and communications junior. As a transfer student, she hoped she would see a game inperson, and even more excited to be a Gator.

Now, those feelings of excitement are over-

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

To determine who will be able to attend home games this season, students must enter a lottery system. Of the 17,000 available seats in Ben Hill Griffin stadium this season, 2,000 will go to students. shadowed by frustration.

“No matter if you're a football fan or not, going to a football game is something that everybody kind of looks forward to, just being a part of that atmosphere and environment so getting that experience almost certainly cut out is kind of something that we talk about a lot,” she said.

While Kavanaugh, White and Solana plan on putting their names in the lottery, they’ll be among thousands, and the odds likely won’t end in their favor.

“My morale, just looking at that, went down because I know the odds of me actually getting a ticket is pretty low,” Kavana-

ugh said. “For there to be — not the greatest odds for someone — no certainty that you could get a ticket. It's pretty sad, honestly.”

With UF’s expectations to succeed this season at its highest since Meyer’s departure, this season could feature the return to form Gators fans have craved for a decade.

Whether that will come to pass remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The livegame experience this fall will be unlike any before.

cortega@alligator.org @unofficialchris

STATURDAY

Despite all-SEC opponents, Gators draw easy schedule

By Brendan Farrell Sports Writer

The Gators kick off their unprecedented 10-game, conference-only 2020 campaign against Ole Miss in just five days. Here’s an analytical look at who they’ll play and how they stack up.

According to the data, Florida lucked out with its schedule this year.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled out-of-conference play for the SEC, the Gators’ schedule was already light. But adding Arkansas (who went 0-8 in the SEC last year) while avoiding No. 2 Alabama and No. 8 Auburn makes for an even more manageable slate.

UF’s opponents were a combined 36-44 (.450) last season in SEC play.

Only three had a winning record

against conference opponents and five went to a bowl game in 2019.

Let’s take a look at how Florida and its opponents looked last season on both sides of the ball using Predicted Points Added (PPA), collegefootballdata.com’s Expected Points Added (EPA) model. Higher numbers are better for offenses, while lower numbers are better for defenses.

On the next page is a table showing how teams performed across various offensive and defensive metrics.

It’s shaded from red (bad) to blue (good). Passing downs are second downs with at least seven yards to go or third and fourth downs with at least five yards to go. All downs that are not passing downs are standard.

LSU was only rivaled by Alabama offensively last season, but the Tigers have also lost most of their talent on

Former UF wide receiver Van Jefferson caught four passes for 45 yards in the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. His longest reception was a 21-yard catch to set up a scoring drive.

both sides of the ball. According to ESPN writer Bill Connelly’s returning production metric, LSU ranked 127th in February after losing Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receiver Justin Jefferson. That number doesn’t even include wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who opted out of the season in August.

Aside from LSU, there were a couple of defense-first teams in Georgia and Missouri, an Ole Miss team that was fine offensively but couldn’t stop a nosebleed, two terrible teams in Vanderbilt and Arkansas and four teams somewhere in between.

Let’s focus on offense for a bit.

Again, LSU was completely dominant offensively, but the rest of Florida’s schedule left a lot of room for improvement in 2020. Tennessee and

Gators in the U.S. Open

Missouri were decent throwing the football but struggled with the run, while teams like South Carolina, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt struggled with everything. Kentucky, forced to run the wildcat offense after quarterbacks Terry Wilson and Sawyer Smith were injured, likely won’t have the same extreme disparity between rushing and passing this season.

Along with PPA, I’m using something called success rate, which is the percentage of plays that are deemed successful. Success is defined by obtaining at least 50 percent of the required yardage to move the chains on first down, 70 percent on second down, 100 percent on third and fourth down or scoring.

It’s likely that the best offense Florida will face in the regular season will be in practice. Quarterback Kyle Trask

Former Florida Gator Billy Horschel competed in the U.S. Open this past week at Winged Foot Golf Club, finishing T38 with a final score of 294 (+14). Paul Tesori, another UF alum, was also in the tournament, caddying for Webb Simpson, who finished in a tie for eighth. Current Gator Ricky Castillo also competed as an amateur but missed the cut.

might be the best returning passer in the conference. Last season was not a banner year for SEC passers, as outside of Burrow, Trask and Alabama’s duo of Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones, few were better than average.

However, Florida’s running game was abysmal in 2019 with the exception of a couple big plays, and it loses leading rusher Lamical Perine. Returning four starters on the offensive line while adding graduate transfer Stewart Reese will help, but it’s still an obvious weak point for Florida.

Florida’s offense could have something resembling a tune-up game Week 1 against Ole Miss, whose defense gave up more than 26 points and 400 yards per game last season.

But the Gators will have to quickly

Follow us for updates

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

SEE STATURDAY, PAGE 12

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

UF has good odds STATURDAY, from pg. 11

work out any kinks offensively, because four of their next five opponents finished in the upper half in 2019.

Georgia and Missouri both finished last season in the top 10 nationally in PPA per play defensively and both have plenty of returning pieces. The Bulldogs, fresh off a season where they topped the Power Five in PPA per rush, return 14 players who played at least 200 snaps. Dan Mullen’s work is cut out for him in Jacksonville.

The good news for Mullen and the offense is that the schedule thins out toward the end of

the season. Immediately after the World’s Largest Outdoor Socially Distant Cocktail Party, the Gators face Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Both teams were pitiful defensively last season, and there’s little reason to believe anything different will happen this year.

Looking at last season’s stats, Florida was a team that did well against the run (10th in the country in PPA per rush) and was solid against the pass when it wasn’t facing Burrow. Aside from Georgia, other standout defenses were Missouri and LSU, while Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky had some positives.

Connelly’s preseason SP+ model has UF’s defense as the No. 3 defense in the country, behind only Georgia in the SEC. The issue is that six of Florida’s opponents will start the season in the top 25 defenses according to SP+. While

Brendan Farrell // Alligator Staff

the Gators have a lot of advantages offensively, that doesn’t mean it will be easy sledding every week.

Conclusions

As previously stated, considering that the Gators will be facing 10 SEC teams this season, they could have done a lot worse. Florida will still face three teams in the top 15 of the preseason AP poll, but the only way this would have been easier for them would be if the road trip to Texas A&M was swapped for Mississippi State.

The Gators also have a lot of room to flex their continuity on the sidelines and under center, which should be especially important this year because of their limited offseason. Ole Miss, Missouri and Arkansas all debut new coaches

this year, while others, such as Georgia and LSU, have brought in new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. Six teams will also be starting a new quarterback.

It’s no wonder, then, that fans and analysts look at Florida and see a threat for both the division title and the conference championship.

Anything can happen on any given Saturday — and this bizarre offseason makes it feel like almost any team in the conference could go on a run. But the Gators’ situation is very favorable this year, and they have the potential to take advantage of it.

@Bfarrell727 bfarrell@alligator.org

Brendan Farrell // Alligator Staff