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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 5
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UF professors tackle 2020 in their courses
WITH 2020 OFFERING DUAL CHALLENGES IN COVID-19 AND RACIAL INJUSTICE, PROFESSORS FIND WAYS TO RECONFIGURE THEIR COURSES
By Corbin Bolies Alligator Staff writer
Betty Smocovitis has prepared for 2020 for more than 25 years. The UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences biology and history professor’s class, history and evolution of infectious disease, has taken on a new purpose — even if it’s one she didn’t envision this year. “It’s one things to be talking about wars and monarchs who’ve died, talking about the Black Death,” Smocovitis said. “It’s another thing to be looking at your president not doing what they’re supposed to be doing.” It’s a relevancy UF professors realized these last three semesters as they adjust their curriculum to the major events of 2020 — the COVID-19 pandemic, the nationwide protests against racial injustice and a presidential election. That’s given some UF history professors new ways to uphold their central mantra: using the past to understand the present. For some, that included comparisons, research and tracking COVID-19 throughout Africa. For Smocovitis, that started in the Spring. She monitored COVID-19 from the first outbreak last January in Wuhan, China. Though the World Health Organization only declared the virus a global pandemic on March 11, Smocovitis knew it would be one. She made her biology students in the Spring track the virus’ path and observe its transmission rates — all while tackling genomes and double helixes. This Fall, with a greater understanding of COVID-19, Smocovitis has students write weekly twopage reaction papers documenting the current state of the pandemic. She found her students more invested in the topic as it dominates their reality. “They began to see things like the social fabric, tearing — how these pathogens can affect ev-
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Swamp Social Distancing
erybody,” Smocovitis said. “But our ability to withstand them, to function from them is a testament to our abilities.” Assistant UF professor Fernanda Bretones Lane sought to tackle those questions in her course introduction to Caribbean history, which examines the region from the pre-Columbian era to the present day. She dedicated two of the 16 weeks to pandemics along with COVID-19’s effects on tourism, one of the region’s biggest financial drivers. “What does it mean that we can and cannot go to certain places? What does it mean for the people that live there as we now become a threat?” she said. “It was hard for me not to incorporate them into my class.” That’s become the motto for many professors, especially when timely issues like systemic racism and global health converge. Megan Cogburn, a UF anthropology doctoral candidate and instructor of global health culture, has her students write weekly journal entries on how the course material relates to their own lives in a pandemic. “I think one thing that I felt was a sense of solidarity and community with the students. This was a process for all of us,” Cogburn said. “It’s a privileged position to be an instructor like this, but it’s also a humbling one.” That led her to dedicate a week of her course, which is only in its second catalogued semester, to race and medicine, noting how minorities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. “We want them to be applicable to students’ lives and students’ events, but how applicable it was was hard for all of us,” Cogburn said. Nancy Hunt, a history and African studies professor, took that a step further. Hunt has been teaching her course, health in Africa, for decades at different schools before arriving at UF in 2016. But when COVID-19 hit, she reconfigured her class to focus on the spread of the virus across Africa. Every class, she splits her 15
Alligator Story description Sports writer finishDeclan with comma, Walsh pg# talked to the University Police Department to see how they plan on enforcing social distancing guidelines, pg. 11
SEE PROFESSORS, PAGE 4
Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff
About 250 students and residents wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and face masks rallied against a Louisville, Kentucky, jury’s Wednesday decision in Breonna Taylor’s case, a Black woman who was shot by police in her home in March. Alexandra St Tellien, a UF psychology and linguistics senior, gives a speech at the Alachua County Courthouse in Gainesville on Saturday. Read more on page 4.
FOOTBALL
Gators explode offensively, implode defensively By Christian Ortega Sports writer
It was a season opener that erased any memory of the past six months. Eighty-six points, 1,255 yards; football is back. For the Gators, the display showed the wealth of their offense. Kyle Trask had a record performance after amassing 416 yards and six touchdowns through the air. Kyle Pitts caught eight of Trask’s 30 completions to the tune of 170 yards and four touchdowns.
“It was just great to be out there playing football again,” coach Dan Mullen said postgame. While they stole Twitter, the offense wasn’t all “Kyle squared.” Senior receiver Kadarius Toney ignited the offense time and time again on the way to amassing a career-high 154 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Last season, Toney missed six games and finished with 10 receptions to his name. Mullen praised the senior’s performance Saturday, saying he developed into an every-down player.
Helping others cope with unimaginable pain
A look at stigmas surrounding mental health in the Black community in and around Gainesville following a summer of unrest, pg. 6
UF’s COVID-19 response adjusts to demand, outrage
On-campus testing locations have increased and saliva testing is also now available, pg. 4
“One of the things we talked to him a bunch about was every time you get the ball. It’s OK to get vertical and get 4 or 5 yards,” Mullen said. “You don’t have to run around 70 yards to get those 4 yards. Just drop pads and get vertical. I think you saw him do that.” Toney made his impact early in the first quarter, solidifying Florida’s lead with a 50-yard scramble on a jet sweep to set up a touchdown. From then, it was chunk play after chunk play. But, while Toney and the rest of
SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 11
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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Today’s Weather The deadline to register to vote in Alachua County is Oct. 5. Here is what you need to know ABOUT 186,000 PEOPLE ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN ALACHUA COUNTY AS OF SEPT. 18. HERE’S HOW TO BE ONE OF THEM BEFORE THE DEADLINE
By Steven Walker Alligator Staff Writer Time is running out to register to vote. Voters must register in order to participate in the Nov. 3 general election when the presidential race between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is decided. Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in Alachua County in November. As of Sept. 27, about 187,000 people are registered to vote in the county, according to Alachua County Supervisor of Elections data. About 59,000 people are registered for a mail-in ballot in Alachua County to vote from home, more than double the amount since 2018, according to Alachua County Supervisor of Elections spokesperson TJ Pyche. In the November 2016 election, only about 29,000 people voted by mail. In order to be eligible to register to vote in Alachua County, a voter must be at
least 18 years old, a citizen of the U.S. and a legal resident in Alachua County. Those who meet those requirements can register to vote through multiple avenues, all accessible through a website maintained by the Supervisor of Elections. The first way to register is through the state’s online voter registration portal. Voters registered in any Florida county can use this portal. The website offers English and Spanish options and a way to check if you are already registered to vote. UF also provides a way for students to register online through Turbovote. Florida residents and out-of-state students can register to vote, update their registration and request a mail-in ballot through the website. Alachua County residents can also print out a physical voter registration form in either English or Spanish. This form can either be mailed to or dropped off at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office at 515 N. Main St. in Gainesville. Voter registration forms sent through the mail must be postmarked by Oct. 5 in order to meet the deadline. The Supervisor of Elections office is open from 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and until 7 p.m. on Oct. 5. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a sharp increase in mail-ballot requests in Alachua County. Registered voters can request a mail ballot from the Alachua
County Supervisor of Elections website. Residents of other counties can register for a mail ballot at their county’s Supervisor of Elections website. Registered voters can also request a mail ballot in person at the Supervisor of Elections office, or by mail by printing out the form on the website and mailing it to the Supervisor of Elections office. The form is also available in Spanish. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Alachua County is Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. Even amid the coronavirus pandemic, Alachua County will have 63 in-person voting precincts for the Nov. 3 election. The Supervisor of Elections website provides a page where residents can check where their voting precinct is based on the address used to register to vote. Voters must vote at their designated voting precinct, according to the Florida Division of Elections. UF’s Reitz Union building will serve as an early voting location where Alachua County voters from any precinct can cast their ballots. Early voting at the Reitz Union building is from Oct. 19 through Oct. 31. On election day, only voters in precinct 31 can vote at the Reitz Union.
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 5
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 ALLIGATOR 3
A taste of school spirit. Try the Orange & Blue sub, made with chicken tenders and topped with buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing. Save time before class. Order ahead for in-store pickup at publix.com/orangeandblue. #orangeandbluesub
4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
UF expands testing procedures in response to student and faculty complaints SALIVA TESTS AND SEVERAL NEW ONCAMPUS TESTING SITES ARE NOW AVAILABLE, BUT MANDATORY AND WALK-UP TESTING STILL ISN’T IN UF’S CURRENT PLANS. By Thomas Weber Alligator Staff Writer
Tens of UF students spent their afternoon trying to avoid awkward, drool-mouthed eye contact with their peers. The group congregated at Broward Hall’s back courtyard for COVID-19 sa-
liva tests — a new service provided by UF Health Sept. 19 — while maintaining a six-foot orbit, looking for a place to salivate in peace. No clear guidelines meant social distancing was up to them as they filled their tubes. UF Screen, Test and Protect said it provided about 250 of these saliva tests at the Broward Hall site that weekend. This development in the university’s testing capabilities, along with weekly tests provided through screening questionnaires on students’ ONE.UF pages, came in response to the rising demand for tests after Labor Day. UF is now focusing its surveillance testing on residence halls and Greek housing, wrote UF Health spokesperson Ken Garcia in an email.
Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff
Hannah Lyons, 22, a UF first-year medical student, swabs a patient in the drive-through line in Gainesville, Sept. 19. UF Community Health and Family Medicine, SW Advocacy Group and the Alachua County Health Department teamed up to organize this free-testing event.
Some new testing sites include Murphree and Weil Halls, the O’Connell Center, Fraternity Row, Sorority Row and the Levin College of Law west parking lot. The new weekly questionnaires are nearly identical to students’ initial Return-to-Campus screenings, which students completed before Fall classes began. Students and faculty can schedule tests through it regardless of symptoms. If a test is scheduled, the questionnaire will reappear after five days, Garcia wrote. Students can email student-screening@ufl.edu and request a reset for their questionnaire’s availability if they have been exposed since their last test. The weekly questionnaires aren’t mandatory, but Garcia wrote they’re the easiest way to schedule tests, and UF Health highly encourages students and faculty to complete them. Since Aug. 31, 1,864 students and faculty have tested positive for COVID-19 both on and off campus, according to UF Health’s dashboard. UF has tested 5,303 students and 155 employees this semester. Chad Wishner, a 22-year-old UF computer science senior, said he wanted to get tested at the beginning of the semester. He gave up when he couldn’t figure out how. “The testing infrastructure is so confusing and doesn’t make sense for the average student,” Wishner said. Based on one of UF Health’s numerous COVID-19 web pages, he thought students could only get tested at the Student Health Care Center. Another website made him think he could
Protesters gather in Gainesville against Breonna Taylor decision ABOUT 250 PEOPLE GATHERED SATURDAY
By Grethel Aguila and Asta Hemenway Alligator Staff Writers
South Main Street erupted with the noise of two contrasting voices Saturday afternoon. Some called for justice for Breonna Taylor raising their fists and snapping as slurred giggles slipped from the mouths of students celebrating the Gators’ win in beer-stained orange-and-blue shirts. About 250 students and residents wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and face masks rallied against a Louisville, Kentucky, jury’s Wednesday decision in Taylor’s case, a Black woman who was shot by police in her home March 13. They gathered Saturday evening at Bo Diddley Plaza, located at 111 E. University Ave. and marched to the Alachua County Courthouse at 220 S. Main St., for about two hours. None of the police officers involved in Taylor’s death were charged. Brett Hankison, a now-fired Louisville police officer, was indicted Wednesday on first-degree wanton endangerment, or behavior that can cause death or severe injury to another person. Hankison was charged because the shots he fired also went through a neighboring apartment’s walls. Organizers from the GoDDsville Dream Defenders, the local chapter of an organization founded after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and supporters from the crowd went up to speak. “This is not the world I wanna live in,” a speaker said. Alexandra St Tellien, a protest organizer, stood in the center of the crowd. Every time St Tellien opened Instagram, the 22-year-old UF psychology and linguistics senior said she saw pictures and videos of Black people who died at the hands of police. Since June, she has helped organize protests. “I am tired of being brutalized,” she said to the crowd. “I am a Black woman, and I am tired.” To St Tellien, the Breonna Taylor decision was a slap in the face.
“Black women — we’re used, we’re used and used until we have like nothing left,” she said. “And then we still don’t get the justice that we need.” People who disagree with protesters should look at their biases, she said. No one is less human than anyone else. “If people really believe that like Black Lives Matter and Breonna Taylor’s life matter, then you must abolish the system that killed her, which is the police. And it’s not a radical idea,” she said. “We’re asking for bare minimum, and that’s safety.” Gainesville City Commissioner David Arreola said it was his right to demand justice at the protest. Qualified immunity, where officers are absolved of their actions, needs to be abolished because there are too many instances in which police use deadly force on Black and brown men and women, Arreola said. “GPD is a department that is lightyears ahead of many other police departments,” he said. “But we will not tolerate them lowering that standard. We will not tolerate them abusing people.” While speakers discussed rallying for Black lives, Meg Sullivan’s 6-year-old son asked her what protesters’ signs said. She told him the signs said “Black Lives Matter” and explained what happened to Taylor. Sullivan, a 32-year-old Gainesville resident, said her son told her people who kill should go to jail. So the family decided to protest – they all said the police officers who killed Taylor should face the consequences. “They rarely go to jail in this type of situation when Black and brown bodies are involved,” she said. As a white woman, Sullivan said protesting and exposing her two children to injustice is important to unlearn bias, racism and white supremacy.
@GrethelAguila gaguila@alligator.org @AstaHemenway ahemenway@alligator.org
only schedule a test via an email form through UF Health. Wishner later tried to schedule a test again after he was exposed to COVID-19 but still didn’t know how. He called UF Health about getting a test and said he was told the questionnaire’s link wasn’t displaying on some students’ pages. Students were supposed to email UF Health to resolve the issue. Wishner said the questionnaire’s function should be more clear, and UF should be more transparent about its testing services. The link to the questionnaire doesn’t say it’s for scheduling tests; it simply reads “Open Screening Questionnaire.” “It almost feels like they don’t want people to know it exists,” he said. Wishner eventually scheduled his test through the questionnaire for Sept. 12 at Broward Hall’s Teaching and Testing Center. At the time, the Broward site provided nasal swab tests. UF introduced saliva tests Sept. 19 because they’re less invasive — and less painful. But aside from the awkwardness of handing a warm tube of spit over to a health care worker, saliva tests have issues, too. Some people might have trouble producing the necessary two cubic centimeters of saliva, and test recipients can’t have anything to eat or drink for 10 minutes before their test. Garcia wrote nasal swab tests will be provided if they are needed, but Exactech and UF are no longer producing the 3D-printed swabs or the test’s mediums. He wrote the university is currently relying on a stockpile
of these supplies should they be necessary. UF Health can process about 1,000 tests a day, and students can expect results within 24 to 48 hours, he wrote. He wrote UF doesn’t currently have plans to provide mandatory or walkup testing. In a one-on-one with The Alligator, UF President Kent Fuchs said the university is considering mandatory testing for vulnerable groups, like people in labs or Greek housing. “I don’t understand why there isn’t mandatory testing,” said Lela Myers, an 18-year-old UF exploratory freshman who was forced to live on campus as an out-of-state recipient of the Benacquisto Scholarship. “They’re being very lax about it and almost ignoring the fact that there’s a pandemic,” Myers said. The Alligator confirmed at least one positive case in her dorm, Reid Hall. Before the weekly screenings became available, another student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they also faced difficulties scheduling a test after their suitemate tested positive. They said they weren’t symptomatic and unsuccessfully tried to schedule a test over several phone calls with UF Screen, Test and Protect and the Student Health Care Center. By the fifth phone call, the student lied about having symptoms, and they were able to schedule a test. They tested negative.
@thomasjohnweber tweber@alligator.org
Professors adjust in real time PROFESSORS, from pg. 1 history and biology students into small groups, with each person responsible for explaining the effects COVID-19 has on two African countries. This introduces them to countries underrepresented in COVID-19 media coverage and allows them to understand how race — and racism — tie in to a nation’s response, Hunt said. “If you do African history, you’re looking at the history of racism,” Hunt said. “History should always be taught in relation to the
present to help people connect with it.” She prefers to keep the course small, giving every student the chance to develop more intimate connections — even if Zoom is the medium. “The conversations, they’re just beginning, but they’re going to get intense based off the approaches they take,” Hunt said. “It’s the spectrum of science to the humanities and the arts. Everyone has to do a bit of that.”
@CorbinBolies cbolies@alligator.org
Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 ALLIGATOR 5
A Nov. 3 election ballot measure could change how Florida holds primary elections THE STATE COULD HEAD TOWARD AN OPEN-PRIMARY SYSTEM BY JAN. 2024
By Steven Walker Alligator Staff Writer
Almost a quarter of Alachua County’s nearly 187,000 registered voters cannot vote in primary elections. A new amendment to Florida’s constitution might change that. On Nov. 3, Florida voters will vote on Amendment 3, which proposes an open “top-two” primary election system. The top-two system differs from a normal open primary, where parties still have separate ballots. In both systems, voters of any party affiliation can participate in the primary and vote for one candidate. Florida is one of nine states in the U.S. that holds completely closed state primary elections, meaning only voters registered to a political party can vote in that party’s primary election. If the amendment passes, candidates from all parties would be on the same primary ballot, and the two with the most votes would face off in
the general election. Only two other states, California and Washington, have a top-two open primary system. Joshua Christopher, a 35-year-old registered Republican in Alachua County, said he only aligns with the party because of Florida’s closed primary system. He plans to vote in favor of Amendment 3. Christopher, who lives in northwest Gainesville, said sheriff elections are something he feels left out of because of closed primaries. “As a conservative, or as a libertarian, I do not have a voice to vote who’s going to be my sheriff,” he said. “I don’t believe that’s how the founding fathers wanted it.” Democrat Clovis Watson Jr. won the party’s nomination to become Alachua County’s sheriff on Aug. 18. He became the presumptive winner when his only opponent, write-in candidate Robert Brinkman, withdrew from the race. The Republican party has not nominated a candidate for Alachua County sheriff in at least the last 20 years. Christopher said if the amendment passed, he would likely change his registration to the Libertarian Party.
Chris Jones, the vice chair of the Alachua County Affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Florida, said the organization does not support the amendment. Non-party members should not be able to make decisions for private organizations, which political parties are, he said. As a registered Libertarian, Jones could not vote in the Alachua County Democratic sheriff primary on Aug. 18. Despite not having a voice in the primary, he said open “top-two” primaries are not the answer. “I don’t think it’s great that a large portion of population had no say in that election,” Jones said. “But at the same time that is what the opposing party’s job is to do is put forth the candidate.” The NAACP Florida State Conference and the League of Women Voters of Florida have come out against the amendment. In a statement, the league said it believed a top-two system would adversely affect Black candidates. Both the Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Democratic Party have also come out publicly against the amendment, testifying to the Florida Supreme Court. Carol
UF Housing cancels cable TV service, explores future streaming alternative THE MONEY PREVIOUSLY SPENT ON A SERVICE “THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WERE NOT USING” WAS USED TO GET STUDENTS A STRONGER WIFI SIGNAL
By Jack Prator Alligator Staff Writer
Cable is out and streaming is in, but not just yet in UF dorms. UF Housing canceled its cable services to students in residence halls this Fall, excluding graduate and family housing, and explained a replacement is in the works. This decision was based on usage data and cost, Sara Tanner, UF Student Affairs marketing and communications director, wrote in an email. A UF housing survey conducted in February, with responses from about 1,000 residence hall students, found that most students watch shows and movies on their laptops, not a TV, Tanner wrote. Less than 12% used cable provided by UF, but nearly three-fourths said they used streaming services. Last year’s dorm cable contract cost UF Housing $791,677 for about 7,000 students that were living in the dorms, Tanner wrote. So this semester, she wrote, instead of paying that annual cable bill, UF Housing spent $3.3 million this summer in preparation for an online semester. “This upgrade provides better connectivity for all including increased access to streaming and gaming sites,” Tanner wrote. Students who live in the villages, six graduate and family housing complexes, told a different story, Tanner wrote. There, 64% of students said they use a TV. Cable users and streamers evenly split the responses. A cable package for students that have small children needing to be entertained during the week can make it easier on parents that have to attend class. Internet upgrades like these are what Jessica Weber, a 19-year-old UF astrophysics sophomore, would like to see more than cable or streaming amenities. “If they were to put money into something, I
would say WiFi is more important,” Weber said. Weber lives on campus at Lakeside Complex with three roommates. A WiFi outage Wednesday morning stopped Weber from logging into Zoom. Luckily, by her 10 a.m. physics office hours, she was online. This outage does not appear to have been caused by any issues with the new dorm infrastructure, as UFIT attributed the issue to unexpected network traffic that was resolved by 9 a.m. We’re doing all classes at the dorms or at home, so WiFi is necessary, especially for exams,” Weber said. Weber said not having cable this semester does not bother her. She barely watches cable at home in Miami. “Even last year, when we had a TV in the common room, I never really used it,” she said. “Because I mostly use streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.” Jackson Anderson, a 19-year-old UF finance sophomore, bought a TV when he moved into Lakeside. He wasn’t aware that cable was being discontinued until he got on campus. “It wasn’t a big deal, especially since I have streaming services now,” Anderson said. Anderson lived in Beaty Towers last year, where the common area TV was a gathering place for his floor to watch Sunday night NFL games. “That was actually something I would do almost on a weekly basis, especially in the playoffs to watch the Ravens get destroyed,” he said. Anderson thinks the idea of a streaming service provided by UF would be interesting, but only hopes that this service would be included in dorm payments in the same way that cable was. In the meantime, and without cable access, oncampus students will have to wait to see what UF Housing decides on. “We’re kind of caught in purgatory,” Anderson said.
@jack_prator jprator@alligator.org
Weissert, a political science professor at Florida State University researching state politics, said the parties might be worried that opening their primaries to new voters could create unwanted results. She said the amendment could change the number of registered non-party voters in the state. More voters aged 19 to 29 tend to register as non-party-affiliated, Weissert said, and they may be more inclined not to vote in primaries because they would have to change their party affiliations to do so. “That’s the wrong signal to send to young voters,” Weissert said. “We want people to vote.” An argument in favor of the amendment is that candidates will adjust their platforms to reach nonparty affiliated voters, she said. However, in California, a state that adopted the proposed system in 2010, there is little evidence to show that the new system produced more moderate candidates out of primary elections, Weissert said. Tom Wells, a former Democratic candidate for Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, disagrees. “I am willing to vote for amend-
ment three and take my chances, take our chances, take my grandchildren’s chances on the fact that the [no party affiliation voters] will moderate both rather extreme positions,” Wells said. Although Wells supports the amendment, he said it’s only a halfstep. He said ranked-choice voting, where voters can rank candidates in order of preference, would be another step to ensuring everyone is represented. In Florida, the city of Sarasota approved ranked-choice voting in 2007 but has yet to implement it into elections. The former congressional candidate said open-primary systems would force candidates to engage with people outside of their party and consider other points of view. Wells canvassed to voters with noparty affiliation for over a year before the Aug. 18 primary, he said. “We need to let everybody have a decision in the primary as to what path of destruction we’re going down,” Wells said. “Really fast, or slightly slower.”
swalker@alligator.org @swalker_7
How the Beat Tee tradition is continuing this Fall THE ANNUAL TRADITION IS MOVING TO A CONTACTLESS GIVEAWAY
By Rachel Slay Alligator Staff Writer
The Beat Tee tradition is one of many Fall traditions that has been forced to adapt to the special circumstances brought by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In previous years, hundreds of students lined up outside Emerson Alumni Hall to get an exclusive Beat Tee, a custom designed shirt saying “Beat” UF’s football opponent for that week. This year, due to COVID-19, virtual RSVP-links will allow students to participate in the contactless giveaway. Beat Tees are normally given out by the Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow association on the Friday morning before home games during every football season. Each shirt has a unique design, and students, parents and alumni collect the shirts every season. The Beat Tee giveaway is organized by the Florida Cicerones through STAT, the student wing of the UF Alumni Association. STAT picks five major football home games during the Fall semester to make shirts for its members. In other years, 1,500 shirts were made for every game. That number was reduced to 1,000 this year, Lanie Hibbs, STAT vice president for the Florida Cicerones, wrote in an email. This year, because members cannot line up in anticipation for the Beat Tees, RSVP links for a giveaway will be emailed and posted on the STAT Instagram. Interested participants share their alumni ID and shipping address. The shirts will be shipped to members at no extra cost. Beat Tees bring a lot of excitement for STAT members, Hibbs said, so the tradition needed to be kept alive during this unprecedented time. Rather than getting up early to wait in line, members are expressing their excitement through likes and messages on Instagram,
Hibbs wrote. “Things like this have shown me personally that even with a loss of physical togetherness, there is still community to be found,” Hibbs wrote. “In my eyes, that’s the beautiful thing about the University of Florida as a whole.” Hibbs and her team put in work in the months leading up to the first Beat Tee announcement on Tuesday, she said. The first tee is “BEAT USC” for the game against South Carolina on Oct. 3. Students are eligible for a Beat Tee when they purchase a student membership on the UAA website. The annual membership is $40 for all students, but a four-year membership is available to incoming freshmen at $70. Rishi Kondapaneni, an 18-year-old UF biology and psychology sophomore, decided to come to UF from St. Louis, Missouri, after feeling a strong sense of community in UF during his campus tour in high school. He said that the Beat Tees are an example of that. During his freshman year, Kondapaneni stood in line for a “BEAT LSU” shirt for three hours, on a cold October morning. “I remember all of my friends and I were in shorts and a t-shirt and it was like 50 degrees outside. We were like, man, this kind of sucks, but you know you gotta do it for the t-shirt,” Kondapaneni said. When he and his friends joined the line at 6 a.m., about 200 people were waiting, he said. As time passed, more people joined the line until what seemed like 500 people were all waiting to get one of these shirts. For Kondapaneni, BEAT Tees, and the tradition behind them, are about more than just t-shirts. “By doing it this year, there’s a great amount of resilience and solidarity being shown by the university and the UF Alumni Association,” Kondapaneni said. “It’s an amazing way to bring happiness.”
rslay@alligator.org @racheljslay
6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
A community in mourning demands more Black therapists GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS AND ACTIVISTS CHALLENGE BLACK MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA By Edysmar Diaz-Cruz Alligator Staff Writer
Sometimes Chanae Jackson feels like the weight of the world rests on her shoulders. Jackson juggles her role as a community organizer with being a self-employed mother of three and a godmother of two. She hosts a discussion-based talk show called “LOUDD” Conversations, which streams on Facebook Live every Wednesday. The talk show’s mission is to inform and empower its listeners by discussing political, cultural and social issues. Following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by a now-fired police officer in Minneapolis, protests spread across the U.S., sparking a national outcry on systemic racism. It was an emotionally draining time for Black Americans and their mental health. Now, Gainesville’s Black residents say there’s a need for more Black therapists. Through “LOUDD” Conversations, Jackson said she hopes to create a space for members of East Gainesville’s community to discuss Black and African American issues on a local and national scale. Jackson and her three co-hosts, Ty Loudd, Keyon Young and Nate Turner, tackle topics ranging from cultural appropriation to developments on the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement. In early September, Jackson and her co-hosts dedicated an episode
to mental health within Black communities because the hosts themselves felt mentally drained, Jackson said. In the episode titled “Black Trauma Matters,” the four hosts discussed PTSD, what they called posttraumatic slave disorder, and how society perceives Black Americans as being able to sustain more pain and grief. “We live in a society where, as a Black person, you can’t weep,” Jackson said. To Jackson, Black counselors and mental health professionals can offer insight into mental health and race. Jackson struggled to find a Gainesville therapist for her daughter. She said she wanted someone who would be patient and empathetic with her fifth grader, who needed help with anger management. So, she looked for a Black counselor. “He was able to understand that the manner in which you communicate with her is different because she’s a Black little girl and her communication style is different,” Jackson said of the counselor. “She’s had other counseling that was helpful but not nearly as effective as it was with that Black counselor.” Amanda Ashley, a 32-year-old licensed mental health counselor and life coach, is passionate about uplifting other Black therapists. A resident of Northwest Gainesville, Ashley features local Black-owned businesses on her professional website and hopes to begin a list of Black therapists soon. She said her peers face obstacles when attempting to become licensed therapists — even years after obtaining their undergraduate degrees. The largest one is the
Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff
Chanae Jackson searches for a land surveyor online at her home office in Ocala, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Jackson is self-employed, has five different businesses and is setting up a website for her community work called “The Accidental Activist.” She said being self-employed helps keep other people from silencing her voice. $300 fee to get licensed, she said. “A lot of us don’t have the opportunities or resources that people of other ethnicities may have,” Ashley said. “It’s a barrier within our culture.” She said she remembers feeling undervalued at a former job, which would only hire her as a master’s level clinician. Ashley needed to accumulate 1,500 hours of supervised
Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff
Chanae Jackson enters FedEx to mail refinancing documents in Ocala, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Her responsibilities as a self-employed woman include mailing paperwork, answering phone calls, training, keeping up with certifications and billing.
experience before she could apply for and take her licensing exam. Supervisors were scarce and Ashley had to search elsewhere. During that time, Ashley was unable to afford housing, and later, the fees to take her exam, which would allow her to apply for a higher-paying job. “My whole process has been filled with a lot of obstacles,” she said. “I’ve been homeless. I’ve been in jail. I’ve faced a lot of adversity, a lot of judgment.” It’s difficult for Black patients to receive the mental health help they need, Ashley said. Many have trouble navigating Medicaid and knowing what facilities or private practices may accept them. Mei Lavaud, a 20-year-old UF sociology sophomore, began her search for a therapist in May 2019. Her efforts to find one, both at UF and throughout Gainesville, were unsuccessful. Lavaud faced the obstacle of finding practices that would accept her insurance, take new patients or even just answer her phone calls. Most of the available therapists were white men, she said. “I knew that wouldn’t really be helpful to me because I know how Black people are usually perceived,” she said. “When it comes to therapy, they will diagnose you with having anger issues or an attitude problem before they actually diagnose you with something serious.” Her search ended six months later, about five hours away in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale. Every two weeks, she’d drive south to see her Afro-Latina therapist.
Lavaud’s family moved to the U.S. from Haiti when she was 3 years old, and she said she identifies as Afro-Caribbean. Almost two decades later, she remembers her mother’s words upon their arrival. “The first thing my mom did was sit down and say ‘You’re Black, so you have to act a certain way, to be accepted,’” Lavaud said. “That was something that I’ve had to carry with me my whole life.” Lavaud said she pressured herself throughout her studies, often overexerting herself, to prove she could succeed at the same rigor as her white peers at UF. Earlier this year, the publicized deaths of black lives added to her anxiety, such as George Floyd and, later, Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot in her sleep by four police officers in Louisville, Kentucky. “It was this never-ending cycle of seeing more Black people dying,” she said. “Every time you log onto social media, it’s another hashtag. Another face. Another story.” To Lavaud, Black communities should seek mental health counseling because many often turn to prayer and religious leaders. The Black community should disconnect from social media and lean on one another for support, she said. “Things are starting to change, but still needs a whole lot of work,” Lavaud said. “We need more Black therapists.”
@EdysmarDiazCruz ediaz-cruz@alligator.org
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 www.alligator.org/the_avenue
CULTURE
Hispanic and Latinx-owned small businesses to support during Hispanic Heritage Month RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND OTHER SERVICES REPRESENTING HISPANIC AND LATIN CULTURE
By Samantha Chery Avenue Staff Writer
Despite living through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, several businesses and restaurants in Gainesville represent cultures of love, hard work and community through this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month. National Hispanic Heritage Month commemorates the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. The month of celebration begins Sept. 15 and lasts until Oct. 15 each year, overlapping with eight Latin American countries’ independence days. People of various cultures come together to enjoy the food, music and talents of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. Here are some Hispanicowned businesses in Gainesville. La Aurora Latin Market & Mi Apá Latin Café “All the little things you normally miss that you can’t find in town — that’s our specialty,” said Peter Ynigo, who coowns La Aurora Latin Market and Mi Apá Latin Café with his wife, Aurora. When the Ynigos arrived in Gainesville from Miami in 1995, they couldn’t find a lot of international food in grocery stores. So four years later, they created their own store, La Aurora, located at 3733 W. University Ave., which they stocked with goods they bought in South Florida. In 2003, the couple founded Mi Apá
to provide customers with alreadycooked meals like arroz con pollo and Cuban sandwiches with plantain chips. Over the years, Mi Apá, located at 114 SW 34th St. and 15634 NW Highway 441, has connected Gainesville’s Hispanic community through food, music, salsa classes and domino tournaments, Ynigo said. It’s provided learning experiences for students on a field trip ordering their meals in Spanish and a couple keeping the Spanish heritage alive for their adopted Honduran daughter. “Culturally, you’d be amazed how similar we are and at the same time how different we are,” he said. Serenity Beauty Lounge Serenity Beauty Lounge offers manicures, pedicures, nail extensions, body waxing and eyelash extensions, according to its website. The lounge, at 1212 NW 12th Ave., is led by Sofia Lopez, a Mexican American who has been doing nails for more than 20 years. Lopez said Serenity Beauty Lounge experienced a dip in customers during the pandemic, as the luxury of getting nails done professionally is one of the first things to be cut out of a budget. However, the salon has been following safety protocols and has increased sanitization. J’s 503 Barbershop After years of cutting hair at different barbershops in Gainesville, finally having his own shop was “a dream come true” for Israel Mujica, the 37-yearold owner of J’s 503 Barbershop, at 5109 NW 39th Ave. Suite D. He said his favorite part of the job is meeting people from different countries and cultures. Mujica moved
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with his family to the U.S. from Puerto Rico when he was 16 years old. During Hispanic Heritage Month, he plays Spanish music and serves food from Mi Apá at the barbershop to show pride and celebrate the dream he fulfilled in his new home. “It’s awesome to be a business owner here in Gainesville and to help a lot of people,” he said. He’s loved supporting his former employees who have gone on to run their own shops. Since J’s 503 Barbershop’s inception in 2014, Mujica has given discounts on haircuts during back-to-school season for low-income families. Chef JJ Creations Joshua Joseph is the Haitian American executive chef and owner of Chef JJ Creations, which offers private dinners, meal prep and catering services, according to its website. The company describes the food as a Caribbean fusion and serves meals including Rasta pasta, barbecue jerk nachos and seafood boils with crab and jumbo shrimp. Chef JJ Creations has also held pop-up events at places like The Heart of Gainesville Thrift Store, Blackadder Brewing Co. and the Jonesville Persimmon and Fruit Tree Nursery. In March, the company collaborated with the local nonprofit Working Food to provide meals for Gainesville families battling food insecurity. Old San Juan Gastronomia Although Marta Antron, 49, owned businesses in Puerto Rico, she never wanted to be part of the food industry. But when she moved to Gainesville, she craved the authentic food from her culture. Thus, the Old San Juan
Gastronomia was created and has been operating for about three years, serving Puerto Rican dishes including Puerto Rican beef stew, empanadas and double-fried plantains. Thanks to the restaurant’s success, which is currently accepting delivery orders only, Antron said the Old San Juan Gastronomia plans to open a location at The Oaks Mall food court in November. “I just wanted to thank the Gainesville community for their support, for taking our food to their table and letting us be part of their family,” she said. Wyatt’s Coffee Wyatt’s Coffee in downtown Gainesville sells espressos, brews, teas and pastries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the coffee shop is only taking to-go orders and offers contactless pickup. Wyatt’s, located at 202 SE 2nd Ave., opened in 2018 and is currently owned by Gabriel and Aleena Chavez. Cintrón Cintrón is a new restaurant, located at 2441 NW 43rd St., that promises a Floribbean flavor. It draws from Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and Haitian cuisines to provide a twist on American contemporary food. Owner Hector Cintrón, 40, worked in South Florida restaurants for more than 18 years when he lost his job due to COVID-19. Restaurants weren’t hiring, so his family drummed up the support he needed to start his own business in Gainesville. Cintrón said it couldn’t have been possible without help from his family and his sister, Wanda, who co-owns the restaurant.
“As Puerto Ricans, we love to eat, we love to cook, and we want to bring that same culture,” he said. “We want to give everything out and make people feel comfortable.” Third House Books Third House Books, located at 400 NW 10th Ave., is a Latinx-owned independent bookstore stocked with a selection of indie reads highlighting marginalized voices. Third House Books is led by Heather Halak, a UF English and linguistics alumna. Although the physical location is currently closed to visitors, the bookstore is still selling books online. The shop has hosted “Meet the Author” events and an in-house book club. Elio Piedra Elio Piedra said he’s more than just a DJ — he’s an entertainer. The Cuban singer, dancer and percussionist strives to bring a fiesta to every gathering he’s invited to. To Piedra, the Hispanic and Latinx community is made of fighters and dream chasers, working hard to accomplish goals for a brighter future. They are passionate about family, love and being welcoming, and Piedra said he’s grateful for the welcoming community he’s found in Gainesville. “I see it as an everyday thing to keep celebrating our culture and our pride, our music, our food, to keep celebrating the fact that we have the opportunity to be here and enjoy a better life in the United States,” he said.
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Editorial
The right to party? Gov. DeSantis is on the wrong side of history
P
artying: it’s what college kids do. Partying during a pandemic? That shouldn’t be what college kids do. It is irresponsible for our governor to condone partying while our state and country is under siege by a pandemic. There is no shortage of photos on social media of people acting irresponsibly, especially this past weekend as many students enjoyed heavily breathing on one another as they watched the Gators’ glorious triumph over Ole Miss. If you looked around Midtown and Downtown Gainesville, you honestly wouldn’t be able to tell if there was a pandemic going on. It looked like a normal away game day with students flooding the streets and the bars. We are disappointed and not shocked that the rugged individualism of American culture has made for a society that cannot grasp the concept of caring for about people. Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t helped in the slightest. With his move toward the full reopening of bars and restaurants, DeSantis is very much putting our state further down a path toward disaster. The pandemic hasn’t been kind to DeSantis. No one wants to be the face of failure when it comes to the pandemic. We went from seeing columns that mused “Where Does Ron DeSantis Go to Get His Apology?” in May to “Florida governor owes an apology for blaming COVID-19 spike on ‘Hispanic’ workers” in June. In July, Florida emerged as the world’s new epicenter for COVID-19. A poll released by Florida Atlantic University this month noted that DeSantis’ approval among Florida voters has dipped and his disapproval has soared. In his latest gaffe, last week, DeSantis suggested that a “bill of rights” be created to protect college students who go out and party. “I personally think it’s incredibly draconian that a student would get potentially expelled for going to a party,” DeSantis said. “That’s what college kids do.” What a peculiar view from DeSantis on what rights deserve to be protected. Also stirring up a storm last week was DeSantis’ proposed legislation that criminalizes disorderly protests. Quickly condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union as being hostile to the First Amendment right to protest and earning mixed reviews from even law enforcement officers, the bill is pure political theater. Why else would DeSantis call on lawmakers to pass the bill via a special session in November instead of during the regular session this upcoming March? He hasn’t called on lawmakers to do the same to address Florida’s broken unemployment system or looming budget crisis. But wait, there’s more: Let us also not forget that DeSantis once again found himself on the wrong side of history last week by denying the restoration of civil rights to Desmond Meade, the man who spearheaded the felon voting rights restoration amendment that passed in 2018. Though Meade is able to vote because of his amendment, he still isn’t able to serve on a jury or join the Florida Bar until pardoned. Our state government in the meantime has spent over $1.7 million dollars to defend its 2019 law that requires felons to pay owed fees before being eligible to vote, a law civil rights groups call a poll tax. DeSantis once again made headlines last week when he asked Attorney General Ashley Moody to ask the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for raising money to help felons in Florida pay their fees. We wish Gov. DeSantis would reevaluate why he prioritizes the right to party over the right to public assembly or the right to vote. Fighting for the right of college students to party is a very strange hill to die on. Will history be kind to Gov. DeSantis? Probably not. Every day that passes, how much of a political disaster the COVID-19 pandemic is becomes clearer and clearer while the rest of the world watches in horror at the decline of the once great American nation. We are not proud of our country, state or governor.
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Dear Students
Letter from a concerned grandmother on the importance of voting
V
OTE vote.org turbovote.org rockthevote.org vote. gov nass.org fairvote.org headcount.org betterknowaballot.com Any of these websites will take you step-by-step to register to vote, get a mail-in ballot and find a polling place no matter where you live. Many young people between 18- and 30-years-old want to vote but don’t. Follow the directions on any of the above websites and you will vote. Young people can determine the outcome of this election. Your future depends on it. Whether it’s local elections or national, you have the power to change all our futures for the better. Don’t let the older generation be the ones to decide your future. A much higher percentage of over-60-yearolds vote, but YOU are a bigger chunk of the eligible voters. YOU must be the ones to determine YOUR future. VOTE. As Bernie Sanders said: “Are you willing to fight for that person who you don’t even know as much as you’re willing to fight for yourself?...Are you willing to fight for young people drowning in student debt even if you are not? Are you willing to fight to ensure that every American has health
care as a human right even if you have good healthcare? Are you willing to fight for frightened immigrant neighbors even if you are native born?” Can you do something about climate change and racial justice? Si se puede! Then VOTE! It’s easy. Go to one of those websites and register. Look for any state deadlines for either registering or applying for a mail-in ballot or for mailing it back. Each state is different, but the websites have it all covered. Then mail in your ballot, drop it off in a ballot box or go to the polls with a friend on early voting days or Election Day. Make a plan. Put it in your organizer. Do it now! Before it’s too late. You can also sign up at your local election office to be a poll worker! Please. Our lives depend on it.
Sincerely, Pat Kaplan A grandmother
Column
How counselors at the CWC are coping with the pandemic
A
s if college wasn’t stressful enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has sickened and killed people we know, amplified racial inequities and exploited our personal, social and institutional vulnerabilities. Within this context, the UF Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC) is launching a series of columns about mental health topics relevant to our campus. Students who contact the CWC tell us they are sad, angry and exhausted. People who were doing well before the pandemic are struggling. Students with challenges are more distressed and have fewer sources of support. For all of us, the ongoing fear and uncertainty places unprecedented demands on our mental health. During times of danger, we are hardwired to go into survival mode — and survival mode, while helpful, does not feel like thriving. Survival mode takes its cues from the part of our brain that evolved to keep us safe in the face of threats. When our ancient warning system activates, we fight, flight or freeze. These responses are useful in short bursts, but humans get traumatized when a heightened sense of threat becomes routine. Amidst this pandemic, danger could be anywhere, and for communities who have experienced additional harm, those threats are even more stark as COVID-19 strikes amid generations of trauma and health disparities. In U.S. popular imagination, mental health is mostly a matter of personal responsibility, not something intimately connected to broader conditions that affect well-being. Yet perhaps the crises of our time give us an opportunity to question this. What does it mean to be “mentally healthy” in a place that prizes some lives over others? Is that a reasonable expectation of individuals? What does mental health look like when we’ve lost so much of what we need, when we haven’t found a new normal yet or when the new normal is anything but normal? For mental health to be more than a meme, we must recognize our personal mental health is deeply impacted by the complex and powerful webs of which we are a part. It’s easy to get down on ourselves for what we do to survive (hello iPhone, ice cream and Netflix), unfairly applying old standards from our
thriving days to the ways we are now just trying to survive. While living with a sense of persistent threat right now is actually adaptive, it’s also helpful when we can take even mini-breaks from that kind of energy. Our mental health is inseparable from our environment, yet we can do certain things to reduce the chaos and restore moments — if not more — of relative calm and safety. I asked the CWC counselors and psychologists what they are doing to stay grounded, and I’ll end with a few of their responses. It’s important to remember no one, not even mental health professionals, can do everything. Most of us are just focusing on one or two ways to feel kind of okay. I try to do just one thing at a time. I move my body. Any kind of movement helps. I get outdoors, even for a short time. I’ve been writing down specific people and things for which I’m grateful. I set realistic expectations for myself. I thank myself for showing up, even if I didn’t perform perfectly. I make my bed. I limit my alcohol consumption. I focus on changing oppressive systems rather than beating myself up for struggling within them. I connect with my friends — phone calls can be a nice break from screens. I use a mindfulness app such as Insight (free), Headspace (reduced cost for students) and Calm. I listen to uplifting or fun music and podcasts. I put most of my attention on what I can control. I choose shows, movies and social media that educate, entertain and inspire. I keep experimenting to find out what I need from day to day. For more in-depth, personal conversations about mental health in college, check out the CWC Talks podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And as always, for students who would like to consult with a counselor, please call the CWC at 352-392-1575.
Sara Nash is a Clinical Associate Professor at the CWC.
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator. The Alligator encourages letters and columns from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 250 words. Columns should not exceed 750 words. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to fact-check and edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters and columns to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.
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solution on page 10 Release Release Date: Date: Monday, Tuesday,September September28, 22,2020 2020
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
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J UMB L E by David L. Hoyt 1
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4. 1985 3. Election of the president and vice president
8. Illinois Avenue 7. A pangram, in which every letter of the alphabet is used.
2. United Parcel Service (UPS)
6. A prickle of porcupines
1. The Himalayas
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 www.alligator.org/sports
COVID-19
UPD not in charge of social distancing By Declan Walsh Sports Writer
For the 80th consecutive year, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will welcome the Florida faithful into its concourses. However, for returning Gators fans, game days in Gainesville will look quite different. On Sept. 3, UF announced football games would be limited to roughly 20% capacity for spectators, meaning that 17,000 will be allowed in for next Saturday’s contest against South Carolina. The university also released an operational summary, providing more details on ticket collection, parking, restroom management and other aspects affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many other contests in Florida have faced criticism for their lax social distancing enforcement. Several high school football games have been attended by large and tightly packed groups of spectators. Even at the college level, Florida State faced criticism as fans failed to wear masks and maintain a proper distance.
These practices are prohibited in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Masks are required, and fans can only sit in every other row. Still, questions remain as to how the university will enforce these regulations. “The university police department will not be responsible for the application of mask and distance policies” “There will be police officers present at the game just like there normally would,” Lieutenant Scott Summers of the University Police Department, said. “Our role is largely the same as it has been. We aren’t in charge of maintaining social distancing.” Summers also stressed that fans should try to familiarize themselves with the operational summary for COVID-19 prevention and noted that fans can use the Florida Gators app to report a social distancing violation in the stadium. Robert L. Cook, a UF epidemiology professor, believes there are a few glaring oversights in the plan. “I think there are unclear penalties for violating the rules,” Cook
said. “If people are drunk in the stadium or fighting they can be kicked out. The same should go for fans violating procedures.” He also said the policy for skybox seating was problematic, as the arrangements allow up to four people in an elevator at a time. Cook called for the stadium to provide free masks for fans to use in the stadiums. Masks, especially disposable ones, are rather fragile. The elastic can break easily, which could lead to increased exposure to the virus. Cook highlighted the opening of Disney World as an example of a large outdoor gathering that didn’t lead to outbreaks of COVID-19, meaning these sort of events are possible amidst a pandemic. “The most important thing is keeping space. Physical space drops the risk of an outbreak a lot,” he said. Kyle Wood // Alligator Staff
dwalsh@alligator.org @dawalsh_UF
The University Police Department will not be in charge of social distancing when Florida plays South Carolina in its first home game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Fans can use the Florida Gators app to report a social distancing violation in the stadium.
Trask threw 6 TDs FOOTBALL, from pg. 1
Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff
UF quarterback Kyle Trask connected with tight end Kyle Pitts for four touchdowns in Florida’s win over Ole Miss on Saturday. UF QB Kyle Trask threw for six touchdowns and 416 yards, which ties current Bengals QB Joe Burrow for most touchdown passes thrown in an SEC opening game. Trask is the first Gator to throw six touchdowns in a game since Chris Leak in 2004.
Gators ranked No. 3 in AP Poll
the offense were relentless, the defense couldn’t resist relenting. Mississippi compiled 613 total yards. Matt Corral sliced through the Gators defense and picked up 445 total yards. There were a few wins for the Gators defensively, however. They sacked Corral four times and edged the Rebels in total tackles 80-77. But the rust was more than obvious. The team had little time to prepare defensively, as Mullen frequently mentioned the team’s lack of time to prepare for the season. But they have to acclimate themselves quickly. In the secondary, Rebels junior receiver Elijah Moore made 227 yards out of ten receptions. Overall, Mississippi averaged 18.5 yards per reception. The Gators didn’t get a break either on the ground as they gave up 170 yards.
Florida moved up one spot in the Associated Press’ college football poll after its win over Ole Miss on Saturday, bypassing the Georgia Bulldogs to become the third best team in the nation. UF is the second-highest ranked SEC team in the nation behind Alabama and it is also No. 3 on the coaches’ poll.
“They did a great job of getting their talented guys the ball in the same way we did, of creating matchups,” Mullen said. “We’ve just got to get cleaner and better for next week.” Whether the defense picks up the pieces in a week remains to be seen. South Carolina put up 379 total yards against Tennessee Saturday, and the Volunteers narrowly beat the ‘Cocks 31-27. Florida remains the heavy favorite for the matchup against the ‘Cocks. Whether it will serve as another way to break the defense back into its old habits won’t be found until the game clock reads zero. But Florida will rarely hang 50 on a team, and against stiffer opponents later this season, the defense will need to match the offense’s edge if Florida wants to find itself in the College Football Playoff.
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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
SOCCER
Florida earns draw against No. 8 Georgia in season opener By Declan Walsh Sports Writer
Cameron Hall pounded the ground in frustration. Her golden opportunity to grab a late winner against the No. 8 team in the nation fell harmlessly into Georgia goalkeeper Emory Wegener’s arms as the crowd put their hands behind their heads in the stands of Donald R. Dizney stadium. After a long-awaited return to SEC soccer, UF earned a point in a gritty 1-1 draw against the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida looked dominant and controlled possession throughout the first half, as No. 8 Georgia was largely content to let the Gators be on the ball. However, UGA generated the better scoring opportunities in the first 10 minutes. An effort in the seventh minute was deflected, ultimately falling comfortably into the arms of UF’s senior keeper Susi Espinoza. A minute later, Espinoza was nearly caught off her line, as a long-range effort from Georgia forward Mollie Belisle was fired just over the goal. Despite their methodical buildup, the Gators’ 12th-minute breakthrough came from a direct play. Junior defender Georgia Eaton-Collins played a long ball up from midfield, finding senior Deanne Rose behind the Georgia back three as she managed a tidy finish into the left side of the goal. Florida, 1-0. UF had an opportunity to double its advantage three minutes later, as Eaton-Collins rose for an uncontested header but failed to make contact.
Florida continued to look for a second goal, as a 22nd-minute free-kick fizzed just wide of the left post. Four minutes later, a UF corner was kept in the danger area after a poor punch. The Gators were ultimately denied by the strong right hand of Wegener. UGA grew into the game in the last 15 minutes of the first half. Georgia’s Weldon Korker took a left-footed effort that narrowly missed the top right corner, and a 38th-minute strike had Espinoza at full stretch, as Abby Boyan just fired outside of the left post. Ultimately, UGA was gifted an equalizer off a poor pass across the back line. Georgia forward Chloe Chapman intercepted the pass around midfield and was clear on goal. She fired a leftfooted effort past Espinoza to tie the game at one with five minutes remaining in the first half. UF was certainly the stronger team through the first half, maintaining 72 % possession and creating better opportunities. The Bulldogs came out of the locker room displaying intense pressure that echoed from their 1-0 upset victory last weekend against South Carolina. The Gators struggled to keep possession and committed several turnovers in their defensive third. A sloppy back pass from Florida’s Laney Steed five minutes after the break led to a UGA chance from ten yards out. Espinoza was able to do just enough to force the shot wide, keeping the game tied at one. Espinoza came to the Gators’ rescue once again in the 63rd minute as Georgia attacker Kayla Bruster was left unmarked at the back post. Espinoza got down to her left quickly,
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pushing the ball away from the danger area. Coach Becky Burleigh praised her keeper for this save, describing it as a game-changing moment. Burleigh mentioned that her team was prepared for the Bulldogs to transition from a mid block into a higher press, and eventually, Florida adapted to Georgia’s pressure. In the 70th minute, the Gators forced a pair of smart saves from Emory Wegener. Rose found herself in space after running behind Georgia’s left wing back and center back, but she held onto the ball too long as Wegener was off her line quickly enough to snuff out the opportunity. Shortly after Alivia Gonzalez turned her defender and struck the ball towards the bottom corner. Wegener made an excellent save, forcing the shot out for a corner and kept the game tied at 1-1. With overtime looming, both teams played positive soccer and looked for the win. The best opportunity from this spell came in the 82nd minute as UF piled on the pressure and fired a shot just over the crossbar. It appeared that Florida found the winner with just 15 seconds remaining in overtime, as Cameron Hall found herself with an open header ten yards from goal. She skied her effort and Georgia escaped to Athens with a point, marking the first time the Bulldogs have earned a result in Gainesville since 1995. UF will host Alabama on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m., where coach Burleigh expects to see an improved performance. “It was a really physical game, I think there
were like 20 fouls, which isn’t really our style of Play,” Burleigh said. “And the fact that we were able to step up and handle that says a lot about our team. “We need to improve upon our technical ability and tactics and build momentum in a real week leading up to a game. That’s going to be so nice.”
dwalsh@alligator.org @dawalsh_UF
Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff
UF goalkeeper Susi Espinoza puts down a goal kick in Florida’s win against Georgia. She had four saves over the course of the game.
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