October 5, 2020

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 6

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Unmasked students, fans return to pre-pandemic partying habits on game day FOLLOWING THE GATORS’ WIN AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA SATURDAY, STUDENTS AND FANS CELEBRATED AT BARS AND WATCH PARTIES

Staff Report More than 200,000 Americans are dead and the U.S. president is in the hospital with COVID-19, but UF students partied on.

From morning past midnight, UF students, alumni and Gator football fans alike celebrated the first home game by throwing crowded house parties, tailgating and filling up bars.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Florida’s Phase 3 reopening plan Sept. 25, prohibiting local governments from closing businesses or enforcing capacity restrictions. Florida has more than 700,000 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday morning, and more than 14,000 deaths.

Floridians, national visitors celebrated game day Zachariah Chou // Alligator Staff

More than 50 people are seen waiting outside of Main Street Bar and Billiards, located in Downtown Gainesville, on Saturday night, after the first home football game.

Fans from Texas to New Jersey and everywhere in between traveled to the Swamp to see the Gators face off against the South Carolina Game-

cocks. UF opened a fifth of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s seats, but fans overflowed into Gainesville’s backyard tailgates and watch parties at off-campus houses.

People walked around Gainesville maskless in bright blue and orange jerseys, hats, beads and shirts. Some fans didn’t wear their masks until they stepped through the stadium’s metal detectors.

Grace Mullen flew from Columbia, South Carolina, the opposing team’s city, with her sister to support her team and party. The University of South Carolina has had 2,414 positive COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1, according to the university’s website.

The pair started their day drinking at 9 a.m. before going to a party at The Standard, an apartment complex on University Avenue. They watched the game in an off-campus house and later ended the night at Fat Daddy’s, a bar and restaurant at Midtown.

She came to Gainesville last year to tailgate and said the parties were smaller this year.

“They made it the most fun it could be,” she said. “It’s more tame this time. It’s a lot more cautious

SEE GAME DAY, PAGE 5

FOOTBALL

Gators pick up second win but still have much to answer for

By River Wells Sports Writer

A win is a win.

And while UF’s victory over South Carolina wasn’t particularly ugly, the 38-24 final score was just a millimeter closer than it was last week. Coach Dan Mullen will be the first to tell you that the Gators have a few more beasts to slay before they reach the top of college football’s proverbial mountain.

“I think we’ve got to get a lot better,” he said after the game on Saturday. “We certainly have to get a lot better with how we finished the game. Offensively, should have finished the game much sooner.

Defensively, have the opportunity to get off the field.”

Despite the win, Florida fell to the No. 4 spot in the nation. But it will need to improve on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball if it wants to avoid a further fall down the polls.

Offense

As Aerosmith would say, it was the “Same Old Song and Dance” for

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Love in the time of COVID-19

Florida.

Senior quarterback Kyle Trask threw four touchdown passes on Saturday to tack on to the six he threw at Ole Miss last week. Half of those scores found their way into the hands of junior tight end Kyle Pitts, who netted four receptions for 57 yards. Mixed with an Evan McPherson field goal and a touchdown on the ground from running back Dameon Pierce, UF went to the half with a 10-point lead.

In the second half, though, that success started to dwindle.

“I didn’t think we played exceptionally well today offensively, to be honest with you,” Mullen said.

“We made some critical errors in the course of the game.”

Florida managed 14 points in the third quarter, but came up with nothing in the fourth. The Gators only picked up nine yards of offense in the last quarter of the game, with two turnovers, two punts and around half as many total yards (348) as they accumulated last week (642). There was reason for concern among the Gators

A UF professor Story description is in finish on awith nationwide comma,lawsuit pg# over the legality of the shutdown of K-1 fiancé(e) visas, pg. 4

offensive unit.

“With the capability and potential of our offense, the playmakers that we have, we expect to score every single time we have the ball, Trask said. “And we should have scored every time we have the ball.

We’ve just got to go out and do a better job of cleaning up those little things.”

There were some positives, however. Pierce scored his first rushing touchdown of the year and averaged almost six yards per carry. Florida also got the ball to nine different players in the passing game, showcasing its depth fairly well.

The team has work to do before facing the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday at Kyle Field, but despite that, Mullen still has confidence in his squad’s ability to move the football.

“Our guys came out and made plays when we needed to make them at critical moments of the game. We made the plays we needed to win,” Mullen said. “We want to play better.”

Defense

Damage that’s half as bad is still damage.

The Gators gave up 329 total yards on Saturday, and they lost the turnover battle 2-1. The Gamecocks had more first downs than UF (25-18), and running back Kevin Harris rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

“All these third-down conversions, they’re just learning lessons to help us execute next time,” defensive back Kaiir Elam said after the game. “I feel like we should come off the field every third down, but if that’s not the case, you can’t dwell on it.”

While the defense came up with a much-needed stop at the end of the game and played well enough to stave off the Gamecocks, it’s becoming clear that the unit needs to improve if it wants to compete with other SEC powerhouses.

“I mean, we gave up 11 conversions today. We gave up good opportunities, whether it’s third or fourth down, so we’ve got to do a better job getting off the field,”

A look into students’ college at home life

Students who chose not to return to Gainesville are leveling with college life from their childhood bedrooms, pg. 6

Teachers open up about a tough decision

Alachua County Public School teachers discuss their choice to leave the classroom for their own safety, pg. 4

Mullen said.

Next week, against a Texas A&M team that put up 450 total yards against a stout Alabama defense — in a blowout loss, but impressive nonetheless — Florida will need to step up defensively with a secondary that was missing players like safety Brad Stewart Jr. for the second week in a row. And while the Aggies struggled previously against a poor Vanderbilt team, the Gators will need to bring their best if they hope to maintain an unbeaten path this season.

Preparation for Saturday, though, won’t look any different than it usually does.

“Every second of the game concerns me about us getting better,” Mullen said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a game that every second didn’t concern me. So this week will be no different than any other week.“

@riverhwells rwells@alligator.org

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

Mixed reactions to Today’s Weather Florida Phase 3 reopening

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 6

NEWSROOM:

CITY OFFICIALS, BUSINESSES DIVIDED ON REGULATIONS

By Thomas Weber Alligator Staff Writer

Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the floodgates a week before UF’s football home opener: Bars and restaurants no longer have state-mandated capacity restrictions.

DeSantis announced Florida’s Phase 3 reopening Sept.

25. The plan prohibited local governments from closing businesses and enforcing COVID-19 guidelines through fines or limited restaurant capacities.

Because of Alachua County’s rising cases this semester, Gainesville city officials have been critical of the governor’s decision.

Alachua County’s 14-day average positivity rate is 6.5%, and Sept. 11 saw the county’s highest number of positive cases in a single day — 225, according to its COVID-19 dashboard. More than a third of the county’s positive cases — 3,212 — have occurred since Aug. 31, the beginning of UF’s Fall semester.

UF’s mask and distancing policies won’t be affected by the governor's order, said UF spokesperson Steve Orlando. He said the school’s policies will remain in accordance with the Florida Board of Governors’ guidance.

DeSantis’ Phase 2 of reopening began June 3, where bars, restaurants and businesses were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity. Despite this plan initially excluding South Florida, Phase 2 preceded Florida’s largest surge in cases, which peaked in mid-July as tens of thousands were infected.

In a Facebook post Sept. 25, Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe said he was “extremely disappointed” with the governor’s order. The next day, Poe shared a letter he and County Chair Robert Hutchinson wrote to the governor, asking him to reconsider his decision.

Phase 3 vs. Local government

The Phase 3 order prohibits local governments from closing businesses or using fines or penalties to enforce COVID-19 guidelines, and restaurants cannot be forced to operate below 50% capacity. If local governments wish to limit capacity, they must appeal to the governor by explaining the health benefits and economic risks of a capacity limit.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called Florida’s reopening “very concerning” Sept. 28.

Poe and Hutchinson urged DeSantis to allow more flexibility for local governments to enforce COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.

Since Sept. 20, the county’s median age for positive cases has fluctuated between 21 and 29 years old, according to Florida’s COVID-19 summary. Throughout the pandemic, the vast majority of the county’s cases, 41%, have been in the 15 to 24 age range, but these ages only account for 3% of hospitalizations.

Meanwhile, Alachua County’s 65- to 74-year-olds have accounted for only 5% of cases, but they account for the most hospitalizations — 22%, or 93 people — and the most deaths — 30%, or 19 people. For 75- to 84-yearolds, 19 people have died.

City Commissioner David Arreola said with the month’s rise in cases, this is the wrong time to reopen the state.

“We are really coming off of our largest surge,” Arreola said. “This is the wrong time to be going backwards, and really, this isn’t just going backwards; it’s completely undoing months of work.”

Because Phase 3 limits local government restrictions, the city and county will no longer send code enforcers to businesses that violate COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Alachua County stationed code enforcers outside of businesses up until Sept. 15, handing out masks and ensuring staff and customers were in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Until that point, the county reported approximately 98% mask-wearing compliance at those select businesses.

Missy Daniels, Alachua County growth management director, said the county will encourage businesses to continue mask and distancing policies. She said the county will not send code enforcers anymore.

Arreola said up until now, the city opted to close businesses for violating guidelines until they remedied whatever issue they had, rather than giving fines or penalties.

Appealing to the governor to maintain COVID-19 enforcement requires the local government to report potential economic risks of COVID-19 restrictions, which Arreola said would be a difficult and unnecessary process

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Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications Inc., of Gainesville, Florida

for businesses, considering the challenges of reopening and managing influxes of customers. He said they’d likely have to present income balance sheets, possibly through the last five years.

“It's an academic exercise to go through quantifying the economic cost, and so it's nonsense for the governor to expect that,” he said.

Phase 3 and local businesses

Some businesses are maintaining safety restrictions as they reopen despite the city’s now-limited ability to enforce COVID-19 guidelines.

The High Dive, a music venue in downtown Gainesville, will reopen with strict mask and distancing policies in place, said its facility and event manager, Patrick Lavery.

“This isn’t going to be a free-for-all,” Lavery said.

“We've very carefully considered what we need to do, and we've created guidelines and we're gonna stick to them.”

He said the High Dive will enforce a masks-at-all-times policy indoors, and before people enter, they must be covered. He said the High Dive will provide — and eventually sell — masks to customers who need them.

With live music mostly obsolete this year, the High Dive was closed for over six months, which Lavery said was devastating. It cost about $10,000 every month to remain closed.

He said reopening shouldn’t be a black or white issue, because while the health risks are real, so are the personal and economic impacts of businesses like his remaining closed.

“It's gut wrenching,” he said. “You're basically spending your entire day, every day just trying to figure out how you're going to survive, and you know, trying to lobby politicians.”

Lavery said they will provide indoor, seated shows in the coming weeks. Capacity will be reduced, and mask guidelines will be enforced, he said. People will only be allowed to drink in the outdoor beer garden, so there’s no reason to take masks off indoors.

Some businesses have received criticism for neglecting COVID-19 guidelines with their reopenings.

A controversial photo circulated around social media of about 40 people lined up outside of DownTown Fats Bar Sept. 21, tightly packed and maskless. The bar’s manager that night said the crowd gathered before the bar opened, so employees weren’t able to enforce distancing guidelines yet.

That night, the bar underwent a “soft relaunch,” only marketing through word of mouth. The manager said staff addressed the distancing problem as soon as the bar opened.

Other bars have had similar crowds lined up outside, maskless and non-distanced, including Lit at Midtown.

The bar’s Facebook page has numerous pictures of people grouped together without masks.

Lawrence Clay, owner of Bricks Nightclub and Lit at Midtown, said customers’ temperatures are checked at the door and they will need masks to enter, but he will not enforce any capacity, distancing or mask policies inside either nightclub.

“People can choose to wear masks when they come in; we do require masks when they come in,” he said.

“But they can take them off when they get in there, and it is what it is.”

He said because student house parties haven’t had distancing or capacity restrictions, his nightclubs shouldn’t have to either.

“They’ve been having house parties for the last six or seven weeks, and all these kids have already caught it [COVID-19],” he said. “There's no difference when you congregate to a nightclub.”

Lit at Midtown has been open since the summer, and Bricks opened Thursday. Both nightclubs’ full capacities allow for several hundred people at a time. Clay said he isn’t concerned about spreading COVID-19 because even more students are partying elsewhere, and he thinks the virus will never go away anyways.

“The governor had a stance and to me it made sense,” he said. “When does this s--- end? It’s not going to end bro — it’s not going to go away.” @thomasjohnweber tweber@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

UF professor fights, sues to see his fiancée again BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT’S VISA PROCESSING HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL

By Steven Walker Alligator Staff Writer

A white lace custom-made wedding dress, two golden wedding rings and a sage green suit have sat unworn in Matthew Baldwin’s closet for more than a year.

In March, the U.S. Department of State shut down travel and immigration to the U.S. from other countries in an attempt to slow the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown included limiting visas like the one Baldwin, a 35-year-old UF assistant psychology professor and U.S. citizen, was trying to get for his fiancée, Stephanie Rüegg.

Baldwin and Rüegg are part of a nationwide lawsuit with 184 other couples against the State Department in the D.C. District Court. The lawsuit filed Sept. 17 claims the State Department illegally shut down the processing of K-1 fiancé(e) visas.

In July, the State Department started processing visas again, but gave K-1 visas the lowest priority, according to the lawsuit.

Rüegg submitted her visa paperwork almost eight months ago, Baldwin said.

The State Department has not filed a response to the lawsuit as of Sept. 28.

Baldwin met Rüegg on a surfing trip to Morocco in March 2017. Rüegg is a 35-year-old Swiss citizen living in Germany.

The couple planned to get married as soon as Rüegg received her visa and arrived in the U.S., but the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.

“It’s like these people are fighting to the very end to literally block me from starting a family,” Baldwin said.

Jeff Joseph, the 48-year-old lead legal counsel for the plaintiffs of the lawsuit based out of Aurora, Colorado, said the change in immigration policy is not uncharacteristic of the Trump administration. The State Department’s reasoning behind the change is to keep the labor pool to U.S. citizens because of the pandemic’s effect on the economy, he said.

“They’re coming here on a family-based visa,” Joseph said.

“To use an economic justification for why you’re restricting it doesn’t make sense.”

Courtesy to The Alligator

Matthew Baldwin and Stephanie Rüegg read a poem at their engagement party in Kiefersfelden, Germany, in July 2019.

Joseph said the justification for the stoppage of K-1 visas is not fair because most fiancé(e)s are not coming to the U.S. simply for work. Even so, Joseph said most employers would not hire someone on a K-1 visa until they obtain an actual work authorization card, which could take four to five months.

Although Joseph represents 370 plaintiffs in the case, the number of people nationwide waiting on K-1 visa applications is unknown because they are still waiting on data from the State Department, he said. The State Department processed about 45,000 K-1 visa applications in 2019, according to department data.

One of the plaintiff’s main arguments cites the State Department’s own foreign affairs manual, which classifies fiancé(e) s as spouses during visa interviews, Joseph said. Because the State Department gave spousal visas top priority, so should K-1 fiancé(e) visas, he said. Additionally, the complaint argues the State Department was only directed to restrict the entry of non-

citizens, not restrict the issuing of visas.

A hearing on the case could come in the next few weeks, Joseph said.

The couple is optimistic about the case. Baldwin said he hopes to spend this Christmas with his fiancée in the U.S. Before the lawsuit, Baldwin said he begged and pleaded to elected officials and on social media for help. Once he joined the lawsuit, he began to feel real change, he said.

“I was not anticipating how good it would feel to have someone sort of fighting for what’s right, like on my behalf,” Baldwin said.

The couple moved to Gainesville in July 2019 when Baldwin took his job at UF. In October 2019, Rüegg’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization visa expired, and she returned to Germany.

Baldwin spent last Christmas in Germany with his fiancée, but didn’t see her again until August when they went on a short trip to the Dominican Republic. The couple has only seen each other four weeks in 2020.

The distance, complicated even further by the pandemic, has made it hard for the couple to stay in touch. Keeping connected over FaceTime for 11 months is virtually impossible, he said. A six-hour time difference separates Florida and Germany, so when Rüegg settles down after work, Baldwin is just sitting down for lunch.

They want to start a family, buy a house and settle down, he said, but it’s just not possible right now.

“It’s like our American dream has sort of been stolen from us,” Baldwin said.

Before the shutdown, Rüegg said the immigration system was complicated, but she and Baldwin had mastered it and made it work. But after trying to navigate the system during the shutdown, she now believes it’s broken.

Rüegg said once she gets to the U.S., she is looking forward to doing everyday things with her fiancé, like cooking and cuddling on the couch. She also wants to meet their nine-month-old blue heeler, Ziggy, for the first time.

“There’s so many insecurities that are just making you anxious about the future,” Rüegg said. “You just want to be with your partner when you’re anxious, right?” @swalker_7 swalker@alligator.org

COVID-19 pushed some Alachua County teachers to quit TEACHERS WITH IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FAMILY MEMBERS SAY THEY CAN’T RISK BEING IN THE CLASSROOM

By Sophie Feinberg Alligator Staff Writer

Eric Baez misses tying his tie each morning before heading to Eastside High School.

The 33-year-old computer science teacher played jazz or lo-fi hip hop in his classroom while his students worked. Now, the teacher left the profession after his first year due to health dangers.

Baez is one of a growing number of educators around the U.S. who left the classroom due to COVID-19. This trend has also been seen in Alachua County Public Schools. In the school district, 40 staff members have retired or resigned since August, said ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson.

Based on a review of school board agendas from 2019, the number is about double the number of resignations and retirements for the same period last year.

Forty-two instructional personnel were listed as resigning or retiring, according to four agendas from August through October 2019. There are 85 instructional teachers who are listed as resigning or retiring in the five agendas for the same time period this year.

Teachers across the U.S. say they are more likely to leave their jobs, according to a survey conducted by EdWeek, a news site focusing on education. Exact numbers of the national number of teachers who have resigned or retired are not available, but 21% of those surveyed by EdWeek said they were more likely to leave because of COVID-19.

A different poll by the National Education Association found similar results. About 30% of respondents said the pandemic has made them more likely to retire or leave teaching.

The trend in Alachua County mirrors these findings. For some teachers, the decision to quit comes from personal concerns.

For others, they must look out for family members who are more susceptible to the virus.

Baez said he decided to resign because his wife is immunocompromised.

“I had to make a choice between my career and my family,” he said.

He said he feels like he let his students, former colleagues and profession down.

Despite taking professional development courses over the summer, he made the difficult decision to resign after he found out he couldn’t teach virtually. State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran released an emergency order requiring schools to operate outside of a strictly digital fashion.

Baez said Eastside didn’t have many remote positions available.

He now spends his days teaching his elementary-aged children, who are taking classes through Alachua eSchool. His 9-year-old son is entering fourth grade, and his 5-year-old twins are entering kindergarten. His fourth grader switched over to Digital Academy because he missed seeing his friends.

Baez said he wants to return to the classroom because he only taught for a year. He said he thought he found his career and niche.

He was approved as an ACPS volunteer and hopes to begin virtual computer science projects soon.

While Baez has heard of teachers retiring, he said there’s a larger issue.

“What’s not really spoken about are the teachers that are not going to be coming back to the classroom, like myself, who are just beginning their career,” he said.

Victoria Holmes was also a former teacher at Eastside.

The 39-year-old, who has been teaching English since 2009, began working at Eastside two years ago. Before that, she taught at Lincoln Middle School and other schools across the state. Now, she resigned and is away from the classroom.

Holmes lives with her mother who has medical conditions that make her more susceptible to COVID-19.

She reached out to Eastside about a digital position but was also told there weren’t many.

Holmes misses being there to see her students realize they are good writers.

One of her favorite lessons was having students develop a creative writing portfolio. Students could write poetry, short stories or biographies.

“I think those are the most intriguing to me because they realize not only that words are powerful, but they were impactful,” she said. “They were healing. They were liberating.”

Holmes also focused lessons on Black history, showcasing a variety of Black journalists, poets and composers.

Holmes said it was sad to leave her students. She’s still trying to stay in touch with them, even writing recommendation letters or coaching them through their college application essays.

While out of the classroom, Holmes has been working more at her businesses, Literary Impressions, an editing firm, and More Than Expected Publishing, a boutique that helps writers get their stories to the marketplace.

Holmes said she isn’t sure if she will return to the classroom.

“When it comes to the safety and health of anyone, I think that’s the most important,” she said. “And I don’t think you should be forced to jeopardize that for anything.” @feinberg_sophie sfeinberg@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 ALLIGATOR 5

Definitely not ‘COVID-conscious’ GAME DAY, from pg.1 this year.”

UF students already stationed in Gainesville also celebrated the win.

Nick Weber, a 19-year-old UF mechanical engineering sophomore, hosted a watch party of about 20 people, where fellow students drank and watched the game outside around a TV he set up in the trunk of his van.

This was his first game day at UF after moving there for the semester, he said. Most people at the party were from UF’s surf club, which he joined last Spring.

“We’re pretty far from the beach, so it’s more of a drinking club than a surf club,” Weber said.

Other parties grew to hundreds of people.

Off-campus houses pumped music, cheers and bodies into the street. Cars lined the road and scooters zipped around pedestrians.

Tarps hiding crowds of partygoers hung over outdoor gates, and blankets covered house windows on Ninth Road south of Sorority Row. Below the tarps, hundreds of sneakers and heels crowded together while beer cans dropped to the ground.

At another outdoor house party on Southwest Sixth Avenue, students stood on rooftops singing along to an EDM remix of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and the thumping bass could be heard from blocks away.

GPD’s Party Patrol

The Gators’ wins come with consequences for the rest of the college town outside of the university.

Despite DeSantis’ orders, Alachua County’s mask ordinances are still in place, said Graham Glover, a Gainesville Police Department spokesperson. A volunteer police task force known as the GPD Party Patrol continues to enforce county protocols.

Although GPD has power over Gainesville’s public businesses, it’s

less likely to take action against mask violations on private residences, said Lt. Michael Schibuola, an officer who has been a part of GPD’s Party Patrol since it was created.

GPD founded the Party Patrol almost 20 years ago in response to game day parties that resulted in fights, Schibuola said. The effort is an extra duty assignment on weekends that officers can volunteer to help out with.

The patrol responds to noise complaints and reports of late-night parties, he said.

Last weekend, close to 20 complaints were reported to GPD, Glover said. A majority were noise complaints as opposed to parties, and no arrests were made by GPD officers on the party patrol.

For the Gators’ first game of the season, a win in Oxford, Mississippi, on Sept. 26 over the Ole Miss Rebels, Fat Daddy’s and Tatu Restaurant and Bar reached capacity by 9:30 p.m. Bar-goers stood in an hour-long line for Fat Daddy’s.

It’s up to bars to require masks inside or keep patrons from moving between tables and dancing on the dance floor. Only half of the bargoers wore masks on the sidewalks.

Inside the bars, people packed together on the dance floor, holding their drinks without masks on. One patron hugged the bouncer without a mask on.

The officers both agree that this number is higher than usual. However, Glover said he’s unsure if this can be attributed to game day.

During a home game, the party patrol usually notices an increase in complaints and reports, Schibuola said. The first football weekend of the season was busier than normal as officers patrolled apartment complexes and the nightlife in Downtown Gainesville and Midtown.

Even after the first home game against South Carolina, Glover said he’s confident that future home games will be different and doesn’t anticipate a significant increase in

Chasity Maynard // Alligator Contributor

A person is seen standing by a crowded line to enter DownTown Fats, located on University Avenue, on Saturday, Oct. 3 during the first home football game. complaints or reports.

With reduced capacity in the stadium and no tailgating, he said the circumstances are different, but the party patrol’s role will stay the same.

“We’re in uncharted territory,” Glover said. “We don’t know what will happen until we see it.”

Students cluster at bars in Midtown and Downtown

The partying didn’t end after the Gators’ win.

As the sun set, students climbed — and fell — over fences to escape dying house parties, leaving backyards full of empty beer cans. A trail of cans and masks led to the crowd’s next stop: the newly reopened Midtown and downtown bar scene.

Sweaty partygoers in mini skirts and orange-and-blue jerseys blew vape clouds while they waited in sardine-packed lines.

By 10 p.m., cars filled with more passengers than seats honked and revved their engines at stumbling students. Passengers, some with their legs hanging outside of win-

dows, kicked the night air as they screamed slurred hellos and other inaudible chants at passersby.

Downtown, about 40 mostly unmasked people stood outside White Buffalo and about 50 outside DownTown Fats. More than 20 people approached by The Alligator did not speak or want to be identified because of fear of social retribution.

A partygoer who was overheard said the party scene was hectic as they stood in a line with six other friends.

They said the scene was definitely not “COVID conscious” and felt like partygoers should be wearing masks.

People inside the bars weren’t respecting the recommended 6 feet distance from one another.

“But everyone’s trying to live their life the best they can and still be as safe as they can without losing sight of what life is right now,” a partygoer said.

At 11 p.m., about 150 people clustered around UF Plaza, located across the street from campus. Very few people near JJ’s Tavern and The

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Rowdy Reptile wore masks, and an even smaller number of those wearing masks had them over their nose. Partiers toppled and broke traffic signs, barriers and newspaper boxes.

This was similar to last weekend, when students made their way to the Midtown bar scene to celebrate the win against Ole Miss Sept. 26.

Carlos Daireaux, a 23-year-old UF general business senior, came out to Midtown bars at about 10 p.m.

“I live at the bars practically,” he said. “Now that they’ve reopened, we’re coming out again.”

Daireaux said he supports wearing masks and temperature checks but thinks they won’t be enough.

“Realistically, there will be another outbreak,” he said. “But if we’re all responsible, we can make it through.”

Alan Halaly, Asta Hemenway, Thomas Holton, Lianna Hubbard, Jack Prator and Thomas Weber contributed to this report.

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6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

Checking in with students who chose to remain at home this Fall WHY SOME STUDENTS DECIDED NOT TO RETURN TO UF AND HOW THEY ARE COPING WITH BEING AWAY FROM CAMPUS

By Abigail Hasebroock Alligator Staff Writer

Alyssa Pearson finds that every time she’s in one of her Zoom classes, one of her family members peeks around the door, asks her about what she is doing and attempts to carry a lengthy conversation.

The 21-year-old UF digital arts and science junior said she used to only visit her middle school bedroom littered with stuffed animals during vacations. Now, she’s there all the time.

“I feel more distracted here than I do on campus,” Pearson said.

Pearson was one of the 3,568 students who made the decision to cancel their oncampus housing contract for the 2020-2021 academic year. This year saw about 1,000 more on-campus housing cancellations than most years following the university’s decision to make most classes fully online, wrote UF Student Affairs Director Sara Tanner.

Pearson had plans to be a resident assistant in Beaty Towers this Fall, but she

ultimately decided to resign for her health and safety. The prospect of coming into contact with every individual going in and out of the building seemed dangerous.

RAs frequently have to be on call and respond to emergencies in person, which became an added risk, she said.

“I understand why it’s necessary because if there is an emergency, you can’t just handle it over the phone sometimes, but I just didn’t necessarily feel comfortable in that position,” Pearson said.

Though she feels safer at her home in St. Augustine, Pearson said she experienced technical challenges over the Summer when her laptop was not fully equipped to complete the assignments necessary for her 3D animation course. Upgrading her computer would have been too expensive.

“It’s kind of frustrating, and it’s even more isolating when you are the only person you feel like is going through these issues, and you can’t even meet with your professor,” Pearson said.

Pearson is not the only student who feels their online classes are more difficult from home.

Alexandra Vitiello, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, currently resides at home with her parents and two dogs, far away from the quiet campus. Vitiello said

now that the professors know they won’t be switching to an alternative format in the middle of the semester, she feels they are taking advantage of the situation by giving more work.

“They are making their lectures longer, or more lectures, and I’m just having a hard time keeping up with that in general,” Vitiello said.

Vitiello decided to stay home primarily because she is able to work more hours with her job at Publix in Pembroke Pines than at the Publix she normally works at in Gainesville. However, she plans to move back into her dorm room in the oncampus Keys Complex next semester with her two best friends.

“They do things like have Disney movie nights and good food,” she said. “I don’t want to miss that.”

Though she appreciates sleeping in a bigger bed at night and eating homecooked meals, Vitiello said she misses some of the responsibilities that living away from home offers.

“It is what it is, I chose to stay home, so that’s what I’m stuck with,” Vitiello said. “But I would love to have my own space again, because living on your own is fun and a learning experience, and I don’t feel as independent at home.”

However, not every student is planning

a return to UF in Spring.

Emily Jones, a 19-year-old UF microbiology sophomore, said she witnessed her mom and stepdad suffer through severe symptoms of COVID-19 after contracting it over the summer. Her stepdad was admitted to the AdventHealth DeLand hospital at one point due to breathing complications.

Jones spent most of the Summer confined to her room. After her mom became infected with COVID-19, Jones communicated with her primarily through text messaging, despite being in the same house.

“It was just really stressful, and I felt kind of helpless during this because there’s nothing you can really do,” Jones said.

Jones believes it’s part of her responsibility to stay home because it keeps others safe and it’s the best way for her to stay socially distanced. She also didn’t trust UF’s reopening plan given that COVID-19 rates soared across Florida over the summer.

“I feel like now we’re more learning to live with COVID, rather than trying to combat it,” she said. @abbeyhasebroock ahasebroock@alligator.org

Hispanic, Latino, Latinx: The struggle to name a common identity THE HISPANIC/LATINX COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN HOW TO LABEL THEIR IDENTITIES

By Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writer

Choosing one word to define the lived experience of millions of people isn’t an easy task.

Some people of Latin American or Spanish descent opt for Hispanic, others Latino, Latina or Latinx. There are also people who shy away from using any pan-ethnic term because they feel it erases their national identity. To some, the introduction of the term Latinx in everyday speech is just an attempt to force U.S. ideals into the Spanish language. For others, it signals a genuine attempt at fostering inclusivity.

Jessi Aaron, a professor skilled in sociolinguistics from the UF Spanish department, sees nuance in these terms.

“Using a word like that can be powerful to unite people as a front,” Aaron said.

“But at the same time, it can also erase huge differences in Spanish-speaking populations.”

A pan-ethnic term associates different ethnic groups together based on geographic, linguistic, religious or racial similarities, she said. People from the Latin American diaspora typically identify themselves with two major pan-ethnic terms: Hispanic and Latino.

Latino, the male default of the term, has been a term used to describe people from the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, though it excludes those from Spain and Portugal, Aaron said.

Some scholars believe the term Hispanic was popularized by former U.S. President Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election after he discussed winning the “Hispanic” vote. The term was received positively and later added to the 1980 Census.

With time, gender neutral iterations of the word Latino, such as Latin@, emerged but one gained traction in 2004: Latinx.

At UF, this term is used in student organizations like Hispanic-Latinx Affairs and the Caribbean, Latinx, and Latin American Exchange.

The widespread use of Latinx coincides with an international movement to introduce gender-neutral nouns and pronouns into gendered languages, Aaron said. Merriam-Webster Dictionary added the word Latinx to its English dictionary in 2018, citing gender inclusivity.

However, some oppose these changes.

The Real Academia Española, the longstanding official authority on Spanish language and grammar, publicly denied the attempt to undo the gendered structure of the language that same year.

To some opponents, the use of an x as a gender-neutral alternative in Spanish will change words like “amigos” to “amigxs,” making them more difficult to pronounce.

Another alternative that better follows the structure of Spanish and is also commonly used is an o-to-e substitution instead of o-to-x for words like amigos, Aaron said.

One instance of resistance to the gendered structure of Spanish that stands out to Aaron is when a committeewoman in Spain caused controversy for intentionally using the word “miembra.” The only grammatically correct form for the word is the masculine “miembro.”

While one in four U.S. Hispanics have heard of the term Latinx, only 3% of them actually use it, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study. Women aged 18 to 29 are most likely to identify with the term.

The small percentage of people who use Latinx may be attributed to the organized opposition to use of the term in English and Spanish.

To Kaylinn Escobar, an 18-year-old UF public health freshman, using the term Latinx is an easy switch to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.

“When I’m talking about a group of

people, I prefer the term Latinx,” she said.

“If it’s in an attempt to make non-binary people feel comfortable, why would you take away someone’s comfort just because you are opposed to the idea of it?”

Many indigenious languages utilize gender neutral identifiers, Escobar said, so this is a natural extension.

When Luis Murillo, a 19-year-old UF industrial and systems engineering freshman, first heard of the term about five years ago, he dismissed it as linguistic imperialism.

But after observing gender dynamics in school and educating himself on LGBTQ+ issues, he now favors using it. He said he’s more likely to use the term in a formal setting where he knows people of varying gender identities will be present but still identifies with Latino.

Catherine Gomez-Thompson, an 18-year-old UF art freshman, uses both

Hispanic and Latina to define her identity as a Colombian American woman.

“I enjoy using these terms to identify myself because it makes me feel like I belong to a community,” Gomez-Thompson said. “When I discovered Latinx at a speech and debate competition, I thought it was brilliant.”

Gomez-Thompson feels that addition of the x will help the Latin American community be accepting of more gender identities and help undo the patriarchal nature of Spanish-speaking culture.

“It comes down to how people are raised and how they grew up,” she said.

“If we start now with the new generation, the word will become more widely used in the future.” @AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org

Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 ALLIGATOR 7

UF first-generation students navigate college in the midst of a new reality FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS CONTINUE WORKING TO BE AN EXAMPLE IN THEIR FAMILIES AND AT UF AMID COVID-19

By Aurora Martinez Alligator Staff Writer

Sarah Gutierrez’s parents couldn’t tell her what to expect from college.

Gutierrez, an 18-year-old UF psychology freshman, is the first person in her family to attend college, though her experience so far has been online only.

Since COVID-19 began to spread in the U.S. in March, Gutierrez’s and the plans of other first-generation students have had to readjust. Navigating UF without familial guidance is challenging,

more so in the middle of a pandemic, but they have found ways to push forward.

Gutierrez is a UF Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarship and a Bright Futures recipient, which means all her educational expenses are paid for. Although she wanted to live on campus, she decided to stay home in Miami during the Fall due to the pandemic.

Before starting college, she said she was excited about finally arriving on campus and experiencing Preview, UF’s student orientation, in person.

When the semester went mostly online, she worried about not being able to meet people.

“I really wanted to at least know someone before going to college,“ Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez’s dad is Honduran

Shannon Ahern // Alligator Staff

and her mom Guatemalan. She said that as a first-generation student, their hard work and encouragement has kept her moving forward.

The First-Generation Leadership Program, an organization founded over the Summer, has taught the freshman the ins and outs of UF. FGLP focuses on expanding the access of first-generation freshmen to resources and leadership opportunities at UF. “Even though everything is virtual, I feel like this is enough for me,” Gutierrez said. “This program really is about lifting each other up and not competing with one another.”

As the first in his family to attend college, Daniel Badell, FGLP founder and 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, said he understands the struggles other first-generation students may go through and wants to help them succeed from their early stages at UF. “I knew that freshmen stepping into the program weren’t going to have the same university experience that I had as a freshman,” Badell said. “We were creating the program in the developments of COVID — in the development of the world turning virtual.”

This Fall, about 85 firstgeneration freshmen applied to be part of FGLP and only 30 were selected to ensure that mentormentee relationships will be strong throughout the year, Badell said. The program will conduct all of its meetings through Zoom.

It is important for firstgeneration students to have a community of people who have

had similar struggles as them to empower, support and motivate each other, Badell said.

About 15% of UF’s student population is first-generation, wrote in an email Erica Aguiar, the assistant director for the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars program and First-Generation Student Success.

Andrea Jorratt, a 20-year-old UF anthropology and microbiology and cell sciences junior, said the Summer was hectic. She was taking four UF online courses while at home in Davie.

“It was a lot of adjusting to new ways of taking classes,” Jorratt said. “Adjusting to new definitions of what it means to be a student at the university while there’s an ongoing pandemic.”

As a first-generation student, it felt difficult to meet new people and remain involved on campus this Summer, she said. However, she felt more productive because all she could do while at home was studying.

Being a first-generation student means setting an example in the family for future generations to follow, Jorratt said.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said.

“It’s a lot of stress because you always have that weight on your shoulder.”

Jorratt is now back in Gainesville but said if things become too stressful at any point in the semester, she could go home if she wanted.

For Mombo Ngu, an 18-yearold first-generation UF sociology sophomore, going online when the pandemic hit was difficult because she prefers learning in an in-person setting.

She had to adjust to online learning and being back home in Jacksonville with her mom and her 16-year-old sister.

“Trying to adjust back to living with your parents after you’ve been in school for so long could be like ‘Ah!’ kinda difficult,” Ngu said. “But I was able to adjust over time.”

Ngu didn’t have a designated space to study and take exams at home because her family lives in a small house and the three of them were always there, she said.

Though Ngu’s situation wasn’t optimal, she took two Summer A courses: statistics and medical terminology. Both courses went better than her courses in Spring because they were designated to be taught online, she said.

“Having that already virtual kind of expectation helped,” Ngu said.

Now, Ngu said she is glad to be back in Gainesville because she has her own space and more independence.

Ngu said being a firstgeneration student has taught her to be resilient when things don’t go as expected, which has helped her cope with COVID-19. When she realized the pandemic was not something she could change, she decided to move forward and focus on things she can control, such as her academic performance.

“You’re always pushing for success and pushing for a better life for yourself and your family,” Ngu said.

@AuroraCeciliaM amartinez@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 www.alligator.org/the_avenue

MUSIC

How to manage ‘maskne’ MEDICAL EXPERTS RECOMMEND CHANGING AND WASHING YOUR MASK OFTEN

By AJ Bafer Avenue Staff Writer

The COVID-19 pandemic has created plenty of everyday problems, like having to decide to order takeout for the fifth time this week, struggling to choose which show to binge and — most irritatingly — “maskne.”

Mask acne, or maskne, refers to skin impurities caused by the friction and rubbing in one’s mask, said Dr. Marjorie Montanez-Wiscovich, a dermatology clinical assistant professor at UF’s College of Medicine.

The now Instagram-famous affliction is a special type of acne called acne mechanica. The same condition occurs under sports players’ helmets, Montanez-Wiscovich said. It can be prevented by frequently washing cloth face masks and changing disposable masks often.

Oil control face wash brands like Neutrogena oil-free acne wash and Cetaphil oil control wash can be used to prevent oil accumulation and mask acne, she said. Some of her patients have also benefited from using sulfur-based soaps.

If those initial measures are not helpful, Montanez-Wiscovich said people can consider using acne treatment products containing benzoyl peroxide or glycolic acid. She said wipes with these ingredients are available online and at stores like Sephora.

“All of them revolve around keeping the skin clean,” she said.

As for makeup, Montanez-Wiscovich said people who wear it can try taking a break if they’re getting rashes under their masks.

The placement of a mask can also cause maskne. Some masks rest at the chin and others rest below it; if a breakout occurs in one of those areas, she said to try the alternative.

“It’s mostly a friction problem,” she said. “For the masks to be effective, they have to fit well.”

Face shields are an even better way to prevent maskne, she said, because they don’t touch the face but still protect from COVID-19. Montanez-Wiscovich encouraged and recommended that people still wear masks even if they’re breaking out.

People who follow these recommendations and still have issues might be using the wrong mask.

Dr. Richard Sadove, a Gainesville-based plastic surgeon at Sadove Plastic Surgery, said some masks are more likely to irritate you than others. He has been exposed to many types of medical masks as a surgeon and said people experiencing maskne should explore the many alternative brands.

For those wearing face coverings instead, Sadove said it’s best to choose a soft, cotton mask.

People prone to dry skin should use an oil-based moisturizer before they put their mask on, and people with a history of acne and eczema can use cold compresses to reduce inflammation, Sadove said. Using aloe-based toners and moisturizers before putting on a mask can help prevent irritation, while fragrant and scented cleansers should be avoided.

At the end of the day, most people should put on a clean mask after wearing it three times and face coverings should be washed overnight, he said. Using spray alcohol on a mask and letting it dry before use is an additional measure that can be taken for cleanliness.

Everyone’s body is different and people should adjust their routine accordingly, Sadove said.

Izzie Brownandia, a 21-year-old UF anthropology alumna, did just that. She has had acne since she was about 12, and said she’s prone to breaking out whenever anything touches her skin — she doesn’t even wear glasses.

She has, however, personalized her mask regimen.

Brownandia used disposable masks at first because it kept her acne a little lower, but said she switched to cloth masks to her own detriment to be more eco-friendly. She has been washing her cloth masks but said if she doesn’t delicately wash them by hand, they build up lint and begin to look worn. She tries to wash them at least a couple of times a week.

One of her personal strategies is making sure to take her mask entirely off her face when she’s eating instead of leav-

ing it below her chin, where it can collect food and create irritation later.

“I’m just trying to have the proper, extra vigilant mask etiquette along with the cleaning I need to do in between,” she said.

While the concern for maskne remains, Brownandia said wearing a mask comes with an unexpected perk.

She used to get “unsolicited advice” about her skin from work clients and friends, but said she doesn’t get any comments while wearing a mask. The downside is when she goes home, she still has to deal with pain and her skincare routine.

She has combated the negativity by getting a dermatologist. Since it’s “mask season,” and her skin can heal while no one sees her face, she said it was a good time for her to seek professional help for her skin.

“Hopefully, when this is all over, I have a brand-new, fresh face to show everybody,” Brownandia said. @ajbafer abafer@alligator.org

Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff

ENTERTAINMENT

Will you accept this Zoom? UF student starts Bachelorette-themed game show STEPHEN ELIA STARTED “LOVE OR MONEY,” A ZOOM DATING GAME SHOW IN MAY

By Avery Lotz Avenue Contributing Writer

Only two squares remained on Ellie Rader’s computer screen. In each Zoom window, a man looked at her with a curious gaze.

Rader, a 20-year-old UF advertising junior, said she knew her decision from the beginning. It was solidified when one of the competitors contending for her affection wrote her a poem mid-episode.

She quietly whispered her thoughts to her friends, who sat on her leather couch just outside of the camera’s line of vision and sent in her final response.

The winner was announced.

Rader was the bachelorette on the

Sept. 21 edition of “Love or Money,” a Zoom-based dating game show started by Stephen Elia, a 21-yearold UF finance senior, in May. What began as a boredom-induced quarantine endeavor became a sensation among UF students, he said.

“I was definitely – no matter what – was going to do at least a few episodes,” Elia said. “But when it started, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to continue doing it in the Fall or not.”

Elia, the founder and host of the show, streams hour-long episodes on Monday nights at 9. Each week, he finds seven bachelors or bachelorettes to compete for a date with a featured guest, or sometimes guests.

Not all of the contestants are competing for love, though. About half of the competitors are instead vying for a cash prize.

Elia said the money comes from the show’s generous donor: his wallet. As a Twitch affiliate, he is paid to upload content, so “Love or Money”

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has paid for itself.

Viewers are unaware of the contestant’s intentions until they are booted off the show by the featured guest at the end of the round or are crowned the winner of the episode.

Rader found out about the show when she received an Instagram follow request from the “Love or Money” page, she said.

She said she decided to take a chance and become a bachelorette.

“I genuinely felt like I was there with them just hanging out with a big group of friends,” she said. “It felt like a real game show.”

Even though it started as a project among friends, Love or Money is now being streamed by 250 strangers on average, with many watching in watch parties or groups, Elia said.

Elia said interacting with fellow students was an important part of his life that he lost in March due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By late May, the boredom was all-consuming, Elia said. One day,

he found himself scrolling through social media influencer’s videos on Twitch, a live-streaming platform commonly used by amateur and professional gamers.

One video caught his attention, he said.

“Love or Host,” streamed by Twitch user AustinShow, is a Zoom game show where multiple influencers speed date for a chance at romance.Elia decided to put his own twist on the idea.

Determined to see his idea come to fruition, he reached out to a friend and asked her to be on the show, he said. She agreed.

Within a week of Elia’s spark of creativity, the first episode was uploaded on YouTube.

Danielle LeVine, a 19-year-old UF marketing junior and the first person to hear Elia’s idea, said she expected the episode to be a one-time thing.

“I know he had trouble finding contestants at first,” she said. “Now, people are asking him to be on his

show.”

Elia said his direct messages are flooded with women and men asking to compete on the show. A project that initially started as a dream for one seven-episode season on YouTube is now filling the void the “The Bachelor” hiatus left in students’ television guides.

From the beginning, Elia’s goal has been to bring people together during strange times and illicit laughter — whether it is among best friends or strangers.

“The show is definitely not that serious,” he said. “It’s a lot about just having fun and making people laugh, so that feels good, and it definitely validates what I’m doing. And during the tough times that we’re in, it’s definitely helped me, and I’m happy it’s helped other people.” @ajlotz8 alotz@alligator.org

Views from Ben Hill Griffin during COVID-19

Sports reporters Zachary Huber and Noah Ram sat in the stands at Ben Hill Griffin during Saturday’s game to observe Florida’s social distancing policies, pg. 11

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solution on page 10 Release 5, 2020 Release Date: Date: Monday, Tuesday,October September 29, 2020

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

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4. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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1. Gabriela Sabatini.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 www.alligator.org/sports

COVID-19

Obedience of COVID-19 protocol varied in home opener

By Noah Ram and Zachary Huber Sports Writers

For many UF freshmen, their experience on Saturday felt similar to many of those who passed through the gates of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first time.

At the end of the third quarter, the crowd of 15,120 still swayed side-to-side to “We Are the Boys” and belted out the lyrics to Tom Petty’s classic “I Won’t Back Down.” And following the Gators’ win over South Carolina, the team traveled to the band on the northeast side of Steve Spurrier-Florida Field to sing UF’s alma mater.

Laurie Andrews, 54, and Julian Andrews, 59, of Jensen Beach, Florida, have a daughter who is a senior at UF. They said they have gone to games for years and wanted to see Florida play one last time before their daughter leaves.

“It’s nice to see that students are still able to get that experience and see what it is like to be a Gator when so many places are allowing no fans,” Laurie said. “Especially when there is so much negativity in the world.

When you come here, everybody has one point of view — Gator

Nation, and all the politics goes away and all the negativity goes away and you just enjoy a nice day.”

But besides the usual, every fan and cardboard cutout at The Swamp for Saturday’s home opener encountered something different from their predecessors.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still ravaging the nation, Florida’s home football season began Saturday with 17% of its maximum stadium capacity and enhanced COVID-19 protocols.

The first changes presented themselves on the drive to the stadium. Areas of campus that are usually filled with tailgaters, such as those in the vicinity of Southwest Recreation Center and Fraternity Row, were eerily quiet an hour before kickoff.

Florida announced Sept. 3 that all on-campus tailgating would be banned for the 2020 season.

Closer to the stadium, it felt more like a typical gameday. Even preachers were seen maskless on Gale Lemerand Drive, explaining where non-believers would go if they didn’t convert to Christianity.

It was hard to miss the clusters of 10 fans or more trying to locate which gate they should enter through or just mingling with each other. While many fans outside were wearing masks, nearly

Zachary Huber // Alligator Staff

A S.A.F.E. staff member instructs fans in the student section to put on their masks at Saturday’s home opener.

UF junior Sam Riffice won all six of his matches at the Tiger Fall Invitational that began on Friday in Auburn, Alabama. The Gators went 24-3 in singles matches and 6-6 in doubles matches.

half were not, and there was virtually no social distancing going on.

Inside the stadium near the Official Gator SportShop, Florida fans gathered around a rack of Gators merchandise with no stadium staff members to ensure they were socially distanced.

Despite the booming voice heard every five minutes from the public address announcer telling fans to social distance and wear their masks — as well as the signage posted warning them about COVID-19 — clusters of fans could be seen all around the stadium.

It was more of the same at the Midtown bars, which were packed with patrons getting in one last drink before the noon kickoff after Gov. Ron DeSantis said bars and restaurants in Florida can operate at 100% capacity last week.

Face coverings at the student entrances were abundant, as UF requires. There were markers telling fans where to stand to remain 6 feet apart when fans were approaching security for entrance to the game.

Across the stadium, chair backs set up in groups of two to four were 6 feet apart from other seats.

Last Sunday, The Alligator reported that the University Police Department wasn’t in charge of social distancing. But during the first half, the Security, Athletic Facilities & Events (S.A.F.E) management were quick to tell any fan not wearing a mask to put it on. However, some fans promptly removed their masks when S.A.F.E wasn’t looking.

As Florida’s lead over South Carolina diminished, so did the enforcement of safety regulations.

By the fourth quarter, with UF up 14, S.A.F.E. employees seemed to look the other way. More face coverings came off, and by the end of the game, it looked as though nearly half of the attendees remaining in Section 45 were maskless. Policies further unraveled once fans started making their way to the exit.

UF did not seem to have a plan in place to alleviate the avalanche of people leaving The Swamp at the same time. The concourse and ramps were filled with fans

Demarckus Bowman to transfer to Florida

Former Clemson running back Demarckus Bowman announced his intention to transfer to UF and play for the Gators on Saturday. Read the Alligator’s article here

Zachary Huber // Alligator Staff

Social distancing was scarce once fans exited the stadium after UF’s win over South Carolina on Saturday. crammed in like sardines. All the good work the university did during the three-hour-plus game fell by the wayside in just five minutes.

Outside the stadium, the scene was similar to the crowd before the game, albeit a little worse. Numerous members of the orange-and-blue faithful congregated along University Avenue to celebrate the doubledigit win. The bars of Midtown were jammed with even more maskless customers who stood close together in long lines to enter famed establishments such as Fat Daddy’s and The Social at Midtown.

This had been the concern of Justin Horbacz. The 22-year-old is a first-year grad student at UF who graduated from the university in August and is now an employee at the O’Connell Center. He liked how the protocols were being followed during the game but was worried about everything that happened after the game.

“You have 15,000 people coming from around the state and staying in our hotels and eating in our bars and restaurants,” he said. “I haven’t seen it yet, but I was looking at pictures of Midtown this weekend and it was disgusting. I was planning on taking a drive tonight, and I’m afraid of what I am going to see.”

Horbacz’s fears seemed to have been realized, as Midtown and Downtown Gainesville were loaded with students, seemingly returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Two UF freshmen Justin Bailey and Aidan Henriksen enjoyed themselves, despite their first game being so abnormal.

“I can only imagine how fun it would be if it was packed,” Bailey said. “There’s not as many people here, but it’s still a fun experience and we’re still doing all the same traditions.”

Horbacz also would come again but would like to see another venerable event take place in The Swamp.

“They are doing this, but took away our graduation,” he said.

“There are so many kids that wait their whole life. They're first-generation students, they just want to walk that stage, and they didn't get the chance to, and I understand why they're upset seeing a lot of fans here today.”

Follow us for updates

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

@zacharyahuber zhuber@alligator.org @Noah_Ram1 nram@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020

SOCCER

Gonzalez scores late winner for UF against No. 15 Alabama

By Declan Walsh Sports Writer

In a tale of two halves at the Diz, Florida overcame a sloppy and toothless first-half performance to notch a 2-1 victory over No. 15 Alabama.

During a rainy Sunday afternoon in Gainesville, the Crimson Tide used the weather to their advantage early on, pressing high up the pitch from the opening kickoff and disrupting Florida’s possession-based style of play.

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Sophomore forward Alivia Gonzalez nailed a gamewinning shot in the 88th minute to protect Florida’s unbeaten record.

The Gators ceded possession several times deep in their defensive third, granting Alabama chance after chance.

UF was undone just five minutes into the contest after a Georgia Eaton-Collins back pass was intercepted by Sidney Vincent. The Crimson Tide striker slotted a composed finish past keeper Susi Espinoza to give her team a 1-0 lead.

Florida should have equalized moments later, as following a nice bit of interplay down the left wing, Alivia Gonzalez’s cross pinballed around the penalty area. The ball found its way inside the 6-yard area to an unmarked Maddy Rhodes, who failed to convert the tap-in.

UF looked better after conceding the goal, becoming more sure-footed in possession and direct in its passing. However, the Gators failed to create further clear-cut opportunities in the attack.

Espinoza was called to action in the 22nd minute, as a deflected shot from the Crimson Tide looked destined for the bottom corner. Espinoza reacted quickly and forced the ball wide, maintaining Florida’s one-goal deficit.

UF was fortunate to trail by just one at the half, registering just one shot on goal and being outplayed and out-hustled through the first 45 minutes.

The Gators were much improved out of the locker room, putting Alabama’s back line under siege. A 49th-minute penalty shout and a curling effort from Cassidy Lindley in the 52nd minute were the most potent attempts following the restart.

Coach Becky Burleigh applauded her team’s second half performance, giving all the credit to the players.

I’m not sure it was our message in the locker room,” Burleigh said. “I just thought our girls did a great job stepping up to the challenge.”

Florida scored an equalizer in the 62nd minute after a wellworked attacking movement.

Kouri Peace won possession in the midfield and ran at the center backs before releasing Rhodes down the right flank.

Rhodes played a driven ball across the face of goal, which

Madison Alexander forced across the line with a tidy back-heel finish.

In the final 30 minutes, UF looked more likely to break the deadlock, surging forward, winning tackles and testing Alabama keeper McKinley Crone.

The crowd at Donald R. Dizney stadium clamored for a penalty in the 80th minute when Parker Roberts went down in the box. The senior midfielder made a strong run from deep and appeared to get pushed over in the penalty area. The referee was on top of the action and instructed Roberts to get up, preserving the deadlock.

UF continued to pile on the pressure, as Cameron Hall found herself unmarked in the box, only managing a tame effort toward Crone’s goal.

Six minutes later, Gonzalez rose the highest for a header, but she was unable to generate enough power, as Crone made a comfortable save.

But, as the game appeared destined for overtime, UF snatched a win at the death.

Kouri Peace was instrumental in this goal’s buildup and played a pass to Kit Loferski, who lofted a service toward the far post. Gonzalez made no mistake this time, attacking the cross and firing a left-footed finish into the net two minutes from full time.

Gonzalez’s goal completed a remarkable turnaround for the Gators, but it was a situation Florida prepared for.

“We had worked on this situation (playing a goal down) in training just yesterday,” Gonzalez said. “We didn’t panic and we knew how to respond.”

Florida will hit the road for the first time Oct. 11, taking its unbeaten record into College Station, Texas, to play Texas A&M at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network. dwalsh@alligator.org @dawalsh_UF