Monday, Oct. 25, 2021

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 10

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

UF students and Gainesville’s Black neighborhoods: A ‘broken relationship’ GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS WEIGH IN ON HOW STUDENTS CAN CHANGE GAINESVILLE FOR THE BETTER

By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

Liana Barros // Alligator Staff

Jennifer McKathan (left), American Cancer Society health systems manager, embraces Pam Clevenger (right) after she receives a breast cancer survivor sash at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Celebration Pointe on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Clevenger, survivor for 12 years, is also a UF Health cancer patient navigator. Read more on page 8.

UF students come to Gainesville with the promise of education, new friendships, experiences and overflowing opportunities. However, their residence is temporary, and they may not realize how their actions could impact the surrounding community. The Rev. Gerard Duncan, a pastor at Faith Ministries in Gainesville, said he has worked with students through the David & Wanda Brown Center for Student Leadership, a UF center providing guidance and resources for student organizations. He said it’s getting harder to live in Gainesville’s historic communities because the people native to the area can no longer afford to live there. “A university can build

relationships within a community where there’s trust, and they can communicate,” Duncan said. “That relationship, historically, has been broken. Most community neighbors are very hesitant because of the broken relationship. They’re taking our jobs, taking our community, taking our houses.” Peggy Macdonald, a public historian and former director of the Matheson History Museum, said the concept of ACRs — a nickname for Alachua County residents — creates an idea that residents are “townies” separate from UF. “Gainesville doesn’t view UF as separate,” she said. “There were so many people over the years who have gone to school at UF, who have worked for UF. The entire town of Gainesville stops when it’s homecoming. So, there’s a long tradition of embracing UF.” UF dates back to 1853, when Florida established the East Florida Seminary, a public school that was merged with three others to eventually become UF, Macdonald said.

SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 4

UF astronomy doctoral graduate files lawsuit for discrimination, unpaid wages Dr. Sankalp Gilda was called an ‘idiot,’ ‘submissive Indian’ By Max Taylor Alligator Staff Writer

Dr. Sankalp Gilda was exhausted. He balanced 60-hour work weeks with a doctoral student load at the behest of his supervisor, migraines and regular discrimination from his status as an Indian international student. His exhaustion worsened throughout the nine months of his supervisor’s taunts. Once, Gilda found out his supervisor told his department he was going to a conference in California. The supervisor was actually flying out to visit his girlfriend.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Driveway drill sessions

Story description finish with comma, Florida volleyball’s Merritt Beasonpg# felt her sport could play a bigger role for girls in her hometown. So she started volunteering with her old middle school team, pg. 11

Gilda reported it to the department. How dare you complain against me and put my potential tenure in jeopardy? You know you have already switched supervisors once, right? You know you are on a visa, right? The supervisor forced Gilda to apologize and threatened to quit working with him — putting his graduation and legal status at risk. To maintain an active student visa status, international doctoral students must have their graduate work supervised by a faculty member. So Gilda apologized. But the supervisor didn’t let him go without one last dig.

Are you apologizing to me because you really mean it, or because you know I can impact your future job prospects? His supervisor was Zachary Slepian, a Harvard-educated assistant professor who joined the UF astronomy department in 2018. Gilda, a 29-year-old UF doctoral 2021 graduate, filed a formal complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against UF’s astronomy department for discrimination, harssment, unpaid wages and intentional infliction of emotional damage. He also filed a lawsuit against UF for unpaid wages.

Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary

The safe haven houses over 200 animals, pg. 6

Remembering racial terror

Gainesville unveils new historical marker, pg.4

He first realized his work environment was problematic when Slepian texted him at night, on the weekends and even during his lunch hour. Slepian questioned Gilda’s whereabouts and demanded he get back to work. When Gilda objected, Slepian would change the subject or call him “submissive.” Slepian expected Gilda to work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday — he worked anywhere from 50 to 70 hours per week. However, Slepian’s other graduate student — who was white — had a set weekly meeting time and usually worked the 20 hours per week required by the

SEE DISCRIMINATION, PAGE 5

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2 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

Today’s Weather Committee seats are disproportionately Gator Party THE MAJORITY PARTY DOMINATED LEADERSHIP WITHIN COMMITTEES SINCE AT LEAST FALL 2020

By Allessandra Inzinna Alligator Staff Writer

Gator Party has kept a grip on senate committees for the past three semesters. This semester is no different, with 100% of nominated committee members belonging to the majority party. Gator Party has held a majority in Senate for more than a year since Spring 2020 when it won its first executive ticket. Now, with about 70 Gator senators in the chamber, the composition of Senate committees echoes this majority. Committees are responsible for reviewing bills, recommending replacement senators, amending the budget and enforcing senator requirements, among many other responsibilities. Currently, Gator holds 97.5% of representation in committees. The remaining 2.5% amounts to one senator: Minority Party Leader Gabrielle Adekunle, who is guaranteed a spot on the Replacement and Agenda Committee, according to SG codes. This distribution is disproportionate with Senate’s composition, of which Gator accounts for about 70% of Senate seats, and Change 12%. Fifteen percent of seats are empty and it’s unclear what party the remaining 3% of senators belong to. Despite holding 12 Senate seats, Change doesn’t have any appointed representation in the committees. Data compiled by The Alligator shows since at least Fall 2020, about 80% of nominated committee members have been affiliated with Gator, translating to at least 43 out of 54 counted nominees. It’s unclear what parties the remaining 11 belong to. The data was collected through past Replacement and Agenda recommendations on senate meeting agendas. A majority of committee seats are filled in the

meeting following ratification of that semester’s election results. Senate recently approved three members for Budget and Appropriations, four for Information and Communications, six for Rules and Ethics, and four for Judiciary. Senate also approved four chairs to rule over these committees, all of whom are affiliated with Gator Party. Four out of six members on the Replacement and Agenda Committee are also elected: the Senate President, Pro-Tempore and two Members-at-Large. This semester, all four members are Gator Party. A UF Supreme Court case in February 2021 established suspicion on Gator Party’s trend of favoring their own senators for committee seats. Although the current data doesn’t account for all committee members appointed for the last three semesters, it continues the pattern. While the number of Gator committee members is disproportionate, just three of 12 Change senators applied for a seat. Ethan Sawyer (Change, District D), a freshly elected senator, applied for a seat on the Budget and Appropriations and Information and Communications committees but didn’t get either one. He believes this is because he didn’t know the answers to questions about the specific functions of the committees he applied to. “I also felt like, going in there, I shouldn't have been expected to know the details of those committees, considering I had just started like a week prior,” he said. Sawyer, a 19-year-old political science sophomore, said he understands why Gator senators got all the seats. It makes sense for a political party to pick candidates whose goals line up with what it wants to accomplish. “If [Change] were in that same position, being the ones on the other end of the table ... we would probably pick people that we felt like aligned with our moral compasses the same way or our party beliefs the same way,” he said. While it may make sense to

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 10

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some, Communist Party president Alfredo Ortiz considers this trend as discrimination. He has witnessed the same trend in replacement Senate seats, and filed a case with the UF Supreme Court focusing on dampening party favoritism. According to data collected by members of the Communist Party, 98% of replacement Senate seats since Spring 2019 have been affiliated with the majority party at the time. The remaining 2%, totaling to one senator over two years ago, belonged to a minority party. Ortiz believes this proves discrimination. “This is something that the majority party uses after elections to boost their percentage of the seats and to maintain control over legislation,” Ortiz said. The Communist Party collected the names of nominated replacement senators through Senate agendas. Ortiz said it found out senators’ party affiliations through Senate minutes, election results and social media. The Alligator was only able to confirm 28 out of the 69 nominated replacement senators listed, about 41%, were affiliated with the majority party at the time since 2019. Public records requested for party affiliation forms were not available in time for publication. Ortiz wants the court to alter the composition of Senate committees by making it so they are proportional to the number of seats each party has. He’s confident the Supreme Court will side with him on this case. The court decided to hear his case as of Sunday. @ainzinna ainzinna@alligator.org

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3

Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary moves forward following inspection violations THE REPORT LISTED SIX NON-CRITICAL VIOLATIONS AND ONE DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE ACT’S REQUIREMENTS FOR VETERINARY CARE

By Bryce Brown Alligator Staff Writer

Rays of sunlight beamed into a cage, illuminating the trimmed vegetation and the painted metal bars of two monkeys’ renovated habitat. The enclosure, filled with logs and leafy vines, was a new home for Mike and Molly. The pair of black-handed spider monkeys now live at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, a non-profit sanctuary that cares for retired lab research monkeys, ex-pets and monkeys confiscated by authorities. The primate sanctuary has a number of refurbished enclosures boasting new play equipment for the monkeys, but it wasn’t always like this. In July, the sanctuary faced potential shutdown after an inspection revealed seven violations of animal safety requirements. The report listed six non-critical violations and one direct violation of the American Welfare Act’s requirements for veterinary care. A consulting veterinarian didn’t inform owner Kari Bagnall and Dr. Bobby Collins, the attending veterinarian, about a controlled substance prescribed to one of the monkeys. The critical violation was linked to employees not knowing when to contact the attending or consulting veterinarians, Bagnall said. The inspection report also detailed an accumulation of feces in the enclosures, insect infestations, expired medications, rusty cages, understaffing and overgrowth that attracted pests and vermin. Jungle Friends, located at 13915 N State Road 121, was given until Sept. 24 to improve its conditions, but authorities extended the deadline. Bagnall said she didn’t know the new deadline, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture couldn’t be reached to confirm the date. Authorities inspected the sanctuary after complaints

from former employees and volunteers about the rough conditions primates endured. The decline in the sanctuary’s condition was caused by an uncharacteristically rainy dry season that led to overgrowth, Bagnall said. Understaffing was also exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sanctuary raises funds through private donations and tourists who visit through an Airbnb experience program. Since the pandemic, the sanctuary has lost more money than it has brought in, Bagnall said. She has used Paycheck Protection Program loans to ensure staff gets paid. “We’re trying to get more people interested, but it’s really hard,” Bagnall said. “People are in trouble. Everyone’s in trouble right now. It’s just a weird situation.” When the initial Sept. 24 deadline arrived, Bagnall said the sanctuary still had a lot of work to do across the 150 habitats home to more than 250 primates. The sanctuary, Bagnall said, has since streamlined communication between attending veterinarian Collins and the consulting veterinarians: Dr. Fred Schirmer at West End Animal Hospital and Dr. Darryl J. Heard at UF. Food storage rooms are now clean and organized, Bagnall said. There have been no insect or pest issues since the sanctuary has implemented stringent daily cleaning duties. Sara Smith, a volunteer of more than 20 years, said employees now rake food waste every day and clean out fecal matter weekly. The overgrowth has been cut back in some enclosures, which allows for employees to ensure overall cleanliness and see whether rodents or snakes sneak in, Smith said. Monkeys have been moved out of overgrown enclosures that still need to be refurbished. The sanctuary has doubled its staff to 12 members since the USDA investigation began. She aims to have 25 employees within the next year. Bagnall said she fired several staff members after the inspection for slacking on cleaning duties, neglecting to check expiration dates and not communicating with the rest of the staff. In search of a more dependable staff,

Esha Nair // Alligator Staff

A squirrel monkey walks around its enclosure at the Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Bagnall has implemented a paid working interview process in which candidates complete up to eight days of on-site duties to determine if they’re suitable for the position. The prospective employees, however, aren’t required to have prior experience with monkeys. Lenny Finnegan, a landscape maintenance employee, left his position as a car mechanic to work for Jungle Friends twoand-a-half months ago. Finnegan, who has refurbished around 20 to 30 habitats, said it’s difficult to complete all needed maintenance each day. He often has to take on different roles because there aren’t enough employees. “Getting some of my habitats cleaned up and getting things moved around, that’s where more hands would help so I wouldn’t have to come off and go from maintenance to caregiver,” he said. “But we’re getting there.” Marie Finnegan, a monkey caregiver at the sanctuary, noticed a big change in the monkeys’ behavior since the sanctuary be-

gan its cleanup. The animals appear happier, she said, and staff has collaborated better than before. “We have been working our booties off,” she said. “Sunrise to sundown, making sure that this is getting done. We want to make sure that they’re happy and that they’re safe.” Lora Lattimer was hired a month ago and said despite the issues, the monkeys are treated better than the humans. “[Kari] took it upon herself that there was a need, and she rescued these monkeys,” she said. “She’s not the problem. Kari’s the solution.” The USDA and Florida Fish and Wildlife, the two investigating agencies, haven’t provided comment on the most recent inspection of Jungle Friends. The authorities will conduct a courtesy visit Nov. 3 in which they will outline unresolved issues and how they should be addressed. @brycebrownnn bbrown@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

New historical marker commemorates victims of racial terror in Gainesville

The newest marker from the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project is now unveiled By Erina Anwar Alligator Contributing Writer

The City of Gainesville unveiled a new historical marker to commemorate Black individuals who were victims of post-Reconstruction lynching. About 50 Alachua County community members gathered in front of the Alachua County Administration Building Saturday morning for a dedication ceremony to honor those who were identified as victims of racial terror between 1868 to 1874. County Commissioners unveiled a historical marker engraved with information on lynchings that took place after the Reconstruction era. The project was created by the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project and the Equal Justice Initiative. The marker replaced a spot that

once belonged to a statue of “Old Joe,” a confederate soldier. The statue commemorated soldiers of the Confederate States Army and was taken down in 2017 after increasing protests at Alachua County Commission meetings. The historical marker is engraved on both sides with information on lynching on a local and national level after the American Civil War. One side is titled “Lynching in America,” and honors the story of thousands of African Americans who were lynched during Reconstruction because white leaders wanted to maintain racial, economic and social control. It also states that Florida had one of the highest per capita lynching rates in the nation. On the other side of the marker: “Reconstruction-Era Lynchings in Gainesville.” This side provides information on racial terror that oc-

Aude Gagnon-Roberge // Alligator Staff

A historical marker is unveiled at the Alachua County Administration Building on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. The marker commemorates victims of lynching and says that at least 12 Black people were lynched in Gainesville.

Gentrification STUDENTS, from pg. 1 The East Florida Seminary was originally located in Ocala but moved to Gainesville in 1866. When Florida Agricultural College in Lake City, St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School and South Florida Military College were merging with East Florida Seminary, it was unclear whether UF would lay its roots down in Gainesville. “The community of Gainesville fought hard to get UF and won over Lake City,” Macdonald said. At first, she said many of UF’s faculty and students had ties to the Confederate Army. UF was established in Gainesville in 1905. “It was a white, male-only school,” she said. “It replaced a Florida center, which had a long tradition first in Ocala of being proConfederate.” Now in 2021, activists say Gainesville’s Black neighborhoods are being erased because of the city’s growth brought forth by the school that residents fought to bring here. “There are more people speaking up in the community against gentrification,” Macdonald said. “That has gone way back to the origins of the Fifth Avenue Art Festival.” Nkwanda Jah, 67, was just one of the early organizers involved with the festival, which dates back to the 1970s. Organizers were concerned about gentrification and thought one

curred in Gainesville specifically. It lists individuals identified to have been lynched between 1868 and 1874: Harry Franklin, Mr. Stephens, an unnamed person, Christopher Cummings, Henry Washington, Alexander Morris, Sandy Hacock and Eli. “Most people didn’t think in their lifetime that we would be able to put a marker here to honor the men who were lynched in the city of Gainesville,” said Evelyn Foxx, president of the Alachua County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “We’re just trying to bring truth to the whole process.” The NAACP and the United Church of Gainesville went up to the Equal Justice Initiative headquarters in Montgomery to propose a collaboration to create historical markers, Foxx said. The Equal Justice Initiative is working with Alachua County, among dozens of other counties nationwide, for its community remembrance project. They started the historical markers as a continuation of the soil collection efforts that took place in February. “We have a lot of exciting things in store,” said Bre Lamkin, Project Manager for Racial Justice Efforts at the EJI. “There are several sub-committees operating here in Alachua County all of whom intend to host soil collections, historical markers installations and essay contests.” The information on the markers was largely compiled by UF Adjunct Associate Professor of African American studies and a filmmaker, Patricia Hilliard-Nunn and director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Paul Ortiz. Both conducted research and composed the literature on both sides of the historical

way they could help was to celebrate the history of the Fifth Avenue and Pleasant Street area, one of Gainesville’s historic Black communities, Jah said. Some East Gainesville residents like Jah believe there are numerous ways UF students can help the community around them. She said students are especially needed for volunteer tutoring at local schools and clubs. Her nonprofit, Cultural Arts Coalition, hosts a science club at several schools and public libraries to engage elementary school students with science activities, she said. The organization also has a bus that it turned into a mobile interactive science station that travels all over the county. “The more volunteers we have, the more clubs we can have,” Jah said. Gentrification creates barriers between people, said Faye Williams, a 66-year-old Porters Quarters resident and founder of cultural and activism center M.A.M.A.’s Club. Williams believes that by not educating students about the history and people of Gainesville, UF is purposefully separating students from residents. “Maybe we need students to come over to our centers and help our children,” Williams said. “Or maybe come over and take our children over to the art gallery. We need to live in one world. We got to learn how to communicate with each other.” JoJo Sacks, a 24-year old coordinator for the local activism hub the Civic Media Center, said she volunteered at the CMC when she was a UF anthropology student. Originally from South Florida, Sacks didn’t know about the history of Gainesville at first.

marker. Hilliard-Nunn passed away last year, but she is remembered by her work and passion for social justice. Hilliard-Nunn’s husband, UF Levin College of Law lecturer Kenneth Nunn, recounted how she decided to dedicate her time to this project. “She wanted to make a film about Gainesville history. That required her to do a lot of oral history with people around town,” Kenneth said. “The question of unspeakable, unremembered events used to come up a lot. Nobody recognized it or talked about the fact that this occurred.” Kenneth said Patricia would continue digging and finding descendants of people who were lynched. After continuing to speak to them, she convinced them to share their stories. “It empowered and emboldened people to begin to speak their truths,” Kenneth said. Members of the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission also said they support and advocate for the markers. Gainesville mayor Lauren Poe also spoke at the unveiling. “The citizens and public officials of Gainesville failed in their basic responsibility to safeguard fellow citizens, to uphold the rule of law and to offer equal justice to each individual,” Poe said. “On behalf of the City of Gainesville I offer our deepest and sincerest apology for such racial terror lynchings that they ever happened in our city.” Florida state Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson spoke out on a need to end years of oppression that continues through what she called “the new Jim Crow” in the prison system. “As a nation we declare that all

She said she learned not by her schooling at UF but by showing up for community initiatives happening around town and getting to know people. “UF doesn’t really do a good job at educating its students about the community that the university is situated in,” she said. The CMC has been around for 28 years and was started by people who, for the most part, weren’t native to Gainesville, Sacks said. The organization tries to support those with ties to Gainesville who have been residents of the city for longer. “I definitely think that a lot of students realize that there is much more to Gainesville than the university when they come to volunteer with us,” she said. “I’ve definitely seen that happen.” Alexandra Quintana, a 20-year-old UF political science senior, said she goes downtown a few times a week as an intern with the State Attorney’s Office. In her free time, she goes to the eastern corner of campus to hang out with friends at 4th Ave Food Park and walks over to Cora P. Roberson Park. Quintana said she became aware of the gentrification in historically Black neighborhoods in Gainesville through volunteering. As vice-president of Take Action Florida, Quintana has helped organize volunteering events at St. Francis House, which helps fight homelessness in the area. She has also volunteered at the CMC. “I think Civic Media Center is kind of like that heart of that region,” she said. “Because I feel like it does really bring that area together, and, for me at least, keeps me up to date with all the things going on.”

men are created equal. Do we really mean it?” Hinson said. “We must unify and revolt and protest to these radical changes. Build bridges with our neighbors, not walls of division. Make it uncomfortable for hate to live here.” Hinson spoke about her proposal of a bill to end cash bail for the many individuals sitting in jail without a trial because they cannot afford bail. She is also advocating for a bill that recognizes unpaid prison labor as slave labor. Both bills will be proposed during the upcoming legislative session in January. The ceremony also held a performance from the Caring and Sharing Learning School. Elementary school students in the fine arts program sang the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and performed a modern-dance piece to music from the movie, “Harriet.” Gainesville resident Tarena Stanley, 37, attended the event with her daughter, a fourth grader at Caring and Sharing Learning School. She believes the best way to introduce children to this history is being transparent about the injustices toward African Americans that happened in the past. “I think it’s important to be honest. It’s important to not sugarcoat it,” Stanley said. “Simply phrase it in a way that a child would understand.” Her 9-year-old daughter, Laila Stanley, said she learned of the history of racial terror from class and teachers in the after-school arts program. “It made me feel happy,” Laila said. Erina Anwar is a contributing writer for The Alligator.

However, Quintana said she recognizes that as a Gainesville transplant who will likely leave after four years, she contributes to gentrification. “Obviously, I’m not part of that community, so I can’t really speak on those experiences,” she said. “But from an ally’s point of view, I just try to support when I can.” Students should try to get involved with community organizations in any way possible, she said. Students should follow activists and local organizations that share opportunities for student volunteers on social media and host events to inform students about community issues. Rachel Wolfrey, a 21-year-old UF political science and public relations junior, said she spends more time off campus than she does on campus. Wolfrey considers herself more of a Gainesville resident than a resident of her hometown of Fort Lauderdale. “When I turned 21 last week, I changed my driver’s license to here,” she said. “All of my mail gets sent to here, my car registration is here, and I use this as my primary address for everything.” As a transfer student from UCF, Wolfrey finds herself being most fascinated with what Gainesville has to offer besides the UF campus. “Gainesville is such an amazing place, and there’s so many amazing people,” she said. “People really take for granted that this is people’s home. They don’t take the time to learn about the area whatsoever or its historical significance.” @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

Downtown Gainesville Italian restaurant reopens after owner’s death AMELIA’S WAS CLOSED FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS

By Omar Ateyah Alligator Staff Writer

Amelia’s reopened its doors Thursday to the general public for the first time since its owner, Andy Fass, died. The Italian eatery, located on 235 S Main St., was closed to the general public for nearly two months after the loss of Fass, a man just as well-regarded for his character as he was for his food. The 45-year-old died on Aug. 26. Fass was not Amelia’s first owner. The man who would become known for his culinary mastery had received his law degree from the University of Florida but ultimately decided that the legal profession was not for him. While visiting his sister in Vermont in the early 2000s, Fass formally embarked on his culinary journey by beginning his studies at the New England Culinary Institute. He ultimately bought Amelia’s in 2007 with his mission not only being to serve delicious dinners but to give patrons a warm dining experience. Lisa Zucker, Fass’ 41-year-old sister, said she looked forward to welcoming guests back to dine at her late brother’s restaurant. She has no doubt the restaurant will continue to be a success. “His servers are all the same that were

there before he passed away,” she said. Zucker said guests can now once again enjoy the variety of veal options as well as one of her personal favorites, the Crostini NY –– a crispy bread with spinach and artichoke parmesan cheese. Some other options on the menu include the Surf and Turf Adriatico with the choice of either a grilled NY strip or Bistro filets, the Lobster Ravioli Alfonso served with a marinara cream sauce and Linguini Bolognese, a pasta dish including carrots and ground beef. “When people come to eat at the restaurant, that’s the greatest gift for us keeping his legacy alive,” she said. Juan Calama, 44, an attorney who was Fass’ roommate in law school at UF, said he had different emotions while anticipating the restaurant’s reopening. “The sense of him being not physically present, obviously, it makes us sad,” Calama said. “But it makes us also happy to know that his legacy continues.” Gainesville residents Pete and Lani McQuade said they have been going to Amelia’s since before Fass became its owner in 2007. The couple visted the restaurant Friday night. Lani McQuade reminisced about how diligent Fass was in greeting his guests, making them feel welcome and often entertaining them with a musical surprise. “If it was a special occasion, like a birthday, he’d come out with his saxophone,” she said.

Concerns dismissed by UF DISCRIMINATION, from pg. 1 graduate student contract. Gilda even stayed past 7 p.m. several times because Slepian would make long phone calls to his girlfriend in California before meeting with him. Slepian also tried to push Gilda into listing him as a co-author on his paper because he “paid [Gilda’s] salary.” Gilda started developing migraines, feeling nauseous and suspecting he had ADHD in November 2019 — seven months after he began working with Slepian. The symptoms worsened from the stress of 60hour work weeks and Slepian’s maltreatment. Gilda told Slepian he was considering seeking professional help for his undiagnosed ADHD, which was later confirmed by a psychiatrist. The encounter quickly soured, according to his EEOC complaint. I don’t pay you to make excuses. I pay you to write papers and make me famous. Gilda objected to Slepian’s statement and expressed his discontent with his tone. But Slepian fired back. Don’t ever talk back to me. I won’t tolerate backtalk from someone like you. Stay in your lane, don’t antagonize me and you might have a future in America. Slepian made other racially insensitive comments, reminding Gilda he was on a visa and calling him an “idiot” after he brought up his concerns about discrimination. “None of this — the demand

to be present at the department at all times, the demand to stay late so he could prioritize personal affairs, and statements such as ‘I don’t give a s---’ and ‘I don’t give a f---’ — was ever demanded by Zack to his other student,” Gilda wrote in his formal complaint. On more than six occasions, Gilda attempted to report Slepian’s behavior to astronomy department chair Elizabeth Lada, who started working at UF in 1996. Lada told Gilda to “try and get along” and to “focus on [his] research.” She laughed when he brought up Slepian’s verbal abuse, dismissed his concerns and asked him to see her if Slepian hit him. In January 2020, Gilda met with the deans of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In retaliation, Slepian quit Gilda’s graduate committee. The committee gave Gilda 30 days to find a new adviser — or he would be kicked out of his doctoral program. “There are large power dynamics at play, and pretty much no guardrails to protect you if things go sideways,” Gilda said. “The culture really is [to] keep your mouth shut, focus on your work, don’t make a lot of noise and get out.” After Gilda found a new adviser, the committee assigned him a rushed deadline. He was expected to pass his graduate exam and write a first-author paper in four months — tasks that normally take doctoral students around three years. Gilda found a way to meet his deadline and graduated in August.

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Kam Kutzke, Amelia’s Fine Italian Cuisine server, prepares a drink on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. The restaurant’s temporary closure followed the passing of Andy Fass, Amelia’s owner and chef. “I don’t know how 10 people can do what that one man was doing,” Amanda Bailey, Amelia’s operational manager, said. Pete McQuade noted how accommodating Fass had been in his life especially when he would enter the restaurant with very large parties. Although he was sad to hear of Fass’ passing, he said the restaurant’s standards continue to impress.

A month later, he took to Twitter to share his experiences with Slepian, no longer worried about it affecting his future at UF. Ryan Loomis, a 29-yearold Harvard doctoral graduate, knew Slepian in graduate school. While working at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, he heard Slepian make inappropriate comments about female colleagues and speakers. Slepian would refuse to respect anyone he considered “beneath him,” Loomis said. “Everything that [Gilda] describes in terms of confirming the demeaning and belittling behavior is very much in line with what I experienced,” Loomis said. “Not a single colleague I’ve spoken to from the CFA since then has been surprised by this.” Josh Speagle, a 28-yearold Harvard doctoral graduate, also encountered Slepian while working at the CFA. Slepian was known for discrimination, harassment and condescending remarks during his time at Harvard, Speagle said. Speagle was offered a professorship at UF in April 2020. He felt reluctant to accept the position, as Slepian worked in the same department, and decided to confront him about the verbal abuse allegations while at the CFA. The pair scheduled a talk for May 2, which, Speagle said, resulted in 40 minutes of Slepian berating him and asking who had made those allegations. “I think I cried for the better part of an hour afterwards, and it took me quite a while to come to terms with what had happened,”

“We are ecstatic that they’re open again,” he said. “We just hope that it continues. Gainesville needs a really wonderful restaurant like Amelia’s.”

Speagle said. “I would classify his behavior as being incredibly aggressive and bullying.” Speagle declined the job offer the next day. Krista Romita Grocholski, a 34-year-old former UF doctoral student under Lada, also reached out to Gilda with similar encounters. She said Lada discouraged her from asking questions and reprimanded her for asking for help. Romita Grocholski called Lada’s advising style “neglectful and isolating” and recalled how her emails to the professor once went unanswered for two months. After scheduling a meeting with her graduate council to solve these issues, Romita Grocholski said Lada reprimanded her. “It was just an opportunity for Elizabeth to beat me down,” she said. “And then no one stood up for me. From that point on, I knew that I couldn’t trust any of the faculty to care what happened to me or not.” Romita Grocholski believes the problem extends beyond the astronomy department, however. “I think that there’s a larger culture that UF cares more about its ranking than its graduate students,” Romita Grocholski said. “It doesn’t get to that ranking without graduate students.” UF filed a motion on Oct. 14 to dismiss Gilda’s first legal action based on unpaid overtime wages. The formal charge Gilda filed with the EEOC hasn’t yet been investigated, but Gilda believes he has a strong case due to Slepian’s history of discrimination. Lada and UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez declined to comment on the situation due

@OAteyah oateyah@alligator.org

to ongoing litigation. Slepian didn’t respond to email and phone requests for comment as of Sunday. However, in an email to a former colleague, Slepian wrote he didn’t do or say anything that Gilda claims. “The allegations that [Gilda] has made are horrendous, and they represent words and behaviors that I would never do, and would equally abhor in any colleague if I were to hear of it being done by them,” Slepian wrote in the email. Gilda encourages graduate students in his position to keep a journal of any discrimination or harassment they face and press charges after they graduate. “Unfortunately, I think litigation is the only way where we can actually start to bring about systemic changes,” Gilda said. “I would encourage: note, note, note. Document everything.” After Gilda’s Twitter thread, students from universities across the country messaged him and chronicled similar experiences in graduate student programs. “I hoped I would become famous for my research,” Gilda said. “Hopefully that will happen too, but it actually feels good that I’m part of — or at least I’m trying my hardest — to bring about positive change.” Despite the challenges, Gilda graduated with four first-author papers, 12 contributed and invited talks and a $150,000 Hubble grant. But above all, he stood up to a supervisor who, he believes, considered himself invincible. mtaylor@alligator.org @MTaylor_Journ

6 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

A farm animal’s ‘happily ever after’: Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary The farms houses more than 200 animals By Faith Buckley Alligator Staff Writer

Seymour, challenged by a herd of cows, hoofed his 3,000 pounds of stubbornness into the ground. But between the headbuts, he laid his head down and twisted his leg into his curled horn. Chris Amerman could read the water buffalo’s face. A little help here? He rushed over to his aid, and Seymour stood up once again. He parted ways with Amerman and tramped back to his calm life on the pasture. But Seymour’s home is no regular farm. He lives in Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary, a 210-acre farm located at 12626 NW County Road 231 in Gainesville. The land houses 56 farm animals: 20 pigs, 5 mini donkeys and 31 cows. The idea of a sanctuary lingered in the back of Erin Amerman’s mind since 1997. After Chris and Erin married, she wanted to buy a 100acre plot of land on a creek because it attracts wildlife. Eighteen years later, the small seed of an idea sprouted into Critter Creek. Opening a sanctuary was one of Erin’s long-term goals, even from childhood. By age 14, she gave up all animal products and became vegan. “We feed songbirds and then we murder chickens and turkeys by the gazillions,” she said. The farm grew, and she needed more hands to tend for animals. Sheena Drost was drawn to Ritchie, a small red-and-white calf, when she first visited the sanctuary for Oinktoberfest, a Halloween market. She applied to volunteer when

she left the farm that same day. “He just stole my heart,” Drost said. The 38-year-old Santa Fe zoology student began to work as the office manager at Critter Creek in September 2020. She’s now a member of the farm’s board of directors. Drost also adores Rupert. The chunky pinkish pig snorts in crescendo as Drost calls him. “He’s my baby,” Drost said. “He’s my big baby.” Workers begin a typical day feeding the animals, conducting health checks and repairing its facilities. They recently opened Imperial’s Palace, a horse care area in Critter Hills, a 200-acre ranch close to Critter Creek, with one of the horses as its namesake. As the sun fades into the night, Erin and Drost mount their buggy car, drive into one of the many fields and take in the sight of the cows, pigs and other farm animals grazing collectively. These moments are the few in which employees get breaks. The sanctuary is bombarded with calls on a daily basis. Some are lighthearted; others aren’t. Many people will blackmail the Amermans and tell them they’ll slaughter their animals if the couple doesn’t rehome them. “We’re not the pound where you take your unwanted critter,” Erin said. “We can’t function that way.” The sanctuary also receives animals at the center of cruelty cases. Local law enforcement typically seizes cows on the brink of death from landowners who seek tax exemptions and mistreat them, she said. The Lionel and Amos case was the most brutal instance of animal cruelty that the team encountered,

she said. The cow and pig duo came as a package in June 2021 during the farm’s roughest rescue. The critters were left to rot in the scalding Miami heat amid a heap of cardboard boxes — Lionel on the bottom and Amos on the top. They were dehydrated and surrounded by decomposing animals. The two were rescued by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and were soon transferred to the Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary. “They really attest to the power of love,” Erin said. “Through their friendship and their bond, they’ve really been able to recover remarkably well.” The Amermans, however, felt like their work wasn’t enough. So, in 2019 they opened Critter Hills, which is reserved for the more vulnerable animals, she said. The farm has three full-time paid workers who care for animals, who are usually severely malnourished before arriving at the farm. Critter Hills houses 162 animals: 114 cows, 11 horses, five donkeys, three turkeys, two rats, a water buffalo, a bison, a group of cats and a pack of dogs. She is satisfied with her work but will not rest until there aren’t any animals left needed to be rescued. “I recognize that having 400 acres of animal sanctuary is great and saving the couple hundred animals we’ve saved is wonderful for them,” Erin said. “It feels like not enough. There’s so many animals in need.” And she has found another way to do more — directly involving the community. The sanctuary hosts a plantbased farmer’s “Moo-ket” once a month, where families can drink ice-cold lemonade, eat cupcakes and feed the dozens of cows on the

land. Her inspiration for the sanctuary stemmed back decades, specifically to when she was 7 and in search of a pet. She walked into her local pet store; her eyes focused on the hamsters. A worker took one out of the glass container and placed it on Erin hand. She knew hamsters weren’t her ideal pet when it bit and peed on her. The worker recommended Templeton as an alternative option. Her face crinkled in confusion. How are rats pets? Her question was soon answered as the tiny black-and-white rat crawled up her arm to her shoulder. When Erin brought the small

animal to school for show-and-tell, word spread that some of the teachers were disgusted. She overheard that they wanted to throw him out. “I was completely enamored with my little rat person and thought he was just the best thing ever,” Erin said. And years later, her regard for the lives of animals — especially those who aren’t “typical house pets” — has never wavered. “Farmed animals almost never get any kind of happily ever after,” she said. “To be able to offer that to even just a few is everything.” Now, Critter Creek tries to give those animals a feel-good ending. @_faithbuckley fbuckley@alligator.org

Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff

Pigs are seen at Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.

UF Faculty Senate pushes back vote on COVID-19 ‘no-confidence’ resolution AS ONLY 16 SENATORS RULED IN FAVOR OF VOTING TO MAKE THE RESOLUTION AN ACTION ITEM ON THURSDAY, THE VOTE WILL BE HELD AT THE FACULTY SENATE’S NOVEMBER MEETING

By Camila Pereira Alligator Staff Writer

UF faculty and staff have expressed their dissatisfaction with the university’s COVID-19 response through petitions and demonstrations since August. On Thursday, they took another step by pushing up the voting for the no confidence and security in the administration. UF Faculty Senate held a meeting Thursday afternoon, introducing the COVID-19 no-confidence resolution, which is scheduled to be voted on Nov. 18. If voted in favor, the COVID-19 no-confidence resolution would formalize the faculty and staff’s disappointment in both the state and university leadership’s COVID-19 policies. The vote does not fire anyone in the administration. The resolution of no-confidence was first drafted in August as they were concerned about the university’s COVID-19 pandemic

protocols. The original resolution asked the UF administration to reconsider the Fall 2021 plan and work closely with the Senate to make plans and events transparent to the university community. As changes were made to the resolution, it now includes another vote of confidence aimed at the leadership of Florida State University Systems Board of Governors regarding its handling of COVID-19 in schools. Despite plans of discussion, the resolution was not heard in neither August nor September senate meetings due to conflicts with Senate Steering Committee approval and calls to redraft the proposal. The committee felt there were some inaccurate statements, such as the faculty providing no input to the policy. The original no-confidence resolution was inspired by Penn State University’s faculty senate no-confidence resolution against its administration’s COVID-19 plan. UF’s Faculty Senate states the university’s Fall COVID plan falls short of faculty expectations and does not create a sense of safety and confidence among faculty, staff and students. The resolution states the plans lack flexibility and accommodations with no vaccination, masking or testing mandates, and in-person teaching requirements without social distanc-

ing, upsetting many faculty members. Delaying the vote to November would mean that the faculty and staff issues with UF’s COVID policies would further be postponed despite several petitions and demands made to mandate masks and vaccines since late August, when campus reopened amid the surge of the Delta variant. Now, with cases going down, some senators argue the resolution is no longer relevant. Now, finally introduced Thursday, faculty senators will vote on the resolution Nov. 18. Maureen Long, a faculty senator and professor for the comparative, diagnostic and population medicine department said there needs to be autonomy in the decisions made from the UF administration to the faculty because COVID-19 is not going away. “I really believe that it does need to move and the reason it needs to move, whether it fails or passes, there needs to be a good talk about it as an action item,” Long said. “It’s been discussed everywhere, but there’s really been no action for us, and that’s how we felt the whole time during COVID.” Other faculty senators said there was no need to vote on the resolution as Florida COVID-19 cases and infection rates have decreased. As the senate came to vote on making the resolution an action item Thursday, only 16

senators ruled in favor of the motion. Mark Hostetler, a professor and extension specialist in the UF Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, said he hopes the resolution will pass in November. But he believes the Senate Steering Committee had minimized the language and effect of the original resolution which he presented. “The original resolution just said we’re not confident in the Fall COVID policy and here’s some of the reasons,” Hostetler said. “This one went overboard to point the finger at the state.” He said the university continues to claim that its hands are tied when it could have banded together with other Florida institutions to​defy​the state government​, ​following​ the science for the wellness and safety of their faculty, staff and students. What is also at stake is academic freedom, Hostetler said. He thinks UF needs to take a stand on this issue. “Managers do things right, leaders do the right thing,” he said. “And what is happening is our leadership, our managers, are not showing leadership. They’re just managing what the state is trying to do.” @CamilaSaPereira cpereira@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7

Collier Companies tenants protest firm’s refusal of some government-assisted payments ABOUT 30 PEOPLE GATHERED TO DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE OF ITS MAIN OFFICE

By Bryce Brown Alligator Staff Writer

The sounds of blaring car horns and indignant voices bellowed across the streets outside Collier Companies International’s main office Thursday when about 30 residents protested the housing company’s decision to evict tenants receiving supplemental income. Protesters gathered at 220 N Main St. to share their experiences — which they believe were violations of their rights — with

Collier Companies. Collier Companies is a housing management and real estate company based in Gainesville that owns 11,271 apartment units across Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma. Some of the company’s tenants say it has discriminated against lawful forms of income. Collier Companies could not be reached for comment as of Sunday evening. June King, a Collier resident, contracted COVID-19 last year and could not work to pay rent. She was able to use Emergency Rental Assistance Program payments toward her rent, and while COVID-19 took a toll on her health, she didn’t realize it would also cost her her home.

Eli Nino // Alligator Staff

Lea Guthrie (left) and Izzy Myers (right) sit in front of The Collier Companies building during the Protest for Tenant Discrimination on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

New management arrived at the complex last spring, and King was unable to provide the rental assistance payment on time. Her property manager then told her she will not be able to renew her lease when it expires Dec. 31. King is still unsure what will transpire after her New Year’s Eve deadline. “I just feel that it’s wrong,” she said. “I think I was deceived.” The Renters Rights Ordinance was passed by the city of Gainesville earlier this year. The ordinance protects tenants from discrimination based on lawful sources of income, such as Section 8 vouchers, Social Security, child support and housing assistance. Alachua County Labor Coalition chair Sheila Payne said the organization has spent years trying to get the ordinance passed. Now it’s not being enforced. The Section 8 voucher program, also known as the Choice Voucher program, is a federal program that helps elderly, disabled and lowincome individuals afford adequate housing in the private market. Social Security, which is regulated by the U.S. Social Security Administration, is a social insurance program that provides supplemental forms of income and benefits for retirees and disabled individuals. But in the spring, Collier stopped accepting those forms of payment despite the ordinance mandating them not to. The company isn’t the only property owner in Gainesville to enforce this policy. Carrie Saites, a resident of Hunter’s Run Apartments owned by Royal American Management, said she applied for rental assistance program payments with them Jun. 26, but on Aug. 10 she was given a five-day eviction notice by an Alachua County Sheriff’s officer. Although her federal funds have been distributed, they have not been processed by the housing management despite her multiple attempts to bring it to their attention. She has

been charged $375 in late fees. Saites said she felt alone in her situation before attending the protest. “We’re not just one, we are many,” she said. “And we have many stories, and we have many different situations. This pandemic can’t tear us apart anymore.” Payne said Collier and other big corporations are having tenants sign monthly leases so they can continue to raise their rent prices, which ultimately leads to evictions. This tactic is to bring in student renters who often have the means to pay steeper prices. But with steeper prices, tenants are faced with inadequate living conditions. Residents of Collier and other companies have voiced their complaints numerous times about sanitary and utility concerns that aren’t being fixed. The labor coalition receives reports of AC units that haven’t worked in years, holes in roofs and molding, Payne said. In addition, tenants have complained about having difficulty getting their security deposits back. Tenants refrain from calling code enforcement for fear of eviction, she said. “There’s just not enough affordable housing, so people end up being at the mercy of these landlords,” Payne said. “The goal [of the protest] is to send a warning that it’s just not acceptable.” Payne said the coalition has directed tenants who have reported discrimination to Three Rivers Legal Services Inc, an organization that provides free legal services to low-income individuals. The labor coalition and Three Rivers may bring a lawsuit to the Department of Justice. “It will take all of us to stop this,” Payne said. @brycebrownnn bbrown@alligator.org

Breast cancer awareness campaign marches well past $100,000 finish line The American Cancer Society reached its goal of $100K in donations for breast cancer with a march Saturday By Zachary Carnell Alligator Contributing Writer

About 1,700 people gathered to march around Celebration Pointe and raise money for victims of breast cancer Saturday morning. The event, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Gainesville, was hosted by the American Cancer Society to clinch a $100,000 donation goal as part of a campaign that kicked off in August. It soon turned into a victory march. Participants had the choice to walk or run a 1k or a 5k. The march started at 9 a.m., but the ACS had already reached its goal hours earlier. “When I went to bed last night at 11 o’clock, we were $2,000 away from the goal,” said Kyle Stone, the ACS Senior Manager of Community Development. “When I woke up this morning at 4 a.m., we were $1,000 over goal. So we’re doing really well.” ACS will use the donations for cancer research and to provide free lodging and rides to treatment for people with breast cancer, Stone said. Jennifer McKathan, the ACS Cancer Control Strategic Partnership Manager, said it will also fund a reach-to-recovery program, a phone app that connects breast cancer patients to survivors.

“They’re able to understand them better,” McKathan said. “What they’re going through, their journey, their difficulties, the side effects, mentally what goes through your mind when someone tells you you have cancer.” The World Health Organization recognizes breast cancer as the most common form of cancer worldwide. Despite its widespread impacts, survivors of breast cancer cheered, laughed and smiled as music boomed around the event’s plaza, which was decorated with pink tents, pink balloons and a big, pink blow-up couch that was at least 10 feet tall. ACS also offered pom-poms, photo opportunities and pink hair dye to attendees. Cheerleading teams from Eastside High School, Buchholz High School, Gainesville High School and Westwood Middle School all attended the event, with some dancing in the center of the plaza. The main sponsors, UF Health and the North Florida Regional Medical Center, both had surgeons at the event as well. “I look forward to it every year,” said Lisa Spiguel, a breast surgeon at UF Health. “It’s just such an awesome opportunity for the community to come together and really support an awesome cause.” She also explained women need

to start screening for breast cancer once they’re 40 years old. Some are at a higher risk than others and may need to get screened sooner, Spiguel added. Sean Benoit is the chief medical officer at North Florida Regional Medical Center, an ambassador for Real Men Wear Pink and a trained surgeon. He further reinforced the seriousness of breast cancer. “We’re still trying to figure out all the reasons why it occurs,” Benoit said. “It can be deadly if left untreated.” More than 280,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease in this year alone, Benoit added. Many people at the event have felt the ramifications of breast cancer, either personally or through family members and friends. Madeline Torres, 58, came from Ocala and attended the event with her son Brendan and her husband Eddie, who was holding a “Team Maddie” sign. She credited them for getting her through intensive treatment. “Six years cancer free,” Torres said. “My cousin did this beautiful sign. Greatest family support. And after eight rounds of chemo, double mastectomies, 83 rounds of radiation, and I’m still standing tall.” Other people at the march lost loved ones to the disease.

Liana Barros // Alligator Staff

Brenda Sims (left), 59, and her sister Tonia McCray (right), 53, start the 5K walk during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Celebration Pointe on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Sims, diagnosed with stage one cancer in November 2020, is a cancer survivor after undergoing treatments earlier in 2021. Cassandra Davis, 67, said she lost her mother to breast cancer roughly 20 years ago and now attends the Making Strides event every year. “I was glad to see all these people that are still able to walk and enjoy and survive,” Davis said after finishing the march. “Nice crowd. Good atmosphere. Lots of good volunteers.” Stone praised the new event chair, Fitz Koehler, for this year’s increased enthusiasm. A race an-

nouncer and breast cancer survivor, Koehler roared with encouragement as people crossed the finish line. Throughout the event, she announced how long survivors have been free of cancer. “It’s meaningful. This is the victory lap,” Koehler said. “Today is a celebration of life and a celebration of the good things to come.” Zachary Carnell is a contributing writer for The Alligator.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

SHOPPING

Friends of the Library sale gives thousands of books ‘new life’ THE NONPROFIT’S FIRST IN-PERSON BOOK SALE SINCE FALL 2019 RUNS OCT. 23-27

By Veronica Nocera Avenue Staff Writer

With more than 500,000 books, records, games, CDs, DVDs, paintings, posters, puzzles, magazines and more, there’s something for everyone at the semi-annual Friends of the Library book sale. But when the nonprofit’s current president, Jonathan van Blokland, looks back on his years working the event, he’s most enraptured by the people. Van Blokland, 81, has been involved with Friends of the Library since 2008, collecting memories from more than 20 book sales and thousands of interactions. He said he likes to work his way through the crowds and get to know the visitors — old and young, individuals and families, first-timers and seasoned veterans. He recalled meeting people who traveled from out of state and camped out in front of the building in anticipation. He recognized a family of four or five kids that seemed to grow in size each visit. His favorite interaction was with an older local couple who attended every day of the sale for 20 years without ever missing a single one. “In the years I’ve been there, I really cannot find anybody to dislike,” van Blokland said. “Find a nice fellow who likes books, and you’ll be happy the rest of your life.” Friends of the Library, located at 430-B N Main St., hosted its first in-person book sale since Fall 2019 Saturday, kicking off the five-day comeback event that will last until Wednesday. Hours for all upcoming days are

noon to 6 p.m. For the first time in the sale’s history, customers are able to pay with credit card, in addition to cash and check. Items will continue to be sold at their original prices, ranging from 25 cents to $4, on Monday. Tuesday, items will be sold at half-price, and on Wednesday, items will be priced at only 10 cents. The Collector’s Corner, which features signed and first-edition copies of books, is open the first four days of the sale and houses the only items listed outside the original price range. The sale is run entirely by a force of close to 100 volunteers, some who traveled from out of state to help. Hundreds of books and other items — all donated by the community — are stored in cardboard boxes, ready to replenish the sale stock whenever needed. Profits are donated to the Alachua County Library District. As the largest of its kind in Florida and one of the largest in the southeastern United States, the book sale is especially significant in its contribution to the Alachua County Library District. Friends of the Library has been supporting ACLD since after its first sale in 1954. Rachel Cook, Alachua County Library District spokesperson, said Friends of the Library has provided the district with $5.4 million of support since 1986, including $25,119 during the 2020-2021 fiscal year and $351,000 in staff scholarships. Cook said the profits are used to fund literacy programs, author visits, marketing campaigns and physical materials, among other projects. In the past, profits have been used to add eight quiet reading rooms to eight branches of the library district. All customers and volunteers at the sale are required to wear masks inside the building, and the number of visitors allowed inside at once is limited to allow for social distancing.

With two years passing since the last inperson sale, van Blokland said he and other Friends of the Library members were initially unsure what the turnout would be — especially on the first day, which he said usually accounts for 70% of the sale’s profits. “It’s a bit like when you have a baby,” he said. “We just don’t know what sort of baby we’re going to be producing.” Evidently, the baby was a hit. Hundreds of customers lined up outside Friends of the Library early Saturday morning, with many visitors arriving long before the building opened at 9 a.m. The line snaked through the parking lot and down Main Street, eventually curving along Sixth Street and around the block. Groups of all ages and sizes waited in the sun, armed with tote bags, backpacks and cardboard boxes waiting to be filled with books. Some customers camped out the night before, said 83-year-old Linda Connell, who’s been volunteering with Friends of the Library for 43 years. Nadia Jimenez traveled up from Orlando with her mother, Lisa Scott, to attend the book fair with her sister, Maya Jimenez. All three sported tote bags, ready to be filled with books, over their shoulders. For Nadia, 25, and her sister, 21, their trip was just one in a long line of book sale visits over the past few years, but they wanted to bring their mother for her first time. Nadia graduated from UF in 2018, and she said she’s had luck using the book sale to supplement her growing book collection at an affordable price. She rarely goes in looking for something specific, but she leaves with full duffle bags, regardless. Maya, who graduated from UF this year, said the book sale is an opportunity to pursue

a love of reading in a more environmentally conscious way. “It’s sustainable,” she said. “You’re giving a book a second life.” Lilla Moye, 84, who’s been volunteering with Friends of the Library for 25 years, said the popularity of the book sale reflects her hope. “It goes to show that there are still people who read,” she said. @vernocera vnocera@alligator.org

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Attendees gather in line outside of the Friends of the Library book sale on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Most of the people in the line had been waiting for at least two hours.

CELEBRATION

Gainesville celebrates SOPHIE’s legacy with dance party THE WOOLY LIT UP IN SHIMMER AND VIBRANCE OCT. 15 TO CELEBRATE THE LATE MUSIC VISIONARY

By Kristine Villarroel Avenue Staff Writer

Walking into The Wooly felt like entering a colorful smoke cloud vibrating with pounding metallic beats. Inside, a sense of community and celebration filled the room. On Oct. 15, the downtown Gainesville venue hosted a bubblegum bass dance party in tribute to the late music producer SOPHIE, who passed away earlier this year. SOPHIE stood at the forefront of a group of musicians defining the subversive “hyperpop” genre cluster.

The Wooly often hosts events catering to specific audiences, such as the monthly Pop Punk & Emo Night most recently held on Friday, the Neon Liger electronic dance party held on Saturday, the upcoming Von Dutch & Velour 90’s and 2000’s dance party happening on Nov. 5 and the recently announced Taylor Swift dance party on Jan. 22. Themed nights and special events allow attendees to connect with others who share interests and help foster local music-focused communities by giving different niches the chance to dance and enjoy together. Alf Posen, who helped host the event, described it as a dance party to celebrate a queer and transgender artist. Music was provided by Gainesville DJ Drew Love, who has been a part of the local music and

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EDM scene for 20 years. “The whole hyperpop and bubblegum bass thing is something I’ve been getting into a lot lately,” Love said. “I listen to it a lot at home. I wasn’t expecting it to be like,‘I get to play a whole night of this.’” Hyperpop is best defined as a genre cluster with a variety of EDM influences ranging from accessible house and techno to more experimental, obscure subgenres like breakcore. A pioneer to the sound, SOPHIE paved the way for the genre to flourish and gain recognition. SOPHIE’s approachable music creates a sense of community through joy and celebration. “I see a lot of the different styles that she was melding into one big thing,” Love said. “There’s a lot of influence from goth in some of her

stuff, there’s a lot of influence from Detroit house in some of her stuff, there’s even breakcore and noise going on.” The unique and innovative sounds within SOPHIE’s music take elements from various genres and, at times, imitate sounds found in daily life, like bubbles popping or metal clanking. Other hyperpop acts incorporate glitch, distortion and static sounds to their music to create an electrifying soundscape. “My biggest fear [at the event] is that the sound technician is going to keep trying to clear up the distortion that’s actually in the track,” Love said. “It’s supposed to sound like it’s clipping. That’s the song.” The Wooly’s walls and floor vibrated to the beats of SOPHIE staples such as “Immaterial,” hyperpop markers such as 100 gecs’

“money machine” and even nostalgic cuts such as 3OH!3’s “DONTTRUSTME.” Attendees were too busy dancing with strangers to think about anything other than the moment. In a 2018 interview with Sophia the Robot, SOPHIE mentioned being all about visibility. On Oct. 15, the Wooly became the stage for this message. “[It’s about] hearing hyperpop music in a public setting and being with other people who like it,” said Helmut Carter, a UF microbiology and cell science senior and the owner of the Instagram account @ ufhyperpoppers. “[It’s all about] dancing, having fun, and meeting people.” Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue @ktnedelvalle kvillarroel@alligator.org

Diamond debut

Florida baseball hosted its first opponent since the 2021 season ended Saturday, splitting a double-header with Georgia Southern and debuting an overhauled roster, pg. 12

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10 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FEATURE

Beason’s building blocks: How one student-athlete introduced volleyball to her community Before her collegiate start at UF, freshman outside hitter Merritt Beason would coach the girls in her town on volleyball By Kaitlyn Wadulack Sports Writer

Olivia Moore ventured over to her neighbor’s driveway, ready for volleyball lessons every day ​​during quarantine. In that Gardendale, Alabama, driveway, Florida volleyball outside hitter Merritt Beason trained Moore, now a seventh grader at Bragg Middle School, and other girls who wanted to learn more about volleyball. “It was just something that I guess I was pretty good at, and Merritt was always so passionate about,” Moore said. In high school, Beason volunteered her time coaching the Bragg Middle School volleyball team in an attempt to rejuvenate the sport in her hometown. The aspiring teacher used the driveway drills as a way to mentor young girls. The lessons began during Beason’s junior year of high school. She decided to play for Gardendale High School again after training with her club team her sophomore year. Volleyball, however, isn’t the biggest sport in Gardendale. Most girls grow up yearning to

be cheerleaders. “My one goal was to get little girls in my town to hear about volleyball,” she said. “I wanted little girls to know what volleyball was, and I wanted them to see me and to see that, ‘Oh hey, I can do this and I can go get a full ride.’” She reached out to Bragg volleyball coach April Thomas prior to her junior year to help out with training the middle school team. Thomas immediately took to the idea; most sixth graders who try out never played volleyball outside of gym class. So, Beason became an assistant volleyball coach at Bragg for her final two seasons of high school. She came in for summer practices to improve the team’s skills, either through running drills or working with the hitters. The new assistant coach held the girls to a higher standard of play and encouraged them to achieve the goals they set. “She really, really pushed them in what was expected,” Thomas said. “She would be even harder on them discipline-wise or skillwise than even I would be.” Thomas watched Beason’s leadership qualities shine even during her younger playing days.

While she was a Bragg student, Beason taught her teammates vital skills, such as volleyball rotations. “The volleyball coach that we had at the time was not very knowledgeable about volleyball,” Thomas said. “So Merritt, even as an eighth grader, was pretty much leading that team.” While coaching the middle schoolers, Beason would tell the girls that her gift comes from God. “Her faith is the forefront,” Thomas said. “She lets all these kids know that her gift comes from God, and she’s been granted this as her platform to do God’s work.” As a Christian, Beason said God blessed her with more than she deserves, and her goal is to ensure his light is shining through her in all that she accomplishes. “Ultimately, my goal is that glory isn't a reflection of me, and it's a reflection of him,” Beason said. “One of my main goals is to make sure that I'm using my platform and my skills and abilities that he's given me for him and for his kingdom.” Working with the volleyball team pushes Beason one step closer to what she wants to do in the future. She has always loved working with children, and

Catherine McCarthy // Alligator Staff

Florida’s Merritt Beason jumps and sets her sights on a kill against Texas A&M on Oct. 16. alligatorSports has a podcast! The alligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

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Courtesy to The Alligator

Florida volleyball’s Merritt Beason (center), pictured while she was still in high school, poses with some of the players on the middle school team she coached. that love motivated her dream to become an elementary school teacher. She would even make her younger brother play school with her; she was the teacher, and he, the student. Beason, however, credits her first grade teacher, Kathy Casaday, for inspiring her to pursue teaching. Over the summer of her elementary school days, Beason would help Casaday cut out things she needed laminated or sort the books in her classroom. “I will never forget that,” Beason said. “That definitely was probably the kickstarter of me wanting to be an elementary school teacher.” Those who have worked with Beason have seen the passion and dedication she brings to everything she does. When she came to UF, she learned how to play right-side hitter — an entirely new position. Senior outside hitter Thayer Hall said Beason’s dedication and willingness to step up as a freshman gave her goosebumps. “Just the energy, the light, her smile, it's something that brightens up the court,” Hall said. “I don’t think we would be us without her in that position, and we perform at our best when she is on the right side.” Beason’s ability to learn and her talent in the sport helped get her to where she is now, head coach Mary Wise said. “She's a terrific learner and why

some young players in any sport can get on the court or field sooner has to do with their ability to learn the differences between high school and college sooner,” Wise said. “They eventually all get there, just some can learn it quicker, and that’s where Merritt is today.” Although Beason may not currently be coaching the Bragg team, the girls she taught still reach out to her through social media to update her on their volleyball accomplishments. “I truly loved it, and I got to know those girls a lot,” she said. “It's just super cool having that bond with those younger girls.” As a seventh grader on the Bragg volleyball team, Moore believes Beason is the reason for her newfound love of volleyball. She still remembers Beason’s advice from every practice.

Reset your heads. Get all of the past plays, bad sets and bad hits out of your heads and focus on the serve that is about to come over. With years of coaching the girls, Beason is proud to see how her one goal kickstarted volleyball in her community. She hopes to return to Gardendale and continue inspiring girls like Moore from her driveway.

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@kwadulack kwadulack@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR  MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

BASEBALL

Three takeaways from Florida baseball’s first big fall appearance THE FLORIDA GATORS BASEBALL TEAM RETURNED TO FLORIDA BALLPARK FOR A FALL BALL SCRIMMAGE AGAINST GEORGIA SOUTHERN

By Sara Kate Dyson Sports Writer

The last time the Florida Gators baseball team hosted an opponent at Florida Ballpark, it was eliminated from the collegiate postseason and saw its College World Series chances disappear with a 19-1 loss to South Alabama. Last year’s unanimous preseason No. 1 fell short of the extraordinarily high expectations set for them at the start of the 2021 season. Now, the Gators return for a brand new year, with a relatively brand new team. The Gators hosted a double-header scrimmage against Georgia Southern Saturday to offer a first look at the 2022 squad. The Eagles took game one 3-1, while the Gators won game two, 7-6. Though the early loss to Georgia Southern threatens to spark conversation over the status of this year’s Florida team, the panic button shouldn’t be pushed just yet. The Gators certainly have room for improvement after Saturday’s showing, but they show glimpses of hope as well. Here are three takeaways from the first fall ball head-to-head. A Young Squad

One of the first things to remember about

this year’s baseball squad is how young and new the team actually is. Between the end of last season to the start of fall ball, the Gators lost 20 players. Twelve of the departing players were pitchers, including weekend starters Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich, meaning fans should expect several young arms on the mound in the spring. On Saturday alone, six freshman pitchers saw action. First-timers burst onto the scene on Saturday. Freshmen Deric Fabian, Ty Evans, Michael Robertson, Rene Lastres, Jorge De Goti, Matt Prevesk and Corey Robinson all made appearances. As of now, the Gators roster consists of 16 freshmen, nine of which are pitchers. While it’s easy to start criticisms after one preseason show, this inexperienced roster may just need some more time to find its footing. Fabian Family Affair

Florida generated success throughout the 2021 season at the plate. Four Gators finished the season with above .300 batting averages and totaled a team average of .278. One vital piece of this offense elected to return to Florida, and his name is Jud Fabian. Fabian, despite being drafted in the second round by the Boston Red Sox, chose to play for the Gators for another year. Last season, Fabian mashed 20 home runs and earned the highest slugging percentage on the team with .560. The power on Saturday, however, came from someone with the same name but a different face. Jud’s little brother, Deric, lifted fans out of their seats, launching two pitches over

Ryan Haley // Alligator Staff

Florida Ballpark, which debuted last season, hosted two scrimmages between the Gators and Georgia Southern on Saturday. the wall — one in each game — to elevate a Gators offense that lagged a bit in game one and early on in game two. Though veterans Sterlin Thompson and Wyatt Langford each knocked another over the wall in game two, the newest Fabian is definitely one to watch at the plate. On the Mound

The age-old Florida pitching dynasty looked at risk to crumble once again this season. Beyond just the uncertainty from the freshmen arms, the veterans found their own struggles on Saturday. Sophomore right-hander Brandon Sproat gave up two hits and an earned run in his

opening two innings in the second game. Sophomore lefty Timmy Manning also struggled in his inning of work, giving up three hits and a pair of earned runs. On the bright side, returning starter Hunter Barco didn’t miss a beat. Barco opened up game one with six consecutive outs, including four strikeouts, in his twoinning appearance. Though the Gators could use some work and fine-tuning, the good news is there is plenty of time before the season’s first pitch in February. @sarakatedyson skatedyson@alligator.org

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