October 23, 2023

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VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 10 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

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LGBTQ+ Gainesville continues its celebration of Pride with events, museum exhibits and feelings of community FESTIVITIES BRING NEARLY 5,000 PEOPLE TOGETHER

By Jared Teitel, Molly Seghi & Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writers

Pride Month has been a celebration of the queer community since 1970, just one year after LGBTQ+ individuals fought against systemic injustices in the Stonewall Riots. Although the cause is commemorated nationwide in the month of June for over 50 years, Gainesville serves as one city celebrating Pride Month just a bit longer.

Gainesville Pride Festival brings thousands together

Despite being a city submerged under waves of orange and blue, Downtown Gainesville was repping the rainbow Oct. 21.

For eight hours, drag queens dipped, folding fans flipped and locals laughed with family, friends,

neighbors and strangers as they celebrated Pride Community Center of North Central Florida’s (PCCNCF) 2023 Gainesville Pride Festival at East University Avenue’s Bo Diddley Plaza.

This year’s pride festival comes after Florida lawmakers passed in May the Senate Bill 1438, Protection of Children. The law bans government-funded facilities from allowing “adult live performances” where children are present. PCCNCF themed its pride parade, “Can’t Drag Us Down,” in response to this legislation, according to an Instagram post.

The organization’s pride days began Oct. 13 with a Halloweenthemed drag show at First Magnitude Brewing Company and continued with events such as the 22nd Annual Spirit of Pride Community Awards, Alachua Queer History Gallery at Matheson History Museum and drag yoga and bingo at First Magnitude.

But Oct. 21 marked one of the biggest Gainesville pride day events of

‘Can’t Drag Us Down,’ with nearly 5,000 LGBTQ+ community members and allies showing up.

Gerald Padgett, a 41-year-old community outreach director for Stonewall Sports Gainesville, was among the representatives of queerfocused groups in attendance at the event. Stonewall Sports is a nonprofit sports league with 28 chapters across the country. Despite being a 14-year-old organization, its Gainesville chapter was founded just last year. “[We focus] on those who felt like they were disadvantaged or they didn’t fit into sports,” Padgett said.

Padgett said the league’s focus on inclusivity and community over competitiveness has contributed to its nearly doubled membership in Gainesville since spring, with about 76 members registered at the time.

Kyria’s Crystals and Curiosities was just one of the numerous queerowned pop-ups tabling at Bo Diddley

SEE PRIDE, PAGE 6

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Drag queen Jessa Belle Light performing to a medley of Taylor Swift songs at Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

‘This is a human rights issue’: Few Jewish students stand up for Palestine These students question the lack of community focus on Gaza

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

Clay Robison received an Instagram message saying he was an embarrassment to the Jewish community.

Robison, a 21-year-old UF political and economics senior, took to social media to post about his support of the Free Palestine Movement, which calls for the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

After Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, Robison said he had witnessed overwhelming anti-Palestine rhetoric and fear from the Jewish community.

“A lot of people associate Israel itself with safety,” he said. “So when they see an attack,

they feel like their personal safety is under threat.”

Since the violence began two weeks ago, Robison said Palestinian and anti-Zionist voices have been largely neglected. Zionism is the Israeli national ideology that Judaism is both a nationality and religion and that Israel is an ancestral land that exists for the Jewish community.

Although Robison completed Birthright, which is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish people ages 18-26, in the summer of 2021 and has extended family living there, he does not view Israel as inherently correct in this conflict.

Robison believes Israel colonized Arab land meant for Palestinians. This perspective formed when he was 14 and watched John

Green’s YouTube explaining the conflict’s history. Since then, he has worked to educate himself on Palestinian issues and support groups advocating for peace.

“This is a human rights issue that I need to stand up for, because of the fact that throughout Jewish history, we have been the victims of oppression and hate and violence,” he said.

Patricia Sohn, the undergraduate coordinator for UF’s Center for Jewish Studies, said although Zionist and Arab nationalist movements had separate origins — beginning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, respectively — over time, the two movements would begin to see one another as a problem.

For the Jewish community, a country of its own would create a safe haven against anti-

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semitic persecution. For the Palestinians, land of their own meant autonomy from other Arab states.

“Let me emphasize that no one today was alive during those events, and no one of us is responsible for them,” Sohn said in an email.

“Nonetheless, these events left indelible scars in local memory.”

There may be confusion over who is right or wrong in this conflict, she said, but under the United Nations’ definition, Sohn emphasized that Israel is not an apartheid regime.

There is no evidence that Israel is persecuting Palestinians because of race in this cross-border conflict, she said.

Nadine Ghourra, a 20-year-old UF political science junior, has family in Gaza. She attended the Oct. 12 Students for Justice in Palestine

SEE GAZA, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023

Today’s Weather UF Faculty Senate proposes shared governance resolution

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 10

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The resolution will be voted on Nov. 16

By Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writer

The UF Faculty Senate proposed a resolution Oct. 19 to review shared governance processes across the university, which dictate how faculty, staff and students are able to participate in decision and policy making.

The proposed resolution tasks faculty councils across the university to review shared governance processes within their college, unit or department. Additionally, the resolution calls on UF President Ben Sasse to direct academic deans and directors across the university to strengthen shared governance processes.

Sasse made an appearance at the beginning of the meeting to express concerns that shared governance can slow down the university’s ability to make decisions.

“I’m a big believer in shared governance,” he said. “But the purpose of shared governance is to make better decisions, not as an excuse to not make decisions and to just defer them well into the future.”

Initiatives like UF’s Jacksonville graduate campus will require faster decision-making processes, Sasse said.

UF has “a couple hundred million dollars” of public and private money set aside for the Jacksonville campus that “evaporates if we don’t spend it,” Sasse said. “I think there are a number of things we’ve done historically that if you look at the timelines and you try to lay out the way we’ve done things in the past, that won’t be fast enough to deploy resources that we want to deploy in Jacksonville.”

In June, a faculty senate committee produced a report on the status of shared governance at the university. The committee had surveyed and anonymously interviewed faculty across UF’s 16 colleges.

UF Faculty Senate Chair Danaya Wright said Oct. 19 the report showed shared governance is “spotty” in some colleges.

“Different colleges had dif-

ferent issues,” Wright said. “Everybody had room for improvement.”

Some senators openly questioned and satirized Sasse’s views on shared governance after he left the meeting early.

Carolyn Holland, a College of Medicine senator, asked Wright if Sasse’s past comparison of shared governance to “molasses in January in Antarctica” was justified.

“Are there any examples of things that were so bogged down that the world ended?” Holland asked. “Because he makes it sound like the faculty senate is standing in the way of progress for the university, and I don’t have any concrete examples of that where I can say, ‘Oh yeah, I understand where he’s coming from.’”

“I don’t either,” Wright responded. “There’s no question that faculty can get together in a room and spend a very long time talking about things, but at the end of the day my sense of the faculty is that they are incredibly good at coming up with good ideas and input into things.”

Gene Witmer, a College of Liberal Arts senator, said Sasse’s stance was confusing considering his political history. Before coming to UF, Sasse served as a Republican U.S. Senator for eight years.

“It would seem to run con-

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trary to what is usually known as conservatism, which is: respect the wisdom of the institution as it exists, don’t break things too quickly, don’t do that kind of quick action because it’s too easy to overlook the wisdom that’s already built into them,” Witmer said.

Earlier in the meeting, Wright opened the floor to discussion on a separate agenda item that would phase out the master’s program in international construction management.

She was met with silence.

“People are just getting impatient with this deliberative process,” Wright joked.

“We’re reducing administrative burden!” one senator shouted back.

After some laughter, the action item passed unanimously and without discussion.

The faculty senate will vote on the shared governance resolution Nov. 16. @garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 ALLIGATOR 3

UF student group fights corporal punishment in K-12 public schools Proposed amendment would ban the practice on Florida students with disabilities

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

During the 2021-22 school year, 717 students in Florida public K-12 schools were paddled, spanked or otherwise struck by a teacher or principal. Under Florida’s state constitution, schools have every right to do so.

Corporal punishment, defined in Florida statute as the use of physical force or contact on a student to maintain discipline, is legal in 19 Florida school districts.

Six students from UF Florida Student Policy Forum visited Tallahassee Oct. 18 during the legislature’s interim committee weeks to advocate an amendment to the state constitution that would ban corporal punishment for students with disabilities and require parental consent for use of corporal punishment in all cases.

The bill has a House sponsor, and the group’s trip to Tallahassee was focused on finding a Senate sponsor — preferably a Republican legislator, to increase the bipartisan appeal of the bill — and House co-sponsors, said FSPF political director Graham Bernstein, who authored the amendment along with 22-year-old UF alumnus and Lake Erie College medical student Konstantin Nakov.

Bernstein, a UF history and political science junior, began looking into corporal punishment in public schools two years ago and was shocked to find the practice is still legal in Florida, he said. Bernstein was raised in Alachua County, one of Florida’s 54 school districts where the practice is banned, and never realized its effects, he said.

Bernstein originally hoped to end the practice in public schools altogether but was met with resistance from Republican legisla-

tors. After many nights spent researching the topic until 3 a.m., drafting and redrafting legislation, Bernstein learned the disproportionate effect of corporal punishment on children with disabilities and adjusted the bill to focus on protecting those students instead.

Corporal punishment and students with disabilities

Students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act made up 15% of Florida students in the 2017-18 school year but counted for 22.3% of students who experienced corporal punishment.

IDEA, created in its current form in 1990, serves students in public schools aged 3 to 21 with learning disabilities, speech or language impairments or developmental disabilities like autism.

Some of these students can’t communicate well verbally, or they may be hearing impaired or have trouble reading or learning, Bernstein said. Physical punishment shouldn’t be applied as a one-size-fits-all solution to accommodate difficulties students with disabilities face, he said.

Corporal punishment is used on these students, not as a last resort, but as an impulse response to poorly documented reasons including using fidget spinners, bringing caffeinated drinks and engaging in horseplay, Bernstein said.

Even in Florida counties which have banned corporal punishment, the practice is still being used toward students with disabilities.

When a bus monitor in Lake County used corporal punishment against special needs students in 2018 — putting one child in a headlock and putting a shoe over the mouth of another — charges were dropped even

though the district doesn’t allow corporal punishment in schools or on school buses.

The state law sanctioning corporal punishment superseded the district law and led the monitor’s 32 charges to be dropped.

Lafayette County had the highest rate of corporal punishment dealt to disabled students in the 2022-23 school year. Of the 25 corporal punishment usages, 17 — or 68% — were on students covered under IDEA, according to Melissa Dicks, secretary to superintendent and school board for Lafayette County School District.

The majority of Florida counties that currently allow corporal punishment are rural and low income. Lack of funding for public schools means districts allowing corporal punishment are often unequipped to deal with mental health and behavioral issues associated with students with disabilities, Bernstein said.

Of the 19 counties in Florida with sanctioned corporal punishment today, only one — Wakulla County, which is part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area — has a median household income above the Florida median income of $61,777, according to Florida Health records from 2021.

“These school districts need support, not corporal punishment,” Bernstein said.

For Nakov, who hopes to be a psychiatrist one day, the idea that corporal punishment could be used as an effective discipline is bewildering. A child’s early education and the bonds of trust between schools, children and parents set up that child’s future, and corporal punishment damages those bonds, he said.

“Someone who you’re supposed to trust doing that in front of other people, in front of your peers, it can sow mistrust,” he said.

Patty Pascual // Alligator Staff

“There’s many, many deeper levels to that.”

None of the counties allowing corporal punishment met the American School Counselors’ Association’s recommended ratio of 250 students per counselor, according to data from a 2015 study from the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.

Banning corporal punishment of students with disabilities would force schools to look at why those kids are experiencing issues with discipline, rather than just striking them without investigation, Bernstein said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org. @zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org

Gainesville to redevelop a joint space with the Knot Climbing Gym GAINESVILLE CITY COMMISSION APPROVES PROPOSAL TO REDEVELOP THE OLD RTS ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITY

By Kat Tran Alligator Staff Writer

The Gainesville City Commission voted 6-1 Oct. 19 to approve The Knot Climbing Gym’s proposal to redevelop the old RTS Administration and Maintenance facility to the south of Depot Park.

City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker was the sole commissioner who voted against the proposal.

In the proposal, the Knot Climbing Gym, located at 704 S. Main St., would be expanded and adapted to the former RTS facility in addition to the construction of a new building. The total price of the planned proposal is $19 to $27 million over the next seven years.

The RTS facility will be redeveloped on a 5.2-acre site located at 100 SE 10th Ave. The purchase of the original property was pulled from Federal Transit Administration funds. The proposal will repurpose other existing facilities

to create a fast-casual dining restaurant and a 15,000 square foot skate shop and bike rental.

Additionally, the plan’s final phase includes an 8,000 square foot stationary wave surfing facility that will host competitions and the construction of approximately 37 townhome housing condos.

The plan’s mixed-use components intend to enhance Depot Park into a bustling hub to amplify Gainesville as a sports-centric

destination for residents and tourists, according to the proposal.

The City of Gainesville also received a proposal from The Florida Music Hall of Fame, Inc. However, The Knot Climbing Gym’s proposal was unanimously recommended by the evaluation committee as it aligns with the city’s pre-existing Downtown Gainesville Strategic plan.

Commissioner Reina Saco believes the proposal’s mixed-use

Courtesy to The Alligator

components will have a bit of everything Gainesville needs in that area, she said.

“I’m excited about the type of housing that is available,” she said. “Because that is part of our missing middle component where it is a step in the direction of homeownership for many people, oftentimes their first step.”

Saco is also excited about the potential for more venue spaces to be leased out for parties, graduation events and shows.

Commissioner Bryan Eastman said the proposal fits into the mixed-use plan envisioned for Depot Park.

“It’s a very ambitious project and whether or not [The Knot Climbing Gym] would have the ability to go forward with it … they have a lot of banks that have been willing to put financing and everything behind it,” Eastman said. “I think we have a kind of unique situation here where they’re creating something that’s cool that fits in with what Depot Park is, an expansion.”

Commissioner Casey Willits was also impressed with the adaptive mixed use that the Knot proposed, specifically with the idea of a potential live-work situ-

ation for its new housing areas, he said.

“We’re talking about taking care of a lot of the needs of the city: more parking, more tax dollars coming in now, because it would be taxable, potentially selling it and getting some of the product,” Willits said. “If money can go to RTS, if the federal government allows us to keep it, that would be a great idea.”

Duncan-Walker believes there is still an opportunity to incorporate aspects of the Florida Music Hall of Fame’s proposal into the project, she said.

“That was something that I saw great vision in as a lover of music,” she said. “To continue to move us toward that goal of making Gainesville a cultural capital, a place of regional significance in terms of music that celebrates local artists.”

Mayor Harvey Ward highlighted there will be at least two public comment opportunities in the future to speak on the proposal in addition to informal opportunities such as contacting the City Commission via email. @kat3tran ktran@alligator.org

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023

Gainesville community members gather in prayer at ‘Unity and Solidarity with Israel’ event

Several Israel Defense Force soldiers made an appearance

By Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writer

Over 50 Jewish and non-Jewish community members gathered in a morning of solemn and soulful prayer at the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center — guarded by a patrol car — Oct. 22 for “Unity and Solidarity with Israel,” an event supporting Israel amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Several Israel Defense Force soldiers and veterans made appearances to share their experiences and show support for Israel.

Rabbi Berl Goldman opened the event by saying the past two weeks have been “the most difficult for our people in the last 50 or more years.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war Oct. 7, a day after the Palestinian paramilitary group Hamas barraged the country with missiles, killing approximately 1,400. Since then, tens of thousands of IDF soldiers have amassed at the Gaza border in anticipation of a possible ground invasion.

Goldman condemned Hamas as “pure evil.”

“Israel will no doubt defeat [Hamas] with God’s help,” Goldman told the audience. “It is

not a matter of if but when. The nation of Israel and the entire world always triumphs over evil.”

Attendees were encouraged to make donations to several charities supporting the IDF and Israeli relief causes. Over 150 individual donations were made at the event, according to Goldman.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward made a brief appearance at the beginning of the event to pledge the city’s support toward Israel.

Even though Ward is Episcopalian, he “pray[s] from the same psalms.”

“We all want peace, we all want an end to suffering, but we know that right now it is time we stand together,” Ward said.

Throughout the event, attendees joined Chabad rabbis in reciting prayers from Tehillim, a collection of psalms attributed to King David, to show solidarity among Israeli and Jewish people.

Rabbi Aaron Notik said prayer is a source of strength in the Jewish community in times of war.

“We go calling out the name of God, really signifying that our strength as Jewish people is in our words, in our study of prayer,” Notik said. “The physical, fighting and waging war, is always seen as an issue of last resort. But if we

Courtesy to The Alligator

Members of the local Jewish community listen to Chabad UF co-director Chanie Goldman speak on the importance of prayer at the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. have to resort to that, we’ve got to take it all the way.”

Noam Levy, a 22-year-old UF finance freshman, spoke about his military service in the IDF and told the Jewish community to embrace their identity amid the crisis.

Levy arrived at UF this semester after completing his service. On the day Hamas initially attacked

Israel, he received a call from the IDF asking him to report to the base within two hours.

“I told them I was in Florida, but my instinct was to fly back to Israel,” Levy said. “We only have one Jewish country and we will do everything in order to protect it.”

Levy encouraged the Jewish

community in Gainesville and abroad to be proud of their background.

“Don’t be afraid of your Jewish identity,” Levy said. “Stand strong for Israel.” @garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org

Students speak for Palestine GAZA, from pg. 1

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

An attendee of UF SJP’s discussion in Turlington wearing a Palestine keffiyeh neck scarf on Thursday Oct. 12, 2023.

teach-in at Turlington Hall. Although the event filled to capacity before she could get a seat, she stood outside the building to show her support.

In Gaza, her cousin’s home was bombed, and her family fled to her grandfather’s house nearby.

“Her husband and her three kids — all toddlers — barely made it out and only left with the clothes on their back,” Ghourra said.

Ghourra’s dad told her everyone was evacuating from the grandfather’s house to seek shelter in a hospital or school. The family was warned of a possible Israeli air raid, but the path to escape to Egypt had been bombed.

After the first few days of overseas violence, she wore a kaffiyeh, or a Palestinian headscarf, to campus. Although she was not directly approached by anyone, she said she did receive stares.

“My father advised me not to wear anything that would show that I am from Palestine,” she said. “He didn't want me to deal with anybody that would say anything to me or harass me.”

Ghourra also sympathizes with what Israelis and their families are going through, she said. She has spoken with Jewish friends and said they tend to agree that the violence in Israel and Gaza is not the fault of civilians. But online, Ghourra has witnessed people tie Palestinians to the terrorist group Hamas and call for Gaza to be wiped out.

Meir Schochet, a 20-year-old UF astrophys-

ics junior, is the vice president of UF’s Jewish Voices of Peace chapter, an anti-Zionist activist organization that advocates for Palestinian freedom.

He began questioning Israel’s history when he was a high school senior and taking a Jewish history seminar.

The curriculum discussed the Deir Yassin massacre, which was a 1948 Zionist paramilitary massacre that left more than 100 Palestinians dead. While Schochet was appalled, he said his classmates justified the violence as necessary for establishing and preserving Israel.

“It is very difficult for me to affect any change among people who share religious identity with me,” he said.

Schochet said he understands the importance of the Israeli state, especially with family living there, but emphasized it took a violent escalation against Israel for the public to learn about Palestinian oppression.

He is using Jewish Voices for Peace to emphasize nonviolence for Israel and Palestine.

His family doesn’t understand his advocacy for Palestinian autonomy, and he said it’s difficult trying to debunk misinformation and spread his views in a town that feels predominantly Zionist.

“We begin arguing with opinions, and we begin arguing with ideas,” he said. “That's good and all, but not when you neglect empathy.” @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 ALLIGATOR 5

Gainesville’s inaugural Bee City USA native garden installed at community planting event THE NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN WAS UNVEILED AT GROW HUB OCT. 21

By Kylie Williams Alligator Staff Writer

Most people don’t want to spend their Saturday morning digging in the dirt. Janice Garry, however, shoved her hands in the soil with spirit, a wide smile on her face.

Garry, a 70-year-old Gainesville resident, watched her two young granddaughters tote watering cans around Grow Hub’s native pollinator garden, chuckling as they carefully watered each plant.

Garry was one of about two dozen volunteers who attended Grow Hub’s planting event the morning of Oct. 21. The garden, teeming with native plants that are pollinatorfriendly, is the first Bee City USA green space in Gainesville. The City of Gainesville was certified as a bee city in January and is now working toward installing local pollinator landscapes.

Garry was one of the original organizers for the bee city designation and connected the city with nonprofit organizations to get it certified. She was a backyard beekeeper for 10 years, Garry said, and has a shared passion for pollinators with other volunteers.

“The people who are here understand the importance of native species and insects in the environment,” Garry said. “There’s an instant camaraderie.”

Grow Hub’s garden includes a variety of native plants such as blue mistflower, coreopsis and wild rosemary. The purpose of the garden’s installation is to create a habitat for native pollinators, as well as to educate the community on native plants and bees, Grow Hub outreach coordinator Cherice Smithers said in an email.

“The selected species will bloom at different times throughout the year,” Smithers added, “So native bee populations will have an ongoing food source and the garden will evolve with the seasons.”

As part of the bee city initiative, Grow Hub sells all of the native plants displayed in the pollinator garden. Besides the garden, Grow Hub’s site includes a larger plant nursery, several bee hives and two donkeys dubbed Lewis and Clark. The nonprofit’s proceeds from plant and retail sales allow it to employ

18 adults with disabilities.

The native planting event was organized by the City of Gainesville and the Florida Wildflower Foundation, a nonprofit that leads the Bee City Committee. Aside from creating green spaces in urban environments, the Bee City Committee seeks to educate the public and reduce the use of pesticides.

At Grow Hub’s planting event, Briana Llamosas, an 18-year-old UF public relations freshman, and Flory-Anne Eliaza, a 19-yearold UF youth, family and community sciences sophomore, took a break from planting to snag a latte from Afternoon Roasting’s pop up bar. The local coffee roasting company provided free coffee and pastries to volunteers at the event. Llamosas and Eliaza volunteered together with friends in an effort to learn more about and support Gainesville.

“I want to be part of something that’s for the greater community,” Eliaza said.

The City of Gainesville began working toward a bee city designation after a donor provided $50,000 for the initiative, FWF liaison Geena Hill said. Bee cities are committed to the conservation of native pollinators and are required to create native gardens within its communities.

There are over 300 native bee species in Florida, 29 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Preserving these native species are important, Hill said, due to the threats they face from human activity. Insecticides, invasive species and urban development have all led to the decline in Florida’s native bees.

Native pollinators are vital to humans for many reasons, Hill said. Pollinators mitigate climate change by contributing to plant growth, which absorbs harmful carbon dioxide.

However, Hill said, popular lawn grasses like St. Augustine grass often replace these helpful native plants.

“Grass really doesn’t do anything for the environment,” Hill added. “It’s not really supporting any sort of wildlife.”

Bees are also an important agricultural resource to humans. Not only do honey bees produce beeswax and honey, but bees can improve crop sizes and yields, UF honey bee research and extension laboratory manager Christopher Oster said. Although honey bees aren’t native to Florida, farmers will often introduce hives to their farms to improve agricultural productivity, Oster added.

Bees will travel up to five miles away from their colony to forage for food, Oster said.

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Bee City original organizer and volunteer Janice Garry plants pollinator-friendly native plants at the Grow Hub on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

Adding native pollinator gardens to Gainesville would add habitats and food sources for bees, he said, which could help local populations grow.

“A single bee will take tens of thousands of visits to flowers in its lifetime,” Oster added.

“So having the more out there, the better.”

The Grow Hub garden was designed pro bono by Zamia Design, a Gainesville landscape architecture company that specializes in native plants. Zamia chose to take on the project to help the Gainesville community and because it prioritizes the conservation of native flora and fauna, the company’s business manager Andrea Zable said.

Zamia’s priority is encouraging its clients to choose to grow native plants by explaining their benefits, Zable said. Plants native to Florida require very little irrigation, she added, which conserves water as a valuable resource and saves consumers money on their water bill.

“We need to start to help people have landscapes that they enjoy, but don’t require constant irrigation,” Zable said.

The Bee City Committee hopes to expand its initiative by creating more green spaces and native pollinator gardens in the future, Florida

Wildflower Foundation executive director Stacey Matrazzo said. FWF has begun mapping existing green spaces in Gainesville, she said, to find where the gaps are. The goal is to create a network of native pollinator gardens and green spaces so that all habitats in Gainesville can be interconnected, Matrazzo added.

Part of the foundation’s mission is to educate the public on the importance of pollinators and native plants, Matrazzo said.

FWF has begun working with UF to establish a native pollinator area on campus, she added.

“We will hopefully be able to show an increase in pollinator abundance,” Matrazzo said.

As volunteers spread a final layer of pine straw over the finished Grow Hub garden, Garry watched her youngest granddaughter make a final pass with the watering can. When Garry started work on the bee city project, her granddaughter hadn’t been born yet. Now, it was rewarding to see the initiative finally take off, she added.

“If we don’t have a habitable planet, none of the rest of it matters,” she said. @KylieWilliams99 kyliewilliams@alligator.org

Rosewood man sentenced to a year in prison for hate-crime charges THE DECISION COMES 100 YEARS AFTER THE TOWN’S RACIAL MASSACRE

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor sentenced David Emanuel to 12 months and a day in federal prison Thursday for an attack against six Black men in Rosewood in 2022.

Emanuel was convicted on six federal hate-crime counts in July for the racially motivated attack.

On Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel, a white 62-year-old clam farmer and Rosewood resident, drove his pickup truck toward six Black men after they had parked near his property on a public street. Among the group was Marvin Dunn, an 83-year-old Miami resident and historian, who owns property across the street from Emanuel.

Dunn wants to be done with the situation, he said. He decided to tell the courtroom his feelings on the situation and move on.

“I’d like to feel comfortable on my own property, and I don’t right now because of this,” Dunn said after the hearing. “I’d like to live in peace.”

During the sentencing, Dunn read a letter to the courtroom, asking the judge to give Emanuel mercy. Racism is the country’s “most indigestible problem,” he added.

“It is the lump in our collective throat, the thorn in our collective side, the unmovable rock in our common path,” he said. “For America to become whole, the lumps, thorns and rocks must be removed.”

Through the Miami Center for Racial Justice, Dunn, who is also a Florida International University professor, gives tours of cities significant to Black history, like Rosewood.

Highway patrolmen have been present at his Rosewood tours since Emanuel’s attack, Dunn said.

Emanuel’s sentencing comes roughly a century after the January 1923 Rosewood massacre, which left more than 100 Black people dead after a mob of more than 200 white men attacked the predominantly Black town.

The sentencing took place at 12:30 p.m. at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Winsor took Emanuel’s mental health history, lack of criminal record and written statements from witnesses, family and friends into consideration for the sentencing, he said.

Kaitlin Weiss, who represented the U.S. in the case, said sentencing Emanuel to prison time would show others that racially motivated attacks have consequences.

“We don’t tolerate these acts in these districts,” she said.

Rather than prison time, Emanuel’s attorney, Darren Johnson, advocated for probation for his client. Johnson argued in court that the attack did not cause enough harm

to prove Emanuel deserved a prison sentence.

Emanuel made one comment to the courtroom.

“I would like to apologize to Mr. Dunn,” he said with his face turned to Dunn.

Six people, including friends and family, provided testimony to the judge on behalf of Emanuel and 37 people submitted written statements in support of his character.

The underlying message of the statements was Emanuel was committed to helping others, Johnson said.

Emanuel and his family members declined to comment on the sentencing.

Dunn plans to continue giving tours to high school students and families during his Teach the Truth tours and to K-12 students during his Teach No Lies tour in Rosewood.

Despite the country’s challenging history with racial divisions, he said he is focusing on peace and forgiveness in the face of Emanuel’s actions.

“I also did it because, at this moment in our history, it’s good to show reconciliation,” Dunn said. “It’s good to show a reach for peace, even if it’s not successful.”

Emanuel’s state charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill is still pending. @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

Pride fosters community PRIDE, from pg. 1 Plaza. It is owned by 31-year-old Kyria Dion, who began her business in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic when she decided to leave her career in commercial real estate and pursue her passion to help people. “[The queer community in Gainesville] is at least three times as big as it used to be,” Dion, who was raised in Gainesville, said. “I’m excited to see it keep growing too.”

The attendants of the festival were just as active as the vendors.

Ivy Johnson, a 26-year-old recent master’s graduate of UF, explored shops, snacks and shows during her time at Bo Diddley Plaza.

“I just want to learn more about the local queer community in Gainesville, and see what’s all out there for support in the area,” she said. “I learned there’s a lot actually.”

She said she was shocked by the size and nature of Gainesville’s LGBTQ+ scene, citing it as “large” and “diverse.”

“There is power in numbers,” she said about the festival’s turnout.

“The numbers are here, so we definitely have the power.”

Matheson History Museum debuts Alachua County’s queer history gallery

And these numbers have been around for decades, as the Matheson History Museum showcases in its gallery that chronicles Alachua County’s queer history.

Tom Kyne and Ken Hartis strolled through the Matheson History Museum’s newest exhibit and reminisced about marching down University Avenue years before. The vibrant shirts they once wore were perched in the glass display case alongside images and memorialized quilts of former friends.

“The whole movement here in town, it's come a long way,” Kyne said.

The Matheson History Museum’s temporary exhibit in the main gallery explores the history of Gainesville’s LGBTQ+ community. The display presents their story as early as the 1940s.

Display cases exhibit gay-themed magazine publications, nostalgic assorted buttons from the Doug Dankel Archive collected in the 1990s and quilts honoring people in the community who passed away. It was made possible by the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida’s donation of their archival materials.

It will be on display from Oct. 14-28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

They also have an online exhibition titled “McCarthy Moment: The Johns Committee in Florida,” which

explores how gay people were targeted and threatened in the 1950s by the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, otherwise known as the Johns Committee. At the time, being gay was illegal. The exhibit tells the stories of students and teachers who were tormented and interrogated about their homosexual activities.

Kyne and Hartis, who are 62 and 60 years old, have been a couple since 1989 and lived through the events in the Matheson's exhibit.

They recognized the people and stories portrayed in the exhibit.

Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney is the curator-turned-executive director at the Matheson History Museum. With a passion for history, 30-year-old HofMahoney wants to share it with the community.

“One of our taglines is, ‘This is your museum’, and we want this to be a place where everybody in our community can see themselves whether it's in our exhibits, our programs, our collections,” Hof-Mahoney said.

This exhibit was curated by Willett Hancock, 24-year-old visitor engagement assistant at the Matheson History Museum. As a gay person, they had an interest in researching gay history and recognizing trends in Florida.

“I feel like the homophobia that existed before 2016, when gay marriage was legalized, never really went away because all of those people are still alive,” Hancock said. “It's the same sort of resistance to diversity and free expression just presenting itself in a different way.”

Despite all the adversity the queer community has and is currently facing, they continue to embrace and be proud of who they are.

“Over time we've just become louder and more accepted,” Kyne said. “And I hate to even use that term because again, why wouldn't we be?”

Even family ties can be unraveled: LGBTQ+ family rejection

Society in general, even in countries with historically negative policies surrounding LGBTQ+ people, has become a more accepting place, according to a 2020 Pew Research study. External trends don’t necessarily apply to families though, and countless LGBTQ+ people face resistance from relatives when it comes to their identity.

Adrien Crater is not “mommy’s little girl” anymore. Well, they never were. They may have once appeared to be, like when they were born and the doctor confidently stamped a bolded black F on the birth certificate. Or when they tried out for female parts in every musical that their middle school put on.

In reality, though, for as long as they can remember, they’ve just been themselves. Feelings come first, words come later: nonbinary.

Crater, a 19-year-old UF mechanical engineering sophomore, only began using gender-neutral pronouns during their first year of college. Previous attempts to do so had been somewhat unsuccessful.

A 2021 study from Ohio State sociology professor Rin Reczek shows that Crater is far from the only queer person whose family pushes back against their identity. Reczek, who uses they/them pronouns, analyzed the various ways LGBTQ+ adults navigate unaccepting family members, one of which is through conflict avoidance.

“It’s the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ military policy, applied to families,” Reczek said. “Family members can’t be outwardly homophobic if you don’t give them the chance to be, in essence.”

Conflict avoidance may feel safer for some LGBTQ+ people, but organizations like the Family Acceptance Project encourage the opposite: open, consistent communication with family members. EJ Hernandez, a 24-year-old gay man from California, spent his teenage years thinking communication with

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Marla and Judi Kosmar-Woods, the first lesbian couple to obtain a marriage license in Putnam County, attend Gainesville Pride at Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday Oct. 21, 2023.

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter.

Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

A Gainesville Pride attendee shows off their pride outfit and rainbow umbrella at Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday Oct. 21, 2023. his family, especially his dad, would never be fully transparent.

EJ’s father, Ed Hernandez, was a true man’s man, he said. Captain of the football and baseball teams in high school and a proud former Marine, he looked at EJ’s unmasked femininity with a quiet sense of desperation for most of his life.

“When I saw this weakness in my son, it was very bothersome to me,” Ed said. “I would look at EJ and think, ‘Oh my gosh, if he’s gay, what am I gonna do?’”

When EJ came out to his parents at 14, Ed was forced to confront the question that had lingered in his mind for so many years. While he didn’t kick EJ out or ship him off to conversion therapy, a pseudoscientific practice that aims to “correct” same-sex attraction, Ed’s unhappiness didn’t go unnoticed.

“I was conscious that he didn’t really like certain things that I would do,” EJ said. “I did a lot in order to deny it and push it away because I just wanted to be accepted by my parents.”

No amount of denial changed the fact that he was gay, so EJ began looking for acceptance elsewhere.

Years of bullying pushed him headfirst into groups of teens doing hard drugs and drinking, a trade-off EJ was willing to make to cultivate any semblance of community.

Elizabeth Husband, an 80-yearold Micanopy resident, has never met EJ. She does know countless people like him, though: LGBTQ+ youth anxiously seeking a place where they belong. Along with her fellow congregants at the United Church of Gainesville, she fights for a place where they can feel at home.

“The United Church of Christ, the national church, has what we call an open and affirming designation,” she said. “The [United Church of Gainesville] went through a process and then they voted to become an open and affirming church.”

As legislation like Senate Bill

1320, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity until 9th grade, has progressed in Florida, UCG has focused its efforts on informing the children in its congregation.

Christina Guiriba founded Transcending Adolescence for that same purpose. Transcending Adolescence is a nonprofit designed to educate transgender and gender-nonconforming youth and engage them in physical activity outdoors.

Guiriba, a transgender woman herself, wanted to create an opportunity for trans youth that she never had.

“The entire curriculum was founded upon my lived experience as a trans woman of color in the South,” she said. “I took a long time to reflect on what made me a resilient trans adult. How did I make it, because there are some who don’t.”

More than “some” don’t make it, according to a 2022 study from researchers at Barry University. The study’s data indicates that 82% of transgender individuals have considered suicide and 40% have attempted, with the highest suicide rates appearing in trans youth.

Guiriba’s life’s mission is for Transcending Adolescence to be one of the stepping stones that transgender youth can follow into adulthood, and she has already seen the joy that the camp brings its attendees.

“The young people who come to us, many of them have never met a trans adult before. Some of them have never met another trans young person before.” she said. “There’s just nothing like the support of somebody who understands what you’re going through.” @JaredTeitel jteitel@alligator.org @molly_seghi mseghi@alligator.org blunardi@alligator.org @bealunardini

Men's Basketball

Gators gear up for regular season. Read more on pg.12.

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El Caimán

La Liga de Mujeres Latinas organiza una serie de eventos de lectura en español para niños 'HISTORIAS EN ESPAÑOL' FOMENTA EL APRENDIZAJE TEMPRANO DEL ESPAÑOL Y COMPROMETE A LAS MADRES EN LA EDUCACIÓN DE SUS HIJOS Por Eluney Gonzalez Escritora de El Caimán

El 21 de octubre, niños jugando con títeres de ratones hechos a mano se sentaron en círculo alrededor de una madre quien sostenía un libro delgado.

Les mostró el título, "¿De quién eres, ratoncito?" volteó a la primera página y comenzó a leer en español.

La Liga de Mujeres Latinas ha organizado su serie de eventos semanales "Historias en español" cada año desde 2006, entre septiembre y abril. Este año, se reúnen los sábados de 10:30 a 11:45 a.m. en la Biblioteca Pública de Tower Road para leer una nueva historia.

Ericka Ghersi es la presidenta de la liga, de 51 años, cuyo objetivo con las lecturas semanales es difundir el idioma español a través de la inmersión lingüística. "Queremos que vean que hay una comunidad aquí que habla español y que no tienen por qué avergonzarse de hablar español", dijo Ghersi.

La liga se centra en enseñar a los niños a aprovechar la plasticidad lingüística natural del cerebro desde temprana edad.

A medida que uno envejece, aprender un nuevo idioma se vuelve cada vez más exigente, según Ghersi. El mejor momento para aprender es durante la infancia.

Además de facilitar el aprendizaje del español, aprender varios idiomas desde temprano puede ayudar en otras áreas.

Hind Majeed, una madre de 37 años en el evento y hablante trilingüe de inglés, árabe y polaco, explicó por qué lleva a sus hijos a leer en español.

"La reorganización del cerebro cuando se aprende un idioma te ayudará en materias [como] habilidades de comunicación", dijo Majeed. "Creo que la humanidad se basa en la comunicación, y cuando nos comunicamos de manera eficiente, surgen problemas".

Si bien los voluntarios le leen a los niños en español, solo se les anima, no se les obliga, a responder en español.

Dado que el programa está abierto a todas las familias, independientemente de su origen lingüístico, la inmersión ayuda a los niños a integrarse con diferentes idiomas y culturas.

Sravanthi Kolli, otra madre en el evento y hablante trilingüe de inglés, telugu e hindi, encuentra valor en la inmersión multilingüe debido a su educación. "En la escuela, me enseñaron tres idiomas desde que era niña", dijo Kolli. "Por eso me resulta tan fácil aprender otro idioma.

Por eso quiero que mi hijo participe en lo

multilingüe".

Después de la lectura, los voluntarios entretienen a los niños mientras las miembras de la liga hablan con las madres para compartir recursos vitales.

El objetivo es expandir el aprendizaje de la hora en la biblioteca al hogar, desde lecturas de libros en línea hasta tareas que desarrollan habilidades básicas en español. Para las familias que no pueden asistir al evento, Ghersi comparte grabaciones de la lectura del grupo cada semana.

La liga ha tenido dificultades para ayudar a todas las madres debido a limitaciones de personal.

"Hay un grupo de madres que quiere que hagamos [‘historias en español’] otro día, pero no podemos porque nuestros voluntarios son profesores que trabajan de lunes a viernes", dijo Ghersi. "Es un obstáculo que siempre está presente porque no tenemos a las personas que quieren hacerlo durante la semana".

El objetivo de la Liga de Mujeres Latinas en su conjunto es empoderar a la comunidad latina a través de la educación, la cultura y oportunidades de liderazgo.

‘Historias en español’ es una de las seis iniciativas educativas que la Liga de Mujeres Latinas organiza durante el año. Las demás son clases de inglés, un programa de información para inmigrantes indocumentados, un club de lectura, exámenes de salud y reuniones de aprendizaje, y el Festival de Cine Latino anual que se lleva a cabo durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana".

Si bien la liga educa a quienes asisten a sus eventos, sus voluntarios se benefician con los niños. Lizzie Rodriguez-Rios, una profesora de español de 54 años en la preparatoria Gainesville High School y miembro de la Liga de Mujeres Latinas, encuentra valor en la organización para sus estudiantes.

"Enfatizo ofrecer trabajo voluntario para nuestros estudiantes", dijo Rodríguez-Rios. "Sobre todo a aquellos que hablan español y les pueden leer en español a los niños cada fin de semana".

La Liga de Mujeres Latinas tiene 100 voluntarios y 52 miembros. Si bien le permite a los voluntarios asistir a reuniones de aprendizaje, convertirse en miembros les otorga acceso a la red comunitaria, al club de lectura exclusivo para miembros y a otras oportunidades que surgen.

Kelly Aguila Casales, una de las voluntarias en el evento, valora su trabajo en la liga.

"Nunca antes había hecho trabajo voluntario, nunca había tenido un trabajo", dijo Aguila Casales. "Me hicieron arrancar hierbas, me enseñaron a hacer las cosas bien. Es una experiencia excelente".

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Dear President Sasse

LUNES, 23 DE OCTUBRE DE 2023 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Latina Women’s League hosts event series to read to children in Spanish ‘STORYTIME IN SPANISH’ FOSTERS EARLY SPANISH LEARNING, ENGAGES MOTHERS IN THEIR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION

By Eluney Gonzalez Alligator Staff Writer

On Oct. 21, children holding handmade mouse puppets sat in a circle around a mother holding a thin book. She showed them all the cover and title, “De Quién Eres, Ratoncito?” (“Who are you, little mouse?”) flipped to the first page and began reading in Spanish.

The Latina Women’s League has hosted its weekly “Storytime in Spanish” event series every year since 2006 between September and April. This year, they meet on Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the Tower Road Public Library to read a new story.

Ericka Ghersi is the 51-yearold league president whose goal with the weekly readings is to spread the Spanish language through language immersion.

“We want them to see that there is a community here that speaks Spanish and that they’re not embarrassed to speak Spanish,” Ghersi said.

The league focuses on teaching children to take advantage of the brain’s natural linguistic plasticity early on. As one ages, learning a new language becomes increasingly demanding, Ghersi said. The best time to

learn is during childhood.

Aside from facilitating the learning of Spanish, learning multiple languages early on can assist in other areas. Hind Majeed, a mother at the event and trilingual speaker of English, Arabic and Polish, described why she brings her children to read in Spanish.

“The rewiring of the brain when you learn the language is going to help you with subjects [such as] communication skills,” Majeed said. “I think humanity lives on communication, and when we miscommunicate with each other, there [are] problems.”

While the volunteers read to the children in Spanish, they are only encouraged, not forced, to reply in Spanish. Because the program is open to all families regardless of linguistic background, the immersion helps the children integrate with different languages and cultures.

Sravanthi Kolli, another mother at the event and a trilingual speaker of English, Telugu and Hindi, finds value in multilingual immersion due to her upbringing.

“At school, they taught me three languages from when we were kids,” Kolli said. “That's why it's so easy for us to learn another language. That's why I want to get my son into the multilingual thing.”

After reading, volunteers entertain the children while members of the league speak with mothers to share vital resources.

The goal is to expand the learning from the hour at the library to the home, from video readings of online books to worksheets that

Eluney Gonzalez // Alligator Staff

Volunteers with the Latina Women’s League (left, upper right) sit down to read “¿De quién eres, ratóncito?” at the Tower Road Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Voluntarios de la Liga de Mujeres Latinas (izquierda, arriba a la derecha) se sientan a leer “¿De quién eres, ratóncito?” en la biblioteca pública de Tower Road el 21 de octubre de 2023.

Student groups voice opinion on Sasse’s Israel stance. Read more on pg. 8.

build on basic Spanish skills. For families that cannot make the event, Ghersi shares recordings of the group reading each week.

The league has found difficulty reaching all mothers due to staffing limitations.

“There’s a group of mothers that want us to do [“Storytime in Spanish”] another day, but we can’t because our volunteers are teachers that work Monday to Friday,” Ghersi said. “It’s an obstacle that’s always present because we don’t have the people that want to do it during the week.”

The goal of the Latina Women’s League, as a whole, is to empower the Latina community through education, culture and leadership opportunities.

“Storytime in Spanish” is one of six education-based initiatives that the Latina Women’s League hosts throughout the year.

The other events are English classes for noncitizens, an immigrant information program for the undocumented, health screenings and workshops, a book club and the yearly Latino Film Festival that runs during Hispanic Heritage month.

While the league educates those who attend its events, its volunteers benefit by working with the children. Lizzie Rodriguez-Rios, a 54-year-old Spanish teacher at Gainesville High School and member of the Latina Women’s League, finds value in the organization for her students.

“I emphasize offering volunteer work for our students,” Rodriguez-Rios said. “Most of all, those that speak Spanish and can read in Spanish to the children every weekend.”

The Latina Women’s League has 100 volunteers and 52 members. While volunteers are allowed to attend workshops, becoming members grants them access to the community network, the members-only book club and other opportunities that arise.

Kelly Aguila Casales, one of the volunteers at the event, values her work with the league.

“I had never volunteered before, never had a job,” Aguila Casales said. “They made me pull weeds, taught me how to do things well. It’s an excellent experience.”

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Dear President Sasse: W e are writing to you today with a firm resolve, a clear voice and hearts pounding with an unshakeable devotion to the truth.

We, devoted members of the UF family, write to you with a commitment to the idea that human dignity should be universal and that our advocacy for it should be unwavering. We write to you in the sincere hope that we can unite on the principles of justice and a respect for human life, regardless of where they may reside.

President Sasse, we write to you with the unyielding yearning that you will see the humanity of the Palestinian people and acknowledge their suffering. This is not a letter brimming with unproductive hostility and anger toward you but rather an urgent appeal to your humanity and a cry straight from our hearts to yours.

In recent days, a note written by you and addressed to “Jewish Gator Alums” has circulated, and some of the sentiments expressed in that letter raised our concern and necessitated this response. You expressed sincere sympathy for Jewish members of the UF community and pledged to prioritize their safety and well-being. Such expressions of compassion are, of course, welcome as all members of the student body and faculty should feel secure at all times.

However, there were notable problems in your letter that could simply not go unremarked upon; for one thing, you suggested that those who seek to “provide context” on the question of Israel and Palestine in the wake of reports of Hamas’s violence are “weakened by their moral confusion.” We, of course, take exception to this.

There is no moral confusion in pointing out that Gaza, with a population of over 2 million people, has been treated as an open-air prison under the Israeli blockade. There is no moral confusion in acknowledging Palestinians have faced displacement and death at the hands of the Israeli government. There is no moral confusion in iterating the true history that, for 75 years, Palestinians who were expelled from their homeland, and their descendants, have no right of return.

There is no moral confusion in stating firmly that the present Israeli treatment of the Palestinian people amounts to apartheid.

President Sasse, we resolutely believe that stating all of the above unequivocally is actually the height of moral clarity.

In your statement, you very sadly failed to offer even the faintest acknowledgement of Palestinian humanIslam on Campus, ity and the pain Arab Students’ Assothat many memciation & Students for bers of the UF Justice in Palestine community are opinions@alligator.org feeling over the suffering currently being afflicted on the people of Gaza. Instead, you implied that those who seek to protest on behalf of the Palestinians are but “abject idiots.”

We would like to be clear: no level of insults or hostility will silence our righteous efforts as we seek to shed light on the plight of the Palestinians. We know our cause is just, and we will never fail the Palestinians by wavering in our commitment to telling their story and fighting for their rights.

One of the highlights of your letter was contained in the following sentences: “Every single human life matters. We are committed to that truth.

We will tell that truth.” We could not possibly agree more. In light of that spirit, as thousands of Palestinian lives have been extinguished due to Israel’s brutal bombardment of the Gaza Strip, we will stay firm in our resolve to speak the truth of their suffering and ensure they know their lives matter and that they will never be forgotten.

President Sasse, you are a man of faith, a father and someone who has expressed a strong commitment to the ideals of the U.S.Constitution. We therefore would like to extend an offer to you to meet with the leaders of Islam On Campus, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Students’ Association so you can better understand the perspective of those seeking to shed light on the longrunning pain of the people of Palestine.

For Palestinians, the olive tree symbolizes the strength of their spirit in the face of all adversity. We thus extend the olive branch to you, as we seek to unite on universal principles of truth and justice and ensure UF can serve as a model of both.

This was written by 2023 student leadership from Islam On Campus, the Arab Students’ Association and Students for Justice in Palestine.

Column

Joining Together: Queer joy in the LGBTQ+ community

T

o open up, I’d like to acknowledge that queer is not a term usually seen in publications. I personally have had to describe my identity further than I desired as a result. For those Cassie Urbenz who are discomforted by seeing the word in this article, I ask opinions@alligator.org you to reflect on the newly expanding meaning of ‘queer’ as an umbrella term and allow those who wish to be less restricted by labels to do so in an act of reclamation.

I’m deeply proud of my identity and community. I’m not ashamed of any of its names, whichever may be used.

I’ve been out since I was 12 years old. Being queer isn’t easy, but it is joyful.

Queer joy is a complex topic to write about, as those two words nearly encapsulate a majority of my human experience. Existing loudly in a way not taught to you by society is something that seems to exist outside of words. We all know being queer is hard, but I think we miss out on the fact that some of us live in a space where nearly everything we do is tied to our identity in some way — even the good parts.

Especially the good parts.

Sharing a meal with my dearest friends is queer joy. A group dinner accommodating your dietary restriction without you needing to say anything is queer joy. Watching your loved ones succeed is queer joy.

Seeing one of my best friends elected as the first openly LGBTQ+ Senate president is queer joy. Meeting my openly queer students and seeing them grow is queer joy.

Encouraging other LGBTQ+ individuals to take up space as their authentic selves is queer joy.

Returning to my high school years later and seeing the former freshman who had just barely come out when I cast him in the show I was directing become a proudly out junior playing the lead in the mainstage musical with nearly a year on testosterone is queer joy. Complimenting your friend whose voice has changed due to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is queer joy.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on having the privilege of being out of the closet throughout my formative years this past Coming Out Day. It reminded me of the impact having access to a queer role model can have. The vibrant community we share is something not all of us have access to, and it’s important that those of us with the capacity open the doors for anyone who wants to engage more with it.

I think one my favorite parts of being queer is the instant connection between anyone visibly queer and anyone invisibly queer — specifically when straight or cis-passing individuals will naturally gravitate towards me in predominantly cishet spaces. There is always a silent understanding that we’ll look out for each other. To me, this is what being queer is about.

Since a lot of students in college might be experiencing being out for the first time or experimenting with being visibly queer, this unspoken solidarity is extremely important to me. If you’re newer to the community and haven’t experienced it yet, I promise you will, and I cannot wait for you to. It’s wonderful to operate as a mobile safe space in a similar way to women protecting one another.

As a femme person assigned female at birth, I get the honor of experiencing both, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ll eternally be grateful for my communities’ constant vigilance for every individual sharing space with us.

Living in a space where nearly everything I do is tied to my identity has been helpful in grounding myself. I get to rest easy knowing that my closest friends have a general understanding of my worldview and will approve of who I may fall in love with.

I’m able to sob and have my best friend hold my hand with the understanding of the additional pressure we face everyday simply existing as ourselves. I don’t need to muster up a definition as I describe what’s hurting me, and we can sit in silence knowing we’ve both felt the same way at one point.

Queer joy is feeling safe within our shared experience. I know my friends will be there through anything, and a large part of that is due to queerness.

To any newly-out students reading this: you are safe, and you are seen.

To anyone visibly queer at UF and in Gainesville: our community will persist, and it’s because of you.

Cassie Urbenz is a first-year ‘MxD’ student pursuing a Masters’ in Design & Visual Communications at the University of Florida.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FOOTBALL

Florida football midseason review GATORS ARE 5-2 IN BILLY NAPIER’S SECOND SEASON

By Jackson Reyes & Topher Adams Sports Writers

UF head coach Billy Napier entered his second season in Gainesville in 2023. The Florida Gators opened the season with a loss on the road against the then-No. 14 Utah Utes.

Despite the season-opening defeat, Florida is now 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC. Napier secured his first win against an AP Top 25 SEC opponent when UF defeated the then-No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers 29-16 Sept. 16.

Florida also came back after it trailed by 10 points on the road against the South Carolina Gamecocks Oct. 14. The Gators showed resilience on the road and won 41-39.

As the Gators turn their focus to their rivals, the Georgia Bulldogs, we take a look at how Florida has performed on offense, defense and special teams at the midpoint of the 2023 season.

Offense

The Gators’ offense lost one of the most entertaining players in the country in the offseason after quarterback Anthony Richardson declared for the NFL draft.

Florida added Wisconsin transfer quarterback Graham Mertz from the transfer portal to be the new man behind center for UF. The redshirt junior quarterback didn’t arrive in Gainesville with a lot of hype, and many outlets ranked him last in their preseason quarterback rankings.

Mertz has proved his doubters wrong through seven games this season. His 76.2% completion percentage ranks first in the SEC and third in the nation. He’s thrown for 1,897 yards and tossed 12 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

“This is a young man that came here on a mission and had a plan and he's worked,” Napier said after UF’s win against South Carolina Oct. 14. “For him to operate in our system in the first year the way he does ... I couldn't be more impressed with the kid.”

Mertz’s success this season has come in part to UF’s pass-catching room, which has seen the emergence of several new faces and one veteran taking a major leap.

Senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall could have left for the NFL Draft but returned to Gainesville for his senior season. His decision has paid dividends at the midway point of the 2023 season.

Pearsall has 44 receptions through seven games, which is four catches shy of tying his collegiate career high. He has 619 receiving yards — which ranks No. 5 in the SEC — and needs just 42 more yards to tie his career high.

The Arizona State transfer also has three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, including the game-winning

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff

Redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz and junior offensive lineman Richie Leonard IV celebrate a Florida touchdown in the Gators' 38-14 win against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. touchdown catch against the Gamecocks Oct. 14.

Freshmen have also been featured heavily in Florida’s offense. The emergence of wide receiver Eugene Wilson III and tight end Arlis Boardingham have helped the Gators become more versatile.

Wilson has 26 receptions for 251 yards and one touchdown. Napier said it is integral to get the former four-star receiver involved in any way they can in the offense. “[Wilson] is unique,” Napier said Oct. 14.

“He presents you opportunities to be creative and get him plays.”

Boardingham’s impact has become more significant in Florida’s past two games, but he has slowly carved himself a role as the main tight end. He has 18 receptions for 205 yards and four touchdown catches.

He also converted a crucial 4th-and-long against the Gamecocks to help Florida’s comeback victory.

The Gators’ running back duo junior Montrell Johnson Jr. and sophomore Trevor Etienne are once again vital to UF’s offense.

Both backs have rushed for more than 400 yards each and have combined for seven scores on the ground.

Etienne is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, while Johnson is averaging 5.2 yards.

One of the Gators’ biggest woes offensively this season has been converting third downs.

Last season, Florida converted 40% of its third downs, which ranked 47th in the country, according to TeamRankings. The Gators have taken a major step back this season and have converted just 29% of their third downs, which ranks 123rd in the nation.

Defense

First-year defensive coordinator Austin

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Armstrong inherited the third-worst defense in the SEC in yards allowed per game. Napier turned to the energetic former Southern Mississippi coordinator to give the Gators a needed defensive spark.

Through seven games, things are improving rapidly for Florida’s defense. The Gators rank 18th nationally in yards allowed per game and 34th in points allowed per game.

“Just overall there in Year 2 in the system, I think the fundamentals have improved,” Napier said in a Sept. 6 press conference.

“They are able to eliminate some of that indecision therefore they’re anticipating, they’re processing quicker, they play faster.”

The overall performance is improving, but the individual games have been a mixed bag.

UF looked dominant against Tennessee Sept.

16. The Gators held the Volunteers to just seven points in the first half and made crucial stops to see out a 29-16 win.

Through the first four games of the season, Florida allowed just 13.5 points per game. The Gators lost the season opener to Utah, but the defense held the Utes for less than 300 total yards.

The defense is struggling in the meat of the SEC schedule, however. Kentucky — led by star tailback Ray Davis — ran wild for 329 yards in a 33-14 game that wasn’t as close as the final score suggests.

“Good slice of humble pie,” Napier said after the game Sept. 30. “Three hundred-plus on the ground, that’s not who we are and not who we want to be and we’re going to get it fixed.”

South Carolina and its quarterback Spencer Rattler ripped Florida’s defense apart as well.

The Gamecocks amassed 465 yards and scored 39 points. The Gators walked away with a win, but the defensive showing was a mixed bag.

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Despite the gaudy numbers, the defense made plays when it needed to. Florida forced a punt late in the fourth quarter to give the ball back to Mertz and the offense for the go-ahead touchdown, and sophomore safety Miguel Mitchell intercepted Rattler to ice the game.

“We’ve got work to do to try and figure out some of the issues that we had tonight, but when we needed a stop we got a stop,” Napier said postgame Oct. 14.

Youth is the defining asset for Armstrong’s unit this year. Several freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores are leading the defensive turnaround.

Sophomore linebacker Shemar James has quickly become Florida’s defensive leader and first-half MVP. He leads the team with 50 total tackles, 18 more than second place Jordan Castell — himself an impressive freshman performer at safety.

“Our young guys, they're some ballers,” James said after UF’s 38-14 win over Vanderbilt Oct. 7. “They came in ready to work, and that's why they get to play on Saturday nights.”

While young players make up the bulk of the defensive core, a handful of key veterans are performing at a high level. Junior defensive tackle Cam’Ron Jackson anchors the front and is quickly becoming a potential NFL draft pick.

Junior edge rusher Princely Umanmielen came into the season with first-round potential, and he’s largely delivered. He leads Florida with six tackles for loss and three sacks. Under the hood, things are even better.

Umanmielen is one of the national leaders in pass-rush win rate with 28.9%, per Pro Football Focus.

Special teams

Florida’s special teams have had a rocky first half of the season. The biggest struggle has been procedural issues. The Gators have committed several frustrating mental errors that gave free first downs to opponents.

Two players wore the No. 3 on a punt return against Utah. The penalty gave the Utes a first down and led to a touchdown. Freshman defensive back Dijon Johnson committed a leaping penalty on a Kentucky punt, and Davis scored a 75-yard touchdown for the Wildcats the next play.

Specialist play has become a bright spot for UF in recent weeks. Sophomore kicker Trey Smack replaced redshirt sophomore Adam Mihalek against Tennessee, and he’s made 11 of his 12 field goals, including a pair of 54-yard kicks.

Florida will return to the field to face the No. 1 Georgia in its annual rivalry clash in Jacksonville. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on CBS. ”

Follow us for updates

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

@JacksnReyes jacksonreyes@alligator.org @Topher_Adams topheradams@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida men’s basketball report, potential starters from preseason practices GATORS OPEN THEIR 2023-2024 SEASON NOV. 6 AGAINST LOYOLA MARYLAND

By Brandon Hernandez Sports Writer

Florida sophomore guard Riley Kugel’s performance on the court in the latter half of last season elevated him into the national spotlight. With multiple 20-point games, the 19-year-old proved he can be a threat both in college and in the NBA. Instead of leaving UF’s program for a chance in professional basketball, Kugel returned with one thing on his mind: leaving the program with some winning history behind.

“I want to be on a winning team, show people that I can play on a winning team and I just want to make it as far as we can and hopefully compete for the national championship,” Kugel said.

The Florida Gators 2023-2024 men’s basketball team brought nine new additions and had six returners, including Kugel, who look to compete collectively to reach this goal.

In the backcourt, Kugel is joined by returners sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen, junior guard Will Richard, transfer guards junior Walter Clayton Jr. and graduate student Zyon Pullin.

Richard, who averaged 10.4 points per game last year, has looked more natural than ever in practice this offseason with a knee injury behind him. The Belmont transfer ran in transition and used dribble moves with comfort for opportunities to shoot in preseason practice.

Even though there are no definite starters yet for the point guard position, the competition between Pullin and Clayton heated up with both guards'

resumes and performance in scrimmage play.

Both veteran guards are highusage players, with Pullin and Clayton being former primary scorers for their previous teams.

Pullin’s offensive presence at UC Riverside last season was vital. The 22-year-old provided 3.10 offensive win shares, a metric that estimates the number of wins a player produces due to their offensive performance.

Along with averaging 18.3 points as a senior, Pullin will aid in the perimeter shooting woes that plagued the Gators last season.

Clayton took a massive leap last year with the Iona Gaels. The Florida native made strides in all offensive categories last season as a sophomore. Clayton averaged 16.8 points and 3.2 assists per game — more than double what he averaged in his freshman year.

At UF, Clayton’s growth as a vocal leader has been showcased by communicating plays with teammates and leading by example on the floor. His work throughout practice has shown he’s capable of keeping up with the pace of the SEC, and he can contribute on and off the ball.

The biggest worst-kept secret around the gym is the development of Aberdeen. The Orlando native appears to be jumping high, seems more physical on defense and looked comfortable with the ball over this summer.

It’s a jump his teammates are not surprised by because of his work ethic.

“Denzel, he’s been killing it lately,” Richard said. “Just seeing how much work he’s put in, I know his time is coming.”

The depth of Florida’s roster doesn’t stop from beyond the 3-point line but also goes deep into the frontcourt. With sophomore forward Aleks Szymczyk still sidelined due to a foot injury, transfer forwards Micah Handlogten and Tyrese

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Freshman forward Alex Condon dribbles the ball against a defender in the Gators’ open practice on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen goes against two defenders in the Gators’ open practice on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.

Samuel have been impressive in camp.

The duo bigs provided a onetwo punch inside on both ends of the floor. Handgloten’s 7-foot1-inch length and Samuel’s 239 pounds of strength create a force that can intimidate any opponent driving inside defensively.

This also translates to their game in transition. Both forwards are versatile defenders along with their teammates.

“Yes, we are very tall, very long, but we can all move really well,” Handlogten said. “I think we are gonna use our speed to our advantage, our quickness to our advantage and play to our length.”

One of the most heated competitions down low for Florida is between the freshmen forwards Thomas Haugh and Australian Alex Condon. The two have shown intensity in practice, especially in scrimmage play.

Condon can stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting and use his 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pound frame to score in the paint — the ideal pick-and-pop player.

Haugh is capable of these things as well, but with graduate forward EJ Jarvis leaving basketball, Haugh may be asked to play on the wing. It’s a position he played before in high school at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

With Jarvis leaving the program and Szymcyzk’s return still on the horizon, both forwards can find minutes early in their collegiate careers.

Gators head coach Todd Golden welcomes the idea of player positionless basketball this

season, he said.

“With this group, we can play a lot of different things,” Golden said. “We can play 3-around-2, we can play 4-around-1, we can play some of the 5-out stuff we ran last year. So, yes, the depth gives you some options with some things that we’ll look at.”

A lot of the practices in camp have been focused on working on weaknesses from last year.

Perimeter shooting and rebounding have been a big emphasis for Golden to his team.

Florida shot 31.9 from beyond the arc and finished 12th in defensive rebounds in its conference last season.

“We were really good in some areas, but we couldn’t make an open shot, " Golden said. “So those are areas that, if we can improve and just become average in those areas, we’ll take a big, big jump.”

Possible opening night starting lineups

A few players for the Gators will not be available for UF’s opening game at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center against Loyola Maryland Nov. 6.

Szymczyk’s return from injury is still to be determined, and Pullin will begin a three-game suspension for his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational.

At the guard position, Kugel and Richard could see significant playing time and start throughout this year. Kugel will most likely take the two-guard position, and Richard can be used on the wings.

With Pullin’s suspension, the position will be replaced by Clayton, who’ll be tasked with

holding the fort for the first three games. These games include matchups against Virginia and Florida A&M. The forward position is where it gets tricky.

Bigs that stretch the floor appear to fit better in Golden’s offensive scheme. Handlogten will likely be the starting center despite shooting less than 10% from 3-point range last season at Marshall. The 2023 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year has the shot-blocking ability to contest anyone in the paint and versatile defensive abilities.

The four position, as of now, belongs to Samuel for his overall movement down low and veteran mindset on the court. However, Condon or Haugh could find themselves starting minutes on the court this season.

Condon has run many drills and scrimmage play with the expected starting rotation players.

The freshman is coming into this season with an NBA coaching pedigree from the Australian NBA Academy, perimeter shooting to his game and the size to compete against the best in Division I basketball.

Both Condon and Haugh have been aggressive in practice. The duo have shown signs that they aren't afraid to take experienced players one-on-one. Here is the lineup I expect for Florida against Loyola Maryland: PG: Walter Clayton Jr SG: Riley Kugel SF: Will Richard PF: Tyrese Samuel C: Micah Handlogten @BranH2001 bhernandez@alligator.org