October 30, 2023

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 11 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

UF faculty express concern over state proposal limiting ‘social activism,’ banning DEI funding at public universities

Experts say the rule will hinder free speech, academic freedom

By Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writer

Legal experts at UF and across the state say a newly proposed state regulation could stymie academic freedom and free speech on campus.

The regulation, if approved, will dictate how public universities implement Senate Bill 266, a sweeping set of higher education reforms signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May. The regulation would finalize DeSantis’ nearly year-long campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Florida universities.

A draft version of the regulation released for feedback bars universities from spending public money on programs that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion” or “promote or engage in social activism.”

It describes political or social activism as “any activity organized with a purpose of effecting or preventing change to a government policy, action, or function, or any activity intended to achieve a desired result related to social issues, where the university endorses or promotes a position in communications, advertisements, programs, or campus activities.”

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Football Story description finish with comma, Gators look ahead following loss to pg# Georgia. Read more on pg. 11.

The definition excludes “authorized government relations and lobbying activities'' that directly affect universities and colleges.

Social issues were defined as “topics that polarize or divide society among political, ideological, moral, or religious beliefs, positions, or norms.”

The draft regulation is “constitutionally overbroad” and would prohibit classifying men’s and women’s bathrooms or engaging in sex-based or race-based research among other issues, said UF Faculty Senate Chair Danaya Wright.

The university has submitted extensive feedback to the state regarding the regulation, Wright said.

Legal professionals in the UF community say the proposal may hinder free speech instead of supporting it.

“Florida lawmakers seemingly want public universities to produce an inert and desolatory crop of graduates who are ill-prepared to play an active role in a democratic society,” said Clay Calvert, a former UF law professor.

Calvert, who is now a senior fellow at the center-right think tank American Enterprise Institute, said the regulation

SEE SB 266, PAGE 5

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Southwest United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch offers a variety of pumpkins to choose from over the “Halloweekend” in Gainesville on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. Read more on pg. 6.

Local domestic violence resources struggle with funding cuts, overcrowding

A federal assistance program that funds domestic violence programs took a 40% hit to its fiscal year budget

By Valentina Sandoval Alligator Staff Writer

Even after her husband cut their furniture in half with an ax, threatened to kill her and hide her body, a domestic violence survivor didn’t believe she was in an abusive relationship.

It was not until she told her story to a counselor from the Gainesville domestic violence center Peaceful Paths that the survivor, who wishes to remain anonymous for

Course Search

UF students create new website for registration help, pg. 2

her safety, understood the gravity of her situation.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was until I told people,” she said. “I had hospitalizations because of depression, overdoses on medications. I look back now and I think I was just a robot.”

She said she understands now that even if she didn't have a broken arm or black eye, she was psychologically and emotionally abused by her husband. She’s grateful to the providers at Peaceful

Paths who helped free her from her marriage.

However, federal and local funding issues for domestic violence resources have put centers like Peaceful Paths at risk. At the federal level, Congress slashed $700 million from The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund's annual budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The federal assistance grant program created in 1984 supports state and local programs that assist crime

SEE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

Weather StudentsToday’s create new course search website to simplify registration UF Courses combines professor ratings and class overviews

By Megan Howard Alligator Staff Writer

Two UF computer science juniors were planning out their Spring semester courses when they realized they could make a faster, more efficient course search engine.

Jim Su, 20, and Matthew DeGuzman, 20, created UF Courses in five days to prepare for course registration. They noticed ONE.UF’s course search is slow and they wanted to be able to see professor ratings on the same website as the course catalog.

“I noticed that whenever I searched up a course, I wanted to see which professor was teaching it because who the professor is really makes or breaks the course,” Su said.

Users who search for a class are provided the title and the class’ professor. Clicking on a course title redirects to ONE. UF and shows when the class is offered. Users can click on the name of the professor to be redirected to the Rate My Professors site.

“The nice thing about the website is that you don’t have to jump through a bunch of hurdles just to search up courses,”

DeGuzman said. “With our website, all you have to do is search in the domain name and then you can just go searching.”

The website only has data for Spring 2024 courses and evaluations from Rate My Professors data as of Oct. 24. In the future, Su and DeGuzman hope to add data on all professors who teach a course, so students can decide if they want to wait to take a course with a different professor.

They also want to add data from Gator Evaluations to ensure professor ratings are accurate.

This data comes directly from students enrolled in a course, so the professor ratings are more likely to be accurate, Su said.

“Rate My Professors is not always accurate,” he said.

“Sometimes a single student might be a malicious actor, and they might create multiple accounts to give very bad reviews to some professor.”

On the other hand, professors can write fake positive reviews to give themselves high ratings, Su said.

To create the website, Su and DeGuzman had to build a search engine, which they hadn’t learned in their computer science courses.

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 11

ISSN 0889-2423

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

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The other challenge they faced was writing a code that could efficiently perform the searches in under 10 milliseconds, he said.

They worked together to collect data, create the user interface and write the code. As a two-person team, they didn’t have to worry about dividing tasks and working on a deadline.

Angel Bocalan, a 19-yearold UF tourism, hospitality and event management sophomore said it is difficult to navigate between ONE.UF and Rate My Professors while planning her schedule. She had not heard of UF Courses, but thought the website was a good solution.

“That is a very convenient app because I also had that problem of having to switch between windows while trying to see if the professor was to my liking or if their ratings were high enough,” Bocalan said. @meganmhxward mhoward@alligator.org

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023 ALLIGATOR 3

Gainesville City Commission passed open-container ordinance to revert to pre-pandemic wording THE ORDINANCE WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE CREATION OF ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS IN DOWNTOWN GAINESVILLE, GROVE STREET

By Kat Tran Alligator Staff Writer

In a 4-3 vote Oct. 26, the City Commission decided to officially ban the public consumption and possession of alcohol and create an entertainment district — designated spaces for public drinking in Downtown Gainesville and Grove Street.

Commissioners Reina Saco, Bryan Eastman and Casey Willits voted against the ban on open-container drinking.

The creation of an Arts, Culture and Entertainment district also passed with a 4-3 vote.

Commissioners Cynthia Chestnut, Desmon Duncan-Walker and Ed Book voted in dissent.

The ordinance will penalize those found unlawfully consuming and possessing opencontainer alcoholic beverages in public areas with a civil citation, according to Gainesville Police Department Chief Lonnie Scott.

The commissioners clarified open-container alcoholic beverages are permitted within a patio or porch that is attached to a zoned permanent building, such as bars, restaurants and alcoholic manufacturing businesses.

Street drinking, however, is not permitted.

Both ordinances are expected to go into effect Jan. 1 and will allow for open-container alcohol consumption from 8 a.m. to midnight.

More severe penalties such as a criminal citation will be imposed based on the escalation of a person’s aggressive behavior that poses a threat to public safety, Scott said.

“We’re not sitting there in a car, waiting for someone to walk across the line with an

open container,” he said. “We’re looking at the behavior that poses a threat to public safety.”

Saco and Willits both said there’s a lack of evidence and data for a correlation between alcohol consumption and gun violence.

“I understand the basic idea of lots of people having problems with alcohol and with violence – there can be some strong ties – but the data nationwide on gun death doesn’t really support it,” Willitis said.

Saco requested that GPD collect data related to violent crimes such as blood alcohol content or intoxication levels using mobile breathalyzers.

“I think given the fact and one of the criticisms of this policy being the lack of hard data, it would behoove us to start collecting that data at least as far as violent crime so we can get to a definitive source,” she said. “Or at least rule out elements that may be contributing.”

Following the commission’s direction, city staff simplified the originally proposed map of a downtown entertainment district by moving district boundaries inward. The district currently includes Grove Street and Depot Park.

Chestnut wants city staff to create a document of frequently asked questions to distribute and help people interpret the open container restrictions, she said.

This would be in addition to the various signage and curb painting that Andrew Persons, chief operating officer for the City of Gainesville, said will be implemented to help guide residents within the entertainment district.

“We would look at installing signs along various points in the boundaries,” Persons said. “I did want to mention that there is a requirement that any of the businesses in the district also put a map of the district inside of

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the establishment.”

City manager Cynthia Curry addressed financial concerns over curb painting and signage by citing one revenue source, Gainesville Community Reinvestment Act. There are no other identified funding sources, but Curry said city staff “are utilizing that same source to work with the consultants that are helping us to vision our strategic plan and the downtown business improvement district” to narrow down the costs.

Duncan-Walker raised concerns about providing some sort of protection for historically Black neighborhoods that have experienced traffic burdens from nearby patrons who park in front of driveways and block access to homes near downtown.

Persons said the primary way to address permitted parking in the city is by obtaining a parking decal from the police department.

There are designated parking zones in certain areas of the city to deal with neighborhood parking, he said.

Eastman said people who experience parking issues downtown should use current parking levers like the parking garage.

Mayor Harvey Ward motioned to exclude public parking lots and garages from the entertainment district proposal, referring to his concerns of disruptive groups and individuals that are seen in the parking lots and other areas.

“I don’t believe that we are rushing or pushing. We have literally been working on this for months. We are at any decision point,” Ward said. “There’s no reason that we can’t come back and do other cleanups in the future if that’s where we want to go.”

Willits is worried about how the ordinance will affect tailgating events and football games, he said. He showed pictures taken from the University of Florida’s Tennessee

football game showing groups of people openly carrying alcoholic beverages.

Curry clarified all of UF’s home football games are issued one alcohol event permit that applies for the whole school year.

Additionally, temporary outdoor events that are located within a business, mixed-use or industrial zoning district may apply for up to six alcohol permits a year.

These permit applications must include a sketch of the designated area for temporary alcoholic sales and be in compliance with the city’s noise ordinance. These events must be secured with fences or barricades with a minimum of four feet in height and have limited entry and exit points.

Jacob Larson, the 47-year-old owner of the Bull, was elated to hear downtown businesses will be able to continue services within an entertainment district, he said.

“This generation has really changed the way that they do evenings. And part of our business model is then to create more opportunities that bring people here,” Larson said.

He believes that an entertainment district will be inclusive of various cultural experiences, like the dance events that occur every Thursday evening outside the Bull.

Larson said that he does not see a correlation between young college students of drinking age and violence.

“I think that what happened was there was an opportunity for the leniency that existed in our city for lots of people to come here and things got out of hand in places that were not people buying from our bars and our restaurants,” he said. “This is [the newly-passed ordinances], I think, addressing that and hopefully it will solve that issue.” @kat3tran ktran@alligator.org

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023

Shelter funding cuts DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, from pg. 1

victims.

The Florida Department of Children and Families shared in its 2022 annual report that federal funding resources, like the VOCA fund, make up about 66% of the funding for domestic violence resources, with over $31 million in grants and programs. There are 41 certified domestic violence centers in Florida.

Additionally, local funding challenges have forced North Central Florida shelters, like the Ocala Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, to close their doors. Alachua County resources are being stretched thin due to the influx of people seeking help from neighboring counties.

After more than a year of attending weekly Peaceful Paths support group sessions, the survivor said she was finally able to find her independence. She makes sure to participate in every event and donate as much as she can to the center.

“You know, the little things that I can do to support them because I don’t ever want another woman told there’s no beds,” she said.

Peaceful Paths has provided over 57,000 services, such as temporary safe housing and over-the-phone assistance, to more than 3,000 survivors over the past year, according to a press release.

As Peaceful Paths receives most of its funding from VOCA, the recent budget cuts could have drastic impacts on the center, Peaceful Paths Executive Director Theresa Beachy said. The center suffered a $500,000 cut to its yearly budget this month and will take another $400,000 cut next year, unless the Florida legislature steps in to address the funding gap.

On top of funding issues, the influx of people seeking local help from surrounding areas has sparked concern from providers about depleting resources.

“VOCA cuts are not increasing numbers [of survivors seeking help] — it's reducing the amount of service we are able to pro-

vide,” Beachy said.

Beachy estimated the shelter has seen a 20% influx in people seeking services over the past 18 months. Around 20 people within the influx traveled from Marion County due to the sole Ocala shelter’s closing.

The Ocala center closure

The Ocala Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center closed down because it lost its largest local funder, United Way of Marion County, said Judy Wilson, who was the director of the shelter.

The center was a program under Wilson’s nonprofit, Creative Services, Inc., which was created to fill in the gaps in resources for the community, she said.

The president of United Way visited the shelter and claimed it was in poor condition, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation. United Way eventually withdrew its funding, shutting the shelter down.

Despite the center closure, Wilson said she wants her nonprofit to continue providing services and support for survivors and families throughout North Florida.

“We’ve talked about developing a resource center for families in trouble,” Wilson said. “To help the residents with all the resources that they need to go on with their life.”

Early education and rising cases

Lisa Wolcott, a clinical social worker and therapist, said there is a need for education on domestic violence in earlier grades because many older victims don’t understand the abusive nature of their relationships.

In high school, Wolcott said she was in an abusive relationship. But she didn’t understand the severity of her experience until she learned about intimate partner violence in college.

“I had no idea there was a name for it,” Wolcott said. “I didn’t know that it fit a kind of pattern. I didn't have anyone to talk to about it.”

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

A T-shirt decorated by a survivor of domestic violence is displayed in the lobby of the Alachua Police Department on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.

A forgotten part of domestic violence is psychological abuse and harassment, Wolcott said.

“I think stalking is a big part of domestic violence that isn’t talked about,” she said.

Stalking is most common in ages 18-24 and victims struggle with anxiety, depression and insomnia, Wolcott said.

The UF Police Department reported 56 cases of stalking between 2021 and 2022, while in 2023 there are 42 reported stalking cases as of Oct. 24, according to police records.

Higher enrollment numbers may explain the crime increase, but 2023 enrollment data is pending. A 30-60% increase in enrollment would be needed to explain the rise in stalking, and UF enrollment has grown less than 6% year-to-year in the past decade.

The Gainesville Police Department reported 47 cases in 2021, 65 in 2022 and 46 in 2023, as of Oct. 24, according to police data records. The total cases of domestic violencerelated cases in Alachua County increased about 15% from 2018 to 2020, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Alison Glover, the lead victim advocate for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, said she has witnessed a rise in domestic violence

cases in her unit over the past year.

In cases related to domestic violence, Glover said her agency is especially careful.

Even when a call is only about a domestic disturbance, the unit ensures victims know about resources in case they need to get out of their situation.

“If there’s a history of any domestic violence in the home… [We] make sure they’re aware of the services available to them and then make sure they’re safe," she said.

The victim advocates unit is composed of four advocates working to get resources for victims. It is partly funded by VOCA grants, so their funding has gone down, too.

“With a rise in the number of cases or incidents of domestic violence and a reduction in the funding, that’s clearly going to be an issue that we’re gonna have to figure out how to support,” Glover said.

Florida’s history of financial cuts

This is not the first time U.S. domestic violence programs have dealt with severe funding challenges.

In the 1970s, the federal government established the Displaced Homemaker Program to help newly single women get back on their feet. Florida had 16 programs.

Ongoing funding issues reduced the number of programs to eight, and when the Florida legislature completely cut state funding in 2016, six programs were forced to shut down. Today, the only DHP that remains in the state is the one in Santa Fe College.

JoAnn Wilkes, a 74-year-old Gainesville resident, said after her husband died she felt she had no direction. The local DHP helped put her on a path forward.

She currently works as the coordinator for the program and helps women coming out of shelters like Peaceful Paths find jobs, finish their education and live independently.

Wilkes was in an abusive relationship in college but wasn’t able to recognize she was experiencing intimate partner violence until the relationship ended. There is too much stigma surrounding victims of domestic violence, she said.

“Sometimes it’s the community perception of people who are in abusive situations,” Wilkes said. “I think for some they think ‘Well, why didn’t she just leave?’ and it is so not easy.”

Isabella Douglas contributed to this article. @valesrc vsandoval@alligator.org

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023 ALLIGATOR 5

Tenure, DE&I Funding SB 266, from pg. 1

is “just one piece of a larger effort by lawmakers in Florida over the past several years to influence the curriculum and speech activities that take place on public university campuses.”

Jane Bambauer, a UF law professor who specializes in the First Amendment, expressed support for efforts to increase viewpoint diversity on Florida campuses but is skeptical of the regulation’s broadly defined terms.

“We're trying to read tea leaves here to see whether this is going to be a major overhaul to try to turn Florida schools into conservative institutions or whether it's to change overall culture and leave space for multiple viewpoints,” she said.

The state’s intervention should cultivate critical thinking at Florida universities, but instead favor one political ideology over another, Bambauer said.

In December, DeSantis’ Office of Policy and Budget demanded all Florida universities report any spending toward DEI programs.

The audit revealed UF spent $5 million — approximately 0.14 percent of its annual budget — on DEI initiatives in 2022. Among

the most funded DEI initiatives at the university were the Chief Diversity Office and the Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (CIME).

Brianna Bennet, a student ambassador for CIME, said the defunding of the Center is “definitely on the table” as a result of the regulation, but the office is ready to accommodate any new regulations.

“We're definitely committed to keeping a space for our marginalized communities on campus,” she said. “It shows more than beyond on paper that these spaces benefit students.”

It is unclear if the programs listed in the audit will be defunded as a result of the regulation.

The UF Chief Diversity Office did not respond for comment.

The Board of Governors, a 17-member board that oversees the state’s public university system, will vote whether to approve the regulation on Nov. 9. If approved, the regulation will be available for public comment for 14 days.

The regulation is expected to come before the Board for final approval in January. @garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

NOTICE

APPLICATION FOR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR THE GAINESVILLE URBANIZED AREA

The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area invites interested persons to apply for its Citizens Advisory Committee. The Citizens Advisory Committee reacts to planning proposals and provides comments with respect to the concerns of various segments of the population in regard to their transportation needs. The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area has also outlined additional functions of the Citizens Advisory Committee as defined in its bylaws. Citizens Advisory Committee members usually serve a three-year term. At a forthcoming meeting, the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area will make several appointments to fill vacancies on its Citizens Advisory Committee.

The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, composed of the Mayor and six City of Gainesville Commissioners and the five Alachua County Commissioners, is responsible for the continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning program for the Gainesville Metropolitan Area.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age disability, familial status, religious status, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Applications and/or additional information may be obtained by writing or calling: Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, 2009 NW 67 Place, Gainesville, Florida 32653; telephone 352.955.2200; or from its website at www.ncfrpc.org/mtpo. Applications must be received no later than Friday, November 24, 2023.

NOTICE

APPLICATION FOR BICYCLE / PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY BOARD

The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area invites interested persons to apply for its Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board. The Bicycle/ Pedestrian Advisory Board provides advice to the Gainesville City Commission, Alachua County Commission and Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area on bicycle and pedestrian related matters.

The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, composed of the Mayor and six City of Gainesville Commissioners and the five Alachua County Commissioners, is responsible for the continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning program for the Gainesville Metropolitan Area.

Applications and additional information may be obtained by writing or calling: North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, 2009 NW 67th Place Gainesville, Florida 32653; telephone 352.955.2200; or from the following website at www.ncfrpc.org/mtpo. Applications must be received no later than Friday, November 24, 2023.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

Pumpkins are a Gainesville church’s best friend WHY SO MANY PUMPKIN PATCHES ARE RUN BY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

Under a canopy of string lights off Northwest 39th Avenue rest thousands of pumpkins — eight semi-truck loads, to be exact — anxiously waiting to be chosen and taken home by their forever family.

Complete with photo booths, a bounce house and famous loaves of pumpkin bread, the pumpkin patch is part of the Gainesville Church of God’s fundraiser to feed hungry children across Alachua County and through Central and South America — a tradition the church named “Buy a Pumpkin, Feed a Child.”

This is the 11th year the patch has been open. Not a dollar of its profits go back to the church, said pumpkin patch volunteer Chris Chrisopulos.

“Our goal is to bless the people here as well as bless the people who are in need,” he said.

For several Alachua County churches, including this one, the month of October signals the beginning of one of the most anticipated fundraisers of the year: pumpkin patches. Across the country, Christian churches, particularly of the Methodist denomination, use the fall season as an opportunity to raise money by selling pumpkins.

Not-so-spooky patches

Although some denominations of Christianity frown upon Halloween — citing its origins as a Pagan celebration — the United Methodist Church has no official stance on

the holiday. Each congregation can choose whether or how to engage with spooky activities, including pumpkin patches.

For the Alachua Pumpkin Patch, pumpkin-selling is more correlated with the fall season than with Halloween, despite running only until Halloween day, volunteer Wendy Seale said. Signs across the patch read “Welcome to Autumn” and “Happy Fall.” Aside from the pumpkins themselves, there’s no mention of Halloween in sight.

The patch, which is run by Alachua Methodist Church and located on U.S. 441 near Interstate 75, has been selling pumpkins for 23 years.

It features a hay maze, tractor rides and thousands of pumpkins laid on pallets across an expansive yard lent to the church by a local homeowner.

The Alachua Pumpkin Patch’s proceeds go toward the church’s annual mission trip. The location of the trip changes from year to year, and the church hasn’t decided if it’ll go out of state or do community service within Alachua County.

Although the patch, which brought in between $15,000 and $16,000 in profit last year, doesn’t entirely pay off the costs for the mission, it does cover a portion, Seale said.

The best part for Seale, a 53-yearold Alachua resident, is watching families come back to the patch year after year, she said.

Rachel Hill, a 34-year-old Alachua resident, and her three children have been coming to the pumpkin patch for eight years. Throughout October, the family looks forward to coming to the pumpkin patch while driving past it every day, she said.

“When you come here, you can feel that everybody is really happy and that they’ve enjoyed it for some

time,” she said.

Although she isn’t a member of the church, Hill said she’s never considered switching patches because the patch volunteers make her feel like family.

“They made me feel great from the very beginning,” she said. “It’s the people. You go to a place, and the people are so kind, and they make you want to come back.”

Where do the pumpkins come from?

No two pumpkins and no two patches are the same. Spherical orange pumpkins, green striped gourds and bright white squashes create a rainbow assortment of choices for customers to go home with their dream pumpkin. Although they look different, many were grown in the same place.

For 194 pumpkin patches in Florida, the holy grail of pumpkin sourcing is Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers, also known as Pumpkins USA. Of the patches the company provides for, about 98% are churches, and the majority are Methodist churches, spokesperson and coowner John Hamby said.

Hamby’s parents started Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers in 1974 with three acres of pumpkins and a deal to sell them with one church. Today, it grows 1,200 acres of pumpkins and partners with more than 1,000 organizations across the country.

The company is based out of Farmington, New Mexico, on part of the Navajo reservation. The family business prides itself on employing more than 700 Navajo people during harvest season, according to its website.

Rather than selling pumpkins directly to churches and other nonprofit organizations, Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers ship pumpkins by the

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Gainesville resident fills up his wagon with pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes in Gainesville on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. truckload on consignment, meaning there are no upfront costs. In return, a portion — about two-thirds, by one church volunteer’s estimate — of pumpkin revenue is sent back as payment to the company.

Churches don’t need to pay for any pumpkins they didn’t sell, but they are responsible for finding a place to dispose of the leftovers.

This year, the Southwest United Methodist Church partnered with two nearby methodist churches to split the profits of their joint pumpkin patch, sourced through Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers. The church usually stays in contact with local

farmers to feed leftover pumpkins to livestock, volunteer Tom Beukelman said.

The church expects to sell about $10,000 worth of pumpkins by the time it closes Oct. 31, Beukelman said. In the spirit of Halloween, he hoped a special visitor would come that night, referencing the 1966 animation “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

“Hopefully, at the end of that day and evening, the Great Pumpkin will visit,” he said. @AlissaGary1 agary@alligator.org

ANIMALS

‘Black Cat Bias’: The superstition behind black cats’ bad reputation BLACK CATS ARE UNADOPTED, EUTHANIZED AT HIGHER RATES THAN OTHERS

By Valentina Sarmiento Avenue Staff Writer

Few animals evoke stronger symbolism than the black cat.

Sleek and opaque, these superstitious felines can’t help being associated with the occult.

The misconceptions surrounding black cats, however sensational, have material implications.

Black cats are admitted into shelters at a higher rate than their less pigmented counterparts. They also get adopted less than any other coat color, meaning black cats often experience the highest chance of euthanasia, according to the National Library of Medicine. This apparent pattern of undesirability has been colloquially dubbed “Black Cat Bias.”

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter.

Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

In an attempt to combat their poor reputation, the month of October was christened Black Cat Awareness Month, with Oct. 27 serving as National Black Cat Day. These festive labels are part of a global initiative to mitigate misconceptions and promote the welfare of black cats.

“They do have a bad reputation and I don’t think that’s fair,” said Anais Naoumoff, a 20-year-old UF animal science senior.

Naoumoff has owned her black

cat, Momo, for three years. She adopted Momo when the kitten was just 4 weeks old and named the cat after the Japanese word for peach. Due to Momo’s coloration, Naoumoff knew the kitten wouldn’t be appreciated by everyone — that’s why she decided to adopt her.

“Black cats are good luck in Japan, so I kind of wanted good juju for her,” Naoumoff said.

The curious 3-year-old was a little odd, sporting large green

eyes and an extra toe. She seemed too friendly and outgoing. Raised alongside a Border Collie, she prefers the company of dogs over other cats.

During crowded house parties, Momo plays host as opposed to scurrying under bed frames. She has no boundaries. She loves belly rubs. She’s just a bit funny. Momo was so friendly that she won Naoumoff over.

SEE BLACK CATS, PAGE 7

Men’s Golf

How John DuBois went from substitute to national champion.

Read more on pg. 11.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 ALLIGATOR 7

MUSIC

Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift course hits UF Honors College THE SPRING 2024 CLASS WILL ANALYZE SWIFT’S MUSIC ALONGSIDE OTHER ICONIC FEMALE SONGWRITERS

By Bonny Matejowsky Avenue Staff Writer

Ten seconds. That’s about how long it took for the 15 spots in Musical Storytelling With Taylor Swift and Other Iconic Female Artists to fill when the UF Honors Program opened its early registration Oct. 24.

The class is one of many Swift-themed courses hitting college campuses, a phenomenon that combines “Miss Americana” with the academic world.

Taylor Swift is one of the most popular singers worldwide.

Despite the ebbs and flows of scrutiny she’s faced in the past, her latest Eras Tour and album re-releases have achieved recordbreaking success.

Melina Jimenez, an associate instructional professor at the UF English Language Institute, does not consider herself a Swiftie. In fact, for most of her life, she rarely listened to the singer.

But after participating in an online writing workshop this summer dedicated to Swift’s music and writing style, she was surprised at how in-depth her lyrics were.

“I wanted to see what all the buzz is about,” Jimenez said.

“It made me want to create a space where students could talk about it.”

Jimenez is no stranger to outside-the-box classes. In the past, she’s taught courses based on books such as “Good Omens”

by Neil Gaiman and “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” by Hank Green.

Intrigued by the singer’s popularity and dedicated fanbase, and with the help of two honors college students who serve as peer instructors, the Taylor Swift class became a reality.

The Spring 2024 one-credit class will be discussion-oriented, each week centering on themes present in songs by Swift and other female songwriters, such as aging, old flames, karma and double standards.

“People have very strong reactions because she’s a woman,” Jimenez said. “She can sing about a topic and a man can sing about a topic and she gets all the hate, where men don’t get any

reaction at all.”

The class will also explore the lyrics of other popular female singers, such as Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Dolly Parton.

Caroline Carter, a 21-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, is one of the peer instructors for the course. Her Swiftie journey began in 2009 when her mother brought home Swift’s latest album, “Fearless” on CD. When each new album was released, they would listen to it on repeat in the car together.

“I feel like anyone could find something to relate to even if they don’t resonate with all of her music,” Carter said.

The other peer instructor for the class, 21-year-old computer science senior Karina LaRubbio, didn’t get into the Swift scene until college where she found herself resonating with her music.

“The way she writes about her experiences going from being a little bit more surface level to telling these really complex stories sucked me in,” LaRubbio said.

LaRubbio is not only excited to build community in the class but also to discover new music and artists that her students bring to the table.

This isn’t the only time a college course has been shaped around a celebrity personality.

New York University offered a media class surrounding Lana Del Rey’s stardom in 2022. In 2014, Rutgers University held a Black feminism course crafted around Beyonce’s work. Other celebrities like Harry Styles, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West have also all been studied as topics of a university course.

UF’s Spanish department also offers courses about Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee.

But what distinguishes Swift from the rest is the sheer number of colleges offering unique Swift-themed classes.

There’s Psychology of Taylor Swift at Arizona State University, Literature: Taylor’s Version at Belgium’s Ghent University and Taylor Swiftory: History & Literature Through Taylor Swift at the University of Missouri, to name a few.

Yu-Hao Lee, an associate professor at UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, said Swift’s success as a class subject is explainable.

“Mainly, it’s just a way to relate with the power of fans out there, to get people interested in the courses and to see how we can apply our research and our disciplines and perspectives to analyze something that’s really popular,” Lee said. “I think Taylor Swift is just this great, giant star that we can attach to any-

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

thing.”

Lee’s research explores media’s psychological and emotional effects, including parasocial relationships between celebrities and fans.

“Because of the way social media allows us to have really easy and more frequent access to Taylor Swift, she seems much more vivid, like a real person,” Lee said. “She’s really, really good at using social media to build her image and tell her stories.”

With a constant stream of Easter eggs and hidden messages in her work, Swift’s fans are certainly familiar with dissecting the details of her 10 albums.

Despite typically only holding her classes for one semester, Jimenez is open to the idea of teaching the class again, just so long as she can find another Swiftie to teach it with, she said.

But for now, she is excited to listen to the songs with her class and find commonalities throughout all of Swift’s eras.

“The way that we’re setting it up, for me, is much more interesting because we’ll be able to look at the same theme throughout all ten of her albums,” Jimenez said. @bonnymatejowsky bmatejowsky@alligator.org

Superstitions affect adoptions BLACK CATS, from pg. 6 “I actually didn’t even plan on keeping her. Originally I really liked her brother,” Naoumoff admitted. “But she won me over because whenever I would take naps in the kitty room, I would wake up and she’d be lying on my throat, suffocating me. And I was like, ‘Yeah I want that one.’”

In their three years of friendship, Naoumoff feels certain she’s been lucky since meeting Momo. The cat has proven to be a source of comfort for Naoumoff throughout her college experience.

Next summer, Naoumoff plans to move to France, and Momo, despite fearing long flights, will bravely accompany her abroad.

This duty to companionship distinguishes Momo from the other animals Naoumoff works with.

“Most animals that I work with have a job,” Naoumoff said. “Momo’s job is to be my friend, and she’s really good at it.”

Some shelters have embraced the superstition surrounding black cats, refusing adoptions of black cats leading up to Halloween. The decision is due to fear that people will seek out black cats during October to use in occult sacrifices or rituals.

However, cat experts like Melissa Jenkins, the 34-year-old operations director for Operation Catnip, have found little credence to such fears.

“I couldn’t tell you of any study that I know of that identifies that black cats are more at risk around Halloween,” Jenkins said. “That is just a scare tactic… that was all based on a lot of things that got blown out of proportion.”

Jenkins has always been drawn to helping cats, working with the non-profit for seven years. Operation Catnip is not a traditional shelter. Rather, it works with community members and veterinarians to trap, neuter and release (TNR) free-roaming cat populations.

While Jenkins was quick to dispel the myth of deadly adoptions, she emphasized animal abusers do exist. Those people, however, aren’t typically walking into shelters and going through the paperwork of adopting a cat, Jenkins said.

“I haven’t found any reason why we should support restrictions of adopting out black cats through the month of October or around Halloween. In fact, it might even be a great way to uplift [them],” she said.

It has been proven that black animals, both dogs and cats alike, are less likely to be adopted from rescues, Jenkins said. The kennels of shelters are often dimly lit, a poor pairing for cats with covert backcoats.

“They’re just not as interesting looking for most people,” she said. “They’re boring or they blend in too much with their surroundings.”

Jenkins disagrees with this sentiment, owning four black cats herself.

“That is my thing: black cats,” she said.

“I remember my first cat that I adopted.

That was my only thing. It had to be a black cat.”

Cat advocates across Alachua County may be well-intentioned but their methods vary greatly.

Rescues like Angel Whispurrz are among the few organizations that refuse adoptions of black cats during October. Dhyana O’Driscoll, the 50-year-old owner of Angel

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

Momo, a 3-year-old black cat, sits perched on Anais Naoumoff’s windowsill in Gainesville on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. The name Momo is Japanese for “peach.”

Whispurrs, runs the entire operation from her home. She has another income business which helps pay for cat food.

“I don’t make money from this,” she said. “This is a side thing that I enjoy. This doesn’t pay the bills at all, in fact, it takes a lot of money away.”

O’Driscoll is a self-described superstitious person. She works as a psychic medium on the side, offering reading services for people wanting to contact their dearly departed. O’Driscoll noted that cats, too, are psychic.

“There are cultures that are deeply rooted in superstition and mysticism, and so I think some of that black cat stuff comes from more of those cultures,” she said. “But it’s kind of changed over the last few years

with a lot of younger adopters.”

While the popularity of black cats seems to be on the rise, O’Driscoll refuses to adopt out black cats during the month leading up to Halloween. Even if the concern is based on myth, O’Driscoll is unwilling to take any chances, she said.

“Our goal is to have a successful adoption and the cat lives a long happy life, so even if there’s a 1% chance that someone is adopting them for nefarious means, we’re not gonna take that chance,” O’Driscoll said. “I learned that from an older rescuer when I first started out and I just adhere to that policy.” vsarmiento@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Unionism and solidarity: The importance of undergraduate support for GAU Two UF students speak on the importance of undergraduates understanding and supporting college unions.

U

provide us with a quality education.

Those graduate students help define our UF community. Though I may not be a member of the union, my solidarity is part of what invigorates the union.

Ronin Lupien: So what? I’m an undergrad: Unionism, GAU, and the bigger picture

nionism is on the rise among the most disenfranchised in America.

Nearly a third of public sector employees are in a union as of 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While many non-union jobs are being created to keep pace with unionization, there is a fervor for Ronin Lupien opinions@alligator.org union activity.

In Hollywood, we saw month-long strikes from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) lead to historic wins. SAG-AFTRA members are still beating the pavement. I could go on, pointing to Starbucks, Amazon and even Medieval Times.

Here at UF, a subsection of our students also has a labor union — Graduate Assistants United.

In a state as hostile to organized labor as Florida, our unions are under attack.

Florida’s hostility is pioneering among states in the U.S. Florida was among the first right-towork states.

For those who do not know, “right-to-work laws” refer to anti-union laws that say non-union members do not need to pay dues. This may sound good, but those same employees benefit from union collective bargaining agreements or representation. In reality, it is a way to knee-cap unions.

They do this to essentially turn union membership into a sort of subscription service. A service, however, that potentially results in an inability to be represented in a grievance (contract violation) if you are not subscribed.

In Florida, GAU is prohibited from strike actions due to their status as state employees. New state legislation has further knee-capped the union. They now need to reach a minimum 60% membership among the bargaining unit, graduate teaching assistants and research assistants, to ensure continued certification. Without that, the collective bargaining agreement may be nullified.

The recent wage gains, the graduate health care and many other benefits will be lost.

Why do I care about unions? Because I come from a family with union members. My mother was a steward for her grocery store as a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

She served as a voice for her fellow workers, a role model for what a united labor front could do.

Thanks to her union, workers had well-paying jobs and protection against their bosses’ potential abuse.

My mother organized workers in her workplace. In that, she formed a sense of community. As undergraduate students, we must foster a similar sort of unity with the graduate students who help

Ronin Lupien is a UF biomedical engineering senior.

A

Cassie Urbenz: The importance of undergraduate solidarity

s exemplified by me admittedly writing my portion of this column while traveling — graduate school is busy. When we have exams and deadlines that could make or break the degree we’ve been working so hard for, it can be difficult to delegate the tedious yet vital ‘boots-on-theground’ work.

Having undergraduate support can help this in a lot of cases, especially with our current ongoing card drive and maintaining a strong narrative against the (relentless) anti-union activities the Florida legislature is engagCassie Urbenz opinions@alligator.org ing in.

There are so many ways to show support, whether it be canvassing with us, talking about us or flaunting any merch that found its way into your hands.

What I’m talking about in these articles may make zero sense to some of you — but sitting down with a graduate assistant to get our perspective opens your eyes up to an entirely new ecosystem on campus, one that most undergrads have no clue about.

Did you know that there are well over 4,000 GAs? Did you know that your graduate student teaching assistants (and even sometimes instructors of record) are in our bargaining unit?

The main squeeze: graduate assistants are constantly graduating and coming in and moving around, so the consistency of a large on-campus presence is invaluable.

Please keep talking about us.

The support that a strong reputation can give us could potentially help us reach a student who needs our help with a grievance.

The support that a strong reputation can give us the leverage to maintain 65% membership with incoming students already knowing who we are. The support that a strong reputation gives us could save our union.

Cassie Urbenz is the Communications Co-Chair of UF Graduate Assistants United (GAU) and a first-year Design & Visual Communications (MFA/MxD) graduate student.

Column

Campus speech matters: The First Amendment and student organizations

F

lorida’s Chancellor of the State University System, Ray Rodrigues, issued a memorandum directing state university system presidents to “deactivate” the registration of National Students for Justice in Palestine. UF President Ben Sasse complied.

These actions raise an important First Amendment issue worthy of further exploration.

The statutory basis for the deactivation order is Florida Statute § 775.33(3) (2023), which makes it a felony to “knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”

In this case, the Chancellor has, “in consultation with Governor DeSantis,” ordered deactivation based on the student groups’ alleged “material support” for Hamas and the despicable atrocities it perpetrated on Israelis and others on Oct. 7. These atrocities included the murders of roughly 1,400 people, including infants, rapes, hostage-taking and other war crimes.

The SJP’s alleged act of material support is a statement issued by the national student organization, in which they express support for Hamas’ attack against the “Zionist enemy” as part of a toolkit for a “day of resistance” on college campuses. Hamas’ founding documents call for the complete destruction of Israel and the establishment of a theocratic state; they also deploy antisemitic propaganda to further these aims.

However, the basis for the Chancellor’s assertion that the SJP student groups on Florida campuses provide material support to Hamas is a specific statement made by the national organization.

In advising student chapters how to frame their “messaging,” the statement asserts: “We as Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement… All of our efforts continue the work and resistance of Palestinians on the ground.” The statement further suggests that student-group messaging should include the hashtag “#operationalaqsaflood.”

Does the statement constitute material support of terrorism?

And if so, is it attributable to the Florida student organizations?

One must look to foundational First Amendment principles to answer the first question. State universities create campus forums for student groups to engage in expression. Universities cannot exclude student groups from the forums they have established simply because the universities find the students’ speech distasteful. Indeed, a core principle of the First Amendment is that government actors may not ban speech simply because the speech is offensive, hateful or even because it advocates violence.

As the Supreme Court said in a 1972 decision involving a racist and antisemitic speaker advocating violence at a Ku Klux Klan rally, “the mere abstract teaching … of the moral propriety or even moral necessity for a resort to force and violence is not the same as preparing a group for violent action and steeling it to such action.”

However, a First Amendment line is crossed when an individual or group knowingly provides “material support” for terrorist actions. Can speech be material support?

The U.S. Supreme Court addressed that issue in a 2010 case called Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, which involved a non-profit group that wanted to train groups that the Secretary of State had designated as terrorists. The non-profit group wanted to train the terrorist groups about international law and negotiation strategy to enable them to use peaceful and lawful means to resolve their grievances. However, a federal statute defined material support for terrorism to include such training, even though it involved speech. The non-profit group challenged the law on First Amendment grounds.

The Supreme Court held that the First Amendment allowed the federal government to criminalize such training “when coordinated with, or at the direction of” foreign terrorist organizations. The Court found that the statute served a compelling government interest in protecting national security, specifically noting that the statute did not bar “independent advocacy that

may be viewed as promoting the [terrorist] group’s legitimacy.”

In other words, the Court drew an important distinction between independently spreading propaganda supporting a terrorist group and coordinating with a terrorist group to help it get its message out.

Lyrissa Lidsky How does one apply these provisions opinions@alligator.org to the SJP statement? The Florida statute defines material support to include “any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including … training [and] expert advice or assistance.” The definition does not seem to encompass mere speech supporting activities of a terrorist organization.

Even if the statute applies to SJP’s statement, the First Amendment does not allow the state to penalize students for mere advocacy of Hamas’ activities. Florida appears to be “deactivating” the SJP (though with leave to re-form into a new group disassociated from the national chapter) based predominantly on its ideological alignment with Hamas.

The Supreme Court has not adequately defined the line between independent advocacy and coordination, but the proposed “coordination” in Holder involved actual interaction and direct communication between the advocacy group and the terrorist organizations.

This type of interaction does not exist just because the national SJP calls itself “PART of the movement” or says that it supports what Hamas does through its protest activities Further, it is not clear that the Florida chapters of SJP agree with the statement, though one might argue it is fair to ascribe it to them unless they disclaim it. Nonetheless, without more evidence of their unlawful intent or direct interaction with Hamas, treating them as guilty by association is probably a bridge too far for First Amendment purposes.

Lyrissa Lidsky is the Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law at UF Levin College of Law.

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FOOTBALL

Gators show signs of promise amid humbling defeat to No. 1 Georgia Florida continues to build toward future success

By Topher Adams Sports Writer

Florida redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz rushed behind his center and plowed into the end zone late in the fourth quarter against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

The touchdown was nothing more than a historical footnote, adding some shine to a 43-20 Gators defeat.

UF couldn’t compete with Georgia — and has now lost the last three to the rival Bulldogs.

Even in a blowout loss, however, Florida head coach Billy Napier’s program continues to build and show glimpses of a future where the Gators can once again rival their northern neighbors.

“I think this is the eighth year for [UGA head coach] Kirby [Smart] and, look, we've got work to do to chase them down,” Napier said. “We're in the middle of that process, in the middle of that journey.”

Florida looked like it was ready to compete with the Bulldogs on the first drive of the game. The Gators’ passing attack ripped through the Georgia secondary, and freshman receiver Eugene Wilson III raced 27 yards for a touchdown.

Wilson continues to look like a future cornerstone for Florida. He set a new UF freshman record with 10 receptions. The former blue chip prospect is now second on the Gators in receptions and receiving yards despite missing two games due to injury.

Several young players got their first taste against Georgia in the loss. Redshirt freshman tight end Hayden Hansen caught a touchdown pass and freshman safeties Jordan Castell and

Bryce Thornton both had eight tackles each.

“I think [experience is] important for our staff, but it's invaluable for young players,” Napier said. “I think that I'm hopeful that they'll take what they learned today and go back to work.”

These flashes of potential were often undermined by Florida’s mistakes.

Florida trailed by three after a competitive first quarter. However, things unraveled in a series of disastrous moments. The Gators faced a fourth down deep in their own territory, but a trick play went awry and the ball turned over to Georgia.

Mertz was stripped on the next drive and Georgia scored a touchdown four plays later. After a quick Florida three-and-out, the Bulldogs blocked the ensuing punt and scored on a safety. A three-point deficit ballooned to a 19-point one in a matter of moments.

“We made too many critical mistakes,” Napier said. “I think, in particular, the two huge mistakes in the first half allowed the game to kind of get out of control to some degree.”

Even if the mistakes blew open the game, Florida struggled to contain Georgia throughout the game. Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck diced up the Gators’ secondary with 315 yards, and Georgia rumbled for 178 rushing yards and three scores.

UF’s young defense is reeling after a promising start to the season. Florida has allowed more than 30 points in three of its last four games. The Gators are struggling to make big plays as well, with the fewest sacks in the SEC. Florida’s leadership was optimistic the team would build from the Oct. 28 loss and

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff

Freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson III runs with the ball past a Georgia defender in the Gators’ 43-20 loss against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. end the season on a positive note. The Gators still have four games left to play this season, including No. 13 LSU, No. 14 Missouri and No. 4 Florida State in the season finale.

The Georgia loss has been a defining moment in the last two seasons, but not for the right reasons. The Gators went 2-3 after losing to the Bulldogs each of the last two years, including losses to Vanderbilt and South Carolina.

This year’s players are confident that won’t be the case this season.

“I'll tell you right now it's not going to snowball,” Mertz said. “We know what this team has. And we know that our best is still out there.”

The Gators will get a chance to respond when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Nov. 4. The game is scheduled for noon and will be broadcast on ESPN2. @Topher_Adams tadams@alligator.org

MEN'S GOLF

John DuBois: From substitute to men’s golf national champion AFTER LIMITED ROLE EARLY IN HIS CAREER, DUBOIS WORKED HIS WAY TO BECOME KEY PIECE ON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

By Max Tucker Sports Writer

Fifth-year senior John DuBois appeared in the lineup only three times his freshman year. In his senior season a year ago, he stood on the 18th hole of the national championship semi-final and made a putt that kept his team’s hopes for a title alive.

DuBois’ clutch performances down the stretch of the season helped gain the trust of his teammates and coaches. He proved he was the leader of the team after he sunk shot after shot in the most crucial moments of their national championship run.

Head Coach J.C. Deacon isn’t shy about the improvements DuBois has made.

“He’s worked really hard, he’s got a very well-rounded alligatorSports has a podcast!

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game now, and he’s made some of the biggest, most clutch shots that I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” he said.

In DuBois’ freshman year, he appeared in the lineup only three times. His best finish in a tournament was T31, and it didn’t appear he would have much of an early impact.

As a sophomore in 2021, DuBois made an appearance in the national championship as a substitute. Deacon knew DuBois had the potential to be back on the same stage in the future with a more significant role, he said.

“There were some signs along the way in some tournaments where he started competing at a high level that he realized he was good enough to play at the highest level of college golf,” he said.

The improvements in DuBois’ game did not happen overnight. He put the necessary work in to be in a role to help deliver a national championship for his team. DuBois has become reliable off tee and excellent with his putter, Deacon said.

Nobody knows more about the hard work it took to reach this amount of success than DuBois himself. The

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humble fifth-year senior said he had his doubts of being able to perform on the highest of stages.

“I absolutely did not think I would be [playing] in the national championship,” he said. “I was a substitute the whole season. I think it shows if you stay patient and have a lot of discipline that it can really pay off.”

DuBois arrived at UF as a talented freshman with raw ability. He used his early years in the program to soak in as much information from the upperclassmen as he could, he said. DuBois now finds himself in a senior leadership role for a team with a young up-and-coming roster.

“Whether I notice it or not, the younger guys are probably looking at me the same, so I’m trying to be a better leader and better person,” he said.

DuBois’ teammates are well aware of the value he has brought to the program throughout his career. One of the most important aspects of the game of golf is staying levelheaded.

SEE GOLF, PAGE 12

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023 we had at the top of the lineup,” Kress John DuBois’ national champion journey that said. “There were a couple times last year

GOLF, from pg. 11

Sophomore Matthew Kress has noticed the influence that DuBois has had off the course as well as on it.

“Ever since I got here, John has always kind of been like the team dad almost,” Kress said. “He keeps all of us in line, and if we have personal stuff going on, we always go to John.”

It wasn’t a flawless season for DuBois in the 2022-23 campaign. He had a slow start, and it was unsure if he would be a key contributor down the stretch for the Gators. However, Kress saw the mental toughness his teammate exemplified while

going through a tough stretch last season, particularly in a rough outing in one of UF’s Spring qualifiers, he added.

“He admitted ‘I wasn’t playing great, I was getting really emotional; that’s just not me,’” Kress said. “He came back from it, and it just seemed like the more pressure that was on him, the more calm he was.”

Kress envisions DuBois having the same role from a year ago when postseason play comes around. His experience playing in SEC and national championships will be something Kress will look to lean on, he said.

“This year we don’t have the firepower

where the team didn’t play too great, but we had one or two guys who played really well and saved us in tournaments.”

DuBois was once a quiet freshman on an elite collegiate golf team. He has left his footprint on the program and will leave UF as an SEC conference champion and national champion. The road to success wasn’t an easy one, but DuBois always kept his cool no matter the circumstances.

Now in his final year for the Gators, he will look to put together another historic campaign. @MaxTuckerUF25 mtucker@alligator.org

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Florida senior John DuBois lines up a putt in at the Vystar Credit Union Gators Invitational Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023.