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VOLUME 117 ISSUE 12

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

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Lauren Lemasters faces impeachment for Sasse vote MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE BRANCHES SPEAK OUT

SASSE WILL TAKE OFFICE IN EARLY 2023

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

Lauren Lemasters’ presidency may come to a premature end thanks to one vote. Lemasters, the student body president, voted in favor of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse for UF president, eliciting backlash from other Student Government leaders who disapproved of her decision and have called for her impeachment. Senate President Olivia Green (GatorDistrict A) expressed her disappointment in Lemasters’ vote during the Nov. 1 Senate meeting. Vice President Daniel Badell and Treasurer Sierra Kantamneni — who work with Lemasters in the executive branch — echoed Green’s sentiments in Instagram statements Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, respectively. The Student Senate Change Caucus submitted a resolution to impeach Lemasters under the charge of malfeasance Nov. 3. The resolution must be approved in a two-thirds vote of the spring senators — which is majority Gator — before an impeachment trial occurs. As of Sunday, it’s unclear when the vote will take place. Minority Caucus Leader Faith Corbett, an author of the impeachment resolution, said she wishes Gator Party leadership would have released statements before Lemasters’ vote rather than after. “Change Caucus hopes Gator-affiliated spring senators make their minds up between accountability and party lines,” she said. Student leaders don’t all share that confidence. “Malfeasance,” the word used to define Lemasters’ vote, is acting in a way that is wholly wrongful, according to SG governing documents. In the resolution to impeach, Change asserted Lemasters lost the confidence of her colleagues. “The decision to approve Ben Sasse resulted in a loss of confidence by her

SEE LEMASTERS, PAGE 4

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Sasse’s history with athletics

Story description finish with comExploring Ben Sasse’s involvement ma, pg# in athletics at Midland University. Read more on pg. 11.

Look ahead at Sasse’s presidential rise By Christian Casale & Peyton Harris Alligator Staff Writers

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Lauren Lemasters, UF’s Student Body president, listens to public comment at the Board of Trustees confirmation vote Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Some student officials have criticized her pro-Sasse vote amid backlash.

This winter, UF will test whether corn can grow in The Swamp. Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s nearly monthlong public candidacy to become the next UF president was marred with controversy and national headlines, and culminated with his unanimous confirmation by the Board of Trustees. In the coming months, Sasse is expected to be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors, resign from his seat in the Senate and become officially installed as UF’s 13th president. Sasse was unanimously confirmed by the Board

SEE SASSE, PAGE 4

Gainesville weathers vandalism, hate messages against minority groups 5 groups were targeted in 4 months By Lily Kino Alligator Staff Writer

Shattered glass, defaced monuments and hateful flyers characterize five targeted attacks in Gainesville over a four-month span, leaving impacted groups confident they were motivated by hate. But the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has declared three crimes in Gainesville this year to be “hate crimes,” according to Gainesville Police Department records as of Oct. 17. Following vandalism of the National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden, The Pride Community Center of North Central Florida, the Alach-

ua County Democratic Party and a Planned Parenthood center — only one has been given the hate crime designation as of the same date. A hate crime is a crime motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. If FDLE is interested in investigating a GPD case, the agency will adopt it. After careful investigation, only then will the state attorney make the decision as to whether it was a hate crime, GPD Cpl. Joe Castor said. “A hate crime is not a charge,” Castor said. “It’s an enhancer.”

Poll workers navigate election distrust

Election workers report fear, hostility from those casting their ballot, pg. 3

Abortion rights at forefront of general election

Voters say it’s a hot-button issue affecting their vote, pg. 5

GPD performs the criminal investigation and determines whether there’s probable cause that a person or group of people committed a crime. GPD then establishes a crime degree level, Castor said. The state attorney can increase the criminal degree if it’s determined to be a hate crime. “If there was a simple battery, but it’s deemed to be a hate crime, instead of being a second-degree misdemeanor, it would be a firstdegree misdemeanor,” Castor said. In Castor’s 12 years in law enforcement, he said he’s not seen consistent targeted attacks like this for some time. He thinks the attacks may be motivated by the upcoming election, he added.

Pieces of cement were thrown through two windows at the Alachua County Democratic Party office Aug. 6 at 901 NW Eighth Ave. Just three hours earlier, GPD was first notified about antisemitic flyers being left on people’s lawns. Over a month later on Sept. 17, more flyers were dropped. Then, the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida at 3131 NW 13th St. discovered that its front door and a window were smashed Sept. 24. A hateful note was also left behind, leading FDLE to declare the vandalism as a hate crime. The Pride Center attack and the dropping of the antisemitic flyers were both shared to FBI

SEE HATE CRIMES, PAGE 5

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022

ShootingToday’s outsideWeather The Gator Store sends 4 people to the hospital NO ONE WAS DEAD AS OF 6 A.M. SUNDAY

By Lily Kino Alligator Staff Writer

Four people were transported to the hospital Nov. 5 after being shot outside of a convenience store in downtown Gainesville. The Gainesville Police Department received a call at 1 a.m. about a shooting at 500 SW Second Ave. across from The Gator Store, GPD Lt. Steven Bradford said. The four victims were quickly transported to the hospital for surgery, Bradford said, and they were still alive and in the hospital at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. Although the incident was under GPD’s jurisdiction, Bradford

VOLUME 117 ISSUE 12

ISSN 0889-2423

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

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said, UF didn’t issue a timely warning despite the shooting occuring .3 miles from Infinity Hall, a university dorm located at 978 SW Second Ave. A timely warning is only issued when an incident occurs within boundaries defined by the Clery Act, which requires universities to disclose information about crimes. These boundaries are listed as "reasonably contiguous" areas of campus and public sidewalks, and streets along the campus borders, according to UF’s Public Safety report for 2021. The university’s police department hasn’t responded to requests for comment as of Sunday. GPD doesn’t yet know the identity of the suspects. They received a report that the suspects

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were driving a dark-colored sedan, which leads Bradford to believe it may have been a drive-by shooting. Chris Hackbardt, a 21-year-old UF aerospace engineering senior, witnessed the incident and said he’s confident it was a drive-by shooting. After hearing a series of gunshots, Hackbardt said he heard a car speed off. Hackbardt saw a woman lying down holding her head from his balcony at the 2nd Avenue Centre apartment across the street. He heard people yell that the woman had been shot in the head, he said, and also saw a man lying nearby who appeared to be shot. Two people were taken by ambulances, he said. Another group of people stood behind a car that had been struck by a bullet while parked outside of The Gator Store. The car was hit on the driver’s side, Hackbardt said, which is the side that would have been hit by a car driving on the street. A window was also shattered on the first floor of The Continuum Apartments, a UF graduate apartment complex, less than 100 feet from The Gator Store.

Lily Kino // Alligator Staff

@lily_kino lkino@alligator.org

Bullet holes puncture the wall outside The Gator Store after a shooting Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022 ALLIGATOR 3

Alachua County elected officials’ residence requirement problem UNCLEAR LEGISLATION LEADS TO CONTINUED LEGAL TROUBLE

By Aidan Bush Alligator Staff Writer

A lawsuit against Alachua County Commission Chair Marihelen Wheeler claiming she wasn’t living in District 2 during the Aug. 23 primaries marked the newest chapter of a continued countywide issue: officials potentially living outside the areas they represent in office. Elected officials must live within the district they represent throughout their entire term, according to state law. In Alachua County, that rule is left largely up to the candidates to abide by, as there’s no formal body to hold all officials accountable for their residency. The lawsuit against Wheeler was dismissed in circuit court Nov. 3. The suit was filed by Alachua resident Eugene Garvin. Wheeler’s residency status came under scrutiny after Gainesville Sun reports found she filed a homestead exemption on a property she owned in District 4. Homestead exemptions are tax breaks only allowed on a person’s primary home. She owns multiple properties, with one co-owned by her husband in District 4 and the other co-owned by her son in District 2. The issue came from a misunderstanding of homestead exemption requirements, she said. She paid back the fines prior to elections. “That was my lack of knowledge of the way this thing was set up,” Wheeler said. The lawsuit was dismissed, as state law only requires a county commissioner to fulfill residency requirements when they are elected, not before. Wheeler is one of three other officials who have faced criticism for inconsistencies

Namari Lock // Alligator Staff

in their residency requirements. Former Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford and School Board Member Diyonne McGraw faced similar concerns and resigned or were removed. Alford resigned in May after a Gainesville Sun report found she was living outside her district. Her apartment, which was in the district, vacated after a buyout, and she struggled to find a new property there while caring for family members with health issues, she said. McGraw was removed after a civil suit found she was living in District 4 while serving on the ACPS School Board for District 2, according to a Gainesville Sun report. McGraw was shown outdated districting maps, she said, causing the confusion. “The process, the system failed,” McGraw said. “And I was caught in the middle.” Wheeler’s homestead exemption payment incriminated her, Garvin said, and he felt the recent cases of officials disobeying residency requirements came

The poll worker’s plight Poll workers face hostile climate By Heather Bushman Alligator Staff Writer

When voters enter their precincts on Election Day, Woody Blue said she sees one predominant emotion — fear. Blue, a 70-year-old Gainesville resident and massage therapist, has been a poll worker since the 1990s. In that time, she’s seen voters grow more cautious in casting their ballots for fear of being turned away due to potential violations. With confusion surrounding identification requirements and an uptick in election distrust and redistricting, Blue said voters are more fearful than ever of an unsuccessful trip to the polls. These concerns have been exacerbated by accusations of voter fraud and doctored ballots in the 2020 election by former President Donald Trump, which has led some residents in states like Arizona to station themselves outside polling places with weapons to intimidate potential voters. “People are getting scared-er

and scared-er to come to the voting booth,” she said. “They’re afraid that they’re going to get told that they can’t vote.” Alachua County poll workers are prepped and ready to receive more than 180,000 active registered voters Nov. 8, but some workers say distractions can slow the election night process. Amid election distrust and new districting criteria, poll workers and election officials are encouraging voters to double-check their precinct information and have confidence in Alachua County’s election process. Voter frustrations have mounted in Alachua County, Blue said, mostly due to changed state voting districts following the 2020 census. Since then, voters have routinely shown up at the incorrect precinct to vote, Blue said. Mix-ups sometimes draw the ire of misplaced voters, who Blue said can direct their anger at poll workers. But for those fed up with new districts, Blue said they should take it up with the capital. “You have to go to Tallahassee

from a lack of care. “It appears that there is a tremendous amount of apathy among the electorate in Alachua County,” Garvin said. Garvin plans to refile his lawsuit if Wheeler is elected, he said. Both parties’ confusion is likely caused from both a lack of precise requirement language and residency enforcement for officials in Florida. While officials are expected to live mainly in the district they represent, primary residence is defined as “where a person mentally intends to make his or her permanent residence,” according to the Florida Department of State’s voter residency guidelines. Proof of intent can be shown through documents that have the property’s address on it, from utility bills to voter registration. Also, Alachua County’s Home Rule Charter, which acts as a local constitution, states commission candidates need to live in the district they represent, starting when they qualify to run for office rather

to complain about that,” Blue said. “We just follow the laws.” Voters can combat the confusion by checking their polling place prior to Election Day. Aaron Klein, Alachua County Supervisor of Elections spokesperson, said residents can call the office for precinct information and other inquiries if they have questions. The office aims to remain transparent about the election process, Klein said. Amid growing skepticism of elections nationwide, Klein said visiting an accessible elections office can reassure voters and inspire confidence in the process. “People understand, ‘Hey, I can see up close, these are my neighbors. These are people in my community,’” he said. These up-close engagements look to dispel fears that elections are unfair and unvetted, which have spiked in recent years. Distrust has run rampant since the 2020 presidential election, the results of which were highly contested through false accusations of voter fraud and ballot rigging. Since then, polls from NPR, Pew Research Center and other outlets report plummeting confidence in the American electoral system. In Florida, accusations of voter fraud have put residents on edge.

than when they’re elected. This distinction seems to contrast the state’s general precedent that dismissed Wheeler’s case. Beyond language confusion, currently there’s no local government body in charge of enforcing candidate eligibility rules. Aaron Klein, Alachua County supervisor of elections spokesperson, said the office only provides information and resources to candidates. “Ultimately, it is incumbent on the candidates to make that determination,” Klein said. While candidate oaths require those seeking office to sign, confirming they are eligible, there’s no official verification done to prove eligibility. The supervisor of the elections office said it hasn’t changed protocol in response to recent residency requirement issues. Alford, McGraw and Wheeler all said there was a historical precedent among officials locally or statewide ignoring residency requirements throughout entire terms, though specific officials were never named. This culture, Alford said, made her believe temporary residence outside of her district was legal. “It did give me some confidence that I could live outside of my district while I was finding another place to live,” she said. Despite the resignation and removal of Alford and McGraw respectively, McGraw ran and won for District 2 School Board in August. Alford and Wheeler are running for Alachua County Commission, with Wheeler running for District 2 and Alford for District 1. The general election is Nov. 8.

Gov. Ron DeSantis alleged felons voted illegally in 2020, and 20 former inmates were arrested under charges of voting without having the right restored as of August. Local elections fare better against mass distrust, according to polling data, but Alachua County hasn’t escaped unscathed. A lack of Republican ballots at one precinct in August’s primary election led some to call conspiracy, asserting it was an avoidable oversight at best and a calculated move at worst. The Supervisor of Elections Office was quick to refute those claims, stating the lack of ballots resulted from a miscommunication and the office printed plenty to accommodate all registered voters. The office is well-equipped to manage its responsibilities leading up to the election and simultaneously engage with public inquiries, Klein said. Even without prior controversies, poll workers like Kristen Bryant, a 45-year-old City of Gainesville employee, say some voters can be inherently skeptical. Bryant experienced voter frustration in 2020 during her first election as a poll worker, where she said a few voters were defensive upon entry and came to their precincts expecting a problem. Bryant saw several voters enter

@aidandisto abush@alligator.org the wrong precinct during this year’s primaries due to redistricting, she said. Though the Supervisor of Elections Office made concentrated efforts to inform voters of their new polling places, Bryant said many voters were still shocked and angry at the change. “They did as big of a media blitz as possible, but people just still didn’t know,” she said. “There was a high number of people who were very upset.” Poll workers aren’t professionals, Bryant said. But they’re still prepared. Though the job of a poll worker isn’t a full-time commitment, Bryant said they undergo intensive training ahead of the election to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. Voter hostility is never an ideal reaction to Election Day issues, but Bryant said the ultimate aim of poll workers is to allow every voter to cast their ballot — even the ones who give them a hard time. “We have to meet people where they are,” Bryant said. “It certainly doesn’t make a person feel real good when you’re getting yelled at, but you just try to smile and be kind and get them to their end goal.” @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Taking office in 2023 SASSE, from pg. 1

of Trustees Nov. 1, including a controversial vote by Student Body President Lauren Lemasters that has led to an impeachment resolution filed against her in the Student Senate. During the Nov. 1 meeting, Sasse said he wouldn’t engage with partisan politics during his time as UF President. “The loudest folks among us tend to be focused heavily on partisan politics and culture-war issues,” Sasse said. “And yet those issues have almost nothing to do with most of the riddles that we need to navigate in our time.” UF is aiming for Sasse to officially take office as president in early 2023 after he squares away his duties in the Senate, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said. Sasse will likely officially resign his Senate seat in late November or early December, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Sasse’s successor will be appointed by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and will stand for election 2024. The Board of Governors is expected to confirm Sasse at their Thursday meeting at USF. The meeting will include a presentation from UF Board of Trustees chair Mori Hosseini, Sasse’s curriculum vitae and the finalization of the senator’s employment agreement. Sasse’s compensation range, which is expected to be confirmed Thursday, shouldn’t exceed $1.6

million at the recommendation of an outside firm, as said in the Nov. 1 meeting. Compensation includes salary and benefits. Thirteen members on the board were installed during Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. Hosseini is a well-known DeSantis supporter who often contributes donations to his campaign. For the UF student activists who vocally opposed Sasse’s presidency, next steps aren’t entirely clear. Oscar Santiago Perez, a 20-year-old UF political science and criminology junior, is a Change Caucus senator and a member of the UF Presidential LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee — a group whom Sasse has repeatedly said he’d like to meet with. “We want to approach this with the possibility that we will have to work with Dr. Sasse and ensure that we can maintain a line of communication,” Santiago Perez said. They’d like to see if Sasse can listen to their counsel and implement their recommended initiatives and policy changes, they said. Sasse will have a long road ahead of him to not only gain the trust of UF’s LGBTQ community, but to maintain it in the future, they added. “I think that it's important to maintain pressure on the administration to ensure that the policy initiatives that have occurred over the past few years that benefit our communities aren't paralyzed or that they are rolled back,” Santiago Perez said.

Ian Dinkla, a 21-year-old UF political science senior and administrator on meme account @uf_dormbrewers, said Sasse’s policy positions proved he wasn’t a fit for UF’s campus, and he was surprised by the unanimous vote given opposition from UF faculty and students. Dinkla doesn’t understand why Sasse believes being university president isn’t a political position, he said. “That's absolutely ridiculous,” Dinkla said. “It is such a large entity. Of course it's political.” The UF Young Democratic Socialists of America group was a part of the coalition of progressive groups that formed a united front against Sasse’s presidency, with planned demonstrations throughout October. Allan Frasheri, the group’s vice chair, said they’re in a holding pattern for now. “We haven't had an open discussion yet,” Frasheri said. “But in the past, we have agreed that we will try to continue actions going on into his administration.” The protest at Emerson Hall Nov. 1 had a turnout of around 50 people, a significant decrease from the protest to Sasse’s Q&A forum Oct.10. In the meantime, Frasheri said the group will keep a close eye on Sasse in the months leading up to his presidency. “I'm just keeping my eyes open for literally everything [Sasse] does,” Frasheri said. Vivienne Lewis, a UF 19-yearold psychology sophomore, said while she can respect Sasse’s aim to achieve political celibacy, she doesn’t believe he’s capable of it given his background. “I believe in compromise and

Final verdict isn't certain LEMASTERS, from pg. 1 ‘elected colleagues within Student Government in their ability to be an effective voice’ by blatantly ignoring the request of the student body as directly communicated to her,” Change wrote in the resolution. The caucus cited Sasse’s history of antiLGBTQ statements and calls for Lemasters to vote no on Sasse as evidence she didn’t adequately represent the student body with her vote. The resolution to impeach will now go before the cohort of spring senators, the majority of whom are Gator, per Student Government’s governing documents. If two-thirds of senators vote to impeach, Lemasters will automatically be suspended from office. The remaining body of fall senators would then conduct the impeachment trial, which will determine whether she will be permanently removed from office. Although the final verdict of the vote isn’t certain, Gator has historically voted as a bloc on many issues. However, the recent

trend of condemnations both by the Senate and Student Government executive officials could signal a break from tradition. The student body disagreed with Lemasters’ decision, Green said at a Nov. 1 meeting. She was also disappointed in Lemasters’ choice and affirmed that Gator leadership is listening to student concerns. Badell respects and considers Lemasters a close friend, he said in his Nov. 2 statement. “We have a responsibility as elected student representatives to represent the wants and needs of the student body,” he said. “This vote did the opposite.” But Badell couldn’t support Lemasters in her vote for Sasse, which he felt contradicted the wants of the student body, he said. “I am committed to students first and foremost and can assure them of the continued team efforts throughout our university presidential transition,” Badell told The Alligator. “I remain committed to listen to students and advocate for them as best as I can. Sasse is our next president, and our support of each other will be crucial during the next couple of months.”

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Student protesters outside of Emerson Alumni Hall scream chants in protest of Sen. Ben Sasse and his interview with the UF Board of Trustees Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. I believe there could have been a better candidate without a background in politics,” she said. “We are all aware of where he stands and it’s hard to believe he would create an environment that supports all students.” Many students were indifferent to the prospect of Sasse’s presidency; however, or approached his confirmation with cautious optimism. Miranda Torres-Garcia, an 18-year-old UF biomedical engineering freshman, said although she disagrees with Sasse’s conservative views, she wants to keep an open mind. “Don’t make UF fall in the rankings,” she said. Dinalo Chakma, a 30-yearold UF second-year PhD student, said he found out about Sasse on the day of his confirmation. Chakma was unaware of the

Kantamneni respects Lemasters’ ability to make her own decisions, she wrote in the statement, but nonetheless she disagrees with that decision. “While I held low expectations for the Board of Trustees, Student Body President Lemasters’ vote shocked and disappointed me more than words can express,” she wrote. Though Lemasters hasn’t responded to requests for comment regarding the impeachment resolution, she defended her vote saying she expects Sasse to fulfill his promise to put aside his political affiliations and work with the LGBTQ community on campus. “Dr. Sasse has committed to advancing UF for every Gator, and my decision reflects my belief in that commitment,” Lemasters wrote in a statement to The Alligator. “I truly believe in the audacious goals of Dr. Sasse to take Gator Nation to the next level.” Lemasters is a registered Republican, according to voter records. Change maintained Sasse wouldn’t provide a safe learning environment for LGBTQ students, and Lemasters wasn’t acting in students’ best interest by voting in his favor. “After concerns over Senator Sasse’s extensive history of bigotry and hatred

selection process, he said. But Chakma said his ideal candidate would put an emphasis on research and funding issues. “My primary concern is to be able to focus on my research,” he said. “I’m not able to do that much because of many other issues like funding, and I have to teach a lot.” Yangelis Bastidas, a UF sociology senior, vehemently opposed Sasse’s confirmation, saying his ideologies don’t match those of the university. “It’d be difficult for students to want to come to the university,” Bastidas said, adding she fears diversity initiatives could suffer under Sasse. @vanityhack ccasale@alligator.org @peytonlharris pharris@alligator.org

towards a multitude of minority communities, this vote in the affirmative jeopardizes the safety and care of those who are underrepresented on campus,” Change wrote in the resolution. Between five and 10 constituents reached out to Change senators asking to impeach Lemasters, Corbett said. Change found impeachment to be a more actionable response than condemnation, which they already passed as a chamber in October, she said. “Impeachment [is] an appropriate next step,” Corbett said. “She has broken public trust with the student body.” Gabriela Pieschacon, a 20-year-old UF health education and behavior junior, said she supports Lemasters’ impeachment. She thinks Lemasters’ vote should have included the student body’s perspective, she said. “As the president, it’s extremely important to also consider a lot of those underrepresented people that are often not given a voice,” Pieschacon said. “She could have her vote, but I think her vote shouldn't necessarily have clouded what a lot of the student population feels.” @AlissaGary1 agary@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022 ALLIGATOR 5

Abortion rights may be top election issue

Vandalism persists

OVERTURN OF ROE V. WADE PROVES DIVISIVE

HATE CRIMES, from pg. 1

By Heather Bushman Alligator Staff Writer

The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade and tightened abortion restrictions have heightened the importance of reproductive rights in the general election. Students, activists and candidates point to abortion access as a top issue in this election. Voter registration among women in states like Kansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania surged following the overturn of Roe. Registration among women spiked 16% in Kansas and 6% in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where a Republican majority could enact a total abortion ban if elected, according to a New York Times report. Florida has seen its own increase, though it’s noticeably smaller at just 2%. Still, Florida Democrats stress reproductive rights in platform points and reasons for voting. Tika Horigene, a 19-year-old UF economics sophomore, said she’s wary of the implications of the general election, which put access to abortion and reproductive rights at risk. Though she’s routinely engaged in activism, Horigene said it was especially important for her to vote in support of the policy stances she’s taken. “If I do any type of activism, I always want to make sure I’m doing actions that support it, not just talk,” she said. Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t explicitly outlined plans to tighten abortion restrictions if reelected. Currently, Florida’s abortion ban sits at 15

weeks, which took effect in July. Still, voters like Maria Smarandache, a 21-year-old UF biology junior, worry a stricter abortion landscape is on the horizion. The overturn of Roe spurred Smarandache to vote with greater urgency — a trend she said she’s seen in other women as well. The gubernatorial pick is especially crucial in this issue, she said. “I’m already scared of my rights and other women’s rights being taken away,” Smarandache said. “If Ron DeSantis gets reelected, that’s definitely going to happen.” The gubernatorial election pits two candidates with differing views on abortion access against each other. While DeSantis signed the 15-week bill into law and promised to expand anti-abortion provisions following the overturn of Roe, Democratic candidate former Rep. Charlie Crist vowed to sign an executive order securing the right to an abortion if elected. Direct abortion policy isn’t at stake on the ballot, but candidates will play a key role in shaping future legislation. The partisan makeup of federal and state Congress, which this election could change, may sway the way these bodies propose and vote on future abortion legislation. The Republican-controlled state House and Senate proposed and passed the 15-week ban, and though the state constitution’s privacy clause safeguards the right to an abortion, Congress can tighten restrictions to it through policy. The Women’s Health Protection Act, which attempted to secure nationwide abortion access, passed in the Democrat-majority U.S. House but narrowly failed in the U.S. Sen-

ate, where 50 Republicans slightly outweigh 48 Democrats and two independents. House Republicans like Rep. Kat Cammack, who represents Florida’s 3rd Congressional District and is up for reelection, voted against the act. Cammack’s opponent, Democratic candidate Danielle Hawk, has continually cited the right to an abortion as a top issue in her campaign. In a September discussion with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, Hawk said securing nationwide abortion access is a matter of personal freedom and healthcare, not a partisan issue. “We are talking about somebody’s ability to choose without government interference what they are going to do with their own bodies,” Hawk said. “It is not the job of the government to be making those decisions for someone.” Nelay Govan, a 21-year-old UF economics senior, echoed Hawk’s sentiments regarding individual liberties. Abortion, he said, is a personal decision. Govan’s voting with immigrant rights and abortion access in mind, he said. The two issues both put personal freedoms and protections at risk — something Govan said he thinks are important to safeguard. The overturn of Roe v. Wade should’ve never happened, Govan said, and abortion access should be upheld. “It’s their body, their choice,” he said. “Everybody deserves that basic human right.” @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org

agents and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to GPD. That same weekend, Planned Parenthood’s Gainesville office was vandalized, and a note was left behind. GPD can not yet reveal the note’s content because of the active investigation. Most recently, the National PanHellenic Council Garden, located on the North Lawn near Marston Science Library on UF’s campus, was vandalized for the third time since the garden opened two years ago, with letters removed from four of nine monuments honoring Black fraternities and sororities. Since the vandalism at the National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden, the council has called upon UF to do more to protect “one of [their] few spaces on campus.” “The repeated malicious actions towards our Council, a predominantly Black community on campus, and the bare minimum response by the University are unacceptable,” the National Pan-Hellenic Council wrote in a statement posted on its social media Nov. 4. These incidents are making impacted groups reconsider their idea of Gainesville values, UF Pride Student Union Treasurer Oscar Santiago Perez said. “There’s this perception that Gainesville is this pretty inclusive, welcoming environment,” they said. “But because of these incidents…we can’t let our guard down.”

Since the Oct. 29 projection of an antisemitic message on the Jacksonville stadium after the FloridaGeorgia game, Rabbi Berl Goldman, director of Lubavitch Chabad UF — a Jewish organization on campus — has received hundreds of texts, emails and phone calls in support of his community. But a message he received Friday concerned him. “We’ve received a phone call today and many others from parents and students who are fearful of attending Chabad UF’s Friday night services — something they do each week,” he said. Goldman insists Gainesville’s Jewish community remains unified and works to teach others about the importance of educating themselves about different cultures. “The answer to antisemitism hate and bias is education,” he said. “Antisemitism is nurtured. It’s taught, it’s sheared, and the root of it needs to be eradicated from our midst.” The antisemitic flyers are being investigated as a hate crime, GPD spokesperson Lisa Scott said. As of Sunday afternoon, FDLE hasn’t responded as to whether the antisemitic message at the FloridaGeorgia game or the attack toward the National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden are being investigated by the agency as hate crimes. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @lily_kino lkino@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022

More than half of UF presidential search candidates were white males Presidential candidate diversity provides stark contrast to UF’s own student demographics By Makiya Seminera Alligator Staff Writer

Nearly two-thirds of more than 700 UF presidential candidates were white or men, according to presidential demographics data obtained by The Alligator. The demographics data broke down the candidate pool by two factors: whether they were female or an underrepresented minority. However, the data doesn’t provide insight into the group of presidential finalists’ demographics or validate search committee chair Rahul Patel’s claim that more than half of the final group were women or people of color. Of the 739 presidential candidates listed in UF’s demographic report, 484 were men — making up around 65% of the candidate pool. 62 of those men were people of color. Thirty two of the male candidates were reported to be Black, according to the data. 10 were Asian, and 20 were Hispanic. The female candidates — 255 of them, according to the report — were about 85% white. Twenty three of the female candidates were Black, six were Asian and eight were Hispanic, according to the data. In total, around 13% of candidates were people of color. The data sheds light on the diversity of candidates just days after the UF Board of Trustees unanimously approved Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, as the 13th UF president. More than 700 candidates were included in outreach during the recruitment process of the presidential search, according to

Namari Lock // Alligator Staff

The 739 candidates separated by sex and race/ ethnicity. All percentages are approximate. UF’s initial press release announcing Sen. Ben Sasse as the sole presidential finalist. The demographics data only includes this pool — not the final group of candidates who search committee narrowed down to before ultimately recommending Sasse. The only information provided about the demographics of that final group of candidates comes from the UF press release — which listed nine of the 12 candidates as sitting presidents at

major research universities — and Patel. More than half of those final candidates were either women or people of color, Patel said in the Nov. 1 Board of Trustees meeting. Every member of that final pool also wouldn’t agree to be a public finalist unless they were the sole finalist, he said. “If we have a process that requires more than one finalist to be publicly named, or if names of prospects were publicly disclosed,” Patel said, “simply put, we would not have gotten the most qualified applicants.” The lack of information on the final group beyond what the press release or Patel said can largely be attributed to Senate Bill 520, which has kept personal identifying information of qualified applicants under wraps. The presidential demographics data provides a stark contrast to UF’s own Fall 2021 student demographics. Around 56% of UF students are women — compared to the 34% of female candidates in the report. UF’s Black undergraduate population sits at 10%, whereas Black candidates only made up about 7%. For Asian and Hispanic candidates, the divide was even further. UF’s undergraduate Asian student population sat around 19% in Fall 2021 — 2% of presidential candidates were Asian. Around 3% of candidates were Hispanic, compared to 48% of undergraduates identifying as Hispanic. @makseminera mseminera@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

FOOD

Planting roots: how the Gainesville Giving Garden fits in with local farm culture GARDEN HOSTS FIRST FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER

By Lauren Brensel Avenue Staff Writer

Meg Boria-Meyer’s not a Gainesville native, but she bears a considerable collection of local partnerships. Opus Coffee and Free Grocery Store are just two she’s worked with at her farm, donating produce to the community. As the founder of the Gainesville Giving Garden, Boria-Meyer added more partnerships to that list Nov. 5 when she hosted the garden’s first farm-to-table benefit dinner. The banquet was at Frog Song Organics — it was the farm crossover of the millenia, raising $2,000 in ticket sales for the garden. The menu was seasonal and prepared with homegrown ingredients, Boria-Meyer said, hence the name farm-to-table. 40 guests feasted on salad, vegetarian lasagna and autumn cheesecake — all prepared by the head chef of Paramount Grill, a downtown Gainesville restaurant. “The biggest motivation was driving donations,” Boria-Meyer said. “And then also just helping our community to more deeply connect with fresh food as an organization that really believes that eating local is the ideal.” All proceeds were funneled into the garden, a quarter-acre plot of land located at 225 NW 12th Ave. It’s a volunteer operation; Boria-Meyer, 28, has a job at Project YouthBuild, a local leadership program for low-income youth. She, along with a team of three, started the garden in May 2021, pulling pavement and adding soil beds in the formerly abandoned

parking lot they leased. “The land was available,” BoriaMeyer said, “and we were up for the challenge.” At first, the team partnered with Family Promise of Gainesville to feed households transitioning from homelessness, said Lauren Hyden, the garden’s director of public health nutrition. But the produce overwhelmed the families, she said, because some of their crops like tatsoi and mizuna aren’t normally found in local grocery stores. Hyden, 30, and the garden’s interns assembled recipe cards so people could learn how to prepare the produce into homecooked meals. But it still didn’t help. “We no longer partner with that organization,” Hyden said. “Those families weren’t quite ready to receive fresh vegetables — they had so many other things going on in life.” Now, the garden supplies produce to local organizations Free Grocery Store and Farm to Neighbor for them to distribute to Gainesville families. “We’re really about wanting to partner with organizations who have already connected with those families,” Hyden said. “We don’t need to duplicate that — we’d rather just support what already exists.” Since October 2021, the team has produced about 400 pounds of vegetables. But it hasn’t done it alone, Boria-Meyer said. The garden is serviced by 20 to 50 volunteers every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers weed, plant and harvest after engaging in an introductory circle where they share their pronouns and the best part of their week. Volunteer days are busier when there are student groups present,

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said Claire Layton, a 23-year-old data management analyst at the UF Health Integrated Data Repository. That’s how she, too, got involved with the garden. She initially volunteered in November 2021 alongside her service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Unlike some volunteers, Layton, who was then a UF statistics senior, had no experience in farming, she said. After graduating from UF, she said, she was hoping to meet new people — preferably, non-college students. So, on her free Sundays, she’d return to the garden. “The great thing is a lot of the community that comes out there [are] people that live in the area,” Layton said. “People who are likeminded and care about the cause.” The cause in question, she said, is food accessibility. In Alachua County, 12.4% of residents experienced food insecurity in 2020, according to data from Feeding America, a nonprofit that partners with U.S. food banks. This figure decreased since 2015, but it was still higher than the rate of all Florida residents — 10.6% — who experienced food insecurity that year. There are also 11 food deserts — or low-income areas with minimal access to grocery stores — in Gainesville, according to a 2021 report that used data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. People living in food deserts have fewer options for cheap, healthy ingredients, which can lead to obesity, diabetes and chronic illness. “We hear about the wealth gap,” Boria-Meyer said. “Really, oftentimes, that equates to a health gap.” President Joe Biden addressed national concern over food and nu-

Courtesy to The Alligator

trition Sept. 28 in a White House conference — the first dedicated to diet in 53 years. A goal he outlined during the conference was to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in the nation by 2030. One way Biden intends to do so, he said, is by calling on Congress to expand monthly child tax credits because of how they flattened poverty rates before expiring in December. Programs like the child tax credits were long overdue, Nick Blumenthal said, a 20-year-old UF nutritional sciences junior. Blumenthal was invited to the White House conference because of his experience in the field. He’s witnessed both local and international food systems as an intern at the garden and during his summer trip to Wales on a Fulbright grant, he said. At the conference, Blumenthal said, he met nonprofit leaders and government officials alike.

“It was a celebration of a starting point to move forward with what the next major wave of transformative policies will be,” he said. At the garden, he said, it’s the partnerships that promote progress. Healing House of Alachua, a business that promotes natural medicine, will offer its services Nov. 13 at Opus Coffee-Airstream, where all proceeds will go toward the garden and two organizations Working Food and Grow Hub. Proceeds and donations from the public allow the farm to continue supporting its mission of delivering fresh food to families in need, BoriaMeyer said. “We just felt like ‘Well, let’s just do what we can, and that’s something,’” she said. “It’s just a little dent in a really, really big problem.” @LaurenBrensel lbrensel@alligator.org

Richardson, Gators defense outlast Aggies

Florida football shutout Texas A&M in the second half to win 41-24 Nov. 5. Read more on pg. 11.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Editorial

Dear Ben Sasse,

i — we’re The Independent Florida Alligator. You may have seen our continuous coverage of your time as presidential finalist, but we haven’t formally met yet. Not to say we haven’t tried — phone calls, emails, you name it. But now that you’re wrapping up your presidential selection process, there’s no better time to chat. A lot of students, faculty and staff have questions about your presidency, Mr. Sasse. How do you plan to put your politics aside, and how do you plan to represent and protect our community’s minority groups? As our campus’ eyes and ears, it’s on The Alligator to ask those questions. And no, unlike your forums, they can’t be vetted beforehand. We’re requesting an interview with you, Mr. Sasse. You can name the place and time, and we’ll be there ready to ask the questions — even the

difficult ones. We have no allegiance to campus leadership and will continue to cover your presidency and hold you accountable. You’ve had no media availability since the beginning of your public candidacy. We hope you see speaking with us as an obligation rather than a nuisance. Because the reality is: Students deserve to hear from you. Not in a controlled, manicured environment alongside Mori Hosseini. That wasn’t a true interview — what your newfound UF community deserves is a sit-down with their trusted news outlet. President Kent Fuchs has granted us this courtesy on numerous occasions. But most recently, he agreed to answer any and all questions in an on-camera interview he had no editorial control over. The interview was more than an hour long, where he navigated questions on academic freedom,

COVID-19, Richard Spencer and even your potential presidency. We didn’t enter the interview with the goal of writing a puff piece, but Fuchs and The Alligator both knew how important the interview would be to the UF community. Today, we’re asking for you to give us the same courtesy. Help our students, faculty and staff understand where you fall on the important issues. We know you understand the power of the media. The Alligator has succeeded in sparking conversation across the country about your candidacy thanks to our hardworking student-run staff. When you came to campus, the country’s eyes were watching as protesters made it clear they felt you weren’t welcome. If you’re truly committed to climbing the “hill of trust” Student Body President Lauren Lemasters thinks you will, take this important step. We’ll be waiting. Regards, The Alligator Editorial Board

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, claps for President Kent Fuchs at the start of his interview with the Board of Trustees, where trustees approved Sasse as the 13th president. Makiya Seminera EDITOR -INCHIEF

Alan Halaly ENGAGEMENT MANAGING EDITOR

Isabella Douglas DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

Halima Attah OPINIONS EDITOR

Where’s the Outrage?

am a UF alumnus. When I was a freshman, every university across the country was embroiled in protests of the Vietnam War. Students were demonstrating and marching almost daily. They had a powerful Stuart Floyd voice and used their collecopinions@alligator.org tive power to affect change. Today, I only see alarming apathy. I don’t see the spirited rebellion for truth, justice and humanity on UF’s campus or any other. While I truly believe democracy is in peril — and I will do my part to defend it — this is really not my fight any longer. It’s yours! It’s put up or shut up time. The outcome of the upcoming midterm elections is critical. Your vote might be the most important of your lifetime. What’s at stake? For starters, student loan forgiveness, promoted by President Joe Biden but being challenged in court and on the chopping block if Republicans regain control of Congress. Reproductive rights — not just reasonable limitations on abortions but even contraceptives — could be at risk as suggested by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Forcing a 10-year-old rape victim to give birth or preventing a pregnant woman with complications from obtaining needed treatment to save her life because the government set arbitrary time frames on abortion isn’t pro-life; it’s Republican governmental overreach. Who you can love, marry and even the essence of your gender identity are at stake; so, yes, civil rights and LGBTQ rights are on the ballot. What you can read and what’s taught in schools and universities is at risk. DACA rights for students born here but not yet citizens will vanish. Climate change legislation will likely be revoked, along with funding for infrastructure — which is designed to create millions of new jobs for college graduates in the areas of architecture and construction, as well as incentives for domestic manufacturing, technology, computer science, broadband and renewable energy expansion. Even the actual integrity of our elections would change. Legislative measures specifically designed to fight inflation and keep healthcare premiums and medications affordable would be eliminated. Under Republican control, the wealthy will get wealthier and corporations will continue to evade taxation. Gun proliferation, especially in public, will expand exponentially. Your apathy could result in the legitimization of hate, bigotry, fear and discrimination. Worst of all, Republicans will feel energized to continue to deny fair election results with corrupt measures to influence state legislatures and the Electoral College with unsupported lies. The rights and benefits most important to your generation are just a vote away. If you don’t vote, don’t complain about the outcome.

Stuart Floyd is a UF alumnus.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.

The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

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BONUS

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King Features Weekly Service

Please view our website at www.starlingeyegroup.com to familiarize yourself with our practice. If you feel you are the right match, please send your resume with an attached cover letter for our immediate opening. Resumes without cover letters will not be considered. Please DO NOT call the office or stop in. We are a busy practice and we will call to interview select candidates. No recruiters please. We will only be considering serious applicants so please do not waste our time or yours!

Personals

May 25, 2020

Optometric Assistant Starling Eye Group is looking for a new Optometric Technician. Our new team members should have exceptional people skills, be outgoing, friendly, a quick-learner, and have the ability to multi task. We are a patient-centric eye care practice, committed to delivering an exceptional experience for our patients. Our patients are our valued guests. If you excel at customer service, have a positive attitude, are self-motivated, and love to be part of a great team- this could be the position for you!

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

ATHLETICS

Sasse’s influence drew varied response from former members of Midland athletics AT MIDLAND, SASSE EMPHASIZED SPORTS By Kyle Bumpers Sports Writer

Ben Sasse drew mixed opinions in his handling of sports programs at Midland University. Sasse added sports programs, made a controversial hire and invested in Midland athletics. While outside eyes recognized his effort, reactions were divisive among those at Midland regarding their support of his decisions. When Sasse first took over in December 2010, Midland was struggling to stay afloat, then-women’s basketball coach Joanne Bracker said. With Sasse’s arrival, Bracker said coaches hoped he would be the one to resurrect Midland. By Fall 2014, Midland tallied its highest enrollment at the time with 1,362 students, consisting of about 700 student athletes. After adding 11 varsity sports since 2009, Midland currently has 33 varsity programs. Bracker was an academic advisor and physical education professor at Midland until her retirement in 2017. She was the head women’s basketball coach from the program’s inception until she retired from coaching in 2012. It was nice for athletes to have opportunities to compete because they might not have been able to play elsewhere, she said. However, Bracker felt there were many drawbacks, like problems with scholarship money, attendance and team size. She called the scholarships some athletes received limited.

Because student-athletes drove to road matches instead of flying like some Division I schools, she said they would miss class for extended periods of time. Bracker felt forced to accept the fact students would have to miss as many classes as needed due to their transportation, she added. She was told she needed to have 35 players on the women’s basketball team, which she said she felt was an unrealistic requirement. UF’s current women's basketball roster sits at 15 athletes. Some coaches fought to offer a quality program despite these hurdles, Bracker said. She tried to go out of her way to improve the experience for her players and give them opportunities not commonplace for schools as small as Midland. “I've always been about quality,” Bracker said. “And I want to give that student the best opportunity.” Sasse grew Midland’s athletics by offering scholarships to student athletes at Dana College, which was closed and absorbed into Midland. Midland approved a plan to invest $1.6 million in Memorial Field, its multi-sport venue, ahead of the 2014 football season. Matt Fritsche took over for Bracker as the head women’s basketball coach following her retirement. His one, and only, year in the position came during the 2012-2013 season. While he had communicated with the athletic director at the time, Jason Dannelly, Fritsche said his own hire was mostly decided by Sasse. Fritsche only spent a year at Midland because the university couldn’t afford to pay him as much as he would have liked, he said. He

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took a $20,000 pay cut, he said, in order to coach collegiately. The former basketball coach said he enjoyed his time working with Sasse and agreed with Sasse’s decision to add more sports to the university. “He understands, weirdly enough, that activities and athletics are like the other half of education,” Fritsche said. As a coach at a school with a large student-athlete population, Fritsche agreed with Bracker that class attendance was a hurdle instructors had to work around. At Creighton University — where he previously coached in Nebraska — Fritsche had private jets for team transportation. But Midland could only offer a van and team members’ cars. “[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools] sports is not super glamorous,” Fritsche said. “It's for kids that love to play and coaches that love to coach.” Sasse saw three athletic directors during his

time as president, but his first hire at the position was the most controversial one he would make. Jason Dannelly, who served for slightly more than a year, was hired by Sasse in August 2011. Dannelly resigned in November 2012 due to personal reasons. Less than eight months later, he was arrested and later charged with solicitation, pandering and terroristic threats, Dannelly offered a student $300 in exchange for sex and said he would help advise another student through legal trouble for sex. He pleaded no-contest. Fritsche was hired while Dannelly was still at the school and said he felt “remorseful” for the student-athletes who were affected. Dave Gillespie, Midland’s next athletic director, was the perfect hire to make sure everyone in the department was treated fairly, Fristche said. He thought Sasse addressed the situation regarding Dannelly immediately and appropriately. The Alligator was unable to find a public comment by Sasse regarding Dannelly’s charges. As Sasse now turns his attention to UF as the school’s 13th president, he’ll inherit a much larger school and sports program. Fritsche doesn’t know what Sasse’s plan will be for UF sports upon arrival, but he believes Sasse will try to help both academics and athletics flourish. “Dr. Sasse is going to look at things more globally than what he probably did at Midland where things were so small,” Fritsche said. @BumpersKyle kbumpers@alligator.org

FOOTBALL

Richardson rolls, Gators defense commands second half in win Florida claims second conference victory against depleted Aggies By Joseph Henry Sports Writer

Anthony Richardson looked confident against Texas A&M. His 279 yards accounted for roughly 57% of Florida’s 492 total yards — the third most prolific offensive showing by the Gators this season. The redshirt sophomore was poised in College Station, Texas, ending the game with his second highest completion percentage of the season — 60.7% — when throwing 20 or more passes. Richardson also totaled four touchdowns on the day, tying his season-high mark. Two of his best performances of this year have come when UF entered enemy territory; Richardson had career numbers when Florida traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, in September. The Gators have only played two true road games this season, the difference against Texas A&M being they actually closed out

a victory. Postgame, Richardson said any Southeastern Conference win is a blessing. “A road win against a tough opponent, it just allows us to come out here and play football and see where we are at,” Richardson said. “We are feeling good, and we are excited.” Florida now sits one win away from bowl eligibility after its 41-24 win over the Aggies Nov. 5. The getright outing was exactly what the Gators needed following two losses and before hosting South Carolina Saturday. UF’s defense improved on a rocky first half, where it allowed 307 yards and 16 first downs by shutting out the Aggies in the second half. UF head coach Billy Napier credited the turnaround to the connectivity between his players and their leadership qualities. “I think we could’ve easily got frustrated with our defensive performance in the first half, but man, in

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that locker room, you would never know,” Napier said. “It’s really a group that stuck together. They knew exactly what the issues were.” Redshirt senior linebacker Ventrell Miller addressed how the defense came out “flat-footed” in the first 30 minutes of the game. After halftime, Florida forced five punts and two turnovers while applying constant pressure on Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King. “Everyone came out and did their job, and we showed them how the Florida Gators defense could play,” Miller said. One of the biggest question marks prior to the Gators’ trip to the Lone Star State was how they would replace the production of outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr., who was dismissed from the team Oct. 31. The answer came in the performances of Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., who had two tackles for loss, a sack and forced a fumble, and Lloyd Summerall III.

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“They knew what was on the line, and I’m proud of how they stepped up,” Miller said. Early on, Florida struggled to contain Aggies running back Devon Achane. The junior racked up 104 total yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the first half alone. Achane made plays all over the field, but many of his teammates missed the game against Florida as some Texas A&M players had the flu. ESPN college football senior writer Pete Thamel reported just 27 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time that six Aggies would miss the game due to the illness, and he added four more unavailable due to other injuries. “Besides the sickness and the guys coming up out, that's neither here nor there,” Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said after the game. “You got to play with the guys you got and we have plenty [of] good players and we had plenty of opportunities today to do what we

needed to do.” Attention in Gainesville now shifts toward Florida’s final home game of the season against South Carolina. The Gamecocks have won five of their last six games and toppled the SEC’s lowest-ranked team, Vanderbilt, Nov. 5. South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is in his first year since transfering from Oklahoma, and he’s had a far from perfect season. Rattler has thrown more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (8). The Gamecocks’ offense could provide an opportunity for Florida’s defense to build off its strong second half against Texas A&M. The Gators, who are given a 70.8% chance to win according to ESPN’s Football Power Index as of Sunday evening, and South Carolina will meet in the Swamp Saturday at 4 p.m. The game from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.

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

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022

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