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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 13

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Emails show Stricklin acknowledged Newbauer’s abuse MOTHER OF FORMER PLAYER COREY STAPLES SHARED CONCERNS ABOUT PROGRAM’S TOXIC ENVIRONMENT IN 2019

By Zachary Huber Sports Writer

A Florida women’s basketball player once wondered if she should slam the ball down in the middle of a game, walk off the court, turn to head coach Cam Newbauer and say: No more. That player ran through the scenario with B.B. Staples, the mother of former Gators player Corey Staples. Would that get Athletic Director Scott Stricklin’s attention? “My response was, I have no idea,” B.B Staples wrote in an email to Stricklin. “Because truthfully at this point I don’t know what it is going to take for you to truly consider this as something real and dangerous.” Staples sent five emails to Stricklin and Executive Associate Athletics Director Lynda Tealer between January and March 2019 about the toxic culture within the women’s basketball program. Her daughter played for Florida through the 20172019 seasons. Several former players detailed a toxic environment under Newbauer, which included verbal abuse, racist comments and throwing basketballs at players. Stricklin took responsibility for Newbauer’s behavior a day after The Alligator’s Sept. 27 report. In the statement, Stricklin said he received reports about Newbauer’s behavior during his first two seasons. He said the reports stopped

after UF responded by “putting more structure” around the coach. The reports did not come to a halt, however. Newbauer hasn’t responded to seven requests for comment through phone calls, texts and voicemails. University Athletic Association spokesperson Steve McClain forwarded statements Stricklin made Sept. 27 and 28. “I no longer can watch and sit silent because if something happens to ANY of these girls the blood will be on my hands and that makes me no better than the other adults that watch out of fear,” B.B. wrote in the first email, sent Jan. 1, 2019. She asked Stricklin to protect the student-athletes from the toxic environment and compared the situation to domestic violence. Newbauer scolded her daughter for not standing and cheering on the team. Corey had torn her left ACL Oct. 3, 2017, the first day of practice. He told Corey, who was a preferred walk-on, that he brought her on to change the culture and threatened to kick her off the team. “Excuse me!!! What? She was in pain,” B.B. wrote. “She was depressed, she lost 15 pounds and she wasn’t cheering enough for him?” She wrote that Newbauer told the team he was untouchable. She likened the situation to that of Maryland football coach D.J. Durkin, who was in charge when offensive lineman Jordan McNair died following a heat stroke during football workouts. Corey qualified for a medical redshirt year, and Florida listed her on the official roster as a redshirt junior in the 2018-2019 season. But Newbauer didn’t. He told

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Mike White finally surpasses Seminoles

Story description finish with comma, pg# Florida men’s basketball took down the No. 20 Seminoles for its first ranked win of the season, pg. 11

SEE NEWBAUER, PAGE 4

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, photographed during Florida’s football game against Alabama on Sept. 18, received several emails from a player’s mother further detailing the abuse of women’s basketball coach Cameron Newbauer early in 2019.

UF sophomore details sexual assault at Reitz Union Man publicly masturbated in front of her By Isabella Douglas Alligator Staff Writer

Out of all the empty seats at the Reitz Union food court, he decided to sit at the table across from her. The sophomore smiled back cautiously as she has countless times at strangers who make small pleasantries. But she knew something wasn’t right. Peering across the room, she noticed the seating arrangement she had so carefully chosen when

she entered the Reitz Union Oct. 23 at 3:30 p.m. The booth faces Pollo Tropical, but the walls hug it, making it the perfect semihidden study space. “He smiled at me. He made eye contact,” the 19-year-old female sociology UF sophomore said. “He kept checking around the corner.” At around 5:50 p.m., the man sat down and repositioned his chair so that he was directly diagonal to her in the corner table. Her stomach dropped, and

Low voter turnout

her smile faded. “When I did look over he was jerking himself off,” she said. “I really didn’t know what to do.” She realized she had two choices: wait until he left or see if he chooses to lunge at her when trying to leave. She knew she could make enough noise to alert others in the food court if it happened. “Worst comes to worst, he would grab me and potentially sexually assault me,” she said. Her saving grace arrived in the form of another student.

SEE REITZ ASSAULT, PAGE 4

Gainesville looks to ramp up voting, pg. 5

Academic freedom

Students, faculty protested amid UF controversy, pg. 6

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Gainesville resident finds biological Today’s Weather family after 28-year search ROBERT LIGHTNER, 72, WAS SOLD TO HIS ADOPTIVE PARENTS FOR $200 IN 1949

By Faith Buckley Alligator Staff Writer

Robert Lightner ached to learn more about his mother’s side of the family. Nervous about the outcome, his aunt, Mary Gull, wrote him a letter in 1993 revealing something kept from him for 44 years: Lightner was adopted. Decades later, Lightner signed up for Ancestry.com and 23andMe, websites used to track genealogy and family history. He signed up for the programs in the early 2000s, and 28 years after he started his search, he finally found his biological family. Lightner, a 72-year-old Gainesville resident, united with his half-sister Linda Crosby, a 77-year-old Flagler Beach native, for the first time Nov. 3. “Relieved, excited, elated,” Lightner said. “There’s not enough words to adequately describe the feeling.” Lightner uncovered more than just his birth family. He also learned he was illegally sold to his adoptive parents James and Cecil Mae Lightner for $200 just hours after his birth in Miami on Aug. 25, 1949. His biological mother Flora Mary Gavagni sold him because he was born out of wedlock.

In 1956, his adoptive parents read newspaper articles about Dr. Katherine Cole in Miami, who illegally sold babies for profit. Cole allegedly sold more than 1,000 babies, most birthed from unwed mothers. The Lightners had purchased him from her seven years before. His adoptive parents sent him to boarding school in England, where he learned to fence and play cricket. He came back to the US in 1966 and attended UF from 1969 to 1972. Lightner discovered his first DNA match — his aunt Mary Longo Gavagni — on Ancestry. com around early October. Gavagni had sent in her DNA sample after receiving the package as a Christmas present in 2020. She hoped to learn more about her family history. The maiden name Gavagni became a starting point in Lightner’s journey. With the help of search angels, volunteers who specialize in investigating adoptees’ family roots, Lightner found half-sister Crosby in September. As soon as he did, he sent her a letter. But it almost didn’t make it to Crosby’s home. She was about to throw it away because it had been sent to the wrong house. One word on the envelope caught her eye: Ann. Nobody uses her middle name. She waved over her daughterin-law for a second opinion. It

Courtesy to The Alligator

Linda Crosby (left) and Robert Lightner (right) look at a family photo and address book on Nov. 3, 2021. Crosby assembled the book throughout the years.

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 13

ISSN 0889-2423

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

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wasn’t a prank. “I could only read a sentence or a paragraph-and-a-half before I started to cry,” Crosby said. “I can’t imagine being alone all your life.” She read the words of the man she now knows to be her halfbrother. “I am NOT looking for any legal or financial claim or gain from anyone,” he wrote. “What I desire at this point is to simply know more about my Gavagni heritage and possibly meet a family member from that side of my family.” They talked back and forth via text and email for a few weeks. Then, the day came. Crosby made her way up to Gainesville to meet her half-brother in person. The pair sat on Lightner’s couch and sifted through pages filled with photos, addresses and phone numbers of their relatives. Crosby hopes to assemble a similar book for Lightner. Tears slid down their faces when they embraced for the first time. “I was nervous,” she said. “But as soon as I met him and his hug went around me, it was all over.” The siblings analyzed Lightner’s Ancestry.com family tree before eating lunch at Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza. When it came time for Crosby to leave Gainesville, Lightner turned to his half-sister and told her he wasn’t ready for her to leave. I just don’t want to let you go. Lightner finally knew where he came from. The revelation has left his head spinning. He and Crosby will reunite soon. She invited him to her Flagler Beach home for Thanksgiving where he will meet at least 25 family members. “I’m so thankful for God for giving me this chance,” Crosby said. “Make it up to Robert for all the years he’s lost.” Lightner believed his family only included his wife and son, which is a whole lot less than the people he will meet over turkey at Crosby’s Thanksgiving — giving the family a new reason to be thankful. @_faithbuckley fbuckley@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3

Music & Memory program unlocks elders’ pasts at retirement community

New research further explores how cognitive functioning can improve when listening to familiar music By Alexandra Harris Alligator Staff Writer

The sapphire and green stained-glass window wraps 92-year-old Peggy Weigle in sunlight and warmth. Weigle is not in church, but her mind is still finding salvation in melodies. In a small room in her retirement community, she snuggles her orange-and-blue Gators blanket. Her drowsy head dips, heavy eyelids framed by wiry glasses. Meanwhile, Dean Martin croons the lyrics, “Memories are made of this,” over two laptop speakers. Music becomes a key as it starts to wedge into Weigle’s past. Martin’s rich baritone transports her back to the 1950s. Her feet come alive, padded socks tapping against her wheelchair footrests with a precise rhythm. The corners of her eyes crinkle, and her lips curl upward. The movements are slight. If you blink, you might miss them, but they’re there just as her memories are — you just have to search hard enough. To honor National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Oak Hammock Retirement Community at UF hosted a Music & Memory event Nov. 5. The organization uses music to help residents recall specific memories linked to songs that span across every era and genre. The digital library includes every top 10 song from 1930 to 1970. Research suggests that

cognitive function can improve when listening to familiar music. Once an elementary school music teacher, Weigle’s rhythm and zest for life persist decades later. Her daughter Diane sat beside her, remembering when Weigle played piano and sang her to sleep. Weigle loves music from all around the world. At her first teaching job, she taught special education students English from across the border of Juárez, Mexico. For many memories, Weigle’s forehead furrows as she struggles to recall the major details of her life. But then, Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” lulls over the speakers. Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away ... Weigle knows she once danced to this song. Back then, there was no wheelchair, and she felt safe in the arms of a man who knew he would marry her from the moment the two first locked eyes. Lovers at first sight, in love forever. This was their song — her late husband she shared 55 years with. Her eyes widened. “George,” Weigle said. Working intently on a laptop, resident Phillip Morrison is the DJ of memories. The volunteer of five years sometimes dresses the part, donning a black cowboy hat and a bandana around his neck for those who love country music.

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Rhoda Swerlick listens to music from her childhood at Oak Hammock on Nov. 5, 2021. Swerlick participated in a Music & Memory program workshop at Oak Hammock. She was given listening devices that allow her to play her personalized playlist at her leisure.

“It’s like a scavenger hunt to try to find out what music gets a positive response,” Morrison said. “To see the smiles or the enjoyment that comes, it’s just so fulfilling.” Morrison said he knows how much the little moments of respite and joy matter. His mother had Alzheimer’s disease and several of his family members lived in nursing homes. “I saw the joy that music could bring to people who don’t have that much control,” he said. “That’s something I want to do.” As he travels back to residents’ youth with the playlist, he encounters a wide spectrum of responses. But for one married couple, the music is particularly effective. Although her husband is in the memory care unit, when Morrison hit play on R&B song “Jim Dandy,” the husband playfully wagged his finger. He broke out in dance and twirled his wife around, singing to her. “That’s how they first met,” Morrison said. “She saw him dancing, and she says, ‘I want to dance with that man.’ So that led to 57 years of marriage together.” Another resident had been completely unresponsive. She required pulmonary therapy, which Morrison said was uncomfortable. She had no family with her. She resisted the treatment, and so Morrison set out to find the right musical prescription. After compiling her personalized playlist, the resident powered through her therapy when her aide played the music before and during the session, Morrison said. “Music has benefits to our wellbeing,” Morrison said. “It should be viewed as a medicine or tool.” Music & Memory is helping seniors across the world. The overarching goal of Music & Memory is to promote the proactive use of therapeutic music until it becomes a standard in health care, said Justin Russo, program director. The right music, especially from someone’s formative years, can retrieve memories by activating their cognition for a brief period of time, Russo said. “Music is irrevocably part of both our conscious brains and our unconscious brains,” he said. This concept becomes important when brain function starts to decline during the aging process, particularly for people living with dementia. Music embeds itself in more areas of the brain during formative years, or at about 13 to 25 years of age, Russo said. Those areas are the last to be touched by even late-stage dementia, he said.

Studies show personalized music reduces anxiety and agitation. Some people with dementia struggle to chew and swallow. Listening to their favorite songs can help people with nutrition issues follow cues to chew and swallow, Russo said. Repeated exposure to familiar music has been shown to benefit cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease patients as well. Recent research investigated the brain mechanisms behind this improvement, according to the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. If someone is played music from their formative years, it generates the most reaction in terms of neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to respond to external stimuli, such as music, Russo said. After MRI scans, researchers found participants responded more and displayed signs of neural connectivity. Musicians responded even better, Russo said. “It puts them in a better position to have their cognition activated, to converse, to socialize, and ultimately, to be present,” Russo said. “It underscores the importance of music-based interventions like Music & Memory.” The largest ever study conducted on the effects of Music & Memory measured reductions in the amount of antipsychotic medication taken by nursing home residents and declines in distress, Russo said. Music & Memory was associated with reductions in psychotropic medication use, including antianxiety, antidepressant and antipsychotic medication. Aggressive behaviors, depressive symptoms, pain, and falls declined significantly over time, according to a study in the Journal for Post-Aacute and Long-Tterm Care Medicine. “When you see that face light up when you get the right music, it makes all that effort worthwhile,” Russo said. “We’re really just scratching the surface of what’s possible with music.” Over the speakers at Oak Hammock, Martin emphasizes the memories you keep: of love, grief and joy, and of wedding bells, homes and kids. “Stir carefully through the days, see how the flavor stays,” Martin sings. “These are the dreams you will savor.” Music & Memory offers a free guide on how to create a personalized music playlist for loved ones at home. @harris_alex_m aharris@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Never asked REITZ ASSAULT, from pg. 1

Do you mind watching my stuff while I use the restroom? Shaken out of her trance, she looked up to see Rachel Nattis, a 19-year-old health science UF sophomore — a student she had never met before. Nattis’ backpack and books were scattered across a booth on the opposite end of the room. “She was sitting in a corner, so when I first walked up to her I didn’t see anyone else,” Nattis said. “As I went to turn around because she said yes, I saw this individual sitting there who just did not look like he belonged at all.” Making eye contact with the victim the whole time, Nattis said: “Actually, I’m going to go get my things.” The victim said she snapped out of her panic after Nattis spoke. Then, she asked

Nattis to come over to the table. Agreeing and walking over, Nattis noticed the man adjusting his pants and quickly leaving the food court. That’s when Nattis saw the victim break down in tears. Retelling the story to Nattis, they both decided to contact the University Police Department’s non-emergency line. On the phone, the victim was asked: “Are you calling us to let us know so we can keep an eye out?” The victim said yes, but the question was odd to her at the time. Later, she decided to call her parents. Her father, who retired from the military and police, was upset and called UPD. He was told that his daughter didn’t want to open an investigation. “I was never asked that,” she said. “But because I didn’t specify that, they used that as an excuse to not have to open up that kind of paperwork.” She had to call UPD again and clarify she wanted an investigation opened. Later that week, she went into the UPD office to

Stricklin complicit NEWBAUER, from pg. 1

her he considered her a senior and it would be her last season with the program. Corey emailed her eligibility coordinator, Daniel Siegel, to appeal for another year. Newbauer found out about the email and humiliated her during a practice. “HE IS THE CULTURE and it is VERY TOXIC,” B.B. wrote. “YOU have given him free reign to run our girls and their confidence into the ground.” B.B. detailed an incident where an international player walked off the court two hours before a game due to Newbauer’s screaming. Assistant coaches and players looked for her. Newbauer yelled at the team and said the player left because of them. “NO she left because of HIM,” she wrote. “Now I ask you. What if she had been distraught enough to walk out in traffic? She is thousands of miles away from home and no one cares. NO ONE.” She urged Stricklin to take action, reminding him that the players were also people’s daughters. “Now the blood is no longer on my hands if something happens to one of these girls and nothing is done about it,” she wrote. “Now it is on yours.” Stricklin emailed B.B. back a day later. His response looked similar to the one he sent Sydney Morang’s parents when they shared concerns about Newbauer in 2018. “I wanted to let you know that I received your note and appreciate you reaching out,” he wrote. “I understand that this was difficult for you to do. Please know that I take your concerns seriously and will assess where we can improve for the benefit of our student-athletes.” B.B. wrote another email to Stricklin and Tealer Jan. 25, 2019, after she saw a Facebook comment

claiming parents and two players on the 2017-2018 team sent letters to Stricklin detailing Newbauer’s abuse. She told Stricklin about the time Newbauer hurled basketballs toward players. One of them hit her daughter’s injured knee. A source close to UF’s investigation told ESPN they found no evidence Newbauer threw basketballs at players. Corey however, said Newbauer showed no remorse when he threw the basketball that hit her injured knee. “They didn’t even try to investigate it,” she said. “All of our practices are recorded, and so we’re not just making that up.” B.B. followed up Feb. 4, 2019, after Stricklin didn’t respond to her previous email. “How many young woman are you going to keep sending to him?” she wrote. “These parents are trusting OUR school and administrators to protect their children away from home.” Stricklin returned her email two days later. “I am writing to confirm that I have received and considered your emails,” he wrote. “The experience of all Gator student athletes is important to me and everyone on our staff. This is reinforced by the myriad options students have to personally talk about their experiences or challenges with folks inside and outside of their particular sport...The goal is to be present and available for student athletes of all teams, women’s basketball included.” B.B. wrote back the same day and told Stricklin he missed the point: Players are afraid of seeking help because of fear of retaliation. She added that some had gone to their advisers, counselors and trainers. In each case, the reports got back to Newbauer, and he humiliated them for it.

watch the video footage. “They only had one camera image,” she said. “The only image they have of him is one of him walking in and one of him leaving and it’s black and white, grainy.” A couple of weeks earlier, she noticed there were no cameras in the seating area adjacent to UF’s bookstore and across from Pollo Tropical. She could only spot one security camera near the walkway. The victim said the detective on the case was surprised at the lack of cameras in the food court. The building was last renovated in 2016. She said the detective told her the Reitz Union had no cameras in the entrances or exits. UPD didn’t respond to requests for comment until Sunday morning and didn’t return a call with information. Also, UF didn’t provide comment before publication on the incident or lack of cameras at the Reitz Union. “I feel like there are so many other things that could have happened that there would have been no cameras for,” the victim said.

In her first email, she wrote that Newbauer found out about the letter the Morangs sent to Stricklin and UF President Kent Fuchs. She said it wasn’t a coincidence that Sydney wasn’t allowed near the basketball facility or her teammates after medically retiring due to concussions. “What you don’t seem to understand is when a person has been psychologically and verbal abused enough, they don’t believe they have the right to protect themselves,” she wrote. “They believe they somehow caused this.” She sent a fourth email Feb. 12, 2019, to thank Stricklin and Tealer after he assigned Jay Jacobs, the executive associate athletics director for external affairs, to watch over Newbauer. “This man didn’t care about us, either,” Corey said. “There’s nothing that’s going to be changed here. They don’t care about us.” Corey Staples remembered seeing a player walk out of a meeting with Jacobs and Newbauer crying right before a home game. Newbauer and Jacobs left the room seconds later, giggling and laughing. “He was there to be his buddy,” she said. “He was just eating our food and, you know, traveling with us and having a good time.” B.B. thought Newbauer cleaned up his behavior during the time Jacobs overlooked the program. However, she then sent a final furious email to Stricklin, Tealer and Jacobs March 2, 2019. She wrote Newbauer shoved her daughter onto the court in a game versus Georgia Feb. 28, 2019. As a mother, she wrote it took everything in her to not jump onto the court and protect her child. “I am angry and embarrassed that this is the coach that you have offered up to these girls,” she said. “As a human, I am mortified that my daughter was treated like a pet.” After the game, a women’s basketball booster approached B.B. The booster told her the way Newbauer spoke to Corey was bad but

UPD released a notice with the man’s photo on Oct. 29 — about six days after the incident. “The University of Florida Police is seeking to identify the shown individual who may be related to an indecent exposure incident that occurred on October 23,” the bulletin wrote. UPD is asking anyone who has information regarding the man to contact UPD or submit a tip to its silent witness portal. The victim encourages others to use their best judgment. “I was the victim, but I should have trusted my gut when it said something was off,” the victim said. “This is something that can happen because genuinely I didn’t even think of it as in the realm of possibility for something that could happen.”

him shoving her was a new low. Boosters would sit behind the bench so they could hear how Newbauer spoke to his players. Sharlene Byrd-Childs, who played for Florida through the 19821986 seasons, contacted Tealer regarding Newbauer Jan. 7, 2019. “On another note, I am a little disturb about Newbauer denigrating comments to his players in the presence of others - spectators, former Lady Gators( not only basketball),” she wrote. At a game Byrd-Childs attended, Newbauer turned to the bench and yelled to his coaches after a player’s pass was deflected for a turnover. This is why I don’t play her! Emer Nichols, who played at Florida through the 2018-2019 season, was frustrated by Stricklin’s statement after the abuse allegations went public. “One allegation, two allegations is enough and should be enough for them,” she said. Several players went to Stricklin about Newbauer, Nichols said. She said she was also transparent when Florida required players to fill out evaluations about the coaching staff, but they never called the team in to speak about what Newbauer did. In an email statement sent by McClain, Stricklin said if he had known about the depth of Newbauer’s behavior, he wouldn’t have extended Newbauer’s contract in June. “I thought things were moving in a certain direction,” Stricklin said. “Obviously, we weren’t. We didn’t pick up signs and clues and we’ve got to figure out going forward how to get better at that and make sure we know what’s going on.” However, Nichols believes all of the assistant coaches under Newbauer were complicit, including now interim coach Kelly Rae Finley. Finley, Nichols said, tried to justify Newbauer’s behavior and attitude. Cydnee Kinslow, a former player on the 2020-2021 team, ac-

This is a developing story. Check alligator.org for updates @Ad_Scribendum idouglas@alligator.org

cused Finley of doing damage control for Newbauer. Finley and assistant coach Erika Lang-Montgomery confided in Nichols and other teammates and shared remorse for how they let Newbauer treat them, Nichols said. Corey Staples, however, feels conflicted about Finley’s role. “I do think complicit is the best word to describe it,” she said. “I remember like practices and not even practices, just like when we’re around her, she would always justify what he’s doing.” Current players don’t agree with former teammates. Guard Lavender Briggs accused Kinslow of making false accusations about Finley. “She’s speaking on things that aren’t even her experience, and if those players wanted to speak on those experiences, they would have, they still will, but I’m pretty sure they don’t, which is why they haven’t been spoken about,” Briggs said. However, Kinslow said she only spoke about her own experiences at Florida. “What I went through was 100% what I went through,” she said. “I wouldn’t put that on anyone else, and I would never wish that upon anybody.” While at Florida, Nichols said she developed several health conditions that led to her being diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disorder that attacks the body’s tissues and organs. She believes the toxic environment under Newbauer caused her condition to arise. “It was very hard on me,” she said. “I was always very hard on myself because I never wanted to get yelled at.” Since leaving the team, she hasn’t had a flare-up. The player with whom B.B. spoke to never slammed the ball down in the middle of a game, and Newbauer went on to coach two more seasons before resigning. @zacharyahuber zhuber@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center celebrates reopening THE MUSEUM CLOSED DUE TO COVID-19 AND A PIVOTAL MEMBER DIED SHORTLY AFTER

By Zachary Carnell Alligator Contributing Writer

The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center reopened its doors with a celebratory reception Sunday after being closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 people attended the event, which lasted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. State Sen. Keith Perry made a brief appearance, and Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe made a short, two-minute speech. “It just feels right, doesn’t it?” Poe said.

“Because we’re all back together sharing in fellowship … From the beginning, this center wasn’t just about the past. You certainly want to preserve the past and put a flag in the ground for all the history that came through this place and also the community around it, but it was always about building that bridge to the future.” Music, refreshments, raffle prizes and a video presentation were featured at the in-person event. While the CCMCC put on several virtual events over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Evelyn Foxx was ready to resume normal museum operations. Foxx, the president of the local NAACP chapter and a CCMCC board member, said the board didn’t want to close the museum

Ruihan Zhang // Alligator Staff

Attendees listen to a speech during the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center’s re-opening reception on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.

but needed to ensure the safety of the community. “This is wonderful. Isn’t this a beautiful place?” Foxx said. “We’re ready to have people come in and enjoy it like they did prior to COVID.” The event also featured artwork from UF psychologist Anthony Greene, and Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, a prominent member of the CCMCC who died in 2020. The event was almost as much a celebration of her life as it was of the museum’s reopening. Among being a professor at UF, an artist, a dancer and an outspoken activist, Hilliard-Nunn helped the CCMCC from the very beginning to raise funds, write grant proposals and organize events, her husband Kenneth Nunn said. He attended the event and volunteered her art for it, knowing how invested she was in the museum’s mission. “Tricia came in with both feet and got really excited about it, and I was a skeptic,” he said. “I was like, ‘You’re wasting your time raising this money and doing all this work. I’m really glad to see it, but I just don’t think that building is going to get together.’” Back in the mid-‘90s, the museum wasn’t a museum. The building was run down and in desperate need of repair, according to a presentation at the event. Vivian Filer, the CCMCC founder and chair, said it was previously a part of a military base in World War II before it was a movie theater. Then, it turned into a Big Band’s club, featuring performers like James Brown, B.B. King and Bo Diddley, before becoming a warehouse. That’s when Filer and her church bought the building and began transforming it into the Cotton Club museum. Filer is a strong believer in the influence the museum has, and she encouraged Hilliard-Nunn to get involved, Kenneth said.

Ruihan Zhang // Alligator Staff

Deloris Rentz, Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center board member, speaks at the re-opening reception on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.

Attendees like Nathaniel Courtney, 39, particularly appreciated both Filer and Hilliard-Nunn’s work ethic and vibrance. “I remember being a child … and she would come and read stories to different schools here,” Courtney said. “Such a beautiful spirit. Just a testament to what we can do as a community, especially when we have impactful leaders like Ms. Filer and like Dr. Hilliard-Nunn.” He said he appreciates Hilliard-Nunn’s legacy. “Her spirit is alive and well today,” Courtney said. “It just speaks to the closeknit community that Gainesville is and then the impact that she had on this community, particularly her ability to help bring back this museum to life.” Zachary Carnell is a contributing writer.

Gainesville aims to combat historic voter turnout lows LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERS WEIGH IN ON HOW TO BOLSTER STUDENT PARTICIPATION

By Meghan McGlone Alligator Staff Writer

As Gainesville nears a special election to replace a city commissioner, candidates and students are working to remedy record turnout lows from the spring. Voter turnout during city elections is low, with less than 11% of eligible voters participating in the election where former Commissioner Gail Johnson and Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker earned their seats on the commission. The county decided to combine future city and county elections to increase turnout. As of Sunday, almost 8,000 ballots have been cast, which represents 8.8% of eligible voters in Gainesville, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office. More than 6,000 of the ballots have been mailed in. College-aged students turn out to vote at lower rates, according to the Campus Vote Project. Although rates have increased for presidential

elections, Campus Vote Project reports that college students are less likely to vote because they move frequently and are less likely to be contacted by political campaigns. Members of the Gainesville and UF community have made it their mission to involve UF students in the city’s upcoming election Nov. 16. Whoever is elected will replace Johnson and serve until 2024. Anton Kernohan, a 22-year-old UF political science and sustainability senior, worked as City Commission candidate Cynthia Chestnut’s campaign manager when she first launched her campaign in August. Being a young campaign manager allowed Kernohan to get other UF students involved with political processes and campaigns. He said he encourages UF students to vote because city commissioners can make decisions that impact them. Students also need to educate themselves on local issues because if all UF students were to vote, they could disproportionately affect the votes of other Gainesville residents, Kernohan said. “You are going to be residing in this community for the next four years and you should be contributing to it politically if you can,” Kernohan

said. “You should be voting in your local elections here.” Bringing voter registration and digital campaigning to students can help get them involved, Kernohan said. He said bringing the campaign to campus, such as passing out flyers in Plaza of the Americas, can help meet students in the middle. “Young people really have an opportunity to change the shape of politics if they’re willing to be informed and willing to be educated about issues and willing to get involved,” he said. Student organizations are also involved in getting students interested in elections. Brian Marra, a 20-year-old UF history and English junior, is the political director of UF College Democrats. He helped organize a candidate Q&A on campus for students. The organization is working to get students registered to vote and advertising the election to help get students informed, he said. Getting involved in local politics may seem mundane, Marra said, especially for a race happening during a non-election year. But because the politics and decisions are local, they have the greatest impact on the local community.

Gainesville and UF shouldn’t be separate entities, he said. Due to low voter turnout in city elections, students who vote will find that their votes have more power than in larger elections, but students’ votes always matter. “I just don’t think that students should be limited based on whether they’re from a place or not,” Marra said. “They should be getting involved in local politics because they’re there currently and they should have an opinion and a voice in what goes on in the city that they’re in.” City Commission candidate Matt Howland said it’s integral for UF students to get engaged in local politics. Local government has the greatest impact on people’s day-to-day lives, Howland said. UF students live in Gainesville for years and often settle down in the area. Whether students choose to stay long-term in Gainesville or elsewhere, creating new policies can make Gainesville a role model for other cities they may live in down the line. “If younger generations want to have a say in the future of this country, then they need to start by

getting active right now locally,” Howland said. To get students involved in his own campaign, Howland said he engaged with student organizations like UF College Democrats to offer jobs on his campaign trail that pay $20 per hour. He has four student volunteers working with his campaign now, and he helps them with their own career goals as well. “You have to be prepared to invest in that student and make sure they get the experience out of it that they’re looking for,” Howland said. “That’s the only way that we can continue to grow and build this democratic process.” Residents are also unengaged in local elections, which is why both local governments and residents need to do their part in education on local issues, Howland said. He said his goal is to knock on 5,000 doors — he has visited about 4,952 houses — before Election Day to ask citizens about issues important to them. “I’ve walked over 400 miles since the campaign began, but that’s what it takes to try to get the voters to go to the polls,” Howland said. @meggmcglone mmcglone@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Students, faculty unite to protest amid academic freedom controversy UF COMMUNITY GATHERED TO SHOW ITS UNITED STANCE AGAINST UF’S DECISION TO BAR PROFESSORS FROM TESTIFYING AGAINST STATE

By Elena Barrera Alligator Staff Writer

When Robert Hatch recalls the institution to which he has devoted 30 years of his life, he feels ashamed. “I am ashamed that our university has sunk to the level it has,” the UF College of Medicine professor said. Ever since UF denied three political science professors the ability to testify against the state, many have expressed their dismay toward the university. The events led roughly 40 protesters to band together Friday on the corner of West University Avenue and Northwest 13th Street. They gathered with colorful, handmade posters and their voices for a common goal: to

hold UF accountable for its actions. Despite UF reversing its decision Nov. 5, which allowed the three professors to testify as expert witnesses, many believe there’s still a battle to fight. “We don’t care that they reversed their decision,” said Rachel Wolfrey, UF College Democrats spokesperson. “We don’t think that that’s enough by any means.” The event was put together by UFCD, Young Democratic Socialists of America, United Faculty of Florida and Graduate Assistants United. The groups are hoping their efforts will ensure this will not happen again in the future, Wolfrey said. During the hour-long demonstration, five people presented prepared speeches, including a statement from Sean Trainor, a UFF member and lecturer in the Warrington College of Business. Each speaker expressed disapproval for how UF’s administration and President Kent Fuchs handled the situation. They

highlighted the importance of standing up for academic freedom and the consequences that would arise if they did not. “What right does UF have to tell us what we can and can’t do when we are not on the clock?” Trainor said. Trainor argued if they didn’t stand against UF now, what would stop the university from dictating what professors teach and what students learn. He also believes UF is incapable of investigating its own wrongdoings. An outside body with no loyalties to the state, the American Association of Universities or the American Association of University Professors should lead the investigation. Protest leaders publicly vocalized the opinions many of the faculty and students have yet to share. “It was definitely very disheartening as a brand new student to have to see that my university is doing these actions,” said Amelia Packham, an 18-year-old political

science freshman. It’s important the student body speaks out to stand behind the faculty and show it cares just as much as the faculty does, she said. Packham was excited to come to UF because she thought it was a place that encouraged learning and finding your voice, but the current events have let her down. Similarly, UF’s prestige and respected name is what enticed Hatch to seek employment at the university. For decades he considered himself to be very fortunate to work for the university, but that has since changed, he said. The institution, Hatch said, has increasingly leaned in the direction of limited academic freedom, so the administration’s decision was not shocking to him. @elenabarreraaa ebarrera@alligator.org

Elena Barrera // Alligator Staff

Protestors stand together to advocate for academic freedom on the corner of West University Avenue and Northwest 13th Street on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.

Students protest against UF for initially denying three professors the ability to testify in a case against the state on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 on the corner of West University Avenue and Northwest 13th Street.

Recap: First week of UF’s conflict of interest task force THE TASK FORCE PLANS TO BEGIN DRAFTING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS IN ITS NEXT MEETING NOV. 15

By Camila Pereira Alligator Staff Writer

President Fuchs’ Task Force on Outside Activities had its first two meetings last week following heavy scrutiny on UF’s decision to limit eight professors from testifying in lawsuits against the state. The task force had its first meeting Tuesday and created a plan to address issues with UF’s written policies on disclosure of outside activities and conflict of interest by Nov. 29. Members agreed to divide the investigation into two phases to present recommendations to President Fuchs before his

proposed deadline of Nov. 29. TheyMembers of the task force decided to first analyze the problems with expert witnesses and litigation. With the second phase, they plan on examining the processes professors must go through when requesting to participate in outside activities, such as testifying as an expert witness and examining who decides to allow the professors to participate and how the decision gets communicated transparently. The group also agreed on inviting someone to help the members with the medical context for situations where a UF medic or doctor is needed to deliver expert testimony against another doctor or the state. Additionally, the task force agreed to hold seven virtual meetings before the Nov. 29 deadline.

In its second meeting Friday, the task force met for about an hour to begin discussing the legalities of participating in outside activities and academic freedom. Along with all members of the task force, Randall Jenkins, UF Health senior vice president and general counsel, attended the meeting. He was invited by the group to answer any questions and provide suggestions on the medical perspective of the issue with university doctors being expert witnesses. Clay Calvert, UF law and journalism professor, and Laura Rosenbury, UF Levin College of Law dean, also led the task force through discussions on First Amendment rights for UF employees. Both Calvert and Rosenbury brought up the need to address

what defines a conflict of interest according to the university’s policy. Rosenbury said it is currently defined as an interference with the performance of the professors or employees’ job duties. “I would love to hear more about why testifying in a case where the university or a university employee is a party would necessarily interfere with the performance of the experts’ job duties,” Rosenbury said. Calvert and Rosenbury also asked to examine what the interest of the university and the individual is and how the university’s interests can be harmed by professors, if at all. One of the last things the team agreed on is drafting its discussions into policy recommendations they would present to the president in late November.

However, members of the task force also raised questions of transparency with the university’s faculty and staff as they start considering possible recommendations. “As someone on the faculty, I guess, I just would hope that there would be some transparency with these decisions,” said Katie Vogel Anderson, UF clinical associate professor for the College of Pharmacy and task force member. At the end of the Friday meeting, the task force agreed to analyze the process the university uses to receive outside activity requests for expert witness testimony in the next meeting Nov. 15. Terra DuBois, UF’s chief compliance, ethics and privacy officer, will lead the conversation. @CamilaSaPereira cpereira@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7

City plan outlines new future for downtown Gainesville FINALIZED PLAN TO BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY AFTER 11-MONTH PROCESS

By Bryce Brown Alligator Staff Writer

A new city plan focuses on improving housing, business, entertainment and safety in downtown Gainesville. The Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan process began last fall when city management and elected officials met to create ways to improve the city. It proposes a wide range of ideas including increased street lighting to ensure safety, additional residential opportunities, new gathering places for community entertainment and the introduction of new retail businesses. The project officially kickstarted in June, and organizers estimate a draft to be ready by April to show the City Commission in early summer. Economic Development and Innovation Director Erik Bredfeldt said it’s integral in the early stages to make sure each vision can actually be implemented. City architect Sarit Sela said community members have been enthusiastic throughout the process. The Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan website has a survey that asks respondents about their experiences in downtown Gainesville and what they would suggest for improvements. She said there are roughly 500 respondents so far. “We’re seeing redevelopment and further development coming around downtown and into downtown,” Sela said. “It will really be good to have a unified vision for what we want to see in the coming years.” Sela said there are 15 focus groups that discuss different aspects of downtown,

from businesses and social services to arts and culture. A community meeting was held Oct. 27 which attracted about 100 participants. She said in addition to providing a wider variety of activities and attracting a larger audience, current activities and assets have the potential to be improved and used even more. Sela said a primary goal of the plan is to have something for everyone. “We want people to feel welcome, to feel safe,” she said. “To enjoy what they see; to be excited and curious about downtown.” Matt Howland, a resident in downtown Gainesville and a board member of the strategic plan Neighbor Advisory Group, said the purpose of the advisory group is to provide feedback on the planning and help articulate the positions of the city and business community. He’s also running for the open seat on the City Commission with goals to improve business and transportation. “We all have an invested interest in trying to build a downtown area that not only we love and are proud of, but we think would be attractive and well received by the rest of the Gainesville community,” he said. Howland said the plan is critical right now because the city is in a period of growth and development. He said every neighborhood should feel like a respected part of the process. He hopes the city can prioritize conversations with business owners to ensure that the new services align with the goals and needs of the community. Bob Karp, a member of the Board of Directors of the Gainesville Citizens for Active Transportation, said downtown

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Southeast First Street is seen on Nov. 4, 2021. The Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan will focus on improving safety and lifestyle in the area with more stop lights, better housing, wider sidewalks and more community events. Gainesville needs proper care for it to thrive in the coming years. “Downtown is the heart of any city,” he said. “You want to take special care to develop and nurture it.” He attended the community event that was held Oct. 27 and joined the hundreds of other Gainesville residents in sharing his opinion on what should change. Karp wants to see traffic on University Avenue calm down, and said he believes the high speeds of passing cars hurt businesses and also make it an unsafe environment for walking. He said a lane reduction may be one option to achieve this goal. Additionally, Karp said he would like to see efforts to make downtown a more pedestrian-friendly space by widening sidewalks, and he would like to see a diverse

array of new housing complexes. Developments catered to different income levels will attract more people who can support businesses and create liveliness for the shops and restaurants, he said. Sela said she hopes to have an engagement summary outlining the various efforts that have been made since the project’s inception in the coming month and draft recommendations shortly after the New Year. On the plan’s website, there’s a comment wall and an online survey for citizens to share their thoughts. The feedback will be included in the engagement summary which will define the next steps of the strategic plan. @brycebrownnn bbrown@alligator.org

EL CAIMÁN

Resumen: primera semana del grupo de trabajo sobre conflictos de intereses de UF El grupo de trabajo planea comenzar a redactar recomendaciones de políticas en su próxima reunión el 15 de noviembre Escrito por Camila Pereira Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Saira Gonzalez Escritora de El Caimán

El Grupo de Trabajo sobre Actividades Exteriores del presidente Fuchs celebró sus dos primeras reuniones la semana pasada luego de un intenso escrutinio sobre la decisión de UF de limitar a ocho profesores a testificar en juicios contra el estado. El grupo de trabajo tuvo su primera reunión el martes y creó un plan para abordar los problemas con las políticas escritas de UF sobre la divulgación de actividades externas y conflictos de intereses para el 29 de noviembre. Los miembros acordaron dividir la investigación en dos fases para presentar recomendaciones al presidente Fuchs antes de la fecha límite propuesta del 29 de noviembre.

Los miembros del grupo de trabajo decidieron analizar primero los problemas con los testigos expertos y el litigio. Con la segunda fase, planean examinar los procesos por los que deben pasar los profesores cuando solicitan participar en actividades externas, como testificar como expertos y examinar quién decide permitir la participación de los profesores y cómo se comunica la decisión de manera transparente. El grupo también acordó invitar a alguien para ayudar a los miembros con el contexto médico en situaciones en las que se necesita un médico de UF o un médico para brindar un testimonio experto contra otro médico o el estado. Además, el grupo de trabajo acordó realizar siete reuniones virtuales antes de la fecha límite del 29 de noviembre. En su segunda reunión del viernes, el grupo de trabajo se reunió durante aproximadamente

una hora para comenzar a discutir las legalidades de participar en actividades externas y la libertad académica. Junto con todos los miembros del grupo de trabajo, Randall Jenkins, vicepresidente senior y consejero general de UF Health, asistió a la reunión. El grupo lo invitó a responder cualquier pregunta y brindar sugerencias sobre la perspectiva médica del tema, siendo los médicos universitarios testigos expertos. Clay Calvert, profesor de derecho y periodismo de UF, y Laura Rosenbury, decana del colegio Levin de Derechos de UF, también dirigieron el grupo de trabajo a través de debates sobre los derechos de la Primera Enmienda para los empleados de UF. Tanto Calvert como Rosenbury plantearon la necesidad de abordar lo que define un conflicto de intereses de acuerdo con la política de la universidad.

Rosenbury dijo que actualmente se define como una interferencia con el desempeño de los deberes laborales de los profesores o empleados. “Me encantaría saber más acerca de por qué testificar en un caso en el que la universidad o un empleado de la universidad es una de las partes interferiría necesariamente con el desempeño de las funciones laborales de los expertos”, dijo Rosenbury. Calvert y Rosenbury también pidieron examinar cuál es el interés de la universidad y del individuo y cómo los profesores pueden dañar los intereses de la universidad, si es que lo hacen. Una de las últimas cosas en las que el equipo estuvo de acuerdo es en convertir sus discusiones en recomendaciones de política que presentarán al presidente a fines de noviembre. Sin embargo, los miembros del grupo de trabajo también plantearon cuestiones de

transparencia con la facultad y el personal de la universidad a medida que comienzan a considerar posibles recomendaciones. “Como miembro de la facultad, supongo, solo espero que haya algo de transparencia con estas decisiones”, dijo Katie Vogel Anderson, profesora asociada clínica de UF de la Facultad de Farmacia y miembro del grupo de trabajo. Al final de la reunión del viernes, el grupo de trabajo acordó analizar el proceso que utiliza la universidad para recibir solicitudes de actividades externas para el testimonio de testigos expertos en la próxima reunión del 15 de noviembre. Terra DuBois, director de cumplimiento, ética y privacidad de UF, dirigirá la conversación. @CamilaSaPereira cpereira@alligator.org sgonzalez@alligator.org

MONDAY,

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

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section/opinions

section/the_avenue

“Housing is a human right”

ARTS & CRAFTS

A nationwide housing crisis hits locally Austin-based school of wizardry brings

he state of affordable perwork.” The city of Gainesville housing in Alachua Counhas done nothing to respond ty continues to deteriobroadly to this blatant discrimirate. Tenants across the nation. board are being crushed Tenant protections are mostly by rising rent prices. reactive, not proactive. When tenResidents of one Gainesville ants get served lease non-renewlow-income apartment complex als, or when they have eviction Renz Torres received blanket notices to vacate opinions@alligator.org cases filed against them, the burtheir homes this July. Graduate den rests on the tenant to prove students at UF are losing 40% of unlawful landlord behavior. In their affordable housing on campus. The court, landlords have the advantage: While Alachua County Labor Coalition recently landlords can pay up for lawyers, tenants protested discrimination by The Collier usually represent themselves because counCompanies against tenants attempting to sel is unaffordable. pay rent with housing vouchers or EmerAs well, Gainesville and Alachua County gency Rental Assistance Program funds. have not mandated legal requirements for We are in an affordable housing crisis. inclusionary zoning. Inclusionary zoning, Even with COVID-19 rental assistance in general, provides for a certain amount and anti-discrimination laws, not enough of housing in each new development that’s is being done to keep our communities affordable to residents with an income behoused. The force of the blow is felt most low the area median. A critical problem in bluntly by low-income, disabled, veteran Gainesville and across the country is not the and Black and Brown residents and stu- lack of housing but the lack of affordable dents — historically and currently margin- housing. alized folks. So what can we do to get out of this criWho do we blame? As with any crisis, sis? We have to assert our rights to housing, it’s both simple and complicated. both for ourselves and for our communities. We blame corporate landlords. We blame We can learn and use our rights. The sprawling firms that have transformed the City recently mandated that landlords dishome into an asset and have taken the ma- tribute a brochure describing tenants rights jority of the rental housing stock captive. to each renter. We need to teach ourselves Corporate housing companies like The both what we can assert and the channels Collier Companies, Trimark, Landmark, we can assert them through. On campus, etc., don’t care about a tenant’s quality of Student Legal Services provides free legal life. They just want maximized returns on representation for landlord and tenant castheir investments. The Collier Companies, es. Off campus, Three Rivers Legal Services for example, has filed 25% of the county’s provides similar services for eligible comeviction cases since the end of the federal munity members. eviction moratorium and has served nonBut we also need to play offense. renewals to low-income tenants receiving We can organize for tenant power. housing assistance. Whether we’re here for a short time or a High finance has destroyed housing be- long time, students and marginalized neighfore. During the 2000s subprime mortgage bors can organize to grow power within our bubble, high finance firms extended high- communities. risk mortgages to marginalized folks, seekEven if we don’t own, we can build for ing returns on high interest rates. Profit-hun- community control of our housing. We can gry speculation led to widespread mortgage build alternatives to eviction like Pinellas defaults, foreclosures and homelessness, County’s eviction diversion program, which culminating in the Great Recession. mediates tenant-landlord relationships outCorporate landlords see no reason to be side of court. a good community member. In theory, we We can organize to mandate legal reprecan turn to the law for protection, but in sentation for low-income tenants in eviction practice, it’s not enough. cases like the state of Washington. We can We blame our government. We blame organize to create inclusionary zoning ora legal system that lacks affordable hous- dinances while preserving Black neighboring and adequate tenants rights protections hoods. We can organize unions to protect as well as the teeth to proactively enforce our rights like tenants in St. Petersburg and the protections that do exist. We also blame Miami. We can invest in community ownerour elected officials for not doing enough to ship models to facilitate low-income tenants combat these issues. owning their own homes. In Gainesville, while Housing Ordinance There’s a bullhorn waiting for us to #190814 protects against discrimination speak into it, we just have to know our based on source of income, we’ve yet to see words. In the end, we have to assert: Housthe protection enforced. The Collier Com- ing is a human right. panies, for example, still circumvents acRenz Torres is an Alachua County cepting housing vouchers because of their Labor Coalition Coordinator. internal policy to “not sign third-party pa-

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

magic to Gainesville community WORTHWICH SCHOOL OF WIZARDRY LED WORKSHOP AT BIVENS ARM NATURE PARK, WHERE STUDENTS WERE TRAINED IN THE CRAFT OF WAND MAKING

By Luigi Bencosme Avenue Staff Writer

Every year, children across the world count down the seconds until they turn 11 years old. They anxiously look at the clock and cross out every boxed-in calendar day that marks the long-awaited passing of time until they’re finally old enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And then — nothing. These children disappointedly never receive their letter of acceptance into the mythical school of Hogwarts. Then they grow up and lose the magical spark that existed within as they grapple with the real world. The Worthwich School of Wizardry, however, aims to change that. The self-proclaimed home for misfit wizards made their way into Bivens Arm Nature Park Nov. 14 for a wand-making workshop, where participants were taken through a crash course on wands before learning how to make one. Maiko Mushanokoji, founder and co-owner of the company, said there are four basic elements that all wandmakers use: materials, size, design and core. Much has changed since their initial class in 2016, such as the variety of woods which has grown extensively, but these four elements have remained the exact same throughout. While each element is significant, Mushanokoji said the core is the most important component in finalizing the wand. The core is what connects the user to the wand, and they suggest picking something that is personally magical to the user, such as someone’s piece of hair or a guitar string. After explaining this to the class, Worthwich headmaster and wand master Mushanokoji instructed the participants to pick a piece of wood from their various options along with a stem for the handle of the wand. “We collect and harvest and process all of our own wood,” said Faye Fearless, the other co-owner and founder. “At the very first classes, I think we only had maybe five kinds of wood. Now in each class, we do at least 10 varieties. Sometimes we have closer to 15 varieties of wood to each class.” As explained, each type of wood has different properties for different people. Each person must find the wood which matches their personality best. “Elm wands prefer owners with presence, magical dexterity, and a certain native dignity,” the notecard read, placed next to the pile of elm sticks. After the participants sifted through notecards and decided on their perfect wood match, they proceeded to sand the ends of the

wood until it fit in the handle snugly. Before the wand designs were finished with a final glaze, the illustrious core was placed on the wand. Five years, various cities and thousands of wands later, Fearless, the asserted potions master at Worthwich, is still amazed at how people conjure up such unique designs for their wands. While it may seem like a children’s event, Fearless said this is far from the truth. “All of our events are designed especially for adults,” she said. “It’s a place for adults to play … you can play pretend and you can imagine, even go all crazy and no one’s going to judge you because that’s what kids do.” At the end of the workshop, Fearless and Mushanokoji led a dedication ceremony where students get their wands ready for magical use. Along with workshops, the pair of owners also host a three-day event every year called Wizarding Weekend, where a group of students are fully immersed in the Worthwich experience. While on school grounds, students lodge in cabins and take a full curriculum of magical arts classes, such as potions and divinations. In part, what makes this community of misfits so welcoming is that they’re completely immersive. As Fearless said, this magical world they’ve created allows people to make friends and form bonds that have extended well beyond the scopes of Worthwich. “That was kind of the idea behind it,” she said. “It’s just a place for people to come and hang out with other people who like magic and not be judged for that.” lbencosme@alligator.com

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Finished wands are seen during a wand-making workshop at Bivens Arm Nature Park on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. The workshop, hosted by Worthwich School of Wizardry, was started by Maiko Mushanokoji in Austin, Texas in 2016.

A mother’s return

Florida tight end Kemore Gamble’s two-touchdown breakout became even more special with his mom in attendance after a two-month ICU stint, pg. 11

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FOOTBALL

Gamble shines in mother’s return to the stands The tight end’s mother, Keiva Rodriguez, had been in the ICU for the last two months By Michael Hull Sports Writer

Florida tight end Kemore Gamble sprinted down the seam, his 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame uncovered as quarterback Emory Jones fired in his direction. Gamble hauled in the pass and broke a few tackles before multiple Samford defenders finally dragged him down inside the 10-yard line. The redshirt senior tight end broke out with a career game Saturday, finishing with six receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. The stud performance carried extra meaning for Gamble, as his mom was in The Swamp to watch her son play for the first time since her recent health scare. Gamble’s mother, Keiva Rodriguez, has been in the Intensive Care Unit for the last two months, the tight end said after the game. “It’s been hard trying to ignore it,” Gamble said after Florida’s 70-52 win.

“Knowing that she’s not going to be able to watch the games and stuff like that. I was just focusing on football and just talking to my stepdad and my dad, my real dad, and my uncle and auntie all been out here trying to motivate me, coming to games and stuff like that.” Gamble credited his teammates for keeping his mind focused on football with everything going on in his personal life. “They haven’t been trying to bring it up, trying to keep my mind away from stuff,” Gamble said. “They want me to hang out with them more often now.” While he does his best to distract himself, Gamble said he still talks with his family every day, whether by text or over the phone. His mom used to come to almost all of his games. In fact, prior to 2021, Rodriguez saw her son play in every one of his games except for FloridaGeorgia. She finally made that trip for the 2020 rendition, where she conquered her

fear of bridges to watch her son score a touchdown in Jacksonville. This season, other family members have assumed Rodriguez’s dutiful role of cheering on Gamble as she recovered. “My oldest brother will come, depends on the game,” Gamble said. “If not him, my auntie will come to games down here… also my uncle.” The tight end is quietly stringing together his best season as a Gator: He ranks third on the team in receptions (24) and yards (286) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (three). Gamble and the Gators need to win one of their next two games to gain bowl eligibility. They’ll attempt to earn it next week in Columbia, Missouri, against the Mizzou Tigers, before returning to The Swamp for their regular season finale against the Florida State Seminoles. @Michael_Hull33 mhull@alligator.org

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida tight end Kemore Gamble fights off Samford safety Midnight Steward during the Gators 70-52 win over the Bulldogs on Nov. 13.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Castleton’s double-double leads Florida to upset No. 20 Florida State THE GATORS ENDED A SEVENGAME LOSING STREAK TO THE SEMINOLES SUNDAY

By Joseph Henry Sports writer

Florida senior guard Myreon Jones stole a pass with 1:12 to play — the energy in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center felt symbiotic from the floor to the stands.

The Gators retained possession the rest of the game with two more offensive rebounds, the last of their 17 throughout the game. As the clock dwindled towards zeros, the bench, led by forward Keyontae Johnson, brought all of the Gators faithful in attenced to their feet. When the final buzzer sounded, Johnson, who collapsed on the floor during Florida’s trip to Tallahassee a season ago, embraced head coach Mike White as the roars of victory

Catherine McCarthy // Alligator Staff

Florida's Colin Castleton dribbles the ball and fends off a Florida State defender during the Gators win over the Seminoles on Nov. 14. alligatorSports has a podcast! The alligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

rang in the air. The Gators upset No. 20 Florida State 71-55 Sunday, ending a sevengame losing streak in the rivalry and moving Florida to 2-0 for the young season. Forward Colin Castleton proved himself as the cornerstone of this year’s team. The senior got it done at both ends of the floor, recording his fourth career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Castleton added six blocks to his standout statline. “When we are on defense, I feel like that’s my rim,” Castleton said. Right out of the gate, Florida looked hungry. Senior forward Anthony Duruji set the tone, scoring the Gators’ first six points, highlighted by a thunderous alley-oop dunk assisted by graduate transfer guard Phlandrous Fleming Jr. As play progressed, Florida State’s length began to give Florida fits. The Gators got into foul trouble with the half coming to a close, as both Duruji and senior guard Tyree Appleby picked up two personal fouls and left for the bench. Seminoles forward Malik Osbourne ended the first 20 minutes with a team-leading 12 points, five coming in the last two minutes. The first half was an intense display of defense from both sides,

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and baskets were hard to come by. The Seminoles shot 44.0% from the field, while the Gators shot 34.4%. Florida did carry the advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Florida State 21-19. The Gators eventually lost the early lead, but they entered the half trailing by only two, 30-28. In the second half, Florida blew open the scoring with 43 points, 12 of which came from the free throw line. Castleton began the half with four straight points, including a dunk, getting the Rowdy Reptiles right back into the game. Guard Brandon McKissic, Jones and Fleming all sank 3-pointers as the rivals traded blows. The opening eight and a half minutes of the second half crawled by, and Florida outscored the Seminoles 15-12 despite FSU guard Wyatt Wilkes’ five points. Florida State reclaimed a 44-43 lead, its last of the game, after a jumper by guard Matthew Cleveland with just over 11 minutes to play. From there, the Gators took off. Jones started the action with a steal, driving coast-to-coast. He was unable to lay it in, but Castleton appeared to clean up. Next time down the floor, Appleby floated in the air for an acrobatic finish. McKissic wanted in on the fun, and the Missouri-Kansas City

graduate transfer buried his second three of the game. Florida pulled away, eventually with a 13-0 run. The Seminoles never recovered, and the offensive explosion only further fed the Gators’ defensive intensity for the rest of the game. Duruji scored six of Florida’s final 13 points, including another emphatic dunk to salt the game away. The senior tied the team lead with 15 points and 36 minutes played. The frontcourt duo of him and Castleton, which combined for 30 points, offers a solid foundation and gives the Gators high aspirations for March. “Iron sharpens iron, we make each other better,” Duruji said. The top-25 win, White’s first victory over Florida State and head coach Leonard Hamilton, could be an early signal of what is to come for the Gators in the 2021-22 season. “I’m sure that we all had fun,” White said. “But, we’ve all got a lot to get better at. We’ve got a chance to be good, but it’s just so early. We’ve got a lot to learn.” The Gators’ non-conference schedule continues Nov. 18 when Florida hosts the Milwaukee Panthers.

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

@Josephhenry2424 jhenry@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

FOOTBALL

Jones rises from ashes, defensive dumpster fire could prove suffocating Redshirt junior’s historic day overshadowed by defensive disaster By Ryan Haley Sports Writer

Florida quarterback Emory Jones worked his way to the locker room for halftime at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday, his team trudging toward the south end zone. The redshirt junior completed 13 of 16 passes for 226 yards and scored three total touchdowns through two quarters. It’s probably uncommon for a

quarterback with such a statline to hear boos filter from his home crowd. Jones rose from the ashes of his early struggles and Florida’s defense to author a historic afternoon for the Gators Saturday during a 72-50 victory over Samford. The raging defensive fire, however, might leave too much damage in its wake. Before the Bulldogs (no, not those Bulldogs) came to town

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida quarterback Emory Jones drops back to pass against Samford during the Gators’ 70-52 win on Nov. 13.

this weekend, Jones’ first season under center crumbled slightly under the fire of pressure. The mercurial starter had thrown 10 interceptions in his nine starts and multiple picks in three games, and he had thrown almost as many picks as touchdowns through the end of October. After his second interception was returned for a touchdown against Louisiana State on Oct. 16, he rode the bench in favor of redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson. Jones’ early struggles did not come without their criticisms, as fans clamored for Richardson to take his job all season. The fourthyear quarterback’s teammates praised his reaction to the outside noise, however. “He’s fighting back, he’s grown a lot,” tight end Kemore Gamble said after the game. “You hear all the noise outside, fans and stuff, people bashing you, messages in your DMs. I know it’s hard because I get it sometimes and I think he’s handled it well.” Like a phoenix emerging from the remains of a blaze, that growth went on full display against Samford with a record-breaking statline. Jones threw six touchdowns

and added another with his legs, breaking Heisman winner Tim Tebow’s program record for most yards of total offense with 550, 464 through the air and 86 on the ground. He completed 28 of his 34 passes, didn’t turn the ball over and completed six passes longer than 20 yards. So how was Jones’ emergence not the primary takeaway of the game? A phoenix may rise from ashes, but no bird can fly if it’s locked within a burning house, and the Florida defense could prevent any quarterback’s growth from truly mattering. Even before Saturday’s shootout, Samford’s offense impressed on paper despite its lowly Southern Conference competition. The Bulldogs averaged more than 36 points per game before Saturday and scored 40 or more points five times. Those numbers don’t explain why the Football Championship Subdivision members hung 42 points on Florida in two quarters. The Bulldogs scored 52 points Saturday, more than they had in any game this season in a schedule including foes like Western Carolina, Mercer, Wofford and the Virginia Military Institute.

The more concerning part of the offensive onslaught from the FCS foe is how typical it appears for Florida. The Gators surrendered an average of 43.75 points and 449.25 yards over their last four games with an FCS opponent and teams ranked 71st, 11th and 100th in the country in scoring offense. The last four quarterbacks to play against Florida, made up of two backups, a third-string FCS transfer and an FCS quarterback, combined for 869 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions and 7.3 yards per attempt. In those same four games, Florida surrendered 912 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The three Power 5 opponents currently slot 114th, 26th and 99th in the nation in rushing offense. The Gators parted ways with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham last weekend, but his absence fanned no flames on the back end through one week. Time will tell if Jones emerged from his personal fiery trials against Samford, but his rebirth could be swallowed by a larger inferno if left unchecked. @ryan_dhaley rhaley@alligator.org