Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024

Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election.

Madison McClelland // Alligator Staff

2 ALLIGATOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024

What a Trump presidency could mean for your pocketbook VOTERS, ANALYSTS DISCUSS EXPECTATIONS FOR SECOND TERM

By Natalie Kaufman Alligator Staff Writer

Theo Jaffe said he believes Donald Trump and Elon Musk will reinvigorate the economy and “let the markets cook.”

Widespread economic discontent may have triggered the red wave that engulfed Jaffe and nearly 75 million others this election. The 20-year-old UF computer science junior voted for Trump, trusting him to slash government spending and lower the cost of living.

Trump seized on Jaffe and others’ disenchantment and promised to create disruptive structural change with plans to cut taxes, deregulate big business, deport millions of undocumented workers and impose sweeping tariffs on foreign goods. Gainesville’s tax and economics experts said consumers will soon feel the effects.

Jaffe said Trump’s economic agenda will tackle wasteful spending and bureaucratic inefficiency.

“In the best case scenario, there is a world where Trump seriously cuts federal spending again, with people like Elon Musk,” he said.

“Elon’s specialty is like going into big bureaucratic organizations and just delete, delete, delete.”

UF law professor David Hasen said no matter how much Trump and his cabinet scale back spending, his agenda could balloon the

national debt by nearly $8 trillion.

But voters weren’t parsing the minutiae of the candidates’ respective economic plans. In the run-up to the race, Trump enjoyed a 10-point lead over Kamala Harris on the economy.

Although she tried to distance her agenda from Biden’s, the vice president is tethered to an unpopular incumbency that presided over historic price shocks. Four in 10 Americans said inflation was their top economic issue, and the same proportion said they think Trump will improve their personal finances.

But Neil H. Buchanan, UF emeritus professor of law, said Trump isn’t likely to keep his promises and fulfill voters’ expectations.

“Certainly, there’s nothing that Trump said or did that indicated substantively that he had any plans to make the economy better,” he said. “Specifically, if people are upset about high prices, you know, the last person you would vote for is the guy who loves tariffs.”

Trump vows to levy a “universal” tariff of between 10% and 20% on most imports and at least 60% on goods from China. Steep tariffs spook foreign exporters and drive up the cost of goods, a burden consumers must absorb.

Economists estimate this could cost American households more than $2,600 annually.

That didn’t deter 18-year-old Gavin Schwanke from voting for Trump. The UF legal history freshman said he and fellow Trump

Jea Nace // Alligator Staff

How will Donald Trump’s economic policies impact Gainesville residents? supporters admired the presidentelect’s policies in the first term and hope he renews them in the second.

“I think a lot of people, at least under Trump, they loved his economic policies, lower taxes,” he said. “They saw the results under him the first time around, and they think they can get the results the second time around.”

Schwanke also addressed the potential inflationary impacts of tariffs. He said while consumers will initially feel the pinch of higher costs with jacked-up tariffs in place, the ends justify the means.

“It’s more a long-term thing,”

he said. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Santa Fe College economics professor Jeffrey Haglund agrees the upsides of higher tariffs outweigh the downsides. He said the policy would create more domestic jobs, promoting economic growth.

“It repatriates,” he said. “It brings jobs to the United States that have been lost to lower-cost producers, which is going to create more capacity for people to purchase goods.”

Reconfiguring global trade could help the U.S. government raise funds to administer Trump’s tax cuts and other populist pro-

grams, which Derek Wheeler, director of UF’s low-income taxpayer clinic, said could benefit American families but by how much remains unclear.

“He’s proposed some policies that, should they be implemented, might help low-income and middle-income people as well as highincome taxpayers,” Wheeler said.

“But it’s hard to say what the next four years are going to be with respect to the economy.”

Trump plans to extend his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which will expire in 2025. Along with lowering the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, he has also floated eliminating personal income tax on earnings, such as tips, overtime and Social Security benefits.

Harris proposed an “opportunity economy,” which included expanding the child tax credit, which grants eligible parents tax breaks on dependents under 17.

She also planned to provide select tax breaks for small businesses and added Trump’s ‘no tax on tips’ policy to her agenda.

Wheeler said that despite the vice president’s fresh slate of economic policies, voters felt she was too closely aligned with an administration they’d soured on.

“Undoubtedly, the economy is a very important measure of how people are going to vote, and if they’re feeling that the economy is not working for them, then they’re going to vote to change that,” he said. @Nat_Kauf nkaufman@alligator.org

Alachua County, Florida and national general election results OVER 80% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THE COUNTY CAST BALLOTS THIS CYCLE

By Morgan Vanderlaan & Nicole Beltran Alligator Staff Writers

Alachua County’s general election ended Nov. 5 with a turnout of about 138,000 votes.

Voters had the chance to cast ballots in the presidential election and in seven local and state races.

Voters also decided between multiple local referendums and six state amendments.

State amendments need 60% public approval to pass, while local referendums only need a majority to vote in favor.

Local races included two Alachua County Commission seats, two state House of Representative seats, one state Senate seat, one U.S. House of Representatives seat, the sheriff’s race and the supervisor of elections position.

Local Referendums

The Alachua County referendum for atlarge districts passed with over 70% in favor.

In 2022, Alachua County decided to change county commissioners to be elected by singlemember districts — meaning one designated area of a county voted for one commissioner.

This amendment overturns the 2022 referendum and returns county commissioners to being elected through an at-large structure.

The School Board One Mill referendum passed by about 76%. The One Mill tax is a property tax which will bring increased funds

to school programs throughout Alachua County. It was first approved in 2008.

The Gainesville Charter Amendment for public utilities passed by about 72%. The referendum will return the ownership of GRU to the city commission, rather than being overseen by the state-appointed board called the GRU Authority.

Local Seats

Incumbent Democratic candidate Mary Alford won the Alachua County Commissioner District 1 seat over Republican Elizabeth Doebler. Holding over 60% of the vote, Alford was reelected to the seat she first won in 2020.

Another incumbent, Democrat Anna Prizzia, has secured a second term in District 3 of the Alachua County Commission against Republican Jean Garrett.

The Alachua County’s Sheriff’s race remains undecided as the margin between Republican candidate Emery Gainey and Democratic candidate Chad Scott is at 0.31%, less than the state requirement at 0.5%.

Republican Stan McClain won the Florida Senate District 9 seat against Democrat Sylvain Doré. Despite winning the majority of the votes in Alachua County, Doré lost the lead in Levy and Marion County, which are included in the district.

Republican Chad Johnson won the Florida House District 22 seat against Democratic candidate David Arreola. Johnson lost Alachua County but won in both Levy and Gilchrist Counties. The three make up the House district.

State Amendments

Amendment 1 failed with about 55% in favor. If passed, Amendment 1 would have made all school board elections partisan races from the 2026 election cycle onward. Currently, it’s each county’s discretion whether or not to bring politics into the board by making candidates list their political affiliations.

Amendment 2 passed with about 67% in favor. With Amendment 2 passed, the right to hunting and fishing will now be enshrined in Florida’s Constitution. The amendment states fishing and hunting will become the preferred method for “responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife” and “shall be preserved forever as a public right.”

Amendment 3 failed with about 56% in favor. The amendment would have allowed adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase or use up to three ounces of marijuana products recreationally. In order to gain ballot access, the amendment was approved by the Florida Supreme Court on April 1 and acquired over 1 million voter signatures. Under current Florida law, marijuana is legal only for medical use.

Amendment 4 failed with about 57% in favor. Amendment 4 said that no law could restrict abortion before viability, which most healthcare professionals say is around 24 weeks. The amendment was expected to reinstate the protections that existed before the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The referendum received over 900,000 signatures in support before gaining ballot access.

Amendment 5 passed with about 66% in favor. In Florida, property tax rates are currently mandated by counties, school districts, cities and special districts. Homes in Florida are assessed at their market value, with the

homestead exemption subtracted.

Amendment 6 failed with about 50% in favor. If passed, Amendment 6 would have ended Florida’s public campaign financing program. The program currently provides an incentive for candidates to agree to election spending limits by providing public campaign financing for statewide elections.

Federal Seats

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) won her seat by about 61% against Democratic nominee Tom Wells. For the past four years, Cammack has held the seat which encompasses the entirety of Alachua County along with 11 other North Central Florida counties.

Incumbent Republican candidate Rick Scott won Florida’s Senate seat by about 56%, beating Democratic candidate Debbie MucarselPowell. Scott was first elected to the Senate in 2018 after formerly serving as the 45th Governor of Florida.

Presidency

President-elect Donald Trump won the presidency against current Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump, claiming a second but nonconsecutive term, collected a total of 312 electoral votes and won the popular vote at 50.4%.

Trump is now in the process of organizing his administration, and will be inaugurated into office on Jan. 20. @morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org @nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

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We Inform. You Decide.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024

VOLUME 119 - ISSUE 13 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Amendments 3 and 4 failed. What now?

RECREATIONAL WEED AND ABORTION RIGHTS WILL NOT BE ENSHRINED IN THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION

By Morgan Vanderlaan Alligator Staff Writer

Both Amendments 3 and 4 failed with only 55.7% and 57% in favor, respectively. Both amendments needed 60% public approval to pass.

Amendment 3 would have allowed for adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products recreationally. The amendment would have allowed recreational possession up to three ounces. In order to gain ballot access, the amendment was approved by the Florida Supreme Court on April 1 and acquired over 1 million voter signatures. Under current Florida law, marijuana is legal only for medical use.

Amendment 4 said that no law could restrict abortion before viability, which most healthcare professionals say is around 24 weeks. The amendment was expected to reinstate the protections that existed before the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The referendum received over 900,000 signatures in support before gaining ballot access.

Abortions in Florida are currently and will continue to be restricted by the Heartbeat Protection Act, which was upheld by the Florida Supreme Court on April 1. The legislation prohibits all elective abortion procedures in the state after the six-week pregnancy mark, with exceptions up to 15 weeks for documented

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Ashton Wilson finish with comma, Story description

Keeping scores to scoring. Read pg# more on pg. 11.

instances of rape and incest.

Throughout the state, over 78% of voters came out to the polls, with over 79% turnout in Alachua County.

As nonpartisan issues, both Amendments 3 and 4 were not officially sanctioned by either political party. Amendment 3 had bipartisan support, with both Florida Young Republicans and the Florida Democratic Party endorsing the amendment.

Millions of dollars have been spent on Florida’s “Yes on 3” campaign, with one of the largest donors being Trulieve, a common medical marijuana dispensary.

The company has already donated over $95 million to the initiative, Trulieve spokesperson Steven Vancore said.

Unlike the bipartisan support for recreational marijuana, Amendment 4 was characterized as a more Democratic-leaning issue, with endorsements from organizations dominated by more liberal policy platforms like People Power Florida and the Florida Democratic Party.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration are facing legal trouble after threatening TV stations to not air ads in favor of Amendment 4. In a pending lawsuit from pro-Amendment 4 group Floridians Protecting Freedom against the Florida Department of Health, filed on Oct. 25, the Department of Health is accused of sending cease and desist letters to several TV stations ordering pro-Amendment 4 ads to not be broadcasted. According to the lawsuit, these letters were written by DeSantis attorneys.

On Oct. 29, the Republican

SEE AMENDMENTS, PAGE 4

Madilyn Gemme // Alligator Staff

Christian protester “JK” lectures students as UF College Democrats’ Connor Effrain hands him a voter’s guide on Nov. 5, 2024

MEN'S BASKETBALL

UF men’s basketball coach accused of sexual harassment and stalking Todd Golden, the men’s basketball head coach, has allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward numerous women on social media

By Jack Meyer & Max Tucker Sports Writers

Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden has been accused by an undefined number of women for sexual harassment and stalking, according to Title IX documents obtained by The Alligator.

The University of Florida received a formal Title IX complaint on Golden Sept. 27 alleging that he engaged in various conduct that po-

Santa Fe

Courses under state review, pg. 5

The Avenue: Disagreements Politics and friendships, pg. 8

tentially violated the UF Gender Equity Policy.

In order to comply with federal law, UF can’t comment on or confirm any Title IX inquiries, complaints or investigations, according to a UF spokesperson.

The formal Title IX complaint against Golden obtained by The Alligator includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking. The complaint alleges that over a year, Golden specifically aimed these behaviors toward UF students.

The claims regarding sexual harassment, which could also include sexual exploitation, cited unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF and various occasions of stalking.

There was allegedly more than one occasion in which Golden was taking photos of women walking or driving and sending those pictures to the subjects involved. Various stalk-

SEE GOLDEN, PAGE 11

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4 ALLIGATOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Amendments 3 and 4 just shy of passing

AMENDMENTS, from pg. 3

Party of Florida filed a complaint with the Florida Elections Committee against Floridians Protecting Freedom.

Amendment 4 failing is a victory for teenage girls who need parental consent in these procedures, for unborn babies who could otherwise be aborted to full term and to women’s health that basic safety standards will not be compromised, said Richard Sandler, a pediatric physician and professor of pediatrics and mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida.

The co-chair of Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4 said the voters did the right thing.

Florida is better than passing

Eyes Up. Phone Off.

DON’T TEXT & DRIVE.

Amendment 4, he said, Gov. DeSantis “really stepped up” and should be given credit for the hand he played.

“We are very grateful that Amendment 4 failed,” he said. “It was written in a misleading way, if the citizens knew what was really in it and what it meant, it would have lost by an overwhelming margin.”

In an official statement from the Yes on 4 campaign, the campaign wrote, “The fight was never just about abortion — it was about government overreach, personal autonomy and the right to live free from political interference.”

“Despite relentless government sabotage, the state's promotion of disinformation and antidemocratic attacks, the majority of Floridians still voted for

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024 ALLIGATOR 5

Gainesville has a new plasma center. What are the ethics of paying for blood?

BIOLIFE PLASMA SERVICES IS THE THIRD OF ITS KIND IN CITY

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

The business of collecting blood for money is growing nationwide, and Gainesville is no exception.

The city is already home to for-profit plasma collection centers KEDPLASMA Gainesville and Grifols BioMat USA. Now, the new BioLife Plasma Services is bringing in donors and re-igniting ethical questions.

These companies pay for plasma, the yellowish liquid that makes up a little over half a person’s blood. At the centers, medical staff draw blood from a donor’s arm. A machine then isolates the plasma and returns the remaining parts of the blood — red and white blood cells and platelets — into the donor.

Blood donation vs plasma donation: what’s the difference?

Unlike whole blood donations, which can only be given every 56 days, people can donate plasma every two days, up to twice per week, in the U.S. Whole blood donation is also unpaid and voluntary, given at nonprofits like LifeSouth or OneBlood, rather than for-profit companies.

Marc Zumberg, chair of the transfusion committee at UF Health Shands Hospital, said people may get paid for plasma but not blood due to marketability.

“Red blood cells, platelets, are infinitely important to patients — plasma is not more important,” Zumberg said. “I just think it’s used for more commercial products. So there’s a greater need.”

Paid plasma from for-profit centers cannot be used in hospitals for direct transfusion due to U.S. Food and Drug Association Guidelines. Instead, centers sell the product to pharmaceutical companies who use it to make plasma therapies. These medicines can be used to treat patients with conditions like immune deficiencies.

Ethical standards

Centers expect people desperate for money will be the ones selling plasma, said Bill Allen, a member of the UF Health Shands Hospital

Ethics Consult Service. In the U.S., a typical plasma collection can range from about $30 to $70.

Among BioLife’s 14 Florida locations, all but two are located in areas with household median incomes below the state average, according to an analysis by The Alligator using U.S. Census Bureau 2022 data. Nationwide, over half of the 225 BioLife centers are located in areas with median household incomes at least $5,000 lower than their state’s average.

“You don’t see many people who are welloff, or who can pay their bills and pay the rent and buy groceries and so forth, giving plasma,” Allen said.

Some argue targeting low-income donors violates two medical ethics principles: autonomy and justice, Allen said. A person forced to sell plasma due to their economic situation isn’t fully making a free choice, and they receive all the burdens and none of the benefits of the process, he said.

Those burdens include under-researched long-term health effects and unregulated financial compensation, he said. There is no minimum federal guideline for plasma payments.

Kristine Brown, a Gainesville resident since 2014, gave plasma at the Biomat center for about five years. The 43-year-old credit manager stopped donating recently due to poor compensation and staff-to-donor communication, she said.

Brown received $100 per visit initially, but the figure soon decreased to between $65 and $75. By the time she stopped four months ago, she was receiving $40 to $50 per visit. It wasn’t enough to justify the two to six hours she often spent in the waiting room, she said.

“You’re put in there like cattle — they get you in, they get you out,” she said. “Prying on people who need money the most. If you give a little bit more incentive, then people feel that they’re not being used.”

Medical staff once accidentally blew out Brown’s vein with the needle, after which she couldn’t use her arm for a while, she said.

She also once saw an employee not changing their gloves.

Brown said she saw mostly Gainesville residents that “don’t have a bunch of money” and are not going to college, rather than UF students, in the center. She didn’t see Biomat

as a “college student kind of place,” she said.

Tom Srodek, a 46-year-old Gainesville resident, had better feedback for Biomat. He began donating plasma there two months ago and has had good experiences, he said.

Srodek, currently unemployed, only donates plasma when he’s “broke,” he said. But he doesn’t feel the center takes advantage of him.

“I’m sure they make a lot more money off the plasma they collect from people,” he said.

“But it’s my decision.”

New BioLife Center

At the new BioLife center, donors get $90 to $100 per session, which last about an hour each. The offer is part of the center’s opening celebrations. Its website does not specify rates after the opening period, which ended Nov. 10.

To receive the offer, donors must complete eight donations in 30 days, or about two donations per week.

The new building occupies the spot of a former gym in the University Town Center plaza off Archer Road containing the Enson Market Asian grocery store.

Michael Rowcotsky, a BioLife employee who physically examines visitors to ensure they’re fit to give plasma, said the center has been seeing a little over 100 donors per day since opening.

Medical staff can be hard to retain, but the Gainesville center has been able to keep five on hand, which is enough to keep business running smoothly, he said.

Rowcotsky doesn’t like having to upset people by turning them away for reasons like having bruises on their arms or having a tattoo in the last four months, he said. But Rowcotsky loves every other part of his job, he said, especially knowing the plasma will go toward life-saving medicine.

“You’re not just here to sell your body,” he said.

Adriana Abaunza, a 21-year-old UF wildlife ecology senior, started donating after seeing an Instagram advertisement. The center promoted its opening across the city, including online and on a large banner in the Oaks Mall food court.

Abaunza already holds a part-time job at clothing store Anthropologie but began donat-

ing plasma for extra money to help pay for her upcoming study abroad trip to Portugal, she said.

During her three visits, Abaunza’s been pleased with the center’s cleanliness, and the staff’s attitude, she said — so much that she’s recommended the experience to others.

“I’ve talked to my friends, and they’re like, ‘Maybe I should do that,’” she said.

Profits and morals

Gainesville is the birthplace of LifeSouth, a community blood center nonprofit that often wheels buses through the UF campus to collect donations in exchange for T-shirts or tumbler cups.

Although best known for whole blood collection, LifeSouth also takes plasma donations — although plasma donors do not get paid as they would at Biomat or BioLife.

Unlike plasma from paid centers, the materials collected at LifeSouth can be used for direct hospital transfusions, said LifeSouth spokesperson Brite Whitaker. The organization supplies plasma to local hospitals, where it can be given to patients with burn or trauma injuries, Whitaker said.

Only plasma deemed unfit for transfusions is manufactured to be used for pharmaceuticals and medicines, she said.

“That’s the importance of community blood centers and nonprofit blood centers like LifeSouth,” she said. “That’s the service that we provide is those blood donations to hospitals to help directly treat patients.”

The profit versus nonprofit model for plasma collection further complicates the ethics of the topic, said Joseph Thornton, a UF psychiatry associate professor who teaches classes in bioethics.

LifeSouth spent about 1% of its annual revenue, or about $1.5 million, on executive compensation last year, including salaries for the president, vice president and chief operating and financial officers.

It receives most of its revenue, over 95%, from processing fees charged to hospitals for blood.

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

Santa Fe College reviews over 100 courses for state criteria PROFESSORS EXPRESSED MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE EVALUATIONS

By Timothy Wang Alligator Staff Writer

At least 100 Santa Fe College general education courses are being reviewed in a months-long process prompted by Florida law.

The general education course review was mandated under Senate Bill 266, which passed in May 2023 and notably cut funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Across the state, colleges and universities like UF are doing the same thing.

Santa Fe College and the Florida College System under the Florida Department of Education are collaborating on the review.

The college has already removed more than 50 courses from its general education category, while adding at least three new general education courses, according to an earlier draft of a certification list shared with The Alligator. Four state core classes were also added and one core class was

removed to comply with new state general education core requirements.

In a Thursday email to faculty and academic leaders, Santa Fe Provost Nate Southerland noted that parts of the certification list shared with The Alligator weren’t accurate; however, those numbers evaluated by The Alligator remain correct.

Courses ranging from “Linear Algebra” to “What is a Good Life” were removed from the general education category.

Southerland said some courses removed from “general education” haven’t counted toward that category for years, yet still showed up under “general education” in the statewide course numbering system.

“The first step of the process was to clean up those records,” he said.

Starting this semester, the Chancellor’s Office will annually review Santa Fe’s list of general education courses and give guidance before these lists are submitted to the State Board of Education in December for approval.

The updated general education categories will go into effect Fall

2025, according to the provost. Anyone who entered before Fall 2025 can graduate using the current general education structure.

Southerland said in an email he could not share an updated course list because the college hasn’t finalized its submission yet. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee will be revising the list with the Chancellor’s feedback.

David Price, a Santa Fe social and behavioral sciences professor, said the state’s attempt to standardize general education cuts into the ability of schools like Santa Fe to better prepare students when they transfer to a state university.

“I’m philosophically opposed to the state dictating general education packages at the course level to institutions,” he said. “I think that institutions do better when they’re allowed the creativity to design their own general education packages.”

Price said the review forces professors to tie their courses to Western civilization, even if the classes don’t deal with Western topics. A friend who teaches a UF course related to

the Italian Renaissance, Price said, had to explain how the Italian Renaissance conforms to the Western canon to justify his course.

“That’s, to me, kind of disturbing that the state sees fit to micromanage how faculty teach specific content,” Price said.

Florida law states that, when applicable, general education courses should “provide instruction on the historical background and philosophical foundation of Western civilization and this nation’s historical documents.” Humanities general education courses “must include selections from the Western canon.”

Bryan Wuthrich, a Santa Fe professor, said he teaches “United States History to 1877,” a class added this Fall as a social sciences state general education core option. It also helps fulfill the state’s civic literacy requirement.

Wuthrich said he was happy the class was added as a general education core course. It was part of the general education core more than five years ago, he added.

“Students were taking too long to

graduate and taking needless classes or getting confused about requirements,” Wuthrich said. “The state decided to pare down the specific classes on gen ed to make it more focused.”

Audrey Holt, a Santa Fe English professor, said she is on the Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee and has taught “Introduction to Shakespeare,” one of the general education classes being reviewed, for 20 years.

Holt said classes that have been removed from general education will remain as electives at the college but will face a possible decline in enrollment. She explained that students will be picking less electives because they won’t fit in with gen ed requirements.

“How many people are going to pick Shakespeare? How many people are going to pick Asian religion or art history?” she said. “It’s just a matter of them trying to weed out classes in general.” @timothyw_g stwang@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024

The ‘iconic, charismatic’ monarch: a once common species may soon be endangered THREATS INCLUDE HABITAT LOSS, NONNATIVE PLANTS AND INSECTICIDES

By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp Alligator Staff Writer

A fleeting blur of black and orange fluttered past Jenny Welch. Beside a sign labeled “monarch waystation,” the 62-year-old volunteer mingled with guests looking to purchase native Florida plants, including two species of milkweed.

And where there is milkweed, the monarchs will follow, Welch said.

“They find it,” she said. “They’ve already found it here.”

In light of habitat loss and population decline, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may give the monarch a slot under the Endangered Species Act by December. Monarchs, which have lingered under the IUCN Red List’s “endangered” designation since 2022, serve as an ambassador for pollinator protection.

Welch, a Natural Treasures Farm & Nursery volunteer at the Nov. 9 GROW HUB Native Plant-a-Palooza sale, said planting native species may be the first step to restoring monarch populations on a local level.

Guests wandered through rows of flowering bushes and art vendors, making their way to where Welch stood beneath a canopy of butterfly garden species. Naturally occurring Florida milkweed – the only plant the monarch lays eggs on – will “die back” during winter, which she said encourages the species to migrate.

Nonnative tropical milkweed has still grown in popularity, Welch said, but what gardeners don’t see is its link to a parasite that can infect, weaken and kill adult butterflies.

“Our insects coevolved with our native plants,” she said. “If we don’t put our native plants back, we’re going to lose our insects.”

GROW HUB, a non-profit Gainesville plant nursery dedicated to employing adults with disabilities, hosted the plant sale to encourage local attendees to purchase these native species. The organization’s two swamp milkweed

varieties – one with pink blooms and another with white – are one of the “bigger sellers,” said Alexa Heilman, a GROW HUB vocational program director.

Native plants are “not always as shiny and bright as some ornamentals, but a lot of natives can be just as beautiful,” she said.

However, the draw of nonnative flower gardens, urban development and insecticide use has left the monarch without its needed habitat and threatened by chemicals.

In response to this loss of native host and nectar plants, the Florida Department of Transportation joined a nationwide agreement in 2020 to protect the species by mowing roadsides less frequently and engaging in plant restoration projects, according to an FDOT spokesperson.

The effort called for a collaboration with UF researchers like Jaret Daniels, the Florida Museum interim director of exhibits and public programs. He studies insect ecology and conservation of at-risk species, including the monarch.

Daniels and the FDOT finished mapping native milkweed populations along the state roads and stormwater basins of over 30 Florida counties in 2017. UF researchers, now armed with thorough knowledge of its distribution, aim to plant 9,000 native milkweeds across the state, Daniels said.

“It’s really incumbent upon us to do everything we can to rebuild the resources for biodiversity and protect as much of the natural world around us,” he said.

North America houses three monarch strongholds. Bound by the western Rocky Mountains, one cluster only traverses coastal California, and a separate non-migratory group spans Southwest Florida. However, the large eastern population is known for its bewildering annual feat of strength: a great migration.

In August, the butterflies flock across the North American sky toward the mountains of Central Mexico, a one-way ticket to a temperate winter by late November. After mating and laying eggs on native milkweed leaves, the monarchs complete their lifespan, and a new generation makes the journey back as far north as the lower reaches of Canada.

Armand Raichandani // Alligator Staff

Passerby looks at butterfly plants at the Grow Hub on Nov. 9, 2024.

As scientists and insect enthusiasts across the country await the USFWS endangerment analysis, Daniels emphasized evidence and “ample data” of progressive monarch decline.

The species, which was once exceedingly more common than some other pollinators, has dwindled in the last two decades.

“It has shown that really no species are safe,” he said. “The stressors that us humans are putting on the natural world … are having real impacts on biodiversity.”

Though the species has an ecological ripple effect across continents, Daniels said it pales in importance compared to the hefty responsibility of other pollinators, like bees. Instead, the monarch is an “iconic, charismatic” symbol and catalyst of insect ecology and conservation.

Though nectar and host plant replenishment projects benefit the species, the use of insecticides still poses a threat, said Bernie Mach, a UF Urban Landscape Entomology Lab postdoctoral researcher.

During their time studying monarchs in collaboration with Daniels, Mach helped raise a colony of butterflies on about 200 host milkweeds. They observed the impact of insecticides, namely those used to treat pest infestations, on both caterpillars and mature monarchs.

Though only harmful species are meant to be targeted, Mach said the use of these chemicals could be considered a major concern in the monarch’s population decline.

“The butterflies don’t just feed on nectar from milkweed,” they said. “They feed on nec-

tar from many different plants, and so any of those plants could be treated.”

Mach said the butterfly’s potential listing under the Endangered Species Act is a sign other insects – especially those even more threatened – could also have a chance of being federally protected.

David Cook, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission invertebrate conservation coordinator, said he tagged monarchs traveling through the Florida panhandle for 16 years.

With a flashlight and long-handled net, he would set out on Saturday mornings before dawn to gingerly collect the butterflies and gently place a numbered sticker on the underside of each right hind wing.

Due to a lack of digital transmitters on the stickers, the tiny creatures could only be cataloged by those who spotted them along their annual route to Mexico.

“It feels like putting a note in a bottle,” he said. “First, someone has to find the bottle, and then they have to read the note in order to be able to have recovery information.”

The annual St. Marks monarch festival draws families eager to learn about the insect during its fall migration period. It was there that Cook said he used to show young children how to release tagged monarchs, aiming to spark a lifelong investment in both the species and the environment.

Laura Warner, a UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication professor and extension specialist, felt similarly. As a social scientist involved in Daniels’ research, she studies human perceptions of monarch conservation.

Though she generally sees enthusiasm toward protecting pollinators, she said negative attitudes about the stereotypical “messy” look of wildflower gardens can deter the momentum for local conservation. But the monarch, a species recognized as a hallmark of the natural world, could change that.

“It gives that connection to people,” she said. “It gives meaning.” @rylan_digirapp rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org

Police stunning in Alachua County: how often does it happen?

RECENT CASES OF STUNNING IN ALACHUA LEAVE PEOPLE QUESTIONING ITS FREQUENCY

By Sofia Meyers Alligator Staff Writer

On Aug. 1, 20-year-old Jamari Kinsler was riding his bicycle home from work when he was pulled over for riding without lights.

According to the officer from the arrest report, James Leber, Kinsler did not respond to the officer’s orders to pull over. Once Kinsler stopped, the officer stunned Kinsler.

Stun guns are a tool used by law enforcement usually when detaining individuals, inflicting pain onto the person being stunned to immobilize them. In Alachua County, stunning by law enforcement happens nearly on a weekly basis. Many experts said they are concerned about the health effects of stun guns and how their use by law enforcement can damage residents’ perspectives of police officers.

“It’s just such an unnecessary show of force,” says Robert Rush, Kinsler’s lawyer.

Kinsler was given medical attention at the scene. Rush said medical officials were concerned because the placement of the stun gun prongs in Kinsler’s body was close to muscle and veins.

When a stun gun’s trigger is pulled — like those produced by the brand Taser — electrodes come into contact with a body and a charge comes into contact with the muscles, according to ABC News.

According to records from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, 2024 has seen 51 stun gun deployments — an average of about one a week.

“I’m afraid that there’s a lot of other people who may be a victim of tasers that we never hear about,” Rush said. “What does that communicate to every young person? Be afraid of the police?”

David Clay Washington is a civil rights attorney based in Los Angeles. He attended UF for undergrad and the University of Pennsylvania for law school. In looking at the body cam footage and arrest report, he said the officer used exces-

sive force when stunning Kinsler.

“There is no indicia in this police report anywhere that this kid was a serious risk of both bodily injury or death to anyone,” Washington said.

The body cam footage showed Kinsler running a couple of blocks before stopping, he said.

“It’s just wildly excessive in my mind to pull his service pistol out and aim it at this kid,” he said.

Washington also said the officer did not give Kinsler enough time between his warning and when the officer stunned Kinsler.

Chanae Jackson, organizer and director of Florida For All, an organization that advocates for democracy, says the force used on Kinsler was excessive, despite how Kinsler did not pull over immediately when directed to by the officer.

“For law enforcement officers to continue to think that they’re justified by tasing, shooting people or doing any of these things because a person runs, it’s insane,” Jackson said. “A natural response to defend ourselves often is to run.”

The death of Marcus Goodman, an inmate at the Alachua County Jail, in 2023 caused uproar amongst

the community as his death was allegedly caused by a stun gun.

Inmates allege that Goodman was stunned three times before he was pronounced dead, according to an article by The Alligator.

According to a statement by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Goodman suffered a “medical emergency,” which they say caused his death.

Registered nurse Kali Blount said his experience with patients has shown that stunning can cause devastating health impacts on the human body.

“I think tasing is no different than shooting a gun. It can alter heart rhythm,” Blount said. “It is not a benign, non-deadly weapon.”

Blount also said that many police officers have suffered “dire health effects,” as a result of being stunned for practice purposes.

Joshua Ney is a local advocate for safe streets. He co-founded the local organization Gainesville is for People, which advocates for affordable housing in Gainesville.

It often partners with Gainesville Citizens for Active Transportation, which advocates for accessible streets for walking and cycling.

Ney said it’s important to prioritize public safety, but “the use of force should always be proportionate to the threat posed.” He doubted Kinsler posed enough of a threat to warrant the use of a stun gun, he said.

The unnecessary use of a stun gun undermines trust in law enforcement and can further escalate a situation, Ney said.

“Safety should always be a priority, but it must be achieved through approaches that respect individual rights and limit the use of excessive force,” he said.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on Kinsler’s stunning.

Kinsler is now being charged for resisting arrest without violence. In cases where a defendant is charged with resisting arrest, it can be harder to prove in a civil suit that the force was excessive.

The case came just before Sheriff Emery Gainey ran for reelection as Alachua County’s Sheriff. The race is currently undergoing a recount as a result of a close race. @SofiaMeyer84496 smeyers@alligator.org

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Column

Think while it’s still legal The emperor is back

D

onald Trump is set to be America’s 47th president, and while supporters walk with a sense of hope for economic bliss and a return to the traditional standards of propriety, for the rest of Americans, Trump’s victory cast a harsh light on the blatant disregard on minorities that were exceedingly targeted throughout his campaign. His policy proposals from reproductive rights rollbacks to a Department of Education overhaul means confronting a harsh reality of targeted policies and potential pervasive censorship.

The consequences of his policies extend to education. As students, we are free to explore critical thinking and address pressing social and political issues. Looking at the Department of Education, we see it’s what allows low-income students to receive support through Pell Grants and provides funds for low-income schools in need of support. The DOE’s position inarguably provides a foundation for schools nationwide to maintain their rights as American citizens to education regardless of barriers, yet Trump has proposed billions in cuts to the department’s budget. He has stated that he wants states to have control over schools, but considering ongoing restrictions in class content, his plans would involve targeting diversity and inclusion initiatives in education. This would mean cuts in federal funding for schools that teach critical race theory, gender and sexuality and other topics that highlight “political woke content.” It’s slowly becoming a form of censorship for students and teachers alike, but what would this mean for our academic freedoms and the impacts of limiting exposure to diverse perspectives?

A growing body of academic material is facing scrutiny for allegedly promoting a “woke” agenda. We’ve seen significant actions against this material, such as earlier this year when UF eliminated all DEI-related positions due

to state mandates against such initiatives. Most recently, Florida’s public universities have purged lists of general education courses as part of efforts to combat “woke” ideologies in higher education. Without the support Eriel Pichardo opinions@alligator.org of their universities and the eerie surveillance of course content, professors are left afraid. After speaking with professors at UF, I’ve gained insight into the growing atmosphere of fear.

Imposing a level of self-monitoring, shaping how they navigate student interactions and delivering course content, often with a strategic caution that reflects the threat of potential backlash.

A professor admitted that, while they continue teaching the same topics, they avoid the use of specific terms. They admitted feeling a sense of cowardice over this self-censorship, described an ongoing mental weight and feared being reported.

Under these proposed policies, censorship in education is becoming less an abstract threat and more a daily reality. While this may seem like a far-fetched dystopian “Fahrenheit 451” novel, professors are already facing pressure from the administration. A colleague of theirs has had their syllabus monitored by administration because of their class content.

Coincidentally, a meeting was organized with a lineup of prominent people that was shut down a day before it was set to go on, stating that it didn’t align with their policies on the use of their spaces.

Read the rest online at alligator.org.

Eriel Pichardo is a UF English senior

I

n 1815, Napoleon escaped exile on Elba and landed in France to reclaim his empire. Marching through France and drawing thousands to his side, support swelled, and King Louis XVIII fled in fear. Within weeks, he entered Paris as emperor once more, setting the stage for his final stand at Waterloo. As President Trump wins this election, we welcome back our emperor to America and we enter our golden age.

The best is yet to come for this country.

After losing the 2020 election, America declined at a disgusting rate. Crime and illegal immigration soared, the economy perished and nationalism was at an all-time low.

Being in exile by a broken justice system, no one knew the future of the Republican Party nor the country. But now Trump has returned. Our Napoleon has returned.

Just like 1800s France, the people have grown upset with the leadership of the monarch. The people realized they want a leader who embodies the spirit of the country. The same applies for America today.

Trump embodies the spirit of the American dream. He’s a leader of the American dream. Like him or not, Trump knows how to win, and people love a winner.

Maybe it was working at McDonald’s or the dump truck, but these events were special for this campaign. I think it’s best described in an Andy Warhol quote: “The President has so much good publicity potential that hasn’t been exploited. He should just sit down one day and make a list of all the things that people are embarrassed to do that they shouldn’t be embarrassed to do, and then do them all on television.”

Trump was able to make real Americans be seen and heard through this cam-

paign with these stunts. Americans decided to reject an astroturfed Kamala Harris campaign and go with the man who embodied the American spirit.

Our emperor in Lucas Sprung America, the man opinions@alligator.org who defeated the Clinton and Bush dynasties in the 2016 election, is finally back in control. The era of the Trump GOP is finally in full swing. The 2016 Trump administration was not at its full potential, an administration filled with disloyal advisors like Mark Miley. Trump was sabotaged from the inside through bureaucrats who decided to serve their own interests over the mandate of the president and American people. This time around, Trump has learned his lesson. Congress is more ideologically set to push Trump policies. With a Republican House, Senate and Supreme Court, the stars have aligned.

So what will a Trump presidency look like? The first priority needs to be ending the Russia and Ukraine war which Biden has failed to do. Second is fixing the border and starting mass deportations. Third, fix the economy and start putting America first. Americans want Americans first, to be the top priority of our government that we elect. Protecting and ensuring life for our people needs to be ensured. Freedom needs to be maximized.

Read the rest online at alligator.org.

Lucas Sprung is a UF political science and international relations junior.

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

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POLITICS

Young voters discuss whether disagreements are deeper than a bubble on a ballot STUDENTS TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHARE OPINIONS ON THE ELECTION AND DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF FRIENDSHIPS

By Rachel Mish Avenue Staff Writer

Instagram has recently exploded with a bigger debate than blue versus red, and it begs the question: Can you be friends with those standing on the other side?

In the days following Donald Trump’s win, young voters and UF students stormed Instagram to make their voices heard. It was not uncommon to see story posts calling Trump supporters to unfollow, unfriend and even block the original poster.

As an area with a largely democratic majority, Alachua County faced an influx of Instagram stories from students expressing their election disappointment or celebration, and not all of them were ready for peaceful discourse.

According to the University of Virginia Cen-

ter for Politics and Citizen Data, 77% of Biden and Trump voters believe Americans who support the other side pose “a clear and present danger to America.” Voters said this political polarization is the second highest perceived threat to democracy.

Anthony Leoncio, a 21-year-old UF business senior, said despite differing political beliefs, he believes friendships can survive, but that a person’s political affiliation has major implications on their overall worldview.

A deep connection despite political disagreements can be enough to maintain a friendship, he said, but it can be difficult when friends disagree on important issues.

Leoncio said he cannot accept those who, in his view, oppress minorities.

“I have no interest in beginning new friendships with Trumpies,” he wrote in an Instagram direct message.

Similar to Leoncio, Angela Seminara, a 21-year-old UF English senior, believes it is important to seek shared values when choosing friends. Seminara said differing core values can complicate friendships, as it causes a lack of trust and an inability to maintain vulnerability.

“As a queer person, if someone is voting in a way that puts me and my community in jeopardy, I can never trust them fully,” she said in a text message.

Seminara said she chooses not to be close with certain people with strong opposing views, such as those who support policies that harm the LGTBQ+ community or racial minorities. Despite this, she hasn’t had a friendship end because of political beliefs.

Not everyone can say the same. Zane Menendez, a 19-year-old UF political science senior, worked with the Kamala Harris campaign this election season. Menendez said his experience with the campaign desensitized him to political disagreements, so he doesn’t mind when friends disagree with him.

“I’ve had people scream at me after knocking on their door; a disagreement seems trivial,” he said in an Instagram message.

Menendez said politics does not have to end friendships as long as both parties are respectful and open to other viewpoints. He feels that most everyday interactions aren’t based on political identity, so boundaries regarding beliefs aren’t usually necessary.

Most people aren’t actively focused on politics, he said, so most people don’t know a person’s politics well enough to judge them.

Masie Zasadny, a 22-year-old UF graduate, feels the opposite. Zasadny said people are too comfortable sharing their political beliefs online. Social media is a player in the destruction of political privacy, and a societal tendency to overshare has led to increased conflict, she said.

Zasadny said there are topics that used to be kept private, but now people feel comfortable sharing beliefs and political affiliations online.

“This used to be a very private conversation among households but has now become a fullblown witch hunt,” she said.

As a registered Independent and public advocate for peaceful politics, Zasadny believes it is possible to maintain friendships with those who disagree with her. Politics should never get between loved ones, she said.

“Burning bridges based on the election is a senseless thing to do,” she said. @mish_rache62827 rmisch@alligator.org

POLITICS

Lattes, Pizza and Memes: The wild, witty ways Generation Z is being wooed to the polls

This election season, organizations and restaurants adopted unconventional approaches to target young voters

By Sabrina Castro Avenue Staff Writer

Hannah Kennedy, an unapologetic regular at Opus Coffee, didn’t need much convincing when she saw her friend’s text message: a link to a post announcing free coffee from Opus on Election Day to those who show proof of voting.

The 19-year-old UF biochemistry and biotechnology sophomore cast her ballot early on Halloween, but on Nov. 5, she made her way to the Opus Coffee located in the Innovation District, proudly flashing her “I voted” sticker.

“Please go vote,” Kennedy said as she sipped her drink with a smile.

“Whether you have caffeine as your motivator or the motivation comes intrinsically, exercise that civic duty.”

Organizations across the county rallied young voters in the college town with incentives and online promotions. On Tuesday, Farah & Farah Personal Injury Lawyers offered free coffee to voters at over 30 coffee shops across Florida and Georgia, including four Gainesville locations.

Mason Behrens, the 25-year-old digital marketing coordinator for Farah & Farah Personal Injury Lawyers, said the Vote Boldly campaign was born in 2020 as a response to the

challenges posed by the pandemic, with a mission to drive civic engagement while supporting local businesses.

Inspired by Jacksonville’s bold spirit — known as the “Bold City” — the initiative encourages people to step up and vote with confidence.

By partnering with local coffee shops, the campaign offers a simple yet effective incentive: free coffee or tea for anyone who shows proof of voting.

“We wanted to encourage people to be bold when they go out and vote,” Behrens said. “A lot of college students like coffee.” He explains that it’s a great way to engage the next generation in not only participating in elections but also learning about politics and the issues that directly affect them.

Whether it’s a sticker from the polls or proof of a mail-in ballot, Behrens said the goal was to make voting feel more accessible and rewarding, especially for young voters, boosting both turnout and community spirit.

Allison Minnerly, the communications director for People Power for Florida, said she knows that when it comes to reaching younger voters, they’re not exactly being wooed by stuffy campaign speeches or stacks of voter pamphlets.

When the chance arose to text

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Sabrina Castro// Alligator Staff

Patrons wait in line at Opus on Election Day for free coffee under Farah and Farah’s “Vote Boldly” campaign. voting information and resources to nearly a million Florida students, People Power for Florida knew a traditional approach wouldn’t cut it. Instead, Minnerly said the organization crafted a message that leaned into the humor and unexpectedness of Gen Z, referencing viral TikTok memes like Freakbob, Brat and AJ and Big Justice.

“Everyone is getting the same political texts, whether they’re asking for money or menacing messages about how they’re checking their voter database and can see that you haven’t voted yet,” Minnerly wrote in an email to The Alligator. “Our approach is centered around meeting students where they’re at and talking to you more like a peer, and trying to be really f*ck*ng funny at the same time.”

People Power for Florida’s outreach also emphasized key amendments on Florida’s ballot, particularly those related to marijuana legalization and abortion rights.

Texts from “Freakbob” urged students to make a plan to vote, providing information on early voting hours at the Reitz Union and offering an easy way to update voter registration.

The call to action was simple: “Reply ‘BOOM’ to commit to voting,” making the process both fun and engaging for the chronically online, Minnerly said.

With its attention-grabbing efforts, People Power for Florida took a chance to reach those who are the least politically engaged. Minnerly said this resulted in the organization having its highest response rate of the year, with a surge of engagement

from first-time voters who admitted that the campaign reached them in ways others hadn’t.

“We even had students messaging our contact form asking how they could get election reminders and be added to the list,” Minnerly wrote in an email to The Alligator.

When it comes to getting college students to engage with politics, Connor Effrain, the president of UF College Democrats, said the way to young voters’ hearts is pizza.

“We’ve been doing this all across the state,” he said. “It’s not in exchange for anything… just to get your attention. College students love a free meal. That’s what the pizza is for.”

The real goal? To lure students to the UF College Democrats’ table, where young voters and students can chat about voter registration, candidates and the issues that matter to them, Effrain said.

And as it turns out, Effrain said pizza beats every other free food item, even ice cream, every time.

In his experience, pizza is the perfect way to start a conversation about voting and politics. It’s seen as a full meal, which always gets college students’ attention. @sabs_wurld scastro@alligator.org

Caimán

Que se espera depsues de que la marihuana recreativa y el derecho al aborto fracasaron . Read more on pg. 12.

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Golden confirms Title IX investigation GOLDEN, from pg. 3

ing incidents also included Golden showing up to locations where he knew the women would be.

On allegedly more than one occasion, Golden was engaging women on Instagram by liking photos then waiting until they read the DM before un-liking the photos to avoid suspicion.

Golden released a statement on Nov. 9 regarding the Title IX claims that have been filed against him. The statement came just over 24 hours after The Alligator reported he was the subject of a sexual harassment and stalking investigation.

He confirmed there is an ongoing investigation and he will respect the case's privacy as it moves into its next stages.

“For the last month, I have actively participated in and respected the confidentiality of an ongoing school inquiry," Golden wrote in a statement on his X account. “I have recently engaged Ken Turkel to advise me on my ability to bring defamation claims while this confidential investigation is ongoing. My family and I appreciate the support we have received and remain confident the university will continue its efforts to finish its review promptly.”

There has been no official statement released

by UF or the men’s basketball program regarding the status of Golden’s tenure at Florida. The team will play a home game on Monday evening at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, where Golden will be present.

The Alligator spoke with two separate women who attested to Golden’s behavior and requested to remain anonymous for safety reasons. Since the investigation began, there was a small amount of action that was taken by UF, both women said.

The first woman, a former UF student, said that Golden stalked her in person, both in his car and on foot, and that this occurred “more than 10 times.” On one occasion, she said she posted her location on her Instagram story, and Golden messaged her shortly after saying that he was in the area “waiting for [her].”

She also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to her. On multiple occasions, the first woman said she received the photos while the team was traveling on the road. The nature of Golden’s alleged stalking became more assertive over time, she said.

“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow.

That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” the first woman said. “And then it becomes, ‘Wow, he’s kind of crossing a line. No, he didn’t mean it that way.’ Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s fully stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of his d*ck.’ It was a full grooming process with all of us.”

Both the first woman and the second woman, also a former UF student, corroborated that Golden liked Instagram posts of theirs dating back to 2023, sometimes even older. Additionally, they said he liked multiple posts at once, supposedly in an attempt to get the women’s attention before going back and unliking them

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Florida Gators Men's Basketball head coach Todd Golden is seen coaching from the sideline during the team’s game against the Jacksonville Dolphins on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.

to avoid suspicion.

“He would go at such lengths about it,” the first woman said. “He would go back, like a year back, and like 10 photos at once. Then, obviously, [he] followed up with a DM, always in vanish mode… Just really aggressive Instagram stalking is the best way to explain that.”

Golden had been in contact with both women for over a year before unfollowing them after they were told UF began looking into his behavior this past August, they said.

According to Snoopreport, a publicly accessible Instagram activity tracking software, Golden unfollowed 118 accounts on the platform between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1. At least 20, if not more, of these accounts appear to have been young women without connection to the Florida basketball program, or any other organizations that Golden had been previously affiliated with.

The second woman said Golden told numerous women that they were “his drug” or “his good luck charm” before games.

“He had this manipulation tactic over everyone,” she said. “And he sent us all the same sh*t. It was copy-paste to every girl.”

Both women also allege UF Special Assistant Ralphie Ferrari and UF Director of Basketball Strategy and Analytics Jonathan Safir were complicit in Golden’s misconduct and had knowledge of it. Neither of the men were mentioned in the Title IX complaint. Neither of them responded for comment.

The first woman said this misconduct goes beyond Golden. She believes there is a culture of sexual harassment within Florida’s coaching staff that has only grown since his arrival in Gainesville over two years ago, she said.

“I think it is just a sick f*cking joke that they’re all doing, within that organization, all the coaches,” she said. “They probably get off by showing each other the pictures…There’s something f*cking sick going on there.” @jackmeyerUF jmeyer@alligator.org @Max_Tuckr1 mtucker@alligator.org

BASEBALL

From scorekeeper to starter: Ashton Wilson’s UF baseball journey THE JUNIOR OUTFIELDER DIDN’T EARN PLAYING TIME UNTIL LATE LAST SEASON

By Jackson Colding Sports Writer

Junior outfielder Ashton Wilson embodies Florida baseball’s 2024 campaign: getting an opportunity to blossom late in the season and making the most of it. In Wilson’s case, his opportunity came after keeping track of UF’s scorecard on the bench for the majority of the regular season.

The summer of 2023 was a big one for Wilson. He had just finished his freshman season at Charleston Southern, and he entered the transfer portal.

Before UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan began recruiting Wilson that summer, he planned on playing one more season in junior college.

However, he changed his plans after receiving a call from O’Sullivan with a chance to play for the Gators.

“Once I got that opportunity [at Florida], it was one of those that was kind of impossible to turn down be-

cause of a school of that caliber,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you play college baseball to win, and that’s what this school does.”

When Wilson arrived at UF, he took on a role that he wasn’t particularly familiar with. He sat on the bench behind other outfielders before getting his opportunity.

Wilson finally got a chance to play following injuries to then-junior outfielder Ty Evans and then-freshman outfielder Hayden Yost. However, even when he was not playing, he took it upon himself to be the best teammate possible in any situation.

“I would try and be the guy that would lift people up,” Wilson said.

“I have never been the type to yell at people.”

Wilson’s role on the team seemed to take a complete 180 in the final game of Florida’s regular season series against Kentucky in May. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Wilson was called off the bench to pinch hit and promptly sent a tworun double down the right-field foul line.

After this at-bat, Wilson quickly

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rose through the ranks of Florida’s lineup. His success also seemed to kickstart a miraculous run for the Gators.

“I went from kind of cheering on the team to being on the field, so you know most of it is hard to look back on just because it was a blur, but it was so much fun.” Wilson said.

Despite UF losing some of its key players this offseason, Wilson reaffirmed that the expectation for the program in 2025 has not changed.

An appearance in the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, has been, and will continue to be, the standard.

“One-hundred percent, that’s always the expectation, and I think everyone that comes [into the program] knows that too,” Wilson said.

UF assistant coach Taylor Black, who primarily works with Florida’s hitters, said one of the things he first noticed about Wilson was his upbeat personality.

Black said Wilson shows a keen ability to bounce back from mistakes while keeping a strong head on his shoulders.

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“It’s just kind of that mentality that he goes out there and doesn’t let a ton of stuff bother him, he moves on quick,” Black said.

When describing Wilson’s leadership abilities, Black said he is more of a lead-by-example type of player.

He acknowledged that the players see Wilson go about his business in a professional manner, and he leads silently.

Black said Wilson’s abilities as a player are impressive. He cited Wilson’s intelligence and speed as two things that make him stand out.

“He’s very instinctual, he’s got the ability to go steal some bases,” Black said.

Ashton’s mother, Jamee, said that Ashton’s high school coach reached out to them during his college transfer process. When his high school coach said Florida was interested, it made them reconsider his junior college plans.

When Florida called, the decision was easy for the Wilsons. His family leaned heavily on their faith throughout the process and felt confident God would guide him to the best outcome.

“We kind of were all in agreement that it was kind of a God thing, just because it came out of the blue, and that just usually doesn’t happen with a school like Florida,” Jamee said.

When talking about Ashton playing in Omaha, his mom said it was surreal, and that it was a dream come true.

The Wilsons also noted a sense of foreshadowing as the family watched the Men’s College World Series in 2023.

“Obviously, we watched Florida and LSU play in the finals, and we literally made the comment that when we were just seeing the crowd and stuff, we were just like ‘I don’t know if we would be able to handle it if Ashton was playing in this type of game,’” Jamee said.

Although Ashton finally got the opportunity to showcase his talents at the Men’s College World Series, his transition into the offseason has not come without its challenges.

Now, he’s continuing to work on the skills that allowed him to earn the trust and respect of his teammates and coaches last season, he said.

Follow us for updates

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

@Colding_Jackson jcolding@alligator.org

El Caimán

MARTES, 12 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2024 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Las enmiendas 3 y 4 fracasaron. ¿Y ahora qué?

LA MARIHUANA RECREATIVA Y EL DERECHO AL ABORTO NO SE CONSAGRARÁN EN LA CONSTITUCIÓN DE FLORIDA Por Morgan Vanderlaan Esritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Isabela Reinoso Esritora de El Caimán

Tanto la enmienda 3 como la 4 fracasaron con sólo un 55,7% y un 57% a favor, respectivamente. Ambas enmiendas necesitaban un 60% de votos para ser aprobadas.

La Enmienda 3 hubiera permitido a los adultos mayores de 21 años poseer, comprar o consumir productos de marihuana con fines recreativos. Permitiendo la posesión recreativa de hasta tres onzas. Para acceder a la votación, la enmienda fue aprobada por el Tribunal Supremo de Florida el 1 de abril y obtuvo más

de un millón de firmas de votantes. Según la legislación actual de Florida, la marihuana sólo es legal para uso médico.

La Enmienda 4 establecía que ninguna ley podía restringir el aborto antes de la viabilidad, que según la mayoría de los profesionales sanitarios se sitúa en torno a las 24 semanas.

Se esperaba que la enmienda restableciera las protecciones que existían antes de la anulación del caso Roe contra Wade en 2022.

El referéndum recibió más de 900.000 firmas de apoyo antes de acceder a las urnas.

Los abortos en Florida están y seguirán estando restringidos por la Ley de Protección del Latido del Corazón, confirmada por el Tribunal Supremo de Florida el 1 de abril.

La ley prohíbe todos los procedimientos de aborto electivo en el estado después de las seis semanas de embarazo, con excepciones de hasta 15 semanas en casos documentados de violación e incesto.

En todo el estado, más del 78% de los votantes acudieron a las urnas, con una participación superior al 79% en el condado de Alachua.

Como cuestiones no partidistas, tanto la

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Blood ethics

Enmienda 3 como la 4 no fueron aprobadas oficialmente por ningún partido político. La enmienda 3 contó con el apoyo bipartidista de los Jóvenes Republicanos de Florida y del Partido Demócrata de Florida.

Se han gastado millones de dólares en la campaña "Sí a la 3" de Florida, siendo uno de los mayores donantes Trulieve, un dispensario común de marihuana medicinal. La compañía ya ha donado más de 95 millones de dólares a la iniciativa, dijo el portavoz de Trulieve, Steven Vancore.

A diferencia del apoyo bipartidista a la marihuana recreativa, la Enmienda 4 se caracterizó por ser una cuestión de tendencia más demócrata, con apoyos de organizaciones dominadas por plataformas políticas más liberales como People Power Florida y el Partido Demócrata de Florida.

El gobernador Ron DeSantis y su administración se enfrentan a problemas legales tras amenazar a las cadenas de televisión para que no emitan anuncios a favor de la Enmienda 4. En una demanda pendiente del grupo a favor de la Enmienda 4, Floridians Protecting Freedom, contra el Departamento de Salud de

Donating plasma for money. Read more on pg. 5.

Florida, presentada el 25 de octubre, se acusa al Departamento de Salud de enviar cartas de prohibición a varias emisoras de televisión ordenando que no se emitan anuncios a favor de la Enmienda 4. Según la demanda, estas cartas fueron escritas por abogados de DeSantis.

El 29 de octubre, el Partido Republicano de Florida presentó una denuncia ante el Comité Electoral de Florida contra Floridians Protecting Freedom.

El fracaso de la enmienda 4 es una victoria para las adolescentes que necesitan el consentimiento paterno en estos procedimientos, para los bebés no nacidos que de otro modo podrían ser abortados a término y para la salud de las mujeres, ya que no se pondrán en peligro las normas básicas de seguridad, dijo Richard Sandler, médico pediatra y profesor de pediatría e ingeniería mecánica y aeroespacial en la Universidad de Florida Central.

Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org @isareinosod ireinoso@alligator.org

Síganos para actualizaciones

Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman.

ART AFTER DARK

Open until 9 pm every Thursday!

SPECIAL EVENT

NIGHTS

Museum Nights Thursday, November 14, 6 – 9 pm Live to Create, Create to Live Celebrate In Our Time: 54th SA+AH Faculty Art Exhibition with a video and sound performance

by Sean J Patrick Carney, music by Ramblin’ Mutts Blues Band, gallery talks and hands-on activities. Refreshments will be served.

FREE ADMISSION

Movie Night

Thursday, November 21, 5 – 9 pm

Watch “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” on the big screen at 6 pm in the Rotunda. Complimentary beverages and movie snacks will be available. image: Still from 32.5784° N, 110.8514° W by Sean J Patrick Carney, 2023, video with live performance, 18 minutes. Original footage of Biosphere 2 courtesy of Michael Smith, shot by Roberto Bellini, ca. 2010

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Art After Dark will not take place on Thursday, November 28 due to Thanksgiving.