Monday, Nov. 14, 2022

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VOLUME 117 ISSUE 13

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

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‘Red wave’ washes Florida, Alachua County stays true to blue MIDTERMS SAW INCUMBENT SUCCESS, NEW ELECTORAL PROCEDURES

By Heather Bushman Alligator Staff Writer

With a host of familiar faces, a prophesied “red wave” and a pair of electoral changes in Alachua County — this year’s midterm election left its mark.

Election Day is in the rearview, but race results and referendums will impact the local, state and national political landscapes for years to come. The Alligator analyzed general trends and takeaways from the midterm election and compiled the biggest storylines in the aftermath of Nov. 8.

Here’s what the results mean looking forward in Alachua County.

Florida Republicans delivered in big races

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, celebrates a win against Democratic candidate Danielle Hawk at Granville Plantation Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Lauren Lemasters impeachment resolution dies in Judiciary Committee RESOLUTION POSTPONED INDEFINITELY

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

The Student Government Judiciary Committee indefinitely postponed the resolution to impeach Student Body President Lauren Lemasters Sunday, effectively failing the legislation for the time being.

The Judiciary Committee heard 14 pieces of legislation during the Sunday meeting, one of which was a resolution to impeach Lemasters submitted by the Change caucus.

The committee reviews all submitted legislation and makes adjustments before voting on whether to hear it on the Senate floor.

The impeachment resolution asserts Lemasters conducted malfeasance — or violating a contractual obligation — by breaking the trust of other elected officials. The

resolution was brought about for her affirmative vote for Sen. Ben Sasse to become UF president at the Nov. 1 Board of Trustees meeting.

The Judiciary Committee argued Lemasters had the freedom of choice to vote in the direction she preferred, which wouldn’t constitute malfeasance, deputy minority caucus leader Gabriela Montes (Change-Liberal Arts and Sciences) said.

Change caucus will continue to find ways to hold Lemasters accountable, Montes said.

“I absolutely have not lost hope in our ability to continue pursuing measures of accountability and of pressing toward ensuring that things like these cannot happen ever again,” Montes said.

Judiciary chair Sean Harkins hasn’t responded to The Alligator’s request for comment as of Sunday night.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Former Gators volleyball star takes on new role

Story description finish with comma, pg# Caroline Knop coaches the same team she used to play for as a volunteer assistant.

Read more on pg. 11.

Though the promise of a national red wave fizzled out as Democrats secured control of the U.S. Senate Nov. 12, conservative candidates in Florida largely swept their races.

Republicans like Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio comfortably regained their seats. DeSantis won his bid for reelection

against Democratic nominee former Rep. Charlie Crist with almost 60% of the vote, and longtime U.S. Senate incumbent Rubio defeated Democratic nominee former Rep. Val Demings with almost 58% of the vote for his third term in Washington.

DeSantis claims the largest margin of victory in a Florida gubernatorial race since 1982, when former Democratic Gov. Bob Graham defeated Republican candidate Skip Bafalis with almost 65% of the vote. His win includes a flipped Miami-Dade County, where a 55% vote for DeSantis signaled the county’s first Republican vote since 2002.

The U.S. House also had significant conservative shakeups, with four Florida Congressional districts — including Crist’s 13th — flipped red. That number skews the U.S. House split from 16 Republicans and 11 Democrats to 20 Republicans and 8 Democrats, as 2020 redistricting added another district.

In Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Kat Cammack won her second term in a decisive fashion, defeating Democratic candidate Danielle Hawk with 62.5% of the vote. The newly drawn district includes all

SEE ELECTION, PAGE 5

How one Nov. 8 referendum changes future Alachua County Commission elections Commissioners will be voted by district

By Aidan Bush Alligator Staff Writer

Voting in Alachua County will look different in future elections after a referendum item passed in the Nov. 8 election despite the wishes of the Alachua County Commission.

County commissioners will now only be voted in by residents who live in the commissioner’s district, due to a charter amendment creating single-member districts. It passed by a margin of 2,567 votes, or 2.9%.

Previously, commissioners were elected at-large, meaning residents voted in every county commission race regardless of if they lived in the district they were voting for.

The Alachua County Commission unanimously voted against the referendum in December 2021.

Florida House Bill 1493, filed by Republican state Rep. Chuck Clemons in January, forced the item onto the

SEE IMPEACHMENT, PAGE 6

county ballot.

Ed Braddy, former Gainesville mayor and chair of the Alachua County Republican Party, ran for District 2 County Commission and lost. However, he won in some respect with the passage of singlemember districts — a key platform point he ran on throughout his campaign.

The new single-member district system helps preserve the voices of rural residents, he said.

“You’re actually going to have a representative who lives in the district and represents the interests of the district,” Braddy said.

The system has already seen success in Gainesville, he said.

The Gainesville City Commission is mainly elected using single-member districts, while the mayor and two at-large seats are elected citywide.

Gainesville’s situation is much different, Mayor Lauren Poe said, as it intentionally has the singlemember districting method to en-

Students demand answers for graduate housing closures

Housing advocates feel recent university actions contradict reasoning for closing Maguire Village and University Village, pg. 4

sure minority representation in city office. Alachua County, he said, hasn’t struggled with the same representation issues.

“The county is in a different situation,” Poe said. “They have been able to consistently elect minority representation.”

It’s unclear how minority votes would be impacted by the electoral change. In the recent general election, white voters accounted for around 65% of the vote countywide, according to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections’ district demographics.

Those against the decision fear single-member district voting discourages collaboration across different commission seats.

District 3 County Commissioner Anna Prizzia said the vote encourages future commissioners to focus only on their district’s needs, removing a holistic approach to county governance.

“As a result, decisions that get made sometimes aren’t the best decisions for the whole county,” Priz-

SEE DISTRICT, PAGE 5

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Madrina’s closes its doors for the last time

Owners cite financial reasons after the COVID-19 pandemic for the closure, pg. 8

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

County emergency services encounter Today’s Weather few issues with Tropical Storm Nicole RESIDENTS SAW FALLEN TREES, POWER OUTAGES

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

Alachua County encountered another bout of severe weather last week with Tropical Storm Nicole, more than one month after minimal damages were felt from Hurricane Ian. Nicole reached Alachua County Nov. 9 with average wind speeds of 30 to 50 mph through Nov. 10. It left downed power lines, trees and more than 1,500 county residents without power in its wake.

While Alachua County didn’t face widespread damage during Nicole unlike St. Lucie, Volusia, Flagler, Palm Beach and Martin counties — there were five county residents trapped under roofs after trees fell on their properties.

A resident of Fairbanks — an unincorporated community between Gainesville and Waldo — was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital in critical condition Nov. 10 after a tree collapsed on his shed from tropical storm force winds, said Harold Theus, Alachua County Fire Rescue fire chief.

The resident was trapped under his roof in critical condition, unable to move, he said. ACFR arrived at the scene and used a front-end loader and a tractor to remove him from the shed after an hour.

“We had to do everything to lift the weight off of him, first of all, and then create a secure environment for us to go in and actually extract him from underneath the tree in the roof,” Theus said.

Fire rescue was prepared for wind-related damages due to a high amount of wooded area in the county, Theus said.

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Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Nov. 10 in the southeastern region of the county, he said four other people were rescued after trees fell on their properties due to wind speeds of 45 mph.

Rescue operations for the four people lasted about 20 minutes once rescue personnel arrived. They were able to remove themselves from the damaged property.

“A tree on a house is a very complicated matter because you end up with an unstable structure,” Theus said. “You don't know what part of the roof or ceiling could collapse next.”

Throughout the rest of the county, damage consisted mainly of fallen trees and power lines, Alachua County spokesperson Mark Sexton said. About 1,673 residents were without power as of 3:40 p.m. Nov. 10, according to a Gainesville Regional Utilities tweet.

Tropical storm winds of up to 70 mph reached Alachua County around 11 p.m. Nov. 10. Residents were cautioned to monitor hurricane kit supplies and determine whether they needed to stay at a shelter. Sheltering is a last resort, Sexton said.

“We really asked people to assess their structure, and if they lived in a mobile home or a home that they felt unsafe with, to start making plans to go to a shelter,” Sexton said.

Although not as severe as other storms Alachua County faced over the years, Sexton said the community response to Nicole was incredible.

Kaley Behl, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said law enforcement officers will often work double shifts during severe weather events to maintain public safety.

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When Behl monitored emergency calls Nov. 10, she said she received around 102 weather-related calls for service. For Hurricane Ian, Behl said there were around 96 calls.

Law enforcement officials cut down trees to clear roadways, remained stationed at shelters and assisted power companies to clear broken power lines and get systems up and running in the aftermath of Nicole. When traffic lights are down, officers also direct traffic, Behl said.

“It's maybe not always a law enforcement function, but it's definitely a safety function,” Behl said.

About 40 trees were cut down by chainsaw crews in the aftermath of the storm, Sexton said.

“Public works was poised and ready,” Sexton said. “Flooding really never became an issue. But we were prepared for that.”

In the case of previous hurricanes and tropical storms, the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides aid and financial assistance to rebuild structures and help displaced residents, including those in areas most susceptible to flooding. This is the case for Lee County following Hurricane Nicole, Director of Emergency Management Jen Grice said. @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 ALLIGATOR 3

Democrats, incumbents win big in Alachua County

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Casey Willits, District 3 city commisioner-elect, embraces Danielle Hawk during a watch party at Depot Event Space Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Hawk lost to Kat Cammack for the 3rd Congressional District seat.

Lorenzo Vasquez // Alligator Staff Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, addresses a crowd of nearly 200 supporters during her watch party at Granville Plantation Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Mary Alford, Marihelen Wheeler and Ken Cornell pose for a photo at Heartwood Soundstage after winning the District 1, 2 and 4 county commission seats Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Sophia Abolfathi // Alligator Staff

Gainesville mayor-elect Harvey Ward delivers a victory speech to a crowd of about 70 at the Heartwood Soundstage Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Voters make their way to the Career Connections Center inside the Reitz Union to cast their ballot in the midterm elections Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022.

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

UF coalition bands together to save graduate housing complexes MAGUIRE, UNIVERSITY VILLAGE TO CLOSE,

By Siena Duncan Alligator Staff Writer

Derek LaMontagne has been trying for more than a year to stop his housing complex from shutting down.

LaMontagne lives in Maguire Village, one of two graduate housing complexes UF has scheduled to close in Summer 2023. The other is University Village South. Now, with closure less than half a year away, he’s forming a coalition with the help of UF political science senior Gabrielle Adekunle to make one last push to get UF’s ear and stop it from happening.

LaMontagne has lived at Maguire Village for five years now. Based on his own experience there, he doesn’t see why the village needs to be closed, he said.

“It’s like paradise,” LaMontagne said. “And they’re tearing it down without good justification.”

There are now about 500 available on-campus student housing units for around 4,000 graduate students, GAU Co-President Bryn Taylor said. UF will remove 348 units in total.

But the university asserts the demolition is necessary due to concerns about living conditions.

Take Action, a progressive student group that Adekunle heads, is part of the coalition. Other groups include Graduate Assistants United, Graduate Student Council, the Black Graduate Student Association, the Alachua County Labor Coalition, the Community Justice Project and the Sierra Club. The coalition is still growing, she said.

“I think this is a vital time to make some change happen with this,” Adekunle said.

The coalition’s efforts come on the tail end of more than a year’s work from various graduate organizations that has seen little traction.

The housing plan was announced in Fall 2019. Two years later, when LaMontagne realized the plans were

going to go into effect soon, he organized protests — including one Oct. 22, 2021, where Calvin Mosley, director of residence life and education, called the police on protestors handing out leaflets at a Maguire Village Halloween event, LaMontagne said.

LaMontagne also wrote up a 2021 petition outlining demands to reverse the decision to close the villages. As of Sunday, it has 1,034 signatures.

But UF Housing often doesn’t respond to his calls and emails, LaMontagne said. He attended a Campus Student Housing Committee meeting Oct. 28 to try and address his concerns about closing Maguire Village and UVS. He was told the housing closure was necessary for UF to maintain a good position in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings, he said. UF currently is the No. 5 public university.

Now, the new coalition is going to present an updated list of demands, Adekunle said. It’ll also call for a criminal investigation of UF Housing and Residence Life for possibly endangering student families and mishandling Maguire Village and UVS. Part of the demands include the resignation of Tina Horvath, senior director of housing and residence life, Chad Doering, facilities management director, and Mosley.

“They have been contributing to this problem,” she said.

The decision to shut down the two villages comes from a comprehensive building assessment that determined they were beyond “economical renovation,” meaning it would cost too much to fix problems in the buildings, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said. The villages could no longer provide quality of life up to par, she added.

The buildings face issues with mold, moisture penetration and plumbing issues, according to the original 2019 UF Housing Master Plan. Combined, both buildings would require more than $35 million in renovations within the next five years.

Renovations aren’t recommend-

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Maguire Village is a student housing facility located off of Radio Road. ed, according to the plan, and implementing the plan would involve having the two villages slated for demolition before Fall 2023. The estimated demolition costs are about $6 million.

However, there are currently no written plans to demolish the villages in the current document, Roldan said. It’s unclear what UF will replace the villages with, according to the UF Housing and Residence Life website.

The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted to recommend the housing plan Jan. 6. But it didn’t happen without pushback — the meeting was postponed multiple times as the commission requested more information about affordable graduate housing from UF director of planning Linda Dixon.

Eventually, the commission decided to vote yes.

Both Adekunle and LaMontagne take issue with the idea that the villages are beyond fixing. LaMontagne, as a resident, has had no major issues with his living conditions when it comes to plumbing or mold, he said.

The current conditions at the villages aren’t unsafe, according to the website. But if that’s the case,

Adekunle said, then it doesn’t make sense to get rid of them entirely.

“If they’re not up to date, then why do we have people living in them right now?” she said.

The argument of renovation costs being too high has even come up in a meeting with UF President Kent Fuchs, LaMontagne said. But recent news of the university purchasing apartment complexes Varsity House and The Continuum tells LaMontagne otherwise.

When asked about the graduate housing issue, Fuchs said he believes the most important issue is keeping up with the other universities UF is ranked against.

“We really have to be comparable to our best peers and our best competition,” Fuchs said.

The apartments will be paid for with $185.5 million in bonds, more than five times the amount the housing plan estimated for village renovations, as reported in the Gainesville Sun. The Gainesville Sun estimated new rental rates at Varsity House will be $975 a month, more than $400 greater than rates at the villages, which are capped at $599.

This kind of solution isn’t what LaMontagne was looking for.

How Sasse’s $1 million deal stacks up There’s no guarantee of tenure

By Christian Casale Alligator Staff Writer

Sen. Ben Sasse will become UF’s president Feb. 6, 2023, according to his publicly released contract. Upon an analysis by The Alligator, his contract draws many similarities to President Kent Fuchs’ 2014 employment agreement with UF. Tenure, presidential salary and handling outside activities are some of the most notable differences between Sasse’s, Fuchs’ and former President Bernie Machen’s contracts, which were obtained by The Alligator. However, most sections of the contracts remain the same.

A major difference in the contracts was Fuchs’ guaranteed tenure as a full professor — the highest ranking status of a professor — in the UF College of Engineering; while there’s no language regarding tenure in Sasse’s con-

tract. The status of his possible tenure would be left up to the Board of Trustees, not the history department, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said.

Machen was also given a tenured faculty appointment as a professor in the School of Dentistry.

Both Sasse and Fuchs’ contracts allow for them to benefit from outside activities — with some limitations.

“The University recognizes that it may be appropriate for Dr. Sasse to engage in outside activities, such as serving on outside boards, consulting, delivering speeches, and writing, among other things,” the contract states.

Fuchs was limited by the same parameters, but he needed to get prior written approval from two UF trustees — which could include the board chair — to serve on a board of trustees for any for-profit or non-profit board of directors.

Sasse’s contract doesn’t directly mention his ability to serve on a non-UF board.

It also doesn’t directly say his outside activities must follow the bylaws or policies of the Board of Trustees — only that he’s allowed to engage in such activities as long as he obtains approval from the board chair, according to the contract. The board would weigh in on potential conflicts of interests with UF, or possible inability to fulfill the role of president.

UF will reimburse Sasse for the moving costs of bringing his family from Nebraska to Gainesville. It’ll also pay the costs of utilities, housekeeping and maintenance of the Dasburg President’s House. UF also agreed to these terms for Fuchs in 2014, who at the time was living in Ithaca, New York, as the provost of Cornell University.

Adjusted for inflation, Sasse’s initial presidential base salary is 65% higher than that of Machen in 2003. But it’s 7% lower than Fuchs’ 2014 base salary.

Sasse’s base salary will be $1 million a year. If he remains an active UF employee in

“It seems like the wrong way to spend the money,” LaMontagne said. “It’s just not respectful of what we already have.”

Taylor said she agrees.

The union and UF recently negotiated a $1,420 increase to the minimum stipend for graduate assistants — the money they receive each year for their work — raising it to $22,753 annually. However, the package they secured Aug. 18 ended up $15,580 less than GAU’s original offer.

If UF is planning on housing graduate assistants in apartments that have high-rent costs, Taylor said, it should raise the stipend by those costs as well. The low stipend is why there’s such a demand for low-rent graduate housing in the first place, she said.

GAU plans to use the housing issue to raise the minimum stipend when negotiations reopen in October, Taylor said.

“It will definitely be in the arsenal,” she said. “If they are dead set on having this being their housing plan, then it’s pretty much their only option.” @SienaDuncan sduncan@alligator.org

good standing by July 2024, his salary will increase by 4% annually. Fuchs’ contract agreed to raise his annual base salary at the exact same rate.

Sasse’s performance bonuses can also add up to 15% of his salary, according to his contract.

Further financial incentives are determined by whether UF reaches designated short-term goals and sees long-term goal progress, which are determined by a strategic plan that has to be developed by Sasse and the 16 UF colleges.

The plan will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate and approved by the Board of Trustees.

The language about short-term goals and long-term goals in Fuchs’ contract are nearly identical: Both specify that if 75% of the short-term goals are achieved rather than all of them, the annual salary would increase by 3% rather than 4%. However, for Sasse, the annual increase will be 2% only if 50% of short-term goals are fulfilled, and there will be no increase for less progress than that.

Sasse announced he will resign from the U.S. Senate in early January. @vanityhack ccasale@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 ALLIGATOR 5

Could return to ballot DISTRICT, from pg. 1 zia said.

Beyond state involvement, campaign efforts in favor of single-member districts also drew criticism locally.

Targeted fliers quoting local Black public figures like District 5 County Commissioner Charles Chestnut led the local NAACP chapter to pursue legal action against the campaign, according to a WUFT report.

Those against single-member districts felt the campaign was disingenuous and confused voters.

Evelyn Foxx, president of the Gainesville NAACP chapter, said the campaign misconstrued their stance on single-member districts.

“I think the PAC did an excellent job of confusing the voters,” Foxx said.

The single-member district campaign was funded by large, statewide Political Action Committees, with Leading for Our Future named on some campaign signs.

Leading for Our Future spent about $81,000 in advertising across Alachua County since August, according to the Florida Division of Elections, though it is unclear how much of that funding went toward singlemember district advertising.

Others in support of single-member districts felt campaigns were misleading across both party lines.

Diana Carlson, a 61-year-old Alachua resident and supporter of single-member districts, said the campaign was muddy across both aisles, as a person drew “no” over campaign signs in her yard.

“I think campaigns as a whole – local, state, national – need to be run clean,” Carlson said.

District 2 County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler said given the state’s involvement and the concerted campaign efforts, commissioners may put the item up for election again.

“I think that there’s some talk of putting it back on the ballot in 2024,” Wheeler said.

To do so, the commission would have to obtain around 10% of the voting population’s signatures, according to the Alachua County Home-Rule Charter.

In the meantime, the item is in effect immediately, meaning any future county commission elections will use single-member districts.

Alachua stays blue ELECTION, from pg. 1 of Alachua, Bradford, Putnam and Union counties as well as parts of Marion County.

The difference was DeSantis, said Ben Torpey, a 26-yearold political consultant with Ozean Media. With 2020 redistricting approved by the governor, once-Democratic strongholds like Florida’s 5th and 13th Congressional Districts now swing right.

The new districts were drawn to favor Republicans, Torpey said. Blue majorities in historically Democratic districts are now overpowered by collections of red voters.

“He absolutely gerrymandered the entire state of Florida for the Republican Party,” Torpey said. “He really just gave the party four seats in Congress.”

National expectations of a Republican surge never materialized, with a majority in the U.S. House still up for grabs as some races in states like Arizona and Georgia head to a runoff. As of Nov. 13, 211 Republicans and 203 Democrats have been elected to the House, with 21 seats still undecided. The U.S. Senate is similarly gridlocked, with 48 Republicans and 48 Democrats confirmed while two seats are up in the air.

But in Florida, the red wave crested and crashed onto the ballot box.

Alachua County maintains blue stronghold

Despite the red sea of statewide Republican representation, Alachua County voted Democrat in every race.

Mary Alford, Marihelen Wheeler and Ken Cornell — all Democrats — were elected to the Alachua County Commission over Republican candidates. Democrats like Yvonne Hayes Hinson, Rodney Long and Brandon Peters also won over Alachua County voters in races for the Florida Legislature, despite only Hinson winning her seat as the District 21 representative in the Florida House.

Alachua’s influence didn’t matter much for races that transcend county borders, with Republicans like Cammack and state Sen. Keith Perry earning reelection.

Of about 183,000 active registered voters in Alachua County, 87,000 are Democrats, 49,000 are Republicans and 46,000 are non-party affiliates.

A Republican hasn’t won Alachua County in a race where all precincts reported since 2010, when Marco Rubio defeated Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek and Charlie Crist, who ran with no party affiliation, with 40% of the county vote.

In partisan races where all 64 of Alachua County’s precincts voted, Democrats won with an average of 58% of the vote. The county favored both local candidates, who won

@aidandisto abush@alligator.org

Lorenzo Vasquez // Alligator Staff

Various campaign signs line the perimeter of the “Big Max” sculpture outside of the Harn Museum of Art Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

their races, as well as state and national candidates like Crist, Demings and Hawk, who lost their races.

Turnout took a hit

Despite a record-setting number of voters in the 2018 midterms, this year’s election saw Alachua County turnout deflate back to its typical numbers.

Turnout this year reached 53%, a stark decrease from 2018’s 64% turnout. But that total falls in line with the Alachua County’s 53% midterm average since 1996.

This year’s turnout wasn’t an outlier, Alachua County Supervisor of Elections spokesperson Aaron Klein said — 2018’s was. The Reitz Union opened as an early voting spot that year, which Klein said could have contributed to a spike in voter enthusiasm that had worn off by the time this year’s midterms rolled around.

High-profile races on 2018’s ballot also factored into the high turnout, Torpey said. Democrats were specifically motivated to vote in the wake of Republican former President Donald Trump’s term, he said, which drew more voters than usual for a midterm to the polls.

“It was folks coming out of the woodwork to vote directly against Trump,” Torpey said. “That’s what folks were excited about.”

With the absence of a marquee race, midterms usually fare worse than presidential election years. Alachua County’s midterm average of 53% is more than 20% lower than the average in presidential elections at 74%.

National turnout is estimated at almost 47%, according to a preliminary study from UF’s U.S. Elections Project. In Florida, almost 50% of active registered voters turned out, per the study.

Incumbents won the day

Several candidates from this year’s ballot are gearing up for a repeat performance in their respective offices, as almost every incumbent up for reelection on Alachua County tickets won their race.

At the state and national level, DeSantis, Rubio, Cammack and Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody were all confirmed for a second term. Despite district changes, Hinson, state Rep. Chuck Clemons and Perry won their bids for reelection.

Locally, county commissioners Alford, Wheeler and Cornell all won like they had in 2020. Despite a 2020 win with 63% of the vote, Alford was replaced by Republican Commissioner Raemi-Eagle Glenn when she was found in violation of her residency requirements, but she won back her seat with almost 59% of the vote this year.

Alachua County voting will look different

With the passage of two major voting amendments, local

elections will look different from now on.

Alachua County passed the single-member district referendum, which allows only residents of county and city districts to vote for the candidates running to represent them, with 51% of the vote. Prior to the amendment, every Alachua County resident voted for the representative in every district, despite only living in one.

The referendum will change the shape of the county commission in future elections, Torpey said. With Democrats concentrated in Gainesville and Republicans in cities like High Springs and Newberry, Torpey said single-member voting will likely put more Republicans on the commission from red districts.

“It looks like there’s going to be one, two seats guaranteed,” he said.

Alachua County also voted to call special elections in the case of a vacant seat on the county commission. The vote changes the current process of filling vacancies, which allows the governor to appoint a commissioner to fill the seat.

Under the previous system, DeSantis appointed EagleGlenn to Alford’s empty seat. The amendment passed with 64% of the vote.

Campaign finance data didn’t tell the whole story

Past trends have shown the candidate who spends the most in their campaign usually wins their race, but that statistic didn’t stick in a few key races this year.

Demings, who out-earned and out-spent Rubio, lost the U.S. Senate race with only 41% of the vote. Ed Braddy, the Republican candidate for the District 2 seat on the county commission, also totaled more in finances than Wheeler, his opponent, but lost his race.

For Demings, Torpey said the data didn’t match the makeup of the Florida electorate. The state’s recent shift toward the right is more meaningful at the polls than higher campaign receipts, he said.

Florida Democrats face an uphill battle for the foreseeable future, Torpey said, with conservative momentum building from a DeSantis win and other successful Republican campaigns. Liberal candidates will have to do more than amass considerable funds to pull out a win, he said.

“The Florida Democratic Party’s all but collapsed,” Torpey said. “It’s really tough to go up against the superstar power of DeSantis.”

Similarly, Braddy’s loss comes at the hands of a predominantly blue electorate. Alachua County hasn’t voted for a Republican commissioner since 2010, when it elected Susan Baird to the District 4 seat with 54% of the vote.

Despite a last-minute push toward advertising and consulting, Braddy fell short, earning only 42% of the vote. @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Alachua County Forever acquires vital portion of land for conservation corridor PROPERTY ONCE OWNED BY FAMED CONSERVATIONISTS

By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp Alligator Staff Writer

Brian McNab fondly remembers many memories from his close friendship with environmentalist Archie Carr. One sticks with him: purchasing the land — home to a beloved Live oak tree — that Archie convinced him to in the late 1970s.

“He said, ‘the piece of land I’m going to sell you has a little wedge in it and it will be around that tree, so you can’t do anything with it,’” McNab, a 90-year-old retired UF biology professor, said.

“It has since then been called Archie’s Tree.”

Following years of collaboration with McNab and the Carr family, Alachua County Forever purchased this land, which is slated to become part of a wildlife corridor southwest of Micanopy.

It will connect Barr Hammock Preserve and Price’s Scrub State Park, a vital development in statewide conservation efforts. The property formerly belonged to Archie and his wife, conservationist Marjorie Harris Carr.

Alachua County Forever, a program dedicated to acquiring, improving and managing environmentally significant lands, funded the purchase of the CarrMcNab property through the Wild Spaces & Public Places one-half percent sales tax, which generates funds to improve parks and conservation land. The initiative was recently doubled through the

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

approval of an Alachua County referendum Nov. 8.

Peggy Carr, a 70-year-old Gainesville resident, a retired UF landscape architecture professor and the daughter-in-law of Archie and Marjorie, felt a responsibility to honor their memory.

“We, as a family, decided we wanted to try to protect as much of the land as possible for permanent conservation,” Peggy said.

Archie was a UF zoology professor and a famed environmentalist that pioneered research in declining sea turtle populations from habitat destruction and over-hunting. He was also a successful nature writer, Peggy said.

As an established zoologist and environmental activist, Marjorie founded Florida Defenders of the Environment and successfully

blocked the development of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, a body of water that would have connected the east and west coasts of the state for trade. This achievement paved the way for future statewide conservation efforts.

“We know how much they loved natural Florida and we know how much they loved the farm,” Peggy said. “By having it permanently protected, we thought it was a great way to add to their conservation legacy.”

Andi Christman, Alachua County Land Conservation Program manager, worked extensively with both McNab and the Carr family to ensure their land would be protected through conservation sale.

Established as part of the Florida Ecological Greenways Net-

Based on precedent IMPEACHMENT, from pg. 1 All members of the Judiciary Committee are Gator-affiliated.

Lemasters defended her vote for Sasse during the Nov. 8 Senate meeting, agreeing her vote was protected under freedom

of speech.

“First Amendment rights are alive and well within our campus,” Lemasters said.

“There's a difference between making your voice heard and taking action against or taking away the voices that are different from yours.”

Lemasters is confident Sasse could ef-

University of Florida

work, Christman said the CarrMcNab property was kept in its natural state enough to label it as an optimal preservation area. “[Florida Ecological Greenways Network] is looking at identifying what the most important lands in the state are that have not been completely altered from a natural condition that could still provide a state-level network of ecological greenways,” Christman said.

Positioned directly between Barr Hammock Preserve and Price’s Scrub State Park, this land acquisition is part of the Florida Forever Project. It’s slated to become part of a conservation corridor linking these two areas, she said.

“The goal of the project is to establish a corridor between those two properties that would allow wildlife to move freely from property to property,” she said, “but possibly long term in the future might also allow recreational visitors to move from property to property.”

However, the Carr-McNab land is just one piece in a much more complex puzzle of untouched area between both preserves.

More property acquisitions by Alachua County Forever would be required to establish the entire corridor, Christman said.

“We have hopes we’ll be able to acquire others that will physically create a protected corridor of land between those two larger preserves,” she said.

The establishment of this wildlife passage also presents a unique opportunity to link conservation

fectively serve the student body and would fulfill his promise of “political celibacy,” she said at the meeting.

“I'm taking him at his word that he wants to advance and support every single student,” Lemasters said in the meeting. “I encourage you to be a part of that team, to hold him to his word, to lean into the difficult conversations and the communities that you care about and want to protect.”

SG impeachment procedures are somewhat dictated by precedence, as the written

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efforts between Alachua and Marion counties, Christman said.

“It allows us to extend efforts within Alachua County into a broader, bigger picture that includes parts of Marion County as well,” she said. “That’s one of the unique and exciting opportunities that come from this particular corridor.”

Negotiations to have this area purchased and protected by the county began eight years ago and have finally come to fruition, Peggy said. Linking the Barr Hammock Preserve and Price’s Scrub State Park will be a long process, but she hopes the Carr-McNab land will be the vital first step.

“This is what we hope is the first phase of protection for the land between those two, and eventually I hope it will be a complete ecological corridor between the two,” she said.

McNab bought his portion of the Carr-McNab property from Archie himself. They shared a close friendship for many years, he said.

“I’ve been holding it to incorporate into a conservation area and that has now been done,” McNab said.

Exploding development in Gainesville that has reduced natural preservation focus was his main motivation for protecting this land through conservation sale, McNab said.

“It’s just a natural thing that a biologist would like to preserve part of nature,” he said. @rylan_digirapp rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org

procedures aren’t entirely defined.

The most recent impeachment proceeding before Lemasters was that of former Student Body President Michael Murphy in 2019, whose impeachment came in light of leaked emails between Murphy and Trump campaign officials asking Donald Trump Jr. to speak on campus. The resolution to impeach Murphy also failed in Judiciary. @AlissaGary1 agary@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

ANIMALS

Gainesville cat lover raises thousands for strays GOFUNDME RAISED MORE THAN $7,000

By Luna Boales Avenue Staff Writer

Theresa Sumrall doesn’t spend her lunch breaks conversing with coworkers — instead, stray cats are usually her company of choice.

Sumrall, 38, has spent almost 15 years working with Gainesville’s cat colonies — treating more than 200 homeless cats across the city through veterinary care, end-oflife care and occasional rehoming.

Now, she’s turned to the community to ask for donations supporting her cause.

“With a little bit of help from people — a little bit of human support — you can see that these cats thrive,” she said.

Sumrall created a GoFundMe in August to pay off past emergency veterinary bills and fund future medical care for homeless cats. Of her $15,000 goal, the fundraiser has received more than $7,000. All funds Sumrall receives go directly toward helping 35 cats from seven different homeless cat colonies across Alachua County.

The majority of her time is spent visiting and caring for cat colonies — groups of free-roaming stray cats who travel together and frequent a particular territory, Sumrall said.

Some strays that have been abandoned by their owners initially are afraid of human interaction, she said, but she makes the effort to make sure they feel safe.

“They’re domesticated cats that never got a chance to know that humans can provide love and kindness, so they’re afraid,” Sumrall said. “It can take a long time to earn the trust of a cat who’s never had a home or friendly face before.”

As a vegan and self-proclaimed animal advocate, Sumrall said, she’s passionate about taking steps to prevent suffering among homeless cats.

Sumrall started supporting local cat colonies in 2008, spending 14 years working with Operation Catnip, a Gainesville nonprofit, before beginning to work with cats independently. Operation Catnip offers free spaying, neutering and vaccinations for stray cats in Alachua County and releases them back into their territory.

Operation Catnip currently sees about 500 cats a month and has sterilized close to 7,000 cats this year, operations director Melissa Jenkins said.

The high volume of strays is directly correlated with Florida’s high temperatures, Jenkins said. Cats reproduce primarily in the heat, she said, which prolongs the kitten season in the state from around April

Lorenzo Vasquez // Alligator Staff

One of the many cats helped by Theresa Sumrall’s fundraiser eats food outside Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. to November.

“There’s really a lot that goes against us, mainly our climates,” Jenkins said. “Most communities outside of Florida don’t have the warm temperatures as long as we do, and so that’s when we’re seeing a lot of the reproduction happen with cats outside.”

Operation Catnip primarily fo-

cuses on stray cat sterilization, which reduces their reproduction.

Beyond reproduction, Sumrall said, some of the biggest risks for strays in Gainesville are injury from cat fights and urinary blockages among male cats, which is considered a medical emergency and can lead to heart failure or death.

Diseases commonly found

among strays range from FIV — the feline version of HIV — to dental diseases like stomatitis, an inflammation of the mouth that makes eating incredibly painful. Often, Sumrall said, cats with stomatitis will find it easier to starve to death than to eat. Even after treatment, most of the cats will have to live indoors on steroids or immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives, she said.

“I’ve had several rescues over the years with that issue,” Sumrall said. “It’s more common than people think.”

Throughout her decade tending to Gainesville cats, she said, she has helped some strays be adopted — but only if they were suffering from medical issues, unhappy with their environment or not an outdoor cat.

Cats who were born indoors and then abandoned, she said, often lack the survival skills to live outside.

However, most cats who were born outdoors can thrive independently, Sumrall said.

Precious — a community cat who has received multiple adoption offers — is an example of a stray who doesn’t like to be confined, Sumrall said. Precious has lived her whole life in the same area, Sumrall said, so she’s more comfortable living independently and outdoors.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. @LunaBoales. lboales@alligator.org

MUSIC

Fiesta de la música: UF faculty, students nominated for Latin Grammy Awards TEAM WILL ATTEND THE CEREMONY NOV. 17

By Ashleigh Lucas Avenue Staff Writer

After Christmas caroling through the streets of After Christmas caroling through the streets of Puerto Rico for the first time, singing under strings of holiday lights with friends and family, then-7-year-old José Valentino Ruiz fell in love with music.

“I told my dad that night that I wanted to become a musician,” he said.

Ruiz, now a 35-year-old UF School of Music assistant professor of music business and entrepreneurship who has has been at UF since 2019, is nominated for two awards in the 23rd annual Latin Grammy Awards: Best Christian Album in a Spanish Language for “Viviré” and Best Latin Children’s Album for “A La Fiesta de la Música Vamos Todos.” The album “A La Fiesta de la Música Vamos Todos” was created in collaboration with a team of professors and

students from the School of Music.

The nominations aren’t Ruiz’s first. In 2015, he was nominated for Best Latin Jazz album, and in 2016, he was nominated for Best Instrumental Album. Ruiz also won an Emmy for Best Cultural Documentary in 2018, a Latin Grammy for Best Christian Album in a Spanish Language in 2019 and a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2020.

While all these awards hold a special place in his heart, he said, nothing beats being nominated for a project where he had the opportunity to partner with a group of talented musicians.

More than 100 different musicians from 20 different countries contributed to the production of this album, he said, including UF students and faculty.

“This is the most special one,” he said. “My dream was always to be up for a Grammy with students and professors.”

The album, “A La Fiesta de la Música Vamos Todos,” was completed in summer 2022 over the span of two weeks.

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Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

The COVID-19 pandemic prepared the team for the challenge that was creating music remotely, Ruiz said.

Thaddaeus Bourne, a 41-year-old UF visiting music professor, worked on “A La Fiesta de la Música Vamos Todos” as a background vocalist. The experience was a great way to explore creating music in different languages, he said.

“It’s always a lot of fun for me singing in other languages,” Bourne said. “I really enjoyed studying the different dialects in Spanish and working with José [Ruiz] to make it sound more authentic.”

Bourne has performed abroad in seven different countries, including Mexico, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Still, he said, working with Ruiz and teaching at UF has been an enriching experience beyond traveling and performing music.

“I love my job so much that for me, it’s a reward just to get up and do it,” he said.

Music has always been a significant part of his life, Bourne said, and sharing it with people who share his passion has been incomparable.

Chris Shelton, a 46-year-old UF doctoral student studying composition, was the recording engineer for the album. Seeing the project get such esteemed recognition has been a wonderful feeling, he said.

“All the hard work that everyone has put into this is being recognized,” Shelton said.

“That’s always a really nice thing.”

But this initial recognition is only the beginning.

The caliber of the Latin Grammy Awards is extremely tough, Ruiz said — about 20,000 albums are submitted for the competition each year.

Silviu Ciulei, a 37-year-old UF guitar studies professor and award-winning guitarist, said the collaboration was the best part of creating the album.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. @ashlucas01 alucas@alligator.org

Florida cracks six wins with blowout of South Carolina

The Gators picked up their second straight SEC victory behind a stifling defensive performance. Read more on pg. 11.

Scan to follow the Avenue on Spotify

8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Cocktail bar Madrina’s closes after 6 years BAR HOSTED ITS FINAL EVENT NOV. 11

By Lauren Brensel Alligator Staff Writer

It’s the end of an era, some bar-hoppers say. Madrina’s, a downtown Gainesville cocktail bar, is set to close its doors for financial reasons after six years in business.

The news became public via an Instagram post Nov. 4. Written by TJ Palmieri, the managing partner and one of three of Madri-

na’s owners, the post thanked the bar’s loyal customers, bartenders and other staff for all Madrina’s accomplished during its lifespan.

More than 250 local businesses and Gainesville residents commented on the post with wellwishes, red heart emojis and anecdotes of their favorite Madrina’s memories.

Alejandra Zavala, a 23-year-old Miami consultant and UF alumna, wrote that Madrina’s was still her favorite bar even after leaving Gainesville. Compared to the bars in Miami, she said, Madrina’s was

more intimate.

“There’s just nowhere I felt so welcomed and so appreciated like I did at Madrina’s,” she said.

But people haven’t flocked to the bar in the same numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic, Palmieri said. The announcement might’ve been a surprise for some, he said.

But hosting two good nights a week wasn’t bringing in the funds the staff needed to stay open.

“I think one of my partners was having to put a little bit of money in just to make sure we were making payroll,” he said.

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

A bartender makes drinks for customers inside Madrinas during the bar’s “last dance” Friday, Nov 11, 2022.

“It’s just a business decision more than anything.”

Madrina’s opened at 9 W. University Ave. in 2016 but existed as a pop-up spot for a year and a half before that, Palmieri said.

In 2018, Madrina’s was nominated for best new cocktail bar in the East alongside bars in Orlando, New York City and Nashville.

It was the first time a Gainesville bar was recognized by Tales of the Cocktail, a foundation that hosts conferences for people in the spirits industry, Palmieri said.

The cocktail bar’s menu featured daiquiris, beer, wine and Zavala’s favorite: the espresso martini.

Zavala celebrated her birthday at Madrina’s in addition to the several times she’d pass through the bar each week before graduating, she said.

“That’s a big sigh — knowing that whenever I do get to come back, they won’t be open and running for me to get an espresso martini,” she said.

Some of the staff, like Palmieri who’d been working from California for the past year and a half, didn’t know the bar was closing until the week of the announcement, he said. Instead, the decision was left in the hands of Madrina’s other two owners.

Though he wholeheartedly agreed with the choice to close, Palmieri said, he might’ve gone about it in a different way. That way, he said, there could’ve been more scheduled time for people to have their last Madrina’s drink.

After the announcement was

made Nov. 4, the bar posted Nov. 8 that it would hold its last event Nov. 11.

“But also, it’s easy for me to say in retrospect, and I’m not the one who’s having to sort of flip the business in the meantime,” he said.

Sarah Millard, a 25-year-old nurse at UF Health Shands Hospital, attended Madrina’s final event to say goodbye. Whenever she had visitors in Gainesville, she said, she brought them to Madrina’s.

“The bartenders are super nice and super knowledgeable and are always willing to make basically any cocktail that you can even dream of,” she said.

One of the reasons Zavala said she loved the bar so much was because it was a Cuban-owned business.

“I definitely saw a lot of my culture in their environment,” she said. “Even my first time walking in, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re playing Celia Cruz — like, this is Gainesville. This is not something you find very often.’”

Madrina’s was inspired by Palmieri’s Cuban family and his childhood experiences, he said.

In Spanish, madrina means godmother — but madrina was also what Palmieri called his grandmother.

Palmieri’s personal ties to the bar, he said, made it difficult to close.

“To see so many people really positively affected by the whole thing,” he said, “it made me feel great — like my grandmother would have been proud of me.” @LaurenBrensel lbrensel@alligator.org

Santa Fe College’s new charter school to bolster inclusivity It’s opening Fall 2023 to 75 ninth graders

By Claire Grunewald Alligator Staff Writer

More than 70 Alachua County ninth graders will have the opportunity to get a high school diploma, an associate in science degree or two industry certifications at Santa Fe College’s new charter school, starting Fall 2023.

Santa Fe Academy of Science and Technology will be the first of its kind in Gainesville by having a curriculum offering college courses and industry certifications that comes with no costs or specific requirements from students.

There’s no application process and students will be admitted into the school on a first-come, first-served basis.

Founders of the school see the lack of entrance barriers as a way to guarantee all Alachua County students have equal opportunity to attend the academy.

Jen Homard, executive director of secondary programs at SFC, wanted the school to be a true representation of the area, she said.

“There’s always requirements [for this type of school] and that’s not what we want. We want this to truly look like the makeup of Gainesville,” Homard said. “We want there to be a specific number of students that are minority, IEP, ESE.” Homard approached SFC President Paul Broadie II with

the idea of the school in 2020, she said.

The academy will be a four-year program located on Santa Fe College campus. In addition to general high school requirements, students will have the opportunity to take college classes and industry certification courses.

In order to promote inclusivity within the school, Homard and faculty plan to go out into local communities to inform the public about the school. No student should be prevented from participating in the program, Homard said.

Along with Homard, Bill McElroy and Adrian Debose make up the school’s staff. McElroy and Debose were named principal and curriculum director, respectively, of the school. Both have educational experience in Alachua County, working and leading in public high schools.

The academy plans to hire the rest of administration staff and teaching staff by Spring 2023, Homard said.

McElroy and Debose look forward to leading a new school that provides a different academic experience for Gainesville students, they said.

After the first semester, students will decide their desired pathways for their associate degrees. The pathway options are biotechnology, surgical technology, computer information technology and information technology security.

“Students have an opportunity to go into their field of

passion right away and enter into their career at an earlier age,” Debose said. “I think that is a tremendous opportunity.”

A program where students have the opportunities to follow their passions is something to be admired, McElroy said.

“It is something that’s brand new,” McElroy said. “This has been done in other places, but it’s new to Gainesville.

I think it’s going to provide a really unique experience for the kids.”

Along with the excitement, the school administration is preparing for the expected challenges that come with opening a new charter school.

Getting students through their high school requirements, college degrees and two industry certifications in four years is a lofty goal, Hornard said, as they’re offering them something that normally should take five to six years.

“Any student that comes our way, no matter where they are with reading or math, we are determined to attempt to help them get through,” Homard said.

Some of those challenges students will have to face include leaving their peers and coming to a brand new school.

“I think we’re gonna get that sort of student that is bold and wants to take the chance to be a part of the thing that they’ve never had here,” McElroy said. “That’s exciting.” @grunewaldclaire cgrunewald@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

VOLLEYBALL

Return of CK: Caroline Knop’s impact on Florida volleyball FORMER GATORS LIBERO RETURNED TO COACH FOR 2022 SEASON

By Ethan Eibe Sports Writer

Mary Wise had a dilemma.

There was an open spot in her coaching ranks after her former volunteer assistant coach Skylar Lopas became Flagler College’s head coach, and she needed someone to replace him before the collegiate volleyball season began in the fall.

Wise thought back to a conversation she had in Atlanta, recruiting alongside Lopas at the Big South National Qualifier in April. As fate would have it, she encountered her former All-American libero Caroline Knop at the tournament, allowing the pair to catch up.

“CK” was the centerpiece of the Gators squad that made it to the national championship game in 2017, only to fall to Nebraska in four sets.

She accumulated 976 digs in her Gators career, ranking 18th all-time in UF history.

After her time in Gainesville, Knop, then 22, joined the College of Charleston as an assistant coach, where she spent the past three seasons under the tutelage of head coach Jason Kepner.

“I was there recruiting for Charleston and we all just happened to be on the same court at one time,” Knop said. “I jokingly said to Mary, ‘pay me enough and I'll come back and be your volunteer.’”

It may have been just a joke at the time, but after Lopas took the Flagler job a week later, Wise knew who would take his place.

In late May, Knop got the call.

“I haven't been able to stop thinking about this,” Wise said to her. “You can tell me I'm crazy and to hang up right now. Would you potentially come back?”

While Knop, now 26, thoroughly enjoyed her time at Charleston, she knew she was ready for a change.

“I just can't say no to my alma mater,” Knop said. “I have so much love for this place. It's like ‘I have to do this. I have to go back.’ So, here I am.”

Knop, who initially encouraged Lopas to take the volunteer position when it became available in 2019, was named to the role July 25.

“For a grand total of zero dollars and zero cents,” Wise said.

Despite the volunteer tag, Knop said Wise has encouraged her to share every bit of advice she can and assured her she’s just as much of a coach as anyone on the staff.

Knop immediately went to work building relationships with her players, she said, trying to foster the same connection she enjoyed with her teammates during her two years at UF. With her playing career only a few years in the rearview mirror, Knop said she’s related more to the player’s perspective.

“I think I've been a voice of reason between the players and the coaching staff,” Knop said.

Knop was originally recruited out of La Salle College Prep in Pasadena, California, by the University of Michigan. After two seasons with the Wolverines, she transferred to Florida in 2016 for her last two years of eligibility. She wanted the chance to play under Wise and compete for a national title.

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Volunteer assistant coach Caroline Knop calls out to the Florida volleyball team during its game against Louisiana State Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.

Carli Snyder, who now plays professionally in France, played with Knop during her two years at UF and on the U21 United States women’s national team. They saw the makings of a great coach early on.

“When I played next to CK my junior year, my passing numbers increased so drastically, but I wasn't doing anything different,” Snyder said. “I just felt more confident because of who I was passing next to.”

Snyder recalled playing alongside Knop dur-

ing Florida’s Elite Eight matchup against Southern California in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

UF was down two sets to one and losing in the fourth set, when Knop pulled the team together following a timeout.

Knop’s passion and energy sparked a Gators comeback, allowing them to win the final two sets and advance to the Final Four. It’s the same endless desire to win Knop is trying to impart on her players as a coach.

Rhamat Alhassan, who plays professionally in Italy and was teammates with both Knop and Snyder, recalled Knop’s ability to work with children during UF’s annual summer volleyball camp.

“You can know what you're talking about but being able to put it in a way that other people understand it and then are able to go and execute it,” Alhassan said. “That's what being a good coach is and I saw that from her.”

The biggest adjustment to coaching was discovering how to use words to explain concepts rather than relying on demonstrations, Knop said. Although some of the players she’s coached are visual learners, Knop has developed her ability to teach verbally.

That’s not to say that Knop isn’t capable of hitting the hardwood and showing her players how it’s done.

“People are like ‘CK, you are 26, Do you ever miss it? I'm sure you still got it,’” Knop said.

“Yeah, I do still have it, but the point is not for me to get in and play every day. I'm not here to be a practice player. I'm here to coach.”

There are two hallmarks of Knop’s game

SEE VOLLEYBALL, PAGE 12

FOOTBALL

Gators send off seniors in the Swamp, turn page on Billy Napier era 18 seniors were honored in Florida’s last home game of 2022

By Jackson Castellano Sports Writer

Eighteen seniors were honored for what could be their last game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Nov. 12. Although many of the players have remaining eligibility and could return, the annual ceremony held for the Gators’ locker room veterans was another indicator of the passage of time.

A 38-6 victory against South Carolina to secure bowl eligibility was an apt sendoff for the graduating class.

Although three games remain, firstyear head coach Billy Napier’s team has played its final game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this season.

The Gators could look very different the next time they run onto Steve Spurrier-Florida field.

Next season’s team will be more of Napier’s construction rather than his inheritance. It will feature the first freshman class fully recruited by Napier, and many players who joined

during former UF head coach Dan Mullen’s first season will be gone.

Linebackers Amari Burney and Ventrell Miller both played their final games in the Swamp against South Carolina and led the way in tackles for Florida at four each. The pair has been defensive anchors for the Gators this season, combining for 62 tackles through 10 games.

“We had a little team meeting Thursday. I let the guys know how I felt about this game, how this game is really emotional for me,” Miller said postgame. “I broke down and all that there, Thursday to them boys. I was just happy to see how they came out and dominated on defense, especially.”

Another departing senior is safety Trey Dean III who helped bolster the Gators defense against South Carolina. Florida held South Carolina to just six points and 237 total yards.

The Gamecocks relinquished three fumbles and converted just three of 11 third downs. Dean was credited

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with two of the three fumble recoveries.

Offensively, Florida gave its home crowd a flashy finale.

UF dialed up 515 yards Nov. 12, with 374 coming on the ground.

Sophomore Montrell Johnson Jr. and freshman Trevor Etienne both eclipsed 100 yards on the day and combined for a pair of touchdowns.

The Gators top two running backs, who have combined for 1,277 yards this season, will return and look to make an equal impact next year.

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson put up 112 yards and two touchdowns through the air against the Gamecocks. He added 96 rush yards and a rushing touchdown, bolstering the Gators’ second-largest margin of victory this season.

Although he’s just a redshirt sophomore, Richardson could also be departing the team at the end of this year.

He’s considered by many to be a solid NFL draft prospect, being

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projected as the second quarterback taken in this year’s draft by CBS Sports. Others argue factors such as his Name, Image and Likeness deals and the prospect of further boosting his draft stock could influence the Gainesville native to stay home another year. On3 Sports reports Richardson has netted more than $1 million from NIL deals.

“I haven’t really thought about [leaving UF],” Richardson said. “After the Georgia loss, we have just been trying to get the team rolling again, get back on track.”

Before Napier and the Gators can fully turn the page to next season, however, they face the closing slate of their season. Florida begins its home stretch against its last Southeastern Conference opponent, Vanderbilt, who just won its first game since 2019.

Cross-state rival Florida State caps off the regular season schedule before the Gators head to an undetermined bowl game. CBS Sports currently projects UF to face Purdue in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.

While Napier would like to cap off the year positively and shift his focus to the 2023 class, whose early national signing period takes place Dec. 21-23, he first must see through the 2022 season without a misstep.

Vanderbilt and FSU are a combined 11-9 against the spread this season. The latter of the two opponents will also serve as an in-state recruiting platform for Napier. While some may view his first season as a success already, there are still opportunities for further accomplishments or a sour end to the year.

“I would like to think that we go to a bowl,” Napier said. “I’m not really worried about a bowl game. I’m worried about getting that group to keep improving. That’s not how we do it. You get consumed with the things that you can do better.”

Florida kicks off against Vanderbilt in Nashville Saturday at noon.

The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Follow us for updates

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

@jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Knop heads home VOLLEYBALL, from pg. 11

she exuded as a vocal leader on the court: confidence and effort. Those elements have become the focal point of her coaching career.

“How can we make sure that these young women understand that it's not just your value to us, it's not just you as a volleyball player, but you as a person?” Knop said. “You should be striving for that each and every day while continuing to be a great volleyball player and continuing to try to have excellence in our sport.”

Three years after Knop’s departure from the Gators, a firecracker with the same competitive spirit emerged as UF’s next starting libero. Elli McKissock burst on the scene in 2020 and picked up where Knop left off. The 5-foot-7-inch junior has tallied more than 1,000 digs in her collegiate career and has made herself the anchor of the back row.

McKissock watched Knop sport the orange and blue as a high school player and calls playing for her a dream.

“Being able to be under her and striving to be anything like her is my goal in life,” McKissock said.

Knop pushes the team every single day while demanding effort and emphasizing the importance of team chemistry, McKissock said.

The intensity of playing has translated to her role on the sidelines, Knop said. “​​I do get just as excited, if not more excited, on the sidelines for our young women,” Knop said. “I'm in practice each and every day with them and helping them work on new techniques and new skills and trying to better their game. When you see it actually happen on the court, that's pretty cool.”

Under Kepner at Charleston, Knop honed her communication skills and explored different styles of coaching. Kepner allowed her to tinker with his game plan, prepare defensive schemes and implement her ideas.

“He was very open about having me come in and be able to run a lot of things that I wanted to,” Knop said.

At UF, she has joined forces with a well-established staff including Wise and associate head coach Dave Boos — the duo that once coached her.

“CK has an incredibly high volleyball IQ and I think she and Dave are just a great tag team together,” Wise said.

Being around volleyball legend Wise has taught her the ins and outs of running a successful program, Knop said.

Coaching under one of the most successful female head coaches in Division I volleyball history is a different animal than playing for her, but it’s a task Knop has embraced.

“It's been a different relationship and a really great one,” Knop said. “It’s trust and knowing that I'm a peer to her now.

I am in the same room with her and having the same conversations and adding my voice when I can.”

Knop has aspirations to one day become the head coach of a Division I school, she said. But for now, she’s happy being home. “[Florida’s] a special place,” Knop said. “That’s for sure.” @EthanEibe eeibe@alligator.org