Monday, November 27, 2023 by The Independent Florida Alligator

Patricia Pascual & Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Editorial

Mind over Stigma: Amplifying the mental health conversation

uring The Alligator’s first meeting of every semester, almost every leadership team tells their eager-eyed staff of 60 people to “Take care of yourself. The Alligator should never come in the way of your physical or mental health.” While this sounds obvious, the truth is this mantra is often overlooked for the sake of journalism. More than 70% of local journalists in a more than 500 person survey reported experiencing personal and work-related burnout, according to a 2023 survey by the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina Chapel Gill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Like these journalists, The Alligator’s editorial team has heard from staff members and editors alike they need a week off because they are sick or out of town. But, when it comes to addressing burnout and mental health, it’s another story. Needing a break shouldn’t necessitate a bar met only by physical condition. Mental health can be just as, if not more, difficult to navigate in a workplace setting. These instances of forgetting to prioritize mental health led to this special edition. This collection of stories, stemming from data analysis, is collectively called Mind over Stigma. The name is a play on the common phrase “mind over matter” that often diminishes the real, important effects of mental health. We hope The Alligator’s reporting highlights people in the community and helps break the stigma surrounding mental health conversations. Recognizing burnout or other mental health-related conditions is critical to fostering a healthy newsroom and destigmatizing conversations about mental health. It’s far too easy for journalists to become desensitized to the topics they cover. The Alligator staff knows this all too well. From covering protests, bomb threats, unsettling legislation, war and more, devastating news becomes normal for journalists. A 2019 survey interviewed over 200 United States daily newspaper journalists and found that as the frequency and intensity of journalists’ trauma coverage increased, so did the severity of their PTSD symptoms. The journalists shared examples of emotional drain, painful flashbacks, anxiety, depression, guilt and coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, stemming from their work. But the intersection of journalism and mental health isn’t the only reason we produced this edition. The practice of continuous pushing beyond feasible mental limits applies beyond the newsroom. Across college campuses, students neglect their mental health or deem it as an insufficient excuse for taking a break.

As college students, prioritizing mental health over education, jobs and social lives often feels like a chore. We feel obliged to push ourselves beyond our limits, then push through the exhaustion that follows. We struggle to adjust to the onset of mental health conditions like ADHD or anxiety, the toll they take on our academic performance and finding the resources to alleviate them. Between 2020 and 2022, the percentage of students surveyed at UF who reported being previously diagnosed with anxiety rose by 40%. Similarly, the rate of ADHD increased by 81%, and the rate of depression rose by 43%. Yet stigmas remain for students afflicted with these conditions and those who are not. The lack of concreteness in describing mental ailments often minimizes the distress they inflict. As student journalists, the need for

mental health care becomes more prevalent by each published byline. It’s important — but challenging, to say the least —- to not become numb to the people and topics we as journalists cover. First and foremost, The Alligator seeks to create equitable coverage of people. Journalists master the art of compartmentalization early on, gaining the ability to cover complex topics without breaching the ethics of objectivity. But with the use of this skill comes the onset of desensitization. When their stories, backgrounds and three-dimensionalities are glossed over and normalized, journalism loses the human aspect necessary for that wellrounded coverage. It’s also just as crucial for journalists to take care of their minds after covering hard topics. But putting down the

pen and walking away from the job to prioritize mental health can feel costly at times. Recognizing the mental health crises facing students and journalists is the first step in forming solutions. Conversations like these, fostered by a commitment to promote mental health awareness and resources in the newsroom, on campus and in Gainesville are crucial. We are hopeful the conversations we have in our office and in our paper promote the next generation of journalists to care for themselves the same way they care for their stories. The Editorial Board consists of Editorin-Chief Isabella Douglas, Engagement Managing Editor Claire Grunewald, Digital Managing Editor Emma Behrmann and Opinions Editor Peyton Harris.

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VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 15 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

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Mental health is a rising issue among UF students, survey shows NCHA DATA REVEALS FAITH IN UF DECREASING, WITH RATE OF MENTAL ILLNESSES INCREASING

By Jinelle Vazquez & Kylie Williams Alligator Staff Writers

Julianna Cicantelli describes herself as being “battered and bruised” since transferring from Valencia College to UF in Fall 2021. The 22-year-old UF business administration senior was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder when she was 15. The disorder is defined by manic episodes that last for at least seven days and depressive episodes that typically last at least two weeks. During her first semester at UF, Ciccantelli said she went to the infirmary for COVID-19-like symptoms. She informed the providers of her sensitivity to antihistamines due to her bipolar disorder. “They wrote it off as, ‘You’ll be OK, just continue to monitor your condition and the effects of [the prescribed medications],’” Ciccantelli said. Ciccantelli was not aware at the time that she had been prescribed antihistamines. It wasn't until two weeks later when she returned home that her parents recognized her ongoing manic episode, she said. “All my life I was told to trust the doctors in charge because they knew better,” Ciccantelli said. “All it would have taken was a simple Google search on their end for them to have known the disastrous effects of the medications they prescribed to a young transfer Gator.” Between 2020 and 2022, the percentage of students surveyed at UF who reported being previously diagnosed with anxiety rose 40%. Similarly, the rate of ADHD increased 81%, and the rate of depression rose 43%. These increases in UF students’ mental health diagnoses align with national and statewide trends.

Where UF deviates from national and statewide trends is in students’ belief that the university prioritizes their health and wellbeing. Only about 36% of UF students surveyed in 2022 believed their health and wellbeing are a priority for their university, nearly a 15 percentage point decrease from 2020, according to NCHA data. Overall, UF students experienced a post-COVID-19 spike in mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Experts attribute the surge to multiple causes, such as the pandemic, social media and changing societal norms. Alternatively, students appear to have less faith in the university and its ability to help them in their mental health struggles — especially given UF’s culture around high academic achievement. Since Fall 2021, Ciccantelli has been hospitalized three times for severe symptoms of her bipolar disorder. However, she has chosen to seek care from healthcare professionals in her hometown of Orlando instead of UF’s mental health services. “I am glad I have accommodations in place [at UF] to get extra time for assignments and exams, but that’s as far it goes,” she said. “I [feel] safer trusting my people at home.”

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Koda performs tricks for his owner at the NW 13th and NW 16th Starbucks on Thursday Nov. 16, 2023.

COVID-19 consequences

UF Spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said although the long-term consequences of the global pandemic on mental health will continue to be studied, UF is committed to building a community where every Gator knows they’re valued and respected. Roldan listed UF resources such as 11 additional team members at the Counseling and Wellness Center; increased student-to-staff ratio; increased funding for the CWC’s Consultation and Referral Team and the launch of Whole Gator, an application that connects the UF community with resources.

SEE MENTAL HEALTH, PAGE 6

A look into how Alachua County tackles mental health deserts in rural communities RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH DESERTS

By Ella Thompson Alligator Staff Writer

At the center of Alachua County lies the city of Gainesville, an urban-suburban mix with a system of health care facilities ranked among some of the best in the state. But for many residents of Alachua County outside of Gainesville, accessing

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mental health services is easier said than done. The inability to access mental health services due to location or income creates an area known as a mental health desert. It disproportionately affects rural areas of the county. Across the United States, nearly a fifth of counties have no psychologists, psychiatrists or counselors, according to ABC News. Waldo city manager Kim Worley sees mental health accessibility as difficult and expensive. It’s not an option for many Waldo residents,

ACPS students react to mental health curriculum, pg. 8

Taking a look into being an Alachua County crisis hotline volunteer, pg. 4

she said. Waldo has no mental health facilities in the city, with the closest options being Starke or Gainesville. “The rural towns do suffer because we are further out,” she said. The average income of a Waldo resident is just over $36,000, and the cost of mental health services inhibits residents from seeking help, she said. The average cost of therapy sessions in Florida ranges from $100 to $300, depending on the provider, clinic and if it’s provided by a

SEE RURAL, PAGE 7

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Taking a Today’s look intoWeather being an Alachua County crisis hotline volunteer ABOUT 75% OF MENTAL HEALTH CALLS TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF WERE DUE TO BAKER ACTS

By Jordan Ramos Alligator Staff Writer

Sam Woodford, a 25-year-old high school teacher, didn’t realize just how many people were experiencing mental health struggles until he started taking calls for the Alachua County Crisis Center. “When I volunteered for the center, it opened my eyes that there are people a mile away from me who have guns to their heads,” Woodford said. The Alachua County Crisis Center has served the Gainesville community since 1969 and has about 120 volunteers every year. The Alachua County Crisis Center answers 40,000 calls each year. The center is open 24/7 and the hotline number is 352-2646789. It offers short-term walk-in

and appointment counseling services from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center also has mobile response teams to assist people in person at all times of the day, every day of the week. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received 421 mental health calls from Aug. 1 to Oct. 18, according to data from the sheriff’s department. About 75% of these calls were Baker Acts. A Baker Act is when a loved one requests emergency mental health services for someone who cannot or will not request that help when they are a danger to themselves or others. Over a fifth of the calls were related to suicide attempts. The Gainesville Police Department and ACSO failed to answer several phone calls from The Alligator to clarify if they transfer mental health calls to the Alachua County Crisis Center. The county’s crisis hotline typically trains volunteers to answer phone calls. Those who want to

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 15

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volunteer to be a crisis counselor can apply online. Spring training starts Jan. 27. “It is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve done,” said the Alachua County Crisis Center training coordinator, Kevin Sosa. “The calls can be intense, heavy and scary.” Read the rest online at alligator.org. Ella Thompson contributed to this story. @JordanR68971799 jramos@alligator.org

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 5

Alachua County residents grapple with lack of Black therapists, stigma around mental health RESIDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE COMMUNITY By Valentina Sandoval Alligator Staff Writer

When Sheyze X moved back to Gainesville from New York in 2022, they were hoping to find a therapist who looked like them and understood their story. Instead, the 25-year-old Gainesville native and local artist was told by their insurance company that there were no Black therapists in the area taking new clients. “It just became increasingly difficult because going from having a Black woman therapist to suddenly not being able to have any Black therapist was [intensifying] the challenges for me,” X said. X, who was diagnosed with anxiety, general depression and ADHD in 2018, said their family discouraged them from sharing their diagnosis with others. “There’s a huge stigma, and it kind of just left me feeling a bit alone in my mental health journey,” X said. “I didn’t really feel supported.” Even though they are surrounded by a supportive community today, X wishes Alachua County better catered to the existing mental health needs of its Black population. Alachua County’s population is 20.4% Black or African American, and Gainesville’s population is 21.3%, making it the second largest race or ethnicity in its population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, there are only around 25 registered Black mental health professionals in Alachua County, six of which are not taking new clients, four are virtual, and only two are Black men, according to Psychology Today. The lack of professionals of color, combined with the existing stigma around seeking help in Black communities has led to a gap in mental health care in the county. Black mental health professionals and

local residents wonder what can be done to provide Black individuals with the support and services needed. Underserved Black communities For local activist Essence Thomas, among the most affected by the lack of Black mental health resources are the residents of East Gainesville, an underserved community with a predominantly Black population. “I’m not seeing the community come out enough to help these people that are in need,” Thomas said. “There is a mental health crisis going on.” Most counselors in Gainesville are not located in the Eastside, and there is only one counseling center in the area, which is not led by Black mental health professionals. The closest resource and counseling centers are near UF, which is a 20-30 minute bus ride for East Gainesville residents. Thomas said organizations seeking to help East Gainesville residents, such as GRACE Marketplace, do not have enough funding for mental health counselors on site, which only deepens the gap of available services. “East Gainesville has always been historically marginalized,” Thomas said. “So a lot of these people haven’t been cultivated when it comes to mental health.” Thomas also said there should be a larger focus on the mental health of Black youth and formerly incarcerated people living in the Eastside to promote healthier lifestyles and put an end to the cycle of violence and crime afflicting the community. “When it comes to systemic racism and oppression, you have all these factors that trickle down into these communities,” Thomas said. “People can’t thrive in communities when they are not being heard.” Mental health stigma Another obstacle Black communities face in seeking care is the stigma around mental illness that persists in Black culture, according to professionals. Myesha Suckra-Dorbu, a 31-yearold local mental health counselor,

said she pursued her career to combat the stigma surrounding Black mental health that she experienced firsthand growing up in Jamaica. “They [the Black community] think, ‘You can just suck it up, nothing is wrong with you, therapy is for crazy people,’” Suckra-Dorbu said. She remembers being a child on the island and having family members with mental health issues that went untreated. Instead of receiving support from the community, Suckra-Dorbu said they were called “madmen” and “madwomen.” While anxiety and depression are prevalent in Black communities, Suckra-Dorbu said, there is a common belief that a person will be viewed as weak if they seek help. The stigma results in Black patients ending up in dire situations for untreated mental health issues, Suckra-Dorbu said. Emergency visits and hospitalizations for mental health issues are higher for Black residents than white residents both in Florida and Alachua County, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. In Alachua County during 2021, the age-adjusted rate per 100,000 people of hospitalizations from mental disorders for Black residents was 1616.5 compared to white residents at 1191.3. The rate per 100,000 people of emergency department visits from mental disorders for Black residents was 926.7 compared to white residents at 613.4. Suckra-Dorbu also worries about how averse Black men can be to seeking help from her, she said. She can count on one hand the number of Black male clients she has seen in her three years of practice. Black men and racial trauma Harold Hoskins is a 31-year-old Black head football coach for Eastside High School. Surrounded by young Black men, he’s witnessed how opposed they can be to seeking mental health care. “I think it definitely is difficult to ask for help, but that comes from experience,” Hoskins said. “Some people [may] have asked for help but got burned in the past.”

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff

Myesha Suckra-Dorbu sitting in her chair at Peace and Healing Therapy on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Black men hesitate to confide in people who are not close to them or can’t relate to their experience, Hoskins said, making it difficult for them to trust a pool of mostly nonBlack mental health professionals. Black men also feel increased pressure to protect their families, further contributing to the distrust in mental health professionals, Hoskins said. When his students face problems in their homes, they are often taught to keep them in the house and not involve outsiders. “I would say a majority of my players feel comfortable enough to at least have a conversation so I can understand that they’re not feeling okay,” Hoskins said. “[But] some of them may not want to elaborate on what they’re going through.” Mardell Coleman, a 66-year-old Black psychologist who practices out of Alachua County, said the lack of Black representation in health care has created this wariness in communities of color toward mental health and medical care. When given access to specialized mental health care, Black females and males do take advantage of those services, Coleman said. He estimates 65% of his clients are female and about 35% are male.

UF Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day: FREE Admission Dec. 2 at the Florida Museum Esta es una exhibición bilingüe.

However, it is hard to meet local demands when he is one of only two Black male psychologists in Gainesville. “I am disappointed again, despite the progress, at how much further we have to go,” he said. Instead of speaking with a counselor, he said Black people mainly rely on other resources, like the church and religious organizations, to support their mental health. Coleman said certain conditions, particularly trauma, have a disproportionate impact on Black people, particularly Black men, due to racial disparities. Organizations like the American Psychological Association have only recently begun recognizing the impact of slavery and racism on Black people’s mental health, Coleman said. Coleman has always seen filling the gaps in Black mental health care as a personal mission. “The world is disturbed,” Coleman said. “I wanted to help myself and other people navigate and understand that disturbance so that they can be their best.” @valesrc vsandoval@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Mental health resources MENTAL HEALTH, from pg. 1 “Even when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic, college is a time for growth and change,” she said. “We want every Gator to have the tools they need to succeed.” Lisa Wolcott, a Gainesville clinical therapist, said the increase in reported mental illness could be due to COVID-19. As the founder of Wolcott Counseling and Wellness, she has worked in mental health care for over two decades. Since 2020, Wolcott and other therapists in her practice have noticed an influx of patients experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and OCD. Students who reported symptoms described feeling isolated due to the pandemic during high school or college, Wolcott said. “You’re cut off at a time when you’re supposed to be learning how to be social,” she added. Decreasing stigma and college transition

The increased normalization of mental health could also be a reason behind current trends, Jenny Banks, another therapist at Wolcott Counseling and Wellness, said. “A lot of patients come in with a curiosity now that there’s definitely more of an open conversation about it,” Banks said. Banks has also seen what she refers to as “TikTok self-diagnosis.” As content surrounding mental health becomes more prevalent online, she said, patients relate it to their own personal experiences. This often

leads them to seek out professional help, believing they have a specific mental illness. That curiosity has led to an increase in diagnoses, mental health counselor Donielle Englert said. Englert, a counselor at Lucent Collaborative Services in Gainesville, sees many college-aged patients — particularly those with ADHD. For many people, Englert said, the catalyst for mental illness symptoms is starting college. Attending college is a transitional time, she added and can introduce many stressors that didn’t previously exist in a student’s life. Englert didn’t disclose whether this has also led to an increase in prescription medications. In her counseling sessions, Englert said she helps patients find treatments for mental illness based on their individual needs. This can include medications, but alternatives are therapy, behavioral interventions or other methods. “It’s just important if [patients] have questions, they want to explore mental health, to feel comfortable doing that,” Englert added. Student experiences

Lola Bautista-Bernard, a 20-yearold UF biology senior, attributes the decreased rate of students’ perceived well-being at the university to two things: the rigorous academic environment and the culture among professors. Bautista-Bernard was diagnosed at UF last year with major depressive disorder, a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness

and loss of interest for at least two weeks. She was also diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety in 2021. “I feel like [at UF they] totally ignore the deeper [issues],” she said. “They don’t want to talk about it because it’s not an environment that’s meant for that and that’s just reflected in our student government,” Bautista-Bernard said. Bautista-Bernard said the UF Student Government focuses its mental health events on time and stress management, often ignoring the deeper issues students with mental health disorders like ADHD deal with. Bautista-Bernard also said professors teaching STEM courses often intentionally make their classes more challenging to weed out students. In large classes, professors are unconcerned if half their students fail an exam, she added. “If I were to go to a professor and say something about my mental health, most likely the response would be ‘OK, but everybody has these problems,’” she said. “‘Everybody has these stresses and everyone else is fine.’” Hanna Barbaree, a 20-year-old UF plant science sophomore, was placed on Zoloft and Ativan in August for major depressive disorder, anxiety and OCD. “I was almost incapable of functioning as a human being … I would not be able to sit down and begin to process the stressful assignments that I needed to get done,” they said. Barbaree said they have struggled with what they didn’t know at the time were OCD flare-ups since coming to Gainesville as a PaCE student in Fall 2021. Some of the symptoms Barbaree

Patricia Pascual // Alligator Staff

encountered at the time were intrusive thoughts, cycles of anxiety and perfectionism that interfered with their ability to complete tasks. This led to their placement on academic probation in Fall 2022 and medical withdrawal from the Spring 2023 semester, they added. Through the process of the medical withdrawal, Barbaree said they had to open up and sob on Zoom calls with administrators. They felt as if they had to exploit their emotions to show the depth of the issues they were dealing with. “I wish I didn’t have to reach that point in order to receive the help I needed,” they said. Barbaree has also begun to con-

sider an ADHD diagnosis for their difficulty concentrating and excessive overthinking. Although Barbaree was recommended to the CWC for an ADHD diagnosis assessment, they shared they are hesitant to make an appointment due to the student-to-staff ratio. “I don’t really want to throw my name in the hat,” they said. “I don’t really want to get lost in there and I’d rather go somewhere like a smaller place [where] they might have more attention for more specified issues.” @vazquezjinelle jvazquez@alligator.org @kyliewilliams9 kyliewilliams@alligator.org

ESPAÑOL

La salud mental es un problema creciente entre los estudiantes de la UF, según muestra una encuesta LOS DATOS DE LA NCHA REVELAN QUE LA FE EN UF ESTÁ DISMINUYENDO Y LA TASA DE ENFERMEDADES MENTALES ESTÁ AUMENTANDO

Por Jinelle Vazquez y Kylie Williams Escritores de Personal del Caimán

Traducido por Nicole Beltrán Escritora de Personal del Caimán

Julianna Cicantelli se describe a sí misma como “golpeada y magullada” desde que se transfirió de Valencia College a UF en el otoño de 2021. A esta estudiante de último año de administración de empresas de UF, de 22 años, le diagnosticaron trastorno bipolar 1 cuando tenía 15 años. El trastorno se define por episodios maníacos que duran al menos siete días y episodios depresivos que normalmente duran al menos dos semanas. Durante su primer semestre en UF, Ciccantelli dijo que fue a la enfermería por síntomas similares a los del COVID-19. Informó a los proveedores de su sensibilidad a los antihistamínicos debido a su trastorno bipolar. "Lo descartaron como: 'Estarás bien, simplemente continúa monitoreando tu condición y los efectos de [los medicamentos recetados]'", dijo Ciccantelli. Ciccantelli no sabía en ese momento que le habían recetado antihistamínicos. No fue hasta dos semanas después, cuando regresó a casa, que sus padres reconocieron su episodio maníaco en curso, dijo. “Toda mi vida me dijeron que confiara en los médicos a cargo porque sabían más”, dijo Ciccantelli. "Todo lo que habrían necesitado fue una simple búsqueda en Google para conocer los efectos desastrosos de los medicamentos que le recetaron a un joven Gator transferido". Entre 2020 y 2022, el porcentaje de estudiantes encuestados en UF que informaron haber sido diagnosticados previamente con ansiedad aumentó un 40%. De manera similar,

la tasa de TDAH aumentó un 81% y la tasa de depresión aumentó un 43%. Estos aumentos en los diagnósticos de salud mental de los estudiantes de la UF se alinean con las tendencias nacionales y estatales. Dónde la UF se desvía de tendencias nacionales y estatales es en la creencia de los estudiantes de que la universidad prioriza su salud y bienestar. Solo alrededor del 36% de los estudiantes de UF encuestados en 2022 creían que su salud y bienestar eran una prioridad para su universidad, casi una disminución de 15 puntos porcentuales con respecto a 2020, según datos de la NCHA. En general, los estudiantes de UF experimentaron un aumento posterior al COVID-19 en enfermedades mentales como ansiedad y depresión. Los expertos atribuyen el aumento a múltiples causas, como la pandemia, las redes sociales y las normas sociales cambiantes. Alternativamente, los estudiantes parecen tener menos fe en la universidad y su capacidad para ayudarlos en sus luchas de salud mental, especialmente dada la cultura de UF en torno al alto rendimiento académico. Desde el otoño de 2021, Ciccantelli ha sido hospitalizada tres veces por síntomas graves de su trastorno bipolar. Sin embargo, optó por buscar atención de profesionales de la salud en su ciudad natal de Orlando en lugar de los servicios de salud mental de UF. “Me alegro de tener adaptaciones [en UF] para tener tiempo adicional para las tareas y exámenes, pero eso es todo”, dijo. "Me [siento] más seguro confiando en mi gente en casa". Consecuencias del COVID-19

La portavoz de UF, Cynthia Roldán, dijo que aunque se seguirán estudiando las consecuencias a largo plazo de la pandemia mundial en la salud mental, UF está comprometida a construir una comunidad donde cada Gator sepa que es valorado y respetado. Roldán enumeró los recursos de UF, como 11 miembros adicionales del equipo en el Centro de Consejería y Bienestar [ Counseling and Wellness Center] ; mayor proporción de

estudiantes por personal; aumento de fondos para el Equipo de Consulta y Referencia de la CWC y el lanzamiento de Whole Gator, una aplicación que conecta a la comunidad de UF con recursos. “Incluso cuando no estamos en medio de una pandemia, la universidad es un momento de crecimiento y cambio”, dijo. "Queremos que cada Gator tenga las herramientas que necesita para tener éxito". Lisa Wolcott, terapeuta clínica de Gainesville, dijo que el aumento de enfermedades mentales reportadas podría deberse al COVID-19. Como fundadora de Wolcott Counseling and Wellness, ha trabajado en la atención de salud mental durante más de dos décadas. Desde 2020, Wolcott y otros terapeutas de su práctica han notado una afluencia de pacientes que experimentan síntomas de depresión, ansiedad y TOC. Los estudiantes que informaron síntomas describieron sentirse aislados debido a la pandemia durante la escuela secundaria o la universidad, dijo Wolcott. "Estás aislado en un momento en el que se supone que debes aprender a ser sociable", agregó. Disminución del estigma y la transición universitaria

La mayor normalización de la salud mental también podría ser una razón detrás de las tendencias actuales, dijo Jenny Banks, otra terapeuta de Wolcott Counseling and Wellness. "Muchos pacientes llegan con curiosidad ahora que definitivamente hay una conversación más abierta al respecto", dijo Banks. Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @vazquezjinelle jvazquez@alligator.org @kyliewilliams9 kyliewilliams@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 7

Mental health deserts RURAL, from pg. 1

psychiatrist, according to The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center. Inpatient care, a type of care where the patient is admitted to a hospital, can cost thousands. Waldo residents also have to account for the price it takes to get to a mental health facility, she said. Due to work schedules and other factors, many residents can’t prioritize their mental health. “They don't have gas money or a working vehicle,” Worley said. “There's so many layers to the problem. I don't know. I don't know how to fix it.” Dr. Adil Mohammed, a board-certified psychiatrist who is the CEO and medical director of Harmony United Psychiatric Care, has experience working in Harmony United’s Gainesville location, but the company has offices all over the state of Florida. After nine years with the company, he attributes mental health deserts in rural communities like Alachua County to a lack of quality internet connection, insurance costs and stigmas, he said. Nearly two-thirds of rural counties lack a psychiatrist, while a majority are missing psychiatric nurse practitioners and about half do not have a psychologist, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This scarcity is significant when considering around 60% of rural Americans live in mental health deserts, and about 6.5 million people living in rural America have a mental illness, according to the National Library of Medicine. The National Library of Medicine also reported that high-quality broadband, or high-speed internet access, has become a social determinant

of health. “You need high-speed internet to be able to do telehealth, otherwise you can't really get telehealth services because it uses larger bandwidth,” he said. Nearly 30% of rural Americans live without internet access, according to NAMI. But stigmas around mental health are another factor that stop rural residents from seeking help. Mental health issues are invisible to the eye — they don’t hurt physically, Mohammed said, which can sometimes determine if residents seek treatment or care. “It is perceived as if you have some kind of weakness or some sort of character flaw, and then that kind of prevents them from receiving care,” he said. There are certain steps city and county leaders can take to alleviate mental health deserts and encourage access to services. Increasing access to healthcare through an internet connection could be a way to quickly promote accessibility, Mohammed said. A longer course of action could be to incentivize mental health professionals to relocate to areas with a lack of professional services, he said. Newberry, with a population between 7,000 and 8,000 people, has no mental health facilities, according to Newberry mayor Jordan Marlowe. Even in Newberry schools, guidance counselors have turned toward monitoring grade point averages, organizing testing and ensuring students graduate, he said, rather than providing mental health services. Marlowe thinks residents are starting to view mental health as a personal investment — another aspect of self-care that contributes

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

to overall health, but rapid growth in Florida has increased the cost of living in Alachua County, he said. Newberry’s average household income is $69,000. ”If it's between the rent and therapy, I think people choose the rent,” Marlowe said. Newberry is a rural city in Alachua County — 80% of Newberry land is agricultural land, while agriculture remains the city’s second largest industry, just behind construction, Marlowe said.

Mental health is always a priority, he said, but city government in a small municipality doesn’t always have an avenue to interject in mental health issues. “Our goal out here is to try to make sure that all of the things that are in our purview are kept affordable so that you can spend that money on your mental health needs,” he said. @elladeethomson ethompson@alligator.org

ESPAÑOL

Observando como el Condado de Alachua combate desiertos de salud mental en las comunidades rurales COMUNIDADES RURALES SON AFECTADAS DESPROPORCIONADAMENTE POR LOS DESIERTOS DE SALUD MENTAL

Por Ella Thompson Escritora de Personal del Caimán

Traducido por Nicole Beltrán Escritora de Personal del Caimán

En el centro del Condado de Alachua queda la ciudad de Gainesville, una mezcla urbana y suburbana con un sistema de centros médicos nombrados como uno de los mejores en el estado. Pero para muchos residentes fuera de Gainesville, acceder a servicios de salud mental es más fácil decirlo qué hacerlo. La incapacidad de acceder a servicios de salud mental debido a la ubicación o los ingresos crea un área conocida como desierto de salud mental. Afecta desproporcionadamente a las zonas rurales del Condado. En todo Estados Unidos, casi una quinta parte de los Condados no tienen psicólogos, psiquiatras o consejeros, según ABC News. El administrador de la ciudad de Waldo, Kim Worley, considera que la accesibilidad a la salud mental es difícil y costosa. No es una opción para muchos residentes de Waldo, dijo. Waldo no tiene centros de salud mental en la ciudad, siendo las opciones más cercanas Starke o Gainesville. "Los pueblos rurales sufren porque estamos más alejados", dijo. El ingreso promedio de un residente de Waldo es de poco más de $36,000 y el costo de los servicios de salud mental impide

que los residentes busquen ayuda, dijo. El costo promedio de las sesiones de terapia en Florida cae entre $100 y $300, dependiendo del proveedor, la clínica y si les brinda un psiquiatra, según el Centro de Salud Mental Sylvia Brafman. La atención hospitalaria, un tipo de atención en la que el paciente ingresa en un hospital, puede costar miles de dólares. Los residentes de Waldo también tienen que asumir el precio que se necesita para llegar a un centro de salud mental, dijo. Debido a los horarios de trabajo y otros factores, muchos residentes no pueden priorizar su salud mental. "No tienen dinero para gasolina ni un vehículo que funcione", dijo Worley. “El problema tiene muchas capas. No sé. No sé cómo solucionarlo". El Dr. Adil Mohammed, un psiquiatra certificado que es el director ejecutivo y director médico de Harmony United Psychiatric Care, tiene experiencia trabajando en la ubicación de Harmony United en Gainesville, pero la compañía tiene oficinas en todo el estado de Florida. Después de nueve años en la empresa, atribuye los desiertos de salud mental en comunidades rurales como el Condado de Alachua a la falta de conexión a internet de calidad, los costos de seguro y los estigmas, dijo. Casi dos tercios de los condados rurales carecen de psiquiatra, mientras que a la mayoría le faltan enfermeras especializadas psiquiatras y aproximadamente la mitad no tiene un psicólogo, según la Alianza Nacional de Enfermedades Mentales. Esta escasez es significativa si se considera que alrededor del 60% de los estadounidenses rurales vi-

ven en desiertos de salud mental, y alrededor de 6,5 millones de personas que viven en las zonas rurales de Estados Unidos tienen una enfermedad mental, según la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina. La Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina también informó que la banda ancha de alta calidad o el acceso a internet de alta velocidad se ha convertido en un determinante social de la salud. "Se necesita Internet de alta velocidad para poder realizar telesalud; de lo contrario, no se pueden obtener servicios de telesalud porque utilizan un ancho de banda mayor", dijo. Según NAMI, casi el 30% de los estadounidenses de zonas rurales viven sin acceso a Internet. Pero los estigmas en torno a la salud mental son otro factor que impide que los residentes rurales busquen ayuda. Los problemas de salud mental son invisibles a la vista: no duelen físicamente, dijo Mohammed, lo que a veces puede determinar si los residentes buscan tratamiento o atención. “Se percibe como si tuvieras algún tipo de debilidad o algún tipo de defecto de carácter, y eso les impide recibir atención”, dijo. Hay ciertas medidas que los líderes de ciudades y condados pueden tomar para aliviar los desiertos de salud mental y fomentar el acceso a los servicios. Aumentar el acceso a la atención sanitaria a través de una conexión a Internet podría ser una forma de promover rápidamente la accesibilidad, afirmó Mohammed. Un curso de acción más largo podría ser incentivar a los profesionales de la salud mental para que se trasladen a áreas con falta de servicios profesionales, dijo.

Newberry, con una población de entre 7.000 y 8.000 personas, no tiene instalaciones de salud mental, según el alcalde de Newberry, Jordan Marlowe. Incluso en las escuelas de Newberry, los consejeros vocacionales se han centrado en monitorear los promedios de calificaciones, organizar pruebas y garantizar que los estudiantes se gradúen, dijo, en lugar de brindar servicios de salud mental. Marlowe cree que los residentes están empezando a ver la salud mental como una inversión personal, otro aspecto del autocuidado que contribuye a la salud general, pero el rápido crecimiento en Florida ha aumentado el costo de vida en el Condado de Alachua, dijo. El ingreso familiar promedio de Newberry es de $69,000. "Si es entre el alquiler y la terapia, creo que la gente elige el alquiler", dijo Marlowe. Newberry es una ciudad rural en el Condado de Alachua: el 80% de la tierra de Newberry es tierra agrícola, mientras que la agricultura sigue siendo la segunda industria más grande de la ciudad, justo detrás de la construcción, dijo Marlowe. La salud mental es siempre una prioridad, dijo, pero el gobierno de un municipio pequeño no siempre tiene una vía para intervenir en los problemas de salud mental. “Nuestro objetivo aquí es tratar de asegurarnos de que todas las cosas que están bajo nuestro alcance se mantengan asequibles para que usted pueda gastar ese dinero en sus necesidades de salud mental”, dijo. @elladeethomson ethompson@alligator.org

8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

‘It’s probably helping some people’: High school students react to Alachua County school mental health curriculum SOME SAY RESOURCES ARE PLENTY, OTHERS SAY THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

“A chore,” “amazing” and “weird” — all words Alachua County students used to describe the presentations about mental health they’re required to watch in school. The Florida Department of Education requires middle and high school students to attend at least five hours of mental health education a year as of 2019. Presentation topics vary from anxiety and depression to dating violence and substance abuse, and they come as slideshows, Zoom calls and videos. Alachua County Public Schools planned to spend just under $2 million on mental health in the 20212022 school year. About $1.3 million of that budget was allocated toward school district employees, and $218,000 went to contractors and other outside collaborators. While the students interviewed agreed the presentations were valuable to some, no student said the training provided personal substantial value. Lessons vary by school It’s at each school’s disclosure to decide how mental health hours are taught, said Kimberly Joy, a district mental health coordinator. “No matter what school you go to, you’re gonna learn about this just as you would at your previous school,” she said. Data suggests teen mental health is plummeting by the year. About 29% of high school students nationwide said they experienced poor mental health within 30 days. Similarly, 42% said they felt consistent sadness or hopelessness within a year, up from 28% in 2011, accord-

ing to a 2021 survey from the Center for Disease Control. Yet, across the board, students said attendance and participation fall on mental health days. Guilherme Salmeron Binelli, an 18-year-old Eastside High School senior, said his school dedicates one period a day for a week to mental health education. During the last period of the day, teachers show mental health presentations instead of their regular classes. “It’s more like a chore or like a day off than something to pay attention to,” he said. Most students do come to school on mental health week so they can attend the first five classes of the day, Binelli said. However, most treat their last class as a free period, and they tend to not pay attention, he said. “Not having content is pretty much the same as not having class at all,” he said. Joy said the district is aware of the attendance issue. To mitigate it, the district encourages schools to teach mental health strategies and participate in awareness campaigns throughout the year. More than mental health The baseline mental health education was updated in 2021 and 2022 to prevent drug abuse and teach life skills, largely at the push of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ wife, Casey DeSantis. The five hours of mental health education were reworked and renamed to resiliency education, an all-encompassing term for teaching skills like empathy, responsibility and gratitude, in the policy’s 2022 update. In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the DeSantis administration sent a March press release. “As a mama of three little ones, I am proud that Florida is leading the nation in education, and I am thrilled

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Mazen Shehab, a senior at Buchholz High School, stands in front of the school on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. to see how our efforts to reframe and rethink mental health will equip our students and future Floridians to be more resilient,” Casey DeSantis said in the press release. Anna Adams, a 17-year-old Professional Academy Magnet at Loften High School senior, said most of the information shown at Loften’s annual mental health days is not interesting. The day fulfills the school’s required five hours of training. “It’s very basic knowledge,” she said, adding she’s heard some of the information in the past from outside therapists. Loften separates students into groups by their last names during mental health days, regardless of their grade level, Adams said. As a result, students aren’t paired with their friends, which she said makes the process even less appealing. Presentations covered various topics, including drug abuse and

a mother discussing her children’s mental health struggles. However, some presentations were entirely unrelated to mental health. Of the lessons she remembered, Adams said the most useful were those about identifying toxic relationships. “Those ones I think have really made some students realize that they’re not in a healthy relationship,” she said. “So I think that one’s pretty good.” Beyond the presentations Mazen Shehab, a 17-year-old Buchholz High School senior, echoed the sentiment that students don’t pay attention on mental health days. “I don’t think there’s a big focus on mental health with a lot of students I know,” he said. “They just enjoy having less time in school.” He had moved to Florida from Lebanon in 2022 before his junior year of high school. While he hasn’t

dealt with serious mental health issues since arriving at Buchholz, he said a more interactive approach — one where administrators reached out to students, instead of the other way around — might encourage students to be more open about their mental health struggles. He also said some students, including himself, would turn to friends and family before teachers and counselors if they were struggling with mental health. “A lot of people in high school need a lot of help mentally,” he said. “And I don’t think friends are the only way to do it.” Mental health is a topic close to the heart for 18-year-old Ava Avera, also a BHS senior, who organizes an annual 5k run dedicated to suicide prevention. Mental health is freely talked about at Buchholz, she said, and teachers are open to helping students. “Even if it’s not like an official thing on paper, besides our mental health days, I think our faculty does a really great job of ensuring safety and just helping students feel heard,” she said. At least 80% of district employees are required by the Florida Department of Education to attend a 12-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid course. First implemented in the 2022-2023 school year, the certification teaches employees to deal with mental health crises and to be understanding with student concerns. Avera appreciates that mental health days at Buchholz cover a variety of topics, she said. While not every presentation resonates perfectly with every student, she said it’s still important to have them. “I definitely think that it helps some people at school, even though it may not help all,” she said. @AlissaGary1 agary@alligator.org

ESPAÑOL

“Probablemente esté ayudando a algunas personas”: Estudiantes de secundaria reaccionan al plan de estudios de salud mental en las escuelas del condado de Alachua ALGUNOS DICEN QUE LOS RECURSOS SON SUFICIENTES, MIENTRAS QUE OTROS DICEN QUE NO SON SUFICIENTES.

Por Alissa Gary Escritora de Personal del Caimán

“Una tarea “, “increíble “ y “extraño” todas palabras que los estudiantes del Condado de Alachua utilizaron para describir las presentaciones sobre salud mental que se les exige ver en la escuela. El Departamento de Educación de Florida requiere que los estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria asistan al menos cinco horas de educación sobre salud mental al año desde 2019. Los temas de las presentaciones varían desde ansiedad y depresión hasta violencia en el noviazgo y abuso de sustancias, y se presentan en forma de presentaciones de diapositivas, llamadas de Zoom y videos. Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Alachua [Alachua County Public Schools] planeaba gastar poco menos de $2 millones en salud mental en el año escolar 2021-2022. Alrededor de $1,3 millones de ese presupuesto se asignaron a empleados del distrito escolar, y $218.000 fueron para contratistas y otros colaboradores externos.

Si bien los estudiantes entrevistados coincidieron en que las presentaciones eran valiosas para algunos, ninguno dijo que la capacitación les proporcionaba un valor personal sustancial. Las lecciones varían según la escuela Es responsabilidad de cada escuela decidir cómo se enseñan las horas de salud mental, según Kimberly Joy, coordinadora de salud mental del distrito. “No importa a qué escuela vayas, aprenderás sobre esto de la misma manera que lo harías en tu escuela anterior”, dijo. Los datos sugieren que la salud mental de los adolescentes está disminuyendo año tras año. Aproximadamente el 29% de los estudiantes de secundaria en todo el país dijeron que experimentaron mala salud mental en los últimos 30 días. De manera similar, el 42% dijo que sintieron tristeza o desesperanza constante en un año, frente al 28% en 2011, según una encuesta de 2021 del Centro para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades. Sin embargo, en general, los estudiantes dijeron que la asistencia y la participación disminuyen en los días de salud mental. Guilherme Salmeron Binelli, un estudiante senior de la escuela secundaria Eastside de 18 años, dijo que su escuela dedica un período al día durante una semana a la edu-

cación sobre salud mental. Durante el último período del día, los maestros muestran presentaciones sobre salud mental en lugar de sus clases regulares. “Es más como una tarea o como un día libre que algo en lo que prestar atención”, dijo. La mayoría de los estudiantes van a la escuela en la semana de salud mental para poder asistir a las primeras cinco clases del día, dijo Binelli. Sin embargo, la mayoría trata su última clase como un período libre y tiende a no prestar atención, dijo. “No tener contenido es prácticamente lo mismo que no tener clase en absoluto”, dijo. Joy dijo que el distrito es consciente del problema de la asistencia. Para mitigarlo, el distrito anima a las escuelas a enseñar estrategias de salud mental y participar en campañas de concientización durante todo el año. Más que salud mental La educación básica sobre salud mental se actualizó en 2021 y 2022 para prevenir el abuso de drogas y enseñar habilidades para la vida, en gran medida por el impulso de la esposa del gobernador Ron DeSantis, Casey DeSantis. Las cinco horas de educación sobre salud mental se reformularon y cambiaron de nombre a educación de resiliencia, un término que abarca todas las habilidades como em-

patía, responsabilidad y gratitud, en la actualización de la política de 2022. En respuesta a una solicitud de comentarios, un portavoz de la administración DeSantis envió un comunicado de prensa de marzo. “Como madre de tres pequeños, estoy orgullosa de que Florida lidere la nación en educación, y estoy emocionada de ver cómo nuestros esfuerzos para replantear y repensar la salud mental equiparán a nuestros estudiantes y futuros floridanos para ser más resistentes”, dijo Casey DeSantis en el comunicado de prensa. Anna Adams, una estudiante senior de 17 años de la Academia Profesional Magnet en la escuela secundaria Loften, dijo que la mayor parte de la información mostrada en los días anuales de salud mental en Loften no es interesante. El día cumple con las cinco horas de capacitación requeridas por la escuela. “Es un conocimiento muy básico”, dijo, agregando que ha escuchado parte de la información en el pasado de terapeutas externos. Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @AlissaGary1 agary@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 9

Why study psychology?: UF program teaches students about mental health Students share their interests, career goals in the field By Megan Howard Alligator Staff Writer

After he received a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, Tyler Favier realized mental health can also influence physical health. “I remember the first time I had a panic attack,” he said. “I thought I was straight up dying in AP U.S. History class.” Favier met with many doctors and specialists, but no one could figure out why he was experiencing physical symptoms like migraines and stomach issues. “That had me have this big realization of the importance of taking care of your mental health and that it could be psychologically related,” he said. Conversations around mental health continue to grow every day in media and classrooms. With these conversations and life experiences, students show interest in degrees and careers in psychology. Favier is a 20-year-old UF psychology junior with a specialization in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. He started at UF with an associate’s degree with an emphasis in psychology. Originally, he hoped to study neuroscience, but UF doesn’t offer a neuroscience degree. The UF psychology department offers three undergraduate tracks for students to pursue: general psychology, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral analysis. UF also offers a master’s in psychology and developmental, neurobehavioral and cognitive sciences, behavioral analysis and social psychology doctorate degrees. When Favier started taking more neuropsychology classes, his interests shifted to clinical psychology, which would allow him to study the brain-body connection and help patients with chronic illnesses. “I was thinking about how stress and anxiety can produce stabbing stomach pain or headaches and how our mental health impacts our physical functioning,” he said. “That’s always been a really big interest for me.”

With many diverse paths to pursue in psychology, students’ reasons and motivations differ by psychological specialty. Anderson Fitch and experimental psychology

Anderson Fitch, 24, recently completed his master’s in experimental psychology and is applying for his PhD candidacy at UF. Like many college students in undergrad, he found his passion by exploring options at his university. Originally, he began his undergraduate studies at Kansas State University studying biology, in hopes of becoming a doctor. When it came time to choose a research lab, Fitch found himself drawn to Dr. Kimberly Kirkpatrick’s psychology lab on impulsive decisions in rats. “It made me realize that this is something that I could see myself doing in the future,” Fitch said. “It’s something that is really exciting for me. So that’s how I found my path.” In the second semester of his junior year, Fitch switched his major to psychology. He then went on to apply for UF’s graduate program, which puts students on track to obtain their PhD, he said. Working with his adviser and principal research investigator Dr. Peter Kvam, Fitch continued to study cognitive processes through experiments on decision making. One of their recent studies has participants play a spaceship game to understand how people make random, impulsive, consistent and thoughtful decisions. “We are trying to figure out, for a given scenario, what types of mechanisms are necessary to produce the behavior that we see,” Fitch said. The research uses mathematical modeling to understand what contributes to impulsive and consistent behavior. “We can characterize those different aspects [of behavior] and see which things we need to include in our model to try and understand the behavior,” Fitch said. Now, Fitch has his PhD and is considering psychology in academia or industrial data sci-

ence. The industry side of psychology would give him better benefits, but the professor and research track would allow him to keep researching exciting topics in experimental psychology. “Being a professor is a little more fun,” Fitch said. “You get to do the things you like doing, but you’re not compensated as well.” Ellie Mitova and neuropsychology

Ellie Mitova is a 21-year-old UF psychology senior with a behavioral and cognitive neuroscience specialization. Her psychology interest started after taking AP Psychology in high school. She then took dual-enrollment psychology courses, which further ignited her interest. “I knew that psychology was something that interested me because I wanted to study human behavior,” Mitova said. After going through therapy and watching her friends struggle with mental health, Mitova realized psychology should be better advocated for in the social media age, she said. “Now especially with social media, social ideologies and perceptions that people need to fit into things, it has increased the necessity of mental health professions because there is increased depression, anxiety or stress,” she said. Mitova entered college studying psychology and the pre-med track with the intention of one day becoming a neurosurgeon. “Eventually, I figured out that track [premed] wasn’t for me, so I started taking more psychology-oriented and neuroscience behavior classes,” she said. “I was able to finally figure out what career I wanted.” Now, she wants to obtain her master’s and doctorate in neuropsychology, which combines behavior and neurological science. “It can focus on people with traumatic brain injuries or neurocognitive deficits or any type of disorder such as ADHD, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia,” Mitova said. On top of her studies, Mitova has worked for three psychology research labs and is the

Gabrielle Aulisio // Alligator Staff

Anderson Finch, a graduate student in psychology at UF, stands next to the Cognition and Decision Modeling Laboratory on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.

president of UF Psychology Club and the UF chapter of the international honor society in psychology, Psi Chi. The clubs work with the Alachua County Crisis Center, bring in guest speakers and connect students with internships and research opportunities. Amy Dukeshire and media psychology

Amy Dukeshire is a 20-year-old psychology and advertising junior. She applied to UF as a pre-med biology major but soon realized the medical route was not her path. Reflecting on her time in high school taking AP Psychology and her long-held interest in psychology, Dukeshire decided to switch majors. “I have always liked the idea of helping people and being there for people,” she said. Last Spring, Dukeshire added a second degree, advertising, because she didn’t want to graduate early. When picking up a second major, she looked for a field that would complement her psychology background. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @MeganMHxward mhoward@alligator.org

Nonresidential? No problem: Santa Fe College students find community, involvement SF OFFERS A MULTITUDE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, STUDENT LIFE ORGANIZATIONS

By Bailey Diem Alligator Staff Writer

Santa Fe College’s nonresidential status and small student population haven’t stopped it from building a lively community for students like Malachi Cirasuolo, an 18-year-old SF graphic design freshman. While Cirasuolo has struggled with motivation during their first semester at SF, loneliness has never been a problem, they said. By getting involved with several SF organizations themselves, including PRIDE Club, Art Club and Gaming Club, Cirasuolo said they’ve been able to meet and connect with likeminded people, preventing them from feeling isolated. “Santa Fe has a lot of great clubs and events which I have been able to make friends through,” Cirasuolo said. “Everyone is super friendly, too, so it’s easy to socialize.” Despite having no on-campus housing, SF students have access to a variety of student organizations to get involved on campus and make friends. The college also offers an assortment of mental health services for students to take advantage of, as it is one of five community colleges in the state to have a counseling center. Community college students are more likely to lack the mental health resources offered at larger universities and are therefore less likely to get help for mental health problems, according to a 2021 American Psychiatric Association survey. While community college students generally reported poor mental health at the same rate as four-year university students, the same survey found “the proportion of students reporting one or more mental health problems who did not use therapy or medication

Adriel Bolocon // Alligator Staff

Students play chess and interact with each other in the Oak Grove courtyard on campus at Santa Fe College on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

… was wider for community college students.” While SF retired its title of ‘community college’ in 2008, it remains a nonresidential school with a population of around 14,000 full-time students — less than half of the undergraduate population of UF. Lara Zwilling, the acting director of the SF Counseling Center, said SF is among a few community and state colleges in Florida able to provide students with counseling services. A recent grant from the Florida Department of Health opens

up new windows for SF, Zwilling said. The grant helps fund mental health first aid and crisis training for faculty members and student peer ambassadors. SF also started a virtual wellness service in August available 24/7 for SF students known as TimelyCare. “You can speak to a medical doctor, or you can speak to a counselor, and it’s all free just from being a student,” Zwilling said. “We’re one of the only community colleges that offer that.” SF also hosts a variety of opportunities for students to get involved on campus, which might help students combat any feelings of isolation they might be experiencing, Zwilling said. “We do have a very robust student life program,” she said. “They really try to engage because we know that a student’s sense of belonging is what’s going to keep them here.” Summer Zaffuto, an 18-year-old SF psychology freshman from Ponte Vedra, values her newfound independence. Still, starting at a new school with new people can be a big adjustment, she said. “When I was in high school, I was constantly surrounded by friends,” Zaffuto said. “I was also in the school’s band program, so not having that big group of people has been kind of hard.” However, getting involved in student life at SF was easy, she said. “I joined a lot of clubs and am the secretary of the psychology club, which is fun,” Zaffuto said. Beyond experiencing the usual ups and downs of college life, Nathan De Los Reyes Diaz, a 23-year-old SF cybersecurity freshman, said he often feels extra isolated due to his deafness. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @BaileyDiem bdiem@alligator.org

10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Passing ordinances and balancing life: How local city and county commissioners take care of their mental health CURRENT, FORMER ALACHUA COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS SHARE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

By Kat Tran Alligator Staff Writer

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new trend of civic activity was on the rise: openly abusive behavior toward elected officials, said Lauren Poe, the 52-year-old former mayor of Gainesville. City and county commissioners routinely have 10- to 12-hour work days. They will spend hours listening to presentations and public comments, as well as voting on changes to ordinances and resolutions. They are trying to make the best decisions for the community, all while making time for their families and themselves, Poe said — and the strain of the job can weigh on their mental health. When citizens disagree with decisions, commissioners are expected to keep an empathetic ear and remain professional. “There were death threats, threats of violence, threats of people sort of rioting at my house,” Poe said. “Prior to that, they might write a letter to the editor, or they might send you a strongly worded email, but the level of threat and anger went up exponentially.” Increased pressures during the pandemic

Heightened government mistrust layered on top of the collective anxiety from the pandemic shifted the professional and personal lives of

Armand Raichandani // Alligator Staff

Former Mayor Lauren Poe talks with others at the Gainesville Downtown Festival & Art Show on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. public leaders, Poe said. He acknowledged that people will turn to local leaders during times of crisis. However, making public health decisions proved difficult while dealing with personal, organized and angry backlash. During that period, he said he had been dealing with “significant periods of real deep depression.” Poe was thankful he began his therapy process before the pandemic, allowing him to better deal with criticisms and backlash, he said. “Emotions like anger and fear are natural,” Poe said. “We use them as ways to protect ourselves because we are being abused or attacked -— they are defense mechanisms.” Identifying emotions and acknowledging them allows him to

work beyond anger, fear or jealousy and focus on solutions that help him grow and address the real cause of an issue, he said. “We’ve got so much to overcome in our society to get past those things. But I do think there’s been some really concerted efforts to destigmatize and normalize the treatment of mental health challenges in the last five years or so. But there’s still a long way to go,” Poe said. He had never been concerned with public opinions about his openness to talk about his personal mental health challenges and used his position as mayor to leverage better approaches toward mental health. He attributed his efforts to Meridian Behavioral Health, an active partner in implementing resources

like Mental Health First Aid training for every single city employee. The eight-hour training course teaches city staff the basic understanding of warning signs, effective interventions and how to create a more positive environment for people to recognize mental health issues, Poe said. The first in-person meeting with elected officials and senior city staff during COVID-19 was in a sterile and institutional room filled with microphones and notepads, Poe said. He knew it wasn’t a warm and fuzzy environment, he said, but he wasn’t expecting total silence when he brought up mental health challenges he assumed everyone in the room had all been experiencing. Poe believes government officials may be hesitant to speak out about mental health issues because of expansive public records laws, especially in Florida, he said. “I don’t think most people can relate to that lived experience that whatever you are saying, writing or communicating — that this is not a private conversation,” Poe said. “Everything I say and do is going to be not only consumed by someone else but scrutinized and misrepresented and twisted to fit somebody else’s needs.” Poe thinks elected officials working in public office are heroic for publicly acknowledging their mental health struggles, he said. He believes people may be hesitant to speak about their mental health journey and any treatments. The realities of the job

chua County Commissioner, said criticisms are just part of the job. “You could be the most loved politician on the planet and there are still going to be people angry at you,” she said. Jobs that require making decisions about what other people need can be stressful, Prizzia said. Part of the job is about making sure “you are getting the things that you need personally so that you can show up in the ways that you need to for your community,” she said. But that isn’t easy, Prizzia said. “Give me the Cliff Notes,” Prizzia joked about maintaining a perfect work-life balance. For her, there is one thing that cannot be negotiated: family. “Sometimes I have to miss an event or a program because I have a commission meeting, and that’s the reality of my job,” Prizzia said. “But if it’s an optional thing, and even if it’s important, I’m going to choose to go to my daughter’s program over going to the fundraiser. In a 2022 report by Mental Health America, Florida was ranked 49th in the nation as one of the least accessible states for insurance and mental health care. Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the city does not provide enough mental health services and resources, but he attributes this to restrictions held by state legislation. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @kat3tran ktran@alligator.org

Anna Prizzia, a 46-year-old Ala-

‘Even if I can’t take care of myself, I can take care of him’: Emotional support animals comfort UF students ESAs at universities are a growing trend amid all-time high student anxiety rates By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

For the past two months, Julia Leser’s mind has been clearer. The 19-year-old UF biomedical engineering sophomore’s anxiety has gone down, she said. She can commit more time to studying and working on her grades. Leser credits her newfound motivation to the 8-pound gray fur ball that moved into her dorm in September — Colby the cat, her emotional support animal. ESAs, a disability accommodation protected under the Fair Housing Act, are a growing trend in the United States — especially on college campuses, where depression, anxiety and suicidality rates are at an all-time high. At UF, students can request a residence hall ESA through the Disability Resource Center with medical documentation from a physician. Assistance animals are broken down into two categories under a 2020 clarification of the Fair Housing Act. “Service animals” are dogs individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities. ESAs, by contrast, can be any common household animal, trained or untrained, that provide assistance or emotional support to owners. To request an ESA, the owner must give proof of disability through federal documentation or information from a health care professional. Even if the resident makes the request after bringing the animal into the housing, the housing provider must consider the request. ESAs on and off campus

At UF, ESAs are allowed in campus residence halls, but only trained service animals are allowed in other campus facilities. The paperwork needed to register Colby was “a lot,” but the process was smooth as a whole, Leser said. Leser needed a medical letter, signed approval from her roommate and suitemates as well as several contracts acknowledging liability for any damage Colby does to the room — which he’s already accomplished in his short time in Cypress Hall, she said.

“He’s clawed up the screen,” Leser said, gesturing to the dorm window, “but we’ll pay for that.” Leser has known she wanted an ESA since her freshman year, when 24/7 anxiety made going to class a nightmare, she said. Her only motivation to get out of bed were her trips home to spend time with her two dogs. Spending time with animals, whether petting them or just having them around, soothed her chronically anxious moods, she said. When her sophomore year began, Leser decided to start the ESA process after visiting Feline Good Cat Café, where she noticed a small gray cat dozing in the sun on a tower in the corner. While the other cats at the café — which adopts out felines from the Humane Society of North Central Florida — bit or scratched her, Colby “didn’t really care” when Leser went to pet him. She knew immediately he was the one, she said. “It was a classic, ‘Oh my gosh,’” she said. “Like, you meet and you know.” In the two months she’s known Colby, she’s come to consider him her child, Leser said. Even when he crawls over her computer when she tries to take online exams, she wouldn’t change anything about him, she said. ESAs also boost UF student mental health outside residence halls. Tsehai de Souza, a 20-year-old digital arts and sciences junior who lives in an off-campus apartment, adopted her two ESA cats from the Humane Society in July. Lucina and Odin, named after characters in one of de Souza and her girlfriend’s favorite video games “Fire Emblem Awakening,” help her stay centered during her frequent panic attacks, she said. De Souza started thinking about adopting cats when she saw how much an ESA helped her friend who also suffers from anxiety, she said. Now, her two “babies” help her not only to calm anxiety, but to manage depression. “It’s hard to be depressed if you have two animals waiting on you,” she said. “They need me.”

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Koda, a trained therapy dog, sits next to his owners, Matt and Jess Seitz, at the NW 13th and NW 16th Starbucks on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Pushback from dog-in-store opponents, animal activists

The growth of ESAs has been met with pushback from skeptics who claim owners register their pets as ESAs merely to skip apartment pet fees or ignore no-pet rules in public places. Critics theorize the criteria for qualifying for an ESA doesn’t always constitute a true disability. One February 2023 study found over one-fourth of ESA accommodation letters came from care providers with a short term relationship to the client, who the ESA owner contacted for the sole purpose of securing a letter. The study, conducted on 77 individuals with ESAs throughout the U.S., also found 22% of participants received registration from an Internet source rather than a mental health professional or primary care provider. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 11

Mental health worsens among transgender, non-binary college students STUDENTS DISCUSS LIMITED RESOURCES, GROWING DISCRIMINATION

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of suicide. Kerry Fitzgerald learned about the terms transgender and non-binary from a friend in middle school, and everything started falling into place. “I was in a strict Catholic school environment, and the things they were telling me were not aligning with how I felt,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald, a 21-year-old UF anthropology and psychology senior, uses they/them pronouns and identifies as transgender and nonbinary. Their realization about their gender identity appeared in middle school. For Fitzgerald, who started taking medication for anxiety and depression at 18, the political debate over transgender issues across Florida and the United States impacts their day-to-day life. They enrolled in UF Online for their freshman year of college due to their social anxiety. “There are times where I have to sit down and calm myself down because you don’t even know if these people are just memorizing your pronouns,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a fear of being stereotyped.” Roughly half of transgender and gender nonconforming UF student participants in a survey said depression impacted their academic performance, according to UF’s 2022 National College Health Assessment. About 59% cited anxiety as impacting their academic performance. The same study revealed about 6% of transgender and gender non-conforming students have attempted suicide within that year, which is twice the average mean of cisgender men and women. About 43% of the same group indicated experiencing high stress levels. Discriminatory rhetoric and lack of university support have left transgender and non-binary students feeling ostracized on campus, worsening their mental health. Legal and mental health experts have witnessed the mental health of gender-diverse students decline as controversy surrounding transgender and non-binary rights rises in Florida. After coming out to their family in 2021,

Courtesy to The Alligator

Kerry Fitzgerald poses in front of the stage at Bo Diddley Plaza for the Gainesville Pride 2023 on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Fitzgerald was accused of being on drugs and in need of a mental hospital. Similar rhetoric extends to the university campus. “I’ve had friends tell me, ‘Oh, you can’t come over because my roommates don’t support you,’” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald came out publicly in 2022 and began taking testosterone around the same time. They received top surgery in August. Fitzgerald has a doctor who prescribes testosterone through UF’s Student Health Care Center. However, they know of other students who struggle to gain the same access to hormone therapy due to insurance qualifications or limited appointment availability. UF Counseling and Wellness Center and SHCC did not provide comments in time for publication. UF provides spaces for queer organizations, but that’s as far as the university steps, Fitzgerald said. As a member of the Queer Cultivation Program, UF Alumni for LGBTQ+ mentorship program and the Pride Student Union’s trans empowerment events coordinator, Fitzgerald said these groups would not exist if not for student effort. UF has also neglected to help guide students about the university’s implementation of HB1521, Fitzgerald said. The law prohibits people from using restrooms not aligned with their gender assigned at birth. Today, Fitzgerald either searches for a gender-neutral bathroom or has to use the women’s restroom.

“As a collective, the trans community is so tired,” Fitzgerald said. “Not only is being trans or non-binary a cultural thing, but it is a spiritual thing. It’s an interpersonal connection with yourself.” Simone Chriss, 33, is the Southern Legal Counsel’s director of Transgender Rights Initiative, which challenges discrimination and helps transgender individuals get access to gender and legal name changes. Florida’s recent LGBTQ+ legislation hides under the guise of protecting children, when in reality it hurts people, Chriss said. “I have hundreds of clients who have been devastated by this,” Chriss said. “Some have left the state. Some have gone back into the closet because it’s so devastating trying to exist.” Chriss created a website that walks Florida residents through the process of changing their gender and name, so they can see their affirmed gender, pronouns and names listed on documents. UF students can also request a chosen legal name and gender change through UF’s Regulation and Policy Hub. Chriss has noticed a rise in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among gender nonconforming individuals alongside the increase in legislation impacting LGBTQ+ individuals. Her clients struggle to go to school when they feel uncomfortable in their own bodies, she said. Having on-campus resources like access to gender, name and pronoun changes on official documents that further connect people to their gender identities is critical to their mental health. “I think psychologists and psychiatrists and mental health providers can be really beneficial, but I think it’s critical that people understand that on its own is not sufficient treatment for gender dysphoria,” Chriss said. Abbie Aldridge, who uses they/them pronouns, is a mental health counselor with a private, virtual therapy practice. They specialize in helping transgender and gender-diverse clients and have treated UF students. Half of the roughly 35 clients they see have moved out of Florida or have plans to do so due to Florida’s political climate surrounding transgender issues. Aldridge, too, moved from Largo, Florida, about a week ago to continue their practice in California. “Trans, non-binary and gender-diverse folks are very much like fish swimming upstream,” Aldridge said. Establishing more gender-neutral bathrooms and LGBTQ+ support groups on campuses

would help gender non-conforming students feel more welcomed at their universities, they said. “Until a student feels safe and secure in their environment, academic achievement may falter,” Aldridge said. Al Mandese, a 22-year-old UF instrumental music education senior, is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They never felt like a boy or girl, and when they hit puberty, Mandese said they grew more self-conscious in their body. “I kept wishing that I had a flat chest, that I had a deeper voice,” Mandese said. “I never quite felt like a boy either. It was like a weird middle ground type thing.” When they came out publicly during their senior year of high school, their mom feared Mandese’s life was going to get harder. They plan to pursue a teaching career and work as a student teacher for Alachua County Public Schools. Their students regularly ask if they are a boy or a girl, and Mandese doesn’t know how to respond. “I have to be very careful about how I talk about myself,” they said. Mandese fears they won’t be respected in a professional environment or will only be known as the non-binary teacher. UF professors have also asked Mandese what courtesy title they plan on using. Mandese also said professors sometimes unintentionally draw attention to Mandese after learning their pronouns. “There were some teachers where it felt like sometimes that was all they really remembered about me,” Mandese said. Before coming to UF in 2021, Mandese spent a year at Florida State University, where symptoms of their OCD and anxiety disorders intensified with the transition to college. However, when Mandese approached FSU counseling services with suicidal thoughts, they were turned away after being told they didn’t need immediate care. After that experience, Mandese said they have largely avoided campus health resources. While they receive exposure therapy for OCD at UF Health Springhill, their friends and trusted professors serve as their support system. “Seeing out and proud queer people and proud trans people existing in the world gives me so much joy and happiness,” Mandese said. “That’s a big part of the reason why I try not to compromise with who I am.” @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

ESPAÑOL

La salud mental empeora entre los estudiantes universitarios transgénero y no binarios LOS ESTUDIANTES DISCUTEN SOBRE RECURSOS LIMITADOS Y CRECIENTE DISCRIMINACIÓN

Por Sophia Bailly Escritora de Personal del Caimán

Traducido por Nicole Beltrán Escritora de Personal del Caimán

Nota del editor: este artículo contiene menciones al suicidio. Kerry Fitzgerald aprendió sobre los términos transgénero y no binario de un amigo en la escuela secundaria, y todo empezó a encajar. “Estaba en un ambiente escolar católico estricto y las cosas que

me decían no se alineaban con cómo me sentía”, dijo Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, estudiante de último año de antropología y psicología de la UF, de 21 años, usa pronombres ellos y se identifica como transgénero y no binario. La comprensión de su identidad de género apareció en la escuela secundaria. Para Fitzgerald, quien comenzó a tomar medicamentos para la ansiedad y la depresión a los 18 años, el debate político sobre cuestiones transgénero en Florida y Estados Unidos impacta su vida cotidiana. Se inscribieron en UF Online para su primer año de universidad debido a su ansiedad social. “Hay momentos en los que tengo que sentarme y calmarme porque ni siquiera sabes si estas personas simplemente están

memorizando tus pronombres”, dijo Fitzgerald. “Es el miedo a ser estereotipado”. Aproximadamente la mitad de los estudiantes transgénero y no conformes con el género de UF participantes en una encuesta dijeron que la depresión afectó su rendimiento académico, según la Evaluación Nacional de Salud Universitaria de 2022 de UF. Alrededor del 59% citó la ansiedad como un impacto en su rendimiento académico. El mismo estudio reveló que alrededor del 6% de los estudiantes transgénero y de género no conforme han intentado suicidarse durante ese año, lo que es el doble de la media promedio de hombres y mujeres cisgénero. Alrededor del 43% del mismo grupo indicó haber experimentado altos niveles de estrés.

La retórica discriminatoria y la falta de apoyo universitario han dejado a los estudiantes transgénero y no binarios sintiéndose excluidos en el campus, lo que ha empeorado su salud mental. Los expertos legales y de salud mental han sido testigos de la disminución de la salud mental de los estudiantes con diversidad de género a medida que aumenta la controversia en torno a los derechos de las personas transgénero y no binarias en Florida. Después de hablar con su familia en 2021, Fitzgerald fue acusado de estar drogado y necesitar un hospital psiquiátrico. Una retórica similar se extiende al campus universitario. “He tenido amigos que me han dicho: ‘Oh, no puedes venir porque mis compañeros de cuarto no te apoyan’”, dijo Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald salió del armario públicamente en 2022 y comenzó a tomar testosterona casi al mismo tiempo. Recibieron una cirugía superior en agosto. Fitzgerald tiene un médico que receta testosterona a través del Centro de Atención Médica para Estudiantes de la UF. Sin embargo, conocen a otros estudiantes que luchan por obtener el mismo acceso a la terapia hormonal debido a las calificaciones del seguro o la disponibilidad limitada de citas. El Centro de Consejería y Bienestar de UF y SHCC no proporcionaron comentarios a tiempo para su publicación. Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

El Caimán

LUNES, 27 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2023 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Consejera de salud mental de UF discute desafíos de salud mental en la comunidad hispana DRA. MASSIEL SNOW EXPLICA LAS NORMAS CULTURALES, SOCIALES DE LA COMUNIDAD HISPANA QUE PREVIENEN EL ACCESO AL CUIDADO DE SALUD MENTAL

Por Eluney Gonzalez Escritora de Personal del Caimán

En Octubre 2023, Dra. Massiel Snow, nueva consejera de ascendencia hispana del Programa Asistente de Empleo de UF [UF Employment Assistance Program] habló en el podcast “Well at UF” sobre las barreras. No se trataba de líneas en la arena ni de un muro en una frontera nacional, sino barreras invisibles, hilos culturales que impedían que la comunidad hispana abordará un tema silencioso: la salud mental. En las comunidades hispanas, el idioma es una de las mayores barreras a cualquier servicio, y lo mismo ocurre con la salud mental. Sólo alrededor del 5% de psicólogos son hispano, en comparación con el 19% de la población nacional, dijo Snow. La comunidad hispana en Gainesville solo compone el 12% de la población local, unos 16.000 residentes, según los datos del último censo. Ivana Jordan, una estudiante puertorriqueña de 19 años de la carrera de ciencias de trastornos de la comunicación de la Universidad de Florida (UF), ha experimentado terapia tanto en inglés como en español. Ella sintió que el idioma tenía un impacto no-

table en la efectividad de la sesión. "Puedo expresarme lo suficientemente bien en español, pero en inglés puedo usar palabras más específicas para contrarrestar cómo me siento", dijo Jordan. Mientras que la terapia en español puede volverse más común, la barrera de comunicación entre el cliente y el terapeuta se expande más allá del idioma y se adentra en la cultura. "Si no podemos establecer esa conexión con un terapeuta, no buscaremos servicios", dijo Snow. "Ese terapeuta no es culturalmente sensible. Entraremos a la oficina y pensaremos: 'Esto no funcionó. No valió la pena que viniera', y nunca volverán". La alienación cultural es otro elemento importante para entender la salud mental hispana. Cuando las familias emigran a Estados Unidos, a veces solo traen a los miembros de la familia inmediata y, con el tiempo, traen a la familia extendida desde el extranjero. Para otros, su familia nunca puede venir. El resultado es un tipo único de alienación, donde uno no se siente ni estadounidense ni de su cultura nativa. "Siento que he sido aislada", dijo Jordan. "No veo a mi familia tan a menudo y me resulta difícil identificarme completamente con la cultura puertorriqueña porque me siento como una impostora cuando regreso y como una gringa cuando vuelvo a casa". La desconfianza de los hispanos hacia los profesionales médicos contribuye a la idea de que buscar ayuda

significa "ceder" ante un otro maligno. Esta desconfianza se origina en esterilizaciones masivas coercitivas de mujeres puertorriqueñas en la década de 1930-1940 y de mujeres mexicanas en la década de 1970, recuerdos recientes que generan sospechas hacia cualquier profesional médico, incluidos los psicólogos. "Siempre pensamos que tenemos que exagerar los síntomas para poder recibir ayuda", dijo Jordan. "Pero esta desconfianza de que van a pasar por alto cualquier otra cosa que necesite atención". Como resultado, las comunidades hispanas tienden a recurrir a remedios caseros transmitidos de generación en generación, provenientes de la mezcla única de herencias indígenas, africanas y españolas. "Tenemos una gran población indígena que todavía influye mucho en nuestros países, tenemos esa herencia africana que prefiere utilizar otros métodos antes que otros", dijo Snow. "Y luego, además de eso, tenemos la influencia española. La religión es importante: Dios se encargará de todo. Si rezo lo suficiente, se encargará de ello, ¿por qué ir a un médico?". Estos giros hacia la familia, según Snow, apuntan a otro concepto que dificulta el acceso al tratamiento: el "familismo". Esto se puede definir como una fuerte lealtad o dedicación a la familia. Este compromiso puede tener consecuencias adversas, agregó Snow, ya que algunos pueden sentir que es imposible buscar ayuda fuera del hogar. "Se supone que los demás no

deben saber que hay algo mal contigo", dijo Snow. "Así que muchas veces escucharás esa invalidación de 'No hay nada mal contigo. Supéralo. Tuvimos que lidiar con cosas peores al venir a este país. Tienes todo, mira todo lo que te hemos dado'". Aquellos con padres que no entendían los desafíos de la salud mental no tuvieron oportunidades para hablar de salud mental dentro de la familia, dijo Jordan. "He ido a terapia y mi madre lo ha sabido, pero aparte de eso, es algo de lo que nunca hablamos realmente", dijo Jordan. "Creo que surgió por miedo al juicio. Ni siquiera sé si algún otro miembro de mi familia ha ido alguna vez a un terapeuta o algo así". La distancia entre el hogar en EE. UU. y el hogar en el extranjero es especialmente difícil para los inmigrantes de primera generación, que tienen que dejar a todos atrás. Pero los problemas continúan para la segunda generación, dijo Snow, ya que la separación de las familias se extiende a una separación de la cultura. "Es la percepción de la soledad porque podrías estar rodeado de toda tu familia, ¿sabes?, 50 de ellos, ¿verdad?" dijo Snow. "Y ustedes son todos muy cercanos, supuestamente, pero desde tu perspectiva, no puedes conectar con nadie dentro de ese grupo". Para Daniela Rojas, una estudiante de ingeniería de 19 años de la UF de ascendencia boliviana y cubana, esta idea resuena especialmente. A pesar de que la mayoría de

su familia cubana se mudó a Miami con sus padres, ella aún siente una desconexión entre sus experiencias. "A veces, la forma en que hablan o las experiencias que comparten entre ellos, como haber luchado viviendo en Cuba", dijo Rojas. "Es algo con lo que nunca puedo relacionarme porque no estuve allí. Así que me siento excluida de esa parte de mi herencia". Otro punto de referencia significativo para la mayoría de los hogares hispanos y, más ampliamente, inmigrantes, es la idea de la obligación hacia sus padres por tener la oportunidad de vivir en EE. UU. en lugar de su país de origen. "Siento que nos dieron tanto, cómo estudiaron tanto solo para poder hacer algo con sus vidas", dijo Rojas. "Pero siento la presión de 'Oh, ahora que estoy aquí y no experimento las mismas dificultades que ellos, debería estar haciendo más porque puedo'. Conduce a mucho estrés acumulado". Aunque estas barreras culturales continúan afectando la salud mental de todas las generaciones de la comunidad hispana en EE. UU., no son inmutables. A través del diálogo abierto en diferentes idiomas y una comprensión sincera de las experiencias generacionales, estas barreras pueden superarse para promover la salud mental en una comunidad que ha permanecido en silencio durante demasiado tiempo. @Eluney_G egonzalez@alligator.org

INGLES

UF mental health counselor discusses mental health challenges in the Hispanic community DR. MASSIEL SNOW TOUCHES ON THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL NORMS OF HISPANIC COMMUNITIES THAT PREVENT ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE

By Eluney Gonzalez Alligator Staff Writer

In October 2023, Dr. Massiel Snow, a new UF Employment Assistant Program counselor of Hispanic heritage, spoke on the “Well at UF” podcast about barriers. These were not lines in the sand or a concrete wall on a national border, but rather invisible barriers, cultural threads that stopped the Hispanic community from addressing a silent issue: mental health. In Hispanic communities, language is one of the biggest barriers to any service, and the same holds true for mental health. Only about 5% of psychologists are

Hispanic, compared to the national 19% of the population, Snow said. Gainesville’s Hispanic community comprises 12% of the local population, about 16,000 residents, according to the latest census data. Ivana Jordan, a 19-year-old Puerto Rican UF communication sciences and disorders sophomore, has experienced therapy in both English and Spanish. She felt that language had a noticeable impact on the session’s effectiveness. “I can express myself well enough in Spanish, but in English I'm able to use more specific words to counterpoint how I'm feeling,” Jordan said. While therapy in Spanish may become more prevalent, the communication barrier from client to therapist expands beyond language and into culture. “If we can’t make that connection with a therapist, we're not going to seek services,” Snow said. “That therapist is not

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Art therapy

culturally sensitive. We're going to go into the office and be like, ‘OK, this didn't work. This wasn't worth me even coming,’ and they'll never come back.” Cultural alienation is another important element to understanding Hispanic mental health; when families migrate to the United States, they may only bring immediate family members and, over time, bring the extended family here from abroad. For others, their family may never come. The result is a unique type of alienation, where one feels neither American nor of their native culture. “I feel like I've been isolated,” Jordan said. “I don't get to see my family as often and it’s hard for me to fully identify myself with Puerto Rican culture because I feel kind of like an imposter whenever I go back and I feel like a gringa whenever I go back home.” Hispanic distrust of medical professionals contributes to the idea that seek-

Seeking help through new methods. Read more on pg. 14.

ing help means “giving in” to a malignant other. This distrust stems from mass coerced sterilizations of Puerto Rican women in the 1930s-1940s and Mexican women in the 1970s, which remain a starkly recent memory that casts suspicion on any medical professionals, including psychologists. “We always think that we have to over-exaggerate symptoms so that we can actually receive help,” Jordan said. “But this distrust that they're going to overlook anything else that needs attention.” As a result, Hispanic communities tend to turn inward to home remedies passed down for generations, stemming from the unique mix of indigenous, African, and Spanish heritages. Read the rest online at alligator.org.

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

@Eluney_G egonzalez@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

LGBTQ+

Gainesville companies support, empower LGBTQ+ residents with mental health resources GAINESVILLE PROVIDES EVERYTHING FROM LOCAL LGBTQ+ ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT GROUPS FOR ALL AGES By Molly Seghi Avenue Staff Writer

When Tori Luppino first came to Gainesville as a UF political science freshman, her understanding of her queer identity was permanently transformed. With countless mental health resources at her fingertips, Luppino found that the opportunities in Gainesville made “a world of a difference” in her mental health. The 19-year-old’s mental health journey affirms what all of the LGBTQ+ organizations and mental health programs in Gainesville agree on: The LGBTQ+ community has persisted through decades of hatred, violence and discrimination. Many of these organizations have said the repercussions of the long fight for rights in addition to the invalidation of their identities have been detrimental to the mental health of the community. The root cause of these mental health issues stems from the negative views and stigmas surrounding the community, according to Sage USA, a national organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders. About 4.5% of the United States population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and over 39% of those individuals reported having a mental illness in the past year. People who identify as LGBTQ+ are two-and-a-half times more likely to experience mental health issues including depression, anxiety and substance misuse when compared with heterosexual individuals, according to the American Psychiatric Association. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey studying LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health found the rates of suicidal thoughts have been steadily increasing among young LGBTQ+ people over the last three years. LGBTQ+ youth are less likely to report feeling like they belong and are valued in their community. Despite the statistics and negative stigmas surrounding the community, LGBTQ+ people find strength and support in each other. Studies show that youth who participate in LGBTQ+ community programs have better mental health and long-term greater self esteem. Gainesville has many organizations and mental health programs catered to strengthening and empowering the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Community Center of North Central Florida

Since April 2002, the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida has become integral to the safety and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community. The volunteer-run charitable organization serves over a dozen counties including Alachua, Bradford and Union counties. Its mission is to enhance the well being and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community as well as educate the community in order to eliminate discrimination. The Pride Community Center achieves its goal by providing resources, support and housing many local LGBTQ+ organizations and events. One of the vital programs of the Pride Com-

munity Center is the Gainesville Area AIDS Project. The GAAP was created in 1993 when 25 people living with AIDS joined together with caregivers and friends to support the needs of people living with AIDS around Gainesville. The PCCNCF’s facilities contain a community room and meeting spaces available for use to the community. Many local organizations utilize the space and host events and groups in it. Some of its other initiatives include an internship program for UF and Santa Fe College students, the Gainesville Equality Youth Group, an LGBTQ+ resource library and the annual Gainesville Pride Festival and parade. The center welcomes members and volunteers with open arms. Memberships are available for individuals, partners, businesses and organizations, students and volunteers. Gainesville Community Counseling Center

The Gainesville Community Counseling Center is a nonprofit mental health agency serving Alachua County full-time since 2019. Its vision is to make mental health services accessible to all people in order to maximize personal and communal potential. It offers counseling services and support groups for the LGBTQ+ community and workshops on LGBTQ+ related topics for the general public. Larry Green, 53-year-old clinical and executive director of the Gainesville Community Counseling Center, believes in the importance of access to mental health services in driving social change. He works with the rest of the clinicians to achieve this goal. “It’s going to change society,” Green said. “Everybody should have access to mental health, and so we try our hardest to make sure that happens.” Donors and grants allow it to offer free and reduced fees for clinical services and support groups. One of the LGBTQ+ support groups is catered to children and adolescents and focuses on a combination of psychoeducation, skill building and mindfulness activities. The other support group for young adults delves into several issues facing the community such as dating and education about the transitioning process. In addition to the groups, the Gainesville Community Counseling Center aids the transgender community with finding transition services and giving them the letters required for the process. They also provide free educational workshops for the community to learn more about the challenges that are facing the LGBTQ+ population. “It’s [workshops] about helping them understand that it’s okay if you don’t understand,” Green said. ”We just have to treat others with dignity and respect.” Queer+ Survivors Support Group by Peaceful Paths

Recent research has shown that more than 60% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced domestic, family or intimate partner violence and abuse in their lifetime. Despite surviving domestic violence at equal or higher rates compared to their heterosexual counterparts, LGBTQ+ people are less likely to identify do-

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mestic violence in their relationships, report it to the police and find support services. Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network is the certified domestic abuse agency that serves Alachua, Bradford and Union counties. Since 1974, they have provided legal help, relocation services, financial empowerment and support groups to the entire community. The flexible curriculum centers around violence prevention and education and is heavily influenced by participant feedback. The group is facilitated by Nicole Ramos, a 23-year-old advocate for the child and youth department and violence prevention educator. “I just want to see faces and people that are interested in the topic and that want to carry this information for themselves or carry it out for someone they care about,” Ramos said. “It is not like an instinctual response to know what to do sometimes and that’s absolutely OK and so, I want to offer that space for people to talk about these really heavy experiences.” The free support group is available to people 18 and older. They meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 6:307:30 p.m. at the Pride Community Center of Gainesville. LGBTQIA+ Teen Group by Lucent Collaborative Services

Terra Lilkendey, a 26-year-old registered mental health counseling intern at Lucent Collaborative Services, noticed a gap in what therapy can provide for children while working with them. She said she wished to have been supported at that age and created The LGBTQIA+ Teen Group to help children who were looking to connect with others. The eight-week group is focused on connection, community building and providing a safe space for teens to embrace their identities. The group is open to middle and high schoolers in seventh to 10th grade. “Anything we can do to support feeling safe, secure, seen and loved is valuable,” Lilkendey said. The group will begin meeting in January on Fridays after school hours and continue in eight-week sessions. The cost to attend is $40 per week with sliding scale scholarships available. Meetings will be held in person at Lucent Collaborative Services. Lucent Collaborative Services is a multidisciplinary therapeutic practice in Gainesville that hosts counseling for individuals, couples and families as well as various therapeutic groups and support groups. LGBTQ+ Teen Support Group with Katie Hughes and Jenny Banks

Adolescence is a formative period for understanding identity, and many people don’t have an outlet for the thoughts and emotions associated with the beginning stage of exploration. Katie Hughes, a 25-year-old licensed mental health counselor, and Jenny Banks, a 26-yearold registered mental health counseling intern, facilitate a support group specifically catered to queer teens and the many questions and experiences they have during this stage.

Banks argues that the “greatest protecting factor” is community because it imparts stability. “It’s so important to get people in that age group the support that they need, because they’re still figuring it out,” Hughes said. The group also addresses new legislation affecting schools and supports teens who do not have support in the classroom anymore. It encourages participants to foster a respectful environment and validate peoples’ input and opinions. “If we can create a space where that’s [community] then enforced or encouraged or just celebrated, then we can hopefully reduce those negative outcomes that a lot of teenagers are facing currently because of the pressures that are occurring outside of their control” Banks said. The eight-week support group will begin on Jan. 9 and is open to 9th-12th graders. It meets Tuesdays at 6-7:15 p.m. at Wolcott Counseling and Wellness and costs $75 per week. They hope to continue the sessions every semester. For more information about the LGBTQ+ Teen Support Group, reach out to Banks by email. Gender Expansive Peer Support Group by Arise Wellness GNV

While there are many resources for queer sexual orientations, the therapists at Arise Wellness GNV noticed the lack of options for those with gender expansive identities, so they created some. Arise Wellness GNV is an independent practice of mental health professionals specializing in anxiety, trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, life transitions and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It offers counseling for individuals, couples and families, groups and affirming care as well as a Gender Expansive Peer Support Group. The support group provides a space for people 18 or older who identify as trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people to share their experiences and empower each other. The therapists who facilitate the group share the same identities as participants in the group and act as support. Mac Choy, 25-year-old registered mental health intern at Arise and co-facilitator of the Gender Expansive Peer Support Group, said while many organizations advertise themselves as being queer friendly, “our space [Arise] is just queer.” “It’s been feeling very hopeless for a lot of people and only getting darker, especially here in Florida,” Choy said. “By coming together and strengthening our community, we’re able to empower one another and cultivate that safety and support, especially taking into consideration where we are.” The Gender Expansive Peer Support Group meets the third Friday every month at 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Arise Wellness GNV. The participation fee is through donations ranging from $5$40, which supplement individual counseling for the community. @molly_seghi mseghi@alligator.org

Women’s basketball

Kenya Salgues’ journey to Gainesville. Read more on pg. 23. Scan to follow the Avenue on Spotify

14 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

LIFESTYLE

Perception vs. reality: Drugs, alcohol and sex DO COLLEGE STUDENTS FIT THE ‘PARTY’ REPUTATION? By Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writer

College movies and shows say a student’s four years of university go by in a blur of keggers, frat parties and random hookups. Nostalgic stories from older family members center the drinks snuck from bars that didn’t check IDs, and some alumni can recite the list of specials and prices from their local bar more accurately than their course schedule. In the barrage of media depicting college life, it seems to revolve around trying anything and everything, but does first-hand information from college students really support that? A survey of UF students for the spring 2022 National College Health Assessment says it’s complicated. Part of the reason why results are complicated is because the same activity can have vastly different results on each person doing it. It’s impossible to say the things measured in the NCHA are entirely negative or positive, but it is true that they can have significant effects on mental health. Alcohol and many drugs are depressants, which can cause anxiety and depression symptoms and exacerbate existing feelings. Casual sex, defined as sex outside of a relationship in a 2020 study, had mixed results on mental health, boosting the self-esteem of some and tanking that of others. The survey separates data from UF students by gender, with three categories represented: cisgender men, cisgender women and trans/ gender non-conforming individuals. Data was collected anonymously from students. Drugs & Alcohol

Florida is one of 38 states to allow the use of medical marijuana, and the Gainesville area has historically been a hub for the drug’s use, both legally and illegally. However, most UF students haven’t dipped their toe into this aspect of Gainesville’s culture, according to data collected by the NCHA. More than half of UF students said they have never used marijuana or cannabis. Just over 13% of students last used marijuana more than

CJ Lee // Alligator Staff

a year ago, and just under 15% last used within the two weeks prior to the survey. The NCHA also collected data on alcohol, noting the frequency and quantity of drinks consumed. Students were asked when the last time they drank alcohol was, and the two most common answers were never and within the last two weeks. Over 55% of respondents said they had consumed alcohol within the last two weeks, while just under 20% said they had never had alcohol. Jess Waters is a 21-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences junior who also works as a student assistant with GatorWell Health Promotion Services. She has spent the last two years developing alcohol outreach and awareness programs for students. “Based on the work I’ve done with GatorWell, this is a little surprising, but mostly makes sense,” she said. “We do a lot of outreach events to educate people about their alcohol use and a decent number of people walk by and say that they don’t drink, so anecdotally, 20% sounds about right for non-drinkers.” Outside of her experience on the job, however, Waters wasn’t expecting to see the numbers. “As a student, I’m shocked,” she said. “I’ve never been to a party

where there wasn’t enough alcohol for double the people there, and everybody seemed to be drinking.” Just because students seem to be drinking doesn’t mean they are, though. Fatima Muhammad, a 20-year-old political science sophomore, is the one of five UF students who has never had an alcoholic drink. “I am a devout Muslim,” she said, “and my faith is one of the most important things in my life. I don’t drink at all and I don’t plan to.” Muhammad felt a bit out of place when she first came to UF, not knowing how to navigate an environment that seemed completely foreign. “It took a while to feel comfortable at frat parties,” she said. “It can be awkward to be the only one without a drink in your hand, and I felt like there was a big spotlight on me showing everyone that I wasn’t like them.” Eventually, she found solutions that made her feel much better when it came to drinking. “I don’t worry as much anymore about what people think because I know they don’t notice someone not drinking,” she said. “I also like things like Liquid Death (a can of water that mimics the look of a beer can) because they make me feel like I’m more immersed in the party experi-

ence without having to compromise my values.” The data on the quantity of drinks consumed contradicts the idea that college students drink large amounts frequently. Nearly 80% of students surveyed said that they had four or fewer drinks the last time they drank in a social setting. Almost 8% said they had seven or more, and less than 15% had five or six. The mean number of drinks consumed on a night out for all students surveyed was three, with cisgender men averaging 3.6 drinks and cisgender women and gender nonconforming people averaging 2.7 and 2.8, respectively. Sex

The survey also asked questions about sexual behavior, including the frequency with which students engaged in different kinds of sexual activity. Within the two weeks leading up to the survey, students had engaged in vaginal sex the most frequently, followed closely by oral sex. Anal sex was the least common activity measured, with over 80% of students saying that they had never engaged in it. Over 70% of students said they had had one sexual partner in the

last 12 months. Nearly 12% said two, 7% said three, and 11% indicated that they had had four or more sexual partners in the last year. Students were also asked about their use of protection, like condoms or dental dams. Almost 5% of students said that they used protection “most of the time” or “always” when they had oral sex, while 43% said so for vaginal sex and 18% said so for anal sex. Transgender and gender non-conforming students used protection at rates higher than the average for all three forms of sex. Transgender nonconforming students indicated using protection during oral sex at twice the rate of the average and protection during anal sex at triple the average rate. Ryan Gall, a UF College of Medicine doctor and professor, believes the difference in protection rates among gender non-conforming individuals is due to increased education regarding sex. “Although sex ed tends to be lacking in middle and high school, UF has a lot of resources specifically geared toward the LGBTQ+ community,” Gall said. “There’s inclusive, free protection in the Rainbow Room at the Reitz and a lot of information about sex that is meant to target overlooked population demographics.” Although there are many options for LGBTQ+ students to become more aware about safe sex practices, increased rates of protection also come from a history of fear. “A lot of queer people find themselves afraid of sex because the AIDS epidemic hangs over their heads,” Gall said. “They protect themselves because they don’t want to be called irresponsible or lumped in with all of the LGBTQ+ people who have died.” Students are using drugs, drinking and having sex at rates that may surprise people, but what’s not surprising is the toll on their mental health these activities can have. From alcoholic depressants to the stimulant effect of casual sex and everything in between, many UF students may find their mental health at the mercy of their surroundings. @bealunardini blunardi@alligator.org

ART

Gainesville therapist discusses benefits of art therapy for students struggling with mental health THE EXPRESSIVE THERAPY OFFERS A WAY TO DE-STRESS AND BECOME EMOTIONALLY AWARE By Alexandra Burns Avenue Staff Writer

Amid the surging mental health crisis, therapists are increasingly advocating for a unique form of therapy — one that requires just a sheet of paper, a pencil and a handful of colored pencils. Art therapy, a specialized form of creative therapy that can be done at home or with a professional, has become a solution recommended by numerous Gainesville therapists for mental

health struggles such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and childhood trauma. Mental health disorders have reached an all-time high on United States college campuses, with 44% of students reporting symptoms of depression, 37% reporting anxiety and 15% saying they considered suicide in the past year, according to a report from the Healthy Minds Study in 2022. Daniela Childers, a Gainesville registered mental health counselor intern and UF alumna, said she often uses expressive art therapy as a treatment for a variety of patients. Art therapy involves the use of creative prompts to draw images that can express one’s emotions, proving to be a helpful strategy for those who struggle with the vulnerability of speaking with a professional or verbalizing their feelings, Childers said.

“It’s so similar to talk therapy, it’s just that instead of talking, you get to draw these things,” she said. “It’s really nice to see that a lot of people [find it] very calming, and it can take the stress off of having to talk to a stranger.” The prompts used in art therapy can range from drawing simple and broad images to very specific scenarios, helping patients realize emotions they may have never been aware of or thought about in a clear way. “I think that [by] doing something like art, you can still express a lot without having to talk about a specific memory, but you can talk about the things around it,” Childers said. Due to the opportunity to focus on an image and one’s

SEE ART, PAGE 15

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 15

LIFESTYLE

UF students connect through cookies, cakes and critical life lessons STUDENT ORGANIZATION BAKING4WELLNESS PROMOTES MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR MEMBERS By Jared Teitel Avenue Staff Writer

Dec. 21, at 6:25 p.m., Reddit user Ledgelaa made an ambitious post to the UF subreddit. “Baking4Wellness is a rising organization at UF that is working towards promoting mental and general health awareness through the art of baking,” she wrote. Now, this multifunctional student organization with dozens of members nears its one-year anniversary at UF. Baking4Wellness started with one young woman’s dream to bring her two most important values to her college campus: sweet treats and strength. Last winter, Lejla Cancar, a 21-year-old UF health science junior, was itching to involve herself in any student organization that met her interests. But browsing web pages and scrolling through social media feeds led her to a dead end. Her love for baking and interest in mental wellness pushed her to come up with a club of her own. “I figured it would be pretty unique to combine the two,” she said, “considering a lot of people use baking as stress relief.” After seeking approval from UF Student Government, Cancar was ready to turn her novel concept into a real-life endeavor. She took to social media such as Reddit and Instagram to advertise the creation of Baking4Wellness and encourage her fellow students, struggling with mental health or not, to join her in the kitchen. “I struggle with severe anxiety,” she said about her motivation to begin the organization. “I wanted to use [Baking4Wellness] as a way to share resources were out there.” As Cancar continued to call attention to the campus club, interest slowly started to

spark and funding from the student government began to flow. Ten months later, Cancar said Baking4Wellness has grown to roughly 50 members, including additional students outside the organization who attend baking events. “That’s what we’re here for,” she said. “You come when you need it.” For Cancar, creating the club came with the challenge of equally dividing the activity of baking and the focus on mental health awareness. As an organization that meets three to four times per semester, Baking4Wellness devotes some days to baking workshops while others to health seminars. Topics of discussion at general body meetings have included eating disorders, fitness and wellness and misconceptions about disabilities, she said. “We try to do topics that are very relatable to other people,” she said. “That way, if they want to seek resources to help them, they can come to our GBMs.” On multiple occasions, the organization has hosted guest speakers with professional experience in such sensitive topics. In the spring, UF Police Department Victim Advocate Kelly Jackson discussed the issue of sexual violence with club members. Jackson was invited by Baking4Wellness Vice President Emily Dong, a 19-yearold UF food science sophomore. After an experience with violent threats, Dong said, she reported the incident to the Office of Victim Services and subsequently met with Jackson. “When I was in crisis,” she said, “Kelly spent a whole morning helping me talk to an officer, communicate with my family… as well as take me to crisis counseling.” Dong joined Baking4Wellness in Spring with the intent of putting her love for cooking and baking into practice. Little could she predict that the organization would soon become the support system she needed. “I [am] drawn to the mission,” she said. “Take care of yourselves.” Mikayla Agbamuche, a 22-year-old UF

Benefits of art

ART, from pg. 14

thoughts, art therapy provides a solution to express and delve into emotions that one may not want to talk about. “I think for everybody it’s just sometimes so overwhelming for people to talk about what they went through,” Childers said. “They might be really deeply out of touch with how they feel

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff

Christina Cross, 18, paints an elephant at the Reitz Union Arts & Crafts Center on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023.

Courtesy to The Alligator

Baking4Wellness members bake cookies with UF community service club Gator Diplomats at La Casita Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2023. natural resource conservation senior, is a baking chair of Baking4Wellness. For her, her discovery of the organization was an act of fate; having found the Reddit post while on the website looking for information about a course she was interested in. “Wow, this is something I’d love to do: baking and teaching other people how to bake,” she said, recalling her thoughts upon discovering Baking4Wellness. As a baking chair, Agbamuche researches recipes and schedules baking workshops each semester. With a tight budget, she said, the type of dishes, equipment and spaces is limited for the group. “Sometimes we have to do scaled-back versions of recipes or no-bake recipes,” she said, “just so we can make sure it’s accessible to everyone.” Without access to a fully equipped kitchen, the student bakers bring handheld mixers, toaster ovens, pots and portable air fryers into classrooms, apartments or

about how things are right now.” One strategy Childers uses with patients who may feel out of touch is asking them to draw something very simple, such as images of cold or hot objects. “If somebody comes in … and they’re having a hard time explaining and they’re very numb,” she said. “It gets them feeling a sensation, mounting into their body and thinking about that feeling …. It also kind of gives you some insight into their own memories and associations.” A similar technique Childers uses is asking patients to draw their heart or an outline of their body and color in what they’re feeling that day, allowing them to recognize feelings of sadness, fear or stress. “Just looking at that as a whole can really show you, ‘Oh wow, I’m so overwhelmed with sadness or fear right now,’” she said. “When you’re asked to draw, it’s a little more between you and your own thought process.” Although many art therapy exercises include the use of prompts, many therapeutic creative exercises can also be done at home, in a college dorm or even outside. Childers recommends going outside and finding an object, preferably something in nature or in one’s everyday environment, and drawing it. The exercise allows people to interrupt the thoughts and worries associated with certain places or to create a change in their normal routine. “On one of those days you might stop right outside your building and just kind of draw a random plant that was there,” Childers said. “You probably noticed that plant every time that you come in and out of your building. Now it’s just a kind of a grounding reminder of time spent [calming] down and not worrying.” Adult coloring books can also provide an easy at-home form of art therapy to de-stress and remove focus from overwhelming thoughts.

houses. There, they have produced piping hot pastries, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies and “spooky brownies” during the fall season. But Baking4Wellness leaders want members to take away so much more than what comes out of the oven. “The baking aspect is we know you’re dealing with all this stuff,” Agbamuche said. “We want you to have a healthy relationship with food…[and] the kitchen.” With one last general body meeting before the end of the semester, Baking4Wellness is determined to become a significant resource for students seeking help for their mental health by Spring. “We’re still growing,” Cancar said. “I want people to know there are resources, and I want people to use them.” @jaredteitel jteitel@alligator.org

“You’re picking these different colors for your coloring page, and there’s a lot of choice in that, and that’s a safe choice,” Childers said. “It feels like a huge sense of achievement and kind of a release of this low-stake thing … It’s very grounding just to be thinking about right now, thinking about red while I’m coloring this … and it really slows down your thought process.” For students who are interested in experiencing therapeutic art exercises, the UF Reitz Union’s Arts and Crafts Center provides free craft events, ceramic painting and group socials Monday through Sunday. The center also encourages students to participate in its selfcare Wellness Wednesdays watercolor painting event every week from 1 to 5 p.m. Partnered with GatorWell, the event provides flyers and infographics with information about art and its benefits for mental health. Chloe Sakr, a 20-year old UF advertising junior and manager of the center, said engaging in art activities at the center helps her relax and take a break from school. “It gives me a period where I can just forget about all of my school things,” she said. “Being able to remove myself from everything else and pour all my creativity into one thing, I really don’t get to do that in any other place.” Similarly, Daniela Aris, a 20-year-old UF business administration junior, said taking the time to draw, even if it’s for five minutes, gives her a sense of peace. “I think making art can be really relaxing since it’s low pressure and there’s no right or wrong way to do it,” she said. “It’s kind of like a healthy form of escapism because you don’t even notice time passing when you’re really immersed in what you’re working on, and it helps you think creatively.” @alexaburnsuf aburns@alligator.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 16

ATTRACTIONS

Gainesville’s top spots to de-stress, relax FIVE LOCAL SPOTS AND BUSINESSES THAT OFFER RELAXING BENEFITS By Bonny Matejowsky Avenue Staff Writer

Exhausted from a last-minute all-nighter? Has it been a while since you’ve touched grass? Are the guided meditations you found on YouTube just not working out for you? If a mental health break is much needed, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re seeking a unique spa treatment, a yoga session or a relaxing stroll in nature, here is a list of Gainesville’s outdoor spots and local businesses to de-stress and relax. Kardiya Yoga

Opened in 2022, this young yoga studio was created by 36-year-old Gainesville resident Natalie Nix. After going to massage school, she realized yoga was her calling and sought to create a community-based business venture — out came Kardiya Yoga. The classes mostly take place at the studio located at 14 SE Fifth Ave., with special events hosted at local spots such as Curia on the Drag and First Magnitude Brewing. In-person and online classes are taught every day of the week ranging from mellow evening classes to active, feel-good morning classes. Although some courses require a membership, the studio hosts drop-in classes that patrons can pay for on a sliding scale, starting at $5. “Something that I wanted to create with the studio is a sense of comfort and ease,” Nix said. ”I really hope that that’s something that we’re doing. Making it easy for people to come here and feel like they have a place to go, even if they’ve never practiced before. Rather than the usual expensive yoga class, the teachers instruct here with less focus on price and more focus on learning and incorporating mindful movement, Nix said. “We’re not interested in doing yoga to get good at yoga,” Nix said. “We’re interested in being healthy and moving well so that we can take this and do the things that we want to do outside of this space.” Hawthorne Trail

If you are looking for some extra greenery in your life, the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail offers 16 miles of natural Florida scenery. Located at 3400 SE 15th St., visitors can

bike, hike, run and roam on a paved walkway through the woods of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. There are also various overlooks of scenic wetlands and forests fit for outdoorsy contemplation. Along with ancient mossy oak trees and bird-ridden sinks, the park features relics of Gainesville’s human history. The trail begins at Boulware Springs Park, a historic waterworks where locals voted in 1854 at a meeting to create what is now Gainesville. No fee is required for entrance, and there are four different trailheads available for parking. The trail is open from 8 a.m. to sundown, every day of the year. Relax Salt Rooms

A glowing room covered floor to ceiling in salt might not be what first comes to mind when thinking of places to unwind. Based at 4936 NW 39th Ave., Relax Salt Rooms has been a spot for people seeking relaxation and health benefits since 2020. Sessions take place in a room that features 17,000 pounds of Himalayan salt on its walls and floors. Guests can sit back and relax in zero-gravity chairs for 45 minutes as a halogenerator grinds medical-grade salt and disperses it into the air. According to Megan Forcey, the manager of Relax Salt Rooms, dry salt therapy can aid anxiety, help increase lung capacity, take down inflammation and break up mucus in the airway. They’ve also treated many guests suffering from Long COVID. “Guests should lead their own journey of relaxation and health,” Forcey said. Solo adult dry salt therapy sessions start at $35. They also offer yoga classes, crystal singing bowl sessions and reiki sessions featuring guided meditation. “Some people prefer to relax in an environment where there is no touch, making salt therapy a great fit for them,” Forcey said. “They can enjoy all the comforts of a spa-like environment without being touched.”

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

People bike on the Hawthorn State Trail on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

Gainesville Integrative Wellness Center

Theresa Rizzo is the director of the GIWC and the resident acupuncturist at the center with 22 years of experience. Although she started as a nutritionist, she turned away from traditional Western medical practices in search of something more. “There’s so many holes in Western medicine, and I realized that was not the avenue that I wanted to go into,” Rizzo said. “It wasn’t very complete in both diagnostic and treatment and I wanted something a little bit more complete.” She founded the GWIC to collaborate with other doctors and create a space where clients can combine different treatments to help the mind and the body. A multidisciplinary medical space such as this is uncommon, Rizzo said, but needed. “We need a little bit of everything,” Rizzo said. People interested in the center’s treatment plans can schedule an appointment by contacting the practitioners they are interested in seeing individually.

If you are looking for a treatment plan but don’t know where to start, the Gainesville Integrative Wellness Center located at 1330 NE Sixth St. offers a holistic mix of mental and physical health care that might help. This center takes a collaborative approach to medicine, featuring acupuncture, lifestyle and dietary advice, direct primary care with nurse practitioners, counseling with a licensed mental health counselor and massage therapy.

For those who believe Florida is entirely beaches and flatlands, Devil’s Millhopper can be a surprising site. Located at 4732 Millhopper Road, this state park’s main attraction is a 120-foot-deep sinkhole decorated with lush native flora and sedimentary layers that display millions of years of history.

Open from 8 a.m. to sundown every day of the year, this unique Gainesville landmark has attracted visitors since the 1880s. Guests can scale the winding wooden staircase and admire the tranquil sinkhole or hike a half-mile wooded nature trail. For those interested in learning more about the park’s history, guided walks with a park ranger are available at 10 a.m. every Saturday. Admissions are $4 per vehicle and $2 for pedestrians and bicyclists. @bonnymatejowsky bmatejowsky@alligator.org

Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Two attendees photograph the sink hole at Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Amber Hansen and Carter Wenzel explore the Ichetucknee River on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

An attendee enters Relax Salt Rooms at 4929 NW 39th Ave on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Bullying: A remnant of the past

ew things seem more cruel to me than defenses of bullying. In a stroke of self-perceived genius, someone usually decides it’s time to “bring back bullying” because “people are too sensitive” or something along those lines. This outlook is shocking to me. It is deeply saddening to know people can believe that bullying is a remnant of the past or something only found in old movies and TV shows. It took me a while to come to terms with just how horrible the bullying I faced in school was. Earlier this year, my therapist helped me realize what I was experiencing was much more sinister than that. It was abuse. I denied this for a very long time. I chose to forget a lot of the things I went through in middle and high school. As it turns out, being physically violated regularly was one of them. Looking back, there are some things I wish could have gone differently. Had I known I had the power to leave my situation, I would have done it in a heartbeat. However, it is rarely easy to escape situations like the one I faced. Starting in high school, I was treated for multiple mental health problems, but my primary diagnosis was ADHD. It was nice to finally have an explanation for the mental health issues I faced, and to finally be medicated felt freeing. I could finally see the world clearly and knew exactly what true happiness felt like. My personal philosophy changed almost immediately. I knew that I had to help

the people in situations like mine, and that I needed to be indiscriminate in doing so. This goal was applied in the simplest yet most effective of ways. Earlier this year, I made a video for Gracey Davis’ story about Joey Alfonso, Gainesville’s Batman. In the interview, he shared a bit of wisdom from the movie “Batman Begins.” “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” This quote spoke to me in many ways. I spent so many years of my life trying to fix myself, but the truth was that I could not. The brain is not something to be fixed but something that you must live with. The medication definitely helps, but it isn’t flawless. Medication rarely cures anything, and most mental health problems are lifelong. Unfortunately, sometimes this means that sadness is a necessary evil. But no matter what, it always gets better. You have to keep living. Sometimes the cards we are dealt can feel unfair and even infuriating, and it can feel impossible to see a way out of our problems. That feeling is valid, but there are ways of coping with and moving forward from it. Your brain doesn’t define you — your choices are what make you who you are. In my opinion, there is no “deep” component of your identity. If you help others, that is who you are. If you hurt others, that is who you are. A lot of people see themselves as the problem. In my situation, it took me a long time to realize the people

How skinny feels O

who were beating and choking me at school were the problem. I did not deserve what happened to me, so seeing myself as a victim was the only thing that could help me cope. A “victim mentality” is not the counter-productive mindset that it is often branded as. After all, if you Ben Nielsen @benknielsen can’t blame others, who else is there to blame but yourself? No one should bnielsen@alligator.org self-blame for a problem that would have never existed without another party intervening. The problem was never me. The problem was the people who hurt me. The problem was the assistant principal who saw other students put their hands on me and failed to intervene. The problem was my English teacher who only intervened when I decided to punch one of the kids in self-defense. The problem was the history teacher who watched for years as we sat in her room during lunch, all while I was facing some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. The problem was the guidance counselor who I was told to put my trust in blindly, who let my primary abuser off the hook on multiple occasions. The problem was everyone who participated, and everyone who watched and did nothing. But these people and their actions do not define me, and I choose to move forward and seek my own life and happiness. The point is it is OK to recognize others as the cause of your problems. Those people are still worthy of love and respect, but recognizing that they took advantage of you is your right as a human being. Ben Nielsen is a UF media production, management and technology senior and videographer for The Alligator.

Column

n Aug. 10, 2016, my mom took me to the pediatrician. It’s not an unusual place for a 12-year-old to visit. The waiting room was filled with kids my age, dreading pre-seventh-grade vaccines or hoping the doctor would sign their approval form to play a school sport. But I wasn’t there for a shot or a signature. Instead, I left the office with a diagnosis that would change my life — a diagnosis that put years of calorie counting, obsession with exercise and need for control into words. I was obsessed with “healthy” foods from a young age. When the sno-cone stand came to my elementary school, I ordered an unflavored one, chewing the ice to avoid sugary syrup. During Girl Scout camping trips, I pretended I was allergic to gelatin to skip s’mores. The obsession spiraled in sixth grade when I started skipping meals after the stressful transition to middle school left me wanting control over my life. My mom’s concern for my weight led me to the Nemours Children’s clinic and the words “anorexia nervosa.” By the time I left that appointment, I was enrolled in an eating disorder recovery group, one-onone therapy and weekly dietician visits. And so began the worst two years of my life. Recovery sucked. I didn’t want to drink Pediasures like water or stop visiting the YMCA cardio station. I cried at the dinner table almost every night. But with my parents’ support, I kept going, and after a couple years of hard work, I overcame my anorexia, physically and mentally. I soared through high school without counting a single calorie. Then I went to college, and all it took was one month for recovery to become a distant memory. Don’t get me wrong. Starting college is exciting. For the first time in your life, you’re surrounded all day, every day, by young people your age. There are parties and football games and tailgates. But with constant social interaction comes constant social comparison. The guy from statistics class you followed on LinkedIn has a better internship than you. The girl you just walked past in Plaza of the Americas has cooler shoes. For me, those comparisons quickly morphed into body checking and calorie-obsessive thoughts I hadn’t felt since middle school. That girl at the gym has a flatter stomach than me. That guy in front of me in the dining hall line chose low-calorie vinaigrette for his salad while I got Caesar dressing. Negative comparison added to a general lack of control over my life. In high school, my only

plan was to get into college. Once I got here, the future became hazier. The boxes in which I defined myself in high school — the girl on the crosscountry team, the girl on the yearbook staff, the girl who sat with so-and-so at lunch — disappeared. I couldn’t find my identity, and I didn’t know how to manage life now the floor of childhood security had dropped from under me. Add fear of the “freshman 15” to the cesspool of triggers, and my years of therapy and nutrition appointments didn’t stand a chance. Zoey Thomas My experience isn’t unique. Eating disorders usually begin between 18 @zoeythomas39 and 21 years of age. Between 10% and 20% of women in college suffer from zthomas@alligator.org eating disorders. And from 2018 to 2021, the prevalence of eating disorders in college students increased by 20%. But words from my peers have opened my eyes to the problem more than statistics. Girls in my classes boast the only thing they’ve had to “eat” all day is a Diet Coke. Gym guys use “bulking” and “cutting” as code words for barely disguised anorexia. I am constantly surrounded by people who don’t like their bodies. People who the media and TikTok have told to be thin or muscular is to be attractive, and to be attractive takes priority over physical and mental health. But I’ve learned over the past eight years there is no magical clothing size that will heal your self-esteem, give you back control over your life or make you popular. Cutting calories won’t fix your life. So, you might as well eat. You might as well give your brain fuel to study and learn. You might as well give your body the energy it needs to spend time with your friends, to walk to your classes and to soldier through Gator football games (quite a feat with this season’s team). In one ’90s interview, Kate Moss said, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” But with respect to Moss, skinniness, when caused by neglecting your health, doesn’t feel good at all. Skinny felt like pushing away the people I love because I was too focused on the gap between my thighs to put energy into being a good friend, daughter or sister. Skinny felt like flunking a test because I was so consumed by thoughts of food I couldn’t study. As college kids, we have to stop using food as an outlet for college stresses. It’s OK to feel lost. It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. But let’s stop normalizing cutting calories as a way to cope with those feelings. College is a time to find who you are. That’s a big task to shoulder with an empty stomach. Zoey Thomas is a UF media production, management and technology sophomore and reporter for The Alligator.

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

18 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Column

Seeing the world through a different lens with mental illness

or most students walking around campus, a UF Alert warning them of a bomb threat is a message to leave the area. And it’s taken without question. For me and the other journalists there, it’s a bat signal. On Feb. 2, the Gainesville bomb squad was called into Turlington Plaza. And what did I get from my managing editor immediately after the UF Alert? “Go.” It was then that I realized the irony in walking toward the direction of an active threat, hundreds of students forming a flow behind me, like I’m the rock, having the sea of others split beside me. And that is the root of my struggle with mental health and, ultimately, my never-ending ethical battle of journalism. But to stay a good journalist and person, that battle should never end. I despise the idea of capitalizing on someone’s worst day of their lives — and I distance myself from journalists who view struggle as an opportunity. Struggle should instead be supported. The accessibility of a person’s struggle can show others, too, that they aren’t alone. To support this, I’ve found my niche of journalists: photojournalists. I’ve always been a visual person. I like framing and the artistic side of journalism — which lends more to the visuals that

make up documenting an event. My time in college pursuing photojournalism has led me 120-feet deep inside an enslaved people’s wreckage site with White Sharks in South Africa, all the way to riding shotgun and shooting photos out of a helicopter. It’s been fun. Augustus Hoff It’s also, unfortunately, been damag- opinions@alligator.org ing. I have been inside natural disaster coverage, shooting threats, war protests, mobs, prisons, execution protests, criminal court decisions, memorials, and funerals. At times, I’ve become the thing I despise most in this profession — a desensitized journalist. The other day, a lecture had us look at iconic images of war. My classmates, some covering their eyes with the blue screens on their computers, would wince and flinch at the sight of gruesome images. Instead, I saw how none of the fence posts were bumping into each other in the image. Disappointed by this, I talked to my therapist. Apparently, I compartmentalize, a process in which your brain stores information in a sometimes-healthy way that clears up room for daily thoughts. So now, my brain is going through the boxes, blowing off the

dust and picking away the cobwebs. It is painful. With a camera, keeping your eye focused through the lens is easy. But you only begin to see the whole story when you pull your eye from the lens. What are people’s body language? Are they comfortable with the camera there? Do they know I am a reporter and not an enemy? I like to compare these experiences to developing a roll of film. I must be careful with developing the images that print in my brain. Limiting the exposure and understanding that all the slides being set are vulnerable are the keys to a healthy mindset and a well-exposed photograph. Accepting vulnerability gives me access to images that show why someone’s struggle is important and should be seen by others. I hope discussing my struggles makes more room for journalists to know they are not alone in their revolt against oldfashioned media mindsets -– and that if you feel bad after talking to someone who just lost it all, it’s normal to feel bad. Unfortunately, I have to remind myself that I am not Batman, zooming towards the bomb threat. Did Batman ever do a mental check before answering the bat signal? Augustus Hoff is a UF Journalism senior and conservation activist.

Column

A manicure is never perfect

paint my own nails. It began as a way not to spend $60 every two weeks. I don’t want to spend $60. I can’t think of money without thinking of the hours my father spends staring at a computer. I can’t spend his money despite his approval. What have I done to earn that money? My head tells me that I’ve done nothing and never will. I’m a freeloader; I won’t amount to anything. When that last top coat gets brushed on, I sigh. I feel like I have to shake my head, rattle the thoughts away and go through my day trying not to ruin my manicure. Within three days, my nail polish is chipped, and my nails are broken. I try to cover up uneven nails and swollen cuticles with layers of more polish. They smear within seconds. I’m never patient enough to let them dry. My mind begins to tell me if I slowed down, they would’ve been perfect. Maybe I should grow out of the childish habit of picking at the skin around my nails. I could’ve done everything better. This is no longer about my nails. This is about my work, my grades, my dreams, my future. I shake my head. As the acetone stings my skin, I remind myself that this is about my nails. I can spiral later. Whenever I see my mom, she asks me what happened to my nails. I send her pictures whenever I give myself a manicure. To her, it shows that I feel better than usual. If I have the energy to do my nails, I have the energy to do my dishes, change my sheets and fold all my laundry, right? It’s a temporary high. My nails, stiletto or coffin shaped, show her that I’m still in one piece. By the time I see her, my nails are rough and damaged, gel extensions peeled and picked off. The polish is suffocating like I can feel every stroke of the brush on my hands. I can’t help

but damage my own nail beds and just laugh when I explain to her that I needed my nails short to type. Depression is constant. Even when I’m feeling fine, it’s always in the background. It’s like a base coat. I can layer coat after coat, but the base remains the same. It settles in my brain in a similar way the shiny polish rests on my nails. It’s physically painful. It is like a constant pressure on a hangnail that you failed to get rid of days ago. To me, it makes my knees hurt and my neck ache. My eyes burn for hours, and my body feels sore. I Delia Rose Sauer know it’s not from the amount of walking I do. I know it has nothing opinions@alligator.org to do with how active I am. Many people describe it as a heavy weight, and they’re right. The most surprising part of depression is that what everyone tells you about it is true. You feel helpless, and your brain creates the most vile images ever. I feel the need to constantly justify my feelings through my depression. I don’t do my work when I’m depressed. I only feel lifeless when I’m depressed. What I didn’t expect was not knowing where the line ends. How do I know when I’m not depressed? When I’m feeling satisfied, it’s still there. So, am I still depressed? Is it gone? Or is it stuck with me like stubborn nail polish that acetone can’t wash away? Some days, I can paint a top coat and move on. There isn’t a voice telling me that I won’t amount to anything. Some days, I go through half a bottle of acetone and too many cotton balls in a fit of rage and frustration. However, my nails are still on my hands, and my bottles of polish are still standing on my dresser. I still have hangnails and cuticles. I still have good days, and I still have bad days. Delia Rose Sauer is a UF journalism sophomore.

Column

Battling Anxiety

hold on to the armrests for dear life. My palms are sweating, my heart is racing, my legs are shaking. Then, I look out the window. No, the plane is not falling. Breathe in. Breathe out. My chest is hurting, my stomach is turning and my eyes are getting teary. The woman sitting by the window looks at me concerned. Although I’m embarrassed by my reaction, I can’t help it. I know all the facts: you have a higher chance of dying in a car accident on your way to the airport than during your flight; turbulence has never caused a plane crash; pilots need 250 flight hours before flying commercial planes. And yet, none of it makes me feel better. My brain still goes to dark places where both engines explode, a terrorist barges into the cockpit, the plane collides with another plane or the pilot has a suicidal wish to kill us all. You would think I haven’t flown a lot. But I’ve been flying since I was very little, and I’ve always been scared. In fact, I used to fly eight hours twice a year to see my grandparents in Brazil. But still, every time my family was dead asleep on the plane, I would stay alert, checking to see if anything was amiss. When there was turbulence, I would

hold my parents’ hands tight — and then it would get worse. Now, I fly to Baltimore to see my longdistance boyfriend almost every month. It doesn’t matter that I have flown that same airline to that same destination eight times before. Each time, in my head, is the one where the plane goes down. The fear is irrational. The facts don’t Carolina Tortorelli mean a thing, especially when I’m over opinions@alligator.org 30,000 feet in the air inside a scary metal tube going 500 mph. But flying is just one of the things that trigger my anxiety. Missed calls from my parents, police cars in my neighborhood, random aches and pains in my body. I have navigated life alongside anxiety disorder for a while, being in on-and-off therapy regularly since the third grade. I’ve never been ashamed of it. My mom has always prioritized mental health in my household and provided me with any of the resources I might need to improve. But a couple of months ago, my chest pains became more frequent, and my therapist recommended I see a psychiatrist. After only one session I was prescribed medication. Now that was a scary turn. Although I never saw mental health as something to be embarrassed about, there is something about needing an external force inside your body to feel “normal” that made me hesitant.

Escitalopram, commonly known as Lexapro, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that restores the balance of natural substances in the brain. Although it is a common medication to treat depression, it can also treat generalized anxiety disorder. But as much as taking Lexapro sounded scary, I was more scared of my own mind. I wanted to be able to relax on a flight while enjoying the view, instead of checking to see if the plane is falling. I wanted to find missed calls from my parents and think they just miss me instead of immediately assuming they were both murdered in cold blood. I didn’t trust myself when I knew anxiety clouded my logic, so I had to trust the specialist instead. It’s been about five months now, and I am no longer intimidated by Lexapro. Regardless of having that external force help stabilize my brain chemistry, I still feel completely like myself, minus some of the dark thoughts that used to consume me. I might even be getting off of it early next year. But don’t get me wrong. Planes are still very scary things, and I still hold on to the armrest for dear life. Anxiety disorder is a chemical imbalance in the brain, so as long as I need an outside force to help me fight this lifelong battle, I will. I am very thankful for the changing mindset regarding mental health in society today, and I hope to see it even further destigmatized in the future. There is no shame in needing a little external force to help you fight any mental health battles. Carolina Tortorelli is a UF media production, management and technology sophomore.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 19

Column

The unspoken impacts of loneliness in college

ran nearly 300 miles my first semester of college. one’s parents or the sadness accompanying missing a hometown friend. My roommate Running was the only thing that seemed to quell the crushing loneliness I felt — once told me college loneliness is the worst form of loneliness there is. and listening to Ludovico Einaudi’s “Experience” on loop. Often, I could be found My own experience has taught me that she’s not just right, but she also pointed out doing both at the same time, sprinting through the Swamp high on adrenaline and an epidemic among college students that goes largely unnoticed. It took time, but eventhe crescendo of classical piano notes. tually, I found the friendships and community I was looking for. It was all I could do to get a break from a feeling that suffocated my daily life. I was The more I opened up to people about my feelings and experiences, the more I realthe loneliest I’d ever been, and it was taking a toll I didn’t notice until much later. ized that loneliness in college is rampant. Had I known how common it is, I would have I knew college would be an adjustment. Over 1,400 miles from my home in Colorabeen able to have discussions with others that could have prevented an entire year of do, I anticipated feelings of homesickness and isolation. However, I was unprepared for Grace McClung struggle. the emotional turmoil I experienced throughout my first year of college and occasion- opinions@alligator.org The environment that stigmatizes mental health issues is the same toxic environally experience now as a sophomore. I failed to realize the extent to which being alone ment that prevents us from seeing loneliness as the mental health issue it is, robbing for the first time in my life would aggravate deep-seated insecurities, fears and mental challenges. students of the opportunity to have the kind of school year I had initially hoped to have. For the first month of school, I busied myself getting to know my roommate, finding clubs and Rather than presenting loneliness as a lapse in social skills and making students feel ashamed, organizations to join and trying to connect with the sea of new people around me. It was fun, at we should work to normalize conversations surrounding it. Loneliness can be devastating on its first, because everyone was doing it. And I expected my efforts to be rewarded with a tight-knit own, but it can be a weapon when combined with other mental health issues such as anxiety and social circle, a best friend and maybe even an intimate relationship. depression because of its ability to exacerbate these conditions. When none of these dreams panned out, the loneliness set in, and I began my almost daily Looking back, I enjoyed my first year of college overall. But it was tainted by feelings I didn’t excursions into the wilderness, where I could feel fine being alone. understand or know how to cope with, and it was hard in a way that it didn’t have to be. I dreaded life on campus. Around me, people were forging relationships that felt impossible to Loneliness plagued me with self-doubt which manifested symptoms of anxiety despite the fact me, and I envied their happiness. It seemed like everyone had figured it out. that I had never been an anxious person. It has an amplifying effect on emotions which is why it My twin sister, who was worlds away in Wyoming, bore the brunt of my frustrations. She was is difficult to address. This is why we need to make it part of the conversation. the only person I shared my thoughts with because they embarrassed me. I blamed my loneliness While I am much better now, dealing with loneliness in college is a work in progress. But with on myself and a lack of social magnetism that everyone else seemed to possess. the right resources, it can be done. I now run solely for fun. I felt like a failure and didn’t want anyone, especially my family, to agree. But staying silent about what I felt was an avoidable mistake. Grace McClung is a UF Journalism sophomore. Loneliness is something not talked about enough in college. It’s more than mere longing for

Column

Your definition of “First-generation”

eing a first-generation student means considerably more than “I’m the first in my family to go to college.” To some, it means “I’m first in my family to speak English,” “I’m the first in my family to take on FAFSA,” “I’m the first in my family to take a standardized test” or “I’m the first in my family to have the opportunity to reap the benefits of an American Dream.” Being first-gen is often a solo journey that paints everything a bittersweet color, a mixture of excitement for the doors opened for us and an overwhelming fear of coming up short of every sacrifice made to get us where we are. We discover success and failure on our own, but carry the judgment of many. To be a first-generation student means to carry the burden of past generations’ choices, for better or for worse. A vast majority of first-gen students, such as myself, come from cultures that don’t consider mental health a legitimate concern or issue. The stigma associated with seeking mental health support or accommodations has created an environment of shame which only serves to exacerbate the challenges we face daily. Now in the United States, the cultural contrast between complete rejection and complete acceptance of mental health related conversations often leaves us stranded in a gray area, handling our stress as well as we can, hoping never to reach a

breaking point that may force us to stray from the path so many fought so hard to pave for us. We carry a sense of responsibility passed down from our parents to us, from our grandparents to our parents and so on to ensure a better life for the coming generations — but at what cost? Burnout has recently come into the limelight, affecting people of all backgrounds, ages and majors, and it appears to be affecting students at younger and younger ages. As first-gen students, our learning curve is already set at a considerably steeper level. As we push and push to catch up, the chances of us burning out before we’re even able to get started are at an all-time high, especially if we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves. Writing about mental health and burnout as umbrella terms is recognizably vague but purposeful. A constant cycle we face is comparison. Comparing our academic achievements, our workload, our income, our time management — even our struggles. But no matter what anyone says — not peers, not parents, not teachers — there is no one standard by which to measure mental health issues. You are equally as deserving of support as anyone else is. You are not weak; you are human. Navigating life is burdensome even when you know exactly

what to expect. You should be proud of achieving everything you have, whether you think it is enough. If you are struggling, no matter the severity and no matter the reason, there are resources available to you. You aren’t a stranger to being the first to try something, and I promise you, mental Gabriela Montes health support is more than worth it. It’s much easier said than done, but opinions@alligator.org you don’t need to be confined to anyone else’s expectations of you as a first-generation student. As you discover your new autonomy in college, your desires, your passion and even your mental health, I encourage you to redefine your title of “first-generation” however you see fit. For me it was “I’m the first in my family to see a therapist” for others it’s “I’m the first in my family to openly foster conversations about mental health” or “I’m the first in my family to break the cycle of stigma.” And yet, my hope for all of us is “I’m the first in my family to have the opportunity to reap the benefits of an American Dream — including prioritizing my mental health for my own well-being and for that of future generations.” I’m so proud of us and everything we’ve accomplished. I genuinely can’t wait to see what the future has in store. How are you going to define what happens next? Gabriela Montes is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S. student at Johns Hopkins University and a UF Psychology graduate.

Column

Covering gun violence: The inescapable beat young journalists know all too well

n the morning of April 10, 2023, a gunman entered a downtown Old National that suffer. Bank office in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and killed five people. In the case of mass shootings, it’s a shared cycle of trauma that comes with too many Just a dozen blocks away, the staff of Louisville’s only daily newspaper newsrooms trusted to work in the delicate balance of their stories. — the paper that journalistically raised me — immersed themselves into the I’ll never forget the first day I walked back into the newsroom to start my internship tragedy and provided robust coverage of the shooting and its aftermath well at the paper this past May. On the mostly empty desk I was set to work from, there sat into the summer. a pamphlet on coping with trauma. I was sitting at my desk in the UF College of Journalism and Communications when By the collection of dust, you could tell that it had been there since that day in April. I got the push alerts and turned on the news. As the day unfolded and the chaos subA few of my colleagues still had theirs hung up on bulletin boards or posted in some Caleb Wiegandt other prominent place weeks after the shooting. sided, the coverage didn’t — and still hasn’t. Although many decades apart, it wasn’t the first time the paper in Louisville had opinions@alligator.org Thankfully, I’ve never been involved in one of these tragic episodes personally or covered a mass shooting. More than 30 years before, in 1989, the deadliest in the state’s journalistically as it happened. Journalism students at other schools have, most recently history left eight victims dead in a building that was a part of the paper’s complex on West Broad- on the campuses of North Carolina and Michigan State, and done so with the gripping relativity way, adjacent to the same newsroom they use today. that only a generation raised on that kind of tragedy can. A sizable portion of the paper’s staffers are lifelong Kentuckians, and even if a few of them For the generation born too late to remember 9/11, coming of age in the “where were you weren’t born or professional journalists yet, they all know or remember the horror of what hap- when” moments of Sandy Hook, Parkland and Uvalde leaves a different kind of harrowing imprespened down the hall from them and likely had those memories reawakened when violence struck sion, one full with haunting familiarity and inextricable grief. again. The role of journalists in memorializing the victims of mass shootings or any tragedy, violent Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/opinions. or natural, remains paramount to shaping the immediate and lasting memory in the communities

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5 answer on page 20 Release Date: Monday, November 27, 2023 Release Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 21

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/sports

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

‘I went through hell’: Florida women’s basketball guard overcame multiple injuries, mental exhaustion from old school NCAA DATA REVEALS SURGE IN MENTAL EXHAUSTION, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AMONG ATHLETES POST-2020 SHUTDOWN By Brandon Hernandez Sports Writer

UF graduate student guard Kenza Salgues has become one of the Gators top facilitators coming off the bench. The 5-foot-9-inch guard rolls up the hardwood of the Billy Donovan Court, creating illusions while she entices opponents to reach in — just to drill an accurate 3-point shot with ease over them. The French native has showcased her expertise as a seasoned Division 1 basketball player early this season. However, it’s lessons from her days with the Miami Hurricanes while sidelined due to season-ending injuries that seemed never-ending, and have brought her to these moments. Salgues’ mental state has been tested through both injury and isolation. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, her and many athletes across the country experienced heightened levels of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression — reportedly 1.5 to two times more than before the 2020 shutdown, according to data gathered by the NCAA in 2022. “I went through hell in Miami,” she said, emphasizing how her injuries challenged her mental state as she found herself in rehab during most of her four-year tenure with the Hurricanes rather than on the court with her teammates. Although now transferred to Florida, she won’t forget her turbulent time in Miami — but instead use it to benefit both herself and the Gators during the 2023-2024 campaign. When tragedy struck

There were 564,712 injuries that occurred between 2014 and 2019 across all collegiate sports programs nationwide — 25% of them

being severe enough to require athletes time off their sport, according to High School RIOTM (2019). Salgues became one of those athletes, all during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, her injuries seemed behind her. Salgues had surgery for her ankle before her first season at Miami, allowing the French prospect to play in 25 games. She led all freshmen at UM 3-point field goals made with 11 on the year and clocked 204 minutes of playing time in her first-year. Salgues then went back home to France over the offseason while the COVID-19 pandemic put the world into lockdown. She worked hard to get better for her sophomore year, training for the entire summer. Salgues was in the best shape of her life, she said. Then tragedy struck. The guard dislocated her right shoulder during a practice in the offseason. Salgues went into rehab that sidelined her for the majority of her sophomore year. “I couldn’t do anything,” she said. “I couldn't do the simple stuff: eating, couldn’t clothe myself, I had to be dependent on people, which I hated.” She appeared in the final four games of Miami’s 2020-2021 season and looked to come back strong for the next year. However, her injured ankle from freshman year would sideline her from the action once again her junior year — dampening her mood — resulting in another season-ending surgery. The veteran spent another season in rehab. She didn’t play for 936 days. Stuck in the States and with the world shut down from the pandemic, Salgues’ family — especially her aunt Ticha — played a huge part in aiding the athlete mentally. Early years

Salgues’ family introduced her to her love of the game. Her mother played professionally in France and allowed Salgues to train in the gym when she was as young as 3 years old. This led Salgues down a path to enroll at 14 in the National Institute of Sports, Expertise

and Performance in Paris, an institution run under the administration of the French Ministry of Sports for elite athletes. For three years, Salgues practiced twice a day for a scheduled four days per week while she took classes. The regiment was hard for Salgues, but it was an amazing experience she said, as only a few people from every generation are able to do what she did at INSEP. The Parisian institute takes a total of 780 elite athletes through its application process, but only 530 will be taken and enrolled for the year. INSEP, which houses 14- to 18-year-old athletes who participate in 28 Olympic and Paralympic sports, has 280 federal coaches on staff and a budget of $38 million euros. The institute has produced professional basketball players such as Clint Capela, Boris Diaw, Johan Petro and Hall of Famer Tony Parker. “It was really hard, but it was definitely good for my personal development,” Salgues said. “Also, when you’re part of it, you're pretty sure of making your national team.” Salgues played for the French U-16 and U-18 national teams in both the FIBA’s U16 Women’s European Championship in 2016 and U18 Women’s European Championship in 2018. By the time she graduated from the institute and committed to play for the Hurricanes, she was ranked No. 20 international player in the class of 2018 and the second best player in France. Despite an unparalleled upbringing in the sport, a successful career in basketball is never guaranteed. Mentally strong: Salgues’s transfer to UF

The Hurricane transfer spent the majority of her time at Miami dealing with a shoulder injury and a recurring ankle injury. Salgues only saw action in 11 games in her senior year at Miami. Through four seasons, Salgues appeared in only 40 games overall. After so much time not playing, Salgues knew she needed to make a change.

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Florida guard Kenza Salgues celebrates on the sideline with head coach Kelly Rae Finley during the teams win over the Bethune Cookman Wildcats on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. “I just want to be happy playing the game again,” Salgues said. She decided to transfer for her last year of eligibility to Florida, looking for playing time in the SEC and to be coached by Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley. She’s now tunnel-visioned on rediscovering the joy of playing the game of basketball. In the Gators’ first six games of the season, Salgues averaged 2.8 points per game — shooting at an 50% clip beyond the arc. The 5-foot9-inch guard looks to keep this average up with her injuries behind her. “I don’t think there’s something that can phase me,” Salgues said. “I’ll never complain. I’m just grateful to be able to walk right now, because I was in the scooter and in the cast for so long.” @BranH2001 bhernandez@alligator.org

VOLLEYBALL

Gators volleyball stays resilient despite season-ending injuries UF LOOKS TO PLACE IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS By Krisha Sanghavi Sports Writer

In the Gators volleyball team’s most prominent test of the season, No. 3 Florida sat one set away from a sweep against the No.1 Wisconsin Badgers.

However, the strenuous fight took a turn for the worse when Stucky fell to the ground off a jump in an effort to deflect a Wisconsin kill. The ball traced her fingertips to surpass her and tally another Badger point. Off the play, the setter endured a season-ending knee injury. The abrupt injury marked the end of Stucky’s season but fueled the team to forge together through

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their mental fortitude. Stucky tore her MCL, leaving the backup setter graduate student Kennedy Muff into the mix. “We battled with them without our AllAmerican setter,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “I think it speaks to the grit of this team.” As the Gators volleyball team battled through the highs and lows of a demanding season, the toll on their mental resilience

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became increasingly apparent. Facing unforeseen adversities, including season-ending injuries to key players, the team went from an undefeated 8-0 record to a final 18-9 overall record. In the next set against the Badgers, Stucky’s absence became apparent. Wisconsin almost doubled Florida’s hit-

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

SEE VOLLEYBALL, PAGE 23

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ALLIGATOR 23

Season-ending injuries VOLLEYBALL, from pg. 22

ting percentage in set three with a 0.406% versus UF’s 0.207%. Their momentum after Stucky’s injury disappeared as each set tallied another loss to eventually award the Badgers their five-set victory. Florida was hit with three season-ending injuries in the current season alone — Stucky, freshman outside hitter Kira Hutson and graduate student middle blocker Anna Dixon. “I know they are going to represent all the work we have put in on and off the court,” Hutson wrote in a statement. “This is just a minor setback to the major comeback!” The injuries brought the team closer together as they leaned on each other to power through challenges. Their positive team culture displayed on the court through cohesive plays and more mental toughness. “We really do love each other a lot and we really embody that ‘play for each other’ mindset,” Stucky said. “We really grind and work really hard.” The Gators’ first regular season tournament, the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational, featured sweeps against high-ranked teams such as the then-No. 2 Stanford and thenNo. 5 Minnesota. Brimming with promise, the team dominated in preseason and early games to claim a top-10 ranking as they strung a chain of victories. Ranked No. 8 at the time, Florida entered its matchup against Stanford as underdogs. The Gators swept the Cardinal in three sets and dominated in every aspect of the game. Florida surpassed Stanford offensively with 48 kills compared to Stanford’s 46. Defensively, UF held its opponent to 35 digs and amassed 42 digs itself. Against Minnesota, Florida downed the Golden Gophers in three straight sets with 54 total points to 41.

The win streak propelled the Gators to the No. 3 in the AVCA Poll rankings. After Florida’s loss to Wisconsin, the team went on to win its next two matches, including a win over then-No. 24 Auburn, but the Gators hit a downslope when they lost to unranked Texas A&M. In its third SEC matchup, UF suffered their second loss of the season against the Aggies. The win against No. 4 Florida at the time was Texas A&M’s first-ranked conference win in 24 years. Muff contributed with 42 assists, and freshman outside hitter Kennedy Martin delivered 16 kills. “If you’re going to ask for an undersized setter to play [for the] first time in a tough match in this environment, Kennedy Muff is who you want,” Wise said of Muff's addition during the game. “She has so much guts, I love it.” Midway into the season, Hutson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury, which rendered her from hitting safely in the sport. She hit a career-high 14 kills and 15.5 points against No. 8 Penn State Aug. 25. The game following her announcement, the Gators had their away-game winning streak snapped in a 3-1 loss against Mississippi State Oct. 13. Florida regained their momentum and won two consecutive SEC matchups against Texas A&M in four sets and Ole Miss in a three-set sweep toward the end of October. Despite the two wins, the next three weeks were followed by three consecutive SEC losses. On Oct. 27, graduate student middle blocker Anna Dixon announced her season-ending elbow and wrist injury. Dixon had a short run with the Gators, but her impact on the team allowed her to reach a season-high of 10 kills against Penn State and mark 18 points against South Florida in the Gators’ first tournament of the season. She switched to middle blocker over

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

The Gators volleyball team embraces each other in Florida’s 3-2 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. the summer before she came to UF from Missouri to help the team with its defense. The graduate student spent most of her career as an outside hitter. At Florida, she recorded 37 digs and 59 block assists to strengthen the Gators’ defense. “This is not a goodbye to [volleyball],” Dixon wrote after her injury. “It’s just a goodbye to being a middle blocker.”

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

The Gators volleyball team celebrates after a point in Florida’s 3-0 win against the Winthrop Eagles on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Three games after the announcement of Dixon’s injury, the Gators lost to three top20 teams: No. 10 Arkansas, No. 11 Tennessee and No. 13 Kentucky. UF fell without the prominent middle blocker, and in the unfortunate circumstances, Florida’s poll ranking dropped from No. 14 to No. 21 in the AVCA Poll that week. With the team grappling not only with the physical void left by Dixon but the mental strain of constant setbacks, the resilience of middle blockers senior Nnedi Okammor and junior Gabrielle Essix worked to fill the hole left by Dixon between games. Okammor has a season-high of 10 blocks against Georgia and 12 kills against Tennessee. Essix recorded a season-high of seven kills against Kentucky and nine blocks against Texas A&M. With three season-ending injuries, blocks have been a major component defensively for Florida, but even with a setback, the team made a comeback. Despite the injuries, the team strung together enough victories to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The team’s resilient play demonstrated not only the team’s physical prowess but also their mental resilience in the face of several season-ending injuries. The Gators volleyball team fought through the adversity of injuries to achieve an overall 18-9 record and a 10-8 SEC record so far. Florida will play Florida Gulf Coast as the fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. @krishasang ksanghavi@alligator.org

24 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2023

BASEBALL

Florida baseball embraces transfer portal with Alabama star Colby Shelton SHELTON IS THE LATEST STAR TO TRANSITION TO THE GATORS IN RECENT SEASONS By Max Tucker Sports Writer

Being in a comfortable atmosphere is something that can benefit an athlete’s mental health. Although transferring schools can be a large transition, surrounding oneself with the right group of people can create a smooth acclimation. This is true for Colby Shelton, a talented infielder who transferred from Alabama. The sophomore is a Florida native and adds a powerful swing to Florida’s lineup. Shelton plans on playing shortstop for the Gators next Spring. He has shared a similar experience that prior transfers went through. Although there will be a great deal of pressure to perform at a high level, the transition to a new team has been seamless for the sophomore. “My transition here has been really easy,” he said. “The coaches here have made it a real easy transition, at the end of the day it’s just baseball, you can’t overthink it.” The Gators are preparing for

another run to the College World Series in their upcoming season. The sophomore transfer is ready to put his talents on display on the biggest stages to help deliver a national championship for his team. With the loss of several key contributors from last year’s lineup, Shelton envisions himself being one of many key pieces on the road to Omaha. “I think there’s a lot of guys that are gonna play crucial roles,” he said. “It’s going to be bigger than just me myself. I feel like if everyone does the role the best they can do it, it’s going to ultimately help out the team best and contribute to us winning a bunch of ball games.” UF has established themselves as one of the elite collegiate programs in the sport. Year in and year out, the team has multiple players drafted into the MLB. This is a factor that weighed heavily in Shelton’s decision to transfer, he said. “They have a good track record of getting guys drafted,” he said. “They have a bunch of people that play at the University of Florida in the major leagues and I think that speaks for itself.” Shelton was ranked as a top-20 impact transfer in September. The

sophomore is coming off a stellar season for Alabama en route to collecting Freshman All-American honors. He led the Crimson Tide in home runs, OPS and slugging while raking in an impressive .300 batting average. Last season, the transfers from Florida’s team played significant roles throughout the year. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan doesn’t have a huge track record of obtaining players from the transfer portal throughout his career. However, in recent years, the Gators baseball program has seen major contributions from players up and down the lineup who didn't always don the orange and blue. BT Riopelle was the starting catcher for the team in 2023. After beginning his career at Coastal Carolina, he took his talents to Gainesville to play against some of the best competition in college baseball. There were adjustments that had to be made to gain a level of comfort within the program. “I think this year has really transitioned well,” Riopelle said Feb. 6. “If you have a good relationship with all the guys that will transition on the field and make you want to play a little bit better.”

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

The Gators baseball team celebrates in Floirda’s 17-8 win against the Auburn Tigers on Sunday, April 2, 2023. Another member from last season’s team who went through similar adjustments was Hurston Waldrep. Waldrep was a starting pitcher in the rotation who transferred from Southern Mississippi. Prior to last season, he explained why he chose to further his collegiate career at Florida. “When I entered the transfer portal I was looking for somewhere that had a good history of a pitching program and good coaching staff and just a solid team overall,” Waldrep said on Dec. 7,

2022. The transition to a premiere program in the SEC can be a daunting one. However, Waldrep was welcomed with open arms to his new program. “I’m really looking forward to the season because the atmosphere here, the history of this program, these players and what I’ve seen so far it’s a lot to look forward to,” Waldrep said on Dec. 7, 2022. @MaxTuckerUF25 mtucker@alligator.org