December 4, 2023

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 16 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Hamilton Center: Emphasizing apolitical position following controversial foundation THE UF CENTER IS FOCUSING ON HIRING, COURSE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMING SEMESTERS

By Sophia Bailly & Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writers

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

An Eastside High School marching band member chants along with other performers at the City of Gainesville Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

UF’s Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education wants to prove it has no political agenda.

The Hamilton Center began with $3 million from the state after The Council on Public University Reform — a conservative think tank — lobbied to begin a civic education center at UF. A deliberative back-and-forth between UF leaders and the state ensued — a process that deviated from the typical creation of an academic unit at UF. William Inboden, the center’s director, is focusing on recruitment and curriculum development. Under

state mandate, the center will eventually become its own college. Beginning 2025 and each year thereafter, the center will be required to report updates on enrollment and curriculum to the state.

The center received $30 million in state appropriations this year.

“As far as what actually went about in the [center’s] creation, I can't litigate that,” Inboden said.

Establishing its place on campus

The center’s mission includes teaching classic Western literature, Western ideas and the foundational elements of America’s political history. Inboden is aware of the center’s controversial origins but is dedicated to fulfilling the state’s mission, he said.

“No one in the state government has been trying to dictate or micromanage us on what we might research and teach,” he said.

SEE HAMILTON, PAGE 5

Recent antisemitic vandalizations cause safety concerns among UF Jewish students COMMUNITY MEMBERS DISCUSS MISINFORMATION CONCERNING THE MIDDLE EASTERN CONFLICT

By Jinelle Vazquez Alligator Staff Writer

Sara Beer has recently started to think twice before wearing her Star of David necklace on UF's campus.

“It’s definitely a little concerning, especially because I’m a person, like many others, who’s very proud of their Judaism and with that has now come with a lot of risks,” Beer said.

The 20-year-old public relations junior, who is Jewish, said she's felt more anxious for the safety of herself and her Jewish peers since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7.

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The escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict has brewed a growing tension among pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian members of the UF community. While people have mostly expressed their opinions through peaceful protests, a series of antisemitic incidents on campus, such as the Nov. 27 vandalization of the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center, have left many Jewish community members worried for their security and well-being.

The recent vandalism follows a series of antisemitic incidents that plagued the UF community earlier this year and Fall 2022. In October 2022, an antisemitic message was displayed on the exterior of the TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville after the Florida-Georgia game.

In Spring 2023, antisemitic writings were found on campus and an antisemitic group of streamers visited Turlington Plaza.

Beer is heavily involved in the local Jew-

Environment

ish community. On top of serving as the vice president of the UF Jewish Student Union, she is a member of the Jewish sorority UF Alpha Epsilon Phi and also works as a Hebrew school teacher at B’nai Israel Congregation, a local Gainesville synagogue.

Although Beer is scared there will be more antisemitic incidents in the future, she said she will continue to take pride in her Jewish heritage and the UF Jewish student community that she has found comfort in during this difficult time.

“I think that because there are so few of us in the world, having a strong Jewish identity and a strong connection toward your Jewish identity is something that we have to take advantage of,” she said.

Rabbi Berl Goldman, director of the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center, was disgusted by last month’s antisemitic attack on

Gainesville gardeners prepare for cold weather, pg. 4

the center. The center was vandalized with antisemitic remarks such as “baby killers” on Nov. 27. The incident came a month after the UF Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi banner that reads “AEPi stands with Israel” was vandalized twice.

“We are concerned that some people, especially congregants and students that attend our center regularly, would be fearful because of antisemitic attacks and vandalism,” Goldman said.

The man suspected of the multiple hate crimes against Chabad UF, Geoffrey Lush, was arrested Nov. 30 at night by the Gainesville Police Department and faces two felony charges, according to an email sent by Goldman.

Goldman confirmed that GPD will have visual and uniformed police officers during scheduled programs and services at the center

SEE ANTISEMITISM, PAGE 5

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

Weather New UF Today’s one-credit course ‘What is Israel?’ debuting Spring THE COURSE WILL EXPLORE THE HISTORY, CURRENT EVENTS AND CONFLICT SURROUNDING ISRAEL

By Molly Seghi Alligator Staff Writer

Home to the largest Jewish student public university population in the nation, UF has one of the most comprehensive university Jewish centers nationally, according to its director, professor Norman J.W. Goda.

While many of its courses study the long-standing history of the Jewish people and the state of Israel, the center also incorporates programs studying current events.

Starting the Spring 2024 semester, the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies will offer a new one-credit course on Israel titled “What is Israel?”

The course aims to examine Israel’s complex history from an unbiased perspective. It was created in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the reactions to it on college campuses around the country, Goda said.

Course curriculum will try to combat misconceptions and lies surrounding the conflict and give students a holistic understanding of the state of Israel, Goda said.

Students will evaluate and discuss topics including early Zionist thought, the 1948 war and the Hebrew language, among others.

The course will be team-taught by the Shorstein Center faculty and organized by professor Roy Holler, a 40-year-old assistant professor of Israel studies.

It is catered to a mix of students from different disciplines, Holler said, primarily those who have heard about Israel in recent weeks for the first time.

“We really want to invite to the course anybody who has an interest and wants to step out of their echo chamber … and get a wider and a more encompassing review of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Holler said.

Students with busy schedules find the course's low time commitment appealing.

Gavin Emdur, an 18-year-old UF biology freshman, said the class seems like a good opportunity to meet students with different beliefs.

“I've been exposed to more of one side of a viewpoint for a lot of my life, and I’d like that interaction with people who have really been exposed to one side or the other,” Emdur said.

Others, such as 22-year-old UF finance freshman Noam Levi, are interested in learning about Israel from a historical perspective.

As an exchange student from Is-

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 16

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rael, Levi chose the course to see how Israel is studied abroad.

“I never really encountered a course on Israel,” Levi said. “It's pretty obvious what the country of Israel is about because [I] live there.”

While he is not Palestinian or Jewish himself, Cameron Driggers, an 18-year-old business administration student, is passionate about learning about the conflict.

Although he is skeptical of the course’s “unbiasedness,” Driggers appreciates the effort to educate people on “a topic as complex and nuanced as this one,” he said.

“It's great to see that there is some effort being made to educate people on the situation,” Driggers said. “Like many things that are this polarizing, there's a lot of misinformation and lack of education.”

Established in 1973, the Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies explores the study of Jewish culture, history and politics. It offers a major and a minor program as well as three certificates and individual courses.

The center focuses on creating undergraduate and graduate courses on the Jewish experience, conducting research and facilitating public programs. Courses range from Holocaust Studies and Palestine under the British Mandate to modern Jewish and Israeli thought.

The course will be offered on Tuesdays from 5:10 to 6 p.m.

Interested students can reach out to professor Norman J.W. Goda or professor Roy Holler by email for more information. @molly_seghi mseghi@alligator.org

Longtime Gainesville residents, community leaders reflect on city protest history PROTESTS ARE STILL A SIGNIFICANT PART OF CITY’S SPIRIT

By Ella Thompson Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville, May 1972. UF students packed the corner of University Avenue and Southwest 13th Street in a two-day anti-Vietnam War protest that clashed directly with police officers and campus officials. Nearly every week, there’s a protest on the corner of University and Southwest 13th Street — it’s one thing about Gainesville that’s never changed.

The city has a long history of protests. Beginning in the late 1960s, UF students took to the streets when they felt their voices weren’t being heard. Six decades later, students and Gainesville community members still gather in masses to ignite change.

UF history professor Steven Noll has watched city protests since he started teaching in Alachua County in 1976. Over time, they’ve become more peaceful, he said.

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“Students had been taking to the streets since 1967 — huge demonstrations in ’69 and ’70, Black Thursday in ’71,” Noll said. “Students felt that their voice wasn't being heard and they needed to ramp up the confrontational possibilities.”

The beginnings of Gainesville student protests

In the years leading up to the 1972 May riots, as some students from the time referred to them, there were several protests. On Oct. 15, 1969, about 1,800 UF students gathered at the Plaza of the Americas to protest the Vietnam War. The Student Mobilization Committee sold red and black armbands with “644,000” on them, representing the estimated number of United States casualties in the war.

In May 1970, UF students requested that then-University President Stephen O’Connell cancel classes in honor of the victims of the Kent State shooting, but he refused. It’s estimated that 3,000 UF students protested, causing classes to be canceled for two days.

SEE PROTEST, PAGE 4

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

Porter’s Quarters community farm combats food insecurity, empowers neighborhood Local farmers, activists, professionals discuss the impact of urban agriculture

By Valentina Sandoval Alligator Staff Writer

In an unsuspecting intersection of streets near Downtown Gainesville, an empty plot of land used to lie across the Porter’s Quarters Community Center. Today, the plot serves as a community farm that grows fresh crops for residents.

Otis Garrison, the 55-year-old Porter’s Quarters Community Farm head farmer, views the farm as an investment in the neighborhood’s future and self-sufficiency. He aspires to grow a variety of produce, including pears, pomegranates, castor oil and avocado.

“As time goes on, you won’t even have to bring a lunch out,” Garrison said.

Porter’s Quarters was started based on this same idea of self-sufficiency, Garrison said. In 1884, Canadian physician Dr. Watson Porter founded the community and only sold real estate to African Americans, according to a 2018 UF architecture project. While the historically Black community used to span a wide area, it has shrunk in size over the years due to development projects.

What’s left is a tight-knit community that is wary of outsiders.

The community farm, which has been in the works since 2012, serves as an effort to combat food insecurity and generate an income for Porters. It also works as a space for the community to come together and work toward bettering their lives, without aid from external organizations. Local activists, farmers and community members appreciate the work on the farm but are painfully aware of how long the road ahead is to defeating food insecurity in their community.

Growing up in High Springs, Garrison said he never thought of himself as a farmer. It wasn’t until 2016 when he joined a Pan-African growing organization in Atlanta that he developed a passion for the power of agriculture.

Teaching the community to grow their own food will help local food-insecure residents overcome the impracticality of our current food systems, he said, because situations like the coronavirus pandemic can bring them to a halt. Not only are the crops from the farm for sale, he said, but they are also for teaching the

people how to preserve food through dehydration, pickling, jarring and canning.

“We want to be an example [that] this community and more of our communities are capable to take care of our own business,” Garrison said.

The farm’s impact

Erinesha Hamilton, a 30-year-old social activist, owns the nonprofit organization Sliick Garden, which works with the Porters community farm. She wanted to partner with the farm because she believes it’s the blueprint for what she hopes to see in other historically Black communities.

“My initiative is to really get a curriculum going in agriculture to make it sustainable,” Hamilton said.

However, to expand the initiative to other neighborhoods like Duval and Sugar Hill, they will need extensive financial support, Hamilton said.

“We work for no compensation so the more we can get funds in to take care of our team and take care of resources we need here,” Hamilton said. “We’re looking at the community for help.”

In partnership with Santa Fe College, UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and other organizations, the community organizers behind the farm — including Hamilton — recently hosted a Thanksgiving Harvest Festival to celebrate local agriculture Nov. 18.

The festival featured youth activities, a bounce house, a crockpot cookoff with produce harvested from the farm, workshops on canning and jarring food and more to bring the residents together.

Hamilton said she loved seeing the community unite to enjoy the farm.

“We’ve heard different testimonials that showed us we reached the community in the capacity we need to continue that work and show them this is a safe space,” Hamilton said.

The farm also serves to uplift and empower local farmers. While there is only one farmer living and working on the farm at this time, Hamilton said she hopes to expand the team.

Benefits of urban farming

One advantage of community and urban

Gainesville protests PROTEST, from pg. 2

On April 15, 1971, the Black Student Union marched to O’Connell’s office with a list of demands. Exactly 66 students were arrested and suspended. That afternoon, 1,000 students gathered at the Plaza of the Americas to raise bail money for the arrested students, and by 9 p.m. that same day, another 1,000 students sat on O’Connell’s front lawn, demanding his resignation.

The rage that filled students came to a head in May 1972, and nothing could get them off the streets. Samuel Taylor, UF 1972 student body president, tried, but they refused.

Students didn’t budge when fire trucks were brought in to spray them off the street — in fact, this only made the crowd larger as it provided sweet relief to the sticky May weather. Students weren’t strongly affected by the tear gas police officers threw because the officers were standing downwind, and it backfired.

“With the Vietnam War, there was always the fear of them having to leave school and then being drafted and sent over to Vietnam,” Noll said. “Their friends were getting drafted. Their friends were dying, and it didn't appear that there was any good rationale for the war.”

The anti-war protests were violent because the war hit close to home for younger generations, he said. They were violent because university students were targets of violence themselves, like victims of the 1971 shootings at Kent State University and Jackson State University, he added.

Gainesville’s activism didn’t stop at anti-war protests. The city was an important component of the national women’s rights movement in the ’60s and ’70s, Noll said. Gainesville is one of five cities pinpointed as hotspots of feminist activism with two activists — Beverly Jones and Judith Brown — writing an influential manifesto, “Toward a female liberation movement.”

Students and residents carried the activist sentiment to the 1980s,

farming initiatives, like the Porter’s Quarters farm, is the independence they provide communities from harmful food systems.

The rapid urbanization of Florida has led to the use of traditional farming land to build homes, said Catherine Campbell, IFAS assistant professor and extension specialist in community food systems. This has led to the increasing popularity of urban farming, which is the process of cultivating, harvesting and distributing food in urban areas.

Specifically in limited-resource communities, Campbell said, urban farming can help community members have control and sovereignty over their access to food. It can also support community empowerment, she added.

“It’s a way that they can jointly as a group solve their own problems rather than having external people come in and try to solve problems for them,” Campbell said.

Campbell said the UF IFAS Extension does not go directly into communities. Instead, the department provides science-based information and resources to help communities achieve their goals.

Distrust within Black communities

The self-sufficient aspect of urban farming is also beneficial for Porter’s Quarters because community members don’t have a strong trust relationship with the university or the city.

Faye Williams, a 70-year-old community organizer known to many as the “president” of Porter’s Quarters, was one of the people who came up with the idea to turn the unused plot of land into a community farm.

“I said, ‘We need to use that land’ … so we started growing greens and crops of sweet potato,” Williams said. “We got a couple of volunteers from the university and it was good because we were forming a relationship” However, she said there is a lot to be done about cynicism in the neighborhood.

Roughly 15-20 resident and college student volunteers used to help with the farm’s weekly upkeep. But after some volunteers tried to collect data from community members to improve the farm’s resources, neighbors became wary and stopped visiting the farm, Williams said.

Williams pointed to the fence and lock all around the farm to explain how it feels like

as the anti-apartheid movement gained traction and the U.S. and the United Kingdom imposed selective economic sanctions.

In the 1980s, UF students and citizen activists performed a 40-day sleep-in and protest on the lawn of Tigert Hall to urge the university to divest funding from companies that supported the South African Apartheid.

Modern-day protests

During Fall 2023 at UF, The Alligator covered significant Israeli and Palestinian protests. Although these protests have remained peaceful, there’s been a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, creating a rise in tension.

“We have seen the Israeli flags defaced. We've seen students of Arab descent harassed,” Noll said.

“The tensions for that, I think, really have the potential to match the violence that took place in the ’60s and early ’70s.”

Muhannad Farahat, a 22-yearold UF civil engineering senior, has participated intermittently in protests since 2021. This semester he’s attended four, he said.

“I don't think most protests that have ended in violence have really

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Porter’s Quarters Community Farm’s head farmer Otis Garrison is photographed at the farm on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. there is a barrier between the farm and the community.

“You’ve got the greens on the inside, but you got the people on the outside,” Williams said. “So, it’s gonna take some time to get them to come back over here.”

She said a lot of community members, including herself, are also skeptical of people involved with UF attempting to assist with the farm as the university has a history of taking away from and ignoring the historically Black neighborhoods of Gainesville.

On her morning walks, Williams said she often stops at the farm for 15 to 20 minutes, takes in the fresh air and meditates.

People regularly ask Williams why she continues dedicating her time to the prosperity of Porter’s Quarters. She said those people don’t understand the connection residents can have with their community.

“I’m a poor woman, but I’m rich inside,” Williams said. “And nobody can take that away from me.”

succeeded in any way,” he said.

“Violence is never the way to do it.

It's to do it peacefully, and try to get your message across in a good way because a lot of people are more receptive in that sense.”

Protesting isn’t just about creating change; it’s also about opening up an educational dialogue, Farahat said. Protesting shows university and community leaders there needs to be some kind of change, he added. Protesting at the entrance of campus gives organizers a better opportunity to expand their platform.

Organizing a protest on the busiest corner in Gainesville allows for visibility a demonstration within campus may not get, Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said.

“It's visible. There are more people there, it's more dense than anywhere else in North Florida,” Ward said. “It's going to always draw the most attention. So, it's significant from that purpose, but also from the symbolic connection of the university then into the community.”

Ward grew up in Gainesville and, as a child, watched the raging anti-war protests in the city. Now, as mayor, city leaders work with protest organizers and police departments to create a safe environ-

@valesrc vsandoval@alligator.org

ment for protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights, he said.

Gainesville is a mix of a normal Florida city and a major university that attracts students from all over the world, which brings a wide diversity of thoughts to town, he said.

During his time in Gainesville and as mayor, Ward has watched protests across the board unfold.

During Summer 2020, Black Lives Matter demonstrations broke out across the city and continued for months and during Summer 2022, community organizers led protests over the handling of Terrell Bradley’s case, a Gainesville man who lost his eye to a Gainesville Police Department K-9. Hundreds marched in May 2022 to support abortion rights. In 2021, anti-vaccine protesters gathered outside City Hall to fight against a vaccination mandate.

“As a community, it shows that we're tolerant and that we really do believe that people have a right to be heard,” Ward said. “We have shown in Gainesville that we think the First Amendment matters and we're here to support people's rights.” @elladeethompson ethompson@alligator.org

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023 ALLIGATOR 5

Hamilton Center development HAMILTON, from pg. 1 The center will offer more than 20 Quest Honors courses in the Spring 2024 semester, including a Quest 1 class taught with UF President Ben Sasse called “The American Idea.”

Sasse hired Inboden, a longtime friend and political donor, to run the center in May. John Stinneford, the center’s inaugural director, didn’t respond to The Alligator’s emails and phone calls requesting an interview.

A UF Faculty Senate report released in June detailed anonymous feedback about the center from members of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The report described the center as a “‘shadow college’ intended to replace CLAS’s functions without faculty input.”

The report also detailed concerns from members of the Levin College of Law about using favoritism for hiring practices in the Hamilton Center.

Of the $30 million allocated to the center, $10 million is recurring. The Center for Latin American Studies, which is the only other UF academic center independent of a college, received $3.5 million from the state and had a total budget of $5.3 million.

A representative of the Center for Latin American Studies declined to be interviewed for this article out of fear of retribution from university leaders. Several UF history faculty members didn’t respond to The Alligator’s interview requests.

“I also don't want to minimize or downplay concerns,” Inboden said. “But that's where I'm also a realist in the sense of, ‘OK, I'm here now. We've got a job to do.’”

Recruitment and curriculum

Robert Ingram, a humanities professor and the center’s associate director, began his position Dec. 15, 2022, after leaving Ohio University’s history department.

Other universities have emphasized humanities through classic Western literature, or Great Books, Ingram said, including Columbia University and The University of Chicago. He wants to build something from the ground up, he said, but also understood he was walking into a position that had controversial beginnings.

“As I joked, I was walking into somebody else's family fight,” he said. “I just say judge us on the results.”

The center doesn’t yet have its own course prefix, so it’s

Patricia Pascual // Alligator Staff

teaching courses through UF’s Quest and the Honors Program’s (un)common reads classes.

Anna Latell, a 19-year-old UF health sciences sophomore, is taking “St. Augustine, The Confessions,” which is taught through the (un)common reads curriculum and the Hamilton Center.

The professor, Nathan Pinkoski, hasn’t mentioned the Hamilton Center in class, and Latell said she wasn’t familiar with the center.

While Latell could take a class through UF’s Department of Religion, the Hamilton Center’s multidisciplinary approach includes religious classes.

“If you're not a classics or a history major, you're not going to get those historical ways of thinking that still influence us today,” she said.

The center has worked with the philosophy department to have some hires temporarily teach in the department, Witmer said. In Spring 2023, Hamilton Center faculty taught “Happiness and Well-Being,” which is registered under the philosophy department.

Witmer plans to stay in communication with the center to make sure students don’t inadvertently sign up for a Hamilton Center class thinking they will get credit toward a philosophy course.

“It's not entirely clear to me where they expect to go,” he said, referring to the Hamilton Center.

He doesn’t anticipate the center will cause immediate competition among academic departments. In terms of the center remaining apolitical, Witmer said it likely won’t cause trouble.

“We’re well aware of all the weirdness about how it got started and concerned about that,” Witmer said. “But our attitude is basically, ‘Look, give them the benefit of the doubt.’”

Sarah Berger, a 19-year-old UF sophomore, is a triple major in religion, philosophy and women’s studies. It’s unclear how the center will differ enough from courses already offered, she said. Philosophical texts from thinkers like Plato, Aristotle and Emmanuel Kant are already discussed in her classes, she added.

“I definitely don't feel like I'm missing out on content by not taking the lessons offered by the Hamilton Center,” she said.

With three majors, Berger said she wouldn’t be willing to take classes that don’t go toward her degree. She also didn’t know what the Hamilton Center was prior to being reached for comment. Neither email notifications about course offerings nor her professors have mentioned the center’s classes.

“All three of my majors are under-enrolled majors,” Berger said. “I definitely see that this could be a threat in some ways to keeping the enrollment up in some of these majors.”

Creating its own path

Ana Siljak, an associate professor of humanities for the Hamilton Center, said rather than replacing UF departments, the center will complement what already exists.

Department collaboration

It’s unclear how the Hamilton Center will attract students from pre-existing academic departments. Gene Witmer, a philosophy professor, spoke with Stinneford last year before he said the former director stepped down.

Witmer isn’t worried about competing with the Hamilton Center for students, he said, because philosophy classes fill up quickly.

Read the rest online at alligator.org.

Garrett Shanley contributed to this report. @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org @alissagary1 agary@alligator.org

Antisemitic vandalizations ANTISEMITISM, from pg. 1 in response to the vandalization.

“We have a responsibility and obligation to serve the Jewish life and learning here, on and off campus,” Goldman said. “This will not only not deter us, we will double and maybe triple our efforts to spread goodness and kindness.”

Goldman attributes the rise in antisemitic vandalizations to the spread of both purposeful and accidental misinformation on campus about the conflict.

“There's a lot of misinformation because of the way the world receives its information today with social media, which is a very powerful tool, but anybody could be anywhere without any verification and say whatever they want, and millions of people can see [that],” Goldman said.

The Anti-Defamation League said 70% of participants in a recent study reported seeing misinformation or hate related to the conflict while on social media.

Goldman stressed the importance of students addressing misinformation and speaking up for hate that they see online.

“It’s very important that everybody…stand together for good and for right over wrong,” Goldman said. “This battle is manifesting itself in Israel and against Jews, but it is not a battle against Jews.”

In response to the rise in antisemitic incidents on campus, UF Spokesperson Cynthia Roldan emphasized that UF is committed to protecting its Jewish student population.

“UF has been clear and unapologetic about our foundational commitments to protect speech and protect our students,” she wrote

via email. “That’s how we build a culture where Gators are safe and respected.”

UF will also continue to protect free speech, Roldan added.

“Here's how we defend the First Amendment: students can demonstrate peacefully and make their views heard, but anyone who breaks the law will be suspended or fired,” Roldan wrote.

Roldan recommended that students impacted by the increased antisemitism and tension on campus connect with the Counseling and Wellness Center and U Matter, We Care.

Non-Jewish students are also disappointed in the misinformation being shared about the war.

Zayna Sheikh, a 21-year-old Muslim UF architecture senior, said she is frustrated with how religion is being weaponized in the conflict when the friction stems from political tensions.

“The narrative that this is a religious conflict is reductive: it is about land rights,” Sheikh wrote.

Sheikh believes misinformation, particularly on social media, is the reason why the conflict has divided various groups, she said.

“I would recommend that students read about this occupation through historians and scholars [like] Edward Said [and] Noam Chomsky,” Sheikh wrote.

In order to combat misinformation, Sheikh said she urges students to learn about the broader historical context, such as Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. She also critiqued the continuous conflation between Zionism and Judaism when condemning the actions of the Israeli government.

Zionism is defined as a movement originally for the re-establishment and the now

Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff

Hillel Norman H. Lipoff Hall is the center for Jewish life on campus on University Avenue on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel, according to Oxford dictionaries.

Eden Goldenberg, a 20-year-old UF neuroscience and philosophy junior, attended the Oct. 9 vigil for the 1,200 Israeli casualties of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. Although she has not experienced any recent outright antisemitism on campus, She said she can still hear the screams of students rushing to flee Turlington Plaza after panic broke out among the crowd.

“Throwing ourselves into the bushes, crouching as cramped as we could with about 10 other Jewish students ... listening to the screaming — it’s a sound that haunts me to this day,” she wrote. “I still have trouble walk-

ing by Turlington, by those bushes.”

When asked about disinformation as the driving factor for antisemitism, Goldenberg said that misinformation circulating on social media is terrifying to her as uninformed individuals can take harmful information and propagate it.

“Do not post information or spread information, particularly in a population of students so vulnerable to false information, unless you are certain and have verified it,” Goldenberg wrote. “It is equally devastating to Palestinians and to Israelis alike.” @vazquezjinelle jvazquez@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

‘It’s a start’: Gainesville drag community celebrates temporary lift on Florida ban of children at shows THE SUPREME COURT RULED NOV. 16 THE LAW WILL REMAIN BLOCKED FOLLOWING LEGAL CHALLENGES

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

Ethan Garrepy began doing drag with a $10 Target face paint palette, an old Halloween wig and a lot of time on their hands during the COVID-19 quarantine. Three years later, the 19-year-old UF musical theater sophomore is one of many artists and performers who make up Gainesville’s flourishing drag scene.

On Nov. 16, the United States Supreme Court refused the state of Florida’s request to re-enact a law punishing businesses for allowing children into drag shows. Artists like Garrepy are taking the opportunity to celebrate the rare legal victory, which follows a flurry of Florida anti-LGBTQ laws passed over recent legislative terms.

Under the Protection of Children Act, filed in the Florida Senate March 2 and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis May 17, the state could fine, suspend or revoke the license from any business that admits a child to an “adult live performance.”

Although the bill does not mention drag shows explicitly, its definition of an adult live performance as including “the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts” has levied criticism for targeting drag performance.

The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Randy Fine, R-33, announced the bill would “protect our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil — ‘Drag Queen Story Time’” in a Facebook post in March.

Florida restaurant successfully sues state

Hamburger Mary’s, an Orlando restaurant that has hosted family-friendly drag events since 2008, filed a suit against the state of Florida, DeSantis and Secretary of State Melanie Griffin over the law one week after it went into effect. The law is unconstitutional under the First Amendment and portrays drag as a public nuisance rather than an age-old art form, the restaurant claimed.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell sided with Hamburger Mary’s June 26 in a ruling that blocked Griffin from enforcing the act.

Florida already has obscenity laws giving it the power to protect children from indecent shows, making the Protection of Children Act unnecessary as well as expression-stifling, Presnell wrote. Florida appealed the District Court’s judgment to the Eleventh Circuit, where it remains pending.

The state of Florida also appealed to the Supreme Court to keep the law on the books during the appeal process. The Supreme Court denied this request in a brief ruling that emphasized its decision had nothing to do with whether the law

Gracie Kurtz // Alligator Staff

Drag queen Elena La Fuega performs at University Club on Saturday Dec. 2, 2023. itself was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court voted 6-3 against the state, with dissenting opinions from Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.

Gainesville drag artists celebrate victory with caution

For Garrepy, the ability to attend and perform drag shows isn’t just a freedom of speech — it’s a freedom of protest. To be out, proud and performing in the U.S. has long been considered an act of rebellion by those in the queer community, they said.

Aside from showing off their own drag looks on social media, Garrepy often attends shows at Gainesville’s preeminent queer nightclub, The University Club. Gainesville’s vibrant queer nightlife, including UC performances and even weekly drag shows at the new Libby’s Grog and Grill, makes it a uniquely safe environment for queer artists, said Garrepy, an Orlando native.

“I was told a lot of things coming here [for college] like, ‘Oh, Gainesville is completely empty, Gainesville doesn’t have anything going on,’” they said. “The people that were telling me that were like, straight jocks … but I’ve been able to find an awesome queer community here.”

Garrepy feels cautiously optimistic following the Supreme Court ruling, they said. But people are stubborn about the issue on both sides, and it’s hard to know what will happen next, they added.

“Republican politicians are completely wanting to shut out drag as an art form, not only just in Florida but across the U.S.,” they said. “And queer people, queer activists are fighting every day to make sure that we have a spot at the table.”

Christina Guiriba, the 37-year-old founder of the first-ever sleepaway summer camp for transgender and nonbinary kids, has seen the worrying effect of recent legislation on LGBTQ+ youth, she said.

“I absolutely hate that they’re having to hear that they

shouldn’t exist,” she said.

Guiriba lives in Jacksonville but performs every Thursday at the UC under her drag stage persona Faith Taylor. She also worked as a cast member at Hamburger Mary’s for 10 years and remembers seeing many young people at her shows, she said.

“I know the joy that it brings them to see just another LGBTQ person that identifies on some level with who they are,” she said. “They get so cheery and so excited and bright when they come to the shows, and I hate that they’re robbed of that.”

As a transgender woman, beginning to perform in drag as Faith was how Guiriba realized part of her was missing as a young person, she said. The law could prevent young people from recognizing drag as a potential creative outlet like she did, she said.

Guiriba is glad Florida judges are seeing the law as the violation of rights that it is and views any victory — temporary or not — as a step in the right direction, she said. She’s hopeful courts will continue to see the law’s defects, she said.

Legal experts doubtful about the law’s future

Any law targeting a specific type of speech the government dislikes is subject to the highest level of constitutional scrutiny, said Lyrissa Lidsky, UF Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich chair in U.S. constitutional law.

“Just from my own perspective as a First Amendment lawyer, this law is pretty clearly unconstitutional,” Lidsky said.

By driving certain content out of the marketplace of ideas, the law could scare businesses from performing drag at all for fear of criminal liability or — in the case of restaurants — losing their liquor licenses, she said.

The definition of the banned “adult live performance” is vague, so businesses won’t know whether or not their performances violate the rules. But if the government tries targeting certain ideologies more explicitly, First Amendment challenges will pop up in retaliation, Lidsky said.

“One of the best arguments about these laws came from Dolly Parton,” Lidsky said. “Her argument was, under a lot of these drag ban laws, her performance would be banned.”

The preliminary injunction against the law could send it back up the appeals ladder, during which more evidence could come out at trial and more appeals could occur, she said. But the more reasonable step for Florida would be to go back to the drawing board rather than litigating a poorly drafted law, she said.

The law is still in Florida’s Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The state of Florida filed its brief Nov. 24 and its appendix Dec. 1. The appeal is still awaiting its final verdict. @zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org

Gainesville pole dance studios find an empowering community, sisterhood with each other POLE DANCING STUDIOS RISE IN POPULARITY DESPITE STIGMA

By Kat Tran Alligator Staff Writer

An array of colors reflect off of the Happy Kiss Pole Dance Studio as the studio’s dancers twirl and glide into a split. The crowd watching them immediately erupted into a roar of cheers.

These are the sounds of an uplifting Gainesville community that has found one another through solidarity and respect for the artful skill of pole dancing, said Johanna Monserratte, owner of the studio. Her business is just one of three studios that teach pole dance in the city, with several other gyms and fitness centers also offering classes.

Monserratte, a 36-year-old Miami native, discovered pole dancing classes in 2010 when her friend Abigail convinced her to take a studio class from Kitty Cat Pole Dancing in Miami. She already had previous dance experience and had taken group fitness classes,

which helped her to be more self-motivated, she said.

Three years later, Monserratte moved to Gainesville and decided to hold pole dancing lessons in an extra bedroom of her house. By 2019, she opened her second and current studio space located at 501 NW 23rd Ave. Suite B. At first, she was fearful of criticism because she thought Gainesville was more closeminded in comparison to Miami, which was a bustling hub of various pole dance studios.

She then realized Gainesville’s slower pace of life was the right area to connect with people, she said.

“It was actually the flip side because Gainesville is super open to ideas of gender nonconformity and the acceptance of different people and ideas, more so than what I find in Miami, especially when I go back and talk to people there,” she said.

Before the start of every class, Monserratte said students go around the room and practice gratitude by sharing something they feel grateful for that day. This reinforces the idea of community and bonding

with other pole dancers.

Happy Kiss Dance Studio offers a beginnerfriendly Immersion Signature Intro Series, where one instructor teaches students once a week for several weeks. When students are ready to advance, they can choose from different levels of classes that focus on fundamental and foundational skills.

“That’s how we make sure somebody brand new to pole isn’t taking a class where people are going to be upside down and trusting their bodies into pretzels,” Monserratte said. “It’s not a requirement we have for people, but we put that challenge in there for those who want more of a physical and flexibility challenge.”

Nathan Vyrda, a 21-year-old part-time Happy Kiss Dance Studio instructor, said pole dancing has been an outlet for his mental and physical health, which he thinks is important for college students to maintain.

Read the rest online at alligator.org. @kat3tran ktran@alligator.org

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

Nathan Wydra watches fellow instructor Sydney Hoopaugh perform in the showcase on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

FOOD

Column

Halo Potato doughnuts says goodbye after six years, closes all Gainesville stores

I

THE COMPANY OPERATED THREE LOCATIONS IN GAINESVILLE

By Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writer

The only thing that gets 24-year-old UF master’s student Alex Powell out of bed Wednesday mornings is the promise of a maple glazed doughnut from Halo Potato.

Her cat Robbie can paw at her head as much as he wants; she doesn’t get up until she remembers the doughnut awaiting her.

Powell has been in Gainesville doing her master’s in English for two years now. When she started her program, the coursework was harder than she expected, and there wasn’t the sense of community that she had

loved in her undergraduate years.

“I think my first friend here in Gainesville was that maple glazed doughnut,” she said. “My adviser wanted to meet with me and suggested Halo, and since then, I’ve been going once a week for my doughnut. I’m a creature of habit.”

Powell will have to get her doughnut fix elsewhere now, because Halo Potato Donuts owners Drew and Leah Stuerman announced the closure of all three shop locations Nov. 27. The stores were closing because sales weren’t enough to cover the cost of operations, Stuerman said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/ the_avenue @bealunardini blunardi@alligator.org Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter.

Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

The Alligator made me want to change my major am not a journalist.

When I first came to UF, I was a graphic design major, and when I first joined The Alligator my freshman year that’s also what I was — a graphic designer.

My time on the multimedia desk gave me my first peek into what the journalism world really looked like. Growing up, I only saw the idealized version of it from Lois Lane in “Superman” and romantic comedies like Josie Geller from “Never Been Kissed” and Andie Anderson from “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” (Side note: Why are so many female leads in romantic comedies journalists?)

Anyway, it wasn’t until I actually joined a newsroom that I got to see that process firsthand, and that glimpse was enough to light a spark of curiosity in me.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave the reporters plenty to write about, but it also kept me at a distance from them. That barrier only fanned the flame and made the itch to learn worse.

And so, I took reporting classes to see what it was like for myself. It was tough, I won’t lie to you, but meeting new people, seeing new places, telling stories that haven’t been heard yet was so incredibly fulfilling in a way I had not experienced before. So I changed my major.

I switched the B.F.A in graphic design for a B.A. in art to give myself the space to take on journalism as a second major.

When I returned to The Alligator my

junior year, I applied for a reporting position and was given a spot on metro as a general assignment reporter. That position and the people on that desk, taught me how to be a reporter. To Siena, Aidan, all of you, thank you.

While on metro, I discovered my affinity for feature writing, and the next semester, I decided to move to The Avenue, the arts and culture desk. It was there I got to write about Asian American culture and Taylor Swift. It was there I found my voice and the most growth, so thank you Lauren for giving me space to write about the things I was passionate about.

After that, I applied for an editing position because I wanted to create that space for others. I became the Avenue editor, the position I am in now. It was here I found the most fulfillment. So, to my reporters Alex, Bea, Bonny, Jared, Molly and Valentina, thank you. You taught me more than I ever taught you, and I can only hope you are one step closer to finding your voice.

Finally, thank you to Isabella, Emma and Claire for giving me the chance to shape the newsroom the way so many others before me have.

After five semesters at The Alligator, I am no stranger to challenging assignments. I have had to create graphics in less than an hour. I have written about new state laws and the K-9 controversy in Gainesville. (Politics has never been my thing.)

But trying to describe how much The Alligator means to me has been the most difficult assignment I’ve been given.

How do I thank Aubrey Bocalan @aubreyyrosee all the editors that abocalan@alligator.org shaped me, all the reporters that made the work feel less like work and more like fun? How do I explain the way I have changed into a better storyteller and person from everything I learned? How do I say goodbye to a place, a newsroom, that will always, always be part of me?

I used to think I was good with words, but I can’t seem to find the right ones this time. I hope this is enough.

This isn’t really goodbye. For one I hate goodbyes; they make me sad. But also, I know The Alligator will never leave me.

I am not a journalist. But The Alligator made me want to change my major.

I’m not exactly sure what I am now, but I am excited to take that next step toward what that will be.

While I will take my experience with The Alligator with me, I leave you with my bylines and this final piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to nurture that curiosity.

You never know where it will lead you.

You never know what you will become.

Aubrey Bocalan was the Fall 2023 Avenue Editor at the Independent Florida Alligator.

A second chance

Assistant sports editor Topher Adams says goodbye to The Alligator. Read more on pg. 11.

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Column

Column

Turning pages, closing tabs: A farewell from Volume 115 to Volume 118

B

reaking news — to a reporter — is its own type of unforgiving hell. Unfortunately, it’s my favorite type of reporting.

When the thoughts in my head are going a mile a minute, when the decision of who to talk to and whether to go somewhere is instinctive and when my fingers dance across the keys of my laptop before hitting send on a draft, this is where I feel most at home.

I’m addicted to jumping into the fire. From turning my fear into adrenaline. The calls, texts and excessive number of open tabs on my Mac — and, when it’s over, the unique reassurance of thinking: I could do this for the rest of my life.

Nowhere have I felt this more than at The Alligator.

This 117-year-old paper has meant everything to me for the past five semesters across four years. It’s taught me the power of journalism, the importance of leaving a legacy and the clarity of what it means to be part of a more than 70-person team.

It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to a dust-filled office, a paper with ink that stains fingertips and a url that has captivated eyes from places across the country. Yet, it’s invigorating knowing the newsroom will continue to grow without me.

I’ve seen the evolution since Volume 115. From news assistant to editor-in-chief, I’ve watched as staff learned from one another; first with COVID-19 then with investigations then with breaking news and hopefully, with my own addition of data and code. My final semester at The Alligator I’ve seen an unwavering commitment to weaving narratives not just with

words but with the support of data analysis.

I’m eager to see what comes next.

To Carolina, Eve and Alex — the uni-girls — thank you for teaching me everything I needed to know to succeed at The Alligator and in journalism. From being one of the best editors Isabella Douglas I’ve ever had to being my right-hand @_issadouglas woman to pushing me toward data idouglas@alligator.org and code, you all were the beginning of my Alligator journey.

To Faith and the Summer 2022 metro desk, thank you for putting up with my daily calls, emojis and spreadsheets. Metro4ever.

To Makiya and Alan, thank you for making me laugh even when we were all exhausted from breaking national news.

To Emma and Claire, thank you for being leaders in your own right. We were always in sync, making every day easier and each challenge an opportunity.

And to the readers who have supported The Alligator, thank you for never giving up on us.

I suppose it’s time to close all these tabs and fold the final edition of Volume 118.

Isabella Douglas was the Fall 2023 Editor-In-Chief at The Independent Florida Alligator.

Column

Falling in love with The Alligator

A

few things have changed for me since I joined The Independent Florida Alligator.

Two years ago, I was a public relations major who couldn’t actually tell you what public relations was. Today, I plan on devoting the rest of my career to what my family members call a dying industry.

“Have you ever thought about marketing?” Aunts and uncles commonly ask me as they shovel spoonfuls of mashed potatoes onto their Thanksgiving plates.

Thankfully, I’ve also gotten a lot better at not caring what other people think.

I felt like a guppy in a sea of sharks walking through Weimer Hall as a freshman journalism major. Many of my classmates were either former high school newspaper editors or had won awards for their writing before hitting puberty.

I had never touched an AP Stylebook.

My crippling self-doubt, coupled with the competitive collegiate environment, led to me changing my major from journalism to public relations. Yet, I couldn’t help but continue checking open reporting positions on LinkedIn, circling my cursor around the word “apply.”

I finally gave into my temptations by applying to write for The Alligator’s arts and culture section in Spring 2022. I was in shock when I scored an interview and was offered a position.

Each story I’ve written over the last year and a half has helped me fall deeper in love with journalism and myself, which wouldn’t have been possible with-

out The Alligator.

That being said, what really drove me to fasten my seatbelt for five wild semesters at the best student-run newspaper in the country were the incredible people I took the journey with.

Like most 20-something-year-olds who spend too much time on the internet, I’ve struggled with depression.

There were countless days I’d step into the office feeling hopeless, hoping no one would notice how puffy my eyes were from crying. But my fellow staff members never failed at having me walk back out with a smile.

At times, my responsibilities at the paper were the only reason I’d get out of bed (I’m working on it).

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had my fair share of moments when I almost sent a manically crafted “I quit” message to my editors. But despite the post UF Student Government Senate meeting sob sessions and being accused of perpetuating genocide by sources, my heart always pulled me back to The Alligator.

This semester, I had the privilege of being the enterprise editor. I don’t know how I would have survived the last few months without my endlessly talented desk of soldiers — Valentina Sandoval, Jinelle Vazquez, Zachary Carnell, Sophia Bailly and Kylie Williams. These reporters consistently tackled every obstacle they encountered and produced some of the best content I’ve ever seen come through this publication.

Although there were definitely times

we got on each other’s nerves, I hold nothing but love and admiration for each of these talented individuals. I am Amanda Friedman so excited to @amandasfriedman watch them afriedman@alligator.org flourish in their chosen career paths and feel lucky to have been a part of their journeys at The Alligator.

I wouldn’t have even had the confidence to take on a leadership role without the support and guidance of my previous editors: Makiya Seminera, Dazion Prosser, Christian Casale and Aidan Bush. Thank you for editing my stories on Sundays at 10 p.m., listening to my hourslong rants and most of all — always having my back.

If you choose to join The Alligator, be prepared to experience some of the most challenging but rewarding moments of your college career, if not your life. I wouldn’t trade my five semesters at the paper for anything (maybe a job offer).

I’m excited to spend the remainder of my college Sundays grocery shopping and watching YouTube in bed as one should. But, a part of me will wish I was cracking jokes that warrant a notes app apology inside The Alligator’s creepy office off 13th Street.

I hope no one ever leaks the semester quote bags.

Amanda Friedman was the Fall 2023 Enterprise Editor at The Independent Florida Alligator.

Exactly where I’m meant to be

I

’m indecisive. I question nearly every decision I make. The uncertainty of what-ifs has persisted since I was young.

But not once did I ever question my decision to join The Alligator staff. The only regret I have is not spending more semesters here.

Emma Behrmann @emmabehrmann College has not been my favorite, ebehrmann@alligator.org which is clear in my decision to graduate a semester early. The only hesitation I had in making this decision was missing out on a final semester full of Sundays in the newsroom.

Anyone who knows me is aware I take a while to open up.

Virtual staff meetings and minimal newsroom opportunities didn’t help. My first full semester here, I felt like an outsider.

My time as the education reporter on the metro desk almost ended after a week. As any Alligator reporter knows, tears and frustration are a part of the experience, and mine was not off to a great start. Luckily, my desk editor Jiselle Lee didn’t let me quit and instead continued to encourage me to apply for editor positions.

When I became metro editor last Spring, something switched.

I felt like I belonged. I had no problem bringing my little food scale into the office to track my macros; I talked with the other desk editors for hours on end not filtering my thoughts; I felt happy.

That semester, the thoughts of “Am I in the right major?”

“Is this the right career path for me?” “Should I switch to APK or dietetics?” finally stopped. The what-ifs were replaced with “This is exactly where I’m meant to be.”

The reason I’m a reporter today is because of The Alligator, and more importantly, The Alligator staff.

To the people who continually told me I’m a dedicated and talented journalist, thank you. To everyone who valued my opinion and asked for my advice, thank you. To everyone who I’m lucky enough to call a friend, thank you.

I want to thank Isabella Douglas for being one of my first friends from a J-school class, becoming a data journalist with me and convincing me to be on the editorial board with her this semester. If you hadn’t asked me to be your DME in Nashville, I might not have been here.

I also want to thank Claire Grunewald for always making me laugh and supporting me. You’re the other main reason I’m here today. I’m so proud of you and look forward to The Alligator’s future under your leadership.

I’m forever thankful for the connections I made while working at The Alligator. I met people who believe in me like Christian Casale, my personal hype man. And I’ve met people who look up to me and remind me of my sister like Lauren Brensel.

And the biggest thank you goes to my mom. No one in the world tries to convince me I’m good at what I do more than her.

She’s also been a major Alligator tipster and story idea generator over the last three years, and all of us on staff have appreciated that.

I wouldn’t have had nearly half the experiences I did if it weren’t for this paper. From being yelled at by a school principal as a first-time reporter to coordinating and editing a staffwide mental health project I’m incredibly proud of, The Alligator has taught me so much.

This paper gave me a purpose and a group of people I’ll appreciate forever.

This newsroom made me feel like I was exactly where I needed to be, and I can confidently say I am. I’m saying goodbye to a lot right now — to everything I’ve known for the last three and a half years — and I’m grateful and a little sad.

My Sundays, which The Alligator has owned for quite some time, will now be dedicated to leg day and meal prep in Jacksonville. I love you, peace out!

Emma Behrmann was the Fall 2023 Digital Managing Editor at The Independent Florida 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.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023 www.alligator.org/section/sports

Column

Everything happens for a reason

E

verything happens for a reason.

A phrase I try to tell myself to reassure my brain when I start overthinking about all the things I could have done differently or regrets I have.

After my first semester at the Alligator, I just thought about how I should’ve joined sooner.

Admittedly, I tried. Two rejection emails led me to take a break from trying to get in for a while and work on my ability as a journalist.

But when I finally got my chance at this paper, I instantly made some of my best friends.

And as that first semester came to a close, I couldn’t help but wish I had met these people so much sooner.

But everything happens for a reason.

If I hadn’t joined in the Summer of 2022, who knows if I would have met Kyle Bumpers — my best friend, who I started with the same semester.

If we hadn’t started together, who knows if we’d work together as sports editor and assistant sports editor and shared hours going insane editing seven events a day. I don’t know if there’s another person I’d rather share a hard cider with.

What if I didn’t push myself out of my comfort zone to go to Ryan Haley’s birthday party — someone who I hardly knew at the time, but now consider one of my closest friends who I can talk all things SEC football or the deep things going on in our lives.

Fast forward five semesters later, and I can’t help but think about how proud younger me would be of me.

I started my journey at UF as an architecture major but had no interest in it. I switched to journalism but spent the first two years in college unsure that it was really meant for me.

But as I enter my last semester here and finish my Alligator career, I’ve never felt more sure that I made the right decision.

I’ve been able to travel all over the country with my best friends, covering the Florida Gators, a team I grew up following every day of my life.

If you had told me in high school that I’d be able to go to places like Nashville and Salt Lake City or get to go to historical venues like Death Valley at LSU, I’d say you were crazy. If you added that I’d get to do it with my best friends, who I’d make memories that would stick with me for the rest of my life, I would say don’t get

my hopes up for something that could never happen.

But it all happened. Hours spent in a car driving to Pensacola at 4 a.m., getting locked out of an Airbnb in sub-30 degree weather and showing my friends the world’s greatest gift that is Whataburger were all a part of a five-semester journey that I wouldn’t change a thing about.

It was a dream to cover the Florida Gators as a student. The surrealness of it quickly wore off, as the day-to-day tasks of the job kicked in soon, but the fact I got to write about sports as my day job never got old.

College football and basketball were everything to me growing up, and being in the middle of it at one of the biggest programs in the country is something I didn’t want to take for granted.

Getting to do it alongside my assistant sports editor, Topher Adams, made it that much more special. Topher was my right-hand man and the man I want to thank for talking hours of college football with this Fall.

This paper is a special place, and I can’t wait to see where it and the sports desk goes.

The people here are some of the best people I’ve met.

If I hadn’t joined when I did, I wouldn’t have met Joseph Henry, my first sports editor, who helped push me to become a better

reporter and also one of my best friends. I wouldn’t have had Julia Coin as my first Editor-in-Chief, who worked with me to cover different kinds of stories and became Jackson Reyes a close friend. @JacksnReyes I wouldn’t have jacksonreyes@alligator.org met Minca Davis, who designs some of the best art I’ve ever seen and has become one of my best friends.

I wouldn't have met Claire Grunewald, who was willing to make my college football pick’em graphics every week. She was real for that.

There are too many people to thank and talk about during my five semesters here, but there are so many people and friendships I am forever grateful for and thankful for.

Everything happens for a reason, and I know whatever happens next in my life and the lives of the incredible people at this paper, it’s going to be special and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.

Jackson Reyes was the Fall 2023 sports editor and the Summer 2023 Digital Managing Editor at The Independent Florida Alligator.

Column

Column

A second chance

I

left The Alligator a year ago, almost to the day.

For two semesters last year, I worked on The Alligator Sports staff covering lacrosse and football. It was a blessing and an honor to be a part of this staff, but I was done with this place.

My relationship with journalism is a mixed bag. There’s a lot I love about working in sports journalism and getting to be a sports writer. But there’s also a lot of parts of reporting that I hated, and I failed a lot my first two semesters here.

My frustrations and failures reached a breaking point, and I planned on leaving after the Fall semester. I didn’t even reapply for the Spring.

A year later, I’m writing this goodbye column after serious deliberation and consternation on whether this was actually the end. There was a real thought to come back for one last ride with an organization that means so much to my life.

But it’s time to move on, for real this time.

Last December, I was in an Ulta Beauty in Orlando. While strolling aimlessly through aisles of fragrances assaulting my nose searching for a gift, my phone rang. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was one of the most impactful phone calls of my life.

Kyle Bumpers, who I worked with that Fall and had been named sports editor for the Spring, called and asked if I’d be interested in rejoining the desk as a women’s basketball beat reporter and second assistant sports editor.

I’d applied for some other internships and opportunities, but nothing really materialized. Despite everything I hated about working for The Alligator my first two semesters, I still enjoyed being around the people here. So, I decided to come back.

The Alligator gave me a second chance in college, but I didn’t realize it till my second chance at The Alligator.

For two years, I was lost. High school revolved entirely alligatorSports has a podcast!

The alligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

around band and the end goal of getting into college. The pandemic ended my band career, and college was achieved. Those first two years at UF, I lacked direction.

The Alligator gave me a commuTopher Adams nity and a purpose for the first time @Topher_Adams since high school. I didn’t get it at tadams@alligator.org first, but frankly I didn’t put enough into this place to understand what I was a part of yet.

I’ve now written over 140 stories for The Alligator across four semesters. I’ve covered football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse and one swim event. I’ve spent countless hours in a press box watching the Florida Gators, live tweeting and writing stories.

There are so many games, moments, stories and trips I’ll cherish for a long time. But I’ll forget all 140 stories and every game I covered here before I forget the people that made this place matter.

The Alligator, for me, is the people. It’s a place where I met fantastic people and had a wonderful excuse to spend 10 hours every Sunday getting to know them. This job can be a lot of work, but I always looked forward to print nights to work and spend time with these people.

The people are why I decided to come back last Spring, and they’re the reason it’s hard to say goodbye now. As cliche as it may be to say, there’s something special about the culture and community at The Alligator.

I don’t regret leaving now, the time is right for a change.

But I’m eternally grateful to have gotten a second chance at my second chance. I’m grateful to have spent the last two years with people like Kyle, my current sports editor, Jackson Reyes and too many people to thank here.

Whatever the second act of my career turns into, or wherever this industry takes me after graduation, I’ll always be grateful for the second chance that got me to where I am now.

Topher Adams was the Fall 2023 assistant sports editor at The Independent Florida Alligator.

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With a Flanigan’s cup in hand, I come to you humbled and grateful

W

hen I first transferred to UF in 2022, I moved into a small onebed residence hall in Sledd Hall.

It took all the money I had in my bank account to get that room. Frankly, not the best money spent for your first home away from home. However, it came with a good price.

Brandon Hernandez Outside the hall was an orange box @BranH2001 labeled The Independent Alligator. The bhernandez@alligator.org first story I read from it on my first day on UF’s campus: a 2022 baseball preview by Carson Cashion.

I never imagined becoming a print journalist in my life. Similar to the Detroit Pistons playing basketball in the month of May, I had little experience.

Everything I had ever done before that point was in play-byplay broadcasting, ticket sales, blogging and reviewing basketball film in a tiny 1960s-style bedroom in Hollywood, Florida. But something hit my mind when I was reading that baseball preview.

Why can’t I do print sports journalism?

I left my home and everything I knew just for a chance to prove I could become a sports journalist and cover the sport of basketball. The Independent Alligator gave me that and more.

Through five semesters, I have hosted one of the largest independently student-run newspaper’s podcasts, its sports desk podcast, became an assistant sports editor and written as a beat reporter for multiple sports.

After being dubbed “The Brief King” in my first semester with The Alligator as a beat writer for men’s and women’s golf, I stuck around for the Fall and hosted the paper’s Weekly Roundup with the help of Luigi Bencosme. Throughout the semester I worked with him and many other incredible student reporters to spread

SEE BRANDON, PAGE 12

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023

Column

Thank you, I love you

B

efore I joined The Alligator, I always heard people say that the best thing you get out of working here is the people you meet. This is corny but true, like most things.

It’s a strange time to be a journalism student in Florida, but to be fair, it’s a strange time to be a journalist, a student or in Florida individually. The resulting camaraderie at The Alligator has been one of the most impactful parts of my time in Gainesville.

After three semesters, my time here has come to an end. My preferred way to leave is without saying anything, but expressing my gratitude is the least I can do.

So, I want to sincerely thank the friends I have made here. As

Becoming a journalist BRANDON, from pg. 11

our coverage on Ben Sasse, local elections, police brutality stories and other incredible stories throughout Alachua County.

Bencosme will forever be one of the best coworkers I have ever worked with. Podcasting meant long nights script writing and recording interviews in an empty Gainesville Sun building well past midnight. When I finished all the recordings and headed home, he went on to edit the content and always created an incredible finished product.

Those episodes I hosted for the Weekly Roundup would be nothing without his help. I know Bencosme will be a force directing any production he desires.

I became close with multiple podcasters, journalists and skilled sports reporters while I was there. Funny enough, a majority of them became editors, a.k.a my bosses. I, however, did manage to take up an editor's position myself as an assistant sports editor and alongside

an arts and culture reporter, my editor Kristine Villarroel shaped my introduction to The Alligator. She took arts and culture seriously and respected every story we turned in. She started as someone I looked up to with slight intimidation and quickly turned into my closest friend at the paper.

There are many people over the course of my three semesters who I am incredibly grateful for, and while I can’t list out everyone, my summer Avenue reporters and fall multimedia team made me incredibly proud as an editor. Thank you for your trust, patience and hard work. You guys are superstars!

Additionally, I am so grateful for all the women I worked with in the newsroom. While the work environment at The Alligator was positive, there were times I was the only woman in the room and it was noticeable. There were times I heard arts and culture is a waste of time or energy, but that’s not true. Arts and culture, among other female-dominated topics, are important. Art and culture are what you remember about a place.

I got to talk to people using art, theater, poetry and music to

the talented Jackson Castellano, who was the sports editor at the time.

I never wanted to become an editor originally. Working two-to-three jobs a semester while taking classes like multimedia reporting at UF isn’t something I would advise for the faint hearted. I didn’t know why I did it, but I’m grateful that Jiselle Lee, Jackson Reyes and Kristine Villarroel (mi gente Latino) allowed me the opportunity to do so.

Frankly, it was the best semester I had at The Alligator. The incredible people I worked with for those three months will always be close to me in my career.

My proudest moment at The Alligator was when I got the men’s basketball beat position last Spring. I was already covering UF men’s basketball on an internship, but when the 2023 Spring sports editor Kyle Bumpers called me up, I lit up like I went third overall to the Boston Celtics.

One phone call on a random December day made me do a stupid smile with teary eyes looking for my phone to call my family and friends back home. I finally got what I wanted. I found a place where I could prove to myself that I

impact the lives of those around them.

This connection made my world so much bigger than UF and the J-School.

Students often forget that Gainesville has been here long before us, and it will be here long after. The city that may be a short four-year flashback for some is a culturally rich, permanent home to many.

Lauren Whiddon That culture will outlast the tran@LaurenWhid sient student population that so much lwhiddon@alligator.org this city’s resources get poured into. I am so grateful that I got to not only share these stories through my reporting and photography, but see this side of Gainesville firsthand.

Lauren Whiddon was the Fall 2023 multimedia editor at The Independent Florida Alligator.

could cover the game I love. I immediately quit my internship and went full in.

Nothing beats watching basketball, especially at the Hugh Hathcock Practice Facility.

Breathing in the gym's air as you walk past Florida’s accolades from the past to a court where only a few eyes are allowed to scan. I stood among other members of the media, NBA scouts and others as a professional.

Through 22 years of life, I have worked a Super Bowl, college bowl games, a Taylor Swift concert, NHL and NFL games, broadcasted live for FIU and Santa Fe Saints basketball, but nothing has made me more grateful than covering the first two years of Gators head coach Todd Golden’s era in Gainesville.

As fitting as it is, the last game I will cover for this paper will be Florida vs. Richmond in the Orange Bowl Classic at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, Dec. 9 – the same venue that I used to sell tickets in as a part of the Florida Panthers.

God is good. Without Him I wouldn't be able to find my way to The Alligator or be able to work the way I do. No matter how poor or wealthy I may be in the future, I will be forever

saved.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who has read my stories, sent me emails on Florida basketball’s transfer recruitment and corrected me on any errors in my tweets. I am nothing without you.

Also, because I don’t know how long these things are supposed to be, I also want to thank my peers from the past Karina Wilson, Faith Buckley, Alan Halaly, Ethan Eibe, Julia Coin, Ryan Haley, Topher Adams, Ethan Eibe, Fernando Figueroa, your mom, Claire Grunewald, Lauren Whiddon, Aidan Bush, Jack Lemnus, Joe “The Machine” Henry, Luke Adragna, Diego Perdomo, Ryan Friedenberg, Namari Lock, Heather Bushman, Alyssa Britton-Harr, Krisha Sanghavi, Isabella Douglas, Emma Behrmann, the incredible crew downstairs that prints the paper and everyone that I’ve ever worked with.

Thank you for the chance. Glad to be a part of your life!

Brandon Hernandez was the Fall 2023 Enterprise reporter at The Independent Florida Alligator.