Florida bill moves to ban weather modification activities following conspiracy theories
MISINFORMATION
ALLEGES THE GOVERNMENT
TAMPERED WITH NATURAL DISASTERS
By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp Alligator Staff Writer
White streaks cleaved the Gainesville sky as planes passed overhead. It was a common sight, and the city carried on — except for those who believed those linear trails were the mark of conspiracy.
Fears of “chemtrails,” a longdisproven idea that condensation trails — or contrails — from planes contain weather-controlling chemicals and sicken people on the ground, have been at the forefront of misinformation, and it’s caught the attention of Florida lawmakers.
Florida Sen. Ileana Garcia, RMiami, filed Senate Bill 56 in November to clamp down on “weather modification activities” during the upcoming 2025 legislative session. The bill was drafted following the Fall 2024 hurricane season, which was punctuated by rumors the government, or an unknown agency, was using chemicals or technology to manipulate extreme weather.
The bill seeks to outlaw “acts intended to affect the temperature, the weather, or the intensity of sunlight within the atmosphere of this state” through the “injection, release, or dispersion” of “a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus.” If passed, it would repeal over a dozen regulations related to common weather manipulation like cloud seeding, which involves spraying chemical compounds into clouds to promote rainfall.
Cloud seeding hasn’t been practiced in Florida for nearly half a century, but violations would come with a $10,000 fee, according to the bill.
Though not explicitly men-
bomb dogs.
Read more on pg. 3.
tioned in the bill, Garcia took to social media and encouraged the “chemtrail” conspiracy theory.
“Imagine still thinking it’s just a conspiracy at this point in time now — look up & you can see it for yourself,” an X user under the name “Concerned Citizen” wrote in response to SB 56, which Garcia reposted on her own account Dec. 1.
She also shared pictures of pale contrails a different constituent sent her through email.
Garcia later denied promoting ideas that hurricanes were spurred by weather modification.
“I find it remarkable how some media outlets are shaping the narrative around the weather modification activities bill,” she wrote in a separate X post. “Unfortunately, my statements have been selectively edited to fit a specific narrative.”
Garcia did not respond to The Alligator’s multiple requests for comment via email and phone.
The extremes
Whispers of weather manipulation aren’t new, but they have been multiplying in the near-constant whirlwind of extreme weather since mid-2024. It began with two gargantuan storms that churned through the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane Helene was first, catapulting into Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 in a northward swing through Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia. Unsuspecting communities like Asheville, North Carolina, were left in ruins. It became one of the deadliest storms to hit the U.S. in the 21st century with a death toll over 200 by the time it dissolved in late September.
Hurricane Milton was born two weeks later and broiled to wind speeds of 180 mph, briefly testing maximum Category 5 intensity before weakening to Category 3 on
SEE WEATHER, PAGE 4
Century Tower stands strong against freezing winds, rains and flurries from
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
Gaza ceasefire brings relief to UF community, doubts of lasting peace
THE AGREEMENT SPARKED MIXED EMOTIONS, CELEBRATIONS AND SKEPTICISM ON CAMPUS
By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer
After 15 months of conflict, Israel and Hamas entered a fragile ceasefire deal Jan. 15, producing feelings of hope, joy and uncertainty on UF’s campus.
The ceasefire came nearly 500 days after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200
people and resulted in 251 others being taken hostage, including 12 Americans. Since then, over 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, and thousands of others have been injured and displaced, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The ceasefire, announced after months of negotiations led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, is a three-staged deal based on a hostage exchange proposed by the Biden administration. The first stage began Jan. 19 and will last 42 days, during which there will be a complete ceasefire and Hamas will release 33
hostages in exchange for the release of 1,900 Palestinian prisoners by Israel.
Negotiations temporarily collapsed Jan. 25 over the return of an Israeli citizen held by Hamas. However, Qatar successfully mediated an agreement Jan. 26, paving the way for Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza.
Many in the UF community welcomed the release of hostages and the potential resolution of a deeply personal conflict, but doubts linger about whether the ceasefire can ensure a lasting peace in the region.
CEASEFIRE, PAGE 4
Matthew Lewis // Alligator Staff Writer
Winter Storm Enzo on
‘Sketchy
Today’s Weather
and unprofessional’: Residents raise concerns about Gainesville towing practices
COMPLAINTS OF ROAM
TOWING, ILLEGAL PRACTICES
ERODE COMMUNITY TRUST
By Daniel Bednar Alligator Staff Writer
Ethan Bush waved his arms, trying to flag down a tow truck driver who had just nabbed his car from a 2nd Avenue Centre parking garage. But instead of stopping, the 28-yearold said the driver locked eyes with him and accelerated. Bush barely leaped out of the way in time to avoid being hit, he said.
Bush isn’t the only Gainesville resident to complain of disreputable towing companies. The issue occasionally sparks outrage from community members, with complaints ranging from aggressive driving to exploitative or downright illegal practices.
“He was looking right at me. I got out of the way because I wasn’t trying to die over a tow,” Bush said, recalling his experience. He described some towing companies as a “criminal enterprise.”
Gainesville has at least seven towing companies, the largest and most well-known being Superior Towing and Elite Towing. Operating under the city’s supervision, these companies play a major role in enforcing parking rules and influence how residents experience parking in Gainesville
Roam towing and spotting
Residents have taken aim at practices such as roam towing, where tow truck operators patrol private lots actively searching for vehicles violating parking rules. The use of “spotters,” or individuals paid to monitor lots and immediately report illegally parked cars to tow operators, also helps facilitate rapid towing and immobilization.
Locals say these procedures make it common for cars to be towed or booted just minutes after leaving them.
Some residents, like Mary Reimann, believe the issue goes beyond enforcement, pointing to Gainesville’s challenges with limited parking availability. Reimann, a 21-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences junior, said finding parking in Gainesville is difficult and often requires using “very shady websites” that ask for personal information, which she finds concerning.
While companies justify these policies as necessary for keeping private lots available for customers, Reimann argues they’re excessive — especially when parking spots sit empty.
“Both times that I've been booted it's been an empty parking lot, so I don't feel like I'm taking that opportunity away from anyone else,” she said. “It's happened to me at least in lots that are very often empty, close to businesses that are frequented by students, even in living spaces right next to a dorm.”
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the issue isn’t unique to Gainesville. Complaints of towing companies have come up in discussions with other mayors, espe-
cially in college towns, he said, and Gainesville isn’t alone in its failure to find a solution.
The city commission previously examined roam towing in 2017, but the issue hasn’t been discussed since. Ward, who was a commissioner at the time, said although these practices are worrisome, they’re a necessary evil.
Ward said he and the other commissioners couldn’t find an alternate solution, but residents at least have a “pretty consistent expectation” of towing practices.
While Ward said he disagrees with using spotters, he doesn’t believe the practice is as rampant as it was a few years ago. Rather than doing away with the practice altogether, Ward said focus should be on improved signage across the city to better warn residents of where to expect roam towing, which are sometimes hard to see.
“I'd like to see people who post [signs] for roam towing, I would like to see them post better,” he said. “The people who are most affected by it are usually students.”
Raising rates
Gainesville city ordinances specify the maximum rate companies can charge for trespass towing is $100 for most vehicles, plus a $60 administrative fee. Two weeks ago, Ward said, officials from a local tow company met with himself, city staff and the Gainesville Police Department to discuss raising those rates, which haven’t been altered in ten years. Ward didn’t specify which towing company was present.
A new state law requires cities and counties to clearly post maximum towing rates online and establish a complaint process for excessive fees. The bill, which unanimously passed both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, was co-sponsored by former state Sen. Keith Perry (R-9) of Gainesville to crack down on both local and statewide complaints of predatory towing.
Ward said he expects a larger community discussion on towing practices to take place later this year before raising any rates, likely before students leave for the summer.
Legal and behavioral complaints
Nadine Peavey, an employee at UF Midtown Plaza who’s lived in Gainesville for two years, said she believes “sketchy and unprofessional” towing and immobilization practices have long plagued the city’s midtown area.
“I understand there are appropriate times to tow and boot vehicles, but all of the incidents I’ve witnessed have been outlandish and handled unprofessionally,” Peavey said.
She said in one incident last year, an attendant booted the car of a woman who worked in the plaza and was parked legally. When the woman returned, Peavey said, she didn’t notice the device attached to the car’s tire and pulled forward, tearing apart the back fender. The attendant allegedly refused to admit fault, Peavey said.
Through her restaurant job,
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Peavey said she also regularly serves drivers from Superior Towing. She said one driver learned her name and found out where she lived, making her feel uncomfortable.
“He would see me in the mornings when I was leaving my house for work. Then I would later see him at lunch, where he would always ask personal questions while I’m trying to take his order, and even yelled out his window whilst driving past me on my way home,” she said.
Superior Towing has received 14 complaints with the Better Business Bureau in the past three years. The company is not BBB accredited and has received a B+ rating, according to online records.
Most complaints alleged cars were booted or towed in assigned parking spaces with valid decals displayed, while others described hidden towing signs and less-thanstellar customer service.
Superior is also listed as a defendant in 19 civil actions since 2007, according to publicly available court records.
Three of these were citations issued by GPD for failing to comply with towing and signage requirements and failing to provide towing receipts, as mandated by Florida law. One lawsuit, which was later voluntarily dismissed, sought approximately $18,000 after a Superior employee allegedly drove a seized car recklessly, resulting in a crash.
An investigation into Superior’s registered owner, Michael Weber, revealed a 2011 arrest on a grand theft auto charge, which was later dropped due to insufficient evidence, according to court documents.
Weber allegedly refused to release someone’s car without proper registration information, a policy he said was required under a contract with the UF Police Department. The policy didn’t actually exist, according to the arrest report.
The next day, an unidentified employee allegedly asked for $260 instead of the usual $90 fee as an administrative penalty for not having the registration information. The arrest report said Weber had no legitimate reason for charging the additional fees.
An investigation into Superior Towing employees revealed the company hired a registered child sexual offender as a driver in 2020 despite Gainesville city ordinances barring individuals convicted of sexual battery from obtaining a trespass tow operator permit.
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@Danielbednar5 dbednar@alligator.org
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Inside UF’s K-9 Bomb Detection Unit
The four-legged heroes that protect campus around the clock
By Kaysheri Haffner Alligator Staff Writer
The doors to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center were closed to the public, and the lobby was quiet — except for the sound of determined sniffing. Nose to the ground and muscles tensed, Beto the yellow Labrador retriever was on the hunt.
Beto works alongside three other dogs that are all part of the UF Police Department’s K-9 division. The four dogs that make up the UFPD K-9 Explosives Detection Dogs are trained for one purpose: to track down explosives.
Each dog has been hard at work since they were just over a year old — the age when they finish their initial training and are paired with their handler, said Sgt. Kenny Motes, who is paired with Beto.
However, the training doesn’t end there. The teams are trained every week for 12 hours and carry out pre-event sweeps for most events on campus, Motes said. On Friday, a sweep of the O’Connell Center was scheduled in preparation for a gymnastics meet, so detection dogs Beto, Ruff and Libby were called in to put their training to the test.
Officer Michael Mayall and his yellow Labrador Ronnie, who make up the fourth pair of the team, weren’t present for the security sweep. Selecting dogs that will take well
to the training means looking for distinct traits like the animal’s drive to hunt, play and retrieve. What makes the dogs so remarkable is the specialized training they’re given before paired with a handler.
The K-9 division serves as a crucial step in securing sporting and speaking events and often extends past the borders of UF’s campus, Motes said. Recently, the dogs were requested as additional security for the Daytona 500, a prestigious NASCAR race about two hours southeast of Gainesville.
“A lot of the events wouldn’t even be allowed to go on unless the dogs cleared it,” he said.
The dogs offer multiple advantages over X-ray and technology-based explosive detection, Motes said. The dogs cost less and are more efficient and accurate. While the dogs are working, they’re kept on a 6-foot leash, so the handlers have full control if explosives are detected or a situation escalates.
If an explosive is found or the situation is urgent enough, a call is made to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal to take care of the threats. But every time a dog is on-duty with its partner, they both have to deal with the added danger of one of those threats being real, Motes said.
The four highly trained K-9s live with rules average dogs aren’t restrained by. They have associations with different toys and gear that help
them know when they’re working, like a specific collar they only wear when they’re on the job, Motes said.
However, the dogs get the opportunity to relax when they’re off duty.
“When my dog goes home,” Motes said, “at that point he gets to be a dog.”
Motes said Beto is known for being very needy. When Beto is off duty, he demands pets every 10 minutes, often nipping at Motes’ hand for attention.
When Beto clocked into his shift at the O’Connell Center on Friday, he jumped up and leaned in for a hug before getting to work.
“They have to have that time to be able to relax, just the same that we do,” said Sgt. Terrell Williams.
Williams’ dog, Ruff, a black Labrador nearly seven years into his career, is set to retire next year. While Ruff loves the work he does, he can also play fetch non-stop, Williams said.
Williams said he believes every relationship between a dog and their partner is unique.
“One of the things that I learned is that they take on their handler’s personality,” he said. “If you’re calm-demeanored, you might have a calm dog. If you’re rambunctious, your dog will be the same.”
While Ruff is about to start his retirement plan of fetch and relaxation, Libby, also a black Labrador, is still going strong.
2025.
Officer Renee Jost, Libby’s handler, is getting ready to throw Libby her fifth birthday party soon. Libby’s lively personality has made her fairly well-known on campus, even getting her name printed on Jost’s UFPD K-9 patrol vehicle. Libby is always looking forward to more pets, she said.
“I’m with my dog all the time,” Jost said. “She’s my non-human best friend.”
Jost said Libby likes to spin around in circles and never stops
moving, and when she goes home, she gets to be a regular dog and watch movies with her special blanket on the couch.
When a dog retires, they’re given a small shadow box filled with some photos, their leash, their police collar and their badge, Motes said. At the end of their life, the K-9s earn a plaque in honor of their service.
@kaysheri_h khaffner@alligator.org
until 9 pm every Thursday!
Thursday, January 30, 6 – 9 pm
Experience Afrofuturism with an all-ages fashion show, musical performance by Shine & The Shakers, a mobile library, and more. Offered in collaboration with UF Center for Arts, Migration + Entrepreneurship.
Thursday, February 13, 6 – 9 pm
Arts Across Africa
Join us as we celebrate the vibrancy of Africa with art, dance, movement, and student perspectives honoring the African continent, highlighting artistic movements and living traditions. Coordinated in partnership with UF Center for African Studies and UF School of Dance.
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff Sgt. Kenny Motes with Beto, his yellow Labrador retriever, on Friday, Jan. 24,
The “chemtrail” conspiracy theory
WEATHER, from pg. 1
impact near Tampa Bay.
Rumors swirled that the government, or some other unknown agency, had purposefully engineered the storms and steered their path for maximum strength and destruction. While Asheville faced the fallout of Helene, some of the most extreme social media theories alleged the storm’s surprise arrival was a plot to help U.S. officials seize mountains for lithium mining and that FEMA detained people.
It proliferated so quickly the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with other federal agencies, released a fact sheet debunking the disinformation.
“No technology exists that can create, destroy, modify, strengthen or steer hurricanes in any way, shape or form,” NOAA wrote.
Stanford University civil and environmental engineering professor Mark Jacobson researched the possibility of dissipating hurricanes using offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico and off the East Coast in 2014. He also develops clean energy plans for U.S. states and other countries.
Jacobson built an advanced virtual weather model to replay the progression of Hurricanes Sandy, Katrina and Isaac — the largest, most damaging and most recent storms at the time, respectively — if they had been exposed to offshore wind turbines. The study found turbines could successfully weaken a hurricane, but it would take tens of thousands to even make a dent, he said, a reflection of how difficult it is to influence weather on a large scale.
The circulating theories that weather modification technology like cloud seeding and “chemtrails” are used in Florida to stir
hurricanes is a “non-issue,” Jacobson said. It’s unclear whether SB 56 is intended to address concerns about extreme weather, but he emphasized legislation to reduce emissions and prevent climate change would leave Florida in a better spot.
“I would say for sure that global warming is intensifying and strengthening and lengthening hurricanes and also bringing them further north,” he said.
As local recovery efforts after Helene and Milton continued, the Sunshine State was hit with another, more unexpected threat: severe cold.
An outbreak of extreme winter conditions recently inundated much of the country, with three storms stampeding through since the new year. Some northern states’ temperatures plummeted to a deadly -40 degrees with wind chill.
Much of the panhandle, including Tallahassee, was blanketed in multiple inches of snow during Winter Storm Enzo Jan. 22. Gainesville found itself with an onslaught of freezing rain, or snow that falls through a warm layer of air close to the ground and can’t refreeze back into flurries. Though it was an invigorating experience for seasonstarved Floridians — and a slight disappointment for hopeful UF students — UF geography assistant professor Esther Mullens pointed out the event’s abnormality.
“It’s extremely rare for us to get snow, and even in this particular case,” she said.
A temporarily weakened polar vortex was the culprit.
The vortex is a “bowl of cold air” tightly bound by the jet stream above the Arctic, Mullens said. However, a disturbance in the atmosphere, like higher temperatures from climate change, can loosen the jet stream’s
hold, allowing Arctic air to stretch like a rubber band over the U.S. before snapping back.
Unusual winter weather can impact unprepared Southern states the most, Mullens said. An example is the 2021 Texas snow storm that caused statewide power outages and dangerous conditions, and like recent hurricanes, it also garnered social media rumors of weather modification. One theorized former President Joe Biden controlled the storm, as reported by Reuters.
“None of these weather events have been influenced by government or any other agency. They are naturally occurring phenomena,” Mullens said about this year’s winter storms.
Though government agencies factchecked similar theories, they’ve explored influencing extreme weather in the past — but not for the reasons alleged by swirling conspiracies.
The experiments
A U.S. Air Force plane barreled toward the eye of a hurricane nicknamed “King” in 1947. The B-17 was originally designed to be a long-range bomber, but that was no longer its purpose. Instead, finely crushed dry ice would be released from its underbelly into the roiling clouds below. The pilots’ mission was clear: stop King.
This experiment, deemed Project Cirrus, was the first of its kind and sought to destabilize developing hurricanes through cloud seeding. Supercooled water droplets remain liquid even in sub-freezing temperatures and form part of a hurricane’s structure. Scientists had begun to wonder whether “seeding” the clouds with dry ice would freeze the droplets and therefore weaken the cyclone, according to NOAA.
The project held promise, and it took place during a time of enthusiasm toward using weather modification to unravel hurricanes. But it was also a blind experiment
UF reacts to Israel-Hamas ceasefire
from pg. 1
Local reactions
Laila Fakhoury, the 27-year-old co-founder of How Bazar and former president of UF’s Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, has been a prominent voice in local proPalestinian protests. She said the last few years grappling with a “very helpless” community and building awareness in Gainesville was “heavy.”
Fakhoury, who is Palestinian and lost family members to the war in Gaza, said she’s skeptical about the ceasefire’s ability to guarantee lasting peace.
“I'm always excited to see my people, Palestinians, who are celebrating in the streets, excited for hope and a brighter future,” she said. “But I wasn't necessarily thinking that [the ceasefire] was going to be something sustainable that would last.”
She said more work needs to be done, especially because many people might not understand the implications of a ceasefire announcement. Gaza and Israel have been in conflict for decades. The last ceasefire, which was agreed upon in November 2023 and involved another hostage exchange, lasted a week.
“We want to give Palestinians space to celebrate,” she said. “But we also want to be very aware of the fact that it's not a fight that's over.”
Noam Levi, a 23-year-old UF business sophomore from Oranit, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank,
put his education on pause to enlist as an Israel Defence Forces soldier to fight in the conflict. He called the ceasefire “bittersweet” and said while he was happy to see hostages return to Israel, he was also concerned about the conditions of the deal and questioned the fairness of the hostage exchange.
Still, Levi said he’s optimistic about the future and hopes a permanent ceasefire in Gaza will lead to peace in the Middle East.
“We don't like war,” he said. “We are people of love.”
Rabbi Jonah Zinn, the executive director of UF Hillel, said the ceasefire will pave the way for Israel’s security and regional peace.
“The conflict has deeply affected our community,” he said. “While the ceasefire brings a sense of hope, we remain mindful of the uncertainty ahead, and Hillel is committed to supporting Jewish students whatever the future may hold.”
Presidents of the Jewish Student Union and UF Kulanu, an Israeli culture club, declined to comment on the ceasefire.
Campus activism continues
At UF, home to the largest population of undergraduate Jewish students of any public university nationwide, the war in Gaza became a point of contention on campus soon after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Former President Ben Sasse issued a pointed statement condemning Hamas, which some pro-Palestenian faculty and students said could have a chill-
ing effect on campus speech.
Tensions escalated when Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration directed Florida universities to shut down chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine, citing concerns that the group was financially supporting Hamas. Under Sasse, UF resisted the shutdown order amid First Amendment concerns.
Ajla Mesic, a 21-year-old UF health education junior, said her parents’ own experience with territorial conflict spurred her to get involved with pro-Palestinian advocacy efforts. Her parents fled Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s to escape the Bosnian War.
“If it wasn't for what was going on, I would be home,” she said. “I relate to that … feeling of, ‘I should be home, but I can’t be home.'”
Advocacy efforts swelled last spring with a string of pro-Palestinian protests, which involved a temporary occupation in the Plaza of the Americas. University officials released new guidelines the night before the third day of protests, which included bans on pillows, bullhorns and lawn chairs. University police and Florida state troopers arrested nine of the protestors, six of whom were later issued academic suspensions ranging from three to four years.
Mesic, who is Muslim, said the arrests were “scary” and the “violence and aggression” she saw directed toward the arrested students made her uncomfortable to wear her headscarf on campus. She said she
and, according to NOAA, researchers lacked the technology to predict King would rapidly reverse course and hurtle into Savannah, Georgia.
Though hurricanes are proven capable of swerving naturally, public outrage claimed King’s course was altered by Project Cirrus, which was ushered to an end.
Project STORMFURY dawned about a decade later. It was another hunt to take down hurricanes through cloud seeding, but the rules were different this time: Experiments could only be done on hurricanes with less than a 10% chance of making landfall within a day to safeguard coastal areas, according to a 1977 NOAA report.
Researchers seeded four storms by 1971 using silver iodide, which is more effective than dry ice and the most common agent in modern cloud seeding. However, the project saw little success, and it was soon discovered hurricanes don’t have enough supercooled water to make a difference and that changes were likely caused by natural variability. STORMFURY came to a close by 1983.
“NOAA has not attempted to modify hurricane intensity and participate in cloud seeding since,” the organization wrote in its fact-check following Helene and Milton. At least nine states clustered in the west actively use cloud seeding, and Florida is not one of them. Instead, it’s similar to about 10 other states that have mulled over banning it along with all other weather modification activities. Monitored by NOAA, cloud seeding is often handled by private companies with the goal of promoting rainfill, preventing fog or shrinking hailstones, among others.
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@rylan_digirapp rdigiacomo-rapp@alligator.org
wants to see UF advocate more for all of its students.
The ceasefire agreement was long overdue, Mesic said, but more will have to be done for Palestinian students to feel accepted on campus.
“Especially here at UF, they're very afraid of being open about where they come from in fear of being attacked,” she said. “[UF] is supposed to be a place where everybody's accepted, no matter what.”
UF’s chapter for Students for Justice in Palestine said in a statement Jan. 24 the ceasefire was a “necessary and overdue step toward halting the immediate violence,” but the agreement was “far from justice.”
“We are relieved to hear that Palestinian political prisoners are being freed,” the organization wrote. “However, many more still remain held by a state which does not claim them as belonging to it without trial. Until they are freed, we must continue fighting.”
UF’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine and the UF Divest Coalition did not respond for comment. UF Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish organization, declined an interview but provided a statement saying Jewish Americans are partially responsible in “funding the genocide” through taxes, and their thoughts “frankly do not matter.”
Rebuilding and moving forward
Guileinah Dupiton, a 21-year-old UF psychology major, said the ceasefire might quiet the conversation around the war, but the lingering polarization caused by the conflict won’t disappear until more is done.
“I'm glad that more damage isn't being done to homes and infrastructure and people,” she said. “But Gaza needs to be rebuilt at this point in time. … If anything, now should be the time if you haven’t said anything, to say something or do something.”
In the first stage of the ceasefire, Israeli forces will stay along parts of Gaza's border but withdraw from populated areas, enabling civilians to return. Aid trucks, previously blocked according to AP News, will also enter Gaza. During the second phase, starting Feb. 3, Israel and Hamas will negotiate a permanent ceasefire, Israel's full withdrawal and an exchange of remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The bodies of deceased hostages will be returned in stage three.
Rebuilding Gaza, the ceasefire's final stage, could take years, according to the BBC.
Rabbi Berl Goldman, who has served as the director of Chabad UF since 2000, said he hopes the ceasefire deal will signal the dismantling of Hamas and the end of the decadeslong Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to Goldman, 440 students attended services at Chabad UF Student Center Jan. 17 to pray for the hostages and their immediate release.
“We continue to pray and gather for the release of the remaining hostages and true peace in Israel and around the world for all innocent lives, not only Jewish lives,” he said. “Good and peace is permanent. Terrorism and evil is temporary.”
@gracenmclung gmcclung@alligator.org
UF celebrates 100-year-old pipe organ with symphonies, slapstick comedy
STUDENTS,
ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHERED FOR A FOUR-DAY PROGRAM OF ORGAN RECITALS, TALKS AND RECEPTIONS
By Pristine Thai Alligator Staff Writer
Charlie Chaplin is precariously perched atop a ladder.
His character, an assistant at a pawnshop, attempts to polish the storefront. As the ladder rocks back and forth in increasingly wider swings, an organ plays wavering glissandos to match. Chaplin and ladder finally crash down, and so does the organ in a fit of dissonant chords.
The jaunty tunes, however, weren’t recorded over the silent movie. Matt Gender, a UF alum, improvised the accompaniment on UF’s 100-year-old pipe organ at University Auditorium on Jan. 23. About 150 students, alumni and community
members came to the performance, roaring with laughter as characters on screen tumbled from rooftops in black and white.
The accompaniment was part of a four-day kickoff to UF’s Pipe Organ Centennial from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26, commemorating the Andrew Anderson Memorial Pipe Organ, built in 1925.
Laura Ellis, associate director of the UF School of Music and the university’s resident organist, spent about a year planning the centennial. She arranged alumni recitals, a hymn festival, talks given by UF Organ Studio alumni and a pipe organ demonstration, where audience members were invited on stage to get a closer look.
Ellis said she intentionally lined up a variety of events to show the community “all of the different things that the organ can do.”
She reached out to former students, many who eagerly made the journey back to Gainesville. A few sported orange-and-blue striped ties on stage to show their school spirit.
Gender, one of Ellis’ former stu-
dents, flew in from Minnesota to perform the silent film accompaniment. He graduated from UF in 2013 with a bachelor’s in music performance and said returning to the same organ he worked “hours and hours to get something right with” as an undergraduate was like being “a kid in a candy store.”
“It’s really what makes the trip worthwhile,” Gender said. “Being able to reconnect with this place, these people, this school — it’s just been really special to be back.”
In addition to alumni, the centennial featured renowned guest artists like Stephen Tharp, who gave the first recital Jan. 23.
Organists can’t travel with their instruments, so Tharp enjoys working with each venue’s unique organ. UF’s pipe organ was “absolutely fabulous,” he said.
“It’s always like meeting a new person and discovering a new way to play music you’ve played for a long time,” he said. “Nothing’s the same twice, and it always keeps it inventive.”
Tharp also plays the piano and
the harpsichord, but the organ was his first passion after hearing it at church every Sunday growing up.
Tharp said he was attracted to the instrument’s grandiosity; as he put it, an organ is a “big old machine that you could control by yourself.”
As a performer, Tharp tries to break the one-dimensional view of the organ as solely a church instrument.
“In fact, what we have is the most diversity of repertoire of any musician,” he said. “So it’s just a matter of bringing that to the fore when you do public programs.”
Like Tharp, Laura Griggs also had her first exposure to the organ through church. A UF music education alum who specialized in the organ and graduated in 1977, Griggs would turn the pages of her aunt’s sheet music at services.
She was thrilled to be part of a large crowd at each centennial event, sharing in the rapturous applause.
“I would feel something that wasn’t earthly,” Griggs said. “I realized that I was sensing God’s presence when I would hear the organ.”
But for all its holy associations, organ music goes much further than places of worship. From the unmistakable harmony and ornamentation of Johann Sebastian Bach to dramatic and exploratory contemporary pieces, the centennial put on a widereaching array of genres.
Maggie Tran, a 21-year-old UF keyboard performance senior who is part of the UF Organ Studio, played several pieces for the pipe organ demonstration. She said she plays a lot of hymn-based pieces as an organist for the First United Methodist Church of Gainesville. But Tran also enjoys the “really showy pieces” and more contemporary works, she said.
Most of all, she loves how loud the organ is.
“There’s a lot more you can play with in a very dramatic way, more than piano,” Tran said. “Piano is very subtle, and I don’t have the patience for that. There’s an art to it, but I decided bigger is better.”
@pristinethai pthai@alligator.org
A hidden neighbor: How Copeland Industrial Park shapes life next door
ALACHUA’S RESIDENTS FACE CONSTANT FUMES, NOISE FROM THE MANUFACTURING HUB
By Vera Lucia Pappaterra Alligator Staff Writer
When Jade Floyd moved into her Alachua home five years ago, she expected a peaceful neighborhood in a quaint, quiet town.
Her backyard, edged with trees, hinted at lazy afternoons on the porch with her pit bull-German shepherd mix and three domestic shorthair cats. Within weeks of moving in, she discovered the Copeland Industrial Park lurking behind the greenery. Her picture-perfect paradise was soon replaced with the clamor of machinery, late-night traffic and a barrage of generator noise during hurricane season.
“It was extremely loud,” Floyd, a 44-year-old patient care coordinator, said. “It sort of took me off guard that it was so loud.”
Industrial parks are areas specifically zoned for manufacturing, logistics and business operations, designed to foster economic growth and provide jobs by clustering industries in a centralized location. However, they can present challenges, particularly when placed near residential areas.
Issues like increased noise, air pollution and traffic often arise, raising concerns about the impact on nearby communities. Establishing an industrial park typically involves zoning approvals, infrastructure development and attracting businesses, which can bring significant economic benefits but also requires careful planning to balance industrial expansion with community well-being.
Copeland’s past
The Copeland Sausage Company was Alachua’s main employer for nearly 50 years, until its closure in
1978. The plant accounted for half of Alachua’s tax revenue, Mayor Gib Coerper told The Gainesville Sun in 2013. Nearly 500 people, most of whom were Alachua residents, had worked at the plant. When the Copeland property was revitalized in the late 1990s as an industrial park, it marked a new chapter for the local economy.
It’s now home to multiple businesses, research laboratories and manufacturers, which create jobs and diversify Alachua’s economic landscape.
Floyd’s encounter with generator noise is just one example of everyday realities for those living near Copeland. The challenges exceed disrupted sleep from constant noise — residents worry about increased pollution, road wear and changes to the neighborhood’s character.
These concerns have only amplified as the park grows. In 2021, the CDMO Resilience acquired the largest part of the park, which it shares with Alchem Laboratories, SynQuest Laboratories, one empty development site and Lacerta Therapeutics, a gene therapy start-up that shut down last year.
Floyd said neither the seller nor her realtor mentioned the park during her home purchase.
“It would be nice to [have known],” she said. “It does sort of make me wonder, what is going on back there?”
Under state law, real estate disclosures generally cover known defects or hazards, but an adjacent industrial zone doesn’t necessarily qualify. As a result, homeowners like Floyd may discover the Copeland Industrial Park’s proximity only after unpacking their lives.
Noise and no answers
During hurricanes, backup generators from the park’s facilities reverberate day and night. Floyd said she noticed sporadic manufacturing or lab-related clamor at late hours of
the evening, an intrusion she never expected in a suburban-style neighborhood.
“I just want to enjoy peace and quiet,” Floyd said. “But it was definitely not peaceful.”
Without a homeowners association to advocate for their concerns, residents find themselves without a formal mechanism to address environmental and quality-of-life issues, Floyd said.
Gladys Walker, an 80-year-old retiree who has shared a backyard with the industrial park since 2007, said her neighbors facing these challenges are primarily older adults.
“There’s nothing [that] has been done,” Walker said. “They told us over and over that there is no ordinance for noise.”
Walker, like Floyd, was never made aware of the existence of the industrial park or of the ongoing developments, like new plants or laboratories, in her years living next door. Many of these residents have deep roots in Alachua, having lived in the area for decades, she added, making leaving undesirable.
A park without a manager
One persistent question among residents is: Who’s in charge of maintaining the area?
Under typical circumstances, a large industrial park might have a professional management firm or property owner who sets rules, enforces hours and mediates problems. But that’s not the case with Copeland.
Sandy Burgess, the Copeland Industrial Park Owners Association manager, said the group was founded in 2000 to uphold basic covenants, collect fees and maintain stormwater basins. But the association doesn’t operate like a property manager or landlord; its only responsibility is to the property owners.
“[The association] doesn’t have any obligations to surrounding property… If there is a request at the city level, or a building permit or land use
change, then there’s a mechanism for communication,” Burgess said. “But that’s not a responsibility.”
If a facility runs late-night shifts with idling trucks or if a generator rattles the neighborhood in the wake of a storm, local homeowners are on their own, she added.
This gap between industrial operations and residential living highlights a key tension in Alachua’s zoning approach. While some Florida cities, like Gainesville or parts of Marion County, enforce stringent buffer zones or require extensive public notice when an industrial use abuts a residential area, Alachua’s rules are less robust. Oftentimes, as long as land already carries an industrial designation, new construction proceeds with minimal discussion or mandated notice to neighbors.
Alachua follows a comprehensive plan designating land parcels as residential or industrial.
Gainesville’s land development code includes conditional use approvals and public hearings if the development of industrial land could disrupt surrounding areas. A prospective occupant might face noise abatement measures or certain time-of-day limits. Some other Florida counties also require enhanced buffering, rows of trees or walls to reduce sound. None of these measures appear to have been fully deployed when Copeland was developed.
“As long as the land use is in line with the covenants and with the city zoning, then it’s approved,” Burgess said.
Copeland and beyond
Aaron Turner, a 71-year-old Alachua resident, has lived down the street from the Copeland property for nearly 50 years. He said he remembers when the land was transformed into an industrial park 26 years ago.
“I don’t remember [the city or developers] informing me I wasn’t involved in it,” he said.
If an existing business within Co-
peland wants to operate overnight or expand, the city can easily approve those hours as “industrial use.” This straightforward process means those who live next door might never hear about it until the noise or fumes hit.
Copeland sits surprisingly close to residences, sharing a fence with residents like Walker — a fact many buyers discover too late. In contrast, other industrial parks in Gainesville, like the Airport Industrial Park and the SiVance Chemical Plant, are far enough from major neighborhoods to spare most homeowners.
Thomas Quarles, a 67-year-old minister, noted that despite a few occasional annoyances, the industrial complexes near Gainesville generally haven’t intruded on quiet neighborhoods. Quarles is a minister at Lighthouse Worship and Deliverance Ministries, which is nearly a mile away from the Airport Industrial Park and SiVance Chemical Plant.
Quarles characterized his own retired community as “really quiet.” While occasional nuisances exist, he said, the industrial facilities around Gainesville haven’t significantly impacted the tranquility of surrounding neighborhoods. Instead, he added, the sporadic smells and boisterous noises stem from a nearby landfill and gun range.
“This is a retired neighborhood,” Quarles said. “I just hear the bird chirping and the crickets.”
Gainesville’s industrial development typically keeps significant buffers, like green belts or sound walls or has been historically located away from large residential clusters. The City of Alachua, however, has industrial and residential zones sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
While Gainesville’s industrial sites seem like a distant issue to Quarles, nearly 15 miles away, Floyd, Walker and Turner struggle to get a good night’s sleep.
@veralupap vpappaterra@alligator.org
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Lessons from UF’s queer activism history as Trump returns to office
After President Donald Trump recently entered office for a second time, his administration seems poised to enact an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda more sweeping than his first term.
The American Civil Liberties Union expects the administration will roll back LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination policies, enact a ban on transgender Americans serving in the military, remove gender-affirming care in federal healthcare programs and weaponize federal law against state-level protections for transgender students.
On the state level, Florida has been a beacon of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. In the last few years, the state legislature has enacted an anti-transgender bathroom ban, restricted access to gender-affirming care and removed books about LGBTQ+ characters from school libraries.
Although these efforts have affected Florida’s queer community broadly, the state has directly targeted UF students after UF complied with an audit on the number of patients receiving gender-affirming care.
This targeting of queer students hasn’t been met quietly at UF. In response to the audit, transgender students and allies marched on the Student Healthcare Center in support of gender-affirming care. The Pride Student Union and LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee have also worked to raise awareness about resources for queer students.
The existence of these resources and organizations today are the result of decades of UF queer activism when the environment for queer students was far more hostile and dangerous.
UF has a long history of institutional homophobia, with the Johns Committee of the mid-1950s to mid-1960s enacting a witch hunt
to remove numerous gay faculty and students. Less than 10 years after this witch hunt — nicknamed the “lavender scare” — queer UF students inspired by the radical movements of the 1960s began to organize.
Rey Arcenas opinions@alligator.org
In 1970, the Gay Liberation Front formed in Gainesville and attended a weekend “GayIn” at Florida State University. Julius Johnson, the president of the organization, was a Black queer student and formed alliances with radical campus organizations.
Most of the early 1970s consisted of a battle to force the university to recognize a campus queer organization. By 1976, UF administration relented and the Gay Community Service Center moved to campus.
But by the late 1970s and early 1980s, coinciding with Anita Bryant’s infamous “Save Our Children” campaign, homophobia at the university intensified. A group of students held signs during Lesbian/Gay Awareness week that read, “Homosexuals need bullets — not acceptance” and collected 50 signatures in favor of executing homosexuals.
A hostile campus atmosphere and limited funding from student government eventually forced the University Federation of Gay and Lesbian Students, the campus queer organization at the time, to leave campus in 1987.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.
Rey Arcenas is a UF history and women’s studies senior.
Eco-anxiety:
What is it, and how do I cope with it?
In an age where most of us experience constant bad news right in the palm of our hands, it’s no surprise we’re overwhelmed with the state of the world. Whether mindlessly scrolling, constantly checking our phones or even consuming a large amount of news content, our habits can reinforce negative thoughts and feelings about the world around us.
For many, this kind of social media usage, most often referred to as “doomscrolling,” can cause anxious feelings about many topics, including climate change.
This anxious feeling is called climate anxiety, climate doom or eco-anxiety and can be defined as a state of anxiety or overwhelming worry about the state of the planet, as described by Yale Sustainability. It often has both physiological and behavioral components and might be more prevalent than we think.
In 2021, 69% of Gen Z social media users said they felt anxious about the future when they most recently saw content addressing climate change, according to the Pew Research Center.
Further, the University of Oregon found in 2024 those who consume more climate change-related news hold more feelings of eco-anxiety, or climate doom. For many, there is a fine line between being informed and maybe being too informed, or allowing social media and other sources of constant news about climate change and natural disasters to impact our everyday lives.
All of this isn’t to say we should completely unplug from news about the world and climate change altogether, but we
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.
can switch our approach to maximize our impact and limit burnout.
Especially in Florida, we live through natural disasters of increasing strength every year, and we take a front seat to the damage these disasters can do on our families, friends and homes.
As American singer and activist Joan Baez said, “Action is the antidote to despair.”
These emotions, although overwhelming, can be mitigated. Finding a place to express your feelings about the climate and the overwhelming sense of dread you might feel when you read yet another infographic about carbon emissions can be a great first step to alleviate climate doom. Climate Cafe GNV, a more recent addition to the Gainesville community, hosts both virtual and in-person events where community members can discuss their thoughts and feelings about the changing climate with others. In addition to these facilitated conversations, the café also provides resources for support such as a climate-aware therapist directory and opportunities for political action in the area and online.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.
Gracie Adams is a UF environmental science freshman.
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.
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Gracie Adams opinions@alligator.org
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Hoggetowne Medieval Faire goes on amid location search
The annual event
took place at Depot Park for the second year since leaving the Alachua County Fairgrounds
By Juliana DeFilippo Avenue Staff Writer
Between stalls selling prosthetic elf ears and wood-carved staffs decorated with crystals, 37-year-old Brandon Breedlove encouraged Faire-goers to fight. He and 33-year-old Ashley Shelhon joked it was the “only free thing” at Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.
Breedlove and Shelton represent a live-action roleplaying group where participants learn medieval combat and weapon-handling techniques before meeting for battles. The pair has tabled at Hoggetowne for years. Behind their booth, people swung swords and clubs at one another while others waited their turn in line.
For 36 of its 38 years, Hoggetowne took place at the Alachua County Fairgrounds and ran for three weekends. Following a change in the Fairgrounds’ ownership, the Faire changed locations to Depot Park, which is around 70 acres smaller than the fairgrounds and can only run for one weekend.
“I’m not super happy with it, actually,” Breedlove said about the location change. “But we’re happy that they’re just able to have it anywhere.”
Due to the location change, Hoggetowne downsized in both vendors and entertainers. Activities like jousting can no longer take place
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at Depot Park. The Faire’s organizers ruled out a variety of venues like the West End Golf Course and Gainesville Raceway, as well as other locations listed on their website, due to budget issues and other ownership issues.
Lili Tzou, the event coordinator for the City of Gainesville and assistant director of Hogge-
towne Medieval Faire, said it’s challenging to find a suitable location within the city. However, Tzou said they’re determined to keep the fair in Gainesville to continue the local staple.
“It’s definitely an annual tradition, but it’s more than a tradition,” Tzou said. “I feel like, to a lot of people, it’s more like a homecoming
— something that’s really a staple in people’s lives.”
While the event was previously funded through ticket sales, visitors are no longer charged for admission since the move to Depot Park. Now, the Faire relies on merchant fees and money saved from past years. Tzou said Hoggetowne costs around $100,000 to put on.
Although the loss of ticket prices impacted revenue, many vendors, like 54-year-old Roy Kinzler, found free admission has introduced many new people to the Faire. Kinzler runs Coats and Crests, an organization that traces the history of last names.
“We have a whole pile of people in here that are just here because it’s a free event versus people that spend money and want to be in that environment,” Kinzler said. “So, you’re seeing a little bit of everything out here.”
And it’s true. For every person wearing a cloak or corset, there was someone wearing jeans and a T-shirt. In line for food, someone wearing a suit of armor might stand behind someone wearing a Gators sweatshirt.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/the_avenue.
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Trenton Bardi // Alligator Staff
Charles Civis medieval outfit during Hoggetowne Medieval Faire on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.
Alachua County shelter animals keep warm with foster homes, fashionable sweaters
SHELTER DOGS COZY UP IN UNUSUALLY CHILLY WINTER
By Bailey Diem Alligator Staff Writer
Jane’s sweater isn’t just a fashion statement. While its blue and gray fabric might perfectly contrast her coppery coat, the 3-year-old shelter dog is wearing it to protect her from the unusually cold temperatures plaguing Alachua County this winter.
Amid below-freezing temperatures and historic Winter Storm Enzo, Alachua County animal shelters worked to ensure their furry residents would be kept comfortable with extra blankets, heaters and fluffy sweaters.
Jane wasn’t the only Puppy Hill Farm canine sporting extra layers during the rescue’s weekly PetSmart appearance Jan. 25. Others in neighboring kennels wore jackets of a variety of colors to keep out the chill while they waited for potential adopters.
According to Meghann O’Brien, the pet rescue’s executive director, it’s all part of the plan to keep the animals warm.
Located in Melrose, Florida, about 20 miles east of Gainesville, Puppy Hill Farm has private kennel space for big dogs and an old house turned into a facility for cats and smaller dogs.
When the temperature is forecasted to remain below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple nights in a row, O’Brien said, the rescue begins to prepare for cold weather by moving as many large dogs as possible into foster homes.
Volunteers also try to make extra space at the smaller animals’ facility, she said, with extra priority given to senior dogs or animals most vulnerable to the cold.
O’Brien said she estimated 20 big dogs are staying in the rescue’s kennels during the cold weather spell, while another 15 are staying with fosters.
“For the ones that have to stay in the ken-
nel, we make sure they have extra bedding,” O’Brien said. “We do put coats on them, and we do run the heaters.”
O’Brien said the changes in routine are an annual occurrence each winter, with most preparation completed by December.
However, Franziska Raeber, the Humane Society of North Central Florida’s director of development, said this winter’s weather has been unusually extreme.
Even though the rescue is accustomed to dealing with unruly weather in the form of hurricanes, prolonged cold weather is rare in Alachua County, Raeber said. Once the temperatures dip into the 30s, Raeber said, she and other employees start to worry for the animals’
well being.
“It is probably unique right now because it’s been one cold snap after another,” she said.
According to data from Iowa State University’s Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Alachua County received more than 10 freeze warnings between Jan. 1 and Jan. 24. The county only received two in the same time frame in 2024.
A freeze warning is issued when temperatures are forecasted to dip below 32 degrees for a long period of time, according to the National Weather Service.
A winter storm warning for Winter Storm Enzo, issued Jan. 22, plunged the county into temperatures just below freezing. While Alachua County didn’t see any snow, The Weather
Channel estimates Milton, Florida, just north of Pensacola, received 8.8 inches. This more than doubled Florida’s previous snowfall record of 4 inches, which was set in March 1954.
Amid the unusually cold weather, Raeber said, some of the Humane Society’s dogs were adorned with knit sweaters to fight the cold.
“Those that are tolerating them are all wearing cute little sweaters,” she said. “Our big change is extra blankets, much more blankets, and then sweaters.”
While the Humane Society of North Central Florida’s zen, isolation and quarantine rooms are heated, Raeber said, its adoption floor isn’t. In preparation for the frigid weather, dogs prone to illness or in need of medical care were pulled into the heated rooms.
Foster homes were top priority for others, Raeber said.
“Fostering is our key element,” she said. “Going to foster homes allows us to create space to pull from other shelters that are in dire need.”
Alachua County Animal Resources & Care, the official county-run animal services organization, also prioritized fosters during the cold spell.
Anticipating Winter Storm Enzo, the shelter sent out a Facebook post Jan. 20 urgently requesting short-term dog fosters.
Julie Johnson, the shelter’s director of animal resources, said a dozen shelter residents were sent to temporary foster homes to wait out the worst of the cold weather.
While most of the organization’s canines are kept in sheltered kennels with both outdoor and indoor space, she said, precautions are taken to make sure all of the remaining residents are kept warm.
“We lock them in their kennels at night with fluffy blankets and ensure all our heaters are on and in working order,” Johnson wrote in an email.
@BaileyDiem bdiem@alligator.org
Gainesville’s cold night shelters face mixed reactions
THE COLD NIGHT SHELTER PROGRAM IS EXTENDED UNTIL JAN. 28
By Annie Wang Alligator Staff Writer
As the temperature in Gainesville dropped below freezing in January, the demand for a warm place to stay rose. To address the growing need, the City of Gainesville launched its Cold Night Shelter program.
The program, which was active for most of January, is instituted during severe weather conditions, like when temperatures drop below 45 degrees. St. Francis House and GRACE Marketplace, both partaking in the program, offer shelter services to those in need during cold conditions.
Cold shelter check-in is available from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Francis house and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m at GRACE Marketplace.
Brenda Welcome, a 64-year-old Gainesville resident, said she had a negative experience with St. Francis House. Welcome said she tried to use the Cold Night Shelter program Jan. 13, arriving around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. but was turned away.
“The lady came out the door and said, ‘You can’t be here,’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Are you serious? I’m 64, [and] I’m disabled. Where am I supposed to go?’”
Welcome said when she tried to plead her case to the woman, the woman replied with, “I don’t care.” She then threw a blanket at Welcome, which triggered a tempo-
rary nervous breakdown, Welcome said.
“They had three openings,” Welcome said, “so I was hoping that they would let me [in] and give me shelter, but they didn’t. They called the police.”
Welcome spent the next five days in jail, she said.
However, Shirley Williams, a 67-yearold Gainesville resident, said her experience at St. Francis House was quite different. She stayed at St. Francis for a week and loved the cleanliness, people, food and security.
The cold night shelter curfew at St. Francis House is 9 p.m. with no exceptions, she said.
“I like the curfew time they have,” Williams said. “It gives you… [the] responsibility of self-control.”
Williams said everyone who stays at St. Francis is also required to undergo a police screening and background check. She said the layer of security provides her with a sense of safety she previously lacked. Before arriving at St. Francis House, Williams spent five months at GRACE Marketplace, which she said was a terrible experience.
To Williams, GRACE felt like an unsafe environment. She said it was “filthy.”
“You would be scared to close your eyes sometimes,” she said. “People from the outside can come in and walk around, see what they want to steal and take your stuff while you sleep. That’s happened to me.”
Shaheem Busch, a 19-year-old Gainesville resident, said GRACE fails to provide people with safety and stability.
“People here, they will go through your sh*t,” he said. “And once you lose your
sh*t, it’ll be so much chaos that [the staff] will take your sh*t.”
Busch said he violated one of the rules, so he is banned from the GRACE campus until June 20. As a consequence, he said he’s also excluded from using the cold night shelter. Busch didn’t specify which of the shelter’s rules he broke.
Craig, a 53-year-old Gainesville resident who requested to be identified by his first name because he feared retribution from GRACE, has been using the cold night program at the shelter. He’s critical of how it’s run.
“Some of the staff are here to help us, and you actually see that, but some of the staff are just here just to bully us,” he said.
Walker said the shelter serves a lot of bread, which he can’t eat due to his diabetes. He also pointed out they serve food like french fries that aggravates arthritis, which is a concern because many people at the shelter suffer from the condition. He mentioned the portion sizes are also very small.
“They feed us like we’re in elementary school, and everybody here is an adult,” he said.
Other issues he had with the cold night shelter include cold showers and being forced to leave GRACE once the Cold Night Shelter program ends at 7 a.m.
Darrell Moore, a 50-year-old Gainesville resident, said he thinks the cold night shelters are great, though he agrees the program could be improved.
“[The Cold Night Shelter program] is an awesome thing because whenever it’s cold like this, it’s perfect,” Moore said. “The one
thing that’s bad is that early in the morning they kick everyone out.”
Moore said he appreciates GRACE, but the most pervasive issue is the favoritism shown to individuals who have been there longer.
John Thomas, the interim chief executive officer at GRACE Marketplace, said not much changes at GRACE when the Cold Night Shelter program is activated besides the shelter serving above capacity. On any given cold shelter night, GRACE is ready to take in 75 extra people, Thomas said.
To prepare, GRACE designates an area for the cold shelters, while the dorms, reserved for housed individuals, remain separate. Bunk beds are set up in the cold shelters, and they also have overflow rooms to further accommodate the influx of people coming in.
“We try to make sure everyone has a blanket to sleep under and a pillow to put their head on,” Thomas said.
Although spots are open on a first come, first serve basis, the shelter doesn’t typically end up having to turn people away, Thomas said. GRACE also doesn’t exclude who can and can’t come in.
“Especially in cases of extreme weather like we’re having now, turning people away is not something that we’re interested in doing,” Thomas said. “We just find space for people.”
The cold shelter program will remain active until Jan. 28.
@wynwg awang@alligator.org
Bailey Diem // Alligator Staff
Jane, a 3-year-old shelter dog from Puppy Hill Farm, shows off her coat while waiting for potential adopters at the rescue’s weekly PetSmart appearance on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.
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¿hablas español? lee
el periódico universitario independiente mas grande de estados unidos.
1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What year was the first Barbie doll released?
2. MOVIES: What is the name of the island in the "Jurassic Park" film?
1. MEASUREMENTS: How many inches are in a mile?
3. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What are baby rabbits called?
4. U.S. STATES: Which state is the home of Mount Rushmore?
5. INVENTIONS: When were emojis invented?
2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific community?
6. TELEVISION: In the TV series "The Walking Dead," what was the character Rick Grimes' profession previously?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “sub-” mean in English?
7. CHEMISTRY: Which element is also known as quicksilver?
8. SCIENCE: What is the name for the pivot on which a lever turns?
4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?
9. GEOGRAPHY: Which country is home to the ancient city of Petra?
10. MUSIC: Which of Taylor Swift's songs was first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100?
5. LITERATURE: Which 20th-century movie star penned the autobiography “Me: Stories of My Life”?
6. HISTORY: What was the first National Monument proclaimed in the United States?
7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the island of Luzon located?
8. MOVIES: Which sci-fi movie has the tagline, “Reality is a thing of the past”?
9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine?
1. Name the American skier from Puerto Rico who won a gold medal in moguls at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. (Hint: He hosted three seasons of MTV's "Real World/Road Rules Challenge.")
2. What Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker was selected No. 2 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1987 NFL Draft, then was traded to the Buffalo Bills before the start of the '87 season?
10. GAMES: What are the four railroad properties in Monopoly?
3. Name the women's golf match-play tournament, contested annually from 2005-08, that pitted players from Asia against an international squad.
4. New Zealand's Neroli Fairhall became the first athlete to participate in both the Paralympic Games (Arnhem 1980) and the Olympic Games (Los Angeles 1984). In what sport did she compete?
Answers
1. 63,360 inches
5. During the San Diego Padres' 1974 home opener, who took the public address microphone and told the crowd, "Fans, I suffer with you. I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life"?
2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
3. Below or insufficient
7. Between brothers William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Michael Dean Perry, who had more sacks in his NFL career? 1.
6. What Swedish ice hockey great also played for the Swedish national soccer team, played professional golf and founded the first golf course in the Soviet Union?
4. Grover Cleveland
5. Katharine Hepburn 6. Devils Tower, 1906
7. The Philippines
8. “The Matrix”
9. The USS Nautilus
10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Reading and B&O
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De regreso al aula: La Latina Women’s League brinda clases de inglés para la comunidad
Las clases van desde el nivel principiante hasta el intermedio, con el objetivo de proporcionar una comprensión básica del inglés
Por Gabriella Chavez
Escritora de El Caimán
Hyxia Grande siempre había estado rodeada por el inglés gracias a su experiencia previa trabajando para recursos humanos, pero desde que llegó a Gainesville para estudiar inglés en la UF, se sintió motivada a sumergirse completamente en el idioma para tener una mejor oportunidad en el área laboral.
Grande es una de las muchas estudiantes inscritas en el programa de inmersión en inglés de la Latina Women 's League, un programa que tiene como objetivo “brindar y adquirir experiencia en conversaciones en inglés, ampliar tus horizontes y contribuir al crecimiento de nuestra comunidad”, según su sitio web.
“En todos los países que he vivido, siempre he trabajado en industrias internacionales porque sabía inglés”, dijo la estudiante de 47 años. “Vine con ellos para aclarar muchas dudas que tengo”.
El 21 de enero, la liga comenzó su período de primavera, en el que brindará lecciones de inglés en los niveles de principiante e intermedio durante el transcurso de cuatro meses.
Aunque la liga ve caras nuevas cada período, el programa de inmersión ha estado activo durante más de dos décadas.
“Hemos estado impartiendo este curso durante más de 20 años”, dijo Ericka Ghersi, presidenta de la Latina Women 's League. "La necesidad de cursos como estos es tan grande que la mayoría de los lugares que nos han acogido, como iglesias o bibliotecas, han comenzado sus propias
clases de inglés para que continúen dando las clases".
La clase actual consta de aproximadamente 15 estudiantes, y cada uno tiene diferentes niveles de capacidad en inglés. Las lecciones se centran principalmente en gramática, pronunciación y habilidades conversacionales básicas.
La oportunidad de aprender un nuevo idioma sin costo alguno es un alivio para muchos de los estudiantes que asisten a la clase, según Ghersi.
“Nuestra meta aquí en la liga es fomentar las ganas de apoyar a la comunidad, como podamos, de forma gratuita”, dijo Ghersi.
María Díaz, una estudiante de 57 años inscrita en la clase, dijo que la existencia de programas como estos es esencial, ya que el inglés es un "idioma universal". Poder asistir a las clases de forma gratuita fue una
ventaja adicional para ella, afirmó.
“A mi siempre me ha gustado el inglés, y siento que es muy importante aprender porque te puedes comunicar con las personas”, dijo. “Sin él, estás condenado a estar en tinieblas”.
Con la ayuda de la Latina Women 's League, varios estudiantes que asisten a las clases han mencionado que se sienten más cómodos y seguros para hablar y practicar inglés fuera de sus hogares.
Las clases son impartidas por voluntarios, muchos de ellos estudiantes de la UF.
“Muchos de mis familiares no hablan inglés, por lo que de manera indirecta he sentido las consecuencias de no saber el idioma dominante en una sociedad”, dijo Elijah Zarsadias, estudiante de tercer año de lingüística y francés de 20 años en la UF.
Las clases son a base de español, seguidas por la implementación gradual del inglés. Aunque la mayoría de los estudiantes que asisten a las clases son hispanohablantes, la clase está abierta a cualquiera que quiera aprender.
Leticia Makiyama es una madre brasileña de 41 años y, aunque no habla español y su lengua materna es el portugués, sintió la necesidad de aprender inglés después de mudarse a Gainesville para apoyar a su esposo en su doctorado.
“Ha sido muy limitante”, dijo en referencia a vivir en Gainesville sin saber hablar inglés.
Daniela Gray, estudiante de tercer año de estudios internacionales y lenguaje dual de 20 años en la UF, es la coordinadora voluntaria del programa y ha sido voluntaria en la Liga de Mujeres Latinas durante tres semestres. Gray actualmente imparte el curso para principiantes.
“Creo firmemente que cuando vives en algún lugar, es bueno conectarse con la gente, y la mejor manera de conectarse es ayudando”, dijo.
Las clases se llevan a cabo todos los martes y jueves de 6 a 8 p.m. en la Iglesia Comunitaria Creekside. La Latina Women 's League también ofrece otras clases y eventos para la comunidad, como sesiones de narración de cuentos en español para niños, talleres sobre temas de educación para la salud y clases de capacitación sobre el estilo de vida típico estadounidense.
@gabriellach19 gchavez@alligator.org
Back in the classroom: The Latina Women’s League provides English classes for the community
THE CLASSES RANGE FROM BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL, AIMING TO PROVIDE BASIC ENGLISH UNDERSTANDING
By Gabriella Chavez Alligator Staff Writer
Hyxia Grande had always been surrounded by English speakers due to her previous work experiences in human resources, but since moving to Gainesville to study English at UF, she was motivated to fully submerge in the language to have a better chance at labor opportunities.
Grande is one of the many students enrolled in the Latina Women’s League English Immersion program, a program aiming to “provide and gain experience in English conversations, expand your horizons and contribute to the growth of our community,” according to its
website.
“I have lived in many countries, and I have always been able to work for international companies because I knew english,” the 47-year-old student said. “I came here to hopefully clear any doubts that I have.”
On Jan. 21, the league started its Spring term, in which it will be providing English lessons at the beginner and intermediate levels over the course of four months.
Although the league sees new faces every term, the immersion program has been active for over two decades.
“We have been teaching this course for over 20 years,” said Ericka Ghersi, president of the Latina Women's League. “The necessity for courses like these is so big that most of the places that have ever hosted us, like churches or libraries, start their own English class after we leave.”
The current class consists of approximately 15 students, each rang-
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ing in different English capability levels. The lessons mainly focus on grammar, pronunciation and basic conversational skills.
The opportunity of learning a new language at no cost is a relief for many of the students attending the class, according to Ghersi.
“What we strive to do here at the league is to foment the desire to support the community, however we can, for free,” Ghersi said.
Maria Diaz, a 57-year-old student enrolled in the class, said the existence of programs like these is essential, as English is a ‘universal language.’ Being able to attend the lessons for free was an added bonus for her, she said.
“I have always been fond of the English language, and I feel it is important to learn in order to communicate with others,” she said. “Without it, you are somewhat walking in the dark.”
With help from the Latina Women’s League, various students who attend the lessons have mentioned
feeling more comfortable and safe to speak and practice English outside of their homes.
The classes are taught by volunteers, many of them students at UF.
“A lot of my relatives don’t speak English, so in an indirect way I have felt the consequences of not knowing the dominant language in a society,” said Elijah Zarsadias, a 20-year-old UF linguistics and French junior.
The lessons are Spanish-based, followed by the gradual implementation of English. Although most of the students who attend the lessons are Spanish speakers, the class is open to anyone who wants to learn.
Leticia Makiyama is a 41-yearold mother from Brazil, and although she does not speak Spanish and her native language is Portuguese, she felt the need to learn English after moving to Gainesville for her husband’s doctorate degree.
“It has been very limiting,” she said when referring to living in Gainesville without knowing Eng-
lish.
Daniela Gray, a 20-year-old dual languages and international studies junior at UF, is the volunteer coordinator of the program and has been volunteering for the Latina Women’s League for three semesters. Gray currently teaches the beginner level course.
“I am a big believer that when you live somewhere, it’s good to connect with people, and the best way to connect is by helping,” she said.
The classes take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Creekside Community Church. The Latina Women’s League also offers other classes and events for the community, such as children’s Spanish-language storytelling sessions, workshops on health education issues and training classes on the typical American lifestyle.
@gabriellach19 gchavez@alligator.org
Síganos para actualizaciones Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
Coppola
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
Volunteers Daniela Gray, Elijah Zarsadias, Nicole Lunsford and Isabella Castro teach English words to describe emotion and feelings on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/sports
TRACK & FIELD
Alida and Jarno Van Daalen: the first family of Florida throwing
THE VAN DAALENS ARE SET TO REWRITE THE RECORD BOOKS FOR FLORIDA IN BOTH DISCUS AND SHOT PUT
By Paul Hof-Mahoney Sports Writer
The Van Daalen family business is throwing discus and shot put.
For siblings Alida and Jarno Van Daalen, it seemed natural to follow in the footsteps of their mother, Olympian and 11-time Dutch national champion Jacqueline Goormachtigh.
Goormachtigh, the owner and head coach of Topflight Throwing Academy in Rotterdam, Netherlands, initially felt reluctant to take on her daughter as an athlete when Alida turned 11, which is around the age at which European athletes typically choose an event to specialize in. Her hesitance was due in part to feeling Alida was too young to train with her group, but also the fear that people would think she was forcing
BASEBALL
her daughter into the sport.
“I needed to beg her to be my coach,” Alida Van Daalen said. “She did not want to coach me because she knew that people would be saying, ‘Oh, she forced her daughter to be a thrower.’ And she was like, ‘I don't want none of that, she needs to do another sport.’”
Eventually, Goormachtigh gave in. Under her mother’s tutelage, Alida Van Daalen quickly began making waves in the European youth (under-18) and junior (under-20) scenes.
In 2019, a year in which she swept the Dutch youth titles and won the European junior discus championship at only 17 years old, she caught the attention of Eric Werskey, who was then the throws coach at the University of Iowa. Unfortunately for Werskey, who took the post of throws coach at UF in the summer of 2021, the interest was not reciprocated.
“It was a solid three-and-a-half year stint where it was like, ‘No thanks, no thanks, no thanks,’” he said. “I was sending direct messages on Instagram, and she wasn’t ready
then, but a few years later and in a better situation, she was ready at that point.”
Werksey’s persistence proved
effective Fall 2022. After a series of phone calls with Alida Van Daalen and her mother, he convinced her to commit to Florida.
Following a sibling’s footsteps While Alida Van Daalen was putting together a historic first two years as a Gator in 2023 and 2024, Jarno Van Daalen, who is four years younger, was starting to come into his own back home.
The restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic meant Goormachtigh’s athletes had to come to the family’s home for training sessions. Jarno’s experience seeing these practices up close and personal ignited a spark in him that eventually led to his fulltime commitment to throwing.
“I always saw the athletes of hers train,” Jarno Van Daalen said. “So then I was intrigued to also want to come train with her more.”
Jarno Van Daalen’s first few years of dedicated training paid off after an international breakout in 2024, culminating with a victory at the World Junior Championships in the shot put in Lima, Peru.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/sports.
@phofmahoney phof-Mahoney@alligator.org
Two season-ending injuries and one comeback campaign later, Florida pitcher Pierce Coppola set to shine
THE REDSHIRT JUNIOR LOOKS TO BE A KEY CONTRIBUTOR ONCE MORE IN THE GATORS’ PITCHING ROTATION
By Jack Meyer Sports Writer
Just over two years ago, Florida pitcher Pierce Coppola sat in his parked car sobbing. The then-sophomore left-hander had just found out he sustained his second seasonending injury in a row. This time, months before he could officially take the mound in the 2023 season.
“Our athletic trainer told me at practice, and I was like ‘Damn, again,’” Coppola said. “In my tears, in my car, I was like, ‘This is not fair. I literally just got over the injury, something that took a toll on my life for like seven months.’”
Even in the face of a misfortune that has ended countless careers before his, Coppola continued to fight on. It took multiple surgeries, repeated tiresome bouts of injury rehab and over two years of recovery in total, but Coppola finally heard
his name called at Condron Ballpark once more on April 13.
Coppola’s journey back from recurring leg and back injuries was anything but smooth. The Verona, New Jersey, native finished the 2024 campaign with an 8.75 ERA and a 1-4 record as he struggled to find his rhythm after spending two years away from the mound.
He eventually started to get his groove back as the Gators flipped the script on their season. Florida went from being one of the final teams to earn an NCAA Tournament berth to making an appearance in the 2024 College World Series semifinals.
Coppola took to the mound twice in UF’s postseason run, appearing as Florida’s starting pitcher in a pair of wins over Nebraska in the Stillwater Regional and Kentucky in the College World Series.
With their 2025 season opener now less than a month away, the Gators will look to make a run back to Omaha and find new key contributors to step up along the way.
Coppola, who became Florida’s goto Sunday starter upon his return last Spring, now has a prime opportunity to become the ace arm that analysts and fans alike believed he could be
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upon his arrival in Gainesville three years ago.
When asked about his own goals for the upcoming campaign, however, Coppola kept his main objective relatively simple.
“I’m just trying to pitch a whole season,” he said. “I’m just trying to get through one season as a Florida Gator and try to pay my dues. That’s something I’ve been waiting to do for a while.”
Early uphill battle
Starting his freshman season with the Gators, Coppola was ranked as the No. 9 left-handed pitching prospect and No. 50 overall recruit in the country, per PerfectGame. The young left-hander was slated to make an immediate impact in his first season at UF, having earned the Sunday starting slot in Florida’s first series of the year against Liberty.
Coppola made the most of his debut outing, throwing five innings while finishing with a line of five hits, two walks, two runs and seven strikeouts. What initially looked to be a promising start would turn into his last outing on the mound for two whole years. Soon after his first start,
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Coppola faced struggles with recurring back pain that finally caught up to him and forced him to get surgery.
“I didn’t want to get back surgery,” Coppola said. “You sign a waiver that [says] you could be paralyzed coming out of this. It was a scary moment for me. … But at the end of the day, it was something that I needed to do to be able to play again.”
Following a lengthy rehab process keeping him sidelined for the remainder of the 2022 campaign, Coppola was set to return and take back his spot in Florida’s rotation in 2023. Late in the subsequent offseason, however, Coppola sustained another long-term injury that effectively ended his year before it could truly begin.
Sidelined for another season
During Florida’s Fall Orange & Blue Series, Coppola felt a sharp pain in his shoulder after three innings on the mound. In the subsequent days, Coppola’s condition dramatically worsened to the point where he couldn’t throw hard pitches.
Coppola returned to UF’s medical staff, who gave him an instant verdict this time: There would be
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in 2025
no physical therapy or remedies that could hasten his recovery. He would have to spend a second consecutive season tucked away in the dugout. Nagging ailments like these have prompted athletes from all levels of professionalism and all sports to throw in the towel and call it a career. But Coppola refused to let these early roadblocks define the rest of his tenure as a Florida Gator.
“Baseball has always been my life, and I always know that I’m going to have a future in it,” he said. “In my head, I just think of it as like I got my injury bug early in my career here.”
While Coppola endured his share of mental struggles and inner turbulence, it never reflected in his clubhouse interactions. Florida pitching coach David Kopp, who arrived in Gainesville the same summer as Coppola, noted how the New Jersey native always had a smile on his face even as he went through his darkest days.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/sports.
@jackmeyerUF jmeyer@alligator.org
For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.
Courtesy to The Alligator Jarno and Alida Van Daalen are set to take back to the field together for Florida’s track and field team next season.
