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MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 21 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

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Student Government hosts its first UF Gator Gala SG HOPES TO MAKE THE FORMAL EVENT A NEW UF TRADITION

By Maia Botek Alligator Staff Writer

Lillian Lawson // Alligator Contributing Photographer

Students play a game of poker at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 28. The event was the inaugural Gator Gala, a get-together for students with games, food and a dance floor.

Cynthia Chestnut, Matt Howland continue their work in the electoral process CHESTNUT PREPARES FOR HER NEW POSITION WHILE HOWLAND RETURNS TO A GRADUATE PROGRAM

By Melanie Peña Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville voted in its new city commissioner Jan. 25, ending five months of special elections, campaigning and run-offs.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Basketball team manager doubles as Story finish with comma, playerdescription barber pg# Ju-Ray Kuo gives out cuts and conversations. Read more on pg. 12.

In the days following the election, commissioner-elect Cynthia Moore Chestnut prepared for her position as city commissioner at-large seat B. Opposing candidate Matt Howland will be returning to his studies, flying between Gainesville and his classes at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The two candidates’ showdown began in November

after Gail Johnson resigned from the seat. They ran against three other candidates during the first special election, but no one received more than 50% of the vote, resulting in a run-off election.

Chestnut and Howland were the only candidates from the initial special election who progressed to the runoff. Tuesday night, Howland conceded once he was told there

weren’t enough votes for him to win. Chestnut won by 244 votes.

The Alachua County elections office was buzzing with excitement the night of the election. Three precincts had to drive in their memory cards due to loading issues, and one precinct had a power issue at the end of the night, Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim A. Barton said.

Gainesville's Colombian community celebrates its own "Encanto" UF students, alum appreciate the Latin American representation, pg. 7

Student Government parties announced executive tickets Gator Party, Communisty Party chose their candidates, pg. 5

SEE ELECTION, PAGE 4

UF Student Government is trying to establish a new UF tradition: a college prom night.

SG and Gator Nights partnered to host the inaugural Gator Gala Friday evening at the Reitz Union.

The free event was open to all UF students from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom with live music, poker tables and raffles for free items, including a UF basketball jersey worth $109.99.

A public records request filed with UF’s Public Records Request Center on Jan. 25 and Jan. 28 for the event’s cost were not returned in time for publication.

Filling up with about 400 students by 9 p.m., students danced with friends on an LED floor as pop music curated by the event’s DJ blasted through the ballroom speakers. Some wore sequined gowns and suits while others opted for sweatpants and T-shirts. Less than half of the students wore masks.

UF’s Classic Fare Catering supplied a buffet of spinach dip, cookies and pretzel bites.

Deepak Kashyap, a 25-yearold UF master’s student, found out about the event through friends who had seen Instagram posts about the Gator Gala. The Poker and Blackjack tables with free betting chips were the most appealing activity, but the food could have been better, he said.

“I think it's like adult fun time,” Kashyap said. “I think

SEE GALA, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

Santa Fe’s Blount Hall nears completion, looks Today’s Weather to expand the college’s downtown presence CONSTRUCTION WILL BE FINISHED BY THE END OF THE SPRING, AND STUDENTS AND FACULTY WILL BEGIN MOVING IN FOR THE SUMMER TERM

By Lily Kino Alligator Staff Writer

After one and a half years of construction, Santa Fe will open the doors of its campus expansion into downtown Gainesville by the end of the semester.

Construction of the 87,366 square-foot educational center is expected to be finished by the end of the Spring semester, and Santa Fe College plans to open the threestory building to students and faculty soon after, said Steve Doll, project manager with Parrish McCall Constructors LLC. The Charles L. Blount Center previously served as the college’s outreach and educational facility in downtown Gainesville. The new $36.5 million dollar Blount Hall has the same location benefits but will expand its services by turning the center into a campus, offering everything a college student needs from their first day of classes until graduation, according to the college’s website.

Parish McCall Constructors is waiting on the last of the necessary audio and visual equipment to finalize classrooms in the educational center, he said. The delivery of these finishing touches has been delayed because of COVID19-related supply issues.

“All of the classes are set up to where they can be broadcasted for online schooling,” Doll said.

The new facility is designed to be environmentally friendly and

is on track to achieve the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for sustainability and resource efficiency, he said.

LEED certification considers factors like the ratio of natural lighting to artificial lighting in the building, the reflectivity of the roof, the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system and the amount of waste that leaves the site, Doll said.

The facility in Gainesville will provide a state-of-the-art, ecofriendly learning environment for students and faculty. But its downtown presence will offer even more, SF spokesperson Jay Anderson said.

“This is really establishing in the heart of Gainesville a presence here that, again, will be a convenient location for people to get to,” Anderson said.

Students will be able to travel to their classes at the downtown campus with ease — something that was not always the case at SFC’s northwest campus.

“I’m most excited for just having somewhere more in the middle of Gainesville and having a place that I can go to study closer to where I live,” wrote Emma Meskunas, an 18-year-old SFC business student, in an email.

Blount Hall will also offer various student services including admissions, financial aid, academic advising and library spaces, Anderson said.

The building will roughly double the business incubation space previously at the Blount Center for SFC’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED).

It will also serve as a convenient location for students to complete

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 21

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their degree and certificate programs in business and information technology and offer full A.A. degrees for students looking to transfer, Anderson said.

SFC’s Business Incubation Program supports start-up companies by equipping entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow their business, according to the SFC website.

Terri Bailey launched her nonprofit Bailey Learning and Arts Collective — a community outreach and education organization — with the help of SFC’s CIED program. “[CIED] gave me the space and the support needed to make those dreams become a reality,” Bailey said.

Her collective hosts film screenings, selfcare and activism workshops and arts events.

“With [Blount Hall] being located close to UF’s innovation hub and the innovation district, I hope that it will bring more traffic into the SFC CIED and that people will see it as not only a viable option but recognize it as the first stop on the entrepreneurial journey,” Bailey wrote. @lily_kino lkino@alligator.org

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A cyclist passes by the new Santa Fe College Blount Hall building in downtown Gainesville on Friday, Jan. 28. It's located on the northeast corner of Southwest Sixth Street and West University Avenue.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 ALLIGATOR 3

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO QUIT! Smoking can cause a higher risk of getting lung and chest infections, and using e-cigarettes can increase your odds of developing respiratory disease by 95%.

Tobacco Free Florida offers in-person or virtual Group Quit sessions for all Florida residents. Upon class completion, participants are eligible to receive free nicotine replacement therapy such as gum, patches, or lozenges.* Start the year off right and make a plan to quit all forms of tobacco.

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

Chestnut will begin her term Feb. 17 ELECTION, from pg. 1

“Every night, every election, we're always on pins and needles waiting on results to come in,” Barton said. “It’s always exciting but it's always a wait game.

We've got to focus on the 2022 election and redistricting, of course. We've got to now turn our hearts towards that.”

To prepare for her term, Chestnut plans to attend City Commission meetings as a member of the public before her swearing-in ceremony Feb.

17. She will meet with city staff to be brought up to speed on current issues the commission is discussing, she said.

“I want to have a good understanding of the infrastructure monies and how they can be used and to look at ways that we can help our citizens,” she said.

She attended her first City Commission meeting as a commissioner-elect on Thursday.

UF political science and sustainability major Anton Kernohan was a member of

Chestnut’s Three years old interned the Alachua Party.

campaign staff. ago, the 22-yearwith Chestnut and County Democratic

“I didn't know if I wanted to dive into politics or not but it was under her leadership … that I realized this is what I wanted to do,” Kernohan said.

When Chestnut won the election, Kernohan was happy for her.

“I've worked on a lot of different campaigns before and

some of them win, some of them have lost,” Kernohan said.

“But seeing her win and seeing somebody that's been a mentor for me, it was actually a really heartwarming experience.”

Chestnut hopes to continue her efforts toward the initiatives and issues she discussed during her campaign.

“I'm going to be busy working with the community on voter education, educating the community on issues that the commission is dealing with and trying to get people more involved in the electoral process,” she said.

Howland will also continue

Reagan Knight // Alligator Contributing Photographer

City Commissioner-elect Cynthia Chestnut (center) stands with Gainesville NAACP President Evelyn Foxx (left) and School Board member Tina Certain (right) at her election watch party at Cypress and Grove Brewing Company on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

his work on elections. However, this time he’ll be conducting electoral research rather than campaigning.

He plans to resume his studies in a political communications research program in Washington D.C. “I actually research misinformation and disinformation and its effect on voters,” he said. “The interesting thing is I might be able to use data from my campaign in my studies as well, which is pretty cool.”

Howland is thankful for his time as a City Commission candidate and feels the challenges thrown at him during the race only made him more resilient and patient.

“My mother passed away three weeks before the election,” he said. “One of my best friends passed away two weeks before the election. It was really difficult down the stretch but I definitely grew throughout the process.”

He’s now making it a goal to help further the careers of those that helped him on his campaign.

“My first priority is to find opportunities for all the incredible people that worked on my campaign that want to go on to work on other campaigns,” he said.

Claudia Tio-Cartagena, Howland’s 23-year-old campaign manager, is now working with District 3 Congressional candidate Danielle Hawk.

She’s proud of the work Howland’s team accomplished and hopes to continue organizing campaigns.

“I think we ran a really positive campaign — we ran a grassroots campaign,” she said.

“We knocked on almost 8,000 doors all over Gainesville.” @MelanieBombino_ mpena@alligator.org

About 400 students attended the free event GALA, from pg. 1

there was a little more hype surrounding this event since there was [a] casino and stuff.”

Gator Nights and SG contracted with Everything But the Mime, Inc. for the poker tables, 3-D photo booth and other attractions in the ballroom, said Drew Baker, the UF assistant director of campus traditions.

One floor up, the Rion Ballroom hosted a Gator Gala exclusively for juniors from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The juniors’ hour was meant to unify the class, celebrate accomplishments and empower students for senior year — especially after the pandemic, Junior Class President Blake Robinson said.

Bringing students together was a main motivation behind SG’s Class Councils’ choice to host the gala in general, said Senior Class President Jacob Van De Car. “The best way to describe it is like college prom,” he said. “Our mission is

to increase class identity and also boost alumni participation rate.”

The gala represented a redemption for some students who missed their high school prom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some students like Rebecca Herschberg, a 20-year-old UF second-year criminology major, said her high school didn’t offer an event like this.

“High school didn’t have prom,” she said. “It’s just something random and different to do for a Friday night.”

The Gator Gala has been in the works since the middle of the Fall semester, as the project required Class Councils members Van De Car and Robinson to work alongside each other to organize the gala, which included securing a venue, food and marketing.

“In 30 years, I want Gator Gala to still be a thing,” Van De Car said. “It's really cool to have the opportunity to start something like this and put that in motion.” @BotekMaia mbotek@alligator.org

Lillian Lawson // Alligator Contributing Photographer

A group of students play poker at the inaugural Gator Gala in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 28.

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 ALLIGATOR 5

Pedestrian deaths spook Gainesville’s cyclists who want safer streets A SPORT AND EXERCISE FOR SOME, A LEISURE ACTIVITY FOR OTHERS, YET THE DANGERS REMAIN THE SAME

By Troy Myers Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville cyclists are ready for long-awaited changes to keep them safe on the roads.

The Gainesville City Commission approved a speed reduction plan on Jan. 20 to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists around the city. The commissioners looked at studies of different traffic safety in other cities and found that speed was the number one determinant when it comes to fatalities and injuries.

The plan would include reducing speed limits to 30 mph on city roads, not including University Avenue, 34th Street and 13th Street, and to 20 mph on neighborhood streets to combat cyclists’ deaths and encourage safer driving. However, some cyclists believe the changes won’t make a difference.

Fatalities of cyclists involved in crashes have increased in Alachua County since 2019. There were zero reported bicycle fatalities on the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ website in 2019, two in 2020 and four in 2021.

Eliot Spector has been hit by cars multiple times since he began cycling with Team Florida Cycling more than a year ago.

He believes the issue goes beyond just reducing drivers’ speeds.

The 25-year-old UF health outcomes and biomedical infor-

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

matics graduate student’s worst experience was biking past Rawlings Hall. An oncoming car turning left caused him to collide with the curb and launch off his bike.

“I’ve seen this happen to multiple friends over and over, and immediately when it happened, the driver started yelling at me,” Spector said. “It’s very frustrating as a cyclist when it happens obviously because you know that they’re in the wrong but, they’re somehow still blaming you.”

One of the most recurring collisions and close calls for cyclists is when a car making a right turn doesn’t check the bike lane and cuts the rider off.

“This just happens a lot,” Spector said. “It’s almost completely predictable.”

Spector and his friends expect the worst when riding and have a constant feeling of danger, especially on University Avenue, 34th Street and Archer Road, which are not safe for bikes.

“If you actually need to bike to commute, you have to either intersect or go directly on roads with dangerous bicycle infrastructure,”Spector said.

City Commissioner David Arreola said reducing speed limits citywide has sparked a large public debate with support and opposition to the plan. Arreola views the discussion as a question of justice.

“Are we going to prioritize people’s convenience behind the wheel to go faster speeds?” Arreola said. “Or are we going to say: ‘Enough is enough?’”

He argued the inconvenience of lower speeds is incomparable to the safety and lives of pedestrians and cyclists but encourages an ongoing debate until the speeds are lowered.

This is not the final solution, though, Arreola said.

“I believe that it is time for Gainesville to invest in a bike roadway infrastructure so that people can ride their bikes throughout the city to get where they need to go,” Arreola said.

The new speed reduction plan will not affect roadways maintained by state, county or federal governments — meaning University Avenue, 34th Street and 13th Street speed limits will remain the same.

Pegeen Hanrahan was Gainesville mayor from 2004-2010 and a city commissioner from 1996-2002. She rode her bike to work every day during her time in politics.

Although the speed tables on University Avenue were a step in the right direction, Hanrahan said this is a temporary fix.

A major road project or reconfiguration is a complex process that could take 15 to 20 years, involving multiple levels of government to achieve, Hanrahan said.

Hanrahan said some of the issues go beyond the road’s design.

A large portion of Gainesville’s population is students. The

young, inexperienced drivers don’t fully understand how vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists are, Hanrahan said.

“People send their children here thinking they’ll be safe,” Hanrahan said. “Sometimes they’re not. It’s heartbreaking.”

University Avenue poses an issue for everyone, not just cyclists. Nearly a year ago, two students lost their lives within less than a month of each other, Maggie Paxton, Dec. 9, and Sophia Lambert, Jan. 16. Recently, Sabrina Obando was hit by a pickup truck and killed trying to cross Northwest Eighth Avenue.

Andrew Millford, a 35-year-old UF student pursuing a doctorate degree in education, works in UF Student Government’s Bike Repair shop in the J. Wayne Reitz Union building. He said roughly once a month a student comes to the shop for repairs who was involved in an accident with a car.

He’s been biking to class for years and relies on cycling for his job at Jimmy John’s, where he’s noticed why some cyclists might feel threatened by drivers, and vice versa.

“They don’t know how to communicate and work with each other with traffic laws,” Millford said. “You’ll need to know rules of the road.”

Although Millford said some places in Gainesville are set up well for cyclists — like one-way streets and dedicated bike roads — he believes the city could use improvements.

At the bike repair shop on campus, Millford meets new cyclists often and offers his own advice.

“I try to tell kids that are not good at biking, haven’t done it in a while or don’t know their bike to just stay off University, stay off 13th, stay off 34th — even though they have those bike lanes,” Millford said. “It’s a deathtrap.”

Spector supports the City Commission’s plan to reduce speeds throughout Gainesville and wants residents to embrace the possibility of a more inclusive city design.

“You step out of your house, and then you have the only place you can really walk is within 10 feet of a 50 mph, two-ton piece of metal,” Spector said. “It’s just absurd.”

It comes down to an argument about humanity and quality of life, Spector argued.

While Spector understands cars are essential for some, he advises other cyclists — and drivers — to view the other through a human perspective, that nobody is intentionally trying to injure or cause a dangerous situation.

Millford and Spector want a more cyclist-friendly city in the future, but Hanrahan said these things would take time, maybe even decades. @Troy_Myers1 tmyers@alligator.org

Gator Party, Communist Party announce executive tickets for Spring 2022 elections Election season began Tuesday evening and parties have until Jan. 27 at noon to register

By Maia Botek Alligator Staff Writer

Two Student Government parties announced their candidates for executive positions three weeks before elections start.

UF students can cast their votes for a new Student Body president, vice president and treasurer Feb. 22 and 23. Students will also choose 50 new senators to take over seats organized by college and credit hours.

All parties running this election must be registered with the Supervisor of Elections by Jan. 27 at noon.

Campaign season officially began Tuesday night.

Within 17 hours, Gator Party announced its executive ticket in the Plaza of the Americas Wednesday morning. Gator Party currently holds the SG executive office and the majority of the UF Senate.

In 50-degree weather, roughly

50 students crowded around a lectern to meet the candidates.

Around 11 a.m., party president Timothy Shin introduced the party’s ticket: Lauren Lemasters for Student Body president, Daniel Badell for vice president and Sierra Kantamneni for treasurer.

“I will be only the ninth woman to serve as Student Body president,” Lemasters said. “It’s been a while, and I do not take lightly the responsibility that comes with this.”

All three candidates currently hold positions in SG offices.

Lemasters serves as the chief of staff to the Student Body president, Badell as the SG transition cabinet chair and Kantamneni as the chief of staff to the Student Body vice president.

Student Body President Cooper Brown looks forward to the candidates’ bid for office, he said. He wants to shift the public’s focus from himself to the

new executive ticket’s leadership and campaign.

The Communist Party, led by President Aron Ali-McClory, also has their executive ticket planned out.

Alfredo Ortiz will run for Student Body president, Izzy Myers for vice president and Anthony “Ant” Conde for treasurer, Ali-McClory wrote in an email.

“Candidates will come from a diverse set of backgrounds, bringing their unique sets of skills to the table to help realize our ambitious platform,” he wrote.

Change Party did not respond to a request for comment in time for the Alligator’s publication.

It is unclear whether other parties will run. The Alligator submitted a request for the list of registered parties once it has been finalized. @BotekMaia mbotek@alligator.org

Maura Schaeffer // Alligator Staff

Lauren Lemasters, Gator Party’s nominee for Student Government president, walks up to the podium outside of Library West at the announcement of the party’s executive ticket on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

Shelter volunteers speak out about the harsh reality at Animal Resources and Care Euthanasia for overcrowding, lack of resources continues

By Namari Lock Alligator Staff Writer

As Animal Resources and Care — formerly known as Alachua County Animal Services — becomes increasingly overpopulated and understaffed, more animals are going into the no-kill shelter than coming out, volunteers said.

Alachua County Animal Resources and Care euthanized 168 animals in 2021, and they could have euthanized 149 more last year and still held their “no-kill” title.

The goal of no-kill shelters is to only euthanize animals who are extremely unhealthy, according to Maddie’s Fund — a nationwide no-kill advocate organization. But that isn’t always the reality.

Shelters are still allowed to euthanize up to 10% of the animals they intake each year. This isn’t a government regulated title but rather an “honor code” that shelters are expected to follow with a 90% live release rate.

Melanie Bracewell, a 44-yearold Gainesville resident, volunteered at ACAS from 2019 to 2020.

“I don’t think people understand that no-kill means that you’re still euthanizing hundreds of dogs a year at the shelter because of the overpopulation problem,” Bracewell said. “I just wish people knew that.”

The shelter euthanized 87 dogs and 81 cats, according to its 2021 report.

The recent canine distemper virus outbreak puts shelter dogs at greater risk of euthanization because those in quarantine are not eligible for adoption. Five dogs have been infected with distemper, according to a Jan. 25 press release.

Solitary Confinement

The shelter has about 110 kennels all in varying conditions.

Some kennels include cots while other dogs sleep on the concrete floor. Three walls of the kennels are concrete, confining dogs to only see those who walk past.

When all the kennels are full, staff puts the remaining dogs into wire crates.

Bracewell compares the concrete kennels to jail cells. The dogs’ mental health takes a toll in this stressful environment, she said.

“It’s almost like solitary confinement for every dog,” Bracewell said. “It’s just a really scary place for them because they’re constantly in a state of agitation and they don’t really get to interact with the other dogs in a positive way.”

Limited staffing at the shelter means workers leave dogs to sit in their own feces, reducing their odds of going for a walk, Bracewell said. Dogs can become aggressive in this type of confinement — a behavior that leads to euthanization.

Dr. Amy Stone, a clinical assistant professor at the UF Small Animal Hospital, wrote in an email that isolation can cause animals to get stressed and may lead to pac-

ing or chewing.

“We don’t really understand all of the behaviors long term that can stem from this stressful time,” Stone wrote. “Some dogs tolerate this just fine. It is going to be dependent upon the dog and the dog’s experience.”

‘Who can help us save these dogs?’

Bracewell’s first email to County Commissioner Anna Prizzia on May 23 was a call for help. She asked officials to investigate the shelter’s conditions. She received no response.

“They don’t even care what the volunteers think at that point,” Bracewell said. “They want the volunteers to help them walk their dogs and clean up and do whatever, but they don’t really want the volunteer input of who can help us save these dogs.”

Animal Resources and Care puts little effort into reaching out to the community for support, she said. There are only adoption events when the shelter is full. It doesn’t promote fostering opportunities and has yet to replace many of those who have quit in the past year — both staff and volunteers.

“At that point they just want everyone just to not say anything and just deal with it while this dog that you’ve fallen in love with months ago is gonna be killed,” Bracewell said.

Bracewell wrote to Prizzia again Jan. 5, asking for regular inspections of the shelter and its leadership. She pointed out that the playgroups — which give the dogs time to interact with each other outside of the kennels — weren’t well executed or maintained.

She again received no response from Prizzia. Her message was forwarded to Ed Williams, the director of Animal Resources and Care Jan. 7. Bracewell found this counterproductive as Williams brushed off her concerns and said playgroups have continued to happen up until the dogs’ quarantine.

He also pointed to Bracewell’s absence from the shelter.

“I just felt like he seemed to be more concerned about how the shelter looked to the commissioners,” Bracewell said.

Bracewell hasn’t volunteered since August after she felt the shelter was only looking for labor rather than caring for the animals’ well-being. The shelter wasn’t putting effort into finding these dogs foster care or forever homes, she said.

On Jan. 11, Prizzia requested a review of the shelter’s standard operating procedures and policies by the board.

Prizzia didn’t respond to The Alligator’s multiple requests for comment by phone and email in time for publication.

Despite Williams’ response to Bracewell’s email, the playgroups have been erratic and disorderly, the volunteer said. Many of the staff who attended the Animal Resources and Care playgroup training in June have since then quit due to various reasons.

“Ed is good at making things sound like progress is happening, but if you dig deeper, you realize it’s all a facade,” she said.

The shelter lacks the proper training on understanding dog behavior, the volunteer said. Not all dogs are guaranteed to be taken out due to limited staff and disorganization.

The shelter has trouble keeping track of which dogs have been walked and which have not because most go unrecorded, she added. Now that dogs are staying at the shelter for months on end without being handled for days, there is a rise in behavior issues.

“There definitely are dogs and cats that are euthanized without letting the public know,” the volunteer said. “There are also dogs that were adoptable one day and then euthanized the next day.”

The volunteer emailed the county commissioners and talked with County Manager Michele Lieberman about her concerns with the shelter and started reaching out more frequently, sending pagelong emails in October, November and December. Emails were left with no response, except for one thanking her for her feedback and hardwork.

“Volunteers and kennel staff were talking as early as mid-November that things at ACAS were the worst we’ve seen in years and yet commissioners seem to ignore our pleas for help,” the volunteer

said.

Williams encourages volunteers with concerns or questions to speak to the volunteer coordinator, a supervisor or himself.

“Things may look a little more disorganized to a volunteer right now then they would normally look because different areas of the shelter are segregated off, having to separate the population,” Williams said.

The shelter tried to transfer more than 40 dogs to partnering rescue groups but did not get a large response. Only one or two dogs were pulled from that group, Williams said.

“We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Williams said.

“We just did another round of testing and we’re beginning to get results back. We just want to make super sure that before we reopen [dog adoptions] that we’re completely clear of all the distemper and any other respiratory things we might have from time to time.”

Cutting ties

In 2019, two nationally awarded animal control experts from Hillsborough County Pet Resources, director Scott Trebatoski and managing director of operations David Morton, conducted an evaluation of the Alachua County shelter. They criticized Ed and made it clear that the shelter was under bad management.

“Ed lacks a clear sense of urgency and drive to get things done now,” the two wrote in their final report. “His staff have little to no respect for him because they feel he lacks follow through and does not drive changes and improvements needed in a visible way.”

The Humane Society of North Central Florida cut ties with Alachua County Animal Services in

2020 after their more than 20-year partnership due to multiple issues with dogs coming out of ACAS. The Humane Society was a place the shelter could transfer animals once ACAS became overcrowded. This was stopped partially because many dogs the Humane Society was pulling from the shelter became sick and endangered other dogs in their program, said Margot DeConna, director of advancement.

The society’s Executive Director Heather Thomas wrote an email to the County Commission requesting an intervention.

“Our coalition has been fighting for years to create a higher standard of care for the animals in our county shelter,” Thomas wrote.

“Our cries have been ignored and the most powerful thing we could do was to stop taking in sick and mentally unwell animals from Alachua County Animal Services.”

The county gave no direct response. Today, the two organizations’ interactions are minimal, but they still lead to concerns.

Animal Resources and Care’s report in 2021 referenced that 21 animals had been transferred to the Humane Society. However, DeConna said they only received seven.

“We have pulled reports before that have been incorrect,” DeConna said.

The shelter is hoping to open up for dog adoptions the second week of February at the latest.

Despite the public’s concern, the Alachua County shelter’s 2021 report claims it killed zero healthy animals. Until an intervention proves otherwise, the shelter’s record remains clean. @namari_l nlock@alligator.org

‘Adoptable one day, euthanized the next day’

A current volunteer, who has worked there over five years, requested to be anonymous — fearing Williams would kick her out of the shelter.

The Animal Resources and Care building is seen on Friday, Jan. 28.

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

MOVIES

Gainesville’s Colombian community celebrates its own “Encanto” UF ALUM AND CURRENT STUDENTS SPEAK ON REPRESENTATION IN THE DISNEY FILM

By Jared Teitel Avenue Staff Writer

As “Encanto” spotlights the vibrance of Colombian culture on the big screen, the Gainesville Colombian community celebrates its own magic.

The 2021 Disney film tells the story of the magical Madrigal family who resides in the mountainside of Casita, Colombia. When the Madrigals lose their powers, the only family member without magic, Mirabel, makes it her mission to save her family.

“Encanto” is Disney’s first musical to represent the Colombian community. The musical’s soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda reached No. 1 Jan. 15 on Billboard 200. The film’s discussion of immigrant family dynamics reached Gainesville, warming the hearts of local Colombians.

For one Gainesville restaurateur, expressing her Colombian culture through her craft has been her lifelong mission.

Sara Puyana lived in Colombia until she was 3 years old, when her family migrated to the Miami area to seek refuge after her father’s jewelry store was robbed four times. Aside from growing up in a Hispanic family, her frequent trips to Chico’s restaurant in Hialeah, fueled her passion for Latin cuisine.

Puyana moved to Gainesville to attend UF in Summer 2000 and brought the food she grew up eating to a place that was missing it.

The 40-year-old entrepreneur continues to leave her mark on the community with her two restaurants — Flaco’s and La Cocina de Abuela.

Inspired by her godparents and Miami’s Cuban culture, Puyana opened Flaco’s Cuban Bakery in 2006. She opened La Cocina de Abuela, a Colombian eatery, in 2018.

Puyana’s representation of central Colombia is evident in her

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bandeja paisa. The dish is traditionally served with steak, chorizo, pork belly, rice with a fried egg, red beans, avocado slices and a white arepa.

In sharing her thoughts on “Encanto,” Puyana laments her appreciation of lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda’s focus on mental health and the hard-working nature of the Colombian community.

“It touched my heart so much,” she said. “He does such a good job of showing how we really value ourselves.”

UF also captures a portion of Gainesville’s Colombian population through its student organizations.

When Isabella Montoya, a 22-year-old UF information systems senior, moved to UF, she felt culture-shocked after growing up in a city that lacked Latin representation.

“It was crazy to see … how big the Colombian community was,” she said about UF. “It really helped me get back into listening to more Colombian music, Spanish music,

Esha Nair // Alligator Staff

Marta Puyana, namesake of La Cocina de Abuela, hugs her three grandchildren (left to right) Otis Puyana Darnell, 6, Valentina Peña Rey, 5, and Lucielena Puyana Darnell, 4, at La Cocina de Abuela on Friday, Jan. 21. celebrating traditions and holidays that we have.”

After seeing “Encanto,” Montoya gushes over the justice she felt it served her community. As a fan of Latin music, she was quick to catch the film’s use of Colombian music styles.

“It’s really inspiring and nice to see Colombia in a really positive light,” she said. “It was just really nice seeing representation in the film industry.” @jaredteitel jteitel@alligator.org

After six years and two surgeries, Garrett Milchin is still living the dream UF baseball’s oldest player has seen it all, pg. 11

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El Caimán

LUNES, 31 DE ENERO DE 2022 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Cynthia Chestnut y Matt Howland continúan con su labor en el proceso electoral CHESTNUT SE PREPARA PARA SU NUEVO CARGO COMO COMISIONADA DE LA CIUDAD MIENTRAS HOWLAND REGRESA A UN PROGRAMA DE POSGRADO

Por Melanie Peña Escritora del Caimán

Traducido por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

Gainesville votó por su nuevo comisionado de la ciudad el 25 de enero, finalizando cinco meses de elecciones especiales, campañas y segundas vueltas.

En los días posteriores a la elección, la comisionada electa, Cynthia Moore Chestnut se preparó para su puesto como comisionada general de la ciudad en el asiento B. El candidato opositor Matt Howland regresará a sus estudios, viajará entre Gainesville y sus clases en la Universidad George Washington en Washington, D.C. El enfrentamiento de los dos candidatos comenzó en noviembre después de que Gail Johnson renunciara al puesto. Se enfrentaron a otros tres candidatos durante esta primera elección especial, pero ninguno recibió más del 50% de los votos, lo que resultó en la necesidad de una segunda vuelta de elecciones.

Chestnut y Howland fueron los únicos candidatos de la elección especial inicial que avanzaron a la segunda vuelta. El martes por

la noche, Howland concedió una vez que le dijeron que no había suficientes votos para su triunfo. Chestnut ganó por 244 votos.

La oficina electoral del condado de Alachua bullía de entusiasmo la noche de las elecciones.

Tres precintos tuvieron que traer sus tarjetas de memoria debido a problemas electrónicos, y un precinto tuvo un problema de energía al final de la noche, dijo el supervisor electoral del condado de Alachua, Kim A. Barton.

“Todas las noches, cada elección, siempre estamos ansiosos esperando que lleguen los resultados. Siempre es emocionante, pero siempre es un juego de espera”, Barton dijo.

“Tenemos que centrarnos en las elecciones de 2022 y en la redistribución de distritos, por supuesto. Ahora tenemos que volver nuestros corazones entorno a eso”.

Para prepararse para su mandato, Chestnut planea asistir a las reuniones de la Comisión de la Ciudad como miembro del público antes de su ceremonia de juramentación el 17 de febrero. Se reunirá con el personal de la ciudad para ponerse al día con los temas actuales que la comisión está discutiendo, dijo.

“Quiero tener una buena comprensión de los fondos de infraestructura y cómo se pueden utilizar y ver maneras en las que podemos ayudar a nuestros ciudadanos”, dijo.

Ella asistió a su primera reunión de la comisión de la ciudad como comisionada electa el jueves.

El estudiante de ciencias políticas y sustentabilidad de la Universidad de la Florida, Anton Kernohan, fue miembro del personal de campaña de Chestnut. Hace tres años, el joven de 22 años hizo una pasantía con Chestnut y el Partido Demócrata del Condado de Alachua.

“No sabía si quería sumergirme en la política o no, pero fue bajo su liderazgo… que me di cuenta de que esto era lo que quería hacer”, dijo Kernohan.

Cuando Chestnut ganó las elecciones, Kernohan se alegró por ella.

“He trabajado en muchas campañas diferentes antes y algunas de ellas ganan, otras han perdido, pero verla ganar y ver a alguien que ha sido una consejera para mí, en realidad fue una experiencia realmente conmovedora”, Kernohan dijo.

Chestnut espera continuar sus esfuerzos hacia las iniciativas y los temas que discutió durante su campaña.

“Estaré ocupada trabajando con la comunidad con respecto a la educación de los votantes, educando a la comunidad sobre los temas que la comisión está tratando actualmente y tratando de involucrar más a la gente en el proceso electoral”, dijo.

Howland también continuará su trabajo con las elecciones; sin embargo, esta vez realizará investigaciones electorales en lugar de hacer campañas. Él planea retomar sus estudios en un programa de investigación de comunicación política en Washington D.C. “De hecho, yo investigo la información errónea y la desinformación y su efecto en

los votantes”, dijo. “Lo interesante es que también podría usar datos de mi campaña en mis estudios, lo cual es genial”.

Howland está agradecido por su tiempo como candidato a la comisión de la ciudad y siente que los desafíos que se le presentaron durante la carrera solo lo hicieron más resistente y paciente como persona.

“Mi madre falleció tres semanas antes de las elecciones. Uno de mis mejores amigos falleció dos semanas antes de las elecciones.

Fue realmente difícil en la recta final, pero definitivamente crecí a lo largo del proceso”, dijo.

Ahora tiene como objetivo ayudar a promover las carreras de aquellos que lo ayudaron en su campaña.

“Mi primera prioridad es encontrar oportunidades para todas las personas increíbles que trabajaron en mi campaña y que quieran seguir trabajando en otras campañas”, dijo.

Claudia Tio-Cartagena, la directora de campaña de Howland de 23 años, ahora está trabajando con la candidata al Congreso del Distrito 3, Danielle Hawk.

Está orgullosa del trabajo que realizó el equipo de Howland y espera continuar organizando campañas.

“Creo que realizamos una campaña realmente positiva-realizamos una campaña de base. Tocamos casi 8.000 puertas en todo Gainesville”, dijo. @MelanieBombino_ mpena@alligator.org

El Blount Hall de Santa Fe está a punto de ser completado, la universidad busca expandir su presencia al centro de la ciudad LA CONSTRUCCIÓN SERÁ COMPLETADA A FINALES DE ESTA PRIMAVERA Y LOS ESTUDIANTES Y PROFESORES SE MUDARÁN PARA EMPEZAR EL SEMESTRE DEL VERANO

Por Lily Kino Escritora del Caimán

Traducido por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

Después de un año y medio de construcción, Santa Fe abrirá las puertas de su expansión del campus en el centro de Gainesville para fines de semestre.

Se espera que la construcción del centro educativo de 87,366 pies cuadrados esté terminada para fines del semestre de la primavera, y el colegio Santa Fe planea abrir su edificio de tres pisos a los estudiantes y profesores poco después, Steve Doll, gerente de proyectos de Parrish Mc-

Call. Constructores LLC dijo.

El Centro Charles L. Blount sirvió anteriormente como centro educativo y de divulgación de la universidad en el centro de Gainesville. El nuevo Blount Hall de $36,5 millones de dólares tiene los mismos beneficios de ubicación pero expandirá sus servicios al convertir el centro en un campus, ofreciendo todo lo que un estudiante universitario necesita desde su primer día de clases hasta su graduación, según el sitio web de la universidad.

Parish McCall Constructors está esperando los últimos equipos de audio y visual necesarios para finalizar las aulas en el centro educativo, dijo. La entrega de estos toques ha sido atrasado debido a problemas de suministro relacionados con el COVID-19.

“Todas las clases están configuradas para que puedan transmitirse en línea también”, Doll dijo.

La nueva instalación está diseñada para ser respetuosa del medio ambiente y está en camino a lograr

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la certificación LEED (Liderazgo en Energía y Diseño Ambiental) Plata del U.S. Green Building Council por su sostenibilidad y eficiencia de recursos, dijo.

La certificación LEED considera factores como la proporción de iluminación natural e iluminación artificial en el edificio, la reflectividad del techo, la eficiencia energética del sistema de aire acondicionado y la cantidad de desechos que salen del sitio, Doll dijo.

La instalación en Gainesville proporcionará un entorno de aprendizaje ecológico y de última generación para los estudiantes y profesores.

Pero su presencia en el centro de la ciudad ofrecerá aún más, dijo el portavoz de Santa Fe, Jay Anderson.

“Esto realmente está estableciendo una presencia aquí en el corazón de Gainesville que, una vez más, será un locación mas conveniente para la gente”, Anderson dijo.

Los estudiantes podrán llegar a sus clases en el campus del centro con facilidad, algo que no siempre

fue el caso en el campus del noroeste de SF. Emma Meskunas, una estudiante de negocios de SF de 18 años, escribió en un correo electrónico: “Estoy muy emocionada por tener un lugar más en el medio de Gainesville y tener un lugar al que pueda ir a estudiar más cerca de mi casa”.

Blount Hall también ofrecerá varios servicios para los estudiantes, incluidos los servicios de admisiones, de ayuda financiera, de asesoramiento académico y espacios de biblioteca, Anderson dijo.

El edificio duplicará aproximadamente el espacio de incubación de empresas que hubo anteriormente en el Centro Blount de Innovación y Desarrollo Económico (CIED) de SF. También servirá como un lugar conveniente para que los estudiantes completen sus programas de grado y certificado en negocios y tecnología de la información y ofrezcan servicios completos de A.A. grados para estudiantes que buscan transferirse, según Anderson.

Luego de seis años y dos cirugías, Garret Milchin todavía está viviendo el sueño El jugador de béisbol más viejo de UF lo ha visto todo, pg. 11

El Programa de incubación de empresas de SF apoya a las empresas emergentes equipando a los empresarios con las herramientas necesarias para hacer crecer su negocio, según el sitio web de Santa Fe. Terri Bailey lanzó su Bailey Learning and Arts Collective sin fines de lucro, una organización de educación y alcance comunitario, con la ayuda del programa CIED de SF. “[CIED] me ofreció el espacio y el apoyo necesario para hacer realidad esos sueños”, dijo Bailey.

Su colectivo organiza proyecciones de películas, talleres de autocuidado y activismo y eventos artísticos.

“Con Blount Hall ubicado cerca del centro de innovación de UF y el distrito de innovación, espero que traiga más tráfico al SF CIED y que la gente lo vea no solo como una opción viable, sino que lo reconozca como la primera parada en el viaje empresarial”, escribió Bailey.

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

ikino@alligator.org @Lily_kino

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MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

BASEBALL

After six years, two surgeries, Garrett Milchin is still living the dream MEET THE OLDEST MEMBER OF FLORIDA BASEBALL’S EXTREMELY YOUNG ROSTER

By Ethan Budowsky Sports Writer

A lot has happened at UF since the Fall of 2016.

Florida football has had three head coaches, construction on Florida Ballpark started and finished, and UF teams have won seven combined national championships.

Only one member of Florida’s baseball team, Garrett Milchin, has seen it all, including the program’s lone national title his freshman year.

“It’s not like holy cow this is easy,” Milchin said. “But you kinda become spoiled at first.”

Milchin, 24, who is in his sixth year as a Gator and can opt for a seventh due to COVID-19 eligibility rules, is now a graduate student at UF after earning a bachelor’s in economics in 2019.

His career started on the highest of highs, but it has not been easy since.

Milchin has had Tommy John surgery twice since he arrived on campus to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. The recovery period is usually a year at minimum and any pitcher that undergoes it faces a crossroads in their career when they do.

“There’s a lot of hard days in the training room,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It’s hard enough coming back from one Tommy John and now he’s coming back from two.”

What Milchin has done in his career is highly uncommon. Out of more than 500 MLB players to receive the surgery since 1974, only 49 of them have had it more than once. The recovery is one of the most difficult in sports

— certainly more difficult than an ACL recovery — and presents an enormous challenge to a pitcher’s career.

Milchin made it back for 2021 after three years away from the mound due to the surgeries and the COVID-19 pandemic cutting the 2020 season short. He made six starts last year, all in midweek games, and posted a 4.98 ERA in 21.2 innings while striking out 20 and walking three.

Now, he returns as the oldest player on the roster to try and lead the Gators back to the promised land. Florida has an extremely young roster in 2022, and Milchin is the only player listed as older than a junior.

Milchin said his experience is a huge help in guiding the younger players, especially at the beginning of a season.

“I just kinda know what to expect at this point from this time of year, getting started with practice and opening day, you’ve been through it before,” Milchin said.

He said while he can guide underclassmen, he does not want to get in the way too much.

“It’s not about telling everybody what to do,” Milchin said. “It’s kind of just helping them learn through experience on their own and if they have questions make them feel like they can come to you.”

O’Sullivan said that Milchin leads by example and is a key member of the team’s leadership group. His head coach had extremely high praise for his character, calling him a favorite on the team.

“He exemplifies everything that we want in this program,” O’Sullivan said. “I hope that he has a great year for us — I really do.”

Milchin is part of a group of holdovers from 2021 looking to respond to a disappointing season. Florida came into the season as the consensus top team in the country, but crashed and burned in the Gainesville Region-

al. He said those high expectations created some complacency heading into the season.

“I think somebody called us ‘the best college baseball team ever assembled,’” Milchin said. “Which obviously you hear that and you wanna let your guard down which you really can’t do in [the SEC].”

After a disastrous 19-1 loss to South Alabama ended their season, the Gators look ahead to 2022 with newfound motivation.

“With how things ended last year I think it left everyone with a sour taste in their mouth,” Milchin said. “Everybody was humbled pretty significantly from last year and going into this year I think we’ve got more of a chip on our shoulder.”

Nobody in the locker room knows the standard of the program as well as Milchin.

While a lot has changed since the Fall of 2016, “Omaha or bust” remains the mantra in the locker room.

“I think that’s the way you gotta look at it every year.” Milchin said, “You go into it wanting to win it, so that’s gotta be your ultimate goal.”

As for Milchin, he is focused on staying healthy and being available to his team to help them reach the mountain top. He is also thankful for where he is at and having fun is at the top of his priority list.

“Not many people are able to still be playing college baseball at 24 years old,” Milchin said. “Still living the dream.”

Florida will need the experience of Milchin and other veterans on this young team if they want to reach their dream and get back to the top. The Gators’ road to redemption begins Feb. 18 when they kick off their season against the Liberty Flames. @EthanBudowsky ebudowsky@alligator.org

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gator basketball’s team manager gives players free haircuts JU-RAY KUO SPENT THE LAST SIX YEARS PROVIDING FREE HAIRCUTS TO PLAYERS AND THE GAINESVILLE COMMUNITY

By Elena Barrera Alligator Staff Writer

As the cheers of 10,000 Florida men’s basketball fans crescendo into a deafening roar, the quiet insight from their team manager rings loudest through the players’ heads.

Ju-Ray Kuo, a UF applied physiology and kinesiology master’s student, has become the unofficial barber of the Florida Gators men's basketball team — Kuo has cut every

returning player on the 15-player team at least once.

The Stephen C. O’Connell Center and the Florida Basketball Practice Complex double as Kuo’s makeshift barbershop. The 24-year-old not only prepares the players physically with stretches and drills for game days, but stylistically too.

“Sometimes I just bring my clippers to the facility and then on my free time there, I’ll just cut the guys up and make sure the guys have a good time,” Kuo said.

As a team manager, he works in the weight room with the players, running drills and helping coaches with the flow of practice.

For Kuo, it’s about connecting with the person sitting in his chair,

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tuning in to their mindset and learning their story. That’s why every cut is free of charge.

How’d you get to where you are today?

Kuo listens to his clients answer this staple conversation starter whenever they sit in his chair. It’s how he forms deeper connections during the 30 minutes to an hour cut, he said.

“The haircuts will fade, but the conversation is what will last forever,” he said.

Kuo’s haircuts are more like an experience, making his services unique from a regular barber, said Anthony Duruji, a 23-year-old men’s basketball forward.

Duruji got his first cut after seeing

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how well his teammate’s hair turned out.

“One of my former teammates, he had got a cut from him at first, and then I just hopped on,” Duruji said.

Kuo has been cutting Durujii’s hair for more than a year and a half.

He said Kuo is lively and carries out rich conversations.

In the locker room, the two friends discuss their faith and how religion is an integral part of both their lives.

“Being a basketball player is only one part of [Duruji’s] life,” Kuo said.

“A lot of people only define him as a basketball player, but to me he’s a servant of God. He’s a leader in every aspect.”

Because he sees the players day

in and day out, the relationship he shares with each of them makes the hair cut memorable, said Kowacie Reeves, an 18-year-old men’s basketball guard.

“You usually don’t know your barber on a personal level,” Reeves said. “You see [Kuo] every day, you know him, and you just have more in common.”

Kuo has been associated with UF’s basketball program since 2017 when he started as a practice player for the women’s team. In following years, he took on a manager role helping set up the court for every game, participating in various practice and warm-up drills and

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022

Basketball barber volunteers at Grace MEN’S BASKETBALL, from pg. 12

He remembers a time when he butchered one of his friend’s hairdos before an event, and his friend had to wear a hat and hoodie to hide it.

Although undesirable, there is value in failure, Kuo said. If you aren’t failing then you aren’t trying to push yourself outside your comfort zone.

His athletic clients and friends account for the majority of his reach, but Kuo also makes a point once or twice a month to set up in various locations around Gainesville, such as UF’s Plaza of Americas, to give free trims to strangers.

A part of his personal mission is to help those less fortunate than him. As a way to work toward this goal, he also volunteers his time at Grace Marketplace, a local homeless shelter.

Kuo has dedicated time to the people staying at the shelter for more than three years, said Abigail Perret-Gentil, the shelter’s 36-yearold assistant director of community engagement.

It means a lot to the people at the shelter to get a fresh cut and feel good about themselves, Perret-Gentil said. They are often shunned from public spaces, so having contact with Kuo is also important, she said.

“Whenever Ju-Ray comes out, he’s just so kind and trauma informed,” Perret-Gentil said. “It brings people some normalcy aside

helping the players during prehab — a preparation that reduces chances of injury.

Ever since he started working in the weight room with the men’s team in 2019, the basketball manager and strength and conditioning graduate intern said the heart-to-hearts are what made him fall in love with being a barber. However, the initial fascination to snip and style hair began with a friend’s referral.

“One of my closest friends came into class one day with the freshest haircut, and I started asking him: ‘Where’d you get your cut from?’”

Kuo said.

After Kuo learned the barber had cut hair for some of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kuo decided to let him style his hair.

“I went to go see [the barber], got the cut, and I was like: ‘Man this is the freshest cut I’ve ever gotten from anybody,’” he said.

With the blade of a straight razor, Kuo tried trimming and maintaining his hair himself, hoping to prolong the cut.

After his friends started letting him cut their hair, one person led to another, building his clientele by word-of-mouth.

Consistency and lots of failures shaped Kuo’s skills into what they are today.

from the need to have good hygiene.”

He does stylish cuts, not just simple buzz cuts, she said. He knows how to trim hair in ways that are relevant to different cultures, which she doesn’t see often.

If they want specific designs, he happily obliges. If they are trying to get a job and have an interview, he does a clean-cut, professional look.

When his homeless clients take a final look in the mirror, he receives an outpouring of thanks and jaws drop to the floor. They are so grateful for his service, he said, for some it was their first haircut in five years.

“I just want to make sure that I can make people’s day,” Kuo said. “I really feel like if God gives you a gift it’s up to you to know how to use that gift to glorify Him.” His friend who kickstarted his passion and led him to his strongrooted faith all those years ago has since passed away. Every haircut done is in honor of what he did for Kuo as a way to keep paying the blessings forward, Kuo said.

“Life is about giving without limitations,” Kuo said.

The young barber plans to continue his mission of giving back to his community through thoughtful conversations, one free haircut at a time. @elenabarreraaa ebarrera@alligator.org

Elena Barrera // Alligator Staff

Shahmir Memon, a 21-year-old business administration junior, receives a fresh cut on the Plaza of the Americas lawn on Friday, Jan. 14.

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