Monday, Feb. 6, 2023

Gainesville community grieves Marcus Goodman’s death

Dozens came together to demand justice

By Aidan Bush Alligator Staff Writer

Nearly 100 Gainesville residents marched University Avenue with banners and signs Feb. 2, all demanding justice for Marcus Goodman, an Alachua County Jail inmate whose death is under investigation.

As protesters moved from corner to corner, officers followed, directing traffic. Herman Goodman, Marcus' father, soon approached officers and shouted in anger.

“When you see my face, remember you killed my son,” Herman Goodman said. “Remember this: I am not afraid to f–ing die.”

Two attendees keep candles lit at a vigil held for Marcus

died in the Alachua County Jail, at Bo

The city mourned the death of 32-yearold Goodman after the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office announced his death in jail Jan. 26. The service began with a vigil at Bo Diddley Plaza and ended with a street

UF graduate assistants seek more pay, better living conditions

STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

Eva Garcia Ferres can’t afford a car, so her partner bikes to his job at Winn-Dixie while she takes the bus or bikes to UF, where she works as a graduate research assistant in the psychology department.

While her doctor’s prescription deemed the purchase necessary, she mulled over buying a pair of $400 glasses. When her partner was sick with COVID-19 in the fall and wasn’t recovering, the couple sacri-

ficed $300 for treatment.

These necessities can be an extreme financial burden to a secondyear graduate research assistant like Garcia Ferres, who survives off a yearly stipend of $19,600.

“We still live within the same system where we have to produce something that gives somebody else money,” Garcia Ferres said.

Graduate assistants are continuing to advocate for higher pay, with Garcia Ferres citing the rising cost of living as an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed by universities. This is part of a nationwide conversation regarding how universities treat their graduate assistants, she said.

Garcia Ferres, 26, moved to Gainesville from Spain in 2021 to earn a doctorate in psychology. She knew becoming a graduate assistant would have its academic challenges, she said.

Her tuition is covered, but a lack of financial support makes it difficult for her and many others to find comfort and security in their work, she said.

She joined UF Graduate Assistants United in Spring 2021 to help the labor union negotiate with UF for a higher minimum stipend. Graduate assistants earn a minimum stipend of $17,000 for nine-month

SEE GRAD, PAGE 4

protest around the block.

Convicted in 2021 over burglary charges, Goodman spent the majority of his jail time at North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center as a result of his severe mental illnesses.

Goodman was ordered to forcibly receive schizophrenia medication Jan. 20 by Judge Phillip Pena but didn’t receive treatment as he was transferred to Alachua County Jail, according to his notice of voluntary dismissal.

Days later, Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. released a statement that Goodman died of a “medical emergency.”

Despite an ongoing ACSO internal investigation and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into his death, Goodman’s relatives said they received minimal information.

SEE VIGIL, PAGE 5

Diversity, equity and inclusion staffers’ communications audited

SEARCH FOLLOWS DECEMBER MEMO

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

When Deah Lieurance found out her emails would be searched by the Florida House of Representatives for any communication about diversity, equity and inclusion, she felt mildly paranoid.

“You immediately feel exposed and vulnerable,” she said. “We have protocols and ways that we communicate with our email knowing that at any moment, it could be public. But when it actually happens, it just feels a little

different.”

Her department head told Lieurance, a UF agronomist and former chair of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ DEI committee, her emails would be searched to fulfill a Florida House request for information on diversity, equity and inclusion in public universities.

The Florida House requested a list of DEI employees, their salaries and all communications between them — which includes relevant emails, text messages and social media messages.

While she was aware her emails were subject to public re-

SEE DEI, PAGE 5

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Kamryn Bailey // Alligator Staff

Goodman, an inmate who

Diddley Plaza Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Commission approves zoning for affordable housing units in complex to be built in Innovation District

By Siena Duncan Alligator Staff Writer

The Gainesville City Commission voted 5-2 to approve zoning exceptions for a new apartment complex with 20 affordable units near UF’s Infinity Hall on Thursday.

The complex will be built beside the intersection of Southwest Second Avenue and Southwest 10th Street, in an area called the Innovation District between the UF campus and downtown Gainesville. The building contract includes a clause requiring 10% of the units to be affordable housing, which will allow for 20 units with the current plan.

The clause in the contract involving affordable housing requires the 10% rule to be there in perpetuity — meaning if any other entity tries to buy the complex, it still has to maintain the 10% rule. That aspect convinced commissioners Reina Saco, Bryan Eastman, Casey Willits and Mayor Harvey Ward to approve the development of the complex, despite outcry from residents who live in a neighborhood near the area.

“This is an opportunity to put working families in a great zone for opportunities for them, their investment and their children,” Saco said.

The chance to provide cheap housing for those 20 families in a prime location is too good to pass up, Saco said. For the affordable housing package, the complex will offer $922 monthly for a two-bedroom unit.

A two-bedroom unit at newly constructed The Metropolitan Gainesville around the corner starts at $1,095 per bedroom, according to its website.

The apartment would be one of

the first in Gainesville to place affordable housing within walking distance of a grocery store, Willits said. The area is also within walking distance of jobs at local businesses like The Swamp Restaurant and Opus Coffee.

The issue of food deserts prevented a larger affordable housing complex, Dogwood Village, from being built in east Gainesville earlier this month.

CA Student Living, the company that requested the zoning exceptions, appeared before the Gainesville City Commission and Gainesville Planning Board last year and was denied. Ward was one of the votes against the complex. He has also voted against numerous housing initiatives like exclusionary zoning. But this time, he voted yes.

“I’ve said no over and over and over, and that doesn’t fix our affordability problem, it just doesn’t,” Ward said. “At some point, I think that I have to say yes.”

This is not the first time the city has used the 10% rule to start construction on affordable housing on the west side of Gainesville. There are currently two other projects under construction that bring lower costs closer to campus. But because they haven’t been finished yet, city officials don’t know what mixed-use housing will look like in practice, Ward said.

Combined, the approved projects offer a little over 60 affordable housing units close to campus. The small total number is a potential drawback of the 10% rule, Ward said.

“It’s not thousands of units,” Ward said. “But everything helps.”

The problem for Gainesville resident Jennifer Tucker, however, is

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that the complex will be built a little over 10 feet away from her home, she said. Tucker is a homeowner in the Innovation District.

She’s concerned about the way the road alongside her house — described as a “public alley” by commissioners and other city officials — will narrow due to the development, Tucker said. She’s also worried about the shade from the 12-story building.

“You can see a giant growing just across this 10-feet public alley,” she said. “This is going to block away the sunlight.”

The zoning exceptions allow for CA Student Living to build the complex taller than the typical limits in the area, which are around five or six stories. They also allow the apartment complex to have more units.

Commissioners Cynthia Chestnut and Desmon Duncan-Walker both voted in dissent. When Department of Sustainable Development director Forrest Eddleton presented the project, Chestnut also expressed concerns about traffic congestion due to the narrow road.

But she also believes the affordable housing conversation should be about houses, not apartments, she said.

“We’re not getting home ownership,” Chestnut said.

@SienaDuncan sduncan@alligator.org

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Zoning exceptions to allow taller building

Gainesville residents express mixed views towards permitless concealed carry bill

BILL WOULD CHANGE PERMIT REQUIREMENT

By Claire Grunewald Alligator Staff Writer

Vincent Lahera owns a gun and has grown up around guns most of his life, but he’s apprehensive of Florida’s newest gun legislation.

His father is a police officer and owns a variety of firearms that the 18-year-old UF mathematics freshman practiced shooting while growing up.

“I believe currently in Florida, we have a good number of [gun] regulations in place,” Lahera said. “I do think that completely getting rid of the requirement to have a concealed carry license could certainly be dangerous.”

Florida is on track to become the 26th state to allow citizens to carry concealed firearms without a permit after one of Alachua County’s House representatives filed the bill.

Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Lake City, who represents the northern half of Alachua County, and Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, sponsored the Concealed Carry of Weapons and Firearms Without a License bill, HB 543, on Jan. 30. The bill, known by supporters as “constitutional carry,” would allow citizens to carry concealed firearms without a license or training.

Florida citizens have to apply for a permit that requires background checks and training to carry a concealed firearm in the state, according to Florida Statutes.

After completing the required application and training, there is a 50 to 55 day turnaround time for processing the application. The permit also must be renewed every seven years.

Lahera supports the second

amendment and believes individuals should have the right to own a firearm. There should be necessary regulations in place to limit the amount of firearms that can be used for illegal activities, he said.

“I don’t believe it’s a great idea to allow individuals to conceal carry firearms without a license or permit confirming they have the necessary skills and mental stability to do so,” he said.

If the bill passes, citizens would still not be allowed to carry concealed firearms into places such as government buildings, schools or any place where firearms are prohibited by federal law.

There’s no required permit to purchase a firearm in Florida, but there are requirements that have to be met at the state and federal levels.

Citizens would still need a concealed carry permit in order to legally carry in other states without similar laws.

In Gainesville, gun violence and illegal gun ownership are prominent issues. The Gainesville Police Department seized more than one gun per day from October to December 2022. There has been a 17% increase in stolen firearms, according to the GPD quarterly report.

At a City Commission meeting Feb. 2, Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker presented a motion for the commission to declare gun violence as a city crisis and to create a gun violence committee. The motion passed unanimously.

Along with Duncan-Walker’s concerns for gun violence, Police Chief Lonnie Scott believes the bill could add another safety concern for his officers and the public.

“It causes me a little more concern because my officers are going to be encountering more people who are armed, and we don’t know what their intents are,” Scott

said. “That’s going to be a dangerous situation.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in favor of the bill at an event in Tallahassee to announce next year’s budget. DeSantis will work with legislators to make the bill a reality, he said.

“We’re for constitutional carry,” DeSantis said. “I’ve urged the legislature to work, to produce good stuff and we will sign.”

Local gun experts, gun owners and residents have expressed mixed opinions on the bill.

Bennett Latimer, operations manager for gun range Shoot GTR and gun store Lawful Defense, said he thinks the education portion of being a concealed carry holder will always be important. Despite the bill, people will still seek out firearm education, he said.

Shoot GTR holds two concealed carry classes a month that last eight hours, Latimer said. The classes expand on Florida laws, go over scenarios to avoid using firearms and give students range time

with instructors.

“So that [people’s] first time with a firearm isn’t on [their] own,” Latimer said. “We find that there’s a lot of folks that it’s their first time picking up a gun.”

If the bill passes, there will still be a demand for people that want to gain more knowledge, start carrying the right way and know the laws, he said.

“People are still going to want to get their permits because they’re going to want to be able to carry out of state in states that reciprocate that concealed carry permit,” Latimer said. “There’s still going to be a demand for an official concealed carry permit.”

Joey Quirk, a 20-year-old UF political science senior, grew up learning about firearms from his father, who was a police officer and firearms instructor. Quirk believes everyone has the right to own a firearm and is cautiously optimistic about the bill, he said.

“It’s about finding that balance between not impeding the rights of

citizens and hoping they actually are competent,” Quirk said.

A quick, mandatory training course for a concealed carry permit doesn’t ensure someone is properly trained, he said.

“I think the best case scenario would be if the bill passes and magically everyone who wants to own a firearm is also completely obsessed with the idea of training religiously and practically on it,” Quirk said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Those who are opposed to the bill believe background checks and training are necessary to ensure safety while carrying a concealed gun.

The Alachua County chapter of Moms Demand Action has been meeting with local elected officials and law enforcement to spread the word about the dangerous consequences of the bill, said Rebecca Darnell, the legislative leader of the chapter.

“The concealed carry permitting system that we currently have in place is the only sure way that we know that people that are carrying concealed loaded guns in public have been vetted,” she said.

If the bill becomes law, people who potentially have never handled a gun, don’t understand the basics of gun safety and don’t know how to secure a gun will be able to walk around in public spaces with a loaded firearm, she said.

Darnell and other local volunteers plan to continue to advocate for gun safety and their opposition to the bill, even if it passes, she said.

The bill was referred to the Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law and Government Operations Subcommittee Jan. 31. The subcommittee will hear the bill Tuesday.

@grunewaldclaire cgrunewald@alligator.org

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

Small raises insufficient

appointments and $22,753 for 12-month appointments — not enough to pay for rent, bills, gas and groceries, Garcia Ferres said.

To her, graduate assistants are stuck in an educational system that requires more time and effort than they’re rewarded for.

“I feel like [UF] sees us as components in their business plan instead of as human beings,” she said.

UF’s top five university ranking warrants more support for graduate assistants, Garcia Ferres said. Increasing fears of threats to academic freedom in the state, coupled with work and research encompassing most of her time, she said, creates an unsettling and uncertain environment for graduate assistants who want to pursue careers in academia.

“Everything just makes you want to scream,” she said.

Garcia Ferres’ contract affords her a ninemonth appointment and summer funding under a 20-hour-work-week research assistantship — but her summer funding will end in the Fall. She will then likely become a teaching assistant and balance her time between research and classroom instruction.

During their five to six years at UF, graduate assistants work with a principal investigator who helps them prepare and complete research in a specified area of study.

Colin Smith, an associate professor in UF’s psychology department, serves as a principal investigator for four graduate assistants, including Garcia Ferres.

“It's one of the strongest relationships we have in academia because their lives are dependent in a way on their professor,” Smith said.

Although principal investigators focus on supporting graduate assistants academically, Smith said, having conversations about graduate assistants’ financial and personal struggles is important.

“We are trying to do world-class, top-level research,” he said. “That is very difficult, and it takes your full mind. If you're hungry — if you're worried about paying rent — you cannot have your full mind on research.”

Put simply, Smith said graduate assistants need more money. Since his own time as a graduate assistant at the University of Virginia from 2003 to 2009, Smith said there’s a growing nationwide conversation about graduate assistants’ financial challenges.

“This is not only a UF-specific thing,” he

said. “I think there's a fundamental change that needs to happen…So much of the work and the labor is being done by graduate students who are not being given a very nice deal.”

Sikander Khare, a 26-year-old third-year biology graduate assistant at UF, joined GAU’s bargaining committee after realizing he was working almost twice the number of hours listed in his contract.

“Each round of disrespect that [UF] gave us only emboldened people more,” Khare said.

Khare has a history of challenging living conditions, which he said is typical for most graduate assistants. During his first year at UF, he lived with five roommates in a house infested with cockroaches, mice, rats and fleas.

These living conditions could be greatly improved if UF agreed to increase the minimum stipend to $38,500, Khare said.

GAU’s bargaining committee compares UF stipends to other top-tier public universities, namely the University of Michigan campuses at Dearborn and Ann Arbor, which had a minimum stipend of $24,055 beginning in August, according to its Academic Human Resources memorandum.

“UF really prides itself on being a top five public university,” Khare said. “So that's who we try to compare ourselves to.”

Amanda Markee, a 25-year-old UF graduate assistant studying interdisciplinary ecology and GAU’s chief bargainer, said securing a 3% stipend increase in the Fall made a small difference in the biweekly paychecks of the approximately 4,400 graduate assistants at UF. Previously, nine-month appointees earned a minimum stipend of $16,000 and 12-month appointees earned about $21,333.

“This is obviously very far from what we had requested,” Markee said. “And it's not a reflection at all of GAU’s efforts, because we had a lot of engagement and a lot of attendance during our last bargaining session.”

Although UF didn’t compromise during last year’s stipend negotiations, Markee said, UF’s new chief negotiator, Patrick Keegan, may be more accessible. Keegan began the position in November.

Keegan declined a request from The Alligator for comment.

Antonios Kyriazis, a 24-year-old secondyear physics graduate assistant at UF, said a $38,500 minimum stipend could especially help international graduate assistants. He grew up near Thessaloniki, Greece, and attended the University of Crete as an under-

graduate student, where he met and worked with UF physics professor Richard Woodard and decided to apply to UF to earn his doctorate.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kyriazis spent his first Fall semester taking classes online. In Spring 2021, he moved to Gainesville after paying more than $500 in service fees and interviews to obtain his F-1 visa. The visa, which the U.S. Embassy in Athens issued for him in December 2020, allows Kyriazis to legally attend university in the U.S.

“People here do high-quality research, so we have a lot to learn,” Kyriazis said. “From my perspective, a lot more doors are opened from an institution like this than from an institution back home.”

He serves as a physics teaching assistant while completing nine credit hours, with a salary of about $25,000.

Kyriazis’ F-1 visa allows him to work up to 20 hours per week, but it prohibits him from obtaining a secondary source of income while he is employed by UF. This restriction poses a challenge for international students who come to the U.S. with their families, he said.

“If you have children,” Kyriazis said, “or a spouse that is not able to legally work here because they don't have the appropriate visa, I don't believe it's enough to cover all the living expenses of a family.”

Kyriazis joined GAU in Spring 2022 and serves as the organizing committee’s co-chair. Despite the testimonies graduate assistants

give about food insecurities and medical expenses, Kyriazis said UF didn’t budge during negotiations.

“I hope UF will bargain in good faith, because that's not honestly something that we saw last time,” he said. “We were presenting them with evidence. We were making very good arguments in favor of raising the minimum wage, and the reaction we got was that the administration was stalling.”

Rosario Fernandez-Romero, a 28-year-old graduate assistant in UF’s sociology department, said the extra $50 in her biweekly paychecks from the 3% Fall stipend increase does make a difference in expenses, but it’s still not enough.

“I think [GAU bargainers] have been trying their very best and have gone above and beyond planning for this, but it comes down to the university,” she said.

Because graduate assistants’ work and research contributes to UF’s top five public university status, Fernandez-Romero said, she feels the stipend increase should be more substantial. She struggles to buy food and knows graduate assistants who use food stamps and receive government benefits, she said.

“Sometimes I question why I'm still sticking with it,” Fernandez-Romero said. “Is it even worth it at this point?”

@sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

City attempts to address East Gainesville needs with $14 million plan

FACILITY PROMISES HEALTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

By Jake Lynch Alligator Staff Writer

Every day for 17 years, rain or shine, Tommie Johnson rode his bike to and from work on UF campus, despite Gainesville’s existing transit system.

Using the bus system would have actually made his life harder than dealing with the elements on two wheels, he said.

“They need a better bus system,” Johnson said. “In the bus system, you have to go to Rosa Parks and transfer from bus to bus to get to this side of town.”

Now at 63, Johnson has finally saved up for a car to commute from his home in northeast Gainesville — a luxury he doesn’t take for granted.

Residents in East Gainesville without personal transit must find ways to commute to necessities like a hospital and grocery stores. The only U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved grocery store in East Gainesville is the Walmart on Northeast 12th Avenue, and there’s no major primary care hospital east of Main Street.

Next year, the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area Project is set to finish its new transit center, which will serve as a major stop for several bus routes, similar to the Rosa Parks Bus Station near Depot Park.

The $14 million plan promises health and economic development improvements to East Gainesville over the next six years.

The most significant part is the Cornerstone Campus, which will be located on Hawthorne Road in East Gainesville and will have a Re-

gional Transit System mobility hub, a UF-run health center with access to dental care and resources to help residents access fresh food.

The GCRA informed the Gainesville City Commission Jan. 19 of updates to the plan. It has already spent $13 million on city projects such as developing the innovation district zone near UF campus and intends to put the largest chunk of funds into the Eastside Food/Mobility Hub, which is set to finish in 2024.

But the plan doesn’t include any incentives for a community grocery store, an initiative that has been workshopped and eventually failed.

The lack of a grocery store in the Eastside has rendered some census tracts to become food deserts, which is defined by the USDA as a tract where at least 100 households are located more than one-half mile from a grocery store with no vehicle

access. With nowhere to buy fresh food nearby, residents must rely on transit.

Commissioner Desmon DuncanWalker, whose district encompasses much of East Gainesville, was the only commissioner who didn’t support the plan of incentivizing a UF clinic in her district.

The plan required the city to pay $2.5 million to complete the project, Duncan-Walker said.

When Duncan-Walker saw a proposal, it just wasn’t enough, she said.

The commissioner would prefer a more comprehensive plan with a primary care hospital that would address taxpayers’ concerns, she said.

Addressing the disparity between East Gainesville and the rest of the city is the main focus of Cornerstone Campus, also known as the Eastside Health and Economic

Development Initiative.

Construction will occur despite the rate of transit use declining twice as much in Florida compared to the nationwide average, according to a study by UF on transit in East Gainesville.

The same study addressed equity and the need for transit expansion in East Gainesville.

Not all residents are aware of the plans, but hopes are high for more services to those on the east side.

Anthony Gainey Sr., a 61-yearold East Gainesville resident, said he feels these kinds of developments were a long time coming. He was quick to point out not much has ever been done during his life in East Gainesville.

“We have got to start somewhere,” Gainey said.

Caia Reese // Alligator Staff

Eva Garcia Ferres, a 26-year-old graduate assistant at UF, talks about her journey as an international graduate student Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Investigations continue

Herman Goodman said the information detectives did tell the family was often misleading.

“He would tell you one thing one minute, and what he would do is just leave out things,” Herman Goodman said.

Instead, activist and event organizer Danielle Chanzes

and April Johnson, Marcus Goodman’s sister, said inmates in the jail told them officers used a taser on Marcus right before his death. Marcus Goodman had no known physical conditions, according to the family.

“Why did you not say ‘Sorry’?” Johnson yelled to the crowd. “Officer Connor, Officer Logan, step up. I know who you

are.”

Alachua County Jail has seen multiple allegations of poor conditions for inmates, including an instance where an inmate lost her child after giving birth in the facility. The jail is also understaffed, with 246 employees to oversee an 800-inmate jail, according to Gainesville Sun reports.

ACSO spokesperson Rebecca Butscher declined to comment. FDLE spokesperson Dana Kelly also declined to comment on its investigation, citing that it’s ongoing.

After multiple activists spoke to the crowd about mental health, police reform and ending incarceration, the crowd began to march in a peaceful protest around University Avenue, blocking traffic.

The crowd shouted in calland-response, “Say his name, Marcus Goodman,” while holding posters and banners, stopping at intersections to speak.

Activists felt the energy came from continued instances of police brutality.

Chanzes said she was moved by the overwhelming turnout.

“I was really surprised by the amount of support that was out here,” Chanzes said.

Erika Miller, a member of the anti-incarceration organization Florida Prisoner Solidarity said

Job security unclear

quest, she said she felt vulnerable as a nontenured, junior faculty member. The request’s broad wording was also cause for concern, Lieurance said.

“There's a lot of space to fill with your imagination,” she said. “What could they possibly be looking for?”

About a month after the House’s request, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a proposal to defund what he called “DEI bureaucracies” at Florida universities during a press conference on higher education Jan. 31.

“These bureaucracies are hostile to academic freedom,” DeSantis said. “They constitute a drain on resources and end up contributing to higher costs.”

The House’s demand for communications followed DeSantis’ December memo requesting a full spending report of DEI initiatives at Florida universities.

UF reported $5.3 million in total DEI spending — 0.14% of the 2022-23 projected budget — $3.4 million of which is state funded.

The Florida Congress may begin writing DEI legislation during committee meetings next week, which will carry into the regular legislative session in March, said Florida Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. Because UF is partially taxpayer-funded, the state has an obligation to ensure the university is properly allocating funds, he added.

DEI initiatives can be unfair and non-

merit based, Perry said, comparing them to affirmative action. In reference to critical race theory, an academic framework that analyzes American history through the lens of racism, he said theories shouldn’t be taught as historical facts, which may be the case at public universities.

“Inclusion, by definition, means exclusion of deserving people,” he said. “There better be a good reason why you're excluding deserving people.”

Outside institutions may propose potential legislation to the Florida legislature, Perry said.

In January, the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, published a set of DEI higher education reforms similar to those proposed by DeSantis. The proposals would abolish DEI and end other identity-based programs. Christopher Rufo, senior fellow at the institute and DeSantis-appointed trustee at the New College of Florida, co-authored the proposed reforms.

“We have people come up on a daily basis to Tallahassee to give us their peace of mind and their opinions on something,” Perry said. “It's not their role or decision to make anything into law, but I welcome it.”

Responding to faculty concerns on history curriculum, Perry said the line between teaching and indoctrinating should be clear.

“I think that’s a ridiculous statement to make,” Perry said. “You don't have to be a history major or a history professor to realize

the large attendance showed a want for systemic change.

“The same cycle is happening over and over again,” Miller said. “It doesn’t matter what uniform they wear, what badge they hide behind.”

While impassioned and angry during the protest, Goodman’s family left the plaza silent and somber.

Despite the continued injustices, progress can only come from a local level, Herman Goodman said.

“Change is hard,” Herman

that there's a difference between theory and history.”

While some DEI initiatives listed on the audit required partial or no state funding, all 10 UF General Education courses listed on the report, including Cultural Anthropology and Theatre Appreciation, rely entirely on the state.

About 85% of the more-than $400,000 allocated to the UF Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement is state funded.

Individual colleges’ DEI committees and departments are also listed. Among them is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ DEI administration, which operates entirely on state funding with a $181,815 budget.

Bianca Evans-Donaldson, chair of the CLAS DEI administration, didn’t respond to a request for comment as of Saturday.

Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, expects Republican members of the House to use collected information to defund DEI — or to aid DeSantis in doing so.

“It's so invasive,” she said. “And of course creates a very chilling effect, where folks are hesitant to even pursue this type of research, let alone teach classes that intersect with race, class or culture.”

It’s unclear whether university DEI departments will be able to receive federal or private funding if state funding is revoked.

UF won the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award in 2022. Marsha McGriff, UF chief diversity officer, and her office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Faculty Senate Chair Amanda Phalin thinks the state misunderstands DEI, she said. DEI is one of the reasons UF is highly ranked,

Goodman said. “You really got to start at home.”

Johnson confirmed Feb. 3 she hadn’t heard from officers since an initial discussion following Goodman’s death.

“Still silence,” she wrote in a text message.

Goodmans’ family started a GoFundMe to raise funds to cover funeral expenses. As of Sunday night, it has raised more than $4,690 of its $20,000 goal.

@aidandisto abush@alligator.org

she added.

“It's really about providing equity of access and equity of opportunity,” she said.

Paul Ortiz, a history professor and president of UF’s branch of United Faculty of Florida, has increasingly had conversations with potential UF students and parents who have been deterred from attending the university due to Florida’s DEI policies, he said.

“What's happening now is so appalling and so tragic,” he said. “The people studying here, the people teaching here, are under almost constant surveillance — constant attack.”

Former UF President Kent Fuchs was unsure of how the state would use the requested information, he said. He recalled when House Bill 7 — commonly known as the Stop W.O.K.E. Bill — was first put into effect, he and Provost Joe Glover instructed faculty members on how they could continue to teach diverse topics within the confines of the law.

“We took the lead on sharing with the faculty how you can do this, so you can still function and do your jobs and stay within the law,” Fuchs said.

Part of the UF administration’s responsibility is to help the state understand the university’s everyday function, Fuchs added.

“Elected officials have a lot of authority, and it's important for us to understand their goals,” he said. “But it's also important for us to provide great education and great research.”

Kamryn Bailey // Alligator Staff

People gather at Bo Diddley Plaza for a vigil in honor of Marcus Goodman, an inmate who died inside the Alachua County Jail, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Kamryn Bailey // Alligator Staff

After the vigil for Marcus Goodman, attendees walk to University Avenue and Southeast First Street to protest with a sign that reads "stop police brutality," Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

Buchholz High School’s Karen Kearney wins Alachua County Teacher of the Year

KEARNEY USES HANDS-ON APPROACH TO ENGAGE STUDENTS

By Peyton Harris Alligator Staff Writer

Science graphics, dog photos, wrestling images and inspirational phrases plaster the walls of Karen Kearney’s classroom at Buchholz High School.

Kearney grew up donning Buchholz’s signature black and gold, attending the wrestling matches her father coached. After graduating from Buchholz, she began her career as a chiropractor.

But she couldn’t shake the idea of becoming a teacher.

“My dad is a teacher,” she said. “He encouraged me to not become a teacher, so I became a chiropractor. But I still had this burning desire to be a teacher.”

In 2002, Kearney returned to her alma mater as an anatomy teacher. With an ever-present interest and background relating to the human body, anatomy seemed like the obvious subject choice.

“I’m one of those crazy teachers who will teach about something and say, ‘Isn’t that exciting?’” Kearney laughed.

Her passion for the subject led her to walk the stage at Alachua County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year Ceremony. On Jan. 26, Kearney won the Alachua County Teacher of the Year Award among 39 nominees from every school in the county.

Kearney teaches an honors-level anatomy course to high school students who choose anatomy as their science elective. She uses a hands-on approach to her teaching, often using labs to deepen students’ understanding of the material.

Kim Humphries, Kearney’s best friend since the third grade and fellow Buchholz graduate, said whenever she receives medical information, she calls Kearney be -

cause she’ll find interest in it.

Kearney echoed that sentiment in her acceptance speech at the ceremony.

“Students will ask, ‘My brother broke his arm. Do you want a picture of the Xray?’” Humphries said.

Humphries, whose children Kearney taught, said Kearney’s passion for the subject is evident in her interactions with students.

“They can sense her sincerity,” Humphries said. “She wants them to get it. She wants them to have an ‘aha’ moment.”

She wasn’t surprised when her friend received the award, Humphries said.

“I’m just incredibly proud to see her years of dedication to this craft,” she said.

Kearney’s return to Buchholz was lacking one key element from her childhood: the wrestling program. In her second year of teaching, Kearney took it upon herself to reestablish the program her family had grown up watching.

“We do a family reunion thing every year where we go to the NCAA wrestling tournament,” Kearney’s brother Kevin Kearney said. “To be around that sport with our family is one of my greatest memories.”

The anatomy teacher was adamant about pursuing the program and refused

UF Online delivers high-quality degrees remotely

PROGRAM REACHES NO. 1 FOR SECOND YEAR

By Ella Thompson Alligator Staff Writer

If not for UF Online, education wouldn’t be possible for students like Aubrey Mys.

Mys, who completed the program from Tampa, needed an education option that allowed her to raise her 2-yearold son.

“I really felt like I had no other option,” Mys said. “I applied to UF Online, and sure enough, I got it.”

Mys, 22, graduated with degrees in psychology and sociology at the end of Spring 2022.

Mys was looking for a program that would allow her to continue her education on her own time. She’s now set to graduate from UF Levin College of Law in 2025 and wants to pursue health care law.

The program was named the No. 1 online bachelor’s program in the country for the second year in a row by U.S. News and World Report. UF Online was created in 2014 and is known for its high-caliber classes and flexibility, according to students.

UF Online came in response to SB 1076, legislation passed in 2013 that aimed to compel Florida universities to create online programs. UF and FSU, as leading research universities, fulfilled the 12 qualifications required to allow them to offer online bachelor’s programs at no more than 75% of the in-state tuition rate.

Outgoing UF Provost Joe Glover and Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology Andy McCollough were determined to make the program equivalent in quality to

in-person degrees, said Evangeline Cummings, UF Online’s director. The program is run through the UF Academic Affairs office to ensure standards are met.

In 2015, Cummings came on as the director of UF Online, and with Glover and McCollough, saw the program rise to No. 1 in 2022.

“There are very few institutions nationally delivering online degree programs like we are,” Cummings said.

Used for its accessibility, UF Online caters to students from a wide variety of backgrounds for 60% of the inperson cost of tuition. For a Florida resident, UF Online is $129.18 per credit hour, compared to $212.71 for in-person classes.

Dana Normandie, a 19-year-old UF psychology junior in Connecticut, works full time as an IT technician for Killingly Public Schools and coaches high school track. Normandie received her associates degree in computer science from her local community college.

“I’m now majoring in psychology for my bachelor’s because I’m really interested in AI and how technology is advancing,” Normandie said. “I’m trying to learn the psychological portion of that right now.”

Normandie is excited about UF becoming a leading AI university, she said, and is considering taking a medical route in AI.

“Just because I hold so many other obligations outside of the classroom, I don’t think it would be physically possible for me to juggle everything if it wasn’t for UF Online,” Normandie said.

Others, like UF anthropology student Peggy Neal, uses UF Online to juggle her studies with the small business she and her husband run on the west coast of Florida and her

to let potential problems go unaddressed, she said.

When the Buchholz wrestling program was discontinued in 1999, the mats were donated to Gainesville High School. Kearney got them back. A friend in her graduating class donated $5,000 to help with transportation and tournament fees.

“[The administrators] had no choice but to say, ‘Yes, let’s start this program,’” she said.

Inside her classroom, Kearney believes in a similar type of determination. She sets her expectations early and keeps them high throughout the year, Kearney said.

As the year progresses, Kearney said the students learn to complete assignments, keep their phones off and pay attention.

Kearney’s students often participate in hands-on activities and labs, including dissecting sheep brains and cow bones. She also uses labs to explore the effects of drugs on the brain and muscular fatigue.

Aiden Brake, a 17-year-old junior at Buchholz who’s currently enrolled in Kearney’s class, said he wasn’t surprised by her winning the award. Her teaching is interactive, he said, and her breadth of knowledge makes the lessons about the human body enjoyable.

“She’s really into what she teaches,” Brake said. “I had a gut feeling she’d be able to pull through and win it all.”

While Kearney was humbled to win her school’s accolade, she was unaware of the district-wide vote until afterward.

“To win the whole thing is humbling,” Kearney said. “I’m proud to be representing Alachua County.”

Kearney will now represent ACPS for the Florida Teacher of the Year Award, for which the winner will be announced in July 2023.

@peytonlharris pharris@alligator.org

children’s homeschooling.

“I don’t have a lot of time that I can spend on my education in a traditional setting,” Neal said. “UF Online affords me that time — that flexibility — to be able to do this.”

Neal participated in extracurriculars like the International Scholars Program and the Peace Corp Prep Program.

“I’m hoping to parlay my knowledge of cultures, society [and] language into helping humanity on a larger scale,” Neal said. “Helping us to kind of foster an understanding of some of the issues that are really pressing, like poverty and homelessness.”

The Pathway to Campus Enrollment admissions program also falls under UF Online. PaCE allows students to do their first 60 credits online and then take in-person classes at UF.

Lexy Cohen, a 20-year-old UF PaCE student and graphic design sophomore, follows a hybrid schedule where she takes general education classes online and major courses in person, she said.

“Having that flexibility of being able to schedule classes on my own time, but also be super involved here on campus was just such a perfect option for me,” Cohen said.

Cohen is involved in Greek life, Dance Marathon and Ad Society — a professional advertising club.

UF Online students earn the same degree as on-campus students and are welcome to take advantage of UF clubs, programs, events and buildings, Cummings said.

“UF Online is a really great example of the inclusion that we talk a lot about, but we really demonstrate through UF Online,” Cummings said. “You can be at any age, life stage, and still be a Gator.”

@elladeethompson ethompson@alligator.org

Courtesy to The Alligator

Karen Kearney speaks at the Teacher of the Year Ceremony after winning Teacher of the Year for Alachua County.

Sobriety movement aided by alternative herbal joints, mocktails

People trade vaping, alcohol for healthier alternatives

By Xenia Teju Avenue Staff Writer

Organic spearmint leaf, mullein leaf, red raspberry leaf, passion flower and calendula petals make up Jade and Pearl’s Sacred Eagle blend — a nicotine-, tobaccoand additive-free smoking alternative.

Jade and Pearl, owned by 80-yearold self-described hippie Gloria Star, pioneered the natural product and smoking alternatives industry from her headquarters in Hawthorne, a city of 1,500 residents about 16 miles east of Gainesville.

A former cigarette smoker, Star developed the smoke blend by taking inspiration from the Native American concept of smoking herbs to detox your lungs. Smoking alternatives, like the Sacred Eagle blend, are used to cut down on cravings and help fulfill the urge to smoke.

With the rise of vaping, smoking is becoming more dangerous, she said.

“My grandson and his friends, they all use the vapes,” Star said. “And now they’re all addicted to nicotine.”

Counteracting the rise in popularity of the heavily advertised nicotine vapes, communities are adopting sober-friendly alternatives to cigarettes and alcohol. The push for the sober movement has grown in popularity, mainly due to the pandemic.

Nearly half of 15- to 24-year-olds who reported vaping said they were trying to quit as part of their New Year’s resolutions, according to a 2022 survey by Truth Initiative, a nonprofit focused on combating tobacco and nicotine addiction.

Jennings Ingram, 30, said COVID-19 pandemic quarantine motivated people to change their lifestyles and look for alternative options.

Ingram, host of the “Regenerative Revolution” podcast based in North Carolina, said she knows firsthand the benefits of switching out vaping and traditional tobacco for herbal joints. She refers to smoking as a grounding ritual, often something used to reach a calm state.

Herbal joints allowed Ingram to still indulge in the smoking ritual without the health-damaging repercussions, she said. The transition from smoking tobacco, nicotine and marijuana can be much easier for those trying to quit if they can still have

an alternative.

“You know, we all went through a lot in the last couple of years,” Ingram said. “A lot of us are focusing on becoming mentally and physically healthy now.”

Finding a like-minded community frequently puts younger people on the path to health and wellness. For Ingram, that means living in a health-conscious community that consumes tea infusions, herbal joints and kava.

“You would not catch anybody drinking a Bud Light or something like that,” Ingram said.

However, she said toxic party culture can make it harder for people to make healthy choices.

Having to learn from personal experiences is how sober shifts start to happen. Going through a party phase and deciding to change often comes after a realization that something has gone too far, she said.

“It basically took hitting sort-of a rock bottom to evaluate yourself and your choices and choose something different,” Ingram said.

While some turn to smoking, others prefer drinking.

Thomas Stowell, a 31-year-old bartender at downtown Gainesville craft cocktail bar Cry Baby’s, said he’s been in the bartending industry for eight years.

Cry Baby’s offers three mocktails on their menu, but on an average night, only 5% of orders are mocktails, Stowell said. In terms of sober trend predictions, Stowell is not too sure about the rise of the sober movement, he said, considering most people he serves order alcoholic beverages.

Most restaurants offer mocktails, Stowell said, but they’re never prioritized. Still, they will continue to exist on menus as an option for those who do not want to drink.

But businesses will never consider them profitable enough to overtake alcohol, he said.

“We are not going to possibly make enough money as a business by selling $6 drinks that take a similar amount of effort that the $12 to $16 drinks make,” Stowell said.

As for the demographic who order mocktails, Stowell said it’s an even split between the younger and older crowd.

He doesn’t notice a significant age gap in mocktail drinkers, he said.

For Cait Madry, a 29-year-old Los Angeles based podcaster, weekend benders are out, and mocktails are in. It’s been two years in the making since she traded her Saturday night margarita for a hangoverfree alternative.

Now, she dedicates her time to teaching the younger generation how to swap out unhealthy habits for more health-conscious options. Her podcast, “Clearheaded Co.,” which she co-founded with her partner, Sara Ashcraft, is everyone’s guide to sober care.

“Our belief is just like you know your 10-step skincare routine or your self care routine, when you’re not drinking, you should have a sober care routine,” Madry said.

The podcast allows those searching for a sober rebrand to sort through the endless options of non-alcoholic beverages and navigate other forms of sober care, such as quit lit — sobriety books aimed to guide those struggling with alcohol abuse.

The overall mission is to explore having fun without the hangover while also experiencing a longer, healthier party life, Madry said.

“I quit drinking two years ago,” Madry said. “The clarity that I gained and was privileged enough to get to gain was life changing.”

The catalyst for that change was

concluding that being numb and absent spoiled her life’s remarkable aspects, affected her personal relationships, family dynamics and, most importantly, her relationship with herself.

The realization that switching out alcoholic beverages for mocktails doesn’t mean becoming boring or sacrificing your fun or aesthetic was one of the many enlightening things Madry learned through her journey toward modern-day sobriety.

During the first year of her sober journey, Madry remembers it as “wild and rough.” She now looks back on her selfdescribed “epic journey” with a sense of thrill, knowing that the tough moments she worked through paid off.

She believes self-forgiveness and kindness towards oneself are some of the keys to living a healthy, mindful life.

“Shame doesn’t breed evolution,” she said.

For those on a sober curious journey, Madry advises approaching sobriety with a kind, guilt-and shame-free attitude, while also honoring your individuality.

“Stay curious, stay questioning, and don’t feel like it has to be linear for you,” Madry said. “Nothing in life is linear, healing isn’t linear, love can’t always be linear, and neither is sobriety.”

@xeniateju

xteju@alligator.org

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

Ask any of the estimated 9,400 Jewish students on UF’s campus if they’re surprised by this week’s string of antisemitic events, and I’m sure you’ll receive the same answer.

Not at all.

Personally, I didn’t bat an eye when antisemitism was flaunted in our faces this week. Passing by the pink chalk messages the university has yet to scrub off wasn’t shocking. Seeing yet another display of neo-Nazism on our campus shrouded in a cellophane Yeezy film wasn’t either.

If you ask me, people are just starting to once again say the quiet part out loud.

Though I’m not an observant Jew, I proudly wear the label. Sitting around the Passover table as a child, my grandfather would read stories of the strife of our ancestors — something our holidays never fail to remind us of.

“We’ve been enslaved, put through mass ethnic cleansing, pushed out of countries, shoved to the sidelines.

If they haven’t gotten us yet, they never will.”

That’s something I carry with me: a legacy of survivors whose perseverance has been stronger than any semblance of hate.

When I arrived at UF, my Jewishness faded to the background. I no longer take part in rich Shabbat dinners on Saturdays, feel obligated to fast on Yom Kippur, kiss the mezuzah hanging near my father’s front door or perk up when he talks to a relative in Hebrew.

As a non-practicing, ethnically Jewish person, my Jewishness flies under the radar. Those I meet are often surprised to learn of my Ashkenazi mother and Sephardic father.

My father came to the U.S. from Israel, where his parents

found refuge after leaving Iraq. My mother’s family, Yiddish speakers from all over Eastern Europe, immigrated to New York City via Ellis Island at the turn of the 20th century in search of a better future.

With very separate lineages and traditions, both sides of my heritage remind me why it’s important to speak out: The Jewish story is that of nomads who’ve never belonged to established society.

When I came to Gainesville, what I found was wildly different from the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale, where there’s at least one kosher market and several Jewish temples in nearly every city.

Gainesville’s Jewish community finds its numbers in its students — Hillel International ranks UF No. 1 by population, with more than 19% of its undergrad population identifying as Jewish.

But nothing about me is characteristically Jewish anymore, other than those who came before me. I still find conflict between my identity and chosen career path.

As I began to settle into journalism — and false tropes that Jews control the media aside — I saw difficulty in straddling the line between advocacy and objectivity.

Covering white supremacy is never easy.

It wasn’t simple when our football reporter had to cover antisemitic messages displayed at the UF-Georgia game last semester. It was even harder this week when the local Jewish community was the one being vilified.

Though my newsroom was well aware of the “Ye” clan’s supposed appearance on campus the night before, whether we should ignore it or report on it became a point of contention. We’re not in the business of giving a platform to white supremacists, but it felt wrong to dismiss it all together.

If there’s anything I’d implore you to take home with you

after this week, it’s that antisemitism has never left public consciousness. While it may be less outward-facing in modern discourse, to me, it feels like we’re always one pendulum swing away from repeating history’s darkest chapters.

Ye and his followers may be the latest Nazi fad. But make no mistake: We’ve been through it before, and we’ll likely go through it again.

Halaly ahalaly@alligator.org @AlanHalaly

And what I notice from my generation is a hesitance to recognize antisemitism. We’re getting better about recognizing racism and listening to the stories of people of color, but we’re still astutely out of tune with what’s happening throughout our country to Jewish people.

Antisemitic acts are wide-reaching and don’t just impact Jews like me who aren’t walking around dressed in traditional Jewish Orthodox clothing.

In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League found 85% of Americans believe at least one anti-Jewish trope, as opposed to 61 in 2019.

These range from something seemingly outrageous like Holocaust denial to more common ones, like the extreme delegitimization of Israel, where many American Jews are blamed for the actions of a nation thousands of miles away.

Attacks on Jewish people are reaching record highs, not only in the U.S., but abroad, too.

Antisemitism is easy to unilaterally denounce, as we saw with immediate statements last week from now-former President Kent Fuchs and Student Government. But it’s a majorly difficult and long-standing form of prejudice to shake.

Include Jewish students in the conversation about anti-racism. It’s long overdue.

Iam out of words and out of energy. I am physically and emotionally drained.

This past week has been incredibly difficult and something I had hoped I wouldn’t ever have to experience.

Antisemitic chalk markings were found around UF campus Wednesday, which included Thursday’s date, Feb. 2 — insinuating something was going to occur the next day.

To much dismay, a traveling white supremacist group showed up.

Their presence gave off an eerie aura, sending chills up my spine. They set up their table and cameras in the middle of the Plaza of the Americas, a large, open space on campus, with a sign reading “Ye was right, prove me wrong.”

When I heard about the chalkings and the potential of the group’s arrival, I decided I wanted to take action in whatever way possible.

I stood in Plaza handing out stickers and asking students to “Chomp Hate,” UF Hillel’s initiative to combat antisemitism, on campus while I watched this group sit and spew antisemitic lies to their viewers and the crowd that had formed around them.

Despite my attempts to “Chomp Hate,” I feel defeated.

UF has the largest Jewish student population out of any public university in the U.S.

If we can experience antisemitism here, it can happen anywhere.

No one can ever prepare you for what it’s like when your campus experiences antisemitism. This place, my safe space, is now tarnished. I am exhausted. I am fearful. I am scared.

But this is another reason why we can’t stop fighting back. We can’t let hate win. We must stand up to those who want to bring us down, but we have to do so in a way that brings light into this world.

Educate others by sharing stories about the Holocaust, and why we can’t let it happen again.

Staying silent puts the Jewish community at risk. Staying silent makes things worse. Staying silent doesn’t create change. Hug your Jewish friends. Send them a text and let them know you are thinking about them and support them. Let them know that you will fight with them. Be their advocates like they are for you.

Never be afraid to speak up. They can’t win if we continue to speak up.

Hadassah Sternfeld is a 19-year-old UF women’s studies freshman.

UF ignored its community Oct. 10 when we demonstrated what may be one of the most remarkable protests in this campus’s history at Emerson Hall at the anti-democratic selection of then-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist to replace retiring President Kent Fuchs.

Student Government, particularly Student Body President Lauren Lemasters, ignored her constituents Oct. 27 when we delivered our demands that she represent us on the Board of Trustees by voting “no” on Ben Sasse’s selection.

And the Board of Trustees and Sasse himself ignored our pleas when all but one public commenter spoke adamantly against this appointment on Nov. 1 — in the face of grossly excessive police presence, no less — at the board meeting, in the same spot where three weeks earlier our frustration made national news.

This is a pattern of behavior. There’s not only a disregard for the voices of Gator Nation — there’s sheer antipathy toward it.

The legislature abused its authority to lock us out of this process.

The sham “forums” were meant to filter out any meaningful discourse. The Board’s confirmation was guarded by more barriers than any state government function this writer has ever been to.

The message is clear: They didn’t want the Gator Nation involved.

On Feb. 6, there will be a demonstration outside Tigert Hall for all to make their voices heard in a way Sasse’s administration cannot ignore.

We urge all members of the UF community to attend. What we seek is simple — for all students, faculty and staff to be heard.

In his confirmation hearing, Sasse acknowl-

edged he had “a hill of trust to climb.” On his first day in office, we’ll offer our new president a map on how to climb that hill.

Jewish students deserve your allyship, too Andrew Taramykin UF Student

If Sasse is reading this, we hope he understands that we would be eager to work with him, if given the chance, to move our campus forward together.

Among our demands will be market equity raises for staff, defense of academic freedom, non-compliance with targeted list-making, maintenance of UF’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as sustainability initiatives and protection of tenure for faculty.

These are not radical or unreasonable — these demands merely keep us up to the standard of every other elite public university in America.

Sasse, know you face a choice. You can become a Gator. You can become a leader in our community by vowing to hear our voices, to empower our students and workers, and to defend us from those who would encroach on our beloved Swamp.

Or, you can choose to be an agent of a system that binds and gags what you call “the most interesting institution in the country.”

We sincerely hope you will choose the former. Feb. 6 can be the last time we protest your administration, but only if you remain committed to climbing the hill of trust.

Until safety, integrity and freedom is secured, we won’t back down.

Andrew Taramykin is a 20-year-old UF political science and history junior.

Alan Halaly is the editor-in-chief of The Independent Florida Alligator.

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Column BASEBALL

BT Riopelle, Dale Thomas reunite on Gators baseball squad

Pair started careers at Coastal Carolina before transferring to UF

By Ethan Eibe Sports Writer

Dale Thomas found himself at a crossroads after the 2022 college baseball season.

The then-sophomore infielder had just completed his third season with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and found himself searching for a school closer to his home in De Leon Springs, Florida. He wanted to be closer to his father, Dennis, who was experiencing a difficult health period.

Thomas bet on himself and entered the transfer portal. He hoped a school in his home state would have a spot open for a versatile infield bat. Luckily, he caught the eye of Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his coaching staff.

Before offering Thomas a spot on the roster, the coaching staff called senior catcher BT Riopelle, who spent 2019 through 2021 at Coastal Carolina and was teammates with Thomas for the latter two years. Riopelle, a Georgia native, transferred to UF before the 2022 season and will use his last year of eligibility this season.

“[They] asked me about it and I was like, ‘Hey, what do you have on this guy?’” Riopelle said. “Sully prides himself on having championship players in this program.”

The coaching staff peppered him with questions about Thomas’ character rather

than his play, Riopelle said.

“He's just a bulldog,” Riopelle told them. “He goes after people. He’s very competitive. He'll talk trash. He'll do all these things that Sully really likes, and it was just a perfect player fit for this program.”

Thomas, who grew up attending UF baseball and football games with his grandfather, announced his commitment to the Gators June 24, 2022.

“As a kid growing up, you always have that dream of playing for the Gators,” Thomas said. “Luckily, everything fell in line.”

Riopelle and Thomas couldn’t connect while they were playing together through the coronavirus pandemic.

But since Thomas’ arrival in Gainesville, their chemistry has taken off. The former Chanticleers are now roommates — Riopelle said it makes him like Thomas a little bit less — and have rediscovered the relationship they shared on the diamond in Conway, South Carolina.

“Having somebody here that I can relate to from the camaraderie we had at Coastal and bringing it here, it’s been awesome,” Riopelle said.

Thomas thinks being around Riopelle again will have an impact both on and off the field, he said.

“BT has always been one of those guys, for me at least, that you look up to,” Thomas said. “He just makes you a better person.”

The duo share hunting and fishing as hobbies. Thomas suggested a hunting trip together may be in their future after the season.

Riopelle spent most of his hunting time in South Carolina on the ponds of a friend’s 2,000-acre plot of land. He’d be willing to give Montana a try, which is Thomas’ favorite hunting spot, he said.

Another element that connects Riopelle and Thomas are the two legendary coaches they’ve played for. Both have seen firsthand the coaching styles of Gary Gilmore at Coastal Carolina and O’Sullivan at Florida.

Gilmore has led Coastal since 1996 and won the program’s only national title in its first College World Series tournament appearance in 2016. O’Sullivan has been at the helm in Gainesville since 2008 and brought UF its first title in 2017.

Riopelle credits Gilmore with developing undervalued players to reach their full potential.

“Being at Coastal, it really taught you how to be an underdog and always fight for what you deserve,” Thomas said.

They both praised O’Sullivan’s ability to develop his players into top Major League Baseball draft picks.

“He teaches us all the little things we need to know and gives us all the resources anybody could ask for to help us thrive, not only in baseball, but also in your academic career,” Thomas said.

Now a junior, Thomas is coming off a 2022 season in which he set career highs in multiple offensive categories with 62 hits, a .284 batting average, 13 home runs, 15 doubles and 49 runs. Thomas, who played 50 games at third base last year and 40 games at second base the year before under Gilmore, will be a swiss-army infield tool for O’Sullivan.

The opportunity to play for a nationally ranked program like Florida is one he doesn’t take lightly, he said.

“I'm always going to come out and compete, give everything I have in practice and games, no matter what it is,” Thomas said. “That's every kid's dream. Come out here, play in front of fans that support and love them, and just give everything you have for that program.”

Riopelle, who has no plans to pursue professional baseball after college, said he puts the team’s accomplishments before his own. He led all SEC catchers last year in home runs (15), RBI (55) and slugging percentage (.551).

“We're just going to play loose,”

SEE BASEBALL, PAGE 12

Golden, the Gators enterlatepushtomake NCAA Tournament

The Gators' chance to dance in the tournament tightened after their 10th loss of the season against the rival Kentucky Wildcats.

Florida head coach Todd Golden and his squad’s chances of snatching a bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament hang in the balance. The Florida Gators (13-10, 6-4 SEC) have eight games left in their season.

Golden picked up his first signature win against the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Feb. 1. The Gators dominated the Volunteers 67-54, pushing them back onto the bubble of making the tournament, according to ESPN reporter Joe Lunardi.

The win was key in the Gators’ effort to make the tournament, and it boosted the team’s confidence, Golden said.

“I think it’s huge for us in a lot of different ways,” Golden said. “We’ve just got to make sure we keep going.”

Florida entered Rupp Arena Feb. 4 against fellow bubble team Kentucky, who sat as one of the “Last Four Byes.”

The Wildcats took the Gators down 7267 and made UF’s path to March Madness harder.

Florida will still have a chance to pick up signature wins that will build a resume worthy of a tournament bid despite its most recent loss.

The NCAA has a ranking system that helps in the selection process for the tournament, known as the NET rankings.

The NET rankings determine the quality of wins and rank them into four quadrants — Quad 1, Quad 2, Quad 3 and Quad 4. Wins against Quad 1 teams are the most important for a team’s chance of securing a bid to the tournament.

The Gators are 2-8 against Quad 1 teams after the Kentucky loss, with their two wins coming against Mississippi State and Tennessee.

Florida has two more opportunities to pick up resume-boosting wins against Quad 1 teams. Its first opportunity will be against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide Feb. 8, and the second will be against the Arkansas Razorbacks Feb. 18.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/sports.

Jackson Reyes is an assistant sports editor at The Independent Florida Alligator

Alex Winn // Alligator Staff Florida infielder Dale Thomas walks back to the dugout in the Gators’ second Spring scrimmage Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

Jackson Reyes jacksonreyes@alligator.org @JacksnReyes

From Coastal to Florida

BASEBALL, from pg. 11

Riopelle said. “I want to take the pressure off myself. I feel like any good player does that.”

During Florida’s second preseason intrasquad scrimmage Jan. 28, Riopelle and Thomas were sorted into the “Orange” and “Blue” teams, respectively. As the game moved along, Thomas found himself as a baserunner on third while Riopelle was behind the plate. He took his lead off the bag, while a runner at first base did the same.

After a pitch, the runner at first broke for second in a delayed steal attempt, trying to bait a throw from Riopelle that would allow a chance for Thomas to score from third.

Unfortunately for Thomas, Riopelle didn’t fall for it.

Upon seeing the runner take off from first, Thomas went into a dead sprint while Riopelle sat at home plate with the ball waiting for him. Despite an athletic dive into home plate, Thomas was easily tagged out. He acknowledged his slight miscalculation with a wide grin toward his old friend. Riopelle returned the smile

as Thomas jogged sheepishly towards the dugout.

“I'm always going to have a smile on my face and and just keep grinding because I want to win a national championship with this group of guys,” Thomas said. “These guys are my brothers, and I'm beyond grateful for them.”

Riopelle earned the fans’ adoration in his first season in Florida pinstripes with his choice of walk-up song. “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus blared through the Condron Family Ballpark speakers every time Riopelle came up to bat. Riopelle has used the song his entire college career and confirmed he has no plans to change it.

“Let’s just say that the one weekend I didn't use that walk-up song… I struck out

12 times,” Riopelle said.

How does Thomas hope to compete with Miley? He hopes “Raised on Red” by Heath Sanders will resonate with the Florida faithful.

“It reminds me a lot of me and where I come from and basically puts me back in my roots,” Thomas said.

Fans will have plenty of time to hear both songs, as 20 of the first 22 regular season games will be played in Gainesville. Riopelle, Thomas and the rest of the Florida Gators take the field for the first time at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at Condron Ballpark against Charleston Southern.

@EthanEibe

eeibe@alligator.org