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VOLUME 116 ISSUE 22 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

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Communist Party, Change Party announce campaign platforms BOTH PARTIES ANNOUNCED 12 PLATFORM POINTS ON INSTAGRAM AHEAD OF SPRING SG ELECTIONS

By Maia Botek and Gregorio Ruiz-Perez Alligator Staff Writers

UF Student Government elections are fast approaching, and some parties are releasing their platforms for the semester.

Students can vote for 50 senators and the Executive Cabinet in SG’s Spring election on Feb. 22 and 23. Five parties are registered: The Gator Party, Change Party, Communist Party, Keg Party and Waffle House Party.

Polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on election days, per SG election codes. Students who are unable to vote in-person can request absentee ballots through an online form before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, said Supervisor of Elections Alexandra Stedman.

“Voting is really just getting your voice out there,” Stedman said. “We're all students here at the university. We're all experiencing everything that's going on.”

Change and Communist parties’ general platforms feature 12 points that were released on Instagram during the last week of January.

Gator Party, Keg Party and Waffle House Party have not responded to requests for comment about the party platform.

Last election season, Gator Party won 37 seats for a total supermajority of 60 seats in the Senate. Change won 12 seats and

Communist won none.

“This semester, we've put a lot of emphasis on platform points that are really going to support and enhance the lives of students,” said Change Party President Cassidy Campbell, “Things that are actually achievable through the student Senate.”

The platform focuses on points the party has developed during other semesters like shifting to 24hour libraries, which UF administration oversees.

Change Party’s Student Body President candidate Gabrielle Adekunle organized a blue lights protest on Fraternity Row Friday afternoon. The march from Flavet Field to the president’s mansion advocated for a list of demands made by Change Party and Take Action Florida.

Some of the demands aligned with Change’s platform, such as expanding blue lights and increasing report times for sexual assault.

About 40 students held signs and blue flashlights.

Other party points include pursuing an online voting option for SG elections, integrating easyprep meal vending machines and increasing accessibility and ADA compliance.

“Leadership underneath Change Party would be very accessible and be representative of the student body as a whole,” Adekunle said.

The Change Party will be releasing more information on platform points before the election, Campbell said.

The Communist Party was originally founded at UF as the

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT FEST Wrestling brings intergender Story description finish with comma, pg#

wrestling to Gainesville

The wrestling troupe breaks gender binaries.

Read more on pg. 12

SEE PLATFORMS, PAGE 4

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Gabrielle Adekunle (left), Change Party's presidential nominee, and Alexandra Quintana lead protestors down Fraternity Row on Friday, Feb. 4. The rally was held by Change Party to advocate for more emergency blue lights along Fraternity Row.

‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills would silence discussion of sexual orientation, gender identity in classrooms ANTI-LGBTQ+ BILLS MOVE FORWARD IN FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE

By Carissa Allen Alligator Staff Writer

As the Florida Legislature pushes bills that would ban discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, Gainesville students and teachers push back.

The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ companion bills, HB1557/

SB1834, are circulating through the Florida legislature. The pair of bills would limit discussions about LGBTQ+ and transgender identities “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

The measures are sponsored

by Rep. Joe Harding, R-Ocala, and Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake.

The representatives are framing the legislation as a restoration in parents’ autonomy to make decisions about the upbringing of their children.

ACPS buses delays frustrate parents Find this story on pg. 2

Black, female business owners celebrate Valentine’s Day Find this story on pg. 7

“This bill will help us focus on the priority that our students belong to families and that they are not wards of the state,” Baxley wrote in an email.

“Parents should decide what is age-appropriate content for their children.”

Harding didn’t respond to The Alligator’s request for comment by email and phone in time for publication.

The bills target primary grade levels, grades K-3, wrote Matt McClain, Senator Baxley’s senior

SEE DON'T SAY GAY, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022

Weather ParentsToday’s unhappy as school bus route delays continue EVEN WITH INCREASED HOURLY PAY, SCHOOL BUS DRIVER VACANCIES AND ABSENCES SPUR DAILY DELAYS

By Emma Behrmann Alligator Staff Writer

Chronic late buses frustrate Alachua County Public School parents as the fifth month of school continues to be marked by delays of up to 90 minutes.

Skylah Banks, 36, a Gainesville resident, waited to leave for her 2 p.m. shift until her two thirdgraders came home from Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary at 3500 NE 15th St. “They didn’t get home until right at 5 o’clock,” Banks said.

She was three hours late for her job at Walmart.

The district and school send her updates on how late buses will be, but she said the afternoon time estimates are not accurate.

In addition to the delayed bus notifications, she also receives calls from the Rawlings attendance office.

“The school office calls every day and says they’re missing class,” Banks said. Although the excused tardies will not affect their records, her children are still missing instructional time.

Banks’ children are not alone. Route 1027, which serves Buchholz High School, Fort Clarke Middle School and Meadowbrook Elementary, has a tendency for tardiness — running up to 90 minutes late 18 times in January.

Route 2029, which also serves Buchholz High, Fort Clarke Middle and Meadowbrook Elementary along with Kanapaha Middle, has arrived late 53 times since Jan. 5.

The district reported 25 late buses on Friday. This is about the same as the first three weeks of January when the district reported more than 30 late buses each day.

ACPS’ bus problem is nothing new. Late buses have been abundant throughout the school year due to a shortage of bus drivers, abundant absences and low wages. COVID19-related absences caused nearly 50 late buses on days like Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said.

The district experienced a surge in late buses alongside the surge in new COVID-19 staff cases.

As new staff cases dropped by more than half, bus tardiness began to ease, Johnson said.

Despite the improvement Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday had 46 late buses, Thursday had 37 and Friday had 25.

Even when a bus is late, the delay has been shorter this past week at 15, 20 and 30 minutes, Johnson said. However, 7 of the 25 late buses Friday were delayed by 90 minutes or more, leaving students to miss instructional time or arrive home much later than expected.

These issues are not county specific. Nationwide, school districts are plagued by bus driver shortages and delays. The U.S. Department of Education even offered a temporary option to waive a portion of the commercial driver's license (CDL) skills test to alleviate the shortage of school bus drivers.

In an effort to improve conditions for current bus drivers, the Alachua County Education Association met with the district to discuss a reclassification of the bus driver job description so drivers could earn more money.

Superintendent Carlee Simon

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approved the reclassification of bus drivers Dec. 13, giving each driver at least an 8% increase in pay, Tessmann said.

A driver who earned $13.95 an hour would now earn $15.84 an hour.

Reclassification is not a raise but is a change in the pay grade for a specific job title, ACEA service unit director Crystal Tessmann said.

“Even with the reclassification, our bus drivers aren’t getting paid what they deserve, as with all of our employees,” Tessman said.

She hopes the pay increase will help retain bus drivers; failure to retain drivers leads to vacancies and delayed routes.

“We don’t have a fully staffed group of bus drivers,” Tessmann said. “We have way too many vacancies so that just exacerbates absences.”

The district is short 28 bus drivers, including substitute drivers who report every day to drive routes for absent drivers, Johnson said.

ACPS continues to seek out qualified bus drivers and will pay for the required CDL training as well as school bus endorsements. Even though a higher hourly pay with available overtime is now offered, shortages and delays continue. @emmabehrmann ebehrmann@alligator.org

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Gainesville teachers, students brace for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation DON'T SAY GAY, from pg. 1 legislative assistant, in an email.

The state bill is part of a larger question at the national level about who controls curriculum in classrooms, whether that be parents, lawmakers or teachers.

“The lawmakers in Tallahassee are no longer going to defer to the judgement of educators, who we would hope would be experts in teaching,” said Clay Calvert, a UF law professor specializing in communications law and freedom of speech.

Politically charged Florida laws on critical race theory and viewpoint diversity surveys have set the precedent for politics meddling with pedagogy, Calvert said.

Public school students have First Amendment rights to free speech, Calvert said, though they are not absolute. The landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District established the substantial disruption test, which sets the criteria to determine whether a public school official is justified in suppressing a student’s speech.

If a teacher stifles a conversation raised by a student about their sexual orientation and identity, the student can sue, and the educator must prove that speech would have caused a substantial and material disruption of the academic atmosphere, Calvert said.

“That will be hard to do,” he added.

“It’s problematic.”

Alachua County’s House and Senate representatives, Rep. Robert "Chuck" Brannan, R-Lake City, and Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, didn’t respond to The Alligator’s request for comment in time for publication.

Some Alachua County public elementary school teachers like Danielle Engelhorn, a teacher at Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary, have expressed their discomfort with shutting down important conversations about students’ sexual identity.

“We’re here to provide a safe place for kids to learn,” Englehorn said. “We can’t do that if we’re prevented from being able to address our students’ needs.”

Preventing teachers from discussing sexual orientation will not prevent students from asking questions about it, and it will not stop bullying, she added.

If the bill is signed into law, it may also lead to the banning of lessons on LGBTQ+ oppression and history, which Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary teacher Stephanie Walker said repeals her autonomy over her classroom.

“If we don’t talk about something, then we don’t learn to accept it,” Walker said.

“If it’s not talked about, then we’ll go back to the point where kids are afraid to say who they are.”

Walker strives to make her classroom a safe space for every child, so her classroom’s walls are adorned with student-made pride posters and pictures.

As a mother of two LGBTQ+ young adults who came out in middle school, she fears for a state that may ban the teaching of tolerance and respect and a childhood in which kids must conceal their identity.

Reminded of the struggles her own children endured, Walker worries the bill will stifle students’ self-expression and engender mental illness.

The Trevor Project, the world’s largest organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ adolescents, is also concerned about the damage the bill may induce on LGBTQ+ youths’ mental health.

LQBTQ+ students deserve their history to be reflected in their education, like their peers, spokesperson Sam Ames said in a statement.

LGBTQ+ youth who learned about LGBTQ+ history and issues in school had 23% lower odds of reporting a sucicide attempt in the past year, according to The Trevor Project’s research.

The bill would also require district

school boards to adopt procedures for notifying parents if teachers notice a change in a student’s “mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.” It mandates school district personnel to “encourage a student to discuss issues relating to his or her well-being with his or her parent.”

Damon Veras, a 21-year-old UF political science junior and UF LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee member, said this measure is a way of outing young children to their parents.

The committee acts as a forum to address concerns of homophobia and transphobia on campus and assesses the quality of life of UF’s LGBTQ+ students and staff, recommending programs, policies and services to enhance their well-being, according to its website.

The committee is carefully drafting the letter to signify the group does not support the legislation and persuade the university to take an official stance, perhaps enlisting UF lobbyists. Veras calls upon students to oppose the bill on a smaller scale.

“I want to encourage anyone who has the capacity and ability to do so, to call their representatives and tell them to vote

Progressive Party by previous president Alfredo Ortiz. The party ran as Communist Party last election and won no Senate seats.

Parties were required to submit a supporting petition with 500 signatures by Feb. 1 to qualify. The Communist Party did not reach enough signatures, but eight candidates are running for Senate,

said previous president, Alfredo Ortiz.

The Communist Party platform features four foundations: radical democracy, boots off necks, economic relief and social justice, each of which have three points.

The party developed points under Ortiz and finalized the platform under its current president, Aron Ali-McClory, a 19-year-old freshman studying anthropology and political science.

@carissaallenn callen@alligator.org

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

Gator Party did not respond for comment PLATFORMS, from pg. 1

‘no’ on these bills,” he said.

Although UF isn’t a primary school and therefore isn’t directly impacted by the bill, the university governs P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School, a K-12 public school in Gainesville.

The Alachua County School Board hasn’t yet discussed the bill, and therefore it has not taken a formal stance on it, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson wrote in an email.

“Depending on how it would be implemented if it does become law, obviously there is concern that this could have a chilling effect on speech and expression in the classroom,” she wrote.

“The devil is often in the details.”

HB1557 was passed from the Education & Employment Committee to the Judiciary Committee in the House Jan. 25. SB1834 has been added to the agenda in its first Senate committee, the Education Committee, to be discussed on Tuesday.

As the public debate surrounding this bill intensifies, debate in the Florida Legislature continues.

Under the radical democracy point, the party seeks to abolish the two-party SG system, create a union of SG employees and adhere to the demands of the UF Food Justice Coalition.

The boots off necks foundation would allow students to control UFPD’s budget, protect academic freedom and educate the student body through a mandatory course on Critical Race Theory.

Economic relief features points

like student debt relief, subsidies for school supplies and creating workplace democracy, which is one of the beliefs of the Communist Party, Ortiz said.

The party wants to eliminate gendered restrooms, create an “anti-John’s committee” to protect leftist and LGBTQ+ students and assist transgender students with costs that accompany transitioning— like replacing a Gator 1 card.

“I love Lib West, but it’s a six-story building with one gen-

der-neutral bathroom,” said Izzy Myers, a 19-year-old sophomore studying history who was the party’s executive VP candidate.

SG will announce election results at about 9:30 p.m. Feb. 23 if no run-offs are necessary.

Questions about SG elections can be directed to Stedman at elections@sg.ufl.edu. @BotekMaia mbotek@alligator.org @GregRuizPerez1 gruiz-perez@alligator.org

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Sister Cindy doesn’t deserve your attention — ironic or not

L

ast week, Sister Cindy stood in front of a crowd outside UCF’s reflecting pond and spewed her usual vitriol.

Like any other day on Cindy’s “tour,” students ate it up. People recorded and posted to social media, arguing with her, jokingly agreeing with her Sara Lindsay — all for the satisfaction of poking the Opinions Editor wiry, unhinged, emotionally unstable bear.

And as much as I’d like to pretend this isn’t true, Sister Cindy was once a journalism student at UF. At one point, she even worked for The Alligator.

On her husband’s website, she shares unfounded lies about our school, shaming our students and putting down the college in general. She also tries to relate to students with the claim that she was once “a bad girl at the University of Florida.”

Now, she’s threatening to come back, and she may even be here today.

Common themes for Cindy’s speeches include slut shaming, homophobic comments and racist remarks. She became famous by sharing her problematic beliefs on TikTok, and her hateful speeches have grown into a full-blown national tour.

And really, I get it — when she’s standing outside with her phone clenched tightly in her waving fist, screaming about things that don’t really make any sense at all, it’s kind of hard not to watch. It might even be cathartic to argue with her.

Even if I know it’s not productive, it might feel good to fight Hellfire with facts, to try to make Cindy feel bad for what she’s doing, to laugh at her.

But that’s exactly what she wants.

Because in her eyes, any engagement or ironic support of Sister Cindy is still support. In a world where clicks, follows and likes amass fortunes, she and her team don’t really care if you’re joking when you praise her. In fact, they rely on it.

Even Cindy has acknowledged that the way she presents her content is satirical. But she also claims “she is presenting what she believes to be the truth.”

Young people have made her a celebrity, and she’ll stay that way as long as we keep showing up. Cindy has a TikTok account with almost 400,000 followers and nearly six million likes, a cameo account where she’s paid to hate and an Instagram where students beg her to preach at their schools.

It’s common to see street preachers at colleges like UF. In fact, we see (less famous) preachers gather at Turlington PlazaHall pretty often. And due to the property including many (even limited) “public forums,” they’re allowed to stay there. But not all of them are like Cindy.

If you feel like you have to show up and laugh, I can’t stop you. I can’t even blame you for feeling that way because I’m tempted, too. But before you post her words, support her (even ironically), give her a platform — remember this woman’s claim to fame is rhetoric that hurts people. It’s a privilege to only see her comments as a joke, to be unaffected by their results.

Don’t be the soapbox that Cindy stands on to spew misogyny, racism and homophobia. She doesn’t deserve a place at our school.

She doesn’t deserve the attention of real Florida Gators.

Sara Lindsay is the Spring 2022 Opinions Editor for The Alligator and a senior journalism major. She is currently a Pulitzer Fellow at the CJC and spends her free time at the park with her dog Sequoia.

Column

City Commission silences students

U

F students make Gainesville the vicity government had followed years of precedent and provided early voting at the Reitz. brant, progressive city it is. They supThis voter suppression is only a symptom of port local small businesses, ride citya larger problem: our city leaders have routinely managed public transportation and swept the concerns of students aside. For them, work in our community. ignoring your voice is more convenient than makBut students also make up a substantial voting ing genuine attempts to listen to you. bloc that is made to feel its voices don’t matter. A The last time your City Commission met with big part of this issue is our city leaders suppressing Claudia their counterparts in UF Student Government was the student vote.

Tio-Cartagena on April 2019. Not a single person who was a stuDespite UF students comprising nearly a third Alachua County Democratic dent senator at that time remains in the chamber of Gainesville’s population, there was no early Executive Committe now. How can your city leaders claim to reprevoting location on campus during the most recent sent you when they won’t even speak with your city election.

Students used to have access to early voting at the J. democratically-elected student leaders?

At a recent meeting, the City Commission took steps to Wayne Reitz Union — but even that was a hard-fought viceliminate the Student Community Relations Advisory Board, tory.

For years, students begged their state-level officials to with zero concrete ideas as to how exactly they plan on havchange the rules so they would have more convenient access ing “discussions with student neighbors on city issues.” I to the ballot box in their community. It took a protracted don’t know about you, but I’d imagine they could start by 2018 legal battle — led by UF students in partnership with listening to student perspectives instead of purposefully exthe Andrew Goodman Foundation — for an early voting lo- cluding them from government discussions.

This August, four out of seven city government seats are cation to come to UF and college campuses across the state.

That year, nearly 8,000 people — primarily students — up for grabs — including the mayor’s seat. Students have the opportunity to elect leaders who truly represent them. voted early at the Reitz Union.

Voting for city commissioners who actually care about the This time around, our city leaders suppressed these votes by failing to instruct the Alachua County Supervisor of Elec- student community would be a great start. tions to provide this critical voting option for students.

Eighty-four percent of UF students live off-campus. That Claudia Tio-Cartagena is a member of the Alachua means the average student had to balance classes, extracurCounty Democratic Executive Committee, a former UF riculars and other obligations with finding a polling location Student Government Senator and a proud resident of at a random hotel or church miles from where they spend Gainesville. most of their day. This wouldn’t have been the case if your

Column

State legislators should act now to change Florida’s climate future

J

an. 11 marked the beginning of the 2022 providing this critical department with Legislative Session, providing Florida adequate resources and the requisite lawmakers with three big opportunities authority to direct resilience initiatives across to change the trajectory of Florida’s fuFlorida’s agencies, lead implementation of ture and mitigate the impacts of climate the state’s resilience strategy and leverage change on our state. funding from the federal government and the Here in Gainesville, we trust the science, private sector. and it tells us climate change is real. Roughly Dawn Shirreffs Third, lawmakers should reject any 92% of Floridians agree — they know climate Environmental Defense Fund legislative proposals that would unfairly change is real, too. That’s because we’re check the momentum of Florida’s burgeoning paying higher electric bills from record heat waves and solar industry. Florida universities, families and small skyrocketing insurance from stronger hurricanes and businesses should be able to continue recovering their increased flooding. costs at the same rate as Florida’s utilities.

In 2021 alone, we were hit with thousands of Demand for electricity is growing rapidly. Our overwildfires, and red tide lingered all summer from reliance on natural gas (75% according to the US Energy higher ocean temperatures hurting our health and our Information Administration) makes energy security and tourism economy. A recent report by Florida Taxwatch affordability vulnerable to global gas price volatility, highlighted $175 billion in economic risk annually by cyberattacks and natural disaster events. We should 2050 from climate change here in the sunshine state. be looking for ways to ensure our cities, universities But what can state leaders do in the coming weeks and other tax-exempt organizations can make critical to change Florida’s future? investment in solar to save taxpayer dollars, reduce First, Florida should set bold but achievable goals risk and increase our resilience after a storm. for electric vehicles, especially charging infrastructure Florida lawmakers, before the end of session on deployment for medium and heavy vehicles. Lawmakers March 11, have a real opportunity to lead on climate can jumpstart this transition by removing barriers to and the economy with common sense solutions. In just electric vehicle expansion. a few short weeks, we will know if they have risen to For example, simple tweaks to the state’s the challenge. Let’s hope they do; our state and our procurement practices will allow the total cost of futures depend on it. vehicle ownership to guide fleet purchasing decisions.

This would save taxpayers money over time while Dawn Shirreffs is the Florida Director of the reducing air pollution.

Environmental Defense Fund.

Second, legislators should solidify the Statewide Office of Resiliency under the Governor’s Office by

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El Caimán

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Los padres de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Alachua están en descontento ya que continúan los retrasos de las rutas de los autobuses A PESAR DEL AUMENTO EN SALARIOS, LAS VACANTES Y LAS AUSENCIAS DE LOS CONDUCTORES DE AUTOBUSES ESCOLARES ESTÁN PROVOCANDO RETRASOS DIARIOS

Por Emma Behrmann Escritora del Caimán

Traducido por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

Los retrasos crónicos en los autobuses frustran a los padres de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Alachua ya que el quinto mes de clases sigue siendo marcado por retrasos de hasta noventa minutos.

Skylah Banks de 36 años, residente de Gainesville, esperó hasta que sus dos hijos de tercer grado regresaran a casa de la escuela primaria Marjorie K. Rawlings en 3500 NE 15th S para poder irse a su turno de trabajo a las dos de la tarde “Ayer no llegaron a casa hasta las cinco de la tarde”, dijo Banks.

Ella llegó con tres horas de retraso a su trabajo en Walmart.

El distrito y la escuela le envían actualizaciones sobre qué tan tarde llegarán los autobuses, pero ella dijo que los estimados de la tarde no son precisos.

Además de las notificaciones de los autobuses en retraso, también recibe llamadas de la oficina de asistencia de Rawlings.

“La oficina de la escuela llama to-

dos los días para decirme que ellos están faltando a clases”, Banks dijo.

Aunque las tardanzas justificadas no afectarán sus registros, sus hijos aún están perdiendo tiempo en el aula.

Los hijos de Banks no son los únicos. La ruta 1027, que sirve a la escuela secundaria Buchholz, a la escuela intermedia Fort Clarke, y a la escuela primaria Meadowbrook, también tiene una tendencia de retrasos: ha llegado hasta noventa minutos tarde dieciocho veces en enero. La ruta 2029, que también sirve a la escuela secundaria Buchholz, a la escuela intermedia Fort Clarke y a la escuela primaria Meadowbrook, junto con la escuela intermedia Kanapaha, ha llegado tarde cincuenta y tres veces desde el cinco de enero.

El distrito reportó veinticinco autobuses retrasados ​​el viernes. Esta es casi la misma cantidad que las primeras tres semanas de enero cuando el distrito reportó más de treinta autobuses retrasados ​​cada día.

El problema de los autobuses de ACPS (Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Alachua) no es nada nuevo.

Los autobuses retrasados ​​ han sido abundantes durante todo el año escolar debido a la escasez de conductores de autobuses, las numerosas ausencias y los bajos salarios. Las ausencias relacionadas con el COVID-19 causaron casi cincuenta autobuses retrasados ​​en días como el diez y el once de enero, dijo la portavoz de ACPS, Jackie Johnson.

El distrito tuvo un aumento en los retrasos de autobuses a la vez que los nuevos casos de COVID-19 subían en su personal.

A medida que los nuevos casos de personal se redujeron por más de la mitad, las tardanzas en los autobuses comenzaron a disminuir, dijo Johnson.

A pesar de la mejora entre el lunes y el martes, el miércoles hubo cuarenta y seis buses atrasados, el jueves treinta y siete y el viernes veinticinco.

Incluso cuando un autobús ha llegado tarde, la demora fue más corta la semana pasada con quince, veinte y treinta minutos de retraso, Johnson dijo. Sin embargo, siete de los veinticinco autobuses que llegaron tarde el viernes se retrasaron noventa minutos o más, lo que provocó que los estudiantes perdieran tiempo de instrucción o llegaran a casa mucho más tarde de lo esperado.

Estos problemas no son específicos del condado. En todo el país, los distritos escolares están plagados de retrasos y escasez de conductores de autobuses. El Departamento de Educación de EE. UU. hasta ofreció una opción temporal para renunciar al requerimiento de una parte de la prueba de habilidades de la licencia de conducir comercial (CDL) para aliviar la escasez de conductores de autobuses escolares.

En un esfuerzo por mejorar las condiciones de los conductores de autobuses actuales, la Asociación de Educación del Condado de Alachua se reunió con el distrito para discutir una reclasificación de la descripción del trabajo del conductor del autobús para que los conductores pudieran ganar más dinero.

La superintendente Carlee Simon aprobó la reclasificación de los con-

Ashleigh Lucas // Personal del Caimán

Los autobuses de las escuelas públicas del condado de Alachua esperan a los estudiantes en la escuela primaria Littlewood el miércoles dos de febrero. ductores de autobuses el trece de diciembre, otorgando a cada conductor un aumento salarial de al menos un ocho por ciento Tessmann dijo.

Un conductor que ganaba $13,95 por hora ahora ganaría $15,84 por hora.

La reclasificación no es un aumento, sino un cambio en el grado de pago para un título de trabajo específico, dijo Crystal Tessmann, directora de la unidad de servicio de ACEA. “Incluso con la reclasificación, a nuestros conductores de autobuses no se les paga lo que merecen, como sucede con todos nuestros empleados”, dijo Tessman.

Ella espera que el aumento salarial ayude a retener a los conductores de autobuses; la falta de retención genera vacantes y rutas retrasadas.

“No tenemos un grupo completo de conductores de autobuses”, dijo Tessmann. “Tenemos demasiadas vacantes, lo cual exacerba las ausencias”.

Al distrito le faltan veintiocho conductores de autobuses, incluidos los conductores sustitutos que se presentan todos los días para conducir las rutas de los conductores ausentes, Johnson dijo.

ACPS continúa buscando conductores de autobuses calificados y pagará la capacitación de CDL requerida, así como los endosos de autobuses escolares. Aunque ahora se ofrece un pago por hora más alto con horas extra disponibles, la escasez y los retrasos continúan. @emmabehrmann ebehrmann@alligator.org

Los proyectos de ley 'No digas gay' silenciarán la discusión sobre orientación sexual e identidad de género en las aulas PROYECTOS DE LEY ANTI-LGBTQ+ AVANZAN EN LA CÁMARA DE REPRESENTANTES Y EL SENADO DE FLORIDA

Por Carissa Allen Escritora del Caimán

Traducido por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

A medida que la Legislatura de Florida impulsa proyectos de ley que prohibirían la discusión sobre orientación sexual e identidad de género en el aula, los estudiantes y maestros de Gainesville se oponen.

HB1557/SB1834 son proyectos de ley

complementarios denominados como el proyecto de ley 'Don't Say Gay' (‘No Digas Gay’) que circula en la Legislatura de Florida.

El par de proyectos de ley limitaría las discusiones sobre las identidades LGBTQ+ y transgénero “de una manera que no sea apropiada para la edad o el desarrollo de los estudiantes”.

Las medidas están patrocinadas por el representante Joe Harding, R-Ocala, el senador Dennis Baxley y R-Lady Lake.

Los representantes enmarcan la legislación como un restablecimiento de la autonomía de los padres para tomar decisiones acerca de la crianza de sus hijos.

“Este proyecto de ley nos ayudará a centrarnos en la prioridad de que nuestros es-

Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter.

Envíanos un tweet @alligatorElCaiman.

tudiantes pertenezcan a sus familias y que no estén bajo la tutela del estado”, escribió Baxley en un correo electrónico. “Los padres tienen derecho a decidir cuál es el contenido apropiado para la edad de sus hijos”.

Harding no respondió a la solicitud de comentarios del Caimán por correo electrónico o por teléfono a tiempo para esta publicación.

Los proyectos de ley apuntan a los niveles de grado primario, grados K-3, escribió Matt McClain, asistente legislativo principal del senador Baxley, en un correo electrónico.

El proyecto de ley estatal es parte de una pregunta más amplia a nivel nacional sobre quién controla el plan de estudios en las aulas: ¿Los padres y los legisladores o los maestros?

Gator pitchers heal from arm surgery Find this story on pg. 11

“Los legisladores de Tallahassee ya no van a ceder ante el juicio de los educadores, que esperamos sean expertos en la enseñanza”, dijo el Dr. Clay Calvert, profesor de derecho de la UF especializado en derecho de las comunicaciones y la libertad de expresión.

Las leyes políticamente cargadas de Florida sobre la teoría crítica de la raza y las encuestas de diversidad de puntos de vista han sentado el precedente para la política que se entromete con la pedagogía, dijo Calvert. lee el resto en linea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman.

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

@carissaallenn callen@alligator.org

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022 ALLIGATOR 7

Black, female small business owners celebrate Valentine’s Day with pop-up shop FOURTEEN SELLERS CAME TOGETHER TO MARKET THEIR PRODUCTS FOR FEBRUARY

By Thandie Brown Alligator Staff Writer

Wigs, Valentine’s Day-themed candy baskets, healthcare uniforms, jewelry and clothes lined the walls of Cypress & Grove Brewing Company Saturday afternoon.

Gainesville family business Sistah’s Synergy hosted the “I am Black, I am Love” themed pop-up shop to celebrate both Valentine’s Day and Black History Month.

Mother Kendra Johnson, sisters Keoni Ellis and Chaquala “Quala” Ellis founded Sistah’s Synergy last year.

Sistah’s Synergy decided to get together small Black businesses that wanted to flourish, but it didn’t know where to start, Chaquala said. The owners started small events like the pop-up to promote their businesses.

From noon to 4 p.m., 14 small business owners sold their store’s products on decorated tables lining the walls of the room.

Chaquala expected about 40 people to visit. An hour into the event, about 11 people shopped, she said.

“Two years ago I got obsessed with the whole Black Wall Street idea,” she said. “I just thought it’d be awesome to see so many different people of all shapes and colors to just be able to sell [our products] versus anybody going to Walmart and Target.”

Chaquala started her Gainesville hair care business, Blessed Crownes, with homemade products that styled her and her daughter’s hair.

She started her braiding career at 14 years old, styling her mom’s, sisters’ and cousins’ hair. At 16, she began building clientele.

She led her own table at the pop-up shop.

Hair oils and butters, men’s facial care products, waist beads and facial jewelry filled Blessed Crownes’ booth. Chaquala crafted custom jewelry for her customers at the end of her table.

She invited her clients to the event.

Some attended as vendors, while others shopped as customers.

Kailey Wade, a 30-year-old systems research administrator in Jacksonville, set up her painting booth after Chaquala invited her to be a vendor.

Paintings of faceless Black women with diverse hair styles line her “K. Lauren Creations.”

Afros, detailed braids, high puffs, wavy half-up-half-down and wrapped styles were displayed in her colorful art.

“I have been doing paintings since I was young,” Wade said. “Art has always had a special place in my heart, so this is just something I do on the side to relieve stress.”

Wade’s artwork caters to Black individuals, she said. Her pieces have bold backgrounds that center on Black women.

At her first pop-up, she sold seven out of eight of her paintings, and she hoped to clear her table like that once more.

Wade sees the event as an opportunity for Gainesville vendors to showcase their stuff.

“Being a part of this, it’s fun and amazing,” she said.

Tucked in the corner of the room, Brittney Harris, 32, stood beside her table stacked with sex toys ranging in color, shape, size and purpose.

Harris saw Chaquala was hosting an event and knew she wanted to be part of it.

“I actually saw that she was doing a Black-owned Valentine’s Day themed popup shop and I was like: ’Well, that’s super dope,’” she said.

She sold three products by 1:30 p.m.

Harris handed business cards to people walking by to purchase online for discretion.

Jiselle Lee // Alligator Staff

Londyn Merricks, 9, whispers in her cousin Imani Huggins’, 7, ear at a Valentine’s Day pop-up shop at Cypress & Grove Brewing Company on Saturday, Feb. 5. The pair was helping their mothers sell accessories.

Harris said she doesn’t see a lot of Blackowned adult toy sellers. The event was a great way to get exposure for her online store, Plenty of Freaks.

When she wasn’t educating customers about her products, she visited other booths set up in the room.

Anisha Dixon, a 30-year-old hair stylist, attended the pop-up shop to support her Florida School of Traditional Midwifery classmate, Alayna Jones, who sold Valentine-themed treats.

“It’s just a cute, nice event,” Dixon said.

“Everybody has a lot of cool things going on.”

Dixon spent 30 minutes visiting booths and catching up with friends. She purchased a wig kit from Tracey Wells’ Flashy Fashion’s booth.

Growing up, Chaquala attended Gainesville’s art festivals. She hopes her pop-up events will support and give back to the community.

“I really want to see all of them grow to further than where they are now because I know a lot of them don’t want to be in the spot that they are [now],” Chaquala said. @decidedlioness tbrown@alligator.org

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8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022

Two candidates join the race for Gainesville mayor

Ed Bielarski and Harvey Ward announced their campaigns in the same week

By Melanie Peña Alligator Staff Writer

There are now four candidates running for the position of Gainesville mayor in the Aug. 23 election.

This election will be the first in 12 years without an incumbent mayor running, with Ed Bielarski, City Commissioner Harvey Ward, City Commissioner David Arreola and Gainesville resident Donald Shepherd on the ballot.

Bielarski, former GRU General

Manager, filed his paperwork Jan. 24. A day later, Ward announced he will run.

Before Ward and Bielarski announced last week, the only two candidates running for the position were Arreola, who announced his race in December 2021, and Shepherd who filed his paperwork in June 2021.

Mayor Lauren Poe reached his two-term limit after six years of governing Gainesville.

During his term, Poe focused on safe transportation, renewable energy and the growth of local

Harvey Ward, (left), and Ed Bielarski, (right).

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

entrepreneurial businesses in the community.

Poe is hopeful for Gainesville’s future and remains committed to helping whoever wins the election do the best that they can.

“At this point, I’m really hoping that each of the candidates has an opportunity to share their vision for the direction that they would like to see Gainesville go,” he said. “We’ve done some great work over the last six years, and I’m hoping whoever becomes mayor will continue that work.”

The race brings candidates from several backgrounds; Gainesville residents will have a variety of options to choose from come election day.

Ward has served as a city commissioner since 2017 and acted as mayor pro tem in 2019 and 2020.

He waited until after the special runoff election to launch his campaign.

“I know where and how things get done at City Hall,” he said.

“I’ve developed those working relationships over the last two terms as a commissioner. I have developed the relationships with community groups, and neighborhood associations and you can’t do that quickly.”

Ward’s campaign will focus on many Gainesville issues including housing, clean energy and public safety, he said.

His competitor, Bielarski, announced his bid for mayor during a January City Commission meeting.

During the meeting, Ward motioned to fire Bielarski as GRU General

Manager after almost seven years in the position. The City Commission had also attempted to fire Bielarski in September.

Bielarski was shocked to see the community join together to defend and support him by attending the September City Commission meeting and calling in during public comment.

“In that moment, I realized that I had an impact on people’s lives,” he said.

This will be Berlaski’s first run in political office. He plans to run on a campaign that promotes accessibility, accountability, affordability and transparency.

“I’m not a politician,” he said.

“I’m just a leader. My principles are that we need to be accessible to the public. We need to be accountable to the public. We need to every year have a priority list and actually a three and five year plan where we say: ‘OK we’re working on these things.’”

Bielarski said on Friday that former City Commissioners Helen Warren and Scherwin Henry, former Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad and UF Assistant Dean for Inclusion M Smith will be joining his campaign team.

Arreola was surprised by Bielarski and Ward announcing their campaigns back-to-back but, simultaneously, expected it. He joked this would be the Daytona 500 of mayoral races.

“It has been a very long time since Gainesville has had to vote for a brand new mayor without an

incumbent mayor running for reelection,” Arreola said. “I think I’m the candidate to really deliver that inclusive generational change.”

Arreola expressed satisfaction in how his campaign is currently proceeding.

He reported a total of $6,085.47 in monetary contributions.

Arreola was recently pushed by his competitor, Shepherd, during a City Commission meeting Jan. 27.

He won’t press charges. However, Shepherd was trespassed from City Hall for a year and denies the accusation.

Shepherd ran for mayor in 2013 and 2016. In the middle of his 2016 mayoral campaign, he was charged with grand theft auto for stealing a 1991 Ford F-150 truck. He was previously arrested in 1999 for a misdemeanor theft charge.

“I get accused of pushing David Arreola,” Shepherd said. “No, I did not push him. I put my finger upon his chest.”

Shepherd calls himself “the people’s representative” and has been consistently attending City Commission meetings for a decade.

He said he rides his bike to every meeting, not for himself, but for the people.

“I’m running for mayor because of the homeless people,” he said.

“I’m running for mayor because of equal rights to help people.” @MelanieBombino_ mpena@alligator.org

Student Government Productions paid Roddy Ricch $350,000

For the first time since 2020, the SGP concert was open to general public

By Maia Botek Alligator Staff Writer

UF Student Government paid Roddy Ricch $350,000 for his concert with Joy Oladokun Feb. 8.

For the first time since 2020, Student Government Productions opened up its concerts to the general public.

“We opened to the general public to welcome members of the Gainesville community,” SGP Chairman Jake Siegel wrote in an email.

The concert was exclusive to UF students until Feb. 2.

The contract outlined a capacity of 6,500 tickets, but SGP didn’t announce whether there is a designated split of student and public tickets.

Students could purchase $10 general admission tickets or $15 pit tickets inperson at the O’Connell Center with their Gator 1 Card. Tickets are sold at Gate One from noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Pit seats sold out the first day of sales, Jan. 25.

Non-student tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster for $20, after taxes, as of Feb. 2.

In 2020, SGP held a Black History Month concert featuring Tory Lanez who was paid $91,500 for his performance.

SGP wanted to bring performers who students and faculty enjoy and felt Ricch was a suitable artist, Siegel said.

Joseph Rodriguez, a 20-year-old UF junior studying sports management, bought pit tickets the first day of sales.

The line wrapped around the arena as he left, he said.

Rodriguez is pleased with SGP’s decision to open tickets to the general public, especially after seeing Instagram comments requesting to do so, he said.

“I really liked how they took time to listen to us and actually change their policies,” he said. “I have a roommate that, he goes to Santa Fe, and he would love to go.”

Doors for the concert open at 6 p.m., and the show is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. @BotekMaia mbotek@alligator.org Courtesy to The Alligator

Roddy Rich will grace the Stephen C. O’Connell Center stage on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

How to Place a Classified Ad:

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BUY IT. SELL IT. FIND IT. 373-FIND MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022

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Cancellations: Call 373-FIND M-F, 8am - 4pm. No refunds or credits can be given. Alligator errors: Check your ad the FIRST day it runs. Call 373-FIND with any corrections before noon. THE ALLIGATOR IS ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRST DAY THE AD RUNS INCORRECTLY. Corrected ads will be extended one day. No refunds or credits can be given after placing the ad. Corrections called in after the first day will not be further compensated.

Customer error or changes: Changes must be made BEFORE NOON for the next day’s paper. There will be a $2.00 charge for minor changes.

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answer on page 10 Release Date: Monday, February 7, 2022 Release Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022

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14 St. Francis House is a homeless shelter located in downtown Gainesville.

Our mission is to empower families with children to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency by providing case management, housing, food, training and educational resources in a secure environment.

If interested in volunteering please contact the volunteer coordinator at 352-378- 9079 ext 317 or sfhcoor@stfrancis.cfcoxmail.com St Francis House depends on monetary support from individual donors and community businesses in order to provide meals to the homeless and the hungry.

To make a donation by mail, please send checks payable to St. Francis House P.O. Box 12491 Gainesville Fl 32604 or our website at Stfrancishousegnv.org

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solution on page 10

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Basketball star prioritizes golf passion in NIL endeavour CASTLETON HOSTED MEET-AND-GREET AT THE IRONWOOD GOLF COURSE SUNDAY

By Declan Walsh Sports Writer

Jeff Cardozo instantly noticed senior Colin Castleton when the Florida basketball star first contorted his lanky frame into the Ironwood Golf Course clubhouse.

The 6-foot-11-inch golf enthusiast awkwardly hunching over mortal-sized golf clubs is a common sight on the East Gainesville greens.

Castleton started coming to Cardozo’s golf course soon after transferring from Michigan in 2020. The two quickly bonded over their experience as Gators — Cardozo, 42, pitched for the Florida baseball team from 1997-2000 and has since migrated to the commentary booth.

So when Castleton started brainstorming how to approach the new era of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and partnerships, reaching out to Cardozo was a no-brainer.

Castleton hosted a meet-and-greet at Ironwood Sunday afternoon, where the All-SEC selection used his newly-rehabilitated shoulder to sign autographs for Gators fans and unveil his new logo.

Castleton charged fans under 13 $10 for autographs. He signed small items for $20 and

large ones for $30. But the poster-topping promotion was a $10 raffle, the winner earning 18 holes with the Florida center.

“The first thing we always ask our clients is: What are your passions? He loves playing golf, so I told him we should try to do some sort of NIL deal with a golf course,” said Michael Raymond, Castleton’s agent and founder of Raymond Representation. “He (Castleton) immediately mentioned Ironwood.”

Castleton has maintained a passion for golf since his upbringing 100 miles south of the UF campus in DeLand. The sport has become an outlet for the Gators’ big man away from the bright lights of SEC basketball.

Whenever the Gators have an off-day, Castleton will make the 15-minute trek out to Ironwood and play nine quick holes of golf with his roommate, a manager on the men’s basketball team.

“It’s just relaxing,” Castleton said. “It helps your mental state and keeps your mind on something like not related to basketball.”

A key element of Castleton and Raymond’s NIL philosophy has been incorporating the Gainesville community — both its businesses and people — into their marketing strategy.

Castleton's appreciation for Gator Nation is evident after nearly every home game, where he recalls taking dozens of pictures with young UF fans eager to pose with their idol. The meet-and-greet Sunday included a photo with Florida’s leading scorer, and he highlighted his

enthusiasm about getting to meet more fans.

“I’m just a normal guy,” Castleton said.

“Being able to meet all these people, getting to know who they are, is awesome. We hear them everyday when we’re playing, but it’s cool to interact with them.”

Cardozo, who currently serves as Ironwood’s manager, also played an active role in facilitating Castleton’s event Sunday. The former Gator star emphasized the importance of NIL opportunities for student-athletes, especially those in non-or-partial scholarship sports.

“Now you have an opportunity to make more money so you can take a girl on a date or go out to dinner,” Cardozo said. “I think inevitably those guys deserve it, and if they can profit from it, more power to them.”

He was particularly complimentary of Castleton and other UF student-athletes centering young Gator fans in the new wave of NIL entrepreneurial endeavours.

Between his much anticipated return to the court Saturday and Ironwood event, it's safe to say Castleton had an eventful 48 hours. Florida basketball returns to action Wednesday for a matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. @declanaw dwalsh@alligator.org

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Colin Castleton, pictured above in white, hosted an autograph and raffle event at the Ironwood Golf Course Sunday.

BASEBALL

Pitchers near end of journey from Tommy John Surgery POGUE, NESBITT MISSED THE ENTIRE 2021 SEASON AFTER RECEIVING THE SURGERY

By Carson Cashion Sports Writer

Nick Pogue sat on the couch of his Melbourne home last February, watching his Gator baseball teammates in the opening series of the 2021 season against the Miami Hurricanes.

Florida was the consensus preseason No. 1 team in the nation, bursting with expectation. His teammates took in the crowd and electric atmosphere of the first-ever game at the new Florida Ballpark, a landmark moment in the program’s history.

Pogue wasn’t there to feel it.

Just days prior, he had undergone Tommy John surgery, a fix that repairs a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Pogue missed the entire season.

The rehab from Tommy John surgery can be brutal. Recovery time ranges from 12 to 18 months, and that amount of time can wear on the

psyche of athletes.

However, he was not the only Gator that underwent the surgery last spring. Tyler Nesbitt, who earned All-American honors in his freshman season, also underwent the same season-ending procedure in early March.

Florida was down two pitchers before St. Patrick’s Day. “It kind of broke my heart,” Nesbitt said. “I put in all that work getting ready for the season, and I was really looking forward to helping in any way I could.”

Now, almost a full year removed from the surgeries, Pogue and Nesbitt are gearing up for returns to the mound for the orange and blue this season. For the team, their presence will bolster a pitching room in dire need of veteran experience. For the duo, all they can ask for is a chance to play again.

Pogue, now a redshirt sophomore, has an extra year of experience playing for the Gators under his belt over Nesbitt. After starting two games his sophomore season, he was prepared to take the next step.

Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said that Pogue was likely going to

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become the team’s No. 2 starter behind former-Gator Tommy Mace.

“Arguably, they were neck and neck as far as performance was concerned,” O’Sullivan said.

Those hopes came crashing down as Florida returned for the spring semester.

“It kind of happened pretty quick,” Pogue said. “After Christmas break, I just threw a couple bullpens and my arm was kind of acting up a bit. We got the MRI and within a week or two later, I got the surgery.”

Pogue returned home to Melbourne for much of his rehab, and for good reason. His father, Brian Pogue, is a physical therapist who has consulted with the Washington Nationals. Brian helped Nick through much of the spring, getting a first-hand look at his son’s recovery process.

“I think what I saw more than anything else was that it seemed to motivate him to get back,” Brian said. “He was definitely very, very upset. I thought he used it as motivation to really work hard and be back for this next year.”

Nick couldn’t control how long it would take his arm to heal, so he

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maximized the things he could control.

“It was definitely a grind,” Nick said. “You just kind of have to attack and show up every day and be positive.”

One potential benefit, though, is that pitchers can come back from the time away from the mound feeling better than ever. That’s because they have been using their shoulders in rehab more than ever before — with their elbows still recovering from the surgery, they have no other option.

“The rehab has definitely helped me because I feel like my shoulders and elbow weren’t as strong as they should have been, which is probably what led them to Tommy John,” Nesbitt said. “So with all the rehab, my arm is all caught up to where it should be.”

Nesbitt, for his part, would sit in the stands as the Gators’ season unfolded; COVID-19 restrictions limited the number of people allowed in the dugout. After building such momentum from his first season successes in Gainesville, watching his teammates from the bleachers was melancholic.

“I thought I was progressing

pretty good, like from my freshman year to my sophomore year,” Nesbitt said. “I thought I got a lot better and then for it to just end like that kind of sucked.”

Nesbitt traveled to Hoover, Alabama, to watch the Gators in the SEC Tournament and then observed Florida’s brief stint in the NCAA Regional. The offseason had officially arrived, and recovery continued.

Nesbitt and Pogue, separated by only a year in age, began to talk about the shared situation that had cut their seasons short. The two received the surgery from the same surgeon, a professional in Orlando whom Brian knew from his time with the Nationals.

“We’ve gotten a lot closer since the surgery,” Nesbitt said. “He seems to know a little bit more about it than I did. He’s really helped me on my path to getting better as well.”

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@carsoncashion ccashion@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022

WRESTLING

FEST Wrestling continues to shatter gender barrier

Tag team Artsy Fartsy wrestles all competition thrown their way

By Jesse Richardson Sports Writer

Gainesville has welcomed copious amounts of changes throughout it’s 153year span and new events let the city project a variety of differing cultures. The Downtown Festival and Art Show takes over the city streets while the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire has been held annually for 20 years.

Now, The FEST, a local Gainesville wrestling promotion, has evolved uniquely by breaking the gender barrier in professional wrestling.

For six years, FEST has taken over local Gainesville saloon Knockin’ Boots, barring 2020 when the planet was on lockdown. The company sees everyone as equal and was one of the first Florida promotions to break the norm, said Tony Weinbender, company promoter. All the wrestlers have a chance at the world championship regardless of race, gender or creed.

“I think [wrestling] needs to be more diverse,” Weinbender said. “I mean, the world itself should be more diverse. We’re opening up. I mean, it’s 20-f**king-22, get with it.”

The gender-breaking tradition has continued through every FEST promotion from the holiday-themed “Pickle in the Tree” in December to its most recent addition, “Love is a Battlefield II: Electric

Boogaloo” Saturday.

The Valentine’s Day-themed show centered around a tag team tournament for the Love Cup trophy and a chance to compete for the FEST tag team championships.

The tag team Artsy Fartsy exemplifies the means to shatter the gender wall and open new opportunities for the LGBTQ community. The tandem brings together industry best friends Erica Leigh and transgender performer Edith Surreal, who trained together in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Leigh and Surreal instantly clicked. The team remains in touch with one another through group chats.

“Chemistry is there, and the bond is there,” Leigh said. “When you’re vulnerable with someone, it makes a lot easier to trust them in the ring.”

The stable has come to love and appreciate the FEST wrestling promotion and its welcoming community within Gainesville.

“I don’t feel like I’m a token or anything,” Surreal said.” I don’t feel like I’m just here for Pride Month or whatever.

I’m here because of who I am and because of the performer I am. Everything else is just secondary, and I could just be myself.

I love that.”

The promotion and performers haven’t received a lot of pushback to

intergender wrestling, but acknowledge that bigotry and misogyny exist still within a few communities. Indifferent audiences sometimes deliver scrutiny, but the loyal FEST fanbase is there to defend its stars.

“For the most part, I’d say wrestling fans are from so many different walks of life that we have this truly diverse fanbase,” Leigh said. “Everybody’s here to have a good time.

You might have one or two people that are negative or whatever, but you know, they get their ass kicked verbally on Twitter.”

Ring announcer “Sweet” Charles Volkert has been the voice of FEST Wrestling for five years and believes it’s time for significant wrestling productions like World Wrestling Entertainment to adopt the intergender system.

“I think the wrestling world needs to just own up to it because these women kick ass,” Volkert said. “These men kick ass, and on any given day, all it takes is three seconds and the right momentum to win.”

Artsy Fartsy hopes to return for the next FEST event, but Weinbender keeps his next plans under wraps. The overall goal is to return this summer. @JesseRich352 jrichardson@alligator.org

Courtesy to The Alligator

Edith Surreal and Erica Leigh embrace each other in the ring during Love is a Battlefield II: Electric Boogaloo.

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