Monday, March 28, 2022

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MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 28 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Masks off? Students, professors hesitate to follow UF’s relaxed masking policy

Some students take the mask off, others haven’t seen a change Alligator Staff Report

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

UF students listen to their Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice class at Matherly Hall on Friday, March 25. Members of the UF community are no longer expected to wear masks in university buildings, but are welcome to continue doing so.

Each time the Century Tower bell marks the next period, students enter classrooms wondering if they should don or ditch a mask.

Since Wednesday, UF no longer recommends or expects students to wear masks but welcomes them to mask if they choose to. UF released new masking guidance due to a decline in local and nationwide COVID-19 case numbers.

While some dropped their masks the day after the revisions, others stayed cautious. Large lecture halls have a pattern of bare faces intermixed with only eyes peeking out from above masks.

The CDC released updated pandemic guidance in February. The new guidelines advised people in counties with low or medium COVID-19 hospitalizations that they no longer needed to wear masks.

Six days before UF changed the masking policy, Alachua County’s CDC status was updated to medium community level. A county’s level is determined by new COVID-19 admissions, the percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and the total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the last seven days.

Despite dropping positivity and new policies, many UF classrooms have generally maintained the same appearance.

Steve Noll, UF history professor, hasn’t noticed a difference in his classes so far. Most of his students still choose to wear masks, though he expects more maskless students soon.

“The biggest difference is UF had to print off all new signs and take down the old ones and put them up,” he said.

As Florida trended better with the pandemic, Noll assumed mask mandates would change.

He said it’s an appropriate time to move in this direction, but thought the university should have released a statement thanking people for masking this long.

“I just think there should have been something in there about thanking those people who were masked for helping keep numbers down,” he said.

His only goal throughout the pandemic has been to keep his students safe, so he will still offer classes via Zoom and thanks any students who continue to mask.

While classrooms have been split with masked and unmasked students for months, some are

SEE MASKING, PAGE 6

Remembering hit-and-run victim, UF basketball player international student Prateek Sharma accused of sexual assault

Loved ones say he was a charismatic and loving son, brother and friend with an infectious smile

By Carissa Allen Alligator Staff Writer

Prateek Sharma’s favorite Indian festival was Holi. The holiday celebrates the arrival of spring, new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil.

Before moving to Gainesville,

he celebrated the vivid, joyous festival on the streets of Faridabad, India — dousing himself and loved ones in water and colored powder.

On the eve of Holi this year, Sharma walked along the sidewalk of Southwest 34th Street to the market to pick up gujiya, a

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT UF swimming & diving finish third Story description finish with comma, pg# in championship Gators claimed three individual national titles last week, pg. 12

popular Holi delicacy.

Sharma was fatally hit and killed March 17. He was 21 years old.

James O’Reilly, a 19-year-old, is accused of hitting Sharma while driving drunk. O’Reilly is being held at the Alachua County Jail,

SEE OBITUARY, PAGE 4

THE ALLEGATIONS ARE PART OF THE FLURRY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES ON CAMPUS

By Jackson Castellano Alligator Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of sexual assualt.

Keyontae Johnson, a Florida basketball player and 2020 SEC preseason player of the year, has

Gainesville activists fight against Florida’s abortion ban The 15-week ban is expected to be signed in by Governor DeSantis, pg. 5

been accused of sexual assault by the police. He hasn’t been arrested as of Sunday night.

Johnson, 22, has been accused of felony sexual assault and has been under investigation for four weeks, according to a WUFT report. Johnson’s accuser, 19, who remains anonymous, claims Johnson assaulted her while she was intoxicated at a pool party Feb. 26. In a controlled phone call,

SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 4

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Students using online study guides could be sued

Coursehero and similar sites put students at risk of honor code violations, pg. 2

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Today’s Weather Coursehero could earn students a lawsuit

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 28

NEWSROOM:

UF reflects on online cheating after a Chapman University professor sues student

By Elena Barrera Alligator Staff Writer

Popular websites and study tools like Chegg and Course Hero have been a saving grace for many students’ grades. But these online tools have opened the door to a world of trouble that students may be unaware of.

Beyond normal repercussions for cheating and honor code violations, students can be sued for sharing course content violating copyright laws.

David Berkovitz, Chapman University professor, filed a lawsuit March 10 against unknown students for posting his exam prompts on Course Hero, a subscription-based website where students share content from their college classes, according to The Washington Post.

Berkovitz’s lawyer, Marc Hankin, told The Washington Post the professor is not trying to bankrupt his students, he just wants to prevent cheating in his class.

This case is the first time Adriana Kanarek, a 21-year-old UF biology junior, has heard legal repercussions can come from posting content on websites.

Kanarek remembers more people using these websites when she was a freshman, but said she doesn't know too many people who use them now.

In one of her physics classes in the Fall, a professor found a student posting the answers online during the exam, which ended with serious consequences for the student, she said.

If a student is accused of violating UF’s Honor Code policy, they have to attend an honor court hearing where a panel decides the student’s consequence.

Kanarek believes people who post content on sites probably are aware of repercussions for cheating.

“If more people knew that

suing was a possibility, there would be less of it or people would try to go under different domains and still try to do it but in a hidden demeanor,” she said.

Users’ identities are protected under their privacy policies, Jamie Soper, Course Hero spokesperson, wrote in an email.

Course Hero must receive a subpoena before releasing any information, like the names of users posting the infringing content, to the copyright holder.

The website uses an advanced filtering technology to identify, prevent and remove known infringing content on their platform, Soper wrote.

“Course Hero does not tolerate copyright infringement of any kind and employs a range of preventative measures, investigation and enforcement policies,” she wrote. “Our policies include swift content removal, prevention of infringing content being reuploaded to the platform and removing repeat offenders.”

It is no secret that exams, homework and study materials tend to make their way to these websites, said Alex Angerhofer, a UF chemistry professor.

“I think you almost expect that sort of thing,” Angerhofer said. “It’s part of the educational environment that we live in.”

Professors encourage their students to use outside resources, but cheating is never tolerated, he said.

To Angerhofer, cheating doesn’t pay off. When students do cheat it doesn’t end up improving their grade, he said.

It may get them an A, but they don’t learn the material and cannot apply it.

“In the end I think there is some karma out there that if you do that, you eventually will have to pay the price,” Angerhofer said.

Cheating is expected, said Steven Noll, a UF history pr.

However, the internet and the

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requirement that professors must post their syllabi and textbooks makes it far easier to do so, he said. Because the syllabi are available to the public, information about the classes is easier to find.

The Chapman University professor’s aggressive action to try and prevent sites like Course Hero from violating the integrity of classes is good, Noll said.

With classes more commonly structured for an online setting due to the pandemic, Noll said, cheating and websites like Course Hero have become a greater problem because courses are becoming more like public record.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s more of a problem …[on] the student end,” he said. “I think it’s more of a problem from the administrative, governmental end.”

It becomes a question of who owns the coursework, he said.

Noll created an online version of American History since 1877, a common general education requirement for UF Online. Even though he crafted the class, he was told UF owns it.

In his case, Noll wasn’t allowed to copyright his course, whereas the Chapman University professor did have the rights to his class. This demonstrates the difference between a public and private university, he said.

“I think that public universities have to behold governmental issues,” he said. “At some level the assumption is that you are, as a state employee, responsible not only to your students but also the state of Florida.”

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Sharma joins long list of student crash victims OBITUARY, from pg. 4

awaiting trial after pleading not guilty. He’s being held without a bond that was previously $320,000 and is charged with homicide, driving while under the influence, reckless driving and hit-and-run.

The holiday, traditionally a joyful celebration of life, will now be observed by Sharma’s family and friends as a remembrance of his life.

Gainesville has developed a notorious reputation for unsafe pedestrian conditions and multiple student deaths. The families of Maggie Paxton, Sophia Lambert and Denise Griffiths now live with the tribulations of loss, and they relive these tragedies with each hit-and-run that occurs in the city.

Sharma’s family now mourns across the world in Faridabad, where the UF computer science exchange student was born and raised.

He couldn’t walk across campus without running into the friends he made in his classrooms and study groups, said his best friend, Drishtant Purkayastha. They met on the first day of their freshman year of college. They spent every day together until Sharma moved to Gainesville.

“He had this effect on everyone he met,” the 21-year-old said. “He was a light in everyone’s darkest moments.”

Prateek shaped him into the person he is now.

“Every little thing, whatever happened to me, I used to share with him,” he said. “He used to give me advice. I like to believe we changed each other for the better. We were brothers.”

They spoke almost every day, even on March 17, despite the nearly 10-hour time difference.

“I said … ‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow,’” Purkayastha said. “Tomorrow never came.”

Remembering Sharma’s high-spirited presence, Archit Ratan, Sharma’s older cousin-brother — an Indian-English term that refers to a male cousin that assumes a brotherly relationship — was overwhelmed with happy memories.

“He was always smiling,” Ratan said. “He never said ‘no’ to anyone.”

Sharma loved to listen to Punjabi music, travel and play soccer when he was not fidgeting with gadgets or crafting codes.

Following in his father and grandfather’s engineering footsteps, Sharma attended Amity University Noida in 2018 pursuing a Bachelor’s of Technology in computer science and engineering.

Although he loved Amity, Sharma wanted to take advantage of its study abroad options for his last semester of college. Moving to Gainesville at the beginning of this year, he planned to complete the last semester of his undergraduate education at UF and enroll in a graduate school program.

He envisioned what his education, career and future looked like, working toward receiving a master’s degree from a renowned college in the United States.

Over the summer of 2021, he interned at both TISPL and The Sparks Foundation, working as a data science and information technology intern.

In 2020, he and Purkayastha also created a functional Android application that could track COVID-19 cases across India. With not enough kits to test its whole population, India relied on apps like these to track positive cases and people who were in close contact with those infected.

He was motivated to volunteer in India, too, working with The Earth Saviours

Courtesy to The Alligator

Prateek Sharma Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that works toward improving living conditions for underprivileged civilians and advocates for environmental stewardship.

“He was very ambitious with all his dreams,” Ratan said. “If this would have not happened, the story would be something different.”

Sharma’s friends and family hope to spread awareness about his life and legacy, creating an Instagram account in his honor.

They want justice for his wrongful death.

“There is really not enough news covera-

ge about this … which really hurts to see,” Purkayastha wrote.

His family and friends gathered in Faridabad Friday afternoon for a cremation ceremony.

“Always loved, never forgotten, forever missed,” the ceremony announcement wrote.

Troy Myers contributed to this report. @carissaallenn callen@alligator.org

Johnson has not yet been arrested JOHNSON, from pg. 1

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Senior Keyontae Johnson has been accused of sexual assault, according to police records.

an investigation tactic used by police, Johnson admitted he was aware of the accuser’s drunken state.

The incident took place during a party at Canopy Apartments in Gainesville, where Johnson lives, according to police records. The party took place after the team’s return from an away victory against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. Johnson’s accuser asked to use the restroom but doesn’t recall walking to the residence.

The accuser does recall Johnson assaulting her.

Two witnesses reported that the accuser was in Johnson’s apartment for about 35 minutes before returning. When the accuser returned, witnesses report she was unable to stand on her own and was incoherent.

The accusation against Johnson is one of many to do with sexual violence in Gainesville. In 2020, 128 sexual assault cases were reported to the Gainesville Police Department.

Florida’s most recent and prominent sexual assault allegations came from members of the football team, former wide reciever Antonio Callaway and quarterback Treon Harris. In

August of 2016, Callaway and Harris were accused of sexual assault to the UF student conduct office, not the police.

A Title IX hearing was conducted for both cases. The university was under scrutiny after appointing a third-party hearing officer Jake Schnickel, an attorney, former UF athlete and Gator booster to represent Callaway.

Similar to many sexual assult cases in Gainesville, the case blew over and Callaway went on to appear in 12 games for the Gators in 2016, while Harris transfered to Tennessee State University in 2017. It wasn’t until a report in July of 2017 that it was revealed UF had spent over $170,000 in legal fees to back Callaway.

Johnson, a Norfolk, Virginia, native hasn’t played in a game since collapsing during a contest against Florida State Dec. 12, 2020. He most recently took the court for a ceremonious tipoff on senior night against Kentucky.

Johnson is on track to graduate in May of 2022.

The police report states that Johnson and his accuser had consensual intercourse as recently as August 2021, but the accuser ended the relationship.

Twenty-eight student athletes have been granted eligibility

to transfer and play elsewhere after being disciplined for a sexual assault crime by their university, according to a USA Today investigative report. Five more have been granted eligibility despite being convicted in the court of law.

In a study involving three dozen high-level NCAA Division I programs (including Florida), student athletes make up less than 3% of the total student body, but account for 9% of all sexual offenses. In a 2019 survey conducted by UF, 30% of undergraduate women reported they had been sexually assaulted via physical force or inability to consent.

Johnson’s lawyer, Ron Kozlowski, made a brief statement to Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.

“I’m confident once the facts come out, no charges will be filed,” Kozlowski said. “Keyontae didn’t commit a crime, didn’t do anything wrong. That will be apparent once the facts are out.”

A spokesperson from The University Athletic Association declined to comment on the allegation. @jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 ALLIGATOR 5

Gainesville activists condemn Florida’s 15-week abortion ban bill Organizers believe the bill harms reproductive health and rights

By Lucille Lannigan Alligator Staff Writer

As Floridians wait for Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign an abortion banning bill, activist groups are organizing in retaliation, hosting protests and holding abortion information sessions.

This bill bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy and has raised alarm among people with reproductive capabilities. The ban would allow for exceptions involving “serious risk” to the pregnant person and fetal abnormality with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Now, the closest place for Floridians to access abortion after 15 weeks is North Carolina.

Jianna D’Addario, president of UF Planned Parenthood Generation Action, organized an event at the Civic Media Center to provide abortion information in Florida Wednesday.

“We had that event to connect folks with resources so that we can all kind of have each other’s back as we try to navigate life under such restrictive policies,”

D’Addario said.

About 15 people gathered at the Generation Action presentation, which advised people with pregnancy capabilities to take pregnancy tests frequently and directed them toward local abortion providers like Bread & Roses and All Women’s Health Center.

D’Addario assured attendees the abortion ban isn’t based on medically accurate information.

“All it does is put pregnant people on a really strict timeline for when they can be able to make these decisions and when they can start accessing care,” they said. “For a lot of folks that’s already difficult, for communities of color, for queer communities … those communities already are receiving discriminatory health care.”

Nilufer Akalin, UF Center for Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies Research lecturer, said the last several decades saw safe, legal abortion become more accessible to women globally. However, in the US, it seems legal frameworks

are increasingly limiting access to abortion.

An abortion ban could also lead to clinic closures, which increases the travel distance to get an abortion, Akalin said. Those without financial capabilities or access to transportation for travel would struggle to access abortion care.

“There has been all this work and also a feminist movement that liberalized access to abortion,” Akalin said. “What we are seeing in the US is a reversed direction.”

Texas, Arizona and Virginia implemented six-week abortion bans and Mississippi has a 15week ban.

“We’ve seen that historically these laws do not result in fewer abortions,” she said. ”They compel a woman to risk their lives and health by seeking out unsafe abortion care.”

The World Health Organization says lack of access to safe and timely abortion care is a critical public health and human rights issue. Each year, 4.7% to 13.2% of maternal deaths are because

of unsafe abortion.

The WHO site lists unsafe abortion health risks such as haemorrhage, infection, uterine perforation and damage to the genital tract and internal organs.

Having a kid is a life changing event, Dr. Akalin said. People should be able to decide whether they are ready for this change.

The ban will impact working people, non-English speakers and those without the funds to get to North Carolina, D’Addario said. These barriers reinforce hierarchies of power within our society.

National Women’s Liberation, a feminist organization working for more freedom, opposes not only the Florida bill but all abortion bans. The organization is open to women and trans people who do not benefit from the patriarchy.

Stephanie Kollgaard, chair of the NWL New York City chapter, said the group demands access to abortions and birth control without restrictions or coercion.

“This ban is beyond concerning,” Kollgaard said. “It’s

devastating for people in Florida who need abortions.”

The bill, she said, is less about protecting fetal personhood or reducing infant mortality and more about controlling peoples’ reproductive lives.

This organization partnered with others like Planned Parenthood and Floridians For Reproductive Freedom to host speak outs and rallies against the abortion ban.

As Floridians wait for DeSantis to sign the bill, NWL will flood his office with phone calls pressuring him to veto it, Kollgaard said.

The organization launched a pledge to aid and abet abortion in Florida. The pledge received the support of local groups like Alachua County Labor Coalition, which shared it in a newsletter.

NWL is working to get signatures to send the pledge to the governor before the bill is signed.

“Just as an additional way of saying: ‘Hell no, we’re not going to stand for that,’” Kollgaard said. @lucillelannigan llannigan@alligator.org

Esha Nair // Alligator Staff Jiselle Lee // Alligator Staff

Members of UF’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers play Jenga during their Goals for Tomorrow fundraising event on Saturday, March 26. The event raised money for three $1,000 scholarships for freshmen members of the club. The pink shirt team won a $250 cash prize.

A life-sized R2 StarWars bot is seen on the ground floor of the Reitz Union on Saturday, March 26. SwampCon is an annual multi-genre event conducted by the Gator Anime Club. Gamers, anime fans and pop culture enthusiasts travel from across the globe to attend the event.

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Students, professors haven’t seen much change MASKING, from pg. 1 inclined to continue with precautions.

Olivia Steinman, a UF health science sophomore, is fully vaccinated and continues to wear a mask.

The 19-year-old volunteers at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. Every Tuesday, she cuddles and comforts premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. On Wednesdays, she volunteers in the pediatrics unit and plays with hospitalized children, ensuring their stay at Shands is less frightening.

For now, masks are required in UF health care centers and hospitals, according to the Wednesday campus brief.

“I have a responsibility as a volunteer at Shands, and I see a different side of things through volunteering where these kids are really sick,” Steinman said.

“There's definitely a reason for me to keep myself healthy because I know what I'm doing is important for them.”

She keeps these children in mind when she masks up in class and outside UF. Some students, however, are relieved masks are no longer recommended in their extracurriculars.

Ashley Blum, a 19-year-old UF acting sophomore, has been required to wear a mask during

performances.

On Wednesday, following the new mask guidelines, her classmates performing in the major’s current production, “Stupid F-----g Bird,” unanimously voted to perform without masks.

“As an acting major whose performance is very much dependent on our facial expressions, it was very emotional and exciting in class today to see people perform without a mask on their face,” Blum said. “I feel like our education will strengthen so much.”

Before the new guidelines were in place, the students in all the stage productions required wearing a mask while performing.

Acting students choose to wear masks in class and while watching performances, only taking them off when they are onstage, Blum said.

Other students feel the need to continue wearing a mask for their own protection.

Tanvi Mathews, a 20-yearold UF information systems sophomore, urges people to continue to keep themselves and others safe from COVID-19, despite the relaxed mask guidelines.

“I think that where we’re headed as a country and as a whole, we’re getting to herd immunity,” Mathews said.

“We’re getting there, but we need to make sure that we’re maintaining social distancing at least in crowded areas like buses or classrooms.”

To reach herd immunity, 80% to 90% of a population are required to have had infection of COVID-19 or vaccination. About 78.6% of the United States has had the first dose of the vaccine.

Mathews believes UF’s relaxed guidelines discourage mask use.

“I feel like the moment you say that masks are not mandatory anymore, everyone’s really just never gonna wear them again,” she said.

Mathews will continue to wear a mask inside classrooms and other indoor places with low air circulation.

Some UF students are not too concerned about their school’s new guidance as case positivity has decreased.

Katherine Panagoulias, a 19-year-old English and computer science sophomore, said she doesn’t mind the changes UF has made to its masking policy. She still sees many students masking and social distancing.

“If there are bigger classrooms and people are spaced out also, it doesn’t feel threatening,” Panagoulias said.

Two years ago, she wore her mask everywhere. Today, she often isn’t wearing a mask and

Esha Nair // Alligator Staff

Hope Oladipo, 21, UF political science and international studies junior, poses for a portrait on Saturday, March 26. “Personally, I don’t wear my mask in open air spaces,” Oladipo said. “However, I continue to wear my mask indoors — especially the classroom — out of respect for my classmates.” thinks many people don’t fear COVID-19 anymore.

“It’s been around for a while,” Panagoulias said. “I guess it kind of lost its threatening presence.”

Panagoulias never caught COVID-19. She’s still wary of the day she will test positive, but until then, she will keep her distance, wash her hands and hope people continue doing their own research to decide how to best protect themselves.

Outside of UF campus, mask mandates are also ending.

The Alachua County Commission ended its mask mandate for county employees Feb. 22. Weekly testing is also no longer required.

Alachua County spokesperson Mark Sexton said masks will also not be required for people attending County Commission Meetings. It's now an individual’s responsibility to decide whether they want to be masked, he said.

“We get weekly reports from the Department of Health and every week, for the last six weeks, the numbers have been going down dramatically,” Sexton said. “Our vaccination rate is over 70%.”

Alligator staff writers Melanie Pena, Carissa Allen, Troy Myers, Erina Anwar and Lucille Lannigan contributed to this report.

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Gabriela Mantilla sits in Marston Library maskless on Friday, March 25. “I now feel comfortable not wearing a mask in public university places because I’m adhering to the university’s guidelines and expectations,” Mantilla said.

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Members of the UF community sit inside of Library West on Friday, March 25.

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

NIGHTLIFE

LGBTQ+ nightlife, drag scene flourishes in Gainesville NIGHTCLUB OWNER, DRAG QUEENS AND STUDENTS REFLECT ON THE GROWTH OF REPRESENTATION

By Amanda Friedman & Jared Teitel Avenue Staff Writers

Illuminated by strobes of neon lights, a swaying crowd fixates their eyes on the dance floor. A spotlight shines as a performer dressed headto-toe in sparkles struts through the crowd. The first verse of “Break Free” by Ariana Grande begins to blare through the club’s speakers causing the audience to cheer with excitement.

This is a typical night at University Club.

The downtown nightclub, located at 18 E University Ave, became Gainesville’s first gay club after opening its doors more than 30 years ago. It’s widely recognized as the heart of Gainesville’s LGBTQ+ nightlife.

Although Gainesville is largely known for Gator Nation and its natural beauty, in the city lives a thriving and historically rich LGBTQ+ nightlife scene, with University Club and the growing local drag scene as its anchors.

University Club’s impact

Mark Spangler, co-owner of University Club, opened the bar in April 1990 because he wanted to create an environment where queer people

could be themselves, he said.

“Everyone will tell me when they come through town: ‘Thanks for creating a safe space for us [LGBTQ+ people] for all these years,’” Spangler said.

As LGBTQ+ people still faced frequent violence and discrimination within their communities in the ’90s, there were regular attacks on University Club after it first opened. UF fraternities used to throw glass bottles at the club’s back entrance.

However, with the progression of the nationwide gay rights movement, Gainesville’s current nightlife scene is much more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, and fraternity members now come to University Club for a fun night out, Spangler said.

“We’ve paved the way for them [LGBTQ people] to be able to just go anywhere in town and be themselves most of the time and without an issue,” Spangler said.

University Club has also played an integral role in the growth of Gainesville’s drag scene by jumpstarting the careers of many local drag queens.

The late William Moorehead, better known by his drag persona Lady Pearl, was largely responsible for introducing drag shows to Gainesville, Spangler said.

During the ’90s AIDS crisis, LGBTQ+ organizations commonly paid tribute to those who died from the virus through fundraisers. In 1991, Pearl went to Spangler with the idea to organize a drag show and AIDS

benefit — drawing a huge crowd and raising roughly $10,000 for the North Central Florida AIDS Network.

University Club continues to use its platform to combat the stigma surrounding AIDS and support the local queer community by providing HIV testing information inside the nightclub in collaboration with The Unspoken Treasure Society, a foundation that aims to support transgender communities.

From then on, Pearl started hosting weekly themed drag shows at University Club. Her Thursday night “Pussycat Cabaret” comedy show was particularly popular with sorority girls, Spangler said.

“She was hilarious,” Spangler said.

Eventually, the success of Pearl’s shows led to the decision to host more weekly drag shows. Now, University Club has drag shows hosted by different local drag queens almost every night of the week.

To highlight new talent, the nightclub hosts talent nights on the last Wednesday of the month and its annual Miss UC Newcomer Pageant.

Drag queens of all experience levels are eligible to participate, Spangler said.

Jianna D’Addario, a 22-year-old psychology senior, attended her first gay club and drag show at University Club since living in conservative Panama City, Florida.

“I do remember the full reveal moment,” she said, remembering how the drag performers changed from glowing gowns to tight unitards

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Drag queen Crystal Light performs at University Club in downtown Gainesville on Friday, Feb. 4. The LGBTQ+ club hosts a drag show almost every night of the week. in Fall 2017. “The performance was amazing — super high energy.”

Since that night, D’Addario knew Gainesville would finally allow her the space to express her sexual identity.

“Moving to Gainesville and actually seeing queerness for the first time was really instrumental in my development as a queer person,” she said.

However, despite the impact the city has on her capacity to feel safe as a queer individual, the line between queer and straight spaces has become more and more blurred

as clubs like UC foster the growth of cisgender, heterosexual patronage.

The last time Sydney “Squid” Swarthman, administrative assistant for Pride Student Union, enjoyed an evening at UC was for her best friend’s birthday in January.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. @jaredteitel jteitel@alligator.org @afriedmanuf afriedman@alligator.org

AVENUE ROUNDTABLE

And the Grammy goes to…

THE AVENUE STAFF GIVES THEIR TAKE ON WHO SHOULD BRING HOME THE GOLD THIS YEAR

The Avenue Staff After a year of momentous musical moments, the Grammys has returned to deliver its prestigious accolades to the artists who deserve to take home the gold — or not.

The Avenue staff teamed up to give our breakdown of six Grammys categories — Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Rap Album — giving both our Grammys predicted winner and who we think deserves to win. Musical talent, lyricism, popularity and even drama are all on display in our analyses.

This year’s Grammys are already proving to

be no stranger to controversy: a Kanye performance ban, an unexpected Tweet of resignation from Doja Cat and a months-long COVIDrelated postponement of the ceremony to the now-confirmed April 3 date. Music’s biggest night is shaping up to be an interesting one, and the Avenue staff is ready for it all.

Record of the Year

By Amanda Friedman

Predicted Grammys Pick: “drivers license”

by Olivia Rodrigo Amanda’s Pick: “Happier than Ever” by Billie Eilish The Record of The Year category awards artists, producers and engineers for the year’s best recording — with previous winners including “Hotel California” by The Eagles and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”

Front-runners for this year include “Leave The Door Open” by Silk Sonic, “Kiss Me More”

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter.

Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

by Doja Cat featuring SZA, “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo and “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish.

Although Eilish has taken home the award for the past two years, the 20-year-old’s poppunk track of emotional turmoil “Happier Than Ever” should win the 2022 Grammys’ Record of The Year.

What makes “Happier Than Ever” stand out among the other nominations is the tonal shift from a soft, soulful ballad to a full-on rock anthem midway through the record. The song begins with the luscious strumming of a classical guitar accompanied by Eilish’s jazzy vocals. Two and a half minutes into the song, the classical guitar is abandoned and replaced with an electric guitar, signifying a shift from sadness and confusion to pure anger.

Eilish’s previous velvety vocals are now shaky and aggressive as if she is about to release a tidal wave of built-up emotion. By the three-minute mark, the song is overtaken by combative vocals and fierce rock elements.

With lines like “Cuz, I’d never treat you this sh***y/You made me hate this city,” being

a stand-out and internet-viral lyric from the track, Eilish delivers a heart-wrenching anthem that anyone going through a bad breakup would want to scream along to.

Many critics say this track is Eilish’s best work and marks her strongest vocal performance. Although I prefer Eilish’s more minimalistic, full-on piano and guitar ballads, I think this is by far Eilish at her most experimental. Overall, the innovative juxtaposition of a soothing ballad beside classic rock elements makes this record outshine the other nominations.

However, one cannot deny the global success of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license.” The song has over one billion streams on Spotify and has broken countless records. Rodrigo also expresses exceptional vocal and songwriting talent on the heartbreak ballad. Therefore, she is most likely to take home this year’s Grammy for Record of The Year.

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

Todd Golden becomes Gator’s 20th head coach Read on pg. 11

Scan to follow the Avenue on Spotify

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In Person: Cash, Check, MC, Discover, AMEX or Visa @The Alligator Office: 2700 SW 13th St. M-F, 8am - 4pm

By E-mail: classified@alligator.org Call 352-373-FIND for information.

By Fax: (352) 376-4556 Sorry, no cash by mail.

By Mail: P.O. Box 14257 G-ville 32604 Credit cards or checks only.

BUY IT. SELL IT. FIND IT. 373-FIND MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

Corrections and Cancellations: 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.

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See alligator.org for more information

For Rent

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Real Estate

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Freon Wanted : We pay $$$ for old refrigerants: R11, R12, R113 & more! Certified Professionals. Call 312-313-9671 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com Te pagamos por tu refrigerante!

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3-28-6-13

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

TM

R

2

3-28-22

3

4 5

6

7

ACROSS CLUE 1. Steam ____ 5. Aspiration 6. Fine-____ 7. Way to take a pill DOWN CLUE

1.

2.

3.

4.

First-born Better Insignificant Dearly, affectionately

ANSWER NEEING AEDMR TEUDN L A LY R O ANSWER

EDTESL ERRAEGT NMNAILO DOLFYN

CLUE: In the mid-1970s, this actor had roles on the

soap operas “Somerset” and “The Doctors.”

BONUS

How to play

Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble the circled letters to solve the BONUS. 2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

& Hoyt Designs. All Rights Reserved.

ANSWERS: 1A-Engine 5A-Dream 6A-Tuned 7A-Orally 1D-Eldest 2D-Greater 3D-Nominal 4D-Fondly B-Ted Danson

Send comments to TCA - 160 N. Stetson, Chicago, Illinois 60601 or DLHoyt@HoytInteractiveMedia.com

solution on page 9

©2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

answer on page 9 Release Date: Monday, March 28, 2022 Release Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Los Puzzle Los Angeles Angeles Times Times Daily Daily Crossword Crossword Puzzle Edited Lewis Editedby byRich RichNorris Norris and and Joyce Joyce Nichols Nichols Lewis

ACROSS ACROSS 1 1Composer Give in (to)of the “Brandenburg” 7 Tasted or tested 14concertos __ Mae: student 5 Slack-jawed loan group 915Flows back, as Mother-of-pearl the tide source 1316Sci-fi “__ Ivisitor Would 15 Prefix forYou”: second Leave or“Camelot” bot song 1617Paneling strip One-named 17 WWII Russian singer with the battleground 2002 #1 hit 19 “Piece of cake!”

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54 ER cases

ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE: PUZZLE: ANSWER TO PREVIOUS

By Alan DerKazarian ©2022 By LynnTribune LempelContent Agency, LLC ©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

03/21/2022 03/22/22

03/28/22

03/22/22 03/28/22

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 ALLIGATOR 9

14

Help Wanted

Yard Help:

Part time, flex hrs, experience necessary, $11-$13 hr. SW side of town.

Mr Z: 352-278-8071 5-23-22-7-14 HIRING OFFICE CLEANERS M-F & every other Sat. Night shift starting at 5:30 p.m. Must own a car / lots of driving.

Weekly pay. $14/hr. If interested please call 352-214-0868 4-18-22-15-14 Home helper. Student to help retired UF grad close to campus w/chores. Some cleaning, yardwork, errands, pet maintenance, simple repairs, etc. No equip req. Some exp helpful.

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House Keeper/Personal Assistant:

Part time, flex hours, will ask for references, non covid jab preferred. $12-$15 hr. SW side of town. Mr. Z 352-278-8071 5-23-22-7-14 A prominent law firm is looking for participants to take part in two focus groups on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, starting at 9am and 1:30pm. Participants are expected to be 18 years or older, live in Alachua County, and have the ability to read and speak English fluently. The time commitment will be approximately 3 hours, and all participants will be paid $40 for their participation. Food and refreshments will be provided for all participants. The focus group will include a presentation and discussion of a personal injury matter. To streamline the application process, please apply via this Google form https://bit.ly/FocusGroupQ).

If you are selected, our team will reach out to you with more information.

3-28-2-14

solution below

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Help Wanted

A prominent law firm is looking for participants to take part in two focus groups on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, starting at 9am and 1:30pm. Participants are expected to be 18 years or older, live in Alachua County, and have the ability to read and speak English fluently. The time commitment will be approximately 3 hours, and all participants will be paid $40 for their participation. Food and refreshments will be provided for all participants. The focus group will include a presentation and discussion of a personal injury matter. To streamline the application process, please apply via this Google form https://bit.ly/FocusGroupQ).

If you are selected, our team will reach out to you with more information.

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HIV ANTIBODY TESTING Alachua County Health Dept. Call

334-7960 for app’t (optional $20 fee)

Alcoholics Anonymous ROUTE DELIVERY DRIVERS The Independent Florida Alligator Has IMMEDIATE NEED Non-student positions

DRUG PROBLEM?

Delivery drivers needed for early morning newspaper routes inGainesville.

CALL NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Must be EXTREMELY dependable.

Long-term employment desired.

Must have VERY reliable vehicle capable of transporting approximately 30 newspaper bundles.

CrytpoQuote answer

Hours approximate: Monday ONLY early morning between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.

GIVING UP DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN YOU'RE WEAK. SOMETIMES YOU'RE JUST STRONG ENOUGH TO LET GO. — TAYLOR SWIFT

Also needed, flexible hours/days odd jobs / rack maintenance

ScrabbleGrams solution

Sudoku solution

Please email interest to: elight@alligator.org or call 352-376-4446 Trivia Test answers

10. Ireland 9. Skipper 8. Porcupette 7. Talc 6. One-eighth of a circle, or 45 degrees 1. The Clemson Tigers, with 34.

2. Slap fighting.

3. 97, an NBA record.

4. Aqueduct Racetrack.

5. Tom Smallwood.

6. Pitbull.

1. A term used to describe the natives or residents of a country, state or city 2. Swimmer's ear 3. Black Sea 4. Almonds 5. Robert Frost

Sports Quiz answers

24-hour hotline #352-372-8091 www.aagainesville.org No dues or fees

7. Vitali Klitschko.

WE CAN HELP! 24 HOURS 7 DAYS 352-376-8008 www.uncoastna.org pr@uncoastna.org

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Personals

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Entertainment

WALDO FARMERS & FLEA MARKET Vintage & Unique - Like EBay in 3D

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Pets

OPERATION CATNIP

Spaying/Neutering Free-Roaming Cats Borrow a Trap / Make a Clinic Reservation Make a Donation / Volunteer New Expanded Hours

Lots of NEW info at http://ocgainesville.org/

by Fifi Rodriguez 1.1.LANGUAGE: What is a demonym?

MEASUREMENTS: How many inches are inWhat's a mile?

2. MEDICAL: the common name of a condi2. called ASTRONOMY: tion otitis externa? What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific 3. GEOGRAPHY: Which large body of water lies to community?

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LITERATURE: Who is the of the poem only president to serve author two noncon"The Gift terms?

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7.6.GEOLOGY: Which What mineral was is the the softestfirst on the HISTORY: National Monument proclaimed in the Mohs Scale?

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HISTORY: In which country did the What Easter Ris9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: ing take place inof1916? was the name the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine? © 2022 What King Features Synd.,four Inc. rail10. GAMES: are the road properties in Monopoly? answers to the left Answers 1. 63,360 inches 2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence 3. Below or insufficient 4. Grover Cleveland 5. Katharine Hepburn 6. Devils Tower, 1906 7. The Philippines 8. “The Matrix” 9. The USS Nautilus 10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Read1.

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5. Kendo.

6. Conor McGregor.

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El Caimán

LUNES, 28 DE MARZO DE 2022 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Recordando y honrando a Prateek Sharma, una víctima de atropello y fuga SUS SERES QUERIDOS DICEN QUE ERA UN HIJO, HERMANO Y AMIGO CARISMÁTICO Y AMOROSO CON UNA SONRISA CONTAGIOSA

Por Carissa Allen Escritora del Caimán

Traducido Por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

El festival indio favorito de Prateek Sharma era Holi. La fiesta celebra la llegada de la primavera, los nuevos comienzos y el triunfo del bien sobre el mal.

Antes de mudarse a Gainesville, celebró el vívido y alegre festival en las calles de Faridabad, India, rociándose a sí mismo y a sus seres queridos con agua y polvos coloridos tradicionales.

En la víspera de Holi de este año, Sharma caminó por la acera de Southwest 34th Street hasta el mercado para comprar gujiya, un manjar popular de Holi.

Sharma fue golpeado fatalmente y asesinado el 17 de marzo. Tenía 21 años.

James O'Reilly, de 19 años, está acusado de atropellar a Sharma mientras conducía ebrio.

O'Reilly está recluido en la cárcel del condado de Alachua, en espera de juicio después de declararse inocente. Está detenido sin una fianza que anteriormente era de $320.000 y está acusado de homicidio, conducción bajo la influencia, conducción imprudente y atropello y fuga.

La festividad, tradicionalmente una alegre

celebración de la vida ahora será observada por la familia y los amigos de Sharma como un recuerdo de su propia vida.

Gainesville ha desarrollado una reputación notoria por las condiciones inseguras de los peatones y las múltiples muertes de estudiantes. Las familias de Maggie Paxton, Sophia Lambert y Denise Griffiths ahora viven con las tribulaciones de la pérdida y reviven estas tragedias con cada atropello y fuga que ocurre en la ciudad.

La familia de Sharma ahora está de luto al otro lado del mundo en Faridabad, donde nació y fue criado el estudiante de intercambio de informática de la UF. No podía caminar por el campus sin encontrarse con los amigos que encontró en sus aulas y grupos de estudio, dijo su mejor amigo, Drishtant Purkayastha. Se conocieron el primer día de su primer año universitario. Pasaron todos los días juntos hasta que Sharma se mudó a Gainesville.

“Tenía este efecto en todos los que conocía”, dijo el joven de 21 años. “Era una luz en los momentos más oscuros de todos”.

Prateek lo convirtió en la persona que es ahora.

“Cada pequeña cosa, cualquier cosa que me pasara, solía compartir con él, y él solía darme consejos”, dijo. “Me gusta creer que nos cambiamos mutuamente para mejorar como personas. Éramos hermanos.

Hablaron casi todos los días, incluso el 17 de marzo, a pesar de la diferencia horaria de casi 10 horas.

“Dije… ‘Hablamos mañana’. Mañana nunca llegó”, dijo Purkayastha.

Al recordar la presencia animada de Sharma, Archit Ratan, el primo-hermano mayor de Sharma, un término indio-inglés que se refiere a un primo varón que asume una relación fraternal, se sintió abrumado por recuerdos felices. “Él siempre estaba sonriendo”, dijo Ratan. "Él nunca le decía 'no' a nadie".

A Sharma le encantaba escuchar música punjabi, viajar y jugar fútbol cuando no estaba jugando con aparatos o elaborando códigos.

Siguiendo los pasos de ingeniería de su padre y su abuelo, Sharma asistió a Amity University Noida en 2018 para obtener una licenciatura en tecnología en informática e ingeniería.

Aunque amaba a Amity, Sharma quería aprovechar sus opciones de estudio en el extranjero para su último semestre de universidad. Al mudarse a Gainesville a principios de este año, planeó completar el último semestre de su educación universitaria en la UF e inscribirse en un programa de posgrado.

Imaginó cómo sería su educación, carrera y futuro, trabajando para obtener una maestría de una universidad de renombre en los Estados Unidos.

Durante el verano de 2021, hizo una pasantía tanto en TISPL como en The Sparks Foundation, trabajando como pasante de ciencia de datos y tecnología informática.

En 2020, él y Purkayastha también crearon una aplicación funcional de Android que podía rastrear los casos de COVID-19 en India. Sin suficientes kits para evaluar a toda su población, India confió en aplicaciones como estas para rastrear casos positivos y personas que estuvieron en contacto cercano con los infectados.

También estaba motivado para ser voluntario en la India, trabajando con The Earth Saviors Foundation, una organización no gubernamental que trabaja para mejorar las condiciones de vida de los civiCourtesy to the Alligator les desfavorecidos y Prateek Sharma aboga por la administración ambiental.

“Era muy ambicioso con todos sus sueños”, dijo Ratan. “Si esto no hubiera sucedido, la historia sería otra”.

Los amigos y la familia de Sharma esperan dar a conocer su vida y su legado creando una cuenta de Instagram en su honor. Quieren justicia por su muerte injusta.

“Realmente no hay suficiente cobertura de noticias sobre esto… lo que realmente duele ver”, escribió Purkayastha.

Su familia y amigos se reunieron en Faridabad el viernes por la tarde para una ceremonia de cremación.

“Siempre amado, nunca olvidado, extrañado para siempre”, escribió el anuncio de la ceremonia.

Troy Myers contribuyó a este informe. @carissaallenn callen@alligator.org

Las organizaciones activistas de Gainesville condenan el proyecto de ley de prohibición del aborto de 15 semanas de Florida LOS ORGANIZADORES CREEN QUE EL PROYECTO DE LEY PERJUDICA LA SALUD Y LOS DERECHOS REPRODUCTIVOS

Por Lucille Lannigan Escritora del Caimán

Traducido Por Marian Hernandez Escritora del Caimán

Mientras los floridanos esperan que el gobernador Ron DeSantis firme un proyecto de ley que prohíba el aborto, los grupos activistas se están organizando en represalia, organizando protestas y realizando sesiones informativas sobre el aborto.

Este proyecto de ley prohíbe el aborto después de las quince semanas de embarazo y ha despertado alarma entre las personas con capacidades reproductivas. La pro-

hibición permitiría excepciones que impliquen “un grave riesgo” para la persona embarazada y anomalías fetales sin excepciones por violación o incesto.

Ahora, el lugar más cercano para que los floridanos accedan al aborto después de las quince semanas es Carolina del Norte.

Jianna D'Addario, presidenta de UF Planned Parenthood Generation Action(Acción de generación de planificación de familia de la UF), organizó un evento en el Civic Media Center (Centro cívico de medios de Gainesville) para brindar información sobre el aborto en Florida el miércoles.

“Tuvimos ese evento para conectar a las personas con recursos para que todos podamos apoyarnos unos a otros mientras tratamos de navegar el día a día bajo políticas tan restrictivas”, dijo D’Addario.

Alrededor de quince personas se reunieron en la presentación de Generation Action, que aconsejó

Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter.

Envíanos un tweet @alligatorElCaiman.

a las personas con capacidades de embarazo que se hicieran pruebas de embarazo con frecuencia y las dirigió hacia proveedores locales de aborto, como los centros Bread & Roses y All Women's Health Center.

D'Addario aseguró a los asistentes que la prohibición del aborto no se basa en información médica precisa.

“Lo único que esto hace es poner a las mujeres embarazadas en un cronograma realmente estricto sobre cuándo pueden tomar estas decisiones y cuándo pueden comenzar a acceder a la atención médica”, dijeron. “Para mucha gente eso ya es difícil, para las comunidades de color, para las comunidades LGBTQIA+… esas comunidades ya están recibiendo atención médica discriminatoria”.

Nilufer Akalin, profesora de investigación del Centro de Género, Sexualidades y Estudios de la Mujer de la UF, dijo que en las últimas

Gators continue football training Napier leads second week of practice, pg. 11

décadas el aborto legal y seguro se volvió más accesible para las mujeres en todo el mundo. Sin embargo, en los EE. UU., parece que los marcos legales limitan cada vez más el acceso al aborto.

Esta prohibición al aborto también podría conducir al cierre de clínicas, lo que aumenta la distancia de viaje para abortar, dijo Akalin.

Aquellos sin capacidad financiera o acceso a transporte para viajar tendrían aun más dificultades para acceder a servicios de aborto.

“Después de todo este trabajo y también un movimiento feminista que liberalizó el acceso al aborto”, dijo Akalin. “Lo que estamos viendo en los EE. UU. es una dirección inversa”.

Texas, Arizona y Virginia implementaron prohibiciones de aborto de seis semanas y Mississippi tiene una prohibición actual de quince semanas.

“Hemos visto que históricamente estas leyes no dan como re-

sultado menos abortos… obligan a una mujer a arriesgar su vida y su salud al buscar servicios de aborto inseguros”, dijo.

La Organización Mundial de la Salud dice que la falta de acceso a servicios de aborto seguros y oportunos es un problema crítico de salud pública y de derechos humanos. Cada año, del 4,7% al 13,2% de las muertes maternas se deben a abortos inseguros.

El sitio de la OMS enumera los riesgos para la salud del aborto inseguro: hemorragia, infección, perforación uterina y daños en el tracto genital y los órganos internos.

Tener un hijo es un evento que cambia la vida, dijo el Dr. Akalin.

Las personas deberían poder decidir si están listas para este cambio. 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.

@lucillelannigan llannigan@alligator.org

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Meet Florida’s new head coach

Todd Golden was officially introduced Wednesday

By Joseph Henry Sports Writer

Todd Golden has always held the Florida basketball program in high regard. When UF athletic director Scott Stricklin called the 36-year-old coach, he knew he had to pick up the phone.

After Mike White’s departure March 13, Stricklin wasted no time bringing in the hottest name on the coaching market. Golden was hired March 18, and formally introduced Wednesday.

“We spoke to an overwhelming number of people in and around the sport of basketball,” Stricklin said.

“Whether it was someone in the NBA or someone in college basketball, Todd's name kept coming up.”

Golden’s rise to prominence in basketball circles didn’t happen overnight and his connection to analytics began early in his life.

As a young kid, Golden would sit at his kitchen table eating breakfast with his father, Scott.

While Golden fueled up for a day at school, his dad would read the newspaper. After scouring the sports section, he would pass the paper to his son.

“I would go through and look at box scores and fell in love with looking at numbers,” Golden said.

The obsession with statistics followed Golden to high school and then his time as a walk-on point guard at Saint Mary’s College.

When playing for the Gaels from

2004-08, his coaches Randy Bennett and Kyle Smith calculated around 40 different statistics during games and practices, using them as learning opportunities for their players.

“I saw what it did for me and the opportunities that it provided me,” Golden said. “It would be silly if I didn't take advantage of that as a coach.”

The coaching style worked, as Saint Mary’s landed two NCAA Tournament berths during Golden’s time in Moraga, California.

Advancing past his college days, Golden traveled overseas to play professionally in Israel. He spent two seasons with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League from 2008-10. Golden then traveled back to the United States and began working in corporate marketing and sales.

His first job was at IMG College, and his second at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. The years Golden spent putting his business administration degree to use revealed a desire to reconnect with the sport he loves.

“I didn't want to come to work in a suit and tie every day,” Golden said.

“It gave me kind of the jolt I needed to get back into basketball and into coaching.”

Two-year stints at Columbia and Auburn got Golden in the mix. He followed the same trajectory with both programs, getting in the door as a director of basketball operations and then moving up to an assistant coach role.

At Colombia, Golden worked under one of his former Saint Mary’s coaches, Smith, who landed the head gig with the Lions in 2010. The connection would prove fruitful for Golden again in 2016, but he took a dive into the SEC first.

Golden joined Bruce Pearl’s staff at Auburn in 2014. During his time with the Tigers, he would begin to rely on his analytical mind more. Golden headed up Auburn’s metrics data breakdowns and spent time getting accustomed to the conference’s landscape.

“Really those two years made me very comfortable in the process with Scott,” Golden said. “Talking about what we could do [at Florida] and different things we could take from the first couple of years building [Auburn] up and what we could transition here” After departing from Auburn, Golden would reunite with Smith yet another time, jumping to the University of San Francisco as associate head coach from 2016-19.

The job would eventually give Golden full control of the Dons in 2019.

It took time for USF to break into the national scene, despite a 22-win season in Golden’s first year.

Playing in one of the premier mid-major leagues, the West Coast Conference and among the likes of powerhouse Gonzaga was no easy task. Yet, the Dons would find success and snap a 24-year NCAA Tournament drought this past season. San Francisco won 24 games and earned a No. 10-seed in the Big Dance, ultimately getting bounced by No. 7-seed Murray State in the first round.

The year was Golden’s best and put him on the Gators’ radar.

While at Florida, he aims to

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida football coach Billy Napier observes his team during Spring football practice. alligatorSports has a podcast!

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bring the program back to its old prominence. Expectations can never be too high, Golden said.

The source of those very expectations is legendary head coach Billy Donovan, who spent 19 seasons at UF with a 467-185 record and brought the school two national championships.

Golden understands just how impressive the feat of back-to-back titles is. He was playing at Saint Mary’s during Florida’s best seasons under Donovan and followed those teams closely.

“I was able to talk to Coach Donovan last Saturday for about 30 minutes, and it gave me goosebumps the whole time we were chatting,” Golden said. “I want to pick his brain.

I want him to be a big resource for me. He is a guy I look up to both from a coaching standpoint and also as a man.”

On Wednesday, Golden hammered two points home: he is confident in his ability to lead, and he wants to be at UF. Golden wants to hit the ground running and bring together a deep roster for next season. The Gators will see seven seniors depart and just recently lost a commitment from fivestar forward Malik Reneau. Golden aims to build a group of talented players by any means, working the transfer portal and establishing a strong recruiting base.

When forming his staff and initial team, Golden will target individuals that admire their opportunities.

“I expect my student athletes as well as my staff to have an attitude of appreciation,” Golden said. “I won't take anything less than guys being super grateful for being a part of it.”

Building bonds with his players that extend beyond something

Joseph Henry // Alligator Staff

Florida basketball head coach Todd Golden at his introductory press conference Wednesday. transactional is essential for Golden’s coaching style. He wants to know his players personally and wants them to take pride in playing for him and their school. Golden built this respect with his players at San Francisco and hopes to replicate it at UF. “Making sure you know who their girlfriends are, what their social lives are like, what kind of music they like to listen to,” Golden said.”When you build those types of relationships, that's when you get guys to play hard for you.”

Golden finished his opening address with a promise on behalf of himself and his future teams, encompassing the outlook of his tenure.

“We'll have a lot of pride wearing the orange and blue, and I can say from the bottom of my heart that I'm incredibly proud to be a Gator.” @josephhenry2424 jhenry@alligator.org

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson delivers a throw to his receiver down field.

Follow us for updates

For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2022

SWIMMING & DIVING

Florida men’s swim and dive places third at NCAA Championships Gators claimed three individual national titles last week in Atlanta

By Ethan Eibe

Chaney completed the first 50 yards with a 20.19 backstroke and Hillis followed with a 23.20 backstroke.

Friese and Davis carried the final two legs with a 19.36 butterfly and 18.38 freestyle respectively.

The Gators demonstrated their prowess during the first day of competition with an All-American seventh-place finish in the 800yard free relay. The team of senior Kieran Smith, juniors Trey Freeman, Alfonso Mestre and freshman Oskar Lindholm showed out to clock in at 6:09.01.

Florida continued its winning in the 200-yard free relay, securing its first national championship in the event since 2018. The quartet of Chaney, Friese, Smith and Davis shattered the school record with a 1:14.11 time, besting the previous mark by 0.29 seconds.

Smith was one of four Gators to receive All-American accolades in the 500-yard freestyle to wrap up Thursday’s events. Florida remained just 21 points behind front-runner Texas heading into day three.

Florida racked up eight AllAmerican honors and two top-3 finishes to conclude Friday.

Chaney earned the bronze in the 100-yard backstroke, completing the race in 44.35

Sports Writer

Florida men’s swim and dive team put an exclamation point on its season with a podium finish at the NCAA Championships.

The Gators accumulated 374 points during the four-day meet at the McAuley Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to earn the bronze, finishing behind the California Golden Bears and Texas Longhorns.

It is the second-consecutive bronze finish at the NCAAs for the Gators, who have not placed higher than third since 1985 (silver) and 1984 (gold).

“It feels really good to get top8 and top-4 in the nation knowing there are 50 states and a lot of people in this country who dive,” junior diver Leonardo Garcia said. “That motivates me to keep working hard.”

Florida made its mark by garnering three event national titles and an impressive 42 AllAmerican honors. The orange and blue led off the meet with its firstever national championship in the 200-yard medley relay.

Seniors Will Davis, Dillion Hillis, junior Eric Friese and sophomore Adam Chaney combined for a one-minute, 21.13-second swim.

seconds and eclipsing a UF benchmark previously set by himself. The Mason, Ohio, native aided in another record-breaking relay performance to wrap up Friday’s action, complementing Hillis, Friese and Smith yet again with a third-place finish in the 400yard medley relay (3:01.00).

Other top performers Friday included senior Bobby Finke and junior Kevin Vargas (400-yard individual medley) as well as Freeman (200-yard freestyle).

Gators diving made its presence felt through Garcia’s eighth-place effort on the 3-meter springboard.

The Cali, Colombia, native tallied 397.70 points. Garcia continued his success during Saturday’s finale with a fourth-place, 406.05 point performance on the platform dive.

“I have been doing these dives for over a year and half now,” Garcia said. “The more you do them, the more confident you feel.

I really want to keep working hard so I can get more consistent and have even better results.”

Junior Anton Svirskyi earned the first Honorable Mention AllAmerican accolade of his career, placing seventh in the platform Consolation Final. The Ukrainian chipped in two points to the Gators’ team total.

Despite being unable to hang

Courtney Culbreath / UAA Communications

Senior Kieran Smith and his teammates shattered a UF swim record on their way to third place in the NCAA Nationals on to a second place finish, Florida closed the meet with a bang thanks to Finke’s second-straight national championship in the 1,650-yard freestyle. The Clearwater, Florida, native broke a pool record and showed incredible endurance by touching the wall in 14:22.28.

Florida’s senior class certainly rose to the occasion, as Davis, Finke, Hillis and Smith ended up with a combined 17 All-American honors.

This is the end of the line for a Florida squad that captured its 10th-consecutive SEC

Championship last month and will retain a plethora of young, talented swimmers to keep the Gators among the top aquatic teams in the nation.

“I think you can be very talented, but if you don’t put enough work into it, I don’t think you are going to achieve,” Garcia said. “I am a strong believer in hard work, and it pays off. I am very excited [about the future of the program].” @EthanEibe eeibe@alligator.org

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