Monday, April 1, 2024

‘Rainesville’: Overused pun or a real weather pattern?

Experts say ‘a little bit of both’

GAINESVILLE’S RAINFALL ISN’T MUCH HIGHER THAN FLORIDA AVERAGE — EXCEPT IN WINTER MONTHS

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

Waterlogged sneakers squeaking on classroom floors. Students speed walking through campus with backpacks hoisted over their heads to block the downpour. A sea of umbrellas wandering across courtyards. For UF students, school is often synonymous with storms.

Anyone who stays in Gainesville for more than a few days will probably see rain. Anyone who stays in Gainesville a few minutes after that rain starts will inevitably hear someone call the city “Rainesville.”

UF students often believe — perhaps due to the inescapability of the “Rainesville” pun — that its frequent showers make Gainesville wetter than other Florida cities. But though Gainesville does rain often, it doesn’t stand out in Florida, which is a rainy state in general, said UF geography professor Esther Mullens.

“If you're saying purely from the standpoint of, ‘Does it rain a lot here?’ The answer is yes,” she said. “Whether or not it rains more than the areas around it, the answer I would say is that's probably a myth.”

Wet, hot Gainesville summers

Florida storms in general are both more intense and more summer-concentrated than in other states, said Mullens.

Because it’s surrounded by a “nice warm ocean,” Florida has lots of moisture and water vapor in the air, meaning when it rains, it rains hard, Mullens said. As a United Kingdom native, Mullens pointed out London, another notoriously wet locale, receives half of Gainesville’s annual rainfall. Its chillier northern temperatures create lighter — albeit steadier — drizzle, she said.

In the summer, Florida, as a thin peninsula, heats up rapidly every morning, while the ocean heats more slowly. The imbalance sets up a low pressure system in the middle of the state. Air rises, and thunderstorms result.

People sometimes assume coastal cities get more storms, Mullens said. But winds tend

Gainesville religious communities use faith to inspire climate action

Religious groups focus on disaster relief, community education and carbon neutrality

By Kylie Williams & Nicole Beltrán Alligator Staff Writers

Some people find their religion through crisis or a calling. Jim Harper found his through climate change. Harper, 56, had spent years as a climate activist and educator. In 2018, he attended an environmental workshop at the United Church of Gainesville.

“I thought, ‘What is this place? This is really cool,’” Harper said.

After the workshop, Harper became involved in the church, bringing his environmental activism with him. Harper helped his church become officially designated as a Cre-

ation Justice Church, which involves a congregation demonstrating a commitment to caring for the environment.

In communities around Gainesville, the idea of “creation care,” or a religious responsibility to the environment, is becoming increasingly common. As the threat of climate change persists, people are using faith as a launching point for environmental action.

For Sue Blythe, caring for the environment is at the core of her Baha’i faith. The 77-year-old Gainesville resident believes creation care is about combining religion with science and that people of faith are obligated to protect the Earth.

“We believe this is God’s creation, and we have a moral responsibility to take care of God’s creation,” Blythe said. “And that’s not only the planet itself but everything on it.”

In 2013, Blythe and a few other members of the Baha’i faith wanted to put their beliefs into action. They started the interfaith climate group, an organization that unites members of different religions under the umbrella of climate action.

Even though the members of the interfaith group come from very different religions, Blythe said, they’re able to bypass any prejudices in favor of their shared passion for the environment.

“The differences are much less

important than the goal of working together,” she said.

Blythe is also a member of Community Organizations Active in Disasters. The COAD places faithbased organizations in a position to help Alachua County in the case of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane.

COAD Emergency Management Coordinator Francine Vincent’s inspiration for recruiting faith-based groups is their versatility in the community alongside their efforts to always give back.

Vincent said through these groups, more outreach can be done to communities residing in rural parts of Alachua County and not just Gainesville.

“I really thought that faith-based organizations had great insight,” she said.

Vincent recruited about 10 to 15 organizations last summer. She said she has already structured ways in which the groups would be able to assist the community, but the fundamental reason comes from creating more outreach.

“I figured they would be the best people because they know everybody in the community,” she said. “They know where the people who were hit or who need the most help.”

Through donations, cleanup procedures, food distribution, long-term recovery support and more, the or-

Credit

A student is seen biking through the Plaza of the Americas during the rainy morning of Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

GAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

INVESTIGATING VANDALISM INCIDENTS DIRECTED AT CITY LEADERSHIP

By Ella Thompson & Kairi Lowery Alligator Staff Writers

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward’s office window was vandalized March 26 by two projectiles, spraying glass across his office, leaving two large holes in the window and denting a wall. The scene was discovered by custodial staff the morning of March 27.

A note attached to one of the projectiles was addressed to “Mr. Ward,” and expressed anger toward the city’s commitments to equity and inclusion. The note allegedly contained threatening and racist language, according to a city press release.

On March 6, the front door of the Old Library, where the city’s equity and inclusion office is located, was broken by projectiles with a similar note attached addressed to the city, said Assistant Police Chief Nelson Moya.

determine right now if the two incidents were carried out by the same assailant, but the language in the two notes was very similar, Ward said in a March 27 press conference.

Ward would not disclose specific details about the note during the press conference, but emphasized the city’s diligence to expand DEI for Gainesville residents and UF students, he said.

“City management will continue to pursue that work,” Ward said. “City Commission will continue to pursue that work. I will continue to pursue that work. If anybody thinks that chucking a rock through my window is going to make me less inclined to work on DEI initiatives, and to be helpful and supportive of our entire community, they're sadly mistaken.”

Ward’s office window has since been boarded up, and new, stronger glass is on the way, he said. City Hall has been working to input new security measures for “a little while,” but those measures have been fasttracked since the March 26 incident. Ward wants employees and residents alike to feel safe visiting and working in the city buildings, he

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other two events, but GPD hasn’t determined if it’s related. A rock was thrown at a window of the Old Library, but it didn’t break the window, Ward said.

Ward is confident GPD’s investigation will be successful but was unable to share any details of its investigations at the press conference.

Other city leaders spoke out about the incident on social media. City Commissioner Bryan Eastman also emphasized the city leadership’s duty to DEI initiatives in a post on X.

“This has no place in our diverse city,” Eastman wrote. “Fear will not slow our commitment to our values.” @elladeethompson. ethompson@alligator.org @kairiloweryy klowery@alligator.org

Claire Grunewald, cgrunewald@alligator.org

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Ben

Claire Grunewald, Aidan Bush, Jackson Castellano, Peyton Harris

Ella Thompson // Alligator Staff Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward shows some of

the damage done to city hall in a press conference on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

‘Easter Bunny dump season’: Why this time of year poses a threat to rabbits

Rabbits risk high rates of abandonment around the Easter holiday

By Bonny Matejowsky Alligator Staff Writer

Easter is a holiday known for sweet marshmallow chicks, pastelwoven baskets and, of course, the ever-mysterious Easter Bunny.

But the impacts of this floppyeared icon stretch beyond childhood memories of early morning egg hunts to a much more consequential extent — one that is particularly dangerous for domestic rabbits.

Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the United States, behind cats and dogs, as well as the third most abandoned, according to National Geographic.

They don’t wake the neighbors by barking too loud or claw your couch upholstery to shreds like other pets, but they do come with unique quirks like chewing wires and loudly thumping their feet when they’re mad.

Due to this, rabbit advocates urge those interested in adoption to do their research before adopting, especially during Easter, when it’s estimated about 80% of those purchased will die or be abandoned within the first year.

Kathy Finelli is the executive director of Gainesville Rabbit Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to rehabilitating and putting rescued rabbits up for adoption.

Though Finelli does not notice an increase in adoptions during the Easter season, she does notice an increase in requests to take rabbits two to three months later.

“We refer to [Easter] as the Easter Bunny dump season,” Finelli said.

Over the past two years, Gainesville Rabbit Rescue has witnessed an increase in rabbit surrenders, particularly in the months following the Christmas season.

Finelli attributes this trend to a common culprit — COVID-19.

“Perhaps [the rabbits’ owners were] working from home, and they think they have the time, so they did some impulse purchasing,” she said. “And on the other side, there has been a terrible increase in the amount of rabbits that have been found loose.”

Rabbits require a diverse diet of hay, pellets and fresh foods, as well as a large space to roam, Finelli said.

As naturally social animals, they do best in environments where their social needs are attended to. When a second rabbit is not an option, the responsibility of companionship falls on the owner.

Their specific lifestyle necessities lead unprepared rabbit owners to give them up to shelters or leave them outside to the elements of nature.

Releasing domestic rabbits into the great outdoors may not be a romantic return to the natural circle of life, but rather, a death sentence. According to the House Rabbit Resource Network, their diet and dependence on humans make them highly vulnerable to starvation and predators.

With these serious consequences

in mind, Gainesville Rabbit Rescue has a detailed adoption process and a list of questions for potential owners to ask themselves before bringing a bunny into their lives.

“Success for us is not necessarily having an adoption,” she said. “Success for us is having someone tell us, ‘I was going to get a baby bunny, but I spoke with you, and I realize I’m not ready for that.’”

Though their care takes getting used to, rabbits may be an ideal pet for many aspiring animal owners.

Lauren Lavernia, a 20-year-old UF health science junior, lives in a single dorm with her emotional support rabbit, Winifred, who goes by “Winnie” for short.

The two make a great team: Lavernia provides a large space to roam, a quiet environment, leafy greens and the occasional fruit treat, while Winnie provides affectionate cuddles and loyal companionship.

Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, which aligns conveniently with the times Lavernia is at home.

“[Winnie] is 20 times better than I could have ever imagined,” she said. “She’s honestly so great. She’s like a weird-shaped cat in my brain.”

Lavernia said rabbits can be easy to care for, as long as you are mindful of their specific needs.

“We both have awful anxiety so we get along well in that sense,” Lavernia said. “I think she’s a perfect college pet for me.”

Another factor to consider is rabbits’ lifespans, which range from

eight to 12 years.

Emily Pitocchi, a 19-year-old Sante Fe College animal sciences freshman, still has her first rabbit named Binky, whom she adopted nine years ago.

“I rescued [Binky] and three other bunnies since then and some of them came from horrible care,” Pitocchi said. “If they are not a priority they can sadly be forgotten about.”

Contrary to popular belief, Pitocchi said rabbits should not be fed high quantities of carrots, which can give them health problems like obesity, digestive problems and tooth decay.

Uma Raja, a 24-year-old University of Georgia graduate student, volunteered at Gainesville Rabbit Rescue when she attended UF in 2019.

The experience led her to foster two bunnies, Mochi and Cocoa, the latter she later adopted.

“They have a lot more personality than people think, and they are intelligent,” Raja said. “They know when it’s time to be fed, and they recognize different people.”

Though a small, mostly silent creature, rabbits can significantly impact the people around them. According to the pet therapy nonprofit Love on a Leash, rabbits’ calm nature and soft fur make them an ideal therapy pet.

After her mother passed away unexpectedly in 2022, Raja said she felt saved by Cocoa’s ‘unconditional love’ during the hardest time of her life.

“In the hard moments of my life, [a pet] is so innocent and sweet,” she said. “That really is the most grounding thing you could have.”

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UF Women’s Student Association revitalizes approach to Women’s History Month

MARCH EVENTS COVERED ACTIVISM, SERVICE, SELF-CARE AND COLLABORATION

By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer

In the heart of Women’s History Month, the UF Women’s Student Association unveiled a different approach to celebrating March: implementing self-care.

Every March, Women’s History Month is meant to recognize the contributions, achievements and struggles of women. The month’s themes are selected by the National Women’s History Alliance. The 2024 theme is “Women who advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion,” according to its website.

For WSA, March’s self-care theme covered many goals — activism, service, selfcare and collaboration — through weekly events and collaboration with other UF organizations.

March 19 featured a picnic in Plaza of the Americas, and March 25 held a defense kickboxing class, focusing on self-compassion and regeneration.

Crystal Boudreau, a 20-year-old UF criminology and sociology junior and external vice president of WSA, said her job is to connect with organizations to create larger events. The 2024 WSA theme is to revitalize, she said.

“In order to be an activist for other wom-

en, you have to be an activist for yourself,” Boudreau said.

WSA’s theme comes in the wake of many critical events around the world, from lim ited access to women’s hygiene products in Palestine to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, Boudreau added.

“Every year as a woman, it’s just been harder,” she said. “We’ve been screaming till our lungs turn black… every year we’re fighting a different fight.”

Padma Adimula, a 21-year-old UF biol ogy senior, has stayed with WSA since she started as a general body member. As the current president of WSA, her goal is to sup port members as much as possible, she said.

WSA collaborated with other UF student organizations, including the Black Student Union and the Asian American Student Union, to host events such as the March 30 Cultivating Representation And Supporting Harmony extravaganza. CRASH aimed to “foster inclusivity… diversity… and empower our community on campus,” according to the WSA Instagram page.

Inclusivity is a top priority within WSA, and it frequently collaborates with UF Pride Student Union to foster inclusive meetings for transgender and nonbinary students, Adimula said.

“Anyone of any gender expression is welcome at our meetings,” she said.

Savannah Schwantes, a 20-year-old UF nursing sophomore, joined WSA in July 2023. As the current treasurer, she submits

budget requests, creates fundraising opportunities and provides continued support for WSA events. The biggest change she’s witnessed in her time in WSA has been organizational, she said.

“We’ve changed around our standards for accountability within our exec board and tried to really focus on putting that in action during women’s history month,” she said.

A focus on accountability was especially important since the pandemic, where WSA was one of many affected student organizations, Schwantes added.

“Those two years were really crazy, and [WSA] didn’t have a lot of funding,” she said. “People were used to the online format where it was a little bit easier to avoid

responsibility.”

As a member of leadership, her favorite part was creating events with purpose and creating engaging meeting topics, she said.

“The issues we try to focus on are intersectional… there are enriching experiences for everyone and valuable information to be learned,” she said.

Continuing to be a visible organization despite the elimination of UF DEI positions was important to Schwantes, she said.

“We’re trying to prove that we’re still a strong organization, and we’re not going anywhere.”

WSA hasn’t seen any direct consequences of DEI, and Schwantes hopes WSA’s history as a UF Big Nine organization will protect it. But, there is some uncertainty, she said.

“I [worry] sometimes, but we’re taking it one step at a time,” she said. “More than anything, I think it affects morale.”

Looking ahead, WSA’s future goals amidst DEI funding changes focus more on visibility rather than perception — and having WSA maintain its position at UF.

“Becoming a more culturally competent person, whether it’s through women’s history month or engaging in diverse experiences… can really just help everyone be a better advocate for the people in their community,” she said.

Karis Dunnam // Alligator Staff

Melanie Peña // Alligator Staff

Weather patterns

RAINESVILLE, from pg. 1

to push sea breezes inland before rising, so thunderstorms also bubble up in North Central Florida, including the Gainesville area, she said.

UF students who’ve spent summer semesters in Gainesville know its seasonal storms firsthand. Almost half of UF academic days in Summer 2023 saw rain, compared to less than one-third among Fall 2022 days and one-fifth of Spring 2023 days.

Wania Cardoso, a 36-year-old UF geography Ph.D. student, came to Gainesville a little over six months ago. As a Brazil native, she arrived well-prepared for her drizzly new home. But even living in the world’s rainforest capital didn’t prepare her for Florida’s summer showers, she said.

“I’m from the Amazon. We have a lot of rain — I’m used to it,” she said. “It rains a lot in my hometown, more than here, but if we’re talking about summer, then we have more rain here.”

Rainy winters: “the seasonal depression is real”

Levi Strodel, a 20-year-old UF political science and history sophomore, thinks Gainesville is rainier, more humid and generally “swampier” than his hometown Orlando. But it's not the rainy summers that bother him most.

“I feel like the winters here are harder — they’re just drearier, colder, wetter,” he said. “Honestly, the seasonal depression is real … especially if you’re from south or even central Florida, you’re just not used to it as much.”

Gainesville’s average annual 50 inches of rainfall far exceeds the U.S. average. However, it doesn’t stand out within perpetually wet Florida. Cities like Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and Miami all reported higher annual rainfall over the last 30 years.

But breaking Gainesville’s rain into months reveals where the city differs from the norm — and where its “Rainesville” nickname may originate.

In winter months, Florida, as a state, gets less rain. But in Gainesville, though rain does slow down in the winter, it doesn’t do so as dramatically as other Florida cities.

Gainesville has steadier rainfall than Florida as a whole, and the city has above-average winter rainfall as a result. For example, in January and February, Gainesville’s average monthly rainfall dominated the state average by over two inches from 1993 to 2023.

The oddity of Gainesville’s winter showers could explain why UF students, many hailing from south of Gainesville, are put off by January and February’s cool, wet mornings and start to see the entire city as unusually rainy.

Strodel noticed his energy levels are lower on rainy and cold days, he said. But he doesn’t let that keep him from the long commute from his apartment to his attendance-mandatory classes, even though he doesn’t own an umbrella, raincoat or rain boots, he said.

“The other day, I heard some girls walking around, and one of the girls had rain boots on but the other one didn’t,” he said. “She was like, ‘I bet you wish you had some puddle stoppers now.’ And I was like, ‘Right?’ I'm walking out here in my Air Forces, the water is just seeping into my shoe.”

Sade Whitcomb, a 21-year-old UF computer science junior, sometimes can’t face the effect of cold rain on both her mood and her shoes. On those days, she gives into skipping class to preserve her Converse, she said.

“If I have to go outside and I know my shoes are going to get wet, I’m definitely in a little worse mood,” she said.

But Whitcomb takes a more optimistic view of Gainesville showers on her class-free days, which give her time to stay inside, lay under a blanket and catch up on her latest favorite K-drama, “Marry My Husband,” she said.

Interfaith activism

INTERFAITH, from pg. 1

ganizations have the capacity to help in many ways, Vincent said.

Hani Rayes, a human resources business partner with Alachua County, who also oversees volunteer and donations with the county’s Emergency Operation Center, has been assisting in creating more communication with the faith-based organizations.

“We're still building, so eventually we're going to have more proper organization,” he said.

Different initiatives like an assessment tool and monthly meetings are being implemented to operate more effectively with the groups, Rayes said.

He said a lot of time can be wasted when there is no immediate procedure to assist in natural disasters and always having a plan is crucial.

“We want to make sure we know everyone, and whatever happens, we have a communication and we have groups, and we know what they are capable of doing,” he said.

The COAD meetings vary from month to month with different groups hosting as well as sometimes taking place in the Emergency Center at the sheriff’s office.

Rayes said it’s important to emphasize communication and collaboration, and with small but significant steps, a lot of people will benefit.

“We want to encourage people to join us and try this COAD,” he said.

Ellen Siegel, a member of Temple Shir Shalom, is part of both the COAD and the interfaith climate group. Siegel expects that many of the disasters the COAD will respond to will be worsened by climate change.

In the face of a disaster, there could be needs in the community that government resources are unable to fill, Siegel said. Faith-based groups are well-positioned to respond to these disasters because they’re already organized, she added.

“They’re already existing, and they already know how to work together,” Siegel said.

While Shir Shalom is a small synagogue, Siegel said, it is already taking aggressive steps in terms of climate action. The

Changing climate, changing rain

Esther Mullens has worked at UF for the past six years to help develop the university’s first-ever meteorology major for undergraduates, which will debut Fall 2024. The two things that interest her students most are hurricanes and climate change, she said.

Gainesville’s inland position doesn’t protect it from thunderstorms, but it could be one of the reasons the city has recently avoided hurricanes, Mullens said. Hurricanes weaken quickly once they hit land, she said.

Of the four major Florida hurricanes to make landfall on the state in the last 10 years, just one, Hurricane Irma, brought daily rainfall over three inches to the city. Most recently, Hurricane Idalia left Gainesville largely unscathed when it shifted west toward Cedar Key last fall.

Three inches indicates “torrential” rainfall according to a Florida Climate Center study. At that level, rain can cause property damage and destroy agriculture and livestock. Since 2013, Gainesville has recorded rainfall over three inches on 16 days.

The city’s hurricane avoidance could, in part, stem from luck, added Mullens.

“It seems like this area, the nature coast of Florida, just hasn't historically received as many [hurricanes], but whether or not there's a reason for that, I don't know,” she said. “I think it's just the statistics. You know, the roll of the dice.”

Now, scientists say severe weather will become even less foreseeable due to climate change, said UF environmental horticulture agent Cynthia Nazario-Leary.

As a leader in the university’s Alachua

synagogue plans to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050, and to construct a $50,000 carbon-sequestering garden.

This is part of the Hebrew idea of “tikkun olam,” or repairing what is wrong with the Earth, Siegel said. Some religious interpretations imply that people have the right to use the Earth’s resources how they wish, she said. Yet Siegel, and other members of the interfaith group, believe in the idea of stewardship.

“We’re tasked biblically with not dominating the Earth, but stewarding the Earth,” Siegel said.

At the United Church of Gainesville, the congregation is planning to host a special Earth Day sermon, Jim Harper said. One of the purposes of combining religion with environmentalism is to breed hope, he said.

When trying to solve an issue as daunting as climate change,

it’s common to become burnt out or overwhelmed, Harper said. The goal of faith-based environmentalism is to provide hope and the belief that things can get better, he said.

Harper’s goal is to use that hope to fuel real action. While faith-based groups are working to reduce their own footprint, he said, it’s important to understand that large industries are still pushing the climate crisis forward.

“There isn’t going to be a spiritual solution to that,” Harper said. “There has to be a practical, on-the-ground solution to that.”

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff Students walk through Turlington Plaza with raincoats and umbrellas on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff

CLEO member Ellen Siegel stands in front of Temple Shir Shalom on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

Uplift

GNV: Benefit concert raises funds for free therapy to local musicians

PROCEEDS WILL GO TO UPBEAT GNV’S SCHOLARSHIP FOR PRIVATE THERAPY SESSIONS

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez Avenue Staff Writer

For Alex Klausner, a 33-year-old musician and drum instructor, the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be the most painful period he’d experienced in his music career.

Worldwide quarantine fostered feelings of isolation, disconnection and depression. His mental health hit a low point, as he was indefinitely unable to meet other musicians and perform live.

Four years later, Klausner said his mental health is in a much better place. And as founder of the Gainesville-based nonprofit organization, Upbeat GNV, he invites music-lovers to “raise a glass to mental wellness.”

On April 6, Upbeat GNV will host its inaugural benefit show, “Uplift GNV,” outside First Magnitude Brewing Company at 1220 SE Veitch St. “We were looking for a way to be useful to our music community and… to the situation that we all kind of suddenly found ourselves in,” he said. “That was the spirit in which

MUSIC ART

Upbeat GNV was founded.”

Uplift GNV’s aim is to raise funds for the Upbeat’s Musicians Therapy Scholarship, which covers mental health counseling costs for musicians. Recipients of the scholarship can use the funds to cover eight private thera py sessions at Gainesville Community Counseling Center, Klausner said.

“We have these artistic values in music,” Klausner said, “that to be a true artist, you have to be a tortured soul. I think too often, we glorify mu sicians for their sadness.”

In creating Upbeat, Klausner said he was inspired by Nuçi’s Space, a nonprofit based in Athens, Georgia. The organization serves as “a safe space [for musicians] to seek support and guidance, provides access to af fordable, obstacle-free professional care,” according to its website.

John Gray Shermyen, a 34-yearold musician and Upbeat co-founder and director, said he and Klausner, in establishing the organization, addressed a need within the music community “during the darkest days of the pandemic.”

“The lack of work, future prospects, and human contact amplified mental health challenges for many of us,” Shermyan said. “It’s an open secret that mental health and addiction struggles are rampant in the scene.”

Uplift’s lineup of artists features six Gainesville bands: Trust Fall, Daydreaming GNV, Summer is Evil, Thomas Allain and Quil Darling.

As a member of two Gainesvillebased bands, Savants of Soul and Confession Kids, he said he is looking forward to the local artists scheduled to perform.

“[The concert] will… remind us how lucky we are to be in a music scene as vibrant, thriving and eclectic

as the one we have in Gainesville,” he said.

Maxwell Bleiweis is a 28-yearold professional musician and music teacher. Also a co-founder of Upbeat, his motivation is to build a non-competitive community within the Gainesville music scene and effectively dismantle the stereotype of ‘the starving artist.’

“When your profession requires you to work tough hours, be on the road away from family and put ev-

ArtWalk in downtown Gainesville features mural artists from around Florida

TEN ARTISTS PAINTED ACROSS WALLS AND FENCES IN A LOT NEAR DEPOT PARK

By Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writer

Typically, the focus on South Main Street is Gainesville staple Luke’s New York Bagel Shop or Depot Park. On March 29, the interest lay just behind it in a concrete lot bustling with people.

Visitors at the ArtWalk venue at 714 S Main St. were greeted with the thick smell of spray paint and bold visuals across the concrete walls surrounding the lot. It featured shapes and colors central to the work of Erbriyon Barrett, a 30-year-old artist better known as ‘Cloud.’

Barrett’s art is centered around primary colors and free-flowing, rounded shapes, which he compares to a lava lamp.

“This is my signature abstract design,” he said, gesturing to the half-completed mural behind him. “I call them clouds because I’m Cloud.”

Barrett started his mural before the event, arriving early to make a rough sketch of the design he wanted. He said his favorite part of

planning and executing his designs, which can be found on walls across the southeast United States, is finding the perfect color scheme.

“That’s the main thing I love,” he said, “I just love using loud, bright colors.”

His piece at ArtWalk had striking, deep colors in a swirling design: red, yellow, blue and green shapes overlapping each other fluidly.

“It’s just supposed to give off the representation of free-flow movement,” he said. “That’s the thing with abstract. I just want people to have their own interpretation of what they see.”

Although Barrett hadn’t decided on a title for his mural yet, he had a guiding concept. He knew he wanted it to connect with as many people as possible.

“The key term I like to use for it is ‘universal,’” he said. “I try to make it appeal to all types of races, sexuality [and] gender.”

Barrett’s pursuit of art has been lifelong, with his first foray into it at age 5. Ganes, a 34-yearold artist also at ArtWalk, had a similar experience, starting to paint seriously 18 years ago.

“I’d always drawn letters as a kid but never really went out and painted,” he said. “In middle school and high school, I started going out painting.”

His first professional experience involved

graffiti work around Broward County, which inspired the deeply saturated colors and thick outline of his current style. The design he was painting at the ArtWalk show, a purple and yellow tag of his name, was around 50 square feet.

“Something like this is usually four to six hours,” he said about the mural. “I can do something this big in two hours, but there would be a lot less detail.”

Since moving to Gainesville four years ago, Ganes has made art around the city, including on the 34th Street wall. The wall is more than 1,100 feet long and stands 24 feet tall, every inch of the concrete covered in layers of messages dating back as early as 1979.

Painting the wall is technically illegal, violating the vandalism clause in the city code of ordinances, but countless fundraisers, community events and residents of Gainesville have contributed to the wall’s art.

Steph Morris, a 26-year-old UF museum sciences graduate student, has painted the wall every year since she first came to Florida.

“This is my eighth year painting the 34th Street wall,” she said, loading a 5-gallon bucket filled with spray paint into the trunk of her car. “You would think it gets old, but it really never does.”

erything aside for a performance,” he said. “Self-care is difficult and reliability is everything,” he said.

Casey Wooster, a 31-year-old Upbeat GNV co-founder and communications director, said Uplift is meant to be one way of making mental health care more accessible and affordable for musicians in Alachua County.

“I hope it raises awareness to the need for access to mental healthcare at income levels,” she said. “There should never be a financial barrier to receiving help and resources needed for mental wellness. That’s where we hope we can help.”

Wooster said the mental health crisis within the music community is an ongoing issue, and Upbeat intends to do more outside of the show. A specific area of interest of the group is drug and alcohol addiction.

“One future initiative we hope to roll out in the future is a sober buddy program,” she said. “We will partner trained volunteers with musicians looking for support with sobriety at bars and other music venues.”

Uplift GNV is set to begin April 6 at 5:30 p.m., and admission is free to the public.

@emiliaandreaa ecardenas-perez@alligator.org

Morris first learned of the wall through a friend she made at 18 years old in her first year as an undergraduate student. Her friend, who had lived in Gainesville for middle and high school, brought her to 34th Street one day when Morris asked for a tour of the city’s landmarks.

“I immediately fell in love with it,” she said.. “I kept going back as often as I could, sometimes three or four or five times a week,” she said. “It didn’t matter whether it had been a day or a month since I’d last been, there was always new art to appreciate.”

Morris said she had always considered herself more of an art appreciator than an actual artist, but the wall gave her a chance to dip her toe into art creation.

“I didn’t feel like a true artist, and I still don’t, to be honest,” she said. “But it’s one of the best feelings in the world to express what I’m feeling on such a big canvas.”

Gainesville boasts dozens of murals commissioned from local artists within city limits, which Morris said she loves seeing.

“I love the mural on the stage at Bo Diddley plaza and the one next to Luke’s Bagels,” she said. “But there really is something special about being able to contribute to a massive, collaborative mural that makes it feel less like an art piece and more like an experience.” @bealunardini

El Caimán

Comunidades religiosas de Gainesville utilizan la fe para inspirar la acción climática Los grupos religiosos se centran en la ayuda en caso de desastres, la educación comunitaria y la neutralidad de carbono

Por Kylie Williams & Nicole Beltran Esritoras

de El Caimán

Traducido por Eluney

González

Esritora de El Caimán

Algunas personas encuentran su religión a través de una crisis o un llamado. Jim Harper encontró la suya a través del cambio climático.

Harper, de 56 años, pasó años como activista y educador climático. En 2018, asistió a un taller ambiental en la Iglesia Unida de Gainesville [United Church of Gainesville].

“Pensé, ‘¿Qué es este lugar? Esto es realmente genial’”, dijo Harper.

Después del taller, Harper se involucró en la iglesia, llevando consigo su activismo ambiental. Harper ayudó a su iglesia a ser designada oficialmente como una Iglesia de la Justicia a la Creación [Creation Justice Church], lo que implica que una congregación demuestre un compromiso con el cuidado del medio ambiente.

En comunidades alrededor de Gainesville, la idea de "cuidado de la creación", o la responsabilidad religiosa hacia el medio ambiente,

se está volviendo cada vez más común. A medida que persiste la amenaza del cambio climático, las personas están utilizando la fe como punto de partida para la acción ambiental.

Para Sue Blythe, cuidar el medio ambiente está en el núcleo de su fe Bahá'í. La residente de Gainesville de 77 años cree que el cuidado de la creación implica combinar la religión con la ciencia y que las personas de fe tienen la obligación de proteger la Tierra.

“Creemos que esta es la creación de Dios, y tenemos la responsabilidad moral de cuidar la creación de Dios”, dijo Blythe. “Y eso no solo incluye al planeta en sí mismo, sino a todo lo que hay en él”.

En 2013, Blythe y algunos otros miembros de la fe Bahá'í quisieron poner sus creencias en acción. Comenzaron el grupo interreligioso climático, una organización que une a miembros de diferentes religiones bajo el paraguas de la acción climática.

Aunque los miembros del grupo interreligioso provienen de religiones muy diferentes, dijo Blythe, pueden pasar por alto cualquier prejuicio a favor de su

pasión compartida por el medio ambiente.

"Las diferencias son mucho menos importantes que el objetivo de trabajar juntos", dijo.

Blythe también es miembro de Organizaciones Comunitarias Activas en Desastres [Community Organizations Active in Disasters]. El COAD coloca a organizaciones basadas en la fe en una posición para ayudar al Condado de Alachua en caso de un desastre natural, como un huracán.

La inspiración de la coordinadora de manejo de emergencias de COAD, Francine Vincent, para reclutar grupos basados en la fe es su versatilidad en la comunidad junto con sus esfuerzos para siempre devolver algo a la comunidad.

Vincent dijo que a través de estos grupos se puede hacer más alcance a las comunidades que residen en partes rurales del Condado de Alachua y no solo en Gainesville. “Realmente pensé que las organizaciones basadas en la fe tenían una gran perspicacia”, dijo.

Vincent reclutó alrededor de 10 a 15 organizaciones el verano pasado. Dijo que ya ha estructurado formas en las que los grupos podrían ayudar a la comunidad, pero la

razón fundamental proviene de crear más alcance.

“Pensé que serían las mejores personas porque conocen a todos en la comunidad”, dijo. “Saben dónde están las personas que fueron afectadas o que necesitan más ayuda”.

A través de donaciones, procedimientos de limpieza, distribución de alimentos, apoyo a la recuperación a largo plazo y más, las organizaciones tienen la capacidad de ayudar de muchas maneras, dijo Vincent.

Hani Rayes, un socio de recursos humanos del Condado de Alachua, quien también supervisa voluntarios y donaciones en el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia del condado, ha estado ayudando a crear más comunicación con las organizaciones basadas en la fe.

“Todavía estamos construyendo, así que eventualmente tendremos una organización más adecuada”, dijo.

Se están implementando diferentes iniciativas como una herramienta de evaluación y reuniones mensuales para operar de manera más efectiva con los grupos, dijo Rayes.

Dijo que se puede perder

mucho tiempo cuando no hay un procedimiento inmediato para ayudar en desastres naturales y siempre tener un plan es crucial.

“Queremos asegurarnos de conocer a todos, y pase lo que pase, tenemos una comunicación y tenemos grupos, y sabemos lo que son capaces de hacer”, dijo.

Las reuniones de COAD varían de mes a mes con diferentes grupos como anfitriones, a veces tienen lugar en el Centro de Emergencia en la oficina del alguacil.

Rayes dijo que es importante enfatizar la comunicación y la colaboración, y con pequeños pero significativos pasos, muchas personas se beneficiarán.

“Queremos animar a las personas a unirse a nosotros y probar este COAD”, dijo.

Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/ section/elcaiman

@KylieWilliams99 kyliewilliams@alligator.org

@nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

@Eluney_G egonzalez@alligator.org

‘Temporada de abandono de los conejos de Pascua’: Por qué esta época del año representa una amenaza para los conejos

LOS CONEJOS CORREN EL RIESGO DE SER ABANDONADOS EN GRANDES CANTIDADES ALREDEDOR DE LA FESTIVIDAD DE PASCUA

Por Bonny Matejowsky

Esritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Eluney González

Esritora de El Caimán

La Pascua es una festividad conocida por los dulces pollitos de malvavisco, las cestas tejidas en tonos pastel y, por supuesto, el siempre misterioso Conejo de Pascua.

Pero los impactos de este ícono de orejas caídas van más allá de los recuerdos de la infancia sobre las búsquedas de huevos temprano en la mañana, llegando a un nivel mucho más consecuente — uno que es particularmente peligroso para los conejos domésticos.

Los conejos son la tercera mascota más popular en los EE.UU., detrás de los

gatos y los perros, así como la tercera más abandonada, según la Nacional Geográfica [National Geographic].

No despiertan a los vecinos ladrando demasiado fuerte ni destrozan el tapizado del sofá como otras mascotas, pero sí tienen peculiaridades únicas como morder cables y golpear fuertemente con los pies cuando están enojados.

Debido a esto, los defensores de los conejos instan a quienes estén interesados en la adopción a investigar antes de adoptar, especialmente durante la Pascua, cuando se estima que alrededor del 80% de los conejos comprados morirán o serán abandonados durante el primer año.

Kathy Finelli es la directora ejecutiva del Rescate de Conejos de Gainesville [Gainesville Rabbit Rescue], una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a la rehabilitación y adopción de conejos rescatados.

Aunque Finelli no nota un aumento en las adopciones durante la temporada de Pascua, sí observa un aumento en las solicitudes para recibir conejos dos a tres meses más tarde. “Nos referimos a [la Pascua] como la etapa de abandono de los Conejos de

Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter. Envíanos un tweet @ElCaimanGNV.

Pascua”, dijo Finelli.

Durante los últimos dos años, el Rescate de Conejos de Gainesville ha presenciado un aumento en la entrega de conejos, particularmente en los meses siguientes a la temporada navideña.

Finelli atribuye esta tendencia a un culpable común — el COVID-19.

“Quizás [los dueños de los conejos estaban] trabajando desde casa y creían tener tiempo, así que hicieron algunas compras impulsivas”, dijo. “Y por el otro lado, ha habido un terrible aumento en la cantidad de conejos que se han encontrado sueltos”.

Finelli dijo que los conejos requieren una dieta diversa de heno, comida de conejo y alimentos frescos, así como un espacio grande para moverse.

Como animales naturalmente sociales, los conejos se desempeñan mejor en entornos donde se atienden sus necesidades sociales. Cuando un segundo conejo no es una opción, la responsabilidad de compañía recae en el dueño.

Las necesidades específicas de su estilo de vida llevan a los dueños de conejos no

preparados a entregarlos a refugios de animales o dejarlos afuera expuestos a los elementos de la naturaleza.

Liberar conejos domésticos en la naturaleza puede no ser un romántico retorno al ciclo natural de vida, sino más bien una sentencia de muerte. Según la Red de Recursos para Conejos Domésticos [House Rabbit Resource Network], su dieta y dependencia en los humanos los hacen altamente vulnerables al hambre y a los depredadores.

Con estas graves consecuencias en mente, el Rescate para los Conejos de Gainesville tiene un proceso de adopción detallado y una lista de preguntas para que los posibles dueños se hagan antes de traer un conejo a sus vidas.

Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/ elcaiman @bonnymatejowsky bmatejowsky@alligator.org

@Eluney_G egonzalez@alligator.org

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

Vote for Debbie, save my healthcare

The fight for Florida’s United States Senate seat is not just a political race; its outcome is deeply personal to me. This past summer, my mom faced a health scare marked with uncertainty, all while navigating a healthcare system rife with economic barriers. Like millions of Floridians, the Affordable Care Act saved us from crippling medical bills.

Now, as Sen. Rick Scott campaigns on a platform to repeal the ACA, I cannot sit idly by. My family’s story, like countless Floridians, demonstrates the importance of protecting and expanding affordable healthcare — a mission Debbie Mucarsel-Powell champions. This is why I am working for her campaign and why I wholeheartedly support Debbie for Senate. When my mom began experiencing pain in her jaw, we thought she just needed a dentist.

Once that pain grew severe and she began to have trouble standing up straight, we realized we had a bigger problem on our hands. For two weeks my mom stayed in the hospital while they did test after test. All the while, she was in unbearable pain. Finally, they performed a surgery that solved some of the problem and referred her to a specialist she will need to see for the foreseeable future.

As you can imagine, an ER trip, two weeks in the hospital, a surgery and a specialist doctor racks up quite the bill. A medical bill like that could be crippling. Thankfully, we have health insurance — thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

Before the Affordable Care Act was created, we would have been in a much more difficult position. You see, my mom has a pre-existing

condition, and prior to the passage of the ACA, insurance providers were legally allowed to deny coverage to those with pre-existing health conditions. The Affordable Care Act reformed the private insurance market, making it more affordable and easier to obtain. It has reduced the number of uninsured Americans from 16%to 7.7%today.

Scott plans to take away mine and 4 million other Floridians’ healthcare. He wrote the plan to sunset The Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. Scott has quite the history with Medicare. During his tenure as the CEO of healthcare company Columbia/ HCA, the company pleaded guilty and paid $1.7 billion in fines for what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud case in U.S. history.

In contrast, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell sponsored legislation in the House to expand Medicare and reduce the price of medication. During her time as associate dean at Florida International University Medical School, she worked hard to expand healthcare access to thousands of Floridians. She is running on a platform to protect and expand affordable healthcare, including the Affordable Care Act and Medicare, as well as reduce the price of medication.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is what Florida needs. She is what my family needs. I urge you to vote for her for Senate this upcoming November.

Ashley Mason is a UF political science graduate student and digital organizing intern for Debbie for Florida.

A refresher on Trump’s legal battles

As the political landscape heats up for November’s rematch, the specter of former President Donald Trump’s legal battles looms large. The former president faces a staggering 91 felony counts spanning two state courts and two federal districts, each one carrying the possibility of a prison sentence. Additionally, he is saddled with hundreds of millions in legal fees. In a recent poll from Ipsos and Politico, roughly half of respondents claimed to believe Trump is guilty of these alleged crimes, a number primarily split across partisan lines. Yet, in that same poll, more than a third said they were unfamiliar with Trump’s ongoing legal battles.

Amidst the news fatigue surrounding Trump and his behavior, it is understandable if you haven’t kept up with Trump’s court cases. Allow me to break them down for you.

In May 2023, a jury found that Trump sexually assaulted and defamed American journalist E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. Additionally, a separate defamation case resulted in an $83.3 million judgment against Trump in January.

Despite claiming he had never met “Miss Bergdorf Goodman,” as he refers to her, two juries have now held him responsible for sexual assault in the department store’s dressing room. It is important to note that Trump was held liable for sexual assault, not criminally charged with it.

Last fall, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump, his adult sons and his former aide, Allen Weisselberg, for financial fraud related to property valuation. The defendants allegedly manipulated property values to lower tax bills or improve loan terms in an effort to inflate Trump’s net worth.

In February 2022, Justice Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump must pay $355 million plus interest, reflecting his gains from the fraud. Trump has appealed the ruling, and an appeals court later reduced the required bond amount to $175 million.

And these are just the decisions.

Jury selection for Trump’s hush-money criminal case will begin in Manhattan April 15. Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to 34 felony charges, which accuse him of falsifying business records.

In 2017, Trump allegedly concealed checks to his former attorney, Michael Cohen, purportedly to disguise their nature as repayment for funds provided to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. These funds were allegedly intended to secure her silence about their sexual encounter.

In June 2023, Special Counsel Jack Smith filed 37 felony charges against Trump in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. These charges allege Trump unlawfully removed documents from the White House upon leaving office, including willful retention of national security information, obstruction of justice, withholding of records and false statements.

Finally, the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has resulted in significant legal consequences for Trump. In Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis brought forth a racketeering case against Trump and 18 others, alleging a widespread conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. In Washington, D.C., Special Counsel Smith charged Trump with four felonies, which are now pending until the Supreme Court hears a case on whether the for-

mer president should be immune to prosecution.

Despite these legal challenges and President Joe Biden’s recent surge in the polls, Trump is still a formidable contender for the presidency, with leads in Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina. The election remains anyone’s game, with much to unfold before November.

The potential ramifications of Trump’s reelection extend beyond his legal battles, with profound implications for the rule of law and the integrity of democratic institutions. A scenario where Trump secures another term in office could allow him to stay shielded from accountability through executive power. Namely, Trump could refuse to accept any punishments stemming from ongoing state cases, setting a precedent of impunity for high-ranking officials.

More concerningly, Trump could potentially weaponize our justice system to retaliate against his political opponents. According to the Washington Post, Trump has privately told advisers he wants the Department of Justice to investigate former allies critical of his previous term. Publicly, he has promised to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” Biden and

his family for unsubstantiated corruption accusations.

As Americans weigh their options this November, it is imperative to consider the character and competence of the candidates vying for the highest office in the land. The severity and scale of Trump’s legal entanglements raise serious questions about his suitability for office.

Now, the burden lies with voters to question the blind faith that propelled Trump to the presidency and secured his third Republican presidential nomination. When voters unquestioningly support leaders despite evidence of criminality, it enables those leaders to act with impunity. As Trump said himself, he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” without losing voters.

Let’s prove him wrong.

Reed Jeffries is a UF political science junior and the recruitment coordinator for UF College Democrats.

Reed Jeffries opinions@alligator.org

Column

A reflection on UF’s construction closures, accessibility

Column S ince my freshman year, there has been at least one large and obstructive campus construction project. I remember a time when most of Museum Road was closed off. Now, with only a few weeks before my graduation, I find myself boxed in with few good sources of information to learn more.

Younger students may not remember when UF had a skate park and pool next to Broward Hall. The Broward Outdoors Recreation Complex was on the site of what is now Honors Village.

The shell of a page for it on the RecSports website notes the permanent closure, but students have yet to hear of any equal replacements. Students are instead pushed into the primarily interior facilities of the Southwest Recreation Center or in greater Alachua County.

While necessary, the Honors Village project is also severely behind and has led to huge closures in the surrounding area. As of this writing, I still see construction equipment being driven in and out. This all largely comes from observation and wordof-mouth, not official UF information channels.

In the time I have been here, a new football training complex, a new police headquarters and Malachowsky Hall have opened. I understand the necessity of these projects, but I ask for greater clarity from the university about future ones. I write this to underscore the necessity of ease of access to information simply.

Although a website does exist to note current projects, those under construction, and those in planning, it is lackluster. The information on the website is sparse, however, and it is unclear how often it is updated. It lists Malachowsky as under construction. The opening ceremony I attended and other reporting would beg to differ.

Around campus, sections of the North Lawn, all of Inner Road, and now right by Constans Theatre at the Reitz Union are closed. This is all easily noticeable on the official campus maps, but these construction closures are often erected overnight with little prior warning to students. These also pose a unique challenge for students with physical disabilities. Although I do not have a physical disability, I

have the honor of being one of five student members of the Persons With Disabilities Committee.

Although UF usually fulfills the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it does not seem that it goes beyond that. UF may accommodate this, but it is unclear if it promotes equality for students with disabilities.

Even outside of the construction, some students have reported to me the humiliation of taking service elevators or waiting for a friend to aid with heavy doors. If students have issues, it is advised they immediately fill out the “Report a Barrier” form.

Much like with most problems, our university is partially hampered by the ratio of students to staff members. Over 7,000 UF studentsGators use DRC services but that can stretch resources thin. Additionally, a recent point of discussion in the Persons Wwith Disabilities Committee was how professors treat students with disabilities.

In a campus that physically closes itself off to students with construction, students can be emotionally closed off by instructors. Some treat students with disabilities

as a burden to deal with than a growth experience. This is unacceptable.

More targeted training is needed.

What can be done with these confounding issues of accessibility?

One potentially promising option are the informational sessions both in-person and online, open to students, staff and faculty. You may have seen the signs for them around campus. At the same time, the lack of repeat sessions serves as a potential hampering point. An alert option also exists to receive emails about closures.

UF should work to ensure multiple easily accessible paths exist around all construction. Often, only one path exists.

Accessibility and inclusion must be top of minds for all future plans.

Ronin Lupien is a UF biomedical engineering senior.

Ronin Lupien opinions@alligator.org

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EYES UP. PHONE DOWN. DON'T TEXT & DRIVE.

1. MEASUREMENTS: How many inches are in a mile?

2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific community?

1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: When did April Fools' Day come into being?

3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “sub-” mean in English?

2. GEOGRAPHY: In which nation is the Great Victoria Desert located?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?

3. MOVIES: What sport is featured in the movie "The Mighty Ducks"?

5. LITERATURE: Which 20th-century movie star penned the autobiography “Me: Stories of My Life”?

4. HISTORY: What is the name of the island where Napoleon was exiled in 1814?

6. HISTORY: What was the first National Monument proclaimed in the United States?

5. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the largest rodent in the world?

7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the island of Luzon located?

6. LITERATURE: What is the name of Ron Weasley's pet rat in the "Harry Potter" book series?

7. U.S. STATES: Which letter of the alphabet is not in any U.S. state's name?

8. MOVIES: Which sci-fi movie has the tagline, “Reality is a thing of the past”?

9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine?

10. GAMES: What are the four railroad properties in Monopoly?

8. TELEVISION: Which iconic 1960s sitcom inspired two spinoff hits, "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres"?

Answers

1. 63,360 inches

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in WWII?

2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

3. Below or insufficient

10. ANATOMY: How many pairs of spinal nerves exist in humans?

4. Grover Cleveland

5. Katharine Hepburn

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

6. Devils Tower, 1906

7. The Philippines

8. “The Matrix”

9. The USS Nautilus

10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Reading and B&O

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc. January

1. What South Korean golfer won the Women's PGA Championship tournament three straight years from 201315?

1. Tommie Aaron, brother of Hank, hit how many home runs in his seven-season Major League Baseball career?

2. Bill Chadwick, the NHL’s first U.S.-born referee and later a broadcaster for the New York Rangers, went by what nickname?

2. What basketball defensive strategy, named after a single-celled organism, was developed by the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in the 1970s?

3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the three-time Pacific League MVP who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, pitched for what Nippon Professional Baseball club in Japan?

3. The name for the Albuquerque Isotopes Minor League Baseball club was inspired by a fictional team from what TV comedy series?

4. Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle, two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of

4. In 2018, former pro triathlete Colin O?Brady completed a 54-day, 932-mile solo crossing of what continent?

5. What country music star played defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers semi-pro football team?

6. How many successful field goals did Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas make in a 38-36 win over the Houston Texans on Oct. 21, 2007?

7. Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, was born in 1994 in what African country?

Jac Caglianone saves Gators series with walk-off blast in ninth inning

FLORIDA WALKED OFF TWO GAMES AGAINST MISSISSIPPI STATE OVER THE WEEKEND

By Luke Adragna Sports Writer

Mississippi State decided to intentionally walk Jac Caglianone earlier in the game. But with the tying run on first and the winning run at the plate, there really wasn’t any other option but to pitch to him.

The ending felt almost too fitting.

On a 1-2 count with no outs, Bulldogs sophomore reliever Evan Siary’s fastball leaked over the heart of the plate. Caglianone pulled the center-cut heater past the right field wall for a walk-off, two-run home run.

“Keep fighting for each other,” he said after the game. “That's going to carry us back to Omaha.”

The No. 6 Florida Gators (16-11, 6-3 SEC) beat the No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-10, 4-5 SEC) 4-3 March 31 at Condron Family Ballpark, winning its 16th-straight weekend series at home.

Caglianone’s ninth inning home run was just the start to Florida’s dramatic week.

The week began with a 14-3 loss to the Florida State Seminoles March 26, which led head coach Kevin O’Sullivan to make significant changes to his ballclub.

For the first time in O’Sullivan’s 19-year head coaching career, the Gators will practice on Mondays. It’s a change that should’ve occurred

BASEBALL FOOTBALL

“weeks ago,” O’Sullivan said. “I’ve seen about enough of this,” he said after the loss.

In addition to the scheduling change, O’Sullivan elected to make right-hander Brandon Neely, Florida’s All-SEC closer, the Friday night starter to replace lefty Cade Fisher.

The decision paid off in Neely’s first night starting against Mississippi State March 29.

The right-hander had a less-thanideal start and surrendered five runs in 3.1 innings. However, Fisher reprised his role out of the bullpen, a position he enjoyed immense success in last season, and surrendered just one run in 3.1 innings pitched.

“First couple of innings, Brandon was really, really sharp,” O’Sullivan said. “I mean without that performance, we don’t win the ballgame, and he was just really good.”

Florida won the series opener and came back down two runs in the ninth inning. Sophomore infielder Cade Kurland hit an RBI single with two outs to walk off the contest, 7-6.

The Gators followed with a forgettable game against the Bulldogs March 30. Florida surrendered 11 runs in the middle innings and eventually lost 12-2.

It set up a rubber match March 31 that O’Sullivan said he knew would go down to the wire.

“It’s been one of those years, and nothing seems to be surprising at this point,” O’Sullivan said. “I had an idea it was going to be a lowscoring game, not a normal Sunday game.”

Caglianone started on the mound and was nearly perfect through the first four innings March 31. He retired 12 consecutive Mississippi State batters after plunking his first hitter of the game.

However, after surrendering his first run in the fourth inning, his command got completely away from him. The southpaw walked four batters, one intentionally, the following inning and surrendered two runs.

“I need to do a better job for all those guys in the dugout to make sure the wheels don’t fall off,” he said. “[I] can’t have great outings all

the time.”

Caglianone’s final two innings eerily mirrored Bulldogs right-hander Karson Ligon’s start. Ligon lasted just 2.1 innings, walking three and hitting two batters.

The Gators capitalized on his erratic pitching when sophomore shortstop Colby Shelton advanced home on a wild pitch in the third inning.

Florida held a one-run lead until Caglianone’s no-hitter was broken up in the fifth inning.

Senior center fielder Connor Hujsak led off with a double, and sopho-

Veterans lead rookie Gators in football scrimmage

Florida cleans up defense two weeks away from Orange and Blue scrimmage

By Krisha Sanghavi Sports Writer

With less than two weeks until Florida football’s annual Orange and Blue game, the Gators are tightening up their defense and getting accustomed to freshmen and new transfers as the spring game approaches.

The roster is a blend of talent from veterans looking to continue their strong 2023 season performance and freshmen and transfers vying for a shot to make an impact on the field.

UF held its first intra-squad scrimmage March 30, about halfway into spring practices. The scrimmage showcased

Florida’s efforts to improve its flagging defense.

During the 2023 football season, the Gators conceded an average of 27.58 points per game. In the initial four games of the season, UF’s defense held opponents to an average of 13.5 points but allowed 34.6 points in the final eight games.

On March 26, outside linebackers assistant coach Mike Petersen emphasized the importance of defensive cohesion prior to the scrimmage.

“I don’t think the defense as a whole has been where it needs to be,” he said.

“Sometimes certain categories may be a little lower than you want them to be, and we’re working on that… we want to be a

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complete defense.”

In their ongoing efforts to bolster the defense, the Gators brought in Ron Roberts as a co-defensive coordinator.

Roberts was the defensive coordinator for Auburn in 2023. He led the team to a top-25 ranking in third-down defense and first-downs while ranking No. 1 in the SEC for red zone defense.

“His knowledge that he has is going to be a plus for the staff and the team as a whole,” Petersen said. “We can all put that in together and give the best product out there on the field.”

The expectations for the defense have soared with identified improvement areas and fresh blood gracing the field.

more designated hitter Bryce Chance blistered an RBI single to right field to even the score at one run apiece.

The Bulldogs quickly gained a lead when Caglianone allowed four walks in the next inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan chose to go to freshman right-hander Luke McNeillie.

“We made our mind up that if we had gotten in trouble in the sixth, and that’s what happened, then we would go to Luke right away,” O’Sullivan said.

McNeillie’s second pitch was driven to right field and looked destined to result in a bases-clearing double. Out of nowhere, right fielder Ty Evans fully laid out and made a diving catch to end the inning.

“That was the play of the game,” McNeillie said. “If he didn’t make that, we definitely would’ve lost that game.”

Gators pinch-hitting freshman Hayden Yost hit a slow-rolling, infield single down the third base line to shave Florida’s deficit to one run in the bottom of the sixth, and McNeillie pitched three scoreless innings to set up Caglianone’s walk off, two-run home run in the ninth inning.

Florida resumes play against the Florida A&M Rattlers at 6:30 p.m. April 2 at Condron Family Ballpark. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

@lukeadrag ladragna@alligator.org

Additionally, Petersen said he’s excited about the group as a whole.

The hard work yielded results. During the March 30 scrimmage, head football coach Billy Napier said the defense made plays on that side of the ball, forcing turnovers and tackling well.

Napier finds himself content with the team's progress but views the following two weeks as a critical time to spot improvement areas, he said.

“Even though we may have some veteran players, they’re all still growing and developing,” Napier said. “There’s still things to learn. So at this point, we try to get really specific with each player.”

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway and freshman linebacker Myles Graham are among a few of the new contributors to the team. The roster earned 32 new additions during the offseason, intended to equip

Matthew Lewis // Alligator Staff Florida junior southpaw Jac Caglianone delivers a pitch in the Gators’ 4-3 win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday, March 31, 2024.

Spring practice

FOOTBALL, from pg. 11

the Gators for their intimidating 2024 slate.

“I see the young players, some of whom were here last year, and some of whom just got here, continue to run,” Napier said.

Graham, a five-star recruit, will miss the remainder of spring practice. He’s recovering from back surgery, a problem present before the inside linebacker enrolled for the spring semester.

Aside from Graham, the Gators have been fortunate to avoid major injuries and placed pressure on the rest of their rookies to prepare them for the upcoming season.

Lagway, one of the UF’s mostanticipated recruits, picked up college life quickly, Napier said.

“Every day is a new learning experience for him, but he's a quick learner, and he did a lot of good today," Napier said. "I think he made some plays with his feet, played with a group, twos most of the day."

With 13 returning starters, including standouts such as redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz and sophomore edge rusher T.J. Searcy, the newcomers have benefited from

a core of experienced players who guide them forward.

“We’ve got a group of veterans here, they’re doing a good job kind of setting the tone and being a really good example,” Napier said.

Senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. enters his third season with UF and plans to work alongside Mertz to be a leader on the team.

“It’s just kinda telling the guys ‘take your time, it’s going to come with patience,’” Johnson Jr. said. “They look up to me to be their role model, and I just run with it.”

Johnson Jr. said he didn’t feel any different, the team has always relied on him, and he’s excited to assume a leadership role.

“I feel like the team is going to lean on me more,” he said. “Me and Graham have been talking about it a lot, and we’re ready for it.”

The Gators will put their talents on display at the Orange and Blue spring football game April 13 at 1 p.m. in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

@krishasang ksanghavi@alligator.org

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Matthew Lewis // Alligator Staff Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway looks to throw long at the Gators’ spring practice on Saturday, March 23, 2024.