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VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 33 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

UF graduates its first class of teacher apprentices from new state program New initiative allows students to earn teaching degrees while working, addressing teacher shortages statewide

By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer

Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff

Robb Eggleston stands dressed as Thor at 4th Ave Food Park on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Read more on pg. 3.

Gainesville Police Department launches homelessness sweep at Southeast Fourth Place There have been three downtown encampment removals since February

By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer

Residents of a homeless encampment located along Southeast Fourth Place were removed by the Gainesville Police Department in the early hours of May 16 following a February sweep of the street and a May 10 sweep of Haisley Lynch Dog Park.

There were about 20 officers present at the removal, said GPD spokesperson Brandon Hatzel.

Along with over 20 law enforcement cars, there were bright orange- and yellow-vested workers collecting trash and individuals in personal protective equipment hazmat suits. Heavy crane machinery disposed of large items in a dump truck.

The City of Gainesville was not able to confirm if the individuals in hazmat suits were involved with the Gainesville Public Works Department (GNV Public Works) in time for publication. GNV Public Works also did not comment in time for publication.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Story description with comma, pg# Ironwood Golf finish Course

Thriving despite rumors. Read more on pg. 11.

Crystal Rial, a 43-year-old resident of the encampment, has lived unhoused in Gainesville for 11 years. Rial removed her belongings from the area early Thursday morning before the police arrived, she said.

“I had my alarm set for 5:30 a.m.,” she said.

“I had just set up my stuff outside of St. Francis.

I looked up, and [GPD] started to rope [the street] off.”

Community Resource Paramedics and officers arrived at 7:45 a.m. to block the street with caution tape, and they remained in numbers until after 11:30 a.m.

At least 70 individual notices were posted, with most placed directly on tents, Hatzel said.

All tents were swept regardless if owners of items were present. For those who chose to remain, they could choose to store their items in the Gainesville Public Works Department and later set up an ap-

SEE HOMELESS, PAGE 2

The Avenue: Soraya Sus

Translator makes multimedia projects, pg. 5

El Caimán: Feria de salud

Oportunidad expande a otras culturas, pg. 7

As a stained glass artist, Richard Belsky knows tools.

So when he decided to trade cutting glass for teaching kindergartners, he knew he’d need a new set.

Now, he’s about to join the six UF graduates from Florida’s first registered teacher apprenticeship program armed with a new toolbox: a master’s in elementary education and a professional teaching certification.

The program, funded by the Florida Department of Education, is part of an alternative teaching pathway initiative that allows students to remain employed in schools while working toward their degrees and professional certifications.

UF was the only institution to receive funds during the first round of funding for the 202324 academic year to design and pioneer an apprenticeship program and model its effectiveness.

The program is composed of classroom and instruction supports, long-term substitutes and educators with temporary certifications known as paraprofessionals, according to a College of Education news release. It aims to support individuals seeking to advance their careers without having to leave the workforce.

After 18 years in the stained glass industry, Belsky only joked about attending graduate school. But as a long-term substitute without a professional certification or the ability to leave work for more education, he didn’t feel prepared.

“I really felt phony,” he said.

That changed with the apprenticeship program, which was launched after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 2023 House Bill 1035 last May. Its framework was developed by the Florida Department of Education and UF before the legislation was passed.

“It gives you the tools to feel like you can handle a classroom,” Belsky said. “I really feel like not only that I can be in a classroom, but I deserve to be in a classroom.”

The program gave Belsky skills and knowledge to be an effective teacher, but it also gave him the professionalism and confidence he needed. He said he knew he was making a positive impact in the classroom, and now he’s on his way to having the credentials to support it.

“I just get choked up thinking about how prepared this journey has made me,” he said.

Of the nine students who were part of the pilot program, six graduated this spring and three are slated to finish this summer.

“These aren’t traditional UF students, so this is just another avenue that folks can see an opportunity to get a degree at the University of Florida and become a teacher,” said Elayne Colón, associate dean for Academic & Student Affairs.

Colón said the program is not only addressing the teacher shortage but also providing districts with the opportunity to capitalize on the existing talent within their schools.

Alachua County, Marion County and P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School

SEE APPRENTICE, PAGE 4

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Homelessness sweeps HOMELESS, from pg. 1

pointment to retrieve their items within business hours, said GFR Community Health Director Brandy Stone.

“It [items] were tagged and organized based on their orientation on-site,” she said.

The original motion to remove the SE Fourth Place encampment was previously delayed in early May due to opposition from Southern Legal Counsel. The outcry regarding the site’s removal sparked a city commission decision to allocate an additional 30 beds to Grace Marketplace, a nonprofit shelter, and move $700,000 to homeless support services.

Three individuals were moved to Grace Marketplace by community resource paramedics, and three others were transported to alternative housing in hotels through a partnership with St. Francis House in Gainesville, Stone said.

Fliers for encampment removal on SE Fourth Place were originally posted April 24 and were reposted at a minimum 72 hours in advance, said Gainesville Fire Rescue Chief Joe Dixon.

The May 10 Haisley Lynch Park encampment removal among other recent sweeps were due to city manager policies focused on revitalizing downtown, Dixon said.

“We have to maintain our public properties and parks and also preserve them for the future,”

Dixon said.

Recent state legislation also puts pressure on the local removal of homeless encampments.

House Bill 1365, effective Oct. 1, prohibits city and county governments from allowing people to sleep in public.

On one side of SE Fourth Place, Florida Prison Solidarity (FPS) volunteers handed out water, moved belongings and livestreamed the removal. The statewide organization seeks to platform the voices of citizens within the local community through care networks in and out of prisons.

August Vincent, a 36-year-old Gainesville resident, has been a member of FPS for two years. As a witness of all three 2024 downtown area removals, he said each one is a traumatic experience for homeless residents.

“There’s a lot of desperation and uncertainty about what they can do,” Vincent said.

The increased use of GPD force could encourage the spread of misinformation, he said.

“It’s going to send a message to the greater public who’s not familiar with what’s going on that it takes this violence to handle homelessness,” he said. “It’s just going to disperse it temporarily.”

Garnet Davis, a 59-yearold resident of the SE Fourth Place encampment, has lived in Gainesville his whole life. While

VOLUME 118 - ISSUE 33

ISSN 0889-2423

Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications Inc., of Gainesville, Florida

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Davis understands GPD was doing its job, he said he still feels his rights have been violated.

“Do a better job,” he said.

“They’re speaking in words, not volumes.”

Sitting along Main Street beside her two closest friends following the sweep, Rial said she wished there was better representation for people facing homelessness like her within the local government.

“Instead of all these people in office who ain’t never tasted this life, they should take people who've been in this life,” she said. “If they want to end homelessness, they need to take people from both sides of the box. If not, they don’t know what the hell we’re going through.”

While it is unconfirmed, local homeless encampments are braced for another sweep in the coming weeks. @sarajamesranta sranta@alligator.org

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Hammer time: Gainesville’s Thor brings joy through weekly runs THE RUNNER IS ANOTHER ADDITION TO GAINESVILLE’S GROWING LIST OF SUPERHEROES

By Ben Nielsen Alligator Staff Writer

When faced with the trials and tribulations of midlife monotony, middleaged adults find their ways of coping. Some people buy Corvettes. Others may get a new tattoo. But Robb Eggleston took a different approach.

Donning a winged helmet, a lightningdecorated fanny pack and a toy hammer, Eggleston embarks on a weekly run every Thursday — or as he calls it, “Thorsday.”

When Eggleston, 53, took up the mantle of the Norse thunder god, he said he did it to serve his community.

“I’m just trying to spread a little joy in town,” Eggleston said. “Remind people that it’s OK to be an adult and be a little silly.”

Eggleston said his reasons for choosing Thor came from two places.

“I’m originally from Minnesota, and there we have the Minnesota Vikings, of course,” he said. “Most of my family’s from Sweden, straight off the boat, so you know, the Norse mythology spoke to me for sure.”

Eggleston said his journey as Thor began a few years ago after finding inspiration from a fellow runner attending Gainesville’s annual 3-mile Jack Gamble Melon Run. “I think it was during a Melon Run,” he said. “Somebody had mentioned that they were gonna go as Captain America.”

Eggleston said the idea made him act quickly.

“I said, well, we need to get the Avengers together,” he said. “That turned into me looking on Google for an outfit.”

Eggleston said he bought his Thor costume for less than a hundred dollars.

“Most of this I put together on either Amazon or eBay,” he said. “It sort of piecemealed together.”

He hopes to spread positivity throughout the community. Eggleston said.

“My hope is that people, you know, see me running down the street and being ridiculous,” he said. “It elicits a smile or a giggle and somebody honks their horn and screams out the window like yeah, that’s awesome!”

With the advent of Joey Alfonso’s Batman, Gainesville is no stranger to reallife superheroes. Alfonso has run alongside Eggleston on multiple occasions.

“Me and Robb go way back,” Alfonso said. “He’s a hidden gem in the city of

Gainesville.”

He praised Eggleston for his charitability and dedication to those around him.

“He serves his community, participates in many charity runs and puts a smile on everybody’s face while doing it,” Alfonso said.

Eggleston describes his interest in running as a part of a “mid-life crisis.”

“I couldn’t afford a new Corvette for my mid-life crisis,” he said, “but I could afford a pair of running shoes.”

His 18-year-old daughter, Andi Eggleston, said she is supportive of her dad’s hobby.

“It’s really cool to see my dad doing something that makes him and other people around him happy,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun being a part of this and getting to see how he impacts people, along with the support he gets from everyone.”

In particular, she credited traveling as one of her favorite parts of having Eggleston as her father.

“It’s also been fun traveling with Thor and spreading the love outside of Gainesville,” she said. “Overall I’m very happy for him and his inspiring journey!”

Eggleston cited kindness as the most important aspect of his story.

“It’s OK to have a rough day, but it’s

Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff

Robb Eggleston poses with his hammer dressed as Thor at 4th Ave Food Park on Sunday, May 19, 2024. also good to remember those little pockets of joy,” he said. “Kindness should be your default mode.” @benknielsen bnielsen@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024

Federal aid delays leave students in limbo after one million errors FEARS OVER FUTURE DISBURSEMENT TIMELINES STILL LOOM

By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer

As college decision deadlines approached May 1, students anxiously awaited their financial aid offers after a botched federal student aid rollout left current and prospective students unsure if they could afford college tuition.

The problems largely stem from changes made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, which was meant to remove unnecessary questionnaire sections of the FAFSA form, as well as expand aid opportunities to more students.

In practice, however, students whose parents do not have Social Security numbers could not log in to their accounts in order to complete the FAFSA form.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) announced March 22 it had made calculation errors on around 200,000 completed FAFSA forms.

By mid-April, that number had risen to around one million while the DoE worked to reprocess incorrect forms.

In Alachua County, FAFSA completion rates dropped by

Nicole Borman // Alligator Staff

about 15 percentage points compared to the same period during last year’s application cycle. Through May 10, only 30% to 34% of total applications from the 2024-2025 cycle were processed.

Meanwhile, colleges waited, unable to offer students aid packages. Forty-four percent of colleges and universities surveyed by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators reported they still had not sent out financial aid offers, as of late April. However, when May came, many colleges still required students to make commitments to attend, even though they were unaware how

much aid they might receive.

UF pushed its decision date back from May 1 to May 15 to provide buffer time for high school seniors who had faced FAFSA issues, but some prospective Gators are still in the dark about the status of their financial aid.

Tiana Casseus, an 18-year-old UF-bound pharmacy freshman, said delayed financial aid could have limited her options for colleges.

“Even though UF was my dream university, I wasn’t going to attend if I couldn’t financially afford it,” Casseus said. “FAFSA’s delay made it hard to commit to a school because I wasn’t aware

of what my aid would be.”

Current UF students also face uncertainty in planning their 2024-2025 class schedules and housing situations as they wait.

Kaylee Aleu, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, could not complete the FAFSA without her father logging into his FAFSA account. But he was unable to access it, and following typical password recovery procedures failed to resolve the issue.

“No matter what we did, even though the password was fully right, FAFSA wouldn’t let him in.

I don’t know why. To this day, I don’t fully know why.”

Aleu and her father attempted to reset his password, but the Federal Student Aid website displayed an error message explaining that her father’s Social Security was already associated with another account.

“I was left like, ‘What do I do?’

My hands were kind of tied.”

Though Aleu tried to contact the Office of Federal Student Aid, representatives told her they could not help her and her father.

Aleu began to despair, terrified she would not receive the aid she knew she would rely upon.

As she and her father continued to encounter the same problem, she began to consider dropping out of school if she could not get aid.

“My father can’t afford [owing

UF]. I can’t afford that. Nobody I know can afford that,” she said.

Aleu and her father were eventually able to access the account but never received a clear explanation for why they faced issues in the first place. A representative from the DoE reset the password for them, allowing them to log on. They had done nothing differently than they had during their previous calls.

Though many students have now been able to complete their FAFSA forms, uncertainty remains for some about when they can expect to actually receive their aid.

Yasser Ogando, a 19-yearold UF computer engineering freshman, expressed concerns about the timeline of financial aid disbursements.

“How long will these funds take? The worst of it, I think, is yet to come, because who knows when that financial aid will arrive,” Orgando said.

Ogando has still not received his aid as of May 19.

Tina Lamb, UF’s director for Student Financial Aid and Scholarship said she was unable to respond to questions.

College Career Consulting, an educational consultant group that assists students with financial aid applications, also declined to comment. @AveryParke98398 aparker@alligator.org

UF apprentice program APPRENTICE, from pg. 1

were the school district partners that hosted teacher apprentices, but expansion of the program to all Florida school districts in the future is possible, Colón said.

“They’re really growing their own talent and growing their own cadre of professional teachers from those that are already living in their community,” she said. “That’s the goal, to make it accessible to anyone in the state who would like a degree from the University of Florida and wants to go into the teaching profession.”

Because Belsky already had a bachelor’s degree, he and several other students in the program were also enrolled in UF’s Sitebased Implementation of Teacher Education program (SITE), a yearlong master’s program that emphasizes learning based on interactive in-classroom experiences rather than traditional instruction.

The combination of both programs allowed him to get a master’s and a professional certification at the same time, while also remaining employed as a kindergarten teacher at Stephen Foster Elementary.

SITE Program Coordinator Rochelle Warm said she received tremendous positive feedback.

“It was a really wonderful experience

for the students,” she said. “They felt that they learned so much about teaching.”

Rebekah Mascari is another teacher apprentice who will graduate with Belsky this summer. She began her teaching journey as a paraprofessional and is now working as an ESE teacher at Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary.

She said the program gave her a toolbelt that wouldn’t have been possible in a traditional school setting.

“Nothing can prepare you for being in a classroom besides being in a classroom,” she said. “I’ve learned more through the program and on the job because there’s nobody there holding your hand.”

Like Belsky, Mascari never thought about getting a master’s before, but now she’s considering a doctorate in special education.

“That’s what UF does to you, they make you want to learn more,” she said.

Many more teachers and school staff members will be able to advance their education and careers in the coming months. House Bill 5001, passed in March, allocated $5 million in state funds to help schools keep their staff and advance them to professional teaching roles. While the pilot master’s apprenticeship program at UF was a pathway built into two pre-existing graduate programs — SITE and a secondary

Madison McClelland // Alligator Staff

teacher preparation program — the funds will be used to develop an entirely separate but similar program called the Grow Your Own Teacher Apprenticeship.

UF and nine other universities in the state received funds during the second round of funding through the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grow Your Own Teacher Grant for 2023-24, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Future teaching apprenticeship programs will be open to associate’s degree holders,

allowing more than 200 teachers to become credentialed each year, the news release said.

Belsky said he couldn’t imagine being one of the only people to ever have this kind of teaching experience.

“My whole life is different now,” Belsky said. “I just don’t understand how you can learn to be a teacher any other way.” @gracenmcclung gmcclung@alligator.org

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

FESTIVAL A colorful display of entrepreneurship, talent and community: Gainesville’s first annual Asian festival STUDENTS, ENTREPRENEURS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS GATHER TO CELEBRATE ASIAN CULTURE

By Carlos Alemany Avenue Staff Writer

With Japanese martial arts demonstrations and musical performances, authentic Asian cuisine

and local vendors, UF students and Alachua County residents alike gathered at Bo Diddley Plaza May 18 to commemorate the City of Gainesville’s first annual Asian festival.

The festival, which started at 10 a.m., began with Mayor Harvey Ward offering an official proclamation before a crowd eager for a lively, colorful afternoon. Among the dozens of people in attendance were student organizations such as

the UF Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Miss Vietnam FL, Genesis Dance Crew and Lulu’s Gelato.

The City of Gainesville’s event coordinator, Lili Tzou, said the festival was integral to celebrating Asian culture within the city.

“I think it’s really important to celebrate our diverse communities here in Gainesville, especially during the month of May, which is AAPI Heritage Month,” Tzou said.

Bo Diddley Plaza pictured on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

She expressed how critical it was to bring “an Asian festival of this caliber” to the city.

“As an Asian person, I think we’re working towards something really great,” she said.

Leticia Zheng, the president of the UF Chinese Students and Scholars Association (UFCSSA), said the club canceled its general meeting in order to participate in the event, due to the impact it could bring.

“Our main purpose is… to give

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

people a chance to learn about Chinese culture,” she said.

Taylor Lee, the UFCSSA networking director, said the event was a great chance to expand their club.

“We value every opportunity we can take to spread our awareness, especially during this month,” Lee said.

There was a profound appreciation of the event among participating vendors amid Florida’s growing Asian community.

Mary Pham is a 20-year-old Vietnamese American small business owner from Jacksonville who sells various Asian and K-Pop-inspired drawings, jewelry, crafts and stickers.

“I feel like slowly everywhere has been growing,” Pham said. “I feel like our community has grown much bigger, which I’m very happy about because then we can have a voice of who we are and spreading our culture.”

Sydney Lewis, a Jacksonville-based business owner who runs Love & Light Candle Co. along with her partner Michael Lin, believes their unique Korean-inspired candle design suits their business mission of bringing “a piece of Asian culture to the Sunshine State.”

“I get a lot of my inspiration from Korean studios in Korea… It’s really cool that I could spread that culture here,” Lewis said. @clos_alemany calemany@alligator.org

CULTURE

Fresh out of the kiln: the ceramic story of a colorful Colombian-born artist THE CAT LOVER DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM COLOMBIANPALESTINIAN HERITAGE, WOMEN IN HER LIFE

By Noor Sukkar Avenue Staff Writer

On the outskirts of Gainesville, the homogeneous blur of suburbia can tend to disguise the lives of those it houses. Take a couple of right turns, and you won’t miss the teal, eclectic home of Soraya Sus. At the footstep of her door, a painted, ceramic Hamsa symbol greets visitors, posted above an “I love cats” sign, among other hand-painted decor. The halls of her home are clad with preschool paintings and artwork, made over the years by her teenage daughters, Aaya and Elena Haddad. With every flick of a light switch, a cat’s geometric face peers from a painted cover.

All the way from Cúcuta, Colombia, Sus has established herself as a multimedia artist and an English-to-Spanish translator in Gainesville since arriving in 2005. Covered roof to floor in color, the 52-year-old mother’s living space is a haven of art. In addition to pop-up markets and art galleries, Sus sells her art on her social media platforms through her brand Soraya Sus Ceramics.

Fridge magnets in the cozy kitchen appear sparse seated next to a chalkboard wall sprawled with etchings. If you have the pleasure of trying Sus’ homemade hibiscus tea, it will be served in a handmade mug, the handle of which is a cat’s tail. Toward the back of her home, the raw materials of clay, glaze and puff paint are sprawled across her desk. Atop her self-created studio, photos of family string all around her desk and walls. On top of her printer sleeps Risa, her calico cat.

“My interest in ceramics started since, maybe, I was like 13 or 12 years old when my mom

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took me to a class of decorating porcelain, and it was a very boring class,” she said. “But it caught my attention. I can paint on plates. I love that!”

Since then, her canvases have grown to mugs, plates, vases, jewelry, wall decor and more.

“My images are well-suited to the undulating clay surfaced by hand-forming pieces using traditional hand-building techniques of coil, pinch and slab construction,” she said.

Sus’ clay pieces often don’t have clean edges and aren’t perfect in shape.

“I really love the act of making something out of nothing with your hands,” she said. “I like people to see that they were handmade.”

She finds beauty in imperfection.

“At first glance, one might think that the pieces are imperfect or flawed, but I conclude that, like life, they are ‘flawed,’” she said.

Sus’ family-oriented art extends to the community as well. She volunteered at the Millhopper Branch library for six years, teaching kids about art and Spanish.

Seventy-eight-year-old Colleen Rand met Sus at a Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators meeting nearly a decade ago. The two clicked instantly, and described each other as almost like family.

“She has a very big heart,” Rand said.

Rand owns over 30 pieces of Sus’ ceramics —– from mugs to jewelry.

“I’m always astounded with her creativity and her ability to connect with people everywhere,” she said.

Sus, a self-proclaimed whimsical artist, crossed a lot of bridges before her home started oozing with color and cats.

Her love for translation preceded her love of art. At 16, she picked up English through an exchange program at a Wisconsin high school.

Her host family placed English signs all over the house, from the fridge to the chairs.

“I basically was pushed by my mom into an

SEE SORAYA, PAGE 6

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6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024

Colombian-Palestinian artist SORAYA, from pg. 5

airplane against my will,” she joked.

Upon her return to Cúcuta, Sus found herself limited to graduating with only a technical graphic design degree from her local university in 1993. She aspired for a professional degree it didn’t offer. For the next several years, she worked and became a certified interpreter and translator.

“That’s what brings my bread and butter. Art has been on the side, but it’s my passion, and I’m trying to make it my bread and butter,” she said. “Even if it doesn’t bring the money, I don’t care. I want to do it.”

Her mother was artistic and creative, she said. Her godmother was an interior designer who sold yarn and designed rugs. She credits this bloodline of influential women as her artistic influences.

“It’s a family affair,” she said. Not just the art, but the cat obsession, she added. “My godmother also had cats and I was always fascinated by cats.”

A tapestry she made with her godmother nearly 40 years ago hangs in her living room. Her father was also always supportive of her artistic ventures, she said.

Though she enjoyed working as a translator, her passion for art never died down.

After discovering her alma mater offered professional degrees, she

returned to her Fundación Universidad Jorge Tadeo de Bogotá to obtain a bachelor’s in graphic design. She graduated in 2000 and her thesis, she said, was an illustrated children’s book.

Two weeks after arriving in Gainesville, Sus met her husband, Youssef Haddad, while crossing the street. The UF professor of Arabic language and linguistics can recall her distinct colorful stockings the first time he met her.

“I’m surrounded by three people who are very good painters and artists,” Haddad said. “It still amazes me, the three of them, how they can capture life in their work.”

Sus credits her daughters as the muses of many of her designs. Specifically, unicorns, which deviate from her typical cat motif. When repeatedly asked to choose her favorite art piece, she most often reached for one of her daughters’.

Yet, her ceramic creations crowd her studio; earthenware, darkstar and porcelain make up the majority. Any of her pieces can take one to three hours to initially sculpt and another eight to 20 hours to decorate, excluding drying time. She fires them in a friend’s kiln.

“Clay keeps you humble,” she said.

After arriving in the States, she reconnected with clay through the Arts

Soraya Sus pictured on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

Soraya Sus points to a picture of Pilar de Brahim, a cultural promoter and family member married to her father’s cousin, who inspires much of Soraya’s own work.

and Crafts Center at the J. Wayne Reitz Union. Through her membership, she met Gillian Keezer, former manager of the studio.

“Her decorative drawings on the pieces were originally inspired by her two daughters’ drawings. The images are quite lyrical,” Keezer said. “She has a painterly style using ceramic underglazes to decorate the pieces. I think her work is quite unique and a pleasure to use.”

Sus’ brand formally started between 2017 and 2018, with pieces showing in the Charlie Cummings Gallery. Since then, she has participated in several local pop-up markets and developed her brand on social media. Her pieces will soon be sold at the Auk Market, with prices ranging from $150 to $300.

“I have beautiful reviews that I have saved that say it [her art] brings them [customers] joy and makes them happy,” she said.

One day, she’d love to open her own store. But for now, she continues to create unique pieces and inspire the next generation of artists.

“People have surely come to me and say, ‘I don’t know how to draw, I can’t draw,’” she said. “Oh yes, you can. You just have to lose the ‘I can’t,’” she said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. @noorsukkarr noorsukkar@ufl.edu

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

A picture of Soraya’s family hangs on a clothespin by her workstation windows at her home studio on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

Soraya Sus shows off one of her handbuilt ceramic cat cups at her home studio on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Valentina Sarmiento // Alligator Staff

Soraya Sus assembles a wooden, handmade cat puzzle she designed and created on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

El Caimán

LUNES, 20 DE MAYO DE 2024 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Feria de salud rompe fronteras en Gainesville: Pacientes de Brasil y Haití se unen a la comunidad hispana LAS ORGANIZACIONES BUSCAN EXPANDIR SUS SERVICIOS A MÁS NACIONALIDADES EN PRÓXIMAS EDICIONES Por Jose Carmona Escritor de El Caimán

El sábado 18 de mayo, la organización Children Beyond Our Borders (CBOB) en colaboración con Equal Access Clinic (EAC) llevó a cabo su conocida feria de salud gratuita en Gainesville, esta vez ampliando su alcance más allá de la comunidad latina para atender a pacientes brasileños y haitianos.

La feria, que tuvo lugar en la Parkview Baptist Church, ofreció una variedad de servicios médicos y atrajo a cientos de participantes.

La directora ejecutiva de CBOB, Maria Eugenia Zelaya, cuenta cómo fue posible la integración de más nacionalidades al evento.

“Hubo la oportunidad, se hicieron los volantes y decidieron venir a participar,” dijo Zelaya.

Además, el evento contó con la participación de una congregación haitiana junto con su pastor.

Desde las 8 a.m. hasta el mediodía, los asistentes pudieron acceder a consultas pediátricas, exámenes de ginecología, pruebas para detectar el cáncer de colon, y chequeos generales de diabetes, presión arterial, anemia y colesterol. Además, se ofrecieron mamografías gratuitas

para mujeres entre 40 y 74 años.

El coordinador de clínica de CBOB y EAC, Alex Zorrilla, resaltó la colaboración entre las dos organizaciones y dijo que trabaja arduamente para asegurar que la clínica fluya sin inconvenientes.

“El poder hacer esto no solamente con personas de Latinoamérica, sino con gente de Haití o Brasil y otros países que a veces nos visitan también es todo un placer, es un orgullo porque estamos ayudando a nuestra comunidad”, explicó Zorrilla.

Coro Borjas, voluntaria de “Trabajando Juntos”, otra organización asociada a la feria, destacó la importancia de la organización en la comunidad.

Además, Borjas es administradora del grupo de WhatsApp “Trabajando Juntos GNV,” en el cual los participantes están al tanto de futuras actividades en la ciudad.

“Es una fundación maravillosa que ayuda mucho a la comunidad de diferentes formas, no solo con la feria de salud sino con clases de inglés, un programa para los niños [...] y muchas otras actividades”, comentó.

Borjas, quien ha ayudado en estos eventos durante tres años, se encargó de la preparación de comidas como arroz con pollo y lasaña de zucchini, las cuales no serían posibles sin la gran ayuda de la comunidad y comercios locales, ella dijo.

Jamie Hensley, directora

asistente de atención y detección del cáncer en el centro oncológico de UF Health, describió estos eventos como “una serie de pequeños milagros”.

“Es comunidad, es promoción de salud y es colaboración”, dijo Hensley.

El evento superó las expectativas de los organizadores, dijo Zelaya, en sólo seis horas atendieron aproximadamente a 80 pacientes.

Chelymay Yance de Rosales, una paciente que asistió por un problema en su pie, expresó su gratitud por la ayuda de la feria.

“Me dieron la atención que necesitaba, me recetaron los medicamentos que debo usar y me dieron una cita para hacerme rayos X. Para mí, la atención fue bien completa”, ella dijo.

Yance de Rosales, quien lleva tres años en Estados Unidos, conoció el evento a través de promotoras en grupos hispanos de la ciudad como Borjas y Zelaya, además valoró la integración cultural en la feria.

“En la unión está la fuerza.

Mientras seamos más es mejor”, afirmó.

Las ferias de salud de CBOB se realizan cada tres meses, con la próxima programada para agosto, coincidiendo con el inicio del ciclo escolar y la distribución de mochilas con útiles para los niños. @JD_CarmonaS j.carmonasoto@ufl.edu

Jose Carmona // Alligator Staff

“Trabajando Juntos” volunteers cooking during the free health fair on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter.

Envíanos un tweet @alligatorElCaiman.

Lacrosse

Gators reach Final Four. Read more on pg. 12.

Health fair breaks boundaries in Gainesville: Patients from Brazil and Haiti join the Hispanic community ORGANIZATIONS SEEK TO EXPAND THEIR SERVICES TO MORE NATIONALITIES IN FUTURE EDITIONS

By Jose Carmona Alligator Staff Writer

On May 18, the organization Children Beyond Our Borders (CBOB), in collaboration with Equal Access Clinic (EAC), held its well-known free health fair in Gainesville, this time extending its reach beyond the Latino community to serve Brazilian and Haitian patients.

The fair, which took place at Parkview Baptist Church, offered a variety of medical services and attracted hundreds of participants. Maria Eugenia Zelaya, the executive director of CBOB, said the integration of more nationalities into the event was made possible with the help of the community.

"There was an opportunity, the flyers were made and they decided to come and participate," Zelaya said.

Additionally, the event featured the participation of a Haitian congregation along with their pastor.

From 8 a.m. to noon, attendees could access pediatric consultations, gynecological exams, colon cancer screenings and general check-ups for diabetes, blood pressure, anemia and cholesterol. Free mammograms were also offered to women between 40 and 74 years old.

Alex Zorrilla, the clinic coordinator for CBOB and EAC, highlighted the collaboration between the two organizations, noting their hard work ensures the clinic runs smoothly.

"Being able to do this not only with people from Latin America but also with people from Haiti, Brazil and other countries that visit us makes us proud because we are helping our community,” Zorrilla said.

Coro Borjas, a volunteer from "Trabajando Juntos," another organization associated with the fair, emphasized the importance of the organization in the

community.

Borjas, who is also the administrator of the WhatsApp group "Trabajando Juntos GNV," keeps participants informed about future activities in the city.

"It is a wonderful foundation that helps the community in various ways, not just with the health fair but with English classes, programs for children and many other activities," she said.

Borjas, who has been helping at these events for three years, was in charge of preparing meals like chicken and rice and zucchini lasagna, which were made possible with the great help of the community and local businesses, she said.

Jamie Hensley, the assistant director for cancer screening and care navigation at the UF Health Cancer Center, described the events as "a series of tiny miracles."

"It’s community, it’s promotion of health and it’s collaboration," Hensley said.

The event exceeded the organizers’ expectations, Zelaya said, they took care of approximately 80 patients in only six hours.

Chelymay Yance de Rosales, a patient who attended due to a foot injury, expressed her gratitude for the help from the fair.

"They gave me the attention I needed, prescribed medications, and scheduled an appointment for an X-ray. For me, the care was very complete," she said.

Yance de Rosales, who has been in the United States for three years, learned about the event through promoters in Hispanic groups in the city like Borjas and Zelaya. She also valued cultural integration at the fair.

"In unity, there is strength. The more of us there are, the better," she said.

CBOB health fairs are held every three months, with the next one scheduled for August, coinciding with the start of the school year and the distribution of backpacks with supplies for children.

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

@JD_CarmonaS j.carmonasoto@ufl.edu

8 ALLIGATOR LUNES, 20 DE MAY0 DE 2024

Recién salido del horno: la historia cerámica de una artista colorida nacida en Colombia LA AMANTE DE LOS GATOS SE INSPIRA EN SU HERENCIA COLOMBIANA-PALESTINA Y EN LAS MUJERES DE SU VIDA Por Noor Sukkar Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Eneida Escobar Esritora de El Caimán

En las afueras de Gainesville, la homogeneidad suburbana tiende a disfrazar las vidas de quienes alberga. Da un par de giros a la derecha, y no te perderás la casa colorida y ecléctica de Soraya Sus. En el umbral de su puerta, un símbolo de Hamsa de cerámica pintado da la bienvenida a los visitantes, colocado sobre un letrero de “Amo a los gatos”, entre otras decoraciones pintadas a mano. Los pasillos de su hogar están decorados con pinturas preescolares y obras de arte hechas a lo largo de los años por sus hijas adolescentes, Aaya y Elena Haddad. Con cada encendido de interruptor, la cara geométrica de un gato se asoma desde una cubierta pintada.

Desde Cúcuta, Colombia, Sus se ha establecido como artista de medios mixtos y traductora de inglés a español en Gainesville desde su llegada en 2005. Cubierta de techo a suelo en color, el espacio vital de esta madre de 52 años es un refugio de arte. Además de mercados emergentes y galerías de arte, ella vende su arte en sus plataformas de redes sociales a través de su marca Soraya Sus Ceramics.

Los imanes del refrigerador en la acogedora cocina parecen escasos junto a una pared de pizarra llena de garabatos. Si tienes el placer de probar el té de hibisco casero de Sus, te lo servirá en una taza hecha a mano, cuyo asa es la cola de un gato. Hacia la parte trasera de su casa, las materias primas de arcilla, esmalte y pintura inflable están esparcidas por su escritorio. En su estudio autoconstruido, fotos de familia cuelgan alrededor de su escritorio y paredes. Encima de su impresora duerme Risa,

su gata calico.

“Mi interés por la cerámica comenzó quizás cuando tenía como 12 o 13 años, cuando mi mamá me llevó a una clase de decoración de porcelana, y fue una clase muy aburrida”, dijo.

“Pero me llamó la atención. ¡Puedo pintar en platos! ¡Me encanta eso!”

Desde entonces, sus lienzos han crecido hasta incluir tazas, platos, jarrones, joyas, decoraciones de pared y más.

“Mis imágenes son adecuadas para la superficie ondulante de la arcilla, formada a mano usando técnicas tradicionales de construcción con rollos, pellizcos y planchas”, dijo.

Las piezas de arcilla de Sus a menudo no tienen bordes limpios y no son perfectas en forma.

“Realmente amo el acto de hacer algo de la nada con tus manos”, dijo. “Me gusta que la gente vea que fueron hechas a mano”.

Encuentra belleza en la imperfección.

“A primera vista, uno podría pensar que las piezas son imperfectas o defectuosas, pero yo concluyo que, como la vida, están ‘defectuosas’”, dijo.

El arte orientado a la familia de Sus también se extiende a la comunidad. Fue voluntaria en la biblioteca Millhopper Branch durante seis años, enseñando a los niños sobre arte y español.

Colleen Rand, de 78 años, conoció a Sus en una reunión de escritores e ilustradores de libros infantiles hace casi una década. Las dos hicieron clic instantáneamente y se describen mutuamente como casi familia.

“Ella tiene un corazón muy grande”, dijo Rand.

Rand posee más de 30 piezas de cerámica de Sus, desde tazas hasta joyas.

“Siempre me asombra su creatividad y su capacidad para conectar con las personas en todas partes”, dijo.

Sus, una artista caprichosa autoproclamada, cruzó muchos puentes antes de que su hogar comenzara a rebosar de colores y gatos.

Su amor por la traducción precedió su amor por el arte. A los 16 años, aprendió inglés a través de un programa de intercambio en una escuela secundaria de Wisconsin. Su familia

anfitriona colocó carteles en inglés por toda la casa, desde el refrigerador hasta las sillas.

“Básicamente, mi mamá me empujó a un avión en contra de mi voluntad”, bromeó.

Al regresar a Cúcuta, Sus se encontró limitada a graduarse con solo un título técnico en diseño gráfico de su universidad local en 1993.

Aspiraba a obtener un título profesional que no ofrecían. Durante los siguientes años, trabajó y se convirtió en intérprete y traductora certificada.

“Eso es lo que trae mi pan y mantequilla. El arte ha estado al margen, pero es mi pasión, y estoy tratando de convertirlo en mi pan y mantequilla”, dijo. “Incluso si no trae dinero, no me importa. Quiero hacerlo”.

Su madre era artística y creativa, dijo. Su madrina era diseñadora de interiores que vendía hilo y diseñaba alfombras. Atribuye a esta línea de mujeres influyentes como sus influencias artísticas.

“Es un asunto de familia”, dijo. No solo el arte, sino también la obsesión por los gatos, agregó. “Mi madrina también tenía gatos y siempre me fascinaban los gatos”.

Un tapiz que hizo con su madrina hace casi 40 años cuelga en su sala de estar. Su padre también siempre apoyó sus esfuerzos artísticos, dijo.

Aunque disfrutaba trabajando como traductora, su pasión por el arte nunca se apagó.

Después de descubrir que su alma mater ofrecía títulos profesionales, regresó a la Fundación Universidad Jorge Tadeo de Bogotá para obtener una licenciatura en diseño gráfico. Se graduó en 2000 y su tésis, dijo, fue un libro infantil ilustrado.

Dos semanas después de llegar a Gainesville, Sus conoció a su esposo, Youssef Haddad, mientras cruzaba la calle. El profesor de lengua y lingüística árabe de la UF puede recordar sus medias coloridas distintivas la primera vez que la conoció.

“Estoy rodeado de tres personas que son muy buenas pintoras y artistas”, dijo Haddad.

“Todavía me asombra, los tres, cómo pueden capturar la vida en su trabajo”.

Sus acredita a sus hijas como las musas de muchos de sus diseños. Específicamente, los

unicornios, que se desvían de su motivo típico de gatos. Cuando se le pide repetidamente que elija su pieza de arte favorita, con mayor frecuencia elige una de sus hijas.

Sin embargo, sus creaciones cerámicas abarrotan su estudio; loza, darkstar y porcelana conforman la mayoría. Cualquiera de sus piezas puede tardar de una a tres horas en esculpirse inicialmente y otras ocho a 20 horas en decorarse, excluyendo el tiempo de secado.

Las cuece en el horno de una amiga.

“La arcilla te mantiene humilde”, dijo.

Después de llegar a los Estados Unidos, se reconectó con la arcilla a través del Centro de Artes y Oficios en el J. Wayne Reitz Union.

A través de su membresía, conoció a Gillian Keezer, exgerente del estudio.

“Sus dibujos decorativos en las piezas fueron inspirados originalmente por los dibujos de sus dos hijas. Las imágenes son bastante líricas”, dijo Keezer. “Ella tiene un estilo pictórico usando esmaltes cerámicos para decorar las piezas. Creo que su trabajo es bastante único y un placer de usar”.

La marca de Sus comenzó formalmente entre 2017 y 2018, con piezas que se exhiben en la Galería Charlie Cummings. Desde entonces, ha participado en varios mercados emergentes locales y ha desarrollado su marca en las redes sociales. Sus piezas pronto se venderán en el Auk Market, con precios que van desde $150 hasta $300.

“Tengo hermosas reseñas que he guardado que dicen que [su arte] les trae alegría y los hace felices”, dijo.

Algún día, le encantaría abrir su propia tienda. Pero por ahora, continúa creando piezas únicas e inspirando a la próxima generación de artistas.

“Siempre la gente ha venido a mí y me dice: ‘No sé cómo dibujar, no puedo dibujar’”, dijo.

“Oh sí, puedes. Solo tienes que perder el ‘no puedo’”, dijo. @noorsukkarr noorsukkar@ufl.edu @EneidaMariaEsc eneidaescobar@ufl.edu

La UF gradúa a su primera clase de maestros aprendices del nuevo programa estatal LA NUEVA INICIATIVA PERMITE A ESTUDIANTES OBTENER TÍTULOS DE EDUCACIÓN MIENTRAS TRABAJAN, AYUDANDO CON LA ESCASEZ ESTATAL DE PROFESORES Por Grace McClung Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Isabela Reinoso Esritora de El Caimán

Como artista de vitrales, Richard Belsky posee ciertas herramientas. Así que cuando él decidió intercambiar la labor de cortar vidrio por educar a alumnos de jardín de infancia, él supo que necesitaba un equipo nuevo.

Ahora, está a punto de unirse a los seis graduados de la UF del primer programa registrado de aprendizaje para profesores armado con un equipo de herramientas nuevo: una maestría en educación elemental y una certificación de docencia profesional.

El programa, fundado por el Departamento de Educación de la Florida, es parte de una iniciativa de rutas alternativas que permite a estudiantes seguir contratados en las escuelas mientras trabajan por sus títulos y sus certificaciones profesionales.

La UF fue la única institución que recibió fondos durante la primera ronda de financiación para el año académico 2023-24 para diseñar y poner en marcha un programa de aprendizaje y modelar su eficacia.

Según un comunicado de prensa de la Facultad de Educación, el programa está compuesto de apoyos tanto en el aula como en la instrucción, sustitutos a largo plazo y educadores con certificaciones temporales conocidos como paraprofesionales. Su objetivo es apoyar a individuos que buscan avanzar sus carreras sin tener que abandonar sus trabajos.

Después de 18 años de estar en la industria de vitrales, Bel-

sky solo bromeó sobre asistir a la escuela de posgrado. Pero como un sustituto a largo plazo sin una certificación profesional o la habilidad de abandonar su trabajo para obtener más educación, él no se sintió listo.

“Yo realmente me sentía falso”, él dijo.

Eso cambió con el programa de aprendizaje que se puso en marcha después de que el Gobernador de Ron DeSantis firmara el proyecto de ley 1035 el mayo pasado. Su estructura fue desarrollada por el Departamento de Educación de la Florida y la UF antes de que la legislación fuera aprobada.

“Te da las herramientas para sentir como si tu puedes manejar un aula”, Belsky dijo. “Yo realmente siento que no solamente puedo estar en un aula, sino que merezco estar en una aula”.

El programa no solo le dio a Belsky las herramientas y conocimiento para ser un educador eficaz, pero también le dio la profesionalidad y la seguridad que él necesitaba. El dijo que sabía que está haciendo un impacto positivo en el aula, y que ahora él está en camino a tener las credenciales para respaldarlo.

“Yo solo me atraganto pensando sobre qué tan preparado este trayecto me ha hecho”, dijo él.

De los nueve estudiantes que conformaron el programa piloto, seis se graduaron esta primavera y tres están programados para terminar este verano.

“Estos no son estudiantes tradicionales de la UF, entonces esto es solo otra vía para que la gente vea una oportunidad de obtener un título en la Universidad de la Florida y convertirse en profesor”, dijo Elayne Colón, decana asociada de Asuntos Académicos y Estudiantiles.

Colón dijo que el programa no solo aborda la escasez de profesores, sino que también provee a distritos escolares con la oportunidad de aprovechar el talento existente en sus escuelas.

El condado de Alachua, el condado de Marion y la Escuela de Investigación para el Desarrollo P.K Yonge fueron los distritos escolares asociados que acogieron a los profesores aprendices, pero la expansión del programa a todos los distritos esco-

lares de la Florida en el futuro es posible, Colón dijo.

“Ellos realmente están creciendo con su talento y creciendo su propia cátedra de educadores profesionales a partir de los que ya están viviendo en sus comunidades” ella dijo. “Ese es el objetivo, hacer accesible a cualquiera en el estado que quisiera un título de la Universidad de la Florida y quiere ir a una profesión de enseñanza”.

Porque Belsky ya tenía una licenciatura, el y otros estudiantes en el programa también fueron matriculados en el programa Site-based Implementation of Teacher Education (SITE) de la UF, un programa de maestría de un año que enfatiza la enseñanza basada en experiencias interactivas en el aula a contrario de un enseñamiento tradicional.

La combinación de ambos programas le permitieron obtener una maestría y una certificación profesional al mismo tiempo, mientras permaneció también contratado como profesor de estudiantes de jardín de infancia en la escuela elemental Stephen Foster.

La coordinadora del programa SITE, Rochelle Warm, dijo que ella recibió muchos comentarios positivos.

“Realmente fue una experiencia maravillosa para los estudiantes”, dijo ella. “Sintieron que aprendieron demasiado sobre educar”.

Rebekah Mascari es otra de las maestras aprendíces que se graduarán con Belsky este verano. Ella empezó su trayecto de enseñanza como una paraprofesional y ahora está trabajando como una maestra de ESE en la escuela elemental de M.K Rawlings.

Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @gracenmcclung gracemcclung@ufl.edu @isareinosod ireinoso@alligator.org

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MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/sports

SOFTBALL

Florida softball run-rules South Alabama to bring home NCAA Regional Championship THE GATORS WILL PLAY IN THE NCAA SUPER REGIONALS FRIDAY

By Hailey Hurst Sports Writer

The Florida softball team earned the No. 4-seed in the NCAA Regionals, after coming out on top as the 2024 SEC Tournament Champions.

For the 18th time at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, the Gators were set to host a regional.

“There's nothing better than sleeping in your own bed, playing on your own field and having your own crowd,” said redshirt senior shortstop Skylar Wallace.

Wallace went 2-for-31 through an up-and-down 10-game stretch in April and admitted there were sleepless nights and times out on the field with tears in her eyes. However, she responded to finish off a sensational season for the Gators riding a current season-high 11-game hitting streak.

“I think there was just a little loss of confidence, a little kind of bummed out and then it snowballed with the outs,” said head coach Tim Walton. “After that, I think she did a really good job — it was more about the process as opposed to the result.

And things have been really better since then.”

Wallace’s dominant performance along with the Gators’ consistent offensive production helped Florida defeat Florida Gulf Coast Friday 6-0.

UF had a quick turnaround May 18, but it came out of the Gainesville Regional with a run-rule 9-1 victory over South Alabama.

An explosive third inning offensively set in motion Florida’s (4912, 17-7 SEC) run-rule victory over South Alabama (34-20-1,16-8 SBC) 9-1 May 19 to secure UF a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals.

UF right-handed pitcher Keagan Rothrock had a rookie-regional debut in the circle over the weekend.

The freshman improved to 29-6 on the season and 5-0 in the postseason, but she said nothing has changed from her pregame ritual to the socks she wears on the wrong feet.

“I think I also was going through a pitching slump with my mindset — I was struggling to find the confidence to throw,” Rothrock said. “[My] teammates and other pitchers on this staff really helped me rediscover that.”

Rothrock’s confidence shined through Florida’s first two regionalvictories as she threw two shutout innings during the May 19 matchup.

Freshman pitcher Ava Brown then subbed in to relieve her in the bottom of the third.

UF sophomore catcher Jocelyn

Erickson sparked the Gators' offense to put Florida ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning. Faced with two outs and a full count, she smashed a two-run home run shot over the right field wall.

“Jocelyn — you can’t get through to her,” said junior center fielder Kendra Falby. “She’s so locked in, you know what is about to happen.

She’s about to do some damage.”

The 2024 SEC Player of the Year carried her fiery momentum into the top of the third inning. Faced with a familiar full count and two runners on, Erickson’s eyes met the ball, and the sophomore delivered an RBI single.

“Coach Walton came up to me today and was like, don’t focus too much on the pitcher, just focus on yourself,” Erickson said. “So that’s what I was going up there to do, I knew we needed to get ahead early in the game.”

Florida built off Erickson’s momentum and recorded six more runs off five hits, forcing the Jaguars to make two pitching changes. The inning highlighted two-run hits by Brown and junior left fielder Korbe Otis. Wallace extended the lead to 9-1 with her 14th RBI of the postseason.

In the bottom of the fourth frame, the Jaguars plated its lone run off Brown, but needed one more run to

Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff

Florida sophomore Jocelyn Erickson bats during a Regionals game versus Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday, May 17, 2024. extend the ball game. Brown stepped up and ended the frame 1-2-3.

“I feel like every inning from here on out is an opportunity to learn and grow confidence,” Brown said. “I caught the ball and the first thing I did was I went to my catcher [Emily Wilkie] because she did just as big a role as I did.”

Florida will next host the NCAA Super Regionals at Katie Seashole

Pressly Stadium. The Gators will have the chance to advance to the Women’s College World Series in front of their home crowd. Game 1 will be May 24 in Gainesville against either 13th-seeded Louisiana or Baylor. @haileyjhurst hhurst@alligator.org

GOLF

Ironwood Golf Course looks to stay afloat as staple of Gainesville golf community

The course has endured all kinds of financial struggles over the last 30 years, yet it stands stronger than ever before

By Jack Meyer Sports Writer

In recent years, Ironwood Golf Course has faced budget cuts, management watches and all kinds of threats of closure. But amid all the turmoil, the grass is greener than ever before at the historic North Florida course.

Since being purchased by Gainesville in 1992, Ironwood has become a staple of the Gainesville golf community. As one of the only public courses within city limits, Ironwood draws in golfers from all over the area.

From retirees hoping to keep their putting strokes fresh on the green to UF students looking to try their hand at a new pastime, Ironwood is consistently buzzing with new and returning patrons, no matter the time or the day.

“You’ve got normal people playing and the influx of students, who I guess don’t want to pay the $70 at UF’s course. [It] sends a bunch of them out here,” said Ironwood volunteer ranger John Redmond. “You’ve got all the high schools who play out here, middle schools… it covers a whole multitude of people. It’s more in-depth than I ever thought.”

In spite of rumors surrounding a potential closure down the road, Ironwood has remained just as popular as ever before. As an avid golfer himself, Redmond has taken notice of how much Ironwood truly means to the Gainesville community.

“It’s a fun place to play golf, and it’s convenient,” Redmond said. “I didn’t realize it was as big as it is until I started volunteering out here.”

Frequent Ironwood patron Madelyn Miller also noted the course’s appeal to both experienced veterans and golf novices.

“I’ve gotten a bunch of friends who are not golfers to come out to that course and actually enjoy being out there,” Miller said. “I’ve even gotten some of them to swing a club… It’s really rare, especially with females, to get out into the golf game unless you’re already deep into golf.”

The golf course offers players a chance to enjoy the game in a relaxed, competition-free environment. “[Ironwood] is a little bit more laidback, so it takes away the pressure of being good,” she continued. “If you shank a ball into the woods, you don’t really have

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to worry about it so much.”

However, even with its popularity, the course endured more than its fair share of financial struggles. Gainesville city management found Ironwood “fails to bring in sufficient revenue” on multiple occasions. At one point, the course was put on a “management watch” after an audit found multiple issues with its oversight and management procedures.

These budgetary rough patches led to multiple proposals in recent years for the city to shut down Ironwood. While nothing has come to fruition, these propositions have left some members of the Gainesville golf community worried for what the future may hold.

“I always hear these rumors that are going around in this terrible golf community we have,” said Bob Dooley Invitational chairman Pat Dooley. “It’s not the kind of thing where you can go on a website and figure out what’s going on.”

Dooley also noted the potential racial ramifications of closing down the only golf course located in a predominantly Black area of the city.

“The bottom line is there’s not a whole lot going on in the east side of Gainesville, and for

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them to shut [Ironwood] down would just be another blow,” Dooley said. “You could even question the racism of it, that you would close the only golf course that’s on the side of town where people can play… It’s the only place I go to play golf where I see people of color.”

Recent developments surrounding Ironwood’s future have been more optimistic. In a city finance committee meeting last February, commissioner Ed Book acknowledged Ironwood cut their projected deficit in the 2024 fiscal year by approximately $90,000. Book went on to affirm his belief the course was “headed in the right direction.”

While there is still work to be done in steadying Ironwood’s financial hardships, Gainesville golfers remain hopeful the city will be able to iron things out and preserve the local landmark.

Even with the difficulties the course has faced, it looks like Ironwood’s future may be headed back onto the fairway soon enough.

Follow us for updates

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

@jackmeyerUF jmeyer@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024

LACROSSE

Unseeded Florida lacrosse reaches second-ever Final Four THE GATORS HEAD INTO CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND RIDING AN IMPRESSIVE 20-GAME WIN STREAK

By Max Bernstein Sports Writer

Heading into the 2024 season, the Florida Gators lacrosse team had one goal: reach Championship Weekend.

The Gators went into the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Tournament unseeded despite finishing the regular season as the No. 10 team in the nation, but that hasn’t stopped their dominant run in the tournament.

Florida won three-straight games to clinch its spot in the Final Four.

“I think this team is just built different,” said Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary in a press conference following the team’s quarterfinal win over No. 4 Maryland May 16. “They just came out with a goal from the beginning of the season, and they wanted to accomplish that goal. There was nothing that was going to stand in their way.”

O’Leary, who started her coaching career as an assistant coach at Maryland, has now led the Gators to their second-ever Final Four appearance — UF’s first since 2012.

“Some of my best years were here at Maryland,” O’Leary said.

“Love being here, and love coming back. Always nice to get a win, and it’s rare that you get a win on this turf [Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex].”

The Gators scored 32 seconds into the quarterfinal matchup against the Terrapins and never surrendered the lead. Florida recorded nine goals in the first period and capitalized on its early momentum to ride to a comfortable 15-9 victory.

Despite starting the season 0-2, Florida now embarks on the nation’s longest active winning streak at 20-straight games.

The Gators gave up a combined 37 goals in their first two losses to then No. 8 Loyola Maryland and No. 6 North Carolina.

O’Leary and her staff then made the proper defensive adjustments, and the payoff has led to UF making program history.

“Regy [Thorpe], our defensive coordinator, just does a great job and watches more film than anyone I know,” O’Leary said. “He dissects offenses down to every single detail, and I think he just creates such an amazing game plan.”

And with an elite defensive scheme in place, Florida began executing at an extremely high level, letting up double-digit goals in just three of its following 20 games.

Meanwhile, the offense, which featured six players who posted 30 or more goals this season, be-

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

A Florida lacrosse player plays in a game on Friday, March 26, 2021. gan firing away.

“It’s been anyone’s year, doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish the season,” said Florida senior attacker Danielle Pavinelli. “We just stuck to our game plan, didn’t worry about what was going on outside of our games, and we fought each game and battled it out.”

Pavinelli became a crucial cog in Florida’s offense, scoring 54 goals this season. The senior carried her success into the NCAA Tournament, recording five goals and 13 points in the last three games.

Alongside Pavinelli, Florida senior attacker Maggi Hall established herself among the nation’s top players by earning the second-most totaled points in women’s college lacrosse this season at 114. Hall also set a team record in the process for points in a season.

“We know we can count on her [Hall] and trust her when she’s got that open look, open pass,” Pavinelli said. “Just being able to read what she’s going to do, [we] let her have that open lane because we know she’s going to finish it if she gets through.”

Florida has facilitated the highest-scoring offense in the nation this season, but its steady defense and improved goaltending have aided its deep tournament run.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle had a slow start to her season. However, Finnelle is now the Gators' No. 1 shotstopper, tallying nine-straight wins in net for UF. “I know that I have one job, and I’ve got to do my job,” Finnelle said. “I was not really on track with that in the beginning of the season, but knowing that I had to turn it around to create more opportunities for my team.”

Despite Florida being outshot in its quarterfinal matchup against Maryland, Finnelle made 10 saves on 19 shots on goal. Her efforts helped navigate the Gators to the semifinals.

Now, Florida heads into a semifinal matchup as the first unseeded team to reach Championship Weekend since 2017, where the Gators will face No. 1-seeded Northwestern.

The two sides have not faced since 2014, but the Gators lead the all-time series between the squads 6-4.

The Wildcats are appearing in their fifth-consecutive Final Four and are the defending national champions. Northwestern is also the consensus No. 1 team in the country, receiving all 16 firstplace votes in the most recent ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll.

However, the Gators are heading into the matchup unphased.

“That’s kind of our motto,” Finnelle said. “Just knowing that it’s anybody’s game, and all year we’ve needed to prove something to the people out there.”

O’Leary, the third-winningest active head coach in the nation with 401 wins, knows her team has an opportunity to make history.

“There’s so much that goes into making it to a Final Four, and I think only those who make it can truly, truly appreciate the work and the effort and the sacrifice that goes in,” O’Leary said.

“I’m just so proud to be a part of the ride.”

And while their original goal of reaching the Final Four might have been completed, the Gators are focused on a new goal: claiming their first-ever National Championship. @maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org