Monday, June 19, 2023

Freedom Fest attendees gather around the Bo Diddley Plaza to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Read more on pg. 6.

Former Alligator editor Aimee Sachs dies at 38

SHE LEAVES BEHIND FRIENDS, FAMILY AND JOURNALISM LEGACY

By Nicole Beltran & Garrett Shanley

Alligator Staff Writers

Aimee Sachs, a UF alum and freelance sports reporter, was known for her tenacity and passion in the journalism field.

Ron Sachs, Sachs’ father and a former editor-in-chief of The Independent Florida Alligator, fondly remembers how his daughter Aimee followed in his path.

“I was always delighted that she wanted to pursue a career in journalism and wanted to do it at my alma mater,” Ron Sachs said. “She was very proud to be a Gator every single day of her life.”

Sachs died May 31 after she suffered two strokes.

Sachs attended UF from 2005 to 2008 as a telecommunications

major. She worked as a reporter for WUFT and as a copy editor and contributing writer for The Alligator.

At The Alligator, Sachs published front page articles about a student ice cream event and a drag queen show.

Dominick Tao, a former editor-in-chief of The Alligator, remembers working with Sachs in Summer 2007. Tao knew something was wrong whenever Sachs walked up to his desk, he said.

“She had that ‘take no sh-t’ tenacity that a lot of journalists just naturally seem to have,” Tao said.

Sachs used her platform as a journalist to report on her lifelong passion for sports.

She pursued a career in sports journalism after she graduated from UF in 2008. She started in her first full-time position at the Tallahassee Democrat where she

‘Rejoice, Reflect and Remember’: Santa Fe College celebrates Juneteenth

The college commemorated the holiday with art, live entertainment

By Vivienne Serret Alligator Staff Writer

About 100 people attended and participated in Santa Fe’s Juneteenth event, remembering Black ancestry and celebrating freedom.

The SFC Association of Black Faculty and Staff hosted the June 15 event at

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

UF baseball wins again

Story description finish with comma, pg#

Florida defeats Oral Roberts, advan ces in College World Series

Read more on pg. 11.

The eight-hour event hosted arts and crafts, an educational historical tour, youth activities, vendors, information about SFC programs and live entertainment.

Destiny Henderson, a 25-year-old SFC alum, considers art her first love. She vended at the event, selling her paintings and her book, “Yolk’s on Me”.

Gallery: Freedom Fest

Henderson became serious about art when she was 10 years old. Her art teacher showed her what painting was, which opened the doors for her to express herself in all ways, she said.

“The art that I love to make the most is with women, Black women specifically,” she said. “[In] most of my paintings, people are smiling. I want to give people something

Gainesville held its second annual event to celebrate Juneteenth, pg. 6

Caimán: Campus de UF en Jacksonville

La universidad recibirá $75 millones, pg. 3

happy, feel good to go home with.”

Henderson believes Juneteenth is a great celebration for everyone and hopes people will ask themselves what it means to be free and how we get to be free now, she said.

“[Juneteenth shows] the resilience of our ancestors, what they had to endure in this country,” she said. “[So be] grateful for

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Gabriel Velasquez Neira // Alligator Staff

Blount Hall.

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2023

Senate president exonerated of all filed charges

Evidence presented during trial brought on more questions

By Vivienne Serret Alligator Staff Writer

The UF Student Government Rules and Ethics Committee met June 17 for nearly four hours to consider the expulsion of Student Senate President Oscar Santiago Perez (Change-District D).

During the announcements section of the June 13 Senate meeting, Minority Party Leader Bronson Allemand (GatorDistrict A) said he will file a case against Santiago Perez.

Allemand’s charges against Santiago Perez included malfeasance, moral turpitude and forgery. Allemand alleged Santiago Perez filled out a Feb. 21 voter record for former Change Sen. Anaum Virani.

The June 17 meeting was called to order at 11:09 a.m. and ended at 3:22 p.m.

Members present included Rules and Ethics Committee Vice Chairman Matt Reich (Gator-District D), Sen. Laurel Wentworth (Change-District D), Sen. Raj Mia (Change-CALS), Sen. Zoe Richter (Change-CALS) and Judiciary Committee Vice Chairperson Joaquin Marcelino (Change-District D).

Rules and Ethics Committee Chairwoman Lilliana Clark (Gator-District A) led the meeting. She didn’t participate in questioning, deliberations or voting.

Allemand claimed when he viewed voting records, the handwriting on Virani’s voter record matched Santiago Perez’s handwriting. He believes Santiago Perez acted with malicious intent when they filled out Virani’s voter record when she wasn’t present at the meeting, Allemand said.

The voter record would’ve been filled out when Santiago Perez was the Deputy Minority Party Leader, who is second-incharge of the caucus.

The committee deliberated extensively, and it believes Virani most likely lied about her attendance at the Feb. 21 sSenate meeting but couldn't conclude if Virani’s proceedings held weight in finding Santiago Perez guilty.

Virani claimed to have gone to the Feb. 21 meeting after finishing a statistics exam, according to the evidence presented and Virani’s previous statements. Virani alleged she approached former Sen.

Mohammed Faisal (ChangeDistrict D), who directed her to Santiago Perez for assistance.

The committee noted the discrepancies in Virani’s previous statements in regard to her exam time and previous onthe-record testimony.

In a four-to-one vote, the committee motioned Santiago Perez to be exonerated of all charges. Santiago Perez did not testify during the trial, but Judiciary Committee Chairperson Jonathan C. Stephens (ChangeDistrict D) represented them.

The ethics committee conducted a fair and very rigorous review, Stephen said, and they thought the case filing was part of a political stunt.

“I'm happy that the committee overwhelmingly recognized and exonerated our Ssenate president,” Stephens said. “I'm moving forward to make sure that we focus on business that's affecting students and not creating political theater.”

The blame shifted throughout the course of the case from the Ssenate president to Virani, and Allemand believes there should be a level of accountability taken from the Ssenate president, too, he said.

“I would have just liked to hear something from the Ssenate president,” Allemand said. “Just so that the committee could come to a more holistic view of what happened through the entire meeting.”

Reich was the only member on the committee who voted to expel Santiago Perez. Reich found it important to thank cChairwoman Clark and his peers on the committee before he commented on the case presented, he wrote in an email.

“Although there are often disagreements and differences of opinion between us, I can always count on the presence of professionalism and respect, [June 17] being no exception,” Reich wrote.

The evidence and discussions throughout the case led Reich to the conclusion the senate president was guilty of attempting to mislead the Senate and Student Body through forgery.

“Although the majority of the committee did not vote with me, I still consider today's proceedings a strong validation of my conclusions and a valuable investigation into a potential

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injustice against the student body,” Reich wrote.

“Through democratic and parliamentary means the committee could discern notable discrepancies and unanswered questions relating to Santiago Perez’s conduct, however, we could not agree on the intent of said actions,” Reich wrote.

Marcelino addressed the hearing of Allemand v. Santiago Perez and noted the plaintiff didn’t fulfill the burden of proof.

There were serious doubts regarding the veracity of the charges based upon the qualifications required to be found guilty of the allegations, Marcelino wrote.

“The evidence presented was circumstantial at best and based on pure conjecture,” Marcelino wrote.

Chairwoman Clark didn’t vote or deliberate but issued a statement about the committee’s decision and the discrepancies in the testimonies presented.

Clark believes Virani’s claim was the most critical piece of evidence in the case. Virani was the only one involved who had issued a statement, and it was the only written statement of events the committee had, Clark wrote.

“I hope that someone else can attest, on sworn record, that Anaum did physically make it to Senate, and that Oscar had no reason to believe that she was lying to them about her votes and attendance,” Clark wrote. “Unfortunately, at this point in time, this cannot be corroborated or confirmed in order to instill trust and confidence in the head of our Legislative Branch.”

Santiago Perez believes the committee made the right decision, and they expressed much of the evidence presented was inconclusive.

“The petitioner has the burden of proof to show that I am guilty — that was not present in the deliberations delivered by the minority party leader,” Santiago Perez said. “I think that the record [reflects] that now with this committee deliberation.”

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UF Jacksonville campus to receive $75 million Jacksonville Jaguars willing to front $5 million for the campus

By Sally Brown Alligator Staff Writer

Gov. Ron DeSantis approved $75 million for UF’s proposed Jacksonville campus amid half-a-million dollar budget vetoes.

DeSantis’ decision to approve the campus for Florida’s 2023-2024 budget follows his public support for the proposed campus.

Most people leave Gainesville when they graduate, DeSantis said.

“Well, if they’re going to move, they can move to Atlanta or Charlotte just as easily as they can Jacksonville or Miami or wherever,” he said.

Florida lawmakers voted to provide $75 million for the development of a UF graduate campus in Jacksonville in May.

The campus is intended to provide programs to support the growing workforce needs in biomedical technology. Its programs focus on pioneering technology

related to simulation, health applications of artificial intelligence, patient quality and safety, health care administration and technology.

The 15-acre campus is expected to house 10,000 grad students at an undetermined location, according to News4Jax.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are willing to donate $5 million for the campus to help UF meet the required local fundraising requirement. The Jaguars also offered 14acre Fairgrounds space next to the stadium to the campus.

The project began with a proposed $50 million investment from the Jacksonville City Council and $50 million in private funding, according to a Feb. 7 UF press release. The council raised $20 million as the first installment of the threeyear investment of $50 million, and the remaining funds came from the Florida state legislature.

sbrown@alligator.org

Courtesy of the Associated Press

TIAA Bank Field, the home stadium of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, also serves as host for the annual Florida-Georgia game.

Santa Fe event

JUNETEENTH, from pg. 1

the things that we've fought for, not given. [Let’s] rejoice in our freedoms and love to do things just to be free.”

Trenita White, the vice president of SFC ABFS, has coordinated the event with a team since April.

White participated in the event’s Gospel Extravaganza, which began at 6 p.m. The extravaganza featured a combined choir of SFC students, faculty and staff, as well as performances by community members.

1000 Voices of Florida, a diverse faithbased community, performed at the event.

Audience members and performers sang, cried and prayed. The extravaganza gave people the opportunity to do their cultural dances, spread the gospel and share their family members’ experiences during slavery.

Naima Brown, SFC Vice President of Student Affairs, has taught at the college since 2000. Brown likes researching her family history.

This is an event where we reflect and remember what happened and the power of knowledge, spreading the word and keeping it going, Brown said.

“We remember all of the people who suffered even after the laws had changed,” Brown said. “And we remember the people who sacrificed their lives to ensure that those in Texas knew when they had been denied their freedom.”

@vivienneserret vserret@alligator.org

Remembering a UF Alum

AIMEE, from pg. 1

covered Florida State University sports from 2008 to 2010.

“Even though she was only 4-foot-10, she was an athlete and a kickass sports reporter,” Ron Sachs said.

Throughout her career, Sachs worked at various outlets as a freelance sports reporter, including the Associated Press, the Tampa Bay Times, The Trentonian and the Bradenton Herald.

Sachs’ favorite job was covering her favorite Major League Baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, for MLB.com, Ron Sachs said.

She also spent six years at Courthouse News Service in Atlanta, covering legal and political news.

Sachs passed away surrounded by her father and his wife, Gay Webster-Sachs, sisters Samantha and Julie and closest family friends.

Samantha Sachs recalls Sachs’ ability to find strength despite her strokes.

Even though she was facing such adversity that day, she was able to pull it together and try to find something to be happy about, she said.

“I'm so proud of the life she lived,” Samantha Sachs said. “I'm proud of how she loved. I'm proud of how she persevered. I'm proud of how brave she was in the end. She was braver than me. She was braver than all of us.”

Among her admiration for sports and her dedication to journalism, Sachs also loved

music.

Sachs’ younger sister, Julie Sachs, recalls sisterly traditions of their favorite melodies.

“Every Christmas Eve at 9 p.m., we would call each other and sing a few minutes of a song from Rent,” Julie Sachs said. “I just can't fathom that my phone won't ring this Christmas Eve with her singing.”

Will Brown, a Tallahassee Democrat colleague and dear friend of Sachs, believed Sachs’ passion for telling stories was inspiring.

“She was really passionate about doing good work, but really getting to know people so she could better tell their story,” Brown said. “It was something she was really good at.”

Still, she continues to brighten lives.

Ron Sachs told Florida Politics three people successfully received transplants of Sachs’ organs.

“Sharing her vital organs means she will have a legacy beyond her time with us in this world,” Ron Sachs said.

Sachs’ legacy as a sports journalist will live on through the Aimee Nicole Sachs Memorial Scholarship in Sports Journalism. Her family founded the scholarship to aid students with financial needs who are pursuing careers in sports communications.

The family held a memorial service for Sachs June 13 at Temple Israel in Tallahassee.

@nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

@garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org

Emma Hayakawa // Alligator Staff

Gabriel Velazquez Neira // Alligator Staff

Ministries of Expressive Song and Dance perform a dance to the song No Hate by Bizzle at Santa Fe’s Blount Hall on Thursday, June 15, 2023.

NKwanda Jah: a lifetime of community advocacy

THE CULTURAL ARTS COALITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS A PROUD TREE HUGGER

By Gabriel Velasquez Neira Alligator Staff Writer

NKwanda Jah, a 69-year-old East Gainesville resident, grew up in the rural, unincorporated community of Grandin, Florida. With nothing to do, Jah spent a vast amount of time outside, where she slowly grew into a “proud tree hugger.”

“I just didn’t know that I was gaining a love and appreciation for it,” Jah said. “There was enough food outside on the trees, so you didn’t have to run home because you got hungry and wanted a snack.”

Jah never obtained a degree or had Black female role models throughout the majority of her life. Yet today, she leads the non-profit organization Cultural Arts Coalition, which serves disadvantaged Gainesville residents’ needs through summer employment, cultural enrichment programs and after-school programs.

In the summer of 1979, Jah and a group of activists started a festival to ignite an extensive discussion about the gentrification of Northwest Gainesville, using the visual arts, music and dance to bring people together.

The festival was successful, and in 1983 Jah founded the Cultural Arts Coalition to continue its influence. The 5th Avenue Arts Festival, which celebrated its 43rd year in April,

showcases choirs, singers, poets, artists and dancers of all ages.

The work’s success rewarded her long-term, Jah said.

“I have been lucky,” Jah said, “I’m an executive director. I created my position and put myself in it back when nobody was interested in it because it didn’t come with any money.”

Marihelen Wheeler, Alachua County Commissioner, previously worked with Jah in the 5th Avenue Arts Festival.

The arts are one of the best ways to introduce a culture to a community, Wheeler said.

“What NKwanda was doing was finding another avenue into making sure that the inequities of our community were being addressed,” Wheeler said. “But in a way that was palatable and acceptable and understandable by everybody, which is the arts.”

For Wheeler, Jah’s knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for her community work make people gravitate to helping her reach her goals.

Naima Brown, SFC Vice President of Student Affairs, met Jah in the mid1990s during a walk Jah organized to bring awareness to the HIV epidemic. At the time, Brown was still obtaining her master’s degree.

Jah left a profound impression on her, Brown said.

“I loved her,” Brown said. “She’s down to Earth and about moving the community.”

One of Jah’s mottos, “No participation, no right to observation,” en-

compasses her dedication to educating and helping the community.

When Jah noticed the growing achievement gap between West Gainesville and East Gainesville schools in subjects like math, science and English, she created a science club and started a science bus intending to introduce STEM in elementary school so kids can gain an appreciation and knowledge of the topic at an early age.

Brown believes providing an early foundation with a STEM curriculum is critical for more children to enter the high-paying field.

“I was afraid of science,” Brown said.

She went into sociology, but she thought she might have tried science if she had been introduced earlier to the field, she said.

The science bus has different stations, like physics, biology and ento-

mology, and has microscopes where children can look at other specimens.

The bus travels outside of Gainesville to rural communities and municipalities to have a broader reach. It also assists the volunteers who generally need help transporting to rural areas.

In addition to the science club, Cultural Arts Coalition has an environmental ambassadors program that began in 1990 when Gainesville asked the nonprofit to help promote recycling in the city and in Alachua County.

While recycling was doing well in West Gainesville, East Gainesville needed to catch up, Jah said.

“I saw DJs using the bins to put their albums in when they went to different events…they will use the bins for everything but recycling,” Jah said.

The nonprofit used music, dance

and rap to put together an award winning video to educate the community on recycling.

During the production, the ambassadors went to a landfill and discussed how to reduce waste entering the system, a tradition that has since grown.

More recently, ambassadors in the program visited waterways, food sources and energy sources.

The group looks at springs, creeks and lakes to see how they can clean the sweet water before it enters the basin in Paynes Prairie, Jah said.

“We go to the springs, and last year, we actually went to three different springs in one day,” Jah said.

The group also tours organic cattle farms whose ownership has been handed down through multiple generations, allowing kids to receive a mini-history lesson on food sources and the difference in food accessibility in West Gainesville compared to East Gainesville.

As for energy, the environmental ambassadors have previously toured coal and gas plants but will tour the biomass plant this year.

The Environmental Ambassador Program provides summer employment for teenagers and the opportunity to learn career and leadership skills.

People shouldn’t pursue money or positions, Jah said.

“I want people to pursue their passion,” she said “I don’t have a degree of any kind. I’ve learned from life. I’ve learned from the experiences. I’ve chosen the route that I’m on because it excites me.”

@gvelasquezn

gvelasquezneira@alligator.org

State decisions continue to guide Gainesville City Commission budget cuts

PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMS WILL RECEIVE THE LARGEST CUTS TO NARROW BUDGET DEFICIT

By Amanda Friedman Alligator Staff Writer

Efforts to combat Gainesville Regional Utilities’ rising debt could come at the expense of homeowners as well as public service initiative funding, according to state decisions and the city’s 2024 fiscal year budget proposals.

The Gainesville City Commission heard and discussed 2024 budget proposals for public safety, public services, administration services and non-departmental expenses at a special meeting June 14. A bill looking to put GRU under state control arrived at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office the same day.

House Bill 1645, which would transfer GRU control from Gainesville to the state through a governor-appointed board, looks to tackle GRU’s $1.7 billion debt. Now, the bill awaits DeSantis’ signature.

City commissioners like Reina Saco are unsure what financial impacts residents may see if HB 1645 is signed into law, including a possible rise in utility rates. The city retained counsel to fight against the bill, Saco said.

“It’s kind of a black hole of guessing,” she said. “Once the matter is settled one way or the other, we will have absolute numbers we can move forward with and plan for the future.”

By July 1, the city will confirm whether residents will see a rise in property value and a $1 million increase in Gainesville’s

property tax, raising annual costs for property owners. The property tax increase would garner $14.9 million in revenues for the city.

Saco acknowledges the increase would upset some residents, but said it could be helpful in preserving some of the city’s community development initiatives.

“I will happily pay if that is the difference between Gainesville remaining a city with amazing services or losing some of those services,” she said.

The Florida Legislature’s demands to lower GRU’s debt earlier this year caused significant budget revision for the 2024 fiscal year as well.

While budgets for public safety departments like the Gainesville Police Department and Gainesville Fire Rescue will increase, funding for public service initiatives, including youth support programs and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs department, face severe cuts.

However, commissioners unanimously voted to partially reinvest in multiple community initiatives and grant programs toward the end of the special meeting, putting the city’s current 2024 budget deficit at approximately $2.1 million.

City leaders felt imposing significant cuts to close the budget deficit was difficult to navigate. “This is hard,” Mayor Harvey Ward said. “There is nothing easy about this process. Staff has done an unbelievable job working to get us to this point.”

Another revision avenue is a drastic decrease in the government services contribution, which is the annual portion of GRU revenue allocated to general government funds. The fund was $34 million for the

2023 budget but is expected to be $15.3 million for 2024.

The 2024 budget proposals would also eliminate around 70 staff positions. Curry announced human resources director Laura Graetz will chair a pipeline committee to help those affected by position eliminations find new opportunities.

Disagreement among commissioners arose during the special meeting concerning the presentation’s proposal to reduce funding for non-departmental expenses, like homeless shelter and service center GRACE Marketplace, by half of what they received for the previous fiscal year.

Gainesville provides $1.5 million per year to GRACE Marketplace’s efforts, including emergency shelter and meal services, through a partnership with the county, which also provides an additional $1.5 million a year to the nonprofit.

The city also has a five-year contract with the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry to help manage GRACE Marketplace, City Commissioner Bryan Eastman said.

Eastman, who formerly served as GRACE Marketplace’s vice-chair, cautioned commissioners about making significant cuts to the nonprofit’s funding due to the possible ripple effect on other departments.

“We’re reading a lot of research coming out of that time period about how much we spend on police and fire and medical services,” he said. “How much money you save simply by treating people with compassion on the front end versus the back end.”

In response, Curry said restoring funding for GRACE Marketplace to its previous levels would involve pulling from public

safety budgets and cutting up to 13 jobs, which City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut disputed.

Chestnut urged the commission to prioritize funding other initiatives, including after-school programs and senior citizen transportation services, in addition to GRACE Marketplace.

“We’re trying to be all things to all people, and we cannot do that,” Chestnut said. “We cannot balance senior citizens, children, all of our other programs on the backs of the homeless.”

Commissioners reached a compromise by unanimously voting to reinstate $475,000 in funding for non-departmental expenses like GRACE Marketplace, the Early Learning Coalition, arts and culture initiatives and senior citizen transportation services.

Saco is pleased the commission found a way to reinvest in community initiatives like GRACE Marketplace but still worries about how the budget cuts for public service efforts will impact locals and surrounding communities that lack Gainesville’s resources, she said.

“The situation has really forced us to consider ‘What do we see as vital municipal services while not diminishing the quality of life?’” she said. “It is difficult to be the leader of those services for a region while only being able to receive revenue through our own individual residents.”

The city is expected to confirm the 2024 budget during a public hearing Sept. 21. DeSantis must act on HB 1645 by June 29. @amandasfriedman

Jiselle Lee // Alligator Staff

NKwanda Jah sits in her office at Wilhelmina Johnson Center on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Jah runs an afterschool science program from her office.

Freedom Festival celebrates Juneteenth for a second year

ABOUT 100 GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS CROWDED BO DIDDLEY PLAZA

By Gabriel Velasquez Neira Alligator Staff Writer

The scent of popcorn, the sounds of music and children playing filled the air as the community gathered to celebrate Juneteenth

About 100 people attended Gainesville’s second Freedom Festival June 17 at Bo Diddley Plaza.

The festival was a part of the third annual “Journey to Juneteenth,” which is a month-long celebration of the federal holiday. The events start on the anniversary of Florida’s Emancipation, May 20, 1865, and end on Juneteenth, the day Union General Gordon Granger read the proclamation in Galveston, Texas, and freed the last U.S. slaves June 19, 1865.

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021, federally recognizing it.

Turbado Marabou, a Yoruba priest, began the festival with a libation — a moment of reverence and recognition to ancestors. The purpose of the speech was to bring history and context to the festival, he said. Poets, dancers, singers, storytellers and drummers took to the stage to showcase their talents afterward.

Nathaniel Courtney Jr., a 40-year-old Freedom Fest organizer, said his father is the inspiration behind the event.

Courtney Jr.’s father started organizing annual Juneteenth programs in 2010. When his father was battling cancer in 2018, Courtney Jr. and his family put together a Juneteenth Gospel festival. Following the success of that event, they put on the first iteration of the Freedom Festival in 2022.

Organizing the event and communicating history to the community is deeply rewarding, he said.

“It is an honor to have the responsibility… I really hope it continues,” Courtney Jr. said.

Attendees found the event educational and culturally enriching.

Malcolm Newsone, a 16-year-old Gainesville High School student, learned more about Black culture through the community than through school, he said. Freedom Fest was the first Juneteenth event he attended.

Detra Earnest, a 52-year-old Ocala resident, was one of the booth owners and founder of The Swookie Cookie Company, a sweet potato based cookie business.

Juneteenth should’ve been a holiday sooner, Earnest said. She has celebrated Juneteenth since childhood. For her, the holiday marks more than the end of slavery — it marks a moment to gather and express different talents, she said “that makes the culture beautiful.”

The festival allows business owners like Earnest to market and sell their products, attracting attention and, hopefully, customers.

Notable community figures like Mayor Harvey Ward, Com-

missioner Bryan Eastman and Commissioner Ed Book celebrated the event alongside the community. Ward spoke at the event, and reaffirmed Gainesville’s commitment to Juneteenth.

As for Courtney Jr., he said the event was a great success and will continue.

“I think that spirit of unity, that spirit of community, was really embodied, and it showed at Freedom Fest yesterday,” Courtney Jr. said.

@gvelasquezn gvelasquezneira@alligator.org

Gabriel Velasquez Neira // Alligator Staff Turbado Marabou, a Yoruba Priest, gives a speech about ancestry at the Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Marabou performed a libation, a spiritual ceremony where he poured liquid into a bowl.

Gabriel Velasquez Neira // Alligator Staff Children played soccer and other activities during Freedom Fest at the Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Gabriel Velasquez Neira // Alligator Staff

Detra Earnest, owner of The Swookie Cookie Co., sells her homemade goods during Freedom Fest at the Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Gabriel Velasquez Neira // Alligator Staff Nathaniel Courtney Jr., an organizer of Freedom Fest, introduces several speakers at the Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

El Caimán

El campus de UF Jacksonville recibirá $75 millones

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS DISPUESTOS A DAR $5 MILLONES PARA EL CAMPUS

Por Sally Brown Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Nicole Beltrán Escritora de El Caimán

El gobernador Ron DeSantis aprobó $75 millones para el propuesto campus de UF en Jacksonville a mediados de otros vetos presupuestarios de medio millón de dólares.

La decisión de DeSantis aprobando el recinto para el presupuesto de Florida 2023-2024 acompaña su apoyo público a la propuesta de campus.

La mayoría de las personas se van de Gainesville cuando se gradúan, dijo DeSantis.

“Bueno, si se van a mudar, pu-

eden mudarse a Atlanta o Charlotte tan fácilmente como pueden mudarse Jacksonville o a Miami o donde sea”, dijo.

En mayo, los legisladores de Florida votaron por designar $75 millones para el desarrollo de un campus de posgrado de la UF en Jacksonville.

El campus se destinará a proporcionar programas de apoyo para las crecientes necesidades del personal de tecnología biomédica. Sus programas se enfocan en innovar tecnologías relacionadas con la simulación, aplicaciones médicas de la inteligencia artificial, calidad y seguridad del paciente, administración sanitaria y tecnología.

Se espera que el campus de 15 acres albergue a 10,000 estudiantes de posgrado en una locación aún indeterminada, según News4Jax.

Los Jacksonville Jaguars están

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

dispuestos a aportar $5 millones para el campus para ayudar a la UF a cumplir con el requisito de recaudación local de fondos. Los Jaguars también ofrecieron un espacio de 14 acres en el recinto ferial junto al estadio para el campus.

El proyecto comenzó con una inversión propuesta de $50 millones de parte del Concejo de la Ciudad de Jacksonville y $50 millones en fondos privados, según un comunicado de prensa de la UF del 7 de febrero. Sin embargo, el consejo recaudó $20 millones como parte de la primera entrega de la inversión de tres años, y el resto de los fondos necesarios provinieron parte de la legislatura estatal de Florida.

sbrown@alligator.org

@nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

LUNES, 19 DE JUNIO DE 2023

www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

LOS PROGRAMAS DE SERVICIO PÚBLICO SUFRIRÁN LOS RECORTES MÁS GRANDES PARA REDUCIR EL DÉFICIT PRESUPUESTARIO

Por Amanda Friedman

Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Nicole

Beltrán

Escritora de El Caimán

Los esfuerzos para combatir la creciente deuda de los Servicios Regionales de Gainesville (GRU) podrían realizarse a costa de los propietarios de viviendas y de la financiación de iniciativas de servicio público, según las decisiones estatales y las

propuestas presupuestarias del año fiscal 2024 de la ciudad. La Comisión de la Ciudad de Gainesville escuchó y discutió las propuestas de presupuesto del 2024 para la seguridad pública, los servicios públicos, los servicios administrativos y los gastos no-departamentales en una reunión especial el 14 de junio. Un proyecto de ley que buscaba poner a GRU bajo control estatal llegó a la oficina del gobernador Ron DeSantis el mismo día.

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

@amandasfriedman afriedman@alligator.org

@nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

Barbers

First story in a series about Gainesville’s beauty industry, pg. 8

Las decisiones estatales siguen guiando los recortes presupuestarios de la Comisión de la Ciudad de Gainesville

Gainesville’s beauty industry: The power of a nice haircut

GAINESVILLE BARBERS BUILD FAMILY WITH CUSTOMERS

By Aubrey Bocalan Avenue Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: This is the first story in a series about Gainesville’s beauty industry.

There are few groups who truly have power over the way people feel about themselves.

Whether it’s giving a nice haircut that builds confidence or providing a listening ear, barbers are one group in the beauty industry who contribute to the community around them. These barbers also facilitate personal connections with their clients that can span their entire lives and move through generations.

Bill Goolsby

The muffled sound of laughter and the buzz of electric hair clippers can be heard through the walls of Kutters Barber Shop.

Kutters Barber Shop owner Bill Goolsby, 65, fixed his grandson Eli’s hair after he had gotten a bad haircut a few weeks ago. At the time, Eli’s father, Jonah Goolsby, tried to comfort him.

“It’s not that bad,” his father said.

“Dad, look at it,” Eli said.

Eli felt much more at home in the worn seat of his grandfather’s barbershop.

After cutting a few inches off the top, Goolsby asked Eli if he wanted it shorter. Eli shook his head fervently, as if to indicate that it was perfect and trimming even a single hair would ruin his grandfather’s masterpiece.

Goolsby has been a barber for 43 years.

He followed in the footsteps of his father who opened Kutters in 1959.

He wanted to be a mechanic but realized it wouldn’t be fun and it wouldn’t make him happy, he said.

“We choose our own misery or happiness,” Goolsby said.

So, he learned to cut hair.

He has many interests — from poker to fishing — but his work remains the most important.

“I’m too busy having fun to go play,” he said.

His favorite thing about being a barber is learning from everyone he meets. He asks more questions than he answers, but that’s what a barber does — listen.

“As a kid, my entertainment was to come over here and sit and listen,” Goolsby said. “And I still learn so much.”

He has cut the hair of doctors, scientists and authors. Signed photographs and framed medals pay homage to the legends who have sat in his chair.

Since Kutters opened in 1959, the building and the service have barely changed. However, there are still some new additions Goolsby accumulated over the years, like his cat Gigi. The large tabby cat can often be found napping in a chair by the door.

Another new addition is the jungle of banana trees and other flora Goolsby planted around the entrance.

Goolsby also rents the adjacent lot to Terrell’s Bar-B-Que food truck. With the door to Kutters often left open, the smell of roasting beef and barbecue sauce drifts right in.

He hopes to add a second story with a space for hammocks and a pool table to bring more people in. The goal is to make it more than a

barbershop, but also a place to hang out. But Goolsby isn’t the only one who views his shop as a second home.

Anthony Anderson

Music shakes the walls of Fame Of Fadez Exclusive barbershop the moment of entry.

Anthony Anderson, the 38-year-old barber, discovered the barbershop world at a very young age, cutting hair since he was 12.

Two people paved the way for Anderson — his grandfather John Phillips and family friend Aaron Young.

Both were preachers who also cut hair. Anderson remembers learning how to be a barber

by sitting and watching them.

He began by cutting the hair of his cousins and uncles, and his clientele has been loyal to him since then.

“We were kids when I was cutting their hair, and now I’m cutting their kids’ or their grandkids’ [hair],” he said.

Like Goolsby, he also loves getting to know the people who sit in his chair. He has grown close to those who may not be related by blood as people become regulars over the years.

He recently cut the hair of 10-year-old Gainesville resident JJ Merritt. Anderson gave JJ his first haircut eight years ago.

Anderson will go to JJ’s football games and say hi to his father, mother and other siblings if they run into each other.

“It’s more than just cutting hair,” he said. Being a barber and building relationships with his customers has even taken him outside of Gainesville. He has cut the hair of professional football players and has been called to traveling games.

It’s different when you’re getting your hair cut by a barber, Anderson said.

“You got people who cut in shops, and it’s not a barbershop,” he said. “But then you have people who have barbershops.”

But in the end, his favorite part about being a barber is bringing joy to other people through the power of a nice haircut.

“The way the haircut makes them feel at the end, just that little spot of joy or happiness,” Anderson said. “They might be having a bad day or bad week, but you get a nice haircut and kind of feel better about yourself.”

@aubreyyrosee abocalan@alligator.org

Raising Cane’s delights students with Gator decor

THE UNIVERSITY AVENUE LOCATION IS THE FIRST IN GAINESVILLE

By Alexia Paz

Contributing Writer

Hungry with anticipation, students have eagerly waited for the opening of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers for months.

On June 6, the University Avenue location expected an audience of about 1,700 customers for its grand opening.

Brent Bellflower, the 34-year-old general manager of Raising Cane’s, knew the event would be huge. He advised his team to prepare for thousands of orders and a rowdy crowd.

“It’s not about speed, it’s about repetition,” Bellflower said. “Just take one customer at a time.”

The particularly long lines can be attribut-

ed to a special the restaurant announced earlier that week, where the first 20 customers would be entered to win free Raising Cane’s for a year. Moreover, the first 100 customers who purchased a combo meal were given free T-shirts.

Stephanie Wielinski, the 35-year-old area leader of marketing, was responsible for Raising Cane’s promotional coverage in Gainesville, Tallahassee, Clearwater and incoming Orlando locations.

Raising Cane’s Gainesville location has more school spirit than any other location by a university’s campus.

“If you were to walk into the Tallahassee location, you would see a lot of FSU memorabilia, but not to this extent,” Wielinski said, pointing at the UF-themed signs on the walls.

The location’s aesthetic encapsulates UF’s lively campus, with dozens of orange and blue signs and banners throughout the restaurant. Decor ranges from posters honoring

the late Gainesville-native singer Tom Petty to a wall that mimics Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The booths are painted orange and blue.

Halle Kurit, a 20-year-old UF biology senior, said she visited another Raising Cane’s location before but felt a personal connection to the University Avenue location.

Kurit, who is a soccer fan, enjoyed women’s national soccer player and UF alum Abby Wambach’s picture displayed on a wall inside the restaurant.

“I think it really makes it have a Gainesville feel,” Kurit said.

Having been a part of many openings, Wielinski advised the team to have fun above everything else.

“We’re not saving the world,” Wielinski said. “wWe’re just cooking chicken.”

The staff is even encouraged to sing and dance while frying, she said.

Wielinski predicted about 100 customers to wait outside when they began to call “their

lucky 20.”.

The staff stopped accepting entries at 9 a.m., and the official winners were announced by 9:30 a.m.

“It’s probably better that our opening is in the sSummer,” Wielinski said. “By the time fFall rolls around, the team should feel comfortable with large crowds.”

The seasoned crew was prepared to step in and fire up the chicken if lines got too long during the opening.

“It was so full,” Gaby Leon, a 20-year-old UF student, said. “People were camping outside, and they brought chairs and blankets.”

Leon said she devoured the “crispiest tenders” she had ever had.

A live DJ played at the opening and, just as predicted, over 100 people lined up outside, desperate for a long-awaited bite. editor@alligator.org

Emma Hayakawa // Alligator Staff

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BASEBALL

Gators avoid late-game disaster against Oral Roberts to advance in College World Series

UF MOVES ON TO THE FINAL ROUND OF ITS BRACKET WEDNESDAY

By Jackson Castellano Sports Writer

With two outs, a 5-3 lead and loaded bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, Florida sophomore closing pitcher Brandon Neely had a chance to carry momentum into a second win in the College World

Series. The Gators nearly shot themselves in the foot instead.

UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan inadvertently took the second mound visit of the inning and was forced to pull Neely for freshman Cade Fisher without warming him up.

Fisher came in cold but kept the Gators hot as he propelled UF to victory.

“We had complete faith in Cade Fisher,” junior shortstop Josh Rivera said.

Florida (52-15, 20-10 SEC) defeated Oral Roberts (52-13, 23-1 Summit League) 5-4 in the winner’s bracket opener of the College World Series. The Gators picked up their 135th home run of the year, a new program record for most in a single season.

UF opened its run in Omaha with a win against the Virginia Cavaliers. O’Sullivan’s crew trailed 4-1 at one point before mounting a comeback.

Freshman designated hitter Luke Heyman hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to close out the win and move Florida into the winner’s bracket.

The Gators got their first knock right away Sunday. Freshman infielder Cade Kurland notched a leadoff single on the first pitch of the game. He ended up stranded after Oral Roberts starting pitcher Harley Gollert struck out two on his way to retiring the side without a score.

The Golden Eagles’ bats made noise early after UF starting righthanded pitcher Hurston Waldrep gave up a leadoff hit of his own. The junior Southern Mississippi transfer walked his second batter to put two runners on with nobody out.

He worked a swinging strikeout and two quick groundouts to escape the jam with runners in scoring position.

Junior outfielder Tyler Shelnut drew a walk with two outs in the second frame. Sophomore Ty Evans capitalized with a two-run shot to right field and put the Gators up 2-0. Junior infielder Colby Halter struck out looking to end Florida’s second frame up early.

Florida starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep delivers a pitch during the Gators' 4-0 win against South Carolina Saturday, June 10, 2023.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Waldrep opened up the bottom of the second with a hard-hit single to Rivera. The righty walked two more batters to load the bases. Oral

Roberts’ Justin Quinn brought in a run on a single. Waldrep escaped the inning with a strikeout and a one-run cushion.

Junior outfielder Wyatt Langford crushed a ball into left field with one out in the third, but the ball went just foul to keep the run off the board. He struck out swinging once the at-bat resumed.

Sophomore two-way player Jac Caglianone struck out behind Langford to close the top of the third.

Waldrep added his fourth, fifth and sixth strikeout of the night in the bottom of the third to put the bat back in the hands of UF’s lineup. Rivera took advantage and launched a solo-shot homer to put the Gators up 3-1.

Fifth-year catcher BT Riopelle followed up by taking an 0-0 offering to his body and reached first. Heyman sized up his first pitch of the at-bat to score both runners and made it a 5-1 ballgame.

“If you’ve got me 0-2 on two changeups, I wasn’t gonna let a heater go by,” Heyman said.

Golden Eagles head coach Ryan Folmar opted to pull his starter for relief arm Dalton Patten with no outs in the top of the fourth inning. He struck out two on his way to the middle of the fourth inning without another score.

ORU singled with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but Waldrep snagged three more strikeouts to break out of the inning. It marked eight consecutive outs on punchouts for Waldrep.

Langford walked to first with one out to begin the fifth inning. ORU dipped back into its bullpen, this time for right-hander Jacob Widener. He struck out two batters to

strand Langford and end the top half of the inning.

Waldrep continued his run of clean innings after he let up a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth. He lulled the ORU batting order into two quick outs before he caught the runner at first in a rundown to close the inning up 5-1.

Oral Roberts woke up from its slump after Evans couldn’t track down a fly ball to left in the bottom of the sixth. It went over the outfield wall for an automatic double. Waldrep closed the inning with his twelfth strikeout of the night.

Halter kept the UF bats rolling with a leadoff single to open the seventh. He advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on a sacrifice fly from Kurland. The Gators left Halter stranded and held the lead at 5-1 into the bottom frame.

Sophomore reliever Ryan Slater took over for Waldrep in the seventh. Waldrep finished with 12 strikeouts, seven hits and just one earned run allowed in another stellar outing.

Slater walked a batter with one man down before he secured the second out. He let up a hit off the left-field wall and escaped the grasp of Langford. Oral Roberts right fielder Matt Hogan raced around the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park home run.

O’Sullivan promptly pulled Slater for Neely. He secured a groundout at first to close the seventh up 5-3.

Read the rest online at alligator. org/section/sports @jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

From Utah to Florida, Oakley Rasmussen and Sophie White stick together

By Bennett Solomon Sports Writer

When Oakley Rasmussen was 6 years old, she began playing club soccer. She played for Infinity Soccer Club based out of Cache Valley, Utah. There, she matched up against the Utah Glory.

On the other side of the pitch, Sophie White stood

with the Glory. It was the first time Rasmussen and White played each other. The duo continued playing soccer across the state growing up.

Rasmussen joined La Roca FC, a club soccer team in South Weber, Utah, in fifth grade.

During her first years with La Roca, Rasmussen would match up against Sparta United Soccer Club, a team White played for four years after her time with the Glory.

“We were rival teams,” Rasmussen said. “We always knew of each other.”

When they were about 11 years old, the two first played together for the Olympic Development Program, a state soccer team that competed against other states. They didn’t really know each other despite being teammates.

SEE SOCCER, PAGE 12

Chloe Hyde // Alligator Staff

Utah Gators stick together

Florida dream comes true

SOFTBALL, from pg. 11

SOCCER, from pg. 11

But, when White turned 14, she joined La Roca and became teammates with Rasmussen. The pair have been close friends ever since.

el, so he had an impact on my growth as a person and an athlete," Reagan Walsh said. Her growth as an athlete and as a Gator was made possible by the support of her parents and teammates, she said.

Her fellow Gators have noticed her confidence in her ability to change positions on the field when things get tough.

La Roca played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy against the top clubs in the US. Clubs included teams affiliated with Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League.

"I've seen her work and the growth she has had,” UF shortstop Skylar Wallace said. “I think she's known you're not going to be perfect at all times."

between the two grew stronger as they played more together, and they were fantastic on the field, Ovalle said.

said.

Walsh was set to fill the hole left by the departure of former Florida graduate student infielder Hannah Adams as she entered her sophomore season.

White and Rasmussen committing to UF caught their coach by surprise because the club had never sent a girl to the University of Florida, Ovalle said.

it's hard, so it's easier to get through it because of her.”

be hard on her so she will succeed, he said.

Now, the Utah standouts are redshirt sophomores on the Florida Gators soccer team. Both took their official visits to UF at the same time and committed during their junior year of high school. White and Rasmussen are the only players from Utah on UF’s roster.

Walsh — who’s near the end of her second year — recognized she has support from her father, teammates and coaches, she said.

"The people at the University of Florida are great and have definitely impacted me as a player, but also as a person," Walsh said.

“It made the transition to going to college so far away so much easier,” White said. “I don’t know, a coincidence? Sure,

White and Rasmussen won multiple State Cups with La Roca, including an impressive performance at the 2019 U.S. Youth Soccer National Tournament. The team won their respective group and advanced to the semifinals.

Walsh has displayed confidence and an eagerness to win to the fans who come out to support her in Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. She batted in a season-high six runs against Illinois State Feb. 11 and has a batting average of 0.353 this season.

“Working with Coach Walton every single day at practice, and him killing me at second base, I think, is all worth it,” Walsh said. “Hannah was such a great athlete; it's an awesome experience to be able to play second.”

“Going to the Gators, for us, was a special thing,” Ovalle said. “To send two girls at the same time to the same team, that made it even more special because I knew they were there for each other. I was so happy, and I can’t tell you how much we celebrated that.”

"As a parent, I just want to love and support her — tell her it's all right,” he said. “Then on the other hand, you have to be competitive, and you have to push her to make sure she knows you have to do better, and you can do this.”

Last season, Rasmussen started in eight out of 17 games for UF. She recorded one assist and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

Though she didn’t have her friend on the field this year, Oakley can’t wait for White to get healthy again, she said.

He will forever support his daughter, he said. As a former athlete playing at a competitive level, he’s been hard on Reagan and understands the tough times she might face, he said.

Her control at bat and ability to find the right pitch is big in late innings, Wallace

The two players raved about their time with La Roca. White said it helped prepare them for college life.

“It’s some of the best coaches ever,” White said. “They are really big on family

Walsh and her father share a passion for sports and the competitiveness that comes with it. However, a line is drawn between his support for her as a father and giving her advice as a former athlete who understands the hardships of being an athlete, John Walsh said. He has to push her and

With the Gators, White and Rasmussen have supported each other through injury struggles.

During their freshman season in 2021, they were sidelined for the whole season with torn ACLs. White tore her right ACL

"It's a tough balance,” he said. “But I love her and let her know that.”

“I love playing with her,” Rasmussen said. “Since we’ve played together for so long, we know each other’s strengths. We know how each other plays. That helps us work together well.”

@abrittonharr abritton-harr@alligator.org

The Gators will open their season against Georgia Southern in an exhibition match Aug. 6. The team’s first regular-season game is against East Carolina Aug. 17. Florida will look to improve on a 2-14-1 season in 2022.

Rasmussen is confident the team can

“We’ll have a big team,” she said. “Just working and competing every single day to get better and push everyone on the team to get better too. Working for each other and competing for each other to be able @b_soly11

bsolomon@alligator.org