Florida Attorney General releases a new edition of cold case playing cards
Over 5,000 copies will be distributed across jails and prisons in Florida
By Lee Ann Anderson Alligator Staff Writer
The year was 1989. With a Sony Walkman in hand, Tiffany Sessions left for a Thursday afternoon power walk in the February cold. The UF finance junior promised her roommate she’d return to wish her luck before an exam, that she’d give a call to her mom.
But hours ticked away and turned to days. They blurred into months, and stretched 35 years.
Tiffany Sessions never made it home, but her mother still waits by the phone in hopes someone will unravel the mystery that took her daughter.
"That's what keeps me going every day. You never know when a new lead is going to come in. You never, ever stop looking," Hilary Sessions said.
Among 20,000 unsolved Florida cold cases, Tiffany Sessions will appear on a new edition of cold case playing cards for distribution across jails and prisons.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody along with the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers, Florida’s Sheriffs Association and Florida Department of Corrections announced June 10 that over 5,000 decks will be sent across the state with the purpose of generating new cold case leads from inmates, according to an Office of the Attorney General news release.
The cards feature each victim’s story, a portrait or picture of an object they always carried and information on how to report a tip.
“We are giving Cold Case Cards to inmates, but we are not playing
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
games. This low-tech approach to generating tips may prove to be an ace up the sleeve as we continue to bring finality to seemingly unbreakable cases,” Moody said in the news release.
Through an older version of the cards, state law enforcement saw success in solving previously unclear cold cases, including the murder of 34-year-old Ingrid Lugo. Her killer was identified and found guilty in 2008 following an inmate tip, according to the news release.
Bill Leeper, Nassau County Sheriff and Florida Sheriffs Association president, said current inmates have the potential to be a substantial resource in solving previously untapped cases.
“They may say something or somebody's memory may be jogged if they're looking at some of these cards and see that they may have some possible information they can pass along to law enforcement to help solve that crime,” he said.
Once booked into jail, inmates talk to each other and exchange information that might just be the key, Leeper said.
Florida Association of Crime Stoppers President Frank Brunner said the new edition decks feature more graphic crimes, an advancement compared to its 2008 predecessor.
“These decks of cards that are being distributed have some of the more horrific cold cases from around the entire state,” he said.
“Now we have things where we can tie things in with QR codes,
SEE COLD CASE, PAGE 4
UF concrete canoe team paddles its way to fourth national title
UF CONCRETE CANOE TEAM MEMBERS SHARE THE CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS FROM THEIR INTENSE THREE-DAY COMPETITION
By Kamala Rossi Alligator Staff Writer
Mist traced the rolling mountains surrounding Lake Utah State Park as a team of four UF civil engineering students paddled their craft, the Springseeker, to victory. Team Springseeker, made up of UF faculty, students and alumni, worked tirelessly to create a concrete canoe fit to race against other top civil engineering colleges.
The UF concrete canoe team
(UFCC) floated to the occasion by winning its fourth national title in the concrete canoe competition at the ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships, which took place from June 20 to June 23 in Provo, Utah.
This includes the team’s first place win in 2015 for its Foreverglades canoe, the Tom Pettyinspired canoe named Free Floatin' that was victorious in 2019, and the Polligator canoe that won the virtual competition in 2021.
After building and testing a successful Springseeker prototype, the race-ready canoe was 186 pounds and 251 inches long.
Though one wouldn’t think concrete would be a material capable of floating, the canoe was designed with thin layers
of concrete combined with carbon fiber to achieve a buoyant product.
Sydney Sutherland, a 22-year-old UF civil engineering alum and co-project manager of the UFCC team, said her team worked hard to achieve the right concrete mix. The goal was to create a design that was lightweight and durable, Sutherland said.
The durability of the Springseeker faced its ultimate test in the middle of the race when Kansas State’s canoe accidentally rammed into it.
Sutherland said seeing the collision from the shore was like watching in slow motion.
Kansas State’s canoe hit the
PAGE 5
Story description finish with comma, pg#
Desantis denies funding $32 million lost. Read more on pg. 5.
Avenue: Queer clowns
Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff
Florida junior southpaw Jac Caglianone steps up to bat in the Gators’ 5-4 win against the NC State Wolfpack on Monday, June 17, 2024. Read more in Sports on pg. 11.
SEE CANOE,
Today’s Weather
Unveiling Gainesville’s tolerance in the face of the AIDS pandemic)
Research project reflects area’s historical pattern of acceptance
By Ben Nielsen Alligator Staff Writer
When 20-year-old UF anthropology major Fiona Garber and a group of her peers were tasked with a research project as a part of UF’s Alexander Grass Scholars Program, she chose to delve into the impact of the condition and the effect of the AIDS pandemic on a local scale.
“Some of us knew a lot about the AIDS epidemic and some of us knew very little,” Garber said. “We all wanted to get a more personal history of Gainesville Pride and the organizations here.”
Garber and her group researched the history of the Gainesville Area AIDS Project, a space designed in 1993 to address shortcomings in existing local programs for people living with the condition.
When the AIDS pandemic arrived in Gainesville in the late 1980s, the United States was no stranger to stigmatization surrounding the condition.
Early AIDS patients were primarily gay men. Less than one month after its first recorded case, the term “gay cancer” became the public’s way of referring to the condition.
Later, before it was given the name AIDS, it was referred to as “Gay-Related Immune Deficiency.”
Through the Gainesville Area AIDS Project, Garber said the city was able to support those diag-
nosed with HIV and AIDS early on.
“As we learned more,we realized how important GAAP was and how little people knew about the group nowadays,” Garber said.
GAAP was founded by Randall Buel, who was diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s. The virus developed into AIDS, and Buel died 1997.
Today, the organization operates under the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida following its inability to keep up with operations alone in the 2010s.
One of GAAP’s major historic functions was the creation of AIDS memorial quilts for Gainesville residents who died of the condition. The practice of memorializing AIDS victims through quilts began in the 1980s in San Francisco.
Garber praised the group for its community-based practices compared to other groups at the time.
“GAAP had a huge focus on making personal connections and making safe spaces for people with HIV/AIDS,” she said. “It was different than any of the other AIDS groups at the times because it provided more hands-on help through weekly meals and other donations or events.”
Despite nationwide stigma surrounding the AIDS pandemic, GAAP was met with nearly unanimous support in Gainesville.
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“We were surprised by how much the community seemed to support them,” Garber said. “Even Greek Life, which otherwise at the time we would have thought to be more close-minded.”
Garber said the variety of welcoming spaces in Gainesville helped destigmatize the condition locally.
“We heard about a pastor who specifically said to his church attendance that all people with AIDS were welcome to the community,” she said. “I think this era was a perfect time for groups like GAAP because people were warming up to the idea that having HIV/AIDS should not be discriminated against.”
Tristan Krammel, a 20-yearold UF English major and project member, said the group excelled at connecting people during a time when connection was less straightforward.
“It connected individuals and shared knowledge in a pre-internet world,” he said. “Members of GAAP would recommend each other doctors, medication and provide general support.”
GAAP would keep its members informed through monthly newsletters, which reported news and recognized its volunteers in a column called “Angels of the Month.”
Garber and Krammel’s research was conducted using Matheson History Museum’s Pride Community Center of North Central Florida Archive.
Collections Coordinator Chloe Richardson said the archive, donated by the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida, holds information about more than the AIDS pandemic.
“Researchers can use the collections in the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida Archive here to learn about issues the local LGBTQ+ community have advocated for over the years, including not just the HIV/ AIDS epidemic but also things like marriage equality and antidiscrimination laws,” Richardson said.
Garber’s research was published on a website as a timeline of GAAP’s work.
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UFPD sergeant facing suspension for racist comments, nepotism
INTERNAL INVESTIGATION REVEALS VIOLATIONS OF SEVERAL UFPD POLICIES
By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer
A UF Police Department sergeant is facing a three-day suspension after an internal investigation found he repeatedly made racist and antisemitic comments to coworkers and attempted to influence official application processes to help his superior’s son get a job.
UFPD launched its investigation into Sgt. Andrew Mcintosh in February after two former members of the Gator Emergency Medical Response Unit, a student-run volunteer EMS unit under the UFPD, filed complaints alleging misconduct.
The investigation, led by Sgt. Kyle Peterson, sustained five counts against McIntosh, who is the liaison between GEMRU and UFPD, including violations of provisions of courtesy, special privileges, command and supervisor authority, unbecoming conduct and harassment directives.
One of the complainants, former GEMRU executive director Ethan Trandoan, 21, told police he resigned in February because McIntosh was a “detriment to the growth of GEMRU through his ill-tempered manner, lack of professionalism, as well as a fundamental failure in performance.”
He alleged McIntosh acted in ways that were “unfit for a leader” and “deeply unsettling,” especially in regards to the racist and religious jokes he made. Trandoan told the
investigator in an interview that McIntosh referred to the NBA as the “National Black Association'' and made a comment about Jewish people “being frugal with money” in front of a Jewish GEMRU member.
That member, Eliana Jaffa, told investigators McIntosh made several antisemitic comments that made her uncomfortable.
According to Jaffa, McIntosh said, “Something along the lines of, ‘It’s always the Jews starting the World Wars,’” shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. She also described an instance where McIntosh referred to a speaker at a national medical conference as a “Jew doctor” and said, “it’s always the Jews.”
In his interview with the investigator, McIntosh denied the allegations and said the jokes seemed “out of character, not funny and out of context.”
“I cannot recall that,” McIntosh said. “That's the best I can get you.”
The other complainant, Malea Joyce, 22, served as GEMRU’s director of support services last year and said she left the unit because of McIntosh’s behavior. In an email to Cpt. Latrell Simmons, Joyce accused McIntosh of withholding information, “speaking negatively and unprofessionally” about her to other members and being generally unresponsive.
Joyce told the investigator that McIntosh asked her to “find a way” to accept thenUFPD Major Bart Knowles’ son into GEMRU after he failed the application process.
Upon learning that Knowles’ son didn’t pass, Joyce said McIntosh opened a review of the entire application process, which she said
made her “very uncomfortable.” No changes to the application process were made, and Knowles’ son was never admitted to GEMRU.
McIntosh said he told Joyce “[Knowles] needs to be passed because he’s the major’s son,” but didn’t explain why he made the request and told investigators he acted on his own.
Knowles, who stepped in as interim UFPD chief June 12, did not direct McIntosh to pass his son, according to McIntosh.
Joyce also alleged McIntosh was reluctant to order approved supplies for GEMRU including flyers, tabling materials and uniforms. She said he ignored concerns regarding GEMRU’s Alcohol Education Program and avoided speaking to her.
Joyce told The Alligator she felt neutral about McIntosh’s potential suspension.
“I’m glad to see that they took what we had to say seriously, but I don’t know how much of a legitimate difference it’ll make,” she said. “I think I’ll be happier if I know that GEMRU, because of this, has a more positive environment for the executive team and for the students in the unit.”
Joyce said she hoped the investigation will increase transparency within GEMRU and allow students to have “more of a consistent say” in the organization’s operations.
“I quit, and I pushed to say something in the first place because I didn’t want it happening to another student,” Joyce told The Alligator. “If something bad is happening to you, say something about it. You don’t have to just sit there and take it because you need the volunteer hours.”
Trandoan, the former GEMRU executive director who said he quit because of McIntosh’s behavior, told The Alligator he hoped the investigation is a “wake-up call” and McIntosh “is able to grow as a leader.”
“There should be good checks and balances on your leadership so [students] can know that when there’s something that’s not right, you should and you can speak up,” Trandoan said. “I think that message has been spread.”
McIntosh did not admit fault for any of the allegations made against him. The investigation is now closed and in the first step of the grievances process, according to UFPD Cpt. Latrell Simmons. The disciplinary phase of the investigation has not been finalized.
McIntosh didn’t respond to multiple calls and emails requesting comment. His phone number was configured to go directly to voicemail.
Eliana Machefsky, the legal fellow of the National Police Accountability Project, said internal investigations like these are important to indicate to others that the breaking of department policy won’t be tolerated.
“It’s important to look into allegations like this to see if there’s any truth to them and to make sure that that’s not spilling into the officer’s conduct,” she said.
Machefsky said though she was unfamiliar with McIntosh’s case, a three-day suspension seemed “like a pretty light response” if UFPD wants to discourage future misconduct.
@gracenmcclung gmcclung@alligator.org
UF School of Music receives $20 million from the state to improve facilities
Students are hopeful for a more robust musical education experience
By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer
Gov. Ron DeSantis approved $20 million for the UF School of Music’s building project in the “Focus on Florida’s Future” budget June 12, bringing total state funding for the project to $55 million.
The project aims to improve the 50-year-old music building’s acoustics and add a building expansion. Plans for the expansion include the creation of a “stateof-the-art presentation and performance hall” and a recording studio suite.
The expansion will “accelerate the school’s vision for advancing its curriculum, broaden ex-
periential learning opportunities for students and support faculty research agendas that enhance interdisciplinary collaboration,” according to a College of the Arts news release.
Lauren Jackson, a 20-year-old UF music education junior, said the current state of the music building leaves students struggling to find time and space to practice their art.
“We have a limited number of practice rooms, which are often full,” she said. “I had to take classes in the fine arts building because the music building [couldn’t] hold enough classes in [its own building].”
Jackson said she is excited about the School of Music’s plans
web tips, mobile apps and other things.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported in a news release that state crime dropped to a 50-year low in 2021. However, Alachua County retained a 2022 violent crime rate of approximately 201 victims per every 100,000 people compared to about 151 for the state, according to the Florida Department of Health.
to expand the music building.
“Composition classes are full of students that write and perform their own music, so the recording studio would be an incredible addition,” she said.
Cara Standard, a 19-year-old UF music education sophomore, said she hopes School of Music practice rooms are renovated because current rooms are “barely soundproof.”
Standard also said she hopes the expansion will alleviate some of the space issues she has experienced in the Music Building.
“Since we had so many [student recitals] this past year, some recitals had to be held in a classroom,” Standard said. “Getting to perform in a professional
In an attempt to resolve the mystery of aging state cold cases, physical cards are set to be distributed by Florida sheriff’s offices, and digital versions will be made available online. Inmate tips will be awarded with up to $9,500, according to the news release.
Tiffany Sessions’ case was featured in the 2007 first edition deck on a king of spades card. It described the last time she was seen and what she was wearing.
Hilary Sessions said she last spoke to her
space would really, as music students, make all of our hard work towards junior and senior recitals feel truly special.”
B Foster, a 20-year-old UF instrumental music junior, said they’ve struggled to gain access to practice rooms, especially on the first day of classes when students audition for different ensemble groups.
“It is near impossible to have access to a room to warm up in before trying to give your best shot at an audition,” Foster said.
The planned recording studio will hopefully “improve the School of Music’s digital musicianship capabilities” and help students record for state and national competitions, Foster said.
daughter the morning of her disappearance, describing her as a “determined” and “vivacious” young woman. She was expecting a call from her but instead heard from her roommate Kathy Sue who bore devastating news.
Though Tiffany Sessions’ body was never found, law enforcement named Paul Eugene Rowles as a suspect for her disappearance.
A convicted serial killer and rapist, Rowles documented his killings in a notebook where he wrote “#2 2/9/89 #2,” which police believe represented the date Tiffany Sessions went missing and marked her as his second victim. Rowles died of cancer in 2013 while
Ashley Wu, a 20-year-old UF music alum, said she hopes the School of Music’s equipment, including broken music stands, cracked mirrors and old chairs, would be replaced as a result of the new funds.
She also echoed other students’ concerns about lack of space and expressed hope that renovations and expansions will help make the School of Music more accessible for more students.
“Music is an incredibly diverse way of communicating,” she said. “[It] should be made accessible and understandable for more people.”
@AveryParke98398 aparker@alligator.org
serving a life sentence for the murder of another woman.
Hilary Sessions helped distribute the original 2007 cold case deck in Wakulla Correctional Institution. She gave credit to the cards for solving the murder of Pasco County’s 12-year-old Jennifer Odom in 2023. “I have learned over this time that one of the things that I have to do in my lifetime now is to educate people,” Hilary Sessions said.
Team wins fourth national title
midship of the Springseeker, which was the weakest point of the canoe’s structure, Sutherland said.
“Had our canoe not been durable, it would have crumbled,” Sutherland said. “Usually when a school gets hit, it’s not very common that they get back out and race again, so it was awesome to see that our canoe was durable enough to withstand a collision.”
The Springseeker went on to sustain no water damage for the last six races of the day, Sutherland said.
Abigail Fronk, a 21-year-old UF civil engineering senior and co-project manager of the UFCC team, was one of four people in the boat when the crash occurred. She said Kansas State’s canoe had the heaviest bow in the competition, which made the resilience of the Springseeker even more impressive.
“Obviously being in the boat, it’s scary. It was also a little disheartening, as well, in the moment,” Fronk said. “I think it also proved the attitude and culture of our team.”
The construction of the Springseeker, which spanned from September 2023 to the ASCE
regional competition in March, was inspired by the Fountain of Youth. The canoe’s marbled light green and blue marbled interior was speckled with lily pads and flowers.
“When you’re walking up to it, there’s an elaborate stained exterior that has architecture inspired by St. Augustine with brick arches,” Fronk said. “It’s as if you were walking up to the spring.”
Not only did the team have to prepare the canoe for racing, but they also had to prepare for the physicality of it. Fronk said the paddling team had a total of 28 paddling practices at Lake Wauberg while also working out about twice a school week to prepare.
The ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships consist of three different competitions: the concrete canoe competition, the sustainable solutions competition and the surveying competition.
Each competition allowed students to be tested, as well as showcase their capabilities while facing real-life challenges in the civil engineering field.
UF beat 24 teams for the national concrete canoe title. However, when it came to the
UFCC team’s fight for first place overall, it was mainly between top competitors, Universite Laval and California Polytechnic State University, which swept a majority of the races.
UF’s team placed second in the men and women’s slalom races, fifth in the women's sprint, second in the men’s sprint and third place in the co-ed sprint.
For best technical proposal, best technical presentation and
best final product, the UFCC team took third place.
Race day may have been stressful for the UFCC team but tension remained until the following day because they wouldn’t know the end results until the awards banquet.
Taylor Nestel, a 22-year-old UF civil engineering senior who served as a construction captain and member of the paddling team for UFCC, said the award banquet was a tense moment but the mutual support all universities had for each other made it a great experience.
Other teams celebrated UF’s win with applause and a Gator chomp.
“It was kind of an unbelievable feeling because you feel that all the work you did all year, it came to fruition and your dreams became realized as you realize you won first place,” Nestel said. “I was crying, just tears of joy. So it was definitely a grand moment that was just something truly special to have experienced.”
@kamalarossi. krossi@alligator.org
DeSantis vetoes all state arts and culture funding, leaving local organizations with uncertain futures
The veto affects more than 600 state nonprofits
By Morgan Vanderlaan Alligator Staff Writer
In late May, Gainesville Fine Arts Association Executive Director Katy Lemle was gearing up for the gallery’s next season following the approval of their Florida arts grant application.
That is until she logged onto a grant webinar at the beginning of June and was told, despite receiving approval, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the state’s entire $32 million grant package.
Suddenly, Lemle said her hopes for the gallery transformed into emergency board meetings, a hiring hold and a potential decrease in daily hours.
“We were definitely planning on this money,” she said. “We were relying on that money.”
Over 600 state organizations apply for the grants annually. Alachua County organizations requested over $1 million, and though some applications were initially approved, all funds were later denied.
Florida organizations expecting arts grants will be impacted by the cuts beginning July 1 through fiscal year 2025.
“We’re making big investments in our future while spending less of our taxpayer’s money to maintain our state’s strong financial standing and robust economy,” DeSantis wrote in a June 12 general appropriations letter.
DeSantis also publicly justified the veto in a June 27 press conference where he singled out the Orlando Fringe Festival,
the longest running U.S. theater festival, as “sexual” and an “inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the event is known as an international LGBTQ+ safe space, and the cuts are a pointed attempt to impact certain communities.
“I do think that Governor DeSantis is just trying to convert his mistake into another culture war because the blowback that he's facing from these vetoes is not only large, but it spans the political spectrum that he's now just trying to make up for his bad decision,” she said.
The scale of the arts grant cuts is unprecedented and could also have potentially adverse effects on the Florida economy, she said.
“This is a part of an economic engine the governor just totally defunded that is going to most impact small businesses and local tourism,” she said.
The Gainesville Fine Arts Association is eligible for up to $40,000 in grant money, and Lemle said the nonprofit was always previously granted at least a portion of the sum, receiving $28,000 in 2023.
The organization was left in a “whirlwind” of uncertainty for the upcoming season following the decision to cut all arts funding, she said.
Lemle said she will have to seek additional community sponsors to make up lost funds.
Following the vetoes, 69% of those set to receive funding and were later denied
will have to seek other sources of funding, and the 5% unable to do so will turn to closing their doors, according to the Florida Cultural Alliance.
The Gainesville Orchestra initially was approved for $25,000, before getting cut to $11,000 in March 2024 on the legislative floor and then losing funding entirely from DeSantis’ decision.
The application process was rigorous, said Gainesville Orchestra President Greg Johnson.
“If you pass the test and get the judges to give you the right score, then you get the money, but not with the state of Florida,” he said. “Even if you pass, you may not get a dime, and that's what's happened.”
Johnson said the orchestra will no longer be able to front the starting costs of expanding their youth mentoring program, where professional musicians teach fourth and fifth grade students violin.
Johnson said they also historically received grants from the city, which are now also compromised.
Following conflict between the GRU Authority and city commission over the fiscal year 2025 budget, the general funds transfer (GFT), a measure of the money the authority returns to the city annually for community operations, was cut by $6.8 million June 26.
The decision caused uncertainty about the city’s budget, which could also impact subsequent grant programs, including funding allocated for arts and culture organizations, said City Manager Cynthia Curry.
“We remain committed to offering vibrant arts and cultural programming for our community. They are investments in Gainesville’s rich cultural landscape, ones that our community expects and deserves,” said City of Gainesville spokesperson Rossana Passaniti.
However, no plan has been released concerning the exact impact GFT cuts will have on arts funding, and the city remains in recess until July 12.
While the Gainesville Orchestra’s formerly approved state and city grants only accounted for about 5% of their operations budget, he said the Hippodrome Theatre, which was approved for $150,000 from the state and an additional $250,000 from the city, could face closure.
The Hippodrome Theatre did not respond in time for publication.
Dance Alive National Ballet Artistic Director Kim Tuttle said the state cuts were “short sighted” and reflected a further deprioritization of the arts. The organization will still continue with their upcoming season as planned, she said.
Despite being approved for $50,000 for 2025, she said the amount they actually receive “changes with the wind” every year, and the complete elimination of all funding just adds to existing difficulties.
“The whole thing is gone. I think it's very, very sad, very disappointing,” Tuttle said. “I think that most of us that have been in this business a really long time know that this could happen.”
@morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org
Courtesy to The Alligator
MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024
www.alligator.org/section/opinions
‘Inside the closet,’ and what it means to survive in silence
Irealized I was bisexual at age 12, around the same time I became aware of my hometown’s widespread homophobia.
Confronted with the question, “What does that school teach about gay people?” at a neighborhood dinner in middle school, I struggled for answers, nervously squeaking out the rhetoric my Christian school taught.
I was secretly long-distance dating a guy at the same time. The man who asked me the question said gay people chose to be that way.
“Being gay is not a choice,” my mom told the neighbor. “It’s like any other mental illness, like alcoholism.”
Hearing those words marked a crossroads for me: I could either come out and risk being sent to religious conversion therapy or keep my sexuality secret from my family.
So, throughout high school, I learned to
hide my pride. I parroted my mom’s beliefs back to her while simultaneously arranging secret phone calls for dates when she was asleep, and finding times to hide and cry when I had breakups she would never know about.
My story is a common one, especially in conservative or religious homes. Navigating all the difficulties of a queer identity while depending on a family that would condemn you for that identity requires strength.
There’s always an inner conflict when you know you can’t be as close to your parents as you want to be. There are whole portions of your life and entire experiences they will never access or be able to connect with you about.
That being said, there’s also an innate level of privilege I have. In the event I end up in a ‘straight’ relationship for the duration of my life, I may never have to address my queerness to my family.
Others don’t have that luxury.
Many of my trans friends have been ostracized by their families, have had to use deadnames and misaligned pronouns during their work interviews, have had to struggle through lengthy and expensive processes to get hormone therapy. For many, hiding your identity simply isn’t an option.
As I witness political issues around LGBTQ+ rights grow in scale here at the state level, it can be difficult to navigate when to stand up.
Staying in the closet can feel almost like an act of complicity. Is there a way I could change my family members’ minds if I were more open and proud? Am I doing other people like me a disservice by not being out?
But surviving as a community isn’t always about large actions, protests and demonstrations. For some of us, the biggest step forward in the fight for queer acceptance is to simply survive. To reach a
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.
point of success where we aren’t dependent on those who hate us.
Every one of us, no matter where we fall on the gender and sexuality spectrums, are just trying to figure ourselves out. We need to offer ourselves and others in our community patience.
My mom still doesn’t know I’m bisexual. I don’t know if I’ll ever tell her, but I hope I get to a point where I can. In the meantime, I think there are other ways for us in hiding to still fight.
Rally behind those who are vocal, supporting them however you can. Whether through voting, supporting LGBTQ+owned businesses or simply offering encouragement to your LGBTQ+ friends.
It’s a hard time to be LGBTQ+. Surviving itself is an act of pushing the movement forward.
This columnist is an Alligator staff member.
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El Caimán
Por Jose Carmona
Esritor de El Caimán
Este sábado el centro de Gainesville se transformó en un vibrante punto de encuentro para la comunidad LGBTQ+ con la tercera edición anual del Pride Street Party en The Bull. El evento, que se llevó a cabo de 6 a 11 p.m. y fue gratuito, tuvo una variedad de actuaciones para todo público.
La fiesta, organizada por The Bull, fue presentada por la famosa drag queen local Emma Gration. El evento fue patrocinado por la división de Parques, Recreación y Asuntos Culturales de la ciudad de Gainesville y la división de Artes y Cultura de Florida.
Elena Kalina, 25, miembro de la junta directiva del Centro Comunitario del Orgullo en Florida Norte y Central y coordinadora de voluntarios, destacó la importancia de eventos como este.
"Creo que es genial que junio honre el orgullo y a la comunidad LGBTQ+. Es
hermoso que Gainesville tenga tantos eventos para apoyar a la comunidad", dijo Kalina.
Además, resaltó que estas celebraciones funcionan como un espacio seguro para todos, no solo para la comunidad queer, sino también para los aliados heterosexuales.
"Uno de los aspectos más importantes es el sentido de comunidad", afirmó.
Alejandro Faria, 23, hijo de migrantes venezolanos, compartió su perspectiva sobre cómo las personas de la comunidad puedan ver este tipo de eventos como un escape a las opresiones que puedan sentir en su vida diaria.
"Soy un hombre gay y quiero transmitir el mensaje de que hay un espacio seguro para nosotros", expresó Faria. Faria se involucró con el evento después de asistir a uno anterior y ver en las redes sociales que necesitaban voluntarios. A pesar del progreso de los derechos LGBTQ+, él también comentó que personas en la comunidad todavía enfrentan muchos desafíos.
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"Cuando estamos en público, todavía tenemos miedo de ir de la mano, o besarnos, o mostrar cualquier tipo de afecto… incluso en una ciudad progresiva como Gainesville”, enfatizó. “[Estos eventos] le muestran a la gente que ‘hey, existimos fuera del mes del orgullo,’ que no somos gays por un mes y después desaparecemos".
Pamela Moorman, de 55 años, es una asistente frecuente de estos eventos y encontró el Pride Street Party a través del grupo de Facebook: Pride Community Center.
"Estamos especialmente agradecidos de que Gainesville celebre el orgullo en octubre también", dijo Moorman.
Para Moorman, la fiesta es una oportunidad de reunirse con amigos y disfrutar de nuevas actuaciones artísticas, incluyendo a algunos de sus amigos.
"Estamos aquí", reafirmó Moorman.
@JD_CarmonaS JCarmona@alligator.org
‘The Lemonade Files’ Film wins award. Read more on pg. 8.
LUNES, 1 DE JULIO DE 2024
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Jose Carmona // Alligator Staff Un músico se presenta durante el Pride Street Party en The Bull el sábado 29 de junio de 2024.
MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024
UF alumni win Best Comedy award for debut film, ‘The Lemonade Files’
THE FILM FOCUSES ON TWO MISCHIEVOUS TEENS SOLVING A MYSTERY IN THEIR SUBURBAN TOWN
By Sabrina Castro Avenue Staff Writer
Since she was 7 years old, Vanessa Nottingham considered herself a performer and actor.
“I remember just dreaming about opportunities,” said Nottingham, a UF School of Theater and Dance alum who graduated in 2021.
Nottingham and her fellow classmate, Jaimie Edmondson, stopped dreaming and began creating their own opportunities by using Gainesville as the set to their awardwinning film, “The Lemonade Files.”
After three years of production, the film premiered June 18 at Regal LA Live and was awarded the Best Comedy award for the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival this year.
“It was just so special because the dream for me has always been to make movies and make films in Los Angeles and go to premieres in Los Angeles,” Nottingham said. “Here we are, our very first film in downtown LA in this beautiful Regal theater, and we’re watching our film on the big screen. It was just total awe.”
The movie is a quirky comedycrime combo that follows Christopher McNeely, played by Ryan Siegel, and Sprout Paxton, played by Vanessa Nottingham, as they begin to investigate a local case for their own reasons, eventually getting involved with a much larger criminal conspiracy.
The film’s conception began in a pre-pandemic world when Edmondson was a college student with an idea for what was originally intended to be a miniseries.
“It was going to be a funky, quirky, weird comedy, and I wrote
a pilot for it.” Edmondson said. “Then, the COVID pandemic happened, and since I had it and nothing was going to happen with it, I sent it to Vanessa.”
The duo created Public Policy, a political satire web series, as a test run before the feature film using the majority of the same cast and crew as what would be “The Lemonade Files.”
“It was a great training grounds for us,” Edmondson said. “It was smaller scale, mostly taking place in Vanessa’s apartment.”
The pair started filming “The
Lemonade Files” in the spring of 2021. Edmondson listed “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Knives Out,” “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Juno” as some of their inspirations.
The student filmmakers, Edmondson and Nottingham, were challenged to make the unique landscape of Gainesville the perfect set for the film. The filming locations would have to fit in the suburbia-inspired style of the movie and be costeffective for the low-budget project.
“Gainesville ended up having the perfect backdrop, especially Haile’s plantation,” Nottingham said. “That area was so colorful and unique, vibrant.”
Many local businesses, like Mi Apa, El Indio and Sweetberries offered food for days on set, and The Beach Break Salon allowed filming for hair shop scenes, which helped reduce typical costs associated with creating a feature film. This made Gainesville the best place to serve as the backdrop to The Lemonade Files, Edmondson said.
“It gave that almost unnatural sugary-sweet small-town vibe that we wanted while also just being an incredibly collaborative and helpful community to make a feature in,” Edmondson said. “Gainesville is the reason why ‘The Lemonade Files exists.”
Nottingham and Edmondson joked that creating these projects
served as their “film school,” giving them practical experience to showcase along with their degrees post graduation.
“You are never going to be surrounded by so many people that have pretty free schedules and ambition and drive in whatever creative field you’re in like you have when you’re in school,” Edmondson said. Nottingham echoed this sentiment and urged college students wanting to pursue film to take action.
“Do not wait for someone else to give you an opportunity,” Nottingham said. “If this is your passion, if this is what you love, if this is what keeps you up at night and daydreaming during the day, do it.”
The film is truly a testament to creativity, determination and collaboration in the college space with the help of the Gainesville community, said Ryan Siegel, who played Christopher McNeely in the film.
“If you put the whole creative team in an empty room together, and gave them nothing but a camera, a single lightbulb, a piece of wood and a paintbrush, they could make it look like the most beautiful palace you’ve ever seen,” Siegel said. “That’s basically what they did for every scene of this movie.”
@sabs_wurld scastro@alligator.org
Clowns and LGBTQ+ Identity: An intersection of art and expression
LOCAL GAINESVILLE CLOWNS
SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON CLOWNING THIS PRIDE MONTH
By Carlos Alemany Avenue Staff Writer
Since the early 1800s, clowns — characterized by their distinctively colorful makeup, foolish antics and buffoonery — have established themselves in the category of the ludicrous and unserious within society.
To some, however, within the vibrant world of clowns lies a profound connection to self-expression and identity, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. The fusion of flamboyant makeup and performance art can offer a unique avenue for exploring and celebrating queer identities.
Caitlin Morgan, a five-year licensed cosmetologist in Gainesville, said visual expression can be transformative.
“Pride month to me is a chance to celebrate
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queer joy and honor those who have paved the way before us,” she said.
Euphoria can be utilized as a powerful weapon of change, Morgan said.
“Queer euphoria is particularly potent and especially important to celebrate in the wake of Florida’s political scape,” she said.
For Morgan, makeup and styling are not just about aesthetics; they are tools of empowerment and armor against societal judgments.
“Exploring my identity visually has always felt important, if not unavoidable,” she said. “Providing a safe space for others to explore their own identity has been my biggest honor as a hairstylist. Good hair and makeup feel like armor; no one can tell me anything when I’m turning a look.”
Zoey Hoyum, a 25-year-old Gainesville resident and self-described queer jester, another advocate for the expressive power of makeup, sees it as a magical tool for personal exploration.
“It’s like magic,” she said. “You aren’t just
one face and one personality; a clown can be whatever they say they are. It makes sense in a
queer context because makeup gives you control over your body, looks, the way the world sees you.”
For Hoyum, Pride month embodies “strength in character, strength in community and space to imagine and express in loud ways that carve space for more folk to imagine new ideas and spaces.”
Omi Fant, a 28-year-old performance artist, echoes a similar sentiment of liberation through makeup.
For Fant, the art of clowning, makeup and performance is inseparable from their identity.
“As someone who loves to dress up and draw attention but hates feeling obligated to conversation, statuing on the street and handing out flowers has really empowered me to enforce my own boundaries and enriched my confidence knowing I can carve out a space all my own where I can flourish on my terms,” Fant said.
@clos_alemany calemany@alligator.org
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh Rising sophomores, forever friends. Read more on pg. 11.
Courtesy to The Alligator
Courtesy to The Alligator
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2. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby swan called?
2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific community?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “sub-” mean in English?
3. HISTORY: What is the name of the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War?
4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?
4. GEOGRAPHY: In which country is the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia located?
5. SCIENCE: What does a hertz measure?
5. LITERATURE: Which 20th-century movie star penned the autobiography “Me: Stories of My Life”?
6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What color is most of the toilet paper in France?
6. HISTORY: What was the first National Monument proclaimed in the United States?
7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the island of Luzon located?
7. PSYCHOLOGY: What irrational fear is represented by coulrophobia?
8. MOVIES: Which sci-fi movie has the tagline, “Reality is a thing of the past”?
8. LANGUAGE: What is the first character to be added to Morse Code since WWII?
9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine?
10. GAMES: What are the four railroad properties in Monopoly?
9. LITERATURE: What is the term for a section at the end of a book that concludes what has happened?
Answers
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2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president turned down offers to play professional football after college graduation?
3. Below or insufficient
Grover Cleveland
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6. What team did Cheryl Reeve coach to four WNBA championships from 2011-17?
5. What traditional Japanese martial art is literally translated as “the way of the sword”?
6. Floyd
7. In March 2023, Czech free-diver David Vencl set a new world record for deepest vertical dive without a wetsuit by plunging how many meters?
MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024
www.alligator.org/section/sports
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh’s rise through the ranks in Florida basketball
The two rising sophomores played key roles in UF’s rotation last season en route to a 2024 NCAA Tournament berth
By Jack Meyer Sports Writer
The friendship of Florida rising sophomore forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh started with a trip to Delaware and an eightfoot tiger shark.
The two young guns each played integral roles in UF’s run to the NCAA Tournament this past season, but the bond they share dates all the way back to summer 2023.
“I was just moving in, a pretty innocent freshman… fresh off the boat from Australia,” Condon said. “I met Tommy, and we both shared a pretty hard work ethic… [He] has been pretty awesome for me, just adapting to the U.S. environment.”
Before either started classes at UF, Haugh invited his teammate-to-be to a weekend at his family’s beach house. When the two hit the open water, Condon caught an eight-foot tiger shark.
“We went out on the ocean and caught a big old fish on the beach,” Haugh said. “I let him reel it in, you know, I had to.”
As Condon brought his catch ashore and Haugh stared in astonishment, the two forged an unbreakable connection that shaped their early Florida careers.
“We just like bouncing off of each other when we both check into a game,” Condon said. “I think we both know that we have
BASEBALL
each other’s back and have a high level of energy.”
Despite traveling two completely different routes to land in Gainesville, the pairing hit it off quickly.
Coming in from across the globe, Condon competed in Australian football and water polo before focusing in on his basketball skills. Meanwhile, Haugh grew up in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, eventually leading his hometown Perkiomen School Panthers to a high school state basketball championship.
Haugh and Condon always shared one vision: their desire to suit up in orange and blue.
Haugh has had his eyes set on the Gators for as long as he can remember, namely due to the program’s success in college football. He cited Tim Tebow as one of his favorite athletes growing up.
“I loved college football growing up, so that was the glory days of Florida football,” Haugh said. “I guess you could call me a bandwagon, but I started watching, I watched all the championships and I think I liked the colors mainly when I was little. That’s what made me like Florida.”
While he may have started out as a selfproclaimed bandwagoner, Haugh’s love for the Gators never wavered. In both his and Condon’s commitment to their crafts, the two have already made an impact off the court,
providing a valuable presence in the locker room and practice facility.
Condon led the Gators in blocks per game last season (1.3). He also ranked third on the team in rebounds per game (6.4). Haugh blossomed in the back half of the 2024 campaign as well, scoring a career-high 17 points against the Georgia Bulldogs last February.
With the program’s foundation set and all the pieces in place, Golden and the Gators are turning their attention to the fall slate of their 2024-25 season. Florida is coming off its most successful campaign in seven years, having finished last season with a 24-12 record and an appearance in the SEC Tournament Championship.
Now sporting a year of successful experience under their belts, Condon and Haugh will see their fair share of reps this coming season. Fans and analysts expect Condon to start in place of rising junior center Micah Handlogten, who plans to redshirt the 202425 season after fracturing his lower left leg last March. Even with Handlogten sidelined, Condon expressed his optimism for the potential of Florida’s frontcourt this season.
“I think we brought in some pretty good pieces, especially the bigs,” Condon said. “I think we’re going to put a lot of pressure on the rim, and our rebounding is going to be elite.”
Haugh is expected to receive significant
minutes off the bench, largely in part due to his versatile skill set with the ability to score the ball at all three levels, skills to defend multiple positions and the tenacity to rebound at a high level.
“Whatever coach told me to do, if my role is to go guard, go hit shots, just get to the lane, [I’ll] do whatever he says,” Haugh said. “[I want] to get more comfortable offensively, be able to get outside the three and play the guard a little bit.”
UF Assistant Coach John Andrzejek said the two up-and-comers have already proven themselves as prime representatives of UF basketball culture.
“Condon and Haugh are two guys that have a huge impact on culture,” Andrzejek said. “They set a really high bar for what it means to play harder. They’re super competitive, super physical, hard players and [they are] dudes that go to exhaustion.”
No matter what this upcoming season holds, the future remains bright for Florida’s two up-and-coming stars. Condon and Haugh continue to find new ways to push each other and keep growing this offseason.
And, for all anyone knows, there may be another tiger shark in the future for the two aspiring sportsmen.
@jackmeyerUF jmeyer@alligator.org
Jac Caglianone primed for MLB Lottery after illustrious career at Florida
THE FORMER GATOR FIRST BASEMAN AND STARTING PITCHER IS A UNANIMOUS TOP 5 PICK IN MLB MOCK DRAFTS
By Max Tucker Sports Writer
Florida baseball’s first baseman and starting pitcher Jac Caglianone will remain in the program history books as one of the most productive offensive talents to step foot in Gainesville. However, he could be remembered most by his peers for his willingness to have a team-first mentality for the betterment of the group.
Caglianone was part of a talented freshman core when first arriving at UF as the No. 5-ranked recruit in head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s 2021 class. But his footprint will be remembered after capturing impressive accolades such as a unanimous First Team All-American, Golden
Spikes Award Finalist and most recently the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year.
The southpaw on the mound and slugger at the plate capped off his illustrious career in 2024, etching his name into Florida’s record books. He hit a single-season program record with 35 home runs and broke UF’s all-time home run mark of 75 despite his season ending in a loss to Texas A&M at the Men’s College World Series in Omaha.
“There’s really not a moment that I’ll take for granted,” Caglianone said. “Being able to wear this jersey for the past three years has been something that I’m never gonna take for granted. All these guys who have worn it before us, all we try to do is make them proud and really appreciate what Florida is about.
It’s a tall task to become one of the most prolific players in a respective sport as a college athlete. However, what can be even more challenging is handling the level of attention garnished toward oneself while maintaining a humble mindset.
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Caglianone has always held himself to a high-standard in this regard. He doesn’t want to be remembered as someone who broke other Gators’ records. The future MLB lottery pick wants his legacy to be centered around what he did for his teammates, he said.
“Really just somebody who gave it their all,” Caglianone said. “Day in and day out I just wanted to fight for these guys next to me. To be honest, I can’t thank the coaches here enough for all they’ve done to help me get to where I am today.”
The power-hitting lefty now stands as a top MLB Draft prospect. Caglianone is projected to get picked between the second and fifth pick in the draft with the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox holding these selections respectively.
Formerly a two-way star for Florida on the mound and at the plate, Caglianone is likely going to solely play first base in the big leagues. But MLB general managers won’t be missing out on the productivity pro-
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vided at the dish.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect’s impressive resume hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates. He started all 66 games for the Gators last season and mashed for a .419 batting average with a 1.419 OPS and 72 RBI.
“The difference I’ve seen in Jac from the day I met him to now has been tremendous,” senior outfielder Tyler Shelnut said. “Jac’s grown as an individual and as a player beyond comprehension. He’s a terrific kid, and he’s a great teammate.”
Caglianone is projected to go as high as No. 2 overall in the draft to the Reds, according to MLB.com. He would join former Gator Jonathan India rounding out the right side of the infield for Cincinnati. However, the majority of mock drafts across media outlets have the Athletics selecting the first baseman, including USA Today.
Bleacher Report had Caglianone going as low as No. 5 overall in its most recent mock draft, O’Sullivan firmly believes his former two-way
phenom will be selected by one of the first few teams that will be on the clock.
“Obviously he’s a consensus top 3 pick probably in the draft,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s obvious that he’s got special hitting ability, but what he’s been able to do at the other parts of his game defensively he’s just a difference maker. He’s really turned himself into a complete player.”
As Caglianone’s professional career lies ahead, his legacy as a Gator will leave a lasting impression. He’s taken great pride in putting on the Florida uniform and has shown appreciation for the program along the way.
“The people that I’ve met along the way and played with it’s something that I won’t ever take for granted,” Caglianone said. “I appreciate Sully for taking a chance on me in high school and getting to this point.”
@Max_Tuckr1 mtucker@alligator.org
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