A drag queen performs as a crowd looks on at Capones on Friday, July
Florida bill limits citizen-led school book objections to once per month
Local politicians, community members expressed differing opinions
By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer
Tucked away in the corner of a Gainesville bookstore, Janet McGee read one of the most frequently banned children’s books in the United States for the first time.
“It was incredible,” she said. “There were a lot of times when I got so uncomfortable getting into the character’s heads, and I’d have to put the book down, but I kept coming back.”
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
Following state education reforms allowing the removal of elementary through high school level books containing themes including race, sexuality and gender among others, new legislation aims to limit the number of citizen book objections to school district library materials. Local politicians, teachers and parents expressed differing opinions concerning the state of Alachua County book challenges.
Having taken effect July 1, House Bill 1285 specifies that coun-
ty residents who are not the parent or guardian of a student “with access to school district materials” may only object to a maximum of one material per month. However, there is no limit to the number of objections parents or guardians may make.
Previous legislation
The law follows book challenges enacted by HB 1467 signed into law
UF ends investigation into whether six faculty ‘interfered’ with Hamilton Center following pressure from union, major donor
IT CONCLUDED MAY 24
By Timothy Wang & Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writers
Following pressure from its faculty union and a major donor, UF has closed its investigation into whether six College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty “interfered” with the curriculum development of the Hamilton Center, the university’s state-mandated civic center which has been fast-tracked to become a college.
David Richardson, the now-former College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean, notified the six faculty March 4 and 5 they were subject to a “Management Directed Investigation” (MDI). The notice, provided by the union, said Richardson initiated the investigation to determine if the faculty violated university policies against interference with students’ ability to participate in academic programs or faculty members’ ability to teach and advise students in those programs.
Violation of said policy is punishable up to termination.
The United Faculty of Florida’s UF chapter filed a chapter grievance May 2, which asked for the identity of the original complainant and alleged the university violated the collective bargaining agreement by using “institutional censorship or discipline to circumvent academic freedom.”
The union previously issued two cease and desist orders with similar demands.
Afterward, the university ultimately notified those targeted in a May 24 email that it closed the investigation.
UF declared the chapter grievance moot July 1 and wrote the investigation won’t be used in future
evaluations of the six professors, according to a document provided by the union. The document also said the MDI doesn’t name its original complainants because it was initiated by a “unit administrator.”
In the wake of the investigation’s closure, questions remain about who the original complainant was and whether it played a role in Richardson’s resignation from his deanship, which was announced May 7 in a UF news release.
Hamilton Center’s involvement
Nothing in the initial letters sent to those targeted in the investigation indicate it was related to the Hamilton Center. The center’s involvement was later confirmed by Brook Mercier, assistant vice president for human resources, in a March 10 email, sent to the union in response to its first cease and desist notice.
“The MDI was requested by Dean Richardson due to his concern that the action or inaction of individuals may have disrupted or interfered with the academic freedom of students to affiliate with the Hamilton Center, or may have interfered with the Hamilton Center's ability to establish or have curriculum approved or otherwise fulfill its mission,” Mercier wrote in the email, provided by the union.
Mercier’s email didn’t identify the original complainant and the union filed its second cease and desist notice March 25 asking the university to affirm its demands.
Meera Sitharam, president of United Faculty of Florida’s UF chapter, wrote in a July 3 email correspondence that faculty had known the complaints originated from the Hamilton Center and were “widely conjectured” to be related to the center’s push for curricular development.
‘Catnapping’
Story description finish with comma, pg#
Community cat Precious is missing. Read more on pg. 3.
The Avenue: Fourth of July
Alachua County enjoys fireworks, food, pg. 8
ElCaimán:‘Queens at Capones’ GAU celebra espectáculo drag, pg. 7
Gabriella Aulisio // Alligator Staff
5, 2024. Read more on pg. 3.
Today’s Weather
Iranian government sanctions
former UFPD chief following pro-Palestinian protestor arrests
Iranian foreign ministry cites law meant to counter “violation of human rights”
By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer
Iran sanctioned former UF Police Department chief Linda Stump-Kurnick and ten other law enforcement leaders across the nation July 4 for “flagrant violation of human rights by suppressing [the] pro-Palestine student protest movement.”
Stump-Kurnick and other officials named in the sanctions are now banned from entering Iranian territories. They will be blocked from owning Iranian-based assets and making transactions with Iranian banking systems.
The sanctions follow the ar -
rests of nine pro-Palestinian protesters at UF April 29 on charges including trespassing, failure to obey a law enforcement officer, wearing a mask on public property and battery on a law enforcement officer. The UFPD trespassed all nine protestors from campus for three years.
Two protestors — Tess Segal, a 20-year-old UF sustainability sophomore and Augustino Matthias Pulliam, a 20-year-old UF music sophomore — pleaded not guilty in court July 3. On July 2, the state offered a third protestor, 23-year-old Jinx Rooney, to accept a deferred prosecution agreement, which would stop the
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case from going to trial if the defendant agreed to certain requirements.
Five of the 11 officials Iran sanctioned are university police officials, including Arizona State University's police chief, an assistant chief at University of Texas’ police department and the Central Division Chief for the Indiana University Police Department.
Stump-Kurnick announced June 12 she was stepping down as UFPD chief after 20 years on the job to become UF’s Assistant Vice President of Public Safety. Major Bart Knowles is now the interim UFPD chief.
Stump-Kurnick did not respond to requests for comment.
The sanctions are based on a 2017 Iranian law, “Countering the Violation of Human Rights and Adventurous and Terrorist Activities of the United States in the Region.” Other U.S. officials who have been sanctioned under this law include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Senator Cory Booker and former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.
aparker@alligator.org @AveryParke98398
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Elderly community cat Precious potentially ‘cat-napped’
CAREGIVERS REPORT ABSENCE OF “EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CAT” OF COLLEGE OF NURSING AREA
By Bonny Matejowsky Alligator Staff Writer
Precious, a brown and white striped community cat who has resided in UF’s College of Public Health and Health Professions since 2008, went missing from the area July 2.
Renowned for her friendly disposition, her disappearance leaves many concerned for her health as the at least 16-year-old cat requires a specific prescription diet for kidney disease.
Theresa Sumrall, a UF College of Medicine clinical data manager, is Precious’ primary caregiver spearheading the effort to bring the beloved cat back home.
Tuesday, Sumrall saw Precious twice: once during her routine morning greeting as she made her way to work, then around 2 p.m. when she gave the cat a snack for her diet. When she left work at 6:15 p.m. and couldn’t find the cat after an hour of searching, she began to be concerned.
After creating flyers and spreading the word through social media, she received multiple tips the next day leading her to believe Precious was stolen.
A UF employee witnessed a white couple estimated to be in their twenties hanging around Precious that morning and evening, Sumrall said. The woman had dyed purple hair and the man had natural red or brown hair.
Later, between 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., two UF students studying at the building witnessed a woman matching the description pick up Precious and carry her into the passenger seat of a black pick-up truck, Sumrall said. The truck drove off and Precious has not been seen since.
Sumrall filed a police report with UFPD Friday.
Even if someone took Precious with good intentions, every meal she eats that isn’t a prescription kidney diet is harmful to her, Sumrall said.
“If she was stolen, if she was taken with good intent, I don’t want to prosecute anyone,” Sumrall said. “We just want our friend back where she knows she’s loved and where she’s comfortable and spent her entire life.”
Students, faculty and alumni familiar with Precious worry for the cat’s safety.
Sandra Winter, a research assistant scientist at the Department of Occupational Therapy, has studied and worked in the building where Precious resided since 2004. Most of her time there overlaps with Precious, and she tries to visit the cat whenever she is on campus.
“She’s always been there. That is her
home,” Winter said. “To be removed from that for some reason is distressing. It’s really pet grief, too.”
Kendra Hamilton, an academic program specialist at PHHP who enjoys spending time with cats in the area, said Precious is the most person-friendly. She recalled witnessing Precious comfort a coworker who gave away his cat by letting him hug her.
“She’s just very receptive to love people want to give her,” Hamilton said. “It’s very sad to know that she’s missing right now.”
The cat’s impact stretches farther than just Florida.
Alex Martocci, a graduate of UF’s PA school who now lives in Maine, carries fond memories with the cat and continues to donate to Sumrall’s GoFundMe raising money to support the campus cats.
During the thick of PA school, Martocci’s early morning study sessions began with a greeting from Precious as she walked into the building.
“To be greeted by Precious on my way in was the best part of my day during some really dark times,” she said. “Some days I’d miss her, but she always happened to be there on the mornings I had an exam. So I started to think of her as my good luck charm.”
Precious’s disappearance is the second incident involving a community cat taken off-
campus. In March, Tenders, a brown and white tabby who famously resides in the Tolbert Area, was found four miles away at Cabana Bay apartments after being missing for a day.
Ines Aviles-Spadoni is a research coordinator at UF who also runs the Instagram account @Campuskittiesfl. As someone who takes care of community cats and volunteers with Operation Catnip, this situation hits close to home.
“I think this is the top thing on our minds, that somebody may do harm to the cats,” Aviles-Spadoni said. “It really causes a lot of emotional stress for community cat caretakers.”
Community cats can be identified by a clipped left ear tip that shows they have been trap-neuter-returned, according to the cat advocacy group, Alley Cat Allies. This method manages populations of feral cats by live-trapping, neutering and clipping an ear for identification before releasing them.
“I want to emphasize that when people see community cats and they’re ear-tipped, most likely they’ve got caretakers,” she said. “And before they take them they should try to reach out to the caretaker before doing anything.”
People with information regarding Precious’ disappearance are encouraged to contact Theresa Sumrall at 352-681-3208.
@bonnymatejowsky bmatejowsky@alligator.org
“What many faculty were unclear about and the union wished to make clear was that the investigation, ordered by the CLAS dean, was an infringement of faculty's academic freedom and shared governance responsibilities, contributed at least in part to the Dean's resignation, and that the MDIs were not going forward (thanks in part to the union's efforts),” Sitharam wrote.
The Hamilton Center has been subject to controversy since its approval by the state’s Republican-majority legislature in 2022. The Council on Public University Reform, an obscure organization, hired Adrian Lukis, Gov. Ron Desantis’ former chief of staff, to lobby to advocate for the center’s creation.
The center received $27 million from this year’s state budget and hired 21 new faculty in May after receiving more than 1,200 applications.
“The Hamilton Center did not open or initiate any MDIs,” wrote Hamilton Center Director William Inboden in an email to The Alligator. “As members of UF’s faculty — and as part of the faculty union bargaining unit — we at the Hamilton Center are focused on working collaboratively with our faculty colleagues across all of the university’s colleges.”
Inboden, a longtime friend and political donor to UF President Ben Sasse, was announced as the center’s director in June 2023. Sasse has touted the center as “important part of UF’s interdisciplinary commitment to rigorous scholarship” and taught a course at the center, “The American Idea,” with Inboden in the Spring semester.
‘Egregious actions’
In a March 21 email to faculty, Sasse wrote he and Provost Scott Angle met with Richardson to “discuss some concerning issues in CLAS,” and Richardson “acknowledged some egregious actions by others in the college and is working to get to the bottom of it.”
UF Human Resources conducted its sole interview in the investigation March 12 with Sid Dobrin, English department chair and one of the six professors targeted in the investigation. Churchill Roberts, the union’s grievance committee chair who sat in on the interview, said “nothing rose to the level of egregious.”
“It was a fishing expedition,” Roberts said. “They really didn't know what they were looking for. They just hoped to find something, and it served basically as a way of intimidating faculty to get in line.”
UF told individual faculty March 18 the rest of the interviews were going to be postponed. UF Human Resources didn’t conduct any more interviews before the investigation’s closure. Dobrin and four of the faculty targeted in the investigation declined to comment or didn’t respond to emails. One faculty
responded to confirm they were targeted in the investigation but didn’t provide further comment.
On March 2, two days before faculty received the MDI notice, Richardson sent a draft letter to Dobrin asking to affirm the English department’s support for the Hamilton Center and two of its degree proposals: Great Books and Ideas; and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law. An unspecified number of other CLAS department chairs received the draft letter, according to a union email.
Between March 5 and 7, Dobrin and four other department chairs sent back responses approving the majors, according to files from the Faculty Senate website.
Stan Kaye, a professor emeritus in the College of the Arts and volunteer on the union’s grievance team, said receiving the MDI “felt like the FBI knocking at your door.”
“I would describe this as a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality,” he said. “To make a change in curriculum, it typically takes a year and that’s because there's a lot of review at every level and feedback that makes the curriculum stronger and better. We don’t rush through curriculum changes; that’s when you make mistakes.”
Pressure from multi-million dollar donor
Kaye said while he “operated in the trenches with the troops” as a union volunteer, there was “a major UF donor” concurrently working to stop the investigation.
The donor Kaye referred to, Ken McGurn, began looking into the MDI after Sasse’s March 21 email to faculty about “egregious actions” by CLAS faculty. McGurn and his wife, Linda McGurn, are UF alumni and have led efforts to redevelop downtown Gainesville. McGurn said he and his wife have donated over $5 million to the university.
“As a long time supporter of UF, I felt it important to find out what was happening,” McGurn said.
After reviewing publicly available information on the MDI and speaking with Richardson, people involved in the investigation and the faculty union, McGurn said the investigation was “serious business.”
“Everybody I talked to was scared,” McGurn said. “They feared retribution. They say their emails are being monitored. Several insisted on verbal communications out of concern an email would be used against them.”
According to McGurn’s conversations with people close to the investigation, they believe but aren’t sure that a graduate student studying history made the initial complaint after he asked a CLAS graduate coordinator for a Hamilton Center professor to chair their graduate committee.
Having a professor chair a committee outside their graduate student’s department is against university policy, but people outside the department can still serve on the committee. The student complained to an unknown party and that complaint was passed up to Richardson and Sasse, according to McGurn.
Richardson subsequently met with the graduate coordinator,
who explained it was against university policy, which Richardson agreed with. Sasse then allegedly directed Richardson to investigate the issue and other unspecified activity.
Richardson initiated the MDI several days later. It remains unclear whether the student’s alleged complaint led to the initiation of the investigation.
The Alligator submitted a public records request for correspondence between the graduate student and CLAS graduate coordinators, but the request wasn’t fulfilled before publication. McGurn said Richardson and Sasse ignored an email he sent to them several weeks after the MDI was launched asking them to clarify whether his findings were accurate. On May 6, McGurn sent a revised email to Richardson and Sasse that he shared with The Alligator.
“It appears that UF subjected these people to emotional trauma, questioned their professional and competence to the world, wrongly accused them of egregious actions, unduly delayed resolution extending their suffering and pressured them to, if not violate long-standing policies to amend them,” McGurn wrote. “I have no idea how to repair the damage to their reputations. These are good people. They did not deserve this. The university does not deserve this. Please make this go away.”
Richardson announced his resignation from his deanship a day after McGurn sent the email. In his letter of resignation, obtained by The Alligator from a public records request, Richardson didn’t explain why he stepped down.
He had one year left in his five-year contract as dean before he resigned, according to documents in his personnel file. He will remain as a professor and researcher for the college’s chemistry department, where he has taught for over 40 years, according to a UF news release.
Richardson didn’t respond to multiple calls and emails requesting comment.
Roberts, the union’s grievance committee chair, said the six faculty are due a “sincere apology” from UF.
“To this day, I couldn't tell you: Did Dean Richardson do this, did Provost Angle do this or did President Sasse order this? I absolutely do not know,” Roberts said.
University spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email that Richardson made the decision to open the MDI, and it was not initiated by President Sasse or Provost Angle. He wrote that UF does not comment on personnel matters.
Sasse and Angle didn’t respond for comment.
“I think that Dean Richardson just got trapped, and that he was feeling an enormous pressure from the president and the provost... He is the one who initiated it, but it might not have been his suggestion,” Roberts said. “He was, in a sense, the sacrificial lamb and maybe that's a way of showing McGurn, ‘You see, we took care of this.’”
GAU holds first-ever ‘Queens at Capones’ drag show
INCLUSIVE EVENT CELEBRATED DIVERSITY AND ARTISTRY IN GAINESVILLE'S NIGHTLIFE
By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer
Editor’s note: Some of the names used in this article are stage names.
A crowd clustered around Capones’ stripper poles, faces illuminated in neon purple light, captivated by the pounding bass and holding out dollar bills. Donning yellow fur coats, animal print bodysuits, knee-high leather boots and sequined dresses, four drag queens strutted and shimmied to pop hits at the first-ever “Queens at Capones” drag show July 5.
The show, organized by UF Graduate Assistants United, a labor union representing over 4,000 UF graduate employees, brought the art of drag to another venue with the hopes of increasing its presence in Gainesville.
Cassie Urbenz, GAU co-president and the event’s organizer, said the show was meant to be “a lot of healthy firsts” and an extension of Pride month, which ended June 30.
The 23-year-old said she hoped it was a chance for people to “get access to a space that they were missing in some way, shape or form, whether it be they hear their favorite song in the club for the first time or they get to see their friend try drag for the first time or they get to be
invited into the space for the first time.”
Drag is similar to acting and typically involves costumes, makeup and other tools to exaggerate forms of gender. Drag shows are for entertainment, but they’re also used to draw attention to gender inequalities and embrace non-conformity.
The Capones event included an EDM set, a drag performance by experienced drag queens and an amateur drag contest. GAU hosted a drag show in the past, but Urbenz said this was the first time the organization hosted an event with such variety.
The contest, which allowed newcomers to engage in the art form in a beginner-friendly space, was judged by drag queen Emma Gration, GAU Co-President Eva Garcia Ferres, UF Pride Student Union President Jonathan Stephens and UF Student Government Senator Coe Leavengood on three categories: first time in drag, high fashion evening bag and summer body.
On Instagram, GAU wrote the event was “an opportunity for education, celebration and intersectionality.”
Urbenz, who’s also involved with Scene Queens, a drag and burlesque performance at the Hippodrome Theater, said she hoped the event captured and embraced the niche aspects of drag.
“It’s kind of all over the place,” she said. “We have a trans girl EDM set, we got amateur drag, we got girls twirling on the poles. [GAU] has been really outspoken about minority
rights and disenfranchised individuals at UF, and this is just part of that.”
Drag queen and Scene Queens host Nyqolas Pyqolas, 25, who danced their way through Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” flaunting red pigtails and stilettos, said they were excited about drag’s debut at Capones for its addition to Gainesville’s nightlife and potential to shift perspectives.
“It's kind of just all about broadening people's scopes of what art is, of what entertainment can be,” they said. “Drag as an art form is important by virtue of its complete and utter defiance of our current social and political landscape.”
Pyqolas said they were pleased with the turnout and hoped to make a monthly appearance at Capones.
“I hope that Capones keeps inviting us back,” they said. “All of [drag] is important and ought to be protected.”
The history of drag in the United States is extensive with roots tracing back to the 19th century. Though not often widely accepted, it continued to exist in vaudeville, burlesque and other theater performances during the late 19th and early 20th century.
It has now developed into a tight-knit community and an outlet for creative expression. Dreamer K. Black, 24, another performer and Miss University Club Newcomer 2024, defined drag as an “extension to one’s self or even a persona of one’s self.”
She said she hoped the event helped people
“appreciate the art of drag and find something with themselves that they never really saw before.”
Dreamer K. Black gyrated to Gwen Stefani’s “What You Waiting For,” cartwheeling, tossing one dollar bills and grinning as audience members whistled. In one swift movement, she removed her wig to reveal a shorter one underneath. The crowd roared.
“The energy was there,” said 19-yearold Miami resident Shenill Alfonso. “[These events] make people feel like they belong. Not everybody has to look the same.”
Liset Cintra, a 20-year-old Miami resident, said she liked how unique the event was.
“There’s other things out there in the world aside from what [people] see every day,” she said. “Everybody has to see this. It’s awesome.”
Around 400 people attended the show, according to event organizer Cassie Urbenz. All cover fees from the night went directly to the staff and the queens, who also worked for tips. The show’s host, 24-year-old Dontae Brooks, said support from the Gainesville community goes a long way to show progress is possible.
“More venues mean more opportunity for all of us,” she said. “I also hope it moves forward in creating a safe space for everyone.”
The show ended with a finale by Brooks, known as Kehlani Kelly on stage, whose sassy, split-filled performance filled the nightclub with thunderous applause and an eruption of cheers.
“You heard the crowd,” she said. “We’ll be back.”
@gracenmclung gmcclung@alligator.org
HAMILTON,
Intersectionality as a solution to activism burnout
As you become more entrenched in activism at UF and in Gainesville, you quickly begin to see familiar faces. It can be rewarding, but sometimes it can feel like you are the only ones organizing, and it gets rough when you need to plan action and get a LOT of things done in a short amount of time… all on top of your schoolwork, job and personal life.
For those who were around this past spring, we’re well aware of how rough it is when there are back-to-back attacks on things a lot of disenfranchised students care about. This seems to be becoming the norm in Florida and at UF — barrages of bills, university decisions and even ongoing international conflicts. Within a few months, we saw a protest on Senate Bill 846 (a bill limiting hiring of international students from “countries of concern”), a protest on a proposed halving of the RTS budget, and an encampment protesting the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
From all this, I personally learned that a coalition of organizations that may not normally work together is helpful, and even just a network of ‘people who want to do things’ is invaluable.
A lot of these organizers occupy multiple oppressed spaces, so for many of us, the multitude of issues we stand up for are inseparable. Even just the three I mentioned — discrimination upon national origin, transportation access and discrimination against Palestinian, Arab and Middle Eastern students by the university — have a clear throughline of barring commu-
nities from being able to participate in higher education.
Stopping graduate students from certain countries from being hired effectively cuts out anyone with lower income from those places and only allows those who are self-funded to study here, also while perpetuating a sense of unwelcomeness amongst those who are already here. Once those students got here, their main access to transportation to campus was under threat — how would they have made it to class considering that the minimum stipend is not a living wage and would have created an inability to purchase a car within the United States? If any of those students were from Iran or anywhere from the Middle East, how might they have felt about UF President Ben Sasse’s statements refusing to support them, ignoring the danger and pain they are experiencing, and even resorting to calling pro-Palestine protestors “idiots”?
I’m also writing this while deep in the throes of planning an amateur drag contest with GAU, which had its announcements often result in a very supportive “wait, what?” from individuals around town. This is a perfect example of creating an intersectional space that can impact multiple groups profoundly. Our queer and BIPOC members get to see a drag show with a cast of majority queens of color, gender non-conforming members feel uplifted and celebrated within a place where they can also experiment with the art of drag. This space for experimentation will also create a safe place for folks unfamiliar with the
LGBTQ+ community to learn more about it. This snowball effect is what I live for and it excites me to see the union continue to do similar events this upcoming year.
That being said, all of this is extremely tiring. It can take hours upon hours to plan speeches, get yourself ready, create safety plans, build teams, organize transportation, gather information, compile it, liaise with police, communicate with teams and decide what we think will be most impactful. You see people drop from burnout, and avoiding it has been my priority ever since my reinvigorated involvement at UF through GAU.
From doing all I can to combat burnout with the many spaces I occupy, especially as leadership, it’s been helpful to always keep an eye out for opportunities to bring someone along for the ride. Nothing I do exists in a vacuum anymore, and it hopefully means my organization will be stronger in the long run, with people who have more to start than I did and will have the chance to do better and potentially avoid some of my mistakes.
Especially coming from the perspective of a public sector union in Florida, it’s hard to prioritize things that matter. What’s made some of the amazing things GAU has done this year possible? Aside from hardworking organizing chairs, a kickass bargaining team and a membership with great ideas, we’ve been pretty plugged into the coalitions around campus.
With different activism groups sending us the causes that our members care about, we’ve
been able to spread the word about events they might not know about. From organizer to organizer, just telling other trusted individuals about what’s going on is always the #1 thing you can do to help with anything being planned — whether that means more hands on deck, or even just having more people show up. As you see these people repeatedly, strong friendships can form based on the fact that you care about similar things and both understand what it’s like. The support network we all need is so intrinsically woven into the fabric of student movements, and I think that is my favorite part of it all. In the same way I talked about queer joy last fall, we all know that this work is hard. But I think we can miss out on the space we get to share to make the causes we know are worth it even more valuable through the people we get to interact with.
While intersectionality can exacerbate issues created by systems of power, it also can create the opportunity to build new systems that uplift multiple groups of people more easily.
Cassie Urbenz is a UF first-year graphic design and visual communications graduate student and GAU co-president.
Cassie Urbenz opinions@alligator.org
Book challenges
by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, which required school districts to list reading materials for parent review in an attempt to protect children from what he called “indoctrination.”
“We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency,” DeSantis said in a 2022 press release.
Enacted in 2023, HB 1069 focused on removing content concerning sexual and gender identity in public schools from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and extended parent and citizen involvement in the book challenging process for “pornographic” and “sexually explicit material,” which is now restricted for non-parent citizens by HB 1285.
Teachers who failed to register reading material of concern were faced with penalties, including the loss of teaching certification, fines or criminal charges in extreme cases.
While the legislation impacts public schools statewide, implementation varies by school district.
Alachua County book challenges
Alachua County Public Schools District Media Specialist Patty Duval said books at each school are curated by individual media specialists who read recommendations for age-appropriateness from peer-reviewed journals, purchase sets from vetted publishing companies and add new books based on popular checkouts.
A parent or citizen seeking removal must submit the “Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form to the principal of their child’s school. In accordance with HB 1285, the form will be updated to specify whether the objector is a parent or resident and
whether the resident has made an objection within the last 30 days, Duval said.
While books determined to be sexually explicit or pornographic material are removed immediately pending further investigation, Duval said challenges on other grounds allow books to remain on shelves until a ruling is made by a district-level committee formed by the curriculum supervisor. The group is required to contain media specialists, guidance counselors, teachers and at least one parent representative, Duval said.
“In order to analyze the suitability and appropriateness of a book, we look at the student’s ability to comprehend the material,” she said.
Following a committee decision, the Alachua County School Board will make the final order following public comment.
However, parents are not limited to districtlevel book challenges when it comes to library oversight. Duval said the ACPS media access form allows parents to place restrictions on their child’s reading material. Without it, students have unlimited access to the library.
“If they’re concerned about a specific topic that their student may come across in the library, say for example they don’t want their children to read anything about gender identity…then they would indicate that in the form,” she said. “We would put a flag on that student’s account so every time they go to check out, a reminder would pop up [for the media specialist] to make sure that they’re not checking out these kinds of topics.”
However, she said some parents feel the limit isn’t strict enough, as school libraries can’t guarantee the keyword won’t appear in the book itself.
Alachua County School Board member Sarah Rockwell said she reads every challenged book before it’s presented for review. With the ACSB agenda set only one week in advance, she expressed frustration judging the material with so little time, especially when the book is
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“I personally don’t feel comfortable voting on something that I haven’t read,” she said. “Another reason I don’t feel comfortable not reading them is that the challenges are not always consistent with what’s in the book.”
Rockwell said she read a book challenged for “sexual content” that was in no way reflective of the citizen’s concerns, leading her to believe they did not read it at all before filing a complaint.
Books evaluated for sexual content are determined by grade level appropriateness and literary importance. Rockwell said the content
can be important to the plot and not for entertainment purposes, including the case of Maya Angelou’s portrayal of assault in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
“It’s oftentimes sexual violence that shapes a character and how they react to the world,” she said.
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
@sarajamesranta sranta@alligator.org
Featuring Florida-themed art, we will honor our state’s shared history, natural beauty and more with art-making activities, participation from local Gainesville organizations and tours of the art on view. View exhibitions and enjoy free refreshments.
Wine Down
Thursday, July 25, 5 – 9 pm
Wine down at 6 pm with a special musical performance by The Browns. Free wine, beer and dessert bar.
Patricia Pascual // Alligator Staff
El Caimán
LUNES, 8 DE JULIO DE 2024
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
GAU celebra el primer espectáculo de drag ‘Queens at Capones’
Por Grace McClung
Escritora de El
Caimán
Traducido por Eneida Escobar
Esritora de El Caimán
Nota del editor: Algunos de los nombres utilizados en este artículo son nombres artísticos.
Una multitud se aglomeró alrededor de los postes de stripper de Capones, con sus rostros iluminados por una luz púrpura neón, cautivados por el fuerte bajo y sosteniendo billetes. Con abrigos de piel amarillos, bodys de estampado animal, botas de cuero hasta la rodilla y vestidos con lentejuelas, cuatro drag queens desfilaron y bailaron al ritmo de éxitos pop en el primer espectáculo de drag “Queens at Capones” el 5 de julio.
El espectáculo, organizado por UF Graduate Assistants United, un sindicato que representa a más de 4,000 empleados graduados de la UF, llevó el arte del drag a otro lugar con la esperanza de aumentar su presencia en Gainesville.
Cassie Urbenz, copresidenta de GAU y organizadora del evento, dijo que el espectáculo estaba destinado a ser “muchas primeras veces saludables” y una extensión del mes del orgullo, que terminó el 30 de junio.
La joven de 23 años dijo que esperaba que fuera una oportunidad para que las personas “tuvieran acceso a un espacio que les faltaba de alguna manera, ya sea que escuchen su canción favorita en el club por primera vez, que vean a su amigo probar el drag por primera vez o que sean invitados al espacio por primera vez”.
El drag es similar a la actuación y normalmente implica disfraces, maquillaje y otras herramientas para exagerar formas de género. Los espectáculos de drag son para entretenimiento, pero también se utilizan para llamar la atención sobre las desigualdades de género y abrazar la no conformidad.
El evento en Capones incluyó un set de EDM, una actuación de drag queens experimentadas y un concurso de aficionados de drag. GAU ha organizado un espectáculo de drag en el pasado, pero Urbenz dijo que esta era la primera vez que la organización organiza un evento con tanta variedad.
El concurso, que permitió a los recién llegados participar en el arte en un espacio amigable para principiantes, fue juzgado por la drag queen Emma Gration, la copresidenta de GAU Eva Garcia Ferres, el presidente de UF Pride Student Union Jonathan Stephens y el senador de UF Student Government Coe Leavengood en tres categorías: primera vez en drag, bolso de noche de alta
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costura y cuerpo de verano.
En Instagram, GAU escribió que el evento fue “una oportunidad para la educación, la celebración y la interseccionalidad”.
Urbenz, quien también está involucrada con Scene Queens, una actuación de drag y burlesque en el teatro Hippodrome, dijo que esperaba que el evento capturara y abrazara los aspectos únicos del drag.
“Es un poco todo por todas partes”, dijo. “Tenemos un set de EDM de una chica trans, tenemos aficionados de drag, tenemos chicas girando en los postes. GAU ha sido muy vocal sobre los derechos de las minorías y los individuos desfavorecidos en UF, y esto es solo parte de eso”.
La drag queen y anfitriona de Scene Queens, Nyqolas Pyqolas, de 25 años, quien bailó al ritmo de “Espresso” de Sabrina Carpenter con coletas rojas y tacones de aguja, dijo que estaba emocionade por el debut del drag en Capones por su adicción a la vida nocturna de Gainesville y su potencial para cambiar perspectivas.
“Se trata de ampliar los horizontes de la gente sobre lo que es el arte, sobre lo que puede ser el entretenimiento,” dijo. “El drag como forma de arte es importante por su completo y absoluto desafío de nuestro paisaje social y político actual”.
Pyqolas dijo que estaba satisfeche con la asistencia y
Onyx and Iris
whimsical small business opens door. Read more on pg. 8.
espera hacer una aparición mensual en Capones.
“Espero que Capones nos siga invitando”, dijo. “Todo el [drag] es importante y debe ser protegido”.
La historia del drag en los Estados Unidos es extensa con raíces que se remontan al siglo XIX. Aunque no siempre fue ampliamente aceptado, continuó existiendo en el vodevil, burlesque y otras actuaciones teatrales durante finales del siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX.
Ahora se ha desarrollado en una comunidad unida y una salida para la expresión creativa.
Dreamer K. Black, de 24 años, otra intérprete y Miss University Club Newcomer 2024, definió el drag como una “extensión de uno mismo o incluso una persona de uno mismo”.
Dijo que esperaba que el evento ayudará a las personas a “apreciar el arte del drag y encontrar algo dentro de ellos mismos que nunca habían visto antes”.
Dreamer K. Black se contoneaba al ritmo de “What You Waiting For” de Gwen Stefani, haciendo volteretas, lanzando billetes de un dólar y sonriendo mientras los miembros del público silbaban. En un movimiento rápido, se quitó su peluca para revelar una más corta debajo. La multitud rugió.
“La energía estaba allí”, dijo Shenill Alfonso, residente de Miami de 19 años. “[Estos
eventos] hacen que la gente se sienta como si pertenecieran. No todos tienen que verse igual”. Liset Cintra, residente de Miami de 20 años, dijo que le gustó lo único que era el evento.
“Hay otras cosas en el mundo además de lo que [la gente] ve todos los días”, dijo. “Todos tienen que ver esto. Es increíble”.
Alrededor de 400 personas asistieron al espectáculo, según la organizadora del evento, Cassie Urbenz. Todas las tarifas de entrada de la noche fueron directamente para el personal y las drag queens, que también trabajan por propinas. La anfitriona del espectáculo, Dontae Brooks, de 24 años, dijo que el apoyo de la comunidad de Gainesville va un largo camino para mostrar que el progreso es posible.
“Más lugares significan más oportunidades para todos nosotros", dijo. “También espero que avance en la creación de un espacio seguro para todos”.
El espectáculo terminó con un final a cargo de Brooks, conocida como Kehlani Kelly en el escenario, cuya actuación llena de descaro y espagats llenó el club nocturno de aplausos atronadores y una erupción de vítores. “Escuchaste a la multitud”, dijo. “Volveremos”.
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MONDAY, JULY 8, 2024
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
ARTS & CULTURE
From skulls to sage: whimsical small business Onyx and Iris arrives in Gainesville
THE WOMAN-OWNEDAND-OPERATED ART COLLECTIVE HOSTED ITS GRAND OPENING JULY 6
By Noor Sukkar Avenue Staff Writer
With suncatchers peeking through the window and color oozing from the inside, Onyx and Iris opened its doors at noon July 6.
Housing the creations of 15 different artists, the store offers an array of unique pieces: animal bone art, watercolor, crochet, crystals, upcycled fashion, jewelry, candles, incense and more.
Owner and artist Laia Gore moved the shop from its original location in Cedar Key to Gainesville in under two months with the help of friends and family. Her team worked until the night before opening day to get ready.
“I’m really excited to be in Gainesville and to be among people who appreciate this kind of thing,” Gore said. “I’m excited to meet new people.”
Not unfamiliar to Gainesville popup markets, her business amassed just under 3,000 followers on Instagram and attracted around 150 customers on its opening day.
Her creations are among those for sale. Gore began making animal bone displays nearly six years ago, and jewelry three years ago. It can take her hours to craft and curate each deadly trinket.
Among the shoppers in the store was Leah Kestner, who’s lived in Gainesville for nearly ten years. Kestner discovered Onyx and Iris through one of its pop-ups at GNV Market near Heartwood Soundstage.
HOLIDAY
“I just like the style and her attention to detail is really nice,” she said, flaunting a pair of earrings she previously bought from the business.
Kestner said she appreciates the uniqueness of Gore’s items, and that you can purchase an item knowing it may be one of one, if not one of a handful made of its kind.
“I love that Gainesville is getting more weird and niche,” she said.
She’s not the only one who ad-
mires the creative community of Gainesville. Novi Martinez, a 28-yearold Atlanta resident, met Gore doing pop-up markets as well, and now sells her upcycled fashion and handmade candles in the store.
Watching Gore be able to expand proves how special both the artist and Gainesville itself is, Martinez said.
“Being able to see Laia move into a space like this, especially in a town
like this where there’s going to be a lot more exposure, more people that have access to the art, more space,” she said. “I’m really proud of her, it’s been amazing to see it all grow.”
Gore commutes nearly 45 minutes from Cedar Key during this transition. Besides the opportune space vacancy when Coterie Market closed, her main reason for the move was to escape the coastal effects of hurricane season.
“I really feel like this is my community,” she said.
Gore said she’s excited to begin offering art classes between mid-tolate August. Her goal is to offer one weeknight class and one weekend class. For now, the store is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and hours vary throughout the week.
@noorsukkarr nsukkar@alligator.org
Countywide Fourth of July events bring spectacular fireworks, mi xed patriotism
CROWDS OF THOUSANDS
GATHERED ACROSS ALACHUA COUNTY TO CELEBRATE
By Bonny Matejowsky & Carlos Alemany Avenue Staff Writers
Each year, many Americans put aside their differences to enjoy beer, barbecue and the beginning of a nation.
Patriotic festivities spanned across the week of July 4 in Alachua County, bringing a host of people with differing backgrounds and opinions.
Despite the searing heat and humidity, the
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City of Alachua’s 24th annual Fourth of July celebration drew crowds of thousands.
Boasting the “Largest Small-Town Fireworks Display in America,” the festivities at Legacy Park brought eager onlookers decked out in red, white and blue outfits. The fireworks display exploded into action at 9:30 p.m.
Johnnie Godbolt-Jones, a 70-year-old Alachua resident and retired UF employee, enjoys watching people from all over the state flock to her typically quiet small town.
“It’s just the best because usually it rains,” Godbolt-Jones said. “There’s no rain today. It’s a good day.”
Alongside this year’s cherished celebration comes an election year and a tumultuous inter-
national stage.
Just two in five Americans say they are “extremely proud” to be American, a statistic that has remained within the ranges of 38% to 43% according to Gallup polls.
Alachua County residents conveyed their thoughts on this year’s Fourth of July.
Alyssa Swanson, a 24-year-old Gainesville resident who showed up to the festivities for people-watching, said the holiday felt like it was “just like another Fourth of July,” and didn’t “feel patriotic or anything.”
On July 6, hundreds of patriotic vendors and longtime Gainesville residents gathered to enjoy live music, and an impressive fireworks show 1.5 miles west of the Santa Fe College
Davis Center.
Among those in attendance was Jaelyn Robinson, a 30-year-old business owner who sold barbequed food at the event.
“It’s like a birthday celebration,” Robinson said. “Instead of us pulling out the candles, we light up fireworks.”
When asked if there were any negatives to the Fourth of July, she had a simple response.
“The heat,” Robinson said.
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Armand Raichandani // Alligator Staff Guests converse during the opening of Onyx and Iris on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
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2. Name the 1972 LPGA Championship tournament winner who died of breast cancer in 1996 at age 47.
2. Bill Chadwick, the NHL’s first U.S.-born referee and later a broadcaster for the New York Rangers, went by what nickname?
3. The Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, presented from 2000-2007, was awarded to the best NHL goaltender in what statistic?
4. California lawyer Amy Trask served as CEO of which NFL team from 1997 to 2013?
3. The name for the Albuquerque Isotopes Minor League Baseball club was inspired by a fictional team from what TV comedy series?
5. Bernie "Saint" Bernard is the official athletic mascot for what New York college's athletic teams?
4. Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle, two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, spent their entire playing careers with what NFL franchise?
6. Name the martial artist and heavyweight boxer whose acting career includes roles in films "Uncommon Valor" (1983) and "Raising Arizona" (1987).
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MONDAY, JULY 8, 2024
www.alligator.org/section/sports
MEN'S GOLF
Parker Bell and Jack Turner’s chemistry elevates Florida men’s golf
BELL AND TURNER SERVED AS STARTERS IN THE 2024 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP AND BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS IN THE SPRING
By Aiden Wacksman Sports Writer
In May, the Florida men’s golf team held fifth place at the West Lafayette regional after two rounds of play, almost qualifying for a spot in the national championship. With the team’s postseason hopes on the line in the third and final round of the tournament, AllSEC freshman Jack Turner and sophomore Parker Bell knew they had to be at their best.
“I just knew that [Turner] was going to put together a good round,” Bell said. “I remember he [said] to be fearless and trust in the training you’ve done to get to this moment.”
The pair played fearlessly as Turner carded 3-under 69 in the final round while Bell parred and secured a top-10 individual finish on the leaderboard at 4-under 212. Florida placed third in the regional and advanced to its fourth-straight national championship behind Turner and Bell’s strong performances.
The duo’s success in the NCAA regional is one example of how Turner and Bell rely on each other. Their friendship, which developed in the fall when Turner arrived at UF, propelled them to new heights.
According to Bell, his first competitive encounter with Turner was at the first starting qualifier of the 2023-24 season when head coach J.C. Deacon pitted his golfers against each other to determine the starting lineup. Turner finished the qualifier in second place with a score of 20-under.
“I was like, ‘Damn, this kid [Turner] can really play,’” Bell said. “We ended up play-
UF CLUB
ing a lot of rounds together in that qualifier because I ended up winning [it].”
Freshman Luke Poulter played a key role in bridging the gap between Turner and Bell. Poulter was Bell’s roommate and Turner’s close friend. The three of them would watch football and basketball together on weekends as a friendship blossomed between Turner and Bell.
“We have very similar mindsets and we’re both super competitive,” Bell said. “I’ve never been one to accept just being average.”
Competition is a huge element for both golfers when teeing off against their foes and among themselves. The teammates constantly try to outperform one another and elevate their game.
Bell lived out his lifelong dream in the 2024 U.S. Open in June when he holed the first birdie of the tournament and earned an even-par 70 in round two.
Turner was inspired by Bell’s performance on one of the biggest stages the sport of golf has to offer.
“I know I’m just as good as him… so I’m obviously hoping to [one day make it to that stage] myself,” Turner said.
Turner and Bell’s skills peaked in the spring as they won starting qualifiers and achieved excellent results at various tournaments. Some of their best performances included Turner’s third place finish at the Calusa Cup in April and Bell’s second place finish at the Schenkel Invitational in March.
“We love to work hard and joke around,” Turner said. “In the [spring], we started traveling a lot together and we’d always room at all of the tournaments.”
Competitiveness isn’t the only notable trait of an outstanding collegiate golfer. Having a lighthearted attitude is just as important as being focused on the serious elements of the
game. Being too tense can lead to avoidable errors and cost the team invaluable opportunities.
While on the road, Turner and Bell create a quality team dynamic. They often make jokes and keep the squad relaxed, which balances perfectly with their focus on the course, said head coach J.C. Deacon.
“Jack and Parker together are hilarious,” Deacon said. “[Last year’s team] was probably the best culture we’ve ever had.”
The teammates will continue contributing to the program’s culture in preparation for
UF pickleball club ranks top 10 in the US
The
club sport continues to grow
By Alyssa Britton-Harr Sports Writer
After less than three years of activity, the UF club pickleball team rose in prominence, now being nationally recognized.
The UF club pickleball team received a top 10 ranking in collegiate pickleball clubs in the country over the last few months from Dynamic Universal Pickleball Ratings (DUPR). For members of the club, the success can be attributed to strong leadership and continuous fellowship to-
ward its new players.
The pickleball team stands out by inviting new members through beginner clinics for those interested in joining but lacking experience or knowledge about the sport.
The team advertised one of its first clinics on its Instagram page in early February 2023, the team is still seeking new members to help grow its roster.
Bennett Carollo, a 22-year-old UF information systems graduate student and the team’s director of competition, started playing pickleball as a hobby and ended up enjoying it so
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he joined the club team.
“Our goal is to grow in any way possible,”Carollo said. “I think pickleball is awesome because it’s very accessible for new players, but it’s also really fun and exciting to get into. We helped grow in all aspects to introduce the sport and gain a lot of new members who are new to the sport.”
The club takes people of any experience level and works to help them improve.
“In terms of the competitive side, I think that's only growing,” Carollo said. “I believe at the most recent tournament we had five different teams, and this is a commu-
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more significant roles in 2024-25. After completing productive campaigns in their freshman and sophomore seasons, Turner and Bell will be able to lead the team and guide incoming freshmen Parker Sands and Zack Swanwick.
“I’m super excited to see what’s in store for the team next year because I really think that… we’re only going to get [better],” Bell said.
nity tournament where we represent our school, and each team consists of two girls and two guys. That was by far the most teams any school has sent.”
The team has grown tremendously in the past year, finding success on the court in tournaments. As of July 5, the team ranked No. 6 in the DUPR power rankings.
Most recently, UF team member
Laura Falceto Fony, a 26-year-old UF biomedical sciences graduate , competed in the 2024 DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championships, making it to the quarterfinals in both women’s singles and doubles.
Font consistently played doubles with two of her teammates, Martine Sundsten, and mixed doubles with Django Chassang.
“Competing alongside them has
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been incredibly fun and a great learning experience, helping grow in this sport,” Font said.
The UF team also competed in the DUPR Collegiate National Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, where the team reached the quarterfinals, but it eventually lost to UNC.
“I have been able to appreciate the game more and more as I see different people play it, and the way they play it and how they grow,” said Grahm Rubin, a 21-year-old UF business senior. “It’s been a really interesting experience of joining a new community, seeing how everybody interacts and finding my own place.”
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Courtesy of UAA
Florida sophomore Parker Bell stripes his tee shot on the third round of NCAA Regionals on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
