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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 19
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Student Government working to address traffic safety RESOLUTIONS PASSED ADDRESSING TRAFFIC SAFETY AND HONORING UF STUDENTS LOST IN RECENT CAR CRASHES
By Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writer
Following the tragic loss of three UF community members to traffic crashes over the past two months, UF Student Government is planning traffic safety projects with the university and local and state governments. On Jan. 26, Senate unanimously passed three resolutions on traffic safety and Senator Zachery Utt (Murphree, Inspire) announced an update on his traffic safety course project. Student Body President Trevor Pope also said he plans to work with the Executive Branch to advocate for traffic safety. All the pieces passed demonstrate the Senate’s acknowledgment of and attention to the situation, but they do not specify plans of action. By definition, resolutions are an expression of the Senate’s sentiments on behalf of the Student Body. One of the resolutions com-
memorates the lives of Margaret Paxton and Sophia Lambert, 18-year-old UF students who died one month apart on West University Avenue. The other two demand officials take measures toward various traffic safety projects. The first traffic safety resolution, the School Zone Safety Act, advocates for the implementation of a school zone speed limit and installation of flashing traffic beacons on University Avenue, from Northwest 13th Street to Gale Lemerand Drive. Judiciary Chairman Franco Luis wrote in an email the authors of the bill reviewed Florida State Statutes to ensure the legislation was coherent with the statutes. He wrote he based the legislation on a definition found in the statutes stating the term “school” includes postsecondary schools. However, this comes from an excerpt of the definition of “school buses” and it is still unclear if the definition above applies to the university scenario. The school safety zones statute states a school safety zone must be within 500 feet of a property “used for elementary, middle, or
SEE SG TRAFFIC, PAGE 4
Remembering Judge Stephan Mickle: UF’s first Black undergrad alumnus MICKLE DIED OF CANCER ON TUESDAY AT 76 YEARS OLD
By Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writer
After spending more than 30 years working as a judicial assistant for Judge Stephan Mickle, Rebecca Butler struggled to put into words what he meant to her and others who adored him. As three decades of memories washed over her, she recounted the day they met in 1983 during her job interview when Mickle was an Alachua County judge. She said he was calm and humble. He hired her on the spot. “He was a gentle giant,” Butler, 66, said. “He’s molded and shaped my life in many ways. I will always be grateful for his
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Bye Becky
wisdom and guidance.” Mickle, the first Black student to earn an undergraduate degree from UF in 1965, died of cancer Tuesday. He was 76. He began his college career at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach before transferring to UF in 1962. W. George Allen, who then went on to be the first Black graduate of UF Levin College of Law, ultimately convinced him to transfer. Being among the first seven Black students to attend UF was not an easy feat for Mickle, and he struggled to find a sense of belonging. “I remember discussing with my father whether I should put a Florida sticker on our car for fear that some redneck or racist
After 26 Story description years coaching finish with the comma, Gators, pg# soccer head coach Becky Burleigh announced she will retire at the end of the season, pg. 12
SEE JUDGE, PAGE 5
Chasity Maynard // Alligator Staff
John Smith, 40, helps plant strawberries on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 at the Gainesville Opportunity Center. More than twenty volunteers helped the Gainesville Opportunity Center, a mental health awareness organization, with new landscaping, including a new butterfly garden at the entrance.
Sustaining UF professor Charles Kibert’s legacy KIBERT DIED JAN. 25 AT 73 AFTER A CAR CRASH ON WEST UNIVERSITY AVENUE
By Sofia Echeverry Alligator Staff Writer
Charles Kibert was always in command of his classroom. He had a military background that reflected in his teaching style. As someone who was always punctual and focused, he expected students to have their thoughts organized when they came to talk to him. “He was always the smartest person in the room,” Kevin Bennett, one of Kibert’s graduate students in 2010, said. Kibert, a UF construction management professor who worked at the university for 31 years, died Jan. 25 after a car crash on West University Avenue. He was 73. Kibert was a Holland professor in the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Construction Management and the director of the Powell Center for Construction and Environment.
Holland professors are named and chosen within the School of Construction Management; most faculty Kibert who receive the title are long-standing members of the school and professors marked highly in their evaluations by the Rinker School Director. Kibert was born in Pennsylvania as the oldest of six children. At 4 years old, he began to live at Our Lady of Fatima Institute, an orphanage in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1969, he was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served in the Vietnam War first as an airborne ranger, then in the U.S. Army Reserves as a special forces officer before retiring as a colonel. Robert Cox, the current Rinker School director, said Kibert
Black-owned beauty businesses
Three Gainesville Black-owned beauty businesses, pg. 6
Gainesville’s First Black Fire Chief
Joseph Dixon was selected as the first permanent fire chief, pg. 8
could change the energy of a room simply by walking into it. Once, when he and Kibert taught a professional development seminar together, the premise was a simulated Department of Defense project. The colleagues wanted to inspire the crowd before the seminar, so Kibert put his uniform to use once more. “Charles shows up at the first meeting with these people in his colonel uniform, and he talks to the group, gives them the charge,” Cox said. “You could’ve heard the national anthem in the background once he came in.” Cox recalled Kiberts’ closing line at the seminar: “I think he told everybody his helicopter was waiting.” Kibert was not only a mentor but a big brother to him, Cox said from Kibert’s old office. Cox’s own office was next door at the time. “You know that it’s someone you’ll never ever replace, but we have to do the best we can
SEE PROFESSOR, PAGE 4
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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
Students can registerWeather for a seat in Senate Today’s GATOR, CHANGE AND UNION ARE CONDUCTING SLATING INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE PARTIES
By Carolina Ilvento Alligator Staff Writer
Student Government parties began interviewing students for Student Senate and announcing executive ticket candidates for the February election. Potential candidates started the qualifying and slating processes to be on the ballot Jan. 29. They can choose from several parties: Gator, Union or Change. Parties held virtual interviews, according to Gator campaign manager Feraby Hoffman, Union campaign manager Ethan Lomio and Change party president Zoe Terner. All three parties will have candidates for the executive positions of Student Body President, Vice President and Treasurer, giving students several options to choose from, according to party officials. Gator Party introduced its candidates for the executive ticket Jan. 28, announcing Cooper Brown, Faith Maniti and Giovanna Mompremier for the Student Body President, Vice President and Treasurer seats, respectively. SG needs proven leadership to advocate for student voices, especially as COVID-19 continues to be a challenge for students, Brown said. “I hope that the student body has confidence in my ability to lead and will #CountOnCoop,” he wrote in an email. Union Party campaign manager Ethan Lomio wrote in an email that, along with running for Senate seats, Union will also be running a full executive ticket, with candidates for president, vice president and treasurer. He also
said Union’s platform and executive ticket candidates will be announced before the end of slating on Feb. 2. “My one request for any prospective Union senate candidate is that they have a thirst for reform more innovative and more comprehensive than anything we can yet imagine,” he wrote. Change Party president Zoe Terner said the party will also announce candidates for all three executive positions this week. Students can also choose to register as independent by contacting the UF Supervisor of Elections, according to the website. Progressive Party will not be participating in this election but has plans to come back to Student Government as the Socialist Party in the Fall semester, party president Alfredo Ortiz said. Level Up Party officials did not answer questions about slating plans. Spring elections will be held Feb. 23 and 24. Students will vote on the new executive board, which is composed of the student body president, vice president and treasurer, along with 50 senators representing academic colleges and class years. All potential candidates running for a seat in Senate must be registered as full-time students enrolled in the college which they seek to represent and maintain an undergraduate 2.5 GPA or graduate 3.0 GPA. Candidates must also be free of conduct probation or any financial obligations to the university, according to the Student Government election rules. In the qualifying process, students must confirm they meet all the above requirements by completing a form before Feb. 2. Students can choose to complete the form virtually through the SG website or go to the third floor of the Reitz Union Feb. 1-2, accord-
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 19
ISSN 0889-2423
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ing to the website. Parties have the option to hold interviews in person or virtually, according to the website. Gator and Union parties are conducting interviews via Zoom to ensure students’ safety during the pandemic, according to both parties’ campaign managers. Gator is also conducting interviews in person. Senate is currently represented by a significant majority of the Gator Party, holding 31 of the 50 seats up for election this Spring. Inspire is the only other minority party currently in Senate, holding 11 seats. @CarolinaIlvento cilvento@alligator.org • Slating lasts from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 • SG Spring election is Feb. 23- and 24 • Students can slate with Gator Party, Change Party or Union Party, or they can register as independent • Gator Party announced its executive ticket Jan. 28; Cooper Brown is running for Student Body president, Faith Maniti for vice president and Giovanna Mompremier for treasurer • Change Party and Union party are expected to announce executive tickets this week
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‘He was always the smartest person in the room’ PROFESSOR, from pg. 1 to pick up and carry his flag forward,” Cox said. Kibert aided in the design and construction of Rinker Hall, the first green building at UF, which promotes sustainability by efficiently using and reusing resources. Rinker became the university’s benchmark for nearly 80 other sustainable buildings now on campus, Cox said. The building incorporates environmentally sustainable features such as rainwater harvesting, insulated glass, recycled and reused materials and reclaimed water for irrigation. These features led Rinker Hall to be the first LEED Gold certified building in Florida, a title bestowed by the Leadership in Energy and Envi-
ronmental Design program for buildings that meet a high level of sustainability requirements. “He was sustainable when sustainable wasn’t necessarily the cool thing,” Cox said. “He started as a pioneer, and now he’s the world-renowned expert.” Since 2006, Kibert was a leader at the Green Building Initiative where he was dedicated to the nonprofit’s mission to reduce the impacts of climate change, said Vicki Worden, GBI president and CEO. Kibert worked as a leader and assessor for GBI, a role that allowed him to visit project sites in person and help the team create a more sustainable design and construction approach. In December 2020, Kibert was elected chair of the GBI Board of Directors.
GBI will be meeting later this week to discuss a tribute to Dr. Kibert, which will take place at the end of February, Worden said. Mark Russell sought Kibert out because of his position as the leader of UF’s sustainability program. During their first meeting, the two realized they had lived in adjacent towns outside of Frankfurt, Germany. “It was one of those meetings where things just clicked,” Russell said. He started working on his doctorate at UF with Kibert as his advisor, and Kibert eventually offered Russell a job at the university. From there, the two became good friends and travel partners. Once, they visited Stein-
Safety, education & enforcement SG TRAFFIC, from pg. 1 high school education.” Luis also said he followed the statute stating school safety zones can only be enforced 30 minutes before and after school and has decided to leave it up to the university’s discretion to determine what times the school zone should take place. Luis wrote in an email he and the other authors of the bill consulted with legal scholars when writing the legislation, but he did not answer questions specifying which professionals or specialists they consulted. Other authors of the bill did not answer emails asking about the legal issues of the proposed project. The second resolution advocates for pedestrian safety measures and calls for action from university and local and state officials, including changing crosswalks. It does not, however, specify what the changes would entail. Judiciary Chair Franco Luis said in the Judiciary meeting Sunday he is not sufficiently qualified to make decisions on traffic safety, so he believes it is best to leave specific solutions up to the university and officials. The resolution also voices the Senate’s support of the Gainesville Police Department’s Gator STEP program, which focuses on crosswalk, pedestrian, speeding and scooter safety violations and includes plans to conduct an analysis of the crash area. Student Body President Trevor Pope said he’ll be advocating for improved traffic safety measures, including extending the on-campus 20 mph speed limit to University Avenue, which is currently 30 mph. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs during this turbulent year, but the loss of any member of our community is a tragedy we’ll never forget,” Pope said. “Our administration is actively working, just like the Senate Body in passing legislation, to try to improve the current situation.” Pope and Will Sandifer, agency head of external affairs, will also meet with local and state officials in Tallahassee mid-February to discuss traffic safety. Pope also said SG is looking into collaborating with UF administration, by providing the student perspective as UF seeks to reengineer and restructure West University Avenue, as a long-term project to help create a safer environment for students. “The UF student body needs to be cohe-
sive on this issue, and we need to push our local and state officials for improved safety measures on University Avenue,” he wrote. Senator Noah Fineberg (District A, Gator) said he hopes to see the campus speed limit of 20 mph enforced along West University Avenue, where many students cross every day. “The three pieces of legislation before this body tonight are not the end-all solution for our pedestrian safety problem — they are merely a first step on the road to change,” Fineberg said in the Senate meeting Tuesday. “We will continue to work with our partners in the university, local and state level to ensure that the proposals being introduced today do not fall on deaf ears.” However, changing the speed limit alone
hatchee, Florida, and surprised German tourists by striking up a conversation in their native tongue. “You could see the look on the German tourists’ eyes,” Russell said with a laugh.“We’re in this remote little portion of Florida, and all of a sudden you run into a couple of locals that can speak German.” The story reflected Kibert’s presence — friendly, compassionate, brilliant, he said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s hard about him being gone, is missing that warmth that he provides,” Russell said.
@sofecheverry secheverry@alligator.org
is not effective, UF professor of civil engineering Lily Elefteriadou wrote in an email. “Research has found that the best way to lower driver speeds is to redesign the highway and its surroundings so that drivers immediately recognize it as a busy, urban facility,” she wrote. The best approach would be to conduct a “complete streets approach,” by redesigning sidewalks and the highway to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, Elefteriadou wrote. This approach would help lower vehicles’ speed and improve traffic safety on and around campus. Raising awareness, asking for a traffic management evaluation and redesigning the streets and sidewalks would be the most effective actions for SG to take, Elefteriadou wrote. Senator Zachery Utt (Murphee, Inspire) supports the bills submitted to Senate in
Courtesy to The Alligator
Photo of UF construction management professor Charles Kibert. Kibert, who had worked at UF for 31 years, died Jan. 25 at the age of 73 after a car crash on West University Avenue.
identifying what needs to change to improve traffic safety but said direct action needs to be taken. “I think it is a move in the correct direction, but I think we need to accept that we, as policymakers, need to take some responsibility,” Utt said. Utt announced at Senate he is already in contact with Transportation and Parking Services and working on the development of a traffic safety course for students requesting a campus parking permit. “We all have a part to play in traffic safety,” Utt said. “If anything decreases by 1% the number of accidents on campus, then you do it.”
@CarolinaIlvento cilvento@alligator.org
Aubrey Bocalan // Alligator Staff
MONDAY,FEBRUARY 1, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5
A tale of two Gainesvilles: development along the east-west divide WHY THE LINE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST GAINESVILLE IS STARTING TO BLUR
By Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writer
Togetherness, camaraderie and family are the words Vivian Filer used to describe her upbringing in Springhill, a historically Black neighborhood in East Gainesville. Every day for as long as she can remember, her mother and neighbor would take turns to care for their other neighbor’s elderly mother. And when her mother worked long hours, two older ladies who lived nearby in shotgun houses would keep a watchful eye on Filer and her four sisters at night. Filer’s family was poor, she said. But as far as she knew, she had everything they needed in her Springhill home. Now, the 82-year-old Gainesville resident of Lincoln Estates sees a different community –– one with fewer Black families –– forming around her former one as developers continue to invest in building high-rise apartments on the east side of the city. The divide between East and West Gainesville has grown more complex as UF continues to increase in size each year, spilling onto the city’s less-developed east side. It matches a trend of gentrification of Black neighborhoods in cities across America over the past couple of decades. Some development projects under review include East University Avenue Cottage apartments and
Southeast Bungalow Court apartments on East University Avenue. Other approved projects include three-story apartment buildings in Lincoln Heights in 2018, a Waffle House in 2020 and a Wawa both on East University Avenue in 2017. A recent high-profile example of development in a historically Black neighborhood was in Pleasant Street, where new high-rise apartments were approved in December to replace an affordable housing community despite backlash from residents. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe said the city has no hidden agenda. He said he’s never served a term with someone who didn’t deeply care about the concerns of East Gainesville residents. “We have an incredibly transparent and accessible government,” Poe said. Implementing heritage overlay districts would protect Black neighborhoods’ distinct identities, he said. This would help promote collaboration, community involvement and transparency. Poe said he’d like to see more inclusionary zoning policies, which would require a share of new construction to be made affordable to people with low to moderate incomes. City Commissioner Gail Johnson proposed a moratorium on development in historically Black neighborhoods, which would have blocked most development in the area except affordable housing, retail stores less than 2,000 square feet and buildings related to basic needs, such as health care, food and nutrition. Promoting more affordable hous-
ing efforts is the top priority for the city, Poe said. The proposal to suspend development altogether on the east side goes against those intentions. “There’s no silver bullet,” Poe said. “We’re going to have to be creative. A lot is going to depend on the people that live in these neighborhoods now, and whether they want to stay and continue to invest.” Peggy Macdonald, a public historian and adjunct history professor at Stetson University, said East Gainesville is the original heart of the city. Before UF, the town was just eight blocks with the original Alachua County Courthouse at its center. UF chose Gainesville for the site of its campus in 1906, forever “changing the flavor” of the community, Macdonald said. This was a change most residents welcomed with open arms, as local officials from Gainesville and Lake City competed for the honor. “If you look at the electoral map, Alachua County, because of Gainesville, tends to be an oasis of blue in a sea of red because of the University of Florida,” she said. A plan launched by UF leadership in 2016 proposed new development, edging the campus line closer to Main Street. While UF said it wants to uplift eastside neighborhoods, residents like Filer aren’t convinced. They fear eastward development will never stop. Gainesville has roots in slavery and white supremacy from when Florida was a part of the Confederacy during the Civil War, Macdonald added. In the Jim Crow era, she said Black people were not allowed to
buy homes in certain areas. While redlining is less overt today than in the past, she said realtors continue to steer affluent people away from the east, bringing down the value of eastside properties. A recent trend has seen local officials approve all new construction even when developers aren’t familiar with the best interest of the community, Macdonald said. “It’s about making money,” she said. “But we have to ask the community: What are our values? It’s a travesty to those families who go back for generations.” Filer said she believes the university and historic Black neighborhoods can coexist. As a UF graduate and someone with family ties to employees and other students, she’d like to see the university’s growth contained to the west side of town. “I love being a university city,” Filer said. “I just don’t want the university to be the entire city.” Sharon Austin, a UF political science professor, said it’s common for U.S. cities to have distinct sides separated by race due to the legacy left behind by Jim Crow-era segregation. Despite the benefits of improvements in housing infrastructure, Austin said this will displace the working class, less affluent Black families. In 1980, about 88% of Springhill’s census block was Black. But today, only about 64% of residents living in the same area are Black. However, there is a way to see more ethical development, she said. Some cities have implemented mixed-income development, where rent is controlled and people of different income levels can live along-
‘He had to constantly be the first’ JUDGE, from pg. 1
might throw a brick through the window,” Mickle said in a 1995 interview with the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. “Gainesville was still a very segregated, small, close-minded town back in the 1960s.” UF was quietly integrated, Mickle said. Former Gov. Farris Bryant, a conservative segregationist, urged former UF President J. Wayne Reitz to keep their Black students a secret — the most publicity they got at the time was an inch-long blurb in a St. Petersburg newspaper. Midori Lowry, Mickle’s former law clerk of 16 years, remembers Mickle once told her that while at UF, the only time he spoke most days was when professors called attendance. “There’s a lot of pressure to be the first,” Lowry said. “Because if you’re the first and you’re not successful, that’s an excuse for saying: ‘Well, why should we let anyone else?’” Following graduation, Mickle became the first Black person to establish a law practice in Gainesville and the county’s first Black county judge in 1979. In 1993, he began serving as the first Black federal judge in the First District Court of Appeal. Mickle was nominated by former President Bill Clinton and unanimously approved to assume a federal judgeship in
the U.S. District Court at the Northern District of Florida in 1998. Aside from his career on the bench, Lowry said Mickle was known as a family man. She remembers when Mickle let a lawyer leave a deliberation early so he could make it to his child’s second-grade play. “It was a very wholesome environment in chambers,” Lowry said. “Family was important to him.” Butler said when her mother was ill, he made sure she could go see her. “He said ‘Rebecca, go see about your mother. Family comes first,’” Butler said. Kenneth Nunn, a UF law professor, remembers Mickle as a trailblazer for Black people in the legal field. “He opened doors to arenas that were not, prior to his coming, known to be open to people who look like him,” Nunn said. “He would walk into these arenas, and be just as calm, competent and capable as anybody else.” UF Levin College of Law Dean Laura Rosenbury said she’s proud to have Mickle’s portrait hanging in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. It’s only been 62 years since Mickle walked onto campus as a student for the first time. Rosenbury said she can’t begin to imagine what that must have been like. “He had to constantly be the first,” Rosenbury said. “That took incredible strength and persistence. He was always
focused on creating a pathway for future African American students.” University administration, faculty, staff and students are saddened by the loss of Judge Mickle. UF President Fuchs said Mickle’s legacy cannot be overstated. “We are thankful for the power and per-
side one another. Gentrification is a process that happens quickly as the price of living rises, Austin said. However, she doesn’t think it has begun in East Gainesville just yet. “I have a suspicion that it’s coming in the future,” she said. “Once you start seeing changes taking place in your community, that usually means the city is planning to do something they just haven’t told you yet.” Filer said she hopes to see the eastside better represented by local officials, and that they take the time to consult community leaders and residents before making decisions about development. “Oftentimes the people making the rules don’t do it out of disrespect,” Filer said. “They do it out of ignorance. I don’t want to continue to see the east side of town being treated as the stepchild.” Springhill has been safe from high-rises, she said, but students continue to rent houses in the area and white people have been integrated into the community. While she’s not opposed to them moving in, she said it’s only a matter of time before high-rises start popping up. “I just don’t want big companies buying our property up and squeezing us out,” she said. “But that’s one of the mantras of Gainesville at this point.” That’s why Filer loves the city’s lesser-known history –– it’s all she has left to remember how it once was. @AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org
manence of his example, from his courageous barrier breaking to his exceptional legal career,” Fuchs wrote in an email. “He is a model not just for our law students, but for everyone in our university community.”
@AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org
Alligator File Photo
Judge Stephan P. Mickle, the first African-American to get a bachelor’s degree from UF and the second to graduate from UF’s Levin College of Law, smiles as he receives a plaque from George Dawson, the law school’s interim dean, during a tree dedication ceremony in 2015.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021 www.alligator.org/the_avenue
MUSIC
Six-part concert series Indie Live kicked off Saturday night FLORIDA BANDS DRIPTONES AND FAZE WAVE PERFORMED AT THE SOCIALLY DISTANCED SERIES’ OPENING NIGHT
By Veronica Nocera Avenue Staff Writer
“Stay in the Hula-Hoop, motherf--ers!” Faze Wave, one of the two bands that performed at Saturday’s Indie Live concert, bellowed this sentiment from onstage in the middle of its set to keep rowdy concertgoers socially distanced. The evening marked the opening night of the six-part outdoor concert series hosted by Heartwood Soundstage and Swamp Records, a student-run record label based in Gainesville. The sequence, which spotlights a diverse range of indie groups, kicked off with performances by upbeat, alternative band Faze Wave and rising Gainesville quartet Driptones.
Over 200 guests gathered outside the venue, sprawled across the lawn in sets of chairs, benches and picnic blankets. Heartwood set up approximately 30 groups of socially distanced seating options. About 15 plastic rings were spaced out upon the grass directly in front of the stage. Though the audience may have appeared sparse for frequent concertgoers, the event, which capped at 250, nearly reached capacity. Bella Clements, a 21-year-old UF marketing senior and president of Swamp Records, said the organization has worked closely with the venue in the past, producing its grand opening in 2017 and hosting both its Spring and Fall showcases at the location. The idea to team up for Indie Live, Clements said, has been in the works since “at least” Spring of last year. “Our main mission is to bridge the gap between the Gainesville music community and UF,” she said. “Being able to bring in these indie bands that have a high college ap-
peal into one of the cultural hearts of Gainesville really helped connect the two together.” When it comes to blending the many facets of Gainesville’s rich music scene, Heartwood lives up to its name — it’s the heart of the community, Clements said. Heartwood co-owner Dave Melosh, 40, is more modest in his praise of the venue, though he said the site is extremely lucky to have an outdoor space that, pre-pandemic, could fit up to 2,000 people — making it a perfect fit for socially distanced events. While Heartwood mandated social distancing and mask requirements, however, in practice, the event was physically divided in terms of respecting guidelines. Where chairs and benches were separated into groups of two and three, guests mostly followed safety measures during the concert. Crowds of viewers standing directly in front of the stage, by contrast, largely ignored premarked spaces, instead, forming tightly packed
swarms of people. Heartwood staff and bands both made efforts to discourage unsafe activities, with personnel alerting guests to keep on their masks and bandmates frequently reminding attendees of the rules. Concertgoers such as Suha Zaidi felt similarly. The 22-year-old UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience major said while she was excited to jump back into live music with Indie Live being her first concert during the pandemic, she also recognized potential safety issues. “I had a pretty solid experience,” Zaidi said. “There were definitely some aspects that weren’t perfectly socially distanced, but if you wanted to be socially distanced, you were able to.” Matthew Flynn, the 23-year-old guitarist and vocalist of Faze Wave, also said he thinks live music is helpful for raising morale — though safety is more important. “[Indie Live] is giving people avenues to go out and be social again,” he said. “But to know we’re doing it
SPOTIFY
Scan to listen to songs by Black artists who have made our week better.
and doing it safely is important.” The next installment of Indie Live is planned for Feb. 13 at Heartwood Soundstage. Presale tickets are $10 online. Tickets will also be available for $12 at the door. @vernocera vnocera@alligator.org
CULTURE
Beauty and wellness businesses to support during Black History Month CELEBRATE WITH THESE THREE BLACKOWNED BUSINESSES By Heather Bushman Avenue Staff Writer
Some of Gainesville’s central businesses occupy the beauty and wellness sector, a community defined by care and craftsmanship. To celebrate Black History Month, the Avenue compiled a list highlighting some of the Black-owned businesses in Gainesville. Beyouteeful Obsession
Before Tawanna Hardy was a licensed stylist and esthetician, she spent 17 years working for UF’s human resources department. But after receiving an overwhelmingly positive response on social media for her makeup job on her friend’s daughter, Hardy decided to go back to school to get her estheti-
Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff
Graphic of Black-owned beauty and wellness businesses in Gainesville. Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter. Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.
cian license and open her own business. Beyouteeful Obsession Makeup & Beauty Bar has provided a myriad of beauty services – including lash extensions, microblading and professional hairstyling – since 2015. Hardy, 43, said she prides herself and her business on customer service and diversity. Since its inception, Hardy said Beyouteeful Obsession is dedicated to serving clients of all backgrounds and ethnicities. The business isn’t necessarily a one-stop shop, she said, but with the wide variety of services, customers can expect to have most of their beauty needs met at 4001 W Newberry Road. Even through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, business closures running rampant and face-to-face customer service next to impossible, Beyouteeful Obsession has persisted. Of that feat, Hardy said she’s the most proud. “I’ve endured since I’ve opened,” she said. “Especially continuing to grow and thrive and flourish through COVID.” Locs By Dee
Denisha Williamson is a master loctician. For the past 17 years, Williamson, 36, has offered dreadlock repair, styling and health services to the Gainesville community. Using all-natural products, Locs By Dee LLC specializes in maintaining healthy dreadlocks from healthy hair with the traditional coil method. Hair care was introduced to Williamson at an early age. Her mother, grandmother and aunt all work in hairstyling, but Williamson said her health-centric approach inspired her to break out on her own and start her business. When she saw Gainesville was lacking in locticians, Williamson said she knew she was in the right place to apply her skills. She’s amassed a loyal customer base since then, some clients returning for hair care for the past 15 years. “Because Gainesville is so unsaturated with locticians, as long as you’re good at your job and as long as you’re at work on time, people are really loyal,” she said. Locs By Dee, located at 4410 SW 34th St., is completely run by Williamson. A passion project ever since its conception, Williamson describes the business as her “longest relationship,” and her dedication to the city of Gainesville is something she takes to heart.
“It just feels like home,” she said. “It’s really easy to be connected to the people here and be connected to the community.” Eden Michele Skin Bar
Michele Holloway prides her business on doing “the right thing.” Holloway, 33, owner of Eden Michele Salon and Spa LLC, said she operates under a strict code of ethics. The business prioritizes paying employees their fair share, getting rent in on time and making sure the necessary tax forms are filled out. Though initially unsure about starting her own business, Holloway’s love for people won out over her hesitation. After managing another salon for seven years, she said she decided to open her own business to foster growth and development in her employees. Eden Michele, located at 2441 NW 43rd St., is celebrating five years of business May 5. Since its inception in 2016, the salon has provided multicultural hairstyling using Aveda products, which are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Sustainability has been a significant focus for Eden Michele. As a partner of Green Circle Salons, a movement dedicated to protecting the environment within the beauty community, the business is Gainesville’s only certified-sustainable salon, she said. Eden Michele recycles everything – paper, plastic and even the hair that’s cut from clients. Despite a number of challenges – moving locations, increasing prices of products and rent and COVID-19 – Eden Michele has seen success. The salon’s business doubled from its usual numbers in the months since the pandemic, and it’s now averaging over 200 customers a month. As a young Black woman, Holloway said she’s proud to be a self-starter in the beauty industry. For her, it’s about setting an example for her team and for the rest of the community. “I’m always thinking, ‘What can I do more? What can I do better?’” she said. Read more at alligator.org @hgrizzl hbushman@alligator.org
Last Ride
Four baseball players had a chance to call an end to their careers at Florida. Three took their extra year of eligibility to return in 2021 for one last season in Orange and Blue, pg. 11
Scan to follow the Avenue on Spotify
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7
UF Health discovers another possible risk factor for COVID-19 DR. JOSEPH KATZ’S STUDY SHOWS VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF COVID-19
By J.P. Oprison Alligator Staff Writer
A recent study revealed another possible risk factor for COVID-19: Vitamin D deficiency. A UF research team found vitamin D-deficient patients were four times more likely to be COVID-19 positive than those with a sufficient amount of the crucial vitamin, which people can get from sources like sunlight and animal proteins. The findings were published Dec. 4, 2020. Joseph Katz, a professor of oral medicine in the UF College of Dentistry, began conducting the research because he wondered whether vitamin D deficiency influenced the onset of COVID-19. The study took about three months, and Katz worked with the UF biostatisticians like Sijia Yue to analyze the data and adjust for different variables, he said. “The rationale behind the results we got is, if you have vitamin D deficiency, then you should be really, really careful, because you have a very high risk of getting COVID-19,” Yue, a data analyst in the UF Department of Biostatistics, said. Yue helped with the study by making the patient data usable for them to run the models. They used the models to adjust for patients’ age, gender and race. Even after taking such factors into consideration, Yue said the results still showed a strong association between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19. Katz said the strong correla-
Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff
Data visual based on the UF researchers’ findings in the study “Increased risk for COVID-19 in patients with vitamin D deficiency.” Data from Table 2, which shows the odds ratio for COVID-19 with vitamin D deficiency, was used to make this graphic. tion between vitamin D and COVID-19 is cause for concern because a large portion – or 5% – of the population is vitamin D deficient, and 17% of African Americans are deficient. The next step is to give patients vitamin D supplements. Then, Katz wants to study the effect of vitamin D on other aspects of health. Because some of these effects are long-term, researchers would follow up on patients for about five years and see how many of them will be affected by different conditions, Katz said. “I think this is the direction I
see in the future,” he said. “This whole area of vitamin D is very exciting for me in my field or in other fields as well.” Elias Sarkis, a Gainesville psychiatrist at Sarkis Clinical Trials, said vitamin D deficiency may be correlated not only with being COVID-19 positive, but also COVID-19 deaths and other issues. “People with low vitamin D have a higher admission rate to the ICU,” Sarkis said. “They have a higher death rate in the ICU. And people with low Vitamin D have higher rates of autism, ADHD, depression, cardiac problems. But
we don’t know why.” But Sarkis said he doesn’t know if Vitamin D prevents issues like fatigue. “We just know that low vitamin D goes along with fatigue and malaise,” Sarkis said. “So, it obviously plays a role in immunity. And that is the reason why it’s so involved in everything that we’ve been talking about.” While Sarkis agrees supplements can help people increase their vitamin D levels, he advised to use caution when buying them. Sarkis said he supports products that are FDA certified.
“You have to be careful about where you get your supplements from because supplements are not regulated,” he said. Sarkis said no matter what measures people take, everyone should be doing what they can to prevent themselves and others from getting COVID-19. “It’s really bad right now,” he said. “And I think we just got to do what we can, because it’s going to be a while before everybody gets vaccinated.” @joprison joprison@alligator.org
Now recruiting those keeping nightlife alive for a COVID prevention study near you QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS MAY BE COMPENSATED
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Timothy Elder, MD (352) 727-7000
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4343 W. Newberry Road Gainesville, FL 32607
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8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
Gainesville Names first Black Fire Chief FIRE CHIEF JOSEPH W. DIXON, SR. WILL BEGIN HIS ROLE MARCH 15
By Michelle Holder Alligator Staff Writer
Joseph W. Dixon Sr. will be Gainesville’s first Black fire chief. Dixon, who most recently served as fire chief of Goldsboro, North Carolina, will begin with Gainesville Fire Rescue March 15. He said he is glad to represent African Americans and all members of the Gainesville community. “I stand on the shoulders of many that went through so much over the years to afford me the opportunity to be a fire chief,” Dixon said. “I will never discount that.” He graduated from the University of Mary-
land with a bachelor’s in fire science and from Waldorf College with a master’s in executive leadership/fire and rescue. He is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, which trains officers on how to deal with problems within their communities. He said his track record and his education and credential have demonstrated competency and presented him as the best candidate. Interim Fire Chief JoAnne Rice, who was the first woman to lead the department as interim chief, will retire Feb. 9. Fire Marshal Stephen Hesson will serve as interim fire chief from Feb. 9 until Dixon’s start date. The department has had a Black interim fire chief before. As fire chief, Dixon will be responsible for overseeing operations, management and
leading the department. He said he plans to introduce new ways to provide public safety services and address community health needs. Assessing the fire department and evaluating its mission are some of his Dixon Sr. priorities, he said in a press conference Wednesday. He said he created a 100-day plan for how he will lead as fire chief and how he will hold his team accountable. Gainesville spokesperson Rossana Passaniti said the city is very pleased to have someone of Dixon’s caliber on board. “Chief Dixon is very passionate about community health,” Passaniti said. “Once he has the opportunity to work in Gainesville and meet the community and evaluate the resources already in place, we’ll be able to implement a lot of the good ideas that he has.”
Dixon said he is looking forward to encouraging people and making the community better. He describes his leadership style as adaptive, and that he helps develop his team to give them the opportunity to be successful, he said. He said his legacy is about encouraging people on his team to prepare them to be better than they ever thought they could be. “The fire team has to be politically astute and able to bring people together, build relationships and find ways to get things done in a world that’s changing,” he said. Dixon said he hopes to inspire girls and boys of any background that they, too, can one day be a fire chief. “I’m certainly looking forward to embark on a new journey,” he said. “It’s the next chapter in my life.” @michellecholder mholder@alligator.org
Law enforcement, community leaders demonstrate traffic safety MAYOR LAUREN POE AND UNIVERSITY POLICE CHIEF LINDA STUMPKURNICK ATTENDED THE PRESENTATION
By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer
Following recent crashes involving the deaths of UF students, local law enforcement and city leaders conducted a pedestrian safety operation Jan. 29 along West University Avenue. The operation, led by Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and University Police Department, focused on the education of poor driving behavior, such as violations of pedestrian right of way in crosswalks and running red lights. GPD began to enforce the Gator Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) last week, starting with the increased presence of police officers near UF campus on West University Avenue, Southwest Archer Road, Southwest 34th Street and Southwest 13th Street. The demonstration involved officers driving up and down West University Avenue from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., making a point to yield to pedestrians and
drive under the speed limit. GPD Assistant Chief of Police Terrence Pierce led a portion of the event about safe and legal crossing at intersections. The intersection of Northwest 19th Street and West University Avenue is an especially dangerous location, Pierce said. Despite the absence of a crosswalk, it is still legal to walk across the street there, and drivers often make the mistake of not yielding to pedestrians. “When crossing at the intersection, you have to be completely alert,” Pierce said. Prior to the demonstration, UF Vice President of Business Affairs Curtis Reynolds, Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe, University Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick, GPD Chief Tony Jones and Pierce spoke to the public about the future of transportation policies under the leadership of Gainesville and UF officials. Poe said he has elevated Vision Zero, a transportation policy that attempts to reduce the number of car crash deaths and injuries to zero, as a priority for Gainesville. “We are finally coming to a place where the community is coming together in a unified voice to try to make sure there is not one more death on our roads,” Poe said.
A big part of Gator STEP is working more closely with University Police on leading enforcement efforts, GPD spokesperson Graham Glover said. “It’s unfortunate why we’re here today,” Stump-Kurnick said. “It saddens me to the bone that anyone is in danger as they are in or around our campus area.” Kristen Young and Chris Furlow, members of the Gainesville
Citizens for Active Transportation, an organization that’s been advocating street safety since 2015, said they expected the Florida Department of Transportation to show up at the event because FDOT owns West University Avenue. “They are the organization that can ultimately make a longterm change,” Furlow said. Enforcement is the last resort
and drivers need to know the laws, Young said. “But the road needs to change so that people can’t speed,” Young said. However, Young and Furlow don’t believe the demonstration will make a lasting change. @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org
Jiselle Lee // Alligator Staff
GPD officer on a motorcycle stops at the intersection of Buckman Drive and West University Avenue, where a car crash involving a UF student took place two weeks ago.
UF Accent Speakers Bureau host YouTube personalities Cody Ko, Noel Miller and David Dobrik THE EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL UF STUDENTS AND FACULTY FREE OF CHARGE
By Abigail Hasebroock Alligator Staff Writer
YouTube personalities Cody Ko, Noel Miller and David Dobrik will speak in a virtual event for UF students Feb. 3. Accent Speakers Bureau, a student-run organization funded by UF Student Government, announced its first Spring event Jan. 29. “A Night of YouTube’’ will be a free, virtual event for anyone with a valid UFL email address. After registering, participants will receive two links on the day of the show: one for the com-
edy duo Cody Ko and Noel Miller at 6 p.m. and one for YouTuber David Dobrik at 8 p.m., according to the Accent Facebook page. Accent Chair Steven Wolf declined to comment on how much the trio will be paid, which comes from student fees. The Alligator requested the Youtubers’ contract. Both shows will consist of a 45 minute moderated conversation followed by a 15 minute Q&A. The event is expected to end at 9 p.m. More than 400 students marked on the Facebook event page they were planning or interested in attending as of Jan. 31. Each show will allow for 3,000 attendants, Wolf wrote in an email. According to the Accent Facebook page event, Cody Ko is “one of the most sought-after
young talents in Hollywood, having taken the worlds of both comedy and music by storm.” Ko will be joined by stand-up comedian, filmmaker and content creator Noel Miller. The pair constitute the comedy duo Tiny Meat Gang where they produce podcasts, release original music and tour. Ko and Miller’s Spring 2020 event was indefinitely postponed in March following the outbreak of COVID-19 on UF campus. Now, Accent is bringing them back virtually, Wolf wrote. David Dobrik is a “digital star” and “TV personality,” according to Accent’s Facebook. He won several awards in 2017, including the Shorty Awards for Vlogger of the Year and the Breakout Creator award.
“David Dobrik has been one of, if not the most requested speaker we get from UF students,” Wolf wrote. “We knew we were still going to bring Cody Ko and Noel Miller and thought it would be a good idea to bring David Dobrik that same night because they all are very popular for their YouTube videos, social media and podcasts.” Accent hopes to host an in-person show by the end of the Spring, but the decision depends on whether a speaker is willing to travel. No plans for in-person events have been made for this Spring, Wolf wrote.
@abbeyhasebroock ahasebroock@alligator.org
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1
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solution on page 10 Release 1, 2021 Release Date: Date: Monday, Tuesday,February January 26, 2021
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Want to be a CNA? Don’t want to wait? Express Training Services now offers a CNA class which can be completed in one weekend. Perfect for busy college students. www.expresstrainingservices.com/ww 4-19-21-15-14
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CALL NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS St. Francis House is a homeless shelter located in downtown Gainesville. Our mission is to empower families with children to transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency by providing case management, housing, food, training and educational resources in a secure environment. If interested in volunteering please contact the volunteer coordinator at 352-378- 9079 ext 317 or sfhcoor@stfrancis.cfcoxmail.com St Francis House depends on monetary support from individual donors and community businesses in order to provide meals to the homeless and the hungry. To make a donation by mail, please send checks payable to St. Francis House P.O. Box 12491 Gainesville Fl 32604 or our website at Stfrancishousegnv.org
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Help Wanted
HIRING home/office/apartment cleaners(m-f and every other sat). Day and night shifts available. Must own a car. weekly pay $10.00/hr. if interested please call 352-214-0868. 4-19-21-15-14 Champion Care,LLC now hiring direct care staff for people with disabilities, full or part time. Great for college students, training provided. Call 352-745-2665 2-1-21-5-14 University of Florida Survey Research Center 720 SW 2nd Ave. Suite 156 Mon-Fri 9am-9pm 352-392-2908 ext. 105 $10.00 - $10.50 per hour + performance incentive + Paid Training REMOTE POSITION; COMPUTER AND RELIABLE INTERNET REQUIRED Search ‘Telephone Interviewer’ on Gator Jobs! http://jobs.ufl.edu 2-15-21-6-14
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10 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
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Sudoku solution
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021 www.alligator.org/sports
BASEBALL
Three Gators return for one last season in Gainesville KIRBY MCMULLEN, NICK BLASUCCI AND TREY VAN DER WEIDE RETURN TO THE GATORS FOR THEIR EXTRA YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY GRANTED DUE TO COVID-19
By Sara Kate Dyson Sports Writer
The Gators baseball team expected to head into another day of practice on the morning of March 12, 2020. Florida expected a charter bus filled with Georgia Bulldogs to pull up next to the Alfred A. McKethan Stadium. It expected to kick off the final SEC Opening Weekend McKethan Stadium would ever host the next day. Instead, that morning marked the unassuming end of the 2020 season. The team was first told that its series against Georgia was canceled. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey then announced that all events from March 12-30 were canceled. By March 17, the rest was canceled. The short-lived season meant many things for the Gators. It robbed Florida of a chance at redemption for the 2019 season. It made the final game played at McKethan Stadium a loss to Florida State. It left many questions about what would happen to the players in their final year of eligibility. Outfielder Austin Langworthy, third baseman Kirby McMullen, infielder Nick Blasucci and pitcher Trey Van Der Weide were halfway through their final year allotted in the orange and blue.
Langworthy was the only one of the four who left. He went unselected in the 2020 MLB Draft, which was shortened to just five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He then signed a deal with the Detroit Tigers during the summer and officially ended his time as a Gator. On March 30 the NCAA Division I Council extended eligibility for all spring sports athletes. With the safety net of a promised extra year, the rest had a choice to make: move on from college baseball for good or return for another season. The other three will return to Gainesville for a brand new season in a brand new stadium, each with their own reasoning. Kirby’s mind raced when he learned he could have another year. After hearing the news, he called the team’s academic adviser to see how he could continue his education. Once that was settled, he was ready to hit the field. His return wasn’t just for the chance to win another National Championship, however. An extra year also meant another chance to take the field with his younger brother, Hunter, who began his career at Florida in 2018. Since that first season, the brothers haven’t had much of a chance to play together. Hunter appeared in three games in 2019 before suffering a right shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for the rest of the season. The 2020 season didn’t look much brighter with Hunter redshirted. With Kirby in town for an extra year, the boys will get one last chance to play together as Gators. It’s a dream they’ve shared longer than Kirby can remember. It’s not just the boys’ dream, though, but also that of
their mother, who has always been their biggest fan. The Ocala native has been following Gator baseball his entire life. Getting the chance to play with his brother in front of his devoted mother is one of the biggest blessings the extra year has given him, he said. “My mom comes to all the games and is going to be the biggest supporter of Hunter and I whether we’re on the field or not,” Kirby said. “I know she’s gonna be even more excited to see Hunter on the mound and now me playing as well behind him.” Kirby’s decision to return was encouraged by the disappointing loss in the regional playoff in 2019 and the loss to Florida State in what would become the final game of the 2020 season. Losing to the Seminoles on your home turf is a cut that always runs deep. But last season’s finale — the final game played at McKethan Stadium— is a scar that hasn’t healed. It’s why Kirby needed to return for another chance to end his career on a high note. “It would have really sucked to go out on a note like that,” Kirby said. Blasucci didn’t initially plan to return for the 2021 season. He wanted to sign a free-agent deal and leave his college career in the past — until he felt pain in his right shoulder a few months after the 2020 season ended. In mid-July, Blasucci underwent surgery on his right shoulder, his third in his young career. The second caused him to miss the entire 2018 season, making him a redshirt senior at the end of last season. The shoulder injury caused Blasucci to take a step back and weigh his options. In the end, he chose to forgo his original plan to sign a pro-
fessional deal and return for a final year of college baseball. “With all this COVID going on and minor league teams being removed from their organizations, they’re probably not going to take a chance on a kid that just had shoulder surgery,” Blasucci said. Blasucci returns with three goals for the season: to stay healthy, win a National Championship and learn as much as he can from his teammates. Van Der Weide’s decision also wasn’t automatic. When the announcement of the extra year was made, he was still uncertain about the status of his ulnar nerve injury. There also wasn’t a decision regarding if roster numbers would be expanded to accommodate incoming freshmen. “I thought that it wouldn’t be fair for me to try and play and be hurt and take the spot away from an incoming freshman,” Van Der Weide said. Van Der Weide had surgery on his ulnar nerve in March 2016. After spending his first three years of eligibility at the University of South Carolina Upstate, Van Der Weide transferred to Florida as a graduate student in 2019, ready to play his first season as a Gator in 2020. Born and raised in Longwood, Florida, he was excited to play for his childhood team. But there were problems from the get-go. Early into the 2020 season, Van Der Weide felt his prior injury flare-up. The left-handed pitcher underwent another surgery to clean up scar tissue in late February following the Gators’ weekend series against Miami. Once the Gators began SEC play, he would return to the mound halfway through the season.
But he never had a chance to come back healthy. He confronted the circumstances and tried to stay positive. “The break from baseball helped with my injury,” Van Der Weide said. “I didn’t miss a full season while everyone was playing, and it kept me on track.” With a fresh arm and another season, Van Der Weide decided to come back and finally fulfill his childhood dream of throwing off the mound as a Gator. Even if he had any remaining doubts, his family swayed his opinion toward another year in Gainesville. “My whole family is Gators fans, and now my nephews can look at photos and know that their uncle played for the University of Florida,” Van Der Weide said. “It makes my family so happy.” The three athletes’ return, combined with that of pitchers Jack Leftwich and Tommy Mace, both of whom were expected to be gone in the 2020 MLB Draft if the draft hadn’t been shortened, brings an almost identical 2020 roster into the 2021 season. On top of that, the Gators are the unanimous preseason No. 1-ranked team. After the missed opportunity to avenge the 2019 ending, Florida will dive headfirst into this season, hoping to carry the 2020 16-1 start into the new year. For Kirby, Blasucci and Van Der Weide, the 2021 season was never in their plans, but now they have one last shot to cap off their college careers with a possible trip to Omaha and another championship. @sarakatedyson skatedyson@alligator.org
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Florida basketball is the darling of advanced metrics By Declan Walsh Sports Writer
derstanding what these metrics mean and why Florida is highly regarded.
Following victories over Vanderbilt and No. 11 West Virginia, many might scour Monday’s AP Poll to see if Florida appears for the first time since November 2019. The numbers have long borne out what Jeff Borzello and other basketball pundits are beginning to confirm: Florida is a top-25 basketball team. The Gators were the biggest winners of this weekend's SEC/Big 12 Challenge, moving up into 18th in the NET rankings, 19th in the BPI and 23rd in KenPom after hovering in the mid20s over the last two weeks. The NET (NCAA evaluation tool) rankings are the NCAA’s new ranking metric implemented last season, replacing the maligned BPI system. NET simplifies the previously complicated equation down to just two components: efficiency and strength of schedule. Advanced metrics have become increasingly important in evaluating teams and selecting March Madness participants, so it’s worth un-
KenPom’s prevalence has introduced efficiency to the parlance of college basketball fans. The concept is fairly easy to understand. Efficiency is the number of points that Florida would score against an average Division 1 ballclub. Florida currently posts a raw offensive efficiency of 109.4 and 99.1 on the defensive end. These figures rank 36th and 134th, respectively — mediocre figures that wouldn’t place UF anywhere near the NCAA Tournament conversation. However, NET rankings adjust for the opponent’s quality and location, and UF has played the 26th most difficult schedule in the nation so far. The adjusted metrics are kinder to the Gators, ranking them 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 50th in defense. For the first time in his tenure, coach Mike White boasts an elite offense, a factor behind Florida’s push toward the AP Poll.
Florida’s 197.85 points in its win over No. 24 Missouri, Friday, are the nation’s highest total set this gymnastics season.
What is efficiency?
Another five-star
What happened to the “Mike White” brand?
The 2015-16 Gators provided some of the most enjoyable UF basketball in recent history, riding a stout defense and a Chris Ciozzia buzzerbeater to the Elite Eight. White has been criticized for regressing after that second season spurt, but the former Louisiana Tech boss has reached a similar plateau behind a completely different formula. The regional finalists ranked fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency, suffocating teams with great half court marking and bolstering White’s reputation as a defense-first coach. Five years later, Florida’s four-game winning streak has been bolstered by shootout wins against Georgia (92-84), Vanderbilt (78-71) and West Virginia (85-80). The biggest difference on the offensive end has been the Gators’ strong three-point shooting. Florida’s perimeter arsenal has shot better than 38% this season and opened the floor for strong interior scoring options. A 75% mark at the foul
Arik Gilbert, a 2020 five-star tight end recruit, announced on Twitter he is transferring to Florida. He caught 35 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns in eight games as a true freshman last season at LSU. Read more by scanning the QR code.
line has made UF an efficient offensive team at every level. Defensively, the Gators have been solid in the half court, allowing a 46% field-goal percentage from inside the arc and posting the nation’s sixthhighest block percentage. The glaring red flags for Florida on defense are fouling and rebounding. Opponents take more than 39 free throws per 100 field goal attempts, ranking 300th in FTA/FGA. UF also struggles to secure the defensive glass, allowing an offensive rebounding percentage of 32%, which is 297th in the country. The best time to take a three pointer is off an offensive rebound, explaining why opponents shoot 34% from beyond the arc. If White can tighten up his defense’s discipline and improve its rebounding, he now has the offense to create one of the country’s most dangerous teams.
Follow us for updates
For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/sports
@declanaw dwalsh@alligator.org
12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
SOCCER
Coach Becky Burleigh to retire after spring season BURLEIGH SPENT 26 YEARS AT THE HELM OF FLORIDA’S SOCCER PROGRAM, WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1998
By Myles Herbert Sports Writer
A short time ago, a Zoom call wouldn’t be how one would imagine one of the most celebrated coaches in NCAA women’s soccer history would announce her retirement.
Courtesy to The Alligator
Becky Burleigh surprised many when she announced on Saturday that she would retire following the end of the spring season.
But in the strange times the world lives in, UF coach Becky Burleigh appeared before the media virtually. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt with “equality” painted in white on the front. The casual attire reflected her gameday look, but the moment was far from it. And at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Burleigh shared that she will retire after the spring season. A coach who is usually on top of everything and active, Burleigh seemed somewhat put back as she sat in front of an empty Donald R. Dizney Stadium, the place where her team succeeded over the years. The Tarpon Springs, Florida, native was the first — and only — head coach in program history. She was hired by former athletic director Jeremy Foley in 1994 after five seasons and two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships at Floyd County, Georgia’s Berry College. The Gators’ program took off after her hiring and rarely fell. Burleigh’s list of accomplishments is among the longest in collegiate soccer. A national championship, 14 SEC regular season titles and 12 SEC tournament crowns are just some of the hardware littering her trophy case. The law of conservation of mass states that matter is neither created nor destroyed. It seems like Burleigh skipped science class the day it was taught because she constructed a national championship in only four years. The height of her tenure remains 1998 when Florida won the College Cup. She already looked to be one of the most promising young coaches in the country, previously winning the SEC Championship in ‘96 and ‘97, but this win was a sign of things to come for the program.
In the final, the Gators defeated North Carolina, who beat them the year prior. One of Burleigh’s main focuses was player development, which is clear with the 37 AllAmericans selected during her tenure. Her focus on her squad, not just as players but also as people, is evident with 174 SEC Honor Roll selections. The focus on talent development has paid dividends for her player’s international careers. U.S. international defender Heather Mitts, forward Danielle Fotopoulos and Canadian international forward Deanne Rose are just some of the names who played under Burleigh. Despite the three world champions and four Olympic medalists who played for Burleigh, there will forever be one who stands head and shoulders above Gators past and present: Abby Wambach. Wambach left Florida with five school records. She retired in 2015 as the highest scorer in American women’s soccer history and holds the second-most goals scored in men’s or women’s international soccer. The decision to retire wasn’t easy for Burleigh. When you spend 26 years of your life building something from the ground up, it shouldn’t be. She has been a coach for more than half of her life. “Once the decision was made, I felt I needed to be as transparent as possible with our current players and future players and put the administration in the best position possible to start the search process,” she said. Holding onto the news for about a month, Burleigh told the media she decided on her future shortly after the holidays but broke the news to the team after practice Saturday morning.
She said the players felt a variety of emotions, but the coach assured them that she would be there for them, not only during the transition to whoever fills the post, but also in their lives. This highlights her idea of “person>player” and how her athletes are so much more beyond the orange-and-blue kits. Over the years, Burleigh’s Florida sides developed into some of the country’s most progressive teams. It wasn’t just about winning — but how they won. In college, coaches frequently try to play a straightforward style due to their players’ rawness. In soccer, there are a variety of tactical outlooks on how the game should be played. When teams play straight-forward, they tend to have their team play the ball forward and on the sidelines so it’s out of dangerous areas. Burleigh refused to play this way, playing out of the back and finding the right pass. This style is frequented by top teams usually because of confidence. Burleigh ruled out any involvement at the professional level. But she’s not going to bid the game farewell any time soon. “At this point, I’m just trying to keep my options open in terms of future possibilities,” she said. “I’m really fascinated with high-level performance.” Replacing Burleigh will be difficult. With a coach who made it clear how she thought the game should be played, a transition to one who might have a different one could fundamentally shift the program. @myles_herbert mherbert@alligator.org