Monday, July 18, 2022 by The Independent Florida Alligator

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VOLUME 116 ISSUE 41

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022

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Residents protest police brutality after K-9 severely injured Gainesville man

Images posted to social media show Terrell Bradley lost his eye By Omar Ateyah Alligator Staff Writer

Chants for justice filled the air Sunday evening as protestors lined downtown Gainesville to protest the July 10 police K-9 mauling of Terrell Bradley. About 200 people gathered at the Santa Fe Blount Center, located at 401 NW 6th St., to demonstrate their anger and demand change after a Gainesville Police Department K-9 allegedly mutilated Bradley’s eye. Bradley, a 30-year-old Gainesville resident, faces charges from Alachua County for weapon and drug pos-

session and violent resistance of an officer. Bradley’s encounter with law enforcement July 10 evening began as he left the Sweetwater Square Apartments complex, located at 3501 NE 15th St., and committed a traffic violation, according to a statement from the Gainesville Police Department released Saturday night. Bradley exited his vehicle, as requested by the officer, but then took off running, according to the GPD statement. Law enforcement found a stolen gun and ammunition in Brad-

SEE RALLY, PAGE 6

MUSIC Gainesville venues continue post-pandemic recovery amid Independent Venue Week TWO YEARS AFTER COMPLETE CLOSURES, LOCAL VENUES WELCOME ARTISTS AND FANS ONCE MORE

By Heather Bushman Avenue Staff Writer

Omar Ateyah // Alligator Staff

Protesters gathered in the streets chanting “No Justice, No Peace” for Terrell Bradley Sunday, July 17, 2022.

Like a selection from a proverbial box of chocolates or a toy at the bottom of the cereal box, the nightly offerings at Gainesville’s High Dive remain a consistent mystery. A group of actors presented the second performance in their

semi-annual series of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Wednesday. National touring artist Matt Maeson stripped down his usual high-energy shows for an acoustic set Thursday and Forever Ozzy paid tribute to the Black Sabbath frontman Friday. Saturday, adorned in red and black with instruments at the ready, The Thunderstorm — a group of girls ages 10-14 from Gainesville Girls Rock Camp — stood centerstage, primed for their debut performance. The showcase came at the end

SEE INDEPENDENT, PAGE 8

SweetBerries ousted from landmark FOOTBALL lot, leaving for new locations Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson drops The restaurant closed Sunday ‘AR-15’ nickname amid gun violence surge By Carissa Allen Alligator Staff Writer

SweetBerries Eatery and Frozen Custard supporters arrived in droves Sunday to order final rounds of monte cristo sandwiches and kookie concretes before the restaurant temporarily closed. A demolished building will sit on the corner of Northwest 13th Street and Fifth Avenue until developers finalize plans to build five-story townhomes catered to UF students. The new restaurant

location will replace the nowclosed Fletcher’s Cocktail Lounge at Fifth Avenue and Sixth Street, about three blocks north of Karma Cream and seven blocks east from its original location, SweetBerries owner Jane Osmond said. She expects it will reopen in November, and a potential on-campus location may open sooner. The famed custard and sandwich shop will be added to the list of Gainesville staples falling

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

SEE SWEETBERRIES, PAGE 6

THE REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE WILL REBRAND AS ‘AR’

By Brandon Hernandez Sports Writer

Florida Gators redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson announced Sunday he will shorten his standing “AR-15” nickname to “AR.” “It is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass

shootings, which I do not condone in any way or form,” Richardson wrote in a Twitter statement. Gun violence has claimed 24,039 American lives this year as of Sunday night, according to gunviolencearchive.org. 347 mass shootings occurred this year, the most recent incident killing seven people in Highland Park, Illinois, on the Fourth of July. The “AR-15” moniker, which grew popular during Richardson’s breakout last season, merged his initials and jersey number and

Timeless Turlington still hub for clubs

Florida golfer to finish host charity golf tournament Story description with comma, pg#

The brick plaza in the heart of campus has been littered with flyer-laden promoters for decades, pg. 7

Taylor Roberts’ AJGA tournament will raise money for youth mental health, pg. 11

ACPS makes mental health priority

ACPS trained thousands of employees in mental health with informational sessions planned for fall, pg. 3

appeared in his branding and apparel series featuring a scope reticle. The Gainesville native was a spokesman for the Gainesville Police Department’s gun buyback program last Fall. Richardson will be one of three Florida players to speak during SEC Media Days in Atlanta Wednesday. @BranH2001 bhernandez@alligator.org

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022

SG Senate Judiciary committee blocks Today’s Weather transparency bills, censure hearings rescheduled THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE INDEFINITELY POSTPONED TWO BILLS SUNDAY AHEAD OF A CENSURE HEARING FOR CHAIRMAN JOHN BRINKMAN FOR ABUSE OF POWER

By Sandra McDonald Alligator Staff Writer

The UF Student Government Senate Judiciary Committee indefinitely postponed a bill Sunday — which would have compelled the committee to give official reasons why it postpones and fails future bills — three days after SG had to cancel abuse of power and bad conduct censure hearings due to a lack of public notice. The proposed bill did not make sense based on its terminology, committee members said, and it would restrict the committee’s power to table or postpone bills if there is a reason beyond the five criteria — constitution, implication, legality, format and clarity — to do so. Though committee members said indefinitely postponing a bill is not failing it, no bills indefinitely postponed this semester have been discussed again and therefore all failed. The committee blocked half of the 35 proposed bills brought before them this Summer from reaching the Senate floor. The committee, made entirely of Gator Party senators, blocked another bill Sunday that would have expanded the parameters of public comment to allow written submissions to be read aloud by the Senate Secretary. Minority Party Leader Faith Corbett

(Change - District D), the author of both bills, said the second bill would extend accessibility toward UFOnline, PaCE and other students who may not be able to attend meetings in person. The committee worried the policy might open public comment to abuse. It maintained constituents must make email requests to the Senate President and Secretary by 5 p.m. the day of the meeting and be physically present at the meeting to give public comment. Senator Jonathan C. Stephens (Change - Replacement District D), who authored 16 bills blocked by the committee this Summer, said he asked the committee for input on his most recent legislation prior to official submission to avoid it being blocked. No one responded, he said, and the committee again postponed his bills indefinitely at its next meeting. One of Stephens’ bills would have required the Senate Information & Communications committee to post legislation passed by the Senate on SG’s social media accounts. It was postponed indefinitely, and later failed, because it would clutter people’s feeds, according to the committee. Passed legislation is available on SG’s website. Dual censure hearings into the Judiciary Chairman John Brinkman (Gator - CLAS) for abuse of power and Stephens for bad conduct were also canceled Thursday evening due to a lack of public notice. Failure to provide public notice was an oversight, Jackie Phillips, SG adviser under the UF Division of Student Life, wrote in

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an email to Senator Oscar Santiago Perez (Change - District D), the petitioner against Brinkman and Rules & Ethics Chairwoman Tanner Thompson. The meeting must be rescheduled with proper notice. SG must give at least 24 hours public notice for its meetings, in accordance with Florida Sunshine laws and its own constitution. Historically, this requirement is satisfied with a sign on the SG bulletin board on Reitz Union’s ground floor outside of POD Market, although there are still concerns about this manner of public notice. Some meetings are announced over the Senate ListServ, a private by-request email list meant for senators and other interested parties. Only Replacement & Agenda and Judiciary meetings are typically announced over the ListServ. The Rules & Ethics Committee will set a new hearing date at a meeting later this week. The next Senate meeting will be held in the Reitz Union Senate Chambers Tuesday at 7 p.m. @sn_mcdonald smcdonald@alligator.org

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Acting chief to step up as head of Gainesville Police Department

Lonnie Scott seeks to mend community relations Alligator Staff Writer

Lonnie Scott, the Gainesville Police Department’s acting chief, will officially take over as its head July 25. Scott’s career with GPD began in 1985 and continued until he started working in Tallahassee law enforcement in 2014. He returned to serve as GPD’s assistant chief of police in 2020 and has worked with the department’s Community Oriented Policing Team to resolve neighborhood problems, the release said. As chief of police, Scott said he would focus on improving his department’s relationship with the general community.

“No more community separated from law enforcement. Law enforcement is part of the community, just like teachers are [and] doctors are.” - Lonnie Scott, Gainesville Police Department acting chief

Scott recognized law enforcement is a generally reactive profession, responding to crimes when they occur. The department should work with the community to address underlying causes of law-breaking, he said, whether it’s poverty, lack of educational opportunities or mental health issues.

He thinks the community must overcome division to address concerns of violence, an issue he said he would prioritize during his time as chief. “You keep pointing at the other side saying that they’re wrong,” he said, “but we all are standing by while our children are being killed and not taking the measures that are necessary to stop it.” Value systems play a role in the proliferation of violence, Scott said, and parents need to instill a value for human life in their children in order to curb violence in the city. Scott hopes his tenure leads to a removal of the barrier between the police department and the community and reduces the number of deaths from gun and other types of violence. Curry also announced Tony Jones, the city’s acting chief operating officer, will become a special adviser for juvenile justice and community support programs. Jones took the position earlier this year after serving as the city’s police chief since 2009. A new interim chief operating officer has not yet been named, according to a City of Gainesville news release. @OAteyah oateyah@alligator.org

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ACPS targets mental health after clear backpack mandate reversal

ACPS will have informational sessions on behavioral expectations and graduation requirements discussions By Fernando Figueroa Alligator Staff Writer

Layla Fuller felt uncomfortable when Alachua County Public Schools announced a clear backpack mandate for the 20222023 school year. She worried her peers would see the menstrual products she concealed with her opaque bag. The reversal of this mandate confirmed the 16-year-old Buchholz High School student’s assumption about how the district jumped to extremes without considering potential backlash. Fuller hopes the new mental health training, one part of the district’s multi-pronged approach to address gun violence, is more effective than the clear backpack mandate, which was reversed a day after students, parents and teachers took to the internet to express their disapproval. However, her experience watching a full schoolday’s worth of required mental health videos has been less than positive.

“It doesn’t help,” she said. “Most kids are actually annoyed by it, at least from my perspective.”

- Layla Fuller, Buchholz High School student

ACPS is also working with a multidisciplinary team to establish a behavior support plan and address mental health crises, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said. This summer, ACPS trained about 2,700 employees in youth mental health, and Johnson expects more employees will complete this training before the school year begins. Local high and middle schools will host two informational sessions for sixth and ninth graders to discuss topics from behavioral expectations to graduation requirements Thursday. ACPS will also host a Family Empowerment Summit to provide families with tips on how to support their children’s mental health Aug. 8 at Trinity United Methodist Church at 5 p.m.

Anne Brown, CEO of the Cook Center for Human Connection, will speak at the event, and ACPS may implement one-on-one coaching for families that experience issues with their children’s behavior through the center’s partnership with ParentGuidance.org. Sarah Rockwell, a School Board District 3 candidate, said the county needs more community collaboration to combat severed connections. She hopes these events will focus on building relationships with children and not punishment. In May, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Fort Clarke Middle Schooler for bringing a loaded gun to school after another student alerted a teacher. Strong student-teacher relationships allowed the student to feel comfortable reporting the incident and thus prevented it from turning into a school shooting, Rockwell said. Law enforcement recommended clear backpacks as a response to the Robb Elementary shooting in May and recent community youth

violence, according to an ACPS press release. It was intended to discourage students from bringing anything illegal to school, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Art Forgey said. A clear backpack mandate is more akin to security theater, Anahied Rayzian, a 30-yearold Alachua County parent and resident, said. These measures create the illusion of safety instead of promoting legitimate security. Rayzian has a 4-year-old daughter who has not started school yet, but she does not trust law enforcement to protect children. The issue of gun violence is being tackled from two sides, she said. One side supports mental health resources while ignoring legislation, and the other side advocates for stricter gun laws, leaving public infrastructure aside. She called this “swiss cheese problem-solving.” Instead, the federal and state governments need to pass stricter gun laws. Angela Casteel, a 46-yearold Alachua County parent, said

clear backpacks give school staff a window into what students have going on, but a long-term solution would be for parents to be involved in their kids’ lives. Now that the mandate is no longer in place, Casteel said the school board is not taking enough steps towards solving the problem. ACPS expects metal detectors will be brought up in discussions with the community and law enforcement, Johnson said, but the district would need to consider the practicality of installing these in schools with over 2,000 students, she said. Not only do metal detectors affect the flow of student traffic, but there are also the issues of cost and staffing, Johnson said. It is possible clear backpacks will be brought back to the drawing board, but for now, mental health awareness and relationship-building remains the foremost focus. @fernfigue figueroa@alligator.org

Houston Harwood // Alligator Staff

A sign in front of the Alachua County Public Schools district office building is seen Sunday, June 6, 2021.

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022

Gainesville man arrested, charged with homicide, evidence tampering A woman was found dead in hotel about two miles from campus By Mickenzie Hannon Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville police arrested a man for allegedly murdering a Gainesville woman at a hotel about two miles from UF’s campus last weekend. Police arrested Brian Burns, a 25-year-old Gainesville resident, at the Stayable Select Hotel, located at 2900 SW 13th St. near IHOP, for an unrelated misdemeanor July 9, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report. Burns confessed to murdering a woman prior to his arrest, according to the report; GPD arrested Burns for the murder early July 10. He faces homicide and evidence tampering charges, according to the report, and is being held at the Alachua County jail on a $2 million bond. A hotel resident discovered the victim’s body and alerted an employee who called police, according to a GPD press release. Police found the victim on the floor with a black garbage bag around her head, a brown belt tied around her neck, four stab wounds in her chest and two bottles of bleach cleaning products next to her body, according to the report.

Burns and the victim, who lived together and were known to use drugs, got into an argument Saturday, according to the report. A witness said they were known to argue in their “on and off again” relationship. After murdering the victim, Burns said, he took a shower, changed his clothes and left the hotel to hide. He slept in a vacant nearby apartment complex and came out of hiding because he was hungry, according to the report. His criminal history includes traffic, drug possession and theft charges. According to a first appearance order filed July 10, Burns has six drug misdemeanor adjudications — the most recent in 2021. Stephen Nalley, the hotel’s CEO, said the homicide was a tragedy.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim’s friends and family members,”

- Stephen Nalley, Stayable Select Hotel CEO

While the victim’s room is closed due to the ongoing investigation, Nalley said the hotel is still operating. @MickenzieHannon mhannon@alligator.org

Fernando Figueroa // Alligator Staff

Stayable Select Gainesville, an extended-stay hotel , sits at 2900 SW 13th St. Sunday, July 17, 2022.

Mayoral candidates discuss zoning, utility rates

Candidates running for public office spoke to Oak Hammock residents By Jackson Reyes Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville mayoral candidates’ community outreach commenced with short-lived debate over utility rates, roads and multi-family buildings in standing single-family zones. City commission, school board and mayoral candidates had just one minute to answer each question from about 80 Oak Hammock residents Tuesday. The exclusive forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters, allowed Harvey Ward, Edward Bielarski, David Arreola, July

Thomas and Donald Shepherd to voice plans on topics from climate change to housing zones. Adam Rosenthal, Gary Gordon, Gabriel Hillel Kaimowitz and Ansaun Fisher, Sr. were not present. Arreola openly supported the city’s proposal to eliminate exclusionary single-family zoning, which only allows single-family home construction in specific neighborhoods. The zones currently hold 63% of Gainesville homes, according to a Gainesville Sun article. The community needs to move past exclusionary zoning and discuss what new housing could look like, especially with Gainesville’s increasing population, he said.

“We’re talking about small-scale multi-family additions to neighborhood residential areas,” Arreola said. A majority of the candidates, including Ward, opposed eliminating single-family zoning. Candidates need to have in-depth conversations within each community to best understand how to solve the housing crisis, Ward said. Bielarski, Gainesville Regional Utilities’ former general manager, said the mayor and city commission need to listen to the community to decide what should be done about the city’s housing crisis, which exponentially worsens with new students’ arrival. Jeani Valter, a 77-year-old Oak Hammock resident, wanted to hear candidates’ plans to address issues involving GRU’s rising rates and city roads’ conditions. She was unimpressed with the answers some of the candidates were able to provide with their one-minute time slots.

“It was embarrassing to me,” she said. “They’re not professional and didn’t express themselves well.”

- Jeani Valter, Oak Hammock resident

Alice Gridley, an 84-year-old Oak Hammock resident said candidates did not have enough time to completely explore the issues, namely single-family zoning. The forum was her chance to learn more about candidates she normally wouldn’t get the chance to speak to, Gridley said, but the one-minute time slots dampened the potential for further connection. “I would have really liked to have heard more about their planning for the future,” Gridley said. The next mayoral candidate forum is July 20 at the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center. The election for Gainesville’s next mayor is Aug. 23. Jackson Reyes // Alligator Staff

Gainesville’s mayoral candidates speak to about 80 Oak Hammock residents Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

@JacksnReyes jacksonreyes@alligator.org

El Caimán

El jefe interino asumirá nuevo cargo como cabeza del Departamento de Policía de Gainesville LONNIE SCOTT BUSCA MEJORAR LAS RELACIONES COMUNITARIAS

Por Omar Ateyah Escritor del Caimán

Traducido Por Ana Trias Escritora del Caimán

El miércoles, la ciudad anunció que Lonnie Scott, el jefe interino del Departamento de Policía de Gainesville (GPD, por sus siglas en inglés), asumirá oficialmente el cargo el 25 de julio. La carrera de Scott con GPD inició en 1985 y continuó hasta 2014 cuando comenzó a trabajar con las fuerzas del orden en Tallahassee. Regresó para servir como el subjefe de GPD en el 2020 y, según el comunicado, ha trabajado con el Equipo de Policía Orientada a la Comunidad para resolver problemas en vecindarios. Scott dijo que como jefe de policía se concentrará en mejorar la relación entre su departamento y la comunidad en general. “No más separación entre la comunidad y las fuerzas del orden”, dijo Scott. “El cumplimiento de la ley es parte de la comunidad, al igual que los maestros [y] los doctores”. Scott reconoció que la aplicación de la ley es una profesión general-

mente reactiva, que responde a los delitos cuando ocurren. Dijo que el departamento debería trabajar con la comunidad para abordar las causas por las cuales se rompe la ley, ya sea por pobreza, falta de oportunidades educativas o problemas de salud mental. Él cree que la comunidad debe superar la división para abordar las preocupaciones sobre la violencia, un problema que dijo que priorizaría durante su tiempo como jefe. “Sigues señalando al otro lado diciendo que están equivocados pero todos nos quedamos de brazos cruzados mientras matan a nuestros hijos y no tomamos las medidas necesarias para detenerlo”, dijo. Los sistemas de valores desempeñan un papel en la proliferación de la violencia, dijo Scott, y los padres deben inculcar un valor por la vida humana en sus hijos para frenar la violencia en la ciudad. Scott espera que su mandato lleve a la eliminación de la barrera entre el departamento de policía y la comunidad y reduzca la cantidad de muertes por armas y otros tipos de violencia. Lea el resto en linea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @OAteyah oateyah@alligator.org atrias@alligator.org

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La Liga de Mujeres Votantes organiza un foro de candidatos en Oak Hammock LOS RESIDENTES DE OAK HAMMOCK ESCUCHARON A LOS CANDIDATOS QUE SE POSTULAN PARA ALCALDE

Por Jackson Reyes Escritor del Caimán

Traducido Por Manuel Tunez Escritor del Caimán

Los residentes de Oak Hammock escucharon a algunos de los candidatos a la alcaldía de Gainesville por primera vez el martes por la noche. La Liga de Mujeres Votantes organizó el foro exclusivo para permitir que cerca de 80 residentes de la comunidad de jubilados escucharan a los candidatos a la alcaldía, la comisión de la ciudad y la junta escolar hablar sobre temas que van desde el cambio climático hasta la zonificación unifamiliar. Hablaron cinco de los nueve candidatos a alcalde: Harvey Ward, Ed Bielarski, David Arreola, July Thomas y Donald Shepherd. Mientras que Adam Rosenthal, Gary Gordon, Gabriel Hillel Kaimowitz y Ansaun Fisher, Sr. no estuvieron presentes. Cada candidato tuvo un minuto

SEC Media Days offer early look for 2022 season Billy Napier and three UF football players will take the mic in Atlanta Wednesday, pg. 12

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para responder preguntas de un moderador y para hacer una declaración con apertura y cierre. Los residentes estaban más preocupados por la propuesta de la ciudad de eliminar la zonificación unifamiliar excluyente, que solo permite la construcción de viviendas unifamiliares en vecindarios específicos. Actualmente la zona alberga el 63% de las viviendas de Gainesville, según un artículo de Gainesville Sun. Si bien la mayoría de los candidatos se opuso a la eliminación de la zonificación unifamiliar en la ciudad, Arreola apoyó abiertamente la propuesta. La comunidad necesita superar la zonificación de exclusión y discutir cómo se verían las nuevas viviendas, especialmente con el aumento de la población de Gainesville, dijo. “Estamos hablando de adiciones multifamiliares a pequeña escala a las áreas residenciales del vecindario”, dijo Arreola. Ward dijo que está en contra de la eliminación de la zonificación unifamiliar. Los candidatos deben tener una conversación profunda dentro de cada comunidad sobre cómo resolver la crisis de la vivienda. Bielarski, exgerente general de

Gainesville Regional Utilities, dijo que el alcalde y la comisión de la ciudad deben escuchar a la comunidad para decidir qué se debe hacer con respecto a la crisis de vivienda local. A Jeani Valter, residente de Oak Hammock de 77 años, también le hubiera gustado saber más sobre cómo los candidatos abordarían los problemas relacionados con el aumento de las tarifas de GRU y el estado de las carreteras de la ciudad. No quedó impresionada con las respuestas que algunos de los candidatos proporcionaron en sus intervalos de tiempo de un minuto. “Fue vergonzoso para mí”, dijo. “No son profesionales”. Valter dijo que eliminar la zonificación unifamiliar preocuparía a las personas propietarias de viviendas. Ella no estuvo de acuerdo con la propuesta, pero dijo que debería dejarse en manos de la nueva comisión de la ciudad. Lea el resto en linea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @JacksnReyes jacksonreyes@alligator.org @mtunezb mtunez@alligator.org

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6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022

K-9 brutality RALLY, from pg. 1

ley’s vehicle. Back-up units, including a K-9 officer, participated in the search for Bradley, and he was found hiding in the bushes after about an hour of tracking aid from a police dog. The K-9 unit was summoned because of Bradley’s status as a firearm possession as a convicted felon, according to the statement. Alachua County court records show Bradley was convicted of robbery in 2010; he was also convicted of drug equipment possession in 2012 and 2015. He was booked into a Hillsborough County jail on Wednesday after he was transported to Tampa due to the severity of his injuries, according to an Instagram post by Danielle Chanzes, a local community organizer who facilitated Sunday’s march. The post garned more than 1,400 likes and 110 comments. The GPD statement confirmed Bradley was taken to the hospital by EMS, and, according to Chanzes’ post he lost his eye. She also wrote Bradley suffered other injuries including broken fingers and spinal leakage. Protestors, some wearing shirts depicting Bradley’s bloodied eye socket, marched down Northwest 6th Street to the GPD building located about a half mile north of the Blount Center. As demonstrators of all ages marched, they chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Whose streets? Our streets.” Protestors blocked the intersection of Northwest 8th Avenue and Northwest 6th Street as they demanded police accountability. Victor Bradley, Terrell’s father and 60-yearold lifelong Gainesville resident, only saw K-9s used against Black males when he served in the police department in the 1990s. Officers need to be held more accountable when their

dogs act violently, he said, and people should be more involved in local politics and the police department. He said his son was in good spirits and was not bitter about the incident, but Ashley Burke, Bradley’s cousin and 33-year old Gainesville resident, suggested the charges against him be dropped because of how much he’s suffered from the K-9 mauling.

“He’s lost enough. He lost an entire eye when it wasn’t even necessary. I feel like they punished him in just doing that. You’re gonna mutilate him, take his eye and then turn around and try to punish him with jail time or anything else? That’s not right.”

- Ashley Burke, cousin of Terrell Bradley

Although GPD’s statement acknowledged members of the community may feel disturbed by Bradley’s injuries, it does not expand on the nature of what occurred; it simply says the K-9 apprehended Bradley. K-9 handlers are expected to be judicious in their use of the dogs, according to GDP guidelines. “Canine force shall be utilized only when necessary,” a section reads. “Handlers will utilize all reasonable means to affect apprehension, without incurring a bite.” The guidelines further state handlers should consider the severity of the crime and the threat level posed to law enforcement when deciding whether to use K-9s in apprehensions. “Police K-9s will normally be released to make apprehensions only in forcible felony cases … where the suspect continues to resist arrest and because of the seriousness of the crime, poses a danger to others, and when no lesser means of apprehension are practical,” according to the guidelines. “Forcible felony” is a legal term that encompasses a broad range of offenses from murder to sexual battery to burglary and other crimes

Landmark relocates SWEETBERRIES, from pg. 1 victim to big developers. The Swamp, a long-standing restaurant and bar in Midtown, was demolished in 2020 and replaced by apartments; it will reopen in the Gainesville Innovation District in August. SweetBerries’ trademark patio remains stocked with memories for Romy Miller, a 23-year-old UF law student and food blogger. She frequented the restaurant during her undergraduate experience, and it remains one of her favorite local establishments.

her nerves. An on-campus location may replace the Au Bon Pain in Newell Hall and serve grab-and-go items, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and its usual lunch sandwiches and salads from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Osmond said. She is unsure if frozen custard will be available, but the off-campus lo-

Omar Ateyah // Alligator Staff

Protester holds a sign reading “Justice 4 Terrell Bradley” during a rally Sunday, July 17, 2022. as listed in the guidelines. The guidelines also allow for the use of K-9s in cases where violence is feared, such as cases of drug possession or sales where the suspect possesses a weapon or has a known history of violence. Another example given is of a suspect who flees from law enforcement at a speed that puts others at risk. An Eden Park resident who wished to remain anonymous said residents gathered around the area as Bradley screamed during the K-9 assault. After the incident, she started a Facebook live video and said he was in se-

cation’s menu will remain largely the same with only less popular food items swapped with new specials. Though Chartwells’ contract with SweetBerries has not been finalized, Osmond is optimistic about the second location. Chartwells, which replaced Aramark July 1, hopes to establish several local restaurants as permanent campus fixtures. UF Business Services commu-

vere pain. The severity of Bradley’s injuries raises questions about law enforcement’s deployment of the K-9 and the extent to which he may have been abused by Gainesville police. GPD Chief Lonnie Scott asked for a review of the incident to be completed within the next week to 10 days, according to the police department’s statement.

nications manager Analee Rodriguez declined to discuss contract details, but she wrote the university looks forward to “sharing specific information about locations soon” in an email to The Alligator. SweetBerries and other local restaurants offer healthier and more accommodating options compared to the fast food chains in the Reitz Union, 21-year-old UF dietetics senior Lexye Hill

“This is definitely a trend, it’s definitely upsetting,” Miller said. “I don’t know why so many apartments are being built.”

- Romy Miller, UF student

The original restaurant, driven out by townhouse development plans that have been underway since a Jan. 27 City Plan Board meeting — one component of a lengthy process involving the City Commission to develop student housing along 13th Street — may not be as popular with students farther from UF’s main campus, she said. A contract with Chartwells Higher Education, UF’s primary on-campus food provider, may ease some of

Fernando Figueroa // Alligator Staff

Patrons order their favorite menu items at Sweetberries Eatery and Frozen Custard for the last time before the shop relocates Sunday, July 17, 2022.

@OAteyah oateyah@alligator.org

said.

“Local food and places that have those healthier options are going to immediately benefit students because they're going to have more energy in classes, and they're going to be able to actually focus on their work.”

- Lexye Hill, UF student

Hill, a vegan with several classes near Newell Hall, expects to stop at the on-campus SweetBerries frequently. Rachel Diaz-Evans, a 62-yearold retired Gainesville resident, visited the cafe twice the week it closed to savor one last Caribbean chicken salad and pesto chicken sandwich. She will miss the breezy outdoor patio that welcomed her when she moved to Gainesville about a year ago, she said, but the extra seven blocks east do not faze her. On-site parking and quintessential outdoor seating will live on as the new property’s old pecan trees shade customers enjoying custard and ice cream on balmy summer afternoons, Osmond said. The hospitality will not change either; Osmond is relieved to keep her staff, who detracted her from retirement plans and motivated SweetBerries’ reopening. @carissaallenn callen@alligator.org

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022 ALLIGATOR 7

UF’s Turlington Plaza: crossroads for current and former students Turlington, the heartbeat of campus, continues to beat through centuries By Kyle Bumpers Alligator Staff Writer

Turlington Plaza is a 45-year-old campus landmark; but for some, it’s simply a cue to put on sunglasses and headphones. The bustling intersection of classrooms, restaurants and Marston Science Library is one of the campus’ official public forum areas, along with Plaza of the Americas and the Reitz Union’s North lawn. Clubs continuously advertise through the brick-laden strip as students hurriedly make their way to class, most preferring to avoid eye contact, ducking and dodging eager club representatives. Jaret Tran, a 20-year-old UF history junior, tables for UF at Turlington to spread word about events celebrating Gator pride, like Homecoming and Gator Growl. He said most students walk past without a word. He understands, he said — he doesn’t always stop at the tables himself. “Ninety percent of people are just going to walk by, and that’s just how it is,” Tran said. Robert Schachel, a 47-year-old English professor in Orlando, attended UF from 1993-1996 for his undergraduate in English and from 2002-2006 for his PhD. Turlington, housing the English department, was his home base. It acted as a common medium for students who wanted to explore what UF had to offer, Schachel said. He was in the cast of the local Rocky Horror Picture Show and went to Turlington to inform students of the upcoming production. “There was no social media,” he said. “That was social media.” He said credit card companies, like Discover or Visa, put up foldable tables to offer students Slinkys, Tootsie Pops or Skittles if they signed up for a credit card. UF quickly stopped the practice in 1995 to deter companies from taking advantage of students who didn’t understand what they were signing up for. The tables were replaced with concrete pillars and brick slabs by the time Schachel returned to pursue his PhD.

Ilana Herman, a 22-year-old UF visual art studies senior in UF Hillel, said the now perdurable plaza is valuable for organizations advertising to new Summer B and Fall students who flock toward the area. “They’re curious,” Herman said. “They want to get involved in things.” UF Hillel often uses falafels and shawarma to persuade students to learn more about the club, she said. Meka Acholonu, a 31-year-old UF civil engineering alumnus, graduated in 2014 and said Turlington was a high-traffic area and served mostly as a hangout spot between classes. The Reitz Union was where he was approached by clubs, but Turlington never overwhelmed him. “It was kind of like an area to destress,” Acholonu said. Sheila Corzo, a 28-year-old UF architecture alumna who

graduated in 2019, trekked through Turlington when she was scheduled to work in Marston. By that time, the scene was comparable to a crowded concert, and religious groups would routinely yell at students. “If I walked through there, I knew what I was taking on,” Corzo said. But the plaza turned peaceful as bats flew overhead after 5 p.m. Lamia Elmahdawy, a 48-year-old Gainesville resident, attended UF from 1991-94 as an undergraduate student and from 1994-98 as a medical student. She said the campus grew, and the student population increased over the years, but when she drops her kids off at Turlington, for activities like SAT testing, the plaza looks mostly the same.

“It’s always kind of been considered the central location of the university,” Elmahdawy said, “No matter how much it expands.”

- Lamia Elmahdawy, Gainesville resident

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Michelle Sullivan, a 20-year-old UF architecture junior, walks through Turlington three times a week on her way to class or an on-campus restaurant. Club members try to catch her attention with music, flyers and free items roughly 75% of the time, she estimated. Sullivan said she seeks out clubs she’s interested in, like Gator Christian Life or clubs related to the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning, but otherwise, she just keeps walking. “It can be a bit much,” Sullivan said. “Most people seem to try to avoid the area.” As a freshman in Fall 2020, Sullivan used to keep Turlington at arm’s length, but she’s now accustomed to the maneuvers needed to pass through tables: secure headphones, don shades and push through with the determination of a Gators football player.

Students walk through Turlington Plaza in between classes on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.

City split on residential zoning changes The decision would change occupancy limits, amend residential zoning By Mickenzie Hannon Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville may become the first Florida city to eliminate single-family zoning in an effort to offer additional housing near campus and in residential areas. The potential amendment mirrors Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle’s systems, which allow developers to build two-story multifamily units, like quadruplexes, in residential areas. The proposal also removes restrictions that limit occupancy to one family and limit the number of bedrooms per structure. Residents expressed opposition to amendments in public meetings, petitions and online. They fear the city may continue to lose its charm to developers after the closures of Sweetberries Eatery, Frozen Custard Sunday and The Swamp Restaurant in 2020. Kurt Johnsen, a 66-year-old Gainesville resident and landlord who lives in the Kirkwood neighborhood off of South Main Street, created a petition to alert commissioners toward resident opposition. It has garnered more than 2,100 signatures and about 100 comments since July 1. “The one certain thing we’re going to have is change,” he said, “But you can manage the change, and you can look for consensus.”

The city commission has not done that, he said. “They preach from the altar,” he said. “They’re going to pass this whether we like it or not.” Johnsen rents properties to students, who bring youth, vitality and diversity to single-family residential neighborhoods. The new changes push that dynamic in the opposite direction and do not solve affordable housing issues, he said — developers would likely demolish existing affordable houses to build the multifamily units. Mariah Rollins, a 48-year-old Gainesville resident who lives in the Hazel Heights neighborhood, said the commission’s push to eliminate single-family zoning is meant to appease people who profit from the student population, like developers. As a Gainesville resident for nearly 17 years, Rollins said she has noticed the commission caters more to the student population and less to local or low-income residents.

“It seems like people owning their own homes has become more of a liability,” she said. “It doesn’t seem like they’re really trying to find ways for people to own their own homes.”

- Mariah Rollins, Gainesville resident

The issue is much bigger than zoning

changes, she said. She fears the commission is steering towards a dystopian agenda. City Commissioners and mayoral candidates David Arreola and Harvey Ward shared their opposing stances at an Oak Hammock candidate forum Tuesday. Arreola, along with Mayor Lauren Poe and Commissioners Adrian Hayes-Santos and Reina Saco, assured the change will help solve Gainesville’s affordable housing crisis. Ward, with commissioners Cynthia Chestnut and Desmon Duncan-Walker, opposed the proposal. Chestnut said she has never seen an issue unite Gainesville more than the opposition for eliminating exclusionary housing. The proposal will not help gentrification, but it will reduce residents’ property value, she said. “It’s not going to help achieve that goal for African Americans and for anyone who’s really trying to achieve the American dream,” she said. The commission should explore inclusionary zoning, an approach that incentivizes developers to help provide affordable housing for moderate-income households, she said. Residents recommended the city pause the elimination of single-family zoning citywide and only implement zoning changes to select neighborhoods, but Johnsen said the commission dismissed their recommenda-

@BumpersKyle kbumpers@alligator.org tion formed at the city plan board meeting June 6. Chestnut said the city’s dismissal of the recommendation was disconcerting. A gradual citywide implementation would allow multi-family units to develop in historically white neighborhoods, HayesSantos said, rather than exclusively historically Black neighborhoods. It would level the playing field and tailor development to each neighborhood’s character. “We have to start somewhere,” he said. “We can’t keep delaying dealing with the housing issue … We’re having a housing crisis because we’ve continued to delay things.” The elimination of exclusionary zoning — which commissioners first passed in the 1950s — would increase the number of houses inside the city limits and reduce gentrification, traffic, housing cost and urban sprawl, he said. Melanie Corrales, an 18-year-old UF digital arts and sciences sophomore, was able to secure housing at Oakbrook Walk Apartments with her sister’s guidance, which, she said, is difficult for most residents to achieve. Even though college students account for 50% of Gainesville’s population and their ability to obtain affordable housing is crucial, Corrales said, there are other residents within the city that also need affordable housing. The city commission rescheduled its vote from July 13 to Aug. 4. @MickenzieHannon mhannon@alligator.org

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

Venues' vitality INDEPENDENT, from pg. 1 of Independent Venue Week, an annual nationwide event celebrating the contributions of more than 400 entertainment locales not owned or funded by larger corporations. The week highlighted Gainesville’s music scene — a once booming, then barren, and now recovering collection of community staples. Pat Lavery, High Dive’s facility and events manager, said the weekly schedule reflects the venue’s strength: a variety of shows night in and night out. “We do this every week,” he wrote in an email to The Alligator. “It’s what we love and what we’re good at.” IVW commemorates the survival of local stages like High Dive and Heartwood Soundstage, through elongated COVID closures. Though the week is in its fifth year, the past two years punctuate major lobbying efforts from the National Independent Venue Association — a collection of show promoters, venue personnel and festival employees — for relief funding amid the mass shutdowns. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and passed by Congress in December 2020, allocates over $16 billion in grants to recovering venues. NIVA members like High Dive are only open today because of the aid, which helped cover bills and operational costs that climbed

with the absence of revenue amid the closures, Lavery said. High Dive and Heartwood benefitted from the grant; each received around $161,000 in funding. “The funding that was secured collectively by NIVA through nonstop lobbying was the only way we survived the situation,” Lavery said. High Dive closed completely at the onset COVID closures in March 2020 until late August 2020; Heartwood reopened a month later. Dave Melosh, Heartwood’s owner and general manager, said the venue barely made it through. “We lost a good amount of money but managed to hang on,” he wrote in an email to The Alligator. The relief grant revives venues where artists like Austin Brockner, a 30-year-old blues rock musician, cut their teeth. Brockner played a series of house shows, markets and smaller venues around Gainesville before booking High Dive. The venue, which featured local upstarts like flipturn and national touring artists like Mitski and Mayday Parade, is among Gainesville’s most iconic stages, he said. “If you’re going to try to make it, this is the place you play,” Brockner said. “You go there once you’ve proved you’ve got a sound.” These venues also cultivate community. Lavery said High Dive raises around $40,000 annually for national and local charities with events like the Original Gainesville Food Truck Rally, which recruits regional food trucks to

fundraise for local organizations. The GGRC showcase tacks onto High Dive’s history of local engagement. Coral Smith, the co-director of GGRC, said her experience in the Gainesville music scene, High Dive’s notoriety and a combined interest in encouraging young musicians led to a longstanding partnership. “There’s been a deep relationship from the beginning with them,” Smith said. Saturday’s GGRC showcase was only the first show High Dive hosted that day, followed by an indie rock show featuring St. Petersburg’s Speakeasy and Gainesville’s Madwoman. Heartwood continued its ongoing partnership with the GNV Farmers Market, hosting the event and an after-market concert with newage jazz group Electric Kif Thursday. The bills at local venues now brim with artists, but pandemic wounds still sting. Shortages

and cancellations persist, Lavery said, and the added issues of inflation and rising gas prices hinder venues from offering traditional costs and bands from touring altogether. Despite the obstacles, local venues persevere. Melosh said Heartwood is profitable for the first time in two years, and Lavery said High Dive hasn’t let the roadblocks prevent regular operations. “We are still here and we are doing great things right here down the street,” he wrote. That’s what IVW is about, Lavery said — celebrating the small victories and the everyday musical miracles settled right in Gainesville’s backyard. @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org

Heather Bushman // Alligator Staff

High Dive hosted the Gainesville Girls Rock Camp showcase Saturday, July 16, 2022.

MUSIC

The Savants of Soul hit the road again after energetic performance at Heartwood Soundstage THE NINE-PIECE SOUL GROUP KICKED OFF THEIR FIRST TOUR IN THREE YEARS ON JULY 8

By Kristine Villarroel Avenue Staff Writer

Soaring horns and dynamic rhythms made fans dance under cloudy skies at the Heartwood Soundstage. While others sat in lawn chairs, some concertgoers gathered near the stage. Savants of Soul frontman Justin McKenzie fed off their energy to deliver an energetic vocal performance when the group took the stage on Friday. The nine-piece soul band kicked off their summer tour July 8 at the outdoor stage among dozens of fans. Their first time hitting the road since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour will cover six Florida cities throughout July. The band has existed under different lineups and varying sounds since 2011, but it morphed into its current form in 2020 with the release of its self-titled album. While their recording process is as intricate as their sound, the live show is where they let all the elements shine the best. Dressed in coordinated outfits, the nine members bring all their energy and vibrance to the stage. “Everyone should just come to our shows so I don't ever have to record another album,” McKenzie said. One of the dates on their tour will be a block party in Gainesville’s downtown, where they will invite a group of musicians including the Late Night Losers, Shine and the Shakers, Madwoman, Dionysus and others to jam in the street outside The Bull. There will also be food vendors, including local favorite Germain’s. The July 22 event will raise funds for UpbeatGNV, a non-profit that helps musicians connect with mental health services. Band member John Gray Shermyen co-founded the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to try to tackle the “accept-

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ed secret” of musicians’ struggle with mental health concerns. The group hopes to release their next album — which they still have to finish recording — sometime next year. Until then, they will play their new, old, and unreleased songs to anyone listening. While their sound is big, anthemic and crowded, instrumentalists and songwriters Shermyen and Zack Emerson said a major part of the recording process consists of simplifying each player’s part to create a smoother sound that lets each element shine. “Recording is a big mirror that you don't have any choice but to get right up close and look at,” Emerson said. “So you see all your flaws and mistakes and where you need to grow.” In a democratized music landscape, as Shermyen describes it, nearly anyone can create a record with minimal equipment needed. This freedom allows for creativity, he said, but too much of it hinders it. “Because you have so many options, it can be a little bit overwhelming to think that way,” Shermyen said. “Sometimes it is nice to be like ‘No, I'm going to make myself work under these more difficult conditions.’” The Savants have since taken a tape-only approach to music recording. The analog technology takes the sound signals from a microphone and converts them to magnetic energy that is then stored on a plastic film tape. This means that the editing process is reduced to a minimum as it would require physically cutting and rearranging the tapes. Every take has to work for the recording to sound good.

“It forces a little bit of perfect imperfection,”

- John Gray Shermyen, Savants of Soul

For a nine-piece group, getting the right take takes practice and coordination. The group rehearsed for months leading up to their album recording session at the legendary FAME recording studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Wilson Pickett, among other soul legends, recorded

some of their hits. For them, the recording sessions held some form of irony — as they recorded in a space where music history had been made for so many decades, tour groups visited the place with its gold-records-covered walls while they tried to use broken coffee machines and tiny bathroom stalls in between takes. Outside of the legendary studio, a CVS parking lot welcomes visitors. Since then, the group has recorded mostly at Gainesville’s Pulp Arts studio, which they credit for helping them develop their sound. Pulp Arts is the only place in town where they have been able to keep their tape-recording habit. The Savants of Soul aren’t trying to replicate the sounds from the era from which they draw inspiration. Instead, they use the musical vocabulary of those influences to communicate currently relevant messages. Their latest single, “Spot At The Top,” narrates the point of view of a person experiencing what Shermyen describes as “temporarily embarrassed millionaire syndrome,” or someone who votes against their best interests hoping that one day they will be rich and benefit from the system that hinders them where they are now. The song is narrated from a third-person point of view, with the singer describing how a character feels. This was a change that occurred during the recording process, McKenzie says. The original demo had him singing as the character, which he describes as a right-wing lunatic. Along with some politics-inspired songs, the lyrics in the Savants’ music deal with mostly universal human topics, like heartbreak, love and other emotions. Their composition process is based on collaboration. Nearly everybody writes songs, and members usually contribute arrangements to their parts. @ktnedelvalle kvillarroel@alligator.org

Gators get drafted

A trio of Florida baseball players had their MLB dreams realized Sunday night, pg. 11

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4 5

ACROSS CLUE 1. ____ gathering 5. Recluse 6. Summary 7. Overjoyed DOWN CLUE

ASCIOL ROLEN PA C R E L D E E TA

1. 2. 3. 4.

NAMLSO RECNTLA PA C I O R T DAEPNP

Smoked ____ ____ Park ____ tree Snoozed briefly

BONUS How to play

ANSWER

CLUE: The municipality of ____ ____ was created in 1911.

Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble the circled letters to solve the BONUS. 2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

ANSWERS: 1A-Social 5A-Loner 6A-Recap 7A-Elated 1D-Salmon 2D-Central 3D-Apricot 4D-Napped B-Monte Carlo

Send comments to TCA - 160 N. Stetson, Chicago, Illinois 60601 or DLHoyt@HoytInteractiveMedia.com

solution on page 10

answer on page 10 Release Date: Monday, July 18, 2022 Release Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Los Puzzle Los Angeles Angeles Times Times Daily Daily Crossword Crossword Puzzle Edited Lewis Editedby byPatti Patti Varol Varol and and Joyce Joyce Nichols Nichols Lewis

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FEATURE

Florida golfer Taylor Roberts to host Impact Cup The event aims to bring awareness to youth mental health By Brandon Hernandez Sports Writer

Although redshirt sophomore Taylor Roberts hasn’t made a tournament appearance for UF yet, she is already at work. Roberts, along with Duke golfer Phoebe Brinker, will host the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Impact Cup July 25-26 at the Bobby Jones Golf Club and the East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta. The Impact Cup is a unique college golf tournament that provides competitive golfers the opportunity to showcase their talents and develop important life skills. Roberts created the tournament with the mission to educate, foster and support awareness around youth mental health while establishing a peer-to-peer network where no one feels alone. “I started the Impact Cup because when I was going through my own struggles. I realized how lucky I was to have resources that my parents provided for me,” Roberts

said. The lifelong friends brought the idea of the Impact Cup to the AJGA. The association loved the idea, connecting the two athletes with the Generation Next Project, a charity aimed at providing tools to combat mental health in golf. Everything was envisioned all on a sit-down Zoom call when discussing the tournament. The main message, bringing awareness and ending the stigma on mental health. Each participant of the tournament has agreed to raise at least $1,000 to benefit the AJGA’s ACE Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to young golfers who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf, and The Generation Next Project. The goal for the Impact Cup is to raise $100,000. Roberts leads all participants with $65,691 raised as of Sunday. “A lot of people don’t have access to resources, and I wanted to raise money that would eventually help people learn more

about mental health and how to better themselves,” Roberts said. The golfers’ partnership with the AJGA has already been utilized once. In 2020, Roberts and Brinker hosted the Senior Cup in Parkland, Florida, for high school golfers whose senior seasons were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roberts and Brinker respond to their mental health struggles by being vocal about them and creating outlets for younger athletes who share similar experiences.

“I hope that bringing together collegiate golfers who have faced similar circumstances and struggles can start the necessary conversation surrounding mental health."

- Phoebe Brinker, Duke golfer

@BranH2001 bhernandez@alligator.org

Leslie White // University Athletic Association

Redshirt sophomore Taylor Roberts practices Feb. 14, 2022, at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida. Roberts is hosting the Impact Cup.

BASEBALL

Florida baseball trio selected in first two rounds of 2022 MLB Draft

Sterlin Thompson, Hunter Barco and Jud Fabian were selected by Colorado, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, respectively By Carson Cashion Sports Writer

The 2022 MLB Draft kicked off Sunday, and Florida made its presence known early. The Colorado Rockies selected

UF outfielder Sterlin Thompson with the 31st overall pick, earning him a slot value of more than $2.4 million. Sophomore ace Hunter Barco was next, getting drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 44th overall pick. Center fielder

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

Sophomore Sterlin Thompson eyes a hit and runs down the first base line against Jacksonville March 14, 2021. Thompson was drafted 44th by Colorado Sunday. alligatorSports has a podcast! The alligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

Jud Fabian was the third UF player selected, this time by the Baltimore Orioles with the 67th pick. Thompson was one of the cornerstones of the Gators’ offense in 2022. An Ocala native from North Marion High School, Thompson lasted just two years at UF before receiving the call up to the big leagues. The slugger recorded 145 hits, 98 runs and 16 homers on a .332 batting average during his collegiate career. He moved up in the lineup his sophomore year, starting in the three-spot before sliding up to second for the latter portion of the season. The 6-foot-4 lefty batter caught fire and never burned out, recording 51 RBIs and 90 hits in 2022. The highlight of Thomson’s season came May 17, when he drilled a ninth-inning walk-off home run against Florida State. The feat marked the second consecutive Gators walk-off against FSU at home, and Thompson fully embraced the moment. “I knew it was gone and I threw my bat,” Thompson said after the game. “That’s something I dreamed

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of as a kid.” Barco, after his freshman year was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, excelled in both of his final two years in Gainesville. The Jacksonville native earned 2021 Southeastern Conference AllNewcomer Team honors allowing just 77 hits and dealing 94 strikeouts in 83 innings of work. Barco was electric in his 2022 starts, thriving as UF’s bonafide ace. He averaged an ERA of 2.50 and a record of 5-2, allowing just 14 runs in 50.1 innings of action. Then, after an abbreviated start in Nashville, Tennessee, against Vanderbilt, Barco was sent to the dugout indefinitely with elbow soreness. Barco announced he would miss the remainder of the season May 3, as he underwent Tommy John surgery. Despite the shortened season, Barco showed all he needed to for Pittsburgh to be interested in taking the southpaw. He is eligible for more than $1.7 million at his slot value. Fabian returned to Gainesville for one more year after declining a contract from the Boston Red Sox, who drafted Fabian 40th in

the 2021 MLB Draft. The year gave him a chance to play with his brother, Deric, but his reasons to return stretched further than blood. Fabian looked to improve his plate discipline, and the effort paid off. He recorded 10 less strikeouts in 2022 than 2021 in nine more at-bats and increased his walk total from 40 to 62. While Fabian worked on his plate discipline, his power didn’t skip a beat. The Ocala native rocketed 24 homers in his final UF campaign, a record-setting accomplishment. He is the only Gator to ever record back-to-back seasons with more than 20 homers. Fabian recorded a perfect fielding rating in the Condron Ballpark outfield. His fielding and batting combined made him into the type of player the Orioles were seeking in the second round. His slot value is listed at more than $1 million. As the draft unfolds, more teammates will surely join Florida’s superstar trio on the list of drafted Gators.

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

@CarsonCashion ccashion@alligator.org

12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022

SEC

What to expect from Florida at SEC Media Days 2022

Multiple Gators will be making media appearances in Atlanta Wednesday By Jackson Castellano Sports Writer

Lauren Witte // Alligator Staff

Florida football coach Billy Napier greets fans during his first day on the job Dec. 5, 2021 in Gainesville. Napier will address the media at SEC Media Days Wednesday.

In the era of mega conferences and NIL deals galore, the 2022 Southeastern Conference Media Days — when the country gets its first glimpse at the coaches and teams primed to take the next leap forward — looks to be one of the most hectic ever. SEC Media Days in Atlanta begin Monday and end Thursday. Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and a trio of UF players, including redshirt sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson, senior linebacker Ventrell Miller and junior offensive lineman Richard Gouraige, will all take the mic Wednesday. The entirety of Gator nation will be listening. Napier makes the biggest headlines for the Gators, making his first official SEC media session since he took over for former Florida coach Dan Mullen.

The SEC can be an old boys club at times, with many of the same faces occupying the coaches panel each year, so each newcomer causes excitement within the conference. While the media will likely grill Napier on topics like recruiting, his previous work under Nick Saban and a difficult 2022 schedule — anything is on the table. The period between spring camp and SEC Media Days is quiet, so the press conference will answer burning questions fans have asked since April’s Orange and Blue game. Napier has proven he can maintain a cool head in front of the press before, so don’t expect any viral outbursts. After turning heads during his redshirt freshman season, Richardson has set himself up for a huge follow-up year. The Gainesville native owns the starting quarterback role and already received plenty of buzz for a potential Heisman-level season. Most know of Richardson’s talent, and his

raw ability and flashy playstyle will garner attention from a media standpoint, but few members of the national media have gotten to know him personally. Miller and Gouraige don’t carry the same expectations into media days as their superstar signal caller. However, their attendance plays into an important narrative: the transition from Mullen to Napier. Both players started their collegiate careers with Mullen, making them perfect candidates to provide interesting insight on similarities and differences between the two staffs. The moment the regular season actually arrives, SEC Media Days become virtually irrelevant; all talk fades when the teams hit the gridiron. Until that day comes, though, it’s time to analyze any crumb of information divulged. @jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

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