September 11, 2023

Ryan Friedenberg

Redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz celebrates after he ran the ball for a touchdown in the Gators' 49-7 win against the McNeese State Cowboys Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Find this story in Sports on pg. 15.

UF will accept ‘classical’ entrance exam in admissions

By Garrett Shanley & Bailey Diem Alligator Staff Writers

UF joined 11 Florida schools in becoming the first state university system in the country to accept the Classic Learning Test as an alternative to the SAT and ACT in its admissions following a Board of Governors vote Sept. 8.

The vote comes nearly seven months after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed reevaluation of the state’s relationship with College Board, the non-profit that administers the SAT.

What is the Classic Learning Test?

The CLT, founded in 2015, accomplishes its mission statement of “re-introducing truth, beauty, and goodness to modern education” through the use of classical literature and historical texts in its reading sections.

Two of the exam’s three sections are dedicated to “verbal reasoning” and “grammar and writing.” These sections feature passages from 162 writers, including Aristotle, Martin Luther King Jr. and Adam Smith.

A third “quantitative reasoning” section tests students on mathematics.

Taryn Boyes, director of marketing at Classic Learning Test, said the exam’s emphasis on classical literature presents a competitive advantage over other standardized tests.

“Rival exams often use recently-penned passages, which tend to have little intellectual or aesthetic substance,” Boyes wrote in a statement. “In contrast, CLT makes a point of prioritizing authors

that have shown their power to retain an audience for generations.”

The exam is accepted at over 250 colleges and universities, many of which are religiously affiliated. Out of the 13 Florida schools that accepted the CLT in admissions before Sept. 8, 11 were private Christian universities like Trinity College of Florida and Ave Maria University.

Of the students who have taken the CLT since 2018, 40% attend private school, 37% are homeschooled and about 12% attend public schools, according to data provided by CLT. The remaining 11% attend “classical charter schools.”

The exam’s popularity among homeschooled, private and charter students will “promote social and intellectual diversity on campus,” Boyes said.

While the CLT gained traction among non-public students, the total number of students taking the exam remains low.

In the high school class of 2022, 1.7 million students took the SAT and 1.3 million students took the ACT. From 2016 to 2023, only 21,000 high school juniors and seniors took the CLT, according to an official CLT report.

Why does UF now accept the CLT?

The Board of Governors, a 17-member board which presides over Florida’s State University System, voted nearly unanimously to pass a regulation that permits the CLT to be accepted in admissions.

Amanda Phalin, the Board of Governor’s advisory council of faculty senates chair, was the sole dissenting vote. She commended the legislature for

spend up to thousands on classroom supplies

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

As a fifth-grade teacher, Ashley Axson knows what makes her students pay attention in class: the treasure box.

Slime, pop-its and candy are best-selling treasures right now, so Axson keeps a steady supply in her room — in fact, the chance to win them might be the only reason some students come to class, she said. But to keep the prizes coming, Axson spends more than $1,000 out-of-pocket per year.

“Every single detail that goes into building a classroom comes out of a teacher’s wallet,” she said.

Teachers across Alachua County Public Schools and throughout the country spend from hundreds to thousands of dollars each year buying school supplies, class decorations, cleaning supplies and snacks for their students — most of which can’t be

purchased using district-allocated supply funds.

Among the ACPS teachers who talked to The Alligator, the average amount spent out-of-pocket was between $1,460 and $2,500, with the lowest estimate being $100 and the highest being $10,000.

Aside from teaching at Stephen Foster Elementary School, Axson took two more jobs — one in retail and one as a server — to help her afford classroom supplies and her personal finances.

“While I know that's my active choice to take on those extra jobs, it's so I know I can do what I need to do for these kids,” she said. “Because they do deserve all of the rewards.”

Paying for the essential non-essentials

Snacks are the biggest expense in English teacher Jordan Marlowe’s $1,000 bud-

get, he said.

Marlowe, who works at Newberry High School, has noticed students learn better when they’re not hungry, he said, so he stocked up on pop tarts, juice boxes and other goodies. But once word got out that he had food in his classroom, students started coming to him for snacks regardless of whether they had him as a teacher.

“It is really, really hard for me to say no to somebody who is hungry,” he said. “That's just a terrible feeling. But it was getting so expensive.”

The district provides teachers with a Class Wallet account, which allows them to spend about $300 on certain approved supplies, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said. Teachers confirmed they receive Class Wallet money, but estimated its value at about $250.

Each school also allocates about $200 — an amount that varies among schools —

SEE CLT, PAGE 5

from its supplies budget to each teacher. However, all supplies bought with these funds must be approved by school administrators.

Prizes, decorations and snacks are considered non-essential and therefore are not covered by schools. If teachers want to purchase from sites other than the county options, or if their purchases are rejected, they are not reimbursed for the costs.

As a result, teachers have resorted to buying what they need out of pocket.

One solution to the lack of flexibility on district-approved purchases would be to reimburse teachers for supplies of their choice up to a certain dollar amount, Marlowe said.

“It becomes onerous,” he said. “If I need pencils today, or tomorrow, I'm just gonna go get the pencils tomorrow, and then if I can't get reimbursed for it, well, I just can't get reimbursed.”

The cost of comfortable

Another option teachers turn to is supply drives and wish lists, where class parents

SEE SCHOOL, PAGE 5

First-year head coach Adam Steinberg hopeful for 2023-24. Read more on pg. 15.

// Alligator Staff

Teachers

Decorations, snacks and books largely come out-of-pocket

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

UF Student Government has new parties: Vision and Pizza

New Student Government parties announce campaigns for Fall Senate seats election

By Vivienne Serret Alligator Staff Writer

It’s officially campaign season, which means UF student government parties begin advertising their party platforms and offer students to slate with them.

Slating is a process where students are interviewed by representatives of a specific party to be involved with the campaign and possibly run for a seat.

Campaign initiatives become more specific as students run for Senate seats, stating what they hope to accomplish when the student body votes for them.

In the Fall, students elect district representatives senators who represent students per their dorm or off-campus district.

Students will get to vote for Change Party, Gator Party, Vision Party and Pizza Party in the upcoming election cycle.

Vision Party

Vision formally announced its creation on Instagram Sept. 6.

The party is a “coalition of former Change and Gator senators with a new #Vision for Student Government at UF,” according to its Instagram.

While no campaign platforms have officially been announced, students can anticipate policy points to be presented soon as official running candidates are announced.

Interested students can slate with Vision until Sept. 12 by bringing a resume, an optional idea sheet and a Gator 1 Card to the Student Engagement Portal on the second floor of the Reitz Union.

Change Party Change Party’s campaign has

previously centered around diversity, equity and inclusion programs. They also focus on issues such as restructuring funding for student organizations, expanding funding for mental health services and a permanent 24/7 library resource, combating issues like food insecurity and sexual assault and developing environmental sustainability initiatives.

Interested students can slate with Change until Sept. 12 by bringing a Gator 1 Card to the Student Engagement Portal on the second floor of the Reitz Union.

Students can also apply to be a Change Ambassador if they’re uncertain about joining the Senate by filling out a form on Change’s Linktree.

Gator Party

Gator Party’s previous campaign platforms focused on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; improving the accessibility for on-campus academic, lifestyle and transportation resources and reforming the student organization funding model.

The Gator Party Instagram formally announced the party’s campaign Sept. 10. Slating information and locations have not been formally announced yet as of Sept. 10.

“Gator Party is back for its 9th semester,” they wrote. “Over the past 8 semesters, we have made so much progress for all gators, and we are excited to share what we have planned for Fall 2023!”

Pizza Party

This semester, students can also vote for Pizza Party.

President and co-founder Ben “Pizza” Belin, a 19-year-old UF marketing sophomore, started Pizza Party with his peers because he

Add it to the alligator’s online calendar: alligator.org/calendar

believes SG is lacking fun with the current political environment on campus.

“We believe that good policy and good fun can co-exist and that by bringing the two together we can introduce meaningful changes to our campus,” Belin wrote.

Pizza Party’s campaign platform includes fixing the funding dispersal and budget for clubs, surveying the campus population for requests on celebrity guest speakers, encouraging the creation of additional political parties by making it more accessible, increasing pay for the supervisor of elections, and giving free ice cream on any day over 95 degrees.

Interested students can slate with Pizza Party Sept. 10 from 9 a.m to noon, and Sept. 11 from 3 to 5 p.m on the second floor of the Reitz Union.

Students just need to bring their Gator 1 Card, a “good attitude” and pizza, according to their Instagram — resumes are also not required.

“Parties and pizzas, throughout human history these two words have gone hand in hand,” Belin wrote. “The only thing we have done is bring them together under a new light, that being the political one.”

Fall 2023 elections will be Oct. 3 and Oct. 4. Voting areas are to be announced.

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Graduate student union could lose recognition under new law

GRADUATE ASSISTANTS UNITED HAS UNTIL FEB. 9 TO REACH 60% MEMBERSHIP DENSITY

By Megan Howard Alligator Staff Writer

A law from Florida’s legislative session puts unions — including UF’s collective for graduate students — at risk of losing legal recognition as early as next year.

Senate Bill 256, also known as Employee Organizations Representing Public Employees, strips unions of legal recognition unless they reach 60% membership of all employees.

The first part of the bill went into effect July 1, while membership quotas for union reinstatement go into effect Oct. 1.

If a union doesn’t meet the membership requirements, its employer is no longer obligated to legally recognize and honor union contracts, according to the bill. Failure to meet the quota triggers an application process for the union.

It is unclear whether the union is able to collectively bargain while in the application stage.

“The University of Florida does not comment on pending legislation,” UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said.

At UF, the Graduate Assistants United union has bargained with the university administration on issues such as stipends and employee benefits.

GAU and its parent unions: United Faculty of Florida, Florida Education Association, National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers also have negotiated thousands of discounts for members, ranging from local restaurants to phone and insurance plans.

Eva Garcia-Ferres, a UF social psychology graduate student and GAU co-president, said meetings with university administration and bargaining should be expected of UF as an institution.

“It is the responsibility of the employer to also hear out the concerns and opinions of the people that they’re employing and the people that they’re working for, which would be the students,” Garcia-Ferres said.

Without legal recognition, the union couldn’t require the university to meet with its representatives or engage in bargaining sessions.

Avery Bollinger, a UF public health PhD

student and graduate assistant, is not a member of the GAU because of the dues but still actively supports the union and attends its meetings.

“I am really glad for what the GAU has been doing and how much they’ve been advocating for all of us,” Bollinger said. “Especially those of us who aren’t able to always be super involved or always advocate for ourselves on a large scale.”

Bollinger is in opposition to SB 256 as many graduate students are often deterred from joining unions because of the dues associated with membership, which according to the GAU website are 1% of the graduate assistant salary or about $10 per paycheck.

“I don’t think [SB 256 is] a great way to go about things,” Bollinger said. “Since you do have to pay in order to be a member does keep a lot of people from becoming full members.”

The union bargained for stipend increases in the last year, which allows graduate assistants to afford living expenses while working on their degree.

“When you’re a graduate student you don’t have time for a second job,” Bollinger said. “That’s a lot of money and [GAU has] definitely had a positive impact on me just on that basis.”

Bryn Taylor, a UF rehabilitation science PhD student and former GAU president, said communication between the university and GAU already often feels hostile.

“It’s usually the university undervaluing us and our labor intentionally to try to convince us that we deserve less pay than we do,” Taylor said.

One issue GAU bargains for is graduate assistant wages. Many graduate student employment contracts outline 20 hours of work and another 20 hours allocated for academics.

With 40 hours a week dedicated to the university, Taylor said it’s hard for students to pick up second jobs.

“We have to be able to eat and pay rent in order to perform this labor for you,” Taylor said. “So there is no other option but for you to give us a livable wage because what else is there to do? Otherwise, you’re saying that only independently wealthy students can get PhDs at UF.”

SB 256 is the most recent attack on the wages of teachers by the state, she said.

“If there’s no employing contract, then they can pay whatever they want, and they don’t have to give us a raise and offer health

care,” Taylor said.

The union has until Feb. 9, 2024, to meet the 60% quota. GAU still has a long way to go as far as recruitment, Taylor said.

“A lot of the time people use money as an excuse not to join and it’s absolutely true that GA’s are strapped for cash,” Taylor said. “But at the same time our dues for the graduate student union are the lowest in the country at 1%.”

The dues go toward payday socials where the union offers free food.

While meeting the 60% quota is vital for GAU to continue negotiating contracts and benefits with the university, all staff would

benefit.

Florida is a right-to-work state, meaning every employee receives the benefit of the contract and union negotiations regardless of membership.

“If we do not hit the 60% mark, UF will not abide by the contract,” Taylor said. “They will absolutely no longer offer fee relief. I can very much see a path where they no longer offer health care. They will bump down our minimum stipend. That is absolutely going to be bad if we do not have a union.”

@meganmhxward mhoward@alligator.org

Courtesy to The Alligator Bryn Taylor, Rachel Hartnett and Jackie Schnieber table in front of the J. Wayne Reitz Union on Sept. 14, 2023.

UF students beware the ‘Gainesville Plague’

Many fall susceptible to common colds, sinus infections and COVID-19

By Jinelle Vazquez Alligator Staff Writer

When UF business administration senior Julianna Ciccantelli returned for the Fall semester, she prepared for two things: her classes and sinus infections.

“I am very prone to getting them,” Ciccantelli said. “Especially when the seasons change and whenever I move back into the dorms when coming back up to UF.”

The 22-year-old experiences symptoms like fatigue, postnasal drip and congestion for up to three weeks when she gets a sinus infection. Despite the frustrations that come with getting sick, she said it is inevitable for UF students.

“Everyone is bound to catch something at the start of the school year,” Ciccantelli said.

A few weeks into the Fall semester, countless UF students are getting sick with various viruses, including the common cold and the latest COVID-19 strain, resulting in an outbreak of what has been dubbed as the ‘Gainesville Plague’.

On-campus resources

Jocelyn Gravlee is the director of UF’s Student Health Care Center, which offers a Fast Track clinic on its second floor that sees patients with acute upper respiratory symptoms and same-day testing for illnesses like the flu.

“Our mission is to help every UF student achieve optimal health in the pursuit of personal and academic success,” Gravlee said.

Gravlee said viruses are common on college campuses, and flu season runs from mid-fall through spring. September and October remain the best times for most people to get their flu vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“However, it is not uncommon to see students with influenza this time of year,” she said. “There is nothing unique about Gainesville and [its] cold season.”

The most recent Florida Department of Health report showed that Alachua County and other Florida counties’ flu rates were rising. Gravlee encourages students to stay home if they have a fever to limit the spread of infection.

Symptoms and remedies

There are many similarities between symptoms of common colds, the flu and COVID-19, Jeb Justice, UF Chief of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery and associate professor of Otolaryngology, said. These parallels include fatigue, cough, nasal congestion and facial pressure.

However, COVID-19 typically comes with a dry cough, while a common cold and the flu do not, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Justice said sinus infections often arise from having one of these viruses.

“A true sinus infection…[comes] five to seven days after getting a common cold or having really bad environmental allergies,” Justice said. “If you have underlying allergies, that can predispose you to sinus infections.”

More than 20 million Americans will have at least one episode of sinusitis this year, according to Harvard Health.

Justice recommends students use Afrin nasal spray for sinus infections to aid with breathing and sleep during sickness, with a warning to not use it for more than three days to avoid addiction to the spray.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology also limits Afrin use to three days.

Justice also advises students to try nasal ir-

rigation to reduce congestion.

“A lot of people will do nasal irrigations with either a neti pot or some sort of squeeze bottle,” Justice said. “You want to make sure you use distilled water… [it is] the safest way because the tap water can actually have microbes in it.”

Some students turn to more holistic remedies to avoid getting sick.

Genesis Soto-Alfonso, a UF microbiology sophomore, said they have started taking multivitamins and supplements to strengthen their respiratory system and prevent illness.

“In my first year at UF, I would basically get sick every couple of weeks,” they said. “I have much less congestion as well as coughing less [now].”

Mullein leaf and calcium magnesium zinc are among the supplements Soto-Alfonso includes in their daily routine.

COVID-19 updates

Although the CDC ended the federal declaration of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency in early May, the agency’s most recent statement said annual community outbreaks of COVID-19 infections will typically occur during late fall and winter.

The newest variant is BA2.86, which has been given the unofficial nickname Pirola,

Jerne Shapiro said.

Jerne Shapiro, an instructional assistant professor in the department of epidemiology, was UF’s Lead Epidemiologist for its COVID-19 response and worked with the Alachua County Health Department to control the disease’s spread.

The Florida Department of Health reported 23,960 overall cases of COVID-19 in the state of Florida. There were 70 new COVID-19 hospital admissions in Alachua County in the past week, according to the CDC.

“This variant is not what is currently driving the increase in hospitalizations being seen across the U.S.,” Shapiro said. “Instead, it is being caused by other predominantly circulating viruses.”

Early research shows that the COVID-19 vaccine and existing antibodies are effective against the BA2.86 variant. Still, Shapiro said it is important to wear a well-fitting mask such as a N-95 if you decide to wear one.

“Cloth or surgical masks are ineffective, as the virus is too small and can go through the gaps,” Shapiro said.

UF students have already started to test positive for COVID-19 this semester.

Maite Chapartegui, a 19-year-old UF computer science sophomore, said she only became concerned about having COVID-19 after one of her roommates tested positive.

“My symptoms before testing positive were congestion and sneezing, but I brushed it off as allergies,” Chapartegui said. “I typically get really bad allergies every day, and I am almost always congested.”

Mild symptoms of COVID-19 may present similarly to allergies, according to the Mayo Clinic.

UF students and employees with compromised immune systems should get vaccinated with the new booster vaccine that becomes available next week, Shapiro said. Students, faculty and staff can receive vaccines and boosters from the SHCC and UF Health pharmacies at no cost.

@vazquezjinelle jvazquez@alligator.org

Activists clash with FDEP over springs regulations

FDEP PROPOSED NEW REVISIONS THAT ACTIVISTS SAY LEAVES SPRINGS VULNERABLE

By Kylie Williams

Alligator Staff Writer

Florida’s freshwater springs overflow with life, combining rich biodiversity with community recreation. Yet, springs activists argue a once-pristine environment is at risk of being ruined.

For nearly a decade, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has been locked in legal battles with springs activists about Florida spring preservation. On Aug. 11, the FDEP proposed revisions to Chapter 62-41.400403, F.A.C., which the agency claims will limit excessive harm to springs.

Advocacy groups, like the Florida Springs Council, fear the proposed revisions won’t help protect the springs and stop commercial water bottlers from overpumping Florida aquifers.

FDEP law states, “No permit issued by the agencies for the consumptive use of water shall authorize groundwater withdrawals that are harmful to the water resources.”

The law protects 30 of Florida’s largest or most historically

important springs, referred to as “outstanding springs.” The proposed revisions to Chapter 62-41 would define what constitutes harm to water resources.

However, the department’s proposed harm laws do little to actually protect outstanding springs, Florida Springs Council Executive Director Ryan Smart said. Roughly 80% of the state’s outstanding springs are nitrogen-impaired due to pollution and overpumping.

An overabundance of nitrogen can lead to algae blooms, which can cause native plant and animal life within the springs to die out. This can lead to the decimation of ecosystems that can rarely be found outside of Florida. Algae can also cause springs to lose its water clarity, which can lead to illness in humans and pets.

“No one’s paying to go out on a springs system that’s covered in algae,” Smart said.

Nitrogen is commonly found in fertilizer, and 70% of state-wide spring pollution comes from the agriculture industry, he added.

Outside of environmental impacts, springs are cultural touchstones for many communities and the deterioration of the resource can lead to an economic loss, Smart said.

Wakulla Springs alone received over 180,000 visitors in the

2021-2022 fiscal year, contributing over $21 million to the local economy.

Pollution laws that are targeted toward agriculture companies aren’t heavily enforced, which makes spring preservation an uphill battle, Smart said. Overpumping only adds to this problem, as it’s difficult for springs with low water levels to dilute pollutants.

“We have a system in Florida where we essentially allow polluters and water users to just run wild,” he said.

FDEP allows companies like Nestle to pump up to one million gallons of water a day for commercial use, Smart said. The cost of obtaining a permit to pump that amount is a one-time fee of $115.

The Alligator reached out to FDEP six times, but the agency did not respond for comment. BlueTriton, formerly known as Nestle Waters North America, also did not provide a statement on its activities in Florida springs.

The St. Johns River, Florida’s longest river, is fed by over 100

springs.

The river has recently seen a significant reduction in freshwater flow due to overpumping, St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman said. The river’s flow has shrunk by 30%, according to the organization’s Facebook page.

The negative impacts will eventually extend to the local economy as the river, which stretches from Indian River County to north of Jacksonville, is a recreational river that supports commercial fishing, residential communities and tourism. Unsustainable water practices can take a heavy toll on the area’s economy, Rinaman said.

“When the rivers are unhealthy, that harms these communities downstream,” she said.

Rinaman attended an FDEP workshop Aug. 28, where about 100 springs activists gathered to give public comments about the agency’s proposed regulations. Citizens held signs reading, “Follow the law, do no harm” and shared their concerns related to the law’s revisions. FDEP will continue to take public comments until Sept. 18.

Read the rest online at alligator.org.

Zachary Carnell contributed to this report.

@KylieWilliams99

kyliewilliams@alligator.org

Diego Perdomo// Alligator Staff

Gabriella Aulisio// Alligator Staff

Environmental activist groups hold up signs supporting the protection of the springs at Alachua County Library on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

SAT, ACT Alternative

expanding access to state universities, but said there isn’t enough evidence to support the test’s validity in admissions.

Phalin cited multiple problems with CLT’s self-produced reports, including insufficient sample size and poor methodology.

“I want to be very clear to my colleagues on the board and also to the public, I am not against al -

lowing the use of the CLT,” Phalin said. “I oppose the use of it at this time because we do not have the empirical evidence to show that this assessment is of the same quality as the ACT and the SAT.”

The College Board echoed similar criticisms of the CLT’s concordance report which compares CLT scores against SAT scores.

“While the paper makes statements about comparability be-

tween the SAT and CLT, the study does not meet industry standards,” College Board wrote in a July report.

CLT’s inclusion comes after a months-long dispute between the College Board and the DeSantis administration.

The Florida Department of Education rejected Advanced Placement African American Studies from the state curriculum Jan. 12. A month later, DeSantis said Florida needs to reevaluate its relationship with the College Board, which administers AP courses to high school students.

“There’s probably some other vendors who may be able to do that job as good or maybe even a lot better,” DeSantis said in a press conference Feb. 13. “I’ve already talked with [Florida House Speaker] Paul [Renner] and I think the Legislature is going to look to reevaluate kind of how Florida is doing that.”

DeSantis signed House Bill 1537 into law May 9, which allowed the CLT to be administered in Florida school districts and be considered for Bright Futures Scholarship awards.

UF Spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said UF will accept any decisions made by the Board of Governors.

“We are guided by a comprehensive, holistic review process that evaluates the academic and nonacademic criteria of appli-

Teachers spending

SCHOOL, from pg. 1

can donate pencils, tissues and other musthave items.

Alayna Schwenker, a third-grade teacher at Stephen Foster, had some of the books in her class library donated to her, she said. Others, however, she bought herself because she wanted to teach specific lessons.

Schwenker also made most of her posters and paper decorations herself — with the help of Pinterest — to save money, including the DIY-ed rainbow paper flowers that border her bulletin boards and the storage box seats in her class library.

In total, she estimated she spends $100 to $200 on supplies per year.

“I feel like the money can be overwhelming at points,” she said. “But then you're also choosing to do that, you know? So I feel like there's not a point where I'm like, ‘Oh, it's too much.’”

Having previously taught at a school in North Carolina, Schwenker noted she gets much more monetary help from ACPS than she did from her last school, where she was reimbursed for only up to $100 worth of school supplies.

First-year teachers might spend more money than their seasoned peers, as was the case for second-grade Glen Springs Elementary School teacher Ryan Pacheco.

In his first year, Pacheco stocked up on posters, folders and a couple hundred books for his personal library, which altogether racked up a $500 to $600 price tag. He wanted to make the classroom feel comfortable and welcoming, something he wished

he had growing up.

“I want to make sure that the environment that they have is one that they want to go to, especially since they see me 180 days of the year,” he said. “Out of those 180 days, they at least enjoy like, 120 of them.”

In the years since, he’s reused class decor and learned which materials are necessities, so his spending dropped to between $200 and $300, he said. Markers, paper and laminating sheets are at the top of his classroom spending list.

‘I wish I could have a life’

Despite being a teacher for five years, Jamie Wenzell, another fifth-grade teacher at Stephen Foster, still spends $5,000 to $10,000 per year on her classroom, she estimated — though she noted her spending habits are higher than her peers’.

Her classroom is lined with string lights, and a couch is settled in the front corner next to a three-point lamp. The overhead lights stay off; one of Wenzell’s favorite parts of the room is the lighting, she said. Her goal was to make the classroom feel homey.

“This is my creative outlet,” she said. “So I just spend a lot of my free time here because I don't have money for trips and anything extra.”

Wenzell does lesson plans and grading until 10 p.m. most weekdays, and she comes into the classroom on weekends, partially to feed the class pet, a bearded dragon lizard named Gucci.

In a move she said she slightly regrets, Wenzell told her students she’d get a pet of their choice if they could persuade her in an essay. Evidently, they did, and Wenzell now pays for Gucci’s upkeep on top of her

cants, in addition to requirements under federal and state laws as well as the Florida Board of Governors’ regulations,” Roldan wrote in a statement.

Jay Anderson, the assistant to the president at Santa Fe College, said SFC follows regulations from the Florida Department of Education and hasn’t been contacted as of Sept. 8 about implementing the CLT.

“Whenever the Department updates its requirements, we will comply,” Anderson wrote.

Will students switch?

Ellie Mordujovich, a 17-yearold Buchholz High School senior, believes the test may be looked down upon because of its debatable nature, she said.

“I feel like that test or way of learning is very controversial, at least in today’s society, because of the way we were taught to learn,” she said. “I do think it will probably have a lot of negative reactions.”

Still, Mordujovich and likely many others would take the CLT if it were offered to her as an alternative to the SAT or ACT, she said.

“I bet if the CLT would have been an option, I would’ve taken it along with the other two just to see how I would do,” she said. “I think most people would, especially just to have the other option and score.”

For students like Alessandra DeLeon, a 17-year-old Gainesville High School senior, the CLT’s lack of contemporary coverage hurts more than helps, she said.

“[The CLT] seems to really emphasize the state of education over a century ago,” she said. “I don’t think that style of education alone without more contemporary supplements would support someone in their modern life.”

The test cannot directly compare to the SAT or ACT because of its unique approach, DeLeon said.

“The CLT seems to put the emphasis on different subjects,” she said. “If colleges are looking specifically for the skills the SAT and ACT test for, I don’t think the CLT is a true equivalent to those.”

Unlike Mordujovich, DeLeon doubts she would’ve taken the CLT if offered, she said.

“The ACT [and] SAT are much more established and therefore probably have more preparation resources and are accepted by more college[s],” DeLeon said.

Students’ next opportunity to take the CLT will be through a free, remotely proctored session available through Abilene Christian University on Sept. 16.

@garrettshanely gshanley@alligator.org

@BaileyDiem bdiem@alligator.org

regular class supplies.

She also spends time planning for the following year over the summer, leaving her neither time nor money to go on vacation.

“I just wish that the work that I do is reflected in my pay,” she said. “I wish I could have a life.”

About 40% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years, according to the Florida Education Association. There are 49 teaching positions open in Alachua County as of Sept. 8, indicating some schools are understaffed.

Ultimately, Wenzell pointed toward low teacher pay as one of the culprits behind teacher shortages and low retention.

“If we were funded better, we would not only be able to retain teachers, but then all these test scores that they're worried about would improve, just by being able to retain educated professionals,” she said. “But we're not paid like professionals. Not yet.”

Even facing the heavy costs of her work, Wenzell wants to keep teaching because she loves it, she said — she just wishes it could be done in a more sustainable way.

“I don't think people understand how much of a real problem it is,” she said. “Because everything you see in this room came out of my pocket.”

Patricia Pascual// Alligator Staff

Alissa Gary // Alligator Staff

Third grade teacher Alayna Schwenker sits on a hand-made bench in the library corner of her classroom at Stephen Foster Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

Deeper than beds and breakfast: Preserving a piece of Gainesville’s rich history

INN OWNERS FIGHT TO KEEP CITY’S BED-AND BREAKFASTS ALIVE

By Ella Thompson

On April 7, 1971, Joe Montalto’s life changed forever. He met his future wife and business partner, Cindy. Twenty years later, the pair opened The Magnolia Plantation, Gainesville’s first bed-and-breakfast.

Only a 10-minute drive from UF lies one of Gainesville’s hidden gems: the historic bed-and-breakfast district. With a rich history and eclectic aesthetics, these inns have provided a unique travel experience to Gainesville visitors for 32 years.

Ghosts, hippies, Tom Petty and some members of his first band, Mudcrutch, have inhabited these inns long before they became temporary homes to travelers passing through.

Each bed and breakfast has a different resurrection story. Joe, 69, and Cindy, 68, had different ideas when they were looking for property to buy in Gainesville. Joe is a “visionary” and Cindy is a realist, she said.

“When we pulled up to the front of the house, when we first were looking at it, Joe said at the exact same time I did–He’s like, ‘This is the house,’ and I said, ‘Oh hell no I’m not going in there,’” Cindy said.

The house is a standing time capsule, decorated with black and white family photos, baptismal outfits and 11-year-old Joe’s red Soap Box Derby car. Their collie, Annie, sits in the summer kitchen where Cindy makes breakfast every morning for guests while their adopted stray cat, Turtle, wanders the property throughout the day.

Every detail was thought out, Joe said. Each room is named after one of their female relatives. The main house’s kitchen is made completely out of Gainesville Cypress trees.

Cindy and Joe were the catalysts that prompted the bed and breakfast district’s redevelopment. The area was run down when they moved in. Originally, the couple purchased just the main house, which was littered with couches, mattresses and a pile of “crusty” clothes taller than Cindy, she said.

The couple credits themselves with starting the “sucker club,” a club made up of family, friends and guests they’ve convinced to move to the district and surrounding areas. Their latest convert is a doctor and nurse couple who moved in six years ago, Joe said.

“Our biggest coup is sucker number 18, which is right on the other side of that fence there, we now have a doctor and a nurse,” Joe said. “Right through that gate, we get free medical attention anytime we want.”

Joe and Cindy worked around the clock to restore the French Second Empire Victorian house, the only of its kind in Gainesville, Joe said. The couple outsourced work for the electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, but did everything else alongside a carpenter who worked with them six days a week.

Joe and Cindy opened their inn in 1991, and while they had success, it was difficult to get students in the surrounding areas to quiet down, Joe said. To combat this, the couple bought some of the surrounding builds in the first 10 years of being open.

In addition to buying extra property, Joe and his father installed a pond on the property that is supposed to resemble the Florida Springs, he said. The noise generated by the pond blocked out a little bit of college student rumble.

As the neighborhood developed and the couple grew the “sucker club,” the college voices started to fade out, Joe said

Two years after Cindy and Joe opened The Magnolia Plantation, Cornelia Holbrook, 60, opened The Sweetwater Branch Inn. Two minutes from The Magnolia Plantation, it has 29 rooms spread through 13 buildings on a 2-acre property.

“We took old, dilapidated, unrestored, otherwise unsightly buildings—historic treasures, actually—and made them into something useful,” Holbrook said.

The inn serves a wide variety of purposes. Its eccentric rooms differ wildly from hotels because every room is uniquely decorated and no detail is a coincidence, she said.

“The rooms in one of the houses are named after roses, and then the rooms in McKenzie house are named after famous women that I love,” she said. “I didn’t want to put numbers on them.”

In 1978, Holbrook’s mother, Giovanna Holbrook, purchased the McKenzie Home—one of the two Victorian-era mansions on the current property—with her husband, Juan. Named after the previous owner, Mary McKenzie, the couple restored the home, but they had trouble renting it out.

Because of this, Giovanna moved into the McKenzie Home in 1982. However, Cornelia Holbrook had always dreamed of opening an inn, she said. When the opportunity arose, Giovanna bought the Cushman-Colson House, which was right next door to the McKenzie home.

“I had seen my parents restore a couple of Victorian homes and I thought, ‘Oh, that would be wonderful,’” Holbrook said. “It was a good fit.”

In 1992, Holbrook began restoring the Cushman-Colson House to its Victorian glory, which was no easy feat, she said. The house was purchased after a fire from its previous inhabitants.

The Cushman-Colson house was a commercial property and therefore required a contractor to tackle the restoration, but Holbrook was there every step of the way.

“I did a lot of refurbishing of the woodwork and the fire mantles and antique doors, and I did all the interior design,” she said. “I started out with just five guest rooms, so it was tiny.”

In 1993, she opened the Sweetwater Branch Inn, and in 1998, Giovanna moved out of the McKenzie Home, and Holbrook added five more rooms to the inn.

Holbrook, while not a professionally trained chef, has cooked in various kitchens her whole life, and made breakfast for guests at the inn for 28 years, she said. Recently, she took a step back from morning preparations to focus on her 14-year-old son.

Now 31 years in, Holbrook reflects on her struggles through the decades. Battles with ghosts, Airbnb and COVID-19 have forced inn owners to fight to keep their historic preservations alive, she said.

Multiple guests have checked out because of a mischievous spirit that would move picture frames or mess with light fixtures, she said. Holbrook wants the record to show that the Sweetwater Branch Inn is no longer haunted after a spiritualist helped the “lost soul” find its way home, she said.

The bed and breakfast concept is a tough business to run, and most only last a few years, Cindy and Joe Montalto said. The couple owns Gainesville’s longest-running bed and breakfast. But they do it together.

“I couldn’t imagine doing this without him,” Cindy said. “I wouldn’t want to do it by myself, it’s not fun.”

“I don’t want to be with anybody except for her,” Joe responded.

Their legacy is not the inn they’re eventually going to leave behind, they said, but it’s the impact they’ve left on the neighborhood and its people.

@elladeethompson Ethompson@alligator.org

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Magnolia Plantation Bed & Breakfast Inn is seen on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Gainesville’s Historic Bed & Breakfast district.

Local front-yard ‘fresh eggs’ box delights neighborhood

MICHELLE CASTRONOVER PROMOTES BACKYARD SUSTAINABILITY WITH CHICKEN COOP, BUTTERFLY WAYSTATION

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

Michelle Castronover wasn’t keen on owning chickens. But when her husband and daughter asked to build a coop as a “COVID project,” the 49-year-old Shell Elementary teacher agreed.

Three years later, the Castronovers own 10 chickens — the maximum allowed to residents by Gainesville’s Fowl, Chickens or Livestock Code — and share their eggs with the neighborhood through the “fresh eggs” box standing on the edge of their front lawn, which they restock regularly with six- and nineegg-sized boxes. The coop is just one of the family’s backyard sustainability projects, along with a greenhouse and butterfly garden.

The fresh eggs box went up in February when Michelle, her husband and their two children couldn’t eat eggs as quickly as they collected them.

“We were getting so many eggs we couldn’t give them all away,” said Michelle’s husband, 53-yearold UF police sergeant Gregory Castronover. “I figured, ‘Well, let me go ahead and put this up and anybody that wants chicken eggs can come.’”

In February, U.S. egg prices saw a 70.1% inflation rate at $4.21 per dozen, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Michelle and Gregory were grateful their backyard coop protected them from rising prices, and they wanted to share their high-quality goods with neighbors who couldn’t afford free-range eggs from the grocery store.

“The prices were stupidly high. I mean, they were crazy,” Gregory said. “So if somebody needed a sixpack of eggs or a nine-pack and they didn’t have any money they’d just come get them.”

The box was a “huge hit,” and

the Castronovers have yet to see any eggs spoil in the box before getting picked up by a hungry neighbor, Michelle said.

“Some of the neighbors said their kids prefer to come get our eggs — they call it the ‘egg box’ — instead of going to the grocery store,” Michelle said. “And we have one lady we actually put eggs to the side for, and she comes twice a month to collect all her eggs.”

Michelle beelines to the coop after waking up every morning, where she usually finds about seven eggs waiting for her. What doesn’t go into the box gets used to make her favorite breakfast: an over-easy with toast. Fresh eggs were an acquired taste, she said.

“I always thought fresh farm eggs look disgusting to me because I’m just so used to the store-bought ones,” Michelle said. “But now that I’m eating these, I don’t ever want to have to buy eggs from the store again.”

Backyard chicken-raising is on the rise due to people like the Castronovers who picked up the hobby during COVID. As of September 2022, 12 million Americans own chickens, according to the American Pet Association.

In Gainesville, the code allowing residents up to 10 chickens but prohibiting other livestock, like roosters, was updated last year to specify the type of hen allowed to Gallus domestic hens, said Rossana Passaniti, Gainesville public communications officer. The code has proved unproblematic for the city, other than the occasional noise complaint, Passaniti said.

“That’s when oftentimes roosters are discovered on the property,” Passaniti said. “Code enforcement manages these requests and they will issue a warning … to educate individuals about what’s permitted.”

Passaniti does not own or live near backyard chickens herself but applauds those who take on the responsibility, she said.

“It’s a big responsibility, but they’re beautiful creatures,” she said. “And certainly if you have the

property, being able to have fresh eggs sounds absolutely delightful.”

The hobby is environmentally friendly as well as boredom-busting. Many backyard flocks act as bio recyclers by eating leftover fruit and vegetable scraps. One chicken that eats a diet of 25% food scraps can eat more than 25 pounds per year in waste, according to Chicago Botanical Garden. The Castronovers incorporate compost into their own coops’ diet.

“I love to save leftover raw veggies for them,” Michelle said. “They love it.”

The roost sits adjacent in the Castronover’s backyard to another one of Michelle’s COVID-originating passion projects: her “Monarch Motel,” a milkweed greenhouse, butterfly garden and screened hutch, all built by her husband and registered with the nonprofit conservation program Monarch Watch as an official Monarch Waystation.

Monarch Waystations help protect the species from habitat loss due to urban development and the widespread use of herbicides. Monarchs were recently declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Butterflies, like chickens, didn’t interest Michelle originally — until she witnessed an upsetting scene in her garden.

“I had all these big beautiful caterpillars, and the next day I noticed they were just all gone, and I’m like, ‘Where are my caterpillars?’” Michelle said. “Then right in front of me, a wasp goes down into the milkweed and comes back up and is carrying a big caterpillar and flew away with it.”

Michelle researched monarch butterfly life cycles and was “heartbroken” to discover only one out of 100 caterpillars survives to become a butterfly, she said.

“I understand it’s part of the ecosystem, but I was just like ‘No, there’s just too many getting eaten by predators,’” she said. “I want to save some of them.”

Michelle grows milkweed in her greenhouse, bleaches the plants to

eliminate disease and allows butterflies to lay eggs on the leaves before carefully moving plants into the screened-in butterfly hutch, where the insects are safe from predators until they metamorphosize.

“It’s a lot of work, but I don’t mind it,” Michelle said. “It’s something to look forward to when I get home. Of course, other than my family.”

Michelle receives stickers from Monarch Watch by mail that she uses to tag and track the butterflies that pass through her home to contribute to research on migration patterns. Last monarch season, she tagged over 30 butterflies, and although none were discovered again, she plans to repeat the process this year.

“I’m in a lot of butterfly groups on Facebook, and sadly, a lot of the people up north who do what I do will never see one monarch all summer long,” Michelle said. “There used to be a lot more that would fly all the way up to Canada, and it just seems like the number of migrators seems to be less.”

Michelle spreads her love for conservation to her second-graders at Shell Elementary, where she regularly brings in caterpillars to educate

Navigating freshmen fall: UF’s mental, emotional resources for students

STUDENTS CAN REACH OUT TO RAS, STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CWC FOR SUPPORT

By Megan Howard Alligator Staff Writer

For some freshmen, the transition to UF can be tough. Students are on their own and responsible for both academics and personal responsibilities, such as laundry and grocery shopping, for the first time.

Luke Ortega, a UF architecture senior and resident assistant, works with freshman students and helps smooth out the adjustment period. Thanks to additional support from family members, he said freshmen are doing well.

“I feel like they’ve been transitioning pretty well into it,” Ortega said. “And I think a lot of that is because a lot of their parents came up to help them with moving. So because of that, it felt like a final send-off to them.”

Some students felt homesick, Ortega said, but the Fall semester’s multiple holiday and hurricane breaks helped students visit their hometowns more often.

“The good news is these past couple of weeks with the hurricane and Labor Day a lot of them did end up going back home during those days off,” Ortega said. “So the homesickness this year has not been as severe as previous years just because of how the days off have been working.”

Housing and Residence Life also hosts events where residents can meet others in their complex and enjoy free food and activities.

“This past couple of weeks we’ve been hosting events just to help students get to know each other and to acclimate more with the new environment and meeting people their age,” Ortega said.

To welcome students to campus, the InterResidence Hall Association held a weeklong event called “Fall Welcome 2023 Passport to Wonder” at the beginning of the semester. The association hosted Midnight Munchies at Gator Corner, Journey to the Center of Campus at Turlington and more across campus.

For online students, an opposite challenge exists.

Ella Monck, an 18-year-old family, youth and community sciences freshman, is a Path-

way to Campus Enrollment student who lives with her parents in Gainesville.

PaCE is a program requiring students to complete 60 credit hours online before beginning on-campus classes.

Students in PaCE often miss out on the social aspects of freshman year, Monck said.

“I definitely think I have a different college experience regarding socialization,” Monck said. “Because living with my family, they’re like, ‘Where are you going?’ every time I go somewhere. It’s definitely a lot harder than just going out with your friends.”

Monck participates in the Optional Fee Package offered by UF for online and PACE students. The package allows students to participate in on-campus activities, health services, athletics and transportation services.

Without it, Monck said she’d feel isolated from the student body.

“If you don’t have that, you don’t get any access to any of the on-campus amenities,” Monck said. “If you’re living in Gainesville you don’t want to be completely disconnected from the campus because then it doesn’t really feel like you’re a real UF student.”

her students about the Monarch life cycle.

“[Michelle] is the butterfly queen,” said fellow second-grade Shell teacher Leila Powell, 37. “She makes science come alive for the kids … they are 100%, totally, completely enamored and cannot get enough of it.”

When the butterflies are ready to fly, the entire second grade holds a party to celebrate the release of the creatures they watched grow from egg to insect. Michelle’s passion for butterflies is infectious and reflects her devotion to her students, Powell said.

“She always, always, always puts the kids first,” Powell said. “She shares that she was a quiet kid who she felt fell through the cracks, and she made it her mission to make sure that she is meeting the needs of all of her students.”

Michelle plans to continue tagging butterflies for the remainder of “butterfly season,” which lasts from March to October, and she’ll be keeping the fresh eggs box stocked and ready for egg-loving passersby.

@zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org

To help students adjust, the Counseling and Wellness Center also offers services to help students during the transition to college.

Rosa West, the associate director of outreach and consultation at the CWC and clinical associate professor, said freshmen often feel overwhelmed and homesick during the first semester.

“It’s a common experience especially if it’s your first year, you’re coming into a new environment and you’re sort of having to learn a lot of things,” West said.

The CWC offers a service called Gator-2-Gator, which allows students to receive support from their peers. Students can apply online to be connected with an AWARE ambassador for a consultation on resources and workshops within the CWC and UF.

The platform lets peers be emotionally and mentally there for students, she said.

“It does provide that sense of community that some students may be struggling with as they’re feeling more isolated or alone on campus,” West said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org.

@meganmhxward

mhoward@alligator.org

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff

The Egg Box where Michelle Castronover and her family place the fresh eggs for her neighborhood to purchase is seen on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

El Caimán

LUNES, 11 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Un programa sin fines de lucro local proporciona identificaciones comunitarias a residentes necesitados de Alachua

LA COALICIÓN DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DEL CONDADO DE ALACHUA HA ELIMINADO OBSTÁCULOS PARA LAS TARJETAS DE IDENTIFICACIÓN DESDE 2018

Por Eluney Gonzalez Escritora de Personal de El Caimán

Una congregación entra la Iglesia Presbiteriana Westminster no para rezar, sino para recibir valiosas tarjetas de identificación.

El programa local sin fines de lucro Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County [Coalición de Derechos Humanos Del Condado de Alachua] organiza eventos breves y programados al menos una vez al mes desde que establecieron el Programa de Identificación Comunitaria. Continúa realizando estos eventos dos veces al mes.

Aunque inicialmente fue aceptada por pocas organizaciones, el uso de esta identificación comunitaria ha crecido significativamente. Después de ser aprobada para su uso por funcionarios de la ciudad, el condado y las fuerzas del orden, otras instituciones como Grace Marketplace, UF Health Shands, clínicas móviles de alcance y bancos de alimentos han aceptado la identificación comunitaria como una identificación válida.

Veronica Robleto, una residente del condado de Alachua de 43 años, ha sido la directora del programa desde 2022.

"Es para ayudar a las personas que tienen obstáculos para acceder a una identificación emitida por el estado a poder identificarse como quienes dicen ser,” dijo Robleto. “Pero también como miembros de la comunidad. Porque muchos in-

migrantes en nuestra comunidad pueden tener un pasaporte de su país. Te molesta y muestra que no eres de aquí.”

Si bien busca proveer tarjetas de identificación a los migrantes en Alachua, también es valioso para otros grupos marginados en Gainesville como los recientemente encarcelados y gente sin hogares.

"Hay muchas otras personas que también experimentan obstáculos para acceder a una identificación estatal, como las personas que vuelven a ingresar después de estar en prisión, las personas que experimentan inseguridad en la vivienda o la falta de vivienda,” dijo Robleto. “Porque incluso si eres ciudadano de los Estados Unidos, si no tienes una dirección permanente, no puedes obtener una identificación estatal.”

El proceso para recibir una identificación implica programar una cita con Coalición de Derechos Humanos en su sitio web y ver un breve video de orientación con más información sobre la identificación.

Los participantes deben llevar documentos a su cita que demuestren su identidad, edad y dirección. Se toman fotografías, y las identificaciones se imprimen en el lugar, así todos salen de la cita con su nueva identificación comunitaria en mano.

Después de las citas, la Coalición de Derechos Humanos también conecta a los residentes con iniciativas similares en el Condado de Alachua, como el Rural Women’s Health Project [Proyecto de Salud de las Mujeres Rurales], una organización sin fines de lucro basada en el apoyo comunitario a través de la educación con énfasis en la atención médica.

“Les traemos información de la salud, de vacunas de COVID, donde pueden dirigirse si tienen alguna

necesidad para que nos llamen al proyecto con este número y todos los proyectos que tenemos acerca de la salud,” dijo Magglorys Zelaya, una representante de 53 años del proyecto.

Además de los proyectos relacionados con la salud, el Proyecto de Salud de las Mujeres Rurales también informa a los hispanohablantes sobre cómo interactuar con los funcionarios estatales.

“Hemos tenido eventos de decirle a la comunidad como prepararse si viene un policía y los para, qué deben hacer, como no ponerse nervioso, para que ellos estén preparados ante cualquier situación que pase,” dijo Zelaya.

El proyecto de ley del Senado 1718, una ley que endurece la aplicación de identificación para traba

jadores inmigrantes y restringe fondos para identificación comunitaria fue promulgado en julio por el Gob. Ron DeSantis. Debido a esta ley, estas interacciones pueden volverse más frecuentes que nunca, revitalizando el propósito de la identificación comunitaria. Lexi Crespin, estudiante de segundo año de psicología de 20 años y voluntaria de HRC, ha notado una nueva ansiedad en la comunidad mientras reciben su identificación.

"Definitivamente se puede ver que algunas personas han estado asustadas durante todo el verano por esto, lo cual ha sido realmente triste de ver,” dijo Crespin. “Tener algún tipo de recurso les hace sentirse más seguros,”

Sin embargo, esta misma legislación también ha puesto en peligro

este programa y la seguridad que conlleva. Uno de los parámetros de esta legislación impide que los gobiernos de la ciudad y el condado financien programas de identificación comunitaria.

"Ahora tenemos que empezar a ayudar en la recaudación de fondos", dijo. "Ya dependemos en gran medida del trabajo voluntario, por lo que tenemos que encontrar fondos adicionales además de eso.”

Otro voluntario de HRC, David Reed de 77 años, siente mucha frustración por la situación.

"No entienden que lo que estamos haciendo es bueno para la comunidad, lo cual no entiendo. ¿Por qué querrían tener menos documentación? No lo entiendo,” dijo.

Amy Schirmer, una maestra de 59 años de la Escuela Secundaria Howard Bishop y voluntaria de HRC, confirma que el programa fortalece el sentido de un vínculo comunitario, especialmente para los inmigrantes.

"Hay algo en tener algo con tu nombre y dirección que dice ‘perteneces aquí, existes aquí’,” dijo. "Cuando no tienes eso, sientes que no eres realmente parte de la comunidad en absoluto. Queremos que las personas se sientan bienvenidas, así como seguras."

Los beneficiarios del programa también están de acuerdo en que el programa tiene un efecto generalmente positivo. Felipe Velásquez, un receptor de la identificación y residente de la Ciudad de Alachua, compartió su experiencia con el programa de identificación comunitaria.

"Creo que es una buena oportunidad que están haciendo. Que sigan apoyando la comunidad hispana,” dijo Velásquez.

@Eluney_G eluney@alligator.org

Local non-profit program provides community IDs to Alachua residents in need

THE HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION OF ALACHUA COUNTY REMOVED BARRIERS FOR IDENTIFICATION CARDS SINCE 2018

By Eluney Gonzalez

Alligator Staff Writer

A congregation filed into the Westminster Presbyterian Church not to pray, but to receive valuable identification cards.

The local non-profit Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County hosts short, appointmentdriven events at least once a month since it established the community ID Program. They continue to hold these drive-bys twice a month.

While initially accepted by few organizations, the use of this community ID has grown

significantly. After being approved for use with city, county and law enforcement officials, other institutions such as Grace Marketplace, UF Health Shands, mobile outreach clinics and food banks have accepted the community ID as valid identification.

Veronica Robleto, a 43-year-old Alachua County resident, has been the program’s director since 2022.

“It's to help individuals that have barriers to accessing state issued ID to be able to identify themselves as who they say they are,” Robleto said. “But also as members of the community because many immigrants in our community might have a passport from their country. It kind of bothers you and shows that you're not from here.”

While the program aims to provide identification cards to migrants in Alachua County, it

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also finds value with other marginalized groups in Gainesville like recently incarcerated and homeless people.

“There's a lot of other people who also experienced barriers to accessing state ID, such as individuals reentering from incarceration, individuals experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness,” Robleto said. “Because even if you are a U.S. citizen, if you don't have a permanent address, you can't get a state ID.”

The process to receive an ID entails scheduling an appointment with Human Rights Coalition on its website and watching a short orientation video with more information about the ID.

Participants need to bring documents to their appointment that demonstrate their identity, age and address. Pictures are taken, and the IDs are printed on-site, so everyone leaves

the appointment with their new community ID in hand.

After appointments, the Human Rights Coalition also connects residents to similar initiatives in Alachua County, such as the Rural Women’s Health Project, a non-profit based on community support through education with an emphasis on health care.

“We bring them information on health, COVID vaccines, where they can go if they are in need and how to call our organization for any of the programs that we have about health,” said Magglorys Zelaya, a 53-year-old representative for the project.

Read the rest online at alligator.org

@Eluney_G

eluney@alligator.org

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

Sea Turtles UF PhD student finds record-breaking sea turtle nests. Read more on pg. 11.

Evelyn Miguel // Alligator Staff

Beatriz, voluntaria de la Coalición de Derechos Humanos, registra a los residentes del condado de Alachua que llegan a la Iglesia Presbiteriana de Westminster para recibir sus identificaciones comunitarias el miércoles, 6 de Septiembre de 2023.

La Iniciativa de Inclusión de Vecinos Inmigrantes de Gainesville celebra su tercer aniversario

INICIATIVA DESTACA LOGROS, PREOCUPACIONES Y ASPIRACIONES FUTURAS

Por Nicole Beltrán Escritora de Personal de El Caimán

Barbara Hughey Reardon cree que la gente quiere ayudar a la comunidad inmigrante, pero no están seguros de por dónde empezar.

Ahí es donde entran proyectos como GINI.

El Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative [Iniciativa de Inclusión de Vecinos Inmigrantes de Gainesville], dirigida por el Rural Women’s Health Project [Proyecto de Salud de Mujeres Rurales], brinda oportunidades para inmigrantes locales y residentes de Gainesville que buscan apoyar a su comunidad de inmigrantes con acceso lingüístico, iniciativas de inclusión y más.

Reardon, una residente del condado de Alachua de 46 años, ha sido miembro de GINI durante más de un año. Participa en diferentes actividades de iniciativa, informando a la comunidad sobre políticas migratorias.

Sus colegas conmemoraron el tercer aniversario de GINI en el Museo de Historia de Matheson el 8 de septiembre.

GINI busca desarrollar un entorno más inclusivo centrándose en los problemas más perjudiciales del condado.

La celebración fue para los miembros de la iniciativa dejándoles reconocer los logros recientes del proyecto, las preocupaciones actuales y las metas futuras.

Varios miembros de la comunidad y directores de programas hablaron en la conmemoración y destacaron diferentes problemas, siendo la accesibilidad lingüística una preocupación fundamental.

“Las personas que hablan otros idiomas además del inglés están aquí, pero muchas veces son borradas de las narrativas que se cuentan sobre nuestra comunidad en el centro norte de Florida”, dijo Laura Gonzales, directora de Language Access Florida.

Los esfuerzos de GINI permitieron que el acceso al idioma saliera lentamente a la su-

perficie.

Desde su creación, GINI ha estado trabajando en la elaboración de un plan que reconozca a las comunidades de inmigrantes.

El plan, nombrado Modelo GINI, cuenta con 60 miembros contribuyentes, ocho organizaciones y las voces de 182 participantes nacidos en el extranjero de una encuesta GINI. El plan especifica las acciones necesarias para crear una comunidad más inclusiva, dijo en el evento el gerente del Programa de Inmigrantes de GINI, Ethan Maia de Needel.

El Plan GINI está estructurado en cinco objetivos: comunidades comprometidas, acceso equitativo, comunidades saludables, comunidades seguras y educación equitativa.

GINI reconoció muchos de los logros del plan.

Maia de Needell reconoció el trabajo del Departamento de Parques, Recreación y Asuntos Culturales luego de la implementación de señalización en español en varios de los parques reconocidos de la ciudad.

También mencionó la apertura del puesto de enlace de inmigrantes en el condado de Alachua, titulado Especialista en Acceso Lingüístico e Inclusión Integrada.

El Departamento de Policía de Gainesville ha visto avances con un nuevo programa que estableció recientemente y que permite a los agentes multilingües obtener la certificación en traducción de idiomas.

También se ha establecido una línea de idiomas, que permite una comunicación fluida si un traductor no puede estar físicamente presente en una emergencia.

GPD y la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alachua están trabajando para publicar una declaración pública que aborde los temores de las comunidades más vulnerables, dijo Verónica Robleto, directora de programas de la Coalición de Derechos Humanos del Condado de Alachua.

“La comunidad necesita políticas que se mantengan vigentes”, dijo Robin Lewy, directora del Proyecto de Salud de las Mujeres

Rurales.

El museo también aprovechó la oportunidad para reconocer una exhibición recientemente implementada que gira en torno a la inclusión lingüística en la celebración.

“Una de las cosas de las que estoy más orgulloso del Museo Matheson es que es un lugar donde todos pueden sentirse seguros y donde se puede discutir todo tipo de cosas incómodas”, dijo Robert Mounts, presidente del Museo Matheson.

“Todos nos preocupamos por la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión”, dijo. “Creemos firmemente en eso”.

El Proyecto de Salud de las Mujeres Rurales también abrió un contrato de prueba con las soluciones de la línea lingüística del servicio de interpretación y traducción.

Algunas organizaciones que ya se unieron al contrato son Mobile Outreach Clinic, Grace Marketplace, Suwannee River Area Health Education Center y la Coalición de Derechos Humanos del Condado de Alachua.

“Cualquier organización que esté interesada en ampliar el idioma puede unirse a nosotros hoy”, dijo Maia de Needell.

Aunque GINI ha logrado avances en la creciente inclusión lingüística en el condado de Alachua, los residentes y las organizaciones contribuyentes están determinados por seguir adelante.

“Creo que todavía queda trabajo por hacer”, dijo Gracia Fernandez, asistente ejecutiva del departamento de comunicaciones de la ciudad de Gainesville. “Creo que todavía hay actividades que podemos incluir”.

Fernandez, una residente de Gainesville de 20 años, se mudó a la ciudad desde El Salvador. Ella entiende la necesidad de representación lingüística ya que puede identificarse con ambas comunidades, dijo.

GINI continuará aumentando la inclusión.

“El acceso al idioma es el primer paso. No te enteras de los otros problemas hasta que realmente puedes comunicarte con la comunidad”, dijo de Needell.

@nicolebeltg nbeltran@allligator.org

Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative celebrates third anniversary

INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS, CONCERNS AND FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

By Nicole Beltrán

Alligator Staff Writer

Barbara Hughey Reardon believes people want to help the immigrant community — they just aren’t sure where to begin.

That’s where projects like GINI come in.

The Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative, led by the Rural Women’s Health Project, provides opportunities for local immigrants and Gainesville residents looking to support their immigrant community with language access, inclusion initiatives and more.

Reardon, a 46-year-old Alachua County resident, has been a member of the GINI for over a year. She participates in different initiative activities, informing the community on immigration policies.

Her colleagues commemorated GINI’s third anniversary at the Matheson History Museum Sept. 8.

GINI is seeking to develop a more inclusive environment by targeting the county’s most detrimen-

tal issues.

The celebration entailed initiative members gathering together to recognize the project’s recent achievements, ongoing concerns and future goals.

Several community members and program directors spoke at the commemoration. They highlighted different issues, amongst which language accessibility was a fundamental worry.

“People who speak languages other than English are here, yet oftentimes are erased from the narratives that are told about our community in North Central Florida,” Laura Gonzales, Director of Language Access Florida, said.

GINI’s efforts allowed for language access to slowly rise its way up to the surface.

Since its establishment, GINI has been working on devising a plan acknowledging immigrant communities.

The plan, labeled as the GINI Blueprint, has 60 contributing members, eight organizations and the voices of 182 foreign-born participants from a GINI survey. The plan specifies the actions necessary to create a more inclusive commu-

nity, the GINI Immigrant Program Manager Ethan Maia de Needel said at the event.

The GINI Blueprint is structured on five goals: engaged communities, equitable access, healthy communities, safe communities and equitable education.

GINI recognized many of the plan’s accomplishments.

Maia de Needell acknowledged the work of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs after the implementation of Spanish signage at several of the city’s signature parks.

He also mentioned Alachua County’s opening of the immigrant liaison position, titled language access and integrated inclusion specialist.

The Gainesville Police Department has seen progress with a recently established program that allows multilingual officers to become certified language translators. A language line has also been established, which allows for seamless communication if a translator can’t be physically present at an emergency.

GPD and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office are working on releasing

a public statement addressing fears of more vulnerable communities, said Veronica Robleto, program director at the Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County.

“The community needs policies that hold in place,” Robin Lewy, director of the Rural Women’s Health Project, said.

The museum also took the opportunity to recognize a recently implemented exhibit centered around language inclusivity at the celebration.

“One of the things that I’m proudest of the Matheson Museum is it’s a place where everyone can feel safe and where every kind of uncomfortable subject can be discussed,” Robert Mounts, President of the Matheson Museum, said.

“We’re all about diversity, equity and inclusion,” he said “We strongly believe in that.”

The Rural Women’s Health Project also opened a trial contract with the interpretation and translation service language line solutions.

Some organizations that already joined the contract are the Mobile Outreach Clinic, Grace Marketplace, Suwannee River Area Health Education Center and the Human

Rights Coalition of Alachua County.

“Any organization that is interested in expanding their language access is welcome to join us today,” Maia de Needell said.

Although GINI has made progress in growing language inclusivity in Alachua County, residents and contributing organizations are eager to keep going.

“I think there is still work to be done,” Gracia Fernandez, executive assistant of the City of Gainesville’s communication department, said. “I think there are still activities we can add.”

Fernandez, a 20-year-old Gainesville resident, moved to the city from El Salvador. She understands the need for language representation as she identifies with both communities, she said.

GINI is eager to continue growing inclusivity.

“Language access is the first step. You don’t hear about the other problems until you can actually communicate with the community,” de Needell said.

@nicolebeltg

nbeltran@allligator.org

Adriel Bolocon // Alligator Staff

Ethan Maia de Needell, miembro de la junta de Inclusión de Vecinos Inmigrantes de Gainesville [Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion], habla en la celebración del aniversario de GINI en el Museo de Historia de Matheson el viernes 8 de septiembre de 2023.

Jewish Gators provided with a ‘home away from home’ for the High Holidays

CHABAD AND HILLEL WILL OFFER MEANINGFUL SERVICES, HOME-COOKED MEALS AND COMMUNITY FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAYS

By Molly Seghi Avenue Staff Writer

Picture this: crisp apples bathed in sweet honey, a ram’s horn blown like a trumpet and the head of a fish served on a dinner plate. These objects all act as cultural symbols of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays.

Rosh Hashanah, which commemorates the creation of the world, marks the beginning of the New Year and the Ten Days of Repentance. This 10-day period is concluded with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Jewish Gators have many opportunities to experience the High Holidays this year with services and home-cooked meals at the Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Student

FOOD & DRINK

and Community Center and UF Hillel, which are both open to UF and Santa Fe College students.

Rabbi Berl Goldman, a 51-yearold co-director of Chabad, brought the value of serving God and the Jewish community to life 24 years ago through the creation of Chabad UF. Alongside his wife, Chanie Goldman, the pair co-founded Chabad UF to serve, enhance and grow the Jewish community.

Rabbi Jonah Zinn shares a similar mission of providing and enriching the Jewish experience at UF.

UF Hillel is a pluralistic Jewish student center that works to provide students with a meaningful Jewish experience and community.

Zinn, the 41-year-old executive director of Hillel at UF, has held the role for over five years.

This year, the New Year festivities will be welcomed on the evening of Sept. 15. Jewish students exchange champagne and fireworks typically associated with a new beginning for prayer books and pomegranate seeds.

“The Jewish calendar begins around this time of year with a series of holidays that date back from the Bible and call us to engage in reflection about the year,” Zinn said. “We should both reflect on the year that has been [and] consider the type of people that we want to be in the year ahead.”

Rosh Hashanah represents the multifacetedness of new beginnings. Many traditions, like eating new or sweet foods, set the precedent for the year to come. It is tradition to serve guests with exotic fruits, like jackfruits and cucamelons, while others go the more customary route of a bowl of 613 pomegranate seeds paralleling the 613 commandments in the Torah.

“Rosh Hashanah is a time to connect to our creator and request blessings and find peace and strength for the coming year,” Goldman said. “It’s a time when we physically eat sweet foods because [this parallels] what is happening in Judaism and what we at Chabad UF believe is happening during that

time– the gift of God promising us a blessed new year. Everything we do has a physical-spiritual parallel.”

Spirituality, a common practice and value in Judaism, is essential to welcoming in the Jewish New Year. The experience includes introspecting on one’s character and understanding how that manifests into the rest of one’s lives and relationships.

“Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection [and] of recognizing that we are not living in a jungle. There’s a creator to the world. The universe has order and a focus and purpose,” Goldman said.

The act of introspection is necessary in setting intentions for the year to come. The Ten Days of Repentance give Jewish people the initiative to look deeply into their thoughts and characters.

“One could also translate the [Ten Days of Repentance] as the Ten Days of Return because we return to that most authentic and best version of ourselves,” Zinn said. “The High Holidays give us that opportunity to pause, to look back and forward and to really determine how we can be the best version of ourselves in the year ahead.”

Yom Kippur, the final of the 10 days, is the day Jewish people spiritually cleanse themselves,

SEE CULTURE, PAGE 11

Food truck owners discuss ups and downs of the booming industry

OVER 70 FOOD TRUCKS CAN BE FOUND IN GAINESVILLE, MORE ARE EXPECTED TO OPEN

By Alexandra Burns Avenue Staff Writer

From juice bars to funnel cakes to Venezuelan-styled sandwiches, food trucks provide easy access to various dishes and flavors and introduce new cultures and cooking styles to customers.

The food truck industry is a growing business in Gainesville with many mobile kitchens gathering near apartment complexes and busy streets. According to the Florida Department of Business Professional Regulation, 94 food truck owners are licensed in Alachua County and have made it their home as of September 2023, parking their wheels with hopes of finding success among the college students and busy nightlife.

The growing popularity of the food truck industry is visible at Midpoint Park and Eatery, located at 931 SW Second Ave., which features four food trucks seven days a week.

Sam Ebadzadsahraei, owner of the Mediterranean-style food truck Kebab on the Wheels, recently moved his truck to a parking lot directly across from UF campus, located at the corner of West University Avenue and Northwest 16th Street.

Ebadzadsahraei traveled throughout Gainesville looking for the perfect location and chose the spot near campus because of the vast amount of students, he said.

“Students are used to eating frozen meals, and they want something warm to eat,” Ebadzadsahraei said.

Aside from the bustling student life that brings business to local food trucks, many Gainsville truck owners said they decided to open a food truck rather than a restaurant because of the smaller expenses and upkeep costs.

Restaurants can be anywhere from 800 square feet to 7,000 square feet, causing yearly payments to be extremely expensive for larger spaces. The average rent for a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Gainesville can range from $20 per square feet per year to $30 for newer construction buildings, according to Jason Hurst, associate vice president of the Gainesville real estate agency Colliers.

“Second-generation restaurant space is typically pretty hard to come by in Gainesville, particularly if it’s well-located,” Rick Cain, a principal at the real estate company Avison Young, wrote.

Eros Puentos, owner of the Venezuelanstyle food truck La Maracucha, said he and his family chose to open a food truck because sitdown restaurants are extremely expensive.

Puentos first began the business in Miami

with his wife, but they decided to move to Gainesville in March 2020 because of the expensive Miami rent and traffic. The family was able to finance the truck for $30,000, which is much less than paying rent each year for a brick-and-mortar building.

Parked in front of the Ace Hardware — located at 3727 W University Ave. — the truck has even managed to improve the financial success of its neighboring businesses.

The Ace Hardware manager was friends with Puentos and allowed him to park out front without paying. Given that this would attract customers, his friend’s boss allowed them to remain at the location because she realized it improved their sales, with sales hitting a million that year, Puentos said.

However, the Venezuelan business has experienced its financial ups and downs, which has proved to be an ongoing challenge for food truck owners.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Puentos family had to pay $1,700 a month, yet they were only making almost under $50 a week. Puentos said this led them to move the truck to The Backyard, an outdoor space in downtown Gainesville, for two months before moving back to its original location.

Luckily, the mobility of food trucks allows owners to travel to wherever business is strongest—a freedom that brick-and-mortar restaurant owners lack.

Florida Runs Wild Gators recover from week one, warm up for Vols in win over McNeese. Read more on pg. 15.

Anthony Johnson, owner of the truck Conch and More, which is located at 204 NE Waldo Road, opened a food truck because it allows him to travel for business, he said.

Johnson moves his business between Ocala, Gainesville, Wildwood and Leesberg, going wherever he knows business will be best on that day.

“With brick-and-mortar, you can have a good spot, but you don’t know if every day you’re going to have a good spot,” Johnson said. “Every day I know where it’s going to be a good day, so I can go there, and I know I can make a decent amount of money on that day. I know it’s not going to be a constant business every day here.”

Similarly, Emily Fournere, who owns the food truck El Meson Y Mas with her husband, said she moves the food truck between different locations, switching between Gainesville and Bronson.

Fournere originally started the business in Kissimmee with her husband, but they moved to their new Gainesville location — 514 N Main St. — in February this year.

“We’re always looking for new places with new Latin culture and new people and new customer bases,” Fournere said. “It was my husband’s dream to open a food truck.”

@alexaburnsuf aburns@alligator.org

Patricia Pacual // Alligator Staff

UF PhD student discovers record-breaking number of sea turtle nests at Disney Conservation

Rachel Smith documents nearly 3,000 sea-turtle nests at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

By Jared Teitel Avenue Staff Writer

For the past six months, Rachel Smith and her team of conservationists at Disney Conservation loaded into their ATVs at first light and ventured along the scruffy sands and past the warm waters of the Disney Vero Beach Resort.

As she travels further down the 5-mile stretch, she closely watches for footprints left behind by sea turtles in the peak of their nesting season.

Raised in the desert land of Arizona by a family of conservationists she likens to “The Wild Thornberrys,” Smith, a UF interdisciplinary ecology PhD student and conservations program manager at Disney, carried an affinity for wildlife. Her passion for marine biology only grew stronger by the year as she joined her father on trips to the Sea of Cortez and Mexico.

Her ambitions would soon take her to Florida, where she would lead the sea turtle program with Disney Conservation and accomplish an unprecedented feat for the organization, discovering over 1,000 more sea turtle nests at the Disney Vero Beach Resort than the last highest count in 2017.

“I think in a way it was my destiny that I ended up doing this,” she said.

After obtaining a master’s degree in coastal ecology from the University of North Florida and seven years at Disney Conservation, Smith felt there was still more to learn.

In Fall 2019, her colleague, Ray Carthy, convinced her to enroll in the interdisciplinary ecology doctorate program at the UF School of Natural Resources and Environment, a decision that would contribute immensely to her accomplishments in Vero Beach.

“I am a big believer in interdisciplinary science,” she said. “So, I was really motivated to come back … and excited to develop a project around exploring sea turtle interactions in our local fisheries.”

Carthy, a UF Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit assistant unit leader, became Smith’s primary adviser. The two previously met at a southeastern regional conference, where they began to form a close friendship.

“I have facilitated everything she has been able to teach herself,” he said. “One reason I encouraged her to come back for a PhD is because I saw the potential there.”

Before Smith became a conservation programs manager for Disney Conservation in 2018, she started at the organization as a research fellow in 2012. It was during this time she began joining the conduction of sea-turtlenesting surveys at the Disney Vero Beach Resort.

In a game Smith calls “turtle CSI,” she and her team of researchers go to look for nests made by sea turtles on the shore of the Vero Beach Resort during early morning hours.

Upon discovering any, she conducts nest inventories to determine the reproductive success of each nest. She then sends the data she collects to the Indian River County Habitat Conservation Plan and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s statewide nesting beach survey program.

“That way, we get a nice big picture of how the turtles are doing and population trends, and if there are any management actions needed at any given time,” she said.

The nesting season of sea turtles usually takes place between March and October, Smith said. The first record Disney Conservation broke at the Vero Beach Resort was 1,677 nests in 2017. Now, Smith and her team are over 2,800 nests in, with a month remaining before the season comes to an end.

“This year, we saw a record-breaking year for both loggerheads and greens, which is pretty exciting to see,” she said. “I think we’re still sorting out what that means, and why we had that influx of nesting this year.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the sea turtle program at Disney’s Vero Beach Re-

Jewish Celebration

which begins Sept. 24 at sundown.

Jewish people put aside physical enjoyment and disconnect from the material world by avoiding showers and leather. They dress head to toe in white clothing and garments to symbolize angels and the purity of our characters after pleading for forgiveness. In contrast to the feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people refrain from food and water for 25 hours on Yom Kippur.

For many, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated in the company of family and friends. The average Jewish person spends half of their day praying and reflecting in a synagogue and the other feasting on a cornucopia of food around a table of familiar faces. Chabad and Hillel offer several opportunities for Jews to do both.

“Sometimes in our busy lives,

especially as students, we go through the motions of our social circles,” Goldman said. “And the High Holidays is a perfect time, through the services, through programs, through the prayers, where people can take a breather and tap into their personal self.”

Chabad and Hillel provide students with the unique opportunity to experience the holidays at a home away from home. Students will walk home with a satiated appetite and a heart filled with purpose.

“Being together in a large setting with hundreds of students for a restaurant meal is different from most students’ experience at home,” Zinn said. “That’s one of the joys of being in college and having this communal experience.”

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for both organizations that work tirelessly to create a home away from home for

sort. It was founded by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, a nonprofit organization in Gainesville, located on Northwest Sixth Street. Its members have been vital to the discovery efforts and record-breaking surveys this year, Smith said.

Smith credits this year’s record to not only the contributions from the team at Disney Conservation and Sea Turtle Conservancy but to the entire community of conservationists worldwide.

“I don’t think an outcome like this would be possible if we weren’t all working very closely together, staying in really good communication with each other,” she said. “We put the outcome of the animals ahead of any kind of individual academic pursuits.”

their students. Two of those students, 22-year-old Joseph Bensabat and 21-year-old Aden Barash, have found community and a new meaning in their Jewish identities through the High Holidays experience.

Joseph Bensabat, a UF alumnus and president of the Chabad executive board for the last two years, works to help new students feel welcome and find a sense of community.

“It really makes you feel like you’re at home when you go to the services and all the holiday events in Gainesville,” Bensabat said. “The spiritual experience [they offer] helps you connect with your Jewish background and identity. It is important for college students to have a place to do that.”

Aden Barash, a UF psychology junior, is the student director of Reformed Jewish Life at Hillel. He works primarily on the religious life committee where he plans holidays and Shabbat meals. Born and raised out of state, Barash found the holidays to be especially mean-

In continuing the momentum of saving sea turtles, Smith advises engaging in responsible seafood consumption and abstaining from single-use plastics.

“We’ve got a long way to go to recover wildlife and the environment,” Carthy said. “But [Disney’s efforts] certainly [are] a major contributor to it.”

As Disney Conservation enters its recordbreaking 20th year of its sea turtle program, the team has so far recorded more than 20,000 nests and more than 1.5 million hatchlings since the program’s inception.

@jaredteitel jteitel@alligator.org

ingful being away from home.

“It’s really special to have a place like Hillel, where people come together whether they’re from instate or out-of-state,” Barash said. “You have so many people coming and celebrating these holidays together as a community.”

On top of the delicious meals, the two organizations provide a range of services catered to students’ different needs. Hillel offers both reform and conservative services, two forms of Jewish expression.

“It’s really powerful seeing students from different backgrounds across campus joined together to welcome the new year,” Zinn said.

“The idea that even though as a community we may have different kinds of ideas and traditions and we can join together as a community is really powerful to me.”

Chabad and Hillel empower students to embrace and practice their traditions from home. They also push students to explore new experiences.

“People bring their own tunes

they grew up doing to different prayers or offer their own reflections on certain prayers and blessings,” Barash said.

Chabad has even incorporated a student’s Sephardi tradition of singing a special prayer in front of the ark into their routine. It has continued the tradition every year since.

“We love seeing [traditions of students], and that is part of the Chabad UF philosophy and approach. Every single Jewish person is not only welcome, but included,” Goldman said. “If they have a specific tradition or something that would help them celebrate their Judaism, it should be part of their experience.”

Chabad and Hillel have information about High Holiday services, meals and programming on their websites, all free of cost. Students are encouraged to RSVP beforehand and come with an open mind and heart.

Courtesy to The Alligator

Rachel Smith (left) and Disney Conservation members discover sea turtle nesting spot on the shore of the Disney Vero Beach Resort..

Column

Navigating the grey areas of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric: Can we disagree without demonizing?

UF College Republicans hosted Christian preacher Derek Paul as the speaker for their first meeting of the semester Sept. 6.

Paul identifies himself as an “ex-gay” who overcame his same-sex attraction through the Christian faith. As a queer woman who was once religious, a lot of emotions and thoughts came up at the prospect of writing about his speech. I was angry, confused and asked myself a lot of questions.

First of all, how is this portrayal of conversion therapy not antiquated? Hasn’t there been enough hatred and criticism toward the LGBTQ+ community? Why is UFCR, which is not officially affiliated with religion, hosting a fundamentalist Christian with seemingly no ties to their mission? The world of politics is beyond me, but what was the intention behind inviting Derek Paul? How could I even approach what he had to say?

I found Paul’s story on the Changed Movement website, where he talks of being born into a pastor’s family and chalks up his same-sex attraction to “some early ongoing harassment from male peers and a gymnastics coach, some intrusive medical exams and less than optimal family dynamics.”

Paul is also the founder and executive pastor of Identify Ministries, an organization centered on the belief that “those who struggle with sexual and relational brokenness and confusion will find the relief, peace, freedom, joy and hope they long for through their personal relationship with Jesus and the people in their lives.”

Reading the Changed Movement stories and fully exploring the Identify Ministries website left me overwhelmed, but more notably: sad.

Paul’s story highlights a web of complex personal struggles and external pressures that are all too familiar to the LGBTQ+ community. My sadness stems from understanding and empathy for all who have felt the need to change because of unaccepting beliefs.

It was especially disheartening to see such deeply personal and sensitive issues intertwined with political affiliations. Going into the meeting, I already created a narrative of who this man was and what he stood for, yet nothing could prepare me for how that would all fall apart.

In his speech, Paul said there needs to be a more comprehensive and diverse conversation about love and humanity — it seemed ironic.

After opening with a prayer, he quickly delved into discussing the values of his church.

“Identify Ministries does not attempt to change a person’s sexual preference or make a gay person straight or trans-identified person, not trans … If someone does not accept God’s design for humanity, they don’t assemble with us,” he said.

Paul didn’t come out as gay to his parents until his dad retired from being a pastor, planning to leave the faith and fully embrace the gay “lifestyle.” Instead, he met his now-wife, Chantel, who told him God could do anything.

After being married to Chantel for five years, Paul’s same-sex attractions were still ongoing and he had plans to once again embrace the gay “lifestyle.” This culminated into a “wake-up call” from God, describing his intention to leave his wife suddenly dissipating regardless if he died happy, he said.

He outwardly admitted to living an unhappy, untrue life. I applaud Derek for being so raw, but I was finding it hard to see how he believed what he was preaching.

UF’s AI vision: A policy of buzzwords

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Paul shared various facts about sexual orientation, gender identity and how a person is naturally inclined to change sexualities. All statistics came from Neil Whitehead, author of “My Genes Made Me Do It.” Whitehead went into genetics to prove “homosexual orientation is not biologically imprinted or unchangeable.”

There was still ambiguity and a huge lack of clarity in Paul’s lecture. He said he does not aim to change someone’s sexual preference, but his tone and context seem to suggest conversion therapy.

The concluding moments of the presentation were filled with more seemingly agreeable points that would then diverge into their true meaning. When addressing the topic of conversion therapy, Paul only noted the extremist examples: lobotomy, sex therapy and electroshock therapy. He quickly reassures none of those things are happening these days. Well, yeah, it’s the 21st century. Apparently, conversion therapy is now a lifestyle choice?

My thoughts after the meeting were all over the place, but one thing was clear to me: Derek Paul is just a man. Certain ideologies might frame him as a victim, an overcomer, or even a villain; yet, most of my preconceived notions fell through when all I could see was a human being.

In this context, is it fair to hate someone solely because their beliefs differ from my own? Do we risk mirroring the closed-mindedness that frequently impacts the LGBTQ+ community if we don’t educate ourselves and only act off of emotion?

I still do not agree with Paul or support his principles in any way. Sitting through his talk was difficult at times, constantly being berated about how possible it was to change my sexuality, but I wanted to see if there was more than just a black-and-white narrative.

The purpose of Paul’s presentation was not to convert, he was merely a guest speaker for a slightly off-topic club meeting. I may not see eye to eye with Paul or UFCR, but I in no way intend for this to be a smear piece. Paul’s commitment to his beliefs and relationships, as well as his willingness to engage in talks about faith and sexuality, are parts of his character that deserve recognition.

While my initial reactions may have been filled with anger and skepticism, it’s important to note people are rarely defined by a single aspect of their identity — whether that be extremist Christians or the queer community. It is crucial to approach these conversations with empathy and a genuine desire to understand different perspectives.

While this talk only offered Paul’s perspective, it is essential to remember that the experiences and stories of the LGBTQ+ community are diverse and deserving of recognition too.

This was a journey of growth. I found myself confronting preconceived notions and wrestling with my own feelings. I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and engage with perspectives vastly different from my own. Even though I disagree with his approach, I think Derek Paul is living his truth, and no one can strip that from him.

Mia Orris is a UF psychology junior.

This wall, while pretty, is nondescript and non-specific. It is easy to stare at it and not really take anything in.

We call ourselves an AI university. The artificial intelligence page of the UF website claims we are on the brink of a fourth digital revolution. The page — singularly focused on our AI policy and research — highlights specific uses of the technology.

The highlights given should be an example of how the president can reshape his communications. The information is there, he just needs to communicate it.

There have been a few common features of the handful of public and private statements by our new university president, Ben Sasse. These include a focus on how UF is an extraordinary place for growth, the need to foster innovation and the repeated mentions of AI and computing technology.

The capacity for growth and the need to foster innovation are ideas I wholeheartedly agree with. Sasse fails to really dig into the speed of HiPerGator, the language modeling of ChatGPT or the crop development of IFAS. His use of non-specific, vague language leaves much to be desired.

I want to give Sasse the benefit of the doubt that he is meeting with stakeholders to craft how the university implements emergent technology into our lives. However, I am not convinced he has a real, clear vision.

In one of his first statements to the UF community, he said we “will be fundamentally overhauled by AI.”

At his State of the University Address to the Faculty Senate, he discussed “new technologies” and how they will shape classwork.

A recent article from UF News, an arm of the university’s communications, describes considerations for AI implementation as a key part of his “far-reaching vision.”

I am not comforted by any of what I have read or seen as a STEM student at UF. Although much of his artificial intelligence technology policy will be realized far after I graduate, I have only seen buzzwords without substance.

There have been mentions of an overhaul and reshaping our future, but how is unclear.

In real-world marketing, AI is usually used as a stand-in for emergent machine-learning and computing technologies. Sasse’s positive discussions on our work with HiPerGator are an example of actual, specific goals. I thank him for that. Namely, his desire for more classes to implement the technology is a step forward.

As someone who toured the HiPerGator facility, I can recognize the impressive work we are doing. Thanks to an NVIDIA partnership, we have massive servers that help process data from across campus at breakneck speeds.

In Malachowsky Hall, we will be teaching a whole new generation on programming, data processing and a multitude of work in technology.

Despite that, we are far from the AI technology envisioned in movies. Whether Sasse’s words are optimistic and aspirational or unclear and buzzword-driven remains to be seen.

His general language, however, makes it seem like he does not understand our part in that emergent technology. In the examples I mentioned, he focuses more on a lofty vision of AI without focusing on our part in it and the tangible changes it will bring to UF.

The language he is using, as one student described it to me, is akin to how venture capital firms talk. We are not a private company that can afford to use buzzwords. We need to be clear in our vision and clear in what we are doing and who we are involved with.

My ask is simple: Please, Sasse, really dig into the work of our engineering departments, HiPerGator, the new Malachowsky Hall and what others in STEM are doing.

I get the hype around AI is strong; I even get the need to highlight that UF has a place in this new digital revolution. Despite that, our place in this is amorphous at best.

I suggest looking at what the University of Michigan is doing as a decent example. UM president Santa Ono recently revealed plans to offer generative AI tools to complement coursework at the university.

While Ono deals in plenty of generic language about DEI, it at least is part of a larger, concentrated push. More importantly, it is part of a clear communication and grounds itself in the use of technology that exists now.

Ronin Lupien is a UF electrical engineering senior.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.

Mia Orris opinions@alligator.org

Ronin Lupien opinions@alligator.org

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FOOTBALL

Florida finally tastes victory in Tennessee tuneup

THE GATORS SNAPPED A FOURGAME LOSING STREAK AHEAD OF THEIR CONFERENCE OPENER

By Topher Adams Sports Writer

Florida is a program used to winning. The Gators have won 728 games from their inaugural season in 1911 to a 38-6 smackdown of South Carolina in November last year. But it would take the Gators 307 days to finally add win No. 729.

The Florida Gators (1-1) cruised past the McNeese State Cowboys (0-2) 49-7 Sept. 9. The win snapped a four-game Florida skid and secured the Gators’ first victory of the season. Head coach Billy Napier was pleased with his team’s performance in the commanding win.

MEN'S TENNIS

“We did some things that were significant statistically, but it really wasn't about that,” Napier said after the game. “I appreciate the response that we saw from the players after last week.”

The win didn’t come as a surprise, though. Florida entered the game as seven-touchdown favorites against McNeese and thoroughly dominated an overmatched opponent. The Gators bludgeoned the Cowboys from the opening kickoff.

Florida ran for 327 yards, including 119 from junior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. He tallied more yards than McNeese managed as a team. The visiting Cowboys could only wrangle 112 yards for the entire game.

The Gators nearly shut out McNeese, but a fourth-quarter touchdown — after a Florida fumble deep in UF territory — broke the zero.

“The shut-out, as a defense, we were like

— that's what we was harping on the whole week,” said redshirt junior cornerback Jaydon Hill. “Obviously we didn't get it done, but we played pretty well defensively I feel like.”

The defensive showing was an early highlight for first-year defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong. Florida’s defense held the No. 12 Utah Utes to just seven points in the second half, and the Gators built on that potential against the Cowboys.

UF allowed the fewest yards in a game since 2016 and lived in the McNeese backfield with six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.

Florida’s young defensive stars continued to shine. Sophomore linebacker Shemar James has become the talisman for Armstrong’s unit. The former four-star recruit made 19 tackles across the first two games.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Scooby Williams recorded his first career sack, freshman edge rusher TJ Searcy made his first tackle for loss and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jamari Lyons devoured Cowboys running back D’Angelo Durham in the endzone for a safety.

“We've got a lot of young players out there playing,” Napier said. “I think those guys will get a little bit better, not only at game day but their routine during the week I think will be beneficial.”

The youth movement is also being felt on the Gators’ offense. Freshman running back Treyaun Webb saw his first significant action and scored a pair of touchdowns against McNeese. Freshman receiver Eugene Wilson III continues to flash limitless potential with his playmaking and speed.

But while the baby Gators show plenty of promise, the offense is still led by a pair of veterans. Redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz built on his 300-yard debut against the Utes with an efficient outing against the Cowboys.

The Wisconsin transfer completed 82% of his passes for 193 yards and a 50-yard scoring toss to senior receiver Ricky Pearsall. Mertz’s veteran presence has been a calming influence on the offense, Pearsall said.

“Graham is a really experienced guy,” Pearsall said. “Everybody in the room respects him for that, and I think all the guys pull for him.”

But a strong performance against a small FCS opponent was just a warmup game for the Gators. One of the season’s premier showdowns beckons this weekend as the No. 11 Tennesse Volunteers will travel to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The Volunteers haven’t won in the Swamp since 2003, but Florida’s already rewritten its history against rivals in recent seasons. The Gators lost to all three of their primary rivals — Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State — in the same season for the first time ever last year.

Next Saturday will be a platform for Napier to break the early narrative around his Florida tenure and secure what would be arguably his biggest win as UF’s head coach. The Gators’ young roster will have to meet the marquee moment, though, Napier said.

“A lot of guys have gotten significant experience the first two weeks, and obviously this will be a huge game,” Napier said. “That Swamp will be a lot different next week. It'll be a bigger stage.”

The Volunteers will present a stiff challenge to Armstrong’s defense, especially a young secondary with only three upper-classmen. Tennessee threw for 349 yards and ran for 227 more in a 38-33 win over the Gators a year ago.

While the Vols passing attack — led by new starting quarterback Joe Milton III — has yet to reach those levels, the running game has chewed through opponents with well over 200 yards in each of UT’s first two games.

Florida opened the 2023 season with a dud in Salt Lake City, Utah. But after a commanding bounceback, the Gators have an opportunity to reset their season against the Volunteers Sept. 16. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.

@Topher_Adams tadams@alligator.org

Sept. 9 2023.

Florida men's tennis head coach aims for 13th SEC title

STEINBERG TALKS HOPES, GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON

By Krisha Sanghavi Sports Writer

The 12-time SEC regular season champions are entering a new era under the newly hired Gators men’s tennis head coach, Adam Steinberg.

After 11 successful seasons, former head coach Bryan Shelton stepped down to spend more time coaching his son, Ben Shelton,

who reached the semifinal of the US Open Sept. 8.

Three weeks after Bryan Shelton stepped down, UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin hired Steinberg for the upcoming season.

With back-to-back NCAA quarterfinals appearances with the Michigan Wolverines and 32 Division I head coaching seasons, Steinberg brought a wealth of experience to Gainesville. But it wasn't just his resume that made him stand out; it was his unique approach to the game.

“I think he brings something a bit differ-

ent to [the] University of Florida and definitely to men's tennis,” said Florida junior Nate Bonetto. “It's his own style, and I think it's been proven to be very successful.”

Bonetto’s relationship with Steinberg dates back to his junior year of high school when Florida and Michigan recruited him. He chose to become a Gator to let go of his opportunity to work with Steinberg, but now he finds himself enjoying the best of both worlds.

“He called me right after he accepted the job, and the first thing he said was, you

know, it's funny how life comes full circle,” Bonetto said. “We didn't get the opportunity in my first two years to work together, but I think we're both very excited to work with each other now.”

Florida graduate student Magnus Johnson, who recently transferred from Florida Gulf Coast University, quickly noticed Steinberg's dedication to strengthening the team's connection.

“He seemed like a guy who really

SEE TENNIS, PAGE 16

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff Redshirt freshman lineman Caleb Banks (88) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Scooby Williams (17) celebrate a defensive play in the Gators’ 49-7 win against the McNeese State Cowboys Saturday,

First-year coach

invested in his players,” Johnson said. “He really wanted to create a tight bond with the guys he works with and wants them to become the best that they can.”

Steinberg's initiatives ranged from simple gestures like high-fiving on the court to encouraging teammates by calling out their names. Johnson emphasized this approach contributed to the team's positive mindset, even when things didn't go as planned.

“We all trust each other and we all know we're working hard,” he added. “But if someone's feeling down, I think it's important for the team to just be there.”

As a recent addition to the team, Johnson was at the forefront of shaping a supportive team atmosphere. It was one of the most important aspects of the game to him, and Steinberg recognized that, Johnson said.

“I think that will be the first priority to [say] ‘Hey, this is who we are as a program,’” Steinberg said. “‘This is how we're going to live every day as a team and go from there.’”

The coach believes a healthy team dynamic begins with players investing in each other’s lives, both on and off the court.

“When that happens, you can achieve things sometimes you never thought possible,” Steinberg said.

But Steinberg’s main goal of the season was also his most compelling reason for coming to UF — winning a national championship.

“The goal for me coming to Florida

every year is to compete for SEC and national championships,” Steinberg said. “Be one of those teams that's in the mix every single year to do that.”

Florida’s 2023-2024 men’s tennis roster only has two returning players: Bonetto and sophomore Tanapatt Nirundorn. The team is considered smaller and younger than most in the country, but Steinberg sees this as a strength.

“The guys in this program, even young players, they've played tennis all over the world against great players,” he said. “They're used to that type of competition…. It's going to bring out the best of them here.”

UF’s recruiting base presented a significant change for Steinberg. The opportunity to recruit top junior tennis players for a Florida school allowed him to rebuild his team effectively.

“I feel like junior tennis, one of the best in the country is here,” he said. “You can recruit the best junior players in the country; you can recruit them right out of Florida.”

Proudly joining the Gator Nation, Steinberg is eager for fans to witness the power of his team and anticipates a season filled with promise, he said.

“Our goal is to keep Florida tennis competitive with the best in the country, and that's what we're gonna do,” Steinberg said.

The Florida men’s tennis team is set to start its season at the United States Tennis Association National Campus Sept. 22 through the 24 to play in the Bedford Cup in Lake Nona, Florida.

@krishasang ksanghavi@alligator.org

UAA Communications photo by Gabriella Whisler Adam Steinberg jogs on the court during the Gators' practice on Friday, August 25, 2023 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Florida.