Monday, September 9, 2024

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

VOLUME 119 - ISSUE 4 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

How Alachua County voters view the abortion amendment on November's ballot AMENDMENT 4 COULD OVERTURN THE STATE’S 6-WEEK ABORTION BAN

By Morgan Vanderlaan Alligator Staff Writer

On May 1, Florida enacted one of the strictest abortion bans in the country: the Heartbeat Protection Act. The legislation, upheld by the Florida Supreme Court on April 1, prohibited all elective abortion procedures in the state after the six-week pregnancy mark, with exceptions up to 15 weeks for instances of rape and incest.

On the same day, the court approved an opposing state constitutional referendum to appear on the general election ballot. Appearing as Amendment 4 on the ballot in November, the initiative states that no law can restrict abortion before viability, which most healthcare professionals say is around 24 weeks.

Before being placed on the ballot, initiatives must go through a lengthy process. For Amendment 4, this meant court rulings and months of interest groups canvassing for initial support signatures. The referendum received over 900,000 signatures in support before gaining ballot access.

However, getting to the polls is only half the battle. The initiative must now receive at least 60% voter support in November to become law.

In Alachua County, stakeholders stand divided on the issue.

Pro-Amendment 4

On the front lines of the issue on UF’s campus is Amelia Packham, a 21-year-old political science and women’s studies senior who canvasses for the “Yes on 4” movement with Planned Parenthood Generation Action.

This Fall, Packham plans to spend her time in between classes tabling at the Reitz Union and Turlington Plaza, passing out pledge cards to

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Sophie White finish with comma, Story description

Stronger than the setback. Read pg# more on pg. 12.

educate students on Amendment 4.

When campaigning, Packham said she emphasizes reproductive freedom isn’t a partisan issue.

“It's not about these pro-life [or] pro-choice arguments,” she said. “It's really to ensure that Floridians, not politicians, are able to decide what's best for their own lives and bodies.”

The six-week ban is “devastating,” Packham said, as it functions as a total abortion ban.

Laura Goodhue, the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, agreed.

The Heartbeat Protection Act is too strict, Goodhue said, as most women don’t know they’re pregnant until after the six-week mark. Florida also requires people who want to terminate a pregnancy to have two appointments 24 hours apart before an abortion procedure, which Goodhue said adds further difficulties.

Throughout Florida, Planned Parenthood operates 18 healthcare centers and advocates for full reproductive freedom in the state. Goodhue said she’s witnessed Floridians of all party affiliations want the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions.

The exceptions to abortion restrictions in the event of rape or incest require documentation that can be difficult to acquire, Goodhue said, especially when women can be afraid to report incidents. For healthcare professionals, the time limit on exceptions is not practical for providing timely healthcare, she added.

Current abortion restrictions in Florida have a caveat that abortion is allowed at any stage of a pregnancy if the condition is life-threatening to the mother. This stipulation is vague and nonspecific, said Michelle Quesada, Planned Parenthood’s Vice President of Communications for Southeast and North Florida.

Quesada recalled a patient who

SEE ABORTION, PAGE 3

Matthew Lewis // Alligator Staff

Phi Delta Theta brother Eli Bloom DJs outside of the Phi Delta Theta house on a “Front Lawn Friday” on Sept. 6, 2024. Read more on pg. 6.

What to know about the UF Health insurance dispute Medicaid, employer-sponsored UnitedHealthcare plans now out-of-network

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

About 80,000 people across Florida received letters Sept. 1 informing them their healthcare could be disrupted.

On that day, UF Health and UnitedHealthcare failed to solve months-long negotiations over pay rates, claims processes and administrative demands. To end the dispute without impacting patients, the two entities needed to come to an agreement before their contract’s scheduled renewal on the first of the month.

UF Health has set up a command center to field questions about the changes and is holding daily update meetings for Medicaid

Parker Elementary

Community faces transportation issues, pg. 4

The Avenue: Relish closure

The Midtown burger locale, pg. 11

providers, Marvin Dewar, the CEO of UF Health Physicians, said in an interview with The Alligator.

“We would rather put all that energy into taking care of some patients,” Dewar said, “but right now we’re spending all this energy on this United contract.”

Patients with Medicaid and employer-sponsored commercial plans are now out-of-network at UF Health locations statewide.

Medicare holders are not affected except at UF Health Flagler Hospital. UF students who hold United insurance through the Student Resources plan are also not affected, according to the university.

UF Health Central Florida locations and the UF Health Psychiatric Hospital are also unimpacted.

United did not respond to an in-

terview request but said in a press release Sept. 1 that it is now focusing on helping Floridians transition to other providers or apply for continuity of care.

Students ‘shouldn’t see any change’

UF requires all degree-seeking students to buy a United student insurance plan if they are enrolled in at least six credit hours for undergraduate and five for graduate programs unless they can prove they already have comparable coverage.

The 5,000 to 7,000 students covered under this Student Resources plan will not see a change in care following the dispute, the university said.

SEE INSURANCE, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

Today’s Weather 3 years into tenure, state surgeon general remains controversial JOSEPH LADAPO HOLDS NO DIRECT INFLUENCE OVER UF HEALTH POLICIES, PROFESSOR SAYS

By Annie Wang Alligator Staff Writer

As Joseph Ladapo’s three-year tenure as state surgeon general and UF professor of medicine approaches this month, his presence at UF has largely served as a figurehead role, despite years of public concern and reports depicting otherwise.

Ladapo has surprisingly little control over the university’s health policies, according to Matt Hitchings, the UF assistant professor of biostatistics.

Under Ladapo’s guidance, Florida allowed optional masking and banned vaccine mandates. However, his powers appear limited at UF. During the COVID-19 pandemic, maskwearing was required at UF, and vaccinations were strongly recommended.

His difference in opinion was further revealed on Sept. 18, 2023, when UF encouraged the university community to receive the new COVID-19 booster, just five days after Ladapo spoke out against it during a livestream.

Hitchings, an expert on infectious diseases who researched COVID-19, said UF would never come out and directly criticize Ladapo, but the university has put out policies that contradict his recommendations.

“As far as I can tell, he didn’t really have an impact on UF’s policies,” Hitchings said. “In fact, UF’s policies were at odds with what he was putting out in terms of state guidance.”

Although Ladapo does not appear

to have a visible influence on the university’s policies, Hitchings said it’s disheartening to see pandemic protocols at the state level and the disconnect between the state surgeon general and the academics at UF. “We're trying to advocate for public health measures and understand the evidence for them,” Hitchings said. “And then you have a professor of medicine who in his other role — which, of course, has nothing to do with UF — [is] advocating for the complete opposite.”

Ladapo, who was previously an associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles’s David Geffen School of Medicine, gained attention during the pandemic for his op-eds in The Wall Street Journal, where he spoke out against medical mandates and championed the freedom of choice.

His articles caught Gov. Ron DeSantis’s attention, and in September 2021, Ladapo was appointed Florida surgeon general. That same month, he received a professorship at UF’s College of Medicine.

Ladapo was a prominent skeptic of the rules and regulations set during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing against what he perceived as a misrepresentation of science. He promoted the use of Iivermectin to combat the virus, which the Food and Drug Administration found ineffective against COVID-19, and opposed mandates for lockdowns, mask-wearing and vaccination.

Derek Cummings, the director of the UF Emerging Pathogens Institute, disapproved of how Ladapo chose to handle the pandemic. He believes he had done a great disservice to the citizens of Florida, he said.

“I think he's acted inappropriately at multiple stages of response,” Cum-

VOLUME 119 - ISSUE 4

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For the first time in UF history, prospective students have the option to apply to the university through early action.

Former UF President Ben Sasse announced in March that UF will be adding early action to its admissions process starting with the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Early action applicants must apply by Nov. 1 to get their nonbinding decisions back on Jan. 24.

UF has seen a 46% increase in first-year student applications since 2013, according to UF data. Its first-year student acceptance rate has dropped from about 47% in Fall 2013 to about 25% in Fall 2023.

Donia Richards, a 57-year-old Clermont resident, said her 17-year-old son already applied for early action to UF. “Two years ago when my daughter was going through the process, UF was the very last decision that we got,” she said. “The earlier you can make a decision to commit to a school, the more settled the family is. It's nice to have the time and not be up against the wall because everybody's got to decide by May 1.”

Before early action was added, potential freshmen had to submit their applications to UF by Nov. 1 to be considered a priority applicant. Applications after the date were reviewed on a “space-available basis” until Mar 1. All decisions came out Feb. 23.

“It was a bottleneck,” said Luciana Mandal, the director of college admissions for At-Home Tutoring Services.

“Every single person had to apply by Nov. 1.”

She said she felt like students who weren’t prepared early might miss out on the old UF admissions process.

“The plan now is better because I think that it captures the early birds with the early action,” Mandal said.

“Then, the later deadline at least allows for the possibility

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mings said. “I think at times there's an indication that he actually manipulated reports and engaged in activities that raised scientific integrity concerns, and I think there are times he just ignored a lot of the guidance that was out there and the evidence for and against the positive and negative aspects of COVID vaccines.”

Despite the criticism, DeSantis continues to publicly commend Ladapo for his medical perspectives.

The two of them worked together to shape Florida’s pandemic policies.

As recently as Aug. 20, DeSantis wrote a message on X in support of Ladapo, saying he was “right all along” about COVID-19 vaccines for children after an Oxford study found cases of pericarditis and myocarditis, or inflammations around the heart, in vaccinated adolescents.

“Dr. Ladapo has done a great job as [Florida surgeon general],” DeSantis wrote on X Nov. 14, 2022. “His evidence-based principles serve as a counterweight to the increasingly political positions of the entrenched medical establishment, especially on schools, masks and mRNA shots.”

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UF introduced early action. Here’s how it’s going.

THE EARLY ACTION APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOV. 1

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of students who may not be prepared early or don't have the qualifications early to apply at a later date.”

Regular decision applications to UF are due Jan. 15, and the decisions come out on March 14. Applications after the deadline may be reviewed on a space-available basis, according to the UF admissions website.

Jill Geltner, a counselor at Loften High School in Gainesville, said students who want to spend more time on essays and test scores can wait for the regular deadline rather than applying through early action.

“There's a lot in the application process for UF,” Geltner said. “For seniors, that can be a lot of work.”

Lindsey Brown, the counseling department chair at Eastside High School, said she thinks adding early action was a great idea.

She said she’ll communicate to students that applying by Nov. 1 will enable them to make their decisions earlier.

“We have many students that have chosen UF as their first choice,” Brown said. “By allowing them to apply early action, they will be getting their decision earlier, so the anxiety of having to wait to see if they get in won't be as long.”

Sara Downey is the owner of At-Home Tutoring Services, an educational support firm. She said she thinks it was a strategic move for UF to add early action. She said early action plans will help UF plan for next year’s student population early on, which might help their financial decision-making.

“I think there's a very sound business reason to do that,” she said During the March 7 UF Board of Trustees meeting, Vice President for Enrollment Management Mary Parker presented slides supporting early action in the admissions process.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 ALLIGATOR 3

Activists weigh in on Amendment 4

ABORTION, from pg. 1

was eight weeks pregnant with an intended pregnancy that became no longer viable. The fetus had no more cardiac activity, she said, yet due to the current six-week ban, her OB-GYN was hesitant to perform an abortion.

The patient was referred to Planned Parenthood.

“This patient…walked around with a nonviable pregnancy in her uterus for about a week, at risk for sepsis, at risk for infections, for hemorrhage, for any other health complications, because she could not get the care she needed right away,” Quesada said.

One of the biggest challenges with Amendment 4 remains getting people to the polls, said Shanya Rich, a member of Alachua County’s League of Women Voters.

Recent polls show uncertainty on whether or not the amendment will achieve the 60% needed to pass. In a July poll from the University of North Florida, Amendment 4 was shown to have the most support out of the six on the ballot, with 69% of voters being in favor. But on Sept. 6, a poll from Emerson College showed that about 55% plan to vote yes, with 26% voting no and 20% unsure.

Gaining support for Amendment 4 has been difficult, Rich said, as voters can be swayed through false information spread online. The League advocates for house parties and canvassing efforts that directly talk to voters.

“I think this is a situation where a lot of people end up with misinformation, and so the best way to reach them is face to face and talking to them directly about getting educated,” she said.

Anti-Amendment 4

Not all Floridians are on board with extended abortion protections. Donato Borrillo, a

licensed physician and general counsel for the anti-abortion group 40 Days for Life, said the focus should be taken off extending abortion services and instead on intervention so women don’t feel that ending a pregnancy is their only option.

Borrillo emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying issue of why a mother wants an abortion, rather than offering one without asking questions. Women seeking abortions can view their pregnancy as a problem because they don’t have the support they need to carry to term, he said.

“How do you support mom in her time of crisis with her baby?” he said. “You have to address what the real problem is…why is mom there in the first place?”

The focus should be on extending social services for mothers instead of abortion access, Borrillo said. As part of his personal values as a physician, Borrillo said he plans to vote no on Amendment 4.

Richard Sandler, a pediatric physician and professor of pediatrics and mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida, said he worries Amendment 4 is too vague.

Sandler, who co-chairs Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4, said he’s concerned that words like “healthcare provider” and “viability” used in the amendment lack definition.

These may open legal loopholes that could cause more harm than good to women, he said.

Sandler aims to combat the amendment by educating fellow physicians and citizens on the dangers of increased abortion access, he said.

Sandler believes that drawing attention to the referendum’s language will lead to more votes against the amendment.

“The text is very short,” he said. “It's only 34 words, and there's a number of very important words that are undefined and really

ART AFTER DARK

Henry A. Moore // Alligator Staff

One of the biggest issues of this election is the hotly-debated Amendment 4, which seeks to expand abortion rights in the state of Florida. raise concerns.”

Zoe Gilsenan, a 21-year-old UF nursing junior, said she’s against Amendment 4 because of her scientific and religious beliefs. Gilsenan said she believes a fetus is alive at six weeks, so its right to life should be legally protected.

Abortion should not be permissible as an elective option or in the event of rape or incest, she said.

Abortions don’t help the mother who was victimized, Gilsenan said, but instead put more power into the hands of perpetrators. Instead, Gilsenan advocates for counseling to help victimized women and criminal punishments for perpetrators of sexual assault.

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In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, Gilsenan said a termination of a pregnancy should be permitted to save the mother’s life and is considered outside the realm of an abortion procedure. This November, Gilsenan said she hopes her fellow students vote no on Amendment 4.

“We have the ability to shape a culture that either disrespects and disregards human dignity or upholds it,” she said. “I think abortion is an issue connected to many other issues of human dignity, and I think we should consistently support the value of human life from conception.” @morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org

Museum Nights Thursday, September 12, 6 – 9 pm Noche de Museo Join us for a vibrant celebration of Hispanic/LatinX/Latine heritage. Take this opportunity to immerse yourself in a night filled with rich cultural experience, art and student organizations that highlight the traditions that shape these dynamic communities. Performances, art activities, community informational booths and free food will be provided.

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

C.B. Parker Elementary community struggles with transportation

Lack of permanent solutions leaves parents and teachers concerned about attendance, safety and wellbeing

By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer

It was a busy morning for Tawanna Sylvester.

She helped her two elementary school children climb into the car. As she drove down the road on her way to Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary, she saw several neighborhood kids walking to school. With their parents' permission, each began to join the car ride, she said.

“At the time we were passing them, there was no way they were going to make it to school on time,” Sylvester said. “My heart wouldn’t let me allow these kids to be walking.”

With no bus stop at her complex, the 46-year-old Gainesville resident seated up to 11 neighborhood children in her seven-seater car to help get students to school. Out of eight families with elementary school children in Sylvester’s complex, she’s one of only two with a car, she said.

According to state law, students will receive bus transportation if they live two or more miles away from school.

Oakview and Campus Walk, both low-income housing communities, are located just under two miles from the school. With no bus transportation, the average walking route to Parker from Oakview or Campus Walk is 33 minutes. Both walking routes must cross 13th Street, which is considered one of Gainesville’s most dangerous roads.

To accommodate families this school year, students in Campus

Walk, Oakview and Corey Diamond Village will now be able to ride an existing bus to school. Stops have been added to accommodate this change, ACPS public information officer Jackie Johnson wrote in an email.

In Alachua County, parents have the opportunity to request transportation if their student’s walk to school meets the state’s definition of a hazardous walking condition.

Parents and teachers raised concerns at an Alachua County School Board meeting Aug. 21.

The district regularly reviews requests for busing based on hazardous walking conditions that may exist on a student's route to school and will continue to do so, Johnson wrote.

About 45% of the cost of transporting students in ACPS is reimbursed by the state, but the state does not cover the cost of courtesy busing. ACPS spends $1.2 million annually for courtesy busing transportation, Johnson wrote.

For Sylvester, having kids walk isn’t just a safety concern, but also puts pressure on working families to sacrifice work hours to get their kids to school, she said.

“I know that there were other children whose parents may have been working overnight, and there was no one to take them to school,” she said. “Why would you take buses from these children and not know the situation they’re in?”

Jared Folds, a 40-year-old Gainesville resident, is the community director at the Residence at Oakview. For many low-income

Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff

School buses arrive and wait for students to dismiss at Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida on Aug. 29, 2024. communities in Gainesville, he is the “focal point for community engagement and community partnerships,” he said.

“It’s not a courtesy per se when this is a necessity for some of our residents to get their kids to school and to be able to sustain their housing or to sustain their job and become self-sufficient,” he said. “Which is the ultimate goal for anyone that is overcoming barriers of living in an extremely low-income community.”

However, this wasn’t the first time transportation issues occurred.

Courtesy buses originally stopped in

Students could lose coverage INSURANCE, from pg. 1

United’s contract with UF Health is different from its contract with UF Student Affairs. The latter organizes student care similarly to a commercial employer, rather than a health entity. This allowed the university to create an accommodation so students didn’t get “caught in the middle” of negotiations, Dewar said.

In its own release, United said students could be out-of-network or experience higher rates. Dewar said the discrepancy arose because UF, not the insurance company, built the student exception. United did not respond to The Alligator’s request for clarification.

Students who have United through their parents rather than through the university, however, will be out-of-network for all UF Health locations except the on-campus Student Health Care Center.

Grace Russo, a 19-year-old UF microbiology sophomore, falls into that category. She visited the center in the week following the contract dispute to get a boot on her foot for an injury sustained while rowing for the university’s club crew team.

When the university rejected Russo’s insurance waiver last week, she talked to her parents, who told her they’d been receiving letters about the dispute for a few weeks, she said. But by the next day, the health network switched her application to “approved.”

Russo said no longer having access to other UF Health locations doesn’t affect her because she would only visit the on-campus

center anyway.

“I didn’t have any issues, because I barely knew the issue was happening,” she said.

In an emergency, any hospital will treat people regardless of insurance. Patients cannot be charged more for getting emergency room services than at an out-of-network hospital under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. This does not extend to visiting an ER or urgent care for non-emergency issues.

Medicaid and employer-sponsored plans out-of-network

All Medicaid holders are now out-of-network at all UF Health locations, except those in Central Florida. The negotiations disrupted care for 30,000 people on Medicaid, according to United.

In July, Stacye Sizemore, 35, scheduled a November consultation with a UF Health physician for a cyst removal procedure. Sizemore was confused at the end of August when she received a call from UF Health canceling her appointment because she would no longer be in the network.

She called United and an aide scheduled a new consultation within a week, she said.

Sizemore was happy with how quickly the insurance company handled her case but said she wished she could remain in network with the UF Urgent Care in her neighborhood.

“I understand things cost money, but at what point do both of them say the patient is more important?” she said.

United doesn’t have any Gainesville

early January due to driver shortages and lack of funding. Public outcry following the change allowed the buses to be reinstated for the rest of the 2023-24 school year, Folds said.

“It was never explained to me for our parents that it was a temporary fix,” he said.

Oakview and Campus Walk are predominantly African-American neighborhoods, according to census data.

By speaking with families every day, Folds found nearly half of African-American students and their families at Parker were impacted by

providers in some specialty care fields, like pediatric lung doctors, said UF Health CEO Dewar, who has been involved in negotiations since they began several months ago.

The insurance company is required by law to have a sufficient network to provide care for Medicaid patients, Dewar said. Without UF Health providers, United must come up with alternatives to offer these people. In some cases, Dewar said, these alternatives don’t exist.

UF Health has decided to continue seeing some Medicaid patients despite being out-of-network if no other provider in the area offers the specialties they need, Dewar said. The health network will continue to bill United for these services, risking not getting reimbursed, he said.

“We’re not going to leave the Medicaid population just to fend for themselves,” he said.

People with employer-sponsored commercial plans are also now out-of-network for all non-Central Florida UF Health locations. These patients can apply for continuity of care, allowing them to remain temporarily in-network if they need health services like pregnancy care or cancer treatment.

People with Medicare plans will remain in-network at all locations except UF Health Flagler Hospital.

UF Health acquired Flagler in 2023 to become part of the new UF Health St. Johns medical network. Neither the health network nor the insurance company explained why only patients at this location can’t continue using Medicare.

the end of the courtesy routes.

As of the 2022-23 school year, about one-fifth of students at Parker Elementary are African American, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“This is what’s even more shocking to me,” he said. “That this inequity on this level would actually be something that just flew under the radar and it wasn’t already planned for.”

Before the start of the school year this fall, teachers and families didn’t know whether courtesy buses would remain.

Sherri Rupe, a first-grade teacher at Parker, shared her safety and performance concerns at the ACPS school board meeting Aug. 21, she said.

“It was crazy, that whole month of January,” she said. “So again [this school year], we went through this mass mess of parents trying to figure out how to get their kids to school.”

Rupe said the lack of permanent transportation had an impact on her students’ attendance and performance.

“I have a little girl who comes an hour late to school every day, and then she sits in the office waiting for a ride in the afternoon,” she said. “Kids would roll in tardy, they would miss breakfast [in the cafeteria] because they were late.”

Now that she’s seeing more faces in her classroom, Rupe said she’s happy the buses are back for now. @sarajamesranta sranta@alligator.org

over two years, including a more than 20% rate increase in the first year of the contract.

“We need UF Health to approach the negotiating table with a realistic proposal Floridians can afford,” the release said.

UF Health CEO Dewar said United has not increased its payment rates in the past 10 years despite rising costs for wages and services. But more troubling than United’s payment rates are its denial rates. United denies payment for care at twice the rate of the health insurance average, he said.

Medicare users filed a class action lawsuit in 2023 accusing United of using an algorithm with a 90% error rate to deny payment to sick or injured patients. Other health networks, including HealthPartners in Minneapolis, have left United’s network in the past year due to denial rate concerns.

“It is kind of rich when United tries to stand on the platform of keeping healthcare costs down,” Dewar said.

United wrote in its release its proposals ensured UF Health would be reimbursed at rates similar to peers in the market. Demands from UF Health would mean employers could see costs increase in the next year, leaving them less money available to help grow businesses, United wrote.

Under UF Health’s proposal, consumers would end up paying more for hospital services like C-sections, pacemakers and emergency room visits, the release said.

Both UF Health and United have indicated a willingness to continue negotiating while encouraging patients to look into other provider options or apply for continuity of care in the meantime.

Reasons for dispute and next steps

United said in a press release posted Sept.

1 that UF Health demanded a 30% price hike

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 ALLIGATOR 5

Downtown Gainesville’s future: Climb, surf and skate New development to open in place of old bus facility

By Kairi Lowery Alligator Staff Writer

The 2024 Paris Olympics amped up excitement worldwide over newly debuted sports like climbing, surfing and skateboarding.

While the competitions may be over, Mike Palmer, owner of The Knot Climbing Gym in downtown Gainesville, hopes to build off of this buzz. Palmer plans to redevelop a former Regional Transit System maintenance building into a climbing, skateboarding and surfing hub to be opened in the next couple of years.

The redevelopment will feature a new climbing gym, skate park and shop, restaurant and a standing surf wave, a structure replicating ocean waves.

The former RTS building, located in Downtown Gainesville near Depot Park, is owned by the federal government but maintained by the Gainesville City Commission. It has sat vacant since the opening of the new RTS facility, located at 34 SE 13th Road, and is now used for overflow parking for the Depot Park area.

In 2015, Palmer and his business partner, Mitchell Eadens, bought the Gainesville Rock Climbing Gym, which had closed due to structural issues, and redeveloped it into The Knot.

Upon its opening in 2020, The Knot experienced an unprecedented amount of customers, Palmer said.

“After about six months of business, we were at where we thought we would be three years from opening,” he said. “Now we’re essentially double what we thought we would even be in this building.”

As a result, Palmer knew the climbing community needed something bigger and better, he said.

Thus started the years-long process of finding and securing a place to expand into.

Originally, finding a new location was dif-

ficult, as student housing developers scouted the same properties as he did for a new gym, he said.

However, at a city meeting, the words “unused property” piqued his interest, and he immediately got to planning.

Around that same time in 2022, the city introduced an unsolicited proposal program, which allowed citizens to propose development projects to the city commission for consideration.

During the pilot months of the program, Palmer brought the idea to redevelop the RTS facility into a climbing gym to the city, and after review, commissioners decided the idea would move forward into a formal proposal policy, he said.

It wasn’t until the formal proposal policy that Palmer said he started to heavily consider expanding into a multi-sport hub instead of a climbing gym alone.

“Something everybody’s been asking for in Gainesville for 25 years is a cool skate park downtown,” he said.

The site’s previous layout inspired him, he said. The buildings were perfect for what he had planned. “One of the other buildings I looked at, I was like, ‘Man, this building looks just like a restaurant to me.’”

From there, the plans just took off based on niche, newly introduced Olympic sports, he said.

“I was like, ‘Well, so rock climbing is in the Olympics, skateboarding is in the Olympics, what else is in the Olympics? Oh yeah — surfing,’” Palmer said, “And so it kind of spawned around that these are all three new Olympic sports.”

He said he hopes the new development will bring tourists off the interstate and into the city as well as draw in student surfers.

“You want to learn to surf in a controlled

environment,” he said. “So I was thinking that might actually draw people from I-75 to downtown and give them a reason to go past Celebration Pointe or Butler Plaza.”

The Gainesville City Commission hopes for the same, Commissioner Bryan Eastman said.

“We’ll continue to work with them to make sure that it fits in well to Depot Park,” Eastman said, “We’ll really try to make it an extension and expansion of the great investments we’ve made over there.”

The idea also excites Gainesville residents looking for a new spot to practice their sport — or learn a new one.

John Reger, a 37-year-old Gainesville resident and long-time rock climber, looks forward to the new members of the climbing community it will bring — specifically at the Olympic level.

A bigger space will bring opportunities to host regional, divisional and national rock climbing competitions, Reger said.

The larger space will also give citizens a chance to become “weekend warriors,” he said. The Knot currently operates in a members-only capacity, and with this new facility, non-members can enjoy the fun of rock climbing for a day or weekend.

“We can open the doors wider and have space to accommodate people who have never rock climbed and come in day one and be welcomed and instructed on how to rock climb and enjoy our sport,” Reger said.

The rock climbing community is one like no other, he said.

“It’s more diverse than it’s ever been,” he said. “It really brings in all shapes and sizes.

Every type of person can go in there and be completely at home.”

The next steps for the site include finalizing details, design work and going through the rezoning and permitting process, which could all take several months.

Construction is set to start Fall 2025 and the new development is set to open in 2026. @kairiloweryy klowery@alligator.org

Riley Beiswenger // Alligator Staff

Former RTS building located next to the Knot gym on the intersection of South Main Street and Southwest Depot Avenue sits empty while being bought out by owners of The Knot.

How are Gainesville residents navigating a complex job market?

FOR SOME, SECURING EMPLOYMENT IS SMOOTH SAILING; OTHERS NEED EXTRA SUPPORT

By Natalie Kaufman Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville has no shortage of jobs, but competition for part-time work is stiff in a college town saturated with students.

The city offers both long-time residents and students a wide variety of resources to make the process easier.

Gators scour job boards

Jacqueline Burke, a 21-year-old UF advertising junior, said finding a job has been frustrating. Burke, who has primarily applied for food service roles, said she rarely hears back from employers.

“Unfortunately, everybody’s in a similar situation,” she said. “[We] are ghosted all the time.”

Employers are increasingly leaving applicants in the dark. The number of job seekers reporting “ghosted” — abruptly cut off from communication — jumped from 30% in 2022 to 40% in 2024.

Kahlin Pudupakkam, a 20-yearold UF business sophomore, said he’s been more fortunate. Pudupakkam recently applied for sales and marketing positions, and success has followed him at every turn, he said.

He said he knows why he consis-

tently hears back from employers and has never been rejected.

“In the most humble way, I believe that I am one of the most qualified,” Pudupakkam said.

Gators who feel less confident than Pudupakkam have UF’s Career Connections Center at their disposal.

Career experts provide students with professional development and networking resources, including resume writing and interview preparation.

Sara Jay, the center’s 33-year-old Career Pathways and Education associate director, counsels students planning for their futures.

Nationwide, recent college graduates fret about their career prospects, worries likely compounded by Friday’s jobs report released by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Their hand-wringing, though, is potentially unsubstantiated. The unemployment rate among this cohort has taken a nosedive, plummeting from 9% in September 2020 to about 4.5% in May 2024.

Jay believes job market pessimism among young people is unmerited.

“There is a lot of opportunity in Gainesville that I think not a lot of people tend to recognize,” she said.

Jay cited the city’s preeminent medical and burgeoning biotechnology sectors as spaces packed with job vacancies.

Gainesville’s unemployment rate has remained relatively stable, with only nominal fluctuations over the past few months. As of July 2024, it was 3.6%, compared to the state’s 3.3% and the nation’s 4.2%.

Santa Fe College admin nurtures budding professionals

Like UF, Santa Fe College offers a wealth of career counseling services.

JoAnn Wilkes, 75, coordinates SF’s Displacement Homemaker Program. The DHP provides free education and employment resources to people — primarily women — who have lost financial support after a lifechanging event.

Some participants work toward earning a GED or an associate’s degree, while others seek vocational training in trades like welding and HVAC. Wilkes also advises young undergraduates to juggle full academic schedules and gig work.

“You have to put the puzzle together in order to get enough income to support yourself and still go to school,” she said.

In 2020, 40% of full-time college undergraduates balanced part-time employment. Maintaining decent grades and a job can be taxing. Wilkes said building a career while handling those responsibilities is even more demanding.

DHP’s use of “warm hand-offs” — directly connecting employers with applicants — simplifies the process for both parties. Connecting an applicant’s name and resume to their face allows companies to be “a little more invested in the person that we’re sending them,” Wilkes said.

Jimmy Yawn, 73, has been SF’s career center coordinator for more than 50 years. He’s still surprised by how easily disgruntled students be-

come when faced with setbacks.

Communication delays and rejections quickly dishearten those seeking employment, he said.

“I had a student come in angry this morning,” Yawn said. “He’s been applying for jobs for two weeks and hasn’t gotten one yet.”

He said he helps students become more reasonable about their career timelines and assures them that what they are doing is “worthwhile, that it’s right [and] they’ll almost certainly find what they’re looking for.”

Restoring dignity, promoting confidence

Gainesville’s non-college residents can tap into local employment and personal development services.

Project YouthBuild equips low-income young adults who have dropped out of school with the resources and skills to improve their lives.

Through the organization’s rigorous nine-month education and leadership program, students work toward earning a high school diploma while giving back to their communities. Many participants shoulder full academic course loads while maintaining part-time jobs.

Low-income students are likelier to hold part-time jobs while enrolled in school than their high-income counterparts. “Working learners,” with their attention fractured between education and employment responsibilities, are less likely to graduate on time than non-working learners.

Executive director Jonathan Les-

lie, 51, said that nearly half of his students change into uniforms and head to service jobs as soon as classes end.

There are other career readiness services available to Gainesville residents.

Brett Buel, 55, is the development director at Gainesville Opportunity Center. The center provides work readiness training to community members with mental illnesses, one of the leading causes of work-related disability in the United States.

Part of its mission is to prioritize dignity and social inclusion while promoting vocational independence.

Buell said, “The GOC is a place of belonging,” where those it serves are neither patients nor clients.

Many of the GOC’s patrons have been absent from the labor force for up to 20 years.

“When they walk in the door, they actually believe that they will never be able to work again,” Buell said, “But through our program, they see other people with mental illness succeeding and moving forward and getting jobs.”

He said the GOC focuses on building stamina and confidence in its members.

“Doing productive work makes them more independent, it makes them happier, it makes them feel better about themselves, and all that leads to better outcomes,” Buell said. @Nat_Kauf nkaufman@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

UF Greek life saw record numbers for Fall recruitment UF PANHELLENIC AND INTERFRATERNITY COUNCILS WERE SWAMPED WITH REGISTRATIONS

By Ella Dorfman Alligator Staff Writer

UF Panhellenic and UF Interfraternity Council announced a record-breaking Fall recruitment season on Instagram, with 1,761 and over 1,300 registrations, respectively.

Recruitment for the Panhellenic Council was from Aug. 15 to Aug. 23, and those involved had the opportunity to visit and speak with all the chapters in rounds to mutually match with one. The Interfraternity Council recruitment began Aug. 24 and ended Aug. 30.

Interfraternity chapters hosted house tours and individual events.

Mary Jane Peddy, an 18-year-old UF health science freshman, rushed and joined Sigma Kappa during recruitment, one of the 18 National Panhellenic Conference chapters at UF. Peddy suspects the number of people participating in recruitmentrushing impacted

the wait times to enter each house, she added.

“Each day, we were put under tents outside of the house, and girls were sitting outside,” Peddy said. “Before each house, [we were] in a certain order, because they had a specific girl in the house to talk to you… that just took so long, and it was so hot. It just took a lot of time.”

Peddy said she enjoyed the whole process.

Participating students are known as Potential New Members, or PNMs, and go through three rounds and then a final round called a preferential, interacting with all chapters.

The first day of recruitmentrush, orientation, gives PNMs a rundown of what the weeklong process looks like. During the first few days, PNMs visit each house to learn about each group’s values and philanthropic goals. Later in the week, Peddy said she got to know the houses on a deeper level to figure out where she felt the most connection.

Peddy said she wanted to join a sororityrushed to meet people who positively challenged her growth.

“It’s interesting coming from home to here,” Peddy said. “I’ve learned being in the sorority now if you think you’re alone, you’re

not. You can literally text anyone in a sorority that would drop anything to do something for you.”

Raegan Kelly, a 17-year-old UF biology freshman, joined Chi Omega. As an out-ofstate student from Pennsylvania, Kelly said she wanted a solid group of friends to start off her first year at UF. “I really wanted a solid group of friends because I’m out of state. So I was looking for a place like home,” Kelly said. “I wanted a warm, big and good school, and [UF] checked all those boxes.”

According to Kelly, there were 84 girls in her sorority class. Overall, the experience was fun, she said. There were about 60 people filing in and out of each of the 18 sorority houses, she said.

“There were so many girls — it was a little overwhelming,” Kelly said. “But honestly, I loved that you can meet so many people.

When you’re sitting under the tent, you talk to a lot of girls. I didn’t mind there were so many because it meant more opportunities to make friends.”

Andy Brantmeyer, a 20-year-old UF agricultural operations management junior,

is a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, a social and professional agricultural fraternity.

Currently, he helps manage AGR’s finances, but he served as rush president last spring semester.

“When I was rush president, pretty much what I served as was a liaison between the proposed executive team for the president and vice president and coordinated to make sure people were comfortable and happy with everything going on,” Brantmeyer said.

“In Alpha Gamma Rho, we have eliminated pledging. Essentially you come to a week of events, and following that you’re initiated.”

Brantmeyer said he thinks it is great for the record number of individuals to be interested in Greek life this semester.

“For us, that’s good because it’s just a bigger pool we can pull from. It gives us more options for guys that we might want to bring in,” he said. “But the process is pretty much the same, we look for the same qualities. [We want] guys who we think represent our organization well, and for guys to exhibit strong character.” @dorfman_ella edorfman@alligator.org

Goodbye, 24/7 Marston: why the library will change to a 24/5 model ADMINISTRATION ARGUES PRACTICALITY, UF COMMUNITY ARGUES NEED

By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer

After a series of negotiations and funding compromises, Marston Science Library will transition from its 24/7 model to a 24/5 model starting Sept. 9.

The library will close its doors from 8 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m.

Saturday and 8 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

After 2023 funding from the provost’s office began to dwindle, UF Student Government, university administration and Marston officials met to discuss the library’s fate, which was announced Aug. 28.

“Students wanted [Marston] open, but, on the other hand, it was quite expensive to do that,”

said former UF Provost Scott Angle, whose term ended Sept. 5. “The goal was to try to minimize the cost of it while maximizing student use opportunity.”

Data analysis that followed the rise and fall of library activity throughout the week guided the model change. A 2023 Marston report showed the most frequent use of the library was from Sunday night to Wednesday morning.

“How many people were in the library at three o’clock on a Saturday night? The answer was not many,” Angle said. “But that number started to pick up Sunday night.”

Angle described the process of deciding on a new model as a “balancing act.” While he said he understood that some students use Marston during the late and early hours of the day, he did not feel “we can justify that with taxpayers.”

A 24/5 Marston schedule costs $188,000 to maintain through the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.

Marston funding is reviewed on an annual basis, leaving the possibility for the return of 24/7 Marston.

Pat Reakes, the Senior Associate Dean for the Smathers Libraries, said the 24/5 model is “better than nothing,” despite student dissatisfaction. He did, however, disagree with the decision’s criteria of following what the data shows.

“People want [24/7 Marston],” Reakes said. “It’s never going to be used super heavily at certain times of the night — that’s the bottom line — but I’ve always thought it should be a just-in-case thing.”

Although Reakes said the change probably won’t make a huge difference, he would prefer for Marston’s funding and operational hours to be consistent rather than be subject to yearly changes. This way, he added, employment numbers don’t have to fluctuate as much each semester.

Student Sen. Nathaniel Pelton (Change-Off Campus) sees the

change as a major loss for students.

“It’s my firm belief that on [Friday and Saturday], students will still need to use 24/7 Marston,” he said.

Pelton proposed legislation to the SG executive branch seeking to use Senate reserve funds, which function similarly to a savings account, to fund Marston 24/7. But he received no response on those proposals, he said, which he attributed to tension between the Vision and Change caucuses.

Ultimately, Pelton described the decision to make Marston 24/5 as “a slap in the face for our student body.”

Kaylee Lamb, a 29-year-old UF English doctoral student, said visiting the library early on the weekends would be especially helpful given that Saturdays and Sundays are the days she doesn’t have to teach. Parking restrictions also lift for certain UF lots during the night and on the weekends, which makes it easier to get there, she said.

She has also heard her students say they struggle to focus on work at their dorms, apartments or houses.

She said UF should be able to provide students with 24/7 facilities.

“With how much UF toots its own horn about ‘we have great academics,’ back it up then with having study spaces open for students,” Lamb said.

Students working during the week or caring for families may be limited to studying on Friday and Saturday nights, she said. It is also important to consider the cost students, including those who frequent the library in the early morning, pay in tuition, Lamb added.

“Those 20 or so students just so happen to be paying potentially $30,000 a year,” she said. “We’re the ones paying for it. We are the ones here every day. This is our community.” @AveryParke98398 aparker@alligator.org

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

When will the Sasse apologists admit they were wrong?

F

ollowing Ben Sasse’s resignation from the UF presidency after 17 months, details of exorbitant financial spending has brought increasing scrutiny to his (mis)management of the office. Under his watch, the UF President’s office tripled its spending to $17.3 million, much of it going to lucrative consulting contracts, travel expenses and remote, high-paying jobs for his former political allies. His spending has led state officials to call for an investigation into his office, while many of his original staff hires have already received letters of non-reappointment.

The disastrous and short-lived Sasse presidency came as no surprise to the majority of students, faculty and campus workers who opposed his appointment for its lack of transparency and his lack of qualification. At his first student forum, Sasse faced a crowd of roughly 300 protestors, who unceremoniously chased him out of Emerson Hall. The opposition to his appointment was not limited to protests, however, with votes from the student senate and faculty senate expressing a lack of confidence in the selection process.

In each instance, members of the UF community expressed reservations about the politically-motivated and closed-door

nature of Sasse’s appointment. It comes as no surprise that Sasse engaged in the same practices that brought him into office: nepotistic hiring of former political allies, lucrative (and secretive) contracts with consulting companies and cozying up to the Florida political establishment.

Despite the obvious fact that a woefully unqualified, politically-motivated and rushed appointment would do a terrible job as the president of the highest-ranked university in Florida, a legion of cranks lined up to heap their praises onto Sasse.

The UF Board of Trustees voted to unanimously confirm his appointment, with former Student Body President Lauren Lemasters commenting: “I look forward to, throughout my experience, seeing you ready to sit down and listen and learn from these students.” She, to no one’s surprise, was later hired by Sasse’s office. Other apologists simply pretended that the opposition to Sasse was the immature whining of a far-left “small, fringe political minority.” This assessment ignored the broad population of faculty, campus workers and students who organized, protested and opposed his forcible appointment.

Once in office, a segment of conservatives portrayed Sasse

as a hero: a Republican-aligned university president who refused to be beholden to the woke mob. One op-ed described his possibility to be a “transformative leader” by firing everyone in the College of Education. Another piece laughably describes Sasse’s potential to transform UF to a “Harvard for the Unwoke.” The cherry on top of Rey Arcenas the pro-Sasse echo chamber was Ben opinions@alligator.org Shapiro’s description of the man as the “best state university president in all of America.”

Whether it be for a future job, ignorance or political blindness, Sasse apologists failed to see the incredibly apparent outcome of hiring a candidate based on politics rather than qualifications (ironic, considering most of them oppose DEI initiatives on the same grounds). The cranks that lined up in Sasse’s defense have shown themselves to be a deeply unserious crowd, and such a fact will become even more true as details continue to emerge about his short time as UF president.

Rey Arcenas is a UF history and women’s studies senior.

Nikki Fried is fried on Amendment 3 Column

A

mendment 3 is led this year by one of our own UF alumni, Nikki Fried.

Fried, who is now the chairwoman of Florida Democrats, served one term as the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture where she misused taxpayer funds and lobbied for the marijuana industry in Florida. Fried is known most for her position on marijuana. With Amendment 3 for recreational marijuana use on the ballot this November, it’s time to take a critical look at her work in the public and private sector to

see how her true motives will affect Floridians.

Fried presents herself as a modern Democrat and a successful politician, but realistically she’s become a corrupt embarrassment to the state and especially to UF. With her financial violations, previous arrest and misuses of taxpayer funds, Fried has become a spiraling disaster for Florida Democrats.

After being arrested for trespassing at Tallahassee City Hall during a protest, Fried bragged about her arrest and said she would

do it again. At the same time, Fried said on X that former President Donald Trump is “not above the law.” With moments like this, Fried reeks of hypocrisy and arrogance while trying to push her political agenda.

As Agriculture Commissioner, Fried used taxpayer dollars to put a sticker of her face on every gas pump in the state. While it may be a great campaign move for her embarrassing attempt at running for governor, it’s irresponsible and unconstitutional to use Florida taxpayer funds for a campaign.

While Commissioner of Agriculture, Fried was involved in multiple financial scandals by withholding financial reports from the public and trying to hide her investments Lucas Sprung within a medical mariopinions@alligator.org juana company while she was running for public office.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.

Lucas Sprung is a UF political science and international relations junior.

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

The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number.

Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257.Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

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1. What NASCAR driver, winner of the 1969 Daytona 500, was admitted to a mental institution 9.toGENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What after he attempted kill his mother in 1980? was the name of United first University 2. Pioneering astronaut Sally K. Ride was athe nationally rankedStates’ player for Stanford in what sport?nuclear-powered submarine?

3. Baseball Hall10. of Famer Jake Beckley, who played are from 1888-1907, played a Major League GAMES: What the four railBaseball record 2,368 games at what position? road properties in Monopoly?

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Brazil's fans? gence 6. Nate McMillan played his entire NBA career from 1986-1998 with what team?

3. the Below or insufficient 7. From 1976-2012, annual award presented to Major League Baseball's best relief pitcher was sponsored by4.what antacid brand?

Grover Cleveland © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc. 5. Katharine Hepburn answers below 6. Devils Tower, 1906 7. The Philippines Trivia Test answers 8. “The Matrix” 9. The USS Nautilus 10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Reading and B&O

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1. MOVIES:1.What is the name of the fictional country "The Princess MEASUREMENTS: How inmany Diaries"?inches are in a mile?

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Answers 1. 13. He hit eight of them in his 1962 rookie season.

2. The Big Whistle.

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El Caimán

LUNES, 9 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2024 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Conoce al Autor club de lectura conecta a los estudiantes con experiencias culturales SU SEGUNDO SEMESTRE SEÑALA ÉXITO PARA LA VISIÓN DE UN PROFESOR Por Vera Lucia Pappaterra Esritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Nicole Beltran Esritora de El Caimán

En una pequeña sala de conferencia, estudiantes de la UF, profesores y otros invitados se reúnen a discutir la lectura semanal. Estudiantes universitarios y profesores titulares intercambian ideas, diseccionan temas y perspectivas con una mezcla de curiosidad y visiones personales.

En la primavera pasada, Luis Felipe Gomez Lomelí, un profesor en el Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos de la UF, visionó un espacio para los estudiantes explorar sus herencias, hablar con

autores diversos y compartir sus propios cuentos.

El club de lectura creció en popularidad desde sus orígenes humildes con menos de diez estudiantes en la primera reunión.

Más de 100 estudiantes en un lapso de seis sesiones han participado en las reuniones en persona y por virtual, dijo Lomelí. La opción virtual a través de Zoom ha atraído estudiantes de otras universidades en los Estados Unidos y también desde países como Colombia, Perú y México.

El club de lectura permite a los miembros explorar literatura a su ritmo. Sin las presiones de mantener buenas notas y evaluaciones académicas.

Los estudiantes pueden sumergirse en las narrativas de varios autores Latinoamericanos y explorar varias herencias diversas. Lomelí enfatizó la importancia de mantener un espacio cómodo y agradable para el club, que permite a los estudiantes

apreciar la literatura sin sentirse arrumbados por la complejidad.

“Yo trato de escoger libros que puedan ser leídos, no super duper difíciles”, dijo Lomelí. “Lo vas a leer porque es un cuento bueno”.

Durante la primavera, el club leo novelas como la de Mario Martz, “La Juventud no Puede Regresar a Casa”, y la de Alejandra Costamagna, “Dejando la Tierra es Imposible”.

Los estudiantes se reúnen e interactúan con los autores por sesiones virtuales o visitas en persona.

Daniela Lizarazo, estudiante de posgrado, asistió a la mayoría de las reuniones del club de lectura la primavera pasada y deseaba volver para el nuevo semestre. Para ella, la oportunidad de hablar con los autores que lee es uno de los aspectos más emocionantes del club.

“Por eso estoy aquí otra vez”, dijo Lizarazo. “Porque me interesa cómo puedes conectar con los autores, su experiencia escribiendo

y también sus historias, cómo crean esa historia”.

Lizarazo añadió que el club es un recurso valioso para los estudiantes de una variedad de disciplinas, proporcionando no sólo una visión cultural, sino también la oportunidad de practicar su español.

“He visto muchas carreras diferentes, estudios latinoamericanos, ciencias políticas, ingenieros, gente que estudia lingüística, gente que estudia literatura, medicina”, dijo.

Este otoño, la primera sesión del club contó con la presencia del autor mexicano Federico Vite, autor de “Zeitgeist Tropical”, una colección de relatos cortos. Lomelí dice que el libro de Vite “aborda la cuestión de si existe una ‘mentalidad tropical’ de violencia y exuberancia”.

“Es para alguien que vive en Estados Unidos, para alguien que mira a América Latina con una perspectiva diferente”, dijo Vite.

El club de lectura recibe apoyo financiero de varios departamentos

universitarios y organizaciones externas. La mayor parte de la financiación procede del Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos, que paga honorarios, y del departamento de español y portugués.

A pesar del crecimiento del club, Lomelí quiere mantener el ambiente íntimo y abierto que lo hace tan especial.

“Si hay mucha, mucha gente, entonces es súper difícil mantener una conversación”, dijo. “Quizá tengamos que buscar otro sitio porque no vamos a caber en esa sala”.

Las reuniones tienen lugar en la sala 376 de Grinter Hall. El club se reúne de nuevo el 19 de septiembre para discutir “Azares del Cuerpo” de María Ospina. @veralupap vpappaterra@alligator.org @nicolebeltg nbeltran@alligator.org

Meet the Author book club connects students with cultural experiences ITS SECOND SEMESTER SIGNALS SUCCESS FOR ONE PROFESSOR’S VISION

By Vera Lucia Pappaterra Alligator Staff Writer

In a small conference room in Grinter Hall, UF students, professors and other guests gather to discuss this week's reading.

Undergraduate students and tenured professors alike bounce ideas off of each

other, dissecting themes and perspectives with a mix of curiosity and personal insight.

Last Spring, Luis Felipe Lomeli, a professor at UF’s Center for Latin American Studies, envisioned a space for students to explore their heritage, engage with diverse authors and share their own stories.

The Meet the Author book club grew in popularity from its humble beginnings with fewer than 10 attendees at its first meeting.

More than 100 students spread over six sessions attended meetings last semester both in person and virtually, Lomeli

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said. The virtual meeting option through Zoom has drawn in students attending universities across the United States and even from countries like Mexico, Peru and Colombia.

The book club allows members to explore literature at their own pace — free from the pressures of grades or formal academic evaluations.

Students can immerse themselves in the narratives of various Latin American authors and explore diverse heritages.

Lomeli emphasized the importance of

keeping the book club a casual and enjoyable space, which allows students to appreciate the literature without feeling overwhelmed by its complexity.

“I try to pick up books that can be read, not super duper hard books,” Lomeli said.

“You're going to read it because the story is a good story.”

Read the rest online at alligator.org. @veralupap vpappaterra@alligator.org

Síganos para actualizaciones

Gainesville artist plays with style. Read more on pg. 11.

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

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

FOOD

Relish at Midtown closes unexpectedly, leaving patrons shocked and confused GATOR BODEGA WILL REPLACE THE MIDTOWN BUILD-YOUROWN-BURGER BAR

By Rachel Mish Avenue Staff Writer

As football fans raged in the streets, wouldbe customers of Midtown’s beloved Relish Big Tasty Burgers slowly realized their favorite burger place was closed for good.

Relish’s Midtown location — located at 1702 W. University Ave. — has permanently closed its doors. The closure came with no public announcement, leading to rumors about

when and why it closed.

Gator Bodega will be opening in the burger joint’s place, but the owner could not provide a specific date. The bodega will offer burgers, snacks, sodas, deli items, coffee and lottery tickets, and it will also operate as a vape store.

Relish, which serves as a build-your-ownburger bar, has become a Gainesville staple for many students. The restaurant features a “Be Creative” slogan, encouraging its patrons to customize burgers with 40 available ingredients.

Ria Pai, a 19-year-old UF psychology sophomore, often went to Relish with friends when she craved comfort food. Pai said Relish has been a long-standing staple in Gainesville.

“It was so fun to load up my burger with things from guacamole to peanut butter,” she said.

Pai isn’t the only student disappointed in the customizable burger bar’s departure.

Hailey Petriccione, a 20-year-old UF history and English junior, said the restaurant encouraged her to branch out in her food choices.

“I’m a huge fan of pineapple on burgers, and Relish is the only burger spot I’ve found that offers it,” she said.

Though Relish fans are forced to find a new burger joint in Midtown, many of them remain loyal to the brand. Relish’s two locations in downtown and on Archer Road will remain open, but the loss is still felt by many

students — the others are not as close to campus.

Triston Cropp, a 20-year-old UF sports management junior, said he will continue to go to Relish but will have to visit a different location.

“I was actually craving Relish, so I went to the Archer Road location,” he said.

Similarly, Samantha Hinsz, a 22-year-old UF graduate, was devastated by the closure.

Hinsz said she would rather drive to a further location than give up Relish.

“She [Relish] was there for me when literally nobody else was,” Hinsz said. @mish_rache62827 rmisch@alligator.org

ART

ET and mermaids: the story behind a long-standing Gainesville tattoo artist

When Salay moved to Gainesville almost 20 years ago, there were only three tattoo parlors in the area

By Juliana DeFilippo Avenue Staff Writers

On the streets of northern Virginia, fifth grader Mike Salay watched from his bus window as teenagers skated in a ditch near the highway.

As bodies soared through the air, Salay’s eyes were immediately drawn to the art decorating their skin.

“They were covered in tattoos, but I was just watching them, and I was like, ‘I want to be exactly like these guys,’” the 49-year-old Gainesville tattoo artist said. “They’re jumping in the air, spinning around, doing all this crazy stuff, and I was like, ‘I want to do that. I guess I have to have tattoos to do that.’”

Salay, who has been working as a full-time tattoo artist since 2000, now works at Anthem Tattoo Parlor, located in Downtown Gainesville, which he formerly co-owned with his wife for 10 years. The studio was one of three tattoo studios in Gainesville when Salay moved to the area, and it aims to honor the roots of tattooing while contributing new creativity to the art form.

Anthem Tattoo is based out of a small blue house built in 1889 for midwives. The original floors and windows are still in place, but framed drawings of tattoos and Salay’s skateboard collection now adorn the walls.

Salay has been interested in art for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Virginia, Salay dreamed of drawing Garfield comics for the cartoon creator Jim Davis, to whom he wrote a letter asking to create cartoons for him.

As a kid, Salay would often use markers to color in his uncle’s Marine Corps bulldog tattoo.

He also began to create tattoos on his friends with Sharpies, which didn’t always go over well with their parents.

“When Sunday morning would come, and they [my friends] would have to go to church, I would get phone calls saying, ‘What did you do to my son?’” Salay said.

After years of drawing and taking art classes, Salay completed an apprenticeship in Virginia under Gary Clark, a tattoo artist at All In Tat-

too in Fredericksburg. Salay learned how to put a tattoo machine together and began tattooing himself and his friends. Salay recalled the first tattoo he did on himself, which was a small star on his calf, followed by two more tattoos in the next two days.

When Salay moved to Gainesville from Virginia almost 20 years ago in pursuit of “something new and different,” there were only three tattoo shops in the area, and they were already full of tattoo artists.

Salay operated out of his Gainesville home and worked at Chaos and Bodytech Tattooing & Piercing before beginning his work as a tattoo artist for Anthem Tattoo. Later, he became the store’s co-owner for 10 years and has since sold ownership to tattoo artist Tim Strating.

Salay’s work is colorful and dimensional, with tattoos ranging from vibrant pet portraits, ET and sharks to florals, mermaids and nurses.

Though Salay designs many tattoos, customers are welcome to bring in their own drawings or reference images from online, and Salay can trace and redraw them to fit the skin correctly.

Salay also offers free consultations and encourages anyone to talk to him about their desired tattoo, whether it is an autograph, a handmade drawing, a minimalistic design or a specific arm piece. The artists at Anthem Tattoo charge by the hour, ranging from $175 to $200 per hour for each tattoo.

“Pretty much, whatever you bring in … we’ll sit down and talk and see if we can make that happen,” he said.

During his 20 years at Anthem Tattoo, Salay has seen a variety of customers, from sports stars to drunk college students.

From 2006 to 2008, when UF won two national football championships and back-to-back NCAA championships, fan parades would run until 2 a.m. and bring intoxicated customers into the tattoo parlor.

“We would talk to them, ‘See you later, come back tomorrow,’” Salay said. “They would leave a deposit, and they would come back the next day and be like, ‘Did I really leave

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a deposit for a tattoo?’”

To combat the possibility of drunk students and residents entering the parlor, Anthem Tattoo does not tattoo anyone who enters the studio intoxicated. Salay gives advice to all of his customers but will delay completing a tattoo if a customer is under the influence, he said.

Although it is not his favorite thing to do, Salay has also completed a variety of tattoo cover-ups. Tattoo cover-ups can be slightly different than people imagine, Salay said. Covering up a tattoo often causes it to appear darker and larger.

“I always tell people for a cover-up to work properly, the new tattoo has to be at least two and a half times the existing size of the older tattoo in order for it to work properly,” he said.

Mike Salay’s work is not just limited to tattoos.

Since 2020, Salay has accumulated a collection of his own hand-made paintings, including a Grim Reefer painting and tropical images of birds and flowers. Some paintings can take about 20 hours to create, and he tends to work on the larger pieces in increments to encourage experimentation.

To prevent a repetitive art cycle of “monotonous torture,” Salay said he does not like to restrict his work to one specific art style.

“Style is a trap, and technique is a prison,” he said. “I try to change all the time because if you’re stuck in one thing, then you get bored with it.”

Salay’s paintings were featured in his first individual art show Aug. 30 at THE AUK MARKET as part of its participation in Artwalk Gainesville, a “self-guided art experience” that highlights various events and venues on the last Friday of every month.

Salay’s wife, 50-year-old Samantha Salay, and 47-year-old Nikki Kragiel co-own THE AUK MARKET. The market sells various items created by local businesses and individuals and offers workshops on sustainable art and linocut techniques.

“We think that Gainesville is a humongous

cultural hub,” Samantha Salay said. “It has a vibrant art community. We’re excited that there are places popping up all over town that showcase local, amazing talent, and we’re just happy to be one of those places.”

Samantha Salay said she and Mike Salay have worked together on and off for two decades, at both THE AUK MARKET and Zorka Rose Vintage.

Samantha Salay ran Zorka Rose out of Anthem Tattoo when she and her husband coowned the business. While she used to host Artwalk Gainesville events from this location as well, this is her first time displaying her husband’s work.

The Salays have continued to work together throughout their lives, often bringing their creativity together. Mike Salay said he greatly values getting the opportunity to work with his wife.

“She’s my best friend,” he said. “[I] love hanging out with her.”

It’s rare to see someone’s childhood dream come to fruition the way it has for Mike Salay.

In his tattoo studio, a framed photo shows him looking at an exhibit displaying what a tattoo parlor from the 1930s looked like. Mike Salay’s mother, who worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, took the photo and gave it to him when he became a tattoo artist.

“That’s me standing,” he said, pointing to himself in the image. “My mom said that I stood in front of this thing for hours just looking at it.”

Much like Mike Salay didn’t overthink the connection between skateboarding and tattooing, he advises not overthinking a tattoo.

“Do it,” he said. “I always tell people, go with your first thought and location … If you want to get a tattoo, get a tattoo.”

Anthem Tattoo is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. @JulianaDeF58101 jdefillipo@alligator.org

Men’s tennis

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 www.alligator.org/section/sports

WOMEN'S SOCCER

The comeback is stronger than the setback: Sophie White REDSHIRT JUNIOR FORWARD SOPHIE WHITE OVERCAME TWO ACL TEARS

By Amanda Roman Sports Writer

When soccer is your passion and an outlet from the rest of the world, dealing with two ACL tears in back-to-back seasons can be a significant obstacle that tests your strength and love for the game.

Redshirt junior forward Sophie White endured a unique journey as a member of the Florida soccer team. Her story serves as a reminder that being an athlete is not just about the goals you score or the games you win, but also how you handle the losses and setbacks along the way.

White began her journey with the Gators in 2021, but not in the way she envisioned.

Before arriving in Gainesville, White tore her ACL during her senior year of high school,

leading to the absence of her entire freshman campaign at UF. Her battle with injuries was not just physical, but mental. Rather than wallowing in selfpity, she used the setback to further develop herself as a player.

“I wasn't going to take my injuries as, ‘OK poor me’,” White said. “I was like, OK, this is a time for me to get stronger and to get better, and I know I can come back stronger than I was.”

Another twist of fate caused White to tear her ACL for a second time. The latter came against Texas in her sophomore year, forcing her to miss yet another season with the Gators.

But instead of giving in to the adversities, White once again kept her head high and spirit unbroken.

“The second time around, I was like, OK, I kind of know what it's going through,” White said. “We started to incorporate the ball, and that was obviously so fun, but it makes you very much appreciate your time back on the field.”

Recognizing the competitiveness of collegiate soccer, White knew she had her work cut out for her to not only recover but to make her way back on the field.

White had a vision in mind and it didn’t take long for her to turn it into reality. In Florida’s second home match of the season against UCF, she scored the game-tying goal to keep UF’s undefeated season alive.

“It was definitely just relief, just joy,” White said. “I remember that moment. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to score this,’ because we were obviously down 2-1. I was getting the ball, and I was like, ‘OK, I think I can do this.’”

However, White had someone to share her struggle with: redshirt junior midfielder Oakley Rasmussen, a teammate from her hometown. Both players tore their ACLs in high school and missed out on their first chance to make a statement on the collegiate stage.

“We were able to be each other’s biggest cheerleader and supporter our freshman year,” Rasmussen said. “Especially when being so far away from home, which was so nice.”

Integrating herself back into the Gators’ offense was no easy feat. White’s battle regarding motivation and playing time was a daunting one.

UF head coach Samantha Bohon recognized her relentless work ethic and determination.

“It's very easy to get discouraged in that process, but she stayed working really hard,” Bohon said. “She’s one of the players that stays after practice pretty consistently and gets extra reps in.”

White remains focused on her goals of getting the Gators to reach their highest potential in the postseason and also has high hopes for her playing career after her time at Florida.

In her head, she carries the mantra, “The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” It’s a phrase she set on her phone coincidentally just before her first ACL tear, and it's one that’s stayed with her ever since. @mandy_romannn aroman@alligator.org

MEN'S TENNIS

Florida men’s tennis carrying international experiences into 2024-25 THE GATORS LOOKING TO USE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE

By Carston Handy Sports Writer

Florida men’s tennis will endure its fair share of hostile environments in 2024-25. With 10 of UF’s 11 tournaments being on the road this season, the amount of travel could be daunting.

However, with the amount of experience that UF’s roster has competing across the globe, the Gators may just be able to use it to their advantage.

Some players face a culture shock traveling to unfamiliar courts or venues. The atmospheres may create challenges both on and off the court, but freshman Francesco Cordova is no stranger to these elements.

“There's different factors,” Cordova said. “There's places you haven't been, there's food that you are not usually eating.”

Playing internationally is just one layer of a tennis player elevating his game to a topflight level.

Men’s tennis players also face fierce competition.

Traveling creates extra wear and tear on the body, and some players face additional battles when it comes to weather in different regions of the world.

Cordova played in the qualifying draw of the men’s M15 Kingston Tournament that took place in Jamaica. He had to adapt to the change in temperature, he said.

“It was extremely hot. It wasn't like how I'd normally train,” Cordova said.

In tennis, being an elite athlete means more than how you perform between the court lines. It’s about having the dedication to consistently travel while competing in highpressure tournaments and matches.

Florida has a wide variety of international athletes who have immense experience appearing in tournaments across the world, one of whom is sophomore Henry Jefferson from London. Over the summer, Jefferson played in The Junior Championships, Wimbledon.

“I grew up 15 to 20 minutes from there, going there as a kid,” Jefferson said. “Playing there was pretty special to me. It's my favorite tournament. It's my dream.”

Playing in a home tournament can create extra pressure for players, making the competition simultaneously harder and easier on the player.

Jefferson is looking forward to carrying over his experiences from playing in a Grand Slam to the Gators’ roster this Fall.

“I had some good matches there,” Jefferson said. “I just learned from them, I watched them back, seen the stats. Hopefully just take them into Florida, take that experi-

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Jeremy Jin celebrates after winning a point for UF during a match against UCF on Feb. 19. at Linder Stadium. ence and try to use the momentum to get into some of these four tournaments.”

Jefferson isn't the only Gator who played in a home-turf Grand Slam tournament. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, sophomore Jeremy Jin played at the Australian Open Junior Championships.

He played two matches before

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being eliminated in the second round of the tournament. Even though the end result wasn’t favorable, Jin gained valuable reps that he couldn’t have gotten anywhere else, he said.

“It's nice to have that big match pressure,” Jin said. “Because there's a lot of pressure in a lot of situations [at Florida].”

Having played in such large tournaments, Cordova, Jefferson and Jin are able to take the pressure of high stakes moments at UF and handle them with great poise.

Florida will open its season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Sept. 13.

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@carston_handy chandy@alligator.org