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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 5

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

FOOTBALL

Gators nearly topple Goliath, fall to top-ranked Crimson Tide 31-29 FLORIDA FAILED TWO-POINT CONVERSION TO TIE THE GAME LATE

By Ryan Haley Sports Writer

Florida starting quarterback Emory Jones stood in the pocket, running back Malik Davis at his right side and the Alabama defense in his eyes. He’d just conducted an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, UF’s third in a row, and now needed a two-point conversion to tie the top-ranked Crimson Tide at home. Two yards stood between Jones and immortal glory. The redshirt junior looked to the sideline and confirmed the play call one last time before rooting his feet to the turf and clapping his hands. He tucked the ball into Davis’ belly and hop-stepped with him for a moment before they both plunged into the pile ahead. Short. The No. 11 Gators came within a yard of forcing overtime with No. 1 Alabama and their juggernaut head coach Nick Saban, but fell short 31-29. The home crowd of 90,887 Florida fans made themselves heard early, forcing a delay of game on third and 4 in Alabama’s opening drive as quarterback Bryce Young clapped his hands several times but the ball was never snapped. The flag was one of ‘Bama’s few miscues on the first drive or in the first quarter as a whole. The Tide still marched methodically down the field. In eight plays and just under four minutes, running back Jase McClellan found the end zone for the early lead. After a Florida field goal, Young threw up a prayer under pressure as Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley found himself behind Florida’s secondary. 14-3, Alabama. Jones then offered what seemed to be a nail in the Gators’ coffin with a back-breaking interception. Facing third and 10 and getting hit as he threw, his pass sailed over the head of sophomore receiver Xzavier Henderson and into the hands of Alabama’s Jalyn Armour-Davis, Jones’ fifth interception of the year in nine quarters of play. Six plays later, Crimson Tide running back Brian Robinson Jr. took a screen pass, broke a tackle and waltzed into the end zone, and Florida was down 21-3 before the first quarter concluded. After a few traded punts to begin the second quarter, Davis found a huge gap

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT Diversity disparity

A quarter Story description of Florida’s finish student-athletes with comma, pg# are Black, but Black students make up 7% of the student body. Read more on pg. 12

in the Alabama defense and dragged three Tide defenders with him across the goal line to make it a two-score game. The Gators thought they’d drawn within 10, but Florida placekicker Chris Howard missed the extra point to make it 21-9 instead. Remember that for later. Florida received the ball to open the third quarter and took advantage, driving down the field on the strength of Davis and senior Dameon Pierce’s legs. On a fourth and 1 play from the Alabama 3, Pierce disappeared into a dogpile and his hands popped out the other side, breaking the plane and bringing the Gators within five points. For the first time since the opening quarter, the Crimson Tide led by only one possession. Young and the opposing offense chewed up almost six minutes of clock to try and keep the door closed on a rally. Robinson stepped into the end zone untouched on fourth and 1, and Alabama led 28-16. Then, disaster seemed to strike for the Gators. Return man Ja’Markis Weston attempted to fair-catch the kickoff, but the ball bounced out of his hands. The football rolled back out of the end zone and out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Florida stood 99 yards from pay dirt. Running back Nay’Quan Wright ran like a man possessed. Back-to-back-toback runs of 30, 16 and 11 yards gave the Gators life as Wright danced, juked and cut his way through the Alabama defense. Jones tucked the ball from five yards out and found the end zone to end the drive. Eleven plays. 99 yards. Five-point game. Young and the Alabama offense could only manage a field goal, and Florida had the ball down only eight points. Jones and his offense worked rhythmically down the field, grabbing first down after first down. The Gators seemed doomed facing third and 19 from around midfield, but Jones found slot receiver Trent Whittemore on consecutive plays to move the chains. Jones authored the best half of his career in the closing quarters, completing eight of his last 11 passes and running for 35 yards. The starting quarterback finished with 261 total yards, including 181 through the air, and one rushing touchdown. “Over the first couple weeks, I thought he played good with some drastic errors,”

SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 11

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida left tackle Richard Gouraige kneels on the field of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium following Florida’s 31-29 loss to No. 1 Alabama on Sept. 18.

UF’s 11 construction projects bring changes — and frustration — to campus The projects from UF’s Campus Master Plan and Landscape Master Plan will continue until 2023 By Camila Pereira Alligator Staff Writer

Blocked-off streets with signs reading “Road Closed” and fences covered in green mesh fabric stretch across campus walkways and streets. This is the campus landscape UF students face this semester. The university is undergoing construction of 11 projects from its Campus Master Plan and Landscape Master Plan. The construction, which is expected to be completed in 2023, is part of its larger effort to enhance UF’s campus. However, on-campus road closures have affected faculty members’ and students’ commute to work and classes, as well as RTS bus routes and stops. Currently, 26 bus routes are detoured due to the construction projects happening across

Dog days

UF’s first theatre performance since February 2020, pg. 3

Student confusion

Textbook deferment program leaves some with unexpected charges, pg. 6

campus, a UF Transportation and Parking Division email read. These changes have not yet been updated on the TransLoc app, which still shows pre-construction routes. Gina Crespo, a 21-year-old UF biology junior, relies on the bus to drop her off near her classes on Museum Drive. However, she said she noticed the route changes when her trek to class became longer. “I also had the app for the buses and noticed that all the routes were completely changed but not updated on the actual app, so that was a little bit confusing,” Crespo said. She said she understands the construction is necessary but believes students should at least be updated through the app so they can figure out what new bus routes to take. Once construction on campus is done, Cre-

SEE CONSTRUCTION, PAGE 3

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Monoclonal antibody treatment center Today’s Weather provides high hopes in High Springs THE ANTIBODIES ASSIST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN IDENTIFYING AND TARGETING THE COVID-19 VIRUS

By Troy Myers Alligator Staff Writer

After being exposed to COVID-19, Dan Grabhorn, a 57-year-old Gainesville resident, heard about a High Springs monoclonal antibody treatment site through his wife, who had already received it Sept. 13. Seeing the treatment’s positive effect on her, he didn’t want to run the chances of developing severe symptoms and decided to get it himself. “This was the only option she was looking at, and I’d say she’s happy and feels better after taking that,” Grabhorn said. The rollout of this treatment option was an initiative by Gov. Ron DeSantis, meant to give patients monoclonal antibodies without a prescription or referral. Increasing vaccination rates and the treatment could make a difference in hospitalizations from last year to this year, according to Florida Hospital Association data. Shane Campbell, 24, and his grandmother, 73, received the treatment Sept. 15. Campbell’s 78-yearold grandfather received it Sept. 13 after he had a positive COVID-19 test result. He was thankful he and his grandmother could get the same treatment as a precaution before either of them fell ill. He said he trusts this practice because it's been around for decades. Campbell said the treatment has worked wonders for his grandfather after only two days. “Today, he was up and walking around, and he actually looks like a person,” Campbell said. The Alachua County monoclonal antibody site opened Aug. 24. Fellowship Church of High Springs, located at 16916 NW U.S. Highway

441, hosts the clinic in its gymnasium, which is able to hold up to 300 patients. Because the gymnasium is detached from the rest of the church and safety protocols are in place, the church can still operate and hold services. The Fellowship Church location is one of the 25 monoclonal antibody sites across the state and sees roughly 150 to 200 patients per day, according to Paul Myers, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County. The church previously served as a COVID-19 vaccine location earlier in the year. Monoclonal antibodies assist the immune system in identifying and targeting the COVID-19 virus more effectively, Myers said. It prevents serious illness and death among high-risk people like those who are elderly, overweight, diabetic or have compromised heart, lungs, kidneys or immune systems. The treatment consists of two injections in the stomach area and one in each arm. According to treatment guidelines, monoclonal antibodies work best when administered upon notification of a COVID-19 positive status. Monoclonal antibody treatment has shown a 70% reduction in hospitalizations and death in clinical trials. Those already hospitalized with COVID-19 issues are unable to receive the monoclonal antibody treatment because the effects are unknown. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the safety of monoclonal antibodies in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Myers wants to keep the Alachua County site open as long as people need it. He said this is a free and painless option for anyone exposed who wants protection and treatment quickly. “The immune response is just about immediate,” Myers said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the treatment

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 5

ISSN 0889-2423

Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications Inc., of Gainesville, Florida

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under an emergency use authorization. The treatment is available for any person at least 12 years old, no matter their vaccination status. Mitch Knutson, 52, is looking into the monoclonal antibody treatment for his 78-year-old father. He hopes the treatment will protect him. “I think it’s fantastic, and there’s good science behind it,” Knutson said. “This is like having immediate antibodies.” @Troy_Myers1 tmyers@alligator.org

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3

UF actors return to the spotlight after a year and a half out of the theatre The school of theatre and dance held its first live performance of “Dog Act” Sept. 16 By Elena Barrera Alligator Staff Writer

Hushed murmurs of anticipation lingered in the air. The house lights dimmed and so did the audience’s voices. Stage lights flashed bright, and the actors took their places. After 578 days, roughly a year and a half, in darkness, the McGuire Pavilion Black Box Theatre was illuminated by spotlights once again. On Sept. 16, The School of Theatre and Dance at UF presented “Dog Act,” the school’s first live inperson performance since February 2020. The play is set in a post-apocalyptic world with the characters exploring the “new normal,” an uncanny resemblance to reality in a post-pandemic world, according to the show’s program. The story’s message is that art will survive anything, said Elisabeth Reyes, the play’s assistant director. “Art is what holds us together and shows humanity, and it will live on no matter what,” the tele-

communications and general theater senior said. A unique kind of joy was alive in every audience, cast and crew member. The thrill of live theatre was back. Seeing her daughter participate in the performance, Debi McAvoy was excited to see people doing what they love as a form of selfexpression. “I think it’s an incredibly important part of our lives, of humanity and of perpetuation of the arts,” she said. The black box theatre experience created an intimate environment between the audience and the six actors. The actors performed scenes from the floor just a few feet from the audience, keeping the crowd in the palms of their hands. After 19 months waiting for a return, the performers were ecstatic to be back on stage. “There’s something so special about being in the room with people while it’s happening,” said Brooke Livingston, an actress in the play. “It’s so refreshing to be able to come back to this. It’s al-

Pedestrian-friendly CONSTRUCTION, from pg. 1 spo said she thinks the frustration with the bus route changes will lessen. As of now, it’s just another burden for students. Campus Connector shuttle routes, Gator Lift, SNAP and Campus Cab have also adjusted, closed or relocated several pick-up and drop-off areas that were blocked due to construction, a TAPS email read. Students and faculty also face issues with commuting and parking on campus due to decal enforcement changes and road closures. Hannah Vander Zanden, an assistant professor at UF’s biology department, said she has had difficulties finding parking because of the Museum Road reclosure.

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“It would be nice to have a campus that was easier for people to commute to without cars, but the reality is, I have to bring a 2 year old to campus,” she said. “And even though I’m within biking distance, my husband and I don’t feel comfortable putting him in a bike to do that.”’ Vander Zanden was disappointed in the purpose of some of UF’s new construction. Despite UF’s mission to address energy use and be more sustainable, the commuter lot on Museum Road is blocked for the construction of a new energy plant. The goal of UF’s plant project is to stray away from steam production for a combined heat and power approach. “My realization of that recently was a lot of disappointment in UF for not planning for reliance and more renewables,” she said. “We have experts on campus who could tell you a lot about better ways to continue our energy production on campus in a renewable climate-

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most like coming back home.” The UF acting senior’s last time on a stage was January 2020. While the theatre program had performances last year, most were done through Zoom. Actors performed from their rooms through the virtual format, she said. Now, the live experience is back, but the actors and crew members are posed with a new challenge to their art: They must wear masks while they rehearse and perform. “At first it was pretty jarring; you don’t realize how much you rely on your face for storytelling,” Livingston said. “I feel like everything is coming full circle. In ancient Greek theatre, they used to always wear masks, so they focused on how the sound of their voice was.” Livingston said she feels that this has challenged her and her peers to find new ways to create their art and continue telling stories. “They’ve done a great job,” Reyes said. “They’ve really risen to the occasion.”

Reyes said it feels amazing to be back in the same space with each other and the audience. The actors do their best in front of live people, and the energy is heightened with live reactions, she said. “I’m really excited for people to come watch it,” Reyes said. “I

think this is the perfect show to come back with.” The performance is held weekdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. until Sept. 26. There are no showings Monday and Saturday. @elenabarreraaa ebarrera@alligator.org

Photo courtesy of T.F. Guntrup // UF School of Theatre + Dance

Actors are seen on stage performing “Dog Act” during a rehearsal Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.

friendly way.” Construction would also lead to the removal of trees on campus, but UF’s Landscape Master Plan states it will plant more shade trees along walkways and other open areas on campus to make up for the losses — something Vander Zanden said she supports. “I think it’s great that UF is expanding facilities,” she said. “I think they just need to take into account what the losses are and also be planning for long-term sustainability, and I don’t necessarily see that happening.” All construction projects have been in the planning stages since 2016, UF director of construction Frank Javaheri wrote in an email. Now, UF is on the next steps of beginning construction for some of its long-term designs. Following UF’s plan to make campus more pedestrian-friendly, the university is transforming its core into an auto-free zone and implementing gateway projects.

The university will replace some roadways with a curbless, brick-paved walkway to connect the Reitz Union Lawn to the Plaza of the Americas. The Reitz lawn section of construction is expected to be complete by next month. The gateway projects will incorporate more pedestrian access into campus at the intersection of Newell Drive and West University Avenue, according to the Landscape Master Plan. They will also provide a connection from UF to the Innovation District in downtown Gainesville. A drop-off area will be built next to Tigert Hall. The Newell Gateway is expected to be complete by December and the Northeast Gateway by March. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @CamilaSaPereira cpereria@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Gainesville spa brings luxury services to children THE SPA IS NAMED AFTER THE OWNER’S DAUGHTER, TRINITY

By Bryce Brown Alligator Staff Writer

Jacqueline Huggins, a mother of four, walked through Thornebrook Village Shopping Center with her family when she saw the construction for Trinity’s Day Spa in 2018. The spa solely catered to girls and young teens.

After seeing the soon-to-be business, her children put Trinity’s Day Spa on their summer bucket list. The Gainesville locals visited the spa, located at 2441 NW 43rd St, last summer to pick out their own nail polish. The polish stayed on for two weeks, through weathering pools and beach visits. “It was almost like the Disneyland of nails and hair and all things girly and glitter,” Huggins said. “It was so cool. I wish they’d had something like this when I was a kid.”

Photo courtesy of Trinity’s Day Spa

The spa provides girls, from toddlers to high schoolers, with a unique experience that owner and founder Edwennia Moore said will leave them feeling like a princess. Bright pink walls overlook luxurious thrones where children sit while soaking their feet in water and getting their nails painted. Disney music plays overhead while the girls pick out their own bath bombs. Kids can dress up in purple boas and twirl around in a large mirror after donning their new look. Moore always dreamt of opening her own business. While a stay-at-home mother for the first five years with her daughter Trinity, Moore noticed that her daughter was jealous of her trips to the spa. But Moore struggled to find a spa tailored to a younger audience. “Most places, either they don’t cater to kids or if they do cater to kids, they don’t get the same experience as the adults,” she said. “When you get a pedicure, you want to put your feet in the water, you want to splash your feet, you want to get a foot massage.” Moore said Trinity would have to sit in her lap when she got her toes or fingernails painted, making it impossible for Trinity to have her own spa experience. “I noticed that the nail technicians, they never interacted with my daughter, meaning have a conversation,” Moore said. “‘Hey, how’s it going today? What did you do in school? What do you like to do? Who’s your favorite princess? Do you have a favorite Disney movie?’ It was silence.” Thirteen years later, Moore resigned from her position as a loan officer at a credit union and opened Trinity’s Day Spa — named af-

ter her daughter — Nov. 2, 2018. Moore also created an apparel line called “Pinky Promise,” featuring hoodies, T-shirts and other accessories. She created a “Kidpreneur” pop-up shop that allows children to exercise their business mindset. In addition, Moore hosted a “Back 2 School Braid Bash” at the spa, which provided 35 to 40 local students with free braided hairstyles. She said she wants to continue to build her clientele in Gainesville and eventually branch out to other locations. “I want all little girls [to be] able to talk about Trinity’s Day Spa and how it’s their favorite place,” Moore said. “I want them to know they have a place of their own, they can go and get pampered, and they don’t have to go where mom goes now.” Gabrielle Jenkins and her 9-year-old daughter, Danielle, have frequently visited Trinity’s Day Spa since it opened. Jenkins said there are not many places around town, especially spas, catered just to kids. “It’s very, very special to, I think, not only my child but all other children that have the opportunity to visit the spa because they are treated with royalty from the moment they walk in the door,” Jenkins said. Parents also can receive service if they opt for a “Mommy and Me” or “Daddy and Me” service with their child. Jenkins said the staff is friendly and treats her daughter with the utmost care and attention to detail. “Trinity’s Day Spa is the best place I’ve ever been to get my nails and toes done at,” Danielle said. “They treat me like a real princess.”

What to know about UF’s health insurance option UF covers prescriptions, urgent care and doctor’s visits for $2,798 per year By Max Taylor Alligator Staff Writer

If a UF student is not already enrolled in a health care plan, the university automatically charges upward of $1,000 for its own health insurance option. At the beginning of each semester, most students see a charge on ONE.UF for the university’s health insurance plan. The charge can be waived if a student proves they already have insurance, whether it’s under a parents’ plan or a plan of their own. Some students opt for the university’s provided plan. Maria Gomez, a 21-year-old UF psychology senior, was happy to learn UF health insurance covered visits to a psychiatrist and her allergy medication. “It’s very convenient just because I don’t have to do all the process of looking for insurance outside of the school and because I don’t have to submit any type of paperwork … every time the semester starts,” Gomez said. “[But] they’re not very clear on what they cover, and it is very hard to find what you can get out of the insurance.” The student insurance plan covers preventative care, urgent care, hospital and emergency room stays, mental health care, and pediatric and vision up through age 19. For those 20 and older, the plan covers one dental exam per policy year and one eye exam up to $100 per policy year. The plan does not cover cosmetic surgery, hearing aids, experimental drugs, growth hormones,

sleep disorders or injuries sustained in college or professional sports. The maximum amount students can expect to pay when using the UF health insurance is $6,350 per policy year. After that, the plan pays all additional costs. The annual deductible — the amount a customer has to pay before the plan begins covering medical expenses — is $200. Copays, or the amount the plan does not pay, include $25 for every office visit or lab exam; $100 for every emergency room visit; and $20, $30 or $50 for prescription drugs depending on the medication. Birth control pills are free. For Gomez, whose parents live in Colombia, depending on a parental insurance plan was not an option. When she transferred from Florida SouthWestern State College to UF in her sophomore year, the health insurance mandate pressed her into making a decision. Gomez feels it is easy for UF to take advantage of students who sign up for the university-provided plan because they’re often the ones who know the least about insurance. “It’s very easy to be covered by it … they just do it if you don’t have any other type of insurance,” Gomez said. “In my opinion, it kind of takes advantage of the fact that, most of the times, students that do end up with that insurance don’t really know anything about insurance.” While some students opt into the plan because it seems easy and affordable, others search for better options. Siddhesh Patil, a 23-year-old

UF computer science graduate student, is from India, where there is government-provided health care. UF’s health insurance requirement was surprising, but after researching his options, he decided Professional Service, Inc’s (PSI) Presidential plan was right for him. As an international student, Patil considers costs as a main factor when settling on an insurance plan. “PSI is offering me the same stuff as UF Health, but at a lower cost. Cost was a very important factor,” he wrote in a Reddit chat. A few options specific to international students are more costeffective than UF’s option, like PSI’s Presidential plan and The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) plan. For students under 24, PSI costs $1,488, and ISO costs $1,416 per year. Both plans offer $0 deductibles, meaning students can expect to pay nothing when they need to use the plan unless the cost exceeds $6,350. In comparison, students with UF’s UnitedHealthcare plan can expect to pay $200 before the plan covers costs. All three plans have $6,350 in out-of-pocket maximums, meaning insurance will pay anything over that amount. Each plan covers preventative services, emergency room services, hospital services and prescription medication. ISO’s International Student Insurance. plan has a flat $30 copay for prescription medication. Meanwhile, the PSI Presidential plan has a tiered system that takes the cost of medication into consid-

eration. Similar to the UF plan, PSI has a copay of $20 for the cheapest medications, $40 for more expensive medications and $60 for the most expensive medications. “It is important for students to have health insurance so that they have that safety net for if things go wrong or if a health concern arises,” UF Health Compliance Office manager Jennifer Kieslich wrote in an email. “Health insurance shields us from the devastating financial impact an accident or illness can have. It also allows for routine and preventive services to ensure good overall health.” Despite how important it is, Kieslich says that many students do not understand how health insurance works, or how to access information. “Knowing what your resources are and how to ask the right questions is a huge tool,” Kieslich wrote. “College is a huge transition and learning about health insurance, accessing health care services, and becoming an advocate in your own health care is all part of that.” UF provides a student health insurance option through UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. The plan costs $2,798 per year — $1,089 for the Fall semester, $951 for Spring or $758 for Summer. For spouses and children of students, UF insurance costs $2,748 per year, $1,069 for the Fall semester, $934 for Spring or $745 for Summer. Other plans are available for multiple children or various summer schedules. Despite the full list of benefits, Kieslich recommends most students stay on their parents’ plans unless

@brycebrownnn bbrown@alligator.org they are not covered in Gainesville or unless they anticipate high out-ofpocket expenses. On campus, the Student Health Care Center deals primarily with university-provided health insurance, but it also accepts non-UF plans. Patients have to fill out a form to ensure their personal insurance providers are accepted. Mohit Sathyaseelan, a 22-yearold computer science freshman, originally enrolled in UF’s health insurance plan because he felt university plans provided greater coverage and were normally the safest option. But he was not impressed with the available information on coverage and benefits. “We just get one side of the plan. That is UF health insurance is the better option,” Sathyaseelan wrote in a Reddit chat. “It would have been better if I could get opinions or interact with the students who went with this plan.” Basic information about health care can be found on UnitedHealthcare’s Health Insurance 101 Toolkit, Kieslich wrote, as well as on Healthcare.gov. “It’s hard for individuals to be an expert in all aspects of their health benefits,” Kieslich wrote. “Working with students to help them understand their benefits is one of our favorite aspects of our role here. These are practical skills that they can take with them through the rest of their life.” More information about UF’s health insurance can be found by contacting the Health Compliance Office at 352-294-2925 or emailing healthcompliance@shcc.ufl.edu. @MTaylor_Journ mtaylor@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

Collard greens, strawberries and onions: Alachua County debuts plant program THE COUNTY PARTNERED WITH UF AND A LOCAL NONPROFIT TO TEACH RESIDENTS ABOUT GARDENING

By Meghan McGlone Alligator Staff Writer

Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford grew up gardening. As a sixth-generation Floridian, she knows the advantages of having her own locally grown, fresh food: it tastes better, it’s sustainable, it reduces her stress and it brings communities together. Now, she’s working with organizations to bring her gardening tips to all of her constituents. The Alachua County Commission announced its Plant of the Month Program Sept. 1 in a county newsletter. It aims to bring community members together and encourage county residents to grow their own food. Alford partnered with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Working Food, a local nonprofit, to plan her idea. Alford’s community-based plant project idea comes from her childhood experiences with her family’s home garden in Gainesville. Every fall, she would make and freeze-creamed corn with her family — her dad’s specialty. “It’s just part of my heritage,” she said. “It’s about maintaining a heritage of resiliency and self-reliance.” When her brother was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer when the COVID-19 pandemic began, she became his caretaker and revisited her family’s tradition of gardening. Planting blueberry bushes, tomatoes, onions and other plants was a stress-relieving activity that got them both outside, she said. The fresh food also would have meant fewer trips to the grocery store. Although he didn’t live to see their garden flourish, Alford wants to share her love of farming with Alachua County. “I want us all to be healthier,” she said. “I want us all to be able to manage our stress, and I want our county to be resilient in the face of any future emergency.” Planting brings people together during tough times, Alford said. “The one thing that isn’t political is a tomato plant,” she said. “We can all lean over the fence with the neighbor that we don’t agree with almost anything else on and ask,

‘Gosh, how did he grow those spectacular tomatoes?’” Not everything in Alford’s garden grew, so she started to research which plants would grow well in Florida during different seasons. She used UF/IFAS research as a guide to help choose which plants to feature monthly. The program also features culturally significant plants, where September’s plant of collard greens is tied to Southern heritage, and April’s plant of tomatillos is important to Hispanic cultures, Alford said. IFAS is also helping promote the project through community education programs, creating a website and putting out monthly announcements, IFAS Extension Director for Alachua County Cynthia Sanders said. The department wants to be a one-stop resource for helping people learn how to garden. It plans on changing up the monthly plants for the program next year, Sanders said. “I think the whole initiative of growing your own food and buying locally, it’s been huge, especially with COVID going on,” Sanders said. “That fits perfectly into our mission, which is to provide research-based information out to our citizens of the county.” Working Food, the county’s nonprofit partner, sells seeds on its website. The organization sells seeds that grow well in the county, Working Food’s co-founder and Community Programs Director Melissa DeSa said. DeSa said the nonprofit works to teach people how to save their own seeds and how to garden through workshops and social media. It also helps facilitate seed exchange programs called seed libraries, where people can get free seeds through the Alachua County Library District. “We want people to succeed and have fun growing gardens and not be struggling with growing the wrong things at the wrong time or just the wrong things period,” she said. Alford said she hopes that partnering with other organizations will expand the reach of the project. She would love to see other organizations, like churches or schools, participate by planting their own gardens, too. “There’s just so many options for how this can grow and expand,” Alford said. “We’re at the very beginning, and this is not to make a joke, but I see organic growth in this.” @meggmcglone mmcglone@alligator.org

Alachua County suffers school bus driver shortage On an average day, about 20 drivers are absent By Emma Behrmann Alligator Contributing Writer

Gainesville High School students waited 90 minutes for their bus ride home Sept. 7. The reason? There was no driver. With the start of the school year, delayed buses are not uncommon in Alachua County, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said. The ACPS website now includes a late bus tracker that lists which routes are late each day and states whether there’s a driver experiencing extreme delays. On an average day, about 20 bus drivers are absent, Johnson said. Sometimes driver absences are COVID-19 related and other times, drivers simply call out or don’t show up to work with no explanation, Johnson said. But substitute bus drivers are always on staff and route coordinators are also certified to drive the buses. However, drivers are still a necessity. Roughly 11,000 to 12,000 students rely on the bus as their transportation to and from school in any given school year, Johnson said. Drivers also must complete proper training prior to transporting students. Each driver must attain their commercial driver’s license and undergo a 40-hour class, Crystal Tessmann, the service unit director for the Alachua County Education Association, said. Low wages also contribute to the shortage. Beginning pay is roughly $13 an hour, Tessmann said. Some retail and restaurant chains, which don’t require such training, pay more than that. As schools reopened, a school bus driver shortage ensued nationwide — from school districts in Montana to Florida. In a joint survey of America’s shortage of school bus drivers, the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and the National School Transportation Association found that 51% of survey respondents viewed their current driver shortage as “severe” or “desperate.” Alachua County students and parents

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share these sentiments. Elaine Almond, a Buchholz High School parent, said her 15-year-old son, Carter, has experienced the staff shortage firsthand. Since school started, his afternoon bus transported students who were typically on another route. On days with more driver absences, buses must double up on routes, Johnson said, which causes a domino effect of delays. “When he does have to ride it [the bus] home, he would be about an hour later than usual because it was taking kids … all the way down to Newberry before it would come back into Gainesville,” Almond said. ACPS is experiencing a shortage of teachers, custodians and food service workers in addition to bus drivers, which exacerbates the problem, Tessmann said. “They’re incredibly hardworking — our bus drivers and our aides,” Tessmann said. “They are super underpaid.” The educator’s union believes these drivers should earn more money for their work as they juggle behavior management and compliance with health mandates while driving. “The bus drivers made a push at one of the more recent school board meetings,” Tessmann said. “The association spoke at the school board meeting on behalf of them, saying that they needed to be making more money and that it is a skilled position.” In contrast to other districts, ACPS provides pay to individuals undergoing training. The county also offers additional hours, so it can guarantee the drivers seven hours of pay each day, Johnson said. “Our bus drivers, over the past few years, have actually had a higher percentage pay increase than other employees,” Johnson said. “We also offer full free health insurance, which isn’t true in a lot of other districts.” Despite county incentives, the shortage persists. The lack of employees has caused children to be late to class and drivers to manage more routes. @emmabehrmann

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Wayne Fields’ stories share a slice of East Gainesville’s history The Gator football alumnus shares his personal history and goal of preserving Gainesville’s culture By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

Sitting in a dimly lit office crowded with signs and portraits, Wayne Fields’ voice bellows throughout the James L. Medlin House. The walls of the historic city building have been a marker of Gainesville’s history since 1913. Now, it’s Fields’ office. The 66-year-old East Gainesville resident was a UF football player, local radio celebrity and afterschool sports coach. Above all, Fields has committed himself to the education and development of Gainesville for 60 years.

East Gainesville will always be Field’s home — even as university development continues to erode its Black history. “Before I let go of this lifetime, there are a few things else that I’d like to do,” Fields said. Much of his story ties back to his forming years. Fields was born Oct. 14, 1954, in Delray Beach, Florida. He stayed there until his mother, Geraldine Farrar Youngblood Fields Miller, and father, Dr. Julius Gazelle Fields, divorced. His father was the first African American to practice dentistry in St. Augustine, Florida, and later taught

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Wayne Fields, 66, sits inside of his office located in the James L. Medlin House in downtown Gainesville on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Fields, a Gainesville native, was once a Gators football player and owned a local radio station. Today, he publishes Minority Business Listings, a magazine highlighting Alachua County’s minority-owned businesses.

at Flagler College. A civil rights activist, his father marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to desegregate the St. Augustine beaches. Julius died suddenly at 46 because of a heart attack linked to a clogged artery. A simple procedure could have saved his life. But Fields’ father was paranoid that someone in the hospital would try to kill him because St. Augustine was a hotbed for the Ku Klux Klan. In 1960, his mother later married Jerry Miller, who shared her love of music. Miller played the trombone on tour with Duke Ellington, and Geraldine played the xylophone on tour with jazz artist Lionel Hampton. “When my stepfather came into my life, he was so influential,” Fields said. “He was a hunter. He was a farmer. He was an educator. Being Jerry C. Miller’s son was such a fruitful life growing up.” Fields’ parents wanted him to delve into music in his early education, so he picked up the cello and bass violin. His parents soon became band directors after founding the music department at Lincoln High School, Gainesville’s only all-Black high school until the 1970s. The family lived nearby, and Fields would often watch the school’s band rehearsals and sporting events. Fields always wished to play sports for Lincoln High but never got the chance. With changing times came changing circumstances. Faculty at the high school began to discuss integrating schools in the area. In 1965, the first group of Black

students from Lincoln High School were sent to Gainesville High School to desegregate the schools. At the time, Fields still attended the all-Black Joseph Williams Elementary School. At the request of his parents, Fields switched over to Howard Bishop Middle School a year later as a rising seventh grader. It was a foreign environment. He was one of only 25 to 30 other Black students. He also never had classes or made friends with white students until then. “The one thing that was stressed is that we stay to ourself, stay to our own kind and don’t intermix with the other white students,” he said. Existing as a Black student in a white space took a toll on Fields. “I had to prove that I was just as smart as my white counterparts — that I could read, that I could speak, that I could count, that I had an opinion,” he said. The experience was foreign for white students, too. They reached out to touch his hair. They questioned him daily. Why is your nose shaped the way it is? Why are your lips so thick? Does your skin color come off when you wash with a white cloth? By the end of the 1960s, all Lincoln High School students were sent to Gainesville High School. Soon after, the Alachua County School Board closed down Lincoln High School entirely. “I had already made an adjustment on getting along with whomever,” Fields said. “There were confrontations, as well, between the Black students who were already

there and other Black students. Because you were looked at as being a sellout by going [to the white school].” It wasn’t his choice to attend Gainesville High School. Other Black students didn’t understand that. However, he made the most out of his time. His senior year, Fields was offered an athletic scholarship to UF for his achievements in track, basketball and football. He was also offered a music scholarship for his bass playing skills in the Gainesville String Orchestra but turned it down. As one of UF’s first Black football players, he had to readapt to a new environment. The first two, Leonard George and Willie Jackson Sr., were in their senior year when Fields was a freshman. Former UF football coach Doug Dickey recruited the top players in the state, regardless of color. This caused infighting, and Dickey clashed with segregationists to keep his athletes on the gridiron. The issue was so profound that UF president Stephen O’Connell was once a segregationist. “You had to be in a location to where you were not welcome,” he said. “The N-word was, I thought that was my name. [It wasn’t] only the players, but the referees and the fans in the stands.” But Fields fought to bridge the gap, as he had done his entire life. He helped found the Union of Black Athletes, which aided his peers with exam prep, hosted social events and ensured athletes stayed away from trouble. Read the rest online at alligator.org.

@jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

UF Bookstore deferment program causes confusion among students THE PROGRAM LEFT MANY STUDENTS WITH UNEXPECTED EXPENSES THIS FALL

By Elena Barrera Alligator Staff Writer

Two weeks after the drop-add period means course expenses are in full effect. Charges and payments are around every corner, but one seems to be hitting students harder this Fall. On April 30, Florida legislators voted to eliminate the annual $600 textbook stipend normally included in the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Many UF students were unaware of this change in funding. The UF Bookstore offers a $600 educational expense allowance that acts as a deferment option for students to use as a loan to be paid back once financial aid has been disbursed. This option led many students to believe it was equivalent to the $600 received from Bright Futures or additional aid given to them from the bookstore. “The $600 was never given as a credit at the bookstore for students to charge against,” UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez wrote in a statement. “This has been a source of confusion in the past.” Daniela Casillas, a sociology sophomore, understood that the $600 from the bookstore was just a loan, but used it thinking it would be reimbursed by her Bright Futures scholarship.

“It wasn’t really made clear to me that that no longer existed,” Casillas said. “I had heard from other friends, ‘Oh, we don’t have that anymore. It doesn’t exist,’ and I didn’t really understand what was going on.” Casillas said she used the money from the bookstore in the Summer and Fall semesters not realizing she would never get the money back through her scholarship. “It was just a very frustrating experience; very confusing that just suddenly out of nowhere there was one less thing I could count on,” she said. Casillas said it would have been helpful to receive an email clearly stating the changes. Students at Florida State University received an email from the university’s financial aid office July 16 explaining that funding for Bright Futures is determined annually, and this year it was decided the semesterly $300 for textbooks would not be included, Rachel Sneed, an FSU biology senior, said. “There’s probably some students that struggled with getting their textbooks this year,” Sneed said. “If I had no idea that was happening and I went to UF, I’d probably been like, ‘Alright, I’m going to skip out on that this year.’” Once the change to Bright Futures was finalized April 30, the stipend was removed from the awards. Students received the standard email alert that notifies them about any adjustments made to their accounts and prompts them to view the change on their ONE.UF, Fer-

Kiara Cline // Alligator Staff

Madison Bastian, UF health education and behavior fourth-year, shops for her textbooks at the UF Bookstore on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The top-level Bright Futures’ stipend, used by many students to buy textbooks, was taken away this semester. “I’m very disappointed,” Bastian said. nandez said. Additionally, the Preview presentations to incoming freshmen and the Office for Student Financial Aid and Scholarships’ website included the change, Fernandez said. Despite these efforts, numerous UF students were still left scratching their heads. “I didn’t feel alone in the situation,” Casillas

said. “It kind of amplified how I felt because it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s not just me,’ so many people are impacted by this, and so many people rely on that kind of scholarship money.” @elenabarreraaa ebarrera@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 www.alligator.org/ section/opinions

Column

Here’s what the doctor recommends to keep influenza and COVID-19 away npredictable. That’s the Health experts are looking at two general scenarios for the flu word health experts use this year. At one extreme is the to describe influenza — possibility that, once again, cases especially this year as will be low. At the other extreme we approach flu season. is the possibility that the flu will Flu cases and deaths were “unresurface with a vengeance, given usually” low last year, according to lowered immunity in the commuthe Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Ron Berry nity due to last year’s reduced case Prevention. Just one child died of UF SHCC count. influenza, which caused the deaths Some of you may wonder if it is of 199 children from 2019 to 2020. Many health experts attribute the virtual possible to have both the flu and COVID-19 at absence of the flu to precautions we took to the same time. The answer is yes, you can be slow the spread of COVID-19: wearing masks, sick with both simultaneously. They do share washing our hands, maintaining a physical some symptoms, but a test can help identify distance and reducing travel. With school clo- whether one or the other virus or both is maksures, there was less opportunity for the flu to ing you sick. In Gainesville, flu season generally starts in spread among children. December and peaks in January or February, Now, schools have returned to in-person learning, and we’ve become less vigilant about though cases can surface as early as October. many of the health practices that seemed to It is ideal to get an influenza shot before then. The flu vaccine is recommended, with a few have been doubly beneficial last year. And that’s why health experts are unsure exceptions, for everyone ages 6 months and older. There is also an enhanced vaccine for what to expect with the arrival of flu season. What is certain is that we will have both those ages 65 and older. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu and COVID-19 circulating in our comthe flu — and continuing to wear a mask! — munity this fall and winter, and that makes getting vaccinations for both viruses critically is a Gator thing to do. It is good for you, good for our university and good for the greater important. If you haven’t already been vaccinated Gainesville community. It will help reduce against COVID-19, I encourage you to do so. the spread of both illnesses to those who have The vaccination is free, and you can easily weakened immune systems and are most vulsign up to get it through the UF Health Care nerable to serious illness. And it will reduce Center. The flu shot is also free and is widely pressure on our health providers, clinics and available at numerous locations. You can sign hospitals, which have been performing at heroic levels throughout this pandemic. up for a flu shot here. So, Gators, let’s do this! And good news: The CDC says it is OK to get both vaccinations at the same time, which Dr. Ron Berry is the director of the University will be important as booster shots for COVof Florida Student Health Care Center. ID-19 roll out.

Column

The new face of energy

few weeks ago, thousands of new undergraduates joined the UF community. For me, a graduate student whose academic career seems endless at times, it was a reminder that time does tick on. But time brings more than new faces to UF’s campus: It brings new threats. The members of our freshman class will still be in their thirties in 2040, the year by which global temperatures are projected to rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, according to the newest assessment report by the UNsponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. While this date might not be as immediate as graduation day, the irrefutable fact is that climate change is a problem of the highest urgency for our UF community. Our campus is already taking many laudable steps toward sustainability and environmental justice, such as the Neutral UF Coalition and updating the Climate Action Plan. Students and professors have also participated in essential research into green technology.

However, contrary to many popular narratives, we don’t need to, and probably can’t, invent our way out of this crisis. Cheap, utility-scale wind and solar power Christian Bunker UF student are already here; we just need to build them. To do this, Gators just need to pick up the phone. Gainesville’s City Commission has already set a 100% renewable goal, which is great — call them and thank them! Now, it’s time to go bigger. I urge everyone to call our congresswoman, Rep. Kat Cammack, and urge her to support a national transition to 100% renewable energy. As the youngest Republican woman in Congress, Cammack has a special responsibility to think about the future that our campus represents. We need to remind her of that responsibility. UF, as we embrace this exciting return to campus, let’s also embrace the transition to clean energy, which is more necessary than ever. Christian Bunker is a UF Physics Ph.D. candidate.

El Caimán

LUNES, 20 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2021 www.alligator.org/ section/elcaiman

Los 11 proyectos de construcción de UF traen cambios y frustración al campus LOS PROYECTOS SON DEL PLAN MAESTRO DEL CAMPUS Y EL PLAN MAESTRO DEL PAISAJE DE UF Y CONTINUARÁN HASTA 2023

Escrito por Camila Pereira Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Valeria Pagnani Escritora de El Caimán

Carreteras bloqueadas con letreros que dicen “Carretera cerrada” y cercas cubiertas con tela de malla verde se extienden a lo largo de los pasillos y las calles del campus. Este es el panorama del campus que enfrentan los estudiantes de UF este semestre. La universidad está en construcción de 11 proyectos de su Plan Director de Campus y Plan Director de Paisaje. La construcción, que se espera que esté terminada en 2023, es parte de su mayor esfuerzo por hacer de UF una de las mejores universidades del país. Sin embargo, los cierres de carreteras en el campus han afectado el viaje de los miembros de la facultad y los estudiantes al trabajo y las clases, así como las rutas y paradas de los autobuses RTS. Actualmente, 26 rutas de autobús están desviadas debido a los proyectos de construcción que se están llevando a cabo en todo el campus. Estos cambios aún no se han actualizado en la aplicación Transloc, que aún muestra rutas previas a la construcción, dice el correo electrónico de la División de Transporte y Estacionamiento de UF. Gina Crespo, una estudiante de biología de UF de 21 años, confía en el autobús para dejarla cerca de sus clases en Museum Drive. Sin embargo, dijo que notó que la ruta del autobús cambiaba cuando su camino a clase se hacía más largo. “También tenía la aplicación para los autobuses y noté que todas las rutas se cambiaron por completo pero no se actualizaron en la aplicación real, por lo que fue un poco confuso”, dijo Crespo.

Ella dijo que entiende que la construcción es necesaria, pero cree que los estudiantes deberían al menos ser actualizados a través de la aplicación para que puedan averiguar qué nuevas rutas de autobús tomar. Una vez que termine la construcción en el campus, Crespo dijo que cree que la frustración con los cambios en la ruta del autobús disminuirá. A partir de ahora, es solo una carga más para los estudiantes. Las rutas de transporte de Campus Connector, Gator Lift, SNAP y Campus Cab también han ajustado, cerrado o reubicado varias áreas de recogida y devolución que estaban bloqueadas debido a la construcción, se lee en un correo electrónico de TAPS. Los estudiantes y el profesorado también enfrentan problemas con los desplazamientos y el estacionamiento en el campus debido a los cambios en la aplicación de las calcomanías y los cierres de carreteras. Hannah Vander Zanden, profesora asistente en el departamento de biología de UF, dijo que ha tenido dificultades para encontrar estacionamiento debido al cierre de Museum Road. “Sería bueno tener un campus al que las personas pudieran viajar más fácilmente sin automóviles, pero la realidad es que tengo que traer a un niño de 2 años al campus”, dijo. “Y aunque estoy a poca distancia en bicicleta, mi esposo y yo no nos sentimos cómodos poniéndolo en una bicicleta para hacer eso”. Vander Zanden estaba decepcionado con el propósito de algunas de las nuevas construcciones de UF. A pesar de la misión de UF de abordar el uso de energía y ser más sostenible, el lote de pasajeros en Museum Road está bloqueado para la construcción de una nueva planta de energía. La planta continuará dependiendo de UF de los combustibles fósiles durante otros 30 a 50 años. “Mi comprensión de eso recientemente fue una gran decepción para UF por no planificar la dependencia y más energías renovables”, dijo. “Tenemos expertos en el campus que podrían decirle mucho sobre mejores formas

de continuar nuestra producción de energía en el campus de una manera renovable y respetuosa con el clima”. La construcción también conduciría a la remoción de árboles en el campus, pero el Plan Maestro de Paisajismo de UF establece que plantará más árboles de sombra a lo largo de los pasillos y otras áreas abiertas en el campus para compensar las pérdidas, algo que Vander Zanden dijo que ella apoya. “Creo que es genial que UF esté ampliando las instalaciones”, dijo. “Creo que solo necesitan tener en cuenta cuáles son las pérdidas y también estar planificando la sostenibilidad a largo plazo, y no veo necesariamente que eso suceda”. Todos los proyectos de construcción han estado en las etapas de planificación desde 2016, dijo el director de construcción del director de construcción de UF, Frank Javaheri. Ahora, UF está en los siguientes pasos para comenzar la construcción de algunos de sus diseños a largo plazo. Siguiendo el plan de UF para hacer que el campus sea más amigable para los peatones, la universidad está transformando su núcleo en una zona libre de automóviles e implementando proyectos de entrada. La universidad reemplazará algunas carreteras con una pasarela pavimentada con ladrillos y sin curvas para conectar Reitz Union Lawn con la Plaza de las Américas. Se espera que la sección de construcción de césped de Reitz esté terminada el próximo mes. Los proyectos de entrada incorporarán más acceso peatonal al campus en la intersección de Newell Drive y West University Avenue, según el Plan Maestro de Paisaje. También proporcionarán una conexión desde UF al Distrito de Innovación en el centro de Gainesville. Se construirá un área de entrega al lado de Tigert Hall. Lee el resto en línea en alligator.org/ section/elcaiman. @CamilaSaPereira cpereria@alligator.org vpagnani@alligator.org

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solution on page 9 Release Date: Monday, September 20, 2021 Release Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2021

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ART & DESIGN

Gainesville native brings rug making to local art scene PIECES BY LOCAL ARTIST AVERY BENDER WILL BE FEATURED AT THE AUK MARKET THROUGH OCTOBER

By Veronica Nocera Avenue Staff Writer

It all started with a round of spring cleaning. Avery Bender, a 35-year-old Gainesville native, was shuffling through her art supplies in January when she came across a trove of unused yarn. A quick Google search later, Bender was down a rabbit hole of fiber art and rug making. After working on the crafts for close to a year, Bender is featuring her art at The AUK Market, a mixed-vendor marketplace located at Curia On The Drag. The exhibition opened Sept. 10 and will stay up through the beginning of October. All pieces on display are available for purchase. Bender’s specific expertise lies in two types of rug making: punch

needle and gun tufting. Punch needle, she described, is a more primitive form of rug hooking — a rug-making method that encompasses pulling yarn through a stiff fabric base known as monk’s cloth. Gun tufting, however, requires more advanced equipment. The method follows the same action as punch needle but uses a machine to do so, making it a much faster process. Where a punch needle project takes 30 to 60 hours depending on size, Bender said one made using gun tufting takes 15 to 25 hours. Bender said she finishes each of her projects with rug glue. Afterward, they can either be placed on the floor as decoration or hung up as a wall display. But while Bender devotes most of her downtime to art, she also works as an event manager at UF. Before COVID-19 shut everything down, she said hosting events was her main creative outlet. Once the event industry went virtual, she needed something to fill the gap. Fiber art was the perfect

candidate. Unlike more traditional forms of art like painting, Bender said rug making was a far more manageable craft. It didn’t require too many different materials; she could pick it up and put it down whenever she wanted; and, even more appealing, she could practice it from the comfort of her own couch. “It’s kind of like a mindless, meditative thing for me, so it’s really nice and keeps my hands busy,” Bender said. Bender, who draws all her own rug designs, said she finds inspiration in alchemy and the music she listens to. Additionally, Chinese medicine, acupuncture and astrology all weave their way into her work. The pieces displayed at The AUK Market are inspired by the five elements, as well Florida-specific imagery like gators and oranges. Around the same time that Bender started experimenting in fiber art, she also started posting about it on her Instagram account. The name was inspired by one of

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

The artwork of Avery Bender, 35, owner of Phantom Fiber Wares, hangs for sale inside Auk Market on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. Each fiber-based work takes anywhere from 15 to 60 hours to create. Bender’s favorite books growing up: “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster. “It’s about appreciating being alone and being able to entertain yourself, which is definitely what I’ve been doing

all of COVID,” she said. Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue @vernocera vnocera@alligator.org

THEATRE

The Hippodrome Theatre debuts ‘Murder For Two’ after a year of online performances THE COMEDIC MURDER MYSTERY FEATURES TWO ACTORS WHO PLAY 13 ROLES

By Alan Halaly Alligator Staff Writer

Anticipation rose as the Hippodrome State Theatre downtown opened its doors for its season opener after having them sealed tightly for over a year. Sept. 17 was a night of firsts for the show’s two actors and the audience — for both groups, it was their first time back inside a theater for a performance. In the high-energy, murder mystery romp “Murder For Two,” Paul Helm, 41, plays the underqualified faux-detective Marcus who received a call that a murder had taken place. Being the only officer available and having aspirations to be promoted to detective, he takes matters into his own hands, interviewing an array of inane suspects — all hilariously characterized by his counterpart, Brady Wease. Helm said the immense desire of both actors and the audience to make a return made for a high level of engagement and energy, something he’s missed being away from the stage. “Being on a stage is something that’s in my bones and blood,” Helm said. “Not having that for so long, it’s just a huge part of me was missing ... I no longer take it for granted.” After a year of online performances dubbed the “Hipp at Home,” “Murder For Two”

opened Friday for a live, socially distanced and masked audience. The premiere was split between Friday and Saturday to allow for smaller audiences, Helm said. As the actors continually reiterate, the show doesn’t take itself too seriously. In the show, Wease plays over 10 parts and the piano — a feat he executes quite well. Wease cycles through the suspects to the crime with ease, differentiating each character by intonation and movement rather than relying on costume. The pair creates impressive in-depth relationships with one another, ranging from fiery romance to complete annoyance. “You forget because he really embodies each of those characters that you know each one,” Helm said of Wease. “It feels like there’s 13 people up there.” Somehow, still, as Helm and Wease interact with each other, one of them is constantly at the piano, playing difficult live music to accompany the songs. Helm, who has performed the show around the country six times, was chosen for the Gainesville production after sending in a virtual audition tape. He said “Murder For Two” is intended to make people laugh and forget about life’s troubles, especially pandemic-related ones. “If you go in with a serious attitude thinking this is going tonna be Shakespeare, you’re going to be in for a rude awakening,” Helm said. “It’s silly … It’s a two-person kind of extravaganza, seeing these two gentlemen run around like chickens with their heads cut off.”

Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter. Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.

Wease, 27, agreed that the show matches the necessary tone to put smiles on people’s faces. “Thank God we’re not coming to see the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ or a ‘Hamlet,’” Wease said. “You have to show up and be like, ‘Let’s have some fun tonight. Let’s see these two idiots.’” Hippodrome Artistic Director Stephanie Lynge said the small cast lent itself beautifully to the theater’s mission of keeping actors, designers, ushers and audience members safe amid surging COVID-19 cases in Gainesville. She said those involved in the production have been “living like monks,” only going in public when it’s essential, to ensure a high degree of safety. She said the lack of in-person work forced the Hippodrome to reduce its full-time staff of 44 down to 12. Most employees of the theater, like Lynge, saw their hours cut to part-time work. Lynge said the theater tested the waters with two live summer cabaret performances. With a return to in-person performances bringing revenue back to what it once was, Lynge said the theater is slowly beginning to rebuild its staff one step at a time. “At the moment, we have enough and we’re making it work,” Lynge said. “We’ll see what COVID has got for us next, then we’ll roll with it and find a way to perform around it.” “Murder For Two,” she said, was the perfect choice to open the season. “This show is happiness and joy onstage for

90 minutes,” she said. “It is a whirling dervish of energy and fun. It just seemed like the perfect way for us to come back — something that leaves everybody smiling and laughing.” Loren Smyth, a 52-year-old Gainesville resident, said she couldn’t be happier to see the Hippodrome return to an in-person format. She said the theater has been a vital resource for her daughter, a Buchholz High School senior and aspiring actress in the process of applying for college acting programs. While she’s enjoyed amateur performances at theaters that have stayed open like the Star Center Theatre and the High Springs Playhouse, Smyth missed watching professional actors and designers in action. “During the pandemic, it was very easy for everyone to fall in the pattern of depending on streaming and Netflix and everything that we could see online,” Smyth said. “I think there’s a beauty to seeing things in person that doesn’t necessarily get the respect that it deserves.” The show is a perfect choice for theatergoers who are a little rusty and need a show to get them laughing and back into the groove. As Lynge points out in her director’s note — “Hold onto your funny bone. And enjoy the ride.” “Murder For Two” opened at the Hippodrome, located at 25 SE Second Place, Friday, Sept. 17, and it runs until Oct. 3. Tickets can be purchased at the Hippodrome’s website. @AlanHalaly ahalaly@alligator.org

Petty and Balboa: Gators get hit but won’t back down

Florida football faced tons of adversity Saturday and nearly overcame it all, pg. 11

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

COLUMN

Won’t Back Down: Florida shows guts and heart in close loss to Alabama DESPITE THE SCOREBOARD, EMORY JONES AND THE GATORS PROVED THEY CAN COMPETE WITH ANYBODY SATURDAY

By Michael Hull Sports Writer

The 90,887 fans in attendance on Sept. 18 in The Swamp roared the lyrics to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” as if they were trying to will their team to victory. The Gators failed to surge back to pull off the upset victory Saturday despite the push from the home crowd, but the team and fanbase alike showed heart and guts in the 31-29 loss. It was put up or shut up time for starting quarterback Emory Jones. Florida head coach Dan Mullen said pregame that backup quarterback Anthony Richardson, although medically cleared to play, would only see the field in the event of an injury. The oft-maligned redshirt junior had the backfield to himself after two weeks of hearing how great Richardson looked. The outcome of the biggest game in The Swamp in years rested on his shoulders. On defense, the Gators would battle their most formidable foe without starting linebacker Ventrell Miller, who led the team in tackles a season ago but was ruled out for the year after a torn biceps tendon demanded surgery.

Florida had a first half to forget. The offense sputtered after an opening-drive field goal, while Jones completed nine of 16 passes for 98 yards and an interception while adding 10 carries for 40 yards on the ground. The lone turnover was by far his worst throw of the game, as he sailed a pass over the head of sophomore Xzavier Henderson after getting drilled by an Alabama defender. The Gators entered the locker room down 21-9. Missed tackles, third-down conversions and poor offensive play stunted any shot Florida had in the first 30 minutes. The home crowd showered Jones with boos late in the second quarter, and it looked like a blowout was inbound. However, as Rocky Balboa once said, “It ain’t about how hard you’re hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Florida took that advice to heart, and Jones helped the Gators race down the field to open up the second half. Buoyed by a few big runs from running back Malik Davis, Florida found the end zone on a fourth down run by Dameon Pierce, and the stands started to buzz again. The Gators showed their resilience the following drive. After allowing a touchdown and a bone-headed special teams error, Florida started at its own 1-yard line. It refused to roll over, though. Led by 61 rushing yards from running back Nay’Quan Wright, the Gators traveled the length of the field and scored on a

5-yard Jones touchdown run up the gut. The crowd turned all the way up to 10. The roars were deafening as the Tide marched down the field, helped along by some yellow markers. It was then that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium made its biggest play of the day: Alabama lined up to go for it on fourth and goal at the 1-yard line, but the sheer volume of The Swamp forced a false start on the Tide’s offensive line, and they were forced to kick a field goal that kept Florida’s deficit to one possession. Jones took over as the rain started to fall, refusing to go away. Down by eight with 9:25 remaining, he led the Gators down the field, converting multiple third downs and a fourth down and en route to a second Pierce touchdown. A misstep on the two-point conversation, however, put the ball back in the hands of the Tide. The defense needed to come up with one more stop to give the ball back to the offense. It had a shot, forcing Young and Co. to a third and 2, but Alabama converted and ran the clock down to 10 seconds. Jones had time for one last drop back, but he took a sack, and the game came to an unceremonious end. “We played hard, but we didn’t play hard enough to come out victorious,” Wright said after the game. Jones finished the contest with 181 yards in the air, 80 yards on the ground, a rushing touchdown and an interception. “When you play big games, the margin for

error is so small,” Mullen said. “I like the attitude of this team, I like the effort this team has… I think we have an opportunity to be a pretty good football team.” Alabama came into the contest with a plus-65 point differential through its first two weeks. The Tide were 15-point favorites in The Swamp. They may have lost, but Gators proved themselves as a legitimate contender in the SEC. All in all, UF outplayed Alabama in three of the four quarters. It finished with more total yards than the Crimson Tide, won the penalty battle and only had one turnover. The Gators outscored Alabama 26-10 from the second quarter on. Florida lost its last two games to Alabama by a combined eight points — the Gators fell to the Crimson Tide by six points in the 2020 SEC Championship. There are no moral victories, but Florida has now twice been a few plays away from knocking off the undisputed top team in the country. “Watching the game last year, I think that gave our team a lot of confidence,” Jones said. “And it just let us know that we can play with anybody, and that we just go to war and fight against anybody until the last second.” Florida suits up for its next battle at home against rival Tennessee Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. @Michael_Hull33 mhull@alligator.org

Two points short FOOTBALL, from pg. 1

Mullen said about his quarterback. “I can’t even think of an error he made today, like a bad one, at all during the course of the game.” Then Pierce brought down the house. The senior running back bounced outside, found a seam and ducked between two Tide defenders and found the orange end zone grass. No. 27 stomped his feet and punched the air as his teammates mobbed him. The touchdown should have brought Florida within a point, but the early miss meant the team needed two to force overtime. The two-point conversion failed, however, the result of a blown play. “We had a back line up on the wrong side and we really didn’t want to use a timeout at that time,” Jones said later about the play. Ultimately, the clock ran out on Florida’s attempt to scale the SEC’s Mt. Everest. The Crimson Tide left with another one-possession victory over Florida, 31-29, as the Gators fell to 2-1. The Gators take home field again on Sept. 25 against Tennessee at 7 p.m. @ryan_dhaley rhaley@alligator.org alligatorSports has a podcast! The alligatorSports Podcast releases episodes every Wednesday and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your other preferred streaming platform.

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida quarterback Emory Jones runs through the Alabama defense in the Gators’ 31-29 loss to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 18.

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12 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

FEATURE

Former Gators frustrated by Black student-athlete experience at UF WHILE LESS THAN 7% OF UF STUDENTS ARE BLACK, A QUARTER OF UF’S STUDENTATHLETES ARE BLACK

By Karina Wilson Sports Writer

Jaimie Hoover heard the same comments every time she changed her hairdo. Can I touch it? How long did it take? Wow, your hair got shorter! The former Gators softball outfielder said she faced many microaggressions, or subtle discriminatory comments, during her five years playing for UF. Hair was just one aspect. “Me and my teammates who were Black often felt like people didn’t understand us,” Hoover said.

“Some of the things that were said to us wasn’t appropriate.” A quarter of UF’s student-athletes are Black. But enrollment statistics show a clear disparity: less than 7% of the total student population is Black. The group is visible in athletics and underrepresented in classrooms. Black athletes, Hoover said, have become an aspect of entertainment at UF. And the university profits from them — all while offering little support. Former Gators tight end Clifford Taylor IV agrees. He feels he and other Black student-athletes were lured in by universities. “More money in their pockets, when they knew back then the NCAA wasn’t allowing us to be paid a dime,” Taylor said. But recent changes may improve

Melanie Peña // Alligator Staff

systemic issues in athletics. Taylor believes athletes can empower themselves through the NCAA’s name, image and likeness policy, which allows them to receive endorsements. College athletes were prohibited to profit off of themselves before July 1. University athletic officials disagree that college sports programs lure in Black student-athletes, however. Recruiters look for athletes who are coachable and who will mesh with the team regardless of race, said John Herron, the assistant director of player personnel for the Gators football team. “Why would race come into play?” he said. “I don’t think race plays a part in recruiting. I just think it all depends on the sport.” Diversity — and a lack thereof — mirrors how sports are spread out, Herron said. Football is dominant down in the South. Basketball is a worldwide sport. Swimming, golf and tennis are typical in the suburbs. “A lot of sports are not in the inner city,” Herron said. “So, the number of minorities in [those sports] are going to be low.” As a Black softball player in a majority white sport, Hoover managed the challenges she encountered. Incessant remarks — and even policies — continued to target her hair type. The team had a rule that stated its athletes couldn’t wear more than two braids, which many of her team-

mates found unfair. Hair braiding holds cultural and ancestral significance in the Black community. Braids were used during slavery in lieu of maps and served as storage for food. They remain an important protective style. Protective styles are notably easier to maintain for Black student-athletes. They aid in keeping hair and sweat out of the way during games. Hoover and other Black players called a team meeting to explain how the policy could be discriminatory. They used the moment to educate their coach, who hadn’t understood the impact the rule had on some of his players. “His reasoning was not meant to oppress our hair,” she said. “Thankfully, he saw our concerns and took them to heart.” Misunderstood by coaches and fellow teammates, Black athletes sought a safe space. A space to gather, talk and vent about problems prominent on predominately white teams. The Black Student-Athlete Council served as that space. A University Athletic Association student development coordinator established the council in 2020 for Gators athletes across the 21 sports at UF. Hoover and other athletes discussed racial issues and used the group to educate teammates about their microaggressions. However, the council isn’t enough, she said, and UF needs

to accommodate moving forward. Black student-athletes aren’t just used for profit, but to promote diversity — even if the diversity isn’t actually there. “UF should have more Black groups and communities for these Black students to have an outlet,” she said. “There needs to be diversity, especially in the staff and teachers.” Taylor agrees UF should swap words with actions to show solidarity with its Black students. The university’s previous statements, notably after the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, were nothing more than performative activism, he said. “With everything that transpired last year, you’d think there’d be some changes, but honestly, I haven’t seen any,” he said. “Instead of sending out messages, administration could maybe show up to some of the events held by minority groups, educate themselves on our different cultures and definitely expand the minority student population.” The council was too small a solution for an extensive problem. So Taylor yearns to see a change, to see more opportunities for people who were raised like him, who look like him, who are passionate about being Black student-athletes. @kk_rinaa kwilson@alligator.org

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