Sept. 27, 2021

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 6

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Former Florida women’s basketball players detail abuse under Coach Newbauer FORMER HEAD COACH CAM NEWBAUER LED FLORIDA FROM 2017-2021

By Zachary Huber Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: This story contains mentions of abuse and attempted suicide.

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Prince Merid Tafesse of Ethiopia, 47, draws a live sketch of Haile Selassie, a former Ethiopian emperor, with pastels at the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.

His exhibition is on display inside of the historic home-turned-museum. Find this story on pg. 8

‘We’re going to lose a generation:’ Pandemic gun violence spike leaves many in anguish

Gainesville has seen a 26% increase in gun-related crimes that resulted in injury or death since 2019

By Isabella Douglas Alligator Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: This story contains depictions of gun violence The moment Alicia Thompkins picked up the phone, she knew something was wrong.

Mom, please come get me.

Her 15-year-old daughter hid in the bathroom at a birthday party, terrified of the sounds that filled the American Legion Post. Her brother wasn’t with her.

He was close. The bullets in the nearby party room were closer.

Hurry up, mom. I’m scared.

At 13, Thompkins’ son knows the breeze of a bullet near his cheek, the sound of lead as it pierces flesh and the grief that follows after witnessing a friend get shot.

Where are you?

The Gainesville American Legion shooting June 24 left five teenagers shot and one dead. The incident was just one of the 53 reported gun violence cases resulting in injury or death this year, as of Sept. 17. Gun violence ranges from homicides to suicides, assaults to robberies.

But the shooting wasn’t an iso-

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT First since #15finish with comma, pg# Story description

Emory Jones has first 200/100 game for a Florida quarterback since Tim Tebow.

Find this story on pg. 15

lated event. Gainesville has seen a 26% increase in gun-related crimes that resulted in injury or death since 2019, according to a Gainesville Police Department spreadsheet.

The city reported 53 cases in 2020, a number it already reached with three months left in 2021. Reported gun violence cases resulting in injury or death from 2017 to 2019 fluctuated between 23 and 42 — but never reached numbers as high as today.

Despite the pandemic spike, GPD Chief Tony Jones has tried

SEE GUN VIOLENCE, PAGE 6

Tears swelled in Dana Joubert’s eyes when she saw her daughter, Mikayla Hayes, at a 2017 basketball invitational during Thanksgiving.

It was the first time Joubert had seen her daughter since she started playing basketball at UF. She anticipated minor changes typical in many college freshmen: a little weight gain, a new hairstyle and an updated fashion sense.

Instead, Hayes’ face was dotted with acne. She had put on an amount of weight that looked unusual on her skinnier frame. She was almost unrecognizable.

Every time Hayes returned to their Minnesota home, Joubert noticed she appeared less and less like herself. Around Christmas, she told her mother that her head coach hated her and the other freshmen players.

As a former basketball coach, Joubert said it’s normal for the coach to pick on freshmen. But as a Black woman, she said Hayes knew it wasn’t just tough love.

At the end of the season, the coaching staff called Hayes into a room with a table that hogged most of the space, Joubert said. All the coaches, strength and conditioning staff, athletic training staff and video coordinators crammed across where Hayes sat.

The head coach said if she chose to stay at UF, Hayes wouldn’t play, Joubert said. He slid a small sheet of paper across the table and made her sign it.

Hayes trudged out, called her mother and choked up as she told her what happened. She lost her scholarship.

“You know how you hear about people in abusive relationships and how they’re broken and they’re almost a shell,” Joubert said. “He broke my child. She was truly broken, and he beat her down. And she didn’t want me to say anything because she thought it would get worse.”

Hayes isn’t the only former Gator who endured a toxic environment in the women’s basketball program. The head coach is

Gainesville Place residents sound off

More than 250 incidents reported to police over nine months, pg. 10

Rawlings Hall Horror Bathroom

Students experience cold-like symptoms from mold, pg. 5

accused of making racist remarks, throwing basketballs at players during practices and verbally abusing the team, assistant coaches and trainers.

That coach was Cameron Newbauer. He resigned July 16, citing personal reasons. His resignation didn’t address any abuse allegations.

Steve McClain, a University Athletic Association spokesperson, said the UAA had no comment on Newbauer’s abuse allegations. He pointed The Alligator toward Athletic Director Scott Stricklin’s statement following the coach’s resignation.

“We wish all the best to Cam and Sarah and their family,” Stricklin said in a release. “We appreciate their efforts during their time here, and we know Cam worked incredibly hard for the Gators and brought a high level of energy to the job.”

The Alligator attempted to contact Newbauer several times through phone calls, text messages and voicemails. He never responded.

Newbauer had signed a contract extension in June that would’ve left him as head coach until 2025.

His contract detailed that he earned $500,000 annually. After his resignation, the Gators appointed associate head coach Kelly Rae Finley as interim head coach.

Stricklin hired the former Belmont University head coach in March 2017. Newbauer replaced Amanda Butler, who held the position from 2007-2017 with a 190-137 record, .581 winning percentage and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

Newbauer’s Gators, however, went 46-71 for a .393 winning percentage, the worst winning percentage for any head coach in Gators history during their first four seasons. The team also never made it to the NCAA Tournament once in his four seasons.

When Newbauer first came to UF, Sydney Morang and her teammates called a former Belmont player to ask about their new coach. The former player shared something far from a glowing review.

But Morang, then a sophomore, and the rest of the team decided to give the coach a chance. They didn’t want to judge him based on what one person said.

And then, they saw it for themselves.

Practices under Newbauer evolved into a toxic environment as Florida struggled to win games.

SEE NEWBAUER, PAGE 7

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Party platforms forWeather the Fall SG election Today’s STUDENTS CAN VOTE SEPT. 28 AND 29 AT ONE OF SEVEN POLLING LOCATIONS BETWEEN 8:30 A.M. AND 8:30 P.M.

By Allessandra Inzinna Alligator Staff Writer

Three parties are set to face off in the Fall 2021 election: Change Party, Gator Party and Communist Party, with 35, 50 and 11 candidates on the ballot respectively.

Students can vote Sept. 28 and 29 at one of seven polling locations between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Candidates are elected in Spring according to their residence.

Each party’s platform differs from one another. Here is a summary of each group’s goals this year.

Change Party

Change Party’s platform is focused on two pillars: community and justice.

It consists of 14 issues split into four categories: equal opportunity, a return on investment, inclusion and freedom of speech.

Change candidates plan to advocate for equal opportunity by funding several programs, such as building ramps at the O’Connell Center and Marston Library as well as implementing unisex bathrooms on campus.

The party also wants to put more funding into UF’s Counselling and Wellness program.

The party also plans to rebuild the Gator Connect portal, which currently does not provide direct access to SG officers’ contacts and dissuades involvement, according to the platform.

As part of the freedom of speech section, its platform states it will try to extend the Title IX statute of limitations in the Student Handbook from one to four years so “survivors of sexual assault are not silenced.” Change carried on this goal from their Spring platform when they also campaigned to extend the statute.

The party also promised to appoint student officers without the use of bribery, extortion or quid-pro-quo, and make online voting for elections available on ONE.UF. Change did not comment on how bribery, extortion or quid-pro-quo is currently used by student officers from other parties.

Change Party candidates also plan on working with Transportation and Parking Services to provide more parking spots and lower Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol wait times.

Additionally, Change wants to increase job fairs along with opportunities for first-generation and international students.

Change Party did not provide further comment on its platform

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 6

outside of what was posted online.

NEWSROOM:

Gator Party

Gator Party has remained the majority in Senate since Spring 2020. Its platform focuses on enhancing and streamlining the student experience in several ways.

Gator Party separated its platform into four sections: student health and well- being, on-campus experience, Gator-aid and Gator accessibility.

The party plans on adding links to ONE.UF for mental health resources, putting up mask dispensers around campus and expanding workout equipment by partnering with RecSports.

This added workout equipment includes pickleball courts at the Southwest Recreation Center and punching bags in the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.

“We will be partnering with Rec Sports to bring exciting new opportunities for students to maintain healthy lifestyles,” Gator Party campaign manager Noah Fineberg wrote.

To enhance the on-campus student experience, Gator plans to add Gator 1 cards to mobile wallets, showcase students’ art pieces on campus and install power outlets at popular outdoor study spaces.

To help disadvantaged students, Gator Party plans to implement a program allowing students to donate school supplies for other students to reuse. They also want to permit students to donate their unused flex bucks to other students in need and provide study service scholarships.

“For many of our students, study services are an essential part of their learning experience,” Fineberg wrote. “Gator Party wants to increase academic equity for all of our students by providing as many opportunities as possible for students to engage with these services.”

Gator Party did not elaborate on what specific study services it would provide.

To solve parking issues on campus, Gator Party plans to advocate for temporary parking spots in lots on campus during periods of construction, and re-establish parking ticket forgiveness.

Gator Party currently holds the majority in the Senate with more than 60 senators.

“Gator Party is the party students have trusted and will continue to trust to lead our campus,” Fineberg wrote.

Communist Party

Communist Party, also known as Socialist Party, aims to amplify marginalized voices and participate in activist causes.

It participated last Fall as the Progressive Party.

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Its platform included eight points on ways it wants to change campus.

Communist Party candidates plan to establish two Senate committees: one consisting of SGsalaried employees responsible for deciding their work conditions and wages, and a second committee to protect leftist and LGBTQ+ students from the state government.

Student workers would vote to appoint the first committee’s members, Communist Party president Alfredo Ortiz said. The second committee would consist of students who identify as members of those communities and would be appointed in a special election.

The committee to protect leftist and LGBTQ+ people would be formed to rectify the damage committed by the Johns Committee, a committee that operated at UF from 1958-1965.

The group’s goal was to find and purge left-leaning students and gay people from the university.

“Senators have a duty to respond to the needs of the student body,” Ortiz wrote in an email. “Our ideas are supported by a growing number of students who are currently not represented in the Senate.”

Communist Party also plans to host seminars on Critical Race Theory with SG community organizations like Students Taking Action Against Racism. Critical Race Theory has been banned in Florida public school classrooms since June 10.

“It is incredibly important to challenge the ban on Critical Race Theory and provide access to its teachings to those willing to use it to create solutions for issues regarding race so that we may continue moving towards a just society,” Ortiz wrote.

The Communist Party wants to put the University Police Department’s budget in the hands of the students. By doing this, UPD is held accountable by the people it’s meant to protect, said Ortiz said.

“Therefore, our intention is not to abolish the university police, but rather reinvent it so that it is more responsive to the students,” he wrote. @ainzinna ainzinna@alligator.org

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ALLIGATOR 3

4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Fleas, leaks and gashes: The off-campus luxury student living experience Student apartments with high rent crowd the perimeter of UF but offer headaches for some tenants

By Allessandra Inzinna

Hub Third Ave

said. Instead, she received empty promises for help and a reminder for overdue rent.

When her roommates got involved, one of them received an email from the property manager stating that they could set up a time to talk, Mata said. But before they could, a new property manager was hired.

As a result of her injury, Mata had accrued a $2,500 medical bill and a tote bag containing Hub on Campus, the national chain, merchandise as an apology.

The collapsing closet door was the largest problem she had, but far from her only one while living there.

Mata’s room had no windows in her room, a complaint other residents shared.

“My room was the one that was basically just like a hole,” she said.

Mata also lacked a full wall separating her room from her roommate’s room.

Where a normal wall stretches from floor to ceiling, hers left an approximately 2 foot gap from the top of her closet to the ceiling. Even though she had signed a lease to share a room, she found the layout odd.

Her room and bathroom had no vent for AC or ventilation, so she relied on the vent in her roommate’s room and the ceiling gap for air circulation, Mata said.

Though in her first two weeks living there, the AC didn’t work at all.

Hub Third Ave did not respond for a comment as of Sept. 26.

One May morning Chelsea Mata was deciding whether to wear jeans or leggings when her closet door at Hub Third Ave collapsed on her foot.

She was home alone when she passed out.

“I literally felt like I had gotten stabbed,” Mata, a 20-year-old UF public relations junior, said. “And then I passed out from the pain for two hours ...”

She woke up bleeding. The floor was covered in blood. Her foot throbbed. She noticed a 2 inch wide, and about 1 inch deep gash.

The next day, Mata complained to management, not only about the collapsing door, but also about her washer and dryer, which had not worked for most of her time spent living there.

“Our washing machine has worked a solid week out of the entire year which normally we’re used to,” Mata wrote in her email to management. “But now my sheets are bloody because of my foot and I can’t even do laundry in my own apartment.”

Hub on Campus, a chain of student housing in 11 states, has two buildings within one mile of UF campus: Hub on University and Hub Third Ave. These complexes have a 4.2 and 3.8 star rating on Google Reviews, respectively. They both have a one star rating on Yelp.

Rent for Hub Third Ave. ranges from $660 to $1,710 a month. Mata’s layout costs $660.

The property manager did not respond to her several emails or phone calls, Mata

Zach Tyson cleaned every inch in his apartment before he left for a trip to Atlanta.

He lived in a four bedroom unit in the North Building of Social28 with a friend from high school and two empty rooms.

When he came back from winter break, the apartment was a mess. Dishes overflowed in the sink and week-old crumbs scattered the floor. His roommate hadn’t cleaned anything.

“I was like, ‘Dude, can’t you clean up after yourself?’ And he looked at me, and then just walked to his room. I was like ‘What the hell?,’” Tyson, a 19-year-old UF computer science sophomore said. “I think I went to bed. And when I woke up, every single piece of dish and silverware was just outside my door and I couldn’t open my door. He was like ‘You asked me to clean so I cleaned.’”

Tyson reported calling and emailing a total of six times to try and get a roommate switch.

He reported his roommate would lash out — even get physical — when asked to clean up. He reached out in January to switch units and did not receive a response until May. They never followed up with any official process to switch.

Social28 doesn’t boast a “luxury” living experience like The Standard or Stadium House. But its rent hovers around the same price.

Rent begins at $829 a month for a four bedroom and two bathroom apartment.

Alligator Staff Writer

A dozen apartment complexes in Gainesville are located less than a fiveminute drive from campus. Rent near campus is steep as multiple apartments charge more than $1000 per month.

The proximity to campus entices students who may not have a car, want to walk to campus or are enthralled by “luxury student living.” However, many residents claim the luxury they were promised may not be as advertised. Despite the chronic issues, new apartments continue to be built surrounding UF’s campus.

Three new apartments are being built in the same area: Stadium House, Evolve and an addition to The Standard called Legacy. Evolve, located at 931 W University Ave., declined to comment on how the complex would promote luxury student living.

Stadium House will be located in Midtown and managed by Asset Living. “[We] pride ourselves with years in the industry, currently as the largest third-party operator. With that comes experience and a care for each and every resident,” Jessica Mancuso, Director of New Development Marketing for Asset Living, wrote in an email.

The Standard did not respond to several requests for comment.

Social28

The most expensive apartment caps at $1,049 a month for two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Mario Bennetti, a UF alumnus who graduated in May 2021, lived in Social28 from 2019-2020. He and his roommate lived in a two bedroom terrace apartment in the North Building of Social28, a $969 per month unit.

Bennetti describes construction workers banging on the border of his sliding glass door for two weeks straight between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Although the apartment let him know that they would be working on the balconies, they didn’t mention the time.

“We are cognizant of the school schedule and our management team has even gone as far to postpone during finals week and in some cases has requested the team begin their work later in the afternoon during major study weeks prior to exams,” wrote Janet Stierwalt, regional manager for CA Ventures, in an email.

Construction workers wanted to remove the sliding glass door, Bennetti said. They also wanted to remove his roommate’s door.

Once they removed the door, however, they didn’t replace it for approximately 5-7 days.

Tarps were placed over the gap where the door once was, and the construction workers went as far as rearranging his personal belongings to the point where his roommate’s room became uninhabitable, Bennetti said. This left him sleeping in the living room for the next few days.

Stierwalt did not comment on Bennetti’s roommate’s moved belongings.

Social28 has a 3.3 star rating, with 238 reviews on Google and a 1.5 star rating on Yelp with 35 reviews. While many residents have left glowing reviews of their living experiences, many tenants claimed to have seen a different, less functional side of Social28.

About 44 Google reviews complained about the construction of Social28, ranging from issues about the stream of construction projects making noise at early hours of the morning or claiming that the building itself is “on the verge of collapsing.”

“We are currently in the process of finishing up some preventative maintenance on the balconies and flat surface areas,” Stierwalt wrote.

Lea Koppermann, who gave the apartment one star on Google reviews, claimed Social28 was possibly the worst place to live in Gainesville. She wrote walls had also been leaking for more than six months, exacerbated by Tropical Storm Elsa that swept through Gainesville in July.

“These past few days I have been up all hours of the night switching out buckets ... to make sure the place doesn’t flood,” she wrote in her Google review two months ago.

Stierwalt said any issues stemming from high winds and rains are being

addressed through construction on the balconies.

On top of everything, Kopperman wrote that management had asked her to move out two weeks earlier so they could fix it for the next tenants.

“Absolute disgrace,” Koppermann wrote.

Kopperman did not respond for comment as of Sept. 26.

The Standard

When Emily Nannini, a resident at The Standard, went to use the pool with her friends at the end of August she noticed algae growing in it.

“This is one of the main amenities that you advertise [but] you can’t keep it clean?” she said.

In her 2-year tenure at The Standard, Nannini, a 21-year-old biology senior, has dealt with the elevators regularly breaking, her garbage disposal breaking, overflowing trash shuts on move-in days and delayed maintenance responses.

When she first moved in her sophomore year, she noticed a rusty nail sticking out of her carpet. She put in a maintenance request for it and they didn’t show up until her mother called, about six months later.

“If any [maintenance issue] happens, even if it’s not an emergency, you have to put it down as an emergency or they just like won’t come for months,” she said.

She is now going on her third year living there.

“It’s just been easier to stay put instead of packing up everything and going through the moving process,” she said.

The Standard claims luxury student living, reflected by plenty of positive Google reviews, where it currently enjoys a 4.2 rating. But many do not have a positive experience, evident by its 1.5 star rating on Yelp.

Yelp reviews from Sept. 12 and 14 state the building did not have WiFi or AC. One review stated they had no WiFi for as long as a month. It is unclear if this is still the case.

“I have to leave my apartment every time I need to do more than write an email and it’s really annoying,” Yelp user Emma W. wrote in a review Sept. 12. “Especially when they don’t allow you to have your own routers and have no answer as to when the issue will be fixed.”

Nannini pays around $900 a month to live at The Standard.

When Lauren Vonhof, a UF student, moved into The Standard this year, she claimed in a Google review a month ago that when she moved into The Standard she began getting itchy giant welts all over her feet and ankles. The culprit? Fleas.

She said she doesn’t know where the fleas came from, but they infested her carpet. Soon, her sheets and clothes were contaminated as well. Along with that, her review states that she also found cockroaches.

“I do not pay well over 1,000 dollars a month for this misery,” she wrote.

Vonhof and The Standard did not respond for comment Sept. 26. @ainzinna ainzinna@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ALLIGATOR 5

Rawlings Hall: Mold-related sickness and viral ‘horror bathroom’ STUDENTS EXPERIENCE COLD-LIKE SYMPTOMS FROM POOR AIR QUALITY

By Max Taylor Alligator Staff Writer

Maria Valdez worried she had COVID-19 when she first started coughing. With a negative result, she thought it was a common cold.

But two weeks ago, the 18-yearold UF microbiology freshman found black mold in her AC unit.

Multiple students in Rawlings Hall, including Valdez, have complained about cold-like symptoms over the past month. She herself experienced coughing, clogged sinuses and a sore throat, and took a month to recover.

Rawlings Hall is a traditional on-campus dorm that opened in 1958. Renovations in the late 1980s included window-unit air conditioners, which are different from central AC units used by most modern dorms.

On Valdez’s floor, some of the older window units started growing mold, creating poor air quality and ultimately causing sickness, she said. Even small-scale exposure had results; Valdez’s friend visited for a few hours and said he left feeling sick.

“I thought I had COVID but no one else around me was getting sick,” Nduka Mbadugha, an 18-yearold UF finance freshman, said.

Mbadugha, who has cold-induced asthma, felt weak and had trouble breathing while playing basketball days later. He believes Rawlings’

poor air quality is to blame.

RAs instruct students who live in dorms to set their AC units permanently at the coldest setting, otherwise mold creeps in. It is not just a Rawlings problem — almost every residence hall has this rule, Juliana Talamo, a 23-year-old UF psychology junior, said.

Talamo experienced the same mold problems in 2019 when she lived in Mallory Hall. After turning her AC warmer than the coldest setting, her room started growing mold everywhere from plastic containers to her shoes. “[My shoes] grew brown spots on them, “and I remember I would try to clean them but it wouldn’t come off because it [was] inside the shoe,” Talamo said.

Talamo bought a dehumidifier to remedy the issue and soon realized that humidity levels were at 68%, which is above the Environmental Protection Agencies’ recommended range. Her dehumidifier collected so much water that she had to empty it twice a day.

Now living in an off-campus apartment, Talamo noticed improved humidity levels, and empties her dehumidifier a couple of times per week.

Sara Tanner, UF’s director of the Division of Student Affairs, described the issue as statewide, common for areas with rain, humidity and high temperatures. She said students are partially responsible for keeping their rooms mold-free.

“Protecting against mold is a shared responsibility,” Tanner said.

“To maintain ideal function of our

systems, setting the AC on high allows for the compressor to run longer and remove more humidity.”

Tanner also said dorm residents should keep windows closed and latched to help the AC stay consistent, even during changes in weather. Any issues should be reported to maintenance staff and normally are addressed before the end of the next day.

When Valdez reported her case to maintenance, they replaced her AC unit within the hour. Even after it was replaced, she spent around $100 on a dehumidifier.

Even students who did not directly experience mold had concerns. Avery Flint, an 18-yearold UF animal science freshman, dreaded telling her parents about the situation.

“When I first told my parents about it, they were worried because obviously you can get sick if there is mold, but I mean we keep it cold to try and prevent that,” Flint said.

Mold, though seemingly pervasive, is not the only issue students have with Rawlings. What residents sometimes refer to as the ‘horror bathroom’ went viral on TikTok after Tabi Higgins, an 18-year-old UF digital television and film production freshman, posted the TikTok video.

In the TikTok, the bathroom is covered in dirt and rust. A hole in the wall sits above a corroded bathtub, complete with a rusted sink.

“My first instinct was to take pictures inside the bathroom,” Higgins said. “I was mostly surprised that it was left unlocked. Apparently,

that was an accident though, because after my TikTok gained attention, they locked the bathroom.”

The bathroom remains inaccessible, behind a locked door on the second floor of the girls’ communal bathroom in Rawlings Hall.

According to Tanner, rooms like the Rawlings bathroom are designated offline spaces, since redesigned to accommodate new plumbing.

Higgins, like most other Rawlings residents, has mold growing in her windows from the constant water dripping out of the window AC unit.

“It’s kinda hard to miss — there’s

just green stuff everywhere,” Higgins said. “I think it does affect the air quality and because of that I bought an air purifier.”

To resolve any issues, Tanner says residents should alert maintenance as soon as possible.

“UF Housing has a robust and expert maintenance and facilities team as well as a service request program,” Tanner said.

For any residence hall room or common area that needs service, students can submit an iService request for laundry, pest control, building services, maintenance or furniture issues. Residents can also request emergency maintenance through the form. @MTaylor_Journ mtaylor@alligator.org

Photo courtesy of Tabi Higgins

On the second floor of Rawlings Hall, a bathroom with a corroded tub and sink was discovered by Tabi Higgins, an 18-year-old UF digital television and film production freshman. Higgins posted a video of the bathroom, along with Rawlings’ “pasta ceilings” and a dead-end staircase, in a TikTok that later went viral.

Gainesville tackles climate change and zero waste goal through green policy pursuit COMMISSIONERS AND CITY EXPERTS DISCUSS UPDATES TO THE PROPOSED SOLID WASTE ORDINANCE

By Alexandra Harris Alligator Staff Writer

A city initiative could push Gainesville one step closer toward achieving its zero waste and climate change goals.

The City of Gainesville Zero Waste Subcommittee, a leg of the city commission, addressed the city’s zero waste goal and updates to its solid waste ordinance at a meeting Aug. 31. The initiative follows the principle of eliminating all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.

The city commissioners discussed food waste diversion, recycling and reusing, garbage collection, special event waste and single-use plastics following a year of subcommittee work.

In 2018, the city commission passed its goal to divert 90% of city waste by 2040, sustainability manager Michael Heimbach, said.

Alachua County ranked No. 27 for recycling out of the 67 Florida counties in 2019.

The county added more than 252,000 tons of solid waste to landfills, about the equivalent to the fan weight of 42 full Ben Hill Griffin Stadiums.

Meanwhile, the county recycled about 33,000 tons less than it dumped into landfills, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The city aims to make recycling as convenient as garbage with a goal for a food waste diversion program by 2024 for multifamily

residences. To achieve accessible recycling, the city would require property owners to provide adequate recycling services and indoor recycling and food waste containers, Heimbach said.

As the ordinances and meetings have moved forward, the private and nonprofit sectors have reached out to work with the city, Heimbach said.

Styrofoam containers on city property and outdoor balloon releases could be among the items prohibited if the ordinance reaches approval in the full committee. The proposal would require businesses to provide recycling for single-use plastic bags and styrofoam containers, he said.

Restaurants, grocery stores and other organizations that generate at least one cubic yard of food waste per week would have to develop a food diversion program, Heimbach said.

“We’ll make the city of Gainesville cutting edge for the state of Florida when it comes to handling food waste and organics,” Heimbach said.

The program would have to follow the Food Recovery Hierarchy set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Heimbach said, which prioritizes actions that prevent and divert wasted food. Using a six-tiered pyramid, the EPA’s most preferred method is reducing surplus food generated to prevent food waste in the first place.

The next step is to feed hungry people by donating extra food to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters. Then, organizations should divert food scraps to feeding animals. Beyond this, industrial uses can produce biofuels from food waste. If these methods fail, the EPA recommends composting.

Landfills and incineration are the last re-

sort for disposal. The city proposal could mandate all relevant businesses to compost by the start of 2025, moving beyond food waste to include items like paper towels, according to ordinance updates.

Grocery stores would be mandated to follow the Food Recovery Hierarchy at the start of 2023, City Commissioner Adrian HayesSantos said. The stores would be banned from destroying any unsold food waste still fit for human consumption and required to set up a charity partnership for food donations.

About 30% of food from U.S. grocery stores, retailers and consumers is trashed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Publix ranked last among the country’s 10 biggest grocery chains on food waste reduction efforts, failing to be transparent about food waste data, according to a report by the Center for Biological Diversity.

Amanda Waddle, Zero Waste Gainesville co-chair, said she hopes the ordinance will include more about directing food businesses to divert edible food.

“Feeding hungry people is the number one thing to do with edible food,” Waddle said.

Waddle suggested the name be broadened to Universal Zero Waste Ordinance to properly reflect its components and the message portrayed to the community. She emphasized the importance of reuse and suggested it even have its own ordinance, focusing especially on furniture discarded on curbsides during apartment moving.

“We want durable goods to not go to the landfill but stay in the local reuse economy,” said Waddle, director of zero waste at The Repurpose Project.

Although grocery stores would be required to follow the food waste hierarchy, Nina Bhat-

tacharyya, Zero Waste Gainesville co-chair, asked the ordinance to expand the requirement to other outlets with sellable food, such as bakeries.

“Other operations that aren’t considered necessarily grocery stores have edible food that should make their way to people who need it,” Bhattacharyya said, although she feels the ordinance is mostly wide-reaching.

Solid waste in landfills is one of the greatest contributors to the creation of methane — one of the most prominent greenhouse gases, Hayes-Santos said.

Landfill gas forms from the decomposition of organic material in landfills. The gas is roughly equal parts methane and carbon dioxide.

Methane is 28 to 36 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over the period of a century, according to the International Panel on Climate Change.

Municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., accounting for about 15% of these emissions in 2019. The methane emissions were equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 21 million passenger vehicles driven for a year, according to the EPA. “I’m excited about this ordinance,” HayesSantos said. “This will not only help reduce the amount of waste we’re creating, but also help address our climate change goals.”

The staff will bring an updated ordinance back to the committee later this month. @harris_alex_m aharris@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Lasting trauma GUN VIOLENCE, from pg. 1

to address gun violence in the city through his prevention, intervention and suppression initiative. His plan, One Community, includes more community engagement and an anonymous gun buyback program with gift certificates as an incentive. It also reminds residents to avoid leaving guns in cars and doors unlocked.

“We sat down with neighbors … and we wanted to hear what their thoughts were in regards to crime in Gainesville and particularly gun violence,” Jones said. “Every group that we listened to all were asking for an end or a reduction in the amount of violence.”

GPD is recruiting a group of residents to review the plan’s progress and find the root causes for gun violence in the area, Jones said. He hopes the committee will be established sometime in October.

“We, as a community, understand that this is not just a police problem,” he said. “This is a community problem. That’s why we named [the effort] One Community.”

The department, Jones said, has received fewer calls of shots fired as of Sept. 17. Despite what looks like a drop, gun violence trauma remains.

“Any person that dies as a result of gun violence rather than natural causes … is a tragedy within any community,” Jones said. “We, therefore, want to make sure that they have the right counseling services that would be available for them because you don’t want them to carry this trauma around unaddressed.”

When Thompkins picked up her children from the American Legion Post, she noticed trauma’s effects firsthand.

They trudged to their rooms, but their lights never turned off.

That morning, she noticed her son’s eyes were bright red. She found her daughter in tears.

“I knew that he didn’t sleep at all,” she said. “My daughter said

everytime she closed her eyes she could see [the victim] on the ground.”

The trauma extended to Thompkins, too.

Since the incident, she has become overprotective of her children.

She drops them off at the bus stop, picks them up from school when she can and sits in the parking lot whenever they attend football games.

She used to drop them off and let them have a good time. Now, her fearful tone whenever she speaks to them is a constant reminder of that June day.

I need to be here. When this game is over, I need you to get in the car.

“They can’t even hang out and be kids and talk with their friends because I’m afraid something is going to happen,” she said.

Thompkins’ children each deal with the shooting differently. Her daughter has breakdowns often.

Her son asks a lot of questions.

“He feels that it wasn’t [the victim’s] time, and he was too young,” Thompkins said. “I would say he is doing a little bit better. He just has those days where he’s kind of like my daughter but just not as emotional.”

Thompkins, too, is no stranger to loss.

When she was 13, she lost her mother to AIDS. In 2016, she lost a cousin to gun violence. She never wanted to go to therapy and worried her children wouldn’t want to either.

“When my kids lost their friend, they wanted counseling,” she said.

“They didn’t ask no questions. They didn’t ask what it was. They didn’t ask what they were going to be doing. All they knew was that they didn’t like the way they felt.”

If there was something positive to come out of this tragedy, it was that her children’s courage inspired her to start therapy this year.

Mental health services could curb gun violence incidents, said Tiffany Jenson, a UF criminology professor. She wishes more people would seek therapy and

other treatments.

“Unfortunately, there is a lack of mental health solutions out there for people,” she said. “Often, gun violence and violence of any kind can happen in these very passionate moments where people felt the loss of control.”

Gun violence is often spontaneous. It’s interpersonal conflict that escalates into something deadly.

And that’s something experts feared during the pandemic. Stay-athome orders and lockdowns forced people to be together for long periods of time, which could be linked to a spike in violence, Jenson said.

College towns like Gainesville also suffered deeper economic blows than bigger cities because of temporary and part-time jobs related to UF and UF Health. The pandemic increased unemployment, which Jenson believes could contribute to gun violence.

Alachua County’s Crisis Intervention Team received special training to de-escalate situations with mental illness crises. Bystanders, Jenson said, should report when they suspect instances of gun violence may occur. The CIT can also connect survivors to relevant mental health services.

Tonya Edwards, a certified advanced grief recovery specialist in Gainesville, listens to almost all of her clients ask three questions.

What could’ve I done differently?

Done more of? Done better?

“Grief is definitely the normal and natural reaction to any kind of significant emotional loss,” Edwards said.

Adults process grief logically.

Children don’t. They don’t understand what happened but feel a different atmosphere in their home.

“Grief is not logical,” Edwards said. “It’s emotional. So when you try to process this logically, it’s never going to make sense.”

Children in the community exposed to these tragedies, Edwards said, are dealing with unresolved grief. Parents should sit down and talk through the trauma with their kids, she said.

Edwards is concerned for Gainesville’s youth. Several gun violence victims have been minors.

“Starting today, we’re going to lose a generation of people,” she

Melanie Peña // Alligator Staff

Manna Robertson // Alligator Staff

said. “We’re going to lose a generation to something so senseless.”

Trauma related to gun violence never really goes away.

In the center of the pink-and-yellow dogwood blossoms that were tattooed on Sarah Browder’s right arm laid a bullet hole.

Her ex-husband shot her twice on the shoulder and through her spine before he pulled the trigger on himself Sept. 23, 2012. Following Sarah’s death, her mother Susan Browder became an activist against gun violence.

Last fall, Browder moved from North Carolina to Gainesville to be near her other daughter and grandchildren. The retired teacher spends her free time organizing to prevent this from happening to anyone else’s children.

“She was funny and beautiful, smart and artistic, and she was stolen from us,’’ Browder said. “She was stolen from us by a violent man who was able to get a gun without submitting to a background check.”

At 29, her daughter fought for her life in the intensive care unit for four days. Now, Sarah’s branch of the Browder’s family tree is forever cut off.

“We will always grapple with the reality of all the years ahead,” Browder said. “Her chair will be empty and all those other empty spots because it wasn’t just Sarah.

It was her future loves, her future children, her grandchildren. It really changed the arc of the future for generations to come.”

Gun and domestic violence inter-

twine, Browder said. About 1 million women in the U.S. have been reported shot by a significant other, according to The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. The pandemic pushed people to buy firearms, which could be deadly for their partner.

As an advocate, Browder deals with her grief through her work with domestic violence victims. She also teaches teenagers about signs to watch out for in abusive relationships.

“I finally realized that I can maybe help more people by using my voice to raise awareness and by trying to take steps to get easy access to guns limited for violent people who shouldn’t have them,” Browder said.

Browder and her organization, Everytown for Gun Safety, are pushing to end gun violence tragedies and require universal background checks for those purchasing a firearm.

“It’s especially traumatic knowing that it was just needless,” Browder said. “It did not have to happen, and it could have been prevented if some things had been different.”

Thompkins and her children share this feeling. The young boy’s death that night at the American Legion was just needless. It didn’t have to happen. But it did, and their lives are forever altered because of it. @Ad_Scribendum idouglas@alligator.org

Belligerent behavior NEWBAUER, from pg. 1

Morang noticed his tone changed, how he screamed in players’ faces and yelled at assistant coaches from across the court.

“For him, I felt very, ‘You’re only useful to me on the court,’” she said. “‘I don’t really care about anything about you or how I treat you other than that.’”

Eِveryone tiptoed around Newbauer, Morang said. They dreaded mistakes and couldn’t predict his reaction.

Players wouldn’t even dare ask the purpose of a drill, said Sydney Searcy, who transferred to Morgan State after her first season under the coach. He became defensive, as if they had criticized his character.

Morang’s brother, Jordan, who worked as a practice player during her two years at Florida, quit his job shortly after Newbauer’s arrival. He couldn’t handle watching Newbauer scream at the athletes and coaching staff. Morang also left the hostile environment later that season. She had to medically retire due to multiple concussions she sustained throughout her basketball career.

Newbauer often went nose-to-nose with players to jab at them until they reacted, and he hungered for a reason to kick players out of practice, Searcy said.

The ejected players were welcomed back to practice the next day, but Newbauer rehashed the issue in a team huddle and told them they needed to respect him.

He didn’t have the social awareness of when to stop harassing players — or he just didn’t care, said Cydnee Kinslow, a graduate transfer on the 2020-2021 team. Newbauer made players like Kinslow feel worthless.

“He would make them cry,” Kinslow said.

“Push until they cried, whatever it was, like, he tried. There’s a breaking point for people and pushing them through a wall to make them stronger. And then there’s what Cameron Newbauer did.”

Coaches yell because teams can be frustrating at times, said Haley Lorenzen, captain of the 2017-2018 squad. But Newbauer’s behavior couldn’t compare to ordinary coaching frustration.

Athletes felt strained playing under him.

Lorenzen and the team were always doing damage control — if they weren’t the ones being damaged.

“If you came into our locker room, sometimes, you could feel the tension,” she said.

“And you could just feel people were afraid.

People just weren’t themselves.”

Newbauer even degraded the team in front of Gator Boosters as they watched a preseason practice. Morang remembers Newbauer stopped the practice after the team messed up a drill and addressed the boosters.

He apologized for his players’ performance and called them “embarrassing.” The boosters later told Morang and other players not to listen to him. One even said his behavior was out of line.

But his actions didn’t faze his family. Morang remembers how one of his daughters — instead of crying — stood at his ankles and tried to get his attention as he yelled at a player during practice.

His conduct extended beyond screaming at practices, however.

Newbauer ordered his assistant coaches to take two Black freshmen, Jalaysha Thomas and Tameria Johnson, shopping during the 2017-2018 season. He thought the “wife beaters” and long shorts they wore to run errands were inappropriate, and the assistant coaches used UAA funds to pay for Newbauer-approved clothing.

Kinslow and Johnson, a fifth-year who now plays for Delaware, remember how Newbauer told them to change their clothes and cover up their tattoos. He asked players to do so because he didn’t want his three

daughters to mimic their style.

Newbauer also made microaggressive comments, or subtle discriminatory statements, to Black players, Kinslow said.

He once told them he liked their hair but wouldn’t touch it because he knew he wasn’t supposed to do so.

The coach pushed Thomas, Johnson and Hayes off the team at the end of his first season — Morang said — because they weren’t his recruits. They committed and signed to play under Butler.

Lorenzen recalled when Newbauer forced the three freshmen to clean out their lockers.

“I remember them going to the locker room with garbage bags to take their stuff out,” she said. “No one was there to help them … It was so disgusting to see that and to see human beings being treated that way.”

Morang accompanied Thomas and Johnson to a meeting with executive associate athletic director Lynda Tealer, in which they complained about how they were shoved out of the program.

Tealer took notes as the players spoke about how Newbauer belittled them. She told them the UAA was investigating the accusations, but Morang never heard anything after that.

His belligerent behavior extended to assistant coaches, too. He spoke over Finley and treated her like she had no idea what she was talking about.

“It was what he said goes, and it was basically like he didn’t need assistant coaches because no one else’s word mattered,” Morang said.

Some assistant coaches cried because of the way Newbauer spoke to them. Searcy remembers when an assistant coach addressed the team during practice, Newbauer cut her off and told her to shut up.

“I don’t know if they were afraid of losing their job,” Searcy said. “But it wasn’t too much that they would say either, just because everybody was pretty much in the same boat.”

Coaches understood what the players suffered, Thomas said, but never spoke up out of fear of retaliation. It was like if anyone stood up to him, he would kick them off the team or fire them.

Newbauer also disparaged strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers.

Lorenzen remembered when Newbauer told their weightlifting coach that the team wasn’t in shape because he wasn’t doing his job.

Even though he had no expertise in their field, he chastised trainers. The team branded Newbauer “Dr. Google” and quipped he received his medical degree from Wikipedia.

“There wasn’t somebody’s business he wasn’t putting himself in,” Kinslow said.

Many of Thomas’ teammates went to therapy at the recommendation of assistant coaches. It gave them a space to talk about what they went through. They also provided therapy to each other and cried together, Kinslow said.

Many of Newbauer’s athletes severely struggled with mental health. They had to take weeks off during the middle of the season because they couldn’t handle what Newbauer put them through.

“We had a girl that just quit, like she just physically couldn’t handle it anymore,” Kinslow said. “She worked her a— off to get where she was and decided quitting was more beneficial to her mental health than it was for her to play something she used 19 years of her life to get to.”

A former Florida player even attempted suicide, Kinslow said. The former player eventually quit the team and went back home.

Newbauer offered no sympathy, even for injured athletes.

Kinslow broke her nose, suffered a severe concussion and even developed a speech is-

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ALLIGATOR 7 sue that led her to miss six to seven weeks of the season. Newbauer didn’t check up on her once that entire time.

He got in players’ faces in the training room and taunted them after injuries. He told a player who tore her ACL that her condition wasn’t “that bad.”

No matter how much time passed, Newbauer’s outbursts at players continued. He constantly told his athletes, including Kinslow, they weren’t good enough to play for Florida.

Newbauer was mentally abusive toward Thomas, a junior who now plays for LSU, and made her lose some of her passion for basketball.

He complained she and the team were “always b—ing,” Thomas said. He said she didn’t deserve to play SEC basketball.

Thomas chose the Tigers after she entered her name into the NCAA transfer portal. She wanted to prove him wrong.

Newbauer also targeted Johnson, Searcy said. It seemed like he was bullying her.

He threatened to pull her scholarship and said she wasn’t smart enough to go to UF. He even told her she didn’t belong in Division I basketball.

One time, Newbauer told Hayes at a practice before an away game that he would leave her there. He also instructed Johnson to stand by the wall during practice and perform a wall sit with her hands above her head.

He then hurled basketballs toward her head. It wasn’t the first time. Newbauer also threw a ball at a junior teammate and hit her injured leg for not paying attention in practice, Lorenzen said. The player was sitting out with a torn ACL. Another time, he threw a ball at a redshirt junior because she didn’t understand a drill, Morang witnessed it as she sat on the sideline due to an injury.

Newbauer hollered as the teammate walked out.

You won’t disrespect me by leaving this practice.

Her teammate hollered back.

You will not disrespect me by throwing a ball at me.

That was one of the few times an athlete defended herself, but the atmosphere thwarted any resistance and pushed athletes into silence.

“It was so toxic and unsafe,” she said.

“Everyone was so scared that no one wanted to speak up.”

Some parents tried to take action to end

their daughters’ mistreatment.

Morang’s parents, Lynn and Frank Morang Jr., sent a letter to Stricklin and UF president Kent Fuchs in 2018 that detailed their concerns about Newbauer. Stricklin emailed the Morangs back three hours later.

“Thank you for taking the time to write to me,” he wrote. “It is truly important to me and everyone on our staff that Gator studentathletes have a valuable experience, and we are always open to learning how we can improve … Lynda Tealer met with Sydney and two other members of the women’s basketball team. We will consider all the information we have received and work to make enhancements that improves the experience for our students.”

While Newbauer is guilty of lashing out at players, Kinslow believes associate head coach Finley is just as complicit.

“Kelly did everything she could to sweep it under the rug,” Kinslow said. “She covered for him, and she did damage control.”

Finley opted to bury Newbauer’s behavior instead of holding him accountable. She called players late at night and told them Newbauer didn’t mean what he said and did.

And all these conversations, for Kinslow, were a way to manipulate the team.

That’s why Kinslow took to TikTok to expose Newbauer’s behavior and the Florida women’s basketball program’s toxicity.

Francesca Joubran, a former Belmont player under Newbauer from 2014-2017, commented on one of Kinslow’s TikTok. “I got the wrath too!” she wrote. “About time someone takes action & believes us.”

Some parents took to the internet to share their frustration as well.

When the Gators tweeted about Newbauer’s resignation, Autry Johnson, a father of former player Ariel Johnson, voiced his thoughts on the coach. His daughter played for Florida from 2018-2020 but transferred to Loyola Marymount.

“Please please stop lying for him he was not a good coach,” he wrote. “The program is better off without him we know that for a fact.”

Kinslow and former players agree: The program is better off without Newbauer.

They may no longer be at UF, but they feel a sense of peace.

There are no more players he can break. @zacharyahuber zhuber@alligator.org

Grethel Aguila // Alligator Staff

Former Florida coach Cam Newbauer in the huddle with his team in a game against Alabama on Feb. 18, 2021.

8 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Julius Irving: Life after a ‘not guilty’ verdict Irving still struggles to find work

By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

After an attempted murder trial, Julius Irving uses his life experiences to set goals for himself.

His checklist: grow his wealth. Be there for his family. Change people’s perception of those who look like him.

The 34-year-old East Gainesville resident was homeless, addicted to drugs and unemployed after he was charged. He had nothing to guide him but his faith.

He and his family were caught in between months of postponed jury selections and trials. Almost half of his jury selections and trial status appointments were canceled at least once due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Irving, who was accused of stabbing a coworker at Krispy Kreme in 2019, couldn’t apply for jobs without employers knowing about his pending charges.

Now, seven months after his trial, he still can’t find employment. This pushed Irving to start Never Work Again, a brand for his multiple businesses. He gets most of his income from reselling Amazon products but also does some commissioned tattoos and artwork.

“On the surface, I’ve been doing good,” Irving said. “I’ve started my own business.

I’m no longer homeless. I have my own place now. I have a car now.”

But he lives paycheck-to-paycheck and barely has enough money for anything aside from his bills. Since he heard the words “not guilty,” he considers every obstacle a life lesson.

“I use that to encourage myself,” Irving said. “I don’t care what situation I’m in — depressing or whatever. I can’t let myself, I can’t allow myself [to be upset] because I’m so blessed.”

Irving struggles to accept that others face the same situation he was in months before.

“The fact that I could be at work, in my uniform on the clock in an employee-only area, and then still viewed as the perpetrator ... that always bothered me,” Irving said.

As a Black man taller than 6 feet, he knows some may view him as a threat.

He believes this is why he was accused of attempted murder when he used a knife to defend himself in a fight.

Irving and his coworker, Olivia Zavalza, got into an argument at work and she called him racial slurs. She then called her boyfriend, Anthony James Jr., and a fight ensued between the two.

James Jr. had four stab wounds when police found him, and Irving had a 4 inch blade in his possession, according to the police report.

The defense applied the state’s Stand Your Ground law, which means that a person who is attacked in a place where they have a right to be, such as their work, has the right to “meet force with force.”

He believes other people can see the injustice surrounding his case, too. After the case ended, some jurors created a private Facebook group to connect with Irving.

“Everybody couldn’t believe that [the case] even made it to trial,” Irving said.

“They saw how unfair the court system is.”

The trial wasn’t the only thing that took a

mental toll on him. He’s also mourning the death of loved ones.

His father died following a positive COVID-19 test — a day after his trial. His best friend was hit by a car and killed while on a moped. Several of his cousins died from COVID-19-related complications.

It added a lot of pressure on him. But it didn’t entirely push him away from activism.

Irving was recently chosen as one of the six 2021-2022 Community Spring fellows, a group of low-income activists who work on eliminating structural poverty.

“For this fellowship, our focus point is affordable housing,” Irving said. “We’re trying to protect affordable housing here in Alachua County and, hopefully, build a model or plan... [that] could be possibly useful to other people.”

No one ever talks about what happens to defendants after their trials, said Jhody Douglas, Irving’s 37-year-old sister and founder of Legal Empowerment & Advocacy Hub. Irving is doing just that for his community.

“When Julius won, it was almost like we won,” Douglas said. “He was David that went up against the giant.”

The whole process took a toll on Douglas as well, however.

After the trial, people started reaching out to her for legal help. She’s no longer active on social media because of the anxiety that pairs with the surge of messages.

“People reach out to me for legal support, but then it always, undoubtedly, is tied to emotional support,” Douglas said. “I don’t have the capacity to support people in the holistic, full approach way that they need.

It’s a community issue, so I’m really hoping that that’s something we can move towards

Photo courtesy of Julius Irving

really soon.”

Tequila McKnight grew up in East Gainesville with Irving. As the participant coordinator of Community Spring, she was involved in selecting him for the fellowship.

“He has been an activist in the community, and he’s been a mentor to kids in the community,” she said. “He has a lot of knowledge of what’s going on. People in the community can trust him.”

The 45-year-old hopes to see Irving rebound after the trial.

“I’m really happy for him because he could have went a different direction, and that would not have been good for anybody,” McKnight said.

Irving is moving forward with his life — ready to accomplish his goals and free himself from the shackles of a traumatizing case that hung over his head for two years. However, he can’t help but think about what could’ve been if the jury’s ruling omitted “not.” @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

Exhibition by Ethiopian artist seeks to bridge cultural and continental divide PRINCE MERID TAFESSE DISPLAYED SELECT PIECES AT THE A. QUINN JONES MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER ON SEPT. 25

By Omar Ateyah Alligator Staff Writer

A collection of Ethiopian artist Prince Merid Tafesse’s work was presented at the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

A pastel drawing of Haile Selassie is seen outside of the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Ethiopian artist Prince Merid Tafesse drew the portrait in front of a live audience on the museum’s patio.

Sept. 25.

The museum, located at 1013 NW Seventh Ave., hosted the 47-year-old’s exhibition, “Living and Linking: African Legacies.”

Tafesse’s artistic journey began several decades ago, when he decided to try his hand with art as a young child in Ethiopia.

Following the spark from his mother, an amateur artist, he began his venture into the artistic universe drawing a portrait of an Ethiopian Atse, an Emperor.

Tafesse’s recalls watching his mother attempt a drawing of the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II, who killed himself after an onslaught by the British in the 19th century. On the back of the paper his mother was using, the young Tafesse tried to mimic his mother’s work and included a macabre detail: a drawing of a gun to indicate the emperor’s suicide. Tafesse remembers misidentifying the leader and instead writing Menelik, another Ethiopian leader.

Tafesse laughs softly as he recalls the episode from his childhood. On Saturday, Tafesse completed a live sketch of Haile Selassie, a former Ethiopian emperor, in approximately 10 minutes.

The purpose of Tafesse’s exhibition was to showcase connections across continents and undermine the narrative of a fundamental divergence of cultures. The exhibition aims to show how art from the continent of Africa can speak to universal aspects of the human condition and should not be marginalized.

The goal is to raise a sense of consciousness and curiosity, said Desta Meghoo, Tafesse’s wife and an artistic curator.

“When we think of African art, we get certain images,” she said. “But, in my theory as a curator, I always say we don’t call Picasso’s art Spanish art. We’re talking about a contemporary style artist [Tafesse] who is connected to the world, whose visual vocabulary is one that transcends nationality, gender, etc and his art speaks to that.”

One of the links Meghoo said she was most compelled by was the connection she found between the legacies of A. Quinn Jones, the museum’s namesake, and Haile Selassie. The two held firm commitments to education.

Tafesse’s artistic inspirations range from writers, such as Kahlil Gibran and Oscar Wilde, to musical inspirations such as Bob Marley and trap music, Meghoo said.

One piece included in the exhibition served as Tafesse’s recounting of COVID-19’s effects on Ethiopia. The piece features tick marks used to indicate the passage of days; after the murder of George Floyd, the tick marks were converted into matches to represent the emergence of social unrest as a result of his death.

Tefesse’s family legacy is important to him. He traces his ancestry to the Ethiopian king Sahle Selassie through his mother.

He said his father informed him of his regal heritage when he was younger but did not give him specifics. Tafesse said his father used to refer to his mother by the term Le’elt, which means princess, in acknowledgement of her heritage.

“My father told me you’re from the royal family, but when you grow up, when you’re ready, find it,” Tafesse said. “He didn’t want to show me exactly.”

In recent years, Tafesse was able to identify his mother’s place in the family tree and discover his exact standing in the regal line.

Tafesse said he may go months at a time without producing artistic works until he feels ready to start creating.

“I just don’t work physically and gather things wherever I go. I don’t know what I gather even; it’s almost subconscious,” Tafesse said.

Some of Tafesse’s works were also displayed at the Rosa B. Williams Center on 524 NW First St. @OAteyah oateyah@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ALLIGATOR 9

A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center and Matheson History Museum celebrate Black education Gainesville residents remember critical Black educators who influenced the community

By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

Gainesville residents gathered to celebrate the life of A. Quinn Jones Sr., the first Black principal at Lincoln High School. He turned the school, now A. Quinn Jones Center, into the first accredited all-Black school in Gainesville and the second in the state.

In 2017, Jones’ old home became the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, a historic landmark available to the public.

The museum, alongside the Matheson History Museum, hosted more than 30 in-person and 20 online attendees on Sept. 23. Speakers reflected on the legacy of Gainesville schools’ desegregation and their experiences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The museum hosted the event for people to learn about the history of Jones and Black education in Gainesville, said Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney, curator of collections and acting administrator at the Matheson History Museum. ”We are celebrating the life of A. Quinn Jones, who was an educator in Gainesville, and the impact that HBCUs have on our state and communities,” she said.

Carol Richardson, Jones museum’s interim program director, used her connections to find passionate speakers for the event.

“We always want to honor the reason why the museum exists,” Richardson said. “As long as I am there, I want to always keep the legacy of the Jones family alive.”

“Prof” Jones, as he was known within the community, aimed to push his students to go into higher education. He even invested in some of them by paying for tuition to a Florida HBCU. Many of the speakers grew up in Gainesville and were Jones’ students. Some also went to Florida’s four HBCUs and spoke about their education and personal experiences at those schools.

Wayne Fields’ parents, Geraldine Farrar Youngblood Fields Miller and Jerry C. Miller, were influential educa-

tors in Gainesville.

His parents founded the music department at Lincoln High. The family lived nearby, and Fields would often watch the school’s band rehearsals and sporting events.

In the school’s final year, his parents put on the first musical, “Bye Bye Birdie,” at Lincoln High. It was the Millers’ greatest achievement. The star-studded cast included their son, Fields, and former City Commissioner Scherwin Henry.

Henry said his experience in the chorus of “Bye Bye Birdie” was eye-opening.

“Mrs. Miller, in her teaching, informed us that it wasn’t all about singing,” Henry said. “But it was about posture.

It was about breathing. It was about diction. It was about intonation. She wanted to make sure that as we present ourselves as a chorus, not only will people hear great music, but they will also leave with the image of a very welltaught, well-trained chorus, as well.”

John Dukes III, a 65-year-old Gainesville resident and son to longtime Gainesville educator John Dukes Jr., spoke about his father’s influence on his education. His father was the last principal at Lincoln High. He was also the first principal of Eastside High School and the first Black Alachua County Public Schools deputy superintendent.

Dukes said his father was offered higher-paying jobs in Arkansas and South Florida, but decided to keep working in the city because Jones needed him to.

His father tried to keep Lincoln High open for as long as he could. But after the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court ruled that all segregated schools integrate or close, the school eventually had to close in November 1969.

Dukes went to J.J. Finley Elementary School, now renamed Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary, when he and his sister were the only Black students at the school. He graduated from the school in 1967, but he described his experience as “traumatic.”

However, he would go to the Jones’ house for piano lessons from Jones’ wife, Frederica Jones. While he hated playing piano, he grew fond of the family.

Alachua County Public Schools is the first district nationwide to receive federal funding amid state masking-related penalties U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MIGUEL CARDONA CALLED ACPS SUPERINTENDENT CARLEE SIMON ON SEPT. 23

By Jiselle Lee Alligator Staff Writer

When Alachua County Public Schools was slapped with salary cuts due to masking politics, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona gave the superintendent a call.

“The president said it and I said it before: We’ve got your back and we wanted to deliver on that,” Cardona told ACPS superintendent Carlee Simon on a Sept. 23 video call. “You’re doing the right thing … I’m proud of your leadership and your students are fortunate to have you as their leader.”

The district announced Sept. 23 it will receive a $148,000 federal reimbursement to account for school board member salaries withheld by the Florida Department of Education.

The state withheld the salaries due to the district’s mask requirement, which it claims violated Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order 21-175.

ACPS is the first school

district in the U.S. to receive a grant from the federal government as a part of Project SAFE, a grant program that reimburses school districts for funding withheld by a state government because of mask requirements and other COVID-related protocols.

ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said the federal grant will directly pay for the board members’ salaries for a year. So far, the FDOE has withheld two months-worth of salaries about $27,000 per each of the four School Board members who voted for the mask mandates: Leanetta McNealy, Tina Certain, Rob Hyatt and Gunnar Paulson.

“Frankly, we were not planning on cutting the board members salaries anyway,” Johnson said. “We had some other options.”

Johnson said the Alachua County Commission was more than willing to provide money out of the county’s COVID-19 budget to make up for the withheld salaries.

However, with the federal government’s help, the board never needed to follow up on the County Commission’s offer.

“Now we don’t have to use any of those other options,” Johnson said. “We can now just go ahead and

do what we normally do.”

Secretary Cardona wrote in a release this is an initial step to show school districts the federal government supports those that have imposed mask mandates to the dismay of their state governments.

“I commend Alachua for protecting its students and educators, and I look forward to working with them to provide students their best year yet,” Cardona wrote. “Every student across the country deserves the opportunity to return to school in-person safely this fall, and every family should be confident that their school is implementing policies that keep their children safe.”

Simon wrote in a statement she is grateful the president is siding with school districts like Alachua County.

“I’m very grateful to Mr. Cardona, President Biden and the federal government for the funding,” Simon said.

“But I’m even more grateful for their continued support and encouragement of our efforts to protect students and staff and to keep our schools open for in-person learning.” @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

“Those folks supported me in a way that helped me to overcome all of my objections to being in school,” Dukes said.

Dukes remembers Jones as someone he could reach out to for reassurance.

He said Jones said, “Boy, all I need you to do is do your best wherever you are. You always make sure that you give more than you have to. And never be afraid to let anybody know how good you are.”

Desta Meghoo, a 62-year-old UF Levin College of Law doctoral graduate currently working in Ethiopia, spoke about the connection between HBCUs and African culture.

Meghoo has 10 children, many of whom went to various HBCUs around the country, including Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University.

“It was very important for them to have an HBCU experience in order to be prepared to continue the legacy,” Meghoo said. “‘I’m really, really thrilled that they not only got that education but were able to pull great skills and reined in a sense of self and purpose through the process.”

The link between Africa and the diaspora of people of African descent across continents is very important, Meghoo said.

“We are the same people regardless of land and sea that may separate us,” she said. “This is DNA.” Lizzie Jenkins, an 82-year-old Archer resident, remembers a time where Black grade-school education in Gainesville felt like a tight-knit family. Even though the schools were segregated and Black schools had to fight for state-recognized accreditation, the students and families involved in the schools had each other to get through those difficult times.

Jenkins graduated from Lincoln High in 1957 and went to Florida Memorial College before it became a university.

“Going to a Black school was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Jenkins said. “All of us that attended these Black institutions were [treated as] first-class citizens. And I still support my college.” @jiselle_lee jlee@alligator.org

Voter guide for the Fall UF Student Government election VOTES ARE CAST BASED ON RESIDENTIAL INFORMATION

By Allessandra Inzinna Alligator Staff Writer

UF students have seven options of polling locations to cast their votes to decide who will fill the 50 available Student Government Senate seats.

Voting will take place Sept. 28 and 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The three parties participating in this election are Change, Gator and Communist. Three independent candidates will also appear on the ballot.

Gator Party holds a majority in the Senate with more than 60 senators.

It has held the majority since Spring 2020. Change Party ran for the first time in the Spring, when it merged with Union Party. Communist Party ran last Fall as the Progressive Party before rebranding. All parties have released their platforms.

To cast a vote, students need to show their Gator 1 card or photo ID, as long as they know their UF ID number, so poll workers can verify each student is cleared to vote. Supervisor of Elections Alexandra Stedman did not clarify what clears a student to vote.

All voting aside from absentee ballots will take place in person, as SG does not allow online voting in its codes, said Stedman. Online voting has been illegal

in SG since 2006 after the UF Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

Absentee ballots must have been postmarked by Sept. 24, Stedman said. Included in absentee ballots is a stamped return envelope that students could use to send it.

Students will vote on 50 senators elected for one-year terms to represent their respective districts. There are no petitions set to appear on the ballot, and there is no early voting, Stedman said.

Votes are cast based on each student’s residential information, on or off campus. Students living in residential halls vote by their hall, while those off campus vote by zip code.

The polling locations include the Reitz Union Computer Printing Lab, the Health Science Center Library, the Norman Hall Educational Library, the Southwest Recreation Center Social Lounge, the Springs Library and Recreation Room and Stuzin Hall room 200.

There were originally 11 polling locations, an increase from the six polling locations for the Spring election.

But due to scheduling issues, the number of polling locations decreased from 11 to seven, Stedman said. She didn’t clarify what the issues were. @ainzinna ainzinna@alligator.org

El Caimán

LUNES, 27 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2021 www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman

Las preocupaciones de seguridad aérea de los residentes de Gainesville Place Apartments después de una agresión sexual HA HABIDO MÁS DE 250 INCIDENTES DENUNCIADOS A LA POLICÍA DURANTE NUEVE MESES

Escrito por Troy Myers Escritor de El Caimán

Traducido por Melissa Hernandez De La Cruz Escritora de El Caimán

En Gainesville Place Apartments, una mujer fue apartada de la puerta de su casa, arrastrada por las escaleras y violada en un área boscosa en las primeras horas de la mañana del 10 de septiembre.

Ahora, los residentes hacen malabares para afrontar el trauma y al mismo tiempo abogan por mejoras en la seguridad del complejo.

Los residentes dicen que la administración ha tardado en abordar el problema.

Gainesville Place Apartments, ubicado en 2800 SW 35th Place, tuvo 258 incidentes llamados a la policía en los últimos nueve meses, según un informe de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alachua.

Durante el verano, los residentes presenciaron casos de masturbación

pública, intentos de robo y comportamiento alarmante de extraños que no pertenecían al complejo. Los residentes describieron sus experiencias como peligrosas y aterradoras.

La víctima del ataque del 10 de septiembre fue dada de alta rápidamente del hospital y Antwine Johnson, un residente de Gainesville de 32 años, fue acusado de agresión sexual y secuestro el mismo día.

Corinne Griffin, una residente de Gainesville Place de 19 años y estudiante de segundo año de UF con doble especialización en criminología y neurociencia cognitiva y conductual, dijo que ha expresado sus preocupaciones en la oficina principal muchas veces.

Griffin llamó a la policía dos veces desde que se mudó a Gainesville Place Apartments en agosto. Ella se preocupa por su seguridad y quiere que la gerencia realice mejoras en la seguridad.

"No me siento seguro aquí en absoluto", dijo Griffin. "No están haciendo nada, así que no sabemos qué más hacer".

Griffin argumentó que si un complejo de apartamentos puede ofrecer mantenimiento las 24 horas, entonces debería poder hacer lo mismo por la seguridad. Ella sugirió que la gerencia proporcionará llaveros a los

conductores de autobuses, pero la oficina principal le dijo que no era una opción y su solución fue descartada sin ninguna explicación.

Griffin le pidió a la oficina que agregara cámaras alrededor del complejo, pero la gerencia le dijo que no disuadía el crimen. Pidió un servicio de seguridad privada y le dijeron que se había considerado, pero supone que no saldrá nada de eso.

Pero para la víctima del asalto y el resto de la comunidad, regresar al complejo de apartamentos donde ocurrió el ataque es un desafío.

Después del ataque, el complejo de apartamentos, propiedad de The Collier Companies, emitió un comunicado a sus residentes para informarles de una agresión sexual que ocurrió "cerca o alrededor de la comunidad de Gainesville Place".

La declaración describió recordatorios generales de seguridad para los residentes: cerrar sus puertas y ventanas, estacionarse en áreas bien iluminadas, asegurar sus pertenencias personales y no caminar solos por la noche. El informe también indicó que el complejo solicitó patrullas adicionales del Departamento de Policía de Gainesville.

Collier Companies no respondió a varios correos electrónicos y llamadas telefónicas para hacer comentar-

ios hasta el 26 de septiembre.

Los residentes creen que Gainesville Place podría hacer más para mejorar la seguridad. Desde el ataque, los residentes han pedido a la oficina principal que instale cámaras, mantenga las puertas de entrada cerradas o contrate una empresa de seguridad.

El 21 de septiembre, el complejo anunció a sus residentes que mejorará la iluminación recortando las ramas de los árboles alrededor de los postes de luz.

Algunos residentes sienten que los pequeños cambios no serán suficientes.

Yasmin Figueroa, residente de Gainesville Place de 21 años y estudiante de último año de UF con especialización en ciencias de la salud, ha vivido allí desde agosto. Dijo que su experiencia allí ha sido agradable, pero ella y sus compañeros de cuarto están preocupados por caminar solos por la noche y las puertas de entrada siempre están abiertas.

Figueroa dijo que ella y sus compañeras de cuarto han comenzado a avisar cuando llegan a casa y se mantienen en contacto con frecuencia. Ángel Ramírez, un residente de 17 años y estudiante de primer año de ciencias políticas de UF, dijo que

depende del sistema de autobuses para llegar a clase. Dijo que el problema de que las puertas de entrada siempre estén abiertas podría resolverse con algo tan simple como llaveros.

Argumentó que dado que las rutas de autobús no están abiertas durante toda la noche, tendría sentido cerrar las puertas después de que el último autobús salga de la propiedad.

Desde el incidente, Figueroa y sus compañeras de cuarto han comenzado a comunicarse regularmente; Griffin siente que la carga de la seguridad ha caído en manos de los residentes y continúa abogando por una mejor seguridad, pero aún duda de que se produzca algún cambio; Ramírez, que también anhela un cambio, ha sido testigo desde entonces de que otros residentes compran gas pimienta para protegerse en caso de una emergencia.

Las rutinas diarias de los residentes han cambiado a medida que incorporan nuevas medidas de seguridad con la esperanza de que no les ocurra otro incidente a ellos ni a ninguno de sus seres queridos. @Troy_Myers1 tmyers@alligator.org

Gainesville Place Apartments’ residents air safety concerns following sexual assault THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 250 INCIDENTS REPORTED TO POLICE OVER NINE MONTHS

By Troy Myers Alligator Staff Writer

At Gainesville Place Apartments, a woman was pulled away from her front door, dragged down the stairs and raped in a wooded area in the early morning hours of Sept. 10.

Now, residents juggle coping with the trauma while also advocating for improvements to the complex’s security. Residents say management has been slow to address the problem.

Gainesville Place Apartments, located at 2800 SW 35th Place, had 258 incidents called in to police within the last nine months, based on a report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. During the summer, residents witnessed instances of public masturbation, attempted break-ins and alarming behavior from strangers who didn’t belong to the complex. Residents described their experiences as dangerous and scary.

The victim from the Sept. 10 attack was promptly released from the hospital and Antwine Johnson, a 32-year-old Gainesville resident, was charged with sexual battery and

kidnapping the same day.

Corinne Griffin, a 19-year-old Gainesville Place resident and UF sophomore double majoring in criminology and behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, said she’s expressed her worries to the front office many times.

Griffin called police twice since moving into Gainesville Place Apartments in August.

She worries for her safety and wants management to make security improvements.

“I don’t feel safe here at all,” Griffin said.

“They’re not doing anything, so we don’t know what else to do.”

She argued if an apartment complex can offer around-the-clock maintenance, then it should be able to do the same for security.

She suggested management provide key fobs to bus drivers, but was told it’s not an option by the front office and her solution was dismissed without any explanation.

Griffin asked the office to add cameras around the complex but management told her it does not deter crime. She asked for a private security service and was told it has been considered, but she assumes nothing will come from it.

But for the assault victim and the rest of the community, going back to their apartment complex where the attack occurred is a challenge.

After the attack, the apartment complex,

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owned by The Collier Companies, released a statement to its residents to inform them of a sexual assault that happened “near or around the Gainesville Place community.”

The statement outlined general safety reminders for residents: locking their doors and windows, parking in well-lit areas, securing personal belongings and not walking alone at night. The report also stated the complex requested extra Gainesville Police Department patrols.

The Collier Companies didn’t respond to multiple emails and phone calls for comment as of Sept. 26.

Residents believe Gainesville Place could do more to improve security. Since the attack, residents have asked the front office to install cameras, keep the front gates closed or hire a security company.

On Sept. 21, the complex released an announcement to its residents that it will improve lighting by trimming tree limbs around light poles.

Some residents feel small changes won’t be enough.

Yasmin Figueroa, a 21-year-old Gainesville Place resident and UF health sciences senior, has lived there since August. She said her experience there has been enjoyable, but she and her roommates are worried about walking alone at night and the front gates that are

Heartwood Soundstage on island time

The venue hosted the Gainesville Reggae Festival Sept. 25, pg. 14

always left open.

Figueroa said she and her roommates have begun letting each other know right when they get home and frequently staying in touch.

Angel Ramirez, a 17-year-old resident and UF political science freshman, said he relies on the bus system to get to class. He said the issue of the front gates always being open could be resolved with something as simple as key fobs.

He argued that since bus routes are not open throughout the night, it would make sense to close the gates after the last bus leaves the property.

Since the incident, Figueroa and her roommates have started checking in with each other regularly; Griffin feels the burden of security has fallen into resident’s’ hands and continues to advocate for better safety but is still doubtful any change will come; Ramirez, also longing for change, has since witnessed other residents purchase pepper spray to protect themselves in case of an emergency.

Residents' daily routines have changed as they incorporate new safety measures, hoping another incident doesn’t happen to them or any of their loved ones.

Síganos para actualizaciones

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

@Troy_Myers1 tmyers@alligator.org

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Upbeat GNV wants to tackle musician mental health

I

f you’re a working musician, study at UF or who have grown up here, like myself and our co-foundchances are good you’re anxer, John Gray Shermyen. ious or depressed.

When the first lockdown issues Statistics published by Rewere ordered, I found myself uncord Union show 73 percent of able to adjust to the new normal, surveyed musicians reported expelost, uninspired and isolated. riencing negative emotions such as I put my drumsticks down and stress, anxiety and/or depression because of, not in spite of, their art. Alexander Klausner picked up the phone; A series of opinions@alligator.org calls that would lay the foundaA 2018 study from the Music Intion for our organization. Our vidustry Research Association shows nearly 12 percent of musicians have suicidal sion quickly coalesced: We aim to harness the good nature of the Gainesville community to thoughts.

This is four times that of the general popu- support musicians in facing both the anxiety of the pandemic and the more silent mental lation.

These statistics, sadly, predate the pan- health pandemic.

I know what you’re thinking: I thought demic, which robbed many artists of opportuplaying guitar was supposed to be fun. Music nities, income and purpose.

As the pandemic rages on, with new vari- is supposed to heal. It is, and it can. But purants scrambling musicians’ hopes for a return suing a career in music can have the opposite to the stage, mental health is a cause that is effect.

Musicians can suffer from self-esteem ismore pertinent than ever.

That’s why, last year, I started Upbeat sues related to their performative and economic success. We can suffer through people GNV. Upbeat GNV is a crew of volunteers and not seeing our work as a real job, imposter musicians banding together not in pursuit of syndrome and substance abuse problems. music but in supporting musicians in dealing All this while dealing with a highly stressful and competitive working environment, where with the stressors of their career.

I started playing music in Gainesville when your job often intrinsically promotes subI was 13 years old. I started the band The Sa- stance abuse. vants of Soul and earned my current seat playRead the rest online at ing drums for Rehasher with Roger Lima from alligator.org/section/opinions Less Than Jake, touring the U.S. and Europe along the way. Music has always been a deep part of my identity.

Alexander Klausner is the director of Gainesville has long been home to a viUpbeat GNV and can be reached at brant music scene, powered by a constant help@upbeatgnv.org. influx of talented and ambitious artists who

Column

Gabby Petito’s story is more common than we think

S

eeing the video of Gabby one knew what had just happened Petito in the backseat of to me, they would think I was an a police car absolutely idiot for believing this man ever broke my heart, and it really liked me. In all honesty, I should break yours, too. believed I was an idiot for being in Not just for Gabby’s family, but this situation at all. I couldn’t profor all the women in America who cess how this happened to me, and have sat in that exact same seat. that it happened so fast. I thought Anonymous When I was 19 years old, I was opinions@alligator.org people would ask me why I got out in a relationship with a man who I of the car. I didn’t want to explain it thought I would later marry. I was to them, and frankly, I didn’t know young and for the first time in my life, feeling how to. what it was like to be manipulated by someDating violence is often hidden in plain one I cared for. sight and can come in many different forms.

I went into the relationship with the hope For years, I wasn’t ready to leave. I wanted I would find a companion, someone to laugh to learn how to turn my bad relationship into with, to have fun with and to go on new ad- a good relationship, without having to sufventures with. I thought one day we would fer through the shame that I couldn’t make hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail. it work.

For two and a half years, I kept a secret. I Ideally, something like the rest area inciposted on Instagram that I was “happy.” We dent would never happen again. Although, it went on double dates with friends. We even was only about a year after that fight that I adopted a cat together. called the police on him for the first time. He It was only a few months after we started stole my car keys and refused to let me leave dating, the night I introduced him to my fam- his apartment. At the time that this happened, ily in Orlando, that we got in a fight in the car, we fought about once a week. and he began screaming at me to the point where I told him to pull over. We stopped at Read the rest online at a rest area on Interstate 75. I got out, and he alligator.org/section/opinions drove away.

He eventually circled back after a few If you are struggling, you can call the hours. I decided to get in the car with him.

Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network Better my boyfriend than a stranger, I thought. at 352-377-8255 for help or to set an I refused to speak of the situation to anyappointment with an advocate. one, especially my family, thinking that if any-

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

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ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE: PUZZLE: ANSWER TO PREVIOUS

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BONUS How to play

By Chris Sablich ©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC By Rebecca Goldstein ©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

09/21/21 09/27/21

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

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 ALLIGATOR 13

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©2021 Answers King Features Synd., Inc. 1. 63,360 inches answers below 2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence 3. Below or insufficient -spolier alert- - - - - - - - - - spoiler alert - - - - - - - - - - - spoiler alert - - - - - - - - - - - spoiler alert - - 4. Grover Cleveland 5. Katharine Hepburn ScrabbleGrams solution Trivia Test answers 6. Devils Tower, 1906 7. The Philippines 8. “The Matrix” 9. The USS Nautilus 10. Pennsylvania, Short Line, Reading and B&O © 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.

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King Features Weekly Service

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

MUSIC

Gainesville celebrates Jamaican culture with reggae festival HEARTWOOD SOUNDSTAGE SPOTLIGHTED JAMAICAN MUSIC AND FOOD AT THEIR FIRST-EVER REGGAE FESTIVAL

By Veronica Nocera Avenue Staff Writer

More than 100 people set their clocks to island time Sept. 25 at the Gainesville Reggae Festival — immersing themselves in a celebration of Jamaican culture.

The festival, which took place at Heartwood Soundstage, was the first of its kind at the music venue. From 5 p.m. to nearly midnight, guests listened to live reggae music, indulged in Jamaican cuisine and browsed booths from local vendors. “[Reggae] talks about the necessity of equality,” said Victor Souza, the producer of the festival. “It talks a lot about peace and love and integrating the community toward something that is more beneficial to everyone.”

Souza, 42, has worked with Heartwood in the past to produce Brazilfest. Though he was born in Brazil, Souza said he considers reggae his second culture and an important part of his music career. In addition to producing, he is also the lead vocalist in Maca Reggae Samba, which was part of the lineup that night.

Through the Gainesville Reggae Festival, Souza said he sought to embody the theme of reggae and use the event to bring performers and attendees together. This sense of community togetherness permeated the festival in more than one way.

Food and retail vendors outlined the perimeter of the venue, representing an array of Gainesville-based artists and eateries.

The Briand Collective, Kulcha Shok Muzik and SoulSunshine Goods sold clothing and jewelry, and Visionary FAM featured prints and a live painting session.

Lines of guests also formed behind Radha’s Kitchen, Caribbean Queen and Carella’s throughout the evening, and people returned to their seats with Jamaican staples such as

jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail.

Carella’s accompanied their hot menu with the sale of authentic Jamaican spices and fruit cake — the latter of which were all handmade by Carol Coffill, the catering company’s owner.

John Coffill, Carol’s husband, also helps run Carella’s as its director of sales and marketing. The duo began catering in Gainesville in 2017, and Coffill said he and his wife have since become passionate about bringing people together through food.

“Carella’s is the spice of life,” he said.

At the head of Heartwood, music drew the crowd together.

Performances by Easy Crew, Propaganjah, De Lions of Jah, Maca Reggae Samba and Marauak celebrated Jamaican reggae legends through covers and original music.

Old and young generations danced arm-in-arm to traditional reggae beats. Kids mounted their parent’s shoulders to get a better look at the stage.

Ann Francis-Anderson, 53, and her family made the threehour journey from Palm Bay to see her niece, Carissa Lawrence, perform. Especially for her mother, who was born in Jamaica in 1928, Francis-Anderson said the festival was a fun celebration of culture for the whole family — and well worth the trip.

Lawrence sang vocals for Maca Reggae Samba — the same band Souza founded around eight years ago.

Back home in Brazil, Souza had a band that played strictly reggae music. Upon moving to the United States, he said, people often had trouble comprehending his Jamaican music style in the context of his Brazilian heritage. That’s when Souza said he had the idea to combine the two, joining reggae with Brazilian samba music.

Souza said one of his favorite things about reggae music is its universality.

“There are places that are well-known for rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “There are places that are well-known for blues. But reggae music is seen everywhere in the world that you go.”

Alan Halaly // Alligator Staff

Mario Marauak, a Brazilian reggae singer, performs at Heartwood Soundstage during Reggae Fest on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.

Souza has lived in Gainesville on-and-off since 2007, during which he found a reggae community in the city. Over a decade ago he used to participate in Reggae Tuesday, a weekly reggae show at the Shamrock — an old Irish pub in Gainesville — that would attract full crowds. Souza said Gainesville has always been open to new music styles.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue @vernocera vnocera@alligator.org

SHOPPING

How Bazar hosts last market at the Seagle Building AFTER A YEAR INSIDE THE SEAGLE BUILDING, THE LOCAL VINTAGE MARKET IS HOSTING ITS FINAL BAZAR Á LA CARTE MARKET AS IT PLANS TO MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION

By Luigi Bencosme Avenue Staff Writer

The How Bazar will host its last Bazar Á La Carte market Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 as a farewell to the building that housed antheir outlet for local curators and vintage clothing items.

Although it opened in August 2020 at the Seagle Building, located at 408 W University Ave., the owners of The How Bazar always knew their time at the location was going to be limited. The historic Gainesville building, which was completed in 1936, was recently put up for sale.

Although the Seagle Building helped garner a community for the shop, Laila Fakhoury, one of the five co-owners of The How Bazar, expressed worries for its future plans.

“We were just like, ‘We should probably get out of here because we don’t know if they’re go-

ing to raise our rent if they are going to kick everyone out. What’s going to happen?’” she said.

For the past few months, The How Bazar’s five owners have been eyeing a specific location in downtown Gainesville near the Volta parking garage. But because it’s city-owned and currently being managed by a real estate company, there have been some hardships in securing it, Fakhoury said.

“They just caused us a lot of problems, and it’s been a struggle just trying to get in there,” she said. “Just them trying to favor big developers and outside developers and people with a ton of money over us, a local business.”

While the Seagle Building served as its first physical store in Gainesville, The How Bazar was starting to face some difficulties, in both size and location, and therefore decided to look elsewhere for a home.

The How Bazar, Fakhoury said, didn’t have a long-term lease there, but rather, a monthly one.

“For us, it was really sentimental and meaningful to get a location,” Fakhoury said. “It was basically a dream come true … even though we knew it was gonna be temporary.”

In honor of its farewell, the last The How

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Bazar Á La Carte event will be different from previous ones. As opposed to previous markets, which usually hosted 12 to 15 vendors, around 30 different vendors each day, along with various food stops and DJs, will attend the market to afford as many people as possible the chance to vend. An afterparty will follow the market.

“That’s one thing that’s going to be really special,” Fakhoury said. “There’s going to be a ton of vendors.”

The How Bazar functions in a workerowned environment, where all of the five workers of the store are also part co-owners. Before The How Bazar began, the group of five worked together on smaller-scale projects.

“We were all doing silent discos together, and then we started doing pop-up clothing events at the gallery,” said Jose Peruyero, a coowner of The How Bazar.

Eventually, Peruyero said they all decided to open a store with one main goal: being “radically ethical.”

“We wanted to create an ethical, community-oriented and sustainable space,” Fakhoury said.

In creating such a space for the Gainesville community, The How Bazar’s workers have

also faced complaints from one of the condo owners in the Seagle Building.

“One of them doesn’t like us because they say we bring ‘bad kids’ or ‘bad people’ to the space, which is really just like brown and Black and queer kids,” Fakhoury said.

But despite the complaint, Fakhoury said the rest of the community, and most of the other condo residents, love and embrace their work.

“I always message those people to check in and see if the market is a bother, just to get some feedback from them … and they always love it,” she said. “They say it brings more life to the building and to the area.”

In the past year, this vintage store has amassed a large community of local creatives, the size of which surpassed the capacity of the Seagle Building. As a result, they now need more space.

“If we could have expanded within the framework of being in this building, if there was more space to us available, we might have actually stayed,” Peruyero said.

Despite these issues, The How Bazar remained persistent in its fight to secure a new location downtown. Now, the owners are in the final stages of obtaining the new downtown location on top of plans to create their own clothing line. lbecosme@alligator.org

An unprecedented loss

Florida volleyball found itself on the other side of a Mississippi State game for the first time in program history, pg. 16

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FOOTBALL

Tinges of Tebow: Jones hits major milestone in second SEC game AFTER FIVE INTERCEPTIONS IN HIS FIRST NINE QUARTERS, EMORY JONES FLIPPED THE SCRIPT THE PAST TWO GAMES

By Ryan Haley Sports Writer

Florida quarterback Emory Jones stood in an empty pocket, his arms at his sides and no defender within two yards of him, and watched his pass sail helplessly past the extended arms of wide receiver Justin Shorter and fall incomplete to the grass of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

As he stood in the heart of the stadium, he heard the 90,887 Florida faithful in attendance for the Gators’ Sept. 18 match with No. 1 Alabama begin to boo.

Seven days later, the first-year starter scrambled and found redshirt

senior Rick Wells wide open in the flat and delivered. Touchdown. A new crowd of 88,478 fans showered No. 5 with an entirely new emotion: adoration.

Jones silenced fans’ displeasure with a complete about-face in the past six quarters, including a historic performance in Florida’s 3814 victory over Tennessee on Sept.

25, when he became the first Gators quarterback to pass for 200 yards and rush for 100 more in 12 years.

When Jones regrouped with his offense a week ago after his whiffed pass, trailing the topranked Crimson Tide 21-3, he’d had a mercurial start to the season at best. He’d completed 38 of his first 63 passes for 340 yards (5.4 yards per attempt) and five interceptions.

He’d only thrown two touchdowns the entire season, the most recent of which in the second quarter against

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida quarterback Emory Jones winds up to throw against Tennessee during the Gators’ 38-14 victory on Sept. 25, 2021.

South Florida the week before, and added just one more on the ground with 189 rushing yards on 30 attempts.

The redshirt junior rebounded to complete 11 of his final 14 passes for 119 yards and added a late rushing touchdown in the nearcomeback against Alabama, but his resurgence was truly cemented over the weekend against the Volunteers.

Jones’ first two plays from scrimmage against Tennessee set the mood for the entire day. He escaped a collapsing pocket and dashed for 12 yards and a first down before he found Shorter on a crossing route for 16 yards and moved the chains again on his debut pass.

Overall, the Georgia native looked more decisive against Tennessee than he had the entire season. In previous weeks, his biggest sin was standing pat in the pocket, surveying the field as if he’d rather grow roots in the pocket or fit a ball through a keyhole than create with his legs. When faced with the UT defense, however, he found his rhythm, moving the offense down the field with quick passes and fleeing if foes closed around him.

Jones connected on 17 of his first 19 passes and 21 of 27 for the night, a far cry from his 60.3% completion percentage prior to his missed throw against ‘Bama.

The fourth-year quarterback set two career highs against the Volunteers with 209 passing yards and 144 rushing yards, his first career 200-yard passing game or 100-yard rushing game, respectively.

The last Florida quarterback to pass both milestones in the same game? Heisman winner Tim Tebow

Samantha Harrison // Alligator Staff

Florida quarterback Emory Jones at the line of scrimmage during a game against Tennessee on Sept. 25, 2021. during his senior year against Florida State.

“I think you see him really settling down under center,” Mullen said. “I think he did a great job making his reads, managing the offense, getting us in the right checks, into the right plays.”

The obvious does need to be voiced. The Volunteers pass defense ranks among the worst in the SEC. They allowed 213.5 passing yards through the first four games of the season, including contests against Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech, and they surrendered six touchdowns through the air. They finished 11th in the conference a season ago with 265.8 yards allowed per game at 8.5 yards per attempt.

Despite the meager competition, however, Jones led five of Florida’s 10 drives for touchdowns and two more into the Tennessee red zone,

one resulting in a field goal and another lost to a fumble.

Tracking back to the Alabama game, the Gators found pay dirt on nine of their 15 full drives after fans rained disapproval upon their signal-caller. Jones completed 32 of his 41 throws for 328 yards and a pair of scores since he failed to link with Shorter, and he added 187 yards and another score with his legs on 27 attempts.

“I’m definitely just warming up, man,” Jones said after the game.

Jones may not have drawn the world’s attention against Tennessee, but one thing happened for sure: When the fourth quarter ended under the inky Gainesville sky, and Jones trekked back to the home locker room, not a single fan booed. @ryan_dhaley rhaley@alligator.org

SWIMMING

Katie Ledecky eyes 2024 Olympics from Gainesville The 10-time Olympic medalist will train at UF while working as a Volunteer Swim Coach

By Jackson Castellano Sports Writer

The Gators swimming and diving program announced Wednesday that famed swimmer Katie Ledecky would join its coaching staff.

Ledecky will act as a volunteer swimming coach while training with head coach Anthony Nesty for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold

medalist, spent the last five years training and earning her education at Stanford, where she won an unprecedented eight NCAA championships and broke countless school, NCAA and American records.

“Stanford has been my second home for the past five years. It will always have a special place in my heart,” Ledecky said on Twitter.

“Having completed my college career this year, I am moving east to be closer to home and family,”

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Nesty tweeted about Ledecky joining his staff, saying “We are very excited to have Katie here with us! Let's get to work!”

Ledecky, a Washington, D.C., native, recently brought home a pair of gold and silver medals each from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. These accolades highlight her long list of 10 Olympic medals, the fifth-most in history and the second-most of any woman, and 15 world championships, four more than any other female swimmer and third-most all-

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time. Ledecky’s many achievements give her one of the most impressive resumes in the history of the sport.

Now, the 24-year-old swimming icon will continue her career under Nesty and the rest of the Gators swimming staff.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the next phase of my swimming career,” Ledecky said. Certainly up to the challenge, Ledecky will look to make a strong statement at the Paris Olympics in 2024, potentially her fourth Games.

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

@jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

16 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

VOLLEYBALL

Florida loses to Mississippi State for the first time in program history THE GATORS FALL SHORT TO THE BULLDOGS IN THEIR SECOND FIVE-SET MATCH

By Kaitlyn Wadulack Sports Writer

Florida outside hitter T’ara Ceasar had the chance to send the fifth set to overtime versus

Mississippi State. She received the ball from setter Marlie Monserez and rocketed it back toward the O’Connell Center floor, but it failed to make it over the net.

Match point Bulldogs, and the O’Dome fell quiet.

Mississippi State barked as it rushed the court to celebrate its first-ever win over Florida Friday

Catherine McCarthy // Alligator Staff

Florida outside hitter T’ara Ceasar spikes a ball toward the Mississippi State defense on Friday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

night 3-2 (17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 2125, 15-13).

Outside hitter Sofia Victoria posted another team-high in kills with 19, but it wasn’t enough to knock off the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State rallied from its loss Thursday night from the start of the opening set. The Bulldogs went on a 5-0 scoring run before Florida called its first timeout. The Gators reclaimed the lead after Victoria recorded back-to-back kills, now 10-8. The sophomore closed out the first set with seven of Florida’s 17 kills and a .700 hitting percentage.

“Sofia has been progressing every practice and every match that we have,” head coach Mary Wise said after the match. “She has put in the work and is taking on a big role in her sophomore season.”

The Gators maintained their scoring cushion even after Mississippi State called its first timeout at 18-15. Florida didn’t let the Bulldogs even taste early victory, instead extending its offensive run by three points at 21-15. Mississippi State went back to the bench for a second timeout, but the Gators were unstoppable.

A Ceasar kill sealed the opening set, 25-17.

It was a war for set control in the second. Mississippi State swiftly secured the lead at 15-13 before the media timeout. A kill from Bulldogs’ middle blocker Sania Petties and a Victoria ballhandling error forced Wise to call her first timeout, trailing 17-13.

The Gators played catchup the rest of the set. Florida found a way to get within one of Mississippi State at match point after a Victoria kill, her 13th of the night. However, it wasn’t enough to smother the Bulldogs’ offensive flame. A kill from Mississippi State outside hitter Shania Cromartie sealed the second set 25-23 for the Bulldogs.

Despite an early 3-0 Gators lead to start the third set, the Bulldogs cranked out nine consecutive points to surpass Florida 10-5. An extended rally lifted Florida fans from their seats as a block from Monserez, outside hitter Merritt Beason, and middle blocker Gabrielle Essix stopped the Bulldogs’ scoring run.

The energy in the O’Dome shifted when the Gators rediscovered their groove. A Ceasar kill and back-to-back Essix kills forced the Bulldogs to call a timeout down 14-13. It was seesaw scoring to the end, but

Mississippi State persevered. The Bulldogs took the third set 26-24, a win against the Gators now in sight.

Both teams traded blows with one another throughout the fourth set. Florida climbed its way to a four-point cushion at 14-10 after Mississippi State suffered two costly attack errors and Victoria and Beason each pelted down kills.

The Bulldogs failed to come within arms reach of the Gators the rest of the set. An Essix and Beason block gave Florida its ticket to the fifth set, 25-21.

Gears initially shifted toward the Gators in the fifth set. Florida was able to keep Mississippi State off its tail until a Cromartie kill gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the set at 13-12. Determination fueled Mississippi State in the end, and a Ceasar attack error granted the Bulldogs its first program win against the Gators, 15-13.

The Gators will battle another set of Bulldogs this week as they hit the road to take on Georgia Wednesday in Athens at 7 p.m. @kwadulack kwadulack@alligator.org