October 2, 2023

Veteran makes $10,000 homeless clinic donation for suicide prevention month

Nash Cooper’s donation honors late UF student Thomas Anderson

By Zoey Thomas Alligator Staff Writer

Nash Cooper doesn’t want his $10,000 donation to be about him. Instead, the 59-year old veteran hopes his contribution to Helping Hands Clinic raises awareness about suicide prevention, especially for youth and those who, like him, have experienced homelessness.

Cooper made the donation to the volunteer-based clinic, which delivers health care to the poor and homeless in Gainesville, in honor of former volunteer Eric “Thomas” Anderson. Anderson, a UF pre-med alumnus, was one of the Helping Hands volunteers who helped Cooper regain his footing after losing his home in 2017.

Multiple pitbulls found dead in Archer

Archer residents work with city, UF officials to report suspected dogfighting

By Ella Thompson

Alligator Staff Writer

Archer resident Becky Harn first saw a dead pitbull when she moved to Archer two years ago. On Sept. 18, she found another pitbull — dead, skinny and scarred — in the field by her house.

Harn’s sightings aren’t the only pitbull findings reported. Reports of dead pitbulls and other mixed breeds go back at least two years, according to the Archer Word of Mouth Facebook group.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

Harn, 45, has since started a Facebook group called “Archer FL Stop Dog Fighting and Animal Abuse,” and at least two dogs have been reported since she created the group Sept. 28. The group also includes a step-by-step guide to reporting the dogs to the Alachua County Animal Services and UF College of Veterinary Medicine.

Harn opened an investigation with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Sept. 19, which is still ongoing, according to ACSO. ACSO is investigating one count of felony

animal cruelty, according to the incident report. Felony animal cruelty is punishable by up to five years and a $5,000 fine.

Residents suspect dogfighting is what’s causing this surge in mysterious pitbull and mixed breed deaths around the city of Archer. Archer City Manager Tony Hammond is looking into the cause of deaths, according to Iris Bailey, Archer mayor. Dogfighting is when dogs are

SEE DOGFIGHTING, PAGE 4

Anderson died by suicide in 2019 at age 28 as a result of his battle with depression. By making his donation Sept. 26 during National Suicide Prevention Month, Cooper aims to honor his friend and prevent similar tragedies, he said.

Thomas Anderson and mental health for students

Cooper arrived in Gainesville in October 2017 as a borderline streethomeless veteran whose housing situation in St. Petersburg was destroyed by Hurricane Irma. He went to Helping Hands for medication and support, where Anderson was the volunteer who took his background information at his first-ever appointment.

“I said, ‘I don’t know anybody here,’ and he joked, ‘Well, you know

Health Care Bill

me,’” Cooper said. “I said, ‘Well, yeah, but you’re not a friend,’ and he says, ‘Well, I can be.’”

True to his word, Anderson became Cooper’s best friend, even though Cooper was old enough to be his father, Cooper said.

Anderson was a giving person with a heart twice as big as his 6-foot-6 stature, Cooper said. He went out of his way to serve others — whether at Helping Hands, where he volunteered for five years, or by mentoring disadvantaged youth with the Baha’is of Gainesville, a religious group he joined in the years prior to his death.

Anderson had recently graduated from UF with three bachelor’s degrees in philosophy, mathematics and biochemistry, and finished his first round of applications to medical school when he met Cooper. The following year, Anderson’s medical school applications came back as rejections, and he took a job with a pest control company in New Orleans instead.

Although he did important work for public health, the weight of not meeting his original career goals worsened his depression, Cooper said.

Anderson took his life May 2, 2019, in DeLand, Florida.

“It’s a great loss,” said Shari O’Brien, a 76-year-old retired campus administrator for the University Lutheran Church where Anderson was a member. “[Anderson] made a difference in a lot of lives.”

Suicide is the second leading

SEE MENTAL HEALTH, PAGE 4

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Gators lose in Lexington

UF falls to Kentucky for third-straight year. Read more on pg. 11.

Alachua County immigrants fear new legislation’s impact, pg. 4

Reina Saco

City Commissioner came to Gainesville as Cuban refugee, pg. 5

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Lauren Whiddon // Alligator Staff

Vanessa Garcia adjusts her mask to scare participants at the Gainesville Fear Garden on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. Find this story in The Avenue on pg. 6.

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2023

Alachua County to greet new sheriff Oct. 2

Emery Gainey returns to the sheriff’s office as first Republican sheriff after 17 years

By Alissa Gary Alligator Staff Writer

Emery Gainey, a Republican veteran of sheriff’s duties across Florida, will ascend into the role of Alachua County Sheriff Oct. 2 following his appointment to the position by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Gainey has been learning the ropes since around Sept. 16 by shadowing Sheriff Clovis Watson, his predecessor, and meeting with county officials, sheriff’s office spokesperson Art Forgey said.

“He is going to come into office with a good feeling of how things are and how things are running,” Forgey said.

Overcoming staffing shortages at the sheriff’s office is one of Gainey’s primary goals for his term, Forgey said. Employees have had to work overtime to cover for a lack of staff members.

“It puts a lot of pressure on our employees who then take it home, and there's pressure at home,” he said. “So it's a vicious cycle that we need to break and go ahead and get staffed.”

Gainey has not responded to emails, phone calls and texts requesting an interview as of Oct. 1. He intends to run for sheriff as a Republican in the 2024 election, according to his statement of candidacy filed Sept. 24.

He has contributed a total of just under $3,000 to various Republican candidate campaigns

since 2002 — that includes $250 to Florida Sen. Keith Perry in 2016, $300 to Florida Rep. Chuck Clemons and most recently $500 to Robert Woody, who is running for Clemons' seat in 2024.

The search for the new sheriff began this summer when Watson resigned from the sheriff’s duties because of his health in a July 31 letter to DeSantis. In the letter, he promised to use his remaining time in office to ensure a smooth transition of power.

“I wish to thank the citizens of Alachua County who have allowed me the honor to serve as their Sheriff as well as the hardworking men and women of this great agency for all that they do on a daily basis,” he wrote.

Watson’s time as sheriff was marked by a lawsuit filed against him by employees for violating their rights as deputies during an internal affairs investigation, and one employee accused him of racial discrimination. A judge sided with the employees in May.

Gainey’s experience with law enforcement made him a good candidate to succeed Watson, said Julia Friedland, deputy press secretary for DeSantis.

“Emery Gainey is extremely qualified for the position,” she wrote in an email.

Gainey spent about 25 years at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office from 1982 to 2007, working his way up to chief of staff. When Forgey joined the staff, Gainey

served as a patrol captain; Forgey remembers him being very knowledgeable and people-oriented, he said.

“He will be a sheriff that walks the halls and talks to people on a regular basis, knows their families and knows all about them,” Forgey said. “A real people-type person.”

His time at the office was capped by his loss in the 2006 election against Democratic candidate Sadie Darnell, earning only about 36% of the votes. He will be the first Republican sheriff to hold the office since Steve Oelrich, who served up until 2006.

He went on to work at the Florida Office of the Attorney General from 2007 to 2020, with a break from 2016 to 2017 to serve as Marion County Sheriff, to which he was appointed by former Gov. Rick Scott.

Paul Bloom, a spokesperson for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, remembers Gainey making substantive and lasting changes to the office, despite spending less than a year there — the office threw a big going-away party for him, Bloom said.

He thinks Gainey will be a good fit in Alachua County thanks to his leadership style and ability to handle tumultuous situations, like a controversial sheriff’s retirement, he said.

“He’s the kind of guy that, when you get around him for just about five minutes, he’s really captivating,” Bloom said.

The Florida Office of the Attorney General did not respond to email and phone call requests for comment as of Oct. 1.

Gainey has served as chair of the Santa Fe College Board of Trustees since 2021. As a trustee, Gainey cares deeply about the community and is an engaged professional, said Jay Anderson, a spokesperson on behalf of college president Paul Broadie.

“He's always well-informed, knowledgeable and is a problem solver who values the opinions of others,” Anderson said. “I know that the citizens of Alachua County will benefit greatly because of his leadership at the sheriff's office.”

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Alachua County immigrants fear new SB 1718’s impact on health care

INDIVIDUALS AREN’T REQUIRED TO ANSWER THE DOCUMENTATION STATUS QUESTION ASKED AT HOSPITALS

By Valentina Sandoval & Jinelle Vazquez

Alligator Staff Writers

With a community plagued by doubt, Guatemalan immigrant Adriana Menendez is buried by countless calls from Hispanic immigrants to the Project SALUD referral line about a new immigration law.

The referral line, managed by Menendez, is part of an initiative from the nonprofit Rural Women’s Health Project. Callers can receive medical advice, legal assistance and other lifesaving resources.

The growing number of calls stems from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of Senate Bill 1718 in May, Menendez said.

“[At] that time there was so much fear,”

Menendez said. “That’s when I really saw the fear, when I received call after call about the same subject and the same questions.”

The law took effect July 1 and is among the strictest immigration laws in the country. The legislation restricts the transportation of illegal immigrants across states, creates rigorous verification of citizenship for employers and requires hospitals to ask about patients’ immigration status.

One of the controversial aspects of the law is the provision requiring any hospital that accepts Medicaid to ask patients whether they are U.S. citizens, lawfully present in the U.S. or not lawfully present in the U.S.

Immigrants constituted 24.4% of the population growth in Gainesville from 2014-2019, increasing the number of immigrants in the city to around 14,800, according to city data.

Menendez, along with a host of local advocacy organizations, health care workers and community members worry about the impacts the law could have on immigrant households across Alachua County.

Advocacy groups’ initiatives

Project SALUD has seven comunicadoras — communicators — who share information about services with the community. Recently, Menendez said the organization is focused on informing immigrants they don’t need to share their citizenship status with hospital staff.

Although there are no consequences for not answering the question, Menendez said, immigrants are choosing to avoid hospitals due to fears and safety concerns about the law.

One undocumented woman who spoke with her decided to have her baby at home with a midwife because she was nervous about the risks of a hospital visit. In more severe cases, families fled the state, Menendez said.

“They were so afraid of what could happen and they said specifically… ‘I might not know the area, I might not know anybody there, but I know I’m going to be safer than in the state of Florida,’” Menendez said.

Health care services

UF Health hospitals do ask patients for their citizenship status, although outpatient facilities aren’t required to ask patients the question, UF Health spokesperson Gary Mans said.

“The inquiry must be followed with a statement that the response will not affect patient care or result in a report of the patient’s immigration status to immigration authorities,” Mans said.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act ensures all patients regardless of citizenship or immigration status have access to emergency medical treatment.

An internal medicine resident from HCA North Florida, who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns about losing employment, said they do not ask about the immigration status of a patient during admissions.

Immigration status may bias the care patients receive at health facilities, they added.

However, the resident said they must consider questions about documentation status during the discharge process.

“Can they receive proper follow-up [care]?” they asked. “Can they go to an outpatient [rehabilitation] facility?”

Gainesville has two local clinics funded through grants and donations and they aren’t required to ask about immigration status. Two of those clinics are UF’s Equal Access Clinic and Mobile Outreach Clinic.

In addition to language interpreters on-site, EAC offers a Spanish night when all clinic services are in Spanish. This event is held every

tion, not just to show his appreciation to Helping Hands, but to the greater Gainesville community.

Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 7th Day Adventist Church.

The MOC and the EAC are both present at the free health fairs organized with community partners like Children Beyond Our Borders.

Young-Rock Hong, UF assistant professor in the health services research, management and policy department, said there is a current lack of evidence on this policy’s impact on hospital utilization.

It would take some time for data to accumulate before we would be able to do so, Hong said.

However, Hong said he believes there has already been some impact on the immigrant community in Florida as access to health care has been a long-standing issue.

“Many immigrants may fear that seeking health care would reveal their immigration status, making hospitals immigration screening centers instead of safe and lifesaving places,” Hong said.

Community concerns

Another part of SB 1718 causing unease among local immigrant communities is the provision specifying certain driver's licenses issued by other states exclusively to unauthorized immigrants are not valid in Florida.

To combat concerns, Veronica Robleto, the Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County program director and legal navigator, said the organization instituted a community ID program.

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@vazquezjinelle jvazquez@alligator.org

cause of death for people 10 to 34 years of age in the U.S., according to the Florida Department of Health. In Florida, 827 youth and young adults in that age range committed suicide in 2021. Of those deaths, 13 occurred in Alachua County.

Alachua County’s 10- to- 34-year-old suicide rate is below that of the state rate at 10.9 compared to 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people, but has increased about 46% per year since 2004. The statewide rate has seen less than half as much growth over the same period.

After noticing firsthand the growing trend of mental health struggles among students, the Lutheran church is working to build an office that will be staffed by local mental health specialists to provide free counseling for youth, O’Brien said.

“There’s a special increase in anxiety among college-aged students,” O’Brien said.

An increase in youth suicide translates to college campuses. Healthy Minds Study wrote the rate of students reporting a suicide attempt in the past year has increased 9.5% annually since 2007, on average.

Mental health struggles are exacerbated for undergraduate students like Anderson who choose the pre-med track. A 2010 study from the National Library of Medicine found pre-med students had a depression rate almost double that of their peers.

“The pressure of having research experience [and] clinical volunteer hours while also maintaining a perfect GPA is one of my biggest sources of stress and anxiety,” said Thui-Linh Thai, a second-year UF anthropology student. “Even if I get good grades, being pre-med always makes me feel like I’m not doing enough.”

While other students might not have to worry about postgraduate jobs not accepting them for their GPA, pre-med students feel pressure to maintain a 4.0 record to build a competitive medical school application, Thai said. Putting off sleep to study for challenging classes, a common occurrence among her pre-med peers, also worsens burnout, she said.

Helping Hands and mental health for the homeless

When he got his first disability benefit check, it took no time at all for Cooper to remember the work Helping Hands did for him, he said. Cooper decided to surprise the clinic with a dona-

Cooper credits the people of Gainesville, including volunteers at clinics like Helping Hands as well as private citizens, with never letting him go hungry. He remembers one mechanic who let him sleep in his garage and another man who let him sleep in his van, he said.

“The people of Gainesville were so good to me,” Cooper said. “I needed to do something to give back, and I felt like this would be a way that would minister definitely to the homeless … and still be a part of the community as a whole.”

On Sept. 26, Cooper presented a $10,000 check to Helping Hands Executive Director Brendan Shortley at the Cade Museum, which was hosting a meeting for the Rotary Club of Gainesville.

The donation came as a surprise to Shortley who helped Helping Hands grow from its beginnings in the Gainesville Salvation Army dining room 35 years ago to its current two-story building, which operates as a complete medical facility.

“I feel like my face is still red,” Shortley said after the meeting’s conclusion. “I just found out they’ve been planning this thing for a month, and I never heard a word. … I’m so grateful.”

Shortley knows homeless individuals are another population disproportionately affected by suicide. The Harvard Review reported in 2017 that suicide rates among homeless populations are estimated at nine times that of the U.S. general population.

Helping Hands is the only free clinic in town for the homeless that has a complete staff of psychiatrists, a full psychology program and on-site medications. People without housing can have difficulty getting transportation to health appointments and securing the money to pay for them, and Helping Hands helps in both regards, Shortley said.

Beth Snarr, the 49-year-old pastor at First United Methodist Church of Gainesville, applauds Helping Hands for providing mental health programs tailored to homeless women, who are often more at-risk of violence and abuse, she said.

“They can go upstairs and they have support groups, they have a meal, they have a boutique, and that in itself is mental health because they can feel safe,” Snarr said. “It’s not just a physical health clinic — it’s body, mind and spirit.”

First United Methodist Church owns the Helping Hands building and provides a meal and worship service to its constituents every Monday, Snarr said.

Helping Hands has proved a top charity in Gainesville for effectively utilizing donation funds, Shortley said. Just 3% of donations go to administration, while 79% go to clinical services and 18% to pharmacy and medical supplies.

“Ten thousand dollars is going to transform lives,” Snarr said. “It’s the ultimate pay-it-forward.”

Cooper’s next initiative is petitioning the U.S. Postal Service to create the “Thomas Stamp.” The stamp would honor Anderson, who was an avid stamp collector, and it would also be the first-ever stamp dedicated to suicide awareness, Cooper said. He is currently collecting signatures in favor of the stamp, which he plans to present to Sen. Marco Rubio.

Helping Hands offers clinic hours Monday and Thursday evenings for homeless and poor individuals to receive psychiatric, medical and legal care.

UF students can visit the Counseling & Wellness Center for short-term counseling and medication management. Students in crisis can contact the CWC’s 24/7 crisis support hotline at (352) 392-1575 or the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988. @zoeythomas39

Courtesy to The Alligator Thomas Anderson graduates from UF with three bachelor’s degrees in 2017.

Ashley Hicks // Alligator Staff Project Continuity with UF Health educating the public about Pap tests and cervical cancer on Sept. 30, 2023.

Reina Saco: From refugee to the Gainesville City Commission

SACO’S HISPANIC BACKGROUND INSPIRED HER TO REACH OUT TO HER COMMUNITY

By Kat Tran Alligator Staff Writer

Bringing a fiery passion and fierce drive for justice within the Gainesville City Commission, Reina Saco, a 33-year-old city commissioner, carries many identities — notably, her first-generation Cuban background.

Born in Santiago De Cuba in 1990, during a time of societal shifts and scarce resources as the Soviet Union disbanded its diplomatic ties with Cuba, Saco and her family fled the city four years later in a makeshift raft.

“We ended up along with 3040,000 refugees, ended up in Guantánamo Bay and then in a refugee camp by the Panama Canal,” she said.

Her family settled in Hialeah, and Saco later pursued a bachelor’s degree in English and Russian Language and Literature at the University of South Florida. She was surrounded by an enclave of Hispanic identities and communities growing up.

“In the greater Miami area, it’s

all kinds of Hispanics and every kind of Spanish — so much so that I didn’t really realize I was ‘Hispanic’ until I left for college that I realized, ‘I’m different,’” she said.

But Saco never saw her identity as a disadvantage when surrounded by inclusive people.

However, she did experience “casual racism” when pursuing her master’s in Russian and European Studies at the University of Michigan.

“I had a co-worker ask me if I spoke Mexican. Small things like that would come around every now

Suspected dogfighting

DOGFIGHTING, from pg. 1

bred and conditioned to fight other dogs in a pit for entertainment and gambling purposes, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Most fighting dogs endure abuse and mistreatment from birth.

Fights average between one to two hours and result in major injuries including severe bruising, puncture wounds and broken bones. Other injuries like blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion or infection can cause fatalities, according to the Humane Society.

As of Oct. 1, there have been no major developments or arrests made. There is not enough evidence or probable cause to establish any crime, according to ACSO Spokesperson Art Forgey.

ACSO told Harn they couldn’t make arrests without an address or concrete evidence of animal abuse, she said.

Many residents refuse to speak on the topic because they fear retaliation, Harn said.

“I think a lot of people here in Archer know that this was not just a small thing,” Harn said. “It's not one house. It's, from my understanding, not one localized area. It's in Bronson. It's in Williston. It’s in Archer.”

Many of the dogs were starved, cut, bruised and covered in sores, according to pictures shared with The Alligator. Some were left in bags, or covered by a blanket, according to Facebook reports, and some of the female dogs appeared to have recently given birth.

Some Archer residents think the

and then,” she said. “But it showed me that I had a skill set that the average American doesn't. I’m bilingual, and I’m really glad I was able to reclaim my language.”

Apart from her work in local government, Saco prides herself in family and cultural values.

Adam Aaron, Saco’s husband, is a 31-year-old history Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Aaron’s background and family dynamic is different compared to Saco’s Cuban identity, as he comes from a large Irish Catholic family in Michigan.

He views Saco’s strong sense of family as one of her obvious qualities, and it extends to beginning their own family as they welcome their new child into their home, he said.

“It isn't just on the commission or as a lawyer that she has that sense of justice, and that extends to her friends and family as well. She makes sure that they are taken care of,” Aaron said.

Sophia Saco, a 23-year-old creative writing master’s student at the University of Central Florida, said her eldest sister took on a nurturing and caring role in her life from a young age.

With an age gap of nine years and three-quarters of a year, Saco

dogs being left behind are bait dogs. Bait dogs are non-aggressive dogs used to train fighting dogs. Typically, they refuse to fight, or don’t fight well, and are used because they won’t fight back or injure the fighting dogs, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

An Archer resident named Leah, who requested the omission of her last name out of caution for her safety, lives outside of Archer city limits and has reported deceased and living dogs every few months since February 2021 when she and her husband discovered the first dog, she said.

Leah and her husband have saved a few of the dogs that have been left alive.

“We've had to keep one for a week at tops, and they're just the sweetest dogs, not aggressive at all,” she said. “That's probably why they're just thrown away because

always encouraged her youngest sister to read, lending her Harry Potter books and movies left in her room after she moved out for college.

“Being the eldest child who takes on all these tasks and always wants to care for people, she was not only my sister, but another mom, aunt and grandma in one,” Sophia said.

Their parents were always supportive of both women getting an education, being outspoken and becoming familiar with current world problems, which is a core memory for Reina Saco, she said.

Interpreting and translating English for her parents at the doctor’s, at other appointments, legal documents and on the phone with customer service was regularly occurring throughout her childhood.

“That's not because my parents were dumb,” Saco said. “It's because they just didn't have the language. It really pushed me toward legal services with communities that do not have language or often access to legal aid.”

Saco originally wanted to study history and become a professor, but eventually, she chose to study law instead at UF’s law school. She volunteered with GRACE Marketplace’s Ask-A-Lawyer program, which provided help with small legal issues for homeless and low-in-

come residents. She then worked at the Three Rivers nonprofit law firm.

Under the advisory of three different law school mentors, she applied for the Equal Justice Works fellowship in January 2017. She worked on housing issues and then became active at City Hall meetings.

“I thought, ‘How can I just do this myself?’” Saco said. “And I won [a seat on the City Commission].”

Previously, Saco had been working on issues within the Gainesville area to break down language barriers, starting with the Gainesville Police Department, which did not have a very thorough language interpretation policy, she said. GPD now has 10 certified interpreters. Saco is now working on solutions to the “terror on immigration,” in which individuals here in Gainesville have no legal status and want to work but have no legal rights to do so.

“From a local government standpoint, we can ask GPD to not ask about immigration status,” Saco said. “There’s no purpose to it; that should never be part of the conversation when you meet a victim.”

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they're not doing the job but it just breaks my heart.”

Reported hotspots where dogs have been found include the area between Jordon Glen Elementary and nearby railroad tracks, Southwest 141st Road and Southwest 170th St.

At least 12 dogs have been found

over the last two years, according to The Alligator’s investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

@elladeethompson ethompson@alligator.org

Diego Perdomo // Alligator Staff

Adriel Bolocon // Alligator Staff Commissioner Reina Saco stands outside Gainesville City Hall on Sept. 28, 2023.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2023

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Gainesville Fear Garden debuts new theme: ‘The Haunt Lab’

THE HAUNTED HOUSE OPENED ITS FIRST PERMANENT LOCATION ACROSS FROM DEPOT PARK

By Bea Lunardini Avenue Staff Writer

The first step of a tour through the Gainesville Fear Garden is putting on black-out goggles and surrendering to the mercy of a runner, a Fear Garden staff member who walks attendees through the experience while their trembling hands grip a rope.

Actually, that’s not exactly true. The very first step is signing a comprehensive waiver and filling out a survey. After all, the haunted house is only part scare factory, while the other part is a genuine series of experiments conducted by UF staff and students.

The house is run by Ken Swan and his wife Katie. Ken, a 37-year-old lecturer in the UF psychology department, first opened the Fear Garden in 2022 with limited staff, one of which was 21-year-old UF psychology junior Cristina Negraru. The house’s first year was humble.

“The whole thing was in that tent,” Negraru said, referencing the 500-square-foot canopy that now hosts the crowds of people eager to wander through the house. “Last year there were many nights that we ran with four people.”

This year, though, running with four people each night would be impossible. The house is too large and elaborate, and the lines are too long. Now the house depends on having at least 10 tour guides to tow gore lovers through the labyrinth warehouse behind the bar.

Once each person puts on their goggles and

grabs the rope, the group begins its trek. With their sight gone, they rely only on the tug of the rope connecting them to walk through the bar, where patrons can use props like feathers and mannequin hands to startle them.

In the center of the house, people remove their goggles and creep through the scares that await them behind each corner. The runners show no mercy, assigning each person a room in which they will be the first victim.

The first room that branches off puts the people labeled with a P for phlebotomy in the spotlight, or more accurately the exam chair. They’re strapped in and given a fake blood draw that looks all too real, making even those with iron stomachs cringe.

Soon after the blood room comes the choice room, where a person is placed at the helm of a challenge reminiscent of the Saw movies. They must choose to give a brutal simulated electroshock treatment to either a straight couple or a gay couple. Beyond the tension of the decision lies a subconscious bias that 20-year-old UF psychology and women’s studies sophomore Garrett Johnson is basing his thesis on.

Johnson’s study is one of many occurring simultaneously in the house. Another one, an experiment on the impact of combining fun and fear, involves researchers tracking participants through the house and monitoring their responses.

“Our research committee specifically is in

the house doing the behavioral coding and … scanning RFID bands,” Negraru said.

This long-term study happened at last year’s house as well, a plant-themed adventure in the dirt lot behind Flashbacks Vintage Store, but the reactions weren’t as strong as researchers were hoping for.

“One of our favorite parts last year was obviously the psychology research that we were doing,” Negraru said, “but people aren’t really scared of plants, so we wanted to see how people would react with things that are actually scary.”

Thus, this year’s theme, “The Haunt Lab,” was born. The theme can be confusing for house patrons, many of whom believe the research aspect of the house is just a gimmick, but the Fear Garden staff members affiliated with the UF psychology department say that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“We submitted posters to the American Psychological Association,” Negraru said, “and I actually got to go to D.C. with Ken to present our research.”

The house is just getting its start in its new permanent location, but Ken and his team have plans to turn the Fear Garden into a Gainesville staple.

“We’re hoping to make this a permanent thing,” Negraru said. “We want to be able to be here through the … fall season, but also kind of expand it to a year-round theme.”

A permanent haunted house in Gainesville would provide mountains of data for the research studies conducted and an opportunity for Swan’s passion for haunted houses to flourish in every season.

@bealunardini blunardi@alligator.org

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Tennis Player

Qavia Lopez arrives in Gainesville. Read more on pg. 11.

Lauren Whiddon// Alligator Staff

Skeletons are propped up at the Gainesville Fear Garden on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023.

POWERED BY OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR PERSPECTIVES

ALWAYS MOVING ALWAYS STRIVING ALWAYS SOLVING

Forward

ALWAYS

Change Party: ‘Forward, together — now and forever!’

Change Party’s story has always been as an underdog. From the caucus’ origins in Fall 2021 to our first-ever majority in the Student Senate two years later, we are ready to continue delivering for you. Yes, you!

UF Student Government has a budget of over $23 million, and $19.06 per credit hour comes from your tuition and fees. Yet SG sees an average voter turnout of only 15%. In the face of gerrymandering, a history of taxation without representation and a future of increasingly concerning corruption scandals, we have subverted the status quo to deliver a government built for the people, by the people.

We get it — words don’t mean much without action. Our track record speaks for itself: Change Party authored 161 bills in the Student Senate in just a few months. Here is just a glimpse of what Change accomplished:

We reinvested $15,000 to fund meal voucher programs for food-insecure students. We authorized and funded a newly revised RTS Bus App to support students. We developed and funded the CANVAS Project to subsidize arts course supplies. After years of advocacy, we passed an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement and made fairer Graduate Representation within our Senate a reality. We addressed the decades-long abuse of funding from the ACCENT and SGP Agencies through implementing effective, student-centered regulations.

During all this, Change Party spearheaded a future for SG anyone can be proud of. From authoring the most bipartisan legislation the Senate has ever seen, to creating the Senate Green Caucus, a group of 25 nonpartisan members seeking to promote sustainability and environmentalism, to convincing two-thirds of the Senate to override multiple vetoes, Change Party has ushered in a new era of UF SG.

Yet, there is still so much more to be done. Your SG can implement immense change on campus, from making 24/7 Marston a permanent reality (funding is set to expire this year), a contraceptive vending machine on campus, an off-campus thrift store and $17 minimum wage for student employees. Our 89 point platform centers on Graduate Affairs; Sustainability; Health and

Wellness; Safety; Community; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Food Access; Economic Justice and Transportation Services.

At every turn, our actions have been opposed. Let us tell you about our experiences since our massive victory in Spring 23:

When we were first elected, the Gator-affiliated Senators, several of which are currently affiliated with Vision, meticulously planned to leave mid-meeting and filibuster Senate meetings on multiple occasions. This lasted for six weeks, making it impossible to do anything for the Student Body for the rest of the Spring semester.

Our Summer was no less tumultuous. Change finally passed a budget including an additional $250,000 for student organizations, only to be vetoed by the Student Body Treasurer. Now in a final attempt to end our influence, one Gator and two Vision affiliates stalled the proposed Fall election map for four months in committee, and when it finally hit the Senate floor, the current Vision Party president failed an election map model that SG has used since the ‘70s!

Now, every Off-Campus District is merged into a single 37-seat district — let this also be your reminder that if you live off campus, you now have to select 37 names on the ballot. This election map is a product of Gerrymandering: a tactic of voter dilution used by white supremacists. Our evidence points to the same racial and economic inequality in our swamp.

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

Connor Panish is a UF Mathematics junior and Change Party President.

Faith Corbett is a UF Political Science senior and Change Party Campaign Manager.

Jonathan Stephens is a UF Food Science junior and Change Party Co-Director of Policy.

Nathaniel Pelton UF Political Science sophomore and Change Party Co-Director of Policy.

Pizza Party: A more fun student government

“What the hell is Pizza Party?”

Being a new political party, we are accustomed to hearing this… However, instead of discouraging us, it only reinforces our belief that Pizza Party is exactly what this campus needs!

We, the pizza politicians, decided to step up to the plate and create this party because we saw a distinct lack of fun in the current political environment here on campus. Rather than looking to hunt down the parties opposing us, ripping their heads off, putting them on a spike and parading them around campus — declaring our victory — we want to work with other political parties to make student government an inviting and enjoyable space where legislation can be smoothly proposed and implemented to improve our lovely university.

Another circle stone of Pizza Party and something near and dear to our artichoke hearts is effectively engaging with and representing the Student Body. We plan on going about this by surveying students to

The urgency of Vision: Moving beyond the old order

For multiple years, Student Government has been embattled in a gridlock of two political parties: Gator and Change. These parties limited the potential of SG for too long.

Vision Party, a novel political party, embodies the spirit of breaking free from the traditional dichotomy. Vision is composed of former members from both political parties who grew tired of political polarization and Senate gridlock. We are united by a desire to prioritize students’ well-being over political interests and po wer.

Gator and Change have developed entrenched beliefs, views, ideas and operating patterns. These consist of disparaging the other party rather than providing positive, bipartisan outcomes for the student body. Progress requires the infusion of new perspectives and ideas, and Vision has many student organizations and people committed to making that happen by winning the upcoming elections.

Vision has a set of core values chosen intentionally to set it apart from the existing political parties: inclusion, unity and transparency. Let’s consider what each of these means for a new SG.

Inclusion

Vision is open to anyone — no matter previous political affiliation, background, belief or creed. All who wish to see an improved UF SG are welcome. A party that embraces this principle means an environment where all perspectives and ideas can flourish in the pursuit of moving beyond the current rotten political order.

Unity

Unity illustrates the importance of collaboration of people from all parts of campus under the same political banner. Political polarization is everywhere, and anyone can see that. Believers in unity know common ground does exist. UF students can work together to improve UF and eliminate existing hateful political narratives.

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

John Brinkman is a UF Economics, Political Science and Philosophy senior and Vision Party Campaign Manager.

Alejandro Ortiz is a UF Economics and Political Science senior and Vision Party Campaign Manager.

they will use it for, this in turn blocks other clubs from receiving the funding they desperately need.

understand what changes to campus they are looking for and regularly communicating the steps we are pursuing to enact those changes with them.

This is why one of our pizza policy goals is to survey the student population on which guest speakers they want to come to campus. While the primary benefit of this is engaging the student population, a side benefit is that it would help to clear up the controversy surrounding the ACCENT program and the accusations leveled at it claiming SG is wasting money on certain speakers.

We also know the current club funding system has its flaws. Proof of that was seen when funding for Fall ran out in under three minutes. How is this possible when thousands of dollars in extra club funding roll over each year?

The answer can be traced to the fact that clubs only have one opportunity to request funding per semester. This leads to them requesting as much money as they possibly can without always knowing exactly what

Pizza Party’s solution? Allow clubs to request funding at two points during each semester. By implementing this change, guesswork on the club’s end will be reduced, and they will have a clearer picture of exactly how much funding they need.

This isn’t all Pizza Party has up its crust! How would you do it if you were going to make a new student government party at UF? Most people have no idea! Pizza Party believes this knowledge should be more widespread. Furthermore, being made up completely of people who have never been involved with SG, we know creating a new party is no easy task. We want to change this by reducing the requirements to develop political parties and streamlining the process.

If you’re reading this column while walking to class, close your eyes and picture this… it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Not only are you sweating your butt off, but your stress level is rising because you have an exam in 30 minutes. As you’re

about to pass out, you notice a SG representative handing out free ice cream. This isn’t a mirage, it’s the future Pizza Party is fighting for — free ice cream when it’s over 95 degrees outside.

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

Ben “Pizza” Belin is a UF marketing sophomore and Pizza Party President and Co-founder.

Gator Party didn’t respond to requests to write a column.

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TENNIS PLAYER

Top-ranked recruit Qavia Lopez joins Florida women’s tennis team

THE NO. 1 RECRUIT IN THE NATION FOR THE 2023 WOMEN’S TENNIS CLASS SIGNED WITH FLORIDA

By Scarlling Manzanarez Sports Writer

It all started in California during a family vacation trip.

Fourteen years ago, Qavia Lopez and her father, Hezron Lopez, passed a line of tennis courts. She was curious and asked her dad what those courts were for. That question changed the trajectory of her life.

Hezron went to Walmart that same day, bought a couple of rackets and balls, and watched his daughter’s love for the game turn into a professional pursuit.

She was only 4 years old when she learned how to play tennis like her dad, she said. Hezron immigrated from Belize to Watts, California, when he was 8 years old. In high school, he played tennis.

His love for the game was ultimately inherited by his daughter.

“[Qavia] and I are very much the same,” Hezron said. “We are driven and passionate about what we do.”

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Qavia was homeschooled from third grade to high school. Her routine was focused on tennis with a fourhour practice every day during elementary school and a six-hour training during middle school.

She moved to South Florida in 2019 and graduated from Wisconsin Virtual Learning last May. Qavia participated in the 2019 U.S. Open Junior — her first big tournament — when she was 14 years old.

She won the first round (6-1, 6-4) of the eight qualifier against Japanese tennis player

Funa Kozaki but lost (6-4, 6-1) in the qualifying match to Lauren Anzalotta Kynoch from Puerto Rico.

“It was a surreal experience for me,” Qavia said. “[I thought] I’ve made a lot of improvement, I’ve come a long way from where I started, and I [said] OK, I can really do this.”

Qavia played in high-level competitions including the Australian Open Junior, Roland Garros Junior and Wimbledon Junior — her most recent professional tennis appearance.

Though she sacrificed her personal time and missed birthday parties, prom and homecoming activities, her persistence paid off. During her journey, she visited more than 25 countries including Australia, Ecuador, Spain, France, Turkey, Mexico and Guatemala.

She wasn’t prepared for the next step after playing her whole life in tournaments — college tennis. Her arrival to UF was her first encounter with the traditional school experience after many years of being homeschooled, she said.

She received her first call from a college recruiter when she was 16 years old while playing in Paris, France.

Her high school friend and current teammate, Rachel Gailis, talked to Qavia about Florida when Gailis signed with the team as the second-ranked recruit for the 2022 class.

“She always had such great things to say about the staff [and] the school,” Qavia said.

After college tours to UCLA, Pepperdine and UF, she knew she wanted to be a Gator.

Qavia officially signed with Florida last year as the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the 2023 class. She is a freshman majoring in business administration and finance.

Her first official match was at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Qavia defeated (6-3, 6-2) Duke tennis player Karolina Berankova and North Carolina State player Gabriella Broadfoot (3-6, 7-5, 6-1)

in singles.

She added two more wins (8-1, 8-4) in doubles with freshman Malwina Rowinska against University of North Carolina tennis players Sara McClure and Lindsay Zink and Charlotte University players Lucia Aranda and Lucie Petruzelova.

“She is very gifted athletically,” said UF head coach Roland Thornqvist. “Her hand-eye coordination as well as her technique in her strokes [are] very good.”

With a No. 19 International Tennis Federation ranking in 2022, she collected titles in doubles at the 2022 JB1 Indian Wells, 2022 Easter Bowl, 2021 JB1 San Diego and 2021 JB1 Nicholasville.

On Sept. 5, the International Tennis Federation released its Tennis National Preseason Rankings and Qavia was ranked No. 7 in the Women’s Freshman/Newcomer Rankings category.

At the ITA All-American Pre-Qualifying tournament — which started Sept. 30 in Cary, North Carolina — she won 6-1, 6-2 against Northern Arizona University player Patrycja Niewiadomska in singles.

Qavia and Rowinska won doubles matches defeating 8-7 NC State players Abigail Rencheli and Gabriella Broadfoot and 8-4 against Xavier University players Anna Roggenburk and Imani Graham.

She had two wins (6-4, 6-3) against UCLA Elise Wagle and University Oklahoma Julia Garcia Ruiz (7-6, 6-1) Oct 1.

“Hard work [is] something I always hear my dad say every time I talk to him,” Qavia said. “Talent is overrated, that’s what he says all the time.”

The Gators will continue their ITA All-Americans run in the qualifying round on Oct. 2-3. @scarlling smanzanarez@alligator.org

Ghosts of Gators past haunt Florida in Lexington

FLORIDA’S LOSS MORE OF THE SAME FOR NAPIER’S GATORS

By Topher Adams

Sports Writer

Mental mistakes, an invisible run game and a defense getting gashed on the ground.

All things that could’ve gone wrong for the Florida Gators (3-2, 1-1 SEC) as they lost their third-straight game against the Kentucky Wildcats (5-0, 2-0 SEC).

The game might’ve seemed like just another off day, but the Sept. 30

loss is yet another chapter in a neverending saga of underwhelming football that is slowly defining Florida football in the 2020s.

What happened in Lexington, Kentucky, Sept. 30 afternoon is another verse in the same song that sank Dan Mullen in 2021 and is continuing to play through head coach Billy Napier’s tenure. UF is now just 2-13 since 2021 away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

While some fans will point to the recruiting issues that permeated the Mullen era and left Florida behind its conference rivals, the growing tally of deflating losses away from the Swamp has nothing to do with

the amount of recruiting stars on the roster.

Mental errors, defensive issues and offensive inconsistency have defined almost every loss for the last three seasons, and this was the latest example.

Special teams errors have defined Florida’s season. Penalties and personnel issues marred an otherwise quiet area of the game. Napier seemed happy with his special teams unit after a win over Charlotte, but against the Wildcats, the Gators sang the same old song.

Florida’s defense finally made a big stop and looked to get the ball back in good field position. Then

freshman cornerback Dijon Johnson was called for leaping — one of the least common penalties in college football — and Kentucky got a free first down.

One play later, the Wildcats scored a 75-yard touchdown.

The team actually addressed this specific situation during the week, but Johnson still made the crucial error, Napier said.

“It's disappointing because we had a similar situation in last week's game,” Napier said. “We covered it thoroughly throughout the week.”

This type of blunder defines seasons. For the Gators, it’s not even the first time this happened this year.

The infamous two players wearing the number three incident gifted Utah a first down when the Utes looked to punt it away to Florida. Four plays later, Utah scored to take a 14-0 lead.

While Johnson’s foul was arguably the most impactful mistake, it wasn’t the only embarrassing guffaw from the Gators.

Kentucky lined up two yards from Florida’s end zone early in the third quarter. Tailback Ray Davis — who ran for a ridiculous 280 yards and four total touchdowns — plowed his way to pay dirt through

SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 12

Courtesy to The Alligator Freshman Qavia Lopez serves the ball in a Gators practice.

Florida falls to 3-2

FOOTBALL, from pg. 11

an extra-large Gator defense.

Florida didn’t just have its goal line package on the field, it had 13 defensive players — two more than are allowed. The Wildcats didn’t accept the penalty as Davis muscled into the end zone anyway.

Even when the proper personnel was on the field, the Gators’ porous defensive showing sent piercing flashbacks to Dan Mullen’s demise two years ago. Florida allowed 329 rushing yards, nearly as many as it had allowed through the first four games of the season.

The Wildcats’ 329 rushing yards are the most allowed by a Gators’ defense since Florida’s blowout Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma in 2020. Despite the improvements on defense under first-year offensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, this was a performance straight from the depths of the Todd Grantham doldrums.

“Three-hundred-plus on the ground, that’s not who we are and not who we want to be and we’re going to get it fixed,” Napier said.

The result could’ve been even worse if not for a few big plays from redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz. While the Wisconsin transfer threw for just 244 yards, Mertz made plays in the passing game to give the Gators a glimmer of hope in the second half.

Despite Mertz’s best efforts, Florida never got within 16 points in the second half. The offense ran the ball for a meager 69 yards, a bleak reminder of the Utah loss to open the season.

The Gators were beaten physically throughout the game, Napier said.

“We’ve gotten beat around here,” Napier said. “I don’t know that we’ve been beat up like that. We got to take ownership of that.”

Florida will need to rebound quickly to not let its second loss derail a once-promising season.

The Gators will host the Vanderbilt Commodores in a homecoming clash in the Swamp. The game is set for Oct. 7, and kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

@Topher_Adams tadams@alligator.org

Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff

Sophomore running back Trevor Etienne is tackled by a Tennessee defender in the Gators’ 29-16 win against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.