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VOLUME 117 ISSUE 9

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022

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Outrage persists in week following Ben Sasse’s UF visit STUDENTS REMAIN INDIGNANT

By Heather Bushman, Christian Casale & Mickenzie Hannon Alligator Staff Writers

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, answered vetted questions in front of a room packed with students just minutes before protesters stormed into the President’s Ballroom during his public forum Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

UF announced Sen. Ben Sasse as the sole finalist in its presidential search Oct. 6. Through demonstrations, the UF community made its discontent clear.

The university made the announcement just four days before Sasse was set to visit campus for the first time as the presumptive pick. Sasse fielded moderated questions on his political background and plans for his presidency during a forum.

But he was cut short when more than 300 members of the UF community flooded Emerson Alumni Hall.

“Hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go,” protesters thundered as they stomped and eventually broke through the doors of the President’s Ballroom.

Outside of the protest, some students and faculty have continued to express their frustrations with Sasse.

UF announced the Republican senator from Nebraska as the lone candidate without releasing the names of the other 11 finalists it considered.

Sasse has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015 — a position he’s expected to forfeit to take the helm at UF. Before Congress, Sasse was the president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, a private Lutheran college with a population of around 1,600 students.

At the forums, Sasse addressed questions related to LGBTQ rights, his past comments on climate change and China, his experience in

SEE PROTEST, PAGE 4

Florida A&M University students file funding discrimination lawsuit referencing UF Florida’s historically Black public university has dealt with financial problems

By Siena Duncan Alligator Staff Writer

Freshman Myla Queens was debating between attending UF and Florida A&M University during her senior year of high school. Her dad had gone to UF, and her mom had gone to FAMU. Eventually, she decided on UF. Queens wanted to attend UF because it offered more opportunities, she said. Her friends who go to FAMU don’t have the same ability to participate in research or study abroad programs, she said, and the

school didn’t offer her scholarships like UF did. Based on what she’s heard from her friends, she said funding’s a limiting factor at the historically Black college.

“I feel like UF has more things that you can do, be involved in,” she said. “Even though I want to be around people that look like me, education is top for me.”

Underfunding is the center of why six FAMU students have filed a lawsuit Sept.

22 against the Florida Board of Governors, claiming the state has substantially deprived the HBCU of money for the past three decades.

UF, a predominantly white institution, is named in the lawsuit nine times, often referenced as a point of comparison.

If the students are correct in their claim, the lost funds amount to about $1.3 billion, The Washington Post reported.

The lawsuit cites the board’s generous funding to UF as a comparison to FAMU’s funding, Florida's only publicly funded historically Black university. FAMU’s state funding equaled about $13,000 per student in 2020, Forbes Magazine reported. UF’s funding was $15,600 per student — a difference of 20%.

The students’ claim points to a wider violation of Title VI, a law that prohibits discrimination in any education program funded by federal money, by favoring predominantly white state universities through greater funding. In 2021, UF was 50.8% white and 5.7% Black, according to the UF Diversity Dashboard.

Diversity is a problem at UF, Queens said. Although she’s never felt unwelcome on campus, she’ll often walk into classrooms and be the only Black person there,

SEE FAMU, PAGE 5

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Transgender community grapples with Medicaid ban on gender-affirming health care alumni reflect on Parkland BAN WAS UPHELD BY FEDERAL JUDGE OCT. 12

By Melanie Peña Alligator Staff Writer

Natasha Klayman came out as a woman during the COVID-19 pandemic — a time where the isolation gave her time to think about and explore her gender identity.

But under a new Florida rule, she must grapple with the fact that future gender-affirming care could be denied to her under a Medicaid plan.

“It's hard to exist as yourself when it feels like half the country wants to kill you or wants to erase you,” the

23-year-old UF marine science senior said.

She’s one of many transgender Floridians who are being impacted by the Agency for Health Care Administration’s ban on gender-affirming care coverage, which went into effect Aug. 21.

These treatments include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgeries and all other procedures that alter sexual characteristics, according to the Medicaid policy.

A motion for a preliminary injunction was heard and denied by a judge Oct. 12. The motion was part of a federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of advocacy and legal

SEE HEALTH CARE, PAGE 5

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

EDITORIAL: The Alligator demands transparency

Billy Napier looks for improvement during the Gators bye week. Read more on pg. 11.

UF alumni report mixed feelings on Sasse selection

Florida falters on bigwith stage Story description finish comma, pg#

shooter’s sentencing

Shooter escaped death penalty

By Sophia Bailly Alligator Staff Writer

Shaunak Maggon was a sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and new to the U.S. when the sound of gunshots interrupted the school’s Valentine’s Day

A new state law has complicated our reporting on UF's presidential search process, pg. 8

Some say they will draw back donations to their alma mater, pg. 3

celebrations in 2018.

Maggon, now a 20-year-old UF criminology and pre-law junior, moved to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia before enrolling at MSD. Stigma surrounding his home country

SEE PARKLAND, PAGE 4

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2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022

UF graduate assistants set to secure Today’s Weather 8 weeks of paid family leave AGREEMENT COMES AFTER WEEKS OF BARGAINING

By Siena Duncan Alligator Staff Writer

UF Graduate Assistants United and the university negotiating team have entered a tentative agreement on giving graduate assistants eight weeks of paid family leave, pending a signature from all parties.

Negotiations have been open since September. The two groups met via Zoom Oct. 10 for the final bargaining session about the graduate assistant contract’s Article 8, which addresses what kinds of leave graduate assistants can take.

The article originally allows for five days of paid leave for any reason and six weeks of unpaid family leave.

The session began at 2 p.m. and lasted about an hour. The members of the UF negotiating team — Ryan Fuller, Brook Mercier, Judy Traveis and Tom Kelleher — presented their Article 8 counterproposal.

During the previous Sept. 24 bargaining session, the UF team

had discussed making paid family leave a pilot program — meaning the article would be flexible to changes if any financial problems related to paid family leave arise for the university.

However, the counterproposal didn’t include any language related to a pilot program. Fuller clarified the discussions were solely conceptual, he said.

In the counterproposal, language changed from “spouse, domestic partner, mother, father, sister, brother, child, legal dependent or a relative living in the graduate assistant’s household,” to be “‘immediate family members.”

The new definition would include spouse, parents and children, Fuller said.

During the session, GAU bargaining chair Amanda Markee said the definition of “immediate family members” should at least include siblings specifically.

The UF team deliberated in a separate Zoom meeting for about half an hour. Afterward, Fuller said they would add sisters and brothers to the language.

On behalf of GAU, Markee

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said the union tentatively agreed to Article 8 and its changes. This means the bargaining session will likely be the last, and there won’t be more counterproposals.

“I think we’re all on the same page,” she said.

Graduate assistants can take eight weeks of paid family leave starting 2023 as soon as the article is signed by GAU Co-Presidents, Rachel Hartnett and Bryn Taylor, and the UF Board of Trustees. GAU plans to vote on the contract update in December, Taylor said. @SienaDuncan sduncan@alligator.org

White House launched trial application Oct. 14 Alligator Staff Writer

The White House quietly launched the first version of the application to access sweeping student debt relief the evening of Oct. 14.

Applicants can now submit their information as President Joe Biden’s administration makes last-minute changes to the relief program’s official website. Eligible borrowers may apply in the website’s beta testing period before it officially opens later this month. Applications submitted during this period will count as a submission when the final version of the website launches, and applicants will not need to reapply.

Biden announced the program, which would forgive up to $20,000 of student debt for some, in August. The application opens just a few weeks after Biden announced new program eligibility guidelines, which put borrowers who didn’t consolidate private loans with a federal loan

Enterprise Editor Metro Editor University Editor Opinions Editor the Avenue Editor

How to apply for federal student debt forgiveness

By Heather Bushman

ISSN 0889-2423

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

out of the running for relief.

The application only requires a full name, date of birth, phone number, email and Social Security number.

Borrowers who took out federal student loans, met the consolidation criteria for private loans and made less than $125,000 a year as a single tax filer or made less than $250,000 a year as a joint tax filer are eligible for loan forgiveness.

Borrowers who make less than $125,000 annually and received a Pell Grant are eligible for up to $20,000 in relief, while borrowers who make less than $125,000 annually but didn't receive a Pell Grant are eligible for up to $10,000 in relief.

Applications will close Dec. 31, 2023. Borrowers can access the application on the federal relief program’s official website. @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022 ALLIGATOR 3

UF alumni threaten to pull donations, others praise university decision on Ben Sasse Some condemn lack of transparency in recent presidential search

By Peyton Harris Alligator Staff Writer

After UF announced its sole presidential finalist Sen. Ben Sasse, the university will no longer receive donations from decadesloyal alumnus Stan Larson.

As a 2003 graduate from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Larson witnessed the selection process of former UF president, Charles Young, as a student.

But this time around, the selection process is vastly different. Sasse’s nomination was “nakedly political” and appeared to be a power grab from the Florida Legislature, he said.

“We didn’t have the need to go out and protest any president or anyone in the administration because it wasn’t radical,” Larson said. “I remember feeling supported there. As a student, I didn’t feel interfered with in any way.”

UF may suffer the loss of faculty and students from the selection, Larson said.

When he decided to go to college in 1999, UF was an easy choice for its prestige and economical value. Now, prospective students may not feel similar in the wake of UF’s presidential announcement.

“I would have to really think hard about it,” Larson said. “I would wonder if I’m going straight into a government-controlled entity that’s not truly free.”

Following Sasse’s contentious selection as UF’s lone presidential finalist, many alumni have taken to social media to express their disappointment or support of the choice. Hundreds of alumni comments flooded UF’s official finalist announcement on Twitter, with many expressing concern with the university’s direction.

During the course of an annual UF fundraising campaign, an average of $178 million per year is donated to the university from alumni, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan wrote in an email.

But UF understands the Sasse decision may come at a price, Roldan said.

“We value and respect the views and opinions of all of our generous and loyal alumni,” Roldan said, inviting people to provide feedback using the presidential

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

search website.

Lindsey Backman, a 2015 UF alumna, said she fondly recalled President Kent Fuchs’ selection as UF’s 12th president in January 2015 because of his experience in higher education, research and academic administration. Before taking his current role at UF, Fuchs served as the provost for Cornell University.

“I actually do remember that process and was paying pretty close attention to it,” she said. “I was pursuing a career in academia and research, so I was really excited that UF was able to attract somebody from a major research university with the right expertise.”

This year’s selection process was frustrating, Backman added, due to new leg-

islation decreasing transparency for the presidential selection process at public colleges and universities in Florida. Sasse’s finalist status was shocking because of his inexperience with academic administration at a large research university, she said.

Sasse served as the 15th president at Midland University, a Lutheran college in Nebraska with a total population just shy of 1,600, according to its website.

As an alumna, Backman said the university’s reputation isn’t the only thing on the line — proper advocacy for research funds is, too. Research funds heavily depend on the president, she said, and bringing in a politician who lacks that expertise could taint UF’s reputation as a research

university.

“I would worry that having somebody who is not well-versed on how higher education administration runs would not be able to do the proper job and would not be fully respected within academia,” Backman said.

Robert Krupczak, a 1989 graduate, said that while he doesn’t entirely agree with Sasse’s political views, he couldn’t think of a more outstanding candidate for the role.

There’s no way someone who wasn’t at least somewhat conservative would be hired, Krupczak said. If someone more progressive filled the position, he or she would be ineffective working with the university system, the state Legislature or the governor to improve the university, he added.

“I think he can provide the kind of political coverage to deescalate cultural war crap that is increasingly looking like it’s being imposed on the university from outside,” he said.

Now located in Georgia, Krupczak said UF’s reputation will continue to affect alumni long after they’ve earned their degrees.

“It doesn’t matter whether I graduated in 1989 or 2022,” he said. “If Ben Sasse can move Florida up in rankings or depoliticize things and focus on the health of the university, we all win because it all helps our reputations as Florida alumni.”

Marji Hope, a 1986 graduate, is the mother to a current UF sophomore student. Opposed to the implications Sasse’s leadership could have, her opinions are multi-faceted due to her dual identity as both an alumna and a parent, she said.

If alumni stop their donations, it could potentially affect UF’s top-5 ranking, which she said could complicate her daughter’s experience.

“As a parent, I have two and a half years to get my daughter graduated. I’m hoping that nothing significant happens that affects the university’s status,” she said. “It’s significant when you graduate from a top-5 public university.” @peytonlharris pharris@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022

Alachua County Commission vote protects defunct golf course COUNTY MEETING OVERFLOWED WITH PUBLIC DISSENT

By Aidan Bush Alligator Staff Writer

The West End Golf Club permanently closed in 2019 and was rundown even before — overgrown foliage made it unusable. Thus, its development potential was hindered.

Despite this, Newberry residents and golf enthusiasts packed the Jack Durrance Board Room Oct. 11 in an attempt to save it from urban development.

The Alachua County Commission voted 4-1 to reject a proposal seeking to turn the now-defunct West End Golf Club into a residential area with a maximum of 70 units. Only Commissioner Raemi Eagle-Glenn voted in dissent.

The golf course saw minimal upkeep and closed permanently due to an ownership change and rising

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

The front of West End Golf Club stands covered in overgrowth Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. maintenance costs, according to a report by the Gainesville Sun. Current county zoning has the land listed under recreational use, which doesn’t allow for residential property to be built. Residents against the proposal want the land to remain this way to protect the environment there.

The emotion the public brought

in with their comments made it clear that residents have strong emotional ties to the land, Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler said.

“The mental health of our citizens is important and needs to be maintained through our green spaces,” Wheeler said.

One impassioned resident is Paul Hornby, a 63-year-old Newberry resident who lived near the course for more than 35 years. Hornby would frequent the course with his father and has fond family memories there, he said.

To preserve the land, Hornby became president of West End Community Alliance for Recreation and Education — or WECARE — a group dedicated to protecting the area from urban development.

Through the organization, passionate residents were able to unify, raise funds and even hire lawyers, Hornby said.

“About 32 people got up and spoke,” Hornby said. “It was really impressive.”

Week in review

PROTEST, from pg. 1

higher education and his thoughts on academic freedom. He maintained he would affirm every member of the UF community regardless of identity.

“I think you all know that you have an incredibly special institution,” Sasse said. “But sometimes it takes an outsider’s eyes to come and see fresh what’s incredibly special.”

As Sasse spoke inside, more than 300 UF students gathered in the courtyard outside of Emerson Hall, listening to speakers scorch Sasse’s qualifications and character as well as the search process that ended in his selection.

Protesters soon worked their way into the building and up the dual staircases to the forum. They began to chant, bang on the walls and disrupt Sasse’s remarks, cutting the student forum 15 minutes short.

Sasse was later escorted to an undisclosed location to finish his final forum for university staff alongside search committee Chair Rahul Patel.

Sasse will return to campus for an interview with the UF Board of Trustees at Emerson Alumni Hall Nov. 1.

Graduate Assistants United's Co-President Bryn Taylor said her organization has plans to protest the interview; and UF Young Democratic Socialists of America Chair Aron Ali-McClory said his group has discussed the date as an option for its next action.

Displays of opposition continued days after the forums with a picketing event against Sasse as the presidential pick — although with many fewer participants and much less ferocity.

Students gathered outside the Harn Museum of Art to express their frustrations surrounding UF’s presumptive president. Members of the UF Foundation Board, a group of donors, attended a private event inside the museum as picketers surrounded the barricaded entrance.

As board members entered the event, attendees of the Oct. 13 “Sasse Out of Our Swamp” handed out flyers outlining demands: the removal of Sasse as a candidate, more transparency from the search committee, the re-

lease of the names of other presidential finalists and the repeal of a new public records law that doesn’t require universities to release candidate names.

The search committee didn't have a choice in keeping those names quiet, Senate Faculty President Amanda Phalin said.

All of the final candidates, which included sitting university presidents and chancellors, said they would drop out of the running unless they were named the sole finalist, Phalin said.

Many at UF expected a small group of candidates to be announced — similar to the 2014 search that ended with the selection of President Kent Fuchs — and felt the announcement of Sasse's status indicated a journey with a predetermined destination.

The secretive process was allowed

by Florida Senate Bill 520, a law that permits public universities to keep the names of their presidential finalists confidential.

State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, a co-sponsor of SB 520, told the Tampa Bay Times Wednesday that UF didn't fulfill his vision for the legislation.

"The goal was to get to finalists, not announce who the person was as the only finalist," Brandes told the Times.

"I think what they've done is make it harder for the Legislature in the future to support reauthorizing [the law]. I think it was shortsighted so they can get their one candidate in."

No university president wants to publicly put their name in the running for the same position at another school, lose out, then presumably return to their university, Phalin said.

“When you're dealing with a place like UF, there is a balance that has to be struck between openness and transparency in the process,” Phalin said. “But also the privacy of the top tier candidates that are being considered." @hmb_1013 hbushman@alligator.org @vanityhack ccasale@alligator.org @MickenzieHannon mahannon@alligator.org

Environmental concerns were furthered by psychologists and professors who attended the hearing.

Charles Guy, a former UF environmental horticulture professor, said newer research shows a necessity for plant life in urban areas.

“Being in the presence of plants and in the presence of nature has therapeutic benefits,” Guy said.

Recent studies sharing this thought could hold scientific weight, which Guy and other Newberry residents emphasized.

A 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found college students were twice as likely to report feeling “very happy in the past week” if exposed to areas that had green spaces on campus. Another 2017 study from the Journal of Environmental Psychology found walking through natural landscapes could result in stronger cognitive performance than walking in urban counterparts.

The course isn’t very walkable

'He deserved it back' PARKLAND, from pg. 1 frustrated him, given the violence and fear he experienced shortly after moving to the U.S. The shooting happened in his second semester at an American school; his mother recommended he go to therapy while he coped with disbelief.

“Here, I can’t even go to my own school without looking over my shoulder,” Maggon said. “It was a whole different experience altogether…How do you guys let something like this happen?”

For more than four years, Maggon and other alumni awaited a court decision regarding one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. But Nikolas Cruz, who shot and killed 14 students and three staff members and injured 17 others, narrowly escaped the death penalty in a recent jury recommendation.

Cruz, who pled guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 of attempted murder, was instead recommended to spend his life in prison without parole — a controversial decision for victims’ families and MSD alumni.

The verdict concluded a highly publicized sixmonth sentencing trial. Florida law requires a unanimous jury verdict to order the death penalty. One juror decided against the death penalty, claiming that Cruz was mentally ill. Two other jurors followed suit.

Maggon was shocked when he learned of the decision, he said.

“A lot of people wanted him to get life in prison.

I thought the death penalty would have been a lot better for him,” Maggon said. “That might just be the malice talking. But for what he did to the 17 people who did pass away, I think he deserved it back.”

Throughout the trial, jurors listened to testimony from both family members of the 17 victims as well as injured victims. Most family members were in favor of the death penalty, or were uncertain, The New York Times reported.

Jurors and journalists made a rare trip to the site of the massacre Aug. 4 where they walked along hallways riddled with bullet holes that were left untouched since the shooting.

The jury weighed aggravating factors against the mitigating circumstances the defense lawyers cited for life in prison. Under Florida statutes, aggravating factors that qualify for capital punishment require an act to be “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.”

Other MSD alumni and Parkland residents who are now UF students share Maggon’s sense of shock.

Raj Selvaraj, an 18-year-old UF political science freshman, was an eighth grader at Westglades Middle School during the shooting. Around 2:45 p.m. that day, he said he watched a police car drive by his classroom window at what looked like about 70

currently. One resident at the meeting pointed out exposed chemical barrels on the course in addition to sinkholes and wildlife concerns.

While the course itself may be obsolete, WECARE voiced dissent to ensure future development would remain recreational, allowing for parks or sport courses that remain green.

Along with public dissent, the county’s planning commission and growth management staff recommended rejecting the proposal prior to the commission hearing.

There are no concrete plans by WECARE or developers to work with the land in other ways as of Oct. 16.

Wheeler’s hope is to see the course reworked into a park or similar project that better reflects the community’s wants, she said.

“Maybe there will be somebody who will come forward to take that on as a project and develop it the way the community would like to see it developed,” Wheeler said. @aidandisto abush@alligator.org

mph. Shortly after, the school announced a lockdown.

“Something like that awakened everyone in the community,” Selvaraj said. “We went from a very quiet and calm community to one of the most politically charged areas in Florida.”

Selvaraj was in a computer science lab when his teacher told the students not to look at their news feeds to avoid panic. But the middle school students watched livestreams and Snapchat videos of shots being fired and students being lifted onto gurneys.

“We tried to enjoy the day, but what was happening was the fact that one of the biggest school shootings in American history happened right next to us,” he said. “The weight of it didn’t really hit me until days after.”

Now a freshman in college, Selvaraj watched his former teachers testify in last week’s trial.

“We all knew that this was going to happen at some point in terms of the verdict being released now,” Selvaraj said. “But it was very shocking to me that it took four years.”

Remy Ronkin, a 21-year-old UF tourism, hospitality and event management and psychology junior, was a sophomore at MSD in theater class at the time of the shooting. Ronkin was in band with Alex Schachter, one of the victims who died that day, he said.

Although Ronkin handled the aftermath of the shooting well, he said he talked through the experience with others and stayed up-to-date with last week’s trial.

“I despised the reasoning they gave to give him life,” Ronkin said. “But I think life is better because now he has to live with the consequences.”

Alec Nutter, a 19-year-old UF biomedical engineering sophomore, graduated from MSD in 2021.

He hates how much publicity Cruz has received, he said.

“Why is a murderer's life held above that of 17 innocent people?” Nutter said. “Why does he get to live when they all died by his own hands?”

Nutter was also friends with victim Alex Schachter, a freshman bandmate who he had practiced with weekly.

“I will never forget this [text] for as long as I live: ‘Guys, Alex was shot. I don’t think he’s breathing,’” Nutter said. “I kept receiving word that my friends and people I knew were being shot and killed, and there was absolutely nothing I could do.”

UF holds a yearly vigil in honor of the victims.

“I have somewhere to go find support and pay my respects,” he said. “Even though I will never be the same again, each year it gets a little easier…Hopefully, the victims’ families will be able to find some sort of peace.” @sophia_bailly sbailly@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022 ALLIGATOR 5

Perceived disparities in funding FAMU, from pg. 1 she said.

In 2021, Florida’s demographics as a whole were 61.6% white and 12.4% Black, making UF’s Black population percentage less than half of the state’s percentage.

FAMU and UF are the state’s only land grant universities, meaning federal funding has to be matched by state funding or by some other resource, according to the federal Morrill Act of 1862. The lawsuit claims that due to the board’s unequal funding between the two universities, FAMU has faced challenges with a student housing shortage and keeping student facilities like recreation centers open.

FAMU is smaller than UF, with a student body of about 10,000. Its graduate programs — one of the main ways a university can gain prestige within the state university system — are also lower ranked than UF’s. Many UF programs are top 30 in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report, whereas only one of FAMU’s programs breaches top 100 — its pharmacy program.

But the argument the university should receive less funding because of a difference in achievement is a self-fulfilling prophecy, said David Canton, chair of UF African American Studies. The less the board funds FAMU, the more it struggles, and the more Florida harms its Black student population, he said.

FAMU graduates more Black students than UF. The university is also currently the top-ranked public HBCU in the country, but its overall rankings fall just below top 100 for public universities. Due to less funding, FAMU has to work harder to keep up, Canton said.

“Imagine if they had more money, what work they could do,” he said. “I think the whole notion that Black people can do things with less money needs to stop.”

State funding discrimination against HBCUs isn’t a new debate.

Maryland is the most recent case where alumni of its four HBCUs sued the state for funding discrimination. The case was settled in 2021 for $557 million to be doled out to the HBCUs over the course of the next decade. But the suit was filed in 2006 and took 15 years to see results.

As someone who has been paying close attention to

these cases, Canton said the students filing the FAMU lawsuit might have a long road ahead of them.

The hesitation in Maryland’s case and possibly in Florida’s future case comes from the concern that the historically white universities — like UF — will lose funding, he said.

But Canton thinks that perspective is flawed; it distracts from the real issue at hand, he said, which is examining the history of underfunding and developing financial formulas to equally support all the universities.

“It’s not rocket science,” he said. “It’s all about the will to do what’s right.”

For the past three decades, that needed to primarily come from the Florida Board of Governors. There are two members associated with Florida State University and two associated with the University of South Florida. Eight others have out-of-state degrees. One’s university affiliation is unknown. There are no FAMU graduates on the board or any other of the smaller state universities such as the University of North Florida and the University of Central Florida.

Four of the 17 members are associated with UF — Steven Scott, for example — served for 10 years on the UF Board of Trustees, appointed as chair from 2014 to 2016. Tim Cerio was the president of the UF Alumni Association and the UF College of Law Alumni Council. Ken Jones, also a UF alumnus, was president of the UF Law School Bar Association.

Scott, Cerio and Jones are all on the board’s Budget and Finance Committee, making up a third of the nine members.

The Alligator reached out to all three for comment, but received no response.

The fourth UF-associated member of the board, Alan Levine, told The Alligator he doesn’t see any unwarranted UF bias on the board. But that doesn’t mean UF isn’t favored as the state’s flagship university.

When it comes to funding, the board views UF, FSU and USF in a different light, he said. Because all three produce large quantities of research, they are labeled as preeminent — a designation in Florida law meaning the board is authorized to give them more money.

“My observation has been that we’re all very much committed to the success of the entire system,” Levine said.

“And it’s true that the better University of Florida does, the better it is for the whole system.”

A requirement of preeminence is achieving two or more

'Complete and utter mockery' HEALTH CARE, from pg. 1 groups.

The preliminary injunction would’ve temporarily blocked enforcement of the AHCA’s Medicaid policy during the trial.

In April, the Florida Department of Health released guidance on the treatment of gender dysphoria following a statement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that stated gender-affirming care is a crucial form of health care in children and adolescents.

The FDOH’s guidance challenged this stance and recommended against all genderaffirming care, including social gender transitions, such as changes in pronouns or clothing.

In June, the AHCA published a medical standards memo on the treatment of gender dysphoria and initiated the rule-making process for a Medicaid policy related to genderaffirming care.

Klayman is currently taking a hormone replacement therapy regimen provided by the UF Student Health Care Center, she said.

While the AHCA’s ban hasn’t currently impacted her ability to receive hormone therapy, it has impacted her friends.

“I had a friend who had to switch insurance because their medication was no longer being covered,” Klayman said.

Klayman wasn’t surprised when the AHCA announced its rule. She was crushed, she said.

“It was a complete and utter mockery of what that medicine and what those standards should mean,” she said. “[Gender-affirming care] allows me to live life in a way that makes me comfortable and in a way that is

valid to who I am.”

Klayman has felt constant worry, she said, since the AHCA’s ban went into effect.

“It’s scary existing in public,” she said. ”When I drive from Gainesville back to my hometown in Tampa, I do not stop at bathrooms. I am worried about that. I am scared of what this sort of constant propaganda is going to mean for my safety and the safety of the people I care about.”

In 2017, Lei Anna-Rizea, a 38-year-old UF geology and psychology senior, received a breast reduction from a non-LGBTQ specialist plastic surgeon to feel more content about their appearance. When Anna-Rizea requested their reduction, they were still learning about their gender identity — non-binary and genderqueer — and had also been dealing with back pain.

“I pushed and pushed,” Anna-Rizea said.

“I was like, ‘Listen, I want to pass for flat,’ and he laughed at me. He laughed, and you know what? They didn't do it.”

Anna-Rizea didn’t get the full reduction they wanted, but they said they were much more comfortable after the operation.

They paid for the surgery out of pocket — around $8,000.

In July, Anna-Rizea had a hysterectomy from a doctor who had experience working with LGBTQ people.

“It was night and day difference,” they said. “I feel amazing. For me — and I think for a lot of people in the community — it's not all at once. It's figuring yourself out, and it’s a journey.”

Anna-Rizea remembers feeling disappointed when the FDOH released guidance on gender dysphoria treatment for children and adolescents.

Minca Davis // Alligator Staff

top 50 rankings on sites like U.S. News, as well as large amounts of spending in research: $200 million or more. It also requires that a preeminent university have an endowment of $500 million or more. FAMU falls short of this; it had a $115 million endowment in 2021.

FAMU has shown growth in graduation rates and graduate programs, Levine said. But it needs to do more to meet that preeminent standard and join the ranks of UF, FSU and USF, he said, and then that extra funding can come.

All three preeminent Florida universities currently have representation on the Board of Governors. However, Levine said the board’s make-up hasn’t had an effect on decisionmaking.

“At the end of the day, you have to look at results,” he said. “I think the least important question is ‘Which school did you go to?’”

As of now, the FAMU students are currently asking the Northern District Court of Florida to appoint a mediator to help outline ways to achieve parity, meaning equal funding for FAMU and the rest of the state universities. This includes having Florida commit to parity within five years.

“I don't know any child that doesn't experiment with their identity, with their clothes or with nicknames, just as a norm,” Anna-Rizea said.

Anna-Rizea has two children: a daughter and a younger child who uses they/them pronouns.

Anna-Rizea is giving their children the option to pick whatever identity they feel is right for them, they said.

However, they’re concerned about how the AHCA’s rule will affect their care and their childrens’ care in the future. Leaving Florida has been a thought that’s crossed their mind, they said.

“I stay up at night,” Anna-Rizea said. “I've cried in the shower.”

Without gender-affirming care, many children suffering from gender dysphoria could develop severe mental illness, Anna-Rizea said.

“If you knew that your child was going to die, that your child is going to take their own life enveloped in depression because they were forced to endure an identity that they had no control over, that's the path you would choose?” they asked.

When a child experiences gender dysphoria, they’re evaluated by a multidisciplinary team that includes psychologists and physicians, said Michael Haller, UF professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology.

“When children are pre-pubertal, providing counseling for the family about what to expect in the future is the extent of the treatment,” Haller said. “There are no hormones or blockers used in pre-pubertal children.”

As children get older and go through puberty, it may worsen their gender dysphoria, Haller said.

At that point, puberty blockers may give patients and families time to process their dysphoria and ensure they’re certain of their gender identity, Haller said.

@SienaDuncan sduncan@alligator.org

“Gender-affirming hormones like testosterone or estrogen are started only after gender identity is well established and typically only after pubertal blockers have been given for several years,” Haller said. “The number of [adolescents] being referred for surgical interventions is incredibly low.”

The memo published by the AHCA determined treatment for gender dysphoria is considered experimental.

Many of the memo’s statements and recommendations were contrary to the consensus of several major national medical organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“They're not investigational,” Haller said.

“Gender-affirming care has been around for decades.”

The AHCA’s memo has been debunked by medical and legal professionals across the country.

“We have concluded, after a careful examination of the June 2 Report, that its conclusions are incorrect and scientifically unfounded,” read a critical review of the Florida Medicaid report by Yale University.

When the Medicaid policy went into effect, Haller noticed the volume of calls and concerns from patients and families increased dramatically, he said.

“People were urgently trying to figure out what they really had access to,” he said.

Currently, Florida patients on Medicaid insurance who have been newly prescribed medication or referred for surgery, as it relates to gender-affirming care, won’t have their care covered. But if a patient had a prior authorization in place, then it’ll be honored until that authorization expires, Haller said. @MelanieBombino_ mpena@alligator.org

6 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022

Ben Sasse public forum sparks protest

Sophia Abolfathi // Alligator Staff

Students storm the Presidential Ballroom to protest U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the UF presidential nominee Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Sophia Abolfathi // Alligator Staff

A University Police Department officer blocks protestors from entering the conference room where UF presidential finalist Ben Sasse held a student forum Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Protestors shout in Emerson Hall after overtaking the ballroom where Ben Sasse held his UF presidential forum Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Ashleigh Lucas // Alligator Staff

Students storm the Presidential Ballroom to protest U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the UF presidential nominee Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Members of the UF chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America hand out leaflets to attendees of a private event at the Harn Museum Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Protestors climb the stairs to the forum of Ben Sasse, who is a finalist in the search for UF president, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

HALLOWEEN

Halloween psychology experiment Gainesville Fear Garden studies fright, fun despite challenges ABOUT 500 PEOPLE HAVE COME SINCE OPENING NIGHT

By Lauren Brensel Avenue Staff Writer

For owner Ken Swan, creating a haunted house was a different kind of scary.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he said. “None of us realized how weird and vulnerable it feels to be putting this idea out for judgment.”

Seventeen years ago, Swan, 37, and his wife Katie had one of their first dates at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Now, they run the Gainesville Fear Garden — a sensory deprivation Halloween experience set inside a tent at 220 NW Eighth Ave. The attraction opened Oct. 6 and runs until Halloween night.

The Fear Garden is entirely funded by the Swans, fulfilling the couple’s decade-long dream of opening a haunted house for grown-ups.

Before entering the tent, groups of two to 10 are equipped with blacked-out goggles and noise-reducing headphones.

Then, they’re given a quick synopsis for why they’re there: A company called Kojo Biotech needs volunteers to find special plants that talk to each other inside a sinkhole — but not without a few eerie mishaps.

Groups are handed ropes to hold on to while Swan and a few other voices guide them through the tent via their headphones, creating the illusion of descending underground.

“You’re in your own world,” Swan said. “It’s a theater for the mind.”

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

An attendee prepares to enter the tent of terror at Gainesville Fear Garden Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.

One of Swan’s main reasons for creating the Fear Garden, he said, was his passion for psychology as a former UF psychology professor and senior lecturer.

Swan left his job as a professor in 2018 but is now a courtesy assistant professor of psychology at UF. During the pandemic, he said, he spent time as a stay-at-home-dad. The Fear Garden only came to fruition about nine months ago.

“My wife and I took a long walk and debated the possibility

of throwing the Hail Mary and seeing if we could make some kind of business out of the thing we’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

In the process of creating the newest Gainesville Halloween attraction, he’s also brought along 30 UF psychology students to be research associates at the garden.

Research associates prepare groups before they enter the tent and help move people through the 30-minute-long attraction while their vision and hearing is blocked from the outside world.

After Gainesville Fear Garden wraps up at the end of the month, the research associates will work with UF psychology professor Nicole Dorey to note their findings and analyze data from a post-garden survey.

Dorey dislocated her shoulder, preventing her from being on site for now, but she’ll be observing videos of groups walking through the tent from home. She’s especially looking for body movement, like jumps, that signify a person may be scared, she said.

Rebecca Martin, a 20-year-old UF psychology junior and research associate, said the team’s also looking for signs of trauma bonding when people come together during times of fear.

Watching guests go through the garden, she’s found couples and friend groups tend to look toward each other for comfort, she said.

Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. @LaurenBrensel lbrensel@alligator.org

THEATRE

Political comedy ‘Running Mates’ debuts at The Hippodrome weeks before midterm elections SHOW WILL RUN UNTIL OCT. 30

By Valentina Sandoval Alligator Contributing Writer

In a world divided into red and blue, one family stands together colored purple.

Set in the fictional town of Anderson, Georgia, the play “Running Mates” presents the complicated dynamic of the Storm family. Sam Storm has been mayor for 20 years, running uncontested every election until this year — when his opponent is his own wife, Sofia.

The production opened Oct. 14 and will run through the end of the month, closing Oct. 30, at The Hippodrome Theatre. The play makes light of American political polarization.

Nicholas Perez-Hoop, a 25-yearold actor from St. Petersburg, plays Jimmy Benjamin “J.B.” Jackson, Sam Storm’s campaign manager.

Humor is the main appeal of the story –- taking a complex discussion and tackling it in a fun, lighthearted way, he said.

“These characters can express

their different views and are still able to be a family,” he said.

Opposing opinions are the main theme of the Storm household. Sofia Storm, a left-wing liberal, is married to a right-wing politician, and their daughter, Savannah, came out as an independent in the middle of the confusion. Through witty banter and incessant fighting, the family puts the deep bipartisan divide in America into perspective.

Chicago-based author Beth Kander, 39, wrote “Running Mates” in 2010, she said, during the second round of elections where she was able to vote. She had just moved from Boston to Jackson, Mississippi, and the stark change in political setting gave her a whiplash that inspired the story, she said.

“I felt like I could say something about the whole country by focusing on one small town — one small family — and making it funny,” Kander said.

The play’s available for production in amateur or professional theaters through Stage Rights, a theater licensing company that provides stage and performance rights. With “Running Mates,” Kander said an interesting phenomenon happens:

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The play gets the most productions every two years during midterms or presidential elections.

Hippodrome Artistic Director Stephanie Lynge agreed that a major factor for producing the play this month are the upcoming midterm elections Nov. 8.

The decisions on which shows will play in the Hippodrome are often based on the community, Lynge said, and what’s affecting it at the moment. The selection committee, which Lynge leads, concluded that Kander’s play was a “good antidote” for the election season, she said.

“We kept coming back to this one because it made us smile,” Lynge said. “Given the division in our country today, it was just a ray of hope. We all kept coming back to it.”

Despite their positive outlook, the director, crew and cast faced some setbacks, Lynge said. Rehearsals typically last three weeks, but due to the original projected path of Hurricane Ian through Gainesville, the cast missed three days.

The Hippodrome is a historic building owned by the city, so when Gainesville shut down in anticipation of severe weather, so did the

theater’s work. This didn’t discourage them, Lynge said; instead, costume and prop designers finished their projects from home and actors practiced lines over Zoom.

Kander, too, believes in the importance of putting on this play during election season, she said, to alleviate political tension.

“The optimistic part of me hopes that bringing a little bit of humor as a reminder to focus on the humanity — on the personal and not just the political — can serve as a relief,” she said.

“Running Mates” is a valuable form of art during election season because the political conversations it parodies are timeless, Kander said.

Running jokes throughout the play poke fun at the clear party divide when talking about topics such as women’s rights, immigration, global warming and the Supreme Court.

Although written more than 10 years ago, these are still hot topics that spark heated debates between the two parties, Kander said.

“Politics are not just some abstract ideas,” Kander said. “They matter. They play out a part in people’s lives.”

The show asks a common ques-

tion within the Storm family: Can we find a compromise? The answer in the play is yes, but in real life — especially a decade later — it’s a more complicated question, Kander said.

However, she said the purpose of the play remains the same; one of her favorite things about the story is that each character gets to shift their perspective and grow. The end of each act illustrates these arcs, Kander said, going back to the theme of how politics can remain a crucial topic without breaking up a family.

Lynge grew to love the characters and their development, along with the actors playing them, she said. But she still can’t pick a favorite scene.

“Oh gosh, that’s like asking me to pick a favorite child,” Lynge said.

Ultimately, the show’s commentary on the divisiveness of politics is what resonates with her, she said.

“At the end of the day, what matters is reaching across the fence,” Lynge said, quoting Liddie, Sofia’s best friend in the play. “That is something I feel we can use a little bit more of in our world.”

Gators soccer rolls with punches

Many challenges face first-year head coach Samantha Bohon and her team. Read more on pg. 11.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022 www.alligator.org/section/opinions

Column

Editorial

Sasse, state university system’s silence speaks volumes

T

he Alligator staff has continually prepared for a shift in UF’s presidency since the moment President Kent Fuchs announced his resignation Jan. 10. We’ve worked diligently to update members of the community on the presidential search process — one that’s been met with more challenges than before.

However, despite the three semesters of reporting from our hard-working staff, the announcement of Sen. Ben Sasse as the sole presidential finalist came as a shock to The Alligator.

Shock has quickly turned to outrage — culminating in the scene at Emerson Alumni Hall Oct. 10 that made national headlines.

As protestors forced their way into Emerson Hall — effectively interrupting Sasse’s first public on-campus appearance — UF officials were forced to reckon with why this demonstration occurred and how it could’ve been prevented.

At The Alligator, we believe the root of this anger lies in the state’s fundamentally flawed presidential selection process.

Florida’s Senate Bill 520 has largely transformed state universities’ presidential search processes. Effective since March 15, it’s provided collegiate presidential candidates with nearly impermeable shields of anonymity by keeping certain early-stage details hidden from the public — most notably the identities of the candidates.

In theory, SB 520 appears to be practical: It allows notable university leaders to be considered for presidential roles at other educational institutions, simultaneously making it easier for them to avoid public scrutiny if they don’t receive those roles.

In practice, however, the law has transformed the Florida university system’s presidential search process into something almost unrecognizable. SB 520 is a huge departure from Florida’s transparency laws, lauded for its above-average access to public records brought about by the state’s Government-inthe-Sunshine Law. The lack of transparency sets up universities like UF for controversy, such as when only one candidate is selected as a finalist in a pool of more than 700.

That’s not to say UF didn’t have more finalists originally. The state law gave insurmountable leverage to the university’s 11 other candidates who refused to go through with campus visits unless they were named sole finalists.

We believe the naming of one sole finalist in UF’s presidential search reflects a major flaw Makiya Seminera EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alan Halaly ENGAGEMENT MANAGING EDITOR

within the implementation of SB 520. But don’t take this from us — take it from Jeff Brandes, the state senator who helped shape it.

The goal was to get a group of finalists, not announce a sole finalist, Brandes told The Tampa Bay Times. UF’s selection of Sasse wasn’t the right way to go about the search, Brandes said, and makes it harder for the law to not undergo changes in the next legislative session.

Whether you agree with the senator’s beliefs, it must be recognized the process resulting in his selection had some weaknesses.

How could students possibly have planned a calmer response to Sasse’s consideration if they were only informed once every other finalist had been dropped?

Similarly, how could UF administration have prepared for students’ response if the community wasn’t given the chance to follow along in the process?

Many of those questions remain unanswered due to a continued silence — now on Sasse’s part.

Sasse had no media availability throughout the presidential search process. He’s remained tight-lipped in communicating with the press, which includes The Alligator. Through continued silence, our coverage doesn’t provide all the details our community so desperately needs.

This lack of transparency has only been exacerbated further by Sasse’s role as a politician.

Rahul Patel, chair of the presidential search committee, told The Alligator Sasse was an “academic first.” If this were true, Sasse wouldn’t have spent the past seven years as a senator — a position he’s held longer than his post as president at Midland University.

For a university that’s been under fire in recent years for being a political pawn of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the choice is a bad look at best.

The university continues to garner bad press, and in the case of Sasse, The Alligator’s Editorial Board believes this could’ve been prevented.

Large news outlets aren’t just highlighting Sasse’s recent nomination because of the outrage it has generated from a large number of UF students. They’re doing so because it’s revealed the cracks below the surface of the university’s presidential selection process.

If you’ve felt blindsided by the announcement of Sasse as the finalist, we have too.

Despite the difficulties it has spurred, we’ll continue to remain transparent throughout our reporting process — whether UF and the state university system choose to do the same.

Isabella Douglas DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

Halima Attah OPINIONS EDITOR

I protested Ben Sasse’s visit to UF. Here’s why you should join us for the next one

T

he room echoed with thought it was well organized. I chants. Listening to proremember UF Young Democratic testers yell “hey hey, ho Socialists of America speaking ho, Ben Sasse has got of their five demands, mainly to go,” I was in awe of asking for Sasse to decline the how passionate each person presidential job offer. was to have their voice heard.

As they stated these The protest that occurred demands, the crowd yelled in at Emerson Hall was the first Stephanie Deleon agreement, and I could not help one I had ever attended, and it opinions@alligator.org but think that without being showed me how important it is able to speak to Sasse directly, for everyone to speak up for the things they these demands might not be met. Sasse believe in. I went into the protest believing was too scared to face his opposition, in we would all be able to speak to Ben Sasse my belief, due to being unable to have a directly, explaining to him why he is unfit discussion with a diverse student body for the job of UF president. But this wasn’t with passionate ideals. the case.

It’s unfair to the UF’s student body to Staff members blocked the door. As have someone like Sasse be a reflection of protesteors, our rights to express our the university, as he disagrees with a vast concerns about having Sasse as our majority of its students’ identities. As a university’s president were taken away UF student, I’m frustrated that UF doesn’t from us, in order to conceal the opposition allow its students to vote for its president or the student body has toward him. Not have access to the profiles of other finalists granting students the basic right to voice — a direct result of Senate Bill 520. Sasse their opinions directly toward Sasse is will inevitably hurt the everyday lives of unacceptable. students, staff and faculty more than he While the protest had over 300 will improve them. participants, I considered its turnout The staircase to the third floor of too low considering the size of UF’s Emerson Hall was blocked off by police population. Even as a student who doesn’t officers to ensure protesters would not be align themself with the groups Sasse’s able to speak with Sasse directly. I was comments have targeted, I believe that confused as to why police officers were members of UF’s student body have the called since the protest remained peaceful responsibility to show up. the entire time.

Sasse could have the power to defund The protesting will not stop, and organizations on campus that support large if Sasse becomes UF’s next president, numbers of students, staff and faculty. expect outrage from students, staff, and With that being said, if more students faculty will occur. On Nov. 1, the Board of attended the protest, they would’ve sent a Trustees will interview Sasse to be the next bigger message that Sasse’s beliefs are not president, and I am hoping more than 300 welcomed at UF. people will participate.

These students should feel obligated If Sasse does become UF’s president, he to attend the next protest on Nov. 1 to should expect to become the most hated support those who will be greatly affected man on campus.

by Sasse’s potential position.

As there were two medics on standby, Stephanie Deleon is a I didn’t feel scared of the mass of people UF finance freshman. surrounding me at the protest, and

Sophia Abolfathi // Alligator Staff

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, addresses faculty during a public forum Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

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

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FOOTBALL

Florida defense falters on big stage against Tigers Gators allowed more than 500 yards of offense in their loss to Louisiana State

By Jackson Castellano Sports Writer

At times, college football is a spectacle first and a sport second. Factors beyond the field of play draw eyes to certain games every Saturday. Florida’s matchup against the Louisiana State Tigers Saturday fit the criteria of a spectacle.

Two first-year head coaches leading historic Southeastern Conference rivals under the lights of the Swamp — of course, these games almost always deliver.

The two offenses combined for 923 yards and 80 points. The contest came down to the closing minutes and a fateful fourth-and-1 completion. The perfect recipe for a marquee matchup.

However, there is one fact that cannot be ignored by college football fans — one team has to go home with a loss. Ultimately, that will come down to the field of play and which team can’t handle the big moment. Oct. 15, that team was Florida.

The Gators (4-3, 1-3 SEC) fell to LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC) for the fourth-straight season, 45-35. Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels lit up the UF defense to the tune of 349 yards through the air and a career-high six total touchdowns. The Tigers scored on their first six drives of the game.

“Ultimately, with the things that we can control from a coaching perspective and the things that we can do better, we need to do those things better,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said. “I think that we are going to be sick when we watch this tape.”

LSU led the game in almost every offen-

sive category. Tigers head coach Brian Kelly’s offense controlled time of possession, gained nearly 200 more yards and converted nine more first downs than the Gators.

That’s not to say Florida underperformed offensively. More than 300 yards and 35 points should be enough to avoid defeat. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson snapped his five-game streak of turnovers, dating back to week two against Kentucky.

“We needed to win that one,” Richardson said. “So, we’re not really happy about that.”

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson looks downfield as he evades pressure from LSU linebacker Greg Penn III Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.

He led the team in passing and rushing yards while cashing in two touchdowns of his own. His second score — an electrifying 81-yard run — sparked the near 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter before a Tigers fourth-down conversion and field goal iced the game.

Florida’s swiss army rushing attack was efficient as well. Richardson plus a trio of Montrell Johnson Jr.,Trevor Etienne and Lorenzo Lingard combined for 210 yards, toppling LSU’s 179.

Ultimately, the Gators’ offense could not make up for every mistake its defense made. The result of Saturday’s loss proves UF’s football team in its current state is not sustainable.

“You know, we really, really fought and came back,” UF redshirt junior wide receiver Justin Shorter said. “So, I think we were all really into it, and I think that took a little toll on [Napier], but we all picked him up, just like how he picks us up, too.”

While Florida has the week off to recover from the defeat, there is an immense amount of work to do ahead of its next matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.

UGA is the No. 1 team in the nation and will be the Gators’ toughest matchup this season by far.

The Bulldogs rank top 10 in scoring offense and are second in scoring defense.

They’ve beaten each of their seven opponents this season by an average margin of 32.6 and have won by less than two scores only once.

It’s not outlandish to think Florida’s performance versus LSU won’t cut it against Georgia. At this point, a victory in Jack-

Rae Riiska // Alligator Staff

LSU wide receiver Brain Thomas Jr. after a reception with UF cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. in coverage Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. sonville is probably beyond the Gators’ potential, but a blowout defeat to the team’s fiercest rival is never a good look.

Beyond Georgia, Napier and UF are still three wins away from bowl eligibility, with a trip to Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M scheduled alongside the perennial Florida State game in Tallahassee.

While the most difficult portion of Florida’s SEC schedule is nearly over with, there are still many questions that remain surrounding the Gators.

Florida’s annual neutral-site meeting with Georgia is set for Oct. 29 at 3:30 p.m.

The game from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville will be broadcast on CBS. @jaxacastellano jcastellano@alligator.org

SOCCER

Gators stay resilient despite season struggles Rebuilding campaign

FLORIDA NAVIGATES ADVERSITIES IN HEAD COACH'S DEBUT SEASON

By Jose Tovar Sports Writer

Florida head coach Samantha Bohon’s first year at The Swamp has been everything but peaceful.

This season, the Gators have navigated through injuries, losses and a strict schedule as the program hopes to rebuild following one of the most forgettable seasons in school history.

So far, Florida holds a 2-11-1 record with a 0-6-1 mark in Southeastern Conference play.

Despite the unimpressive record, Bohon is confident the team is heading in the right direction.

“I’m just really grateful for the players and our staff,” she said. “I think that this type of season can be really frustrating and really discouraging, and I think one of the reasons we are so positive and we do see progress is because the team has just stayed working.”

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The Gators had a brief adjustment period following a tormenting offseason.

Bohon’s arrival in May meant a second coaching change in less than a year for most of the roster. As a result, the program lost 12 players to the transfer portal and added eight freshmen and two transfers for 2022.

After only having 16 days of official preseason, Bohon set 10 standards for her new team. They are a mix of tangible and intangible elements such as covering for each other, celebrating the small moments and having a “blue-collar” mentality, she said. The standards are tangible expectations the team continues to buy into.

“I really am optimistic and think that this team wants something more,” senior forward Tessa Barton said. “I think that we're going to find it.”

Bohon’s goal is to measure the Gators’ performance not just based on wins and losses but also on how the team fulfilled those standards. Her team is full of competitors, and that’s what drives them to keep coming out, she said “Whether it's one game or 10 games, we want to win,” Bo-

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hon said.

Another mission in Bohon’s debut year was amending a broken locker room.

She made emphasis on making her players fall in love with the sport again and fostering relationships. To do that, the team has organized movie nights in the film room and study sessions in the student lounge at the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center.

“I hope, moving forward, everyone knows that this program does have a future,” senior Francesca Faraci said after a match Oct. 6. “It doesn't stop this year.”

Fighting through injuries

Florida’s depth has been a recurrent issue this season. The current squad features only 26 players. The usual roster size is around the low 30s, Senior Associate Athletics Director Mary Howard said.

Of those players, two of them are backup goalkeepers — Faraci and freshman Jayden Emmanuel. Three others haven’t played all season — junior forward Maddy Rhodes, freshman defender Kira Prologo and freshman midfielder Olaia Rackauskas.

The short availability has affected the way the team manages its rotations during matches. It also affects them in prac-

SEE SOCCER, PAGE 12

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Bohon brings hope

O’Coyne has seen action in 12 matches, totaling 265 minutes.

Among the players who have missed substantial time due to injury are redshirt freshman forward Sophie White and freshman defender Lauren McCloskey. White started three matches before suffering a knee injury; she last played Aug. 28 against Texas. McCloskey totaled 660 minutes in eight starts before going down with a lower-body injury.

FRIday @7

SOCCER, from pg. 11

tice, as the Gators will try to keep players healthy by avoiding unnecessary injuries.

“It’s been a huge impact on how we have had to approach the season,” Bohon said.

However, she still finds a silver lining in the roster’s small size.

“Players are getting incredible opportunities to play different roles,” Bohon said.

One of those players is redshirt sophomore defender Tori Grambo.

Grambo has played 477 minutes in eight appearances after struggling with injuries over the last two seasons. Two freshmen have also benefited: defender Njeri Butts has come from the bench nine times to cover on defense, and forward Tatum

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“For us to come into the season with a really small roster with a lot of inexperience and have to play these really hard non-conference games and then the SEC, it’s stretched us and really challenged us,” Bohon said. “But I do believe that in the long run, it will pay off.” p mwho have lost eight games by a one-goal marThe Gators, gin, sit at the bottom of the SEC standings. The team needs to mount a comeback over its last three conference matches if it wants to qualify for the 10-team SEC tournament that begins Oct. 30.

“I think we haven't hit exactly where we want to be,” Barton said. “I think we're getting there, and I'm so excited [about] where we're going.”

Florida returns to the pitch Thursday night to host Vanderbilt at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will stream on the SEC Network+.

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Defenders Josie Curtis and Madison Young have started all games this season, accumulating 2,382 combined minutes. Together, the tandem has only been subbed out nine times. Junior defender Anna DeLeon has also reached the 1,000-minute threshold in 13 starts.

Bohon said she’s grateful for the team's commitment as it navigates a demanding schedule. This season, Florida has faced four top-25 opponents, losing all of those matches by a combined 8-0 score.

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TUEsday@7

pm

FREE POOL $5 SLIDER BASKETS $3 TEQUILA SHOTS $4 WHITE CLAWS

wednEsd@a7 y

FRIday @7 $

pm

THURsday@7 TRIVIA $5 TENDER BASKETS $2 WELLS $3 GREEN TEA SHOTS $4 TRULY

MAC N’ CHEESE 5 REGUL AR, BUFFALO, BBQ, & CHILI

$

3 KAMIKAZES $5 MULES

$

pm

1 WELLS & $3 DOUBLES $3 LEMON DROPS $4 FIRST MAG DRAFTS LIVE DJ

SATURday@7 $

3

pm

pm

PINK WHITNEYS

4 SWAMP HEAD DRAFTS $5 DOUBLE RED BULL & VODKA LIVE DJ $

EDNESDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY