A GUNMAN OPENED FIRE AT THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT UNION APRIL 17
Two people died and six were hospitalized after a shooting at Florida State University’s student union on April 17.
Robert Morales, a 57-year-old FSU dining coordinator of 10 years, and Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old regional vice president of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, died during the shooting.
All six wounded, some of whom are students, are expected to make a full recovery, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare staff said. One patient had been discharged as of April 19, the hospital said.
The alleged gunman is 20-yearold Phoenix Ikner, an FSU political science student and the stepson of Leon County Deputy Jessica Ikner. He was hospitalized after being shot by law enforcement for not complying with commands, but is expected to survive.
Ikner — whose stepmother has worked with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for over 18 years — was a long-standing member of LCSO’s
youth advisory council and participated in a number of LCSO training programs. Ikner had access to his mother’s personal handgun, which was found at the crime scene, LCSO Sheriff Walter McNeil said during an April 17 press conference.
The university is cooperating with the investigation, FSU President Richard McCullough said during the press conference.
“We’re a strong and united community. We’re family. And so we’ll take care of all of you, and we’ll get through this together,” he said.
Ikner’s motive is still unclear, but classmates alleged “white supremacist and far-right rhetoric.”
Joe Diaz, a 19-year-old FSU political science freshman, sat in front of Ikner in a history class. He described the shooter as quiet and put together.
“It didn’t seem like something he was capable of,” Diaz said.
Diaz described Ikner as being into history, having in-depth conversations with the professor and fellow students during class.
After Ikner was identified in the April 17 press conference as the alleged shooter, Diaz didn’t immedi-
FSU community mourns after mass shooting kills two, injures six more UF law student trespassed from campus after racist, antisemitic social media posts
By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer
A UF law student who previously won a top academic honor for an essay promoting white supremacy was banned from campus this month after publicly indicating support for a Jewish genocide.
Preston Terry Damsky, a 29-year-old student at UF’s Levin College of Law, was issued a trespass order on April 3, making it a seconddegree misdemeanor for him to set foot on university property for three years. The order came weeks after Damsky began posting racist and antisemitic content on social media, in-
cluding a message calling for the elimination of Jews “by any means necessary.”
UF, home to the largest Jewish student population of any public university in the U.S., has since increased security around the law school with added police patrols, stricter event protocols and restricted building access.
The trespass order followed months of internal concern within the law school over Damsky’s rhetoric, which sharply escalated in late March over his social media accounts. From February to April, Damsky made dozens of X posts, where he described Jewish people as “parasitizing the West,” labeling immigrants as “invaders” and advocating for a white ethnostate.
Details about Damsky’s conduct and the university’s internal response come from a review of his social media accounts and faculty emails, as well as interviews with seven faculty and students, some of whom spoke under conditions of anonymity because they were concerned about their job security and personal safety.
Despite growing internal pressure from within the law school, administrators haven’t publicly commented on what led to Damsky’s trespass order. UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan, citing federal privacy laws protecting confidential student information, declined to answer questions about the incident. According to Roldan, Damsky is still enrolled at UF
as of April 18.
Trespass warnings can be issued to anybody — including students — who “may pose a threat” to the community, according to UFPD. Court records show Terry has no criminal history and no charges have been filed as of April 20.
The law school’s interim dean, Merritt McAlister, addressed backlash against the law school’s response to the controversy during an April 9 town hall meeting with students and faculty. McAlister, who asked an Alligator reporter attending the meeting to leave, defended the law school’s commitment to upholding the First Amendment and maintaining institutional neutrality.
According to a recording of the meeting
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
A student kneels in prayer over flowers, candles and balloons left at a vigil for mass shooting victims at Florida State University on Friday, April 18, 2025.
Today’s Weather
A look into Santa Fe Teaching Zoo’s gopher
tortoise safe haven
The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo houses 10 non-releasable gopher tortoises
By Shaine Davison Alligator Staff Writer
Tucked away in the back of the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo lies a shaded grassy area where 10 rescued gopher tortoises spend their days grazing and burrowing — unable to return to the wild but safe in a haven built just for them.
Some are missing limbs, and others have damaged shells. But what they all have in common is that they survived life-threatening injuries. Scoots, Izzy and Gia were attacked by dogs, while Master Shredder, Diglett, Ziggy and Cramer were hit by cars and Seal was hit by a tractor.
Unlike some animals at SFC Teaching Zoo, gopher tortoises aren’t just an attraction — they’re a keystone species crucial to Florida’s ecosystem. The tortoises are ecosystem engineers, with burrows that provide shelter for hundreds of species like indigo snakes and rattlesnakes, according to Steven Johnson, a UF professor specializing in natural history and amphibian and reptile conservation.
Despite their roughly 60-millionyear history, gopher tortoises are facing extinction, suffering from Florida’s development and industrialization, Johnson said. According to the Florida Wildlife Federation, their population count currently hovers between 700,000 and 800,000. In the past century, the tortoise’s population has declined by
80%, per the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.
“Humans are having profound and wide-reaching impacts on all kinds of organisms,” he said. “Turtles are among some of the most imperiled animals on the planet.”
A Florida law prohibits the killing, harassing or destroying of gopher tortoises, their eggs or their burrows because of their threatened status, designated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But Johnson, a Florida native who has seen the state’s quick development and population growth, said he wasn't optimistic about what the future holds for Florida’s gopher tortoises.
A proposal leaked to the public in August outlined the construction of a golf course in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County — a vital gopher tortoise habitat. The plan has since been withdrawn.
“They’re no threat whatsoever to people, just an inconvenience for development,” Johnson said. “If you'd see a tortoise up close and personal, you can't help but smile.”
Another threat is the tortoise's slow nature, which can make them susceptible to oncoming traffic and attacks from predators.
As the tortoise population has encountered more obstacles over the years, the zoo has accumulated six male tortoises and four females.
Master Shredder, a 25-yearold zoo resident, was found with multiple fractures in his shell. Screws were inserted into the protective
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layer of his shell, allowing the bone to heal over time. Jade Woodling, a conservation education curator at the zoo, compared the process to when humans get a metal plate or screw after breaking a bone.
Woodling added gopher tortoises generally have many fun behaviors — particularly when they’re seeking a mate.
“They do a lot of head bobbing at each other,” she said. “It literally looks like a bobblehead in your car.”
Things can get heated during the mating process. Sometimes they bite at each other's front limbs, Woodling said. If two males are fighting over a female, they will try and flip each other over so they can't stand back up.
“It’s very silly to watch,” she said.
The SFC Teaching Zoo partners with UF Zoo Medicine to care for the animals, and Woodling said the two organizations have a positive relationship. The department comes every two weeks with its residents to perform checkups, which sometimes involve caring for the tortoises.
Regardless of what happens to the gopher tortoise population statewide, Santa Fe’s tortoises will remain safe from the dangers of the outside world. These tortoises have the majority of their lives left, living an average of 40 to 60 years in the wild and up to decades more in captivity, according to Woodling.
“They’re all going to live their best life here,” she said.
@shainedavison sdavison@alligator.org
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Possibilities
EXPLORE WHAT’S NEXT
Mass shooting leaves campus community reeling
SHOOTING, from pg. 1
ately put the pieces together.
“I saw the Instagram account and it kind of hit me,” he said. “I literally saw him yesterday.”
Shooting timeline
Around 11 a.m., Ikner arrived on campus at a university parking garage and lingered around the vehicle for about an hour. He left the garage at 11:51 a.m., and between 11:56 a.m. and 11:57 a.m., he fired the first shots as he went in and out of buildings near the student union.
By 11:58 a.m. authorities received several 911 calls. At noon, Ikner was shot and taken into police custody.
The university’s alert system sent out its first message just after noon, stating an active shooter was near the student union, and law enforcement was on the scene. The message advised those on campus to shelter in place. The university sent out subsequent alerts at 12:20 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. notifying faculty and students to stay sheltered, and said law enforcement was still responding to an active shooter threat at the student union.
Around 1 p.m., FSU sent another alert notifying students law enforcement was clearing the main campus and using a safe word to evacuate buildings and classrooms.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the university’s alert system lifted the campus lockdown, but FSU officials asked students and faculty to avoid the student union and several other buildings and treat them as active crime scenes. While initial rumors of multiple active shooters circulated, the Tallahassee Police Department confirmed he was acting alone in an April 17 press conference.
The shooting wasn’t the first in FSU’s history. In 2014, three people were shot at FSU’s Strozier Library by graduate Myron May. Police responded to the scene two minutes after receiving a call about the first shot. Police shot and killed May as he reloaded his gun and tried to enter the library.
One student, Farhan Ahmed, was paralyzed from the waist down after a bullet hit his spine. Nathan Scott, a Strozier Library employee at the time, was shot in the leg, and an unnamed student was grazed by the bullet.
Several survivors of the 2018 Parkland school shooting were at FSU during this year’s shooting. Since Jan. 1, Florida has had six mass shootings.
Students respond
Maddox Fox, a 19-year-old FSU freshman, was taking a biology quiz less than a minute’s walk from the student union when he was startled by the violent clang of metal on metal.
“I was like, ‘Sh*t,’” he said. “The realization set in.”
A bullet hit the building.
The rest was nothing but a blur, Fox said. His classmates collectively leapt from their seats, pushing and searching for a way out. Only one exit faced away from the gunfire. Fox dashed away from the scene, unsure of where he was heading. There was only one thing he could think, he said. “I’ve got to get out [of] here.”
Students piled into passing cars. Fox gave the window of a beige SUV a frantic knock, and the driver rolled it down skeptically.
“What’s going on?” the driver asked, as Fox recalled.
“Someone’s shooting up the school,” he said. “Can I come in your car and you drive us away?”
No more questions. More students tumbled into the backseat, and Fox found himself at the opposite end of campus, running again. He made it to a recognizable residence hall and sheltered with two friends.
“It doesn’t feel real,” he said. “You never expect it’s going to happen to you.”
FSU’s campus will never be the same, he said.
On the evening of April 18, FSU held a vigil to honor and mourn the victims.
“It's important to remember in moments like this that there is light, even in the darkest of times,” said Carson Dale, FSU’s student body president.The crowd of over 2,000 was
Florida State University President, Richard McCullough, consoles a mourner at mass shooting vigil on Langford Green at FSU on Friday, April 18, 2025.
dressed in garnet and gold as bouquets of flowers and bundles of balloons decorated fences.
As the marching band’s song echoed through the fields, tears ran down the faces of FSU’s community.
Zian Fan, a 26-year-old FSU music graduate student, said he still has many unanswered questions and feels angry the shooting happened.
“This happened in the places I know and the road I used to walk on,” Fan said. “There’s nothing much we can do as long as the guns are accessible to people. This thing could happen every day, anytime.”
FSU alumna Emily Simons shared Fan’s frustration.
“There’s no words that really fix it so soon or make it feel better, especially finding out that someone that we know from work or someone that you’ve seen around or someone that your friend is friends with is gone,” Simons said. Despite her dismay, she doubts change will occur.
In the shooting’s aftermath, government officials have expressed resistance to calls for gun control legislation. Similarly, President Donald Trump called the shooting “a shame,”
Law student trespassed after racist X posts
RACISM, from pg. 1
obtained by The Alligator, the dean said the law school’s reputation was a “foremost concern,” adding that law school leaders worked with “main campus” to address Damsky’s case.
“The college isn't going to express a viewpoint on any particular student speech,” she said. “Our job as a community is to have dialogue and discussion and debate on these issues and let the marketplace of ideas drown out a particularly odious idea.”
McAlister said in an emailed statement to The Alligator that she stood by her previous communications about the situation.
UF Police Department Mjr. Latrell Simmons said during the town hall that although components of the threat assessment are confidential, law enforcement is monitoring the situation.
Controversial class assignments
Damsky’s social media comments weren’t the only points of contention. Earlier in the 2024-25 school year, one of Damsky’s class assignments, an essay titled “American Restoration,” ignited controversy after it circulated among law
school students.
The backlash escalated after Damsky received an honor given by a law school professor to the highestperforming student in a class for another essay. That paper, titled “National Constitutionalism,” similarly argued the Constitution should be interpreted to preserve the political dominance of white Americans.
It called on courts to uphold the “second-class” status of immigrants and questioned the legitimacy of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments — which enshrine rights related to citizenship, equal protection and voting.
Responding to backlash against Damsky and the law school for awarding the essay, McAlister wrote in a Feb. 10 email to the UF law community that grading doesn’t “involve an ideological litmus test” and defended Damsky’s First Amendment rights.
Damsky, reached by email three times between April 4 and April 18, didn’t respond to The Alligator’s requests for comment following his trespass. However, during a prior interview in February, Damsky defended his views.
“I'm not a social imbecile,” he said. “I know that what I argued is somewhat controversial, but that's not going to stop me from saying it. I
think it's an important issue.”
Anyone is entitled to criticize his views, he added.
“That’s fine if people don’t like me,” Damsky said. “The attempt to get me punished or silenced is what I object to, because I have a right to write whatever I want so long as it is within the balance of the First Amendment.”
Around that time, Damsky’s rhetoric was extending beyond his classroom assignments.
He criticized Trump for aligning with Black politicians like U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the president’s pick to be Florida’s next governor, and inviting rapper Kodak Black to the White House, arguing it would “normalize and glorify the mongrelized stupidity that is modern Jewishproduced ‘popular’ ‘culture.’”
One of Damsky’s posts, directed at a UF law professor, prompted a flurry of concern from colleagues and students. In a March 21 exchange on X, the professor, in a now-deleted reply to Damsky’s call for the elimination of Jewish people, asked if he would murder her and her family.
In his response, Damsky didn’t directly answer, instead responding that “surely a genocide of all whites should be an even greater outrage than a genocide of all Jews, given
but said he would not advocate for new gun legislation, according to The New York Times.
“These things are terrible, but the gun doesn’t do the shooting — the people do,” he said.
Tori Grossman, a 22-year-old FSU finance senior, said she felt the vigil showed how FSU’s community remains strong.
“Everyone copes differently,” she said. “The best way is just to all come together and realize that you’re not alone, you still have a community, even though it felt kind of broken yesterday.”
FSU’s classes will resume April 21, though the university waived mandatory attendance policies through the rest of the week, FSU president Richard McCullough announced April 19. Some in-person classes will also be offered remotely through the end of the semester, and students can request an incomplete grade for any course.
Vivienne Serret and Avery Parker contributed to this report.
This is an Alligator staff report.
the far greater number of whites.”
The professor declined The Alligator’s request for comment on the interaction.
In an April 1 email obtained by The Alligator, the professor alerted colleagues of the exchange and said multiple students and faculty had already raised concerns about other “hateful statements” made by Damsky and an apparent “pattern of escalation” in his rhetoric.
Mixed reactions from law school community
Chad Fuselier, a former president of the Black Law Student Association and a third-year UF law student, said the law school administration handled the situation appropriately and understood its need to contain the issue to avoid “making a big ruckus.” Still, he condemned Damsky’s rhetoric.
“Any form of bigotry isn’t tolerable. We’re at school,” he said. “I hope we start making Nazis and racism lame again.”
Others were dissatisfied.
A law professor, granted anonymity for fear of jeopardizing his job, said the issue with Damsky is part of a broader pattern of inaction among law school professors against instances of discrimination. He called the law school’s handling of Damsky’s case “fundamentally opaque” and a “failure of leadership.”
“We've known about the student. We've known about his problematic statements…over the course of years,” he said. “The administration did nothing… they hid behind student privacy and this supposed principle of corporate neutrality.”
The professor said rankings — a hot topic during the town hall — also shaped the law school’s response. Administrators avoided addressing the situation, he said, to preserve the school’s reputation — a key factor in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. UF’s Levin College of Law was 38th among the nation’s best law schools for 2025, a steep drop from 22nd in 2023.
Daniel, a 24-year-old third-year law student who is Jewish, said he wanted the law school to denounce Damsky’s views and draw a line between offensive speech and calls for violence. Daniel, whose last name was kept anonymous to maintain personal safety, said he’s upset it took so long for Damsky to face repercussions.
“From my perspective, it just looks like he got away with it for two years until he threatened a faculty member,” he said. “It's been very concerning. It felt like the administration just thought that they could close their eyes and wait for it to go away.”
@gracenmclung gmcclung@alligator.org
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
The Duck Lady’s last quack
ONE STUDENT’S TINY TRINKETS MAKE A BIG SPLASH FOR STUDENTS AND CAMPUS CATS ALIKE
By Pristine Thai Alligator Staff Writer
Rolling into Turlington Plaza at noon on her pink LaScoota kick scooter, Kendall Johnson looked like any other student on their way to class April 16. It was only when she started unpacking hundreds of ducks onto one of the concrete tables that passersby realized who she was: the Duck Lady.
“Free tiny ducks!” Johnson called out, inviting students to pick out a grape-sized resin quirky quacker.
Although the small ducks were free to take, the 22-year-old sociology senior accepted donations to buy food for the campus cats she’s visited almost every day for the past three years. She knows all of the fluffy felines living between Pugh Hall and Dauer Hall by name, and she’s able to pet cats that most students have only ever caught a glimpse of.
April 16 marked the Duck Lady’s last day. But she kept her usual routine.
When Johnson arrived, she unfolded and slipped into a yellow duck onesie. It matched the orange Lululemon sneakers she wore to resemble duck feet. Next were a
few dozen basketball-themed rubber duckies to celebrate the Gators men’s basketball championship win. Passing students could also pose and take pictures with two larger stuffed ducks, named Waddles Clayton Jr. and Thomas (after Thomas Haugh, the UF men’s basketball sophomore forward).
However, the crown jewel was a bag filled with hundreds of grapesized resin ducks of all colors, designs and accessories: nurse ducks with stethoscopes, ducks textured to resemble footballs, ducklings sitting in cracked-open egg shells, graduation ducks with caps and diplomas.
Students gushed over the campus cat pictures on Johnson’s “Free Ducks” sign. Dollar by dollar, the donation jar filled up throughout the afternoon. Johnson’s phone buzzed with notifications from Zelle, Venmo and Cashapp. At the end of the day, she had raised $333.
Johnson will be graduating in August, but she estimated that across all of her events, she’s raised over $1,000 to feed the campus cats.
Ducks are Johnson’s second favorite animal after cats. Her family’s backyard has seen generations of waddling waterfowl grow up, and she has a shelf full of rubber ones she’s collected over the years.
The idea to hand out ducks on campus “just popped in my head” one day, Johnson said. Her proposal received a lot of interest and upvotes on YikYak, and she held her first
giveaway in Spring 2023. Since then, she’s doled out ducks two or three times a semester, relying on YikYak to get the word out in advance.
Dozens of students came to each handout, lining up to choose a tiny trinket. Johnson’s fans began calling her Duck Lady, and she took on the title with pride. She’s never run out of ducks.
“The small ones, I always make sure I have an abundance of,” she said, estimating the total count to be between 700 and 1,000. Johnson foots a bill of $50 to $100 per handout to supply the ducks, depending on what the market is for more exclusive designs.
Taylor Yi, a 19-year-old UF microbiology freshman, learned about the duck handouts from a friend in the Fall. This time, she happened to walk through Turlington just as Johnson finished setting up her display and was one of the first to pick out a duck.
“Usually, one will just catch my eye,” Yi said, holding a white duck dappled with pink daisies. It’s the third duck she’s received overall, and she was proud to support the campus cat cause with a donation.
While Yi’s ducks all came from the Duck Lady, other visitors were adding the bird baubles onto their existing collections.
“My partner is really into ducks, is obsessed with ducks,” said Sara Carroll, an 18-year-old UF nursing freshman. She was on her way to class but stopped in her tracks when she saw the ducks.
Carroll was wearing a Gators shirt, which unlocked that day’s spe-
cial promotion: getting to choose two ducks. Her prizes will join three rubber ducks at her and her partner’s home. They also recently adopted a cat, so Carroll was glad to see the ducks and cats crossover.
“It’s a great way to get people who are passionate about animals over here,” she said.
For Elle Hosto, a 22-year-old UF business administration senior, the timing of the duck handout couldn’t have been better. Earlier that day, she made off from a UF Outdoor Adventure Recreation club event with a stash of rubber ducks in her backpack.
Laughing in disbelief, Hosto asked Johnson if she’d be interested in a trade. Hosto swapped one of her standard-issue rubber duck bath toys for a basketball-patterned duck from Johnson.
“I’m so excited for my little basketball duck,” she said, deciding to name it Waddles Clayton Jr. Jr. as a
tribute to the Duck Lady’s own. “I think this one’s going to get pinned to my cork board.”
Johnson wrapped up her last quack as the Duck Lady with a full heart. She said she felt sad but was happy so many people came by, almost to the point of tears. Her fans were equally bittersweet to say goodbye.
“I’m very glad that I caught her, even though it was her last one,” said Talia Cho, a 19-year-old UF exploratory freshman. Her two tiny ducks occupy a special place atop her jewelry box, and she said she’d keep them even after she moves out of her dorm.
“I’m very curious as to who’s going to take over for [Johnson],” Cho said. “We’ll see if there’s a Duck Lady 2.0 coming.”
pthai@alligator.org @pristinethai
How one investigative team leads the fight against child sexual abuse
GAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT TASK FORCE WORKS TO MAKE BREAKTHROUGHS
By Kaysheri Haffner Alligator Staff Writer
Every file Detective Donna Montague opens holds a child’s worst memories. She goes through dozens in a day.
“I get a lot of joy out of the end result of our cases, even though they are mentally draining,” she said. “It’s just, for me right now, enough to keep me going — to be able to come back the next day.”
For the past 23 years, Montague has worked in the Gainesville Police Department’s child sex crimes unit, and she joined the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force five years ago. She has investigated hundreds of cases and received a national award for her work.
Montague received the Excellence in Digital Forensics award, which is meant to highlight an outstanding investigator who delivered positive impacts to their community, from Cellebrite’s Digital Justice Awards in April. Cellebrite is an international forensics company.
GPD is the host agency for the North Florida ICAC Task Force, and Montague is the only investigator in the department who shoulders the burden of the cases. As the host agency, GPD oversees ICAC efforts across 38 counties in northern Florida.
“Nobody really wants this job,” she said. “So for us, it’s just, ‘Who else is going to do it right now?’”
All electronic service providers are required by federal law to report suspected child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These create CyberTips and go through CyberTipline, a reporting system operated by NCMEC. CyberTipline reported 1.6 million child pornography tips related to
U.S. users in 2023.
Reports are then filed and sent to the ICAC investigator for the suspected region where the crime took place.
While case volume has always been one of the biggest challenges for the department’s ICAC task force, Montague said she’s seen an increase in cases since the beginning of 2025. Each case is time-consuming, often taking months of investigation, and a number have recently resulted in arrests in the Gainesville area.
There have been 86 reported incidents of child pornography to GPD since 2010, or about five to six cases per year. The average amount of time it takes GPD to file a report for a case involving child sexual abuse material is about three weeks. Since January, GPD is up over 100% in cases, Montague said.
“It doesn’t end,” Montague said. “There’s no catching up at this point, but we’re just trying to stay on top of what we can.”
The cases typically fall into two categories, she said. While a significant portion involves an adult preying on a minor, there is a fraction of cases when the minor is exchanging images with other minors or selling the images themselves.
Sgt. Christopher King, the ICAC unit supervisor, said assigning the cases to Montague and seeing the sheer volume of them takes a toll.
“That’s the toughest part about the job, knowing that there’s not five of Donna for the Gainesville Police Department,” he said.
Children’s online platforms have become a hotspot for cases, King said. Predators might intentionally scroll apps and websites targeted toward children, he said, knowing there are vulnerable kids behind the screens.
Investigative processes have also evolved over the past decade. The way a search warrant is written today is entirely different from one in 2015, King said, and the legalities surrounding them have evolved as well.
King said the most important part of dealing with the cases is ensuring the children involved get the help and support they need in the aftermath. NCMEC offers a variety of free resources in multiple languages for children who have experienced sexual abuse, he said.
The best preventative measure parents can take is to have open communication with their children, King said, and to keep an eye on their online activity.
“I have a 10-year-old daughter,” he said. “I’ve been having conversations with her since she was probably about 7 about the dangers online.”
Montague said her conversations with her 16-year-old son are similar, and safety is her top priority after doing her job for so many years. She said her family is her biggest support system, in addition to the therapists and mental health resources provided by GPD.
“I have a lot of hobbies outside of work,” she said. “My family is very important, so I spend a lot of time with my family, and that’s kind of it.”
Her experiences and the cases she’s worked on changed her as a person, making her more aware and understanding, she said. Being forced to see into the mind of the offenders has been eye-opening.
While Montague and King agreed there’s a case that hits home every year, one in particular stuck with Montague.
Montague said it was one of her first cases, nearly five years ago — a single image spiraling into a nightmare.
“It was kind of realizing the importance of our work, even if it seems minor,” she said. “Like, ‘Oh, it’s this one image.’ Those can change. Those cases that only have one, I think, are just as important as cases that have 100 that are reported.”
The case expanded, leading to the discovery of multiple images and years of crimes against children from a man who operated a
home daycare. The first photo they found was over 30 years old. The woman didn’t even know she’d been a victim.
“He ended up getting 40 years, federally,” Montague said. “He’ll die in prison. But I think things like that…that is the purpose.”
GPD’s task force has only four members, including Montague and King.
Lt. Lonnie Scott Jr., the criminal investigations division commander, said understaffing has proven to be a challenge in selecting new members.
“If it’s a detective that is a senior detective that’s currently in the bureau, I’m OK with making that lateral move right, but I have to fill their spot as well,” he said.
Balancing the staff at GPD between divisions and filling out patrol requirements isn’t the only aspect that’s taken into consideration, he said. The ICAC team is exposed to child sexual abuse images, videos and other materials, and he has to know applicants can handle that part of the job.
“They may get into that position, and they may not be able to take it all,” Scott said. “It takes a unique person to work these cases.”
The task force’s current goal is to get the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office to work with it more directly, Scott said. While the Alachua Police Department and High Springs Police Department often help with cases, he said, getting more officers in-house would help ease GPD’s workload.
Looking forward, Scott said a member of the ICAC team who specializes in digital development is working on new software to lessen the load of information Montague needs to review. The software is cutting edge, he said, and would help review the child sexual abuse materials before the ICAC team needs to begin an investigation.
@kaysheri_h khaffner@alligator.org
Pristine Thai // Alligator Staff Kendall Johnson’s basketball-themed rubber ducks sit waiting for students in Turlington Plaza on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
Thomas Allain embraces imperfection as he records his debut album
AFTER YEARS WITH HIS FORMER INDIE BAND, THE SINGERSONGWRITER GOES SOLO
By Autumn Johnstone Avenue Staff Writer
Since 1969, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama, has been the birthplace of monumental pieces of music from artists like Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. Yet, as of January, local indie musician and 25-year-old UF alum Thomas Allain stood in the very place where those icons breathed life into music, recording nine songs over the course of five days.
While meeting with a producer in Atlanta, Allain pitched songs he wrote with Gainesville-based indie artist Jordan Burchel. After that, he found his way to Alabama, where he collaborated with the studio’s band members to turn demos into complete songs.
Throughout this “liberating” experience,
Keep up with the Avenue on Twitter. Tweet us @TheFloridaAve.
Allain retired the idea of creating a “perfect record” and focused on his music’s authenticity instead. Hearing immediate feedback from the band members alongside the quality of his own voice was challenging for him, he said.
“I don’t like that I’m uncomfortable, but I think that because I am uncomfortable, we’re doing the right thing,” he said.
The album ranges from love songs to political messages. Comparing his recent music to the first track he ever recorded six years ago, “River,” he still holds excitement simply for the feeling of singing, even if he didn’t have all the necessary tools when he first started, he said.
Allain’s “sentimental indie folk rock” pulls from his own personal experiences in the hopes of creating relatable music for his audience.
Taking inspiration from artists like Fleetwood Mac and Theo Katzman, Allain strives to write honest songs, allowing other people to realize what they’re going through is normal, he said. Specifically, Allain’s title track of his album “Footprints in the Stone” is about feeling
Caimán
lonely in unprecedented times, even while being constantly surrounded by people.
For about a year prior to recording the album, Allain worked on his songs and lyric structure with Burchel. Bouncing ideas off of one another gave Allain clarity while bringing his artistic ideas to life.
“He’s going for something that’s very honest and elemental in a way, and so it’s really hard to write songs the way that he does where they’re relatively simple and pure,” Burchel said. “It’s really hard to portray that without it feeling like it’s copying something else, and I think he got there.”
Burchel sees that in many musicians today, including himself, they attempt to protect themselves from real emotions, but Allain never shies away from bravely including those pieces in his songs, he said. Allain’s “emotional purity of purpose,” Burchel believes, sets him apart from other artists.
Another artist who inspired Allain to explore more creative avenues in his work was 21-year-
Asociación estudiantil celebra su aniversario a través de historia y cultura. Leer más en la página 11.
old UF sociology senior Isabella Duncan of the pop band Prizilla. Duncan described her role while helping Allain as “minimal,” because Allain always had each song planned out prior to being recorded.
Allain’s stripped-down musical approach contrasts with how many artists seem to complicate their work by adding an overwhelming amount of elements to a song, Duncan said. Duncan first met Allain while he was performing for his band, The Late Night Losers, in 2020.
“[Allain] helped me rethink how I write,” Duncan said. “He challenged me to write lyrics about a topic that I wasn’t as connected to, which is hard, because honestly most of the time when you write music as a musician… it’s your way of expressing [your] experiences” Allain is set to perform at Heartwood Music Festival June 14 alongside Prizilla, where he will perform his album’s debut single.
@AutumnJ922 ajohnstone@alligator.org
www.alligator.org/section/opinions
Goodbye column
My mom convinced me not to quit The Alligator
My time at UF wasn’t defined by football games, classes or partying at Midtown. It was defined by my time at The Alligator. After my first Sunday meeting at this paper two years ago, I called my mom in tears. I told her I was surrounded by the future of journalism, and I wasn’t meant to be part of it.
I battled something every journalist does: imposter syndrome. My mom told me I was right where I belonged, and as time progressed, I realized she was right. I found a home at UF, and it was in a dingy office filled with people who brought light and warmth to my week. It was full of people who believed in me, and who believe in our collective mission to inform the community.
The staff who fills the paper week after week willingly give up half of their weekend — often facing the Sunday scaries — to collaborate with their peers on stories that matter to our community. This semester, the staff has shown immense bravery in the face of First Amendment restrictions. The Alligator’s reporters are unwavering in their coverage, providing much needed reporting on federal, state and local politics, immigration and university conflicts. It’s a frightening time for journalism, but these journalists are fearless in their pursuit of the truth.
In my first semester here, I really didn’t know much about journalism. My first editor, Christian Casale, asked me for “story pitches” at my first meeting, and the only
thought that ran through my head was, “WTF is a story pitch?” However, it was with his patience, guidance and friendship that I found my footing at The Alligator.
Jiselle Lee was another integral part of my first semester. When I pitched a story about the UF surf club, Jiselle asked to be the story’s photographer, which called for her and I to spend a lot of time together. It was sometime between climbing into the surf club’s treehouse (more like a tree platform) and the long beach day covering the club’s contest that we became friends. When she decided to climb the tree, I thought she was crazy. Then, I thought she was awesome and followed her up.
Someone I really looked up to when I first started at the paper was Alissa Gary. We spent two semesters reporting together, one semester desk editing and another as managing editors. Sometimes, it felt like we went through war together. On this last print, you aren’t currently on staff, but I’m still thinking about final print nights with you and how tear-filled they were. I wasn’t ever sure if I was crying because some of my friends were leaving or if it was because you were crying hard enough to move everyone else to tears.
I was a managing editor alongside Siena Duncan, my former metro desk editor. When I became Editor-in-Chief and understood how difficult that role is, I often reflected back on how you handled things. You never came off as anything but absolutely calm, which is something I tried to
incorporate into my own leadership style. You were a rock, and you stayed that way through elections, hurricanes and everything in between, and everything was in between.
This semester was accompanied by a vicious news cycle. The Alligator stayed on top of it, and I attribute this to our editors. You will not find a harder working group of people than the 12 who fill The Alligator’s conference room three times a week.
Hailey, sports journalism can be an intimidating place for a woman, but you are not intimidated, and you prove it more and more every day. Noah, I hope you’ll get some sleep as the semester ends, and if I haven’t said it enough: I am so proud of you and your incredible work ethic. Jack and Max, I’m more grateful for our friendship than anything else (however, Metro will always be No.1 at party games).
Syd, we weren’t really friends until we started taking classes together, but it was not long into our friendship that I understood your whimsy. You bring joy with you everywhere you go. Madi, you are the hardest worker in every room. You’re the life of the party. Your soul sparkles, and I feel so lucky to have been your friend and coworker.
Kairi Lowery, Megan Howard and Bailey Diem: Thank you for allowing me to be your desk editor over a year ago. It was a pleasure debriefing your weekends on Sunday afternoons, which felt just as important to me as editing your stories did.
It was a full circle moment to see you all become desk editors. It’s been wonderful to watch all of you flourish in your own ways and become leaders at The Alligator. I love you all dearly.
Garrett, you are an incredible reporter (even with some of your word choices…) and an even better editor. The newsroom wouldn’t be the same without you in it. Sophia, I can’t think of an editor I would’ve wanted to work under more than you. Your love for journalism comes from a place of true dedication, which is exactly the kind of journalist we need. Your kindness could spread for miles.
Lastly, Kylie and Nicole — my friends, my sisters in Christ, my All-Female Big Three — war is over. Thank you for having my back this semester. You never let me carry the burden of leadership alone, which is something I did not fully appreciate until the end. You guys embody everything that’s good about humans, and I’m glad I experienced your friendship. I love you both so much.
This paper has been one of the greatest loves of my life. The people were even greater.
Ella Thompson was the Spring 2025 Editor-in-Chief.
Ella Thompson opinions@alligator.org
See you later Alligator!
Ididn’t plan on saying goodbye to The Alligator. Not because I planned on working in our office of dust bunnies and back-breaking chairs forever, but because I didn’t think I earned it.
When I first joined the paper, I wanted to fly under the radar as much as possible. I avoided newsroom socials and never lingered at Sunday meetings, allowing myself to be intimidated by the paper’s accolades and talented staff.
Four semesters later, I still recognize how daunting our paper can be. Reporters are expected to cover anything from student government spats and campus protests to hurricanes and elections, often with no experience and high-speed deadlines.
Even the physical newsroom has a reputation of being less than welcoming: Our building is three stories of dimly lit dungeonesque rooms, where the thermostat is permanently locked at frosty temperatures.
At the end of every semester, I often weighed leaving The Alligator with an Irish goodbye and a (borrowed) newsbox in my trunk. I was always sure I’d reached my full potential and that I didn’t possess the ambition or the grit or the talent to go any further. But each time, I found myself lingering, lured back by the same things that have drawn in hundreds of Alligator staffers.
It’s the buzzing in your ears when you’re rushing to file a breaking news brief, and the weight of talking to a source and knowing they’re trusting you to tell their story. It’s the warmth of finishing an article you’re truly proud of. It’s the constant, inescapable, all-consuming passion that makes journalism feel like a calling, not a choice.
Our staff was tied together by this passion, and by the ferocious love for an industry that doesn’t always love us back. Whether it was riding out Winter Storm Enzo, chasing down student voters at the polls or braving the insanity of University Avenue after the national championship, our staff tackled this semester with grit, empathy and dogged determination.
I owe so much gratitude to those who weathered the past four semesters alongside me. While it’s the passion that made our paper, it’s these people that kept me coming back.
Thank you to my first desk editor, Amanda Friedman, who made my first disastrous drafts something readable, and my second editor, Valentina Sandoval, who scared me into meeting deadlines with her “Dance Moms” pyramid. You both pushed me to my limit, and I owe you everything for that.
To Siena Duncan and Alissa Gary, our Fall 2024 Big Three, for giving me the confidence and guidance to follow in their footsteps and being willing to listen to angry tirades about this semester.
I could write an entire column alone on this semester’s team of editors, who stepped up in every possible way. Between writing last-minute briefs, driving reporters across the state and being big three’s therapists, they had their hands full. I’m so thankful The Alligator brought us together.
Thank you to Bailey Diem, whose quiet strength, constant reliability and enthusiasm made our metro desk a machine. To our avenue editor Tanya Fedak for her onthe-fly monologues, and opinions editor
Kairi Lowery for her infectious laughter: You two brought whimsy to the office.
The trees on 13th Street
AKylie Williams opinions@alligator.org
To Megan Howard, our senior news director and resident social media stalker, who was willing to double up on being the El Caiman editor despite not speaking Spanish. I can’t wait to watch Lucy take over next semester.
To enterprise editor Sophia Bailly, whose passion and unbridled love for journalism shines through in everything — you give me hope for the future of this paper and the industry. I’m so glad we met and that you vibe with me now. Thank you to our multimedia editors: Madilyn Gemme, whose endless positivity, sense of humor and talent lit up our office, and Sydney Johnson, who had an endless well of creativity and the best Grammys takes.
Thank you to university editor Garrett Shanley, who edited stories about wizard dance battles and administrative scandals with equal passion and dedication. I’ll truly miss editing your writing, despite our squabbles over zesty word choice. To our sports editors Hailey Hurst, Noah White and Jack Meyer: This semester was a beast of sports coverage, and the three of you grabbed it by the horns. To Zoey Thomas, our data editor, who pioneered a new desk and impressed us with every story she worked on.
This semester would have been impossible without the other two members of Big Three, Ella Thompson and Nicole Beltran. My sisters in arms, I don’t think there’s anyone else I could’ve survived 120 interviews, 12-hour office days, a 24-page special edition and many, many crashouts with but the two of you. Ella, thank you for leading with empathy, shouldering the brunt of difficult situations and always keeping me grounded. You were the best CEO. Nicole, who has been through three straight semesters with me — thank you for seeing us through this spring with kindness, a dedicated work ethic and hilarious sense of humor. Dinner’s on me after this. I am so glad to know you both. I couldn’t ask for a better All-Female Big Three.
Despite previous grand plans for a French exit, the allotted inches of this column aren’t nearly enough to express how much I love this paper and its people. I will miss our raucous print nights, our imposing office building and the incredible work that comes out of it.
A semester at The Alligator promises sleepless nights, an over-reliance on caffeine and the most fulfilling work you’ve ever done. It promises days that are exhausting, but never lonely — and certainly never dull. It promises to push you to your limit and make you better in every possible way. It promises to fuel your passion and bring you people who make you want to stick around.
It’s worth dedicating your time to. It’s worth coming back to, again and again. It’s worth saying goodbye to.
Kylie Williams was the Spring 2025 Digital Managing Editor.
scorching July in 2022 led me to Gainesville and, to an overdue epiphany, The Alligator. Eager to learn Gainesville’s pacing, my family and I spent a summer weekend in the Comfort Inn across the street from The Alligator’s office. Before wandering into the hotel, I aimlessly gazed at the bulky trees covering the paper’s office. The trees, flaunting shades of green, didn’t impress me. Blunt disappointment struck when I didn’t spot the orange and blue I was promised in Gainesville.
A Sunday in January 2023 was when my dear friend Sophia Bailly sent me the address to The Alligator’s office. I nervously drove down 13th Street, recognizing my summer hotel and the summer trees, which then waved with winter leaves. Beyond the verdant life was an aged building, enigmatic by nature. It sat alone, rarely capturing sound beyond the greenery hugging it.
Six semesters later, I’m still trying to encapsulate the life circling behind those trees and within that building.
The power to discuss, to learn, to observe, to cry, to laugh, to cheer, to suffer, to win, to lose and to capture those emotions forever — it’s the meaning journalism adds to the world; it’s observing tragedy and triumph; it’s finding invisible strings in history; it’s mourning and loving a damaged world with optimism for a kinder tomorrow. It’s making sense of life’s complexity, through words, pictures and artifacts. Journalism is finding feeling in every memory.
It’s that realization The Alligator embroidered in my heart. I grasped the local community’s tussle with language accessibility, food insecurity and housing discrepancies; I befriended sources with vibrant backgrounds; and while navigating that colorful forest, I branched out of my cozy bubble, and I learned about myself. The Alligator molded me into a storyteller but far beyond, it’s molded me into a more curious and empathetic listener.
But I could never cross such a thick forest alone. My friends, who’ve shown me discipline and courage, but in the midst of it all, compassion, kindness and good humor, are The Alligator’s motor.
To my Spring 2025 editing staff, you deserve a million rose bouquets and ovations.
Sophia Bailly, our enterprise editor, but most importantly, one of my first college friends and a big piece in my journalism puzzle. She encouraged me to join The Alligator as a reporter and, five semesters later, as the engagement managing editor. Thank you for believing in me. You helped me conquer a fear I’m unsure I would’ve conquered otherwise. I leave a legacy behind because you opened a door for me.
Bailey Diem, our metro editor, who brings us calmness but sprinkles in sly remarks and jokes for good measure. Thank you for keeping me balanced. Megan Howard, our senior news director and Caiman editor, but my personal comedian. I admire your wit and charm. Thank you for giving your two cents that I will forever quote. Garrett Shanley, our university editor, who softens any journalistic panic with a quick, well-crafted joke. Thank you for always matching the energy.
To Kairi Lowery, our opinions editor but the paper’s powerhouse. Whether you’re driving, walking or running to a story, thank you for always going the extra mile, literally. I admire your talent and determination. To Tanya Fedak, our avenue editor, but the office’s triple threat. Whether it’s editing, re-
porting or acting, thank you for being our theater star. To Zoey Thomas, our data editor and office baker. Thank you for your sweet manner and treats.
Nicole Beltran opinions@alligator.org
To Madilyn Gemme, our multimedia editor, who always swoops in with a pop culture reference and a TikTok trend to recreate. Thank you for radiating sunshine even on the gloomier days. To Sydney Johnson, our assistant multimedia editor but my alligator buddy. Thank you for keeping me company on my last adventure with The Alligator.
To Jack Meyer and Noah White, our sports editor and assistant sports editor, it was a pleasure learning the ropes of college basketball. Thank you for guiding us through a sporty semester, topped off with a championship. To Hailey Hurst, our other assistant sports editor but my sports princess. It’s bittersweet closing out this chapter with you. If The Alligator was a sport, you’re my winner. I smile so wide seeing how far you’ve come. To the friends who first noticed me at The Alligator, took me under their wing and helped me soar. I’d like to thank Aurora Martinez, Kristine Villarroel, Jiselle Lee and Claire Grunewald, who taught me the fundamentals of journalism. It warms my heart watching all of you soar, too.
To more friends I made along the way, Alissa Gary, Siena Duncan, Aidan Bush and Diego Perdomo. Thank you for showing me friendship. Thank you for good humor. I can’t stress the happiness I feel seeing all of you achieve your aspirations.
And for the 100th time, I thank The Alligator for giving me a best friend, Valentina Sandoval. You’re my big sister, and you’ve helped me find a space in this career. I love you, and I will painfully miss you.
And I wouldn’t be sane if it weren’t for Ella Thompson and Kylie Williams, who’ve become sources of inspiration and my Alligator sisters. I am the luckiest duck in the pond working beside both of you. Kylie, from our enterprise beginnings to now leading a staff. Amid all the chaos, thank you for always matching my obnoxious laughs. Ella, for two years, we watched each other grow from afar, but our paths were meant to cross. Thank you for your sensible attitude that keeps me afloat and for laughing at all my jokes. Both of you are so talented with remarkable accomplishments ahead. What better than a blossoming friendship between three girls in the midst of journalistic disorder. All-Female Big Three!
I also want to thank my mom, Ingrid; my dad, Juan Fernando and my brother, Juan Felipe, for supporting my dreams of becoming a journalist. Even three hours away, I feel your presence in all my Gainesville adventures.
As I transition into life’s next lesson, a lump taunts my throat knowing I’ll never be 19 again discovering journalism for the first time alongside wonderful people. But I smile knowing there are generations of journalists to come, who will laugh, cry, smile and love just as hard in this office.
And sometimes, the grass, or situationally the trees on 13th Street, are greener on the other side.
Nicole Beltran was the Spring 2025 engagement managing editor.
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1. MOVIES: Which animated movie was the first to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award?
1. MEASUREMENTS: How many inches are in a mile?
2. GEOGRAPHY: Interior and exterior film shots of Alnwick Castle in England are featured in the first two movies of which film series?
3. TELEVISION: What was the last name of the family in the sitcom "Married ... With Children"?
2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific community?
4. LITERATURE: For which category is the Caldecott Medal awarded?
5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Also known as a double eagle, what is the golf term for scoring three under par on a hole?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “sub-” mean in English?
6. ANATOMY: What is the protein that carries oxygen in the blood?
7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was the first to name a woman as a Cabinet member?
4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?
8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby toad called?
9. FOOD & DRINK: Which fast-food chain's secret ingredient is 11 herbs and spices?
10. ASTRONOMY: How many moons does Mars have?
5. LITERATURE: Which 20th-century movie star penned the autobiography “Me: Stories of My Life”?
6. HISTORY: What was the first National Monument proclaimed in the United States?
7. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the island of Luzon located?
8. MOVIES: Which sci-fi movie has the tagline, “Reality is a thing of the past”?
1.
1. Driver Scott Dixon, winner of six IndyCar season championships from 2003-2020, represents what country?
2. Name the sportswriter and TV journalist who served as a commentator for HBO Sports' boxing coverage from 1978-2012.
9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine?
3. John John Florence, Filipe Toledo, Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers are elite athletes in what sport?
10. GAMES: What are the four railroad properties in Monopoly?
4. Auricular hematoma, a condition often affecting wrestlers, boxers, rugby players and mixed martial artists, is better known by what name?
Answers
5. The Philadelphia Bell, Memphis Southmen, Southern California Sun and the Hawaiians were among the teams in what professional football league that operated from 1974-75?
1. 63,360 inches
6. Name the musician and TV/radio personality who composed the "Roundball Rock" theme song for NBC's coverage of the NBA beginning in 1990.
2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
3. Below or insufficient
7. In 1959, infielder Pumpsie Green became the first Black player to appear in a game for what American League team?
4. Grover Cleveland 5. Katharine Hepburn 6. Devils Tower, 1906 7. The Philippines 8. “The Matrix” 9. The USS Nautilus
10. Pennsylvania, Short
Tadpole.
New Zealand.
Surfing.
Cauliflower ear.
The World Football League (WFL).
John Tesh.
The Boston Red Sox.
El Caimán
LUNES, 21 DE ABRIL DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
Un legado en color: La Asociación de Estudiantes Hispanos celebra su 40º aniversario con una Noche de Museo
EL EVENTO FUE UNO DE VARIOS ORGANIZADOS POR HSA COMO PARTE DE UNA SEMANA DE CELEBRACIÓN
Por Gabriella Chavez
Escritora de El Caimán
La Asociación de Estudiantes Hispanos (HSA, por sus siglas en inglés) de la Universidad de Florida organizó una Noche de Museo el 16 de abril en La Casita y el Instituto de Cultura Afroamericana, celebrando los 40 años de legado de la organización y honrando la historia, las contribuciones y la presencia de la comunidad hispana y latinx en el campus.
“El propósito principal de esta noche es realmente educar e informar a las personas sobre la historia de la comunidad hispana y latinx aquí en UF y en el estado de la Florida”, dijo Matthew Urra, de 22 años, estudiante de último año de ciencias políticas y francés en la UF y presidente de HSA. “Es algo que creo que nunca habíamos hecho antes”. A raíz de recientes cambios legislativos, la organización ha sufrido una pérdida de recursos y programación en el campus, comentó Urra. Estos cambios están relacionados con la eliminación del financiamiento estatal para iniciativas de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión en las universidades públicas de Florida, lo cual
ha afectado a muchos grupos culturales y basados en identidades en el campus. Como parte de un esfuerzo por comenzar a preservar y documentar su historia, los miembros de HSA decidieron dar vida a esa visión por medio de una noche de museo. Los integrantes del club crearon nueve exhibiciones distintas que exploraban el legado de la organización—desde historias orales y la fundación de los institutos culturales de la UF hasta instalaciones artísticas comunitarias interactivas. Entre las exhibiciones hubo una serie de charlas informativas que ofrecieron un vistazo a las experiencias personales y raíces culturales de personas hispanaslatinx, donde los participantes compartieron no solo sus experiencias en la UF y su participación en el campus, sino también a sus infancias, orígenes culturales e historias familiares.
Rafael Solórzano, profesor asistente en el Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos de la UF, habló sobre movimientos sociales al destacar la “Ruta de los Sueños” (Trail of Dreams), una caminata de 1,500 millas desde Miami hasta Washington, D.C., organizada en el 2010 por cuatro estudiantes del Miami Dade College para abogar por los migrantes indocumentados.
La marcha incluyó paradas en iglesias, hogares, campus universitarios y centros comunitarios, donde los caminantes interactuaron con grupos locales y hablaron
con los medios de comunicación. La protesta cuestionó la inacción del expresidente Barack Obama y del Congreso de los Estados Unidos en relación con la reforma migratoria. Solórzano también compartió fotos e historias de la parada de la Ruta en Gainesville, incluyendo acciones en la Plaza de las Américas de la UF y una reunión en Hurley Hall, que ahora es el sitio de los Midtown Apartments. El mencionó cómo la Ruta de los Sueños trajo esperanza a las comunidades migrantes y estableció el activismo en la historia local y regional.
“El Día del Museo de hoy es una movida de la memoria, porque busca documentar y celebrar colectivamente la historia latinx de la UF”, dijo. “Al celebrarlo en este momento particular, aquí en Gainesville, en toda la UF, en el estado de la Florida, en los Estados Unidos, es un establecimiento activo de resistencia, una resistencia a ser borrados de este campus.”
Además de las charlas y exhibiciones, el evento también ofreció actividades festivas, con clases de baile de salsa y bachata a cargo de Ascendance y Gator Salsa. Música animada resonaba por todo el edificio, creando un ambiente enérgico que atrajo a los visitantes. Los invitados también se reunieron para disfrutar de una variedad de aperitivos y bocadillos, que aportaron ambiente y sabor a la celebración.
Más allá del baile y la celebración, la noche también tuvo un sentimiento más profundo.
A través de la música y el movimiento, se expresó un orgullo significativo—un recordatorio del valor de celebrar la cultura y mantenerse conectado con la comunidad, especialmente en tiempos difíciles. “Creo que es difícil celebrar con todo lo que está pasando, es realmente abrumador", dijo Imani Sanchez, estudiante de último año de ciencias políticas y estudios internacionales en UF, de 21 años, y directora ejecutiva de la oficina de asuntos políticos de HSA. “Realmente quería crear un evento que celebrará la cultura, y esto también es un acto en sí mismo, para decir: ‘Todavía estamos aquí, todavía vamos a estar aquí, y vamos a estar orgullosos de quiénes somos.’”
Las celebraciones por el 40 aniversario continuaron durante toda la semana, con más eventos que destacan el legado e impacto de HSA. El 17 de abril, la organización presentó una proyección del documental del Programa de Historia Oral de Samuel Proctor, The Making of La Casita, que explora los orígenes y la importancia del Instituto de Culturas Hispano-Latinx de la UF. La semana concluyó el 18 de abril con una ‘Noche de Gala’, una ceremonia de premiación que reconoce los logros de los miembros de HSA y de la comunidad hispana en general durante el último año.
@gabriellach19 gchavez@alligator.org
A legacy in color: Hispanic student association celebrates 40th anniversary with Museum
THE EVENT WAS ONE OF SEVERAL HOSTED BY HSA AS PART OF A WEEKLONG CELEBRATION
By Gabriella Chavez Alligator Staff Writer
UF’s Hispanic Student Association hosted a Museum Night on April 16 at La Casita and the Institute of Black Culture, celebrating the organization’s 40-year legacy and honoring the history, contributions and presence of the Hispanic and Latinx community on campus.
“The main purpose of tonight is really just to educate and inform people about the history of the Hispanic Latinx community here at UF and in the state of Florida,” said 22-year-old Matthew Urra, a UF political science and French senior and president of HSA. “It's something that I don't think we've ever done before.”
In light of recent legislative changes, the organization has experienced a loss of resources and programming on campus, Urra said. These changes are tied to the elimination of state funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at Florida’s public universities, which has affected many cultural and identity-based groups across campus. As part of an effort to begin preserving and documenting their history, HSA members decided to bring that vision to life through a museum night. The club members curated nine exhibits exploring the organization’s legacy — from oral histories and the founding of UF’s cultural institutes to interactive community art displays.
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Among the exhibits was a collection of informative talks offering insight into the personal journeys and cultural roots of Hispanic-Latinx people, where participants shared not only their experiences at UF and involvement on campus, but also their upbringings, cultural backgrounds and family stories.
Rafael Solórzano, a UF assistant professor at the Center for Latin American Studies, spoke about social movements by highlighting the Trail of Dreams — a 1,500-mile walk from Miami to Washington, D.C., organized in 2010 by four Miami Dade College students to advocate for undocumented migrants.
The march included stops at churches, homes, campuses and community centers, where the walkers engaged with local groups and spoke to the media. The protest challenged the inaction of former U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Congress on immigration reform. Solórzano also shared photos and stories from the trail’s stop in Gainesville, including actions at UF’s Plaza of the Americas and a rally at Hurley Hall, which is now the site of Midtown Apartments. He emphasized how the Trail of Dreams brought hope to migrant communities and rooted activism in local and regional history.
“Today's museum day is a memory movida, because it sets out to document and to celebrate UF Latinx history collectively,” he said. “By celebrating this at this particular moment, here in Gainesville, across UF, in the state of Florida, in the United States, it is an active stance of refusal; a refusal to be erased from this campus.”
In addition to talks and exhibits, the event also offered festive activities, with bachata and salsa dance classes
Night
led by Ascendance and Gator Salsa. Lively music echoed throughout the building, creating an energetic atmosphere that drew in attendees. Guests also gathered around to enjoy a spread of different snacks and finger food, adding warmth and flavor to the night’s celebration.
Beyond dancing and celebration, the night also carried a deeper sense of purpose. Through the music and movement, there was a meaningful expression of pride — a reminder of the value in celebrating culture and staying connected to community, especially during difficult times.
“I think it's hard to celebrate with all the things that are happening, it's really overwhelming,” said 21-year-old Imani Sanchez, a UF political science and international studies senior and the HSA executive director of the office of political affairs. “I really did want to make an event that celebrated culture, and this also is an act in itself, to be like, ‘We're still here, we're still going to be here, and we're going to be proud of who we are.’”
The 40th anniversary celebrations continue throughout the week, with more events highlighting the legacy and impact of HSA. On April 17, the organization is hosting a screening of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program’s documentary The Making of La Casita, which explores the origins and significance of UF’s Institute of HispanicLatinx Cultures. The week will conclude on April 18 with ‘Noche de Gala,’ an awards ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of HSA members and the broader hispanic community over the past year.
@gabriellach19 gchavez@alligator.org
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MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/sports
FEATURE
Beyond the field: Florida athletes pursue medical school ambitions
THREE UF STUDENT-ATHLETES BALANCE RIGOROUS PREHEALTH COURSES ALONGSIDE THEIR DEMANDING SPORTS
By Hailey Hurst Sports Writer
At 6 a.m., a gymnast begins her day, knocking out her classes before heading to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for training. A few miles down the road, a left fielder takes swings at Katie Seashole Pressly stadium. Just across the street, a soccer player made her way to the field for team practice drills.
While all three UF student-athletes each tackle a different sport with unique schedules, they share the same dream: a future in medicine.
The idea of a full-time student-athlete pursuing a path to medical school seems chal-
LACROSSE
BOTH PLAYERS WERE NAMED TEWAARATON TOP 25 NOMINEES
By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
On the field, Kaitlyn Davies and Theresa Bragg are two of the most reliable forces on No. 4 Florida lacrosse, forming one of the most formidable pairings in the nation. Off the field, the two juniors are even closer, rarely spending a moment away from one another.
“There’s those people everyone knows as a duo, and that’s how we
lenging, but it's far from impossible. Florida Gators senior gymnast Bri Edwards is proof.
“The day that I got that call, I was just so overjoyed — I checked the portal, and I said that I was 100% attending,” Edwards shared, explaining the moment she opened her acceptance letter. “The next day, I went to the bookstore, and I bought a University College of Medicine T-shirt, and I wear it all the time.”
The Florida native grew up “nerdy,” having a love for building robots and a curiosity for anything scientific. Her fascination for medicine peaked after suffering a childhood injury.
“But, as I've gotten older, I think it's developed into something much deeper, and there's a much bigger purpose behind it than just the science,” Edwards said.
From the moment Edwards stepped on campus, she knew she wanted to pursue a path to medical school. Being a gymnast, however, made her journey far from easy. Gymnastics is a tough sport mentally and
are,” Davies said. “If I’m by myself without her, everyone’s asking me where she is… it’s like we do everything together.”
That’s noticeable every game, as the midfielder and defender have developed into cornerstones of Florida’s roster. Davies, hailing from Wayne, New Jersey, has excelled allaround for the Gators this season. She’s scored 35 goals while adding 25 draw controls and 23 ground balls, ranking top 4 on the team in each category.
Meanwhile, Bragg, from Severna Park, Maryland, continues to dominate as Florida’s top defender. Trailing the opponent’s best attacker
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physically, and Edwards had to give her all to her team before going home and doing the same with her schooling.
Through trial and error, Edwards found a schedule that best fits for her. When she’s at the gym, she’s locked into her craft. When she’s doing schoolwork, she’s equally focused, trying not to let the two intersect.
Now, she looks forward to mentoring her younger teammates and passing down her experiences to those who want to pursue medicine or need proficient study habits. But these Gator gymnasts aren’t the only studentathletes interested in a medical career.
Across UF’s campus, senior left fielder Korbe Otis shares the same dream. She felt a spark for medicine since childhood, and her passion has only grown stronger with time.
When Otis wasn’t practicing in the outfield or taking swings in the batting cage, she spent time with her grandfather. He watched over her during the day while her parents were both at work, often taking her along to his
nearly every game, she leads the Gators with 23 caused turnovers. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. The junior has been a stalwart at Florida, starting all 60 games she’s played.
Thanks to their performances this season, Davies and Bragg were both named top 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, which honors the best player in collegiate lacrosse.
“When you look at the Tewaaraton, it’s a combination of everything. You have to be a really good lacrosse player, but you have to have the leadership,” Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary said. “Kaitlyn and Theresa fit that bill perfectly.”
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cardiologist appointments. Like most young children, Otis didn’t enjoy being at the doctor’s. The cold, sterile environment of the office constantly made her feel nervous — especially when the visit involved someone she loved.
However, her grandfather’s cardiologist included her in every aspect of the visit to ease her fears. They let her wear the stethoscope, placing the metal against her grandpa’s chest and walking her through what the sounds meant with gentle explanations. The doctor visits soon became exciting, an opportunity to fulfill her fascination with helping people. At the time, Otis didn’t realize how closely her interests would align.
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@haileyjhurst hhurst@alligator.org
While their stats and accolades speak for themselves, it’s their relationship — rooted in trust and communication — that elevates them. Sometimes, it even includes some tough love.
“They hold each other accountable,” O’Leary said. “And they will call each other out if they’re not doing what the other thinks they should be doing. That’s how you make each other better.”
Both players agree.
They regularly discuss how they can improve and how to help the other do the same. When Davies was held in check against Stetson on April 15, she was frustrated, and
Bragg was not only there to support her teammate, but help her improve. The duo spent extra time together practicing their shooting, and Davies followed with four goals against Cincinnati on April 19.
“We’ll collaborate and talk about what we need to do better,” Davies said. “I look to her for the defensive side of things, and she’ll tell me what she sees on the offensive side.”
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