are politicians purging ‘identity politics’ from UF’s general education curriculum?
STATE-MANDATED REVIEW STRIPPED GENERAL EDUCATION DESIGNATIONS FROM HUNDREDS OF COURSES
By Zoey Thomas & Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writers
Last spring, Anna Peterson’s syllabi went under the microscope.
Administrators and state officials spent the last year painstakingly examining the UF religion professor’s courses — along with hundreds of others in the university's general education catalog.
The review, driven by the state university system’s Board of Governors, ensured the courses fell in line with a GOP-backed law targeting perceived left-wing bias in higher education.
The Board of Governors, a majority of which are appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis, finalized the review in January, voting to whittle down UF’s general education catalog from more than 1,200 courses to just under 300.
More than three-fourths of courses cut came from humanities and social sciences. Starting the next academic year, UF students won't have general education options for any foreign language. As a department, languages lost over 40 courses in subjects ranging from Japanese to Spanish.
Women’s studies — one of the Republican-dominated legislature’s most frequently criticized programs — is losing all eight of its general education courses. Likewise, all of UF’s environmental engineering and African-American studies courses will become electives.
The religion department had the
second-most courses removed after languages, although several still remain available.
A rule barring upper-division courses from the general education pool ousted scores of courses. Others had already been requested for removal by UF’s academic departments or hadn’t been taught in years.
But the logic behind some cuts — and who made those calls — remains hazy.
The 2023 state law that triggered the review says state universities’ general education catalogs — made up of courses in communications, math, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences — “may not distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics.”
It also outlaws “unproven, speculative, or exploratory content” from the general education curriculum and requires humanities courses to include selections from the Western Canon. The committee defined the canon as foundational works that shaped Western development.
Peterson said her department doesn’t know why some general education offerings, like an introductory course on the New Testament, didn’t fall within the new standards. She speculated her course “Religion and Social Movements,” which investigates religion’s social role in the U.S., Britain, Asia, Latin America and Africa, was “too woke.”
“We’re all just pretty baffled,” Peterson said.
Florida Republicans and conservative academics have praised the purge as a remedy for what they see as progressive orthodoxy in higher education.
Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the state university system, said in an
‘They can’t go back’: Florida immigrants anxious amid deportation crackdowns
COMMUNITIES GRAPPLE WITH LEGAL VARIABILITY AS SHIFTING POLICIES THREATEN LIVES BUILT IN THE U.S.
By Vera Lucia Pappaterra Alligator Staff Writer
Andres, a 60-year-old immigrant from Venezuela with a 30-year background in mechanical engineering, works 60 hours a week as a Lyft and DoorDash driver.
When the Venezuelan military started harassing Empresas Polar, the company he worked for, Andres
lost his job. The Venezuelan government accused the company, the largest food and beverage distributor in the country, of creating false scarcity. Andres, whose last name is omitted due to his immigration status, was no longer able to be employed in Venezuela. He sought asylum in the United States three years ago, he said.
“Leaving the country, that’s the hardest thing,” he said. “After that, you tell yourself, ‘You have to be strong, [and] you have to overcome adversity.’”
Andres started a new life in the U.S. under asylum. Now, he fears the life he has worked to rebuild in
America might be stripped from his grasp as President Donald Trump's administration escalates deportation efforts.
Until he finds out what his future holds, Andres spends his days navigating Gainesville’s streets, picking up passengers and delivering food far from the factory floors where he once worked as an engineer for Empresas Polar.
Although he works legally while his asylum case remains pending, Andres doesn’t feel secure while he waits for a decision on his application, which could mean being
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) shoots the ball in a basketball game against Auburn University on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Auburn, Ala.. Read more in Sportson pg. 12.
Immigrants worry about their future in the U.S.
DEPORTATION, from pg. 1
forced to leave the U.S.
“No immigrant is truly safe until their case is resolved, until they have legal status,” he said. “I’m within the system, but I won’t feel at ease until I have formal residency — something permanent.”
For people like Andres, the Sunshine State is an ideal destination for those fleeing political instability and economic hardship. Nearly 2.8 million immigrants poured into the U.S. from July 2023 to July 2024 — over 411,000 of whom chose Florida as their destination.
Changes in policy
Gov. Ron DeSantis promised to veto an immigration enforcement bill, called the TRUMP Act, in January, citing it wasn’t harsh enough. If passed, it would allocate more than $500 million for local enforcement, increase criminal penalties for unauthorized immigrants, create a new state office to oversee deportation and mandate the death penalty for any illegal immigrant convicted of a capital offense, like raping or murdering a child.
The bill emerged from a DeSantisordered special legislative session after Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez rejected initial proposals. The state legislature’s version shifted some immigration enforcement authority away from the governor’s office to the state’s agriculture commissioner, Wilton Simpson.
The Trump administration announced Feb. 1 it will end Temporary Protected Status, which allows immigrants to work in the U.S. without risk of deportation, by April 7. More than 300,000 Venezuelans are in the U.S. under former President Joe Biden’s 2023 designation, including Andres. Trump’s administration announced a TPS extension for Ukranians and Sudanese due to “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”
Those once protected from deportation must now scramble to find a legal pathway to remain in the U.S. Like thousands of immigrants in Florida, Andres is caught in legal limbo, waiting for a decision that could shape the rest of his life.
Legal aid
Federal immigration laws have been in place for decades, said Freddy Maldonado, an immigration lawyer based in Gainesville. Undocumented immigrants, especially those with criminal records or deportation orders, and those losing TPS are the most susceptible to changes under the Trump administration, he said.
"Unless you fall into one of those categories, from a legal perspective, you're not going to see too much change," he said.
Those in the U.S. legally or through protected programs should be safe from deportation, he added.
Immigrants can still obtain legal status through various avenues, including petitions from family or employers, proof of marriage to a U.S. citizen and green cards. What chang-
es is how state-level policies like the TRUMP Act shape how immigration enforcement is carried out in Florida, Maldonado said.
For those who cannot afford legal representation in the process of preserving their residency in the U.S., immigration attorneys frequently offer free or “relatively affordable” consultations to clients to discuss concerns, Maldonado added. Legal aid organizations like Florida Legal Services Inc. and immigration clinics, like that at the UF Levin College of Law, are also available.
Maldonado's firm has witnessed a surge in inquiries from immigrants who fear policy changes could impact their futures in the U.S.
"We're booking appointments out for two weeks from now, which is something that we've never done before,” he said. “People who have had the option to adjust status for years or decades are now seriously considering doing something about it.”
Seeking safety
Carlos Casanova, a UF lecturer at the Hamilton Center, knows firsthand what it means to flee political persecution. He didn’t just witness oppression — he became a target himself.
As a professor at Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas from 1996 to 2003, Casanova was vocal about the government’s increasing control over higher education. He saw universities as one of the last independent institutions in the country, and he fought to keep them free from political influence, he said.
When the government forcibly removed university leaders and replaced them with political allies, Casanova organized student protests to resist the takeover. He quickly became a recognizable figure in the national opposition.
Then, the threats started. He was told the National Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services of Venezuela was “watching him.”
“I knew what that meant,” Casanova said. “People were being killed, and the government would say it was a common crime or an accident. It was never an accident.”
He had seen it before. Professors, journalists, union leaders — anyone who spoke out against the government — were disappearing or turning up dead under suspicious circumstances.
After a brief coup attempt against Hugo Chávez in 2002, the government cracked down harder on dissent. Casanova left Venezuela for a visiting scholar position in the U.S. in 2003 intending to return after a year. While abroad, he realized it was unsafe to return.
Instead, he built a life abroad — first in the U.S., then in Chile for nearly 17 years — before returning to Florida in 2023 for a position at UF. But even after decades away, Venezuela’s crisis remains personal. He still has family there, and some of his relatives in the U.S. rely on TPS. The abrupt termination of protections will devastate families who built their lives in the U.S. after escaping a country in economic collapse, he
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said.
“The U.S. government invited these people to seek protection,” he said. “Now, suddenly, they’re reversing that promise. What happens to them? They can’t go back.”
Casanova’s cousin in Miami is one of those facing an uncertain future. He and his wife both work to support their two daughters, one of whom just started college. Losing TPS means losing work permits and protection from deportation. Their only option is to return to Venezuela.
Casanova said the U.S. has a moral obligation to honor commitments made under previous administrations.
Conversations once filled with hope about legal status are being replaced by fears of entire lives being split apart, he added.
“This isn’t about policy anymore,” Casanova said. “It’s about people’s lives.”
Deportation realities
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has four detention centers for detained immigrants in Florida, including the Baker County Detention Center. Most detainees are held for non-criminal immigration violations, said Joan Anderson, founder of Baker Interfaith Friends, a local advocacy group supporting detainees through visitation programs. These detainees experience conditions more grueling than serving a criminal sentence, she added.
Baker Interfaith Friends strives to better understand the complexities of immigration by learning about the backgrounds of those detained. It offers socialization and a shoulder to cry on for immigrants. On a visit to a private prison facility in Folkston, Georgia, the organization met with people from North Africa who had made arduous journeys, often taking up to two years to reach the U.S.
"They were so happy when they crossed the border, because they... were sure that when people were aware of the situations that they left, that they would be welcomed and cared for,” Anderson said.
While pathways to legal status exist, each comes with barriers, including backlogs, high costs and complex legal requirements. Many immigrants struggle to secure legal assistance, prolonging their cases and increasing the risk of deportation. For those like Andres, whose asylum case remains pending, or Casanova’s cousin, who faces the loss of TPS, legal status is more than just paperwork — it’s the difference between security and uncertainty, stability and displacement. @veralupap vpappaterra@alligator.org.
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UF community discusses state general education review
emailed statement wiping out “indoctrinating concepts” from general education offerings makes Florida “the only state in the nation to address the number one reason why the American people have lost confidence in higher education.”
The state-mandated overhaul, however, left administrators and professors at UF scrambling to improvise a system to review, and sometimes revise, over 1,200 general education syllabi. Administrators and professors expressed confusion and frustrations in emails and meetings, citing poor transparency and short deadlines.
Regardless of political opinions on the review, “administratively, it’s been a nightmare,” Peterson said.
The first sweep
The review began last Spring when the General Education Committee — made up of professors, administrators and student government representatives — emailed a questionnaire to academic units across the university.
The form included four questions about courses’ compliance with the state’s new restrictions. If they didn’t, respondents had to explain how the concepts were taught from a neutral perspective.
Responses varied in effort and enthusiasm.
One professor submitted a 530-word outline for how she would modify her course “Religions in India” to fall within the new Western Canon requirement. Future sections, the professor wrote, will include India’s connection with Greece, the U.S. and the Bible, using works from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Daivd Thoreau.
Other responses were more curt.
An administrator gave a one-word explana-
tion for exactly where a course titled “Is There Culture in Architecture?” veered into teaching systemic oppression: “homelessness.” One entry for a philosophy course on how its instructor ensured neutrality on identity politics read: “I do my best.”
Administrators and the General Education Committee parsed through more than 1,000 course evaluations throughout the Spring 2024 semester. They nixed general education designations from over half of them, updated another one-fourth to comply with the new guidelines and left the remainder alone. The UF Board of Trustees approved that list in June.
The unexplained second — and third — cuts
When the General Education Committee returned for its first meeting of the academic year in August, one member said it learned more courses had been flagged for removal with no clear explanation as to why or who had done so.
The Board of Trustees planned to approve the revised list later that month, but thenProvost Scott Angle tabled the vote because it needed “further review to ensure we are 100-percent compliant with our state laws and Board of Governors regulations before submission,” according to meeting minutes.
The list reappeared on the board’s agenda in October with over 150 additional courses moved onto the chopping block. At that point, some administrators became confused about the review process.
“While we knew about the process, we did not know, until now, about the content of that list,” Gillian Lord, an associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, told department chairs in an email obtained by The Alligator. Lord, reached through a university spokesperson, didn’t respond for comment.
According to Lord, 60% of the 1,181 re-
viewed general education courses were slated for removal. The university was converting some courses to electives because they didn’t meet the state’s new requirements, Lord said. Others fell short because they were “too narrow in scope” to be considered general education or were no longer being taught.
“I’m sure there will be no lack of emotions upon reading the list,” she wrote, assuring faculty that administration was prepared to address shifts in enrollment and staffing needs brought about by the cuts.
The October audit included more than 500 approved courses, a little over half of which
had updated syllabi. But the final list approved by the Board of Governors in January included only about 300 courses — meaning hundreds didn’t make the final cut even though they hadn’t previously been flagged for removal.
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
@zoeythomas39 zthomas@alligator.org
@garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org
The state of Florida is reviewing all general education courses to make sure they align with new standards.
image: (detail) Aisha Ayensu, Christie Brown Batakari Minidress 2009, Gift of Dr. Christopher Richards
Jea Nace // Alligator Staff
Graduate student memorial in jeopardy ahead of University Village South demolition
A GARDEN MEMORIAL WAS BUILT TO
COMMEMORATE
WELCH MCNAIR BOSTICK III AFTER HE WAS KILLED IN A BICYCLE ACCIDENT
By Shaine Davison Alligator Staff Writer
As the demolitions of Maguire Village and University Village South loom, UF graduate students are rallying to save the once-bustling communities. But for former UVS resident Carmen Valero-Aracama, the demolitions pose an additional loss: a memorial of her husband.
Welch McNair Bostick III, ValeroAracama’s husband and former UF agricultural and biological engineering doctoral student, was hit by a car and killed in an on-campus bicycle accident in 2006. He was 34 years old.
Survived by Valero-Aracama and their 9-month-old son Luca, Bostick left behind a legacy of service for UVS. As an elected representative for UVS — affectionately known as “the Mayor” — Bostick helped make drastic improvements like adding free Wi-Fi, planting community gardens and running gardening workshops.
To memorialize Bostick’s passion for plants, Valero-Aracama and other UVS residents planted a memorial garden after his passing. Fitted with a bench and an honorary plaque, the garden was inspired by traditional landscaping from Japan — the place where Bostick and Valero-Aracama first met and fell in love, she said.
Valero-Aracama, who is now 50 years old and lives in St. Louis, Missouri, visited the memorial in March 2024 with Luca Bostick-Valero, now 19, who has no memories of Bostick.
“It’s the only thing he has left of his father,” Valero-Aracama said.
But when the pair stepped onto University Village South’s grounds nearly two decades after moving out, it was nothing close to how ValeroAracama remembered it.
She and Bostick-Valero had to jump a chained fence to reach Bostick’s memorial site, only to be met with bits and pieces of it. The garden was in disarray, and the swing bench and commemorative plaque were missing.
And the villages — where she threw her baby shower surrounded by loved ones, celebrated holidays with her neighbors and spent time in the pool and playground with her husband and infant son — were empty.
”It was a perfect place to live,” Valero-Aracama said.
In 2020, the university announced plans to demolish the villages, citing concerns they were “beyond economical renovation.” By Summer 2023 — a year before Valero-Aracama and Bostick-Valero visited the site — all residents had moved out.
The demolitions are projected to be completed by the end of 2025.
After her visit, Valero-Aracama emailed university officials asking about the fate of the memorial. Ten months later, a housing official got back to her, saying the plaque was in storage but the whereabouts of the bench were unknown.
The memorial was “a way for us to grieve his loss,” Valero-Aracama said. “It seems like they don’t really care about that… I wish my son could come back and see that.”
At Frazier Rogers Hall, located roughly two miles from UVS on the opposite side of campus, there’s another memorial to Bostick: a laboratory with his namesake. The agriculture and biological engineering department also has a scholarship in his name.
During Valero-Aracama and Bostick-Valero’s visit, they visited the laboratory with Jim Jones, a retired UF professor in agricultural and biological engineering and one of Bostick’s mentors.
“I think it’s a real tribute to him and his family,” Jones said of the laboratory. “It was really great to see her and just see Luca’s reaction to
[the] plaque and going into the lab.” Jones hadn’t seen the pair since they moved away nearly 20 years ago, and he said walking into the laboratory brought back memories of Bostick’s time at UF. Valero-Aracama, Bostick-Valero and Jones saw the plaque dedicating the room to Bostick, and they met with graduate students.
“He [Luca] reminds me an awful lot of his father,” Jones said.
Jones said Bostick remains one of his best students, having earned top grades and helping conduct research on improving soil and crop yields in Mali, a country in West Africa. Bostick had almost finished his dissertation when he was killed.
“I was hoping that when I did retire, he would be one of the candidates to replace me,” Jones said. “He was just an outstanding person.”
The fallout of fake IDs, UF’s open secret
FAKE IDS ARE A FELONY IN FLORIDA, BUT WHAT ARE THE REAL CONSEQUENCES?
By Kaysheri Haffner Alligator Staff Writer
When Tucker Nee bought a fake ID for his first semester at UF, he didn’t realize that in two months, he’d be spending a night in the Alachua County Jail. What followed was 11 months of court proceedings and attorney fees, resulting in a mark on his permanent record.
“I understood it was against the law,” Nee said. “I did not realize it was such a serious thing. I wish I had.”
Nee, a 19-year-old UF finance sophomore, was arrested in October 2023 for disorderly intoxication, possessing a fake ID and nonviolently resisting arrest. He was 18-years-old at the time of the arrest. Nee doesn’t remember his encounter with the UF Police Department, only that one moment he was in a bar with his friends, and the next he was waking up in jail, he said.
“It was just like, ‘Oh my God,’” he said. “I just sat there, tried to be brave, I guess.”
In Florida, possessing a fake ID is a felony. If the charges go through, the resulting sentence can mean up to five years in prison, five years on probation and fines up to $5,000.
Yet despite the heavy consequences, fake IDs are still a common part of UF student culture. According to data from UPD, fake IDs made up nearly one in four UF police reports in 2024, and were among the top 10 crimes listed by UPD.
One student’s story
According to Nee’s arrest report, UPD officers found him running across an intersection at around 2:30 a.m. He appeared visibly drunk, so the officers asked to see his ID. Nee handed the officer his fake ID on accident, but admitted to it being false when the officer called him on it.
“Even in that blackout state, I knew you don’t give a cop a fake ID,” Nee said. “I knew not to do that, but it was right on the top of my wallet over my actual ID, so I pulled it out.”
The two UPD officers attempted to help Nee get home, but he became antagonistic and tried to run off, according to the report. The officers then restrained him and escorted him to the Alachua County Jail.
Waking up in jail was an awful experience, Nee said, but looking back he recognized the incident was the result of a larger drinking problem. Even though he knew he had a bad relationship with alcohol, he said he didn’t recognize the extent of it. He’s close to a year sober now.
“People tell me when I’m drunk it’s like Hyde and Jekyll,” he said.
After he was released from jail, Nee said he had to go through the slow anxiety of bureaucratic court proceedings. However, he thought the process treated him fairly, and, more importantly, he learned from it, he said.
When Nee bought the fake ID, he didn’t realize he committed a felony.
“It was one of those things where it didn’t feel like I was breaking a law, really,” Nee said.
“In my head, it was like, ‘Oh, everyone has a fake ID,’ and for the most part, that’s kind of true.”
The court withheld adjudication of guilt,
meaning Nee was found guilty but wasn’t formally convicted. His sentence was reduced to 12 months of probation with regular check-ins and drug testing.
What happens if you’re caught with a fake ID?
In the past eight years, according to data from UPD, there are less than 40 fake ID reports per year out of an undergraduate population of over 40,000 students. Despite the frequency that students are found with fake IDs, there have only been 14 arrests made since 2017. UPD spokesperson Maj. Latrell Simmons said there’s a reason for that.
“One of the things that we do that’s unique to here at UF, or even for Santa Fe College students, we will refer them to the SCCR [Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution office],” he said.
Officers encounter students with fake IDs fairly often, and it’s a point of concern, Simmons said.
However, referring the students to the SCCR dean’s office allows the university to approach the issue from an educational perspective.
When additional action is needed, UPD works with the court systems, Simmons said.
“Students sometimes are offered some type of deferred prosecution to lessen the charge, as long as they achieve certain levels of compliance, and the SCCR does play a role in that,” he said. “They hold the students accountable to fulfilling those requirements.”
Many situations with fake IDs often come down to officer discretion, he said.
According to UPD data, most fake ID cases are resolved as sworn complaints, which means a summary of the situation is sent to the
As Bostick’s loved ones grapple with the potential loss of the memorial, the university has no clear efforts to salvage it during the demolitions.
Kevin Senior, a 26-year-old graduate research assistant and president of the Graduate Student Council, is leading a charge within UF Student Government to fend off the demolitions. He said he believes any memorial dedicated to any UF community member should be preserved.
Senior spoke in person to some administrators roughly six months ago, and said there are plans being discussed regarding the memorial. Among talks about the memorial at the administrative level, it still isn’t clear what will happen to it.
“For those who were in the know, it was very confusing,” Senior said.
UF spokesperson Hannah Farell said in a statement to The Alligator that Housing and Residence Life is working with the Bostick family to “determine next steps,” in regards to the memorial.
“Several options have been discussed but no decision has been reached,” Farrell wrote.
In regards to the demolition, Valero-Aracama said she is sad to see the buildings go, in addition to the university’s lack of graduate oncampus housing options.
“They have other priorities, and definitely we’re not one of them,” she said.
@shainedavison sdavison@alligator.org
state attorney’s office to decide if a full investigation will be conducted. Very few students are referred to the SCCR, and it’s even rarer that a student is arrested, with only about 9% of fake ID cases resulting in an arrest.
Fraternity Row, Broward Hall and Beaty Towers are hotspots for reports on campus, but the Midtown bars are also alight with cases.
The Gainesville Police Department often has special details patrolling the Downtown and Midtown areas off campus, said Sgt. Nick Ferrara, a GPD detective.
“I think 75% of the people that I stop have one on them,” he said. “That may be a low figure, because it just seems like most of the time somebody’s got a fake.”
There’s been a recent uptick at GPD in arrests for fake IDs, Ferrara said. As technology has improved, getting a fake ID has become even more accessible. Having a fake ID, no matter whose name is on it, is a felony, and getting charged with one can be a “careerender,” Ferrara said.
“A lot of times I’ll kind of do them a favor, give them a break on the fake ID and scold them,” he said.
Even when cases are sent to the state attorney’s office, the courts don’t want to ruin a student’s history, Ferrara said. They often offer the student various alternatives so the case isn’t taken to trial, so long as the student pleads no contest to the charges.
Pleading no contest means the defendant agrees to accept their sentencing, but doesn’t admit responsibility for the charges. But if the student fights the charges, they can face prison time.
“It’s totally not worth it, and I have to shake my head every time I stop a kid,” Ferrara said.
@kaysheri_h khaffner@alligator.org
Courtesy of Carmen Valero-Aracama
Welch McNair Bostick III (left), Luca Bostick-Valero (center) and Carmen Valero-Aracama (right) pictured at their home in UVS.
‘They’re playing with real money’: Gamified apps hook young investors
BROKERAGE TOOLS WITH STIMULATING COLORS, DIGITAL CONFETTI POSITION TRADING AS ENTERTAINMENT
By Natalie Kaufman Alligator Staff Writer
Anoop Savio has hit it big, but he’s also suffered crushing blows. One swipe, and the 21-year-old UF finance master’s student could snag a few shares of AMC. Another swipe, and he’d sell some Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency token. In a few trades on the brokerage platform Robinhood, Savio could see the value of his portfolio plummet suddenly or watch his balance skyrocket.
Young investors like Savio can trade anytime, anywhere — and they’re doing it with unprecedented fervor.
Asset management reimagined
Online day trading took off in the late 1990s, with the widespread adoption of the Internet and a sharp rise in technology stocks. Investors no longer needed to call their broker to execute trades — they could do it themselves with a few clicks.
Twenty years later, a new dawn of day trading emerged during COVID-19 lockdowns. Stuck at home with little else to do and armed with government stimulus checks, retail investors downloaded trading apps and started investing aggressively.
Jay Ritter, a retired UF finance professor, attributed 2020’s speculation-as-entertainment boom to digital brokerage tools that make investing relatively seamless.
Aaron Goffstein, a 22-year-old UF finance senior, said he and his friends invest with Robinhood, a discount brokerage platform popular among young men. The platform offers a range of assets, including stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Robinhood removes the guesswork from investing with its daily roundup of trending stocks on the app’s home screen, Goffstein said. It also nudges users to make specific trades via push notifications.
But the app sometimes goes too far to court investors, Goffstein said, from its vibrant color scheme to its digital scratch-off cards and virtual confetti.
“The upside is just that people can access
the financial markets,” Goffstein said. “The downside is that the gamification of it where people are just playing it all day [and] they could be losing a lot of money, blowing up their accounts.”
Robinhood’s primary user base frequently engages in speculation, an investment strategy predicated on traders’ hope that high-risk trades will bear fruit. According to an Investopedia estimate, about 95% of speculative traders lose money.
A slippery slope
Jagger Liguori, a 23-year-old UF sports management master’s student, said he’s seen Robinhood investors tethered to the app, checking it hourly for market fluctuations.
Liguori, who downloaded Robinhood during its pandemic-era popularity, said he didn’t understand the hype and thinks some of its user engagement tools verge on gratuitous.
“All the bells and whistles, all the charts, all the different colors just made it borderline addictive to use,” Liguori said. “It kind of reminds me of marketplaces in video games.”
Robinhood’s business practices have drawn scrutiny from state and federal regulators. In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversees U.S. financial markets, alleged Robinhood misled and manipulated inexperienced users, resulting in catastrophic financial losses. The company denied the allegations and settled with the SEC for $65 million.
Other platforms, like the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, have faced regulatory entanglements. The SEC ruled Coinbase violated brokerage registration requirements, subjecting traders to fraud and depriving them of investment protections in June 2023.
Kirk Mowl, a 22-year-old UF business senior, cautiously experiments with Coinbase. Mowl primarily trades traditional equities like stocks and bonds but manages conservative crypto holdings in the Coinbase app. He warned that investors seeking reliable returns shouldn’t hold large amounts of the digital tokens.
“I feel like anything you put in there, you have to be willing to lose; it’s like gambling,” he said.
Like Robinhood, Coinbase brands itself as a tool for democratizing finance by making it more accessible for traders with limited experience and capital to invest. Both offer commission-free trading and fractional shares, making trades more accessible.
For example, a Coinbase user can purchase 0.1% of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin for about $100 and invest as little as $2 in a single transaction.
Along with its brokerage tools, Coinbase offers interactive crash courses, quizzes and games on cryptocurrency fundamentals. As traders progress through the learning modules, they can collect small amounts of crypto from the app. UF finance associate professor Baolian Wang compared Coinbase’s incentive mechanisms to casino games.
“If you only have a small amount [of crypto], you may not even consider it as an investment,” he said. “It’s a kind of fun; it’s an entertainment that’s cheaper than going to Vegas.”
Coinbase estimates about 30% of Gen Z and millennial investors own crypto. Meanwhile, young and highly risk-tolerant traders have embraced other speculative activities, such as sports gambling. Among adults who gamble regularly, nearly 25% of Gen Z consider it an investment, the financial technology company NerdWallet found last year.
What’s with “crypto bros” and “stock dudes?”
A recent JPMorgan Chase investor demographics report found the monthly share of adults under 40 entering the stock market has more than tripled in the past decade, with young men comprising a significant portion of market newcomers.
Ville Rantala, who teaches finance at the University of Miami, said young people are increasingly postponing major life decisions and funneling their disposable income into investments instead of saving for the future. That’s particularly true of young men, who have fallen behind women in higher education and the labor market.
Rantala said those with unclear job prospects and retirement horizons may take more risks with their money.
There’s also a potential biological explanation. Rantala said testosterone and sensationseeking behavior can catalyze patterns of excessive trading in young men.
Jayme Rudd, who avoids trading apps like Robinhood and Coinbase and volatile assets like cryptocurrency, said she understands why her male peers have adopted them.
Rudd, a 21-year-old UF information systems junior, thinks men take more financial risks than women because they associate aggressive
UF sees worst flu outbreak in a decade
MID-JANUARY FLU
POSITIVITY RATES
73% HIGHER THAN SAME TIME LAST YEAR
By Sofia Meyers Alligator Staff Writer
When Aidan Ragan woke up on a Monday morning in late January with a tickle in his throat, he chalked it up to allergies. He felt well enough — until he didn’t. By Thursday, symptoms including chills, headaches and fatigue hindered him from attending classes. A trip to UF Health revealed Ragan had the flu, which would take him another week to fend off.
Ragan said the flu hit him out of nowhere, and fast. He experienced body chills, headaches and fatigue as the flu took its course through his body.
“It felt like it coated my entire body,” he said. “I felt like the flu
was just like slime all over me.”
Ragan and over 200 other UF students fell victim to an influx of flu diagnoses from Jan. 13 to 26.
The surge came amid a recordbreaking cold weather spike last month, which forced people to stay indoors and made conditions optimal for the flu to spread.
Statewide, the percentage of people testing positive for the flu has hovered around 30% since mid-December. At UF, the figure was closer to 50% for the last half of January, according to UF Student Health Care Center figures.
Both the number of tests given and the number returned positive were higher at UF during that period than during the previous year. The UF Student Health Care Center administered nearly 50 more flu tests compared to last year, and the amount coming back positive jumped from 30% to 50%.
“This flu season is by far the
worst flu season we’ve had in 10 years,” said Nicole Iovine, chief hospital epidemiologist at UF Health Shands Hospital. The flu is notorious for hitting people suddenly, Iovine said. Students will go to morning classes and feel fine, but symptoms can begin surfacing in the afternoon.
The Florida Department of Health has reported over 21,000 influenza and influenza-like cases statewide as of Feb. 1. That total includes all cases reported since the flu season’s reporting start date in late September. By February of last year, just 11,700 had been reported — nearly half this year’s total.
This season has also stood out in emergency room visits. In the first week of February, flu and flulike illnesses made up a little less than 8% of discharge diagnoses at emergency room departments in Florida’s Region 2, the north central part of the state includ-
investment posturing with masculinity.
“It’s really because they’re taught that they can and women aren’t,” she said.
Women, including Rudd, are generally more risk-averse than men. A 2023 Wells Fargo analysis found about 39% of women take an aggressive investment approach, while 55% of men do.
Glamorizing long-shot bets
Conner Rathbun, a 21-year-old UF finance junior, thinks some young investors who consume trading advice online suffer from the fear of missing out.
“They hear people are making crazy money off GameStop stock, and they just want to get in on the action,” he said, referring to a coordinated effort among investors to bump the video game retailer’s stock price in 2021.
The GameStop trading frenzy originated on the Reddit forum “WallStreetBets.” Reddit users mobilized to buy shares of Gamestop to inflate the price and then rushed to sell before the bubble burst. Robinhood facilitated much of that trading.
In the past few years, thousands of young men seeking camaraderie and investing advice have flocked to what Christian Johnston calls “fin,” or finance, groups on the platform X. The 21-year-old UF finance master’s student said that’s also where investors will encounter more rags-to-riches stories than lessons on coping with financial loss.
Johnston said people posting online trading content tend to amplify their glittery wins and diminish their losses, so investors should take trading tips from social media with a grain of salt.
Experts recommend young people invest in their financial education before committing to stocks or cryptocurrency.
Sofia Johan, a Florida Atlantic University finance associate professor, said trading on stock and crypto exchange platforms is a buyer-beware pursuit, meaning users should be mindful of the risks.
“A hammer is great for building houses; a hammer can also bash your head in,” Johan said. “It’s the same thing with these online platforms.”
@Nat_Kauf nkaufman@alligator.org.
ing Alachua County. The threeyear average for that week was just around 2%, according to the Florida Flu Review published by the state’s department of health.
Florida saw 16 new outbreaks across multiple counties in the week of Jan. 26 alone. For the previous three years, the number of outbreaks in one week never exceeded seven throughout January.
Amanda Hiatt, a 21-year-old UF political science and women’s studies junior, got her flu shot Jan. 17. But by then, she’d already contracted the virus. She woke up the morning after her vaccination with a fever peaking at 103 degrees Fahrenheit that over-the-counter medicine couldn’t bring down.
Bogged down by other symptoms — including stomach aches, chills and coughing spells —, she slept through most of her battle with the virus, causing her to miss one week of classes and fall behind on coursework.
“It was probably the worst
sickness of my life,” Hiatt said. When 20-year-old UF marine science junior Finnigan Smith visited UF Health in hopes of alleviating symptoms including chills and a fever, the nurse helping him told him that every patient she’d seen that day had the flu. Even though Smith’s stint with the flu lasted just three days, he said it was the sickest he’d felt in two years.
“I was very foggy headed,” Smith said. “I felt like my head was dense.”
To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, Iovine encouraged getting flu shots, taking Tamiflu at the onset of symptoms, hand washing, avoiding touching your eyes and mouth and wearing a mask if you present symptoms. UF Health offers flu shots and information about the vaccine. They also offer a guide on steps to take if you are infected with the flu.
@SofiaMeyer84496 smeyers@alligator.org
A match made in Gainesville
THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL ROMANCE FROM FIVE COUPLES WHO MET IN ALACHUA COUNTY
By Morgan Vanderlaan Alligator Staff Writer
Sometime between sipping wine flights and making espresso martinis, Jessica Berger fell in love.
Berger, now 49, was a senior at UF in Spring 1998 when she took a “leisure” class on bartending offered through the Reitz Union. Her now-husband, 52-year-old Jason Berger, had originally wanted to take a wine tasting class, but when spots filled up, fate resorted to educating him on mixology instead.
When Jason Berger walked into class late on the first day, Jessica Berger noticed him immediately.
“The first night was…focusing on beer, and I’m just not a beer drinker,” she said. “And so he came up to me and said, ‘This is bartending class. Why aren’t you drinking anything?’”
He asked her on a date after their second class meeting, she said, and now, the couple lives in Palm City, Florida, with two daughters who are current UF students.
Gainesville’s student population has bred opportunities for young love and even led to lifelong fairytales. Whether it be two college students flirting over coffee or a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, the romantic memories made in Gainesville can last a lifetime.
Now, 27 years later, Jessica Berger said she and her husband’s love remains strong, all because she decided to switch up her routine and take the leisure course.
Gainesville’s a very special town, she said. The Bergers regularly revisit the Swamp each fall, using their football season tickets as an excuse for date night.
In 2023, 2,160 couples tied the knot in Gainesville, according to the Wedding Report Index. Yet the question of how to find a forever love remains complicated.
Between hookup culture being perpetuated from dating apps, social anxiety and an increase in “situationships,” younger generations are experiencing a much more pragmatic outlook on love, according to a 2022 BBC article. Other research shows 66% of members in Gen Z, an age group born between 1997 and 2012, accept the impermanence of relationships, leaving many hopeful romantics hope-
Hoffman // Alligator Staff
A Valentine’s-themed map highlights Gainesville’s most romantic “meet-cute” locations, where couples first met and fell in love at the University of Florida.
less.
Lolita Gerstenberger, who spent her undergraduate years in Gainesville, was fed up with the dating world. So much so, the now 46-yearold placed a Yahoo personal ad to find a romantic partner.
“I placed an ad right around New Year’s, and he replied New Year’s Eve, and we hit it off,” she said. “We talked, emailed back and forth for 12 days. We went on our first date January 12.”
It wasn’t love at first sight, she said, but the second date was like fireworks. When they first started dating, a favorite date night spot was the Hippodrome Theatre in downtown Gainesville.
A month after their first date, the couple got engaged.
“I was in my room getting ready to go out, and I turned around and he was on one knee,” she said.
After saying yes, Gerstenberger was treated to dinner at Northwest Grille, a Gainesville seafood staple, she said. She didn’t place the ad with the intention of immediately getting en-
UF REMOVES FIRST FALL, LIMITING CAMPUS ACCESS FOR INCOMING INNOVATION ACADEMY FRESHMEN
By Grace McClung Alligator Staff Writer
Freddie Dozer’s first semester at UF was typical. She lived in a dorm, went to football games and joined a sorority. Aside from being in the university’s Innovation Academy, an undergraduate pathway program preventing students from taking in-person classes during the Fall semester, the 19-year-old biology major was like any other freshman.
Her experience, dubbed “First Fall” by the IA community, was a feature of the IA program allowing students to participate in traditional fall aspects of college life — like on-campus living, football and Greek life — for the first Fall semester, even though the program follows a Spring-Summer semester schedule.
Applicants following in Dozer’s footsteps expected to have the same experience. But in the middle of the academy’s most recent admissions cycles, UF abruptly removed First Fall as an option. The move has left prospective students and their parents feeling duped.
gaged, but the two talked about plans for the future on their second date and “just knew” they were meant to be.
“I think we just were compatible to such a degree, and all of the requisite sparks and romance were there,” she said.
Running in similar crowds with overlapping interests is what drew 51-year-old Rob Meis to his wife. The couple were both involved in Greek life and met while working on the annual Gator Growl together.
Growing up in Gainesville taught Meis a lot about himself and his relationships with others, he said. In a city with over 140,000 people, the expression that there’s “plenty of fish in the sea” can feel overwhelming.
For Meis, the secret to a successful relationship is finding someone to be genuine with. Despite growing older and becoming parents, his relationship with his wife hasn’t really changed since their days in Gainesville, he said.
Meis advised younger people to get off of social media if they’re feeling lost in finding love.
Dozer said the students who applied to IA last Fall and thought they’d have a similar experience to her are now facing limited opportunities.
“They basically got cheated out of [First Fall], and now it’s this whole big thing,” she said.
Dozer said First Fall helped her adjust to college, make friends and feel connected to campus, so she’s worried the change will impact IA students’ relationships and trust in UF.
The IA offers students an exclusive entrepreneurship-centric minor program, but is reverting back to its original model, which doesn’t offer First Fall. Instead, students can live off campus and take classes online, take classes at another university, study abroad or stay home.
Students who enroll during the current admissions cycle will arrive on campus this Fall, but they won’t have access to campus activities and resources, including football tickets, Greek life and GATORONE cards, until they begin classes next spring. Their academic options are limited to taking courses online, at another institution or studying abroad.
It’s unclear why and when exactly UF’s administration made the change.
Communications regarding the program were murky, parents said, and prospective students and their families weren’t aware of the switch until after the regular decision applica-
“I think it [love] happens when you least expect it,” he said. “Just go out, be yourself, meet as many people as you can.”
Lori Haydu, a 60-year-old who lived in Gainesville from 1982 to 1986 while studying at UF, agreed love can sometimes be sitting right underneath your nose.
In the fall of her sophomore year, she said she met the love of her life, Robert Haydu, when hanging out with some friends in Jennings Hall.
“The funny thing we always remember is he came back with me to my dorm to get my purse before we went to the movies, and I introduced him to my roommate as Tom,” she said. “And he said, ‘My name is Rob,’ … That was the running joke for a long time.”
They started as best friends, but he had romantic feelings, Lori Haydu said. When looking into job opportunities after graduation, he was persistent in asking her out, she said. The couple has been together since.
While at Gainesville High School, 55-yearold Shannon Haas fell in love with her teenage sweetheart. She said she met Van Haas when she was only 16, and their first date ended on a visit to the Krispy Kreme on Northwest 13th Street, a well-loved haunt for UF students and Gainesville residents.
“He just had these big blue eyes, and I just looked into those eyes,” she said. “That was it [love].”
The two dated on and off for eight years before he popped the question, Haas said. During the Gators’ first home football game in September 1992, Van surprised her with tickets. Despite being quite jetlagged and overheating in the Florida sun, she was happy to go to the game with her love, Haas said.
While watching the game, Van kept mentioning how many planes were in the sky over the stadium, but Haas said she couldn’t see because of the visor she was wearing.
“I got the impression he really wanted me to look up in the sky,” she said. “As I looked up, there was a plane going by that said, ‘Shannon, will you marry me? Love Van.’”
The couple got married on the Thomas Center grounds, where they still return for date night picnics, she said. They’ve been together now for 40 years.
Love takes compromise, respect and laughter, Haas said, and it’s always worth it at the end of the day.
@morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org
tion deadline passed Jan. 15. The early action application deadline was Nov. 1 and decisions will come out March 14. Screenshots of the program’s website show First Fall was still being advertised as an option as recently as Feb. 1. The website has since been changed with any mention of First Fall opportunities removed.
One college adviser from an independent advising organization, who spoke to The Alligator anonymously for fear her statements would affect her job, said students feel like the “rug has been pulled out” from under them. So do professionals who were paid to advise students based on information that turned out to be false, the adviser said.
The adviser said they’ve received negative feedback from prospective IA families who are now changing their minds about UF.
“These are phenomenal students that want to grow and learn and contribute and really participate in all the things that UF offers most freshmen,” she said. “Frankly, they just would like to be Gators from day one.”
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
@gracenmclung gmcclung@alligator.org
Jonah
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/opinions
Eight tips a sex educator wants you to know this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate love, connection and romance. Whether you’re planning a date night or enjoying some calming alone time, a little preparation can help ensure your holiday goes smoothly.
As a sex educator, here are my top tips to make sure your Valentine’s Day is safe, fun and stress-free.
Prioritize communication
Whether you are going on a date or getting frisky in the bedroom, communication should be central to your experience. Ask your partner what they want, what feels good and what they’d like more of.
This establishes constant enthusiastic consent and helps ensure you are both satisfied with the experience.
Set a safe word and symbol
Most of us know safe words like “red” or “green” to communicate boundaries. Verbal codes are especially useful if you aren’t comfortable speaking up much in the bedroom. Everyone should establish a safe word as well as a safe symbol. A safe symbol can be a tap, squeeze or head shake to signal “stop” or “go” when your mouth is further occupied.
Protection is non-negotiable
This is a big one. If you don’t want a bundle of joy in nine months or a potential sexually transmitted infection, Valentine’s Day is not an opportunity to ditch the contraceptives!
Even if the moment feels right, taking a second to grab a condom, internal condom
or dental dam will be worth it in the long run.
No partner, no problem!
Him, his bros and your broken heart
After a couple of failed situationships, awkward first dates and the occasional love bomber, the eerie existential feeling of dying alone starts to creep up. It becomes your chaser for the night — the bitter taste of realizing the guy you’ve been talking to just told you he never wanted something serious in the first place.
like prizes — they just made it that much more efficient.
Take my friend who recently fell into the trap that is the seductive allure of a frat man.
Ginger Koehler opinions@alligator.org
V-day is a great opportunity for solo sex. Flying solo is the safest way to have sex, so take yourself out on a date to a local adult store and treat yourself.
Don’t use back pocket condoms
If you’ve stored a condom in a wallet, car or back pocket for a while, it’s time to toss it. Heat and friction weaken latex. Instead, store your condoms in a cool, dry place. For free condoms, you can go to Planned Parenthood or the UF Student Health Care Center.
Oral sex requires protection, too Yes, you should be using condoms during oral sex. Throat chlamydia is real, and you don’t want it. So, use condoms on penises and dental dams on vulvas. If you use a condom on a penis for oral sex, there’s a high chance that your teeth are creating micro holes in the condom, so make sure to swap it out before you move on.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.
Ginger Koehler is a UF theories and politics of sexuality and journalism senior.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner and businesses selling Valentine’s paraphernalia, a lot of us are forced to flip back through our old relationships wondering why dating nowadays feels like a regional game of speed dating, hoping one of your Hinge matches is the one — or at least the one for the night.
With dating apps and globalization reshaping how we meet people, you’d think that finding a relationship would be easier, and maybe even more efficient.
But as a lot of us know, the majority of developing relationships are superficial at best, forcing us into the habit of settling for a false sense of intimacy with someone we barely know and ultimately leaving us with the worst case of limerence since Romeo and Juliet.
This might seem like some new phenomenon, but these cycles of fleeting connections and unspoken expectations aren’t just a byproduct of dating apps or modern convenience — it’s a symptom of something much older. At its core, this trend reflects a long history of gendered power dynamics, where men are conditioned to pursue and consume, while women are left to perform and accommodate.
Dating apps didn’t create the idea that men treat relationships like a game and women
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.
Meeting him through mutual friends, they hit it off and spent the next four months developing a connection leading directly to a dead end.
Throughout this ordeal, she mentioned his friends slandered her with their opinions. He constantly shifted between being attentive and affectionate in private, and in public, he dodged public displays of affection and let his friends’ opinions of her dictate how he treated her.
To her, the relationship was developing into something real, but to him, it was secondary to the social standing of his brotherhood.
In her case, she blames frat culture, where hazing bonds men to be loyal while warping their ability to form healthy relationships. If your entire identity is shaped around enduring humiliation for brotherhood, it’s no surprise respect for others, particularly women, becomes an afterthought. Intimacy is harder to form when men are more invested in impressing each other than in actually connecting with their partners.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/opinions.
Eriel Pichardo is a UF English senior.
The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257. Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.
Eriel Pichardo opinions@alligator.org
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
MUSIC
Lightnin’ Salvage brings musicians together through Open Mic Night
THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE, BAR AND GIFT SHOP HOSTS GAINESVILLE’S LONGEST RUNNING OPEN MIC NIGHT
By Juliana DeFilippo Avenue Staff Writer
Local songwriter Eric Tappert performs at Lightnin’ Salvage Enterprises’ open mic night on the first Wednesday of every month. While he’s played at other venues, Tappert keeps coming back for Lightnin’ Salvage.
“Well, here they pay you in a slice of pizza,” he said. “I figure a slice a month might be enough.”
The building is as diverse as the audiences and performers it draws. Tappert, 56, played his guitar on a stage outlined by shrunken heads and blanketed by a canopy of model airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Lightnin’ Salvage, located at 1800 NE 23rd Ave, serves as the “gift shop, bar and live music venue” for Satchel’s Pizza, a longtime staple restaurant of Gainesville.
CULTURE
The distinct smell of tomato sauce and the swirling colors of the decor mingle with the music of the monthly open mic night, a tradition outdating the building itself, as well as every other open mic night in the city. An open mic night is an event where anyone is able to perform during their designated time.
Neil Lofgren introduced the idea in 1998 after noticing Wednesday’s were “dead.” He proposed an open mic night as a way to draw audi-
ences, and the Open Mic has been happening since. After moving to Texas in 2017, he passed his role as host onto 41-year-old Shawn Manley. When Manley took the position, he established his own tradition: the sign-up list. As performers enter Lightnin’ Salvage, often carrying their instrument cases, they add their names to Manley’s list — a dry-erase board with red and blue lego bricks adhered to its border.
While the list has 12 spaces for
names available, Manley said some nights feature up to 20 performers, who all have to go on between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. While the shows always start at 6 p.m., the list is often full before this time.
“I have trouble turning people away,” he said. “I have to fit that all into three hours, so I’ll get creative.”
As Manley sat at the Lightnin’ Salvage bar Feb. 5, a place where customers can order Satchel’s Pizza while listening to the night’s performances, Appalachian folk duo Jim Marks and Howie Band started their set, their mandolin and guitar recreating music originally written for the fiddle.
Manley has been hosting open mics at other establishments since 2011, but has now settled at Lightnin’ Salvage.
“There is definitely something that is very special about this venue,” he said. “The creativity and the artistry of this place, and the originality.”
The open mic began as Songwriter’s Night, where musicians were invited to perform their original songs. Many artists who perform at the open mic now perform a combi-
nation of both originals and covers, like Doug Clifford, who performs comedy songs and runs Gainesville’s WGOT radio station.
Clifford performed a parody of Frank Sinatra’s “It Was A Very Good Year,” rewording it to “It Was A Terrible Year.” For Clifford, the writing process is all about trial and error.
“I kind of write the rough draft and then keep refining from there,” he said. “As I said, there’s a Mark Twain quote I read up there [on stage] that says, ‘There’s the almost right word, and there’s the right word.’”
While the Lightnin’ Salvage building used to serve as Satchel’s Pizza’s “Junk Museum,” a 2016 fire destroyed much of the merchandise collected over several years. Danny Lore, who has been the manager of the venue for 19 years, felt the “total loss” of the fire was the history and art that Lightnin’ Salvage contained.
Read the rest online at alligator. org/section/the_avenue.
@JulianaDeF58101 jdefillipo@alligator.org
UF students fuel Florida’s online gambling boom post-legalization
MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE PLACING WAGERS, BUT EXPERTS WARN OF RISING GAMBLING ADDICTION RISKS
By Sabrina Castro Avenue Staff Writer
During Super Bowl 2025, UF students were hooked on the game not for their favorite teams, but in anticipation of their sports bets, reflecting a broader surge in online sports gambling.
Legal sportsbooks are expected to handle $1.4 billion in Super Bowl bets this year, according to the American Gaming Association. While 30 states have legalized online sports betting since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in 2018, only three more approved it in 2024. Florida is among the latest states to allow wagers through the Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock Bet app, which was legalized in December 2023.
Parlays, a type of bet that combines multiple wagers into one with longer odds, are driving revenue for online sportsbooks as legalization in other states slows. Instead of placing a $10 bet on a certain team to win
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$20, bettors add wagers on total points or player yardage for a higher potential payout — but every leg must hit.
The rise in participation coincided with a 130% increase in calls in 2024 to the 888-ADMIT-IT helpline from Floridians struggling with online gambling, according to data from the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. The data also shows 66% of online bettors are under 30, highlighting the impact on younger demographics.
Jennifer Kruse, the executive director of the FCCG, pointed to the growing societal acceptance and accessibility of gambling through legal sportsbooks as key factors. With more people participating, she said, the potential for gambling-related problems also rises.
“The more acceptable something is — the more accessible something is, the more likely people are to participate in it,” Kruse said. “And with increased participation, as we know, comes the increased potential for more people to develop gambling-related problems.”
For many students, sports betting has become a social experience. Angela Seminara, a 21-year-old UF English junior, said her friend group regularly shares their wagers in a group
chat, celebrating wins together.
“I’m personally drawn to it because I’ve always loved sports, and it’s a fun way to get invested in games that I wouldn’t normally care about,” Seminara said.
She also noticed more women getting involved. She said interest in sports has grown among her female friends, fueled in part by UF’s recent success in college basketball and even pop culture moments like Taylor Swift’s highly publicized connection to the NFL.
While men still make up the vast majority of sports bettors in Florida, with 97% of bettors in 2024, the number of women participating has surged since legalization. According to the FCCG’s 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine data, the number of female sports bettors increased ninefold in 2024 compared to the period before legalization.
Seminara said she prefers to keep her bets small — rarely more than $10 — but she has seen others risk up to $250 on a single game.
Beyond traditional sports, online betting also offers an array of wagers on some unconventional events. enthusiasts can put money on anything from reality show eliminations to competitive eating competitions, according to Altenar. Political junkies bet on election outcomes, while fans of the royal family gamble
on the name of the next British royal baby. Since the launch of Florida’s only regulated online sportsbook, Hardrock Bet, Dec. 7, 2023, the FCCG has worked to ensure support services are available for those struggling with gambling addiction. The organization offers 24/7, year-round, live support via phone, text and chat. It works to help people with immediate needs such as housing, food and utilities while also providing long-term assistance to address the causes of gambling addiction. In partnership with the Seminole Tribe, the FCCG also developed an eight-module online program including live interaction with certified gambling addiction counselors and psychologists. Beyond crisis intervention, the organization aims to educate gamblers about risks and help them develop realistic expectations.
As major sporting events like the Super Bowl continue to attract bettors, experts warn the ease of online gambling may drive both casual and problematic participation. For those seeking support, the FCCG’s 888-ADMIT-IT helpline remains a free and confidential resource.
@sabs_wurld scastro@alligator.org
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
Rob Garren entertains the audience at Lightnin Salvage Enterprise’s open mic night on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
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El amor en Gainesville y sus cuentos de romance. Leer más en la página 11.
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1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the highest mountain in Canada?
2. TELEVISION: Who is the host of the long-running reality series "Survivor"?
1. MEASUREMENTS: How many inches are in a mile?
3. LITERATURE: Which animals represent the Communist Party in "Animal Farm"?
4. U.S. STATES: Which state is the birthplace of the singer Elvis?
2. ASTRONOMY: What does the acronym SETI mean to the scientific community?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “sub-” mean in English?
5. ASTRONOMY: How long does it take the moon to orbit the Earth?
6. MOVIES: What is the score Elle receives on her law school admission test in "Legally Blonde"?
7. AD SLOGANS: Which product's slogan is "Is It In You?"?
8. LANGUAGE: What is an eraser called in the United Kingdom?
4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms?
9. SCIENCE: What are the four primary precious metals?
10. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Valentine's Day arose from which Roman ritual?
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. This relief pitcher won World Series titles with the 1969 New York Mets and the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies. His son is a country music star. Who is he?
2. Who did Muhammad Ali defeat in a hard-fought unanimous decision to retain the undisputed heavyweight championship at New York City's Madison Square Garden on Sept. 29, 1977?
9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the name of the United States’ first nuclear-powered submarine?
3. Name the motorsports driver, engineer, designer and businessman from New Zealand who was killed in 1970 while testing a new racecar in England.
10. GAMES: What are the four railroad properties in Monopoly?
4. Center Will Perdue won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991-93 and won his fourth title with what team in 1999?
Answers
5. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who played for the Detroit Lions from 2007-15, was nicknamed after what "Transformers" character?
1. 63,360 inches
6. Atlanta Drive GC, Boston Common Golf, Jupiter Links GC and The Bay Golf Club are among the teams in what indoor/virtual golf league?
2. Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
3. Below or insufficient
7. Name the Hall of Fame jockey who won the Kentucky Derby riding Sea Hero in 1993 and Grindstone in 1996.
4. Grover Cleveland
5. Katharine Hepburn
6. Devils Tower, 1906
7. The Philippines
8. “The Matrix”
9. The USS Nautilus
10. Pennsylvania, Short Line,
Bruce McLaren.
Sudoku solution
El Caimán
LUNES, 10 DE FEBRERO DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
‘No pueden regresar’: Medidas de deportación inquietan a inmigrantes
COMUNIDADES LIDIAN CON VOLATILIDAD LEGAL MIENTRAS POLÍTICAS AMENIZAN VIDAS EN EE.UU.
Por Vera Lucia Pappaterra Escritora de El Caimán
Andrés, un inmigrante venezolano de 60 años con 30 años de experiencia en ingeniería mecánica, trabaja 60 horas a la semana como conductor de Lyft y repartidor de DoorDash. Cuando el ejército venezolano comenzó a acosar a Empresas Polar, la empresa donde trabajaba, Andrés perdió su empleo. El gobierno venezolano acusó a la compañía, el mayor distribuidor de alimentos y bebidas del país, de generar escasez falsa. Andrés, cuyo apellido se omite debido a su estatus migratorio, no pudo conseguir trabajo en Venezuela. Solicitó asilo en Estados Unidos hace tres años, dijo.
“Lo más duro es salir, es emigrar del país”, dijo. “Después uno dice, ‘bueno, lo que sea, uno tiene que ser fuerte y vencer la adversidad’”.
Andrés comenzó una nueva vida en EE.UU. bajo asilo. Ahora, teme que la vida que ha reconstruido en Norteamérica sea arrebatada, ya que la administración del presidente Donald Trump está intensificando
los esfuerzos de deportación.
Hasta saber qué le depara el futuro, Andrés pasa sus días recorriendo las calles de Gainesville, recogiendo pasajeros y entregando comida, lejos de los pisos de fábrica donde una vez trabajó como ingeniero en Empresas Polar.
Aunque trabaja legalmente mientras su caso de asilo sigue pendiente, Andrés no se siente seguro mientras espera una decisión sobre su solicitud, lo que podría significar verse obligado a salir de EE.UU.
"Ningún inmigrante está a salvo hasta que no se cierre y se le dé su procesamiento ilegal”, dijo. “Uno nunca está seguro hasta que me den por lo menos una residencia formal”.
Para personas como Andrés, el Estado del Sol es un destino ideal para quienes huyen de la inestabilidad política y las dificultades económicas. Casi 2.8 millones de inmigrantes llegaron a EE.UU. entre julio de 2023 y julio de 2024, de los cuales más de 411,000 eligieron Florida como su destino.
Cambios en la política
El gobernador Ron DeSantis prometió vetar un proyecto de ley de aplicación de inmigración, llamada Ley TRUMP, en enero, argumentando que no era lo suficientemente severo. Si se aprueba, asignaría más de $500
millones para la aplicación de la ley a nivel local, aumentaría las sanciones penales para inmigrantes quienes no son autorizados, crearía una nueva oficina estatal para supervisar las deportaciones y ordenaría la pena de muerte para cualquier inmigrante indocumentado condenado por un delito capital, como violación o asesinato de un menor.
El proyecto de ley surgió de una sesión legislativa extraordinaria ordenada por DeSantis después de que el presidente del Senado, Ben Albritton, y el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, Daniel Pérez, rechazaron las propuestas iniciales. La versión del Congreso estatal trasladó parte de la autoridad de aplicación de la ley de inmigración de la oficina del gobernador al comisionado de agricultura del estado, Wilton Simpson.
La administración Trump anunció el 1 de febrero que pondrá fin al Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS, por sus siglas en inglés) que permite a los inmigrantes trabajar en EE.UU. sin riesgo de deportación, a partir del 7 de abril. Casi 300,000 venezolanos están en EE.UU. bajo la designación de TPS otorgada por el expresidente Joe Biden en 2023, incluyendo a Andrés. La administración Trump anunció una extensión del TPS para ucranianos y sudaneses debido a “condiciones
extraordinarias y temporales”. Aquellos que antes estaban protegidos de la deportación ahora deben apresurarse para encontrar una vía legal para permanecer en EE.UU. Como miles de inmigrantes en Florida, Andrés está atrapado en un limbo legal, esperando una decisión que podría definir el resto de su vida.
Asistencia legal Las leyes federales de inmigración han estado vigentes durante décadas, dijo Freddy Maldonado, un abogado de inmigración con sede en Gainesville. Los inmigrantes indocumentados, especialmente aquellos con antecedentes penales o con órdenes de deportación, y aquellos que pierdan el TPS, son los más vulnerables a los cambios bajo la administración Trump, explicó. "A menos que caigas en una de esas categorías, desde una perspectiva legal, no verás demasiados cambios", dijo. Quienes están en EE.UU. legalmente o a través de programas de protección deberían estar a salvo de la deportación, agregó.
Los inmigrantes aún pueden obtener estatus legal mediante diversas vías, incluyendo peticiones familiares o de empleadores, prueba de matrimonio con un ciudadano estadounidense y la obtención de una tarjeta de residencia. Lo que cambia es cómo las políticas
Una pareja hecha en Gainesville
Por Morgan Vanderlaan Escritora de El Caimán
Traducido por Gabriella Chavez Escritora de El Caimán
En algún momento entre beber vino y preparar martinis de espresso, Jessica Berger se enamoró. Berger, quien ahora tiene 49 años, estaba en su último año en la UF en la primavera de 1998 cuando tomó una clase de “ocio” sobre coctelería ofrecida a través de Reitz Union. Su ahora esposo, Jason Berger, de 52 años, originalmente quería tomar una clase de cata de vinos, pero cuando se llenaron los espacios para la clase, el destino recurrió a educarlo en la coctelería.
Cuando Jason Berger entró a clase tarde el primer día, Jessica Berger lo notó de inmediato.
La primera noche... La clase se concentraba en la cerveza, y simplemente no soy una bebedora de cerveza”, dijo. “Y entonces se me acercó y me dijo: 'Esta es una clase de bartending'. ¿Por qué no bebes nada?’”
Él la invitó a una cita después de su segunda reunión de clase, dijo, y ahora la pareja vive en Palm City, Florida, con dos hijas que actualmente son estudiantes de la UF.
La población estudiantil de Gainesville ha generado oportunidades para el amor joven e incluso ha llevado a cuentos de
Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter. Envíanos un tweet @ElCaimanGNV.
romance para toda la vida. Ya sean dos estudiantes universitarios coqueteando mientras toman un café o una pareja que celebra su 50 aniversario de bodas, los recuerdos románticos creados en Gainesville pueden durar toda la vida.
Ahora, 27 años después, Jessica Berger dijo que el amor entre ella y su esposo sigue siendo fuerte, todo porque decidió cambiar su rutina y tomar el rumbo del ocio.
Gainesville es una ciudad muy especial, dijo. La familia Berger visita regularmente el Pantano cada otoño, utilizando sus entradas de temporada de fútbol como excusa para citas.
En 2023, 2,160 parejas se casaron en Gainesville, según el Wedding Report Index. Sin embargo, la cuestión de cómo encontrar un amor para siempre sigue siendo complicada.
Entre la perpetuación de la cultura de relaciones sin compromiso a través de las aplicaciones de citas, la ansiedad social y un aumento de las “situaciones complicadas”, las generaciones más jóvenes están experimentando una perspectiva mucho más pragmática del amor, según un artículo de la BBC de 2022. Otra investigación muestra que el 66% de los miembros de la Generación Z, un grupo de edad nacido entre 1997 y 2012, aceptan la impermanencia de las relaciones, dejando a muchos románticos esperanzados sin esperanza.
Lolita Gerstenberger, que pasó sus años universitarios en Gainesville, estaba harta del mundo de las citas. Tanto es así que la mujer de 46 años colocó un anuncio personal en Yahoo para encontrar una pareja romántica.
en la Florida
estatales, como la Ley TRUMP, influyen en la forma en que se aplica la ley de inmigración en Florida, señaló Maldonado. Para aquellos que no pueden pagar representación legal en el proceso de preservar su residencia en EE.UU., los abogados de inmigración suelen ofrecer consultas gratuitas o a precios "relativamente accesibles" para discutir inquietudes, agregó Maldonado. Organizaciones de asistencia legal como Florida Legal Services Inc. y clínicas de inmigración, como la de la Facultad de Derecho Levin de la Universidad de Florida, también están disponibles.
El despacho de Maldonado ha visto un aumento en las consultas de inmigrantes que temen que los cambios en las políticas puedan afectar su futuro en EE.UU. "Estamos agendando citas con dos semanas de anticipación, algo que nunca habíamos tenido que hacer", dijo. "Personas que han tenido la opción de ajustar su estatus por años o décadas ahora están considerando seriamente hacer algo al respecto".
Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @veralupap vpappaterra@alligator.org
"Puse un anuncio justo alrededor de Año Nuevo, él respondió en la víspera de Año Nuevo, y nos llevamos bien", dijo. “Hablamos y nos enviamos correos electrónicos durante 12 días. Tuvimos nuestra primera cita el 12 de enero”. No fue amor a primera vista, dijo, pero la segunda cita fue como fuegos artificiales. Cuando empezaron a salir, uno de sus lugares favoritos para salir por la noche era el teatro hipódromo en el centro de Gainesville.
Un mes después de su primera cita, la pareja se comprometió.
“Estaba en mi habitación preparándome para salir, me di la vuelta y él estaba agachado en una rodilla”, dijo.
Después de decir que sí, Gerstenberger fue invitada a cenar en Northwest Grille, un clásico de mariscos en Gainesville, dijo. Ella no colocó el anuncio con la intención de comprometerse de inmediato, pero los dos hablaron sobre los planes para el futuro en su segunda cita y "simplemente sabían" que estaban destinados a estar juntos.
"Creo que éramos compatibles hasta tal punto, y todas las chispas y el romance necesarios estaban ahí", dijo.
Estar en grupos similares con intereses superpuestos es lo que atrajo a Rob Meis, de 51 años, a su esposa. La pareja estaba involucrada en la vida griega y se conocieron mientras trabajaban juntos en el Gator Growl anual.
Crecer en Gainesville le enseñó a Meis mucho sobre sí mismo y sus relaciones con los demás, dijo. En una ciudad con más de 140,000 habitantes, la expresión de que “hay muchos peces en el mar” puede resultar abrumadora.
Lea el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/elcaiman. @morgvande mvanderlaan@alligator.org
Síganos para actualizaciones Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
El secreto para un romance exitoso de cinco parejas que se conocieron en el condado de Alachua
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/sports
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
UF Special Olympics serves as a safe haven for those with disabilities
THE ORGANIZATION HAD ITS FIRST SOCCER INTRAMURAL EVENT JAN. 27
By Daniela Ortiz Sports Writer
When 32-year-old Ella Zsembik was asked what her favorite thing about UF Special Olympics was, she kept her answer simple.
“I love to make friends,” she said.
Zsembik works at Chance Chiropractic Center in Gainesville. She is also one of many athletes involved with UF Special Olympics, a college subsidiary of Special Olympics Florida, which supports individuals with intellectual disabilities in Alachua County.
UF Special Olympics, founded in 2014, holds various events ranging from weekly intramurals to large-scale competitions such as the Special Olympics World Games, which the club was a part of in 2023.
Not only do team members represent UF on an international stage, but athletes like Zsembik form lifelong bonds and establish solidarity with other disabled individuals.
“It helped me a lot with my disability,” Zsembik said. “It helped a whole lot.”
The organization held its first intramural soccer match of the semester Jan. 27 at South-
MEN'S BASKETBALL
west Recreation Center. Over 40 Special Olympic athletes took to the field — a number club president Julia Hodierne couldn’t have even imagined just a few years ago.
Hodierne, a 21-year-old UF public health senior, first got involved with UF Special Olympics as a freshman. She interned with Special Olympics Florida and eventually became president of the club.
During her time with the organization, Hodierne witnessed the group grow from a small handful of members to a well-established network of athletes and community organizers.
“We've had more athletes join,” Hodierne said. “We’ve had more students join. I really think we're just making a difference because we're creating these friendships between our UF students and individuals in the community with intellectual disabilities.”
The club fosters an inclusive environment allowing individuals with and without disabilities to compete side by side, promoting collaboration between the two groups.
This community aspect is what 24-year-old Evan Combs envisioned for the club when he joined in 2017. Currently a manager of sports training and competition for Area Three of Special Olympics Florida, which covers all of North Central Florida, Combs has been involved with the Special Olympics throughout middle and high school.
However, when he first came to UF, the program was much smaller than when Hodierne joined.
“Not that we were disappointed, of course, any Special Olympics program is a positive,” Combs said. “But we just saw an opportunity to grow the program.”
Now that the club has expanded to its current scale, Combs believes it’s most effective in combating one of the most significant challenges people with intellectual disabilities face: isolation.
While having tangible resources is crucial, Combs emphasized providing disabled individuals with access to a genuine and supportive community is equally important, especially when support for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities may be in jeopardy.
While he didn’t comment on any specific initiatives, Combs highlighted the importance of accepting people of all backgrounds into one environment.
“I do know that Special Olympics exists and for the greater good, it's an apolitical organization,” Combs said. “We are an organization that works with people of all political spectrums and all different backgrounds and ethnicities.”
Another athlete who found a home in UF Special Olympics is Kiondre “Keke” Brown, a 28-year-old Gainesville resident and multisport competitor.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/sports.
@danielaortizUF dortiz@alligator.org
No. 6 Gators on a hot streak after road win at No. 1 Auburn
FLORIDA BECAME THE FIFTH TEAM IN THE HISTORY OF MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TO DEFEAT TWO NO. 1 OPPONENTS IN THE SAME SEASON
By Max Tucker Sports Writer
On March 16, millions of college basketball fans will gather around a television in their living rooms or pull a stool up at a sports bar to find out what seed their beloved team will be in the unpredictable tournament better known as March Madness.
When UF hoops enthusiasts tune in, they may hear the Gators get announced as one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament — a milestone the program hasn’t reached since its 2014 Final Four run.
The going got tough, but the Gators got going — and in historic fashion. UF became the first team in program history to defeat a No. 1 opponent on the road and just the fifth
team in the Associated Press poll era to knock off two different top-ranked teams in the same season.
However, this seemed unlikely just last week. Florida was fresh off a 20-point loss to then-No. 8 Tennessee and forced to face its next opponent, Vanderbilt, without its leading scorer, senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who suffered an ankle injury against Tennessee.
Nevertheless, UF earned the victory over Vandy, though it was seemingly a “welcome to the SEC” moment when the Gators traveled into “The Jungle” for a matchup against No. 1 Auburn four days later. This time, Florida was without its second-leading scorer, senior guard Alijah Martin, who missed the game due to a hip injury.
“The last 36 minutes of the game, I thought we were just about as good as you could be in an environment like [Auburn],” UF head coach Todd Golden said. “We made 13 threes. We were 15-for-18 from the foul line, and our players deserve all the credit for this victory.”
Florida’s lead grew as large as 21 in the second half against Auburn, as Clayton Jr. led the way with 19 points and a barrage of logo 3-point-
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ers. In his first game back from an ankle sprain, Clayton Jr. guided the Gators to one of the biggest wins in the 116 years of Florida men’s basketball.
"Ankle's fine now,” Clayton Jr. said. “Training team did a good job just all week being in there with me, so the ankle's doing good. I've still been in the gym getting my shots up, so no surprise."
But the senior guard didn’t do it by himself. A sensational game from UF’s backcourt saw sophomore forwards Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh score 17 points and 16 points against Auburn, respectively.
Moreover, the sophomore duo was relentless on the glass, with Condon grabbing 10 rebounds and Haugh tallying nine.
"We came in with the right mentality,” Condon said. “We went down at the start but didn't get too worked [up] about it. We just slowly came back and then we weren't playing around with the lead. We were composed and didn't turn it over in critical situations."
It’s only February, but the aforementioned madness of March in the college basketball world looms. Florida will have plenty of ranked SEC
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opponents to duke it out with until then, but UF’s massive victories this season have led to high praise from NCAA Tournament analysts.
According to ESPN Bracketology and On3Sports' predictions, the Gators are slated as a No. 2 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. However, out of the four teams holding the No. 1 seeds in their analysis, two lost on Saturday (Auburn and Duke). The third (Tennessee) lost to Florida by 30 points earlier this season at home.
The Gators will have little time to gawk at their monumental victory from the plains of Auburn last weekend. UF will take on No. 22 Mississippi State Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in Starkville against a Bulldogs team that shouldn't fly under Florida’s radar.
UF has only dropped three games this season, but after its second loss to Missouri at home on Jan. 14, senior guard Will Richard took note that winning in the SEC becomes difficult if you aren’t the team throwing the first punch.
“You can't take nights off in this league and having a first half like we had [against Missouri], it can't happen again the rest of the season,”
Richard said.
Mississippi State senior guard Josh Hubbard has established himself as one of the most prolific guards in the SEC, averaging 17.5 points per game with 73 made 3-pointers this season. Last year, Hubbard caught fire against Florida, scoring 26 points and five 3-pointers in a 79-70 road loss at UF.
Redshirt junior KeShawn Murphy has added 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to lead a physical frontcourt for the Bulldogs.
Florida won’t take the court for a March Madness matchup for over a month, but the more gritty victories the Gators can rack up over top-ranked teams in the nation, the better positioned they will be to cut down the nets in San Antonio April 7.
“[Beating Auburn was] a needlemover in terms of NCAA seeding,” Golden said. “It's a needle-mover in terms of where we finish in the SEC. I'd be hard-pressed to believe there's going to be another club that's going to be able to come in here in conference play and get a win."
@Max_Tuckr1 mtucker@alligator.org
Follow us for updates
For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.
Morgan Waters // Alligator Staff
UF Special Olympics had their first soccer intramural game on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
