Protestors march with a papier-mâché caricature of President Trump down Southwest Sixth Street during the "No Kings Day" protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
From the battlefield to the sidewalk: Veterans take a stand on ‘No Kings Day’
VETERANS PROTESTING JUNE 14
SAID TRUMP’S RECENT ACTIONS BETRAY THE MILITARY VALUES THEY SWORE TO UPHOLD
By Sara-James Ranta Alligator Staff Writer
Kirk Moss stood in the pouring rain carrying a 12-foot-tall papier-mâché caricature of President Donald Trump. The structure’s orange skin, puckered lips, navy suit and red tie – a classic Trump fashion choice –blew in the breeze.
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
King’s Day Gallery
Story description finish with comma, pg#
Photos from Gainesville and High Springs protests. Read more on pg. 7.
Moss was one of several veterans who joined Gainesville and High Springs residents June 14 as part of a nationwide wave of “No Kings Day” demonstrations, with more than 75 in Florida and over 2,000 nationwide.
The demonstrations, organized by the 50501 movement, were geared toward fighting deportations, cuts to federal services and attacks on civil rights.
Though veterans nationally remain a conservative group, with nearly 63% of veteran voters identifying with or leaning
New travel ban impacts UF international community
STUDENTS FROM AFFECTED COUNTRIES SAY THEY’RE FEELING HURT, SHOCKED
By Maria Avlonitis Alligator Staff Writer
In the midst of ICE raids, student visa revocations and international unease, America’s immigrant community is facing another hostile measure.
A travel ban issued on 12 countries by President Donald Trump went into effect June 9, restricting entry into the United States for residents from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the
UF Smathers collection
A look inside the library’s Latin and Caribbean Collection, pg. 4
TheAvenue:The color pink
An introspective on the color pink, pg. 6
Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Trump partially restricted travel to and from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Visas issued before June 9 will not be revoked, the order said.
The ban impacts UF directly. UF hosts more than 6,000 international students, and students from 140 countries make up more than 25% of UF’s graduate student body.
Iran was one of the top 10 countries for international student enrollment, with
Libby Clifton // Alligator Staff
Today’s Weather
Jacksonville’s new stroke unit brings emergency response resources to the community
UF Health mobile stroke team delivers treatment before patients reach the hospital
By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer
In stroke care, every minute makes a difference. UF Health was the first hospital system in Florida to accelerate treatment and increase the number of positive outcomes with its Mobile Stroke Treatment Units, first deployed in Gainesville in 2023.
Now, UF Health Jacksonville has unveiled its first unit.
The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, or MSTU, is equipped with a 16-slice diagnostic CT scanner and medications given to bust blood clots, reduce high blood pressure and reverse brain bleeding. With its telemedicine equipment, paramedics can connect to stroke neurologists in real time. The unit’s crew includes a CT technician, an EMT driver and paramedic, a stroke-trained nurse and a stroke neurologist available via telehealth.
The technology allows medical professionals to assess patients onsite and begin administering treatment earlier than traditional emergency services allow.
When a 911 caller reports a stroke, the MSTU is dispatched alongside standard emergency medical services. Upon arrival, the patient undergoes a CT scan while in transit to one of Jacksonville’s four stroke centers. While en route, a stroke neurologist reviews the images via telehealth. If they confirm a patient suffered a stroke, treatment, like administering clot-busting medication, can begin immediately.
The process saves time in a critical situation where moments could make the difference between longterm disability and full recovery.
Benjamin Alwood, a stroke neurologist and the unit’s medical direc-
tor, said the unit is a “game-changer,” bypassing delays often associated with emergency room admissions. Fast-response units can reduce time to treatment by an average of 32 minutes, Alwood said.
He also said the unit can help patients receive attention within the “golden hour to tPA,” a key window where stroke treatment can have the most beneficial impact. Tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, is a drug administered through a vein to help break up blood clots. It’s used when clots disrupt blood flow to the brain.
If a stroke patient receives treatment within an hour of symptom onset, complete recovery is likely, Alwood said. In Florida, which had one of the highest stroke rates in 2022, the odds are around 1% to 2% without mobile stroke units.
He said the value skyrockets to 25% when the units get involved.
The unit’s building cost is generally similar to that of an ambulance, Alwood said.
“It’s an upfront cost to actually build the unit, but it’s not that expensive to maintain in the long run,” Alwood said.
The unit received a call within 30 seconds of launching the service. In its first 10 days of operation, it’s already provided stroke care to 12 patients, he said.
The Gainesville team played a key role in mentoring the Jacksonville launch, Alwood said, sharing operational insights from its earlier deployment.
The unit’s creation has been a citywide partnership with Jacksonville’s City Council and hospitals in the area, he said. More mobile stroke units for the Jacksonville area, potentially one for each city quadrant, have already been discussed.
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Jocelyn Padron, a 20-year-old UF public health junior, said the new MSTUs are a good start but aren’t the whole solution.
“I think the mobile stroke units are a good addition, but it definitely leaves more to be done in the future regarding regular emergency vehicles and access to care,” she said.
Padron added she’s concerned about cost and equitable access to specialized care, especially in rural areas.
“Cost might be an issue,” she said, saying she was worried about insurance coverage for MSTUs. “It’s really important to help rural communities and communities that are often overlooked or don’t have access to care as much as other people do.”
Elisa Christensen, a 20-year-old UF psychology sophomore, said she hopes the unit can inspire other medical fields to create similar rapid response units.
“With strokes, time is so crucial,” Christensen said. “If we treat it really fast, … the effects after the stroke would be way better. … I think this could inspire other fields in medicine.”
Amy Laser, a 19-year-old UF biology junior who is currently in EMT school, said she was amazed by the unit’s technology. Creating a mobile CT scanner that could fit into an ambulance is impressive, she said.
“My instructors always tell me time is tissue when it comes to strokes,” Laser said. “The longer you wait to provide treatment for a stroke, the more tissue dies. The fact that they’re able to diagnose a stroke and potentially provide medication or therapy — that’s so great.”
smaharaj@thealligator.org @s_maharaj1611
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UF students react to travel ban on 12 countries
BAN, from pg. 1
2022 semester. After the ban, some students are left wondering what it means for them and their families.
Hadi Ghasemi, a 35-year-old UF horticultural sciences PhD student, hasn’t been home to Iran for the entirety of his four-year graduate career. It was already difficult to travel to Iran because of the visa process, he said.
The ban adds another level of stress and disconnection from home, he said.
“ We are human,” Ghasemi said. “We have family. We have emotion. We have friends.”
He said most Iranian students can only see their family if they invite them to the U.S. and their parents get approved for visas.
“Right now with this situation, we don't have even that ability to ask [them] to join us here for a short time,” he said.
Ghasemi said he feels bad for the university because the ban will prevent innovative and highquality students from attending.
While he respects the government's decisions, he thinks Iranians contribute a lot. Allowing them to travel to the U.S. could benefit both countries, he said.
Iranians have already been
targeted through Senate Bill 846, which went into effect in December 2023. The bill banned “partnerships,” including recruitment programs, between state universities and any nonU.S. citizen living in a foreign country of concern, like Iran.
It also isn’t the first travel ban on Iranians. During Trump’s first term, he issued a 90-day travel ban on Iran and six other majority-Muslim countries in 2017.
Foreign policies like the bans make it harder for Iranian students to be successful, Ghasemi said.
They remove the option of attending a U.S. university, and students have to resort to seeking an education in other countries.
Still, he said he remains hopeful. Politicians come and go, Ghasemi said, and the ban might change by the end of the year.
Trump ultimately helped Iranian students during the last ban with visa exemptions, he said.
“I'm hoping we can have the same thing in the near future,” Ghasemi said.
He has several friends who want to study in the U.S. but currently can’t, he said.
Haiti had 49 international students in the Fall 2022 semester and has a strong community in
Gainesville, as represented by UF Club Creole and Gainesville’s Eben Ezer Haitian church.
Guileinah Dupiton, a 21-yearold UF psychology senior, hasn’t visited her family in Haiti since she was in middle school because of internal instability and violence.
Dupiton said she was shocked to hear about the ban but felt numb to the news of frequently changing immigration policies.
“It feels like Haiti is being shut out from the international world,” Dupiton said.
There’s a lot of political unrest in Haiti, Dupiton said, and despite previous involvement by the U.S., the ban seems to leave Haiti to deal with its own turmoil.
It's hurtful as someone that's actually really prideful of my heritage to see that happening,” she said.
Many Haitian people who aren’t involved in gang violence seek to leave the island nation, she said, but the ban removes the U.S. as an option.
Dupiton said she’s worried about the ICE raids and whether they will result in the deportation of Haitians who have spent many years establishing a life in the U.S. in places like Gainesville.
“To be sent back after all that time, that's going to be
detrimental,” she said.
The U.S. shouldn’t turn its eye away from Haiti, she added, as the nation needs more support.
Omara Obas, a 23-year-old UF occupational therapy graduate student, hasn’t visited family in Haiti since 2018. She said she was shocked to hear about the travel bans and is scared about what might happen in the future.
Family is important, she said, and being separated from them is impactful. She hasn’t seen some of her family in about seven years, and her relationships with them
are not as strong as those she has with her family in the U.S.
“In the future, we would've loved to go back and visit our family,” Obas said. “Now, with this happening, it's like there's not even a chance or a possibility that this can happen in the future.”
The ban is like a weight on her shoulders she can’t get rid of, she added.
“It feels like it's out of our hands, and there's really nothing we can do besides accept what's happening,” she said.
@MariaAvlonitis mavlonitis@alligator.org
Dylan Speicher // Alligator Staff
The Latin American and Caribbean Collection preserves history at UF
THE LACC REMAINS A KEY RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, AND RESEARCHERS
By Candy Fontana-Verde Alligator Staff Writer
Many University of Florida students walk through the halls of Smathers Library without realizing they are just steps away from one of the most important collections in the United States focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Founded in 1925, the Latin American and Caribbean Collection is located on the third floor of the library. It holds over 500,000 books, historical newspapers, more than 50,000 microfilms, recordings, recipes, films and materials in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and various Indigenous languages.
Fernanda Bretones Lane is a UF assistant professor of history specializing in the colonial Caribbean, the Atlantic world and Afro-Latin America. She focuses part of her academic work on the study of slavery in the region and in other parts of the Americas.
“Definitely for the Caribbean, we have one of the most important collections,” Bretones said. “I’ve used a lot of the resources for my own research as well as for my teaching.”
Bretones has worked with rare primary sources that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as plantation diaries or traveler accounts.
LACC houses rare materials that can not be found in other places. Many of them are original copies that were only produced once and are preserved in the collection, while others exist in multiple copies but are scat-
tered across different parts of the world.
Beyond her own studies, Bretones has seen how LACC resources enrich student work. She has turned to these archives herself for her research on slavery in the Caribbean.
“It’s a source that gives us individualized information about individuals who have been largely erased from the record,” Bretones said. “You can learn a lot about individuals and even entire groups just by looking at that kind of material.”
Lillian Guerra, a professor of history specializing in Latin America, Cuba and the Caribbean, shares that perspective. To her, the collection not only preserves the history of the Caribbean but also of other countries whose archives were eliminated by authoritarian regimes.
“We have Argentine newspapers from the 1940s and 1950s that were eliminated by dictatorships,” Guerra said. “If you’re going to specialize in that period, you have to come to the University of Florida, because they no longer exist in Argentina.”
Guerra has personally experienced how LACC provides access to censored materials from their countries of origin. In contexts like Cuba, where many newspapers are restricted, the LACC’s microfilms become essential for research.
“That’s when you realize the importance of this collection,” she said.
The value of LACC lies not only in its archives but also in the people who make it all possible, she said.
“The library is more than what it contains,” she said. “The subject specialists know how to present the diversity of the content
Michael Goston // Alligator Staff
The Reading Room, located on the third floor of Smathers Library, features the works of José Martí in the Latin American and Caribbean Collection on campus.
and explain how to access it, how to research, which terms to use — even those that are now historical and no one uses anymore.”
The collection features rotating themed exhibits that change monthly based on occasions or special events. This June, in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, the collection is presenting a display of Caribbean cookbooks, accompanied by bilingual recipe cards — in Spanish and English — with traditional dishes from countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and Mexico.
The recipe cards were designed by library faculty members and are directly sourced from the cookbooks in the collection.
Melissa Jerome, LACC’s digital initiatives librarian, highlights the unique value of the materials
the collection preserves.
“They are materials you can’t find anywhere else, like unique or very limited copies,” Jerome said. “That’s why I’d say we have a pretty unique collection.”
She acknowledges that access to these resources is becoming more difficult as microfilm readers are disappearing from many libraries.
Jerome explains that to make content more accessible in today’s digital era, she devotes much of her work to digitizing newspapers that exist only on microfilm. She works with an external vendor to whom she sends the materials, and they return both the originals and the digital files.
Molly Coolican, a 20-year-old UF history junior, discovered the collection thanks to her professor,
Bretones Lane. She recommended exploring the LACC website and taking a look at the shelves, which helped Coolican define the topic for her final paper.
“The primary things that I needed for my project were from UF were from the LACC,” Coolican said. “I would not have figured out my topic, been able to research my topic, or written this super long paper that I am so proud of without the LACC.”
Jonathan Clubb, a 20-yearold UF economics junior, discovered the LACC while working on a project about Latin America. Although he initially doubted whether he would find enough material, he soon realized the value of the collection.
“If you’re doing any research about anything in Latin America or the Caribbean, it’s there,” Clubb said. “I would certainly encourage other students to use it.”
Beyond the academic setting, the collection offers opportunities for the Latino community in Gainesville and for anyone interested in Latin American and Caribbean culture. It includes novels, short stories, comics, posters, maps and even children’s books.
Keith Manuel, public services associate at LACC, encourages students to visit and take full advantage of the space.
“We just want students to come in, use the space, enjoy the space, and just ask us if there’s something we can help with,” Manuel said. “Or we can direct them to someone else if we can’t answer whatever questions or provide the services that they need.”
@CandyFontanaV cfontanaverde@alligator.org
Access to fresh food threatened by federal grant cuts
Federal freezing, cancellation of grants leaves Alachua County Farmers Markets unable to provide eligible patrons with fresh food
By Allison Bonnemaison Alligator Staff Writer
Program cuts for Florida food assistance programs leave patrons with fewer options for fresh produce, impacting several farmers markets in Alachua County. Benefits of SNAP, the federal program that provides basic food assistance for more than 40 million people, will be cut by about 30%, or nearly $300 billion by 2034, under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” With funding cuts at the federal level, states are left scrambling to fund the rest themselves.
As a result, around 7 million people across all demographics would see their food assistance cut significantly or terminated. The federal cuts force nonprofits like Florida Organic Growers to pull food access programs like Fresh Access Bucks at farmers markets in Alachua County, which offer affordable groceries for local residents.
Florida Organic Growers is a nonprofit organization that offers SNAP and FAB services to markets like Alachua County Farmers Market and Grove Street Farmers Market.
Federal grant freezes impact Florida Organic Growers’ ability to support the services, making it harder for eligible shoppers and vendors to operate.
How it works
SNAP recipients can swipe their EBT cards in exchange for tokens at designated Florida Organic Growers tables when shopping at farmers markets to purchase groceries from vendors.
There are two types of tokens: SNAP tokens and FAB tokens. SNAP tokens can be used to buy meat, dairy, bread, cereals and prepackaged foods. FAB tokens are limited to fresh fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs.
For every $10 spent with SNAP benefits, shoppers can receive an additional
$10 in FAB tokens to spend on produce, doubling their grocery budget. Vendors who opt into the program accept the tokens and turn them into a FOG representative to receive monetary reimbursement.
Impact on farmers markets
Heather Henderson, the assistant director of Fresh Access Bucks, said FAB services are unable to reach farmers markets without Florida Organic Growers.
“It’s outside of the normal for a market that is getting as much SNAP and Fresh Access Bucks traffic to stop offering the program,” Henderson said.
Henderson said she feels “confusion and a bit of frustration” that some markets, like Alachua County Farmers Market, have decided to let the program go.
In 2024, Alachua County Farmers Market distributed about $34,000 each in SNAP benefits and FAB, accounting for 1,149 transactions, she said.
She said that translates to about 12,605
servings of fruits and vegetables and 18,170 meals.
Henderson said markets that can’t rely on FOG have two options: hire someone to manage FAB services or partner with another nonprofit, but both are difficult.
The first option isn’t sustainable, she said. Most volunteers are UF students who aren’t permanent residents, and the FAB certification process is lengthy, she said.
Heather Henderson, the assistant director of Fresh Access Bucks, said FAB services are unable to reach farmers markets without Florida Organic Growers.
“It’s outside of the normal for a market that is getting as much SNAP and Fresh Access Bucks traffic to stop offering the program,” Henderson said.
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
@allisonrbonn abonnemaison@alligator.org
Veterans join No Kings Day protests
toward the Republican Party in the 2024 elections, those at the June 14 protests said their oath to defend the Constitution doesn’t end when their service does.
Moss, a 60-year-old High Springs resident, served in the Air Force for nearly 25 years. After marching in Gainesville’s protest, he traveled 40 minutes to High Springs for its own protest. The difference in energy from one protest to the next felt like he was “behind enemy lines,” he said.
Unlike Gainesville, multiple emergency response vehicles, including police and fire rescue, observed the High Springs protest. The small team watched the demonstration from the sidewalk and aided the crowds crossing the streets.
Serving both at home and overseas, the military showed Moss how to unlearn “taught” racism from his southern childhood. He wishes more people understood how unsettling veterans’ experiences are, especially those fighting back against Trump, he said.
“The veterans that have worked and put their lives on the line, they're not lying,” Moss said. “They want to be taken care of, but they're not.”
Mark DeFord, a 39-year-old Archer resident, served as a Marine infantryman from 2006 to 2010. He was stationed in Twentynine Palms, California, the same base stationing the 700 Marines deployed to Los Angeles.
Trump deployed roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to recent immigration protests. The deployment occurred without the approval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
continues.
DeFord said he attended Gainesville’s protest because he felt the military’s overall appearance has been “bastardized and defiled” under the Trump administration.
“There’s no honor left,” DeFord said. “Now, service members are just tools to strip Americans of their freedoms and violate the Constitution and weaken our democracy.”
He believes the military is a “haven” for propaganda, where a service member’s training and conditioning “dehumanizes anyone who we’re sent against,” making it easier to “kill them,” he said.
DeFord said it’s important the military remains apolitical. The deployment of troops to civilian protests will affect recruitment, retention and public trust. If it doesn’t drive down recruiting numbers, it’ll drive down the quality of recruits, he said.
“Those potential recruits who are intelligent enough to make sense of this and have a realistic understanding of the situation won't want to join,” he said.
Luis Maceira, a 52-year-old High Springs resident, served in the Marines for over 20 years. He was proud to serve his country when he began as an infantry unit leader in Hawaii in 1996 and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant. Maceira attended Gainesville’s protest “for freedom,” he said.
When his superiors asked something of him during his deployment, he said he completed the tasks because he knew it was right. Now, he feels service members must sort through political ideology before making choices, he said.
that service members become skeptical of each other, including trust on the battlefield, accurate representation and whether they’re even fighting for the same cause.
Maceira said the changing nature of military deployment for domestic protests violates traditional military boundaries, noting it’s something the country must “get used to nowadays.”
“It’s happening right there on TV,” he said. “If it can happen in L.A., it could happen in Chicago, it could happen in D.C., it could happen anywhere.”
He said he wishes more people understood veterans aren’t just citizens who served in the military but are a community coping with national crises, including civil rights, healthcare access and homelessness.
David Rice, a 27-year-old Gainesville resident, served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 2016 to 2022. He attended Gainesville’s protest with his wife, motivated by how the Los Angeles deployment “goes against all the training” he’s received.
The “No Kings Day” protests were also a response to “Flag Day,” the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and the military parade held in Washington, D.C.
Rice said the military parade infuriated him, calling it a day of “self-celebration” for Trump. June 14’s military parade coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and cost between $25 million and $45 million.
“All the homeless veterans and people coming back that need help mentally and physically,” Rice said. “That $45 million could go a long way to start building proper programs and foundations.”
While Rice encourages young people interested in joining the military to “be diligent and go for it,” he warns there’s currently a lot of turmoil and uncertainty.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment on the grounds it violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded presidential authority. Within hours, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the order, allowing federal forces to remain in place while the legal battle
“You have young men and women that joined to defend the Constitution, and now they're doing that, but against Americans, just because of someone's ego,” Maceira said. “We’ve never seen that.”
While service members mustn’t share the same opinions, Maceira said the military has become “so political”
@sarajamesranta sranta@alligator.org PROTESTS, from pg. 1
“I am severely proud to be a Marine and to have served our country,” he said. “But I think there's going to be a time where you might need to go against the grain and fight from the inside.”
Kade Sowers // Alligator Staff
A protester wearing a Donald Trump mask walks down US-27 during the "No Kings" protest in High Springs on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
The evolution of pink: Reclaiming a color beyond gender roles
LONG DISMISSED AS SUPERFICIAL, THE GENDERED COLOR PUSHES FOR A MORE NUANCED VIEW OF FEMININITY
By Autumn Johnstone Avenue Staff Writer
“The ‘I hate pink’ phase was never about the color,” an Instagram post reads. With more than 20.9 million views, the post’s comments are rooted in a concept that has driven society’s perception of femininity for the past eight decades.
About 5,000 people recounted the times in their lives when pink taught them to be proud of being a woman, with anecdotal experiences marking pink with self-discovery and emotional wellness.
For many feminine-presenting individuals, embracing the color pink goes deeper than simply wearing pastels. In fear of being viewed as inferior to others, women reject the color and bury their feminine characteristics.
It may seem as if they’ve gained control of societal expectations, but its rejection proves that pink, like any color, can never be brushed
DATING
away.
Jade Foss, an 18-year-old UF graphic design and computer science freshman, adored pink from a young age. Foss’ entire bedroom was once pink, from its brightly painted walls to her favorite princess dress in her closet.
But when she reached middle school, she threw out every item she owned that came close to the color. It was impossible to like pink and play with action figures at the same time, she reasoned.
“I did not want people to associate me with that color because I assumed if I was associated with the color, it would make me [be] seen as only feminine and that I had to do these specific things that people thought [were] meant for me,” Foss said.
After abandoning pink, she opted for neutral colors to avoid being stereotyped. Recently, she realized color has no limitations because her personal experiences challenged those norms. She can do whatever she wants, even in a vibrant, fluffy, rose-toned dress, she said.
Learning more about herself led her to become less concerned with what others thought and more assertive about what she genuinely enjoys, Foss said.
Contrasting the U.S., many people in Eu-
rope judge those who don’t wear neutral colors, she said. Growing up in Germany led her to realize people place too much significance on colors.
“I don’t think any color should be for certain people at all,” she said. “It’s a color.”
Colors don’t have inherent meanings, but society gave them associations, she said.
Blue was historically seen as the main color associated with femininity because it was thought to be dainty, whereas pink was seen as bold. Due to marketing decisions and the rise of consumer capitalism, pink became the typical “girly” color.
Divya Huilgol, a 19-year-old UF women’s and gender studies sophomore, said one of the reasons pink is seen as the “women’s color” is because pink dye was less expensive than blue for companies after World War II.
At the time, the target demographic for most advertisements was rich, white men. In order to maximize profit, companies prioritized “masculine” colors because feminine characteristics weren’t taken seriously, she said.
“It’s reductive to place so much emphasis on color choice and to reduce ourselves to whether or not we’re using pink or blue to denote gender expression,” Huilgol said. “In pro-
fessional clothing, you’re never going to see a pink blazer. They want to be perceived as cold, calculating [and] logical.”
However, some companies are revolutionizing the color pink by reclaiming femininity as something that shouldn’t be seen as “weak” or a “disadvantage.” After the release of the 2023 “Barbie” movie, the advertising industry saw a 46% increase in the use of pink in branding across all marketing sectors.
UF’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action organization primarily uses pink across its social media platforms. Sophia Scribani, a 21-year-old UF health science junior, is responsible for designing the club’s Instagram posts. Since pink is a gendered color, she said she uses it to grab viewers’ attention. Protesters for reproductive rights often wear pink as a symbol of empowerment.
“Now, too much pink can be considered a threat by some parts of society,” Scribani said. “We’re still pretty far away from achieving true gender equality, but … if there comes another issue as important as reproductive justice, that might bring [another] color back as a rallying cry for feminism.”
@AutumnJ922 ajohnstone@alligator.org
‘Swiping fatigue’: How online dating adds to the loneliness epidemic
DATING APPS FUEL NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS DURING PRIDE MONTH
By Isis Snow Avenue Staff Writer
Swiping on dating apps is endless. Each swipe offers brief hope for a romantic partner, but it more often leads to recycled conversations, sudden silences and isolation.
During Pride Month — a time meant to celebrate love, identity and connection — some UF students find themselves caught in a dating culture that rarely delivers what they are looking for.
The instant gratification from dating apps coincides with a shift in how relationships form in the 21st century, often emphasizing speed and convenience over depth and connection. In a world where likes are the currency of attraction, the search for authenticity can feel like an afterthought.
On dating apps like Hinge, Tinder and Bumble, a potential match could be one swipe away. What begins as a search for love turns into a swiping game where endless profiles, notifi-
cations and algorithms keep people scrolling, promising the next person could be “the one.”
For both LGBTQ+ and straight college students, the constant stream of options makes it difficult to build real relationships. This dynamic suggests a broader loneliness epidemic among Generation Z, whose members show high levels of isolation as they seek personal bonds online.
Krish Parikh, a 21-year-old UF public health senior, used Tinder to make connections on campus.
“When you come here [to college], you’re lonely in general,” he said. “And then, when you do get on these dating apps, you’re trying to fill a void.”
In his brief time on the apps, he got a glimpse of the online dating scene.
“You’re just scrolling endlessly,” Parikh said. “It’s like, right, left, right, left, left, left, and then hoping you’ll match with someone. [And then it’s] the same conversations over and over again.”
Disappointing experiences with online dating are part of a larger trend. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the nation is facing a loneliness epidemic, with young, college-aged adults being the
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most affected.
According to Ballard Brief, a student-led research initiative at Brigham Young University, nearly 80% of Gen Z reports feeling isolated or left out — a feeling that can be worsened by nonstop swiping.
Though these apps offer easy access to potential partners, users’ experiences reveal a more complicated reality.
For Sara Pelgar, a 22-year-old UF alumna, apps like Hinge have been gamified. Swiping has become addictive, and the chase for matches can go from casual to a cycle of selfworth tied to notifications.
“If you don’t get a certain number [of messages], or any, then you feel upset or frustrated,” Pelgar said. “Like, damn, why does no one find me attractive?”
Relying on dating apps for validation might stem from the lingering effects of COVID-19, she said. Accustomed to isolation, people may depend on the internet for socialization, making it harder to go out and make connections in their everyday lives.
While many students continue to struggle with dating app fatigue, others are finding alternative ways to build meaningful relationships
online and offline. The Instagram account “thegvillechart” is a hub for Gainesville’s lesbian community that occasionally offers matchmaking services.
The account is run by Sophia Scribani, a 21-year-old UF health science junior. Scribani said she was inspired by the television show “The L Word.” The account was born from her curiosity about who was in the Gainesville lesbian community. It has since evolved into a resource for connecting LGBTQ+ students and locals.
The lesbian dating app experience often results in friendships rather than romantic attachments because of the difficulty of finding a spark through a screen, Scribani said.
“I think dating apps aren’t really the best breeding grounds for intentionality,” Scribani said. “A lot of lesbians tend to feel a bit of a disconnect from the broader local Gainesville lesbian community.”
While swiping fatigue emotionally drains users, some are left haunted by what a potential relationship could’ve been once text notifications cease.
“Ghosting,” or the act of suddenly ending a relationship with someone
without explanation, is a common occurrence in online dating. Many college students find themselves in a cycle of brief, surface-level interactions.
It’s a problem that leaves people feeling disrespected, like they’ve wasted their time, Scribani said.
For many queer individuals who aren’t fully out, opening up only to be ghosted can be especially jarring, she said. Seeking vulnerability through the screen is crucial in the online dating process.
“When you decide to put yourself out there, you understand that while you don’t owe anyone reciprocation, you owe people basic respect,” she said.
Setting clear boundaries and intentions with your matches online can be difficult because of the fear of rejection, and Gainesville’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community can be daunting to someone unfamiliar with its robustness, she said.
Instead, Scribani recommends attending LGBTQ+ events within the community to get a foot in the door rather than relying on noncommittal dating apps.
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El Caimán
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No King’s Day Protest
A
Creative Gator Day
Saturday, July 5, noon – 4 pm
Together with the Center for Arts and Medicine we invite new Summer B and all UF Students to some well-deserved self-care at the Harn Museum of Art exploring wellness, connection and relaxation.
No registration required. Admission is free.
Sponsored in part by the College of the Arts Creative B Summer Program in partnership with the Office of the Provost.
Libby Clifton // Alligator Staff Jacob Croft unicycles across Southwest Sixth Street during the “No Kings Day” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Libby Clifton // Alligator Staff
Anwitha Srirama (far right) chants with her friends Savannah Kesser (center) and Thanmai Yakkanti (far left) on Southwest Sixth Street during the “No Kings Day” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Libby Clifton // Alligator Staff
Shana “Shana Banana” Smith sings at Cora P. Roberson Park on Saturday, June 14, 2025, for the “No Kings Day” protest.
Libby Clifton // Alligator Staff
protester dons a hat on the side of Southwest Sixth Street during the “No Kings Day” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
www.alligator.org/section/opinions
Tup Tim Thai: A pinch of Thailand in the Gainesville melting pot
Since I started writing these reviews, I’ve had plenty of feedback from restaurant recommendations to critiques of my writing style. One recurring comment, voiced most bluntly by my girlfriend’s mom, was: “Why haven’t you written a single bad review?”
She questioned my credibility, arguing if every place I visit is “perfect,” then none of them really are. Let me be clear, these reviews aren’t Yelp rants or takedowns. They’re recommendations. If you see my name attached to a restaurant in this paper, consider it your cue that it’s worth your time.
I don’t write about places I wouldn’t send my friends to.
To drive this home, I figured it was time to write about my favorite spot in Gainesville. I’ve eaten here over 50 times as a UF student. I’ve seen the menu and decor change, and I’ve dragged just about every friend I have through its doors. You could say I’ve become part of the furniture.
Still, in the interest of transparency and keeping my girlfriend’s mom happy, I’ll include my praise and the occasional unbiased observation. So, with my credibility questioned and my intentions made clear, let’s begin a review of a true Thai treasure: Tup Tim Thai.
Tup Tim Thai is tucked between a McDonald’s and a Marriott, and flanked by Hass Kitchen and the rebranded Biscuits & Burgers, formerly known as Bagels & Noodles. Inside, every inch of wall space is covered in colorful art of elephants and vibrant scenes. TVs loop footage of Thai street food, pulling your attention from conversation to craving. From the decor to the ambiance, this place doesn’t just serve Thai food, it drops you into it.
You don’t find Tup Tim Thai. It finds you. It starts with a craving. You yearn for something spicy, something saucy, something that makes your nose run a little and heats up your soul. Or maybe you’re like me, and you wander in with
a friend freshman year, starving and clueless, willing to try something new.
The first time I visited, I ordered five appetizers, sushi and fried rice. I drank Thai iced tea until my stomach growled at me in satiety. The next time, I came back with friends. Then roommates. Then friends of roommates. Then family. Then dates. At one point, I brought an entire group project here. We didn’t get much done, but we all left satisfied. I actually had to drop that class.
This place doesn’t just feed you — it gathers you. It becomes part of your weekly vocabulary. Tup Tim Thai on Tuesdays very quickly became a “thing” within my circle.
Some of the staff know me. I don’t say that to flex. OK, maybe a little, but I say that more as evidence that this place sticks with you. It’s not in an over-the-top, “We memorized your order” kind of way, but in a warm, familiar way that makes you feel like you belong even if you just sat down.
Everything feels intentional. The menu is massive but never overwhelming. The decor borders on chaotic but never cluttered. It’s Gainesville’s version of organized Thai chaos, and it works. It’s the kind of place where you’re just as likely to overhear a first date as you are a post-exam rant. Everyone comes here for something, and whatever it is, they find it.
And now, let me show you what I’ve found.
Panang Curry
I told you this was my favorite restaurant in all of Gainesville, and this dish is the reason why. I didn’t even try the panang curry until I had already made my way through every other curry on the menu, thinking I knew Thai flavors well enough to leave it for last. Big mistake. As someone who’s known among friends for making Thai curry from scratch, this one floored me. I nearly dropped my spoon but dropped my jaw, if only to fit more of it into my stomach.
I asked — no, begged — the manager to sit with me and break it down ingredient by ingredient. He did, kindly — and maybe a little nervously — while I took mental notes. He didn’t just tell me what was in it; he told me where they got it.
The curry paste? Locally sourced. The best stuff, he said, comes from Chun Ching Market just north of the restaurant. I went the next day. I tried multiple times to replicate what they made here. But no matter how precise I was, I could never quite summon the same warmth, the same balance of sweet coconut milk and the sharp tang of kaffir lime.
The curry is rich and smooth with a slowbuilding heat that never overwhelms but lingers lovingly. It’s full of crisp green beans and tender bell peppers that still hold their shape, all of it wrapped in the signature nutty, subtly spiced panang paste. It’s the kind of dish that humbles you, especially if you’ve ever claimed you could “probably make this at home.” You can’t, trust me. I’ve tried.
Drunken Noodles
This is another dish I’ve attempted to make at home many times with many failures. The first time I tried, I assumed the name “drunken noodles” referred to the six different sauces brawling for attention in the pan. I figured someone had to be drunk to toss oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, sugar and soy sauce — both light and dark — into one dish and still call it food. But as I later learned, the name actually nods to the dish’s fiery heat, not its sauce-soaked chaos.
Some say it’s the ultimate hangover cure. Others argue that you need an ice-cold beer while eating it, just to make it through. Whatever origin story you subscribe to, one thing is certain: This dish reaches its peak at Tup Tim Thai.
Escaping the headline
You wake up. Something is trending. Maybe a tragedy happened in your backyard or a disaster is occurring halfway across the world. Either way, it follows you. No matter what app you open or who you talk to, it’s going to be in your face.
When we live every day trapped in a cage of intertwining bars of online news, it gets exhausting. So, how do we cope?
Despite being in a world with more choices than ever before, it feels like we can’t choose what we see when we open our phones. You
didn’t mean to open the news app first thing in the morning, but then again, didn’t you do that yesterday? And the day before?
We exist in a digital age where content is controlled by what’s trending — whether it be good or bad. The difference between what spreads a funny video and anxietyinducing news is an algorithm controlled by billions of others feeling the same way.
Why does negative news proliferate so much?
People have an innate bias toward negative news, according to
a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found we’re more likely to interact with negative news than positive news. As a result, those headlines and stories get pushed more and more through sensationalism.
This feedback loop makes us believe the world is constantly in a bad place. We already live in a generation where hope for the future is at an all-time low, and it doesn’t help that what we interact with the most is proof of our worst fears.
How do we escape this? Our lives depend upon this revolution-
I’ve eaten drunken noodles all over town. No one touches Tup Tim Thai’s version. It doesn’t hold back, and that’s exactly what makes it worth coming back for. And if you can’t handle it, you can adjust the spice level to your tongue, however weak it might be.
Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice
No matter how much I order, there’s one constant on my table here: the Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice. Whether I’m eating it for lunch, dinner or a post-midnight craving I’m trying to disguise as a meal, this dish always makes the cut.
Fried rice is one of those comfort foods that rarely disappoints. This version doesn’t just meet expectations, it absolutely bodies them. The rice is wok-tossed to a perfect smoky crisp, coated in a savory blend of soy sauce and fish sauce, with just enough heat to remind you that the word “spicy” isn’t there for show. You get all the usual suspects — onions, bell peppers and fresh Thai basil — but it’s balanced in a way that makes each bite feel new and unfamiliar.
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Aidan Ragan is a UF computer science senior.
The noodles come out perfectly blistered and chewy, absorbing the sauce like they were built for it. Crisp bell peppers and Thai basil cut through the heat with a peppery sharpness that sticks to your ribs. There’s a kind of harmony in the chaos with the punch of garlic, underlying sweetness and its slowly building spice that refuses to let go. It’s a dish that wakes you up and slaps you across the face, then hugs you and apologizes until you’re sweating and grateful.
ary connection provided by the internet, but those same pathways carry words and pictures that further darken the light in our eyes. People have to learn how to live their lives again. This doesn’t mean a complete disconnect from technology or reducing your screen time back to Victorian times; instead, we need to find solace in our own existence and learn to live in conjunction with the lives of others.
If we’re so preoccupied with the rest of the world, we neglect the world we carry every day. There’s going to be good and bad following the rising and setting of each sun, enough distress that it doesn’t make sense to invite more.
This isn’t a call for mass apathy in the world. Having the ability to read and hear about what’s hap-
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator.
pening halfway across the world in seconds has changed and saved lives, raising awareness for events and people we otherwise wouldn’t know about. But we also need to remember that at the end of the day, the only one who’s going to take care of us is ourselves. It’s important to be kind to your mind and remember that, sometimes, it’s OK to start your day with something other than a devastating headline.
Andres Arguello is a UF English and psychology senior.
Aidan Ragan opinions@alligator.org
Andres Arguello opinions@alligator.org
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El Caimán
LUNES, 16 DE JUNIO DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
La Colección Latinoamericana y Caribeña que conserva historia en UF
LA LACC SIGUE SIENDO UN RECURSO CLAVE PARA ESTUDIANTES, PROFESORES E INVESTIGADORES
Por Candy Fontana-Verde Escritora de El Caimán
Muchos estudiantes de la Universidad de Florida pasan por los pasillos de la biblioteca Smathers sin saber que están a pocos pasos de una de las colecciones más importantes de los Estados Unidos sobre América Latina y el Caribe.
Fundada en 1925, la Latin American and Caribbean Collection, está ubicada en el tercer piso de la biblioteca y resguarda más de 500,000 libros, periódicos históricos, más de 50,000 microfilms, grabaciones, recetas, películas y materiales en inglés, español, portugués, francés e incluso lenguas indígenas.
Fernanda Bretones Lane es profesora asistente de historia en UF especializada en el Caribe colonial, y el mundo atlántico y Afro-Latinoamérica. Ella ha centrado parte de su trabajo académico en el estudio de la esclavitud en la región y en otros lugares de América.
"Definitivamente, para el Caribe, tenemos una de las colecciones más importantes”, dijo Bretones. “He utilizado muchos de los recursos tanto para mi propia investigación como para
mi enseñanza".
Bretones ha trabajado con materiales primarios difíciles de encontrar en otros lugares, como diarios de plantación o relatos de viajeros. La LACC alberga materiales raros que no se pueden encontrar en otros sitios, dijo. Muchos de ellos son ejemplares originales que solo se produjeron una vez y se conservan en la colección, mientras que, en otros casos, existen varias copias, pero están repartidas por diferentes partes del mundo.
Bretones ha visto cómo los recursos del LACC enriquecen los trabajos estudiantiles. Ella misma ha recurrido a estos archivos sobre esclavitud en el Caribe.
“Es una fuente que nos da información individualizada sobre personas que han sido en gran medida borradas del registro”, dijo. “Puedes aprender mucho sobre individuos e incluso grupos enteros solo con ese tipo de material”.
Lillian Guerra, profesora de historia especializada en América Latina, Cuba y el Caribe, comparte esa visión. Para ella, la colección no solo resguarda la historia del Caribe, sino también la de otros países cuyos archivos fueron eliminados por regímenes autoritarios.
“Tenemos periódicos argentinos de los años 40 y 50 que fueron eliminados por dictaduras”, dijo Guerra. “Si te vas a especializar en esa época, tienes que venir a la Universidad de Florida, porque ya no existen en Argentina”.
Además, Guerra ha vivido de primera mano
cómo el LACC brinda acceso a materiales censurados en sus países de origen, dijo. En contextos como el de Cuba, donde muchos periódicos están restringidos, los microfilms del LACC se vuelven esenciales para la investigación.
“Ahí te das cuenta de la importancia de esta colección”, dijo.
El valor del LACC no está solo en sus archivos, sino también en las personas que lo hacen posible, dijo.
“La biblioteca es más que lo que contiene”, dijo. “Los especializados en la materia saben cómo presentar la diversidad del contenido y explicar cómo acceder a ella, cómo investigar, cuáles términos usar, incluso aquellos que ya son históricos y que ya nadie usa”.
La colección organiza exhibiciones temáticas que cambian cada mes, según la ocasión o eventos especiales. Este junio, con motivo del Mes de la Herencia Caribeña, presentan una muestra de libros de cocina caribeña, acompañada de tarjetas de recetas bilingües —en español e inglés— con platos típicos de países como Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panamá y México.
Las tarjetas fueron diseñadas por miembros de la facultad de la biblioteca y extraídas directamente de los libros de recetas que forman parte de la colección.
Melissa Jerome, bibliotecaria de iniciativas digitales del LACC, destaca el valor único de los materiales que resguarda la colección.
“Son materiales que no se encuentran
en otros lugares, como copias únicas o muy limitadas”, dijo Jerome. “Por eso diría que tenemos una colección bastante única”. Sin embargo, reconoce que cada vez es más difícil acceder a estos recursos debido a que los lectores de microfilmes están desapareciendo de muchas bibliotecas.
Jerome comenta que, con el objetivo de facilitar el acceso al contenido en esta era digital, ha dedicado gran parte de su trabajo a digitalizar periódicos que únicamente están disponibles en microfilm. Explica que suele colaborar con un proveedor externo, al que le envía los materiales para que sean digitalizados y luego los devuelven junto con los archivos digitales.
Molly Coolican, estudiante de tercer año de UF de historia, de 20 años, conoció la colección gracias a una sugerencia de su profesora Bretones Lane. Le recomendó explorar el sitio web y visitar las estanterías del LACC, lo que le ayudó a definir el tema de su trabajo final. "Los principales recursos que necesitaba para mi proyecto estaban en UF, en el LACC”, dijo Coolican. “No habría podido definir mi tema, investigarlo ni escribir este trabajo tan largo del que estoy tan orgullosa sin el LACC".
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Nueva prohibición de viajes impacta a la comunidad internacional de UF
ESTUDIANTES DE PAÍSES AFECTADOS DICEN SENTIRSE HERIDOS Y SORPRENDIDOS
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Escritora de El Caimán
Traducido por El Caimán
Escritor de El Caimán
En medio de redadas del ICE, revocaciones de visas estudiantiles e incertidumbre internacional, la comunidad inmigrante de Estados Unidos enfrenta otra medida hostil. Una orden ejecutiva del presidente Donald Trump que prohíbe los viajes desde 12 países entró en vigor el 9 de junio, restringiendo la entrada a Estados Unidos de personas provenientes de Afganistán, Birmania, Chad, la República del Congo, Guinea Ecuatorial, Eritrea, Haití, Irán, Libia, Somalia, Sudán y Yemen.
Trump también impuso restricciones parciales a los viajes desde Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leona, Togo, Turkmenistán y Venezuela.
Según la orden, las visas emitidas antes del 9 de junio no serán revocadas.
La medida afecta directamente a la Universidad de Florida. UF alberga a más de 6,000 estudiantes internacionales y estudiantes de 140 países representan más del 25% del cuerpo estudiantil de posgrado de UF.
Irán fue uno de los 10 países con mayor número de estudiantes internacionales en el semestre de otoño de 2022, con 99 estudiantes inscritos. Tras la orden, algunos se preguntan qué significa esto para ellos y sus familias.
Hadi Ghasemi, estudiante de doctorado en ciencias
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hortícolas en UF de 35 años , no ha regresado a Irán en los cuatro años que lleva en su programa. Ya era difícil viajar por el proceso de visa, dijo.
La prohibición agrega otro nivel de estrés y desconexión con su hogar, añadió.
“Somos humanos”, dijo Ghasemi. “Tenemos familia. Tenemos emociones. Tenemos amigos”.
Explicó que la mayoría de los estudiantes iraníes solo pueden ver a sus familias si las invitan a EE. UU. y si sus padres obtienen una visa aprobada.
“Ahora con esta situación, nosotros ni siquiera tenemos la habilidad de preguntarles que vengan para acá por un corto periodo de tiempo”, dijo.
Ghasemi dijo que le preocupa que la universidad pierda estudiantes innovadores y talentosos por culpa de esta medida.
Aunque respeta las decisiones del gobierno, cree que los iraníes aportan mucho. Permitirles venir a EE. UU. beneficiaría a ambos países, dijo.
Los iraníes ya habían sido afectados por la Ley del Senado 846, que entró en vigor en diciembre de 2023. Esta ley prohibió las “asociaciones”, incluyendo programas de reclutamiento, entre universidades estatales y cualquier persona no ciudadana de EE. UU. que viva en un país considerado de preocupación, como Irán.
Tampoco es la primera vez que se impone una prohibición de viajes a Irán. Durante el primer mandato de Trump, se implementó una restricción de 90 días a Irán y otros seis países de mayoría musulmana en 2017.
Políticas exteriores como estas dificultan el éxito de los estudiantes iraníes, dijo Ghasemi. Les quitan la opción de asistir a universidades estadounidenses y los obliga a buscar
oportunidades educativas en otros países.
Aun así, se mantiene esperanzado. Los políticos van y vienen, dijo Ghasemi, y añadió que la prohibición podría cambiar para fin de año.
Trump finalmente ayudó a los estudiantes iraníes durante la última prohibición otorgando exenciones de visa, recordó.
“Espero que podamos tener algo similar en un futuro cercano", dijo.
Tiene varios amigos que quieren estudiar en EE. UU., pero actualmente no pueden, explicó.
Haití tenía 49 estudiantes internacionales en el semestre de otoño de 2022 y cuenta con una comunidad fuerte en Gainesville, representada por el Club Creole de UF y la iglesia haitiana Eben Ezer.
Guileinah Dupiton, estudiante de psicología en UF de 21 años, no ha visitado a su familia en Haití desde que estaba en la secundaria debido a la violencia e inestabilidad interna.
Dupiton dijo que se sintió sorprendida al enterarse de la medida, pero también insensible ante tantos cambios en las políticas migratorias.
“Se siente como si Haití estuviera siendo excluido del mundo internacional”, dijo Dupiton.
En Haití hay mucho conflicto político, dijo, y a pesar de la participación previa de EE. UU., esta prohibición parece dejar al país lidiar solo con su crisis.
“Duele, como alguien que realmente siente orgullo por su herencia, ver que eso esté pasando”, dijo.
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@MariaAvlonitis mavlonitis@alligator.org
Síganos para actualizaciones Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman. NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2025
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TRACK & FIELD
Clemons’ long jump title leads the way for Florida at NCAA Outdoor Championships
THE FLORIDA MEN FINISHED EIGHTH, THE WOMEN PLACED 15TH
By Paul Hof-Mahoney Sports Writer
The 2025 season will go down in the history of Florida track and field as one marred with injuries that robbed opportunities for greatness. From before the indoor season began to the final day of the outdoor season, the injury bug hit the Gators over and over.
An eighth-place finish for the men and 15th for the women at the NCAA Outdoor Championships hosted in Eugene, Oregon, June 11-14, was far from representative of what UF’s rosters are capable of.
One athlete embodied these challenges during the indoor season: Malcolm Clemons. The redshirt senior failed to qualify for nationals due to a nagging heel injury that severely limited his performance. It was a slow build for him as the outdoor season progressed, but he seemed to be in a good position headed into nationals.
On his first attempt, Clemons tore down the runway and launched himself 8.04 meters into the sand, a significant season’s best. While the mark was wind-aided, it still represented an important breakthrough for the Oakland native.
“I always try to come out to these competitions and try to get a good jump on my very first one,” Clemons said. “That’s exactly what I did today, and I think that really carried me to try and get a better jump throughout the rest of the competition.”
The rounds ticked by, but nothing changed at the top. There were eight men in the field,
MEN'S TENNIS
aside from Clemons, who jumped at least 8.04 meters in their careers, but none managed to do so on the national stage.
When the last jump, which could have unseated Clemons’ first-place position, was measured at only 7.55 meters, the reality of what happened began to set in. After five years, four national championships and three top-four finishes, he finally claimed the title of national champion.
“After coming off of such a high at the Olympics to getting injured at the first meet of the year, it really took a toll on my confidence,” Clemons said. “[Florida jumps coach Nic Petersen] helped me build my confidence back up, being able to know that I can run down the runway and jump far at any moment.”
Men’s team
There was a distinct difference in the Florida men’s team’s fortunes in the field and on the track June 11. In two field events, the Gators scored 18 points: 10 for Clemons’ victory and eight from a second-place finish in the javelin for Leikel Cabrera Gay.
The Cuban sophomore strung together the best season of his life en route to an NCAA silver. His first throw of 78.51 meters represented his first clearance of the 78-meter barrier, but he bettered the mark with a 79.05-meter heave in round three. It moved Cabrera Gay up to third in program history and became the best throw by a Gator since 2008.
“It’s still stunning,” Cabrera Gay said. “I was just focused. This is the time of year you have to be focused on what you want. I was just like, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
For Cabrera Gay, the Oregon performance holds extra significance. He spent last year
NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
competing at Umpqua Community College just 54 miles south of Eugene.
“I just want to thank Umpqua Community College for trusting me,” he said. “They were the first ones to give me an opportunity, and I’m very thankful for them.”
On the track, junior Demaris Waters was disqualified from the semifinals of the 110-meter hurdles after a false start. Redshirt senior Jenoah McKiver struggled his way around the track in 46.92 seconds, the slowest time of any athlete who finished the 400-meter semifinals.
Fortunes turned in the 4x400-meter semifinals, where the team qualified for the final even without McKiver. Their run in the final was impressive. Sophomore Rios Prude Jr., junior Justin Braun, senior Ashton Schwartzman and
redshirt senior Reheem Hayles got the baton around in 3:01.88, just a shade off the best time by a Florida group this season.
Braun made a strong move to the front when he got the baton on anchor, holding the lead position into the home straight. Eventually, the pack reeled him in, and the Gators finished fifth.
Women’s team
A lot went right for the Florida women during their qualifying day on June 12, and a lot went wrong during the finals on June 14.
The dichotomy began in the 4x100-meter relay. In the semifinal, freshman Habiba Harris, sophomore Quincy Penn and juniors Anthaya Charlton and Gabby Matthews finished in 43.06 seconds. It marked a season best for the group and made them the fifth-fastest relay team in program history.
“What I love about us is that we get better each time we run the team,” Charlton said. “It’s great, it’s reassuring. We just know when we touch that track again, it’s going to be a movie.”
In the final, the group looked positioned to score solid points, but Harris was forced to pull up with an injury only a few steps into her anchor leg. The promising outlook for the team race took a hit with a DNF, compounded 40 minutes later by Harris’ DNS in the 100-meter hurdles, an event where the Jamaican athlete led nationally throughout most of the season.
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@phofmahoney phof-mahoney@alligator.org
Steinberg emphasizes championship culture ahead of his third season at Florida
GATORS COACH ADAM STEINBERG HAS HIS SIGHTS ON IMPROVING TEAM CULTURE
By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
Water flew through the air as the Gators flooded into the locker room to celebrate following their 4-3 comeback win against conference rival Georgia on April 3.
The Florida men’s tennis team basked in its hard-fought victory at home as the win marked a defining moment of growth for Florida in its final regular season win of 2025. The performance was everything UF coach Adam Steinberg envisioned when he preached playing for one another, the “Gator Way.”
“The match against Georgia was really special, especially with that rivalry,” Steinberg said. “Seeing the
guys celebrate in the locker room, I’ll always remember that.”
Steinberg joined Florida as head coach in June 2023 after nine seasons as the head coach of the Michigan men’s tennis team. After two seasons at the helm of Florida, Steinberg holds a 28-24 record and is optimistic about the development of his young players and their goal of making a postseason title push.
“The goal here is to be No. 1 and compete for tight championships,” he said. “I don't think we're far, so I just want them to have that eye on the prize at all times and to see that trophy out in the hallway from 2021. That's what we're striving for.”
Throughout the season, the Gators prioritized bringing in-game intensity to practices and buying into the philosophy of playing hard as a team.
Practices became a battleground of intense competition where Florida players took advantage of daily chances to better themselves in the
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high-octane Southeastern Conference. Fueled by the addition of consistent energy and the creation of a positive team culture, UF players began to make noticeable strides in their game.
“I think the philosophy of really playing together and becoming a team clicked on the practice court more than anything,” Steinberg said. “The practice culture was great, and guys were improving.”
Florida’s men’s tennis team came out of the gates with energy in its hot start to the season and SEC play, posting a 6-2 record in February.
The Gators struggled on the road early but caught their footing in late March. After a dominant 4-1 win at home over Arkansas on March 15, Florida played with a higher degree of confidence en route to a 3-1 road stint that ended in March.
The Gators made a splash in the SEC, defeating Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State on the road. They lost to a Mississippi State team
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that ended the season ranked No. 10 in the nation.
“Winning those matches early – win over Kentucky and Auburn and those SEC matches – definitely gave the guys some confidence that, ‘Hey, we’re here, you better watch out for the Gators,’” Steinberg said. “The guys were ready to really do great things.”
However, the Gators faced struggles in road matches following their strong start, posting a 3-7 season record away from home.
“When they first came here, they were a little bit intimidated, and they weren’t comfortable in that environment,” Steinberg said. “I saw for sure this year, the comfort level definitely was there, and we were able to grab some matches on the road.”
Overcoming the team’s inexperience was arguably Florida’s biggest challenge. Six out of nine Gators played their first year of collegiate tennis in the 2023-24 season, and it
quickly became clear that even solid building blocks needed time to set. The raw talent was there, but experience and chemistry were still under construction.
Steinberg finished his first year with a 13-12 (6-6 SEC) record but continued to set his sights on creating a stronger team culture that focused on playing hard, playing loud and acting selflessly. He preached “the Gator Way,” a philosophy focused on supporting teammates with energy, passion and a teamfirst mindset.
“That will always be the vision of this program: to play with better energy for each other, never feel like you’re alone out there, understand that life’s not about you,” he said.
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@CuranAhern cahern@alligator.com
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Courtesy to the Alligator
Malcolm Clemons clenches the title of national champion during the