Gainesville homeless community calls for change one year into encampment ban
CITY OFFICIALS, POLICE SAID AWARENESS IS THE TOP PRIORITY
By Maria Arruda Alligator Staff Writer
Cyrus Jay became a Gainesville resident 10 years ago when his niece, a truck driver on assignment in the area, dropped him off. When they arrived, he told her he’d catch her some other time.
Now 63 years old, Jay is a member of the homeless community. Following a state crackdown on homeless encampment, he’s calling for aid to change his circumstances.
“I’m not particular,” he said. “Just get me off the streets.”
Calls to action
The Gainesville City Commission passed an ordinance in 2024 prohibiting people from camping and sleeping on public premises. The ordinance came after a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis banned counties and municipalities from allowing public encampment.
While the City Commission “grudgingly accepted” the order, according to previous Alligator reporting, it had to pass it, or create a similar one, to evade legal consequences.
The city created an option in the neighborhood myGNV app for residents to report public camping. In the first year after the ordinance
went into effect, Gainesville residents submitted 109 reports of camping on public property or encampment, according to records obtained by The Alligator.
That’s about one report every three to four days, or less than 10 per month, on average. A majority of camping sites reports happen along, or near, North Main Street in downtown.
Under the ordinance, people who appear to be camping will be redirected by law enforcement to legal resting spaces, such as shelters. If they refuse to move, they may face a $25 fine and possible arrest.
Jay said he and his fellow residents “have nowhere to go.” When it rains, he goes to the library for cover. He’s often told to move, he said, even though he doesn’t plan to permanently camp there.
More help for homeless people should be the pillar of change in the community, he added.
“They should be able to give more help than they do,” he said.
Lifelong Gainesville resident and homeless community member A.D. Hunter said the encampment ban makes it harder to find permanent residence. With the ordinance requiring residents to move around, finding stability becomes difficult.
“I very much disagree with it,” she said.
Hunter hasn’t personally been
2 months in: Where the Hamilton School is heading with new director
Director Charles Canady speaks on political experience, the press and civic literacy
By Leona Masangkay & Alexa Ryan
Alligator Staff Writers
Civic literacy, freedom of speech and the Western canon. Those are some of Charles Canady’s priorities as he settles into his new role as director of UF’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education.
On Nov. 17, 2025, Canady was named the school’s new director, following his time as one of Florida’s Supreme Court justices. He steps in as the Hamilton School, established by the state legislature in 2022, has rapidly grown to over 1,300 students and 53 faculty members as of July 2025.
From 2024 to 2025, the school more than doubled in full-time employees and total employee salaries, seeing a higher percent increase in both metrics than any other UF college or area over the same time period.
In his first interview with The Alligator, Ca-
nady spoke on his political experience, words from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on his hiring and the future of the Hamilton School after officially beginning his role Jan. 1.
The search for Canady
Interim UF President Dr. Donald Landry initiated a national search for a permanent director for the school Oct. 10, 2025. The search was announced to “Hamiltonians” in an internal email from then-interim director Robert Ingram obtained by The Alligator.
The search was not publicized until the new director was already chosen.
The UF Board of Trustees tapped Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor and conservative legal scholar, to head the search.
Although not a UF employee, George has a history of influence within the Hamilton School. Emails dating as far back as Summer 2024, obtained by The Alligator, show George
offering former Hamilton School director William Inboden and former UF President Ben Sasse recommendations on a bioethics professor the school should hire.
In response to George, then-director Inboden wrote “your endorsement is exceedingly valuable.”
George was even offered the UF presidential role by DeSantis following the rejection of sole finalist Santa J. Ono last summer, as reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education. After declining the job, George pointed DeSantis to Landry.
During the director search, Landry paused all Hamilton School interviews for at least four candidates applying to be professors, according to another email Ingram sent to Cheryl Irvin, a conference event manager for the school.
A little over a month later, Canady was announced as director.
Meanwhile, former interim director Ingram
moved to the University of Texas at Austin — where Inboden, the Hamilton School’s first director, is serving as provost.
Three other Hamilton School faculty have also joined the Civitas Institute, UT Austin’s civic center. None are employed by contract, according to UT Austin communications. Rather, they are all at-will employees, meaning they do not have a specific rate of pay written on paper and can resign or be dismissed without advanced notice.
Canady’s experience and vision
Canady, an alumnus of Haverford College and Yale Law School, served in the Florida and then U.S. House of Representatives before becoming a Florida Supreme Court Justice for 17 years.
His wife, Florida Rep. Jennifer Canady, is the state’s soon-to-be speaker of the House.
Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff
A.D. Hunter, a Gainesville local, stands outside Alachua County’s Headquarters Library, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Today’s Weather
Florida Board of Governors approves yearlong H-1B visa pause in state universities
Board chair
said UF ‘uniquely’ relies on the visas, especially within UF Health
By Leona Masangkay Alligator Staff Writer
Florida universities cannot hire new employees under H-1B visas until Jan. 5, 2027.
The Florida Board of Governors paused the program at its meeting March 2, with two members dissenting. Kimberly Dunn and Carson Dale, the board’s faculty and student representatives, respectively, opposed the ban. Two people also spoke against the move during public comment.
The change comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged the board to “pull the plug” on H-1B visas Oct. 29, 2025. At the time, UF Interim President Dr. Donald Landry said he would support a review of the program at UF.
H-1B visas permit U.S. employers to hire collegeeducated foreign citizens for up to six years. During that time, recipients can apply for permanent citizenship.
UF leads state universities in H-1B hires. In fiscal year 2025, UF approved 253 H-1B visas, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The university with the second-largest number of approved visas was Florida State University at 110.
Ray Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, confirmed current H-1B hires will be able to renew their visas during the yearlong pause. Visa renewals are also not subject to the $100,000 fee President Donald Trump imposed on all H-1B visas Sept. 21, 2025.
Opposition to the pause
The pause was set to be voted on during the board’s consent agenda, which groups noncontroversial items together into a single vote. However, Dunn and Dale moved to vote on the measure in a separate discussion, allowing each board member to open the floor for commentary or debate.
“I recognize that this is a pause and not a ban, but I do think that this creates a serious reputational impact for our universities,” said Dale, Florida State University’s student body president and only student voting member of the board.
Dunn, Florida Atlantic University’s faculty senate chair and the only voting faculty member, spoke after Dale and echoed his opinion.
“I’m still concerned about the lasting effect on our reputation and on our ability to recruit the best
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faculty in the world,” Dunn said.
Two public commenters also shared their opposition to the H-1B visa pause.
Connor O’Brien, a fellow for the nonpartisan think tank Institute for Progress, said he understood the board’s concern about H-1B visas potentially being abused in university hiring processes. However, the proposed pause would “go much further” and create difficulties in finding global talents, he said.
O’Brien specifically voiced concerns about how the H-1B visa pause would affect UF Health, where he said many physicians and surgeons are sponsored by H-1B visas.
The Institute for Progress analyzed first-time H-1B visas filed between 2017 and 2022 by Florida universities, he said.
“Among the 1,300 approved petitions, at least 315 were for physicians, Ph.D. scientists or STEM faculty,” O’Brien said.
Mike Sanderson, a public commenter who has appeared in previous board meetings, also spoke against the ban.
“I myself lived and worked full time in mainland China from 2006 to 2012,” he said. “Regarding the ban on H-1B visas … it’s too blunt an instrument, even though there are legitimate concerns.”
Discussion from the board
Adam Levine, the Board of Governors chair, said the purpose of the pause was to collect data on H-1B visa hires. He added he’s been in communication with university presidents and faculty for feedback.
“I wanted to hear directly from … Donald Landry, given his background as a physician, and also because the University of Florida does have a significant operation at UF Health,” Levine said. “UF, uniquely, has a lot of faculty that rely on the H-1B visa.”
Ken Jones, one governor on the board who is also the founder and managing partner of global private investment firm Third Lake Partners, said he looks forward to seeing the collected data.
“I want to be very clear to the extent that we are engaging in activity where we are abusing the system,” Jones said. “We need to expose that. We need to talk about it.”
The Alligator strives to be accurate and clear in its news reports and editorials. If you find an error, please call our newsroom at 352-376-4458 or email editor@alligator.org 352-376-4458 NEWSROOM:
Gainesville’s Iranian community watches war unfold at home
UF STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS REACT TO U.S.-ISRAEL STRIKES AND RISING TENSIONS IN IRAN
By Julianna Bendeck Alligator Staff Writer
Reza Esmaeel says he’s living the dream in the U.S.
Born and raised in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, the 33-year-old UF alumnus moved to the United States in 2019 to complete his doctorate. He received permanent residency last year and is now pursuing U.S. citizenship.
While in Iran, Esmaeel’s life lacked freedom, he said.
“They want to micromanage every little aspect of your life,” he said. “The way you dress, the way you eat, the way you drink, the way you work, what you do and what you shouldn’t do.”
His reflections come as tensions between Iran, Israel and the U.S. have escalated following coordinated strikes on Iranian targets.
On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iranian leadership and military sites, prompting reactions across the Middle East and intensifying divisions between the Iranian public and its government.
The attacks killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior military officials and at least 555 people across Iran.
An estimated 416 Iranians — including 96 international students at UF — live in Gainesville. Though the war has caused difficulties in daily life, it’s also filled some with a sense of pride.
Hadi Ghasemi, a 36-year-old Iranian UF horticulture sciences doctoral student, said the regime’s internet blackout has made it hard to stay in touch with family during the war, leaving him lying awake at night hoping for contact.
He said outsiders often misunderstand Iran and its culture because they lack local perspective.
Despite the conflict, he remains hopeful.
“I believe whatever is happening right now, there will be a new future for this country,” Ghasemi said.
Ghasemi is just one of many Iranians critical of the government. A 2024 survey by a Tilburg University researcher found 41.3% of Iranian respondents said regime change is necessary for progress in Iran, while 11.8% said they support the Islamic Republic.
The strikes have also drawn strong reactions from Israeli and Jewish communities abroad.
Rabbi Aaron Notik, from the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center, said Israel has faced threats from Iran for years.
Since the 1980s, Iran has supported armed groups that oppose Israeli interests, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories. He said many Israelis he’s spoken with expressed hope the war would end tensions between Iran and Israel.
“When someone says they’re going to destroy you, time and again, and then they actually act on it, then you really have to take that seriously,” he said.
His concerns mirror those of U.S. officials, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who say Iran poses a threat to national security.
Henry A. Moore // Alligator Staff
Conflicts in Iran began last week after the U.S. and Israel struck targets across the country, killing the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Explanations for the strikes come amid skepticism from the American public.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this week found 27% of Americans approve of the strikes, while 43% oppose them.
Valeria Alatorre, a 21-year-old UF political science and criminology junior, said the U.S. is “always getting in other countries’ business.” She doesn’t believe the Trump administration has sufficient proof of Iran’s nuclear development, she said.
On March 3, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote on X the agency has found no evidence Iran is building a nuclear bomb, though its refusal to grant full inspector access remains a serious concern.
“I really don’t understand what the end goal for the United States is,” Alatorre said, referencing the country’s past involvement in the Middle East. “We end up hurting so many families and communities.”
Benjamin B. Smith, a professor and chair of the political science department at UF, explained political factors contributing to the war.
According to Smith, the Islamic Republic is overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim and has structured its political system around religious authority. This has shaped both its domestic and foreign policy, as the regime positions itself as a defender of Shiite communities abroad.
“One of the reasons you haven’t seen a lot of statements of outrage from other Muslim countries about the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran is that they don’t like the Islamic Republic either,” he said.
Smith is the author of a book about the Iranian economy, and he said decades of corruption have concentrated wealth among a small Iranian elite.
Ordinary Iranians, meanwhile, struggle under sanctions and decades of financial mismanagement. He added that many of the country’s modern political and economic challenges stem from the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which replaced the Imperial State of Iran with the Islamic Republic.
“The faction that emerged victorious from it did so because they were willing to be really, really brutal, and they demonstrated over and over again that they’re still willing to be pretty heavy-handed with their own people,” Smith said.
jbendeck@alligator.org
Museum Nights
Thursday, March 12, 6 – 9 pm
Heritage and Highlights of Asian Art
Celebrate Lunar New Year and Asian art through hands-on art activities and presentations that include decorating paper lanterns, a “Japanese Abstraction” talk by collector and donor Anne Godsey and an exciting appearance by the UF Lion Dance Team!
Wine Down
Thursday, March 26, 6 – 9 pm
Wine down with a Chinese lute performance by Ting Dong. Free lite bites and desserts, along with wine and beer.
image: UF Lion Dance Team, photo by Morgan Hurd
Gainesville homeless residents criticize camping ban
enforcement makes contact. After the resident moves, the city’s public works department cleans any potential mess left behind.
asked by law enforcement to move, she said, but she knows people who have in the last couple of months — and reactions are mostly very negative, she said.
Hunter wishes a longer-term rehabilitation program existed for homeless people to receive education, earn income and find jobs. A lot of people don’t want to go to school because it doesn’t pay, she said.
People are usually able to get back on their feet within about six months of earning income, Hunter said. An acquaintance of hers was placed in a three-month program instead, and in the end, she found herself back in a shelter because she didn’t have enough time to save money.
People in support of the encampment ban don’t understand the homeless experience, Hunter added.
“They hadn’t had to live it,” she said.
Local enforcement
Upon asking people suspected of camping to move, law enforcement’s approach is to inform them about available services within the city, said Art Forgey, the Gainesville Police Department public information officer.
“I think our goal is helping these folks get the services that they need,” he said. “Our goal is definitely not to intervene in a law enforcement setting.”
If someone is found in a public setting with a blanket, sleeping bag or other possession that hints they are camping, Forgey said law
Charles
People usually just move on to a different area, he added. If someone refuses to move, GPD would arrest them for trespassing, though Forgey said that situation has never happened.
GPD has a downtown unit that comes across encampment issues regularly, he said, but officers rarely encounter camping in other city areas.
Forgey added he believes people should lend a helping hand to the homeless community.
“Next time you want to bash the houseless or anything like that, just reflect a minute and see how you think you might be able to help,” he said.
City standpoints
A year into the ban, Mayor Harvey Ward said the city continues delivering the same services it always has, with “as much compassion” as possible. Though the city had to make legal changes to its codes because of the bill, Ward said he doesn’t think law enforcement has changed the way it treats people in the last year.
“I am not aware of major changes to the way we’ve interacted with our houseless neighbors,” he said.
Florida House Rep. Sam Garrison originally wrote the House bill. Ward recalls the representative telling him the legislation wasn’t aimed at cities already providing homeless aid services, like Gainesville. Ward said he believes the bill
is wasteful.
Gainesville has two primary shelters: St. Francis House and Grace Marketplace. Grace Marketplace allows guests to bring one bag and stay up to 30 days while waiting for a longterm bed. St. Francis House provides shelter for women and families.
Until both the federal and state governments realize there is a financial part to play in end-
ing homelessness, Ward added, there won’t be a solution. Reasonably priced housing options and destigmatized mental health and addiction recovery services are the two areas where funding is needed, Ward said.
“Until we have that funding abundantly available, we are going to face this issue,” he said.
@mariazalfarruda marruda@alligator.org
Canady discusses Hamilton School role
from pg. 1
Upon Canady’s appointment as director, DeSantis called him a “home-run choice.”
“He felt that my credentials as a public servant and as a lawyer were a good fit for the mission of the school,” Canady later said of the governor’s compliment. “A very kind thing to say that, and I appreciate it — I think that’s what he meant.”
One skill in particular from his political experience stands out in translation to higher education, Canady said: listening.
Canady, who will receive an annual $500,000 salary, spent the past few months learning the ropes and responsibilities of his new role, he said, and looks forward to getting to the office every day. Western civilization education is important, Canady said, because there’s a “crisis of civic literacy.”
“We have to understand Western civilization to understand where we are today,” Canady said. “We’ve overcome major defects in our society, and of course, the biggest thing was overcoming and destroying slavery in the Civil War.”
People need to understand that history to be a responsible citizen and effective leader, part of the mission of the Hamilton School, he said.
The Hamilton School is working to extend civic education to K-12 curriculum, Canady said, and it received a grant from the Department of Education toward the cause. The $2.9 million federal grant was announced Oct. 6, 2025, with around $1.2 million directed to the Hamilton School.
The Hamilton School follows a trend of several U.S. universities shifting focus to civic education.
Thirteen new centers have been announced since 2023. Of the 22 centers founded from 2022-2025, 59% were created via state legislation.
But Canady said UF has a “head start.”
“They would probably more be looking to us as a model than vice versa,” he said.
Canady acknowledged the school had discussed attracting as many as 70 faculty members by 2028 or 2029, but he’s personally not focused on a numeric goal. Rather, he’s prioritizing faculty that meet the school’s high standards, he said.
Canady also doesn’t have a specific target for the numbers of majors or students taking classes at the school, but he’s focused on “get[ting] the word out,” he said.
The Hamilton School course catalog for the Spring 2026 semester features about 50 courses. Sixteen are Quest courses, required classes for most undergraduate students, which allows the school to attract students from outside the school’s majors.
Twenty of the school’s courses received general education certification for the 2025-26 academic year after a law passed last year required the addition of the Western canon to all general education humanities courses.
Canady also spoke to the school’s historically tense relationship with the press.
During the Hamilton School director search, a reporter from The Alligator emailed multiple Hamilton School professors requesting an interview. An assistant professor at the school forwarded the email to Hamilton leadership, according to emails The Alligator obtained via public records requests.
“I assume this went out to everyone; following the usual policy of forwarding and not responding,” the professor wrote in his forwarded email to Ingram, the interim director at the time, and Jeffrey Collins, the interim associate director at the time.
Collins responded to the message: “I don’t think everyone. Who knows how they fasten on a person.”
Canady said Hamilton faculty don’t have any specific procedures to follow when interacting with the media since he has joined the college. Moving forward, he said, he’s emphasizing openness and transparency.
“I deeply believe in the importance of a free press,” he said. “Without a free press, we can’t have people who know the things they need to know to make the decisions that citizens need to make.”
Ongoing political tensions
The Hamilton School was conceived with the direct support of DeSantis and Florida’s Republican-led legislature, which prompted many to question the school’s independence from the state.
“The Legislature established Hamilton,” Canady said. “I’m very grateful to the Legislature and the governor for supporting the work that’s going on in Hamilton.”
Canady also emphasized his distinction from his wife, Rep. Jennifer Canady, who serves in the Florida House. He said she is supportive of the Hamilton School, “but anyone who thinks that that’s a blank check is misinformed.”
“My wife has her own responsibilities,” Canady said. “She’s an independent person with an independent responsibility.”
Although Canady emphasized the school is a “nonpartisan enterprise,” some faculty disagree.
In a June 2023 UF Faculty Senate special report, some faculty in the Levin College of Law expressed concerns over the law leadership’s role in the creation of the Hamilton School, regarding them as “agents of the state.”
The report noted responding faculty also expressed concerns about “nepotistic appointment and hiring practices in the Hamilton Center.”
Andrew Rosenberg, an associate professor of political science at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said having a civic institution provides more resources and opportunities for students studying political theory and philosophy.
“UF is certainly on the leading edge of that development,” Rosenberg said.
The rise of civic institutions wasn’t something he expected when he was a graduate student, he said, because job opportunities for doctoral students studying political theory were relatively narrow at the time compared to other fields.
Free speech and debate are important for all liberal arts students, he added.
“There is scholarship that argues ‘yes,’ and there’s a scholarship that argues ‘no,’” Rosenberg said. “The point of scholarly inquiry … is all about debate.”
Student thoughts
Kristina Kianovski, a 21-year-old student assistant and alumna of the Hamilton Society of Fellows, is aware of these early criticisms, but she doesn’t think the school is pushing a political agenda.
“I don’t feel like their personal emotions or beliefs get in the way of their teaching,” she said about the Hamilton professors. “There are people there who I don’t agree with politically, who just have such great credentials that it’s impossible not to respect them.”
She said the Hamilton School’s strengths lie in its ability to merge different concepts, including philosophy, politics and economics — something she appreciates as a junior double majoring in criminology and political science.
Qualified faculty were part of the reason 20-year-old Michael O’Malley, an economics and philosophy, politics, economics and law sophomore transferred to the school from the Warrington College of Business.
“It’s really slept on, but we have some world-class professors there,” he said. “The professors are unmatched.”
O’Malley said the teachers have pushed him to think deeper about his beliefs and how to have respectful debates about them with others. He also enjoys the school’s small class sizes.
Before O’Malley transitioned into the Hamilton School, he had heard the fears it would push conservative political beliefs onto its students, but those fears were immediately mitigated, he said.
He said he completely understands why someone would be cautious coming into the school, but taking one class within Hamilton would put those fears at bay.
“Not once have I ever been pressed politically, nor have I ever heard a professor really express their own political beliefs,” O’Malley said. “I think it is a very neutral academic setting.”
aryan@alligator.org lmasangkay@alligator.org.
HAMILTON,
Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff
Cyrus Jay wheels his walker and belongings through Sweetwater Park, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla.
Gainesville restaurant strikes up charitable deal with wine thieves
SUPERETTE’S OWNER PROMISED ANONYMITY ON ONE CONDITION
By Vanessa Norris Alligator Staff Writer
A couple dined at a local Gainesville restaurant, paid their bill and walked out with a stolen bottle of wine. The next day, they were offered a unique deal with the restaurant’s owner: Pay $100 to a local charity or get exposed on the internet.
Superette, located in the Pleasant Street neighborhood, opened in 2021 as a Mediterranean and Levantine restaurant and bar. Its owner, Maya Velesko, was at home with her family on March 1 when a manager told her a bottle of wine had been stolen.
After reviewing video footage from inside and outside the restaurant, Velesko found a couple had noticed a wine display as they exited the restaurant. The display is called “Blind Date with a Bottle,” where customers can purchase a mystery bottle of wine from $50 to $100.
Velesko said the couple apparently discussed the display, smiling and pointing at it. The man then grabbed a bottle, and the two exited the restaurant without paying for it. The wine bottles were clearly for sale, she added, and staff members were available to answer questions about the display.
The couple left a 10% tip on their lunch bill, Velesko said, and drove away in a Porsche.
“It wasn’t necessarily about
the cost of the wine that walked out the door, but more about the sort of violating nature of it,” she said.
After viewing the footage, Velesko decided against calling law enforcement, choosing a more unique method of justice.
Around midnight March 2, Velesko made a post on Superette’s Instagram.
“to the dude that stole a bottle of wine today at 2:22 pm, and to his date cheering him on (girllll–why?!), your faces and car are about to be put on blast,” the post read. “that is, unless you dm us to arrange making a donation
equivalent to the merchandise amount to a charity of our choice. then you can keep your anonymity. you’ve got 48 hours.”
This approach was fueled by Velesko’s beliefs in leading with empathy and community.
“The whole idea behind the story was, ‘Hey, make good on this, do the right thing, come forward, pay the charity and you get to keep your anonymity,’” Velesko said.
The next day, the thieves direct-messaged Superette on Instagram to say they mistakenly thought the bottles were free samples. Velesko gave them 15
minutes to make their donation.
Sure enough, a $100 donation was made out to Community Spring, a Gainesville-based economic justice organization.
Superette’s post went on to go viral, racking up over 1 million views. Supportive comments flooded in from across the country.
“Exemplary way to handle such a situation,” one user commented. “The push for accountability while being empathetic is spot on.”
One commenter, a Mastercard employee from New York, sent another $100 donation
Caroline Walsh // Alligator Staff
Superette, a Mediterranean and Levantine restaurant, is located in the Pleasant Street neighborhood. Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Gainesville, Fla.
to Community Spring through the company’s giving portal, and Mastercard matched his donation, totaling $200.
Lindsay Kallman, Community Spring’s cofounder and executive director, learned about the deal at a staff meeting.
Community Spring reposted Superette’s Instagram post to thank the restaurant, commenting, “What an example of how to handle a situation without involving the police AND supporting the community.”
The organization works to stop the cycle of mass incarceration and poverty, following principles of restorative justice. Kallman defines restorative justice as “a more victim-centered approach to repairing harm that focuses on healing rather than punishment.”
Velesko credits restorative justice with her decision to not involve law enforcement and offer the thieves a chance at growth.
“We all make mistakes, and we all have poor judgment at one time or another in our lives,” Velesko said. “Think about what outcomes we could have if people were treated with kindness, empathy, understanding and forgiveness.”
Velesko knows the names and backgrounds of the thieves, but she’s adamant about keeping them anonymous. She said she hopes they’ve learned from this experience.
@vanessajnorris vnorris@alligator.org
UF students face increasing competition for law school
NATIONAL SURGE IN APPLICATIONS RESHAPES PREPARATION AND EXPECTATIONS
By Mia Giannicchi Alligator Contributing Writer
As law school applications surge nationwide, students at UF are facing tougher competition and more pressure to stand out.
According to data compiled by the Law School Admission Council from the American Bar Association, U.S. law school applications are up 12.6% this cycle — a 35.2% increase compared to two years ago.
At UF, the surge is already reshaping how applicants prepare.
For Cecilia Carbone, the decision to apply to law school wasn’t a trend — it was a calling.
“I’ve never really done things just because other people were doing them,” said Carbone, a first-year law student at the UF Levin College of Law.
Carbone said she believes a law degree has a broad impact, which is why more and more people are applying.
“I think lawyers are social engineers in
a lot of ways,” she said. “Lawyers are essential to society, and I think a lot of people want to be a part of that change.”
Carbone isn’t alone. More students are now aiming for the same purpose she describes.
Owen Beatty, a UF pre-law adviser, said the number of UF students applying to law school increased by about 15% this past cycle. He also noted applicants are submitting more applications to different schools, casting a wider net than they did two years ago.
As competition rises, students are prioritizing GPA and Law School Admission Test, or LSAT, scores and spending more on test prep, Beatty said. He said he expects anxiety among applicants to increase alongside trends, especially considering most applicants are already high-achieving students.
Beatty mentioned pre-law advisers try to alleviate anxiety and normalize students taking gap years to gain work experience. About 70% of students who started law school in Fall 2025 were at least a year out of their bachelor’s program, he said.
“Everybody that is applying has really good LSAT scores and GPA,” Beatty said. “Where you can really differentiate your-
self is your experience.”
He expects the surge to continue, he said, noting uncertainty in the job market often drives students toward graduate school to strengthen their career prospects.
For students like Alana Walker, a 21-year-old UF political science senior, the rising competition feels personal. Walker applied to law schools for the 2026-2027 cycle and has heard back from two of the three schools.
At first, she felt intimidated when she saw the declining acceptance rates and increasing competition.
“I think that this cycle was very competitive,” Walker said. “I think next cycle is going to be very competitive. And I definitely see a trend, at least for the next couple of years.”
Because of the growing competitiveness, Walker said she took the LSAT more seriously, and many of her friends did the same.
Walker said the process felt more stressful before applications opened. But once she received an LSAT score she was happy with, she said, the application process became less overwhelming.
“Law schools are so clear about GPA and LSAT ranges,” Walker said. “You kind
of already know where you stand when you apply.”
Amid rising applications, law school admissions officers are also emphasizing stronger preparation.
Leslie Greenwood, assistant dean for admissions at Levin, noted applications have gone up this past cycle. According to the American Bar Association, applications to Levin increased 6.27% from the 2024 to the 2025 admissions cycle. However, the acceptance rate only dipped by less than one percentage point over the same period. She encouraged law school applicants to get legal or other related professional experience before applying.
“For example, if you are interested in pursuing tax law, an accounting internship or work experience could be considered relevant,” Green wrote in an email statement.
Green also advised students to not compare themselves to others.
“Focus on putting your personal best foot forward in the application process, and apply when you feel that you are ready to do so,” she said.
Mia Giannicchi is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026
www.alligator.org/section/the-avenue
Whoopi’s brings country music, bar games and late-night snacks to downtown Gainesville
NEW TWO-STORY VENUE OFFERS A LAID-BACK ALTERNATIVE TO DANCE-HEAVY
BARS
By Aaliyah Evertz Avenue Staff Writer
Cowboy boots, country music and free latenight chicken tenders are not typical features of downtown Gainesville’s bar scene. But at Whoopi’s, a newly opened country-themed bar, they’re part of the draw.
The two-story venue, which opened this spring, offers a different atmosphere from many of the dance and cocktail bars lining the downtown strip. With bar games downstairs, a DJ upstairs and a laid-back country aesthetic throughout, Whoopi’s is attracting UF students looking for a new kind of night out.
Annalee Watts, a 22-year-old UF information systems and operations management master’s student and a bartender at Whoopi’s, said the bar’s concept stands out from other spots downtown.
“If the person has ever been to Tallahassee, I would compare it to Ken’s at the Strip,” she said.
Inside, the bar is split across two levels. Downstairs features games like pool and cup pong, while upstairs hosts a DJ and dance floor. The setup gives customers the option to either dance or relax with friends — something that can be harder to find at crowded dance-focused venues.
On a typical Friday night, groups gather
MUSIC
around the pool table downstairs while others line the bar ordering shots and mixed drinks. Upstairs, country songs and remixes play as patrons crowd the dance floor.
Watts said the bar also offers small touches meant to keep customers coming back. At the end of some nights, she said, the owners will
give out chicken fingers and french fries on the house.
The bar is family-owned, which Watts said shapes the environment and how staff interact with customers.
“They actually want them [students] to have a good time,” she said.
John Luu, a 22-year-old UF information systems and operations management master’s student who works the door and as a barback, said the atmosphere tends to stay relaxed during most shifts.
“Typically it’s super chill,” he said. “There will be a handful of nights … that there is a rowdy person here or there, but again it’s a bar.”
He said one of the perks of working there is the same thing many customers enjoy: the free food occasionally passed out throughout the night.
The opening of Whoopi’s reflects a broader shift in how some Gen Z students socialize at bars.
While dance-heavy clubs and packed dance floors remain popular, many students are increasingly drawn to more casual spaces where they can sit down, play games and spend time talking with friends.
Customers say the country theme and welcoming environment help Whoopi’s stand out.
Connor Conte, a 22-year-old UF information systems and operations management master’s student, said he returned to the bar after his first visit because it offers something different from the typical downtown routine.
“I like variety,” he said. “Going to the same place every time gets boring.”
As Gainesville’s nightlife continues to evolve, Whoopi’s is carving out its own niche — one built around country music, casual games and a more relaxed bar experience.
@aaliyahevertz1 aevertz@alligator.org
The Alligator heads to Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival
THE FESTIVAL WILL RUN FROM MARCH 19 TO 22
By Corey Fiske Avenue Staff Writer
Some UF students are packing swimsuits and seltzers for spring break. The Alligator is packing tents, earplugs and hydration packs.
Two reporters and one photographer are preparing for warm days and cool nights as they get ready to head down to the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival.
Founded in 2016, OMF is returning after two fallow years to set the standard on camping festivals with six stages and plenty of new food options. The four-day extravaganza will have over 130 performances, featuring headliners like Cage The Elephant, Fisher, LCD Soundsystem and The Lumineers.
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The genre-defying festival takes place March 19 to 22 at Sunshine Grove, about three hours southeast of Gainesville.
Festival head Julio Santo Domingo, better known as Rechulski, will be driving down with his two Scottish terriers from New York City. He expects roughly 30,000 festivalgoers.
Rechulski is also a DJ himself, previously operating a DJ collective in New York — and even playing shows in Gainesville. He performed at Alpin Bistro and at the Waterbear party at the Loft downtown in 2024.
In 2015, he founded Soundslinger, the company behind OMF. Since then, much of his energy has been focused on the festival.
“When you’re building a festival like Okeechobee, it’s like building a city,” Rechulski said. “It’s just nonstop all year round.”
Each year, he likes to purchase or commission a new art piece for the
Meet the UF assistant women’s golf coach bringing a spark to the program. Read more on page 11.
festival. Asicaz Monzón, a Colombian American artist, created a permanent sculpture, which Rechulski describes as “a really cool alien-like totem figure.”
Additionally, Rechulski will be performing at the festival at Jungle 51, the all-night music stage, March 20.
Richard Gonzales, a 22-year-old UF food and resource economics senior, will be heading to OMF in style with a group of 14 people. A couple of months ago, he purchased a silver 2008 Lincoln limo on Facebook Marketplace. He’ll be the one driving it.
Gonzales has never been to OMF before but has been to other festivals, including the electronic-focused Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, in Orlando. He also has a vague memory of his parents taking him to a camping festival when he was young. For OMF, he’ll be relying
on his Boy Scout experience.
“Some of my friends like festivals, but not a lot of them have been camping at all, though, so I’m probably going to have to be like mother bird for the whole time,” he said.
His advice to others: Avoid getting your stuff wet, stay hydrated and be overprepared.
Gonzales most anticipates seeing T-Pain, he said. He and the rapper both come from Tallahassee.
It’s also Bella Molloy’s first time attending OMF. The 21-year-old UF linguistics junior is a member of the EDM club PLUR, which stands for peace, love, unity and respect. She’s been camping before, but never car camping at a festival. To prepare, she’s been doing research online.
Luckily, she’ll be attending with her friend Morgan Spear, a University of Central Florida nursing alumna and a frequent festival camper.
“She is my best friend for a rea-
son,” Molloy said. “She’s so wise and everything. She’s actually the one who got me into the scene to begin with.”
Molloy paid around $400 for her four-day tickets and expects to spend an additional $150 to $200 for food and equipment. To keep costs low, she’ll crowdsource equipment from family and friends.
She’s most looking forward to seeing Cage The Elephant.
“Cage The Elephant has a special place in my heart. I grew up on their music with my dad, and so I’m really excited,” she said. “I had bought my tickets before the lineup had even dropped.”
Tickets to OMF are on sale now. The Alligator will be attending, so stay tuned for more festival coverage.
@coreyfiske7 cfiske@alligator.org
Ryan Friedenberg // Alligator Staff People gather inside Whoopi’s, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla.
El Caimán
LUNES, 9 DE MARZO DE 2026
www.alligator.org/section/spanish
‘Depende de mí aprender más sobre esto’: ¿Qué significa la identidad afrolatina para los
LOS ESTUDIANTES DESCUBREN LA CULTURA A TRAVÉS DE CLUBES, EL IDIOMA Y LAS AMISTADES
Por Ariana Badra
Escritora de El Caiman
Juliana Odoi solía llamarse "Blaxican".
Como africana y latina, esta estudiante de 19 años de segundo año de ingeniería biomédica de la UF, dijo que se resistía a ser encasillada en una sola identidad.
"Pensaba, 'No, no soy solo ghanesa. No, no soy solo mexicana. Soy Blaxican. Soy los dos’”, dijo.
No fue hasta que el término "afrolatino" se popularizó en redes sociales que finalmente encontró una palabra que capturara la identidad con la que se identifica, dijo.
Para muchos estudiantes afrolatinos como Odoi en UF, la identidad reside en la intersección de la raza, la cultura y la historia. En una universidad donde uno de cada cinco
estudiantes se identifica como hispano, los clubes del campus ofrecen lugares de encuentro para personas con culturas compartidas, lo que les permite explorar esas mezclas y conocer a personas con una formación similar.
Para Odoi, ser afrolatina significa afrontar “tanto las dificultades de una persona hispana como las de cualquier persona negra”. Dijo que la combinación de experiencias la moldea y le ayuda a crecer.
El idioma ha sido un desafío personal para Odoi, dijo, debido a su profundo significado cultural. El deseo de conectar con su identidad plena la impulsó a aprender español y twi. Ahora puede conversar con ambos lados de su familia.
“La gente decía, ‘Oh, no eres realmente afroamericana, eres una africana que vive en Estados Unidos’, y sí, lo entiendo”, dijo. “Entiendo que nuestras culturas son diferentes, pero sufrimos el mismo maltrato y las mismas microagresiones”.
En UF, Odoi ha encontrado maneras de conectar a través de grupos como la Unión de Estudiantes Africanos y la Asociación de Estudiantes México-Americanos, incluyendo ir
a sus sesiones de baile.
Participar en estas organizaciones, dijo, le permite fomentar un sentido de comunidad.
La mezcla de ambos junto con la presencia de estudiantes internacionales de todo el mundo ha creado espacio para la representación.
En otoño de 2024, poco más del 5% de los estudiantes de la UF se identificaron como negros y el 21% como hispanos o latinos, según datos de Planificación e Investigación Institucional. En otoño del 2023, los datos más recientes disponibles, alrededor de 250 estudiantes internacionales de África estaban matriculados en la universidad.
Destiny González, estudiante de 19 años de segundo año de ciencias animales de la UF, tiene ascendencia puertorriqueña y dijo que se identifica como afrolatina por el lado materno.
Ser la única de su familia inmediata que nació con cabello rizado le hizo reconocer sus raíces africanas, dijo.
Dijo que no poder encontrar mucha información sobre su cabello mientras crecía la hizo sentir desconectada de esa parte de su identidad. Antes se sentía más apegada a su lado hispano, pero la gente a
estudiantes de la UF ?
menudo cuestionaba sus orígenes. Esto le mostró una brecha en la educación sobre la interseccionalidad, dijo.
La interseccionalidad es un marco para comprender cómo los diferentes aspectos de la identidad de una persona — incluyendo raza, género, clase y sexualidad — se superponen y combinan para crear experiencias únicas tanto de privilegio como de discriminación.
Gonzales dijo que a veces le cuesta sentirse "suficientemente hispana" porque no nació en Puerto Rico y el inglés era su lengua materna. Pero en su última visita a la isla, se dio cuenta de que el país abarca una mezcla de culturas y razas.
A través de la UF, ha encontrado una comunidad en organizaciones estudiantiles como la Unión de Estudiantes Negros y la Unión de Estudiantes Puertorriqueños Activos.
Lea el resto en línea enalligator.org/ section/spanish.
@arianavbm arianabadra@ufl.edu
‘It’s up to me to learn more about it’: What does Afro-Latino identity mean
STUDENTS FIND CULTURE THROUGH CLUBS, LANGUAGE AND FRIENDSHIPS
By Ariana Badra Alligator Staff Writer
Juliana Odoi used to call herself “Blaxican.”
As an African and Latina, the 19-year-old UF biomedical engineering sophomore said she resisted being siloed into a single identity.
“I was like, ‘No, I’m not just Ghanian. No, I’m not just Mexican. I’m Blaxican. I’m both,’” she said.
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It wasn’t until the term “AfroLatino” became more popular on social media that she finally found a word capturing the identity she resonates with, she said.
For many Afro-Latino students like Odoi at UF, identity lives at the intersection of race, culture and history. At a school where one in five students identifies as Hispanic, on-campus clubs offer meeting places for people with shared cultures, allowing them to explore those blends and meet people with similar upbringings.
Being Afro-Latina, to Odoi, means having “both the struggles of a Hispanic person as well as any Black person.” She said the blend
of experiences shapes who she is and how she grows.
Language has been a personal challenge for Odoi, she said, because of its deep cultural meaning. Wanting to connect with her full identity pushed her to learn Spanish and Twi. She can now hold conversations with both sides of her family.
“People were like, ‘Oh, you’re not really African American, you’re [an] African who is in America,’ and yes, I do understand that,” she said. “I understand our cultures are different, but we do face the same mistreatment and the same microaggressions.”
At UF, Odoi has found ways
Gen Z “sucks at reading.” Alligator columnist Sasha Morel thinks book clubs are the solution. Read more on pg. 8.
Síganos para actualizaciones
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UF students?
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Patti Varol
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1. MUSIC: Who composed the opera "The Magic Flute"?
2. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel "Wuthering Heights"?
3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which sport uses a shuttlecock?
4. MATH: What is the next prime number after 11?
5. GEOGRAPHY: Where is Pearl Harbor located?
6. INVENTIONS: Who is credited with inventing the World Wide Web?
7. SCIENCE: What is the name for plants that live for two years?
8. MOVIES: What is Jack-Jack's real name in "The Incredibles"?
Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie)?
3. In the early 1900s, golf innovator Arthur F. Knight patented a center-shafted, mallet-headed putter named after what city in New York's Mohawk Valley?
4. Running back Carnell Williams, 2005 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was nicknamed after what brand of luxury car?
5. The "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" is the nickname of the college football series between what two teams?
6. In 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneapolis Lakers played the lowest-scoring game in NBA history with how many combined points?
7. What facility, first opened in London in the 1840s, used pig lard, salt and copper sulfate to create the world's first indoor artificial ice rink for skating?
ScrabbleGrams
Michael Stich.
"Heated Rivalry."
Schenectady.
Cadillac.
The Auburn University Tigers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
37 (the Pistons beat the Lakers 19-18).
The Glaciarium.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Emily Bronte.
Badminton.
Oahu, Hawaii.
Tim Berners-Lee.
Biennials.
John Jackson Parr.
Virtual Private Network.
Ganymede of Jupiter.
2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
1. Name the German tennis player who won the 1991 Wimbledon men's singles championship and won an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games playing doubles with Boris Becker.
series debuted in 2025
followed
romance between hockey players
MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2026
www.alligator.org/section/sports
GOLF
Meet Ashley Sease — the energy behind UF women’s golf
FROM COLLEGIATE GOLFER TO POWER FOUR ASSISTANT COACH, SEASE HAS BROUGHT A SPARK TO THE PROGRAM
By Colby Kistner Sports Writer
A confidant, a motivator, a friend.
Those are some of the many roles UF assistant women’s golf coach Ashley Sease plays in Gainesville. Her success wearing many hats has helped her energize the program over her two years in the role.
But the 30-year-old Southport, North Carolina, native had a long journey to get to where she is now.
It all started at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where she played college golf and learned very quickly how to be independent.
“You spend most of your time by yourself, because it’s not typically a team sport,” Sease said.
During those four years at Winthrop, she learned to savor every moment. It’s easy to take playing golf for granted, she said. Sease still stays in contact with her college teammates and will attend one's wedding in a few weeks.
FOOTBALL
After graduating from college in Spring 2018, Sease immediately went into coaching. Her first stop: Northwood University, in the freezing state of Michigan. There, she was the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams.
“I froze my butt off here, but I loved every second of it and am still in contact with the players,” Sease said.
Her next stop was Furman University. She was the women’s assistant coach for two years and even coached the No. 1-ranked NCAA golfer at the time, Natalie Srinivasan.
Campbell University was her next destination. She worked under John Crooks, 75, who has been the women's program’s head coach since 1991.
Crooks took a big chance on Sease by allowing her to coach the men’s team for the first year and a half, she said.
“I felt like a pioneer, and there’s not many females that are coaching men,” Sease said. “So it was really cool to kind of be a trailblazer, and I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”
From 2022 to 2023, Sease helped Campbell to the program’s seventh straight Big South Title.
In her final year, Crooks promoted her to be the associate women’s head coach.
Even with success from those three teams, Sease had her mind set on something bigger:
a lifelong dream of hers — coaching a Power Four squad.
In 2024, UF women’s golf head coach Emily Glaser gave her an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Despite Sease and her husband, Christian, buying a house in North Carolina a year and a half prior, they had to move for the opening of a lifetime.
“You have to have a good spouse in this career, because obviously we travel an extreme amount,” Sease said. “We’re away from our families, and so you have to have a spouse that’s very supportive of that.”
As soon as Sease stepped into the assistant women’s coaching role at UF, she felt the standard of winning, and since joining, she’s only added to the culture.
“I just really think she’s kind of our energy catalyst,” Glaser said. “She brings a lot of positive energy, a really good attitude, and just, I think, helps these athletes sort of frame how lucky they are to be at a wonderful academic institution.”
She focuses on the process rather than the end result of an SEC or national championship, embodying the popular philosophy of trying to become 1% better every day.
“We tell them to have no expectations,” Sease said. “Each day is a gift, each turn is an opportunity to compete, and we want them to be grateful and to enjoy it.”
Sease has not just been an impactful golf coach but a shoulder to lean on for freshman and Gainesville native Katelyn Huber.
“In tournament time, we’ve been able to walk some holes together and kind of chat about our personal lives,” Huber said.
Despite playing in the same town she grew up in, Huber said entering the college sphere was quite the adjustment. To combat adversity, she went to Sease for advice, which made the transition easier.
“She’d always ask how I’m doing, which means a lot, especially in the first month, because everything is so overwhelming,” Huber said.
Sease’s energy has been a massive motivator for Huber. She comes and lifts with the team for every single workout, which inspires the team to stay present, she said.
Sease’s impact extends beyond just Huber to the team in general, all stemming from her love of the program.
“I'm just super grateful to be a Florida Gator, honored to be able to make a positive impact on these players' lives and get to watch them grow from the moment they step on campus to the moment they walk off that final green,” Sease said.
@colbykistner22 ckistner@alligator.org
An educated decision: Behind UF EDGE Jayden Woods’ choice to return to Florida
WOODS RE-SIGNED WITH UF JAN. 7
By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
For Florida football’s new-look coaching staff, retaining the “fab five” was the key to building a strong foundation ahead of the 2026 season.
Of the five returning players the Gators made a priority, freshman edge Jayden Woods was the only one who officially entered the transfer portal.
But even with massive question marks surrounding the freshman’s future, he re-signed with Florida Jan. 7. Though Texas targeted him in the portal, a visit from Jon Sumrall and Florida coaches to Woods’ family in Kansas on Jan. 6 made all the difference in showing how genuine UF’s investment in him truly was.
But the visit wasn’t all about football. When Sumrall and his team visited the Woods’ home, they barely even talked about it. It was ultimately the coaches’ family-
centered approach and authenticity that sealed the deal.
“Just knowing that it was genuine and it was relationship-driven, that was the biggest piece for me,” Woods said. “They really got to know my family. Coach Sumrall said my grandpa's still sending him pictures of meals that he's cooked, so I know the relationship is good.”
Woods also said having his family for guidance during the portal period helped him make the right decision, especially at a time when his phone was constantly blowing up. In fact, Woods even took a couple of days off of social media and would often leave his phone downstairs to escape the constant rings and chimes from interested collegiate coaches’ calls and texts.
He was adamant about staying even-keeled, “laying everything out and truly making an educated decision” that was best for both him and his family.
The space helped him avoid swaying back and forth or reacting off of emotions, allowing him to make his own decision. However, there was one player who reached out and did his part to re-
tain Woods.
Sophomore linebacker Myles Graham was the first of the “fab five” to re-sign with the Gators and said he called each of the other four players in hopes of convincing them to return to Florida under Sumrall.
“[Sumrall] told me that when I signed, he needs me to help recruit, and that’s what I did,” Graham said. “We needed to stay together to do something special, and I needed all those guys to come back and play with me.”
While Graham added further reassurance, Woods was focused on making a wholehearted decision that took into account the futures of him and his family.
As he weighed his options, Woods appreciated Graham’s efforts, especially because he didn’t push the young edge too far in trying to sway him. Graham was simply supportive, offering Woods encouragement without overstepping.
“Everybody was giving me my space. I feel like I tried to be as genuine as possible,” Woods said. “It wasn't like a money decision, it wasn't anything like that, like it
was truly making sure that it's the best decision for me and my family. So, Myles, he saw that, he respected it, I could tell he was holding back a little bit, but he was good through that whole process.”
Since he’s returned to Gainesville, Woods has stepped up as a vocal leader and shown flashes of elite speed. During The Gauntlet, UF began matching him up with players like Vernell Brown III and other receivers in order to challenge his ability to keep up with Gainesville’s quickest.
UF’s director of football performance Rusty Whitt called Woods “a rare player” because of his ability to match up against powerful backs, massive linemen and shifty receivers alike.
Despite having re-signed less than two months ago, Woods’ speed and defensive versatility have already been on full display in conditioning and practice.
“His game is going to be speed,” Whitt said. “Good luck finding an edge rusher anywhere in the country who’s going to run against VB [Vernell Brown III]. He’s beating our running backs, so we go, ‘Hey,
we’ve got to get him against a wide receiver.’”
Along with physical improvements, Woods has set goals for himself as a competitor and leader both on and off the field.
Entering his second season as a Gator, Woods said the first day of spring practice on Wednesday was a lot less overwhelming than last season, because he’s become acclimated to the program and could take a calmer approach.
As the spring progresses, Woods hopes to become more vocal and motivate others to lead as well. He was insistent that you need to “be all in” and is prepared to set an example for the Gators entering the 2026 season.
"I'd say first is just buying in,” he said. “That's the first thing for me — it's just be all in. Don't be half in, half out. And then, the biggest thing for me was trying to be more of a leader and set the example. So that was the big thing for me: Be more vocal and get other guys to come along.”
@CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org
Previewing Florida’s potential opponents at the SEC Tournament
UF’S ROAD TO WINNING ITS SECOND-STRAIGHT SEC TOURNAMENT TITLE
By Jeffrey Serber Sports Writer
With an SEC regular-season title secured, No. 5 Florida is shifting its focus to the postseason.
The SEC Tournament begins March 11 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with 15 games across five days. Florida comes into the competition as the No. 1 seed in the bracket, meaning it will advance straight through the first two rounds and into the quarterfinals.
“We’re really well-connected right now, and we’re playing some good basketball,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said.
Here’s a preview of the opponents the Gators could face as they look to win back-toback SEC Tournament titles for the first time since 2005 to 2007, when they won three in a row.
Quarterfinals: March 13, 1 p.m.
Florida will start its play at the SEC Tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. against either No. 16 LSU, No. 9 Kentucky or No. 8 Missouri. Of these potential opponents, Kentucky or Missouri are the most likely to play the Gators.
If Florida were to play Kentucky, it would be the third meeting between the two this season. The Gators took both games, one in Gainesville and the other in Lexington, Kentucky, by single digits. While these two games were part of Florida’s 11-game winning streak to end the season, they were the only games during this span to be decided by less than 10 points.
The Gators ended their season on the road against the Wildcats on March 7, escaping with a win. After taking a 20-point lead with over nine minutes left in the second half, Kentucky came back to cut its deficit to five with 19.2 seconds left. However, the Gators came out on top 84-77.
“We just got too complacent,” said Florida junior forward Thomas Haugh after the game. “Had the big lead and kind of thought it was going to be over. It can’t be that way, especially in March Madness when anything can happen.”
Senior guard Otega Oweh leads the attack for Kentucky, averaging 18.2 points per game. In March 7’s contest, he led all scorers with 28 points on 8-of-21 shooting.
Former Gator Denzel Aberdeen followed in pursuit, averaging 12.9 points and a teamhigh 3.5 assists per game. Against Florida in Gainesville on Feb. 14, the senior guard recorded 19 points on 8-of-21 shooting. Then, in March 7’s game in Lexington, he scored 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Missouri also brings a threat to Florida if the two were to meet in the tournament.
The Tigers handed the Gators their only road loss during conference play on Jan. 3, where UF fell short 76-74 in Columbia, Missouri. A key reason for this loss was that the Tigers tied Florida on the boards with 37 apiece, marking the first time the Gators did not outrebound their opponent since their seasonopening loss to Arizona on Nov. 3.
"That's an area that we've been really good all year and generally gaining advantage," Golden said after the Jan. 3 game. "Didn't do it tonight."
Mark Mitchell leads Missouri with 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He comes into the tournament fresh off of a season-high 32-point outing against No. 20 Arkansas on Saturday. Behind him, Jayden Stone averages 13.5 points per game; however, he
was held to 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting against UF.
Whether it's Kentucky or Missouri, these two teams would provide a test for Florida to move on to the semifinals.
Semifinals: March 14, 1 p.m.
If the Gators win their first game at the tournament, they will move into the semifinals and play either the 13, 12, 5 or 4 seed. The two teams favored to advance to play Florida or another opponent are Tennessee (5) and Vanderbilt (4). With the tournament taking place in Nashville, either of these two will have an implied home-court advantage.
Florida and Tennessee met in last year’s tournament championship game. Fueled by Walter Clayton Jr.’s 22 points, the Gators took the contest 86-77.
This season, Florida’s win against then-No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 10 was a turning point for the Gators, who defeated the Volunteers 9167. Florida’s Boogie Fland had his best performance of the season with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and five assists.
“It was a step in the right direction,” Fland said postgame. “I feel like that little slump tests you mentally, but you've got to be ready for basketball, the ups and downs is going to come with it, and life in general.”
Like Florida, Tennessee is one of the better defensive teams in the SEC, leading the conference in opponent 3-point percentage (30.8%) and points per game (69.4). The Volunteers are also holding their opponents to a secondbest in the conference, 41.1% shooting from the field.
On Jan. 17, Florida defeated Vanderbilt,
but in a much tighter contest. At the Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Xaivian Lee’s clutch step-back 3-pointer gave the Gators a 95-94 lead with 45 seconds left. UF went on to take down the then-No. 10 Commodores 98-94.
“I try to shoot every shot with confidence, whether they going in or not," Lee said postgame. "Late-clock. I think Rueben and Condo were down low and really didn’t have much space to go by them. I just thought, ‘Got to go up.’”
Vanderbilt has a trio of scorers to lead its team, starting with Tyler Tanner, who is averaging 19.2 points per outing. Against Florida, Tanner recorded 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Duke Miles follows with 15.9 points per game. He put up 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting against UF.
Finally, Tyler Nickel averages 13.9 points per contest. However, he enters the tournament with back-to-back single-digit scoring performances, marking the first time he’s failed to score 10 or more points in back-toback games this season.
Championship: March 15, 1 p.m.
If the Gators make it to the tournament championship game, which would mark the third year in a row for UF, they would face any of the other potential opponents not mentioned previously, with No. 2 seed Alabama and No. 3 seed Arkansas the other most likely teams to reach this game.
More recently, Florida toppled Arkansas 111-77 on Feb. 28, tying head coach John Calipari’s largest defeat as a head coach. This win also secured a share of the SEC regular-season title for the Gators, their first since 2014.
Darius Acuff Jr., who is the SEC Player of the Year favorite, leads the conference with 22.2 points per game. He’s scored 20 or more points in 10 of his last 11 outings, with Florida holding the freshman to 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
“Acuff has been fantastic,” Golden said on Feb. 27. “Phenomenal. Shown a lot of toughness in being a freshman and producing the way he has has been really impressive.”
Overall, Arkansas leads the conference in field goal percentage (50.3%) and 3-point shooting (38.3%).
Meanwhile, Alabama chased Florida in the SEC standings for a majority of the season and was blown out 100-77 against the Gators in Gainesville on Feb. 1. During this game, Fland recorded eight steals, tying a program record set by Clifford Lett, who had eight swipes against Georgia on Jan. 7, 1989.
Despite the thrashing, the Crimson Tide lead the conference and the nation with 92.1 points per game, largely due to Labaron Philon Jr. The sophomore guard leads the team and is third in the SEC with 21.5 points per game, recording 20 or more points in three of his last four outings.
Moreover, Aden Holloway brings an additional 16.8 points per game. Against Florida, he logged a team-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
As No. 5 Florida prepares for the SEC Tournament, there are plenty of teams that can give the Gators a run for their money as they try to defend their title.
Caroline Walsh // Alligator Staff Florida forward Thomas Haugh (10) is interviewed by ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden after clinching the SEC regular-season Championship by defeating Arkansas in an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla.
