Former UF law student’s expulsion for antisemitic posts ignite First Amendment battle
THE UNIVERSITY DEFENDED THE STUDENT’S EXPULSION
By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer
He won an award for what people said is hate speech. He said it was free speech.
Preston Damsky, a former UF law student, came under scrutiny earlier this year for social media posts and an award-winning seminar that’s been described as antisemitic with rhetoric that champions white supremacy. Now, he’s caught in a legal battle over his expulsion from the university.
In an ongoing lawsuit, UF argues Damsky’s online comments are hate speech and therefore not protected under his First Amendment rights. Damsky, meanwhile, said his posts didn’t constitute a threat.
Chris Summerlin, UF Dean of Students, told Damsky Aug. 4 he’d be expelled from the university, according to the lawsuit — a decision Damsky appealed one month later. UF responded Oct. 10 by arguing the expulsion did not violate his rights.
Damsky did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication after The Alligator contacted him via his school email and on X.
The controversy began in 2024, when Damsky submitted a seminar paper that argued the phrase “We the People” in the Constitution referred only to white Americans. Despite online pushback from students, Damsky’s professor, Federal Judge John L. Badalamenti, presented him a book award. The book award is given to students with the highest overall grade in a UF law school class.
Earlier this year, Damsky posted
dozens of messages on X describing Jewish people as “parasitizing the West” and saying they should be “abolished by any means necessary.” In one of his posts, Damsky referred to himself as an “antiSemite.”
A UF law professor replied to one of his posts on March 21, in which Damsky called for the elimination of all Jewish individuals, The Alligator reported. The professor asked if Damsky would murder her and her family.
“Surely a genocide of all whites should be an even greater outrage than a genocide of all Jews, given the far greater number of whites,” Damsky wrote in response.
UF issued a trespass warning April 3 banning Damsky from campus for three years. The warning cited the escalating rhetoric and threatening nature of his words. Citing student privacy laws, the university declined to comment on Damsky’s records or disciplinary processes.
By June 2025, Damsky filed a lawsuit, claiming his First Amendment rights had been violated by his expulsion.
Damsky confirmed in an NBC News phone interview he has Jewish ancestry. His great-grandparents were labeled “Hebrew” by border control agents when they immigrated to the U.S., and his grandparents are buried in a Jewish cemetery in Hollywood Hills. However, he said his opinions are not affected by his heritage. He was not raised Jewish and has never visited a synagogue.
Jane Bambauer, a UF professor of law and First Amendment expert, said his speech was allowed, as long as Damsky didn’t incite violence or make threats.
The long road to legalize skateboarding in Gainesville
THE CITY COMMISSION IS WORKING ON AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PRACTICE IN PUBLIC PARKS
By Teia Williams Alligator Staff Writer
"Skateboarding Is Not a Crime."
Since 1988, the slogan has become a nationwide rallying cry against anti-skateboarding laws. In Gainesville, the call could soon spark change.
The Gainesville City Commission decided on Sept. 11 to start the process of legalizing skating in
public parks. Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said city staff will present a draft of the ordinance to the City Commission this fall for further conversation.
Skating in Gainesville public parks has been illegal since 1981, a rule Commissioner Bryan Eastman called “outdated.”
Currently, skating is only allowed on roads, sidewalks and in designated skate parks.
During the Sept. 11 commission meeting, Eastman explained skateboarding is a type of transportation and should be allowed in public parks without penalty.
“Skateboarding isn’t tennis.
It isn’t swimming. It’s basic transportation,” Eastman said prior to the meeting in an Instagram video.
He presented a plan to draft an ordinance repealing the 1981 law in the city code, allowing skateboarding, rollerblading and roller skating in Gainesville public parks.
Gainesville has a rich history of skateboarding. The “godfather” of street skating, Rodney Mullen, was born and raised in Gainesville, where he invented the kickflip and the flat-ground ollie. Today’s skateboarding foundations were
Daniela Peñafiel // Alligator Staff
Former UF law student Preston Damsky claims his trespass order and expulsion violated his First Amendment rights. UF says the action protected campus safety.
Today’s Weather
State Lt. Governor speaks to UF students, urges to defend truth
Jay Collins discussed discourse, courage and faith with UF Turning Point USA
By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins spoke to UF students about Charlie Kirk’s legacy, the definition of true leadership and his own backstory at a Turning Point USA chapter event on the night of Oct. 22.
Speaking at the Reitz Student Union’s Senate Chamber to a crowd of about 70, Collins outlined his story — from growing up in a Tampa trailer park to joining the military and fighting in Afghanistan. After getting shot and losing his leg in combat, he went on to become the state’s second-highest official under Gov. Ron DeSantis — lieutenant governor.
Attendees underwent required security checks, consisting of bag checks and sign-in sheets, before entering. Protective tasers — commonplace on a college campus — were prohibited.
During the event, Collins urged students to stand up for what they believe in, even when it may be difficult, drawing on Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk’s passion and dedication. Kirk was shot and killed in September at a college speaking event in Utah.
“Charlie was an awkward kid who came up with a plan and an idea, and he grew a voice,” Collins said. “That’s magical for a kid who grew up in a trailer.”
Turning Point USA at UF is part of a national organization that Kirk and late-conservative activist Bill Montgomery founded in 2012. The conservative organization’s chapters frequently host speakers on college campuses and aim to foster ideological dialogue and freedom, according to Turning Point’s website.
Earlier this year, the group mourned Kirk’s death with a candlelight vigil in his honor.
Following his death, his wife, Erika Kirk, assumed leadership as Turning Point’s CEO.
A Republican and retired U.S. Army Green Beret from Tampa, Collins was appointed as Florida’s 21st lieutenant governor in August 2025 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Before entering politics, Collins served in the military for over two decades. He continued to serve after losing his leg during combat, leading him to become the first above-the-knee amputee Green Beret in U.S. history.
Collins’ arrival was met with cheers and a standing ovation.
While UF Turning Point executive members declined to comment on the event, students said they were excited for Collins’ visit.
Jay Sullivan, an 18-yearold UF industrial and systems engineering freshman, said she showed up without extensive knowledge about Collins but attended as a member of the UF chapter.
“I really trust Turning Point and so I’m excited to hear what he has to say,” she said.
Collins began his speech in a casual tone, but his sense of humor quickly surfaced. He poked fun at himself — joking about being bald — over the hour and a half the event lasted.
Collins praised Kirk’s commitment to bridging ideological divides by fostering open conversation on college campuses. Respectful dialogue and truth are important in maintaining a nation, he said.
When Collins asked the audience what America stands for, students shouted “opportunity” and “freedom.” He nodded and said America had lost its way ideologically at some point.
session with students who asked about his faith, religion and declaring one’s own values.
One student asked about a recent trend of extremism within conservative circles, which he defined as “using political ideology and religion to justify totalitarianism, misogyny, xenophobia and antisemitism.”
Collins said the issue comes down to “what’s good, what’s evil and standing,” he said. “We have to call it out and combat it, even if it’s within our party … especially if it’s in our party.”
The event closed with another standing ovation. After taking a group photo with Collins, students stood to shake his hand as he left.
Barbara Jaramillo, a 19-yearold UF political science junior, said the event was motivating. It inspired her to pursue every opportunity that comes her way, she said.
As a Christian, she said she was also moved by Collins’ discussion of his faith.
“I feel like having more people speak about what they feel or their opinions makes people more encouraged to talk about things that they wouldn’t have,” Jaramillo said.
Therapy dogs support young readers in Alachua County libraries
ALACHUA’S READ WITH A DOG PROGRAM PROMOTES CHILDREN’S LITERACY
By Curan Ahern Alligator Staff Writer
Sierra Joy padded softly across the carpet of the children’s area of the Millhopper Branch Library, her three legs barely slowing her down.
The 9-year-old gray and white American Staffordshire settled beside a child reading a picture book. She tilted her head while the reader began sounding out words. Each time the child stumbled, Sierra Joy waited. Silent. Patient. Tail thumping the floor.
Sierra Joy visits libraries alongside her owner, Dennis Pollard, as part of the Alachua County Library District’s Read with a Dog program. Pollard, a retired physician assistant and UF alumnus, volunteers with Gator Paws, an organization providing therapy dogs for community programs in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, libraries and more.
Through the literacy initiative, children can practice their reading skills by reading
to certified therapy dogs with unwavering patience and nonjudgmental eyes.
“It’s a really nice incentive for the kids to read, and we have every age,” Pollard said. “I’ve got a couple children that are younger than 5, just right about 5, and they read beautifully. It’s unbelievable to me.”
The program kicked off at the Alachua Branch in 2014. After a hiatus from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program now meets on a weekly or biweekly basis at multiple library locations.
The Millhopper Branch holds sessions twice a month on Thursday afternoons.
Pat Bellis is a tester and observer with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a Gator Paws member and the owner of Eddy Spaghetti, a 7-year-old tan therapy Chihuahua. Wanting to connect the therapy dogs’ owners to those who could most benefit from the canines’ support, she helped found Gator Paws, which she said has about 38 active members.
Bellis regularly attends the Millhopper Branch’s Read with a Dog program with Eddy Spaghetti prancing at her side, eager for the attention and comfy beanbag chair that await him.
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida.
“Students’ competence and their position in the classroom increases because they’re chosen to read with a dog,” Bellis said. Bellis also said the program supports families in other ways. She recalled a woman who regularly came to the program with her 3-year-old daughter and read preschool books herself to improve her English.
Coleen Tobin, the children’s librarian at the Millhopper Branch, has seen the program’s benefits firsthand. Read with a Dog has helped young readers recognize the library as a space to experience new things, connect with their community, discover more about the world and learn how to be safe around dogs, she said.
The program has averaged 25 participants per session at the Millhopper Branch since it started back up in 2023. There is even higher attendance for programs during the summer, when school is not in session, she added.
Tobin stressed literacy engagement should stem from a place of passion and curiosity. Sometimes, mothers bring in reluctant readers who quickly become excited about dogs at the library and the chance to read to them.
“The kid’s department is focusing on early literacy and just kind of sparking that joy for reading,” Tobin said. “Read with a Dog program supports that idea of fostering a sense of passion and excitement.”
@CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org
Juleidi Machuca // Alligator Staff Colleen Tobin and Eddie during the Read with a Dog event at Alachua County Millhopper Branch Library on
Billy Napier’s next steps following his UF dismissal
A LOOK AT WHAT LANDING SPOTS MAKE THE MOST SENSE FOR THE FORMER FLORIDA HEAD COACH
Max Bernstein Sports Writer
Billy Napier has about $21 million and a lot of options.
The Gators bought the former Florida football head coach out of his contract Oct. 19 after 45 games at the helm. He is one of nine FBS coaches who have been dismissed in the 2025 college football season. Seven of those vacancies are among Power Four programs.
With plenty of jobs open and more guaranteed to come following the regular season’s conclusion in late November, Napier might land another head coaching gig in the near future.
“He’s leaving this place in a much better position than when he found it,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Oct. 20. “He's got a lot of good days ahead of him, I'm convinced of that.”
A former member of Nick Saban’s coaching tree, Napier coached at Alabama alongside Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. Those connections could foreshadow a potential landing spot for the 46-year-old. He could also be a candidate for a lower-profile head coaching position at a Group of Five school, like UAB or Colorado State, both of which fired their head coaches in October.
Or, Napier could return to where he had the most success: Louisiana.
Michael Desormeaux has
served as the head coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns since Napier left for Gainesville, but has had mixed results, holding a 25-24 record during his tenure and a 2-6 record this year.
If Louisiana were to let go of Desormeaux, Napier would be an obvious choice to fill the vacancy at the school he led to unprecedented success.
“Coach Napier was an incredible man, incredible leader,” said UF interim head coach Billy Gonzales Oct. 20. “I look around and what he's done for this program, it's always hard.”
A number of other jobs around the country are expected to open as the coaching cycle continues. Michigan State (3-5), Wisconsin (2-6), Kentucky (2-5) and South Carolina (3-5) have coaches on the hot seat and consider Napier as a candidate for an open job.
Napier likely wouldn’t be eligible for jobs at Penn State or LSU due to his lack of success at Florida and each program’s hiring standard.
More likely, however, would be for Napier to follow in the footsteps of the three Florida coaches dismissed before him and take a bridge job elsewhere before stepping back into a head coaching position.
Napier’s predecessor, Dan Mullen, took a more unconventional path following his firing on Nov. 21, 2021. Mullen landed at Lake Oconee Academy, a K-12 charter school in Greensboro, Georgia, where he joined as a “contributing resource” in May 2022.
He then joined ESPN as a college football analyst that August, where he remained until 2024. He was hired as UNLV head coach last December. This year,
his Rebels have a 6-1 record.
Jim McElwain, who was UF’s head coach before Mullen, was dismissed from UF on Oct. 29, 2017. He was named the wide receivers coach at Michigan on Feb. 20, 2018, a position he held throughout the season.
Then, on Dec. 2, 2018, Central Michigan hired McElwain as head coach. He served as the Chippewas’ head coach for six seasons, holding a 33-36 record before he retired from coaching. He currently serves as a special assistant to the athletic director at Central Michigan.
Similar to McElwain, former UF head coach Will Muschamp served as an assistant coach for a prestigious program for one sea -
son before taking another head coaching position.
After UF fired him on Nov. 16, 2014, Muschamp agreed to become Auburn’s defensive coordinator a month later.
After one year with the Tigers, he was named South Carolina head coach on Dec. 6, 2015, a position he held until 2020. He then joined Georgia’s coaching staff, where he currently serves as a defensive analyst.
If Napier were to follow a similar path, he could join a staff as a quarterback coach or an offensive analyst, two positions he’s previously held.
Cushioning the blow for Napier is his buyout, which Stricklin said the school will honor. That
gives him time to figure out his next steps.
Meanwhile, the Gators will continue their season under interim head coach Billy Gonzales as they look for their long-term answer for head ball coach.
“[We] have one goal: to move forward and continue to do our job,” Gonzales said. “Everything we do is put on film. Everything we do is going to be out there. Make sure you — every rep you take as a player, it's your resumé. And for us, as a coaching staff, we've got to go do the same thing.”
@maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org
Student contests expulsion Skaters call ban outdated
it needed to do to protect the school’s learning environment, she added.
“It’s not good speech, but it is protected,” she said.
If there was any instance of threat, however, his words would no longer be protected by the First Amendment. Many of his online posts quote other individuals, like historians, Bambauer added, creating a potential legal gray area.
For instance, in March, Damsky posted on X saying author Noel Ignatiev believed people should “abandon thinking of themselves as white,” and Jewish people should “stop thinking of themselves as Jews.”
Devin Kinnally, a 21-year-old UF economics senior on the pre-law track, said the speech might not have incited violence, but it could still be considered harassment.
“Openly classifying yourself as a Nazi is not a harmless joke,” Kinnally said.
Students in minority groups would likely feel uncomfortable in a classroom with Damsky, she said. The university did what
“It is disappointing to know that students like this walk the halls of a school I am literally applying to,” Kinnally said.
The federal case remains with Damsky alleging his trespass order and expulsion violated his First Amendment rights as of Oct. 26. As a student of a public institution, he’s arguing, his expression was constitutionally protected as he did not inflict true threats.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus curiae brief, also known as a “friends of the court” brief, for the case. This type of brief is written by a person or organization that is not a party to a case to give insight that may help the court make a decision.
UF is maintaining its actions were taken in concern for the safety of the university’s community. The situation is ongoing.
@s_maharaj1611 smaharaj@thealligator.org
created in Gainesville.
“Gainesville should be a leader of skateboarding, not locking it away into a couple of places,” Eastman said in the video.
Ward said he personally doesn’t have a problem with people skating in public parks.
Gainesville's only skate shop, Freeride Surf and Skate Shop, has offered services since 1975. The owner, 46-year-old Peter Harter, said the law restricting skateboarding was ridiculous and agreed with Eastman’s statement that it’s outdated.
Skateboarding has adapted as a recreational sport, said Harter. He highlighted Depot Park on the outskirts of downtown Gainesville as an example of a public space that could be a nice place for people to learn to skate.
“The idea that we even have to say, ‘Hey man, you might get arrested for this,’ is crazy,” he said.
Gainesville has an active skating community, and the city features three skate parks: Possum Creek, MLK Skatepark and Westside Park. A mural honoring Mullen
adorns a wall in Possum Creek. Harter often jokes Gainesville native singer Tom Petty and Mullen are like poets — they aren’t treated well until after they die, he said. While Petty died in 2017, Mullen is still alive at age 59.
“I don’t want to see Rodney pass away before any recognition is given to him,” Harter said.
Caine Kaar, a 51-year-old Gainesville resident, has been skateboarding for 40 years. Getting a better skatepark would be amazing and might prevent skaters from performing tricks in dangerous places, he said.
“I think there needs to be a law between using a skateboard for transportation and obviously using it for other things, like tricks,” Kaar said.
Gainesville might add a new skatepark in the soon to be multi-sport complex at the former Regional Transit System maintenance building next to Depot Park. The Knot Climbing Gym leads that effort.
@teia_williams twilliams@alligator.org
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff Florida head coach Billy Napier during pre-game warmups at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.
Cedar Key community bands together, hoping to survive hurricane season untouched
THE 2025 SEASON IS THE FIRST IN 10 YEARS IN WHICH A HURRICANE HAS NOT MADE LANDFALL IN THE U.S.
By Noah Lantor Alligator Staff Writer
As this hurricane season nears its end, Cedar Key is still climbing out of the rubble left by Hurricanes Idalia and Helene, hoping to survive the year unscathed.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall in 2023 as a Category 3 just 58 miles northwest of the island, the strongest hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in 125 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A year later, Hurricane Helene struck as a Category 4, wiping out residents’ progress toward rebuilding the city.
Cedar Key Mayor Jeff Webb, a 58-year-old third-generation resident, said his city is selfreliant. Just three months after Helene struck the island, business owners reopened their doors to customers.
“We love help, but we don’t count on it,” he said.
After facing destruction for the past two years, Webb said this season — in which no hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. yet — has been a breath of fresh air for residents. U.S. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year.
“When you get two in a row, it affects people on a psychological level,” Webb said. “It felt strange not to be in a level of chaos.”
Residents are holding their breath, hoping to avoid a storm like Idalia or Helene, Webb said. Another hurricane would be “statistically unsupportable,” he added, as the island only sees major storms every 40 to 50 years.
Jason Samenow, the weather editor for the Washington Post, said via email this is the first time in 10 years that the U.S. has not had a hurricane make landfall. Storms have missed the U.S. this year because of “prevailing steering currents” near Bermuda, which have ushered storms away from the east coast, he wrote.
Hurricane Melissa — currently formed over the Caribbean — could be the last opportunity for a significant weather event this season, he added.
Cedar Key residents remember the last major hurricane all too well.
Timothy Solano, the 29-year-old owner of Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms, said Helene tore nets and ripped clam bags from the ground, impacting seafood farmers in the area.
Florida has become one of the nation’s top clam producers, with Cedar Key accounting for 90% of the state’s production, according to the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Online Resource Guide for Florida Shellfish Aquaculture. As of March 2024, the island is home to 163 certified leaseholders out of 336 certified molluscan shellfish producers in the state.
In 2024, Solano’s company lost 14,000 bags of clams because of Helene, with each bag containing thousands of clams. He lost at least $140,000 in clamming materials and hundreds of thousands more in product, causing a de-
cline in annual sales.
“It’s not just your business losing money,” Solano said. “It’s also the families that work for you that are losing.”
Cedar Key businesses want the best for their employees, he said. The community strength in Cedar Key is the reason Solano said he wouldn’t want to raise his children anywhere else.
“They got your back no matter what,” he said. “During hurricane times, it really, truly shows.”
Stephen Mullens, a 39-year-old UF assistant instructional professor of meteorology, recognizes the season is not over. He said storms that form this time of year usually form closer to Florida.
“If we can make it to the end of October without really having a storm close to home … maybe we’ll get out of the season without
getting hit,” Mullens said. “We could sure use one of those.”
Hurricanes are less likely to make landfall toward the end of the season. Out of over 175 years of hurricane tracking history, only about a dozen hurricanes have hit the mainland U.S. after Oct. 22, according to Michael Lowry, WPLG-TV’s Miami-based hurricane specialist.
Unfortunately for Florida, eight of those dozen made landfall in the Sunshine State, according to Lowry.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to hit Jamaica. Whether the U.S. or Florida is in its path seems unlikely, according to NOAA’s hurricane tracker.
@noah_lantor nlantor@alligator.org
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
The remnants of Steamers, a restaurant on Dock Street in Cedar Key, stands above the water, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025.
Santa Fe Teaching Zoo’s new treehouse will give visitors a bird’s eye view
THE
ELEVATED SYSTEM
WILL OPEN VIEWING SPACE OF THE ANIMAL HABITATS FROM HIGH UP
By Leona Masangkay Alligator Staff Writer
Santa Fe College’s Teaching Zoo is about to get bigger — and wilder.
In 2026, construction will begin on an elevated treehouse for visitor immersion at the zoo. Santa Fe announced the project on Oct. 3.
The teaching zoo’s director, Jonathan Miot, said the treehouse is the first step of a 15-year master plan to renovate the zoo. The expansion’s goal is for people of all ages — but mainly children — to explore the “hidden lives” of animals, he added.
Funded by a Rotary Club of Gainesville Foundation grant, the treehouse will be the zoo’s largest project in recent decades, Miot said. The last expansive project took place over the span
of the late 1990s when an office building, quarantine and medical building, classrooms and a herpetarium for snakes and lizards were constructed.
The next steps of the master plan will be funded by future donors and other financial sources, he said.
“There’s a lot here to be excited about, and I can’t wait to see it unfold in the next bunch of years,” Miot said.
The new treehouse system will span from the zoo’s front entrance to its midpoint, with an aerial view of the eagle, gibbon and caracal habitats. Guests will be able to walk above the animal enclosures to view the critters from a new perspective, Miot said.
The treehouse will have accessibility features, like a ramp, so visitors with mobility challenges can participate, he said. The project aims to engage the Gainesville community and stimulate children’s curiosity, Miot said.
The teaching zoo is partner -
ing with Tree Top Builders, a Pennsylvania-based construction company that specializes in treehouse development, to take on the project. The expansion’s design, capacity and timeline are still in the works, Miot said, but he hopes the construction will begin in summer 2026.
The Rotary Club of Gainesville Foundation gifted the $300,000 grant to the zoo as part of its 41st annual Wild Game Feast, where the club funds select community projects.
The Rotary Club has a longstanding partnership with the teaching zoo, said Guy Jopling, this year’s feast master. The rotational role is assigned to a new person every year and entails leading event communications.
The treehouse system will incorporate environmental awareness, education and student engagement, Jopling said, which made the project stand out against others the Rotary Club could have funded.
“It was a project that we really
could get behind,” Jopling said.
“It checked so many of the boxes that we like to see in the projects that we get to fund.”
In the past, the Rotary Club has partnered with the teaching zoo to create the Rotary Reading Safari, where the club provides educational books for children to learn about animal conservation.
Jade Woodling, the education and conservation curator at the teaching zoo, is involved in designing the layout of the treehouse. She worked with Miot over the last few years to develop ideas for an interactive discovery space, she said.
“A lot of the activities I’ve been tasked to think about is how to build empathy and caring for animals,” Woodling said.
The teaching zoo currently has a playground for children, Woodling said, but its design is simple. The playground has slides and a climbing space, but she said it’s due for a makeover.
She hopes to renovate the play space after the treehouse is built,
she said. Woodling and Miot have discussed expanding the play space for the past decade, she said, but they focused on the idea of a treehouse system within the last five years.
While the treehouse’s details are still being finalized, animal decor and fun facts are likely to be scattered through the treehouse, she said.
Woodling hopes the treehouse will enable kids to have fun and play, she said, as playing is another key element in development in children. Playing enables creativity and imagination, leading children to think critically. Woodling also said their close encounters with animals will promote empathy toward animal care and experiences.
“I’m excited to see kids be curious, to play and to open up their minds to want to ask more questions and learn more,” Woodling said.
El Caimán
LUNES, 27 DE OCTUBRE DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/spanish
Campus reacciona al Nobel de líder opositora venezolana
EL PREMIO RECONOCE LA LUCHA DE MARÍA CORINA MACHADO
CONTRA EL AUTORITARISMO
Por Sofia Alamo, Victoria Riccobonno & Vera Lucia Pappaterra Escritoras de El Caimán
El Comité Noruego del Nobel anunció el 10 de octubre a María Corina Machado como ganadora del Premio Nobel de la Paz 2025, la primera venezolana en recibir el galardón. En la UF, estudiantes y docentes venezolanos dijeron sentirse orgullosos y validados al conocer la noticia.
“Es un modelo a seguir muy significativo para muchas familias”, dijo Irene Martínez, estudiante de primer año de Psicología en la UF, de 18 años. “Espero hablar por la mayoría de los venezolanos cuando digo que me siento validada ahora que María Corina ha sido reconocida”.
Durante más de dos décadas, Machado ha luchado por lo que antes parecía imposible: liberar a Venezuela de un régimen autoritario. El chavismo, fundado por Hugo Chávez y hoy liderado por Nicolás Maduro, gobierna desde 1999. Lo que comenzó como una promesa de mejorar las condiciones de vida derivó en hiperinflación y pobreza extrema en todo el país.
Los esfuerzos opositores de Machado se remontan a los primeros años del chavismo, cuando en 2002 cofundó Súmate, una organización civil independiente que promueve elecciones libres y justas. En 2023, dio un paso más y anunció su candidatura para las presidenciales de 2024, una postulación que el gobierno de Maduro bloqueó rápidamente. Lejos de desistir, Machado respaldó al candidato opositor Edmundo González, ampliamente visto como el representante simbólico de su movimiento político.
Pese al amplio apoyo público a Machado y González, Maduro se declaró ganador y aseguró haber obtenido la mayoría de los
votos. La proclamación desató protestas en todo el mundo y unió a los venezolanos en un renovado clamor por la democracia. La posterior represión a la disidencia política obligó a la activista, de 58 años, a mantenerse oculta.
Para algunos en Gainesville, el anuncio fue sorprendente. Naomy Torres-Contreras, estudiante de primer año de Ingeniería Industrial en la UF, de 18 años, dijo que sintió “una mezcla fuerte de sorpresa y orgullo” al enterarse. “Por lo polarizante que es en casa, el triunfo fue una sorpresa genuina”, afirmó.
Aun así, cree que el premio mejorará la percepción sobre los venezolanos, mostrando su resiliencia y determinación por defender la democracia.
Mantente al día con El Caimán en Twitter. Envíanos un tweet @ElCaimanGNV.
Opinions
Para otros, como José Peaguda, el momento fue agridulce. El estudiante de último año de Ingeniería Biomédica en la UF, de 23 años y presidente de la Asociación de Estudiantes Venezolanos de la UF, dijo que el mundo está presenciando “algo histórico” con el reconocimiento a Machado. Pero advirtió que el premio no cambia las tensiones en su país. “Al final del día, todos estos esfuerzos no han sido recompensados y aún vivimos bajo una dictadura”, dijo.
A su juicio, la transición hacia la democracia ya comenzó, empezando por generar conciencia. Machado ha expuesto la crisis venezolana a escala global y el país por fin está siendo visto por el mundo, señaló. El premio, agregó, impulsará a los venezolanos
Politics — Puerto Ricans can speak English. Read more on pg. 7.
a “reconstruir el país que alguna vez nos fue arrebatado”.
No todas las reacciones fueron positivas. Carlos Casanova, profesor en el Hamilton Center de la UF, sostuvo que la dinámica política en Venezuela sigue siendo profundamente compleja y está marcada por la manipulación, lo que le genera desconfianza sobre los antecedentes de Machado. Teme que esté siendo impulsada por el propio gobierno en el poder y que no represente una oposición genuina. “Toda tiranía necesita la apariencia de guerra”, dijo sobre el gobierno de Maduro. “Esa apariencia permite que la tiranía tenga poderes extraordinarios que parecen legítimos y eliminar a sus opositores”.
Casanova ha vivido de cerca el autoritarismo. En 2003, huyó de Venezuela por la inestabilidad política tras el golpe del 2002 contra Chávez. Ya en el exterior, comprendió que sería imposible regresar. A su entender, es posible que Machado opere junto a quienes dice enfrentar y que la oposición actual exista para crear la ilusión de protesta civil sin buscar un cambio real de gobierno.
El Consejo Noruego por la Paz anunció la cancelación del tradicional desfile de antorchas del Premio Nobel de la Paz de este año en protesta por la selección de Machado. La entidad, que agrupa a 18 organizaciones, afirmó que los métodos de Machado chocan con sus principios de diálogo y no violencia. El grupo solo había cancelado la marcha una vez antes, en 2012, cuando la Unión Europea recibió el premio por sus aportes a la paz y la reconciliación durante seis décadas.
El Instituto Nobel, no obstante, dijo esperar que la marcha anual se realice bajo otros organizadores. La Norwegian Venezuelan Justice Alliance confirmó que encabezará el evento de este año en Oslo y lo calificó como “un honor preservar esta hermosa tradición”.
Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/spanish.
Daniela Peñafiel // Alligator Staff
Maria Corina Machado ganó el Premio Nobel de la Paz del 2025 por sus esfuerzos hacia la protección de la democracia en Venezuela.
A nude photo and the case for students’ free expression
The largest on-campus protest in UF’s history began with just a photograph. In 1967, UF punished a student for breaking a rule that hadn’t been written yet. Her name was Pamme Brewer, and her crime was posing nude for a student humor magazine, Charlatan.
At a time when young men were dying in Vietnam in the name of freedom, one woman risked everything for her own. It was a bitter irony of the era — liberty celebrated abroad was punished at home. Across American campuses, a generation unwilling to stand by grew more frustrated by the day. Social change had outpaced its institutions, no longer able to be contained. Outside the classroom, students were learning a different kind of lesson: Education without free expression isn’t education at all.
Even by prudish academic standards, Brewer’s photo was relatively tame. The photo was artful and lacked any erotic quality. But in those days, it was simply something college girls didn’t do.
UF quickly responded with disciplinary action, arranging a kangaroo court in Tigert Hall, the administration building. The university was attempting to snuff out the problem before anyone could interfere. The news spread like wildfire across campus — drawing a mob of students who flooded the building, pounding on the walls and windows of the hearing. Administrators were forced to postpone and move to the Law School Auditorium to allow the public to watch.
The affair became a nationwide sensation with newspapers like The New York Times reporting it from coast to coast. Walter Cronkite had arrived with a CBS news crew to cover all the action. The American Civil Liberties Union fully financed Brewer’s legal team. All eyes were on Gainesville. By then, it was clear Brewer wasn’t the only one on trial. The institution was finally being questioned, and the old way of doing things seemed to be losing fast.
On the day of the hearing, the repurposed auditorium grew so crowded many students were forced to perch on windowsills or railings to allow more of the mob in. Once Brewer arrived, the building broke out into a roar of applause. Campus had found its hero.
Brewer was there to fight the good fight. Her classmates understood her grace and courage as being an extension of their common will.
In Spring 2025, I found a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a teaching position at an international school in South Korea. I completed my graduate degree in mathematics education at UF, and I was eager to begin a career abroad. My past travels and friendships across cultures inspired me to pursue this path, and with all my work documents submitted, everything seemed conclusive.
people abroad, especially outside the Americas, are unaware about Puerto Rico’s identity and existence.
Dylan Santana opinions@alligator.org
There was no rule in place to enforce upon Brewer, so UF fell back on an old fashioned practice called in loco parentis (“in place of the parent”). This gave universities the authority to police students’ morality as if they were children. By the mid1960s, this doctrine was quickly falling out of favor across the nation. Many students challenged the notion of higher education needing to play the role of “moral guardian” for adults. UF claimed it was enforcing decency when it was really enforcing fear.
Brewer’s attorney, Selig Goldin, argued UF’s punishment violated due process and the First Amendment. A public university, he said, cannot claim parental authority while holding the power of the state. Goldin dismantled the administration’s case, exposing how the punishment existed only to spare the university its own embarrassment.
When the verdict came, the charges were dismissed. Brewer’s victory helped end in loco parentis across the South. Gainesville had grown up overnight.
The story is thoroughly detailed in The Alligator’s 1967 archives and a blog post by Bill Killeen, editor and publisher of Charlatan. The moment has since been framed as a milestone in Southern campus politics, but change is always more gradual than what the mythology implies.
Of course, Brewer’s case was never really about the photograph. The university disguised its need for control as virtue. No one, especially an institution, should decide what decency means for others.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/opinions.
Dylan Santana is a 21-year-old UF media production, management and technology junior.
What could go wrong? Well, everything — only because of my birthplace of Puerto Rico.
I landed in Puerto Rico after a late flight when I received an unsettling message from the school. Their local Korean immigration office ruled my place of birth is “an issue due to the language spoken.” Despite being fully bilingual, possessing a U.S. passport, having U.S. citizenship and completing a professional degree at an English-speaking institution, I was deemed unfit as they saw Puerto Rico as “Spanish-speaking.” Thus, I was incapable of teaching in English. The office denied my visa, and the school was forced to cancel my contract.
Puerto Rico has been part of the U.S. since 1898, and the Official Languages Act in 1902 established Spanish and English as co-official languages, though today English is the second official language of Puerto Rico. Many Puerto Ricans grow up bilingual, with recent studies showing over 30% of students attend private schools with successful English programs. My grade school education was mainly in English, my undergraduate degree was obtained from a bilingual institution and my graduate degree was earned from an English-only institution.
Nonetheless, the office’s definition of a “native English speaker” came from monolingualism, where only a citizen born in an English-only speaking country can teach in English. This disregards English as a global language, being spoken all around the world by various professionals. Selecting specific birthplaces as “the only places capable of producing legitimate English” is linguistic discrimination.
This issue goes deeper — it amounts to widespread ignorance about Puerto Rico’s identity. Since 1917, Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens with the Jones-Shafroth Act, thus exclusively carrying U.S. passports. Puerto Rican passports don’t exist. Yet, many U.S. residents do not know this — look at recent news of Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl — so it’s unsurprising
In an attempt to get my visa, I called the Korean Immigration Contact Center for Foreigners and wrote a claim on a Korean government website, providing proof to clear the misunderstanding. Their responses remained dismissive, maintaining a monolingual and ignorant approach to my credentials and nationality. Despite the official website of the U.S. Consulate of South Korea recognizing Puerto Rico as U.S. territory, the office representatives were either unaware Puerto Rico is part of the U.S. or that it even existed. As a final, desperate effort, I traveled to South Korea and visited the immigration office to prove in person I was a native English speaker. However, the office’s services were only in Korean, so with the help of local friends, I scheduled an appointment to discuss the matter. Despite not knowing much Korean, I could understand my friend emphasizing my credentials, only for officials to ignore us, even confusing Puerto Rico with Costa Rica. Even with my physical presence and legitimate qualifications, ignorance of my birthplace determined my future.
opinions@alligator.org
Unfortunately, my case is not unique. Across the world, teachers are denied opportunities due to factors unrelated to their professional competence — skin color, nationality or linguistic background. These standards undermine contributions of qualified educators and reinforce implicit definitions of language. My case highlights a bigger issue: Traditional immigration policies must reform their language views. Linguistic competence shouldn’t be dictated by birthplace, and bilingualism should be seen as a strength, not as a weakness. My nationality is not a liability to my professional background and future.
Puerto Ricans can speak English.
Ricardo Quiñones Lugo is an adjunct assistant professor of mathematics at Santa Fe College.
Ricardo Quiñones Lugo
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/the-avenue
‘Love Island’ star brings the villa to a Gainesville bar for a night
NIC VANSTEENBERGHE’S GREEKFEST STOP CAME WITH FREE SHOTS AND CHAMPAGNE SPRAYS
By Aaliyah Evertz Avenue Staff Writer
A small line had already formed outside MacDinton’s Irish Pub by 7 p.m. on the night of Oct. 21, hours before “Love Island USA” star Nic Vansteenberghe was set to arrive. Clusters of students in crop tops and polos refreshed Instagram stories for hints on his whereabouts.
The doors wouldn’t open until 8 p.m., but word of his Gainesville appearance had already pulled fans off campus and into midtown. MacDinton’s marked his 12th stop for GreekFest, a national college party tour known for high-energy DJ sets and celebrity hosts.
At 10:45 p.m., the bar lights dimmed and screens behind the DJ booth looped highlights from Vansteenberghe’s “Love Island” run — slow-motion kisses, poolside laughter and his most dramatic recouplings. Then, to the familiar cadence of Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.,” he stepped onto the platform. Dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt and a “Gator Nation” baseball cap, he smiled as hundreds of phones shot into the air.
Over the next hour, he poured
shots, sprayed champagne and invited fans onto the stage, turning the booth into a blur of flashing lights and cheering students. When he grabbed the mic and shouted “Happy Friday!” — though it was a Tuesday — the crowd screamed anyway.
The MacDinton’s staff had seen chaos like this before, especially last year, when “Love Island USA” Seasons 5 and 6 star Rob Rausch appeared for another GreekFest event.
Staff members restructured the bar for the night to accommodate more people, said bartender Lily Lafone, a 21-year-old UF nursing senior. Tables were moved toward the wall to clear room for a standing crowd that pressed shoulder-to-shoulder around the DJ booth.
Even with the hype, Lafone said the crowd built slower than expected. When doors opened, about 30 people were in line, but by the time the DJ came out, roughly 100 filled the bar.
“I thought it’d be a lot more busy,” Lafone said. “But I think they’re being particular with how many people they’re letting in at a time.”
For some, the night had been circled on the calendar since tickets dropped Oct. 15. Zoe Julius, an 18-year-old UF biology freshman, said she was scrolling through social media when she spotted Vansteenberghe’s name. She immediately told her friends.
“We’ve only seen him on TV,”
CLUBS & GROUPS
T-shirt — a nod to one of Vansteenberghe’s wardrobe choices on the show.
Baker said she’d been rooting for Vansteenberghe and his now-girlfriend, Carthen, the whole season. Even though she didn’t get to meet him directly Oct. 21, she said seeing him was enough.
“The whole episode with him and Olandria raising the baby … was just one of my favorites,” Baker said, referring to a particularly memorable Season 7 moment. “It was hilarious to me.”
By midnight, Vansteenberghe had sprayed two champagne bottles into the crowd, took dozens of videos on phones thrown into the booth, and did Florida State University’s Seminole chop to rile up the Gators (even though he’s a Florida Atlantic University alumnus).
After the set, fans who had purchased meet-and-greet tickets lined up near the entrance to the back bar for photos and quick hellos before the event officially wrapped.
Julius said. “It’s kind of like an outof-body, surreal kind of thing just to see him in person.”
Julius and her friend were one of the first in line. Originally from Austin, Texas, they’d seen festival lines back home and weren’t willing to risk missing their favorite star from the season.
“I was a Nicolandria fan from day one,” Julius said, referring to
Vansteenberghe’s celebrity couple with Olandria Carthen on the show. “When they first kissed secretly … I voted for them.”
Inside, the crowd pulsed with a mix of “Love Island” fans and curious onlookers. Amid the sea of lace, leather and denim, Mara Baker, a 23-year-old UF human nutrition graduate student, stood out in a white “Mommy’s Little Meatball”
Just as quickly as Vansteenberghe arrived, he left the villa. As students sang along to the DJ’s final tracks and staff swept empty cups off the floor, it was hard to tell if anyone noticed it was a weeknight — until they had to wake up for their classes the next morning.
@aaliyahevertz1 aevertz@alligator.org
Students serve gourmet meals on paper plates in club competition
UF CULINARY ARTS STUDENT UNION HOSTED ITS 10TH ANNUAL COOKING SHOWDOWN
By Summer Johnston Avenue Staff Writer
The cooks gasped as each overturned metal bowl was lifted to reveal a brownish red paste and sprigs of rosemary — their secret ingredients.
They raced against the clock to choose proteins, vegetables and fruits. After a few minutes of scribbling their plans onto paper, the teams worked to make their vision come to life — and win the bragging rights of chef champion.
Members of the UF Culinary Arts Student Union gathered in the IFAS Pilot Plant Wednesday evening to face off in a cooking competition modeled after the Food Network show
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“Chopped.” Six teams each prepared an entrée and a dessert. They prepped, cooked and plated three servings of both in only 90 minutes.
“This is a chance to not just to build skills, but also build community,” said Kathryn Humes, a 21-year-old UF health science senior who joined the Culinary Arts Student Union as a freshman.
Competitors can explore creative ingredient combinations, build connections with other cooks and avoid the stress of buying ingredients, Humes added.
This year, the chefs had to incorporate fermented Korean soybean paste, doenjang, into an entrée and rosemary into a dessert. After the competition was over, three judges from the executive team tasted each dish, gave notes and scored teams on plating, quality and creativity.
The Culinary Arts Student Union unites students from different majors and backgrounds through cooking. The club hosts monthly
meetings and themed cooking classes.
Jade Wu, a 21-year-old UF food science junior and president of the Culinary Arts Student Union, said she loves how the competition allows people to experience a taste of what it’s like to be on an actual cooking show. She encouraged people to not be intimidated by the competition — or the club.
“You have three meals in the day, you’re cooking for the rest of your life,” Wu said.
“Don’t be scared, just cook.” Contestants’ dishes ranged from chipotle cheese chicken tostadas to crispy tofu with vegetable salad. The runner-up even handwhipped meringue cookies.
A freshmen trio won with a spin-off of short ribs with a bean paste glaze, garlic mashed potatoes and honey glazed carrots. For dessert, they made a rosemary-infused lemon posset served inside of a lemon rind with a streusel crumble.
One of the trio’s members, Jazmine Aris-
Basketball Freshmen poised to make a mark. Read more on page 11.
torenas, an 18-year-old UF mechanical engineering freshman, said her Asian roots influenced the idea for the short ribs.
“Cooking is my love language,” Aristorenas said, “so I’m just happy people like my cooking.”
A drumroll boomed through the kitchen as the six teams awaited the results expectantly. When Team 2 was called, the winners burst into smiles. As they received applause and congratulations, they huddled together for a picture.
To commemorate their experience, each winner received a painted bowl and wooden serving utensil set.
Next semester, the club has played with the idea of mimicking a new competition: “The Great British Baking Show.”
@summerajohnston sjohnston@alligator.org
Juleidi Machuca // Alligator Staff
Nic Vansteenberghe from “Love Island” Season 7 came to Gainesville during his GreekFest Tour. He attended MacDinton’s Pub in Gainesville, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
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1. GEOGRAPHY: How many U.S. states are part of New England?
2. LITERATURE: What district does Katniss Everdeen represent in "The Hunger Games"?
3. ANATOMY: What is the longest nerve in the human body?
4. COMICS: What is Captain America's shield made of?
5. SCIENCE: What is the process called when a solid becomes a gas?
6. HISTORY: In what year did the Three Mile Island nuclear accident happen?
7. MOVIES: What is Edward's last name in the movie "Twilight"?
8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the only marsupial found in North America?
9. TELEVISION: Which character on "The Brady Bunch" is famous for saying, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"
Trivia Test Sports Quiz
2. What Pro Football Hall of Famer served as an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993-2015 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018?
3. What NBA player, nicknamed "Chocolate Thunder" for his powerful dunks, shattered two glass backboards in 1979 and led the league to adopt breakaway rims?
4. American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen intentionally crossed the finish line together and shared first place in what 1981 long-distance running race?
5. Running back Pinball Clemons amassed a Canadian Football League record 25,438 combined regularseason yards playing for what team from 1989-2000?
6. What three Chicago Cubs players were immortalized in the refrain of the 1910 poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" by Franklin Pierce Adams?
1. Pat Pitney (nee Spurgin), who became president of the University of Alaska System in 2020, won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics competing in what sport?
www.alligator.org/section/sports
FOOTBALL
How much would Florida have to pay for other top coaches to join the Gators?
A LOOK AT PRIME CANDIDATES AND THEIR BUYOUTS
By Riley Orovitz Sports Writer
The search for a new Gators football head coach has officially begun. Former wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales will serve as interim head coach until Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin finds the program’s permanent replacement.
Stricklin, who is responsible for hiring his third football coach under his nine-year tenure, said the program intends on hiring an “elite” football coach.
“We all want to be competitive, whether it's NIL, whether it's coaching salaries, we're all responding to what the market dictates,” Stricklin said at a press conference Oct. 20. “We're going to try to be as smart as we can with our resources and make the best possible decision. But we're also going to be very competitive.”
Florida owes Napier roughly $21 million under his buyout. Half of that will be paid before a Nov. 19 deadline, and the remaining $10 million will be divided among four sepa-
MEN'S BASKETBALL
rate annual payments through 2029.
With $21 million already on the books, the Gators could spend several million dollars recruiting one of college football’s top coaches. Here are a few of Florida’s options and their buyouts, per USAToday.
Lane Kiffin — $36.6 million
Undoubtedly the biggest name among Florida’s potential hires, the Ole Miss head coach has generated immense buzz this season. Florida can expect to pay a $36.6 million buyout if Lane Kiffin leaves the Rebels.
The team is 7-1 following its Week 9 top15 victory against the Oklahoma Sooners. In his sixth year with the program, Kiffin has posted a 51-19 overall record. Prior to his time in Oxford, Mississippi, the head coach made stops at Florida Atlantic, University of Southern California and Tennessee.
Whether Kiffin was wearing the headset for the Rebels or Trojans, he’s seen success with his squads. He’s brought Ole Miss to No. 4 on the Week 6 AP Poll, its highest ranking in a decade.
knows what it takes to compete in the NCAA. In his sixth season at Missouri Tigers’ helm, he has a career record of 56-27. Prior to his time in Columbia, Missouri, Drinkwitz led Appalachian State to a 12-1 record, the team’s greatest win total since 2006.
Florida would have to pay Missouri around $28.8 million in order for the Tigers’ head coach to be acquired by the Gators.
His success as a head coach will stand out when the time comes to select Napier’s replacement. Legendary UF head coach Steve Spurrier spoke highly of Drinkwitz and Kiffin in an interview with USA Today.
“I firmly think he is a very good coach,” he said of Kiffin when discussing the Gators’ ensuing search. “There’s no question about that. I like him. I like Eli Drinkwitz. I like a lot of guys out there that are proven winners.”
Jedd Fisch — $33.6 million
The University of Washington head coach has an estimated buyout of $33.6 million. He’s made strides in turning around the Huskies’ program both on and off the field.
He was named head coach in 2024 and focused on recruiting in his first season in order to bolster a depleted roster. The team saw a
Sun Bowl berth in its first season in the Big Ten.
The journeyman has played an integral part in various organizations at both the collegiate and professional levels. The UF graduate began his career under Spurrier as a graduate assistant in 1990.
Following his two years in Gainesville, Fisch reached the NFL, where he was named to the Houston Texans’ staff as a quality control coach in 2002, and then to the Baltimore Ravens as an offensive assistant two years later.
After eight additional stops in both the NCAA and NFL, Fisch worked with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots as a quarterbacks coach in 2020. He then found his first head coaching job with the Arizona Wildcats, where he led the team to a 10-3 record in 2023. His success with Arizona aided him in receiving the head coaching bid with Washington. Now, the Huskies face a 6-2 record.
Read the rest online at alligator.org/ section/sports.
@rileyorovitz rorovitz@alligator.org
From rivals to teammates: Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram join UF with established connection
THE
TWO FACED EACH OTHER THREE TIMES AT THE AAU PEACH JAM TOURNAMENT BEFORE COLLEGE
By Jeffrey Serber Sports Writer
While sophomore Boogie Fland and senior Xavian Lee are set to lead a revamped backcourt, freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram come into the program as long-term projects to preserve Florida basketball’s success.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Ingram has made a name for himself, getting his fair share of practice reps with the starters and other rotational players. Meanwhile, Lloyd has improved in camp and could see some time on the court on a more limited basis than Ingram.
"I love their confidence," senior center Micah Handlogten said. "You have them going at each other and at the starters every day in practice. I think that that's huge."
College is not the first time the two met. Throughout high school, Lloyd and Ingram faced each other three times at the AAU Peach Jam tournament, with Lloyd's team winning each time.
"His AAU team was pretty much the most dominating AAU team of all time," Ingram said. "They literally won it every year that I was in high school."
Since signing with Florida, the two have bonded, living together since the summer.
Now, they are bringing their competitiveness from high school to the collegiate level, already making an impact during practices in an attempt to set the foundation for the following years of Gators basketball.
Unlike Lloyd, Ingram was not always sure if basketball was the sport he would play collegiately. The Hawthorne native
played basketball and football in high school and, for a moment, could have followed in his father’s footsteps. His father was a Gators’ tight end from 2006 to 2008 and was a captain of the 2008 national championship team.
Following a loss in the high school football playoffs, Ingram said, he spoke with his family and decided basketball was the sport he would focus on his senior year.
"Friday night lights in high school, it's pretty fun," Ingram said. "I miss it sometimes. But with the heat here in Florida, it helped me know that I made the right decision."
During his time at Hawthorne High School, Ingram averaged 24 points, 8.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game.
To elevate his game, Ingram transferred to Montverde Academy, a private college preparatory school that has produced talents like Cooper Flagg, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes.
"When I was at Hawthorne, I was pretty much dominant in the area," Ingram said. "So going to Montverde, playing against guys that are high level. … Every day there was competition to get me ready for where I’m at right now."
His decision proved valuable, as he rose from a top 75 to a top 25 ranking (No. 21) in ESPN's 2025 Rankings.
On the flip side, Lloyd's journey to Gainesville was more direct.
A Miami native, Lloyd played high school ball at Westminster Academy, where he averaged 21.9 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal per game. In his senior year, he averaged 27.9 points per game and had three 40-point games. By the end of his high school career, Lloyd was the 37th-ranked prospect in his class by ESPN.
Now living together, Ingram and Lloyd have strengthened their bond beyond playing against each other on the court.
"CJ is a great roommate," Lloyd said. "He's a great person
to be around. He’s very fun, he likes to do things, I go roll with him, and we just have a very good bond that's going to continue to get stronger and stronger throughout the year."
During practices, the two have faced each other a handful of times, each getting a few reps with the starters, bringing different playstyles.
"Just being able to have them go up against us every day and just see how much better they’ve gotten, how much more confident they’ve gotten," Handlogten said. “It’s really nice to see them succeeding.”
At 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 205 pounds, Ingram gives Florida more size as a guard. He prides himself on his physicality on defense, he said, and he brings energy that pushes him to fight for loose balls and rebounds. However, he hopes to work more on his jumpshot.
Conversely, Lloyd, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and 183 pounds, said his strengths are his ability to switch the pace, create his own shot and score at all levels. He added he's spent much of these practices ahead of the season learning to play point guard, as he rarely played the position in high school.
Additionally, Lloyd said he gained 10 pounds since setting foot on campus to become more of a physical presence.
"I know it's been a thing that I need to get in the gym, get something to eat, but it's been really easy here," Lloyd said.
As the team prepares for the season opener on Nov. 3 against Arizona in Las Vegas, the two freshmen prepare to learn from Lee and Fland.
"People are expecting a lot more, and we got to give a lot more than people expect," Lloyd said. "We have the group to not only meet that, but excel high above that and I feel like it's really gonna be a good backcourt this year."
