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Anenaa Kumar // Alligator Staff

2 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026

School board candidates Janine Plavac and Hunter Miller to compete a second time THE TWO WILL FACE OFF FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ALACHUA COUNTY DISTRICT 1 SEAT IN NOVEMBER

By Grace Larson Alligator Staff Writer

Janine Plavac and Hunter Miller will compete a second time at the polls Nov. 3 after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in the Aug. 18 primary election. The third candidate, 44-year-old Gabriel Lopez, secured about 18% of the vote and didn’t qualify for the runoff. While he’s no longer in the running, Lopez has made his stance on the election widely known, endorsing Plavac during a Sept. 15 school board meeting. “It's just unreal to me to see how anyone wouldn't support Janine Plavac,” Lopez said. “You have an experienced educator, an experienced leader, someone who's done a lot for the community when it comes to not just education, but more recently advocating for teacher rights.” In August, Plavac, a 73-year-old private school teacher at Saint Francis Catholic Academy, secured roughly 35% of the vote. Having previously taught at Gainesville High School for 17 years, Plavac said her experience as an educator is the heart of her campaign. “I don't think anybody should sit on a school board unless you have some educational experience,” Plavac said. School board members should understand the dynamics of a school district, she added. Plavac’s school board experience is unique. She secured the District 5 seat, which encompasses southwest Alachua County, after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her in April 2025 to fill a vacancy. After more than a year on the board, Plavac is running for reelection — this time for the District 1 seat, which represents west Alachua County. If reelected, Plavac said she hopes to continue fighting school closures. In March, the school board approved the closure of

Foster, Williams and Alachua elementary schools by 2028. Since then, Foster Elementary School has closed. Plavac said she hopes to reverse the decision, halting the pending closures and reopening Foster Elementary School. Plavac also said she wants to promote a fair wage for district employees. The board approved an up to 4% pay increase for educators and 3% for noninstructional support staff at its Sept. 30 meeting. This marks the second consecutive year the district has approved a 3% to 4% raise. Still, as of last school year, the district’s average $54,000 salary sits nearly $4,000 under the state’s average, according to the Florida Department of Education. Florida ranks second to last for average teacher salaries in the United States, according to the National Education Association. Plavac’s opponent, Miller, is a 27-year-old math teacher who secured roughly 45% of the vote in August. He said his campaign goals are influenced by his four years teaching at Bishop Middle School. “Every experience I have guides the decisions I'm making,” he said, “so if you want somebody who knows what it's like to be a public school teacher to make that difference, I'm that person.” Miller hopes to offer greater support for educators struggling with a heavy workload, he said, and he wants to close the district’s literacy achievement gap. Last school year, Alachua County had the secondhighest achievement gap between white and Black students in English language arts in Florida, according to the FDOE. If elected, Miller said he’ll offer a supportive tone and frequently visit schools to ensure he’s updated on what’s happening in the county. Residents have until Oct. 5 to register to vote ahead of the November general election. Early voting begins Oct. 19. @graceellarson glarson@alligator.org

Gainesville’s Theatre of Memory has an artifact for every visitor ONE GAINESVILLE RESIDENT TURNED HIS LIFELONG LOVE OF COLLECTING INTO STORYTELLING

By Olivia Lofaso Alligator Staff Writer

Ancient teapots, battered shoes and vibrant seashells fill the 11 rooms of Gainesville’s Theatre of Memory. Each of its thousands of artifacts has a story, and curator Bill Hutchinson knows each one. Hutchinson, an 80-year-old Gainesville resident, founded the Theatre of Memory in 1994 in High Springs, where it remained until 2004. After nearly two decades without a permanent home, the museum moved to Gainesville in 2022. Now at 1705 NW Sixth St., it also serves as a music venue for local artists, including Hutchinson’s band, Billifer and the Fearless Pals. The museum reflects Hutchin-

son’s lifelong love of storytelling and entertainment — a passion that began when, as a child, he used oatmeal containers as drums and a footstool as a stage. “I remember one of my earliest memories is my mom saying, ‘Billy, go over and stand on that footstool and tell your grandparents that same joke you told us last night,’” he said. “I’m still on that footstool.” His interest in entertaining followed him to adulthood. During the Vietnam War, Hutchinson worked as an entertainment director for the U.S. military. He later became an entertainment producer for Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department. During his time with the city, Hutchinson helped plan events like the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire and Gainesville’s Downtown Festival & Art Show. His career in entertainment ultimately led to his creation of the

Theatre of Memory, Hutchinson’s own collection of artifacts. Hutchinson said his interest in collecting began as a child when his grandmother moved in with his family after his grandfather died. Living together, Hutchinson found fragments of her life in ordinary objects: jewelry boxes kept in her desk and a snowman made from a powder puff he received as a Christmas gift. After returning home from the war, Hutchinson turned to collecting to make sense of the world around him, he said. To him, everything has a story. “Flash forward 50 years, I have three storage units full of stories,” he said.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 ALLIGATOR 3

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo’s lone tree kangaroo leaves Gainesville after 7 years STAFF AND VISITORS SAID GOODBYE OCT. 4

By Ellia Mytsa Alligator Staff Writer

With a canopy of branches dangling above her and her caretakers below, a tranquil tree kangaroo can be seen traversing her enclosure, climbing from branches to her favorite resting spots. Adelaide, the petite, furry, tree-climbing marsupial has called the zoo home for the last seven years. But on Oct. 4, she embarked on a new chapter. Her move comes after the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a national nonprofit, recommended she be transferred so she can breed more efficiently. The request accompanies AZA’s long-standing efforts to manage the tree kangaroo population and support species growth. Tree kangaroos are native to the cloud forests and mountainous ranges of Papua New Guinea. There are 12 species of tree kangaroo, but the Matschie’s breed, Adelaide’s species, was first categorized as endangered in 1996, and fewer than 2,500 now live in the wild. While Adelaide’s move was made in her best interest, some Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo employees said they’re sad to see her go. For Dean Panttaja, a 26-year-old in his second semester of the Santa Fe Zoo Animal Technology Program, his best memories with Adelaide came with the everyday routines.

“I’ll miss her tenderness,” he said. “A lot of people say she’s skittish, but when you really get very close to her and you get to interact with her, she’s really sweet and tender, and I’m going to miss her for that.” The zoo announced Adelaide’s departure on Instagram Sept. 24. The post invited potential visitors to say goodbye to Adelaide. But ultimately, Panttaja said he agrees with the decision to relocate her. Tree kangaroos are built for environments with cloudy and chilly weather, he said, so Gainesville’s humidity isn’t the best fit for her. Panttaja added Adelaide’s move will also introduce her to a new habitat and audience. “It’s very important that people understand how to take care of our animals in the wild by coming to zoos and seeing them in person,” he said. A sheltered life Adelaide was born in San Antonio, Texas, in December 2017, and moved to the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo in 2020. Adelaide is part of a 32-year-old lineage of Matschie’s tree kangaroos at Santa Fe. During her seven-year stay, she gave birth twice. Her two joeys, Modi and Kopa, were relocated to Cleveland and Miami in 2024 and 2026, respectively. Like Adelaide, the joeys were relocated to support conservation breeding efforts. While her time at Santa Fe has

Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff

Adelaide, Santa Fe Teaching Zoo’s tree kangaroo, crawls around her enclosure, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. already contributed to successful breeding, moving her allows that effort to continue elsewhere by pairing her with mates at other accredited facilities. Santa Fe is just one of 24 North American zoos housing tree kangaroos, a distinction staff members like Kristen Turner, the zoo’s conservation education coordinator, said they value. Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo donates 50 cents of every entry ticket to conservation initiatives like

the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program. The zoo has raised more than $100,000 over the last 15 years. “Once [our students] enter the workforce, they now have an experience that only 23 other facilities in the entire nation can say that they have,” Turner said. “On paper, that sets them up for success, to say they’ve gotten to work with some really unique species.” But Adelaide’s impact on the zoo extended beyond resumes. Some of the staff’s fondest memo-

ries came when she gave birth to her joeys, giving the zoo a rare opportunity to welcome babies. “It’s such an iconic moment any time that there is a baby animal at the zoo, right?” Turner said. “But also, this gave us a way to make this a little bit engaging for guests, too.” Cameron Wolf, an education specialist at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, said Adelaide’s new home is yet to be determined. After an AZA facility is chosen, veterinarians will need to test her health before transportation can be arranged. Although Oct. 4 marks the last day visitors will see Adelaide at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, she’ll need to quarantine before she can leave home. The quarantine can be anywhere from weeks to months. “It’s been a really big privilege to contribute so much to tree kangaroo conservation during the time that the tree kangaroos have been housed here,” Wolf said. “Scientists have learned most of the things that we know about tree kangaroos during that time.” Although Adelaide’s time in Gainesville has ended, she may have more joeys right around the corner. “She turns 9 this year,” Wolf said. “She still hopefully has plenty more years to go. She’s still so young that she will hopefully be a mother again.” @elliamytsa emytsa@alligator.org

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4 ALLIGATOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026

Hope Party files election fraud complaints after Vision Party sweep HOPE MEMBERS AWAIT HEARING DATES BEFORE THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT SUPREME COURT

By Erica Dybas & Sofia Garcia Alligator Staff Writer

Vision Party swept all 50 Student Government on- and off-campus Senate seats Sept. 30 after the two-day Fall election. This semester marked the first time Vision faced another party at the polls in over a year, having run largely unopposed last cycle. Its main competitor, Hope Party, lost all nine of the seats it was up for, and the election’s only independent, Matthew White, lost his bid for an off-campus seat. Hope Party members are now alleging that Vision Party and SG have engaged in misconduct during the election. Makena Romero, the supervisor of elections, declined to comment. Matthew Milton Bravo, the student body president, said he’s proud of Vision’s major win, and he hopes the new senators will continue the party’s legacy. “I think our Senate’s leadership [is] really strong,” he said. ”I’m looking forward to seeing them grow and progress as leaders.” A biannual tradition About 8,900 students voted across eight different polling locations Sept. 29 and 30, meaning about a quarter more students turned out this semester than in the Spring. After polls closed Sept. 30, candidates from both parties gathered at the Reitz Union for a watch party, where supervisor of elections Makena Romero announced the results around 10 p.m. Around 60 Vision Party members climbed on top of chairs to celebrate their victory, chanting “Vision” after each winner was announced. About 10 Hope Party members started a counter-chant of the phrase “stop the steal,” claiming Vision had committed election

fraud. Vision’s platform focused on enhancing dormitory facilities, improving campus health and safety measures and adding more student resources, such as legal aid for student renters. Now, the student body will wait to see if the promised changes are implemented. Hope Party reacts Before results were read, Hope submitted a 134-page complaint accusing Vision of election fraud, according to Hope Party ethics chair Tyler Sklar. The grievances specifically allege Vision Party, along with Florida Blue Key and certain UF Greek organizations, conspired to win votes. Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Tau Omega and Theta Chi were named in the complaint. A hearing will take place Oct. 5 before the SG Supreme Court because the SG elections chair did not send subpoenas in time for the original Oct. 2 date, Sklar said. The group also requested a separate investigation into Sklar’s absentee ballot not being counted and an Innovation Academy student not being allowed to vote. Sklar, an Innovation Academy student, currently lives in Texas. He claims his absentee ballot was delivered to him later than permitted despite requesting it before the Sept. 16 due date. He requested his vote be counted by email, which was permitted by the SG Supreme Court chief justice, Hagen Turner, but only his vote for the off-campus independent candidate Matthew White was counted, he said. The appeal hearing will be conducted Oct. 7, during which Sklar and other complainees will challenge the court’s Oct. 2 ruling in favor of maintaining election results despite accusations of vote number discrepancy. Kayla Arora, a 16-year-old education sciences sophomore and Hope Party campaign staff member, cast doubt on the validity of the results. She accused Vision of bribing voters

Michael Angee // Alligator Staff

As election results begin coming in, members of Vision Party cheer in the Reitz Union on UF’s campus, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. with incentives like involvement points. “Vision rigged the vote,” Arora said. Arora is representing Hope Party in all of their related court filings, with Andrew Larson, a former SG senator, representing Sklar in his case about his ballot. Even if election results are confirmed in Vision’s favor, Makani Bugarin, a 19-year-old psychology sophomore and Hope Party vice president, said she remains hopeful about her party’s future. As members wait for the Spring election

cycle, the party will focus on growing its campaign, Bugarin said. “There’s definitely a lot of hope,” she said. “I think we will be able to come back stronger, more organized, with more power and people in our ranks to help us. @erica_dybas edybas@alligator.org @sconsuelogarcia sofiagarcia@alligator.org

UF riflemen evoke anxiety among FSU, Parkland students THE INCIDENT SPARKED GREATER CONCERNS OVER FLORIDA’S OPEN CARRY LAWS

By Logan McBride Alligator Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of gun violence. Yael Weinfeld was in sixth grade when a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, right across the street from her middle school. Less than a decade later, the 20-year-old UF public relations junior was once again within a mile of an automatic rifle. Earlier this month, two men were seen walking along University Avenue beside UF campus, openly carrying rifles to raise awareness about gun rights in Florida. Weinfeld said she couldn’t help but feel anxious when she heard the news. “You’re immediately thinking of what your next steps would be and how you could be safe and make sure that your loved ones are safe,” Weinfeld said. Weinfeld then attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School herself, and after growing up in a com-

munity heavily impacted by gun violence, she found the Sept. 9 demonstration distasteful. “I just thought it was not appropriate, especially considering that at UF, there are so many people who are from Parkland,” she said The men’s proximity to campus made it hard for students like Weinfeld to differentiate whether they were on campus, she said, and their location aligned with the route many students take to and from class. She disagrees with allowing individuals to carry rifles in public and argued guns larger than pistols provide no benefit outside of hunting. Gainesville Police Department spokesperson Art Forgey said the demonstration was completely legal. He suggested the pair had been testing the department. “These people refer to themselves as First Amendment auditors, and they’re looking to see how law enforcement reacts,” Forgey said. While it’s illegal to bring a gun onto UF campus, Florida law does not prohibit people from openly carrying firearms in other public places. The rules equally apply to all types of guns. If someone is of age and legally allowed to own a firearm, they don’t need a specific permit or license to openly carry. The incident comes almost a year after Florida lifted its 38-year-old

open carry ban last September, allowing law-abiding citizens ages 21 and older to openly carry a firearm inside businesses; however, they can set their own policies prohibiting it. Open carry rules further expanded following a June 17 court ruling giving adults ages 18 to 20 the right to open carry in the state. For some who’ve experienced gun violence firsthand, the expansion of these laws leaves them feeling anxious. Fabianna Silva, a 20-year-old Florida State University international affairs junior, was in a nearby building when an FSU student opened fire outside of the university’s student union on April 17, 2025. The shooting left two dead and six hospitalized. Silva recalls sitting in a class in the Rovetta Business Building, a fiveminute walk to the student union, when she heard a loud bang. It was so jarring that her professor assured the class it was just construction, she said, before they heard screams. Silva called the current open carry laws “insanity,” especially because they don’t limit the type of gun someone can carry. She questioned why someone would need to openly carry an assault weapon like the rifles seen alongside UF campus Sept. 9.

“To be carrying that, showing it to everybody, that’s not safety, that’s something else,” Silva said. Silva said she understands owning a gun for personal safety, but she wonders whether carrying a gun openly in public spaces does anything but intimidate others. The right to bear arms is ingrained in U.S. history and the Constitution, she said, but she wishes gun owners would lean toward concealing their weapons. Since witnessing the FSU shooting last year, Silva said seeing guns is a “triggering” experience for her, no matter who is holding them. “It’s like your body doesn’t even know the difference between ‘That’s something dangerous’ or not,” Silva said. “I see people just holding guns, and it makes me nervous.” Silva recalled attending an event in Paris and seeing a group of twenty law enforcement officers carrying rifles. Despite knowing they were carrying them safely and for good reason, she said, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. Vaneza Tamayo, a 21-year-old FSU biology senior, said she shares a similar sentiment. Tamayo was studying in FSU’s Stozier Library when the shooting happened. When she was in the bathroom, two girls bolted in to hide in a stall. Tamayo was shocked

when they told her what was happening, she said. She and the two girls waited in the stall for an hour before being evacuated, she said. To Tamayo, it shouldn’t matter whether someone is carrying a gun on or near campus because it carries the same concern for those nearby, she said. “If there were a school shooting to happen again, I feel like, what’s the difference with it happening on campus than right across the street from off campus?” Tamayo said. Hearing about the incident at UF was shocking, she said, because of its proximity to campus. She described how put off she would have felt if she had seen someone carrying a firearm while she was on her way to class. The shooting at FSU left Tamayo more wary of her surroundings and the alerts she gets to her phone, she said. When she sees notifications from police, she said, her thoughts leap to places they wouldn’t have before the shooting. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @logandmcbride lmcbride@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 ALLIGATOR 5

Byron Donalds brings ‘Defending the Florida Dream Tour’ to UF The gubernatorial candidate fielded questions about DEI, property taxes and antisemitism By Juleidi Machuca Alligator Staff Writer

Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds answered questions from UF students and Alachua County residents Sept. 30, promoting property tax relief, school choice and a businessminded approach to state government. The evening town hall was part of U.S. Rep. Donalds’ “Defending the Florida Dream Tour,” a campaign push to encourage young voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election. His UF stop came one day after the Florida A&M University town hall, where Donalds, who attended FAMU in the 1990s, faced heated questions from students until a fire alarm interrupted the discussion. Over 100 attendees filled the seats surrounding the stage at UF’s Emerson Alumni Hall. The event began with a prayer of gratitude, followed by remarks on Donalds’ background in public service. U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack opened by warning the audience of what she called “angertainment,” or social media content meant to keep people upset and reactive, suggesting it’s a method to distract from true governance and prevent national unity across the aisle. “You have politicians in Washington that just want clickbait action because they’re in the race to the top of Mount Clickmore,” she said. Cammack, a Republican whose district encompasses Gainesville, said Donalds is passionate about constituents’ concerns even in rooms without cameras. Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut introduced Donalds and used the occasion to explain her endorsement for him. Her endorsement shocked local leaders because she has long been associated with the Democratic Party. Chestnut said her goal in endorsing Donald’s is to advocate for the city and ensure the people she serves have a meaningful opportunity to be heard. She described Donalds’ commitments to listening to locals and keeping his office open to city leaders. “We want to continue to have a great state where people can chase their dreams,” Donalds said to the room. Donalds said Florida is a state of opportunity built on strong families, economic growth, education, public safety and limited regulation. Throughout the Q&A session, Donalds was asked a variety of questions from students and other community members on topics like education, voter rights, property taxes and free speech. Education Donalds said he opposes diversity, equity and inclusion poli-

Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff

U.S. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds speaks during a town hall as a part of his “Defending the Florida Dream Tour,” Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. cies and supports merit-based standards. He also defended Florida’s approach to African American history education, describing the state’s Advanced Placement African American Studies curriculum as “steeped in Black history.” Donalds also said he supports giving local school boards more authority, allowing greater funding flexibility and permitting parental access to instructional materials. Voter rights Collier County was among the counties once subject to preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Preclearance meant any change to a county’s voting rules required federal approval. The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County vs. Holder overturned this section. When asked about the removal, Donalds said he questions whether preclearance is still necessary. He said there has been

“not one case of discrimination based on race for voting in the United States.” He also said he doesn’t know any Black people who’ve faced trouble voting in Collier County in the last 23 years he’s lived there. Property taxes Donalds also said he supports Amendment 3, a proposed amendment that would lower property taxes for Florida homeowners. He also proposed using the Tax and Budget Reform Commission to study property taxes, portability, fees and relief for seniors and working families. Read the rest online at alligator.org. jmachuca@alligator.org

UF student-led initiatives offer possible solutions to campus bird deaths THE BIRD WINDOW COLLISION PROJECT WORKS TO CREATE A SAFER CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT

By Christian Haas Alligator Staff Writer

Oskar Garcia’s love for birds predates his oldest memories. “Since day one, I’ve been birding,” he said. The 22-year-old UF graphic design alumnus still vividly recalls when an American pygmy kingfisher collided with his sliding glass door. It survived the strike, Garcia said, so he and his parents took it inside to recover overnight before releasing it the next morning. When birds strike windows, most die upon impact or sustain injuries and only four in 10 recover, according to research published by the American Bird Conservancy. Garcia’s childhood passion for birds endured through his time as a UF student — as did his observations of bird-window fatalities. While studying graphic design, Garcia said he witnessed frequent strikes against the windows of the Fine Arts buildings. Garcia recalled finding a bird that hit the Fine Arts catwalk, which he noted is ill-designed for birds because of its large, reflective windows and nearby vegetation. He picked the bird up, he said, and it breathed heavily before dying in his hands.

“I could just feel its last few heartbeats or last few breaths,” he said. “To have this thing that you care about so much die in your hands.” Garcia brought the bird to an administrative office, he said, where he spoke with multiple staff members who told him they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do to address the bird collisions on campus. He suggested solutions, including spiderweb decals, to the staff but was told they didn’t know how to implement them. After that experience, he connected with the Bird Window Collision Project, joining over 100 students to spread awareness and report strikes. The Bird Window Collision Project While some may travel campus without ever considering bird safety, one group of students and faculty has made creating a bird-safe campus environment its mission. Founded in 2016 by UF wildlife and ecology professor Mark Hostetler, the Bird Window Collision Project hopes to confront the thousands of preventable deaths caused by campus windows every year. The project aims to monitor when and where birds strike windows across UF’s campus, which helps determine how many birds are killed, which species are most vulnerable and which buildings are most problematic. The measurements allow students and researchers to figure out which windows most need birdsafety modifications.

The Bird Window Collision Project’s iNaturalist website allows anyone to track observed bird strikes. According to its map, UF’s NewinsZiegler Hall and the College of Pharmacy and Fine Arts buildings are hot spots. But bird fatalities at Newins-Ziegler could decrease soon after modifications, including bird-friendly decals, were applied to the building’s windows Sept. 22. The installation’s effectiveness will be monitored by the collision project’s leaders over the next eight months to determine if similar changes should be made to other buildings across campus. Carrie Bush, the assistant vice president of UF’s Planning, Design and Construction department, wrote in an email to The Alligator that the university works to support and promote ecological health. Bird-strike mitigation strategies are evaluated on all new construction and major renovation projects at UF, she wrote. The university is evaluating bird-friendly design features on multiple buildings across campus, including UV window films at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which is currently undergoing a $30 million renovation and is slated to reopen Nov. 23, according to a Sept. 30 press release. Newins-Ziegler Hall used Acopian BirdSavers for about eight years. They are cheap, effective fixtures made of paracords and small polyvinyl chloride pipes applied to the exterior of windows, but lack the durability to last over

time, according to Hostetler. But a new solution was installed just in time for bird migration season, when window strikes pick up significantly as hundreds of millions of birds migrate to Florida. Members of the Bird Window Collision Project estimate thousands of those birds die after colliding with UF’s buildings each year, Hostetler said. Exact totals are hard to measure because other animals often eat dead birds or they’re thrown away by groundskeepers before they can be tracked on the iNaturalist app, he added. To solve this problem, two student researchers with the Bird Window Collision Project installed camera traps under windows at the College of Pharmacy and surrounding UF Health buildings Sept. 25 to monitor how and when strikes go unobserved. Elle Henson, a 21-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior who has led efforts to create a bird-safe campus, said birds often collide with windows after mistaking them for more forest. Windows reflect nearby vegetation, which tricks birds into thinking they’re flying toward gaps between branches or open skies beyond a forest. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @ChristianH58745 haas@alligator.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue

THEATRE

Gainesville’s Florida Theater prepares for historic revival NEARLY A CENTURY AFTER ITS OPENING, THE THEATER LOOKS TO COME BACK FROM YEARS OF DISREPAIR By Brandy Sumner Avenue Staff Writer

Once a highlight of Gainesville culture, the Florida Theater spent years sitting unused, its face covered in dirt and graffiti. Now, following much work and planning, the theater is starting a new life. The theater is currently undergoing renovations to fix the wear it has sustained over time. The project, which began in 2018 after the building entered new management, aims to turn the building back into a music venue. Current renovations include redoing the building’s facade and removing trash and debris from inside. Since its September 1928 opening, the Florida Theater has lived many lives. What began as a movie theater would eventually become a full-time music venue called The Great Southern Music Hall, and it later became a dance club.

However, the 20-plus years it spent as a nightclub took its toll on the building, and it fell into disrepair. The city added the theater as a landmark on the Local Register of Historic Places in 2025, which prevents the building’s property taxes from being increased for the next decade. Bill Bryson, the theater’s 60-year-old owner, bought the building in 2017 and began restoration the following year by gutting the building’s interior, which was long worn down with seating stripped and trash scattered. The project was halted in 2020 since Bryson was unsure whether the concert industry would survive the pandemic. Efforts to restore the building picked back up in 2024. Bryson moved to Gainesville in 1992 with the specific goal of opening his own music venue. Until 2000, he operated The Covered Dish, a rock club that hosted artists like Sublime and Green Day. Bryson said he hopes to use his experience to transform the theater into a successful music venue once building renovations are completed. He decided to finally purchase the building after seeing what he believed was a need for new event space in the downtown area. “I really sought to get that in my hands so that nobody

El Caimán

Los residentes de Gainesville hablan sobre las leyes de inmigración. Leer más en la pagina 7.

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else could knock it down or knock the block down and build condos or something like that,” Bryson said. “I think its best use is as a venue, and it’s got a deep history as being a concert venue.” Bryson hopes the project will be completed by 2028 in conjunction with the building’s 100-year anniversary. The project is currently in its first phase, which focuses on repairing the building’s facade. Facade renovations aim to keep the building’s exterior as true to its history as possible, he said. The project is being completed by Gainesville-based Joyner Construction Partners. The project received about $100,000 dollars from the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area to go toward work on the building’s facade. Bryson hopes the theater will draw more people downtown and give the community a new place to see live music, he said. “It’s been gone for so long that I don’t think the community at large really even realizes what’s missing,” he said. Read the rest online at alligator.org/section/the_avenue. bsumner@alligator.org

El Caimán

LUNES, 5 DE OCTUBRE DE 2026 www.alligator.org/section/spanish

Escuche a voces locales hablar sobre la importancia de los derechos de los inmigrantes

LA COMUNIDAD DE GAINESVILLE REFLEXIONA SOBRE CÓMO MANTENER LA INCLUSIÓN ANTE LA NUEVA LEGISLACIÓN QUE AFECTA A LOS ESTUDIANTES INDOCUMENTADOS Por Emily Medina-Finsen Escritora de El Caimán

Traducido por Angelique Rodriguez Escritora de El Caimán

A medida que Florida implementa nuevas políticas dirigidas a estudiantes y residentes indocumentados, la comunidad inmigrante de Gainesville debe lidiar con las repercusiones en su vida cotidiana. Mientras tanto, grupos locales de defensa de derechos trabajan para mantenerse al día ante un panorama legal cambiante. Leah Cohen, miembro de la Iniciativa de Inclusión de Vecinos Inmigrantes de

Football

Inside the Gators’ fallout against Missouri. Read more on pg. 11.

Gainesville, dijo que aboga por "protecciones basadas en el sentido común" para los inmigrantes. Dijo que ha sido testigo de cómo estas políticas han generado temor entre los inmigrantes de Gainesville. Algunas personas le han expresado su preocupación por la posibilidad de ser detenidas por las autoridades migratorias al salir de sus hogares, dijo. En lo que respecta a la inmigración, Cohen dijo que la mayoría de la gente carece de experiencia directa en el tema, por lo que algunos pueden pensar que el proceso es sencillo y económico. En realidad, dijo, no es así. El trámite puede prolongarse durante años y requerir solicitudes complejas antes de que se pueda considerar la naturalización. Cohen dijo que las fuerzas del orden de Florida han mostrado una gran disposición para cumplir con las exigencias de actuar como agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas. Las autoridades han aprovechado las paradas de tráfico para detener a inmigrantes sin generar el revuelo público que suele provocar las protestas

de los activistas, dijo, y una simple parada de tráfico puede derivar en la detención de toda una familia. "Existe la suposición de que las acciones de control migratorio no se están llevando a cabo, o que ocurren a una escala mucho menor de la real, simplemente porque no se ven las grandes y dramáticas redadas del ICE que aparecen en las noticias", dijo Cohen. "Creo que es fundamental que la gente comprenda que esto es algo intencional". Dijo que su labor de defensa busca reconocer la humanidad de los inmigrantes, incluidos niños, padres, maestros, profesionales de la salud y otras personas que desempeñan funciones vitales en la comunidad. "En realidad, todos conocemos y dependemos de alguien que está lidiando con el sistema migratorio", dijo Cohen. "Creo que eso es algo que la gente no percibe cuando escucha información errónea destinada a dividirnos". Daniela Gonzales, estudiante de posgrado de desarrollo sostenible en la

UF de 24 años, trabaja para apoyar a los inmigrantes y combatir la desinformación mediante protestas locales. Es directora externa de Chispas y miembro activo de la organización estudiantil Estudiantes por el Socialismo de la UF, que a menudo organiza protestas contra el ICE. Chispas es la única organización estudiantil registrada en la UF que defiende los derechos de los inmigrantes a través de protestas. "Para que cualquiera de nosotros tenga los derechos que tenemos, debemos luchar los unos por los otros", dijo Gonzales. El mes pasado, la Junta de Gobernadores de Florida prohibió a los estudiantes indocumentados asistir a 12 universidades públicas, incluida la UF, a partir del próximo año académico. Lee el resto en línea en alligator.org/section/spanish. emedina-finsen@alligator.org arodriguez@alligator.org

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Release Date: Monday, October 5, 2026 Release Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026

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selected for a new state capital.

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9. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of jellyfish commonly called? 10. GAMES: How many squares are on a checkerboard?

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2. In 2012, Australia's Rhein Gibson set a Guinness World Record for the lowest 18-hole round of golf with what score? 3. Which team selected UC Berkeley quarterback Steve Bartkowski with the first overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft?

7. Name the IndyCar driver who won the inaugural editions of the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington in Texas and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., in 2026?

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Column

Your grocery store isn’t as capitalist as you think

inston Churchill famously quoted, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms of government that have been tried.” That’s how I feel about capitalism. It’s clearly a flawed system, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option. Proponents of capitalism proclaim it is the greatest economic system in the history of mankind. But in my opinion, our capitalist system is not living up to its promises. Capitalism’s failure manifests itself in modern grocery stores. The premise of capitalism suggests rigorous and free competition among companies will lower prices, increase innovation and raise wages for most people. By balancing supply and demand, capitalism seeks to ensure people are paying the lowest possible price. But corporate consolidation has only created an illusion of competition, and it has prevented prices from flowing naturally. The modern grocery store is only posing as a free capitalist marketplace. The U.S. government has allowed food corporations to grow to massive sizes by buying or merging with other companies. For example, PepsiCo, which created Pepsi soda, also owns brands like Gatorade, Frito-Lay, Jack Link’s and Aquafina. The meat industry is another prime example. The four largest companies — Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS and National Beef — control around 80% of the beef market. Over half of the poultry industry is similarly concentrated in Tyson Foods, JBS, Sanderson Farms and Perdue Farms. An investigation by The Guardian and Food and Water

Watch found only a few companies control almost 80% of grocery store items bought regularly. It pointed out more than nine in 10 sodas are owned by three companies: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper. PepsiCo owns nearly 90% of dips, and Barilla alone controls nearly a third of the pasta market. About 72.8% of cereal brands are owned by General Mills, Kellogg Company or Post Holdings. Two beer companies, Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors, control nearly two-thirds of the market. And it’s not limited to products — it also extends to the stores that sell them. The recently attempted merger of Kroger and Albertsons would have meant nearly half of the U.S. grocery market would have been controlled by Kroger, Albertsons and Walmart. This breaks the illusion of rigorous competition in the grocery store, disproving the idea there are “thousands of products all competing against one another for your dollars,” as Emma Camp of The Wall Street Journal would have you believe. The monopolistic trend in grocery stores over the past four decades has also contributed to the rising prices we all face, and it prevents those prices from falling because companies are not pressured to lower them. Other economic factors, like tariffs and inflation, contribute to rising prices as well. Capitalism supporters will argue less government intervention ensures greater prosperity. When corporations operate freely, their costs are lower, which is supposed to lower prices for us in turn. But this lack of intervention is what has allowed

these corporations to consolidate and keep prices high. Capitalism has the ability to make people wealthy, but we should not acEvan Dressel opinions@alligator.org cept that possibility at face value. Our government must ensure capitalism can operate as it is supposed to: with free and rigorous competition among more than a few companies. If capitalism were operating properly, we would not have seen massive price hikes during the COVID-19 pandemic while companies recorded higher profits. This disparity points to a disconnect between our capitalistic system and the makeup of our marketplaces. We are faced with less competition; therefore, we face higher prices. This era of massive corporate consolidation rivals that of the Gilded Age. If we want to make grocery prices — and our lives as a whole — more affordable, we need to break up these colossal conglomerates. Capitalism requires competition to work, and corporate consolidation has weakened the competition we experience. Government intervention does not constrict capitalism — it is what keeps capitalism alive. @EvanD_Alligator edressel@alligator.org

Column

A narrative should be written backward, not lived forward

here is a strange pressure to make our lives “make sense.” We like to believe there’s a thread connecting who we were, who we are and who we’ll be. Our varied interests should reveal a common truth. Our choices should point somewhere. Even the things we do for fun somehow indicate the kind of person we are. Psychologists Dan McAdams and Kate McLean call the evolving story we construct about ourselves our “narrative identity.” By connecting our reconstructed past with an imagined future, these stories can give our lives a sense of unity and purpose. This can be a good thing. Looking back, a narrative helps us understand why certain experiences mattered to us more than others or how we became the people we are now. The problem begins when we take a story meant to explain ourselves and turn it into a requirement for who we are allowed to become. Once we decide who we are,

maintaining that identity can become surprisingly important. Maybe you‘re the academic one. The artistic one. The outgoing one. The future doctor. The one who hates parties. The one who loves them. Eventually, we start asking whether a choice fits that identity before asking what we want. Research from psychologists Daphna Oyserman and Mesmin Destin helps explain why. Their work on “identity-based motivation” suggests our sense of self influences which behaviors feel natural to us. When something feels inconsistent with who we believe ourselves to be, we can interpret that difficulty as evidence it’s simply “not for people like me.” But how are we supposed to discover what is “for us” if we only try things that we think resemble the idea of us? This pressure becomes glaringly obvious in college, where having a coherent narrative is a barrier to en-

try. Applications ask us to turn years of unrelated experiences into a few hundred words explaining who we are and who we want to become. Professional programs expect us to do the same. As someone considering medical school, I know I’ll eventually have to explain why my various experiences all point to a future in medicine. There is nothing unreasonable about asking applicants to explain their motivations. The danger appears when we internalize that expectation so deeply that we choose experiences based on how neatly they’ll fit into a future explanation. I see this in my own life. I’m a pre-med student, but I also write opinion columns for The Alligator. Writing has little to do with the career I’m pursuing, and that’s partially why I value it so much. I don’t write because it strengthens some larger narrative of who I’m supposed to become. I write because I love doing it.

A hobby doesn’t need to reinforce our career. A class doesn’t need to contribute to a larger goal. We can try something and quit because we hate it. We can become interested in something completely unrelated to everything else we like. We can be terrible at something and continue doing it anyway. Not everything has to advance the plot. Yet the more attached we become to our own narratives, the easier it is to reject contradiction. We protect our identities because consistency is comfortable. The alternative is admitting that, perhaps, I don’t know myself as completely as I thought. That uncertainty can be uncomfortable, but it also leaves room for change. There should be parts of our identities that our younger selves could never have predicted. Otherwise, we aren’t really discovering ourselves. We’re just following a character outline we wrote years ago. None of this means we should

abandon narratives altogether. There is value in looking at the scattered piecShirin Khizzar es of our opinions@alligator.org lives and finding a cohesive meaning. We need stories to understand where we have been. We just don’t need to have a predetermined ending we’re always pushing toward. There is a difference between finding meaning in our choices and requiring every choice to have meaning before we make it. Our lives should produce the stories we tell about ourselves, not the other way around. A narrative should be written backward, not lived forward. @Shirinkhizzar Skhizzar@alligator.org

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Alligator. The Alligator encourages comments from readers. Letters to the editor should not exceed 600 words (about one letter-sized page). They must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, classification and phone number. Names will be withheld if the writer shows just cause. We reserve the right to edit for length, grammar, style and libel. Send letters to opinions@alligator.org, bring them to 2700 SW 13th St., or send them to P.O. Box 14257, Gainesville, FL 32604-2257.Columns of about 450 words about original topics and editorial cartoons are also welcome. Questions? Call 352-376-4458.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 www.alligator.org/section/sports

FOOTBALL

Florida fails to find a spark in blowout loss to Missouri THE GATORS ALLOWED 560 TOTAL YARDS AND ONLY MUSTERED THREE SCORING DRIVES By Max Bernstein & Curan Ahern Sports Writers

With expectations continuing to soar after a 4-0 start to the season, Florida faced the harsh reality of football in the SEC: Any team can humble anyone on any given Saturday. Head coach Jon Sumrall preached that message ahead of the Gators’ 45-17 loss to Missouri, but Florida still fell flat in Memorial Stadium, mustering just 7 points in the second half and allowing 560 yards of total offense. “Hats off to Missouri. They played really good today. We did not, and that was an earned loss by us,” Sumrall said. “But we did not play to our standard. Embarrassing performance in every phase.” Offense

Through the first four games of the season, no one could tame Flori-

da’s offense. The Gators entered the Oct. 3 contest ranked second nationally in scoring offense (53.5 points per game) and seemed to be firing on all cylinders. The Tigers flipped the script. Florida struggled all afternoon to pick up momentum in both its passing and rushing game. The Gators were held to 325 total yards, with 86 coming on the final drive of the game. Even more concerning, UF was held to a shocking 42 yards on the ground on 25 attempts. Jadan Baugh, who entered the game as the second-leading rusher in the nation with 600 yards, just couldn’t get going and was held to 13 yards on 12 carries. Ultimately, running back London Montgomery finished as UF’s leading rusher with the 17 yards he managed on one carry. “I don’t think the flow of the game really dictated us not getting the run game. They played good defense, and we didn’t execute,” Sumrall said. “We did not execute well in the run game in a lot of different areas.” With no rushing attack to account for, the pressure was placed on quarterback Aaron Philo to spark offensive momentum. And while the final numbers of 21 for 34 passing for 197

Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall looks to the scoreboard during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Columbia, Mo. yards and a touchdown don’t indicate a horrid performance, the junior signal caller was far from perfect in the loss. Philo misfired multiple throws and misread the defense on multiple occasions. Notably, on UF’s opening drive — its only drive with any real

offensive momentum for nearly the entirety of the game — Philo opted to throw toward smothered tight end Luke Harpring rather than wide-open running back Duke Clark in the end zone. Florida was forced to settle for a field goal the following play. “I don’t think it was [Philo’s]

best,” Sumrall said. “Early, he missed some things, but, look, he’s done a lot of great things for us this year. He’s going to bounce back. He’s a tough dude. He’ll learn from this.” But arguably Florida offense’s most concerning area was its offensive line play. While the unit mostly held up in the season’s first four weeks, it was completely out of whack against Mizzou. Philo was pressured a whopping 16 times, hurried 12 and sacked three, according to Pro Football Focus. Starting left tackle Bryce Lovett had a run blocking grade of 51.1 and a pass blocking grade of 53.3. Further, left guard Knijeah Harris posted a 38.0 pass blocking grade and surrendered three pressures. Emeka Ugorji, UF’s right tackle, had a 48.0 run-blocking grade as well, putting a cap on the Gator line’s tough performance. Read the rest online alligator.org/section/sports. @maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org @CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Denzel Aberdeen reflects on eligibility clash with NCAA, role with Florida ABERDEEN SPOKE WITH THE MEDIA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE RECEIVING A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION By Jeffrey Serber Sports Writer

After months of legal battles with the NCAA, Denzel Aberdeen was cleared to play for Florida in the 2026-27 season. Judge George M. Wright of Florida's Eighth Judicial Circuit granted Aberdeen a temporary injunction Sept. 29 in the fifth-year guard’s lawsuit against the NCAA, making him eligible for this season. Aberdeen spoke to the media Oct. 1 for the first time since the ruling, reflecting on his journey between his April 10 transfer announcement and the Sept. 29 decision. “It was most definitely frustrating,” he said. “I just kept my faith in God, kept praying day in, day out.” The Orlando native said he was more nervous during the Sept. 29 court hearing than he’d been in the 2025 national championship game. When Judge Wright said he was “not a sports guy,” Aberdeen said he put his head down and tried to act like he didn’t hear it. When the NCAA rejected Aberdeen’s waiv-

er for a fifth year in May, the guard said he was devastated but wanted to try again because he’d played against older people his entire life, so it felt fair. His case for a fifth year stemmed from the fact that he played just 40 minutes in his freshman season. On Thursday, Aberdeen said he had no regrets playing his freshman season. “My story is my story,” he said. “What I can control is what I can control. Whether it's not playing or playing, I'll do whatever.” After the decision, Aberdeen took to Instagram to share his relief. Videos from the courtroom showed him hugging his parents, coaches and teammates. “Free at last, free at last,” Aberdeen wrote on Instagram. “Thank God almighty I’m free at last. The ones who said I wouldn’t last, watch how quick 1 change the past.” Aberdeen said the caption was inspired by a Martin Luther King Jr. speech he saw while scrolling on TikTok the day before his hearing. Aberdeen said the opportunity to be the first to graduate in his family motivated him throughout the process. Despite the emotional roller coaster he endured during this eligibility saga, Aberdeen had the support of his teammates and coaches. That was on full display at the Sept. 29 hearing. Teammates Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu, all of whom played

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with Aberdeen during Florida's 2025 national championship run, were in the courtroom for his hearing. Head coach Todd Golden and four assistant coaches were also present. “There were a lot of other guys on the team that wanted to go, but they had class,” Golden said. “For the guys that had been here a few years with him and have a really really close relationship, I think it was important, and it was really nice having them there.” Amid the chaos, Aberdeen practiced with the team through the summer and fall. He even made the August trip to Los Angeles with teammates Condon, Haugh, Arturas Butajevas, Alex Lloyd, CJ Ingram, Boogie Fland and Alex Kovatchev. Now that he’s cleared, Aberdeen is ready to bring his experience back to the Gators. He spent his first three seasons at Florida, playing a part in the Gators’ 2025 national championship run. He learned from players like Zyon Pullin, Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard, all of whom are now on NBA rosters. In his only season at Kentucky, Aberdeen started 35 of 36 games, averaging 13.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. “He's grown a ton,” Haugh said. “You guys are going to see a completely different player than when he left here.” Aberdeen averaged 17 points across his

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three outings against the Gators last season; however, Florida came out on top in each of those contests. He added that Haugh and Condon would talk trash to him throughout those games last season. Aberdeen now enters the 2026-27 season as the projected starting shooting guard for a Gators squad expected to rank No. 1 in the AP preseason poll. But despite his familiarity with the team, Fland remains the one starter he hasn’t played with. The pair will now make up Florida’s starting backcourt, offering a combined 175 games of SEC experience. “We both feed off each other’s energy, especially on the defensive side,” Aberdeen said. Even though he has not played alongside Aberdeen, former Arkansas Razorback Fland said the two established a friendship during the past two seasons as SEC opponents. “I feel like it goes on the court the way it goes off the court, you know what I mean?” Fland said. “The brotherhood you have off the court, it trickles into the court.” Now that he’s legally cleared to play for Florida, Aberdeen is focused on getting his mind right before the Gators open the 2026-27 season against Miami in Tampa Nov. 2.

For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.

@JeffreySerber lJserber@alligator.org

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