News | Campus Student Life - The Independent Florida Alligator

Screenshot of the event poster on the Accent Speakers Bureau's Facebook page.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF Accent Speakers Bureau to virtually host TikTok star Tabitha Brown

By J.P. Oprison | Mar. 20, 2021

Brown, a North Carolina born actress, mother and wife, is known for her veganism and comedy, according to Accent Speakers Bureau. She amassed two million TikTok followers in 40 days for her videos featuring vegan recipes, cooking tips and nuggets of wisdom, and is affectionately known as “America’s mom.”

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Time zone troubles: UF international students taking classes and exams in their home countries

By Abigail Hasebroock | Mar. 19, 2021

Completing coursework online poses challenges for students and instructors alike, but these issues are heightened for some international students who attend classes and take exams amid drastic time zone differences.

A lone man is seen walking through Turlington Plaza at UF in Gainesville, Fla., on August 31, 2020. The plaza, which is usually filled with people, remained relatively bare on the first day of fall classes.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Freshmen start, seniors cap off COVID-19 college experience

By Faith Buckley | Mar. 17, 2021

Due to COVID-19, graduating seniors missed most chances to live out their final days as Gators on campus, while freshmen were forced to let go of high expectations for their first year of college.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF funds a racial justice initiative research project

By Abigail Hasebroock | Mar. 10, 2021

Enrollment of Black or African American students at UF has stayed under 10% since 2008, and in the Fall, Black students made up 5.85% of UF’s total enrollment, according to the official enrollment data. This research initiative is one of the latest efforts to improve the Black experience at UF, a predominantly white institution.

Lillie Rooney, a 20-year-old UF Entomology senior, sits on RTS Bus 35 at the J. Wayne Reitz Union stop on campus on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. RTS is adding more buses to existing routes 12, 13, 20 and 38, continuing mask mandates and keeping capacities low for buses this Spring.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Students recap one year since COVID-19

By Sofia Echeverry and J.P. Oprison | Mar. 8, 2021

Virtual graduations, reduced capacity at football games and the rise and fall of COVID-19 cases have made for a tough past year. Many students have had to navigate questionable quarantine procedures, the loss of 2021's Spring Break and study abroad cancellations.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF Summer study abroad trips canceled, moved to end of Summer

By Sofia Echeverry | Mar. 8, 2021

Despite UF’s increasing confidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end, 56 UF Sponsored study abroad programs for this Summer have been canceled.

Brianna Alderman (Left) and Camile Hagins (Right) hold up homemade signs as they march in support of antiracism on Feb. 20, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF students march to honor Black history in Gainesville

By Isabella Douglas | Feb. 24, 2021

On Saturday, about 80 UF students gathered outside the Reitz Union and walked to Prayers By Faith Family Ministries, the original location of Gainesville’s NAACP chapter, in honor of Gainesville’s Black history.

A new graduate of the University of Florida watches the remainder of the ceremony while wearing a graduation cap with the Porky Pig quote, “That’s all, folks,” from Looney Tunes.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF announces plans for in-person graduation this Spring

By J.P. Oprison | Feb. 19, 2021

The university announced plans Friday to have 14 in-person ceremonies at the O'Connell Center between April 29 and May 3, with the same safety protocols used for athletic events at the arena. Make-up in-person recognition ceremonies for 2020 graduates are still being planned.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF’s online programs are among the best in the country

By Abigail Hasebroock | Feb. 9, 2021

The online bachelor’s program is available to more students than the roughly 4,000 who are currently enrolled. The courses offered are not exclusive to students only online but are available to traditional students who desire to take online classes.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

New UF class teaches students about the political, social context of whiteness

By J.P. Oprison | Feb. 9, 2021

UF professor Lance Gravlee created a class this semester called Whiteness in response to the racial injustice protests in 2020 over the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. He said the unequal impact of COVID-19 across racial lines also inspired him to create the class.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Tomorrow’s homework: UF launches new diversity, equity and inclusion training

By Sofia Echeverry | Feb. 6, 2021

The 40-minute training is recommended for all students, faculty and staff and covers topics such as discrimination, intersectionality, oppression, inclusion and identity. The course had a deadline of Jan. 31 for faculty. Students have until April 1.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF encourages new recharge days for Spring 2021 semester

By Sofia Echeverry | Jan. 25, 2021

After canceling Spring Break, UF administration is urging faculty to suspend classes and exams for two days this semester to avoid student burnout.

Students exit UF's Southwest Rec Center on a Sunday night.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

How UF’s gyms are handling COVID-19

By J.P. Oprison | Jan. 19, 2021

To accommodate more students this Spring, UF gyms are increasing capacity restrictions. Students will also have to be cleared for campus to enter the gym, certain areas are closed and students will have to log attendance for contact tracing purposes.

Julian Cruz, 20, applied physiology and kinesiology junior walks into the UF Transportation and Parking Services office on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. He was applying for a parking decal for the UF Health Shands Hospital parking lot.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF students express frustration over parking restrictions

By Abigail Hasebroock | Jan. 19, 2021

UF’s parking ticket payment revenue is approximately $1.4 million, but this year’s is projected to be less than half at about $500,000. Despite the expected decrease in funds, TAPS has not increased parking citations for monetary gain.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

CWC creates new program to satisfy high demand for services

By J.P. Oprison | Jan. 15, 2021

UF's Counseling and Wellness Center officially launched its online counseling program, SilverCloud, at the beginning of 2021 in response to the center's high demand for services.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

What happens if my classmate has COVID-19?

By Manny Rea and Sofia Echeverry | Jan. 11, 2021

If a student tests positive, classes won't be moved online, but positive individuals will need to join an online or HyFlex alternative of their class and self-isolate. They can return to campus once they've been cleared on One.UF.

A Summer 2019 graduate of the University of Florida watches the remainder of the ceremony while wearing a graduation cap with the Porky Pig quote, “That’s all, folks,” from Looney Tunes.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF plans in-person Spring commencement and 2020 makeup ceremonies

By Juliana Ferrie | Jan. 10, 2021

Depending on how available the COVID-19 vaccine is come March, UF hopes to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for Spring 2021 and make-up ceremonies for the class of 2020.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Without closure, alumni face ups and downs moving past their time at UF

By Aurora Martínez | Dec. 9, 2020

UF alumni not only missed the chance to walk up the stage and celebrate the culmination of their studies, but some also had to unexpectedly replan or readjust their career plans.

Christopher Dawes, 20, a UF health science sophomore and Tri Gators member, leaves the Stephen C. O'Connell Center after getting tested for Covid-19 on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

What mandatory COVID-19 testing will look like for UF students

By Corbin Bolies | Dec. 9, 2020

The plans for mandatory COVID-19 testing was unveiled by UF Health’s Dr. Michael Lauzardo

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF looks toward Spring in first day of Board of Trustees meeting

By Corbin Bolies | Dec. 3, 2020

The first of a two-day UF Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, the board’s first in person since June, was dominated by timetables for COVID-19 vaccines, the specifics of mandatory testing and what UF will look like as students return to campus.