News | Campus Student Life - The Independent Florida Alligator

UF graduates stand and sing along to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" during the 2021 graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Photo by Makiya Seminera)

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF graduates attend first in-person commencement ceremonies since 2019

By Makiya Seminera and Isabella Douglas | May 10, 2021

From April 29 to May 3, around 10,000 students registered to graduate in the Spring 2021 graduation ceremonies — the first in-person graduation ceremonies since since December 2019. Of the 10,000 students registered, about 3,000 were graduates from spring, summer and fall of 2020 who returned to UF’s campus to attend in-person commencement ceremonies the following weekend.

Frank Daldine, 19, a UF mechanical engineering sophomore (left) receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, April 5, 2021. Monday was the first day COVID-19 vaccines were made widely available to UF students.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF students reflect on Spring and the future of Fall

By Abigail Hasebroock | Apr. 19, 2021

As UF’s Spring semester comes to a close, students reflect on how the pandemic allowed for the opportunity to gain new abilities and navigate through HyFlex classes. They also look ahead to Fall — with some feeling apprehensive about UF’s decision to return to full, normal operations and others eager to step foot back on campus.

Tenders, one of UF’s campus cats, gazes upward as she sits on a table in the Tolbert Area.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF campus cat garners attention from students

By Abigail Hasebroock | Apr. 16, 2021

Tenders, the campus cat, reels UF students in with her loveable personality and undeniable charm. She is one of many cats who occupies UF’s campus and garners attention through online posts.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

What students should know about their UFL emails before graduating

By J.P. Oprison | Apr. 14, 2021

Graduating seniors’ email accounts expire one year after graduation. At that point, all data attached to the account will be deleted, Saira Hasnain, UFIT spokesperson and senior director, wrote in an email. Any student discounts registered with a UFL email will expire.

Edward Ke Sun, 30, a PhD candidate for architectural history, theory and criticism at UF, colors a sign that reads “UF Don’t Tear Down Maguire & UVS Village” on Friday, April 9, 2021. Sun protesting to raise awareness about UF’s plan to demolish three out of the five graduate student housing complexes in Gainesville.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Fuchs promises replacement graduate living, students demand more information

By Carolina Ilvento | Apr. 14, 2021

Fuchs said both Maguire Village and University Village South need to be demolished due to irreparable damage in the buildings, and the campus plans are likely to continue. He hopes to replace those buildings with an “equal number of apartment units.”

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Muslim UF students balance studies and spirituality during Ramadan

By Sofia Echeverry | Apr. 12, 2021

Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, in which every month begins with a new moon. Muslims who observe Ramadan fast from dawn to sunset every day of the month, eating one meal before dawn and another after sunset.

A pedestrian jaywalks across West University Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

“It definitely changed my outlook on life”: The lasting impact of crashes on families and victims

By Abigail Hasebroock and Juliana Ferrie | Apr. 9, 2021

This year, 24 pedestrian crashes have already occurred in Alachua County — three of which were fatal, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles crash dashboard. These incidents uproot the lives of victims, their families and leave lasting impacts on the Gainesville community.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Graduate students worry about UF’s plans to demolish 40% of graduate housing

By Carolina Ilvento | Apr. 2, 2021

The campus housing plan prioritizes undergraduate housing by proposing 38% of undergraduate beds to be renovated or replaced with new ones in the next decade. Meanwhile, graduate housing capacity will be cut by more than a third with no anticipated plans of construction of new buildings.

Oscar Santiago, 18, a political science freshman, finishes spray painting a sun on a mural that reads "Save our Bright Futures" on Sunday, March 7, 2021. The mural was painted in response to Senate Bill 86, which would limit some students’ access to state funding, including the Bright Futures scholarship.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Senate subcommittee sends amended student financial aid bill closer to senate floor

By Juliana Ferrie | Mar. 26, 2021

“I think it just shows the power of public opinion and that your voice does matter,” Karina Bravo, a 20-year-old UF political science and international studies sophomore, said. “These are our representatives, and they do listen to us if we are loud enough.”

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF offers students more financial aid for pandemic-related expenses

By Sofia Echeverry | Mar. 24, 2021

Students can fill out the application to receive aid for the second round of funding until April 2. Students must either be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or eligible non-citizens to receive funds.

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

UF mandatory biweekly COVID-19 reduced to only students with in-person classes

By Manny Rea | Mar. 22, 2021

In an email sent to students March 12, UF Vice President for Student Affairs D’Andra Mull announced students in Greek life or living in a residence hall and not taking face-to-face classes would no longer need to be tested every two weeks starting March 15.

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.