News | Campus - The Independent Florida Alligator

Crowds gather at Bradenton Beach on Friday, March 15, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Crime, trash and parties: How Florida residents feel about spring break

By Annie Wang | Mar. 18, 2024

As spring break kicked off, college students rushed to Florida beaches for a week of partying and relaxation. But the idyllic image of spring break fails to resonate with everyone. Beaches are left littered, crime spikes and excessive partying disrupts some students who are looking for a laid back beach day at home.

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

NEWS | CAMPUS

Beloved UF cat Tenders returns home after brief campus ‘cat-napping’

By Bonny Matejowsky | Mar. 15, 2024

Tenders, the famed brown and white tabby who takes shelter at the UF Tolbert Area, returned home safe after being found four miles away at Cabana Bay apartments Thursday. At 1:56 p.m. Thursday, she was retrieved by Emma Van Riper, a 21-year-old UF political science junior; Eden Kershner, a 20-year-old UF materials science and engineering sophomore; and Dr. Tina Tallon, a UF College of the Arts professor.

Emerson Alumni Hall is seen on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Students, staff and faculty protest DEI decision outside UF Board of Trustees meeting

By Sara-James Ranta | Mar. 8, 2024

On Friday morning, about 45 people gathered outside Emerson Alumni Hall chanting “Get DeSantis out of our campus” and “The B-O-T has got to go” to protest UF’s recent firing of diversity, equity and inclusion positions.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

UF SG Senate begins elections for new leadership

By Annie Wang | Mar. 6, 2024

After over eight hours in the Senate Chambers, the UF SG Senate elected its new president and president pro-tempore Wednesday morning just before 4 a.m. following the Tuesday night meeting.

Ben Sasse speaks at UF Hillel’s Spread Cream Cheese Not Hate event on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Sasse appoints UF’s first biomedical research evangelism adviser

By Zoey Thomas | Mar. 5, 2024

UF President Ben Sasse appointed UF Health President Dave Nelson to a new role as adviser to the president for biomedical research evangelism, he announced in an email to faculty March 5.

Jonathan Pearson, Hailey Pham and Mags Penza play cards while Fernando Guillen studies at Marston Science Library on Sunday, March 3, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF eliminates diversity: What’s known and what remains unclear

By Zoey Thomas | Mar. 4, 2024

The university announced it has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors in a memo published March 1. The university also fired 13 full-time DEI positions and ended 15 administrative appointments for faculty, according to UF Spokesperson Cynthia Roldan.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Understanding UF Student Senate’s Green New Deal

By Sara-James Ranta | Mar. 4, 2024

The UF Student Senate made national headlines for passing the first public university Green New Deal by unanimous vote Feb. 21. The resolution is written in five volumes and tackles a list of demands to address climate change.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Florida’s cell-grown meat ban leaves UF researchers divided

By Zoey Thomas | Mar. 4, 2024

Called “cultivated meat” by researchers and “lab-grown meat” by critics, the alternative protein is developed directly from animal cells. Scientists collect tissue samples from live animals without killing them. Then, they allow the cells to multiply and mature in a lab before processing them into a food product.

NEWS | CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

UF eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion offices

By Alissa Gary | Mar. 1, 2024

UF fired 13 full-time diversity, equity and inclusion positions and ended 15 administrative appointments for faculty Friday. It also eliminated the office of the Chief Diversity Officer and ended DEI contracts with outside vendors, according to a Friday memo.

A mostly deserted evening along Newell Drive at the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus on Tuesday, July 22, 2021. The upcoming fall semester will see tens of thousands of students return to Gainesville, although an increase in the number of delta variant COVID-19 infections raises concerns about viral spread among unvaccinated people.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF jumps to no. 2 spot for number of Fulbright scholars

By Sydney Johnson | Feb. 29, 2024

If a poet, athlete, music enthusiast and novice ping pong player were gathered into a room, it may seem like they wouldn't have much in common.

Malachowsky Hall stands on Museum Road on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Email reprimanding napping students at Malachowsky Hall brings backlash

By Delia Rose Sauer | Feb. 29, 2024

On Feb. 7, around 50 students received an email whose first line read, “We appreciate how hard our faculty and students work, but it’s Malachowsky Hall, not Malachowsky Hotel.”

Student Body Treasurer-elect Saketh Damera reacts to a Vision Party victory in the Spring 2024 UF Student Government election at the Reitz Union on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Vision Party wins Spring 2024 executive ticket, majority Senate seats

By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 28, 2024

Vision Party swept the executive ticket of the Spring 2024 Student Government election, electing John Brinkman as student body president. Laura Thomas and Saketh Damera, both from Vision, will serve as vice president and treasurer.

A student attends the second day of voting for the UF Student Government election at Heavener Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Students await results of Spring 2024 Student Government elections

By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 28, 2024

Students had the opportunity to vote for student body president, student body vice president and student body treasurer, along with 50 Senate seats. Tuesday brought out 6,740 student votes, Supervisor of Elections Ethan Halle said. Total votes and results will be announced in the Reitz Union Wednesday night.

Students attend the first day of voting for the UF Student Government election at the Reitz Union on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Over 6,700 students vote in first day of Student Government elections

By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 27, 2024

Students gathered Tuesday at polling locations across campus to cast their ballots for the Student Government executive ticket and 50 Student Senate seats. Tuesday brought out 6,740 student votes, Supervisor of Elections Ethan Halle said. It’s about 1,000 votes fewer than the first day of Spring 2023 elections, which brought out 7,619 students.

Florida Gators cheerleader Waleed Aref tosses Amrynne Hill during the team's practice on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

The men behind the megaphones

By Zoey Thomas | Feb. 26, 2024

The UF cheerleading team currently has 13 men and 24 women, divided into a combination of male-female stunt pairs and all-girl groups. The athletes spent most of the two-hour practice preparing for next month’s cheer tryout, during which they’ll do their best to recruit talented newcomers — and show up themselves to re-earn their spots on the team. But tryouts will be less competitive for some than others.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Spring Student Government elections: A voter’s guide

By Annie Wang | Feb. 26, 2024

On Feb. 27 and 28, UF students will vote for 50 Student Senate seats and the positions of student body president, vice president and treasurer in the Spring 2024 Student Government elections.

Attendees gather at a vigil for Ukraine on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Ukrainian Student Association hosts candlelight vigil two years after Russian invasion

By Tanya Fedak | Feb. 25, 2024

Hosted by the Ukrainian Student Association, the event commemorated the second anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. It also honored the 10-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Crimea.

Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity exchange words of encouragement before their performance for the UFFISS Stroll Off competition at Depot Park on Feb. 17, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF Kappa Alpha Psi celebrates Black community, culture despite arrest at step show

By Madilyn Gemme | Feb. 23, 2024

The winner of the Florida Invitational Step Show’s Stroll Off competition, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, is focusing on its community and celebrating Black culture — despite an arrest that occurred at the event last weekend.

Plaques are seen representing the National Pan-Hellenic Council on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

The UF Divine Nine celebrates Black History Month

By Annie Wang | Feb. 19, 2024

The Divine Nine promote academic excellence for African American students on predominantly white campuses. It also provides them with a space to address pertinent issues within the Black community, said Ammir Thomas, vice president of Theta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

The UF Family Medicine building located in East Gainesville on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF Health receives $500,000 grant for East Gainesville mobile food pharmacy

By Zoey Thomas | Feb. 19, 2024

The UF Health chief culture officer, formerly the chief diversity officer, won a $500,000 grant from the Florida Blue Foundation to combat food and health insecurity in East Gainesville.