News | Campus - The Independent Florida Alligator

Hannah Strickland, 5, surveys the festivities in her Princess Ariel costume during Dance Marathon at UF's Moralloween event at Flavet Field on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Dance Marathon at UF celebrates money raised to help fight against pediatric illnesses

By Elena Barrera | Oct. 29, 2021

The student-led non-profit organization hosted Moralloween to celebrate its successes during its big fall fundraising push Transform Today. Transform Today was a 26.2 hour period on Tuesday in which Dance Marathon members worked to raise as much money as they could, said Kristina Smith, the organization’s public relations director.

The UF Health Shands Hospital building in Gainesville, as seen on June 29, 2021, hosts over 1,100 licensed beds and services over 120,000 emergency room visits annually, according to UF Health.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF Health mandates vaccines for employees

By J.P. Oprison | Oct. 28, 2021

UF Health announced Wednesday all its employees must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. This comes amid President Biden's executive order requiring certain federal workers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF virtual climate conference to kick off on Halloween

By Alexandra Harris | Oct. 27, 2021

World leaders will gather at the United Nations Climate Change Summit while UF students hold their own virtual conference from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 31. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried and Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani will be among the presenters.

Liberty Pond is seen behind the Reitz Union on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SG moves to give Reitz pond facelift

By Allessandra Inzinna | Oct. 27, 2021

Built in April of 2009, the UF Veterans Memorial originally consisted of flags, a fountain and five granite pillars for each branch of the military. Now, the pond’s murky green water collects algae and has fallen into disrepair.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College COVID-19 Update: Five positive cases reported in last week

By Eve Thompson | Oct. 27, 2021

Santa Fe College reported five positive cases from students from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25. No employees reported testing positive.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF astronomy doctoral graduate files lawsuit for discrimination, unpaid wages

By Max Taylor | Oct. 25, 2021

Gilda, a 29-year-old UF doctoral 2021 graduate, filed a formal complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against UF’s astronomy department for discrimination, harassment, unpaid wages and intentional infliction of emotional damage. He also filed a lawsuit against UF for unpaid wages.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Committee seats are disproportionately Gator Party

By Allessandra Inzinna | Oct. 25, 2021

Gator Party has held a majority in Senate for more than a year since Spring 2020 when it won its first executive ticket. Now, with about 70 Gator senators in the chamber, the composition of Senate committees echoes this majority.

The Institute of Black Culture is seen on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Person responsible for vandalizing Institute of Black Culture sign still wanted by UPD

By Christian Casale | Oct. 22, 2021

The sign outside of UF's Institute of Black Culture was uprooted last week

UF Faculty Senate members vote to delay the COVID-19 no-confidence resolution in the Reitz Union Chamber on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF Faculty Senate pushes back vote on COVID-19 ‘no-confidence’ resolution

By Camila Pereira | Oct. 22, 2021

If voted in favor, the COVID-19 no-confidence resolution would formalize the faculty and staff’s disappointment in both the state and university leadership’s COVID policies. The vote does not fire anyone in the administration.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SG Senate gives minimal public notice for committee meetings

By Allessandra Inzinna | Oct. 22, 2021

Although open to the public, standing Student Government committee meetings are often only announced on a clipboard on the ground floor of the Reitz Union. Students who do not pass the area and are not members of the committees themselves have no other means to find out SG meeting dates and times.

A top 5 banner is seen on Buckman Drive on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Forty UF top-five banners stolen from campus

By Serra Sowers and Maya Erwin | Oct. 18, 2021

Seventy-five banners that read “Top 5” hung at UF. Now, only 35 remain.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Committee, Senate seat approvals leave some disappointed

By Allessandra Inzinna | Oct. 18, 2021

Some senators were dissatisfied with the picks for 21 committee seats and five open permanent Senate seats.

Library West is seen on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF, Student Government have no plans to bring back 24-hour library despite demand

By Camila Pereira | Oct. 18, 2021

Traditionally, Library West was the 24-hour library from 2012 to 2017 and 2019, but UF Libraries more recently changed it to Marston Library. However, the 24-hour schedule came to a halt once COVID-19 hit, and it never came back.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Halloween comes to Shands Children’s Hospital patients

By Elena Barrera | Oct. 18, 2021

The hospital’s Child Life Program is working with volunteers, student organizations and community donors to provide the young patients with candy, costumes and fall-themed crafts.

Susan Percival, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department chair, smiles while the judges taste chili during the Chili Cook Off on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. The fundraising event was a part of Food Week 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF’s Food Week offers taste of food science programs

By Maya Erwin | Oct. 15, 2021

The Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at UF hosted Food Week, an offering of food-related events to make students aware about the college department.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe Teaching Zoo, Police Department host canned food drive in place of fall events

By Eve Thompson | Oct. 13, 2021

The Ghosts, Goblins and Groceries food drive will replace both Boo at the Zoo and Run with the Cops, which were canceled this year again because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Donation stations throughout Gainesville are collecting canned goods and non-perishables to benefit Saints Food Share and Catholic Charities.

Gilbert "Gil" Levy, VyStar Credit Union senior vice president, sits in Santa Fe College's Financial Wellness Center on Friday, Sept. 22, 2021. This room is the temporary center until remodels due to flooding are completed on the first floor. Levy will be the representative in the center until around December while he asseses the program and its needs.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College’s month-old Financial Wellness Center still relatively unknown to students

By Eve Thompson | Oct. 13, 2021

The Financial Wellness Center is a partnership between Santa Fe College and VyStar Credit Union that offers free financial counseling and resources from budgeting and saving to purchasing and investing for all Santa Fe students.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College COVID-19 Update: Four positive cases reported in the last week

By Eve Thompson | Oct. 13, 2021

There have been 372 reported positive cases since the Delta surge in March 2021, which represents over a third of all 1,068 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to a report from Santa Fe director of human resources Lela Frye.

Gavin Hughes (left), Haddie Hughes (middle), and twins Emanuel and Elijah Harmon (right) watch the UF Homecoming Parade approach on University Avenue on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF homecoming traditions return after one-year hiatus

By Elena Barrera | Oct. 11, 2021

More than 7,000 people packed into the O’Connell Center as Gator chomps rippled through the crowd followed by the classic “It’s great to be a Florida Gator” chant. These were both demonstrations of what homecoming week is all about: tradition.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

‘Gainesville Plague’: Flu symptoms widespread on campus

By J.P. Oprison | Oct. 11, 2021

Coughs, runny noses and sore throats are now common symptoms for many UF students. After a decrease of flu cases in 2020, students are once again catching the “Gainesville Plague” three months into the semester.