News | Campus - The Independent Florida Alligator

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.

Elliot Blue Monroe, a Key deer, eats his breakfast at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo on Feb. 26, 2021. Key Deer Awareness Day is March 11, 2021.(Photo by Antonia LaRocca)

NEWS | SFC

Gainesville and Florida organizations assist in Key deer conservation and awareness

By Antonia LaRocca | Mar. 10, 2021

Organizations like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine have worked together to find solutions to threats the species faces.

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.

UF President Kent Fuchs receives his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. UF professors are still waiting for their vaccines after Gov. Ron Desantis excluded higher education faculty when access to vaccines was expanded to other groups, including K-12 teachers over 50, on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Florida expands access to vaccines, but excludes higher education faculty

By Alexander Lugo | Mar. 8, 2021

The United Faculty of Florida, UF’s faculty union, published a statement on its website Thursday expressing disappointment in the governor’s decision to ignore higher education faculty in his vaccination plans. The order takes effect Tuesday and includes people who are deemed at high risk of COVID-19 complications by doctors.

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.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Senate ratifies election results, elects new Senate president

By Carolina Ilvento | Mar. 5, 2021

On Zoom Tuesday night, Senate elected former Judiciary Chair Franco Luis (Gator, District B) and former Majority Party Leader Blake Robinson (Gator, Sophomore) to be the next Senate President and Senate President Pro-Tempore, respectively. Senate also unanimously ratified the Spring election results.

Pictured is the Santa Fe College clock tower.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College COVID-19 update: Nine students and employees tested positive last week

By Juliana Ferrie | Mar. 4, 2021

The college’s total number of reported positive cases since March 8 is now 696, according to a report provided by Santa Fe spokesperson Jay Anderson.

A man observes the collection of movies and books on the display honoring the late Patricia Hilliard-Nunn at the Headquarters Library. Hilliard-Nunn was an activist and adjunct associate professor at UF in the African American Studies Program who died on Aug. 5 at 57.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF libraries display a collection of works in honor of Patricia Hilliard-Nunn’s legacy

By Camila Pereira | Mar. 3, 2021

The Alachua County Library District and George A. Smathers Libraries at UF partnered to organize a display to honor Hilliard-Nunn, an activist and adjunct associate professor in UF’s African American Studies Program who was known for her research in media and culture, enslaved Africans and African American history in Alachua County. Hilliard-Nunn died on Aug. 5 at 57.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF welcomes more than 15,000 to the class of 2025

By Alexander Lugo | Mar. 1, 2021

The average GPA for admits was 4.51 along with an average SAT score of 1392 and an average ACT score of 31.

Janée Gilliam, a nurse for the Alachua County Department of Health, injects Linda Tyson, 65, a Sante Fe biology professor, with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 at Santa Fe College. “The college has done us a great service,” Tyson said about the vaccine distributions.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe community receives second dose of COVID-19 vaccine

By Manny Rea and Juliana Ferrie | Mar. 1, 2021

Among the recipients were employees, retirees, students and “the expanded SF family” — relatives of Santa Fe community members who live in the same household and meet the criteria for vaccination.

Wynton White (left) and Amy Nicholas (right), Change Party's candidates for Student Body president and treasurer, watch a live stream of the UF Student Government election results on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Gator Party won the executive ticket.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Gator wins executive ticket for the second year in a row and gains further control of the Senate

By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 25, 2021

There were 6,650 total ballots cast, Supervisor of Elections Haley Price announced on a live stream Wednesday evening. Student Body President-elect Cooper Brown and Student Body Vice President-elect Faith Maniti won with 4,629 votes, or 69.78% of the vote. Student Body Treasurer-elect Giovanna Mompremier won with 4,515 votes, or 68.85%.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College COVID-19 update: Nine students and employees tested positive last week

By Juliana Ferrie | Feb. 25, 2021

Santa Fe’s total number of reported positive cases is now 687, according to a report provided by Santa Fe spokesperson Jay Anderson. Since Feb. 1, the college’s weekly confirmed positive COVID-19 cases have decreased each week.

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.

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem shoots against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Prominent UF alumni and athletes endorse Student Government candidates

By Declan Walsh | Feb. 24, 2021

Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem and former Gators football players Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts endorsed the Change Party's Student Body presidential candidate Wynton White along with other UF athletes. Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend showed support for the Gator Party candidate Cooper Brown.

Early voting for Student Government elections began Monday, Sept. 28 in the Reitz Union.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Students decide on new leadership and senators during Spring SG elections

By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 24, 2021

The first day of voting for the UF Student Government Spring Election included some technical difficulties, short lines and about an 80% decrease in voter turnout from last Spring's election.

All libraries except for Library West, which is one of two 24-hour spaces on campus, will resume their usual hours from prior to COVID-19 closures upon reopening in August.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions starting in Summer B

By Juliana Ferrie | Feb. 22, 2021

Some of UF’s face-to-face courses, which begin June 28, will return back to normal capacity levels, according to an email sent to a course scheduling listserv from Colin Yokomi, UF’s assistant university registrar, and several departments across campus. It is unclear if masking will still be mandatory and which courses this will affect.

Executive candidates for Change Party, Gator Party and Keg Party

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Meet the candidates running for the Spring 2021 executive ticket

By Sofia Echeverry and Carolina Ilvento | Feb. 22, 2021

Gator, Change and Keg Party have candidates running for Student Body president, vice president and treasurer positions.

Spring 2021 Student Government Polling Locations

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

UF student voter guide to the SG Spring election

By Carolina Ilvento | Feb. 22, 2021

Students can vote at the Reitz Union Computer Lab, the Social Lounge at Southwest Recreation Center, the Broward Hall Recreation Room, the Murphree Area Office Conference Room, the Springs Office Conference Room or the Cypress Meeting Room.

Akiya Parks, a first-generation student and Machen Florida Opportunity Scholar, addresses the crowd on the Plaza of the Americas Feb. 26, 2019, for the “Stand Up and Holler: Gator Nation Giving Day.”

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF raises $1.7 million more than last year’s Gator Giving Day

By Alexander Lugo | Feb. 19, 2021

The university raised $25.3 million during its third annual Gator Giving Day fundraiser Thursday, making it the highest yielding year.

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.