News - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

BOARDING PASS: International students visit family

By Alexandra Fernandez | Dec. 7, 2015

The tradition of spending the holidays with family and friends transcends languages and oceans. This Winter Break, UF international students won’t be so different from American students. There are about 6,000 international students studying at UF, according to the admissions website. For them, seeing their loved ones might require longer flights, fuller suitcases and tighter hugs. This could be some of these students’ first times seeing their families and friends in more than a year. Some will be going home for the holidays.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF students to visit Japan for free, learn customs and culture

By Martin Vassolo | Dec. 7, 2015

Twenty-three UF students will fly to Tokyo on Monday morning.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Low-income student applications rise

By Andrea Carla Lopez | Dec. 7, 2015

For some low-income students, it’s especially great to be a Florida Gator.

PerFoRo, short for person following robot, was built by Sarthak Kaingade for his intelligent machine design lab class’s robot demonstration at the new UF Engineering building on Dec. 2, 2015. The 23-year-old UF electrical and computer engineering masters student built the robot in two and half months, costing $400 dollars. The robot is designed to be a shopping cart that follows its user.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Robots to show off grocery shopping and ball collecting skills

By Caitlin Ostroff | Dec. 7, 2015

Robots will zoom around UF on Wednesday afternoon.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Students celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life

By Caitlin Ostroff | Dec. 7, 2015

Buyiswa Mini didn’t give up on her dream of getting a doctorate degree.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF group to host holiday a cappella concert

By Elena Castello | Dec. 7, 2015

The sounds of the season will ring through the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom tonight.

UF President Kent Fuchs receives the presidential chain of office on Dec 4, 2015. The inauguration ceremony officially welcomed him as UF’s 12th president.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Welcome home, President Fuchs: UF officially inaugurates 12th President

By Alexandra Fernandez | Dec. 6, 2015

The long, golden chain passed from hand to hand until it reached UF President Kent Fuchs on Friday.

The main foyer of the new expansion to the Reitz Student Union, seen on Oct. 29, 2015, was designed with UF’s mascot in mind. The railing on all three floors has alligator-shaped holes cut out and the wooden ceiling is patterned to mimic the underbelly of a gator.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Parts of Reitz Union to open in Spring

By Caitlin Ostroff | Dec. 6, 2015

Students can drink a beer at the Reitz Union after winter break.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF President Fuchs narrates portion of 60th annual holiday concert

By Carel Lajara | Dec. 6, 2015

Will Kesling waved his baton, and the orchestra played as the choir sang Sunday night.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Research Roundup 12/7/2015

Dec. 6, 2015

UF researchers find new way to irrigate potatoes

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Meet and Greet: Students meet Student Government senators

By Caitlin Ostroff | Dec. 6, 2015

Students had the opportunity to voice their opinions to Student Government senators Friday afternoon. For the first time, it wasn’t at a Senate meeting.

Eun Jin Chun, a UF linguistics doctoral student, tries aerial hammock yoga at “Stress Free with SG” on Dec. 3, 2015. The 37-year-old said after seeing other students doing it on the Plaza of the Americas, she wanted to try the activity herself.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SG helps students relax before finals, talk about mental health

By Martin Vassolo | Dec. 3, 2015

UF Student Government continued its Mental Health Awareness Week on Thursday. Here's what went on:

NEWS | CAMPUS

Funding for Source Program to expire

By Brooke Baitinger | Dec. 3, 2015

Jared Gaylord said he wasn’t scared by the ghost tour he and his girlfriend took in Savannah over Spring Break. He thought the tour itself was cheesy.

Spectators and security staff use the Stephen C. O’Connell Center before the volleyball game Thursday.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Board members talk construction, faculty garage

By Alexandra Fernandez | Dec. 3, 2015

UF is looking to secure legislative funding for buildings, expand Greek housing and the possibility of adding a faculty parking garage.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF to make professors more aware of religious holidays

By Alexandra Fernandez | Dec. 3, 2015

Gabriela Mayer’s petition for no exams on Jewish holidays brought her to Tigert Hall.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College Senate looks back on Fall semester

By Hunter Williamson | Dec. 3, 2015

Compared to their predecessors a year ago, fresh and inexperienced Santa Fe College Student Senate members had a smooth semester learning the basics of legislation.