News - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

Spilling the tea on undergraduate success

By Preston Jones | Aug. 22, 2019

Somehow, it’s already my sixth first day of school here at UF, my second first day of law school, and yet I still have no idea what I’m supposed to write about. My editor kindly suggested I write something using my experience from these four years of undergraduate and one year of law school to help new UF undergraduate students be successful. As I have zero experience being a “successful” undergraduate student, (no seriously, I was the worst, just ask my stressed-out parents how excited they were when they got my degree in the mail), I thought I’d share a few things that got me over the finish line during the many times I thought I wasn’t going to graduate.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF researchers develop new technology to study diabetes

By Meghan McGlone | Aug. 20, 2019

New technological developments could lead to a more effective way to study diseases and change how drugs are developed.

Sea urchins rely on seagrass for a source of food. Jamila Roth is interested in finding out if feeding sea urchins different types of seagrass will influence the eating habits of the urchins

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF graduate student receives scholarship to research seagrass

By Nora O'Neill | Aug. 20, 2019

A UF graduate student is learning how seagrass plays a role in combating the effects of climate change.

Jackson Sasser, the president of Santa Fe College, addresses a crowd of about 60 protesters Tuesday afternoon on campus. The crowd, made up of faculty, students and other activists, gathered during a Board of Trustees meeting to pressure administrators into giving adjunct faculty a vote on whether or not to join a union. Protesting faculty members believe the administration has taken steps to avoid the formation of a union.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College chooses seven semifinalists in presidential search

By Hope Dean | Aug. 20, 2019

After 17 years of serving as the president of Santa Fe College, Jackson Sasser declared his upcoming retirement in February 2020.

Nicole Byer was originally scheduled to come to UF this Wednesday to perform for students; however, due to scheduling conflicts, she will no longer be coming to the university.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Nicole Byer no longer coming to speak at UF

By April Rubin | Aug. 20, 2019

Wednesday night, Nicole Byer was going to spend an evening away from cupcakes and among Gators, or so students thought for about a week.

Albert the Alligator leads the “2-bits, 4-bits” cheer for a crowd of about 2,000 students Tuesday evening in the stadium.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Guide to game days: UF’s new online football ticket system

By Tien Le | Aug. 20, 2019

Students don’t have to wait for hours in the sun outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for football tickets anymore. There’s an app for that.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Country singer Chase Rice will headline Gator Growl 2019

By Alyssa Feliciano | Aug. 20, 2019

A blue and orange box stood in the middle of Turlington Plaza.

Khanh Hoang, 20, holds a protest sign alongside other protesters while Wenxin Song speaks during a Student Government Senate meeting in the Reitz chamber room Tuesday evening. Song is the Internal Vice President for the Korean Undergraduate Student Association. “It’s more than just a show,” Song said. “It is our tradition and our legacy here.”

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Reallocation of funds forces change for UF’s largest student organizations

By Emma McAvoy | Aug. 18, 2019

Nine of UF’s largest student organizations are demanding action after of recent changes to their funding system following the Young Americans for Freedom’s $66,000 lawsuit against UF.

UF (@uflorida) was designated as the most Instagrammed school in the state, as per data with #UF.

NEWS | CAMPUS

#Instafamous: UF is the most Instagrammed college in Florida

By April Rubin | Aug. 18, 2019

Along with the best academics in the state, UF can boast a new top ranking as of Tuesday.

Attendees of the Harn pARTy dance to a live band during the event. The Harn pARTy occurs once during the fall, spring and summer.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Five things to do in Gainesville during syllabus week

By Alyssa Feliciano | Aug. 18, 2019

In February, the University of Florida admitted more than 14,000 students to the class of 2023.

Chris Gellermann on his educational exchange trip to Campeche, Mexico. Gellermann was one of three teachers to travel to Mexico in the program organized by Mary Risner, associate director of UF’s Center for Latin American Studies and former president of Sister Cities of Volusia.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF Latin American Center sends Florida teachers to Mexico in exchange program

By Hope Dean | Aug. 18, 2019

Despite being a teacher for 25 years, it wasn’t academics that led Chris Gellermann to participate in an educational exchange trip to Campeche, Mexico — it was a dance performance.

People board and exit an RTS bus Wednesday, July 24, 2019 by the The Hub at UF.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF introduces new campus connector route

By Ana Escalante | Aug. 18, 2019

UF Transportation and Parking Services has added a new shuttle to the university.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Local rabbit rescue looking to win $5,000 through online survey contest

By Nora O'Neill | Aug. 18, 2019

If online votes could multiply as quickly as rabbits, the Gainesville Rabbit Rescue would have no problem securing $5,000.

The crested caracara, which has a wingspan 4 feet wide. It can be found in the Yucatan Peninsula, Florida, Cuba, Texas and parts of the Southwest U.S.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Extinct island bird’s remains give researchers a nest of discoveries

By Meghan McGlone | Aug. 18, 2019

A rare find for researchers led to discoveries that could change humanity’s understanding of extinction and evolution.

UF alum Alexandra Skrivanek, one of the two finalists from UF chosen for the John A. Knauss fellowship.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF alumni chosen as finalists in national environmental fellowship

By Ana Escalante | Aug. 18, 2019

Dreams of drafting federal policies to save our oceans will come true for UF alumni Kathryn Slattery and Alexandra Skrivanek next February.

Mauricio Perez announces he is disaffiliating from the Impact Party during the final Student Government Senate meeting of the summer in the Reitz Union chamber room August 6.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

What happened in SG this summer and why you should care

By Emma McAvoy | Aug. 18, 2019

It’s been a tumultuous summer for Student Government.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

President Fuchs welcomes UF students

By Kent Fuchs | Aug. 18, 2019

Warm greetings to our students and to all members of our extraordinary campus community, on this first day of classes of a new academic year!

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

This semester, dare to defy your status quo

By Ben Lima | Aug. 18, 2019

For a college senior like me, the beginning of the Fall semester is a time to look forward, consider job prospects and tie up loose ends academically. It is also a time to reflect on experiences, good and bad, from the last three years. As my journey at UF has shown, a semester or two in college can alter the course of your life.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Be like an alligator this semester

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Aug. 18, 2019

Last semester, we sat in the back of the class with our heads down and our mouths sealed shut. When we spoke, we prefaced our remarks or questions with “I just…” or “Sorry, this might be dumb,” conveying to our listeners that what would follow was of little importance. We would not blame them for disregarding our words, ideas and opinions; but we knew the right answer, we had something to add to the discussion and we had questions that warranted responses. We minimized our presence, our impact and our power. We made our voices small and let our classmates fill up the space. Our classmates who sat in the front. Our classmates who always had their hands raised. Our classmates who punctuated their statements with periods, not question marks. We chose to keep our depths hidden rather than make ourselves vulnerable.

President Kent Fuchs helps students move in on Thursday, Aug. 15 at Jennings Hall.

NEWS | CAMPUS

President Fuchs and his wife live the dorm life and help students move into Jennings

By Ashley Lazarski | Aug. 15, 2019

Until Monday, new Jennings residents will have some notable neighbors.