Alexandra Fernandez - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

A new path: UF looks forward to making campus better

By Alexandra Fernandez | Dec. 8, 2015

UF has accomplished a lot this semester.

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.

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.

Nicole Gomez

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.

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

Aaron Albright

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.

Diana Moreno, a 27-year-old Latin American studies masters candidate and chief coordinator of Graduate Assistants United, speaks at the GAU "Spring Broke" rally in Turlington Plaza on Friday. "My problems are shared with my colleagues and we have to work together to solve them," she said on reducing graduate assistant fees.

Hannah Morse

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Graduate assistants continue fight for salary raise

By Alexandra Fernandez | Nov. 30, 2015

Cristina Popescu lives paycheck to paycheck. She considers herself lucky.

Daniela Gonzalez, an 18-year-old UF accounting freshman, shakes hands with President Fuchs during the Inauguration Week student event on the Reitz North Lawn on Nov. 30, 2015. Gonzalez, an assistant student government treasurer, said she has met Fuchs before but was happy to see him again.

Aaron Albright

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

'Hi, I'm Kent': Students meet President Fuchs at first inauguration event

By Alexandra Fernandez | Nov. 30, 2015

When UF President Kent Fuchs introduced himself to students on Monday, he said, "Hi, I’m Kent."

UF President Kent Fuchs leads a crowd of more than 90,000 people in a cheer as honorary Mr. Two Bits before the Florida State University game on Nov. 28, 2015, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “It was incredible,” he said afterwards, about leading the cheer.

Nicole Gomez

NEWS | CAMPUS

Welcoming President Fuchs

By Alexandra Fernandez | Nov. 29, 2015

When UF President Kent Fuchs stepped onto the field Saturday night, Gator fans roared. As the honorary Mr. Two Bits, he chanted, "Two Bits! Four Bits! Six bits! A dollar! All for the Gators, stand up and holler!"

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF responds to ‘White Students Union’ Facebook

By Alexandra Fernandez | Nov. 23, 2015

A Facebook page claiming to be the University of Florida White Students Union was created Sunday.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF settles $19.9 million Department of Justice investigation

By Alexandra Fernandez | Nov. 22, 2015

UF paid the U.S. government about $19.9 million Friday.