Plans changed, and I reluctantly became the University Desk editor

I swore I wouldn’t come back to The Alligator.

I didn’t know about The Alligator’s accolades before I transferred to UF last year, and a mix of lack of experience, missed applications and a rejection kept me from stepping foot into the Gainesville Sun building until this summer, when I got the email telling me I would be the university administration reporter.

I wanted to be a part of the hard-hitting and impactful coverage The Alligator had on the Gainesville community, and I was excited for the opportunity to effectively cover a beat and more than triple the number of my published bylines.

But spending my summer months covering a presidential search, ICE contracts, protests, UF office closures and a return-to-work mandate wore me out. With staff members dropping like flies and the pressure to write front-page stories every week, alongside taking 13 credit hours, I was convinced one semester of The Alligator was enough. Maybe I would come back in the Spring, but I had some reporting opportunities in the Fall I wanted to go all in on. 

I told several people I was done with The Alligator, so I was a bit hesitant when a few days into my two-week break after Summer staff’s final print, I received a text asking if I would consider coming back to be the university desk editor.

“Editing can’t be that bad,” I thought. “I’m not doing any of the reporting.”

I agreed, and suddenly I was in charge of five reporters to cover UF’s affairs, including a new interim president, First Amendment battles, more office closures, student protests and political interference in academic affairs.

Maybe if I had known that managing five reporters, four of whom were reporting for the first time, would take more time each week than my summer reporting had, I would have passed on the opportunity. But Swasthi, Leo, Duda, Angie and Maddie made it all worth it, and seeing each of them grow and get recognition for their work canceled out the assignments I missed and questionable grades I earned.

You all were the best desk I could ask for to do this final hurrah with. Eighty stories later, I am so proud to see who each of you have become, and I can’t wait to see what you each do in the future.

Constantly sniffing out stories, developing sources and persistently working to get questions answered highlighted the best parts of working in a newsroom. Stepping into an editor’s role tapped into a part of me that wants to see my reporters max out their potential and develop the skills they need to be great journalists. 

I’m grateful to Alissa Gary, Sophia Bailly and Zoey Thomas for giving me this opportunity. I’m also super thankful for a wonderful staff of editors and reporters who made the paper run every week.

I came into this semester feeling like the newbie, but you all welcomed me with open arms. 

I can’t say I’ll miss spending 15 hours a week in the Gainesville Sun or losing sleep to edit late-night briefs, helping my reporters source or combing through administrative agendas. But I’ll hold onto the laughs, the victories and the experience forever.

I’m thankful and proud to have been part of history here, and I hope I left a positive impact on my uni warrior reporters and the community.

Goodbye — for real this time.

Maria Avlonitis was the Fall 2025 university editor.

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