2 - The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida redshirt freshman Matthew Kress swings his club during the Southeastern Conference Championships Thursday, April 20, 2023. / Photo by Leslie White

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators men’s golf crowned champions at 2023 Georgetown Intercollegiate

By Max Tucker | Oct. 16, 2023

The Gators teed off Sunday at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. UF came out victorious in the 13-team tournament. Florida swept the Georgetown Intercollegiate as sophomore Matthew Kress led the way for the Gators as the individual champion. The victory marked the team’s first of the 2023-2024 season and the 22nd under head coach J.C. Deacon.

Holocaust survivor Francine Taylor (left) looks at pictures from World War II on Oct. 8, 2023, with her son (right), Forrest Allen Taylor, in a document made by a former College of Charleston student.

THE AVENUE

Gainesville resident and Holocaust survivor remembers the past at 95 years old

By Jared Teitel | Oct. 16, 2023

95-year-old retiree Francine Taylor, her father, her mother and her sister were residing in France at the time of the Nazi siege of the country. She never fell victim to being incarcerated and sent to a camp; however, there were certainly times she and her family came close.

Senior Amro Al-Wir competes during the Gators' meet against the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday, October 13, 2023, at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Natatorium in Gainesville, Florida.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Florida men’s swim doubles Virginia’s score, Women’s team falls short

By Lacey Rogers | Oct. 16, 2023

Florida’s men’s and women’s swim and dive teams, ranked No. 3 and No. 7, respectively, matched up against the Virginia Cavaliers for the Gators’ first home meet of the season. Florida finished in the top-three in almost every event Friday.

Servers work behind the counter at the Pink Flamingo Diner on Sunday Oct. 1, 2023.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Historic High Springs restaurant facing foreclosure

By Bea Lunardini | Oct. 16, 2023

Residents may have to say goodbye to historic High Springs restaurants because the Community State Bank is foreclosing the Pink Flamingo Diner and Great Outdoors Restaurant. The bank is seeking over $2 million in damages in addition to lawyers’ fees, interest on the loan and reclamation of the properties.

Senior Anton Sviskrkyi dives during the SEC Championship on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Anton Svirskyi hopes to represent Ukraine in Paris 2024 Olympics

By Krisha Sanghavi | Oct. 16, 2023

As a wide-eyed 5-year-old boy, Anton Svirskyi didn’t wish for mere toys or games when he blew out his birthday candles. Instead, he hoped for something extraordinary — a gleaming gold medal.

Archive photo of former UF President John Lombardi speaking to the Hispanic Student Association at the Reitz Union.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Looking back at UF’s Hispanic, Latino history

By Garrett Shanley and Melanie Pena | Oct. 16, 2023

In 1951, a total of 101 Hispanic and Latino students attended UF. More than half a century later, over 9,000 Hispanic and Latinos attend UF — making up more than one-fifth of the student population.

Redshirt freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham runs with the ball in the Gators’ 41-39 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, SC on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida’s quarterback guides comeback victory against South Carolina

By Luke Adragna | Oct. 16, 2023

The Gators (5-2, 3-1 SEC) came back down 10 and defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-4, 1-3 SEC) 41-39 Oct. 14 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. UF won its first road game of the season.

METRO

Gainesville Sister Cities: Supporting Israeli and Palestinian communities

By Kat Tran | Oct. 16, 2023

For the past 26 years, the city of Gainesville has fostered international connections with its local government by partnering with the cities of Kfar Saba, Israel and Qalqilya, Palestine through the Sister City Program of Gainesville, Inc. With the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the program is needed now more than ever, according to Gainesville officials.

NEWS

Gainesville, UF community divided over Israel-Hamas war

By Megan Howard | Oct. 16, 2023

In wake of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, affected UF student and community groups came together with split support for Israel and Palestine.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF Black student enrollment remains stagnant despite increase in applicants

By Jinelle Vazquez | Oct. 16, 2023

Only 5.5% of students enrolled at UF in Fall 2022 identified their ethnicity as Black. While UF undergraduate Black student applications reached a record high during the Fall 2022 admissions cycle, admission and enrollment rates for Black students have remained the same over the last 10 years.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Conservative parents weigh in on school library objections

By Alissa Gary | Oct. 16, 2023

Following Alachua County Public School’s first book removal under protocols for challenging school library books, conservative parents are skeptical about whether a formalized system achieves its goal of protecting their children from inappropriate content at a young age.

Republican U.S. Sen Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, applauds President Kent Fuchs at the Board of Trustees meeting to discuss his candidacy at Emerson Alumni Hall Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Sasse hires former US Senate office members to top leadership positions

By Garrett Shanley | Oct. 16, 2023

UF President Ben Sasse hired two of his former U.S. Senate office members — James Wegmann and Raymond Sass — to top positions at the university.

OPINION | COLUMNS

SJP’S rhetoric is not helping anyone

By Norman J.W. Goda | Oct. 16, 2023

The “Day of Resistance” Oct. 12, sponsored by National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), turned ugly on many campuses.

OPINION | COLUMNS

My Palestinian blood : دمي فلسطيني

By Noor Sukkar | Oct. 16, 2023

The horrifying terrorist acts of Hamas took the lives of nearly 700 Israeli civilians Saturday, the most amount of Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust. My thoughts and prayers go out to every single Israeli, Jewish person or any family member who has mourned a loss these past weeks. Now imagine 75 years of that loss.

Adam Steinberg will be the eleventh UF men’s tennis head coach in program history.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Jeremy Jin leads charge for Gators at ITA Southeast Regionals

By Jack Meyer | Oct. 15, 2023

Jeremy Jin may only be a freshman, but he already solidified himself as an integral member of the Florida Gators men’s tennis team.

Duane Whitehorse, 76, explains the cultural significance of his garments during the Indigenous Peoples’ Week celebration at the Harn Museum of Art on Oct. 12, 2023.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

The Harn Museum of Art’s Museum Night celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day

By Molly Seghi | Oct. 15, 2023

The vibrant colors and sounds of the beaded jingle dresses and feathered headdresses and the beat of the drums gave a Harn Museum audience a dynamic show for all the senses. This was only the beginning of the festivities for the celebratory holiday of Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Harn Museum of Art Thursday night.

Senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall runs past a South Carolina defender in Florida's 41-39 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Oc.t 14, 2023.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Mertz makes magic amidst chaos in the Cockpit against Gamecocks

By Jackson Reyes | Oct. 14, 2023

The Florida Gators (5-2, 3-1 SEC) defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-4, 1-3 SEC) 41--39 Saturday afternoon in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gators totaled 494 total yards in the game.

Junior punter Jeremy Crawshaw practices punting the ball before the Gators' game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida vs. South Carolina: Live Updates

By Topher Adams | Oct. 14, 2023

The Florida Gators (4-2, 2-1 SEC) look to get their first road win of the season against the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-3, 1-2 SEC). UF is looking for its fifth win in its last six meetings against the Gamecocks. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., follow along for live updates.

Outside hitters graduate student Anna Dixon and senior AC Fitzpatrick block the ball during the Gators' match against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Florida’s away-game winning streak snapped after loss to MSU

By Krisha Sanghavi | Oct. 13, 2023

The No. 14 Florida Gators (12-4, 4-3 SEC) fell to the Mississippi State Bulldogs 3-1 (9-8, 2-5 SEC) in Starkville, Mississippi, Friday evening. The loss ends the Gators’ five-game road winning streak.

Three Florida runners compete in the Mountain Dew Invitational on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

Parker Valby leads Gators to top-5 finish in Wisconsin with course record

By Isabella Morales | Oct. 13, 2023

Brutal 19 mph winds and heavy rainfall – nowhere near ideal conditions for a cross country race. But a course record from redshirt junior Parker Valby and a top-5 finish for the Gators in the women’s 6k championship seems to dismiss such pessimistic thinking.

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