2 - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

Judge prevents UF from enforcing its conflict-of-interest policy

By Elena Barrera | Jan. 21, 2022

A federal judge prohibited UF from enforcing its conflict-of-interest policy, which the university had used to bar professors from testifying in court, Friday morning. Six UF professors suing the university over their academic freedom and First Amendment rights asked District Judge Mark Walker, a double Gator, for a preliminary injunction, an order to end UF’s policy.

Mike White has coached Florida men's basketball since 2015, leading the Gators to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Q&A: Gator’s men’s hoops through the lens of Bracketology expert

By Jackson Castellano | Jan. 21, 2022

Joe Cook-Shugart of 1-3-1Sports, the eighth-most accurate Bracketology expert according to popular database Bracketmatrix, gives an in-depth look at Florida's chances at the NCAA Tournament.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

COVID-19 scare ended student communism vs. capitalism debate

By Maia Botek | Jan. 21, 2022

Concluding statements were cut short when Siddharth Krishnan, a member of the UF Communist Party, announced from the back of the room that a COVID-19-positive student was on the way to the debate.

Orlando vendor Brent Palmer directs customers to his racks of vintage clothes at the Florida Vintage Market Jan. 6, 2022.

THE AVENUE

Despite official cancellation, Florida Vintage Market rocks on

By Ben Crosbie | Jan. 21, 2022

The 20 to 30 mph winds and temperatures that hung around the mid-to-high 50s were not enough to keep dozens of vendors from selling to the Gainesville community Sunday. The dismal weather couldn’t stop the hundreds of customers from perusing the racks of retro merchandise at the Florida Vintage Market either.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

ACPS new COVID cases continue to rise

By Emma Behrmann | Jan. 21, 2022

Alachua County Public Schools saw an increase in the number of new cases from Jan. 9 to Jan. 16, after a record number of new cases the week prior. However, these numbers could increase as parents and employees report test results from before the holiday weekend, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said.

Tatyana Wyche protects the ball from a swarm of Ole Miss players looking to snatch it out of her hands.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

‘If you have heart you can do it’: Twin Gator basketball stars rise at UF

By Brenda Bogle | Jan. 21, 2022

At first, Florida’s pregame routine looked unremarkable to the sparse crowd of college basketball fanatics at the O’Connell Center. It’s when 18-year-old freshmen forwards Tatyana and Taliyah Wyche sprinted and elevated to rattle the rim that passing fans took a collective gasp.

Florida's Jordyn Merritt pictured driving with the ball during a Feb. 15, 2021 game against Kentucky.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida’s hot streak continues with 77-52 win over No. 23 Kentucky

By Brenda Bogle | Jan. 20, 2022

Florida captures a statement win against a top-25 team for the second time this season. A near-perfect shooting night from freshman Alberte Rimdal extends the Gators win streak to four.

Forward Anthony Duruji led the Gators with 22 points Wednesday against Mississippi State. Photo courtesy of the SEC Media Portal.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Anthony Duruji paves the way for the Gators’ second-half comeback

By Jesse Richardson | Jan. 20, 2022

Florida comes back for an eight-point win over Mississippi State despite missing starting forward Colin Castleton.

Florida's Taylor Manson competes during the Pepsi Florida Relays on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. The women's track team won its second SEC title in program history Thursday. / UAA Communications photo by Hannah White

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

Gators dominate first indoor meet of the 2022 season

By Ethan Eibe | Jan. 19, 2022

Florida’s track and field teams showed out for their first meet of the indoor season at Clemson.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Mike White still experimenting with his starting five

By Jesse Richardson | Jan. 19, 2022

Florida head coach Mike White wants to tinker his lineup to find the perfect mix.

The Sahnobar Dance Ensemble performs on the gyspy stage at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire on Sunday, Jan. 16. The festival made its return this year in a new location after a hiatus.

THE AVENUE

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire brings back the Middle Ages

By Eileen Calub | Jan. 19, 2022

Rows of colorful tents and stands with shopkeepers lined the massive field in southwest Gainesville. In the distance, the raucous medley of sword-fighting, lively music and laughter rang out from different corners of the transitory village. The mouthwatering scent of turkey legs and fried treats filled the air.

Screenshot of event from Student Government Instagram page

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Student Government Productions announces Roddy Ricch and Joy Oladokun performance

By Maia Botek | Jan. 19, 2022

The concert, which is for UF students only, will be held at the O’Connell Center at 7 p.m. and was announced through social media posts along with an update to the student government website. Doors to the event will open at 6 p.m.

COVID 19

Santa Fe College reported 195 COVID-19 cases in the last week

By Lily Kino | Jan. 19, 2022

Santa Fe College reported 195 positive COVID-19 cases from students and employees from Jan. 11 to Monday.

Kendrick Calilao against Jacksonville University on March 14, 2021. Calilao was the only Gator infielder last seaon with a 1.000 fielding percentage.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gator Baseball Preview: Infield

By Carson Cashion | Jan. 18, 2022

Florida baseball will try to rebound from the error-plagued 2021 season, and the infield will feature a mix of veterans and newcomers that are tasked with pulling it off.

Florida outfielder Jud Fabian and the Gators collapsed in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, falling to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 8-7.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gator Baseball Preview: Outfield

By Ethan Budowsky | Jan. 18, 2022

Jud Fabian shocked everybody when he returned to Florida for his fourth season in Gainesville. His experience is something the Gators will be thankful to have in a very young outfield that is loaded with talent.

UF students sit inside their Integrated Principles of Biology Two lecture on Friday, Jan. 14, 2021. Students have been re-adjusting to in-person classes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.

COVID 19 | UF

UF professors create online alternatives as COVID-19 empties classrooms

By Gregorio Ruiz-Perez | Jan. 18, 2022

Students who have to quarantine and miss class will be treated as being absent for any other sickness, according to an Aug. 18 campus brief.

A mural on the Southwest 34th St. graffiti wall for the victims of the 1990 "Gainesville Ripper" murders is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 12.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

‘You will never be forgotten’: Community remembers murder victims over 30 years later

By Alexis Carson | Jan. 18, 2022

Five Gainesville college students were murdered in their apartments along Archer Road in August 1990, and three of them were brutally assaulted by a man dubbed “The Gainesville Ripper.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement caught the murderer after a nine-month-long search where he, Danny Rolling, was executed by lethal injection in 2006.

The How Bazar officially opened its doors at the downtown Gainesville location with a celebration that included a fashion show, car show and local vendors, effectively shutting down Second Ave. with its festivities. The vintage clothing store, formerly run out of the Seagle Building on West University Ave., is a growing hub of Gen Z fashion and culture for students and young people in the area.

METRO

Shutting down Second Street: How Bazar hosts late-night grand opening

By Aurora Jimenez Castro | Jan. 18, 2022

How Bazar shut down Northwest Second Street for its new storefront’s grand opening block party Jan. 14.

Judge Stephan Mickle's wife, Evelyn Mickle, speaks at the podium about her husband's trailblazing legacy at the renaming ceremony of the Alachua County Courthouse on Friday, Jan. 14. The courthouse is located at 220 S. Main St.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Alachua renames courthouse to honor the legacy of late Judge Stephan P. Mickle

By Carissa Allen | Jan. 18, 2022

After Mickle died last January, Alachua County commissioners unanimously approved a new courthouse name: Judge Stephan P. Mickle Sr. Criminal Courthouse, ending the nearly 20 yearslong search for the perfect name.

UF students exit RTS buses at The Hub on Friday, Jan. 14, 2021.

NEWS | CAMPUS

City, campus transportation deal with pandemic-related revenue loss, shortages

By Maia Botek | Jan. 18, 2022

Gainesville Regional Transit System’s shortage of bus drivers has changed the ability to move around the city. RTS has reduced the frequency of certain stops, pulling nine buses from service.