COVID-19

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Brightline is bringing back passenger rail — but it can’t do it alone

By Amaya Borroto | Feb. 8, 2024

At the start of every break, students crowd into buses, cars and airplanes to make the journey home. South Floridians like myself are well-acquainted with the contours of I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike. This journey can become costly, both in time and money. My five-hour commute to and from Miami costs over $400 annually on gas alone. Multiply that across every student, and the exodus looks glaringly inefficient. 

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METRO  |  K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County School Board approves superintendent’s contract

By Megan Howard | Feb. 8, 2024

After over two hours of deliberation, amendments and rants from school board members, the Alachua County School Board approved a new contract for Superintendent Shane Andrew in a 3-2 vote. 

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SPORTS  |  SOFTBALL

Gators Softball set to open season on Friday

By Hailey Hurst | Feb. 8, 2024

The Florida softball team opens its season on Friday against the Oregon State Beavers. The team comes into the season with a new pitching staff, a talented freshman class and multiple returning position players. 

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THE AVENUE  |  NIGHTLIFE

Kendall Jenner brings tequila brand to Gainesville bars

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Feb. 8, 2024

UF students stood on chairs and climbed tables to catch a glimpse of Kendall Jenner as she walked in from the side door at The Social at Midtown. The sound of excited screams and the flash of iPhone cameras filled the room as the model hopped behind the bar to make drinks with her tequila. 

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SPORTS  |  FOOTBALL

Florida football gains no new-signees, looks ahead toward spring

By Bennett Solomon | Feb. 7, 2024

The Florida football program welcomed 30 new players and has the 14th-ranked recruiting class in the country. Billy Napier spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon. 

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NEWS  |  CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

Protesters removed from Reitz Union during Israeli speaker event

By Sara-James Ranta | Feb. 7, 2024

The UF Police Department removed three pro-Palestinian demonstrators from the Reitz Union Tuesday evening after they argued with a pro-Israel speaker inside.

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SPORTS  |  OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators women’s tennis suffer first defeat of season against Michigan

By Max Bernstein | Feb. 6, 2024

The No. 8 Gators women’s tennis team (4-1) had been on a heater to start the season. That was until it stepped into Ann Arbor Tuesday evening to face the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (5-1). In their first top-10 matchup of the season, the Gators fell short against the Wolverines 4-1.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

What is emerging at UF?

By Ronin Lupien | Feb. 6, 2024

All sorts of artificial intelligence and wearable tech is coming to our Gators teams, with $2.5 million plugged into various departments to see through the UF & Sport Collaborative.

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METRO  |  CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Man indicted for cold case murder of Buchholz High School student

By Daniel Bednar | Feb. 5, 2024

A man was indicted by a local grand jury on murder and burglary charges in the cold case killing of a Buchholz High School student that occurred 13 years ago.

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SPORTS  |  OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators women’s golf finishes third in spring opener

By Hannah Getman | Feb. 5, 2024

After a rain-filled weekend, Florida women’s golf finished third in its first tournament of the spring. 

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SPORTS  |  MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators men’s basketball is a tournament team, but might be one-and-done

By Bennett Solomon | Feb. 5, 2024

On Jan. 31, the Gators men’s basketball team earned its most important win of the season and its biggest in the Todd Golden era. The team took on a hostile Rupp Arena environment and came back from a double-digit deficit to defeat the then-No.10 Kentucky Wildcats in overtime.   But Feb. 3, Florida’s win streak came to an end in College Station, Texas, against the unranked Texas A&M Aggies. In a game where the Gators led for the majority of the contest, second-half struggles caused the team to blow a 13-point lead and lose by one point.  

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THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

The Melrose Center unveils new art gallery ‘Studios of Melrose’ featuring local works

By Molly Seghi | Feb. 5, 2024

The Melrose Center, a community nonprofit organization, opened Studios of Melrose in early December in Melrose, Florida. The new art gallery features local, vintage and fair trade art and works. The space also acts as a gift shop selling Haitian paintings, handmade pottery, woodblock prints, art supplies, greeting cards and more. 

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Student Government spends unseen thousands. We need transparency now

By Ronin Lupien | Feb. 5, 2024

Are UF students really getting the bang for their buck?

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Plastic pollution in Florida is about to become easier

By Cayman Forbes | Feb. 5, 2024

Local governments such as Gainesville have made significant progress towards protecting our environment from pollution like single-use plastics. Bans exist all over Florida, so items like plastic water bottles don’t end up in our springs, rivers and oceans. 

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THE AVENUE  |  NIGHTLIFE

‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ leaves impact on local LGBTQ+ community

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Feb. 5, 2024

Every Friday at 8 p.m., a crowd gathers at University Club’s downstairs bar to watch the weekly episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” For no cover charge, attendees join the club's drag performers to revel in the excitement of the critically acclaimed show.

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NEWS  |  CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Sasse spent first year as UF president mostly behind the scenes

By Zoey Thomas | Feb. 5, 2024

After a search committee announced Sasse as the sole finalist for the presidency in October 2022, the campus erupted in protests that the former United States Republican senator would bring a conservative agenda to campus. Instead, Sasse spent his first year putting his head down to learn the workings of what Danaya Wright called the most complicated institution in the country. 

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METRO  |  K-12 EDUCATION

Gainesville community shares concerns about opportunity gaps in Alachua County schools

By Nicole Beltran | Feb. 5, 2024

Florida’s graduation rates for the 2022-2023 school year soared with a record high of 88%. Alachua County’s rates, which include both public and charter high schools, fell to 84.2%, lower than its rates the last five years. Educators, students and parents wonder what contributes to underperformance and what is being done to address it. 

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SPANISH

Human Rights Coalition organizes first on-campus ID drive at Reitz Union

By Eluney Gonzalez | Feb. 5, 2024

A student smiles in front of a ring light as their photo is taken for a second form of personal identification. The stations around them are abuzz with documents being exchanged, verified and approved for the Human Rights Coalition’s first community ID drive at the Reitz Union. 

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SPANISH

La Coalición de Derechos Humanos organiza la primera campaña de identificación en el campus en el Reitz Union

By Eluney Gonzalez | Feb. 5, 2024

La organización sin fines de lucro generalmente opera su campañas de identificación comunitaria desde la Iglesia Presbiteriana de Westminster para una población inmigrante predominantemente hispana. Aunque continua haciéndolo, recientemente trajo el programa a un nuevo grupo demográfico en la UF para traer solidaridad entre los estudiantes y aquellos que más se benefician del programa. 

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ENTERPRISE  |  POLITICS

Florida bill could lower the bar for defamation lawsuits against media organizations

By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp | Feb. 5, 2024

House Bill 757 titled “Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likeness” seeks to lower the bar for public figures filing these lawsuits. Proposed by Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, the initiative would widen the scope of actual malice, work to discredit anonymous sources, limit the use of artificial intelligence, establish 60-day veracity hearings and authorize venue expansion.