2 - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

Pandemic startups: UF students turn self-isolation into success

By Nora O'Neill | Oct. 11, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes online and sent students home, many were left with an unprecedented amount of free time. For some, that time was used to take summer classes or learn new skills. But for others, it was used to bring to life goals they’d been dreaming of for years or spontaneous passion projects.

Picture of the Florida Vintage Market, a market for vintage vendors to sell their items to community members. The event returned to Gainesville Oct. 4 after an eight-month hiatus with only slight changes from its usual schedule.

METRO | BUSINESS

Gainesville vintage market is back to stay — as long as the COVID-19 pandemic allows it to

By Rebecca Leiman | Oct. 11, 2020

The markets are expected to be open on a month-by-month basis

Hundreds of people gathered at The Villages, a massive retirement community west of Orlando, on Saturday to hear Vice President Mike Pence's campaign speech.

METRO | POLITICS

Mike Pence holds non-distanced campaign rally in Florida’s biggest retirement community

By Anna Wilder and Thomas Weber | Oct. 10, 2020

The hundreds of senior attendees from The Villages were mostly maskless

Ryan Feldbush, 19, a UF computer science sophomore, is seen playing ‘Magic: The Gathering’ at the Reitz Student Union on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. Feldbush said he’s played the game for six years now.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Magic persists across a six-foot distance

By Lianna Hubbard | Oct. 10, 2020

D&D and Magic the Gathering take a socially-distanced approach to fantasy games

The No. 15 Gators first road game of the year is against No. 11 Texas A&M.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida set to take on No. 11 Texas A&M in first road game

By Declan Walsh | Oct. 10, 2020

Florida earned the attention of the United Soccer Coaches’ national rankings for the first time this season, slotting in at No. 15 after a win and a draw against ranked Alabama and Georgia teams.

The Gators allowed 41 points in their first loss of the season.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida drops first game of the season to Texas A&M in defensive nightmare

By River Wells | Oct. 10, 2020

When Malik Davis fumbled the football near midfield with time dwindling, it didn’t matter how stunted the crowd was at Kyle Field: It erupted all the same.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Virtual advising proves to be accessible, successful during pandemic

By Joseph Oprison | Oct. 10, 2020

Looking at the benefits and challenges and how students feel about it

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County students are more than halfway through the first quarter. Here’s where COVID-19 cases stand

By Sophie Feinberg | Oct. 9, 2020

More than halfway through the first quarter, slightly above 100 students and staff members in Alachua County Public Schools have tested positive for COVID-19.

UF first-year interdisciplinary ecology PH.D. student, Natalia Uribe, 29, signals that she wants RTS bus No. 34 to make a stop on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

SPANISH | SPANISH COVID

Residentes del condado de Alachua usan el transporte interurbano en medio de la pandemia

By Alan Halaly and Sofia Echeverry | Oct. 9, 2020

This story was translated by Sofia Echeverry.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Hispano, Latino, Latinx: La lucha para nombrar una identidad común

By Alan Halaly and Kristine Villarroel | Oct. 9, 2020

This story was translated by Kristine Villarroe.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The Gator still growls

Oct. 9, 2020

Starting Oct. 2, the Homecoming celebration will last three weeks and center around positivity and connectedness. Homecoming events will take different forms based on the current health climate and capture the core values that make each event unique.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to end use of prison labor after push from activists

By Kalia Richardson and Alan Halaly | Oct. 9, 2020

The Coalition to Abolish Prison Slavery announced Thursday that the UF IFAS will stop using prison labor as of Sept. 30

More than 50 people are seen waiting outside next to Salty Dog Saloon and Fat Daddy’s, located at Midtown off of West University Avenue in Gainesville.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

‘All in the name of safety’: Gainesville Fire Rescue and Gainesville Police Department emphasizes county guidelines after local bar shutdown

By Alan Halaly | Oct. 9, 2020

Despite lifted restrictions and a growing Gainesvilleparty and nightlife scene, Gainesville continues to enforce COVID-19 mandates

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

School board debates spending millions of dollars on school updates

By Sophie Feinberg | Oct. 8, 2020

School board members heard plans regarding Howard Bishop’s gym, Buchholz’s track and Gainesville High School’s remodeling

Prince Royce is scheduled speak at a virtual event hosted by UF Hispanic Heritage Month, Accent Speakers Bureau and Student Government Productions.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Prince Royce to speak virtually at Hispanic Heritage Month event

By Kalia Richardson | Oct. 8, 2020

Accent Speakers Bureau, Student Government Productions and Hispanic Heritage Month are hosting the event.

Quarterback Kyle Trask's performance against the Gamecocks last weekend earned him a QBR of 91.3.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Trask, improved defense lead to dominating victory over South Carolina

By Brendan Farrell | Oct. 8, 2020

Florida’s recent battles with former coach Will Muschamp and his South Carolina Gamecocks haven’t always been easy. While the Gators are 3-0 against USC under coach Dan Mullen, the previous two meetings weren’t exactly easy wins.

Pia Nair, 19, a UF second-year psychology student, takes a quiz in the Reitz Student Union on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Students and professors weigh in on the virtual classroom experience at UF

By Rachel Slay | Oct. 8, 2020

Empathy and understanding: keywords for students and professors this semester

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Gator Party wins majority of Senate seats, student voter turnout decreases

By Lianna Hubbard | Oct. 7, 2020

About 6,000 students voted in Student Government elections – 3,000 less than Spring 2019

The men's and women's teams finished 12th and sixth, respectively, at their first tournament of the 2020 season.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators conclude play at Blessings Collegiate Invitational

By Michael Hull | Oct. 7, 2020

The Gators men’s and women’s golf teams finished their first tournament of the season Wednesday. The women placed sixth in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational. The men finished 12th.

Protesters are seen walking from the Reitz Student Union towards Tigert Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Students, employees protest Reitz Union name

By Lianna Hubbard | Oct. 7, 2020

Protesters pointed to the segregationist history of the building’s namesake