News | Campus Student Life - The Independent Florida Alligator

The parking lot next to Flavet Field at UF, shown on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, was changed to a green decal only location. This change affects the ability of students with Park and Ride decals to park on campus. (Photo by Kiara Cline)

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF cuts designated Park and Ride lots for Fall, frustrating students

By Camila Pereira | Sep. 7, 2021

The two Park and Ride lots that changed this Fall include the Flavet Field parking lot, which was restored to student green decal parking, and the commuter parking lot next to Garage 14, which is permanently closed because it is currently a construction site and will later be the site for the new Central Energy Plant Project, according to UF’s Campus Master Plan.

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UF celebrates its newest LLC aimed to help first-generation Gators

By Isabella Barnet | Sep. 3, 2021

This Fall, UF’s historic Murphree area added a new milestone to its collection: Thomas Hall. It was inaugurated Aug. 28 as the first-generation living and learning community.

Jose Alvarez, center, and siblings David and Ismelda Alvarez, left and right, celebrate Jose’s graduation from the University of Florida in front of the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

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A first-generation UF student paves the way for a triple Gator legacy

By Elena Barrera | Aug. 20, 2021

Four years after receiving his first degree as a Gator, Jose Alvarez now watches his youngest sibling, David Alvarez, 18, start his journey at the university that opened so many doors when he was a student.

Signage posted by the University of Florida advertising Gator Dining meal plans on the third floor of the Reitz Union at UF’s Gainesville campus on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.

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UF students discuss meal plan options

By Juliana Ferrie | Aug. 16, 2021

At UF, Gator Dining Services offers several different meal plans students can choose from.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

How to Navigate UF’s Parking System

By Eve Thompson | Aug. 16, 2021

Here’s a guide for how to appeal a citation, what to do when impounded and where to park on campus to avoid hefty citation costs.

Graphic by Ashley Hicks. Photo by Houston Harwood.

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Dear freshman: Welcome to UF

By Isabella Douglas | Aug. 16, 2021

On Aug. 23, classes will begin at UF with freshmen scrambling to figure out the bus system and seniors heading to their favorite coffee shops before their first lecture. Heading into the new school year, some UF seniors offered advice to freshmen unsure of what to expect with college life.

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Just transferred? Welcome to the Gator Nation

By Camila Pereira | Aug. 16, 2021

Although the transition can be nerve-racking, all UF students — whether admitted traditionally or non-traditionally — are an essential part of the Gator nation and encouraged to take every opportunity to succeed in the university.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF residence halls are most prominent locations for sexual assault on campus

By Camila Pereira and Eve Thompson | July 30, 2021

Out of the university’s 98 rape reports since 2015, more than 46% happened in or near residence halls and facilities, according to data from the UF’s Crime Log, a record of campus crimes reported to UF Police Department and Campus Security Authorities.

University of Florida Disability Resource Center located at Reid Hall on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The DRC provides services to students with physical, learning, sensory or psychological disabilities.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

July amplifies the voices of the disabled community

By Jasper Wittig | July 23, 2021

July brings the disabled community together to reflect on common experiences and celebrate differences as the month commemorates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990.

UF journalism professor Ted Spiker (center) moderates a conversation with ACCENT Speakers Bureau guests Brian Baumgartner (left) and Oscar Nuñez (right) on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. The event is the first fully in-person Accent event since October 10, 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Brian Baumgartner and Oscar Nuñez share advice with UF students

By Isabella Douglas | July 2, 2021

Brian Baumgartner and Oscar Nuñez, who play Kevin Malone and Oscar Martinez in the show, took the stage at Accent’s first in-person event since Donald Trump Jr.’s speech in October 2019. The show was the third event of Great Gator Welcome as students began Summer B classes.

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A look inside UF residence halls

By Alligator Staff report | June 29, 2021

Many students’ first foray outside their family home takes them straight to their freshman year college dorm. UF has 26 residence halls for students to choose from. The Alligator interviewed current and former residents of each hall to discover the good and bad in each. Room layouts are an artist’s interpretation based on courtesy photos of the residence halls.

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George A. Smathers Libraries provide a welcoming community to foster student success

By Makiya Seminera | June 28, 2021

Although each of the six Smathers library branches collaborate with one another, they also enjoy participating in healthy competition — mostly brought about by UF students who have pledged their allegiance to one of the libraries.

Few students are seen wandering around UF’s campus on August 31, 2020, in Gainesville Fla., due to the social distancing guidelines and mask requirements set in place. However, the Campus Connector and RTS buses still operate with frequent trips across campus.

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Homesickness is part of the college experience. Here’s how to deal with it.

By Jake Reyes | June 28, 2021

Going off to college can mean leaving things behind, including family, friends and pets, which may lead to homesickness, but former and current students have advice about how to have an enjoyable college experience

The Gainesville community is hosting a variety of different events to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.

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Pride Month: The long road for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion at UF

By Juliana Ferrie and Makiya Seminera | June 26, 2021

All of the different components of LGBTQ+ advocacy at UF have cleared the path for the future change sought after this Pride Month. However, reckoning with UF’s troublesome past with the LGBTQ+ community presents a continual challenge for the students of today.

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UF Health hosts transgender health talk in honor of Pride Month

By Alexandra Harris | June 26, 2021

In honor of Pride Month, UF Health hosted a webinar about transgender health Tuesday. With 121 attendees, Dr. Tudeen, physician and assistant professor at UF Health Family Medicine Main Street Clinic, and Dr. Sarah Virk, plastic surgeon and assistant professor in the UF Department of Surgery, spoke about transgender issues, hormone therapy, surgical procedures and more during an informative presentation and Q&A.

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Iconic ‘The Office’ duo, will speak to students Wednesday

By Isabella Douglas | June 26, 2021

The free event is hosted by Accent Speakers Bureau in partnership with Student Government Productions and Student Activities and Involvement, which are student government agencies funded by student fees. Accent will pay Greater Talent Network, LLC $70,000 to perform at UF. The event was announced Monday on Facebook, and will host the duo in a 45-minute moderated conversation.

UF and FSU students part of the Global Medical Brigade in Panama in 2019.

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UF Global Brigades chapters makes lasting impact on international communities

By Camila Pereira | June 18, 2021

As international travel came to a halt with COVID-19, the humanitarian nonprofit organization, Global Brigades created TeleBrigades to allow students to still work virtually with these communities in need through a multi-week program.

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UF approves historical marker recognizing first Black students

By Joseph Oprison | June 9, 2021

The new marker will be in the courtyard near Bryan Hall — a high traffic area near the center of campus and previous home of the College of Law, where the first Black UF student attended class.

The street sign for West University Avenue along the UF campus on Sunday, June 6, 2021. The Newell Gateway, one of two gateways to be constructed, will be implemented at the intersection of Newell Drive and West University Avenue as part of an effort to create an auto-free zone at the core of campus.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF plans to create an auto-free zone on campus

By Camila Pereira | June 7, 2021

To accomplish the long-term goal of increasing traffic safety, the university will implement an 86-acre bicycle and pedestrian zone in the heart of campus. This project includes the construction of the Newell and Northeast Gateway projects, which will incorporate more pedestrian access into campus and a connection from UF to the city, respectively.

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UF students reflect on Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month

By Juliana Ferrie | June 2, 2021

Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month was celebrated across the U.S. in May, commemorating Asian American and Pacific Islander culture and history. UF students shared what the month and their heritage means to them.