News | Features

FOLLOWING UP: Checking in on anti-racism initiatives in Gainesville

By Alexander Lugo , Jake Reyes , Makiya Seminera , Antonia LaRocca and Phong Huynh | Aug. 2, 2021

A year ago, the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement reverberated around the world. Petitions, social media campaigns and demonstrations called for attention to racial equality within local law enforcement and university campuses. Now, The Alligator is checking in on how much progress has been made in Gainesville.

Let's Talk About It

By Meghan McGlone , Isabella Douglas , Christian Casale , Omar Ateyah , Melanie Pena and Troy Myers | Dec. 7

The front entrance of the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022.

UF balances exclusivity, program competitiveness with new $85 million football complex

By Topher Adams and Claire Grunewald | Sep. 6

Keenon Johnson (middle), Newberry Panthers running back, runs the ball down Citizens Field during a game against the Eastside Rams on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.

Citizens Field: Home to Gainesville high school football

By Noah Ram | Oct. 15

Graffiti of the UF gnome painted in August inside the tunnel near Norman Hall.

UF students document college experience through handmade gnome

By Karene Hermon | Oct. 8

Molly Wagner, 19, UF psychology and Chinese freshman, poses for a portrait outside of Anderson Hall. Wagner, who has muscular dystrophy, said she’s spent the past few weeks acclimating to life on campus.

From China to UF, Molly Wagner challenges perceptions of disabilities

By Melanie Pena | Oct. 1, 2021

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‘We’re going to lose a generation:’ Pandemic gun violence spike leaves many in anguish

By Isabella Douglas | Sep. 27, 2021

Gainesville has seen a 26% increase in gun-related crimes that resulted in injury or death since 2019, according to a Gainesville Police Department spreadsheet.

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Julius Irving: Life after a ‘not guilty’ verdict

By Jiselle Lee | Sep. 27, 2021

The 34-year-old East Gainesville resident was homeless, addicted to drugs and unemployed after he was charged. He had nothing to guide him but his faith. Now Irving uses his life experiences to set goals for himself.

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Wayne Fields’ stories share a slice of East Gainesville’s history

By Jiselle Lee | Sep. 20, 2021

Fields has committed himself to the education and development of Gainesville for 60 years. East Gainesville will always be Field’s home — even as university development continues to erode its Black history.

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Afghan student fears for country’s future after US abrupt departure

By Christian Casale | Sep. 15, 2021

It leaves him thinking: Twenty years of war. And for what? It’s 2001 all over again.

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Twenty years later, 9/11 stirs pain, worry for Muslim community

By Christian Casale | Sep. 10, 2021

For two former UF students and a 4-year-old girl, 9/11 altered religion, identity and safety.

Ardell Wright speaks to a caller as he records the conversation on the computer in the 98.9 Jamz Studio on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Wright edited the audio and then played it on the air. (Lauren Witte/Alligator Staff)

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Ride with Ardell Wright, the radio voice of East Gainesville

By Edysmar Diaz-Cruz | Dec. 13, 2020

Before Wright, no one spoke to the communities of East Gainesville that grew up on Hip Hop and R&B. Now, he makes sure to give his childhood neighborhoods shout-outs during his show called The Afternoon Drive.