News - The Independent Florida Alligator

Students walk through Turlington Plaza in between classes on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Monday marked the beginning of the Fall semester at UF.

NEWS | CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

A social media threat spurred officers to investigate Turlington Hall

By Troy Myers | Feb. 4, 2022

A social media post on Yik Yak Wednesday night spurred University Police Department officers to investigate Turlington Hall at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The post alluded to a suicide in the building or around the area, and it was not threatenining to other students, UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez said.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College reinstates vaccine incentives

By Lily Kino | Feb. 4, 2022

Santa Fe College students and employees can get $60 for their COVID-19 vaccinations as of Jan. 28. SF announced their second voluntary COVID-19 vaccine incentive, similar to the one in Fall 2021 that resulted in over 2,700 people getting vaccinated, according to the Santa Fe website.

UF students, faculty and Black Student Union members wait for the Black History Month opening ceremony to begin at the Institute of Black Culture on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

NEWS | CAMPUS

BSU holds opening ceremony to start off the celebrations for Black History Month

By Gregorio Ruiz-Perez | Feb. 4, 2022

The Black Student Union hosted an opening ceremony to honor the start of Black History Month Tuesday. Nearly 50 UF community members, including students, faculty and the UF BSU, along with two guest speakers walked a small red carpet at the Institute of Black Culture across from UF campus.

Gabrielle Adekunle (right), Change Party’s presidential nominee, addresses a crowd outside the Reitz Union North Lawn on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Beside her is Kenya Warner (left), treasurer nominee, and Dayanna Peek (middle), vice presidential nominee.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Change Party announces executive ticket outside Reitz Union

By Maia Botek | Feb. 2, 2022

On the lawn of the Reitz Union Tuesday morning, the candidates made their debut in front of silver balloons that read ‘FORWARD’ in front of an audience of about 30 students.

Students play a game of poker at the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 28. The event was the inaugural Gator Gala, a get-together for students with games, food and a dance floor.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Student Government hosts its first UF Gator Gala

By Maia Botek | Jan. 31, 2022

SG and Gator Nights partnered to host the inaugural Gator Gala Friday evening at the Reitz Union. The free event was open to all UF students from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom with live music, poker tables and raffles for free items, including a UF basketball jersey worth $109.99.

Lauren Lemasters, Gator Party's nominee for Student Government president, walks up to the podium outside of Library West at the announcement of the party's executive ticket on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Gator Party, Communist Party announce executive tickets for Spring 2022 elections

By Maia Botek | Jan. 27, 2022

Two Student Government parties announced their candidates for executive positions three weeks before elections start. Feb. 22 and 23, UF students can cast their votes for a new Student Body president, Vice President and Treasurer. Students will also choose 50 new senators to take over seats organized by college and credit hours.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF hasn’t offered any federal emergency relief this semester; some students worry they never will

By Lucille Lannigan | Jan. 24, 2022

A new federal grant has not been funded for Spring, causing some students to worry as they continue to face impacts from the pandemic.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

Gainesville gym memberships increase along with omicron cases

By Carissa Allen | Jan. 18, 2022

Despite the surge in Alachua County omicron COVID-19 cases, local gyms’ memberships and business increased this month.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF all-female team takes Florida Hackathon grand prize

By Allyssa Keller | Jan. 18, 2022

The all-female UF team won the grand prize for the Florida Hacks with International Business Machines competition, of which the results were announced Jan. 6. The team won a grand prize of $30,000 and access to a UF supercomputer.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

Gator Nation will bid a farewell to its leader Kent Fuchs

By Elena Barrera | Jan. 10, 2022

UF President Kent Fuchs announced Wednesday morning that he will be resigning from his position to transition into a professor role. UF released the announcement for Fuchs’ resignation in a campus-wide email and video message. Fuchs, 67, intends to continue his presidential duties for the rest of the year and step down in 2023 once a new president is sworn in. He plans to return to his home department of electrical and computer engineering.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

“To be her friend was to feel true joy.”: In Honor of Sabrina Marie Obando

By Allessandra Inzinna | Jan. 10, 2022

Obando, a 22-year-old Miami native, graduated cum laude in Fall 2021 with a degree in art history. On Jan. 4, Obando was hit by a pickup truck while she was crossing the sidewalk around 12:30 p.m. on the intersection of Northwest 8th Ave. and Northwest 10th St. Following the crash, she was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital where she died from her injuries.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

UF Student Government prepares for the Spring semester

By Maia Botek | Jan. 10, 2022

After a Fall semester that saw graduate seat vacancies and an unusually low number of bills on the Senate floor, SG officers are preparing for the Spring semester.

UF President Kent Fuchs addresses the Board of Trustees in 2020. He announced he would step down from his role at the beginning of the Spring semester.

NEWS | CAMPUS BREAKING NEWS

UF President Fuchs announces resignation

By Elena Barrera | Jan. 5, 2022

Under Fuchs eight-year term as UF president, the university became a top five public university in the nation and was embroiled in an academic freedom scandal.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Graduate Students still have little voice in SG

By Allessandra Inzinna | Jan. 5, 2022

Following the Fall 2021 elections, both the Graduate and Family Housing seats remained vacant. Seven total votes were cast for only write-in candidates.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

UF graduate student wins $25,000 award in Deep Space Food Challenge

By Maia Botek | Jan. 5, 2022

The UF doctoral student led one of 18 U.S. teams selected as winners in the Deep Space Food Challenge to each receive a $25,000 prize. The challenge, hosted by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, sought tasty solutions to preserve nutrients in food for years-long journeys to Mars and beyond.

Photo by Lauren Witte | The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS | CAMPUS

New UF/IFAS extension office facilitates agricultural research in Newberry

Jan. 5, 2022

The UF/IFAS Extension Office contains new additions such as a kitchen, laboratory and 300-seat auditorium, according to the Alachua County Facebook page. The office is a modern version of the old campus, said Joy Glanzer, who had previously served as a Newberry city commissioner in the planning zone.