1 - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Intentions behind #RaceTogether misguided

Mar. 24, 2015

In the span of one short week, Starbucks rolled out and ended a campaign called “Race Together,” with a hashtag and sticker set to match. Starbucks allowed its partners to write “Race Together” on customers’ cups, hoping to generate dialogue. By the way, “partner” is just what Starbucks calls its employees as a gesture of goodwill and to show that employees are valued.

Alex McCalister celebrates with Dante Fowler Jr. after a sack during Florida's 30-27 loss to LSU on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida expecting consistency on defense under Collins

By MORGAN MORIARTY | Mar. 24, 2015

In his first season at Florida, new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins may arguably have the easiest job taking over a unit out of any new coordinator in the country.

Camilla Hedberg putts during the 2015 SunTrust Gator Invitational.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

UF wins first tourney of year at Briar's Creek Invitational

By JUSTEN ROSENBERG | Mar. 24, 2015

The Gators women’s golf team entered Monday’s first and second round of the Briar’s Creek Invitational competing as a top-25 team for the first time this season.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

Gators track and field heads to Texas for next meet

By Kyle Brutman | Mar. 24, 2015

The Florida men’s and women’s track and field teams will travel to Austin, Texas, for the three-day Texas Relays. Competition begins today.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

America's inefficient prison system leads to overpopulation, high costs

Mar. 24, 2015

Tony Wright is a prisoner serving his time in Philadelphia. In 1993, he was convicted of rape and murder. Today, he is still serving out his life sentence.

Peggy Porter returns a ball during Florida's win against Maryland at the Ring Tennis Complex.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Freshman clinches UF women’s tennis’ win over Texas A&M

By Eneisy Rodriguez | Mar. 24, 2015

The Gators are rolling, and they don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

NEWS

FYE: 6 Movies to watch before the summer season

By Dahlia Ghabour | Mar. 24, 2015

There is a popular argument that the best films come out in summer time. Kids are out of school, and families have money to spend. The lull between the Christmas movie explosion and the arrival of summer is sometimes droll.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Everglades rabbits didn’t hop away; pythons ate them

By Sophia Karnegis | Mar. 23, 2015

A UF wildlife ecology and conservation professor has confirmed the cause of a declining rabbit population in Gainesville’s sister swamp, the Florida Everglades National Park.

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

New fellows program to encourage STEM majors to stay put

By Alyssa Fisher | Mar. 23, 2015

About 60 percent of students entering college as STEM majors don’t follow through with it.

Erika Atencio, a UF biology freshman, hugs her friend Ian Supra, who has battled stage 4 esophageal cancer for more than a year. After hearing of Supra’s diagnosis in January 2014, Atencio and a group of her friends raised money to offset Supra’s medical bills by selling “Supra Strong,” bracelets and T-shirts.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF student sells wristbands, raises money for ‘Supra Strong’

By Ansley Pentz | Mar. 23, 2015

UF biology freshman Erika Atencio wears her “Supraman Strong” T-shirt when she asks for donations.

Pictured is a folded card reading “Taja DeJesus,” who was the fourth trans woman of color to die violently in the U.S. in 2015. The card was placed as part of a vigil on Turlington Plaza on Monday night in memory of trans women who have been killed violently.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF groups hold vigil in honor of murdered trans women

By Ariana Figueroa | Mar. 23, 2015

Turlington Plaza was silent except for the humming of the vending machines Monday night as people gathered to commemorate the lives of transgender women.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF students start own online delivery service, Gator Grocery

By Eric Heubusch | Mar. 23, 2015

A UF student is hoping to solve the grocery woes of the carless.

NEWS | CAMPUS

STEAM academy to hold first Hunger Benefit today

By Samantha Gutman | Mar. 23, 2015

UF students will host a benefit today to highlight the issue of food insecurity and world hunger.

Pictured is produce showcased in the “Flavors of Florida” event at the UF President’s House on Monday evening. Guests were able to taste dishes made with ingredients grown by breeders from the UF/IFAS Plant Innovation Center and the UF/IFAS Plant Breeding Program.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Guests savor ‘Flavors of Florida’ at IFAS event at UF President's House

By Shannon Dudzinski | Mar. 23, 2015

The rain subsided just in time for Gainesville residents to sip and savor fresh food grown through UF’s research program Monday night.

Brittany Hammer, a 21-year-old UF finance senior, demonstrates how to use UF organization Nightlife Navigators’ drunk driver simulator. Hammer, Nightlife Navigators’ vice chair of outreach, collided multiple times with cars and pedestrians during the simulation.

NEWS | CAMPUS

A tale of two drivers: Reporters take on driving simulations

By Alligator Contributing Writers | Mar. 23, 2015

Behind the wheel with a 0.12

Delanie Gourley pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on March 14, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

UF softball drops third game against 'Bama but wins series

By Patrick Pinak | Mar. 23, 2015

Alabama softball has not been swept at home in 11 years.

Freshman Ericha Fassbender steps back onto the balance beam after falling during the Southeastern Conference Championships on March 21 in Duluth, Georgia.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

Coach Rhonda Faehn looking for passion from gymnasts as UF looks toward NCAAs

By GRAHAM HACK | Mar. 23, 2015

After Saturday night’s beam debacle for the Florida gymnastics team, coach Rhonda Faehn wants to see more fight from everyone.

UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan watches from outside the dugout during the Gators' 9-7 loss to Southern Miss. in game one of NCAA Super Regional play in McKethan stadium Saturday, June 6, 2009. O'Sullivan and the Gators were eliminated from the 2014 NCAA Tournament in the regional round on Saturday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida baseball finishes road swing with game against Stetson

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | Mar. 23, 2015

After dropping its first weekend series of the season last weekend against Ole Miss, the No. 4 Florida baseball team looks to turn it around when it travels to play Stetson at 6:30 p.m. in DeLand.

NEWS | SFC

SFC elections underway, SG officials noticed good turnout

By Hunter Williamson | Mar. 23, 2015

Voting for Student Government kicked off Monday morning at Santa Fe College.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Flex Bucks for the hungry: a new type of food drive

By Ariana Figueroa | Mar. 23, 2015

Last semester, roommates Mitchell Kaye and Connor Balint were waiting at the Rawlings Hall bus stop when a homeless man approached them to ask for food.

El Caimán