1 - The Independent Florida Alligator

The Florida gymnastics team celebrates wining the NCAA National Championship on Saturday, April 18, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Which Florida Gators team was the best in 2014-15: Softball or gymnastics?

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | July 1, 2015

With the start of the Summer B semester and the end of the 2014-2015 collegiate athletic season, it’s time for another installment of the annual Alligator Awards. This week, Alligator editor-in-chief Jordan McPherson and alligatorSports assistant editor Luis Torres debate which of UF’s national championship winning teams — the softball team or the gymnastics team — deserves the title of "Best Team."

Florida's Harrison Bader (8) celebrates his solo home run against Miami with teammates at the dugout, in the first inning of an NCAA College World Series baseball elimination game at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Former Gators ink contracts, hit home runs in professional debuts

By Patrick Pinak | July 1, 2015

Two former Gators from this year’s baseball team are already making a splash in the minor leagues, and another is set to join them.

UF coach Becky Burleigh looks down the field during Florida's season-opening win against Miami on Aug. 24, 2014.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida announces 2015 soccer schedule

By Ryan Summers | July 1, 2015

UF has released its 2015 soccer schedule.

THE AVENUE | MOVIES AND TV

‘Spy’ exceeds expectations

By Kelsey Bona | July 1, 2015

Director Paul Feig, who brought us the notable favorite “Bridesmaids,” released his new Melissa McCarthy collaboration “Spy” on June 5.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Performance artist hosts staged reading

By Julia Nevins | July 1, 2015

A performance artist and UF student redefines normalcy in his new play, UMMU.

NEWS

Off the Record: Fun.’s Nate Ruess releases debut solo album

By Martin Vassolo | July 1, 2015

It’s both hopeful and hopeless, a dramatic epic from beginning to end.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

New Girl

By Daniela Garcia | July 1, 2015

The roommates of apartment 4D would agree there are two ways to spend your first weekend of the semester. Option one: You could cuddle up on the couch and binge watch “Dirty Dancing” while hysterically crying into a pillow — Jessica Day style. Option two: You could go crazy with your friends and attempt to play a game of “True American.” With both options being a bit extreme, it’s best to just settle for a happy medium. Yes, it’s finally here — a “New Girl” drinking game!

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Rock the Fourth like an American

By Michaela Beeda | July 1, 2015

On this righteous day, we celebrate the brave souls who made the American dream a reality. This reality was founded on the grounds that justice is needed for all. This is the one day of the year when we all come together and applaud the fact that people fought to make the land of the brave. As Americans, it is our duty to honor this day the way a true patriot would — we give it our all or we give nothing.

METRO | BUSINESS

Punk band Abandon the Midwest returns to GNV tonight

By Joshua Williamson | July 1, 2015

Punk-rock quartet Abandon the Midwest is returning to Gainesville tonight, and if you’re lucky, you might catch them throwing the occasional beer can at one another.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Forget automatic: Learning how to drive stick makes you a better person

July 1, 2015

I’ve always driven a manual transmission car. In my house, an automatic just wasn’t an option. My parents have always driven manuals, and when I turned 15 and was ready to learn how to drive, that was what was available to me.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Online professionalism: fallacy or reasonable?

July 1, 2015

Since the social media boom of the 2000s, there has been a common refrain amongst parents, professors and anyone generally over the age of 35: Watch what you post on Facebook. As the distinction between our online personas and our physical activities becomes increasingly blurred, more scrutiny than ever has been placed upon an individual to keep their online profile proper, pristine and free of anything remotely vulgar or suggestive. Conventional wisdom holds that once college students enter the professional world, they’ll be surprised to learn how little that picture of them double fisting PBR tallboys will impress their potential employers.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: MUUUUURICA Edition(Kinda)

July 1, 2015

Welcome back readers! We’re sure you’re settling back into the proper swing of things following our week off. In any event, it’s another week, another paper and another weekly dose of...

NEWS | CAMPUS

Fireworks will light up Flavet

By Lauren Blakely | July 1, 2015

Bursts of color and patriotism will once again speckle the night sky over UF’s Flavet Field.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF campus safety headlines Tuesday’s Senate meeting

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | July 1, 2015

Campus safety was a focal point at Tuesday’s Student Senate meeting, with the chambers unanimously approving a resolution encouraging scooter safety and University Police Department Operations Deputy Chief Darren Baxley giving an update on the TapShield app.

Laura Ann Rosenbury, dean of UF’s Levin College of Law, speaks. She began her role as dean on Wednesday.

NEWS | CAMPUS UF ADMINISTRATION

UF welcomes its first permanent female law dean

By Melissa Gomez | July 1, 2015

Twelve sunflowers, an orchid, a potted plant and a box.

UF men's basketball coach Mike White speaks at his introductory press conference on May 11 in the Gator Room at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Mike White, Florida excited to establish new identity

By GRAHAM HALL | June 29, 2015

With the departure of former Florida coach Billy Donovan, who built the Gators into a perennial contender in not just the Southeastern Conference but the entire country, one would think incoming UF coach Mike White would attempt to emulate Donovan’s methods to be successful.