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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2025
VOLUME 119 - ISSUE 21 Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
Healthcare remains underprovided for Gainesville homeless community BASIC HEALTH EXAMINATIONS, PRESCRIPTIONS AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE REMAIN IN HIGH DEMAND
By Avery Parker Alligator Staff Writer
A year ago, Gainesville’s homeless community living in “tent city” awoke to find five-hour eviction notices pinned to their tents, shopping carts and backpacks. The notices came as part of the city’s efforts to clear out the southeastern homeless community. A 2024 Florida law simultaneously prohibited counties and municipalities from allowing camping on public property, with the exception of property established for that purpose under state approval. While access to shelter is a lead-
ing issue for homeless individuals, access to healthcare remains a lesser understood yet progressively persistent issue. Among Alachua County’s estimated 639 homeless persons, 95% of those surveyed by the Alachua County Department of Health reported difficulty in accessing healthcare services in 2024. These services can range from simple physical exams to cardiology procedures. Despite the lack of medical resources for the homeless community, Alachua County-based organizations are stepping in to make a difference. Access in reach UF HealthStreet strives to reduce disparities in healthcare access through research. The program pro-
SEE HEALTHCARE, PAGE 2
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
Damien Filmore of Terrell's Bar-B-Que cooks ribs on the grill in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Read more on pg. 3.
Student Government election platforms hone in on mental health, DEI and fair elections Vision, Change and Watch Party show their drive to lead the student body through varied initiatives By Michael Angee Alligator Staff Writer
With student government elections approaching on Feb. 25 and 26, Change, Vision and Watch Party officials have spent the month of February rolling out their platforms on social media and spreading the word across campus. Vision Party, which holds the Student Senate majority, is aiming to improve student mental health and tackle food insecurity on campus. Change Party candidates, meanwhile, highlighted issues such as graduate student housing shortages
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
Black History Month Story description finish with comma,
Celebrating Black love, poetry and pg# art. Read more on pg. 5.
and restoring Marston Science Library’s 24/7 model. The Watch Party, an emerging third party option, is pushing for fairer elections. The election will determine UF’s new student body president, vice president and treasurer, in addition to 50 of the 100 seats representing the university’s 16 colleges in the Student Senate. Each senator serves a one-year term, shaping policies impacting campus life, student resources and funding allocation. Vision Party Major points within the Vision platform
include integrating more mental health resources for students and tackling food insecurity. The Vision executive ticket is composed of Senate President Blake Cox, who is running for student body president; Jade Gonzalez, the vice presidential candidate and current junior class vice president; and Johanna Moncy, the party’s treasurer candidate and current deputy chief of staff for the student body vice president. During the Spring 2025 Debate Feb. 10, Cox said he and the other members of the Vision ticket would work to expand mental health resources. According to the CWC’s
The Avenue: Love
The correlation between music and feelings, pg. 6
Annual Wellness Report, more student patients at intake reported levels of sadness and depression, difficulty concentrating and social anxiety in 2024 compared to the previous year. Vision also plans to develop events addressing loneliness and mental health and work alongside the UF Quest Department to implement a mental health day. To address food insecurity on campus, the party is also developing an initiative called Food for Fitness, which would allow students to exchange food donations for a guest Rec-
SEE PLATFORM, PAGE 4
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Money problems
UF at risk of losing millions in federal funding, pg. 8
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