Nicaraguan student group in Gainesville founds SOS Nicaragua, an effort to raise awareness of the country's current political crisis
September 17, 2018
Alejandra Maltez almost lost her friend to a shootout during a protest in Managua, Nicaragua.
While attending the Mother’s Day March on May 30, Maltez heard a series of gunshots only a few yards away. Although she managed to get away unharmed, she noticed one of her friends, who was closer to the shootout than she was, was missing. Maltez then discovered her friend had taken shelter in a nearby home, where he hid from the riot for over 24 hours.
Last spring, Maltez united with 20 other Hispanic students from the University of Florida and Santa Fe College to form SOS Nicaragua, a Nicaraguan student group in Gainesville dedicated to raising awareness of the ongoing crisis in their home country. Ever since the group was formed in April, its members have taken to the streets three times to protest against the policies of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. They have also hung up posters around town with the hashtag #SOSNicaragua, which is being used all over social media as a cry for international help.
On April 16, President Ortega passed a law that implemented drastic changes in the nation’s social security system. The law, under the name of resolution 1317, stated that employee taxes would increase from 6.25 percent to 7 percent, with the purpose of contributing the 0.75 percent to social security. There would also be a 5 percent decrease in benefits and pensions, which would, in turn, be used for medical expenses.
The enactment of this law was the primary cause of the Nicaraguan crisis that continues today, but this was just the pin that burst the bubble. The root of the problem began back in November 2016 when Ortega re-elected himself as president for the third term in a row. With the passing of resolution 1317, the people that were already frustrated with Ortega’s re-election now had a reason to take action.
The first protest broke out on April 18. Student groups took to the streets of the capital, Managua, igniting the infamous wave of protests that were meant to be peaceful but forced to turn violent. By the next morning, three people had been killed and several were injured.
These fatalities made the situation worsen. The Nicaraguan people became even angrier, and, consequently, the government did as well. The armed forces continued to react violently to every peaceful demonstration, leading to what would eventually become Nicaragua’s deadliest movement since the fall of its civil war in 1990.
On April 22, less than a week after the enactment of resolution 1317, President Ortega announced that the reform would be repealed. In an attempt to stop the protests and consequential violence, he quickly withdrew the legislation. Regardless, the Nicaraguan people were already angry, and the situation was about to get worse.
The death toll got even higher on May 30, when protestors organized a Mother’s Day march in honor of the mothers who had lost their children to the government’s acts of violence. Police said that at least 15 people were killed and over 200 were injured in what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration.
Karina Zamora, the founder and leader of SOS Nicaragua, believes it is important that people in Gainesville know about this issue.
“The situation affects me to unimaginable extents,” Zamora said. “It is a burden in my heart knowing I cannot go back home with a sense of security and peace.” Zamora has been living in the U.S. for the past three years. She said her biggest frustration is knowing that her family and friends in Nicaragua are in constant danger and she can do nothing to help them. For this reason, she has made it a mission to spread the word among people who can provide help from abroad.
In June, the members of SOS Nicaragua held a demonstration at UF’s Turlington Plaza. The demonstration was attended by over 30 students from different Central American countries, including Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. Zamora said she was excited to receive the support of people from outside her home country.
Zamora and her peers also set up an account through the Venmo app so that people overseas can donate money to the cause. The donations are being used to help pay for the medical expenses of those who have been injured in the protests, as well as the funeral arrangements.
Currently, the death toll is at over 400 people with over a thousand injured, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Zamora and Maltez said that things are somewhat better now because people are trying to go back to living their normal lives. However, their friends and families continue to be victims of the curfew law, which forces them to be off the streets by nightfall.
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Pitbull to give speech at University of Florida in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
October 1, 2018
Mr. 305 is making an appearance at the University of Florida on Oct. 2 in the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Armando Christian Pérez, most commonly known as Pitbull, is getting paid $130,000 to give a talk at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, according to his contract with the University. Forum Director Isabella Oliver said Hispanic Heritage Month partnered with ACCENT Speakers Bureau to bring Pitbull on campus to celebrate local Hispanic culture.
Oliver said doors open at 7:05 p.m. and the event starts at 7:45 p.m. The talk will be moderated by UF Journalism Department Chair Ted Spiker for the first hour, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session for students to ask Pitbull questions, said Oliver.
Oliver, who is a Venezuelan raised in Miami, said she is honored to have “such an iconic figure” from South Florida speak at an event she organized. “Pitbull is a Hispanic entrepreneur that inspires others on a daily basis,” she said. “He has multiple philanthropies that give back to the community that he’s a part of.”
Oliver said Pitbull was HHM’s top choice because students from South Florida will find his stories relatable. “I think the large amount of Cuban-American students that go to UF will be excited to have an icon from the Caribbean represent them,” she said. Oliver thinks Pitbull is a “much bigger speaker” than other forum speakers UF has had in the past.
Moderator Ted Spiker said he has moderated five other talks at UF before, including conversations with Abby Wambach, Alex Rodriguez, Terry Crews, Steve Spurrier, and Jim McElwain alongside Mike White. Spiker said what makes Pitbull different from previous speakers is that he is not only a popular and successful artist but also an entrepreneur. “His story about overcoming obstacles, I think, will be great for students to hear,” said Spiker.
Spiker said his questions for Pitbull will be covering a wide range of subjects, including the artist’s music, businesses, upbringing, charity work and future plans.
ACCENT chairman Gregory Wolf said Pitbull was ACCENT’s top choice because they wanted to get people excited for Hispanic Heritage Month. They also wanted their first speaker of the semester to be an influential figure. “We feel that Pitbull is someone that represents the greater population because of his message of inclusivity and opportunity,” Wolf said. He said Pitbull is a “very dynamic person” whose success stories can inspire students in the Gainesville community, especially Hispanic ones.
Wolf said “this is an incredibly unique show” because it focuses on celebrating a culture that predominates a large portion of UF students. “On top of being a world class entertainer, Pitbull has a lot of viewpoints that resonate with people all around the globe,” he said.
Wolf said ACCENT has been organizing the talk since July. The event is open to the public but tickets are required for entry, he said. The only requirement for obtaining tickets is to show a Gator 1 student ID.
Sarah Kendall, a 19-year-old UF marketing sophomore, will be attending the talk on Tuesday night. Kendall picked up her tickets at the Reitz Student Union on Friday, Sept. 28 within the first hour of ticket pickup. According to the ACCENT Speakers Bureau’s Facebook page, tickets were sold out that same day by 2:45 p.m.
Kendall said students who were unable to get tickets will be allowed to stand in a line outside the auditorium on the day of the event. If ticket holders do not show up, the students in line will be allowed to fill in empty seats. Kendall recommends that these standbys start getting in line at least an hour before doors open.
Kendall, who is one of the lucky 1,700 students who obtained tickets for the event, said she is a huge Pitbull fan and is looking forward to his talk. She said Pitbull stands out from ACCENT’s previous speakers because he is a Hispanic Florida native that UF’s South Florida students can relate to. “Therefore, the things he advocates for and donates to philanthropically are similar to the causes that many of us care about,” said Kendall.
Pitbull announced his visit to UF via his Twitter account on Tuesday, Sept. 25. He tweeted “Headed to @UF next week to bring a little #305tothe352! Dale!”
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Post-hurricane immigration to Florida leads to increase in Hispanic voter turnout
October 29, 2018
Thousands of Hispanics in Florida will head to their nearest polling station Nov. 6 to vote in the United States midterm elections.
According to TJ Pyche, the director of outreach for the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections, over 13 thousand Hispanics registered to vote in Florida in 2018. That is almost a thousand more registrants than there were during the same time period last year. Pyche thinks this increase in registrants was influenced by the activist groups who are raising election awareness among different ethnicities.
Pyche said as the elections office sees more Hispanics motivated to register, it has been putting out more Spanish literature for voters in order to increase turnout. This information includes the voter guide and the sample ballot.
Despite the increase in Hispanic registrants, he said all ethnic groups are less likely to vote in the midterm elections than the presidential elections because they are more interested in voting when the presidential office is on the ballot.
Pyche said the only Hispanic candidate on either ballot this year is Jeanette Núñez, who is running for Lt. Gov. on the Republican side.
Dan Smith, a professor and chair at the University of Florida Department of Political Science, said Hispanics are clearly a growing demographic in the elections every year. According to his records, 19.7% of registrants in Florida were Hispanic in 2017. As of September 1, 2018, 20.4% of registrants are Hispanic. He expects this number to keep growing as people continue to register. Florida is predicted to pick up over 100 thousand more registrants throughout September and October.
“What’s great news is that the registrants’ demographics have a direct correlation with the changing demographics of Florida,” Smith said. “This means people are actively staying involved with the state’s political climate.”
He said that, based on previous years’ results, Hispanic voters in Florida are much less likely than other ethnic groups to vote in a midterm election. He said this has to do with their lack of awareness, poor mobilization, and lack of interest in the issues involving the candidates.
Smith thinks the increased amount of registered Hispanics might be related to the large amount of Puerto Ricans who immigrated to Florida after the hurricanes. He said obtaining data on specific nationalities is difficult because it is not an option on the ballot.
Douglas Rojo, a Guatemalan member of UF’s Hispanic Student Association, said his lack of U.S. citizenship restricts him from voting.
“It is frustrating to see that some of my American peers are not even remotely interested in voting,” Rojo said. “Meanwhile I feel frustrated from not having the choice at all.”
Rojo feels strongly about many of the amendments and wishes he could motivate more of his peers to register.
“While growing up in Guatemala, I experienced the injustices the government would impose on my people, and this is what made me passionate about political change,” he said. “I wish I could take action in the United States as freely as I can back home.”
Hunter Clark, a fourth year Food and Resource Economics student at UF, is one of the few international students who can vote in the U.S. Though this feels like an innately given right to him, hearing the frustrations of his peers who are not able to vote makes him realize he takes this privilege for granted.
Clark said there are multiple amendments in this year’s midterm election that he is looking forward to have a say in.
Though he was born and raised in Nicaragua, Clark said his voting choices will not be influenced by his ethnicity. While most of his peers favor the Democratic party because of their ideals against President Donald Trump, Clark said he was raised Republican and will vote completely in favor of the party.
“I would rather stand up for my personal beliefs than comply with what people of my ethnicity are expected to vote for,” he said. “I do what I think will be better for the country as a whole.
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Grand opening of Palmetto Moon contributes to rapid expansion of Celebration Pointe
November 12, 2018
Gainesville’s shopping options will soon be expanding with the grand opening of a Palmetto Moon store on Nov. 16.
The South Carolina-based retail store will be located at Celebration Pointe, one of Gainesville’s newest urban development areas comprised of living, dining, shopping and entertainment facilities. The center is located at 3528 SW 45th St.
Sean McIntosh, Celebration Pointe’s Senior Vice President of Asset Management, said the inauguration will consist of a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. followed by games and activities taking place outside the store. The event is open to all ages.
The Palmetto Moon store will be located in Celebration Pointe’s retail section, directly across from Kilwins and next to Tommy Hilfiger, McIntosh said. The store’s hours will be the same as the shopping center’s hours, staying open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Palmetto Moon is a retailer that carries major Southern style brands like YETI, Vineyard Vines, Columbia Sportswear, Patagonia and Corkcicle. Some of the store’s products will be tailored specifically to Gainesville residents, McIntosh said.
“What will differentiate the Gainesville store to other Palmetto Moon locations is that it will sell licensed Gator gear, instilling a sense of community in its customers,” he said.
The leasing agents at Celebration Pointe are constantly looking for businesses that would be good fits for the center. McIntosh said Palmetto Moon’s theme of Southern hospitality lines up with what Celebration Pointe’s mission is all about.
According to McIntosh, the name “Celebration Pointe” came about when its developer, Svein Dyrkolbotn, traveled from Norway to Gainesville during a high school exchange program and never went back. Dyrkolbotn was recruited to play for the University of Florida’s basketball team and has lived in Gainesville for 25 years since. While growing up playing sports in Gainesville, Dyrkolbotn always thought the town needed a central hub where residents could celebrate the victories in life, big and small. This the vision behind Celebration Pointe today.
McIntosh said what makes Celebration Pointe the most convenient shopping center in Gainesville is that it contains multiple aspects of lifestyle in a single location.
“You can go watch a movie, grab dinner, do some shopping, stay in a very nice hotel, or even go to work all in one area,” he said. “It provides a complete array of activities for Gainesville residents within a one million square-foot area, allowing them to spend an entire day in one place if they’d like.”
McIntosh said the opening of Palmetto Moon and the establishment of Celebration Pointe in general are indicators of how rapidly Gainesville is expanding. He said Palmetto Moon’s management was immediately interested when Celebration Pointe’s leasing agent initiated conversation.
“Local leasing agents must take advantage of Gainesville’s immense potential for growth and expansion,” he said. “The only way to do this is to step out of their comfort zone by constantly looking for new business opportunities to bring into the Gainesville market.”
Joshua Murillo, a third year student at UF, has been working at Celebration Pointe’s Nike Factory Store since it first opened in April 2018. Since then, Murillo has witnessed continuous infrastructural change in the area.
“What I love about working at Celebration Pointe is that it’s always in constant development,” Murillo said. “It’s like every time I come into work, there’s a new restaurant to eat at, a new store to shop at, or a new residential area to live in. It’s incredible to see what a long way it’s come since it was just a plot of barren land with a Regal Cinema and an isolated Bass Pro Shops.”
Murillo said he has witnessed four different stores open up during his time working in the shopping center. He has seen a significant increase in traffic in the area with each inauguration. Even with this recent development, he believes there is still much room for growth.
Murillo said he is looking forward to having physical access to Palmetto Moon products rather than having to purchase them online.
“It’s gonna be hard to contain myself from constantly going in the store given how close it will be to my workplace,” he said. “I think Palmetto Moon will help bring more college students into the shopping center and it could even increase the amount of customers we get at Nike.”
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Gainesville wildlife remains unaffected despite sharp global decrease
November 19, 2018
The global wildlife population may have decreased by 60 percent in the past four decades according to the World Wildlife Fund, but Gainesville wildlife seems to be doing just fine.
From the bobcats to the turtles to the 236 bird species, none of the wildlife populations at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park are more endangered now than they have ever been before. Florida State Park Environmental Specialist Keith Morin said there is no indication of an overall wildlife abundance decrease in the park.
“Paynes Prairie visitors do not pose a threat to wildlife because the public can only access four percent of the preserve,” said Morin. “The noise from their presence might disrupt the animals’ behavior, but that’s the most damage humans have done in the area.”
Limiting the public’s access to wildlife keeps the prairie protected from harmful human activity, Morin said. Some of these activities include littering, hunting, noise pollution and feeding the animals unhealthy food.
“Feeding the animals not only detriments their diet, but it also makes them heavily reliant on humans,” said Morin. “If they become too comfortable around people, the animals run the risk of getting killed once they get a little too close.”
Beth Davis, the Senior Clerk at Paynes Prairie, said she was not even aware of the global wildlife decrease because it is not evident enough on a local level.
The most recent effects on the animals have been caused by environmental issues, Davis said. The high precipitation levels of Gainesville during the month of November caused the water levels of the prairie to increase. This forced wildlife that was normally out in the prairie to move up to higher grounds.
“Although human activity has severely affected wildlife on a global scale, the causes of wildlife decrease in local animals are mostly environmental,” Davis said. “Paynes Prairie is much less vulnerable to anthropogenic effects than other parks around the state, and that is something we take pride in.”
Morin said this is because the park is highly protected from human development. “We’re like our own little island of wilderness untouched by man.”
However, water control is a reoccurring issue due to the roadways that travel through the preserve. Moring said park management makes constant efforts to maintain good water quality because the basin is extremely important for the animals’ health.
Geoffrey Parks is the supervisor of nature operations for the City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. He has been affiliated with Sweetwater Wetlands Park since it opened in 2015.
Rather than experiencing a decrease in wildlife, Sweetwater has made efforts to create even more habitats to sustain wildlife, said Parks.
“Our goal was to create wetlands out of areas that had been disturbed and dried out by human activity,” he said. “Now that we’ve restored those habitats, we are seeing local increases in wildlife around the park and in the general Gainesville area.”
Parks said they have seen a significant increase in reptiles, including alligators, turtles and water snakes. As for mammals, the park now has more bobcats, deer and coyotes roaming the area. The park has over 230 documented species of birds that nest there year-round or seasonally.
Although Sweetwater’s restoration strategies have increased amounts of local wildlife, Parks admitted that some animals in the city are harder to find now than they were a decade ago.
One of these animals is the Northern bobwhite, a type of quail that used to be commonly seen around the area. Parks said they are losing their habitats across the landscape due to local changes in land management. The bobwhites’ population levels have also been affected by the presence of fire ants, which were introduced to their habitats by humans.
According to Parks, North America has lost about 98 percent of the longleaf pine savanna, which used to be one of the most abundant tree types in the United States. As a result, the species that depend on those habitats have been fragmented into specific regions, making them more prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters. For this reason, the city’s PRCA constantly works on management efforts for the species that are dependent on the longleaf pine.
As a trained ecologist, Parks believes the three biggest human causes of wildlife decrease in Florida are climate change, improper land use and invasive species. “If park management teams don’t work to protect against these threats, soon Gainesville will experience the decrease in wildlife too.”
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Local bands to serve as opening act for Drake Bell's Gainesville performance
December 3, 2018
Gainesville’s music industry is proving to be on the rise as three local bands were booked to open Drake Bell’s show on Dec. 4.
The concert will take place at High Dive, located at 210 SW 2nd Ave. Pat Lavery, High Dive’s event manager, said doors will open at 7 p.m., 15 minutes prior to the show. Tickets are $10 and everyone under 21 years old will be charged $3 at the door. Guests can also have a meet and greet with Bell for $100, where they will get to hang out with him before his set at 9 p.m.
There are three opening acts for the show: Arrows in Action, Cardinal Grey and Letdown. When booking the openers, Lavery said he chose the local bands that best fit the theme and music style of Bell.
Victor Viramontes-Pattison is the lead singer and songwriter of Arrows in Action. He plays alongside Adrian de Zayas on the guitar, Matt Fowler on the bass guitar and Jesse Frimmel on the drums.
Viramontes-Pattison said opening for Bell on Tuesday will be a dream come true and a huge step forward for the band. He has modeled himself after Bell since he was 12.
“I have admired Drake and his musical talents ever since I first saw him on TV,” he said. “I had the bowl cut and everything.”
What the lead singer is looking forward to most is the new market the band will get to show its music to. He hopes that the people at this show who normally don’t attend local concerts will realize how great Gainesville’s venues are and will want to attend more local shows in the future.
One of Viramontes-Pattison’s main goals as an artist is to interact with fans as much as possible. He believes playing at relatively small venues like High Dive help him achieve that.
“The only way to develop a loyal fan base in this industry is by being interactive and accessible,” he said. “We want to make sure our fans know we’re always there for them.”
Viramontes-Pattison thinks Bell’s visit to Gainesville will greatly benefit the local music industry. It will remind people that, while there are always small bands playing shows, the city has the potential to welcome big name artists as well.
“When I meet Bell, I’m gonna try my best to refrain every ‘Drake and Josh’ quote I’ll be thinking of!” he said.
Sara Hanewinckel and Ryan Kraus are the two members of Cardinal Grey, another of Bell’s opening acts. Hanewinckel, the lead vocalist, plays the electric guitar while Kraus plays lead guitar and bass. Hanewinckel said they have been playing together for a while but this will be their first show performing as Cardinal Grey, so it’s the perfect opportunity to get their name out there.
Since Cardinal Grey’s style is not very similar to Bell’s, Hanewinckel said most people will not be expecting to hear that music genre. She thinks this is a positive thing.
“I think it’s great that Pat Lavery booked us regardless of our contrasting music style,” she said. “It’s a huge step toward creating diversity in the local music industry and it will allow us to appeal to the audience’s varying music tastes.”
Hanewinckel said she feels extremely lucky and excited to be opening for an artist as successful as Bell. He is one of her childhood heroes.
Dennis Pfeiffer, the lead vocalist of Letdown, said opening for Bell is a big step in the right direction for the band.
“Since Drake Bell is more of a mainstream artist and we’re a hardcore indie band, performing in front of his fans will help expand our niche market,” he said. He is especially hoping to expose the crowd to the band’s pop rock music style.
Pfeiffer said Bell’s visit to Gainesville is an obvious indicator that the local music industry is expanding. Because the show has received so much media attention, he believes it’s a stepping stone toward getting bigger artists to come in town and expand the market. Having presences like Bell’s also increases the amount of young college students that attend local shows, he said.
Tyler Moscarello, Letdown’s rhythm guitarist, said he is excited to get onstage and work toward the band’s primary objective, which is to play music that people can relate to.
“At the end of the day, I think that’s all why we’re in this band,” he said. “The satisfaction we get from playing onstage and seeing people enjoy our music means the world to us.”
As a pop punk band, Moscarello said the band is looking forward to exposing their music to a more diverse crowd.
Moscarello said he’s noticed several bigger names coming through the Gainesville area and playing at venues like High Dive. He believes the intimacy of smaller venues allows bands to create better connections with their audience.
Though High Dive’s capacity is about 500 people, Lavery said tickets are almost sold out.