UF fraternity under investigation for hazing

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Florida had its

worst 3-point

shooting night of

the season in a 20-point

loss to Kentucky

on Tuesday.

See story, page 13.

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

We Inform. You Decide.

WWW.

VOLUME 106 ISSUE 96

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Gay rights

supporters

relish Prop 8

decision in

California

? THE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

WAS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

MEREDITH RUTLAND

Alligator Staff Writer

Brett Le Blanc / Alligator

Burning Rubber

An Alachua County Fire Rescue Worker packs up equipment at 3530 SE Hawthorne Road after tending to a commercial tire fire

Tuesday evening. See page 5 for the story.

UF fraternity under investigation for hazing

KATHERINE HAHN

Alligator Contributing Writer

A UF fraternity is under investigation for

a reported hazing incident.

Alpha Phi Alpha, a National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternity, has been implicated in a

hazing incident that occurred over the weekend, said interim vice president for Student

Affairs Dave Kratzer.

The incident was reported on Saturday,

according to the University

Police Department¡¯s Crime

Log. However, the hazing

began Jan. 9, the first day

of the spring semester.

UF President Bernie

Machen emailed a statement to students Tuesday

afternoon to announce

Machen

that UPD is investigating

the incident. The Division of Student Affairs

is assisting in the investigation, he said.

Machen did not name the fraternity, but

Kratzer confirmed it was Alpha Phi Alpha.

¡°With the nature of this investigation,

there is simply not a lot that we can discuss

at this time,¡± said UPD spokesman Maj. Brad

Barber.

Kratzer said no one was hospitalized as

a result of the hazing, which occurred off

see HAZING, page 8

Authorities arrest 21 in child-sex sting

TYLER JETT

Alligator Staff Writer

Standing at the front door of

an unknown house in northern

Gainesville on Feb. 1, Lenard

Norman was already anxious

about the police.

About four hours earlier,

around 7 p.m., Norman responded to a Craigslist ad in the

Today

FORECAST

OPINIONS

CLASSIFIEDS

personal/casual encounters section. After exchanging emails,

Norman learned he was chatting

with a 14-year-old boy, according to the arrest report.

The boy said his parents were

out of town. Norman, 24, said he

would swing by the house.

¡°Still i m a little worried about

u being underage,¡± he wrote.

¡°Not looking to go to jail.¡±

77/48

2

6

10

CROSSWORD

SPORTS

11

13

When he arrived at the house,

Norman rang the doorbell. Four

officers came outside, grabbed

his hands, covered his mouth

and pulled him to the ground.

The ¡°14-year-old boy¡± was really Gainesville Police Detective

Scott Meffen Jr.

Norman, charged with three

counts of obscene communication, was one of 21 men arrested

Woman dies in single-car accident on I-75

The 19-year-old was from Clearwater, Fla., pg 4.

New CLAS website helps students discover majors

About 101,000 students have used it since launch, pg 9.

as part of Operation Tailfeather,

a joint investigation by GPD and

the Alachua Country Sherrif¡¯s

Office that began Jan. 30 and

ended Monday morning.

Norman is a UF alumnus.

He graduated last year from the

College of Education, and was

fired Monday from his job teaching second graders at Metcalfe

Gainesville gay rights supporters are

excited that a California same-sex marriage ban was deemed unconstitutional

Tuesday by a San Francisco federal appeals panel.

The ban, called Proposition 8, was approved by 52 percent of California voters

in 2008. Supporters expect the issue to

go to the Supreme Court, although the

appeal had not been sent as of Tuesday

night. Until then, Gainesville groups will

wait and celebrate.

Terry Fleming, co-president of the

Pride Community Center of North Central Florida, said members of the center

are thrilled with the decision and will

watch to see what happens next.

¡°This is a historic decision that will

have an impact across the nation,¡± he

said. ¡°If it violates it in California, it violates it across the nation.¡±

Bridget Siegel, external vice president

for the Pride Student Union at UF, said

the announcement was a big victory for

gay rights supporters. The group has not

planned activist activities in reaction to

the announcement, but she said she expects the group to arrange events within

the next week.

¡°Finally for it to be deemed completely unconstitutional is an amazing opportunity,¡± said Siegel, a 20-year-old religion

studies sophomore.

Mayor Craig Lowe, who is the city¡¯s

first openly gay mayor, said the measure

was a step forward for the nation.

If the Supreme Court decides to look at

the issue, Lowe said he will consider asking the City Commission to pass a resolution supporting the push for same-sex

marriage.

¡°Ultimately, what will be required is

the realization that all families have value

and deserve to be respected under the

law,¡± Lowe said.

see sting, page 8

Student Senate hears plan for spring

election polling locations

Backup locations are deemed impossible, pg. 3.

2, ALLIGATOR ¡ì WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

News Today

What¡¯s Happening

Collaborating with Strangers

Workshop

Today, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

University Gallery (Fine Arts

Building B)

Unmask your creative potential, find quick ways to make

long-term connections and turn

small talk into big ideas. The

workshop connects students

and faculty on campus during

three-minute speed meetings

sponsored by the George A.

Smathers Libraries. To register and get more information,

visit uflib.ufl.edu/pio/

CoLAB/home.html.

Radical About Christ Bible

Study

Today, 5:30p.m.

Little Hall, Room 201

Are you ready for February, the

month of love? Radical About

Christ presents ¡°The Month of

Unconditional Love.¡± The second topic to be covered is ¡°Me,

Myself, and I.¡± Come and enjoy

the word of God tonight.

Golden Key General Body

Meeting

Today, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Turlington, Room L001

Come out to Golden Key¡¯s second meeting to learn about ongoing events and opportunities

this semester. There will be free

pizza, soda and a performance

by Theatre Strike Force. Bring

children¡¯s toys and clothing for

the Footprints collection drive to

be donated to kids at Shands.

Gators Assisting Pets Interest

Meeting

Today, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Stuzin Hall, Room 200

Gators Assisting Pets is looking

for committed volunteers for

ongoing projects and upcoming events. The organization

works to find homes for shelter

animals to end euthanasia in

Gainesville. Come to the meeting to learn about volunteer

and leadership opportunities

this semester.

Reitz

Entertainment

Board

Presents : Melancholia

Today and Thursday, 8:30 p.m.

and 10:30 p.m.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and

Michael (Alexander Skarsg?rd)

are celebrating their marriage

at a party in the home of her

sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg)

and brother-in-law (Kiefer

Sutherland). Meanwhile, the

planet Melancholia is heading

toward Earth. Every showing is

free and open to the public.

Return of Alpha Zeta Rose Sale

Today through Tuesday

Want to surprise a loved one or

a dear friend with some roses

this Valentine¡¯s Day? The Alpha

Zeta Rose Sale returns this year

to make it possible. Contact

Gernide Zamor at gzamor08@

ufl.edu for an order form. Once

the order is submitted, members of Alpha Zeta will deliver

it anywhere on campus (faculty

and staff only). Orders range

FORECAST

TODAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PARTLY

CLOUDY

77/48

PARTLY

CLOUDY

72/46

PARTLY

CLOUDY

75/49

PARTLY

CLOUDY

66/41

PARTLY

CLOUDY

66/42

from bouquets to single roses.

Ahn Trio with the Nai-Ni Chen

Dance Company

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Phillips Center for the

Performing Arts

Experience an imaginative,

cross-cultural collaboration

between the Ahn Trio and the

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

as they draw inspiration from

poetry, drama, music and

dance to bring an artistic fusion of Eastern splendor and

Western dynamism. Student

tickets are $12. Visit performingarts.ufl.edu for more information.

¡°Ignorance,

Women

and

Excellent Science¡±

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Ustler Hall Atrium

Philosopher of science and

technology professor Carla

Fehr of the University of

Waterloo will discuss the role

of women in academic science

and engineering research and

the impact of scientific diversity on research innovation. A

Q&A session will follow. For

more information, visit

humanities.ufl.edu.

Why I Believe in God: The

Moral Argument for the

Existence of God

Thursday and Friday, 7 p.m.

to 9 p.m. and Saturday, 11:30

a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Ocora at Pugh Hall

Come to this free lecture series by UF alumnus Clifford

Goldstein. Goldstein is an

American author and editor. One of his recent books

is ¡°God, G?del, and Grace: A

Philosophy of Faith.¡±

For more information visit

cliffordgoldsteinuf or email

uf.babyisaac@.

Medical College Forum

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Reitz

Union

Grand

Ballroom.

The 15th annual Medical

College Forum presents

a picture of what medical school is really like.

Deans of admissions from

top med schools, including

every school in Florida as

well as schools from across

the country, will be there to

answer questions. A panel

of current medical students

will also be there to give

an inside look at life as a

med student. Go to mcf to learn more

about the event and register early. Early registration is $20, registration on

Saturday is $25. Registration

includes a T-shirt and tote

bag.

Me, Myself, and God

Monday, 7 p.m.

Reitz Union Grand Ballroom

Islam on Campus is hosting the second lecture event

of Islam Awareness Month

about Tawheed: the Oneness

of God, and the direct connection followers of Islam

claim with God. Free food

will be provided. For more

information, please visit .

Valentine¡¯s Day Yoga & Salsa

Monday, 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Southwest Recreation Center

Desiring a calm, soothing

evening or a sizzling salsa?

Bring a friend, significant

other or just yourself to the

free Valentine¡¯s Day Yoga

and Salsa event. Registration

opens Wednesday. For more

information, visit recsports.

ufl.edu.

Got something going on?

Want to see it in this space?

Send an email with ¡°What¡¯s

Happening¡± in the subject

line to emorrow@alligator.

org. To ensure publication

in the next day¡¯s newspaper, please submit the event

before 5 p.m. Please model

your submissions after above

events. Improperly formatted ¡°What¡¯s Happening¡±

submissions may not appear

in the paper. Press releases

will not appear in the paper.

CORRECTIONS

In Tuesday¡¯s newspaper, the

Alligator incorrectly reported that

Nathan Skop earned 4,955 votes

in the at-large 1 race. Skop earned

2,955 votes.

In Tuesday¡¯s newspaper, the

Alligator incorrectly reported that

Dawn Xenakis was the owner of

A Southern Elegance Salon. Dawn

Xenakis is the owner of Dawn Marie. Loraine Michelle Shireman is

the owner of A Southern Elegance

Salon.

In Tuesday¡¯s newspaper, the

Alligator incorrectly named Carly

Wilson as a Unite Party senator.

Wilson is a Students Party senator.

The Alligator strives to be

accurate and clear in its news

reports and editorials.

If you find an error, please call

our newsroom at 352-376-4458

or email editor@.

VOLUME 106 ISSUE 96

ISSN 0889-2423

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications Inc., of Gainesville, Florida

NEWSROOM

352-376-4458 (Voice), 352-376-4467 (Fax)

Editor Joey Flechas, jflechas@

Managing Editor / Print Emily Morrow, emorrow@

Managing Editor / Online Marissa Prieto, mprieto@

University Editor Clare Lennon, clennon@

Metro Editor Meredith Rutland,

mrutland@

Breaking News Editor Jon Silman, jsilman@

Opinions Editor Justin Hayes, jhayes@

Freelance Editor Erin Jester, ejester@

Sports Editor Matt Watts, mwatts@

Assistant Sports Editor John Boothe, jboothe@

Editor Joe Morgan, joemorgan@

Editorial Board Joey Flechas, Emily Morrow,

Justin Hayes, Josh Isom

Photo Editors Dana Burke, dburke@,

Brett Le Blanc, bleblanc@

the Avenue Editor Sami Main, smain@

Copy Desk Chiefs Tom Green, Phil Kegler, Greg Luca,

Corey McCall, Rachel Rowan

Copy Editors Calli Breil, Chloe Finch,

Karly Kehres, Sarah Kinonen,

Wade Millward, Elesa Paschke,

Raven Pritchett, David Williams,

Nika Zecevic

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

352-376-4482, 800-257-4341, 352-376-4556 (Fax)

Advertising Director Shaun O¡¯Connor,

soconnor@

Retail Advertising Manager Gary Miller, gmiller@

Advertising Assistant Melissa Bell

Display Advertising Clerks Stephanie Parker, Barbara Valle

Intern Coordinator Ally Russo

Sales Representatives Serina Braddock, Brighid Hourihan,

Angela Hunter, Michael Jimenez,

Sarah Platt, Brandon Stern,

Kristen Strobel, Courtney Sutherland

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

352-373-FIND (Voice), 352-376-3015(Fax)

Classified Advertising Manager Ellen Light, ellight@

Classified Clerks William McCloud

BUSINESS

352-376-4446 (Voice), 352-376-4556 (Fax)

Comptroller Delia Kradolfer

Senior Bookkeeper Melissa Bell, mbell@

Accounting Clerks Courtney Barber, Christine O¡¯Leary

ADMINISTRATION

352-376-4446 (Voice), 352-376-4556 (Fax)

General Manager Patricia Carey, tcarey@

Administrative Manager Rachel Stephens

Administrative Assistant Lenora McGowan,

lmcgowan@

President Emeritus C.E. Barber, cebarber@

SYSTEMS

Desktop Support Manager Kevin Hart

PRODUCTION

Production Manager Stephanie Gocklin,

sgocklin@

Assistant Production Manager Erica Bales, ebales@

Advertising Production Staff James Nolton, Vincent Pierino

Editorial Production Staff Maegan Dennis, Shawn Janetzke,

Natalie Teer

The Independent Florida Alligator is a student newspaper serving the University of Florida, published by a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) educational organization, Campus Communications Inc., P.O. Box

14257, Gainesville, Florida, 32604-2257. The Alligator is published Monday through Friday mornings, except during holidays and exam periods. During UF summer academic terms The Alligator is

published Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Alligator is a member of the Newspaper Association of America, National Newspaper Association, Florida Press Association and Southern University Newspapers.

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that location from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for holidays. Classifieds also can

be placed at the UF Bookstore. ? Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. No portion of The Alligator

may be reproduced in any means without the written consent of an officer of Campus Communications Inc.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 ¡ì ALLIGATOR, 3

Student Senate discusses polling plan for spring elections

Backup polling locations deemed ¡®impossible¡¯

SAMANTHA SHAVELL

Alligator Writer

During Tuesday night¡¯s Student Senate

meeting, UF¡¯s Supervisor of Elections presented her backup plan for the spring elections but did not bring a list of secondary

polling locations.

Toni Megna did not accept questions.

She divided her plan for the Feb. 21 and

Feb. 22 elections into several sections.

¡°Her job is to provide detailed

procedures if something were to go

wrong, and she provided us with

nonsense.¡±

Gillian Leytham

Students Party senator

If less than half of the 11 polling locations are down, poll workers will direct

students to other locations.

If more than half are down for less than

an hour, the time will not be made up.

If that many are down between one and

six hours, polls will stay open three hours

later.

But if this occurs on the last voting day,

the time will not be made up.

If more than half are down for more

than six hours on any day, voting will re-

Elizabeth Hamilton / Alligator

Supervisor of Elections Toni Megna, 21, presents her contingency plan at the Student

Senate meeting Tuesday night.

sume on the run-off days, Feb. 28 and Feb.

29.

Megna also said the Election Commission will approve the list of polling locations on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

According to election codes, Megna was

also supposed to present a list of backup

polling locations.

But at Tuesday¡¯s meeting, she said that

would be impossible.

¡°Only possible way to have [polling locations] in a moment¡¯s notice or a couple

hours are to have unsecured location voting,¡± she said.

This violates the election codes, she

said.

After the meeting, Megna said she talked to the voting program facilitator, Steven

Bourdon, on Monday about the locations.

She said she learned that having secondary locations would be impossible.

After the meeting, Election Code Revision Committee co-chair Katie Waldman

said she was not aware backup polling locations would be impossible.

¡°I would like to look [the plan] over and

see if it follows the revisions,¡± she said.

Students Party Sen. Gillian Leytham

said after the meeting that Megna¡¯s plans

seemed incoherent.

¡°Her job is to provide detailed procedures if something were to go wrong,¡±

she said. ¡°And she provided us with nonsense.¡±

4, ALLIGATOR ¡ì WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

student life

New app provides UF students with fitness information

EMILY MILLER

Alligator Contributing Writer

UF students can find fitness

classes, track instructors and share

their opinions through a new fitness

website and application.

The web-based service, peerFit,

aims to increase access to group

fitness information. UF graduate

students Ed Buckley, Scott Peeples,

Matt Redinger and Rex Tullius

make up the team behind the free

service.

It features campus facilities such

as Living Well, Southwest Recre-

ation Center and Student Recreation

and Fitness Center.

Although peerFit has been available as a prototype since the summer, this week marks its debut at

UF. The team will host a launch party at 101 Cantina Sunday at 6 p.m.

¡°We tried to build a system that

made exercising fun and personalized,¡± said Buckley, 24, who founded peerFit and is working toward a

doctoral degree in health education

and behavior.

The service allows users to search

nearby facilities, learn about group

fitness classes, follow instructors

and share feedback. It is also available as an iPhone or Android app

¡°We tried to build a system that made exercising

fun and personalized."

Ed Buckley

UF graduate student

and links to Facebook and Twitter.

Sarah Taj, a 19-year-old criminology junior, said she would use peerFit to track her favorite instructors.

¡°I know some instructors use

different techniques, and you never know which other classes they

teach, so that could be helpful,¡±

said Taj, who takes group classes at

Southwest Recreation Center.

Users can register with the service, but registration is not required

to search the site. Registered users

can receive reminders to sign up for

certain classes.

Mike Avery, the program assistant in fitness at Living Well in Yon

Hall, said peerFit is a great way to

share group fitness information

with students.

¡°Non-members can see what we

offer,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a good way for

members to see what they are get-

ting into.¡±

The peerFit team tested a prototype formed in March 2011 created

by a programming team. By the

summer, 44 universities had tested

it, and 15 of them used the live test

version in the fall.

During the first eight months,

the team paid for the research and

design themselves. Since then, they

have raised $150,000, Buckley said.

¡°Our goal is to get people into

the right group fitness class for

them, and that¡¯s what our system

does,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s to help find a

class that¡¯s right for you.¡±

Police union members thank senator for opposing jail privatization

BENJAMIN S. BRASCH

Alligator Writer

Seven people went to Sen. Steve Oelrich¡¯s

office on Tuesday to thank him for opposing

a state bill that would privatize jails across

the state.

Oelrich announced his opposition Feb.

1 for a bill that would privatize prisons in

Florida, which supporters said would take

jobs out of town and give local jobs to corporations.

The company says it can save taxpayers

between $16 million and $45 million, said Jeff

McAdams, president of the Alachua County

Fraternal Order of Police lodge, Gator Lodge

No. 67.

¡°I have never heard of something so

¡°Prison privatization puts any

community at risk. Once they privatize prison, schools are next.¡±

Steve Oelrich

Fla. senator

The supporters, which included four activists and three police union members, said

Oelrich¡¯s support showed them that unions

have a voice in Florida legislation.

Oelrich is in Tallahassee for the legislative session. The supporters thanked his staff

with a bouquet of orange roses and white and

purple flowers wrapped in purple ribbon.

The Corrections Corporation of America

would manage Florida¡¯s jails if the bill is approved. State Bill 2038, the piece of legislation, was introduced to the Senate on Jan. 20.

Alex Catalano / Alligator Staff

Jeff McAdams, president of the Alachua County Fraternal Order of Police lodge,

thanks Sen. Steve Oelrich on Tuesday for opposing a state bill that would privatize

Florida prisons.

Woman in pickup

dies on interstate

? SHE WAS FROM

CLEARWATER, FLA.

EMILY MORROW

Alligator Staff Writer

A 19-year-old woman

was killed in a single-car accident on Interstate 75 Tuesday morning.

Devin Arielle Turnquist,

whose hometown was Clearwater, Fla., was driving south

on I-75 in a Ford Explorer

pickup when she drove off

the interstate and into a tree,

according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.

After hitting the tree, her

pickup flipped over and slid

down a ditch on the west

side of the interstate.

FHP responded to a call

around 8 a.m., reporting a

damaged fence near mile

marker 379 in the southbound lane of I-75.

When troopers arrived

to the scene, they found the

pickup in some brush in the

ditch.

Turnquist

was

pronounced dead on the scene,

the report said.

Julie Garrett, a spokeswoman for Santa Fe College,

said Turnquist was listed in

the Santa Fe directory but

was not currently taking

classes.

FHP¡¯s Traffic Homicide

Investigators are looking

into the case.

frightening and absurd,¡± McAdams said. He

has been with the Gainesville Police Department for 19 years. ¡°There are more efficient

ways to use taxpayer money.¡±

Activist Dave Schneider said unions keep

jobs in town, and the current governor doesn¡¯t

understand that,

¡°Prison privatization puts any community

at risk,¡± he said. ¡°Once they privatize prison,

schools are next.¡±

Others are more concerned about public

safety.

¡°This bill does nothing to protect our citizens,¡± McAdams said.

Under the bill, if there was ever a prisoner breakout, the Corrections Corporation

of America would be responsible to pay for

the first 48 hours of apprehension. But after

that, it would be the taxpayer¡¯s responsibility, he said.

The senator received 2,000 emails in the

past week supporting his fight against the

privatization of jails in Florida, said Tonya

Shays, a legislative assistant in Oelrich¡¯s office.

¡°The elected officials need to remember

who elects and un-elects them,¡± McAdams

said.

Pepsi Refresh Project to sponsor grants

JULIA GLUM

Alligator Writer

UF has set a goal of zero waste on campus by 2015, and

a soft drink company wants to help make that happen.

This year¡¯s Pepsi Refresh Project will sponsor one

$10,000 grant and one $5,000 grant for student organizations that develop campaigns to help reach the zero-waste

goal.

There are seven finalists in the two categories.

Students can vote for the idea they would like to see

happen at gator1.ufl.edu/zerowaste. Voting closes at

noon on Feb. 29.

In 2010, Pepsi Refresh awarded Dance Marathon at UF

a $15,000 grant and Gators Do It With Helmets On with

a $5,000 grant, both for improving the community. The

competition did not include a zero-waste stipulation.

This time, UF Business Services, Pepsi representatives

and the Office of Sustainability decided to link the zerowaste goal with the grant contest.

Last month, a panel of judges from Pepsi, UF Business

Services and the Office of Sustainability reviewed project

submissions for content and feasibility.

The projects must have expected completion dates

within a year of the date the grants are awarded, according to the official rules.

The three $10,000 finalists are Gators Going Green,

Florida Alternative Breaks and Gators for a Sustainable

Campus.

Gators Going Green has been using Twitter and Face-

book to encourage students to vote, said the organization¡¯s

executive director, Brittnie Baker.

¡°Going zero-waste is one way we can move in a positive direction for the health of our environment,¡± she

said.

Baker said the grant money could make an impact beyond UF¡¯s campus.

Pennington said all the ideas are creative and exciting.

¡°We¡¯d honestly be happy to see any of them win,¡± she

said. ¡°Hopefully they get out, rally votes for their ideas

and we see some fun stuff come to shape on campus.¡±

FINALISTS

For the $10,000 grant :

? Gators Going Green proposed a Fraternity Row recycling

program.

? Florida Alternative Breaks suggested reducing waste from

service trips and going paperless.

? Gators for a Sustainable Campus want to provide game day

self-service stations so tailgaters can recycle.

For the $5,000 grant :

? I.D.E.A.S. wants to create a ¡°Recycling Fairy,¡± a costumed

mascot who would encourage recycling.

? The Sustainability Interest Group wants to provide recycling

bins in the Health Science Center Library.

? Gators for a Sustainable Campus wants to improve recycling within the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

? Benton Engineering Council wants to make its annual Engineering Week a waste-free event.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 ¡ì ALLIGATOR, 5

Library West vending machine offers school supplies

? THE MACHINE ACCEPTS GATOR

1 CARDS OR CREDIT CARDS AND

WILL BE WORKING BY THE END

OF THE WEEK.

SAMANTHA SHAVELL

Alligator Writer

Frantic study sessions in Library

West might be less stressful with the

addition of a school-supply vending

machine.

The machine, which sells pens, paper, notecards and blue books, was put

on the second floor near a copy machine last week.

As of Tuesday, the supplies machine

was not functional. The credit card

reader had not been put in yet, said

Mike Chambers, a programming assistant for Business Services. He said

it will be working by the end of the

week.

The machine, funded by the bookstore, takes Gator 1 Cards or credit

cards, but not cash, said UF Bookstores

director Lynne Vaughan. She said it will

be easier to maintain without cash.

Vaughan said Student Government

asked for supplies to put a machine

near the library about a year ago.

¡°I¡¯m anxious to see how well it

does,¡± Vaughan said.

The vending machine is convenient,

said 19-year-old health science freshman Ashley Goez. She said she would

use it if she had to go to class and

needed a folder, but she wouldn¡¯t use

it regularly.

¡°Here, it¡¯s a little more expensive

than other places, like Walmart,¡± she

said.

The prices are higher than at the

bookstore to account for taxes, Vaughan

said.

She declined to comment on the cost

but said the machines are ¡°very expensive.¡± Before the university looks at

installing more, she said, the UF Bookstore will determine if it¡¯s economically

feasible.

Alex Catalano / Alligator Staff

Psychology senior Jodi Wallace and biology senior Noelani Arango look at the inventory in the

school-supply vending machine, located on the second floor of Library West on Tuesday afternoon.

Commercial fire started in scrapyard to burn out by itself

The fire is contained but will burn ¡®for days¡¯

JON SILMAN

Alligator Staff Writer

A commercial tire fire started Tuesday afternoon in southeast Gainesville will burn for the next few days.

According to Alachua County Fire Rescue Lt. James Clif-

ford, a group of workers used a rotary saw to cut down a metal building in the back of Jolo Enterprises Inc., a scrapyard, at

3530 SE Hawthorne Road at about 2:30 p.m.

Sparks from the saw and large piles of tires caught fire,

and the building went up in flames.

Clifford said nine fire trucks answered the initial call.

The Division of Forestry bulldozed a dirt perimeter around

the fire, and hours later, it burned and smoldered while Clifford and crew, the only fire truck left on scene at 6 p.m., rolled

up the last hose. A large pillar of black smoke crept skyward.

¡°The fire is 100 percent contained,¡± Clifford said, ¡°but it¡¯s

going to burn for days.¡±

He said considering the amount of tire and debris in the

contained area, letting it burn out on its own was the best option.

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