UF students got to prove they could "go Army, go strong" Wednesday at the Army ROTC Field Day on the North Lawn.
Second Lt. Jennifer Harris, a UF alumna and temporary recruiter for ROTC, shouted counts as students sweated through push-ups for prizes, which included T-shirts, Mason jars, calendars and other UF Army ROTC items.
Harris said the point of the field day was to raise awareness about ROTC and stomp out a few misconceptions about the program
"People think if you join ROTC, you're in for life, and they're going to deploy you, and that's not true," she said.
Harris attributed last year's record-low enrollment of 77 students to the false impression of the program.
This year, through events like the field day and other campus promotions, Harris has battled misjudgments. The battalion has almost doubled to 150 students, she said.
"As long as they're open-minded about it, they listen," Harris said.
ROTC is a voluntary elective that counts toward any major, Harris said. Students can take the elective for up to two years without any obligation to the Army.
At any time, they can voluntarily sign a contract that obligates them to join the Army after they graduate.
"I was a little bit of a party animal, and it saved me from dropping out," said Harris, who attributed her improved public speaking skills and physique, among other qualities, to her time in ROTC.
Students who sign the contract do not have to serve while still enrolled, and the contract pays for tuition, books, a monthly salary, and room and board.
"I'm a really girly girl and was never going to go into the Army," Harris said.
But when she learned about the scholarship her freshman year, she decided to try out the program.
Laura Alarcon, a freshman chemistry major, was not convinced.
"I'm not into that stuff, like dedicating myself to the Army," Alarcon said.
She did, however, dedicate a few minutes of her time to pump out 50 push-ups, which earned her a water bottle, T-shirt and Frisbee.
The exercise left her winded.
"Just doing 50 straight was a little-," she paused to take a breath. "My legs are shaky."
