U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio visited his alma mater Saturday, joining UF students and alumni for the Florida Blue Key banquet and induction ceremony.
Rubio, a UF graduate who defeated former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in November for the Senate seat, gave the banquet’s keynote speech to an audience that included UF President Bernie Machen, former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and UF Student Body President Ashton Charles.
During his speech, Rubio cited the national debt as a central threat to America and called for an end to crisis-oriented government in Washington, D.C.
“We can’t lurch from one crisis to the other,” he said in an interview before the banquet. “We’ve got to figure out a way to get ahead of the issues before the issues get ahead of us.”
Rubio said the United States distinguishes itself from other nations not through its government but through its people. America, he said, is a nation of citizens who come from many backgrounds but are all “descendants of go-getters.”
“If tomorrow America decided we want to be just like everyone else — who takes America’s place?” he said. “There is no one waiting in line to be who we have been.”
The 64 Florida Blue Key inductees, including UF basketball player Chandler Parsons, were then officially welcomed into the organization, which is the university’s oldest honor and service society. According to Florida Blue Key President Craig Thompson, the organization has about 160 student members.
For many in the audience, the banquet was the first opportunity they had to hear Rubio speak, he said.
“He’s a die-hard Gator and loves the University of Florida,” Thompson said of the senator.
Kiel Green, a UF junior who was inducted into Florida Blue Key Saturday, said that while Rubio’s speech was more political than he expected, it included ideas that people needed to hear.
“It’s nice to have [our] service to the University of Florida rewarded,” he said.
