Your palms are sweaty, your knees are weak and your arms are heavy. Is this your first exam? No, it’s justtug of war at RecStravaganza.
UF RecSports will host RecStravaganza 2018 at the Southwest Recreation Center on Thursday, August 23. The event is free to UF students and lasts from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
RecStravaganza runs in correlation with First Week Florida, an annual campus-wide series of events designed to welcome new and returning students to UF. This event will feature sports clubs expos, intramural sports games, Lake Wauburg activities, small group training demos, complimentary chair massages, food, group fitness classes and a number of other athletic activities.
Mike Mitrook, assistant director for marketing and assessment at RecSports, said the primary goal of RecStravaganza is to let students know what programs and facilities are available for students at UF. Despite the event being primarily focused on welcoming new students into the UF family, RecSports wants to be known for its inclusivity.
“Regardless of year, gender, race or physical condition, we are as inclusive as we can possibly be,” Mitrook said. “[RecSports] would like to see everyone participating in our activities.”
The first-year experience at UF varies from student to student. Some students are extroverted and adventurous while others may be introverted and hesitant to participate in events like this. The reasons for so vary upon an individual basis.
Jake Slodkowski, a third-year RecSports team member, said that students should not feel overwhelmed by what is offered at RecStravaganza. For him, students who are open to having fun but are also able to carefully manage their schedules and interests will have a much better time assimilating to life at UF.
“Definitely live in the moment and take in as much as you can, but don’t try to take in everything,” Slodkowski said. “Everything that is being offered at this event will be available all year round so it’s not like you have to do everything at once.”
