On the ground floor of Jennings Hall, UF’s president lived with more than 500 students.
President Kent Fuchs and his wife, Linda, stayed in room 2026 from Aug. 15 to Saturday to help new and returning students move in and to experience on-campus life. After learning about a university president who lived in a residence hall, he said he wanted to try it.
Fuchs knew he wouldn’t be able to meet all 7,000 new students, but he thought if he stayed on campus, he could meet more.
“It would send a message to all the students and their families that the university cares about them enough where the president will be there when they arrive,” he said.
Though he lived in a private apartment with a private bathroom, Fuchs took some of his meals at the Broward Dining Center. His only luxury from the President’s House was his little espresso machine.
While meeting new students, Fuchs helped lug boxes and bins to students’ rooms.
Micaela Di Vico, an 18-year-old UF communication sciences and disorders freshman, was one of the many students who met him during Fuchs’ stay in the hall.
Di Vico said she hadn’t seen the president before the Orlando Pulse shooting vigil at Century Tower. She met him Wednesday while unloading the car with her roommate, Brooklynn.
“We were unloading her car with a bunch of food items in a box, and he came up to us super friendly, and he was like ‘Oh, are you stocking up on food or are you moving in?’” Di Vico said. “And I told him ‘Both — a little bit of both.’”
Fuchs also learned more about the campus itself by taking tours of all the residence halls and learning their histories. But he said one of his most memorable experiences was the shaving-cream fight in Yulee Pit, even though the students won.
Adam Tamargo, a UF computer science freshman, moved into Jennings Hall from Tampa on Thursday.
“I think that it’s pretty cool to have him come down and live here with us, and it shows that he is pretty involved and cares about kids,” the 18-year-old said. “That’s why I’ve always admired the president.”
At the end of the week, Fuchs said he didn’t mind the residence hall beds and was impressed at how great the residence staff performed.
But he isn’t sure if he’ll be doing it again soon.
“I asked my wife if she’ll do it with me again, and she said it was a lot of fun but she wants to think about it,” he said. “So I hope we get to do it!”
