Hello Gators! I’m back for another issue of my new monthly column. I hope everyone survived midterms and is getting ready for a well-deserved Thanksgiving Break!
It’s been a quite busy semester in Student Government. In October, aside from continuing to work on all of the projects we promised the Student Body in the Spring, we lobbied in Tallahassee on educational issues, held an Infinity Hall Town Hall and hosted four tabling events with myself and the other executive officers. We had an incredible turnout at Nickel and Dime with Nick, Java with Jos, Kick Back with Kevin and Chick-Fil-Hey with SG, and I hope student involvement continues to grow throughout the year. We plan to host one of these events weekly for the rest of our term. Kevin, Nick and I have had a great time meeting students from all around campus at these events, and we look forward to meeting more as the year progresses.
This week is particularly special for SG and UF. Today is what I believe to be one of the best Homecoming traditions: Gator Growl! Now, I may admittedly be a little biased because when I was a freshman, I got the opportunity to perform at Gator Growl because the dance team I was on won Soulfest that year. Boy, was I nervous. Like any performer before a big show, I was on edge, felt jittery and went through the dance a million times in my head before finally getting that last surge of confidence and assurance I had all the dance moves down. Then I felt the rush of my life dancing on that stage.
By that point in my freshman year, I hadn’t been in the stadium before as I had yet to attend a football game. Performing on stage in the middle of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the huge lights shining on me, the music playing and dancing with some of my closest friends was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life. I still gush a little with excitement when I think about it, and I know I’m not the only one. UF Homecoming is a unique opportunity for students to build longstanding memories as Gators that they will cherish for years to come and for alumni to reminisce about their experiences on campus. My story and countless others are part of the UF Homecoming tradition, just like those of every Gator that we celebrate this week.
I’m excited for the opportunity to judge Soulfest this year and give another student organization the opportunity to perform at Gator Growl. Aside from watching these talented students perform their talents on stage, I can’t wait to see who is selected as the winner to perform on stage. That’s probably one of my favorite parts of Homecoming and Gator Growl because it shows how many different students are involved in the process and are enthusiastic about their participation in all the events.
Soon after this week, SG will be hosting its own longstanding tradition here with the State of Campus Address. Every year, the Student Body president holds a State of Campus Address to inform the Student Body about the initiatives SG has been hard at work on and update students on the progress of SG thus far. In the past, this event has been solely hosted by the Student Body President, but this year, I decided to revitalize the address and give students the chance to hear from Student Body Vice President Kevin Doan and Student Body Treasurer Nicholas Carre as well. It is the perfect opportunity to find out what’s happening in SG directly from the student leaders. The address will be Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall. I hope to see everyone there!
Once again, please enjoy the Homecoming festivities. Don’t forget to stop by my office hours and tell me about your UF Homecoming traditions. Until next time, ciao!
Joselin Padron-Rasines is the UF Student Body President. Her column appears monthly.
