If you can recall, the first column I wrote for the Alligator was about being a freshman spring admit here at UF.
While that still feels like last week, most of us are packing up our 60-square-foot living space and heading elsewhere for the summer. And just before we do that, we’re double-fisting Starbucks and Smokin’Notes like our lives depend on it.
Just keep thinking: We’re in the homestretch.
In the meantime, where did this semester go?
Describing this past semester as “eventful” would be an understatement. To put it bluntly, the past four months have made for some pretty amusing Alligator headlines.
From “Police set trap for unclaimed monkey” to “Walker must pay $300 for stolen taco,” these situations earn the “Meanwhile, in Gainesville” tagline.
As a student body, we’ve laughed, cried, rolled our eyes and shaken our fists at campus happenings exclusive to UF. We obsessively took our sentiments to the Web, where we “liked” and shared campus memes on Facebook, bitched about SOPA and PIPA, spread awareness about Joseph Kony and took sides on the Trayvon Martin case.
To sum it all up, here’s a little recap of a few things I’ll always remember about my first semester as a Gator.
Excuse me if I get a little sentimental.
Campus politics actually became a real thing, and my vote was counted in one of the largest Student Government election turnouts in decades, all because an immature Unite Party guy threw a hissy fit and tossed a couple hundred newspapers in the trash … outside of the journalism school. What a sound idea.
In January, we woke up to the awful news of the Interstate 75 accidents that claimed the lives of 11 people. Gainesville’s dense fog made national headlines as we mourned those who died on the road.
The Gator Nation held its breath as the Gators made their way to the Elite Eight during March Madness, only to fall short in the last quarter.
Then Erving Walker stole a taco.
Recently, we lost a dear member of The Gator Nation. Even those who didn’t know Michael Edmonds, like myself, felt a sense of loss. But as always, the community banded together and remembered this young man.
As far as campus events go, we had some pretty interesting visitors. Ron “F-ing” Swanson actor Nick Offerman played guitar and wore a tacky shirt; Seth Meyers turned out not to be Jewish after all; Billy Joel did his “Piano Man” thing; Rudy Giuliani got yelled at by conspiracy theorists; and Erin Andrews refused a few dates from horny undergraduates.
So, coming full-circle since my first week of cluelessly walking around campus in January, my list of things I’ve learned keeps growing.
The newest addition to my list is that when you receive a UF alert, take it seriously.
Next year I’ll lose the stigma of “freshman” and graduate to the underwhelming title of “sophomore” or “second-year.” Bleh.
A big congrats to all those graduating in May. Whether you’re off to pursue another degree or enter the scary real world, the one that grown-ups talk about with jobs and salaries, I wish you the best of luck.
To those returning for round two (or three, or four or seven) next year, be safe and have a just-as-eventful summer.
Go Gators!
Colleen Wright is a journalism freshman at UF. Her column appears on Tuesdays.
