It’s the best of times and the worst of times in Gainesville.
If you’re a freshman, it’s the best of times. You’re on your own for the first time and you finally are getting the chance to pursue an education that interests you. No more math or English classes if you don’t want them.
If you’re a returning student, it’s the worst of times. Few, if any, of your friends are in town. You’re longing for a time when you can go outside without being drenched in either rain or sweat (or both), and there are freshmen everywhere.
It’s Summer B in Gainesville.
For those of you new to the Alligator, we exclusively cover UF sports. And as July drags on into August, there’s a distinct lack of college competition. Baseball season ended last month and football is still three months away.
So why check out the sports section?
We’re here to keep you informed about anything and everything happening in UF athletics. You never know when another football player is going to be arrested (see right).
Summer B is a unique semester. Is it the start of a new academic year the end of the last one?
We would like to strike a balance between the two. We’re going to review what happened last year with our annual Alligator Awards, recapping the best and worst of Gators sports.
We’ll also try to preview the upcoming fall sports so you can be informed not only about football and basketball, but also smaller sports like soccer and volleyball.
A lot of freshmen attend Summer B to get a head start on academics and the college experience. Sports, especially football, are an integral part of college life.
In addition to covering any and all news that happens in the next six weeks, we’ll do our best to educate new students on what they need to know about Florida sports. Who’s important, what you should do and what you should watch for. At least once every week, we’ll have a “What to Expect” column with information about teams, players and coaches.
That way, you can school all the upperclassmen who come back after three months of lounging at home.
Welcome to UF. Try to stay dry.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
