If you've never run or supported someone in UF Student Government elections, you wouldn't know - or care to find out - what all the commotion was about on Wednesday night, February 20th, 2013 outside the Orange and Brew. But if by chance you have attended the annual election results announcement for the SG executive and legislative (senate) positions, then you know the excitement - or let down - that it can be!

     I've never been in a mosh pit before, but if I had to guess what it's like, I guess that it's something like being in the middle of the crowd waiting for the SG election results. Hundreds of students, candidates, volunteers, family members, and supporters gathered on the patio outside of the Orange and Brew at midnight in anticipation for the results. And when the results didn't come right at 12:00am, the party chants ensued. Anxiety overcame the crowd and everyone was buzzing with anticipation. But once the announcer took the stage, no one dared to make a sound.

     So, what were the results you ask? Well I'm not here to tell you all that. What I will tell you is that the crowd got rowdy, FAST! There was shouting, jumping, and fist pumping. There was tears of joy, and also tears of disappointment. If you missed it this year, I strongly suggest you come out next year and get in on all the crazy action!

(Photos courtesy of Lucia Curihuaman)

     Have you ever attended a Greek organization's probate or new member presentation? If you've never attended one, you might not know what it is. A probate is the 'coming out' or reveal ceremony of the new members of a Greek sorority or fraternity, typically those in the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Panhellenic Council. Probates typically consist of stepping and/or strolling performances, greetings to the other Greek organizations attending the ceremony, new members reciting information, and then of course, the much anticipated reveal of the new members (which are usually wearing masks or some other type of disguise). 

     I attended my very first probate this past Thursday, November 15th, 2012, at the Reitz Union Auditorium for Delta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc (also known as DPO). DPO was revealing their "Illicit Kappa Class" and there was a full house waiting to see who the new members were. Probates generally consist of a roll call to see what other organizations are in attendance, and I was surprised to see just how diverse the audience was! The audience included brothers from the Interfraternity Council, sisters from the Panhellenic Council, brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity from the National Panhellenic Council, and brothers and sisters from the constitutionally bonded Lambda Theta Phi Fraternity and Lambda Theta Alpha Sorority from the Multicultural Greek Council, just to name a few. Sisters from Gamma Eta Sorority were also in attendance, including the "Sassy Sigma Class" which was presented to the University of Florida community earlier that Thursday in Turlington Plaza and featured yours truly. 

     The new Kappa class of the self-proclaimed "largest, strongest, and fastest growing South Asian interest sorority in the nation" really rocked the Reitz with their unique renditions of popular songs, their precision steps, and their hot moves. But the most exciting part of all? The reveal of the true identities of the new ladies. 

     If you've never been to a probate or new member presentation before, I strongly recommend it. You most certainly do not have to be Greek affiliated to attend, nor do you even need to know anyone in the organizations. A new member presentation is just as entertaining as catching a new movie...unless that movie is Twilight, because in that case, the new member presentation is MUCH more interesting! 

Photo courtesy of Lien Tracy Dang

Photo courtesy of Lien Tracy Dang

Probably since its inception, the University of Florida’s Career Resource Center has been avoided at all costs by Freshman and Sophomore students. Is it fear of having to get up, grow up, and get a job? Or is it that these students don’t realize what the CRC truly has to offer them? I guess it could be that they just get lost easily and can’t find it, but I’m guessing it’s not the latter.

Most underclassmen think the big bad Career Resource Center is just for seniors looking for full time jobs and/or internships. Now, don’t get me wrong, the CRC DEFINITELY DOES offer resources of that nature, but there is so much more to it than just that.

"The CRC offers really unique opportunities for all students to become involved", says Julie Bunson, Career Events Graduate Student Assistant at the Career Resource Center. Julie is in charge of the Employer Relations Ambassadors (ERA), who serve as hosts at the Fall and Spring Career Showcase (the largest career fair in the Southeast). Julie understands that most Freshman are not concerned with job searches at this point in their lives, and may still be in the major exploration stage, but getting involved with Career Showcase is a unique opportunity for students to research what careers may interest them, and to begin building relationships with potential employers. As a senior attending the Career Showcase and looking for a job, you'll probably wish you had gotten involved 2 or 3 years earlier.

Kristy Spear, Assistant Director for Career Development, actually specializes in services for first and second year students. Kristy says one of the most valuable services the CRC offers for Freshman and Sophomores is CHOMP. CHOMP is an online, do-it-yourself process available at the CRC website (www.crc.ufl.edu) that helps students explore different majors and career paths. Kristy also warns that despite popular belief, a specific major doesn't equal a specific career path, and that students can set up career planning appointments with CRC staff to discuss their career goals and and steps they can take to get on the right path to achieving them.
 

The CRC also offers mock interviews with CRC staff, and while I know that first and second year students might not be ready to begin their job hunt, maybe you're thinking of applying for a leadership position on campus. Perhaps Student Government or Preview Staff? Maybe Campus Diplomats or Florida Cicerones? There are tons of ways to get involved on campus, and plenty of leadership opportunities, but most are going to require an interview! The CRC's mock interviews can be tailored to whatever your goals are, and nothing can knocks those pre-interview jitters out like a little practice and preparation!

If I still haven't sold you on the Career Resource Center, maybe some cookies will do the trick? Check out these sweet fortune cookies available at the CRC's front desk!

(Photos by Kaitlyn Hosticka)

Whether your a first year student, or a super senior, the Princeton Review #1 ranked Career Resource Center has a fortune to offer! 

One of my favorite past-times/hobbies/things to do while being lazy is watching movies. Comedy, horror, thriller, basically any genre (except those gushy love story movies. I’ve never even seen The Notebook. Or Dear John. Or The Vow. Ok, you get the point.) So color me in love when, after just moving to Gainesville with no TV, I found out that students can see free movies at the Reitz Union all week long. And since the opportunity to see some super sweet movies at the JWRU is coming up this week, I figured this was the perfect time to let you know how to catch a free flick!

RUB (Reitz Union Board) Entertainment is a student-run programming board that is “committed to providing you with fun, free and quality entertainment, seven days a week”, claims their website, www.union.ufl.edu/ProgramsArtsLeisure/RUBEntertainment. And may I add that they totally keep their word? You can catch me catching a movie at the Reitz Union auditorium at least once a week. And we aren’t talking about those old and lame movies that come on the Lifetime channel either. The Reitz Union often does special and advanced screenings of new movies before they are even released in theaters, like Paranormal Activity 3, American Reunion, and Jeff Who Lives at Home. Some of my favorite movies I’ve seen at “The Reitz Cinema” as I like to call it include The Nightmare Before Christmas, 50/50, the special screening of Pearl Jam Twenty, and Good Burger (because seriously, who loves orange soda?!)

If you haven’t heard about GatorNights! yet, then go ahead and get out from under that rock where you must be living. GatorNights! happens every Friday night during the Fall, Spring, and Summer B semesters and offers first run movies, comedians, bands, video games, arts & crafts, novelties, a midnight breakfast, and much more, all for the low low price of free. Now, I must admit that I’m not usually a fan of all the games and novelties, because I’m not 7 and don’t need a balloon animal, nor am I Kanye West and so I won’t be wearing splatter-painted shutter shades anytime soon (or ever). However, I do love when the Theater Strike Force performs (“UF’s Premier Improv and Sketch Comedy Troupe”) at the Orange and Brew, and all the free soda and popcorn that I get to have while watching the movies.

            So what type of entertainment does the Reitz Union have in store for you this week? I thought you’d never ask! Well, if by the end of the first week of classes you're in need of a little fun, make sure you don’t miss GatorNights! this Friday, August 24^th, where you can see Men In Black 3, enjoy popcorn, soda, and a snow cone, let your inner child have a blast on the inflatables, grab an early (midnight) breakfast, and much more! And on Sunday, August 26^th, RUB Entertainment faithfully commences its nightly movie viewing with The Avengers.

To make sure you stay aware of what’s going on at the JWRU, visit these websites:

https://www.union.ufl.edu/ProgramsArtsLeisure/RUBEntertainment/Calendar

https://www.union.ufl.edu/ProgramsArtsLeisure/GatorNights

1. FREE EVENTS

In a good week, there can be an event taking place at the Reitz Union almost every day, and with such a large student body, it can be hard for organizations to advertise their events to everyone on campus. Even if you accept every flyer handed to you in Turlington, you follow every UF related twitter,  and you log onto Facebook in your sleep, it can still be easy to miss out on information about an upcoming event. As a student assistant at the Career Resource Center, I go to the Reitz Union everyday, and I can't even count the times that I've walked out of my office and taken advantage of an event that I didn't even know was supposed to take place. Many events are held on the lawn or the colonnade, so if you ever see a large gathering of students near the Union, it's in your best interest to head over there! You wouldn't want to miss out on an event like a comedy show by Nick Offerman, the Hope for Haiti Talent Show, the Off Campus Housing Fair, Gator Mania, or even an exclusive movie screening, would you? I didn't think so. And the great thing about events on campus is what brings us to our second point...

2. FREE FOOD 

The majority of events taking place at the Reitz Union offer a college student's dream come true: Straight A's without having to study? Not exactly. But if your dream come true is free food, then the Reitz Union is where you want to be. If you're feeling hungry but your pockets are a little light, make sure to check out the Reitz Union during lunch time. A savvy college student can get themselves a free lunch almost every day of the week just by checking out different events on campus. Many organizations hope to entice students into attending their events with offerings of free food like pizza or ice cream, and a real swanky event may even offer a full buffet! Why shell out dough for bite to eat when you can treat yourself to a more budget-friendly meal just by stopping by the Reitz? 

3. FREE GEAR

What beats free food? Free stuff, of course! Tee shirts, frisbees, water bottles, USB's, hats, croakies, coozies, flip flops, high lighters, coffee mugs; the possibilities are endless! Most people know that getting the attention of a college student can be nearly impossible if you don't have some sweet goodies to offer them. As I mentioned above, the Reitz Union is home to many events and activities, which makes it a mecca for free gear. Student organizations often table on the colonnade with lots of giveaways in hopes to recruit new members, but my personal favorite types of events for getting free stuff are fairs. Events such as the Off Campus Housing Fair and the Summer Job and Internship Fair host numerous businesses and organizations, each bringing their own supply of free stuff up for grabs for students like you. Check out this free tee shirt that student Cody Engle got from UF Student Government Productions while they were tabling out on the colonnade. 

(Photo taken by Kaitlyn Hosticka)

So, what's the best way to make sure you don't miss out on any of the awesome free stuff mentioned above? That's right! Visit the J. Wayne Reitz Union at least once a day! There's no telling what you'll find!