These last few weeks of classes, exams and studying at Library West until the sun rises are always the hardest. But we need to GET EXCITED! Because Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/winter break in general is a month away! 

Ways to get excited despite the impending doom of final exams:

1) Christmas music, which is probably on some radio station already and, if not, on Pandora and Spotify all year long.

2) Going to Wal-Mart and browsing through the ornaments, poinsettias and fake Christmas trees.

3) Eating festive food and drinking festive drinks.

The Reitz has option three on lock. Take a walk through the first-floor food court and find:

A gingerbread cookie sundae or shake at Burger King. I remember making gingerbread cookies with my mother, and what better way to dwell on those fond memories than with a gingerbread sundae or shake? It'll add a perk to piles of homework. Also at Burger King? Cinnabon Minibon rolls. Even in Gainesville's 70-degree winters, Cinnabon rolls are always delicious and bring memories of that time you were Christmas shopping and ate an entire roll by yourself and threw up in the Dilliard's bathroom. Ok, maybe that was only me, but still, a fond memory nonetheless because I still got some great Christmastime deals!

A gingerbread latte, caramel brulee latte or peppermint mocha at Starbucks, which is known for its festive lattes. Sipping on a peppermint mocha (followed by a gingerbread sundae maybe?) brings a joy that only peppermint and chocolate together can bring. And drinking anything with peppermint not during the holiday season just doesn't taste as good. I worked at a local coffee shop at one time in my life, and I used to drink iced coffee with two pumps of peppermint every shift. And then, at the beginning of November, I drank the same drink, and it was infinitely better because it reminded me how close the holidays are. And, of course, the gingerbread and caramel brulee lattes are rich and filled to the brim with festive flavors swirling in steamed milk. You can also order drinks cold since, even in December, walking across campus can be a sweat fest. Mmmmm.

Everyone's favorite salad joint, Croutons has its fall harvest salad, full of turkey, romaine, apples, corn, cranberries, sun flower seeds and your choice of dressing. What a beautiful taste of fall. Get a half or full size to meet your appetite needs.

Also, in the book store, there's a whole shelf dedicated to holiday candy. There are mint M&M's, Christmas-colored M&M's Minis and M&M's in holiday packaging (all the M&M's!), as well as Skittles in candy cane containers, giant Hershey's Kisses, and bags of the Lifesavers holiday mix. Yay for great gift ideas (for someone else or for yourself)!

Finally, on the ground floor of the Reitz in the Provisions on Demand (POD) Market, there are countless holiday deals. Kind granola bars are two for $3.50, Cheez-It bags are 99 cents and Ricola cough drops are $1.29. And to further combat Florida's ridiculous fluctuating temperatures and resulting turmoil on your immune system, POD is fully stocked with NyQuil and DayQuil.

So as you can see, it's clear the Reitz will get you in the holiday cheer. And the temperature inside the building always seems to feel sub-zero, so maybe it'll even snow inside! I'll definitely post pics if it does.

I got me a Starbucks peppermint mocha. (Kathryn Varn)

Happy holidays everyone!

I am shamelessly in love with Reitz Union Board (RUB) Entertainment. 

I mean, let's get real. The RUB Bands committee has brought Ra Ra Riot, Rooney, Tokyo Police Club, Mac Miller, of Montreal and Childish Gambino here FOR FREE in the last year. And on Oct. 24, Passion Pit will be playing at the O'Connell Center, thanks to RUB Bands and Student Government Productions. Granted, those tickets cost money, but they're still cheaper than the Orlando show I was planning on going to.

Because of these shows, I got to yell my affections at the guitarist of Rooney and get a wink back. I got to take a picture with my musical crush, Dave Monks, of Tokyo Police Club. And most recently, I got to witness an upbeat, mosh-tastic, ridiculous performance by Kevin Barnes and the of Montreal gang. 

My roommate and I (looking rough) with my musical crush Dave Monks from Tokyo Police Club. HE'S PERFECT. (Raamish Karatela)

And RUB Bands even promotes music on the grassroots level. The bi-weekly Local Brew series at the Orange & Brew features Gainesville bands. At the of Montreal show on Sept. 25, local band Xylitone opened. AND on Thursday, there was an open-mic night for all of those aspiring artists out there.

Xylitone opening for of Montreal. (Kathryn Varn)

The RUB Special Events committee is hosting a Yule Ball Nov. 1. Yeah, like the one in Harry Potter. Like prom, but more magical. It is also sponsoring a Battle of the Sexes this Tuesday at the Orange and Brew with FREE FOOD and FUN GAMES. 

RUB Films brings at least a film per week to the Reitz Union for free. In the past, they've shown movies out of theaters, but not yet on DVD, like Magic Mike, which is playing tonight at the Reitz for free (ladies rejoice!) Or the group does advanced screenings of movies, like Paranormal Activity, which will be playing Oct. 19. The group also presents indie films, like Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, which is showing this Sunday-Thursday, and, earlier this year, Safety Not Guaranteed from Sept. 16-20. Plus, the committee just finished up a five-day Japanese Film Festival Thursday night. 

Does this sound like an events guide to a really hip city so far? It should.

This Wednesday, RUB Lectures and Comedians is bringing the Upright Citizens Brigade to campus. Amy Poehler started in that group, which specializes in improv and sketch comedy. We could very well witness the next Amy Poehler in his or her beginning stages FOR COMPLETELY FREE.

The RUB Arts committee, which is new this year, has taken over the Reitz Union gallery on the second floor. From Oct. 17-Oct. 30, the gallery is featuring work from two UF sculpture majors. It opens with a reception on Oct. 18. Currently, the committee is taking applications to be a part of the spring 2013 exhibits. They also host events, like the Instagram gallery night that happened Wednesday and the UF Then & Now gallery on Sept. 10.

On top of all of that students showcasing students, creative events beautiful-ness, there is an entire team within the arts committee devoted to graphic design so that students interested in that career path can join the team and get hands-on experience doing cool graphic design stuff.

And let's not forget about GatorNights, which are most Fridays on the second floor of the Reitz Union. They're primarily planned by special events but sometimes co-sponsored by the other committees. Because who doesn't want a free movie, popcorn, activities AND a midnight breakfast all in one Friday night? 

So basically, there is no reason to ever be bored at UF because there's this entire group of students planning fun events and bringing awesome entertainment to UF's campus. Haters gonna hate, but I am eternally grateful to RUB for making my college experience full of eye-shining, goosebump-inducing, culture-experiencing moments.

Like them on Facebook to get access to all of their awesome events and application dates so that you can be part of this wonderful madness.

The audience tossing balloons at the of Montreal concert. (Kathryn Varn)

I love the Reitz Union. I really do. Everything I could possibly want – Panda Express, a bowling alley, a bookstore full of Gator merchandise, you know, the important things – is consolidated in a giant magical building constantly buzzing with 50,000 of my closest friends.

Oh, right, there are 50,000 students here. And the current union, completed in 1967, was built to house a 20,000-member student body, according to Christian Pierre-Canel, a political science sophomore and student member of the Reitz Union Board of Managers.

So, while the Reitz has undergone small changes since it’s completion more than 40 years ago, UF has outgrown it, and it’s time to renovate and expand.

The current Reitz Union (Kathryn Varn)

Pierre-Canel, 19, and other members of the board were at the Reitz Union first floor last Thursday answering questions and taking suggestions from students as part of the Make It Reitz campaign, which serves to foster support for the renovation and expansion, scheduled to begin in May 2013.

“UF is about innovation,” Pierre-Canel said, “and if the Reitz Union is the heart of the Gator Nation, the innovation needs to be there.”

Economics senior Emerald Thompson, 23, visited the table to give his input. He proposed to Pierre-Canel that UF should build a second Reitz Union and connect the two, a plan that is very similar to the actual plan in place.

According to Pierre-Canel, much of the 100,000 square foot expansion will be built on the Colonnade and then connected to the current union, which will be undergoing up to a 50,000 square foot renovation. There will be still be something with a similar cultural feel as the Colonnade, he said.

The process is going to be very “ebb and flow,” Pierre-Canel said, so the building will be fully functioning for the two and half year change.

There will be more student organization offices, storage space and food court space, Pierre-Canel said. He also mentioned that there will be more social areas for students to congregate than just the lounge outside of the Career Resource Center, which tends to be more of a quiet zone.

The majority of students voted in Spring 2010 against additional fees to fund the expansion and renovation, according to Student Government election results. However, according to Eddie Daniels, executive director of the Reitz Union, the board found a “creative way” to use already existing fees.

The project, estimated to cost $75 million, will not be at any extra cost to students, said Daniels, executive director of the Reitz Union. A $50 million chunk of the funding is coming from a student-paid activity and service fee, Daniels said. This fee has always existed for students and it is being reallocated to pay for a bond that is funding the project.

Another large chunk will come from the Capital Improvement Trust Fund, Daniels said. This is another fee paid by students that increased $2 per credit hour. However, the increase wasn’t a result of the union’s renovation and expansion. 

The funding breakdown can be seen in this screen shot from the Reitz Union’s website:

*CITF stands for Capital Improvement Trust Fund.

*The additional $6 million in Daniels' $75 million estimate comes from fees associated with the bond.

Student Government and the Board of Managers have worked to educate students on the need for a renovation and expansion, Daniels said. To indicate support, student organization leaders sent letters of reinforcement and a number of students signed a petition.

Pierre-Canel compared the process to a Gator football game: We know we’re going to win, but we need the crowd’s support.

I know I’m excited to be able to have room to breathe in the food court during the 12:35 class change and not have to fight to the death for a second-floor meeting room. It’s our home, so let’s make it a high-tech, awesome, comfortable, home.

“At the end of the day, this is our Reitz Union,” Pierre-Canel said. “When it’s completed in 2015, we can say we made history.”

Visit makeitreitz.com for more information.

Think of a typical college class. There are homework assignments and tests and, with those, grades. A lot of pressure, right? With Reitz Union leisure courses, students can learn recreational skills in a casual environment.

This summer, the Union offered bartending, ballet, ballroom dancing, golf, tennis and guitar courses for students of different skill levels. Courses cost between $15 and $50 plus lab or facility fees, and there are four sessions per course.

“It’s definitely better than normal classes,” Bailey McDaniel, an event management senior, said before her second golf session.

She and Chelsea Beaver, a marketing senior, took the course to be able to play competitively with their fathers.

During this session, students are going out to the driving range to work on their full swing, said Scott Hampton, Director of Golf at the Mark Bostick Golf Course since 1998 and instructor of the golf leisure course.  

When Hampton first started teaching the course two years ago, only 3-5 students were signed up. Since then, the class has grown to more than 20 students and is one of the most popular courses offered.

Before Hampton was the leisure course instructor, he taught Golf: For Business and Life, a UF class funded by a grant for the PGA, Hampton said.

On the driving range, Hampton’s golf expertise is apparent.

He gives praise and constructive criticism to his students as they practice their full swing.

“You’re not trying to hit the ball,” he says, “you’re swinging the club.”

The class costs $15 for students and $20 for staff, alumni and the general public. There is also a facility fee of $50. Golf clubs are provided if the student doesn’t have his/her own.

Scott Hampton talks to his students before they practice their swings on the driving range. (Kathryn Varn)

A student shows his UF spirit with a Gator club cover. (Kathryn Varn)

Katalina Beltran, a nutrition senior, has wanted to learn guitar for a while, a desire that motivated her to sign up for Guitar 1. She sits outside room B60 in the Reitz with her acoustic guitar, waiting for class to start.

Raymond Lohengrin-Vives teaches the class. He studied guitar at the University of Miami and has taught the class for 12 years.

Throughout the class I attended, Lehengrin-Vives emphasizes the basics of guitar, like finger placement.

“Think about the notes you’re playing,” he says. “Don’t just do it mechanically.”

Practicing these basics will allow students to play more complex rhythms and melodies, Lehengrin-Vives explains. He then demonstrates on his own guitar, strumming excerpts from many different genres of music.

Students read exercises from an overhead projector during class and have materials to practice in between each class.

The class is $30 for students and $40 for staff, alumni and the general public. There is also a $20 lab fee. 

Lohengrin-Vives teaches his students arpeggios. (Kathryn Varn)

Beltran practices on her acoustic guitar before class starts. (Kathryn Varn)

Ballroom Dancing is another course offered by the Reitz Union. Over the four sessions, students will learn the Rumba, Foxtrot, Swing, Cha-Cha and Waltz from instructor Maria Alvarez.

Alvarez used to own Imperial Dance Studio before it closed in March 2012. When I asked how long she’s been dancing, Alvarez laughed.

“A lot longer than you’ve been alive,” she said.

Griffin Tills, a mechanical engineering junior, and Monika Schechinger, a biological engineering junior, decided to take the class as a couple. Regardless of whether or not students come together or stag, Alvarez makes them switch dance partners.

As students practice the Rumba, Alvarez critiques their foot placement and emphasizes the man’s role to lead the woman.

“We’re training the guys to be polite,” she says.

Next semester, Alvarez hopes to teach retro and Latin dance leisure courses.

The ballroom dance class costs $15 for students and $25 for staff, alumni and the general public. There is also a $50 lab fee.

Alvarez instructs her students as they practice the Rumba. (Kathryn Varn)

Whether it’s ballroom dancing or bartending, leisure courses provide a way for students to learn beyond the classroom. Alvarez sums it up well.

“We just have more fun than anything else.”