FLC Presents: Food for Thought

Good afternoon Gators!

Finals are just around the corner, and we here at the UF understand that this can be a very stressful time for students. FLC is putting on another event tonight to give students the opportunity to get away from the textbooks, at least for a little while. Research has proven that those who take breaks while studying are able to perform better, anyways!

Come join us outside of Library West this Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m. for free food, refreshing drinks and to learn a few techniques about how to manage stress from different on-campus organizations. I have attended this in the past, and I can personally attest to how helpful it is.

Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1426668687550863/ to get more information about this awesome stress-releiving event. Good luck with finals!

FLC Presents: Snow, Swamp, and Everything Chomp

Good afternoon Gators!

While everyone is studying for final exams as our semester draws to a close, I wanted to use today's post as an opportunity to spread awareness about an event being put on by the Florida Leadership Council that I am very excited about! Tonight at 6 p.m., join FLC for their Snow, Swamp, and Everything Chomp event that will definitely get you in the holiday spirit!

The event will take place at Weaver Beach, and the night will include hot chocolate, inflatables and even snow. The Florida Cicerones, another great organization at the University of Florida, will also be offering tasty treats by the grill and will be available to answer questions to any potential applicants. UF Hillel will also be providing latkes and wholesome view of the holidays! Tonight is a great opportunity to take a short break from studying to relax and enjoy the holiday festivities while also learning a little more about a few of the many prestigious on-campus organizations offered here. I hope to see everyone there.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the Gator Nation!  Today people across the country will gather with family and loved ones to give thanks for the many blessings in life.  Thank you to all of the Gators that make UF the best university in the country.  May your holiday weekend be full of good food, good company, and a healthy dose of relaxation.

Rise and Shine Gators!

Happy Monday, Gators!

Today I would like to share with you the link to a video called "Rise and Shine, Gators." If you have the time, please spend two minutes watching this video that was created as a motivational tool for students across campus. It highlights what it is like to live in the heart of the Gator Nation.

Here at the University of Florida, we are constantly striving to be the best university we can be. Although we are the best state university in Florida, we are striving for more. Each year this school is more and more competitive across the board. Admissions is increasingly competitive each year, and the students coming in each year are smarter and smarter. The University of Florida is a challenging university filled with driven students who strive to make a difference in the world. The environment here is one in which all students challenge each other and strive to make everyone involved in the learning workplace better. Each year, we come closer and closer to our goal of being a top ten public university in the nation. It is up to us, the students, to accomplish that goal. This is why I encourage everyone to get involved on campus, study as hard as you can and make a difference. We are committed to our goals here at the SG headquarters, and ask the same of every student at this university. Rise and shine, Gators! The time is now for the #UFRising, as we have the opportunity to become one of the most prestigious universities not only in the southeast, but all of America. Seize your day, Gators!

Go Gators! Beat the Eagles!

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. watch as our Gators storm the Florida field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to rebound from a disappointing string of losses to try and earn a victory over the Eagles of Georgia Southern. As I've said before, injuries have been a problem for our team all year, and there is a chance that third-string quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg will be under center for the Gators again this weekend.

After the impressive outing we had against South Carolina in a hostile environment last weekend, which ended up as a close loss, there is no doubt that we should easily be victorious in this game. Georgia Southern, who is 6-4 on the year, is just lacking the kind of skill that an SEC team possesses. However, Georgia Southern is doing good things with their program. They are upgrading next year from the Southern Conference to the Sun Belt Conference. UF payed the program $550,000 to come play us in the swamp tomorrow.

The line favors Florida by 27.5 points in the matchup tomorrow, and I believe that our Gators can cover that spread. Our strong defense should have no trouble slowing down the Eagles' defense all day tomorrow. We need to get a victory on the board to gain some confidence for the powerful Florida State Seminoles that are visiting next weekend. This game should be a good game to prepare us for our biggest rivalry game of the season, which this year happens to be against the No. 2 team in the nation. Make sure to tune into ESPN3 or Sun Sports to watch. Have a safe weekend and go Gators!

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UF Alert Testing 11/19/2013

Yesterday UPD and Emergency Management tested the UF Alert System and encouraged students to update their information. Here, I am recording the message that was sent across campus. Go Gators, update your UF Alert information!

State University System of Florida Receives New Chancellor

Congratulations to Marshall Criser III, who was selected by a search committee on Tuesday, November 12th to become the new chancellor of the State University System of Florida. Criser's dedication to students and strong leadership skills make him an excellent choice and will be an asset to the 300,000 students that attend public universities in Florida.

Criser, who is currently the AT&T Florida president and vice chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees, has said that he will step down from any job that will interfere with his new position. We here at UF are very sad to see Criser go, but are very grateful for the time he served here and the legacy he will be leaving behind on this campus. Criser also currently serves on the Florida Chamber of Commerce board, the Florida Council of 100 and the Enterprise Florida Board.

Criser has deep ties to the University of Florida. As an alumnus and son of former UF president Marshall Criser, we are excited for the great work and representation that Criser will bring to the State University System in his new role as chancellor.

His new job will involve him supervising the professional staff at the Board of Governors and will coordinate efforts among Florida's public universities to represent their best interests to the governor and state lawmakers. Although we are sad to see him go, we know Criser will do phenomenal things in his new role. From everyone here at the University of Florida and the Student Government offices, we wish him the best of luck!

2013 State of the Campus Address

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19th, I will be giving the annual State of the Campus Address. The address covers the status of Student Government and highlights new initiatives and projects undergone by all three branches of government. The event will be in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom from 7 to 9 p.m. I strongly encourage all students who are available to attend this address, as it will be very informative and interesting. There will also be free food and giveaways along with the important updates about the exciting things that are happening here at UF. 

There are a plethora of people inside student government that have been doing extraordinary things during my administration that have helped us progress as a university. Many of the amazing on-campus organizations will be tabling during the event and giving out information about what they accomplish and why they are continuously looking for new members. As for me, I will be speaking about my administration and how I am striving to improve the amount of transparency that Student Government provides the student body, as we are a liaison between the students and the administration. 

Those of us who have chosen to be involved in SG spend our time trying to make the experience of everyone here as enjoyable as possible, and for that reason I recommend everyone comes out to listen and learn about how we are doing that. If you can't attend in person, the event will stream on Google plus under the SG Google plus account. For more information, please don't hesitate to visit our event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/231762563655546/. Thank you to all of you who make what I do possible, and I hope to see you all there tomorrow night! Here is an online invitation cordially inviting you to the event: http://www.evite.com/event/0312GNQ4SNVQRAYUGEPDIT4PEYLHR4. Have a great day and go Gators! 

Go Gators! Beat the Gamecocks

Saturday, the Gators head up to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia in front of an expected sellout crowd. For South Carolina, this game means everything: they have an SEC East title on the line. If the Cocks can beat the Gators, Auburns beats Georgia and Missouri loses one of their next two games, then they will have clinched their second SEC East title in their 21 years in the league. This will send them to Atlanta to most likely play Nick Saban and Alabama for the Southeastern Conference Championship.

For us Gators, we are playing for pride. Florida has suffered 10 season-ending injuries this year, including seven to starters. Injuries along both the offensive and defensive lines have caused the Gators to temporarily lose their physical dominance on both sides of the ball. The offense continues to struggle, and a loss at South Carolina Saturday night will not help Coach Muschamp's case if he wants to continue to be the head ball coach at the University of Florida. Brent Pease is most likely feeling a lot of pressure also, knowing that he is in charge of not only the worst offense in the SEC, but one of the worst offenses in college football. Fans and analysts around the country have been discussing Florida's offensive woes, and many believe that they need to change the entire offensive scheme to bring back the exciting spread offense of years past, when Tebow was the man running the huddle. Regardless of what is to come for the Gators in the near future, they are focused on playing the spoiler role on Saturday night at seven p.m.

With Tyler Murphy suffering an injury and playing sub-par football as of late, Muschamp announced Thursday night that redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg will most likely take his first snaps of college football as the starting quarterback for the Gators Saturday night when he faces off against the 10th-ranked team in all the land. Make sure to tune in the to ESPN2 to watch our Gators try to use their powerful defense to slow down the Gamecocks and grind out a victory. Go Gators!

State of the Campus Address

At 7:00 on Tuesday, November 19th I will deliver the State of the Campus address in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.  This event will feature free food, giveaways, and important updates about all the great things that are happening at UF.

There are many people who have accomplished a lot since the beginning of my administration.  I am excited to celebrate all of our achievements and will continue to look for ways to make the Gator experience better.  

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on the 19th!  Be sure to check out our Facebook Event and Evite!

Celebrating Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day is a holiday that occurs only once a year, but we honor and remember our courageous veterans every day. This holiday is much more meaningful than just a day away from school. It is a day to reflect about our great nation that we take for granted each and every day and to honor the brave men and women who put their lives at risk to ensure our freedom. Those who give up their own freedom to fight to preserve ours are incredibly selfless, and deserve the respect of each and every American. The amount of dedication and love that our soldiers possess for the United States of America is an astounding reminder of how lucky we all are to be able to call this country home.

Today, I encourage everyone to take some time to think about the soldiers in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard and reflect about what they have done throughout the years of America's existence to make this country the best on earth. Think about those who have given up the right to be with their own families to make sure the citizens at home can raise and be with theirs. Also think about the different attacks that have been performed against the USA with the intent of destroying our freedom and sense of safety and be reminded of how our servicemen heroically responded. Every time there has been a crisis, Americans have been reminded of the power of our military and their steadfastness and determination. Whether you watch a video about our veterans or just spend some time thinking about all they do for us, ensure that today you are reminded of how lucky we truly are to have fellow Americans that fight for our country. Thank you veterans for all that you do for us! Your bravery, fearlessness and dedication to others are traits that we all wish to emulate and are extremely grateful for.

Students, today is the perfect opportunity to learn a little more about how our university is dedicated to honoring our veterans with our Collegiate Veterans Society. Log onto the Collegiate Veterans Society website to learn more about how you can help honor our veterans, or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UF.CVS.

GO GATORS: Beat Vandy!!

This weekend our Gators take on the Vanderbilt Commodores for our homecoming game! It should prove to be an exciting game based solely on the fact that it is homecoming. The Gators return to the Swamp for the first time in over a month, and unfortunately, we have a few more losses than the last time we played here.

Last year, the Gators went to Vanderbilt and beat them 31 to 17, led by Jeff Driskel's record-breaking performance with 177 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns. This year, Driskel will be watching from the sidelines, along with many other starting players. The Gators lost another offensive lineman to a season-ending injury this week in practice. However, the Commodores come in with the same record as us. Both teams have four wins and four losses, but the Commodores have won only one SEC matchup this season. With a homecoming crowd behind our beloved Gators in the Swamp, we should hopefully be able to take care of our opponent this weekend. After all, the Vegas odds have us favored to win by ten points.

The Game will kickoff at noon eastern time and can be viewed on Sun Sports. Regardless of how this season has gone so far, Muschamp is excited to get in front of a home crowd and get a win to end our three-game skid. This game has a lot more at stake then people realize at first glance. At this point, we need a victory to stay bowl eligible. Muschamp also has his job on the line, and a loss tomorrow would almost ensure that a new head coach will be headed to Gainesville next season. Make sure to tune in and watch the Gators return to action in the Swamp. Regardless of our team's record so far this season, there aren't many things more exciting than Florida football . GO GATORS!

Celebrating Homecoming Week in Style

This week marks one of the most exciting weeks of the semester on campus here at the University of Florida. Homecoming week is always culminated with Gator Growl on Friday night before the big Homecoming football game on Saturday. This year we will take on Vanderbilt at noon in the Swamp.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Gator Growl, and the show should prove to be one of the greatest in recent years. The show starts at 7 p.m. on November 8th inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and the theme of this year's Growl is "Footprints of the Swamp." Gator Growl producers always strive to make the show as entertaining as possible, as they have added a second stage for this year.

Gator Growl is featuring some impressive talent this year: The Fray, Sister Hazel and the New Directions Veterans Choir will all be performing. The Swamp should be very full for the Growl this year, so get your tickets before it is too late! For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit www.gatorgrowl.org.

With only two days before the show, anticipation around campus is building as we celebrate Homecoming. Gator Growl is just another way that shows how Gators do things: BIG. This show is the largest student-run pep rally in the country, and has been that way for years and years. The hard-working students at this university are always striving to do amazing things, and the dedication that they put towards Gator Growl is truly impressive. Special thanks to all the students involved with Gator Growl that have been working for months to put this show on Friday night and all the supplementary events that go along with it. Make sure to buy a ticket and make it out to support your fellow students and to enjoy a night of talented performers under the stars! Happy Homecoming, Gators!

Reitz Union Update

Good afternoon Gators!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend.  By now, I'm sure everyone knows that our beloved Reitz Union is under construction that will renovate and expand our student union to be the best and most advanced union in the nation!  I've gotten a lot of questions about the renovation and what it means for students as well as student organizations.  My good friend Sarah Frick is the Executive Chair for Student Involvement in the Reitz Union Renovation and Expansion.  Here is what she has to say on the renovation and how students can be involved in the process: 

Hello, Gators! My name is Sarah Frick, and I am the executive director for student involvement for the Reitz Union expansion and renovation project. I would like to update you on the current construction, as well as inform you of the ways students are remaining engaged with the project.

Currently, there are three main entrances into the Reitz Union building. From the North, you can enter the ground floor at the Subway entrance or the first floor using the new stair which connects to the student lounge, right outside of the Career Resource Center. From the West, you can enter through the circle drive breezeway by the hotel desk or via the Concourse that runs along the east side of the building from the Welcome Center to the first floor lobby. From the South, you can enter via the Bookstore/Welcome Center entrance.

Coming in mid-November, construction barricade walls will be placed around the center stairs on the ground, first and second floors of the Reitz Union.  These areas are being closed off, so that the stairs can be removed and new restrooms can be built.  The elevators will still be in commission to get around the building.

There are many ways to get involved with the project as a student. The student advisory committee meets monthly to gather feedback from many student groups on campus about the project. Our goal is to represent a wide array of student groups that utilize the union regularly. We send our thoughts and opinions to the architect team to ensure the project is completed with students in mind. In addition to this committee, the Reitz Union ambassadors are working hard for this project. The ambassadors are willing to visit student organizations to provide a presentation on the project to keep students informed. If you would like a few ambassadors to attend one of your organization’s meetings to give this presentation, please contact me at reitz@sg.ufl.edu. Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the project, feel free to email me.

If you’re interested in learning more about the project, please visit the project website at: http://makeitreitz.com/. You can also see live video of the construction site at: http://oxblue.com/open/skanska/reitzunion.

Thank you for helping us Make It Reitz! Go Gators!

War for the Oar! Florida-Georgia Weekend

This weekend marks one of college football's greatest traditions: the Florida-Georgia football game held annually in Jacksonville. It has also recently become known as the "War for the Okefenokee Oar," a name created by the student governments of the universities in 2009 after they announced the trophy would be a 10-foot-long oar. 

The trophy was anonymously donated to the University of Florida, and has the logos of each school carved into it. The oar was carved from the remains of an old cypress tree that grew in the Okefenokee Swamp, which lies on the Florida-Georgia border. It is presented to the student body president of the winning team each year, but is not given out at the game itself. Being one of the greatest, most historic and traditional rivalries in college football, it is a shame that there has not been a trophy representing the game up until recently. Hopefully, the Gators will be bringing the oar back to its original home this year.

The game will prove to be an interesting one this year as both teams come in banged up and missing multiple starters that are out with season-ending injuries. This is the first time in a while that Florida-Georgia has been a game between two unranked teams. Each team comes in with three losses, but due to a Missouri loss last weekend at the hands of South Carolina, both teams are still alive in the hunt for the SEC East title. 

When traveling to Jacksonville this weekend for the game, make sure to be safe! In one of the biggest cities in the nation by land area, it can be hard to get from place to place in Jacksonville. However, that problem is solved this year with the implementation of a company called Uber in the city. Uber is a smartphone app that links riders to on-demand private rides, usually in classy black sedans or SUVs. I have personally traveled to several cities that feature Uber and can vouch for the ease of use, reliability and safety improvements over traditional transportation options. With this app, the cars go to the riders, which eliminates having to wander around desperately trying to find an available taxi. 

Download the Uber app and use the promo code GoGators to recieve your first ride of up to $20 for free. It will ensure your safety as you get from place to place in a big city on its busiest weekend of the year. I hope that everyone is safe and enjoys this weekend, as it always proves to be one of the most fun and memorable of every fall semester. Hopefully, I will be presented with the Okefenokee Oar this year as well. Have fun and go Gators!!

Guest Post from Student Body Treasurer, Jayce Victor

My good friend, running mate, and current Student Body Treasurer, Jayce Victor, has a ton of updates to share with the student body.  Here is his guest post for today:

Many wonder what the Student Body Treasurer has been up to, well here is a great opportunity to check out his current accomplishments and get a sneak peak of his upcoming goals as well:

April/May 2013

·         During the early summer, Student Body Treasurer Victor, along with the budget committee, heard requests from hundreds of student government funded organizations for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Following student organizational hearings, during the summer, Treasurer Victor had the opportunity to revise the 2012-2013 A&S fee budget and reallocate available funds to student organizations funded by SG. In addition, Treasurer Victor worked with the SG Finance team to increase the efficiency of Docutraq which is the official way of processing goods and services for student groups who are funded by SG. The 3.0 Docutraq system features many improvements and student groups find it easier to navigate. One of the benefits of the new Docutraq system is that it reflects the encumbered and unencumbered balances so student groups know where they stand financially.

June/July 2013

·         Later in the summer months, Treasurer Victor prepared the Student Government budget for fiscal year 2014-2015 and presented the budget before the budget committee. Although he faced challenges with the 5% budget cut, he was able to find a middle ground and reduce spending in unnecessary areas, while still representing the needs of the students. In addition to the Student Government budget, Treasurer Victor worked along with the budget committee held hearings for the rest of the big four organizations (Recreational Sports, Reitz Union, and Student Activity & Involvement). On July 23^rd the Senate passed the final budget of 17,798,535 million dollars for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. One of the challenges that the big four will face this year is a 5% reduction in the budget across the board. This change will affect students, but Treasurer Victor believes in a way this will empower us all to work together and become more inclusive in the things we do.

August/September

·         During the months of August and September, Treasurer Victor trained hundreds of student organizations in order to prepare new officers for the upcoming fiscal year. His goal for training was to find an innovative way to keep students engaged while simultaneously allowing them to retain the useful information that will play a vital role in keeping student organizations fiscally responsible. In addition to training, Treasurer Victor, along with the Reitz Union and Classic Fare, presented a town hall forum called “Know Your Reitz.” This was a great opportunity for students to come out and hear from Reitz Union Director Eddie Daniels and Classic Fare staff about the impact that the Reitz Union renovations will have on their finances.

Treasure Victor continues to manage a 18.9 million dollar budget, where he is responsible for signing off on all expenditures, overseeing student organizations' budgets by processing all SARs and TARs, and frequent training of new officers and new funded groups. In the future, Treasurer Victor also plans to conduct philanthropy through SG finance for groups to donate non-perishable food items and have the opportunity to win a stipend that goes towards their food budget for this fiscal year.  

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jayce Victor at treasurer@sg.ufl.edu or drop by his office on the third floor in the Reitz Union. 

Fitz and Tantrums come to Gainesville

On November 11th at 7 p.m. the rising sextet Fitz and Tantrums and the alternative dance duo Capital Cities will be performing a free concert at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This is another concert being put on the hardworking people at Student Government Productions.

Two tickets may be issued per person with one present UFID. Seating for the show will be general admission on a first-come, first-serve basis. The student tickets will be distributed at the Phillips Center Box Office from noon until 6 p.m. on the day of the show until supplies last.

To learn more about Fitz and Tantrums, visit their website at http://www.fitzandthetantrums.com. A few of their most popular songs include "More Than Just a Dream," and "Out of My League." To get more information about the talented dance team Capital Cities, check out their website at http://capitalcitiesmusic.com.

Thank you to SGP for constantly striving to provide us with talented performers and succeeding again with this show! Get your tickets as early as you can on the 11th
, because supplies won't last long. Enjoy the show, Gators!!

Guest post from Senate President Cory Yeffet

Today's post is a guest blog from the newly elected Senate President, Cory Yeffet.  I served with Cory during my time in Senate and am fortunate to call him a good friend.  After only a few weeks, Cory is already making a big impact as he leads Student Government's legislative branch.

• Hello Gators!

  My name is Cory Yeffet and I am the President of Student Senate here at the University of Florida. I’m excited to share with you all some updates from the legislative branch of our Student Government!

  Two weeks ago, as the fall elections came to a close, we ushered in a new group of fifty, eager Student Senators! As of last night’s meeting, their Orientation Series is complete and they are fully ready to take on the responsibility of representing the 50,000 students that make up the Gator Nation.

  Some new initiatives that the Senate is working on this semester deal with improving student safety through increased technology and lighting all around campus, as well expanding student services such as bike repair and free printing. In addition, we hope to effectively reach out to all of our constituents through Town Hall Meetings that will be taking place across campus. 

  Furthermore, this semester I hope to lead Student Senate toward making a greater impact on our community. As leaders on campus, we understand it is important not only to represent the students, but also to give back to our surrounding environment. Student Senate will be partaking in community service events throughout the semester, even spearheading some of our own. To start, we will have a fundraising team taking part in Gators March For Babies, taking place this coming November. I encourage all of you to come out and support a great cause as well! 

  If you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, or would like to meet, please feel free to contact me at senatepresident@sg.ufl.edu

  Have a great day, and Go Gators! 

  
  

  Cory Yeffet

  

  Chief Justice Marcus Powers (left) swearing in Cory Yeffet (right) as Senate President

  
  

Startup Week UF

This week Gator Innovators is hosting Startup Week UF, a week of programming for students that have entrepreneurial ambitions.  The first event was last night in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.  Events continue through this week and culminate with the "Startup Crawl Through Downtown".  You can find a list of events on the Gator Innovators flyer  below:

GO GATORS: Beat Mizzou!

Good afternoon Gators! This weekend our team will travel to Missouri to play the Tigers in a situation very different than what most of us here in Gator Nation hoped for. When the season started, most fans probably looked at this game as and instantly marked it up as a W in their heads. However, that is far from the truth. The Gators, ranked 22 in the country, will head to Missouri as the underdogs when they play the 14th ranked Tigers.

The Gators are coming off of a tough loss at the hands of LSU last weekend, while the Tigers are coming off arguably one of their program's biggest wins in the recent years when they beat the Georgia Bulldogs last weekend in Athens. It was a victory that shocked the football world. While the Gators held their own against one of the best teams in the nation, their offense implanted many doubts into our fans' heads. The Gators were unable to score even a single touchdown during the loss in Death Valley, although Tyler Murphy proved once again that he was relatively poised and calm for a player with as little game experience as he has.

The bright side is that Florida was able to move the ball up and down the field against one of the better SEC defenses, but problems arose when they got into the red zone all day. The last drive at the end of the game where our offense failed to score any points after getting inside the 20 yard line was hard to watch. Something else that will help us is that Mizzou will be playing without their star quarterback James Franklin, who is the leader and anchor of their offense. If the Gators can protect Tyler Murphy better than they did last week and can actually make some explosive plays on offense, then we could walk away from Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri as victors.

The Tigers are favored by 3.5 points going into the game, so it should be a close battle. The game is set to start at 12:21 eastern standard time, and will be aired on SEC TV. Hopefully our beloved Gators will prove to the nation that they are still contenders in the SEC East and are a force to be reckoned with. This would be a huge bounce-back win for our program. Make sure to tune in and watch Saturday. Go Gators!!

Bring Uber to Jacksonville

Last week, the Alligator published my guest column encouraging the Jacksonville City Council to vote in favor of student safety and pass ordinance 554.  Bill 554 would revise existing municipal laws and allow for alternative transportation options like the popular mobile app, Uber.  This service connects riders with drivers of classy sedans or SUVs, and would provide a reliable alternative transportation option to Jacksonville's current taxi infrastructure.  Please sign the petition and join me in supporting Bring Uber to Jacksonville: http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-uber-to-jacksonville-support-bill-554

Here is my article that ran in the Alligator on October 7:

Every Fall we take our annual pilgrimage to Jacksonville to witness the “War for the Oar,” also known as Florida-Georgia. Each year, Gators get to experience and enjoy the city of Jacksonville but are usually confronted with difficulty getting around one of the nation’s largest cities by land area.

One of the main planks in my platform as student body president is to increase safety for students. After several years of partaking in the Florida-Georgia tradition, I have noticed that safe and reliable transportation is a major issue for students. Jacksonville’s current taxi system becomes easily overwhelmed, which often leaves students wandering through downtown Jacksonville, searching for a way home from EverBank Field or The Jacksonville Landing. Worse, a lack of alternative transportation options could lead to an increase in intoxicated drivers on the roads.

These Jacksonville transportation options could be dramatically improved as soon as next week, as the city council debates allowing the entrance of new ride technologies like Uber to Jacksonville.

Some of you may be familiar with Uber, which is a smartphone app that links riders to on-demand private rides, usually in classy black sedans or SUVs. I have personally traveled to several cities that feature Uber and can vouch for the ease of use, reliability and safety improvements over traditional transportation options. With Uber, the cars go to the riders, not the riders to the cars. No more roaming around downtown Jacksonville desperate for an open taxi.

Uber trips are backed by GPS to ensure fair billing, are linked to your credit card and allow passengers to split fares evenly among themselves. Want to let your friends know what time you’re going to arrive at the game? Use the Uber “Share Your ETA” option so they know exactly how long they will have to wait.

If the Jacksonville City Council is able to pass Ordinance 554 promptly, Uber’s services and others like them could potentially be available for public use in time for this year’s game. If you would like to see Uber and other rider apps available in Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia, I encourage you to email City Council President Bill Gulliford atGulliford@coj.net.

Hope to see you soon in Jacksonville rolling around in safe and classy rides. Go Gators!

OneRepublic Coming to UF!

Thanks to Student Government Productions, one of the many on campus organizations doing great things here at the University of Florida, OneRepublic will be putting on a concert in Gainesville tomorrow night, October 10th at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

This concert is part of OneRepublic's truthLIVE concert tour, which is sponsored by The Truth, an anti-smoking campaign. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and opening performer TeamMate will play at 7:30. SGP sold out of the 5,560 tickets that were given out for the concert in under seven hours.

To get involved or learn more about SGP and how they bring professional musical talent to our university, visit the Student Government website at www.sg.ufl.edu. To everyone attending Thursday's show, enjoy!

Florida Lottery Ice Cream Social

Photo Credit: William A. England, Alligator

Last Thursday, representatives from the Florida Lottery came to UF to host an ice cream social on the Plaza of the Americas.  I made some brief remarks thanking Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O'Connell for her dedication to education in the state of Florida.  Here is a transcript of my speech:

Thank you all for being here today.  I'm sure the reason why most of you are here is for the free ice cream, but I would like to draw your attention to one of Florida's strongest partnerships: education and the Florida Lottery.

Most people view education as the backbone of the American Dream.  Knowledge is empowerment and education is the best way to enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  

In higher education policy, accessibility and affordability are the major issues that students face.  Under Secretary O'Connell's leadership, the Florida Lottery is making a college degree more accessible and more affordable.

Across the state of Florida, 96% of in-state freshmen receive Bright Futures Scholarships. Because of this, our best and brightest to stay in this great state and get a degree from one of the country’s top universities, UF of course being the best University to attend. All joking aside, many students sitting here today were afforded the opportunity thanks to Secretary O’Connell, to fulfill their dream of going to College and becoming a Gator.

On behalf of the entire student body, thank you to the Florida Lottery and especially Secretary O'Connell for her dedication to the students at the University of Florida and students across Florida.

Go Gators!

GO GATORS: Beat Arkansas!

Tomorrow, nighttime football returns to the Swamp for the first time since the Gators hosted Florida State back in November of 2011! We are all very excited here in the Gator Nation to watch our Florida Gators battle an SEC opponent under the bright lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. I cannot decide if I am happier that kickoff is at seven p.m. because the crowd will be more energized than it has been in the recent past, or just solely because all of us who will be inside the stadium on Saturday night won't be sweltering in the vicious Florida sun.

The Gators are coming off of an impressive 24-7 win over the Kentucky Wildcats last Saturday, which was quarterback Tyler Murphy's first career start. He went 14-15 on completions, threw one touchdown pass and ran for another. Besides his one interception, it is safe to say that Murphy impressed people around the country last week. He seems more poised and mobile that Jeff Driscoll was, which seems to be just what our offense needed.

Although things seem bright in Gator Nation, Arkansas is a legitimate opponent. They played exceptionally well against Texas A&M last Saturday, putting up 33 points against one of the nation's best football teams. They will want nothing more than to come to the Swamp and up end a Florida team that is seemingly on the rise.

However, they will be entering one of the nation's toughest stadiums to play in as an opponent, and the Swamp will be electric on Saturday night, especially because the game starts at seven. We can all expect a rowdier Gator crowd than we have seen in a long time this weekend. The Gators are favored by eleven points, and with our defense, it will be hard for the Razorbacks to score a lot of points. If we can get our offense going early in the first half, then I believe that this game can be blown wide open.

Stay safe this weekend, and Go Gators!!

Online Course Syllabi

Today I would like to share a resource with you that many students don't know about. The University of Florida provides one website that centralizes every course syllabus, so that it is easy for students to find all the information they need for their various classes.

This is just one of the many ways that UF is simplifying school for our students. Instead of having to navigate Sakai to each individual class's individual syllabus to find out important information such as due dates and assignments requirements, students can find all syllabi at one location.

syllabus.ufl.edu is the website that provides this luxury for all students. Each class is organized by the college that it is taught under, further simplifying students' ability to find their course. This is also a great way to help students plan their future schedules, by giving them an opportunity to see what a class entails before they enroll in it. Along with that, it can also be a back up for those who have misplaced a syllabus. I encourage all students to use this useful resource to their advantage!

Veterans Tuition Bill

A bill has been filed in the state legislature that will grant honorably discharged veterans in-state tuition.  When soldiers go overseas to ensure the freedoms and liberties Americans enjoy everyday they are not representing the one state that they are from, they are fighting for all fifty states that make up the United States of America.

The bill essentially waives the current one-year requirement for veterans to establish residency in the state before they may qualify for in-state tuition rates. As of now, twenty-six states currently waive the required waiting time to establish residency for veterans in order to obtain in-state tuition rates at public higher education institutions.

Last week in the Florida Senate, the bill sponsored by Sen. Latvala unanimously passed the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security. In this committee Senator Evers amended the bill to specify “honorably discharged” veterans. The bill will be heard next in the Committee on Education. An identical bill sponsored by Rep. Peters has been filed in the House of Representatives although it has not been referred to committee hearings yet. 

At the University of Florida, we have 37 non-resident active duty service members and 119 non-resident veterans. This totals 156 University of Florida students to which this bill would apply. I urge all students to stand with me to support House Bill 35 and Senate Bill 84, which allow all veterans to be eligible for in-state tuition in the state of Florida. 

GO GATORS: Beat Kentucky!

Good afternoon Gator fans! Tomorrow our beloved Gators travel to Kentucky to face the Wildcats at seven p.m. This will be the Gators' first night game of the season. Judging by the past, this is a game the Gators should definitely be able to win.

Saturday night the Gators will look to extend the longest winning streak in the SEC. The Gators have won the last 26 matchups against Kentucky. Even in years that the Gators weren't as dominant as they typically are, they have still found a way to cruise past Kentucky. Tomorrow night, they are favored by thirteen points.

However, there are a few question marks for a Gators team that has already been riddled with injuries early on in the season. With the loss of starting quarterback Jeff Driscoll for the remainder of the season, Tyler Murphy has been forced to step into the role as the leader of the offensive unit. He looked great in his first game under center, but going on the road will be a true test for the redshirt sophomore.

Florida also lost a leader on defense for the season this week in practice when Dominick Easley went down with a torn ACL. This unfortunately means we have probably witnessed Easley, a highly-rated NFL prospect, play his last game in orange and blue.

Make sure to tune in to ESPNU Saturday night to watch the Gators hopefully climb to 3-1 on the season. Have a great weekend and Go Gators!!

UF Counseling & Wellness Center: Therapist Assisted Online

College is an incredible experience; it will include some of the best times and memories of your life. However, college is also very challenging in a variety of ways, and can lead to levels of stress and anxiety that students have never experienced previously.

Therapist Assisted Online, or TAO, is a program offered by the University of Florida Counseling and Wellness Center that is designed to help students overcome these anxiety issues. It is just another one of the ways that UF is here to assist its students.

TAO is a 7 week online program that provides educational modules using researched and highly effective strategies to help overcome anxiety. Each weekly module lasts between thirty and forty minutes, and includes surveys of current symptoms, instructions, and interactive exercises to help relieve stress. The program also includes a ten to fifteen minute video consultation with an informed and caring counselor to track progress. Last but not least, there is a discussion forum where students can interact with each other to help cure anxiety.

If you are experiencing anxiety, do not be afraid to contact the UF Counseling and Wellness Center to find help. Being able to help relieve your problem behind close doors and in the comfort of your own home provides the program with a relaxed yet constructive feeling.

These amazing services are available to all currently enrolled students with anxiety that have access to a webcam. You must be 18 years or older to participate and live within fifty miles of Gainesville, and also cannot be experiencing severe depression or have a substance abuse problem. For more information, check out the TAO website.

Reitz Union Groundbreaking

On Saturday I participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Reitz Union renovation and expansion.  The new Reitz Union will open in 2015 and will have 100,000 sq. ft. of new space and 50,000 sq. ft. of renovated space from the current union.  Here is the transcript of the speech I gave at the ceremony:

Today's ground breaking ceremony is the culmination of nearly a decade of work and effort to update and expand our beloved Reitz Union to better accommodate the growth and success of our students. When the Reitz was built in the 1960's, it was designed to accommodate a student body of approximately 19,000. Today the student population at the University of Florida has more than doubled, and the Reitz sees thousands of people every day. The new Reitz building will be large enough to accommodate even more student organizations on campus, will be a central hub for student services and will have the entire technological infrastructure to ensure when our students leave this campus they will be better trained than their counterparts.

There are many people who have been responsible for bringing this plan to fruition.  First, I would like to recognize Chairman McKeel, his colleagues in the Florida House of Representatives, members of the Florida Senate, and Governor Scott.  Thanks to Chairman McKeel’s leadership and support, the Reitz will continue to be the vital core of our campus.  I would also like to thank President Machen and Vice President Kratzer.  Their tireless dedication to the students of our university shows why we have the most student friendly campus in this nation. Throughout the planning and design of the new facilities, both President Machen and General Kratzer kept the students as their main priority. Even when we were faced with obstacles, their leadership ensured that this project would go on and would be successful. We would not be standing here today if it was not for their leadership and dedication to see this building’s completion. Finally, I want to thank my predecessors and the work they did to help this university reach this milestone today.  Nearly a dozen Student Body Presidents have played a pivotal role in making this project a reality. While I am thrilled to be a part of this ceremony, I would be remiss if I did not recognize all of their contributions.

Today is an amazing day for all Gators. It was a long ride to get to where we are today and countless days spent in our State’s Capitol, but it makes today that much more significant. The new Reitz will embody what it truly means to be a Gator. From housing departments such as Center for Leadership and Service, Student Activities and Involvement, Multicultural and Diversity Affairs and Gator well, we will be able to accommodate all of our student’s needs to make them better leaders. Our Student Government Senate will have an official home on the first floor of the new Reitz named “Student Senate Chambers” and Student Government will have a design and print studio to empower our 1,000 student organizations to showcase their many talents. This new space will provide the foundation to develop future leaders for our great state and nation, and I know the impact this building will have for our students will be far greater than we could have ever imagined.

I am excited for the endless possibilities this building will provide our students and know it will be one of the reasons we become a Top 10 Public University Thank you again for coming here this morning and being part of history.

Go Gators and Beat the Vols!

Florida vs. Tennessee: Go Gators!

Tomorrow at 3:30 our beloved Gators football team will attempt to defend the Swamp for the second time this season. Last season, the Gators went undefeated at home, an accomplishment that puts fear in the thoughts of opposing teams.

The Tennessee Volunteers (2-1) and the Florida Gators (1-1) meet every season for what used to be an important rivalry game in the  Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. The game used to typically decide the team that would represent the East in the SEC Championship game. However, in recent years the Gators have dominated the series. Tomorrow when the two teams meet, Florida will be looking for a ninth straight victory against them.

Both teams come into the game off of tough losses. The Gators are looking to rebound off a tough, surprising loss to Miami a couple of weeks ago. The Vols will attempt to bounce back after a crushing defeat at the mercy of the mighty Oregon Ducks last weekend. This game has major implications on the direction that either team will head for the rest of the season.

The weather is supposed to be 88 degrees and sunny at kickoff, so make sure to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and bring a hat! The Gators' home field advantage of sweltering heat will be in full effect tomorrow afternoon.

Our 19th ranked Gators are favored by 17 points in their first SEC matchup of the season tomorrow, and will try to get a big win to help their status in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' top 25 polls. I hope everyone is as excited as me to get back inside the Swamp, where the girls are the fairest and the boys are squarest of any old state down our way. Go Gators!

Business Spotlight: Spin Chill

Everybody agrees that warm beer sucks. For this week's spotlight, I want to raise awareness about two UF students that hate warm beer so much that they decided to do something about it. Trevor Abbott, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, and Ty Parker, a mechanical engineer who graduated last year, are co-founders of a company called Spin Chill that has designed a product that has the ability to chill a canned beverage must faster than a fridge or a cooler of ice.

Putting a can in a fridge or cooler of ice can take between 10 and 30 minutes to cool to an enjoyable drinking temperature. By using the Spin Chill Chill Bit, a beer can go from room temperature to 32 degrees Fahrenheit in two to three minutes. How? By spinning the container in ice or ice water, convection is introduced to both the inside and outside of the container, thus increasing the rate of heat transfer and cooling the beverage down at a rate of at least 20 times faster than otherwise possible.

Trevor and Ty originally came up with the idea during the summer of 2013 when both traveled to Atlanta, GA for the AngelHack hackathon as a part of the HackerHouse accelerator program that both were involved with.

"Typically hackathons are software based, but Ty and I, having mechanical engineering backgrounds, didn't want to do coding. We were brainstorming ideas at a bar and couldn't come up with much, so we grabbed a case of beer and headed back to our hotel. The case of beer was warm, so we cooled it the quickest way we knew how: by spinning the cans by hand in a bucket of ice water. That's when we decided we were going to invent something that could do that for us. We ended up taking second place at the the Atlanta AngelHack hackathon with it," said Trevor Abbott.

After that weekend, the two came back to Gainesville and got to work on making their idea come to life. They just launched their newest product yesterday, the Beerouette, which is a fully self-contained beer chiller. It can spin cans and bottles and runs off of just four AA batteries. For more information about the awesome new product designed by two of our very own students, check out www.spinchill.com or find the Spin Chill page on Facebook, because everyone agrees that cold beer is the best beer.

2014 Legislative Agenda

Last Monday I traveled with External Affairs Director Abby Whiddon to meet with some of our state legislators.  As the Florida Legislature starts their September committee meetings, Student Government is formulating our legislative agenda.  Our meetings were positive and productive, and I am looking forward to a great legislative session.

I want to make sure that students' needs are at the forefront of this year's legislative agenda.  Please complete the survey below to let me know which issues are most important to you!

Guest Post from SBVP Joselyn Rivas

For today's post I invited my running mate, Student Body Vice President Joselyn Rivas, to share everything that she has been working on.  I am honored to work with her and am impressed by everything that she has done!  Here's what she had to say:

During my term, I am honored to announce that all the platform ideas I ran on have been accomplished. I’d love to talk about a few new initiatives this year.

In order to establish accountability, the paperwork process behind Student Government Cabinet has been revolutionized in that we have successfully transferred all of our forms from a paper process to an online, eco-friendly format. Not only has this created a faster turnover in terms of event programming, but also may potentially become a flagship modernization of Gatorconnect that may be useful system to all student organizations.

A “Presidential Roundtable” is currently being developed to build and foster the lines of communication between Student Government and the student organizations we serve. Goals that will be achieved through a monthly meeting between student organization representatives and myself are transparency, collaborations and the prevention of over-programming.

Cabinet Monthly Leadership Trainings are commencing on October 3, 2013 where Cabinet members will come together once a month and perform an event that exemplifies a leadership pillar, such as community service. Our responsibility as student leaders is to actively impact our campus and community by giving back. 

Applications for Assistant Directors for various Cabinet Departments will be released in early October 2013. These may be found on https://www.sg.ufl.edu/Applications  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Vice President Joselyn Rivas, at vicepresident@sg.ufl.edu or stop by my office hours!