Design Your Reitz: Choose the Furniture for the New Reitz Union

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone has been enjoying this abbreviated week and is looking forward to the weekend.  I want to give a quick update on the Reitz Union construction project.  For those of you that don't come to the Reitz on a regular basis, construction is well underway, and the builders have made a lot of progress.

The new Reitz will be student space through and through.  The team that is overseeing this project wants to gather as much student input as possible.  The first floor of the Reitz has a seating area set up with 17 different seating options to chose from.  You can vote for the option you like most at www.makeitreitz.com/vote  I have my favorite seating options, now it's time for you to pick yours.  Act quickly, because today is the last day to vote.

Go Gators!

Welcome Back Video

The fall semester is finally upon us. As we get back into the full swing of things, I wanted to share my welcome back video with the entire student body.

Speaking from personal experience, I understand that the beginning of the semester can be a very busy, stressful, yet also fun time. There is a plethora of opportunities available for students to get involved with during this time of year, so don't wait to get involved! I firmly believe that with 900 student organizations there is something out there for everyone, including freshman who are just starting class for the first time. The sooner you find your niche here at UF, the better your overall experience will be.

Some of the organizations and resources I outlined in my video include Greek organizations, the Alumni Association, the Career Resource Center, and Student Government. These are a few great examples of involvement opportunities that can truly enhance your college experience.

Again, I encourage everyone to work hard, get involved in something your passionate about, and have fun while doing it. I hope everyone is having a great start to their semester and is exicted about what the near future has in store! Oh...and don't forget to stay classy, Gators.



UF Utilizes D.C. Lobbyists

Recently topics in the U.S. Congress have had their roots in higher education. As the Student Body President for the state’s flagship university I believe that one of our duties as a Student Government is to represent our students in Washington, D.C. during this critical time.

In 1992, SG established External Affairs, an agency charged lobbying on behalf of UF students. Since 2012, the External Affairs agency has been aided in lobbying efforts through the help of the professional lobbying firm, Cardenas Partners.

Cardenas helps us reach out to officials allowing us opportunities to defend against loan rate hikes, protect Pell Grants, provide education benefits to our large student veteran community and fight for STEM visas.

This week the Huffington Post even published an article titled, “University of Florida Students’ Lobbying Firm Helps Put Issues In Front Of Congress.” The article describes how and why professional lobbyists are important to us.

Additionally, if you are interested in helping impact the State University System (SUS), there are many jobs in D.C. open for you to consider. One in particular is as a Fellow for the SUS. Responsibilities range from attending hearings and bill markups to arranging and organizing meetings in Congressional offices.

Remember just because Gainesville is a long way away from Washington does not mean that our efforts and opinions do not matter!

Business Spotlight: ALTR

For today’s post I would like to kick-off a series of spotlights that we will be doing this year on local and start-up businesses. This first business features a Gator product, one I believe many people will enjoy!

While pursuing her MBA at UCF, Alexandra Gramatikas first proposed her business plan as a part of an annual Entrepreneurial Joust Business Plan Competition. Her company, based off of the winning plan for this competition and started with the prize money, is named ALTR.

ALTR carries button covers, which allow you to actually ALTR your garment. The company is UF licensed and does carry a UF-themed cover.  With this product, any garment can instantly be changed into Gator-garb, no need to buy a separate Gator-themed shirt.

This is a great idea and something that really can make life easier come gameday when everyone is always scouring their closets for orange and blue!

Get 10% OFF using code: ALTRNATION!