As mere high school seniors we anxiously arrive for a weekend at UF that basically consists of choosing classes for the upcoming semester and meeting a vast group of people from all over Florida. Girls dress to the nine and guys gawking at the potentials. Our parents are stressed out half the time asking questions and making sure everything gets done before we have to leave but nothing puts them on edge more than the infamous “Date Rape/Campus Theft” presentation we all have to attend at the Reitz Union. Of course, as soon-to-be college students we take everything as borderline urban myths (no pun intended) and spend the rest of thetime reassuring our mothers that “they [UF Preview Staff] have to say those things” and that “everything will be ok”. The weekend comes to a closing. We drive back to finish off our Senior year while taking any chance possible to tell someone we are “going to Florida in the fall” or somehow show off one of the million Gator knickknacks we picked up at the Florida Bookstore.
Summer B: This one applies to those of us who were brilliant enough to sign up for this term. It begins the last week in June and runs for six heavenly weeks. We (and everyone else moving in) make a necessary run to Target (on Archer) and Wal-Mart to purchase plastic bins in every size available, extra-long fitted sheets, easy-to-make microwaveable foods, and sch
ool supplies among other things. We excitedly show up to what will be our home for the summer, meet our resident R.A.’s, roommates, and neighbors, and unpack as quickly as possible so we can get about or way. Here comes the popular “Wave our parents goodbye scene”. Although deep down we may be .0001 scared about what college will be like, it is completely overshadowed by our ecstatic state of happiness that we will officially be on our own the moment they drive off. Mom’s get teary-eyed, dads give us that “I wish I was still 18 look,” and our siblings say something to the effect of, “don’t f**k up”. They leave. You take a deep breath. The FIRST day of the rest of your life as a GATOR begins!
Everyone takes classes such as “Insects” or “Wildlife Issues” pretending it’s legit. Let’s be real we all know Summer B is NOT about classes but rather, our social calendar. We befriend people from our floors and build a group that becomes our family away from home. Of course, the freshmen dorms are covered with flyers to parties downtown (i.e. Sky Nightclub circa 2002) that basically promise to make your dreams come true. Fake ID’s are in abundance, and clothes are scarce (for the ladies). Most experience the first hangover that prohibits one from attending classes and while hanging our head over the toilet we try to strike deals with God promising that we'll never do this again if he just lets us feel better. (P.S. I’m sure God knew better than to trust our promises in those instances). Most of this summer is partially a blur but what we do remember is that it was the BEST summer of our lives.
Freshman Year Fall: Some will argue that Freshmen fall is the BEST one out of the the four (or 5 for many) but although it closely resembles sublime, I still hold that Senior year fall blows the rest out of the water (but we will get to that in a bit. Anyway, for some, myself included, the beginning of fall is filled with sorority/fraternity rush. (i.e. Running of the bulls at Norman field, coffee filters, frat row, etc) which could be an entire different blog so I’ll keep this one more general….
Other freshmen year fall firsts include: University Avenue bars (Swamp, Purple Porpoise, Cluck-U, etc.), MAC1147 (the only college course I dropped), Turlington flyering around the 12:50pm class change, the Hub, Later Gator, roommate issues, declaring a major, changing your major, Broward dinning, Broward pool, mixing HS friends with new friends, Pizza by the Slice, SNAP, The Alligator, Campus Outfitters, Walk of shame, the Turkey drop (when everyone breaks up with their High School bf/gf’s right around Thanksgiving time), Gator Growl, Family Weekends, and last BUT MOST IMPORTANT (and the main reason for this blog) GATOR FOOTBALL!!!
(NOTE: I could literally write for hours about this so I am going to cover a bit so we can all get the idea) Let me paint the picture:
6 o’clock game day. You wake up around 10 a.m. (can’t waste game day hours sleeping), shake off last night’s hangover with UF’s finest Gatorade (Sidenote: Not only are we awesome but what other school can claim that they have the all-time best remedy for hangovers?!?) you walk over to your closet (focusing on your particular game day section where it looks like it threw up orange and blue) and pick out the outfit you will be wearing for the next 16 hours or so. You slip on your rainbows, smack the Gator sticker on your face among a dozen other accessories, and head out the door. As you approach 13th and University with your 20 or so closest friends you get more and more psyched. A sea of generations of Gators tailgating in every corner.
Dogs dressed up in Gator costumes chewing on the opposing team’smascot, babies wearing cheerleading uniforms/football jerseys, senior citizens suited up from head to toe in their vintage Gator gear, among many scenarios.
You can almost taste the delicious burgers being grilled in the back of Gator-themed RV’s. While walking you catch all the pre-game shows on the plasmas tailgaters have somehow setup in what appears to be practically an outdoor living space. Gator songs resonate throughout the commotion as you clasp your hands in your best Gator Chomp.
You happily tailgate for the next 7-8 hours anticipating kick off. About an hour before game time you begin to see the crowds closing shop and heading (or stumbling) towards “THE SWAMP.” You find your section (sneak in all of your friends who aren’t in your block) and prepare to experience a feeling a GATOR never forgets. The jumpotron begins to play,(see video)
chills cover your body as the UF cheerleaders run out waving the beautiful G-A-T-O-R-S flags, screaming inundates the stadium, and our men run out on the field. In truth, WORDS could never do the feeling you get during this moment. If you’ve experienced first hand there is no doubt in my mind that you know exactly what I am talking about. As the game proceeds, you experience a wide range of emotions including happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, desperation, (Zook seasons in particular) relief, etc. For those 4 hours about 100,000 people become a unit, a family, the best family of all, the GATOR NATION. Every cheer is extended with immense joy, every scream filled with passion, and every high-five almost leaves a mark.
As the 3rd quarter concludes, we all link up and jointly attempt to sing, “We are the boys from old Florida,” a tradition that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Regardless of where you came from, how old you may be, where you are headed, those 4 hours fill your soul with a sense of belonging that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.
Win or lose, Gator fans take enormous pride in continuing the celebration long after the masses have emptied the stadium. Despite the final score, Gators will party with equal enthusiasm. Cheers, hugs, laughs, bar brawls, closing tabs, last call, are but a few of the things you will be guaranteed to experience that night. As the night ends, Gators go to sleep already awaiting the upcoming game that will fill another page in the book of memories we take with us.
Now let’s fast forward:
Senior Year: Like I mentioned, I find this to be the most memorable year of all. Mainly because at this point, you’ve already established your group of best friends that have been protagonists in your college life experience and this particular year is about savoring all of your “lasts” as a student at the University of Florida.
Many of us make it a priority to attend every single game that fall, keg parties now begin at 12pm on weekdays, Swamp Restaurant employees becomes some of our closest personal friends, no more fake ID’s (and the stress that goes along with it), laying out by the pool before class becomes a necessity, Sunday dinners /shows with our best friends becomes a tradition, among many other things. In my case, this year became about living every second to it’s fullest potential because immediately following graduation we all knew something would change. Senior year is filled with moments of reflection where you reminisce on your past four years and the personal evolution is impossible to ignore. We came in as enthusiastic wide-eyed kids, and are leaving as fulfilled adults ready to take on the world.
As the end of our Spring semester nears, a bit of nervousness may rear it’s head. Mainly because Gainesville has been our home for the past 4 (or more) years and come May we will all part ways. Unlike our High School friends, many of us come from various parts of Florida or the states for that matter.
There are no “Thanksgiving/Christmas break” visits back home that guarantees us a reunion. Instead, all we have is the SWAMP. Here, whenever we return we get an opportunity to become that family once more and connect with our GATOR NATION. Alumni Status: This is where we truly become what I like to refer to as “die-hard- I-bleed-orange-and-blue-GATORS.” Until this point, regardless of how much you thought you appreciated Florida while you attended, you realize you didn’t really KNOOOOW. There is something about walking down a random street far away from Gainesville and noticing a stranger wearing some sort of Gator gear that makes you smile. Whether you share a “Go Gators” or simply go about your way, it’s that moment that sparks your undying pride for the University of Florida. Saturday Game days away from our alma mater are replaced with gatherings at local Alum bars or BBQ’s with our friends. Although we converse about our daily lives, there is a sense of particular unity the moment we speak of the home we share.
Whether you’re talking with your best friend, sorority sister, Gator Alum that attended 20 years before you did, we all KNOW. We all felt the hot August days, the frigid winter nights, and everything in between. It’s an understanding deeper than we could have ever imagined as those 18-year-old freshmen we once were. It gives you chills every time you see an old game day video, you shed a tear whenever you share a hug after winning long-awaited National Championship games, and fills your heart with PRIDE knowing that no matter when or where you are, you will always be a FLORIDA GATOR!
1 comment:
OMG, talk about a walk down memory lane! This gave me the chills... I still say no matter what other experiences I've had... being a part of Gator Nation is at the top of the list! I love this post so much! Tks for writing it! ;)
Post a Comment