Week Cinco!!

I’m ready for the summer semester to end and I am super excited about my classes in the fall, (most of them). The ones I’m looking forward to are botany, introduction to architecture, and introduction to landscape architecture. But then there’s math… DUN DUN DUN!! I really like math but it seems like I always make one small mistake on tests that greatly affects my grade. I need to make sure I stay focused in the fall so I can make my parents and family proud! I’m also really excited to have an apartment. I would have NEVER imagined me, Bryana, to have an apartment at the age of 18. I feel so old!!! 😦 But I am ready to take on the responsibilities and have fun. Overall, my summer semester was a great transition into college. I met many amazing people that  I know will be here for me throughout the next few years. The University of Florida is the best university everrrrrr!! Go gators!! 😀

E-Checkup

Underaged drinking is always a discussed in college. Every class, every workshop, every meeting; the word “underage drinking” comes up. I do not really care about drinking since I don’t do it. So the e-checkup was not helpful to me but I’m sure it helps out others and allows them to realize the harm it causes. If I start drinking I will use E-Checkup to calculate how much money I’m spending on alcohol and if I am drinking too much. 

UF Student Activities and Involvement

 

Involvement Team

The Involvement Team at the Student Involvement Center is there specifically to help students get involved. Team members aid students in finding specific clubs to fit their interests and schedules. They are a great resource for freshmen to utilize when making decisions about what they’d like to be involved with in the future. Here is the weblink for more information:https://www.studentinvolvement.ufl.edu/Home

 

How do you get connected?

 

All you have to do is go to the Student Involvement Center on the third floor of the Reitz. Ask about getting involved and they will set up an appointment to meet up with an available staff member!

 

What they do!

 

Once you meet up with a team member, there will be a sit-down session where the member gets to know you and your interests and/or hobbies. They fill out a template based on what you tell them and it allows them to narrow down the organizations best suitable for you.

 

Other ways to get connected!

 

Almost every weekday there are clubs, organizations, and sororities/fraternities outside the Turlington Plaza trying to promote their groups to students. Do not be hesitant to talk to them and ask questions. Here are a few other ways to find out what UF offers:

 

-First Year Florida Class

-Talking to your Resident Assistant about how to get connected

-Speaking with Faculty and Staff

-Attend events on campus such as GatorNights, Weeks of Welcome, GATORMANIA, Student Organization Fairs, Cultural Welcome Assemblies, and many more!

 

Student Activities

 

Student Organizations are a huge part of the University of Florida experience, there are over 900 different groups! Here is a list of a few:

 

Types of organizations

 

-Activity and Service Fee Supported

-General

-Regional

-Social Sorority/Fraternity

-Sponsored

-Sports Clubs Council

-Student Government Political Parties

 

Gatormania

 

Originally founded as “Salsamania” by Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, this event was created to be a summer “Weeks Of Welcome” (WOW) event. In its second year it became a collaborative effort with the Asian American Student Union. As the event’s popularity quickly grew, other student organizations joined the collaborative efforts. During its third year, the name was officially changed to Gatormania to reflect the variety of student organizations that were participating in the carnival celebration. In the time since, the event has grown to include various campus partners including:

 

-Student Government

-Multicultural and Diversity Affairs

-Student Activities and Involvement

-Gator Nights

 

• Where

-Traditionally held at the Reitz Union

 

• Time

-Gatormania is held every Friday during the Summer B semester

 

How to start a student organization?  

 

If a student wants to create a new organization at UF they can. They must have ten members including a president and treasurer, an approved constitution and a faculty advisor and must complete annual registration paperwork and training with Student Activities and Involvement to maintain access to university benefits. Here are the steps!

 

-Visit the Center for Student Activities and Involvement or visit the Reitz Union to have a professional sit and walk you through the legal process

-Register your organization

-Apply for funding from Student Government. To apply for funding simply fill out the SG Special Request Application found at www.sg.ufl.edu/allocations.

 

 

TRiP and Outfitters

Travel and Recreation Program (TRiP) is a student lead, non-profit organization that provides outdoor adventure trips to students and faculty. It is a great, safe way to experience the outdoors, gain new skills, and have fun. TRiP works alongside Outfitters, who provides rentable outdoor equipment to students, such as camping equipment.

Trip

TRiP is a great way to meet new people and be one with nature. They plan 20-30 trips each semester that feature various outdoor recreational activities in some of the most breathtaking environments in the Southeast region.  No experience is necessary! Here are a few of many activities TRiP is involved in:

-Backpacking

-Rock Climbing

-Paddling

-Whitewater Rafting

-Skiing & Snowboarding

• How and where to register for TRiP

TRiP is located on the ground floor of the Reitz Union or you can call Outfitters at 352-846-3003 to fill out a registration form. It begins the second week of each semester and continues until the trip is sold out or until the Tuesday afternoon the week of the trip. Registration is first-come first serve basis! You will need the following items to register and be eligible for TRiP:

-Full payment and completed signed forms

-Local address

-UFID

-Emergency contact information

-Health insurance information (mandatory)

 

• TRiP Leaders

 

TRiP Leaders are the “chaperones” of the your experience. They lead the group and make sure everyone is safe and enjoying themselves. They must go through a semester long training program including a 3-credit UF course, Wilderness First Aid Training and a week-long backpacking trip. TRiP leaders devote their college experience to what they do because it allows them the experience leadership, technical, group facilitation, and wilderness skills. If anyone is interested in becoming a TRiP leader they must go through training which includes weekly class attendance, staff meetings, several tabling events, training trips, and mentoring sessions. It requires excellent time management skills and dedication to the program.

 

Outfitters

This program offers outdoor recreational experiences and helps one enhance/develop leadership skills. Some of the services and equipment Outfitters rents out includes are:

-Camping equipment and supplies

-Backpacking equipment and supplies

-Canoes

-Kayaks

 

-Snorkeling and diving equipment

 

The Greek Life

The Sorority and Fraternity Affairs section of the Student Activities and Involvement department deals with the Greek communities at UF. There are 62 sororities and fraternities. Each of these falls under a certain council

 

• Interfraternity Council (IFC)

-Composed of 25 fraternities on campus

-Fall recruitment (rush) begins September 8th with an orientation and then continues until the 12th with nighty events at each of the chapter houses

To register for recruitment week or to learn more about this council, go towww.ufifc.org

• Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)

-Culturally based 7 fraternities and 5 sororities

-Membership intake for joining these organizations varies by chapters but usually only happens once a year. To learn more about joining or just the chapters in general, there is a MGC showcase on September 6th. You can also visit www.ufmgc.org to learn about the council

 

• National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPHC)

-Consists of 8 historically-black organizations, 4 fraternities and 4 sororities

-Joining varies by chapter and will usually happen in either fall or spring depending on the organization. There are individual meeting occurring throughout the year but two large events are “Meet the Divine Nine”  and also NPHC recruitment week is September 8th- 14th. To learn more about NPHC you can visit http://www.theufnphc.org/

 

• PanHellenic Council

-Made up of 16 sororities

-Recruitment will take place August 17-25. There will be a Potential New Member orientation and 4 rounds of events to go learn about all the different sororities. To learn more about the recruitment and other info visithttp://www.ufpanhellenic.org

 

All of these organizations are built upon for very strong values:

• Scholarship

-Offers programs to help create scholarships for members

-Members who have to same major or class can study or tutor together

-There is also an incentive program that rewards members for academic success

• Service

-Chapters sponsor service weeks throughout the year in order to give back to the community

• Leadership

-Self-governing- giving the members to lead and further their chapter but also the larger community

-Serves as a “gateway to involvement”- members often serve in high positions in other clubs and organizations at UF as well as in their sorority or fraternity.

• Community

-Helps with the transition from high school

-Gives a place for students to feel at home

 

-Meet diverse people at different functions and events

 

Student Activities and Involvement!

UF Student Activities and Involvement

 

Involvement Team

 

The Involvement Team at the Student Involvement Center is there specifically to help students get involved. Team members aid students in finding specific clubs to fit their interests and schedules. They are a great resource for freshmen to utilize when making decisions about what they’d like to be involved with in the future. Here is the weblink for more information: https://www.studentinvolvement.ufl.edu/Home

 

How do you get connected?

 

All you have to do is go to the Student Involvement Center on the third floor of the Reitz. Ask about getting involved and they will set up an appointment to meet up with an available staff member!

 

What they do!

 

Once you meet up with a team member, there will be a sit-down session where the member gets to know you and your interests and/or hobbies. They fill out a template based on what you tell them and it allows them to narrow down the organizations best suitable for you.

 

Other ways to get connected!

 

Almost every weekday there are clubs, organizations, and sororities/fraternities outside the Turlington Plaza trying to promote their groups to students. Do not be hesitant to talk to them and ask questions. Here are a few other ways to find out what UF offers:

 

-First Year Florida Class

-Talking to your Resident Assistant about how to get connected

-Speaking with Faculty and Staff

-Attend events on campus such as GatorNights, Weeks of Welcome, GATORMANIA, Student Organization Fairs, Cultural Welcome Assemblies, and many more!

 

Student Activities

 

Student Organizations are a huge part of the University of Florida experience, there are over 900 different groups! Here is a list of a few:

 

Types of organizations

 

-Activity and Service Fee Supported

-General

-Regional

-Social Sorority/Fraternity

-Sponsored

-Sports Clubs Council

-Student Government Political Parties

 

Gatormania

 

Originally founded as “Salsamania” by Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, this event was created to be a summer “Weeks Of Welcome” (WOW) event. In its second year it became a collaborative effort with the Asian American Student Union. As the event’s popularity quickly grew, other student organizations joined the collaborative efforts. During its third year, the name was officially changed to Gatormania to reflect the variety of student organizations that were participating in the carnival celebration. In the time since, the event has grown to include various campus partners including:

 

-Student Government

-Multicultural and Diversity Affairs

-Student Activities and Involvement

-Gator Nights

 

• Where

-Traditionally held at the Reitz Union

 

• Time

-Gatormania is held every Friday during the Summer B semester

 

How to start a student organization?  

 

If a student wants to create a new organization at UF they can. They must have ten members including a president and treasurer, an approved constitution and a faculty advisor and must complete annual registration paperwork and training with Student Activities and Involvement to maintain access to university benefits. Here are the steps!

 

-Visit the Center for Student Activities and Involvement or visit the Reitz Union to have a professional sit and walk you through the legal process

-Register your organization

-Apply for funding from Student Government. To apply for funding simply fill out the SG Special Request Application found at www.sg.ufl.edu/allocations.

 

 

TRiP and Outfitters

Travel and Recreation Program (TRiP) is a student lead, non-profit organization that provides outdoor adventure trips to students and faculty. It is a great, safe way to experience the outdoors, gain new skills, and have fun. TRiP works alongside Outfitters, who provides rentable outdoor equipment to students, such as camping equipment.

Trip

TRiP is a great way to meet new people and be one with nature. They plan 20-30 trips each semester that feature various outdoor recreational activities in some of the most breathtaking environments in the Southeast region.  No experience is necessary! Here are a few of many activities TRiP is involved in:

-Backpacking

-Rock Climbing

-Paddling

-Whitewater Rafting

-Skiing & Snowboarding

• How and where to register for TRiP

TRiP is located on the ground floor of the Reitz Union or you can call Outfitters at 352-846-3003 to fill out a registration form. It begins the second week of each semester and continues until the trip is sold out or until the Tuesday afternoon the week of the trip. Registration is first-come first serve basis! You will need the following items to register and be eligible for TRiP:

-Full payment and completed signed forms

-Local address

-UFID

-Emergency contact information

-Health insurance information (mandatory)

 

• TRiP Leaders

 

TRiP Leaders are the “chaperones” of the your experience. They lead the group and make sure everyone is safe and enjoying themselves. They must go through a semester long training program including a 3-credit UF course, Wilderness First Aid Training and a week-long backpacking trip. TRiP leaders devote their college experience to what they do because it allows them the experience leadership, technical, group facilitation, and wilderness skills. If anyone is interested in becoming a TRiP leader they must go through training which includes weekly class attendance, staff meetings, several tabling events, training trips, and mentoring sessions. It requires excellent time management skills and dedication to the program.

 

Outfitters

This program offers outdoor recreational experiences and helps one enhance/develop leadership skills. Some of the services and equipment Outfitters rents out includes are:

-Camping equipment and supplies

-Backpacking equipment and supplies

-Canoes

-Kayaks

 

-Snorkeling and diving equipment

The Greek Life

The Sorority and Fraternity Affairs section of the Student Activities and Involvement department deals with the Greek communities at UF. There are 62 sororities and fraternities. Each of these falls under a certain council

 

• Interfraternity Council (IFC)

-Composed of 25 fraternities on campus

-Fall recruitment (rush) begins September 8th with an orientation and then continues until the 12th with nighty events at each of the chapter houses

To register for recruitment week or to learn more about this council, go to www.ufifc.org

• Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)

-Culturally based 7 fraternities and 5 sororities

-Membership intake for joining these organizations varies by chapters but usually only happens once a year. To learn more about joining or just the chapters in general, there is a MGC showcase on September 6th. You can also visit www.ufmgc.org to learn about the council

 

• National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPHC)

-Consists of 8 historically-black organizations, 4 fraternities and 4 sororities

-Joining varies by chapter and will usually happen in either fall or spring depending on the organization. There are individual meeting occurring throughout the year but two large events are “Meet the Divine Nine”  and also NPHC recruitment week is September 8th- 14th. To learn more about NPHC you can visit http://www.theufnphc.org/

 

• PanHellenic Council

-Made up of 16 sororities

-Recruitment will take place August 17-25. There will be a Potential New Member orientation and 4 rounds of events to go learn about all the different sororities. To learn more about the recruitment and other info visit http://www.ufpanhellenic.org

 

All of these organizations are built upon for very strong values:

• Scholarship

-Offers programs to help create scholarships for members

-Members who have to same major or class can study or tutor together

-There is also an incentive program that rewards members for academic success

• Service

-Chapters sponsor service weeks throughout the year in order to give back to the community

• Leadership

-Self-governing- giving the members to lead and further their chapter but also the larger community

-Serves as a “gateway to involvement”- members often serve in high positions in other clubs and organizations at UF as well as in their sorority or fraternity.

• Community

-Helps with the transition from high school

-Gives a place for students to feel at home

 

-Meet diverse people at different functions and events

 

 

Academic Advising

Me and Miranda! My academic advisor! Today we met up and took a look at my fall schedule. It looked good, my only concern was the fact that I have six hours between classes on Mondays and Fridays. What am I supposed to do for six hours!? I supposed I could take the bus to my apartment… but then I won’t want to go back to school. Plus having a class on Friday afternoon won’t be something to look forward to. I have an online class which I hope won’t be too hard, my past experience with online classes were great so I’m hoping this one is too. Well, I’m am nervous and excited for the fall semester to start! It’ll be stressful but that’s just part of college 🙂

Diversity Project!

Being in America has greatly impacted my life through the exposure of different cultures, languages, and religions. I am very open to people with different beliefs and practices. I love learning about their culture and way of life. I was born and raised a Catholic and was interested in learning about other religions for the diversity project. The religion I chose was Seventh Day Adventist because I recently met someone who practices this, her name is Biandra. I found out she was Adventist because when I asked her if she wanted to go to the club with me, she said she couldn’t because it was Sabbath. I had not paid attention to what she said until I read about Sabbath the following week in What is the Good Life class. The article I read talked about “relaxation from continuous and unending toil” on the seventh day. I eventually realized this is the religion Biandra practices! I then became very interested in her religion and decided to follow Biandra around on Sabbath to see exactly what she does.

Once the sun went down on Friday we stopped our work and anything we were doing that was not “God-like.” We turned off our phones and the television off and started singing, we then read scriptures (Psalms 9) and prayed. This is how Sabbath is opened, and when we finished we wished everyone a happy Sabbath. Church starts around 8:30 pm but since there is not an Adventist church on campus, Biandra and I went to the Reitz Basement with the Adventist Campus Ministries (ACM) and other students. We sang, praised, and had lessons. That Friday the focus on facades which is like a mask that someone puts on; they act like something they are not. We compared facades to pharisees, pharisees being people who put on a holy face but hate Jesus in their hearts. Samuel, one of the members, had an activity for us. He had a log in one and a grain of salt in the other. The log represented the a sin that you have committed but you choose not to acknowledge while the grain of salt represents a “spec in a neighbor’s eye,” a very small sin that one does not notice they commit. He placed them both on the floor and asked someone to find the grain of salt, this was very difficult to do and it showed that even the smallest sins are a big deal to God. For the next activity everyone was given an index card and was told to write two secret sins and choose a close friend that would read it (this person did not have to be present). We put the date our close friend would read it and showed the person next to us so they could witness and acknowledge this date. This activity was done because the bible says it is better to confess your sin to someone than to no one at all. The last thing we did that night was pray out loud then we went home and relaxed. Biandra told me she always prepares her clothes for the next day before she goes to bed so I did the same, we then prayed one last time.

On Saturday, Biandra and I woke up, showered, and ate breakfast. Since Adventists are not allowed to buy anything during Sabbath, we had to eat cheeze-its and granola bars. After waiting for our ride, we went to church where we sang and had mass. During the mass they called anyone who wanted a special prayer up to the front, this is usually elderly people and since Saturday was Children’s Day, the children conducted the special prayer. The scripture of the day was Genesis 2 Verses 1-3 which told why Adventists rest on the seventh day; after god finished creating the world, he wanted us to rest because he blessed the seventh day and wanted to take a break from all the work he did. The children emphasized that as humans we overwork ourselves and a day of rest is needed. Although God was not physically tired, the humans needed to worship him and everything he made throughout the week, it was a day to give thanks our God.

The church attended chose to feed their congregation so we got to eat after mass. Seventh Day Adventists do not use the stove on the Sabbath so our meal was prepared the night before. And many of them are vegetarians so the meal was meatless. After church Biandra and I went to one of the members houses for “small group,” also known as bible study. The topic was “anger.” Even though one of the human emotions is anger, we should never be justified by anger unless it is about God. If we are ever provoked by anger, we must turn the other cheek as Christians. Once the sun went down (at exactly 8:26 pm), Sabbath was closed with an ending song, scripture, and prayer. Now that the sun was down, we were able to go out!

Spending Sabbath with Biandra showed me how serious Seventh Day Adventists take the word of God and how they interpret it different from other religions. The fact they could not go out on Fridays seems terrible at first but now I see how important it is to them. As a Catholic, I really appreciate Adventists and their connections to God. Although I didn’t feel comfortable at times because of my lack of knowledge on the subjects, I did feel welcomed. My experience as an Adventists opened up my beliefs to the beliefs of others and it allowed me to appreciate the diversity of the people around me.

Week 4.

After being here for four weeks, I have learned a lot about myself and others. If there is something I would want to take away from my college experience it would be the stories of other people I meet along my journey. I enjoy listening to other peoples’ stories, it expands my knowledge and allows me to get to know them better. Wether they tell me about the loss of their parents and how they’ve learned to live without them or about their roommate coming home drunk and throwing up, it all amuses me. I think I enjoy this because when I hangout with my grandpa, all he does is tell me stories of his life as a bartender so I have learned to enjoy listening to other people. You may learn something from someone that can come in handy in the future! Since I’ll be taking the bus to school, I will have plenty of chances to here some interesting stories from interesting (and strange) people. My dad once told me “you see and hear some amazing things on a bus ride!” 

Week 3!

Now that’s I have been here for three or four weeks I’m pretty much used to the college life. If there is something I learned about myself, it’s that I’m not the friendliest person. I like to eat by myself and when weird people come up to me and ask to sit with me I think “UGH NO” in my head but I really say “yea sure!” I’m from a school where being too friendly is a bad thing. I know I’m in a new city but I’m used to not socializing so it’s hard for me to be super outgoing. I’m working on it and hope to be friendlier in the future. 

Service Project

Giving back to the community is a great feeling. Helping out at the Wilmot Garden was a good experience and made me feel like a better person. The garden is used for the cancer patients to walk around and relax after their therapy. The fact that I helped clean it up is awesome! When I first found out we would be in a garden, I was not very excited. But after the long long long walk, we were told we would be pulling weeds. I love pulling weeds!! I love doing yard work in general, that’s why my major is landscape architecture. After a while my back started hurting, and then their were bull ants. BULL ANTS!! I’m allergic to ants! So I quickly walked away and ate animal crackers… Anyway, I am considering doing the fifty community service hours for a brick with my name on it. I want everyone to know that I helped make the garden beautiful! Not that anyone will know who “Bryana Boileau” is. Overall, helping the Wilmot Garden staff was rewarding in that I knew I did something good for the University of Florida! 🙂

Gatormania!

This is a picture I took at Gatormania! There were a lot of people there and different organizations. After walking around a few times I found a couple things I was interested in. The first one was the “Learn How to Bake” club. I thought that was an awesome idea! Especially because I won’t have a meal plan in the fall so baking would really come in handy. Another organization I looked into was the FISS Street Team. I hope I am able to join the team for the Step Show in February! Overall, Gatormania was a great way for organizations to recruit freshman and for freshman to become involved. 🙂