The Premier Welcome Carnival of the Summer!
11AM - 3PM
Reitz Union Lawn and Colonnade
A Celebration of the Gator Nation!
A Celebration of the Gator Nation
We are proud to present the Annual GATORMANIA celebration on Saturday, July 11th, 2009 at the Reitz Union North Lawn from 11 am-3 pm. Gatormania is officially endorsed by the University's Weeks of Welcome Committee as the premier welcome event of the summer!
Purpose:
Now in its 8th year, Gatormania has grown into a campus wide celebration for the entire Gator Nation! This outdoor carnival is the largest summer event targeting all Summer B freshmen and returning students. It is also a required event for all Summer B First Year Florida students. The event focuses on showcasing the diverse cultures found at the University, and is intended to foster a sense of pride in being a Florida Gator! Last year, over 1000 students and faculty/staff participated in the event and this year we anticipate numbers to grow even further.
Gatormania is a WOW! event. For a complete list of WOW! events please visit: www.dso.ufl.edu/nsp/wow/
Special features of Gatormania include:
- Carnival booths featuring student organizations, Division of Student Affairs resources, and departments
- "UF's Got Talent," a special talent showcase with many diverse performances for everyone
- "The Gator Nation's Next Top Model!" Fashion Show co-hosted by UF Bookstores
- Water slides and water balloon battle!
- Inflatable games including Obstacle Course, Joust, and more!
- Special appearance by Albert & Alberta
- Carney Contest!
- Free treats including sno-kones, cotton candy, popcorn, and Pepsi!
- Entertainment by DJ Danny and open dancing
- Hundreds of prizes and giveaways!
History:
Originally founded as Salsamania by Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, it was intended to be a summer WOW event for Hispanic-Latino students. Its second year, it became a collaborative effort with the Asian Student Union. However, due to popular demand, several other multicultural student organizations wished to participate and so the event quickly grew! During its third year, the name was officially changed to Gatormania to reflect the variety of student organizations that were participating and the carnival celebration was born! It is still hosted by the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, a part of Multicultural and Diversity Affairs, with the Student Alumni Association, Student Government, and IDEAL. Now as Gatormania is collaborating with so many others, this year will ensure that it will be bigger and better than ever! Gatormania is a day long celebration of the campus community and kicks off the new academic year!