After spending hours studying for an education or earning a paycheck, many students just want to give their minds the freedom to not think. Some students visit UNF’s Student Union to satisfy this need before their day comes to an end.

From movie showings and game rentals to kayaks and concerts, UNF’s variety of entertainment outlets provides Ospreys with year-round fun right on campus

Movies

Osprey Productions chooses popular movies, such as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” to show in the Student Union Auditorium on Wednesdays throughout the fall and spring semesters. With popcorn, candy and drinks available for free, students can enjoy an evening at the movies without the costs usually associated with it.

Summer movie showings are limited, with the next showing scheduled for the Summer B Kickoff event. New and returning students can look for OP members regularly handing out compact movie flyers for screening schedules in the fall.

Osprey Production’s Facebook page is also a great way to know when an anticipated movie will be showing for students who don’t frequent the Osprey Plaza.

Gaming

Ospreys can play intense pool games, indoor and outdoor table tennis, classic and new video games and more in the UNF Game Room, which is located in the Student Union East building. Students just need to bring their student ID to have access to all of these free games.

Students, such as freshman mechanical engineer David Garcia, go to the game room to relieve stress, spend time with friends and explore new games.

“They have a very wide variety of games,” Garcia said. “I go there to just cool down, and it’s a good way to meet people.”

Game room hours are limited during the summer, but regular hours will resume when fall classes begin.

Weekly Events

Campus Life encourages creativity within the student body through Twisted Tuesdays. Spring activities included assembling terrariums in mason jars, designing laptop skins and decorating fish tanks. Campus Life will host two Twisted Tuesdays during the summer — one in summer A and the other in summer B — as well as one every week in the fall.

Ospreys get to stuff plush animals during summer A’s Twisted Tuesday. Students can visit UNF Campus Life’s Facebook page for more details on each event, as activities vary.

Students can also look for entrepreneurs, franchises and other organizations on Market Days, which take place in the Osprey Plaza on Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. during the fall and spring.

The Great Outdoors

Nature-lovers can escape the hurriedness of student life with Eco-Adventure. Students can relax on the waters in kayaks or canoes for a day, or take a road trip to another state to camp, hike, zipline or paddle for days.

Some Eco-Adventure trips have a price tag, because of the activities and travel involved. The kayaks, canoes and other rentals are free when students present their student ID.

The nature preserve offers acres of trails surrounded by towering trees, singing birds, colorful plants and a variety of ecosystems.

UNF’s sleek Student Wellness Complex, which is situated on the north side of campus, features the Osprey Cliff. This soaring rock wall offers amateur and expert rock climbers the opportunity to improve their physical skills while competing or simply hanging out with friends. Students must bring their student ID to enjoy rock climbing in the Wellness Complex.

Special Events

Students can look forward to big on-campus events scattered throughout the year, such as the annual Summer B Cookout and the Week of Welcome during the first week of the fall semester.

UNF will see more frequent events following the Summer B Cookout. Students can expect free food, music and activities at most events, as long as they bring their student ID.

The Semester Send Off, which demonstrated how UNF can end a semester with excitement, featured a freestyle BMX bike show, three local food trucks, original jewelry and thundering fireworks that led students into the summer.

OP also brings comedians — such as Nick Kroll and John Mulaney — and musicians — like Steve Aoki — to campus during the fall and spring.

Students searching for affordable recreation should look no further than the UNF campus. With a variety of festivities throughout the year and frequently available sources of entertainment, students can live the college lifestyle while they give their bank accounts a break.

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