What makes a college truly feel like home is a campus where students can come together in exciting new ways. The Aloszka administration has just reached its halfway point and has been directing its focus towards making UNF’s campus feel more welcoming to students through changes in organizations, new events, and refreshed dining options. 

 At UNF, there are already plenty of opportunities for students to get involved through Market Days, concerts, and the occasional special event, but Student Government has been working all year to provide more services to students. For example, the Senate has already passed bills aimed at increasing participation in clubs, combating feelings of unease due to campus preachers, and making services like Lend-a-Wings more accessible.

Going forward, senators and the executive branch have more in store for making campus a happy hub. They’re already gearing up for mental health awareness week, with events planned for every day of the week to promote resources around campus. President Aloszka has also been working to create a new section on Canvas entitled “Resources,” where students can go to access everything they may need, like the Counseling Center. 

One of the biggest changes regards who is in charge of creating fun events for students throughout the year. UNF was formerly home to two separate organizations to organize on-campus events. Osprey Productions, which most students will recognize for their involvement in Oz Fest, and Campus Life have recently merged into one organization called Osprey Life. 

The president of Osprey Life, Addison Young, presented an update on the new organization in Senate on Nov. 1. Since the merging of the two organizations, student participation in on-campus events has greatly increased. For example, the average number of students participating in Swoop Cinema events has increased from 50 to 250. Once a month, Osprey Life hosts a Food Truck Frenzy, and they have sold out of food every time since the merge. Most notably, over 600 students attended Battle of the Bands.

The merge has allowed for the scope of the organizations to widen, and has provided them with more opportunities to engage with students. For the rest of the fall semester, Osprey Life will continue with the monthly Food Truck Frenzy, but will also put on events like Harvest Fest and a fall themed escape room night. For the spring semester, Osprey Life is planning on more cinema events, more Food Truck Frenzy events, and trivia events. 

Another exciting way Student Government aims to serve students is by replacing Slice Pizzeria with Moe’s, starting May 1st. The University and Student Affairs Committee sent out a survey earlier in the year regarding dining options on campus, and Student Government began researching options to replace the dining locations that had fallen out of favor. 

As the semester winds down, keep your eyes peeled for all of the new events to come on campus. 

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