University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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Student apathy was just one thing candidates sought to change. Fresh- man Deeb-Paul Kitchen does his duty at a poll near Turlington Plaza. Polling booths were located in various places around campus so that more students could vote. Student Brian Firth listens intently to Vi- sion ' 98 sophomore candidate Jeremy Kaplan ' s and Action Josh Heller ' s views. Heller served as Parliamentarian for the Act ion party. Deciding between the two qualified parties was difficult for most students. Political science senior and Action candidate Richard Fobair explains his agenda to physics freshman Pat Powers. Al- though most students appreciated the effort, some students complained about the in-your-face campaign tactics. Dedicated candidates and supporters spent many hours out in the hot sun selling their party. Vision ' 98 supporters Alexiz Zepeda and Erin Alvarez give buttons and pamphlets to students as they pass in Turlington Plaza. Why do you think voting in Student Government elections is impor- tant? Important to have a say in where my A S fees go. A Because I • think it is im- - Serena Underwood 2LS 26 Student Life

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Engineering junior Wyatt Wallace spots senior Patricia Hernandez while she works out with free weights. Spotting was essential to ensuring the safety of students who used heavy machines or weights. Working with a partner often encouraged hard work and the ability to keep going. Does a Body Good UF provided the latest in sports facilities and equipment free of charge for students and faculty alike. Exercising is part of the balance students strive to achieve in their daily lives. Although, it isn ' t always easy. Finding the time, the place and even the people can hinder the well-mean- ing student in need of a health over- haul. In addition to private gyms able throughout Gainesville, the Uni- versity of Florida offered several op- tions for students who were interested in not only looking better, but feeling better. Briana Murphy, 2HH, said she preferred classes offered at the South- west Recreational Center because they got her motivated. I like classes like `Step Circuit ' and `Kick Boxing ' . Exercising makes me feel better about myself, Murphy said. In addition to aerobic classes, the Southwest Rec Center also provides basketball, volleyball, tennis and rac- quetball courts free of charge to UF faculty and students. Also located in the center is a fully equipped gymna- sium with treadmills, free weights and stair-climbing machines. However, some students believed that the popularity of UF gyms hin- dered the enjoyment of working out. I workout in my garage, because it is always too crowded at South West Rec, Ryan Davis, 3Exercise Sports, said. Michelle Suchy, 2LS, said that even though she had to wait in line, it was worth it. They have brand new ma- chines and quality equipment and as a student, it ' s free. Some students found pleasure in more individual activities like going for a walk or bike riding. Students could be seen jogging or walking with head- phones all across campus. Story by Jenny Williams Student Life 25

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Rock the Vote Each spring and fall, Student Government candidates herded students to the polls. Student Government? What does it do for UF students? How does it work? Who are the candidates? There are so many questions that can be raised about the ings of student government, but where are the answers? Maybe this can help. Elections happen twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Elections are held for 40 Senate seats representing the living areas in the fall and and 40 Senate seats representing colleges in the Spring. Then each semester, the newly elected elect their Senate president and pro tempore. In addition to the Senate elections in the spring, the student body president, vice president and treasurer are also elected along with Traffic Court Chief Justice and Honor Court Chancellor and Associate tices. These people are elected for a full year and represents the executive and cial branches of the government. There is another main theme to under- standing student politics... parties! There were three parties represented in the Spring ' 98 elections: Action, Honest and Vision ' 98. Action played off their candidates ' perience in student government, Vision ' 98 emphasized change and diversity in gov- ernment and Honest stressed, well, their honesty. There is so much more to know about student government, and you probably want to turn the page. Through spring of ' 98, Chris Dorwoth was student body dent, Eric Lasso was vice president and Brent Gordon was treasurer. In the spring elections, John McGovern won student body president and Terry Jackson won vice president with 50.06 percent of the votes. Vision ' 98 candidates won 39.8 percent, and Honest candidates won 10.8 percent. A run-off election was held for treasurer with Action candidate Ian Lane winning 54.6 percent of the votes, making a clean sweep for the Action Party in the executive branch. Story by: Brie Zulaf and Natasha Phillips Student Life 27