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

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Working at the Hub on game day, senior Tara Bardi sells Gator merchandise. Uf merchandise was again among the highest selling in the nation, and business was never better than on game days in Gainesville, when friends and alumni swamped the campus. Signing his school spirit, an aspiring Gator enjoys pre-game festivities at The Swamp for the game against Florida State sity. Children were not immune to the infectiousness of orange and blue, and thus were planted the seeds of future UF athletes and fans. What does it mean to have Gator Spirit? When do you feel it the most? I like the unity I feel when I am at the football games. Karen Ciardulli 2HP C Offering their support, freshman Shauntee Brown and Sophomore Cassandre Ribot cheer on men ' s basketball team against Louisiana State University at the O ' Connell Center. The success UF athletes enjoyed was assuredly both a cause and effect of the vocal support fans showed at games. 6 Student Life

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In one of the defining moments of the 97-98 school year, students rallied behind President Lombardi both physically and emotionally, culminating with a rally organized by the students at Lombardi ' s house with over 2000 students, faculty, alumni and community leaders in attendance Greatness At first glance, a campus of over 40,000 students seemed too difficult to define. From across the world we brought with us our habits, our hobbies, our cultures and most importantly, our hopes and dreams. We crammed these, our lives, into a small north Florida town, and from that we gave Gainesville a life of its own. Gainesville gave us the University of Florida, and we gave it our hard earned money. Gainesville gave us navigable roads, and we gave it traffic. Gainesville gave us parking spots, al- beit a few, and we gave it the tow truck industry. Gainesville gave us Gator football, and we gave it 85,000 rabid fans. Gainesville gave us the town - we gave it the world. By definition , a campus of 40,000 dents is difficult to define. And yet maybe that is what is so great about it. The diversity and the vibrancy of our individual experiences gave us a world in which we all shared in. We took from it what we could, gave it what we had, and lived with what we created. A great accomplishment indeed.

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Inciting the crowd, legendary UF fan, George Mr. Two Bits Edminston, works up his famous cheer before a home game. No Gator fan was immune to the indefati- gable enthusiasm of Two Bits as Edminston worked his way around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium durin g each home game throughout the football season. Orange and You Gator Spirit was more than a football game, more than selling orange and blue clothing: It was a way of life. Whether it was the thrill of Gator athletics, the inclusiveness of campus organizations, or the scenery on and around campus, no student left the University of Florida without, in some way, being overwhelmed by Gator Spirit. Although some may think the enor- mity and diversity of UF ' s student body was an obstacle to such a feeling, the common bond that all UF students shared was a love for their school. Gator spirit starts from the day you step on this campus. It makes you not really want to go back home on the weekends, said Adeyanju Odutola, liberal arts and science sophomore. Gator spirit was more than just an idea, more than a feeling — it was our lives as UF students. Each student was able to carve their own niche and to redefine Gator Spirit in their own life. Jon Forsythe, 3LS, said Gator spirit was a sense of to a group that is more than you, the university. The university is more than just classes — outside of studies, it is a place you can have fun. The hysteria that called itself Gator Spirit was more than football, more than athletics at all. It was more than merchandising and tacky orange golf shirts. It was more than a fraternity or sorority, more than a Homecom- ing parade. And it was more than a beautiful sky over Century Tower. It was more than the sum of its parts. It was a year that UF students shaped in their own small way, and so contributed in a big way to their university. It was what reminded us again of why it was great to be a Florida Gator. Story by: Sean Kane Student Life 7