Your first time on campus?

[rogdochar]

I’ve never been on campus

... and lots us missed you entirely.

 

[rogdochar]

1963, orientation week, with my beloved Dad. He was so inwardly proud because he had to drop out of the 7th grade because in bed the same night, side by side holding hands, his Mom & Dad died from the Spanish Flu and at 12, he had to quit school to work full time in the fields to get his 5 younger siblings through school.

Pushing my tray University Cafe. (Loaded with some great tasting grub.) As I turned with my food-ladened tray toward the dining area, I heard a cacophonous crash. Yep, my fascinated Dad just kept pushing his food tray right off the end of the rails - food on the floor. I felt no embarrassment because that would be applying some kind of negative feeling toward my beloved Dad. We both laughed at the table when I looked at his new-filled tray and simply asked "second helpings"?

 

[RiverRat]

Lived in High Springs. Around 68 or 69 went with a neighbor and sold cokes at a Gator football game.
I think I sold one or two cases then sat down in south endzone in the old wood bleachers and enjoyed the game.

 

[Nalt]

I know you all are anxiously awaiting my response to this original question so here goes: My first time to actually be on campus at UF was September 18, 2021 for the Bama/UF football game. I was actually sitting right beside and in front of a family, husband, wife and three daughters. The daughters were all smoking hot. One had just graduated from UF, one was a current student and the third is probably going to be a freshman there this fall. It was great and everyone loved me, especially the daughter who just graduated... ;)

 

[soflagator]

I know you all are anxiously awaiting my response to this original question so here goes: My first time to actually be on campus at UF was September 18, 2021 for the Bama/UF football game. I was actually sitting right beside and in front of a family, husband, wife and three daughters. The daughters were all smoking hot. One had just graduated from UF, one was a current student and the third is probably going to be a freshman there this fall. It was great and everyone loved me, especially the daughter who just graduated... ;)

Nobody likes you.

 

[TLB]

I could be wrong but I believe that in 1969 you would have been born in J.Hillis Miller Medical Center. I don’t believe Shands had been named yet.

I wasn't able to read at that point, so you may be right. I can't say. I just repeat what my parents told me, assuming they wouldn't lie.

Also had my braces done at Shands when I was 13-14. Hindsight has taught me we were poor, so they let the students 'learn' on me. I wonder the same thing about my birth, and if I was dropped.

Absolutely. It was much smaller then but it is the exact same place.

I was back in town last weekend. Shands has outgrown it's footprint and is spreading around town. F'n huge. A lot of UF is that way now. I hate it.

 

[Detroitgator]

I know you all are anxiously awaiting my response to this original question so here goes: My first time to actually be on campus at UF was September 18, 2021 for the Bama/UF football game. I was actually sitting right beside and in front of a family, husband, wife and three daughters. The daughters were all smoking hot. One had just graduated from UF, one was a current student and the third is probably going to be a freshman there this fall. It was great and everyone loved me, especially the daughter who just graduated... ;)

So you're the only kid in your family that didn't go to UF? Is that why your Mom and Dad made you sit in front of them and off to the side?

 

[TLB]

After that drove by Swamp, at that time there was no upper South endzone so you could look right onto field.

Reminds me of fall of '86, my GHS soccer team hosted Boone and for some unknown reason we got to play on Florida Field. North end zone was about 30 rows, then a wall with a few gates and that big black bell iirc. Outside that was the (ROTC?) practice fields, and we had to haul soccer goals from out there into the stadium. Wouldn't fit thru the gates so you have 15 teenagers trying to monkey-fk a big welded goal up and over the wall then down onto the field. I recall the field was astro turf then, we through it was really cool to play there, until we started sliding and the heat began radiating. We ended up winning 3-1. I scored the goal for the other team, it was perfectly placed, goalie never had a chance.

 

[rogdochar]

It was great and everyone loved me, especially the daughter who just graduated... ;)

It works that way when you're sitting in that Special Olympics section, Nalt.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Lived in High Springs. Around 68 or 69 went with a neighbor and sold cokes at a Gator football game.
I think I sold one or two cases then sat down in south endzone in the old wood bleachers and enjoyed the game.

River,
We used to do the exact same thing. We would sell enough Cokes to make $5-6 and then find a decent seat
I probably sat near you a couple of times.

 

[RiverRat]

River,
We used to do the exact same thing. We would sell enough Cokes to make $5-6 and then find a decent seat
I probably sat near you a couple of times.

Probably did, ironically thats where my season tickets have been since they remodeled in 84.
Section 57 row 3

 

[Gatorphan]

1974 Houston vs UF, I was 8. We were in the East Stands and accidentally sat in the row above ours. An older man, Houston fan, walked up to us and yelled at me for being in his seat. My dad grabbed him by the collar, cocked back and said, if he spoke one more word to me, that his seat would be 10 rows down. We went on to beat the Cougars 49-14 and the couple behind was gone behind us was gone by halftime. Ten years later, UF would be the only school I ever applied to attend.

 

[B52G8rAC]

1974 Houston vs UF, I was 8. We were in the East Stands and accidentally sat in the row above ours. An older man, Houston fan, walked up to us and yelled at me for being in his seat. My dad grabbed him by the collar, cocked back and said, if he spoke one more word to me, that his seat would be 10 rows down. We went on to beat the Cougars 49-14 and the couple behind was gone behind us was gone by halftime. Ten years later, UF would be the only school I ever applied to attend.

RU sure it was '74. I thought we beat them in '69. John Reaves and Carlos Alvarez. Touchdown Tommy Durance.

 

[Gatorphan]

RU sure it was '74. I thought we beat them in '69. John Reaves and Carlos Alvarez. Touchdown Tommy Durance.

We did beat them in 69 when they came in highly ranked, maybe #1. It was a defining win for Graves. However, they came back in ‘74 and we beat their ass even worse!

 

[Spurdog98]

Went to Daytona on my honeymoon(Hurricane took the top off the place we were to stay in St. Thomas). Rode over to G-ville for the day just to look at the campus. Did a run from that Holiday Inn on the corner and turned into the entrance off 441 by registrars office down by Turlington, past the Florida gym and the Swamp took a right and went to U. Ave back to the hotel. Went in the room and told my wife "this is where I am going to school".

 

[TLB]

"this is where I am going to school".

Not mine, but the wife....sometime in late 80's.

Grew up in NJ, her brother went to PSU but she wanted to go further away. She and her mom flew down one fall weekend to checkout the campus and found it deserted and everything locked up. Asking around, they discovered it was FL-UGA weekend so they took the rental car to JAX. Managed to lock their keys in the (running) car, and surprisingly no cops were willing to help as it seems their hands full with 'other' issues. They got it resolved, slipped into the second half of the game, and the wife said "this is where I am going to school". She's been a football nut her whole life, and that game sold her on where to attend.

 

[B52G8rAC]

We did beat them in 69 when they came in highly ranked, maybe #1. It was a defining win for Graves. However, they came back in ‘74 and we beat their ass even worse!

I was in pilot training that year. Don't remember the seaso like I should I guess.

 

[g8tr76]

I think T-Rex was still roaming the earth and SOS was a junior!

 

[blueGATOR]

I know you all are anxiously awaiting my response to this original question so here goes: My first time to actually be on campus at UF was September 18, 2021 for the Bama/UF football game. I was actually sitting right beside and in front of a family, husband, wife and three daughters. The daughters were all smoking hot. One had just graduated from UF, one was a current student and the third is probably going to be a freshman there this fall. It was great and everyone loved me, especially the daughter who just graduated... ;)

 

[Frozen Gator]

I remember going with my parents, cousins and their parents. We parked at the old tennis courts (racketball when I attended). Tailgated and went to the game. I don't remember who we played but Larry Libertore was the QB.