We Americans have a soft spot for violence. Between our love for rough and tumble football and our indifference for the crybaby ways of soccer, Americans crave sports where when a player gets knocked down, he gets back up and knocks someone else out. But if you’ve found that football has gotten too main stream to satisfy your need for bone crushing mayhem, Gainesville has the grass roots version of aggressive sport – Roller Derby.
Yes, the game that sends pissed off women on roller skates around in a circle attempting to knock each other to the ground is right here in your backyard. Granted, you may be thinking, “Roller Derby?! That is soooo 1970’s.” And it’s true. The heyday of Roller Derby is probably long gone, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not still bad-ass. Think about it. What is better than young, pretty girls in booty shorts trying to kill each other? It’s both sexy and empowering and not to mention, incredibly entertaining.
The Gainesville Roller Rebels feature girls that you wouldn’t want to miss with any day of the week, such as Captain Suzie Bonebreaker and Co-Captain Zelda Shagnasty. With names like that, you know the girls mean business. As they head round and round in circles, only a few feet away in the crowd, you can’t help but become entranced. The action builds and the points accumulate, but the excitement is always there. A refresh of the rules may be needed before going, but the game isn’t overly complicated and easy to pick up quickly. On top of it all, it’s surprisingly refreshing to root for Gainesville at a sporting event as opposed to the Gators as usual.
The matches or more accurately “bouts” are usually held twice a month but not necessarily always in Gainesville. When the Rebels are at home though, they call either Skate Station or the Alachua County Fairgrounds home. Both locations fill with rowdy fans who have a passion for their team.
Working for Citisync has given me the chance to experience a lot of cool things locally, but few things have come as close to being pure fun as Roller Derby came. Look out on Citisync for upcoming bouts. In the meantime, check out the What’s Happening page to find out what is going on in the ‘Ville.
–Ryan
Perfect make-up? Check. Manicure and Pedicure? Check. Sundress? Check. Spray Tan? Check. Pearls? Check. Spanx? Check. Total Superficiality? Check!
2008 UF Sorority Bid Day ( photo by: Harrison Diamond-Alligator Staff)
It’s that time of the year again. That time of the year where hundreds of girls go through the shallow and tiresome yet rewarding process of Sorority Recruitment [it was ruled that “rush” is a negative term], thus signing their souls over to Greek Life.
Sorority Recruitment is no walk-in-the-park, and UF has possibly the strictest rules regarding recruitment compared to other colleges in the nation. After being in a sorority for 2 years, and going through recruitment on both sides, I have the in’s and out’s of everything you need to know about Sorority Recruitment.
Basically, Recruitment is comprised of 6 full days. Each day is a different Round, and each Round is further broken down into individual Parties.
But first, a Vocabulary Lesson:
Pi Chi [Panhellenic Counselor]: These are sorority girls that have gone through recruitment both as a Potential New Member and as a Sister. They are the liaison between PNM’s and the Panhellenic Council, and are trained to be non-biased guides for the PNM’s. They also wear silly orange hats that they decorated themselves, which is pretty cool, I guess. They are there for moral support [girls actually cry during recruitment, no lie] and a PNM’s new best friend for the next week. It is not known what house they are in until the very end of Recruitment.
Potential New Member: The new name given to a girl who is going through recruitment. [It was ruled that “pledge” is also a negative term].
Legacy: The name given to someone if they have a sister, mother, or grandmother who was in a sorority. You’re almost guaranteed to be in the same sorority…and I use the word “almost” lightly.
Outlandish Rules:
Each Party [the name given for the time slot and corresponding house you are visiting] is timed. All of the girls have to be inside and out of the house in a certain allotted amount of time or the chapter will be fined.
A PNM may not leave with anything besides what they came into the house with. This includes water cups offered by sisters.
Sisters may not touch PNMs. This includes handshakes, hugs, and pokes [Facebook and otherwise].
Sisters must offer to hold a PNM’s handbag while she is in the house.
No verbal-bids may be given. This means that a Sister cannot say things such as “I can’t wait until you are a sister here!” “See you later!” “You would fit in perfectly here!” etc.
Sisters have a certain way they have to walk and present themselves. They will walk with their hands behind their back, and when standing still, they will go into a “sorority stance”. It’s supposed to make them look elegant, but it’s actually really fake-looking, and when I went through recruitment I laughed the first time I saw girls walking out of a house.
There is even a specific way to gracefully sit down and get back up when sitting on the floor. Yeah, it’s that intense.
Selection Process:
Simplifying it as best as possible…after visiting all 16 houses on days 1 & 2, PNMs will narrow down their choices of their 11 favorite houses and the chapters will pick the girls they want to see again. But, just because you loved a house that doesn’t mean they loved you and they have no problem dropping you. This process continues to 7 houses and then 3 for the last round. It is very rare to have 11 parties to attend on the third day or 7 on the fourth. Each house varies on how exactly they choose their girls, but they usually use a rating system in which there are categories and PNMs are given a point value & complicated computer equations do the rest of the work. Obviously the more points you have, the more likely you’re going to get asked back.
Are girls judged based on their looks?
Hell yes they are! As much as no one wants to admit it, girls are probably judged on the way they look more than anything else. It’s a well-known fact that each sorority strives to have the hottest girls so that they can “climb the social ladder” and party with the hottest fraternity on campus…“survival of the prettiest”. This includes everything from your general appearance, how fit you are, your clothing choices [don’t wear tennis shoes like I did the first day! Haha], if you have visible makeup on, etc. You get the idea. Superficial? Yes. But hey, would you really want a pig wearing your letters?
So then how should you prepare if you’re going to Rush?
Sorority girls want girls that look like them, so wear sundresses, but remember to keep “the girls” covered up; you’re not at a frat house trying to mack on Fratty McFraterson! You want to look classy and polished…you’re supposed to be a lady after all. Don’t follow that little booklet they give you with examples of what to wear…always try to look better than the girl sitting next to you. Tanning and teeth whitening wouldn’t hurt either. Straighten your hair too and invest in some good makeup. Wear pearls…sorority girls LOVE pearls. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.
Have a personality! Be yourself…or at least try to be. Also, seem like you really want to get involved with the chapter and UF in general, and you have leadership abilities. Each sorority has a philanthropy they support…because “Greeks love to give back to the community!” Hah that’s a joke, we all know the main priority of sororities and fraternities is to party every chance they get and make GDIs wish they were Greek.
Also, keep an open mind! Don’t listen to hype about what other people say about a certain sorority. Go where you feel most comfortable.
Bid Day!
So the very last day is called Bid Day…or as guys like to call it, “The Running of the Bulls”. It’s when PNMs get their Greek wings and find out what sorority they are in. They are then encouraged to run to that house where they will be greeted with open arms and gifts. Frat guys like to go to the top of Norman garage and cheer for the girls…but we all know they’re just checking out the potential one-night-stands.
Rumors & Secrets:
Although hazing is supposed to be against university policy, honestly, some sororities do haze their new members. Most will give you presents though! And who doesn’t love free stuff?
It is OKAY if you do the craft they have for Round 2 or eat the dessert during Preferentials. Trust me. Just make sure you can multi-task and engage in conversation and have eye-contact with the person talking to you.
Why You Should Go Greek:
Greek life is honestly like no other. Besides making friends and having a hell of a lot of fun in college, it is great for networking. You will always have someone there for you no matter what. There are date functions and socials and amazing trips. Greeks tend to have higher GPAs than non-Greeks and are more likely to graduate. The list goes on. I don’t really know how to explain the experience, but I certainly enjoyed being Greek. College is some of the best years of your life so why take advantage of every opportunity presented and go out with a bang. You won’t regret it.
Good luck! …you’re gonna need it.
Last Friday the Florida Gators had a huge charity event at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. CitiSync was on the scene to capture some of it on film. The photos from the event are below.
To find out about more events like these happening around town, make sure to click “Like” in the Facebook social plugin to the right to like CitiSync on Facebook.
Please click “Like” above!
Tuesday was the first of many great nights at 101 Downtown for Techno Tuesdays. CitiSync was on the scene to catch pictures of all the beautiful people having a hell of a time.
Make sure to check out the CitiSync What’s Happening page to discover and share all the great events and specials happening around Gainesville. CitiSync is the only way to discover and share everything that’s happening in Gainesville.
Please download your pictures (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them with your friends on Facebook. Please “Like” this post by clicking below and “Like” CitiSync on Facebook.
If you’re in Gainesville, and you want to watch sports, there’s no other place quite like Mother’s. With cheap beer, good food and big screen TVs, Mother’s is Gainesville’s number one place for sports entertainment, and seeing as how the NBA finals continued on Thursday night, Mother’s was the place to be.
If you like what you see, please click the Facebook Like button above or below this post.
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Wednesday nights at Sharab are always crazy. This past Wednesday was no exception!
If you like what you see, please click the Facebook Like button above or below this post.
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
In a small town like Gainesville, a trip to the movies is a necessary way to escape the drab and dreary. One UF grad, however, has taken the movies to the ‘Ville. New Low, a comedy directed by Gainesville’s own Adam Bowers chronicles an average guy’s quest to find the right (or wrong) girl. After making appearance at film festivals across the country, including the Sundance Film Festival, cast and crew will be showing the film to the viewing public of Gainesville before answering questions about the film right after the viewing.
New Low tells the tale of Wendell, a below average twenty-something who never seems to find the right girl. Vicky, who drinks more than she does anything else, is the latest girl in Wendell’s life and causes him to wonder if he’s able to attract a good girl. When Joanna, an outgoing and ambitious girl, comes into his life, Wendell must decide between the good girl and the bad.
Based partially on the life of Bowers’ who not only directed the film but also wrote it, New Low takes place right here in Gainesville. In fact, one of the main characters of the film is Gainesville itself which Bowers wanted to feature in his film from the very beginning.
“I think Gainesville is a unique city,” Bowers told CitiSync. “[it’s] the kind that you don’t see in movies ever….[and ] it is cool when people from Gainesville tell me that they thought I nailed what it feels like to live there.”
Bower’s shot most of the movie with borrowed or make shift equipment in a sort of “DIY” style the gives the film its charm and really separates from Hollywood-style pictures.
“I realized I should make a feature in Florida, in the DIY style I was used to, while I still could,” said Bowers. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to make anything this way in L.A.”
If you’re looking for a time with a great little picture that has been making splashes around the indie movie industry, one of Gainesville’s own has what you’re looking for. Come out and enjoy the film at The Top Secret Space (22 N. Main St.) Tuesday night at 8.
–Ryan Levick
Finals are over and it’s a week long break before Summer A classes start, so you would think the ‘ville would be quiet right? Wrong. This past Wednesday was Cinco de Mayo, one of our favorite days of the year, and 101 Cantina pulled out all the stops for the celebration with their 1st Annual Cinco de Mayo Block Party!
The tequila was flowing from 11am all the way to 2am (yes that’s 15 hours of fun!) but the real party started after nightfall when the venue was packed to capacity. Patrons decked out in their sombreros also enjoyed some good ole’ fashioned grillin’ and Cantina’s wide selection of Mexican food. The CitiSync crew was there to capture all the fun!
Feel free to download your photos and share them with friends as you please.
As always, check out the What’s Happening page to see what’s happening in Gainesville so you can find other great concerts and events. Also please follow us on Twitter and fan us on Facebook.
¡Ya es la hora de fiesta! Anyone who has lived in a Hispanic country, like Colombia, Costa Rica or Miami for that matter, knows that when it comes to partying there is nothing like getting down Latino style. So, when you feel like there’s nothing to do before the summer semester begins, take solace in the fact that our friends to the south have invented a holiday that is especially American friendly: Cinco de Mayo.
While Cinco de Mayo is not widely observed in Mexico, we in the United States have embraced this opportunity to drink Margaritas and listen to Mariachi bands, and luckily Gainesville is no exception. Even though Mexico lies over 1,000 miles away, here in Gainesville there is plenty in store for those wanting to bailar y emboracharse.
First, 101 Cantina is having a special Cinco de Mayo block party that for the first time ever expands outside of Cantina’s bounds and into the street. With drink specials on anything remotely Mexican, like $3 coronas and $5 margaritas, 101 Cantina promises to be the spot where you can stuff yourself silly of Mexican food and party like una persona loca. The party lasts 15 hours from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next morning. That means lots of people, lots of food, lots of drink, and of course, lots of fun. Come join us at what promises to be easily the biggest party in Gainesville on Cinco de Mayo. If you’re not at 101 Cantina for Cinco de Mayo, then you’re not really celebrating.
Of course, we here at Citisync are your amigos too. Go to our What’s Happening page and find our exclusive deal with Mother’s Pub and Grill, where with our exclusive deal text message you’ll receive one free margarita. Once you’ve pounded back your first, keep the party going with $2.75 margaritas and shots of Cabo Wabo tequila. Of course, when you’re hungry, you can dig into 50 cent tacos from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and other food specials.
There may not be many people in Gainesville this week, but rest assured those who still are will be at 101 Cantina and Mother’s celebrating the heritage of our Mexican brothers and sisters. Don’t miss out on one of the biggest fiestas of the year.
For more details on Cinco de Mayo celebrations and what else is going on in Gainesville any day of the week, visit our What’s Happening page.
– Ryan Levick
