It is truly an exiting time for CitiSync. We are coming off an amazing couple of months, including 5000 visits in July alone. It is crazy to think that one year ago, nobody had heard of CitiSync. When I ask people now, many of them have heard of it and use it regularly. It is amazing to be surrounded by such tremendous support and a such a passionate team of people willing to give their all to help CitiSync succeed. It gives me an unexplainable sense of accomplishment to know that my team and I are creating a product that could potentially change the lives of thousands of students.

This week is especially exciting for us because we are celebrating the release of the CitiSync iPhone application. In the past year we have received a lot of feedback about CitiSync. We listen to this feedback and use it to constantly improve CitiSync. After 9 months of development, we feel that CitiSync for iPhone is our best product yet. We can’t wait for you all to download it for free and to try it out. Actually, be one of the first CitiSync fans to get the new, free app by clicking here now.

In building the app, previous feedback from CitiSync users have helped us to design an interface tailored to better suit students discover and share what’s happening in Gainesville.  Whether you are standing in line at the HUB, riding a bus on museum road, or having a beer at midtown, you can always see events and specials happening around Gainesville.

The new app makes it easy to browse through concerts, nightlife, food and drink specials, campus events, and more. Sharing events with friends on Facebook and Twitter is only a click away and saving events to your calendar is just as easy.  The app can even give you driving directions to the event using Google Maps.

As with everything else at CitiSync, the app will continue to evolve based on your feedback! We would love to hear what you think, and you tell us by sending us your ideas and thoughts to feedback@citisync.com.

Now for the fun part! We would like to invite you to celebrate with us. We are hosting the official CitiSync iPhone App Launch Party at Sharab Lounge, this Thursday (9/9/10) at 10:30 PM.  Tampa legend DJ Pedro M will be spinning upstairs and DJ Shea will be spinning downstairs. Best of all, CitiSync iPhone app holders will get in FREE and are offered exclusive drink specials throughout the night.  All you need is to show the CitiSync app!  There is also a chance for you and four of your friends to win VIP treatment for the event. This includes a limo ride to the party (provided by Sterling Limo), free VIP entry, and a bottle of Champagne.  To find out more, click the following here.

This app is a major accomplishment for CitiSync, and I would like to give special thanks to Sumeru Chatterjee and Scott Feigelis for doing an amazing job in designing and building the CitiSync iPhone app. I would also like to thank the CitiSync team, Sharab Lounge, Luijo Pereira, Sterling Limo, and all of you fans for making this launch event possible. Without you guys this would still be an idea inside my head.

-Adam Coelho, CitiSync Founder and CEO

The typical first week of school madness has definitely been one for the record books. For one, the $16.3 million Southwest Rec renovation was unveiled and has many wondering: is this SW or GloboGym? Sorority bid day, a.k.a. “The Running of the Bulls,” was another favorite this week. Hundreds of students and community bystanders lined Southwest Eighth Street and the Norman parking garage to watch all the girl madness unfold. Although to be honest, the real spectacle that day wasn’t the girls, who weren’t actually running, but the scantily dressed fratties booing the walkers until they started running. Love them or hate them, the Greeks never fail to entertain us.

But enough about this week’s shenanigans. With school, work and parties all vying for your attention this week, CitiSync wants to give you something to look forward to. Here’s a little preview of what we’re psyched about this semester.

Aziz Ansari at Gator Growl

Photo from KnopeKnows.com

The star of NBC comedy Parks and Recreation, recent host of the MTV Movie Awards and overall comedic genius Aziz Ansari will be hosting this year’s 87^th annual Gator Growl. Many of you may also know him from his MTV’s Human Giant, where he really got his big break. Given this guy’s track record of ridiculously funny performances, I have a feeling this year is going to blow last year out of the water. Sure, Daney Carvey was alright, and yeah, he had a pretty wicked George Bush impression. Nuke ‘em. But let’s be honest here, when he was in his prime, we were in our diapers. We only know him by his back-in-the-day Saturday Night Live clips on YouTube.  Funny- yes, Current- not so much. I’m sure Ansari will be worth every bit of the $100,000 UF is paying him.

Oh, I should also mentioned there’s not going to be a band this year. But given the epic failures that were the last two years, maybe that’s a good thing.  Steve Miller who?

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

When: 7 p.m. October 15

Florida/Georgia

Hell, football season in general!

The CitiSync iPhone App Launch Party

Where: Details coming soon on Citisync!

When: Details coming soon on Citisync!

Arts in the ‘Ville

For all your artsy folk, this semester is going to give you the theater fix you’ve been waiting for. Between the shows coming to the Hippodrome and the Phillips Center, you will not be disappointed. “Classic Albums Live: The Songs of Woodstock” is coming up in September, followed by “Beauty and the Beast,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and standup by David Sadaris, a well-known comedian and best selling author.

The Harn is also featuring some incredible exhibits that have earned kudos in the local media. Be sure to check out “America at Work: Art and Propaganda in the Early 20^th Century” only on display for another week!

The Gainesville Roller Derby

Talk about the next big thing. In just three years the Gainesville Roller Rebel’s popularity has gone through the roof. Go to one of their ass-kicking bouts and you’ll understand why.  You can check out some of their epic brawls here in Gainesville when they take on the Molly Roger Roller Girls and the Jacksonville Roller Girls on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7, respectively.  Check out Ryan Levick’s blog post below to find out exactly why these are the baddest chicks in Gainesville.

As always, Citisync has you hooked up with the best events and specials around Gainesville. We know most of you are getting in the school mode again, but that’s never an excuse not to party or enjoy your city!

-Lauren Canina

This have been changing a lot in the Gainesville nightlife scene these days. Last fall it was all about just going out to drink and dance to the same old top 40 music played in every club. But this fall things are different. This fall clubs and promoters are stepping up their game and bringing some real big acts to Gainesville. This week was the first of many exciting shows at Vault Nightclub. The Vault kicked off the semester with LA Riots. The place was packed and ready to go by the time LA Riots got going on the turn tables. Before anyone even knew it confetti was being shot through the air and thousands of glow sticks were flying in the air from every direction. Sounds crazy, but that was just the start. Once LA Riots really got going we were able to get some great pics of people having the time of their lives.

Check out our pictures from the night below and feel free to take them (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them as you like. If you like our photos, make sure to click “Like” either above or below this post so you can share some love.

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.

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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

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.

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.

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Check out our party photos below and feel free to take them (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them as you like. If you like our photos, make sure to click “Like” either above or below this post so you can share some love.

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.

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Check out our party photos below and feel free to take them (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them as you like. If you like our photos, make sure to click “Like” either above or below this post so you can share some love.

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.

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Last night the CitiSync team hit downtown to find the best spots to be. We made our way to two very different types of events. The first was at Status, one of Gainesville’s newest and nicest clubs. Status was packed from wall to wall with people dancing to the newest hip hop jams. The second place we hit was 8 Seconds, Gainesville’s favorite country bar. Eight Seconds was packed as well but the dancing and music couldn’t have been more different. Instead of hip hop, the massive crowd was line dancing and having a great time dancing to the best in country music.

The night proved to be pretty interesting and a lot of fun. Check out our party photos below and feel free to take them (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them as you like. If you like our photos, make sure to click “Like” either above or below this post so you can share some love.

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.

Find out what’s happening tonight! Visit the CitiSync What’s Happening Page!

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The city of Gainesville and UF can try all they want to ban the tradition that is ladies night but the ladies of Gainesville are going to continue to drink free and have a great time no matter what. This Wednesday at Gator City and XS was a perfect example of this. The ladies were out in full force enjoying free wells and drafts until 12:00 midnight. I guess technically it was anyone with shaved legs or high heels but you get the idea.

Of course, your friends at CitiSync were out to catch all the fun with our camera. Check out the pics and feel free to take them (Right Click > Save Image As) and share them as you like. If you like our photos, make sure to click “Like” either above or below this post so you can share some love.

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.

Find out what’s happening tonight! Visit the CitiSync What’s Happening Page!

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