ARRRR you ready for Gasparilla Weekend?!

Hi all!

So as you may know, this upcoming weekend in a big one for the Tampa Bay area. It's Gasparilla Weekend!! For those of you know who what this is, I'm sure a smile has just stretched across your face in the anticipation of partying like a pirate all day and all night on Saturday. For anyone who doesn't have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about, let me give you a little background information about this infamous weekend celebration.

Gasparilla is a city-wide celebration that is meant to commemorate Jose Gaspar, a pirate from Spain who supposedly did business out of Tampa. Dating all the way back to 1904, Gasparilla has become a tradition for the city of Tampa and continues to grow each year. On average, there are about 350,000 people who come from all over to go to the Gasparilla parade. A huge parade of floats is brought down Bayshore Boulevard, a short walk from the UT campus and participants walk down the street waving and throwing beaded necklaces to spectators as they pass. With everyone at the parade decked out in pirate gear, Gasparilla is a fun day for participants and spectators alike.

Although Gasparilla sounds like a great time (which it is!), there are always some risks and precautions that should be taken when it comes to partying that day. Gasparilla is known to UT students as the Mardi Gras of Tampa. Students tend to wake up extra early to start the days festivities. Partying with friends on or around campus before venturing the 4 or 5 blocks down to Bayshore to watch the parade is a common game plan for most students. I can recall my sophomore year Gasparilla. I woke up at 8am to a phone call from my friend John playing the Pirates of the Carribean theme song as loud as his speakers would go. I quickly got out of bed, threw on some pirate gear, and headed to Brevard Hall where John and a bunch of my other friends lived. We all had a good time hanging out and getting ready for the day by playing music and having fun.


Me and my friend Antonio before Gasparilla in 2008

Here are a few tips on how to make your Gasparilla one to remember:
1. Stay with a group - with Tampa being bombarded with an influx of eager "pirates" this weekend, it is easy for students to get lost in the crowd. Staying with at least one friend is a vital part of having a good Gasparilla.
2. Don't drink too much - students always like to have fun and have some drinks before heading down to the parade. Not drinking to excess and staying in control is extremely important for this particular event. Police are out in the masses during the parade and are ready to take legal action against anyone who seems to be out of line. BE SMART!
3. Stay Hydrated - Gasparilla weekend tends to be on the hot side. Drinking a lot of water is a very good idea so that no one gets overheated or passes out from heat exhaustion
4. Have Fun! - Gasparilla is a great tradition in the area and everyone should go out and enjoy it (responsibly of course!)

I hope everyone goes out this weekend and has a fabulous time at the parade! Just make sure you are smart and safe!

First Blog Ever!

Hi Everyone!

After reading the amazing blogs that Jess had posted over the last 6 months, it looks like I have big shoes to fill! Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Kim Duggan and I am a senior at the University of Tampa majoring in Sociology. I am originally from Canton, Massachusetts where my mom, dad, and 2 sisters still live. Once I receive my diploma in May, I plan to stay in Florida while exploring my career options. I am currently interning with the admissions department at the University of Tampa and getting a "behind the scenes" look at how high school seniors become college freshmen.

When I first decided that I wanted to come to UT, I had a few issues to take care. First and foremost, I had to figure out a way to tell my parents that I wanted to move 1,200 miles away to go to college. Although some of you may not see this as a problem, others can probably understand where I'm coming from. As a disclaimer, I'd like to say how much I love my parents and that I think they did an amazing job raising me and my sisters. My mom and dad, however, are helicopter parents. For those of you who have never heard that term before, "helicopter parents" refers to parents who hover over their children's every move. Even though helicopter parents typically have their son or daughter's best interest in mind, they tend to hinder the individual growth of their child by not allowing him or her to deal with life issues on their own.

In my case, my parents had always been around to help me through any sort of tough spot I was put in, but they also made me check in with them multiple times a day. My mom would be concerned about where I was, who I was hanging out with, if I had gotten all my schoolwork done, and other annoying things most parents want to know about. I understood why my parents wanted me to call or text them every so often during the day, but I also felt like I was 11 when I was really 18. I decided that when I picked a college, regardless of the school's proximity to my home, I was going to become more independent and shoo my helicopter parents away. When I explained to my mom and dad that I had chosen UT for my undergraduate degree, the first thing my mom said was, "Tampa is so far away!". I later explained how close Tampa International Airport is to campus if I ever needed to come home as well as how safe the UT community is. With her mind at ease a bit, my dad mentioned that he was concerned about me partying too much instead of studying since he and my mom wouldn't be around. I told them about UT's Academic Center for Excellence, which provides free student tutors in many different subjects, as well as the other educational facilities students have access to on campus, including the Library and multiple computer labs.

Although my parents may still want me to call them once a day to let them know how I am, they no longer ask me if all my homework is done or who i'm hanging out with. Moving away was a huge deal for me and my independence. The moment my parents left after helping me move on campus the first day I felt a sense of responsibility as well as relief. I could finally start to become my own person (that's part of going to college too, right?) and make my own choices without having to check with an authority figure beforehand.

Students face many different issues when it comes to moving away from home for the first time, but hopefully through this blog, students, as well as their parents, will be able to see that life at UT isn't as daunting as you may think. I will try to share my experiences about the inital move from Mass to Florida as well as my life at UT for the past 4 years in hopes that I can put your minds at ease a bit during such a stressful time. I hope all perspective UT freshmen and parents can gain insight from reading!

Hope everyone has an awesome Thursday!