Strange Facts and Myths About The University of Florida: Were love bugs accidentally created there?
Posted: Friday, December 02, 2011
by Fran Larson
http://www.franniesquotes.com/
The University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida has an enrollment of more than 50,000 students annually. It is also the home of 16 college and more than 150 research centers and institutes. Through the years, some unusual and strange things have happened.
Lets get down to the really interesting and strange facts about this school.
First of all, Gatorade was created at the University of Florida 38 years ago. At that time, athletes were discouraged from drinking water for fear it would cause nausea and cramps. One spring day in 1965 when then-assistant Gator football coach Dwayne Douglas questioned UF kidney disease specialist Robert Cade about why players lost so much weight during practices and games but hardly urinated at all. Douglas, told Cade he had lost as much as 18 pounds during a game, but never felt the need to visit the restroom.
Cade, who at that time directed the UF College of Medicine’s renal and electrolyte division, decided that the players were sweating so much they didn’t have any fluids left to urinate and all that sweat was taking with it the players’ energy, strength and endurance. The researchers speculated that the players were losing sodium and potassium. They needed salt to replace the salt they lost and sugar so that their blood sugar would be balanced.
So, they whipped up a concoction that would replace the nutrients they lost. The first batch tasted terrible, but Cade’s wife suggested they add lemon juice and that seemed to make it taste good.
“Over the years, royalties from Gatorade and a host of other products has enabled the University of Florida to invest in countless research projects in a wide variety of disciplines.”
–Win Phillips, UF Vice President for Research
Strange Professors That Do Strange Things
Dr. David Denslow jabs himself in the forehead with an ice cream cone while doing his imitation of Gerald Ford.” I think I do it because I enjoy it," he says. That's what we think, too. But he also has a "professional" justification: "The off-beat stuff I try to work into the very standard lectures, those that might get boring."
Professor Stuart Schwartz, special educationist, and one of those people who has his students play video games with their feet so that they can relate to the handless.
Sidney Homan brings down the house when he throws his book bag to the floor and recites a passage from Romeo and Juliet: "What he's doing is trying to make out with her. Nowadays it doesn't take so long, it's 'your place or mine.'"
Julian Pleasants gets laughter from the students by going to class dressed as Clint Eastwood, complete with Colt .45, "to let the students see how long and heavy it was, and it was also a focal point from which to discuss violence in the Old West."
Strange Myths And Rumors
Rumor; UF accidentally invented love bugs during a science experiment that went wrong.” The truth: Love bugs came to Florida from Cuba,” Florida’s Historian, Mr. Van Ness said. "We used to joke that it was a Cuban invasion," The historian, Mr. Van Ness said, laughing. He said the insects have been in Florida for about 50 years, but they've been around for thousands of years. Rumor: Century Tower's bricks: Every time virgin graduates from UF, a brick falls from Century Tower. The truth: "I have nothing to say about that," Van Ness said. "Of course ... no bricks have ever fallen."
Roommate death perks rumor: If your roommate commits suicide and you walk into the morbid scene, UF gives you A's for the semester. This legend is usually paired with a rumor about getting hit by a bus on campus - it's said UF settles by paying your tuition.
The truth: At the mention of this legend, Van Ness burst into laugher.” I think you need to go to the president with that one," he said.
Legend has it that every time a virgin graduates from UF, a brick falls from Century Tower. No bricks have ever fallen.
Tom Petty's "American girl"
The rumor: Any time an SAE Fraternity member takes a girl's virginity, the lion is repainted the color of her panties. The truth: According to SAE president Sam Warfield, it is a fraternity secret.
"The painting of the SAE lion is based upon events that are worth painting," he said, "and the colors signify the symbolic nature of that event." But in response to the deflowering-celebration legend, Warfield spoke slowly. After a pause, he said, "Myths always have some truth behind them."
Sources:
http://www.ufl.edu/about-uf/facts-and-rankings//
http://www.research.ufl.edu/publications/explore/v08n1/gatorade.html
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/070815legends.php
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)This is so interesting. How did you ever discover all of these "facts" - As far as my taste is concerned, they could have worked a little longer on the Gatorade. The fraternity secret is of sly interest, too. Speaking slowly, pausing, "Myths always have some truth behind them" rings exactly how it is. Except I'll add that repetition makes everything juicier, better, or more legendary.Heidi, for years I have heard the myth about the love bugs. Frankly, I wonder if it really is true. The other things I mentioned, I did not know about (except for gatorade). You are right, it doesn't taste so good. However, doctors recommend it for dehydration (when vomiting).
So glad I talked my youngest daughter out of going to college there. It definitely is a party school!
I just had another thought about it - when attending this school, kids don't have to go far for spring break. It's already spring break! Up here at UConn they have to fight the battle about alcohol. It's actually a really fine school though. I enjoyed all the facts you came up with.
If I need something for the vomit thing, I use ginger ale. Or sometimes pepperment tea settles.
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