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Rally at the ROC

Rally+at+the+ROC

By Alexandra Figares
Editor-in-Chief


FGCU will be hosting a rally before the men’s soccer game against the University of South Florida on Saturday with – with a twist.
For the first time in FGCU history, students of age – 21 or older – will be able to purchase alcohol at a university event with a valid ID card.
Rally at the ROC, an event hosted by Student Government in conjunction with FGCU Campus Dining, the Student Alumni Association, the FGCU Bookstore and FGCU Dirty birds, will feature a beer garden with beer and wine for purchase.
Alcohol has been sold in the past for alumni associations, but the selling of alcohol to students is unprecedented, according to Student Government Director of Student Relations Kayla Reiter.
“We wanted to build a new tradition at FGCU and build school spirit and morale here, because I feel we didn’t have that,” Reiter said.
The rally is not a bring your own beer event and ID’s will be checked twice. And while alcohol is expected to be sold in future rallies, if things go south — no more alcohol, Reiter warns.
“We want to ensure the safety of our students and we want everyone to respect what we’re doing and not take it for granted or take advantage of it,” she said.
The approval process was lengthy and required “a couple months work” that included safety guidelines, Reiter said.
To sell alcohol, an alcohol application had to be approved by different departments and chain of command, like the vice president of student affairs, the dean of students, business operations and the university president.
If one department disapproved of the application, then discussions and amendments had to be made accordingly, Reiter said.
Rally at the ROC aims to bring students together and celebrate before the men’s soccer game against USF.
Students are encouraged to wear blue for a “blue out” and the event will feature free food, games, inflatables, Kona Ice, a ferris wheel and a chance for students to mingle and familiarize themselves with student organizations and resources on campus.
The FGCU bookstore will host a half-court shot competition where students will have the chance to win books for an entire semester.
Athletics has provided a bus for transportation from Sovi and West Lake starting at 4:45 p.m., and students and faculty can get free tickets with an FGCU ID.
“We just wanted students to feel like adults and not feel like, ‘I have to go on social media to see all my friends at different schools doing the same thing’”, Reiter said. “We want students to feel like, ‘I’m proud to be an eagle here.’”
Reiter says that she wants FGCU students to love FGCU as much as she does and feels the rally is a perfect opportunity to do so.
“But I also want us to be safe and to be careful and show this university that we are the responsible adults that I know we can be.”


IF YOU GO:
 
WHAT: Rally at the ROC
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 15 (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
WHERE: The Recreation Outdoor Complex, adjacent to Alico Arena and the FGCU Tennis Complex.
WHY: Rally celebration before men’s soccer game against University of South Florida.

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