flourish november 2012

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Flourish NOVEMBER 2012 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 13 WWW.GATORCOUNTRY.COM FLIP FOR NEW FLOURISH POSTAL CUSTOMER PRST-STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TALLAHASSEE, FL PERMIT #296 Gear’ D Up FLORIDA’S KEY COGS ON DEFENSE COME TOGETHER LIKE CLOCKWORK INSIDE: HOOPS PREVIEWS DRISKEL DAZZLES RECRUITING NOTES DOMINQUE EASLEY JON BOSTIC LERENTEE MCCRAY MATT ELAM JELANI JENKINS JAYLEN WATKINS ANTONIO MORRISON JONATHAN BULLARD SHARRIF FLOYD FLIP FOR GATOR COUNTRY NORTH FLORIDA NOVEMBER 2012 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 WWW.MYFLOURISHMAGAZINE.COM M A G A Z I N E Rerouting Your Worries with Dr. Richard Selznick Giving Thanks A Time For Appreciating the Simple Things in Life The Balancing Act of Being “Super Woman” The Ultimate Food Fight: Kids vs. Vegetable Tips For A Perfect Thanksgiving Day Table Spread Meditation: Ancient Ways to Surviving Modern Times

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The unique new magazine for Gainesville and North Central Florida. At Flourish, we like to consider ourselves to be the softer side of Gator Country, our brother publication, and have decided to try something different. We are a magazine within a magazine, and our intent is to bring you items of interest to enhance your life.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Flourish November 2012

Flourish

NOVEMBER 2012VOLUME 5 ISSUE 13 WWW.GATORCOUNTRY.COM

FLIP FOR NEW FLOURISH

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296

Gear’DUp

FLORIDA’S KEY COGS ON DEFENSECOME TOGETHER LIKE CLOCKWORK

INSIDE:HOOPS PREVIEWSDRISKEL DAZZLESRECRUITING NOTES

DOMINQUE EASLEY

JON BOSTIC

LERENTEE MCCRAY

MATT ELAM

JELANI JENKINS

JAYLEN WATKINS

ANTONIO MORRISON

JONATHAN BULLARD

SHARRIF FLOYD

FLIP FOR GATOR COUNTRY

North Florida november 2012Volume 1 Issue 3 www.mYFlouriShmaGaZiNe.Com

M a g a z i n e

Rerouting Your Worries with Dr. richard selznick

Giving

ThanksA Time For Appreciating the Simple Things in Life

TheBalancing act of being “super Woman”

The Ultimate Food Fight: Kids vs. vegetable

Tips For A Perfect Thanksgiving Day

Table Spread

meditation: Ancient Ways to Surviving Modern Times

Page 2: Flourish November 2012
Page 3: Flourish November 2012
Page 4: Flourish November 2012

4 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success depends at last upon yourself. Theodore T. Hunger

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’ve put together a list of things we are thankful for in our Giving Thanks article on p 8. So in that spirit, I wanted to

mention a few things I am thankful that I sometimes take for granted. I am thankful everyday for my and my families health. I know what a blessing that is. I also appreciate and thank you, the reader, that I have a chance to work in a field that I love and learn from so many inspiring experts. This month, I spoke with Dr. Richard Selznick and learned useful, real-life parenting tips to remain calm during the limit testing stage. Hmm… after a second thought, does that stage ever really end with children? Maybe it isn’t a stage at all? But on the flip side, I am absolutely thankful for the challenges I face as I know that is how growth is achieved.

We are excited to bring you our third edition this month. Time seems to be flying by so quickly these days, especially with the holidays now

upon us. So with that, we have included ways to slow down this month and take notice of all things beautiful in Gainesville with a little game,

Hot Spots on p. 46. We’ve also included the benefits to taking the ultimate slow down – meditation.

Welcome to the world of Flourish

Flourish Magazine is brought to you by Gator Country Multimedia, Inc. and What’s Happening Publications, Inc.

For advertising opportunities, please contact us at 352-371-5881 or [email protected].

Magazine subscriptions are available at www.gatorcountry.com For subsciption related questions or concerns, please call (800) 601-4623 or email [email protected]

Connect with us:

TheGatorCountry

@GatorCountry

www.whpiNc.com

Lauren Douglass

As always, we love hearing from you. So send

us a note at [email protected]

CO-PUBLISHERLauren Douglass

CO-PUBLISHERMarc Douglass

COPY EDITORDaniel Sutphin

ART DIRECTORDaniel Tidbury

GRAPHIC DESIGNDaniel TidburyLisa TorresJane Dominguez

PROMOTIONSAmanda LilesKaren JonesHilah DriggersAnnMarie DeFeo

ACCOUNTINGLynsey Parrish

CIRCULATIONEddy Falla

SPECIAL PROJECTSLauren KolanskyDaniel Sutphin

ADVERTISING DIRECTORShane Howell ([email protected])

ADVERTISING & SALESShane Howell Bryan PorterMatt Frey

CEOwww.gatorcountry.comRaymond Hines III

COOBernadette King

CFO Raymond Hines, Jr

MANAGING EDITORMike Capshaw

STAFF WRITERSAndrew SpiveyDavid ShepherdDan ThompsonPhillip Heilman

REPORTERSDrew LaingMax MatternElizabeth Rhodes

PHOTOGRAPHERSSaj GuevaraJack Lewis

What’s Inside…5 Pregnancy Myths

6 Should Your Husband

Be Your Best Friend?

8 Giving Thanks

10 Dr. Oz: Live

Long and Prosper!

12 Add Action not

Reaction to Your Life

14 The Balancing Act

16 Beware of Black Friday

18 Presenting Thanksgiving

20 Why Natural Gas?

22 Mom Worries

26 What is Love

27 House to Home

28 Vegetable Battle

30 Gainesville Events

32 Surviving the 21st Century

with Meditation

34 Benefits to Massage

35 Friendly Reading

40 A Better Night’s Sleep

41 Children’s Gator Apparel

42 Handling Tough

Situations with Other

People’s Children

43 Find the Hot Spots?

44 Beauty Reviews

Page 5: Flourish November 2012

5Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience. Elbert Hubbard

Myth: The shape and size of your belly is an indicator of your baby’s gender.Truth: A popular belief is that you’re carrying a boy if you belly is low and you’re carrying a girl if your belly is high. The shape and height of your belly is determined by your muscle tone, uterine tone and the baby’s position. The only real way to determine the gender of your baby is through an ultrasound and sometimes, depending on how the baby is positioned, even that may not be 100% correct.

Myth: Slathering cocoa butter on your body during pregnancy prevents stretch marks.Truth: Unfortunately, nothing you can do prevents stretch marks. In actuality, using cocoa butter makes women’s skin more sensitive and some women have allergic reactions to it. Do watch your weight during pregnancy, as excessive weight gain contributes to stretch marks.

Myth: Walking can bring on labor.Truth: Walking is good for you and may make you feel better during pregnancy, but it does not bring on labor. In fact, there’s no activity that truly induces labor.

Myth: Avoid hair dyes during pregnancy.Truth: Doctors agree that only a minimal amount of the chemicals from hair dye are absorbed into the skin during coloring and are not believed to cause any harm to fetuses. If you’re concerned, wait until the end of your first trimester, switch to no-ammonia based colorants or opt for an eco-friendly hair color.

Myth: You should avoid fish during pregnancy.Truth: Eating two servings of fish per week can be healthy for mom and baby. Coldwater fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which help with your baby’s brain development and vision. Avoid fish high in mercury, such as swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel. Salmon, shrimp and canned light tuna are better choices. Always avoid raw fish which can contain parasites.

Myth: Morning sickness is over by the end of the first trimester.Truth: Morning sickness, although not typical, can last the entire pregnancy. For most women, it subsides by the end of the first trimester. To quell morning sickness until it runs its course, steer clear of foods or

odors that trigger it. Try keeping a little something in your tummy at all times to avoid the onset of nausea. Snack on high-carb foods like pretzels, keep mints or ginger candies on hand or suck on ice chips.

Myth: Sitting in front of a computer screen for long periods will cause a miscarriage or preterm labor.Truth: According to the most recent studies, there’s no evidence that using a computer during the workday increases the incidence of low birth weight babies, preterm labor or other deficiencies in newborns.

Myth: You cannot get pregnant while you’re breastfeeding.Truth: Yes, you can! Although breastfeeding reduces your fertility, your best bet is to use birth control as well if you’re not planning on another baby in nine months.

These tips are brought to you by Premama, a flavorless prenatal vitamin drink mix that can be added to juices, milk, iced tea and more. It’s complete with all the necessary prenatal vitamins and minerals, and is 100% natural. Visit Premama.com for more information.

PregnancyMyths: Fact vs. Fiction

Pregnancy advice comes in all forms during your long

nine months of the baby bump. You must ask yourself, how

often do you question what is being advised? Below,

the doctors at Premama unravel pregnancy myths and

offer the refreshing truth in return.

Page 6: Flourish November 2012

6 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way. Christopher Morley

When it comes to friends, there are

definitely degrees of friendship. Friends

range from “casual acquaintances” to

“best friends” and even “facebook friends.”

With social media, it’s a lot easier to stay

in touch with friends. However, facebook

friends aren’t really the same as real

friends. And, in some cases, facebook

friends can hurt you – like when you see

that you were left out of something. In

real life, you don’t have several hundred

friends. If you’re lucky, you have a nice

circle of close friends or neighbors and

enough acquaintances to throw a decent

dinner party or occasional backyard bash.

By Connie Holubar

Depending on how young

or old you might be,

you’ve already had lots

of friends. A reality of

being human is that

we move through life

meeting, befriending and

at some point saying

goodbye to friends. The

thought is both glorious

and sad at the same time.

A more recent phenomenon seems to be the “my husband is my best friend” proclamation. We’ve all seen it online, usually as an anniversary declaration about being married to “my best friend.” I’m not sure that’s a good thing, and according to my exhaustive research, the New York Times and even Oprah agree: your spouse should not be your best friend. If your spouse is your best friend, who do you go to chick flicks with? Who do you get your nails done with? Who do you linger over brunch with? Most of all, who do you whine about your husband to?

Your husband is your roommate, your lover, your financial partner, your co-parent and someone you plan to grow old with and take care of until you die. But if you’ve decided your husband is

your best friend, you just might be cheating yourself out of a really important relationship.

No matter how old or young we are, women need other women. We need them for sisterhood and support and long-winded conversations over things that your husband really doesn’t care about and your mother won’t understand.

So with that said, get on the phone today and call up a few friends. Tell them you were thinking about them and how much you appreciate them. Book a lunch date or a movie or some reason to get together. Go out and celebrate your friendships with your friends. And, if you are blessed enough to have a best friend, take care of that relationship to ensure she’s your best friend forever.

Friend?Best

Should your husband be your

Page 7: Flourish November 2012

1 Don’t panic. Don’t take anything, not even these words (and especially not

yourself), too seriously.

2 Never stop thinking. If someone ever says to you, “You need to stop think-

ing so much,” just ignore them and keep thinking deeper. Your mind is your most important tool. If you stop using it, it will atrophy. FACT.

3 Daydream as much as possible, even if it’s only for a few seconds at a time.

4 Don’t be afraid to talk about anything. Ask questions and demand answers.

5 Everyone is original. Every life experience is unique. Everything you do makes you

more YOU than anyone else has ever been.

6 Stop rushing. Take your time and enjoy every moment.

7 Don’t let anyone tell you what to be-lieve. Discover “religion” for yourself.

It should never be taught, only found.

8 We will always be in a transitional phase. Look around you and know

that everything will be replaced at some point. This existence is only temporary.

9 If someone said it better, don’t be afraid to quote them.

10 There is no such thing as time. There is only your life. Earlier

today you were born and death is predicted later in the evening.

some rulesto live by

Page 8: Flourish November 2012

8 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Success is sweet: the sweeter if long delayed and attained through manifold struggles and defeats. A. Branson Alcott

With cooler weather and holidays just around the corner, we often get swept away in Black Friday shopping, event planning, family gathering, food preparation and the all around craziness that comes with this time of year. Don’t forget to take a few

breaths and remember what this time of year is really about.

By Lauren Michelle Kolansky

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

Giving

Thanks

Page 9: Flourish November 2012

The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows. Aristotle Onassis

There are many ways to practice gratitude. here’s a gratitude visualization exercise you can try yourself:•Standupright.•Relaxfromheadtotoe.•Thinkofsomethingor

someone that sparks a feeling of gratitude.

•Feelthegratitudeinyour body and breathe gratefully.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tap into gratitude when feeling particularly grumpy or stressed on a given day or at a given time. Don’t worry about what it is you think of that sparks the feeling. Even the most trivial of things deserve your gratitude, too. Allow yourself to think of things like eating a delicious piece of cheese or chocolate, wearing a fabulous piece of jewelry or just laying down on a comfortable bed – anything that evokes that warm happy feeling.

Another way is the quantitative gratitude exercise. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for. Go ahead, try it! See how many you can think of in three minutes: your best friend, your grandma, running water. When you stop to really think about it, there are so many things. You might even find you want to keep going or that you lose count! Friends, family, loved ones? Go beyond and really appreciate all you have available to you. Here are a few things from my own list to help get you started:

1) Grocery StoresI love the Grocery Store. It is one of my favorite places! How lucky are we to live in a place where we are able to go to a store that’s usually under five minutes away and have access to almost every type of food imaginable?

2) Fresh waterQuenching my thirst with fresh filtered water is one of the greatest feelings ever!

3) carsEven if it’s not the newest and nicest vehicle on the road, they get us places faster than anything else we own (unless you own a private jet, and in that case, that should definitely be on your list!) Think of all the things we get to do because of cars. Think of how nice it is to have a car when we are transporting big items or when we need to get somewhere when it’s raining, really hot or really cold. We can go almost anywhere in a shorter period of time then if we had to walk, leaving us time to do so much more!

With these exercises, you can really let your gratitude shine. This Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start working on your gratitude, but don’t let that stop you from practicing all year round!

How often are you truly feeling grateful? A study at UC Davis showed that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism, higher energy

levels. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly,

and made more progress toward personal goals.

Being grateful

Page 10: Flourish November 2012

10 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving. Dennis Waitley

So guys, listen up! Here’s another reason to say “humbug” to hamburger. Men who eat

one and a half servings (about a 5-ounce burger) of fried meat a week increase

the risk of advanced prostate cancers by 30 percent. Chow down 8 ounces of the stuff and your risk jumps to 40 percent.

That’s why smart guys — and gals (red meat fires up her risk for

disease, including breast cancer) — switch to fish and skinless chicken; a veggie-rich diet (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, watercress, arugula,

cauliflower); and protein from 100 percent whole grains and beans. If

you do grill, reduce carcinogens by marinating food in canola or olive oil and

balsamic vinegar for 15 minutes or more before cooking over medium heat.

Worried that years of eating red meat have already done damage? Take at least 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D-3. (Get your blood level measured; you want a reading of 50-80 ng/dL.) Also take algal supplements that deliver 900 milligrams of omega-3 a day, and consider taking purified omega-7 and omega-9 (found in olive oil).

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Medical

Officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. For

more information go to www.RealAge.com.

Live Long and Prosper!

By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

When Spock said, “Live long and prosper,” he might have added “only if you don’t

eat red meat.” Red and processed meats (lunch meat, sausage, hot dogs or

bacon) are a straight shot to heart disease, some cancers and memory loss. In

addition to artery-clogging, inflammation-boosting saturated fats, they contain

nitrates, heme iron and certain carcinogens that form as a result of high-temp

cooking (broiling, pan frying or grilling). The stuff is old age on a fork!

My son is 5 1/2, and he’s started stuttering. My husband also stuttered as a child, but as an adult he speaks quite well. I know kids can grow out of it, but is this something we should be concerned about right now? Betty S., Kansas City, Mo.

Don’t be too alarmed; stuttering affects 5 percent of kids between the ages of 2 and 6. And while you can’t know for sure that your child will grow out of it, 80 percent of kids do within 12 to 24 months. Still, early intervention (if he’s been stuttering for three months) is valuable. Therapy can help put his speech difficulties behind him sooner rather than later, and that can make him more self confident and socially relaxed. That’s important for his making friends, which is key for intellectual development. Kids need buddies to become healthy and smart.

Three things we do know about stuttering: It runs in families, it affects boys three times more often than girls and it has a brain component. Scans of a brain area (the pars opercularis) which is important for speech show structural differences in some people who stutter. Therapy works by creating a neural workaround that reduces stuttering. It’s most successful with young children who haven’t learned that talking can be difficult or is a negative experience. (Although King George’s later-in-life therapy certainly helped him.) A recent study from China suggests that specific kinds of retraining therapy can reorganize the brain and reduce stuttering at any age in as little as one week.

Advanced language and communication skills can be damaged if stuttering persists without treatment. So go for professional therapy early, and see your nearest medical center’s developmental pediatrician and speech therapist. In the meantime, make sure you help him by talking to him slowly and clearly, and by expecting the same level of intellectual ability from him that you would from any child his age who doesn’t stutter.

Page 11: Flourish November 2012

11Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Everyone has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases. Jeremy Collier

My mom (Grandma) is always picking up my baby’s pacifier off the floor and saying, “Five-second rule – it’s OK.” It freaks me out. Is it safe? Paula P., Atlanta

Is there any science behind many moms’ favorite germ-control method — the five-second rule? Millions of parents, grandparents and legions of parenting gurus and doctors say there is. But we thought we might take a closer look, and you’ll be surprised by what we found.

Even though you want to make sure your children’s immune system develops properly (they need exposure to good and bad bacteria for that), too much of the five-second rule isn’t healthy. It depends on what hit the ground (wet things like apple slices and pacifiers collect germs quickly; harder, dryer candies or crackers, not so much) and where it landed (the sidewalk is surprisingly clean, say researchers, while your kitchen floor may have bacteria from raw meat juices and other foods that can cause gastro-upset).

If nasty bacteria are lurking underfoot, it takes ingesting about 10,000 of them to get sick. Any fewer and the body usually fights them off rather easily. So, how soon can those 10,000 glom on to a dropped pacifier? In a flash — whether it’s been 1 second or 30 — it’s covered with bacteria. Picking it up and giving it a quick rinse under running water may reduce the amount to an acceptable level — around 1,000; but sticking it in your mouth and then giving it back to your child just adds your bacteria to what came off the floor.

What you do NOT want to do is put hand sanitizer on the object. It’s not made for mouths! Instead, travel with spare pacifiers and sippy cups; use water to rinse off food and objects when possible. Really stuck? Wipe it off with a paper towel and keep your fingers crossed!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Submit your health questions at www.doctoroz.com.

The 5 Second Rule

Page 12: Flourish November 2012

12 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

Not Reaction, to Your Life!Summer’s over, temperatures are cooling, autumn colors are popping out and it’s way too stunning to stay indoors.

Add

Action,

You contemplate a walk, maybe a run...perhaps a workout or a swim? Then, the dreaded “been there, done that” syndrome grabs hold and your ultimate reaction is: do nothing!

If this sounds all too familiar, maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit and add some “action” to your reaction.

Of course, there’s not a thing wrong with walking, running, working out or swimming, they’re all great activities. But if you’ve become disinterested and uninspired, something needs to change. How about adding hiking, biking, paddling, riding, watching and exploring to your repertoire?

hiKiNG:Of course, hiking is nothing new. You may even be asking, “How is this any different from my typical walk?” Terra firma, that’s how. Hiking is done on soil, leaf-strewn paths and crunchy, gravel roads. Physically it’s better for you and visually far more interesting than any paved surface could ever hope to be.

BiKiNG:Has it been a while? They claim once you’ve learned how to ride a bike, you never forget. Ready to test the adage? Dust off that old relic and give it go. The air rushing across your face and through your hair (or under your helmet) will refresh you in ways you’d long forgotten.

pADDLiNG:Kayaks! Canoes! Rafts! They’re all a blast and equal one big ton o’fun! And the thrill level is totally up to you. You make the choice between serene to extreme and everything in between. Kayaking is performed individually or in tandem with sit-in or ride-on-top type boats – way fun! Canoeing should definitely involve two or more individuals and rafting is best enjoyed in groups – hold on, look out and plan to get wet!

The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. Earl of Beaconsfield

Page 13: Flourish November 2012

13Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time. Josh Billings

RiDiNG:Add riding to your action list by including four-legged creatures – typically horses. (Avoid mules, they truly are stubborn.) Riding may seem completely outside your realm of reality but it is guaranteed excitement. The sure-footed power and grace of these gorgeous animals as they clip-clop along tranquil horse trails is pure exhilaration. And don’t be put off by the animal’s size. Stables and ranches provide horses in various dimensions and temperaments, and will outfit you accordingly. Giddy up!

wATchiNG:Nature is a never-ending source of entertainment. Choose any park, preserve, forest, lake, river or stream, and just meander about. Take your time. Investigate the little things. Watch and listen, let nature come to you. Bring binoculars for bird and wildlife close-ups and observe them as they go about their busy daily agendas. Pack a lunch and make an entire day of it.

EXpLoRiNG:Explore the world around you in a whole new way with a fun craze called geocaching. Geocaching is similar to treasure hunting, wherein, you incorporate the use of hand-held GPS systems to hide (cache), then later seek, containers cached by other like -minded participants. It’s a great way to explore the wilderness individually, in twosomes, with a group or take the entire family. (Paynes Prairie Preserve has over 25 geocaches.)

All activities cited here can be performed individually. However, most shouldn’t be

done alone. In other words, it’s wise, even more fun,to include others.

Local groups, guides and sporting goods retailers can provide you with pertinent

information regarding equipment and locations. Joining up with like-minded

individuals is always a great way to learn new things, make new friends and develop exciting

relationships.

If you absolutely insist on going solo, always tell someone where you’re going, the routes you’re taking

and when you expect to return.

When you add action, instead of reaction, to your life a, fresh sense of excitement and exhilaration will undoubtedly be revealed to you. Let this be your start!

Eleven Florida State Parks are within a 40 mile radius of Gainesville: Devil’s Millhopper, Dudley Farm, Fanning Springs, Ichetucknee Springs, Manatee Springs, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch, O’Leno, Paynes Prairie, River Rise and San Felasco Hammock.

hiking & Nature watching: All of the above-mentioned parks afford good hiking and nature watching (except River Rise where foot trails aren’t available). Biking: Manatee Springs, Paynes Prairie, San Felasco Hammock. Paddling: Fanning Springs, Ichetucknee Springs, Manatee Springs, Mike Roess, O’Leno, Paynes Prairie.

horseback Riding: Mike Roess, O’Leno, Paynes Prairie, River Rise, San Felasco Hammock.*

Exploring & Geocaching: Mike Roess, O’Leno, Paynes Prairie.

For complete information regarding location, hours of operation, fees, etc., visit Florida’s State Parks site at www.floridastateparks.org and the Florida State Forest Service at www.floridaforestservice.com

*Horses are not available for hire at these locations; equestrian trails only. Check local directories or the internet for stables and ranches in your area.

Page 14: Flourish November 2012

14 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration. Evan Esar

Your job starts when you arrive at work, so keep personal calls and texts

there to a minimum. You’ll find you are more productive when you’ve got “work tunnel vision,” and it will cut down on working late or taking work home.

Pick two days a week to run personal errands or have lunch with friends or co-workers. Then spend the other three lunch hours on a brisk walk or re-charging

in the break room with some reading and a healthy sack lunch from home. A little personal time each day will reduce stress

and free up some evening hours.

Keep your personal life personal. Your co-workers don’t need a blow-by-blow description of your home refinance or your child’s every success. Think of yourself as the property of your employer for the eight or nine hours you’re at work each day. Keep your conversations professional.

Stay off the phone during your drive home and listen to music or quietly reflect on your day. This is transition time, when you transform from hard-working professional to wife and/or Mom.

Leave work at work. Your spouse might be a good listener, but he didn’t marry you to hear about your job every night.

Keep your home a safe haven where love and fun (not work) reside.

Give children your full attention, especially those crucial first minutes when you pick them up at school or arrive at home. If you come in the door still stressing over a report you need to write, you’re cheating your kids and yourself out of quality time.

Decompress before jumping into chores or cooking. We’ve all walked in only to be greeted by the breakfast dishes we didn’t have time to deal with and the milk on the counter. Since it’s been there all day, it will be fine for another 30 minutes. Change your clothes, kick off your shoes, read your mail, water your plants or take the kids to the park for some fresh air and play time.

Organize your family and yourself at night before you go to bed. If you’ve figured out your clothes for the next day, helped the kids with homework and packed up lunches and backpacks before you go to bed, your morning will be a lot less stressful.

If you recognize that you really are two (or three, or four) different people, and you give yourself a chance to “transform” from one to the other, you’ll find you have more focus and less “balancing” to do.

Masteringthe

Balancing ActIt’s never been easy to balance a personal and professional life, and being “Super Woman” is a tough thing to do on a day-in, day-out basis.

It sometimes seems that both work and family expect our full attention 24 hours a day. There are

days when our duties as a wife, mother, sister, daughter or friend dominate all our attentions. But at work, that can leave co-workers resentful (and even hurt our careers) as we slip away for

an early soccer game or miss a deadline.

Instead of just barely hanging on, we’ve interviewed numerous women who really do seem to balance it all and have compiled this list of survival techniques to implement in your life.

Get plenty of sleep, but get up an hour before anyone else in the house. Take time to focus yourself before the craze of the day starts. Practice yoga, take a quick run around the block or read the paper with a cup of coffee. That quiet, private time will quickly become a highlight of your day.

Don’t call your office on the way to work. Arrive refreshed (and safe) by focusing on the road and enjoying some music or motivational tapes. Work will be there when you get there.

By Connie Holubar

Page 15: Flourish November 2012

15Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Impatience never commanded success. Edwin H. Chapin

Flourish

Page 16: Flourish November 2012

16 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do, well. Henry W. Longfellow

Braving

Modern times, however, can often present a slightly different scenario to these picturesque family traditions, in that Thanksgiving has become more of a precursor to a far more “important” celebration: Black Friday.

A record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend in 2011, up from 212 million in 2010, according to a survey released by the National Retail Federation. Total spending reached an estimated $52.4 billion. So we caught up with John Dubreuil, General Manager of Best Buy in Gainesville, Florida, to discuss his store’s preparation for the shopping extravaganza, as well as the trends he’s seen over the years for Black Friday in Gainesville.

There was a time when Thanksgiving was a humble holiday, centered on family, friends and massive amounts of food. Despite an onslaught of in-laws, it was mostly a happy time; it was, mostly, a peaceful time. It was a time when Mom broke out the “good silver” and the family sat around the dinner table to show appreciation for each other, for the food and for their good tidings.

An interview with Best Buy Gm John Dubreuil

Black Friday

By Daniel Sutphin

Page 17: Flourish November 2012

17Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first. William Shakespeare

how are you preparing for

Black Friday?Planning for inventory levels is really what stage we’re in right now. We are going to release our sales for our premiere and reward customers soon, and they will be able to see what the ad is earlier in November than the general public, who will get to see it on Thanksgiving Day.

when do you expect people to start lining up?We have people every year who start lining up on Monday, but the bulk of our line starts forming on Wednesday. By the time I close and get done with preparation on Wednesday, we have a good amount of people. And it got bigger, earlier, last year because we opened at midnight on Thanksgiving night, which we’ll do again this year. The line will be longer than it was in years past because of that. Our first person in line is here anywhere from Monday evening to early Tuesday morning.

what do they do to pass the time?They do everything. They bring corn hole out. They play games. They put tents out on the sidewalk. I’m from Michigan, and these things start around Tuesday in Michigan as well, and you’re talking space heaters and bundling up. Here, it’s just fun for them.

what do women flock to?Well there are two things. One, they seem a lot less selfish than men, so gift-buying sales are strong. They spend the most money on their kids – where they try to find deals that day is on stuff for the kids. And, of course, they also spend on technology. They purchase anything that’s related to tablets, Blu-Ray discs, video games, and MP3 players. These are common purchases for women because it’s a gift-buying thought process for them this time of year. Whereas the guys who are in there are still looking for the same stuff for themselves and are going to wait until the last week to go holiday shopping. It’s inevitable.

i recently heard that Amazon is having to charge sales tax in california. have you heard of that?Absolutely. It’s part of the E-Fairness Act, and it’s something that Best Buy supports whole heartedly. Because otherwise, internet sales have an unfair advantage – and not just for us. We won’t go anywhere because Amazon doesn’t have to charge sales tax, but there are local retailers who are struggling to compete with places like Amazon because they are forced to charge sales tax. That’s just unfair, and it’s a loophole. There’s no reason they shouldn’t have to charge sales tax like the rest of us.

would you stand in line?Absolutely. From an outside perspective, we always look at that every year, because it’s how we think about planning. If we were a consumer, what would we be in line for? Stuff that we have in limited quantities, we actually create a ticket, so that there’s no chaos inside the store. That’s the thing that other retailers don’t do. They still open up at five in the morning, cut off the plastic, and let people fight for it. We just don’t do that; it’s very controlled.

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Page 18: Flourish November 2012

18 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. Robert Collier

LinensChoose tablecloths, runners, place mats and linen napkins to protect your table and to set the stage. Well in advance of Thanksgiving, wash all your linens. A day or two before, spend some time at the ironing board and press them for a crisp look. Canned spray starch or water in your steam iron will be a welcome assistant for the task.

Napkin RingsYou don’t need 12 matching napkin rings. Mix and match from your personal collection or pick up some pretty ribbon from the hobby store and simply tie up your napkins with a bow. If you prefer paper napkins, splurge on the over-sized premium brands.

chair coversCoordinate mismatched chairs with slipcovers tied with fabric sash or special chair ties. The covers not only protect your chairs but provide a unified look. Slip covers can typically be rented in a variety of colors from party rental stores.

place cardsKids may grumble initially at “assigned seats,” but place cards welcome guests and add a special touch. You can make them on your computer and print them out on card stock, or use your best handwriting for a personal touch.

place SettingsThanksgiving is no time for disposable dinnerware. Whether you use everyday dishes, fine china or every plate in your home, provide each guest with at least a dinner plate and a salad plate. Be sure to have dessert plates available later for pie. Layer the dishes at each place so your guests know which setting is theirs.

centerpieceWhether you decide on fresh flowers, candles, whimsical figurines, fallen leaves from your yard or all of the above, don’t be afraid to get creative in the center of your table. While a large floral arrangement is always nice, consider shorter, smaller decorations or low bowls of flowers or floating candles that allow your guests to see over them for ease of conversation.

Thanksgiving is a time of joy and family togetherness. it’s a wonderful opportunity to express creativity, not only with food, but also with an inviting table and serving pieces that make the entire dining experience something special.

Whether you’re hosting an intimate family meal or catering the neighborhood, take advantage of the opportunity to pull out the good china for elegance or mix up several different patterns of dishes for an eclectic Thanksgiving presentation.

As with the meal itself, advance planning for the table and your “food service plan” will lower your stress level and add to your enjoyment on the big day.

Plan AheadStart a few weeks in advance by thinking of your table in layers, and take an inventory of what you have hidden in the china cabinet and your kitchen cupboards. If you find your own supply of tableware or linens lacking, don’t be shy about borrowing from friends and relatives who will be dining with you. Your mother’s wedding china or your best friend’s collection of whimsical salt & pepper shakers may be the perfect missing ingredient in your table top design.

Use this list to plan for your table presentation:

presenting Thanksgiving:

Plan Ahead for a Table that Wows Your Guests

By Conie Holubar

Page 19: Flourish November 2012

19Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no use being a damn fool about it. W.C. Fields

Serving piecesIn advance of your feast, decide what you’ll serve each dish in or on. Make sure you have the appropriate spoon, fork or silverware for each bowl or platter. Have everything washed and ready, and consider making a list of what food will be served in each serving piece. That way, any kitchen help you’re lucky enough to have can easily assist in plating the food for the table.

GlasswareIf you’ll be serving wine and you don’t have enough matching stemware, make a trip to your local thrift store and pick up a few extra glasses. Pretty stemware can often be found at an inexpensive price. Be sure to pick glasses that are free from chips and nicks. Also use age appropriate glassware at each place setting. Tiny hands don’t need heavy crystal tumblers.

FlatwareIf you’re planning to use your grandmother’s antique silver, you’ll want to pull it out a few weeks in advance. Silver tarnishes quickly, and polishing can take time. Opt for stainless if you’re not into polishing the good stuff.

TrivetsYou may want smaller bowls of especially popular side dishes on the main table. You’ll also need plenty of hot pads or trivets on the buffet. Many hostesses find this is something they definitely need to borrow.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where memories are made, so use these tips to help organize yours and to set the stage for the best

meal of the year.

presenting Thanksgiving:

Page 20: Flourish November 2012

20 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

why should you switch to Natural Gas?

Natural gas is clean and efficient so you get the most from every energy dollar. No wonder most homeowners prefer natural gas.

choose the low-cost comfort of natural gas and you’ll see how natural gas equipment and appliances are easy on your budget and add value to every part of your home. The more you install, the greater your benefits.

Page 21: Flourish November 2012

21Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012There go the people. I must follow them for I am their leader. Alexandre Ledru-Rollin

what are uses for natural gas in homes and businesses?

Natural gas is highly efficient, using more than 90 percent of its energy potential.

In fact, it can cost 50 percent less to cook with natural gas versus

LP gas (liquefied petroleum) or electricity. It can be

used for: •Heating

•Waterheating •Cooking •Clothes

drying •Grilling •Pool

heating

Natural gas appliances are a smart choice when remodeling. According to the National Association of Home Builders, on average, homes with natural gas sell faster than all-electric homes, and at a 6 percent higher price. If planning to build, remodel or just upgrade existing equipment, choose a builder or contractor who understands and promotes the value of natural gas appliances.

what are the benefits of using natural gas? Showers stay warmer longer. Clothing dries more quickly with fewer wrinkles. No “warm up” period when starting the furnace. Hot water may still be available if an electric outage occurs. Stove may still be available for cooking if an electric outage occurs. When preparing food, natural gas is the number one cooking choice of professional chefs.

Safe and reliableProviding customers with safe and reliable natural gas service is GRU’s highest priority. GRU technicians constantly monitor and maintain approximately 740 miles of natural gas pipeline that serve more than 33,000 local customers. Natural gas is naturally odorless. The distinctive “rotten egg” odor associated with natural gas is added before it reaches the customer as a safety precaution. If you smell gas, leave the area immediately and call GRU at 352-334-2550 from a neighboring home or business.

where is natural gas available?GRU delivers natural gas to most of greater Gainesville, including portions of Alachua and High Springs.

Are rebate programs available? GRU offers rebates up to $850 to convert appliances - such as hot water heaters, furnaces, ranges and dryers – from LP gas (liquefied petroleum), or electric to an energy-efficient natural gas model.

To find out if natural gas service is available in your area, call 352-393-1464 or visit www.gru.com.

Natural gas is safe and reliable.

It burns clean and is an excellent value.

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Page 22: Flourish November 2012

MomWorries

with Dr. Richard Selznick

In his first book, The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child, Dr. Richard Selznick observed a number of children that were shutting down over time. It seemed that those around 4th and 5th grade began

to show signs of disconnection. His new book, School Struggles: A Guide To Your Shut-Down Learner’s Success,

expands on that and focuses on the many concerns that keep moms awake at night, which tend to cluster into

reading, organizational and school issues.

why write School Struggles?I believe that there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to children’s issues and that things have gotten a bit out of hand in terms of terminology, jargon and treatments. In School Struggles, I give a down-to-earth view of childhood and a new perspective on how to look at the child and not be so caught up in the emotions of the issue.

interviewed by Lauren Douglass

22 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception. V. Cousin

Page 23: Flourish November 2012

23The real leader has no need to lead-- he is content to point the way. Henry Miller Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

what can you do if you suspect your child is struggling?Moms need to listen to themselves and trust their gut. When a mom thinks there is something off, usually there is. That’s number one; to really listen to yourself, even if the pediatrician and school are saying everything is fine. Often times, the child does have subtle learning problems.

Getting your child tested is a good first step because it can often validate what the parent is seeing. Testing can also provide a kind of snapshot, or road map, as to what to do.

Many kids that are struggling in school are falling in the lower portion of what’s called the average range, which can create a problem because they are then not seen as eligible to receive any services. You could start with your pediatrician or the school to see if they will do an evaluation. You should understand, however, that the school’s primary purpose when doing an evaluation is to determine eligibility for special education. If the child is not eligible, that’s the takeaway message that the parent will get: “Your child’s not eligible and that’s that.” However, as is often the case,

your child may not be eligible, but he’s still struggling. That’s where a private evaluation is different from a school evaluation.

what types of mistakes can parents make?One mistake, especially for the older children, is to be over-involved in a day-to day basis with homework. Over-involvement gives the wrong message. The value in homework is that the child learns to manage the work, tries to tackle it on in his or her own, and gets a little sense of satisfaction. If the parent is there overdoing it, then the child is leaning on the parent and it breeds a sense of dependency. There are parents who are 60–70 percent involved with homework. I try to get them to be 10 percent involved. You can tell from the language that they use. They will say, “We have a history test this weekend.” But it isn’t “we;” it is the child’s test. Being somewhat involved, not over-involved, helps create the right balance and puts responsibility where it belongs – on the child.

Now, on the other hand, an equal mistake is the uninvolved parent. Just saying, “Okay, go to your room and do your homework,” may

not be helpful for a child, especially a child who struggles a bit. Commanding and yelling can often be a bad combination, leading to frustration on both sides. Try to remove the emotion and any yelling.

You say that yelling at a child in regards to homework and all other aspects of obtaining compliance does not work, why is that?I think that yelling is to this generation what hitting was to the previous one. Someone said to me recently, “Oh, you know parents should just go back to hitting their kids.” I was shocked. Some people hold to this notion of hitting the child as the ticket, which only creates fear and anger. Most people don’t believe in hitting, but they still hold onto yelling, which still creates an atmosphere of anger in the household. I don’t find yelling reaching its desired goal. I will jokingly say that there’s rarely a child who says, “Mom, thanks for yelling. I really get it now.” Generally, yelling leads to a child defending and screaming back. My point is not to go soft on your child either. There is a middle ground.

Page 24: Flourish November 2012

24 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow. Chinese Proverb

Many times, the parent is just frustrated. Non-compliance from children produces tremendous frustration in parents. There are better ways to go about it than just resorting to yelling. So I spend much of my time with parents trying to give them other ways to respond to a child.

There are two major things I try to get the parents to do…

One is to catch a child doing the right thing. Often we are pulled in to the off-behavior – “stop hitting your brother,” or, “I told you to do the dishes” – but when a kid does the right thing, what do we do? We usually ignore it. I try to get parents to basically not overdo the compliments but to use a lot of “wow talk” – saying things like “Wow, you really were helpful today in the supermarket,” or, “Wow, you and your brother really got along today. I just wanted to tell you that I noticed it.” Kids love that.

The second thing is to cultivate a “matter of fact tone” and help parents pay attention to the use of body language that clearly gets the message across. The parents may need to be coached to learn how to communicate more effectively – “What’s my tone?” “What’s my message?” and “How am I delivering this message?” Looking to how you as a parent are delivering your message is really important because, otherwise, you’re blown off – kids will just ignore you. Parents need to be more authoritative and use their leverage points more effectively. For example: your child is dragging his feet to get ready for a birthday party. Parents often get hysterical about getting to the party on time. They then miss the message of teaching responsibility. Instead of yelling, you can say to him in a matter-of-fact tone, “Okay, I’ve been to a

lot of birthday parties in my life. You either get it together or you don’t. I’m not going to be screaming mommy, but you can choose to get ready now or you can choose to have a very boring afternoon.”

it seems like you’re also educating the parent on ways to cope with stress when their child is pushing their buttons.Yes, the above is just really hard to do and parents need to play these things out a couple of times. I use the example of a typical sibling argument in the backseat scenario – rather than yelling, I instruct parents to have a book with them and tell the kids upfront how it’s going to work. The parent recognizes his or her leadership role in a way that is clear. Then the parent says, “The last time we took a ride down to the beach you guys were arguing and it was a horrible ride. It’s not going to happen that way today. I will give you one warning to pull it together, but if you don’t, I’m pulling the car over to the side of the road and will read my book for 10 minutes.” (In kid time, that’s like hours.) When the time is up, see if they are ready to go. If they’re not ready, you have to be willing to tough it out and go another 10 minutes; you have to stick it out.

Do you think that school struggles start because the child is in a more aggressive household? No, I think it is because the kid is in over his or her head academically and has difficulty managing the work. At the core, there’s usually a reading problem or a learning problem that is being misunderstood – not a parenting-aggressive household issue.

Page 25: Flourish November 2012

25Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012A leader is a dealer in hope. Napoleon Bonaparte

Check how you deliver your commands to your kids. If you deliver a weak command, the odds of compliance are very poor. This is not to say that you should bark orders at your child, but check the message and how it is being delivered. Question commands (“Isn’t it time we went to bed?”) or weak sounding commands (“Let’s go to bed now”) are predestined to be ignored.

School-struggling children often have processing problems and difficulty with language functions. While all children will struggle with weak commands, children with these difficulties need even greater clarity of communication for them to understand and comply.

Gumby parenting can lead to many child-behavior problems. Having a clear and firm parenting style is usually most effective. Watch out for being too soft, but also make sure you don’t become overly rigid.

Do you try – at all costs – to not let your child feel any pain? Some of the pain that comes from a child choosing wrongly can be enormously instructive so that similar choices are not repeated. Curling parents do not allow such learning to take place.

Children are natural pleasure seekers. Are you being held hostage by their incessant demands? This is a hard way to live, as the household can feel very chaotic when children exercise too much control. Again, developing clearer tones of leadership reaps enormous benefits. You may want to seek professional support in developing your clear voice further.

Yelling is perhaps the number-one parenting strategy being used to try to get kids to behave and comply. The problem is that yelling rarely works. Yelling is reactive. You’ll have much greater odds of success with more matter-of-fact tones that place responsibility on the child.

Less flexible children require more up front strategizing on the part of the parent. When you go to a backyard party with a flexible-style child, you don’t have to do too much

Parental TipsFrom School Struggles: A Guide To Your Shut-Down Learner’s Success

Dr. Selznick is the Director of the Cooper Learning Center, a Division of the Department of Pediatrics, of Cooper University Hospital. As the author of two books, The Shut-Down

Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child and the recently published

School Struggles: A Guide To Your Shut-Down Learner’s Success, he has presented to

parents and educators internationally and throughout the United States. For more information visit him at www.drselz.com.

strategizing. Not so with the more difficult child. This style of child needs much greater clarification about what will happen if certain behaviors occur (e.g., “The last time we came over to your cousin’s, you pushed the other children at the swings. I will be watching and if you push we will have to leave for about ten minutes until you are ready to come back to play.”)

Don’t be afraid of a little cool anger once in a while. The impact can be considerable and the message more in line with the reality of the moment (e.g., “I’m too angry to talk to you now,” said in measured and direct tones.)

Page 26: Flourish November 2012

26 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca – age 8

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri – age 4

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny – age 7

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” Billy – age 7

“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.” Emily – age 8

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby – age 7

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.” Nikka – age 6

(We need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet!)

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” Noelle – age 7

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” Mary Ann – age 4

“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.” Elaine – age 5

“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.” Cindy – age 8

“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Tom Cruise.” Chris – age 7

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy – age 6

“I know my older sister loves me, because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren – age 4

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” Karen – age 7

“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross.” Mark – age 6

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica – age 8

we asked this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds: “What does love mean?” The answers they gave were broader and deeper than we could have imagined.

LoveWhat is

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Page 27: Flourish November 2012

27Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander. Aristotle

One of my favorites is the original “Wall Street” movie, with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. This was about the opulence of the ’80s and the quick money that these guys on Wall Street were raking in. Their greed and yearning for the high life was depicted in the character of Gordon Gekko and his office. It was opulent with textures of metal, leather and rich, deep colors, but it was the paint finishes that had me on the edge of my seat. Surfaces were painted to emulate the luxury of velvet, the coldest of steel and the warmth of leather. I was hooked!

I remember “Something’s Gotta Give,” with the fabulous Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. In the theater, you could hear a collective intake of breath from the audience at the sight of the home belonging to the woman played by Diane Keaton. I listened to the murmur of enthusiastic whispers as friends discussed the subtle shades of pastels with fresh, white moldings, the oversized oat-colored sofas, and bookcases paneled in glossy white wood. How many of us, I wonder, rented the movie just to help choose a color palette for our own walls?

Movies and TV shows can offer us a vision of trends that are about to reappear. “Mad Men” is the perfect example. Furnishings, patterns, colors and textures from the early ’60s are once again becoming a staple in our homes, albeit with a slight twist. Colored appliances are now back in vogue, creating a sigh of relief from the decades of stainless steel and white. I just bought a lemon-yellow toaster – a joyful upgrade to my mom’s Harvest Yellow – and I have a wild “noodle” rug in Pistachio Green, again a modern version of the green shag.

This year, we spent my birthday at an ancient castle in Tuscany, which is the hotel where the romantic movie “Letters to Juliet” was filmed starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave. Not only was I treated by my beloved husband to this wonderful evening, but we also stayed in the actual room where they filmed many of the scenes. Borgo Scopeto (www.borgoscopetorelais.it), which should be added to everyone’s bucket list, was built more than 600 years ago. The latest restoration to this now-stunning hotel incorporates today’s modern comforts and paint techniques have been applied that have been used in Tuscany for centuries. The use of color blocking and what is known as

“lining” in the hallways and bedrooms of this hotel encompass both the practical and aesthetic sense integral to good design.

Creating blocks of color on a wall brings large rooms to scale, an ideal solution for anyone who has cathedral ceilings in their home. Bands and lines of color usually replace baseboards in these old villas – a fabulous remedy if you have three-inch baseboards that you would like to make more impressive. A roll of low-tack masking tape, a base color on your walls and an alternate color will create a clean, modern and interesting element for the plainest room.

The next time you watch a movie, whether it’s a historic European romance or an America drama, dwell on the backdrop of the homes as well as the action on the screen. You will find so much to be inspired by for your own home.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to [email protected]. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, and visit Debbie’s new website, www.debbietravis.com.

By Debbie travis

I love movies, and I love interior design. Throughout history, movies not only

have inspired us on ways to decorate our homes, they also have created trends.

So many films have brilliantly incorporated a historically famous style, and in return

showed us, the viewing public, how to use these looks in our own homes.

to HomeHouse

Debbie Travis’

STuNNING INTERIORS SPOTTED IN MOVIES, SuCH AS THIS BEDROOM SuITE AT BORGO SCOPETO, WERE GALVANIzING MOMENTS FOR MY CAREER “PLAYING WITH PAINT.”

How many of us, I wonder, rented

[a] movie just to help choose a

color palette for our own walls?

Page 28: Flourish November 2012

28 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Any one can hold the helm when the sea is calm. Publilius Syrus

By Brian Hodges

SmoothiesA great mix to try is 1 cup spinach, 1 cup kale, 1 cup cherries, 1 cup frozen organic strawberries, ½ cup frozen organic blueberries, ½ cup pineapple, ½ cup raspberries, 2 small red apples and 2 cups orange juice.

Leafy greens like spinach, collards and kale become unnoticeable in the fruit-flavored mixture. Adding cherries is key here as they are a rich source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals but help mask the bitterness of the leafy greens. Sweet veggies like carrots and beets can actually add to the flavor while boosting the vitamin content and the color. Adding flax seed will add Omega-3. Mixing lots of different fruits together give you a wide range of health benefits. Frozen organic fruits can be found in the freezer section at the grocery store. By using frozen fruits with fresh selections, you don’t need to add ice, which will keep the smoothie from separating. In the fresh fruit section, there are mason jars filled with fruit. After you use the fruit, you can save the jar and store left-over smoothies.

Ground BeefWhether you’re forming it into burgers, balls or loafs, ground beef is a great medium for hiding those foods your kids like to hide under their napkin. The trick is getting it small enough that they don’t even notice. A good food processor comes in very handy at moments like this. Grind down quinoa and frozen spinach and mix it in with your burgers before throwing them on the grill. Finely grate some zucchini and add it to the meatball part of your famous spaghetti dish. And chop those peppers, onions and mushrooms down so small they’ll never even so much as notice the change of texture in your meatloaf.

SaucesBlend something down small enough and it will vanish into anything saucy. Spaghetti sauce is practically teeming with possibilities for boosting your kids’ vegetable intake. Throw peppers, onions, mushrooms, leafy greens and whatever else you can think of into a food processor and grind until everything is smaller than “pick-out” size. Pureed cauliflower can assimilate into mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese while just about anything you want can hide under the cheese of homemade pizza. Out of sight, into stomach.

Baked GoodsLower the guilt factor of giving your kids sweets by adding vegetables. Finely grated carrots dumped into any existing cake recipe will all but disappear. Use pureed beets in anything chocolate and pureed sweet potatoes or pumpkin in anything that calls for cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg. After all, if they want sweets, they might as well get some veggies to boot

Vegetable

BattleAs parents, we try to

get our kids to eat healthy, but vegetables

are a notoriously difficult negotiation. That unique

combination of taste and texture just isn’t something a

stubborn three year old, or sixteen year old, for that matter, will happily enjoy.

So to avoid the vegetable battle, here a few ways to

incorporate the health benefits by blurring the taste.

Page 29: Flourish November 2012

29Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller

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Page 30: Flourish November 2012

30 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult. Hypocrites

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 13th

3:30pM Thanksgiving Turkey Hat Craft @ Alachua County Headquarters Library – Downtown6:30pM FREE Introduction to Square Dancing @ Carpenters’ Union Hall

NOVEMBER 1412pM GWC “La vie est belle” Fashion Show & Luncheon @ Gainesville Woman’s Club5pM Dr. Larry Rivers Speaks on Florida’s History of “Rebels and Runaways” at UF @ Pugh Hall5:30pM Networking for Nonprofits @ TBD 6pM Mindful Movies @ 401 E. University Branch of the Library7pM UF Men’s Basketball Wisconsin

NOVEMBER 159aM National Philanthropy Day Celebration @ Ocala Hilton & Conference Center4pM UF Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Florida State4pM UF Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Florida State7pM UF Women’s Basketball @ Florida State7:30pM UF Symphony Orchestra Concert 46th Annual Concerto Competition Concert @ University Auditorium

NOVEMBER 165:30pM Trashformations @ Florida Museum of Natural History6pM Art Bash @ UF Fine Arts Courtyard6pM Shop-Dine, Stroll @ Main St, Alachua, FL, 32615 7pM UF Volleyball LSU

NOVEMBER 17thUF Football Jacksonville State

12pM UF Men’s Cross Country @ NCAA Championship12:58pM UF Women’s Cross Country @ NCAA Championship7pM Next Generation Fall Concert @ Gainesville High School

NOVEMBER 18th1pM Local Artist Trunk Show and Demonstration @ Harn Museum of Art1:30pM UF Volleyball South Carolina4pM UF Men’s Basketball @ Middle Tennessee4pM Alachua Consort Baroque Music Series @ St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

NOVEMBER 19th7pM UF Women’s Basketball North Florida

NOVEMBER 20th10:14aM Celebrate Design Opening & Reception @ TBD

6:30pM FREE Introduction to Square Dancing @ Carpenters’ Union Hall

7pM UF Men’s Basketball Savannah State

NOVEMBER 21.7:30pM Sing-a-long Sound of Music @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

8pM UF Volleyball @ Auburn

NOVEMBER 23Rd4pM UF Men’s Basketball UCF

5:30pM UF Women’s Basketball @ N.C. State

7pM UF Volleyball @ Georgia

7:30pM Chucho Valdes Quintet @ University of Florida Auditorium

NOVEMBER 24th 10aM Craft Festival 2012 @ Stephen C. O’Connell Center

3pM UF Women’s Basketball @ Northern IowaUF Football @ Florida State

NOVEMBER 25th3pM UF Women’s Basketball @ Arizona State

NOVEMBER 27.6:30pM FREE Introduction to Square Dancing @ Carpenters’ Union Hall

7:30pM West Side Story @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 28th6pM Mindful Movies @ 401 E. University Branch of the Library

NOVEMBER 29th9pM UF Men’s Basketball Marquette

NOVEMBER 30thUF Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye Invitational

UF Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye Invitational

6pM Alachua Christmas Tree Lighting @ Alachua County City Hall

6pM Starry Night @ Florida Museum of Natural History

7:30pM Riders In The Sky @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 1stUF Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye InvitationalUF Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye Invitational

5:30pM Grapes & Grains @ the Florida Museum of Natural History7pM SW Gainesville Relay for Life Kickoff Party @ Mexico Lindo7pM UF Men’s Basketball Nebraska-Kearney (Exh.)

NOVEMBER 2NdUF Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye Invitational

UF Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Ohio State Buckeye Invitational

9aM Tee Up for a Cure Golf Tournament @ Gainesville Country Club4pM UF Women’s Swimming & Diving Texas A&M4pM UF Men’s Swimming & Diving Texas A&M7pM UF Volleyball Georgia 7pM Jerry Seinfeld @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 3Rd6:30aM Monster Dash and Creepy Crawl @ St. Augustine Beach8am Paynes Prairie 5K @ Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park10aM Guided Tour @ Kanapaha Botanical Gardens4pM Swamp Music and Bike Fest @ Thunder Music ParkUF Football Missouri

NOVEMBER 4th1pM Written Inspiration: A Children’s Book Signing Event @ Harn Museum of Art2pM UF Volleyball Tennessee7:30pM Warsaw Philharmonic: Beethoven & Tchaikovsky @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 5th6pM Haven Hospice Support Group @ ET York Care Center6pM Grief & Loss Support Group @ ET York Care Center6pM Young Leaders Society Leadership Boot Camp @ United Way Office7:30pM Capitol Steps @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 6th 5:30pM Art Workshop – Teapot Workshop with Allison LeBaron @ The Doris Bardon Community Cultural Center

6:30pM Election Night at the Hipp @ Hippodrome Theatre

6:30pM FREE Introduction to Square Dancing @ Carpenters’ Union Hall

NOVEMBER 7th 5pM UF Softball @ Santa Fe College

7pM UF Softball @ Santa Fe College

7:30pM Benise @ Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

NOVEMBER 8th10:45aM Haven Hospice “Styles for Life” @ Paramount Plaza Hotel

6pM Free Movie on the Lawn @ Empower Park

6pM Gainesville Gone Austin @ Santa Fe River Ranch

NOVEMBER 9th 12pM UF Women’s Cross Country @ NCAA Regional Championship

12pM UF Men’s Cross Country @ NCAA Regional Championship

4pM UF Women’s Basketball Fairfield

7pM Gator Growl@ University of Florida

8pM UF Volleyball @ Missouri

9pM UF Men’s Basketball @ Georgetown

NOVEMBER 10th UF Football Louisiana (HC)

NOVEMBER 11th1pM UF Women’s Basketball Georgia State (DH)

2:30pM UF Volleyball @ Ole Miss

3:30pM UF Men’s Basketball Alabama State

10aM Alachua County Harvest Fest @ Main Street, Alachua, FL

NOVEMBER 12th9aM Veterans Day Fisher House 5K @ University of Florida

6pM Haven Hospice Support Group @ ET York Care Center

6pM Grief & Loss Support Group @ ET York Care Center

Page 31: Flourish November 2012

31Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Our life’s a stage, a comedy: either learn to play and take it lightly or bear its troubles patiently. Palladas

VisitGainesville.com

Every Day is Gamedayin Gainesville

Only the venues change!

Flourish

Page 32: Flourish November 2012

32 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

Surviving the 21st Century with The Ancient Practice of

Meditation

When you rush breathlessly from

one moment to the next, you miss

the beauty and immediacy of the

present, which passes with every

second. Meditation teaches you

to slow down and take each

moment as it comes.

By Stephan Bodian

These days, it feels like everything is a race:A race to get all the boxes on your to-do list checked off or to the next rung of the professional ladder. A race to make sure your kids have the perfect academic/ extracurricular activities or to pay all the bills, even though you’re on a reduced budget. Fears tend to feed on one another; problems get magnified exponentially, and the next thing you know, you’re feeling overwhelmed, panicked and desperate to take a leave of absence from your own life.

Instead of building the perfect lives, what we’re really doing is racing into the ground and over the edge. If this last description of manic modern life sounds all too familiar, it’s time to step off the merry-go-round, sit down in a quiet place, and participate in a simple practice that has been around for millennia: meditation.

When you’re constantly trying to live up to your own or someone else’s expectations and live in a competitive environment, you rarely have the opportunity to get to know yourself just the way you are. But when you meditate, you learn to welcome every experience and facet of your being without judgment. You begin to treat yourself as you would a close friend just by accepting the whole package.

Meditation encourages an inner mental spaciousness where difficulties no longer seem so threatening and constructive solutions can naturally arise. As you awaken to the present moment and open your heart and mind to your own experience, you naturally extend this quality of awareness and presence to those around you.

Mind and body are inseparable, and an agitated mind inevitably produces a stressed-out body. As the mind settles, relaxes, and opens during meditation, so does the body – and the longer you meditate by both minutes logged each day and weeks of regular practice, the more this peace and relaxation ripples out to every area of your life, including your health.

Studies have shown that basic meditation practice alone can enhance your perceptual clarity, creativity, self-actualization and many of the other factors that contribute to superior performance. Research also reveals that the daily practice of meditation for just a few months actually makes people

happier, as measured not only by their subjective reports but also by brain-mapping technology. In fact, meditation is apparently one of the only things that can permanently change your emotional set point – your basic level of relative happiness that scientists say stays the same throughout your life, no matter what you experience.

When you practice making the shift from doing and thinking to being by experiencing the present moment with love and without ego, you’ll discover how to align yourself with a deeper current of meaning and belonging.

For additional benefits on meditation or how to get started, pick up Stephan Bodian’s Meditation For Dummies®, 3rd Edition, ($24.99) at bookstores and online nationwide.

Awaken to the present

moment. The past is a

memory and the future

is just a fantasy.

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box. Italian Proverb

Page 33: Flourish November 2012

33Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012The acts of this life are the destiny of the next. Eastern Proverb

Surviving the 21st Century

Benefits to Meditation• Lower blood

pressure• Quicker recovery

from stress• Fewer heart attacks

and strokes• Reduced

cholesterol levels• Muscle relaxation• Reduction in the

intensity of pain• More happiness and

peace of mind• More loving,

harmonious relationships• Enhanced creativity and

self-actualization• Reductions in both acute

and chronic anxiety• Heightened perceptual

clarity and sensitivity

Stephan Bodian is a licensed psychotherapist and former editor-in-chief of Yoga Journal. He has practiced and taught meditation for over 40 years, and has written extensively on meditation, stress management, and spirituality.

Page 34: Flourish November 2012

34 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Life, in all ranks and situations, is an outward occupation, an actual and active work. W. Humboldt

Medical research studies from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami show that massage stimulates the release of opiate-like peptides such as enkephalins and endorphins which help to decrease pain, increase activity in the immune system and reduce anxiety. Massage also stimulates large fiber proprioceptors and mechanoreceptors in the skin (which produces a flood of impulses to the central nervous system) and helps halt the transmission of pain messages to the brain. A recent study at the University of Georgetown in Michigan found that 80 percent of illness is stress induced, so it stands to reason that if massage therapy can reduce stress, it can also improve the body’s defense system against illness. In a nutshell, you’ll feel better physically and mentally after a great massage.

Massaging the soft tissues of the body doesn’t just relieve pain and reduce stress, it can also be used to increase valuable resources within our bodies. Lactating women can use breast massage to clear milk ducts and increase milk flow. Studies have shown a higher lipid count in the milk of women who routinely receive breast massage. Breast massage also helps drain lymph, flushing out toxins from the breasts

and greatly reducing the chance of breast cancer. In a second study at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, 20 breast cancer patients were treated with massage at a rate of three times a week for five weeks. The astounding results were an 80% increase in immune system function. There have also been substantial reports that AIDS patients have seen an increase in natural killer cells and killer cell activity after receiving massage.

With massage, arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness, asthmatic children breathe easier and deeper, burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching and anxiety, high blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety and stress hormones, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome sufferers have avoided surgery from the beneficial results of myofascial release techniques and even premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping (and a more relaxed attitude)! Behavioral issues like depression, anxiety and aggression, eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia and other issues such as adolescent ADHD, constipation, headaches, cerebral palsy and even Parkinson’s Disease have seen beneficial results from massage.

Massage has been a staple in medical treatments for thousands of years in Eastern medicine, and now in Western medicine many physicians and psychiatrists are turning to massage to relieve both their patients’ physical pain and anxiety issues. Bodywork treatments play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health, one even recognized and accepted by medical insurance companies!

For a comprehensive list of medical case studies for both adult and pediatric massage, please visit MassageAwayMyPain.com and click on the “Medical Effects of Massage” link. Remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic!

Katelyn Vilardell is the Spa Director for Haile Village Spa & Salon 352-335-5025 and a licensed Medical Massage Therapist, Certified Neuromuscular Therapist and Nationally Certified Personal Fitness Trainer. She has an Orthopedic Degree in Medical Massage obtained at the Florida college of Natural Health with a special focus on pathology and special populations such as geriatrics and disabilities.

that go deeper than just pampering

Benefitsto massage

By Katelyn vilardell

We’ve all heard that massage

helps you relax, clears your mind and decreases your stress – but can we use

massage for chronic pain or

psychological ailments? The

proven fact is that massage has profound effects on

relieving a multitude of issues

from migraine headaches and

sinus problems to lower back

pain, post-operative pain,

TMJD, PTSD and much more.

Page 35: Flourish November 2012

35Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do You Want to Be My Friend By Eric CarleThe youngest of toddlers enjoy Eric Carle’s colorful and imaginative collage illustration technique. In this simple yet lovely little book, a tiny mouse meets a plethora of animals in his search for friends. This could be your child’s introduction to the art of making friends.

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship By Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Paula Kahumbu; illustrated by Peter GresteThis is a true story about a real friendship between a baby hippo, orphaned as a result of the Kenyan tsunami, who was rescued by villagers and then adopted by a 130-year-old giant turtle. The two became inseparable, swimming, sleeping, playing and eating together. The message is clear: friendships cross all sorts of boundaries, and love can transcend even the craziest of differences. This book is wonderful for young children and will delight readers of all ages.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love and Friendship By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly KirbergerSkeptical parents of teens may shy away from books for their kids, but the Chicken Soup series is one of those that makes an “acceptable gift.” Written in the same condensed and straightforward manner that has made the Chicken Soup series a bestseller, this version focuses on stories from real teens – good and bad – about the trials and joys of friendship.

Friendship for Grown-Ups: What I Missed and Learned Along the Way By Lisa WelchelBest known for her role as Blair on the long running sitcom Facts of Life, Lisa Welchel is all grown up and is a mother, home-school teacher and pastor’s wife living in Texas. But her path to where she is was not exactly “normal,” and certainly not always easy. In fact, being a child star can be a lonely way to grow up. The shallowness of Hollywood left her with trust issues and few lessons on how to be a good friend. Welchel’s path to learning about friendship and trust, finding friends and being a good friend will have you evaluating your own friendships in a whole new way.

FriendlyReading

Learning the art of friendship

starts early, but you’re never too

old to understand the complexities

of making friends and keeping

them. Here are a few excellent

books covering age-appropriate

lessons about friendship.

Reading fun for all the Family!

Page 36: Flourish November 2012

36 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. La Bruyere

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Brain Study

Caution:Only people with strong minds can read this!

Page 37: Flourish November 2012
Page 38: Flourish November 2012

38 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. Elbert Hubbard

Guy doesn’t want

date to have issues

ASK DR. B

ROtHeRS

DatingAge-gap makes her uneasy…

Page 39: Flourish November 2012

39Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Life’s a voyage that’s homeward bound. Herman Melville

Dear Dr. Brothers: Against my better judgment, I met a much younger man on an online dating site. When we met, we joked about our 20-year age gap, but to my surprise, he asked me out again. This has been going on for a few weeks. I find myself attracted to him, and he feels the same. I don’t think any good can come of this, but when I am with him at his place, I feel so good! Please give me the reasons not to pursue him. I seem to have forgotten them! B.W.

Dear B.w. You need someone who can crunch the numbers to tell you that this relationship isn’t going to add up? It’s pretty obvious that your head is telling you to be prudent and reasonable and date someone more age appropriate. But it’s just as plain that your heart says otherwise and you need some help in keeping that train in the station. So I am glad to help you on that score, if you can give yourself permission to enjoy this fling while it lasts. There’s no reason to punish yourself for choosing to have a fun relationship with a new friend. As always, though, it’s when sex enters the picture that things start to get complicated. If you’re headed down that road, you might want to apply the brakes before you find yourself on a runaway train.

You’re at a moment in time when the two of you are OK. But the age problem only will get worse as you get older, and you’re likely to feel even more self-conscious as the months or years go by. Are you going to feel comfortable around your friends, or his? Or will your relationship be hidden behind closed doors? That doesn’t make for happiness. Is he going to take you home to meet his parents – people near your own age? There’s another awkward moment. You get the picture. All that said, take it one day at a time and enjoy.

Dear Dr. Brothers: I’ve been going out with a guy from work for about two months. He says he really admires my skill and competence at my job. What he doesn’t know is that I see a therapist weekly and am on medication for depression and anxiety. He has said several times that he can’t stand women with a lot of “issues” and “baggage,” and he’s glad I am so centered. So far, I haven’t said anything about my problems. Should I tell him I’m not as perfect as he thinks? K.S.

Dear K.S. It seems that your boyfriend has formed an impression of you that doesn’t quite encompass all that you are. He’s

looking for a fairy princess, and you think he will consider you a toad – warts and all – if you don’t continue to play a role. Everyone wants to make the best impression possible in the early stages of a relationship. As you get to know one another, some of the masks drop and you fill in the blanks with bad habits, unpleasant mood swings, selfish behavior or what have you. If you’re lucky, what you see is what you get – but that often isn’t the case. Even so, it doesn’t have to mean a death knell for the couple to admit they are human.

Since your boyfriend already has a great first impression based on your accomplishments and behavior at work, he’s unlikely to view you as being burdened with baggage or inferior because you seek therapy for problems. Perhaps you even can enlighten him about how helpful therapy can be when one’s baggage is too heavy. It’s time you stopped worrying about what he thinks of you and concentrate on having an honest and open relationship in which neither of you is judging the other. If he can’t let go of his prejudices after knowing you and your story, then I would say his unrealistic standards will very likely leave him – not you – high and dry.

Page 40: Flourish November 2012

40 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it. Plutarch

1) Turn the lights down low. And by low, I mean off. All light, including artificial light can disrupt the sleep hormone melatonin, causing disturbed sleep, so get your bedroom as dark as possible. Close those curtains, cover your alarm clock and electronics (although ideally those should be out of the bedroom altogether – see #2).

2) Your bedroom should be a place of rest, so having stressful conversations or discussing work, money, etc. should be left to another area of the house. If you must work in your room, avoid working or studying while in or on your bed: it connects that stress level with sleeping. Every time you go to your bed,

you’ll think, “Ugh work,” instead of “Yay sleep!” Plus, if you are sleep deprived, you’re going to fall asleep while reading or studying anyway.

3) Get yourself on track. If you wake up at 7 a.m. every Monday through Friday and then stay up until 3 a.m. on Friday only to wake up at 11 a.m. on Saturday, you’re throwing your body’s sleep cycle out of whack. Try to get up and go to bed at the same time every day, your body will thank you!

4) Nap the right way! Did you know there was a wrong way? Well if you nap and don’t feel great afterwards and or have trouble falling asleep later, that will be your first clue! Try to avoid

napping from 11–1 p.m., as this is when the energy of the day is the strongest. Early morning napping is best if you can, but try not to nap too close to the evening, as this can confuse your sleep cycle and cause you to have difficulty sleeping. Also it’s best to nap for short periods of time of about 20 to 30 minutes, but no longer than an hour.

5) Give yourself at least 30 minutes of down time to unwind before bed. This will help prepare your body and mind for rest, not stress. The key to this is (get ready) turning off all electronics – gasp! According to sleep researchers, the light that emits from your iPad is keeping your brain awake.

Yes, shut down the laptop, turn off your smart phone and chill. It’s going to be okay. There was a time when we didn’t have all these things, remember? And we all got by. So turn it off and down and take a bubble bath, sip a glass a wine or read a chapter in book you’re enjoying.

In an ideal world, we would do all of these things all the time. But do what you can with what you’ve got. So turn the TV off in the bedroom and pay attention to your partner. Leave the laptop and the bills in the other room. Create a physical and mental environment for yourself that promotes peace and rest, and you’ll be able to perform all the better the next day.

How to

Get a Better Night’s Sleep

By Lauren Michelle Kolansky

Oh sleep, that thing we wish had more

of, but never seem to get around to

actually getting. We all know it’s good for

us, right? Sleep is when our body repairs

and heals itself and studies show that not

getting sufficient rest can negatively

impact your health in both the short and

long term. Whether tossing and turning in

the middle of the night is keeping you up or

you just can’t seem to get comfortable enough

to drift off to dreamland, here are some tips

on how to maximize your sleep.

Page 41: Flourish November 2012

41Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

Nike Florida Gators Royal Blue infant Replica Football Jersey creeperYour baby will be looking like a champ in this jersey from the leading online retailer of sports merchandise! He’ll be saying Gators are number one-sie!$30 www.fanatics.com

Nike Florida Gators infant Royal Blue cheer

Dress & Bloomers You’re never too young to start

cheering on the Gators! Your little girl will look like a true fan in

this cheerleader dress!$34.00 www.fanatics.com

American wild Life Gator Bog Kids Animal T-Shirtnot all gator gear has to be traditional. Have your child be original in this aggressive swamp gator shirt!$11.95 kidsonlyworld.com

Children’sGator Apparel

By emily Alter

Alligator Surfer Dude T-Shirt Your baby will look true gator-spirited Floridian when wearing this adorable alligator dude. A long-sleeved option makes this shirt perfect for those chilly night games. $20.10 www.zazzle.com

peace, Love, Gators T-ShirtWhat other motto do you need? this t-shirt is great for games or just a day out and about. Your child will love the look and you’ll love the meaning!$17.95 zazzle.com

Your kids will make you proud when they look as great as you do on game days!

Whether they’re cheering right with you, or napping through the tailgate, your kids will

look like sports champions in these outfits!

Life is variable. Plautus

Page 42: Flourish November 2012

42 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Quote here. Person Name

Scenario:At a playdate at the park, your friend’s child continues to throw sand, even though your child has asked her to stop. Your friend laughs and makes a comment about “kids being kids.”

how to handle it:Again, first lower yourself to the child’s level. Speak firmly but calmly. “Sarah asked you to please stop throwing sand at her. I know it’s fun to hold the sand and throw it, but if you can’t stop, Sarah and I will have to go home. I hope we don’t have to do that. We were looking forward to a fun time with you today.” Here again, you’re giving the child the choice of how to behave. If he or she chooses to continue to throw sand, retrieve your child and say, “I’m sorry you chose to keep throwing the sand. Maybe next time we play you’ll choose not to.” If your friend seems upset, explain to him or her that Sarah won’t have fun playing if she’s upset, so it’s better for you to head home. With this negative reinforcement, the parent will likely take the sand throwing a bit more seriously next time, too.

Correcting another child’s behavior can be a slippery slope, but by acting with tact and remembering the child’s feelings and motivations, your corrections can be memorable for both the parent and child. It often does take a village, and by outlining boundaries for these children you’re helping them learn about how their behavior affects the people around them. Using these strategies can help you resolve these inevitable conflicts while salvaging your personal relationships as well.

Tough SituationsHandling

Scenario:Your child gleefully rips the last of the wrapping paper from a popular toy at his birthday party. A nearby child squeals with excitement and snatches the toy from your child’s hands. As you wait for the child’s parent to correct him or her, the child darts away. When you look over toward the child’s parent, he or she gives you a meek smile and mouths, “Sorry.”

how to handle it:Your child is on the brink of tears, and you can feel the heat rising up from the pit of your belly. What you’d like to do is snatch up the offending child and give him or her some stern words about manners. However, a knee-jerk reaction like this can seriously damage a relationship. Instead, take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Drop down to a knee to be

on the child’s level. Speak slowly and calmly, saying something that helps you identify with the child, like, “That’s really cool toy, isn’t it? Maybe you’ll get one for your birthday. Today is Ronnie’s birthday, though, and this is his present. Let’s take it back and enjoy the rest of the party. Then maybe you can come over sometime and have some time to play with it.” If the child is agreeable, have him or her return the toy to your child. If not, you’ll have to get tougher. “I know you’d really like to play with this, but this is Ronnie’s toy. I’m going to take it back to him now. I hope you’ll come back with me and have some cake and ice cream. We still have a lot of fun things left to do.” By handling the situation in this way, you’ve first shown the child you understand his or her feelings and then offered a choice to do the right thing, rather than taking the decision from him or her.

with other people’s

Children

If you’ve been a mother for more than a few minutes,

it’s undoubtedly happened to you – that soul cringing

moment when another child hurts yours. Whether the

pain is physical, social or emotional, every mom knows

that her child’s pain is echoed in her own heart. While

these moments never fail to produce strong emotions,

it’s often tough to know how to handle such delicate

situations – especially if the offending child belongs to

a friend. Even worse is the moment when you realize the

other parent isn’t stepping in to correct the behavior.

Whether the other parent is a friend or a stranger, the

following tactics will help you remedy the situation

gracefully without stepping on anyone’s toes.

By Ginger Henderson

Hope is the dream of a man awake. French Proverb

Page 43: Flourish November 2012

43Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012

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One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure. William Feather

Page 44: Flourish November 2012

44 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein

John masters organics hair pomadeThis pomade adds shine and moisture to your hair, whether it’s taming frizz or adding bounce and curl! Made with organic beeswax and mango butter, this hair pomade will cure even the worst hair day! $20 johnmasters.com

Glam creamsicle mist Leave-in conditioner and DetanglerDon’t suffer from combing bed-head hair ever again! this detangler and leave-in conditioner will be your savior for quick and easy hair styling in an ultra-light formula.$14 GLOBANDGLAM.COM

Glop chocolate controllerControl you or your child’s unruly hair, with a delicious scent! this hair cream does wonders to give texture and keep hair movable and bouncy.$16 GLOPANDGLAM.COM

Beauty Reviews

By emily Alter

Vitabath Spa Day moisturizing Body wash in citron Leaves with Lemongrass ExtractLather on the fresh and relaxing smell of citrus blended with soothing green tea. This formula will leave your skin hydrated and smooth with zero sulfatess or paraben!$7.99 MYvitABAtH.COM

Ultra Keratin Touch hair Smoothing SystemWe all know the benefits of the Brazilian Keratin treatment for our hair, but we don’t want to go through the maintenance and cost. Now, with the nuNAAT Ultra Keratin Touch single application kit, gorgeous hair is as simple as shampoo, conditioner and gloss.$21.99 uLtRAKeRAtintOuCH.COM AnD WALGReenS StOReS nAtiOnWiDe

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45Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character. James Russel Lowell

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follicle source!$27 SALOnS ACROSS tHe u.S. AnD SOCApuSA.COM

Dr. hauschka Firming maskMade with rose petal extract, rose water and rose essentials oils, not only will your face be firmed and lifted, but it will also have the lovely scent of fragrant roses! Made for all skin types, this mask will leave your skin feeling replenished and supple.$52.95 DRHAuSCHKA.COM

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46 Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012 Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. Albert Einstein

Fall Gear

crayola DigiToolsThis accessory/app combo lets children get creative with digital works of art on iPads, which can later be shared through social

networks and email. Each DigiTools pack includes a free app with pages of virtual

line art, animated stamp designs and other digital effects. Young art

enthusiasts can create their work with the touch of a finger using virtual

crayons, markets and color pencils in Crayola colors.

www.gRiFFinTEcHnoLogy.coM $19.99

woogies – Zee & FeeFor a softer touch to your iPhone and iPod touch, Griffin introduced the lovable, huggable Zee & Fee to the Woogie family. The iOS device sits behind a soft, clear window made of plastic that protects the Multi-touch display and proveds an opening to plug in headphones. Kids cn choose a face, poke, tickle and shake the Woogie to see how it reacts. They can also feed, dress and groom the Woogie.www.gRiFFinTEcHnoLogy.coM $24.99

The

Guide

For the KidsmoTo Tc monster TruckUsing built-in Bluetooth connection from your iOS device, kids (and adults) can drive this monster truck anywhere. With MOTO TC Monster Truck, any room becomes a massive arena where you can use an iPad or iPhone to create routes and inflict havoc! Download the free app for your device and you can steer the truck with touch on e virtual steering wheel, motion by tilting the device or slide by sliding your finger across the display.www.gRiFFinTEcHnoLogy.coM $59.99

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47Flourish Magazine | Nov/2012He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet. Joseph Joubert

hammer multi-toolDon’t be fooled by this hammer’s small size! Small, but strong, this 9-in-1 hammer set is also pliers, scissors, screwdrivers, a file, a small saw, and even a knife blade. With a hammer like this, who needs a tool belt?$10.47 x-TREMEgEEk.coM

Shredder ScissorsWith all the benefits of a shredder but the compactness to fit into a desk drawer, the Shredder Scissors are the perfect way to conveniently protect your private information from receipts and bills. Works just like a shredder but without the electricity and the size!$7.25 x-TREMEgEEk.coM

chlorine Free oxygen Bleach plus 2lbsThis stain fighting booster will work with your detergent, without using bleach to give you stain and odor free clothes!$6.54–6.80 biokLEEn.coM wHoLE Foods, PUbLix gREEnwisE and HEaLTHFood sToREs

Lavender Lime Bathroom cleaner 32 fl ozClean out the bacteria of your bathroom the natural way using effective enzyme cultures and lemon and lime oils. Smells great and cleans great too!$7.99–$8.99 biokLEEn.coM wHoLE Foods, PUbLix gREEnwisE and HEaLTHFood sToREs

Lemon Thyme Dishwash Liquid 32 fl ozCut through grease and eliminate odors on dishes with this liquid soap! Gentle yet effective, use it as hand soap or even as pet shampoo!.$5.76–5.97 biokLEEn.coM wHoLE Foods, PUbLix GReenWiSe AnD HEaLTHFood sToREs

Fall GearSensu portable Artist Brush and StylusPaint like a pro on your iPad, iPhone, Kindle and so many other touch screen devices! The Sensu brush can work like a marker, charcoal or even watercolor in your favorite apps!$39.99 SenSuBRuSH.COM

For the house

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48 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

TAILGATING GAMES

FACT: Eight SEC conference titles matched a league season record.

YourPickPickYour

LIMITED TIME OFFER. ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR EXTRA CHEESE. Pepsi substitutions may occur. Product availability, prices, participation, delivery areas and charges, and minimum purchase requirements for delivery may vary. WingStreet® wings are not available at all Pizza Hut® locations. The Pizza Hut name, logos and related marks are trademarks of Pizza Hut, Inc. © 2012 Pizza Hut, Inc. PEPSI and the Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, Inc. BDBP2469 MPA155851-8/12

1999

BEARPONG is Beer Pong TO THE MAX! As with beer pong, the rules and game-play are simple and fun. For this jacked-up version, players should find a spread of ground and place six large flower-pot-sized buckets on either side (maybe challenge your tailgate neighbors for a game or two). Arrange the buckets in a pyramid and throw a medium sized ball into them. If you make one ball the opponent removes the bucket and if you

sink the second you get both balls back. You can bounce the ball into the bucket to get two buckets removed but once the ball has bounced it becomes live and your opponents can defend. You can play with teams of one or two and both teammates are on the same side. The recommended distance is 10–12 feet, however, unlike beer pong, you’re not limited by the size of the table, so you can pick any length you desire.

Without the need of a table, Bear Pong is easily portable. Beyond tailgating, BEARPONG is also great for the beach, poolside, cookouts, yards and, although not quite applicable to us, snow; a fun way to stay warm in the winter though! The patent pending weighted buckets and unique carrying case can be a hit at all types of events and will most likely become the most popular tailgating game this season!

BEARPONGYou’ve heard of beer pong, well throw you’re little baby cups away and have a go at BEARPONG!

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49

TAILGATING GAMES

FACT: UF is the only SEC school to place 100 or more student-athletes on the Academic Honor Roll each of the last 14 years. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

Being that games are as much a part of tailgating as food and football, people everywhere are always coming up with new takes on them. It doesn’t require much to come up with a new one; sometimes all you have to do is combine two older games. Sholf, in this case, has done just that!

Sholf is a new hybrid creation of two classic games. Fusing the accessories of golf with the strategy, competitive play and scoring of table shuffleboard, Sholf pits players head to head in an addictive and fun twist on two classic pastimes.

The object of Sholf is to putt your golf balls farther into the scoring end than your opponent. From the three-zone, players alternate putting the ball to the opposite end. Point

values increase as you get closer to the edge of the green. After all eight balls are played, each player re-putts their one ball that sits farthest from the scoring end, in what is called the Mulligan Ball. By putting their Mulligan Ball, players can select to out-score their opponents lead ball or to knock it off the green by putting their ball into it.

After all golf balls have been putted, including the Mulligan Ball, the score is tallied by counting only the leading golf balls of the color closest to the scoring end. For example, any white golf balls sitting behind the leading yellow golf ball are cut off and are not scored. Its simple game play and easy portability make Sholf perfect for any modern tailgate party.WWW.SHOLF.COM.

A HOLE IN ONE!

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46 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: The UF Women’s Lacrosse team captured their first American Lacrosse Conference title in only their second year of competition.

TAILGATING GAMES

Basketpong combines the drinkability and competition of beer pong and the game of basketball! Its portability is designed for tailgating with a vertical backboard that attaches to a pole that is supported by a base, similar to a basketball goal. The backboard provides eight slots to insert rims in different patterns. The rims secure the cups to the backboard – allowing players to at different skill levels.

Two teams of two may compete at Basketpong with two Basketpong balls, a shooting distance of 8 feet and a playing height of 6 feet. Players can quickly and easily adjust any of these variables. Similar to the classic beer pong rules, players must alternate shots at the other team’s Basketpong goals. The first team to clear all of the cups from the opposing team’s goal wins the game!

BASkET PONG

TAILGATING WOULDN’T BE THE SAME WITHOUT THE GAMES. WHERE TRADITIONAL GAMES WILL ALWAYS HOLD PRESENCE AT TAILGATING EVENTS, IT’S GOOD TO HAVE SOME FRESH ADDITIONS TO YOUR GAMING OPTIONS.

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47FACT: Florida is the only school to sweep the title and has now done so 11 times. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

TAILGATING GAMES

There are a lot of different tailgating games out there but very few of them actually have something to do with football. It’s time we bring football back to tailgating, and what better way to do so than with Tailgate Shootout!

Tailgate Shootout is an evolved form of the schoolyard favorite, paper football. Played in life- sized proportions, the game is simple, or at least it appears so.

As in real football, the game starts with a kickoff. Kickoffs are preformed by placing the ball flat on your opponent’s goal line and kicking toward your touchdown zone, at the opposite end of the field, aiming to land in either the

field goal attempt zone or for the touchdown zone to score points. If the ball does not stop in the field goal attempt zone or the player’s touchdown zone, the opposing player takes one turn from where the ball stops and kicks the ball in the opposite direction aiming for the field goal attempt zone or their touchdown zone. The players continue alternating turns by kicking the ball from where it has stopped from the previous player’s kick until a scoring opportunity arises.

The player who scores the most points wins. Easy right? Give it a go at your next tailgate party and see if it’s as simple as it looks!WWW.TAILGATESHOOTOUT.COM

TAILGATESHOOTOUT

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Page 53: Flourish November 2012

45

SCENES FROM THE SWAMP

FACT: Florida is the only school in the nation to finish in the top 10 in national all-sports rankings for each of the past 28 years. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

Florida coach Will Muschamp argues a call with an official during the Gators’ win at Vanderbilt on Oct. 13. Photo by Saj Guevara

Florida coach kevin O’Sillivan smiles while taking a break in the dugout during the Gators’ baseball team’s first fall practice on Oct. 7. Photo by Mike Capshaw

A sea of orange-and-blue-clad fans had a heavy presence at Vanderbilt Stadium. UF coach Will Muschamp credited the Gator Nation with helping the Commodores sell out the stadium for the game. Photo by Saj Guevara

Page 54: Flourish November 2012

UF HOOPS RECRUITING

The buzzer sounded and the crowd grew louder and louder as Ensworth Academy (Nashville) sealed its victory in the Tennessee state championship game against Briarcrest Christian (Memphis).

On the court a 6-foot-3, 180-pound freshman guard rejoiced as he felt the incomparable adrenaline rush after capturing the second consecutive state championship for Ensworth. The championship meant a lot to him, but the impact of winning that title has shaped his path for the foreseeable future.

Andrew Fleming burst onto the basketball recruiting scene early as a freshman. Although he claims it was his growth spurt that helped him, Fleming quickly showed how hard he had worked in the off-season by averaging 11 points, five rebounds and four assists per game and became the second freshman ever to play varsity basketball at Ensworth Academy.

“I think I was really blessed,” Fleming said. “I grew seven inches in one summer and that kind of changes everything. I’ve been really committed to playing and practicing really hard.

“Whenever I decided I was really going [to be committed to basketball], I think that set a good foundation for me. I really do believe with how hard I work that no one is going to have a better work ethic,” he added.

It was after the season that Fleming began to receive a lot of attention for his play on the court. Not only were his friends, family and teammates taking notice, but also so were NCAA Division 1 coaches. And since then, Fleming’s life hasn’t been the same.

Schools like Florida, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, DePaul, Tennessee, Stanford and UCLA constantly bombard Fleming as they convince him to play basketball for their program. He was invited over the summer to several camps and invitationals including a mini-camp for the USA U17 squad.

And while Fleming enjoys the attention from college coaches, it’s a more complicated issue when it comes to being a normal teenager.

“It really is a struggle in a school to be liked for who you are rather than who you’re being recruited by. I’m just now getting introduced to that every day. It just seems like whenever I walk by a kid at school they give me a high-five and they say ‘Go Gators’ or ‘Anchor down, go ‘Dores,’” Fleming said. “You get used to it and you just have to remain humble.”

Although Fleming gets tired of the constant propaganda from fellow classmates, he makes sure to play it off with a smile or laugh, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t affect him at all.

“I think I’m just the type of person that whenever I’m in school, it does affect me a little bit because I want to be liked for who I am instead of just for how I play basketball. Whenever people hear how well you’re doing they definitely do treat you differently, especially in high school.”

Not only has this success altered how his peers view him at school, but also it has forced him to make tough decisions. As a teenager, Fleming has made sacrifices in all aspects of life for the sake of basketball.

It would be easy for one to think that a teenager, who is constantly in the spotlight from several colleges and receiving so much attention at school, would think too much of himself. Fleming has been able to dispel that notion by focusing on what he considers the foundations in his life.

“Personally, I know my faith [keeps me grounded]. I know for other players that might not be a big thing in their lives, which is fine, but it’s definitely helped keep me humble. I know the second thing would be my family and my dad. He’s always on me to keep working and that has helped me stay grounded,” Fleming said.

As he moves forward in high school, the pressure and attention will only grow, but he believes his hard work and values will carry him through an intriguing next couple of years.

“I don’t look at myself any better than anyone else. I feel I’m the same person before I got the attention and I still work just as hard.”

IN THESPOTLIGHTGATORS TARGET ANDREW FLEMING GOT USED TO ATTENTION AT AN EARLY AGE

BY DREW LAING, COURTESY PHOTOS

42 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: In 2010–11, the Gators captured their third-consecutive top-four finish in the national all-sports rankings.

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ANGLING FOR A NIBBLE

HOOk.LINE.SINkER.

AS OF SEPTEMBER 2012.COURTESY OF FLORIDA FISH & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION.

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, VISIT MYFWC.COM

LAkE SANTA FEAs the season transitions from summer and a mostly largemouth bass fishery to a winter pattern that includes black crappie, reports have emphasized the early a.m. hours are best. Clear water conditions in the large section help explain an early bite, but tannin-stained waters of the little section might be the place if you’re running late. Water levels throughout the system are suitable to launch any vessel from either boat ramp. As the temperature drops, crappie anglers will try their hand at some of their favorite spots. If new to the lake, begin your search near one of the two FWC fish attractors installed less than a year ago.

SUWANNEE LAkE Water levels are at record depths; however, with the sudden increase, unwanted pop-up vegetated islands have occurred. Additionally, water hyacinth and salvinia cover large sections of this lake and depending on the direction of the wind

could make launching a boat difficult. FWC contracted spray crews have been scheduled for vegetation control work. Water color is stained dark from organics. As for fishing this quarter, habitat changes like these can lead to good fishing. Crayfish imitations and other baits that simulate marshy critters would be good starting choices. Snag-free frogs or black plastic worms would be other likely baits for bass. Black crappie fishing traditionally picks up during this quarter but with deeper water throughout the lake might be harder to locate. Go for the combination of deep water near standing timber or bottom structure visible on sonar.

LAkE WAUBERGSince last quarter’s report, maidencane grass and bank associated brush that was inaccessible to fish is once again flooded. This is providing excellent foraging habitat and cover for all fish. FWC researchers’ micro-wire tagged several thousand 3-inch

largemouth bass to monitor the survivability of this tagging method on fish. The preliminary findings are excellent and these fish will soon recruit into the catchable numbers of bass in the lake. An abundant population of black crappie was documented in 2010 by University of Florida researchers; those 9-inch fish then should be slabs by now.

LAkE NEWNANSWater levels increased over five feet at Newnans Lake due to Tropical Storm Debby and afternoon showers, and flooded the cypress fringe around the lake that assists with producing productive fisheries. Recent fish surveys along the east shoreline revealed surviving populations of black crappie, bream and catfish that appear abundant following the drought and low lake levels. Since the water level rise, anglers have made their way to the lake and have returned with decent fishing reports. Anglers may still be able to target the last of bedding bluegill during the full moon in October around the emergent grasses and bulrush. The east shoreline from Powers boat ramp to Hatchet Creek is generally the most productive area, but Palm Point has been a hot spot as well. Also, the crappie catches during the fall months could be an indicator of how successful the winter and spring catches will be. Anglers should also be aware of tagged crappies in Newnans Lake for rewards. If you catch a tagged crappie, call the number below to receive information on how to claim your reward.

SUWANNEE AND SANTA FE RIVERS High water will persist well into this quarter. Historically, when the best fishing occurs is when water levels remain or pass through the cypress root edge. All types of fish utilize this available cover. Catfish will move to these shallower areas after dark. As water color is dark, fish darker-colored soft crayfish baits for Suwannee and largemouth bass. If flow speeds remain high, the use of heavier weighted lures will be required. Three quarter ounce bullet weights are a good starting point for Texas rigged soft plastics. Small crankbaits in either fire tiger or black and silver produced good numbers of redbreast sunfish (red bellies) for an angler recently between Branford and the mouth of the Santa Fe River.

40 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: The Gators also won their 21st SEC All-Sports Trophy title, sweeping the men’s, women’s and overall titles.

Page 57: Flourish November 2012

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38 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

SCENES FROM THE SWAMP

FACT: Since 2006, the University of Florida Athletic Association has contributed more than $31.1 million to UF’s academic endeavors.

A crowd begins gathering around while a band performs during a United Way downtown event earlier this year. Photo by Mike Capshaw

Florida shooting guard kenny Boynton smiles while answering a question during the team’s media day on Oct. 10. Photo by Mike Capshaw.

Page 59: Flourish November 2012

39GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

AROUND THE SWAMP

FACT: Ten coaches garnered conference coach of the year honors and Florida’s men won the inaugural Capital One Cup competition.

BASEBALLFlorida sixth-year coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff welcomed 11 newcomers to the squad for the beginning of fall baseball practices on Oct. 7. That’s a later start than usual as O’Sullivan and his wife, Barbara Jo Davis, welcomed the birth of their second child, a son named Finn Taylor, in late September. They also have a daughter named Payton Tyler O’Sullivan.

CROSS COUNTRYThe Gators’ men and women secured top-10 team finishes at the 2012 Pre-Nationals in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 13. The Gators’ women were ninth overall out of 38 teams while the men came in 10th. Senior Florence Ngetich paced the women’s team while the men were led by senior Mark Parrish. Both were top-25 individual finishers.

GOLFFlorida senior Isabelle Lendl shot a final round of 69 to win her second consecutive tournament at the Tar Heel Invite in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Oct. 14. Led by Lendl, the Gators were ninth in the team standings. For the men, seniors Tyler McCumber and TJ Vogel powered a second-place finish at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Vestavia Hills, Ala., on Oct. 16.

SOCCERSenior Jo Dragotta sizzled for the No. 11 Gators during a two-game weekend on Oct. 13–14. She scored three goals, including a pair of game-winners in a 2–1 victory against No. 14 Missouri and a 4-1 win against Mississippi State. Florida was 12–3–1 overall and 9–1 in Southeastern Conference play heading into a three-game road stretch to wrap up the regular season.

SWIMMING & DIVINGThe Gators’ men and women won their own meet, the All-Florida Invitational (Sept. 28–30), for the third straight season. Florida State was the runner-up in both men and women in the meet that features only Florida schools. Gators juniors Elisabeth Beisel and Sebastien Rousseau had three individual wins apiece to pace both the men and women’s squads.

VOLLEYBALLNo. 11 Florida recorded its 10th sweep of the season with a 3–0 win against Auburn on Oct. 14, two day after a 3–0 sweep against Ole Miss. The Gators improved to 15–2 and 9–0 in SEC play with the wins. They’ve been led by Chloe Mann, Ziva Recek, Betsy Smith, Tangerine Wiggs and Taylor Brauneis this season.

ALL-SPORTS NOTEBOOk

Florida coach Mary Wise has led the Gators volleyball team to a 9-0 start in SEC play.

COMPILED BY MIkE CAPSHAW PHOTOS BY MIkE CAPSHAW, TIM CASEY AND SAJ GUEVARA

Senior golfer Isabelle Lendl took

home individual titles in back-to-

back matches.

Gators soccer senior Jo Dragotta hit game-winning goals in back-to-

back matches.

Gators assistant coach Craig Bell rolls grounders to baseball players during the first fall practice on Oct. 7.

Page 60: Flourish November 2012

UF WOMEN’S BASkETBALL PREVIEW

Words like “rebuilding, young and inexperienced,” will be used often when the Florida women’s basketball team takes the court this season.

Last season, the Gators reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons. However, only two starters return off of a 20–13 team that upset Ohio State in the opening round before being

eliminated by Baylor, which went on to win the national championship.

By the numbers, Florida returns about 35 percent of its total points scored, 33 percent of its minutes played and 29 percent of its total rebounds.

That means roughly two-thirds of the team’s production is gone, so UF sixth-year coach Amanda Butler

FLORIDA TO RELY HEAVILY ON TALENTED NEWCOMERS

GATORS RELOAD WITH YOUNG GUNS

“OUR EXPECTATION IS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY EVERY YEAR, NO MATTER WHAT THE

CLASSIFICATION OF PLAYERS HAVE ON OUR TEAM IS,” kAYLA LEWIS, UF SOPHOMORE GUARD.

will be relying on many inexperienced players when the season tips off at home against Fairfield on Nov. 9.

Butler believes the team is reloading, not rebuilding.

“We’re just really excited about everything that we’ve seen to this point,” Butler said at the team’s media day on Oct. 11. “Especially the intangibles and the things that are beyond how talented they are and are very hard to coach or instill in someone.”

Senior Jennifer George gives the Gators experience and a dominant inside presence at forward after posting 15 doubles-doubles a year ago. The 6-footer was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference member and a coaches’ All-American honorable mention after leading the team with 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Florida’s other returning starter is junior guard Jaterra Bonds, a Gainesville native, who has started 46 games and played in all 67 games during her two years at UF. Carlie Needles, a redshirt sophomore guard, was expected to play a significant role last season before suffering a torn ACL in her left knee last November.

While George continues to show leadership Butler also is seeing Bonds and Needles step up as leaders, an aspect that will be instrumental for a young team.

“I compare [Needles] to Jaterra in the way that she leads and the way that she is so aggressive in how she controls the floor,” Butler said. “[Needles] is not hesitant at all to address a teammate in a positive way. And certainly sometimes when it’s

got to be in an enforcing way.”Butler is confident in this

team, especially after seeing the potential of the Gators’ seven freshman early in preseason practices.

“I think they already have raised the standard and the expectation by the way they started off this season,” Butler said. “They are eager to learn. They are putting in the work.”

The freshman class includes forward Sydney Moss, the daughter of San Francisco 49ers receiver Randy Moss, and Chandler Cooper, among others.

Another newcomer is junior Vicky McIntyre, a 6-foot-7 post player who transferred from Oklahoma State. She averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game as a freshman for the Cowboys before averaging just four points and for rebounds per game as a sophomore. The NCAA granted McIntyre a waiver to play immediately as her sophomore numbers reflected her struggling with the loss of OSU head coach Kurt Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and two others in a plane crash on Nov. 12, 2011.

The Gators also hope to keep redshirt sophomore guard Kayla Lewis on the court. She’s missed time her first two years with the program because of injury, but has earned praise through the first few practices.

Lewis believes this team can play at a high level, regardless of its experience or lack thereof.

“Our expectation is to be one of the best teams in the country every year, no matter what the classification of players have on our team is,” Kayla Lewis said. “This year is just building off that momentum of last season to go farther.”

Senior forward Jennifer George recorded 15 double-doubles during the 2011–12 season.

BY MIkE CAPSHAW, PHOTOS BY SAJ GUEVARA

36 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: More than 340,000 UF alumni are located throughout the world.

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UF WOMEN’S BASkETBALL PREVIEW

2012-13 FLORIDA WOMEN’S BASkETBALL SCHEDULEDATE OPPONENT SITE TIME (ET) VIDEO TVFRI, NOV 9 FAIRFIELD GAINESVILLE, FL 4:00 PM GATORVISIONSUN, NOV 11 GEORGIA STATE (DH) GAINESVILLE, FL 1:00 PM GATORVISIONTHU, NOV 15 FLORIDA STATE TALLAHASSEE, FL 7:00 PM ESPN3.COMMON, NOV 19 NORTH FLORIDA GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONNOV 23–25 SOUTH POINT THANkSGIVING SHOOTOUT (LAS VEGAS, NV)FRI, NOV 23 N.C. STATE LAS VEGAS, NV 5:30 PMSAT, NOV 24 NORTHERN IOWA LAS VEGAS, NV 3:00 PMSUN, NOV 25 ARIZONA STATE LAS VEGAS, NV 3:00 PMSAT, DEC 1 MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MI 2:00 PMTUE, DEC 4 TROY GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONFRI, DEC 7 PACIFIC GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONSUN, DEC 16 LA SALLE PHILADELPHIA, PA 1:00 PMDEC 20–21 GATOR HOLIDAY CLASSICTHU, DEC 20 CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS ST. JOE’S GAINESVILLE, FL 4:30 PMTHU, DEC 20 SAVANNAH STATE GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONFRI, DEC 21 SAVANNAH ST. VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN/ST. JOE’S GAINESVILLE, FL 4:30 PMFRI, DEC 21 FLORIDA VS. GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISION CENTRAL MICHIGAN/ST. JOE’S FRI, DEC 28 HOLY CROSS GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONTHU, JAN 3 kENTUCkY * LEXINGTON, kY 7:00 PM SPORTSOUTH, FS SOUTHWEST, SUNSUN, JAN 6 LSU * GAINESVILLE, FL 2:00 PM SEC NETWORkTHU, JAN 10 MISSISSIPPI STATE * STARkVILLE, MS 8:00 PM GATORVISION SUNSUN, JAN 13 TENNESSEE * GAINESVILLE, FL 11:30 AM ESPNUSUN, JAN 20 SOUTH CAROLINA * GAINESVILLE, FL 1:00 PM GATORVISION FS FLORIDATHU, JAN 24 OLE MISS * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM COX SPORTS/CHARTER SPORTSSOUTHSUN, JAN 27 GEORGIA * ATHENS, GA 1:00 PM COX SPORTS/CHARTER SPORTSSOUTHTHU, JAN 31 MISSOURI * COLUMBIA, MO 8:00 PMSUN, FEB 3 ALABAMA * GAINESVILLE, FL 1:00 PM GATORVISION FS FLORIDASUN, FEB 10 AUBURN * AUBURN, AL 3:00 PM SPORTSOUTH, FS SOUTHWEST, SUNTHU, FEB 14 TEXAS A&M * COLLEGE STATION, TX 9:00 PM COX SPORTS/CHARTER SPORTSSOUTHSUN, FEB 17 GEORGIA * GAINESVILLE, FL 1:00 PM COX SPORTS/CHARTER SPORTSSOUTHTHU, FEB 21 VANDERBILT * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM COX SPORTS/CHARTER SPORTSSOUTHSUN, FEB 24 ALABAMA * TUSCALOOSA, AL 3:00 PMTHU, FEB 28 ARkANSAS * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISION SUN/FS FLORIDASUN, MAR 3 SOUTH CAROLINA * COLUMBIA, SC 1:00 PM SPORTSOUTH, FS SOUTHWEST, SUNMAR 6–10 SEC TOURNAMENT (DULUTH, GA)

2012 FLORIDA WOMEN’S BASkETBALL ROSTER# NAME POSITION HT EXP CL HOMETOWN/SCHOOL10 JATERRA BONDS GUARD 5’ 7” 2L JR. GAINESVILLE, FLA./P.k. YONGE5 CHANDLER COOPER GUARD 5’ 11” HS FR. CLARkSVILLE, TENN./CLARkSVILLE HS15 VIkTORIJA DIMAITE CENTER 6’ 4” HS RS-FR. PANEVEZYS, LITHUANIA/THE ROCk (FLA.) SCHOOL32 JENNIFER GEORGE FORWARD 6’ 0” 3L SR. FRESNO, CALIF./BISHOP MOORE (FL) HS22 kAYLA LEWIS GUARD 5’ 11” 1L RS-SO. DECATUR, GA./SOUTHWEST DEkALB HS34 VICkY MCINTYRE CENTER 6’ 7” TR JR. OMAHA, NEB./MARIAN HS/OkLAHOMA ST. UNIV.25 CHRISTIN MERCER FORWARD 6’ 0” HS FR. DOUGLASVILLE, GA./DOUGLAS COUNTY HS3 JANUARY MILLER GUARD 5’ 8” HS FR. ORLANDO, FLA./UNIVERSITY HS40 SYDNEY MOSS G/F 5’ 11” HS FR. UNION, kY./BOONE COUNTY HS4 CARLIE NEEDLES GUARD 5’ 6” HS RS-FR. HIGHLANDS RANCH, COL./THUNDERRIDGE HS13 CASSIE PEOPLES GUARD 5’ 6” TR FR. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS/CY-FAIR HS/UNIV. OF TEXAS31 LILY SVETE FORWARD 6’ 2” 2L RS-JR. GRANGER, IND./PENN HS

37FACT: Since 1968, 145 Gators and 13 Florida coaches have earned 91 medals (45 gold) while representing 34 countries in 12 Olympiads. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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34 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

SCENES FROM THE SWAMP

FACT: Famous alumni include John Atanasoff , the inventor of the digital computer.

Florida Darrin kitchens appears to defy gravity after defending a pass attempt during the Gators’ victory at Vanderbilt. Photo by Saj Guevara

Florida’s Jonathan Bullard adjusts his headphones while heading into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during “Gator Walk” before Florida’s game against LSU. Photo by Wes Hall

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35GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

SCENES FROM THE SWAMP

FACT: There are University of Florida graduates in all 50 states and in more than 135 countries

Florida transfer Dorian Finney-Smith is surrounded by reporters during the Gators’ basketball media

day on Oct. 10. Photo by Mike Capshaw

Florida’s cheerleaders are joined by Alberta and Albert to get the crowd fired up during the Gators game at Vanderbilt Stadium in

Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 13. Photo by Saj Guevara

A fan does the Gator Chomp during Florida’s 14-6 win against LSU on

Oct. 6. Photo by Wes Hall

Florida’s Valdez Showers is all smiles after Florida’s 14-6 win against LSU. Photo by Wes Hall

Page 64: Flourish November 2012

Special teams have played a crucial part in the success of the Florida Gators this season.

Sophomore punter Kyle Christy and place kicker Caleb Strugis have been at the forefront of this success.

Christy, who has gotten the Gators out of more than a few tough situations with his long punts, has been especially valuable. Christy was sixth in the nation and second in the Southeastern Conference with 46.4 yards per punt through six games.

Christy’s long punts have been especially valuable when the Gators offense is struggling. His leg allows the Gators to flip field position on their opponents and allow their defense more space to get a stop. His punts have allowed gunners Loucheiz Purifoy and Chris Johnson to make plays, limiting opponents to an average 3.7 yards per punt return.

Florida coach Will Muschamp believes Christy’s leg has been significantly important to the Gators this season.

“Christy has had a tremendous impact on our football team,” Muschamp said in a press conference before playing Vanderbilt. “His leg and him being able to flip the field

and control the vertical field position has been critical to our success here this season and why we are where we are. He is an outstanding punter.”

Along with Christy, senior kicker Caleb Sturgis has been a reliable option for the Gators. When you look at teams like LSU that are struggling to find consistency from a kicker, Florida fans should appreciate Sturgis all the more.

Whether it’s his strong leg that consistently hits 50-plus yard field goals or the accuracy he shows by making 80.8 percent of field goals in his three full seasons of play, Sturgis’ kicking provides the Gators with stability at a shaky position.

Sturgis came through for Florida when he hit a 51-yard field goal against Texas A&M and three more field goals in a road victory against Tennessee.

On kickoffs, Sturgis has hit a groove. Opponents starting field position on kick returns is inside the 20-yard line. He had an impressive 18 touchbacks in 35 kicks through six games.

One aspect of special teams that’s been an enigma for the Gators this season has

been returns. The Gators have seen little production from their punt returner by committee and from Andre Debose on kick returns.

Debose ranks 52nd in the nation with only 23.9 yards per return and with the Gators accustomed to long returns from Debose and players like Brandon James in the past, Debose’s inability to break a big return had been a disappointment until he broke off a 60-yard kickoff return at Vanderbilt.

As far as punt retunes, Muschamp has explored other options because no one has established dominance over the position.

Against LSU, Debose and Pop Saunders combined for a zero punt return yards. Saunders called three fair catches and Debose let two punts fall in front of him.

It seems Muschamp still has confidence in Debose as a return man, but the job will fall to whoever can provide positive and consistent results.

If the Gators can fix the return game, their special teams could be one of the most complete units in college football and subsequently help establish Florida as one of the best teams in the country.

GATORS ARE COMING UP WITH GAME-CHANGING PLAYS WITH PUNTS, kICkS AND RETURNS

ON kICkOFFS, STURGIS HAS HIT A GROOVE. OPPONENTS STARTING FIELD POSITION ON kICk RETURNS IS INSIDE THE 20-YARD LINE. HE HAD AN IMPRESSIVE 18 TOUCHBACkS IN 35 kICkS THROUGH SIX GAMES.

‘SPECIAL’ TEAMS

Caleb Sturgis owns the school record with seven field goals of 50 or more yards.

BY DREW LAING

32

PUTTING THE “SPECIAL” IN SPECIAL TEAMS

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include actor Buddy Ebsen.

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33FACT: Famous alumni include Robert Cade, inventor of Gatorade. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

RECRUITING NOTEBOOk

The Gators have gotten off to a fast start on the football field this season and that has carried over to recruiting, as well.

Though Florida has gained just one commitment since September after former Nebraska offensive lineman Tyler Moore decided to transfer to UF, the Gators now sit at 20 commitments for the Class of 2013 and have made up a lot ground on several other top prospects.

Florida’s home win against LSU on Oct. 6 was important to recruiting as Lake City (Fla.) Columbia offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil and Vienna (Ga.) Dooly County defensive tackle Montravius Adams were in attendance and came away very impressed with their visits. Both of those prospects are considered the top players at their position for the Class of 2013.

Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips safety Marcell Harris and Hope Mills (N.C.) South View defensive tackle Greg Gilmore are two other prospects that

Florida has made up ground on since the beginning of the season.

Both of those prospects have said Florida is now their leading school.

Florida has also benefited from de-commitments of two linemen after Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech offensive lineman David Dawson withdrew his commitment from Michigan and Georgia Military offensive lineman Trenton Brown reneged from his Georgia offer. Both of those prospects have said Florida is now leading their leading school.

With the potential of adding Brown and Dawson to the already committed group of Moore, Cameron Dillard, Octavius Jackson and Maryland transfer Max Garcia, the Gators have filled their needs on the offensive line in a major way.

Now that Florida has 20 commitments, the coaching staff has moved on to the Class of 2014. The Gators have already hosted some big time

FLORIDA HOPES EARLY SUCCESS BOOSTS RECRUITING

GATORS COULD ADD SIX MORE PROSPECTS TO GROWING 2013 CLASS

“THE GATORS NOW SIT AT 20 COMMITMENTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2013 AND HAVE MADE UP A LOT GROUND ON SEVERAL OTHER TOP PROSPECTS.”

Florida coach Will Muschamp and his staff have made headway with key recruits during their 6-0 start to the

2012 season. Photo by Saj Guevara

BY ANDREW SPIVEY

FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS (CLASS OF 2013)*1) Vernon Hargreaves III CB 5-11 185 Tampa (Fla.) Wharton2) kelvin Taylor RB 5-11 190 Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Day3) Daniel McMillian LB 6-2 220 Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast4) Ahmad Fulwood WR 6-4 197 Jacksonville (Fla.) Bishop kenny5) Caleb Brantley DT 6-3 290 Crescent City (Fla.) High6) quinton Powell LB 6-2 195 Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland7) Nick Washington DB 6-0 180 Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian8) Alvin Bailey WR 5-11 170 Seffner (Fla.) Armwood9) Jordan Sherit DE 6-5 234 Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough10) keanu Neal S 6-0 200 Bushnell (Fla.) South Sumter11) James Hearns LB 6-2 230 Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln12) Adam Lane RB 5-7 215 Winter Haven (Fla.) High13) Marqui Hawkins WR 6-2 205 Columbus (Ga.) Carver14) Max Staver QB 6-6 238 Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy15) Antonio Riles DE 6-4 262 Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer16) Chris Thompson WR 6-0 210 Gainesville (Fla.) High17) Cameron Dillard OL 6-3 290 Canton (Mich.) High18) Joey Ivie DL 6-4 269 Dade City (FL) Pasco19) Octavius Jackson OL 6-4 295 Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County20) Tyler Moore OL 6-3 310 Clearwater (Fla.) Countryside**Moore is transferring from a junior college, and is enrolling in January as part of this class.**Verbal commitments non-binding.

visitors for games this year and expect many more to roll into Gainesville the rest of the season.

Florida’s top quarterback target Will Grier of Davidson

(N.C.) Day and West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer receiver prospect Johnnie Dixon have both visited Florida and are considered major leans to the Gators early in the process.

FOR THE BEST RECRUITING COVERAGE DAILY, VISIT GATORCOUNTRY.COM

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BY MIkE CAPSHAW

CHRISTY A qUICk STUDY AT PUNTERGATORS SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER SHINES AS SEC’S PUNT LEADER

30

HANGTIME

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include Carl Hiaasen, a columnist and novelist.

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In a word, Kyle Christy is “awesome.”That’s the word Florida offensive lineman James Wilson used to describe the Gators’ punter, anyway. Christy earned extra love from coaches and players alike after his performance in a14–6 home win against LSU on Oct. 6.

Even though Christy’s among the nation’s top punters, the 6-foot-2, 199-pound sophomore’s size-11 cleats never even punted a football until he was 15 years old.

Growing up, Christy played several positions on the football field, and was “always the kicker.” He also played soccer, making him the natural choice to fill in when Brownsburg (Ind.) High needed a punter.

“Our former punter was a senior and graduated,” Christy said. “After my sophomore year, my coach (Brett Comer) told me, ‘We’re going to need you to punt next year.’

PUNT THISKyle Christy’s superlatives through five games:• Averaging 46.5 yards per punt. Leads SEC

and is fourth best in the nation.• Nine punts of 50-yards or more• Nine punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line

“I worked with a lot of coaches and watched a lot of film and taught myself how to punt.”

Punters often are self-taught, even into college. Few college coaches were punters, so many learn what they can to pass along to their punters.

During practices, specialists like long snappers, kickers and punters are often isolated from the rest of the action. It’s an individual role in a team sport. They work on techniques they’ve learned from kicking camps and from their own film study, as Christy mentioned.

There’s loads of idle time, with only an oblong ball for amusement.

“Every week of high school me and my

coach would play like ‘punt golf,’” Christy said. “(It was) kind of fun, and it turned into a game.

“One person picks a thing to hit and whoever hits it in the least number of punts – wins.”

“Punt/golf” is not confined to Christy and his coach. There’s actually a recent blog post at TheKickersZone.com about it.

Christy has dropped nine-iron-like punts inside opponents’ 20-yard lines nine times this season. He can swing his size-11 Nike cleats like a 1-wood driver, as well. He’s booted nine times for 50-yards or more and is averaging 46.5 yards per punt, which leads the Southeastern Conference and is fourth nationally.

It’s remarkable considering he’s only five years into the craft, something he began mastering in high school with the help of Indianapolis-area kicking consultant Mark Magee.

“My coach was like, ‘Hey, you’re looking pretty good out there. You might want to stick to this.’” Christy recalled. “I took that to heart.”

Christy ended up earning all-state honors as a junior and senior. Early in the summer before his senior year, he was offered a scholarship by LSU. He then “crossed off a bunch” of other team camps he had planned to attend in hopes of winning a scholarship.

All except for Florida, that is.At Florida’s camp in July, he impressed

then-coach Urban Meyer enough to earn a scholarship. The Gators needed Christy to fill the shoes of former all-American punter Chas Henry.

“[Florida] had better academics [than LSU], which my parents liked a lot,” Christy said.

There’s much more punting than meets the eye. Like golf, every movement leading up to the swing is critical.

Some days, punters are hitting the sweet spot on every swing. Others times, they’re shanking it.

Christy said punters can get into a “zone,” like he was against LSU. He drove

four punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-long of 61 yards. He dropped three inside the 20-yard line.

Christy’s one touchback – his first of the season – had a chance to be downed by gunner Loucheiz Purifoy inside the 5-yard line, but Purifoy didn’t see it as bounced by him into the end zone.

Mostly, getting into a zone like that is mental, Christy said.

“It’s great when it happens during games,” Christy said. “But sometimes you obviously get in a … I don’t know what you call it when you’re not in the zone and you’re not hitting the ball very good.”

A funk?“Yeah, a funk,” he said. “Then you

kind of try to just stop punting and relax for a while.”

Last season, Christy was in a funk, but it wasn’t because he was shanking the ball. His “operation time,” the span from snap to punt, was off. Ideally, it’s between 2.0 and 2.1 seconds.

Florida coach Will Muschamp and special teams coach D.J. Durkin “were always getting on me,” about it, Christy said. He pointed out how Durkin knows more about punting techniques than most coaches.

The funk began with Christy’s hands, not his foot. He caught thousands of balls out of a JUGS machine, and moved his hand from the side of the ball to underneath on his drop.

“It’s been a lot more consistent for me,” Christy said, adding how it began “clicking” for him in the spring.

As much pride as he takes in punting and the fact it “feels good to help the team out,” Christy would prefer never to punt.

That would mean Florida’s offense, led by his roommate and UF quarterback Jeff Driskel, is moving the chains.

“I guess it should be Jeff’s goal to have me not punting,” Christy said. “I’d rather us make it on third down.”

For the Gators, that – like Christy – would be awesome.

“MY COACH WAS LIkE, ‘HEY, YOU’RE LOOkING PRETTY GOOD OUT THERE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO

STICk TO THIS.’ I TOOk THAT TO HEART.” kYLE CHRISTY, SOPHOMORE PUNTER

HANGTIME

31FACT: Famous alumni include actress Faye Dunaway. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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On July 22, consensus 5-star 2013 prospect Chris Walker announced via a YouTube video of where he intended to play his college basketball.

It seemed as if the 6-foot-10, 195-pound forward was down to the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats. It was believed the Gators were in front, but nothing was made official until the video was released.

Walker chose the orange and

blue and joined fellow 5-star point guard Kasey Hill as the Gators’ second commitment of their impressive 2013 class.

With the early signing period coming up on November 14–21, coach Billy Donovan has established the Gators’ 2013 class as one of the best in the nation with a great opportunity to finish atop the class rankings.

The 2013 class has been a

change of pace for the Gators with Donovan securing commitments from two five-stars, but with Walker and Hill already committed, the Gators have an excellent shot to fill out the rest of the class with quality players, giving Donovan his best class yet.

Here are the three players that Donovan has the best shot to fill his 2013 recruiting class with at this time.

TOP OF THE CLASS

GATORS IN GREAT SHAPE FOR EARLY BASkETBALL

SIGNING PERIOD

THE 2013 CLASS HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF PACE FOR THE

GATORS WITH DONOVAN SECURING COMMITMENTS

FROM TWO FIVE-STARS, BUT WITH WALkER AND HILL

ALREADY COMMITTED, THE GATORS HAVE AN EXCELLENT SHOT TO FILL OUT THE REST

OF THE CLASS WITH qUALITY PLAYERS, GIVING DONOVAN

HIS BEST CLASS YET.

JOEL EMBIID (THE ROCk/ GAINESVILLE, FLA.)Embiid stands at a monstrous 7-foot-0, 220-pounds and came over from Cameroon to the United States a few years ago. Embiid has only played basketball for less than two years, but he’s progressed very quickly and has impressed several Division I coaches. He transferred from Montverde Academy to The Rock this summer, which puts Embiid right in Donovan’s backyard. The Gators were interested in Embiid early on, so they’ve built a great relationship with him. He’s planning on signing in the early period, so he will bring his recruitment to a close soon and it looks like the Gators are in a great position for Embiid moving forward.

JULIUS RANDLE (PRESTONWOOD/ DALLAS)The nation’s top recruit recently took an official visit to Florida and loved the visit. Randle, who is considering Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, N.C. State and Oklahoma, has long been a favorite to the Wildcats, but Donovan has developed a close relationship with the 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward. Donovan coached Randle on the USA U-18 team this summer and the Gators have since been considered a dark horse to land the five-star. The chances aren’t as good to land Randle, but he plans on not making a decision until the spring. So there’s plenty of time for the Gators to improve their chances before then.

JABARI PARkER (SIMEON/ CHICAGO)Parker has been somewhat of a surprise for the Gators as the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward included Florida in his final five schools. While many suspect that Duke and Michigan St. are in the driver’s seat for Parker, Florida will have its shot to make a strong impression on him as Parker will be making an official visit on Nov. 2–4. Parker has said he wants to sign in the early signing period so the Gators could have one of his last official visits, which could be an advantage for Donovan. Chances are slim for the Gators to land Parker, but they have a fighting shot as long as he visits in early November.

Florida coach Bill Donovan and his staff are putting

the final touches on one of the program’s best

classes ever for 2013.

BY DREW LAING

28

FACES OF THE FUTURE

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include Michael Connelly, a best-selling mystery novelist.

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ALI IN THE FAMILY

ALI PEEk WILBUR HAS BEEN RAISED TO LOVE THE ORANGE AND BLUE UNDER UNIqUE CIRCUMSTANCES

“THIS IS IN OUR BLOOD. I MEAN, I WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL THAT ANYBODY EVER kNEW THAT CUT OUT EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE OF THE TAMPA TRIBUNE THAT HAD TO DO WITH FLORIDA, TAPED THEM ON OUR WALL, AND CRIED IF FLORIDA LOST.

BY BEN CORNFIELDCOURTESY PHOTOS

NAME: ALI PEEk WILBUROccupation: Senior editor of the soon-to-be launched Yahoo! Sports Florida. Co-host of “Friday Night Lights – Orlando” on Friday from 8–11 p.m., and “The Doc and Ali Hour” on Monday through Friday from 3–4 p.m. on WRSO 810AM Yahoo Sports Orlando. Also on the hour-long pregame and postgame show for WKMG CBS Orlando called “Gator Gameday” and a weekly college football segment for the “Not Just Sports” show on KDWN 720AM in Las Vegas.

Gators ties: Her grandfather, Scott Peek Sr., played football and owns the school record in track and field’s “220 on the curve,” an event no longer run by UF. Her father, Scott Peek Jr., also played football, lining up at cornerback for the Gators. Currently, her brother, Scott Peek III, is a backup fullback. She also married into yet another Gators family when she wed Eric Wilbur, the punter for the 2006 national championship team.

Quotable: They helped create the career path that I have. I wanted to be a reporter since I was little. We have videos of when I was six years old pretending to cover the Florida-Florida State games. This is what I’ve wanted to do my entire life and so I think as exciting for me as it is to live my dream, I think it’s probably almost equally exciting for them to know that I want to do this because of them, because of what they have instilled in me my whole life.

The Florida Gators football season is moving into the meat of the SEC schedule. While that means so much to so many people across the country and the world, this time of year has held an incredibly deep meaning for one family for well over half of a century.

Ali Peek Wilbur’s brother, Scott Peek III, is a redshirt senior who serves as a reserve at fullback after spending the last few

seasons as a scout team linebacker. He has put in all the hard work expected

of a Division I athlete, but he has done it all with a unique support system and sense of tradition behind him.

Ali suspected that’s simply what happens with a grandfather like Scott Peek Sr., whose name is still in the UF record books.

“[My grandfather] was a member of the Golden Era Gators,” Ali said. “That era is

26

O&B ALL THE WAY

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include Olympic medalist Dara Torres.

Page 71: Flourish November 2012

considered the end of the 40s through the 50s; I want to say he was at school from 1949-52. He played halfback, but his position may actually have been considered wingback. He also actually ran track at UF, and he even still holds a record there.

It was an event called ‘220 on the curve’. It’s an event we don’t run anymore but he still actually holds UF’s record for it.”

While Ali claims to be Scott’s second-biggest cheerleader (after their mom, of course), she learned how to love the game of football and the University of Florida in particular from her father, Scott Peek Jr., a former Gators cornerback, and her grandfather.

“This is in our blood,” Ali said. “I mean, I was probably the only 12-year-old girl that anybody ever knew that cut out every single article of the Tampa Tribune that had to do with Florida, taped them on our wall, and cried if Florida lost.

“I mean, this is my university, it’s my team. We were just raised with orange and blue blood. It is really hard to explain, and

I think … there’s not that many people that will fully get where the Peeks come from, I guess, in terms of our history with UF, but my dad is a huge Gator as well … We, you know, if it was Saturday we were there … I’m the oldest of seven children, and when we were two years old our Dad was taking us to Gator games. So that was kind of like the rite of passage. You turn two, now you can go, so, there were times when he was taking seven of us up there at a time.”

Talk about true love: After growing up talking about football at slumber parties instead of exclusively chatting about boys and make-up, Ali married Eric Wilbur in early 2012, the punter on the 2006 national championship squad.

Ali Peek Wilbur is a third-generation Gator in every sense of the word. While she is obviously not the first or last person to have the tradition of their parents’ university ingrained at an early age, even the family’s holiday traditions are unique.

“I’m pretty sure there was a year or two where we had bowl game tickets as presents

and things like that…It was ingrained in us, and it’s kind of hard to explain, but we were brought up with football in general and sports in general but especially the University of Florida playing such a prominent role and I don’t know that I really understand people’s lives that weren’t brought up that way.

“It’s just ingrained in us.”Where most people likely feel nostalgia

for the Saturdays spent in the stands at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Ali’s family lives it.

In fact, after the initial phone interview, Ali had one more piece of information to share via an email follow-up.

What she had typed out was short, simple, and to the point.

One sentence that tied it all together, generations of Gators football players, families, and, of course, fans.

“I also forgot to mention that coach Muschamp let Scott switch numbers to 16 this season to honor my dad. He wore 16 during his time at UF.”

Orange and blue runs deep.

ALI IN THE FAMILY

O&B ALL THE WAY

27FACT: Famous alumni include Bob Graham, a former US Senator and Florida Governor. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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Before Billy Donovan allows his players to set foot on the practice court to begin a new season, they must face his brand of a rigorous conditioning test.

For some, the challenge is a culmination of the months of weight lifting and endurance training they’ve pushed through since March. It’s a chance to show Florida’s coaches they are ready to go to work.

When Patric Young’s turn came, Donovan was not sure what to expect.

Though considered one of college basketball’s most athletic big men, Young had just ended a bout with mononucleosis that held him out of training for three weeks.

Donovan knew Young was not in game shape yet. Before any of his teammates, Young would fatigue and Donovan would see if his most-gifted player had grown to handle adversity.

If the test occurred just a year ago, Donovan could have easily predicted the outcome.

“The biggest thing for Patric in all this stuff is mentally being in the right place to be able to deal with the confrontation every day of pushing himself to go to the next step physically,” Donovan said. “I would say a year ago him coming off of mono, he would have never had a chance to pass it.”

But this year’s Young passed. He pushed through the discomfort and proved to Donovan he is different, tougher player than the 6-foot-9, 249-pound center who was consistently outrebounded a season ago by one of his team’s 6-foot-3 guards.

After a sub-par sophomore season on the boards, Young wants to finally live up to the billing that had him once projected as a lottery pick at the next level.

Donovan said he invokes the names of past Gators’ big men who have found success in the NBA to implore Young to push through his streaky play on the court.

Players like David Lee, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Udonis Haslem all did their

YOUNG REBOUNDSFROM TOUGH SUMMERUF’S STARTING CENTER PUSHED THOUGH SICkNESS TO PROVE HE IS READY FOR SEASON

PATRIC YOUNG2011–2012, Sophomore seasonMinutes: 26.5 per game, fourth most on teamRebounds: 6.4 per game, secondBlocks: 0.8 per game, third

2010–2011, Freshman seasonMinutes: 17.8 per game, sixth Rebounds: 3.8 per game, fourthBlocks: 0.8 per game, team high

BY JOHN BOOTHE, PHOTOS BY SAJ GUEVARA AND ICON SPORTS MEDIA

“THE BIGGEST THING FOR PATRIC IN ALL THIS STUFF IS MENTALLY BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE CONFRONTATION EVERY DAY OF PUSHING HIMSELF TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP PHYSICALLY.” – BILLY DONOVAN

24

LIVING UP TO THE HYPE

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include Forrest Sawyer, a national broadcast journalist.

Page 73: Flourish November 2012

damage in college on the glass and had a reputation as tireless competitors. Each has found a lengthy career on an NBA team due to that nature.

“Coach Donovan took me into his office the other day and just compared me to the other ‘bigs’ that were drafted this year and just told me there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to play 32, 35 minutes a game,” Young said. “I’m like, ‘That’s a lot, but I know that I can do it.’ It’s all mental. I’m not going to die from fatigue.”

Last season, Young averaged 6.4 rebounds per game – second on the team behind current Wizards guard Bradley Beal.

Donovan said there’s “no question” Young should tally

more than 10 rebounds per game this season.

While Young averaged double-digit scoring last year, Donovan said he does not need Young to be the focal point of the offense for the Gators to be successful this season.

“For Patric, the things that are going to make him an effective player at Florida and an effective player at the next level is going to be what kind of shape is he in, how well does he run the floor on every single possession and how much does he make himself – because of his strength and athleticism – a factor in every play,” he said. “The next thing is how well does he rebound the ball from both ends of the floor.”

LIVING UP TO THE HYPE

25FACT: Famous alumni include ecologist Archie Carr GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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UF MEN’S BASkETBALL PREVIEW

After blowing another double-digit lead in its second-consecutive Elite Eight appearance, the Florida basketball team left the sunbaked desert of Phoenix desperate to figure out how it squandered another potential trip to the Final Four.

Not only would the Gators begin the process of licking their wounds once March Madness finally ended, they also had to wait out the decisions of a few potential lottery picks. While the loss of last year’s breakout star, freshman Bradley Beal, surely hurt Florida, the casualties from the postseason roster turnover were not nearly as severe as they could have been.

With veteran stalwarts shooting guard Kenny Boynton and center Patric Young both electing to rejoin the fold in Gainesville rather than testing the NBA’s draft waters, the Gators are entering a new campaign with a seasoned team.

“Clearly, only losing two players (Beal and senior guard Erving Walker) off last year’s team – this year, it’s really the same group of guys in a lot of respects,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

Florida enters the 2012–2013 season with a relatively deep roster featuring three seniors – guards Boynton and Mike Rosario, along with post-player Erik Murphy – and a junior class which includes Young along with guard Scottie Wilbekin and forwards Casey Prather and Will Yeguete.

Joining the team is a guard-laden group of freshmen who will each try to crack the rotation for Gators. Donovan kept it local with his latest crop, scooping three in-state players – Michael Frazier II, Dillon Graham and DeVon Walker. Donovan did dip out of state to sign point guard Braxton Ogbueze from Charlotte (N.C.), completing a class filled with shooting ability.

The Gators lived by the 3-point line last season, jacking up almost 1,000 shots from behind the arc and making nearly 40 percent of their attempts. Despite his team’s shooting prowess, Donovan believes another area will drive the Gators’ success this season.

“From a coaching perspective, you look at your team, and I think the one thing that is clear right from the get-go is we have incredible potential defensively,” Donovan said. “Last year, clearly the identity was we could really, really shoot threes and have a great shooting team. I think we have a good shooting team, but … I think we have very, very good potential defensively.”

While the Gators will enjoy quality depth

FLORIDA READY FOR ANOTHER RUNSqUAD RETURNS THREE STARTERS HAS THREE FRESHMAN JOINING GATORS

“CLEARLY, ONLY LOSING TWO PLAYERS (BEAL AND SENIOR GUARD ERVING WALkER) OFF

LAST YEAR’S TEAM – THIS YEAR, IT’S REALLY THE SAME GROUP OF

GUYS IN A LOT OF RESPECTS.” UF COACH BILLY DONOVAN

Shooting guard kenny Boynton opted to return for his senior season.

BY ALEX GRAY, PHOTOS BY SAJ GUEVARA

22 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Famous alumni include two Nobel Prize winners.

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UF MEN’S BASkETBALL PREVIEW

2012–13 FLORIDA MEN’S BASkETBALL SCHEDULEDATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME TVTHU, NOV 1 NEBRASkA-kEARNEY(EXH.) GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM GATORVISIONFRI, NOV 9 GEORGETOWN JACkSONVILLE, FL 9:00 PM NBCSN SUN, NOV 11 ALABAMA STATE GAINESVILLE, FL 3:30 PM SUN/SPORTSOUTHWED, NOV 14 WISCONSIN GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM ESPN2 OR ESPNUSUN, NOV 18 MIDDLE TENNESSEE TAMPA, FL 4:00 PM SUN/FS-SOUTHTUE, NOV 20 SAVANNAH STATE GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM SUN/SPORTSOUTHFRI, NOV 23 UCF GAINESVILLE, FL 4:00 PM SUN/SPORTSOUTH GRNTHU, NOV 29 MARqUETTE GAINESVILLE, FL 9:00 PM ESPN2 WED, DEC 5 FLORIDA STATE TALLAHASSEE, FL 7:00 PM ESPN2 SAT, DEC 15 ARIZONA TUCSON, AZ 10:00 PM ESPNWED, DEC 19 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM SUN/SPORTSOUTHSAT, DEC 22 kANSAS STATE kANSAS CITY, MO 8:00 PM ESPN2 SAT, DEC 29 AIR FORCE SUNRISE, FL 4:30 PM FSNSUN, JAN 6 YALE NEW HAVEN, CT 5:30 PM NBCSNWED, JAN 9 GEORGIA * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM CSS SAT, JAN 12 LSU * BATON ROUGE, LA 4:00 PM ESPNUTHU, JAN 17 TEXAS A&M * COLLEGE STATION, TX 7:00 PM ESPN OR ESPN2SAT, JAN 19 MISSOURI * GAINESVILLE, FL 2:00 PM ESPNWED, JAN 23 GEORGIA * ATHENS, GA 8:00 PM SEC NETWORkSAT, JAN 26 MISSISSIPPI STATE * STARkVILLE, MS 8:00 PM ESPN2WED, JAN 30 SOUTH CAROLINA * GAINESVILLE, FL 8:00 PM SEC NETWORk SAT, FEB 2 OLE MISS * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM ESPNUTUE, FEB 5 ARkANSAS * FAYETTEVILLE, AR 7:00 PM ESPNSAT, FEB 9 MISSISSIPPI STATE * GAINESVILLE, FL 5:00 PM FSNTUE, FEB 12 kENTUCkY * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM ESPNSAT, FEB 16 AUBURN * AUBURN, AL 1:30 PM SEC NETWORkTUE, FEB 19 MISSOURI * COLUMBIA, MO 9:00 PM ESPNSAT, FEB 23 ARkANSAS * GAINESVILLE, FL 7:00 PM ESPNUTUE, FEB 26 TENNESSEE * kNOXVILLE, TN 9:00 PM ESPNSAT, MAR 2 ALABAMA * GAINESVILLE, FL 12:00 PM ESPN OR ESPN2 WED, MAR 6 VANDERBILT * GAINESVILLE, FL 8:00 PM SEC NETWORkSAT, MAR 9 kENTUCkY * LEXINGTON, kY 12:00 PM CBS MAR 13–17 SEC TOURNAMENT

entering the season, they will undoubtedly need all-hands-on-deck as they navigate through a tough non-conference schedule. Florida will have to deal with a number of potential top-25 opponents before the calendar even flips to 2013. With names such as Georgetown, Wisconsin, Marquette, Arizona, Kansas State and upcoming rival Florida State spotted on the agenda, the Gators will be battle tested heading into their conference slate.

As evidenced by their deep run last season, the Gators made immense strides over the course of the year. Young has the physical potential to be an all-American-type player with his defensive ability and penchant for highlight-reel blocks. Murphy showed off a reliable deep shot last season that will draw defenders away from the post, thus making him a matchup

nightmare. The point could also be argued that Florida’s most improved players last season were Prather and Yeguete, the latter of which sustained an injury late in the season which held him out of the NCAA Tournament.

Entering the year, the Gators do not face as many question marks as they have in the recent past. If Wilbekin can successfully man the point guard spot vacated by Walker and if Rosario can finally blossom into a reliable scorer for the first time since his transfer from Rutgers two years ago, this Gators squad could be dangerous come tournament time.

With an early season schedule sure to test their mettle and an abundance of lessons from the past two seasons, this now mature group of veterans appears to be ready to take the next step.

Billy Donovan is entering his 17th season as Florida’s head coach.

Senior post Erik Murphy gives the Gators size and athleticism inside the paint.

23FACT: Famous alumni include UF alumni include at least nine prior governors of the state of Florida. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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FACT: Today, UF is one of the most comprehensive and academically diverse universities in the nation.

1) The two teams’ first game occurred in what year?a)1950 c) 1957b) 1958 d) 1955

2) Of the two teams, which hosted the first game?a) Florida State b) Florida

3) Of the two teams, who emerge victorious in the first game?a) Florida State b) Florida

4) In what year did the Seminoles first beat the Gators?a) 1957 c) 1962b) 1958 d) 1964

5) What coach led the Seminoles to their first ever win against the Gators?a) Bobby Bowdenb) Bill Petersonc) Jimbo Fisherd) Mark Stoops

6) In what year did the Florida/Florida State rivalry kick off?a) 1960 c) 1961 b) 1959 d) 1962

7) After a 3–3 tie, which UF Football coach sparked the rivalry with some questionable comments?a) George E. Pyleb) Bob Woodruffc) Ray Gravesd) Doug Dickey

8) Bobby Bowden won his initial contest against the Gators.a) True b) False

9) From 1976 to the end of the 1980s, the series was all tied at how many wins apiece for both programs.a) 5 c) 9b) 7 d) 10

10) The rivalry accelerated even more after the hiring of which UF coach?a) Ray Gravesb) Urban Meyerc) Steve Spurrier d) Ron Zook

11) In every meeting between the two teams from 1990-2000, both teams were ranked in the Top 10.a) True b) False

12) In what year did the rivalry culminate with a match in which the teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation?a) 1995 c) 1997b) 1994 d) 1996

13) One memorable game between the two teams saw FSU leading the game 31–3 going into the fourth quarter. UF’s offense exploded to tie the score at 31-31. This game was dubbed “The Choke At Doak”.a) True b) False

14) Despite losing to Florida State 24–21 in the regular season match, UF went on to beat the Seminoles 52–20 for the national title.a) True b) False

15) After the 2001 meeting, Florida State suffered a decade-long drought, dubbed “The Lost Decade”. During this time, how many straight victories did the Gators achieve?a) 5 c) 7b) 8 d) 6

FLORIDA GATORS TRIVIA: THE SUNSHINE STATE RIVALRY

kNOW THINE ENEMYANSWER kEY:1–B, 2–B, 3–B, 4–D, 5–B, 6–C, 7–C, 8–B, 9–B, 10–C, 11–A, 12–D, 13–B, 14–A, 15–D

20 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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21

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL REPORT

FACT: Famous alumni include three NASA astronauts. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

Records are made to be broken, even when they seem to be untouchable.

On the other hand, there are some prep football records that may never be broken.

For example, John Giannantonio of Netcong (N.J.) averaged a ridiculous 594.5 yards rushing per game in 1950. And in 1927, Haven (kS) scored 256 points in one game. It should be noted that of the top 10 all-time point totals scored by one team in a single game, six were set in the 1920s and none after 1943.

During the first seven weeks of this season, several state records and a few national records have been set on the gridiron.

In Oregon, Aloha High School’s Thomas Tyner set a state record with 644 yards rushing. It now ranks nationally as the third-highest single game rushing total ever.

Refugio (Texas) High’s Travis quintanilla threw a state-record 10

touchdown passes on only 15 attempts. And, Jordan’s Austin kafentzis tied a Utah state-record with eight touchdown passes in a game.

An interesting twist to records is right here in the Sunshine State.

kelvin Taylor of Belle Glade Glades Day and Derrick Henry of Yulee are the state’s No. 1 and 2 rushers, respectively, of all time.

Entering their final three games of the regular season, Taylor had 11,217 yards, while Henry had a career total of 10,003 yards.

Both are in pursuit of the state rushing record, currently held by Taylor, and the national record held by ken Hall of Sugar Land (TX), who rushed for 11,232 yards in the early 1950s (’50–’53).

Henry had a state-record 502-yard rushing performance against Jacksonville Jackson on September 21. In that game, the University of Alabama commit broke another state record with his 38th

THE PREP ZONE INSIDER BY MIkE RIDAUGHT

consecutive 100-yard game.“Some guys may never run for 100

yards in a game,” Yulee coach Bobby Ramsay told the Florida Times-Union after the game. “To do it every game of his career is incredible.”

Two games later, Henry set the national record by rushing for 190 yards on 15 carries to pass Rushel Shell of Aliquippa Hopewell (2008–11) for the most consecutive 100-yard games in national prep football history. In that game, he also passed Toby Gerhart (9,662 yards at Norco, Calif. from 2002–05) and Terrance Wilkes (9,668 yards at Jamestown Ragsdale, NC from 2001–04) on the national rushing list.

Now, here’s the twist.Ironically, Taylor, a Florida commit,

could end up being first in Florida all-time but second nationally to Henry.

Confused?Taylor is recognized as the state’s

all-time leading rusher, but nationally he

is behind Henry because the National Federation of High Schools does not count his 8th grade stats, while Florida does. So, according to NFHS rules, Taylor actually had 9,673 yards entering his final three contests.

It should be an exciting finish in Florida prep rushing history – like a Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa race.

Both will have an opportunity to add to their total in the postseason (Yulee in 4A and Glades Day in 2A). Whoever makes the longest run n the playoffs could also have a say in the national race.

JOIN US EVERY TUES NIGHT

FROM 6-7 P.M. AT SONIC

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18 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: Established in 1968, the Florida Cicerones are the official student ambassadors for the University of Florida.

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SCENES FROM THE SWAMP

A performer entertains the crowd by doing tricks with a hula hoop during a United Way Downtown event. The events take place on Friday nights before most home games. Photo by Mike Capshaw

Students embrace while singing “We Are The Boys of Ol’ Florida” before the fourth quarter of the Gators’ 14–6 win against LSU. Photo by Wes Hall

Fans walk around the vendor booths at a recent United Way Downtown event earlier this season. Photo by Mike Capshaw

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OUTLOOkJacksonville State heads into the 2012 season picked to finish second by league coaches and sports information directors in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll. The Gamecocks are looking to continue their legacy of being the team to beat in wthe OVC since joining the league in 2003. Jacksonville State lost 12 starting players this year but is welcoming back 13 starting red and whites. The Gamecocks will have their work cut out for them this year as coach Jack Crowe calls their schedule “the toughest in the history of Jacksonville State and probably the toughest in the history of the Ohio Valley Conference.” Crowe believes the two toughest opponents on the schedule are the two games vs. SEC opponents. “Arkansas is probably a Top 5 team and Florida is expected to rise back to its status of being one of the top teams in the country,” Crowe said in a press release by the school. “We are going to be challenged by both of them.”

qUARTERBACkSenior Marques Ivory is the main weapon for JSU’s offense but with junior Coty Blanchard also able to deliver, Crowe is ecstatic to have two players who can make plays on the field. “Both Marques and Coty are proven playmakers in the biggest kind of games,” Crowe said. Blanchard completed 64 percent of his passes (135-for-211) for 1,703 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions last season.

RUNNING BACkThe undeniable leader of the group is senior Washaun Ealey. “Washaun Ealey certainly defines where we start out on offense,” Crowe said. Easley rushed for 1,082 yards on 178 carries (6.2 yards per carry average) and eight touchdowns. Much will be expected out of sophomore DaMarcus James this season as he will be replacing the running back and blocking role Calvin Middleton had last season.

RECEIVERCrowe has high expectations for senior Alan Bonner, who could be the go-to guy this season. “It is his time now to step out and

be special,” Crowe said. Seniors Trey Smith and Kevyn Cooper who are known for making valuable plays are also expected to step up this season.

OFFENSIVE LINERising seniors Odie Rush and Tori Mobley lead the Gamecocks’ offensive line this season. Mobley is positioned to be right guard this year while Rush, who is coming off of a major break in his ankle, is set to be left tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINEWith the loss of three of their four starters from last season, the defensive line may be the Gamecocks’ weakest unit. Senior DiMetrio Tyson is the lone returning starter from the quartet who will be leading the defense. Junior Barry Stafford is expected to join Tyson in reconstructing their defensive line.

LINEBACkERThis unit is another uncertain area for the Gamecocks even though Rashad Smith returns after leading the team with 77 tackles a year ago. Crowe said, “I don’t think there is an established player in the bunch.” Crowe plans to take a look at senior Nick Johnson, who moved from safety to the “slash” outside linebacker position in the spring. The junior has played in 23 games over the past two seasons

DEFENSIVE BACkYouth will dominate this unit other than senior walk-on Francis Duncan. Sophomores Rashod Byers and Denzel Bynum are the youth coach Crowe plans to see excel on the field along with freshmen Jermaine Hough and Dushonta Broughton.

SPECIAL TEAMSBlanchard will be juggling two roles this season as he is also assigned to be Jacksonville State’s starting punter. Freshman Hamish MacInnes from Australia will be groomed from the beginning to become another option for the Gamecocks when it comes to punting. Kicking duties will fall to junior Griffin Thomas who coach Crowe says he is “optimistic about.”

JACkSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCkS VS. FLORIDA – NOV. 17 IN GAINESVILLE, FLA.

FAST FACTSColors: Red and white Location: Jacksonville, AlabamaEnrollment: 9,504Conference: Ohio Valley Conference

qUICk READSCoach: Jack Crowe, 13th year 2011 records: 7–4, 6–2 in OVCOffensive coordinator: Ronnie LetsonOffensive formation: MultipleDefensive coordinator: Chris BooneDefensive formation: 5–2Key returners: WR Alan Bonner, OL Blake Burks, RB Washaun Ealey, C Max Holcombe, QB Marques Ivory, OL Tarik Milner, DB Brooks Robinson, DE DiMetrio Tyson Key newcomers: OL Thomas Williams, C Clay Squires, OL Nick Johnson, OL Calvin Baker

SCHEDULE9/1 @ ARkANSAS 9/8 UT CHATTANOOGA9/22 @ EASTERN kENTUCkY 9/29 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE10/6 @ TENNESSEE TECH10/13 @ EASTERN ILLINOIS 10/20 TENNESSEE STATE 10/27 MURRAY STATE11/3 @ TENNESSEE-MARTIN 11/10 AUSTIN PEAY STATE11/17 @ FLORIDA

JACkSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCkS

16

GAME PREVIEW

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: The university again made history in April 2007 by winning consecutive national titles in men’s basketball.

Page 81: Flourish November 2012

OUTLOOkThe combination of fifth-year senior quarterback E.J. Manuel and the nation’s number one prospect quarterback Jameis Winston will create a powerhouse offense this year for ‘Noles. With 11 senior returning starters, experience and age is on Florida State’s side this season as the Seminoles look to improve on last year’s disappointing season. It’s another preseason full of acclaim for the Seminoles, who are favored to win the ACC and among the top 10 nationally in preseason polls. Coach Jimbo Fisher expresses his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, calling offseason conditioning one of the best during his short tenure. “Looking forward to an outstanding year,” Fisher said in a press release by the school. “I think our guys did a great job of conditioning this summer – it was one of the best one’s we had in a lot of different aspects. Not just in strength, but in conditioning parts; just changing bodies and certain things and the way we’ve trained.”

qUARTERBACk E.J. Manuel is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks going into the 2012 season. Manuel enters the season as the most accurate quarterback in Florida State history with a 66.1 percent completion rate. With the pairing of newcomer Jameis Winston, the ‘Noles should produce an offensive attack worthy of achievement this year.

RUNNING BACkBecause of back injuries proven performers Devonta Freeman and Jermaine Thomas, rising sophomore James Wilder Jr. was the only healthy running back in the spring. Wilder carried 35 times for 160 yards as a freshman last year. Speedy and agile early-enrollee Mario Pender is expected to work his way into the rotation by the beginning of the season.

RECEIVERAll eyes are on Rashad Greene as the sophomore led the Seminoles in receptions (38), yards (596) and touchdowns (7) as a freshman despite missing four games with an injury. Fisher is excited to see how

Greene will be the go-to guy again this season, but also watch for a big year by 6-foot-6, 219-pound senior Rodney Smith.

OFFENSIVE LINEFlorida State’s highly scrutinized offensive line is full of underclassmen after losing starting tackles Andrew Datko and Zebrie Sanders. While youth overrides the offensive front, the experience the underclassmen gained last year due to injuries by veterans could prove to be promising.

DEFENSIVE LINEBrandon Jenkins returns for his senior season and give Florida State one of the best rushers in the country. With junior standout Bjoern Werner and senior Cornellius Carradine by his side, the Seminoles’ defensive line will wreak havoc for opposing offenses.

LINEBACkERThe Seminoles will look for performance in junior Christian Jones. With 18 tackles and three sacks as a freshman, Jones entered the starting lineup last season, finishing third on the team in tackles with 56.

DEFENSIVE BACkDespite losing veteran defensive back Greg Reid, who was dismissed from the team, the Seminoles still have shining star Xavier Rhodes. The redshirt junior is highly considered one of the best defensive backs in the country. Juniors Lamarcus Joyner and Terrence Brooks are candidates to fill Reid’s position.

SPECIAL TEAMSWith the graduation of punter Shawn Powell and the dismissal of Greg Reid, there are openings for many of Florida State’s players to take hold of a starring special-teams roles. Dustin Hopkins is among the top kickers in the nation. Junior Chris Revell showed “great chemistry” with Hopkins as the deep snapper. The battle of starting punter will be between freshmen Dillon Kidd and Cason Beatty.

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES VS. FLORIDA – NOV. 24 IN TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

FAST FACTSColors: Garnet and Gold Location: Tallahassee, Fla.Enrollment: 41,710Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference, Atlantic division

qUICk READSCoach: Jimbo Fisher, 3rd year2011 records: 9–4, 5–3 in ACCOffensive coordinator: James ColeyOffensive formation(s): MultipleDefensive coordinator: Mark StoopsDefensive formation(s): 4–3 Multiple Key returners: QB E.J Manuel, DE Brandon Jenkins, DB Lamarcus Joyner, K Dustin Hopkins, RB James Wilder Jr.Key newcomers: QB Jameis Winston, RB Mario Pender, WR Marvin Bracy, CB Ronald Darby, DE Mario Edwards Jr.

SCHEDULE9/1 MURRAY STATE 9/8 SAVANNAH STATE 9/15 WAkE FOREST9/22 CLEMSON 9/29 @ SOUTH FLORIDA10/06 @ NORTH CAROLINA STATE 10/13 BOSTON COLLEGE10/20 @ MIAMI10/27 DUkE11/08 @ VIRGINIA TECH (THURS.)11/17 @ MARYLAND11/24 FLORIDA

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

JACkSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCkS

17

GAME PREVIEW

FACT: For most students visiting UF, Florida Cicerones are the first faces that they see. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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15

GAME PREVIEW

FACT: In 2006, UF became the first university in collegiate history to earn both the national men’s basketball and football titles in the same year. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE RAGIN’ CAJUNS

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE RAGIN’ CAJUNS VS. FLORIDA – NOV. 10 IN GAINESVILLE, FLA.

qUICk READSCoach: Mark Hudspeth, 2nd year 2011 records: 9–4, 6–2 in SBC Offensive coordinator: Jay JohnsonOffensive formation: Pro-style Defensive coordinator: Greg StewartDefensive formation: 3–4 Key returners: PK Brett Baer, OL Leonardo Bates, WR Javone Lawson, CB Melvin White and RB Alonzo Harris Key newcomers: QB Brooks Haack, QB Jalen Nixon, DE Chris Prater, OL Kevon Foster

OUTLOOk:The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns made their first bowl appearance since 1970 and tied a school record with nine wins. Louisiana-Lafayette returns 15 starters and 39 lettermen from the last season. Due to the 19 players who were redshirted last season and a strong recruiting class, the Ragin’ Cajuns should feature a deeper and more experienced team. Coach Mark Hudspeth expresses his thoughts about moving forward despite great achievements last season. “Because we worked hard last year and played as a team, we were able to accomplish a lot,” Hudspeth said. “That season was very gratifying, but it is over now and we are focused on even greater accomplishments ahead.”

qUARTERBACk:Senior Blaine Gautier leads Louisiana-Lafayette’s offense after a record-breaking season in 2011 with the aid of sophomore Terrace Broadway. Fifth-year senior Brady Thomas, junior Riley Saunders and freshmen Brooks Haack, Jalen Nixon adds to the talented quarterback unit.

RUNNING BACk:After last season’s struggle with rushing yards, sophomore Alonzo Harris and redshirt freshmen Torrey Pierce and Montrel Carter have emerged as the top candidates to help Louisiana-Lafayette be successful in the area this year. Redshirt freshman Effrem Reed is expected to receive playing time as well making the Ragin’ Cajuns’ backfield one of the youngest in the country.

RECEIVER:With the top three returning receivers in Sun Belt Conference, the Ragin’ Cajuns excelling at this position shouldn’t be a problem. Seniors Javone Lawson and Harry Peoples along with junior Darryl Surgent each return after combining for 149 catches, 2,216 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. With the aid of juniors Brad Brown and Devin Figaro and sophomores Jamal Robinson and James Butler this deep unit will look to triumph last season’s stats.

OFFENSIVE LINE:Louisiana-Lafayette brings back four of the five starters that started every game together in 2011. The offensive line led by superstar Leonardo Bates includes Jaron Odom, junior Andre Huvaland and sophomore Daniel Quave for a powerhouse quartet. Daniel’s little brother, redshirted freshman Mykhael Quave will likely fill in the spot of Louisiana-Lafayette’s missing fifth.

DEFENSIVE LINE:Youth is evident in Louisiana-Lafayette’s defensive line as six of the top eight players are underclassmen. Seniors Emeka Onyenekwu, Cordian Hagans, Blake Comminie and Ben Duhon are expected to lead the underclassmen in the Ragin’ Cajuns quest to add more depth along with better size and speed than last they had last season.

LINEBACkER:The linebacker unit features much youth and depth this season. Senior Le’Marcus Gibson and sophomore Jake Molbert return as starters to lead the defensive unit. Molbert is the second-leading returning tackler for the Ragin’ Cajuns and is expected to be one of the defensive leaders this fall.

DEFENSIVE BACk:With the loss of safety Lionel Stokes and cornerback Dwight Bentley, Louisiana-Lafayette will be relying on senior cornerbacks Melvin White and Jemarlous Moten to leading the charge. They are two of the top three returning tacklers for the team and started every game last season.

SPECIAL TEAMS:In 2011, special teams were Louisiana-Lafayette’s strength and with every player returning, the Ragin’ Cajuns is expected to excel in this area. With Brett Baer anchoring the unit, the senior looks to end his career as the most accurate kicker in NCAA history, after going 18-for-20 last year and thriving off of the unforgettable moment where his career-long 50-yard kick gave the Cajuns a 32-30 win in the New Orleans Bowl.

FAST FACTSColors: Vermilion & whiteLocation: Lafayette, LA Enrollment: 16,885 Conference: Sun Belt Conference

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No one is going as far as calling it a “no-name defense,” but it is becoming clear the Gators have a cornucopia of key contributors on the defensive side of the ball.

There are standouts but no superstars.

Safety Matt Elam, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and linebacker Jon Bostic, among others, likely will be getting to paid to play on Sundays a year from now.

Nevertheless, the theme of this year’s Florida defense is teamwork.

There are no prima donnas.There’s no one playmaker.

They’re all playmakers.Eleven defenders working in

unison to achieve a common goal: preventing offenses from reaching the goal line.

For Will Muschamp’s Florida

Gators, it’s all about the “we,” not the “I” or the “me.”

It’s working well.Through five games, the Gators

had outscored opponents 41–11 in the second half, contributing to come-from-behind wins against Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU. They also were the only team in the nation not to allow a point in the fourth quarter, although that streak came to an end during a 31–17 win at Vanderbilt on Oct. 13.

Different stars have shined each game.

“You’ll hear me to say to the guys, ‘I think the best player on our defense is our defense,’” UF defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. “We don’t need one guy to feel like, ‘Man, if he doesn’t do it, we’re not going to make it.’”

With no singular star or primary playmaker Quinn can afford injuries, which is fortunate.

Starting Buck end/linebacker Ronald Powell was scheduled to come back in October from a spring knee injury before suffering a setback shortly into the season. He will redshirt with a medical hardship.

Through six games, starters such as linebacker Jelani Jenkins and defensive end Dominique Easley – tßwo other NFL-bound Gators after college – missed significant time.

Quality depth means the defense doesn’t miss a beating, which it’s been dishing out each Saturday with tenacious, aggressive pressure.

The depth also allowed switching personnel often, and the Gators do it consistently on all three

ALL ABOUT THE ‘WE’FLORIDA’S DEFENSE DELIVERS AS ONE COHESIVE UNIT

BY MIkE CAPSHAW

GANG TACkLINGFlorida has 14 players with 11 tackles or more through six games:Josh Evans 37Matt Elam 33Jon Bostic 33Antonio Morrison 24Loucheiz Purifoy 24Omar Hunter 23Sharrif Floyd 22Mike Taylor 21Lerentee McCray 18Jaylen Watkins 15Jonothan Bullard 14Marcus Roberson 11Leon Orr 11Dante Fowler Jr. 11

12

WORkING AS ONE

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: UF’s athletic victories include 26 national team champion-ships.

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“YOU’LL HEAR ME TO SAY TO THE GUYS, ‘I THINk THE BEST PLAYER ON OUR DEFENSE IS OUR DEFENSE.’” – DAN qUINN, FLORIDA DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.levels of the defense through four quarters.

Elam, Floyd and Bostic come off the field the least. The trio makes up the middle of the defense, where Muschamp believes games are won or lost.

“I’m young, but I’m old fashioned in that you’re only as good as you are up the middle,” Muschamp said. “We’ve gotten very productive play for the most part defensively from (tackles) Sharrif Floyd, Omar Hunter, (and linebackers) Jon Bostic, Jelani Jenkins, Antonio Morrison and our two safeties (Elam and Josh Evans).

Florida has been especially stingy on third downs and entered the Vanderbilt game leading the Southeastern Conference and ranking fourth nationally by allowing opponents to convert just 25.3 percent of their third downs.

The Gators’ tackling has improved, and Muschamp routinely calls cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy a player who “wants” to tackle.

“Last year, I don’t think we took tackling as serious,” Purifoy said. “We didn’t really realize how much a missed tackle can hurt the game. This year when we’re doing our tackling drills, we actually lock in and take it serious.”

The effort doesn’t end at tackling.

They’re causing turnovers, a common trait in all great defenses, with seven interceptions and four recovered fumbles through six games.

“We practice every day on creating turnovers,” Hunter said. “When a guy’s got somebody wrapped up, we practice another guy coming in trying to rip the ball out. It’s just what we do in practice.

“It’s just carrying over to the game.”

Bostic said the key is not getting carried away with trying to strip the ball.

“We say if one person has the ball carrier wrapped up, all the other 10 guys need to be going in, stripping at the ball,” Bostic said. “We got to make sure we got the ball carrier secured first.”

Look back over the quotes. The difference in this team is not the turnovers, tackles, strong interior or depth.

It’s all about the “we.”Ten times in those past

three players’ quotes the word “we” was used.

Quinn and Muschamp used “we” in their quotes, too.

It’s not an act. Players don’t know their own

statistics, a rarity these days. They don’t care that tackles are so spread out among the defense that none of them were even among the top 35 in the league in tackles.

They also say they don’t watch the rankings or standings like when the Gators came in at No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 or No. 2 in the initial Bowl Championship Subdivision (BCS).

Muschamp and the other coaches say it’s important not to read your paper clipping, keeping players focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about any critics or letting hype go to their heads.

Quinn provided a metaphor to describe it.

“It’s like an Etch A Sketch,” Quinn said. “You get rid of the last game and now everything is for this opponent, and here’s all they do so there’s really not a lot of time to talk about some of the other things, other than what the next opponent is really doing.”

Sharrif Floyd anchors the defense at tackle after switching from end before last season’s 24-17 Gator Bowl victory against Ohio State. Photo by Curtiss Bryant

WORkING AS ONE

13FACT: UF’s athletic victories include a conference high 202 Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles and more than 230 individual national titles. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

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After nearly a decade of wavering attention, the rivalry game between the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles is feeling like it may actually mean something on the national stage this year.

For almost the duration of the 1990s this in-state spectacle between two regional powerhouses regularly featured top-5 teams and three times, the eventual national champion.

In 1996, before Alabama and LSU had a second crack at one another in last year’s BCS title game, the rivalry came to a head when Florida and Florida State waged two epic battles in Tallahassee and New Orleans.

Each team won a game against the other but only the Gators came away with a national championship.

With the departure of head coach Steve Spurrier from Florida in 2001, the rivalry began to slowly lose some of its luster. And following the 2009 retirement of legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, the last participant of the annual game’s golden era was gone.

From 2002–2010, Florida won six out of its nine meetings with Florida State. In none of those matchups were both teams ranked in either the top 10 of the AP, Coaches or BCS poll at the time the game was played.

The task of reinvigorating both teams involved in the matchup fell to a pair of first-time head coaches in the Gators’ Will Muschamp and Seminoles head man Jimbo Fisher.

This year, both teams have gotten off to solid starts and will have a say in their respective conference races heading into November.

While a potential ranked matchup between a Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coastal Conference contenders would draw plenty of national attention, some would argue a game with such regional significance and in-state pride at stake does not need outside hype.

Florida and Florida State have played annually since 1958, with the Gators leading the all-time series 33–21–2.

Over the decades, the rivalry has not

needed much coaxing to flair the passionate fan bases of either side. Heartbreaking losses and jubilant wins quickly took on names of their own like “The Choke at Doak” and “The Swindle in The Swamp.”

Though over the last two years classic rivalries like Texas-Texas A&M and Michigan-Notre Dame have fallen by the wayside due to conference expansion, it appears the Florida-Florida State game will be safe from the fallout.

Both the Seminoles and Gators are contracted to play through 2014 and neither side looks like they have any intention of suspending the rivalry.

For fans of either team, it offers the opportunity to add chapters to an already great rivalry in college football.

FLORIDA.FLORIDA STATE.

RIVALRY MAkES RETURN TO PROMINENCE THIS SEASON

BY JOHN BOOTHE

10

THE SUNSHINE STATE RIVALRY

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: In the 1860s, after having taken over kingsbury Academy, East Florida Seminary moved to Gainesville.

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8

DUAL THREAT

GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012 FACT: In 2011, UF had 6,453 entering students.

Gators coach Will Muschamp tabbed Jeff Driskel as the team’s starter over Jacoby Brissett after the team’s first game, a win against Bowling Green. In doing so, he acknowledged Driskel’s scrambling abilities made him better suited to be successful given how Florida’s offense – particularly the offensive line – was built.

A season ago, the line was a patchwork unit that struggled to pass block. John Brantley, the team’s starter in 2011, often took the brunt of the line’s inadequacies, finishing the season with multiple injuries.

Though the coaching staff insisted the offensive line would be a major improvement

– perhaps the team’s most improved unit – Muschamp made it clear he felt a mobile quarterback – Driskel – was the better choice.

“I just feel like Jeff, with the legs, gives us some different variables in our offense than can help us as we move forward,” he said in early August.

Midway through the season, the dual-threat passer has proven to be the correct choice, propelling the Gators to their highest ranking under Muschamp.

Through six games, discounting yards lost due to sacks, Driskel rushed 57 times for 455 yards and four touchdowns. With half the season remaining, the 455 rushing yards were

already more than a Gators quarterback had run for in a season since Tim Tebow in 2009.

In a 31–17 win against Vanderbilt on Oct. 13, Driskel did eclipse Tebow in the Florida record books. His 177 rushing yards in the game were the most by a quarterback in the program’s history. Tebow’s biggest day on the ground came against Ole Miss in 2007, when he rushed for 166 yards.

Having already run for two touchdowns in the game, Driskel put an exclamation point on the night with his final carry, a 70-yard touchdown run. On the play, he sprinted past multiple members of the Vanderbilt secondary.

RUN JEFF RUNGATORS qUARTERBACk JEFF DRISkEL IS A DUAL THREAT

BY PHILLIP HEILMAN

Jeff Driskel celebrates with teammates after one of his three rushing touchdowns at Vanderbilt. Photo by Saj Guevara

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DUAL THREAT

RUN JEFF RUN

“We kept running the same play and they didn’t really make adjustments so we kept going to it,” he said. “If something’s working, we keep going to it, so that’s what we did.”

As for his speed, Driskel said that is something he likes to keep to himself.

“It seems like sometimes [defenders] don’t take as good of angles on me, but hopefully they keep doing the same thing,” he said. “Defensive backs definitely don’t expect me to run by them, so I kind of keep that as a little secret.”

After the game, the sophomore quarterback was quick to direct the praise to his teammates. Though the team had three injured offensive linemen, others stepped up, creating the running lanes for Driskel.

“We have a bunch of guys that are going to step up,” he said. “We preach that. When a man goes down, a man has to step up, and that’s what we have been doing all year.”

Driskel had little to add when asked about the record. He said it was an honor and quickly transitioned back to the bigger picture – the Gators. In doing so, his maturity showed through.

The Gators lacked an offensive leader last season. Though it was a veteran group with a number of seniors and upperclassmen, nobody took command.

This season, Driskel has taken command. He has also shown good command.

Though his mobility helped win him the job and win games,

his passing has been much improved, as well. Last season, he looked every bit the freshman he was. His first pass was intercepted, and he never seemed to fully acclimate to the college game.

In his second season, having started just five games, he already showed marked improvement. Through six games, he completed 66.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 836 yards. He also threw four touchdowns compared to just one interception.

More importantly, offensive coordinator Brent Pease has been able to expand his play calling because of Driskel’s understanding of the offense. After starting with a basic scheme against Bowling Green, Pease began to implement more and more packages as the season has progressed.

Muschamp credited Driskel’s work ethic and intelligence as two reasons the transition from Charlie Weis to Pease as coordinator has been relatively seamless.

“The thing I’ve been most pleased with Jeff is week in week out his coach-ability to be able to walk in, watch the film and understand the things he’s got to improve on,” Muschamp said. “That’s part of being a good player is recognizing what you need to work on, because generally the good plays take care of themselves.

“He’s been very mature about the process of being the quarterback at the University of Florida.”

THE RUNNING MANFLORIDA SINGLE-GAME RUSHING RECORDS BY A qUARTERBACk:RUSHING YARDS PLAYER YEAR OPPONENT177 JEFF DRISkEL 2012 VANDERBILT166 TIM TEBOW 2007 OLE MISS123 TIM TEBOW 2009 kENTUCkY120 TIM TEBOW 2007 SOUTH CAROLINA

FACT: Undergrad tuition/fees on average for 2012-13 for an undergrad entering UF for the first time is $6,170.

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6 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

GIVING THANkS

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s appropriate to reflect on the multitude of things of which we are grateful for. While my personal list is too numerous to put into writing, there is perhaps no greater personal accomplishment than my acceptance to the University of Florida.

As a second-generation Gator, there was never any question where I wanted to attend school. From the time I could understand what college was, I knew where I was headed. When the time came for me to begin the college application process, I applied to one school and one school only.

Getting the call from my father telling me that my decision was available online was perhaps the most nerve-racking moment of my life. Killing time at a friend’s house aware of the significance of the day, my trembling hands shook the phone almost uncontrollably as I awaited my father’s response.

“Uh oh,” he said.“What does that mean?” I questioned

to him as my heart began to sink.“You’re in!” he exclaimed.The joy which overtook me in that

moment will never be able to be duplicated. To have worked towards one goal for my entire life and having accomplished it was

the most rewarding and indescribable feeling I’ve ever experienced.

My time in Gainesville was a 180- degree turn from that of my parents. The sports-obsessed atmosphere which I walked into in the fall of 2006 was a far cry from the dog days of 1979 when my parents had to suffer through an embarrassing 0-10-1 season.

Even though I took an extended route of five – er – five and a half years, the time I spent in Gainesville was undoubtedly the envy of my friends back home in Georgia. As an only child, my parents called me “spoiled” growing up, but it was my time as a UF undergrad, which truly spoiled me rotten:

Two football national championships, one basketball national championship, a Heisman Trophy, two indoor men’s track national championships, a women’s tennis national championship, a women’s swimming and diving national championship, two college baseball world series appearances, four women’s college world softball series appearances, and countless conference championships in soccer and volleyball.

I was a student at the University of Florida for what was certainly the most successful five-year period in the university’s history. I’ve never made an excuse for the

fact that I am perhaps a little too sports obsessed. If I would have paid as much attention to my studies as I did the weekly football injury reports during my time in Gainesville, perhaps my transcripts would be as impressive as the list of sporting accomplishments I witnessed at Florida.

However, I have no apologies for my time in Hogtown. By the time I left, I had logged over 30, 000 miles on my scooter.

Yes, I know – that’s a lot. But often when I had nothing more to

do, I would hop on my scooter to simply drive around campus. To drive by the moss-covered trees shading the area near Lake Alice, to the buzzing epicenter of campus near Turlington Plaza, to the hulking stadium that served as my Mecca, I spent more time than I care to remember humming around my beautiful campus.

My mini-excursions would seemingly always end at that stadium, of which I would promptly walk up the whirling walkway to the sunshine seats where I would sit at the highest point I could find.

And on those days – good mood or bad – gloomy weather to the sticky days of summer, I would sit on those metal bleachers and repeat the exact same statement to myself.

“How lucky am I to be here?”

BY ALEX GRAY

SOMETHINGTO BE

THANkFUL FOR

FACT: The university libraries contain more than 5.6 million volumes, 7.9 million microfilms and 158,695 full-text electronic journals.

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4 GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

WHAT’S INSIDE

FACT: The university libraries form the largest information resource system in the state of Florida.

CEO ofwww.gatorcountry.comRaymond Hines III

COOBernadette King

CFO Raymond Hines, Jr

MANAGING EDITORMike Capshaw

STAFF WRITERSAndrew SpiveyDavid ShepherdDan ThompsonPhillip Heilman John Boothe

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CONTENTS

ON AND OFF THE FIELD6 Something to Be Thankful For10 Florida. Florida State.12 All About The ‘We’15 Game Preview: Louisiana-Lafeyette16 Game Preview: Jacksonville State17 Game Preview: Florida State20 Trivia: The Sunshine State Rivalry21 The Prep Zone Insider22 Florida Ready for Another Run28 Top of the Class32 Special Teams34 Florida Hopes Early Success Boosts

Recruiting36 Gators Reload with Young Guns38 All-Sports Notebook40 Fishing Report46 Tailgating Games

SWAMP SPOTLIGHT 8 Run Jeff Run24 Young Rebounds from

Tough Summer26 Ali in the Family30 Christy a Quick Study at Punter42 In the Spotlight: Andrew Fleming

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5FACT: UF was No. 28 (out of 258) on Washington Monthly magazine’s 2011 rankings of national universities’ contributions to the public good. GATOR COUNTRY | NOV/2012

EXPECT TO WIN

Because it is the time of the year to be thankful, I wanted to share something I am thankful for on a daily basis.

As reporters, our job is to uncover the truth.

Covering Florida Gators athletics, especially football, means chasing news stories that regularly do not get divulged during press conferences.

Many of the “breaking news” stories we chase are on the injury front. Whether a key player is going to play in the upcoming game is kept secretive because coaches like to keep that information close to the vest – for competitive purposes is our best guess. If an opponent knows a weakness before kickoff, it certainly can be an advantage when game planning how to attack a team.

Practices are closed, so seeing with our own eyes if injured players are practicing is not possible.

That said, we rely heavily on sources close to the program for information.

Sometimes, even the best sources won’t talk. Perhaps they’ve been sworn to secrecy. Perhaps, they simply do not know exactly what is going on with one of the 105 players on the roster.

That’s when being a GatorCountry.com reporter has its benefits.

More often than not, our members have solid sources willing to spill the beans about an injured player.

They’re boosters or know someone close to the team, whether it’s a player, a coach or another member of the support staff.

Many times, they’re the ones to tip us off about injuries that occurred during the week of practices. Injuries many people don’t even know happened – again, practices are closed – until kickoff arrives.

If our reporters cannot properly vet a story, there’s almost always at least one GatorCountry.com member with the inside scoop who can help get us pointed in the right direction.

These guys and gals are one of the many reasons Gator Country is the best on the planet. In addition to knowing what’s going on inside the program, they also are football savvy enough to provide perspective on things like coaching decisions.

While other sites may have a reporter or two claiming to have inside information, our staff and our members combined keep the rest of Gator Country informed loads more than the average fan.

Premium membership has its privileges. Come join GatorCountry.com today and go from an average fan to a super fan after just a few clicks on our premium forums.

You’ll be thankful you did.

MIkE CAPSHAWMANAGING EDITORGATOR COUNTRY MULTIMEDIA INC.

THANkS GATOR

COUNTRY

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NOVEMBER 2012 VOluME 5 Issue 13 www.GatORcOuNtRy.cOM

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FLORIDA’S KEY COGS ON DEFENSECOME TOGETHER LIKE CLOCKWORK

INSIDE:HOOPS PREVIEWS

DRISKEL DAZZLES

RECRUITING NOTES

Dominque easley

Jon Bostic

Lerentee Mccray

Matt ElaM

Jelani Jenkins

Jaylen Watkins

Antonio Morrison

Jonathan Bullard

Sharrif floyd