Florida's On Campus Bar
The Swamp
John McDonald
Issue date: 11/19/04 Section: College Parties
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This is not the case at the University of Florida. Although the Gators are struggling of late and are in the process of switching coaches to revitalize their program, team spirit remains extremely high. The Gator student body and alumni association are passionate about their team. One of the major contributing factors to this school spirit is a place right in the center of campus at UF off University Boulevard called The Swamp. If it is possible to bottle school spirit, then The Swamp has accomplished this at the University of Florida.
The Swamp is legendary in Gainesville, Florida. It has been on campus for a number of years, and on game day it is definitely the place to be. Saturday morning before the game, students and alumni meet at The Swamp for pre-game scores and drinks. Those who are unable to get tickets or prefer to watch the game indoors have three big screen TVs and an army of smaller TVs available, all dedicated to the football game. Win or lose, after the game the Florida faithful gather at The Swamp to relive the experience of the game with friends and to catch up on scores from around the country. Game day at The Swamp is the main event for Gator fans.
Every time I return home for Fall Break or Thanksgiving or just to visit friends, I think about how nice it would be to have a place like this at Vanderbilt. The lack of school spirit here is probably due to little success on the football field over the past decade, so Saturdays are normally reserved for an one-quarter experience at the football game. Most of the students who actually do attend show up late, and only come because it is something to do. We know what is likely to happen at the game, and after the game we try to forget the results as quickly as possible. A place similar to The Swamp at Vanderbilt would probably do wonders for school spirit.
The Swamp also hosts bands every Thursday night, and it hosts theme parties regularly. While we have these functions at Vanderbilt, they are normally held in fraternity house or on Alumni Lawn. At Florida, the fact that these events occur at The Swamp is hugely important for school spirit. Students and fans are proud to walk into The Swamp and soak themselves in Gator culture. The Swamp is a physical representation of Gator pride, and it serves to keep student morale high.
I can only imagine how much fun it is to wake up on a Saturday, get dressed in school garb, and head to a place like The Swamp. With friends everywhere and anticipation for the game running high, the excitement and fun is indescribable. The same applies after the game. Whether for celebration or consolation, when students and alumni return to The Swamp after the game, it must be nice to either celebrate your school spirit, or to reassure yourself that even though your team lost, you are still proud to wear your colors.
This is the kind of thing that Vanderbilt lacks. I believe that the Vanderbilt football team is gradually improving. I can only hope that at some point in my four-year tenure here at Vanderbilt our football team makes its way over the proverbial hump and has a winning season. When that happens, maybe we will see a reverse in the recent trend of students without much school spirit. Maybe then we will see a place like The Swamp come to Vanderbilt, and then we too can have the complete college football experience. It may not happen in our time at Vanderbilt, but possibly as alumni we can return and see our Commodores finally succeeding. Then we will be able to sit amongst the student body, knowing how lucky they are to have a place where they can let their school pride shine.