Honors News

Inauguration of UF's 13th President, Ben Sasse

Honors Students Volunteering and Performing for Presidential Inauguration

UF history will be made Nov. 2 when President Ben Sasse is inaugurated, and Honors students are preparing to contribute to the week’s events.

In addition to the ceremony next Thursday, the week will consist of various projects led by UF organizations to commemorate President Sasse’s emphasis on the importance of service. One such event will be run by Gators for Gainesville (GFG), an Honors organization focused on student-led volunteering initiatives.

Oct. 29, GFG will be working with The Repurpose Project, a Gainesville-based self-proclaimed non-profit “junk shop,” according to their website, that reuses goods for environmental benefits. GFG’s president, finance junior Zachary Fairnington, said the club has previously volunteered for Repurpose and was able to assist in upcycling goods donated to the shop.

“Our club is always trying to find impactful organizations around Gainesville, and we just [love] the Repurpose Project’s mission … As an Honors Organization, we are called to bring Honors students together with a common goal of creating the largest possible impact in the Gainesville community,” he said.

The event will be held on Sunday at The Repurpose Project, 1920 NE 23rd Ave. from 12-2 p.m. Honors students interested in participating are encouraged to sign up through GFG’s spreadsheet on their Linktree and wear clothes they can expect to get dirty.

Fairnington said, “It feels great to represent [the Honors Program] this week and embody the pillar of community.”

Additionally, Honors music composition junior Michael Dixon will be participating in the inaugural ceremony itself. The investiture ceremony will include a carillon tribute by Dixon, in which he will play several celebratory songs. One such piece is a fanfare written by the late Bud Udell, a former UF music professor, Dixon said. He will be representing the UF Carillon Studio, the class of students who study and play the Century Tower carillon.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be representing the university in this way … [and] to share the sounds of our university's most iconic instrument with those in attendance at the inauguration ceremony,” Dixon said.

More information about the ceremony and community service projects can be found at inauguration.ufl.edu.

Written by UF Honors Communications Fellow, Bari Weiner, with additional Gators for Gainesville volunteer information compiled by Alessa Mendoza.