Students began interviewing for spots on Student Government party tickets Friday.
About 97 students came by to register with a party in hopes of becoming a candidate for one of the 50 available Student Senate seats that represent UF's colleges.
Four out of the seven registered parties conducted interviews: Orange and Blue, LAN, Progress and Unite, said Supervisor of Elections Dan Siegel.
The Gator, Keg and Swamp parties opted to not participate, he said.
About 30 students registered with the Orange and Blue Party, about 25 registered with the Progress Party and about 40 registered with the Unite Party, according to party leaders.
"We've had a pretty high turnout," said Siegel, who described the first day as normally the slowest.
During the eight hours of interviewing in the Reitz Union, students walked around and spoke with party representatives before choosing which parties to interview with.
UF sophomore Russell Ward said he settled on the Unite Party because of its bipartisan vision.
Other students who showed up for interviews had already decided which parties to inteview with. UF freshman Nick Alsaka interviewed with the Progress Party because he felt it bridged party lines, he said.
This was because Progress consisted of former members of the Gator Party and the Orange and Blue Party - the two parties that currently hold power in Senate.
"It's something new," he said. "It's not the same old ways."
Orange and Blue Party and Unite Party leaders said they expected a full ticket by the end of interviews.
Progress Party presidential candidate Ben Dictor said although having a full ticket is one goal of the newly-formed party, it is not as important as having a diverse one.
"We're looking to have a ticket as diverse as the university," he said.
Not all snagged candidates for their party's ticket, however.
LAN Party President Kevin Seymour, who has not been involved with SG before, said no one interviewed with his party on Friday but hopes the next two days will bring better results.
Seymour said he created LAN after he saw the disconnect during Senate meetings over the past semester between the Gator and Orange and Blue parties.
Although Seymour is not officially involved in SG, he attended meetings and talked to senators to become educated with the proceedings.
"It's a play on words," he said, referring to a Local Area Network, which is used to connect separate gaming systems so all players can participate. "The LAN party is all about connections."
Orange and Blue, Progress and Unite party leaders spoke abot the new candidates' fresh perspective.
Orange and Blue Party Leader Sen. Ben Cavataro said applicants brought new issues and ideas to the table.
"There were some ideas for change I had never heard before," he said.
Student Body Presidential candidate Jordan Johnson of the Unite Party noted the turnout of underclassmen.
"There were a lot of younger students, which is good to see," Johnson said. "They'll play a role in shaping Student Government in the future."
Qualifying continues today and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 284 of the Reitz Union.
