Michael Bailey started competing in the Prez Book challenge because of a rivalry with his roommate.
The industrial engineering freshman and Chris Heydolph are competing to see who can get the most free shirts, and they are tied with five shirts each. When Bailey saw the Prez Book challenge on social media he thought it might give him an edge.
“I thought this would be a special shirt that he wouldn’t get,” Bailey said. “He started it, but I don’t think he’s up for the challenge.”
UF President Kent Fuchs launched the Prez Book challenge on his Twitter and Instagram on Monday. A different photo challenge would be revealed each day until today, a UF social media specialist, Ryan Morejon, said. The first 500 UF students to complete all five challenges and email them to prezbook@ufl.edu will get a free shirt.
“It’s kind of an homage to the F Book,” Morejon said, referring to a book full of traditions students should do before graduating.
On Monday, participants took a photo of themselves at that moment. The challenge the next day was to do a small act of kindness and post a picture or video to social media. For the following two days, Fuchs invited students to take a photo with a professor and take a video of themselves dancing somewhere on campus. The last challenge has not been revealed yet.
“It’s been a great way to go out and meet people. I don’t think I would’ve met my calculus teacher otherwise,” Bailey said.
Morejon said Fuchs created all of the challenges. The goal is to engage more with students beyond the “welcome back” video the UF social media team and Fuchs issue at the beginning of every semester.
The response from students has been good, Morejon said. Some students have even switched their private social media accounts to public to participate in the challenge using #PrezBook.
“It’s really awesome people are participating,” Morejon said. “It’s an opportunity to get more connected to the campus and president.”
Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo
Michael Bailey completes the day three challenge by taking a picture with his calculus teachers.