Lev Ettinger knelt on one knee while holding his phone in his right hand and a marker in his left on Plaza of the Americas Tuesday afternoon.
During the first “I Am More” event, hosted by the UF Freshman Leadership Council, which works with freshmen in education, leadership and service, the 18-year-old demonstrated his hidden talent on a board.
He drew the Pepe the Frog meme.
The two-day event, which ends today, encourages students to express their talents and personalities instead of focusing on professional branding associated with their majors, said Max Chesnes, the council’s internal marketing director.
Students wrote on the board while the group handed them blank T-shirts to write their majors on one line of the shirt and a hobby or interest on another. Chesnes offered to take Polaroid photos of students in front of the board after they filled out their shirts.
“It’s to celebrate that in this life we’re more than just one title or one person,” Chesnes said.
The campaign, which is funded by Student Government, was scheduled to begin Monday but was rescheduled due to heavy rain, said Julia Cordover, a council committee member.
Ettinger said he was walking toward Library West when he saw dozens of students crowding around the 8-foot board filled with drawings of music notes, cameras and flowers.
As a UF computer science freshman, Ettinger’s passion for drawing and graphic design isn’t always recognized, he said.
“I thought it was a really cool idea to showcase students’ talents and interests and show that they’re more than just their major is,” he said.
Michelle Darling, a 19-year-old UF health education and behavior sophomore, wrote “athlete” underneath her major on her T-shirt.
She said freshmen sometimes try to define themselves through their majors. The event helped students embrace who they are.
“They look at their grades like, ‘that’s who I am, I’m just a number,’” she said. “But really, they’re a lot more than that.”
Editor’s note: Max Chesnes worked for The Alligator as a staff member in Spring 2017.