Eligible voters can cast ballots for the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day in room 206 of the Recreation and Wellness Center through Sunday, March 15.

Parking spaces will be set aside on the first floor of Parking Garage B, located across the street from the Recreation and Wellness Center.

Only those registered to vote in Orange County may cast their ballots at this or other early voting sites in Orange County. Those who live in other Florida counties can check with their county elections office for a list of early voting locations. Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning only voters registered with a particular political party may vote in that party鈥檚 primary elections.

All Orange County registered voters who live in cities or towns holding municipal elections on March 17 also can cast their early voting ballots at 麻豆映画传媒 for their respective municipal elections. Those municipalities are Apopka, Belle Isle, Eatonville, Maitland, Winter Garden and Winter Park.

For eligible voters residing in the 麻豆映画传媒 precinct, Election Day voting for the Presidential Preference Primary will take place on Tuesday, March 17, in the Garden Room of the Live Oak Event Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Photo and signature identifications are required for both early and Election Day voting.

Not sure if you鈥檙e registered to vote in Florida? You can check your voter registration status online. The deadline to register to vote as well as the deadline to submit a party-registration change for Florida鈥檚 2020 Presidential Preference Primary has passed. You can go online to register or update your voter information for future elections.

The early voting initiative continues a partnership between local election officials and 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 student leadership. In 2018, the worked with Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles to establish an early voting site at 麻豆映画传媒. It marked the first time that an early voting site had been placed on 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 campus. The voting site 鈥� open for 14-days within the Live Oak Event Center 鈥� helped to drive a dramatic increase in voting statistics at 麻豆映画传媒.

Last year, 麻豆映画传媒 was recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus for its initiatives to register and encourage students to vote. Washington Monthly ranked the University as one of the best in the nation for student voting, one of only 58 universities to make the list.

The donations gathered 鈥� enough to fill two, 16-passenger vans 鈥� were transported to a local collection center managed by the National Association of the Bahamas and will be shipped directly to the impacted islands. The drive was a joint effort between , and the Student Government Association.

鈥淲e are very happy about the results of the Bahamas Relief Fund drive. More so, we are excited to see the impact of all our university partners, who collectively stepped up to the plate to help our Bahamian brothers and sisters,鈥� says SGA president Kyler Gray. 鈥淲hether here in Orlando or afar, 麻豆映画传媒 stands committed to always lending a hand for those that are in need.鈥�

Drop-off boxes on the main campus, at Rosen College of Hospitality Management and 麻豆映画传媒 Downtown quickly filled to capacity as the campus community rallied to support those affected by the storm. Donations included boxes of diapers, tools, cleaning supplies, cooking utensils, blankets, dozens of cases of water and hundreds of cans of food.

Staff members with 麻豆映画传媒 Global sorted the supplies and readied them for transport. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very humbled by the demonstration of love and support shown by our 麻豆映画传媒 family to alleviate the hardship faced by the people of the Bahamas,鈥� says Nataly Chandia, assistant vice president for 麻豆映画传媒 Global. 鈥淓fforts like this highlight how we are all committed to doing extraordinary things.鈥�

The National Association of the Bahamas is a nonprofit organization that works to support the Bahamas and provides scholarships to students of Bahamian descent.

鈥淐ampus safety is all about awareness and partnership,鈥� says 麻豆映画传媒 Police Chief Carl Metzger 鈥�03MS. 鈥溌槎褂郴絇D depends on the eyes and ears of those in our community to support our efforts to keep 麻豆映画传媒 a safe place for everyone to live, learn, work and play.鈥�

A key partner for 麻豆映画传媒PD is the Student Government Association, which provided funding to support a new police location in the Student Union and enhancements to the app.

鈥淲e are proud partners and supporters of our campus police department. We appreciate their dedication to the safety and wellbeing of our students, which is why we look forward to sharing our home in the heart of campus with the Community Partnerships Division,鈥� says Kyler L. Gray, student body president and public administration major. 鈥淚 can think of no better way to unite our campus community and promote positive and helpful interaction between our students and our police officers.鈥�

鈥溌槎褂郴絇D depends on the eyes and ears of those in our community to support our efforts to keep 麻豆映画传媒 a safe place for everyone to live, learn, work and play.鈥� 鈥� 麻豆映画传媒PD Chief Carl Metzger

Community Outreach Center Opens in the Student Union
麻豆映画传媒PD鈥檚 Community Outreach Center will open in the Student Union during the first weeks of classes. Located on the first floor next to the Pegasus Ballroom, the space will be the 麻豆映画传媒PD Community Partnerships Unit鈥檚 home in the heart of campus.

Four police officers who specialize in safety education and campus outreach will be based out of the space, which also will be used for safety trainings, information sessions and more. Students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to walk in while the office is open to address any questions, comments or concerns.

鈥淥ur focus will be on making 麻豆映画传媒 police officers and department resources more accessible to our campus community and increasing our abilities to provide valuable emergency response and other safety-related information,鈥� says Sgt. Peter Osterrieder, who oversees the Community Partnerships Unit. 鈥淥f course, we鈥檒l also respond in the event of an emergency and assist anyone who needs to report a crime.鈥�

The center will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information about trainings and other programming will be shared regularly via the and 麻豆映画传媒 and 麻豆映画传媒PD鈥檚 and pages.

麻豆映画传媒PD鈥檚 main hub will remain at 3610 Libra Drive, and officers and dispatchers will continue to patrol campus and answer calls 24/7 based out of that location.

More Resources in the Mobile App and Online
Users of the 麻豆映画传媒 Mobile app will notice enhancements that support campus safety.

A new section in the app, 麻豆映画传媒 Tips, allows users to alert appropriate offices at 麻豆映画传媒 to crime tips, instances of misconduct, housing and parking issues and more. In some cases, users will be able to share photos and videos of a situation or issue, and then hear directly from the department addressing the concern.

A new 鈥淪afe Walk鈥� feature allows users to share their location, destination and estimated arrival time with selected friends who can track the user鈥檚 trip on a real time map. Friends will receive updates about the trip and, in the event of the unexpected, can ping police for assistance and relay critical location and timing information from the app.聽
In addition, the app鈥檚 Safety module has been updated to include safety tips and more information about crime prevention, with specific, relevant content for each of the campuses included in the app.

Also new this fall is www.ucf.edu/safety, a comprehensive resource for all things safety at 麻豆映画传媒. The site includes a listing of campus reporting and support resources, along with timely information about top-of-mind campus safety issues.

Campus Crime Down 21 Percent
The new safety initiatives come at a time when campus crime is down. In 2018, violent and property crimes at 麻豆映画传媒 dropped 21 percent, marking another year of a decrease in crime as student enrollment has grown.

The statistics are reflected in 麻豆映画传媒PD鈥檚 2018 Uniform Crime Report, which is compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement each year based on data law enforcement agencies are required to report to the state.

鈥淚 am proud of the work 麻豆映画传媒PD does every day to push the number of crimes down using the technology, intelligence and good old-fashioned police work available to us,鈥� Metzger says. 鈥淭he numbers demonstrate that when those in our community see something and say something, 麻豆映画传媒PD will do something.鈥�

How to Get Tickets
Tickets will be available through online and in-person distribution this year. Note: even if you reserve your ticket online, you will still need to pick up the ticket in person prior to the event (read more below). Students will need their 麻豆映画传媒 ID to pick-up their tickets. Tickets will be distributed to students on a first-come, first-serve basis over a two-week period as follows:

Week 1
March 18鈥� 7 p.m.;Online pre-order via Ticketmaster
March 19鈥� Noon; CFE Arena
March 20鈥� 9 a.m.; CFE Arena

Week 2
March 27鈥� 7 p.m.; Online pre-order via Ticketmaster
March 28鈥� 9 a.m.; Live Oak Event Center in Ferrell Commons
March 29鈥� Noon; Live Oak Event Center in Ferrell Commons

On each online pre-order date, students will receive an email from the聽Student Government Association with a link and password to reserve their tickets. At that time, students will also need to select an in-person distribution date to pick up their tickets at either CFE Arena or Live Oak Event Center on 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 campus. These tickets will be available for pick up through designated express lines. Be sure to bring a print-out or email receipt of your online voucher.

Guest Tickets
Non-students and students who were not able to get a free ticket can still attend Universal Knights with the purchase of a guest ticket. These tickets cost $58 plus tax. Tickets must be purchased by a 麻豆映画传媒 student at guest services at Universal Studios from 4 to 8 p.m. on the day of Universal Knights. Only 2,000 are available.

Transient Students
Students who are enrolled at 麻豆映画传媒 but currently taking courses at another college or university for the Spring 2019 semester are unable to receive a free Universal Knights ticket. However they can still attend if a 麻豆映画传媒 student purchases a guest ticket for them.

Pass Holders
Universal Studios annual and seasonal pass holders still need to get a Universal Knights ticket to attend the entire event. Only attendees with the Universal Knights wristband will be allowed inside the park after 8 p.m. Annual passholders without a Universal Knights wristband must leave the park by 8 p.m.

Transportation
Students who plan to drive to and from Universal Studios must use the free parking pass聽provided by SGA. The parking pass becomes valid at 3 p.m. on the day of the event.

SGA will provide limited busing to Universal Studios from main campus and back. Students must sign up for separate rides to and from the park between 3 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. on the day of the event. 聽Students will need to bring their 麻豆映画传媒 IDs to ride these buses.

Reselling Tickets
Selling a Universal Knights ticket is a violation of the 麻豆映画传媒 Golden Rule. Violations are handled on a case-by-case basis by the Golden Rule Review Committee.

Food and Drinks
You are allowed to take bottled water and small snacks in a backpack or soft-sided bag.

There are different quick-service dining plans that include meals, snack and drinks available between $15.99 and $29.99 plus tax. They can be purchased online in advance聽or at guest services on the day of your visit.

What to Wear
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you will be on your feet for hours.

Don鈥檛 forget sunscreen and hats to help keep you protected from the heat before the sun goes down.

A lightweight jacket might also be useful at night in case it gets cooler.

What to Take
If you鈥檙e purchasing a guest ticket at the park or are will be using transportation provided by SGA, you will need to take your 麻豆映画传媒 ID. You do not need to take your 麻豆映画传媒 ID to the park for anything else.

To save money, take a small backpack with snacks and sealed water bottles.

Be sure to put your phone on low-battery mode and, if you have one, take a portable charger to make sure your phone doesn鈥檛 die.

Wait Times for Rides
You can save time looking for the shortest lines by downloading the Magic Guide: Universal Orlando app to keep track of each ride鈥檚 wait time.

Share your experience on social media by tagging @麻豆映画传媒 and using #UniversalKnights2019

Knight Ride, previously known as SEPS (Safe Escort Patrol Service), now features a van that will circle campus, making stops at eight locations from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. every night classes are in session, with extended hours around exam periods.

鈥淥ur students, faculty and staff can鈥檛 do research, they can鈥檛 teach, they can鈥檛 learn, if it鈥檚 not safe,鈥� says 麻豆映画传媒PD Chief Carl Metzger. 鈥淗aving a resource like this gives people confidence and lets them know that they are safe. We鈥檙e so happy to be able to do this for our campus community.鈥�

Many of the Knight Ride locations are already Pegasus Express campus shuttle stops. The additional Knight Ride spots also will accommodate students who live off-campus along Alafaya Trail and McCulloch Road.

It will take the van an estimated 30 minutes to circle campus.

Walking escorts and ADA-compliant golf carts also are available by calling 407-823-2424. The starting and final destinations that are in the inner core of campus are the most accessible options.

Knight Ride drivers and walking escorts are students who are part-time employees at 麻豆映画传媒PD and who have been vetted and trained by the police department. They also watch for suspicious activity, which is reported to uniformed 麻豆映画传媒PD officers for follow-up.

The Student Government Association worked with Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles to establish the early voting center where members of the 麻豆映画传媒 community and others from outside campus will be able to vote Monday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 4. The agreement gives another option for voting before the general election on Nov. 6.

鈥淓ngaging in our democracy is critical to becoming an educated, impactful citizen.鈥� 鈥� 麻豆映画传媒 President Dale Whittaker.

鈥淓ngaging in our democracy is critical to becoming an educated, impactful citizen. Removing barriers for our students and staff is the right thing to do,鈥� 麻豆映画传媒 President Dale Whittaker says.

Cowles and 麻豆映画传媒 announced last month that there would be early voting on campus, and they’ve now picked a location that’s easily accessible and has ample parking.

The new site at the , at Ferrell Commons near Garage B, will be open for 14 days of early voting from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking spaces will be set aside and marked with signage in , which is across Gemini Boulevard from the Recreation and Wellness Center.

鈥淥ur right to vote is the most powerful tool we have to shape our collective future,鈥� SGA President Josh Bolo帽a says. 鈥淭he Student Government Association seeks to bring awareness and place special emphasis on the importance of voting. The goal of our 鈥淐harge Your Vote鈥� campaign is to engage all 麻豆映画传媒 students, faculty and staff in the civic and electoral process.鈥�

鈥淥ur right to vote is the most powerful tool we have to shape our collective future.鈥� 鈥� SGA President Josh Bolo帽a

Only those registered to vote in Orange County may cast their ballots at this or other early voting centers in Orange County. Those who live in other counties can for a list of early voting locations. County elections websites also have information about how you can vote by mail.

Not sure if you鈥檙e registered to vote? You can . You can also . To vote in the general election, new voters must register by Oct. 9. Current registered voters in Florida can update their information through Election Day.

Having an early voting site on campus fits in with 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 鈥淐harge Your Vote鈥� campaign to boost student registration and voting rates. At the start of the fall semester, SGA leaders enlisted all interested social and political groups on campus to help register students as they moved into residence halls. Hundreds of new voters signed up.

Last month, Washington Monthly magazine recognized 麻豆映画传媒 as one of , one of only 58 universities to make the list. The ranking is based in part on 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 comprehensive effort to increase voting rates among students. As part of a formal plan to increase civic learning and political engagement, the university has set a goal of achieving a 70 percent student voting rate by 2020.

鈥淭he food court was built 20 years ago and needed to be updated to meet students鈥� needs today,鈥� says David Oglethorpe, assistant director for the Student Union. 鈥淭hat includes the offerings, such as more vegetarian and vegan options, as well as the number of students it can accommodate. We really want to make sure the Student Union remains the heart of campus and that students want to spend time here.鈥�

麻豆映画传媒 is also working on ensuring the building meets enough sustainability standards to qualify for LEED certification.

Here are a few of the major changes you鈥檒l see.

To stay on schedule while accommodating students, the renovation is scheduled to be completed in two phases. The first phase will open after Labor Day 2018 with a renovated food court that will include Qdoba, Panda Express, Huey Magoos and Which Wich 鈥� in addition to the already existing Caf茅 Bustelo, Chili鈥檚, Mrs. Field鈥檚 Bakery and Smoothie King. Steak N Shake will open in Spring 2019.

The second phase will be more encompassing and will include 350 additional seating options on the first and second floors.

It will also include a new stairwell near the food court in the back of the building, leading to a new second-floor caf茅 and lounge.

The lounge on the second floor will include a coffee shop and spaces for students to meet and study.

The third floor will include new offices and meeting spaces for 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 Student Government Association.

It will also include the university鈥檚 first dedicated space for senate chambers for students and faculty that will include a permanent electronic voting system as well as state-of-the-art projection and sound systems.

In total, the renovated Student Union will add an additional 15,000 square feet, while increasing opportunities for meaningful interactions.

The board extended the tuition reduction, which started this spring, through the spring 2019 semester for students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The reduction applies to students who fled Puerto Rico due to the hurricane, as well as students whose home residence is Puerto Rico and who were already enrolled at 麻豆映画传媒.

The Board of Trustees accelerated approval of the extended tuition rate for a full academic year in order to provide students with sufficient time to apply for the summer semester.

鈥淲e should view this as an opportunity to serve,鈥� said 麻豆映画传媒 President John C. Hitt.

鈥溌槎褂郴� has done great things for the Puerto Rican students, and many students have come, thanks to that help,鈥� said Jose Rivera, a junior economics student and president of 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 Puerto Rican Student Association. 鈥淭he extended in-state tuition gives (students) the support they need to actually become productive and successful members of society and get that help they needed.鈥�

Rivera previously expressed concerns about the future for displaced students to Student Government Association president and Trustee Nick Larkins. Rivera and Larkins addressed the board today to express gratitude for the support so far and to request extended tuition reduction.

The board acknowledged how far many of the students traveled from their home country and the financial hardships the hurricane has created on their families. Many of the displaced students are working full-time in addition to attending classes.

鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of the action that our board took today. This is very meaningful to folks that are in need,鈥� said 麻豆映画传媒 Board of Trustees Chairman Marcos Marchena. 鈥淚 know some of these students are struggling to make decisions as they go. I thought giving them this certainty, this early on, was very important for their peace of mind, knowing that they鈥檙e going to be treated as in-state students and have that financial burden minimized while they are here for the length of time that they may be here.鈥�

An additional 200 Puerto Rican students have enrolled at 麻豆映画传媒 since Hurricane Maria, and a welcome reception was thrown in their honor earlier this week.

A university-wide effort has been underway to identify Spanish-speaking faculty and staff and to pair students from Puerto Rico with a 麻豆映画传媒 mentor. Members of the Puerto Rican Student Association also are serving as peer mentors to help students navigate 麻豆映画传媒 and become acclimated with Orlando. Intensive English classes are being offered, and students are being assisted with housing and scholarship opportunities.

麻豆映画传媒 created to assist current and prospective students.

For more scholarships, be sure to check out the聽Scholarships web page.

Twenty-minute hands-only CPR sessions will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Key West Ballroom of the Student Union (Room 218).聽 The sessions will also include instruction on the use of AEDs and information about heart health.

Hands-only CPR is cardiopulmonary resuscitation without mouth-to-mouth. It is recommended for use by people who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse in an 鈥渙ut-of-hospital鈥� setting, such as at home, work, or in a public place.

麻豆映画传媒 Heart Day is a collaboration among 麻豆映画传媒 Environmental Health and Safety, the Department of Security and Emergency Management, the 麻豆映画传媒 Police Department, 麻豆映画传媒 Student Government Association, Orange County Fire Rescue, and other community partners.

World Heart Day will be celebrated across the globe on Friday, Sept. 29.