This week’s campus celebrity enjoys playing his ukulele in Plant Park, taking runs along Bayshore Boulevard, watching Parks and Recreation, and having fun with his friends up on the stage.
Griffin, a junior from Bradenton, Forida, is working towards earning a degree in Writing/Journalism.
Griffin definitely keeps himself busy on-campus, as he is an active writer for The Minaret, participates in President Leadership Fellows, the PEACE Volunteer Center, Chamber Choir, and Intervarsity. You may have seen him having fun with his friends on the stage, as he was one of the chief leaders for Gluten-Free Improv, a new organization on-campus. When he has some spare time, he enjoys playing intramural sports such as Ultimate Frisbee and Floor Hockey.
As a staff writer for The Minaret, Griffin has had the opportunity to interview some very interesting individuals to include in the weekly newspapers or quarterly magazines. In the past three years, he says the best person he ever wrote a feature on was Mr. Walter Gibbons, who works in the UT maintenance department. He says that back in Mr. Gibbon’s prime he was a professional baseball player, and at one point worked with Jackie Robinson. Truly an inspiration and friend, Griffin and Mr. Gibbons still keep in touch and talk to each other in the cafeteria.
Gluten-Free Improv is another organization Griffin is passionate about, since him and some of his close friends established it on campus together. His favorite memory thus far at UT was their opening night show. Even though they were unsure of how many students would attend the performance, it ended up turning out well and the audience loved the show.
“The number of people watching honestly didn’t matter though. What made the night special was that Gluten-Free Improv was started relatively with low expectations, and putting on that show was a testament to the hard work put in by each and every member. It proved to me that any idea could be brought to life with enough dedication and a little bit of good luck.”
Before graduation, Griffin would like to take some of the cafeteria workers out for a meal since they are always serving us, and deserve to be treated as well. He is unsure of where he exactly sees himself in ten years, but wants to be surrounded by amazing people doing awesome things. Griffin’s one goal is to travel to New Zealand, as he loves the outdoors and it is heaven-on-earth to him. He is ready to take the adventure, which relates to the best advice he wants to give to future freshmen. College is an adventure; try new things (safely). It is all a learning experience, as you are discovering more about yourself. Try a new club, sport, or organization and explore the local area; those are the moments in life you will remember the most.
The great UCLA coach, John Wooden once said, “make every day your masterpiece.” Even though this is Griffin’s favorite quote to live by, he says he struggles to live those words sometimes, as he tends to plan and think about the future. It seems to me that Griffin’s masterpiece is full of life, fun, friends, UT organizations, and special memories to remember and cherish.