It’s always fun to imagine our favorite fictional characters as students at UF, but sometimes the daydreams get bigger — what would the Greek goddesses be like as university students? What would they be involved in? Where would they hang out around campus? Here’s the lowdown on what would happen if Greek goddesses were Gator collegiettes.
1. HeraIn Greek mythology: Hera was the queen of the gods, wife of Zeus and the goddess of marriage.At UF: Back in high school, Hera was the Queen Bee, and with the great education that she’s getting at UF, she plans on staying that way for her whole life. This Zeta Tau Alpha legacy is a business administration major and plans on being the CEO of her own company one day. But right now, she’s juggling her academics, extracurricular activities and social life — and she’s doing a spectacular job at it. When she’s not attending a Florida Women in Business meeting or organizing her contributions to Dance Marathon, you can find Hera at Midtown with her sorority sisters.
2. AphroditeIn Greek mythology: Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty.At UF: During sorority recruitment, Aphrodite seemed to fit in at every sorority — what’s not to like about this gorgeous, kind, fun-loving girl? But ultimately decided to pledge Delta Gamma. She’s the one to go to if you need relationship advice or if you need a makeover. She hasn’t declared a major yet, but she’s leaning towards public relations or journalism because she wants to work in the fashion industry. Or open her own wedding-planning business… or a matchmaking site… or a beauty salon… She hasn’t really made up her mind yet, but she’s got time. Aphrodite is a firm believer that love is for everyone and comes in all shapes and forms, so she’s an active member of the Pride Student Union.
3. AthenaIn Greek mythology: Athena was the goddess of wisdom and the patron god of Athens.At UF: Athena could’ve had her pick of schools, but she decided UF had the perfect engineering program for her. She’s always had an interest in architecture, and with her love of math, science and all things STEM related, she’s on her way to become a civil engineer. But Athena’s interests run wide, and she’s thinking about picking up a minor in classical studies. Athena’s favorite study spot is Marston Science Library, and she’s a member of the Society of Women Engineers as well as Shakespeare in the Park. She loves to challenge the notion that women can’t be good in STEM-related fields and that science and humanities don’t get along. Athena’s favorite part about Gainesville is the Friends of the Library sale, where she can rake in dozens of books for a cheap price.
4. ArtemisIn Greek mythology: Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, forest and hills, the moon and archery.At UF: Artemis is the kind of girl who’s almost always outside. She loves the parts of campus that are just swamp and forest, and you can often find her at Lake Wauburg on weekends. Artemis loves the outdoors so much that she decided to major in wildlife conservation so she can protect nature. She’s been involved in archery since childhood, so she and her twin brother (Apollo, a music performance major) are both in Orange and Blue Archery. Artemis has a close group of girlfriends and doesn’t really like spending time with guys. She has no interest in dating and would rather spend her time on TRiPs than at Midtown. In fact, she’s considering becoming a TRiP leader next Spring!
5. DemeterIn Greek mythology: Demeter was the goddess of agriculture and fertility.At UF: A vegan for most of her life, Demeter was thrilled when she first came to UF and found out about Krishna lunches and the vegan options at Gator Dining. An agriculture operations major, Demeter dreams of organic food becoming more mainstream. She spends her time at the Student Agricultural Gardens and likes to visit the Gainesville farmers market, where she can get her fill of locally grown organic foods. She’s also a member of the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture club. Demeter is super protective of her younger cousin, Persephone (whom she’s basically raised), so when Persephone started dating the bad boy on campus, Demeter stepped in to make sure her cousin was still focused on school.
Every girl is a goddess in her own way, but which one of the classical Greek goddesses do you identify with the most?