When Izaura Spence attended a Reitz Union Board Entertainment event at Orange & Brew in her freshman year, she had no idea how much the organization would RUB off on her.
“It wasn’t until I went to the ‘Saves the Day’ show later on that semester that I decided to apply to join,” she said. “I just remember seeing the students with RUB shirts running the show, and I thought, ‘I could do that. I need to get involved with this.’”
A few years later, the now-21-year-old finance senior has been heavily committed to the campus club that arranges “engaging, educational, and quality programming for the diverse UF community.”
RUB has grown since Spence joined, adding GatorNights and Arts committees to the already existing Bands, Films, Lecturers and Comedians, and Special Events committees.
In addition to advising directors of the different committees and fulfilling executive duties, Spence is the Vice President of Internal Affairs. She is the frontwoman for management and coordination of events, including room reservations, permissions, booking audio visual services, maintaining records, and more.
That may sound like a lot to handle, but Spence said she believes the business, analytical, and time management skills she’s gained will help her future career goals, such as running a successful entrepreneurial venture in the music industry.
Spence dedicates about 10 hours a week to putting on entertainment events for others, she said, but she is certainly a music junkie herself.
“The only genre I really haven’t gotten into is country, but maybe I’ll appreciate it a little more after I work the (upcoming) Florida Georgia Line show,” she said. “My favorite bands and artists are 30 Seconds to Mars, Kanye West, A Day to Remember, August Burns Red, Fall Out Boy, and Manchester Orchestra. But lately, I’ve been jammin’ out to a lot of SBTRKT, xxyyxx, Purity Ring, Active Child, MS MR, and Being as an Ocean.”
Spence said she tries to attend at least five concerts a semester, but RUB gives her the opportunity to work closely with local bands, such as Morningbell and Bang Bang Boom, and nationally noted artists, such as Passion Pit.
But it’s not just attending the events that make them worth it to plan. Besides arranging an advance screening of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s new movie or providing crafts with the “Bling Out Your Bedroom” event earlier in the semester, Spence said the feeling she gets after seeing a large crowd attend is the ultimate reward.
“My co-director and I had put in so much work into making those (events) happen, and knowing that everyone who went had a good time was just so humbling,” she said.“I love putting on shows for people because I get to provide people with an experience that I know will last them a lifetime.”