Taught by Sarah Coates, University Archivist, the Honors UnCommon Read: Untold Stories from the Archives: History of the University of Florida class has a final project wherein students create their own “F” Book. This “F” Book is a “book” that explores one aspect of UF history to an incoming freshman. Students were allowed to choose any topic related to UF history, and were encouraged to explore the following questions in their projects: What would you have wanted to know about this topic if you were an incoming freshman? Why is it important for someone to know about this topic? How does it help someone learn more about UF history? Students were permitted to present their “F” Book in any format they chose–an essay, presentation, podcast, storymap, comic, video, etc.
Some of the students from these classes have given permission for their “F” Book to be displayed. You can find a summary of the projects for each semester below; the full projects are posted on the linked pages. Permission forms are on file in University Archives; if you are the creator of this work and wish to have your work removed from the site, please email archives@uflib.ufl.edu.
The History of Jewish Life at UF
By Emily Bell
An overview of Jewish Life at the University of Florida.
A History of Jewish Life at UF
Chomping through the Years: A History of UF Dining Halls
By Timothy Dillehay
An overview of dining halls at the University of Florida from its move to Gainesville in 1906 to 2025.
Chomping through the Years: A History of UF Dining Halls [links to timeline.js] and Chomping through the Years Works Cited page.
Fruit Breeding History at the University of Florida
By Carly Gruneberg
An overview of the history of three fruit breeding programs at UF: blueberries, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Fruit Breeding History at the University of Florida
UF and the Vietnam War
By Lam Le
An overview of the reactions of the University of Florida’s student body to the Vietnam War.