We don’t have to remind you that the University of Miami is now ranked #47 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, but we do want to remind you why UM is so freakin’ awesome. Your editors at Distraction reminisced late one evening on why we love The U. It didn’t take very long for us to come up with a list almost 80 deep. For your sake, we narrowed it down to 47. Enjoy.
1. Free Laundry: Much love to Stanford and Hecht
2. Celebrity Alumni: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ray Liotta, Steve-O, Gloria Estefan and Enrique Iglesias
3. Two hundred seventy-five former Hurricanes in the NFL. Notably: Ray Lewis, Frank Gore, Jeremy Shockey and Vinny Testaverde
4. Ibis Ride
5. Hurricane shutters = best naps ever
6. Happy hour at the Rat
7. You think you’ve got game on us, UF and FSU? Step aside because UM is officially the #1 school in Florida. 
8. Marine Science program and RSMAS campus are top five in the country
9. Music School: First to create the Music Business major; first to offer a Masters of Music with a Law Degree
10. Donna Shalala…enough said
11. Sebastian the Ibis: our beloved mascot
12. Iron Arrow – Miami’s highest honor
13. Alcohol is sold at football games meaning tailgating doesn’t have to stop once you leave the parking lot
14. The Keys and the Everglades
15. Belly Bust at the Rat
16. Sportsfest: Hell yes we’re competitive
17. WVUM: One of the top noncommerical streaming radio stations in the country
18. Art Basal
19. Lake Osceola: Just remember no swimming, even when you’re drunk and think it’s a good idea
20. Salsa Club
21. Pre-Med seven-year program: Get through undergrad and med school in seven years. We’re in awe of those of you who actually pull this off.
22. Hazel the Sandwich Lady: The grandmother we all wish we had.
23. 11:1 student professor ratio
24. Diversity: UM ranked #1 in cultural diversity by The Princeton Review.
25. South Beach
26. SpectrUM: The GLBT group on campus is one of the oldest and most active in the country.
28. Free tickets to all UM sports
29. LEED certified architecture
30. Entering GPA above 4.0
31. Scholarship Money: Thanks for being so generous UM. Without those scholarships, many of us wouldn’t be here today.
32. Southern suns and sky blue water… (maybe by the end of senior year we’ll all know our alma mater…)
33. Football Championships: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 NCAA champions
34. Club Richter and the Annual Silent Dance Party
35. Ghandi Day: the spirit of service
36. Hug the lake and free hugs from Random Acts of Kindness
37. Smart Athletes: UM ranked #6 in the nation for Academic Progress Report Score
38. Unicco Workers: Thank you for keeping our campus so beautiful.
39. Nicholas Copernicus Observatory (on the roof of the Ungar Computer Center, check it out)
40. International Thanksgiving: YUM
41. Midnight Breakfast: the one upside of finals.
42. Ultra Music Festival and Swamp Stomp
41. UM orange and green condoms – true Hurricanes’ dedication in the bedroom
42. Monty’s Happy Hour
43. Hurricane howl and the homecoming boat burning
44. Flying Fish: “Look, it’s a flying fish!” 
45. THE Rock
46. “Being a Cane means knowing you are the hardest-working, baddest SOB in the nation. Knowing every time you step on that field that people fear and respect you.” -Matt Bosher, UM football placekicker/punter
47. WE ARE THE U.
