Best of Florida Schools 2000 Issue

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Best Hypothetical Situation
And the numbers are up and down, up and down! No, they’re not the number of dates that you’ve been on lately—they’re dynamic stock-market figures, and University of Florida students now have hands-on experience with them. Last summer, 36 MBA students grouped into fours and played the stock market with a hypothetical $1,000. Nine teams chose companies they predicted that would have the highest stock escalation during the next eight months. The group following the most profitable company will take home $2,000 real cash in April 2000, funded by the UF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Allen C. Ewing & Co., an investment-banking firm. Professor Arnold Heggestad made the pot more interesting by investing $1,000 of his own money into each of the nine enterprises. "We’re moving into a new economy, and the more we can make students aware of it, the better off they are," Heggestad says.

Best Bug Out
Last year produced headlines about everything from Y2K and flu bugs to A Bug’s Life, but the best pest infestation was the 17th Annual Great American Bug Race at Palm Beach Atlantic College. As part of homecoming festivities last November, the event raised money for scholarships, new equipment, guest lecturers, and field trips for the PBAC Science Club. The cost to enter a creepy crawler was $1, but bugs also were on sale for 50 cents. The six-legged contestants had to follow strict rules, including no high-tech running shoes, no eating the opponents, no chemical enhancers allowed, plus the critters had to submit to random drug testing. This year’s victorious contestant was Jack, a cockroach entered by PBA grad student Jolene Bon Purkyne, who won a $100 grand prize. "This is the biggest event that the school does all year," said Peggy Van Arman, Science Club advisor. "It’s very beneficial to show the community that PBAC provides public service as well as academia."

Best Beach Parties
Bob Marley’s lyrics to his famous song, "No Woman, No Cry," should be changed to "No Stress, No Cry," at Pensacola Junior College. Every April, PJC students enjoy a "Sand Jam" at a local beach establishment to relax after their finals. "Sand Jam is PJC’s way of saying goodbye to another successful year and hello to the summer. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff converge onto one of Pensacola Beach’s favorite eateries and wet spot, Flounders," says Dennis Reynolds, district coordinator for student activities. "It’s an evening where reggae, sand, and sunsets weave their way in between the thoughts of studying and paper grading." Funded by SGA and Student Activities, PJC also held its first on-campus "Reggae Fest" last fall, which attracted more than 250 attendees.

Coolest Cars on Campus
"Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" On the Florida campus of Northwood University, 10,000 people join automotive students every March at the Annual Automotive Showcase. This year’s "Dawn of a New Era" show featured more than 150 new cars, trucks, motorcycles, personal watercraft, classic cars, and RVs. Completely "driven" by NU students, the event eliminated dealers and salespeople, relieving pressure from representatives to buy a vehicle. The most attention was focused on the new E-bike—a cycle introducing an electric hub motor, cruise control, economy mode, and a suspension front fork. "The Northwood University Florida Auto Show is the largest auto show held outdoors. It’s a huge success and fun," says Tim Gilbert, assistant professor and chair of NU’s automotive marketing department.

Best University for Diversity
"We are the world," would be an apt theme for Barry University. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school number one in student diversity among all Southern universities and colleges for the second year in a row. Six years ago, the university started the Intercultural Center to serve international students, promote diversity, and create social and educational programs of cultural awareness. This year, ICC held a Diversity Awareness Week, with representatives from around the world and live international music. During orientation, BU students also participate in diversity training to open their minds to exploring other cultures, according to Joy DeMarchis, director of the O’Laughlin Intercultural Center. Once a month, ICC presents "Conversational Encounters" in which foreign students hosts discussion about their native countries and share cuisine to enlighten students and staff. The biggest campus event is the annual Festival of Nations, which includes vendors from the Morikami Museum featuring origami, traditional international entertainment, and edible treats. "Diversity will only be a reality on college campuses when all students, faculty, and staff recognize the internal gifts that each one of us has and shares it with the community," says DeMarchis.

Biggest Y2K Catastrophe
Sirens flashing, towers crumbling, babies screaming, waters flooding, and overall hysteria filled everyone's thoughts as the days counted down to the new millennium. As the last seconds withered away, fears from mass suicide groups to Times Square blowing up, from computers crashing to the seventh sign, all disappeared in a flash. However, Broward Community College did experience one technical difficulty: the downfall of a little Christian club. The formation of the Y2K Catholic Club at BCC focused to help celebrate the year 2000 as the "jubilee" year of Catholicism. Although many just gathered for one night of partying, in the Catholic religion, it’s believed that the millennium celebration should be carried out the entire 12 months. The group’s mission was to promote awareness of the Catholic religion, according to Maxwell Highsmith, assistant coordinator of student life. Even though the big "millennium bug" didn’t bring armageddon to the world, this small group did experience complications—the club is no longer active and has just resorted back to its old name, the Catholic Club, which continues to educate the student body about the religion.

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