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Best Peer-to-Peer Network
     At Rollins College, students are up all night, but they aren’t partying—they’re hitting the books! Brain-fried Tars who are tired of studying alone or need academic assistance can head over to the Writing Center or the Quantitative Learning Center for peer tutoring. The night before finals begin, both labs host "all-nighters" to support stressed-out students. The cramming collegians are free to munch on doughnuts and popcorn and saturate their bodies with caffeine from complimentary coffee. "Students praise the resource center, because they see improvement in their writing skills with each visit," said Nathaniel Eberle, staff writer for public relations and a former tutor. "It’s nice to have a friendly face to peruse your papers. And they don’t give grades!"

Best Community Service Projects
     When many come together, a power forms—the power of one. This fused strength is found at St. Leo University. In October, about 500 students, faculty, and staff joined together to brighten the lives of dozens of Pasco County residents by spending the day cleaning and repairing homes and local facilities. After the hard day’s work, volunteers splashed and grilled at a pool-side barbecue and reflected on their experiences. "Service has become a very big part of our St. Leo tradition, and our service action continues to grow each year," says Evelyn Vitale, interim vice president for student services. Last December, St. Leo also hosted the "Shoes for Tots" charity drive to collect shoes and socks for local children. Students and faculty members picked namecards and bought and wrapped a new pair of shoes for that child. Organized by Student Affairs, Student Health, and Student Activities, the drive yielded 900 pairs of shoes and socks to be delivered to each recipient’s house by a costumed Santa.

Most Hair-Raising Reply
     At Florida Community College at Jacksonville-North Campus, it takes a sharp-tressed man to take center stage at a mane event. Like other groups staffing booths to recruit members last fall, the Science Club president and vice president strategically placed signs proclaiming the name of their club and began greeting new FCCJ enrollees. However, to the leaders’ increasing frustration, students repeatedly asked what club they represented, even though their signs clearly displayed the organization’s name. Finally, as one coed asked the same question again, the irritated president, who is hair deficient, responded, "It’s the Hair Club for Men, and I’m the president!" B.J. Hausman, director of cocurricular programs and leadership development, says the funny comment made everyone’s day. But, who knows if the balding fellow’s joke helped the club Rogaine any new members? Toupee!

Best Arts Center
     With a cascading waterfall toppling into a granite pool on the ground’s exterior, Okaloosa-Walton Community College’s Arts Center has been dubbed "The Jewel of the Emerald Coast." The 120,000-square-foot Fine and Performing Arts section cost $20 million and is three years old, featuring a 1,650-seat main theater that hosts showcases from small student productions to an annual Broadway series. A smaller playhouse, the 195-seat Sprint Theater, has flexible seating around three sides of the stage that can be moved and tailored for the type of play performed. Other features include a 2,000-square-foot dance studio and an art wing with two galleries that house the college’s multi-million dollar art collection as well as traveling exhibits. The center’s music wing includes a 24-track recording studio, a fully computerized music-theory and composition classroom, and rehearsal halls for the college’s symphony orchestra, jazz band, and symphonic band. "The Arts Center is designed to accommodate the cultural needs of the college and the community for years to come," says Susan Shaw, Arts Center marketing director. "Students learn in its state-of-the-art classrooms and perform on the same stage as the Broadway touring companies."

Rosiest Creeks
     Lake City Community College students are diving into volunteerism. Last March, Phi Theta Kappa members helped with the Rose Creek Cleanup. Seven students joined cave divers and members of Current Problems, an environmental organization in Florida, to clean up the tributary. "They pulled litter from the sink, using boats, and from the surrounding thick woods," says Frank Sedmura, advisor for PTK’s Xi Phi Chapter. The volunteers picked up trash off of the surface of the creek, while others assisted divers who swam to the bottom to clean. Also last spring, PTK members helped staff the regional Envirothon, an annual event promoting environmental awareness among junior and senior high schoolers.

Most Buck-Wild Event
     Toro, toro! We have to tame these rowdy animals! And this is not referring to a wild bull, but to Greeks at the University of Florida. Every year, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity takes "Buck-Off" by the horns and chairs this popular campus fund-raiser. UF Greeks ride a mechanical bull, and the brother or sister who stays on the longest takes home a trophy. Last September, about 1,200 spectators watched 350 contestants raise $5,000 for Winn Dixie’s Cancer Hope Lodge and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Alpha Gamma Rho, along with Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, raised money through entry fees and T-shirt sales. Jarrod Tidwell, philanthropy chair for AGR and Buck-Off producer, says "Buck-Off is UF’s largest attended philanthropy, and it has been a huge success for the past five years, raising over $20,000." And that’s no bull.

Best Rastafarian Encounter
     Hey, mon! Florida Atlantic University students can see clearly now. Last summer, 12 Liberal Arts students and Professor William Marina took an exodus to Jamaica for an enlightening excursion. Native islander and FAU student Kevin Thomas started the "Jamaican Experience" so that fellow students could get a first-hand look at his homeland. Tours include a meeting with the Jamaican Minister of Education, a visit to the University of the West Indies, and several outings to Port Royal, the Blue Mountains, Treasure Beach, Ocho Rios, and the famous Dunn’s River Falls. "This is the kind of educational experience people never forget," Thomas told FAU’s University Press. "You can get a good feel for other countries by reading about them, but nothing compares with actually going there, experiencing the culture, and meeting the people." Students can earn up to three credits when they be jamming on the five-day trip.

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