Best of Florida Schools 2000 Issue

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Most Origin-al Idea
Let the games begin! At St. Thomas University, about 80 students competed in contests such as billiards, ping-pong, and darts during the "1999 World Games Day" sponsored by the Cultural Diversity Office for Campus Life. "A lot of students participated, and many are asking when we will have the next one," says Steve Oliver, student coordinator. Each participant wore a T-shirt to represent his or her country of origin, and at the end, the winning countries got trophies. "This event was mainly designed to get people together who normally don’t hang out with each other," Oliver says. "We wanted to get people together using a commonality." The program will be presented again this year in March with different events, including a coed "three-on-three" basketball tournament.

Best Looking Campus
The University of Tampa is rejuvenating the historic downtown campus with a multimillion-dollar face-lift, including improvements in landscaping, a new bookstore, and a new dance center. Currently, students enjoy the sight of high slender towers known as "minarets" on UT’s Plant Hall, built in 1891 and considered the best example of Moorish architecture in the Western Hemisphere. According to Grant Donaldson, director of public information, the campus also borders Plant Park and the Hillsborough River—a waterway used for recreation and by rowing teams from Northern schools. "The campus has been really dressed up in the past four years," Donaldson says. Other new projects include a parking deck, a new campus entrance, and a residence hall which features study rooms, modern lounges, computer labs, and artwork adorning the walls. Also, the new dorm has a downstairs conference room and a laundry facility. "We’re growing at a very rapid rate," says Barbara Strickler, vice president of enrollment. "Our undergraduate population has increased by 69 percent in the last five years." The new campus entrance is surrounded by stately palm trees and period lighting from the 1850s. "The entryway also has fences that mimic the wrought-iron-brick style used when the school was a luxury hotel," Donaldson says. A second new residence hall and a new Sykes College of Business building both are under construction and will open up in fall 2000. UT’s building campaign—the most aggressive in the school’s history—doubled its goal from $40 million to $80 million after getting a substantial monetary gift. The university also plans to build a conference facility, a student center, and a third residence hall. "By 2001, 80 percent of the housing space will be brand new and will accommodate 1,800 students," Strickler says.

Best Fruity Gratuity
Faculty and staff are the apples of students’ eyes at St. Johns River Community College. To show their appreciation for instructors’ contributions to literacy, Phi Theta Kappa members distributed apples with attached leaf-shaped thank-you notes. "The apples were given to those teachers who’ve made a difference in literacy," says Nell Freeman, Alpha Xi Eta chapter advisor at the St. Augustine Campus. "We appreciate their hard hours in making us a more literate society." According to Freeman, the presentations took place on National Literacy Day to introduce Project 2000—a drive to collect 2,000 books for the Learn to Read Center. "It’s an effective organization that works to help the illiterate," Freeman says.

Best Holy Nightspot
DJ Prophet: "When I say Halle-, you say –lujah!" Can you imagine a Christian nightclub with a sanctified disc jockey spinning holy jams for a hyped-up audience of believers? To students at Florida A&M University, it’s now a reality. FAMU’s first Christian nightclub opened in October 1999. "Around 35 to 75 people showed up to the event," says Larry Hunt, director of the Baptist collegiate ministries. "The Christian nightclub provided a safe form of recreation for students and faculty, and an alternative to the secular clubs." The event, held at the Baptist Student Union, included music, dancing, drinks, and food. The admission was $2, and the festivities lasted until 12:30 a.m. "We will try to have it at least four times a year," Hunt says.

Best Mentor Program
Students and faculty at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota programmed an interest in computer animation into the minds of 55 middle-school girls. "The girls gained an increased understanding of their career options, the use of art and math in computer animation, interactive media and other arts careers, and the applicability of computer studies for their future," says Johnette Isham, vice president for academic affairs. As one of the nation’s leading schools in computer animation, Ringling collaborated with the Sarasota Chapter of Association of American University Women to introduce the girls to high-tech careers. According to the National Science Foundation, men earning computer-science degrees outnumber women three to one. "For young women to be able to take advantage of careers such as animator, on-line developer, or webmaster, they must be aware of the available opportunities and have educational goals that will give them the skills and experience required," Isham says. During the five-month mentor program, the girls attended workshops that featured female professionals in the field of computer animation such as Pauline Ts’o, vice president of development at Rhythm and Hues in Los Angeles. Ts’o has worked on popular TV commercials such as the Coca-Cola "Polar Bears" and the Sunbeam "EXPRESSMeals."

Best SGA Proposal
A constitutional review board comprised of both students and faculty at Florida International University started the ball rolling to make SGA more efficient. "We’re trying to attract a different type of student that will work harder," says Orlando Amorin, student body president. "We want to get students who are in it for the satisfaction of serving as opposed to just getting a salary." Under the new law, the SGA president earns a flat annual salary of $10,000. The vice president and comptroller (or treasurer) make 75 percent of what the president earns, while committee chairs get 50 percent and representatives earn 25 percent. Required work hours for the vice president and comptroller increased from 10 to 15 hours each week. Also, the GPA requirement for every council member will be 2.5 instead of 2.0. "We already decided that we were going to lead by example," Amorin says. "The changes will add credibility to our SGA." For more information about student officials’ compensation, check out Student Leader’s SG salary survey at www.studentleader.com.

Best Apathy Buster
Imagine this. After months of planning, fund-raising, and promoting a huge event, the big day comes and you’re the only one there. If you’re a leader on a commuter campus, you may already know the feeling, since most students head home to their families or work instead of hanging out after class. But Palm Beach Community College solved that problem by turning its commuter campus into a semi-residential one. More than 250 PBCC students live in a college-owned apartment complex, where campus life is thriving. The Count de Hoernle Student Village is one of the few community college-owned living facilities in the state. Residents also launched a Student Village Association in February. "There’s a greater connection now between the Student Village and PBCC, not only administrative, but also student involvement," says James Brock, director of student housing. "We participated in a big student event called Panther Prowl, which is like a homecoming focusing more on current students, with athletic events, tailgate parties, and a cruise." The fully-furnished apartments cost students an average of $345 to rent, and the facility is also home to 19 Palm Beach Atlantic College students thanks to an agreement between the two schools to help ease overcrowded PBAC dorms.

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