1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14

Back                                Continued

Best Paddling for Proceeds
     Students and staff at Keiser College's Daytona Beach Campus merrily row, row, rowed their boats to help sick children reach their dreams. During the June 2000 "Paddlefest" held for the Dream a Wish Foundation, pupils and their professors teamed up in two 45-foot Hawaiian outrigger canoes to race against vessels sponsored by other local organizations. One of the Keiser crews won 2nd place by speeding past a boat powered by the city’s fire fighters. All proceeds from the event benefited the Foundation, which grants sick children their lifelong dreams.
Contact Anne O’Connell at anneoc@keisercollege.cc.fl.us.

Best Campus Outreach
     From inadequate parking and overcrowded dorms to impractical policies and bland cafeteria food, collegians have plenty to complain about. But at Jacksonville University, students and staff can take their concerns all the way to the top, thanks to an innovative program created by President David Harlow. To reinforce a sense of community at JU, Harlow established ideas@ju.edu, an e-mail suggestion box that gives enrollees and employees alike direct access to the president. One message resulted in a campuswide student retention program called "SAVE"—Students Are Valued Everyday. The launch of SAVE kicked off other initiatives including a new food service provider, an enhanced student leader roundtable schedule, expanded membership on the executive cabinet, and a new mentoring program for freshmen. "It shows the student body that they are appreciated and cared about, and it makes each student have more pride and respect for our university," says Kevin Barry, SG president.
Contact Barry at kbarry23@hotmail.com.

Safest Campus
     Studying or partying might keep students up late at Florida Gulf Coast University, but they're definitely not losing any sleep because of bumps in the night. Each dorm room is equipped with a safety pull cord that students can use in an emergency. Plus, unwanted guests don't stand a fighting chance against the security gates located at each residence hall entrance, along with a night-shift police officer. If that's not enough to make mom and dad rest easy, students can take self-defense classes, access emergency call boxes across campus, and or request a late-night escort in a golf cart as part of "Safe Passage At Night." SPAN is funded and operated by students from 5:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. on weeknights. In addition to these programs, all student services directors are trained to assist anyone who is wheelchair-bound by helping them get down the stairs when elevators are stalled during emergencies.
Contact Dr. Wm. Gregory Sawyer at gsawyer@fgcu.edu.

Best History Lesson
     If you’re a Broward Community College student, you don’t have to read a bunch of boring books to get an idea of what the Civil War was like. During the "Battle of BCC," a Civil War Living History pageant, the college hosted a re-enactment. The two-day event in November featured Union and Confederate camps, period settlers selling merchandise, and a full-scale battle. More than 200 re-enactors demonstrated how soldiers lived during the war, as well as how artillery and infantry units battled. Cosponsored by the BCC Student Life office, the event also included a Veterans Day Memorial Service.
Contact Charles Lyle at 954-963-8997.

Most Mobile Audience
     Audience members watching "Student Dance Happening" at the University of Tampa will be too tired to Tango after this event. Spectators boogie their way to dance stages around campus, following the leads of students guides who wear capes and carry torches. For 10 years, the Department of Speech, Theater, and Dance has sponsored this dance performance in April, which is heavily attended by students and the community. Students choreograph different dance routines such as hip-hop, jazz, and ballet. "A lot of students have their first public performances on this stage," says Susan Taylor Lennon, dance program director.
     "It’s a great program," says Bethany Honey, a performer. "At a lot of other colleges, teachers are teaching dances, but here the students get to choreograph their pieces."
Contact Taylor Lennon at SLTaylor@alpha.utampa.edu.

Best Fundraiser
     Lynn University students partied all night long on March 24, 2000. But the celebration wasn’t a rowdy bash that woke the neighbors and ended with a 911 call. The "Up ‘til Dawn" extravaganza marked the culmination of a series of fundraising events that raised $25,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. An executive board of 12 student leaders coordinated the entire project, which was the first of its kind for St. Jude in Florida. The volunteers raised money through donations from corporate sponsors, car washes, pizza sales, a campus carnival, and other events. In return, students who helped raise the funds were invited to attend the 12-hour finale and enjoy free T-shirts, food, and entertainment such as an illusionist, swing dancing, slap-shot hockey, bouncy boxing, a comedian, and games. "I am so proud of our students for embarking on this philanthropic extravaganza and successfully raising money that will benefit the children of St. Jude," says Dr. Donald E. Ross, president of Lynn University.

Best Pub Theme
     Pooped students at Nova Southeastern University can land for a few minutes in a pub in the Rosenthal Student Center before "flying" off to their next class.
     Before NSU bought the land in Davie where the sprawling campus now sits, pilots from a Ft. Lauderdale military base trained on the grounds. When the Rosenthal Center got a face-lift in 1996, Director of Student Activities Cleveland Ferguson says the second floor was dubbed "The Flight Deck," with World War II and aeronautical memorabilia adorning the ceiling and walls. "We're attempting to create an outdoor patio for students to enjoy, while taking advantage of our location which is directly in the path of all incoming and outbound flights from Ft. Lauderdale International Airport."
     As Dean for Student Affairs Brad Williams says, "It gets jam-packed. It used to be a few couches with one international kid sitting there on a Friday night. Now it's a place where the community can come together."
Contact Ferguson at fergusn@nova.edu.

Back                                Continued

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved