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Luckiest Night Students
     Evening students at Hillsborough Community College’s Plant Campus aren't left out in the dark when it comes to activities, ever since the Student Government Executive Board developed the "Night Out On Us" program. SG gives out 60 free movie vouchers monthly for student use. In addition, the group buys tickets to events such as hockey games and music festivals, and awards them to students in a lottery drawing. The winners get two passes to take a guest and truly have a "night out" on SG. The HCC leaders also plan on-campus performances such as comedic routines and mystery dinner theater. "If the day students had a National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week activity, a similar event was held during one of the nights," says Pamalla Weathersby, Student Government Association president.
Contact Weathersby at (813) 707-6349.

Best Adoption
     A collection that began in a leaky trailer has found a permanent home at Manatee Community College, making the site the only two-year school in the nation with a resource center for the study of African American achievement. Last September marked the opening of The Family Heritage House, a 2,085-square-foot addition to the MCC library. The museum holds everything from books, magazines, videos, and heirlooms to paintings, prints, photographs, and memorabilia. Ernest and Fredi Brown started the historical collection in 1990 and first displayed it publicly in a trailer used by the county’s Head Start program. The compilation is made up of the Brown’s belongings, some passed down to them and others acquired during their lives as politically active citizens and educators. "What I want is for people to respect the culture and the contributions of African Americans from the past," Fredi Brown told The Bradenton Herald. "I want people to realize that there were contributing factors leading to where we are now."
Contact The Heritage House at (941) 752-5319.

Best Grad Goodbye
     When graduation stops looking like a distant dream and students just want to have some fun minus the books, Edison Community College’s Student Services in Ft. Myers honors its grads at Student Appreciation Day. "I look forward to the fun we had [last year]," says Beth Schnepp, a soon-to-be grad on the Lee Campus. "Everybody joined together. It’s a lot of fun." Coordinator of Student Activities Fred Morgan says students love listening to the DJs and chowing down on free food. Nearly 1,000 students engage in obscure competitions such as jousting and sumo wrestling. Undergrads also can attend the festivities.
Contact Morgan at fmorgan@edison.edu.

Best College Town
     As the state’s original and only true "college town," Gainesville is home to Santa Fe Community College and the University of Florida. Established in 1854, Gainesville was named for Seminole War hero Edmund Gaines. Until the late 1800s, when a series of freezes hit the area, Alachua County was a citrus capital. But in 1906, a new direction for development was set when the University of Florida was established in Gainesville, according to the City of Gainesville’s web site. With roots that trace back to 1853, UF is the oldest and most comprehensive university in the Sunshine State and is the sixth largest in the nation with more than 43,000 enrollees.
     Students truly rule in "Gator Country"—the population is 100,000, so the heartbeat of the campus community resonates throughout the surrounding area. The schools also impact the local economy. UF is Alachua County’s top employer with nearly 12,000 citizens on the payroll, while SFCC is ranked eighth with 1,700 on staff, according to the The Gainesville Sun. The town’s buzz is silenced between semesters and during Spring Break, when students head back home or go on vacation, leaving less traffic on the roads and shorter wait lines at area restaurants. But when football season kicks off in the fall, the off-campus hot spots come alive with excitement, as residents, students, and alumni alike paint the town orange and blue.
     Cultural resources and activities abound in Gainesville, largely because of UF’s museums, arts programs, and stages that draw performers such as Sting and Tom Green. A vibrant local music scene has given birth to famous rockers including Sister Hazel, For Squirrels, Big White Undies, and even Tom Petty. A variety of palate-pleasing eateries give the discriminating student connoisseur an alternative to mac-and-cheese. And just in case, cheap eats such as Chinee Takee Outee, Burrito Brothers, and Maui Teriyaki (home of the famous chicken bowl) are right around the corner.
     Nature lovers also enjoy all that Gainesville offers outdoors, because 65 percent of the county's 969 square miles is wilderness for forests, dotted with scenic lakes and wetlands. The Gulf breezes make summer days warm and nights comfortable and cool, while the winters are dry and mild with temperatures ranging from the 20s to 50s.
Finally, maybe we’re a little partial, but it only makes sense that the state’s premier magazine for Florida college students is produced in the Best College Town. That’s right—the magazine you hold in your hands was produced in Gainesville. But don’t just take our word for it that Gainesville is the place to be—according to the local Chamber of Commerce, our hometown has been tapped as Florida's most liveable city for six consecutive years. Maybe we should start publishing relocation guides!

Best Reason to Cry "Fox!"
     When Rollins College students see a fox in the middle of their Winter Park campus, they evacuate the area immediately. But the coeds aren’t cowering with fear—they’re taking the day off. "Fox Day" is an annual tradition at the school that originated in 1956 when President Hugh McKean placed a fox statue on the school's green to let students know that classes have been cancelled. "Fox Day is the most anticipated day of the year," says Stewart Parker, SGA vice president. "Fox Day really brings the community together. My freshman year, I never saw so many Rollins students together than at the beach that day. It truly is a lasting legacy and an exciting tradition."
Contact Parker at stewart.parker@rollins.edu.

Best Club Diversity
     Getting bored of participating in the same old boring clubs isn't a problem for Beacon College students. If Beacon’s students get tired of a club, they just bag it and start a new one. According to Michael Anderson, director of student services, since there are just 60 students attending the college, it’s hard to maintain club continuity. Anderson says the entire student body votes on what types of organizations they want, then these new groups operate for about five weeks and the cycle starts over.
Contact Anderson at 352-787-1658.

Best Tenure Alternative
     Ever had a professor who thought that just because he had tenure he didn’t have to worry about consistent grading policies, interesting subject matter, or maybe just being nice to students? Florida Gulf Coast University has a creative solution to this problem: no more tenure! When FCGU opened in 1997, the Board of Regents let Florida’s newest public university experiment with creative tenure alternatives. Teachers can opt for either tenure or multi-year appointments, although the school pushes for multi-year appointments.
     Critics of tenure say it’s a lifetime contract that allows no opportunity for teacher evaluation, while traditionalists say it gives professors complete academic freedom. The multi-year appointments give teachers security while also letting the administration assess the teachers.
     "This [multi-year appointment] system shouldn’t affect the students. Tenure shouldn’t influence the way a professor teaches," says Susan Evans, university spokesperson. "Our students enjoy having positive close relationships that are generated by having a small school with direct student-faculty interactions."
Contact Leslie Bielen, associate vice president for academic affairs, at lbielen@fgcu.edu.

Best Orientation
     Nova Southeastern University’s new tradition involves something old, something new, something borrowed, and something…woody? The school’s orientation brings together new and returning students for a kick-off celebration that started two years ago as "Got Wood?" Prior to the first event, SGA members handed out wood pieces to students to entice them to attend a five-hour fest that began with a bonfire. The sequel "Got Wood Too" was followed by last August’s 3rd annual "Still…Got Wood," a luau-themed party complete with Polynesian dancers, authentic cuisine, and frozen island drinks at a tiki bar. Between performances by the Gainesville band Big Sky and a DJ, the 300 NSU party-goers got the chance to win free T-shirts and trips to the Florida Keys. "This event cost us $9,000 and initiated a chain of events and participation from the students never seen before on campus," says German Coppola, president of the Undergraduate Student Government.
Contact Coppola at gcoppola7@aol.com, or call (954) 262-8459.

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