Best of Florida Schools 2005
Web-Only Categories—Page 6

Best Fall Festival
A Festivus for the Rest of Us
Any die-hard fan of the sitcom Seinfeld could outline the tenets and traditions of Festivus. Created by George’s zany father, this twisted holiday is meant for “the rest of us,” or those who don’t embrace Christmas or Hanukkah. Although George despises this holiday and its advent, students at Palm Beach Atlantic University eagerly anticipate their version of Festivus, dubbed “Fall Festivus—Fall for the Rest of Us.” “It was created as a way to celebrate the fall because we have so many students from ‘up north,’” says Janice Trigg, director of student activities. “They miss having a real fall season and the traditions that go along with that.”

Since the event started two years ago, the highlight of the day has been the massive pile of fall leaves imported from Indiana. Northerners and southerners alike enjoyed that satisfying crunch as they flopped into leaves of gold and crimson.

“The leaves were packaged and sent in six boxes,” Trigg says. “The leaves were gathered from several different yards and were generously shipped by parents of students from PBA.”

Other activities included a pumpkin-carving contest, a pie-eating contest, tug-of-war, and apple bobbing. Competition was fierce because four free homecoming tickets were at stake for the overall winners. But, even bystanders had a chance to win some tickets of their own. Another four tickets were buried in a pile of leaves, and students got to scramble around the earthy mess in search of their prize.

“All of the students that we’ve heard from said that it was an enjoyable time and they can’t wait until next year,” Trigg says. –CG

Contact Trigg at janice_trigg@pba.edu.

Best Honors Program
Learning Outside the Box
When’s the last time your college bought you a laptop? When’s the last time your college threw in a CD-burner or printer and then made you dinner? Probably never—unless you’re an honors student at Saint Leo University.

“The program features great books; great ideas; strategy for intellectual development that advocates depth rather than breadth, immersion rather than exposure, and active rather than passive learning,” says Hudson Reynolds, director of the Honors Program.

It doesn’t just feature great books but great rewards, also. Saint Leo loans students coming into the honors program wireless laptops to help them in their studies. If they do well their first two years, the computer becomes their personal property.

The students also are given the opportunity to have dinner at the director’s home their first semester. There they get to meet the director’s family and chat with administrators and faculty in a relaxed environment.

“This dinner is an effort to restore something of the feeling of the medieval university, where the faculty actually resided among their students and set an example of hospitality and civility,” Reynolds says.

A new feature for incoming honors freshmen is the opportunity to participate in scholarly apprenticeships. For credit, students can aid senior faculty members in academic projects, from researching and compiling data to mounting theater productions. Reynolds says that this is a great way for students to attain a one-on-one relationship with faculty members and gain experience and knowledge.

Students also gain knowledge through the six core honors courses they must take each semester for three years. The courses are historically sequenced and thematically linked to the next. They learn about the contributions of Athens and Jerusalem to Western civilization, the literary and artistic impact of the Renaissance, the revolution of modern science, modern social sciences, and contemporary thought.

Their last year in the honors program, students must do a yearlong research project. In the past, Reynolds says participants have produced demo tapes and projects on bone cancer.

To get into the program, freshmen must enter with a 3.3 high school GPA and an SAT score of 1150 or better (or the ACT equivalent). Junior transfers must have a 3.75 GPA to be accepted. High standards reflect the selectiveness of the program. It currently has 120 students enrolled, which is roughly 10 percent of the student body.

These students are getting a heads up in the real world, Reynolds says. “They truly have a sense of the interrelatedness of the academic disciplines, which may elude others,” he says. “They carry with them the means to continue their education throughout their adult life. As a result, the real world, the world of an active life in accordance with moral virtue, is evident to them in a way that isn’t present for those who have merely outfitted themselves for a career.” —JW

Contact Reynolds at hudson.reynolds@saintleo.edu.

Best Faculty Band
Saint Leo Teachers Rock
Students at Saint Leo University don’t have a problem inviting their professors out to party with them on the weekends. Maybe that’s because these chalk-toting, lecturing, homework-giving professors by day become super-chic rock stars by night.

One student, a criminology chairman, two math professors, and professors of history, economics, and science comprise Saint Leo’s rock ‘n’ roll band, Time Warp.

“Time Warp is completely respected by the students, not only because they entertain the students and other fans, but because students see them in class and enjoy being there,” says Janet Levic, Student Government Union president and self-proclaimed number-one fan. “It’s so much fun to see the professors on Thursday and say, ‘Hey Prof., see you on Saturday for the party.’”

And they party hard. Time Warp makes students shimmy and shake to classic rock from the ‘50s to today. But they’re not just a cover band. Time Warp also has many of their own songs including Saint Leo’s underground alma mater, “Leo Leo.”

Students don’t have to go to campus to hear this rocking group. They also play at parties sponsored by Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and they frequent the local watering holes. However, the band says they’ll play wherever they’re wanted. “My favorite part is playing for the students,” says Jack McTague, history professor and bass and vocals for the band.

Time Warp began in 1984 when McTague and Terry Danner, criminology professor and harmonica and vocals, got together with three students to create this school-oriented band. The band has evolved to six members with drums, keyboards, bass, guitar, harmonica, and percussion. They practice in a local barn at least once a week.

The band realizes that it’s not every day that students get to see their professors jamming. The musicians say that most students see the band as crazy old guys who just never grew up.

But they’re okay with that, says Chuck Fisk, economics professor and percussion and vocals for the band. He says the band lives by the lingo, “Rock and roll and never die.”—JW

Contact Fisk at chuck.fisk@saintleo.edu.

Best Chapel Services
Going to the Chapel
Imagine walking into a campus chapel that can seat 750 people. Now, imagine attending a service at that chapel and getting stuck standing in the back.

That’s how riveting chapel services are at Southeastern College, where students come to sing the popular music of artists like Switchfoot and Israel Houghton or original music written by fellow students and faculty. There are also messages concerning the campus community, spiritual growth, and world issues that are relevant to their everyday lives. Tuesdays through Fridays, 800 Southeastern students gather to worship and participate in the college services. There’s a chapel at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday where a Bible study is conducted. Immediately following these services, there’s a chapel that starts with accelerating music and an encouraging word where often the rooms are overflowing.

Southeastern encourages the entire student body to attend Bible study and chapel on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Students attend chapel to accumulate the points they need by the end of the semester to move on within the college. On Friday, Southeastern designates the chapel service to the encouragement and guidance of students studying to become pastors and missionaries.

Dr. Mark Rutland, the college’s president, speaks at 90 percent of the chapel services. “We’re fortunate to have a president that takes time out of his very busy schedule to inspire and encourage the students at Southeastern,” says Kacey Walton, Student Body Leadership Council administrator.

The college is thriving in their 70^th year of holding chapel services under the Assemblies of God denomination. Resident assistants help organize chapel services by scanning students’ ID cards when they come in to accumulate the set amount of points they need each semester.

Also, during the chapel services, the student body gives an offering that goes straight to missions-related needs. Walton says that last year the student body at Southeastern was able to send $36,000 to Africa to start the building of several churches. This year the goal is to send $100,000 to foreign missions.

“Students love to come to Southeastern’s chapel because there’s contemporary and original music, relevant messages, and time to build community with the rest of the student body,” Walton says. —RG

Contact Walton at klwalton@secollege.edu.

Most Improved Campus
Southeastern’s Make-Over
It’s time for the students at Southeastern College to show off…their campus that is!

Anyone who sees Southeastern’s Mediterranean-style buildings, tall palm trees, and peaceful lakes would never guess that just five years ago, the campus was composed of run-down, out dated buildings that, well…needed work. “The atmosphere is much more exciting and lively,” says Kacey Walton, Student Body Leadership Council administrator. “Now students want to hang out on campus whether it be in the Mi Casa Café or in the Sportsplex watching a basketball game.”

Some of the multi-million dollar projects tackled in the past four years include dormitories, a state-of-the-art baseball stadium, a pool, and a student union that includes a bookstore and café. “My favorite improvement would have to be the café because this is the center of student life,” Walton says. “On one side of the café, a group of people are playing guitars and singing, and on the other side, there’s an intense foosball game going on.”

Walton says the improvements are the result of the vision of the college’s president, Dr. Mark Rutland. He envisioned a beautiful, thriving campus. Thanks to the help and funding from alumni, private individuals, and Assemblies of God Churches all across the nation as well as an increase in student enrollment, his vision has become a reality.

“I think that the atmosphere and beautiful changes that have happened on this campus have definitely made the learning experience more enjoyable,” Walton says. “The more improvements that are made, the higher the standards are for this college. It affects all areas, as well as the process of educating students.” –RG

Contact Walton at klwalton@secollge.edu.

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