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Most Bloodthirsty Students. "I want to draw your blood" is the Draculan objective of some Keiser College students. Learning the phlebotomy procedure of withdrawing blood from a patient, these students are without fangs and coffin-sleeping rituals. Instead, they are using Venatech, a new teaching tool invented by Keiser College medical assistant faculty member Ellen Amster Bloom. The device has latex in place of skin and pressurized channels mimicking veins, making the simulation of blood-drawing closer to a real procedure than ever before. "It helps them become comfortable with the process before applying what they’ve learned to a human being," Bloom says.

Coolest Cars. Brevard Community College has the coolest cars on campus. At least it did for one day when BCC’s SG hosted the first annual "Cool Cars on Campus" Car/Truck Show and Cruise-In to raise funds for SG and generate community involvement. The show attracted over 80 cars, including street rods, custom cars, muscle cars, trucks, low riders, classics, and specialty vehicles. "People love to show their cars off, " says Hep Aldridge, dean of the Palm Bay campus and event organizer. Cool riders, from the Brevard community and from as far away as Jacksonville and Tampa, cruised on over to the college’s Cocoa campus to vie for trophies, talk shop with other car lovers, and check out the vendor area where they could buy, sell, or swap parts and accessories.

Best Sunset View. When the sun goes down, the students and staff come out at Schiller International University. The entire Dunedin campus faces the Gulf of Mexico and has an unobstructed view of what some call the most beautiful beaches and sunset in the world. The picture-perfect seascape isn’t surprising, says Director of International Admissions Sonia Ross, because the campus used to be a swanky waterfront hotel in the early 1900s. With only a seven-minute drive to Clearwater Beach, Schiller students can get a tan while studying for their international business classes.

Best Scene-Stealing Event. If you’re looking for a way to fight auto theft and promote public safety, throw a party. That’s just what UPD officials did at Florida International University last November. The Combat Auto Theft Jamboree included a free barbecue with hot dogs and soft drinks, mounted officers from the City of Miami Police Department, a disc jockey, and a tent with displays about personal safety equipment and self-defense courses. According to Sgt. Edward Degelsmith, campus police also gave away 1,347 steering-wheel auto theft devices. Funded through UPD and a grant from the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Authority, about 6,000 students attended the event. Degelsmith says campus auto thefts have decreased since October.

Most Unwelcome Welcome. At Florida Memorial College, Public Affairs Director Retha Boone Davis says even though she lives in crime-invested Miami, it took a trip to Italy for her to get mugged. Boone Davis vacationed in Rome after Christmas. "The whole time I was there, I was careful. I even put money in my shoe," she says. "But 10 minutes before the bus pulled out for the airport, my purse disappeared, passport, money, everything.
     "I had to go to the American Embassy to get another passport and they weren’t much help," she says. "So I was stuck there for another two days. It was just awful. Everyone talks about crime being so bad in Miami, but it took me going overseas to get robbed."

Biggest Melting Pot. At Tallahassee Community College, students travel to 50 countries around the world in a single day. The 25-member International Student Organization provides the ticket with its annual International Festival. Over 150 tourists sample authentic Mexican, Jamaican, and Chinese cuisine prepared by ISO members and local eateries, while students perform traditional dances and songs. "Besides being a fun event, it’s educational and provides faculty and the community with awareness of where TCC students come from," says Betty Jensen, ISO advisor. More than $600 was raised at last year’s event to fund scholarships for international students. The festival finale is the Parade of Nations, in which students stand by their nation’s flag and state their names and country of origin in their native language. It’s a small world after all!

Best New Student Group. Vegetables, envy, Kermit the Frog, and a new group at Stetson University all have something in common. (Hint: a certain color.) "We want to be an organization that people automatically associate with green things," says Elizabeth Thompson, president of Green Stetson. While not necessarily aligning themselves with Kermit or envy, GS is a group trying to preserve the environment. "Our purpose is to unify those people on campus who are concerned about the environment and provide a way for them to get information." Eco-lessons are offered via Earth Day events, including a trash autopsy and a political action display.

Best Working Man. What do the city commission, fire department, U.S. Secret Service, and the Christian Concert Series all have in common? One very busy man. Palm Beach Atlantic College’s John Workman, 20, has been working around the clock on and off campus. By day a poli-sci major, he leads a double life as a support staff member in a small Secret Service field office, processing counterfeit money and helping with area presidential visits. As student director of the school’s Christian Concert Series, Workman is in charge of more than 250 students and organizes all campus musical performances, including a concert featuring Big Tent Revival that attracted about 1,000 people. Workman also ran for city commissioner of Palm Beach Shores at 19 and often is on call as a volunteer fire fighter.

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