1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Back                                Continued

Best Swim Meat. For the University of Florida men’s swimming and diving team, there’s a lot more at steak than pride at the annual Orange and Blue Meet. The event, which splits the squad against each other in a competition to lead off the regular season, determines the dining fare of both the winning and losing teams. "Well-done" are the words spoken from the winners’ mouths, assuming that’s how they like their steaks. Winners dine on T-bones following the meet, while the losing team feasts on franks. "It’s something we do to build team spirit," says Coach Ron Ballatore.

Most Spirited Supporters. "They’ve got spirit, yes they do." Thanks to the inception of their new football team, the only non-scholarship intercollegiate program in the state, Jacksonville University students are pumped with excitement. With a showing of nearly 5,000 students, alumni, faculty, and staff at the first-ever Dolphins football game in fall 1998, following a pep rally and bonfire, JU students rallied behind the team. "The Valley was just filled with students, and people were filled with school spirit!" says senior Keri Fleming. The Dolphins’ 19-14 win against their first opponent, the Davidson Wildcats, gave fans even more to cheer about.

Best Student Demonstration. Students at Florida A & M University tried to knock over the proposed State University System "tier plan" by launching peaceful yet powerful protests. The controversial university classification system, outlined by SUS Chancellor Adam Herbert, creates three categories, placing FAMU on the bottom to focus on undergraduate and master's degree programs. Upper-level schools would be called "research institutions."
     "We're fighting against the plan, because we want to be the best we can be," says Kristin Tucker, FAMU student body president. And fight they did. FAMU created their own plan: a task force of students, administrators, and community members to protest the proposal. They took two bus trips to Pensacola, marched to the Capitol in Tallahassee, and appeared on national television. In response to the protests, the Regents delayed their initial vote on the issue. Meanwhile, FAMU students are lobbying legislators. "No one wants their destiny to be determined by a group of people who don't understand you," Tucker says.

Best Fall Festival. Grab the umbrella and raincoat. Despite rain, more than 4,000 people came to the Santa Fe Community College-Starke Fall Festival last September to enjoy arts and crafts, food, and family fun. The annual free event is organized by faculty, staff, and 200 SFCC student volunteers. Coordinator Kathren Lehman says festival entertainment included a carnival, parade, music, and dancing. The Strawberry Stroll, a 4k run/walk that kicks off the festival, raises money for community projects such as children’s playgrounds. Children can create bubble sculptures using large pipe cleaner wands to invent their own creative art. Those who would rather relax on their weekend can participate in the rocking chair marathon, where festival-goers rock until they drop, and sponsors donate money. The record to beat—eight hours.

Best Tradition. Every year, students at the International Fine Arts College in Miami enjoy a New Year’s party at the college president’s house, but it’s in February. Student Activities Director Laurie Jano says that about 300 people attended this year’s Chinese New Year’s Eve celebration. "They have a Chinese dinner and there’s a DJ," Jano says. "There’s also fireblowers and jugglers to make it a festive party." Just don’t try the fireblowing at home, kids.

Best Shark Attack. A shark has taken over some new territory—all six Miami-Dade Community College campuses. In Spring 1998, the shark became the school’s new college-wide mascot, unanimously chosen by a committee of students, faculty, and athletic and student life staffers. "I’m pleased with the enthusiasm for the athletic logo and mascot," says Eduardo J. Padron, MDCC President. "Intercollegiate, intramural, and club sports play an important role in the overall educational experience for students. The lessons learned in these activities—discipline, teamwork, cooperation—carry on beyond college into life." This season, the "Sharks" basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball teams debuted their new colors of silver, royal blue, and black. The college decided to make one team for each sport and to consolidate athletics with one mascot. Before, different campus teams included the Jaguars at the Kendall Campus, the Falcon at Miami-Dade North, and the Barracudas at the MDCC-Wolfson.

Most Innovative College. To stay competitive, modern businesses must expand their markets globally. This is the mantra most Florida colleges have been teaching future business execs for the past five years or so. But at Schiller International University, teaching international business has been a way of life for 35 years.
     Schiller’s Dunedin facility houses 300 students from 80 different countries, and students can transfer between the school’s seven other campuses in six nations. "Our students find out how to deal with people from different cultures on a personal and professional level," says Sonia Ross, director of international admissions. "You literally can’t do anything in business if you don’t know your customers’ culture and how their finances work. As far as I’m concerned, it all started with Schiller."

Back                                Continued

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved