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Other Best of Categories
Best Party
     Palm Beach Atlantic College students rave about the psychedelic techno dance party that student activities throws during welcome back week each fall. In its third year, The Rave is a big deal on campus—nearly 300 students dance the night away in a union room decorated with glow in the dark graffiti and black lights. "Ours is a Christian Rave," says Janice Trigg, director of student activities. Trigg says college President Paul Corts does hand out non-alcoholic drinks during the festivities. "At some raves, drugs are sold and taken, but our focus isn’t on what there is to consume, but on being there," she says.

Best College Town
     Miami’s hot—and it’s not just the Heat basketball team’s winning record. Florida’s largest city is home to more than a dozen colleges, including the University of Miami, Barry University, Florida Memorial College, Trinity International University, Florida International University, the International Fine Arts College, St. Thomas University, and the four campuses of Miami-Dade Community College.
     Students certainly can’t complain about nothing to do—Miamians enjoy the nightlife of South Beach, the white-sand coast, and professional sports including the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Panthers hockey squad, and the world-champion Florida Marlins—not to mention world-class shopping, malls, museums, and seaports for cruises. Miami is probably Florida’s number-one multicultural mecca as well—more than 60 percent of the population is Hispanic or African American. Another claim to fame: Miami is home to big Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone and Madonna. (See photo, pg.25)

Best Alternative Mascot
     University of Florida fans’ favorite way to show their spirit, the Gator chomp, has been endangered by the Gator hop, since a new mascot leaped onto the scene last summer. Dubbed the Gator grasshopper by student Jason Squitier who discovered the insect, Pardalophora phoenicoptera has orange and blue legs, orange hind wings, and a mottled torso that looks a bit like alligator hide. (See photo, pg. 22)

Best Tradition
     "Taste of Trinity" allows Trinity International University, South Florida Campus to showcase its rich, full flavors of programs to the community and prospective enrollees. Students and staff give tours, discuss the school’s undergrad, graduate, and EXCEL degree-completion programs for adult learners. Your cup will be filled to the brim with useful information about life at Trinity, originally known as Miami Christian College. The University now serves 500 students representing 30 countries, according to Haidy Mata, assistant director for public relations.

Best New Degree
     Students in Miami-Dade Community College’s new music business program learn the fa-la-la-laws of the entertainment industry. Not only are they instructed in the art of negotiating and drafting contracts, they also learn producing and computing aspects. Faculty members directly from the music world were drummed up to lead those enrolled in only the second such program in the state. (See photo, p. 23)

Best New Course
     Criminals better watch out as students from the University of North Florida are learning the benefits of a neighborhood watch in a new course, "Neighborhoods." Taught by student directors, honor classes are divided into teams and become non-resident members of four at-risk communities in Jacksonville, according to founder Elaine Reynolds, a student teacher. Students attend neighborhood meetings, help out with Neighborhood Watch, and organize improvement events. Students also have access to speakers from the community to teach them skills such as conflict resolution and code-enforcement awareness.

Best Campus DJ
     Greg Baker gets everyone off to a good start with his morning program Rock Shop on Flagler College Radio, WFCF 88.5 FM. As a student at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Baker needed just a few minor studio adjustments to hit the airwaves with his classic and alternative rock block on Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. Station Manager Dan McCook says he was so impressed with the 19-year-old’s love of radio that he hired him, and Baker’s visual impairment has been a "non-issue" ever since.

Best Alternative Radio
     Care to listen to Cookin’ Kate read recipes or maybe just vibe on Matt and Hillary’s Grateful Dead-triphop selections? If you attend New College at USF, you probably already do. With almost 60 public access shows, the school’s Experimental Radio started last April to provide neuvo collegians with both creative outlets and on-air listening options, explains Jacob Reimer, who helped to revive the station. Currently, those offerings include, "Nylon Sponge and Jungle Jive," "Drinking Tips and Other War Stories," and "Goulash Live."

Best Anniversary
     Chipola Junior College celebrated its golden anniversary by going back in time. The college invited retired professors and past SGA presidents to participate in the burial ceremony of a time capsule. With nearly 400 faculty, staff, and students crowded into the college’s Art Center to see the 50 items buried, including a baseball uniform, a college TV tape, and the school newspaper, according to Bryan Craven, director of public relations.

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