The Link FSC Parent Newsletter 8/24/12

Campus Announcements:

Weather Watch -The College’s Emergency Management Team continues to closely monitor Tropical Storm Isaac for any potential impact on our area.  We wanted to share with you three important sources of information that are especially valuable during periods of weather monitoring:

· Click on the Tropical Weather advisory on the lower left-hand corner of the home page: www.flsouthern.edu

· Call the campus Emergency Hotline for regular updates on the campus: (863) 680-4101

· Sign-up for the College’s text messaging system, a service available to students, faculty, staff, and families: www.flsouthern.edu/emanagement/e2campus.htm

As the safety of our students, faculty, and staff is of the upmost importance to us, we want to remind everyone that we have great resources in place to support the campus in all weather conditions. 

Most Beautiful Times 2! - For an unprecedented second consecutive year, Florida Southern College has been named the No. 1 Most Beautiful Campus in America by the prestigious Princeton Review. The ranking was announced this week in the 2013 edition of Princeton Review’s The Best 377 Colleges. Florida Southern received the same ranking in the 2012 edition of the college guide. The Most Beautiful Campus designation is a notable indicator of quality of life on college campuses, and Florida Southern’s inclusion in The Best 377 Colleges marks it as one of the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education. This is the first time The Princeton Review has given the Most Beautiful Campus designation to the same college in consecutive years. It is the third year in a row FSC has been in the top 10 in the college guide’s list of Most Beautiful Campuses.

And We’re Off and Running! - The College welcomed a class of 550 first-year students, which brought the total enrollment, including adult and graduate programs, to 2,450. First-year students represent 41 states and territories, and 4 percent are international students from 13 countries. Read all about our opening day. Florida Southern College Welcomes Nearly 550 Freshman For 129th Academic Year

Parents of new students: Download a 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10 of the Orientation incoming class photo at http://bit.ly/Qi3kxX (Be sure to download the original size to get the best results)

Here’s your link to everything Orientation: http://bit.ly/PyxIpo

New Digs - The temporary home of Chaplain Tim Wright and Assistant Dean of Students Mike Crawford is in the McKay Archive Building. Encourage your student to visit. The JRB, in the center of campus, is in the process of being transformed into the Fannin Ministry Center.

A New Addition – Your student has seen the cute posters. They’ve seen his guest appearances. Now your student can visit with him on a regular basis in the FSC Counseling Center. In case your student misses his/her own pet at home, invite him/her to make friends with Riley, our campus dog, weekdays from 2-3 p.m. The Counseling Center is located on the first floor of the Thrift Building, next to the pool. Feel free to follow along as Riley goes from puppy to dog on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/RileyAtFsc

WOW - That’s the word that’s used to describe the many campus events that have happened in just this past week. There was a hypnotist, the huge Bingo Bonanza prizes, a silent disco headphone party, an amazing club Blast Off event, and a hilarious comedian. Make sure your student looks for upcoming event advertisements.

Campus Elections - SGA is looking for students to run for its Senator position. Encourage your student to find out more information in the Center for Student Involvement, at the Bandshell.  Applications are due September 7 by 5:00 p.m.

Academic Reminders:

· Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day) – Students have classes

· TUESDAY – AUGUST 28 – Last day to register and adjust class schedules

Schedule of Upcoming Events:

Friday, August 24

· Price is Right, 7:30 p.m., Branscomb Auditorium, presented by Community Living, Great Prizes!

Saturday, August 25

· Hall Wars, 10:30 a.m., Barnett Field

· Day of Service

· Opening of Mr. George’s Green 5:30-7:30 p.m., (Wynee’s Saturday night meal of Steak or Shrimp will be served outside); music, games, prizes

Sunday, August 26

· Chapel, 11 a.m., Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

Don’t forget the Campus Ministry Retreat is September 14-15 and it’s totally FREE (plus you will get a cool t-shirt).  You can sign up at Chapel on Sunday mornings or at any campus ministry. 

· Mass, 1:30 p.m., Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

Monday, August 27

· Pizza from the Prez for all new students, 9 p.m. JR Lobby

Tuesday, Aug. 28

· CSI Block Party, 4-8 p.m., Mr. George’s Green

· TuTu’s Expansion Party, 9 p.m., TuTu’s Cyber Cafe

Wednesday, Aug. 29

· Volunteer Fair, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Honeyman Pavilion

· Academic Success Session, 10:40 a.m., Rogers Auditorium

Thursday, Aug. 30

· FSC men’s soccer vs. Coker, 7 p.m., Barnett Field

· Campus wide residence hall programming, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 1

· Labor Day Weekend Trip to the Magic Kingdom, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., see the Center for Student Involvement in the Bandshell for details.

Sunday, Sept. 2

· Chapel, 11 a.m., Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

Don’t forget the Campus Ministry Retreat is September 14-15 and it’s totally FREE (plus you will get a cool t-shirt).  You can sign up at Chapel on Sunday mornings or at any campus ministry. 

· Mass, 1:30 p.m., Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

· Multicultural Student Council Ice Cream Social, 2-4 p.m., Life and Cultural Center

· Labor Day Picnic with Faculty, 5:30 – 7:30 pm., Mr. George’s Green

A Look Ahead at Wynee’s Bistro:

Monday – Traveling the Caribbean

Tuesday – Stir Fry

Wednesday – Taco Bar

Thursday – Chopped Salad Bar (Lunch Only); Hungry Planet Greenland (dinner only); brownie night

Friday – Seafood Platter

Saturday – Steak and Shrimp Night

College Terrace – Popcorn Shrimp Basket

Cyber Café – Beef Stew and Rice Combo

Grill Master – Grilled Grouper Combo

In the News:

Jenkins Clubhouse To Be Home of FSC Baseball Team at Henley Field

Faculty-Student Collaboration Pays Off for Bruce Anderson’s Students

Malcolm Manners To Be Awarded ‘Nobel Prize’ of Roses

First-Year Advice:

Each fall, we’re reminded of how busy the beginning of the year is for all of us at FSC, especially for our new students getting settled into campus. Students begin to think about how they can best manage all of their commitments – academic, personal, athletic, and extracurricular just to name a few. Since this is a common question, we offer Time Management as our first Academic Improvement Session. The program is this upcoming Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 10:40 – 11:30 a.m. in Rogers Auditorium. Students who attend will leave with practical skills which they can apply immediately. Please encourage your student to attend.

Second-Year Insight:

We welcome back your Second-Year student!  Now that they have successfully completed their first year of college your student may be thinking a little more about the future.  Whether they have questions about courses or looking for guidance in choosing a major, the Student Solutions Center is here to help.  We will be on hand at many of the SYE events sponsored by Community Living as well as providing relevant programs and opportunities specifically geared towards students in their second year.  The first of such opportunities is during our Mocs Magic trip to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday, September 1.  Second-year students will have an exclusive visit with an FSC alum that has made a name for himself within the Disney organization.  Encourage your student to sign up today!

From the FSC Career Center:

Parents, we are gearing up for another excellent academic year! A big welcome to our first year students and parents, we hope your student is getting settled into our beautiful FSC campus. The Career Center staff has planned a variety of activities this fall to assist your student with major and career planning issues. We have a terrific “new” web page full of resources. Check us out at: www.flsouthern.edu/career. For our December graduates this is IT! Encourage your student to come to the Career Center to let us help prepare them for their career or graduate school. We are here to assist them as they plan for their future. They can stop by our office in the Thrift Bldg. (right next to the pool) or give us a call at 863-680-4390.

From the FSC Counseling Center:

Letting Go, at Least a Little Bit.  The day has finally arrived.  Your precious sons and daughters (who make it totally obvious they can’t wait to leave) are going away to college.  You, on the other hand, have been dreading this day.  You may wonder how to deal with this new stage of your child’s life, how to let go enough to allow your child to grow and develop into a successful adult but still maintain a strong and loving connection.  It’s not an easy process from the parents’ side of the equation.  The kids, of course, don’t appreciate your difficulty because, like all young creatures, they’re more focused on their own lives.  That’s as it should be.  The task is yours and it may help to remember that letting go means letting them go; you’re not going anywhere.  Whenever they need you, you’ll be there as always with your love and support.  Think of yourself as a tree in winter:  if you didn’t let go of the old leaves, there could be no new growth.

Rain Check.  Wouldn’t you know it, we’re two days into the semester and there’s a possibility of stormy weather coming our way.  For our Florida natives, it’s a pretty normal feature of this time of year.  Students and families from other parts of the country or the world, however, may be wondering what happens if a hurricane hits our area.  Please be assured that Florida Southern is well prepared and has a very thorough plan for every stage of weather response.  You and your students will be given information at each step of the way.  If your student is concerned or anxious, suggest that he or she check with an RA or other member of the Community Living staff who can give up-to-the-minute information regarding our campus weather response.  They are welcome to come by the Counseling Center and talk with one of our counselors if they feel the need.   Also, you can encourage your student to take a few useful steps now rather than later.  For instance, students should keep their electronic devices fully charged and refill any essential prescription medications.  Quite likely, we’ll just have a rainy, windy day or two but it’s good to be prepared, just in case.  As my mother always said, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”  

From the Nina B. Hollis Wellness Center:

The new school year has begun and new and returning students are encouraged to check out what’s happening at the Wellness Center.

FREE Personal Fitness Consulting

Through our Jump Start program, our fitness staff can help students reach their health and fitness goals.  We offer full fitness assessments, functional movement screenings, personalized exercise program design and instruction and nutrition education.  Contact Michele Cash at mcash@flsouthern.edu or 863-680-3894 for more information or to set up an appointment.  http://www.flsouthern.edu/wellness/fitness/jumpstart.htm

Group Exercise

Classes started this week and students will notice a number of new exciting additions to the schedule such as Indoor Cycling, Aura Cardio Dance, Yogalates, and Pump-It-Up, along with some returning favorites such as Zumba and Boot Camp. 

Check out our complete schedule at:  http://www.flsouthern.edu/wellness/fitness/documents/gx12_001.pdf

Intramurals

Volleyball and Kickball registrations are due Friday, August 31.

Bicycle Rental Program and Bike Repair Clinic

In addition to our daily bike checkout program we are again offering students an opportunity to get a bike for the entire school year.  This was a very popular program last year and we’ve expanded it.  Students can make an appointment with Michelle Thompson at mthompson3@flsouthern.edu or 863-680-3742 to check out a bike.  The cost up front is $100 for the entire year and when they return it in good condition at the end of the year they will get back up to $65.  This price includes a bicycle lock so they can keep it secured.  Additional items are available for their bike at a nominal cost.

Michelle will also hold a Bike Repair Clinic on Thursday, August 30, at 5pm for those interested in being able to maintain their own bicycles.  Sign up now at the front desk.  She will also hold a Bike Registration Drive for any student who has a bike on campus on the 30^th from 3-5pm. 

Outdoor Recreation

Sign up begins Monday, August 27, at the front desk for a Deep Sea Fishing Trip out of Clearwater.  Students will pay a $10 registration fee when they sign up to hold their spot on the trip and when they attend this will be refunded to them.  The trip will be on Saturday, September 8^th.

Student Health 101-A Parent Perspective

http://readsh101.com/flsouthern-pp.html

We hope you’ll enjoy this interactive parent’s companion to our Student Health 101 newsletter.

Sports Shorts:

Home action:

Fri. Aug. 17 Pasco-Hernandez CC (scrimmage) Lakeland 2:00 pm Volleyball

Tues. Aug. 21 Hillsborough CC (scrimmage) Lakeland 6:00 pm Volleyball

Tues. Aug. 21 Brandon (U-17) Lakeland 7:30 pm W. Soccer

Fri. Aug. 24 Men’s Club Team (scrimmage) Lakeland 5:00 pm M. Soccer

Sat. Aug. 25 Flagler (scrimmage) Lakeland 7:00 pm W. Soccer

Final Thoughts – For those of you who have received the parent newsletter in the past, I know you’ve probably heard me say this before - there’s no better time to be part of Florida Southern. While that was true then, those words ring even truer now! From the national recognitions we continue to receive, to the outstanding faculty and staff committed to the students, to the students themselves who bring so much energy, excitement and just plain fun to campus, this place continues to shine in so many incredible ways. This summer, I was promoted and asked to move from Student Development to the Student Solutions Center, where I now serve as Associate Dean. I’m excited this new opportunity will allow me to touch the lives of students in an even greater capacity. I’m thrilled to be able to continue to reach out to you through the parent newsletter. I’m proud to be a part of FSC.

All the best – Shari

Shari Szabo

Associate Dean of Student Success

Florida Southern College

111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive

Lakeland, FL 33801-5698