On February 10th, as part of FSU’s annual 7 Days of Opening Nights arts festival, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award winning author Jennifer Egan made an appearance explaining how writing her acclaimed novel, A Visit From the Goon Squad, was akin to creating a concept album.
National Signing Day, a 24-hour period in which college football fans and coaches all across the country hunker down in front of their TVs, anxiously check their phones, and relentlessly refresh their computer screens, occurred this year on February 1st. Each year, the decisions of high school athletes going on to play sports at the college level dictate how confident fans and coaches are in their football program’s future success. Getting the athletes they want can make Signing Day a day of elation, but experiencing the horrors of unsure eighteen-year-old athletes decommitting can lead to despair.
On January 26th, Senator Rick Santorum made a quiet appearance at an event sponsored by the College Republicans at Florida State University. The event occurred with little to no publication on campus but managed to fill up the State Ballroom, even at 9:00am on a Thursday.
Wednesday night, Cornel West addressed the FSU students and members of the Tallahassee community in the Ruby Diamond Auditorium. He began his lecture, a mesh of Socratic questioning and prophetic wisdom, by emphasizing the importance of deep knowledge and a critical examination of ourselves.
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Any of you who frequent the west end of FSU’s campus have certainly noticed (and been regularly inconvenienced by) the new building going up beside Wildwood Hall. This new building – dubbed Wildwood Phase II – is the latest addition to campus housing and will be connected administratively with the original Wildwood building. Currently it is slated to open for residence in the Summer semester of 2012, and judging by the rapid progress they’ve made over the course of the past year there don’t seem to be any concerns of delay.
If you’ve seen the Evil Dead movies, then you’re in for a treat. A few years ago some brilliant souls transformed Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies into a raunchy musical with plenty of gore that’s sure to please audiences. While it helps if you have seen the movies, it is not necessary to understand the plot. When a story begins with five college students heading to a deserted cabin in the woods it is pretty obvious where it is headed. Those who have seen the movies should be able to recognize some of their favorite lines.
*Take note that the infamous “tree rape” scene is absent from the musical.
If you heard the words “Krispy Kreme Challenge” you might guess that it had something to do with eating a lot of donuts and trying not to puke afterwards. The official challenge, which happened here in Tallahasse on February 5th, took this idea a step further by requiring participants to consume a dozen donuts in the middle of a four mile marathon.
Florida State University President Thomas “T.K.” Wetherell continued the tradition of passing the torch of leadership to his successor and FSU’s 14th president, Eric Barron, on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
In his six-year tenure of managing the university, Wetherell promoted both athletics and academics substantially, as well as emphasizing the growth of campus aesthetics, especially with FSU’s Legacy Walk through the scenic parts of the university.
“The most visible part of his achievements are the bricks and mortar you see around campus,” said Wetherell’s wife, Virginia. She made a point to acknowledge his academic achievements but neglected to list them in an attempt to “keep it short.”
Brothers of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity discuss the days proceedings behind Wetherell's new statue, donated to the alumnus of their chapter at Florida State.
Mrs. Wetherell’s speech was followed by that of Phi Delta Theta fraternity’s alumni advisor, announcing and unveiling the statue dedicated to President Wetherell, a brother from Florida State’s Phi Delta Theta chapter. The statue sits opposite university founder Francis Eppes at the Westcott Plaza.
Student Body President Robert Jakubik then welcomed President Wetherell to the podium for his final address as President of FSU.
“It’s difficult to put into words how special it’s been for us, especially me, being an alumnus,” said Wetherell, discussing his history with the university since beginning as a student.
During his speech Wetherell brought up importance of Heritage Day to the university.
“It’s been an opportunity for those of us who are FSU alum, donors, boosters, friends of the university, to come together and recognize what an outstanding institution Florida State is, but the opportunity also, to really showcase the programs that we have, showcase our faculty and showcase our students,” said Wetherell.
After thanking D’Alemberte for beginning the Heritage Day tradition, Wetherell stepped away from the podium. Barron then addressed the crowd, promising to uphold the values emblazoned across FSU’s seal: Vires, Artes, and Mores (strength, skill, and character).
Incoming President Eric Barron address the crowd, promising progress in education and tradition during his tenure at Florida State.
“When I see all of our values and our history and it’s cherished by our students, it underscores what a special institution this really is,” said Barron, now the second consecutive alumnus of Florida State to assume the role of University President.
Wetherell is expected to stay with the Florida State family and reignite his teaching career. Before stepping up to be a university president, Wetherell was a professor of education at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla. His vocation was not mentioned during the proceedings, but it was made clear that he would like to begin as soon as possible.
The day ended with performances from the Flying High Circus and the Marching Chiefs.
