SFSC PBL Students Advance to National Competition

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 31, 2015–Eleven South Florida State College (SFSC) students were among the top winners in events testing their business knowledge and skills during the 65th Annual Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) State Leadership Conference and Competition held in Orlando, March 26 – 29.

After two days of testing and presentations, nine SFSC students placed in the top five in the state in nine different categories including sales presentation, management concepts, hospitality management, project management, entrepreneurship concepts, information management, organizational behavior and leadership, help desk, and human resource management. SFSC PBL member’s placements included one first place, four second place, two third place, one fourth place, and two fifth place finishes. In addition, five SFSC students qualified to represent Florida at the PBL National Leadership Conference this summer in Chicago, IL. Representing SFSC and Florida at the national competition will be Martile Blackman, Mario Barajas, Michael Nyhan, Catherine Steiner, and Elizabeth Batts.

“SFSC’s PBL students spent countless hours preparing, studying, and fundraising in order to attend the conference,” said Adam Martin, PBL advisor and instructor, SFSC Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management Program. “Their performance and awards demonstrate not only their own academic excellence, but also the quality of instruction at SFSC.”

The annual state conference and competition attracted over 400 college and university students from around the state that competed in over 60 different business related categories, including subjects ranging from economics and business decision making to public speaking and marketing. SFSC’s competition included students from Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, Florida International University, Webber International, Saint Leo University, and many state colleges.

“Over the next three months, these student will study and prepare for the National Leadership Conference where they will compete against other top state winners while continuing to raise funds to help pay for their travel and lodging expenses,” Martin said.

PBL is the post-secondary division of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) organization, which is the largest business career student organization in the world.  PBL’s National Awards Program recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 31, 2015–Saturday was a special day at SFSC’s Panther Field as over 250 people watched Jade Jackson, sporting a new Panther home Jersey with her name on it, open the Panther baseball game by throwing the first pitch with all her family circled around the mound.

The event hosted by SFSC’s Athletic Department raised $1,446 for the Jade Jackson Fund, which supports the 16-year-old daughter of Jackie and Greg Jackson, who is battling brain cancer. The Jackson family has many ties to Panther Athletics. Jade’s brothers, Kyle and Ty, played baseball for SFSC, and her grandfather, Clay Gooch, coached Panther baseball for 15 years.

“It was our pleasure to have Jade Jackson and her family as our guest on Saturday,” said Rick Hitt, SFSC Athletic Director and Head Baseball Coach. “My hope was to hopefully have her just enjoy the day with her family, and share some time with family and friends. If for just a little while she felt special or simply just enjoyed herself that was the goal.”

“I hope the small amount of money raised can help with something, but the ultimate goal was for Jade to have an enjoyable day,” Hitt said. “I would like thank everyone who came out in support of this event, our coaches, and our student athletes who helped as well.”

The Panthers swept the doubleheader from the University of Tampa B winning game one 3-2 and game two 5-4 in extra innings.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 27, 2015–South Florida State College (SFSC) continues its yearlong celebration of the college’s 50^th anniversary with a tribute to the 1960s. That 60’s Show will be held Friday, June 26, 7:30 p.m., at the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts, SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park.

Relive the music, the culture, the fashion, and the good vibrations of a decade during That 60’s Show. The performance features songs from favorite ‘60s artists, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Dion, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and more. It’s a nostalgic trip back to the days of peace, love, war, protest, hippies, flower power, and rock and roll. That 60’s Show will blow audience members away with cutting edge production, multi-media, sound and lights, and live performances of all the biggest hits that defined an era. This performance is sponsored by the Jarrett Family Foundation. 

Tickets for That 60’s Show are on sale now for $19.65 for all seats. This early bird price is available through midnight, May 20. Regular ticket prices begin May 21 and will be $27, $25, and $22. To purchase tickets online and to see a performance preview, click the Summer Series at www.sfscarts.org. Tickets purchased online will be emailed to patrons to print out at home.  Tickets can also be purchased at the SFSC Box Office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The Box Office is located at the front entrance of the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts. For more information, call 863-784-7178. 

SFSC was founded as South Florida Junior College on July 7, 1965. The college serves DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties and is one of 28 colleges in the Florida College System.  The SFSC 50^th anniversary sponsors are the SFSC Foundation, Inc., Harbor Community Bank, Dental Care of Mid-Florida, and the News-Sun.

Sixth Annual Panther 5K Run/Walk Adds 50-Mile Bike Ride

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE PANTHER 5k RUN/WALK

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 9, 2015–South Florida State College’s sixth annual Panther 5K Run/Walk had a dual purpose on Saturday: raising money for the college’s athletics programs and celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

To make the anniversary celebration unique, this year’s event gave participants the choice of taking part in the 5K run/walk around the scenic Highlands Campus or making a 50-mile bike ride from the Highlands Campus to the Lake Placid Center and back.

Thirty-two cyclists chose to take part in the inaugural bike ride, which left at 7:30 a.m. The Panther 5K Run/Walk began at 8 a.m. with 168 runners and walkers embarking on a route from the SFSC University Center, past the Tower of Enlightenment mural and the Dr. Norman L. Stephens Jr. Health and Science Education Center, then down College Drive to Memorial Drive – and back again by way of the SFSC Theatre for the Performing Arts.

The run/walk attracted everyone from children in strollers, who were pushed around the course by moms and dads, to runners in their 70s and 80s, as well as a few canine companions. SFSC’s mascot Pete the Panther greeted 5K fans and encouraged tired runners as they approached the end of the course.

The 5K race and 50-mile bike ride were organized by the SFSC Foundation, Inc. James Broen, professor of biology and chemistry, was instrumental in organizing the bike ride.

Donald Appelquist, executive director of the SFSC Foundation, led cyclists on the college’s first 50-mile bike ride. “The bike ride was a wonderful success, with 32 riders ranging in age from 9 to 75. The temperature was perfect, but wind was a challenge, at least for some of us.  We rode from the Highlands Campus in Avon Park to the Lake Placid Center, where we took a rest break, and back.  I think everyone had a good time, and most are hoping that we’ll do it again next year.”

The Panther 5K Run/Walk was equally successful in providing a fun day for families and in showing off college in its 50^th year, said Rick Hitt, the college’s athletic director and head baseball coach. “The sixth annual 5K was a great success, thanks to all who participated and to our gracious sponsors. We look forward to the 2016 5K with great anticipation.”

The SFSC Panther 5K Run/Walk and 50-Mile Bike Ride were sponsored by the Jarrett Family Foundation, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, State S­enator Denise Grimsley, Florida Hospital Heartland, Bike Shop, Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, Dr. Patrice Holman Nelson, Wauchula State Bank, Cliff Ables, Donald Appelquist, Association of Florida Colleges, Dr. Deborah Fuschetti, David and Michelle Leidel, Winn-Dixie Super Markets, and Joe Wright.

Panther 5K Run/Walk Finalists

Results from the sixth annual Panther 5K Run/Walk, held on Saturday at the SFSC Highlands Campus, are as follows:

• Male Open Winner: Dylan Branch, age 13, 18:29.8
• Female Open Winner: Zoe Wortinger, age 10, 20:53.5         
• Male Masters Winner: Chris Doty, age 45, 21:44.1                                                                  
• Female Masters Winner: Aleesa White, age 42, 24:34.9
• Male Grand Masters Winner: Jim Recto, age 74, 27:02.9
• Female Grand Masters Winner: Bettye Hart, age 63, 34:38.7

Female Finalists

Age Eight and Under: first, Jamilynn Davidson, 34:37.8; Age 9-11: first, Kinsley White, 23:26.1, second, Cariyn Bobo, 24:03.4, and third, Jazmine White, 42:31.7; Age 12-14: first, Vedi Persad, 28:42.6, second, Katelyn Van Fleet, 34:28.0, and third, Sarah True, 35:59.9; Age 15-19: first, Savannah Oldfield, 27:26.1; second, Julia Van Fleet, 28:27.0, and third, Jessica Sturgill, 32:50.9; Age 20-24: first, Breighly Bolton, 25:48.7, and second, Josephine Walker, 40:20.4; Age 25-29: first, Brittani Loury, 25:51.2, second, Jennifer Conerly, 31:45.8, and third, Maria Diaz, 41:29.1; Age 30-34: first, Summer Laye, 27:47.3, second, Leah Seyer, 36:22.6, and third, Cara Ward, 39:01.1; Age 35-39: first, Stephanie White, 23:28.2, second, Heather Esquibel, 28:12.1, and third, Trisha Johnson, 31:41.1; Age 40-44: first, Theresa Juliano, 24:38.5, second, Christine Gilbert, 27:16.9, and third, Stacy Clark-LaMorte, 28:39.3; Age 45-49: first, Karin Doty, 26:45.1, second, Elaine Daff, 28:08.7, and third, Dana O’Rourke, 30:01.1; Age 50-54: first, Lisa Foster, 25:48.8, second, Lynn Reasoner, 28:46.7, and third, Brenda Johnston, 36:26.3; Age 55-59: first, Maureen Olson, 28:09.0, second, Martie Brooker, 29:48.2, and third, Shirley Whitsitt, 37:09.1; Age 60-64: first, Ann Frakes, 34:46.3, and second, Dawn Pisarski, 50:10.3; Age 65-69: first, Mary Ann Henry, 42:24.6, second, Deborah Fuschetti, 43:31.5, and third, Sharon Wright, 1:03:39.3; Age 70-74: first, Nancy Dale, 38:20.4; Age 75-79: first, Lois Hotchkiss, 37:08.7, and second, Audrey Smith, 40:46.6.

Male Finalists

Age Eight and Under: first, Austin Ulm, 26:23.3, second, Connor McDaniel, 26:57.3, and third, Brooker Revell, 27:27.8; Age 9-11: first, Zachary Van Fleet, 21:38.0, and second, Christopher Garrison, 41:33.0; Age 12-14: first, Chase Doty, 20:49.3, and second, Keegan White, 20:53.0; Age 15-19: first, Trevor Doty, 19:45.4, and second, Michael DiVietro, 28:02.8; Age 25-29: Ian Naylor, 24:21.3, and second, Joseph Vincent, 40:25.6; Age 30-34: first, Jeremy Vincent, 24:48.4; Age 35-39: first, John McDaniel, 21:34.1, second, Shane White, 23:15.6, and third, Shannon Peacock, 23:41.1; Age 40-44: first, Robert Lusby, 29:00.6, and second, John Collier, 41:52.0; Age 45-49: first, Steve Ashworth, 28:02.3, and second, Lynn Phelps, 49:43.2; Age 55-59: first, Joe Wright, 25:24.6, second, Ken Olson, 31:23.1, and third, Robert Johnston, 35:25.9; Age 60-64: first, Randy Severn, 27:27.3, and second, Ken Broekema, 41:00.4; Age 65-69: first, Charlie Potter, 28:25.9, second, Roderick Matthews, 29:59.8, and third, Kenny Vincent, 38:52.3; Age 75-79: first, Harold Smith, 31:32.5; and Age 80 and Over: first, Ken Filppula, 45:13.5.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 5, 2015–Members of the South Florida State College (SFSC) Brain Bowl Team recently competed and placed ninth nationally in a field of 24 teams at the 2015 National Academic Quiz Tournament (NAQT) Community College Championship Tournament (CCCT), held Feb. 27 – 28 in Atlanta, Ga.

SFSC’s Brain Bowl team of Logan Boyd, Mike Cao, Christian Reitnauer, Garrett Edenfield, Mattew Estiana, and Jordan Thorton finished with eight wins and three losses. Out of the 121 players present, SFSC team member Christian Reitnauer was the ninth highest individual scorer, coming ahead of many veteran Brain Bowlers from colleges like Chipola College and Seminole State College. Cao placed 24th, Boyd placed 61st, Thorton placed 80th, Edenfield placed 86th, and Estiana placed 1ooth in the individual standings.

“I am proud that our team was able to make it to nationals and even more proud of how well we did there,” said Cheryl John, Brain Bowl co-advisor. “In addition to the weekly practices held by Dr. Deery, we had a scrimmage to prepare for the tournament.”

The team secured a spot in this year’s National Community College Championship Tournament after placing fourth in the NAQT’s Sectional Tournament at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, in Jan.

In addition to SFSC’s team, nine other colleges from the Florida College System competed at the NAQT’s Community College Championship Tournament including Broward College, College of Central Florida, Seminole State College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Tallahassee Community College, Chipola College, Northwest Florida State College, Florida Gateway College, and Valencia College.

The season isn’t quite over for SFSC’s Brain Bowl team, as they will be competing in the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) State Tournament March 12 – 14 at Pasco-Hernando State College, Wesley Chapel.

For more information on NAQT, visit https://www.naqt.com/. For more information on SFSC’s Brain Bowl team, contact John at 863-784-7234 or Cheryl.John@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 4, 2015–Six Honors Program students recently represented South Florida State College (SFSC) by presenting their undergraduate research at the Florida Collegiate Honors Conference in Miami Feb. 20 – 22. Presenting on behalf of SFSC was Mariana Becker, Nicole Darder, Gary Gergen, Patrick Swofford, Christian Reitnauer, and Dylan Whiteman.

The Florida Collegiate Honors Council is a professional association of undergraduate honors programs and colleges in Florida. Since the 1990s, it has hosted an annual conference, allowing honors professionals and students the opportunity to network, to share honors expertise, and to hear presentations from across many disciplines. SFSC’s Honors Program has attended and presented at the conference every year since 2003.

“At these conferences, our students have a chance to meet and network with other honors students statewide,” said Dr. Charlotte Pressler, SFSC’s Honors Program director. “If they plan to transfer to a Florida university, they can talk with students who already attend the school of their choice, and get the students’ views. Our honors students also learn how to give an academic talk to an audience of over 250 students, professors, and honors directors from other colleges in Florida. It’s several steps up from the in-class presentation and helps them polish the skills they will need when they transfer to a competitive university setting.”

According to Dr. Pressler, students interested in presenting at the conference had to submit proposals to a conference organizing committee for acceptance, a procedure used for most academic conferences. These students had originally done their research as term projects for the courses they took and their instructors invited them to submit proposals.

Students prepared for the conference by working very closely with their instructors to edit their research papers down to a form suitable for a conference presentation. Christian Negron of SFSC’s e-Learning Department was also able to give invaluable help with creating the students PowerPoint presentations.

Becker, Darder, Gergen, and Swofford, along with their professors Erik Christensen and Dr. James Hawker, presented research on SFSC’s Fall 2014 Honors Seminar called “Introduction to Astrobiology: The Search for Life Beyond Earth.” Christensen and Dr. Hawker described the innovative pedagogy of the interdisciplinary capstone course, which used the ‘flipped classroom’ to promote undergraduate research at the two-year college level. Becker’s research asked “How Could Comets Have Contributed to Life on Earth?,” raising the possibility that elements crucial to the beginnings of life on earth were seeded here by comets. Darder described the physiological and psychological barriers to prolonged human space travel as well as potential mitigations or +solutions in “The Trip to Mars and Its Effects on Humans.” Gergen’s research described the barriers created by galactic cosmic rays to human space travel, and Swafford described methods of terraforming the planet Mars.

Through self-directed research projects on Florida themes, first-year students in the fall 2014 Honors Freshman English I course, taught by Dr. Pressler, learned to synthesize primary and secondary sources and reflect critically on their research. The course used ‘flipped classroom’ pedagogy and sponsored a service-learning project in a local museum’s archives. Whiteman, a dual-enrollment student from Sebring High School, presented critiques of Disney World from the urban studies perspective of Richard E. Fogelsong and the sociological perspective of Jean Baudrillard. Reitnauer presented “By Land and By Sea: The Construction of the Florida East Coast Railway,” focusing on the engineers, laborers, mechanics, and others who were the actual builders of “Flagler’s Railroad.”

SFSC’s Honor Program offers students intellectual development, cultural enrichment, smaller classes, scholarship opportunities, and special recognition at the graduation ceremony as well as an Honors endorsement on their Associate in Arts degree and transcript. For more information about SFSC’s Honors Program, contact Dr. Charlotte Pressler, director, SFSC Honors Program, and professor, English and Humanities, at 863-784-7247.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 4, 2015–The Heartland Games for Active Adults is sanctioned by the Florida Sports Foundation. The games were created to encourage and promote healthy lifestyles for anyone over 50 years old and to provide them an opportunity to compete at the local, state, and national levels. 

Events will be held throughout Highlands County in cycling, swimming, shuffleboard, bowling, pickleball, golf, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, and track and field. Medals are awarded for first, second, and third place, male and female, in each sport and age category.  

Register in Building B, on the SFSC Highlands Campus, or at any SFSC campus or center. For more information, contact Lauren Reddick, Community Education, at 863-784-7388 or email CommunityEducation@southflorida.edu, or visit http://www.southflorida.edu/community/community-education/heartland-games-active-adults.

AVON PARK, Fla.–March 4, 2015–The Pygmy Fringe Tree, a shrub native to Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge, has inspired three organizations in Highlands and Polk counties to celebrate it through the Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival, March 12-14. South Florida State College (SFSC), Bok Tower Gardens, and Archbold Biological Station offer guided walks and a student art show, honoring the Pygmy Fringe Tree in its natural environment. 

Thursday, March 12, 11 a.m.-noon, SFSC in Avon Park presents wildflower walks on the Wildflower Wayside Shrine Trail and a student art show, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC).  

Trail walks to see spring wildflowers on the Lake Wales Ridge will be available:

Friday, March 13, 10 a.m.-noon, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales

Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m.-noon, Archbold Biological Station in Venus 

“The Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower Festival is a way to bring attention to the unique habitat of the Lake Wales Ridge,” said Mollie Doctrow, curator, SFSC MOFAC. “Visit one of the festival sites, take a guided walk, and learn about the flowering spring plants on the ridge. It’s a close-up environment with a special kind of beauty.” 

The Pygmy Fringe Tree is an endangered species, growing primarily in the scrub and Turkey Oak Sandhills on the Lake Wales Ridge. It grows to 6 feet. Its small white flowers are sweet smelling and bloom late February through March.  

The Lake Wales Ridge is part of a distinct natural region in Central Florida and is an ancient beach and sand dune system formed 1-3 million years ago. The Lake Wales Ridge has one of the highest concentrations of threatened and endangered plants and animals in the United States. 

For more information, visit www.fringetreewildflowerfestival.com or contact these organizations:

SFSC MOFAC, 863-784-7240 or www.mofac.org.

Bok Tower Gardens, 863-676-1408 or boktowergardens.org

Archbold Biological Station, 863-465-2571 or www.archbold-station.org