Florida Southern College
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Pretty much every sport. The Mocs have netted twenty-seven national championships and nearly a hundred conference titles. Make sure to get in with the Snake Pit, our student fan section.
- 5Ks. Seriously, there's one on Lake Hollingsworth at least once a week.
- Fall break, something many schools go without. Need I say more?
- Business, biology, education, nursing, and psychology are my most popular areas of study, and the professors here are incredibly passionate about both their disciplines and their students.
- Puns. If there's a way to put the word "Moc" into a title, we'll be sure to do it. Like, if we had an arena, it'd be the Moc-arena. You get the idea.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Flip-flops and sunglasses. You'll need them year-round, you poor thing.
- A sense of adventure. There are rivers, beaches, and national parks all waiting to be explored. Not to mention five different theme parks within a fifty-mile radius.
- Gym clothes. Being active is a huge part of Moccasin culture, whether it's training for that half-marathon or taking a kayak out on the lake for the day.
- School spirit. Although my students are small in number, they are fierce.
- Transportation. If you want to go downtown, I'd suggest a car, a friend with a car, a car with a friend, or a bicycle. Public transportation is not my forte.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- USA Today has ranked me as "The Most Beautiful College" twice in the past five years. I'm kind of a big deal.
- Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. It's one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most celebrated pieces of architecture. Legoland actually created a lego version of the building.
- Citrus Hall of Fame. Yes, I know it's a random name, but I live in Florida—what do you expect?
- Waterskiing. My waterski team is nationally ranked, and it's the only D1 sport at my school.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
Like I said before, Lakeland is a sleepy town, but that doesn't stop my students from having a killer time. Greek life throws plenty of parties both on and off campus. A few blocks away is Kau Kau Koner Pub, a.k.a. "Kaus." It's the perfect combination of grime and tradition. Students have been packing the bar since the '70s.
Other popular activities include sporting events (especially basketball and volleyball) and whatever shows my talented theater department is putting on. My guilty pleasures include ordering Palace Pizza (ham and pineapple), getting fro-yo from the Terrace Café, and binge-watching Orange is the New Black.
Favorite Hangouts:
- Lakeside Village. Restaurants, shopping, ice cream, and a movie theater in an open-air setting. It's like the mall, except better.
- Tutus. This is a Starbucks-brewin' café attached to the Roux Library. It stays open until 3:00AM most nights and is one of the most popular places on campus, a.k.a. the spot where everybody pretends to study.
- Southern Landing, the park right next to Lake Hollingsworth. It's calm, beautiful, and (most importantly) has free WiFi. Score.
Quirks:
- If you have an irrational phobia of cats, beware. Somehow, I've become the home of dozens of wild cats, and you'll see them from time to time on campus. Not to worry, though—they're totally vaccinated. Most of my students love our unofficial feline mascots.
- Dry campus. That's right, that's zero alcohol. Due to our affiliation with the Methodist Church, we are technically a dry campus. If you're careless, this could lead you into some trouble with campus safety or your resident advisor.
Famous Alumni:
- Charleene Closshey, actress
- Matt Joyce, outfielder for the LA Angels
- Chuck Wicks, American country singer
- Allan Gutierrez Castro, swimmer in the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Brice Marden, minimalist New York painter