As a child, Patrick Moser remembers being freaked out the first time he saw the famed 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage that supposedly documented “Bigfoot” traipsing through a California forest.

Now, that uneasiness has led Moser, the chair of the art and design department at Flagler College, to venture into the realm of video with a piece called “Patty Goes.” It was screened at the Fundada Artists’ Film Festival in Wakefield, England, in the summer of 2011.

Photo by Scott Smith, '04

He’s had exhibits at The Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, the Naples Museum of Art in Florida, and even the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies in New York.

But video is something new, and that interest developed during a research sabbatical when Moser began composing his short film. He took 400 individual painted stills and streamed them together to make a moving image of the mythical creature.

“I’m trained as a painter, but I live in the same world you do — this world of technology,” he said, describing the film as “painted animation.” “I love film, movies and video and I’ve always wanted to play with animation, essentially making the material move. It was really just a trial to see if I could do it.”

Moser says the pet project was his escape when work got tough elsewhere.

“What I would do is when I would get frustrated working on other projects, I’d come back to this,” Moser said. “It was such a labor-intensive process that I didn’t have to think about it. I could just get lost in it.”

And while the idea of 400 stills sounds like an enormous undertaking, Moser is quick to point out that it’s not as intimidating as it sounds.

“It basically is 400 individual stills, but they aren’t individual paintings,” he explained. “I’d create an image, take a picture, maybe make a couple marks, then take another picture.”

But why devote so much time to a (possibly) fictional creature?

“I think that footage is kind of performance art and I appreciate the lengths those guys went to construct it, so I was kind of trying to celebrate it,” Moser said.

Moser wasn’t always so sure about the artistic path he’d undertaken. Although he was the kid who could draw really well in school, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He ended up in business school, silently harboring dreams of being an artist.

“I didn’t realize I’d made a mistake until I graduated,” he said. “I was in interviews with companies and when I saw what I would be doing with my business degree, I realized I’d made a horrible mistake. That’s not a slight on business; it’s just that for me I didn’t realize what it meant for my everyday life.”

After returning to school and earning a bachelor of fine arts degree at East Carolina University and master of fine arts degree from the University of Florida, Moser began teaching painting and drawing classes at Flagler College in 2000.

I’m trained as a painter, but I live in the same world you do — this world of technology…I love film, movies and video and I’ve always wanted to play with animation, essentially making the material move. It was really just a trial to see if I could do it.

“Initially I didn’t want to be a teacher because I thought I had more important things to do. But as soon as I began to do it in graduate school, I realized how rewarding it was and that it was an area where I could grow creatively,” he said. “Every artist’s fear is that teaching will stifle creativity, but that has not been the case.”

Eleven years later, Moser finds himself the chair of the art and design department and with a successful art portfolio. He said it is thanks in part to the faculty and students he works with who inspire him.

“The art department isn’t somewhere to come to just hang out. Students will come and they’ll really get challenged and have to work. We’re very fortunate to have the tools we have,” said Moser, referring to Flagler’s bachelor of fine arts program, the Molly Wiley Art Building and the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum. “Those things have allowed a department that’s extremely strong and gifted to realize its potential. We are at a moment where we’re really operating at optimum capacity creatively because we have the resources and an incredible faculty to do it with.”

They’ve been sitting on evidence shelves collecting dust — violent criminal cases that have gone cold. The files — some 20 to 30 years old — are filled with leads that didn’t pan out, witness statements, crime scene photographs, and in many cases, DNA evidence that has never been tested.

Now a new $219,000 grant for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office will help re-open many of those cases, and it’s all thanks to two Flagler College Public Administration alumni.

Sgt. Howard Cole and Cpl. Catherine Payne, both 2010 graduates, put together the application for the National Institute of Justice’s “Solving Cold Cases with DNA” grant.

In the fall of 2011, they found out the agency was one of only three Florida law enforcement agencies to share in the $4.3 million divvied out nationwide. The cities of Hollywood and Jacksonville were the other two Florida grant winners. 

“It’s a huge deal – especially now with the financial times the way they are – to get that kind of money,” said Cole, supervisor of the agency’s robbery/homicide division. “Typically the bigger jurisdictions do get it. I think maybe we just made our case.”

The grant is designed to help law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and crime labs throughout the United States who have begun taking a new look at cold cases, partly due to advances in DNA testing. Often DNA allows investigators to take a fresh look at cases that have languished and even identify new suspects.

Cole said the office believes there are about 30 cold cases with good evidence in storage that could benefit from the grant. Some date back to the 1970s, but most are from ‘80s and ‘90s.

“We’ve been working these cases already, but it kind of changes our focus a little bit more toward this DNA,” he said.

Cole and Payne say it’s rewarding to know that the grant may help to bring closure to families who have struggled for years, and even decades, with unsolved cases.

“Even if you solve one case out of this, you can’t put a price tag on it,” Payne said.

“These are real people who live this every day,” Cole added about loved ones who are still waiting for answers. “When you deal with the family members of these victims, you realize that every day they think about this. It’s tragic and they live with it every day.”

Cole and Payne said a case the Sheriff’s Office solved in 2008 was the impetus for reopening more cold cases. It stemmed from a lengthy investigation into a 25-year-old woman, who had been missing for 8 years, that ended with the murder conviction of her boyfriend.

“That kind of gave us the avenue to the sheriff to say, ‘this is important,’ ” Cole said.

St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar, who has been a strong supporter of the college’s public administration program since its inception, says there is great potential for solving more cold cases.

“With assistance from this grant, it is my hope that our investigators can give closure to the families and friends of murder victims of these older cases,” he said.

Cole, a 12-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, started putting together the grant application while at Flagler.

Launched in 2003, the public admisistration program is designed for nontraditional-aged students who already have their associate’s degree. Many of the students work as law enforcement officers or firefighters, and through night and weekend classes they get a bachelor’s degree that will help them advance in a variety of government careers.

They also learn skills like Cole did in Assistant Professor of Public Administration Joseph Saviak’s “Grant Writing and Administration” class, which Payne also took.

“Just about everything we learned in that class applied to writing that grant,” he said.

Cole initially submitted the grant in 2010, and when it wasn’t successful, he asked Payne — who has been with the office for almost 12 years and now works in media relations and community affairs — to help revise, revamp and resubmit it.

Applying for such a grant is far more complex than filling out a form. It took Cole and Payne months of work, and the finished grant application was more than 130 pages of proposals, supporting material, research and background.

Saviak said grant writing is a valuable subject for the program’s students.

“Approximately one-third of all local government revenue results from state and federal funding,” he said. “Federal grants can be utilized to fund new and innovative programs which might not otherwise be possible.

Saviak said the grant was extremely competitive.

“A fraction of a point might separate an agency who wins the first time from an agency that barely misses getting on the short list,” he said. “On the first submission, their proposal ranked highly. (They) were determined to win this grant. … Just like criminal investigations, persistence pays off in the world of grants. They made the recommended changes. They refined a strong first proposal into an exceptional second proposal and they won.”

“That’s the beauty of grants,” Payne said. “Each year you can go back and try it again.”

“It opens up your possibilities of what you think you can do,” Cole said about winning the grant. “When you succeed at it, when you see what can happen, it makes you want to
do it again.”

Payne said with budget cuts and tight finances, grants are terrific avenues for projects and services that may not otherwise get funded. And as grants get more and more competitive, she said it is even more critical that they have the experience to be successful winning them.

Detectives have already begun going through the evidence room reviewing reports, photos, witness statements and in particular cases where there might be DNA for testing. It’s a painstaking operation because not everything can be sent off to the lab.

“You can’t send 20 items,” Cole said. “Literally it’s $1,000 a pop (per test). … A case could burn through $30,000 if you’re not careful.”

State crime labs are already backed up with current cases, which they prioritize over older ones. So the grant money will allow the agency to use private labs for testing, as well as set up a state-of-the art “clean room” where technicians can process evidence in a sterile environment.

“The clean room is specifically for our evidence techs to take whatever piece of evidence we’re looking at,” Payne said. “There’s no circulation in that room, so it’s a sterile environment. They can lay out that evidence and there’s no concern for contamination.”

Cole said the grant may also help the local agency create a centralized center in the region for other counties to share expertise and resources.

From the Editor:

I was in an education portfolio presentation last spring listening to two seniors, Randi Mitchell and Rachael Spencer, talk about what they had learned at Flagler. As they talked about their philosophy of education and the nuances of teaching deaf students, I was struck by their passion for teaching. How they saw it less as a job, and more of a calling.

As someone who also teaches here at Flagler, it made me want to know more about what makes a great teacher and I figured some of our distinguished Education Department alumni would be a great place to start.

So, what does it take to be a great teacher?

Beth Upchurch, ‘01
Instructional literacy coach,
Ketterlinus Elementary School, St. Augustine
2011 Teacher of the Year, St. Johns County

What is your philosophy of teaching?
In a nutshell, I think every single child, despite his or her circumstances, is capable of so much learning. The challenge is to figure out how each student learns, and then provide opportunities that tap into their learning style such that they cannot wait to get to school.

What makes a great teacher?
Remembering what it was like to be a small person in a big world is what makes a great teacher. … Teachers truly can make or break an attitude toward learning.  A great teacher knows this and understands when to push a child and when to back off.  

Why did you get into teaching?
I got into teaching because I could not think of a more fun group of people to spend my day with than children! They are open, loving, curious, funny, honest and caring. They are, at age 5, who they are going to be when they are 30. When you teach, you are sometimes the first person on the planet to share information with our future’s “grown ups.”

How do you know when you’ve really connected with your students?
When they share their fears or insecurities with me, and when they honestly admit they don’t understand something. Also, when they invite me to their birthday parties! Finally, when I tell them that if they don’t get busy we will have Saturday School and they say, “Yay!”

Teaching is more important than ever because …
Kids have more pressure than ever to succeed and be something.

Catherine Ryan, ‘03
3rd grade teacher,
Belle Terre Elementary,
Flagler County, Fla.
Elementary Reading Teacher of the Year, Department of Education 2010-11
Just Read Florida! Literacy Awards

What is your philosophy of teaching?
To inspire children to become lifelong learners by encouraging them to realize that learning occurs at any time and anywhere. By providing students the opportunity to excel, I create an atmosphere conducive to learning where they will begin to be intrinsically motivated.

What makes a great teacher?
Each school year I work to discover each child’s strengths and weaknesses. I strive to challenge the child in his or her best areas and bridge the gaps so weaknesses become strengths. Thereby the child will perform to his or her fullest potential. As these gaps are filling in, the child’s self image begins to improve, as does belief in themselves.

Why did you get into teaching?
Growing up I always admired my teachers and believed that teachers truly made a difference in this world. I chose the path of special education due to my sister and my cousin having learning disabilities. I witnessed the daily struggles that they faced and how their teachers were able to tweak the lessons so they were able to better understand the concepts. I always thought it was magical and wanted to strive to be like that.

What makes it all worth it?
The future of education lies in our hands as teachers to create lifelong learners who will become productive members of society. By providing a secure, entertaining, loving classroom environment I am facilitating this process.

Teaching is more important than ever because …
The world is constantly changing with the growth of technology, and it is imperative that we as educators adapt to this new technology and embrace it. We need to infuse technology into our everyday lessons to make them more engaging. In this age of testing, we need to step back and encourage our students to think more and apply the variety of skills that we teach them.

Rachael Spencer, ‘11
Graduated Cum Laude in December 2011 and received the Education Department award, interned at Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind

What makes a great teacher?
The teachers I remember most from my life were the ones who truly made me want to learn and come to class every single day. THIS is the type of teacher I will always strive to be.

Why did you get into teaching?
William Arthur Ward once said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” Inspiration has always been my driving passion for becoming a teacher.

How do you know when you’ve really connected with your students?
The teachers who truly impacted me are the people whom I sincerely thank for making me into the knowledgeable, patient, compassionate, respectful, empathetic woman that I am today. These are the teachers that I connected with.

Teaching is more important than ever because …
Many students these days do not have the family support that students had when I was younger.

Randi Mitchell, ‘11
Graduated in December 2011 with major in education focusing on deaf education, interned at Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind

What is your philosophy of teaching?
That all students can learn and achieve greatness. It does not matter where the student comes from — all that matters is where the student wants to go in life.

What makes a great teacher?
Someone who is creative, memorable and trustworthy. Also, a good teacher leads the students to their educational goals and is a role model and mentor to the students.

Why did you get into teaching?
I have always known I wanted to be a teacher. I enjoy working with kids because of their perspective on life, and I enjoy teaching and sharing ideas. Teaching allows me to be creative, work towards goals and also inspire individuals to be all they can be.

How do you know when you’ve really connected with your students?
When I have gained the trust and respect of the student, then I know I have really connected with them. Also, I make sure students know that I want what is best for them.

Teaching is more important than ever because …
The purpose of education is to develop children to be successful in society and to be unique problem-solving thinkers.

Sylvia Myers, ‘05
(Flagler College Tallahassee campus)
4th grade teacher, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Fla.
2012 Teacher of the Year, Leon County

What is your philosophy of teaching?
Educators are key to the success of meaningful learning in and out of the classroom. Teachers must believe that a student’s potential should never be limited to their cognitive ability, background, race, or socio-economic status. Each lesson delivered must take into consideration the students’ needs and learning style to creatively challenge, engage and inspire them to their greatest achievement.

What makes a great teacher?
What makes a teacher great is their willingness to build relationships with students and parents. Teachers should also be passionate about what they do. Passion is what drives you. Passion keeps you going during the ups and downs of education. Great teachers’ willingness to educate children is unconditional. They believe that all children deserve the very best.

Why did you get into teaching?
I was working as a permanent substitute at a local elementary school. Anytime there was not a class for me to sub in, the principal would have me assist in an Exceptional Student Education classroom. I immediately fell in love with working with students with disabilities. One of the teachers that I worked with asked me why I wasn’t teaching, and I thought that was a good question.

How do you know when you’ve really connected with your students?
When they call you mom by accident. Seriously, you know by how they respond to you. They laugh at your jokes; they are on their best behavior when you are sick; they get excited about the things that excite you; and most of all they want to learn all of the things that you are teaching.

Teaching is more important than ever because …
There is an increased need for passion for this important profession.

Tracy Cummings, ’09
(Tallahassee campus)
5th grade Reading Resource, Fort Braden School, Tallahassee, Fla.
Teacher of the Year, Fort Braden School

What is your philosophy of teaching?
That children should be provided with meaningful and engaging activities that stimulate natural curiosities, promote critical thinking, provide opportunities for problem solving and motivate their learning. I believe that capturing students’ interests is the key to successful learning, and enthusiasm is the key to successful teaching.

What makes a great teacher?
A teacher who puts the students’ needs first.

Why did you get into teaching?
When my son was young and he struggled with homework, I would sit and work with him and thought how nice this would be if I could teach others.

How do you know when you’ve really connected with your students?
When a student wants to tell you about their weekend or an event that happened in their life.

What makes it all worth it?
When I see that they have applied a concept that was taught earlier.

Teaching is more important than ever because …
More students are going to college and becoming successful men and women.

This academic year, President William T. Abare Jr. celebrated his 10th year as the head of Flagler College. It’s a decade that has seen remarkable change for the college, from major new buildings on campus to the move to NCAA for athletics teams. To celebrate this milestone, we decided to open things up and give alumni and students the chance to ask him ten questions.

How do you feel you have added to the legacy of Flagler College as only the third president in its 43-year history? – Tori Warenik, ’10, English
My interpretation of the word “legacy” is that it is something that an individual leaves behind or passes on to others. Another interpretation is how one wishes to be remembered. I’d like to think that I helped strengthen the college’s image and reputation, broadened its base of financial support, established a foundation for shared governance, and improved the campus infrastructure by investing in the construction, renovation and restoration of buildings and facilities to support the college’s mission, goals and objectives.

Where do you feel that the future of higher education lies? And what unique challenges will our future students face when they begin their studies? – Adrianne LaNeave, ’01, Political Science
The future of higher education will remain bright, because it is tied so closely to our economic prosperity and our status among other nations. While there will be a move toward different delivery systems like online or distance learning, there will be a place for the traditional college experience at colleges and universities across our land. The issue of college cost will not go away, and something will need to be done to ensure that all qualified students have the opportunity to attend college and earn a college degree.

What did you want to be when you grew up? – Holly Hill, ’02, Business Administration
When I was a young boy, I wanted to be a professional baseball player and play for the Yankees. In high school, I wanted to go to the U.S. Naval Academy and have a career in the Navy. In college, I studied to be a doctor, but changed my mind and decided to teach and coach, which I did for a couple of years.

In your 10 years as Flagler College president, what has been your biggest challenge? – Kathy Novak ’09 Communication
My biggest challenge has been to become an effective fundraiser and to raise money to support the college’s mission, programs and services.

What’s the next addition you want to bring to Flagler College? – Tom Iacuzio, ’06, Communication
Without question, the next major project will be the construction of a new academic building that will replace the existing Communication Building at 31 Cordova St. We need additional classrooms and special facilities for our Communication Department. 

If you were a superhero, what would your power be? – McKenzie Blaine, ‘12, Communication
I have always been a fan of Superman — able to leap tall buildings with a single bound.

Will Flagler College ever have a master’s degree track? If so, for what programs of study? – Samuel Gray Perlin, ’10, Theatre Arts
I am not sure whether Flagler will or should offer master’s degrees in the future. Typically, graduate programs are more expensive to operate and generally drain resources from undergraduate programs. The one master’s program that we might consider is in deaf education. We have an excellent undergraduate program in deaf education, and offering a master’s degree in that program would complement and enhance the undergraduate program. That being said, I do not think that we need to offer graduate programs to be a highly regarded and well-respected institution of higher education.

If you could change one thing about Flagler College, what would it be and why? – Laura Vizdos Tomas, ’92, Elementary Education
I would require students to live on campus for at least two years. I believe that this requirement would enrich the student life programs, increase school spirit and strengthen the ties of students to the College during the time they are enrolled and after they graduate.

What’s your favorite spot on campus? – Gorge Gallardo, ’12, Communication
I don’t know that I have a “favorite” spot on campus; however, if I had to pick a single location, it would be Markland House, because of its history, its appearance, and its many uses, most of which are very happy occasions.

What have been your most memorable moments during your 10 years as president? – Diane Evia-Lanevi, ’87, English
There have been a number of memorable moments: acquiring the Florida East Coast Railway buildings and renovating the buildings as dormitories; acquiring the Crisp-Ellert home; constructing the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and landscaping and reconfiguring Sevilla Street; constructing Cedar Hall (this was my first construction project as president); constructing the Ringhaver Student Center; Kenan Hall Plaza; the locker room facility at Flagler Field; renovating the Molly Wiley Art Building and Kenan Hall; reaffirming our accreditation; establishing a Faculty Senate; increasing the number of full-time students by 46 percent and increasing the number of full-time faculty by 56 percent; witnessing our SIFE teams win two national championships and accompanying the teams when they competed in the World Cup competitions in Spain and Germany; and changing our athletic affiliation from the NAIA to NCAA Div. II, then joining the Peach Belt Conference.

Glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of baseball?

Stefanie Brown, a 2005 sport management graduate, hasn’t found any. Or maybe she just kept busting through them on her way to becoming one of the few female general managers in minor league baseball.

Brown was named general manager of the Quad Cities River Bandits — the Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in Davenport, Iowa — in September of 2011. It was the same month the team swept the Midwest League Championship Series and the 2011 playoffs.

A month later she was named the Midwest League Female Executive of the Year — the third time in four years she has been recognized.

Brown is only the second female GM in the Midwest League, and at the age of 28, also is one of the youngest in the minor leagues.

“I appreciate where I am at the age I am because my career goal was to be a GM by the time I was 30,” she said. “So now I’m kind of like, ‘Huh … what now?’ ”

Team owner Dave Heller says he is proud of what Brown has accomplished.

“She has been an invaluable asset to this organization as one of the top executives in all of minor league baseball,” he said.

For Brown it’s been a relatively quick climb through the male-dominated industry, where it’s pretty common to find teams with no women on staff. Brown said the River Bandits, with their five female staffers, are much more rare.

But she sees it as a sign of a changing industry — one that is slowly, but surely, evolving as more women like her take on top management and leadership roles.

Getting there has been thanks to a lot of hard work, being in the right place at the right time, good connections and finding a supportive organization.

Because most of the team and personnel decisions are handled by the Cardinals, Brown mainly focuses on the management of the park and entertainment.

“In my old position I knew a lot, or so I thought,” she said about her new role. “I definitely have new challenges and I’m taking on things in a different capacity.”

She is in charge of the company’s financials — both “challenging and exciting at the same time” — as well as all advertising buying.

And then there is overseeing the rest of the day-to-day operations of a minor league team and ballpark. Picturesque Modern Woodmen Park is minor league baseball’s oldest stadium.

“Our mentality in minor league baseball is more concentrating on the entertainment you can control: the fireworks, the bobbleheads, the theme nights. You never know what kind of team you get. We were very fortunate last year. We ended up winning the Midwest League Championship.”

But a minor league GM can’t always count on that. Often the job is about making sure that there is enough going on at the park to bring fans out to the games, no matter what team is fielded.

“It’s definitely a lot of moving parts. A lot of people think we essentially do nothing in the off-season and then come baseball season everything is up and running. But we’re trying to think of how to get people to sign up for ticket plans, for sponsorships. Trying to get them to think baseball even though baseball just ended and it’s the farthest thing from their minds.”

Brown’s entire career has centered on minor league baseball. It began her junior year in college when she took a game-day internship with the Jacksonville Suns.

“After my summer with the Suns in 2004, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do,” she said.

Following stints with other teams, she was hired by the Suns in 2007 as director of community and client relations. That same year she moved on to the River Bandits, first as director of community and client relations, and then three seasons as assistant general manager responsible for overseeing the Modern Woodmen Park suite level, special events, promotions and merchandise.

“I love minor league baseball,” Brown said. “I love all the aspects of it. I definitely get asked often if I want to work in Major League Baseball. … (But) I love this atmosphere. I love the interactions you have with the fans. How well you get to know clients. Walking along the concourse you pretty much know everyone after a couple years.”

What hooked her?

“It’s always been the atmosphere that sucked me in. I have a passion for sports and baseball in general. But seeing how people react to the game, to the entertainment we put on. Then when you do kind of stop and look around, you realize, ‘OK, I’m at a ballpark. This is pretty great.’ ”

She said it’s a thrill brainstorming ideas and trying to come up with new ways to entertain the thousands of fans who show up at the ballpark for theme nights and special events.

“It’s embracing things that work, and definitely trying new things,” she said. “If they don’t work, don’t do it again and try something else new. There’s always going to be your staples … Then throwing in some ever-changing fun things to keep people talking and get them here. You don’t have to be as corporate. You can do can do kind of the wild and fun things.

What’s next if she already hit her career goal to be a GM by the time she was 30?

“I don’t have a ‘what’s next,’ ” she said with a laugh.

“So … to be continued.”

It isn’t often that you find a business professor teaching Shakespeare. Or an English professor talking to college freshmen about Spanish Renaissance architecture.

But step into a Keystone Seminar class — a required freshman course that is replacing composition classes — and that’s exactly what you will find. The seminar is designed to bring different teaching backgrounds to a class that goes beyond mere writing and reading. Instead, the aim is to do something college professors say students aren’t doing enough of: thinking.

“[With the keystone seminar] the goal is to establish a culture of reading, writing, thinking, engaging and talking,” said Professor Doug McFarland, who headed up the seminar in 2010-11. “They’re going to encounter that in their first year.”

The class is a far cry from typical composition classes with standard essay exercises. Students might have to look at a John Locke essay on government. Instead of being told about U.S. government, they have to work through the text and then analyze what it means to be a citizen of this country. McFarland said they want them to engage issues, think through what they mean and then express themselves in writing.

“What we’re trying to do is cultivate in them a questioning attitude and a passion for learning,” said Dr. Hugh Marlowe, an associate professor of philosophy who is taking over as director of the Keystone Seminar. “Of course we want them to learn some Rousseau, learn some Locke, but really what we’re trying to do is inspire them to ask some questions they’ve never asked before.”

Advancing Academics
The Keystone Seminar is just one example of how academics at Flagler has changed dramatically the past several years. This has included new programs of study like a math minor, new faculty, beefing up science courses and labs, and even a rewrite of the general education program — core classes that make up freshman and sophomore schedules. Until recently there had been no major changes to the general education program in 30 years.

“The [general education] requirements are more challenging and there is a great deal more writing required of students,” said McFarland, who helped implement the changes.

And there is more to come. The president and Board of Trustees recently approved an academic strategic plan, and Flagler is also launching a “First Year Experience” initiative that will seek to improve all facets of a student’s first year at the college.

“The last five years on the academics side, it’s been astonishing the amount of transformation,” said Dr. Art Vanden Houten, an associate professor of political science who is leading the First Year Experience with Student Services Dean Dan Stewart.

“It’s extraordinary to think of all the change that’s underway,” Vanden Houten said.  

Academics Dean Alan Woolfolk believes the First Year Experience, called Foundations of Excellence, will make a major difference for students. “The goal is to improve student retention,” he said. “This will look at how all the parts — from registration and orientation to classes — relate. We’ll be studying everything from bill paying to advising. It’s time to look at the whole experience.”

Woolfolk, who has been with the college for a little over three years, said all the changes taking place will help further the strong academic foundation that was already in place. He credits the college’s Faculty Senate with being a catalyst for many of the changes, and believes the new strategic plan will continue to push academics forward.

“I think Flagler has done a fantastic job on developing the physical side,” Woolfolk said. “The goal of the academic strategic plan was to put emphasis on the education side.”

Chaired by Marlowe, the plan sets out numerous proposals covering everything from what classrooms should look like to establishing new academic programs.

Changing how students learn
Marlowe said the academic strategic plan and adoption of the keystone seminar are great examples of how academics are not only changing at Flagler, but also changing how students learn.

He said part of a liberal arts college experience should be helping students better understand issues and why they believe the things they do by “working through a process of scrutiny and self-reflection.”

He said the first year of the seminar under McFarland was a success, and now all freshmen — more than 500 — are going through them.

The theme of the seminar has been the idea of the civilized and primitive worlds coming together. This ties in well with the history of St. Augustine from its Native American period through the arrival of the Spanish to Henry Flagler’s opulent hotel that today is the centerpiece of the college.

Building on the past
Woolfolk said the ultimate goal is to raise the level of academic challenge at the college.

“Part of my aim is to develop some programs that are highly distinctive,” he said. “To begin the discussion of where [academically] we want to go.”

But everyone involved agrees that the changes don’t break with what made the college successful in the past.

“What we’re trying to keep intact is how well Flagler has helped to transform the lives of its students,” Marlowe said. “You don’t ever want to change in a way that you lose that.”

Vanden Houten credits a lot of the academic changes to Woolfolk, as well as faculty who have worked on general education revisions, the academic strategic plan, the Faculty Senate or other initiatives.

“The college has laid a tremendous foundation and there’s an opportunity to continue that advancement and growth,” he said. “We’re not standing on our heels. We’re moving forward.”

What does it mean?
Flagler has seen some dramatic changes on the academic front the past several years, and there are more to come. Here is a sampler of some of the terms you might hear on campus in academic circles:

Foundations of Excellence First-Year initiative:
This new program, which promotes first-year students’ engagement with the college, is kicking off this year. It is being developed in collaboration with the John N. Gardner Institute and will evolve into a plan that covers every facet of a new student’s experience at Flagler.

Academic Strategic Plan:
Approved in the spring of 2011 by the Board of Trustees, the plan lays out 53 specific proposals developed by a faculty-led Academic Strategic Planning Committee. Proposals range from increasing the number of full-time faculty and improving classrooms to developing new majors like environmental science, public history or international studies.

Keystone Seminar:
Drawing upon materials from a variety of disciplines, this freshman course replaced composition. It investigates cultural identity and communal values with particular attention paid to the European encounter with the indigenous cultures of America, as well as the underpinnings of the architecture of the Flagler campus.

Ignite Learning Communities:
To improve the transition from high school to college, Flagler developed these clusters of courses designed around a central, interdisciplinary theme with each class attended by the same group of students. Focusing on active and collaborative learning, students engage themselves and each other in the learning process while also participating together in co-curricular activities and campus events.

It was once a grand, sunlit gathering space for Ponce de Leon hotel guests. In the college’s early days it served as a one-of-a-kind library and occasional classroom.

Now it’s been closed off for nearly 40 years and with its locked doors and stacks of old furniture, has become the subject of speculation by many Flagler students over the years. But now the Solarium is getting a second chance as the college plans to start renovations of the gorgeous domed area above the Rotunda.

The mysterious fourth floor
Few remember the days when the college’s Solarium was open for student use. In fact, it was used as the library in only the earliest days of the college before it was closed due to safety concerns.

When alumna Linda (Hall) Mignon, ’71, was a theatre arts major in the early 70s, she had a class with Tom Rahner under the Solarium’s soaring dome.

Mignon recalled Rahner telling his class to lie down on the floor and pick a spot on the ceiling. He then told them to stare at that spot and not to think about anything.

“I think I held out for 30 seconds,” Mignon said.

It took a recent trip to the Solarium for Mignon to remember even having been up there. She barely remembered the fourth floor at all.

In those days, just a handful of classes were held in the area, and the Gargoyle — the student newspaper — had its office down a narrow corridor on the east wing off the solarium. But its main use was the library — until it had to be closed for lack of a proper fire escape route.

Flagler College President William T. Abare Jr. remembers moving the books from the Solarium to what is today the Flagler Room.

“We formed a human chain to move the books,” he said. “Each book in the library was handed down individually. We didn’t use carts to move them en masse.” Once the books were relocated, the Solarium was closed off.

Over the years, the Solarium and its winding east corridor have become almost legend in Flagler College lore. By the time Kirk Damato, ‘01, was arts and entertainment editor for the Gargoyle in 2001, it was too tantalizing to pass up. He managed to tag along with some friends on a rare “authorized” trip to the fourth floor for a bit of exploring.

“Oh, of course, the forbidden floor was a place I’d always wanted to see,” he said. “I remember it being a lot more open than one would expect.”

When he found an old bulletin board in what used to be the Gargoyle office, he carved his name and the date into the aging cork. But much like Mignon, he barely remembers being in the Solarium. The board, which has since been relocated to the Gargoyle office in the Proctor Library, still bears his name.

“I absolutely didn’t remember carving my name on that bulletin board,” he said. “I was pretty shocked, actually, to see it.”

Henry Flagler’s vision, reinvented
Once renovations are complete, the Solarium and its surrounding rooftop terraces won’t be so mysterious, but the views will be striking.

The domed Solarium rises above the St. Augustine skyline as the centerpiece of Ponce de Leon Hall – today a National Historic Landmark. When Henry Flagler built his Gilded Age hotel in the nation’s oldest city in 1888, it served as a winter haven for the nation’s elite. The Solarium was one of many gathering places inside the hotel, but this one provided unparalleled, panoramic views of the city, and that will be a focal point of the renovation.

The space will be restored to much of its previous grandeur, along with some modern conveniences. The idea is for limited special events to be hosted there, along with the accompanying east and west terraces. Rooms to the east of the dome will also be given a new life.

Because of the historic nature of the structure, plans for its renovation and ultimate use are still tentative. But Abare says he hopes to host special events in the area once it’s complete.

The Solarium itself is quite different from the other parts of the former hotel. The large floor-to-ceiling windows on all four sides allow light to pour in. The center of the room is flanked with eight square columns, supporting vaulted walls, leading to a ribbed, wooden ceiling.

The design of the Solarium both encloses the space, bathing visitors with light and warmth, and, simultaneously, invites their exploration of the large roof terraces outside.

Board of Trustees member Delores Lastinger and her husband, Allen, have already committed a $500,000 challenge gift to the project.

The Lastingers have long been committed to historic preservation through philanthropy. Delores called the project a perfect fit because of her and Allen’s interest in Florida and St. Augustine history.

“It has been, and will once again become, one of the many jewels of the original Ponce de Leon,” she said.

The college has already matched the first $100,000 of the Lastinger’s donation and will match the full amount. This gift helped to kick off a full-fledged campaign to raise money for the Solarium renovation.

“The Solarium and fourth floor are the last major spaces of Ponce de Leon Hall to be restored and would truly be the crowning achievement in preserving Flagler’s heritage,” said F. Mark Whittaker, vice president of Institutional Advancement.

Celebrating the Ponce
The restoration is scheduled to be complete by 2013, just in time for a year-long celebration of the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Hotel Ponce de Leon.

The college has kicked off a major fundraising campaign to help advance the restoration efforts.

Naming opportunities in the Solarium range from $10,000 to $500,000, each of which can be pledged over a period of five years.

Visit www.flagler.edu/support-our-vision for more information or call (904) 819-6437.

Don’t dally in the bathroom. That’s part of what Casey Welch, an associate professor of sociology at Flagler, learned a few years back when he went to work at a national fast food chain. He won’t name the burger-flipping joint where he took a minimum-wage job to study how chains exert total control over workers. Even bathroom breaks are timed!

Welch admits he wasn’t a very good worker. But it did give him fascinating material that he has presented at conferences and plans to eventually publish in an academic journal. Wanting to know more, we interviewed him about this unique study, as well as what it was like shoveling fries.

Q. How did the idea for this come about?
A. The background issue for me was marginalization and power. All of my research, all of my interests have been the distribution of power, the use of power, the shifts of power in all types of ways.

Q. What made you think to look into fast food restaurants?
A. I remember being struck while going into a [fast food chain] that everybody on the dayshift was older — no high school kids. Before I entered the field I knew that at least several of them had kids. So they’re working minimum wage, no benefits, just the worst of jobs as adults raising children. … What they would do is as soon as you were there long enough to get raises, they would cut your hours or they would fire you. So there were just constant labor cost caps, and I just thought it was such an abusive system. … They had a help wanted sign in concrete in the front lawn. So they were always hiring. That just struck me as weird. Why would anyone work there?

Q. In your background research you use the term “cheerful robots” to describe fast food workers. Where did that come from?
A. American sociologist C. Wright Mills is the one who described what our modern system is becoming — the automatization and standardization of American culture. He was referring not just to production, but to social and cultural life. So we are “cheerful robots” in our homes, in our social lives. We’re so incredibly conformist even as we espouse individualism.

Q. How does that apply to fast-food workers?
A. The majority of workers [in the restaurant] do not question the value of their work, per se. They might be disgruntled about their manager, their supervisor or their pay. But overall they just clock in and do their work. … They liked being at work. They liked their co-workers. They worked really hard to get the average time for the drive-thru down. They got nothing. Every time they got it low, the MANAGER got a bonus! … The manager I was under never did a thing for the workers. Not a single thing. Didn’t give them a free fry. But [the workers] still were like, “Let’s do it guys!” They would yell at each other. And when the shift was over they would high five. They were just “cheerful robots.”

Q. Was it a sense of accomplishment they were looking for or were they conditioned to do it?
A. That became my first research question, which was how do they control the people? I was really looking at the systems of control. If someone spent too much time in the bathroom — and too much time was like three or four minutes — the manager would say, “What are you doing in there?” Whenever you went on break, they had a timer. You set the timer and it would beep loudly when it was done. Of course all the food was timed. They had what we referred to as stations, and a common phrase was, “don’t forget you’re chained to your station.” You weren’t literally chained, but it was metaphorical.

Q. Was it difficult to get a job in a fast-food restaurant?
A. No experience necessary. … They were a bit puzzled by the educational level of my application.

Q. You say in something you wrote that you were not a good fast-food employee, but you tried to be. What did you mean?
A. That type of operation depends on standardization and repetitiveness. Coming out of owning my own business and academics, I just wasn’t accustomed to that. That was a general problem, and was manifest in situations like assembling the sandwich: I would communicate with the customer on the other side of the counter about their preferences. This slowed down the process. … The idea of speed of production being the dominant principle did not make sense to me personally … I would make very thoughtful double bacon cheeseburgers, and the manager would chastise me (and make me re-watch the instruction video on the official way to assemble each sandwich).  

Q. How important is it for researchers to really get boots on the ground and see for themselves what they’re studying?
A. Very important. We can’t identify patterns with single interviews, observations, anecdotes or even surveys. This is the irreplaceable advantage of good qualitative research — the domain is smaller, but the depth of knowledge is much deeper.

Q. Why is research like this important?
A. Any research that can assist us in more accurately and fully understanding social phenomena is beneficial.  In the case of my work, it is good for people to know more about our economic and labor system — how it operates and how it impacts the lives of real people.

Professional Profile: Dr. Casey Welch
Welch earned his Ph.D. and his M.A. in sociology from The University of Illinois. He earned his B.A. in criminal justice with a minor in philosophy from The University of Florida. His research interests include crime, marginality, stratification and social control. This summer his Sociological Research Methods class produced a study for the city of St. Augustine about public opinion on the future of the Willie Galimore pool in Lincolnville.

For Dr. Emily Splane, one meal’s leftovers were added proof that portion sizes are out of control and Americans are eating too much. A day after dining at a chain restaurant, she took a box from the refrigerator only to be shocked by how much there still was.

“My leftovers filled an entire bowl used to feed a family of four,” she said. “I was stunned to see that after eating until I was full, I still had enough food left to feed my entire family. The sodium in that pasta dish was probably three times the average level.”

For Splane, that example epitomized the ongoing struggle in America: a growing obesity problem, health issues caused by diet and ultimately how the simple and necessary act of eating has become deadly.

It’s a subject that Splane, associate professor of psychology at Flagler College, is passionate about, whether in her research or in teaching students in a course called “Psychology of Eating.” She is co-authoring a textbook by that same name with her graduate mentor, Dr. Neil Rowland, professor and chair of the psychology department at the University of Florida.

Although the textbook will address the psychological, biological and sociocultural aspects of eating, Splane said her and Rowland’s motivation for writing was to address what experts in the field of eating refer to as a “toxic environment” — a term coined by Yale professor Kelly D. Brownell in “Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry.”

He used it to describe the collision between more sedentary lifestyles and modern, unhealthy food that is plentiful, accessible, relatively cheap, calorie dense and extremely tasty.

The result, she said, has led to the health crisis the country is facing.

“One-third of our country is obese, and two-thirds are either obese or overweight,” she said. “Only one-third of our country is of normal weight, and that statistic includes eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Ultimately, this means that a very small percentage of our country’s population is in a healthy weight range.”

Splane said if we hope to understand how our eating behaviors have changed, we must first understand just how much our environment has changed.

“Part of the problem our society is having is that food is so readily available almost anywhere you go,” she said. “Over 50 years ago, if you went to a gas station, you went to purchase gas, not to buy food. Now, people have started to associate food with places such as bookstores, car washes and even home-repair stores.”

This wasn’t always the case, as food wasn’t so plentiful. People used to have to hunt and gather, struggling to put enough food on their plates, and to survive. But as our environment changed, food became easier to come by.

“Food is around us all the time, and it’s relatively cheap and calorie dense,” she said. “This ‘toxic environment’ isn’t the type of environment that humans and other animals existed in originally. As our environment has changed, our brains have evolved to suit our needs – to like the sweet taste, the salty taste and the fatty taste.”

Splane said other eating disorders have emerged in addition to obesity.

“Eating disorders are on the rise as a response to this environment — as a way of maneuvering through all of the chaos,” she said. “Of course there are also other factors contributing to these [eating] disorders, such as psychological issues, family issues, self-image issues and the pressure to be thin in today’s society. But again, we live in a country where food is so plentiful. You don’t see issues with obesity, bulimia or anorexia in Third World countries because there isn’t enough food for these disorders to exist.”

Splane said for the first time, something called “binge eating disorder” will be listed in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ” – a book used in the field of psychology to diagnose mental and other disorders.

“Binge eating disorder will almost inevitably lead to overweight and obesity issues,” she said. “With this condition, the person is eating way past their needs and numbing themselves with food. Emotionally, the binge eater is eating for comfort and filling some type of void.”

But while food often seems harmless, Splane said the truth is that of all the psychiatric disorders, eating disorders are the most deadly.

“With anorexia and bulimia, the risk of cardiac arrest is very high,” she said. “In addition, both disorders can cause heart failure or a stroke because fluid balance and electrolyte balance can be thrown off dramatically, leading to sudden death.”

Although the change in our environment plays a key role in the rise in obesity and other eating disorders, Splane said she is currently researching another key factor that could be contributing to the emergence: a link between mood and food.

“There’s some new supporting evidence that there is such a thing as a ‘food addiction,’ ” she said. “In performing experiments with rats, we are now finding that with food being so tasty, it’s over-stimulating the reward centers in the brain. It’s very similar to drug addiction in that the brain has become so overridden with pleasure molecules that cravings become virtually impossible to ignore.”

What’s the solution?

Splane thinks a lot of it starts with better education and, especially with children, everything from teaching nutrition in public schools to providing healthier lunches.

“We shouldn’t assume that our children will only eat foods like chicken nuggets and hotdogs rather than grilled chicken, fruit and veggies,” she said. “Humans lived and thrived for many many years before the creation of the chicken nugget.”

Ten Flagler students spent part of April pushed from their comfort zones when they hopped on a plane to Quito, Ecuador. They lived without clocks, quenched their thirst with licorice-flavored water, slept with monstrous insects and ate yucca for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Needless to say, it wasn’t your typical spring break trip.

Kristin Nelson, former director of student activities, led the 11-day alternative break to Ecuador in April to work with the Foundation for Indigenous Community Development in Pastaza, Ecuador. It’s a nonprofit organization aimed at creating sustainable development in indigenous communities of Pastaza. FUNDECOIPA manages the 2,200 acres of the Arutam Rainforest Reserve.

“Any time you experience another culture and you’re out of your comfort zone, it’s hard,” Nelson said. “No matter how much you talk about it before you go, everything is taken from you.”

But the students relished their rainforest adventure, despite the culture shock. During the first week they lived in the Shuar community of Arutam, where they lived in a wooden shelter with a view of three volcanoes in the distance. They worked on several projects with the Shuar tribe, including constructing a cafeteria for local school children and working on a family garden in the jungle.

Liberal arts major Tina Hudzinski said they helped the community with daily tasks, such as collecting, harvesting, cooking and preparing yucca. She said it was a ton of work split up into three sections every day: work, a jungle lesson and a cultural session.

“We learned about the plants and how people live,” Hudzinksi said. “They talked about the history of the people, their customs, how they are different, and they showed us their traditional Shuar dance.”

Political science major Haleigh Smith said the trip to Ecuador left her thirsty to sharpen her Spanish skills and to become more proactive about making positive environmental changes. It brought to life the environmental issues she is used to hearing about from professors and textbooks.

“It makes it completely different when you go and see what’s happening … you see the people who need the Amazon, and they need the forest. That’s their livelihood,” she said.

Smith said she had a huge “aha!” moment in the jungle.

“I saw this is worth fighting for,” she said. “All of my research and my reasoning — there is a purpose for it, and I have got to do more to help.”

Nelson said the main goal of the trip was to do a knowledge-exchange program.

“Our students learned western farming techniques by working in local community gardens on and around Flagler College,” she said. “We then learned the farming techniques of the Shuar Indians while being completely immersed in their culture.”

She said being immersed in that lifestyle blew her away.

“One student said something like, ‘We think water is a necessity, but here, it’s like a luxury,’ ” she said. “The showers just dripped on you, it takes time to prepare water; they have to make sure it lasts the whole day … and here [in the U.S.] we just turn on the tap and drink all the time.”

Hudzinski was exhausted by the end of each day, but said it was well worth her energy.

“I loved the little things – like when I fell asleep in a hammock every night, and I was outside all the time, which I loved,” she said.

Hudzinksi’s greatest shock was the locals’ concept of time — it’s drastically different from the American lifestyle. Although the Shuars have a strong work ethic and are determined to get things done, she said she never knew what time it was or how long activities were going to last. But it taught her to stay in the present and to not worry about what would happen next.

“Since I have been back, I have been much more relaxed about time,” she said. “I learned to let go of time constraints, and to know that things will happen, and it’s good.”

The Flagler College Ecuador Alternative Break was helped by a $3,500 donation from the Don Ausman Foundation, which hosts a St. Augustine 5K run called Don’s Run in memory of a Michigan State student who died in 2009. The organization also gave $1,000 in 2010 to help two site leaders with stipends toward their trip. Nelson said leftover funds will help other Flagler students go on future alternative breaks.