On Oct. 4 Flagler College honored its highest achieving students — those who attained placement on the President’s List for their outstanding academic achievements — with a reception in the college’s historic Solarium. These students achieved a 4.0 grade point average with at least 12 hours of graded credit during the Spring 2019 academic semester.

The Flagler College Department of Visual and Performing Arts presents William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” with performances starting Oct. 30 in Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium.

Flagler College will host the second-annual “Designathon” beginning Friday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. During this 24-hour event, a team of graphic design students, faculty and alumni will offer their creative services pro bono to local nonprofit organizations to assist with branding and advertising.

Historic Ponce de Leon Hall’s kitchen and serving area renovation project was completed this summer. Construction work began on May 6 and the dining hall opened on Saturday, Aug. 24, for the first day of move-in for incoming students.

Former University of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops will speak at the Flagler College Crimson & Gold Banquet Wednesday, Oct. 23 in the Hotel Ponce de Leon's elegant dining hall. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a social and a silent auction. The dinner follows at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for the annual event.

On Oct. 10, John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), will present at the Lewis Auditorium on Flagler College’s campus as part of the Forum on Government and Public Policy series. The title of his lecture is “Prescription drugs: Can we make them affordable?” The event is free and open to the public.

New members of the college’s Honors Program were inducted on Sept. 19 in the Flagler College Solarium. The total of 59 students represent the top 5% of the class. The Honors Program Director Dr. Eric Hoffman welcomed everyone in attendance and introduced a string of speakers and special guests who were treated to a sit-down program and casual refreshments.

On Tuesday, Oct 1 at 5:30 p.m., Helen Whitney will return to Flagler College, this time for a public showing of her 2-hour documentary “Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death.” The documentary showing will be free and open to the public in the Lewis Auditorium, and be immediately followed by a panel discussion including Whitney and select Flagler faculty on the topic of death and dying.

The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum on the campus of Flagler College announced a forthcoming exhibition of new work by Miami-based multi-discipline artist Jamilah Sabur. The exhibition, entitled “Memory Palace”, will include work from a new series, entitled “Mnemonic alphabet,” as well as a new sculptural installation. The exhibit opens on Friday, Oct. 4, and includes an artist walkthrough of the exhibit at 5 p.m., followed by an opening reception until 8 p.m. in conjunction with First Friday Art Walk. The exhibit runs through Nov. 26.

Flagler College recently honored its longtime employees during anniversary years of their careers – ranging from 5 to 40 years – in the Lewis Auditorium last Friday afternoon.

The Flagler College administration and athletics department announced the addition of four NCAA athletics programs: men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s outdoor track and field, and women’s outdoor track and field in the Flagler Room of the Ponce de Leon Hall Monday afternoon. These additions will bring the total number of Flagler College’s sport offerings up to 20.

On Thursday, Sept. 19 at the Lewis Auditorium on Flagler College’s campus, Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer for the Washington Post Fact Checker, will present to the public as part of the Forum on Government and Public Policy series. The title of his lecture is “Fact-Checking and the Truth in the Age of Trump.” The event is free.

Flagler College was ranked fourth in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges guide for the Best Regional Colleges in the South. Flagler also secured a seventh best ranking on the Best Value list in the South regional category, the number two spot for Most Innovative, and for Best Undergraduate Teaching tied for fourth with LaGrange College for colleges in the South.

The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and Flagler College welcome artist Adler Guerrier as the CEAM Artist-in-Residence this fall. Guerrier will be onsite September 15-21 and October 20-25. During his visits he will collaborate with Flagler College students, faculty and the St. Augustine community, by conducting class visits and research for an ongoing project. He will give an artist talk on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Flagler Room. This event is free and open to the public.

The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that Lisa Fiala of Flagler College has received a Fulbright International Educators Administrator (IEA) award to travel to France this October. While in France, Fiala will meet with representatives of higher education institutions and international organizations in Bordeaux and Paris including Université de Bordeaux, Université de Paris, OECD and the Sorbonne, where she will learn more about higher education in France and discuss potential collaborations for Flagler College.

Two programs at Fort Mose, spearheaded by Assistant Professor Lori Lee, are in the process of uncovering the site’s history. These opportunities offered students the chance to gain hands-on experience and collaborate in the field of anthropology.

The Flagler College Department of Athletics announced the relaunch of its website, www.flaglerathletics.com, Wednesday afternoon.

Director of Historic Preservation and Special Initiatives and Assistant Professor in History Dr. Leslee Keys, has published a new book with co-author Thomas Graham. The book, titled “Flagler College – The First Fifty Years 1968-2018,” remembers and celebrates the achievements of Flagler’s first 50 years as a college.

The Peach Belt Conference Tournament will start with the quarterfinal round on March 4 at the school with the highest seed. The final four will be held at the institution with the highest remaining seed March 7-8. The winner of the championship game will receive the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

For many of our neighbors, Move-in Day is a day of welcome to our newest community members. On Aug. 24 you can show your Flagler pride and welcome your new Flagler College neighbors by proudly displaying a “Welcome Back Students” sign in your yard or at your place of business. Simply contact Beth Sweeny at 904-826-8679 to request one.