Coastal Environmental Science majors Taryn Chaya, ’19, and Sarah Schark, ’20, spent their fall semester knee deep in salt marshes at Fort Mose Historic State Park. As part of a project in their Field Methods course, the two students studied periwinkle snail populations and their relationship to cordgrass height at Fort Mose. They hypothesized that individual cordgrass height would decrease as the number of snails increased, due to a potentially harmful fungi farmed by the snails.

Flagler College’s Theatre Arts students will perform a Theater for Young Adults classic coming of age story from the Lois Lowry novel, “The Giver.” The production will be shown from April 10 to 13 at 7:30 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m. in the Lewis Auditorium at 14 Granada Street. It is directed by Visiting Assistant Professor Leah Page.

Flagler College students earned top nominations earlier in March from the Society of Professional Journalists. Flagler College Gargoyle was once again a finalist in the Best Independent Online Student Publication category. Other finalists included Vida Magazine from the University of Alabama (winner) and SCAD Connector at Savannah College of Art and Design. This year’s lead editor is Katie Garwood.

Flagler College hosted its fourth annual Giving Day in a 50 hour period starting Wednesday, March 13. The result is $121,443 in smashed records across the board, including the participation of 1,323 donors which is triple last year’s record of 397.

On March 28 at 6 p.m. in the Flagler Room on Flagler College’s campus, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., associate professor at The Ohio State University, will present to the public “American Amnesia: Why We Hate History and Love Nostalgia.” The event is free.

In conjunction with artist Wendy Red Star's artist residency, and in partnership with the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Willie Johns of the Seminole Tribe of Florida will give a walking tour of sites in St. Augustine that hold significance to the Seminole Tribe on Monday, April 8 at 6 p.m. This event will include a tour of the Castillo de San Marcos as well as locations nearby. Space is limited to 40 people, and registrations are required. RSVP to 904-826-8530 or jdickover@flagler.edu.

The 5th annual Power of the Purse® event on May 9 will follow the popular format that guests have enjoyed in the past, such as a cocktail/mocktail reception, a silent auction of designer handbags, a fine jewelry raffle, luncheon in the historic dining hall and a noteworthy speaker. This year, however, the Flagler College Women of Vision Advisory Board plans to broaden the scope of the fundraiser, which raises money for scholarships for deserving female students at the college.

On March 27 at 6 p.m. in the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum on Flagler College’s campus, Rasha Soliman, Ph.D., a Fulbright Scholar in Residence at Lewis & Clark College. She will present to the public, “Archaeological Steps into the Valley of the Kings & Queens.” The event is free.

Flagler College Enactus students attended the Northeast Regional Summit at Rutgers University in early March.

*Update* Student Hannah Pierce has been awarded the Young Non-profit Professional award: "I encourage everyone to go out and create art with a child. You’ll find that it’s a beautiful experience.” Alumnus Bo Bozard has been awarded the Young Private Sector Professional award: "We do common things, uncommonly well, and when you do things uncommonly well over a period of time, it endures, and when it endures, it becomes defining. And in Steven Thomas' business class at Flagler, we learned that if something defines it becomes a brand. I’m so glad to be a part of a brand that does common things uncommonly well.”

This past Saturday, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Flagler College reached out and raised up for their bi-annual Day of Service. Over 12 nonprofits received the influx of volunteers for one day of intensive, focused and scheduled service to get the projects done that required a bulk of time, people, or both.

The Flagler College women's basketball team brought home some Peach Belt Conference hardware from the pre-tournament banquet tonight. Tabitha Odabe, Chris Wilson, and Kierra Crane were selected to the all-conference teams while Erika Lang-Montgomery was named as the PBC Coach of the Year and Odabe took home PBC Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row.

On March 26, Jane Landers, Ph.D., Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of History and director of Slave Societies Digital Archive at Vanderbilt University, will continue the conversation surrounding this year’s theme on “Cultural Resilience and Contemporary America” with the presentation, “Changing the Narrative of Slavery in Museums and Public History Sites: Adding the Missing Spanish Past.” The event is free and open to the public, beginning at 7 p.m.

Flagler College Forum on Government and Public Policy is an opportunity for students to attend presentations from guest speakers, including nationally-recognized journalists and commentators. This type of event provides students with co-curricular credit, a Flagler program that encourages students to attend events, lectures and activities that represent a well-rounded, cross-disciplinary, liberal education. Forums are also open to the public, creating a space for community interaction.

On Feb. 2, Flagler Graphic Design students attended the American Advertising Federation ADDY awards at WJCT studios in Jacksonville and won a total of 12 awards.

On Wednesday, March 13, Flagler College will launch its annual Giving Day fundraiser for student scholarships. New this year in honor of the college’s 50th anniversary is a 50 Hour Giving Challenge in which the college has been tasked by an anonymous donor to gain a total of at least 500 donors in 50 hours. If the college can complete the challenge, it will receive an additional $25,000 grant. The challenge will run from March 13 at 8 a.m. through March 15 at 10 a.m.

Flagler College co-authors Dr. Jim Wilson and Professor Emeritus Constantine Santas will share and discuss their newest book, “The Essential Films of Ingrid Bergman,” on March 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Markland House at 102 Markland Place. The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and both authors will provide opportunities for signing.

Tracy Upchurch, director of the Frank D. Upchurch Sr. endowed Law Program at Flagler College, has been appointed mayor of St. Augustine following a unanimous vote by the City Commission on March 4. Upchurch was selected for the position after Mayor Nancy Shaver resigned to concentrate on her recovery from a stroke.

On March 12 at the Lewis Auditorium on Flagler College’s campus, Roy Gutman, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter based in the Middle East for Frontline, will present to the public as part of the Forum on Government and Public Policy series. The title of his lecture is “From Al Qaida to ISIS: How to Fight Terrorism; How Not to Fight Terrorism.” The event is free.

The 50th anniversary year culminated in a gala last week, held in the Lewis Auditorium and Ponce de Leon Dining Room. In the spirit of gratitude for those who have sacrificed their time and treasures, there were many thanks said and tributes spoken. However, the focus was on the students and how Flagler is moving forward.