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Little LU in danger!
*WARNING* – Contents of this blog post may be disturbing to our more sensitive readers. Please view at your own risk.
For those of you who missed it, Little LU, our small but significant, tiny but tough face of Lynn University – and the smaller sidekick to “Big LU,” the taller but softer Lynn mascot, has been getting himself into some sticky situations lately…
In fact, earlier this year Little LU got kidnapped for, as his assailants say, “too much traveling and well… just being a celebrity really. If you are willing to pay the ransom we might be willing to provide proof of life.”
These evil-doers were no match for our little guy. LU easily escaped the rubber band that held him captive for only a few short days.
He may be strong and tough, but he’s still not staying out of trouble. There have been reports of Little LU nearly drowning in the bottom of a lake during the Adirondack Experience and others have reported seeing LU decapitated after one of his wild adventures.
All I know, is that Little LU needs to start playing it safe and being more careful during his world-wide travels.
Have your own Little LU adventure story? Please share below!
Size matters … when it comes to advising and parking
It’s true. Size DOES matter, and in this case, small is good. I’m talking about Lynn, of course. This weekend, two articles in the Sun-Sentinel caught my attention. (Yes, I still read that antiquated relic they drop on my driveway every day, called a newspaper.)
The first article titled, “Long line to get college advice,” talked about the ratio of advisors to students at some of our Florida universities. The standard ratio, it says, is 300-to-1, and at the school just “across the street” from us – FAU – it’s a whopping, 1,332-to-1. Can you imagine? Not much individualized attention there. Clearly we have a distinct advantage with an advising ratio of approximately 25-to-1. Granted we are not a big state school, but it’s just another great plus at Lynn, where “individualized” is one of our hallmark strengths.
In the second article, “FAU students to stage protest about parking,” it says parking at FAU has become “so scarce that students are holding a protest on Tuesday, saying they can’t make it to class on time.” It was also mentioned that some schools are offering valet service (FIU); and at UF most students aren’t allowed to park on the central part of campus until they’ve earned 120 credit hours!
Here at Lynn, I know that parking is a hot issue and most students and employees, if asked, would say we have a parking “problem,” but compared to these larges universities, our “hike” across campus is much more like a walk in the park. You can really get anywhere on foot in just 10 minutes. Now, during our fast-moving rain deluges or our Sahara-like scorching heat, it can be a bit uncomfortable and inconvenient, but you’re not exactly walking a marathon.
So, Lynn’s small class size and small campus hopefully cut down on those big headaches. What do you think?
US Embassy in Zimbabwe celebrates one of its – and our – own
Former student body president Londoni takes Lynn with him wherever he goes (this was taken last year while he was interning with UNICEF in Washington, DC).
The U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe just posted a story about former Lynn student (and student body president) Bernard Londoni. Bernard, who graduated in May from Lynn, was highlighted on the embassy’s Web site for his transformation “From Refugee to Political Activist.”
Bernard, who wound up at the embassy in Zimbabwe after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo, is now at George Mason University working on his master’s and Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies.
In a nod to his alma mater, Bernard said in this interview that at Lynn he “quickly realized that the opportunity to diversify was of paramount importance. In a very individualized, innovative and international campus, I had the privilege to expand my horizons.”
As anyone who knows him will tell you, Bernard’s one to watch. He’s going places. Though he says he has no distinct destination in mind, he does have a purpose (one many of us heard him mention during his time here). He wants to help his home country, continent and its people.
“There is failed leadership in the DRC and in most Sub-Saharan countries,” he says in the story. “I am convinced that the destiny of our continent is in our hands.”
Watch out world.
Little LU: Cut it Out
Okay, so there are not enough Little LU bobbleheads to go to every single Lynn fan, but there is always the Little LU paper doll cut out version.
I loved paper dolls as a little girl, almost as much as I liked my “in the flesh” dolls. So, when you see all these cool travel photos of Little LU, now he can travel – very compactly – with you, too (word has it, he was last seen in Asia!). So, just cut and paste (literally!) Little LU and away you go.
Two ‘Amazing’ Women Share Six Degrees of Separation
As Lynn gets set to formally recognize Disability Awareness Month for the first time, it reminds me of the awareness and exposure I had to a person with a disability (although I don’t think we used that word back then) at a very early age. My cousin Judy was born with a disease that made her bones extremely brittle – so any slight fall produced a broken bone. I have memories of her in a cast or a wheelchair more often than not. Today she is an amazing, independent young woman who has become a shining example of someone who has excelled against all odds. Earning an MA in rehabilitation counseling and as the director of the Initiative for Women with Disabilities at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, she is a true champion of disabilities. But of course she’ll always be my little cousin.
Cousin Judy
President Ross takes shot to the arm, lives to tell the tale
Wincing only slightly, President Kevin Ross was among the dozens of faculty and staff who lined up today to get a needle in the arm. Tis the season. The university’s Employee Services office, in partnership with the Health Center, started doling out flu shots today to staff and faculty. Students will all have access to flu shots beginning Thursday in the Health Center (cost to students: $10) .
The payoff: A little extra protection this flu season. Oh, and a band-aid. Those are free . What’s not to like? (Besides the obvious, that is. But as I overheard in the flu line earlier, you’ll “barely feel a thing.”) True? Let’s hope so. Hard to tell!
President Ross Set to ‘Kick Up His Heels’
Ballroom dancing is all the rage these days, thanks to a certain-named TV reality show (which, by the way, starts up again Sept. 21 – not that I watch or anything). But now it’s hitting a little closer to home, or should I say to school. Our own President Kevin Ross will display his dancing chops as he glides around the floor in “Boca’s Ballroom Battle.” Though he’s says he’s never done anything like this before (meaning dance!), he’s willing to kick up his heels for a good cause – the event benefits the George Snow Scholarship Fund. And word has it that he’s cutting the rug pretty well.
President Ross will be competing with 7 other local celebs at the Boca Hotel & Resort tomorrow night. Will he rack up enough points from the judges for a win? (If he does, he’ll be in the illustrious company of last year’s champ, Mayor of Boca Raton Susan Whelchel.) Will a dance trophy adorn the president’s office come Aug. 28? I’ll keep you posted …
Raising the Flags
Each summer, as sort of an annual rite signaling the impending start of school, Lynn freshens up campus with a brand new set of brightly colored flags from countries around the world – one of Lynn’s international and most iconic trademarks.
Yesterday, there were a crew of workers taking the old flags down and raising the new ones. You can check out a few more pictures on Lynn’s Facebook page.
We all Scream for Ice Cream
At least that’s what Lynn students have been doing for years, according to former SGA prez and fellow blogger, Joey. So, now (drum roll please), coming to the caf near you – a soft serve ice cream machine dispensing vanilla, chocolate and twist flavors (and there will even be special flavors for holidays, like pumpkin for Halloween).
My fellow Knight Writers weigh in (so to speak): Says Jason, “I am probably more excited than most students,” while Laura says, “I’m not excited at all. I have no self control.” Well, either way, returning students are sure to be wildly excited, while the new students will wonder what all the fuss is about. But for those on the front lines of the ice cream “fight,” i.e. the SGA board, it is a sweet victory, indeed.
P.S. If hot dogs are more your guilty pleasure, we’ll have those too – a new kiosk will be camped out daily near the library fountain.
So, what do you think? Just how sweet is this news?
Lynn Basketball Coach named Boca’s “Hottest Husband”
Scott McMillin, head men’s basketball coach at Lynn University, was recently given another accolade to add to his list – “Boca Raton’s Hottest Husband” as noted in this month’s issue of Boca Raton Observer. Although McMillian sports a pair of steely blue eyes, it’s not solely his looks that helped him make the list. His “strong character, kind nature and love of family” assisted in the nomination. Scott’s wife, Crystal, wrote “Scott is my biggest fan and supports me 100 percent in everything I do… I couldn’t ask for a better husband!”
Crystal is not the only one who raves about Scott’s character – on and off the court. Lynn’s “Keeping Score” blogger, Gene, coined McMillin as one of his role models in a blog post last December. “He wins, but most importantly he wins in the right way… by enforcing accountability, high expectations, work ethic and sacrifice,” said Gene. “I have seen him do the laundry and sweep the floor, something that would very rarely be seen at a lot of higher end programs.”
Look for Scott and the Fighting Knights on the courts this fall.