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Parade Unites FSU Students, Alumni By Megan Barcia

Circle K Intl. Schedules H.O.P.E. DinnerBy Monique Henry

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Teen Center Seeks Student VolunteersBy Jervishia Walker

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The annual Homecoming parade will take place on Nov. 18, Fri., at 2 pm. “The importance of the parade is to celebrate the Homecoming and to bring together students and alumni to promote the university in a positive way,” said Carly Coakley, Assistant Director of Homecoming Parade/Chief and Princess. “It showcases the Seminole pride that FSU has.”

The organization whose float best portrays the Homecoming theme of “Seminole State of Mind” will receive recognition for its efforts.

“The parade incorporates student organizations, Greek organizations and community organizations like the Safari Bus Company, the First Responder Unit and different alumni associations,” Coakley said.

The parade will showcase floats from more than 100 organizations and will feature Chief Osceola and Renegade, the candidates for Chief and Princess, and the Marching Chiefs.

Coakley said her favorite part of the parade is seeing how creatively participants can incorporate the theme into their floats.

The parade is part of a more than 60-year-old Homecoming tradition. “Pretty much anyone can be involved, and all you need to do is fill out an application,” Coakley said.

The floats go through intensive screening to ensure that drivers have insurance and a drivers license and that everything meets safety regulations.

The parade will begin on West Madison Street, by the Leon County Civic Center, head east, turn onto Martin Luther King Boulevard, continue on West College Avenue, turn onto Copeland Street and end at West Pensacola near the Civic Center.

More Homecoming information is at homecoming.fsu.edu.

FSU SGA Student Publications Newsletter Vol. 4, No. 4 Nov. 2011

Circle K International will host its Sixth Annual H.O.P.E. Thanksgiving dinner at H.O.P.E. Community on Nov. 20, Sun., at 10 pm.

Members and other volunteers will work in four-hour shifts to prepare the dinner. Along with providing a Thanksgiving meal to residents at the community, the group will also celebrate birthdays by providing small gifts and goodie bags. The group will provide music and arts and crafts for children as well as a myriad of games, including hopscotch and board games, to keep the kids entertained.

The H.O.P.E. Community is a six-month transitional housing program under the Big Bend Homeless Coalition to empower homeless persons and families and endorse self-sufficiency. It provides various services to accepted residents addressing employment, mental health, substance abuse and health care. Residents are served meals daily in the dining hall, where CKI will host the dinner and other volunteer events the week before Thanksgiving break.

CKI is an international collegiate-tier service organization. It is an auxiliary of a global volunteer organization and leadership program, Kiwanis International. Their three tenets promote service, leadership and fellowship among members. For service, every weekend, they have at least one project. At the end of the semester, they document those hours and print a log. In the spirit of fellowship, the membership vice president creates socials at least once a month to keep the members connected.

“We’ve worked with the elderly, kids, the homeless and even animals,” said Ketsia Lamarre, CKI’s vice president of service. Lamarre is responsible for organizing the organization’s service projects during the school year.

A center that provides an after-school haven for Tallahassee teens needs volunteers.

The Palmer Munroe Teen Center houses the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s Back to Basics program, which helps minority at-risk youth. “Currently, the program runs a class for its high school students,” said Janel Robinson, an intern at the center. “The class helps prepare the students for a bright future by helping them develop goals as well as create a career path for them.”

Robinson said the center is implementing a mentorship program for the remainder of this semester, pairing each teen with a college student as a mentor who may act as another community resource to aid them on their path.

NEWS TO USE

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from 1- Circle K Intl. Schedules H.O.P.E. Dinner

from 1- Teen Center Seeks Student Volunteers

TIPS, News to Use, is the newsletter of Student Publications, an affiliated project of the Student Government Association of Florida State University. E-mail submissions to mharris2@admin.fsu.edu. Editor Kestrel L. Ambrose. Assistant Editor/Columnist Tiffany Lettsome. Graphic Designer Tony Nguyen. TIPS, A302 Oglesby Union, (850) 644-0037.

Alex Yarbrough serves as the Overall Director of Homecoming. Yarbrough says his favorite part of Homecoming is Pow Wow because it brings together Seminoles from different generations in celebration of FSU. “The marching chiefs, circus, chief and princess, and various student groups make Pow Wow an unforgettable event each and every year,” Yarbrough says.

Cobretti Williams, the Assistant Overall Director, says he loves the entire Homecoming week. “Getting to see all FSU students show immense effort and knowledge in events such as Torch Pursuit and Seminole Showdown display what our university has to offer,” Williams says.

Andres Zapata, the Director of Warchant, says the amazing concert kicking off the Seminole-spirited week and the Homecoming games are his favorite part of the festivities.

Alex Yarbrough Cobretti Williams Andres Zapata Bianca Salvaggio Amanda Paul Lauren Jones

Tallahassee offers a wide variety of community service activities to keep you occupied in your free time. Below are a few places that need a helping hand.

Each year the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center cares for more than 10,000 unwanted and abused animals. If you have two hours a week (eight hours each month) to spare and have a love for animals, you may want to become a volunteer. During the volunteer training sessions, held year-round, you will learn to handle dogs and take care of different animals. Phone 891-2977 or visit the shelter at 1125 Eastwood Drive.

If nature is more your speed, the Tallahassee Museum, 3945 Museum Dr., offers opportunities for volunteers who enjoy working with people and can commit a minimum of four hours each month. Featuring camps, tours, a natural habitat zoo and historic buildings onsite, the museum needs volunteers to give walking tours, demonstrate crafts or assist with special events. Phone the coordinator at 575-8684.

The Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., offers 13 volunteer programs ranging from adult grief support to advisory councils. Its website boasts that “whatever your interest, there is a volunteer opportunity for you.” The hospice provides a caring environment for meeting the physical and emotional needs of the terminally ill. Phone 878-5310.

The Character Center, 129 Century Drive, provides a positive environment for children grades K-5 after school. Here they can get help with homework and problem areas that they may face in school. The center also offers extracurricular activities such as basketball and karate when they are finished with homework. Volunteers are needed Monday – Friday, from 3:30 pm – 6 pm. Phone 385-9225.

Other community service events in the Leon County area are listed at volunteerleon.org.

Meet... Homecoming Executive CouncilBy Kestrel Ambrose

Tallahassee Volunteer OpportunitiesBy Jervishia Walker

Bianca Salvaggio, the Director of Service, says she “loves everything Homecoming.” Her favorite part of Homecoming is seeing everyone come together and show their Seminole Spirit.

Amanda Paul, the Director of Spear-It Night, says her favorite part of Homecoming is seeing the entire student body come out to all the awesome events to show off their FSU pride.

Lauren Jones serves as Director of Skit Night. “Homecoming is a yearly event that forces us to take a step back and get excited about just being part of the Seminole community,” she says, “something that can get lost during the stresses of the day-to-day happenings.”

Homecoming events and activities are listed at homecoming.fsu.edu.

TIPS, SGA Student Publications, Nov. 2011, Vol. 4, No. 4

“Our organization is for people who just like to do service,” Lamarre said. “We don’t have a quota that you have to meet in order to be a member. Even if you don’t pay your dues, you can still join us on service activities.”

To get involved, students can attend the Wednesday meetings at 7 pm in the Union. They can also join the Facebook page for updates on meetings, events and general activities. For more information, contact them at seminolecki@yahoo.com.Dear Florida State Faculty and Staff:

On behalf of the students on the Homecoming committee, thank you for all of your hard work to help make this University amazing! Homecoming would like to recognize you and all your hard work at the Faculty and Staff reception in Miller Hall on Thursday, November 17th, from 4:30 – 6 pm. Feel free to come by and spend some time with other faculty and staff as well as student leaders.

Thank you and we hope to see you there.James MaloneyDirector of University Outreach for Homecoming

Opened August 27, 2010, the teen center is Tallahassee’s first facility designed as a safe and enriching environment specifically for local teens. The center is open until 8 pm Mondays – Fridays.

“Every day the teen center offers a bus system that picks up the students after school and brings them to the center,” Robinson said. “If the students choose not to take the bus, they can come on their own.”

The program requires volunteers to commit an hour or two of time each week, usually on Mondays and Wednesdays, to meet with students to check on them. The center holds one-hour training sessions for mentors on Tuesdays at 2 pm and 4:30 pm.

“There is a Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Volunteer form that you must fill out before you can attend orientation,” Robinson said.

“If you can’t commit to the time requested for this service opportunity, don’t get discouraged,” Robinson said. “We still need volunteers. After you attend a mandatory orientation, you can still come at any time to volunteer. We encourage it.”

The center is at 1900 Jackson Bluff Rd, at the corner of Jackson Bluff and South Lipona, next to SAIL High School. For more information, contact Janel Robinson at jrr10c@fsu.edu or (727) 501-5703.