ON FEBRUARY 5, Southeastern University was the featured program at the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner. The college proudly presented its choral group, jazz band, and a talk from Dr. Kent Ingle, the institution’s president. An exciting drum-line performance capped an exhilarating evening.
The chamber meeting is part of a continuing effort by the university to become more involved in the community, which, in turn, energizes its faculty and student body. They have chosen interesting methods to galvanize the base.
Would you have believed a decade ago that Webber, Warner, and Southeastern would be playing football against each other? Sports of all types, men’s and women’s, provide exciting relief from daily book learning.
Southeastern understands that pursuing the arts — be it music, drama, art, or creative writing — adds to the involvement and motivation of the students, because each of these artistic styles requires imagination and perseverance. It has incorporated a College of Arts and Media into its student offerings that will provide a springboard for imaginative projects by students and faculty. The university just published its first issue of Precise magazine, touting “Musical Resonance On and Off the Field.”
Its goal of effective and innovative messaging is similar to the FFA, which stresses communication skills as a primary goal. Problems in any industry are going be solved by oncoming young people with imaginations and the confidence to use them.
I recommend that you walk through any of our Central Florida colleges. You will find outgoing, committed young people who will work together in the future to make their world and ours a better place.
Joy and I continue to support FFA, the Congressional Art Competition for high school students, and creative writing at Harrison and Southeastern. They all have the same goal: Encouraging imagination and creativity, which leads to confidence for future endeavors.
CREDIT
column by MICHAEL MARTIN
BIO: Michael Martin of Martin Law Office in Lakeland specializes in agriculture and environmental legal representation. A native of Polk County, Mike attended college at Sewanee in Tennessee before obtaining a doctorate in law from the University of Florida. He has tried numerous cases nationwide since that time. Mike also serves as the director of the FFA Foundation and is the author of the novel, The Crestfallen Rose.
