Down in Branscomb’s jazz band room, students may hear the sounds of “jazz jams,” the get-togethers of the FSC’s Jazz Education Network (JEN) chapter. JEN was founded in 2008 by Mary Jo Papich and Dr. Lou Fishcer  to celebrate and keep the genre alive. What started as a music conference in St. Louis expanded into a network with thousands of members, now including collegiate, secondary education and community-based chapters.

The Layout and Media Experts club, also known as the LAME club, is a graphic design club at Florida Southern College. Sophia Dial, a graphic design major with a minor in photography and marketing, started the club with the mission of filling in the gaps that she, and other graphic design students, saw in the community on campus.

As students are welcoming in a new year and new semester, the students in the Theatre Arts department are learning songs and memorizing lines for the upcoming spring musical. This spring Florida Southern College’s Theatre and Dance Department is presenting “Pippin.” The show, with lyrics by American musical composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, follows the story, guided by the leading player, Pippin, a young prince, and his journey to find the real meaning and purpose of his life. 

Every morning, Saed Alaraj commutes from his house in Tampa to Rogue Coffee in Lakeland. Opening the door to a cozy setting with couches, a menu full of specialty drinks right over the bar, Alaraj makes his way to the back corner of the shop that is full of stacked coffee beans right from Brazil. From farm to cup, Rogue Coffee sells premium coffee beans as a wholesaler to coffee shops in Lakeland such as Foxtail and Latitude, and Alaraj explains that the coffee community is all about giving everyone the best coffee beans.

This academic year, Florida Southern College welcomes a familiar face to its faculty, Olivia McCartney, a 2022 graduate of the college’s Dance Performance and Choreography program. McCartney aspire to bring a blend of empathy, experience, and enthusiasm to her students, grounded in her recent experiences both as a student and a professional dancer.

One of the biggest nights in Hollywood is fast approaching, as the 97th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 2. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the event will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on ABC and, for the first time, streamed on Hulu.

As we’re approaching the halfway point of the Spring 2025 semester, that also means that spring break is right around the corner. As nice as it is to have a weeklong break from classes and other school responsibilities, that’s not really why people get so excited for this period of time.

Charley Crockett is the greatest country musician of our generation. People love to talk about how artists are snubbed at the Grammy Awards for their music. Crockett has made his way up to fame within the Americana genre, overpowering country artists who put a pop beat behind their music, like Morgan Wallen or Luke Bryan. 

Few genres spark as much debate as “Hallmark” movies. Some viewers eagerly await the time for movies with small-town charm and holiday cheer, while others can’t stomach another minute of predictable romances. To explore the great “Hallmark” divide, two perspectives are put in place: the individual who adores these films and the other who dreads them.

Released on Oct. 31, Oasis is an AI-generated game from Decart credited as being “the first real-time AI world model.” Based on user input, the game generates its environment as users play it, similar to Minecraft but powered entirely by AI. While it’s an impressive technological feat, some users' experiences have been less than spectacular, revealing potential limitations and significant challenges.

The Mocs completed the 2025 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championships at the F.A.S.T Center in Ocala this past weekend. The No. 16 men’s team finished in second with 596 points, while the No. 24 women’s team placed fourth with 383.5 points. No. 1 University of Tampa managed to grab first for both teams.

William Byron made history by winning his second consecutive Daytona 500, joining an elite group of drivers who have won back-to-back titles, last achieved by Denny Hamlin in 2019 and 2020.

The women’s lacrosse team opened their 2025 season with a win against the Flagler College Saints by a score of 10-8 at Berend Field on Feb. 7.

The Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious with a final score of 40-22, securing their second Super Bowl championship in franchise history by taking down the two-time reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.

I am not the biggest football fan. Never have been. But, I love the Super Bowl. It’s the perfect time to gather with friends, have an excuse to eat too many chips and salsa, and, of course, see if you’ll witness yet another legendary halftime performance. Living through many, I have clear performance favorites. 

Charley Crockett is the greatest country musician of our generation. People love to talk about how artists are snubbed at the Grammy Awards for their music. Crockett has made his way up to fame within the Americana genre, overpowering country artists who put a pop beat behind their music, like Morgan Wallen or Luke Bryan. 

On Feb. 5, it was announced that award winning metal artist Ozzy Osbourne will make a final return to a live stage featuring a Black Sabbath reunion. Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward will be together on stage for the first time in 20 years.

I am not the biggest football fan. Never have been. But, I love the Super Bowl. It’s the perfect time to gather with friends, have an excuse to eat too many chips and salsa, and, of course, see if you’ll witness yet another legendary halftime performance. Living through many, I have clear performance favorites. 

As students are welcoming in a new year and new semester, the students in the Theatre Arts department are learning songs and memorizing lines for the upcoming spring musical. This spring Florida Southern College’s Theatre and Dance Department is presenting “Pippin.” The show, with lyrics by American musical composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, follows the story, guided by the leading player, Pippin, a young prince, and his journey to find the real meaning and purpose of his life. 

Florida Southern is entering an exciting new chapter based on growth and transformation, with the most notable being the expansion of the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Arts (ABG). Formerly the Polk Art Museum, the building has recently received a new name, benefactor and makeover. Set to open its doors to the public on Jan. 18, the 14,000 square foot expansion comes after nearly 30 years of planning and fundraising.  “This is a really exciting moment for our entire community, academic and beyond,” said Dr. Alexander Rich, the executive director and chief curator of the AGB. “We are developing an innovative, intentional, academic and community space that I can’t wait for our whole community [to see].”