The university is commemorating its golden anniversary with a year-long celebration that aims to honor the past, celebrate the present and look to the future.
Anniversary logos have been placed around campus, books have been written about NSU’s history, interviews of prominent figures in NSU history have been conducted and special events throughout the year will be held to honor this milestone.
Here is what to expect from NSU as we celebrate throughout the year.
From the university
For each of the next 32 weeks during the winter and fall 2014 semesters, each division of the university will host a weeklong celebration, in the order in which that unit was founded.
Established in 1964, the Office of Financial Operations was the first division of the university, which held their week of celebration from Jan. 6 through 10. As part of the celebration, Financial Operations held a raffle on Jan. 3 on the East Campus, inviting students, faculty and staff to learn more about the office and win various prizes.
The Oceanographic Center, which was founded in 1965 and originally located on a 40-foot houseboat anchored on the South New River waterfront in Fort Lauderdale, began its week of celebration Jan 13.
Melissa Dore, director of academic support and administration at the Oceanographic Center, said in addition to a Coffee and Conversation to be held on Jan. 16, the center will have a display in the Alvin Sherman Library from Jan. 11-17 featuring pictures, student photography, books and other publications from their last 50 years, as well as a continuously running DVD showcasing the campus and marine photos.
In late February, the Flight Deck is scheduled to reopen with a grand celebration to be held during the week of March 10. The grand re-opening will have a 50th anniversary theme, with special prices, vintage music and a raffle. The event will be hosted by the Division of Student Affairs during its week of celebration.
Each division is also required to hold a Coffee and Conversation on the Thursday of their week on the fourth floor of the Alvin Sherman Library, outside of the archives.
Alejandrina Matias, administrative coordinator in the Office of Institutional and Community Engagement, said the purpose of the Coffee and Conversations is for students and community members to meet the faces of the people behind the scenes of the university.
“It gives each unit a chance to showcase what they have done, how they’ve improved and what their plans are for the future,” Matias said.
The next Coffee and Conversation will be held on Jan. 16 and will be hosted by the Oceanographic Center.
The weeks of celebration will run throughout the winter semester and after a summer hiatus beginning June 23, will continue from Sept. 8 through Dec. 5.
The university will host the Team 2020 Celebration to recognize NSU employees for their years of service on Jan. 23 in the Don Taft University Center Arena. Oatmeal will be served in honor of the Oatmeal Club, the name Nova University’s founders gave themselves during their weekly breakfast meetings at Cope’s restaurant in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, where they discussed expanding education opportunities in South Florida over bowls of oatmeal.
CommunityFest, an annual event that connects NSU students, employees and their families, will be held on Feb. 8. While it will not have a specific 50th anniversary theme, organizers encourage student booths to develop their own ways to honor the milestone.
Anniversary themed merchandise is on sale at the bookstore, along with two books on the history of the school, “The Making of Nova Southeastern University” by historian Julian M. Pleasants, which offers a the behind-the-scenes look at the creation of NSU, and “A Tribute to the Past A Prelude to the Future,” which is a visual history book.
Many divisions are still in the planning stages for their week of celebration. The Current will keep readers updated on the events as we learn about them.
From Student Media
In honor of the anniversary, The Current will look back at school history by speaking with past presidents, faculty and alumni who experienced NSU and Davie’s rapid growth. The first article of a six-part series focusing on each decade of NSU’s history will be published next week. It will focus on how NSU was conceived, the people who helped it through its rocky first years, and the community which surrounded the university in the ‘60s.
In addition to the article series, The Current is working with SUTV, NSU’s student-run TV station, to produce a six-part documentary series that will be released throughout the year on The Current’s website and on SUTV’s YouTube page. The series will feature interviews with past presidents, faculty, staff and alumni to help showcase the personalities and people who helped NSU grow and become what it is today.
The Current will also have features, news, photographs and video highlighting other anniversary events throughout the year.
