Every school has a history or a defining moment or something that makes you say "what the fuck." Luckily for Florida State, we have a lot of those.
Our story begins at the very beginning, in 1857, when FSU, home of the Seminoles, was actually a women's college. Now, you can imagine the thrill it was for every male returning from the Civil War was given the opportunity to attend Florida State, then known as the Florida State Seminary.
Originally, the seminary had absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy, becoming a co-ed school in 1858. So FSU has seen some changes, some including our very own Gallows Hill, just west of the Capitol, a place for public executions. How thrilling.
Let's look at all the crazy shit to have happened at Florida State University.
1. Florida Military and Collegiate Institute.
During the Civil War, FSU's name was changed to the Florida Military and Collegiate Institute to begin military training for students. By the end of the war, Tallahassee was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River to not fall to the Union's forces. FSU is only one of four ROTC units in the United States with permission to display a campaign streamer.
2. Buckman Act.
Because of the 1905 Buckman Act, FSU split again into a college for white females, known as the Florida Female College, with another name change in 1909, the Florida State College for Women. Florida State was the largest of the two universities in Florida, even when it housed only women. However, after WWII, returning soldiers were allowed to attend the women's college, returning it to its co-ed days.
3. Dr. Raymond Bellamy.
Bellamy building, the only white-colored building on campus, was named after Dr. Raymond Bellamy, who had some controversial ideas, leading to many faculty members to fight for his removal. Bellamy was accused of "teaching atheism, being pro-German, being a Bolshevik, teaching free love, teaching evolution, and being a Damn Yankee."
4. Sweet potatoes and oranges were bartered for tuition.
The Great Depression hit hard, even in Tallahassee. The Florida State College for Women began accepting bartered goods for tuition, allowing a large influx of students to begin their education at the school. Ah, those were the days.
5. Ted Bundy.
In a dark turn of events, FSU was known for five attacks, two deaths, from serial killer Ted Bundy. Because of his terrible acts, the Emergency Blue Lights were installed throughout campus to keep students safe.
6. FSU was streaker-friendly.
Streaking was so popular, a craze started at FSU in March of 1974, that it swept the nation. It was such a movement that Landis was even open to streakers for 24 hours. What a time to be alive.
7. Hand-foot-mouth.
In 2016, we had a weird outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease, which was exactly what it sounds like. Children are usually the most commonly infected, but this time, a dozen college students were reporting painful mouth sores, fevers, and rashes on their hands and mouth.
8. WWII Bomb.
Fall of 2016 was definitely a wild time. An old WWII bomb was found on Madison street by construction workers. It had fallen out of the roots of a tree when construction workers had pulled it from the ground. Tallahassee Police Department, with the help Tyndall Air Force Base, excavated a deep hole and buried the bomb, detonating it at 9:30 on a Wednesday night. Students reported hearing the blast for miles and could feel the earth shake.
9. The Strozier Shooting.
In 2014, FSU was added to a list that no school wants to be a part of. A shooting took place in Strozier library, with the gunman shooting three, then being shot down by police. The entire campus was on lockdown, and the following day, classes and final exams had been canceled. Many students described it as the scariest moment of their lives.
10. Snow Day.
Florida State has had a few snow days, including most recently in the winter where Westscott froze over and icicles hung from it's tiers and it was considered a hazard and had to be roped off. In 2013, FSU closed for a snow day, Landis was a giant mud slide, and almost all of Tallahassee shut down for what was an amazing, winter wonderland dream come true for all the Floridians.
11. Champions Club.
In 2016, the Dunlap Champions Club was revealed to be the official game day spot for the elite, located at the top of Doak. It opened it's doors last year and was packed with all-you-can-eat food and some great alcoholic beverages, all for the low price of $175! Wow, that's a low price!
12. Suwannee Dining.
Suwannee Dining Hall had a drastic makeover this summer which left it with a new sleek, modern look, quite fitting for the times. While older students and alumni complain that Suwannee no longer looks like Hogwarts, it's still a new refreshing look for everyone. Still costs an arm and a swipe for a meal, but it's so aesthetically pleasing.
