USF Nursing Student Affairs Turns Office into Wizard of OZ, Wins Homecoming Contest
University of South Florida College of Nursing celebrated homecoming in style! In so much style…the College’s Student Affairs Office won the USF Homecoming Office Decorating Contest on Oct. 21, 2013.
College of Nursing Student Affairs Office wins First Place in the USF Homecoming Office Decorating Contest
Themed after The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, Student Affairs advisors used their USF team spirit and creativity to transform their work space into the magical American fairy tale for this year’s USF homecoming. They called it “There’s No Place Like Home(coming) at the College of Nursing.”
“Indeed, there is no place like homecoming at the USF College of Nursing,” said Anne Phillips, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Administrative Affairs for USF College of Nursing. “Everyone at Student Affairs did an incredible job bringing the Wizard of Oz story to life while sending an important message to students. Great job and congratulations!”
USF Nursing Academic Advisor, Andy McDuffie (Eifert), MA, (aka Dorothy) giving visitors a tour through the USF of OZ!
The Wizard of OZ story, written in 1900 and later turned into a musical and film, chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy in the Land of OZ after being swept away from her Kansas farm home in a cyclone.
Each office door had a personalized 3D-like sign designed to tell the story of “There’s no place like Homecoming at the College of Nursing”
To tell Dorothy’s story, Student Affairs advisors used her experience in the Land of OZ to illustrate the students’ academic journey and their pathway to graduation. To implement their vision, they used the USF homecoming theme “There’s no place like homecoming,” which follows a popular line in the Wizard of OZ movie, “there is no place like home.”
The Tin Man, hand crafted by Nursing Academic Advisor, Astride Edouard, is just one of the creative characters to meet along the journey through USF of OZ!
Travel through The Haunted Forest lit with flame lamps, strobe lights, spooky trees, the evil wicked witch and flying Louisville Cardinals, which is the opponent football team playing the USF Bulls on Oct. 25, 2013.
“We wanted to relate the Wizard of Oz characters and their traits (i.e. scarecrow had the brains/smarts, Tin Man had the heart and the Lion had the courage) to the work of us advisors in the Students Affairs office,” said Andy McDuffie (Eifert), MA, academic advisor at USF College of Nursing. “As advisors, we aspire to embody the spirit and characteristics of the OZ characters to showcase our ‘brains’ about the resources available to students, have the ‘heart’ to guide and assist our students down their educational path and provide them the ‘courage’ they need to succeed here at USF and the College of Nursing!”
At the end of the journey you find Rocky the Wizard at the Emerald BULL city!
Advisors used their own money and materials to bring their collaborative idea to life. Their commitment, teamwork, competitive nature and team spirit led to a one-of-kind and winning homecoming decoration, which will be hard to top.
The Emerald Bull city full of lights and USF school spirit!
“We are pumped to have won first place at the USF Homecoming Office Decorating Contest, and we look forward to defending our crown next year!” said McDuffie. “This win will put College of Nursing on the map, which will allow us to re-brand ourselves and show the college’s involvement, our USF pride and our Bull spirit!”
At he end of USF of OZ journey, advisors also offered treats in “Munchkin Land” including “tornado cupcakes” and “tiny Tin Man Hats” Hershey kisses
To see more photos of the Student Affairs decorations visit the official USF College of Nursing Facebook Page!
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