Wings Up: 25 Years of Student Life

Over the past 2 ½ decades, the university has grown exponentially. This growth has been led, directed and propelled by students. So, to celebrate our 25th anniversary, the Florida Gulf Coast University Archives and Special Collections will showcase various aspects of student life in the exhibit, “Wings Up: 25 Years of Student Life at FGCU,” from Aug. 22 to Dec. 2.

In an exhibit focused on students, it is important that the student voice is clear and present throughout the exhibit. That desire resulted in one of the feature elements of the exhibition, the Eagle News wall. This wall is covered in articles and headlines from FGCU’s longest-running student newspaper. In a meeting of the past and present, the articles written by former students were all selected by current students.

Collecting, preserving and sharing the unique history of FGCU is a critical part of the mission of University Archives. While not every aspect of student life and the student experience can be collected and displayed, it is our hope that visitors are able to see at least some part of their own experiences reflected on the exhibit walls. Some of the selected items include photos, videos and ephemera from fraternities and sororities, the Student Government Association, Athletics and many of the university’s registered student organizations. The creation of the exhibition was a truly collective project with exhibited materials coming from the archives’ own holdings as well as campus departments, student groups and alumni donations.

“Wings Up: 25 Years of Student Life at FGCU” celebrates the student life of the past, encourages students to see themselves as present-day history makers and looks forward to the future of student life at FGCU.