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“As a student here, I can say that that spear holds such pride in being part of such a unique and vibrant community full of every type of person, and I couldn’t have chosen a place that felt more like home.”
Hi! My name is Jordan Shirley, I’m a second year Seminole, and today I will be taking you through thirty-six hours in the glorious Tallahassee, Florida, home to the Florida State University.
A little bit about me, I’m a sophomore here at Florida State, a retail entrepreneurship major, and a member of the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma as well as a member of Collegiate Merchandising Association (one of FSU’s largest fashion clubs). I’ve been living in Tallahassee for about a year now, and by no means am I an expert of the area, but these are just a couple of spots that I have grown to love over the course of my calendar year here.
After I finish up with classes on Friday, I, if I haven’t been at some other point during the week, like to stop by a store called The Other Side Vintage. This store is right off campus down in the Railroad Square Art District and it has just about everything you could look for. The front room has a bunch of trinkets and house décor and the store then opens up into a large warehouse full of unique clothing pieces. I like to stop by pretty frequently just to see what they’ve put out new or sometimes new things will jump out at me! As a student primarily focused in the world of fashion, I am always looking for different ways to reinvent my own style as well as get inspiration for my plans in the future. I even bought a leather dress with gold fringe down the sleeves for my sorority semi formal!
At this point, I have spent so much time looking at clothes, knowing myself, that I have made it to dinner time. One of my favorite places to show people when they come visit, and to just stop by when I am needing some good Asian food is Little MASA. This restaurant is located in College Town, which has a bunch of other great food spots as well as some shops and lots of student apartments! I love the Pad Thai with chicken in particular, but you really can never go wrong! I generally will get it to go and, if it’s a nice day out, head over to Langford Green.
Langford Green is home to Florida State’s famous unconquered statue. This statue was the brainchild of Fritz White and depicts FSU’s famous Chief Osceola and Renegade. At the beginning of each football game, Chief Osceola rides out on Renegade, an appaloosa horse, wielding a spear on fire across the field and then sticking the spear into centerfield while the crowd erupts with excitement. This practice is meant to honor the Seminole tribe and emulate their strength into the entire Seminole community. Florida State has always had a strong connection with their mascot and the Seminole tribe, which is why Kyle Cavan decided to use the spear in Chief Osceola’s hand as their inspiration for the FSU line. This spear truly is more than just an object. As a student here, I can say that that spear holds such pride in being part of such a unique and vibrant community full of every type of person, and I couldn’t have chosen a place that felt more like home. The spear is just the object that reminds me of that home. So, sitting in front of the unconquered statue and all the history it represents, I will eat my dinner and watch the beautiful Florida sunset with friends that I know I will have for a lifetime.
The next day I will wake up and head to one of my favorite spots for when I want some fresh fruit,The Good Berry Acaí. It’s a little bit off campus, so a car is needed, but it is worth it! Their bowls are completely customizable, I personally get the original acaí with strawberries, bananas, and granola topped chocolate chips, honey, and a scoop of peanut butter.
One other thing that I love to do if the day permits is go over to this small swimming hole about fifteen minutes from campus. There’s a rope swing, and me and my friends love to bring some towels, a speaker, and a football and we’re just about set for a couple hours. I am not positive this place has a name, in my friend group it has just become known as “the sinkhole”, but another outdoor place you can go to is the Florida State Reservation. You can float on Lake Bradford here or hangout and do other outdoor activities like the rope course!
Obviously, these are just some of the highlights of the area, and some weekends I may not even leave my apartment, but there is definitely something for everyone in Tallahassee, you just have to look for it.