Issue 3 • Volume 125 Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 www.thesandspur.org
@thesandspur facebook.com/ thesandspur
Eating disorders: a silent struggle By Victoria Alvarez
valvarez@rollins.edu
Content warning: This article contains descriptions of eating disorders that may be triggering to some people.
F
rom the outside, Adrienne Almonte (‘19) seemed like she had it all together. She was a typical high schooler, smiling, hanging out with friends and a member of the dance team. Internally, Almonte was struggling with an eating disorder. No one really noticed or believed her, though, because she didn’t fit the “skin and bones stereotype.” “Growing up I was involved with dance and theater which made me want to look a certain way—I wanted to be shaped differently,” said Almonte. Her disorders started in her junior year of high school. Almonte is just one of approximately 30 million people who suffer from eating disorders in the United States. College students, often overcome with stress and society’s social standards, tend to struggle more with disordered eating and body issues, and Rollins is no exception. “There has been more students speaking up about their body dysmorphia, so more students are getting the help they need over the next four years,” said Denise Snyder, assistant director and clinical coordinator of Health Services.
Snyder said she could not provide statistics regarding eating disorders at Rollins due to lack of surveying and confidentiality. “Rollins has around the same statistics regarding eating disorders as other college campuses have,” she said. “We have also been doing more screening to monitor students’ dietary behaviors.” Snyder defined eating disorders as mental health illnesses that have a wide range of subcategories that include compulsive exercising, binge eating, and purging. “It becomes a disorder when it is the forefront of a person’s mind. Eating disorders can start off as dietary concerns, disordered eating, or over-exercising. When the behaviors become a pattern, that’s when it can turn into a disorder,” she said in an email. “I want to stress that people who are suffering from eating disorders don’t look a certain way,” Almonte said. “I wanted my friends to understand or sympathize my situation, but because I visibly didn’t look like I was starving, they didn’t seem to care—I was only eating crackers and coffee for months.”
Almonte said the topic of eating disorders isn’t as triggering for her anymore because she’s come a long way in regard to physical and mental health. Rollins has an Eating Disorder Clinical Intervention Team, consisting of a mental health counselor, a family nurse practitioner, a nutritionist and dietitian, and a psychiatrist whose main goal is to support students through customized plans. According to a 2013 study by the National Eating Disorder Association, 35 percent of “normal” dieting results in a pattern and 20 to 25 percent develop into partial or full-blown eating disorders. A quarter of college students have behaviors associated with bulimia, and 91 percent of female students have used dieting as a means for weight control, according to Christina Purkiss, site director of the Renfrew Center of Orlando, a center that helps women suffering from eating disorders. “There is this expectation that everyone gains weight in college, so people go on restricted diets and compulsively exercise in order to compensate,” Purkiss said. “Transitioning into college is very stressful, and, in order to cope, restricting food intake or binging can develop. It some-
Graphic by Anastasia Rooke
Inside Breaking down SGA’s budget
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The major student organization recieves nearly $75k in funding a year. Here’s where it all goes.
times can be used to help manage stress and control. Overall, college can be very stressful so people can turn to it,” she said. Purkiss also said that a lot of eating disorders are linked to substance abuse, such as compensating for the calories in drinking or using drinking as an excuse for purging. The Renfrew Center offers multiple levels of support, such as therapy, partial hospitalization, nutrition, and counseling for those who need treatment. Visit their website at RenfrewCenter.com for more information. “It’s important to recognize that men and women suffer from body dysmorphia and compulsive behaviors to compensate for the stress of college,” said Snyder. “We need to lift each other up and support one another, especially those in need.” Almonte said, “I want to emphasize how helpful the Wellness Center is. I didn’t really know how in depth and customized the resources are and I wish I knew more about it my junior year. I think more people need to realize how awesome and supportive it is.” Call the Rollins Wellness Center at 407-628-6340 from 9 to 5 p.m. to schedule an appointment with Denise Snyder or talk to a counselor. In case of a mental health emergency, call 911, the Wellness Center’s After-Hours Crisis Phone at 833-848-1761, or Lifeline of Central Florida at 407425-2624.
Construction raises accessibility concerns
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As ramps are blocked for construction safety measures, students with physical disabilities must take major detours.
Opinion: Controversy follows Kaepernick
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Austin Nowinski (‘20) gives his take on the NikeKaepernick ad that left America in un uproar.
2 • September 13, 2018 Title IX Coordinator search underway Established in 1894 with the following editorial:
By Cristina Toppin
T EXECUTIVE STAFF Ellie Rushing Editor-in-Chief Christina Fuleihan Managing Editor
CONTENT STAFF Alex Candage Head Copy Editor Siobhan Nolet David Smith Copy Editors Kendall Clarke Staff Writer
DESIGN DEPARTMENT
he search for a new coordinator for the Office of Title IX will begin at the end of this month, and a final decision will be made by the end of the fall semester, according to Meghan Harte Weyant, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean of students. Throughout the fall, three to four candidates will be chosen from a national search to meet students, faculty, and staff. “My hope is that we’ll have an open forum for the candidate to present at and for students to give feedback to,” Weyant said.
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The interview process’ timing may help to involve more first-year students whose introduction to the office remains a recent memory, having completed an informational session on Title IX during orientation. Additionally, having a coordinator exclusive to the office may make students feel more comfortable. Lauren Rouse (‘22) said that approaching Weyant is “a little more intimidating, I guess, since it’s not her only role.” Weyant currently serves as the interim Title IX Coordinator in light of the former coordinator, Oriana Jiménez, leaving Rollins in August.
The role is set to experience some changes regarding meeting every student’s Title IX needs— providing equal resources to both the reporting and responding parties. Weyant affirmed that it is important for the next coordinator to still engage other student support arenas. Jiménez actively participated in campus initiatives centered on gender and inclusion throughout her time at Rollins, serving on its Diversity Council and hosting the Rally Against Violence each April. “Oriana was [an] incredible advocate for gender and inclusion on-campus… and we’re going to be working very closely
with centers at the college like the Lucy Cross, Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement, and Wellness Center to strengthen advocacy work in those areas,” Weyant said. Simultaneously, “[We] want to make sure that our Title IX Coordinator is someone who all students will feel comfortable working with,” she said. In the meantime, students with Title IX needs can contact The Office of Student and Family Care as well as Weyant and the Dean of Students Office. Students needing timely support can contact titleix@rollins.edu or (407) 691-1773.
With a new coach, cross country has high hopes
Lya Dominguez Head Designer Dana Wagenhouser Pat Murray Designers Anastasia Rooke Designer / Illustrator
ctoppin@rollins.edu
Nearly all runners see time improvements in second race By Henri Balla
I
hballa@rollins.edu
t’s the night before a race and the men’s and women’s cross country teams convene in the Alfond Sports Hall for a pasta dinner, a tradition newly-introduced by interim Head Coach Nate Weyant. The team talks, shares a meal, and starts mentally preparing for their race in Melbourne th next morning. It paid off, as nearly every member of the team dropped in time during the race. The Sept. 8 Florida Tech Invitational started with the men’s team. In the 8k, Ryan King (‘21) registered the best time for the Tars with 32:01, placing 46th. Jack Gabriel (‘20), Luke Parsley (‘19), Aaron Villanueva (‘20), Cameron Meehan (‘21), and Parker Smith (‘22) followed behind, ranking 49th, 54th, 55th, and 56th, respectively. The women followed with their 5k race, as Sinead McDonald (‘19) lead the way with 24:14, placing 54th. Meg Bespolka (‘20), Laura Tobin (‘21), Aby Wong (‘19), Anna Belle Warren (‘22), and Alex Lichtner (‘21) respectively ranked 64th, 65th, 67th, and 69th. “Pretty much everybody dropped time, significantly for some of the ladies. I think that’s indicative of how hard they’ve been working training-wise. Overall, I am very encouraged by
the result today,” Weyant said. Both teams have been training intensively, with their first meet coming only four days after the start of classes, a situation Weyant described as “grueling.” Given the nature of the Sunshine State Conference, competition varies by the size of the different schools. This past weekend’s meet had a different course nature as well, using laps rather than a distinct start and finish. In the experience of Weyant, some of the contestants prefer one to the other. “Different mentalities, different thought processes,” Weyant said. Katie Rioux (‘19) has had her fair share of experiences. “It depends on the schools that show up; the courses are different, too. Some have more hills, some go through the woods. Some have more concrete or gravel. It just depends on location,” she said. She elaborated on her ambitions and motivations, saying, “I want to push myself this year, to work harder than I have in the past. The atmosphere in the group is really friendly. This has been my favorite year so far.” The cross country season is short, with only six meets in total. According to Weyant, the FLrunners.com invitational in Lakeland on Sept. 28 stands out. “It is at the same course that we ran on Sept. 1, with similar weather and fairly similar rivals.
That will serve as a measuring stick to show how much we’ve improved in the meantime,” said Weyant. The cross country team is mixed with athletes from other varsity sports, using it as a training tool to get in shape before their other season begins. Smith and Meehan are on the baseball team, whereas Nicole Hubert (‘19) is using the rowing off-season period to prepare for both cross country and her own half-marathon plans. Echoing the words of Rioux, Hubert was full of praise for the new environment created by Weyant. “I think the team is awesome this year. The coach has done a really incredible job of making sure he’s holding everybody accountable in a new way by offering two different practice times a day, working with everybody around the schedule, making sure everybody in the team feels like they’re a real part of the team, which is a very different atmosphere than the one we’ve had in previous years.” Huber cherishes the community feeling that has been created. “Of course improving personally is important,” she said. “But more than anything, a lot of the people I am running with are people I have been running with for the past few years. It’s good to see those friendships progress and see them beat their goals too.”
Both Weyant and the team are appreciative of the expertise provided by Assistant Coach Whit Wismar. Hubert said, “He knows the courses really well and knows what kind of training we need the week before, to best prepare. For Holloway Park in Lakeland, Whit knew that we needed to do a hill workout so we could prepare mentally and physically.” By designing workouts to match the racing conditions in upcoming weeks, Wismar ensures that the Tars are never caught off-guard. “After all Winter Park isn’t exactly the hilliest place. He finds innovative ways to get those workouts in and preparing us as best as we can,” Hubert said. Coach Weyant, who has been involved with Rollins Athletics for 15 years now, finds the experience overwhelming, but worth it. “It’s been like drinking out of a firehose, that’s the best way to put it. Balancing the administrative requirements, the actual training and my other job of being Assistant [Athletic Director] of Communications all at once--it’s been great,” he said. The team is happy with their new coach, and the sentiment is mutual. “I’ve been kind of on the outskirts, watching them, supporting them,” Weyant said. “But it’s an honor to be their coach this year.”
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Breaking down SGA’s budget
By Heather Borochaner
T
hborochaner@rollins.edu
he Rollins Student Government Association (SGA) has an annual budget of $74,550, but how is it all distributed? Well, for starters, nearly 80 percent of the budget goes towards other student organizations. This section, called Fox Funds, totals $60,000 and is a program that allocates money to student organizations so they can run their programs. Student organizations can get money from Fox Funds by presenting a budget request to the Fox Funds committee, which consists of their student peers. “It really ranges. An organization could ask for $100 to bring a speaker [to campus] or $1,000 to host a full event,” said Abby Hollern, director for the Center of Inclusion and Campus Involvement, which advises SGA. A proposed event must be open to the entire Rollins community in order to receive the requested funding. When making decisions about SGA’s spending, the question its members always try to answer is, “What’s best for the student body?” said Hollern. Unlike other schools such as UCF—whose SGA has an annual budget of over $1.8 million, part of which is used to pay its president, senate, staff, and office members—the only paid positions in the Rollins SGA are the president, Nagina Chaudhry (‘19), and vice president, Greg Taicher (‘19). The yearly stipend dispersed between the two candidates is $4,000. “The rest of the students work as senate members due to a collective interest of improving our college,” said Chaudhry. The remaining $14,550 that is not put into Fox Funds is used for numerous functions within SGA. One thousa goes towards
“
Marking gets $1,000, which includes the printing of posters and other advertising for events throughout the year. Catering also gets $1,000, such as supplying food for meetings, retreats, or other accommodations. One of the largest events that SGA runs, LipSync, costs about $6,000. This high cost is due to its size and covers lights, sound,and hiring entertainment. The SGA budget also reimburses its students for their election materials, such as flyers, buttons, and other personal marketing. This costs around $1,000. With an estimation of $500 or less per student running, candidates are not allowed to go over their given amount for advertising, since SGA does not want one candidate having a financial advantage over another. SGA estimates that they also spend about $1,200 per semester on themselves. Hollern said some of this money is used to make polo shirts for members of SGA due to the business casual dress code that members have for their meetings. The money can also be applied to any maintenance the senate may want to do around campus, such as replacing the chairs in a room. With all that said, SGA estimates that it will have $8,500 in rollover money. This amount remains in the SGA and is used in the next year. According to Hollern, the money is never transferred for use elsewhere and has accumulated over multiple years of rollover. “I view this as the students’ money,” she said. SGA gets a majority of its funds through student tuition. “It is important to know that all and any money SGA has/receives is in one way or another given back to students on campus,” said Chaudhry.
Nagina Chaudhry, left, and Greg Taicher, right, are the respective President and Vice President of SGA. (Nagina Chaudhry / Courtesy)
One of the largest events that SGA runs, LipSync, costs about $6,000... due to its size.
Chi Omega sorority performing in last year’s Lip Sync battle. This is a yearly event sponsored by SGA, which receives a budget of $6,000. (Kira Bernhard / Staff Photographer)
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Boundaries and fences now surround the Mills building, which is currently undergoing extreme renovations. (Douglas Jackson / Staff Photographer)
Construction raises accessibility concerns, limits building entrances By Kendall Clarke
O
kclarke@rollins.edu
ngoing construction projects are creating accessibility problems for students with physical disabilities. The most prominent of these issues is the decreased accessibility to the Campus Center, which is greatly impacting the safety and social life of students who use mobility aids. The renovation of Mills has completely obstructed the ramp that accesses the main entrance to the Campus Center. Alternatively, Rollins has directed students to go down the side of the building and enter through the back entrance of Dave’s Boathouse. From there, students can use the elevator to access the second floor. However, for students who use a wheelchair, the new access route is not only tedious but dangerous. Renée Rivera (‘22), a wheelchair-user, explained that she
has extreme difficulty controlling her wheelchair when going down the large hill at the side of the Campus Center. “My hands end up pretty sore and red from gripping my wheels so tightly so that I don’t accidentally roll into the lake. Going back up the hill is dangerous as well because if my wheelchair motor fails, I start rolling backwards and have to try to catch myself quickly,” said Rivera. As a result of the difficulty navigating the hill and worrying about the often slow elevator in the Campus Center, Rivera has decided to completely forego going to the Campus Center to eat. She worried about how this decision will impact her social life at Rollins: “As a freshman, I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of socialization because I’ve given up on getting into the Campus Center,” said Rivera. Rivera is not the only student frustrated by the accessibility issues caused by the construction on campus. Whitney Horton,
the newly appointed director of Accessibility Services, said that while she has not received any formal complaints, students have voiced their frustrations and concerns about the obstruction of the Campus Center ramp and the length of time it takes to navigate around Mills. Horton also said that while the alternative accessible entrance to the Campus Center “is not optimal, the entrance is the most reasonable, keeping student safety in mind.” Scott Bitikofer, assistant vice president of Facilities Services, said, “We specifically considered and struggled with the options for providing accessibility to the Campus Center during construction. Ultimately we had to choose between a series of poor alternatives.” Bitikofer said using the ramp to the Campus Center during construction would have posed a significant safety risk to students, as it would have required them to move through the construction site.
Another alternative that was considered was to build a ramp off of the stairs on the opposite side of the Campus Center. However, Bitikofer said that doing so would require the ramp to be nearly 60 feet long and involve multiple twists and turns in order to allow space for construction equipment and keep in line with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. While cost wasn’t a primary concern, Bitikofer said the ramp would have cost around $100,000. “In the end it would have been little more direct than going through Dave’s boathouse,” said Bitikofer. The visible issue of accessibility to the Campus Center gives rise to other questions of accessibility on campus. There are no elevators in any of fraternity or sorority housing. With the exception of Mayflower Hall, none of these buildings have ramps. Orlando Hall, an academic building, likewise does not have an elevator.
“Facilities is not unaware of buildings that may have areas that are not accessible, and [we] are fully committed to making these buildings accessible when they are renovated,” Horton said. During her 11 years at Rollins, Horton said that “strides have been made” and she said that accessibility is at the forefront of any conversation about capital projects on our campus. In the face of these accessibility issues, Horton encourages students to speak out. She said that Accessibility Services “will always be a champion for the student’s voice.” To that end, Horton also said that if any students bring their concerns to her office, Accessibility Services will work to advocate on their behalf. Any students who would like to voice a formal complaint can contact Accessibility Services on the first floor of the Olin Library or email access@rollins. edu.
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Opinion: Campus accessibility issues aren’t new By Shey Miranda Bogumil
T
sbogumil@rollins.edu
he following letter is a compilation based on true stories related to me by Rollins students. However, the letter itself is fictional. I would now like you to take a few minutes to imagine that you are a Rollins student using a wheelchair: Dear You, I was at the R-Community Fair when I noticed you. You were in a wheelchair again—a history of chronic pain occasionally warrants a wheelchair. I couldn’t help but ask, “So how about that construction?” You told me your struggles with wheelchair accessibility across the Rollins campus. The eyesore of the Mills Building’s innards cannot be missed and it has altered the major traffic patterns that once surrounded it. Now, the rubble blocks the only ramp into the Campus Center. To eat, you must wheel down a steep pathway leading to the back of the building, weave through the heavily trafficked Dave’s Boathouse, and then
(because you have no choice) ride up the old service elevator, which has an expired certificate of operation posted. The whole ordeal takes you an extra 10 minutes. As a busy college student, I thought about how sometimes I only have 10 minutes to eat. For you, to eat three meals a day, seven days a week, now takes an extra hour of travel time every day or 105 hours a semester. Rollins is paying for all this aesthetic construction, rather than putting your money toward a more accessible campus. The college has failed to update its preexisting accessibility concerns, and instead it has built more barriers for you. Your residential hall has no button to automatically open the main door. It’s already difficult to open a door from a wheelchair, but with your chronic pain, it’s physically dangerous just getting to and from your room. You feel less safe. You take the elevator. It gets stuck. Its posted certificate of operation expired Aug. 1 of 2017. You’re late again. These barriers aren’t new. Remember your first year at Rollins? You were excited about
your class schedule, where one class is located on the second floor of Orlando Hall. However, you could not access this class, because the building does not have an elevator. You changed class locations. Even before then—you wished you could be as enthusiastic about SPARC Day as your peer mentors, but your class was assigned a location that was not accessible by wheelchair. The Center for Leadership & Community Engagement said it was mandatory, and you feel as though you are jumping through hoops just to do a charitable act for the community. You felt so alone. You contemplated dropping out. It never really ends. Now, it is the middle of the night. You need to use the private restroom in your residential hall because the public bathrooms are not accessible. It’s locked. You knock on your RA’s door. You can tell you just woke them up, and you’re apologetic. High school was really hard. You truly hoped college would be easier. Surely Rollins would be better. Instead, you are unhappy here; everything feels like an obstacle.
I think of my favorite spots on campus and how many of them cannot be accessed in a wheelchair. I cannot study with you in the tower of Olin library. We cannot joke around and relax in the pillow room. We cannot be gym buddies, because the Alfond Sports Center does not have the equipment you need. Forget about scenic strolls around the lake. The places where I made many of my college memories are places you will possibly never get to experience. So, I want you to know that I will hold the door for you so you can come out on the balcony of Ward; I will carry your groceries home from the C-store; I will do my best to be there when you are feeling isolated; and I will raise my voice on your behalf. I heard you. I hear you. And I am fired up, to say the least. I want you to know this is unacceptable and that we are going to do something about it. That is why I typed my first real Facebook post in years—and it blew up. I heard from Rollins students with disabilities who face the brunt of this discrimination; I heard from concerned alum-
ni who want to help manifest change; I heard from concerned parents; I heard from faculty and staff at Rollins; I heard from family and friends who showered me with pride and gratitude. As an able-bodied person, it is easy for me to see the daily hardships thrust upon my disabled peers. It was easy to stand up and say something. It is not noble. It is a matter of basic human rights. It is a matter of equality—and be assured, this is an ongoing issue, not a temporary one. The various construction projects on our campus have brought to light a much larger issue of accessibility at Rollins, so I started the Rollins Inaccessibility Selfie Project. It is a Facebook accessibility tour of our college and it is important that able-bodied people, like me, notice these things and how they impact others. However, noticing is only the first step. Let Rollins know how you feel; be the squeaky wheel. The voices of people with disabilities will no longer go unheard. Sincerely, Your Ally
What was once a ramp into the Campus Center is now a fence, protecting students from the dangers of Mills construction. However, now wheelchair-using students must make a hetfy trek (Ellie Rushing / Staff)
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of ‘The Sandspur’ or Rollins College.
6 Students help produce Global Peace Film Festival CMC students run marketing as festival comes to Rollins for 13th year
The members of Dr. Denise Cummings’s “CMC 310: Media, Peace, and Justice” court met in the rail car office for a festival planning session. (Nina Streich / Courtesy)
By Noelle Wamsley
F
nwamsley@rollins.edu
or the 13th year in a row, Rollins will be a central part of the Global Peace Film Festival, but it continues with one unique contribution: a classroom full of student producers. The festival kicks off Sept. 17 and ends on Sept. 23. Showings located at Rollins begin on Sept. 19, with screenings at Bush Auditorium, Suntrust Auditorium, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, and the Winter Park Library. Admission to on-campus films are free for Rollins students. Behind the scenes, the festival’s marketing team, ambassadors, and event organizers are all Rollins students taking “Critical Media and Cultural Studies (CMC) 310: Media, Peace, and Justice.” The students are considered equal partners with the festival, which is integrated into the course curriculum. Each student adopts a film that will be screened at the festival and centers their marketing and research around its main topic. “They’re charged with marketing that film and trying to
bring audiences… you have a dialogue with people who are at the film, you learn something from what the filmmakers are trying to do,” said Dr. Denise Cummings, associate professor of CMC. In the long run, the festival is a jumping-off point for discussion that may spark participation and active engagement in the community. The goals of the film festival stretch beyond spreading awareness of global issues, seeking to encourage active participation and involvement, with the films acting as catalysts. After all, the festival’s tagline is, “It starts here.” “The films are celebrated, they’re important, but it’s about what happens after… the credits roll… what now can we do to promote advocacy and make a better world?” Cummings said. During the time in which the festival has been at Rollins, a survey has been put out asking questions, such as “Did the film you saw change your opinion?” and “Did it make you want to do anything based on what you saw, and if so, what was that?” Over 50 percent of respondents said, “Yes, the film
changed their opinion.” The goal of the festival is not necessarily to change people’s minds, but to educate people on issues that affect more distant communities. “We don’t want to tell people what they should think. We don’t want to tell people what they should do. We want them to come to a film, be inspired by it and decide, ‘you know, what can I do about this?’” said Nina Streich, the festival’s executive directors. The festival’s origin dates back to 2003, shortly after 9/11 and the beginning of the Iraq War. During this time, issues regarding war were of particular salience, but the festival has since moved past the anti-war effort for a broader approach to global peace. “Peace is conceived in a number of ways. The films could be about spirituality, art and creativity, health, education, crime and incarceration, the environment, so the films range,” Cummings said. Every year, the festival coincides with the The International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, a holiday in which the United Nations encourages “strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and
among all nations and peoples.” There are many ways to coach students into being active participants in the community at Rollins. This integrated class is one of the opportunities available, but even engaging as an audience member can be just as important. After the festival ends, the students will do more research on the film’s topics to find ways to create opportunities for real social change, often conversing with the directors themselves. “It’s a two-way street because, once they’ve adopted the film their job is to promote the film, but by meeting the filmmaker, usually by phone or by email, they get more information… about why the filmmaker did it and issues relating to what it is that they’re working on that feeds into the work that they do after the festival,” said Streich. Throughout Winter Park, local businesses have partnered to help with this initiative, often taking on an active role by meeting with filmmakers they support to find better opportunities for community involvement. “There’s synergy between the engagement campaign of the film and what they’re doing lo-
cally… The partner is the person who can say ‘this is what you can do, come join us,’” Streich said. The CMC class splits off into three groups that each tackle an integral part of putting on a professional film festival. For many of the students, this is their first time working behind the scenes of a festival. Huddled at a round table, the students focus heavily on making sure the festival gets enough publicity to attract large audiences. Part of the task is figuring out how to “connect with the media outlets, with The Sandspur, WPRK, ” Cummings said. The first film of the festival will be shown at the Enzian Theater on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The first film to be shown at Rollins is “Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball story,” a documentary feature that will discuss one of the first integrated little leagues in the South, including conversations with Major League Baseball players like Hank Aaron. It will show at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19 in the Bush Auditorium and is free for all Rollins students with an R-card.
7 Opinion: Even as a non-athlete, controversy follows Kaepernick
By Austin Nowinski
anowinski@rollins.edu
C
olin Kaepernick: once a starting National Football League (NFL) quarterback, now controversial political activist. On Monday, Nike, one of the largest and most popular athletic apparel brands, released an ad featuring the controversial ex-quarterback and sparked a national debate. As a player, Kaepernick used the NFL as a public platform to protest what he considered police brutality and what he perceived as America’s ongoing oppression of minorities in the country. After famously kneeling for the national anthem during games, which prompted others to follow suit, Kaepernick sported socks with pictures of police depicted as pigs and even donned a shirt featuring Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and civil rights activist Malcolm X during a press conference. This Kaepernick is now the face of Nike’s new ad campaign. Though I stand with Nike, I stand with them more on a business front. The slogan “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything” and it being attached to Kaepernick is flawed. The true men and wom-
Graphic by Anastasia Rooke
en who make sacrifices can be found on the battlegrounds of Afghanistan where United States soldiers fight and die to give Kaepernick the right to speak freely, all while he sacrifices his NFL career yet still makes millions of dollars. I do not support Kaepernick and his protests. I believe in what he is fighting for, but I do not believe in how he is going about his protest. Black Lives Matter is an incredible movement that needs to stand strong. This country is not free of racism and oppression; protests need to be had and steps need to be made. However, Kaepernick conducted his in an erring way. Kaepernick and those who followed in his footsteps have made their point, yes, but instead of America focusing solely on the goal of their protests, people see it as disrespecting the flag and the people who fight every day to protect us. This ultimately taints and overshadows the Black Lives Matter campaign. Kaepernick should have gone about his protest in an entirely different fashion. The entire discussion around Kaepernick would be entirely different if he had only made comments in press conferences, worn message-adorned apparel like LeBron, or gone outside of the game
to make things happen, like we see with LeBron opening a school for impoverished kids. Sports should be used as a platform, but protests should not be brought into the events themselves, especially not the national anthem. It should be noted that highly notable athletes such as Serena Williams, Odell Beckham, and LeBron James are also featured in the ad and are overshadowed by Kaepernick’s controversy. The fact that sports giants like LeBron and Odell are being overshadowed speaks volumes to how disputed the ad is in the eyes of the nation. Kaepernick is now a household name not because of his sports career but because of his political activism. He will not play another down in football because he embodied their tagline, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” People are beyond angry— burning their apparel, with a preacher in Mobile, Ala. even cut ting up his Nike items in church. A private Christian college, College of the Ozarks, is also severing ties with the brand over the ad. Just a few days after the ad
was released, it generated buzz in the media worth $43 million. While Nike’s stock dropped slightly on the ad’s release date, the mega-company has already recovered. In fact, its stock value as of Sept. 11 had surpassed the value it was before the ad. Eric Smallwood, president of Apex Marketing Group, measured the branding exposure for Nike’s new campaign and told CNBC, “Right now what this means is they are winning the battle from the public relations side.” This is good news for the company after the risky decision to attach Kaepernick’s controversial face to their ad. With Kaepernick bringing in an overwhelming amount of political debate, the potential for increased brand exposure appears to outweigh the short-term backlash. Nike’s target audience is not found strictly within the United States, but reaches far beyond the country, encompassing a large international audience. With this political debate generally restricted to the domestic arena, it is reasonable to believe that this particular ad would not make a difference to members of an international au-
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of ‘The Sandspur’ or Rollins College.
dience, as they do not have to worry about Kaepernick kneeling during their country’s national anthem. In addition, consumers like sneakers, apparel, and equipment and may not consciously make political decisions when purchasing these products. Maybe some people now will, but the overwhelming majority likely will not. The bottom line, then, is that Nike consciously knew what they were doing and whose face they were attaching to their ad. In picking Kaepernick, they successfully generated an incredible amount of publicity, which will turn into positive outcomes. Kaepernick is a man of intrigue, now known across the nation for his protests and not his athleticism. Seems as though he is alright with that, as his pockets fill with green from sponsorships. He and his Nike ad will continue to be highly debated and picked apart. Though he mishandled his method of protesting, Kaepernick will go down in history as a man who believed in something, even though he sacrificed everything.
8
Volleyball’s rocky start: team calls for more spirit By Hali Reedy
A
hreedy@rollins.edu
month ago, most students were either getting ready for the upcoming school year or spending their days tanning and enjoying summer’s final moments of relaxation. For the Rollins volleyball team, it was a very different story. Before the semester started, the team had preseason training, and the students were practicing twice a day with only one day off per week. “We spend a lot more time together,” said Rachel Fletcher (‘19). “We wake up, go to the gym, leave the gym, go to bed.” So far the team is 2-6 with 28 sets and an .111% hitting average. The girls hope to improve last year’s record of 9-18. The Sunshine State Conference preseason poll predicted the team to place ninth this season. When asked why the team struggled last season, Haley Driscoll (‘21) said, “There was mistrust within the team last season.” Seven seniors have since graduated from the Tars and five new players have been added.
Seniors Sam Schlesman (19’), Kerra Tirado (19’), and the aforementioned Fletcher are now leaders hoping to get an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Fletcher leads the team this season with 64 kills and a hitting average of .114%. She has been playing volleyball for ten years, six of those at the club level. “It is one of those things that you want to consistently get better at but definitely has its highs and lows,” she said. Fletcher also said, “Rollins is a lot about the volleyball culture and Coach Robinson expects this implication of culture.” To build on this cultural focus, the team now takes part in servant leadership, where the seniors are expected to do the usual grunt work instead of the freshmen. The idea is to “reverse the pyramid and allow freshman to feel equal to the rest of the team,” Driscoll said. The Athletics Department and trainers also contribute to the community spirit of the volleyball team, whether it is through a good luck email or by addressing a more serious problem. Driscoll said that players try to “never bring personal problems into the gym, but in college
it’s a little different because we’re living and studying here, and it’s hard to hide a lot of stuff in the gym if something is bothering us. [Coach] Mika is super approachable, and Sarah the new assistant coach has brought such a bright light and positivity to the team.” Coach Mika Robinson is back for her third season at the helm. Fletcher acknowledged that her coach wants the players-coach dynamic to be com-
municative. Robinson “tries very hard to build those relationships,” she said. “Something, most people, don’t realize is that Mika truly cares for her athletes… Yes volleyball is one of her main concerns, but she cares more about the people than about athletic ability,” Fletcher said. The Tars’ next home game is Saturday, Sept. 15 against Eckerd College at the Alfond Sports
Center. The match is marketed as a Colorful and Courageous Game, and crayons and coloring books will be donated for children with pediatric cancer, while the Tars will be sporting tie-dye. “I wish Rollins supported all of the sports and was proud to be a Tar,” Driscoll said. “[We] would love the support to bring home the win!”
Rachel Fletcher, left, leads the team in kills, with 64 on the season (David Lester/ Courtesy)