ROLLINS COLLEGE WINTER PARK, FLORIDA
The Sandspur THE OLDEST COLLEGE NEWSPAPER IN FLORIDA
WWW.THESANDSPUR.ORG
FOUNDED IN 1894
AUGUST 20, 2003
Right Foot Forward
Are you lost?
Kerri Dye and the women’s soccer team along with the other Tars teams prepare for the upcoming fall season.
There are a lot of changes on campus, so whether you are new to the college or are a Rollins Veteran, take a second and look at our oversized campus map.
page 11
Welcome Week 2003 Kicking off the year on the wrong foot is not an option. Welcome Week is just around the corner so get ready for concerts, movies, and much more.
page 5
pages 6 and 7
Welcome Home!
Extreme Darkness
Northeast crippled by largest blackout in North American history. by Matt Moore
production manager
photo / ROLLINS PR
A GREAT PLACE TO CALL HOME: An aerial shot of campus showcases the great asthetic beauty of Rollins College.
The Rollins Family welcomes the incoming class to their new home. by Matt Moore production manager
As August draws to a close, it is time once again to begin the new school year. A new crop of freshman are stepping onto the grounds and changing the landscape of the school. Four hundred ninety new students are entering into our midst on August 20. The new class is the largest, most talented, and most diverse class in the history of Rollins. The students come from varied locations throughout the United States and throughout the world. Of the incoming class, 40 percent are from Florida, while the other 60 percent represent 31 states and 10 coun-
tries. Sixteen percent of the freshman class are minority students. The class of 2007 is 60% female. The incoming class is the largest Rollins has ever had and they will represent approximately 30% of the total student body. Academically this class is very well endowed as well. The SAT average is the highest ever, up 35 points from 2000 and 80 points from 10 years ago. David Erdmann, Dean of Admission and Enrollment, is very pleased with this new class. “For the past 10 years we have been pushing the center of the entering class,” says Erdmann, “strengthening the academic profile and diversifying the student body. By all counts this year’s entering class sets new records.” Financial aid was awarded to over 55 percent of the incoming students, with the
average award over $14,500. The percentage of students awarded financial aid continues to rise, increasing by over 20 percent during the last 10 years. Nine percent of the new students were also accepted into the Accelerated Management Program, giving them the opportunity to earn a BA and a MBA in five rather than six academic years. Thirteen percent of incoming students were accepted into the College’s Honors Degree Program. As for this year’s freshman class, it is easy to say that they have continued the trend of strengthening the Rollins student body each year. This class has more ethnic diversity, economic diversity, and geographic diversity than any of the classes that came before them. This year along with a bright cast of new students, the school is experimenting
with the Nexus “Living Learning Community” where students live in the same building as their RCC classmates. The RCC program continues to be innovative and very diligent in preparing students for their school years ahead.
Wide scale power loss hit the Northeast at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, August 14. The Niagara Mohawk power company experienced a freak blackout that crippled much of the Northeast with loss of electrical power. The blackout is the largest in North American history with its effects reaching more than five states and even up into Canada. The power remained off in most cities throughout the night. When dawn came, lights started returning sporadically in most cities. The New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges returned to a normal trading day after the abrupt halt the previous day. New York, New Jersey, Ontario, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire were the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
SUPER sTARS
photo / RC-SID
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: 2003 Women’s golf team helped to propel Rollins athletics to men’s & women’s Mayor’s Cup trophies. Read more on page 11.