The Sandspur Volume 124 Issue 9 by The Sandspur

Issue 9 • Volume 124 Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017 www.thesandspur.org

@thesandspur facebook.com/ thesandspur

$5 million in Rice renovations Large-scale renovations offer event space with a full-service kitchen. By Alec Stanley

astanley@rollins.edu

he old Rice Family Bookstore, soon to be known as the Rice Family Pavilion, is undergoing renovations to convert the building into a new medium-sized event space for the campus community. The majority of the renovations taking place are infrastructural in nature and will have little effect on the aesthetics of building’s architecture. Renovations will continue for the rest of the term and next semester. They are planned to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2018 academic year. However, the long term vision of the project may help relieve some of those daily pains. The decision to create a new event space for the Rollins community was made earlier last year through a careful deliberation process which involved input from several offices and services on campus, including senior administration, the bookstore, food services, IT, and Facilities. The opportunity to ren-

Photo by Sam Simpson, The Sandspur Part of the sidewalk along Holt has been closed during renovations to Rice Family Pavilion. Renovations are expected to continue through next semester.

Celebrating Native American heritage

Central Florida offers many events honoring Native American Heritage Month.

Rollins receives voting award

After student voting rates reached 60-60 percent, Rollins received a ‘Best in Class’ award.

ovate the building came after Rollins administration made the choice to move the bookstore off campus. The bookstore was the space’s previous occupant. The new space will be capable of holding a variety of events. According to Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management Scott Bitikofer, “We have never had a venue on campus for medium-sized events—events too big for the Galloway room, and too small for the McKean gymnasium.” Morgan Laner ‘18, a leader of many organizations that could possibly use the space, shared her opinion on the renovations: “I think that this new center will be a positive addition to the campus long term. It will definitely help the scheduling issues that student organizations face.” Bitikofer was sure to clarify that the campus community was at the heart of this decision. “This will provide that venue and should directly benefit students and their organizations.” he said.

‣ See REMODEL on Page 2

Inside Uncovering Florida’s dark past

Gilbert King’s Devil in the Grove exposes Florida’s deeply racist past.

2 • NOVEMBER 16, 2017 Established in 1894 with the following editorial:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Celebrating Native American heritage in Central Florida Central Florida offers many events honoring Native American pride.

EXECUTIVE STAFF Ellie Rushing Editor-in-Chief

By Alec Stanley

Christina Fuleihan Managing Editor

CONTENT STAFF Alex Candage Head Copy Editor

Morgan McConnell Lauren Bishop Maura Leaden Cameron Ochse Copy Editors Margret-Louise Allen-Simeo Meredith Klenkel Kendall Clarke Diego Medrano Esteban Meneses Alec Stanley Heather Borochaner Writers Kalli Joslin Alyssa Malto Grace Macleod Section Editors Kalli Joslin Reilly Aback Anna Kjoller Web Editors

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BUSINESS & FACULTY Greg Golden

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Dr. Leslie Poole Faculty Advisor Bibhas Pandey Bidhit Pandey Business Manager Jose Araneta Student Media Graduate Assistant Ujjwal Gupta Luis Diego Business Assistants

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astanley@rollins.edu

ovember is Native American Heritage Honth, and in Central Florida there is no shortage of ways to celebrate the region’s pre-Columbian occupation. The month of November has been a celebration of America’s native peoples since George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution to designate it as such in 1990. Every year since, the presidential administration has released similar proclamations under a variety of names. This year the White House released an announcement proclaiming, “November 2017 is National Native American Heritage Month. [President Trump] call[s] upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities and to celebrate November 25, 2017,

REMODEL ‣Continued from Page 1 The renovated space will also feature a full-service kitchen, capable of hosting formal dinners of up to 250 guests. The space will be available for reservation by student organizations as well as fraternities and sororities. However, Laner also had some hesitancy about increasing off-campus involvement. “I also think that it will be used a lot for off-campus groups [to] take advantage of Rollins’ beauty and location. I’m just hoping that it maintains the Rollins community and doesn’t focus too much externally!” It is unclear how much the space will be used by off-campus parties. Some students also find this ongoing construction challenging, as it blocks some key pathways. Silvana Montañola ‘20, a

as Native American Heritage Day.” On campus, the Rollins Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement’s monthly book club is reading Killers of the Flower Moon, a narrative nonfiction book detailing a series of murders carried out on the Osage Indian Nation of Oklahoma in 1920. At the time, the members of the Osage Nation were the wealthiest people on earth per capita due to oil discovered underneath their land. Being home to a host of native peoples, there are a number of outdoor sights to visit in Central Florida as well. Hontoon Island State Park, a little more than an hour from campus, hosts many remains of the state’s native heritage. According to the Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage website, “In the middle of the St. Johns River, 2,000-year-old shell midden mounds are found along

the shoreline and in the interior of Hontoon Island. Intricately carved wooden animal effigies have been recovered from these midden mounds. Trails through the island park take visitors past these ancient remains, and replicas of the animal effigies are on display in the picnic and playground area.” This park provides an opportunity to directly interact with the remains of the Mayaca tribe, and stand directly atop an ancient shell mound. An hour to the east in Cocoa, the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science provides the public with the opportunity to look upon a variety of Native American artifacts. Among these is a reconstruction of the Windover Archaeological Site, one of the most significant and wellpreserved Native American burial sites known to contemporary archaeology. On Saturday, Nov. 18, De

Leon Springs State Park is hosting “Dig and Discover: Archaeology for Kids” where families will be able to participate in the excavation of mock artifacts in addition to seeing real artifacts discovered on Hontoon Island. That same day, the park will be hosting “Dugout Canoes: Paddling Through History,” where visitors can see the two oldest dugout canoes discovered in the western hemisphere. Visitors will get to see how important water travel was for the region’s native Americans, in addition to demonstrations on the canoes’ creation. Nov. 25, De Leon Springs will be hosting “Pottery: Pieces of the Ancient World.” There, visitors will be able to look at shards produced by the Mayaca tribe. The event will explain the different methods used in the creation of the pottery, and give visitors a chance to create their own pot out of clay.

resident of Strong Hall (which is one of the closest residence halls to the construction), says, “I find it extremely inconvenient to walk to all of my classes from Strong... I have to take alternate routes that take more time out of my schedule. It also takes away from the beauty of the campus.” According to Bitikofer, the renovations to the building will cost the school around $5 million. The majority of these costs come from infrastructural changes that are necessary to new functions of

the building, including “power, sewer, water, chilled water for air conditioning, and an IT hub for campus network.” The decision to allow outside (non-Rollins) parties to rent the space when it is not being used by members of the Rollins community was made in an effort to recover a portion of these costs and the general costs of operating such a facility. Part of what will set this space apart from others on campus is the full-service kitchen being installed in the

building’s basement. Previously, all widely available event spaces had to rely on remote delivery from Dining Services in order to provide guests with food. This will provide special options for event hosts that were never available before. While these changes are certainly a shift for the current campus community, it is actually “a return to [the building’s] roots” according to Bitikofer. When first constructed in 1941, the facility, originally known as ‘The Student Center,’ provided “a location for the community to gather, [and] we are trying to be faithful to its original mission and purpose.” In addition, the Rollins history housed within the facility will remain. According a release sent out by Facilities in October, the “hand-painted vaulted ceiling and fireplace will remain largely as is.”

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While these changes are certainly a shift for the current campus community, it is actually “a return to [the building’s] roots.”

Corrections from Volume 124, Issue 8: Ari Davis and Katie Wookey, featured in “Developing gardens from destruction,” are Crummer students, not Holt. J. Diego Medrano wrote “From Pixar to life skills: this year’s intercession,” not Maura Leaden.

FEATURES

‘Times’ print subscription cancelled

Rollins receives award for voting turnout In the 2016 election, Rollins achieved a student voting rate between 60-69 percent.

The college opts to go completely digital with ‘The New York Times.’ By Margret-Louise Allen-Simeo mallensimeol@rollins.edu

ollins has officially terminated its print subscription of The New York Times. To justify, they have provided full-access to The New York Times’ website to all students, faculty, and staff. The New York Times is a daily newspaper read worldwide and has been awarded the most Pulitzer Prizes. It has the largest circulation of any daily newspaper in the United States between its printed and digital content combined. To access the digital subscription, faculty, staff, and students alike are able to log on to accessnyt.com in a web browser, select Rollins College from the ‘Find School’ menu, and continue the steps of creating a free New York Times account. You can log in to your New York Times subscription from anywhere, anytime, on any device which has internet access. The Olin Library is responsible for the decision to go from digital to print. Digital archivist at the Olin Library, Rachel Walton, confirmed that the cease of print subscription was a result of the “sheer cost.” She also believes that students prefer to view content online and that this is a positive motion for both students and faculty. Walton emphasized, “We’re trying to keep up with the digital age [...] this is something that is happening across the nation.” An assistant professor in the English Department, Dr. Paul Reich, gave some insight on the shift. Dr. Reich said, “I appreciate the fact that I no longer have to pay for a subscription to The New York Times’ digital content [...] Now, I can get all the digital content that I want for free since Rollins is paying for it.” He even went as far to say that, “it seems like a nice perk to be a member of this educational community.” However, Dr. Reich did play devil’s advocate by stating, “there is something great about

having a print version of the paper there because it forces you to see a headline perhaps, in a way that you wouldn’t see if you’re not automatically navigating to that site on your phone or your other device.” Dr. Reich continued, “if you’re walking to the campus center, you’re confronted with whatever the editors of the New York Times have deemed important enough to be headlined at that particular moment. So everyone that walks into the campus center, whether they want to or not, they look down at the paper and they see that headline.” Dr. Reich said, “the thing that we’ll probably miss the most is that we’ll not have that forced confrontation which will be a problem.” However, Dr. Reich suggested a way to compensate for this loss. With the online subscription there is an option to receive the headlines for the day via email. Dr. Reich said “I get an email from The New York Times giving me the headlines of the day and it has different sections.” These sections include daily news covering topics including World, Nation, Sports, Technology, Movies, Books, and more. He concluded by saying, “that’s kind of like the newspaper’s delivered to me, through email.” Dr. Jana Mathews, an assistant professor of English at Rollins, commented that “the shift also implicitly acknowledges that our society’s reading practices have changed. Print newspapers promote a linear reading model where individuals start on the front page and more or less work their way through to the end.” Dr. Mathews linked news to music when she described the substitute of the methods that we use to consume online news. “Instead of listening to an entire album from beginning to end, people just download the specific songs that they want.”

Photo courtesy of the Democracy Project

(From left to right) Bailey Clark, Kenzie Helmick, Skylar Knight, Meredith Hein, and Mickie Meyer accepting the Best in Class award in Washington D.C.

By Kendall Clarke

kclarke@rollins.edu

s a part of the national campaign ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Rollins College was awarded the Best in Class Award for its phenomenally high student voting rate in the 2016 election. Rollins received this award for having the highest student voting rate within the four-year, medium, private institution category as well as a Silver Seal for achieving a student voting rate between 60 and 69 percent, significantly higher than the national average for student voting. Launched in the summer of 2016, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a pan-national initiative that strives to normalize student participation at the polls and encourage students to have a continued, active role in the political process both during and between elections. Nearly 300 college campuses, including Rollins College, have joined the challenge since its launch. By joining the challenge, Rollins committed to creating a campus-wide committee com-

posed of members from academic affairs, student affairs, and the student body. This committee would be responsible for the development and implementation of a plan to improve democratic engagement. For Rollins, this committee came to fruition in the form of the Democracy Project. The Democracy Project is a non-partisan, student-led political organization that strives to encourage students to participate in the democratic process. During the 2016 national election, the Democracy Project registered approximately 400 students through a series of voter registration drives, brought students early to the polls, and hosted open educational platforms through monthly Politics on Tap and bi-weekly News Round-Ups. Rollins was the only school in Florida to be recognized with a Best in Class Award, despite the fact that larger campuses such as Florida State University, University of Central Florida, and University of Florida are also participants of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The Democracy Project is extremely proud of this accomplishment. “Receiving the Best

in Class Award was not only a testament to the Democracy Project’s work during last year’s election, but also to the Rollins community for turning out to vote,” stated Skylar Knight ’18, a Student Coordinator for the Democracy Project. He continued, “it was an honor to receive the award…and we look forward to improving our campus [voter] turnout in future elections.” The Center for Leadership and Community Engagement has likewise conveyed a sense of pride of the community and this astounding accomplishment. “We are proud of our students’ commitment to a strong democracy as reflected in their voter engagement and participation,” said Meredith Hein, Director of CLCE. “This award demonstrates their passion for the political process and civic involvement.” Receiving this award is a proud testament to the involvement of Rollins students in the political sphere and life outside of campus. This accomplishment suggests that this trend of high student voting participation will not falter in future elections.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Shining a light on Florida’s dark past With shocking photos and historical accounts, Gilbert King’s book ‘Devil in the Grove’ exposes Florida’s deeply racist past through the justice system and society at large. By J. Diego Medrano

were innocent—they only gave [the defendant] life.” This is the sort of environment black men ulitzer Prize-winning and women had to endure for journalist and photogra- decades, with the perpetrators pher, Gilbert King, came being those who are supposed to to campus and delivered protect them from injustice. a speech about his last work, As King chronicled this, the Devil in the Grove. entirety of Bush Auditorium— He discussed the atrocious which was completely full—was racism of Florida’s legal system as silent as the photographs bein the 1940s and onward; corrup- hind King. tion which doomed four young His storytelling was masterblack men for a rape they did not ful; he utilized a matter-of-fact commit. tone when describing the worst Photographs were presented atrocities, emphasizing how nordepicting segregated water foun- mal they were for the time peritains, bathrooms, and building od. He exposed unnerving inforentrances: what we know as the mation about the subject and he Jim Crow South. King present- delivered historical accounts as ed these to remind the audience suspenseful narratives. what African Americans went “I would say that my experithrough, claiming some people ence in photography has helped “whitewash our history—we me with the visualization aspects don’t want to face some of the of storytelling,” King said in remore uncomsponse to befortable eleing asked how ments of it.” he weaves toT h e s e gether phoacts of segretography gation were This is the sort of and writing. cruel and de“Sometimes environment black thinking about meaning, but King punctumen and women scenes cineated his point matically can had to endure for be helpful with with a single photograph: a scription. decades, and the dI ewould lynched black also man hanging perpetrators were say that phoin the foretographers are the people who ground, and a usually excited young white about someare supposed to girl in a Sunthing new protect them from or foreign to day dress posed, smiling them.” injustice. as she stands W h e n next to the asked what corpse. In a a journalist’s time where primary conlynchings and beatings were cern should be, he said ephasized commonly committed, by law the importance of being diligent enforcement no less, segregat- with research. He continued, “Be ed water fountains were not the intensely curious and try to learn largest threat. However, these as much as you can so that you topics are what students learn understand the context of [your] most about in history class. story. The more you learn and Much of what King shared of discover, the more likely you’ll Devil in the Grove involved attor- find that your story isn’t quite ney Thurgood Marshall, a black as black and white as you might lawyer willing to take on the have thought when you began.” Florida cases no one else would. Gilbert King’s speech captiThe most Marshall could often vated the audience. Devil in the hope for was earning his client Grove offers similar enthrallment, life in prison, considering most confirmed as King describes black men were being sentenced events within the books as “The to death on a regular basis. most revolutionary events I’ve The book quotes Thurgood learned from my work.” Marshall as saying, “That’s how you knew the jury thought they

jmederano@rollins.edu

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Photo by Ellie Rushing, The Sandspur

Gilbert King, author of Devil in the Grove, presents a photo of three out of four “Groveland boys.” One was immediately murdered within the first few days of being arrested and records suggest nearly 200 bullets were found in his body.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rollins welcomes Billy Collins’ return Two-time Poet Laureate returns to read selections of poems. By Kendall Clarke and J. Diego Medrano

kclarke@rollins.edu jmedrano@rollins.edu

t is with pride that Rollins College and the Winter Park Institute welcome back the twice-Poet Laureate Billy Collins, whom read selections from his collection Beyond the Birdbath: Poems from Several Time Zones. These poems use travel as their focal point, and they retain Collins’ subtle, gently nudging wit. The Poetry Foundation offers a list of some of Collins’ awards and accomplishments: In 2002, as U.S. Poet Laureate, Collins was asked to write a poem commemorating the first

anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and the fall of the Twin Towers and the World Trade Center. The reading was held in front of a joint session of Congress outside of Washington D.C. Collins has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the New York Foundation for the Arts, and has taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence, and Lehman College, City University of New York, where he is a Distinguished Professor. On Rollins campus, Collins is most widely known for writing the inaugural poem for President Cornwell, which is on display in the Olin Library. Richard Frost, husband of poet and English Professor Carol

Frost, knows Billy Collins and spoke on his character: “Billy is a much more profound, complicated person than most people assume... Y’know, people read his poetry and they think he’s that straightforward.” Both Richard and Carol Frost consider Collins to be a dear friend and a powerful voice of the craft. Patrons from Rollins College and the Winter Park area attended the poetry reading, but no matter where they came from, each attendee was united by one thing: a love of poetry. Alex Lichtner ’21, a long-time fan of Billy Collins and his work, was ecstatic at the opportunity to attend a poetry reading of Collins. She commented that she “really enjoy[s] his style of poetry,” describing it as a “clas-

sical style but [with] a modern twist to the topics that [his poetry is] about.” Alex greatly enjoyed the experience of hearing Collins read his own work. She explained how, “when you’re hearing the poet read [his work] you’re getting the full meaning of the poem, whereas when you read the poem by yourself you add meaning that may not be there [or] isn’t intentional.” Helena Cabrera ’21, a lover of poetry but unfamiliar with Collins’ work, had quite a different experience. She had never attended a poetry reading before and stated that, “for me, poetry is more of a personal thing, so it was weird watching other people react while the poetry was being read.” Despite this sentiment, Ca-

brera still enjoyed the event. She felt as though Collins, “was a personable person [and] know[s] how to interact with the crowd.” Billy Collins will be returning to Rollins College in January as a part of the 2018 Gladdening Light Symposium, a weekend-long event discussing spirituality in poetry, music, and film. Alongside Collins, acclaimed movie critic with The New York Times A.O. Scott and Academy Award winner for Babel and Brokeback Mountain Gustavo Santaolalla will also be featured. This event is completely free to Rollins students, faculty, and staff, but advanced registration is required. For more information, contact Rev. Katrina Jenkins.

Bach Festival Society’s ode to the power of piano Israeli pianist pours emotion and passion into his performance. By Esteban Meneses

emeneses@rollins.edu

itting at the piano in Tiedtke Concert Hall, Israeli pianist Alon Goldstein marveled at the Scarlatti sonatas as “studies in imagination of all possibilities of writing for the keyboard.” Goldstein’s program for the afternoon recital, presented by the Bach Festival Society, elaborated and authenticated his concise declaration on the 18th century composer’s body of work for harpsichord, a forerunner of the piano. While Goldstein’s Scarlatti is thoughtfully understated— albeit decorated by gradual decreases in tempo at cadences, and emphases in articulation to distinguish contrast in sections— his Schubert is a pronouncement on the interpretation of the storm and emotional drive of Romanticism. Schubert’s Fantasie in C Major, “Wanderer Fantasy,“ was the centerpiece of the program. Mar-

ked by variety and contrast, it progressed chronologically. Cast in four uninterrupted movements, the roughly 22-minute Fantasie is a vehicle for expression for the pianist. Goldstein’s force and full range of expression was suited for Schubert’s outpouring of emotion, marked by recurring contrasts in level of loudness and softness. However, what makes Goldstein’s interpretation particularly memorable is his holistic approach to the piece as an integrated architectural construction: he imbued the interstitial material between major developmental sections with a profound sense of pathos and musicality, resulting in a coherent musical structure. This was mostly accomplished through adept and meditative phrasing, which included subtle deviations from the tempo, elongations of rests, and accents. Liszt’s Paraphrase on Verdi’s Il Trovatore started with brooding figures in the lower register, which slowly took shape into a

theme. After the right hand joined to flesh out the main melodic material based on the opera, the rumble returned; this time it figured in shorter notes, while the right hand shaped a delicately subdued main melody. Goldstein’s full-bore flair sparked toward the end, as the texture thickened into competing melodies and upward runs in octaves. As the recital progressed toward the end of the 19th century, Goldstein’s Debussy proved to be a thing of marvel. D‘un cahier d‘esquisses (“From a Sketchbook“) and L‘isle joyeuse (“The Joyful Island“) were exquisitely nuanced, colorful, and appropriately impressionistic. In the former, the pianist allowed the parallel chord movement to ring out as if with an aura of unresolved mystery. In the latter, after a high tremulous effect, his articulation of the main theme was crisp against the ethereal atmosphere of Debussy’s ambiguous, yet enthralling harmony. In his opening comments,

Goldstein, a former student of the celebrated American pianist and conductor, Leon Fleisher, wondered at the seemingly infinite possibilities of the piano as a single instrument. Loquacious by nature, he made his point more strongly with music than with words. Whether through his marvelous Schubert; the whimsically syncopated playfulness of the Three Argentinian Dances by 20th century Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, with flashy glissandos up and down the scale in the finale; or perhaps with the

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fourth of the short Scarlatti selections, in which the hands cross each other on the keyboard no fewer than 130 times (a feat of dexterity), by the end of the recital Goldstein had made new converts to the art of the solo piano even among the most casual listeners. To find out more about Bach Festival concerts and events, visit bachfestivalflorida.org. Free tickets are available to Rollins students, faculty, and staff.

What makes Goldstein’s interpretation particularly memorable is his holistic approach to the piece as an integrated architectural construction

OPINION

Stop associating gun violence with mental illness Banning Greek life

won't solve the issue

The guns vs. mental health debate continues. By J. Diego Medrano

jmederano@rollins.edu

n November 5, 26 people were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting at the Sutherland Spring Baptist Church in Texas. The victims range from being aged 1 to 77. Because the gunman, Devin P. Kelley, spent time in a psychiatric hospital prior to the shooting, some argue that this is an issue of mental health. I ask, how much longer can we blame matters of legal irresponsibility on the mentally ill? Many mass shootings have been committed by sufferers of mental illness. The news never fails to quote a gunman’s history of schizophrenia or manic depression. On the other hand, let us not forget that the United States has

one of the most progressive and serious attitudes towards mental health in the world; some countries still hardly even acknowledge mental illness as a real problem. How can it be that the result of mental illness that so many more mass shootings occur in the U.S. when no other nation devotes so many resources to mental health care? It cannot. To suggest that mental illness is the leading cause behind these incidents is to insult the expertise of physicians across the country. Rather, this shooting occurred because, according to The New York Times, a man accused of abusing his wife, toddler, and pets somehow still managed to purchase an assault rifle. After Kelley was incarcerated for assault while in the Air Force, his firearms-carrying privileges were revoked; however, the Air

Force did not forward this prohibition to national databases. Whether an oversight or system error, this small detail helped end the lives of 26 innocent US citizens. As things stand, one does not require intensive scrutiny to purchase a firearm. Many U.S. citizens own entire collections of assault rifles, in fact. I respect the right to bear arms, yet I believe that it is a right one must earn, through a bit more than is currently the case to earn it. If Kelley, despite animal cruelty and assault charges, was still able to purchase a firearm, then flaws still remain in the system. I feel the weight of those 26 lives which ended, some before they even began. There is no reason to allow the status quo that permitted the mass shooting to occur.

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ll fraternities and sororities at Florida State University have been suspended indefinitely in response to a 20-year-old fraternity pledge Andrew Coffey being found dead the morning after attending a fraternity party. “I want to send a message that we’ve got a serious problem and we need to deal with it,” said FSU President John Thrasher. “There must be a new culture, and out students must be full participants in creating it.” Thrasher’s measures come from a place of concern for students’ well-being, but does he know what he’s asking for? Furthermore, has he considered the possibility that this creates more dangerous drinking environments for students at FSU? College students will drink. Colleges have been trying to limit this fact for decades, but students will always find a way. Underage students in particular get a thrill out of drinking precisely because it is a forbidden novelty to them, one that they likely have more access to being away from home and parents. This has been the norm for over half a century at least; devastating as it is, Coffey’s death cannot change that. Students want to drink long before they’re allowed to, and in demanding that there be a “new culture,” Thrasher may as well be asking the US government to lower the drinking age. By enforcing a ban on Greek life, Thrasher only suc-

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ceeds in depriving students of arguably safer party spaces. Fraternities and sororities are well aware of how they appear in the eyes of university faculty and staff. Because faculty are so convinced that Greek organizations are nothing but party and booze, fraternities and sororities are doubly careful about partying. They often assign sober monitors, watch each other to make sure no one drinks too much, and keep an eye out to shut down potential incidents before they occur. Parties thrown by unaffiliated students will almost certainly have none of these measures. Unaffiliated students do not have a national image to worry about, nor are they under the university’s suspicious eye. In other words, they have far less incentive to make their parties as safe as possible. By shutting down Greek life operations, Thrasher may be leaving students in far less cautious hands than those he has cuffed. This is not to ignore the issue of ritualized drinking to excess among fraternity and sorority pledges as part of hazing. Hazing very much endangers the well-being of students, and it is a practice almost exclusive to Greek life. However, hazing is already the least-visible activity in these organizations; by suspending them, Thrasher is only suspending what he can see them doing, meaning that hazing has almost certainly not been resolved. I do not claim to know what the best way to approach this issue is; I only argue that Thrasher's action is not it.

By shutting down Greek life operations, Thrasher may be leaving students in far less cautious hands than those he has cuffed.

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FSU's President responds to student death, but misses the point.

The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of 'The Sandspur,' its staff, or Rollins College.

FEATURES

Assessing mental health at Rollins

Upcoming Campus Events

Anonymous survey helps Wellness Center improve health approach. By Meredith Klenkel

mklenkel@rollins.edu

he Wellness Center has sent out an anonymous mental health survery to students to determine the best way to improve mental wellness on campus. Although there is much controversy surrounding the personal nature of the survey questions, the Wellness Center assures students that this information will not be associated with any names and encourages students to participate. In an interview, Assistant Director of Health Promotions Cristelle Garnier explained, “This year we are administrating the Healthy Minds Survey through Qualtrics to ensure that all participants are members of the Rollins community.” As confidentiality is the number one priority of the Wellness Center, the information gathered from the survey participants will solely be used to calculate numerical

statistics about the general welfare of Rollins students. Garnier elaborated on the confidentiality of Qualtrics, stating, “Qualtrics will ask participants for their username and password to access the survey, but will not release any individual’s information, as it would be in violation of confidentiality.” However, some students are still uncomfortable with the survey’s questions and think that it is too time-consuming. According to Lauren Bishop ’19, “The survey was too personal and asked questions about parents’ income and college education, which I think crosses a line with student privacy.” It is encouraged that students take part in this survey, as tedious as it may be perceived, because completing this mainly multiple-choice test will only benefit the mental health of students as a whole. As Garnier explained, “We do this to compare data and make improvements based on the results.”

Based on the survey data, the Wellness Center can have a better idea of how to approach programs that would benefit students, including tabling and street fair events that spread awareness baed on student-specific mental health issues. Furthermore, these programs help fight the negative stigmas associated with depression and anorexia as well as other mental health issues that develop under the stress and pressure of college life. The 2015 Healthy Minds Survey generated useful results that significantly aided the Wellness Center in deciding main focus points for educating the Rollins community. The leading trends amongst students who partook in the survey were troubles sleeping, body image problems, anxiety, stress, and depression. In her interview, Garnier stressed that the ultimate goal of events such as the Wellness Street Fair, Fresh Check Day,

and B.A.C to School is to educate students about healthy coping mechanisms and warn against negative behaviors. For example, relying on substances like alcohol to relieve stress can consequentially lead to depressive symptoms in young adults. Overall, it is truly invaluable to remain aware and in-touch with personal concerns related to mental wellness. Stigmas surrounding mental health create barriers that prevent students from feeling comfortable visiting Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), making it important for the Wellness Center to find ways to alter this mindset. There are many healthy ways to manage mental health issues when navigating the ups and downs of academics in addition to the social pressures of daily life. A helpful first step is to take advantage of the resources in the Wellness Center, which are completely confidential and available for all who seek them.

Riding towards Global Semi-Finals Winning Hult Prize team suggests using bicycle tires to generate electricity. By Kendall Clarke

mklenkel@rollins.edu

ollins College held its final Competition for the Hult Prize, an annual competition in which teams of college students from across the world generate startup ideas to solve critical social challenges. Team "Priezy," made up by Matias Meirelles van Vliet ’19, Nicole Hall-Eser ’19, and Dayra Diaz ’18 won first place and will move into the Global Semi-Finals for a chance to win $1 million to put their plan into action. This year, the challenge was to create a sustainable social enterprise that harnesses the power of energy and is able to be implemented on a large and small scale. The winning team proposed two methods of utilizing piezo-

electricity, the process of using a certain type of crystal and pressure in order to generate electricity. The team focused on the use of bicycles, suggesting the creation of a “power bank” in which the pressure caused by a bike tire when pressed against the ground could be used to generate electricity through stationary bikes. The team also pitched the creation of a sleeve that could go around a bike tire that could be hooked up to a battery pack; the battery pack would charge as one rides one's bike. In the competition hosted Nov. 9, Rollins had four competing teams. Each had six weeks to come up with an idea and create a pitch, including information about potential business models and the sustainability of the idea. Pitches lasted six minutes, followed by a four-minute Q&A

session with the judges. Teams presented to a panel of four judges, which included Rollins Professor of Environmental Studies Dr. Bruce Stephens, Director of Sustainability for the City of Orlando Chris Castro, CEO of Central Florida Social Enterprise Accelerator Ben Hoyer, and Senior Project Developer at ESA Renewables Justin Vandenbroeck. Other teams involved included “Thermal Charge,” which comprised of Lauren Pearce ’19, Jacob Rodriguez ’19, and Jonathan Guacaneme ’18. They proposed the creation and sale of small kits from which one could assemble a solar-thermal device made of recyclable items. This device could hold energy to charge a light bulb cell phone in the case of an emergency. Team “BRP Corporations,” consisting of Bidhit and Bibhas

R. Pandey ’20, pitched the idea of not only burning waste to generate energy, a common practice today, but also purifying the off gases in order to use it as fuel. The final team to present was team “Energy Kick,” composed of Crummer students Katie Wookey, Rebecca Marshall, and Ari Davis. They pitched the idea of a mobile Fair Trade coffee franchise where five percent of sales would go towards the creation of energy hubs in underdeveloped areas. After deliberation, the judges ranked the teams. In fourth place was BRP Corporations, followed by Thermal Charge in third, and Energy Kick in second. As such, team Piezy came in first place, a well-deserved win, and will be moving in this global competition.

Nov. 16 ‣ Caribbean Food Festival, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Olin Lawn ‣ Women of Color Lunch, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Lucy Cross Center ‣ Menstrual and Hair Care Product Drive, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Campus Center Nov. 17 ‣ Puerto Rico Benefit Concert, 7:30 p.m., Knowles Memorial Chapel ‣ Taxi Driver Screening, 4:30 p.m., Bush Auditorium ‣ Menstrual and Hair Care Product Drive, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Campus Center Nov. 18 ‣ Go with the Flow: Charity Walk, 10 a.m., Tars Plaza ‣ Menstrual and Hair Care Product Drive, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Campus Center Nov. 21 ‣ Ten-Minute Tune-Up Tuesdays, 12:30-12:40 p.m., Lucy Cross Center Nov. 22 ‣ Thanksgiving Break Begins

SPORTS

8 Upcoming Sports Events Nov. 17 ‣ Women’s volleyball @ Lynn, 7 p.m. in Boca Raton, Fla.

Nov. 18 ‣ Women’s basketball @ Lynn, 2 p.m. in Boca Raton, Fla. ‣ Men’s Basketball @ Lynn, 4 p.m. in Boca Raton, Fla.

Nov. 21 ‣ HOME: Men’s basketball vs. P.R.-Bayamon, 7 p.m.

Nov. 22 ‣ HOME: Men’s basketball vs. FL Memorial, 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Rollins Sports

Josh Briant ‘18 pictured competing in the 2015 national championships. After recently suffering a critical injury, Briant looks ahead with his recovery and, with time, hopes to return to the national stage.

Injured water-skier to recover after full knee reconstruction Josh Briant ‘18 expected to make a full recovery following second surgery. By Heather Borochaner

hborochaner@rollins.edu

he Rollins Water Ski team member who suffered critical injuries in early October is in the process of making a full recovery. After Josh Briant ’18 improperly hit the ramp at the collegiate regionals jump event, he had to be transported to the hospital by helicopter where he underwent surgery for his dislocated knee. Among other injuries, he fractured the tibia plateau, severed the PCL, LCL, bicep femoris, the lateral capsule, the medical meniscus, and a number of small ligaments. “I basically needed a full knee reconstruction,” he said. Briant just returned from Vail Colorado where he had his second surgery at the Steadman Clinic. The surgery was believed to have gone well, but recovery is difficult for the athlete who is used to being very active. Briant has been going through rehab every day. “I’m

confident that I’ll be feeling better in a few weeks time,” Briant said, but full recovery from his injury is going to take approximately one year. “Things have just been crazy,” said Briant as he recalled everything that had happened since his injury and everything that will be coming with it,. However, he is optimistic about it all. “I have recovered from many injuries in the past and I am confident that I will get through this one as well.” As an athlete, Briant is known for being dedicated and strong, loving the sport and team that he plays for. He has the undying support of his teammates, friends, and family, along with the other students of Rollins College. To many athletes, an injury as extreme as a dislocated knee is akin to a death sentence, but for someone as tough as Briant, it seems only a surmountable obstacle.