The Sandspur Volume 124 Issue 6

Issue 6 • Volume 124 Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 www.thesandspur.org

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Rollins opens program for students displaced

by Maria In wake of Hurricane Maria, Rollins College offers discounted tuition in the spring for Puerto Rican and Caribbean transfer students.

By Kendall Clarke

I

kclarke@rollins.edu

n order to help Puerto Rican college students displaced by the damage caused by Hurricane Irma and Maria, Rollins College is joining in a statewide initiative to accept Puerto Rican transfer students at the cost of in-state tuition.

On September 26, Governor Rick Scott asked Florida colleges and universities to allow Puerto Rican college students to be offered in-state tuition. All members of the Florida College System and Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, including Rollins College, have agreed to Scott’s request in order to stand in support with Puerto Rico.

As such, Rollins will be welcoming Puerto Rican and Caribbean transfer students in the spring semester at a discounted rate of $8,500. This flat fee,

Photo courtesy of Google Images

La Perla, a town on the north side of San Juan, Puerto Rico, before its destruction from Hurricane Maria. Today, approximately 80 percent of the island remains without power.

Eleemosynary to open Oct. 25

3

Rollins Players prepares Eleemosynary, a play centered around three women’s lives.

Halloween at Rollins and the Enzian

4

A look into the Halloween traditions of the Winter Park and Rollins community.

equivalent to the standard cost of attendance at a Florida state university, will cover tuition and room and board. According to Rollins’ Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Director of Financial Aid Steve Booker, these students “will not receive a Rollins degree and will not receive Rollins financial aid.”

Booker also conveyed that these students will only take classes “that are transferrable to their home institution […] in order to stay on track.”

However, if students enrolled in the 2018 Spring semester demonstrate satisfactory academic performance, they may continue their education at Rollins for the standard cost of attendance and may qualify for financial aid from Rollins at that time.

‣See PUERTO RICO on Page 2

Inside Best of Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival

7

A guide to attending Epcot’s annual Food and Wine Festival, running Aug. 31 to Nov. 13.

FEATURES

2 • OCTOBER 26, 2017 Established in 1894 with the following editorial:

EXECUTIVE STAFF Ellie Rushing Editor-in-Chief

Christina Fuleihan Managing Editor

CONTENT STAFF Alex Candage Head Copy Editor

Morgan McConnell Lauren Bishop Maura Leaden Cameron Osche Copy Editors Nilly Kohzad Kira Bernhard Keila Makowski Kendall Clarke Diego Medrano Meredith Klenkel Heather Borochaner Alec Stanley Writers Kalli Joslin Alyssa Malto Grace Macleod Section Editors Kalli Joslin Reilly Aback Anna Kjoller Web Editors

DESIGN DEPARTMENT Zoe Kim Head Designer Gracie Street Illustrator

Dana Wagenhauser Patrick Murray Page Designer

BUSINESS & FACULTY Greg Golden

General Manager of Student Media

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PUERTO RICO ‣Continued from Page 1 Puerto Rican and Caribbean students interested in this program will have to undergo an application process. This process, especially in terms of documentation, has been greatly simplified in comparison to the standard transfer process. This is in line with a recent supplemental order signed by Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart.

Under the direction of Governor Rick Scott, Stewart signed a supplemental order authorizing state colleges to waive existing rules and requirements for documentation to help Puerto Rican students enroll in college more quickly. Rollins College followed in suit, significantly lowering its standard for official documentation. However, according to Jo Marie Hebeler, communications manager at the Office of Marketing and Communications, Rollins, “will apply the same rigorous admission standards for all applicants.”

Due to the extreme damage to communication services in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, making college students in those areas aware of this opportunity has been difficult. Hebeler explained that they, “are reaching out to affiliated media and organizations such as the Hispanic and Puerto Rican Chambers of Commerce as well as regional media [in Florida],” in order to spread awareness of Rollins’ extended help. Hebeler stated that they “also notified our alumni living in the Caribbean [and] continue to attempt to contact colleges and other organizations in Puerto Rico.”

“At this time,” stated Hebeler, “we do have space on campus and have not placed a limit on

the number [of] transfer students we will accept.” However, Hebeler noted that Rollins currently has “no estimate of how many students will transfer under this special program.”

President Grant Cornwell called for unity as we welcome these students onto our campus, saying, “Rollins is a college whose mission is to educate students for global citizenship and responsible leadership.” While Rollins College was minimally impacted by the hurricanes this season, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean were completely devastated, leaving college students and their families to piece their lives back together. President Cornwell conveyed, “this seems like an opportunity where we can offer our comparative good fortune to those who were not so fortunate. The university students in Puerto Rico are seeking the same goals as Rollins students. If we can help them persist in their endeavors, we are called upon to do so.”

While it is essential for Rollins to utilize its place of privilege to help those in need in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, currently-enrolled students that were also financially impacted by the events of Hurricane Irma and Maria also require assistance.

Booker stated that the Office of Financial Aid has been evaluating the change in circumstances of those who have appealed for additional aid.

“If a family’s income is reduced in any way from the income they reported on the FAFSA,” Booker stated. “We highly encourage them to provide documentation. We can review their circumstances and determine if [their change in income] then result[s] in additional financial aid.” The Office of Financial Aid intends to continue working with families to provide as much

assistance as possible, both in the short and long term.

This department has also been issuing aid specifically for current students from Puerto Rico. Booker stated, “in the short term, we awarded an equivalent amount to the Florida Resident Access Grant for the spring semester.” This is equivalent to the grant awarded to Floridian highschool students who choose to go to college in Florida. This is equal to approximately $2,000 for the spring semester.

Booker also stated, “for the neediest current students from

Puerto Rico, as defined by the FAFSA, we increased their needbased grants by $2,000 for the year.” Booker noted that this financial aid was issued before any current students from Puerto Rico appealed for income re-evaluation.

Hopefully, as the situation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean develops, the aid of Rollins and other Florida state colleges and universities will help those displaced by Hurricane Irma and Maria and provide these students with hope in an otherwise desperate situation.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Eleemosynary: Where intellect and emotions collide The new play produced by Rollins Players, ‘Eleemosynary,’ shows the emotional and intellectual struggles of the Wesbrook women.

By Kendall Clarke

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kclarke@rollins.edu

his semester, Eleemosynary has come to Rollins College as a part of the Theatre Department’s Second Stage series, completely created by Rollins students.

Eleemosynary was written by American playwright Lee Blessing. The play premiered in 1985 and ran through to 1989, closing with a three-week run at the Manhattan Theater Club. Directed by Kaitlyn Harrington ’18, Eleemosynary follows the story of three generations of women in the Wesbrook family: Dorothea, Artemis, and Echo. Each of these women are blessed by extraordinary intellectual ability but plagued by the inability to connect with one another.

Dorothea Wesbrook, played

by Leah Thomas ’21, is a woman of interesting means and eccentric quality, valuing education above all else. She is the mother of Artemis, also known as Artie, and the grandmother of Echo, Artie’s daughter.

Artie Wesbrook, played by Annabelle Cuitino ’20, is a successful scientist haunted by her eidetic memory and constantly struggling to communicate with her daughter, Echo Wesbrook, while also coping with her complicated relationship with her own mother.

Echo Wesbrook, played by Charlotte Atlee ’18, is a terribly bright young girl who lives with Dorothea, caring for her after she suffers a stroke. Echo yearns endlessly for a relationship with her mother. The only way that Artie and Echo connect is through practicing for the National Spelling Bee; but rather

than bridging their relationship, these moments create a road block.

The story of the Wesbrook women is told through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards, set in 1985 and earlier. Staying true to the original production, Eleemosynary has a minimalistic set consisting of a three-platform stage and three chairs, one for each character. The narrative is motivated through lighting effects, guiding the audience through the memories of the characters as each individual narrative is weaved together to tell the overall story of the women.

This is accompanied by music composed by Ellie Flaumenhaft ’18, making Eleemosynary the first Fred Stone Theatre production to feature an original score composed by a Rollins College student. These elements combined with costume and makeup designed by Maria Salamanca ’19 create a truly artful production. With the help of her production team, stage manager, and dramaturg Addison Cursey ’20, Harrington brings to life the painful experiences of these women. The audience bears witness as these women struggle with their identities, all while struggling to articulate even the most basic emotions to one another. Yet through their pain, they persevere, and over time each of the Wesbrook women learn what it truly means to be eleemosynary.

Performances of Eleemosynary are held at the Fred Stone Theatre and are free to both students and the general public.

The show opens Oct. 25 and will be showing through to Oct. 28 at 8 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. showing on Oct. 28.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The many faces of horror Throughout October, the Enzian Theater’s ‘13 Films of Halloween’ program screens a diverse selection of horror movies.

Graphic by Gracie Street

By Diego Medrano

jmedrano@rollins.edu

O

ctober acts as the designated time to celebrate all things spooky, with our nearby Enzian Theatre embracing the theme with its 13 Films of Halloween program. Matthew Curtis, the Enzian’s programming director, as well as English professors Jill Jones and Ben Hudson, comment on the program and how it makes the most of the season.

This year’s October program follows previous years’ Halloween specials, so how is each one put together?

Curtis explains, “Three of

us on the programming team sit down for a few hours in mid-summer and work out a wish list for our October offerings that fit in with each of our special cases. We always have alternates in mind in case a title is not available in the necessary format. [For example,] all Cult Classics must be available in 35 mm prints.”

The Enzian begins planning for its Halloween special long before the holiday is on anyone’s mind. The special cases Curtis refers to include Midnight Movies, Cult Classics, and Books to Big Screen.

As Jones notes from her previous years of experience with the Enzian, the film house caters

to a variety of audiences. “Some are kid-friendly, some are cult classics, some are modern movies—there’s something for everyone,” she says. A showing of Hotel Transylvania 2, for instance, is the highlight of the Enzian’s Kids’ Halloween Party. Not a week later on Oct. 28, the film house will also show Halloween II as a Midnight Movie.

Jones praises the Enzian for its twofold approach to the genre of horror, “You can tell they take it seriously as an artform, but they also aren’t afraid to feature very campy, almost silly horror films either.”

Every year, the Enzian takes on the project of restoring an old classic for newer screens. This

year, they set their sights on the 1920 German silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert calls this film “the first true horror film.” The film also holds a quintessential place in German Expressionist cinema. The movie is as much a work of art as entertainment.

Moreover, this year will also feature Bram Stoker’s Dracula, one of many versions of the universal 1896 classic. Hudson praises the choice. “Dracula was written at a time when Victorian English society was changing drastically,” he explains.

There was a lot of unrest and creeping xenophobia from the sudden boom in immigrants from Eastern Europe. London

was also facing the early rise in gender role change, Hudson elaborates. Women of the time were beginning to take jobs, wear pants, and generally break their societal mold.

Films such as Cabin Fever capture the other side of the spectrum. Cabin Fever’s almost comedic approach to flesh-eating bacteria—and how it turns people against each other—makes us chuckle in between squirming and looking away from the screen.

By showing films across the horror spectrum, the Enzian captures two essential sides of the horror genre: its subtle sophistication and its potential for dark comedy.

18 years of Halloween Howl The annual Rollins tradition of Halloween Howl is scheduled to take place this Saturday, Oct. 28.

By Meredith Klenkel

mklenkel@rollins.edu

H

alloween Howl is a heartwarming Rollins tradition approaching its 18th anniversary on Saturday. The event never fails to get students, faculty, and families of the Winter Park area in the spooky spirit of the season.

However, do not let the face painting and trick-or-treat-style block party fool you—the event is for people of all ages who like to eat candy and show their Rollins pride.

Rather than vendors selling goods and taking in money, this Rollins event is packed to the brim with tables stationed by

on-campus organizations, clubs, sports teams, and departments.

From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, Holt Avenue will be transformed into a never-ending lineup of coloring, mask-decorating, and arts and crafts.

The goal of this anticipated holiday event is to give children a space to trick-or-treat and savor the joys of celebrating Halloween in a safe environment.

It is up to each organization to decide what they might include or hand out at their tables, but this usually consists of candy, games, and awesome Halloween themed crafts.

The significance of this annual event goes far beyond the realm of making local kids and their parents happy—it is a way

for Rollins to express that we are supportive of our surrounding neighbors and consider ourselves a part of the community outside of our campus, rather than an isolated entity.

Being a small school centered around values of community engagement, this event is a symbol of Rollins actively opening their doors to the public and sharing precious memories with local family and friends. The event’s location creates a welcming atmosphere for anyone who wishes to participate in the fun, even if they live off-campus.

Last year, attendance reached 1,500 people, all of whom gathered together for ghoulishly fun festivities, such as the costume contest, which is

traditionally a fan favorite. Children can enter to show off their killer costume style and creative ideas.

The adult category involves some fierce competition; if you have a bad case of stage fright but still want the fame and fortune accompanying victory, pets can be dressed up and entered in their own heat of the contest. The ultimate concept of the competition is to provide a friendly and supportive environment for kids where they will not be judged, and they can win prizes for expressing who they are.

Another highlight includes the haunted houses hosted by fraternities and sororities as well as the Off-Campus Student Association. Children of all ages can

walk through decorated houses and get a friendly fright from FSL and off-campus students who chose to join in on the fun.

There is always work to be done and materials to be prepared before 1 p.m. on the Saturday of the Howl, so remember to reach out to the Center of Leadership and Community Engagement in the Mills building or through email to volunteer with set-up.

Help is appreciated and encouraged, so if you are a good witch, a bad witch, or anything in between, come start your morning off right with some community service and get into the spirit of Halloween by giving back.

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OPINION

The best of Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival The annual Food and Wine Festival can be overwhelming, but this is a selection of some of the best dishes that this year has to offer.

Kira Bernhard

kbernhard@rollins.edu

Photo by Heather Borochaner, The Sandspur

Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival offers traditional dishes for many countries, including New Zealand’s steamed green lip mussels with garlic butter and toasted breadcrumbs.

By Kira Bernhard

E

kbernhard@rollins.edu

ggs are relatively easy to make; however, this simple source of protein can be apart of any delicious breakfast. Follow this recipe to spice up your Sunday brunch routine.

Ingredients: 1 slice of Ezekiel bread 1/2 avocado ≈1 oz. smoked salmon 1 large egg 2 tbsps feta cheese Salt & pepper

By Heather Borochaner Recipe: 1. Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.

2. Pour the egg mixture into a nonstick skillet on low-medium heat.

3. After a minute, add salmon pieces.

4. When egg starts to cook, turn the heat to low and stir until scrambled.

5. A minute before removing from the skillet, add in the feta.

Toast your bread and mash an avocado on it.

6. Plate up, take a photo for Instagram, and enjoy!

hborochaner@rollins.edu

E

pcot’s annual Food and Wine Festival allows visitors to sample food from around the world, but is this tasty adventure worth the hefty price tag?

General admission for Epcot costs $99, and depending on what you order at the pavilions, the usual price range of the small food portions is $5-8. If you managed to eat one portion from every pavilion at the estimated lowest price, the end cost would be around $274. However, keep in mind, it is unlikely you will be able to get to every pavilion. $50 to spend on food items is plenty.

Even though the portions are small, some of the dishes are still rather filling, like Brazil’s Escondidinho de Carne, a layered meat pie with mashed yucca. I had to share most of my orders with my family to ensure that I would be able to stop at as many pavilions as possible.

That leaves only a couple options for how you want your festival experience to be. Either spend the money to experience most of what the festival has to offer, or save your hard-earned cash and experience only a fraction of it.

Having an annual pass to Disney, I did not have to pay the $99 fee to get into Epcot and could attend the festival as many times as I would like. This is the

best way to ensure you expereince both the festival and the rides.

If you do decide to attend the festival, there are a few dishes you definitely do not want to miss.

Australia: Grilled sweet and spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, pepper, onion and snap peas, $5.25: The shrimp delivers what the title offers. The pineapple was a good sweetener to the spice of the onions and pepper, balancing into a flavor that blended well with the more earthy peas that were nice and crunchy compared to the softness of the shrimp. The shrimp were a little small, though.

France: Croissant aux escargots, an escargot croissant with garlic and parsley, $5.75: For those who do not know, escargot is cooked snail. I was rather intimidated to try it, and had to close my eyes and count to three to convince myself to finally eat it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The escargot had been baked into the croissant, so after biting through the soft and buttery surface, I was met with the more chewy and salty snail in the center. It was absolutely delicious and one of my favorite meals.

Hawaii: Kalua pork slider with sweet and sour DOLE® pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise, $4.75: Eating pork with pineapple sounded pretty strange to me, so of course I had

to try it, and again I was pleasantly surprised. The meat was very tender and the bread of the sandwich was sweet, almost like honey. After the second bite it started to fall apart, but even a messy slider still had plenty of flavor.

Italy: Crispy calamari with spicy pomodoro sauce, $8: I am an avid fan of calamari, and this was probably the best calamari I have ever had. If you are not much of a spicy sauce person, the calamari on its own has enough flavor to make an impact. It was like a dance party on my tongue.

New Zealand: Steamed green lip mussels with garlic butter and toasted breadcrumbs, $4.25: My number one favorite food of the entire festival. First of all, the mussels were huge. It is a bit of a messy meal because of the bread crumbs and other flavors piled on top of them, so have a napkin nearby, but the taste was worth it. The mussels were juicy and succulent with a perfect chewy texture, and all the different blending flavors was like an electric shock. It was a life-changing experience.

To sum it all up, the festival is expensive, but if you can get in without draining your wallet, it is worth it. New Zealand was my favorite pavilion, but every country available had their own unique dishes that can suit everyone’s tastes. I am excited to see what the festival offers next year, as well.

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

6

OPINION Upcoming Campus Events

Oct. 26 ‣ REP presents Jumanji at 6 p.m. on Mills Lawn ‣ Networking Night, 5-7 p.m. ‣ ACM Game Night, 5:30 p.m., Bush 176 ‣ The Right to Vote: Informal Q&A, 4-5 p.m.

Oct. 27 ‣ CICI’s Safe Zone training, 2-5 p.m., Rex Beach Hall classroom ‣ Office of Title IX Green Dot Workshop, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Bieberbach ‣ Rollins Improv Players show, 1-2 p.m. ‣ The Right to Vote: The Voter Fraud Commission, 3-4 p.m., Bush Oct. 28 ‣ Halloween Howl, 1 p.m., Mills lawn ‣ Office of Title IX Green Dot Workshop, 1-3 p.m., Galloway Oct. 29 ‣ Rollins’ Annual Zombie 5k Run, 8:30-10 p.m., Mills Lawn Oct. 30 ‣ Rollins Improv Players show, 11 p.m.

Oct. 31 ‣ Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m., Keene Hall Nov. 1 ‣ Blood Drive 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Dia de los Muertos 4:30 p.m., CFAM patio Nov. 2 ‣ REP’s Coffeehouse Series, 8 p.m., Dave’s Boathouse

Keep your hands off my birth control, Mr. President Donald Trump’s latest attack on American healthcare aims to stop requiring employers’ health insurance to pay for prescription birth control.

By Keila Makowski

kmakowski@rollins.edu

A

couple weeks ago, Trump launched another assault on the bodily autonomy of those capable of carrying children, specifically that of people in the workforce, in his first attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The brick he has decided to pull first from the Jenga tower that is American healthcare is the right for all women to have birth control covered by their health insurance.

As of Oct. 6, employers were no longer required to cover birth control, meaning that depending on people's employers, they will now have to pay out-of-pocket for contraception.

This strikes me as wrong for numerous reasons. For starters, it is simply strange for the government to play a role in one's sex life. What right does

the president, the senate, or my job have to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. Access to birth control is not something that should be litigated, but rather something that is guaranteed and handled personally.

In the end, Trump’s decision is sexist. No one argues against the distribution of free condoms, because, generally speaking, they are for the coverage of the penis.

No one minds the sexual activities of people percieved as male, because their sexual activity is not seen as wrong in our society.

Whether he knows it or not, impacting citizen's ability to con-

“

trol their bodies is damaging to their independence. Rather than b e i n g able to take their f e r t i l it y into their o w n hands, it must become a conversation.

Will their part ner wear a condom?

Who will supply t hem?

No one should be able to make someone bear a child if they do not want to, nor should that decision be impacted by anyone but themselves. It is their own body.

Trump's decision is sexist. No one argues about the distribution of free condoms, because generally speaking, they are for the coverage of the penis.

This is not to mention the innumerable people who use birth control for things other than sex.

Despite its name, birth control regulates acne; hormone imbalances; overly heavy, painful, or irregular periods; and more.

Therefore, the issue of entirely-accessible birth control is not just a women’s rights issue—it is a health issue.

To some, none of these issues may sound damaging, but extreme periods can take a person out of work or school many times a year. Condoms, something we give away for free, have never impacted someone’s ability to function like birth control can.

All I can say is, if the Trump administration keeps attacking women and their allies, they are going to leave the rest of us with a damaged America that we all will be forced to piece together.

Halfway to the finish line Diego Medrano ‘18 examines the ways in which children of celebrities are inherently privileged as they struggle to form their own identities.

By Diego Medrano

jmedrano@rollins.edu

H

ow far can someone get with only an influential surname? Conor Kennedy of the Kennedys would say that a famous last name can get you out of jail time for a bar fight, if he was honest. A famous last name can secure one a job in the modeling industry and a show on MTV, although you would not hear that from Atiana de la Hoya, daughter of famous boxer Oscar de la Hoya.

Perhaps I misinterpretted the meaning of the phrase, "land of equal opportunity." How can a country that prides itself on success through hard work and perseverance like America make a social expresslane for the famous?

Kennedy was arrested after he took part in a bar fight in Colorado. According to the Denver Post, Kennedy pled guilty to dis-

orderly conduct and received a deferred sentence of six months; in other words, if he commits no further felonies for six months, the charge will be dismissed.

The defense even requested that court records for the case be sealed. He claims to have been defending a gay friend from slurs, yet it is convenient that his only witness happened to be his cousin, Matthew Kennedy. With a charge of this kind, most people would have it on their record permanently; however, he only received a $500 fine and a letter of apology for his actions.

In the modeling industry, last names have such sway that MTV dedicated a whole show to the issue, titled Growing Up Supermodel. The show follows the children of celebrities such as Ricky Schroeder, Oscar de la Hoya, and Steven Seagal.

The models talk about the difficulties they face as the children of famous parents. “‘...You’re Steven Seagal’s

daughter.’ No, I’m me,” says Arissa Le Brock, commenting on how people identify her first as the daughter of the famous acotr and producer.

"My whole life, I’ve compared myself to my mom,” admits Cairo Peele, daughter of model Beverly Peele.

I cannot invalidate the identity crisis that accompanies being the offspring of a celebrity, but these men and women are tragically missing the point. They struggle to form an identity for themselves once they already have the industry’s full attention. For many aspiring models, it takes years of small-scale work before

“

they have any hope of fame; the children of models and celebrities are born famous. The industry practically came to them.

They start their difficulties from a position some of us only dream of, and still Arissa Le Brock claims that, “there is no easy ticket to anything.”

T h e U n i t e d States prides itself on being a nation where the people with the strongest work ethic will succeed; however, we intentionally allow anyone with a well-known last name to be born halfway to the finish line.

The industry practically came to them. They start their difficulties from a position some of us only dream of...

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

FEATURES

7

From cell to celebrity: Nelson Mandela’s legacy After partaking in the 'South Africa Today' faculty trip, Dr. Hesham Mesbah reflects on visiting the prison cell Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life in.

By Dr. Hesham Mesbah

hmesbah@rollins.edu

W

hen I first stood in front of that metal, grille-like door of the cell I felt like I had hit some sort of “replay” button to history. This tiny, 43-square feet cell had been home to Nelson Mandela, freedom fighter and first black president of South Africa, for 18 years.

I kept on gazing at his oneinch thick sleeping mat, rolled up blankets, bucket (used as a toilet), metal cup and plate, and thinking how freedom can blossom through such demeaning living conditions. The light coming through the window was like a beam reflected on my eyes to play history in a flashback.

Mandela received a life

Photo by Dr. Hesham Mesbah

sentence in 1964 for resisting apartheid, and was to spend this punishment in an Alcatraz-style prison on tiny Robben Island off the West of Cape Town.

"This is the Island. This is where you will die," said a guard to Mandela when he first arrived. The guard could not be more wrong; not only did Mandela survive this arduous captivity, but he also won over his oppressors and, eventually, led his people to freedom.

Once they had arrived at the prison, Mandela and his comrades were told to undress and put on a plain khaki uniform that was made of short trousers, a jersey, a canvas jacket, and shoes with no socks. In his memoire, “Long Walk to Freedom,” Mandela explains that, through wearing this uniform, he came

to understand the cliché of “feeling the cold in one’s bones.”

Mandela resisted from his first week of imprisonment. He protested the short trousers.

A few months later, a guard dumped a pair of long khaki trousers at the door of his cell.

Mandela asked that all his comrades receive the same, or else he would not take the trousers, and he ended up not taking them.

Having a law degree, Mandela knew how to resist “legally” in prison. When a guard ordered him and other prisoners to line up for a photo, Mandela asked him for an authorization. The guard had never known about this regulation, which imparted to Mandela a superior status during that encounter.

To protest the hard labor of breaking limestone rocks

Dr. Hesham Mesbah, associate professor of Communication Studies, gazes into the prison cell Nelson Mandela called home for 18 years, located in Cape Town, South Africa.

and the harsh conditions under which political prisoners were only allowed to receive letters and visitors once every six months, Mandela and his band crafted their “go-slow” strike; they would work at half their regular speed — another legal tactic of protesting.

The authorities wanted to break Mandela’s resolve by burying him in this damp cell.

Instead, he turned the cell into a center of leadership. He described Robben Island as a university, where each one taught the others and studied to earn degrees, learn English, Afrikaans, and economics. For Mandela, “education is the enemy of prejudice.” Mandela prepared in this cell the political economy class he taught his inmates.

The walls of this cell con-

tained all the worry, grief, and aspirations of Mandela for 18 years. They “witnessed” him agonizing over the death of both his first son in a car accident and his mother. In this cell, he celebrated the marriage of his daughter and started a secret scheme of writing his autobiography, which was forbidden in jail at the time.

I had a real feeling that these walls miss the sweat, tears, and sighs of a revolutionary who dreamed of equality and freedom in a colorblind nation. It’s true he himself is no longer within them, but they will keep telling the story to those who want to listen, to learn, and to teach others about equality, freedom, and peaceful co-existence.

SPORTS

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Fight against breast cancer at Dig Pink

Upcoming Sports Events Oct. 26 ‣ HOME: Women’s Basketball vs Daytona State, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 27 ‣ Women’s Tennis Clay Court Championship @ Lake Wales, Fla. ‣ HOME: Women’s Volleyball vs Eckerd, 7 p.m.

Oct. 28 ‣ Women’s Tennis Clay Court Championship @ Lake Wales, Fla. ‣ Women’s Sailing SASIA Qualifier @ Charleston, SC ‣ Women’s and Men’s Swimming @ Boca Raton, Fla., 11 a.m. ‣ HOME: Women’s Volleyball vs St. Leo, 4 p.m.

Oct. 29 ‣ Women’s Tennis Clay Court Championship @ Lake Wales, FL ‣ Women’s Sailing SASIA Qualifier @ Charleston, SC Oct. 30 ‣ Men’s Golf vs McDonough Cup @ Orlando, Fla. ‣ Women’s Golf vs USF Intercollegiate @ Tampa, Fla. Oct. 31 ‣ HOME: Women’s Volleyball vs Embry-Riddle, 7 p.m. ‣ Men’s Golf vs McDonough Cup @ Orlando, Fla. ‣ Women’s Golf vs USF Intercollegiate @ Tampa, Fla.

Photo by Kira Bernhard

Team Captain Bri Civiero ‘18 spikes a ball against Embry Riddle earlier this season.

By Heather Borochaner

hborochaner@rollins.edu

T

he Rollins women’s volleyball team will face Eckerd College for their “Dig Pink” match on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Alfond Sports Center. In support of the Sideout Foundation, which works to fight against breast cancer, the volleyball team hopes that this game and their auction will help raise awareness and funds for research into the disease.

All money given to the fundraiser will go toward their research, and all students who attend are asked to wear pink clothing in support of fighting breast cancer.

The team players will be wearing special jerseys which are to be auctioned off after the

The volleyball team will host a “Dig Pink” match on Oct. 27 to raise money for the Sideout Foundation and breast cancer research. Students who attend this game are encouraged to wear pink. game. The link to the auction can be found on the Rollins sports website. The money gained from the auction will also go toward breast cancer research.

“Our team always says that we wear the jersey to be a part of something bigger than ourselves,” said Alexis Paxton ’19, who wears jersey number 9 on Rollins’ team. “This is also a chance to contribute to something bigger than Rollins or volleyball. We are so grateful to have the tremendous opportunity to spread awareness, collect donations, and honor those we’ve lost and who have survived.”

“Almost everyone on our team has someone in their life who has been affected by this awful disease,” said head coach Mika Robinson. About 12 percent of American women will

develop invasive breast cancer at some point in her lifetime, which is about 1 out of every 8 women. Eckerd’s volleyball coach, Michelle Piantadosi-Lima, is a breast cancer survivor herself.

“My great-grandmother and my aunt both had breast cancer,” said Paxton. Her grandmother had survived for 35 years with breast cancer and passed away 10 years ago. “I never got to know her that well, but I’m still so proud to say that she beat cancer for so long.”

Paxton’s aunt also battled breast cancer for about a year before being told she was cancer -free at the cost of her thick, dark wavy hair and ‘80s bangs. “Every time we see her, it’s so special.

We all get reminded for those few hours that life is so precious.

It was scary, but her strength is refreshing and inspiring.”

“Our team looks forward to both the competition and the ability to use our game as a platform for a greater cause,” said Robinson. Rollins beat Eckerd in Sept. with a final score of 3-2.

It was a clutch game, the Rollins team losing the first two sets and coming back to claim victory with three straight winning sets.

The Rollins volleyball team has participated in “Dig Pink” matches in the past and will be very likely to continue to do so to keep raising money for breast cancer research and awareness.

If students wish to donate to the fundraiser, they can go to the Sideout Foundation’s website https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/13704, or plan to donate at Friday’s match.