The Sandspur Volume 124 Issue 12

Issue 12 • Volume 124 Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 www.thesandspur.org

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Sexual assault reports on the rise Are more sexual asssaults occurring, or are more people reporting?

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14 11

Report of forcible sexual offense on campus

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7 5 3

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2016

2015

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*Before updates to the Clery Act in 2015, the statistics within the categories of rape, statutory rape, and fondling were all filed together titled “Forcible Sexual Offenses.” Because we do not have access to the separate categories before 2014, ‘The Sandspur’ has combined these categories for 2014, 2015, and 2016 to make the data chart accurate in terms of time scale.

By Alec Stanley

S

astanley@rollins.edu

ixteen rapes were reported on campus in 2016, a number which doubled the 8 reported in 2015.

The numbers were released through Campus Safety’s 2016 Annual Safety & Fire Safety Report in compliance with the Clery Act. They raise the question of whether this dramatic

increase is due to an increase in rapes themselves, or an increase in survivors reporting their experiences.

When considered in isolation, the increase in reported rapes may be alarming.

When asked about Campus Safety’s view on the statistic, Ken Miller, Vice President of Public Safety, emphasized that the statistic reflects only the reported number of rapes on cam-

pus, rather than the number that actually occurred.

“Similar institutions that have residential housing with statistics of less than 2-3 reported rapes per year probably are not capturing the full picture of what is happening on their campuses,” Miller added.

The increase in reports followed the instatement of Oriana Jimenez as the Title IX coordinator in 2015 and coincided with a

multitude of efforts to improve the campus climate surrounding unwanted sexual contact.

A 2015 Campus Climate Survey found that 31 percent of students who experienced unwanted sexual contact told no one, while just 6 percent used the college’s formal procedure for reporting such incidents.

This report spurred a number of initiatives to increase the willingness to report in 2016.

These efforts included the addition of a Title IX disclosure statement on all syllabi, among other training and education efforts for all incoming students.

‣See ASSAULT on Page 2

2 • FEBRUARY 1, 2018

FEATURES

Off-campus meal plan money transfers to TarBUC$

Established in 1894 with the following editorial:

Downsizing from three accounts to two gives greater flexibility for student spending.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Students now have more options with regards to the use of their off-campus meal money while maintaining the same off-campus dining liberties in the convenience of one account.

An email sent out by Financial Analysis Manager Jeremy DiGorio stated, “The purpose of these changes was to simplify the amount of meal plan and assist you with easier dining options at Rollins.”

The traditional off-campus amount of $150 now goes to the TarBUC$ account, and the previously used off-campus dining account no longer exists.

Because of these changes, students have more access to on-campus and off-campus purchases, whether food-related or not.

Students can use their TarBUC$ at the pre-existing off-campus dining locations, such as Powerhouse Cafe, Ben & Jerry’s, and The Coop, while adding new options.

Bookstore purchases can now be made with TarBUC$, including Einstein’s Bagels, which was never a part of the previous off-campus meal plan.

Uber now accepts a student’s R-Card number for payment once it is linked to a student’s TarBUC$ account. This is an added benefit to students who do not have access to a credit card for Uber rides or Uber Eats purchases.

Students can also use TarBUC$ on campus at the C-Store to purchase items that are behind the counter.

This includes medications, utensils, and detergent that previously required cash, a credit card, or a personal deposit into a TarBUC$ account.

Unused funds in a student’s TarBUC$ account will roll over to the next semester, including Spring going into Fall, rather than disappearing like before.

Bria Pallas ‘20 said that she likes the changes. “It’s nice be-

cause now at the end of the semester, or during the semester at all because TarBUC$ rolls over, if I have extra money I want to spend, it doesn’t have to be on off-campus food. I can go to the bookstore and buy a sweatshirt if I want to,” said Pallas.

Some students, when asked about the new changes to the TarBUC$ account, had not realized the changes had been made, but were excited to explore the new options.

Marina Longo ‘21 said, “No way! Really? That’s awesome because now I can use my R-Card at Einstein’s Bagels instead of using all $150 at Powerhouse Cafe.”

Before these changes, a residential student who had a traditional on-campus meal plan had the following three accounts: on-campus dining, off-campus dining, and TarBUC$. At the beginning of each semester, the standard on-campus dining plan and $150 of off-campus dining was renewed in each student’s account. TarBuc$ could be added manually if a student chose to do so.

Hannah White ‘20 said that she didn’t get to experience the new changes because she used pretty much all of her TarBUC$ already on off-campus dining for the semester, but will remember the new changes for next semester.

Next time you go to purchase an item on campus, remember the versatility you now have with your spending.

sequences on behalf of their peers.”

“Over the past several years, Rollins has strengthened its Title IX infrastructure based on best practices across the higher-education industry,” Jimenez added in her 2016 statement on the initiatives.

Rollins utilizes a “trauma-informed social justice and prevention model that reaches far beyond minimum compliance with the law. This is critical to creating the climate of respect and care that we seek to foster in our community,” Jimenez added.

Ken Miller expects the number of reported incidents to continue to increase in coming years

as campus culture surrounding rape and sexual assault improves, as well as the reporting process becomes more and more accessible to survivors.

Miller is hopeful that the number of reports will eventually peak, and that a decrease in reports from that point on will reflect a decrease in total incidents occurring.

Rollins’ student body is hopeful about our changing campus climate. Karina Barbesino ‘19 comments, “The fact that students are becoming more comfortable reporting rape on campus is a step in the right direction. Now that Rollins is getting a clearer picture of what is

happening in our community, we can’t deny that it is a serious problem. The next step is to address it to a greater extent and push forward more initiatives in order to prevent future assaults.”

Nationally, sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes. A 2010 study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found that only 15.8 percent to 35 percent of all sexual assaults are reported to the police.

However, while historically, the overarching percent of reports are low, Rollins’ consistent efforts to make the campus safe and inclusive for survivors continues to improve these numbers.

Ellie Rushing Editor-in-Chief

Christina Fuleihan Managing Editor

CONTENT STAFF Alex Candage Head Copy Editor

Morgan McConnell Cameron Ochse Assigning Editors Lauren Bishop Maura Leaden David Smith Copy Editors Alec Stanley Diego Medrano Kendall Clarke Staff Writers Kalli Joslin Alyssa Malto Section Editors Kalli Joslin Reilly Aback Anna Kjoller Web Editors

DESIGN DEPARTMENT Zoe Kim Head Designer Gracie Street Illustrator

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By Emily Anness

T

eanness@rollins.edu

his semester, students returned to campus to find that their off-campus dining accounts no longer exist; the Finance department created a new plan that merged off-campus dining and TarBUC$ into one account.

ASSAULT ‣Continued from Page 1 The increase in reported rapes since the 2015 report was released hopefully indicates a change in that ratio.

“You don’t change the number, you change the culture,” said Rebecca DeCesare, Senior Operations Coordinator for Campus Safety.

In a 2016 interview with Rollins360, a campus magazine, Oriana Jiminez said, “...the primary reasons Rollins students don’t report sexual misconduct is because they fear they will experience negative social con-

FEATURES

3

Discrimination to diversity: the history of black students at Rollins Since 1964, Rollins has had an uneven history of promoting the enrollment and experiences of black students.

By Maura Leaden

I

mleaden@rollins.edu

n 1970, only 19 black students attended Rollins. Five years before that, there were none.

For our first black students, having little on-campus social lives and experiencing racism and accusations of segregation was their reality.

The history of our black students began in 1964, when John Mark Cox Jr. became the first black person to enroll at Rollins College—yet he did not graduate here. The first black students who graduated from Rollins were William Johnson ‘70, Bernard Myers ‘70, and Lewanzer Lassiter ‘70.

In the following years, the enrollment of black students fluctuated. From 19 in 1970 and 38 in 1972, down to 12 in 1981, and then to 26 students in 1984.

The reviews of black stu-

dents on their time spent at Rollins were not always positive.

In a 1970 alumni journal, “The Rollins College Alumni Record,” former Rollins student and returning professor Tony Layng published an article titled, “Black Students at Rollins.” It included interviews of black students who had “active and creative role[s]” at Rollins.

One student was Laurence Martinez ‘71, a “leading scorer on the basketball team,” who said, “I thought that coming to Rollins I would meet different black people from other areas.

Later I found out that all was not as it seemed. The main problem was that I was idealistic enough to believe that everyone would treat everyone else as individuals.”

Martinez also addressed the issue of involvement for black students on campus. “There is nothing here that blacks can relate to; you have to make your-

self happy with what is here or become very dissatisfied for four years. I decided that I was in a system that I had to become a part of.”

Another interviewee, Anita Thomas ‘71, a female student and member of the Community Action Board, echoed Martinez when she said that a “number of black students are needed at Rollins before I would encourage an incoming black freshman to spend four years here without a social life.”

Goliath Davis ‘73 provided a response to these concerns by calling on black students to do more than come to college for a good education. He asked his fellow black “Brothers and Sisters” to raise awareness to the “problems of Black people.”

The following statement appeared in support of the Black Student Union: “We the Black students of Rollins College should familiarize ourselves

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with the constitution of the Black Student Union and unite to initiate some meaningful change.”

Davis’ words appeared in a 1972 issue of The Sandspur (Vol. 78, Issue 18) in an article titled “Role of Black Folk in Higher Education.”

He criticized the racial atmosphere on college campuses—including that of Rollins College— writing, “If it is the intention of any Black man to attend Rollins or any other predominantly white institution for the sole purpose of achieving an education, then my advice to him is to lay down and die—die because that’s all his life is going to be worth in a racist atmosphere anyway.” Goliath Davis went on to become St. Petersburg’s first black police chief.

Twelve years after Davis’ article, difficult times continued. In 1984, a suspicion of segregation arose when it was noted that 10 of the 26 enrolled black students lived in Rex Beach Hall.

Yet, in Vol. 91, Issue 2 of The Sandspur, an article titled, “Increases in black enrollment” assured that there was no such sinister plot: “...half of them had requested Rex Beach. The remaining five students were randomly placed in the dormitory because they had not made any requests on their housing forms.”

Eric Williams, a student interviewed in the 1984 article and a former resident of Rex Beach, shared his insight on living in a residence hall as a black student, saying, “I feel at ease in the dorm, but when I’m the only black person in my class, sometimes I feel a bit pressured.”

Throughout the years, black students have struggled with inclusion and identity at Rollins.

Yet the efforts of administration to enroll more students of color were confirmed.

To quote Davis again, “Giving credit where it is due, I must say that there is an attempt on the part of the administration to recruit black students.”

Today, Rollins is a much richer experience for minority students. Approximately 170 of Rollins’ students are black or African American, making up 5.2 percent of all students.

Overall, 43 percent of the student body identify as races other than white.

Ashley Williams ‘18 gives recognition to the improvement in diversity at Rollins since she enrolled. “Diversity and inclusion has increased tremendously during my years at Rollins. It has been such a pleasure to meet and interact with people from all walks of life. However, there is still work that needs to be done in regards to inclusion.”

This vast improvement in college diversity stems from a variety of measures the college takes to promote diversity and inclusion on campus, with one major step being the creation of the Diversity Council.

While the Diversity Council was officially established in fall 2008, smaller groups and advising councils existed throughout campus before that.

Today, the Diversity Council, led by a team of faculty, staff, and students, aims to model an academic and social environment that is safe and inclusive to all Rollins community members by implementing college policies, providing formal and informal trainings, surveying the campus climate, and offering funds and diversity infusion grants each year.

The council expressed, “The Rollins Diversity Council affirms that our campus community welcomes ALL, regardless of country of origin, nationality, race, gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, and abilities. We deeply value and are enriched by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that the members of our community—from all over the world—bring to our campus.

Rollins looks to celebrate African American History month throughout February by hosting events and conversations.

On Feb. 9, the annual Summit on Transformative Learning will take place in the Bush Science Center, with the title being “Crossing Borders.”

Although the campus climate on racial diversity has not always been positive, its current strides towards inclusivity and diversity continue to create a welcoming environment for students of all identities.

4

OPINION

Graphic by Gracie Street

Philadelphia and New England set for historic battle

Eagles and Patriots go head-to-head in their second Super Bowl match-off.

By Austin Nowinski

I

anowinski@rollins.edu

n the 52nd game of the Super Bowl era, the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles will face the New England Patriots in Minneapolis on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. You can watch it, along with the copious commercials, on NBC. The Patriots will be playing in their 10th Super Bowl, their eighth since 2001. They have won five of their previous nine appearances, with all five wins coming in the Brady-Belichick era.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles struggle to compare.

This will be their third Super Bowl, and their players will compete for their very first championship rings.

In 2005, the Patriots and Eagles competed in the big game, with the Patriots named the 39th Super Bowl Champions in the end of a close 24-21 win.

The game was all knotted-up at halftime, before Tom Brady

helped establish a 24-10 lead for the Pats, who went on to hold off a strong comeback effort led

by Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb. After Sunday, Tom Brady will be the only player to play in both Super Bowls that featured the Eagles and Patriots—a true testament to his greatness.

The Eagles hope to achieve a different outcome during Super Bowl 52, and this is not an unrealistic goal. However, when quarterback Carson Wentz went down in week 14, things became questionable.

Wentz helped the Eagles become the best team in the NFC, and he was having a remarkable MVP-like season. Losing anyone of that caliber, on that kind of team, is always cause for concern.

Luckily, the second-string quarterback was Nick Foles, the same quarterback who had a fantastic season in 2013, achieving an unheard of touchdown-interception (TD/INT) ratio of 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions. To say he has talent is not

missing the mark.

However, since that 2013 season, Foles has fallen off, somewhat. He struggled with the Eagles the following season, before heading to the Rams, where he started in only 11 games and had a poor TD/INT ratio of 7/10.

After that he was converted to back-up quarterback at Kansas City in 2016, and now he is back with the Eagles in their 2017 campaign.

The Eagles boast one of the most bolstered backfields that one can remember, a defense which recently held the Vikings to a mere seven points. So Philadelphia has the pieces in place to pull off an extraordinary upset, but I believe that a top performance by Nick Foles will be a key factor for that to happen.

If he can tap into his majestic form of last week and from the 2013 season, if he can keep from turning the football over (as well as running up the score on a porous Patriots defense), and if he can keep the ball out of Brady’s hands, you will see the Eagles

bring back a Lombardi trophy to the city of brotherly love.

As for the Patriots, they are looking to repeat the performances they gave in Super Bowl 39, and this is an extremely feasible task.

As has become the norm, the Patriots have another incredible offense this season—no surprise there. Moreover, they added Brandin Cooks to be a complimentary piece to Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski; unfortunately, Edelman was deemed out for the year with a season-ending injury suffered in the off-season.

Luckily, the Pats are known for having a deep lineup of talented back-ups.

With Bill Belichick’s mantra of “next man up,” Danny Amendola stepped in to fill Edelman’s boots exceptionally well. The evidence is the seven catches (two for touchdowns) he made last week against the best secondary in football: the Jaguars.

Thus, Amendola is going to be the key player for the Patriots in this one. If he can continue to

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

do what he has done all year, especially what he did last week, Tom Brady will have a comfortable evening as Amendola will find the seams in the secondary.

It could easily be argued that, for the Pats, the focus will be on the defensive side of the ball, but with two great offenses on show, defense should be an afterthought.

Bottom line, I see this game being eerily similar to Super Bowl 39. The Eagles have the best shot of any team to take down the Pats, and it will take a valiant effort that they can muster.

It will come down to the wire, but history has shown that that means nothing to the Patriots.

I foresee them going down early, trailing at the half by a score of 17-10. Then, it will be “all she wrote” for the Patriots in the second half, scoring 21 and giving up 10. Brady and Belichick will find a way to bring their sixth Lombardi trophy back to New England.

Final score prediction: 31-27, Patriots.

5

OPINION

Feminism marches towards uncertain future Women’s March founders differ on movement’s focus.

By Diego Medrano

T

jmedrano@rollins.edu

he feminist movement lives on with the second annual Women’s March, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite the difficulties described by Women’s March Co-Chair Linda Sarsour—conflicting organizations and conflicting people—the event has seen international success two years in a row.

Now, two very different approaches are being employed in furthering the goals of the movement, something I argue is to its benefit.

Though the movement has its roots in the U.S. and its political scene, the Women’s March has garnered international support.

NPR reports, “Saturday saw protesters take to the streets from New York to Los Angeles—from Nigeria to Iraq.”

Associated Press writes that “thousands of participants trudged through sleet and snow in central London, while a heavy rain doused a relatively small gathering in Paris, and thousands mobilized in Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia.”

Yet despite a unity in support for the movement’s goals, co-founders disagree on the best approach. Some push for racial and social justice directly whereas others believe a change in political leaders is necessary first.

To that end, co-founder

“

Vanessa Wruble started March On, an organization dedicated to empowering the oppressed and promoting change through electoral activism. Meanwhile, Women’s March Inc. continues to promote racial and social justice directly. Both organizations were present this past Women’s March.

This dual approach may appear to complicate or deter the movement—after all, half as many resources and people go to each approach. Moreover, it could lead to serious conflict between factions.

Even so, we might do well to move past the chicken-egg a r g u ment—that social change must precede political change or vice versa—and target both simultaneously.

Focusing solely on social reform informs the public, but the laws remain in the hands of legislators; there are no people with newly-formed mindsets in positions of power. Similarly, focusing solely on political activism puts people in a position to create change, but without the widespread support of the general public.

Between March On and Women’s March Inc., there are activists targeting both the general attitude and the positions needed to promote legal change. We can hope that this is how things progress in the near future.

...there are no people with newly-formed mindsets in positions of power

Photo courtesy of Google Images

President Trump, historically labeled as America’s most pro-life President, attended the 45th annual March for Life.

Separate politics and morals

Abortion has become a defining characteristic of political parties.

By Diego Medrano

jmedrano@rollins.edu

W

e need have no doubts as to where President Trump stands on the matter of abortion. In person, he congratulated participants of the 45th annual March for Life on celebrating life, friendship, love, and the potential of thousands of future Americans.

Trump has set records as being the highest-ranking official to address the March for Life, surpassing the previous year’s Vice President Mike Pence.

Pence, by way of introduction, referred to Trump as “the most pro-life president in American history.” Readers can decide themselves the historical accuracy of such a statement.

The Trump administration has also taken several steps in protecting anti-abortion beliefs.

The Department of Health and Human Services has created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division; this ideally allows health workers to refuse to par-

ticipate in abortions or to treat transgender patients based on moral or religious grounds.

Many social conservatives are presumably overjoyed to have the head of state firmly behind their movement; others, however, have their reservations concerning the issue.

There exist many stereotypes about the kinds of U.S. citizens based on their political beliefs, and they’ve been decades in the making. People often associate the Republican party with religion and pro-life policies, and the Democrats with secular approaches and strong pro-choice policies.

These seem to make sense at first; a Republican politician who happens to be against abortion will likely promote laws that reduce its practice. It is reasonable to consider this when discussing politics. Yet matters of abortion, religion, and war also carry moral weight, and that is a dangerous thing in politics.

When we tie certain moral beliefs to certain political parties, we’re also making moral

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

judgments about the people in those parties. It’s become so intertwined that we feel comfortable deciding who is and is not a “good person” based on political beliefs alone.

When we make moral calls based on someone else’s political party, we are shutting down any kind of political discourse: one party is morally right and the other morally wrong, and there’s no changing that.

People who pertain to one party are moral, their opposite party immoral, and vice versa.

As long as Americans have this attitude towards politics, as long as they intertwine moral matters with politics, there is no sitting down and actually discussing politicians’ merits with someone who believes differently.

In fact, mixing morals and politics, and being unable to talk about the concepts, likely resulted in the current recent administration in the first place.

6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Aspiring writers learn from award-winning authors Winter with the Writers hosts weekly free events throughout February.

By Christina Oliveira

coliveira@rollins.edu

W

inter with the Writers is a free opportunity hosted by the Rollins English Department that allows students and other viewers to learn from and even receive feedback from award-winning authors.

The annual festival, which hosts events every Thursday in February, intends to foster an environment of literary achievement on campus and within the local community.

Throughout the month, several authors will be hosting master classes and live readings of their works. The live readings will include an onstage interview and a meet-and-greet signing. Viewers can learn from individuals who have mastered

their craft.

The festival began this year with a screening of the Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated film Mudbound at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida on Jan. 31. The film is based off of Hillary Jordan’s award-winning novel of the same name. Since premiering at Sundance Film Festival, Mudbound received near-universal critical acclaim.

On Feb. 1, Jordan will be hosting a master class in the afternoon and a reading, signing, and meet-and-greet in the evening.

For the next four weeks, authors Ishion Hutchinson, Garth Greenwell, Luis Muñoz, Elliot Ackerman, and Lisa Ko will host the same events in a similar fashion.

Hutchinson, an award-winning Jamaican poet, will do his

master class and live reading a week after Jordan, on Feb. 8.

Muñoz and Greenwell, as well as Ko and Ackerman, will be doing joint readings. Muñoz and Greenwell are co-chairs of the 2018 Irving Bacheller Chair in Creative Writing at Rollins.

They are on campus on Feb. 15.

In partnership with the National Book Awards, Rollins has brought two National Book Awards finalists since 2016. This year brings Ko and Ackerman.

Both were 2017 finalists in fiction for their respective novels: The Leavers and Dark at the Crossing.

Each of these authors will have their own master class along with their joint readings on Feb. 22.

Aspiring writers at Rollins are looking forward to not only meeting these acclaimed writers, but also obtaining valuable ad-

vice from them and improving from their guidance.

Katie Pearce ‘19 said, “I love the chance to work with acclaimed authors. It's intimidating, but it's a challenge that forces you to be better and do better work. You have to be in it for the craft, not just yourself."

When asked what she is most looking forward to, Pearce replied, "the chance to share my writing with the public and have it workshopped in front of them.

It's truly one of the best opportunities in the country for young writers and it's exciting to work with a writer of Professor Frost's caliber in addition to our diverse group of interns."

Diego Medrano ‘18, shared similar sentiments. “As a Winter with the Writers intern, I’m able to hear what does and does not work from writers who have

spent decades figuring it out, and I’m able to hear it firsthand. I get to hear a National Book Award Finalist comment on my work.”

Dr. Carol Frost of the English Department and the director for Winter with the Writers is most looking forward to “[providing] Winter with the Writers interns, college, and community a wide array of authors whose writing is diverse and absolutely top-notch.”

The events at Winter with the Writers are free and open to the public. The master classes for each author take place in the Suntrust Auditorium, which is located inside of Crummer Hall.

The live readings will be held in the Bush auditorium on the same day of the master class at a later time.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

7

'Vagina Monologues' addresses womens' struggles New theme of 'Resistance' shown in upcoming annual performance.

Photo by Diego Medrano Dr. Amy Galpin leads tour through new CFAM exhibit 'Towards Impressionism' on one of her final days as curator of the museum.

Rollins says adieu to arts museum curator Much respected and admired Dr. Amy Galpin announces departure after successful four years.

By Diego Medrano

I

jmedrano@rollins.edu

t is with bittersweet sentiments that Rollins bids farewell to Dr. Amy Galpin, the enthusiastic, dedicated curator of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum for the past four years.

Galpin’s boots will be hard to fill as she leaves us to become the curator of the Frost Museum in Miami, where her area of expertise will suit very well to both her new position and the city.

She is primarily a curator of contemporary and modern art, with particular emphasis on the art of the United States and Latin America. She also has a fascination for border culture art that examines moving back and forth between nations.

This fascination played a significant part in her curating of CFAM. Artists such as Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz and Jamilah Sabur have been invited to Rollins, with CFAM sometimes being the first museum to acquire their work.

Galpin argued that there is a need for more museums around the country to recognize the talent of Latino artists in the U.S. When discussing the high-

lights from her time at Rollins, Galpin emphasized her work with students, in particular having students as the curators of certain exhibitions.

“I really want to de-mystify the experience of working in a museum and give them valuable resume experience,” she explained.

She also took pride in the acquisition strategy she and her team brought to the museum.

Thanks to it, the permanent collection now contains a significant number of artworks from black artists such as the work of Elizabeth Catlett.

These are the experiences Galpin hopes to match or surpass at the Frost Museum.

Few cities in the United States are as immersed and enriched with Latin culture as Miami is, and few cities therefore have such a collection of Latino artwork. Galpin hopes not only to work with the museum’s current collection, but to work with local Miami artists and promote their work, as well.

One of her goals laid in creating a unique cultural experience.

“I want to have a mix of artists who are at different points in

their career to create a dialogue between works across generations,” said Galpin. “It’s important to me to not just be a museum in New York—to present a point of view that’s different.”

The Frost Museum’s new curator has reinstallation plans for the museum’s permanent collection, and she plans to continue to research in her field. She is also planning an exhibition of contemporary artists currently living in Miami.

When asked what she will miss the most about Rollins, Galpin did not hesitate to mention the people she worked with at CFAM, with whom she had the strongest relationships.

Dr. Galpin thanked her director, student interns, employees, and all the other people she has worked with and met during her time at CFAM. She was incredibly grateful for the support she has received, and the ease with which she could bounce ideas off of others.

The Sandspur wishes Dr. Galpin all the more success and fulfillment in her new position at the Frost Museum.

By Diego Medrano

R

jmedrano@rollins.edu

ollins students are invited to attend The Vagina Monologues, set to take place this coming Friday Feb. 2 and Saturday Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Suntrust Auditorium.

The purpose of The Vagina Monologues is to raise awareness of the oppression faced by women. Students of all gender identities are encouraged to attend and become more aware of societal issues facing women.

The play, originally written

by Eve Ensler, allows audiences to identify with being a woman or experiencing oppression in life.

A ticket to the show costs either $10 or a box of menstrual products; in either case, the proceeds go to the Harbor House of Central Florida, a domestic abuse shelter. The Harbor House will also have someone present to give a talk following the performance.

This year’s theme is "Resistance," which director Hannah Gonzalez '19 noted as particularly appropriate given the political climate. This year marks the second anniversary of the Women’s March, with the original being held close to the time of President Trump’s inauguration.

Gonzalez states: “Resistance is speaking up and not staying silent—not letting anyone tell you ‘these are your birth control rights’ or ‘these are your physical rights,’” said Gonzalez. These ideas are representative of many current social movements.

Many American women oppose the new laws and programs being suggested or implemented by the Department of Health &

Human Services, with the most opposition being towards those that aim to restrict the practice of abortion.

At the same time, Gonzalez pointed out that the themes of the monologues have been similar for 20 years. “The messages were relevant then, and they’re relevant now, and it’s frightening and alarming and amazing that after two decades, many people still need to understand what’s being said in the show,” she said.

According to Gonzalez, it is difficult to find the people who want to be a part of the show. The Vagina Monologues can come and go, and some people do not even realize it; “[the Monologues] needs a stronger foundation on campus,” the director said.

One such suggested foundation is Voices for Women, which meets in the Lucy Cross Center on Tuesdays at 12:45 p.m. Many of the actors in the performance are typically members of Voices for Women.

Although the script is not revamped every year, the collection of monologues varies somewhat. The actors are also different each year, which brings a new perspective to the material; the director explained that even the actors who retain their roles from previous years often have a new perspective shaped by experience.

“You connect with yourself in the show,” said Gonzalez. Every actor connects with a particular monologue in a certain way, and every audience member ideally does the same.

8

SPORTS

Softball team hopes to make comeback Tars set goals high for spring after a rough 2017 season.

Photo by Joshua Seraballs

Jenny Goldsher ‘20 looks to earn a base hit against starting pitcher Grace Street ‘18 during a practice scrimmage, with Lindsay Gehring ‘21 behind the plate. Scrimmages have been essential to giving the players real-game experience before their season kicks off on Feb. 2.

By Paul Schattschneider

pschattschneider@rollins.edu

A

fter an unsuccessful conference season last year, the softball team aspires to kick off their 2018 season in the Gulf Shores of Alabama on Feb. 2.

Last year, the Tars posted a 29-24 overall record, failing to reach the NCAA tournament.

This year, however, the Tars are poised to bounce back as they return 11 players including three seniors with experience in leading the team.

Among these seniors are captains Kacie Booth ‘18 and Chandler Middlebrook ‘18, as

well as last year’s First Team All-Sunshine State Conference selection Brianne Lint ‘18.

In a recent preseason poll, the Tars were tied for fourth out of the 11 teams in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). Even so, with their leadership and experience, the Tars aim to compete for the SSC title and a slot in the NCAA tournament.

Rollins softball will have a lot to prove heading into this campaign, however.

Last year, inconsistency plagued the Tars over the course of the season. Despite achieving an 18-11 record in non-conference competitions, conference play proved to be more competi-

tive. The Tars won just 11 of their 24 matchups within the SSC. The Tars hope to return to their success of old, as just two years ago they not only made the NCAA Tournament, but advanced to win the team’s first ever Regional title.

Although the potential could be there, the Tars have their work cut out for them if they want to have a shot at replicating that success.

That is the team’s goal, according to co-captain Chandler Middlebrook ‘18. When asked about the expectations for the team ahead of the opener, Middlebrook set the bar high, saying that the team expects to make

the tournament and advance to Super Regionals and win another regional title.

“I think we have the key players, the people, to make it back there,” says Middlebrook.

It will not be without struggle, however, as Middlebrook noted the difficulty of conference play. “We should play every game like it’s a championship game,” the captain noted when asked about this challenge.

The Tars will begin their hunt for glory with their season opener on Friday, Feb. 2 against Delta State.

The game is the first of a doubleheader in the Gulf Shores Invitational Tournament in Al-

abama. This tournament will feature one of Rollins’ tougher matchups of the season against nationally-ranked Lee University.

The Tars will begin conference play with their first home game of the season on Feb. 16.

This will be the first of a threegame series with St. Leo. If they achieve a positive start in these matchups, the Tars will be swinging for the fences with confidence, being one step closer to achieving their goals for this season.