Issue 18 • Volume 124 Thursday, March 22, 2018 www.thesandspur.org
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Fox Day is coming Some students believe it could be here as early as March 29.
Photo by Scott Cook Each Fox Day, the fox statue is not the only furry friend on campus. The Fox mascot and Tommy the Tar come out to enjoy the holiday with the Rollins community, too.
By Kendall Clarke
A
kclarke1@rollins.edu
s students revel in the afterglow of spring break and sigh at the thought of finals week looming ahead, one thing is on everyone’s
minds: Fox Day. While keeping a lookout for the infamous Fox statue, The Sandspur gathered students’ predictions on the date of Fox Day. In a poll conducted by The Sandspur, most students foresaw Fox Day occuring in the near—but not too near—future. 26 percent of respond-
ents thought that it will fall on April 11, but April 19 and 24 are also popular candidates. A hopeful few pray that Fox Day will be as soon as March 29, April 2, April 4, or April 5. One respondent simply stated that they had no idea. The Sandspur also polled students
on what they typically do on Fox Day. Over half of the respondents reported that they go to the beach, a historically popular Fox Day activity. At 17 percent, the second-most popular activity was sleeping; the third was going to Universal. Perhaps surprisingly, zero respondents reported that they go to Disney World. One respondent reported a rather unique Fox Day activity: making a sacrifice to Odin to prepare for finals. Whoever you are, we hope it is not a blood sacrifice. Regardless of what students do for Fox Day, it is a long-standing and cherished tradition. In January 1934, a fox statue and a cat statue were gifted to Rollins College by Senator Murray Sams. Then-President Hamilton Holt founded two societies inspired by the statues: the Cat Society for women and the Fox Society for men. Each society consisted of
four members that were elected annually by the student body. These four men and women were given exclusive access to touch the fox and cat statues. To many’s despair in 1949, the cat statue was smashed beyond repair. The fox statue was then placed into storage for safekeeping. On May 17, 1956, then-President Hugh McKean placed the lonely and grief-stricken fox statue on Mills Lawn and cancelled classes for the day. McKean did not intend for this to be an annual event and discarded the tradition. However, in 1958, students resurrected Fox Day of their own accord. McKean allowed the students their day of freedom as long as they agreed to return to campus in the evening for a picnic and a choir performance in Knowles Chapel. Thus was the beginning of Fox Day.
‣See Fox Day Page 2
On-campus housing prices change Students living in residential housing will face new tiered prices based on bathroom styles. By Jojo Peloquin
jpeloquin@rollins.edu
Residential Life and Explorations recently changed on-campus residential hall pricing to be tiered and based on the style of bathrooms the dorm has access to, and whether or not it is in Sutton. The housing prices on the Rollins website now reflect the new room rates. All rates are per person and per semester. Starting next semester, a single with a private bathroom is the most expensive option, which costs
$6,000. Prices lower as the housing option is in less demand. In residential halls (excluding Sutton apartments), a single with a semi-private bathroom pays $5,750, a single with community bathroom costs $5,500, a double with private bathroom costs $4,750, a double with a semi-private bathroom costs $4,500, a double with a community bathroom costs $4,250, and a triple with community bathrooms cost $3,750. In Sutton, a one-bedroom apartment (housing 2 students) costs $5,750, a two-bedroom
apartment (housing 4 students) costs $5,500, and a single costs $6,000. Res. Life teamed up with President Cornwell to create a pricing model that they believe best fits the quality of living students experience on campus. When they first broke the news to RAs, many people had questions about whether this promotes equality on campus. As of right now, students live on a campus that allows them to work hard academically for a desired room. That does not mean singles, doubles, and triples all
cost the same— they do not—but it means that if a student wants a more-private bathroom or newer hall, they were able to work to raise their GPA in order to request housing before those with lower GPAs. The number of credit hours a student has also factors into when they can choose housing. Of course, those who choose housing after others are less likely to get the dorm and hall of their choice. With these changes, RAs and House Managers, along with other students, were concerned that this would change.
Other students also believed that this could sway some students with a lower socioeconomic status away from the school. There are two reasons this could be an issue. One, it creates class segregation; only those that can afford nicer dorms will be able to live there, creating an atypical gated community. Two, the student simply cannot afford housing on campus.
‣See RESLIFE Page 2