HOGGER GOES SOUTH - DAY 8 - (ROLLINS)

Rollins College

Winter Park, FL

on the shore of Lake Virginia

www.rollins.edu

Mascot- Tommy the Tar (a sailor)

Campus is always ranked among to "most beautiful campuses" in the yearly "rankings" that dart about the internet and publications. So, I decided I would just take a bunch of photos and have my blog post be more of a photo tour. To be honest, it didn't disappoint. Rollins is a really beautiful place.

Our tour guide Sam ‘14, is a Communications and English minor. She is heading to graduate school next year. She has been accepted into Florida State University and still waiting to hear from Purdue University.


The mascot is appropriately a sailor, and Rollins makes great use being located on of Lake Virginia, with canoes, a little beachfront, multiple boat houses, and this little motorboat!

Rollin's has a ski jumping team... As we are mid-winter-olympics, you might be thinking to yourself, "Lots of instituations have ski jumping teams." But Rollins has a Waterski jumping team.







The photo of the skijump brought me back to all my favorite Muppet moments of Gonzo attempting ski-jumps.





Rollins has an Alfond Pool. The Alfonds are a pretty famous family connected to NMH, and anyone who knows hockey in New England, knows Alfond Arenas. This was the first time I've been in an Alfond Athletic facility where the Ice has been defrosted. 

After seeing several prominent buildings on campus bearing the name Alfond, I started to wonder if perhaps the Alfonds were more connected with Rollins than I had previously understood, so I asked Pres Duncan, and indeed, Ted Alfond is the Vice Chair of the Rollins Board of Trustees, and three of the Alfond boys are alumni. 

http://www.rollins.edu/magazine/stories/around-alfond.html

Apart from the access to water, the Rollins student body seemed athletic minded, and motivated to be outdoors.  Soccer, golf and tennis were among the most popular sports on campus. 

There was an active greek culture on campus.  It was valentines day, and the Kappa Deltas were giving out kisses. 

One of the most surprising little gems, was this Starbucks cafe on the first floor of the Bush Academic Center. Bush Academic Center (named for some famous Bush's who are connected to Floriday) is also home of the “million dollar classroom” The technology in the classroom is worth over a million dollars. 

I was excited by the way in which Spanish mission architecture is blended with more modern construction on the Rollins campus. Clearly, they have had the fortune of being able to invest on substantial new construction, and the new buildings complement the charm and beauty of the previously existing structures. While I was impressed by many of the campuses I've seen on tour in Florida, Rollins was particularly cohesive and architecturally interesting.  

The moss hanging from the Sycamores, was also something quintessentially southern, that was fun to see on a campus. In the spirit of Valentines day, I bet there have been more than a fair share of kisses shared on this bench!

Gazebos and Yoga on the quad.

Lastly, I was spoiled at Rollins by getting to meet up with an old student and former counselee from Groton School (Emmett). He is connected to NMH as well, in that he is the older brother of my beloved NMH freshmen advisee Muriel!