
Traditions

Some things never change. Rollins has been around for more than 135 years, but that doesn鈥檛 mean our first class of students and our most recent don鈥檛 have anything in common. And hey, that鈥檚 pretty cool, considering we count athletes, world leaders, and everyone鈥檚 favorite neighbor among our alumni. At Rollins, we鈥檙e always keeping an eye on the future, but our traditions help anchor us to the past. That鈥檚 what it means to be part of the Rollins legacy. Here are a few of our favorite Rollins traditions.

SPARC Day
Every year during orientation, new Tars are introduced to the power of service through the Rollins tradition of SPARC Day. During this community-wide day of service, first-year students perform an array of volunteer activities for dozens of local organizations and then reflect on the impact each of them can have in their backyard and around the world.

Candlewish
One of the first traditions Rollins students partake in is Candlewish. At the start of each fall semester, first-years gather to set their intentions for the next four years. Each student is given a candle, which is raised to symbolize the power of community, the pursuit of knowledge, and the Rollins motto 鈥淔iat Lux,鈥 meaning 鈥淟et there be light.鈥
Fox Day
Started in 1956 by Rollins鈥 10th president, Hugh McKean, Fox Day is our most popular and beloved tradition. Each spring, the Rollins fox statue is placed on Tars Plaza, signaling the cancellation of classes. The day of fun kicks off with donuts and culminates with a family-style picnic. No one knows exactly what day the fox will appear, and guessing is half the fun.

Experience Rollins IRL
There鈥檚 no better way to learn more about Rollins than to experience it in real life.
Explore Tour OptionsExplore Tour OptionsLip Sync
What began as a fun way for Student Government Association (SGA) candidates to connect with the student body has turned into one of the College鈥檚 most highly anticipated (and competitive) social events. Representatives from dozens of student groups participate in the lip-sync and dance challenge, and the production value is out of this world. The sing-alongs are the stuff of legends, and the dance battles can earn you some serious cred.

Late Night Breakfast
Don鈥檛 you love having breakfast for dinner? On the eve of finals every semester, students flock to Skillman Dining Hall for Late Night Breakfast鈥攁 free event where faculty, staff, and even the President serve up breakfast favorites like pancakes, omelets, and biscuits and gravy. It鈥檚 a great opportunity for students to fill up on food and fun as they finish their papers and cram for exams.
Thaddeus & Polly Seymour Acts of Kindness Day
During his 1983 convocation speech, Rollins鈥 12th president, Thaddeus Seymour 鈥82HAL 鈥90H, presented the student body with a challenge: Engage in acts of kindness and service toward one another, the campus, and the community. He didn鈥檛 know it then, but that simple provocation was the beginning of a lasting legacy that would evolve into an annual tradition.
Well respected for their commitment to community service, Thad and his wife, Polly, spent decades serving the Winter Park community. Since 2020, Rollins has honored the beloved pair with a day every February for Tars to come together and show their commitment to both service and Rollins, which would have undoubtedly made Thad very proud.
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