Rollins College / Cornell Fine Arts Museum

Rollins College / Cornell Fine Arts Museum

 

http://www.rollins.edu/campus-safety/

1000 Holt Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789

407-646-2526

AT A GLANCE:  Rollins College / Cornell Fine Arts Museum
Date of Visit:	Friday, November 24, 2017
Parking	Numerous parking lots around campus.
Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:	15 - 20 minutes.
Amount of time needed for gift shop	5 minutes, at most
The “must have” souvenir	A Rollins College sweatshirt or other branded wearable.  This is located in the student bookstore or online: e:  http://www.rollinstarsgear.com/
Online shopping	No, just a page hyping their gift shop.
Kid friendly shopping	No.
Kid friendly	No.
Dress code	If you have “nice” summer clothing, wear it here.  By “nice,” I’m thinking items from Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, or Neiman Marcus.  Sassy hats are welcome, too. Not to worry if you don’t shop at any of the three stores noted above.  Wear an attractive pair of shorts, or capris, and something other than a t-shirt.  Definitely do not wear a t-shirt with a slogan.  You best have a pedicure before wearing sandals.
Be sure to…..	Saunter around the 80 acres of the campus.  Take a campus map, as it is easy to get turned around.
Nearby/other establishments to visit	·         Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art http://www.meetmeinthegiftshop.com/p/blog-page_83.html ·         Winter Park History Museum Still to visit http://www.wphistory.org/ ·         Scenic Boat Tours http://www.scenicboattours.com/about-us ·         Albin Polacek Museum and Sculpture Garden  http://www.meetmeinthegiftshop.com/p/albin-polasek-museum-and-sculpture.html ·         Casa Feliz Historical Home Museum Still to visit.  http://www.casafeliz.us/
Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic	The area north of the campus is walkable.
Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area	Remember where you parked the car.  This is a generally safe area.  However, practice good sense and stow your valuables out of sight and lock your car.   Note:  It’s tempting to not do these things.  Look around you and see that there are nicer, newer, and better cars in the lot that would attract me if I were a car thief.  It doesn’t matter.  Lock your car.

I think that we each get a question from someone that takes us by surprised.  We find ourselves temporarily speechless while staring at the questioner as if he had three heads.  I thought these types of moments were behind me, as I’ve had plenty such incidents in my life.  Real life proved me wrong. 

We were strolling about on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida when we heard a voice hailing us.  It came from the lake that fronts the campus and it came from a gentleman on a stand-up paddle board:

“Is that alligator still following me?”

Note:  I photographed this gator at Orlando Wetlands Park

What? Um, I don’t know.  Alligators are difficult to spot when they’re swimming, as they stay under water.  We answered in a non-committal way with:  “I don’t see anything.”   Why do I bring this up?  Because Rollins College, in Winter Park Florida, has a boat house, from where this gentleman set off on his paddle-boarding journey.  The boat house sits a few hundred feet away from the outdoor pool where full-on scuba diving is taught.  What a way to earn college credits.  I enjoy visiting Winter Park, Florida because of its “old money” homes and its aristocratic vibe.  The other reason I adore Winter Park is that the campus of Rollins College is located there, and I like to imagine myself attending it. 

http://www.sketchesmap.com/see-samples/florida-colleges/rollins-college-winter-park-fl/

Would you or I fit in?  I think we would indistinguishable from the rest of the students.  What are the rest of the students all about?  What is Rollins College about?  Fear not, gentle readers, for I did some digging and came up with some extraordinary facts regarding the College and its student population.

Rollins College, from their website:

“Rollins College is a private, liberal arts college located in Winter Park, FL. Founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists aiming to educate southerners in the liberal arts style, Rollins is the oldest institution of higher learning in Florida. Located on the shore of Lake Virginia in central Florida, Rollins’ scenic 80-acre campus is about 10 minutes north of Orlando. A defining feature of campus is the “Walk of Fame,” a pathway containing stones from the birthplaces of over 200 historical and cultural luminaries. Close to one-fourth of Rollins’ students major in the social sciences -- communication and business are other popular choices. Outside of class, students can join over 100 student organizations, including 12 Greek organizations and 22 varsity athletic teams." 

An example of homes in the neighborhood of Rollins College.

Doesn't every college have its own ramp for waterskiing?

I applaud this boat-shaped bench for keeping with the water theme.

View from one of the campus' walking paths

Mission Statement:

“Rollins College educates students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, empowering graduates to pursue meaningful lives and productive careers. We are committed to the liberal arts ethos and guided by its values and ideals. Our guiding principles are excellence, innovation, and community.

“Rollins is a comprehensive liberal arts college. Rollins is nationally recognized for its distinctive undergraduate and selected graduate programs. We provide opportunities to explore diverse intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic traditions. We are dedicated to scholarship, academic achievement, creative accomplishment, cultural enrichment, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. We value excellence in teaching and rigorous, transformative education in a healthy, responsive, and inclusive environment.”

Approved by the Board of Trustees, May 9, 2014

http://www.rollins.edu/about-rollins/mission/index.html

More good stuff to know:

·         Per US News & World Report, Rollins College has ranked among the top two southern regional colleges for over 20 consecutive years.

·      

•   Total enrollment: 3,272 (2011)

• ·  Acceptance rate: 57.3% (2014)

https://360.rollins.edu/college-news/photos-welcome-class-of-2020
Tommy the Tar is on the right.

• ·         The Rollins mascot is Tommy the Tar (“Tar” is a nickname for a sailor).

·         The College ranks above average in overall student diversity.  This ranking takes into consideration ethnic, age, and gender diversity.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/rollins-college/student-life/diversity/https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/rollins-college/student-life/diversity/

• ·         89% Freshmen retention rate, above national average of 60 – 70%
  https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/rollins-college/academic-life/graduation-and-retention/#secRetention

• ·         There is a 64.4 % graduation retention, meaning that 64.4% of incoming freshmen stay to earn a diploma

• ·         Student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.  That’s ten students for every professor.  That’s different from the lecture halls at Michigan State University where we could have 200 students to one professor.

• ·         Total cost of attendance is $64,804, making Rollins College one of most expensive colleges / universities in the nation.  Go to Columbia University and save yourself some money.

The Rollins College Student

I saw this clipit on msn.com/money.  Although Winter Park wasn’t listed, Naples / Marco Island Florida were.  Henry Ford and Thomas Edison had winter “cottages” on Marco Island. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/loan-finance/the-salary-you-need-to-earn-to-buy-a-home-right-now-in-23-of-the-most-expensive-us-housing-markets/ss-AAqoqh5?li=BBnbfcN#image=15

What I take away from this is that Winter Park is where you want to live.  If you have to settle for second best, go to Naples / Marco Island.

• ·         The average yearly income for a student’s family is almost $124,000.

• ·         However, 85% of students receive financial aid. Think about that for a second.  With an average income in the top 20%, 85% still request financial aid
  .https://www.forbes.com/colleges/rollins-college/

• ·         We would most likely would major in one of the following subjects:

o   Business, Management, Marketing

o   Communication, Journalism

o   Psychology

o   Visual and Performing Arts

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rollins-college-1515/academics#MajorsDegrees

• Looking for a football scholarship to help pay for tuition?  Not at Rollins College.  The choices for sports are:

·         Sailing

·         Rowing

·         Swimming

·         Water Skiing

·         Golf

·         Lacrosse

·         Soccer

·         Tennis

·         Baseball

·         Basketball

·         Cross Country

·         Volleyball (women’s only)

School gear available online:  http://www.rollinstarsgear.com/

Did you know that Mr. Rogers, children’s TV host, is a graduate of Rollins College?  How has this affected most of us?  He was inspired by the “Life is for Service” motto in his residence hall, Strong Hall.  He carried a photo of it for the rest of his life.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rollinspnlc/8766944389

 Stay with me here.  Because of this influence,  Fred Rogers helped save the VCR and paved the way for Netflix.

“In the early 1980s, some entertainment producers didn’t think people should be able to record shows at home, so Universal Studios filed a lawsuit against Sony Corporation that eventually went before the Supreme Court. Rogers testified for Sony saying he did not object to people recording his shows because he was in favor of a person’s ability to be “more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way.” The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sony and the case has served as a precedent for other popular recording and streaming technologies, including iPhones and Netflix.”

https://360.rollins.edu/people/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-mister-rogers

Campus Photos

The Museum

I share this information about Rollins College for a reason.  Based on the photos and description of Rollins College, what is their brand (vibe)?  I felt it was wealthy, unique, and exclusive but welcoming.  Some of the older roads are brick-paved.  The town square across from the Morse Museum (aka Tiffany Museum) is gorgeous and well-kept.  I felt I would experience that same vibe at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, which is located on the east end of the Rollins College campus.  Jeannette Morse Genius was one of the early philanthropists funding the museum.  The Morse name may sound familiar to you, as in Morse Museum of Fine Arts, located a half dozen blocks north of the Rollins College campus.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Fine_Arts_Museum

I entered the museum all atwitter, expecting to see wonderful and insightful art.  No.  Just no.  All of the museum’s exhibits and the gift shop could be housed in an area the size of your local Hallmark store.  Take a look at these photos, keeping in mind that these are the majority of exhibited art.  That was my first round of disenchantment.

The exhibits didn’t inspire me, but I was still excited to visit the Cornell Museum.  Per their website, the gift shop inside the museum was voted "Best Museum Shop" in Orlando Weekly's Best of Orlando 2015.  Here’s part of its description:

“The Shop features hand-crafted jewelry, exhibition and collection catalogs, art books and educational toys for all ages, scarves, notecards, housewares, and more. Shop for one-of-a-kind items from local and international artists including an assortment of fair-trade products. The Shop is proud to be distinguished as a fair-trade certified vendor within the City of Winter Park.”

Again…no.  Just no.  

I never thought I’d say this, but they had too many books to display properly in their small place.

Scrutinize these photos that I took at the museum and its gift shop.

You have now viewed 90% of the museum's exhibits.

The Gift Shop

Coffee mugs are a good start.

I never thought I would ever think, "they have too many books."  Well, they do at this gift shop.

I couldn't figure out how they were categorized.  There just seemed to be books crammed everywhere.

I gave up trying to read the titles.

More books

I remain disappointed in their jewelry.

This isn't a book, but I've no idea what it really is.

I don’t mean to discourage you from visiting Rollins College and the Cornell Fine Arts Museum.  It’s beautiful, almost exotic.  Stroll the campus.  Feel the vibe.  Finally, go into the Cornell Museum’s gift shop forewarned.  

And, watch for alligators that may be following you.