Fox Day. Freshmen hear about it and seniors long for it. It is the day of all days here at Rollins College, and nothing can quite compare to the friendships celebrated and happiness exuberated throughout those 24 hours.
This annual tradition was established by Rollins President Hugh McKean in 1956 on a day decided “too pretty to have class.” The legacy of cancelling class one day in the spring semester for beautiful weather has lived on ever since, and everyone looks forward to it. New students will learn the tradition soon enough as Fox Day is rapidly approaching. Last Year, Fox Day fell on the last week of March, with many years before occurring in early April. Most students are expecting the Fox to make its annual debut sometime in April, and the sooner the better.
In a survey sent out to the Rollins students, 66% answered either April 4 or April 5 as the day, with April 12 following closely behind. The anticipation is killing some students, as they have already begun placing bets on when it will fall.
“My friends and I all like to play ‘Fox Day Roulette’ where we stay up the night before, or avoid doing homework, in hopes of classes being cancelled the following day,” says Erin Fortney ’18.
Luckily, the internet-link to a Fox Day camera makes the roulette a little easier. Students can wake up at the crack of dawn, open their laptops and await the Fox’s arrival. Some students even camp out on Mills Lawn to be in the immediate presence of the beloved stone figure. But do not worry, if you choose to stay in bed, all residential halls will instantly be whirl-winded by cheering students eager to start their day—you will be sure to wake up.
The day is filled with free activities, food, and souvenirs. As soon as the day is deemed Fox Day, students can receive a free doughnut from the President’s office, followed by free breakfast provided in the campus center. Campus is swarmed by students eager to receive their Fox Day shirt, swim in the lake, and especially receive the free barbeque dinner on Mills Lawn to end the day. All Winter Park community members are welcome to celebrate with the Rollins family—Fox Day is everyone’s day.
“I love the relax vibes shared by everyone,” said Tess Sailor-Tynes ‘17. “No matter where you go, everyone is happy to be together.”
Some students choose to spend the day off-campus, with a large portion traveling over to the coast for a beautiful beach day, activities at Disney, or shopping in the Orlando area. No matter where you go, you will find happy faces and great friendships, where everyone is proud to represent Rollins. Many Rollins alumni consider Fox Day one of the best things about Rollins, because of the memories created and overall positive friendships created on the day.
“There was nothing as heart throbbing and engaging as the most beloved, enduring Rollins College tradition of Fox Day.” Said Trevor Conley ‘15.
“For weeks in the spring, I was unhinged with the certain coming reality of traveling to Daytona with hundreds of my classmates who all love Tommy the Tar as much as I do. There sure was nothing like coming back from the NASCAR capital of the world to the savory BBQ on Mills that night. The promise of Fox Day was the only thing keeping my heart beating after spring break.” Said Conley as he reminisced on his time at Rollins.
It is obvious how cherished Fox Day is by Rollins students. When students were asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how much they look forward to Fox Day, over 70% answered a level 10 which read “I have been looking for-
ward to Fox Day since last year.”
Hopefully the day will come sooner rather than later, but until then, stay up to date following Rollins’ Fox Day camera coming soon, along with “Find the Fox” scavenger hunts leading up to the big day. When engaging in Fox Day roulette, may the odds be ever in your favor; until then go Tars and happy spring semester!
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