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A Whirlwind of a Week

March 02, 2009

Days after returning home from my trip to Boston, I found myself stuck in bed with a bad cold. Little did I know that saving the world one resolution at a time had such dire consequences. Lucky for me, I had a dependable group of friends who supplied me with an endless amount of Vitamin Water and soup. “Drink this,” my roommate Libby said to me as she handed me a quart of Gatorade. “You need to go to the doctor. You look horrible.”

“Thanks Lib,” I muttered as I once again plunged into a medicine-induced round of REM. The next day I forced myself out of bed into the waiting room of the Rollins health clinic (the DuBois Health Center), which is located on the first floor of Elizabeth Hall, open five days a week, and is constantly catering to the needs of Rollins students. As I sat in the room, waiting for the doctor to come in, I found myself dizzily reading the posters on the wall and pamphlets stacked on the counter. A few minutes later, the nurse practitioner, Paula, walked through the door and greeted me with a sympathetic smile. “What can I do for you today, Brittany?” she asked. Thirty minutes and one negative flu test later, I was out the door with a bag of prescription drugs and back in bed fighting the remnants of my cold. Never have I been so thankful for the convenience of having an on-campus health facility.

Days later, I was back to my old self and engaging in a whirlwind of a week. I conjured up a posse of friends to accompany me to the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Annie Russell Theatre. Ever the satisfying performance, the show took on a Cirque de Soleil theme, and featured students hanging loosely in the air, tangled in curtains of sheets. It was quite the entertaining play as I watched my friends Chelsea Dygan and Mike Mastry play the parts of Titania and Oberon.

From R-Journal 3

Photo: Students Chelsea Dygan and Michael Mastry depict Titania and Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Annie Russell Theatre.

Soon after, I found myself stopping in on a performance by the Bach Festival Society. I crept up to the balcony of the Knowles Memorial Chapel and peered over the railing to see a sea of violins. Although the full view of the orchestra was hidden from my sight, the sound of each instrument still reached my ears. The acoustics in the chapel were incredible, and I sat there absorbed in the melodic sound, drifting off into bouts of daydreams as I watched the fingers of the violinists moving with incredible speed and ferocity up the neck of their instruments. The music heightened, the strings of the soloist’s violin wailed, the sea of instruments moaned dramatically in the background, and I became breathless. The euphoria of musical bliss silenced my thoughts and threatened the air reaching my lungs. It was absolutely incredible.

My week ended with a going away party for a man who has had one of the strongest influences on me at Rollins. In fact, when I picture Rollins College, a picture of him flashes across my mind. The Director of Explorations at Rollins, Doug Little was my supervisor over the summer as I worked as a summer orientation leader for the Office of Explorations. We spent most of July bonding over trips to Gatorland, the ice skating rink, Dixie Crossroads, and multiple group dinners.

His was the first speech I heard at Rollins. On the first day of my freshman orientation, I remember nervously sitting in the bleachers of the Alfond Sports Gym with my dad when Doug Little approached the microphone and humorously recounted the tale of his first day at college.

Ever since I can remember being a part of campus life, Doug Little has been there leading me, directing me, and encouraging me. It was through his efforts and the efforts of my peers that I was able to grow so exponentially over the summer. It was for this reason and so many others that it was so hard to hear him give his going away speech last Friday. As I sat in the room crowded with staff, faculty, and students and heard all of the stories involving his life at Rollins, I began to realize just how much of an influence he has had on me, and I smiled at the irony that little does Doug Little know what an impact he has had on us all.

From R-Journal 3

Photo: Here is our Summer Orientation group bonding over an outing to Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, Florida.

From R-Journal 3

Photo: Ever the cheerful birthday boy, Doug Little celebrated his birthday at a summer orientation dinner in Dave's DownUnder.

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