Latest news with #RollinsCollege
19-05-2025
- Health
Service dog honored alongside college graduate: 'Everybody was cheering'
When Cecilia Hernandez graduated from Rollins College earlier this month, she and her fellow students weren't the only ones who were honored onstage. Hernandez's service dog Canela, who has been at her side for the past three and a half years, was also recognized with a special patch at the May 11 commencement ceremony. "My service dog received a special patch for her vest in recognition of her hard work at graduation," the 22-year-old wrote in the caption of an Instagram post on May 13, alongside a video from the ceremony. "Having a service dog in chemistry is nearly unheard of. It required many, many training sessions just to get her used to wearing PPE. As I did research for an undergraduate thesis, this required even longer days in the lab." "I am beyond grateful @rollinscollege provided such a wonderful campus and community, allowing me to thrive with my service dog by my side," she added. Hernandez told ABC News that Rollins' recognition of Canela meant a lot to her. "It was definitely a surprise. Everybody was cheering," the recent graduate said. "I was just so proud that I was able to make it this far with her." Having Canela, a golden retriever, alongside her during her undergraduate career was a game-changer for Hernandez, who said she has faced health challenges including endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiac issues over the years. "My freshman year, I honestly thought that I wasn't going to make it to graduation," Hernandez said. "When I got Canela and we were training her, I was thinking to myself, like, 'This is going to work.'" Hernandez, who majored in chemistry and minored in English, trained Canela to accompany her and alert her of flare-ups, particularly inside the laboratory. Canela, like Hernandez, has protective equipment specifically for the lab setting, from goggles and a de-shedding vest to close-toe booties. "After training, we realized that she could and she did very well in the lab," said Hernandez. "So that allowed me to keep pursuing my passion in chemistry." Hernandez said she is looking forward to continuing her studies after graduation and will pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Central Florida starting this fall.
USA Today
24-03-2025
- USA Today
Why reusing your towel won't save the planet — and what actually might
Why reusing your towel won't save the planet — and what actually might Show Caption Hide Caption Rome considers tourist limits at Trevi Fountain to thwart overtourism Roman officials are looking at a proposal to tackle overtourism by limiting the amount of visitors at the Trevi Fountain in Italy. The tourism industry is making efforts to become more eco-friendly, but some companies engage in "greenwashing" by making misleading claims about their environmental practices. True sustainability in travel involves minimizing environmental impact, supporting local communities, and educating travelers. Travelers can identify greenwashing by looking for concrete evidence of a company's environmental efforts, such as third-party certifications and detailed impact reports. No single-use plastics. Don't wash your linens. Drink from a reusable water bottle. Turn off the lights when you're not in the room. The air conditioning stops if the sliding doors are open. These are just some common eco-friendly claims that hotels and other travel companies inundate travelers with. These actions seem valuable at first glance, given that the tourism industry accounts for approximately 8% of the world's carbon emissions, from transportation to food and energy consumption at hotels and on cruise ships, according to a 2018 study published in the Nature Climate Change journal. That number is only expected to grow. So, why wouldn't the travel industry jump on the green bandwagon? According to Sustainable Travel 2024 report, green practices are appealing to 83% of the more than 31,000 survey respondents who said sustainable travel is important to them. However, not all efforts are equal – or as meaningful. "It can be confusing because there are a lot of entities trying to tap into the popularity of those buzzwords, and in academia, sustainable development is a broad and vague term that means a lot of different things to different people, so it's very easy to exploit that," said Dr. Mike Gunter, a professor of political science department chair at Rollins College who specializes in eco-tourism. "In that case, it's kind of like a marketing ploy, you could say." I saw Fiji's magic myself. Here's how travelers can preserve the splendor for everyone. In these ploys, companies deceptively claim to be environmentally friendly without actually making a significant impact. The practice is known as greenwashing. For many travelers, it can be overwhelming to navigate messaging and determine who's truly following through on their promises. Here's how to figure out if a travel company is greenwashing or truly sustainable. Greenwashing vs sustainability While hanging up your towel so housekeeping doesn't toss it in the wash is "better than nothing," according to Gunter, it's also "not a deep or meaningful in ways true sustainable development would be." This is more of a PR move or a way to reduce a corporation's bottom line. This is the very scenario that prompted environmentalist Jay Westerveld to first coin the term greenwashing in a 1986 essay following an experience at a hotel in Fiji, according to the National Resources Defense Council. The hotel asked guests to reuse towels to protect the planet, but at the same time, it was clearing out island ecosystems for expansion. Gunter broke it down into three main concepts that if a company is doing this, it's on the right (and sustainable) path: A light footprint . This begins with how sustainable the hotel operates, such as using renewable energy, conserving water and sourcing food from local farmers and fishermen. It can also expand into a company's role in overtourism, like big cruise ships that can overwhelm port cities and how it supports and interacts with the local community. . This begins with how sustainable the hotel operates, such as using renewable energy, conserving water and sourcing food from local farmers and fishermen. It can also expand into a company's role in overtourism, like big cruise ships that can overwhelm port cities and how it supports and interacts with the local community. The money stays locally. On that note, travelers should think about where their money ultimately ends up, like it only the corporation benefits or profits trickle down throughout the community, such as to a local surf guide or ghost tour operator. On that note, travelers should think about where their money ultimately ends up, like it only the corporation benefits or profits trickle down throughout the community, such as to a local surf guide or ghost tour operator. An educational component. This is about what travelers learn on their trips – wildlife, ocean conservation or indigenous communities – and how they can bring that new awareness and knowledge when they return home. "We can take these lessons from our travels and apply them back to our homes and communities and, in some cases, lobby for those kinds of changes," Gunter said. A pioneer in the ecotourism industry who was named as a 2023 Meaningful Business Leader for her work aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Sarah Dusek thinks about sustainability this way: "How does this business become regenerative? How do we put back things that have been lost – not just how do we not take – but how could we use ecotourism to be a regenerative force in the world?" When Dusek started conceptualizing her newest company Few & Far, which takes guests on carbon-neutral safaris with local conservation nonprofits, she considered the least impactful ways to not only build her lodge but how it runs. Instead of importing wood, she's using invasive albizia trees for hardwood, which also removes it from harming the ecosystem while also regenerating the land by regrowing native grasses. The lodge will run on 100% solar energy and food for her trips is sourced within a 50-mile radius from local purveyors. For every traveler, Dusek tracks the carbon emissions of her trips – covered with a carbon offset fee. How to spot greenwashing Unfortunately, the travel industry doesn't always make it easy to decipher between greenwashing and a substantial impact. Websites and marketing campaigns like to throw out words like "green" and "eco-friendly," but it's tough to know what's truly being done. "It's hard to spot, to be able to differentiate greenwashing from really good practices," said Dusek. "I think one of the things for me is looking at how deep the initiatives are." Here are a few things travelers can look for to determine greenwashing: Find the evidence. There are several third-party accreditations that travelers can rely on, like Fair Life Tourism or B Corporation Certification, that vet and measure a company's impact on the culture, community and environment. There are several third-party accreditations that travelers can rely on, like Fair Life Tourism or B Corporation Certification, that vet and measure a company's impact on the culture, community and environment. Transparency goes a long way. If a travel company is truly making a difference, it will want to make its mission statement, impact numbers and reports easily accessible rather than only vague claims. "The biggest red flag for me is either no communication about any of these things or very surface-level communication," said Dusek. If a travel company is truly making a difference, it will want to make its mission statement, impact numbers and reports easily accessible rather than only vague claims. "The biggest red flag for me is either no communication about any of these things or very surface-level communication," said Dusek. Check the community partners. One way to see if a company is invested in the community is to check if it partners with local nonprofits, like the Malama Hawaii Program, in which hotels encourage visitors to pay it forward by teaming up with an organization for volunteer work in exchange for a free night or other perk. One way to see if a company is invested in the community is to check if it partners with local nonprofits, like the Malama Hawaii Program, in which hotels encourage visitors to pay it forward by teaming up with an organization for volunteer work in exchange for a free night or other perk. Ask an employee. If you call up the hotel or ask the front desk about its eco-initiatives, pay attention to how detailed their response is. "If it really is an embedded philosophy in the company, everybody will know what they do," Dusek said. While there is an onus on the travel industry to shrink its footprint, tackling a crisis as vast as climate change demands collective action from all industries. "Ecotourism is not a silver bullet to address sustainable development, climate change, or any of our overarching societal problems," Gunter said. "But it has remarkable potential to expand consciousness on the problem and tap into some of the ideological divides that we have in the U.S."
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Fresh and new': Three Rollins College projects changing campus landscape
The walking path Rollins College senior Belle Daoust used to take from a parking garage to classes is blocked off these days by a massive blue fence that separates a large-scale construction project from the rest of the Winter Park campus. The construction means a slightly longer walk to her classes, but Daoust said she doesn't mind because of what's to come once those fences come down: A new mixed-use community called East End Neighborhood that will house Rollins' newest residence hall. 'It's going to be an improvement for campus,' she said. 'I would rather they take the time and money to actually improve our buildings and make new ones that are safer for everyone, than to go through and try to keep old stuff.' The new residence hall is one of three major projects currently underway at Rollins. The others are an overhaul of the library and construction of a new golf and tennis center. The projects, with a price tag of more than $85 million, are slated to be completed this summer and next. Rollins officials say the work is necessary to rehabilitate aging buildings, add new amenities and provide more residential space at a college that requires students to live on campus for three years. The projects are the biggest for Rollins since the $71-million Lakeside Neighborhood, a residential community for 500 students, was completed in 2021. 'This is birthed out of a master plan for the college,' said Jeremy Williamson, Rollins assistant vice president of facilities services. 'This is part of a strategic plan for a three-year live-on for our students.' Nestled on about 3.5 acres along Fairbanks Ave. and adjacent to Dinky Dock Park, the $71.7 million East End Neighborhood is the largest of the projects. Williamson described East End as a 'living, learning community' where students will be able to spend time together in and out of class. The facility will house nearly 300 students and include residences, a community kitchen and a classroom. It will be built in a Spanish Mediterranean style that matches the rest of the campus' architectural aesthetic. East End Neighborhood will replace the former 80-bed residential building Holt Hall, the Bert W. Martin Tennis Complex and a campus safety auxiliary building. Rollins senior Eltavious Johnson, vice president of the student government association, said he's excited about the new facility. 'The array of styles, from single or double rooms to more affordable options, is going to be so cool,' Johnson said. A new tennis and golf center is being built near the southwest corner of campus to replace the demolished courts. It will host men's and women's varsity teams. Johnson, also a manager for the men's tennis team, said the former tennis complex was modern when the courts were dedicated in 1989 but was showing signs of age and needed to be updated. 'Something fresh and new needed to come,' he said. 'Our juniors, sophomores and freshman are really excited to christen those courts next season.' The 9,961-square-foot, $10 million facility will feature six new courts and a golf simulator room. The project, which began last August, is expected to be completed late this summer. Kennedy Porter, a first-year student who grew up in Winter Park, knew the Rollins campus well even before she enrolled because both her parents attended and her family lived nearby. She was worried what the construction would mean on campus, particularly the work on Olin Library, built in 1985 and undergoing updates to its exterior, including new roofing and windows, repairs to the stucco and a new paint job. When the work began on her second day of classes in August, Porter expected loud noises and awkward operating hours, but she was thrilled to find out it didn't impact her much. 'I thought it was going to be annoying and then I walked in and everything was fine,' Porter said. 'You can't really hear anything in there, so it doesn't have a high impact. I haven't heard anyone else complaining either,' she added. Jay Stadler, Rollins facilities project manager, said crews operate around the schedule of the students and campus events to eliminate as many distractions as possible during construction. 'We concentrate on midterms, finals, quiet times, special events,' he said. 'We're really leaving a lot of the operations of the library in within the operations of the project.' The ultimate goal, Stadler said, is to reset the building's exterior to the condition it was in 40 years ago when first constructed. 'We can start the clock again,' he said. 'You shouldn't have to touch this building's exterior for decades.' As a senior, Daoust said she will graduate later this year and won't get to enjoy the benefits of the new facilities — but she's glad future Rollins students will. 'I'm a fan of the projects,' she said. 'I think Rollins working to improve the experience of the future student body is always important.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Historic Altamonte Chapel along SR 436 ‘desperately needs' restoration
The small chapel — with white clapboard siding and bell tower steeple — is like a piece of a picturesque New England town tucked amid the cars, offices and fast-food joints along busy State Road 436. First built in 1885, the Altamonte Chapel near Forest Avenue in Altamonte Springs is one of the oldest structures in Seminole County. Former presidents Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland attended services in the chapel. But now its prominent bell — rung countless times by pulling a long rope during weddings and Sunday services over decades — is on the verge of collapse. The steeple needs to be replaced. And the chapel, showing its age, needs serious renovation, according to its owners. To maintain the chapel's historic character, the restoration would require a meticulous and careful process likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars, according to members of the Altamonte Chapel's Board of Directors. The group recently started seeking bids from contractors. It also set up a GoFundMe account — titled 'Save the Altamonte Chapel Bell' — to raise $50,000 toward the project. 'It's such an iconic piece of our history,' said Tammy Snook Quezada, the board's vice president. 'We just can't let this bell tower go without repair. It would be a travesty. We have an obligation to the community to keep it in its original condition.' The chapel was originally constructed farther northwest near Lake Brantley by a Boston architect. Church services were attended by New Englanders who either settled in the area and grew citrus or visited during the winter months. After a hard freeze in 1895 destroyed many of the groves, many of the settlers moved away. One of the original owners offered the chapel to Rollins College. In 1905, a group of men bought it from the school for $600, cleared out the overgrown underbrush and weeds, dismantled the chapel and moved it in a wagon nearly five miles to its current location. Church services have been held ever since — first during the winter months, later extended to year round. Today, Crosspointe Church of Altamonte Springs holds services in the small chapel, which is barely 1,200 square feet. It is also used for baptisms, memorial services and weddings. The bell, however, has never been refurbished, 'so it needs to be cleaned,' and the tower needs to be rebuilt 'the sooner the better,' Quezada said. 'Once you go inside, you understand the value of this chapel,' she said. 'The wood is original. It's just glorious.'
