Introductions are in order: my name is Beverly Brooks and I am an Assistant Director of Admissions here at Rhodes. I am officially taking over the blog from Robert and look forward to connecting with all of you out there in cyberspace, whether you are a prospective student or parent, current Rhodes student, or just an innocent bystander!
A bit about me: I graduated in May from The College of Wooster in Wooster, OH with a degree in Classical Studies and a minor in Comparative Literature. I moved to Memphis over the summer and let’s just say that Memphis is a far cry from Amish country! I feel like I constantly need to drive with a pen and a piece of paper handy so that I can scribble down all of the events that are posted on billboards across the city. Events at the Orpheum, the Memphis Ballet, concerts at the FedEx Forum–it’s easy to lose track! This weekend, however, I spent one of my few weekends in Memphis on campus, interacting with students and parents (both prospective and current) at Parents Weekend. Last night was All Sing, clearly highlighted by President Troutt’s performance with the men of Pi Kappa Alpha. I’m not sure if the words “You Got Served” have ever been met with such a reaction as when uttered by our fearless leader during their performance.
Today I watched several of our current students present their study abroad experiences during a luncheon for the Buckman Scholars, a select group of students who receive scholarships to pursue their study abroad programs. Elizabeth, who works in the Admissions Office, studied urban development in Brazil, South Africa, and New Zealand in her spring semester, staying with local families and getting to know both the bourgeois and the unrepresented classes in their main cities. Watching these students speak about their experiences again reiterated to me the constant sentiment around campus: take advantage of all that Rhodes has to offer. Colin, one of our esteemed bloggers, summed it up best to me when he noted that his biggest frustration on campus is when students don’t do just that. Rhodes is absolutely a place where students are able to embrace all that campus, Memphis, and the world have to offer. It makes for a busy but exciting and ultimately rewarding four years when our students are able to utilize their resources both inside and outside of the classroom, whether it is study abroad, internship opportunities, or community service.
I’m off to see two of our a cappella groups, Lipstick on Your Collar and Woolsocks, perform, followed by a performance of Rhodes’ improv troupe, Contents Under Pressure. Then it’s back on the road for me–I just returned from a three-week stint in Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina and I head out tomorrow for a week in Alabama. Traveling is an interesting (and fun) part of the job of an admissions counselor and one into which each of our counselors will give you a look in the coming weeks. I look forward to continuing to connect with all of you out there in cyberspace, please feel free to reciprocate if you feel the desire (either below or you can email me at brooksb@rhodes.edu). Valete omnes!
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