inside Rhodes

I was browsing the archives on the Rhodes website and found a little gem that I’m not sure many people know about. It’s a collection of pictures from a Rhodes graduate Ed Uthman, Class of ‘74. I’ve pulled out a few pictures to highlight in the blog that focus on the change Rhodes has gone through in the past 40 years. We just celebrated “a defining decade” for Rhodes: 10 great years that have helped to establish Rhodes as one of the premier colleges in the country. This celebration got me thinking about this collection of photographs: it reminded me of how much history exists in our everyday lives and how much of this history we take for granted. If you currently attend Rhodes, hopefully this post will give you some insight into the changes our school has gone through in the past 40 years. If you are looking at Rhodes, I hope this post shows you how much history we have and how our campus is constantly evolving to be a better place to live and learn.

The full photo set can be found here.

This picture shows one large shift in the campus climate. This spot is shown in some other pictures as a common relaxation spot; but today, the “outdoor hangout spot” has shifted from the academic quad to the new Barret Library green.

The Burrow Library is now the Burrow Center for Student Opportunity.  If you currently attend Rhodes, you will notice that one of the portraits on the wall in this photo can be found in the new library on the 2nd floor.

This photo strikes me because I know this particular bass drum very well. This drum was a surviving heirloom until the beginning of this academic year. It was used by our orchestral program as a concert bass drum but was replaced this year for a professional drum to accommodate the needs of our growing orchestra.

Current students might be confused by this picture. You are looking towards the Physics tower from Townsend. The vans are traveling on the road between Townsend and Clough. In this picture, you’re missing the new Library, a few trees that now fill out some of the open space in the photo, and the music building.

The Rhodes Singers still wear similar robes to those worn by the Southwestern Singers in the 70s. Rhodes has always had a strong musical tradition and we continue to excel in this area today. This picture is of opening convocation, probably in 1973, and shows the Southwestern Singers and concert band playing the alma mater.

I think it’s pretty cool to look back and see how Rhodes has both changed and stayed the same throughout the years. I hope you have enjoyed the blog! If you have any other comments/insights, feel free to leave them as comments.

Peace,

Tyler