| Traditions | |
- Battle of the Bands: Each year, Rhodes hosts a campus-wide "Battle of the Bands" contest. Everyone crams into the Lair, does a little dancing, and watches as their friends perform. Winners of the contest are chosen by a panel of judges, and the first- and second-place winners get to play at Rites of Spring.
- The Honor Code: The Rhodes Honor Code is a tradition that is more than a century old. Upon enrollment, all students pledge to uphold the code, which means refraining from dishonest acts, treating everyone with respect and kindness, and doing their part to preserve the Rhodes community. The level of integrity, trust, and camaraderie at the College because of the honor code is amazing. Professors leave during exams, students keep their doors unlocked, and books and movies are left in the social rooms all the time without the slightest bit of apprehension.
- The Lynx: The lynx statue is located right outside of Rhodes Tower, on top of Frazier-Jelke. It’s traditional that at some point during your tenure at Rhodes, you ride this statue. However, if you’re caught, be prepared to go in front of the Social Regulations Council and be charged a fine. To avoid this reprimand, it’s advised that you either ride it in the wee hours of the morning, or keep the pictures of your delinquency hidden. And don’t ride it naked, as those pictures are sure to surface (yes, this happens).
- Rites of Spring: For many Rhodes students, Rites is probably the highlight of their year. For Rites of Spring, nationally-known bands are booked for a two-day concert fest that is free to all students and faculty. In the past, performers such as Dr. Dre and DJ Kut, Soul Blossom, Three 6 Mafia, Lit, the Verve Pipe, Ying Yang Twins, Mat and Kim, Anberlin, and Better Than Ezra have played.
- Rites to Play: At Rites to Play, Memphis school children and families are invited onto campus for a day of play with inflatables, obstacle courses, and various other games while grilling out on the lawn.
- The Seal: After orientation, incoming freshmen line up for opening convocation and are led through the doors of Palmer Hall. Inside the cloister, they walk across the seal of Rhodes College. Many students never step foot on the seal again until four years later when they are lined up once more and led to the graduation ceremony. This quirky tradition is taken quite seriously, and you’ll often see students purposefully weaving their way around the seal in order to get to class. It’s rumored that if you step on the seal before your four years are up, you’ll never graduate.
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| Urban Legends | |
- It is rumored that McCoy Theater used to be a sorority house until a girl hanged herself from the ceiling. Supposedly, her ghost still haunts the place.
- Some students say that there is a secret underground tunnel that leads to the zoo across the street.
- The architect who designed Williford Hall had a daughter who was going to attend the College, and he intentionally made the building maze-like so that boys couldn’t find their way to her room.
- The bell that’s housed in Halliburton Tower is off-limits to students, but each year someone attempts to climb the wall and read the secret inscription on it.
- There’s a ghost on the sixth floor of the library, the third floor of Bellingrath, and in the McCoy Theater.
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