by Kassidy Giles
On September 19, 1915, the Judson College senior class strolled down the stairs of Jewett Hall and through the chain of ivy reverently held by their underclassman sisters for the very first time. The seniors, clad in their rose-pinned academic regalia, followed their college president down Early Street to Siloam Baptist Church, with faculty, staff and their fellow sisters following close behind. Nearly 103 years later, Judson students still process side-by-side down to Siloam to worship together, just as their predecessors did. This event is now known as Rose Sunday and is revered by students as one of the most defining traditions of Judson College, as it symbolizes binding together upper- and lower-classmen in sisterhood and faith as the new year begins.
Since Rose Sunday is set at the beginning of each school year, it is consequently the very first Judson tradition that freshwoman students experience. During this time, freshwomen have the opportunity to meet their future big sisters, bond with their fellow classmates, and officially begin to transition from a high-school career into a college one. At the time of their first Rose Sunday, new students are often still adjusting to their new life at Judson College. Despite the confusion the tradition might cause newcomers, freshwomen such as Jaylyn Martin still express appreciation for the event and eagerly await the next year’s ceremony. “Rose Sunday was such an amazing experience. Getting to spend time with my new sisters was a lot of fun,” she notes excitedly. “It really is a beautiful tradition that I will look forward to every year.”
As the result of proceeding in her college career and receiving her big sister, a Judson girl’s own personal opinion of Rose Sunday begins to evolve and take on new meaning. Ti-Ara Turner, a Jr-Soph in the Frog family, explains. “For me, Rose Sunday made more sense this year,” Turner expounds. “When I was a freshman, I thought it was cool to honor your elders; this year, it was even cooler because I got to honor my big sister—not just as someone who leads me through traditions, but as someone who I can count on in rough times. This year, Rose Sunday had more meaning, and I paid a lot more attention to what happened.”
After her second year at Judson, a student’s perspective of Rose Sunday changes even further, as demonstrated by third-year senior Cassidy Harrison. “Although I have loved Rose Sunday from the very beginning of my college career, my feelings towards it have changed as my time here draws closer to the end,” she reflects. Harrison, a member of the Frog family, walked through the ivy chain in her regalia for the first time this past Rose Sunday. “My opinion of Rose Sunday can be summed up with one word: sisterhood. Last year, I was going through Rose Sunday as part of a family, so I had a better grasp on where I belonged. This year it was definitely more bittersweet, because it was my last one with my big sister class and served as a reminder of the first of several last traditions with many of my friends.”
As a Judson girl’s college life nears its end, memories of past Rose Sundays and the inevitability of graduation often supply further appreciation and sentiment for Rose Sunday. “It’s the kick off of the new year, and a million things are happening at once, but we still come together as a community just like we do every year,” explains Lauren Neary, a graduating senior in the Duck family. “Rose Sunday has taught me to definitely hold on to the little things. Judson is a temporary home for me, and having watched my friends (and family, in my eyes) leave and go be wonderful in the world, I have learned to appreciate what Judson has done for me [and] is [still] doing for me. [. . .] I cherish every second of it, because my time at Judson may be temporary, but the community and the love I have gotten from this college will last forever in my heart. As a third year, I didn’t understand, but now, I think I do.”
Even as a Judson girl graduates and leaves the perimeter of her second home, Rose Sunday still remains as a part of her. Sarah Green, a Judson alumna, is an example of this. “Now that I’m out in Colorado, I probably won’t get to go to another Rose Sunday weekend. It’s bittersweet because it reminds me of all the J-Days and other events I’ll be missing from 20 hours away, not to mention the secret traditions I have passed down to my little that I’ll never participate in again,” she laments. “However, it also reminds me of the cherished friendships I have because of Judson and all the beautiful traditions I was honored to be part of. Rose Sunday is symbolic of that unity and those traditions that caused me to fall in love with Judson almost five years ago, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.”
When the ivy chain weaves together on each Rose Sunday, Mother Judson welcomes her incoming students into her sisterhood and entwines their lives into those around them, as well as reminding returning students of their place here amongst each other. Each woven ivy chain, while simple and temporary, is more than just a simple tradition—it is a symbol of the strong bonds of the faith, integrity, and sisterhood that tie us together through Judson College. Whether freshman or senior, Jr-Soph or alumna, each of us are bound together in Judson’s sisterhood as the ivy twines.