Students, above, cheered as rats raced out of the starting gate during the 47th annual “Running of the Rodents” race at the Spalding University College Street Ballroom April 18. Teams of students spent less than a week training the rodents to race around a miniature track for the grand prize, a garland of fruit-flavored cereal. Rats are usually trained for six weeks, but some changes in leadership among those who coordinate the event cut short the training time this year. The “rat race” has become a Derby tradition at Spalding. Below, nursing student Amanda Jewell held “Luna” the winner of this year’s race. Following the race, the rats are adopted as pets by students and members of Spalding University’s faculty. This year’s theme was “Ratly Hallows” inspired by the Harry Potter books and movies.
