longwood magazine - winter 2011 (volume 10, no. 1)
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The Longwood Magazine is published twice a year for the alumni and friends of Longwood University by the Longwood University Foundation Inc.TRANSCRIPT
Volume 10, No. 1, Winter 2011 A Magazine for the Alumni and Friends of Longwood University
Longwood
PATRICK FINNEGANLONGWOOD’S 25th PRESIDENT
From the EditorAs I gaze from my window in Lancaster Hall,
I know for sure that winter is upon us. The leaves havefallen, the temperatures have dropped, and the collegerankings have arrived. Each year, college administrators,especially those responsible for admissions and recruitment,approach the new year with a sense of trepidation in
anticipation of “The Rankings.” Did we go up? Did wego down? Are we even included? For Longwood, theanswers are Yes, No, and Yes!
I am happy to report that, for the 13th straight year,Longwood University is ranked among the best inthe 2011 U.S.News &World Report survey. The newUSN&WR “America’s Best Colleges” report ranksLongwood No. 9 in the category “Top PublicUniversities - Master’s” in the South. Among allSouthern Universities - Master’s (public and private)Longwood remains within the top tier at No. 27.
Additionally, Longwood University is again one ofthe best colleges and universities in the Southeastaccording to The Princeton Review. The educationservices company recently selected Longwood as oneof 133 institutions it recommends in the “Best in theSoutheast” section of its 2011 Best Colleges: Regionby Region survey. And, for the first time, LongwoodUniversity is included as one of the best colleges in the
United States in the Forbes 2010 list of America’s BestColleges. The list of more than 600 undergraduateinstitutions, compiled with research from the Centerfor College Affordability and Productivity, is based on11 factors measuring the quality of the education eachschool provides, the experiences of its students, and theachievements of its graduates.
That’s good news on all fronts. And we have moregood news to share with you in this, our 19th editionof Longwood Magazine.
In our last issue, we introduced you to our 25th
president, Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan.President Finnegan and First Lady Joan Finnegan havebeen busy settling into Longwood House and learningall about Longwood and Farmville, while settingpriorities for new leadership.
It is a new era for Longwood and you’ll learn moreabout the Finnegans in several stories on the pages thatfollow, including parts of an interesting in-depthinterview with President Finnegan by Ken Woodley,editor of The Farmville Herald. In a related story, JoanFinnegan discusses her role as Longwood’s new FirstLady and some of the plans she has for historicLongwood House.
Speaking of history, the Longwood Honor Codecelebrates its 100th anniversary this year. TheLongwood Creed: “We shall not lie, cheat, or steal,nor tolerate those who do,” is almost identical to theCadet Honor Code at West Point, a fact that resonateswell with President Finnegan as he noted during thepresidential selection process: “One of the things thatstruck me most about my visits to Longwood, and oneof the things that made me most comfortable, wasseeing the Honor Code on the wall of the library.Not only was it a tie to West Point, but it alsoconfirmed that the Longwood community andI shared the same values.”
Longwood students are going abroad to learn and toserve. This issue includes a story about a remarkablemissionary trip to Haiti and a capstone writing seminarin France. Alumni reunions, profiles, sports – includingthe Greatest Athletics March Ever – and a special storyabout a new Longwood podcast commemorating theCivil War Sesquicentennial: “That a Nation MightLive,” await you in this issue. Enjoy!
Dennis SercombeEditor
On Our Cover
A new era begins as Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan
takes charge as Longwood’s 25th President.
Photo by Duane Berger. Read complete story, p. 3.
Contents
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Longwood is published twice a year for the alumni and friends of Longwood University
by the Longwood University Foundation Inc. All materials © Longwood University.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full is strictly prohibited.
Comments, letters, or contributions can be sent to the Office of Public Relations,
Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909.
Telephone 434.395.2020, Fax 434.395.2825.
Address changes should be sent to the Office of Alumni Relations,
Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909.
Telephone 1.800.281.4677, Fax 434.395.2825.
on the web @ www.longwood.edu/longwood
Printed on recycled stocks. No state funds were used to print this publication.
To request this magazine in alternate format
(large print, braille, audio, etc.), please contact
the Longwood Learning Center, 434.395.2391; TRS: 711.
Contents1 President’s Message
ON THE COVER 5 President Patrick Finnegan
Longwood’s new president reflects on Longwood,
leadership, and the person he is.
FEATURES 11 Meet Longwood’s New First Lady
Joan Finnegan’s genuine enthusiasm about her new role
as Longwood’s First Lady is evident by the extensive calendar
of social events being held at Longwood House.
12 Longwood Celebrates 100 Years of Honor
and Student Governance
14 Longwood Citizen Leaders Make A Difference
22 Design Lab
Longwood University’s graphic design program now includes
what has been called a student-run design agency.
LANCER UPDATE 32 Athletics News
ON CAMPUS 38 Longwood News & Alumni Events
IN PRINT 46 Recent Publications by Longwood Faculty,Staff, Students & Alumni
Contributors
LongwoodPublisher Longwood University Foundation Inc.
Editor Dennis Sercombe
Creative Director David Whaley
Associate Editors Kent Booty, Gina Caldwell
Contributors Duane Berger, K. Johnson Bowles, Beth Cheuk, Diane Easter,
Cocheyse Gilliam, ’97, Alyson Goff, Alex Grabiec, ’07, David Hooper, ’00,
Cricket Gicz Morris, ’06, Greg Prouty, Paula Prouty, ’85, Katie Register,
James Rutter, Nancy Shelton, ’68, Mary Jo Stockton, Ken Woodley
Editorial Office Longwood University
Office of Public Relations
201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909
telephone 434.395.2020
fax 434.395.2825
email [email protected]
on the web at http://www.longwood.edu
Editorial Dennis Sercombe, Chairman, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Advisory Board Kent Booty, Public Relations Writer and Photographer
H. Franklin Grant, ’80, Interim Vice President for University Advancement
Gina Caldwell, Media Specialist
David Hooper, ’00, Director of Web Communications
Greg Prouty, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations
Chris Register, Associate Professor of Art
Nancy Shelton, ’68, Director of Alumni Relations
David Whaley, Director of Publications and Visual Arts
Longwood University Patrick Finnegan, President
John B. Adams Jr., Rector of the Board of Visitors
Dr. R. Kenneth ‘Ken’ Marcus, ’82, President of the Longwood University Foundation Inc.
Michael A. Sheffield, ’89, President of the Longwood University Alumni Association
Board of Visitors John B. Adams Jr., Rector, Richmond, Virginia
M. Jane Brooke, ’63, Richmond, Virginia
Otis L. Brown, Vice Rector, Richmond, Virginia
Marjorie M. Connelly, Richmond, Virginia
John W. Daniel II, Richmond, Virginia
Edward I. Gordon, M.D., Farmville, Virginia
Rita Berryman Hughes, ’74, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Chin Han ‘Hank’ Kim, ’90, Chesterfield, Virginia
Ripon W. LaRoche II, M.D., Farmville, Virginia
Judi M. Lynch, Ph.D., Blacksburg, Virginia
Stephen Mobley, ’93, McLean, Virginia
Susan E. Soza, ’62, McLean, Virginia
Ronald Olswyn White, Midlothian, Virginia
Volume 10, No. 1, Published January 2011
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From the PresidentIt is an honor and a privilege to serve as Longwood University’s 25th President.
Joan and I are delighted to be in Farmville and appreciate very much the warm welcome
we’ve received from all branches of the Longwood family. We owe a special debt of
gratitude to Patty Cormier (and Raymond, the First Gent) for making the transition so
smooth and easy, as well as for their wonderful contributions for 14 years. Patty Cormier
changed the face of Longwood, moved it from a college to a university, and raised the
academic standards to new heights. She will be deservedly long-remembered as a forward-
looking president who moved Longwood into a new era.
As many of you are aware, the start of my tenure was not what I expected or hoped because
of illness. I’m happy to report that I’m well on the way to a full recovery. Joan and I were
overwhelmed by the good wishes, cards, and gifts of so many wonderful people – they
raised our spirits every day. One thing my unanticipated absence did was prove exactly
what a strong team there is at Longwood – every part of opening the school year, from
freshman orientation to welcoming back returning students to the beginning of classes,
went off without a hitch even with the president on the sidelines.
In the last few months, in between trying to figure out which building is which and where
the bathrooms are, I’ve been trying to meet with as many staff and faculty, students, and
alumni as possible. I’ve talked with all the department chairs and deans, as well as other
key faculty. I’m meeting with each class, from freshmen to seniors, mostly to hear their
thoughts and field their questions. We’ve also scheduled a series of breakfasts with staff and
faculty members from across the campus. These discussions and meetings have been very
helpful as I’ve been learning as much about Longwood as I can.
Joan and I have also enjoyed the opportunity to meet alumni, parents, and friends at a
series of receptions in Washington, Virginia Beach, and Richmond. During those events,
we’ve met alumni from eight different decades, from the 1930s to 2010. The remarkable
thing is that what virtually all of them say about Longwood is so similar, whether they
graduated from an all-girls college or a coed university that has more than doubled in size.
They all appreciate the spirit of Longwood and understand that it is a very special place
because of the caring people and the close-knit atmosphere. They cherish the relationships
they’ve formed and the fact that faculty members are not only available to them but are also
genuinely interested in them as students and as individuals. And the best part may be that
I hear the same thing from current students. As we continue to move forward and make
changes that are necessary to keep pace, we will all strive to maintain that personal touch
that is at the heart of this school.
Patrick FinneganPresident
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Woodley:Why Longwood? What convinced you to apply
for and then accept the presidency of this university?
Finnegan: Longwood was very intriguing to me for a
number of reasons. I knew a little bit about it because my
sister graduated from here in 1976, but it was a very
different institution back then – it was an all girls school,
primarily a teachers school. So I knew about Longwood
College. But that information was dated.
When I was possibly looking for jobs because I wasn’t certain
I would stay in the Army – the Army hadn’t let me know
whether they wanted me to continue or not – I had seen an
advertisement for the presidency of Longwood University
and went on the website, looked at the information and was
very intrigued by a number of things. I was captured by
their mission to transform young men and women into
citizen leaders who contribute to the good of society. I think
that’s a great purpose of education. I think it’s very akin to
what we were doing at West Point, and trying to do there,
with a more narrow focus, probably. But I think that is what
education can and should be about.
I like the idea of a campus this size, in number of students –
5,000-plus but really not intending to grow into an
enormous school. So I thought that I would apply and see
what was there and what Longwood was about. I went to
the initial interview, which I’ve learned is called ‘the airport
interview’ because it happens at the airport. And met the
13 or 14 people on the selection committee, a variety of
people – from members of the board of visitors, to faculty,
to staff, to students, some members of the (Longwood)
Foundation. And I was taken by two things. One, how nice
they all were, how pleasant they were to talk to. And, two,
how committed they were to their school. How much they
obviously cared about Longwood and what it meant to
people. And that’s the kind of place I want to be, where folks
are committed to what they are doing. Where they care
about what they’re doing. Where it’s a calling as much as a
job. And I think I have found that, in all my dealings so far,
in a limited time.
To me, there’s an old saying that the Army has, and I think
it’s a great one, and it says the Army isn’t about people, the
Army is people. And to me, in any job you’re in, position
you’re in, the most important thing is the people that you’re
around and you’re working with and dealing with. And so
what we found here and what we found in the community
is a group of people who are friendly, who have a smile on
their face when you walk past, whether they know you or
don’t. And, particularly talking about the university,
everyone we met cares very much about the school. And for
the faculty, I think, by and large, the ones I’ve met, this is
not just a job, it’s a calling, which education should be.
Patrick Finnegan ReflectsOn Longwood, LeadershipAnd The Person He IsKen Woodley Editor, The Farmville Herald
Editor’s Note: On 23 July 2010, The Farmville Herald published a front-page feature story
about Longwood’s new president written by Editor Ken Woodley. With the kind permission of Mr. Woodley
and The Farmville Herald, we have edited the two and a half page interview for Longwood Magazine.
To read the complete interview, go to: http://www.longwood.edu/president/26877.htm
Patrick Finnegan pictured in front of The Soul of America,
2001-2002, shoes, wood, and latex paint, 8’ x 16’ x 6’,
created by the staff and volunteers of the Longwood
Center for the Visual Arts.
4
once we got off (Interstate) 95. That’s not fun. But driving
through the countryside here was – we love this part
of Virginia.
So we came down and our initial thought was simply to
walk around the campus. We parked and we had a little map
of the campus that we printed out from online and just
wanted to walk around. So there were a few buildings that
were open. The library was open and we went in there and
was immediately struck by the – when you walk in one
of the first things you see in big letters is the honor code,
the honor creed of Longwood, which is virtually identical to
West Point. And that was almost shocking, in a way, to see
that because we hadn’t seen that before. And, again, it was
almost an omen or a signal that this might be a place worth
looking at.
Woodley:What are the differences and similarities between
appropriate and effective leadership by a general in the
military and that of a civilian university president?
Finnegan: I’m not sure there are a lot of great differences.
I’m sure there will be some but the stereotype of a general in
the military – and the reason for the stereotype is that some
are like that – is that they come in and kind of bark orders
and direct people to do everything and they’re very top
down micro-managers.
So the most effective leaders, I think, are more consensus
building. They can make decisions and implement them if
they need to but they try and get a sense of the organization
and where it’s headed and have people buy into where you’re
going, as well – what your vision is. In most places in the
military that’s the most effective. It’s certainly true at an
academic institution at West Point.
So I think, I’m hoping, that that will be very similar here.
I’ve always believed in and tried to practice a very collegial
For the students, I hope it’s not simply a place to get a
diploma but a place to get an education in all kinds of ways,
inside the classroom and outside. And that’s really the kind
of place I want to be. I think Longwood has come a long
way in the last 14 years under Dr. Cormier, and has certainly
changed its nature and its reputation, and I think it has great
possibilities for the future and I want to be part of it.
Woodley: How hard was it to leave your career
in the military?
Finnegan: It wasn’t hard. I loved my time in the military.
I particularly loved the last dozen years at West Point and
the last five as the Dean of the military academy. It was a
dream job, one I never thought I’d have, but I really think
this, unbelievably, has the possibility of being another
dream job.
I found what I really liked best about the job as Dean was
being around cadets, being around the students, and I know
there are lots of obligations for a university president as there
are for a Dean but I’m going to try to continue that, to be
around students as much as I can.
People would say to me at West Point, or my friends,
Oh, you must be very sad to be leaving’ and ‘You must be
melancholy’ and the truth is we weren’t. We loved our time
there and really will miss a lot of the people there, but we’ll
stay in touch with them. We won’t see them every day.
But I’m convinced the reason we weren’t sad or melancholy
is because we knew we were coming here. We think this is
a great place for us to be and a great opportunity for us,
a great new adventure
Woodley: How did you go about your on-campus
undercover re-con of the university?
Finnegan:We probably weren’t here for about two hours
or so. We drove down, and loved the drive down from D.C.,
I loved my time in the military. I particularly loved
the last dozen years at West Point and the last five
as the Dean of the military academy. It was a dream job,
one I never thought I’d have, but I really think this,
unbelievably, has the possibility of being
another dream job.” – Patrick Finnegan
“
‘
5
and inclusive style of leadership. I’m not afraid to be the
leader. I’m not afraid to make decisions when tough
decisions have to be made. But I’m disinclined to make them
on my own, without input from people, particularly in times
like this where educational institutions are challenged in
monetary and other ways.
You have to get, not only input from people but you have to
get buy-in from people and allow them to speak their piece
because, first, they may have great ideas you hadn’t thought
of. Second, even if they ultimately disagree with parts of the
decision at least they’ve had their say and they will feel a part
of the organization.
Woodley:What nuances will your military experience bring
to your presidency at Longwood?
Finnegan: I go back to that original saying. I really do think
that leadership in the military, for me, and leadership here, is
about people, it’s about caring for people, it’s caring more
about what they want to accomplish, what they aspire to,
and what the organization does than about yourself.
This university is not about me. It’s particularly about the
students who are here and the focus should be on them.
But it’s about having all of us work together to give the best
education inside the classroom and outside the classroom to
the students. And so I think that’s organizational leadership
that is similar to the military and that is it can’t be self-
focused, by me or faculty members or anybody else. You try
and set the goals and visions of the organization. I’ll tell you
these because they’re part of my philosophy and staff and
faculty and students and everybody else is going to hear
these repeatedly for the next several years. Two parts of my
philosophy, anyway, and my philosophy, certainly, at West
Point was that our main focus always has to be on providing
the best education for the students who are here. And that’s
educating them in the classroom and morally, ethically,
physically.
That’s part of it, but to provide them the best developmental
educational opportunity and that’s whether we’re thinking
what’s the next building project we’re going to do, the
fundraising we’re going to do, or whatever it is, we have to
keep in mind that our main focus is students. If we do that,
you’re not going to get off track as much. So that’s one.
The second part of my philosophy is this ought to be
enjoyable. Education should be a joyful experience. It’s not a
grim business we’re in. At times, right now, it’s a challenging
business because of money, but, overall, education of young
people who are going to be the future of our country ought
to be fun. It ought to be a happy experience for faculty, for
administrators, for students, and I intend to have fun and
I hope that everyone here at Longwood has fun.
Not every day is going to be a blast and there will be
some faculty members who are saying as they’re grading
100 exams, ‘I thought the president said this was going to be
fun.’ Well, not every day is going to be like that but overall
the experience and the opportunity to work with bright,
talented, aspiring young people ought to be fun. And we
ought to make it fun for them, as well, and I think there’s
some great ways to do that.
Woodley:What do you view as your own strengths
as a person, and as a leader?
Finnegan: The ability to work with people, the ability to
bring people together, and having a sense of humor about
things, which helps in tough times, and, I think, a genuine
interest in others. And a passion for education, because
I think it’s the key to the future of our country.
Woodley:What about weaknesses?
Finnegan: I probably try to do too much, sometimes, and
I have to be careful about that, not getting involved in too
many things because I know there’s going to be an awful lot
of demands on my time and I’ve tried to learn, over time, to
delegate authority and delegate responsibility and let other
people do their jobs.
My wife will tell you I’m a horrible procrastinator. I try to
overcome that, as well. And, I don’t know if it’s a weakness
but it’s something I’m going to have to keep an eye on, and
that is I have spent my entire life essentially in the military.
I grew up in a military family. My dad was in the Army.
I went to West Point and I’ve been in the Army since and
so I have not worked or been in what is a fairly completely
civilian environment before and so there may be traps out
there I’m not aware of, that what may seem normal to me
is going to seem strange to other people. But I’m going to
be careful about that to make sure I’m being sensitive to
those issues
Woodley:Who, within your own realm of personal
experience, has most effectively demonstrated leadership –
how and why?
Finnegan: There’s a man that I worked for almost two years,
General Bill Garrison, who’s become a little bit famous
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because he was the commander of forces that were in
Somalia in the book and movie Blackhawk Down. He was
just a tremendous leader. He focused on what needed to be
done, doing it the right way and making sure that his people
were taken care of.
He wasn’t a particularly personable guy, which was kind of
funny. I had friends who’d worked for him before and they
just raved about him and said he’s not arm around the
shoulder all the time, or anything, but people trusted what
he said. In fact, I have a quote about leadership that I keep
with me: ‘Leadership isn’t so much a matter of charisma,
which can abused, as of character. Only someone who, when
he says he’s going to do something you know he’s going to
do it, is worth following.’
This actually is from a book that I read, a World War II
veteran was writing about his experiences and he wrote it
down and I just ... thought this was a good thing ...”
Woodley: How does one go about taking the job very
seriously without taking themselves too seriously?
Finnegan: I think that’s the key to any sort of position,
especially a leadership position. If you take yourself too
seriously then that’s going to be obvious to people right
away, that you are self-important. People will see that and
will not really want to follow you.
You have to take the job and the responsibility seriously.
I think you can, and I’m not sure how you would do a job
like this without a sense of humor. Even in the worst of
times there are going to be things that are funny.
Again, it really goes back, for me, to people and caring about
them, talking to them, seeing what’s going on with them.
But you have to realize in a time like this, and there’s
probably never going to be an easy time to be a university
president, there are some challenges right now that are
unique but there are probably unique challenges in every
time period. I think you rely on the strengths of the people
who are here. There are folks here, I know, you could
probably go to higher-paying jobs and maybe to what people
would consider more prestigious jobs, but they’ve been at
Longwood and stayed at Longwood because they love this
institution and what it stands for and I think that’s what you
have to focus on and pay attention to and make sure it
retains that character even in tough times.
Woodley: What do you know about yourself now that you
wish you’d known 25 years ago?
Finnegan: One thing is that you don’t have to do everything
today. That sometimes, particularly in the setting of an
educational institution, it’s actually better not to make
a decision right away, that it’s better to let things sit and
maybe become socialized in the community and allow
people to weigh in and postpone the decision to an
appropriate time. And part of that may be a difference
between military and civilian because military leaders tend
to say ‘Give me the facts, give me the information, I’m going
to decide and move on to the next thing.’ Particularly,
probably, in my first years as a Dean, and at other times,
I wanted to ‘All right, let’s just decide this thing.’ (But)
sometimes it’s better to wait and let things develop a little
more before you decide which course you’re going to go.
Woodley: What is the biggest challenge facing Longwood
and how do you plan to deal with it?
Finnegan: Like every college or university these days in the
commonwealth, and outside the commonwealth, the biggest
challenge is the budget and for Longwood that translates,
among other things, into faculty salaries, staff salaries. There
haven’t been raises for a number of years, and that can be a
morale issue. People do stay here, despite the fact they may
be paid less, because they feel this calling. But at the same
time you have to be sure that they’re being treated fairly.
And so we’re going to work hard with the legislature and we
have to raise private dollars. We’re in the midst of a
campaign and we’re going to have to find resources of money
to make sure we stay at least even because until the economy
rebounds I don’t know how we’re going to do with getting
state funds.
So that’s the biggest challenge. I haven’t figured out the
answers yet but I know we’re going to try to work together to
make sure that Longwood retains the character that it has and
the people that it has and if we don’t do something a little bit
better on the money side that’s going to be hard to do.
I think the other challenge, in a way, for Longwood, away
from the money side, is recognition of its value. And there’s
a difference between the price and the value. The value of a
Longwood education, I think, is well known to people who
are here. Not nearly as well known in other parts of Virginia
or outside of Virginia.
This school has changed substantially in the last 20 years,
from Longwood College to Longwood University and from
a girls’ teachers school to a much different kind of place. But
I don’t know that it’s not (still) perceived as the Longwood
College of the 1970s and 80s in many places.
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And so part of my aim will be to raise Longwood’s profile in
a way that people understand, more that they understand
what’s going on here rather than to make it do a whole lot
of things differently, but more to say ‘This is a great, it is a
university with the feel of a small college.’ That’s what makes
Longwood distinctive to me. You get a university education
but people know who you are and care who you are. It’s not
like a school where you’re going and every class you take as a
freshman has 150 students and you’re in a lecture hall taught
by teaching assistants.
That’s the value – not the price, but the value – of a
Longwood education. And I have to say that I think it’s
nestled in a lovely little community here, in Farmville, and
so we want to be, Joan and I, want to be part of this
community, as well, and make sure Longwood and Farmville
are tied together. We’re going to open up Longwood House
probably more so than has been done in the past. We’re
going to have open houses there… and do other things to
help draw the community and the university closer together
Woodley: What is your perception of the relationship
between Longwood and the Farmville community and
how do you plan to reach out to the community in your
own administration?
Finnegan: Our original perception was that there weren’t any
terrible town/gown issues. That’s certainly what we were told
during the selection and interview process and I don’t think
there’s a great tension between the Town of Farmville and
the university. I’m not sure there’s as strong a connection as
there could be and so we are going to work on that and one
of the ways is, and Joan is very excited about this, is making
Longwood House a kind of center for all kinds of activities.
For the university, certainly, but for the community as well.
One of her goals, one of our goals, is we don’t want any
student to have graduated from Longwood without having
visited the president’s house.
Woodley: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve
ever received?
Finnegan: I don’t know if this is a piece of advice, but
I probably got this from my parents, but I really want to go
back to my favorite Shakespeare quote and this is, from
Hamlet: ‘Above all, to thine own self be true.’ Be your own
self. Be who you are and you can’t be anybody else. If you
try to do something that is not you people perceive it right
away, you look like a sham. So my parents always did tell me
be your own person, be who you are.
But I love that quote from Shakespeare because I think it
really says it, and the follow on (the rest of the quote) is that
‘It must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be
false to any man.’ Be yourself. Present yourself in the way
that you are and I think that’s the best piece of advice, both
that I got from my parents and that I try to follow in my
own way.
Woodley: What do you do to relax?
Finnegan: I like to run and I do it for my health but
President Finnegan joins in the fun of the annual fall tradition of Color Wars with students (from left) Chuck Wongus,
Ashley Stovall, Ernest Elliott and Andrea Damiano.
I also do it because it’s a great time to just kind of think.
And I’ll come back from a run, thinking about issues,
with some ideas.
I love to be with my grandkids, that’s a lot of fun. I’m a
big sports fan. I loved watching the World Cup. And I love
playing soccer, too. I played some soccer but probably
am getting a little too old for that. But I’ll be at a lot of
Longwood sports events. First to support the students ...
I also like to read. I usually have four or five different books
going on at the same time so.
Woodley: What matters most about becoming educated and
earning an undergraduate or postgraduate degree?
Finnegan: I think I’m going to link that to what Longwood
says and that is that the purpose of education, for us, is to
create citizen leaders. Because an educated person is someone
who can contribute to society and that’s what we ought to
be about. That’s what our country, to me, is founded on –
people who cared more about this vision of a nation, about
helping other people, about being part of something bigger
than themselves.
And you certainly are better able to do that, better able to
serve the community, better able to serve other people, better
able to appreciate causes larger than very selfish ones, with
education. It opens worlds to you, both in the country and
in other parts of the world, and I think that’s what’s most
important about an education – opening your mind to other
ideas and allowing you to see how you use your talents to
make the community a better place, to make your country
a better nation.
Woodley: What message do you want to resonate, year in,
year out, through the staff and student body?
Finnegan: Leave here with an education. As you learned in
kindergarten, when you take something out, put it back.
If you take a toy, put it back. Well, here you’re taking
something out. You’re taking an education out, so give
something back. Use that education to give something back,
in your community, in your family, wherever it is.
You’re granted this education, you worked hard for it,
but use it for more than just individual purposes, use it
to be a servant of the people. I mean, Winston Churchill
said “We make a living out of what we get, we make a life
out of what we give.”
Woodley: If you could achieve, with certainty of accomplish-
ment, one thing with the rest of your life, what would it be?
Finnegan: I guess if I could accomplish one thing it would
be to take best advantage of this opportunity that I have to
help Longwood. So if I could accomplish one thing it would
be – and I’m not sure what the (specific) answer is to that –
but to make sure I give my all and take best advantage of
this chance.
The purpose of education, for us, is to create citizen leaders.
Because an educated person is someone who can contribute to society
and that’s what we ought to be about. That’s what our country, to me,
is founded on – people who cared more about this vision of a nation,
about helping other people, about being part of something bigger
than themselves.” – Patrick Finnegan
“
Ken Woodley is a 1979 graduate of Hampden-Sydney
College and has served as Editor of The Farmville Herald
for 19 years. His wife, Kimberly Staples Woodley, is a
1981 graduate of Longwood. Their son, Ian, is a current
Longwood student.
9
Joan Finnegan’s genuine enthusiasm
about her new role as Longwood’s
First Lady is evident by the extensive
calendar of social events being held
at Longwood House.
We are having an event here about every 10 days, or
sometimes more often,” said Joan as she gave a tour of
Longwood House.
The Finnegans began moving into Longwood House in late
June, just prior to Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan’s official
July 1 start as the 25th president of Longwood University.
Since that time Longwood’s First Lady has been busy
redecorating Longwood House to blend some of her
furnishings with the historic pieces in the house; joining
her husband to meet students, parents, alumni and friends;
and opening Longwood House to many guests.
This is Longwood’s House. We are just the happy
occupants,” she said.
The very first group the Finnegans entertained at
Longwood House included the movers, electricians,
painters, groundskeepers, carpenters, and staff members in
Information and Instructional Technology Services, Capital
Planning and Construction, Material Management, and
Meet Joan FinneganLongwood’s New First LadyGina Caldwell Associate Editor
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Joan and Patrick Finnegan at home in Longwood House.
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Pat and I always say that Longwood students are the best
promotion we can offer,” she said.
Aside from entertaining guests at Longwood House, the
Finnegans have been busy traveling throughout Virginia
and to Washington, D.C. to meet alumni, legislatures,
and donors.
We love going on the road to meet alumni,” she said. “Our
message to them is ‘Your Longwood legacy is safe.’ Today’s
Longwood students are sharp and they will continue the
proud traditions of Longwood University.”
About Joan Finnegan
Joan Finnegan, a native New Yorker, graduated from
Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset in 1967, and from
St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing and Lemoyne
College in Syracuse in 1970 with her nursing degree.
Joan has worked professionally “in between moves” as an
obstetrical RN all around the world. Her professional
credentials include childbirth educator.
Joan met Patrick Finnegan while she was in nursing school
and he was a cadet at West Point. They have been married
for 39 years and have two daughters, Katie Finnegan Rucker
and Jenna Finnegan Bechen, and four grandchildren.
As an Army family member, Joan has lived in 10 different
states coast to coast (including almost a decade in the
Commonwealth of Virginia, where she holds her nursing
license) as well as living and travelling extensively in Europe
for over five years.
Her volunteer history spans more than 40 years, including
the American Red Cross (where she began as a Candy
Striper), Army Spouses Clubs, Girl Scouts of America, Army
Community Service, Army Family Team Building, support
groups for families of deployed soldiers, and various church
organizations. Her most recent awards include the Red
Cross National Volunteer of Excellence Award, the
Commander’s Award for Public Service, the Certificate
of Achievement in recognition of Exemplary Performance of
Volunteer Service to the United States Military Academy and
West Point Community, and the Department of the Army
Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.
Longwood Dining Services/Aramark who worked tirelessly
to make Longwood House the Finnegan’s new home.
Everyone on the staff has been wonderful,” she said. “They
worked on this house as though it were their own.”
That event was just the first in a series of events at
Longwood House. Other guests have included members of
the President’s Circle, new and recently promoted/tenured
faculty members, Honors Students (for a Halloween costume
party), sororities, faculty/staff donors, and others.
Longwood’s First Lady is excited about the opportunity to
share the beauty and history of Longwood House with the
campus community and has a goal to invite every student, at
some point during their time at Longwood, to visit
Longwood House. A special event involving graduates and
their families is being planned just before commencement.
Commencement is a time for celebration and I feel it is
important to offer an event as a point of closure for the
parents and families of our graduates,” she said. “Our
graduates have worked hard to achieve this goal and this
is one small way to congratulate them.”
In addition to showing off the inside of Longwood House,
Joan is looking forward to reworking some of the gardens
around Longwood House and plans to begin a vegetable
garden on the property in the spring.
We’d like to involve the Honors Students and complement
what is being done at the Cormier Honors Garden near
campus,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a small
dinner party and know that the salad you serve was grown in
your own backyard?”
When entertaining at Longwood House, students are always
part of the guest list. Pitch Perfect, a group of around 25
female singers who perform a cappella, entertained at several
events this fall, and plans to invite Voice Male, a similar
group of Longwood male students, are in the works.
Sharing the history of Longwood House also presents an
opportunity to involve students. A plan to recruit and
educate a team of volunteer student docents about the
history of Longwood House is being developed. During
open house events, the docents will be stationed in each
room of the house to welcome guests and offer stories and
historical facts about the house and its furnishings.
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The House that bears the name “Longwood” predatesthe college that would eventually adopt the same name. Both
the college and the house have a long and storied history, yet
except for their geographic proximity there were no common
ties until the year 1928. In that year, the college (then called
Farmville State Teachers College) purchased from Wright
Barber’s descendants a portion of the Longwood Estate,
consisting of 88.7 uncared-for acres and a lovely 113-year-
old house which showed the ravages of time and neglect.
In 1936, the college purchased an additional 14.88 acres
from the Barber heirs bringing the total acreage owned by
the college to 103.58 acres.
Neglect has not been a characteristic of Longwood Estate.
In 1765, Peter Johnston Sr., a Scottish immigrant, purchased
a large tract of land in Prince Edward County and built the
original Longwood House. The exact amount of land in the
estate is not known, but historical records show that he gave
to the Presbyterian Church the acreage where Hampden-
Sydney College is now located and willed to his son the
courthouse tract,” presumably the area around Worsham
which was the seat of county government during those early
years. The name Longwood seems to be a corruption of the
Scottish word “Loughwood,” which was the name of the
ancestral Johnston castle in Scotland.
The Johnstons – father, sons, and grandsons – served the
colonies and the new republic with distinction as soldiers,
statesmen, writers, educators, and explorers. The two most
notable were Peter Johnston Jr., who fought with Light
Horse Harry Lee during the Revolution, and his son, Joseph
Eggleston Johnston, the Confederate general who was born
at Longwood in 1807. When Joseph E. Johnston was four
years old, his family sold the estate to Abraham B. Venable.
Shortly thereafter the original house was destroyed by fire.
The second Longwood House was built in 1815 by
Nathaniel E. Venable for his wife and 11 children. In those
ante-bellum years, Longwood house was the hub of a 1,181-acre
plantation. The Venable family distinguished themselves in the
fields of medicine, education, business, and in the Confederate
Army. They remained masters of Longwood until 1873 when
200 acres, including the house, were sold to Wright Barber.
Reconstruction had taken its toll on the once-lovely estate.
No doubt the house missed the sound of young laughter, running
feet, and the charm of the Johnston and Venable years. New lines
were added to the face of the old house with each year’s passing.
It was not until the early 1920s that Mrs. J.L. Jarman, wife of the
president of Farmville State Teachers College, recognized the
underlying beauty and value of the estate to the college.
Mrs. Jarman became the overseer of the restoration of Longwood
House shortly after the college acquired the property in 1928.
She envisioned a favorite recreation spot for students at the
college. A golf course and riding ring were added, the cabin and
open fireplaces were constructed, and the lawns and gardens were
restored to their former beauty. Many of the college’s alumni
recall with pleasure the weekends spent at Longwood House, the
picnics and banquets, and the May Day celebrations in the Dell.
By 1949, the estate had become an integral part of the campus
and in that year the college adopted the name Longwood as its
own. The grounds were maintained for recreational use, but
eventually the house, originally constructed in 1815, was closed
due to the extensive repair and modernization needed. In 1968,
at the request of the Board of Visitors, the General Assembly
appropriated money to revive the charm of the historic house
and to establish it as a home for Longwood’s presidents. Floors
were sanded, wiring and plumbing repaired, heating and air-
conditioning installed, insulation blown between the walls, and
baths and kitchen updated. The spacious, high-ceiling rooms were
furnished with antiques and period pieces in keeping with the
architecture. By the Christmas season of 1969, warm hospitality
had again become a reality at Longwood House. – K.J.B.
The Legacy of Longwood House
President & Mrs. Finnegan at Longwood House.
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Honesty. Scholarship. Responsibility.
Pride. Perseverance. Potential.
Character. Humility. Integrity.
Civility. Leadership. Service.
These words represent the key tenets of Longwood
University’s Honor Code that was established 100 years ago
to “promote an atmosphere of trust, where students are
presumed honorable unless their actions prove them
otherwise. It also serves as a higher-order set of moral
standards and principles for all members of the community
to follow and take with them wherever their lives may lead.”
The words of the Longwood Honor Code are especially
meaningful as we celebrate 100 years of Honor and Student
Governance,” said Ben Brittain, Student Government
Association president. “I hope the principles of the Honor
Code will serve as a guide to all students, and eventually
graduates, of Longwood University for their entire lives.”
During the fall semester, Longwood celebrated 100 years of
Honor and Student Governance with a variety of events
including a campus birthday party and lectures by
motivational speaker T.J. Sullivan and Longwood President
Patrick Finnegan who addressed “Honor and Integrity.”
In addition, the President’s Welcome, held October 7 in the
newly re-opened Jarman Auditorium, included a ceremony to
recognize the 100th anniversary of Longwood’s Honor Code.
One of the things that struck me most about my visits to
Longwood, and one of the things that made me most
comfortable, was seeing the Honor Code on the wall of the
library,” President Finnegan said. “Not only was it a tie to
West Point, but it also confirmed that the Longwood
community and I shared the same values.” The Honor
Creed (We shall not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those
who do.) is prominently displayed on a main wall in
Greenwood Library and each classroom contains a copy
of the Academic Honor Pledge.
As part of the ceremony, 12 faculty/staff members
representing a variety of departments across campus were
selected to read the Twelve Points of the Honor Code and
the statements that define each point. In addition, all
faculty and staff in attendance read aloud and were asked to
sign the Honor Code pledge which reads, “I, ___________,
having a clear understanding of the basis and spirit of the
Honor Code created and accepted by the student body
of Longwood University, shall at all times govern my
university life according to its standards and actively work
to support its principles, thereby thoughtfully accepting my
responsibility for preserving the honor and integrity of all
past, present and future members of the Longwood
University community of scholars. I will not lie, cheat,
or steal, nor tolerate those who do.”
According to the Honor Board web page, “The three basic
provisions of the Honor Code of Conduct, which strictly
forbids lying, cheating, or stealing, represent the standards
Longwood Celebrates 100 Yearsof Honor and Student GovernanceGina Caldwell Associate Editor
100
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of integrity and moral responsibility that all students,
groups, and organizations are expected to exemplify.
The Honor Code is one of Longwood’s proudest traditions.
Established by the student body in 1910, the student-elected
Honor Board has protected the basic values of honor and
academic integrity.”
The Twelve PointsThe Twelve Points were a result of a re-ratification of the
Honor Code by the Longwood student body in 1930.
In 2010 the Twelve Points, as well as the Honor Pledge,
were revised in celebration of the Honor System’s 100th year
of existence. The spirit of Longwood is fostered by Honor;
an intangible quality found in each student. The Twelve
Points are intended to define the meaning of Honor at
Longwood University.
HonestyHonesty is the fiber from which any relationship is formed
and is crucial to establishing personal competency and
leadership. True honesty is practiced at all times, not just
when convenient.
ScholarshipScholarship is the essence of learning and growing, inside
and outside the classroom. Like the Honor System, a
commitment to academics is a valuable investment that pays
dividends to both the individual and the community.
ResponsibilityResponsibility is a state of mind whereby we commit
ourselves to maintaining our integrity and ensuring that
others do likewise. Our honor is tarnished by moments of
indiscretion that cannot be reversed. Responsibility is vital to
any thriving collegiate community. Without it, the masses
succumb to apathy and progress stops. Without
responsibility, the community suffers immensely.
PridePride is significant to fighting the effects of apathy. Pride is a
personal commitment to excellence and taking joy in one’s
actions. Everything we do is a reflection of ourselves and our
university; it is essential to make decisions in which we can
take pride.
PerseveranceA steadfast persistence in spite of difficulties or obstacles,
perseverance is necessary for good scholarship and
maintaining ones honor. Perseverance in achieving
honorable goals is a quality to be admired.
PotentialAs the future of our communities, we hold great potential
which we are obligated to embrace. We must avoid decisions
that diminish our potential, because there is nothing more
damaging than a dishonorable reputation.
CharacterEach individual has the undeniable right to establish their
own character based on personality and life experience.
Our combined personalities constitute the character of an
honorable community.
HumilityIn a climate of honor, humility is important because of the
role it plays in grounding ourselves to not believe that we are
invincible, but accountable to each other. Humility with self-
confidence is hard to achieve, but ultimately desirable.
IntegrityThe most encompassing point of our Honor System is
Integrity. Integrity is the glue that holds our values of trust
and respect together. Personal Integrity involves perseverance
and establishing a trustworthy character. Community
integrity is the pinnacle of any society, and it is what we
strive for at Longwood. For honor is not merely just a
personal journey, but a community expectation.
CivilityA courteous and respectful manner towards others, which
promotes an atmosphere where one can debate and argue
differing points of view without fear of reprisal, civility is the
mark of a true scholar.
LeadershipLeadership is a quality required to guide others to achieve.
Anyone can lead in a self-serving manner, but as citizen leaders
we must strive to lead with honor to achieve higher goals.
ServiceIn 1927, a Longwood alumna wrote, “I have prepared to
lead, and in leading, to serve others.” Service to others is the
other half of leadership. As citizen leaders, we must fulfill
our responsibility to give back to our communities.
northwest Haiti, and the poverty in the country is even
worse than in the cities.”
Hoyt, an economics major from Newport News, echoed
those sentiments. “It makes you realize how you take things
for granted. Last summer I was complaining when the air
conditioning in my Jeep went out, but at least we have
paved roads and a car to drive. This experience really put
things in perspective.”
Hoyt was a coach last year, the first time the camp was held,
and just before spring break she asked Wright if she wanted
to go this year. “One other female had gone with me last
year, but she couldn’t go this year, and they wanted another
girl,” said Hoyt. “Just before spring break, I said to Nancy,
‘Since you used to play soccer, maybe you’d like to go.’”
Wright said she “didn’t take much convincing.”
Hoyt and Wright, who were in Haiti for 10 days, stayed in
Passe Catabois, a 30-minute truck ride from the camp, held
at an Episcopalian church and affiliated school. Passe
14
Mary Catherine Hoyt (left) and Nancy Wright
Two Longwood University students
participated in a mission trip to the
Western Hemisphere’s poorest country
last summer.
Juniors Mary Catherine Hoyt and Nancy Wright, former
soccer players who are friends through their membership in
Kappa Delta sorority, were coaches in a week-long soccer
camp in July in Poste Métier, Haiti. They were the only
females among the nine coaches and three other Americans
who went to help with the camp, which is sponsored by
Hoyt’s church, Peninsula Community Chapel in Yorktown.
It was attended by 90 boys ages seven to 12 who had been
chosen based on school grades, church attendance and
community service.
It was an eye-opening experience,” said Wright, a psychology
major from Richmond. “We were in the countryside in
Longwood Citizen LeadersMake A Difference In HaitiKent Booty Associate Editor
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Mary Catherine Hoyt with girls at the soccer camp in Poste Métier, Haiti.
Catabois, in the countryside in northwest Haiti like Poste
Métier, is home to Bruce Robinson, a civil engineer who
has lived in Haiti as a missionary for more than 20 years.
Robinson and Hoyt’s godfather, who went on the trip (as did
Hoyt’s father, also a coach), are longtime friends. They
stayed in what Wright described as “a missionary team
home, sort of like a compound.”
Every morning, Hoyt and Wright got up at 7 a.m., had
breakfast, then rode to the camp in the bed of old pickup
trucks, mostly Toyotas, that Haitians call taps-taps. “They
call them tap-taps because you tap on the top when you
want to get off,” Hoyt said. At the camp, there would be a
devotional by the church’s Haitian pastor, then the boys were
fed breakfast. The church and school are in the same
courtyard, and there’s a field there and a larger field five
minutes down the road.
We would split into two groups, and we would hold
scrimmages at the closer field and drills at the other field,
then after lunch we would switch,” Hoyt said. “The camp
would go until about 3 o’clock, then we’d ride back and have
down time – play cards or have Bible study – shower, hang
out, and have dinner at 6 p.m. Bruce’s wife is an amazing
cook, and she was feeding 22 of us. She can take anything
and make it taste good, even though in Haiti everything
comes in a can and there aren’t many condiments.”
Wright and Hoyt helped prepare lunches for the camp.
Every night before we went to bed, we made 22 peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch the next day,” said
Hoyt, adding with a laugh, “And every night when we were
halfway done, the dads would ask if we needed help.”
One thing they encountered where they stayed were
various insects and other animals. “The windows didn’t
have screens, and there were a lot of spiders and bugs
that kept crawling in, and one morning we woke up to
a chicken walking around inside the house. I didn’t sleep
very well,” Wright said. Plus, it was hot and humid.
As soon as you got out of the shower,” Hoyt said,
you were sweating again.”
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Those who helped with the camp took with them equipment,
including cleats, socks, jerseys, soccer balls, collapsible goals,
cones and goalie gloves, which they left there. Some of the
equipment had been donated by companies, including the
company for which Hoyt’s godfather works. Hoyt also held a
fundraiser at a California Pizza Kitchen restaurant in Virginia
Beach. “Everybody on the trip took two 50-pound duffel
bags, one of which was completely filled with equipment.
The other bag held about 20 pounds of personal belongings
and the rest was equipment,” Wright said. “Some of the
equipment had been donated by friends, and we had taken
donations of money and bought equipment at second hand
sporting goods stores.”
The shoes presented a problem for the Haitian youths, at
least initially. “Soccer, which is called futbol, is popular in
Haiti, and they usually play barefooted,” Hoyt said. “They
were grateful and excited about the cleats, but it took them
a while to adjust. Their touches were off at first.”
The two women were received well by local residents. “Little
kids came to know when we would be driving past, and they
would come out and wave at us,” Wright said. “Many of
them had never seen a white person before, and they would
keep yelling ‘blanc, blanc,’ which means white person.”
In traveling between where they stayed and the soccer camp,
they had to cross four bends of the same river, which was
not always possible by truck. “One day the water was high
after a tropical depression, and we had to wade across in all
four places,” Wright said. “In the morning they dropped us
off at the first river crossing and we had to walk the rest of
the way, about two and a half or three miles – and we were
wearing flip-flops. Plus, we didn’t have any water, and since
there are a lot of donkeys in Haiti, we had to keep avoiding
donkey manure. It was a long day. It was humbling, though,
because you realize these people do this walk every day.”
On their first day in Haiti, after landing in the nearby
countryside in a small plane, Hoyt and Wright were going to
cross a river in a boat, but rain had made the river rise. They
had to jump into a dump truck to get across the river. Also,
their bags didn’t show up for several days. “The whole trip
was very much an adventure,” Wright said. Added Hoyt,
There was a lot of improvisation.”
Returning to the United States, they said, involved as much
culture shock as going to Haiti. “We went to Pizza Hut,
Burger King and Starbucks – all in one sitting!” said Hoyt.
I don’t even like Burger King, but I did that night.”
Both women played travel and high school soccer, and Wright
played her freshman year at Longwood. They think that in
the eighth grade, before knowing each other, they might have
played together on the same summer league team. Hoyt is
treasurer for her sorority and the Student Government
Association. She is a member of the Order of Omega (Greek
honor society) and the Student Advisory Board for the
College of Business & Economics, a peer mentor and an
economics tutor. Wright is secretary of her sorority, vice
president of the junior class, an SGA senator, a peer mentor
and a junior marshal.
Both women, who plan to return to the camp next summer,
not only became close to the boys in the camp but also to
the boys’ younger sisters. “The best part of the experience
was getting close to the kids,” said Wright. “You really
cherish those relationships,” added Hoyt.
Together on the dusty road in Poste Métier, Haiti.
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Longwood students Madeline Hunter and Ollie Garland (front)
and (back, from left) Monica Ware, Jordan Hammelmann, AnnaLeah Chantry,
Brittany Dixon and Claire Turck.
Almost all Longwood University
students enroll in English 400,
a capstone writing seminar called
Active Citizenship, to complete
General Education requirements.
Last summer, for the first time,
eight Longwood students fulfilled
that requirement in an
international setting.
During the four-week program in Paris and La Rochelle, led
by Dr. Wade Edwards, associate professor of French, and
accompanied by Heather Mueller Edwards, lecturer in
French, the students also completed the intermediate level
of their foreign language requirement by studying French
under faculty at the University of La Rochelle. Although this
was the third consecutive summer that Longwood students
non-foreign language majors) studied French at the
University of La Rochelle, it was the first time the program
included a section of English 400. It also was the first time
English 400 has ever been offered abroad.
The past two years, the program featured, in addition to
French, an upper-level history course taught by Dr. Steven
Isaac, associate professor of history at Longwood. Isaac,
who launched the program, was unable to lead it this
summer because he was conducting research as a Fulbright
Scholar at the University of Poitiers, about an hour and
a half from La Rochelle.
The Longwood students, three of whom are history majors,
Active CitizenshipIn An International SettingKent Booty Associate Editor
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lived with host French families, took weekend side trips,
and kept a blog (http://larochellejuillet.wordpress.com/).
They received three credits for the English 400 and another
three credits for the French course. The program, which
invited students to focus on the function of language
in a democracy, was called English 400 in France:
Language and Identity.
As their host families and professors kept telling me all
summer, these students were extremely hardworking,” said
Edwards, who as a result of the trip is exploring possible
exchanges with the University of La Rochelle. “They were in
French class from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, and they
were in the English 400 class for about an hour after that
every day. Our theme, ‘Language and Identity,’ encouraged
them to investigate the role language plays in shaping
personal, political, national or gender identities. Because the
course met off-campus, the students approached the course
from a new angle – that of the cultural outsider. I wanted
them to learn, from the position of a foreigner, to negotiate
the various linguistic registers vital to public discourse in a
democracy: when to be assertive and when to be humble,
when to speak up and when to listen carefully.
English 400 (Active Citizenship in an Advanced Writing
Seminar) fulfills Goal 14 in the General Education program,
which is “to learn how to communicate effectively as an
active citizen leader and to participate in the written
discourse of civic life.”
La Rochelle is a welcoming, small town on the Atlantic
Ocean just north of the Cognac region in the middle of the
west coast,” said Edwards. “We left July 1 from Dulles
Airport and returned July 28. It was a good time to be in
France. La Rochelle is a popular vacation spot, and there was
a film festival under way when we arrived. Throughout the
month we enjoyed a week-long music festival in the town,
the World Cup (soccer tournament) and the Tour de France,
and we were there for the French national holiday, July 14).
We took excursions every Saturday. We went to an island
next door, the Ile de Ré, where (actor) Johnny Depp
has a house, and saw how locals raise oysters and cultivate
salt from the salt marshes, and we visited a lighthouse.
Another Saturday we floated on gondolas in an area of
marshland in the country called the Marais Poitevin, also
called the ‘Green Venice,’ that has canals dug out by monks
in the 11th century. After the French courses ended, we
spent three days exploring Paris.”
Edwards said that one of the trip’s highlights occurred
on Bastille Day when the man from whom he and his
wife rented an apartment opened and shared a bottle of
cognac from 1920. “Our host’s grandfather used to work in
the cognac industry years ago. Every Christmas he would
present a bottle to his sister as a gift. Since she didn’t drink
cognac, she simply stored it in her cellar. Years later when
she died, our host’s family discovered several bottles of lovely
90-year-old cognac, which he generously shared with us.
I was touched that someone we just met would share
something so dear.”
Edwards also said he was fortunate to “bump into” Isaac
a few times. “He met us at the train station when we arrived
and gave us and the students a history-laded orientation
to the town of La Rochelle, which he’s been studying for
a while. He was a great resource to use. In a sense,
he was our anchor.”
We took excursions every Saturday. We went to an island next door,
the Ile de Ré, where (actor) Johnny Depp has a house, and saw how
locals raise oysters and cultivate salt from the salt marshes, and we
visited a lighthouse. Another Saturday we floated on gondolas in an
area of marshland in the country called the Marais Poitevin,
also called the ‘Green Venice,’ that has canals dug out by monks
in the 11th century. After the French courses ended, we spent
three days exploring Paris.” – Dr. Wade Edwards
“
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19
Cheryl Davis, senior lecturer of
business education and computer
information management systems
at Longwood University, has been
selected the 2010 Outstanding
Collegiate Teacher of the Year
by the Southern Business
Education Association (SBEA).
Davis received the award Oct. 22 during the SBEA’s annual
convention in Charleston, S.C. The SBEA, an affiliate of
the National Business Education Association (NBEA),
represents more than 3,000 business educators from 12
states. As the regional collegiate teacher of the year, Davis is
a candidate for the national collegiate teacher of the year
award, which will be announced at the NBEA annual
convention in April 2011.
The criteria for the award include contributions to business
education through teaching; participation in professional
organizations; involvement in other activities such as
departmental responsibilities, serving on committees;
and working with student organizations; and contributions
to business education through major articles, publications
and research activities.
Davis coordinates the concentration in business education,
her academic specialty. She received an M.S. in education
with a concentration in supervision at Longwood in 1996.
Before joining the Longwood faculty in 2001, she was a
business teacher at Appomattox County High School from
1993 to 2001 and at Denbigh High School in Newport
News High School from 1991 to 1993.
Ms. Davis clearly loves her profession,” said Dr. Paul Barrett,
dean of the College of Business & Economics. “It shows in
everything she does with and for her students. Her students
are particularly drawn to her ability to understand where they
are and how they need to learn. No two students are alike,
and Ms. Davis has a keen understanding of this principle and
finds ways to communicate so that each student feels like they
are the only one in the classroom.”
Davis is currently serving as the college and university
representative on the Executive Board of the VBEA, and
she presents annually at the VBEA conference. She is
faculty adviser for Phi Beta Lambda, a student business
organization; co-director of the Educational Division of the
SNVC Institute for Leadership at Longwood; co-director of
the Longwood Region of the Future Business Leaders of
America (FBLA); and a member of Phi Kappa Phi national
honor society and Delta Sigma Pi international business
fraternity. She serves on numerous departmental and
university committees and is a consultant for the
Cumberland County Public Schools Foundation.
Although Longwood is one of 13 Virginia colleges or
universities approved by the Virginia Department of
Education to offer business education, Davis is currently
the only instructor in Virginia certified by the National
Association for Business Teacher Education to teach the
NBEA online methods course.
Cheryl Davis HonoredKent Booty Associate Editor
Cheryl Davis, ’96
“
20
Longwood University’s graduate
program in Communication Sciences
and Disorders (CSDS) has earned
accreditation from the American
Speech-Language Hearing Association
(ASHA). Founded in 1925, ASHA
is the professional, scientific, and
credentialing association for 140,000
members and affiliates who are
audiologists, speech-language
pathologists and speech, language,
and hearing scientists.
Longwood’s CSDS graduate program is the sixth program in
the Commonwealth of Virginia to earn ASHA accreditation.
In 2005, Longwood’s Board of Visitors approved the
proposal for the CSDS graduate program. Since that time,
the program has awarded graduate degrees to 28 students
and 43 are currently enrolled (including nine out-of-state
students and one international student). The graduate
program has also promoted growth of the undergraduate
program – from five students in 2005 to 100 students in
2010. In addition, more than 200 students enroll annually
in Longwood’s online speech-language courses in order to
complete prerequisites that are needed prior to beginning
graduate coursework.
Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, professor of Communication
Sciences and Disorders and director of the Longwood Center
for Communication, Literacy and Learning, said, “The
faculty has worked hard to ensure that the program meets
the rigorous academic and clinical standards for
Pictured (from left) are: Michele Norman, Peggy Agee, Gayle Daly, Wendy Pulliam, Lissa Power-deFur,
Shannon Salley, and Theresa Clark.
Longwood’s CSDS GraduateProgram Earns ASHA AccreditationGina Caldwell Associate Editor
21
“
accreditation. Students must meet more than 120 standards
prior to graduation. We are proud to report that in addition
to our graduates successfully meeting these standards, 100
percent of our graduates have passed the national
certification examination and have become employed
immediately upon graduation. Currently, our graduates are
working in public schools, hospitals, nursing facilities, and
with home health providers throughout Virginia and the
East Coast.”
A celebration dinner was held in October with guests
including Longwood President Patrick Finnegan; Dr. Judy
Johnson, associate professor emerita of kinesiology, Board
of Visitors Distinguished Professor, and current chair of the
CSDS Advisory Committee; Valerie St. John ‘97 of the
Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV);
and Dr. Daniel Halling, of the Council
of Academic Accreditation for ASHA.
Program change and program growth –
resulting in accreditation in just five
years – doesn’t just happen,” said
Finnegan. “It is not automatic. Instead,
it requires a combination of leadership
and teamwork, both of which have been
very evident in conceiving, developing,
and implementing this quality program.”
Valerie H. St. John received her bachelor of science in
speech-language pathology and audiology from Longwood
in 1997 and her master of science in communication
disorders from James Madison University in 1999.
She serves as vice president for continuing education on
SHAV’s executive board and is employed by Blue Ridge
Therapy Associates in Lynchburg.
The majority of Southside Virginia is rural in nature,”
said St. John. “As is the case in most rural areas, it is difficult
to entice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to work in
those settings, unless the SLP is originally from that area.
Accreditation of the CSDS program at Longwood will now
provide opportunities for more graduates to return to the
rural areas of Southside Virginia to fill the need that exists
there for qualified SLPs.”
Tara Boyle, who earned her bachelor of science in CSDS in
2009 and will receive her master’s degree in 2011, said,
The expertise that the CSDS faculty members have imparted
on me, in so many different areas, will remain with me
throughout my career. My clinical experiences have given me
the foundational skills to forge head-on into any job setting.
The high level of professionalism and ethics that they have
passed on to the students will forever be imprinted on our
lives. However, the most important thing that they
reinforced throughout the CSDS journey is the
understanding that we are never finished learning.”
Martha Battles, who earned her master of science degree in
2010, said, “The education and clinical experience I received
from Longwood’s CSDS graduate program provided me
with a comprehensive knowledge base and developed my
critical thinking skills. Upon graduation from Longwood’s
CSDS graduate program, I was not only competent but also
confident in myself and prepared for any challenge I may
encounter.”
Judy Johnson served as a faculty member and administrator
in the College of Education and Human Services for 33
years. In her introductory remarks at the dinner, she said,
I have never been associated with a more hard working
group, or with a group more committed to their profession
and belief in the value of its services. The professional
expertise of these individuals is recognized throughout the
Commonwealth and across the nation. They are devoted
to Longwood and its students. They are positive,
professional and ethical. The word ‘quit’ is not in their
vocabulary and they maintain a positive, optimistic attitude
regardless of the situation.”
“
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“
Upon graduation from Longwood’s CSDS graduate
program, I was not only competent but also
confident in myself and prepared for any challenge
I may encounter.” – Martha Battles, ’10
“
22
Longwood’s Design LabKent Booty Associate Editor
“
Longwood University’s graphic design
program now includes what has been
called a “student-run design agency.”
The Design Lab, a class offered both semesters, provides
students with experience in working on design projects
for clients. This began in spring semester 2010 with eight
students who did about a half-dozen jobs. In the fall
semester the lab had 10 students, five of whom
participated in the spring, who worked on about
15 jobs. Although it’s open to students from any
major who range from second-semester sophomores
to first-semester seniors, students have to be apply
and be accepted. The work is done pro bono.
The lab is about students having a professional experience
and learning about design in a way different from how they
would normally learn in a class,” said Wade Lough, assistant
professor of graphic design, who coordinates the lab along
with Chris Register, professor of art.
Wade and I tag-team as advisers,” Register said. “In a design
agency, we would be the principals. We primarily drum up
the business, and the students serve in a capacity like
employees. All have different jobs to do, and they’re not
always doing the same thing. They work in teams. It’s a
collaborative effort, as if we were a company.”
Students in the Design Lab meet twice a week for two
hours each, receive three credits and follow a syllabus, like
in a regular studio class. However, Lough and Register say
the lab is different from a class.
It’s more than a class, and it gives them something
they wouldn’t get in a class,” said Lough. “We don’t think
of it as a class. It’s a different dynamic than going into
a classroom. The students learn not only about design
but also about meeting tight deadlines and how to work
with clients, especially how to listen to clients, which
is important.”
In the lab,” Register said, “the students are all working in the
same direction, whereas in a class they work on individual
projects. It’s a collaboration they wouldn’t
normally get in an art program.
A design lab like this is
not common at the
undergraduate level.”
Among the jobs
that Design Lab
students did last spring
were a security brochure for the Longwood Police
Department, the “identity” and a logo for the Moton
Museum celebration “Our Schools, Our Vision”
(by students Erica May and Kaitlyn Smith), a web site
for the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (Franki Starr,
Jennifer Bapties and Berk Dunbrack), and a poster
announcing the Farmville Tree Board’s annual Arbor
Day photo contest (Jessica Cox and Emily Staskiel).
Jobs this semester include a logo for the Southside
SPCA and the poster for Longwood’s Simkins
Lecture Series.
“
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23
A surprising number of clients have come from off-campus.
We thought most of the jobs at first would be for the art
department and elsewhere on campus, but many have been
from the community,” Register said. “It’s been shockingly
successful from the very beginning.”
I think the work (load) will explode,” Lough said. “We may
end up with too many jobs, which would be exciting. We
want students to compete not only for jobs on-campus and
in the community but also for national jobs, which they’ve
already done. Last spring they applied to design a new logo
for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’
Commission on Colleges. Very soon Chris and I expect the
students of Design Lab to participate in national
undergraduate research projects in design.”
The composition of the fall semester’s class was perfect,
Register said. “Half were veterans and half were rookies.
It worked out well that we had five of each, which allowed
us to pair up one with the other. Students who re-apply also
have to be accepted, like with first-time students. We were
especially selective in the spring. We want students to be
proud they were accepted and are in it, and we want that
pride to be engendered in other students so they’ll want
to be in it.”
The students are provided guidance. “It’s not as if we’re
throwing them in the pool and watching them flounder,”
Lough said. “We try to match the students’ strengths to a
particular job. Often the more experienced students
collaborate with less experienced students and help them
raise the bar on their design. Also, Chris and I serve as a
firewall of protection between the client and the students,
which works both ways. We also ensure that the students
stay on schedule with clients.”
Graphic design is the most popular concentration in the
Department of Art, accounting for about half of the
department’s 165 majors, including some 25 of the 49
incoming art majors. The graphic design program graduates
about 25 students a year.
Appropriately, Design Lab students designed their own logo,
which appears on a T-shirt. The logo, which features the
words “design lab” in a style called jumble letters and a
graphic that Lough jokingly called a “test tube pencil,” was
designed by Dane Summerell and Lindsay Scott and refined
by Jessica Cox. “I think the logo captures the sense that a lab
is a place for exploration and experimentation,” Lough said.
When I interviewed for my teaching position, Dr. Chuck
Ross (dean of the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences)
and I had a good discussion about the necessity of under-
graduate research,” said Lough. “That discussion was one
of the biggest reasons I came to Longwood. When Chris
and I imagined Design Lab, we went to Dr. Ross, and he
made our enterprise possible.
The lab will show the students that they can compete on
a level with other design programs at larger schools. I think
it will have a profound effect on the culture of the design
program here. We want students to realize that just because
Longwood is located in a small town doesn’t mean they can’t
do work as good as, let’s say, students at VCU.”
“
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“
“
In the lab the students are all working in the same direction,
whereas in a class they work on individual projects. It’s a collaboration
they wouldn’t normally get in an art program. A design lab like this
is not common at the undergraduate level.” – Christopher Register
“
Design Lab take on the assignment. “The Design Lab
is a student-run design agency that provides students
with experience in working on design projects for clients.
The work is done pro bono, and since the SPCA strives to
stretch every donated dollar, it was a good match,” he said.
The Design Lab students who developed the logo, Erica
May (Warrenton, Va.) and Kyle Fowlkes (Middleton, Va.),
started by researching other logos of animal shelters, and
exploring the unique aspects of the Southside SPCA which
is a no-kill shelter serving 12 counties in Southside Virginia.
The student designers, both graphic art majors, presented
four different designs to the SPCA board, which chose
a design that plays off of the “S” in “South” and “Side.”
Creating the logo for the SSPCA feels great. I love helping
the shelter grow and doing something for a cause I care so
much about,” said May after the presentation. Fowlkes
added, “I signed up for Design Lab to gain real world
experience with actual clients and it has been great.
I really enjoyed the experience of pitching our ideas
to the SPCA board.”
Southside SPCA board president Dave Evans commented,
I like how the new logo looks professional and very sharp.
We are thankful for the excellent logo created by the
Design Lab students for the Southside SPCA.”
24
For 35 years, the Southside SPCA has
been finding homes and caring for the
homeless dogs and cats of Southside
Virginia, but until last month they
didn’t have a logo.
The students in Longwood’s Design Lab were put to work
to solve this problem, and now the Southside SPCA has
a unique and professional logo.
The Southside SPCA has had many exciting changes over
the last few years – new buildings, new staff, increased
adoptions, and now a wonderful new logo,” said Dr. Helen
Warriner-Burke, ’56, SPCA board member and former
rector of Longwood’s Board of Visitors.
We had a strategic planning meeting this summer and
identified the need for a logo that will help us grow to the
next level,” added board member Dr. Mark Fink, a biology
professor at Longwood University.
Longwood art professor Christopher Register, who has
provided graphic design work for the SPCA for several years,
suggested that the students involved in Longwood’s new
Longwood’sDesign Lab CreatesNew Logo forSouthside SPCAKatie Register Contributor
For more information about the SSPCA, visit www.southsidespca.org
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It is now a top-notch, first-class facility in every way,”
Hooper said. “All of the lighting systems are new, and the
sound system is new. The finishes in the building have
remained but have been cleaned up and painted over. In
essence, the building has gotten a paint job and a face-lift.
The acoustical engineers tell me that the auditorium can be
tuned to different performances, and, due to having
oversized ductwork, which reduces velocity, there will be
almost no noise through the mechanical systems.”
Jarman was opened as an auditorium and music building in
the fall of 1951. It is used for special events, theatrical and
music productions, public lectures and other activities.
Due to the renovation, there are now 1,049 seats in the
auditorium, whereas before there were 1,065. The mainstage
theatre for Longwood Theatre productions, the box office,
and the Department of Communication Studies and
Theatre, formerly in Jarman, are now in the Center for
Communication Studies and Theatre.
Jarman Hall is not just essential to the Longwood
community, but it is also essential to our friends in
Farmville,” President Finnegan said just before he and others
cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the building. “Not only
will we once again be able to host our Chamber Music
Series, student lectures and guest performers in this
impressive new auditorium, but the local area will also
be able to use it once again for graduations, dance recitals
and children’s theatre productions.”
25
Jarman Hall, Longwood University’s
main performance venue for nearly six
decades, officially re-opened Oct. 7
following an extensive renovation.
The renovation has significantly improved the capabilities
and aesthetics of the facility. New lighting and sound fixtures
have been added, interior finishes have been spruced up, and
all of the mechanical and electrical systems, including the
HVAC system, are new. Outside the building there are new
urns, plantings and brick walkways and a new bus pull-off
on High Street. The front façade has expanded glass panels,
letting more light into the lobby, and a rear façade has been
added with pilasters and a cornice, made of glass-fiber
reinforced concrete, that mimic those on the front.
The auditorium, which was painted, now has 14 acoustical
curtains lining the perimeter, which can be moved to control
acoustics. The curtains are uplighted by scallop-shaped
sconce lights mounted on the curtain pocket columns.
New features in the auditorium include carpeting, custom
wood around the stage, a control console in the rear of the
auditorium for controlling lighting and sound, and a
forestage reflector in the ceiling in front of the stage.
Work on the project began in late September 2009.
The general contractor was C.L. Lewis & Company Inc.
of Lynchburg. Kim Bass of Longwood’s Capital Planning
& Construction was the project manager for the university,
and Kevin Hooper was project manager for C.L. Lewis.
Jarman Hall RenovatedKent Booty Associate Editor
Jarman Hall recently underwent an extensive renovation.
“
“
26
Longwood University’s main campus
and a nearby complex of university-
managed apartments and athletic fields
on the north side of U.S. 460 (West
Third Street) are now linked in a way
that is safer, more direct and more
visually appealing.
Indeed, The Lancer Park Bridges consist of a pedestrian
bridge spanning Third Street and, about 200 yards west,
a vehicular bridge that crosses over a former railroad bed
just before the new entrance into Lancer Park, home to
258 students and fields used by Campus Recreation.
The bridges, which officially opened Sept. 9, are connected
by a walkway on the north side of Third Street. Lancer Park,
Longwood’s first apartment community, is six-tenths
of a mile from campus.
Our students have embraced Lancer Park as a terrific
residence – truly their ‘home away from home,’” said
President Patrick Finnegan before he and others cut a ribbon
opening the bridges. “However, the challenge has been how
to tie this wonderful residential and recreational option,
what is really a new ‘north’ campus, to main campus and
make sure our students feel connected.
Through these two bridges, we have provided a solution.
Not only have we provided a safe way for our students
to travel back and forth, but we have also provided a
welcoming party for those who want to travel to Lancer Park
to socialize, study, play sports with their friends, or live.
By adding these bridges, we open up this location to even
more opportunities, including academic and research activity
in the future.”
Until the bridges were finished, the entrance to Lancer Park
was atop a steep hill on Grace Street, reached only from
Appomattox Street (between the Farmville Train Station
and Buffalo Shook, a plant that manufactures wood-related
products), which leads to Grace Street. The entrance from
Grace Street has been closed, except for emergency vehicles.
Lancer Park NowConnected To CampusKent Booty Associate Editor
A series of elegant bridges now connect Lancer Park to Longwood’s main campus.
“
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27
I have seen more Lancer Park residents riding bikes and
walking to and from campus than I have ever seen in my
entire college career,” said senior Ben Brittain, SGA president
and a second-year Lancer Park resident. “Before, they had to
trudge up ‘Mount Everest.’ Because of that hill, there were few
bike riders. This has literally bridged the gap between Lancer
Park and main campus. Also, more students are using the
athletic fields, including new students, and studies show that
students who are more involved are more successful.
This is much safer. Before, to get from Lancer Park to
campus, you had to walk on two roads with no sidewalks,
cross a four-lane road with cars and tractor-trailers traveling
40 miles per hour, and cross two more intersections before
arriving on campus. Now, you can just stroll over that four-
lane road.”
This represents the pulling together of the two campuses,”
said Otis Brown, vice rector of the Longwood Board of
Visitors and a member of the Longwood Real Estate
Foundation. “These are bridges not just for students to
walk across but a way in which the two campuses can
come together.”
Ken Copeland, executive director of the Longwood Real
Estate Foundation, said that more students, Lancer Park
residents as well as non-residents, are now using the Lancer
Park ballfields, which opened in 2009 and include a softball
field and an artificial surface, multi-purpose athletic field.
The walkway between the two bridges, which roughly
parallels Third Street, “ties them together in an aesthetic
and efficient way,” he said.
The new entrance into Lancer Park is from Third Street
just east of the driveway for B&G Auto. The vehicular
bridge, immediately in front of the entrance, spans a former
Norfolk Southern Railway bed that is now part of High
Bridge Trail State Park. The project would not have been
possible had Norfolk Southern not deeded the land to the
Commonwealth of Virginia in June 2007, part of 31 miles
of rail that it donated for the “rails to trails” park. The two-
lane bridge has a pedestrian sidewalk on the east side and
a deceleration lane for west-bound traffic going from
Third Street into Lancer Park.
The street leading into Lancer Park was named Cormier
Drive by the Longwood Real Estate Foundation in May
and was approved by Farmville Town Council in June.
The naming honors Longwood’s recently retired president,
Dr. Patricia Cormier.
On the Longwood side of Third Street, the pedestrian bridge
empties onto Grove Street near Buffalo Street, providing a
more direct route to and from campus. “It’s a straight shot to
campus from Grove Street,” Copeland said. “We’ve taken
a lot of twists and turns out of that walk.”
The pedestrian bridge has a built-in handrail on both
sides, is about 10 feet wide and at least four feet high on
the sides, and is slightly taller in the middle than on the
ends, due to the arch. To meet the Virginia Department
of Transportation’s standards of minimum height clearance,
some 20 feet of elevation had to be achieved along the
pedestrian walkway as it extends east, toward downtown
Farmville, from the opening of the vehicular bridge onto
the pedestrian bridge. It was achieved by adding to a bank
that already existed.
Work on the project was done by English Construction Co.
Inc. of Lynchburg. The bulk of the $4.125 million project
was financed through savings from the low interest rate
on a bond consolidation of all three Longwood-managed
apartment communities that the Longwood Real Estate
Foundation negotiated in December 2007.
Lancer Park, originally called Stanley Park, was built in
three sections between 1999 and 2003. It consists
of 30 four-bedroom townhouses, two buildings with
12 two-bedroom apartments each, and two buildings with
four-bedroom apartments each. The Longwood Real Estate
Foundation bought the complex in August 2005, and it
has been managed by Longwood, through the Office of
Residential and Commuter Life, since fall 2006.
“
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“
Our students have embraced Lancer Park as a terrific residence –
truly their ‘home away from home. However, the challenge has been
how to tie this wonderful residential and recreational option,
what is really a new ‘north’ campus, to main campus and make sure
our students feel connected.” – Patrick Finnegan
“
28
In 1865, as General Robert E. Lee and his troops retreated
from advancing Federal forces through Farmville, a skirmish ensued
on High Street alongside Longwood University (then Farmville Female College).
One historic account states, “Minié balls fell about the building (Ruffner Hall) –
one crashed through a window where several girls were standing and when
they had recovered from their panic, their friends in gray had vanished
like the phantom of a dream.”
From: Longwood College, A History,by Rosemary Sprague, formerAssociate Professor of English
Longwood Launches Civil WarSesquicentennial Podcast
That a Nation Might LiveDennis Sercombe Editor
Nation-Might-Live/149017591809149 and can be found on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/civilwarweeks. All of these sites
welcome comments and discussion. The episodes will soon
be available through iTunes, too.
Conceived of and developed by Dr. Chuck Ross, dean of
the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences at Longwood
University, and Dr. David Coles, professor of history, the
series offers a unique glimpse in time at the momentous
events that shaped the nation – and it provides a tremendous
learning opportunity for history students of all ages,
especially those at Longwood.
Given the importance of Farmville and Southside Virginia
in Civil War history, this is a natural fit for us and should
complement the many other sesquicentennial events
planned around the state and the nation,” said Ross.
We are especially excited that this project will be largely
researched, written and produced by students since
undergraduate research is such an important part of what
we do at Longwood.”
The Civil War Sesquicentennial is a national historic
reflection on how the very existence of the United States was
tested far beyond the imagination of our founding fathers.
As President Abraham Lincoln stated so eloquently at
Gettysburg in 1863, “Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived
and so dedicated, can long endure.”
29
Today, as Virginia approaches the Civil War
Sesquicentennial, it is both fitting and proper that
Longwood University commemorate this historic occasion
with the launch of a unique online podcast series. “That a
NationMight Live,” online at http://civilwar150.longwood.edu,
commemorates the issues, people and events leading up to
and during the Civil War, telling the epic story as it
happened 150 years ago, one week at a time.
A podcast is a series of audio recordings released episodically
that can be played directly from a website or downloaded
automatically and synched to portable digital audio players
like iPods. “That a Nation Might Live” posts a new episode
(two-to-four minutes) every week, turning the calendar back
150 years and reporting the week’s key developments in the
run up to and during the war.
Several episodes have already been posted, providing insight
to the causes of the Civil War, the politics dividing the
nation and the conditions leading to the election of
Abraham Lincoln as the nation’s 16th president. Future
episodes, week- by-week through 2015, will chronicle
secession and rebellion, Fort Sumter, the raising of armies,
the politics of war, emancipation, key decisions and battles,
Appomattox and the conflict’s impact on the nation.
In addition to its home site, “That a Nation Might Live” has
a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/That-a-
We are especially excited that this project will be largely researched,
written and produced by students since undergraduate research is such
an important part of what we do at Longwood.” – Dr. Charles Ross
“
“
Follow the story, week-by-week, with podcasts from Longwood University’s
That a Nation Might Live” online at http://civilwar150.longwood.edu
on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/That-a-Nation-Might-
Live/149017591809149 and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/civilwarweeks
“
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30
Members of the Cormier Honors College for Citizen Scholars visited
Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park recently, scene of the last major battle
of the Civil War, 72 hours before Lee’s surrender on April 12 at Appomattox.
The scholars were led by Dr. Geoff Orth, director of the Cormier Honors
College, and Dr. David Coles, professor of history, who gave some background
on the significance of the battle Longwood graduate Chris Calkins, ’81,
director of the park, did a presentation for the students and showed them
around the grounds, which include a new Visitor’s Center. Calkins,
a 34-year veteran of the National Park Service, was recently appointed
as the new director of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Park.
Pictured:
Cormier Scholars (top) gather under the trees alongside Hillsman House,
which served as a Union field hospital where wounded soldiers of both north
and south were treated. Chris Calkins, ’81, (below) discusses the battle.
The Last BattleCormier Scholars Visit Sailor’s Creek
Battlefield Historical State Park
Dennis Sercombe Editor
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Longwood University Athletics finished
ninth in the 2009-10 Virginia Sports
Information Directors (VaSID) Division I
All-Sport Championships, its highest finish
since beginning Division I competition
in 2007.
The Lancers completed the year with an overall record of
145-131-3 for an overall winning percentage of .525 percent
to earn the ninth-place ranking among the 14 Virginia
schools that compete at the Division I level – finishing ahead
of Radford, George Mason, Hampton, Norfolk State, and
VMI. Longwood enjoyed its finest year of intercollegiate
competition since 2003-04 (144-102-3, .584), which was
the first year of the four-year reclassification period toward
Division I.
I am proud to say that 2009-10 was a fantastic year for
Longwood Athletics,” said Director of Athletics Troy Austin.
The student-athletes, coaches, and staff work hard every day
to provide the University with a quality Division I program;
one that our alums and the community can rally behind.
The progress is exciting, and it provides us a great
springboard for our future. It is a great time to be a
Longwood Lancer!”
The spring portion of the year proved most successful
during 2009-10 as each of the five programs finished with
winning records, including baseball (28-20), women’s
lacrosse (10-8, 6-0 NLC), softball (36-16), men’s tennis
12-9), and women’s tennis (13-8). Four of the five teams,
with the exception of women’s lacrosse, enjoyed their best
campaigns as Division I programs. Softball attained its
fifth-highest win total ever, and its 20th overall winning
season in 30 years. Baseball earned its 29th overall 20-win
campaign and 22nd season with at least 25 wins, and now
has 29 winning seasons in 33 years. Men’s tennis equaled its
second-highest win total ever, and its 10th winning season
in 30 years, while women’s tennis posted its highest win total
since 2002-03, and its 21st winning season in 39 years of
accurate records. Women’s lacrosse won its second-straight
National Lacrosse Conference Tournament Championship
while enjoying its 21st winning effort in 39 years as well.
In addition, women’s golf won the Tina Barrett Invitational,
while the men’s golf team won the Lonnie Barton
Memorial Invitational.
Longwood Athletics has now displayed five consecutive years
of improvement in its overall success. Expect nothing less
during this 2010-11 campaign as the Lancers strive for an
even more successful year of competition.
Lancers Update
Lancers EarnHighest VaSIDAll-Sports RankingGreg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations
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Wells & Smith Athletes of the YearLongwood University Athletes of the Year for 2009-10 were softball pitcher
Briana Wells, ’11, from Romoland, California, and men’s basketball guard-forward
Dana Smith, ’10, from Woodbridge, Virginia. Wells was 27-7 with a 2.35 ERA
and 113 strikeouts for the Lancers (36-16). Smith, a two-time winner of the award,
averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for Longwood (12-19).
Briana Wells, ’11, and Dana Smith, ’10, are named Athletes of the Year 2009-10.
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Longwood University opened its 2010-11
intercollegiate athletics campaign August 22 with
The GAME (Greatest Athletics March Ever). The
Lancers played the University of Richmond from the
Atlantic 10 Conference in a women’s soccer match at
the Athletics Complex in Farmville. The highly
anticipated contest was played before a raucous and
record-crowd of over 1,300, though the Spiders won
1-0 with the lone goal scored in the 55th minute.
A picnic in the Longwood Dining Hall, a pep rally in
Willett Hall, and a march from campus up Fourth
Street and Longwood Avenue to the soccer facility on
Johnston Drive, took place prior to the opening kick.
During all my time here, including four years as
a student and now in my 17th year as head coach,
I have never seen anything like tonight in terms of
the Longwood spirit and experience,” said women’s
soccer head coach Todd Dyer ’93 afterward.
Beginning with the pep rally on campus and
continuing with the march to the stadium and
support throughout the game, tonight’s event was
such an amazing spectacle for our university and
community, and it truly created some Longwood
memories that will last a lifetime.”
The GAME was a collective effort among the
Athletics Department, the Office of First Year
Experience, and the Town of Farmville. It came
about after women’s soccer associate head coach
Steve Brdarski, First Year Experience assistant
director Stacey Wilkerson, and SGA president and
FYE coordinator Ben Brittain brainstormed for ideas
to incorporate athletics into New Lancer Days,
Longwood’s extended four-day orientation experience
for all new students leading up to the start of the fall
semester. New Lancer Days provided new students
an opportunity to meet new classmates, develop
friendships with upper-class student leaders, learn
about valuable resources available on campus, and
explore a variety of issues that they will undoubtedly
face during their time at Longwood.
The GAME (Greatest Athletics March Ever)Greg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations
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The Lancer men travel to Milwaukee to play Marquette
(December 4), Lexington to play VMI (Dec. 11), Newark, New
Jersey to play Seton Hall (Dec. 13), Albuquerque to play New
Mexico (Dec. 17), Boulder to play Colorado (Dec. 19), Las
Vegas for two games during the iBN Sports Las Vegas Classic
at the Orleans Arena (Dec. 22-23), Annapolis to play Navy
(January 4), Grand Forks, N.D. to play UND (Jan. 9),
Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech (Jan. 22), Hamilton, N.Y.
to play Colgate (February 2), Newark, N.J., again to play NJIT
(Feb. 5), College Park to play Maryland (Feb. 9), and Savannah,
Ga. to play Savannah State (Feb. 12).
The Lancer women travel to Richmond to play VCU (Dec. 18),
Fairfax to play George Mason (Dec. 22), Morehead, Kentucky
to play Morehead State (Jan. 2), Ithaca, N.Y., to play Cornell
(Jan. 9), Spartanburg, S.C., to play USC Upstate (Jan. 19),
Asheville, N.C., to play UNC Asheville (Jan. 24), College Park
to play Maryland (Jan. 30), Rock Hill, South Carolina to play
Winthrop (Feb. 5), Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech (Feb. 10),
Savannah, Ga., to play Savannah State (Feb. 13), Bakersfield,
Calif., to play CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 19), Boiling Springs, N.C.,
to play Gardner-Webb (Feb. 23), and Fort Myers, Fla., for a
tournament hosted by Florida Gulf Coast.
In addition, spring is right around the corner ... be sure to check
our website for schedules to include Longwood baseball, softball,
women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, as well as men’s and
women’s tennis. An early heads-up for baseball has the Lancers
playing VCU at The Diamond in Richmond on March 9
at 3 p.m., along with a game at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg
on March 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Longwood Basketball In A City Near YouGreg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations
Longwood University men’s and women’s basketball opened their respective 2010-11 campaigns
November 12. The men opened at the University of Kansas against the Jayhawks, a perennial
top-20 program, while the women hosted the Lancer Classic Nov. 12-13 with games against both
Campbell and Marshall. In addition to 27 home games between the two programs, easily accessible
at www.longwoodlancers.com, it’s likely that you can find a contest in a city near you this season.
Enthusiastic Longwood Lancer fans are set to enjoy another outstanding Basketball Season.
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Lancers Off To A Great Start ...
Winning the Right WayAs a Longwood Lancers fan, your support is crucial to the success
of our programs and student-athletes. The NCAA prohibits specific
activities between individuals who are representatives of our athletic
programs and our prospective and current student-athletes. If you are
a member of the Longwood University faculty, staff, alumni, or Lancer
Club, or have donated to, or been otherwise involved with Longwood
Athletics, you are a representative of our athletic programs. Please help
ensure the eligibility of our prospective and current student-athletes.
Visit www.longwoodlancers.com and click on NCAA Compliance link
to learn how you can be involved with Longwood Athletics
in the right way.
We thank you for your continued support.
For more information please contact:
Nick Schroeder
Director of Compliance
434.395.2417
Lancers Web
For all of the latest newsand information concerningLongwood Athletics,please visit ourre-designed website atwww.longwoodlancers.com.
Longwood University Athletics is well on its way toward a successful
2010-11 campaign as the fall sports seasons approached completion in
late October. The men’s golf team jump-started the year with a 54-hole
score of 290-285-300 – 875 to easily win the team title among nine
teams at its own Manor Intercollegiate, September 13-14, at The Manor
Resort Golf Club in Farmville. The Lancers took a 29-shot advantage
over second-place High Point University (904), while junior Ross
Sumner (Callao) claimed individual medalist honors with his outstanding
two-under par score of 70-71-73--214, among the field of 56.
It’s great for us to start the year with a win,” said 14th-year head
coach Kevin Fillman. “We did a lot of good work on day one, which
put us in a very good position going into the final round. I’m really
pleased for Ross to earn his first medal. He handled the situation
extremely well, especially since it’s the first time he’d ever had the
chance to win a college tournament.”
The men’s golf team had finished third in each of its other two
tournaments this fall, led by senior standout Michael Young|Oakville,
Ontario with three top-three individual efforts and his impressive
71.67 average that was on pace toward a new school record.
The women’s golf team had one top-five team effort, led by freshman
standout Amanda Steinhagen (Oak Hill) and her 76.67 average with
two top-20 individual finishes. Steinhagen was among the August 30
edition of Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Faces in the Crowd,”
recognized for her winning back-to-back Virginia State Golf
Association (VSGA) tournament titles within five days this past
summer. She won the 85th VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at
the Glenmore Country Club in Keswick on July 9, and followed that
winning formula with her second victory in less than a week by
winning the 41st VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship at the Indian
Creek Yacht & Country Club in Kilmarnock on July 14.
The women’s soccer team took a record of 10-6 into the final three
matches of the season, including an eight-match winning streak at
home with only Senior Day remaining and scheduled for October 31.
Coach Dyer (185-110-16) had led the Lancers to their 12th overall
10-win season in the 17-year history of the program while assuring
their fifth consecutive winning campaign, and 14th overall since the
team began competition in 1994. Longwood was being led by super
sophomore Lindsey Ottavio (Fairfax) who had already tied the school-
record for season goals with 16 (Tina Tsironis, 1995; Tiffany
Gruschow, 2002). Ottavio was tied for third in Division I goals
through Oct. 17, and tied for fourth nationally in points (33).
There’s still plenty of work to be done, but our success up to this point in
the season can be credited to a fantastic bunch of student-athletes who
work very hard and really pull together on and off of the field,” said Dyer.
I’ve coached some talented players and teams in the past, but this team is
truly special in the love and respect they share for each other, along with
their commitment to represent the women’s soccer program and this
university in the most positive manner at all times.” – G.P.
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Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88, started working
for Longwood Dining Services as a junior in
the fall of 1986. “I restocked the salad bar
in the Rotunda Market, a fast-food location
downtstairs in Blackwell Dining Hall,”
she said.
She still works for Longwood’s dining services provider,
ARAMARK, but is responsible for much more than fresh
croutons and cucumbers in one dining hall. As regional vice
president for the Southeast Region for ARAMARK Higher
Education, Thornton oversees the dining service and
facilities service operations at 60 colleges and universities
in four states. Eight district managers and one vice president
of operations report directly to Thornton, who has been
Longwood’s dining service director and has held two
regional administrative positions and one nationwide
position in her career with ARAMARK.
I have a lot of responsibility, but I have very good people
working for me,” said Thornton, who began this position
Aug. 13, 2010 and whose office is in Cary, N.C. “Most of
my accounts (schools) are in North Carolina and South
Carolina, and I also have one in Tennessee and one in
Georgia. I spend about 75 percent of my time on the road
visiting accounts. The last two years I had a functional job,
which involves supporting our operations in such areas as
HR, marketing and finance, but not an operational one,
which this is. I like the operational aspect of the business.”
Before beginning her current job, Thornton was vice
president of compliance for ARAMARK Higher Education
and was responsible for the entire country. In that position,
she had an office at corporate headquarters in Philadelphia
and another office on the Longwood campus. Even after
leaving her job as Longwood dining service director, she
continued to work out of an office at Longwood for her
next two positions.
Those positions were vice president of operations for the
Mid-Atlantic Region (responsible for Virginia and Ohio)
and, before that, district manager (covering Virginia and
North Carolina). Thornton was Longwood dining service
director for five and a half years from 1993 to 1998.
Thornton, a native of Rockland County, N.Y., near New
York City, majored in political science and was a member
of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at Longwood. She also met
Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88Vice President for ARAMARKKent Booty Associate Editor
Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88
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in Mecklenburg County, Va. Although they met when she
was a freshman and he was a senior, they didn’t start dating
until her senior year, after he had returned to Longwood
to become certified to teach.
Even as a Longwood student worker, Mary Thornton, then
Mary Larkin, moved up the ladder. She was promoted to a
student manager position in January 1987. “I was a student
manager when the Rotunda Market re-opened that spring
after being renovated. The other student managers and
I supervised the 250 or so student employees.”
After graduating, she was manager of the Rotunda Market
for a year and a half. Then she left the company, moved
back home to New York and worked briefly in marketing
for a wholesale bakery in New York City. In her first
position after returning to ARAMARK in 1991, a month
after getting married, she was district manager for Virginia
and also managed one of the faculty and staff dining rooms
at Virginia Commonwealth University, also an ARAMARK
school. Even though she “moved up the retail ladder” at
VCU, she retained the marketing part of that position.
Why has she been successful? “I have a lot of passion for
what we do. I like being in the higher education marketplace.
Even though we’re not in the classroom, I feel like we’re part
of the overall academic experience and that we can impact
the future generation of leaders. I like being on college
campuses and interacting with college administrators.
When I visit accounts, I like to interact with student
employees. What also has helped my success is the solid
educational foundation I received at Longwood and the
high expectations of Longwood Dining Services.”
Thornton and her husband, formerly the Cumberland
County school superintendent, live in Clarksville, Va.,
with their 17-year-old son, Sean, a senior at Cumberland
County High School, and 13-year-old daughter, Kelsey,
who attends Bluestone Middle School in Mecklenburg
County. The family had lived in Farmville, a short block
from the Longwood campus, until Jim Thornton began his
position in Mecklenburg County on July 1. He had been
with the Cumberland schools for 19 years, the last six as
superintendent. He presented a Sankofa Lecture in
Longwood’s College of Education and Human Services
in October 2008.
Longwood ChallengeA Tremendous SuccessLast spring, David, '81, and Patricia Whitehurst
Crute,‘80, and Will and Colleen McCrink
Margiloff, '97, challenged alumni and friends
to become new donors to Longwood University.
The two couples challenged that if Longwood
received 250 gifts from new donors during
May and June, Will, Colleen, David, and
Patricia would collectively contribute $40,000
to the Longwood Fund. The Crutes and the
Margiloffs are firm believers that every gift
makes a difference at Longwood, and they
wanted to spread their enthusiasm and message
across all groups of potential supporters. With
their support and the Longwood Challenge,
307 gifts from new donors were received
during May and June – making the Longwood
Challenge a great success.
Will and Tricia live in Chesapeake and their son,
Patrick, is a 2010 graduate of Longwood. Tricia
currently serves on the Alumni Board. Will and
Colleen live in New York, New York. They have
three children and Colleen currently serves as the
vice president of the Alumni Board.
Everyone at Longwood University is appreciative
not only of the Crutes and the Margiloffs for
offering such a generous Challenge, but
also of every donor who helped make this
Challenge a success. Thank you to everyone
involved. – C.G.M.
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Celebrate Founders Month With The FinnegansWe will celebrate Founders Month this March with four events to be held
throughout Virginia. Please join alumni, family and friends for one of these events
to commemorate Longwood’s founding on March 5, 1839. President Finnegan
will talk about Longwood’s past, present and future.
Richmond: Independence Golf Club, March 16
Fredericksburg: Renato’s Italian Restaurant, March 17
Hampton Roads: Greenbrier Country Club, March 22
Farmville: Longwood’s Center for Communication Studies & Theatre, March 25
$20 per person. Reservations are required. Please contact the Office of Alumni
Relations at 434.395.2044 or [email protected].
Milestone ReunionClasses of ’46, ’51, ’56, ’61, ’66
April 1-2, 2011
Decade of the 70s ReunionApril 15-16, 201
Utilize Your Longwood ResourcesLongwood’s Academic and Career Advising Center offers help to all Alumni.
Go to http://www.longwood.edu/career/alumni/index.htm
Tell Us About It ...Do you know a Longwood graduate making a difference?
Logon to http://www.longwood.edu/alumni/awards.htm and tell us about it.
Upcoming Alumni Events ...
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Make Plans Now To Attend Longwood’sStudent-Alumni Networking EventLongwood alumni are invited to campus on Friday 25 February for the annual
Student-Alumni Networking Event (SANE), an event designed to assist Longwood
students with exploring career options and preparing them to leave Longwood as
successful Lancers. This annual event, hosted by the Academic & Career Advising
Center and the Cook-Cole College of Arts & Sciences Student Advisory Board,
is an excellent way for you to share expertise about your career path and provide
advice on life after Longwood. If you are interested in participating or would like
more information, please contact Sarah Hobgood at 434.395.4932
or [email protected]. – N.S.
Longwood alumni gather on campus for the annual Student-Alumni Networking Event (SANE).
Are You ReadyTo Receive SomeLongwood Loot?
Are you planning an Alumni gathering?
Let us send a Longwood Loot box. Please send the names
and class year of your attendees, the date of the event,
and your mailing address to [email protected].
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Alumni members and friends of Sigma Phi
Epsilon (SPE), Longwood University’s oldest
fraternity, returned for a reunion that was the
largest fraternity event ever held on campus.
BBQ, Band & Brews,” held Sept. 11 on Lankford Mall,
was attended by 233 people, including 126 alumni members
of Longwood’s SPE chapter. “Some 451 guys have been
initiated into the Longwood chapter since its founding
in 1978, including the 25 current members, so one-third
of all the brothers were there,” said David McMaster, ’83,
president of the chapter’s Alumni and Volunteer
Corporation, who organized the reunion.
The chapter’s first on-campus reunion was attended by 184
alumni and guests (many brothers’ wives are also Longwood
alumni) and 49 current students. One SPE alumnus, Nuvit
Rodop, ’82, came all the way from Izmir, Turkey, and several
came from California as well as from around the country.
At least nine of the chapter’s 22 founding fathers attended.
Some 60 percent of the attending SPEs graduated between
1979 and 1989.
A lot of these guys hadn’t seen each other in 25 or 30 years,”
said David McMaster, a wholesale florist in Miami. “Some
were returning to campus for the first time since they’d
graduated. It was the first time the chapter has
ever had everyone back, from founding fathers to
current members.”
The event was initiated and paid for by the Alumni and
Volunteer Corporation, which has more than 400 members
and was formed in July 2009. “We’ve had several off-campus
reunions, the last one about 12 years ago,” said McMaster,
whose Longwood nickname was Duffy. “We wanted to
reconnect alumni members with the current chapter and
the university.”
At least six of the SPE alumni who attended have sons or
daughters currently at Longwood, all of whom are believed
to have dropped by the event, McMaster said. One
ARAMARK student waiter who worked the event, Clayton
Lescallett, is the son of Clay Lescallett, ’83, and Cathy
Downey Lescalleet, ’81, a Kappa Delta. “We had groups
from KD, Delta Zeta, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Zeta Tau Alpha,
Phi Mu, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and a few of our ‘GDI’ friends
as well,” McMaster said.
Also in attendance were four SPE alums from the mid-1980s
who are colonels in the Army or Air Force: Scott Estes, ’87,
Jeff Helmick, ’84, and Derick Wolf, ’84, of the Army, and
Chris Wright, ’85, of the Air Force. Helmick and Wolf were
chapter presidents. Helmick’s wife, Lisa Harwood Helmick,
is a ‘84 Longwood alumna, and their daughter, Christine,
is a Longwood junior.
One highlight of the reunion was the presentation of the
first Balanced Man Scholarship, believed to be the first
scholarship awarded by a Longwood fraternity to a non-
member. The scholarship for an incoming freshman or
transfer student, awarded to freshman Jake Semlar,
recognizes the fraternity’s “core values of virtue, diligence
and brotherly love” and will be awarded annually for
academic achievement and leadership. The scholarship is
funded by the alumni members, though the recipient is
chosen by the current members. It was presented by
Chuck Ebbets, ’85, alumni scholarship chairman, and
senior Edward “Joe” Brown, the chapter’s scholarship
chairman.
The reunion also included a golf tournament in which
15 of the 19 golfers were Longwood alumni. The morning
of the reunion, alumni SPE members held a business
meeting in their chapter room on the second floor of Frazer
and afterward met with the current members. The Office
of Alumni Relations was pleased to work with the fraternity
on this special fraternity reunion. – K.B.
Sigma Phi Epsilon ReunionLargest Fraternity EventIn Longwood’s History
Alumni members and friends of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SPE) gathered on campus in September.
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Out & About With The Finnegans
Receptions for alumni and friends to meet Patrick and Joan Finnegan
were held on Wednesday 29 September, 2010, at the United States Capitol
in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday 12 October, 2010, at the Cavalier Hotel
in Virginia Beach, and on Monday 1 November, 2010, in the Rotunda
of the Virginia Capitol in Richmond.
Top left: Patrick and Joan Finnegan with
Senator Mark Warner. Top right: Joan
Finnegan and Jane Brooke, ’63. Middle left:
Ronny Van Dyke, Heather Van Dyke, ’06,
Joan Finnegan, and Kathleen Early, ’92.
Middle, right: Sandy Henderson, ’75,
and Joan Finnegan. Bottom: President
Finnegan, John Wiggins, ’02,
and Kristy Wiggins.
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Randy Copeland, ’86, is the founder,
president and CEO of Velocity Micro, the
largest independently owned boutique PC
manufacturer in the United States.
The Richmond-based company, with nearly 100 employees,
specializes in high-end workstations and gaming computers but
in recent years has expanded to include more affordable
desktops, notebooks and peripherals. Its products can be found
at nearly every major electronics retailer or etailer in the country,
including Best Buy, Amazon, Staples, Walmart, Costco, and
Target. The company has won more than 60 major industry
awards from major publications, including PC Magazine’s
coveted “Best of the Year” awards in 2008 and 2004 and its
Reader’s Choice Award for Service and Reliability in 2007.
Not bad for someone who admits with a smile that he “wasn’t
the best student” and took only one computer class, Intro
to Computers – and got a D.
I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I didn’t see myself
as a corporate type,” said Copeland, who founded Velocity
Micro in 1997 when he split two business units that he
had founded six years earlier.
The company builds its high-end computers in a
gymnasium-like area in two large rooms in a 40,000-
square-foot office building at the industrial park that
adjoins the Chesterfield County Airport. Copeland is
proud of a 2002 review in his favorite magazine,
Maximum PC, that said Velocity Micro’s computers
are “built with the care and craftsmanship that the
behemoth manufacturers can’t offer.”
The focus of our business has changed over the years,
and now we’re targeting mainstream users as well as gamers,
enthusiasts, and the research and scientific communities,”
Copeland said. “However, much of our business is still with
gamers and workstations. The FBI and the Navy are among
our bigger customers, using our faster workstations for data
analysis and research. For a while we were doubling our
growth every year. This year (2010) will be our most successful
year, and we anticipate doubling sales again next year.”
Randy Copeland’s company Velocity Micro builds its high-end computers in Chesterfield County.
Computer Craftsman & EntrepreneurRandy Copeland, ’86Kent Booty Associate Editor
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on its in-house technical support. “We still do all our
own tech support,” Copeland said. “In fact, that’s the
fastest growing part of our business. All of our customer
support is in this building. When customers call for
tech support, they get someone here in Richmond,
not overseas.”
In 2010 the company entered the e-reader and computer-
tablet market by launching two touch-screen readers and
a tablet. The Cruz Reader, launched in September, and the
Cruz Tablet and the Cruz StoryPad, launched in October,
weigh one pound and have seven-inch screens, and enable
users to play music, videos and games, read ebooks, and
surf the Web.
The Cruz Reader is an e-reader tablet similar to a Kindle,
but on a Kindle all you can do is read books; on the Cruz
Reader you can surf the Web and play videos and music in
full color, too,” said Velocity Micro spokesman Josh
Covington. “The Cruz Tablet, which is more like an iPad
alternative, is similar in look to the Cruz Reader but is faster
and more powerful. The Cruz StoryPad is similar to the
Cruz Reader but geared more to kids and is simpler. It also
plays music and videos but doesn’t have Internet access, for
security reasons.”
Copeland said in early October that the Cruz Reader is sold
out at all retail operations. “Production was recently doubled
to 4,000 units a day and will be increased several more times
in the next few months. We’re expecting to ship almost a
million units this year. In 2011, we’ll launch more tablets
in different sizes and capacities.”
A Chester native who lives in nearby Midlothian, Copeland
was originally a biology major at Longwood who planned to
become a dentist like his father, now retired, and his older
brother. “But then I got a C in organic chemistry, and my
adviser said ‘Copeland, you’re going to have to take it over
again if you’re going to get into MCV dental school,’
and I didn’t want to. So I switched to the business school,
which I loved. I learned a lot from (dean) Dr. Jack Jacques –
he showed me how you really make money in business –
and from (professors) Dr. Larry Minks and Dr. Burt Brooks.
I spent a lot of time hanging out with the three of them.
I also learned a lot about business as the ad manager
for The Rotunda.”
My biggest mark on Longwood was that I had the loudest
stereo on campus,” Copeland, a self-proclaimed audiophile,
said with a laugh. “I had a great big stereo in my dorm
room. On Friday evenings in front of Cox, where I lived my
first three years, we would sit on a retaining wall between
Cox and Stubbs, in front of the driveway that went in front
of Cox, and turn up the volume on my stereo. One night
Phyllis Mable (then-vice president for student affairs) came
by to yell at us to turn it down but ended up staying
for over an hour.”
Copeland’s wife, the former Mary Anne Thompson
Copeland, graduated from Longwood in 1986 and earned
a master’s degree from Virginia State University. She taught
kindergarten in Chesterfield County for 10 years.
After graduating from Longwood, Copeland worked as
a sales associate for a marble bathroom products business
and later as regional sales manager for a Richmond-based
manufacturer of kitchen cabinets. In 1991 he founded Smart
Marketing, an independent manufacturing firm providing
carpentry, countertops, and plumbing products to Virginia
contractors and kitchen dealers. Then he began offering
his clients custom-built, high-powered computers to run
computer-aided design programs for kitchen and bath
layouts and information management. After starting Velocity
Micro, he continued as president of Smart Marketing until
selling it in 2007.
Copeland travels at least one week every two months,
usually to Asia. “I have flown 140,000 miles this year
already, which is a lot.” In September 2009 Copeland
returned to Longwood’s College of Business & Economics
as Executive-in-Residence. He spoke about integrity
in business.
Why has he been successful? “I’m not smart enough to
know when to quit,” he replied with a laugh. “It’s also
about chasing a dream, but mostly it just gets back
to not quitting.”
Production was recently doubled to 4,000 units a day and will be increased several more times
in the next few months. We’re expecting to ship almost a million units this year. In 2011,
we’ll launch more tablets in different sizes and capacities.” – Randy Copeland, ’86
“
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46
OnCam
pusLongwoodUniversity
New
s Recent Publications by Longwood Faculty, Staff, Students & Alumni
InPrintWelcome to Boycevilleby John Hudson,’80, Longwood alumnus
This was written to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation
of Boyce, a Clarke County town originally called Boyceville. Hudson grew up in Boyce
(population: 500), seven miles south of Berryville, where he lives and works. “This was
written free of charge as a gift to the town,” said Hudson, senior vice president and
marketing director of the Bank of Clarke County. “The book serves primarily as a
historical record, and it also brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people. I wrote
it in only nine months.” Hudson, a music education major (in 2007 he released a CD
of show tunes, Lounge Lizard), was a member of Longwood’s first male class on campus
and was the charter president of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity. Published privately
by authorization of the Boyce Town Council, softcover, 96 pages.
Women with the Good News: The Rhetorical Heritageof Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachersby Dr. Kristen Dayle Welch, Assistant Professor of English
This has been called “the first book to share interviews with women preachers of the
International Pentecostal Holiness Church.” Welch, a Christian scholar who grew up in
the IPHC, explores rhetoric, gender and religion in the biographies, autobiographies and
histories that detail what it means to be a Pentecostal woman preacher in Oklahoma, her
native state. Published by CPT Press, softcover, 136 pages.
Hull Springs Farm of Longwood University:Using Stewardship Plans to Create a SustainableConservation Model on Virginia’s Northern Neckby Bobbie Burton, Executive Director of Hull Springs Farm,
and Katie Register, Project Director of Hull Springs Farm
This is a case study from the book A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for
Conservation, edited by David Burke and Joel Dunn, which provides a conservation
resource for government agencies, community groups, businesses and others involved in
the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Hull Springs Farm case study (pp. 221-28)
is from the Stewardship chapter. Hull Springs Farm, which consists of more than 662
acres in Westmoreland County, is used for conservation, education and research and
was bequeathed to Longwood in 1999 by Mary Farley Ames Lee, ’38. Published by the
Conservation Fund, softcover, 278 pages.
After All Is Said and Doneby Justin Trawick, ’04, Longwood Alumnus
This CD (which features seven songs and technically is an EP) is the fourth record
released under the name of Trawick, who describes himself as a “singer/songwriter
with a band” and has been a full-time musician for two years. Trawick, who lives in
Arlington, plays acoustic guitar and sings, sometimes by himself and sometimes with
a five-piece band. He performs about 200 shows a year all over the country. “I came up
with a name for my music: urban folk rock. It’s a hipper version of adult contemporary
and a bit hipper than folk rock. My music ranges from bluegrass to rock n’ roll to funk.
It’s fun to perform in my band because every song is different.” Fellow Longwood
alumnus, Owen Shifflett, ’03, designs the art for Trawick’s albums. “Owen has been
integral to my success,” he said. As a Longwood student, Trawick was a member of Phi
Mu Alpha and both jazz ensembles (he also plays saxophone), and he played with
a campus band, Woodburn Road.
47
Walking The Walk ...The Greatest Athletics March Ever passes Longwood House on the way to the
Longwood Lancers soccer field, led by (from left) Farmville Town Manager Gerry Spates,
Director of Athletics Troy Austin, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ken Perkins,
Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tim Pierson and SGA President Ben Brittain
(in the green shirt). Read complete story, p. 36.
Pthe ART�of the centur ies
@ LCVAart i s a lwaysthe l i fe of thepar ty . . .
Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 1299Richmond, VA
Longwood MagazineThe Longwood University Foundation Inc.201 High StreetFarmville, Virginia 23909
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
No state funds were used to print this publication.Published January 2011.
a gala art auction to benefitthe Longwood Center for the Visual Arts’ education programs
and to encourage art in everyday lifeSaturday 26 February 2011
Tickets are limitedDon’t wait to be guaranteed admission
Become a gala sponsor at the $250 levelSponsors receive: 2 reserved tickets, event recognition
and early admission. Mail your check to129 North Main Street, Farmville, Virginia, 23901
Major sponsors to date includeARAMARK, Centra Southside Community Hospital
Bert Johnson, Earl and Jean LockwoodNorthwestern Mutual Financial Network (Charles H. and Candice Jamison Dowdy ’69)
Worth Higgins & Associates Inc
This year, attendees are asked to dress in black and white attire
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