Longwood University
Volume 6 Issue 4
Longwood University is committed to the comprehensive wellness of all students and employees. The P.I.E. Wellness Challenge is the most recent initiative aimed at improving the Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional wellness of our community. On September 12, 2015, almost 40 Exercise Science students worked as research assistants, under the direction of Dr. Nate Saunders, to evaluate the aerobic fitness and body composition of 120 Longwood students and employees! The research assistants were then tasked with monitoring the weekly activity levels of their participants for 10 weeks before repeating the aerobic and body composition testing. Not only did the Exercise Science students benefit from utilizing skills learned in the classroom to serve their community, participants of the study received valuable information regarding their own wellbeing and had a personal activity mentor. The somewhat startling discovery from the initial testing was that there were no significant differences between students and the much older employees with respect to their aerobic fitness and body composition. Since we know that people tend to lose fitness and gain weight in the years after college, it is alarming that on average our 20-year-old students exhibited the same walking and running speed, weight, and girth measurements as the older generation. The great news is that Longwood University has a unique opportunity to address this problem. The P.I.E. Wellness Challenge provides wellness educational opportunities and incentivizes participants to improve their physical activity levels. It is presently open to all students and employees of Longwood University, and in 2016 we will extend this to immediate family members. We take pride in the health of our university community and are continually working to improve the quality of life for all. Longwood University 201 High Street Farmville, VA 23909
SNAP SHOT About the Pillar
The Pillar is a newsletter for parents and families published by the Office of First Year Experience and Family Programs. The publication provides Longwood families with information regarding university and community events, student and staff projects, campus programs, and Parents Council updates. The newsletter is a great way for parents and families to stay connected with the happenings at Longwood University. There are four editions of the newsletter each year, releasing in August, November, February, and May. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Office of First Year Experience and Family Programs by phone at 434.395.2414 or email at firstyear@longwood.edu In This Issue Page 1 - P.I.E. Wellness Challenge Page 2 - Snap Shot Page 3 - Flashback to Convocation Page 4 - Message from the President Page 5 - What’s New at LU? Page 6 - Spotlight Page 7 - Longwood Dining Page 8 - Take a Look Back Page 10 - Parents Council Update Page 11 - Lancer Clubhouse Page 12 - Take a Closer Look Page 13 - For Your Information
All articles without a listed author were written by Emily Duke ‘15, Graduate Assistant for the Office of First Year Experience and Family Programs
Dates to Remember!
November Nov. 2nd - 13th: Advising & Class Registration Nov. 25th - 27th: Thanksgiving Break Nov. 30th: Classes Resume December Dec. 4th - Last Day of Classes Dec 5th - Reading Day Dec 7th - 11th - Examinations Winter Intersession December 12th - January 16th January Jan. 18th - No Class (MLK Day) Jan. 19th - Classes Resume Jan. 26th - Last Day to Add/Drop Classes
FLASHBACK Convocation 2015 Convocation is one of Longwood’s oldest and most unique traditions. Every fall rising Seniors gather together on Lancaster Mall to be “capped” by a younger classman. Apart from the excitement of revealing the extravagant caps, Seniors look forward to hearing from Dr. Jordan speak and kick off senior year with this unique ceremony. During this year’s ceremony, Seniors and cappers also heard from the Mayor of Farmville, David Whitus, who left a lasting impression with his speech about the relationship between Longwood and the Farmville community, "Longwood has built a relationship of trust with Farmville over the past year, what is good for Farmville is good for Longwood, and what is good for Longwood is good for Farmville. It’s clearly a two-way street." Longwood’s Convocation ceremony has distinguished itself as being one-of-a-kind because no other university in the country has a tradition such as rich as ours. From the caps to the speakers, Convocation ranks as one of the top traditions here at Longwood and is something that will continue on for future generations of Lancers. Every year, the caps get crazier, the ceremony gets better, and it is all to bring the Longwood Lancers together to celebrate the beginning of the end for our Seniors. Convocation is the time of the year where seniors get to celebrate their pending graduation in a fun and original way. -Garret Johnston, Class of 2016
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Parents and Families, It’s been an exciting stretch for Longwood – one that’s seen our national profile rise as never before. One indicator of progress is our recent move up the U.S. News and World Report rankings, into the top 10 of regional public universities in the South. College rankings should always2011 be taken with a grain of salt. None can capture and compare everything that happens at August an New institution, means be the only factor in a college decision. But they 18– students and arrivethey should by no December 2011 19– 2– Last of classes canFinal say registration something about the trajectory of day a place, so we are pleased to see our momentum con20– Continuing students arrive 3– Reading Day firmed. 22– Classes begin at 8am 5-9– Examinations Most exciting, of course, is the announcement that Longwood will host the lone 29– Last day to add/drop -5pm 12–recent All grades are due - 8:30am Vice Presidential Debate of the 2016 election cycle. Just four sites nationally will host (three September presidential, 2011one for the vice presidential January candidates) 2012 and our selection is an extraordinary trib5– Labor Day Holiday/No classes, 16– Martin L. King, Jr. ute to Longwood. In 2012 more than 50 million peopleHoliday/No watched the Vice Presidential Debate – University closed classes, University closed roughly twice the number of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game. This time 6– Classes resume at 8am 17– Final registration viewers will heardue the Longwood name, and Student learn something our story – our history, our mis6– Spring schedule 17– New Orientation. of Classion of cultivating citizen leadership, our remarkably energetic campus culture and camara8– Convocation sesand begin at 4pm 26– Grade estimates due 24– Last day of add/drop - 5pm derie. 30–on Fallcampus 2012 schedule duea once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be For students, having the debate will be October 2011 a partFall of Break/No history. We will be planning a range of activities leading up to the debate and especial10-11– classes ly inClasses the few daysat surrounding it. Students will want to be on campus; decades from now, in 12– resume 8am 12– Deadline to withdraw with a years, experiencing the debate will be among their most striking remembering their college “W”5pm memories. We will be incorporating debate-related activities into coursework and extra15– Graduate Comprehensive Excurricular activities, and there will be opportunities for students to participate as volunteers. amination While we don’t expect many 27– Summer 2010 schedule due tickets to be available to attend the debate inside Willett Hall, some students will be able to attend, and for the rest of the Longwood community there will be PAGE 1 WELCOME FAMILIES November 2011 and other events making watch parties it a memorable time on campus. PAGE 2 DATES AND DEADLINE 7– Advising & Registration beginThe excitement about this event Our selection validates the great momentum PAGEis2 palpable. THE SPIRIT INITIATI Spring 2012 3 INAUGURATION OF us even higher. I hope you will enwe Advising have at ends Longwood, and providesPAGE a launching pad to take 18– P RESIDENT FINNEGAN joyStudent watching Longwood bask in the national limelight in the days leading up to next October 4. 23– Holiday/No classes 24-25– Thanksgiving Holiday/No President Reveley classes, University closed 28– Classes resume at 8am
PAGE 3 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION PAGE 4 SPOTLIGHT: NEW STUDENTS PAGE 4 MOVE-IN TIPS PAGE 5 NEW LANCER DAYS & THE G.A.M.E 2.0 PAGE 6 FAMILY WEEKEND PAGE 7 TRANSFORM
This publication is published by the Office of First Year Experience. We would like to Welcome Familes, Parents, ……. Thank you to the Parents Council, FYE, and…..
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WHAT’S NEW @ LU? Dear Longwood Parents: I am pleased to have the opportunity to share warm greetings and information from the Student Engagement staff at Longwood. We are a department of Student Affairs and our areas of responsibility include: the Lankford student union, student organizations, student activities, citizen leadership and social justice education (which includes the office of diversity and inclusion and the office of leadership and service learning), and fraternity and sorority life. We are fortunate to touch many areas of students’ lives on campus and to support the broader mission of Longwood and student affairs to challenge and support students, and their development as Citizen Leaders. I joined Longwood University in July and have worked for over 30 years in higher education at various colleges, and attended a university very similar to Longwood in its history and campus life. I have long been impressed with the student affairs staff at Longwood (which is also highly regarded in Virginia and beyond) and am proud to be a part of the team here. Working closely with students and student leaders is what motivates—and excites—us (and keeps us young, at least in spirit!). There is research data supporting that students who engage on campus are more likely to succeed, and to feel more positive about their experience. We hope your daughter or son will take advantage of the many opportunities here at Longwood (broadly, not just those programs we sponsor) whether as a participant or in a leadership role. There is something for every student at Longwood. The activities are as varied as the wonderful range of students we have on campus—and most programs are initiated and led by students. If your son or daughter is looking for ways to connect on campus outside of the classroom (we also work with faculty on service learning in classes), please encourage them to contact us in Lankford. It takes some students longer to decide how (and if) they want to be active on campus beyond their academics. Most importantly, we want students to take advantage of opportunities to check out what is available to them—and if they do not see something that interests them to create something. On occasion, we also work with students to encourage balance between academic and extracurricular commitments. It is an important opportunity to learn life lessons about making choices and setting priorities. When I ask graduating seniors what advice they would give to students as they reflect on their time on campus, they consistently say that they wish they had gotten to know a wider range of students, had taken advantage of more of the programs and services attending a lecture, a fine arts program, volunteered in the community, became involved with a student group. To me, there is a common theme here—students regretting not engaging in campus life and learning more about something outside of themselves and their comfort zone. I hope that your students will fully engage at Longwood, whatever that means to them personally. We hope to have the opportunity to see you on campus—and for you to have the chance to why so many students feel positively about their experience here, both in and out of the classroom. Best wishes - Cheryl Steele, Associate Dean for Student Engagement
SPOTLIGHT What I Learned from Greek Life By: Cainan Townsend, Longwood Class of 2015 August 2011 It is difficult to say all the things that I have learned from being a part of Greek Life 18– New students arrive December 2011 at19– Longwood University. It is not really Final registration 2– Lastsomething day of classes that can be put into a few words. I am a 20– Continuing students arrive 3– Reading Farmville native, born and raised, and whenDay I came to Longwood I never saw myself 22– Classes begin at 8am 5-9– Examinations joining Fraternity. of people 29– Lastaday to add/dropThere -5pm are three 12–kinds All grades are due - when 8:30am it comes to thinking about
Greek Life. There are the “I’m going to join no matter what” group, the “on the fence” September January 2012 group, and2011 the “never in a thousand years” group. I was in the middle, but leaning towards 5– Labor Day Holiday/No classes, 16– Martin L. King, Jr. Holiday/No the never. closed The thing that really made meUniversity think about University classes, closedit was one of my friends from high school. The thing that is important17– about joining any organization is that “people join 6– Classes resume at 8am Final registration 6– SpringHe schedule New Studentcommunity Orientation. Claspeople.” tolddue me that his group17– was about service and leadership. Although 8– Convocation ses begin at 4pm reluctant, decided because I of knew he meant 26– Grade Iestimates dueto look into it 24– Last day add/drop - 5pm well. One week later I was a member of the organization. The 30– change Fall 2012 for schedule me from due being an 18 year old boy to a October 2011 fraternity man was instant. As soon as I joined I became involved as alumni chairmen. 10-11– Fall Break/No classes Two weeksresume later Iatwas 12– Classes 8am installed on the IFC (Inter Fraternity Council) which is the 12– Deadline to withdraw with a governing body for the fraternities on campus. My grades increased and my relationships “W”5pm deepened. As time went forward, I became involved as the social chair, Vice President of 15– Graduate Comprehensive ExMembership, and eventually the President. amination 27– Summer During2010 myschedule time indueoffice, my chapter won Chapter of the Year from our national organization and I won Chapter President the Year. It was like everything the older guys PAGE 1 Wof ELCOME FAMILIES November 2011 PAGEa2prediction. DATES AND DEADLINE told me could happen ifbeginI joined was I gained so much from being involved 7– Advising & Registration P AGE 2 THE SPIRIT INITIATI Spring my 2012organization. My advice to anyone is to first discover your passion, and then within PAGE 3 INAUGURATION OF 18– Advising ends find an organization that helps you to fulfil that passion, P RESIDENT FINNEGAN no matter what the organization is. 23– Student Holiday/No classes AGEis3like DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Any organization get involvedPin a savings 24-25– Thanksgiving you Holiday/No PAGE 4 SPOTLIGHT: NEW classes, University account. If you closed put a little bit of time and effort you STUDENTS 28– Classes resume at 8am will get a little bit out of it in the long PAGErun. 4 MIf OVEyou -IN Tput IPS P AGE 5 N EW L ANCER DAYS a lot of time and effort then the rewards and This publication is published & THE G.A.M.E 2.0 experience you will get from it willPAGE show. Being by the Office of First Year 6 FAMILY WEEKEND involved improves social life, retention, and even PAGE 7 TRANSFORM Experience. We would like to academics. For me my fraternity helped me to do Welcome Familes, Parents, ……. what I am passionate about which is community service. I challenge anyone at Longwood to pursue Thank you to the Parents what they are passionate about through Greek Life Council, FYE, and….. and put it to use for both the Longwood and Farmville communities. 2
FALL 2011
LONGWOOD DINING What’s Cooking with Longwood Dining? By: Ashley Jones, Marketing Assistant Once a month Longwood Dining dresses up Dorrill Dining Hall and holds a big Birthday Dinner for every student who has a birthday that month. Each Birthday Dinner is themed to reflect that month. Previous themes have been: Mardi Gras, Hispanic Heritage, Halloween, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving, and BBQ Picnic. Hispanic Heritage Month falls halfway between September and October and was the theme for the September Birthday Dinner with Halloween as the theme for October. The dinner is open to all students, not just those who have a birthday that month. Though students with a birthday get to sign one of two sheet cakes during lunch. Those cakes are then cut and served to the students along with our specialized cake that has ranged from a sugar skull to the rotunda. This month it was a 85 pound, two and a half feet tall sombrero. For September table tent cards were placed on each table, highlighting a historical or culinary fact about each Hispanic country, ranging from national dish to Hispanic heritage and history. The menu included a chipotle chicken tortilla soup, shrimp paella, nacho bar, jalapeno waffles, pork carnitas and pork torta.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @LongwoodDining to see our commitment in action. Menus, nutritional information, contact information, and the latest news and events can be found on our website. Visit us at www.Longwood.CampusDish.com!
TAKE A LOOK BACK
Oktoberfest 2015
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Family Weekend & Rock the Block
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PARENTS COUNCIL UPDATE Fall has just begun. Your students focus is on the upcoming holidays. Summer break is 6 months’ away. Now is the time to encourage your student to begin preparing for a chance at a summer job that will bring relevant experience to their academic goal(s) and obtain real life experience that employers value, clean up the social media content on their home page that potential employers WILL look at and it is time to think about professional networking and their resume. Businesses start to look for potential interns in the February timeframe. They are thinking about those special projects that need to get done, but the current staff already has a full plate. Talk to your student about their aspirations and if they want to be a serious contender, then it would be prudent for them to begin their preparations now. They need to start cleaning up their act and begin building their brand. An area that your son/ daughter has not considered is the impact of social media when employers start doing background checks. They will look at social media to find out more about who they are considering. An employer wants to see if this young adult will be a good corporate fit and make sure the investment of their time and resources is worth the effort. Parents, suggest that your student look at their Facebook page. They may not think about it, but employers will do their research and they often go to areas where they think people are more relaxed. While pictures of a recent party may be a big laugh with your friends, employers are not impressed with a drunk looking face absorbing the contents of a beer bong binge. They also look at their posts and communications. Those jokes about ethnicity, gender, etc. are concerns for companies who view these as potential liabilities if they were to have invite them to join their team. If they haven’t, suggest they sign up for more professional web sites like LinkedIn®, which are great for professional networking. Next, have them review their resume (or create one). Develop an objective statement that expresses their ambition and how they will enhance the company’s “brand”. Their resume will only be a page or two and they may need to tweak it a bit depending on the needs of the internship. Look for the “buzz words” in the advertisement and sprinkle those throughout their experiences, whether that experience was from a paid job or volunteer work. Maybe you can even ask a co worker to conduct a mock interview or provide feedback on the resume, you know, it's always taken more seriously when it comes from someone other then the parent. Companies have an interest in community support. Suggest events and outreach that they were a participant, whether they volunteered at school, a religious association or a club. Also, if they really want to catch an employer’s attention, include those efforts that demonstrates their willingness to go above and beyond. And if neither of you can think of things to include, this is your student’s opportunity to get involved in a university or community project. Have them target their search with industry leaders, don't be afraid. Make sure they check out Longwood’s CareerConnect and find out the requirements for each company’s internship program. Get in early so that the application is available and interviews can be scheduled. Generally, decisions are made by late April or early May, so there is no time to loose. -Scott Murdock, Parents Council Member
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FROM THE LANCER CLUBHOUSE Longwood Basketball is Back! By: Chris Cook, Assistant VP, Athletics Communications The 2015-16 basketball season is here, and Longwood fans can soon get their first look at this year’s edition of the Longwood men’s and women’s basketball teams. The Longwood men open their season this Saturday, Nov. 7, in a home exhibition matchup against neighboring Hampden-Sydney, while the women open the season with three straight road games — including a showdown at No. 9 Oregon State on Nov. 13 — before making their home debut against N.C. Central on Nov. 24. Both Longwood programs return a core group of veterans this year, including five returning seniors for the men and six seniors for the women. The Longwood men, led by third-year head coach Jayson Gee, are coming off last season’s trip to the Big South semifinals and bring back all but one starter from that squad. Among that group is redshirt senior Lotanna Nwogbo, a 6-8, 255-pound center who was among the most dominant big men in the Big South before suffering a season-ending thumb injury 17 games into last season. Nwogbo earned Preseason Big South All-Conference honors and enters his senior season as the keystone of the Lancers. The women return their entire starting lineup from last season while also welcoming back injured guard Daeisha Brown, who was among the most dynamic players in the Big South before suffering a season-ending knee injury just three games into the season. Brown, who was averaging 16.0 points per game before the injury, will form one half of one of the Big South’s top backcourts alongside Preseason Big South All-Conference pick Raven Williams, who stepped up in Brown’s absence to lead the lancers with 13.3 points per game as a junior.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Longwood Webinar Series By: Rachel Dodd, Assistant Director, First Year Experience & Family Programs In 2014 Longwood University introduced a webinar program for families which has been widely praised and grown tremendously over the past three years. Each webinar has a specific topic presented by one of our campus experts. The webinar features allow participants to hear and see the presenter on a computer screen along with slide shows, websites, and other visual aids. In addition, presenters invite participants to submit questions via the chat feature which are promptly answered. Other campus representatives are also available on the chat who can privately message back and forth privately about individual or specific questions. No web cam or microphone is required for participation. The presenters and campus representatives always provide contact information at the end of the webinar and invite follow-up questions or conversations. The webinars are utilized most by parents of first year students but are also open to family members of upper-class students. Family members of incoming Longwood students are invited to participate as well. Interested participants who are unable to attend live webinars can look for video recordings of the sessions posted online within one week of the live date.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION What Parents Need to Know About… Greek Recruitment Next semester is the first time new students will able to go Greek. Here at Longwood, we have a total of 23 Greek organizations who are actively involved on campus. Keeping this in mind, there a few things you might want to know. Must have at least 12 Longwood credits GPA varies according to specific sororities and fraternities, but students will need a minimum of a 2.5 GPA College Panhellenic Council: Total of 9 Sororities (recruitment & rush will take place in January) Inter-Fraternity Council: Total of 8 Fraternities National Panhellenic Council: Total of 6 Historically African American Greek-lettered organizations (open to all students) For more information, please visit www.longwood.edu/greek/
Working on Campus Does your student want to become more involved in Longwood’s community? Well, look no further! Longwood offers many opportunities for students become Citizen Leaders on campus. Students can apply to be a Peer Mentor, Resident Assistant, Desk Aid, Health & Wellness Employee, Resident Technology Assistant, and others, too! These jobs provide outlets for students to engage with Longwood while also providing work experience. If your student would like more information and/or advising about employment opportunities on campus, please visit http://www.longwood.edu/career/index.html (The following positions are now accepting applications: Resident Assistant, Peer Mentor)
OUTSTANDING FIRST YEAR STUDENT ADVOCATES
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