longwood
A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY
S P R I N G 2 0 13 Student Investment Club outperforms the S&P 500 Alumni Awards go to 3 outstanding individuals Cunninghams are center stage in decades of memories
Curtain Call Longwood alumni help special kids discover their potential through performance
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Twelve alumni who were recipients of the Roy Clark Music Scholarship perform during the annual Roy Clark Benefit Concert on Dec. 15, 2012. Photo by Andrea Dailey
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COVER STO RY
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Stage Right
LIVE ART program provides a setting for students with (and without) special needs to realize their potential through performance
FEATURES
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Many Happy Returns
After a decade of sound decisions, student investors nearly double their initial $250,000 and consistently outperform the S&P 500
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In Good Company
Alumni Association honors 3 outstanding individuals
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Thanks for the Memories
History of storied residence halls fondly recalled by residents as Cunninghams slated to be replaced
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DEPARTME N T S
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ON THE COVER Created by Longwood alums, LIVE ART is an educational program based in the performing arts for students with (and without) special needs.The program culminates in a major public concert in Richmond featuring the students and well-known professional musicians. Photo by Martin Montgomery ’97 Story on Page 12.
OnPoint InPrint LongwoodCalendar LancerUpdate AlumniNews EndPaper
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A MAG A Z I N E FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY SPRIN G 2 0 1 3
Publisher
Longwood University Foundation Inc. Robert Burger Jr., President Editor
Sabrina Brown Creative Director
David Whaley Associate Editors
Kent Booty, Matthew McWilliams Photographer
Andrea Dailey Contributors
Ashly Covington, David Driver, Diane Easter, Patrick Folliard, Richard Foster, Martin Montgomery ’97, Michael Paras, Martin Steger, Jeanne Russell, Greg Prouty, Gary Robertson, Claire Williams ’13, Lydia Williams Advisor y Board
Larissa Fergeson, Franklin Grant ’80, Suzy Szasz Palmer, Kenneth Perkins, Bryan Rowland, Nancy Shelton ’68, Bennie Waller ’90, Elizabeth Power-deFur Board of Visitors
Marianne M. Radcliff ’92, Rector, Richmond John W. Daniel II, Richmond Edward I. Gordon, Farmville Eric Hansen, Lynchburg Rita B. Hughes ’74, Virginia Beach Thomas A. Johnson, Lynchburg Judi M. Lynch ’87, Vice Rector, Richmond Jane S. Maddux, Charlottesville Stephen Mobley ’93, McLean Brad E. Schwartz ’84, Chesapeake Shelby J. Walker M.S. ’93, Charlotte Courthouse Lacy Ward Jr., Farmville Ronald Olswyn White, Midlothian Editorial offices for Longwood magazine are maintained at the Office of Public Relations, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909. Telephone: 434-395-2020; email: pr@longwood.edu. Comments, letters and contributions are encouraged. Printed on recycled stocks containing 100% post-consumer waste.
FROM THE PRESIDENT Hello, alumni, parents and friends, and Happy 2013! I cannot believe that I am more than halfway through my year as interim president of Longwood University. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and I know that I am having a lot of fun during my time as leader of this great institution. Over the past semester, I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand the many reasons Longwood is so special—the students who balance leadership and service opportunities with challenging course work, the faculty who maintain a personal touch and deeply care about the success of their students, the staff who work hard to be effective and efficient each and every day. We have so many reasons to be proud. And if you want proof of Longwood University’s success, you don’t have to look any further than our alumni and the difference they are making as citizen leaders in their communities and workplaces. In this magazine, you will read some of their success stories for yourself. Through their volunteer work and their roles as business and community leaders, our alumni demonstrate that the foundation we set for our students endures long after graduation day.The transformation our students go through, which is exciting to witness, is the hallmark of a Longwood education. Our students leave Longwood as lifelong learners, ethical leaders, and citizens who understand and accept the concept of global responsibility. I am looking forward to meeting the alumni who attend our upcoming spring reunions, and I hope that many of you will consider returning to Farmville to reconnect with your alma mater. One of the things I have enjoyed over the past semester is meeting and talking with alumni as they relive their vivid memories of the university. From the recollection of times spent at the Cunninghams or in class with favorite professors, to Oktoberfest and Joanie on the Stony, Longwood’s history and traditions are ingrained in the students who have studied here. I am looking forward to a huge commemoration next year as we reach Longwood’s milestone 175th anniversary. Events are being planned now that will give the Longwood family many opportunities to embrace and celebrate our past, present and future. Looking toward my final months as interim president, I appreciate the support I have received and the confidence placed in me. I have been honored to serve and have learned a lot. I will continue to focus on enabling our students’ success, enhancing the resiliency of our university and ensuring a smooth transition to the next president. I am more convinced than ever that Longwood is uniquely positioned to serve the students of Virginia and beyond and to prepare them in the best way possible for future success. Go Lancers!
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. Published March 2013
Marge Connelly Interim President
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ON POINT
Contrary to the stereotype, mothers have some brainy advantages over dads. Longwood research is helping show that moms plan better, solve problems more effectively and better cope with stress.
The Brains of the Family
danger to gather food and fill up on water when they knew none would be available later. Franssen said this is evidence they understand Longwood research helping to solve riddle of why and plan for future situations. “This is another brick in the wall of the larger moms are smarter than non-moms theory that mothers gain an advantage,” said samples of brain tissue so thin they can barely be Franssen. “It has already been shown that they Raising child ren can give a woman plan better, more effectively cope with stress and “mommy brain,” but that doesn’t have seen and stain them so neurons that were used have better problem-solving skills. At Longrecently can be counted. This data is compared to be a bad thing. Research at Longwood, we are looking at what happens in the wood is showing what most mothers probably al- to normal neurological activity, and comparbrain when they are doing that planning.” ready know: Moms are smarter than non-moms. isons are made to find what areas of the brain What happens inside the brain to make these mothers used to plan for the future. Once the Longwood students are trying to figure out changes happen is the great unknown. It could why that is. Mothers have been shown to plan areas are located, they have found the smoking be, Franssen said, that hormones rewire the better, solve problems more effectively and bet- gun. Or in this case, the smoking neuron. brain. It could be that certain switches get The work is in collaboration with faculty ter cope with stress and anxiety. turned on, unlocking traits and behaviors. Dr. Adam Franssen, assistant professor of bi- and students at the University of Richmond, Or it could be that being around pups— who have performed behavioral experiments ology, and his students are looking for neurosmelling them and hearing them—activates logical evidence of a piece of that overall that demonstrate mother rats use prospective a dormant part of the brain. memory, which previously was thought to be theory. They are probing rat brains for eviIf Franssen and students can find the evian ability found only in humans. In experidence of prospective memory—the ability to dence that supports the conclusions of the ments in which rats had an immediate supply plan or do a task in the future. Behavioral study, it “will be used to strengthen the larger studies have shown that mother rats are much of food but none later, mothers would store argument that motherhood conveys concrete food to ensure that they would be able to nurse better at using this form of future thinking neurological advantages,” said Dr. Craig than both non-moms and male rats. The ques- their helpless pups in the future. Kinsley, a professor at the University of RichMother rats in the studies exhibited ention is: What goes on in the brain to give femond who led the behavioral experiments in hanced skills and more risky behavior than males the advantage? the study.—Matthew McWilliams both non-moms and male rats—chancing To do this, Franssen and his students take SPRING 2013 I
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ON POINT
Task Master Business school accreditation reaffirmed by prestigious agency The most prestigious accrediting agency for schools of business around the world has reaffirmed its stamp of approval for Longwood’s College of Business and Economics. The college has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Only about 650 business schools in 45 countries and territories maintain accreditation from AACSB, which was founded in 1916 and is the longest-serving global accreditation body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. “It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Robert D. Reid, AACSB International’s executive vice president and chief accreditation officer. “Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students.” Longwood’s College of Business and Economics (CBE) offers BSBA and online MBA degree programs, and houses a cyber security center, a logistics center, the SNVC Institute for Leadership and Innovation, and the McGaughy Internship and Professional Development Center. “Our faculty is made up of great teachers and thinkers, and they facilitate our students’ development across the business spectrum,” said Dr. Paul Barrett, CBE dean. “Our ability to maintain the distinguished honor of being AACSB-accredited signals that Longwood is a great business school about to get better.”
—Kent Booty
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Research aimed at restoring function for traumatic brain injury victims A Longwood professor’s research could hold the key to better treatment for victims of traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Ann Cralidis, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, says her study of verbal fluency in traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims like soldiers and football players provides clues about how damaged brains perform executive functions—necessary cognitive processes people use to go about their daily activities. These processes include planning, paying attention, problem-solving and the ability to switch between tasks. Brains that are damaged have a much harder time organizing thoughts and accomplishing tasks that most people find routine, like going to the bank or shopping for groceries. Additionally, treatment can be frustrating because there aren’t many available options, said Cralidis. “When people go into a grocery store, they often have a list,” she said. “Even if they don’t, they have some concept of where things are in the store and how it’s laid out so they don’t take two hours wandering up and down each aisle looking for 10 items. This type of organization and planning is also used in verbal fluency.” Verbal fluency is the ability of a person to produce words and sounds. Cralidis has found that TBI victims score significantly lower on verbal fluency tests than their uninjured peers, and this dropoff has been
linked with TBI victims’ ability to perform routine daily tasks. Cralidis thinks treating verbal fluency will help TBI victims develop strategies that will improve their daily lives. Testing verbal fluency is as simple as asking a person to rattle off words in a category, like “animals” or words beginning with a certain letter. From these answers, Cralidis is able to tease out differences that could lead to better treatment for TBI victims. “When people begin to make a list of words, they group them according to things like sound or category. It’s how the brain organizes its thoughts,” she said. “Likewise, when people go into the kitchen to make a meal, they organize their actions based on where the ingredients are located, estimated cooking times and how long it will take to prepare the food for cooking. TBI victims have a hard time doing all of these things.” Cralidis wants to gather data on strategies uninjured people use to recall words and then formulate treatments that will teach those strategies to TBI victims. Cralidis and Dr. Shannon Salley, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, plan to interview hundreds of non-brain injured people to codify verbal fluency strategies. That work, coupled with the data Cralidis has already gathered, will provide the basis for more effective treatment of TBI victims.—Matthew McWilliams
Andrea Dailey
ON POINT
Students in Dr. Lee Bidwell’s Stress and Crisis in Families course created a blog that is a resource for military families.
From the Sublime to the Serious Blogs evolving from personal musings into challenging academic projects In some Longwood classes, blogs—once primarily an outlet for personal musings—are getting some serious academic cred. In addition to—or in some cases instead of—writing a traditional research paper, students in communication studies write blogs analyzing Super Bowl ads. Sociology students have created blogs as resources for military families and people who have experienced domestic violence. Students and faculty in the Longwood at Yellowstone National Park project blog daily about their experiences. “Blogging helps students learn to think in a different way, which is how they’ll have to think in the real world,” said Dr. Lee Bidwell, professor of sociology and one of several Longwood faculty members and librarians who have presented at conferences on how blogging can enhance learning. Students in Bidwell’s Stress and Crisis in Families course created a blog, “Stress and Crisis in Military Families”(http://blogs.longwood.edu/socl306f12), which is a resource for military families. Students in her Domestic Violence class and Writing in the Social Sciences, an online graduate course, also created blogs. “The students are not just learning content for a class but learning skills that can make them marketable to an employer,” Bidwell said while students worked on their military families blog in the library one morning. “ They’re still doing research, and once they’ve done the research, they have to translate it to the general public. This is what colleges do—
provide knowledge and resources for the community.” Dr. Pamela Tracy, associate professor of communication studies, has used blogs in some of her courses since spring 2010, when she redesigned her Media Criticism class to in-
called Longwood Blogs (http://blogs.longwood.edu), operational since March 2011, which is administered and supported by Greenwood Library. The platform—a collaboration among the library, Information Technology Services (ITS) and the Office of Public
‘Students need to know how to communicate with the public. Developing the skills to write for a variety of audiences is critical. Through blogging, they can apply theory to analyze media images in order to inform the public.’ — Dr. Pamela Tracy clude blogging. She also has incorporated it into her Communication Theory and Interpersonal Communication classes. “We’re dedicated to developing citizen leaders, and students need to know how to communicate with the public,” said Tracy. “Developing the skills to write for a variety of audiences is critical. Through blogging, they can apply theory to analyze media images in order to inform the public. The blogging technology allows them to engage in critical thinking in more creative ways—through the use of images and hyperlinks. This type of writing serves a different purpose from writing a more traditional paper for a professor.” Course-related and other blogging at Longwood is done through a publishing platform
Relations—had 2,227 sites and 2,657 users as of late February 2013. “We’re teaching students how to have a scholarly conversation outside of a 10-page research paper,” said Liz Kocevar-Weidinger, head of instruction and interim librarian for eresources services. Technical support for the platform is provided by Nathan Landis of ITS, and Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol of the library coordinates instructional support. Faculty members praise the library staff ’s efforts in supporting blogging. “Our library is phenomenal and forward-thinking. The staff teaches people not only how to use the platform but the theory on blogging,” said Tracy.—Kent Booty SPRING 2013 I
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Andrea Dailey
older adults, if they were to drink enough of the water. Every strain of Salmonella is potentially harmful, but some are more so than others. Buckalew and Smith isolated more than 30 different types of Salmonella out of the water and tested each of them for pathogenic markers, which is where Smith came in. With an expertise in molecular typing, he was able to extract DNA from each of the Salmonella strains and use PCR — a commonly used practice to amplify portions of DNA for testing and identification analysis — to identify different strains of the pathogen. The results showed about 80 percent of the presumptive Salmonella isolates were confirmed as Salmonella — potentially harmful bacteria that cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, and potentially deadly to those with reduced immunity. “This gives us the biochemical and genetic data to say that we have Salmonella in our streams that could Dr. David Buckalew says the number of potentially harmful salmonella bacteria found in waterways surprised him. cause people harm,” said Buckalew. “I hope this will alert people to the fact that we have a potential public health problem in the water around us, and, from recent reports, it’s common throughout the U.S.” Buckalew had to develop his own filtration Researchers find harmful Salmonella in waterways procedure to both isolate and estimate the number of these bacteria. “When you are looking for bacteria other than E.coli in esearchers at Longwood have identi- that originated with a company headquarwater, it’s difficult because there are so many fied a potential public health contered in nearby Lynchburg. Since then, other microorganisms present,” he said. “It’s cern in the form of high levels of lettuce, cantaloupe, ground beef and even very hard to filter only Salmonella out of the Salmonella bacteria in the streams and rivers dog food have been pulled off grocery store water. So we had to basically create our own that run through the heart of Virginia. shelves. “It was a surprise at first,” said Dr. David Salmonella in area streams isn’t as immedi- protocol to isolate and enumerate Salmonella Buckalew, associate professor of biology, who ate a risk as Salmonella in food, but it poses a from raw water samples.” Raising awareness isn’t the only result to conducted the research with student Timothy risk to a number of segments of the populacome out of this research. Buckalew predicts we are going to begin seeing a greater variety of bacteria that thrive in warmer climates in the coming years in more northern latitudes, specifically Campylobacter and Listeria. “These are not harmless bacteria,” said Buckalew. “Campylobacter is a neotropical or— Dr. David Buckalew ganism that produces symptoms much like Salmonella; Listeria has been linked to instances of meningitis.” Doing something about the problem is up to the us, he said. “ In many areas, people should be aware that Smith ’13 of South Boston. “I didn’t expect tion, said Buckalew. Farmers, fishermen, stories of disease outbreaks in the paper — there to be so many of them.” outdoor enthusiasts and people who live Incidence of Salmonella outbreaks in the close to streams could be exposed to harmful Salmonella outbreaks, Listeria in lettuce — can be closer to them than they think.” United States have increased over the last amounts of the bacteria. Particularly at risk three years, including one in peanut butter of infection, he said, are young children and — Matthew McWilliams
Invisible Danger
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‘ I hope this will open people’s eyes to the fact that there are potential pathogens in our natural environment.’
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ON POINT
Explosive Findings Chemist’s research aids Air Force in building better bombs A Longwood chemist has been helping the Air Force build better bombs. Dr. Keith Rider participated in a research project that is part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s effort to find lighter, more energy-dense energetic materials, including propellants, pyrotechnics and explosives. Rider’s project involved making nanometer-sized metallic particles as additives to increase the energy density of an explosive.
TNT in the 19th century. Many metals can release large amounts of heat as they oxidize, which makes them an attractive, energy-dense additive for conventional explosives, but two critical technological problems must be overcome before metallic additives can be widely used, said Rider. “First, metal particles usually oxidize spontaneously by reaction with air, and, if a significant fraction of each particle is oxidized, the amount of energy that is released during the explosion is reduced. Second, metal oxidation reactions are significantly slower than the decomposition reactions that drive conventional explosives. For metals to react quickly enough to be useful, the particles must be extremely small so that the oxidation reaction can take place simultaneously for most of the material in the particles. Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions DiRider spent the 2011-12 academic year rectorate are developing a method for on sabbatical working at the High Explo- producing nanometer-sized metal partisives Research and Development facility cles that may be able to address both (HERD) at Eglin Air Force Base in problems.” Florida. The HERD, whose motto is Rider’s work involved several experi“Molecules to Munitions,” is part of the ments daily in a machine called the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Superfluid Helium Droplet Assembler, Directorate and is the only Air Force fawhich aids advanced munitions research cility that develops explosives. by synthesizing energetic material nan“You always want more bang for your oclusters. This is the first machine of buck,” said Rider, whose research, under its kind used by the Department of the auspices of the National Academy of Defense, one of only a handful of such Sciences, was conducted through the Re- machines in the world (the others are search Associateship Program of the Naused by universities) and the only one tional Research Council (NRC). He designed for producing metal particles received a grant from the NRC after a in large quantities. proposal he submitted was reviewed and Rider has published several articles approved by a panel of experts. on his research, which was supported by Compared with nuclear explosives, the Air Force Office of Scientific Reconventional explosives have a relatively search. He hopes to continue his low energy density, and there have been magnesium/ Fomblin research using few improvements since the invention of Longwood students.—Kent Booty
“Small Talk”
overheard on the Longwood campus
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Real role models are not singers, actors or politicians but Nobel laureates, authors, engineers, scientists, teachers and others who make a contribution to society.”
Samantha Marquez 17-year-old inventor, at the Sixth Annual STEM Summit in January
Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today, “IfheDr.would say ‘I fought for freedom but not for the freedom to kill each other with reckless abandon.’”
Her man Boone former coach of the
T.C. Williams High School football team portrayed in the film Remember theTitans, at the MLK Day Symposium in January
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Advertisers are going to spend a thousand bucks this year on each one of you trying to convince you that you are what you drink, drive, dress and drool over.You’ll have to figure out if you’re more than that, and if there’s a certain price you’re not willing to pay because of the ripple effect of these purchases around the world.”
David Radcliff director of the New Community Project, at the Simkins Lecture in October 2012
“Because most of Stonewall Jackson’s party
wasn’t touched and they were almost out of the maximum range of smoothbores, it was almost as if the three bullets that mortally wounded Jackson had vectored especially toward him ... . Nothing could have done more harm to the Army of Northern Virginia or the nascent country for which it was the primary underpinning.”
Rober t Krick Sr. Civil War historian, at the 14th Annual Civil War Seminar in February
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Competition, whether in sports or business, is an everyday thing. Don’t let anybody fool you that competition ever stops in business. We compete every day at my agency, usually against the giants.”
Robyn Deyo president and CEO of Barber Martin Agency, at an Executive-in-Residence lecture in February
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ON POINT
CrashCourse
The Price of Pressure Study links workplace stress to bottom-line losses
Recreation 250: Leisure Education Instructor Dr. Susan Lynch, associate professor of therapeutic recreation
What Students Learn We all have free time, but how do we spend it? Getting to the heart of this question and why the answer is important are at the core of this required course for therapeutic recreation students. Balancing leisure activities with daily life requirements plays a bigger role in our happiness than some people may realize. From hiking to completing crossword puzzles, the more satisfied people are with their leisure activities, the higher quality of life they have. “We help people assess the choices they are making in their leisure or free time,” said Lynch. “Then we guide individuals in improving their quality of life by teaching them about awareness, attitudes, values and resources in leisure in order for them to develop a more meaningful leisure lifestyle.”
In the Field Leisure education students work locally with after-school programs at theYMCA and Fuqua School to teach children how to spend their free time wisely. “We teach them that there’s more to do than playing video games or watching television,” said Lynch. “For instance, we’ll teach them new leisure skills that require them to be more active and/or creative such as making a kite and learning to fly it, folding origami, playing dominos or planting a garden. It’s a more positive way to spend their leisure or free time.”
Suggested Reading Therapeutic Recreation Journal American Journal of RecreationTherapy
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Bosses everywhere might want to think twice before they pile another project on an overworked employee’s desk, according to the results of a research study co-authored by a Longwood management professor. Just like competition and undercapitalization, workplace stress is a powerful force affecting the success of an organization, says Dr. George Banks, assistant professor of management at Longwood, who collaborated on a study that examined the link between “emotional exhaustion” in the workplace and “counterproductive work behaviors,” or CWBs. The connection is real—and the price tag is steep. Researchers cited in the study estimate that in one year, CWBs cost organizations $120 billion due to theft, $4.2 billion as a result of workplace violence and more than $900 billion in lost income due to fraudulent activities. “If employees feel overworked, they might lash out, so it’s in an organization’s best interest to promote well-being,” said Banks, whose specialty is human resources and organizational behavior. “Our paper offers practical recommendations such as flextime and stress-management intervention programs to help companies mitigate employee stress and, ultimately, prevent harmful work behaviors.” Some 113 employees at nine branches of a large banking company in South Korea participated in the study, detailed in an article, “(How) Are Emotionally Exhausted Employees Harmful?,” that appeared in the International Journal of Stress Management.
“What was unique about our study is that we had employees rate their emotional exhaustion and organizational commitment—then we asked supervisors how often their employees engaged in CWBs,” said Banks. “What we found was that as emotional exhaustion increased, commitment seemed to decrease, which may have led to an increase in CWBs.” The researchers were interested in the correlation between stress levels and CWBs, not the frequency of counterproductive behavior. “ We found that stress may have been causing CWBs—there is a correlation,” said Banks. Examples of CWBs identified include being rude to or gossiping about coworkers or the boss, working slowly or putting little effort into work, coming in late to work, taking longer breaks than are acceptable and avoiding safety rules. Banks suspects that supervisors in his study likely underreported how frequently CWBs occurred. “Maybe they couldn’t see it, or they’re putting a positive spin on the situation, or they could get in trouble for reporting it,” he said. Thus, the occurrence of CWBs may have been more frequent. The study was initiated by In-Sue Oh, a former professor of Banks’ and a prominent researcher who is now an associate professor of human resource management at Temple. The other co-authors are KangHyun Shin of Ajou University in South Korea and Chris Whelpley, a Ph.D. student at Virginia Commonwealth University.—Kent Booty
ON POINT
Andrea Dailey
New one-year master’s offered in elementary education
Dr. Robert Marmorstein says obfuscation can be a good thing when it comes to email addresses.
Addressing Spam Study examines how spammers get email addresses If you want to cut down on the spam you receive, obfuscate your email address. That’s the recommendation of a Longwood computer science professor who has studied how spammers get your address. Dr. Robert Marmorstein has since 2008 conducted a research project with several undergraduate students that looks into how email addresses are collected by those who send unsolicited commercial emails. While most research has focused on filtering and other server-side techniques, this effort is unusual in that it targets what is called “address harvesting” behavior. Also unusual is that the study has looked at the role of obfuscating email addresses in ways that reduce the probability they will be harvested and targeted to receive spam. “We’re trying to stop spam at the source by making it harder for spammers to harvest the address in the first place,” said Marmorstein, assistant professor of computer science. “The overriding question in this project is ‘How do spammers get your email address?’” An estimated 88 percent of all email traffic worldwide—94 billion messages daily—is spam, most of which is illegal, said an article in the summer 2012 issue of the Journal of Economic Perspectives. Spam costs U.S. society an estimated $20 billion annually, the article said. “Spam is a real problem,” said Marmorstein. “Spam slows a network down—it’s like clogging the drain of a pipe. We’d like to have better spam filters, but it’s like a constant arms race between spammers and spam filters. If we can understand better the differences
between spam messages and legitimate email, we can improve the filters. It’s tricky, and spammers get more clever all the time.” Marmorstein tracks spam messages sent to five email addresses—a legitimate address and four obfuscated addresses—that have been distributed in groups of five to public websites. Student researchers, each working for a semester, examine various aspects of how they are gathered. Two of the obfuscated techniques have not been well-studied, Marmortein said. One approach inserts characters into a legitimate address; the other writes the address backward. “One question we wanted to answer is ‘Does it help to obfuscate your address?’ The answer is ‘It does,’” said Marmorstein. “The obfuscation has worked amazingly well—much better than we expected.” Some 793 of the 925 spam messages so far have been harvested from the legitimate addresses, which doesn’t surprise Marmorstein. “ The spammers are going for the low-hanging fruit,” he said. “The other way is more work—they have to first figure out if it’s an obfuscated address, then they have to de-obfuscate the address.” The research has confirmed that, as expected, email addresses are harvested less frequently from less popular sites than those that are well-trafficked. Marmorstein hopes the project eventually will shed light on other aspects of harvesting behavior, including how long it takes for spam to show up on a website and classifying the different categories of spam messages.—Kent Booty
Longwood is offering a new one-year Master of Science in Education degree with a concentration in elementary education. The degree joins other one-year master’s programs already offered by the university. The course work can be taken by undergraduates as a 4-plus-1 program or by an existing teacher seeking to earn a higher degree. The first group of students to go through the program—a mix of veteran teachers and recent Longwood graduates—are based in Prince Edward County Public Schools. Longwood developed an innovative approach to the one-year schedule that will make it easier for teachers to work in the field while completing the degree. The courses will be taught using a hybrid method: Students will take one class at a time—one each in three five-week blocks over a semester—instead of taking the courses simultaneously. Intensive, compact classes allow master’s candidates to enroll in a full course load—necessary to secure financial aid—while maintaining a full teaching load. Professors will teach classes through a mix of face-to-face classroom time and online instruction. In addition to three classes during each semester, students are enrolled in four courses over the six-week summer break and one during the winter break. The four summer classes are also delivered in blocks. Longwood developed the hybrid approach to make it possible for current teachers to earn a degree. “Instead of teachers having to juggle a full teaching load and three classes, we have broken it up into intensive blocks that are easier to manage,” said Dr. Nancy Powers, program coordinator for the one-year degree. “ This allows us to have a mix of fresh graduates and veteran teachers in our program, which will enhance learning and instruction.” The program is available to groups of students who form regional cohorts based in a particular county or school division. —Matthew McWilliams
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COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN Challenge revs up competitive spirit of ’90s graduates In conjunction with their upcoming April reunion, all 1990s graduates are encouraged to get their game on and bring their competitive spirits to the Decade of ’90s Challenge. The Office of Annual Giving is asking alumni in each class to make a gift to the Longwood Fund.The class with the highest participation rate will be recognized at the April 19-20 reunion. Most importantly, your class will receive bragging rights as the Decade of the ’90s Challenge winner! The amount of your gift is not important. Representing your class—and having an impact on the lives of current and future Longwood students—is what counts. Gifts of any amount will increase your class giving participation rate. Make a gift to the ’90s Challenge by April 9, 2013, online at www.longwood.edu/makeagift or contact the Office of Annual Giving for a donation card. For more information about the ’90s Challenge, contact the Office of Annual Giving at annualgiving@longwood.edu or 800-281-4677, extension 3. You can also join the Decade of the ’90s Challenge on the Office of Annual Giving Facebook page.
New scholarships established Several new scholarships have recently been established as part of the comprehensive campaign to help deserving students afford the cost of a Longwood education. Anyone who is interested in establishing a scholarship should contact University Advancement at 800-281-4677, extension 3. ElmonT. and Pamela Burnside Gray Memorial Scholarship Mildred Davis House ’37 Scholarship Lacy W. and Audrey C. Powell Honors Scholarship Dr. William “Bill” D. Stuart Scholarship Dr. Martha E. Cook Scholarship Linda Pritchard Smith ’67 and Richard F. Smith Music Scholarship
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The Natural Retired professor finds success in second ‘career’ as a fundraiser Wayne Tinnell was raised by a single mother who worked in an elementary-school cafeteria for many years. “She sacrificed everything to make sure I got an education,” said Tinnell, who taught biology at Longwood for 30 years before retiring in 1999. In what has become almost a second career, Tinnell is working hard to ensure that Longwood students, especially those in biology, have a chance to attend college. Tinnell has accompanied H. Franklin Grant, associate vice president for university advancement, on about a dozen fundraising trips, most recently a weeklong trip in August
WayneTinnell (left) and Franklin Grant traveled to Montana to raise money for Longwood.
which I could not study and still get a C! I was a lackluster student in high school; I did more fishing than studying. I came from a family of blue-collar workers who always told
‘ I don’t mind asking people for money. It’s something I believe in.’ — Dr. Wayne Tinnell 2012 to visit three alumni in Kalispell, Mont. me to get an education so I wouldn’t have to work like a dog all my life.” Other fundraising trips have been to North The offer to travel to Montana gave Tinnell Carolina and throughout Virginia. a chance to spend some quality time with what “I don’t mind asking people for money. It’s something I believe in,” said Tinnell, who is still his favorite leisure activity —fishing — after taking care of business with potential donors. primarily meets with his former students on “Bringing in someone like Wayne on a visit the trips. Tinnell’s name is synonymous with scholar- makes it much more personal—it’s not just some development guy in a suit,” said Grant. ships. He created a scholarship honoring his wife, who taught English at Longwood for 30 “ He is an example of someone who not only financially supports Longwood in a significant years, and his late mother, and three scholarway but is willing to give of his time to visit ships—two of which bear his name—have been created by former students. Tinnell even people and make requests.” Interestingly, the three alumni Tinnell and talked his dentist into creating a biology Grant visited in Montana didn’t know each scholarship. other before moving there from the East but “Dr. Tinnell’s first remark upon hearing ended up attending the same church, where about a potential donor is almost always, ‘ Do you think they would like to establish they met. “One of the joys of serving on the [Longa scholarship in biology?’” said Grant. “He is wood University] Foundation Board is that the epitome of a scholar and a gentleman. you get to meet some wonderful alumni who His keen wit and charming smile make him have a deep, continuing love for Longwood a natural fundraiser.” and the friends they met here,” said Tinnell, Tinnell was a natural in his first career— who has served on the board since 2005. biology—as well. —Kent Booty “In high school, it was the only class in
Andrea Dailey Susan Soza: ‘My husband and I have always felt that you have to give in order to receive.’
Commitment to Generosity Alumna contributes to Longwood’s future with ‘time and treasure’ Susan Eddy Soza ’62 is known for her smile. It’s an outward sign of the generosity that has become her trademark—generosity that was engendered in her as a child and then grew as she and her late husband, Will, built a successful company in northern Virginia. “My husband and I have always felt that you have to give in order to receive,” said the Longwood alumna. “We both came from families who always put an emphasis on giving back to people and the community, and it was a natural part of our lifestyle.” After she graduated from Longwood, Soza,
a native of Winchester, began teaching elementary school while Will worked as a CPA. “ In those days, we gave our time because that was what we had,” she said with a chuckle. But you never know where life will take you. “ We didn’t imagine that we would be so fortunate to be able to give as much as we have.” The company Will Soza started in 1969 eventually grew into one of the largest Hispanic-owned government contractors in Virginia. The company was sold to Perot Systems Corp. in 2003. Soza has given $500,000 to the Norman H. and Elsie Stossel Upchurch University Center,
the top priority among building projects in Longwood’s current comprehensive campaign. She has also funded the William and Susan Soza Scholarship Fund, which goes to students committed to teaching elementary school. And she has contributed to the Longwood Fund, an unrestricted fund that supports the university’s greatest needs. “Susan is the epitome of a citizen leader,” said Bryan Rowland, vice president for university advancement. “She is compassionate, optimistic and fully invested in the students and faculty of her alma mater.” Her altruism doesn’t stop at giving money to Longwood. Soza has joined Franklin Grant, associate vice president for university advancement, on the road to encourage other alumni to support the university. She was instrumental in securing the largest-ever commitment to the university and other major donations. “Susan is a perfect example of how not only can you be supportive of Longwood by giving of your treasure but also by giving of your time,” said Grant. “It’s very satisfying to work with an alumna who cares so deeply about the future of the university and wants to help shape it for generations to come.” For Soza, however, the benefits go beyond helping her alma mater. “I love to get together with fellow alumni and talk about Longwood,” she said. “There’s a kindred spirit that connects all of us. We can sit and talk and laugh about our time on campus.” The campus has changed dramatically in the 50 years since Soza graduated. “When I was a freshman,” she remembers, “I was tucked away in a little corner of Ruffner, and the group of us who were there together bonded and became inseparable. I felt like the luckiest person on campus when they opened Wheeler Hall my junior year and I was able to live there. It was brand-new and the height of luxury for a 19-year-old.” As Longwood has grown, Soza has taken an active role in shaping its future. A two-term member of the Board of Visitors, Soza was originally appointed in 2004 by Gov. Mark Warner and re-appointed by Gov. Tim Kaine. “I think this university is moving forward in a very positive way,” she said. “I love Longwood and am pleased to be a part of its future growth.” “Longwood doesn’t have many alumni with the same kind of loyalty and commitment to the school as she does,” said Dr. Helen Warriner-Burke ’56, a member of the Board of Visitors during Soza’s term. “She is a fine person of solid integrity with a genuine smile that you can’t miss.”—Matthew McWilliams
SPRING 2013 I 11
BY PAT R I CK FOLLIARD
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Martin Montgomery ’97 Stephen Hudson More than 170 people were on stage for the heart-lifting closing number of the LIVE ART concert at Richmond CenterStage.
SPRING 2013 I 13
Martin Montgomery ’97
’One night while I was writing,
I began to envision a kind of music concert with children dancing with paint on their feet. Some of the children I saw in the vision were kids who had special needs.’
— E R I N T H O M AS - F O L E Y ’ 97, LIVE ART CREATOR
E
rin Thomas-Foley ’97 is sincere when she speaks about making the world a better place, especially for children. “Sometimes it may sound a little clichéd,” said the award-winning Richmond actress and educator, “but, if I can use my passion and my training to create new programs that bring communities together and inspire people to be their best, then I’ve made a contribution.” Case in point: Early in her teaching career Thomas-Foley noticed that students with special needs were sometimes excluded from theatre classes because either there weren’t enough teachers present or there weren’t enough teachers with the right skills to assist them. It made her sad. But after becoming education director of SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community), she found herself in a position to really change things. And she wasted no time taking advantage of that position. To ensure a truly inclusive envi-
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ronment, Thomas-Foley created LIVE ART, an educational program for students with and without special needs. The SPARC-sponsored performing arts project offers classes in singing, sign language, painting with hands and feet, spoken poetry, musical instrumentation and acting. The program culminates in a major public concert featuring the students and wellknown professional musicians. The next concert is scheduled for Dec. 22, 2013. Now in its second year, the already widely celebrated program is successfully bringing together arts organizations, educators and artists in its mission to give arts opportunities to children of varied abilities. LIVE ART started as a sort of vision (the old-fashioned kind, not the corporate variety). During her second pregnancy, Thomas-Foley suffered from heartburn and couldn’t sleep. Her artistic mentors advised that rather than toss and turn throughout those sleepless nights,
Andrea Dailey Ashly Covington
Martin Montgomery ’97 Clockwise from top left: A painting created by performers during a musical number with Jason Mraz is unfurled and hung as a backdrop on stage. Longwood alumni instrumental in the creation of LIVE ART— Martin Montgomery ’97 (left), ErinThomas-Foley ’97, Hilary Smith ’02 and Courtney Edwards ’10 — are pictured in front of the iconic abstract painting created on stage along with their dog, Griffin, a favorite fixture at many LIVE ART rehearsals. Members of LIVE ART play in the band and also dance during a performance at Richmond CenterStage.
SPRING 2013 I 15
Martin Montgomery ’97 ViolinistTaylor Ball and SamsonTrinh, director,The Upper East Side Big Band
Acclaimed recording artist Jason Mraz leads a musical performance
’Being around these fearless, joyful kids has made me reconsider where cluding Jason Mraz, Susan Greenbaum, Steve cial needs including autism, blindness, cerebral she harness time and energy by listening to Bassett, Robin Thompson, Jesse Harper, Josh palsy and traumatic brain injury in classes music and journaling instead. Small, the Upper Eastside Big Band led by alongside typically developing students. As “One night while I was writing, I began to Sampson Trinh and the Richmond Boys Choir. LIVE ART director, she both instructs and envision a kind of music concert with children Also, there was a 50-student sign language stages the concert in which name musicians dancing with paint on their feet,” she said. “Some of the children I saw in the vision were choir, and Richmond Ballet’s Minds In Motion share the stage with the students who sing, students came in and danced with the LIVE dance, sign and make art onstage. The live perkids who had special needs. In the past there ART students. For the heart-lifting closing formance is crucial, she said, because “it’s by far had been times when students with special number, more than 170 people were on stage. the best way to make an audience really feel needs couldn’t participate because there weren’t “It was a life changing night— enough teachers or teachers availmore than I could have ever creable with particular training. My ated in my little head,” said vision was about coming up with I saw students participate Thomas-Foley. “It took a village huge life-affirming performance to make it happen: students, opportunities while creating a new and love every moment of it. artists, fundraisers, committee type of live art for an audience Everyone was given the same members and instructors.” All in that wouldn’t ordinarily see this chance and the same expectations. all, she said, it was an unforgeteclectic group of kids performing table experience—and fortutogether.” H I L A RY S MITH ’02, FORMER LIVE ART INSTRUCTOR nately one that can be shared. Soon after that she summoned The concert was filmed by Marthe courage to reveal her dream to tin Montgomery ’97 as part of colleagues and other artists with his soon-to-be released docuwhom she works closely, and, to mentary tentatively titled “The her delight, people from throughLIVE ART Story.” out the Richmond community came forward something, to change their hearts.” LIVE ART officially kicked off in January An actor-turned-filmmaker, Montgomery with support, ultimately allowing all partici2012 with 75 students attending weekend was initially contacted by college pal Thomaspants to attend tuition-free. “But there are a classes. After six months, the program ended in Foley to film a short that might help generate few requirements,” she said. “Students need to June with a one-night-only behemoth, awe-ininterest in her budding project. have an interest in the performing arts and a spiring concert (titled LIVE ART) at the Car“I was intrigued from the start,” said Montwillingness to try. And they also had to penter Theatre in Richmond in front of an gomery. “Bill Gaff and I—Bill, who runs a be kind and supportive to friends and fellow company called humanstory, has been my partaudience of more than 1,200. classmates.” ner on this since day one—made a promoPerforming with the students was a lineup of As LIVE ART’s director, Thomas-Foley guartional trailer. Pretty quickly into filming antees full participation for children with spesome of Richmond’s best musical talent, in-
’
’
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Ashly Covington
Martin Montgomery ’97 where an abstract painting is created by LIVE ART members.
’
I want to go as a filmmaker.
Members of LIVE ART perform at Richmond CenterStage.
— M A RT I N MONTGOMERY ’97, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
I realized that we were documenting something special. LIVE ART needed to be shared with the Richmond community, with educators and with everyone really. It’s a very universal story. I wanted to film more, to continue along on the journey with the instructors and students.” After Montgomery convinced Thomas-Foley that he needed to document all of LIVE ART, they began raising money, and he continued filming. In the end, he was sitting on 300 hours of footage carefully documenting what happened in the classroom as well as interviews with the students and their instructors, and, of course, the final concert. “During the first month of filming, we concentrated mostly on the kids with disabilities. Soon we realized singling them out defeated the purpose of LIVE ART. At that point the story became about a community joining forces to create an all-inclusive theatrical experience. That’s when the documentary really began to come together,” he said. For Montgomery, the son of retired Longwood music professor Dr. Bruce Montgomery, involvement with LIVE ART has proved life altering. “Being around these fearless, joyful kids has made me reconsider where I want to go as a filmmaker. From here out, my creative model will be to find stories that I’m passionate about, stories that can transform a community and help to spearhead positive change.” LIVE ART is primarily powered by graduates of Longwood’s theatre program. Thomas-Foley
considers Courtney Edwards ’10 her right arm. As LIVE ARTS program manager and an instructor, Edwards is busy doing everything from coordinating communication among staff, parents and students to assisting students in class. She said, “One of the greatest things accomplished in LIVE ART actually has nothing to do with what was being taught in class. It’s the lessons being taught and learned by everyone there to experience it—not just the students but the parents and teachers as well. Lessons like kindness, understanding, patience, focus, respect, freedom, love, friendship, teamwork and encouragement.” During LIVE ART’s first year, Longwood alum Hilary Smith ’02, now a teacher at the Faison School for Autism in Richmond, was one of two special education teachers in every class, serving as a model for the other teachers. In addition to the mission and enthusiasm, Smith was impressed by the program’s parity. “I saw students come in and decide it wasn’t for them,” she said. “And I saw students participate and love every moment of it. Everyone was given the same chance and the same expectations.” According to Charlie Mingroni ’00 who joined the program as an instructor early this year, LIVE ART serves as a way to both reconnect to theater and interact with children. Just months after graduating from Longwood with a BFA in theatre performance, Mingroni was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a malignant
bone tumor that affects mostly children and adolescents. At 23, he was treated with a rigorous 10-month pediatric protocol that required inpatient treatment. “During those months, I spent a lot of time with kids with cancer,” he said. “Being around them gave a lot to me. And I was like big brother on the floor.” LIVE ART lets him be a buddy to the kids. “I can relate to them. Communicate. I can listen to what kids have to say. I can speak to them in a way that they’ll listen to. Working with special needs kids is a challenge that I was happy to embrace.” LIVE ART’s Longwood alums credit theatre arts professors Nancy Haga (retired) and Pam Arkin with preparing them to do things with their lives. Speaking for the group, Thomas-Foley, who was named YWCA 2013 Woman of the Year for her work with LIVE ART, said, “By her example, Professor Haga taught me to create opportunities and do everything to see them through and to never be afraid of hard work. Through Professor Arkin, I learned that you can either live life or stand on the sidelines. You can make a difference by working hard and being brave and always telling the truth. “I love Longwood,” Thomas-Foley added. “ There’s something about the people you meet in your life and how they play important roles down the road that you don’t anticipate. I think there’s a lot of power in that. You can see it happening with LIVE ART.” SPRING 2013 I 17
MANY HAPPY RETURN$ After a decade of sound decisions, student investors nearly double their initial $250,000 and consistently outperform the S&P500 BY
RICHARD
FOSTER
Among the students making wise investments this year are seniors Robert Blackburn (left), Scott Laabs, Aaron Taylor, Caitlin Hagarty, Chris Nettemeyer, Daniel Hughes, Shane Henderson and Kyle Profilet.
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WHEN LONGWOOD SENIOR
Scott Laabs joined the university’s student investment fund club as a sophomore, he knew a little about stocks but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a living. Two years later, he has managed a $460,000 investment fund. He’s gone to New York City, where he toured the floor of the Stock Exchange and met Wall Street traders and CNBC television analysts. He has presented financial data to Longwood’s Board of Visitors, and he’s recently presented the results of his senior honors research paper at an investment conference in Las Vegas.
and our portfolio speaks for itself.” When Longwood’s College of Business and Economics received reaffirmation of its accreditation this year from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the student investment club was cited as a best practice that should be replicated by other universities. “Not only are these students learning to make investment decisions, but they are also developing their teamwork, critical thinking, analytical and leadership skills. This knowledge and experience pays dividends as they seek employment and begin their careers,” said Melinda Fowlkes, assistant dean for the College of Business and Economics. And investment club students tend to be “the kind that leave here with a job in hand,” Fowlkes said. “ They’re go-getters.” The club and the fund were started with the help of Professor of Finance Frank Bacon, who is the club’s faculty adviser. Any student can join the club, though most tend to be business majors. (Bacon tries to encourage students who complete his investments and portfolio analysis class to join.) Students receive no
Andrea Dailey
W
“It really opened my eyes to a whole new market of opportunities,” said Laabs ’13, a business finance major from Glen Allen. “My goal right now is to make it up to New York City after I graduate and hopefully start out in investment banking. My five-year goal is to become a hedge fund analyst and get my CFA designation. I want to analyze public equities.” Founded in 2002, the Lancer Student Investment Fund (LSIF) began with an initial allocation of $250,000 from the Longwood University Foundation. Today the student investment fund is valued at about $460,000 and has consistently outperformed the Standard and Poor’s 500 stock index. The LSIF has also frequently outperformed the professional money managers who manage the rest of the Longwood University Foundation’s $45 million portfolio. “The main objective of the fund is to beat the S&P with a lower beta. What that means is that we’re going to take less risk than the S&P does and have a greater return. Every year since 2002, we’ve done that,” Laabs said. “ The managers we’ve had have been great,
SPRING 2013 I 19
college credit or individual compensation for One of the major reasons the students tend “It’s an eye-opening experience, even if you their club participation, but the Longwood to outperform the professional investment don’t come in with stock-market knowledge,” Foundation has paid for the volunteer fund fund managers is the limitations placed on the she said. managers to attend annual national student student investment fund. The students must “It kind of takes you outside of Longwood investment conferences in New York and invest in larger, domestic companies with less a little bit. As a college student, you don’t go Ohio. market volatility. Some of their top performers home and watch the news every day or look In a typical year, the LSIF club has about have included Apple, Philip Morris USA and up Wall Street every day. So on a weekly basis, 35 members and is overseen by one or two Albemarle Co. it kept you in touch with what’s going on in investment fund managers. About 10 sector “They’re not going to be buying fly-bythe economy and what’s going on with Wall fund managers research industries such as technight companies. They’re not going to be buyStreet. It led to discussions you don’t think nology, health care and energy, and write reports ing real small companies that don’t have a about much as a college student.” recommending specific investments. “Over the proven track record,” Watson said. “And Another former LSIF manager agrees. “ I think the school allowing stuyears,” Bacon said, “I’ve seen students become more and more disdents to manage real money— ciplined and professional in these and a pretty considerable sum of reports. They’re beginning to look money for students—was a more like what you would actugreat, tangible experience,” said ally see in the real world.” Evan Weinstein ’04, now a vice The entire club meets weekly president with New York-based and decides whether to buy, sell or private equity firm CI Capital hold stocks. Those decisions are Partners. “It served as a stepping then presented to the LSIF club’s stone to get me ultimately where broker and nonfaculty adviser, I am today.” Brad Watson, senior vice president Weinstein and Chad Roberof investments and branch manson ’08, another Longwood ager of the Farmville office of Davalum who also managed the enport & Co., LLC. A former fund, met with Laabs and adjunct finance professor, Watson Profilet this year when the does not make any stock recomtwo current managers visited — KYLE PROFILET ’13, MANAGER, LONGWOOD STUDENT INVESTMENT FUND mendations; he just ensures that Wall Street. Roberson, an students are following the investAssociate with New York-based ment fund guidelines and have real estate investment banking conducted adequate research. firm The Carlton Group, imThe students present a detailed pressed upon the students the report of their results twice a year to the Longthey’re pretty slow to react when the market importance of aggressively networking as wood University Foundation Board. In Decemchanges, and sometimes that’s a good thing. well as promoting their experience in manber 2012, they also presented their results to The [LSIF] manager can have a longer-term aging the fund when talking to potential Longwood’s Board of Visitors for the first time. perspective and doesn’t have to worry about employers. Most investment firms and large Bacon and the students are particularly the day-to-day market reaction.” banks target Ivy League schools when lookproud of the level of autonomy students have Hazel Duncan, chief financial officer for ing for new employees and aren’t aware of in making investment decisions. the Longwood University Foundation, said, Longwood, he said, so actively managing “ We are very happy with the [LSIF’s] results,” “We don’t have a faculty member who a relatively discretionary pool of money can comes to our meetings and tells us what to do,” noting that some of the foundation’s board make a difference. said Kyle Profilet ’13 of Virginia Beach, a fimembers have been “overwhelmed” by the stu“Leveraging that experience in job internance and accounting major who co-manages dents’ success. One former foundation board views straight out of school helped me get the student investment fund with Laabs. “As member told Duncan recently that while the my foot in the door. It was a big deal,” members of the fund, we must actively manboard was initially skeptical of giving students Roberson said. age the over 60 stocks that are in our portfo$250,000 to invest, members are now “very Profilet has already accepted a job in Washlio, as well as perform the research and due glad we went through with it.” ington, D.C., as an audit associate with public diligence on new investments. We then take That kind of faith can be stressful, said foraccounting firm McGladrey. Laabs is confithese investment ideas to Mr. Watson, who ulmer LSIF manager Stephanie Roddenberry ’12, dent he’ll be working on Wall Street after both timately has the final say in whether or not we who now works as a community and regional he and Profilet graduate this spring. And he should act on them.” bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of thinks his experience in the Longwood StuFor his part, Watson thinks the student inRichmond. The student investment fund mandent Investment Club will play a major role vestors “have done a very, very good job. They agers take their responsibility to their clients in getting him there. have never gone below their initial investment very seriously, she said. And while they may not “Employers are astonished you had an opamount. They’ve always been positive over get paid, the students receive unparalleled realportunity to manage $460,000 real dollars as what they’ve been handed.” world investment experience. a student,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity.”
’ We don’t have a faculty member
who comes to our meetings and tells us what to do. As members of the fund, we must actively manage the over 60 stocks that are in our portfolio, as well as perform the research and due diligence on new investments.’
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Michael Paras Former Longwood Student Investment Fund managers Chad Roberson ’08, an associate withThe Carlton Group, and Evan Weinstein ’04, vice president with CI Capital Partners
’I think the school allowing students to manage
real money—and a pretty considerable sum of money for students— was a great, tangible experience. It served as a stepping stone to get me ultimately where I am today.’ — EVAN WEINSTEIN ’04,
VICE PRESIDENT, CI CAPITAL PARTNERS
SPRING 2013 I 21
In Good Company Alumni Association honors 3 outstanding individuals by Gary Robertson
The Longwood Alumni Association Awards, established in 2010, recognize alumni and others for their outstanding achievements and service.This year’s awards were presented at a March 1 dinner on campus.
Becky Bailey ’74 William Henry Ruffner Award
BECKY BAILEY ’74 Google “Becky Bailey” and more than a dozen pages of links appear with everything from her YouTube videos to award-winning parenting books. What may not be apparent is the connection between her success and Longwood University. Dr. Becky Bailey ’74 arrived at Longwood eager to make lasting friends and learn for the sake of learning. “Longwood was my first home, truly my first home,” said Bailey, an internationally recognized expert in childhood education and development. The university was Bailey’s first home because her family moved constantly as result of her father’s position in the Secret Service. “There were so many rituals at Longwood to keep you connected to classmates. We were like Musketeers—one for all and all for one!” said Bailey, who earned her bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation. Those connections also helped shape the philosophy that became a foundation for her career—and the 14 books she has written— in helping children and families create positive environments through strong, problem-solving personal connections. Bailey received the William Henry Ruffner Award, which recognizes those who have achieved success and national distinction in
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their personal and professional life. Bailey’s life path was made certain when, midway through earning a Ph.D. in early childhood education and developmental psychology, she walked into an early childhood center and thought, “If we teach our children like that, we’re going to be in trouble!” Bailey founded Loving Guidance, Inc., to help equip children with the skills and discipline they need to thrive in school and in life. Safety, connection and problem solving are at the heart of the approach used in her program, called “Conscious Discipline.” “The world is a safer place when people feel connected,” she said. The passion Bailey brings to her business was also evident during her time at Longwood. As a college student in the ’70s, Bailey felt the spirit of rebellion that was in the air, and joined those who participated in social causes and worked to correct perceived injustices. That’s how she ended up spending a night in the Farmville jail. “The Baptist church wouldn’t allow black people in the church, so I set up a march to protest the policy. More state police showed up than actual demonstrators,” Bailey said with a laugh. It didn’t occur to her that she needed a permit for the march, and authorities arrested her. Since then, Bailey has turned her energy to-
ward activism in her profession. For example, Bailey and her company helped build and equip a preschool in Sri Lanka after the devastating tsunami there and recently sent her “ Feeling Buddies” program and an offer to volunteer to the school system in Newtown, Conn., where 27 people, including 20 children, were killed at an elementary school in December. Bailey says simply, “I believe we are all in this together.”
MARY LARKIN THORNTON ’88 Mary Larkin Thornton ’88, grew up in New York State, but she wanted to go to college in the South. That decision, along with a conversation with her high-school guidance counselor, put her on a path to Longwood. After visiting the campus with her father, the deal was sealed. In so many ways, attending Longwood profoundly shaped the course of her life, including a game-changing part-time job in the campus dining hall. “I had never worked in food service, but I realized I liked it,” said Thornton, adding that she especially enjoyed the interaction with a wide range of people. She became a student manager for Longwood Dining Services, and after graduation
Mary Larkin Thornton ’88 Thomas Jefferson Professional Achievement Award began working for ARAMARK, the international company that has a large food services division. Today a vice president for ARAMARK, Thornton is the recipient of this year’s Thomas Jefferson Professional Achievement Award. Although Thornton’s major was political science and she originally had thought about going to law school, she said the liberal arts education she received at Longwood provided her with the tools she needed to adapt to new situations and thrive in the business world. “I’m a believer in a liberal arts foundation, and I believe you have to love what you do. That’s how you find success,” she said. Accompanying her on that road to success is her husband, whom she met at Longwood. Dr. James D. Thornton ’85, is superintendent of schools in Mecklenburg County. Thornton said she and her husband, who have two children, are active supporters of the university and are committed to its mission. They also have many friends throughout the area, having lived in Farmville for 17 years. As she has moved higher into the executive ranks at ARAMARK, Thornton said she misses the opportunity to work closely with young managers and to provide them with life counsel, drawing from her own experiences and from the experiences of those she has met along the way.
Phyllis Gardner Lewter ’67 Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry Humanitarian Award She says her parents told her and her sisters and brother that they could do anything, and she has tried to instill that philosophy in others. Although many might think that a working in the food service profession is only about food, Thornton says it is also about managing people and reaching achievable outcomes for clients and customers. In higher education, Thornton says ARAMARK employees are on call 24/7 during the academic year, and have to be prepared to work long hours and weekends. When she was in a position whose responsibilities included creating work schedules, Thornton says one of her objectives was to try to spread the burden of long hours and weekend duty across the ranks. It was not only about being in charge, she says, it also was about being fair.
PHYLLIS GARDNER LEWTER ’67 The professors Phyllis Gardner Lewter ’67 remembers most at Longwood were the ones who motivated and inspired her, the ones who gave her the will to be a leader in her own life and the tools and techniques to lead and teach others. “ They were strong role models,” Lewter says. In the years since her graduation, Lewter has
returned the favor, becoming a role model for upcoming generations, both as an educator and as president of Ruritan National during 2012. For her many professional and humanitarian activities that have enriched the lives of others and improved her community, Lewter received the Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry Humanitarian Alumni Award. Lewter was a classroom teacher for 14 years before joining Chesapeake Public Schools as a reading specialist, supervisor of reading and language arts and later a personnel administrator. On several occasions, she has returned to Longwood to talk with aspiring teachers, and she always urges them to become involved in the lives of their students, whether it’s in school or out in the community. “You miss so much when you don’t get involved with your community,” she says. “When you make your community stronger, you make America stronger.” Her leadership of Ruritan National speaks directly to that point. The organization, which was founded in 1928 and now has 30,000 members, describes itself as “America’s leading community service organization.” Made up of more than 1,000 community clubs, Ruritan focuses on improving those communities. Nearly all clubs work locally with FFA, 4-H and other organizations serving youth; almost a third of Ruritan clubs sponsor a Boy or Girl Scout unit. Lewter obviously took to heart Longwood’s emphasis on creating citizen leaders, which remains strong today. But she has seen a lot of other things change at her alma mater since her undergraduate days, especially in the areas of deportment and fashion. “Girls had to wear trench coats over their gym clothes. At all times, you had to be a lady,” Lewter said. “We were so glad when it snowed and the announcement came in the dining room that we could wear long pants.” In those days, she would ride the train back to the university from home near Suffolk and carry her suitcase up the hill, hurrying to make a morning class. Recently, Lewter had occasion to return to the old train station. But this time she arrived as president of Ruritan National, being only the second woman to hold the high office and the first from Virginia. Both her father and grandfather were Ruritans, and when she was offered the opportunity to join her husband’s club in 1996, she jumped at the chance and then steadily climbed up the ranks of the organization, focusing on a simple message: To make society a better place, you have to give of yourself.
SPRING 2013 I 23
Thanks for the History of storied residence halls fondly recalled by residents as Cunninghams slated to be replaced BY MARTIN STEGER
Vintage photographs courtesy of Longwood University Special Collections and Archives, Greenwood Library and Office of Alumni Relations
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Memories
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‘ It was such a different style of life then. You did things to entertain yourself, I guess.‘ – Helen Warriner-Burke ’56
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D
uring their 80-year reign at the heart of Longwood University’s campus, the Cunningham residence halls have seen helicopter raids, sled races that might pass for an X Games event and, most importantly, thousands of friendships.
In 2014-15, the Cunninghams are slated to be removed to make way for a new building, the Norman H. and Elsie Stossel Upchurch University Center, which will serve as Longwood’s new student union. Though the Cunninghams are yielding to the future, they set the stage for decades of memories that will live on with several generations of alums.
dence living when I was a student there.” While she reports no ice cream feuds, McGaughy and her friends also listened for updates on the war. “We listened to a lot of stories about the war on the radio. When the war ended and when President Roosevelt died, there was good and sad news.” For consistently happier entertainment, they relied on games of bridge.
The ’40s: Ice Cream and World War II The ’50s: Simple Pleasures During World War II, Elsie Stossel Upchurch ’43, whose record gift of $4 million will help make the new student center possible, lived in Main Cunningham (there are three buildings—North, South, and Main). At that time, talk of the war dominated Main, which opened in 1939. “We stayed glued to our radios whenever we were in our dorm rooms, listening to any news we could get,” Upchurch said. Several of her fellow students graduated and went on to join the WAC (Women’s Army Corps) and the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). When they weren’t listening for war news, Upchurch and her friends focused on a topic not quite as serious: ice cream. At the nearby dining hall, each table had a hostess whose duties included doling out chunks from large blocks of ice cream. “Everybody [watched] with great interest to see that she didn’t give one person a bigger piece than someone else. We all loved ice cream, and we all wanted to be sure we got our share,” Upchurch said slyly. Page Cook McGaughy ’46 also lived there in the 1940s. Her voice crackling with warm sarcasm, she said, “You had to be a mighty junior and preferably a senior to be admitted to Cunningham Hall, so as a young girl I thought I had reached the top of resi-
Helen Warriner-Burke ’56 remembers life in the Cunninghams as simple and self-contained. She and her suitemates spent a lot of time around the dorm because “it was such a different style of life then. You did things to entertain yourself, I guess.” (One anecdote shows how different her world was from the present: When she left Longwood and went on to study abroad, a professor lent her a camera because she didn’t have one. “Now we have a camera in every pocket,” she said.) But even then, the world was shifting, and Longwood was growing along with it. During the 1958-59 school year, South Cunningham opened and began serving seniors. Coming from the much older North Cunningham (which had been standing since 1928), Nancy Andrews ’59 said that upon moving into South Cunningham she felt as if she had “arrived in the Hilton.” The ’60s: Housemothers and Other Mentors During the 1960s, more students than ever came to enjoy the Cunninghams. During her time as a student, Nancy Britton Shelton ’68
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found a warm, comforting environment in the Cunninghams. Instead of the current resident advisors, the Cunninghams were under the watch of housemothers. Shelton described them as “older retired women who were responsible for the girls in the dormitory.” Britton formed a particularly warm relationship with Mrs. Goodman, the housemother in South Cunningham and viewed her as “somebody you could always count on. Like a grandmother, that was her role.” Mentoring didn’t stop with housemothers, said Shelton. “You had a lot of opportunities because you met different people from different class years. They could mentor you, and then you could mentor someone else.” Material items were passed down along with lessons, as the Cunningham dorm rooms were decorated with posters, stuffed animals and other items passed on by graduating seniors. A lasting memory for Nancy Piland Creekmore ’67 was having her ears pierced by fellow resident Brenda Gibson ’67 using ice as the only anesthetic and a safety pin as the surgical instrument. “I didn’t even get an infection, and my ears are still on!” said Creekmore.
Cunninghams residents enjoyed. The roofs of the Cunninghams served as a gathering place for students to chat, sunbathe and relax. Starting as early as February, the top of South Cunningham became a suitable lounge because the extended walls blocked winds while the black surface reflected sunlight. Privacy, however, was sometimes in short supply. “The Camp Pickett guys who were learning to hover helicopters would come to Longwood and practice hovering over the dorms,” said Iacopinelli. “They were doing their best to learn their trade there.” The aspiring pilots would have been disappointed to learn that, except on special occasions, men were not allowed in the rooms. On the rare occasions when male visitors were allowed, room doors had to remain open and everyone was required to keep one foot on the floor, a strictly enforced rule. Male visitors didn’t let the The ’70s and ’80s:The Great Wall prohibition against going upstairs stop their efforts to meet Longwood and Helicopter Surveillance women, however, said Bonnie Conner-Grey ’82, who worked as a desk aide in Main CunEventually underclassmen began living in the ningham from 1977-78. Playing the odds, the Cunninghams, as was the case with Janice Poole Iacopinelli ’74, who lived in South Cun- guys would arrive from Hampden-Sydney and ningham as a freshman from 1971-72. blindly page for a “Susie or Nancy on the secIacopinelli remembers her first day vividly ond floor” while trying to keep a straight face, thanks to the long row of visiting young men she said. perched on the brick wall surrounding the Conner-Grey endured this every weekend residence hall. “The whole brick wall, lining during her freshman year and became a resident all the way around the Cunninghams just advisor on the second floor of Main Cunningabout, was just lined up with guys from ham as a sophomore. In that role, she had the Hampden-Sydney [the nearby men’s college] opportunity to get to know many of the resijust kind of scouting,” she said. Men on dents, who she said formed bonds just as strong weekend maneuvers from Camp Pickett also as those among residents decades earlier. frequented the wall. “I felt like the girls on the floor were family. We looked out for one another,” said ConnerThe layout of the Cunninghams made it easy for Iacopinelli and her friends to commu- Grey, though that didn’t always mean putting nicate. Their windows stayed open three seasafety first. sons a year, which, in addition to being the When they were feeling more adventurous only source of “air conditioning,” acted as a and the front steps were covered in snow, news wire: “If somebody got engaged, which Conner-Gray and her friends would borrow was always a big deal then—it was an all-girls’ silver cafeteria platters to slide down the school—somebody would holler out the winNorth Cunningham entrance toward the dow,” Iacopinelli said. roadway. Today, she fondly describes it as Windows weren’t the only feature of the “ reckless, stupid, but, oh, what a ride!”
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‘ The Camp Pickett guys who were learning to hover helicopters would come to Longwood and practice hovering over the dorms.‘ – Janice Poole Iacopinelli ’74
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‘ I was the best man in his wedding, and one day he’ll be the best man in mine. And to think, it may not have happened without the ’Hams.” – Phillip Burns ’08
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The ’90s: New World Views
The 2000s: Friends for Life
Like Conner-Grey, Roger Hanna ’92 and his The Cunninghams have continued to serve as now-wife, Tammy Estes Hanna ’92, worked the backdrop for building friendships and creas resident advisors in the Cunninghams. ating memories well into the 2000s. Roger Hanna revealed that “Cunningham RAs Wesley Edwards ’05 recalls using the wall would gang up and occasionally dunk each surrounding the Cunninghams as a gathering other in the fountain.” (Ostensibly to preserve place for his circle of friends. “Some of us are their credibility with their residents, this usustill in touch today,” he said. At the time, 9/11 ally occurred before the arrival of the was “pretty big on everyone’s minds” and was rest of the students on campus.) the focus of many conversations taking place He met Tammy while along the wall. checking her in for RA Phillip Burns ’08 lived in South Cunningtraining. They carefully ham from 2005-06. While there, he develmanaged a professional oped a lifetime friendship with his roommate and fellow history major Keith Taylor ’08. and personal relationThey were slightly hesitant to room together ship, graduated together and have been at first — Burns is an early riser while Taylor together ever since, is productive late at night — but walking to Roger said. their nearby classes and the dining hall More recently, helped them get to know each other. Whitney Light Rutz Though dining halls have been the founda’98 lived in Main tion for myriad college friendships, their Cunningham’s Interna- bond developed far beyond that. “I was the tional Study Hall (ISH) best man in his wedding, and one day he’ll from 1995-98 with her be the best man in mine,” Burns said. “And twin sister, Carrington Light to think, it may not have happened without ’98. Rutz still feels great pride in the ’Hams.” their Cunningham assignment: “We secured, in my opinion, the best room in all of Making Way for New Memories Cunninghams — our room was huge!” While staying in the ISH, Rutz and her sisCountless other experiences couldn’t have hapter met two international students, Svetlana pened without the Cunninghams, either. But Durkovic ’96 and Armeid Thompson ’96, despite her fond recollections, Rutz thinks the whose families originally hailed from Sarajevo legacy of the Cunninghams will be honored and Belize, respectively. Getting to know those by the new student center it’s giving way to. students had a perspective-shifting impact on “ I made some great memories and friendships Rutz and her friends. “[We] were all so naive in that building, but life is ever changing. and dorky; Svetlana and Armeid opened our Allowing the current Longwood students to eyes to grown-up and worldly things. We’re all create their own memories in a new setting is still in touch today,” Rutz said. just as important.”
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Everyone who attends the open house willl receive a set of notecards featuring this watercolor by Christopher Register. The Cunninghams from Beale Plaza at Longwood University, detail, 2012, watercolor and gouache, 10.875 x 17 inches. Collection of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, Longwood University History Collection, 2012.10. Gift of the Class of 2012. Photograph by Alex Grabiec ’07.
CUNNINGHAMS OPEN HOUSE PLANNED FOR MAY 18 All alumni — especially those who lived in the Cunninghams residence halls — are invited to campus on Saturday, May 18, to reminisce and pay their respects to the trio of buildings that have been center stage for so many Longwood students’ experiences. Events planned include self-guided tours of North, Main and South Cunningham in the morning and afternoon, and a picnic lunch on Lancaster Mall. There also will be a video booth to record former Cunninghams residents’ memories. All alumni who attend the open house will receive a set of notecards featuring a watercolor of the buildings. 32 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
“We wanted to give alumni a chance to come back and relive the wonderful memories they have of their days as residents of the Cunninghams,” said Nancy Shelton, associate vice president for alumni relations. While alumni will be saying goodbye to the Cunninghams, they also will be celebrating the plans to build a badly needed stateof-the-art University Center in that location and the opening in fall 2013 of a new student residential complex at Lancer Park. Longwood’s new University Center will replace the Lankford Student Center, which was built in 1967 when Longwood had just over 1,700 students. Since then, Longwood’s
student body has nearly tripled and students have developed much different expectations for services and capabilities provided by a university center. Longwood’s master plan identified the Cunninghams’ central location as the site that would best serve the needs of students. The needs and expectations of students also drove the decision to replace the Cunninghams with the residences at Lancer Park, which provide the amenities prospective students expect in campus housing. Current plans are for the Cunninghams to be removed sometime during the 2014-15 school year.
InPrint books by alumni, faculty, staff and friends
How to NotTell a War Story by Dr. Michael Lund, Professor Emeritus of English at Longwood This collection of 15 short stories by Lund — an Army correspondent in Vietnam from 1970-71— is about veterans who went to war “but left without a war story to tell,” says the publisher. Many of the stories deal with the impact of military service in Vietnam on a veteran’s postwar life. Lund “tells moving stories of ordinary soldiers and their families, giving us a sense of the lasting impact that war has on the human spirit. He writes with insight and compassion,” said one reader. Another reader said he “gives a new perspective on the war-story genre.” Lund, who retired in 2008 after teaching at Longwood for 34 years, also has published nine fiction books in his Route 66 series. Published by BeachHouse Books, softcover, 300 pages.
Real Estate Finance 3rd Edition by Dr. Bennie Waller ’90, Professor of Finance and Real Estate and Chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics, Finance and Real Estate at Longwood Waller was invited to be a co-author of this college textbook, which, says the publisher, “examines the gears that drive residential and commercial real estate financial markets. It builds on strong finance principles to explain the history of real estate financial institutions, how they function, the legislation that impacts them and new topics that have become vitally important since the subprime mortgage crisis.” Waller hopes the book, co-written with Phillip Kolbe and Gaylon Greer, will become “the go-to textbook for real estate finance.” Waller’s research on real estate brokerage and appraisal has been published in top real estate journals. Published by Dearborn Publishing, softcover, 423 pages.
The Rescue of the “Lady’s Slipper” and Every Life’s Worth Saving by GailTimberlake ’72, Longwood alumna These children’s books are the first two in a series (a third book is in the works) based on Timberlake’s involvement of more than 25 years in the James River Batteau Festival. The books were written to promote the festival, for which Timberlake, in addition to being a crew member of the all-female boat, does storytelling and presentations. “These are true stories of adventures on the James River. They tell the stories that children love,” said Timberlake, who retired in 2011 after a teaching career that included 28 years at Powhatan High School. Published by AuthorHouse, softcover, 52 and 32 pages.
Learning to Make Good Choices with B_ Bear by Dr. Stephen Keith, Assistant Professor of Education at Longwood This is the fourth and latest in the B_Bear Children’s Literacy Series, developed by Keith to supplement his work with preschool students in Charlotte County. The books are used by teachers at the Early Childhood Center and Phenix Elementary in conjunction with a personified stuffed bear that learns and plays, just like other students, in the classroom. Keith introduced the bear (the name of each begins with a B) in fall 2008 to help the students develop appropriate behavior and better literacy skills. The book’s co-authors include several Longwood alumni who teach in the two schools where it’s used: Jennifer Arbogast ’93, Carolyn Baker ’80, Joanne Catron ’85, Jill Franklin ’86, Rhonda Jones ’78, Shelby McCarty ’06 and Donna Tucker ’02. Published by Farmville Publishing, softcover, 36 pages.
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LONGWOOD CALENDAR MARC H
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Men’s Tennis: vs. Coastal Carolina. 1 p.m., Lancer Courts. Information: www.longwood lancers.com or 434-395-2097.
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Women’s Lacrosse: William & Mary. 1 p.m., Athletics Complex. Information: www.longwoodlancers.com or 434-395-2097.
APRIL
2
Concert: United States Army Field Band Concert Band and Soldiers Chorus. 7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Free, but tickets required. Information: 434-395-2504.
4
Chamber Music Series Concert: Julie Fowlis, Celtic singer. 7:30 p.m, Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
WIND SYMPHONY AND JAZZ ENSEMBLE CONCERT APRIL 16
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Junior Clarinet Recital: Matthew Little. 4:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
8
Softball: vs. Liberty. 6:30 p.m., Lancer Field. Information: www.longwoodlancers.com or 434-395-2097.
10
General Education Film Series: “Bully.” 7 p.m., Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, lower level. Information: 434-395-2193
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Women’s Tennis: vs. ASA College. 1:30 p.m., Lancer Courts. Information: www.longwoodlancers.com or 434-395-2097.
– 13 Longwood Theatre: How I Learned to Drive, a drama by Paula Vogel. 7 p.m., Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Tickets: $6 students, $8 seniors, $12 general public. Seating is limited; advance purchase of tickets recommended. Information: 434-395-2761.
– 13 Men’s Golf: hosting Manor Intercollegiate. 8:30 a.m., The Manor Resort. Information: www.longwoodlancers.com or 434-395-2097.
Senior Voice Recital: Molly Bouffard. 7:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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– May 11 Art Exhibit: Longwood Art Department Senior Exhibition. Opening reception: April 13, 5-7 p.m. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.
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Longwood Theatre: How I Learned to Drive, a drama by Paula Vogel. 3 p.m., Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Tickets: $6 students, $8 seniors, $12 general public. Seating is limited; advance purchase of tickets recommended. Information: 434-395-2761.
14
Junior Voice Recital: Kathleen Lilly. 4 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Concert: Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble Concert. 7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
‘ HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE’ MARCH 11– 14, 18–21
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– 6 Alumni Event: Milestone Reunion. Classes of ’38, ’43, ’48, ’53, ’58 and ’63. Information: 434-395-2044 or longwoodlink.com.
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Junior Voice Recital: Darnell Royster and Vera Crouse. 7:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Lecture: Elizabeth Vercoe, guest composer. 7:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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– 13 Spring Weekend: Student organization booths and live music. Free. Information: 434-395-2110.
MEN’S GOLF MANOR INTERCOLLEGIATE APRIL 12–13
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Baseball: vs. Gardner-Webb. “Buddy Bolding Day.” 4 p.m., Bolding Stadium. Information: www.longwoodlancers.com or 434-395-2097.
– 11 Forever Lancer Days: For graduating seniors and their families. Information: 434-395-2044.
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Graduate Commencement: College of Graduate and Professional Studies. 7 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Interim President Marge Connelly is the keynote speaker. Families invited with no limit on guests. Hooding is part of the ceremony. A reception for graduates and families will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Blackwell Hall. Information: 434-395-2003 or longwood.edu/commencement.
Longwood Theatre: How I Learned to Drive, a drama by Paula Vogel. 3 p.m., Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Tickets: $6 students, $8 seniors, $12 general public. Seating is limited; advance ticket purchase recommended. Information: 434-395-2761.
DECADE OF THE ’90s REUNION APRIL 19–20
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Lecture: Kevin Booth, “Should Marijuana Be Legalized? Promoting Education and Not Incarceration.” 8 p.m., Blackwell Auditorium. Free. Information: 434-395-2103.
Debbie Harry of Blondie 1978 © Janet Macoska
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– 20 Longwood Theatre: How I Learned to Drive, a drama by Paula Vogel. 7 p.m., Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Tickets: $6 students, $8 seniors, $12 general public. Seating is limited; advance purchase of tickets recommended. Information: 434-395-2761.
‘ IT’S ALWAYS ROCK AND ROLL’ MAY 25 – SEPT. 21 BUDDY BOLDING DAY APRIL 20
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Senior Voice Recital: Jared Dawdy. 7:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Piano Extravaganza: Alumni and faculty. 4 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Spring Concert: University Men’s and Women’s Choirs present “Walking in Beauty.” 7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Concert: Camerata Singers present “Gloria.” 7:30 p.m., Farmville United Methodist Church. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
20
Softball: vs. Presbyterian. “Senior Day.” 11 a.m., Lancer Field. Information: www.longwood lancers.com or 434-395-2097.
– 20 Alumni Event: Decade of the ’90s Reunion. Information: longwoodlink.com or 434-395-2044.
Senior Saxophone and Trombone Recital: Johnathan Coward and Gregory Robey. 7:30 p.m., Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Lecture: Elizabeth Vercoe, guest composer. 7:30 p.m. Molnar Recital Hall, Wygal Hall. Free. Information: 434-395-2504.
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Baseball: vs. Radford, “Senior Day.” 1 p.m., Bolding Stadium. Information: www.longwood lancers.com or 434-395-2097.
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Undergraduate Commencement: 9:30 a.m., Wheeler Mall. Information: 434-395-2003 or longwood.edu/commencement.
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Alumni Event: “Farewell to the Cunninghams.” 10:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. A detailed schedule and registration information will be posted on longwoodlink.com. Information: 434-395-2044 or longwoodlink.com.
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– Sept. 21 Art Exhibition: It’s Always Rock and Roll: The Work of Photojournalist Janet Macoska. Opening reception: May 24, 5-7 p.m. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.
All events are subject to cancellation and change. Please visit www.longwood.edu for updated information. Persons with disabilities who wish to arrange accommodations or material in an alternative format may call 434-395-2391 (voice) or 711 (TT).
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LANCER UPDATE Lancer paved way for alumni in Italy Melissa Cary ’07, a biology major, was the first Lancer to play soccer professionally in Italy. Cary played professionally in several outdoor leagues, said Steve Brdarski, former associate head women’s soccer coach. She now plays futsal, a form of indoor soccer, in Florence, Italy. Tia Nardella credits Cary with inspiring her to head overseas. “Once I heard about her playing in Italy, it was a thought that never left my head,” she said.
Tia Nardella ’10 (left) and Kacie Oliver ’12 both scored goals in their first start in Italy.
American Dream in Italy Former Lancers team up on top-level Italian team Tia Nardella ’10 always dreamed of playing professional soccer. The midfielder had ended her college career at Longwood in 2009 and returned to her native Massachusetts to work as a personal trainer after graduating with a degree in kinesiology. She was bouncing around co-ed and women’s leagues in the Northeast when she decided to try to make her dream a reality. She approached Steve Brdarski, former Lancers’ associate head women’s soccer coach,
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who had contacts with a professional women’s league in Italy. “For her, it was time,” said Brdarski. “She said it would be the only time in her life to reach for her dream.” A short time and a long flight across the ocean later, Nardella was suiting up for UPC Tavagnacco, playing in the top Italian league. “ It was very hard to leave and take a risk on a dream because I was lucky enough to have a great job right out of college,” said Nardella. “ But it was worth it.” Having a fellow Longwood graduate on the team also helped make it feel like the right decision, she said. Kacie Oliver ’12, a business administration major who was a standout midfielder at Longwood, had also taken advantage of Brdarski’s
contacts in Italy to land tryouts with two teams. She made the journey with Nardella and the two Lancers landed on the same team, UPC Tavagnacco. “My family is from Messina, Sicily, and I was intrigued by the idea of exploring and playing the sport I love in Italy,” said Oliver. “ With some networking help from Coach Steve and his friend, Massimo Migliorini, I was able to make the dream of playing soccer professionally come true.” Nardella and Oliver quickly worked their way into the starting lineup, and both scored goals in their first start for UPC Tavagnacco. Off the field, the two Longwood grads are able to experience a way of life that’s not so different from their college experience. They spend time going to the gym, studying Italian, cooking and hanging out with friends. “We live in Tavagnacco, a province of the city of Udine,” said Nardella. “The town is very small and surrounded by mountains and vineyards.” Udine is in the northeast corner of Italy, very close to the Slovenian border. The team normally plays once a week, on Saturdays, and the games draw a few hundred fans. But, no matter the size of the crowd, playing professional soccer is a dream come true for the two Lancers. — David Driver
Men’s and women’s basketball teams tip off into the Big South Men’s Basketball
Freshman basketball standout Michael Kessens ’16 has the potential to be a special player for the Lancers, says coach Mike Gillian.
Courting Success
Women’s Basketball
Swiss standout turns heads in Big South Michael Kessens began playing soccer at about age 5, which is pretty typical for young boys growing up in Switzerland. It was a different sport—basketball—that brought him to the United States. The 6-foot-9 freshman forward, who averaged 13 points and 8.6 rebounds in his first 30 games with the Lancers, only began playing the sport in 2007. His size and athletic ability were a perfect fit for the game, and his skills began to improve dramatically. Just five years after he picked up a basketball, he has drawn praise from coaches around the country. Kessens had just five points and nine rebounds against Dartmouth on Dec. 1 but left an impression on veteran head coach Paul Cormier. “He is very skilled,” Cormier said. “He has a good feel around the basket, and he has proven he can go outside a little bit. He has a nice game. He has some real good skills and
Longwood men’s basketball entered the final game of the season with a record of 7-23 overall, 4-11 in the Big South, as of late February. JuniorTristan Carey and freshman standout Michael Kessens led the Lancers all season: Carey averaging 15.7 points with 74 3-point field goals, and Kessens averaging 13 points and 8.6 rebounds with nine doubledoubles. Longwood gained its first win of the season in exciting fashion in Las Vegas on Nov. 23, defeating Florida A&M, 86-83 in overtime.The Lancers earned their first-ever conference win on Feb. 9 at perennial league power Winthrop, 62-56, while never trailing in the second half.The closest win of the season came on Feb. 19, as Longwood defeated instate rival Liberty in a 102-101 thriller.The program looked to make some noise at the Big South Basketball Championships on March 5-10 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
some real talent. If he has a passion to get better, watch out.” “He is a good player and talented, obviously, with high character,” said Mike Gillian, the 10th-year Longwood head coach. “He did whatever was asked of him. He said physically he needed to get better.” Kessens, the son of a German mother and Somali father, said watching NBA star Dirk Nowitzki play motivated him to get better. “You just get hyped, and I fell in love with the sport. When I heard a German player was good in the NBA, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. The sky is the limit for the 205-pound freshman, as long as he puts in the work, said Gillian. “He gained 10 pounds from August until December. It is hard to put that on during the season. March to September is a huge period of time [to improve]. If he gets to 225 or 230 with the skills he has, you have something special there.”— David Driver
The Longwood women’s basketball team owned a 10-17 record, including a 7-9 mark in Big South games, as of Feb. 27. The 10 wins marked the program’s most victories since 2007-08. Seniors Chelsea Coward and Crystal Smith each surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming the first in the program’s Division I era to do so. Smith, who scored more than 30 points in two games in 2012-13, garnered Big South/Choice Hotels Player of the Week accolades, while freshman Daeisha Brown was twice named the Big South/Crons Brand Crystal Smith ’13 topped 1,000 points Freshman of the Week. in her Lancer career. The players will head to Myrtle Beach, S.C., on March 5-10 to participate in the program’s first Big South Basketball Championships.
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L ANCER U PDAT E
Softball player named All-America scholar-athlete Longwood junior softball team member Amy Putnam was named a 2011-12 Division I AllAmerica Scholar-Athlete by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Dec. 6. All-America Scholar-Athlete recipients must have achieved a 3.5 grade-point average or higher during the 2011-12 academic year. Thousands of athletes representing more than 600 institutions across all three NCAA membership categories were honored with the award. Putnam, who is majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science, has a 3.77 cumulative GPA and appeared in 12 games last season for the Lancers, taking five at bats and scoring two runs.
Lancer junior named VSGA co-golfer of the year Longwood junior women’s golfer Amanda Steinhagen was named the 2012 Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA) Women’s Co-Golfer of the Year. Steinhagen was the 2012 Virginia Women’s Stroke Play Champion (69-68-70–207, new record), becoming Amanda Steinhagen ’14 the first player to own the Women’s Amateur and Women’s Stroke Play titles in the same rotation since 1991. Steinhagen also advanced to the round of 16 at the 2012 VSGA Women’s Amateur as two-time defending champion, while placing fifth at the 2012Tennessee Women’s Open (70-71-76–217) and seventh at the 2012 Eastern Amateur (71-74-80–225). A third-year team member, Steinhagen has a career average of 75.53 through 66 rounds to rank first all-time.This is the fourth consecutive year that Steinhagen has garnered season-ending honors from the VSGA. With this honor, she has repeated as Women’s Golfer of theYear and was the VSGA’s Junior Girl of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
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Clint Mooney, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident his freshman year, is an inspiration for Longwood men’s cross country coach Catherine Hanson and the rest of the team. Despite all odds, Mooney finished the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon in the hand cycle division.
Chapter Two Cross country runner paralyzed in 2009 finds place back on team Tragedy took away Clint Mooney’s ability to run, but it didn’t take away his spirit. The Longwood cross country team manager was paralyzed in a car accident in 2009, just weeks into his freshman year. A promising runner from local Prince Edward County High School, Mooney ’14, a business major, was on track to be a valuable part of the Lancer team. “He was the first runner from PEHS in more than 15 years to qualify for the Virginia State Finals,” said Longwood head coach Catherine Hanson. “He ran for two weeks with our team, and the team photograph has him in it. The accident had a huge impact on the team and me. It was devastating.” Paralyzed from the chest down, he returned to Longwood after about a year of rehabilitation and again found a place on the cross country team—this time as the team manager.
His new role keeps him busy, but it also keeps him active. Using a hand cycle, Mooney still trains with his former teammates while helping them succeed. “I try to go out every day, but probably make three of five practices a week,” he said. “I go on runs with the men’s teams on roads that are accessible.” Through these training sessions, Mooney has kept up friendships that he made before the accident, especially with senior runner Sean Flynn, who also joined the Lancer cross-country squad in 2009. For Hanson, Mooney’s return to the team is a source of inspiration. “He shows up for every practice. He goes where we are, whether it’s 20 miles away or five,” she said. “He rides with the boys—it’s wonderful to see. For me, personally, just to have him a part of the program again is great.”— David Driver
L ANCER UPDATE
Lancer Club benefit event raises more than $50,000
New browser theme, apps launched Longwood University Athletics is pleased to offer its fans a new customized interactive browser theme free of charge. This custom feature, designed and developed by Brand Thunder, is sure to help with the promotion of the Lancers. It’s designed to engage those who visit the Lancers’ site, increasing return site visits and social media page views by giving fans a persistent engagement tool that stays up-to-date with
content and links. Download yours at www.longwoodlancers.com. Also be sure to check out the new Longwood Android/iPhone-iPad-iPod Touch mobile apps, which feature the latest news and results for all Longwood sports, plus schedules, rosters and photo galleries. Download them free via the Fan Zone tab at www.longwoodlancers.com or search the iPhone app store.
The Lancer Club raised more than $50,000 in support of Longwood student-athletes at the first Longwood Athletics Benefit Celebration held in October 2012 at the Omni Richmond hotel. The event, which attracted more than 300 people, exceeded all expectations, said organizer Scott Bacon, assistant athletics director for development. Coming on the heels of Longwood’s entrance into the Big South Conference, the event included a live and silent auction, music and dancing. “There was a lot of goodwill and cheer,” said Longwood Director of AthleticsTroy Austin. “People were excited about the event and had a good time—and are already looking forward to the next event.” Top-sellers at the auction were a week at a beach condo and a Longwood scooter. Several items featured Longwood athletics legends: a golf package with former coach Dr. Barbara Smith, and baseballs signed by major leaguer MichaelTucker and promisingYankees prospect Mark Montgomery. “This was a positive event for us in terms of marketing, public relations and re-engaging with alumni. It shows how everyone in the Longwood family is quick to support athletics and the university,” Bacon said.
Jenna Page, Longwood assistant athletics director for sports medicine and head athletic trainer, was named the Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association (VATA) 2012 Collegiate/University Athletic Trainer of the Year. The honor was announced Jan. 12, 2013, during the VATA Annual Symposium at the Hilton Richmond. “I am honored to receive this award and lucky to have the team that surrounds me at Longwood Athletics,” said Page, acknowledging “the support of the administration, quality of care from our team physicians with CJW Sports Medicine and OrthoVA for our stu-
dent-athletes, the great relationship with the athletic training education program, the strong team of athletic trainers in the department, the athletic training students and student-athletes.” Page, in her sixth year at Longwood, was promoted to her new position in July 2012 after serving as the head athletic trainer since March 25, 2009. She oversees athletic training along with strength and conditioning while specifically handling the sports of women’s soccer and softball. She previously served as the associate athletic trainer since July 2008. — Greg Prouty
Andrea Dailey
Lancers have best trainer among universities in Virginia
A Longwood scooter was one of the top-selling items at the auction.
SPRING 2013 I 39
L ANCER U PDAT E
Fall Sports Highlights Longwood athletes score big and set new school records Men’s Cross Country
Men’s Soccer
Senior Sean Flynn put his mark on the 2012 men’s cross country season, setting a school record with a 33:33 time in a 10K race. As a team, the Lancers posted 11 top-20 finishes in six meets. Five runners broke the 27-minute mark in the 8K distance, and two ran sub-34 minutes in a 10K. Longwood ended the season by placing ninth at the Big South Championship and 31st at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
The Longwood men’s soccer team closed the 2012 season with a 3-12-3 overall record and a 2-7-1 mark in Big South games. The Lancers defeated league opponents UNC Asheville and VMI in back-to-back games before picking up their final victory of the year against George Washington. Senior Devin Pierce, who paced the squad with seven points, was recognized as the Big South Attacking Player of the Week and was named to the league’s All-Academic Team.
Women’s Cross Country Senior Alisha Royal paced the Lancer women’s cross country team in 2012, setting a new school 6K record and earning Eastern College Athletic Conference All-East honors for the second consecutive year. Royal also broke the 19-minute mark in a 5K three different times in the team’s six races. As a team, the Lancers posted seven top-20 finishes in the 2012 season. To cap the season, Longwood placed 11th at the Big South Championship and 36th at the NCAA South Regional.
Field Hockey The Longwood field hockey team finished the 2012 season with an 8-13 overall record, 6-2 in Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference (NorPac) action, to finish second place in the East Division. The Lancers combined for six weekly NorPac awards in 2012. Junior Stacey de Grandhomme was named the NorPac East Division Player of the Year, in addition to being selected to the All-NorPac East Division Team, All-NorPac Tournament Team and AllSouth Region First Team.
Women’s Soccer 2012 was a year of success for the Lancer women’s soccer team. Enjoying their finest season since 2002, Longwood finished with a final record of 13-6-2, including 8-2-1 in the Big South Conference, tying for second place during the regular season. Five Lancers were selected to the 2012 Big South Women’s Soccer All-Conference Teams, including senior Natalie Massey and junior Kelsey Pardue, who were each selected to the All-Conference First Team. Senior Lindsey Ottavio was chosen for the All-Conference Second Team, while Olivia Colella and Meghan Magee were each named to the league’s All-Freshman Team. Massey and Ottavio were each named to the All-Tournament Team, and Pardue garnered National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) 2012 All-Southeast Region Third Team honors. 40 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
Men’s Golf Junior Dylan Jensen led the Longwood men’s golf team during its six fall tournaments, averaging a career-best 74.93, lowering his career average to 75.79 (ninth all-time) going into the spring championship season. The Lancers earned two top-10 finishes last fall and averaged 302.27. Longwood will host the annual Manor Intercollegiate at the local Manor Resort April 12-13 and will participate in its first-ever Big South Men’s Golf Championship on April 21-23 in Ninety-Six, S.C.
Women’s Golf Junior Amanda Steinhagen led the Longwood women’s golf team during its six fall tournaments, averaging a career-best 75.38, lowering her school-record career average to 75.53 going into the spring championship season.
(top) Alisha Royal ’13 set a Longwood record for 6K time and earned ECAC All-East honors for a second straight year. (middle)The Longwood men’s soccer team picked up two victories against Big South opponents in its inaugural year. (bottom)The women’s soccer team finished with a record of 13-6-2.
The Lancers earned two top-five finishes among four top-10 efforts last fall and averaged 308.75. Longwood will participate in its first-ever Big South Women’s Golf Championship on April 14-16 in Ninety-Six, S.C. — Greg Prouty
ALUMNI NEWS Zeta Tau Alpha chapter to be reinstalled
The new Forever Lancer Days welcoming 2013 graduates into the Longwood Alumni Association will conclude with this year’s commencement exercises.
Saving the Best for Last Forever Lancer Days to be introduced to graduating seniors In a takeoff on New Lancer Days— an extended orientation program for new students called “the first four days of the best four years of your life”—the Office of Alumni Relations will experiment with a new concept for graduating seniors in May. Joining the tradition of Senior Week, Forever Lancer Days—“the last four days of the best four years of your life”—is an opportunity for students and their families to celebrate the end of students’ final college year. To kick off the festivities, the alumni office will team up with the senior class officers in hosting “The Last Senior Series” on Wednesday, May 8. Beginning at 6 p.m., graduating seniors are welcome to enjoy appetizers and drinks on the deck of Macado’s restaurant. Thursday, May 9, will feature a banquet for seniors to welcome them as the newest members of the Alumni Association. At this dinner, the Office of Alumni Relations will introduce a new Longwood tradition — an e-booklet. On the evening of Friday, May 10, there will be an after-dinner reception and program for graduating seniors and their families to join others in conversation and celebration.
Forever Lancer Days will conclude with Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 11, at 9:30 a.m. on Wheeler Mall. The interactive e-booklet, still in its beginning stages, will provide helpful tips and inside information on real-world topics like how to find appropriate housing, how to dress for success and the value of benefits when evaluating a salary offer. The e-booklet will be updated regularly, and networking opportunities will be available for alumni, both new and old. Alumni can advertise their businesses in the e-booklet by submitting their business cards and information for a $25 fee by April 8. They can also contribute to the advice portion titled, “I Wish I’d Known ...” by writing about what they thought were the hardest parts of life after Longwood and beginning a career, and what they would have done differently. The Office of Alumni Relations encourages Longwood alumni to participate in the new program. Payment for advertising business cards can be mailed to 120 Lancaster Hall, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909, and all submissions for the website’s “I Wish I’d Known ...” segment can be emailed to alumni @longwood.edu. — Claire Williams ’13
The ZetaTau Alpha sorority chapter—founded at Longwood in 1898 and closed down four years ago—is coming back. The Alpha Chapter will be officially reinstalled April 5-7. As part of the colonization process, national ZTA officers and leadership consultants have spent time on campus during this spring semester, including attending several recruitment activities from Feb. 10-14.The future chapter expects to have about 60 members, the maximum for Longwood sorority chapters that are members of the College Panhellenic Council. “This is a huge piece of our history coming back to campus,” said Kate Planow, associate director for fraternity and sorority life. In a joint action by ZTA international headquarters and Longwood, the chapter was closed down in May 2009 due to allegations concerning hazing and underage drinking. ZTA is one of four national sororities—the “Farmville Four”—founded at Longwood between 1897 and 1901.The others are Alpha Sigma Alpha, Kappa Delta and Sigma Sigma Sigma.
Volunteers needed to plan reunion for classes of ’68 and ’73 A reunion for the 40th and 45th reunion classes—the Classes of 1968 and 1973— is tentatively set for October 2013. Volunteers are needed to help plan this special reunion. Anyone willing to help should contact the Office of Alumni Relations (alumni@ longwood.edu or 434-395-2044). About 80 alumni from the Classes of 1967 and ’72 returned to campus in October 2012 for the first such reunion.
SPRING 2013 I 41
Todd Flowers’ work supports Dominion’s nuclear reactors, including these two at the Surry nuclear power station.
Full of Energy Physics grad keeps nuclear power safe in Virginia In Virginia, about 40 percent of electricity is generated from nuclear power. One of the people who makes sure it’s safe is Todd Flowers ’97.
core fuel assemblies—a series of metal rods containing ceramic pellets of uranium—is removed and replaced with new assemblies. Flowers, who supervises about 10 people, also has worked in the fuel project Person of Interest engineering group and in nuclear fuel procurement, where he became a project manager. His office is at Domin— Todd Flowers ’97 ion’s Innsbrook Technical Center “Nuclear power is a great business to be in. in Richmond. A Hampton native, Flowers earned a B.S. It’s safe, reliable and clean,” said Flowers, in physics at Longwood, where his adviser a nuclear engineering supervisor for Dominwas Dr. Charles Ross, then a physics profesion Resources. Flowers manages the nuclear safety analysis sor and now dean of the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences. “Dr. Ross made the group, the unit in which he started his Doclasses fun. He used a Bart Simpson doll to minion career in October 1998, two months after earning a master’s degree in nuclear engi- demonstrate the fundamental laws of neering from the University of Virginia. Flow- physics,” said Flowers. ers’ unit supports the operation of the Ross called Flowers “possibly the best stuso-called “nuclear fleet”—four nuclear reactors dent I ever taught here. One of the faculty in Virginia (two each at Surry and North members in nuclear engineering at U.Va. told Anna), two in Connecticut and one in Wisme that Todd was the best student they had consin. Each reactor is shut down on a stagever had in their department. This was mostly gered schedule every 18 months for about gratifying since I was able to help him along 30 days, during which about one-third of the his path but also a bit humbling since it was
‘ Nuclear power is a great business to be in. It’s safe, reliable and clean.’
42 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
the same department from which I had graduated!” In addition to his master’s from U.Va., Flowers earned an MBA at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2006 by attending night classes. In 2008 he was one of only two employees Dominion sent to the World Nuclear University Summer Institute, an intensive six-week nuclear leadership development program. He chaired the Virginia section of the American Nuclear Society in 2003-04. In his spare time, Flowers serves on the board of project: HOMES, which performs home repairs and improvements for low-income seniors and disabled residents in Central Virginia, and on the Junior Board of the Historic Richmond Foundation, which he said has “saved some amazing historical buildings in Richmond.” He is a member of the HRF’s Quoit Club, an organization for people who enjoy experiencing history and architecture with a social twist. He formerly served for six years on the Massey Alliance board, a group of young professionals who raise money for the Massey Cancer Center. Flowers lives with his two yellow Labs in a 1939 house in one of Richmond’s first subdivisions, Grove Avenue Crest, just west of the Museum District. He enjoys returning to Longwood, and in 2009 he returned to campus to speak to Delta Sigma Pi, a student business organization. “It felt like a turning point. That was the first time I remember everyone referring to me as Mr. Flowers,” he said with a laugh. — Kent Booty
ClassNotes
1940s The Petersburg Library Foundation received a special gift to honor three sisters who were Longwood alumnae and longtime Petersburg teachers. The Petersburg Library’s cafe will be named Lyons Cafe in memory of Maury Leigh Lyons ’32, Julia Lyons ’38 and Ann Lyons ’43.
1950s Cecil Yeatts ’52 and Phyllis D. Yeatts ’51 celebrated their 62nd
anniversary on Feb. 18, 2012. Virginia Cowles ’56 is a member of the Richmond Metropolitan Area League of Women Voters. Each Wednesday morning while the General Assembly is in session, the LWV of Virginia sponsors the Women’s Round Table, where state legislators drop in to discuss the bills they are sponsoring.
ALUMNI NEWS Jacqueline Wilson Cheatham Schropp ’74 married Lawrence
Schropp on Oct. 20, 2012. Janet Wendelken ’74 is a development officer with the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Foundation.
1980s Ken Marcus ’82 was named a
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A professor of analytical chemistry at Clemson, Marcus earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Virginia. He received the 2001 South Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science Research, and, in 2010, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has been published in multiple journals and is a member of the editorial advisory board for four international journals. Cindy Corell ’84 is community
1970s Ann Green Baise ’74 of Falls
Rachel Johnson ’85 received the
Church was appointed to a fouryear term on the College of William & Mary’s Board of Visitors beginning July 1, 2012. She is serving on the administration committee and as vice chairman of the Richard Bland College committee. Baise is treasurer of Baise Farms, a corn and soybean operation in Illinois and Vermont. She served on Longwood’s Board of Visitors from 1996-2004. In 2000 and 2002, she was named the Columbia Hospital for Women Volunteer of the Year.
following awards in 2012: Region 8 Teacher of the Year, VFW State Teacher of the Year (K-5), Longwood’s Professional Who Made a Difference, Teachers of Promise Mentor and Presenter.
ginia Municipal League’s Urban Section.
1960s Jane “Kitt” Rogers Williams ’69
was appointed director of human resources at Volunteers of America, Southern California.
Dr. Tamara L. Brown ’89 was
named a dean at Prairie View A&M University. Ricky Otey ’89 was named senior
conversations editor for the The News Leader in Staunton. A recent blog post in the paper detailed a trip she and several other Longwood students made to New York City in April 1982, keeping in mind advice Corell had received from then-music professor Bruce Montgomery: “Don’t ride the subway after dark. Don’t go out alone. Befriend a bum.” It turned out the advice to befriend a bum was the most important, as it was a “bum” who helped Corell and another student find their way back to their hotel when a bus they had planned to take never turned up.
Dr. Patricia Powell Woodbury ’57 was elected chair of the Vir-
Graham Middle School in Bluefield by the Tazewell County School Board.
vice president, customer experience executive, at First Niagara Financial Group. He formerly was with Capital One Bank.
April is bulging with opportunities for alumni to come back to campus and reconnect with Longwood. Reunions planned include: April 5-6: Milestone Reunion for the Classes of 1938, ’43, ’48, ’53, ’58 and ’63 April 6: Sigma Phi Epsilon Reunion
1990s Robin Burroughs Davis ’90, M.S. ’94, received the Ed Mich-
niewicz Volunteer Award from the Rape and Domestic Violence Crisis Center of Merrimack County, N.H., in April 2012. George W. “Bill” Barnes ’92
was elected to the Elizabeth Randolph Lewis YMCA board of directors and the Powhatan Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He is the owner of the Barnes Insurance Group. Kim DeRonda ’92 was married
on July 7, 2012. Philippe Ernewein ’94 created a teacher training video featuring four amazing high-school students with learning disabilities. To view the video, go to www.remember it.org/Pages/default.aspx. The video also is available free in DVD format to schools, student advocacy groups and nonprofit educational organizations. Nancy Marie Borie Betler ’95, M.S. ’97, received a doctorate in
educational leadership from Wingate University. Brandon Nuckols ’97 played Michael Novak in the Farmville Waterworks Players production of God of Carnage.
Terry Jervis Royall ’86 was sworn
in as the first woman to serve as Nottoway County’s commonwealth’s attorney on Nov. 21, 2012.
4 alumni reunions set for April 2013
Elizabeth Williams Dooley ’99
and Jason Dooley are the parents of Mason Corvin Dooley, born Feb. 9, 2012.
April 12-13: WMLU Reunion (the first for alums who worked at the campus radio station) April 19-20: Decade of the ’90s Reunion “The Decade of the ’90s Reunion will feature a lot of fun activities, some geared to alumni and some geared to families. We’re trying to cater to everybody,” said Lindo Gharib ’95, a member of the planning committee. Activities include a Friday evening reception in the renovated Blackwell Ballroom, which ’90s grads will remember as the dining room, and a barbecue picnic and party Saturday at Lancer Park Field featuringThe Lone Rangers band. “We’re looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and kicking back and having fun,” said Gharib. Another organizer, Dr. Bill Fiege ’95, called this “an exciting time to come back to campus.Those who have not been back will not recognize the campus they left. We should be very proud to call it our alma mater.” The Milestone Reunion has plenty of fun in store for participants, as well. “I’m excited to be able to see old friends after being away from each other for 50 years, and I’m anxious to see how we’ve changed in 50 years,” said Niki Fallis ’63, one of the alums planning the event. Fallis retired from Longwood in 2002 after a 28-year career during which she was director of the career center and assistant director of admissions. “Although many of us have been back on campus since then, I promise that everyone will be amazed at the wonderful changes that have occurred.” For more information on any of these events, please visit longwoodlink.com.
Jenny Johnson Woodward ’87
was named assistant principal of
Continued on Page 45
SPRING 2013 I 43
Steve Helms is vice president of Primland, a 12,000-acre luxury resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Reaching the Top From logging to running a luxury resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains
M
ost of us would confess to having indulged in a work-time daydream that involved golfing on a world-class course or hunting in a pristine mountain reserve or pampering ourselves at luxury spa.
Person of Interest
Mountains that can—without a hint of hyperbole—be described as breathtaking. With elevations of up to 3,000 feet, Primland overlooks Winston-Salem, N.C., about an hour away. Helms has worked there since his college days, his climb to vice president paralleling Primland’s growth from a logging company to an eco-friendly retreat for outdoor enthusiasts with significant disposable income. Both Primlands’ and Helms’ stories have an unusual first few chapters. In 1977, French-Swiss billionaire Didier Primat started a pine chips and logging company on his property in Meadows of Dan, Va., which happened to be Helms’ hometown. At about the same time, Helms had taken
‘ I think the key and what sets us apart is that, while we are vast in size, we operate as a boutique property with an emphasis on personal service.’ — Steve Helms’84 For Steve Helms ’84, those fantasies are the everyday reality of his job. Well, at least managing those fantasies. Helms is vice president of Primland, a 12,000-acre luxury resort in the Blue Ridge
44 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
a break after high school to work in construction and logging. “Looking at the people in management, I realized that, if I wanted to get where they were, I’d have to go and get a college education,” he said. Helms began work on a business degree at Longwood and, in 1980, went to work for Primat, pulling trees out of the woods in the summer and on winter and weekend breaks from his studies. In the early 1980s, Primat patented a machine that produced firewood logs. After graduating from Longwood in 1984, Helms went on the road selling the pre-packaged logs to campgrounds and stores around the country. Then, in 1990, Primat decided to get out of the firewood business and transformed the company into a hunting reserve for pheasant and quail. Helms was put in charge of special projects. Soon Primland added horseback riding, fly fishing, a spa and mountain homes to its offerings. “There was always an opportunity to grow, and it was always challenging,” said Helms, who was named vice president in 1998. To complement the resort’s successful winter hunting business, a golf course on top of the mountain opened in 2006. Consistently ranked one of the region’s best, the course itself is environmentally friendly, with bio-filters strategically placed to protect the natural trout streams and rivers that surround it. Nearby wetlands are considered environmentally sensitive areas and remain untouched. “The company has always been environmentally conscious. They do the right thing,” said Helms. “I think the key and what sets us apart is that, while we are vast in size, we operate as a boutique property with an emphasis on personal service.” As vice president, Helms manages more than 180 employees and interacts with people from all over the world. He credits his experience at Longwood with exposing him to people from different backgrounds and teaching him to be a successful communicator. “I loved meeting people from different areas and learning how they lived,” Helms said of his time at Longwood. He also values the business training he received, particularly in economics. Over the years, Helms has never considered working anywhere else. When asked why, his answer is simple: “It’s home.”—Jeanne Russell
Continued from Page 43
awarded by the Department of Childhood Studies at RutgersCamden.
Terry Jachimiak ’99, Westmin-
ster assistant professor of theatre at Lynchburg College, presented “The Show Opens When?” at the college’s Faires Faculty Forum Oct. 17, 2012. Jachimiak and Josh Scott, a sophomore communication studies and theatre major, developed a memorable set design for the characters of The Drowsy Chaperone. Reaching across multiple disciplines, the pair utilized techniques such as critical thinking and abstract research to create a world for the actors and actresses to live in. Melissa Miranda Jones ’99 and Bryan Jones ’00 are the parents
of Ellyson Miranda Jones, born Oct. 15, 2012.
2000s Bryan Jones ’00 and Melissa Miranda Jones ’99 are the par-
ents of Ellyson Miranda Jones, born Oct. 15, 2012. Meredith Taylor Little ’03 is the mother of Frances Prescott Little, born Dec. 16, 2011. Dr. R. Chad Patton ’03 was named dean of instruction at Southside Virginia Community College. Rhiannon Thomas ’04 and Dave Thomas ’05 are the parents of
Mason Wyatt Thomas, born in August 2011. Allison Ray Yandle ’04 and Wes
Yandle are the parents of Harper Kent Yandle, born May 17, 2012. Leanne Kibler McSween ’05 and Greg McSween ’03 are the
Kim (Bowman) Bradbury ’07 a business meteorologist at Planalytics, Inc., spoke at the Longwood Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium series on Sept. 25, 2012. Her topic was “Weather and Retailing.”
Sierra Robertson Hurt ’10 and
Quinton Hurt are the parents of Geordan Quinn Hurt, 7 pounds 14 ounces, born March 23, 2012. Sierra and Quinton, who were high-school sweethearts, were married on Aug. 11, 2012. Andrew Puckette ’09 and Lauren Montgomery ’10 were mar-
ried July 21, 2012. Andrew is employed at Truth Technologies, Kathleen Roberts ’09, the school while Lauren is a special education librarian at Rivers Edge Elementary teacher in Fairfax County Public School, is one of 56 librarians from Schools. across the country selected by the American Library Association Breanne Elizabeth Bryant ’11 (ALA) as an Emerging Leader. In married Tyler Morgan Allen on addition, the American Association May 19, 2012. Breanne is a fifthof School Librarians (AASL) segrade language arts teacher at Flulected Roberts as an Emerging vanna County Public Schools. Leader they will sponsor. “Kathleen is the ultimate professional, Nicole B. Parker ’11 married Ana librarian extraordinaire, with thony Zukowski II on Nov. 10, boundless energy, enthusiasm and 2012. creativity,” said Ann Martin, the educational specialist for library Allison Trigger ’11 is a first-year services at Rivers Edge. assistant cheerleading coach at Rappahannock High School in Anna Price ’09 married David Warsaw. Trigger was a cheerleader Ross on Aug. 11, 2012. at Longwood and at Essex High School in Tappahannock.
2010s
Jillian Chesson ’12 graduated summa cum laude from Longwood’s Anita Lynn ’10 played Veronica Cormier Honors College. She is now Novak in the Farmville Waterworks a math and science teacher at VirPlayers production of God of Carnage. ginia Beach Middle School. Ashlee McConnell Snider ’10
created the winning design for the T-shirt that will be handed out to runners participating in the 2013 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K race in Richmond on April 13. The winning design features an illustration of a runner, cheerleader and band member lining the historic buildings of Monument Avenue. Snider received a $1,000 prize for the design. Daniel T. Slack ’10 was married
Shane Johnson ’12, a Richmond Kickers defender, signed a multiyear contract that begins with the 2013 season. Natalie Thomas ’12 joined UDig
as a sales assistant. UDig is an IT staffing firm with offices in Richmond, Hampton Roads, Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Allison Witt ’12 joined the Cen-
tral Virginia Training Center in Madison Heights as a psychology assistant.
parents of Declan Sean McSween, born Feb. 24, 2012.
on Sept. 14, 2012.
Kimberly Ambrose Frengel ’06
Tiffany S. Arrington ’10 is corpo-
and her husband are the parents of Phoebe Aubey Frengel, born April 18, 2012.
rate office manager and security coordinator at Veterans Enterprise Technology Solutions, Inc. (VETS, Elizabeth Lacy Jones ’29 Inc.) in Clarksville. She became en- died Aug. 22, 2012. gaged June 6, 2012, and the wedding is planned for Sept. 21, 2013, Continued on Page 47 in North Carolina.
Matthew B. Prickett ’06 received one of two 2012-13 David K. Sengstack Graduate Fellowships
Andrea Dailey
ClassNotes
ALUMNI NEWS
In Memoriam
SarahTanner-Anderson
Amelia teacher wins national award SarahTanner-Anderson ’02, M.A. ’07 is not one to rest on her laurels. A high-school English teacher in her native Amelia, she is known among her students for her boundless energy and unmatched enthusiasm. Those traits have led to success in the classroom, for whichTanner-Anderson received a 2012 High SchoolTeacher of Excellence Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, an organization with more than 50,000 members. She was one of 12 teachers nationwide selected for the honor. “It was a very humbling experience to be on stage with the top teachers in my field,” she said. Tanner-Anderson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Longwood and a master’s in English education and writing, credits her teaching style with setting her apart. “I try to teach the whole student,” she said. “I want to give them experiences and knowledge they are going to use beyond the confines of the four walls of a classroom.” To do this,Tanner-Anderson draws heavily on project-based learning, a method that encourages broader learning by teaching students the skills and concepts necessary to work through a long-term project. Last year, her high-school senior students completed a 10-day project in which they explored and developed persuasive writing skills within the context of studying the civil rights movement. Her insistence on teaching broad-based lessons has not hurt her students’ test scores. Last year, 100 percent of the students in her reading classes passed the Standards of Learning (SOL) test, a remarkable feat for any teacher. Tanner-Anderson, who is working on her Ed.D. from George Washington University, plans eventually to teach at the college level.
—Matthew McWilliams SPRING 2013 I 45
ALUMNI N EW S
Person of Interest
Andrea Dailey
Turtles and otters and penguins, oh my!
Roy Clark
Roy Clark performs 20th benefit concert For the 20th year, country music superstar Roy Clark performed a benefit concert Dec. 15, 2012, at Longwood.The concert raises money for scholarships in the Department of Music. Twelve alumni who were recipients of the Roy Clark Music Scholarship performed during the concert. All 23 recipients of the scholarship, which Clark established in 1995 in memory of his parents, received a special invitation in recognition of this being the 20th anniversary concert.The alumni performed two songs that were part of the Christmas CD the Camerata Singers released with Clark in 1998.
Capital Idea Emily Holt ’10 (left), Luke Emory ’10 and Emily Van Daniker ’11 were among the more than 80 alumni who attended the social at Bar Louie in Washington, D.C., before the Longwood-Georgetown basketball game on Dec. 10, 2012. Others joined their fellow alumni to watch the game at the Verizon Center.
46 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
Job at North Carolina Aquarium gives alumna up-close and personal experiences with aquatic wildlife Suzanne Craig ’10 might be most at home holding tiny sea turtles that fit in the palm of her hand. Or it could be when she is helping train North American river otters. Better still, it could be when she is feeding penguins, enjoying their distinct personalities. “I’m passionate about all animals,” she said, “but I’ve worked closely with sea turtles, so they are the most special to me at the moment.” Craig, who was a biology major at Longwood, is currently a husbandry technician at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. She landed the job after working at the aquarium for her internship while an undergraduate. As a husbandry technician, Craig is responsible for preparing food for the aquarium’s animals according to strict dietary needs, cleaning tanks, performing water quality analysis, conducting training sessions, and collecting a variety of species from the wild for gallery exhibits. She and two other technicians rotate between exhibits, so they become familiar with all of the animals at the facility. The aquarium is organized around the different regions of North Carolina, from the cold-water mountain streams to the salty Atlantic Ocean. Currently, Craig is stationed with the North American river otters and sea turtles. “We generally don’t like to touch the otters since they are still wild animals,” Craig said, “so we have to do all training by interacting with them through a cage, much like you would find in a kennel or veterinarian’s office. It’s a challenge, but very rewarding when the work pays off.” The otters are trained for veterinary procedures, making otter physicals much easier for the vet and the animal. With the sea turtles, the work is never done. The aquarium works to rehabilitate sea turtles
Suzanne Craig prepares to put a young sea turtle she helped rehabilitate into the warm Gulf Stream waters.
that are either sick or injured to prepare them for release back into the wild. “We get coldstunned sea turtles brought in, which are turtles of all ages that have gotten trapped in a pocket of cold water and essentially developed a case of pneumonia,” said Craig. “We treat them, giving them antibiotics or whatever else they need, and get them ready to be released back into the ocean.” Craig has seen the turtles hatch, an event she calls amazing. “When the turtles start hatching and coming out of the nest, it’s like ants pouring out of an anthill,” she said. “ There are so many of them, and they all just shoot straight down to the water. I feel lucky that I’ve been able to witness it.” For the ones that don’t make it to the sea that first night or are brought to the aquarium because they are ill, the ocean still calls. Every few months, Craig and other aquarium workers go out—often with the Coast Guard— to place the rehabilitated turtles into the warm Gulf Stream waters approximately 55 nautical miles off shore. Occasionally, the aquarium will host a traveling exhibit featuring an exotic animal. Four penguins ended their stay at the facility in late September 2012. “They each had a distinct personality, which you don’t normally think about with penguins,” said Craig. “I was in charge of feeding them while an educator would talk about penguin behavior and conservation to crowds of students and visitors who came to watch. I’ll never forget seeing them smile as I called out the penguins’ names and they came waddling over for a fishy snack.” —Matthew McWilliams
ClassNotes
ALUMNI NEWS Mary Bingham Hinshelwood ’44
Minnie Virginia Grubbs ’63
died Jan. 8, 2013.
died Dec. 1, 2012.
Marie Kelly Semple ’44
Carol Ann Johnson ’63
died Sep. 5, 2012.
died Jan. 13, 2013.
Celia Jones Williams ’33
Mildred Shiflett Toomer ’46
Ann Thompson Douthat ’64
died Feb. 3, 2013.
died Jan. 22, 2013.
died Dec. 18, 2012.
Catherine Crews Parker ’35
Reba Conner Lacks ’47
Linda Turner Morgan ’65
died Dec. 19, 2012.
died Oct. 13, 2012.
died Oct. 8, 2012.
Sarah Irene Harper ’36
Dorris Ballance Hopkins ’48
Sally Ann Tomblin ’68
died Feb. 6, 2013.
died Nov. 24, 2012.
died Jan. 16, 2013.
Mary Harvey Baldwin ’38
Elizabeth Jeffreys Hubard ’48
Elizabeth Overton Dean ’71
died Nov. 6, 2012.
died Aug. 23, 2012.
died Jan. 25, 2013.
Elizabeth Roberts McCann ’38
Virginia Love Tisdale ’48
Barbara Duck Johnson ’72
died Feb. 2, 2013.
died Dec. 13, 2012.
died Sep. 15, 2012.
Ellen Gray Anderson ’39
Mary Neale Garrett ’49
Nancy Ann Gonzales ’74
died Jan. 9, 2013.
died Jan. 29, 2013.
died Jan. 22, 2013.
Martha Beverley Hathaway ’39
Jane Taylor Ingram ’49
Karen Overman Truman ’77
died Nov. 28, 2012.
died Dec. 24, 2012.
died Jan. 23, 2013.
Elizabeth Greig Adams ’40
Jacqueline Burkholder Mahaffey ’49 died Jan. 14, 2013.
Avis Kolanda Addleman ’80
died Dec. 28, 2012. Shirley Andrews Baxter ’40
Evelyn Patterson Venable ’49
Jeannine Beddow Armstrong ’80
died Dec. 31, 2012.
died Feb. 7, 2013.
died Nov. 12, 2012.
Estelle Broda Griffin ’40
Nancy Meeteer Alden ’50
William Russell Nixon Jr. ’81
died Feb. 6, 2013.
died Dec. 8, 2012.
died Dec. 3, 2012.
Anne Billups Jones ’40
Catherine Bondurant Ivy ’50
Jane Elizabeth Maze ’84
died Nov. 28, 2012.
died Aug. 19, 2012.
died Aug. 15, 2012.
Annette Prosise Moore ’40
Billie Barber Winston ‘51 died
Margaret Jones Kimbrough ’87
died Feb. 9, 2013.
Aug. 30, 2012.
died Jan. 2, 2013.
Martha Jane Wilson ’40
Joyce Clingempeel Allman ’52
Susan Paolini Polonski ’88
died Dec. 31, 2012.
died Dec. 29, 2012.
died Jan. 27, 2013.
Katherine E. Jarratt ’41
Frances Williams Wilson ’52
Mark Andrew Rice ’89
died Oct. 12, 2012.
died Jan. 14, 2013.
died Dec. 25, 2012.
Mattie Epps Jolly ’41
Phyllis Entsminger Henley ’53
Wanda Stagner Tyree ’89
died Feb. 1, 2013.
died Oct. 29, 2012.
died Nov. 18, 2012.
Nell Hall Wilbourne ’41
Shirley Wilbourne Garland ’56
Gregory Todd Copes ’99
died Oct. 19, 2012.
died Nov. 2, 2012.
died Aug. 17, 2012.
Continued from Page 45
Roberta Latture Woolfenden ’41 James Harold Anderson ’57
died Nov. 17, 2012.
Where in the World Is the Longwood Scarf? In Hawaii Mary Kay Richeson Wenk ’66 shows off her Longwood scarf in Maui while on vacation in the Hawaiian islands with her husband, Walter.
Christopher Todd Shumaker ’99
died Oct. 4, 2012.
died Aug. 30, 2012.
died Jan. 11, 2013.
Evelyn Cannon Hall ’42
William E. McKissick ’57
died Nov. 7, 2012.
died Aug. 31, 2012.
Joseph George Brian Simanski ’00 died Jan. 31, 2013.
Grace Scales Evans ’44
Mary Earle Carmine ’62
Dylan Harper Ragan ’10
died Oct. 28, 2012.
died Nov. 10, 2012.
died Jan. 11, 2013.
Keep those class notes coming We appreciate everyone who sent us submissions for the Class Notes section in this and the last issue of Longwood magazine. Please keep them coming. If there is anything new in your life, personally or professionally, email the details to alumni@longwood.edu. Don’t forget to give us your full name, the year you graduated and the degree you received. Please also send us a contact phone number or email address in case we have questions.
July 9 is deadline for 2014 nominations for Alumni Awards The Longwood Alumni Awards program recognizes alumni for their outstanding achievement and service to others. Nominations for awards to be presented in spring 2014 are due by July 9, 2013.To nominate one or more alumni, visit longwood.edu/alumni/ awards.htm and click on “Nomination Form.” For more information, call 800-281-4677 (extension 3) or 434-395-2044.
SPRING 2013 I 47
EndPaper
A New Way to Steal For cyber criminals, ripping off a company’s most valuable assets is relatively risk-free by Randall Boyle
S
tealing millions of dollars’ worth of physical hardware equipment from a large U.S. corporation would be difficult for a variety of reasons. The weight of the hardware would make it difficult to transport. Moving the stolen equipment past customs and out of the U.S. would be risky. The chances of being caught and physically incarcerated would be fairly high. However, none of these factors is relevant if the criminal is stealing intellectual property electronically. Intellectual property can be stolen by individuals who electronically enter and exit the
What can I do? may prohibit the extradition of their citizens to other countries. In cases where the theft was state-sponsored, the chance of extradition may be zero. Thus, stealing intellectual property or committing any number of cyber crimes becomes an attractive proposition. The risks are near zero, the rewards are extraordinarily high, and the logistics of moving the stolen goods are much simpler. In fact, a recent report by the Defense Security Service (DSS) calls the threat to intellectual property theft “growing, persistent, pervasive, and insidious.” The report then notes that in FY 2011 there were 485 operations or investigations aimed at identifying and thwarting illicit collection attempts. The threat is real. It may also be more serious than we think.
Competitive advantage Is industrial espionage a big deal? So what if “they” steal a few trade secrets? Industrial espionage matters because the intellectual property being stolen is what provides U.S. companies with a competitive U.S. at will. They may be career criminals advantage over their international rivals. looking to turn a quick profit, government This competitive advantage allows U.S. corpoagents looking to steal a technological innovarations to be more profitable and pay their tion that will lead to a military advantage, or workers higher salaries. When that advantage they may simply be employees from a competing firm engaging in corporate espionage. The is lost, so are the higher salaries. Essentially, information they steal is essentially weightless, industrial espionage means lower salaries for and can be moved around the globe with ease U.S. workers. The thief ’s logic is reasonable. Why invest and without any oversight. large amounts of time and money into R&D The risk of getting caught during the exwhen the same advantage can be gained for traction of critical data is also very low, possiless effort? Put more bluntly, why buy somebly even near zero. The dramatic reduction in thing when you can steal it for 1/100th of risk is due to the reduced probability that they the cost? will face any kind of punishment. In fact, sevU.S. corporations, the ones paying U.S. eral countries, including Russia and China, 48 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE
workers, must invest large sums of time and money into R&D. Hopefully the effort results in an innovation or defensible technology. Then the hard part begins. You have to keep the innovation from being stolen by career criminals, a multitude of state-sponsored government agents or employees from a competing firm.
First, be guarded, even suspicious, but not paranoid. If you are in charge of managing the deep fryer at a local burger stand, it’s unlikely that foreign agents will be reverse engineering your cheeseburger for its culinary mojo. But if you work for the U.S. government, a defense contractor, a Fortune 500 company, a tech startup, a biotech firm or a pharmaceutical company, you should realize you are a primary target. In fact, if you do anything innovative, you are a target. Hire people you trust. It’s easier (and cheaper) to train an honest neophyte than it is to monitor a dishonest expert. You’ll sleep better, too. Identify your competitive advantage. If your competitive advantage can be stolen, you must take precautions to protect it. Don’t be afraid to report suspicious behavior. Second, you need to learn a technical skill and innovate. Create a competitive advantage. U.S. firms benefit from an educated and skilled workforce. In fact, an argument can be made that technology is mostly irrelevant from a strategic point of view if all firms have access to the same technology. For example, if all tech startups can buy the same servers from Dell, where does the competitive advantage come from? It comes from the people who put the servers to work. It comes from you. Learn a skill that benefits you, your career and your current employer. Put that skill to use. Do more with less. For example, learn how to make mobile applications. Create a mobile application for your company. Your résumé will look better, your boss will be happier, and the company you work for may find a new competitive advantage.
Dr. Randy Boyle is an associate professor of information systems and security in the Longwood Center for Cyber Security, which is housed within the College of Business and Economics.
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