7 minute read
ODU Homecoming: A Time for Love Again
look at how we continue to grow our understanding and our appreciation, [and] prepare our students to be able to leave this institution [to] go out and do great things as strong citizen leaders.”
The president spoke passionately when discussing engagement with the community and addressing the public, a skill in which his masters degree has helped a lot. He graduated from Iowa State University with a masters in journalism and mass communication.
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“The skills that I developed and hold as a part of my academic study are of significant benefit, from sitting down and engaging with the media directly to thinking about the public speaking and writing aspects of my work,” President Hemphill explained.
While it’s important for him to engage and interact with students, the president highly encourages students, especially minorities, to lead on-campus organizations, “I say this for minority students and majority students, I think that it’s important for them to engage in leadership opportunities on campus.”
“We have 300+ student organizations to collaboratively engage and work with people from diverse backgrounds and be leaders in these organizations. Be the treasurer, be the president, be the VP — whatever it may be, but engage, that really he+lps you prepare for the work you do beyond the institution. And so, I think that leadership roles are rounding out — if you will — your educational experience, and I highly encourage students to engage.”
On his advice to students who aspire to be in leadership roles, “you’ve got to make sure that you go and be a part of our organization fair or you have an opportunity to meet the diverse number of organizations that we have. And, just simply figure out what works for you, what will make your college experience even better beyond the classroom.”
“I typically say to students, ‘If you don’t see the organization and we don’t have it, you can develop it.”
While the president has privileges, like any other public servant, the job is far from being facile. Hemphill’s presidential privileges come with a residential home, the Jacobson House, which stands shrouded across from Powhatan Avenue facing the Elizabeth River. He can also carry out executive orders for the university, has a team of staff working in his sector, and meets with other important public servants throughout Virginia.
However, he emphasized that the challenging part of the job is how quickly the hours go by in a day.
“There are so many different people to meet and engage with, but of course, there’s also the challenge of competing events. So, it’s really just managing the time and being able to get to key places and meet members of the community,” Hemphill explained. “I have external and internal groups that I need to make sure I am engaging. And so, it’s just navigating that, that’s the biggest challenge. If we can figure out a way to add more hours in a 24 hour day, that’d be wonderful.”
Despite the challenges and big initiatives, Hemphill always looks forward to the students’ journey during their time at ODU.
“I love the beginning of the year when we have new students that are coming on campus, moving in, meeting the parents, having the conversations with the students, and the excitement and energy at the beginning of the journey,” He said. “But, I equally love the experience of commencement, when you have an opportunity to see so many bright eyes that are excited about the next step in their lives and moving on to great things beyond the institution.”
“Those are two cornerstone experiences that I definitely look forward to because I know the meaning of those experiences and that journey, especially being a firstgeneration college student myself,” he said. “I know the meaning of what that degree means for families and generations within that same family and so those are things that I always get excited about.”
Homecoming at ODU has had a long and varied history. Starting back in the 1960’s, the campus tradition has seen a plethora of events ranging from parades, floats, live music events, bike races and the school dance that the Mace & Crown at the time referred to as the “Social Event of the Year.” Homecoming even served as a time for protest at one point. Like when in 1970 former Governor, namesake of the Life Science building, and alleged segregationist Mills E. Godwin Jr. shorted the university’s budget by approximately 4.4 million, according to The VirginianPilot archives, and the students retorted by changing that year’s homecoming theme from “A Time for Love” to “A Time for a Fair Appropriation” rallying students and supporters to write legislators and save ODU from losing quality education,
Homecoming at ODU has had a long and varied history. Starting back in the 1960’s, the campus tradition has seen a plethora of events ranging from parades, floats, live music events, bike races and the school dance that the Mace & Crown at the time referred to as the “Social Event of the Year.” building funds, and accreditation. According to the University archives, homecoming had come and gone throughout the years. We saw a rebirth of interest in 1986, then again in 1991 when the event became synonymous with sporting events. The event moved between October and November, Homecoming even served as a time for protest at one point. Like when in 1970 former Governor, namesake of the Life Science building, and alleged segregationist Mills E. Godwin Jr. shorted the university’s budget by coinciding with either the opening of ODU basketball or football, it eventually evolved into the event students experienced today which fosters school spirit and camaraderie. approximately 4.4 million, according to The VirginianPilot archives, and the students retorted by changing that year’s homecoming theme from “A Time for Love” to “A Time for a Fair Appropriation” rallying students and supporters to write legislators and save ODU from losing quality education, Though ODU Homecoming 2021’s official theme wasn’t, “Time for Love Again,” it might as well have been. With the COVID-19 pandemic effectively cancelling all school events the prior year, this year’s homecoming served as a reason for students to reconnect and heal from these turbulent times. It reminded the student body what it meant to be a Monarch, and what it means to love ODU. A pinnacle part of defining what it means to be a Monarch is the election of the Homecoming King and Queen, which serve as the face of the Monarch community. Several great candidates ran this year, with varied backgrounds in courses of study and extracurricular achievements but with one shared goal in mind — to represent what they believed ODU stands for: diversity, integrity, and connectivity. These concepts weren’t lost on the winners, Caitlyn Kidd and Demetre South, who were crowned at the ODU v. Western Kentucky football game halftime show on Oct. 18 in KornBlau field. Though the game proved to be a crushing blow for sports enthusiasts, for Kidd and South, it was a pinnacle of achievement that they pursued
building funds, and accreditation. According to the University archives, homecoming had come and gone throughout the years. We saw a rebirth of interest in 1986, then again in 1991 when the event became synonymous with sporting events. The event moved between October and November, coinciding with either the opening of ODU basketball or football, it eventually evolved into the event students experienced today which fosters school spirit and camaraderie. Though ODU Homecoming 2021’s official theme wasn’t, “Time for Love Again,” it might as well have been. With the COVID-19 pandemic effectively cancelling all school events the prior year, this year’s homecoming served as a reason for students to reconnect and heal from these turbulent times. It reminded the student body what it meant to be a Monarch, and what it means to love ODU. A pinnacle part of defining what it means to be a Monarch is the election of the Homecoming King and Queen, which serve as the face of the Monarch community. Several great candidates ran this year, with varied backgrounds in courses of study and extracurricular achievements but with one shared goal in mind — to represent what they believed ODU stands for: diversity, integrity, and connectivity. These concepts weren’t lost on the winners, Caitlyn Kidd and Demetre South, who were crowned at the ODU v. Western Kentucky football game halftime show on Oct. 18 in KornBlau field.
