Lancer Parent Pipeline

As we wrap up the fall semester, I wanted to share with you some dates and a few pieces of information that may be helpful. Spring semester will be here before we know it!

Important Dates

—The university will be closed beginning tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 18, and will reopen Monday, Jan. 4.
—Residence halls and other Longwood-managed housing will reopen beginning Saturday, Jan. 9. Check-in will be noon-5 p.m. on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Jan. 11.
—Classes begin for undergraduates on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
—Spring break will be different this year due to public health and academic calendar considerations. Instead of 5 consecutive days off, students will have 5 days off spread throughout the semester. These days are: Monday, March 1; Thursday-Friday, April 1-2; and Tuesday-Wednesday, April 27-28.
—Martin Luther King Jr. Day—Monday, Jan. 18—is a Longwood holiday.
—The add/drop period ends at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21.
—The last day of regular classes is Monday, April 26.
You can find the full spring academic calendar here.

Dashboard

The last Covid-19 daily update for the fall semester will be Dec. 17, when the university closes for winter break. We will restart daily updates when the university opens on Jan. 4. If there are any urgent public health matters to communicate to the campus community while the university is closed, we will do so.

Covid-19 Practices and Precautions

The precautions and practices that have served us well this past semester will remain in place. Later this month, more specific guidance will be shared with students about returning to campus and public health precautions next semester.

Covid-19 Testing

Over the course of the fall semester, the University Health Center increased its testing capacity and has generally been able to offer appointments for peace-of-mind testing in addition to testing for those who are symptomatic or contact-exposed. We expect to continue to be able to continue testing on this basis in the new year. The University Health Center will be closed Dec. 18-Jan. 3.

Longwood Magazine

Finally, by now you should have received the latest issue of Longwood magazine. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the academic and extracurricular activities that kept your students busy this fall. Faculty and staff really put their hearts into making this a good semester for your Lancers. If you didn’t receive a copy and would like one, just send your mailing address to browncs2@longwood.edu.

 —Sabrina Brown

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we’re still here. Not all universities can say that.

I don’t think anyone in the world would say their fall this year has been perfect, but I’m hoping that, as I do, you feel thankful for the things that went right at Longwood this semester.

I’m thankful for the Longwood leadership team that came up with a workable plan. And most of all, I’m thankful for our students—the young people you guided to this point in their lives—who took the situation seriously and, for the most part, followed the guidelines. Again, not all universities can say that.

The last day of undergraduate classes is Nov. 24, and most students will soon head home for Thanksgiving break. Most exams will be proctored online, and we anticipate that many students will choose to take their exams from home. For safety reasons, students who plan to return to Longwood-managed housing (on-campus residence halls, Lancer Park or Longwood Landings) for any length of time after Thanksgiving need to let us know by filling out an Intent to Stay form by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16.​

Your student has received the information below about opening and closing dates, but I thought it might be helpful to pass it along to you as well.

Please note that the winter break information is different for students living in Longwood Landings and Lancer Park apartments.

Thanksgiving Break

Residence Halls, Longwood Landings and Lancer Park
Housing Closes: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24
Food Outlets Open: None
Deadline to Submit Intent to Stay Form: 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16
If your student plans to stay in Longwood-managed housing during this period, they need to fill out an Intent to Stay form, available through the Housing Gateway.

Exam Period

Residence Halls, Longwood Landings and Lancer Park
Housing Opens: Noon Sunday, Nov. 29
Housing Closes: Noon Saturday, Dec. 12
Food Outlets Open: Yes (limited hours and outlets)
Deadline to Submit Intent to Stay Form: 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16
If your student plans to stay in Longwood-managed housing during this period, they need to fill out an Intent to Stay form, available through the Housing Gateway.

Winter Break

Residence Halls
Housing Closes: Noon Saturday, Dec. 12 through noon Saturday, Jan. 9
Housing Re-opens for Spring Semester: Noon Saturday, Jan. 9

Winter Break

Longwood Landings and Lancer Park Apartments
If your student will be occupying the same apartment in spring 2021, they may occupy their apartment over the winter break. However, they must fill out an Intent to Stay form by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16. The form is available through the Housing Gateway.

Whatever your Thanksgiving celebration looks like this year,  I hope you have a safe and happy holiday.

—Sabrina Brown

Pumpkin carving has come a long way in the last few decades, and nowhere was that more apparent than in the pumpkin-carving contest held Thursday.

There was hardly a triangle-shaped eye or nose to be found among the entries—but there were a lavender wig, handmade paper sunflowers and some incredibly intricate designs. Contestants ranged from first-time carvers to practiced artisans with years of jack-o’-lantern experience, and each of them had a story to tell.

 

Inspired by his love of Japanese culture, Rayshad Lindsay ’22 carved Japanese maple leaves onto his pumpkin. A physics major who took three years of Japanese in high school, he embellished his pumpkin with carvings of Japanese maple leaves, along with a crescent moon inlaid with diamond shapes—pretty ambitious for his first carving attempt.

Continuing the Japanese theme, Jordan Matthews ’22 drew inspiration from Studio Ghibli, a Disney-like Japanese animation film studio that Matthews describes as “very whimsical, fun and magical.” An art education major, she covered her pumpkin with drawings of Ghibli characters.

When Kira Pierce ’22 dropped off her entry, it was immediately apparent that she took the contest very seriously—just as she does the annual Halloween pumpkin-carving competition between her and her dad, Longwood alum Gary Pierce ’91. Kira, a math major, spent eight hours carving intricate replicas of the Rotunda façade and the Colonnades—two of her favorite campus spots—onto her entry. Her previous pumpkin work includes detailed portraits of Jesus and of the University of Tennessee’s bluetick coonhound mascot Smokey. Why Smokey? Because Kira hopes to do her graduate work in engineering at UT.

Davice Jones ’23, a biology major, proved that pumpkin-carving inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places. A Student Government Association (SGA) senator, she met with Dining Director Mitch Rodhe Tuesday to give him feedback she’d gathered about the food at Longwood. “He made me laugh,” she said, adding she decided then and there to create her pumpkin in his honor. Lit from within by twinkly lights, her “Mitch” pumpkin is gobbling a “cheeseburger” (represented by a smaller pumpkin) from FarmGrill, one of the restaurants in  the Upchurch University Center’s food court.

Prizes were awarded for the best entry in several categories, including Longwood-themed (winner: Pierce), best painted (winner: Hannah Swain ’22) and best classic jack-o’-lantern (winner: Jones).

Also Thursday, the pouring rain stopped and the sun came out just in time for students to trick or treat across campus during the afternoon. Costumes were encouraged for those making the rounds of more than 20 offices that had signed up to welcome students for Halloween.

I think it’s nice that you don’t have to be a kid to celebrate Halloween at Longwood—just a little bit of a kid at heart.

—Sabrina Brown

One of the great things about being a student at Longwood—and then being a Longwood graduate—is the strong connection our alums feel with these young people and the support they provide to them.

One example of this is the Work Shadow Program run by our Office of Alumni and Career Services.

The program gives current students the opportunity to spend a day with an alum working in a career field in which they have an interest. So far, more 55 alums, many of them from high-profile businesses and organizations, have volunteered to host a student for shadowing this year.

The deadline to sign up for this year’s winter break program is the end of October. If you think your student might be interested, now is the time for them to apply here: http://www.longwood.edu/career/work-shadow-program/ . The program will be held virtually this year due to the pandemic.

“Alumni really enjoy connecting with students and making a difference in their professional futures,” said Teresa Dodson, assistant director of employer engagement and internship services. “The goal is to give our students a taste of what the professional environment is like as well as to provide networking opportunities for our future alumni.

“We will do our best to find an alum in the student’s area of interest,” she added.

Below are some of the alums who have signed up to participate this year. Spending a day with professionals in these types of influential positions could be a life-changing experience for your student.

Editor and junior video editor
National Geographic Studios

Head of technology in corporate and commercial banking
Ernst & Young

Director of talent development
Virginia Tech

Associate compliance tester
Capital One

Senior human resources manager
Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond

International program manager
The Boeing Company

Open source intelligence specialist and analytic training coordinator
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

—Sabrina Brown

There are many things I love about our Longwood students: They’re friendly, kind, thoughtful, hard-working, unpretentious. Many of them also are really good sports, as the story I’m about to tell you will show.

Recently, 8-year-old Regan Vogel, the daughter of Longwood photographer Courtney Vogel, was on campus. She’d accompanied her mom to an assignment and kept herself busy collecting colorful leaves.

All was not exactly well, though. Regan noticed the smiles of students she encountered were hidden by their dutifully worn masks. Couldn’t they do something about that? Regan mused.

In a moment of collective creativity, the group drew smiles on the leaves and the students placed them in front of their masks for a photo op.

 

Regan was happy, and we hope these photos make you feel that way, too.

—Sabrina Brown

The clouds moving across the sky at times decreased visibility but they did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the Longwood students who turned out recently for an evening of stargazing.

“Even with the clouds rolling in, we were still able to view the moon, Mars, Saturn and its rings, as well as Jupiter and its four inner moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto,” said physics major Austin Hedges ’21, president of the Society of Physics Students (SPS), which co-sponsored the event with the Outdoor Club.

Giving participants that close-up view of “outer space” was an 8-inch telescope equipped with a GPS system programmed with the locations of thousands of celestial objects.

Leah Eick ’23, a nursing major and Outdoor Club media and equipment chair, got an eyeful thanks to the sophisticated equipment. “I’m fascinated by the planets. Just being able to look at something so far away and see the beauty of it is amazing,” she said.

Dr. Kenneth Pestka II, a physics professor and the SPS faculty advisor, said students received training and practiced using the telescope before taking it to the event. “Once the operator has correctly aligned the telescope, it can accurately track objects, and it can also find celestial objects for the user,” he said.

The Society of Physics Students and the Outdoor Club are just two of Longwood’s more than 175 student organizations. With adaptations for Covid-19 guidelines in place, these organizations are providing students with opportunities to get together to do things they love and make new friends.

Outdoor Club president Crystal Rosenbaum ’21, a nursing major, said her group has been “jam-packed with activities” this fall, including weekly bike rides, outdoor yoga classes and a sunset hike on the High Bridge Trail attended by 25 students.

The stargazing event is another facet of the club’s mission to “get students interested in the outdoors and to continue that interest past their college years,” she said.

The event put Ashley Roberts ’21, a sociology major and Outdoor Club member, in mind of camping trips with her dad where they would lie on their backs and look up at the stars.

“It’s something that’s always interested me,” she said.

Daniel Alvarez ’23, an English education major and treasurer of the Outdoor Club, is a nature lover who spends a lot of time at his home in rural Northern Virginia “down at the creek fishing” and exploring the woods with his dog. He had a telescope when he was a kid, but it was nothing like the one the physics students set up for the stargazing activity.

“It’s nice to be able to look through a telescope that lets you see so much detail,” he said.

That’s just the reaction Hedges was hoping for.

“I think the participants really enjoyed being able to get great views of these objects,” he said. “Especially with Mars, Saturn and Jupiter because with the naked eye they are just small dots in the sky. With the telescope, we could clearly see the red color of Mars, the beautiful rings of Saturn and the bands across Jupiter’s atmosphere.”

The event was such a hit that the two clubs are planning to do it again in the near future—hopefully when the weather will be more cooperative.

“Outer space is so vastly unknown to society as a whole,” said Rianne Woudsma ’23, a physics major and vice president of the Society of Physics Students. “I’m hoping we can get more people interested in what’s out there with these events.”

—Sabrina Brown

Just about four years ago, Longwood was in the international spotlight as the host of the U.S. Vice Presidential Debate.

Hosting the debate was an unparalleled experience for the entire Longwood community—especially students, who signed up in droves to volunteer for the event, putting them at the epicenter of an experience they’ll never forget.

We thought today would be a good time to look back on that experience and everything it meant for Longwood, including:
—Increased awareness of our university with more than 40 million viewers and the equivalent of more than $80 million in media exposure
—Career boosts for students who made important connections with those organizing and covering the debate
—Opportunities in Longwood classrooms to put an academic focus on the meaning of citizenship and democracy

I hope you’ll enjoy the videos below, which will give you a glimpse into the impact this momentous occasion had on our campus and our community.

—Sabrina Brown

As we get deeper into the semester, I know many of you are concerned about how social distancing and restrictions on gatherings are impacting your student’s emotional well-being.

Of course, it’s not business as usual, but I wanted to let you know that a number of activities and events, including Oktoberfest, as well as student organizations, have adjusted to the health guidelines and are providing your student with opportunities for socializing and making new friends.

Longwood has more than 175 student organizations ranging from sports clubs to academically focused clubs to community service organizations. Please encourage your student to participate—if not in one of the activities below then in something else that aligns with their interests.

Oktoberfest Klown and Spirit Leader Dance
noon Saturday, Oct. 3, Stubbs Lawn

Oktoberfest Virtual Concert featuring Lee Brice
7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3
Students will receive an email link to the concert

Outdoor Club Lawn Games
4:30-5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29, Stubbs Lawn
Cornhole, badminton, lawn bowling and more

Intro to Disc Golf
4-5:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1, 1503 Johnston Drive

Disc Golf League
noon Sundays, disc golf course, 1503 Johnston Drive

Stargazing with the Outdoor Club and Society of Physics Students
8-11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1, Lancer Park Softball Field

Lancer Guard Conditioning and Tryouts
Conditioning: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8-10 p.m., Mac gym
Tryouts: 8-10 p.m. Oct. 15, Health and Fitness Center (based on routine learned in conditioning)
A dance and flag corps

Longwood String Ensemble
7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Longwood Landings #116
For violinists, violists, cellists and double bassists with at least one year of playing experience

Group Fitness Classes
Various times, Health and Fitness Center
Spin, yoga, boxing, pilates and more

Counseling and Psychological Services

If your student shrugs off your suggestions about getting involved and really seems to be struggling, you can encourage them to get in touch with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

“We recognize that many students may be struggling with anxiety, grief, sadness, confusion, loneliness and other difficulties in the midst of navigating a global health pandemic, financial hardships, increased social disconnection, and continued racial injustice and unrest,” says Dr. Maureen Walls-McKay, director of CAPS. “Whatever struggles students may be experiencing, CAPS is here to help.”

CAPS offers individual counseling and group therapy, both in person and via Zoom. There’s even a Zoom support group for students who are in isolation or quarantine. If you’d like more information, you can reach CAPS at 434-395-2409.

Q&A with the University Health Center medical director

Dr. Rob Wade and the staff of dedicated professionals affiliated with the University Health Center are working especially hard this semester to support students’ health and wellness. Dr. Wade took a few minutes recently to answer some questions about the Health Center, its procedures for supporting students through Covid-19 and how the semester is going so far. You can find the full Q&A here.

—Sabrina Brown