Volume 10, No. 1, Winter 2011 A Magazine for the Alumni and Friends of Longwood University

Longwood

PATRICK FINNEGANLONGWOOD’S 25th PRESIDENT

From the EditorAs I gaze from my window in Lancaster Hall,

I know for sure that winter is upon us. The leaves havefallen, the temperatures have dropped, and the collegerankings have arrived. Each year, college administrators,especially those responsible for admissions and recruitment,approach the new year with a sense of trepidation in

anticipation of “The Rankings.” Did we go up? Did wego down? Are we even included? For Longwood, theanswers are Yes, No, and Yes!

I am happy to report that, for the 13th straight year,Longwood University is ranked among the best inthe 2011 U.S.News &World Report survey. The newUSN&WR “America’s Best Colleges” report ranksLongwood No. 9 in the category “Top PublicUniversities - Master’s” in the South. Among allSouthern Universities - Master’s (public and private)Longwood remains within the top tier at No. 27.

Additionally, Longwood University is again one ofthe best colleges and universities in the Southeastaccording to The Princeton Review. The educationservices company recently selected Longwood as oneof 133 institutions it recommends in the “Best in theSoutheast” section of its 2011 Best Colleges: Regionby Region survey. And, for the first time, LongwoodUniversity is included as one of the best colleges in the

United States in the Forbes 2010 list of America’s BestColleges. The list of more than 600 undergraduateinstitutions, compiled with research from the Centerfor College Affordability and Productivity, is based on11 factors measuring the quality of the education eachschool provides, the experiences of its students, and theachievements of its graduates.

That’s good news on all fronts. And we have moregood news to share with you in this, our 19th editionof Longwood Magazine.

In our last issue, we introduced you to our 25th

president, Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan.President Finnegan and First Lady Joan Finnegan havebeen busy settling into Longwood House and learningall about Longwood and Farmville, while settingpriorities for new leadership.

It is a new era for Longwood and you’ll learn moreabout the Finnegans in several stories on the pages thatfollow, including parts of an interesting in-depthinterview with President Finnegan by Ken Woodley,editor of The Farmville Herald. In a related story, JoanFinnegan discusses her role as Longwood’s new FirstLady and some of the plans she has for historicLongwood House.

Speaking of history, the Longwood Honor Codecelebrates its 100th anniversary this year. TheLongwood Creed: “We shall not lie, cheat, or steal,nor tolerate those who do,” is almost identical to theCadet Honor Code at West Point, a fact that resonateswell with President Finnegan as he noted during thepresidential selection process: “One of the things thatstruck me most about my visits to Longwood, and oneof the things that made me most comfortable, wasseeing the Honor Code on the wall of the library.Not only was it a tie to West Point, but it alsoconfirmed that the Longwood community andI shared the same values.”

Longwood students are going abroad to learn and toserve. This issue includes a story about a remarkablemissionary trip to Haiti and a capstone writing seminarin France. Alumni reunions, profiles, sports – includingthe Greatest Athletics March Ever – and a special storyabout a new Longwood podcast commemorating theCivil War Sesquicentennial: “That a Nation MightLive,” await you in this issue. Enjoy!

Dennis SercombeEditor

On Our Cover

A new era begins as Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan

takes charge as Longwood’s 25th President.

Photo by Duane Berger. Read complete story, p. 3.

Contents

17

9

3

14

19

33

38

44

Longwood is published twice a year for the alumni and friends of Longwood University

by the Longwood University Foundation Inc. All materials © Longwood University.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full is strictly prohibited.

Comments, letters, or contributions can be sent to the Office of Public Relations,

Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909.

Telephone 434.395.2020, Fax 434.395.2825.

Address changes should be sent to the Office of Alumni Relations,

Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909.

Telephone 1.800.281.4677, Fax 434.395.2825.

on the web @ www.longwood.edu/longwood

Printed on recycled stocks. No state funds were used to print this publication.

To request this magazine in alternate format

(large print, braille, audio, etc.), please contact

the Longwood Learning Center, 434.395.2391; TRS: 711.

Contents1 President’s Message

ON THE COVER 5 President Patrick Finnegan

Longwood’s new president reflects on Longwood,

leadership, and the person he is.

FEATURES 11 Meet Longwood’s New First Lady

Joan Finnegan’s genuine enthusiasm about her new role

as Longwood’s First Lady is evident by the extensive calendar

of social events being held at Longwood House.

12 Longwood Celebrates 100 Years of Honor

and Student Governance

14 Longwood Citizen Leaders Make A Difference

22 Design Lab

Longwood University’s graphic design program now includes

what has been called a student-run design agency.

LANCER UPDATE 32 Athletics News

ON CAMPUS 38 Longwood News & Alumni Events

IN PRINT 46 Recent Publications by Longwood Faculty,Staff, Students & Alumni

Contributors

LongwoodPublisher Longwood University Foundation Inc.

Editor Dennis Sercombe

Creative Director David Whaley

Associate Editors Kent Booty, Gina Caldwell

Contributors Duane Berger, K. Johnson Bowles, Beth Cheuk, Diane Easter,

Cocheyse Gilliam, ’97, Alyson Goff, Alex Grabiec, ’07, David Hooper, ’00,

Cricket Gicz Morris, ’06, Greg Prouty, Paula Prouty, ’85, Katie Register,

James Rutter, Nancy Shelton, ’68, Mary Jo Stockton, Ken Woodley

Editorial Office Longwood University

Office of Public Relations

201 High Street, Farmville, Virginia 23909

telephone 434.395.2020

fax 434.395.2825

email sercombeda@longwood.edu

on the web at http://www.longwood.edu

Editorial Dennis Sercombe, Chairman, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Advisory Board Kent Booty, Public Relations Writer and Photographer

H. Franklin Grant, ’80, Interim Vice President for University Advancement

Gina Caldwell, Media Specialist

David Hooper, ’00, Director of Web Communications

Greg Prouty, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Chris Register, Associate Professor of Art

Nancy Shelton, ’68, Director of Alumni Relations

David Whaley, Director of Publications and Visual Arts

Longwood University Patrick Finnegan, President

John B. Adams Jr., Rector of the Board of Visitors

Dr. R. Kenneth ‘Ken’ Marcus, ’82, President of the Longwood University Foundation Inc.

Michael A. Sheffield, ’89, President of the Longwood University Alumni Association

Board of Visitors John B. Adams Jr., Rector, Richmond, Virginia

M. Jane Brooke, ’63, Richmond, Virginia

Otis L. Brown, Vice Rector, Richmond, Virginia

Marjorie M. Connelly, Richmond, Virginia

John W. Daniel II, Richmond, Virginia

Edward I. Gordon, M.D., Farmville, Virginia

Rita Berryman Hughes, ’74, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Chin Han ‘Hank’ Kim, ’90, Chesterfield, Virginia

Ripon W. LaRoche II, M.D., Farmville, Virginia

Judi M. Lynch, Ph.D., Blacksburg, Virginia

Stephen Mobley, ’93, McLean, Virginia

Susan E. Soza, ’62, McLean, Virginia

Ronald Olswyn White, Midlothian, Virginia

Volume 10, No. 1, Published January 2011

1

From the PresidentIt is an honor and a privilege to serve as Longwood University’s 25th President.

Joan and I are delighted to be in Farmville and appreciate very much the warm welcome

we’ve received from all branches of the Longwood family. We owe a special debt of

gratitude to Patty Cormier (and Raymond, the First Gent) for making the transition so

smooth and easy, as well as for their wonderful contributions for 14 years. Patty Cormier

changed the face of Longwood, moved it from a college to a university, and raised the

academic standards to new heights. She will be deservedly long-remembered as a forward-

looking president who moved Longwood into a new era.

As many of you are aware, the start of my tenure was not what I expected or hoped because

of illness. I’m happy to report that I’m well on the way to a full recovery. Joan and I were

overwhelmed by the good wishes, cards, and gifts of so many wonderful people – they

raised our spirits every day. One thing my unanticipated absence did was prove exactly

what a strong team there is at Longwood – every part of opening the school year, from

freshman orientation to welcoming back returning students to the beginning of classes,

went off without a hitch even with the president on the sidelines.

In the last few months, in between trying to figure out which building is which and where

the bathrooms are, I’ve been trying to meet with as many staff and faculty, students, and

alumni as possible. I’ve talked with all the department chairs and deans, as well as other

key faculty. I’m meeting with each class, from freshmen to seniors, mostly to hear their

thoughts and field their questions. We’ve also scheduled a series of breakfasts with staff and

faculty members from across the campus. These discussions and meetings have been very

helpful as I’ve been learning as much about Longwood as I can.

Joan and I have also enjoyed the opportunity to meet alumni, parents, and friends at a

series of receptions in Washington, Virginia Beach, and Richmond. During those events,

we’ve met alumni from eight different decades, from the 1930s to 2010. The remarkable

thing is that what virtually all of them say about Longwood is so similar, whether they

graduated from an all-girls college or a coed university that has more than doubled in size.

They all appreciate the spirit of Longwood and understand that it is a very special place

because of the caring people and the close-knit atmosphere. They cherish the relationships

they’ve formed and the fact that faculty members are not only available to them but are also

genuinely interested in them as students and as individuals. And the best part may be that

I hear the same thing from current students. As we continue to move forward and make

changes that are necessary to keep pace, we will all strive to maintain that personal touch

that is at the heart of this school.

Patrick FinneganPresident

2

3

Woodley:Why Longwood? What convinced you to apply

for and then accept the presidency of this university?

Finnegan: Longwood was very intriguing to me for a

number of reasons. I knew a little bit about it because my

sister graduated from here in 1976, but it was a very

different institution back then – it was an all girls school,

primarily a teachers school. So I knew about Longwood

College. But that information was dated.

When I was possibly looking for jobs because I wasn’t certain

I would stay in the Army – the Army hadn’t let me know

whether they wanted me to continue or not – I had seen an

advertisement for the presidency of Longwood University

and went on the website, looked at the information and was

very intrigued by a number of things. I was captured by

their mission to transform young men and women into

citizen leaders who contribute to the good of society. I think

that’s a great purpose of education. I think it’s very akin to

what we were doing at West Point, and trying to do there,

with a more narrow focus, probably. But I think that is what

education can and should be about.

I like the idea of a campus this size, in number of students –

5,000-plus but really not intending to grow into an

enormous school. So I thought that I would apply and see

what was there and what Longwood was about. I went to

the initial interview, which I’ve learned is called ‘the airport

interview’ because it happens at the airport. And met the

13 or 14 people on the selection committee, a variety of

people – from members of the board of visitors, to faculty,

to staff, to students, some members of the (Longwood)

Foundation. And I was taken by two things. One, how nice

they all were, how pleasant they were to talk to. And, two,

how committed they were to their school. How much they

obviously cared about Longwood and what it meant to

people. And that’s the kind of place I want to be, where folks

are committed to what they are doing. Where they care

about what they’re doing. Where it’s a calling as much as a

job. And I think I have found that, in all my dealings so far,

in a limited time.

To me, there’s an old saying that the Army has, and I think

it’s a great one, and it says the Army isn’t about people, the

Army is people. And to me, in any job you’re in, position

you’re in, the most important thing is the people that you’re

around and you’re working with and dealing with. And so

what we found here and what we found in the community

is a group of people who are friendly, who have a smile on

their face when you walk past, whether they know you or

don’t. And, particularly talking about the university,

everyone we met cares very much about the school. And for

the faculty, I think, by and large, the ones I’ve met, this is

not just a job, it’s a calling, which education should be.

Patrick Finnegan ReflectsOn Longwood, LeadershipAnd The Person He IsKen Woodley Editor, The Farmville Herald

Editor’s Note: On 23 July 2010, The Farmville Herald published a front-page feature story

about Longwood’s new president written by Editor Ken Woodley. With the kind permission of Mr. Woodley

and The Farmville Herald, we have edited the two and a half page interview for Longwood Magazine.

To read the complete interview, go to: http://www.longwood.edu/president/26877.htm

Patrick Finnegan pictured in front of The Soul of America,

2001-2002, shoes, wood, and latex paint, 8’ x 16’ x 6’,

created by the staff and volunteers of the Longwood

Center for the Visual Arts.

4

once we got off (Interstate) 95. That’s not fun. But driving

through the countryside here was – we love this part

of Virginia.

So we came down and our initial thought was simply to

walk around the campus. We parked and we had a little map

of the campus that we printed out from online and just

wanted to walk around. So there were a few buildings that

were open. The library was open and we went in there and

was immediately struck by the – when you walk in one

of the first things you see in big letters is the honor code,

the honor creed of Longwood, which is virtually identical to

West Point. And that was almost shocking, in a way, to see

that because we hadn’t seen that before. And, again, it was

almost an omen or a signal that this might be a place worth

looking at.

Woodley:What are the differences and similarities between

appropriate and effective leadership by a general in the

military and that of a civilian university president?

Finnegan: I’m not sure there are a lot of great differences.

I’m sure there will be some but the stereotype of a general in

the military – and the reason for the stereotype is that some

are like that – is that they come in and kind of bark orders

and direct people to do everything and they’re very top

down micro-managers.

So the most effective leaders, I think, are more consensus

building. They can make decisions and implement them if

they need to but they try and get a sense of the organization

and where it’s headed and have people buy into where you’re

going, as well – what your vision is. In most places in the

military that’s the most effective. It’s certainly true at an

academic institution at West Point.

So I think, I’m hoping, that that will be very similar here.

I’ve always believed in and tried to practice a very collegial

For the students, I hope it’s not simply a place to get a

diploma but a place to get an education in all kinds of ways,

inside the classroom and outside. And that’s really the kind

of place I want to be. I think Longwood has come a long

way in the last 14 years under Dr. Cormier, and has certainly

changed its nature and its reputation, and I think it has great

possibilities for the future and I want to be part of it.

Woodley: How hard was it to leave your career

in the military?

Finnegan: It wasn’t hard. I loved my time in the military.

I particularly loved the last dozen years at West Point and

the last five as the Dean of the military academy. It was a

dream job, one I never thought I’d have, but I really think

this, unbelievably, has the possibility of being another

dream job.

I found what I really liked best about the job as Dean was

being around cadets, being around the students, and I know

there are lots of obligations for a university president as there

are for a Dean but I’m going to try to continue that, to be

around students as much as I can.

People would say to me at West Point, or my friends,

Oh, you must be very sad to be leaving’ and ‘You must be

melancholy’ and the truth is we weren’t. We loved our time

there and really will miss a lot of the people there, but we’ll

stay in touch with them. We won’t see them every day.

But I’m convinced the reason we weren’t sad or melancholy

is because we knew we were coming here. We think this is

a great place for us to be and a great opportunity for us,

a great new adventure

Woodley: How did you go about your on-campus

undercover re-con of the university?

Finnegan:We probably weren’t here for about two hours

or so. We drove down, and loved the drive down from D.C.,

I loved my time in the military. I particularly loved

the last dozen years at West Point and the last five

as the Dean of the military academy. It was a dream job,

one I never thought I’d have, but I really think this,

unbelievably, has the possibility of being

another dream job.” – Patrick Finnegan

“

‘

5

and inclusive style of leadership. I’m not afraid to be the

leader. I’m not afraid to make decisions when tough

decisions have to be made. But I’m disinclined to make them

on my own, without input from people, particularly in times

like this where educational institutions are challenged in

monetary and other ways.

You have to get, not only input from people but you have to

get buy-in from people and allow them to speak their piece

because, first, they may have great ideas you hadn’t thought

of. Second, even if they ultimately disagree with parts of the

decision at least they’ve had their say and they will feel a part

of the organization.

Woodley:What nuances will your military experience bring

to your presidency at Longwood?

Finnegan: I go back to that original saying. I really do think

that leadership in the military, for me, and leadership here, is

about people, it’s about caring for people, it’s caring more

about what they want to accomplish, what they aspire to,

and what the organization does than about yourself.

This university is not about me. It’s particularly about the

students who are here and the focus should be on them.

But it’s about having all of us work together to give the best

education inside the classroom and outside the classroom to

the students. And so I think that’s organizational leadership

that is similar to the military and that is it can’t be self-

focused, by me or faculty members or anybody else. You try

and set the goals and visions of the organization. I’ll tell you

these because they’re part of my philosophy and staff and

faculty and students and everybody else is going to hear

these repeatedly for the next several years. Two parts of my

philosophy, anyway, and my philosophy, certainly, at West

Point was that our main focus always has to be on providing

the best education for the students who are here. And that’s

educating them in the classroom and morally, ethically,

physically.

That’s part of it, but to provide them the best developmental

educational opportunity and that’s whether we’re thinking

what’s the next building project we’re going to do, the

fundraising we’re going to do, or whatever it is, we have to

keep in mind that our main focus is students. If we do that,

you’re not going to get off track as much. So that’s one.

The second part of my philosophy is this ought to be

enjoyable. Education should be a joyful experience. It’s not a

grim business we’re in. At times, right now, it’s a challenging

business because of money, but, overall, education of young

people who are going to be the future of our country ought

to be fun. It ought to be a happy experience for faculty, for

administrators, for students, and I intend to have fun and

I hope that everyone here at Longwood has fun.

Not every day is going to be a blast and there will be

some faculty members who are saying as they’re grading

100 exams, ‘I thought the president said this was going to be

fun.’ Well, not every day is going to be like that but overall

the experience and the opportunity to work with bright,

talented, aspiring young people ought to be fun. And we

ought to make it fun for them, as well, and I think there’s

some great ways to do that.

Woodley:What do you view as your own strengths

as a person, and as a leader?

Finnegan: The ability to work with people, the ability to

bring people together, and having a sense of humor about

things, which helps in tough times, and, I think, a genuine

interest in others. And a passion for education, because

I think it’s the key to the future of our country.

Woodley:What about weaknesses?

Finnegan: I probably try to do too much, sometimes, and

I have to be careful about that, not getting involved in too

many things because I know there’s going to be an awful lot

of demands on my time and I’ve tried to learn, over time, to

delegate authority and delegate responsibility and let other

people do their jobs.

My wife will tell you I’m a horrible procrastinator. I try to

overcome that, as well. And, I don’t know if it’s a weakness

but it’s something I’m going to have to keep an eye on, and

that is I have spent my entire life essentially in the military.

I grew up in a military family. My dad was in the Army.

I went to West Point and I’ve been in the Army since and

so I have not worked or been in what is a fairly completely

civilian environment before and so there may be traps out

there I’m not aware of, that what may seem normal to me

is going to seem strange to other people. But I’m going to

be careful about that to make sure I’m being sensitive to

those issues

Woodley:Who, within your own realm of personal

experience, has most effectively demonstrated leadership –

how and why?

Finnegan: There’s a man that I worked for almost two years,

General Bill Garrison, who’s become a little bit famous

6

because he was the commander of forces that were in

Somalia in the book and movie Blackhawk Down. He was

just a tremendous leader. He focused on what needed to be

done, doing it the right way and making sure that his people

were taken care of.

He wasn’t a particularly personable guy, which was kind of

funny. I had friends who’d worked for him before and they

just raved about him and said he’s not arm around the

shoulder all the time, or anything, but people trusted what

he said. In fact, I have a quote about leadership that I keep

with me: ‘Leadership isn’t so much a matter of charisma,

which can abused, as of character. Only someone who, when

he says he’s going to do something you know he’s going to

do it, is worth following.’

This actually is from a book that I read, a World War II

veteran was writing about his experiences and he wrote it

down and I just ... thought this was a good thing ...”

Woodley: How does one go about taking the job very

seriously without taking themselves too seriously?

Finnegan: I think that’s the key to any sort of position,

especially a leadership position. If you take yourself too

seriously then that’s going to be obvious to people right

away, that you are self-important. People will see that and

will not really want to follow you.

You have to take the job and the responsibility seriously.

I think you can, and I’m not sure how you would do a job

like this without a sense of humor. Even in the worst of

times there are going to be things that are funny.

Again, it really goes back, for me, to people and caring about

them, talking to them, seeing what’s going on with them.

But you have to realize in a time like this, and there’s

probably never going to be an easy time to be a university

president, there are some challenges right now that are

unique but there are probably unique challenges in every

time period. I think you rely on the strengths of the people

who are here. There are folks here, I know, you could

probably go to higher-paying jobs and maybe to what people

would consider more prestigious jobs, but they’ve been at

Longwood and stayed at Longwood because they love this

institution and what it stands for and I think that’s what you

have to focus on and pay attention to and make sure it

retains that character even in tough times.

Woodley: What do you know about yourself now that you

wish you’d known 25 years ago?

Finnegan: One thing is that you don’t have to do everything

today. That sometimes, particularly in the setting of an

educational institution, it’s actually better not to make

a decision right away, that it’s better to let things sit and

maybe become socialized in the community and allow

people to weigh in and postpone the decision to an

appropriate time. And part of that may be a difference

between military and civilian because military leaders tend

to say ‘Give me the facts, give me the information, I’m going

to decide and move on to the next thing.’ Particularly,

probably, in my first years as a Dean, and at other times,

I wanted to ‘All right, let’s just decide this thing.’ (But)

sometimes it’s better to wait and let things develop a little

more before you decide which course you’re going to go.

Woodley: What is the biggest challenge facing Longwood

and how do you plan to deal with it?

Finnegan: Like every college or university these days in the

commonwealth, and outside the commonwealth, the biggest

challenge is the budget and for Longwood that translates,

among other things, into faculty salaries, staff salaries. There

haven’t been raises for a number of years, and that can be a

morale issue. People do stay here, despite the fact they may

be paid less, because they feel this calling. But at the same

time you have to be sure that they’re being treated fairly.

And so we’re going to work hard with the legislature and we

have to raise private dollars. We’re in the midst of a

campaign and we’re going to have to find resources of money

to make sure we stay at least even because until the economy

rebounds I don’t know how we’re going to do with getting

state funds.

So that’s the biggest challenge. I haven’t figured out the

answers yet but I know we’re going to try to work together to

make sure that Longwood retains the character that it has and

the people that it has and if we don’t do something a little bit

better on the money side that’s going to be hard to do.

I think the other challenge, in a way, for Longwood, away

from the money side, is recognition of its value. And there’s

a difference between the price and the value. The value of a

Longwood education, I think, is well known to people who

are here. Not nearly as well known in other parts of Virginia

or outside of Virginia.

This school has changed substantially in the last 20 years,

from Longwood College to Longwood University and from

a girls’ teachers school to a much different kind of place. But

I don’t know that it’s not (still) perceived as the Longwood

College of the 1970s and 80s in many places.

7

And so part of my aim will be to raise Longwood’s profile in

a way that people understand, more that they understand

what’s going on here rather than to make it do a whole lot

of things differently, but more to say ‘This is a great, it is a

university with the feel of a small college.’ That’s what makes

Longwood distinctive to me. You get a university education

but people know who you are and care who you are. It’s not

like a school where you’re going and every class you take as a

freshman has 150 students and you’re in a lecture hall taught

by teaching assistants.

That’s the value – not the price, but the value – of a

Longwood education. And I have to say that I think it’s

nestled in a lovely little community here, in Farmville, and

so we want to be, Joan and I, want to be part of this

community, as well, and make sure Longwood and Farmville

are tied together. We’re going to open up Longwood House

probably more so than has been done in the past. We’re

going to have open houses there… and do other things to

help draw the community and the university closer together

Woodley: What is your perception of the relationship

between Longwood and the Farmville community and

how do you plan to reach out to the community in your

own administration?

Finnegan: Our original perception was that there weren’t any

terrible town/gown issues. That’s certainly what we were told

during the selection and interview process and I don’t think

there’s a great tension between the Town of Farmville and

the university. I’m not sure there’s as strong a connection as

there could be and so we are going to work on that and one

of the ways is, and Joan is very excited about this, is making

Longwood House a kind of center for all kinds of activities.

For the university, certainly, but for the community as well.

One of her goals, one of our goals, is we don’t want any

student to have graduated from Longwood without having

visited the president’s house.

Woodley: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve

ever received?

Finnegan: I don’t know if this is a piece of advice, but

I probably got this from my parents, but I really want to go

back to my favorite Shakespeare quote and this is, from

Hamlet: ‘Above all, to thine own self be true.’ Be your own

self. Be who you are and you can’t be anybody else. If you

try to do something that is not you people perceive it right

away, you look like a sham. So my parents always did tell me

be your own person, be who you are.

But I love that quote from Shakespeare because I think it

really says it, and the follow on (the rest of the quote) is that

‘It must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be

false to any man.’ Be yourself. Present yourself in the way

that you are and I think that’s the best piece of advice, both

that I got from my parents and that I try to follow in my

own way.

Woodley: What do you do to relax?

Finnegan: I like to run and I do it for my health but

President Finnegan joins in the fun of the annual fall tradition of Color Wars with students (from left) Chuck Wongus,

Ashley Stovall, Ernest Elliott and Andrea Damiano.

I also do it because it’s a great time to just kind of think.

And I’ll come back from a run, thinking about issues,

with some ideas.

I love to be with my grandkids, that’s a lot of fun. I’m a

big sports fan. I loved watching the World Cup. And I love

playing soccer, too. I played some soccer but probably

am getting a little too old for that. But I’ll be at a lot of

Longwood sports events. First to support the students ...

I also like to read. I usually have four or five different books

going on at the same time so.

Woodley: What matters most about becoming educated and

earning an undergraduate or postgraduate degree?

Finnegan: I think I’m going to link that to what Longwood

says and that is that the purpose of education, for us, is to

create citizen leaders. Because an educated person is someone

who can contribute to society and that’s what we ought to

be about. That’s what our country, to me, is founded on –

people who cared more about this vision of a nation, about

helping other people, about being part of something bigger

than themselves.

And you certainly are better able to do that, better able to

serve the community, better able to serve other people, better

able to appreciate causes larger than very selfish ones, with

education. It opens worlds to you, both in the country and

in other parts of the world, and I think that’s what’s most

important about an education – opening your mind to other

ideas and allowing you to see how you use your talents to

make the community a better place, to make your country

a better nation.

Woodley: What message do you want to resonate, year in,

year out, through the staff and student body?

Finnegan: Leave here with an education. As you learned in

kindergarten, when you take something out, put it back.

If you take a toy, put it back. Well, here you’re taking

something out. You’re taking an education out, so give

something back. Use that education to give something back,

in your community, in your family, wherever it is.

You’re granted this education, you worked hard for it,

but use it for more than just individual purposes, use it

to be a servant of the people. I mean, Winston Churchill

said “We make a living out of what we get, we make a life

out of what we give.”

Woodley: If you could achieve, with certainty of accomplish-

ment, one thing with the rest of your life, what would it be?

Finnegan: I guess if I could accomplish one thing it would

be to take best advantage of this opportunity that I have to

help Longwood. So if I could accomplish one thing it would

be – and I’m not sure what the (specific) answer is to that –

but to make sure I give my all and take best advantage of

this chance.

The purpose of education, for us, is to create citizen leaders.

Because an educated person is someone who can contribute to society

and that’s what we ought to be about. That’s what our country, to me,

is founded on – people who cared more about this vision of a nation,

about helping other people, about being part of something bigger

than themselves.” – Patrick Finnegan

“

Ken Woodley is a 1979 graduate of Hampden-Sydney

College and has served as Editor of The Farmville Herald

for 19 years. His wife, Kimberly Staples Woodley, is a

1981 graduate of Longwood. Their son, Ian, is a current

Longwood student.

9

Joan Finnegan’s genuine enthusiasm

about her new role as Longwood’s

First Lady is evident by the extensive

calendar of social events being held

at Longwood House.

We are having an event here about every 10 days, or

sometimes more often,” said Joan as she gave a tour of

Longwood House.

The Finnegans began moving into Longwood House in late

June, just prior to Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan’s official

July 1 start as the 25th president of Longwood University.

Since that time Longwood’s First Lady has been busy

redecorating Longwood House to blend some of her

furnishings with the historic pieces in the house; joining

her husband to meet students, parents, alumni and friends;

and opening Longwood House to many guests.

This is Longwood’s House. We are just the happy

occupants,” she said.

The very first group the Finnegans entertained at

Longwood House included the movers, electricians,

painters, groundskeepers, carpenters, and staff members in

Information and Instructional Technology Services, Capital

Planning and Construction, Material Management, and

Meet Joan FinneganLongwood’s New First LadyGina Caldwell Associate Editor

“

“

Joan and Patrick Finnegan at home in Longwood House.

10

Pat and I always say that Longwood students are the best

promotion we can offer,” she said.

Aside from entertaining guests at Longwood House, the

Finnegans have been busy traveling throughout Virginia

and to Washington, D.C. to meet alumni, legislatures,

and donors.

We love going on the road to meet alumni,” she said. “Our

message to them is ‘Your Longwood legacy is safe.’ Today’s

Longwood students are sharp and they will continue the

proud traditions of Longwood University.”

About Joan Finnegan

Joan Finnegan, a native New Yorker, graduated from

Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset in 1967, and from

St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing and Lemoyne

College in Syracuse in 1970 with her nursing degree.

Joan has worked professionally “in between moves” as an

obstetrical RN all around the world. Her professional

credentials include childbirth educator.

Joan met Patrick Finnegan while she was in nursing school

and he was a cadet at West Point. They have been married

for 39 years and have two daughters, Katie Finnegan Rucker

and Jenna Finnegan Bechen, and four grandchildren.

As an Army family member, Joan has lived in 10 different

states coast to coast (including almost a decade in the

Commonwealth of Virginia, where she holds her nursing

license) as well as living and travelling extensively in Europe

for over five years.

Her volunteer history spans more than 40 years, including

the American Red Cross (where she began as a Candy

Striper), Army Spouses Clubs, Girl Scouts of America, Army

Community Service, Army Family Team Building, support

groups for families of deployed soldiers, and various church

organizations. Her most recent awards include the Red

Cross National Volunteer of Excellence Award, the

Commander’s Award for Public Service, the Certificate

of Achievement in recognition of Exemplary Performance of

Volunteer Service to the United States Military Academy and

West Point Community, and the Department of the Army

Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.

Longwood Dining Services/Aramark who worked tirelessly

to make Longwood House the Finnegan’s new home.

Everyone on the staff has been wonderful,” she said. “They

worked on this house as though it were their own.”

That event was just the first in a series of events at

Longwood House. Other guests have included members of

the President’s Circle, new and recently promoted/tenured

faculty members, Honors Students (for a Halloween costume

party), sororities, faculty/staff donors, and others.

Longwood’s First Lady is excited about the opportunity to

share the beauty and history of Longwood House with the

campus community and has a goal to invite every student, at

some point during their time at Longwood, to visit

Longwood House. A special event involving graduates and

their families is being planned just before commencement.

Commencement is a time for celebration and I feel it is

important to offer an event as a point of closure for the

parents and families of our graduates,” she said. “Our

graduates have worked hard to achieve this goal and this

is one small way to congratulate them.”

In addition to showing off the inside of Longwood House,

Joan is looking forward to reworking some of the gardens

around Longwood House and plans to begin a vegetable

garden on the property in the spring.

We’d like to involve the Honors Students and complement

what is being done at the Cormier Honors Garden near

campus,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a small

dinner party and know that the salad you serve was grown in

your own backyard?”

When entertaining at Longwood House, students are always

part of the guest list. Pitch Perfect, a group of around 25

female singers who perform a cappella, entertained at several

events this fall, and plans to invite Voice Male, a similar

group of Longwood male students, are in the works.

Sharing the history of Longwood House also presents an

opportunity to involve students. A plan to recruit and

educate a team of volunteer student docents about the

history of Longwood House is being developed. During

open house events, the docents will be stationed in each

room of the house to welcome guests and offer stories and

historical facts about the house and its furnishings.

“

“

“

“

“

11

The House that bears the name “Longwood” predatesthe college that would eventually adopt the same name. Both

the college and the house have a long and storied history, yet

except for their geographic proximity there were no common

ties until the year 1928. In that year, the college (then called

Farmville State Teachers College) purchased from Wright

Barber’s descendants a portion of the Longwood Estate,

consisting of 88.7 uncared-for acres and a lovely 113-year-

old house which showed the ravages of time and neglect.

In 1936, the college purchased an additional 14.88 acres

from the Barber heirs bringing the total acreage owned by

the college to 103.58 acres.

Neglect has not been a characteristic of Longwood Estate.

In 1765, Peter Johnston Sr., a Scottish immigrant, purchased

a large tract of land in Prince Edward County and built the

original Longwood House. The exact amount of land in the

estate is not known, but historical records show that he gave

to the Presbyterian Church the acreage where Hampden-

Sydney College is now located and willed to his son the

courthouse tract,” presumably the area around Worsham

which was the seat of county government during those early

years. The name Longwood seems to be a corruption of the

Scottish word “Loughwood,” which was the name of the

ancestral Johnston castle in Scotland.

The Johnstons – father, sons, and grandsons – served the

colonies and the new republic with distinction as soldiers,

statesmen, writers, educators, and explorers. The two most

notable were Peter Johnston Jr., who fought with Light

Horse Harry Lee during the Revolution, and his son, Joseph

Eggleston Johnston, the Confederate general who was born

at Longwood in 1807. When Joseph E. Johnston was four

years old, his family sold the estate to Abraham B. Venable.

Shortly thereafter the original house was destroyed by fire.

The second Longwood House was built in 1815 by

Nathaniel E. Venable for his wife and 11 children. In those

ante-bellum years, Longwood house was the hub of a 1,181-acre

plantation. The Venable family distinguished themselves in the

fields of medicine, education, business, and in the Confederate

Army. They remained masters of Longwood until 1873 when

200 acres, including the house, were sold to Wright Barber.

Reconstruction had taken its toll on the once-lovely estate.

No doubt the house missed the sound of young laughter, running

feet, and the charm of the Johnston and Venable years. New lines

were added to the face of the old house with each year’s passing.

It was not until the early 1920s that Mrs. J.L. Jarman, wife of the

president of Farmville State Teachers College, recognized the

underlying beauty and value of the estate to the college.

Mrs. Jarman became the overseer of the restoration of Longwood

House shortly after the college acquired the property in 1928.

She envisioned a favorite recreation spot for students at the

college. A golf course and riding ring were added, the cabin and

open fireplaces were constructed, and the lawns and gardens were

restored to their former beauty. Many of the college’s alumni

recall with pleasure the weekends spent at Longwood House, the

picnics and banquets, and the May Day celebrations in the Dell.

By 1949, the estate had become an integral part of the campus

and in that year the college adopted the name Longwood as its

own. The grounds were maintained for recreational use, but

eventually the house, originally constructed in 1815, was closed

due to the extensive repair and modernization needed. In 1968,

at the request of the Board of Visitors, the General Assembly

appropriated money to revive the charm of the historic house

and to establish it as a home for Longwood’s presidents. Floors

were sanded, wiring and plumbing repaired, heating and air-

conditioning installed, insulation blown between the walls, and

baths and kitchen updated. The spacious, high-ceiling rooms were

furnished with antiques and period pieces in keeping with the

architecture. By the Christmas season of 1969, warm hospitality

had again become a reality at Longwood House. – K.J.B.

The Legacy of Longwood House

President & Mrs. Finnegan at Longwood House.

“

12

Honesty. Scholarship. Responsibility.

Pride. Perseverance. Potential.

Character. Humility. Integrity.

Civility. Leadership. Service.

These words represent the key tenets of Longwood

University’s Honor Code that was established 100 years ago

to “promote an atmosphere of trust, where students are

presumed honorable unless their actions prove them

otherwise. It also serves as a higher-order set of moral

standards and principles for all members of the community

to follow and take with them wherever their lives may lead.”

The words of the Longwood Honor Code are especially

meaningful as we celebrate 100 years of Honor and Student

Governance,” said Ben Brittain, Student Government

Association president. “I hope the principles of the Honor

Code will serve as a guide to all students, and eventually

graduates, of Longwood University for their entire lives.”

During the fall semester, Longwood celebrated 100 years of

Honor and Student Governance with a variety of events

including a campus birthday party and lectures by

motivational speaker T.J. Sullivan and Longwood President

Patrick Finnegan who addressed “Honor and Integrity.”

In addition, the President’s Welcome, held October 7 in the

newly re-opened Jarman Auditorium, included a ceremony to

recognize the 100th anniversary of Longwood’s Honor Code.

One of the things that struck me most about my visits to

Longwood, and one of the things that made me most

comfortable, was seeing the Honor Code on the wall of the

library,” President Finnegan said. “Not only was it a tie to

West Point, but it also confirmed that the Longwood

community and I shared the same values.” The Honor

Creed (We shall not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those

who do.) is prominently displayed on a main wall in

Greenwood Library and each classroom contains a copy

of the Academic Honor Pledge.

As part of the ceremony, 12 faculty/staff members

representing a variety of departments across campus were

selected to read the Twelve Points of the Honor Code and

the statements that define each point. In addition, all

faculty and staff in attendance read aloud and were asked to

sign the Honor Code pledge which reads, “I, ___________,

having a clear understanding of the basis and spirit of the

Honor Code created and accepted by the student body

of Longwood University, shall at all times govern my

university life according to its standards and actively work

to support its principles, thereby thoughtfully accepting my

responsibility for preserving the honor and integrity of all

past, present and future members of the Longwood

University community of scholars. I will not lie, cheat,

or steal, nor tolerate those who do.”

According to the Honor Board web page, “The three basic

provisions of the Honor Code of Conduct, which strictly

forbids lying, cheating, or stealing, represent the standards

Longwood Celebrates 100 Yearsof Honor and Student GovernanceGina Caldwell Associate Editor

100

“

“

13

of integrity and moral responsibility that all students,

groups, and organizations are expected to exemplify.

The Honor Code is one of Longwood’s proudest traditions.

Established by the student body in 1910, the student-elected

Honor Board has protected the basic values of honor and

academic integrity.”

The Twelve PointsThe Twelve Points were a result of a re-ratification of the

Honor Code by the Longwood student body in 1930.

In 2010 the Twelve Points, as well as the Honor Pledge,

were revised in celebration of the Honor System’s 100th year

of existence. The spirit of Longwood is fostered by Honor;

an intangible quality found in each student. The Twelve

Points are intended to define the meaning of Honor at

Longwood University.

HonestyHonesty is the fiber from which any relationship is formed

and is crucial to establishing personal competency and

leadership. True honesty is practiced at all times, not just

when convenient.

ScholarshipScholarship is the essence of learning and growing, inside

and outside the classroom. Like the Honor System, a

commitment to academics is a valuable investment that pays

dividends to both the individual and the community.

ResponsibilityResponsibility is a state of mind whereby we commit

ourselves to maintaining our integrity and ensuring that

others do likewise. Our honor is tarnished by moments of

indiscretion that cannot be reversed. Responsibility is vital to

any thriving collegiate community. Without it, the masses

succumb to apathy and progress stops. Without

responsibility, the community suffers immensely.

PridePride is significant to fighting the effects of apathy. Pride is a

personal commitment to excellence and taking joy in one’s

actions. Everything we do is a reflection of ourselves and our

university; it is essential to make decisions in which we can

take pride.

PerseveranceA steadfast persistence in spite of difficulties or obstacles,

perseverance is necessary for good scholarship and

maintaining ones honor. Perseverance in achieving

honorable goals is a quality to be admired.

PotentialAs the future of our communities, we hold great potential

which we are obligated to embrace. We must avoid decisions

that diminish our potential, because there is nothing more

damaging than a dishonorable reputation.

CharacterEach individual has the undeniable right to establish their

own character based on personality and life experience.

Our combined personalities constitute the character of an

honorable community.

HumilityIn a climate of honor, humility is important because of the

role it plays in grounding ourselves to not believe that we are

invincible, but accountable to each other. Humility with self-

confidence is hard to achieve, but ultimately desirable.

IntegrityThe most encompassing point of our Honor System is

Integrity. Integrity is the glue that holds our values of trust

and respect together. Personal Integrity involves perseverance

and establishing a trustworthy character. Community

integrity is the pinnacle of any society, and it is what we

strive for at Longwood. For honor is not merely just a

personal journey, but a community expectation.

CivilityA courteous and respectful manner towards others, which

promotes an atmosphere where one can debate and argue

differing points of view without fear of reprisal, civility is the

mark of a true scholar.

LeadershipLeadership is a quality required to guide others to achieve.

Anyone can lead in a self-serving manner, but as citizen leaders

we must strive to lead with honor to achieve higher goals.

ServiceIn 1927, a Longwood alumna wrote, “I have prepared to

lead, and in leading, to serve others.” Service to others is the

other half of leadership. As citizen leaders, we must fulfill

our responsibility to give back to our communities.

northwest Haiti, and the poverty in the country is even

worse than in the cities.”

Hoyt, an economics major from Newport News, echoed

those sentiments. “It makes you realize how you take things

for granted. Last summer I was complaining when the air

conditioning in my Jeep went out, but at least we have

paved roads and a car to drive. This experience really put

things in perspective.”

Hoyt was a coach last year, the first time the camp was held,

and just before spring break she asked Wright if she wanted

to go this year. “One other female had gone with me last

year, but she couldn’t go this year, and they wanted another

girl,” said Hoyt. “Just before spring break, I said to Nancy,

‘Since you used to play soccer, maybe you’d like to go.’”

Wright said she “didn’t take much convincing.”

Hoyt and Wright, who were in Haiti for 10 days, stayed in

Passe Catabois, a 30-minute truck ride from the camp, held

at an Episcopalian church and affiliated school. Passe

14

Mary Catherine Hoyt (left) and Nancy Wright

Two Longwood University students

participated in a mission trip to the

Western Hemisphere’s poorest country

last summer.

Juniors Mary Catherine Hoyt and Nancy Wright, former

soccer players who are friends through their membership in

Kappa Delta sorority, were coaches in a week-long soccer

camp in July in Poste Métier, Haiti. They were the only

females among the nine coaches and three other Americans

who went to help with the camp, which is sponsored by

Hoyt’s church, Peninsula Community Chapel in Yorktown.

It was attended by 90 boys ages seven to 12 who had been

chosen based on school grades, church attendance and

community service.

It was an eye-opening experience,” said Wright, a psychology

major from Richmond. “We were in the countryside in

Longwood Citizen LeadersMake A Difference In HaitiKent Booty Associate Editor

“

15

Mary Catherine Hoyt with girls at the soccer camp in Poste Métier, Haiti.

Catabois, in the countryside in northwest Haiti like Poste

Métier, is home to Bruce Robinson, a civil engineer who

has lived in Haiti as a missionary for more than 20 years.

Robinson and Hoyt’s godfather, who went on the trip (as did

Hoyt’s father, also a coach), are longtime friends. They

stayed in what Wright described as “a missionary team

home, sort of like a compound.”

Every morning, Hoyt and Wright got up at 7 a.m., had

breakfast, then rode to the camp in the bed of old pickup

trucks, mostly Toyotas, that Haitians call taps-taps. “They

call them tap-taps because you tap on the top when you

want to get off,” Hoyt said. At the camp, there would be a

devotional by the church’s Haitian pastor, then the boys were

fed breakfast. The church and school are in the same

courtyard, and there’s a field there and a larger field five

minutes down the road.

We would split into two groups, and we would hold

scrimmages at the closer field and drills at the other field,

then after lunch we would switch,” Hoyt said. “The camp

would go until about 3 o’clock, then we’d ride back and have

down time – play cards or have Bible study – shower, hang

out, and have dinner at 6 p.m. Bruce’s wife is an amazing

cook, and she was feeding 22 of us. She can take anything

and make it taste good, even though in Haiti everything

comes in a can and there aren’t many condiments.”

Wright and Hoyt helped prepare lunches for the camp.

Every night before we went to bed, we made 22 peanut

butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch the next day,” said

Hoyt, adding with a laugh, “And every night when we were

halfway done, the dads would ask if we needed help.”

One thing they encountered where they stayed were

various insects and other animals. “The windows didn’t

have screens, and there were a lot of spiders and bugs

that kept crawling in, and one morning we woke up to

a chicken walking around inside the house. I didn’t sleep

very well,” Wright said. Plus, it was hot and humid.

As soon as you got out of the shower,” Hoyt said,

you were sweating again.”

“

“

“

“

16

Those who helped with the camp took with them equipment,

including cleats, socks, jerseys, soccer balls, collapsible goals,

cones and goalie gloves, which they left there. Some of the

equipment had been donated by companies, including the

company for which Hoyt’s godfather works. Hoyt also held a

fundraiser at a California Pizza Kitchen restaurant in Virginia

Beach. “Everybody on the trip took two 50-pound duffel

bags, one of which was completely filled with equipment.

The other bag held about 20 pounds of personal belongings

and the rest was equipment,” Wright said. “Some of the

equipment had been donated by friends, and we had taken

donations of money and bought equipment at second hand

sporting goods stores.”

The shoes presented a problem for the Haitian youths, at

least initially. “Soccer, which is called futbol, is popular in

Haiti, and they usually play barefooted,” Hoyt said. “They

were grateful and excited about the cleats, but it took them

a while to adjust. Their touches were off at first.”

The two women were received well by local residents. “Little

kids came to know when we would be driving past, and they

would come out and wave at us,” Wright said. “Many of

them had never seen a white person before, and they would

keep yelling ‘blanc, blanc,’ which means white person.”

In traveling between where they stayed and the soccer camp,

they had to cross four bends of the same river, which was

not always possible by truck. “One day the water was high

after a tropical depression, and we had to wade across in all

four places,” Wright said. “In the morning they dropped us

off at the first river crossing and we had to walk the rest of

the way, about two and a half or three miles – and we were

wearing flip-flops. Plus, we didn’t have any water, and since

there are a lot of donkeys in Haiti, we had to keep avoiding

donkey manure. It was a long day. It was humbling, though,

because you realize these people do this walk every day.”

On their first day in Haiti, after landing in the nearby

countryside in a small plane, Hoyt and Wright were going to

cross a river in a boat, but rain had made the river rise. They

had to jump into a dump truck to get across the river. Also,

their bags didn’t show up for several days. “The whole trip

was very much an adventure,” Wright said. Added Hoyt,

There was a lot of improvisation.”

Returning to the United States, they said, involved as much

culture shock as going to Haiti. “We went to Pizza Hut,

Burger King and Starbucks – all in one sitting!” said Hoyt.

I don’t even like Burger King, but I did that night.”

Both women played travel and high school soccer, and Wright

played her freshman year at Longwood. They think that in

the eighth grade, before knowing each other, they might have

played together on the same summer league team. Hoyt is

treasurer for her sorority and the Student Government

Association. She is a member of the Order of Omega (Greek

honor society) and the Student Advisory Board for the

College of Business & Economics, a peer mentor and an

economics tutor. Wright is secretary of her sorority, vice

president of the junior class, an SGA senator, a peer mentor

and a junior marshal.

Both women, who plan to return to the camp next summer,

not only became close to the boys in the camp but also to

the boys’ younger sisters. “The best part of the experience

was getting close to the kids,” said Wright. “You really

cherish those relationships,” added Hoyt.

Together on the dusty road in Poste Métier, Haiti.

“

“

17

Longwood students Madeline Hunter and Ollie Garland (front)

and (back, from left) Monica Ware, Jordan Hammelmann, AnnaLeah Chantry,

Brittany Dixon and Claire Turck.

Almost all Longwood University

students enroll in English 400,

a capstone writing seminar called

Active Citizenship, to complete

General Education requirements.

Last summer, for the first time,

eight Longwood students fulfilled

that requirement in an

international setting.

During the four-week program in Paris and La Rochelle, led

by Dr. Wade Edwards, associate professor of French, and

accompanied by Heather Mueller Edwards, lecturer in

French, the students also completed the intermediate level

of their foreign language requirement by studying French

under faculty at the University of La Rochelle. Although this

was the third consecutive summer that Longwood students

non-foreign language majors) studied French at the

University of La Rochelle, it was the first time the program

included a section of English 400. It also was the first time

English 400 has ever been offered abroad.

The past two years, the program featured, in addition to

French, an upper-level history course taught by Dr. Steven

Isaac, associate professor of history at Longwood. Isaac,

who launched the program, was unable to lead it this

summer because he was conducting research as a Fulbright

Scholar at the University of Poitiers, about an hour and

a half from La Rochelle.

The Longwood students, three of whom are history majors,

Active CitizenshipIn An International SettingKent Booty Associate Editor

(

18

lived with host French families, took weekend side trips,

and kept a blog (http://larochellejuillet.wordpress.com/).

They received three credits for the English 400 and another

three credits for the French course. The program, which

invited students to focus on the function of language

in a democracy, was called English 400 in France:

Language and Identity.

As their host families and professors kept telling me all

summer, these students were extremely hardworking,” said

Edwards, who as a result of the trip is exploring possible

exchanges with the University of La Rochelle. “They were in

French class from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, and they

were in the English 400 class for about an hour after that

every day. Our theme, ‘Language and Identity,’ encouraged

them to investigate the role language plays in shaping

personal, political, national or gender identities. Because the

course met off-campus, the students approached the course

from a new angle – that of the cultural outsider. I wanted

them to learn, from the position of a foreigner, to negotiate

the various linguistic registers vital to public discourse in a

democracy: when to be assertive and when to be humble,

when to speak up and when to listen carefully.

English 400 (Active Citizenship in an Advanced Writing

Seminar) fulfills Goal 14 in the General Education program,

which is “to learn how to communicate effectively as an

active citizen leader and to participate in the written

discourse of civic life.”

La Rochelle is a welcoming, small town on the Atlantic

Ocean just north of the Cognac region in the middle of the

west coast,” said Edwards. “We left July 1 from Dulles

Airport and returned July 28. It was a good time to be in

France. La Rochelle is a popular vacation spot, and there was

a film festival under way when we arrived. Throughout the

month we enjoyed a week-long music festival in the town,

the World Cup (soccer tournament) and the Tour de France,

and we were there for the French national holiday, July 14).

We took excursions every Saturday. We went to an island

next door, the Ile de Ré, where (actor) Johnny Depp

has a house, and saw how locals raise oysters and cultivate

salt from the salt marshes, and we visited a lighthouse.

Another Saturday we floated on gondolas in an area of

marshland in the country called the Marais Poitevin, also

called the ‘Green Venice,’ that has canals dug out by monks

in the 11th century. After the French courses ended, we

spent three days exploring Paris.”

Edwards said that one of the trip’s highlights occurred

on Bastille Day when the man from whom he and his

wife rented an apartment opened and shared a bottle of

cognac from 1920. “Our host’s grandfather used to work in

the cognac industry years ago. Every Christmas he would

present a bottle to his sister as a gift. Since she didn’t drink

cognac, she simply stored it in her cellar. Years later when

she died, our host’s family discovered several bottles of lovely

90-year-old cognac, which he generously shared with us.

I was touched that someone we just met would share

something so dear.”

Edwards also said he was fortunate to “bump into” Isaac

a few times. “He met us at the train station when we arrived

and gave us and the students a history-laded orientation

to the town of La Rochelle, which he’s been studying for

a while. He was a great resource to use. In a sense,

he was our anchor.”

We took excursions every Saturday. We went to an island next door,

the Ile de Ré, where (actor) Johnny Depp has a house, and saw how

locals raise oysters and cultivate salt from the salt marshes, and we

visited a lighthouse. Another Saturday we floated on gondolas in an

area of marshland in the country called the Marais Poitevin,

also called the ‘Green Venice,’ that has canals dug out by monks

in the 11th century. After the French courses ended, we spent

three days exploring Paris.” – Dr. Wade Edwards

“

“

“

“

19

Cheryl Davis, senior lecturer of

business education and computer

information management systems

at Longwood University, has been

selected the 2010 Outstanding

Collegiate Teacher of the Year

by the Southern Business

Education Association (SBEA).

Davis received the award Oct. 22 during the SBEA’s annual

convention in Charleston, S.C. The SBEA, an affiliate of

the National Business Education Association (NBEA),

represents more than 3,000 business educators from 12

states. As the regional collegiate teacher of the year, Davis is

a candidate for the national collegiate teacher of the year

award, which will be announced at the NBEA annual

convention in April 2011.

The criteria for the award include contributions to business

education through teaching; participation in professional

organizations; involvement in other activities such as

departmental responsibilities, serving on committees;

and working with student organizations; and contributions

to business education through major articles, publications

and research activities.

Davis coordinates the concentration in business education,

her academic specialty. She received an M.S. in education

with a concentration in supervision at Longwood in 1996.

Before joining the Longwood faculty in 2001, she was a

business teacher at Appomattox County High School from

1993 to 2001 and at Denbigh High School in Newport

News High School from 1991 to 1993.

Ms. Davis clearly loves her profession,” said Dr. Paul Barrett,

dean of the College of Business & Economics. “It shows in

everything she does with and for her students. Her students

are particularly drawn to her ability to understand where they

are and how they need to learn. No two students are alike,

and Ms. Davis has a keen understanding of this principle and

finds ways to communicate so that each student feels like they

are the only one in the classroom.”

Davis is currently serving as the college and university

representative on the Executive Board of the VBEA, and

she presents annually at the VBEA conference. She is

faculty adviser for Phi Beta Lambda, a student business

organization; co-director of the Educational Division of the

SNVC Institute for Leadership at Longwood; co-director of

the Longwood Region of the Future Business Leaders of

America (FBLA); and a member of Phi Kappa Phi national

honor society and Delta Sigma Pi international business

fraternity. She serves on numerous departmental and

university committees and is a consultant for the

Cumberland County Public Schools Foundation.

Although Longwood is one of 13 Virginia colleges or

universities approved by the Virginia Department of

Education to offer business education, Davis is currently

the only instructor in Virginia certified by the National

Association for Business Teacher Education to teach the

NBEA online methods course.

Cheryl Davis HonoredKent Booty Associate Editor

Cheryl Davis, ’96

“

20

Longwood University’s graduate

program in Communication Sciences

and Disorders (CSDS) has earned

accreditation from the American

Speech-Language Hearing Association

(ASHA). Founded in 1925, ASHA

is the professional, scientific, and

credentialing association for 140,000

members and affiliates who are

audiologists, speech-language

pathologists and speech, language,

and hearing scientists.

Longwood’s CSDS graduate program is the sixth program in

the Commonwealth of Virginia to earn ASHA accreditation.

In 2005, Longwood’s Board of Visitors approved the

proposal for the CSDS graduate program. Since that time,

the program has awarded graduate degrees to 28 students

and 43 are currently enrolled (including nine out-of-state

students and one international student). The graduate

program has also promoted growth of the undergraduate

program – from five students in 2005 to 100 students in

2010. In addition, more than 200 students enroll annually

in Longwood’s online speech-language courses in order to

complete prerequisites that are needed prior to beginning

graduate coursework.

Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, professor of Communication

Sciences and Disorders and director of the Longwood Center

for Communication, Literacy and Learning, said, “The

faculty has worked hard to ensure that the program meets

the rigorous academic and clinical standards for

Pictured (from left) are: Michele Norman, Peggy Agee, Gayle Daly, Wendy Pulliam, Lissa Power-deFur,

Shannon Salley, and Theresa Clark.

Longwood’s CSDS GraduateProgram Earns ASHA AccreditationGina Caldwell Associate Editor

21

“

accreditation. Students must meet more than 120 standards

prior to graduation. We are proud to report that in addition

to our graduates successfully meeting these standards, 100

percent of our graduates have passed the national

certification examination and have become employed

immediately upon graduation. Currently, our graduates are

working in public schools, hospitals, nursing facilities, and

with home health providers throughout Virginia and the

East Coast.”

A celebration dinner was held in October with guests

including Longwood President Patrick Finnegan; Dr. Judy

Johnson, associate professor emerita of kinesiology, Board

of Visitors Distinguished Professor, and current chair of the

CSDS Advisory Committee; Valerie St. John ‘97 of the

Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV);

and Dr. Daniel Halling, of the Council

of Academic Accreditation for ASHA.

Program change and program growth –

resulting in accreditation in just five

years – doesn’t just happen,” said

Finnegan. “It is not automatic. Instead,

it requires a combination of leadership

and teamwork, both of which have been

very evident in conceiving, developing,

and implementing this quality program.”

Valerie H. St. John received her bachelor of science in

speech-language pathology and audiology from Longwood

in 1997 and her master of science in communication

disorders from James Madison University in 1999.

She serves as vice president for continuing education on

SHAV’s executive board and is employed by Blue Ridge

Therapy Associates in Lynchburg.

The majority of Southside Virginia is rural in nature,”

said St. John. “As is the case in most rural areas, it is difficult

to entice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to work in

those settings, unless the SLP is originally from that area.

Accreditation of the CSDS program at Longwood will now

provide opportunities for more graduates to return to the

rural areas of Southside Virginia to fill the need that exists

there for qualified SLPs.”

Tara Boyle, who earned her bachelor of science in CSDS in

2009 and will receive her master’s degree in 2011, said,

The expertise that the CSDS faculty members have imparted

on me, in so many different areas, will remain with me

throughout my career. My clinical experiences have given me

the foundational skills to forge head-on into any job setting.

The high level of professionalism and ethics that they have

passed on to the students will forever be imprinted on our

lives. However, the most important thing that they

reinforced throughout the CSDS journey is the

understanding that we are never finished learning.”

Martha Battles, who earned her master of science degree in

2010, said, “The education and clinical experience I received

from Longwood’s CSDS graduate program provided me

with a comprehensive knowledge base and developed my

critical thinking skills. Upon graduation from Longwood’s

CSDS graduate program, I was not only competent but also

confident in myself and prepared for any challenge I may

encounter.”

Judy Johnson served as a faculty member and administrator

in the College of Education and Human Services for 33

years. In her introductory remarks at the dinner, she said,

I have never been associated with a more hard working

group, or with a group more committed to their profession

and belief in the value of its services. The professional

expertise of these individuals is recognized throughout the

Commonwealth and across the nation. They are devoted

to Longwood and its students. They are positive,

professional and ethical. The word ‘quit’ is not in their

vocabulary and they maintain a positive, optimistic attitude

regardless of the situation.”

“

“

“

Upon graduation from Longwood’s CSDS graduate

program, I was not only competent but also

confident in myself and prepared for any challenge

I may encounter.” – Martha Battles, ’10

“

22

Longwood’s Design LabKent Booty Associate Editor

“

Longwood University’s graphic design

program now includes what has been

called a “student-run design agency.”

The Design Lab, a class offered both semesters, provides

students with experience in working on design projects

for clients. This began in spring semester 2010 with eight

students who did about a half-dozen jobs. In the fall

semester the lab had 10 students, five of whom

participated in the spring, who worked on about

15 jobs. Although it’s open to students from any

major who range from second-semester sophomores

to first-semester seniors, students have to be apply

and be accepted. The work is done pro bono.

The lab is about students having a professional experience

and learning about design in a way different from how they

would normally learn in a class,” said Wade Lough, assistant

professor of graphic design, who coordinates the lab along

with Chris Register, professor of art.

Wade and I tag-team as advisers,” Register said. “In a design

agency, we would be the principals. We primarily drum up

the business, and the students serve in a capacity like

employees. All have different jobs to do, and they’re not

always doing the same thing. They work in teams. It’s a

collaborative effort, as if we were a company.”

Students in the Design Lab meet twice a week for two

hours each, receive three credits and follow a syllabus, like

in a regular studio class. However, Lough and Register say

the lab is different from a class.

It’s more than a class, and it gives them something

they wouldn’t get in a class,” said Lough. “We don’t think

of it as a class. It’s a different dynamic than going into

a classroom. The students learn not only about design

but also about meeting tight deadlines and how to work

with clients, especially how to listen to clients, which

is important.”

In the lab,” Register said, “the students are all working in the

same direction, whereas in a class they work on individual

projects. It’s a collaboration they wouldn’t

normally get in an art program.

A design lab like this is

not common at the

undergraduate level.”

Among the jobs

that Design Lab

students did last spring

were a security brochure for the Longwood Police

Department, the “identity” and a logo for the Moton

Museum celebration “Our Schools, Our Vision”

(by students Erica May and Kaitlyn Smith), a web site

for the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (Franki Starr,

Jennifer Bapties and Berk Dunbrack), and a poster

announcing the Farmville Tree Board’s annual Arbor

Day photo contest (Jessica Cox and Emily Staskiel).

Jobs this semester include a logo for the Southside

SPCA and the poster for Longwood’s Simkins

Lecture Series.

“

“

“

23

A surprising number of clients have come from off-campus.

We thought most of the jobs at first would be for the art

department and elsewhere on campus, but many have been

from the community,” Register said. “It’s been shockingly

successful from the very beginning.”

I think the work (load) will explode,” Lough said. “We may

end up with too many jobs, which would be exciting. We

want students to compete not only for jobs on-campus and

in the community but also for national jobs, which they’ve

already done. Last spring they applied to design a new logo

for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’

Commission on Colleges. Very soon Chris and I expect the

students of Design Lab to participate in national

undergraduate research projects in design.”

The composition of the fall semester’s class was perfect,

Register said. “Half were veterans and half were rookies.

It worked out well that we had five of each, which allowed

us to pair up one with the other. Students who re-apply also

have to be accepted, like with first-time students. We were

especially selective in the spring. We want students to be

proud they were accepted and are in it, and we want that

pride to be engendered in other students so they’ll want

to be in it.”

The students are provided guidance. “It’s not as if we’re

throwing them in the pool and watching them flounder,”

Lough said. “We try to match the students’ strengths to a

particular job. Often the more experienced students

collaborate with less experienced students and help them

raise the bar on their design. Also, Chris and I serve as a

firewall of protection between the client and the students,

which works both ways. We also ensure that the students

stay on schedule with clients.”

Graphic design is the most popular concentration in the

Department of Art, accounting for about half of the

department’s 165 majors, including some 25 of the 49

incoming art majors. The graphic design program graduates

about 25 students a year.

Appropriately, Design Lab students designed their own logo,

which appears on a T-shirt. The logo, which features the

words “design lab” in a style called jumble letters and a

graphic that Lough jokingly called a “test tube pencil,” was

designed by Dane Summerell and Lindsay Scott and refined

by Jessica Cox. “I think the logo captures the sense that a lab

is a place for exploration and experimentation,” Lough said.

When I interviewed for my teaching position, Dr. Chuck

Ross (dean of the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences)

and I had a good discussion about the necessity of under-

graduate research,” said Lough. “That discussion was one

of the biggest reasons I came to Longwood. When Chris

and I imagined Design Lab, we went to Dr. Ross, and he

made our enterprise possible.

The lab will show the students that they can compete on

a level with other design programs at larger schools. I think

it will have a profound effect on the culture of the design

program here. We want students to realize that just because

Longwood is located in a small town doesn’t mean they can’t

do work as good as, let’s say, students at VCU.”

“

“

“

“

In the lab the students are all working in the same direction,

whereas in a class they work on individual projects. It’s a collaboration

they wouldn’t normally get in an art program. A design lab like this

is not common at the undergraduate level.” – Christopher Register

“

Design Lab take on the assignment. “The Design Lab

is a student-run design agency that provides students

with experience in working on design projects for clients.

The work is done pro bono, and since the SPCA strives to

stretch every donated dollar, it was a good match,” he said.

The Design Lab students who developed the logo, Erica

May (Warrenton, Va.) and Kyle Fowlkes (Middleton, Va.),

started by researching other logos of animal shelters, and

exploring the unique aspects of the Southside SPCA which

is a no-kill shelter serving 12 counties in Southside Virginia.

The student designers, both graphic art majors, presented

four different designs to the SPCA board, which chose

a design that plays off of the “S” in “South” and “Side.”

Creating the logo for the SSPCA feels great. I love helping

the shelter grow and doing something for a cause I care so

much about,” said May after the presentation. Fowlkes

added, “I signed up for Design Lab to gain real world

experience with actual clients and it has been great.

I really enjoyed the experience of pitching our ideas

to the SPCA board.”

Southside SPCA board president Dave Evans commented,

I like how the new logo looks professional and very sharp.

We are thankful for the excellent logo created by the

Design Lab students for the Southside SPCA.”

24

For 35 years, the Southside SPCA has

been finding homes and caring for the

homeless dogs and cats of Southside

Virginia, but until last month they

didn’t have a logo.

The students in Longwood’s Design Lab were put to work

to solve this problem, and now the Southside SPCA has

a unique and professional logo.

The Southside SPCA has had many exciting changes over

the last few years – new buildings, new staff, increased

adoptions, and now a wonderful new logo,” said Dr. Helen

Warriner-Burke, ’56, SPCA board member and former

rector of Longwood’s Board of Visitors.

We had a strategic planning meeting this summer and

identified the need for a logo that will help us grow to the

next level,” added board member Dr. Mark Fink, a biology

professor at Longwood University.

Longwood art professor Christopher Register, who has

provided graphic design work for the SPCA for several years,

suggested that the students involved in Longwood’s new

Longwood’sDesign Lab CreatesNew Logo forSouthside SPCAKatie Register Contributor

For more information about the SSPCA, visit www.southsidespca.org

“

“

“

“

It is now a top-notch, first-class facility in every way,”

Hooper said. “All of the lighting systems are new, and the

sound system is new. The finishes in the building have

remained but have been cleaned up and painted over. In

essence, the building has gotten a paint job and a face-lift.

The acoustical engineers tell me that the auditorium can be

tuned to different performances, and, due to having

oversized ductwork, which reduces velocity, there will be

almost no noise through the mechanical systems.”

Jarman was opened as an auditorium and music building in

the fall of 1951. It is used for special events, theatrical and

music productions, public lectures and other activities.

Due to the renovation, there are now 1,049 seats in the

auditorium, whereas before there were 1,065. The mainstage

theatre for Longwood Theatre productions, the box office,

and the Department of Communication Studies and

Theatre, formerly in Jarman, are now in the Center for

Communication Studies and Theatre.

Jarman Hall is not just essential to the Longwood

community, but it is also essential to our friends in

Farmville,” President Finnegan said just before he and others

cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the building. “Not only

will we once again be able to host our Chamber Music

Series, student lectures and guest performers in this

impressive new auditorium, but the local area will also

be able to use it once again for graduations, dance recitals

and children’s theatre productions.”

25

Jarman Hall, Longwood University’s

main performance venue for nearly six

decades, officially re-opened Oct. 7

following an extensive renovation.

The renovation has significantly improved the capabilities

and aesthetics of the facility. New lighting and sound fixtures

have been added, interior finishes have been spruced up, and

all of the mechanical and electrical systems, including the

HVAC system, are new. Outside the building there are new

urns, plantings and brick walkways and a new bus pull-off

on High Street. The front façade has expanded glass panels,

letting more light into the lobby, and a rear façade has been

added with pilasters and a cornice, made of glass-fiber

reinforced concrete, that mimic those on the front.

The auditorium, which was painted, now has 14 acoustical

curtains lining the perimeter, which can be moved to control

acoustics. The curtains are uplighted by scallop-shaped

sconce lights mounted on the curtain pocket columns.

New features in the auditorium include carpeting, custom

wood around the stage, a control console in the rear of the

auditorium for controlling lighting and sound, and a

forestage reflector in the ceiling in front of the stage.

Work on the project began in late September 2009.

The general contractor was C.L. Lewis & Company Inc.

of Lynchburg. Kim Bass of Longwood’s Capital Planning

& Construction was the project manager for the university,

and Kevin Hooper was project manager for C.L. Lewis.

Jarman Hall RenovatedKent Booty Associate Editor

Jarman Hall recently underwent an extensive renovation.

“

“

26

Longwood University’s main campus

and a nearby complex of university-

managed apartments and athletic fields

on the north side of U.S. 460 (West

Third Street) are now linked in a way

that is safer, more direct and more

visually appealing.

Indeed, The Lancer Park Bridges consist of a pedestrian

bridge spanning Third Street and, about 200 yards west,

a vehicular bridge that crosses over a former railroad bed

just before the new entrance into Lancer Park, home to

258 students and fields used by Campus Recreation.

The bridges, which officially opened Sept. 9, are connected

by a walkway on the north side of Third Street. Lancer Park,

Longwood’s first apartment community, is six-tenths

of a mile from campus.

Our students have embraced Lancer Park as a terrific

residence – truly their ‘home away from home,’” said

President Patrick Finnegan before he and others cut a ribbon

opening the bridges. “However, the challenge has been how

to tie this wonderful residential and recreational option,

what is really a new ‘north’ campus, to main campus and

make sure our students feel connected.

Through these two bridges, we have provided a solution.

Not only have we provided a safe way for our students

to travel back and forth, but we have also provided a

welcoming party for those who want to travel to Lancer Park

to socialize, study, play sports with their friends, or live.

By adding these bridges, we open up this location to even

more opportunities, including academic and research activity

in the future.”

Until the bridges were finished, the entrance to Lancer Park

was atop a steep hill on Grace Street, reached only from

Appomattox Street (between the Farmville Train Station

and Buffalo Shook, a plant that manufactures wood-related

products), which leads to Grace Street. The entrance from

Grace Street has been closed, except for emergency vehicles.

Lancer Park NowConnected To CampusKent Booty Associate Editor

A series of elegant bridges now connect Lancer Park to Longwood’s main campus.

“

“

27

I have seen more Lancer Park residents riding bikes and

walking to and from campus than I have ever seen in my

entire college career,” said senior Ben Brittain, SGA president

and a second-year Lancer Park resident. “Before, they had to

trudge up ‘Mount Everest.’ Because of that hill, there were few

bike riders. This has literally bridged the gap between Lancer

Park and main campus. Also, more students are using the

athletic fields, including new students, and studies show that

students who are more involved are more successful.

This is much safer. Before, to get from Lancer Park to

campus, you had to walk on two roads with no sidewalks,

cross a four-lane road with cars and tractor-trailers traveling

40 miles per hour, and cross two more intersections before

arriving on campus. Now, you can just stroll over that four-

lane road.”

This represents the pulling together of the two campuses,”

said Otis Brown, vice rector of the Longwood Board of

Visitors and a member of the Longwood Real Estate

Foundation. “These are bridges not just for students to

walk across but a way in which the two campuses can

come together.”

Ken Copeland, executive director of the Longwood Real

Estate Foundation, said that more students, Lancer Park

residents as well as non-residents, are now using the Lancer

Park ballfields, which opened in 2009 and include a softball

field and an artificial surface, multi-purpose athletic field.

The walkway between the two bridges, which roughly

parallels Third Street, “ties them together in an aesthetic

and efficient way,” he said.

The new entrance into Lancer Park is from Third Street

just east of the driveway for B&G Auto. The vehicular

bridge, immediately in front of the entrance, spans a former

Norfolk Southern Railway bed that is now part of High

Bridge Trail State Park. The project would not have been

possible had Norfolk Southern not deeded the land to the

Commonwealth of Virginia in June 2007, part of 31 miles

of rail that it donated for the “rails to trails” park. The two-

lane bridge has a pedestrian sidewalk on the east side and

a deceleration lane for west-bound traffic going from

Third Street into Lancer Park.

The street leading into Lancer Park was named Cormier

Drive by the Longwood Real Estate Foundation in May

and was approved by Farmville Town Council in June.

The naming honors Longwood’s recently retired president,

Dr. Patricia Cormier.

On the Longwood side of Third Street, the pedestrian bridge

empties onto Grove Street near Buffalo Street, providing a

more direct route to and from campus. “It’s a straight shot to

campus from Grove Street,” Copeland said. “We’ve taken

a lot of twists and turns out of that walk.”

The pedestrian bridge has a built-in handrail on both

sides, is about 10 feet wide and at least four feet high on

the sides, and is slightly taller in the middle than on the

ends, due to the arch. To meet the Virginia Department

of Transportation’s standards of minimum height clearance,

some 20 feet of elevation had to be achieved along the

pedestrian walkway as it extends east, toward downtown

Farmville, from the opening of the vehicular bridge onto

the pedestrian bridge. It was achieved by adding to a bank

that already existed.

Work on the project was done by English Construction Co.

Inc. of Lynchburg. The bulk of the $4.125 million project

was financed through savings from the low interest rate

on a bond consolidation of all three Longwood-managed

apartment communities that the Longwood Real Estate

Foundation negotiated in December 2007.

Lancer Park, originally called Stanley Park, was built in

three sections between 1999 and 2003. It consists

of 30 four-bedroom townhouses, two buildings with

12 two-bedroom apartments each, and two buildings with

four-bedroom apartments each. The Longwood Real Estate

Foundation bought the complex in August 2005, and it

has been managed by Longwood, through the Office of

Residential and Commuter Life, since fall 2006.

“

“

“

Our students have embraced Lancer Park as a terrific residence –

truly their ‘home away from home. However, the challenge has been

how to tie this wonderful residential and recreational option,

what is really a new ‘north’ campus, to main campus and make sure

our students feel connected.” – Patrick Finnegan

“

28

In 1865, as General Robert E. Lee and his troops retreated

from advancing Federal forces through Farmville, a skirmish ensued

on High Street alongside Longwood University (then Farmville Female College).

One historic account states, “Minié balls fell about the building (Ruffner Hall) –

one crashed through a window where several girls were standing and when

they had recovered from their panic, their friends in gray had vanished

like the phantom of a dream.”

From: Longwood College, A History,by Rosemary Sprague, formerAssociate Professor of English

Longwood Launches Civil WarSesquicentennial Podcast

That a Nation Might LiveDennis Sercombe Editor

Nation-Might-Live/149017591809149 and can be found on

Twitter at www.twitter.com/civilwarweeks. All of these sites

welcome comments and discussion. The episodes will soon

be available through iTunes, too.

Conceived of and developed by Dr. Chuck Ross, dean of

the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences at Longwood

University, and Dr. David Coles, professor of history, the

series offers a unique glimpse in time at the momentous

events that shaped the nation – and it provides a tremendous

learning opportunity for history students of all ages,

especially those at Longwood.

Given the importance of Farmville and Southside Virginia

in Civil War history, this is a natural fit for us and should

complement the many other sesquicentennial events

planned around the state and the nation,” said Ross.

We are especially excited that this project will be largely

researched, written and produced by students since

undergraduate research is such an important part of what

we do at Longwood.”

The Civil War Sesquicentennial is a national historic

reflection on how the very existence of the United States was

tested far beyond the imagination of our founding fathers.

As President Abraham Lincoln stated so eloquently at

Gettysburg in 1863, “Now we are engaged in a great civil

war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived

and so dedicated, can long endure.”

29

Today, as Virginia approaches the Civil War

Sesquicentennial, it is both fitting and proper that

Longwood University commemorate this historic occasion

with the launch of a unique online podcast series. “That a

NationMight Live,” online at http://civilwar150.longwood.edu,

commemorates the issues, people and events leading up to

and during the Civil War, telling the epic story as it

happened 150 years ago, one week at a time.

A podcast is a series of audio recordings released episodically

that can be played directly from a website or downloaded

automatically and synched to portable digital audio players

like iPods. “That a Nation Might Live” posts a new episode

(two-to-four minutes) every week, turning the calendar back

150 years and reporting the week’s key developments in the

run up to and during the war.

Several episodes have already been posted, providing insight

to the causes of the Civil War, the politics dividing the

nation and the conditions leading to the election of

Abraham Lincoln as the nation’s 16th president. Future

episodes, week- by-week through 2015, will chronicle

secession and rebellion, Fort Sumter, the raising of armies,

the politics of war, emancipation, key decisions and battles,

Appomattox and the conflict’s impact on the nation.

In addition to its home site, “That a Nation Might Live” has

a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/That-a-

We are especially excited that this project will be largely researched,

written and produced by students since undergraduate research is such

an important part of what we do at Longwood.” – Dr. Charles Ross

“

“

Follow the story, week-by-week, with podcasts from Longwood University’s

That a Nation Might Live” online at http://civilwar150.longwood.edu

on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/That-a-Nation-Might-

Live/149017591809149 and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/civilwarweeks

“

“

30

Members of the Cormier Honors College for Citizen Scholars visited

Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park recently, scene of the last major battle

of the Civil War, 72 hours before Lee’s surrender on April 12 at Appomattox.

The scholars were led by Dr. Geoff Orth, director of the Cormier Honors

College, and Dr. David Coles, professor of history, who gave some background

on the significance of the battle Longwood graduate Chris Calkins, ’81,

director of the park, did a presentation for the students and showed them

around the grounds, which include a new Visitor’s Center. Calkins,

a 34-year veteran of the National Park Service, was recently appointed

as the new director of Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Park.

Pictured:

Cormier Scholars (top) gather under the trees alongside Hillsman House,

which served as a Union field hospital where wounded soldiers of both north

and south were treated. Chris Calkins, ’81, (below) discusses the battle.

The Last BattleCormier Scholars Visit Sailor’s Creek

Battlefield Historical State Park

Dennis Sercombe Editor

32

Longwood University Athletics finished

ninth in the 2009-10 Virginia Sports

Information Directors (VaSID) Division I

All-Sport Championships, its highest finish

since beginning Division I competition

in 2007.

The Lancers completed the year with an overall record of

145-131-3 for an overall winning percentage of .525 percent

to earn the ninth-place ranking among the 14 Virginia

schools that compete at the Division I level – finishing ahead

of Radford, George Mason, Hampton, Norfolk State, and

VMI. Longwood enjoyed its finest year of intercollegiate

competition since 2003-04 (144-102-3, .584), which was

the first year of the four-year reclassification period toward

Division I.

I am proud to say that 2009-10 was a fantastic year for

Longwood Athletics,” said Director of Athletics Troy Austin.

The student-athletes, coaches, and staff work hard every day

to provide the University with a quality Division I program;

one that our alums and the community can rally behind.

The progress is exciting, and it provides us a great

springboard for our future. It is a great time to be a

Longwood Lancer!”

The spring portion of the year proved most successful

during 2009-10 as each of the five programs finished with

winning records, including baseball (28-20), women’s

lacrosse (10-8, 6-0 NLC), softball (36-16), men’s tennis

12-9), and women’s tennis (13-8). Four of the five teams,

with the exception of women’s lacrosse, enjoyed their best

campaigns as Division I programs. Softball attained its

fifth-highest win total ever, and its 20th overall winning

season in 30 years. Baseball earned its 29th overall 20-win

campaign and 22nd season with at least 25 wins, and now

has 29 winning seasons in 33 years. Men’s tennis equaled its

second-highest win total ever, and its 10th winning season

in 30 years, while women’s tennis posted its highest win total

since 2002-03, and its 21st winning season in 39 years of

accurate records. Women’s lacrosse won its second-straight

National Lacrosse Conference Tournament Championship

while enjoying its 21st winning effort in 39 years as well.

In addition, women’s golf won the Tina Barrett Invitational,

while the men’s golf team won the Lonnie Barton

Memorial Invitational.

Longwood Athletics has now displayed five consecutive years

of improvement in its overall success. Expect nothing less

during this 2010-11 campaign as the Lancers strive for an

even more successful year of competition.

Lancers Update

Lancers EarnHighest VaSIDAll-Sports RankingGreg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

“

“

(

33

Wells & Smith Athletes of the YearLongwood University Athletes of the Year for 2009-10 were softball pitcher

Briana Wells, ’11, from Romoland, California, and men’s basketball guard-forward

Dana Smith, ’10, from Woodbridge, Virginia. Wells was 27-7 with a 2.35 ERA

and 113 strikeouts for the Lancers (36-16). Smith, a two-time winner of the award,

averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for Longwood (12-19).

Briana Wells, ’11, and Dana Smith, ’10, are named Athletes of the Year 2009-10.

34

Longwood University opened its 2010-11

intercollegiate athletics campaign August 22 with

The GAME (Greatest Athletics March Ever). The

Lancers played the University of Richmond from the

Atlantic 10 Conference in a women’s soccer match at

the Athletics Complex in Farmville. The highly

anticipated contest was played before a raucous and

record-crowd of over 1,300, though the Spiders won

1-0 with the lone goal scored in the 55th minute.

A picnic in the Longwood Dining Hall, a pep rally in

Willett Hall, and a march from campus up Fourth

Street and Longwood Avenue to the soccer facility on

Johnston Drive, took place prior to the opening kick.

During all my time here, including four years as

a student and now in my 17th year as head coach,

I have never seen anything like tonight in terms of

the Longwood spirit and experience,” said women’s

soccer head coach Todd Dyer ’93 afterward.

Beginning with the pep rally on campus and

continuing with the march to the stadium and

support throughout the game, tonight’s event was

such an amazing spectacle for our university and

community, and it truly created some Longwood

memories that will last a lifetime.”

The GAME was a collective effort among the

Athletics Department, the Office of First Year

Experience, and the Town of Farmville. It came

about after women’s soccer associate head coach

Steve Brdarski, First Year Experience assistant

director Stacey Wilkerson, and SGA president and

FYE coordinator Ben Brittain brainstormed for ideas

to incorporate athletics into New Lancer Days,

Longwood’s extended four-day orientation experience

for all new students leading up to the start of the fall

semester. New Lancer Days provided new students

an opportunity to meet new classmates, develop

friendships with upper-class student leaders, learn

about valuable resources available on campus, and

explore a variety of issues that they will undoubtedly

face during their time at Longwood.

The GAME (Greatest Athletics March Ever)Greg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

“

“

35

36

The Lancer men travel to Milwaukee to play Marquette

(December 4), Lexington to play VMI (Dec. 11), Newark, New

Jersey to play Seton Hall (Dec. 13), Albuquerque to play New

Mexico (Dec. 17), Boulder to play Colorado (Dec. 19), Las

Vegas for two games during the iBN Sports Las Vegas Classic

at the Orleans Arena (Dec. 22-23), Annapolis to play Navy

(January 4), Grand Forks, N.D. to play UND (Jan. 9),

Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech (Jan. 22), Hamilton, N.Y.

to play Colgate (February 2), Newark, N.J., again to play NJIT

(Feb. 5), College Park to play Maryland (Feb. 9), and Savannah,

Ga. to play Savannah State (Feb. 12).

The Lancer women travel to Richmond to play VCU (Dec. 18),

Fairfax to play George Mason (Dec. 22), Morehead, Kentucky

to play Morehead State (Jan. 2), Ithaca, N.Y., to play Cornell

(Jan. 9), Spartanburg, S.C., to play USC Upstate (Jan. 19),

Asheville, N.C., to play UNC Asheville (Jan. 24), College Park

to play Maryland (Jan. 30), Rock Hill, South Carolina to play

Winthrop (Feb. 5), Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech (Feb. 10),

Savannah, Ga., to play Savannah State (Feb. 13), Bakersfield,

Calif., to play CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 19), Boiling Springs, N.C.,

to play Gardner-Webb (Feb. 23), and Fort Myers, Fla., for a

tournament hosted by Florida Gulf Coast.

In addition, spring is right around the corner ... be sure to check

our website for schedules to include Longwood baseball, softball,

women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, as well as men’s and

women’s tennis. An early heads-up for baseball has the Lancers

playing VCU at The Diamond in Richmond on March 9

at 3 p.m., along with a game at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg

on March 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Longwood Basketball In A City Near YouGreg Prouty Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations

Longwood University men’s and women’s basketball opened their respective 2010-11 campaigns

November 12. The men opened at the University of Kansas against the Jayhawks, a perennial

top-20 program, while the women hosted the Lancer Classic Nov. 12-13 with games against both

Campbell and Marshall. In addition to 27 home games between the two programs, easily accessible

at www.longwoodlancers.com, it’s likely that you can find a contest in a city near you this season.

Enthusiastic Longwood Lancer fans are set to enjoy another outstanding Basketball Season.

37

Lancers Off To A Great Start ...

Winning the Right WayAs a Longwood Lancers fan, your support is crucial to the success

of our programs and student-athletes. The NCAA prohibits specific

activities between individuals who are representatives of our athletic

programs and our prospective and current student-athletes. If you are

a member of the Longwood University faculty, staff, alumni, or Lancer

Club, or have donated to, or been otherwise involved with Longwood

Athletics, you are a representative of our athletic programs. Please help

ensure the eligibility of our prospective and current student-athletes.

Visit www.longwoodlancers.com and click on NCAA Compliance link

to learn how you can be involved with Longwood Athletics

in the right way.

We thank you for your continued support.

For more information please contact:

Nick Schroeder

Director of Compliance

434.395.2417

schroederng@longwood.edu

Lancers Web

For all of the latest newsand information concerningLongwood Athletics,please visit ourre-designed website atwww.longwoodlancers.com.

Longwood University Athletics is well on its way toward a successful

2010-11 campaign as the fall sports seasons approached completion in

late October. The men’s golf team jump-started the year with a 54-hole

score of 290-285-300 – 875 to easily win the team title among nine

teams at its own Manor Intercollegiate, September 13-14, at The Manor

Resort Golf Club in Farmville. The Lancers took a 29-shot advantage

over second-place High Point University (904), while junior Ross

Sumner (Callao) claimed individual medalist honors with his outstanding

two-under par score of 70-71-73--214, among the field of 56.

It’s great for us to start the year with a win,” said 14th-year head

coach Kevin Fillman. “We did a lot of good work on day one, which

put us in a very good position going into the final round. I’m really

pleased for Ross to earn his first medal. He handled the situation

extremely well, especially since it’s the first time he’d ever had the

chance to win a college tournament.”

The men’s golf team had finished third in each of its other two

tournaments this fall, led by senior standout Michael Young|Oakville,

Ontario with three top-three individual efforts and his impressive

71.67 average that was on pace toward a new school record.

The women’s golf team had one top-five team effort, led by freshman

standout Amanda Steinhagen (Oak Hill) and her 76.67 average with

two top-20 individual finishes. Steinhagen was among the August 30

edition of Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Faces in the Crowd,”

recognized for her winning back-to-back Virginia State Golf

Association (VSGA) tournament titles within five days this past

summer. She won the 85th VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at

the Glenmore Country Club in Keswick on July 9, and followed that

winning formula with her second victory in less than a week by

winning the 41st VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship at the Indian

Creek Yacht & Country Club in Kilmarnock on July 14.

The women’s soccer team took a record of 10-6 into the final three

matches of the season, including an eight-match winning streak at

home with only Senior Day remaining and scheduled for October 31.

Coach Dyer (185-110-16) had led the Lancers to their 12th overall

10-win season in the 17-year history of the program while assuring

their fifth consecutive winning campaign, and 14th overall since the

team began competition in 1994. Longwood was being led by super

sophomore Lindsey Ottavio (Fairfax) who had already tied the school-

record for season goals with 16 (Tina Tsironis, 1995; Tiffany

Gruschow, 2002). Ottavio was tied for third in Division I goals

through Oct. 17, and tied for fourth nationally in points (33).

There’s still plenty of work to be done, but our success up to this point in

the season can be credited to a fantastic bunch of student-athletes who

work very hard and really pull together on and off of the field,” said Dyer.

I’ve coached some talented players and teams in the past, but this team is

truly special in the love and respect they share for each other, along with

their commitment to represent the women’s soccer program and this

university in the most positive manner at all times.” – G.P.

“

“

“

38

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88, started working

for Longwood Dining Services as a junior in

the fall of 1986. “I restocked the salad bar

in the Rotunda Market, a fast-food location

downtstairs in Blackwell Dining Hall,”

she said.

She still works for Longwood’s dining services provider,

ARAMARK, but is responsible for much more than fresh

croutons and cucumbers in one dining hall. As regional vice

president for the Southeast Region for ARAMARK Higher

Education, Thornton oversees the dining service and

facilities service operations at 60 colleges and universities

in four states. Eight district managers and one vice president

of operations report directly to Thornton, who has been

Longwood’s dining service director and has held two

regional administrative positions and one nationwide

position in her career with ARAMARK.

I have a lot of responsibility, but I have very good people

working for me,” said Thornton, who began this position

Aug. 13, 2010 and whose office is in Cary, N.C. “Most of

my accounts (schools) are in North Carolina and South

Carolina, and I also have one in Tennessee and one in

Georgia. I spend about 75 percent of my time on the road

visiting accounts. The last two years I had a functional job,

which involves supporting our operations in such areas as

HR, marketing and finance, but not an operational one,

which this is. I like the operational aspect of the business.”

Before beginning her current job, Thornton was vice

president of compliance for ARAMARK Higher Education

and was responsible for the entire country. In that position,

she had an office at corporate headquarters in Philadelphia

and another office on the Longwood campus. Even after

leaving her job as Longwood dining service director, she

continued to work out of an office at Longwood for her

next two positions.

Those positions were vice president of operations for the

Mid-Atlantic Region (responsible for Virginia and Ohio)

and, before that, district manager (covering Virginia and

North Carolina). Thornton was Longwood dining service

director for five and a half years from 1993 to 1998.

Thornton, a native of Rockland County, N.Y., near New

York City, majored in political science and was a member

of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at Longwood. She also met

Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88Vice President for ARAMARKKent Booty Associate Editor

Mary Larkin Thornton, ’88

“

39

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

sher husband, Dr. Jim Thornton, ’85, school superintendent

in Mecklenburg County, Va. Although they met when she

was a freshman and he was a senior, they didn’t start dating

until her senior year, after he had returned to Longwood

to become certified to teach.

Even as a Longwood student worker, Mary Thornton, then

Mary Larkin, moved up the ladder. She was promoted to a

student manager position in January 1987. “I was a student

manager when the Rotunda Market re-opened that spring

after being renovated. The other student managers and

I supervised the 250 or so student employees.”

After graduating, she was manager of the Rotunda Market

for a year and a half. Then she left the company, moved

back home to New York and worked briefly in marketing

for a wholesale bakery in New York City. In her first

position after returning to ARAMARK in 1991, a month

after getting married, she was district manager for Virginia

and also managed one of the faculty and staff dining rooms

at Virginia Commonwealth University, also an ARAMARK

school. Even though she “moved up the retail ladder” at

VCU, she retained the marketing part of that position.

Why has she been successful? “I have a lot of passion for

what we do. I like being in the higher education marketplace.

Even though we’re not in the classroom, I feel like we’re part

of the overall academic experience and that we can impact

the future generation of leaders. I like being on college

campuses and interacting with college administrators.

When I visit accounts, I like to interact with student

employees. What also has helped my success is the solid

educational foundation I received at Longwood and the

high expectations of Longwood Dining Services.”

Thornton and her husband, formerly the Cumberland

County school superintendent, live in Clarksville, Va.,

with their 17-year-old son, Sean, a senior at Cumberland

County High School, and 13-year-old daughter, Kelsey,

who attends Bluestone Middle School in Mecklenburg

County. The family had lived in Farmville, a short block

from the Longwood campus, until Jim Thornton began his

position in Mecklenburg County on July 1. He had been

with the Cumberland schools for 19 years, the last six as

superintendent. He presented a Sankofa Lecture in

Longwood’s College of Education and Human Services

in October 2008.

Longwood ChallengeA Tremendous SuccessLast spring, David, '81, and Patricia Whitehurst

Crute,‘80, and Will and Colleen McCrink

Margiloff, '97, challenged alumni and friends

to become new donors to Longwood University.

The two couples challenged that if Longwood

received 250 gifts from new donors during

May and June, Will, Colleen, David, and

Patricia would collectively contribute $40,000

to the Longwood Fund. The Crutes and the

Margiloffs are firm believers that every gift

makes a difference at Longwood, and they

wanted to spread their enthusiasm and message

across all groups of potential supporters. With

their support and the Longwood Challenge,

307 gifts from new donors were received

during May and June – making the Longwood

Challenge a great success.

Will and Tricia live in Chesapeake and their son,

Patrick, is a 2010 graduate of Longwood. Tricia

currently serves on the Alumni Board. Will and

Colleen live in New York, New York. They have

three children and Colleen currently serves as the

vice president of the Alumni Board.

Everyone at Longwood University is appreciative

not only of the Crutes and the Margiloffs for

offering such a generous Challenge, but

also of every donor who helped make this

Challenge a success. Thank you to everyone

involved. – C.G.M.

40

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

Celebrate Founders Month With The FinnegansWe will celebrate Founders Month this March with four events to be held

throughout Virginia. Please join alumni, family and friends for one of these events

to commemorate Longwood’s founding on March 5, 1839. President Finnegan

will talk about Longwood’s past, present and future.

Richmond: Independence Golf Club, March 16

Fredericksburg: Renato’s Italian Restaurant, March 17

Hampton Roads: Greenbrier Country Club, March 22

Farmville: Longwood’s Center for Communication Studies & Theatre, March 25

$20 per person. Reservations are required. Please contact the Office of Alumni

Relations at 434.395.2044 or alumni@longwood.edu.

Milestone ReunionClasses of ’46, ’51, ’56, ’61, ’66

April 1-2, 2011

Decade of the 70s ReunionApril 15-16, 201

Utilize Your Longwood ResourcesLongwood’s Academic and Career Advising Center offers help to all Alumni.

Go to http://www.longwood.edu/career/alumni/index.htm

Tell Us About It ...Do you know a Longwood graduate making a difference?

Logon to http://www.longwood.edu/alumni/awards.htm and tell us about it.

Upcoming Alumni Events ...

41

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

Make Plans Now To Attend Longwood’sStudent-Alumni Networking EventLongwood alumni are invited to campus on Friday 25 February for the annual

Student-Alumni Networking Event (SANE), an event designed to assist Longwood

students with exploring career options and preparing them to leave Longwood as

successful Lancers. This annual event, hosted by the Academic & Career Advising

Center and the Cook-Cole College of Arts & Sciences Student Advisory Board,

is an excellent way for you to share expertise about your career path and provide

advice on life after Longwood. If you are interested in participating or would like

more information, please contact Sarah Hobgood at 434.395.4932

or hobgoodsm@longwood.edu. – N.S.

Longwood alumni gather on campus for the annual Student-Alumni Networking Event (SANE).

Are You ReadyTo Receive SomeLongwood Loot?

Are you planning an Alumni gathering?

Let us send a Longwood Loot box. Please send the names

and class year of your attendees, the date of the event,

and your mailing address to alumni@longwood.edu.

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

“

“

Alumni members and friends of Sigma Phi

Epsilon (SPE), Longwood University’s oldest

fraternity, returned for a reunion that was the

largest fraternity event ever held on campus.

BBQ, Band & Brews,” held Sept. 11 on Lankford Mall,

was attended by 233 people, including 126 alumni members

of Longwood’s SPE chapter. “Some 451 guys have been

initiated into the Longwood chapter since its founding

in 1978, including the 25 current members, so one-third

of all the brothers were there,” said David McMaster, ’83,

president of the chapter’s Alumni and Volunteer

Corporation, who organized the reunion.

The chapter’s first on-campus reunion was attended by 184

alumni and guests (many brothers’ wives are also Longwood

alumni) and 49 current students. One SPE alumnus, Nuvit

Rodop, ’82, came all the way from Izmir, Turkey, and several

came from California as well as from around the country.

At least nine of the chapter’s 22 founding fathers attended.

Some 60 percent of the attending SPEs graduated between

1979 and 1989.

A lot of these guys hadn’t seen each other in 25 or 30 years,”

said David McMaster, a wholesale florist in Miami. “Some

were returning to campus for the first time since they’d

graduated. It was the first time the chapter has

ever had everyone back, from founding fathers to

current members.”

The event was initiated and paid for by the Alumni and

Volunteer Corporation, which has more than 400 members

and was formed in July 2009. “We’ve had several off-campus

reunions, the last one about 12 years ago,” said McMaster,

whose Longwood nickname was Duffy. “We wanted to

reconnect alumni members with the current chapter and

the university.”

At least six of the SPE alumni who attended have sons or

daughters currently at Longwood, all of whom are believed

to have dropped by the event, McMaster said. One

ARAMARK student waiter who worked the event, Clayton

Lescallett, is the son of Clay Lescallett, ’83, and Cathy

Downey Lescalleet, ’81, a Kappa Delta. “We had groups

from KD, Delta Zeta, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Zeta Tau Alpha,

Phi Mu, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and a few of our ‘GDI’ friends

as well,” McMaster said.

Also in attendance were four SPE alums from the mid-1980s

who are colonels in the Army or Air Force: Scott Estes, ’87,

Jeff Helmick, ’84, and Derick Wolf, ’84, of the Army, and

Chris Wright, ’85, of the Air Force. Helmick and Wolf were

chapter presidents. Helmick’s wife, Lisa Harwood Helmick,

is a ‘84 Longwood alumna, and their daughter, Christine,

is a Longwood junior.

One highlight of the reunion was the presentation of the

first Balanced Man Scholarship, believed to be the first

scholarship awarded by a Longwood fraternity to a non-

member. The scholarship for an incoming freshman or

transfer student, awarded to freshman Jake Semlar,

recognizes the fraternity’s “core values of virtue, diligence

and brotherly love” and will be awarded annually for

academic achievement and leadership. The scholarship is

funded by the alumni members, though the recipient is

chosen by the current members. It was presented by

Chuck Ebbets, ’85, alumni scholarship chairman, and

senior Edward “Joe” Brown, the chapter’s scholarship

chairman.

The reunion also included a golf tournament in which

15 of the 19 golfers were Longwood alumni. The morning

of the reunion, alumni SPE members held a business

meeting in their chapter room on the second floor of Frazer

and afterward met with the current members. The Office

of Alumni Relations was pleased to work with the fraternity

on this special fraternity reunion. – K.B.

Sigma Phi Epsilon ReunionLargest Fraternity EventIn Longwood’s History

Alumni members and friends of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SPE) gathered on campus in September.

43

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

Out & About With The Finnegans

Receptions for alumni and friends to meet Patrick and Joan Finnegan

were held on Wednesday 29 September, 2010, at the United States Capitol

in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday 12 October, 2010, at the Cavalier Hotel

in Virginia Beach, and on Monday 1 November, 2010, in the Rotunda

of the Virginia Capitol in Richmond.

Top left: Patrick and Joan Finnegan with

Senator Mark Warner. Top right: Joan

Finnegan and Jane Brooke, ’63. Middle left:

Ronny Van Dyke, Heather Van Dyke, ’06,

Joan Finnegan, and Kathleen Early, ’92.

Middle, right: Sandy Henderson, ’75,

and Joan Finnegan. Bottom: President

Finnegan, John Wiggins, ’02,

and Kristy Wiggins.

44

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s

Randy Copeland, ’86, is the founder,

president and CEO of Velocity Micro, the

largest independently owned boutique PC

manufacturer in the United States.

The Richmond-based company, with nearly 100 employees,

specializes in high-end workstations and gaming computers but

in recent years has expanded to include more affordable

desktops, notebooks and peripherals. Its products can be found

at nearly every major electronics retailer or etailer in the country,

including Best Buy, Amazon, Staples, Walmart, Costco, and

Target. The company has won more than 60 major industry

awards from major publications, including PC Magazine’s

coveted “Best of the Year” awards in 2008 and 2004 and its

Reader’s Choice Award for Service and Reliability in 2007.

Not bad for someone who admits with a smile that he “wasn’t

the best student” and took only one computer class, Intro

to Computers – and got a D.

I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I didn’t see myself

as a corporate type,” said Copeland, who founded Velocity

Micro in 1997 when he split two business units that he

had founded six years earlier.

The company builds its high-end computers in a

gymnasium-like area in two large rooms in a 40,000-

square-foot office building at the industrial park that

adjoins the Chesterfield County Airport. Copeland is

proud of a 2002 review in his favorite magazine,

Maximum PC, that said Velocity Micro’s computers

are “built with the care and craftsmanship that the

behemoth manufacturers can’t offer.”

The focus of our business has changed over the years,

and now we’re targeting mainstream users as well as gamers,

enthusiasts, and the research and scientific communities,”

Copeland said. “However, much of our business is still with

gamers and workstations. The FBI and the Navy are among

our bigger customers, using our faster workstations for data

analysis and research. For a while we were doubling our

growth every year. This year (2010) will be our most successful

year, and we anticipate doubling sales again next year.”

Randy Copeland’s company Velocity Micro builds its high-end computers in Chesterfield County.

Computer Craftsman & EntrepreneurRandy Copeland, ’86Kent Booty Associate Editor

“

“

45

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

sDespite changes, Velocity Micro still prides itself

on its in-house technical support. “We still do all our

own tech support,” Copeland said. “In fact, that’s the

fastest growing part of our business. All of our customer

support is in this building. When customers call for

tech support, they get someone here in Richmond,

not overseas.”

In 2010 the company entered the e-reader and computer-

tablet market by launching two touch-screen readers and

a tablet. The Cruz Reader, launched in September, and the

Cruz Tablet and the Cruz StoryPad, launched in October,

weigh one pound and have seven-inch screens, and enable

users to play music, videos and games, read ebooks, and

surf the Web.

The Cruz Reader is an e-reader tablet similar to a Kindle,

but on a Kindle all you can do is read books; on the Cruz

Reader you can surf the Web and play videos and music in

full color, too,” said Velocity Micro spokesman Josh

Covington. “The Cruz Tablet, which is more like an iPad

alternative, is similar in look to the Cruz Reader but is faster

and more powerful. The Cruz StoryPad is similar to the

Cruz Reader but geared more to kids and is simpler. It also

plays music and videos but doesn’t have Internet access, for

security reasons.”

Copeland said in early October that the Cruz Reader is sold

out at all retail operations. “Production was recently doubled

to 4,000 units a day and will be increased several more times

in the next few months. We’re expecting to ship almost a

million units this year. In 2011, we’ll launch more tablets

in different sizes and capacities.”

A Chester native who lives in nearby Midlothian, Copeland

was originally a biology major at Longwood who planned to

become a dentist like his father, now retired, and his older

brother. “But then I got a C in organic chemistry, and my

adviser said ‘Copeland, you’re going to have to take it over

again if you’re going to get into MCV dental school,’

and I didn’t want to. So I switched to the business school,

which I loved. I learned a lot from (dean) Dr. Jack Jacques –

he showed me how you really make money in business –

and from (professors) Dr. Larry Minks and Dr. Burt Brooks.

I spent a lot of time hanging out with the three of them.

I also learned a lot about business as the ad manager

for The Rotunda.”

My biggest mark on Longwood was that I had the loudest

stereo on campus,” Copeland, a self-proclaimed audiophile,

said with a laugh. “I had a great big stereo in my dorm

room. On Friday evenings in front of Cox, where I lived my

first three years, we would sit on a retaining wall between

Cox and Stubbs, in front of the driveway that went in front

of Cox, and turn up the volume on my stereo. One night

Phyllis Mable (then-vice president for student affairs) came

by to yell at us to turn it down but ended up staying

for over an hour.”

Copeland’s wife, the former Mary Anne Thompson

Copeland, graduated from Longwood in 1986 and earned

a master’s degree from Virginia State University. She taught

kindergarten in Chesterfield County for 10 years.

After graduating from Longwood, Copeland worked as

a sales associate for a marble bathroom products business

and later as regional sales manager for a Richmond-based

manufacturer of kitchen cabinets. In 1991 he founded Smart

Marketing, an independent manufacturing firm providing

carpentry, countertops, and plumbing products to Virginia

contractors and kitchen dealers. Then he began offering

his clients custom-built, high-powered computers to run

computer-aided design programs for kitchen and bath

layouts and information management. After starting Velocity

Micro, he continued as president of Smart Marketing until

selling it in 2007.

Copeland travels at least one week every two months,

usually to Asia. “I have flown 140,000 miles this year

already, which is a lot.” In September 2009 Copeland

returned to Longwood’s College of Business & Economics

as Executive-in-Residence. He spoke about integrity

in business.

Why has he been successful? “I’m not smart enough to

know when to quit,” he replied with a laugh. “It’s also

about chasing a dream, but mostly it just gets back

to not quitting.”

Production was recently doubled to 4,000 units a day and will be increased several more times

in the next few months. We’re expecting to ship almost a million units this year. In 2011,

we’ll launch more tablets in different sizes and capacities.” – Randy Copeland, ’86

“

“

“

46

OnCam

pusLongwoodUniversity

New

s Recent Publications by Longwood Faculty, Staff, Students & Alumni

InPrintWelcome to Boycevilleby John Hudson,’80, Longwood alumnus

This was written to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation

of Boyce, a Clarke County town originally called Boyceville. Hudson grew up in Boyce

(population: 500), seven miles south of Berryville, where he lives and works. “This was

written free of charge as a gift to the town,” said Hudson, senior vice president and

marketing director of the Bank of Clarke County. “The book serves primarily as a

historical record, and it also brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people. I wrote

it in only nine months.” Hudson, a music education major (in 2007 he released a CD

of show tunes, Lounge Lizard), was a member of Longwood’s first male class on campus

and was the charter president of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity. Published privately

by authorization of the Boyce Town Council, softcover, 96 pages.

Women with the Good News: The Rhetorical Heritageof Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachersby Dr. Kristen Dayle Welch, Assistant Professor of English

This has been called “the first book to share interviews with women preachers of the

International Pentecostal Holiness Church.” Welch, a Christian scholar who grew up in

the IPHC, explores rhetoric, gender and religion in the biographies, autobiographies and

histories that detail what it means to be a Pentecostal woman preacher in Oklahoma, her

native state. Published by CPT Press, softcover, 136 pages.

Hull Springs Farm of Longwood University:Using Stewardship Plans to Create a SustainableConservation Model on Virginia’s Northern Neckby Bobbie Burton, Executive Director of Hull Springs Farm,

and Katie Register, Project Director of Hull Springs Farm

This is a case study from the book A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for

Conservation, edited by David Burke and Joel Dunn, which provides a conservation

resource for government agencies, community groups, businesses and others involved in

the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Hull Springs Farm case study (pp. 221-28)

is from the Stewardship chapter. Hull Springs Farm, which consists of more than 662

acres in Westmoreland County, is used for conservation, education and research and

was bequeathed to Longwood in 1999 by Mary Farley Ames Lee, ’38. Published by the

Conservation Fund, softcover, 278 pages.

After All Is Said and Doneby Justin Trawick, ’04, Longwood Alumnus

This CD (which features seven songs and technically is an EP) is the fourth record

released under the name of Trawick, who describes himself as a “singer/songwriter

with a band” and has been a full-time musician for two years. Trawick, who lives in

Arlington, plays acoustic guitar and sings, sometimes by himself and sometimes with

a five-piece band. He performs about 200 shows a year all over the country. “I came up

with a name for my music: urban folk rock. It’s a hipper version of adult contemporary

and a bit hipper than folk rock. My music ranges from bluegrass to rock n’ roll to funk.

It’s fun to perform in my band because every song is different.” Fellow Longwood

alumnus, Owen Shifflett, ’03, designs the art for Trawick’s albums. “Owen has been

integral to my success,” he said. As a Longwood student, Trawick was a member of Phi

Mu Alpha and both jazz ensembles (he also plays saxophone), and he played with

a campus band, Woodburn Road.

47

Walking The Walk ...The Greatest Athletics March Ever passes Longwood House on the way to the

Longwood Lancers soccer field, led by (from left) Farmville Town Manager Gerry Spates,

Director of Athletics Troy Austin, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ken Perkins,

Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tim Pierson and SGA President Ben Brittain

(in the green shirt). Read complete story, p. 36.

Pthe ART�of the centur ies

@ LCVAart i s a lwaysthe l i fe of thepar ty . . .

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAID

Permit No. 1299Richmond, VA

Longwood MagazineThe Longwood University Foundation Inc.201 High StreetFarmville, Virginia 23909

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

No state funds were used to print this publication.Published January 2011.

a gala art auction to benefitthe Longwood Center for the Visual Arts’ education programs

and to encourage art in everyday lifeSaturday 26 February 2011

Tickets are limitedDon’t wait to be guaranteed admission

Become a gala sponsor at the $250 levelSponsors receive: 2 reserved tickets, event recognition

and early admission. Mail your check to129 North Main Street, Farmville, Virginia, 23901

Major sponsors to date includeARAMARK, Centra Southside Community Hospital

Bert Johnson, Earl and Jean LockwoodNorthwestern Mutual Financial Network (Charles H. and Candice Jamison Dowdy ’69)

Worth Higgins & Associates Inc

This year, attendees are asked to dress in black and white attire

.

.

.

:.

:,,,.

.

save the date