Longwood Magazine 2019 Summer

orp the oldest to the newest, alumni gather on campus to celebrate their Longwood spirit with traditions old and new

Jr., Richmond

Colleen McCrink Margiloff '97, Rye , N.Y

Nadi ne Marsh-Carter, Richmond

FROM THE PRESIDENT

In this edition of the magazine, you'll see a number of stories about the varied journeys Longwood graduates take after crossing the graduation stage on Wheeler Mall and setting off on their lives and careers.

You wi ll see the remarkable array of next chapters for our most recent graduates, the Class of 2019, heading off into a wor ld that urgently needs their opt imi sm and commitment. You' ll meet a number of a lumni who work together at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, pursuing their passion as their vocat ion. And there is a conversation with Marianne Radcliff '92, the outgoing rector on Longwood's Board of Visitors, who , after building an extreme ly influential career in go ve rnment relations in Richmond, has devoted countless hours to her a lm a mater these past eight years, doing great and lasting good.

I hope al l these stories bring for you , as they do for me , a specia l pride and perhaps a knowing smile Life takes unexpected twi sts and turn s. But in a chal lenging world and a rapidly evo lv in g economy, a Longwood educat ion firmly rooted in the li beral arts and scie nces both ignite s passions a nd provides the tool s and courage to pursue them. I am deep ly proud of the extraordinary va riet y of ways Longwood graduates become cit izen leaders in Virginia, the nation and the world.

Many graduates, like Marianne, reconnect in deeply meaningful ways with Longwood. For some , it may start w ith a v i sit for reunion weeke nd or ju st a wee kend trip to Farmv ille with fri e nds or family. For others it cou ld be vo lunteer in g or mentoring in their local community or professional field through Longwood 's Alumni and Career Services offices (See story on Page 42.)

H owever it happen s, I hear from alumni that reconnecting w ith L ongwood is a lm ost always a so urce of great sat isfaction When you come to Longwood as a student you are a Lancer forever-wherever your journ ey in life may take you.

My best wishes,

W. Taylor Reveley IV President

President Reveley chats with soon-to-be graduates at the new Senior Toast event.

Patently Amazing

Professor's innovative cancer treatment is awarded a U.S. patent-and students helped

Dr. Amorette Barber, an associate professor of biology, has been a devoted teacher during her eight years at Longwood She's also been busy in her research lab, where she involves students in her work to develop more effective cancer treatments.

That work-a feat of genetic engineering that programs T cells in a patient's own immune system to infiltrate and destroy cancer cells-paid off in April when Barber and Longwood were awarded a U S. patent. Barber's treatment isn't the first to employ T cells against cancer, but it is significantly different from other methods under development.

"Currently these treatments target only one or very few types of cancer," said Barber. "The T cells we engineered are effective against 80-85 percent of cancers: pancreatic, breast and colon cancer, melanoma and many more. Harnessing the immune system for cancer treatments really i reduces the side effects, and it's better at creating 3 the cancer."

: Barber said all of the research to develop the patented treatment was conducted at Long-

wood, with students getting hands-on lab experience in some of the early phases of the project.

"Undergraduate students really don't get that kind of opportunity everywhere," she said. Barber has sent several students on to prestigious graduate programs, including one student who graduated in 2018 and is now

working on a Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Chicago.

The next step in raking the treatment out of the lab and

member who was the lead on a project that also was awarded a patent.

"It's really rewarding and exciting to receive a patent for research that I led and that potentially will help so many people," said Barber. "A lot of my family members have dealt with cancer. My

fi It's really rewarding and exciting to receive a patent for research that potentially will help so many people.'

-DR. AMORETTE BARBER

into use with patients is to partner with a pharmaceutical company or a larger institution to begin clinical trials. That will probably rake another five to eight years, Barber said She is exploring such a collaboration with the esteemed Cleveland Clinic, which she said has a "whole cell therapy unit and collaborates with ocher companies."

This is not Barber's first experience with patent-worthy work . As a doctoral student at Dartmouth, she worked closely with a faculty

grandfather passed away from cancer when I was young My grandmother had three types of cancer. And my childhood best friend's mother died of cancer when I was in high school. I think most families are affected by cancer these days.

"Immunology is my love. It's fascinating and beautifully orchestrated. I couldn't ask for more than to be able to rake something I love and use it to help society tackle such a health burden." -Sabrina Brown

Longwood's healthy ways earn international honor

LONGWOOD'S EFFORTS to create a healthier campus have received top honors in a wor ld wide assessment-an achievement ju st 54 other universities can boast.

In the 2019 Exercise i s Medicine awards, Long wood was named a gold level designee thanks to it s unique partnership among Campus Recreation, Counse ling and Ps ycho logi ca l Services and the University H ea lth Center. The designation marks the university's commitment to assessing phys ical activity, hosting monthly we llne ss events and orga nizing a variety of fitness classes

"I was ecstatic to hear that Longw ood received gold status during th e first year we have been part of this program," sa id Alina Cio letti , assistant director of fitness and wel ln ess , who gave much of the cred it for the recog nit ion to " the hard work our Student We llne ss Ambassadors, th e partnerships we've made on campus and the co ll aborat ion s we've had wi th ot h er departments."

Longwood is one o f only 139 uni vers itie s a nd co lleg es aro und the world t o be honored by Exercise is Med icin e, a program co-fo und ed by the American College of Sports Med icin e and the American Medical Assoc iati on to p rom ote physical act ivit y and it s imp or tan ce in opt im a l health.

Lon gwood ' s var iety of fitness c las ses and workshops, b ike rental prog ram , monthly we llness events and free sessions with a personal trainer for students were key e lemen t s leading to the award.

Of the 13 9 campuses recognized thi s yea r, 55 received gold, 56 sil ver and 28 bronze. A ll honorees were of fi cia ll y recognized in May as part of the 2019 Exercise is Medicine Wor ld Congress, held in conjunction with the American Co ll ege of Spor t s Medicine 's annua l meeting.

Cost Containment

Longwood freezes tuition for next year

Longwood is freezing undergraduate tuition next year for all new and returning students, continuing a comm itm ent to being a leadin g Virginia public university when it comes to keeping co ll ege costs affordab le.

Longwood's Board ofVisitors approved the tuition freeze in May-setting 2019-20 tuition at the same leve l as 2018-19 . In addition, the board endorsed returning Longwood to the "tuition by t he semester" model that was in p lace until 2007, w hi ch will allow students to take up to 18 cred its for the same price as 12 starting this fall.

That chan ge is intended to help m ore students gra du ate in four years, and thus red u ce their overal l co ll ege costs , by encouraging th em to take a full course load. Research at both Longwood and nationally shows that raking a full co urse load leads to significan tl y better academic performance as we ll as to a faster and more certain pathway to graduatio n .

Tuition is typically the largest portion of a s tud ent's educa tional charges. The zero increase was made possible by di scip lin ed budgeting at the university as we ll as by the tuition moderation initiative of the General Assembly and the governor, wh ich in creased funding statew ide for higher educat ion in this budget year

"We know that co lle ge is am ong the biggest and most import ant investments a family can make, and we know ho w hard many of our families are working and saving to ensure students have an opportunity to atte nd an institution

like Longwood. Thar's why we've made it such a priority to minimize cost increases and use scholarship support to in crease financial aid and decrease what families have to pay," said Longwood President W Taylor Reveley IV

Over the prior five years, Longwood 's average annual tuition and fee increases have been the second-lowest of all 15 public four-year universities in Virginia, averaging just 3.3 percent annually for st ud ents taking a full credit loadthe standard statewide metric.

Meanwhile, Longwood's financial aid budget continues to increase each year, helping to further hold down the "net price" students actually pay to attend. About 60 percent of Longwood students receive financial aid, with scho larship and grant awards totaling about $ 18 million annually

As in recent years and in line with other Virginia institutions freezing tuition this year, there wi ll be a small increase in the mandatory comprehensive fee for next year, which covers auxili ary services such as student health and recreation . That fee will increase by $180, or 3.3 percent from 20 18- 19.

The "by the semester" tui tion model is considered a national best practice and w ill bring Longwood into alignment with the large majority of Virgini a public universities, including UVA, William & Mary, Mary Washington, James Madison and V irgin ia Tech. Students taking fewer than 12 credits per semester will st ill be ab le to pay by the credit.

The Health and Fitness Center was cited in Longwood 's gold award from Exercise is Medicine.

Extreme Makeover

Historic gift from Joan Brock '64 provides centerpiece for vibrant new quadrant on campus

Plan takes shap e. The overhaul of chat quadrant of campus promises not only to bring a vibrancy and sense of life to the area but also to redefine the way Longwood interacts with Farmville.

Asection of campus never known as Longwood's most attractive will soon be among its most vibrant and inviting-anchored by a new convocation and events center made possible by the largest donation in Longwood's history, from philanthropist Joan Perry Brock '64.

The center, which will bear Brock's name, will sit at the heart of a new corridor between Brock Commons and South Main Street, Ranked by handsome new facades on Curry and Frazer halls and a new music education center that will be home to a thriving and expanding music department More than just a revamp for the campus community, however, the corridor will underscore the goals of creating seamless transitions between campus and downtown Farmville that were highlighted in the 2015 Master Plan.

Brock's historic $15 million gift, announced in April, will create a community amaccion for convocations, graduations, concerts and exclusive speakers, as well as provide a new and boisterous home for Longwood's basketball teams. It is expected to open by the spring of 2022.

'Tm pleased that the Joan Perry Brock Center is going to be a focal point for the whole community to interact, not just Longwood," said Brock. "It will be a rallying place. These shared experiences are very important, locking

[It will] be a focal point for the whole community to interact, not just Longwood.'

-JOAN PERRY BROCK '64

arms with your neighbors, going forward with a common goal."

Ocher proj ec ts in the quadrant on the southeastern end of central campus-the reimagining of Curry and Frazer halls and a planned music education center near where the Bristow Hall facilities building now stands-are moving forward as the vision of the "Place Matters" Master

"Our back will no longer be turned to Main Street," said Louise Waller, vice president for administration and finance, who oversees building projects "One major focus of the Master Plan is that we undo barriers between town and campus and try to make the two feel seamless. With a new pedestrian entranceway between Curry and Frazer and two community-focused buildings filling out the space, chat section of campus, which has always felt a little utilitarian to me, will really come alive in an exciting way."

Work on the Curry renovation began in May. Frazer, with its handsome new fai;:ade and reimagined, modernized living spaces, will re-open to students in August and has already attracted praise from area officials for its elegance and welcoming design.

"We couldn't be more excited to see Frazer Hall take shape over the last year," said Farmville Mayor David Whitus '83. "It has made this extraordinary transformation from plain brick box to a beautiful building that is an addition to the downtown district rather than a detraction. But what I'm most excited about is the buildings will have entrances off Main Street, which makes chem feel like part of the community rather than separated. And with the promises of several new buildings along that same stretch, we are going to see an even more remarkable change."

In March, Longwood announced chat the General Assembly had approved funding for detailed architectural planning for a new music education building to replace the aging facilities in Wygal Hall. (See related story on Page 48.)

Interim VP named to permanent position

LOUISE WALLER , MBA '10 , was perman ent ly na m ed to th e pos iti o n of v ice p r es ide nt for ad mini str a ti o n a nd fin a n ce a t Longwood in Ma rc h . Sh e had h e ld th e pos iti on o n a n int e rim bas is sin ce Sep t embe r 2 01 8.

Wa ll er lea d s a r eas in c lu din g co n str uc ti o n a n d p lan nin g, f aci lit ies m a n age m ent, hu ma n reso ur ces, a nd b u dge t a nd f in ance

" Sh e has do n e an ex traord inary j ob , leadi n g h e r team a n d co mmuni cat in g c lear ly ac ross

Vice

for Adth e uni ve r s ity. Sh e h as ea rn ed m y full es t co nfid e n ce," Pr es ide nt W. Tay l o r Re v e ley IV sa id in a nn o un c in g h e r ap p o intm e nt.

A L o n gwood e mpl oyee si n ce 2005, Wa ll e r p rev io u sly m inistration and Finance Louis e Waller, MBA '10 se r ve d as di rec t o r o f t h e L o n gwood Rea l Est a t e Fo und a ti o n, w h ere sh e ma n aged a multimill io n-d o ll a r b ud ge t a nd ove r saw co n stru c ti o n pr o j ec t s b o th o n a n d o ff ca m p u s, a nd a ss ociat e vi ce pr es id e nt for ca mpu s pl a nning a nd con stru c ti o n.

Teacher-prep programs reaccredited through 2026

LONGWOOD'S INITIAL-LICENSURE teac h e r- prepara ti o n p rog ra m s h ave bee n r eaccre dited th ro u g h 202 6 b y th e Co un c il fo r t h e Accred it a ti o n o f Educ a t o r Pr e p a ra ti o n (C AEP )

" Thi s de t e rmin a tion is furth e r d e m o n stra ti o n o f th e qu a lit y o f o ur te a ch e r-pr e p a ra ti o n prog ra m s," sa id D r. La ri ss a Smith Fe r geso n, pr ovost a n d v ice p res id e nt for acade mi c a ff a ir s, in m ak in g t h e an n o un ce m e nt a t th e e n d of May.

L o n gwood i s o n e o f m o re th a n 230 in st itut io n s th at have received CA EP acc red it a ti o n

" Th ese in st ituti o n s m ee t hi g h st a n da r ds so th a t th e ir stu de n ts rece ive an ed u ca ti o n tha t pr epares t h e m t o succee d in a d ive r se ra n ge o f c lass roo m s a ft e r they gra du a t e," sa id Dr Chri st op h e r A. Koc h , C A EP pr es i den t.

L o n gwoo d 's t eac h e r-pr e p arat ion prog ra m s h ad bee n acc r e dited for many yea r s by N CATE , w hi c h m e r ge d in 20 16 w ith anot h er o r gan iza ti o n ( TE AC) to form CAEP, now th e sole n at i o n a ll y recog ni zed acc red it ing body for educator prepa rat ion. Accred it a ti o n fo r L ongwood's t eac h e r- p repa ra t io n p rog ra m s i s n ow under th e dir ec ti o n o f D r. Ge n a So uth a ll , exec uti ve d ir ec t o r fo r teache r p r epa ra ti o n

Scenic Routes

New Brock Experiences are eye-opening for students

From the b u sy streets o f hi stori c Boston to th e grande ur of the w ild West, t hi s su mm er's newest Brock Experie n ces co u rses sho we d participati n g stu d e nt s w h a t America is m ade of a n d ope n ed t h eir eyes to c rit ica l e n v i ro n me nt al and soc ial iss u es.

In Bos t o n , students ex pl ore d h ow t h e a rt s and hum a niti es improve co mmuniti es a nd h ow t h ey ca n e nh a n ce i n divi d uals ' un de rs t an din g of th eir own ro les as active p art icip a nt s in ci t izenship Stud e nt s m et w i t h city o ffici als to di sc u ss the role o f ans i n society; co ntra sted Trin ity C hurc h w ith the Boston P ublic Libr a ry; a nd viewed rare art at the Bosto n Ath e na e um

A n o th er gro u p of stu d e nt s expl o red th e p a th o f th e Co lo rado River, co n sid e r in g iss u es o f wa t e r access, includ i n g ow n e rship o f th e wa te r a nd h ow it sh o ul d b e u se d Th ey m et w ith fa rmers who u se th e ri ve r fo r irr iga ti o n a nd gov ern me n t offic ials m a n ag in g trout and o th e r wi ldlife alo n g th e rive r, and lea rn ed a bou t th e imp o rt a n ce of the Hoover D am

C rea ted by a $5 9 mi lli o n g ift from Jo a n '64 a nd M acon Brock, th e Bro ck Experienc es are a g ro w in g gro up of im me rsive, cit iz en ship-foc use d co urses th a t ex pl o re the imp o rt a nt iss u es of o ur t im e at sit es t h roug h o ut th e U n i ted

Sta tes , includi ng Ye ll owsto n e Na ti o n al Pa rk a nd Pu e rto Ri co.

(above) Students followed th e Colorado River through four states , meeting with government officials and farmers along the way to discu ss water right s and other issues. (below ) In Bos to n , students e x p e rienced a v a r ie ty of p ublic artincluding sculpture s, a r chitectu re and t hi s m ural in Harva r d Square-and ponder ed it s imp ac t on communities.

Pre sident

The Last Straw

Longwood wins contest aimed at eliminating use of plastic straws

There should be a lot fewer p lastic straws in use on Longwood's campus next year as students and others make good on their pledge to eliminate the single-use plastic items from the environment. In fact, so many students pledged to give up plastic straws that Longwood won a national contest promoting that goal.

It all started in the spring semester with the Kick the Straw campaign led by Longwood's Clean Virginia Waterways (CVW) in partner-

Our goal was to elevate Longwood as a national leader in sustainability.'

-DR. JUSTIN ELL I S, HONORS FACULTY SCHOLAR

ship with nine student organizations. Students and others were asked ro p ledge to stop using p lastic straws, which consistently rank in the top 10 of water-based debris and are dangerous to marine animals, who mistake them for food.

Longwood then signed up for the national Pledge Against Plastic Straws Campus Challenge

2019 sponsored by Simply Straws, beating out 71 other institutions for first place with pledges from 878 members of the Longwood community.

"The campus became engaged not just in the straws campaign but in the issue of plastic pollution," said Kayla Lehman '19, a graduating senior and president of the Environmental Club, one of the student organizations involved in the Kick the Straw campaign. "It was a launching pad for people to think about sustainability."

The campaign was directed by Dr Justin Ellis, CVW's assistant director and an Honors Faculty Scholar in the Cormier Honors College "Our goal was to elevate Longwood as a national leader in sustainability," said E ll is "We asked students to start with a small commitmentliving without plastic straws- which can lead to bigger commitments and a willingness to make sustainability a part of their lives."

Reusable metal straws, courtesy of CVW and Virginia's Coastal Zone Management Program, were given to anyone taking the pledge. Beginning this fa ll , Aramark, the campus dining service, will give a metal straw to every incoming freshman Anyone who presents a meta l straw when purchasing a drink at an Aramark retail outlet will receive a discount. A ramark also will contin u e to ask students to take the pledge.

An essential part of th e anti-p lastic straw initiative was developing a program that cou ld be replicated at other universities, said Ell is Longwood shared its strategies with students at VCU and George Mason, who implemented the campaign, and hopes to spread the campaign to other schools, he said. -Kent Booty

Annual Day of Giving Surpasses Goals

LOV E YOUR LO NGWOOD DAY, held thi s ye a r o n Ma r c h 27, conti n ues to br e ak records. G ifts c a m e from Japa n , Germ a ny, Spa i n, Canada, the N et her land s, N ew Zeal and a nd 44 st ates

The problem is , we as a society are not getting the real story. You don't see the long-term outcomes announced because they go against the whole story we've been told [about the effectiveness of psychiatric drugs]."

Robert Whitaker, award-winning inves t iga

I realized I was in a very significant pos ition ... to give an illustrator the opportunity to create a piece of artwork that gets reproduced no less than 20 million times . That's great exposure."

Antonio Alcala , a rt d irec t o r for th e U S Posta l Se r v i ce, Rosema r y Sp rag u e V i sit in g Des i gner prese nta t ion, Ap r il 2019

I t~ not to judge-not to portray any charact ers as good or bad, but a s real people, like you and me. making choices and living Wi th t hem."

Ron Rash. author o f Burning B right, NEA Big Read author keynot e lectur e, A pril 20 19

Everything we do touches someone else because we don 't live as hermits. We're social creatures, and we can affect each other's lives in wonderfully positive ways."

Brian Ball

, Virg inia secretary of commerce a n d t rade, Gradua t e Comme n cement, May 2019

To Lead Is To Serve

When a president and a rector share a vision of what their university can become, great things happen

Rector Marianne Radcliff '92 and President W Taylor Reveley IV have been a powerful duo. When Radcliff, an influential figure in public affairs for the commonwealth, was first appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2011, the university was in a period of significant transition. An early task was guiding the search committee that brought Reveley to Longwood in 2013 .

Now, at the close of Radcliff's full eight-year tenure on the board, including two separate two-year terms as rector, Longwood is in full stride and confident in its mission of shaping citizen leaders.

As her Board service comes to an end this summer, Radcliff and President Reveley sat down to talk about their tightknit partnership, the changes they've seen and the path for the future.

The role of rector, the elected leader of Longwood's governing board, is not necessarily well-understood, and it doesn't come with an instruction manual. What does it mean to the two of you?

Marianne Radcliff: Perspective is what matters. The role of rector, in a way, is to have a sense of real responsibility to future generations and to keep that at the forefront, along with the demands of rhe present for campus. It's also important to work with an understanding that the role of being a college president actually is so much bigger than most people can see, with so much pressure.

Taylor Reveley: A board, especially a board with powerful figures from other walks of life, is the means by which academia remains fundamentally connected to and engaged with the broader world. The crucial role a rector and a board play is to provide wisdom beyond the pure confines of campus and make sure that a given institution is really doing the right things to be of service. In that regard, asking good, penetrating questions is one of the things a great board does. And there is a resolve that a great rector and a great board can give to an institution to make the hard decisions and not just default to what would be easy.

MR: Sometimes that's not a natural inclination-to say, "This is a big step, some people might be uncomfortable, but it's the right thing to do." But it's important, and the board truly trusts the process here . We trust the people here and where we are heading. When I became rector, Longwood was in a situation where it had a number of different directions it could go You heard a lot of talk about giant online classes, and about how we could get much bigger and how students need to be prepared for one specific job they'll get right after school. With thos e pressures increasing, everything that's so great about Longwood, everyth ing that was so valuable to me as a student, had to be strongly affirmed. We had to say unapologetically, "This is who we are, we're really good at this, and we don't have to chase after those other things to do something really powerful here " Thar wasn't easy.

TR: What's fascinating is that we've been doing these things at a juncture when higher ed around the country arguably had long before begun to lose its way. We have worked dogged-

ly to make Longwood an example of how the classic-and I would say revolutionary-model of residential liberal arts education really is th e future, as well as what's made higher education great in rhe past.

Marianne, you're enormously knowledgeable about state government and the General Assembly, and both of you are broadly connected in Richmond. For those of us not around the Capitol every day, what is the perception there of Longwood and its trajectory?

TR: Marianne and Longwood can claim a lot of credit for fundamentally helping shift the trajectory of the college-cost question in Richmond. Longwood really has been the leader in the state in holding down college costs during Marianne's time, our time together. Our tuition increases have been the second-lowest of any public university over the last five years. That's resonated powerfully in Richmond. It's also simply the moral thing to do, and that work h as galvanized impressions of Longwood for the commonwealth. On both sides of the aisle, I think it's fair

It's g reat to drive in and see this beautiful college town ... . [It] has become a place you want to come to and spend time .

- M ARIA

N NE RADCLIFF

to say there is a sense that Longwood is one of the places that's really getting things right, nor just with regard to cost bur more broadly.

MR: The leadership of the state really does appreciate what we're trying to do here, in so many ways. They appreciate our efforts to control costs, and they also appreciate the fact that there's a real understanding by the board and Taylor and the campus of what we do best, where we can make the most difference.

What's the secret to a successful partnership between a rector and president, and you two in particular?

TR: Trust and candor are hallmarks of what makes it work, so that both the rector and the president can feel utterly free to say what needs to be said, to think the thoughts out loud that need to be cogitated over. We talk often and openly, and genuinely respect each other's perspectives. That's hard in any human relationship, and it's es pecially important between a rector and a president.

One thing that's been wonderful also is that, between the two of us, we have a full spectrum of Longwood lore going back well more than a century. My own family ties h ere go back

that far, and my grandfather was president at Hampden-Sydney in the 1960s and 1970s . Growing up I heard all the tales of when my grandmother was in school here, and about her mom as a student here, and her dad-Thomas Eason, the Longwood biology professor whose portrait hangs in my office.

All of that lore was very currem for me up through the mid-'80s, and then Marianne's experience kicks up from the start of her freshman year in 1988 and carries through. Between us, that's a broad sweep of history and perspective to bring to bear on everything we've done here.

How has Farmville changed during your tenure on the board?

MR: We talk about it all the time at my house. It's wonderful. It's great to drive in and see this beautiful college town. I just went through this with my own daughter. Some college towns you feel great about, and some make you nervous. This one has become a place you want to come to and spend time .

I'm at that age where the people I went to college with, their kids are looking at schools. I find parents I know-and many of them didn't go to Longwood-pulling for Longwood as a

choice. And I find all of them commenting on how beautiful the campus and the town are.

What do you think will be the long-term legacy of Marianne's time as rector and a member of the Board of Visitors?

TR: There are so many things. The beauty of the physical campus, the Vice Presidential Debate, the new Civitae core curricu lum, our renewed clarity of purpose Marianne has been absolutely instrum ental in the increasing philanthropic and state support we've received.

Altogether, this is a university in full stride That was not the case in 2011 , in a period of real transition-even uncertainty. Our progress is a testament to Marianne, testament to the board, testament to how they've encouraged and exhorted Longwood.

MR: We've been really lucky with the people, certainly with Taylor and his leadership team, but also truly with the board members. All of them are so fond of, and have such tremendous trust and belief in, the leadership team herethey do feel really comfortable asking those hard questions They believe in this place, and you can do wonderful things if you have that many talented people truly working together with a common purpose.

Marianne, what would you say to people who would like to be more involved with Longwood but aren't sure if they can be helpful, or how to do it?

MR: Ir's really neat to actually toll up your sleeves and try to do good things for a place that means so much to so many people. I was very involved while I was here as a student . As an alum, for a while I didn't really know how to engage. It 's a lot easier now. There are a lot more opportunities There's a structure with alumni and athletics and a lot of other things that makes it much easier to connect.

I love that. Ir's one of my favorit e things that happened over my eight years. You can come to campus, and there's somewhere in Maugans you can go and connect. Th ere are p eop le there to talk to you about how you can get involved. And being involved is a special thing to do. I was a first-generation college student, so to feel like you're doing your part to help people come here after yo u and graduate and go in new directions , it's a great way to dedicat e your time r

Adventure lies ahead for members of the Class of 2019, whether it's in Macedonia, Alaska or right here in Virginia

BY SABRINA BROWN

"DO YOU NEED TO HAVE RUNNING WATER?" isn't a question yo u normally hear in a job interview

Bur then the opportunity chat Amelia Erickson '18, M.S. '19, and Makayla Hostetter '17, M .S '19, were considering wasn't exactly run-of-the-mill either: positions as teachers in a tiny, remote v ill age in the Alaska bush that can be reached o nly by airp lane or boat. Best friends and b oth from small town s in Virginia, th e two yo un g women knew that moving 3,500 miles from home wou ld be the best way for them to stay together afrer graduation.

So they answere d the question ("no" for Erickson, "abso lutely yes" for Hostetter), found a place to li ve with indoor plumbing and signed on the dotted line of two-year cont racts with the Lower Kuskokwin School District, each receivin g a $3,000 sign in g bonu s in the process.

Even though not all the housing in the village of Quinhagak is scare-of- the-arr, th e schoo l there is, Erickson and Hostetter say, w ith Hostetter describing it as "nicer than any school I've ever been in. "

Just prior to grad uation, the two were bouncing off the walls with chatter and excitement

PHOTOGRAPHS BY COURTNEY VOGEL

about the adventure before them. Part of that was due to the idea of fishin g and hunting for their own food (the rest of their groceries will be delivered by Amazon) and gett in g to know the native residents of the village w h o had already been so welcoming

Bur the opportunity to teach without some of the press ures in the lower 48 was energizing as well.

" We're going to be getting the most a uthentic reaching ex per ience We' ll be reaching to c rea te we ll - round ed stud ents, n ot to create rest sco res, " said Erickson

Adventures in store for some of the othe r members of the Class of 2019 can be found in the following pages.

Longwood's newes t graduates are heading to South Africa and Macedonia as part of the Peace Co rp s; to prestigious universities for grad u ate degrees in fields ranging from infectious di seas es to aud io logy; and to jobs wi th Big 4 acco unting firms, Nickelodeon and the South side Cente r for Violence Prevention, to name a few.

Yo u can meet additional 2019 gra du at es in the on line vers ion of Longwood magazine at magazine. longwood.ed u

Amelia Erickson R

MAJOR: M.S. in spec ial education

Makayla Hostetter I R

MAJOR: M.S. in spec ial educat ion

WHAT'S NEXT: Teaching in Quinhagak, Alaska (population: 669)

Best friends who received their undergraduate degrees from L ongwood , the two young women w ill both be teaching e lementary students in the Lower Kuskokw in School District: Ame li a w ill be the spec ia l education teacher for PreK-6 students; Makayla wi ll teach fourth- and fifth-grade reading, En g li sh and math

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT:

AMELIA: Dr. Jodie Brinkmann, educat ion faculty. "Through tough love and overwhelming support, she helped me lay the foundation for the educator I have become."

MAKAYLA: Dr. Katr in a Maynard, educat ion faculty. "She a l ways pushed me to be my best and has had a great impact on me. "

Read more about Amelia's and Makayla's upcoming Alaska adventure on the opposite page.

Arin Young

SA V MAJOR: Social work

WHAT'S NEXT: Peace Corps, youth development volunteer in Eswatini, Southern Africa

" This will be my second time in Africa. I studied abroad in South Africa, where I conducted research on gender identity and gender norms. That experience showed me my calling and that I'm capab le of int ernational humanitarian work."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Jonathan Page, Office of Citizen L eadersh ip and Soc ia l Justice Education. " He pushed me to immerse myself in the co ll ege environment of diversity, equ it y and inclusion, which helped prepare me for the Peace Corps "

Tracy Davis

I R V MAJOR: Sociology

WHAT'S NEXT: Master of Special Education with an applied behavior analysis certification, George Mason University; home behavior technician, Centra Health

"Withou t my internship at the Infant and Toddler Connection I would never have known that I wanted to work with individuals who have disabilities," said Tracy, who w ill be work ing with chi ldren and adults with autism in her job at Centra Health.

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT

WITHOUT: Dr. Lee Bidwell, socio logy facu lt y. "She gave me great feedback and criticism on my work that has helped me grow and im prove my wr iting skills. "

Josh Darst

I SA V MAJOR: Business

WHAT'S NEXT: MBA, William & Mary

" Longwood took a 2.7 student and molded him into a graduate w ith honors and SGA president. Citizen leadership is real."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT:

Dr Paul Barrett, bus in ess faculty "I was hit by a drunk driver the day before finals week began last fall. I had a severe concussion and had to do phys ical therapy for a neck injury. All this with the GMAT and graduate school application deadlines on the horizon. I was disappointed and ready to give up, but Dr. Barrett made some calls , and I was granted a GMAT waiver. I owe everything to him for helping me get here. "

PH I KAPPA PH I

STUDY ABROAD - VOL U NTEER/CO MMU N ITY SERVICE

, ... I am passionate about making a difference for someone other than myself. ,

-GARRETT REESE

Nicole Marzolf *

HC R SA V

MAJO RS: Mathema ti cs and physics

WHAT'S NEXT: Physicist, Department of the Army in Charlottesville, where she creates computer models of e l ectric a l a nd mechan ic a l systems

" B ot h of my research projec t s a t Longwood - one on Lorentz ian geometries on Li e a lgebras a nd the other on the app li cat ion of sp h er ica l geometric probabi lit y t o mathematical phys ics-a ll owed m e to attend mult ipl e conferences to present my work "

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT

WITHOUT: Dr. Miche ll e Parry, physics faculty. "She was a lways th ere when I needed a sound in g board or help with any classes."

Garrett Reese

A* I V MAJOR: Theatre performance

WHAT'S NEXT: Chairman of the High School Theatre Festival, Virginia Theatre Association in Lynchburg

Peer mentor, SGA senator, Big Sib li ngs mentor, vo lunt eer for the MLK C h a ll e ng e a n d Farmv ill e food pantry-the li st goes on and on. " I participated in a ll o f these because I am pass ion ate about making a difference for someone other than myself "

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Ronda Scar r ow, L acy Klinger a nd Leslie Cook-Day, theatre faculty. " Th ey are constantly helping m e network and gain more connections to thrive on campus and ou t s id e Lon gwood."

'Garrett was one of the stude n ts who brought Elwood, Longwood 's mascot, to life this year.

*December 2018 graduate

Carlos Garrido

A I V MAJOR: Business / accounting

WHAT'S NEXT: MBA, Longwood: accountant, KPMG in Richmond, where there ' s a job waiting for him when he finishes his final year of Division I eligibility

A catcher on the baseball team, Carlos' goal was to achieve excellence in both athletics and academics. His senioryear stats say it all: With a 3.984 cumulative GPA , he received the Willett Scholar-Athlete Award while posting a team-leading .315 batting average and 22 RBI.

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT

WITHOUT: C.J Roth '16 , sports performance/athletics. " C.J. was a senior when I was a freshman, and he kind of took me under his wing. I still go to him with questions, and he's always there to help."

Connor Perry

A I R MAJOR: Biology

WHAT'S NEXT: Ph.D. in emerging infectious diseases, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland: second lieutenant, U.S. Army

"Longwood has provided me with an immensely diverse scientific research background that rivals those of my peers at larger universities . Everyone who is lucky enough to call themselves a Lancer has the potential to become the next great Army officer, CEO, life-saving nurse or skilled teacher of our nation's youth. It is this diversity that makes Longwood great."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Sujan Henkanaththegedara, biology faculty. "He saw potential in me to work hard and do great things."

Sarah Banks

I R MAJOR: Communi c ation studies

WHAT'S NEXT: Production Assistant, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia

"WMLU is where I found my passion. To my knowledge, no other student radio station gives students this kind of hands-on experience

WMLU is the reason I have this job ."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Ben Jones, WMLU advisor. "He challenged me not to settle for what others have done in the past, but to question things and push for greatness."

, Longwood encourages you to become a citizen leader in your own way. ,

-SARAH WRIGHT

Sarah Wright

HC I SA V

MAJOR: Commun ica tion scie n ces and di so rd ers

WHAT'S NEXT: Doctor of Audiology, James Madison University

COUL DN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Mani Agu il ar, Longwood Speec h, Hearing and L ea rning Serv ices audio logist. "S h e allowed me to shadow her work in the clinic and e ncouraged me to participate in a program on hearing loss for local elementary schools, w hich sparked my love for aud iology and comm unity outreach Longwood encourages you to become a c iti zen leader in your own way "

Jamesha Watson

I R V MAJORS: Crimino logy/crim in a l justice and socio logy

WHAT'S NEXT: Master of Public Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University

" Longwood has taught me to take risk s and to get inv o l ved. It 's a lso taught me to do the right thing even if it means you will be standing all a lone."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. JoEll e n Pederson , soc iol ogy fa c ulty. " I have been pub li shed in a n aca d e mic journal as a r esu lt of research I conducted w ith Dr. Pede r son."

Nick Lauer

I MAJOR: Graphic and animation design

WHAT'S NEXT: Storyboard artist for SpongeBob SquarePants! Nickelodeon

"I revise rough storyboards to make sure the characters are on model, and I add interesting/funny poses and facial expressions. I've been a fan of SpongeBob since I was a little kid, so it was a surreal moment when I got the news."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: William "Tuck" Tucker, graphic and animation design faculty. "The entire GAND faculty was great, but Tuck was by my side helping me for my entire Longwood career. I wouldn't have gotten this job without him."

Megan Garrett

HC I R SA V

MAJORS: Economics and political science

WHAT'S NEXT: Peace Corps , teaching English in Macedonia

"It has meant the world to me to have the privilege of serving my campus and community In the case of Elwood's cabinet [a no-questions-asked food/supplies pantry], we dreamed of establishing a space where students can feel comfortable receiving the help they need."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Melanie Marks, economics faculty. "She has spent countless hours working with me to plan for my future ... [and] wrote my Peace Corps recommendation letter."

Jessica Schaub

HC

I SA V

MAJOR: Nursing

WHAT'S NEXT: Registered Nurse Graduate Fellow, lnova Loudoun Hospital

Progressive Care Unit in Leesburg

"Studying abroad in Ireland gave me a broader view of nursing a nd taught me how other countries care for their patients. "

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Jackie

Daniel and JoAnn Davis , nursing faculty. "They showed me the true meaning of nursing through th e ir teaching and actions."

Lindsey Sparrock *

HC I R SA

MAJOR: Psychology

WHAT'S NEXT: M.A. in experimental/biological psychology, American University in Washington, D.C.

"My PRISM project focused on the effectiveness of aquatic therapy in reducing anxiety in autistic and nonautistic children. It was the most significant research I have ever been a part of, and I presented my findings alongside Ph.D. students at an international conference last summer."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Dr. Catherine Franssen, psychology faculty. "She always encouraged me to ask questions and explore opportunities that would help me reach my goals."

*December 2018 graduate

David Gills V

MAJOR: Business/accounting

WHAT'S NEXT: Accountant, Ernst & Young assurance department in Richmond

"What was best about being senior class president was planning events and raising money for our class gift. And I loved being able to share my love of Longwood with potential students as an Ambassador."

COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT: Larry Robertson '90, dean of students. "He helped me become a more confident leader. With Larry ' s help, I have learned more about the true meaning of citizen leadership."

, [Dean of Students Larry Robertson] helped me become a more confident leader. ,

-DAVID GILLS

BY SABRINA BROWN

Senior Toast and Alumni Weekend give alumni from the Class of 2019 to the 1940s a chance to reconnect, reminisce and paint the campus red

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY o n campus-the kind of sunn y, low-humidity weath er so familiar co C alifornian s a nd so rare in cencral Virgini a. Be rween Lankford and Stubbs, fac es are bein g painted , cari ca tures drawn a nd voll ey ball pl aye d w hile ch art-coppers from th e las t 50 years bl as t from ch e sound sy stem

Wh en "Ain't N o M o unt ain High Enou gh" co mes o n, it's ju st too mu ch for one gu y sp ortin g a n ea rl y trimm ed gray beard and a whi te base ball ca p. H e scares sin g in g a nd th en d an cin g do w n the sid ewalk with su ch pure h appin ess that it's h a rd fo r th e peopl e around him not co smile-so th ey do .

You didn't h ave co look fa r co find happiness-and a ra n ge of och er emo tions- on ch e Lo n gwoo d ca mpu s durin g rwo particul ar week ends in May and ea rl y Jun e. On M ay 10 , Lo ngwo o d 's n ewes t gradu a tes, ch e Clas s o f 2 019, gath ered fo r ch e fi rst Se ni o r Toast , and al umni fr om ac ro ss th e d ecades h eaded to cow n for Alumni Wee k end May 3 1-June 2.

At Se ni o r Toas t , ab o ut 35 0 graduatin g se ni o rs we re on h and , as well as 6 0 alumni the y h ad person all y invit ed , who welc o m ed Lon gwoo d 's newe s t alumni into ch e fold.

Tho se w h o actended h eard fr o m Dusty n Hall ' 18, w h o acce pted a ne w p os iti o n as direcco r of young alum ni and stud ent givin g ac Lon gwoo d in July Hall gave the seni ors an auth entic look at life afre r co ll ege, and co mmuni catio n st u di es p rofesso r Jeff Hallid ay an d socio logy p ro fesso r Dr Jake M iln e '99, refl ec ted o n gra du atio n an d h ow co make th e mos t of fu ture opport un ities

Th en it was rim e fo r ch e o ffi cial toast, g rea t food and d an cin g for the res t of th e eve nin g.

Three week end s lacer, 35 0 al u ms , al o n g with almo st as m an y famil y me mb e rs and o th e r gu es t s, came co ca mpu s for Al um n i Wee ke nd.

"We li ve d in South C unnin gh am an d h ad a bi g corn er roo m , w ith fi ve peop le in o ur suite," said Arlen e Davis C undi ff ' 69 , a new Go ld Soc iety memb er cele b ra ting h er 50 th ye ar as an alumn a Sh e and h er cl ass m at e Ma ry Eli za beth To ll ey were re mini sc in g about h av in g co call N ig hti e Watch , as sec uri ty was kn ow n chen , w h e n th ey got back co ch e res id en ce h all aft er cur few; abo ut goin g across ch e scree c to a pl ace ch ar serve d "che b es t h am b ur ge rs in ch e wo rld "; an d , w h e n t he y reall y wa m ed ex cit em ent , h ea din g co Leo 's, a local "jo int " ch a r ser ve d low -al co h o l " 3 2 " b ee r

"We h ad more fun th an a barrel of m o nke ys ," sa id C undiff.

D ebbi e C han ey H olt '87, Tuan N guyen '79, Cindy Russell Mas on '79 an d Steve Wertz ' 88 sai d they we re looking forw ard co reco nnectin g with fri ends, bu r al so to see ing wh at h as ch anged-and wh at h as n't-a t Longwoo d an d in Farm vill e.

" I like see in g Far mvi ll e," sa id M aso n. "A !o r is s t ill fam ili a r, bur a lo t is new."

"I li ke to see m y m ale fri end s wh o h ave lo se th ei r h air," sai d Ng uye n , gett in g a lau gh fro m che gro up.

Wertz sai d h e was loo kin g fo rward to mee ting som e of hi s n ew frat erni ty b ro ther s, ad d in g th at ch e fee lin g alum s sh are fo r Longw ood a nd each oc h er t ra nsce nd s t im e.

" Ir does n't m atte r wha t [cl ass] year yo u are," h e sa id

Nancy Boswell Runyon ' 69 spends a few minutes hanging out with Elwood, Longwood ' s mascot

HERE'S TO THE CLASS OF 2019

0 Seniors raise their glasses for the official toast of the evening in Blackwell Ballroom

8 Sadie Hodges and Cecil Hayes were selected as the emcees for the presentation and dinner 0 President W Taylor Reveley IV shows he's in step with Longwood ' s newest graduates.

0 Those who attended Senior Toast received special cords to wear at Commencement, which was held the next weekend. Colors in the cords represent the three core values of the Longwood 'brand': brown for authenticity, blue for community and yellow for transformation. Modeling their new cords are Tyler Culbertson (left), Nick Wilson , Christian Reifsteck and Matthew Roos.

0 Friendships were in plain sight at the event Here Meg Lowman (left) and Brett Johns congratulate each other on making it to graduation 0 Anthropology classmates of Alex Fedorchak (who has his back to the camera) enjoy reading a memento he created for them poking lighthearted fun at one of their classes. Enjoying being back together outside the classroom are Sydney Cash (left), Taylor Evans and Jessica Moore, who's on the receiving end of the hug. f) It's a perfect evening for a photo op: Lindsay Hively (left) and Mallory Faustin pose for the camera.

3,791 MILES traveled by Lady Virginia Strum Tate '64, who came from London, Englandthe farthest distance

469,595 STEPS walked by Alumni and Career Services staffers

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

THE WEEKEND IN PHOTOS

0 At Late Late Night Casino, alumni played blackjack and craps, then traded their 'winnings ' for prizes. David Lydiard ' 84 won the top pr i ze, a Longwood class ring. Other prizes included a weekend at Hotel Weyanoke and season tickets for men 's and women's basketball. Student volunteers were on hand to help out, including Sophia Manhertz ' 20 (left), Manning Dean ' 21, Liezl Villanueva '20 and Gwendolyn Morris ' 22 8 Live music and dancing were a big part of Alumni Weekend on both Friday and Saturday nights. Two different bands took the stage for the Decade Dinners, which were held in the Soza Ballroom in Longwood 's new Upchurch University Center. 8 Grown Woman, 2016, acrylic on canvas, by Teresa Brown '97 was one of 51 works selected from entries submitted for a special exhibition of alumni artwork at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. The exhibition opened during Alumni Weekend. 0 Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez, director of men's and women's tennis at Longwood, cannot escape the green paint that Penny Eberly Sherman '71 has slung his way during Alumni Color Wars. Faculty and staff were invited to join the fun during the weekend 0 At 93 years young, Betty Romeo Wingfield '49 had the distinct i on of being the oldest alum in attendance, rating her a private golf cart and the lead position in this year's Class Parade. Cl) Outgoing Alumni Board President Tammy Bird Jones '81 takes a few moments to remember and honor those alumni who have died since last year ' s event Trees are planted at the memorial service each year as a lasting reminder of all alums' forever place in the Longwood family

THE CLASS PARADE

One of the most boisterous events of Alumni Weekend is the Class Parade, shown in the photos along the bottom of these two pages. Shyness goes by the way and everyone cheers for their class, their decade and for what Longwood means to them Older alums lead the way in golf carts, followed by banners proclaiming decades and individual class years

AN ENTIRE DAY FOCUSED ON RESEARCH REINFORCES STUDENTS' INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, CRITICAL SKILLS

BY LAUREN WHITTINGTON

h e An nu a l Sprin g Stud e nt Sho wcase for Resear ch and Creative Inquir y is unlike any o ther d ay "o ff ' from reg ularl y schedul ed cl asses on Lo n gwoo d 's acade mi c ca len d ar.

There 's no sleeping in Or lun c h time Foosball games in the Upchurch Un iversity Center. Instead , the campus is buzzing with acti vity as stud e nts, dre sse d in th eir best professional atti re , carry poste rs and other paraphernalia

Suc h opport uniti es for und e rgraduate stud e nts are u sually rare at ot h er institutions , but th ey are in creas ingl y cen tr al to the Longwood ex perie nce-a nd fo r good reason The docum e nt ed benefits of undergradu ate research are far- reaching Working with facu l ty o n re search faci lita tes act ive lea rning and spurs more cre ativity, better probl em so lvi ng and stron ger w ritte n and oral comm uni catio n Research is linked to high er grade s and thre e of th e most im po rtant learnin g goa ls for stud e nts: critical thinkin g, inform ation lite rac y a nd communication It is also a way of supporting faculty by providing mea nin gfu l mentoring work and helping them co aro und There is palpabl e exc item e nt in the ai r and presente rs b eam w ith pride as they show off the culminati o n of th eir hard work co fellow s tud e nts a nd faculty m embe rs alike

For Jo sh Walker '20, a ch em istry and biology major, thi s year's event-the third annual - was a blur and the farth es t thin g po ss ibl e from a day off from classes. The day starte d in Ruffner with a 10-minute prese ntatio n on single-mo lecul e electronics-a preview of hi s re search this summer with Professo r Benjamin Top ham. Poster presentation s, including one on X-ray flu oresce n ce, cook him all across campus-with anoth e r stop to accept an awa rd for hi s researc h at lun ch.

" It 's a really gre a t learning exp e rience to ha ve to pr ep are a nd then pr esent yo ur research ," said Walker, w ho b egan prep a rin g hi s five prese ntations a few weeks in advance to get them ready. " It 's good to b e a bl e to reflect on wha t you've lea rned and th e n spread that knowl edg e co other p eop le. "

In three short years, th e a nnu al spring research a nd creative inqui ry sh owcase h as burgeon ed into one of the most- a nticipat ed eve nt s on Lo n gwoo d 's academic calendar. Ir 's a d ay without regul ar classes so students can sha re their proj ects with a campu sw id e a udien ce. The resulr is a sight co behold : 700 students and their post ers, filling almost every nook o f publi c space on campu s from Blackwell Ballroom to the new Upchurch Un iversity Cente r, each proj ec t the produ c t of an in-depth learn in g experience und e r th e mentor ship of a facu l ty member

FOCUS ON THE ARTS

This year's showcase included more contributions from the humanities and creative arts than ever before There were music presentations in Wygal Hall , a theatre workshop in the CSTAC lab theater (above), and studio art and graphic and animation design presentations in Bedford Hall. The LCVA was packed for the oral presentations for the visual arts senior student showcase And on the balcony in Blackwell Ballroom, which was a hub of controlled chaos and activity throughout the day, artwork from a class that combined art and biology was on display.

develop their own project s a nd caree rs.

"S tudi es show th a t und ergra du ate research is on e of th e most m ean ingful and high-imp act experiences a stud ent can have, profoundl y sh api ng their lea rning , th e ir wo rk h abits and some tim es eve n their lives ," sa id Dr Larissa Sm ith Fergeson , provost and vice pres id ent for academic affairs. "S tudents who parti ci p ate in und e rgrad u a te re sea rch under the guidance of a facu l ty member h ave an almo st fund amentally di ffere nt ex p er ien ce from t h ose who don't."

At th e a nnual spring symp osium, st ud ents from eve r y major give oral present at ions, perform original composition s, showcase creative wr itings and di spl ay their ar two rk. Hon o rs th eses, indep e ndent research, inte rnships, class projects a nd s tude nt-fa c ul ty researc h proj ects are all on display from Bedford H all on the so uthern e nd of Brock Commons to the Longwoo d Cente r for the Visual Ar ts in d ow nt own Farmvill e.

Throu gh o ut th e d ay st ud ents could be see n po sing for selfies with th eir wo rk and smili n g whil e holdin g up their bad ges on lanyards d otted wi th co lored pin s that represented their va rious ac hieveme nts in res earc h and scholarship.

"S tudents love th e exp e ri ence of gett in g co see th eir work and tal e nt on displa y, " sai d Dr. Amorette Barber, assoc iate professor of biology and a co-chair of the event "They feel a real se n se of prid e when their friends from different ma jors come see their presentations. Ir's a p o int of pride for faculty as well b eca use they h ave

(left) The day was a blur of activity for Josh Walker '20. (below)

Erica Johnson ' 22 , a visual and performing arts major, participated in a theatre movement workshop.

'

Studies show that undergraduate research is one of the most meaningful and high-impact experiences a student can have, profoundly shaping their learning, their work habits and sometimes even their lives.'

-

DR

LARISSA SMITH FERGESON , PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Political science majors

Chris Siefke '20 (left) , Ibrahim Kante '21 and Joseph Hyman '19 won awards for their research papers published in Longwood's Incite Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship.

been working closely with thes e students all year."

The compreh ensiveness of the eve nt is by design, said Dr. Sarah Porter, associate professor of chemistry and th e ocher co-chair of the sy mposium.

" Our idea was chat chis would be a conferencelike event for all disciplines , all across the university, at any level," said Porter " Ir was our goal chat students would register and then spend the day walking around getting co see ocher presentations ."

Undergraduate students at Longwood are able co begin resea rch projects in their freshman or sophomore years, allowing them co build the type of working, professional relationships with full-time facu lty members chat aren't typ ically common at ocher institutions.

Mary Zell Galen' 19, a history major with a concentration in public history and a minor in business administration, began asking Fergeson, who is a lon gtime Longwood history professor, about research possibilities when she was a freshman.

" I didn't know history re sea rch was a thing until I got to college," said Galen. "I thought it sounded really cool, so I wanted in. It introduced me to a lot of possibilities, and I chink res earch day provides chat opportunity for many oc h er s tudents. It introduces chem to what humanitie s research looks like."

Longwood underscores the importance of the effort by giving it its own day on the academic schedule.

" It is specia l ch a t Longwood really shows their sup port for student research and creative inquiry by saying: It's not chat classes are cancelled today. It 's chat chi s is what's going on in classes today, and everyone should go, " Barber said.

" People were shocked when I presented at thes e ocher places and I cold chem I was a sophomore," Ibrahim Kante '2 1 said. "I feel very fortun ate to gee chis professional experience and exposure to re sea rch so ea rl y in my college career."

374

'

College of Education and Human Services

College of Business and Economics

85

COSTUME SHOP

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/ OPERATIONS MANAGER

RESIDENT ASSISTANT STAGE

CENTER

The world revolves around the BARD OF AVON for four theatre alums working at the American Shakespeare Center

BY MATTHEW McWILLIAMS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE KROPF '14

or Brandon Ca rter '10, it starte d with Julius Caesar, but it was Othello t h at really did it. Trac ie Steger Skip per '96 got hooked by A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them into shapes and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name.

-THESEUS, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Those w ho lo ve Sh akespeare come to it in d iffe rent ways, w heth er through the drama of a tragedy lik e King Lear or the playfulness of All's Well That Ends Well. But those who love it never seem to lose that feeli n g-ofte n returning again and again to the p lays for in sp ir at io n or g uid ance and for their e nduring wisdom .

How often can one ponder "tomorrow, and tomorrow, a nd tomorrow"?

For four Longwood alumni who work in various roles at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, the answer is every day. One by one, they a ll found their way to the Bard, whether they were initially inspired by a hi gh -schoo l performance or a trip abroad. And one by one, their passion grew at Longwood, nurtured by faculty members who often saw something in them they didn't eve n see in themselves.

They contribute in various ways to the tragedies , histori es and comedies played out on the stage of ASC's Blackfriars Playhouse, one of the premier classical theaters on the East Coast and patterned on Shakespea re's original theater of the same name, which burned in 1666 in the Great Fire of London. Three of the Longwood graduates are full-time members of the small production team, while another is a member of the 12-person acting ensemble. Uniting them is the thrill of live theater, a devotion to bringing Shakespeare's words to life and a passion for the stage that came to fruition a t Longwood.

ACTI, SCENE II Flourish.

Enter BRANDON CARTER.

" I got cast as Caesa r in m y senior high-school English clas s, and the teacher cold me I was either going to read it or fail the class. So, of course, I sat down and read it ,"

said Carte r, who plays Cassius, the devious conspirator and ringlead er, in th e company's summer season produ c tion of Julius Caesar. " I didn't know what any of the words meant , but I still felc like I knew what the characters were sayi ng, as

audience member coughs or laughs, the actors will often acknowledge it a nd say something to th em . It can get pretty fun -a nd Brandon is one of the best at playing that role ."

"That's really the thing I love about live theater," said Carter. "There 's an energy that I really feed on, and, when you are live, you have to problem so lve in the moment. It's magical. A lot of people say about theater that the audience only experiences that performance once-but at Blackfriars Playhouse it's ac tu a ll y the case. Eve r y performance is different , and that really feeds something inside me. "

Exit SKIPPER.

Carte r's is an unlikely story. Born into a family of Northern Neck fisherme n , hi s future see med laid o ut until he decided at th e la s t minute to change his major at Longwood to theatre. During his senior year, he was cast in Othello, and , while learning hi s lines on a fishing boat , he decided that he would make stage acting

When I was at Longwood,

I dreamed of this job, I wanted very

his only priority. That determination in mind, he graduated and went on to earn a master 's degre e

in acting from Penn State.

"That was it, " h e said. " That was the moment that I knew I had to

much to be a stage manager make it."

in an equity playhouse that performs Exit CARTER.

Shakespeare, and that is exactly ACT II, SCENE II what my role is here.' Enter ADRIENNE

:JOHNSON

weird as that so unds. Bur that was th e beginning."

From those humble b eg innings grew a lov e of Shakespeare that has persi ste d to this da y. And littl e did Carte r know that 15 years later he 'd be starring as one of the two main villains in the same play, this time as a profe ss ional ac tor.

Men at some times are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.

-CASSIUS, Julius Caesar

Carter also couldn 't foresee that his fare would mean spending his precious rime off between seasons not relaxing but on the stage, pr ac ticin g his lines when the 15-by- l 2 foot wooden space is not in u se

"I can't lose momentum, " he said 'Tm always trying to stay on top of it."

Staying on top of it is critical-Carter is appearing in three shows this summer. The American Shakespeare Center performs in a uniquel y Elizabethan way-with a lot of enco ur age d audience interaction an d even inviting some of the guests to sit on the stage to watch the performance.

Enter TRACIE STEGER SKIPPER '96.

"These actors have to really be in the moment," said Skipper, ASC's technical director/operations manager. "There's no fourth wall-if an

Buder hates the spotlight. If you cast her as Lady Macbeth, she'd turn yo u down. But she is a n expe rt at helping actors bring characters to life.

"The work that actors do is hard," sa id Buder, who is the resident assistant stage manager. "Standing in front of people and lettin g them judge you is really difficult, and I have a lot of respect for them. I can't control every audience member or every cell phone that isn't turned off, but I can control the backstage area. If an actor can come offstage and feel comfortable and confident that every thing is in the right place, I know that I've done my part to make the production a success. In that way, I get to help them do that hard work, which is really fulfilling."

Buder facilitates much of the backstage operation-coordinating costume changes, specia l effects, props and sets moving on and off stage; making sure actors are ready to enter on cue; and handling a thousand other roles that lit erally are behind the scenes and often unnoticed

As in a theatre, the eyes of men , after a well-graced actor leaves the stage, are idly bent on him that enters next.

-DUKE OF YORK, Richard II

It was at Longwood that she found her lov e for the job.

"Professor Eric Koger really opened my eyes to the different roles that people can play in theater production," she said. "I came in thinking my options were limited , bur he recognized what I was good at-being

organized, raking cha rge , helping people-and asked ifI h ad ever considered stage management. Then he started me in stage management in Longwood productions as a freshman."

That set the scene for a career where she could combine her passion and skill.

But Buder wasn't always on the artistic side of the house. For two years, she worked with the ASC's summer theater camp for aspiring actors. And it was there that she came to appreciate the larger mission of the theater company

"It's a three-week program for students who are really committed to Shakespeare and acti n g," she said. "Seeing those kids open themselves up to a larger world really showed me the importance of the work we do here.

At Longwood, I learned how theater should work," she said. "Professors Evans and Haga were really instrumental in my developing a lov e for this work that I have carried with me to today."

Exit SKIPPER.

ACT IV, SCENE I

Int. costume shop.

Enter HOPE MADDOX 'I5, bearing needle and thread.

"Let's get you into this costume," Maddox says to an actor in the ASC's touring company, which will take A Midsummer Night's Dream-a favorite · · ...-. of all Shal<espeare lovers-around .:• the state and region this coming fall Ir's not just students bur everyone who comes to a performance. We are a part of the community in a way that's really powerful. "

Exit BUTLER. with fabrics, shapes and symbolism.

ACT III, SCENE IV

Enter TRACIE STEGER SKIPPER, bearingcurtains.

I have a special place

and springL, includindg a pSerfor9 mance at ongwoo on ept. 1

Maddox, ASC's costume shop manager, and her ream are helping prep a photo shoot for promotional <>> materials . She jots down notes on her

<..,....> pad-slight adjustments to be

made in my heart for historical costumes

< in the next hour before photography .)"'.. starts. The actor is hustled across the "When I was at Longwood, I dreamed of this job," said Skipper. ./<.

"I wanted very much to be a stage -:...,./·

and strong warrior women.'

-HOPE MADDOX 'I;

'•·:-: < \ room to hair and makeup-which Hope will also assist on.

" We all have to do a little of every··--'"'·•. thing," said Maddox, whose training / ::- in costumes with Associate Professor manager in an equity playhouse ,)· that performs Shakespeare, and ····:•<'···.

chat is exactly what my role is

here. I'm thri ll ed to have this job, and feel very, very lucky to be here."

No profit grows where no pleasure ta'en.

-TRANIO , Taming of the Shrew

The curta in s are for the s umm er season, replacing those that had become faded and worn after a decade 's service in the Blackfriars Playhouse. Skipper's always moving, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Whether it's HVAC or building a set piece, changing a lightbulb in the rigging or repairing a broken prop sword, I'm on the job ," she said. "Theater is such a collaborative art, and I love working with people and bringing a vision to life. And at ASC, I can have my own vision and make that a realiry."

Skipper's introduction to the Bard came, as so many do, during high school.

Unlike most high-schoolers, though , sh e performed with the Buckingham To urin g Compa n y. Traveling in a ye llo w schoo l bus , the company brought Shakespeare to correctional facilit ies around the commonwealth on the weekends. From then on, Shakespeare was in her blood.

"We performed Midsummer Night's Dream, and I just loved the comedy of it," she said. "Then my first internship was with a Shakespeare company, and I was hooked. My favorite is probably Taming of the Shrew-there's something about the ju x taposition of the women in the play. Shakespeare was really so advanced and loved strong female characters. I actually had a cat in college named Bianca because of that play."

After that, it was onto Longwood, where Skipper learned from some of the most lege ndary professors at the universiry: Moffatt Evans and Nancy Haga.

··:-:•' < ·••. / ••_... Les lie Cook-Day at Longwood laid the foundation for her career. "My main role is managing eve1yrhing that has to do witl1 the production and storage of costumes, which means working with guest designers who need their vision brought to li fe.

" I also get to build costumes, which is what I love-telling stories with fabrics, shapes and symbo li sm. I have a specia l place in my heart for historical costumes and strong warrior women. The wonderful thing about working here is that I get to work on costumes that fall into those categories all the time.

"But I also supervise the interns [which this year includ es Longwood student Tori Wright '21], occasional ly assist with hair and makeup , and I h ave helped backstage in cases of emergencies. My job requires me to do a lot of different things , but I wouldn't have it any other way."

As Shakespeare wrote:

'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.

Our bodies are our gardens to the which our wills are gardeners.

-IAGO, Othello

A trip to London was all it took for Maddox to fall seriously in love with Shakespeare. Ir was a trip to the famed Globe Theater to see Howard Brenton's celebrated p lay Anne Boleyn that sealed the deal.

"Seeing that play made me want to study theater at Longwood," she said. "The way they staged it was very old-school-universal lighting, very few props and period costumes, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of something like that."

Thus, she did Every day, bringing the Bard back to life

Exeunt.

through July 26

Summer Art Studio: I've Got the Music in Me! 11 a m -2 p.m. , Longwood Center for th e Vis ual Ar cs Informati o n: lcva.longwood.edu.

through Aug. 4

Exhibition: Soft Spa rkle. Co ll ec tion of Dr. H enr y Al ex and e r Yan cey Jr. Longwood Ce nter for che Visual Arcs. Information: lcva.longwood. edu.

through Aug. 4

Exhibition: Longwood Alumni Art Exhibition. Longwood Ce nter for th e Visual Arts. Information: lcva .l ongwood.edu.

JULY

22-26

Global Village: Summ e r day ca mp for childre n grades two through seve n. Reg ist ration and coses: 434395-2372 or longwood. edu /g lobal en gage m e nt/.

22-24

Baseball Camp: For boys and girls ages 6- 12. 9 a. m. , Buddy Bo lding Stadium. Informat ion a nd reg is tration: cocalcamp s.co m / LONGWOOD /ca mp s

25-26

16th Annual Summer Literacy Institute. Blackwell Ballroom and Ruffner Hal l. Reg is tration, cos es and inform a tion: 434-395-2682 or churchap @longwood.edu.

29-Aug. 2

Summer Art Studio: The Masters. 11 a.m. -2 p m. , Longwood Center for the V isual Arcs. Inform a t ion: lcva. longwood.edu

AUGUST 3

Women's Soccer Clinic: For girl s ages 13- 18. 9 a.m., Longwoo d Ath le t ics Co mpl ex Inform a tion and reg istrat ion: cocalcamps.com/LONGWOOD/camps.

7

Alumni Event: We lcome ro che City, No rthern V irginia. Registrat ion a nd information: longwood.edu/alumni.

8

Alumni Event: Welcome ro th e C ity, Hampton Road s. Registration a nd inform atio n: longwood.edu/alumni

9

Alumni Event : Welcome co che C ity, Ri chmond. Reg is t ra t ion a nd informati o n : lon gwood edu/alumni.

10 - Nov. 3

Exhibition: Pinkalicious-The Colorlicious World of Victori a Kann. Longwood Center for th e Visual Arcs Inform at ion: lcva longwood edu

14

Women's Soccer: vs Lib erty 7 p .m., Longwood At hl eti cs Complex. lnformation: longwoodlancers.com

16

Summer Wine & Brew: 5-7 p.m. , Longwood Center for th e Visual Arts. Inform a tion: lcva. longwood.edu.

23

Field Hockey: vs C hr is top he r N ewport. 3 p.m. , E liza be t h Burge r Jackson F ield. In form at ion: longwoodlancers .com.

23

Hearing Loss Support Group. 12:3 0 -2 p.m. , Lon gwo od Sp eech, H earin g and Lea rnin g Se rvices Information: 434-395-2972

30

Educator Open House: For publ ic, private a nd hom e sc h ool teac h e rs and admini s trators. 4 p.m. , Lo ngwood Ce nt e r for th e VisuaJ Arcs. Inform a tion : lc va longwood.edu

30

The G.A.M.E.: Greates t Athlet ics March Ever. 3 :3 0 p.m. , Whee le r Lawn. In format ion: 434-395-2107.

31 - Oct. 20

Exhibition: Present & Continuous , fe a turing th e work of th ea tre , an , and g raphic and a nim a tion d esig n fa cul ty. Opening recept ion: 5:30 p m. Aug 3 0. Longwood Ce nt e r for che V is ual Arts. l nformat ion: lcva longwood.edu.

SEPTEMBER

6

Field Hockey: vs. Georgetown. 2 p m. , Elizabeth Burger Jackso n Field. Informati o n : longwoodlan ce rs. com.

12

Convocation 4 p m. , W i llett Hall. Inform a t ion: 434-395-2 001.

19

Theatre:AMidsummerNightsDream, presentedby theAmericanShakespeareCenter.Pre-showperforniance,6:30p.m.;mainperformance,7p.m.;Jarman Auditorium.SponsoredbytheLongwoodDepartment ofEnglishandModernLanguagesandHampdenSydneyCollege.Information:434-395-2155.

20

Wine & Brew. 5-7p.m.,Longwood CenterfortheVisualArts.Information: lcva.longwood.edu.

20-22

FamilyWeekend. Variouslocations. Registration(opensJuly15)andinformation:longwood. edu/upchurch.

27

Hearing LossSupportGroup.12:302p.m.,LongwoodSpeech,Hearingand LearningServices.Information:434-395-2972.

28

Cross Country Lancer Invitational. 10a.m., LongwoodCrossCountryCourse.Information: longwoodlancers.com.

PINKALICIOUS-THE COLORLICIOUS WORLD OF VICTORIA KANN

Pinka/icious & Goldilicious, 2009, digital pigment print, 10 x 8 inches.

13-17

Theatre: AnEveningofOneActs. TheDumb Waiter byHaroldPinter,student-directedbyMatthewHoward '21,and LoneStarbyJamesMclure,student-directedby AaronBurstein'19.7p.m.Wednesday-Saturday,2p.m. Saturday-Sunday;CommunicationStudiesandTheatre ArtsCenterMainStageTheatre.Ticketsandinformation:434-395-2474.

15-16

Longwood Athletics

Celebrating 100: A Celebration ofI00Seasons ofLongwoodAthletics. On campus.Registrationopensin Julyatlongwoodlancers.com. Information:434-395-2138

OCTOBER

2

Women'sSoccer:vs.Radford.7p.m.,Longwood AthleticsComplex.Information:longwoodlancers.com.

2-6

Theatre: The TempestbyWilliamShakespeare.Directed byBruceSpeas.7p.m.Wednesday-Saturday,2p.m. Saturday-Sunday;CommunicationStudiesandTheatre ArtsCenterMainStageTheatre.Tickersandinformation:434-395-2474orboxoffice@longwood.edu.

4

Wine & Brew. 5-7p.m.,LongwoodCenterforrhe VisualArts.Information:lcva.longwood.edu.

5

Oktoberfest. Noon-10p.m.,StubbsMall. Information:434-395-2107.

12

Field Hockey: vs.AppalachianState.4p.m., ElizabethBurgerJacksonField.Information: longwoodlancers.com.

16-18

Virginia Children's Book Festival. Featuring morethan20children'sauthorsandillustrators,includingKazuKibuishi,authorofAmulet;TuiSutherland, authorof Wings ofFire; andVictoriaKann,author ofPinkalicious.ReceptionwithVictoriaKann:5:30 p.m.Oct.16,LongwoodCenterfortheVisualArts. Locationsthroughoutcampus.Information: vachildrensbookfesrival.org.

AUG. 10 - NOV. 3

22

16- March 8

Field Hockey: vs.SaintLouis.6p.m.,ElizabethBurger JacksonField.Information:longwoodlancers.com.

23

Women's Soccer: vs.HighPoint.7p.m.,Longwood AthleticsComplex.Information:longwoodlancers.com.

25

HearingLoss Support Group.12:30-2p.m., LongwoodSpeech,HearingandLearningServices. Information:434-395-2972.

26

Concert: LongwoodHonorsChoir.Selecthigh-school studentsunderthedirectionofPamelaMcDermott andstudentconductors,joinedbytheCamerara andChambersingers.5p.m.,JarmanAuditorium. Information:mcdermottpd@longwood.edu.

27

Dia de Los Muertos Free Family Workshop: Artactivitiesforchildrenandadults.10a.m.12:30p.m.,LongwoodCenterfortheVisualAns. Information:lcva.longwood.edu.

NOVEMBER

6

Greek Lip Sync. 8p.m.,JarmanAuditorium. Information:434-395-2103;tickers:longwood.edu/ boxoffice.

Exhibition: RuralAvant Garde: The MountainLakeExperience.Openingreception:5:30 p.m.Nov.15.LongwoodCenterfortheVisualArts. Information:lcva.longwood.edu.

23

Educator Summit: We TeachtoEnlighten. Oncampus.Information:alumni@longwood.edu.

25

Concert: LiftEvery Voice: UniversityChoir,Chamber SingersandCameraraSingers.7:30p.m.,Jarman Auditorium.Information:mcdermonpd@longwood.edu.

DECEMBER 6-7

Holiday Dinner and Concert. 6p.m.,LeeGrand DiningRoom.Informationandtickets:434-395-2405.

FEBRUARY 2020

15

LCVA Gala. BlackwellBallroom.Informationand tickers:434-395-2206.

Alleventsarefee and opentothepublic unless costs, tickets, registration, etc., are noted All events are subject to cancel lation andchange. Please visitlongwood.edufor updated information. Persons with disabilitieswhowishto arrange accommodations or material in an alternativeformat may ca!l434-395-2391 (voice) or 11I (TT).

© Victoria Kann

lkil[lllt( UPDATE I

Proof Positive

'Extraordinary commitment' to students and outstanding results propel interim athletics director into permanent position

-

For more than a decade , Michelle Meadows had been a behind-thescenes driver of the growth and development of Longwood athletics. Now entering her 14th year in the department, the 2001 Virg inia Tech graduate and first-bal lot Hokie Hall-of-Farner will continue that push on the front lines as Longwood's new athletics director.

In May, President W Taylor Reveley IV announced he was naming Meadows as director of the institution's 14-sport athletics department. She'd earned the appointment after an eight-month stint as interim athletics director and a 13-year tenure in multiple high-level roles within the administration.

"Michelle Meadows profoundly understands the mission of Longwood at h letics and the universiry's vision for our program," Reve ley said. "She has experience that prepares her for every facet of the job, and she is a deeply valued , admired and respected member of our broader universi ry communiry who knows this place well.

"But perhaps most important is the extraordinary commitment and care she shows every day for the well-being and success of our student-athletes, making use of her own experience to transform lives and shape citizen leaders. She has demonstrated beyond al l doubt she is ready to be the next leader of Longwood ath letics."

A Richmond native and a former softball standout at Virginia Tech who currently serves on the NCM Softbal l Selection Committee, Meadows is one of on ly 40 female ath letics

directors at the Division I level. She also teams up with Reveley to form one of higher education's only AD-president pairings of former D-I athletes.

In her eight months as interim athletics director-which began in October following the departure of 12-year Longwood athletics director Troy Austin for Duke-Meadows presided over what was arguably Longwood's best season in its 15-year Division I history The softball program won its fifth Big South Championship. Men's basketball had a breakthrough campaign that featured a berth in the College Basketbal l Invitational. Lacrosse nailed a second-p lace Big South finish, and women's soccer and field hockey finished in the top three of their conferences.

Also during that period, Longwood received the largest gift in its history: $15 million coward the construction of the new Joan Perry Brock Center, which will host university events and serve as the new home of Longwood men's and women's basketball. (See related story on Page 5.)

Meadows has fueled several groundbreaking initiatives at Longwood, including the creation of the Student Athlete Enhancement unit and consolidation of the internal operations cohort. She also p layed a crucial ro le in Longwood 's move into the Big South in 2012.

Most recently she has expanded Longwood 's business operations and academic services offices, streamlining a multitude of internal processes and enhancing academic opportunities and support for Longwood 's more than 200 student-athletes, resu lting in a record-breaking overall GPA in 2018-19.

Beloved by Longwood's student-athletes, she received the 2016 Student Athlete Advisory Committee's A.C.E.S. Award following her bout with breast cancer, which she battled into remission that same year.

"I want to extend my deepest thanks ro President Reveley and the Board of Visitors for this opportunity at a truly special place I've come to care for so deeply," said Meadows. "There is more work to be done, and I am fortunate to be able to continue that pursuit with such a remarkab le team of coaches, staff, student-athletes and supporters "-Chris Cook

Peak Performance

Achievements in the classroom rival on-field success

ABig Sout h championship in softball; top-three conference finishes in field hockey, women's lacrosse and women's soccer; an d the first Division I postseason appearance and postseason v ictory for men 's basketba ll.

And that's on ly half the story.

Longwood's 200-plus student-athletes also were in peak form aca d emically. This past semester they posted the hi gh est spri n g-semester G PA-3.12-since the department began tracking that d ata in 2008. And that milestone followed on the h eels of a record 3 .1 4 overall GPA in t he fall.

Sp rin g hi gh li ghts included 80 Dean's List selections, 20 Pres ident 's List h onorees and the select ion of an at hlete-basketba ll stan d out Kate Spradlin '19-as a co-winner of the 2019 Sally Barksdale Hargrett Prize , which goes to the g radu a tin g se nior with th e hi ghest gradepoint average. Sp ring semester also co ntinu ed athletics' run of co nsecutive 3.0-or-better GPA semes te rs, bringing the to ta l co five.

"It has been an incr edible year for Longwood athletics in many facets, but the academ ic performance of our st ud ent-at hl etes thi s season may be t h e most impressive thin g we have accomplished as a department ," said Direccor of A thl etics Michelle Meadows.

"For our a thl etes co register a 3. 14 in the fa ll and fo ll ow th at wit h what they did this sprin g shows th a t these numbers are no fluke. Our coac h es, administrato r s and s tud ent -a thl etes should all be commended for setting new stan dard s in the classroom, all while contin uin g to raise the bar on the field."

The s prin g success was wides pread th roug hout Longwood 's 14 vars i ty programs, with 11 of those record ing a spring GPA of at least 3.0 and more than 60 percent of student -at hl etes hittin g that mark indi vidua ll y. Women's cross country ac hi eve d th e highest GPA of any team with a 3 58, whi le men's go lf set the standard for the men with a 3.41. Field hockey, women's soccer and softba ll also met the 3.30 team GPA

[Tl he academic performance of our student-athletes this season may be the most impressive thing we have accomplished as a department.'

-DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS MICHELLE MEADOWS

communication studies major Amber Hodges '19 both played soccer for Longwood.

mark, whi le six members of the women's socce r team and fo ur women's la crosse players m ade the President's List for posting perfe ct GPAs of 4.00 for the term.

Longwood softball, winne rs of the 2019 Big South Softball Championship, paired its title run wi th a 3.32 team GPA, the fifth-highest in the ent ire department an d a record hi g h for th e sport. Men's basketball and women's cross country also achieved t h eir high est -ever acad emic marks durin g th e spr ing.

"We' re proud of our student-ath letes, not just for their wo rk this semester and last, but for the years long commitment to making classroom performance a pillar of what we do in the Longwood ath letics depart ment," Meadows sai d

"Earning this ca lib er of grades is n ot somethi n g that happen s overnight. It's the byproduct of an enviro nm ent withi n each program th at our coac hes , administracors and faculty have strived for from day one," she added .

"Longwood is serious about developing yo un g peop le in all face ts, and this performance is another examp le of that. "-Chris Cook

(above) Kate Spradlin '19, a basketball standout, was one of three Longwood students who shared valedictorian honors this year (below) Exercise science major Willy Miezan ' 19 and

On the Run

Cross country alum finishes in top 1 percent at Boston Marathon

Nick Reed's passion for running has taken him places. Most recently, it cook th e 2016 graduate and Lancer cross country standout to the finish line of one of the largest and most prestigious races in the world-the Boston Marathon-where he placed 141st overall and ahead of99 percent of the field.

Reed added the tide of Boston Marathon finisher to hi s growing list of racing accolades on April 15, when he cook part in the historic 26.2-mile race, now in its 122nd year. Each year the marathon draws more than 30,000 runners from around the world to the historic city.

"O nce you get out on the course, it's one of the most surreal experiences," he said. "There are crowds the whole way cheering you on. It 's one of the greatest atmospheres. The crowds, no matter where you were-in the beginning, middle and coward the end-they're just amazing. There's nothing I've ever run chat 's anything close to that."

For Reed, just qualifying for "The Boston" and enjoying the experience would have been reward enough, but he made sure he got a lot more out of the trip than another bib to decorate his wall. In addition to finishing

Once you get out on the [Boston Marathon] course, it's one of the most surreal experiences.'

in the top 150 runners, he was the fourth-fastest of the 493 runners hailing from Virginia, clocking a per-mile pace of 5:49. His final time was 2:32.13, a perso nal best.

Another Lancer cross -NICK REED , 16 countryrunnerwas pounding the Boston pavement along with Reed: all-time women's great Alisha Royal Ebert '13, who placed 3,987th overall and 378th among all female runners.

Reed, who is currently the cross country and crack coach at his highschool alma mater, Robinson Secondary High School in Fairfax, broke Longwood's 1OK record and still remains in the top five on nearly every one of the university 's all-time lists. In the three years since graduating from Longwood, however, he has evolved from a "roa d racer" specializing in 5K and l0K distances to a full-fledg ed marathoner.

In his never-ending pursuit of those ever-extending finish lines, Reed has excelled every step of the way. He was a fixture at the front of the pack in the local 5K and lOKs he ran near his hometown. Then he advanced to his first half-marathon in 2017 and placed second at the Fredericksburg Historic Half.

It was that finish chat got his wheels turning-or rather, kept his legs churning. " I just started chinking, ' Hey, I like longer stuff,"' he said. "So let's just try a marathon."

Now Reed has three marathons under his belt, and, at 26, he 's still hitting his stride. His times have improved with each race, and he's already racked up a collection of top-10 finishes and age-division victories.

So what's next? Another Boston? A 50-mile ultra-marathon? A 100-miler?

"A 100-miler may be off in the distance right now," he said, only half-joking. "Let me get a little bit older and start to lose some of chat spee d. Maybe chen."-Chris Cook

A cross country runner at Longwood, Nick Reed '16 recently discovered a passion-and a talent-for marathons, finishing 141st overall at this year's Boston Marathon. Here he's running in the Richmond Marathon

Habit Forming

Fifth conference championship continues softball's dominance of the Big South

Longwood made softball history in the Big South Conference chis year with a record-sett ing fifth conference championship. With each of those five tides coming in the last seve n years, Longwood has cemented its stat us as an unparalleled Big South soft ball dynasty.

Under the guidance of head coach Kathy Riley, the Lancers won the 2019 Big South regular

Karleigh Donovan ' 19, a sociology major, was named Big South Tournament Most Valuable Player, bringing the tota l of softball alumnae earning that honor to four: Libby Morri s ' 1 5 was recogni ze d twice, in 2013 and 2015; Sydney Gay ' 19, a kinesiology major, in 2016; and Elizabeth McCarthy ' 17 in 2017. Also named to the All-Tournament team were Sydney Backstrom ' 21, a physics major;

For the six seniors on the team, the NCAA Tournament marked the end of a remarkable run.

season and then cruised through the championship tournament.

This year's conference championship earned the Lancers anot her bid to the NCAA Regio nal, giving Longwood softball five of the university's E six NCAA poscseason appearances since the university moved up to Division I in 2004. All five 'g of softbal l's NCAA berths have come in the past seven years: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. a- The most recent trip came on the stre ngth w of a season long run of dominance through the Big South in which the Lancers won every conference series and lost just one game in "O the Big South Championship Tournament.

Kaylynn " Bug" Batten ' 19, a biology major ; and Jord an Clark ' 19 , a sociology major.

For the six seniors on the team, the NCAA Tournament marked the end of a remarkable run. As a class, that group captured three Big South Championships and two regular season Big South Championships, while helping Longwood advance co a pair of NCAA Regional Championship games and four consecutive 30-win seasons. In addition to Donovan , Batten, Clark and Gay, the group includes Jessica Smith '19 , a kinesiology major, and Chelsea Whitcomb '19, a graduate student in business .-Todd Lindenmuth

Coach of the Year honors go to lacrosse, softball

LONGWOOD 'S SOFTBALL AND LACROSSE programs helped the Lancers end the 201819 academic year on a high note, and head coaches Elaine Jones and Kathy Riley were both rewarded with Big South Coach of the Year awards.

Jones, in her seventh year leading the lacrosse program, earned her first Big South award after leading the Lancers to a second-place f in ish in the regular season that was the team's highest since joining the conference seven years ago. Jones' Lancers finished the regular season as winners of five consecut ive games and reached the semi fin a ls of the Big South Championship.

Riley, meanwhile , co lle cted her third Big South Softbal l Coach of the Year honor after leading the Lancers to the Big South regular season and tournament champ ion sh ip s and taking L ongwood back to the NCAA Regional for the fifth time. The Big South Champ i ons hip was the program's Big South-record fifth since joining the conference.

Both coaches earned those awards in a leaguew id e vote of their respective Big South coaching peers , and they became Longwood's first duo of spr ing coaches to receive the honor in the same season. Five Longwood coaches have now been named Big South Coach of the Year.

Softball coach Kathy Riley (left)

Lacrosse coach Elaine Jones (right)

A Rising Tide

Growing involvement of alumni in career fairs boosts internship, job opportunities for students -

Career fairs have the amazing power more tha n 350 stud e nts Alumni recruiters from companies

to open up new worlds for Longwood students. this March, more than

For Amelia Erickson' 18 , M.S. '19, it w ill be a tiny Yup'ik village in the Alaska bush, 422 air mil es west of Anchorage

Erickson will begin teaching this fall at Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat School in Quinhagak, Alaska, along with her best friend, Makayla Ho stetter' 17, M.S. ' 19, as a res ult of meeting a recruiter from that school division at Longwood 's education fair in March. Erickson had to talk Hostetter, who couldn't attend the fair, into applying for a job with the same schoo l division. "Makay la told me I was crazy, but I sai d, 'Think a bout th e adve nture, "' Erickson said with a laugh. (S ee story on Page 12 .)

The education fair, the largest for employer participation (71 schools thi s year), is one of seve n career fairs held every academic year by Alumni and Career Services The largest for student participation, the job and internship fair attracted

double the number who attended a year earlier.

Lauren Perreault' 19, landed her po si tion as assistant manager with Park Properti es in C harl ottesv ille, which she started in June , b y atte nding this year's job and internship fair.

" Career fairs are a good chance to dip yo ur toes into th e world of job hunting Even if you don't ge t a job offer or interview from it, it's still great practice ," she said.

Most career fairs are specialized. The o nes this fall will focus on accounting (Sept. 10), law enforcement (Sept. 25) and nursing (Nov. 7), in addition to the job , internship and graduate sc ho o l fair set for Oct. 9. Alumni who wo uld like their comp an y to participate in a fair are enco u raged to contact Teresa Dodso n (434-3952445, dodsonts@longwood.edu).

" In a nut sh ell , we're trying to connect stude nts with employers, oft en rep resented by

The Feeling Is Mutual

It's good vibes all around for students and alumni who connect through new professional communities

It's no sec ret that knowing th e right peopl e can make it easier to find su ccess. It's also no secret that it feels good to give a d eserving young perso n a hand up in their career.

With those two things in mind, Longwood has created several professional communities that bring students see king jobs a nd internships togeth e r with alumni who a re seas on ed professional s in those field s Currently active are communities for educators and professionals in the field s of sales, marketing and communication.

John Balser'] 5, regional director for One Voice Communications, h as found the profession al community for sales the p erfect way to fulfill his d es ire ro get involved with Lo ngw ood. "St ud ents h ave b een great to wo rk w ith, " said

Balser. "Th ey ask great questions about sale s, social media , marketi ng , types of tools and syste ms that are use d , and more."

Landing a great internship in a future career field is a huge ben efit for students. Balser's employer, a global virtual netwo rk operator, is in the process of hiring a Longwood student for an internship--a win for the co mpany and the student.

Miranda Fa rley '2 0 , a communication studies majo r, wants to pursu e a career in social media marketing. Sh e interacts with alumni in the co mmunicat io ns co mmuni ty via Slack, a free digital messaging platform.

"The communications group h as opened my eyes to jobs tha t I never knew a b o ut. I've le arne d th at social media marketing in hi gh er ed ucati on

alumni , in order to create more opportunities including jobs a nd internships," said Dodson, Longwood's assistant dire ctor of employer engagement and inte rnship services.

In a related effort that began last fa ll , Alumni and Caree r Services is d ee penin g w h at Dodson call ed it s "profes sional engagement" with co mp anies that employ a large number of Longwood alumni, as well as with th e alums themselves, through Lancer Lunch es held on site at the workplaces.

C hris Tunstall '88, assistant vice president of human res ources at the Federal Reserve, hosted a Lancer Lunch in February and, along with Catie Bu sc h ' 09, recruited a t th e job and intern ship fair the next month. He hired Kathryn Miller ' 19 as an int ern this summer. He ' ll be b ack on campu s for the job , internship and gra duate school fair in October.-Kent Booty

is a field that I would like to exp lor e, " sa id Farley who connected with Ashley Jon es ' 12, assistant director for engagement communications in Alumni and Caree r Services.

"The re are so many alumni who ca re a bout h elping students and want to give b ack to Longwood in this way," said Fa rle y. " It is great to h ave th ese connections an d to learn from people in th e field. "

Fo r more inform ation a bout professional communities a nd to join, visit longwood.ed u / professionalcommunities.

such as Carmax, including Fred Cross ' 02,

are coming to career fairs thanks to the efforts of Alumni and Career Services

John Balser '15 is active in the professional community for sales. Miranda Farley '20 has found out about several job opportunities in social media marketing through the communications community.

1960s

Dr. Betty Lou Weaver '67, M.S. '73 , publi s h e d h e r fourth book , Po ured Out Wi ne, whi ch sh e ca ll ed a "da y- b yd ay in s p ira tional devot ion , " in Mar ch. Sh e is workin g on h er fifth book, wh ic h sh e call ed an "adventure" story about h e r Pomeranian, Hosanna, w ho di ed in Janua ry a t age 15. Weaver is a minist e r and the re tired schoo l admin istr ator of N ew Life C hr is tian Academ y in Farm v ill e, w h e re s h e li ves

1970s

Laura Bailey Nelson '77 retired M ay 3 1 afte r a 28- year reach in g care er. She h ad bee n a junior kindergarten t eacher at St. St e phen's Pre-Sch oo l in Richmond for th e lase 10 years Sh e taught previously in C hesterfi e ld and Am eli a co unti es, as we ll as at J. Sarg eant Reynolds Community C o ll ege , and she wrote curr iculum and tra in ed tea chers for th e Richmond-base d Area H ealth Ed u cation Ce nte r, w hi c h ha s s in ce clo se d. Nel so n , w ho li ves in Midlo-

thi a n, wor ked in th e ra peuti c recrea ti o n fo r seve n yea rs be for e ea rnin g a m as te r's in edu ca tion at V irginia Te c h and sw it c hin g t o reac hing Anna Nelson Jones '12 is h e r dau g hter.

Susan Delong Smith ' 79, w ho li ves in Ta koma, Alaska, and is th e prin c ipa l-r eac h er for grades K-4, recently was an lditarid e r for the 2019 Jdicarod Sled Dog Ra ce, held in Anchorage on Mar c h 2 lditarid e rs are monetary spon sor s for thi s prem ier long-di stan ce sled dog ra ce held eve ry March in Al as ka. In addition to ge tting an 11-m il e r id e in th e sled , Idirarid e rs attend ch e " M ee t th e Mu sh e rs" ev ent co meet ch e mu s h e r w ith w h o m th ey w ill ride Smith's mu s h e r, M a ts Pe ce rss e n of Sweden , is a seve n-ti m e finisher of this race. Smi th a lso was a ch ecke r at ch e rac e c h eckpo int of Takoma , we lcom in g in all reams, many of whom spend their mandatory 24hour layover in Takoma. Sh e c arri ed a Lon gw ood flag through her 11-m il e rid e as a fla g raiser for the Office of Alumn i a nd Ca ree r Ser v ices.

1980s

Lisa Howell Sharpe '81 cele b ra t ed h e r 2 0th a nni ve rsa ry w ith ch e J o hn Ra nd o lph Founda tion ORF ) in H o pewe ll in Jul y 2018. She initi all y direc t ed th e grant, scho larship and d eve lo pm e nt programs and has bee n executi ve dir ector since 2005 Durin g her t e nure, JRF ' S net assets hav e incre ased from $25 million to $42 million , fundrai sing has grown from 25 donor s co more th a n 1,000 and from on e c h a ritable fund co 77 fund s, a nd th e foundati o n ha s awarded $ 18 million in g ra n ts a nd $ 1.6 million in schol a rs hip s. S h a rp e was in strum e ntal in es ta bli s hin g th e Hop ewel l-Pr in ce George C ommun ity H ealth Center, which pro v id es access co health, dental and beh av ior a l servic es co thousands of peopl e annu a ll y Sh e worked for the Mary Wash in gton Hosp it a l Foundation in Fre d e ricksburg from 1990-98, serving as exe c utive d irec tor for the last two years.

Th ere sa "Terry" Jervis Royall '86 , w ho had been common wealth 's attorney for Notto way C ounty since 20 I 2 , was appo in t ed b y th e V ir ginia G en e ral Assemb ly as a ju ve ni le a nd dom est ic relat ions (JDR) jud ge for th e 11 ch Judicial Circuit in Fe bruary Sh e began h er duties July 1 and is one of t hree JDR jud ges in ch e 11th C irc uit, which encompasses Am e li a, Dinwidd ie, Nottoway and Powhatan counti es a nd Pe tersburg. She wa s pr eviou s ly a n ass istant commonwea lth 's attorn ey in C h esapeake and Chesterfield C ounty, and wa s in pr ivate prac tice, also in C h es t e rfield. Be for e graduating from T. C. Willi a m s School of Law at th e Uni ve rs it y of Ri chmond, she taught high -sc hool ph ys ics, chem istry and biology in C h es t e rfi eld and Vi rg ini a Beach for 12 year s

Principal hires 10 fellow Lancers at new school

Li ndsay Kuhlmann Mottle y '01 , M.S. '02 (back row, fifth from le ft ) , is surrounded at wo rk by num ero u s f e ll ow L ancers-a nd sh e hired every one of them.

Mottley is th e princ ipal of O ld Hundred Elementary Sc h oo l in Chesterfie ld Cou nt y, w h ich is set to open its doo r s for th e first time on Sept. 3 Fel low al um s joi ning her at the new school are (back row, from left) librarian Lara Tingle Ivey, M.S. '15; classroom teachers Ka itl ynn Gunn '14 and Dave Lawson '03; associate principal Guillermo Gonzalez 'OS; c lassroom teacher Step hanie Shurtz Porter, M.S. ' 08; specia l education teachers Stephanie Patter so n Smith '97, M.S. '98, and Priscilla Sherwood Ricketts '10; (front row, from left) cl assroom teacher Ashley Wal ler '12; and mu sic teacher Jennifer Kirkbride '1 1. Classroom teacher Kristina Dickin so n '04 was hired after this photo was taken.

Mottley brought Smith and Ivey with her from Bettie Weaver Elementary Schoo l, a lso in Chesterfield, where she had been principa l since 2014. She had hired them at Weave r, as we ll as other a lum s.

" I' ve never been di sappointed w ith a Longwood a lum ," said Mottley, who had to hire a staff of more than 50 for O ld Hundred, projected to open with 730 students. "Some of my strongest teachers are Longwood a lum s. "

Gonzalez was previously assistant principal at Harrowgate Elementary School in Cheste rfi eld

The future is bright for alumni, students engaged with Facebook initiative

W ant to h e lp gra du atin g se ni o r s connect with futur e e mpl oye rs or gain insight into a ca r ee r fi e ld?

Check out #FutureAlumniFriday on the Longwood A l umni and Career Serv ic es Facebook page. The feature is designed to conn ec t graduating seniors with a l umni to off e r j ob recommendation s or connect them w ith someone in the ir c areer fie ld.

L aunched la st f a ll , th e se ri es profiled 18 senior s, reached 37,099 people and received 74 shares Twelve of the students featured will attend graduate schoo l or have se c ured emp lo yment or an intern ship as a resu lt of the initiative.

"I was happy to see a ll of the posit ive and h elpfu l comments my post got from Future Alumni Friday," said Jessica Schaub '19, a nur sing major w h o was featured in Febru a ry. "The hints helped point me in th e ri g ht direction for m y job search and I ended up ge ttin g a job a few wee k s later. "

Members of the Clas s of 2020 w ill be featured beginning in th e fa ll. #FutureAlumniFriday

WELCO E TO THE CITY

Rolling out the red carpet for alumni newcomers

L ongwood's newest graduates moving to Virginia ' s thre e la rgest metro a r eas can fast-track their way to new friends in the a lu mni family this August.

Dr. Tamara Brown '89 wa s appo in ted execut ive dean of the C o ll ege of L ibe ral Arts and Social Science s at t h e Unive rs ity of North Texa s in M a rc h. Brown , w ho bega n her po s it ion J u ly I , ove rsees U N T's largest college, w hich has more than 9 ,000 s tudents and is mad e up of more than 22 aca d emi c d e pa rtm e nts and programs. Bro w n had pre viou sly held several position s at Pra iri e Vi ew

A&M Unive rsity for seve n ye ars, includin g interim dean of th e grad uat e sc h oo l, dean of t h e Co ll ege of Juv e nil e Ju s tic e and Psycho logy, and exe c utiv e dir ec tor of the Texas Juveni le C rim e Preve ntion

C enter. Before char , s h e cau g ht in th e Uni vers ity of Kentu c ky's psyc holo gy d e partment for 13 ye ars S h e has a Ph.D. and a m aste r's from th e Uni vers ity of Illinois and anoth e r m as t e r's from Asbury Theologi ca l Se minar y.

Continued on Page 44

N ow in their fourth year, We lcome to the City event s bring together Longwood alumni a l ready es t ab l ished in the area and the ci ties ' newest re s ident s-L o ng w ood ' s Class of 2019. Thi s y e ar 's events w i ll be held Aug 7 in Northern Virginia, Aug. 8 in Hampton Ro ad s and Aug. 9 in Richmond. For more information and to register, visit longwood.edu/alumni. Watch

Class Notes

Continued from Page 43

19905

Greg Ts igaridas '94 a pp ea re d in th e Fe bru a ry produ ction of A Phoenix Too Freq uent by th e Wate r works Pl ayers , a c ommuni ty th ea t er group in Fa rm v ill e. Ts igarida s is a se nior co mput e r system s e ngin ee r in Lon gw ood 's Inform a tion Technology Services.

2000s

Trudy Berry '01 is running as the D e m ocra ti c candidate fo r th e D istri ct 6 1 se ar in th e Virginia Hou se of Del egates in thi s N ovembe r's el ec tion. Be rty, an Air Force ve teran , atte nded Longwood as a nontraditional student after moving to Lunenburg County in 1998. A magna cum laud e graduate , sh e received rwo C itize n Lead e r awa rd s and was indu c ted into three honor so c ie ties Sh e was sec retary from 2014-18 of the Lunenburg County C hambe r of Comme rce and h as bee n secretary of the Fri ends of Victor ia Pub li c Libra1y s in ce 201 5. Th e 61 st House Distri c t e ncompasses all of Ameli a , Cumberland , Meckl e nburg and Nottoway countie s a nd most of Lunenburg County.

Eboni Lee ' 01, a m e mbe r of t h e Fa rm v ill e Ja ycees s in c e 2 00 8, wa s h on o re d w ith a li fe tim e m e m bers hi p in th e V ir g inia J aycees in Fe bru a ry Thi s h o no r is g iven in recog nition o f and a ppre c ia tion fo r h e r co ntinu e d se r vi ce to h e r co mmunit y and for lea ding w i th imagin a ti o n , a bility a nd in s pira tion.

S h e is th e 201 9 pres id e nt of th e Farmv ille J aycees . Lee is m a rk e tin g o ffic e r for Be n c hmark C ommunit y Ba nk in Ke nbrid ge and w ill join the A lu mni Board thi s fal l.

Randall Sell ' 01 is a h ealth a nd ph ysical edu cation t ea ch e r at A ndrew Lew is M iddl e Schoo l in Sal e m and a volunt ee r ass ist a n t to th e w res tlin g co ac h at Lo rd Botetourt High School in Bot e tourt

C oun ty Hi s son s, Hunte r a nd C olin , ar e m e mbers of the Lord Bot e tourt

w res tlin g te am a nd competed in the Virg ini a Hi gh Sch oo l Le ag u e C lass 3 s t a te tourn a m e nt in Fe bruar y. Se ll , a form e r w re s tlin g c oa c h a t Staunton Ri ve r and Salem hi gh schools, pl ace d in three stat e tourn a m e nt s for Willi a m By rd High

Sc hool in th e lat e 1990 s and la te r w restl ed at M es siah Co ll ege in Penn sy lvan ia and Lon gw ood.

Vince Walden ' 01 was named an ass isranr co ach of the m e n's bas ketball rea m at Elo n Un ive rs ity in Ap ril. Walde n was prev io u sly a n as sista nt coac h at Arkans as State a nd

L ibe rty, and h e se rved rwo term s as th e na tional ream h ea d coach at th e !M G Aca d em y in Florid a He played bas ketb a ll a t Longwood all four yea rs and was a rwo-yea r t eam captain

Charles Evelyn '02 is runnin g as th e Republi can ca nd idate for New Kent

C ounty treasu re r in thi s year 's Novemb e r el ect io n. H e is on e o f rwo el ec t ed directors c urre ntl y re pres entin g New

Kent Co unt y o n the Co lonial Soil and Water Co n serva tion Di strict , for w hi c h h e serv es as treas urer and finan ce committee c hairm a n. A res id e nt of the Ta lleys vill e area, h e is vi ce pres id e nt of C. H.

Ev el y n Pilin g Co In c , a famil y busin ess s tarred by hi s g randfath e r in 1967

Corrine Richardson Louden '02 , d e puty in spe c tor gen e ral for in ve stigations and admini s trati o n for th e Vir g inia

Offi ce o f th e Stat e In s p ec tor G eneral , received the Ass ociation of Gov e rnm e nt

Ac countants 20 19 E xce ll e nce in Go ve rnm e nt Lead e rship Award in Febru a ry

T h e A GA Nat ional Lea d ership Aw a rd s recogni ze th e ac hi evements of government professiona ls who hav e "c onsist e ntl y d e mon s trated th e high es t personal a nd profession a l standards throughout th e ir caree rs," sa id AG A CEO A nn

E bberts , who cit ed Loud e n's e fforts to " improv e gov e rnment p erform a nce , ac countabili ty and tru s t. " Louden , w ho wi ll start her MBA at Longwood thi s fa ll , is sec retar y o f th e AGks Ri c hmond

c hapt er a nd tr eas urer o f Lon gwo od 's

C oll ege o f Bu s iness and Econ o mics Alumni Ad v isor y Board.

Arts organization helps tell stories of diverse Massachusetts community

Christa Brown '12 ( center) want s to help other peopl e tell their stories. Brown is the founder and executive director of the Free Soil Arts Collective , an interdisciplinary arts organization that supports works strengthening the voices of underrepresented communities in the Merrimack Val ley of Massachusetts.

" Some p e op le have a un ique story to tell but don't know how to te ll it. We want to help them," sa id Brown, an actress and storyteller who li ves in Lowell. "By both putting on our own art and supporting other artists , we want to reflect the richnes s of our community.

"Lowell has a lways been known for its ' happening ' arts scene, but nothing was being put on by person s of color, " sh e said.

Though the organization was created in June 2018, its founding wasn't announced until January of this year, which is also when it received major support from the Greater L o well Community Foundation.

With Brown in the photo are Maritza Groom s (left) and Naychelle Gandia , w ho are memb e rs of the Fr ee Soil Arts Coll e cti v e

Johnnie McKeller '03 was n a m ed director o f education for G waltn ey Sc hoo l in Jarratt , op e ra t ed b y J ac kson-Field Be ha v ioral H ealth Se rvi ce s, in Januar y. H e had been ac ting dir ector s ince July 2 018 and has ta u ght s in c e 2009 at th e schoo l, which is for s tud e nts who ha ve b ee n un a bl e to rea ch th e ir age-a ppropria te grad e leve l due to c irc um s tance s in th e ir life An edu cator sinc e 2005 who h as tau g ht in sc hool di vis ion s in N orth

C aro li n a a nd Virgini a, McKe ll e r, who li ves in Franklin , al so h as coa c h ed b aseball, fo o tball , w res tlin g, track and fi e ld , a nd ba s ketba ll. H e ha s a mast e r's degr ee from Ca mbrid ge C oll ege

Justin Cullivan '04 w as p ro moted in Febru a ry to co n stru c tion m a nager w ith HHHunt Hom es, a div e rs ified rea l es t a t e d eve lop e r in M a ry land , V irgini a, North C arolina a nd So u t h C arol in a

Continued on Page 46

Creativity pays off for 'that guy on the billboard'

Scott Blackmon '06 used a no ve l marketing approach to set himself apart from his comp e titors in the real estate indu str y -and the dating scene.

Th e real estate agent w ith Broadsight Realty in Virginia Beach recently put up a digital b ill board on Interstate 64 east (where it merges with Int erstate S64) that must ha v e made some drivers tap their brakes.

For a week last October, the message " Wanna get marr ied? " appeared beside Blackmon's photo. After that , and through early January, the line, "If not, at least let me sel l your home " and hi s phone number appeared under the same message and photo.

" I wanted to ca t apult my love life as well as help my career," said Blackmon , w ho is 47 and single. "I'm tired of meeting women online and in bars. I figured , Why not kil l two b ird s with one stone? "

The billboard garnered news media coverage as far a w a y as Austin, Texas, and St. Louis. He even was considered to be featured on the HGTV show Beach Hunters.

It's also a ttracted busine ss.

"Rea ltor s have asked me if it worked. I tell them it paid for itself after the first month. probably got 50 grand worth of advertising for $7,000. Competitors have called me and sa id, people wi ll r e memb e r it fi v e years from now.

"When I first mentioned the idea to friends, some sa id , 'Are you nuts?' But I'm a risk-taker. Fortunately, I didn ' t have anyone to embarrass but myself " He got one date directly from the ad , as w ell as a f ew others " in advertently"-from peop le inquiring on behalf of a " niece or cousin ."

" Now some people se e me and say, 'Oh , are yo u that gu y on the billboard?' "

Lassoing a Cure

Annual rodeo founded by cancer survivor raises thousands for research

The horses may be decked out in tulle, ribbons and sparkly pink paint, but the young riders are all business. Spurred on by adults hollering "Push!" they dig their heels into their horses' sides, willing their fourlegged partners to go faster around the barrels set out in the ring.

Candice Parsley ' 12 , completely at home in her dusty, well-worn boots and in this setting, watches the action not on ly with the interest of a rodeo competitor-she's among the top 15 women in the nation in breakaway and team roping-but also with the intent of a woman on a mission.

A cancer survivor, Parsley is determined to help find a cure, and today's rodeo-where the signature color pink is everywhere, from women wearing "Survivor" sashes to Parsley in her tiedyed T-shirt-is part of her strategy.

Four years ago, Parsley and her friend Brandy Slaughter put their heads rogether and came up with Cowgirls for a Cure, a rodeo whose proceeds would go to canc er research. Since then, Cowgi rls for a Cure has raised $55,00 0 , including $15,000 from chis spring's two-day event at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell. Funding goes to the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation and to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

"The ability to start Cowgirls for a Cu re and see it grow as quickly as it h as is truly a humbling experience," Parsley said. "When I was going thro ugh my treatment, there were many times chat I thought, 'I don't know how I will ever be able to repay the kindness and love chat has been shown ro me and my family. ' Cowgirls for a Cure

Candice Parsley '12

continues to be the way that I am able to give back to the community that supported me. When Brandy and I planned the first Cowgirls for a C ure, we never dreamed it would get this big. "

When Parsl ey was diagnosed with cancer, she was in her last semester at Longwood and prepar-

ing to get her teaching certification. She took time off to get treatment for her particular form of cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphom a, which attacks the immune system and usually starts in lymph nodes.

Today, she's in remission, teaches math at New Kent High School, is married and has a baby daughter.

Parsley is just one per son in the close-knit Central Virginia riding community whose life has been touched by cancer. "We've lost several people to cancer," she said. She gives the community a lot of the credit for making Cowgirls for a C ure so successfu l, both in the amount of money raised and the number of people competing. More sponsors have signed on through the years as well, with Southern States, Sunbelt Rentals and Red Eagle Creations among the sponsors chis year.

Also helping out is another Longwood alumna, Bayley Johnson '17, who handles social media, posting photos on Instagram and Facebook. Johnson, who started riding at age 5 and was on the university's equestrian team for two years, is a strong competito r in breakaway, but the vibe is a little more laid-back at the fundraiser. "We a ll come out to support the main cause," she said.

, When Brandy and I planned the first Cowgirls for a Cure, we never dreamed it would get this big.'

-CANDICE PARSLEY ' 12

This year, 200 people-mostly girls and women-showed off their skills in events including barrel racing, goat tying and cattle roping. Decades ago, female riders had only a co upl e of events in which they co uld compete, but today "women in rodeo are making a name for themselves," Parsley said. "It's explode d recently."

Parsley and Slaughter are already thinking about next year's event, including expanding it from two days to three.

"We take maybe six weeks off after the event," Parsley said with a laugh. "Our goa l is to be able to add different types of cancer that we support and ocher ca uses, like Alzheimer's and diabetes, chat need additiona l research and awareness."-Kate Andrews

Class Notes

Continued from Page 44

Dr Gret chen Koenig , M A '04, is currently teaching college-level English to Air Force personnel at an American air bas e in th e M iddle Eas t. In her position , whi ch began in August 20 18 and runs through Jul y, she is teaching three co urses through th e University of Maiy land Un ivers ity Co ll ege (UMUC) Europe di vision , whi ch offers graduate a nd und erg raduate co urses at mil itary in s tallation s in th e M iddl e East to military service membe rs and their famili es. This is h e r third year in th e UMUC prograin ; she also h as taugh t in Ge rman y, th e Un ited Kingdom an d Kuwait. She was as a lec ture r in Longwood's Engli sh an d modern lan guages department and ta ught at cl1e Ai r Force Academy.

Amy Jordan Williams '04 became principal of Coo l Spr in g Elementary Sc h oo l in Hanover County on Jul y I. She had b ee n d irecto r of human res ources for the Sp o tsy lvani a County sch oo ls. Befo re that , s h e was a n elem entary sch oo l principa l in Spotsylva ni a a nd C h este rfiel d counties, as we ll as an ass istant pr in c ipal at C old Harbo r Ele mentary Schoo l in Hanover. S h e b egan h e r career as a t eac h e r at Pol e G ree n and Laurel Meadow el e m e ntary sc hools in Hanover; at t he latte r, s h e was a memb er of th e charter staff and th e ir fi rst t eac her of rh e year.

Aubrie Therrien '05 is execut ive arti st ic direcro r of th e EP IC Playe rs in New

York C ity, whi ch is d edi ca ted to c reating neuro-di verse opport unit ies and communities through th e arts. An actress regionally and in New Yo rk City, sh e recentl y was recognized as th e New Yorker of the Week for her work and co-p ubli sh ed an articl e in Autism Spectrum News. S he and the EPIC Players were give n the honor of ringi n g the New York Stoc k Exchange openin g bell on Apr il 3 to cele brate A u t ism Awareness Week. She h as spoken at the United Na ti ons o n Empowering Wome n and G irls with Autis m and th e Producer's Guild of Amer ica co nference, co-chai rs the Coalition for D isabiliti es in th e Ans in New York and is exec utive director of the Hori zo ns program a t Brooklyn Fri end s Schoo l. T h err ien has a maste r's d eg ree from New York University.

Cameron Agricola '08 was promoted in Ma rch ro v ice p res id e nt a nd se nior co mm e rcia l portfolio man ager with Tow ne Bank. He h ad b een assistant vice pres id ent a nd commercia l p ortfo li o m a n ager. H e works in offices in Portsmouth an d C hurchland , a nd h e liv es in C h esapeake

Stefanie Mancuso Norris '08 a nd h er hu sband , Jason Norr is, had a so n , Pete r J ames Norr is, born Sept. 21 , 2 018, in No r fo lk. St efa nie is direc ror of ca mpu s li fe a rt s a nd programs at th e Un ive rs ity of No rth Caro lin a W ilmin gto n.

Trey Grow '09 was hi red as a claims exa min e r w ith Kinsale In s uranc e Co.,

Division Teacher of the Year known for the special care she gives her first-graders in Colonial Heights

Tracey Sink Ridpath '95 is the Colonial Heights Teac h er of the Year for 2019.

The honor for Ridpath , a first-grade t eache r at Tu ss ing Elementary Schoo l for her e ntire 24-yea r caree r, was a nnoun ced in Apr il , the month af t e r she was chose n her sc h oo l's Teac h er of the Yea r Ridpath is known for her attention t o the emotio n a l needs of specia l-n eeds students.

Alum helps keep athletes at Notre Dame going strong

Michael Szemborski '07 is the di re c t or of str engt h and cond iti oning at the Univ e r s ity of Notr e D ame, overseeing all a thleti c team s exce pt football.

Sze mbor sk i, w ho oversees th e str eng th and co ndi tion ing depar t men t and it s seven full-tim e stre ngth coac h es, works w ith 22 men's and wo m e n 's spo rts at N o t re Dam e. He ha s d ir ec t ove r sight of the women's bas ketb all t ea m , traveling w ith the 20 18 national champio n s to their away ga m es, as well as the women's socce r team.

" I love my j ob, w hi ch is the per f ec t profession for me," sa id Szembo r ski, who holds fi ve national cer t ifica t ion s. " It keeps m e active and allows m e to impa c t student- athl etes daily. "

Befo re st arti ng at Notre D ame in June 2017, h e held the same pos ition for six yea r s at the Univer sit y of Maryland , whe r e h e wo rk ed w ith 17 sports-including seven nation a l-championship t ea m s. H e began th ere as associate h ead football st rength coach in 2007.

based in R ic hm ond, in April. He had b ee n a cla im s adju ste r w i th E lephant In s ur ance s ince 2 0 I 4

Dr. Jeannie Pfautz, M.S. ' 09 , gradua t ed w ith a n Ed.D. from th e U ni ve rsity of Virginia in May. Pfa utz, a g raduate o f Lon gwoo d 's Read in g, L iteracy and Learnin g program, wi ll b eg in a po sition as an ESL teacher at C harl ottesv ill e High Sc hool in Augus t. She prev ious ly was a reading sp ec iali s t with the Charlottesvi ll e an d Fa ir fax Co un ty sc ho o ls, "Ma n y of h er students are dea lin g wi th t r auma from th e ir home e nviron m ent, and sh e a lso has students who n eed more academ ic assistance, so m ee ting the needs o f eve r yone in h er class may se em overwhelm ing. Howeve r, Mrs. Ridpath puts a smi le o n h e r face and tackles eve r y situation without complaint," sa id her assistant principal , Tanya El lio tt.

Ridpath a nd her husband , Rick Ridpath '95 , me t at Lon gwood. He tea c he s sixth-grade hi story at Colonial He ights M idd le School. Bot h o f th e couple's daughters attend L ongwood: Casey '20, w h o pl a ns t o teach , is a ri si ng se n io r; Camryn '22 a rising sop hom ore Other

Lancer relatives include Tracey's mothe r, Mamie Har r e ll Si nk '66, a nd her mother ' s siste rs , Geo r g ie Harre ll Copeland '62 a nd the late Emm a Harr e ll Gardner ' 59, both of w hom were teachers.

Until knee pa i n forced her to give it up abou t 15

yea rs ag o, Trace y was a runner who co mpl eted th e 2001 Richmond Marathon , two half -ma rath ons and severa l l0K r aces. Now she is k n own a m o n g h e r sc hool 's stude nt s for her devotion to yoga ("too mu c h yoga," sh e sa id with a laugh ) and for wa lkin g the mil e t o sc h oo l and hom e again every day Th e da y before Thanksgiving la st yea r, she " commuted" in a turkey cos tum e she had m ade.

" It was our sc h oo l's Dr ess Like a Tur key Day, and ot her teach e rs wo r e so mething like a turkey hat or turke y shirt, but I was a turkey ready to be cooked. I thought the kids wo uld e nj oy it, and t h ey did "

a reading sp ec iali st co nsult ant w ith the Na tion a l Housing Trust and an English teac h er at Powhatan High Sc hool. As a Peace Corps vo lu nteer in the Ph ilip p ines from 2009-1 1 , Pfautz and a co- te ac h e r sta rted a rea ding- intervention progr am at the hi g h sch oo l w h e re they worked a nd la t e r built a reading center that is s till op e rat in g tod ay.

2010s

Allison Maupin Reed '10 and Sean Reed '06 welcomed th e ir first b ab y, Robert Wya tt R eed, o n Dec. 3, 20 18. A lli son a nd Sean wo rk a t the Univers ity of V irg ini a

Continued on Page 47

Class Notes

Continued from Page 46

Charlotte Trant '11 p layed th e lead fema le ro le in the Fe b ruary prod uct ion of A Phoenix Too Frequent by the Wate rwo rks Pl aye rs, a com muni ty th ea ter gro up in Fa rm vill e. T ra nt is th e m u sic teach e r at Bu ckin g ha m C ounty E le m e ntary a nd Prim a ry sc hool s.

Putney '11, Matt Spalding ' OS and Colin Wilson '09

Anna Nelson Jones '12 is ex pecting h e r fi rst child ; he r du e dat e was Jul y 15.

Jon es, w ho has a master's from Vi rgin ia Co mm o nwea lth Un ive rs ity, is a soc ial wo rke r w ith Henrico Co un ty. Laura Bailey Nelson '77 is her mot he r.

Peyton Nichols '12 was awa rd ed th e b ro nze award from Assoc iat io n TRE NDS in March for the co nfe re nce "' l '? ro "' Qi 15. 0 (/) prom ot iona l package th at was create d i

Lynne DeCora '12 and Thom as Kovac h (above) were married Sept 15 , 2018, at Old Metropolitan Hall in C ha rlottesv ille. Th e co upl e li ves in Charlotcesville, wh e re Ly nn e is a ve ndor success manager at Zo la, an online wedding planning a nd reg istry we bsit e. Katie Cheseldine '13 se rv ed as matron of ho no r at the wedding, and guests at the recept ion includ ed Nancy McDonald '12, Ashleigh White '12 , Casey for the 2018 Nat ional Principals Confe rence. Nichol s is an acco unt manager for J MDG (mar ke tin g de sign gro up ), wh e re she se rves the Na tion al Assoc iati o n of Seco ndar y Sc h oo l Prin cip als (NASS P) on its marketing team for th e Association and NASSP's national co nfere nce Sh e has been with MDG, base d in Re sto n , si nce 2016.

Nancy Ventura '13 li ves in Ra leigh, No rth Caro lin a, and is an in s id e sa les account ma nage r for Co hes icy, an IT startup. Sh e ha s worked for Target Cor p. and SunTru st Bank as an und e rwr ite r.

Danielle Sheridan '14 joined Kinsale In surance Co. as a construction unde rwrit e r in J a nu a ry. She had been a se nior underwrit e r with U S Ri ck , LLC. She was a n acco unt exec uti ve w ith C rum & Forste r from 20 14- 18

Filmmaker directs official Mraz video

Martin Montgomery '97 , a Richmond-based docum e ntary filmmaker, directed the o fficia l video for Jason Mraz 's late st music v i deo.

Montgomery was so taken with the song " L ove Is Still the Answer" that he pitched Mraz , a longtime friend a nd former L ongwood student, a novel idea for the video. The song "made me ask myse lf the question that no matt e r what happ ens in my life is lo ve still the ans we r ?" sa id Montgom ery.

Th e id ea for the vi de o was t o use sma rtphone footage submitted by Mr az 's fans, whom he'd c ha l lenged to se nd h i m v ideo "representing love, kindness and joy." After receiving m ore than 1,000 submi ss ions from 51 countries in late J a nuary, Mo ntgom e r y produ ce d th e six- minute vi de o in about two weeks. It was releas ed on Vale ntine 's Day and ca n be v ie we d on YouTube.

Montgomery, chair of Longwood 's Performing Arts Council , and Mraz have also collaborated on a documentary directed by Montgomery that features Mraz and was film e d in Richmond in March 2018. The 90-minute feature fi l m, Have It All - The Movie , was aired on one night , Aug. 7, 2018, at more than 800 theaters across th e country. The film, w hich Montgomery called a "be h i nd - the-sc e n es look at Jason 's i nvo lve ment in supp orti ng th e arts," can be v iewed on Amazon.

Anne Cabell Dougherty, M.S. '18, a sc hool counselor at C.C. Wells Elementary Schoo l in C he ste rfield County, came up with th e idea for, and along with othe rs implem e nted , her sc h ool 's l:)Dll " 1.f-- " Kindness Week, " Y _ ' w hi ch co nclud ed with Va lent in e's Day Students wrote enco urag in g lett ers ro co mmuni ty m e mbers, p erfor m ed random acts of kindness a nd donated $ 1 each to

In Memoriam

Louise Brewer Moore '27 Ma rch 1, 2019

Virginia Pettis Millner '40

March 5, 20 19

Anne Ross Snead '40 Feb. 6, 20 19

Martha Saunders Appell '41

April 4 , 2019

Anne Turner Livick '42 Ma rch 9, 2019

Virginia Fowlkes Vanderpool '42

May 2, 2019

Antoinette Dew Beane '43

Feb. 19, 2019

Helen Lewis Bishop '43 Fe b. 28, 20 19

Mary Dryden Lynch '43 April 2, 20 19

Catherine Trower Gladden '45

Feb. 8, 201 9

Florence Smith Carr '46

Ma rch 28, 2019

Jane Anderson Clark '46

May 15 , 2019

Esther Ray Shevick ' 46 May 14, 20 19

Ann Savedge Criser '47 Feb. 5, 20 I 9

Lorena Evans Jefferson '47

Apri l 30 , 2019

Eva Mae Fleming Scott '47

March 28 , 2019

Mary Harrison Slate '47

April 15, 20 19

Nancy Taylor Irvin '48 Feb. 24, 2019

NancyTaylor Jones '48 April 22, 201 9

Coralease Hall Huffman '49

April 29, 2019

Mary Evans Tweedy '49

March 29, 20 19

Martha Blair Hylton ' 50 May 2, 2019

Emilee Doub Mason '51

March I, 2019

Edith Kennon Shields '52

May 4, 2019

Frances Graube Steck '53

March 15, 20 19

Virginia Webb Welsh '53

March 20, 201 9

Trianne Lampkin Freese '55

Ma rch 27, 20 19

Martha Isaacs Slayton '55

Apr il 24, 20 19

Molly Harvey Childers '56

April 26, 2019

th e Make -a-W ish Foundation's Virgi nia chapter, raising $45 1. Dougherty recently finished her first schoo l year at C.C. We ll s, which she attended from 1998 co 2005.

Send us your class notes

If you have any news from your professional or persona l life, we'd love to hear about it. Please email the details to alumni @longwood. edu. Remembe r to give us your full name, the year you graduated and the degree you received.

Joanne Batten Coleman '56

April 20, 20 19

Cathrine Meeks Dozier '56

Fe b. 28, 20 19

Barbara Peach Auby '57 A pril 9, 20 19

Joyce Ann Bain '57 May 14 , 2019

Emma Harrell Gardner '59

Feb. 2 1, 2019

Joan Marie Kidwell '60 Apr il 18, 2 019

Katie Mae Bolt '61 May 4, 20 I 9

Barbara Elizabeth Keech '61

April 7, 20 19

Alice Barrett Layne '61

Feb. 27, 20 19

Jane Golden McClung '61

March 20 , 2 019

Nancy Ann Dixon '62 April 2 , 201 9

Ruth Keys Fitch '65 April 22, 20 19

Lois Parker Gibson '65 March 5 , 20 19

Janice Durnier Sullivan '66

March 19, 2019

Dorothy Thurston Bossert ' 68

March 7, 20 19

Nona Davis Hicks '71 Feb. 8, 201 9

Richard John Glowinski '73

Feb. 16 , 2019

Deborah Arvin Smith '74

April 20, 2019

Paula Kennedy Bishop '76

March 2, 20 19

Sandi Lou Harman '80 April 4, 20 19

Ann Elizabeth Sowash '81

April 6, 2019

Frances Maddox Smith ' 87

Fe b 27, 20 19

Karen Elizabeth Alten-Giles '95

Feb 13, 2019

Alan Anthony Nicolette '03

Aprill, 2019

Holly Willis Nicolette ' 03 Apri l I , 20 19

FACULTY, STAFF AND FR IENDS

Joan Repass Ewers April 22 , 20 I 9

Charles Edwin Flint Feb. 12, 2019

Larry Brooks Harris April l 0 , 2019

Neil J. Humphreys Ap ril 14, 2019

Debra Anne Putney March 1 I , 20 19

Linda M.Webster Feb. 5, 20 19

Music to Their Ears

Faculty and student excitement builds for a worthy new home to carry on Longwood's musical tradition

BY DR. LISA KINZER

Wygal Hall, Longwood 's music building, opened in 1968. At that time, the Department of Music offered only studies in choral music and piano. When I think about it, I can't imagine how Wygal mer the needs of the students, faculty and community even then.

Fast forward to 2019. The music program has grown and thrived, serving close to 70 majors and hundreds of other students taking classes and participating in ensembles such as the Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble or Camerata Singers. The department is home base for some of Longwood's best and brightest facu lty, all of chem gifted musicians in their own right. These dedicated professors have furthered the department's rich history of excellence in teacher preparation, making it a veritable fount for music educators.

I've been a member of the music faculty at Longwoo d for 23 years, and I can't remember a time w hen my husband, Char li e, also a music facu l ty member, and I were not discussing the importance of improving or rebuilding our teaching and performing faci lity.

Bue these days we're talking about something else.

We're talking about a n ew music building with stare-of-the-art equipment-from Smarrboards to Boomwhackers-thac will help prepare music teachers for today's classrooms.

We 're talking about so und insulation in each teaching, rehearsal, practice and performance space char w ill prevent sound from bleeding room to room and floor to floor. We're talking about a 500-seat concert hall char will be easily accessib le to the campus and the community.

Thanks to the work of President W. Taylor Reveley IV and ochers, the General Assembly recencly authorized the development of detailed arc hitectural planning for a new music building, which is, in the workings of state government, the critical first stage of a construction project.

(See related story on Page 5.)

As the current chair of the music department, I am giddy with anticipation!

A feasibility study conducted in 2016-17 yielded ceasing images of a structure rhat will grace our campus and enrich rhe lives of so

many. A team of professionals chat included acousric ian s, mechanical systems special ists and architects laid our specification s for a facility char will deliver in every way. These experts sought inpuc from all of the relevant constituents to ensure that the distinctive requirements of a music program wi ll be met, and for chat I am profoundly graceful.

Because more than half of Longwood 's music majors are studying to become music educators , it is essential chat our classrooms reflect modern, often more modular teaching environments, and are outfitted with up-to-dace equipment. When our alumni w ho are now teaching were asked to identify areas for improvement at Longwood, the overwhelming response was related to contact with scace-of-che-arr classrooms ou tfitt ed with current music techno logy.

The new building will have sound insulation for effective music study, blocking noise from outside and from the building's own mechanical system, as well as containing sound within adjacent rooms. That 's nor the case in Wygal,

whose hollow cinderb lo ck wal ls actually carry the sound throughout the building. Imagine Led Zeppelin's Black Dog blaring from a History of Rock class into a practice room where a flute student is trying to perfect the Faure Fantasie.

The facility will also contain multiple rehearsal spaces that will be designed specifically to accommodate choral and instrumental ensembles, and the versatile performance space will boast adjustable acoustical treatment.

The aesthetic impact of the new building also should not be ove rl ooked. The music department hosts numerous events each year chat bring hundreds of prospective students, prospective faculty, guest artists and community members to campus. Having those visitors experience Longwood in a beautiful , modern space speaks volumes about the university.

I have the privilege and great joy to work with students and facu lty who are passionate about performing and teaching music. They deserve a facility chat supports their work-because it's important work.

Music brings happiness and meaning into people's lives, marking rices of passage and resonating with our emotions. Furthermore, research shows chat music education, particularly playing an instrument, has many practical benefits, including higher proficiency in math and reading for schoo l-ag e chi ldren and teens, as well as improved cognitive abilities in senior citizens.

As wo rld-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma has said, "Music enhances the education of our chi ldren by helping chem to make connections and broadening the depth with which they chink and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally lit erate people, music must be a vital part of our children's education."

Dr. L is a Kinzer is a p rofessor of music and current department cha i r at L o n gwoo d . A pianist. she came to Farmville in 199 2 a n d Jo ine d t h e music fa c ulty in 1996.

SERVICE REQUESTED No state funds were used to print this publication