Longwood Magazine - Fall 2012

longwood

A MAGAZIN E FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY

FA L L 2 0 12 Interim President Marge Connelly Revealing Archaeology Field School Designed for Success

End of the Trail Photographic series on voting locations shows campaigns sometimes wind up in the strangest places

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COVE R STO RY

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Getting into the Vote

Professor’s photographic series explores offbeat polling places

FEATURES

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Fearless Leader

Interim President Marge Connelly is putting her love of a challenge to work for Longwood

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Design Challenge

Alums turn fabric, ink, paper, wood, passion and talent into successful businesses

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The Big Reveal

Archaeology Field School students dig deep to uncover clues about past civilizations

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This out-of-business frozen yogurt store in Southern California is just one of the offbeat polling places Longwood photography professor Michael Mergen documented in his series Vote. Story on Page 12.

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A MAG A Z I N E FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY FALL 2 0 1 2

Publisher

Longwood University Foundation Inc. Robert Burger Jr., President Editor

Sabrina Brown Creative Director

David Whaley Associate Editor

Kent Booty Photographer

FROM TH E PR ESID ENT Hello alumni, parents and friends! I am so honored to have the opportunity to serve as interim president during this time of transition for Longwood University. Summer has been a whirlwind of activity, and we are well-positioned to accomplish a great deal in the coming year. We have something special here, and I want to continue to build on our past success.

Andrea Dailey Contributors

Troy Austin, Kevin Bryant ’05, Dyann Busse, Gina Caldwell, David Driver, Diane Easter, Patrick Folliard, Richard Foster, Lauren Gabor, Jeff Halliday, Michael Mergen, Greg Prouty, Gary Robertson Advisor y Board

Strategic Planning Over the next year, I plan to work with our campus leadership to lay the foundation for an enhanced strategic planning process that will serve as a framework for many years to come.This is crucial not only for our 2014 reaccreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools but also for effective internal decision making. We have strong leaders with interesting and creative ideas, ready to come together for a common goal and vision.

Larissa Fergeson, Franklin Grant ’80, Suzy Palmer, Kenneth Perkins, Bryan Rowland, Nancy Shelton ’68, Bennie Waller ’90, Elizabeth Power-deFur Board of Visitors

Marianne M. Radcliff ’92, Rector, Richmond John W. Daniel II, Richmond Edward I. Gordon, Farmville Eric Hansen, Lynchburg Rita B. Hughes ’74, Virginia Beach Thomas A. Johnson, Lynchburg Judi M. Lynch ’87, Vice Rector, Richmond Jane S. Maddux, Charlottesville Stephen Mobley ’93, McLean Brad E. Schwartz ’84, Chesapeake Shelby J. Walker M.S. ’93, Charlotte Courthouse Lacy Ward Jr., Farmville Ronald Olswyn White, Midlothian Editorial offices for Longwood magazine are maintained at the Office of Public Relations, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909.

Telephone: 434-395-2020; email: pr@longwood.edu.

Comments, letters and contributions are encouraged.

Printed on recycled stocks.

No state funds were used to print this publication.

To request this magazine in alternate format (large print, braille, audio, etc.), please contact the Longwood Learning Center, 434-395-2391; TRS: 711.

Published September 2012

Financial Bandwidth With state funding continuing to be unreliable, it is more important than ever for us to focus on financial bandwidth. We are committed to ensuring that the cost of education is within reach of our students.To accomplish that while maintaining our high standards is challenging—but I believe we are up to the task. From increased efficiencies to finding new revenue streams, we will be reviewing our processes to determine the most effective means of managing the institution.

Communication I am so pleased to have the opportunity to communicate with you through Longwood magazine. I also encourage you to visit our websites—www.longwood.edu, www.why longwood.com, www.longwoodlink.com and www.longwoodlancers.com—for current news and activities. I believe communication is crucial to a productive and engaging campus environment, and it is my goal to improve communication from my office with all constituencies. I want you to be proud of Longwood University and the successes of our faculty, staff and students, and I am looking forward to sharing our good news with you.

Visibility Longwood University and all that we have to offer should not be a well-kept secret!

We’ve made some progress in building our brand and reputation, but there’s more to do. I am committed to meeting with donors, legislators, parents, board members, alumni, prospective students and other friends of Longwood to make sure they know what makes our university special. From our increasingly global perspective to our focus on citizen leadership, from a commitment to honor that has spanned more than 100 years to a dedicated and nurturing faculty, the good news is plentiful, and I need your help spreading the word that Longwood should be a first choice for prospective students. Our alumni know Longwood provided opportunities that enabled them to grow as leaders and as citizens of the world. We all need to show our Lancer pride!

I am looking forward to what the next year will bring, and I appreciate the support I have already received during my first few months in the President’s Office. I am excited about the possibilities and the opportunity to make a difference. Go Lancers!

Marge Connelly Interim President

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ON POINT

Andrea Dailey Kim Lacks and David ‘Sonny’ Lacks Jr. (both seated), granddaughter and son of Henrietta Lacks, sign books after their FirstYear Reading Experience presentation.

Page Turner First Year Reading Experience selects book with powerful messages about race, social justice and medical ethics Longwood’s new students are on the same page — literally.

The First Year Reading Experience (FYRE) bonds new students by having them read a selected text that provides food for thought before they start the fall semester. This year’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, is giving students a new perspective on a wide range of issues, including medical and business ethics, race and social justice, and privacy.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the excitement of the faculty and staff regarding this selection,” said Sarah Whitley ’02, director of First Year Experience and Family Programs. “ I am regularly stopped on the sidewalk by someone who wants to share their experi-

ences in reading the book. Discussion groups are popping up around campus, and we are seeing cross-divisional interactions that typically wouldn’t happen.”

The New York Times best-seller is about a poor African-American woman whose amazing cells, taken without her knowledge shortly before her death from cervical cancer in 1951, became one of the most important tools in medicine, paving the way for numerous breakthroughs including cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. The fact that Lacks grew up only about an hour from Longwood—on a tobacco farm in the Clover area of Halifax County—was a factor in the book’s selection.

As the FYRE book for 2012-14, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is being incorporated into a wide range of campus activities,

including the Longwood Seminar, a required course for freshmen; other academic courses; New Lancer Days; and presentations involving Lacks family members.

“This is a story that is a huge piece of scientific history, and it happened right down the road,” said Dr. Chris McGee, director of the Longwood Seminar and a member of the committee that chooses the First Year Reading Experience books. “ This is a thought-provoking book that should spark a conversation and kindle debate.”

Someone connected to the FYRE book is always invited to New Lancer Days, a four-day orientation for freshmen and transfer students just before the fall semester begins. Lacks’ son, David “Sonny” Lacks Jr., and his daughter, Kim Lacks, both of Baltimore (where Henrietta Lacks lived after getting married), spoke Aug. 17 at a New Lancer Days panel discussion and question-and-answer session. About 10 members of the Lacks family from Clover, including another granddaughter of Henrietta’s and two of her great-grandchildren, also were in the audience that evening.

“The book asks us to confront issues we normally don’t think about,” said Dr. David Magill, assistant professor of English, who moderated the panel discussion. “It has all the markings of a great American story: a woman and her family detrimentally affected by race and poverty, and a dedicated writer who uncovered the tale and built a friendship with the family across those racial lines.”

The book was used last spring semester in the biology capstone course taught by Dr. Mark Fink, head of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. “ The students were fascinated by the book and were very engaged,” he said. “A lot of them came away thinking it was the best part of the class.” The book also will be part of this year’s capstone, which will be taught both semesters by Dr. Amorette Barber.

“The growth of Henrietta Lacks’ cells allowed for the development of the current techniques we need for cell culture,” said Barber, who as an undergraduate was told by a biology professor that the cells came from a Caucasian woman named Helen Lane. “Millions of researchers have used her cells. I’ve used them in my cancer research and HIV research.

The cells have even gone up into space.”

A community blog (http://blogs.longwood. edu/onewall/) is facilitating discussion of the book, which also is being used in Longwood nursing and English classes.—Kent Booty

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Forbes, Princeton Review praise Longwood as one of nation’s best Longwood University is for the third consecutive year included as one of the best colleges in the United States in the annual survey published by Forbes magazine. Longwood also was selected by The Princeton Review as one of 136 “Best in the Southeast” colleges and universities.

Forbes’ list of 650 undergraduate institutions, compiled with research from the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, is based on factors that measure the quality of the education each school provides, the experiences of its students and the achievements of its graduates.

The rankings are based on the general categories of post-graduate success, student satisfaction, debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards.

“The rankings focus on the things that matter the most to students: quality of teaching, great career prospects, high graduation rates and low levels of debt,” said Forbes staff writer Michael Noer.

The Princeton Review staff identified schools they considered the “regional bests” in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West. A total of 633 schools received this designation.

“From hundreds of institutions we reviewed in each region, we selected these colleges and universities primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of The Princeton Review, in his letter notifying Longwood of its inclusion. “We also took into account what students attending the schools reported to us about their campus experiences. ... Our ‘regional best’ colleges constitute only 25 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges—a select group, indeed.”

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From Zero to Belly Laugh in 10 Minutes Professor wows audiences around the globe with mini comedies In the zany world of Dr. Brett Hursey’s plays, published three books of poetry and two shorter books of poetry called chapbooks. Writing drama the characters really are characters.

One, convinced he has a disease called “rab- came naturally for the former child actor.

“I wanted to get back into playwriting, but bititis,” wears large rabbit ears, a pink nose it takes a long time to write a full-length play,” and long whiskers. Another dresses as a ninja he said. “Not long after coming here, I saw an every time his mother-in-law comes to visit ad, a call, for 10-minute plays at a regional and tries to ambush her. theater. I had no idea what a 10-minute play The Longwood English professor’s 10was. I started doing research on the Internet, minute comedies, however, are more than and, what I saw, I really liked. I thought, sketches or a series of cheap laughs. Despite ‘ What the heck. I’ll try this.’” their quirky characters and absurdist plots, Hursey’s first effort, Scrambled, was acthey are portrayals of human nature—and they are making a name for Hursey in the in- cepted by a festival, which he says is rare.

Maybe it was the weirdness that caught the creasingly popular genre of 10-minute plays. festival judge’s eye. Scrambled is about a young Hursey’s shows have been produced in five husband who buys a box of tampons for a foreign countries and in more than 100 thewoman and how his wife reacts when she finds aters across the United States—including out. The husband isn’t having an affair, but it more than 50 off/off-off-Broadway producstill annoys his wife, Hursey said. tions. The venues have ranged from Long“I don’t know where I come up with my wood’s black box theater to festivals in ideas,” Hursey said. “I’m just writing what Australia, Luxembourg and Belgium. His plays also have been produced in cities includ- I see in the real world, and I just push it a little further. I always try to have at least a moing Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Detroit, and one play was recently ment when the play stops being absurd and moves closer to reality, because the best abmade into a short film. surdity is simply twisted reality.”—Kent Booty “Brett Hursey is nationally known for his short, humorous plays; however, he is not just writing sketch comedy,” said Dr. Rhonda Brock-Servais, chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages. “Each play has, at its heart, a very genuine person who finds him/herself in a deeply weird situation.”

Hursey has written about 20 short plays, all of which have been staged, usually as part of a festival of 10-minute shows.

“I want my plays to be more than cheap laughs. Anyone can write cheap laughs,” said Hursey, an associate professor of English who teaches creative writing. “What is tougher is to write character-driven comedy so the audience is not laughing at the slapstick but at the characters. I want the audience to identify with the characters and find them funny because of their own trials.”

Before joining the Longwood faculty in 2004, Hursey had writBrett Hursey ten full-length plays and

ON POINT

Leighan Worden ’13 takes a break from introducing kickball to students in Limerick, Ireland.

Lucky Draw Special program allows student teachers to complete practicum in Ireland Student-teaching assignments aren’t known for their exotic locations. Maybe that’s why several aspiring teachers from Longwood have such big smiles on their faces.

In May, they spent three weeks in Limerick, Ireland, completing a teaching practicum that placed them in five elementary schools. After the last bell on Friday, it was the student teachers’ turn to learn, with the Irish countryside and its world-famous attractions serving as the classroom.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Leighan Worden, a junior from Chesapeake who had never before traveled outside the United States. “When we had to come back, we didn’t want to leave.”

Longwood student teachers have had the opportunity to take the Ireland Practicum II course for more than a decade thanks to a special relationship between Longwood and Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Typically taken after a student’s sophomore year, the 3-credit Practicum II (Education 370) course is required of all students in Longwood’s teacher-preparation program. The version offered in Ireland is offered each May and is overseen by Dr. Nancy Powers, assis-

tant professor of education and elementary education coordinator.

“It’s three weeks of teaching and touring,” said Powers, who has accompanied the students the last three years. “They teach all day Monday through Friday, then tour the country on the weekend.”

Worden, who taught a fourth-grade class at the Christian Brothers School (CBS) Sexton Street, was one of 10 Longwood students (one

Jesslyn Woodson, a senior from Farmville, also taught a fourth-grade class at CBS Sexton Street. “I had students from all over the world: Afghanistan, Iraq, Poland and Scotland. It was a wonderful experience and an eye-opener as to what the world is like,” said Woodson, who also traveled outside the U.S. for the first time to take the course.

Emily Miller, a junior from Fredericksburg, taught a sixth-grade class at St. Patrick’s Girls

‘ It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’ — Leighan Worden ’13 is a special education major; the rest are liberal studies majors) who traveled to Ireland for the course in 2012.

“The students in my classroom came from diverse backgrounds,” said Worden, a member of the Cormier Honors College. “I had some ESL kids from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Egypt, and I had a severe ADHD child who was a challenge but in a good way.

It was tough, but it will help me in the future because I know I won’t have a perfect classroom.”

National School, and the last two weeks she helped one hour a day with “junior infants”— 4- and 5-year-olds. For physical education, she taught a lesson on kickball, which her students had never played. “That’s an American game, so they were excited,” said Miller, a member of the Cormier Honors College.

To be eligible for the Ireland Practicum II course, students must have been accepted into the teacher education program and have a grade-point average of at least 2.5 and two recommendations.—Kent Booty

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ON POINT

Working deep in the George Washington National Forest, Elliot Lassiter ’13 inspects a wood turtle.

Slowing the Race to Extinction Biology students work with professor to study risks to the endangered wood turtle ne of nature’s slowest moving creatures is quickly declining in population, and a student/faculty research team from Longwood is working to find out why.

Dr. Tom Akre, associate professor of biology, and three senior biology students spent part of the summer tracking the movements and reproduction habits of the endangered wood turtle.

Working deep in the George Washington National Forest near the border of Virginia and West Virginia, the group tracked the movements of wood turtles through radiofrequency tags attached to the turtles’ shells.

They spent most of the day and sometimes late into the night in the woods tracking the turtles and strategically placing remote cameras to capture predators’ attacks on nests.

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The work this summer was the third year The research group is also focusing on of a five-year study to examine the nesting nest patch selection, which is another habits of the turtle. Working with Akre were significant problem impacting the populasenior biology students Elliot Lassiter from tion of wood turtles. As lower elevation sites Locust Grove, Bryan Johnson from Frederwith sandy beaches disappear due to develicksburg and Alan Nowlin from Richmond. opment, the remaining populations at This was Lassiter’s second summer working higher elevations within the George Washon the project. In 2011, the group found ington National Forest nest on road cut 33 turtle nests. banks, which may not be the best for “This year we were looking at the influence recruitment. of predators on turtle nests,” said Akre, whose “The goals of our research study are to article “Troubled Times for Turtles” was pub- find out where wood turtles are nesting in lished in the spring 2012 issue of The Piedthe George Washington National Forest and mont Virginian. to find out where wood turtles can still be “Some of the reasons that wood turtles are found in northern Virginia,” said Akre. disappearing include that the nests don’t sur- “We also want to educate landowners about vive, the adult turtles are getting hit [by cars], how they can safeguard their habitats in and the hatchlings are being eaten by predaorder to protect and preserve the wood turtle tors such as raccoons or skunks,” said Akre. in Virginia.”— Gina Caldwell

ON POINT

Painful Lessons Expert says torture didn’t work in the Middle Ages and it won’t work today Though water-boarding and sleep deprivation have replaced the rack and hot irons, a Longwood University professor who is an expert on the Middle Ages doesn’t think much has changed when it comes to the use of torture by people in power.

Centuries before the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the controversial use of torture in the war on terror, the same debate on the morality and effectiveness of torture was taking place, said Dr. Larissa “Kat” Tracy, a spe-

delights in setting the record straight on the medieval period.

“A lot of my work is debunking or challenging modern misconceptions about the Middle Ages,” she said. “Many people have bought into the misconception that there was a lot of torture and that it was endemically violent.

The word ‘medieval’ has come to be associated with violence.”

In truth, torture was not practiced as widely in the Middle Ages as is thought, Tracy said.

‘ Our debates about who we Americans are as a people who use torture in foreign policy are nothing new. Human beings haven’t changed an awful lot.’

— Professor Larissa Tracy cialist in medieval literature who has studied, lectured and written about torture and brutality in the Middle Ages. She is the author of Torture and Brutality in Medieval Literature: Negotiations of National Identity and one of two co-editors of Heads Will Roll: Decapitation in the Medieval and Early Modern Imagination, both published recently.

“We’re having the same debates today as people had in the 13th and 14th centuries,” said Tracy, associate professor of medieval literature. “Our debates about who we Americans are as a people who use torture in foreign policy are nothing new. Human beings haven’t changed an awful lot.”

Tracy said many authorities in the Middle Ages stopped using torture because they realized it was unreliable and ineffective.

“They didn’t want their national identity wrapped up in torture,” she said. “It didn’t work for them, and it won’t work for us.

Thanks to the luxury of history, we don’t need to make the same mistakes.”

The use of torture isn’t the only mistake that Tracy discusses with passion. She also

“It was used by tyrants and by people who abused their position. What is often called torture wasn’t torture but punishment—like being hanged, drawn and quartered. Torture wasn’t common in the Middle Ages and was illegal in England.”

Tracy is quick to dispel any inferences that may be drawn from the gruesome nature of her subject matter.

“People assume you must be twisted to revel in torture. I don’t revel in it,” she said with a laugh. “I’m a complete pacifist, the biggest peacenik you’ll ever meet.”

Tracy is busy with papers and presentations on torture. She gave a paper at the International Congress of Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in the spring and gave a paper in July at the International Medieval Congress in Leeds, England. This fall, she will give another paper at Duke University and speak at Catholic University. She cofounded and co-directs Longwood’s Undergraduate Research Conference in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, held every spring since 2007.— Kent Booty

“S m al l Talk”

overheard on the Longwood campus

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You all are incredibly blessed to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia—the mother of presidents, the cradle of democracy. [For] 236 years, your state, Virginia, has contributed perhaps more than any other state to the ideas of liberty and freedom and free enterprise and civility and business.”

Bob McDonnell governor of Virginia, to the attendees of the 66th Virginia Girls State in June

need to answer three questions while “You you are here. Who are you? Where are you going? How will you get there?”

Tim Pierson vice president for student affairs, to new students and their families at orientation in June

“

The best decision I made in my life was to forgive the guy who shot me. Had I not forgiven him, I would not be an educational consultant or a husband or a father.”

Hashim Garrett partially paralyzed in a gang shooting at age 15 and now a motivational speaker, at theYouth Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention Project conference in July

think the way they took the cells wasn’t “Iright, but without research we wouldn’t find cures. So I wouldn’t go against the taking of the cells.”

David “Sonny” Lacks Jr. about the contribution his mother’s cells have made to science, at a FirstYear Reading Experience presentation in August (see related story on Page 3)

“

I think schools are killing readers. Schools often value the development of test-takers more than they value the development of readers.

We’re raising multiple-choice thinkers in an essay world.”

Kelly Gallagher high-school English teacher and author of Readicide and Deeper Reading, at the Longwood Summer Literacy Institute in July

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Oh, Happy Day Longwood awards more than 1,000 degrees at 2012 commencement More than 1,000 degrees were awarded in May to Longwood graduates who were urged to “be fearless in fighting for the America we want to build.”

Former Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas, who received an honorary doctor of laws degree, told the graduates that they have “the collective strength to grab America by the scruff of the neck and set it on the right course.” Under sunny skies, Longwood awarded 875 bachelor’s degrees and 152 master’s degrees.

The Sally Barksdale Hargrett Prize for Academic Excellence, for the student with the highest grade-point average, was shared by Jessica Renee Alley, Jillian Michelle Chesson, Mary Catherine Hoyt, Stephanie Lauren Roddenberry, Crystal Elaine Peoples and Megan Ashley Hendrick. Each had a perfect 4.0 GPA. Hoyt also received Longwood’s other award for graduating seniors, the Dan Daniel Senior Award for Scholarship and Citizenship.

Jeff Halliday, assistant professor of communication studies, received the Student-Faculty Recognition Award, which honors a faculty member for professional excellence and devoted service to students. Halliday, who joined the faculty in 2007, teaches in the mass media concentration and is an adviser to campus radio station WMLU, The Rotunda (student newspaper) and “The Longwood Show.”

In his remarks, Thomas, the first African American appointed to Virginia’s highest court, said today’s college graduates—including those at Longwood—are the key to solving many of the world’s problems.

“I know the solution for what ails us in America and around the world is right here in front of us,” he said. “You can and will be able to change the world for the better.”

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Thomas compared the graduates to a trapeze artist.

“That trapeze artist has something that you guys have today—that trapeze artist has momentum. You leave here with momentum and at the top of your game. We believe you have what it takes to grab that next ring. If all of you work with fairness and honor and fortitude and determination to do the best job that you can ever do anywhere that you find yourself, the world will feel the presence of the Longwood Class of 2012 because together you can move mountains.”

—Kent Booty

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1. Mackenzie Anne King of Stafford is all smiles after receiving her kinesiology degree. 2.The color guard’s helmets reflect the buildings surrounding Wheeler Mall. 3. Professor Jeff Halliday receives the Student-Faculty Recognition Award. 4. MBA graduate W. Bret Lewis of South Boston carries the banner for the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. 5. Former Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas tells graduates they can ’change the world for the better.’ 6. Sammy Elsarrag of Bluefield, a biology graduate, and his family celebrate after the ceremony. 7. Soon-to-be graduates get ready in the Willett Hall gym.

8. Biology graduate Angela Williams of Meherrin inspires future Lancers.

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CrashCourse Conceptual Physics 103 Online Instructor Dr. Michelle Parry, associate professor of physics and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics

What Students Learn How is a rainbow formed? How is electricity produced from wind turbines and electric generators?

Interactive animated simulations and educational videos—many of them onYouTube— help nonscience majors learn basic physics principles in this general education course that is required of liberal studies majors. Many of the lab experiments were converted this summer to interactive simulations, which are more userfriendly than traditional experiments and enable students to focus on the concepts without the technical difficulties of setting up lab equipment.

In addition to using videos with demonstrations that she has found, Parry made some videos of her own for some of the more challenging lessons. “The students are actively engaged in learning, not

In the Trenches Nursing students travel to remote villages in Honduras for hands-on course The classroom for Longwood’s newest course consists of remote, mountainous villages in Honduras with no electricity or running water.

Horses and mules provide transportation, and health care is a visit every six months to a basic health clinic.

It is at these clinics that Longwood nursing students take Special Topics in Nursing 495.

The 1-credit course, offered for the first time in early June, was developed through the nursing program’s involvement in a medical mission trip to what is the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

The course was initiated by Hadley Sporbert, instructor in the nursing program, who is the lead instructor, and Patti Wagner, a clinical nurse in Longwood’s Student Health and Wellness Center who for more than a decade has participated in a medical mission coordinated by the Richmond-based Friends of Barnabas Foundation (FOBF). Sporbert first became interested in this annual mission after accompanying Wagner in June 2011.

When Sporbert and Wagner returned to Honduras this year, they were joined by two rising seniors in the nursing program, Kelli Baker of Keysville and Melissa Nagle of Fredericksburg, who were the first students in the course. Neither had previously been outside the United States. The 15-member volunteer team also included one of Sporbert’s colleagues on the nursing faculty, April Shular.

In the mission, volunteer teams provide basic medical care in five remote mountain villages in central Honduras over a five-day period. From a base camp maintained by the

FOBF in a town called Peña Blanca, the teams travel in an old school bus to each of the sites, which are set up in elementary schools. At each site, where they spend about six hours, the volunteers set up various clinics, including a medical clinic, a de-worming clinic, a visual screening clinic and a clinic in which they paint fluoride on children’s teeth.

“It was important for the students to see community health in action,” said Wagner, who, like Sporbert and Shular, is a registered nurse. “The focus of these trips is increasingly on health education and basic health maintenance—things like clean water and garbage control. We’re more interested now in education and in villages being more involved in their health, as opposed to a band-aid approach. We’ve seen a big improvement in the villages we visit.”

The Longwood team saw a total of 1,099 patients this year, including more than 800 at the medical clinics.

“For these students, it’s important to connect the dots from diagnosis to treatment,” said Sporbert. This experience adds a wealth of knowledge to what they may never get otherwise.”

The course may be expanded to include similar experiences in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

“We hope to develop a course that can be applied to all three sites,” said Dr. Melody Eaton, director of the nursing program. “ This is a great opportunity for our students to really experience different cultures and communities.”—Kent Booty

just reading from a textbook,” said Parry, who has taught the 4-credit course during the summer and intersession since initiating it in 2008. “It’s been a lot of work to develop but fun to teach. It’s great to see that light bulb go off —‘Oh, I get it.’”

Suggested Reading Conceptual Physics Fundamentals (1st edition), Paul G. Hewitt

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Melissa Nagle ’13 had never been outside the United States before traveling to Honduras to take a nursing course and provide care to villagers.

ON POINT

Quality internships help 2011 business grads succeed in finding jobs A recent survey of 2011 graduates of Longwood’s College of Business and Economics shows that 83 percent are employed. Half of these students indicated that their internships helped them secure their current positions, adding that their internships also gave them an advantage in landing jobs in businessrelated fields.

Sociology professor Jake Milne ’97 gave up soccer refereeing to spend more time with his family.

‘Ironically, I am my own statistic,’ he says.

Hanging Up the Whistle Research shows it’s not the physical abuse they suffer but their own personal issues that make soccer refs quit

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early 90 percent of soccer referees have been physically abused on the field, but that’s not what’s making them hang up their whistles, according to the findings of a research study by a Longwood sociologist, himself a former ref.

“I wasn’t surprised at all by the level of physical abuse. It’s more common than you would expect,” said Dr. Jason “Jake” Milne, assistant professor of sociology, who defined physical abuse in the study as any form of physical contact between a player and a referee, such as a putting his finger on the ref ’s chest. “I was hit twice in my reffing career.

Once I was pushed. The other time I was slugged in the shoulder— he missed my face and hit my shoulder. I’ve also been spat at.

“However, quitting doesn’t have a thing to do with abuse,” he said. “It has to do with identity — how committed are you to the role.”

About half of all soccer referees in Virginia quit within two years. According to Milne’s findings, they leave mostly because of issues having to do with family and work. His results were published in the fall/winter 2011 issue of Sociation Today, the online journal of the North Carolina Sociological Association.

The article grew out of Milne’s dissertation,

“An Identity Theory of Role Exit among Soccer Referees.”

“Ironically, I am my own statistic,” said Milne, who reffed for 20 years before hanging up his whistle last year. “I would leave Sunday for Richmond at 6 a.m., ref all day and not return until 5 or 6 p.m. That cut into my family time. As an assistant professor, I have to worry about getting tenure, and rising gas prices were eating up my budget. It just wasn’t worth it anymore. Many refs quit when they start a family or for work reasons. It’s called ‘role conflict.’ Something has to give. For me, reffing had to give.”

In recent years, much of Milne’s refereeing was in Richmond on Sundays, when he would typically work three games. “It took a huge time commitment. Each game took about two hours, and I had to be there 45 minutes before the first game.”

Does he miss refereeing? “There are days I miss it. But when I watch the Redskins’ games with my son, who is 2-1/2, I don’t miss it,” he said. “For years my license plate said ‘DR REF,’ so you can see it was a big part of my life. But then it became not as important as my family or my job. A lot of soccer refs return to it when their kids are grown, and I anticipate I will probably go back. I enjoy being on the field.”—Kent Booty

‘ Working with Longwood University for our internship program is a great collaboration.The university’s McGaughy Internship Program does an excellent job with developing students to be an effective part of a team.’

—Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Students in the College of Business and Economics, like all undergraduate students at Longwood, are required to complete an internship, research or other hands-on learning experience, which sets Longwood apart from most universities.

CBE students scored top-notch internships that turned into full-time positions at organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Gantt Insurance Agency and Norfolk Southern.Their supervisors at these organizations have high praise for the students and the internship program.

“Working with Longwood University for our internship program is a great collaboration.

The university’s McGaughy Internship Program does an excellent job with developing students to be an effective part of a team,” said a representative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “And, with our important work for America’s economy, we need those highcaliber students who are well-prepared and able to exceed expectations in the workplace.”

A spokesperson for Gantt Insurance Agency said the agency’s intern from Longwood was impressive. “From day one, he has shown up with a go-get-it attitude. I have put him through some difficult and challenging situations, and every time he has come through with no problems. … It is very evident that Longwood has done a great job teaching their students and preparing them for the real world.” —Lauren Gabor

FALL 2012 I 11

12 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Democracy doesn’t just happen in the halls of

Congress or the General Assembly. It also happens in funeral homes, skating rinks, diners and a lot of other unlikely places where many Americans go to cast their votes.

When Longwood photography professor Michael Mergen discovered that schools and churches are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to polling places, he couldn’t resist the idea of documenting the more offbeat locations. He has taken photographs of voting booths in private homes, auto repair shops,

Getting into the

“There was a barbershop that was serving as a polling place, and it made an OK picture. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, ‘There’s something more to this.’ On the same day, I was on the way home and saw a polling place in a private home.”

The idea of the public/private collision taking place when voting is carried out in private businesses and homes was of particular interest, and Mergen carefully filed it away for future reference. When the 2008 presidential election rolled around, Mergen had applied to graduate

VOTE

X

Michael Mergen

All works are archival pigment prints, 16 x 36 inches, courtesy of the artist

Professor’s photographic series explores offbeat polling places

by Sabrina Brown

convenience stores, restaurants and barber shops across the country, capturing a slice of Americana and providing an intriguing glimpse of democracy in action. With the upcoming presidential election, the series, titled Vote, has caught the attention of Harper’s magazine, which ran a story featuring 12 of the photos in February, and several art galleries.

The inspiration for Vote came to Mergen, assistant professor of art/photography, during the 2004 presidential election, when he was working as a photojournalist for Bloomberg News in Philadelphia.

school at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and the time was right to kick the idea into high gear.

“I got a list of all the polling places in Philadelphia—there were about 1,100,” he said. He narrowed the list down to those that seemed most interesting, then got up at 5:30 a.m. on election day and hit the trail. By the time the polls closed at 8 p.m., he had photographed more than 25 voting locations.

Mergen continued to work on the series after he entered graduate school, receiving a small grant from America: Now and Here and RISD.

The complete series, photographed over a twoyear period, includes polling places in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Michigan and Tennessee, and is a major part of his master’s thesis.

All the photos are horizontal, taken with a panoramic camera using a single lens. The format “proved to be a welcome limitation, allowing me to focus more intensely on the scene,” Mergen wrote in his thesis.

Another limitation he faced was frequently having to convince poll workers that he had the right to take photos of the voting process. “At one location [in Philadelphia], a John McCain campaign worker forcibly prevented me from entering someone’s home that was serving as a polling place,” Mergen wrote in his thesis. From that point on, he made sure to carry documentation of photographers’ legal rights on Election Day. One of several projects Mergen has undertaken that deal with civic themes (others include jury deliberation rooms and structures across the country with a “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” address), Vote contributes to the conversation about how democracy works outside the halls of government, he said.

Exhibitions Vote: Photographs by Michael Mergen Longwood Center for the Visual Arts Sept. 28 - Nov. 24, 2012 Opening reception: Sept. 28, 5 - 7 p.m.

Vote Locks Gallery, Philadelphia Nov. 2 - Dec. 8, 2012 Peripheral Views: States of America (15 works from the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue series) Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago July 13 - Sept. 30, 2012 Adapt (three works from Vote) PhotoIreland Festival, Dublin July 19 - Aug. 4, 2012

Early Voting No.2, Henderson, NV, 2010 of which are located in supermarkets.

Early elections in Nevada allow residents to vote at a number of early voting sites—not just their assigned precincts—the majority

FALL 2012 I 13

Precinct 28080, Providence, RI, 2010 In a greenhouse run by the city of Providence, Mergen was captivated by the early morning light, which resembled the light of the machines, and the fragile legs of the booths that seemed to mirror the fragile plants in the rear.

14 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE Early Voting No.10, LasVegas, NV, 2010 Mergen was drawn to the repetition of the voting machines and the similar repetition of the slot machines at this supermarket.

‘Plus, there’s something very odd to me about voting in such close proximity to a small casino like this,’ he said.

Precinct 32904, Gilman Hot Springs, CA, 2010 The international headquarters of the Church of Scientology opened this golf course building to voters. ‘I love the light fixtures and the mounted animals above,’ said Mergen.

Precinct 308, Stillwater, OK, 2010

‘I almost always go to the private residences—you just never know what you’ll find,’ said Mergen, who found the light in this home’s garage ‘eerie.’

FALL 2012 I 15

Precinct 22016, Corona, CA, 2010 Mergen says this shot, reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s iconic painting Nighthawks, may be his favorite in the series. ‘The iconic images of Norman Rockwell on the walls, well, I think they were a photographic gift,’ he said.

16 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE Ward 64, Precinct 11, Philadelphia, PA, 2008 Mergen was thrilled when he walked into this funeral home in Northeast Philadelphia. ‘Sometimes you just walk right into a photograph.

The way the tarp over the car matches the curtains of the machines is really nice, and the car itself reminds me of a well-known photograph from Robert Frank’s The Americans.’

Precinct 9002139A, Valley Village, CA, 2010 ‘I really like the mix of different light in here and, of course, the language on the window. A lot of the words echo the rhetoric of campaign language,’ said Mergen.

Precinct 22020, Corona, CA, 2010 This garage is part of a private home. ‘I just love how it’s filled with classic symbols of Americana: a surfboard, cowboy hat and football helmet,’ said Mergen, adding that the homeowner, also the poll worker, was not pleased he was taking photos.

FALL 2012 I 17

Ward 40, Precinct 32, Philadelphia, PA, 2008 A roller rink close to the Philadelphia airport attracted Mergen with its color combinations: ‘the way the cool blue of the machine pops against all of the warm yellow of the lockers, seats and floors.’

18 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Interim President Marge Connelly says she has fallen in love with Longwood.

FEARLESS

LEADER She’s swum with sharks—both in the water and in the corporate world—and now Interim President Marge Connelly is putting her love of a challenge to work for Longwood

W

BY R IC HA R D F OST E R

hen you’ve swum with sharks, everything else is easy.

Back in early 2010, Longwood Interim President Marge Connelly, an inveterate world traveler, was working in South Africa in her capacity as global chief operating officer for Londonbased Barclaycard. While traveling through Cape Town, she decided to embark on a cagediving photo safari among great white sharks.

“Basically you’re in a cage, and you have to keep your fingers in because [the sharks] bump the cage. You are two inches from them,” Connelly said. From the tour boat above, her guides chummed the water with bloody fish bits, trolling a large hunk of tuna on a giant hook for good measure. Packs of great whites converged on the area like an arsenal of heatseeking torpedoes, frenzying around the shark cage as they attacked the fish meat.

“So that was intense,” she said, without a whiff of hyperbole.

Connelly, who became Longwood University’s interim president July 1 and served as acting president in June, is a woman unafraid of challenges; she excitedly greets new experiences.

“It’s easy to have energy when you’re doing something that’s truly exciting and fulfilling—

and that’s what I believe this job is going to be for me,” said Connelly. She replaces Patrick Finnegan, who stepped down from the presidency for health reasons in May. Formerly rector of Longwood’s Board of Visitors and a longtime member of that body, Connelly brings to her new role an impressive history of international business leadership and financial expertise. In a little more than a decade, she worked her way from a customerservice job to one of the highest-ranking executive positions at Fortune 500 credit card company Capital One. She then served as chief operating officer at Wachovia Securities before moving to London to work for Barclaycard.

She and her partner of nearly 20 years, Julie Christopher, live in Keswick, Va., and have two grown children: Carolyn West, 24, who works in operations risk management for Capital One; and Ryan West, 32, a high-school history teacher in Tucson, Ariz. Connelly and Christopher, the retired former commissioner of the Virginia Department for the Aging, are ardent travelers. They’ve trekked through more than 20 countries in just the last few years, snorkeling with whale sharks off the Philippines coastline and witnessing the annual Great

Andrea Dailey

FALL 2012 I 19

Travel and photography, two of President Connelly’s passions, have combined to take her on adventures in East Africa, Indonesia, Alaska, the Arctic Circle and other exotic locations.

Wildlife photos by Marge Connelly

20 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Andrea Dailey

(left) Connelly’s family: Ryan West; partner, Julie Christopher; and Carolyn West. (right) Connelly with participants in the 2012 Digispired ii Summer Academy, a program for high-school students interested in game design and program coding.

Migration in East Africa, with Connelly However, both Morris and Radcliff note As president, Connelly’s priorities include recording their adventures through her camera that Connelly is also known for her approachmoving forward on capital projects such lens along the way. (It’s “a totally astounding ability and her sense of fun. In her youth, she as the construction of a new alumni center, thing to be with literally millions of animals sang and played keyboards in an all-girl rock a student success center and a university cengathering to cross the river and follow the band that was a mix “between Heart and the ter. The latter “needs to be a centerpiece rains and grasses,” she said of the migration.)

Go-Go’s.” (“She has invited some of us who for the entire campus. We really don’t have In fact, a couple of years ago, Connelly’s play to join her on the porch at Longwood that now,” Connelly said. “It will be an immentor and onetime boss, former portant addition to the overCapital One CEO Nigel W. Morall student experience and She is one of the most productive ris, bumped into her while vacastudent success. A lot of learntioning on a remote Indonesian ing is going to go on inside and efficient people I’ve ever come across. island. “I’m walking on the beach walls.”

She seriously gets stuff done. Marge Connelly those with my son, and all of a sudden ...

Additionally she wants to is the engine that gets stuff to happen. there’s Marge,” Morris said with focus on streamlining internal astonishment. “How can that posprocesses and identifying and — N IG EL W. MO RRI S, Former CEO, Capital One sibly be? The odds of that would eliminating gaps in faculty and be one in a hundred million!” staff compensation. Connelly Longwood is fortunate to have landed ConHouse for some informal jams. I’m looking also is excited about ushering in Longwood’s nelly, Morris said. “She is one of the most proforward to it!” said Charles Ross, dean of first year as a Big South Conference univerductive and efficient people I’ve ever come Longwood’s Cook-Cole College of Arts sity and wants to get the university commuacross,” he said. “She seriously gets stuff done. and Sciences.) nity focused on working together and with Marge Connelly is the engine that gets stuff to Connelly hopes to become a familiar face partners in the Farmville area. happen.” on campus, maybe sitting in on a few classes, “I want to create an environment where “She’s very much a roll-up-her-sleeves-andsuch as photography, for fun. She’s also “not folks feel re-energized and re-engaged,” said get-involved kind of leader,” agreed Longdisappointed that there’s a golf course directly Connelly. “I have really fallen in love with the wood Board of Visitors Rector Marianne in front of Longwood House [the president’s school over the eight years I’ve been involved Radcliff ’92. “She has tremendous underresidence], and I’ve already got my memberwith it, and I do believe that some of the skills standing of the issues she speaks about. And if ship to the fitness center,” said the athletically and abilities I’ve developed in the private secthere’s something she feels she needs to know minded Connelly, whose hobbies have intor can be of value here. I really believe they more about, she really digs in and learns. ... cluded scuba diving, kayaking and SEAL can help the strengthen the school as it conIt makes her a pleasure to work with.” team fitness training. tinues to evolve.”

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FALL 2012 I 21

B

UILDING an independ-

ent design career isn’t easy.

It requires limitless creativity, resourcefulness and energy to spare, along with a first-rate business mind. The hours are long, money is typically tight, and uncertainties abound. (Not to mention, the competition is fierce.) Still, if the passion and talent are there, it’s an attainable goal and the rewards are great.

In the following pages, you’ll meet three Longwood University graduates who are successfully pursuing design careers despite these formidable challenges. Robert

Chapman, Jennifer Carpenter and Jason St. Peter— a furniture designer, fashion designer and graphic designer, respectively—all readily agree that having your own design business is tough, but the satisfaction derived from the venture is huge whether it comes from the creative triumphs or acquiring the day-to-day skills involved in keeping things afloat. And, as their professional futures unfold, these exceptional alumni are learning to use both unbridled artistry and grounded good sense in making their design dreams a reality.

Design Challenge

a

Alums turn fabric, ink, paper, wood, passion and talent into successful businesses

by Patrick Folliard 22 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Photos by Andrea Dailey

The Furniture Designer Robert Chapman ’02

24 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Robert Chapman ’02 loves a well-made modern chair. A graduate of the College of Business and Economics with a major in economics, Chapman is working to make his passion pay. As the owner of Archer, a midcentury-inspired design line and store of the same name in D.C.’s tony Georgetown neighborhood, he is slowly but surely establishing himself as the go-to guy for those seeking

has indeed changed: Chapman is exceptionally knowledgeable yet reserved—and honest.

Not long after graduating from Longwood, Chapman’s grandmother died, leaving an estate that included a cache of antique furnishings.

He volunteered to sell what the family didn’t want on eBay, and, during the process, discovered a love for the funky mid-century decorative items that other vendors were selling.

‘ For me, hunting for beautiful things is exciting. I like

finding things that other people don’t want and selling them to others who value them.’ —Robert Chapman ’02

modern furniture and fine art. (Mid-century refers mainly to the 1950s and ’60s.)

His open, white-walled showroom features groupings of sleek low couches, simple tables and oversized lighting features. Think sets from television’s “Mad Men” but more sophisticated.

His limited stock comprises both reproductions (including his own designs) and vintage items, as well a selection of museum-quality paintings by artists like Gene Davis from Washington’s important Color Field movement.

“For me, hunting for beautiful things is exciting. I like finding things that other people don’t want and selling them to others who value them; or, in many cases, keeping them for myself,” said Chapman.

Growing up in Alexandria, Va., Chapman already enjoyed the hunt. He and a pal regularly spent Saturday mornings riding their bicycles to yard sales in search of treasures, frequently making small purchases with a profitable resale in mind. To this day, Chapman’s mother admonishes him for selling a length of garden hose to a neighbor boy for $5 after convincing him it was a rare musical instrument. Over the years, his sales approach

He quickly established a niche business handling eBay sales for antiques dealers in the Northern Virginia area. Eventually, he opened Modernicus, a mid-century showroom in a funky antiques mall in Alexandria. Four years later, he was ready to relocate and focus exclusively on designing and selling high-end, beautiful pieces.

Just months prior to opening Archer in Georgetown in the fall of 2011, Chapman had begun manufacturing his own designs.

Inspired by the work of mid-century industrial designer Dieter Rams and architect Mies van der Rohe, he developed his own aesthetic: simple and elegant. Chapman’s design work gives him an opportunity to be creative, but it’s a business, too, he said. And, as much as Chapman loves being his own boss, the pressures of owning a business are great.

“In the early days of my career, there was just the camera, computer and the eBay fees.

When I went brick and mortar, there was rent.

In my current location, costs have gone way up,” he said. “I’ll be honest, some nights I lie awake thinking about the overhead here in Georgetown. You have to manage your money very carefully.”

Robert Chapman’s furniture store, Archer, is located in Georgetown and features his own mid-centuryinspired design line.

During his four years at Longwood, Chapman more or less put his more creative impulses on hold, but it wasn’t time wasted—far from it. “As a business owner, I’ve dusted off the tools I acquired in business classes and put them to very good use. Lessons in supply and demand have been especially helpful in terms of pricing vintage furniture and fine art.

And Dr. Frank Bacon’s finance class has also proved particularly useful. He covered things like working capital and lines of credit—very

In a dramatically lit show, lithe models walked the runway in Carpenter’s soignée but never stuffy creations, including chic little cocktail dresses, sparkly short skirts, silky slim-fitting and flared trousers, and a show-stopping mermaid evening gown—all in a palette of red, white and black.

The fashion show was a very satisfying experience, she says, and she’s eager for more. As a matter of fact, added Carpenter (not one to miss an opportunity), she is slated to show her

‘I’ve been working since I was 12 years old. I don’t know how to slow down.’ —Jennifer Carpenter ’02 practical concepts that didn’t have any meaning to me then but are very important for me to understand now.”

Longtime D.C.-based interior designer Nestor Santa-Cruz said Chapman displays an uncommon passion for mid-century design, both vintage and contemporary editions of classic mid-century design. “And very importantly,” he added, “Robert understands what interior designers are looking for. In the year or so that I’ve worked with him, he’s been willing to listen and offer his point of view. He does his homework and finds what we need.

“His shop is appealing to both interior designers and customers without feeling contrived,” said Santa-Cruz. “Through discipline and hard work, he’s carving out a niche for sure. In his quiet way, Robert is steadily become a resource in the D.C. design community.”

spring/summer collection at VAFW (Virginia Fashion Week) in Virginia Beach in October.

While her label, J. Carpentier (a nod to how her family name was once spelled), is geared toward professional women who are strong, independent and not afraid to look sexy, she promises a slightly more feminine, romantic feel for the upcoming show.

After graduating from Longwood with a major in marketing, Carpenter began a career in government contracting. She did well but wasn’t professionally satisfied, so she headed west to study fashion design at Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). After graduating in 2008, she began to work in the industry, designing for Scala Eveningwear, BG Haute and Ludus Athletics, where she also served as vice president.

Currently, the Richmond-based designer is again proposing government contracts for an For fashion designer Jennifer Carpenter IT company by day. Her nights are exclusively ’ 02, also a graduate of the College of Business devoted to clothes. From sketching to construcand Economics, 2012 is turning out to be a tion, fashion design is time-consuming, but, banner year. In April, she debuted her new fall fortunately for the self-described overachiever, collection at the RVA Fashion Week’s finale at hard work has never been issue. “I’ve been Richmond’s historic Hippodrome Theatre. working since I was 12 years old. I don’t know

Jennifer Carpenter’s designs hit the runway during RVA Fashion Week.

26 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

The Fashion Designer Jennifer Carpenter ’02

FALL 2012 I 27

Jason St. Peter ’03

The Graphic Designer (above)T-shirts with Jason St. Peter’s King Pin design were sold at GAP stores nationwide. (right)The graphic designer has done work for a wide range of clients.

how to slow down. Every hour of the day is scheduled in my daily planner.”

She learned the basics of sewing in 4-H. As a young girl growing up in rural central Virginia, she restyled her one piece swimsuits as bikinis and turned out scrunchies by the dozen.

She also sketched imaginary wardrobes for herself and her sisters. Still, she doesn’t consider herself a seamstress: “I know construction and sew well enough to make a sample, but when it’s something for a customer I contract out the sewing to a manufacturer. It needs to be perfect.”

By combining her total professional experiences, she is hoping to grow the J. Carpentier brand. One idea involves securing contracts to

28 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

design activewear apparel for government employees. She’d also like to open a boutique within the next several years.

Carpenter credits one of her Longwood professors, the late Dr. G. Dean Palmer, with urging her to think positively and set motivational goals. He reached out to Carpenter and her two sisters, all of whom were enrolled in the business school at the same time.

And because the fashion industry is very much about the bottom line, she values the lessons she learned in business school: “What I learned at Longwood is allowing me to be a successful business person in whatever field I decide to pursue.”

When pressed to describe his work, graphic There was nowhere to go but up, and that’s designer Jason St. Peter ’03 says, “It’s what he did. minimalistic.” Then he adds, “It’s about the “Every year there I was promoted,” he said. concept not the brushwork. I like taking ideas “By my final year I was a visual merchandiser and everyday things and putting an unexsupervisor developing 80-page manuals on pected and often whimsical twist on them.” how to build the interior of a store from a

‘ I don’t want to be a designer trapped inside his own creative box.’ —Jason St. Peter ’03 His most widely known work to date visual perspective. It was frustrating as the a GAP T-shirt— fits the description well. company neared bankruptcy, but I learned Earlier this year, St. Peter’s artwork was sea lot about business.” lected to emblazon T-shirts selling in GAP After graduating from Longwood, St. Peter (who earned a BFA in visual arts with a constores nationwide. The clever design is both boldly simple and whimsical: a safety pin centration in graphic design) joined the Army Reserve. He served three months in Iraq, and topped with a crown (a king pin).

The selection of St. Peter’s design by GAP then switched to the Air National Guard, was the result of a joint project between the where he helped design their monthly magaretail giant and Threadless, an online commu- zine, Vanguard. nity of artists and an e-commerce website.

St. Peter is also the current creative chair of Each week a handful of designs are printed on the Richmond Ad Club, a professional organiclothing and other products, and sold worldzation serving the local advertising commuwide through the online store and at the nity since 1960. His primary responsibility is Threadless retail store in Chicago. directing the club’s annual big awards cereSt. Peter, who runs Think804, a Richmond- mony, The Richmond Show. He establishes based graphic and web design studio, submits the show’s theme and makes sure it runs condesign ideas to Threadless regularly—“It’s a sistently through all event-related materials. way to keep creative and make some extra in- For the April 2012 show (dubbed the RAD come”—but the bulk of his work involves Show!), St. Peter’s theme included fluorescent making websites look good and developing colors; slang terms and phrases from the late ’80s/early ’90s; and a handful of technology business identities and packaging. He also does a lot of print advertising. icons and pop culture references.

As Think804’s owner and sole employee “Associative ability is definitely a mark of a (though he does contract some work out to conceptually creative person,” said Edward copywriters and programmers), St. Peter recBaldwin, a past president and current board ognizes that his primary purpose is not to cre- member of the Richmond Ad Club. “As a ate art, but to meet the needs of his clients. skilled graphic designer, [St. Peter] is able to “There’s a big difference between art and put aside his own aesthetic to please his design. One is personal and the other is com- client. He took many pieces and made them mercial,” he says. “I don’t want to be a deall work together.” signer trapped inside his own creative box.

St. Peter gives his Longwood education I need to be able to work with clients whose much of the credit for his success. brand and company creative needs don’t nec“In my profession, the competition is essarily fit my style.” stiff,” said St. Peter. “I feel Longwood prePrior to going out on his own almost four pared me well. Professor Christopher Regisyears ago, St. Peter spent a year working for a ter was my graphic arts instructor. He never small marketing agency (now his biggest acaccepted thrown-together, easy work. He gave count). Before that he was employed at Cirhis approval rarely, and that inspired me to cuit City’s corporate office for four years. work harder. We were taught the fundamenHe started out in a basic position working tals of art before we got into the flashy digital on projects that included designing instrucstuff. Understanding why good art is good tion booklets on how to install signs in stores. makes it better.”

FALL 2012 I 29

The Big Reveal Archaeology Field School students

dig deep

to uncover clues about past civilizations

by Gina Caldwell

30 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Photos by Andrea Dailey

Lynsie Russ’12 (left), Kaitlin Fleming ‘13, Stephanie Neeley ‘11 and Justin Golden ’12 sift through dirt from the excavation site to find artifacts.

FALL 2012 I 31

1.

2.

1.Tools of the trade. 2. Stephanie Neeley ’11 examines items in the sifter. 3. Artifacts bagged and labeled. 4. Anna Richmond (left), Jenny Bryant and BrandonTomnay ’12 carefully remove layers of soil to reveal buried artifacts and contexts. 5. Dr. Brian Bates (right) and Lynsie Russ ’12 discuss the daily goals for the site excavation as work continues around them.

The day is hot and humid, but the students under the shade of the striped awning are so intent on their work that they barely seem to notice.

With the focus of a surgeon, one young woman on her knees in the bare patch of earth bends close to her work, brushing and scraping away layer after wafer-thin layer of soil.

She knows just one sure thing about the items she’s hoping to uncover: They are nearly 1,000 years old.

32 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

For the students working at Longwood’s Archaeology Field School (AFS) site in Charlotte County each summer, this is the reality of their daily work. And they love it. They are digging at the site of an American Indian village occupied from about 950 A.D. to 1425 A.D. that is located within the Staunton River Battlefield State Park in Charlotte County.

Known as the Randy K. Wade Site (named for a local resident and former Longwood student), it has been receiving attention from the Field School since 1997.

Dr. Brian Bates ’92, AFS director and associate professor of anthropology, leads the team of students as they explore new areas at the site. A large map shows the areas that have previously been uncovered and sections that have yet to be explored. This summer, the group worked on an area measuring 3 meters wide by 8 meters long. After marking the site to be excavated, the top 18 inches of soil (the plow zone) was removed. Next, contexts (distinguishing features of the site) were identified

and the digging began with each trowel pass removing less than one centimeter of dirt.

“This is almost like working a crime scene,” said Bates. “We work to maintain control over the artifacts from the field to the lab. Pieced together, the artifacts help reveal what life was like in the southern Piedmont of Virginia over the course of several centuries.”

Lynsie Russ ’12, an anthropology/history major from Bedford, completed her third summer at the Wade Site this year. She served as site supervisor, a job that requires managing all of the documentation associated with the excavation.

“I am surprised at the amount of documentation that is required,” said Russ. “It’s very tedious work involving a fair amount of math.”

The documentation for each day included recording the depth of digging and properly cataloging, labeling and bagging the items that were found. Russ also assisted Bates with setting daily goals and developing a plan to excavate the site, a process that is carried out layer

by layer so that each strata of earth that is uncovered reveals artifacts from roughly the same time period.

Russ recognized that the documentation is important but missed being involved in the actual digging. “The artifact you find may not be important, but its relationship to all the other artifacts is what helps to convey the big picture of the place and the people of a particular time.”

sor of anthropology who established the AFS in 1980 (see related story on Page 34). “It’s meaningful, it’s the real world, and it’s an actual difference we’re making. There’s a fundamental satisfaction in the whole thing.”

“The whole experience has been fascinating,” said Morgan Cloud ’14, an anthropology major from Washington. “While the archaeology classes teach the process, the field work provides invaluable hands-on learning experience.”

‘ When I think about the fact that we are the first people to touch these artifacts in 1,000 years, it’s amazing.’ – Stephanie Neeley ’11

3.

4.

Stephanie Neeley ’11, a graduate student in the anthropology program at Ball State University who worked with the AFS for the summer, agreed with Russ.

“When I think about the fact that we are the first people to touch these artifacts in 1,000 years, it’s amazing. Overall, this experience has been invaluable to me. I have had better opportunities than most of my peers in the graduate program.”

Some of the items found during this year’s dig were a worked shell (a shell modified to be a scraper for cleaning fish or working the inside of pottery), a conch shell fragment, a deer bone (modified as a tool for working leather), an arrowhead and a grindstone (the first of its kind found on the site).

“We all had a part in uncovering the grindstone,” said Shaun Callaghan ’13, an anthropology major from Dillwyn who plans to pursue a master’s in archaeology. “I was just lucky to be the one to get the final piece. I love history and being outdoors—this experience puts it all together.”

While participating in an AFS course, students live and work on site in the field. The specific tasks they undertake vary from traditional digging to using modern technology such as the “total station,” a camera and laptop computer with specialized software. When the workday is done, students stay close to the site, often cooking together and gathering around a campfire.

“Being in the field is a different bond than what you can develop in the classroom, the archives or the library. You sit on the ground together, sweat together and take an afternoon off and float on inner tubes down the Staunton River together,” said Dr. James Jordan, profes-

That experience is open to students in all fields of study.

“We don’t expect students to have any prior knowledge of archaeology or even the specific culture being studied,” said Bates. “We’ve had students from every major participate. The experiences they have are valuable to a person’s academic and intellectual development regardless of their area of study.”

The AFS provides opportunities for classroom learning throughout the year. Each spring, students develop a research plan for a site; during the summer, students execute the plan. In the fall, classes complete post-excavation processes to analyze and find meaning in the artifacts and data collected. Students get the opportunity to participate in each level of the experience and develop a deeper understanding of the process.

In addition to the Wade Site, the AFS has engaged in research projects at the Anna’s Ridge Site in Cumberland State Forest (the location of the first excavation in 1980), the British Virgin Islands and Longwood’s Hull Springs Farm in Westmoreland County.

“I was told recently by a professional archaeologist that Longwood is producing more career-ready archaeologists than any school in the state,” said Bates. “Our graduates are wellprepared, and their training is on a par with any institution in the Commonwealth.

“We live in a time of instant gratification— if I want to know something, I Google it, and it’s there. Longwood students have the opportunity to experience true academic learning through the AFS. It’s a deliberative process that requires patience, skill, thought and planning. Having that perspective will serve any student well in life.”

FALL 2012 I 33 5.

Field School Longwood Legend to be named in honor of

Dr. Jim Jordan, professor of anthropology, and his students explore a rock shelter in Willis Mountain.

eacher. Scholar. Mentor. Friend. Legend. These are just some of the words used to describe Dr. James W. Jordan, professor of anthropology, whose contributions to Longwood and generations of students will be celebrated with the naming of Longwood’s Archaeology Field School (AFS) in his honor. A campaign to raise $500,000 to endow the Archaeology Field School and rename it the Dr. James W. Jordan Archaeology Field School at Longwood University has been initiated, and a resolution in support of the renaming was expected to be adopted by the Longwood Board of Visitors at its meeting on September 14-15.

“Dr. James W. Jordan is a legend at Longwood,” said Dr. Brian Bates ’92, who studied under Jordan and is now chair of the Department of Anthropology and director of the AFS. “In his 34 years at Longwood, he has taught nearly 11,000 students in his various courses, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he remembers each and every person’s name— he is that good. Jim embodies what we believe are the best attributes of Longwood. He is a scholar of the first order. His love of learning and the concomitant love of teaching that he exudes have impacted untold lives in ways that he could never imagine. He is truly a living legend as his career continues well into its fourth decade. The Archaeology Field School is surely one of his signature accomplishments as a faculty member here at Longwood.”

On June 2, 1980, Jordan led the first group of Longwood students to the Anna’s Ridge Site in Cumberland State Forest for the first official

34 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

excavation by the Archaeology Field School.

More than 30 years later, the program is thriving, providing year-round opportunities for students to participate in ongoing research projects from Civil War battlefields in Char-

The Senate and House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly honored Jordan in 1992 for “outstanding services to the citizens of Virginia and to the discipline of archaeology in his teaching and research

In his 34 years at Longwood, he has taught nearly ‘11,000 students in his various courses, and I wouldn’t be

’

at all surprised if he remembers each and every person’s name — he is that good. — Dr. Brian Bates ’92 lotte County to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Since its beginning, the goal of the program has been to offer students hands-on, practical training in archaeological field methods and techniques.

Jordan joined the Longwood faculty in 1978. He earned his Master of Arts in both anthropology and sociology from the University of Connecticut and his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Georgia. Since founding the AFS at Longwood in 1980, he has taught thousands of students in the classroom; carried out an extensive program of field research at prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in central Virginia and the Potomac River Valley; conducted a study of an English village; and visited and studied archaeological collections in Syria and the Kingdom of Jordan. Since 2005, he has taken Longwood students to England to study prehistoric and medieval archaeological sites such as Stonehenge and Bath.

on the earliest inhabitants of the Commonwealth.” In 1995, he was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as the Virginia Professor of the Year.

He also serves as a technical consultant for the Fox Television Network program “Bones.”

When asked about the most memorable artifact that he had discovered over the years, Jordan recalled an item that was found during an excavation under the Rotunda in 2002.

“In the early days of Longwood’s history, young ladies in Virginia collected porcelain dolls. We found dozens of fragments under the Rotunda,” he said. “After finding one with blonde hair, pink cheeks and an ear, a student turned to me and said, ‘I wonder how many secrets that little ear has heard.’ I’d give anything to know those secrets. The beauty is that, while artifacts themselves are mute, they offer us clues to the people who owned them, buried them or lost them.”—Gina Caldwell

InPrint books by alumni, faculty, staff and friends

The Viewer and the Printed Image in Late Medieval Europe

by Dr. David S. Areford ’85, Longwood alumnus The Viewer and the Printed Image in Late Medieval Europe is described as a “synthetic historical narrative of early prints that stresses their unusual material nature, as well as their accessibility to a variety of viewers, both lay and monastic.” Critics have called it a “splendid book, copiously illustrated,” a “powerful and abundantly illustrated book” and “original, compelling, accessible and thought-provoking.”Areford, who has a Ph.D. in art history from Northwestern University, is associate professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He is coauthor of Origins of European Printmaking: Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Their Public. Published by Ashgate Publishing, hardcover, 312 pages.

Historical Dictionary of Mesoamerica

by Dr. Walter Witschey, Professor of Anthropology and Science Education The author calls this a “helpful introductory companion and quick reference guide for a beginner or advanced beginner or student.” The book contains 1,000 entries, 650 bibliographic references and 30 photographs. Dr. Walter Witschey has studied the ancient cultures of Middle America for more than 30 years and has collaborated with the book’s coauthor, Dr. Clifford T. Brown, since 1987, when both were graduate students at Tulane University. He and Brown, now an associate professor of anthropology at Florida Atlantic University, have worked together since 1996 on an electronic atlas of ancient Maya archaeological sites, which now includes about 6,000 sites.

Published by Scarecrow Press, hardcover, 466 pages.

Chosen Ones byTiffanyTruitt ’04, Longwood alumna Tiffany Truitt’s debut novel is a science fiction tale for young adults about a world in which a “mysterious illness has made it impossible for women to breed,” she said. “As a result of wars, population has decreased and geneticists decide to create life, and there’s a natural divide between the Chosen Ones, who are artificially created, and the Naturals, who no longer have a purpose in life.” The Chosen Ones are described as “extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong and unabashedly deadly.” Truitt, who is under contract to write two more books in the Chosen Ones series, lives in Chesapeake and teaches eighth-grade English at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Suffolk. Published by Entangled Teen, softcover, 258 pages.

Sampson and the Gang from Hound Holler

by Marilyn Hosea Bishop ’76, Longwood alumna This children’s story is about a foxhound who lives with his friends in a kennel called Hound Holler and “desperately wants to find his grand purpose.” Bishop and her husband have raised foxhounds (they currently have 12) for eight years, which she describes as “a hobby that replaced the kids when they left home.” Both children, Coy Bishop ’02 and Kelly Bishop ’03, are Longwood graduates. Marilyn Bishop, who lives in Rockville in Hanover County, has worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for 20 years. Published by Mirror Publishing, softcover, 48 pages.

FALL 2012

35

LONGWOOD CALENDAR SEPT E M B E R

O C TO BER

22

3

Black Alumni Weekend: Longwood campus. Information: 434-395-2394; registration: longwoodlink.com.

3

Workshop: “Dia de los Muertos: A Mexican Celebration of Life.” 10 a.m.-noon, lower level, Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.

3

Women’s Soccer: vs. VMI. 6 p.m., Athletics Complex. Reserved seating: $10; general: $5; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID; children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

19-21

Men’s Soccer: vs. Gardner-Webb. 7 p.m., Athletics Complex. Reserved seating: $12; general: $7; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID; children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

Speaker: College of Business and Economics Executive-in-Residence Tonya Mallory, president and CEO, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. 7 p.m., 207 Hiner Hall. Information: 434-395-2045.

24

Men’s Soccer: vs. Radford. 7 p.m. Athletics Complex. Reserved seating: $12; general: $7; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID; children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

Chamber Music Series: Gallery Trio.

7:30 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

27

-30, Oct. 4-7 Longwood Theatre: Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca. Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 4-6: 7 p.m.; Sept. 30 and Oct. 7: 3 p.m.; Mainstage Theater, Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Students: $5; faculty and staff: $6; general public: $8. Information: 434-395-2474.

28

-Nov. 24 Art Exhibit and Reception: Vote: Photographs by Michael Mergen and Photography: Highlights from the LCVA’s Permanent Collection.

Opening reception: 5-7 p.m. Sept. 28. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.

Presentation: Jessica Pettitt, nominated twice

by Campus Activities magazine as Best Diversity Artist.

9 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2106.

4

Women’s Soccer: vs. Winthrop. 7 p.m., Athletics Complex. Reserved seating: $10; general: $5; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID; children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

5-6

Oktoberfest: Music, food and other activities. Longwood campus.

6

Faculty Recital: Roland Karnatz & quux collective. 7:30 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium.

Information: 434-395-2504.

OKTOBERFEST OCT. 5-6

9

Men’s Soccer: vs. Virginia Tech. 7 p.m.

Athletics Complex. Reserved seating: $12; general: $7; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID; children 3 years and under: free.

Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

11

30

Faculty Recital: Elizabeth Brightbill, flute, with guest pianist and cellist. 3 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

30

Alumni Event: Field Hockey Alumni Reunion. Longwood campus. Information: 434-395-2044.

36 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Concert: Richmond Symphony Orchestra.

7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Admission is free, but tickets are required and available from the Longwood Box Office, 434-395-2474. Information: 434-395-2504.

19

Longwood Athletics Benefit: Live and silent auction, great food and dancing. 7-11 p.m., The Omni Hotel, Richmond. Tickets: $75 each or $125 for two. Presented by the Lancer Club. Information: 434-395-2081 or lancerclub@longwood.edu.

FIELD HOCKEY ALUMNI REUNION SEPT. 30

20 20 21

Concert: The Camerata Singers. 3 p.m., First Baptist Church, Petersburg. Information: 434-395-2504.

23-26

Community Art Workshop: Ursula Burgess Watercolor Workshop, with Central Virginia Arts. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts.

Advance registration and fee required. Information and RSVP: 434-395-2206.

24

Field Hockey: vs. Radford. 6 p.m., Athletics Complex. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

4

Senior Recital: Luke Talian, percussion. 4 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

8

EXECUTIVE-IN-RESIDENCE TONYA MALLORY OCT. 3

25

Concert: Longwood Wind Symphony.

7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

25

Art for Lunch Lecture: Longwood assistant professor Michael Mergen speaks on his LCVA exhibition, Vote: Photographs by Michael Mergen. 12:30 p.m., Thomas Sully Gallery, Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.

26-27

Alumni Event: Reunion Weekend.

For the Class of 1967 (45th reunion) and the Class of 1972 (40th reunion). Longwood campus.

Information: 434-395-2044.

Speaker: College of Business and Economics Executive-in-Residence Rhonda Vetere, senior vice president for global infrastructure technology at AIG. 7 p.m., Blackwell Ballroom. Information: 434-395-2045.

Reception: For August and December graduates. Information: 434-395-2044.

8

Concert: The Camerata Singers. 11 a.m., Ruffner Hall Rotunda. Information: 434-395-2504.

-11, 15-18 Longwood Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin. Oct. 8-10 and 15-17, 7 p.m.; Oct. 11 and 18, 3 p.m. Mainstage Theatre, Center for Communication Studies and Theatre. Students: $5; faculty and staff: $6; general public: $8. Information: 434-395-2474.

10

Comedy Performance: Will Malfori.

9 p.m., Lankford Ballroom.

1-3

Field Hockey: Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference (NorPac). Athletics Complex.

Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

3

Senior Recital: Sarah Cave, voice. 7:30 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

WINTER WONDERLAND FAMILY WORKSHOP DEC. 1

11

Senior Recital: Nicholas Snead, saxophone.

4 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

DE CE MBE R

1

Family Workshop: “Winter Wonderland.”

10 a.m.-noon, lower level, Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.

7

-March 24 Art Exhibit and Reception: Works by Thornton Dial: New in the LCVA Permanent Collection from James E. and Barbara B. Sellman.

Opening reception: 5-7 p.m. Dec. 7. Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. Information: 434-395-2206.

Chamber Music Series: Amernet String Quartet. 7:30 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium.

Information: 434-395-2504.

NOVE M BE R

-Dec. 1 Annual Holiday Dinner and Concert. 6:30 p.m., Dorrill Dining Hall. Tickets required. Information: 434-395-2504.

10

29

Speaker: Zach Wahls, a proponent of full marriage equality. 8 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium.

Information: 434-395-2106.

30

Senior Recital: Caren Lecos and Dustin Shuman, voice. 2 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium.

Information: 434-395-2504.

-October 2013 Art Exhibit and Reception: Highlights from the 2012 Annual Area Youth Art Exhibition. Throughout the Hull Education Center. Opening reception: 2-4 p.m. Sept. 28, 132 Hull Education Center. Information: 434-395-2206.

30

30

9-10

28

30

29

Concert: L’Orfeo (voice). 7:30 p.m., Wygal Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

AMERNET STRING QUARTET OCT. 29

Concert: The Camerata Singers. 7:30 p.m., Farmville United Methodist Church. Information: 434-395-2504.

19

Concert: Men’s and Women’s Concert.

7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

15

12

Women’s Basketball: vs. Air Force. 7 p.m., Willett Hall. Reserved seating: $10; general: $5; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID (general admission); children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

13

Concert: Longwood Jazz Ensembles.

7:30 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Information: 434-395-2504.

15

Men’s Basketball: vs. Norfolk State. 7 p.m., Willett Hall. Reserved seating: $12; general: $7; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID (general admission); children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

Concert: Roy Clark. 2 p.m., Jarman Hall Auditorium. Tickets required. Information: 434-395-2504 or 434-395-2474.

JANUARY 2013

3

Women’s Basketball: vs. Gardner-Webb.

7 p.m., Willett Hall. Reserved seating: $10; general: $5; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID (general admission); children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

5

Men’s Basketball: vs. Coastal Carolina.

2 p.m., Willett Hall. Reserved seating: $12; general: $7; youth: $4; Longwood students, faculty and staff: free with ID (general admission); children 3 years and under: free. Full schedule: longwoodlancers.com.

FALL 2012 I 37

LANCER UPDATE A Big Moment for Lancers

I am excited about the opportunity for all Lancers to earn conference achievements and represent Longwood on a bigger stage.”

Longwood celebrates its official entry into the Men’s basketball head coach Mike Gillian Big South Conference said joining the league is a seminal moment in Longwood Athletics.

Longwood celebrated the start of its memberLongwood is eligible for all Big South “There has been such a tremendous amount ship in the Big South Conference at a gather- championships during 2012-13. of energy, enthusiasm and commitment put ing that counted down the minutes to 12:01 The Lancers have competed as a NCAA Di- into developing our athletic programs over the a.m. July 1, the official day the university vision I Independent since 2007. Longwood past nine years that we all feel deserving of this joined the conference. was invited to join the Big South in January fantastic opportunity joining the Big South 2012, becoming the fourth member school in presents to us,” he said. “Being part of a Virginia. Longwood sponsors 14 intercollegiate league means everything. It gives us tangible Division I sports, 13 of which are sponsored by championships and post-season opportunities the Big South: baseball, men’s and women’s bas- to play for, and it validates all of the work that ketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s has gone into getting us to this point. Now and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s and the challenge is to honor the privilege of being women’s soccer, softball, and men’s and women’s a Big South member by competing—and sucAttended by more than 100 Longwood fac- tennis. The Lancers’ field hockey program ceeding—in the league the right way: with ulty, staff, coaches, alumni and other Lancer will continue to compete in the Northern Pasportsmanship and integrity.”— Greg Prouty fans, the event, which began on the evening of cific Field Hockey Conference (NorPac), as it June 30, was held at Charley’s Waterfront Café has since 2005. in Farmville.

“A new era of Longwood Athletics has “Congratulations to everyone whose hard begun!” said Longwood Director of Athletics work led to Longwood’s entrance into the Big Troy Austin. “My great thanks go to the LongSouth Conference, especially our outstanding wood family for making this goal a reality. student-athletes, dedicated coaches and athletVirginia Military Institute Lexington, Va. ics staff, and incredible fans,” said Longwood Longwood University Interim President Marge Connelly. “Our formal conference affiliation gives us the opportunity to enhance Longwood’s visibility on a Liberty University national scale. This is truly an exciting time to Lynchburg, Va. Radford University be a Lancer!”

Radford, Va. In June, the Big South released new scheduling formats for men’s and women’s basketball High Point University University of North Carolina-Asheville High Point, N.C. beginning in 2012-13, as well as divisional play Asheville, N.C. Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, N.C. on the men’s side. Longwood men’s basketball will be in a division with Liberty, Radford, VMI, Campbell and High Point; women’s basketball will not play in divisions.

Campbell University In addition, the conference announced Buies Creek, N.C. that VisitMyrtleBeach.com would be the new Winthrop University title sponsor of the Big South men’s and Rock Hill, S.C. women’s basketball tournament champiPresbyterian College Clinton, S.C. onships for the next three years, which will take place at Coastal Carolina University’s new 3,200-seat on-campus Student RecreCoastal Carolina University Conway, S.C. ation and Convocation Center. The 2013 VisitMyrtleBeach.com Big South Basketball Charleston Southern University Championships are scheduled for March 5Charleston, S.C. 10, 2013.

38 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

L ANCER UPDATE

Blueprint for Success Former VCU AD takes in-depth look at athletics embership in the Big South Conference presents a “tremendous opportunity to maximize the value of athletics as a critical and important piece of [the university’s] overall branding effort,” according to a consultant who is providing guidance as Longwood moves into its inaugural year with the Big South.

Dr. Richard Sander, former director of athletics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), has taken an in-depth look at Longwood Athletics and come away from that analysis with high hopes for the athletics program and what it can do for the university.

Longwood Director of Athletics Troy Austin said Longwood’s joining the Big South raised some important questions, so he decided to ask an expert to help the university find the answers.

“Dr. Sander set the foundation for VCU athletics success, building the Stuart C. Siegel Center and overseeing many championship teams,” Austin said in explaining his choice of Sander as a consultant. “He also began the sports leadership graduate program at VCU, where several Longwood staff members, including myself, have earned degrees.

“The Department of Athletics needed to assess its resources and strategically prioritize its operations for the future,” Austin added. “The Big South Conference establishes a structure that provides many exciting prospects, but is still very new.”

The assessment process was extensive.

Sander conducted an online survey of the entire athletics department staff. He then met with every head coach and area director individually, and conducted focus group interviews with the department assistants, student-athletes and external constituents of Longwood Athletics. Sander talked to Big South personnel and conference administrators in the Virginia region. In addition, he thoroughly examined Longwood’s athletics budget, as well as those at peer institutions.

Austin said Sander’s assessment yielded 11 recommendations. These recommendations form the basis of an action plan called “Winning Edge 365,” which Sander said “clearly challenges every student-athlete, coach and administrator to be the best they can be while also being a great representative of the university.”

M

Three of the most significant recommendations are to • Shift the culture at Longwood toward the commitment it takes to be successful in Division I. • Better engage faculty and staff as supporters of the athletics program.

• Establish a presence for Longwood athletics in Richmond to benefit athletics and the university.

“The Big South will greatly enhance the experience of being a Division I student-athlete and provide a larger platform for the athletics department to better fulfill its mission,” said Sander, adding that a cultural shift needs to take place toward recognizing what participation in Division I athletics really means.

“There are responsibilities that accompany membership. Student-athletes, coaches and administrators need to realize that conference competition will bring with it not only responsibility, but also accountability and expectation.”

Engaging faculty and staff more in the support of athletics might mean creating other events like The G.A.M.E., the annual march to the opening women’s soccer game.

“The development of relationships beyond the Athletics Department will foster moments of inspiration and excitement,” said Austin.

“The women’s soccer program and the Office of First Year Experience worked together to create one of Longwood’s newest and more popular traditions with The Greatest Athletics March Ever (The G.A.M.E.). The goal is to replicate this initiative to produce results that ultimately benefit Longwood.”

Also key is using athletics to raise Longwood’s profile in the Richmond area, where more than 30 percent of Longwood alumni live, said Austin. “ The increased exposure for the university will lead to more interest from prospective students, more opportunities for Longwood to touch base with a majority of its constituents and more support for coaches’ recruiting efforts.”

Sander’s recommendations were presented to Athletics Department staff in May and to the Board of Visitors in June.

“The plan, moving forward, is to utilize the majority of the concepts of ‘Winning Edge 365’ to construct a blueprint for Big South success.” — Sabrina Brown

1.

2.

3.

4.

March Madness Longwood’s third annual G.A.M.E. (Greatest Athletics March Ever) rocked the campus Aug. 19 with (1) a spirit carnival, where students painted faces Lancer blue and white; (2) a pep rally, where this year’s scarf and the new fight song were officially introduced; and (3) the march to the soccer field for (4) the women’s game against VCU.

FALL 2012 I 39

L ANCER U PDAT E

Award winners Kameron Carter ’11 (left) , Megan Baltzell ’15, Brandon Vick ’15, Ashley Kramer ’12, Antwan Carter ’12, Austin Gray ’12 and Samantha Stifler ’12.

Going Pro Former men’s basketball standout Antwan Carter of St. Petersburg, Fla., has signed to play professionally in Holland’s Dutch League for Stepco BS Weert inThe Netherlands. Carter ’12 was Longwood’s all-time leading scorer with 1,886 career points.

Little Lancers Kids Club launched for young fans Lancer fans in the eighth grade and younger have a new way to show their support for Longwood athletics and get some special benefits.

Little Lancers Kids Club, presented by Raymond Insurance Agency of Farmville, was created to emphasize a greater family atmosphere at Longwood athletics events and instill a sense of Lancer Pride in the community’s youth.

“The Little Lancers will allow kids in the surrounding areas the chance to be a part of the Longwood family at a young age and learn what it means to be a Lancer,” said Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing Eric Stoller.

Members of the Little Lancers will receive free general admission to all Longwood athletic events. In addition, they will enjoy several other benefits including a members-onlyTshirt, ID card, birthday card from Elwood and invitations to participate in clinics and autograph sessions conducted by student-athletes.

Per NCAA regulations, all youth in grades eight and under are eligible to participate in the Little Lancers.The yearly membership fee is $25. For more information, please contact Marketing Assistant Whitney Curtis at 434-395-2378 or curtiswl@longwood.edu.

40 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Basketball, softball standouts earn top awards for student-athletes Male Athlete of the Year Antwan Carter of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Female Athlete of the Year Ashley Kramer of Ashburn were among the students recognized with Student-Athlete Awards for 2011-12. Carter, a men’s basketball standout, won for the second-straight year; Kramer was recognized for her outstanding play in softball.

Both were seniors.

Senior lacrosse team member Samantha Stifler of Jarrettsville, Md., was presented with the school's Jimmy Yarbrough Inspiration Award. In addition, 117 student-athletes were recognized with the Scholar-Athlete Award, an honor given to student-athletes, cheerleaders and athletic training students who earn a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous two semesters.

Carter, a communication studies major, started all 31 games during the year and averaged 19.4 points and 9.2 rebounds while being named CollegeInsider.com, College Sports Madness, CollegeHoops.net and

Roundball Daily.com Independent Player of the Year.

Playing shortstop, Kramer started all 55 games during the season and batted .327 with two home runs, eight doubles, 24 runs scored, 18 RBI and eight stolen bases. Kramer received her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science in May. Stifler demonstrated great strength of character and an unwavering commitment to her academics and teammates while dealing with the death of her father, Mark, in November 2011 following his two-year battle with brain cancer. In addition to being unanimously elected a team captain this year, she is a member of the Cormier Honors College and a Dean’s List student. A midfielder, she started 16 matches this spring with 10 goals and one assist for 11 points, adding 29 ground balls, 24 draw controls and 10 caused turnovers. — Greg Prouty

Additional 2011-12 Awards Henry I. Willett Scholar-Athlete Awards Kameron Carter of Bassett Austin Gray of Midlothian

Cormier Award for Academic Excellence Spring 2011: Men’s Golf, Women’sTennis Fall 2011: Men’sTennis, Women’s Soccer

Freshman Athlete of the Year Awards Megan Baltzell of Stafford Brandon Vick of Newport News

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee ACES Award Tucker Dowdy, Lancer Lunatics president

Academic PRIDE Awards Lindsey Ottavio of Fairfax Dominique Bickham of Spotsylvania

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Coach of the Year Award Ali Wright, women’s golf head coach

Lancer Outstanding Service Awards Amy Lewis of Lewisville, N.C. Zack Mahon of San Antonio,Texas

Special Recognition Award Skip Spain, public address announcer

Fighting Words and Music Longwood unveils first official fight song The Department of Athletics unveiled Long-

Hail to Longwood U!

wood’s first official fight song on Aug. 19

by Rob Blankenship ’00

during a pep rally prior toThe GAME 3.0.

Hail to Longwood U. Hail to Longwood U. Oh, we are Lancers proud and Lancers true, We fight for the white and blue.

Written by Rob Blankenship ’00, “Hail to Longwood U!” has an easy-to-sing and memorable melody and spirited lyrics.

A video for the song can be seen on the LongwoodYouTube channel (www.you tube.com/user/LongwoodULancers) and features members of the Lancer family, including student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff.The video was produced

by Stephen Hudson ’13, a communication studies major from Richmond and an intern in the Office of Public Relations.

The GAME 3.0 is the third installment of the school’s march from Willett Hall to the Athletics Complex for the women’s soccer home opener.

Hail to Longwood U. Fight for white and blue.

For glory, honor, victory Go! Lancers! Lancers! Longwood U. Go! LU Fight! LU Win! LU Let’s go, fight, win LU Hail to Longwood U. Hail to Longwood U. Oh, we are Lancers proud and Lancers true, We fight for the white and blue.

Hail to Longwood U. Fight for white and blue.

For glory, honor, victory Go! Lancers! Lancers! Longwood U.

Give and Take October athletics benefit to feature live auction The first-ever Longwood Athletics Benefit Celebration, presented by the Lancer Club, will be held Friday, Oct. 19, from 7-11 p.m. at The Omni Richmond Hotel.

“We want to use athletics to spread the Lancer and Longwood brand,” said Scott Bacon, the point person for the October event. “With the Lancers joining the Big South, this is the most exciting time in the history of Longwood Athletics. We want to utilize athletics to gain notoriety and tell the story of Longwood University. It is a whole new ballgame [in the Big South]. We want to make it a top-notch event across the board.”

The event will feature a live and silent auction, music, dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. Auction items will include 2013 ESPY Awards tickets, a seven-night Caribbean cruise, a round of golf and tour at the Atlanta Athletic Club and a Napa Valley Wine Country experience.

“We were at a critical point after Division I,” said Chad Knowles ’94, one of the organizers of the event. “We needed to make a change for the program, and being part of the Big South is a big fit. It will be a huge benefit for the athletics department and the school. I am excited.”

The benefit comes on the heels of Longwood’s officiall induction into the Big South Conference on July 1. Richmond was a logical choice for the venue because the Virginia capital region is home to the largest number of Longwood alumni.

“Thirty percent of our alumni population is in the Richmond area,” said Austin, who hopes to attract at least 200 people. “And 75 percent of our alumni are in Virginia. Richmond is a great central point for our alumni base.”

This is the right time for a high-profile event supporting athletics, said women’s soccer head coach Todd Dyer ’93.

“Some of us have been here a long time,” said the former men’s soccer player, who is in his 19th season as coach. “We have seen the evolution of Longwood athletics. It has continued to get bigger and stronger. We added the missing part of the puzzle [by joining the Big South]. I think more than anything we are stepping up to the next level. Being able to do this event in the state capital is a terrific location.”

Tickets are $75 each or $125 for two.

For ticket or sponsorship information, please contact Bacon at 434-395-2081 or lancer club@longwood.edu. — David Driver

L ANCER UPDATE

2011-12 successes come on the field and in the classroom On the eve of Longwood’s entry into the Big South Conference, athletics teams posted a series of successes—both on the playing field and in the classroom—in 2011-12.

Men’s soccer won the ASC Championship with a final record of 11-6-3, the highest number of wins since 2002.The Colorado Rapids selected keeper Joel Helmick in the 2012 Major League Soccer (MLS) Supplemental Draft, and defender Shane Johnson earned a roster spot and starting position with the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League (USL) Pro Division.

Men’s basketball standout Antwan Carter became the school’s all-time scoring leader (1,886 points) and is the only player in the history of the program with at least 1,800 career points and 1,000 career rebounds (1,008).

Longwood baseball completed its 31st winning season at 27-21, also the 31st overall 20win campaign and 24th season with at least 25 wins.

The Lancers’ softball team completed its 15th consecutive 20-win season and 12th 25win campaign at 29-26.

Longwood graduated 46 current and former student-athletes this year, including women’s cross country standout Jessica Alley who shared the school’s prestigious Sally Barksdale Hargrett Prize for Academic Excellence awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average (4.00).

Finally, Longwood women’s cross country and women’s golf each posted a perfect score of 1,000 in the latest release of the multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR).This is the fifth-straight year that women’s golf has been perfect in posting a multiyear APR score within the top 10 percent of all Division I women’s golf teams, and the second consecutive year that women’s cross country has attained this distinct achievement.

FALL 2012 I 41

ALUMNI NEWS Liberty Mutual to sponsor online registration for all alumni events

Forever Lancer Days to give graduating seniors a proper sendoff The orientation program for all new Longwood students, New Lancer Days, is called “the first four days of the best four years of your life.” A new program for graduating seniors, Forever Lancer Days, is being billed as “the last four days of the best four years of your life.”

The program, which is being developed by Alumni Relations with assistance from a student intern and senior class officers, will ensure that graduates leave on a high note.

Ideas for these four days include a fun event for seniors, a banquet to welcome Longwood’s newest alumni into the Alumni Association and a garden reception for graduates and their families.

As part of Forever Lancer Days, a booklet containing information about transitioning from college student to young professional will be developed and distributed to new graduates. One feature being considered for the booklet is a section where alumni could advertise their businesses.The section could be divided into geographic regions so graduates could easily see the alumni-owned businesses in the area to which they’re moving.

Alumni interested in learning more about advertisement opportunities in the Forever Lancer Days booklet should contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at alumni@longwood.edu or 434-395-2044.

42 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Alumni Colleen McCrink Margiloff ’97, Nancy Eubank Scruggs ’80 and Kendall Lee ’01 play the Longwood Brain Game during a retreat held June 14.

Longwood trivia game played at retreat for boards Members of Longwood’s boards (Board of Visitors, Alumni Association and Foundation) and other constituents gathered June 14 with faculty and staff to discuss the university’s future.

Not everything that day was serious, though.

A friendly competition among teams made up of representatives from each board, plus one team of faculty members, tested each

group’s knowledge of Longwood. The “Longwood Brain Game” was hosted by Interim President Marge Connelly and contained some surprising trivia (judging by some of the answers).

The winner of the competition was the Board of Visitors team. You can see how you would have done by answering a sampling of the trivia questions below. Good luck!

Longwood Brain Game 1. In academic year 2012-13, what percentage of the school’s funding will come from the state?

2. What is the expected enrollment of incoming freshmen for the 2012-13 academic year?

3. What is the approximate amount of debt that Longwood students have at graduation?

4. What percentage of our students are minorities?

5. How many full-time faculty do we employ?

6. How much have we booked in new gifts and pledges during fiscal year 2012?

Answers 1. 25%; 2. 1,050; 3. $23,672 (Class of 2011 —federal and private loan; 4. 14%; 5. 222; 6. $8.7 million (through May 31).

Liberty Mutual is now the online registration sponsor for all alumni events.

“We’re proud that they’re our online registration sponsor,” said Nancy Shelton, associate vice president for alumni relations. Longwood’s Office of Alumni Relations has for several years had a vendor partnership with Liberty Mutual, which provides alumni with a special discounted rate on auto insurance and home insurance.

ALU MNI NEWS

No Way Out Demonic house is central character in alum’s feature film directorial debut Filmmaker Eric Hurt’s “House Hunting” is sure to make more than one wannabe homeowner stick to renting.

Set in the Virginia countryside, Hurt’s spine-tingling feature film debut is about two

Following graduation, Hurt worked in production while running a catering business in his hometown of Charlottesville. Three years later, he made the plunge and moved to Los Angeles.

During his five years on the West Coast, he worked in many aspects of the film Person of Interest business and became increasingly interested in writing and cinematography. In 2007, he returned to Charlottesville, seeking inclusion — Eric Hurt ’00 in the town’s small but vibrant film community. families who attend the same open house and Slated to open in October 2012, Hurt’s new soon learn that unseen evil forces are bent on indie boasts a solid, 10-person cast with some keeping them on the remote property—while familiar faces, including Marc Singer (“Beastpitting them against each other. Hurt ’00 master”) and Art LeFleur (“Field of Dreams”). describes his new indie flick as “a supernatu- Word on the street is that the film delivers ral thriller.” what a thriller should: “The scares are through “I’ve worked in the horror genre before,” he the roof,” according to Ain’t It Cool News, an said. “It’s a good entrée into the film business. online website focused on entertainment.

But for my first film, I wanted to do someNext up, Hurt says he’s doing thing that was suspenseful and character-dria comedy. — Patrick Folliard ven without a lot of gore and nudity, which are often a crutch for horror films. As director, bringing all the elements of the film together was very satisfying. The 23-day shoot schedule was stressful, but I had a lot of fun.”

“House Hunting” was produced by Pillage and Plunder Pictures, Hurt’s Charlottesvillebased production company. The bulk of Pillage and Plunder’s work is on other people’s projects — for example, “Boneboys,” produced by Kim Hinkle of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” fame.

“I make a living as a director of photography and Steadicam operator, so writing and directing a film for my own company was an especially memorable experience,” said Hurt.

“Hopefully these are stepping stones to similar projects.”

While he never studied film formally (Hurt’s B.A. is in history with a minor in anthropology), he says his educational experience at Longwood has proved enormously helpful in his career. “There’s a sense of narrative inherent in history,” he said. “It taught me a lot about storytelling.”

‘ As director, bringing all the elements of the film together was very satisfying.

The 23-day shoot schedule was stressful, but I had a lot of fun.’

The poster promoting ‘House Hunting,‘ the debut feature film for director Eric Hurt ’00 (below).

FALL 2012 I 43

Chris Calkins ’81 (left), Kandace McCabe ’10, Sam Wilson Jr., M.S. ’00, and Caitlin Johnson ’12 work at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, the site of the last major Civil War battle.The most vicious fighting took place around the Hillsman House (seen in background), which served as a field hospital and now is a restored house museum.

Living to Tell the Story Longwood alums working at state park preserve the memory of the last major Civil War battle t Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, the story of the Blue and the Gray is told by people loyal to the blue and white.

Four staff members at the site of the last major Civil War battle are Longwood alumni, including the park manager, Chris Calkins ’81;

A

the National Park Service for nearly 35 years, all of it at Civil War battlefields in Virginia.

Most of Sailor’s Creek’s 350 acres are located in Amelia County.

“Our mission here,” said Calkins, “is to tell how this battle contributed to the end of the war 72 hours later; to restore the battlefield to its original condition—in the spring we planted Personsof Interest 1,200 trees because this area was more heavily wooded in 1865; and to tell how the war affected the — Sam Wilson Jr., M.S.’00 people of Southside Virginia.”

The battle of the chief of interpretation, Sam Wilson Jr., Sailor’s Creek (sometimes referred to as Saylers M.S.’00; administrative assistant Kandace Mc- Creek) actually consisted of three separate batCabe ’10; and Caitlin Johnson ’12, a May tles—Hillsman’s farm, Lockett’s farm and Margraduate who interned at the park in spring shall’s Crossroads—all fought on April 6, 1865, 2012 and is now an AmeriCorps member just three days before Robert E. Lee surrenworking there. dered the Army of Northern Virginia at AppoCalkins, an authority on the last year of the mattox Court House. During the battle, Lee Civil War, became the first full-time manager lost 7,700 men—nearly one-fourth of his at Sailor’s Creek in July 2008 after working for army—most of whom were captured when

‘ We who work here treat this place with reverence—this is blood-soaked, hallowed ground.’

44 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Union cavalry and infantry attacked the rear guard of his forces near Little Sailor’s Creek.

“The stiffest Confederate resistance and the most vicious fighting took place around the Hillsman House, which is our icon,” said Calkins. “After the battle, the house became a field hospital: 358 Union and 161 Confederate casualties were treated in the house and on the lawn, mostly on the lawn.”

Blood stains, confirmed by recent analysis, are still visible on the floor of the house, which was restored and reopened in 2009 as a house museum. “Two-thirds of the house is now set up as a field hospital, as it was used after the battle, and the rest is set up as domestic quarters,” Calkins said.

The park, with its new visitor center, is a growing attraction. Just fewer than 7,000 people visited during the first six months of 2012, compared with 3,000 visitors in all of 2011.

“Coming to work here every day is like a homecoming for me, since my roots are in this area,” said Wilson, who is responsible for creating interpretive programs at the park. “We who work here treat this place with reverence—this is blood-soaked, hallowed ground.

We have a duty, honor and responsibility to speak for those who fought here.”— Kent Booty

ALUMNI NEWS

ClassNotes Ramona Lanier DeWitt ’84, a

1950s Peggy Dee Hoover Newhall ’51 received a national certification as teacher of music (piano). This certification is from the Music Teachers National Association. She is also the Fairfax County coordinator for MusicLink.

1960s Glenda Chamberlain Boswell ’62 retired from her position as executive assistant to the president of Danville Community College after 50 years of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

1970s

veteran of nearly three decades of teaching, was honored as the 2012 Teacher of the Year in the Waynesboro schools.

censed professional counselor, opened a private practice office in the Carytown area of Richmond.

Debra Doss ’75 is the new princi-

pal of Creek View Elementary School in Alpharetta, Ga. She previously was a principal with Roanoke (Va.) City Schools and has nearly 10 years of principal leadership experience. She also has experience as an elementary school assistant principal and teacher.

Gayle Shoulars Graham ’77

received Georgia Master Teacher Certification in 2012.

pointed senior vice president of sales at Vitera Healthcare Solutions, one of the nation’s largest providers of electronic health records and practice-management software.

Dave Pool ’85 was appointed senior vice president of engineering at Red Lambda, Inc., a global provider of grid-based, security analytics solutions for big data.

Douglas Cooke III ’86 was promoted to senior vice president for institutional sales at Ohio National Financial Services in Montgomery.

to warden at Green Rock Correctional Center. Manis began his Department of Corrections career in July 1988 as an institutional rehabilitation counselor at Nottoway Correctional Center.

1990s

named Teacher of the Year for Holland Elementary School in Virginia Beach for 2011-12.

Greg Garrison ’00 became deputy chief for the Washington, D.C., public schools in January 2012.

Vince Walden ’01 was named as-

sistant coach of the Liberty Flames men’s basketball team.

Theresa Thoms Annis ’02 is a

school counselor at Matoaca.

resentative for Clear Channel Richmond Integrated Media Solutions.

Terence Metz ’02 joined First Community Bank as vice president/business lender for the Richmond area. Most recently, Metz worked for Wells Fargo Advisors as a financial adviser.

Sarah Whitley ’02, director of

Kimberly Mooney Bradshaw ’95 was named principal of Oak

Grove Elementary by the Roanoke County School Board.

William Fiege ’95 joined John Tyler Community College as vice president of academic affairs.

Jamie Soltis ’96 was named the new principal at Glenvar Middle School by the Roanoke County School Board.

1980s

Jan Lee Coletrane Harrell ’97

Nancy Willard Greer ’82, owner

was appointed economic development manager for the city of Emporia.

of Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi in Arnold, Md., was honored as the Women in Business Champion of the Year at the 28th Annual Maryland Small Business Week Awards. Greer will join 10 other outstanding small business owners and supporting champions.

Crystal Ricks Colohan ’00 was

Rebecca Jordan ’02 is a sales rep-

earned national board certification as a CTE teacher.

Robyn Swartzwelder Hilton ’79

2000s

Steven Holmquist ’84 was ap-

Carl A. Manis ’88 was promoted Joyce “Joy” Morene ’74, a li-

Michael Lawston ’99 of First Investors was nominated presidentelect of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers.

Heather Bousman ’98 is a new

assistant principal for South County Middle School in Lorton.

Henry I.Tragle II ’98 is a global ac-

count executive at Aruba Networks.

first-year experience and family programs at Longwood University, was quoted in two articles that appeared in the online newsletter Higher Ed Impact published by Academic Impressions. Whitley was the primary source for “Training Peer Mentors for First-Year Students: What’s Missing” and was also quoted in “3 Ways to Help Peer Educators.”

Lindsey Cabell Dennier Collins ’05, graduated summa cum laude

from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2012 with a Master of Education in counselor education with a concentration in school counseling PK-12. She also achieved National Certified Counselor (NCC) status in April 2012.

Collins is the 2012-13 president of the Richmond Area Counselors Association (RACA) and was the association’s membership chair in 2011-12.

Continued on Page 46

Base Hit More than 60 Longwood alumni and friends turned out to watch the Richmond Flying Squirrels take on the Altoona Curve July 18.

The event included a pre-game social in the Morgan Stanley Smith-Barney suite courtesy of former Lancer Bill Edwards ’02. (top) Longwood’s mascot, Elwood, mixes it up with participants. (middle) Janie Wall Evans ’67 (second from left, bottom row), her husband, Ron Evans (left), John Murray ’03 and Bryan Figura ’03 enjoy the game. (bottom) Chris Davis ’09 (right) finds a play much more exciting than Jonathan Woodcock ’09.

FALL 2012 I 45

ALUMN I N EW S

ClassNotes Continued from Page 45

Bryan Lee ’06 of Huntersville, N.C., works in customer service for Wurth Wood Group and was recognized as Employee of the Year.

He is married to Allison Smith

Erica (Ludeke) Hutchinson ’09

opened Black Creek Flowers & Sweets in Mechanicsville.

Leary Davis ’12 of Jarratt particiKatie McQuain Lane ’09 and her

husband were selected to be on the Newlywed Edition of “Wheel of Fortune” in June 2012.

Lee ’07.

John Michael Joyce ’07 received

his M.D. from MCV in May.

2010s Stephanie McDonald ’10 of

Allison Smith Lee ’07 of

for more than a year and has published more than 100 articles.

Huntersville, N.C., is a product data analyst for Newell Rubbermaid. She is married to Bryan Lee ’06.

Chester, an associate training specialist for Dominion Power, was selected by Dominion as one of 12 “Volunteers of the Year” for 2011.

Liz Long ’07 wrote her first fan-

Tanja Atkins Nelson M.S. ’10 is

tasy/fiction book, Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel, which rose to No. 23 on the free Kindle books page.

the principal at Flat Rock Elementary School in Powhatan.

Christopher Shuford ’07 re-

sity with her B.S. in Nursing and is now employed as a registered nurse at Duke University Hospital.

pated in a public art campaign sponsored by the Halifax, N.C., Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Davis and other artists created oneof-a-kind designs and then painted large fiberglass rockfish to be displayed in the community.

Shane Johnson ’12 is a starting defender for the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Pro Division.

Avery McMahon ’12 is the man-

Where in the World Is the Longwood Scarf?

At the Olympics!

Scott Bacon, Longwood assistant athletics director for development and the radio ‘Voice of the Lancers,’ stretches out his Lancer scarf at Olympic Stadium inside Olympic Park in London during the summer games.Track and field events (known as ‘athletics’ events at the Olympics) were held at the stadium. Send your high-resolution (at least 1.5 MB) scarf photos to alumni@longwood.edu.

ceived a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from North Carolina State University.

Joy Walsh M.S.Ed. ’07, a special

education teacher at Pocahontas Elementary School in Powhatan, Va., was named the school’s Teacher of the Year.

ager of The Velvet Shoestring, a furniture consignment shop in Wayne, Pa.

Catherine Swandby Shuford ’10 graduated from Duke Univer-

Jeff Boyle ’11 is a marketing coordinator at Lessard Design, an international architecture and urban design firm with offices in Washington, D.C., New York and India.

Births Kinley Hope Colohan and Keegan Faith Colohan, daughters of Crystal Ricks Colohan ’00 on

July 5, 2011.

Paige Tucker M.S. ’11 teaches first Heather Atkinson’08 is a student

1967 and 1972 grads invited to fall reunion on campus A first-time reunion of the 45th and 40th reunion classes—the Classes of 1967 and 1972— will be held Oct. 26-27.

“This kind of reunion is being offered on a trial basis at the suggestion of alumni, and we’re going to see if people like it,” said Nancy Shelton ’68, associate vice president for alumni relations.

Shelton describes the event as “more of a casual” reunion. It will begin with a reception Friday evening, followed by a “Reconnecting over Coffee” program and a “Getting to Know Longwood Again” presentation and luncheon on Saturday. All of the activities will be together except separate class meetings on Saturday afternoon.

Members of the Classes of 1967 and 1972 should soon be receiving information in the mail about the reunion and registration.

Online registration is available at www.longwoodlink.com.

46 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

services specialist at John Tyler Community College’s Chester campus.

Barbara Lenhardt MBA ’08 is

director of retail operations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Hunter Swanson ’08, was se-

lected as an Institute Scholar for the Institute at the Institute conference in Indianapolis.

grade at Elizabeth Scott Elementary School in Chesterfield County.

Weddings

Tara Carr ’11, a Longwood admis-

sions counselor, was interviewed on Atlanta radio station V103 during the “Frank & Wanda Morning Show,” the No. 1 morning show in Atlanta. Carr discussed an article that she wrote for Examiner.com about the book Fifty Shades of Grey (http://www.examiner.com/ review/ 50-shades-of-grey-book-review). Carr has been writing for Examiner.com

Sara Stanley ’10 was married on

June 2, 2012.

Patrick Crute ’10 and Ashley Jarrett ’10 were married on June

30, 2012. Patrick is deputy manager, field operations, at DDC Advocacy. Ashley is the assistant director of career services at George Mason University.

Send in your news for class notes We hope you’re enjoying the Class Notes section in this issue of the magazine, which appears for the first time in many years.To keep it going, we need your help. Have you recently gotten a new job or a promotion? Had a baby or adopted a child? Gotten married? Received an award? If so, email all the details to alumni@longwood.edu. Don’t forget to provide complete information. For all submissions, tell us your full name, the year you graduated and the degree you received, and send us a contact phone number or email address in case we have questions.

ALU MN I NEWS

Courtesy of Darryl and Jeris Johnson

For more than a decade, Darryl has been involved in Pop Warner Football in Raleigh, both as a coach and as a league leader. His message to players is to compete in the classroom as hard as they compete on the football field.

Darryl says he’s kept a close eye on Longwood’s rapidly progressing athletics programs but is proud that his alma mater always puts academics first and foremost.

Jeris and Darryl were introduced to each other because Darryl’s mother— Clara Johnson—was Jeris’ suitemate’s supervisor at her part-time job in Longwood’s athletics department. Mrs. Johnson was the long-serving executive assistant to the university’s director of athletics. Both Jeris and Darryl said their mothers inspired them to do well in school.

Darryl Johnson ’89 and Jeris Hill Johnson ’88 chose Longwood— and then chose each other.

Jane Brown, Jeris’ mother, was a social worker in Richmond and a single mom. Jeris knew how much her mother was sacrificing to send her to college.

Darryl said he also knew the financial sacriDarryl and Jeris Johnson of Raleigh, N.C., fices his mother was making to provide him are enjoying careers in science and technology with a good education.

The couple, who have three children, were determined to earn degrees and make a suchen they were deciding where to go lenges, and it had an intimidating reputation. to college, Darryl Johnson ’89 and “Everyone was quaking in their boots when cessful life.

When they visit family in the FarmvilleJeris Hill Johnson ’88 were charmed they talked about his class,” Jeris said. “A lot of Richmond area, Jeris and Darryl always

by Longwood’s small campus and the close-knit people failed. In my class, there were 15 studrop in on Longwood to catch up on its relationships between professors and students. dents, and six were taking the class [for the development.

They fell in love with the university, and, second time].” along the way, they fell in love with each other.

Today they live in Raleigh, N.C., pursuing LongwoodCouples h careers in science and technology.

Darryl, who majored in business administration at Longwood, works in software design for eCast Corp., a company involved in the fusion of medicine with technology.

He is focused on developing software that makes it easier for records to follow patients from doctor to doctor, from doctor to specialist, and from doctor to hospital.

Jeris is team leader for the Molecular-Oncology Department of the Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, a division of the During their college years they knew how Laboratory Corporation of America.

She excelled in the class, and Jeris said that Her work helps physicians tailor Tinnell inspired her to have confidence in herself. special Longwood was—although its smalltown location gave it a low profile and made it chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients Jeris now tries to instill that same confia “best-kept secret.” by looking for mutations in DNA samples. dence in other young people.

“Now, it’s one of the most desirable schools Jeris, a biology major with a minor in English, She is the volunteer science cluster leader says her teachers at Longwood inspired her to for the Garner Road YMCA in Raleigh, lead- in the state,” Darryl said.

Jeris adds that, despite the university’s take her interest and aptitude in science and ing the Teen Scholars program. She encourmath as far as she could. ages young people to embrace their abilities in growth, she feels that Longwood remains a Former Longwood professor Wayne Tinnell’s math and science, and to work hard to achieve close-knit community where people care about each other. — Gary Robertson microbiology class was one of her biggest chal- their dreams.

The Good Life

W

Darryl works in software design for eCast Corp., a company involved in the fusion of medicine with technology. Jeris is team leader for the MolecularOncology Department of the Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology.

FALL 2012 I 47

EndPaper

Going, Going, Gone Local TV sports is on the chopping block at many stations—and with it a conduit for building community

by Jeff Halliday

T

Local sports programming often stands in a long line behind breaking news, weather (three reports in 30 minutes), traffic, entertainment and maybe even a cat playing the keyboard.

Most of the time, placing sports last is the right decision— after all, it is a newscast.

teeth early in hopes of climbing the ladder.

For those who dream of working in television sports journalism, that ascent is getting steeper and more treacherous.

I left my undergraduate days with two “dream jobs” in mind: sports broadcasting and teaching at the college level. In hopes of achieving both, I sought a terminal degree in broadcast journalism. On the first day of my master’s degree program, I was summarily told I was “too fat” to ever actually live my first dream. Armor-plated carapace, indeed. Upon entering the local television world, however, I learned a far more accurate and harsher truth. My position and the content of my work were rarely going to be seen as a priority.

Unfortunately, in tough times, stations are looking at the end of the newscast for ways to cut costs.

For my paper “Dinosaurs Approaching Extinction: Local Television Sports Threatened

by Job Losses, Cuts in Time and Changes in Newsroom Philosophy,” published in March 2012 in the Journal of Sports Media, I surveyed local TV sports personnel across the country to get their perspectives on the future of the occupation.

It was bleak.

More than half of those surveyed reported job cuts in their departments between 200709, 32 percent reported cuts in the amount of time they received for nightly sports coverage,

Photo illustration by Kevin Bryant

hick skin is required to succeed in any field, but to survive in the media industry you need an armor-plated carapace. In what has quickly become a multiplatform-focused marketplace, media professionals cut their video/audio/digital

and a whopping 81 percent said they were experiencing increased professional anxiety.

Imagine coming to work every day knowing you’ll have to fight for respect, hoping your contributions aren’t marginalized or your position eliminated based on the latest ratings book. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents were considering leaving television altogether because of that environment.

I can’t blame them. After being a part of a valued and respected sports department that received five state broadcasting awards while I was there, I left to chase “dream job No. 2” and found a cherished life in Farmville. I now teach dozens of students who share my first dream, and— this may surprise you— I don’t discourage them. That’s because the job itself is both important and incredible.

Though the hours and pay are tough, sports journalists are embedded in their local communities. If a news station is truly committed to providing exclusive, hyperlocal coverage for its market audience, sports reporters can play a vital role in developing viewer loyalty that lasts a lifetime. Sitting in my office are two awards from the West Virginia District 5 Little League and the WV Northern Board Umpire Association. Our dedication to covering local sports—the daily activities of the public we served—did not go unrecognized.

The business card may say “anchor/reporter,” but that is only part of the job description.

For a few precious minutes each day, that journalist’s job is to connect members of the audience to the station, the message and, most importantly, each other.

Sports can bring an often divided or isolated population together. Local TV stations need to recognize the power in that shared cultural identity and invest in those who can best help tell its story.

48 I LONGWOOD MAGAZINE

Jeff Halliday is an assistant professor of communication studies. Before joining the Longwood faculty in 2007, he worked four years as a weekend sports anchor/reporter for WDTV, a CBS affiliate in Bridgeport, W.Va.

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ON ASSIGNM E N T A group of Longwood students traveled to Ireland to fulfill their student teaching requirements.

Story on Page 5.