It may seem as if you just settled your student in at Longwood—or it may seem as if it’s been forever since you’ve seen them. Either way, by the time the weekend of Sept. 13-14 rolls around, you may be ready to touch base, see how they’re doing and get a hug.
And you can tell your student you have a perfectly good reason for coming back to Longwood on this particular weekend: It’s Family Weekend!
Family Weekend starts the evening of Friday, Sept. 13, and continues through Saturday, Sept. 14, offering a mix of structured activities, free time to just hang out with your student and Farmville’s annual Heart of Virginia Festival.
Time for a hug from your student? Come to Family Weekend!
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13, HIGHLIGHTS
Starting off the weekend is a 6-8 p.m. reception where you’ll have the chance to chat with members of the President’s Executive Council and Longwood’s academic deans.This is a great chance to get insight into your student’s academic program.
Following the reception is game night, where you can test your skills and win prizes.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday starts with a continental breakfast from 9-11:30 a.m., where coffee, pastries and other breakfast fare come with a side of live music and information about programs and opportunities for parents to get involved in the Longwood community.
In the afternoon, you can be entertained by a student music showcase, take a pottery class with ceramics professor Adam Paulek (additional fee of $40, which includes shipping your finished creation) and talk with members of Longwood’s student organizations.
Saturday evening features an 8 p.m. performance by magician, mentalist and hypnotistSavio Joseph, a world-class entertainer who has amazed audiences across the globe with his talent and charisma. His dedication to his craft have earned him recognition and acclaim on the international stage, including features in prestigious outlets such as Maclean’s magazine and the opportunity to perform for top corporations and A-list celebrities. Savio also made history as the only magician to reach the finals of Canada’s Got Talent. Parents and families who aren’t registered for Family Weekend but would like to attend only this event can purchase tickets at the door for $5 each.
HEART OF VIRGINIA FESTIVAL
The Heart of Virginia Festival—with its live music, children’s activities, fair food and crafts by local artisans—will be happening from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday during this year’s Family Weekend, set for Sept. 13-14.
From9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, check out the Heart of Virginia Festival, which literally starts in Longwood’s front yard on High Street and spills into downtown. The festival will be filling the air with the sounds of local musicians, the aromas of fair food and the colorful sights of local artisans’ creations. And there are lots of free activities for kids, too.
JOIN US!
In addition to giving you a chance to check in with your student and meet other parents, Family Weekend promises to be a great time for everyone in the family. We hope to see you Sept. 13-14! Register Now
—Sabrina Brown
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As my head lulled along to train 86’s slow, lumbering tilts and groans this morning, I had no concept of the pure magic that was waiting for me in a hotel basement in the middle of Queens. I was excited for our program launch, but if I’d had any inkling of the electrifying feminine magic that was going to seize my heart and mind as my fellow students began trickling in that afternoon, I would have been singing and dancing in the train aisle.
Face after beautiful face began to appear and pass through the basement doors, and as more amazing young women showed up I started to realize just how powerful it is to feel joy in numbers. It’s something that takes over your whole body- something that is irrefutable and unstoppable and absolutely wonderful. You float on the beaming faces of those around you, and the word “stranger” loses all meaning. All of us had worked so hard to get here- to flash toothy smiles at each other in a hotel basement- and I could tell that we all felt ready. Ready to grow, ready to laugh, ready to run around the world and learn about what’s messed up and how to understand and fix it. There were no tears, no shaky voices, no solemn silences as we thought about the goodbyes we’d just squeezed through all of our lips. We had arrived! And it was time.
It also struck me that every single female body that walked into that room has the power of knowledge, empirical evidence, and education on our side. America is, without a shadow of a doubt, an unequal society. But as the evening pressed on I found myself basking in the beauty of being in the presence of so many passionate, smart, driven women my age- Black, white, Jewish, Middle-Eastern, etc. It’s beautiful that we all ended up in the same basement with such different, valuable life experiences.
After orientation, we walked 2 blocks to a Mexican-American fusion restaurant and talked and ate and laughed until our heads hurt. There is hard work ahead of us, and we will see and experience incredibly uncomfortable things in the coming months. But I am empowered by the fact that we will do it together, for the sake of becoming better people
Yeshi Sherpa stood beaming, a twinkle in her eyes, as she asked us to make our way down the sloped basement ramp and then take off our shoes before we entered the classroom space. As soon as I poked my head inside, I felt like I had been swallowed by an orange. Citrus colored paint blazed across the four walls of the tiny room, accentuating the bright red, blue, green, and yellow tapestries that hung from the walls. A row of portraits- distinguished *sherpa??* monks associated with the learning space- observed us carefully from the far side of the room. Dr. Azim welcomed us, and we all found a seat at the fold-out tables that had been thoughtfully set up, eager to start the day but even more eager to bust into the free donuts and coffee that had been provided for us.
The morning was a blur of incoming information- rules, expectations, policies, the history of the program, and a go-around-and-share-your-fears appraisal. It was during this discussion about anxieties and nerves that our program director- a well-traveled and well-respected man who grew up in India- explained to us that fears about cultural appropriation are largely an American phenomena. This was a very surprising insight for me. A few of the other gals and I had already spoken amongst each other about our confusion towards whether or not it would be respectful for us to wear head coverings in Jordan. I was adamant that if an American tourist is not practicing Islam, it would not be seen as respectful to wear a headscarf day-to-day. Dr. Azim, however, explained to us that our host families and the locals we will interact with while abroad will likely be overjoyed to see us embracing their traditions and customs, and to them, our participation will come as a sign of mutual cultural acceptance.
After our information session, we walked around the Jackson Ward neighborhood of NYC, where we were led into a Tibetan meditation space by Yeshe. The building appeared out of nowhere on the crowded New York block where it stood, and it was stunning- vibrant patterns, carvings, tapestries, and paintings lined the mouth of the large double doors and covered every inch of the interior walls and ceiling; and strong, robust pillars stood guard over the meditation floor. Yeshe explained that this space was new- it had only been transformed into a meditation space in the past decade- and that it’s renovation was thanks to the huge, recent influx of Tibetan, Nepali, and Himalayan immigrants that have moved into the neighborhood. After we departed, my new friends and I sat down for a delicious Tibetan feast (4 orders of Momos) at a Jackson Ward Restaurant, and basked in the beauty of our collective excitement and intrigue.
The following day’s highlights were as follows: A 3 mile walk with my new friend Peace to our classroom space (for the sake of movement, geographical orientation, and also just for fun), a fascinating intercultural competence session with my classmates (in which we analyzed our identities, positionalities, stereotypes, and understandings of how we, ourselves, and others are received differently in different cultural contexts), another delicious lunch in Jackson Ward (I had Thali for the first time and had to google how it eat it lol), followed by a brief plunge into the subway to hurtle towards the UN building for a 3:30 tour. We all had lots of intense thoughts and feelings as we walked through the building that was supposed to model and ensure global peace and human rights, because in our hearts we felt the weight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian, Sudanese, and Ukrainian lives so recently lost. We debriefed in the UN courtyard, speaking about all the complexities, inefficiencies, and goals of the UN, and then a few friends and I went for ramen.
The most striking discussion that we had that day was about power. Dr. Azim asked all of us, “Dig deep and ask yourselves, why do I need power? Why do I need to be perceived as powerful to create change, when- as we have seen at the UN, in local and global politics, etc.- power creates so many harmful imbalances? So many violations of human rights?”. I was dumbstruck when I heard this. Why does some part of me need to be perceived as a powerful, American woman to feel as though I have a place in the world? Why am I discontented with just being an American woman- with my voice in total and equal standing with all other women all over the globe? It’s an ugly underbelly of activism- the human need to stand out, to be different, to be seen and heard as one voice championing many- and it’s something I plan to interrogate within myself with as much integrity as I can over the coming weeks.
Hello Everyone! My name is Erin Kirkland, and I am a Junior at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. I am studying Sociology and receiving a minor in Psychology and Criminal Justice. I am also an international student here at Longwood. I am from Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Canada. As I am still trying to figure out my future with the education I am receiving, I have many interests in Sociology. This portfolio explains some of the projects I have done while I have been at Longwood University.
In this portfolio, I provide information about myself, my resume, findings of my identity, and meaningful projects I participated in throughout my first semester at Longwood. If you tap on SOCL 220, you will find my resume, cover letter, identity information, and many projects I constructed throughout my Sociology and Self class. If you tap on SOCL-306, you will find a link to a parent support project I have built with my class over the 2024 fall semester and a reflection about the project.
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Welcome to Longwood Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
About
Hello my name is Caleb Grizzard. You can reach by email Caleb.grizzard@live.longwood.edu. I am currently a sophomore with a major of Sociology and a minor of PK-12. I would love to work in any part of Virginia. I am an college athlete and with my career aspiration I would love to play professionally, but if I can’t make it that far I would love to be a college baseball head coach.
Coursework
SOCL 220
Identity Portfolio Part 1
Internal Dimensions: I am 21 years old, male, straight, college athlete, white, and I would say I am an extroverted. I am a very outgoing person and love to socialize to people.
External Dimensions: Regarding geographic location, I would love to work in part of Virginia because I do love Virginia and would love to stay close to my family. Being a college baseball coach I would be making around 51k a year. Personal habits I like to do is hang out with my friends and also hang out with my girlfriend. Also, I love going and golfing with anyone who likes to go have fun out on the golf course. Talking about golf I have been working at Magnolia Green Golf Course for the past 6 years the experience I have is landscaping, washing carts, and cooking food. My religion is Christianity. I would love to graduate in the next three years and just get my bachelor’s degree and I would not stay in college any longer than that. I love to keep clean and also whenever I go out I love to dress casually. I have no kids currently but in the future I would love to have two kids. I would also love to get married in the next 5 years.
Organizational Dimensions: For the work field, Division/ department unit, and seniority I would like to be a head coach for a division 1 college baseball team. Work location I would like to stay in Virginia if possible but if I can’t I would go to another state. For political affiliation, I am a Republican. I am unemployed at the moment due to being in college.
Four identities I would like to talk about more about my life are personal habits, marital status, geographic location, and religion. These four identities are the most important to me because they represent my life best and will represent my family in the future with my wife and kids. Starting with personal habits I will always love having my alone time with my friends even if it’s at a bar or the golf course. Also, having alone time with my wife in the future for a date or any activity we would like to do outside of the house. Like mini golf or going to the movie theater. Marital status is huge to me because I would love to have a family and that would be the biggest goal to accomplish. The geographic location is big. I don’t think I could ever go too far from my family because I am a family person and I know I would love to always go visit and have time with them every week. Lastly, religion is big to me because I love being a Christian man and I would like to be a Christian. All the identities All four of these identities are met in the same dimension being external dimensions. These four identities would help me feel more positive, excited, welcomed, and self-esteem.
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And just like that, the first day of classes has come and gone.
I hope Monday was a good day for your student and that they’re well on the way to settling in here on campus.
I know that one of the things on a lot of parents’ minds—especially parents of freshmen and transfer students—is how the whole “making new friends” thing is going.
Honestly, the easiest time to make new friends is when so many people are new to campus: That’s now, fall semester. And one of the easiest ways to meet and connect with other Lancers is through student organizations.
Friend Factory: Student Organizations
Longwood has more than 100 of these student groups, all of which are organized around shared interests and activities. Belly dancing? Investing in the stock market? Music ensembles? Service dog training? Anime? Sports? We’ve got organizations for all of that—and much more. It’s so much easier to make friends in the small groups that these organizations provide.
The Involvement and Volunteer Fair gives students the chance to “find their people” in one—or more!—of Longwood’s 100+ student organizations.
Encourage your student to “find their people” at the Involvement and Volunteer Fair next Thursday, Sept. 5, from 4-6 p.m. on Brock Commons. They’ll have the opportunity to talk to students in these organizations, which are always looking for new members.
Mix and Mingle: Go to The G.A.M.E., Get a Scarf, Meet New People
Another great opportunity for students to mix and mingle is First Friday Back and The G.A.M.E. (Greatest Athletics March Ever), one of Longwood’s annual traditions, which is set for next Friday, Sept. 6. (If you’ve been wondering how your student can get a Longwood scarf, keep reading.)
Students get this year’s version of the popular Longwood scarf at The G.A.M.E.
First Friday Back and The G.A.M.E. Schedule —Students get a wrist band that they can redeem later that day for a Longwood scarf.
New students: noon-3 p.m.
Upperclassmen: starting at 3:15 p.m. Brock Commons
—Games and activities 3-4 p.m. —Pep rally and Longwood scarf reveal
4:15 p.m. Joan Perry Brock Center
followed by the march to the Athletics Complex, where students can exchange their wrist band for a Longwood scarf —Field Hockey vs. Davidson
6 p.m. Athletics Complex
Location, Location, Location
Meanwhile, the dining hall, the library, Upchurch University Center, the Fitness Center and classes are other places where your student can meet new people.
I know it can be hard for students to put themselves out there in a new setting, but please encourage your Lancer to take the chance: say hello, smile at someone, sit down and start a conversation. And they should remember that a lot of students here at Longwood are trying to make new friends, too. Your student might be surprised that, when we interview new students during move-in, the most common answer to the question “What are you looking forward to most?” is “Making new friends.”
—Sabrina Brown
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Standard (150 hours/semester), Fall 2024 & Spring 2025
The Office of the Dean of Students seeks a friendly, professional, and self-motivated Graduate Assistant for the 2024-2025 academic year. This student will assist students dealing with life situations that are impacting their academic and personal success at Longwood University.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Professional Attitude: reliable, confidant, confidential and dependable.
Outgoing, friendly, ability to connect with people through strong professional oral and written communication.
Computer proficiency in developing information handouts and social media content.
Ability to work within a team environment, including DSO staff and graduate/undergraduate student employees.
Communicate with the DOS Staff regarding specific needs or concerns for personal success.
Self-starter who is dependable and can work independently to complete tasks.
A quick learner, who is flexible, can multi-task, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
Required to sign a confidentiality agreement and maintain the confidentiality of students/visitors.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Meet individually with undergraduate students to enhance life design success.
Assist and potentially direct the development of educational events.
Providing support and assistance with special projects and outreach initiatives.
Supporting the office by performing administrative tasks, including research, document development, assessment, and data compilation.
Represent the Dean of Students office at necessary events and University functions.
May be required to perform other duties as assigned.
Please Note: Professionalism is required in dress and actions at all times. Dress for student employees is business casual. T-shirts bearing language or art that is likely to offend others, torn clothing, unkempt appearance, or revealing clothing that exposes parts of the body typically covered in a professional work setting should be avoided. If in doubt, please ask the Supervisor. Excessive absences and tardiness are grounds for dismissal.
Questions can be directed to Ms. Jen Fraley; fraleyjl@longwood.edu
Standard (150 hours/semester; $1,500 in tuition coverage and a $2,250 stipend) Academic Assistant Position Dean of Students Office Funding Source: CGPS Status: Closed
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The Longwood community had the happy task last week of showing new students and their parents the ropes during Orientation. I hope those of you who are parents of new Longwood students found the answers to your questions and felt reassured that your Lancer will be in good hands when you deliver them to campus next month.
Which brings me to move-in.
At Longwood, move-in is a staggered, multistage process for the various groups of students who will be living in Longwood-managed housing for the 2024-25 academic year. Staggering the dates and times for the groups of students moving in helps alleviate some of the congestion and long lines that are inevitable when hundreds of students and their families converge on a relatively small area such as the Longwood campus.
The process begins Aug. 1 with members of the women’s soccer team and concludes Aug. 25 with continuing students who are not in an early arrival group. New students living in Moss, Johns, Wheeler, Sharp and Register move in at specified times/dates on Aug. 21 and 22.
If your student is planning to live in Longwood-managed housing this year—either in a residence hall or an apartment at Longwood Landings or Lancer Park—they should have received an email with a date, timeframe and other information about moving in. This email would have come from the Office of Residential and Commuter Life or from a contact person for their early arrival group (athletes, Peer Mentors, etc.).
If your student has not received an email with their move-in information, contact the Office of Residence and Commuter Life at housing@longwood.edu.
You’ve Got Questions—We’ve Got Answers
A wealth of information about move-in is available online. If you can’t find the answer you need at one of the websites below, contact the Office of Residential and Commuter Life at housing@longwood.edu.
A group of faculty, staff and student volunteers is ready to help make the move-in process as smooth as possible for first-time Lancers who will be living in Moss, Johns, Sharp and Register halls. Through the Welcome Home Program, volunteers will be available at these halls on Aug. 21 and 22 from about 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. They can help with unloading vehicles, staying with belongings while families take care of checking in and parking their cars, or assisting with the check-in process and distributing keys. Whatever your need, don’t hesitate to ask. A volunteer or staff member will try to help you themselves or to direct you to someone who can.
Think About Bringing a Rolling Cart or Dolly—and Water
Having a dolly or a rolling cart can make the move-in process much easier. These items will not be available on campus, so consider bringing one with you. Our experts highly recommend! Also, don’t forget the water. You can expect to experience some physical exertion—both inside and outside in the heat—so it’s important to stay hydrated.
Managing Expectations
We have tried very hard to streamline the move-in process, but you should still expect to experience some waiting in line as you move into loading zones, check in, and use the elevators (where applicable) and stairwells.
I hope this information will be helpful as you move your student into Longwood-managed housing.
We can’t wait to greet them, and we wish them all the best for the 2024-25 year!—Sabrina Brown
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