Global Posts

Hello everyone welcome to my E-Portfolio! My name is Kayla Barts, and I am a Senior at Longwood University and will receive my bachelor’s degree in social work in May of 2024. Within my E-Portfolio you will see my leadership journals, personal and professional mission statement, professional photos, and closing thoughts.

Over the summer, I traveled to different parts of Tennessee with my boyfriend’s mom to pick him up from Lincoln Tech. Lincoln Tech is in Nashville, so that’s where we started our trip. We got there late at night, and then we picked him up in the morning and got him all packed up. Before leaving to head to Sevierville, we went antiquing at a little shop nearby. I found some really old newspapers, dolls, and even some signed records of Elvis Presley, which I thought was cool. Overall, I would say Nashville is a very busy, hectic place with a ton of traffic. I enjoyed being there for a couple of days, but I would be okay with not going again and going somewhere else in Tennessee. After we were done in Nashville, we went on to get some lunch from Cookout and then headed to Sevierville to our hotel. 

The next day, we went shopping in some little stores on the strip in Sevierville. We went to some beach-like stores, some clothing stores, and even a metal-making store, where I bought a nice keychain for my dad. Then, we headed to get some lunch at The Old Mill Restaurant, which was a country-style place. I got chicken and dumplings, collard greens, and mashed potatoes. It was so good, and the service was very good. After that, we decided to head back to the hotel and go swimming in the pool. We spent a couple more days in Sevierville, and we went to a pirate dinner show one of the nights, which was cool. Sevierville is a tourist place, but it is nothing like Nashville. It is a lot more lowkey and easy to get around. Although it does get busy, you can still make the best of it and it is still enjoyable. If I were to stay in Tennessee, I would stay in Sevierville. 

The last place we went to was Gatlinburg. We decided to take a drive to Gatlinburg and go to Ripley’s Aquarium and do some shopping. I had never been to the aquarium, so my boyfriend’s mom decided to buy the whole package so I could get the full experience. It was so cool getting to see all the animals, and some of my favorites were the seahorses and the sharks. My dad and his friend fish every year at the beach for sharks, so I’m used to being close to sharks. I thought it was cool being able to walk through and have the sharks swimming on top of me. After the aquarium, we went shopping, and then we stopped at a milkshake spot, called The Crazy Mason. I got the banana pudding one, and it was incredible. I have never had anything like that, so I was very happy to see how they had decorated the milkshake. I even got to keep the cup!

Out of these three places, I would go back to Sevierville and Gatlinburg again. I liked Nashville, but it was just too crowded and chaotic for me to enjoy myself. Sevierville is more lowkey and a better place to stay for a week, and Gatlinburg is a good place to spend a day and do some shopping and exploring.

Included below is a map of the places I went to in Tennessee.

Over the past summer, I went to the beach with my family, and we went to a seafood restaurant called Lou Lou’s Waterfront Restaurant in Supply, North Carolina. The building was on the sound, and it had the most gorgeous view of the sunset over the water. They had plenty of seating inside and outside so plenty of people could eat there. Also, the decor on the inside really brought it all together. They had fake fish hanging from the ceiling, fake nets, and some really pretty artwork of Holden Beach all around the restaurant. Outside of the restaurant, they had hanging lights, painted patio tables, and plenty of bench seating so you could look at the water while you waited for a table. One of my favorite things they had were these blue turtles on the outside of the building underneath their sign. For me, it really pulled it all together. 

Now, let’s discuss the service. It was a pleasant experience, and the service was amazing considering how busy they were. They were always on top of things, and we never had to wait for anything for more than two minutes. The waitress we had was super nice, she was quick with our orders and was also engaging in conversations with us throughout the night. Even though she had a bunch of other tables to take care of, I could tell that she was putting in effort to make conversation with every table she had. My dad even asked the manager to come out so we could tell them how impressed we were with her service, and the manager was extremely pleased. With the service alone, I would definitely go back to this restaurant. 

Next, I want to talk about the food itself. I can’t say enough about the food we got. For the appetizer, we got hush puppies and some steamed shrimp to share with the table. I have never had such crunchy, buttery hushpuppies. They were absolutely incredible. I am a shrimp lover, so I was excited when my dad ordered the steamed shrimp. They were spicy and juicy, and we were all fighting over who was going to get the last one. For my entree, I ordered crab legs with corn, coleslaw, and french fries. The french fries were good, but there wasn’t anything special about them. I didn’t try the coleslaw, but my dad said it was pretty good, but a little too peppery for him. The corn was so buttery and crunchy, and I even asked my mom if I could have hers because she didn’t want it. It was too good to let it be thrown away. Lastly were the crab legs. These were so, so good. The shell was so easy to break apart, and the crab meat was so tender. That was definitely my favorite item from the night. 

Overall, I would rate this restaurant a 10/10. Everything about it was incredible, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We have gone back a couple more times since that night, and I can say the experience is just as good every time. This restaurant is the definition of what a good restaurant should be.

1. Introduction: A little About Me and Long Island
2. Photo Essay: Summers on Long Island
3. Travel Experience: How to Get to My Favorite Beach
4. Video Tutorial: How to Navigate a Day Trip to NYC
5. Review of a Local Restaurant: Manino’s
6. Recourses

Today’s post has what I hope will be some helpful information about Thanksgiving break.

For those of you whose students will be coming home for the holiday, I hope you have a wonderful visit and a very happy Thanksgiving.

This is a time when many of us think about what we’re grateful for—an activity that apparently has health benefits. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic Health System website has to say about being intentionally thankful: “Expressing gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease. If a pill that could do this, everyone would be taking it.”

I can tell you that those of us who work at Longwood are thankful that we have the opportunity to provide your student with a college experience that prepares them for a successful and meaningful life as a citizen leader.

Now, here’s that information about the break.

If your student lives in Longwood-managed housing and is staying on campus during the break, they need to fill out an Intent to Stay form, which is available through the Student Housing Gateway.

It’s important to note that any student who needs access to their residence between 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, and noon Sunday, Nov. 26, must fill out an Intent to Stay form—even if they won’t be on campus for that entire time.

The Intent to Stay form must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20.

Filling out this form gives students uninterrupted ID card access to their housing (where applicable) and notifies Campus Police that they will or may be staying on campus during all or part of the break.

If your student asks, please let them know they should not cancel any academic or other personal obligations during the break period. Instead they can be sure to have continued access to their assigned living space by submitting the Intent to Stay form.

If your student lives in Longwood-managed housing and is coming home for the holidays, they should be sure to do the following before departing campus:
—Remove all trash and perishable food.
—Thoroughly clean their assigned living area, including the bathroom and common spaces.
—If applicable, adjust their room thermostat to a low/medium setting.
—Take valuables and important items with them (medication, eyeglasses, wallet, etc.).
—Shut down and unplug all electronics, except personal refrigerators or apartment appliances.
—Turn off all lights.
—Close and lock all windows.
—Lower all window blinds/shades.
—Lock all doors.

If your student lives in Moss or Johns hall, you will be able to load and unload vehicles on Spruce Street for the break. Similar to the one-way traffic flow of  August move-in and fall break, please be sure to access Spruce Street by taking Wynne Drive to Pine Street and then turn onto the sidewalk in front of the Fitness Center. Use Redford Street (McDonald’s intersection) only to EXIT campus.

Below is some additional important information about the break that has been shared with students.

• All residential communities will remain locked (24/7)during the break. Students who filled out the Intent to Stay form will continue to have access to their assigned buildings through the card reader(s) on their building (where applicable).
• No guests are allowed in university housing during the break.
• The dining hallwill close after lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 21, and re-open for dinner on Sunday, Nov. 26.  Regular hours of operation resume on Monday, Nov. 27. Up-to-date hours and information for all other Longwood Dining-managed food venues can be found at https://longwood.campusdish.com/ .
• Farmville Area Bus service(FAB) will end at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, and will resume at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. There is no bus service for travel to Lancer Park during the break period.
• Residence hall rooms and apartments are subject to entry during the break; limited work orders and/or facility safety inspections could occur.
• Campus offices will be closed Nov. 22-24.  
• For general assistance from Campus Policeduring the break, students can all 434-395-2091. In case of emergency, students should call 911. Students who need help with a non-life-threatening medical issue can call the Nurse Advice Line at 805-858-3117.

 —Sabrina Brown

My name is Victoria Horner. I am a Sociology major and Psychology minor at Longwood University. This portfolio will have contents from my undergraduate senior seminar course.

My name is Kimberly Melvin and I am a Criminology & Criminal Justice major and am minoring in Homeland Security. I am a senior at Longwood University.

My name is Victoria Sipe and I am a Criminology and Criminal Justice major and I am minoring in Psychology. I am a junior set to graduate in December 2024. This website contains work for my undergraduate degree.