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Longwood’s baseball team held their annual ‘Spooky Slugfest’ on Thursday, October 24 – putting on their silliest costumes for a scrimmage game at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
Todd Phillips’ 2016 hit Joker was a beautiful but ultimately vapid meditation on the cruelty of the mental health system. It masqueraded as an origin story to the Batman supervillain but was quickly and publicly co-opted by men who admired the film’s murderous protagonist, Arthur Fleck, for his live-on-TV murder of a talk show host who mocked him.
Elwood’s Cabinet, Longwood’s student-run food pantry, has been in operation since 2018, supplying students with necessary food, toiletries, and kitchen utensils. The pantry operates between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, and is located on the first floor of the Farmville Wesley Campus Ministry building, across the street from Longwood’s Campus and right next to Hotel Weyanoke.All students are welcome into Elwood’s Cabinet, and while they show their Lancer Card, no information is taken about those who use the service. Nina Bagley, the Executive Director of Elwood’s Cabinet said, “Everything is confidential, we don’t take any names, we don’t take note of what you take. It’s like a little mini grocery store.” Cheryl Steele, associate vice president of student engagement and adviser for Elwood’s Cabinet said, “When people think of Elwood’s Cabinet they often think of food, but there is also laundry detergent, kitchen utensils, and really whatever gets donated to us.” According to those at Elwood’s Cabinet, popular items that students take are macaroni and cheese, protein bars, canned soup, quick snack foods, and hygiene products. Elwood’s Cabinet also has silverware and ceramic plates for students to keep.Due to funds from the Student Government Association (SGA), Elwood’s Cabinet and the Wesley Foundation were able to purchase a freezer which gave them access to frozen vegetables, which were much more well-received than canned vegetables. That said, keeping other perishable items can be a challenge. Hicks said, “Anything that’s perishable such as milk, meat, fresh vegetables are all tough to keep because we don’t know how much will get in and how much will go out. These things aren’t hard to get, but are difficult to get and then give out to students.”The planning to place Elwood’s Cabinet right across the street from campus inside the Wesley Foundation came from Hicks speaking with a former SGA President. The Wesley Foundation was able to offer a stable home to Elwood’s Cabinet, and its location off-campus eased concerns about the stigma of being seen going to a food pantry.Student Representative for Elwood’s Cabinet Michael Leath said, “ Elwood’s Cabinet is all about fighting food insecurity, as someone who has gone through phases of my life where a meal on the table was not guaranteed. Elwood’s Cabinet is very meaningful to me and can be very meaningful to many students on campusElwood’s Cabinet, like many organizations on campus, does struggle at times with campus engagement. According to students, campus engagement and student turnout during operational hours has struggled at times for various reasons. Steele said, “Students may feel embarrassed or that they will be judged for coming out to Elwood’s Cabinet.”Leath said, “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get ourselves out there as much, but we areworking on that.” Recently, they have worked with other campus organizations on a canned food drive for those impacted by Hurricane Helene, and hope to establish a greater social media presence.However, despite challenges, Elwood’s Cabinet remains dedicated to their mission. “I hope to have no one on Longwood’s campus that has to worry about what to eat or get food from. What I would love to bring to Longwood Students is the basic need of getting food, and not feeling judged or less than others, this happens and it’s a part of life,” Hicks said.
(Editor's note: The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. This article was submitted by an anonymous contributor.)Donald Trump has officially been elected 47th President of the United States, set to be in office for the next four years. For many people on campus and within Farmville, it’s a cause for celebration and happiness. However, for many others, it’s a scary and distressing time – especially people within the LGBTQ+ community. Trump voters may believe it’s explained by a simple difference in opinion, but for the LGBTQ+ community it is a question of, “Will I still have my rights tomorrow”? This editorial is a call to action for LGBTQ+ allies on Longwood Campus and within Farmville to be prepared to help support queer people during these 4 years and a chance to educate people on Trump’s policies and Project 2025.If you are skeptical of if Trump’s policies will harm the queer community, I introduce you to Project 2025. It is a 900-page public document created by Republican politicians that lists multiple policies they will attempt to enforce if Donald Trump were to become President again. Although Trump claims Project 2025 is not his plan, and that he has no connection to it, a CNN report found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved in its creation.There are many policies within Project 2025 that are dangerous to the well-being of the American people, including people of color and immigrants. Specifically concerning the LGBTQ+ community, gender identity and LGBTQ+ are referred to as “gender ideology” throughout Project 2025 – to which the document is in full opposition. Project 2025 specifically targets the spreading of “gender ideology,” and actively wants to focus its studies on the negative effects of gender-affirming care. These can be found throughout the document, including in Section 11, regarding the education system.This is a dangerous mindset to push, as there are already a multitude of studies that have shown that providing gender-affirming care to transgender individuals decreases the likelihood of suicide and increases happiness. According to a 2022 study published in Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, “Receipt of gender-affirming interventions, specifically [puberty blockers] or [gender-affirming hormones], was associated with 60% lower odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and 73% lower odds of self-harm or suicidal thoughts during the first year of multidisciplinary gender care.” The majority of transgender individuals who ended up de-transitioning (whether permanently or temporarily) did so because of social pressure or discrimination. A 2021 study published in LGBTQ Health states, “Of those who had detransitioned, 82.5% reported at least one external driving factor. Frequently endorsed external factors included pressure from family and societal stigma.” Project 2025 also enforces the idea that same-gender marriage is inferior and wrong compared to heterosexual marriage, baselessly stating that “the average length of same-sex marriages is half that of heterosexual marriages” (Section 14, Department of Health and Human Services).If you are an LGBTQ+ ally and are unsure of how to help your queer friends, the first thing to do is spread awareness. Get educated on the laws and statistics involving LGBTQ+ people. Checking in on your queer friends and offering moral support is also an option. Voting in state and local elections can also really make a difference for LGBTQ+ people, as a large part of the legislation impacting the queer community comes from these levels of government. For example, a bill passed through the state legislature and signed by the governor earlier this year strengthens marriage equality in Virginia. For education and how to help an LGBTQ+ person during these tough times, The Trevor Project is an incredible resource to start with. If you are still skeptical or dismissive of the struggles of LGBTQ+ individuals, it may be helpful to research the experiences of real life transgender and gay individuals. It is always crucial to be open to understanding a perspective that you may not have ever considered. On campus, Longwood University has an LGBTQ+ organization called “PRIDE,” an LGBTQ+ specific group counseling option called “Affirm,” and Farmville has its own queer organization called “Farmville Pride”. The Trevor Project is also an excellent crisis resource.For my fellow queer people on campus and within Farmville, we must remain strong and form a community to brave the storm that’s about to come.___Sources:Bhatt, N., Cannella, J., & Gentile, J. P. (2022). Gender-affirming Care for Transgender Patients. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 19(4-6), 23–32.Contorno, S. (2024). Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11...James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.Manning, W.D., Brown, S.L. & Stykes, J. Same-Sex and Different-Sex Cohabiting Couple Relationship Stability. Demography 53, 937–953 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524... Policy | project 2025. Project 2025. (2023). https://www.project2025.org/po... Turban, J. L., Loo, S. S., Almazan, A. N., & Keuroghlian, A. S. (2021). Factors Leading to "Detransition" Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Analysis. LGBT health, 8(4), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2...
On Sept. 21, 2020, the Clark House was officially opened as Longwood’s intercultural center, creating space for students to learn about each other and explore their differences. Located on Main Street behind Pierson Hall, the center became a home for National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations and a place to study and lounge for all students.However, while the Clark House serves as an important resource and space on campus today, the memories that reside within the walls reach further back than many realize. Dr. Theresa Clark, a since-retired social work faculty member and department chair, served the Longwood community for 30 years. Dr. Clark, along with her husband Lorenzo Clark, both grew up in Farmville – experiencing the full impacts of the 1959 Prince Edward County school closures in response to desegregation.As the Clarks settled down together in Farmville in the 1980’s, they built their House in the heart of Farmville – just a short walk from Longwood’s campus.Megan Clark, their youngest daughter who now serves Prince Edward County as commonwealth’s attorney, described what it was like growing up in the home during her time there. She lived in the house until she was 6-years-old. Though her family no longer owns the house, Megan still finds peace within the current use of it, “I’m happy about it,” she said. “I will tell you that when Longwood started expanding, I was always under the impression that the house was going to get torn down. That, of course, made me sad, but I also understand the growth of campus.”“When they decided to keep it, of course, one, that made me happy, but two, when they decided to keep it and use it for multicultural affairs that made me even more happy,” Megan said.However, she joked that not everything about the current state of the house was to her liking. “What I’m not happy about is that my old bedroom is the Deltas’ [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.] room. It made me a little sad to see that,” she said, laughing. Megan, as well as her older sister and mother, are members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.Shelly Clark-Reed, Megan’s older sister and the Clarks’ eldest daughter, now works as a principal at Prince Edward County Middle School. Clark-Reed, like her sister, reminisced over fond memories of the Clark House.“I had a fabulous childhood, and my home was all I knew,” she said. Unlike her sister, she got to live in the home until she was 12-or-13-years-old. She said loved coming back to their well-organized and well-kept home, as her mother always kept it. Clark-Reed recounted her mother’s tableware parties when family, friends, and sorority sisters would come to attend. She said some of her fondest memories revolve around her mother’s cooking.“My mother was given an award a few years ago, and they asked me to do her intro on video, and I said that my mother could make literally boiled water taste good,” she joked. Clark-Reed said these dinners would often fill the halls with the delightful smell of a home cooked meal – though with the caveat they would all wait for everyone to be home before eating, a rule that set in stone by her motherDr. Clark, who is now retired, focused on the meaning of family and living in the first home she had built with her husband Lorenzo Clark as an excited young couple. During that time, she worked for Longwood University as the first full-time Director of Minority Affairs, so her students and her family would often interact. “We would carve out pumpkins and put them on the deck, the next morning they’d be gone. The next morning, they would be back with notes in them because the students had taken them and done some things to them to make my children happy,” she said.Shortly after, Dr. Clark applied for a new position as a Human Services Social Worker for the university, eventually becoming an Associate Professor of Social Work. She valued the growth of her children at a very young age, discussing how Megan learned how to walk and talk in the house. When she came home from work, she said she was “happy for the family to come together, and we all did what I thought a family was supposed to do. I came in and prepared dinner, no one ate without the other, so my children would have to wait until my husband came home.”Dr. Clark also remembered finishing her master's degree while in the home, as well as even starting her doctorate in what she described as “...challenging times, to say the least.” “Everything in our house centered around raising our children, trying to do it right, serving the community, and education while we were there,” she said. Eventually, the Clark family left the house. Dr. Clark said, “There were mixed feelings, happy and sad. Happy there was going to be some distance between my employment, my profession, and my home. However, after leaving there, even today, I realize those were some of the best times of my life.” Dr. Clark retired from Longwood University in 2018, but is still serving her community to the best of her ability. However, she is now prioritizing her rest. Regardless, Dr. Clark's contributions to the Longwood and Farmville communities continue to manifest themselves through the ongoing service of the Clark Family, and the Clark House’s significance to students today.
At the November 21 meeting of the Faculty Senate, members discussed recommended policy changes to the role of student course evaluations, following recommended policies released by the Student Assessment of Instruction Ad Hoc Committee earlier this academic year.
On October 24, Moss Hall was evacuated at 5:18 p.m. by the Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) due to a “report of a bomb threat,” according to a Longwood Alert. Soon after, at 5:35 p.m., students received another alert announcing the situation had been resolved and the building was cleared for re-entry. The incident comes just over a week after a bomb threat against Grainger Hall that shut the building down for two hours on October 14.
At the Sept. 13 meeting of the Longwood University Board of Visitors, the board voted unanimously to approve revisions to the Use of University Facilities and Freedom of Expression policies. These policies are largely similar to those passed at institutions around Virginia as a response to campus protests for Palestine in April and May.
Located on the Griffin Boulevard side of campus, Academic Residential Community (ARC) Hall and Cox Hall remain closed again this academic year as a result of decreased student enrollment at Longwood.
The Virginia Children’s Book Festival (VCBF) is returning to Longwood University from Oct. 16 to 18, marking 11 years of bringing literature to young readers. For three days, volunteers will host events around campus for visiting students and authors.
While Tim Miller’s 2016 superhero comedy Deadpool was far from the first R-rated superhero movie (the Blade trinity, Watchmen, and various adaptations of The Punisher were all released years before, to name just a few examples), it came at just the right time to actually hit it big. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was at its peak, and superheroes, particularly ones of the Marvel variety, were in. They were also pretty tame. Part of why Deadpool was so notable was that it broke the Disney-Marvel mold in a way that Disney-Marvel (heavy on the Disney) just couldn’t.
Longwood’s 2024 women’s soccer season is in full swing and with it has come a tough non-conference schedule. While being tested, the Lancers prepared for Big South play with a rigorous schedule that included the likes of Liberty and Appalachian State.
On April 5, 2024, Dr. Larissa Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs, officially announced that Dr. Khawaja Mamun was named the dean of Longwood’s College of Business and Economics (CBE).
Coming off a 4-14 record for the 2023 season, Longwood Lancers Field Hockey had a lot to prove heading into 2024. They began their season at The G.A.M.E., and edged out an exciting victory during the last seconds of regulation versus the Davidson Wildcats.
At the Sept. 13 meeting of the Board of Visitors, the Board approved another revision of the local funds policy, this time to bolster coordination between officials and departments in future uses of local funds. Furthermore, University President W. Taylor Reveley IV discussed “replenish[ing]” funds swept in June, a new development in the ongoing administrative response to faculty backlash over significant changes in the budgeting process.
As the Longwood community settles back on campus, the ongoing internal discussion and controversy over the use, budgeting and June 2024 ‘sweep’ of local funds has entered its third month. According to university officials, the Board of Visitors will discuss further revisions to the local funds policy at its Sept. 13 meeting.
In an overcast afternoon in Farmville, Longwood men’s soccer took down the Navy Midshipmen 2-1 to claim their first win of the season and boost their record to 1-2-1. A crowd of around 200 people saw the Lancers score a late winner to boost morale before Big South play starts in two weeks.
In an August 16 interview, Longwood President W. Taylor Reveley IV answered questions about the policy change from June’s university Board of Visitors meeting related to the ‘Use and Investment of Local Funds,’ the subsequent deployment of local funds from departmental accounts to address administrative and overhead expenses, and the controversy in its wake.
At the June 7 meeting of the Longwood University Board of Visitors, the Board approved changes to the ‘Use and Investment of Local Funds’ – the non-state allocated monies which are often donated to the university. The new policy passed by the Board of Visitors represents a significant change in Longwood University’s budgeting approach, as the local funds were previously at the discretion of academic departments and offices. As a result of the new policy, university officials have greater control over the use of these funds, resulting in concern from faculty members.
At the Stafford County Public Safety Building on May 22, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin ceremonially signed four bills relating to child safety – including a bill that stemmed from an incident involving Longwood Social Work Professor Ian Danielsen’s son in 2022.
