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Friday, January 31, 2025

Longwood Ambassadors: The Faces of Longwood University

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Longwood Ambassador Katie Holloway leads a tour group of potential incoming students (and family members) outside of Chichester Hall.

After a few years as a student at Longwood University, it is probably very easy to forget what it felt like as a bright- eyed and bushy-tailed college hopeful. Never having seen Brock Commons before, never having taken a dip in Ruffner Fountain, it is easy to forget what that first impression was really like when all you can think about is graduation or maybe just trying to get through Finals Week.

As the weather finally gets warmer and the campus cultivates its beautiful, lush flora, more and more Longwood students will be able to welcome prospective students and their families to the campus, assisted by the Longwood Ambassadors.

As stated by the Longwood Ambassadors’ CollegiateLink webpage, “The Longwood 

Ambassadors is a volunteer, student service organization that assists the university in admissions, public relations, and alumni activities. The Ambassadors serve as hosts at official college events and conduct campus tours.”

Each Longwood Ambassador gives to-be-Lancers the first impression of what it’s like to be a college student.

But rather than tell you what a tour by the Longwood Ambassadors does, why not reintroduce what a tour actually looks like.

This past Monday at 11 a.m., Longwood Ambassador Katie Holloway led a group of over 15 people around Longwood University, teaching them about the many facilities and opportunities available on campus as well as its history. The group included prospective students and their families.

Beginning at Blackwell Hall, Holloway led the student through Ruffner Hall, to Lancaster Hall, to Stubbs Hall, to the Janet D. Greenwood Library, to Brock Commons, to the Health & Fitness Center, to Dorrill Dining Hall and finally to Ruffner Fountain.

Throughout the journey, she introduced Joanie on the Stonie, the College Bell and an example of a room that a typical Longwood student might have with Chi droppings and Longwood memorabilia strewn about.

As a senior Communication Studies major with a minor in Spanish, Holloway was able to answer questions by families on various topics, including what it’s like to study abroad, how internships are required for each student and the excitement that goes into annual Longwood traditions, such as Color Wars, Oktoberfest and Spring Weekend.

Speaking on safety around campus, Holloway noted the various blue safety poles scattered around campus as well as the presence of the Night Walkers, a student-run escort service available so students do not have to walk home alone after dark if they do not want to.

While in Ruffner Hall, Holloway noted the worn paint on Joanie on the Stonie’s hands, stating that students often rub her hands for good luck while walking to class.

Stating that Ruffner Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus, she added that in April 2001, there was an infamous firethatdestroyedWestand East Ruffner as well as the rotunda, itself. During the blaze, a total of 175 volunteer firefighters fought the flames for a round 15 hours. Causing issues for students in regards to graduation, finals were offered as optional.

Later, Holloway made sure to step on one of the black Princeps crowns painted on the ground to demonstrate an additional good luck tradition. While avoiding a blue rotunda painted on the ground, Holloway also noted that stepping on the rotunda is equivalent to stepping on the spirit of Chi, or the spirit of Longwood, itself.

Passing Lancaster Hall, Holloway joked that the building is one of the most boring yet important ones on campus. Housing the Academic & Career Advising Center, Financial Aid, Residential & Commuter Life, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and of course the President’s Office (as well as a few more).

While in Stubbs Hall, Holloway spoke of the numerous on and off-campus housing options available to students, while later exhibiting Curry and Frazer Halls as the tallest buildings in Farmville, Va. She noted that when the two buildings were constructed, the local firefighters had to build a taller ladder as they didn’t have one tall enough until then.

In Greenwood Library, Holloway noted the many accessible electronics available to students, including video cameras, Dell and Mac laptops, a green screen and much more.

Holloway also gave some insight on the College Bell that is exhibited in the lobby. Originally housed in East Ruffner, the College Bell was eventually buried and forgotten in the basement of Barlow Hall. The reason for it being taken down was when Longwood University became a co-educational institution in 1976, the president of the time worried that the boys would be hurt or worse while trying to play any pranks on the bell. Common pranks by the female students before then included tying padding or pillows inside the bell to avoid hearing it early in the morning or to tie wire on it to ring the bell late in the night.

On Brock Commons, Holloway told the families that what is now a visually appealing walkway for students to go to and from classes used to be Pine Street. Since 2004, Brock Commons includes 24 jets of water that spray six feet into the air, the Chi Fountain and various artworks provided by the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts in correlation to its Outdoor Sculpture Program where graduating art students select three pieces of art to be exhibited on campus for two years.

To learn more about the Longwood Ambassadors or to schedule a tour, email Katie Beals at katherine.beals@live. longwood.edu.

Disclaimer: This tour was conducted before Katie Holloway was elected to be on The Rotunda’s Editorial Board.

Longwood Ambassador Katie Holloway leads a tour group of potential incoming students (and family members) outside of Chichester Hall.