Longwood has had a very long history, coming up on 175 years.
Longwood has produced amazing individuals who have gone on to do great things, but, some come back to where their journey all began.
Some have even graduated and come back to Longwood to begin or continue their careers. And these alumni are not just recent graduates.
Michael Barnett, desktop support services manager in the ITS department, came to Longwood because he wanted the atmosphere of a smaller sized school, as well as a school that was the appropriate distance away from home.
While at Longwood for school, he lived in North Cunningham for all four years and will be incredibly sad to see those buildings go.
Barnett had also met his wife while attending Longwood and throughout their time here, would take her on dates to the weekly movie sponsored by the Student Union.
Larry Robertson, dean of Students, remembered the exact rooms he lived in. He spent one year in Cox and three years in Curry.
After spending four years at Longwood, Robertson headed to James Madison University for graduate school. He returned to Longwood in 1992, left again for Virginia Tech and returned again in 2004. He has been here ever since.
Robertson said the traditions he remembers most as a student were the parades and the very distinct class divisions during Oktoberfest.
The traditions at Longwood are many years old and so well respected, that the changes are very subtle yet always fun.
CHI has always been an intently celebrated tradition at Longwood. Some of the alumni mentioned how scary CHI used to be. Then, CHI walks took place at midnight and were much more intense.
Bettie Bass, who attended Longwood in the 1970s, said that the whole town would shut down for Oktoberfest.
It brought many families and children to campus; much of this involvement may have had something to do with the road that used to run straight through where Brock Commons is located today.
The road had a very different impact on Longwood's campus. Many alumni said that the road made the university more open to the community.
It helped bring the community closer to the student body and did not “close off” the university.
There is no apparent negativity toward the changes to Brock Commons today, the road just brought a different dynamic to Longwood.
Greg Tsigaridas, who graduated in 1994 and works as a systems engineer in ITS, mentioned the Greek Walks being a much bigger and more intense event.
Others have commented that students used to go to the Greek Walks just to watch the antics unfold.
Tsigaridas also stated that the Christmas tree that dons Ruffner during the holidays, used to be a real tree.
Bass also added that looking for CHI droppings in the tree was a very big deal.
The way eating dinner at the dining hall has evolved is the biggest difference in Longwood then and now.
From what was said, students had to find a group of around eight people to eat with. Those eight would be assigned a table number and arrive at the dining hall, which, at this point in history, was located in Blackwell Hall.
The arrival of 6:00 p.m. meant dinner for the entire campus. Everyone waited in line to get to dinner and if people were already at your table when you arrived, you had to scramble to find another one.
Once you finally found your table, you and your friends were served family style, in which waitress would serve you. Crazy, right?
When Longwood College changed to what we know today as Longwood University, it was hard for some alumni to grasp.
Robertson spoke on the matter, saying that a majority of the people just like the small size that is associated with the word “college.”
However, Longwood is still, in many ways, a very united campus.
People at Longwood used to meet at the Rotunda. Another important gathering place on campus was the ballroom of the Student Union.
Barnett pointed out that, today, you can walk through the student union and not see anyone.
It is not that students are scarce these days; it is just that times have changed. Today, there is television, movies, video games and the Internet.
Back when some alumni were going to Longwood, if you had a black and white television and a VCR, you had the “it room.”
“A lot more hanging out happened,” said one alumnus with the agreement of many others.
There were two big hangout spots in town, the Red Lion Inn and the Nottingham. There, there were dances and mixers, and the use of the Cabin at the Longwood House.
Though times have changed, Longwood has kept our traditions, and our love and spirit for the white and blue alive, so change is good.
