This weekend was filled with walking around Longwood’s campus and the town of Farmville, reconnecting with friends not seen in months and having a blast at Oktoberfest. As an alumna, I was nervous about visiting campus and seeing all of the changes that had taken place in the five months I’ve been absent from the scene.
I was not disappointed. The first thing I noticed was the amount of work that has already gone into the renovation of Stubbs Residence Hall. I completely forgot that the habitants of Stubbs were moved to the Cunninghams.
I was disappointed, however, with the amount of hype surrounding Oktoberfest. I didn’t really hear many people that excited about the festivities this year, other than Rebelution. Most people seemed a bit indifferent about the weekend ahead when I arrived on Friday. Most of my time Friday was spent walking around campus during Battle of the Bands, wondering why many of the bands were doing covers rather than their own music and wondering how I could feel so
"I know that at 22, I cannot say that I’m too old for shenanigans, but I honestly think I am ... this weekend proved that to me."
out of place at a school that was once my home away from home. I know that at 22, I cannot say that I’m too old for shenanigans, but I honestly think I am ... this weekend proved that to me. I watched movies with old friends, talked about my upcoming wedding to literally every person I reconnected with and shot down the subject of children each time it was brought up. I went to campus Saturday with the intentions of buying so many things as a way to give back to my Longwood community and other groups that work so hard, but I couldn’t make myself. I am still a student in the regard that money is always tight and adult bills come first.
It could have also been the heat. I forgot how hot it can be in October, but this weekend reminded me of all the fury the sun has to offer. It was hot, but the spirit of campus wasn’t down. That’s what I was happy to see. I love seeing my fellow alumni visit and sit in the grass, talking to their friends who still attend the university, but I mostly loved seeing the looks on the new students’ faces when they saw people walking around after being slimed or at the amount of things that were being sold – Phi Mu Alpha fraternity always gets me with their deep fried Oreos.
I’m also amazed at the time and effort these groups spend making things to sell to their peers at a very good price. Raffle tickets are a must during these weekends because mystery and anticipation are intriguing to the average person, and you don’t win unless you try, right?
All in all, I had a fantastic weekend at Longwood. I think I’ll stay away a year or so more and come back when more of the renovations have been completed, so I know exactly what they’re going to look like. I’m both interested and concerned about the changing look of campus. Tearing down buildings to put completely aesthetically different buildings up is going to be a shocker to my system, but I can’t wait for all of the changes that Longwood has in store because I know that, even if I don’t think they’re all necessary, someone does and we’ll all love Longwood the same.
