Lancers at Longwood University sure do have their traditions and there are definitely some they’ll never regret, even if we have been called Norwood University. Longwood makes these traditions treasurable and each one gives us memories that will last for a lifetime. Here are 15 of those traditions that shape us into becoming Lancers forever.
Spring is the sign of new and exciting happenings to come. That is just what we do here at Longwood University.
The campus is filled with booths of students selling items for their clubs and organizations. Our volleyball courts being turned into muddy water to play oozeball instead. Competitors with hot and spicy chili cook-off recipes compete to take home the title of the tastiest chili for the Weekend. Famous artists, like Taylor Swift, Afro Man, and the Fray to name a few, have given Lancers music to talk about for a full year.
Like Spring Weekend, students look forward to the weekend of Oktoberfest, too. With the weekend, our esteemed professor, Dr. Jim Jordan, telling Longwood’s history around a bonfire, booths for students to sell things for their organizations, live bands to listen to, and the highlight of the weekend is Color Wars. Odd number in graduation class is green and even number in graduation in class is red. 3…2…1…GO!- is all the students hear before the paint begins to fly and the classes clash (don’t forget to wear a white shirt!)
I had never been to a block party until I came to Longwood University, and hopefully all block parties are like Rock The Block. Vendors from Longwood and the Farmville community give free stuff, there’s food from the dining services, rides to ride on, cover bands sing a bunch of songs, raffles to win prizes, and last but not least a display of tons of fireworks right in the heart of Farmville. It is a fun experience for the Longwood community and the Farmville community to come together to kick off the start of a new academic year.
G.A.M.E. is short for the Greatest Athletic March Ever. Longwood does not play when it comes to our sports events. To kick it off, students wait for hours to receive a scarf that is only available from the G.A.M.E. The students then rally and get spirited for the game to come. To top it off, we march through campus, into downtown Farmville, and to the sports field to cheer on our Lancers, with President Reveley leading the pack.
Many people love breakfast at night. And nighttime breakfast before the stressful week of finals is even better. But, Lancers kick it up a notch, because the professors serve the food to students in a way to say that we’ve got this. It definitely gives us a few hours of food, music, and fun.
Late at night, every few times a semester, Longwood’s campus becomes driven by a surge of electricity. The surge of electricity that is, is the spirit of Longwood. CHI.
CHI is one of the secret societies here on our campus and they truly keep the campus going. We are reminded of them everyday on our walks around campus by the blue rotundas painted on the ground (don’t step on them-you’ll get blue babies!) Sometimes you can get lucky and find a CHI dropping on campus and students that have, cherish them, until they pass them down when they graduate.
But, what really gets us students going, is the CHI walks. The members of CHI walk through solemnly at night around different places on campus and give students a reminder that CHI is here for us, and they drop a few CHI droppings, too.
Longwood University prides itself in being a citizen leader. The Big Event shows the Lancers in action not just only being a citizen leader, but helping the Farmville community. Students are given many service projects to take on such as painting, cleaning siding, trash pick up and many more. Lancers truly love the community and feel that it is their responsibility to give back to the place that has made them…Lancers.
Thanksgiving is a time at Longwood where we come together as a family. Lancers usually go to Dorrill Dining Hall during the week and serve themselves, but for Thanksgiving Dinner, Longwood staff members serve them. Think of all the food you usually get on Thanksgiving, we eat it. But one item on the menu may be something that most everyone has not heard of, like myself, before I came to Longwood. Baked Alaska. It is like an ice cream cake, but with brown meringue, too (it’s to die for!)
The other secret society on Longwood University’s campus is Princeps. This society is recognized every day around campus as the seven-pointed crown, which represents the seven key principles of leadership. You can find droppings from Princeps around campus as well. The “crowns” are for good-luck and you will find that whenever a Lancer sees one, they will always make their way over to step on it. A ritual that has been started with the crowns is that you go and step on all seven around campus for good-luck before finals.
Relay for Life is a special cause that everyone on campus and the Farmville community come out to support. When Longwood relays, we relay for 12 hours straight.
We start the night by having the survivors make the first lap of the night. That lap is very emotional for the students and the survivors and it is the highlight that everyone loves. Students set up tables to sell items, girls cutting their hair to make wigs, relay games, and a memorial lap when we light the luminaries to place around the track. Relay for Life is a cause that is worth fighting for, and we Lancers fight every year.
Mascots usually show…well, just a mascot for their university or college. Our mascot is the heart and soul of our campus. His name is Elwood. He comes out to all of the games and events here on campus to greet everyone. He is how everyone should be as a Lancer while they are here for their college career. Before Lancers graduate, they definitely need to get a snapshot with Elwood.
Although students and faculty are not here for the Christmas season, we do incorporate one of the longest lived traditions when we think of the 25th of December-the Christmas tree.
Every year students, faculty, and members of the Farmville community, gather in Ruffner Hall. We gather around the huge Christmas tree and listen to Longwood traditions and anticipate the lighting of the tree. Carols are sung and the Rotunda glows and we anticipate the Christmas season when we return home for winter break with our families.
The Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris inspired this tradition for graduating seniors to keep their spirits “locked” at Longwood. This tradition is new as it just started in 2015. Students decorate their locks and lock them on the fence with the generations of graduates before them. This tradition gives our alumni a reason to come back and visit the beautiful campus. Legacy Locks give our campus our own “bridge” from the city of love.
The final year in your college career is always the most memorable, because those are the “last” times for everything. To start off the last year for the graduating seniors, Longwood does something to let the last four years of the students’ lives shine through. The senior picks one of their friends to decorate and “cap” them at a special ceremony. The “cappers” adorn the caps with decorations that symbolize the senior’s major, sorority/fraternity, or their hobbies.
Most students remember the moment they were “capped” and have kept their caps to remember their last year here at Longwood University.
Early Fall semester, late Spring semester, or when there is just a patch of good weather, you can find students relaxing on the lawn, hammocking in the trees, and playing football and volleyball. Stubbs Lawn is home to students that need a wide open space to relax and get some fresh air. Almost every day you can find someone walking their dog and students get to pet the dogs, because…well…we are college students. We pet dogs, it’s just what we do.
*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
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