Longwood COMM 341 Story Portfolio
Dustin Reynolds
Back To School, And Back To Class
The Local Farmville Schools Are All Back In An In-Person Setting
FARMVILLE, VA- Going to school may have always seemed like a difficult challenge for some, but going to school during a global pandemic has been an eye-opening experience for the world. Here in Farmville, Virginia, the local public and private schools are well into their first classes back in an in-person setting.
Fuqua School and Prince Edward County Public Schools(PECPS) have prevailed through some of the most uncertain times that an elementary school or high school could face. Having been able to speak with faculty from both of the town’s schools, I have noticed a strong admiration in how both schools are effectively handling the return to school.
Dr. Michelle Wallace is the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at PECPS. She has noticed how happy kids are to be back in a classroom setting, and how they are finally getting used to the Covid-19 measures that are in place.
Many schools, globally, had to carry on restrictions, guidelines, and schedules that they had placed at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. Prince Edward has done the same, requiring everyone to wear a mask and sanitize, and placing floor and seat markings to help kids distance indoors. Fuqua School has similar requirements as well, but are at an advantage with their campus being mainly outdoors.
With the normality of masks, social distancing, sanitizing, and disinfecting becoming common in everyday life, schools feel that the comprehension and understanding of material from students in the classroom is starting to transcend. Diane Stubbins is a high school English teacher at Fuqua School. She described how great the experience has been for her to be back in a faster-paced learning environment. “It feels like the pace of school is much better because you don’t have the shortened remote classes, and not having a regular schedule.”
An irregular schedule wasn’t the only problem students faced during the start of the pandemic last year. Mental health played an important role in everyone’s overall well-being in 2020. “Last year, if you remember, there was so much unknown about the Virus.” Explained Head of Fuqua School Chance Reynolds. “At one time we couldn’t touch books, or we couldn’t trade money.”
The mental labor that students face throughout the school year can become exhausting when the student also has to face certain distractions from a pandemic, or the guidelines put in place to handle it. Reasons like this are why both schools and school boards have elected not to host any virtual classes this year. Students who have specific circumstances keeping them at home during the pandemic have a virtual education option through Virtual Virginia.
Athletic events have also been approved for the fall-half of the school year for both schools. During harsh pandemic times, students have found relief in enjoying extracurricular activities outside the house, and especially a Friday night high school football game. Both the schools have allowed masks not to be required at outside athletic events this year, but are still requiring forms of distancing. Athletes are recommended to wear a mask at PECPS, but aren’t for Fuqua. Everyone must mask-up for indoor events and there is also no switching sides, or high-fives between teams.
Field trips also give the students something else to look forward to during the school year, and can also help students and teachers break away from the mentally tiring pandemic setting that they are in. “We can do field trips this year, yay!” Mrs. Stubbins gleefully said.
The best part about going to school in small town Farmville, Virginia is the relationships that you end up building with the people you interact with everyday. Whether you attended the local high schools or one of the two colleges in town there will be friends, professors, teachers, and even bus drivers who you will continue to follow on your life path. Dr. Wallace expressed, “There is much more planning that has to go on now, but we can see how we are, at least in Farmville, starting to become a society again.”
Students and faculty finally have the opportunity to engage and interact face-to-face again in Farmville. If there happens to be an enormous spike in the country’s Covid cases, then the schools have the ability to halt in-person classes and move virtual again. For now, classes are still being carried out daily in-person to offer the best interactive experience for the student.
Wolfpack Down the Lancers
NC State Exploit Longwood in Men’s Soccer Game Tuesday Night
FARMVILLE, VA — The Longwood Men’s Soccer team fell short in their match against NC State University on Tuesday, September 28, with a score of 6 — 2.
The Wolfpack (5 — 3 — 1) of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) applied immense attacking and defensive pressure all night, and took advantage of an early lead off a header from senior Kuda Muskwe. The assist came from a stunning cross from Junior Ivy Brisma, but was anything but the start that Longwood needed.
NC State’s Brisma and freshman Noe Cabezas stood out, both having a goal and two assists each. Six different players of the Wolfpack found the back of the net Tuesday night. This match against the Lancers was their most goals in a single game for NC State since a 6 — 0 win against the University of Delaware in 2012.
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Longwood’s two goals came from a penalty kick taken by Markus Gronli, and a beautiful shot struck to the bottom right corner by Tosin Ayokunle. Longwood freshman Luis Ortner, who provided the assist for Ayokunle’s goal, couldn’t seem to follow up on his breakthrough performance against UNC Asheville over the weekend having scored a hat-trick, and his first collegiate goals.
Longwood (2 — 5 — 1) struggled to keep up with the tempo and pace of the game that was set in the early stages of the match by NC State. The Lancers started a strong team against the Wolfpack, but failed to capitalize on that. “We’ve got to be better.” Emphasized Longwood’s Head Coach Jon Atkinson. “And we can be better.”
Coach Atkinson feels that his team left a little too much work to be done out on the field against a high caliber team like NC State. The Wolfpack controlled their ball movement and possession really well the entire game, especially in midfield and out on the attacking wings, creating times of hesitation from the Lancers.
Coach Atkinson explained how having a competitive game like this in the middle of the week would prepare them for the weekend and conference games, but they came out on the wrong end of the scoreline. “The big part is communication. Tonight we worked in a few lads on from the start, as well as the game progressed because the important thing is we get healthy and stay sharp for Saturday. On the same talk, we’re still here to put a good team out there that can get a result and we thought we could knick one tonight.”
This was the fourth meeting between the Lancers and the Wolfpack within the past 5 years. The combined score for these games is 11 — 3 in favor of the Wolfpack. Sam Hovan, Longwood’s Assistant Director of Athletics Communications and Digital Media, called the play-by-play broadcast for the game and had the chance to speak to NC State’s Head Coach George Kiefer prior to the game. Hovan stated, “He felt like they had added the ability to score. He felt like that was something they struggled with in the Spring.”
A strong scoring display is exactly what the NC State put on against Longwood. The recruiting class for the NC State Men’s Soccer team is ranked sixth in the nation, with a mix of stellar Athletes from across the US and internationally. Hovan continued on the variety and intensity of the Wolfpack, “You can see how NC State raised their level and their energy after halftime, and I don’t think Longwood responded as quickly as they could have.”
The Lancers will travel to the University of South Carolina-Upstate this weekend to take on the Spartans on Saturday at 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 6, is the next home game for men’s soccer as they will host Winthrop University.
High Street Theatre
Longwood Center for the Visual Arts opens New Theatre on High Street
FARMVILLE, VA — The Longwood Center of the Visual Arts (LCVA), partnering with the Longwood Real Estate Foundation, have opened a new community free theatre at 102 ½ High Street here in Farmville at the beginning of October.
This new 50-plus-seat theatre was planned back in Spring of 2019, and construction began just weeks after. The original grand opening for the theatre on High Street was scheduled for the Spring of 2020, but effects of COVID-19 settled in.
Located directly in between the Virginia Children’s Book Festival and Los Bandidos Mexican Restaurant, the theatre sign sticks out to the passing eye. The black-boxed cinema spot is located in the perfect spot to host community events and film.
Once entering the theatre venue, you step foot into the pitch black lobby surrounded with lounging furniture, chandeliers, and snack carts. There are two large curtains that separate the lobby, and it’s large street window, from the crowd area and the projector screen.
Prior to every movie beginning, Longwood English professor Chris McGee gives his best descriptive introduction to that night’s feature film, and hangs around for the audience to ask any questions they might have after the movie as well. He usually gives the audiences clues and insights of what to look for in the film.
Shows are held every Friday night at 7:00 p.m. as part of the Friday Night Frights series. The LCVA used to hold movies in a small, 25 person maximum seating cabin behind Longwood Estate, formerly known as The Cabin Film Series which was curated by McGee. This theatre is replacing the old and outdated venue and adding twice the amount of seating.
Directly behind the drop-down projector screen is the movie operation desk, followed by spacious storage areas and bathrooms for the guests. The whole venue is pitch black, including seats and the ceiling.
Lorrie Watson of the LCVA, manages operations of the Longwood High Street Theatre. Her team, and herself put on the shows every Friday night. “I am just so happy to have it up and running, and offer the amount of space that we do as well.”
This ample amount of space inside the theatre venue is being utilized by other professors hosting classes there this semester. Lorrie hopes that more professors will want to use the theatre space next semester as well. “If I hang out here at the theatre long enough, someone will come through that door curious about what is going on here.”
Greg Tsigardias is the Senior Computer System Engineer here at Longwood, and he chairs the theatre Programming Advisory Committee. He played a major role in the construction and placement of equipment when the theatre was being planned. Both Lorrie, and himself are stoked to have this building on High Street. Tsigaridas states, “We’ve got this space on High Street, off campus, how can we utilize it the best for not only Longwood University Students, but for the Farmville community.”
The Friday Night Frights series continues until Friday, November 19. Every showtime is 7:00 p.m., other than the kid-friendly show, Casper, on Friday, October 29, at 4:00 p.m. This Friday, October 22, the theatre will show The Birds.
