The Story Behind the Polos

2005-12-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging right now in the comfort of my own bed, in my nice warm PJ's (which you were all fortunate to see during the exam on Thursday). I'm so very glad to be home especially after a stressful exam week. I'm sure you guys feel the same way too, and for that, I hope everyone enjoys their break and has an awesome ChrismaHanaKwanza! A little bit of warning though, from an experienced Sophomore: once all of the holidays are over, you guys are going to be dying to come back and hang with your (dorky or not) honors buds. That's the only problem with the close bond that honors students share - we miss each other too much during breaks!! All I can say is thank goodness for Facebook...haha. Anyways, I'm gonna go try to get myself out of bed. See y'all next semester!

AT

2005-12-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

Well, this class has been a load of fun. Looking back on it, we've covered quite a bit in one semester. Plus, we've started inside jokes that will stay with us through the next few years of our lives and possibly longer if we really get those T-Shirts made...GO I.S.T.! RAH! Your personal trainer loves you. :P

Anyway, I'm totally kidding. *shifty glances*

The point of this post was to let everyone in on a stress-relief tip. This one might seem obvious, but it's amazing how many people don't do it when it helps immensely. What is it? SCREAM. Go outside, go to a place that isn't heavily populated (I prefer the hill right outside of ARC), and let out one blood-curdling scream. You'll feel a million times better, and then rolling down the hill afterward to blow off more steam doesn't hurt either. We only have two more days, so don't worry- shake it off, scream a little, and look forward to the break. :)

~HC~

2005-12-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wow- I am definitely feeling the load of college stress right about now! Studying, papers, finals, and still trying to get the right amount of sleep. I, and I know I can speak for all of us, am ready for winter break! Part-time jobs will be a way to make a little bit of cash over the holidays. The time away from school will help us all come back and our heads cleared to engage in another rigid semester. My first semester has certainly been an eventful one. All the adjustments of being away from home and just being the one responsible for my actions have been eyeopeners. This first semester has been tough, but I can't wait to start the spring semester. Hope everyone enjoys their winter break!!

RP

2005-12-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

So I am guessing everyone is experiencing the full effect of college right now. It's at the end of the semester and the workload has grown exponentially. It seems like I have a long research paper due for every class. Long nights are getting very common as I continue to stay up writing these papers. I have not even begun to study for any of my exams which I know is a bad thing but there has not been much time. We, the students, did catch a break this week with the snow, getting two half days off of school. This did not help me too much however because more snow means more wrecks so I was out on the roads helping (or at least trying too) victims of this treachorous weather all day. Anyways, this last weekend before exams I am going to be extremely busy finishing papers and then starting my extensive studying for exam week. Then, after next Friday Winter Break is finally here and I will have no schoolwork for a month.
>>--CC->

2005-12-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

So, I'm loving Farmville's weather and how it can snow on the 5th of December. My roommate and I are from Chesapeake and have never seen it snow before Christmas. At home today, it was 45 and rainy. But at Longwood, it's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

WT

2005-12-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Today it snowed in Farmville, VA and the students of Longwood University were highly disappointed when the University announced that all classes after 12pm would be cancelled...OR NOT! So what do the hard-working honors students do when classes are cancelled and the library is closed? SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

2005-12-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

So ARC 3rd floor is definitely the coolest hall to live on! Last night some of the ladies put on an 80s party in our lounge. We got dressed up in our "rad fad" 80s gear and ordered pizza. Footloose was our choice of entertainment. Its encouraging to have such a great group of people to live with. The atmosphere is less stressful if the people you live with are easy to get along with. Finals are fast approaching and the best parts of the next couple days are going to be able to take a study break to hang out with the people around me.

Just thought I'd comment on some of the fun things that we as honors kids partake in. Next Friday is the snowball dance which should be a blast considering you can leave your stress on the dance floor!

RP

2005-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

So... what are we going to do now? I mean, I think this blog basically covered what it was supposed to when we made it. We argued about how dorky we are not, we talked about how diverse we are, and we agree on almost every point anyone makes. What else is there to say?

I think we should change topics of the blog before we risk wearing out our argument, and I don't think we should reserve this place for complaints or commentary about school. I mean, everyone's going to agree that papers aren't any fun, classes can be a pain, and certain professors are dull.

Hmm.. so what to do? Any suggestions?

-Nicole

2005-11-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

Pretty much everyone under this post has mentioned that we're not dorks.

I'm going to have to disagree with that statement. Come on, guys. Just admit it. Haha.

In my mind, however, being a dork is far from a bad thing. Dorks aren't fun-deprived; they just happen to CARE about their schoolwork. Some of us spend a lot more time on it than others, but we all care a little more than the average college student, and I think that that's really what sets us apart.

I'd also like to mention to any prospective honors kids out there that some of the classes offered to honors students are really fun, and much less of a struggle than one would expect. Right now, I'm enrolled in a class called Freudian Themes & Fairy Tales, and it's probably the most entertaining class I've ever taken. Basically, we sit in a circle on couches relating fairy tales to life in often strange and perverted ways. (I will NEVER look at Little Red Riding Hood the same way.) So if you decide to join us, then you have those sorts of classes to look forward to. (Yes, Becky-- I did just end a sentence with a preposition. It sounded stupid otherwise. There's the DORK in me speaking.)

---
In other news, I started a petition to not have class on Tuesday, but ONE PERSON (who shall remain nameless) refused to sign it under the grounds that he didn't "feel like it," so I refrained from scanning it. To you (since you know who you are)-- MEANIE.

<3 ~Heather~ <3

2005-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

I agree with you CC, there is plenty to do in Farmville if you know where to look. There is almost always something going on around campus, take this weekend for example. On Friday night, we went and saw The Dukes of Hazzard which was shown inside the student union. Today, a group of us went to see the Theatre Department's newest production, the Comedy of Errors. Also, there have been several concerts and a comedian just this weekend. We here at Longwood know how to make our own fun as well. Whether it is spontaneously going outside for a game of football or watching a movie in someone's room, there is never a dull moment on the weekend.

2005-11-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

Athletic Honors Students

Collegiate student athletes have a ton of stuff on their plates with school, practice, games, study hall, eating, sleeping, and then there is a social life. Ha, social life? Yeah. I am an athlete at Longwood, more specifically a baseball player, and to get real technical, a right-handed pitcher. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I am in the Honors Program, so I have a pretty hefty plate, huh?

Yes, there is a lot on my plate, but it is all managable. Some of the prospective student-athletes may shy away from the Honors Program because they think it will be way too hard to do it all, but they should not. I know because I almost shied away. But, now that I am in the program I realize that it is not hard to manage everything. The thing that helps the most is the mandatory study hall that athletes attend. Because I have to be in study hall six hours a week I get my work done. I have to be there so I do my work while I am there so when I get out I have time to spend catching up on stuff or just hanging out with friends.

A final message to all prospective honors program student-athletes:

Please do not shy away from the Honors Program. It is not at all hard to handle the "different work" and sports. If you do not believe the baseball player in the Honors Program ask the two cross country runners, the girl's basketball player, the dancer, the cheerleader, the soccer player, or the field hockey player, all of whom agree with me!

Sincerely,

Snoop Bloggy Blog aka John W.

2005-11-19T16:21:00.000-08:00

I am a little shocked that some of you are saying Farmville is boring. There are plenty of opportunities in this great town. Just take a walk down Main St. and you will find numerous shops and quaint restaurants. Maybe it's because I am from a town smaller than Farmville that I know how to have fun here. True, there aren’t the luxurious shopping malls and crazed out clubs here like in the big cities, but you just have to have fun other ways. Running right through Farmville is the Appomattox River, a great canoeing opportunity. Don't have a canoe, that’s ok because Appomattox Canoe Company is located on Main St. Also, approximately an hour away is the Blue Ridge Mountain Range where there are many opportunities to hike, camp, or just enjoy the scenery. Many other recreational activities are available in or around town, you just have to expand you’re range of activities a little.
>>-CC-->

2005-11-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time I was under a lot of pressure from my mom on getting applications into colleges. When I received the letter about the Honors Program at Longwood, I was really excited! Now as everyone who is in the Honors Program probably feared, I thought I was going to be surrounded by a bunch of uptight geeks who didn't know how to have fun. Boy was I wrong! Despite the fact that we are in the small town of Farmville with not many entertainment opportunities, we make our own fun. Wal-Mart is a MUST on the weekends, it is just not a weekend without a trip to Wally World. Surprisingly, the campus is pretty quiet on the weekends. I am one of the very few "out of staters," so the option of going home every weekend is impossible. So ARC is my weekend hot spot, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There has not been a single weekend where there has not been something to do. For those of you reading this that are considering Longwood as your place of higher education, I recommend it...Hands Down! Considering the Honors Program is also a factor because as mentioned below, the perks are numerous :)

RP

2005-11-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

I get the feeling that if any random person happened to check this page, they would have no clue what's happening...

So here's the breakdown for any high school seniors considering attending a great university in Virginia!

We're the kids from the honors program at Longwood University. We get awesome benefits, like the option of choosing our classes early (before anyone else). Trust me, when you get to college, class selection is very important. They fill up in the blink of the eye, so it's great to have the advantage of knocking out required classes early in your college career. We also have the benefit of smaller, more personal classes. The honors classes are basically the same as the AP classes in high school. A little more work is expected, but students can easily manage to get a good grade and learn a lot at the same time if they put work into it.

The honors kids aren't dorks (read below). We seem to be a little touchy on this matter.

We're a very diverse group of people, ranging from radio djs to student athletes, and everything you can think of in between.

Farmville is boring, but only if you let it be that way. Monotony will drive anyone crazy, and the honors kids know this. Don't worry, we hate our books, too.

Okay, there's some myth busting to do. Everyone says that they don't study all the time. What they aren't saying is that a lot of us don't study at all until the very last minute. *ahem* Procrastination: it works. At least it works for me and about half of the third floor of ARC (our residence building).

-NG

2005-11-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so now they know we don't study a lot and all that good stuff but many people still think we're all nerds...and quite frankly I take offense to that. I AM NOT A NERD! I am a well-rounded college student, if I have to say so myself. Yeah, I get good grades, but I also play sports, have friends, and know the rules to beer pong. We're not social hermits who keep our noses in books constantly, but we're normal people just like everyone else!
-KL

2005-11-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

I'll agree with KL. Third Floor ARC is composed of a high variety of students. Yea all of us get good grades, but all of us don't center our lives around academics, as is the common misconception. On our hall we have two cheerleaders, a dance team competitor, a baseball player, two cross country runners, a field hockey player, a soccer player, a firefighter, two EMTs, and a few more active people. These people are in Honors because during their life they have learned to balance academics with other activities in their life, not because they spent twelve years of their life with their nose stuck down books 168 hours a week. Another myth I want to shoot down right now is that the Freshman Honors hall, Third Floor ARC, is a "quiet" hall because it definitely is not. I have been in quieter hall's in Curry or Frazier. If I recall, there have been several noise complaints against third floor. As hard as this is to believe, its true. So if you are looking for a bunch of nerds sitting around reading Shakespeare or Charles Dickens you won't find too many on Third Floor.
>>-CC-->

2005-11-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have to agree with EP, there are some definite perks to being in the honors program. All of my friends who are not in the honors program are complaining about how they were unable to get into the classes that they need for their major and I keep thinking how lucky I was to have been able to register two weeks ago. Instead of competing against all of the other freshmen for the classes that have not been already closed due to the upperclassmen, I only have to compete against the honors students and athletes who get to register early. I have the perfect schedule for next semester, and I had no worries about getting into all my classes. I also agree with LH about how close our hall is. A few nights ago we had at least 10 of us go to dinner together; the only problem was trying to find enough room for us all! Since we all went to Smith Mountain Lake for the honors retreat the first few days after coming to Longwood, (which was a lot of fun by the way), we were all acquainted with each other so it wasn't awkward trying to find people to go eat with or to do things with. We already had 30 or so friends when we first moved in, as opposed to the other freshmen who maybe knew one or two people. I really enjoyed that, especially since it is difficult for me to meet new people. We also share most of our classes with these people so we can always find someone to ask if we need help. Oh yeah, and ARC is the best dorm ever!

KP

2005-11-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

It's not more work, it's different work...

I would like to modify this motto in regards to LSEM: It's not more work, it's busy work.

I mean come on, what other Longwood Seminar classes do you know that had to read a book over the summer, write a paper, post a new thread (sometimes 2) almost every week, and volunteer a certain number of hours at FACES (the local food bank)? True, we are honors students, but for a one credit course this seems to be an awful lot of work. To its credit, LSEM did teach us about "stress" and "time management," but lets face it, as honors students we should probably already know how to finish our work and manage our time...and we should definately already know how to use Google. True, the session on using the library was somewhat helpful and it was nice to be done with the class early, but was it really worth all that? Overall I had more work to do in that class than in my three and four credit courses...does that make sense? Raise your hand if you would have rather spent the time devoted to LSEM doing work for other classes or catching up on valuable sleep.

JW

2005-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

So since this blog is supposed to be something that can get linked to the honors website, to let incoming freshmen know about the honors program, I am going to clear up one myth about the honors program. We don’t study all the time! Sure we do have study lounges at either end of our hall and yes they do seem to be always occupied, but we do have fun. On any given night of the week, especially Thursday you can find something going on in the main lounge, whether it is a sport game, a late night movie, or The OC on Thursday nights. Game nights, and pumpkin carving, pirate day sign making, are some of the other things you might witness as you are passing by the lounge. We are one of the closest halls on campus I would like to say. Everyone has at least one class with someone on the hall, and I don’t know of any other hall that can be seen walking across campus going to dinner together last week. Blue Crush, our intramural softball that was composed of mostly 3rd floor ARC residents, made it to the semi-finals. Every game the stands were full of hall members that weren’t on the team and Molly and I, the team moms could be found in the dugout. These are just a few of the comebacks I use when people say to me, “you live in ARC that must be so boring to be studying all the time.” ARC is a great place to live and the people there make it all the better. Oh yeah we do study some!

LH

2005-11-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

You want to know what I've realized lately? I've been noticing all of the perks that we have as Honors students. Come on, you know we do. First, we get to register on the first day. That sure beats waiting to register and having all your classes taken by upperclassmen. Another perk is that the honors classes are smaller and more tight-knit. We are able to have so many discussions that would not usually occur in a non-honors class. I know we will all agree on this next perk...we get to live in the best dorm. Our rooms are bigger and we get AC during the times when we need it the most. I also apprecitated being invited to the dessert party at Dr. Cormier's house. It was nice to be able to interact with our president, a person with whom very few students will be able to have a close relationship. Lastly, LSEM is over for us honors kids before all other students. You know that you are all excited about that one. It gives us the opportunity to finally focus on other school work.

EP

2005-11-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

So, this is something that has been plaguing my mind, but it is only a suggestion. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Tuesday we leave for Thanksgiving break (Nov. 22) class was cancelled? I don’t know about you guys, but my two o’clock class was cancelled so English is my last class that day. It sure would be nice to get home a little earlier. Anyone agree?

WT

2005-10-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Just to set the tone of much of what's to come, I thought I'd start out by commenting on something that happened the other night. Around 2 AM or so, one of our own went out and "sudsed" the fountain in front of our dorm. Although it looked really cool, the foam left a nasty residue since it came from a whole box of Tide. What you'd expect in an honors dorm? Maybe not. Awesome? Absolutely.

2005-10-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Who are we? We are writers and dancers, scientists and cheerleaders, field hockey players and singers, photographers and teachers. We are runners and tennis players, baseball players, artists and babysitters. What's our link, our common denominator? Behind the facade of books and intelligence, long nights of studying and of writing lengthy papers, who are the people behind the polos?

The Honors Program is not a concrete concept; it's an amorphous and fluid idea that alters with the students of which it is composed. We are the Honors Program, and the direction of the program itself is in our hands.