Longwood University Digital Commons @ Longwood University Rotunda Library, Special Collections, and Archives 11-25-2019 Rotunda - Vol 98, no. 12 - Nov 25, 2019 Longwood University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rotunda Recommended Citation Longwood University, "Rotunda - Vol 98, no. 12 - Nov 25, 2019" (2019). Rotunda. 2234. https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rotunda/2234 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Library, Special Collections, and Archives at Digital Commons @ Longwood University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rotunda by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Longwood University. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The ROTUNDA Scoping out door-buster deals since 1920 INVOKING CHANGE NEWS PAGE 3 Panel discusses university plans to diversify its campus FEATURES PAGE 4 Reflection on the ancestry of African-Americans in the U.S. SPORTS PAGE 11 MBB adjusts to new change NOVEMBER 25, 2019 to major part of offense VOL 98. ISSUE 12 JESS BOGGS | THE ROTUNDA 02 NEWS TheRotundaOnline.com EDITORIAL BOARD 2019 In SGA Swearing in of newly elected TJ WENGERT editor-in-chief officials, international ANGELI LEONG student presentation managing editor by Allison Turner | Assistant News Editor | @allisonkturner n this week’s Student [email protected] for JEFF HALLIDAY, CLINT WRIGHT, ASHLEY Government Association more information. JONES & DR. ALEC HOSTERMAN (SGA) meeting, two new In the President’s Report organizational advisers I students were sworn into office. with Haleigh Pannell, she SGA President Haleigh Pannell encouraged the senate to bring NEWS ROTUNDA STUDIOS officiated the proceedings as more awareness to the Virtual ALLISON TURNER ELLIE STUCK Executive Senator for Senate Open Forum option and urges assistant editor staff ADDIE CLARKE Relations Shauna Smyre and students to take advantage of it. A&E staff Residential and Commuter Life Virtual Open Forum is SUTTON REEKES JACOB DILANDRO Representative Ashley Webb a platform where students staff editor LIAM WELLS took the oath. can share their thoughts LEDANIEL JACKSON staff staff The students will now assume and ideas with the Senate JENN HALL RYAN CROW their roles after being sworn in without physically attending staff staff NICK LIONE and will begin their positions the meeting. Students can staff effective immediately. access the forum by going to OPINIONS AIYSHANTI GREEN Dr. Deborah Westin, director longwoodsga.com or clicking TAIYA JARRETT staff assistant editor DYLAN MCKERCHER of the English Language Bridge the link in the senate’s social DAVINA APPLEWHITE staff Program, and an international media bios. staff social media staff student, Caroline, came to In the Vice President’s Report LAYOUT Senate to share what life is like with Catherine Swinsky, she LAUREN QUEZADA SPORTS assistant editor as an international student. shared updates on the food KURT MARTIN MASON VEST Currently, Longwood has options on and around campus. editor staff international students from Swinsky said that the fruit in editor-in-chief pro-tempore MELANIE LEWIS PATRICK SANDERSON staff various countries such as Japan, the dining hall will soon be assistant editor Italy, Canada and Portugal. switched to all-frozen as it will NICK ROBINSON PHOTO Westin said the reason that no longer be in season, and they staff TAYLOR O’BERRY editor students come to Longwood are looking into getting gluten- COPY BRANDON CHEUNG from other countries is to learn free pizza options. ISABELLA CORBO assistant editor the English language, how to She added that FarmGrill is editor JACOB PUTERKO events staff staff connect with people and how to also looking into getting a bench CHELSEA MOORE CARRIE BAILEY be brave, as they are so far from to put where the condiments staff staff home. Student Caroline said were previously located to AMANDA KING KC MCALLISTER that their goals are to make new accommodate students with staff staff JESSICA PAQUETTE friends, learn to be independent disabilities. EVENTS staff and get out of their comfort The final SGA meeting of the RENEE COTTON SHANNON HENSHAW staff zone, despite challenges. fall semester will be held on coordinator JESSICA BOGGS Westin added that students Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 3:45 p.m. staff are able to help the program by inside of the Wilson Chamber BUSINESS AMBER SYKES IRIS HAMMOND staff becoming tutors or conversation at the Upchurch University manager partners. Students that are Center. SOCIAL MEDIA interested should email her at FEATURES MIRANDA FARLEY VICTORIA THOMPSON editor BRANDON CHEUNG | THE ROTUNDA staff TAYLOR JENNINGS assistant editor SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER http://tiny.cc/longwoodrotundaonline Students express their likes and dislikes about Lancer Link. NOV. 25, 2019 NEWS 03 JESS BOGGS | THE ROTUNDA Junior, Autumn High expressing their views and suggestions to aid the 5-year diversity plan proposed by Jonathan Page from the Office of Multicultural Affairs. SGA hosts town hall on Diversity Strategic Plan by Allison Turner | Assistant News Editor | @allisonkturner n Wednesday, Nov. 20, to be assessed regularly to see the progress the biggest challenges and areas of the Student Government and find opportunities for improvement. opportunities to focus on with regard to O Association (SGA) hosted a After presenting the plan, Page diversity, access and inclusion. Town Hall to discuss issues surrounding opened the floor for discussion. He used Page then went on to ask what could diversity on campus. questions to facilitate the conversation be done to make campus more inclusive. It was presented by Jonathan Page, co- and get students to start. They were Sophomore Timothy Holcey said, “We chair of the University Diversity council encouraged to be open and honest about could make more races and ethnicities at and the director of multicultural affairs, their opinions and experiences. things like orientation. I heard that we’re and Anthony Jackson, the Student Junior Autumn High started the the first faces that incoming students Diversity & Inclusion Council (SDIC) conversation, discussing her feelings see.” Representative for SGA. on diversity on campus. She said, The other students agreed, and they The event started with Page presenting “Longwood does a good job being also said that they should get the the 5-Year Diversity Strategic Plan, diverse, but lacks in being inclusive.” conversations surrounding diversity including the university’s President, W. High added that it is hard to get involved started sooner. They also want to ensure Taylor Reveley IV’s, goals. and find your way at first when coming that there is a more collective university- Those goals include “intensifying to Longwood. Fifth-year senior Cecil level engagement on campus. enthusiasm across all enrollment, Hayes agreed that it is harder to find your The students also want to work with reflecting diversity of America, academic groups as a freshman and that outreach is various offices on campus to include more enterprise at heart, transforming lives an area that needs improvement. diversity programs work on outreach. and camaraderie.” The students expanded on the idea that The students in attendance also want to The plan was developed from drawing it was hard for them to find their “group” work to make sure that the resources on from the campus climate survey, or “community” when they first came to campus are more accessible to students conducting focus groups, literature Longwood. They all agreed that once that need it, especially early on reviews and looking at strategic models. they got involved sophomore year they For students that would like to have Page and Dr. Naomi Johnson will be became happier and enjoyed themselves input in the plan, email Page at pageje@ presenting the plan to the University a lot more. longwood.edu or head over to blogs. Planning Committee in April 2020. Page continued with the questions, longwood.edu/longwoodudc. It will be comprised of measurable goals asking what the students felt were 04 FEATURES TheRotundaOnline.com Remembering the Loss by Ryan Crow | A&E Staff | @longwoodrotunda ake a moment to ask yourself the audience that what you can recall about the it is important T arrival of the first Africans to to continue to early America. Do you know when, recognize and fight where and how? Do you know their oppression, as “we names? are still losing talent” These questions, and their implicit through continued tragedy, hardship and heartbreak, were discrimination. explored on Nov. 19 at “Our American Following Dr. Story." Opening the program was Cantrell’s speech was student Arthur Stevens, who organized a second spiritual the event. performance by On what inspired him to organize the BASIC with “My event, Arthur said “…I felt like this is Soul Is A Ringin'." something that I could do and make it The Longwood big, while also enjoying it.” d a n c e g r o u p Also in attendance was the President FIERCE trailed COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM of the Farmville chapter of the NAACP, them with an local lawyer James E. Ghee, who was interpretive dance wrote often on the legacy of slavery and a source of inspiration for putting the set to cultural music, continuing the its effect on Black America, and this event together. theme of African American heritage. 400-year anniversary, the words of “For Arthur’s opening statements framed The next presentation of the My People” ring true as much in 2019 as the tone of the evening, calling on the evening was the showing of the short they did when they were written. audience to reflect on the story of African documentary “20 and Odd: Africans’ Wrapping up the night was BASIC American history in America with the Arrival in 1619” produced by ABC13 again, singing their final hymn with hashtag “#rememberingtheloss." NewsNow. “Melodies From Heaven” and inviting After Arthur’s brief remarks, the The documentary carried a profound the crowd to join in.