The Cunninghams

When we went to Longwood last weekend for Abby's birthday, we also drove to campus so we could see some of the changes that are being made on campus.

If you don't know, The Cunninghams are (were?) a residence hall in the middle of campus..the perfect distance to anything you need on campus.  This is where I was a RA my senior year at Longwood...right inside the two sets of front doors was my room.  All of my years at Longwood were great, but the year I lived in the Hams was probably the best!  I LOVED the picnic tables out front, overlooking part of Brock Commons, and I loved when the weather was perfect and I could study outside. It was fantastic!!  I loved being on duty with awesome staff members, and doing rounds at 7...9...12...and sometimes 2.  Our staff was so much like a family.  Speaking of family, Abby actually lived in the Cunninghams this year, as well.  I thought it was so great that her first year there and my last year there we ended up living in the same resident hall--that wasn't planned!

When I graduated and it was time to head home for good, the Cunninghams was the last place I was. On May 12, 2012, when I left Longwood, I left from the Cunninghams.  (Yes, this is turning into a sappy post, but oh well.)

But, with time comes renovations and progress.  This year, the Cunninghams were torn down to create a space for the new Student Union. 

Luckily, with the construction going on, there have been opportunities to get your own personal piece of the Cunninghams.  Abby so wonderfully got two bricks for Matt and me.  Even though they look like just bricks to anyone else, we know what they really are!  Also, Abby's senior class is doing a fundraiser where you can purchase a piece of the hardwood floor from inside the Cunninghams with an engraved plaque on it (which reminds me...I need to purchase mine ASAP!).  Who knows, the piece I end up with could have been the floor in my bedroom.  It probably won't be, but you never know.

Here are a couple pictures of the Cunninghams from August 2012.

In the picture on the right, you can see the picnic tables I mentioned.

And now, there isn't much left!

This is how the lack of my last Longwood home made me feel..

 

This sign was hanging on one of the fences, of what the new Student Union will look like from the parking lot we were in.

I know we'll be going back at least once this Spring, but I'm looking forward to going more in the future to see the progress of this building, and then of course, the final product!!

Abby's Senior Convocation

Thursday, Mom, Dad and I headed to Longwood for Abby's Senior Convocation. It's crazy to think that it's her last year at Longwood! Her first year there was my last year, which doesn't even seem that long ago, but I guess time really does go by that quickly!

The Longwood tradition for Longwood is every senior chooses an underclassman to decorate their cap and "cap them" at the end of the ceremony. It's a lot of fun to see all of the decorated caps and the creative things some people come up with!  

Lined up, and ready for the processional!

Here's Abby and one of her littles...who decorated her cap and capped her!

President Reveley

If you've never heard Dr. Jordan speak at anything, you're really missing out!

 

It was really neat to have Abby's convocation outside, whereas mine was outside. Hers was right beside the Cunninghams, just outside the window from her very first room at Longwood!

 

Abby and her other little!

 

So many decorations!

 

Abby's WOULD have a huge, red, white and blue bow on the back!

 

The seniors of Tri Sigma.

 

Seniors and their cappers.

 

Seniors in Ambassadors.

 

Family pics!

 

 Love these next two pictures Dad took...

Then, before we left, I had to say one last goodbye to the Cunninghams, my last home at Longwood, before they start construction to take them down and build the new student center.

 

Fall at Longwood.

I love this time of year, not because of the colder temperatures, but because of how pretty everything is outside!! Before the trees are completely dead for the winter, I love the pretty colors of the leaves changing! One thing I've really missed is not being at Longwood to see the big pretty tree on the corner at the Cunninghams.  (If you go to/went to Longwood, you know which one I'm talking about.)  This past weekend, I went to visit Matt for the last time while he's at Longwood.  Still not sure how all of these "lasts" have been happening! Craziness.  We specifically knew that we were going to set aside some time over the weekend to just walk around campus and look at all of the reds, oranges and yellows on the trees. Yay!

It was like I was at home again, and I loved it :)

It also helped that it was SO nice outside and the weather was fantastic!!!

There are just so many things I love and miss about Longwood (I could go on forever...) but being there this time of year is definitely something I'll always remember.  Maybe I miss it more because of the pretty tree at the Cunninghams that I walked past several times a day last year going in and out of my residence hall.

All of these pictures also remind me of the time I drove to visit Matt at Ferrum in October of '09.  I LOVVVED driving through the mountains and seeing all of the colors go on forever.  It was just like you'd see it in a movie!

Hope you enjoy a few many of my favorite pictures from this visit to Longwood!