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Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinion

Potter

This column for The Critograph almost did not make it to the editor because I could not excavate my driveway until Monday morning-the city snow plows did an excellent job of clearing my street and burying my driveway in the process. Furthermore, I do not have an Internet connection at my house-the only type of Spam we have at home comes in a can. However, our latest snowstorm reminded me that there was a time when Lynchburg College never closed for inclement weather.

A century ago the majority of our students lived on campus, and the members of the administration, faculty and staff either lived on campus or within easy walking distance. When I was a student-50 years ago-Mrs. Cloyd, the college dietician and her family lived in an apartment on the first floor of the center section of Carnegie Hall. One of the members of the maintenance staff-I cannot remember his name-lived in a house behind Hundley Hall, and Mr. Vanauken lived in one of the original hotel cottages that stood on the site of Centennial Hall. Quite a few members of the college family lived within a mile of campus, and so they could walk to work-some professors still do.

The Westover Hotel, built in 1890, was the centerpiece of the West Lynchburg Land Company's plan for developing the area of Campbell County that bordered Lynchburg. Many of the homes that were built to complement the hotel were later purchased or rented by professors or staff members. After World War II the development of suburban areas beyond Lynchburg College led to a migration by the faculty and staff into these new neighborhoods. This increased the difficulty of reaching the campus in bad weather, but if the buses were running then the college was open. However as the years passed the migration continued; now some of our professors drive from Blacksburg, Roanoke, and Charlottesville. Many of our students also commute long distances each day, and their safety is more important than holding classes.

My senior year the College was closed three Tuesdays in a row because of snow storms. While there were no classes, there was plenty to do. One afternoon we built a snow fort in the middle of the Circle and spent the hours until dark attacking it. It was great fun, but I emerged with a broken pair of glasses because I took a snowball right between the eyes. Luckily, as always, I had an extra pair of spectacles with me. Every year the freshmen from Florida would put on their bathing suits and pose for photos when the first snowfall of the season occurred. Sophomores from Florida did not bother to repeat the process!

Our campus is lovely every season of the year, but in winter and especially under a blanket of fresh snow bathed with the light of a full moon it is magical. Last Sunday while I was shoveling snow, I paused to remember how beautiful the Circle can be under its mantle of white and silver.

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