Hornets’ Swimming sets high goals right off the block

25 Mar 202026 Mar 2020 ~ The Critograph

By Madison Ayres

Varsity swimming returned to Lynchburg this year after a hiatus dating back to the 1970-71 academic year.

After exceeding their own expectations this season, the program’s 28 men and women have a lot to celebrate and much to look forward to, according to head coach Brad Dunn.

By next spring, the program hopes to double its size with the next recruiting class.

“My expectation was that we set the foundation culturally for a successful team,” Dunn said.

In addition to a strong showing by the program as a whole, several individual athletes had outstanding performances at the recent ODAC Championships in Greensboro, NC. The meet was held Feb. 6 through Feb. 9.

In a season of firsts, Dunn said he told his swimmers to “make sure that you really relish these moments because you only get four ODAC Championships, you only get four years of getting to do this.”

Dunn described the team culture as being that of a “close-knit family,” a sentiment echoed by members of the team.

“We definitely have a family atmosphere on our team,” said freshman Claire Galloway, who qualified for the NCAA B-Cut for the 100-yard breaststroke while competing at the ODAC Championships.

Freshman Parker Hayungs was named ODAC men’s rookie of the meet.

“I felt like everyone on my team worked just as hard as I did to get to where we placed and where we were at,” Hayungs said.

Reflecting on the season, sophomore Chris Jennings said he wanted to be a “vocal leader” for his teammates.

“Some days, when they didn’t have it, I knew that I needed to pick them up,” Jennings said. “If there were days where I didn’t really have it, I knew that they would have my back.”

Update on COVID-19 (coronavirus) from University of Lynchburg President Kenneth Garren

11 Mar 202026 Mar 2020 ~ The Critograph

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Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am writing with an important update on our ongoing response to COVID-19 (coronavirus), which has now been elevated to a worldwide pandemic. As the situation unfolds nationwide, I recognize the uncertainties and the possible risks here in our own community. I have decided to err on the side of extreme caution to keep our campus safe. I know that many of you are worried as you prepare to resume classes next week and I want to share our immediate plans to ensure your health and well-being.

Effective immediately:

Spring break will be extended by one week; we WILL NOT return for classes March 16.
On Monday, March 23, all spring classes will resume and be moved exclusively to online delivery for the foreseeable future.
Students are not to return to campus and will continue their coursework remotely; faculty are prepared to deliver all instruction remotely.
Faculty and staff are required to report as usual on Monday, March 16, to finalize planning to support online delivery of instruction and ensure students can continue to work toward completion of their current classes.
Beginning Monday, March 23, all faculty and staff – with the exception of essential personnel – will begin working remotely and will not be required to be on campus.
As of Monday, March 16, all scheduled events are canceled. Spring athletic events will be interrupted through at least April 3. For updates, follow lynchburgsports.com
We will reassess in early April.

Clearly, these decisions will cause disruption and challenges for us all. Given the current situation and the rapid progression of the virus, I feel we are taking the most prudent steps. There has not been a confirmed case of the virus on campus or in the Lynchburg region, and the risk to our community remains low. Medical authorities have noted that it’s best to work on prevention in our community before the first case is recorded.

As we’ve prepared for all possible scenarios, we’ve been focused on a few key priorities: ensuring the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and community-at-large; helping to stem the spread of the virus; and continuing our ongoing teaching, learning, and scholarship. We’ll advance our priorities by limiting the number of people who gather on campus each day.

Some specific information for members of our community:

Students

You are not permitted to return to campus until further notice. The University will make accommodations for students who must retrieve important belongings from campus such as computers, books, and other course materials. Details about how to do so will be forthcoming.
We understand that a small number of students will find it impossible to go home, whether for financial reasons or because they reside in a country where the virus has resulted in unsafe travel. Additional information will be provided in follow-up email to residential students.
Faculty and staff are working diligently to ensure that you can meet all of your academic requirements remotely. You will be hearing from deans and professors over the next several days with details about your classes, including any clinical, experiential, performance-based, or studio learning that may require alternative arrangements.

Faculty

All faculty will be hearing from the provost and deans soon with more details about moving classes online.
The Teaching and Learning Center (T&LC) and Information Technology & Resources (ITR) have been working together on the necessary resources to allow you to deliver all of your instructional materials online.
Faculty are asked to return to campus next week to prepare for the transition to online delivery of classes.

Staff

At present, staff should report to work as usual.
Staff with questions or concerns about their workplaces and the possibility of working remotely should speak with their supervisors. Should you become ill, please be cautious and stay home.

Events

Effective Monday, March 16, and until further notice, all university-sponsored events are canceled. This includes intercollegiate athletic events.
Spring athletic events will be interrupted through at least April 3. For updates, follow lynchburgsports.com

You can expect regular updates from the University via email, LiveSafe/Text, and the University’s website: lynchburg.edu. Currently, all information related to COVID-19 is on the Student Health Center web page. As plans for the coming days and weeks come together, the pages will be updated regularly.

Finally, and very importantly, if you have direct contact with anyone who has coronavirus, or if you develop any symptoms of respiratory illness, report your situation to your dean, supervisor, or the Student Health Center (434.544.8357) and seek medical treatment.

I thank you all for your support in this challenging time and I know that we will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Kenneth R. Garren

President, University of Lynchburg

Women’s Soccer and Field Hockey in Action

4 Mar 20204 Mar 2020 ~ The Critograph

Women’s club soccer players ready to play in a tournament match. Photo retrieved from Lynchburg Women’s Club Soccer Instagram Page.

Caitlin Dorsch ~ Co-Editor in Chief

March represents the height of the club sports season.

Many teams at the University of Lynchburg have competed in tournaments recently, including the club women’s soccer and field hockey teams.

Since the beginning of their spring campaign, the women’s club soccer team has won one match against the University of Mary Washington team by a score of 2 to 0 on Sunday, Feb. 9. On Saturday, Feb. 22, the team tied 1 to 1 against a Virginia Beach City FC team of all age groups.

Continue reading “Women’s Soccer and Field Hockey in Action” →

Mystic Magic: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

4 Mar 20204 Mar 2020 ~ The Critograph

Grace Cavanaugh ~ Co-Editor in Chief

I know it has been a week since diving into Aleister Crowley, but this week I wanted to talk about an organization he was in for a brief time, and an organization that influenced the creator of Wicca, Gerald Brosseau Gardner. That organization is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

First off, what in the world is the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn? The answer to that question is an odd one, for sure. According to the New World Encyclopedia, the Hermetic Order was a “magical order of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which practiced various forms of theurgy and spiritual occultism.” Basically, it was a group of people who met up in a religious context and did spooky stuff.

Continue reading “Mystic Magic: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” →

OLP: A New Kind of Sport

26 Feb 202026 Feb 2020 ~ The Critograph

Descending on rope

Are you tired of the typical sports, like soccer, basketball, etc.? Well, you are in-luck because the University of Lynchburg’s Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP) is excited to take you on an adventure that you have never gone on before! Some activities that OLP hosts are rock climbing, hiking, rappelling, whitewater rafting, and – even – caving.

The OLP activities are centered around fun and adventure while in a positive environment. “I am really excited for all the awesome trips this semester with the Outdoor Leadership Program. It is a great program that allows students to gain leadership experience while having fun in the outdoors,” said OLP Experienced Guide and third-year student Nat Hanno.

Continue reading “OLP: A New Kind of Sport” →

Want to Support the Critograph? Here’s your chance!

19 Feb 20205 Mar 2020 ~ The Critograph

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Want to support the Critograph? Want a cool sticker? Want both? Then buy a sticker on Venmo @critograph for only $1.00! Make an order on the Venmo, then comment your P.O box number and we’ll have it delivered. If you want a sticker shipped off campus, the cost is $1.25, Put your address in the comment. Support the Crit today and send your payment to @critograph on venmo!

Second Year Vibes: Sacrifices for Love

4 Dec 20194 Dec 2019 ~ The Critograph

Love (Second Year Vibes ad picture from google images) — Picture taken from Google Images

Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor

Sadhu Vaswani is attributed with saying, “Love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice.” With the way the Internet can be, I am not sure if he truly said that, but I do believe these words are true. In Hallmark movies and the like, love is portrayed as a beautiful, easy thing. Love is beautiful, but I have never known it to be easy. Truly loving someone changes you completely.

Continue reading “Second Year Vibes: Sacrifices for Love “ →