Peter Lynch, ’09 Alumnis
We are Hornet born, Hornet bred and, when we die, so the “Lynchburg College Fight
Song” goes, we will be Hornet dead. Not much is said of the period between our Lynchburg rearing and our final Hornet days.
The LC Alumni Association’s Board of Directors is working to make the time in between
exceptional. Current students, faculty, staff and alumni make up the core of the LC community.
We are nothing if not for these people, and we are bound to one another through strong
relationships that sustain long after you walk the stage on the Dell in May. While much about our lives and even the school may shift, these ties remain strong.
At the moment, our alumni community, class of 2017 or otherwise, is dealing with a range of emotions and feelings toward our alma mater’s name change.
The name change did not sit well with many alumni who see the values and culture of our beloved institution enshrined in the college title. Some are angry and heartbroken.
There are also alumni who support the change to university and are excited for the
development.
Whichever side you stand on, this is your home, and the family remains the same. For the soon-to- be alumni, your support and engagement is a must. We hope you continue on the LC spirit that has been fostered since 1903.
That spirit has touched my life in several ways and is why I’ve committed to serving on
the alumni board. One of my first encounters with caring alumni came while recovering from a night of LC revelry with one of my best friends over some delicious barbeque.
We were eating slowly and nearing the end of our meal when a note was placed on the
table by the waitress. “Your lucky day, the meal has been paid for,” our waitress explained. Wide-eyed and surprised, we read the note which said simply, “Hornets stick together. Remember to pass it on to the next Hornet.”
Glancing up, an old man nodded toward us as he left the restaurant. I don’t know who
that man was or if he is around today, but I know for sure that feeling of camaraderie with Lynchburg graduates, across decades, is vibrant and thriving.
These relationships are critical to the perpetuation of school culture and community that
many of us love.
Maintaining support for our alma mater makes a difference. Each student and alumni can easily rattle off stories of LC connections. They are made everywhere, all the time and around the world.
Just recently, I had the opportunity to connect an old LC Austrian exchange student with a senior at Lynchburg who aspires to live in Austria. The two have emailed, and who knows what may come of it—hopefully a Lynchburg alumni chapter in Austria, but at the very least a solid friendship. Lynchburg graduates cover the globe, and you never know who may be found in the far-flung corners of the world ready to assist.
As you enter the alumni community, you’ll be moved at how we come together. Just last
year, I had to say goodbye to one of my good friends—an LC man and a wonderful person, Will Sargent. I hadn’t known Sargent at LC; he was older, but we bonded over our similar background after LC.
At his funeral, I was flanked by a crowd of Lynchburg graduates—some who hadn’t seen
Sargent in years but who cared enough about him, and each other, to pay their respects. It was powerful.
Hopefully you won’t have to bury your LC friends anytime soon, but know that when that time comes, we are here for one another. I realized then, as well as in the good times, that the bonds Lynchburg alumni share are to be cherished.
So on a lighter note, get in touch with your alumni chapter when you settle into whatever location you choose after college—whether it’s Austria or Atlanta.
Connect with those you know and those you don’t.For example, I had the privilege of
meeting Helen Stidham at my first D.C. alumni event; she is a graduate and a Florida native who once kept an alligator in her bathtub in Westover as a pet. She was front and center at the happy hour with Lynchburg graduates half her age—you’ve got to discover these people and these stories; they’re priceless.
There are several chapters around the country, filled with unique characters like these,
each holding events around the year and offering support to any fellow alumni that needs it.
Currently, chapters are being planned or are in place in Central Virginia, Roanoke, Richmond, D.C., Baltimore, New Jersey/New York and Philadelphia.
Please contact the LC Alumni Association at alumni@lynchubrg.edu to find out more or to start a chapter of your own. Soak up the moments you have remaining on campus, and when you’ve moved away, the alumni of LC look forward to connecting with you.
