captainforlife

[captainforlife]

A Christopher Newport student's reaction when gmail went down back in 1988... 

[captainforlife]

Family Weekend 2013

This weekend the university will host hundreds of families for our annual Family Weekend. This has been a Christopher Newport tradition for more than a decade and a favorite time of year! Families come from all over to visit with their students, attend university activities and shows, tailgate, and cheer the Captains football team to victory! We're pumped for Family Weekend 2013!

[captainforlife]

The Christopher Newport Alumni Society's page, Captain For Life, turned 1 today!

[captainforlife]

Tonight begins the first of three nights of the President's Desserts! This long time Christopher Newport tradition occurs at the beginning of each fall semester. President and Mrs. Trible host new students, both freshman and transfer, and faculty at their home for a meet and greet. This Christopher Newport tradition has become a favorite among students...the delicious desserts may have something to do with that as well!

Photo Credit: Jesse Hutcheson '10, CNU OCPR

[captainforlife]

July 9 Trivia Tuesday Winners

Congratulations to our first Trivia Tuesday winners! Just email (alumni@cnu.edu) with your mailing address and t-shirt size and we'll get your prize to you! Will you win next week?!

[captainforlife]

The Morris Family

Jimmy ('13) followed in his big sister Caroline's ('08) footsteps.

Jimmy attended many of Caroline's lacrosse games and sorority family functions during her years at CNU. It was only natural that Jimmy attend CNU five years later. Both became involved in different clubs and organizations.

Jimmy will be graduated and was commissioned into the Army this past weekend. Congratulations to the Morris family!

[captainforlife]

The Holland Family

Amber Holland's ('13) family legacy speaks to much of Christopher Newport's history! This story is one for the books. Congratulations, Amber!

My grandfather, Wayne Evans ('84) became a "First Decader" (see the First Decaders' website) when he attended Christopher Newport College in the 60's. With having a young family at home and trying to juggle a job at the ship yard, my Poppy had to leave school for a while and focus on supporting his wife and three children. Eighteen years later, in 1982, my mother, Laura Evans (now Laura Holland, '87) was accepted to CNC and had dreams of pursuing degrees in music and psychology. Poppy wanted to come back to CNC to finish his business degree, so he reapplied and was also accepted. Although my mother wished she could have lived on campus (CNC did not have residence halls at the time) she loved riding to school with Poppy in the mornings (they lived in Denbigh). Poppy would drop Mom off at CNC at 7:00am, work all day, and then attend night classes. In the mornings after Poppy dropped Mom off, she would walk over to the Commons, go to the big movie theater room, and turn on MTV which had just debuted! Poppy took night classes to finish his degree. While both Mom and Poppy had different experiences in earning their bachelor's degrees, they have carried the pride of being a Captain with them throughout every step of life. Poppy retired as an engineer at the ship yard, and Mom found her calling in teaching music to children. Their fond memories of Christopher Newport inspired me to tour the campus, and I instantly fell in love with many of the things they remembered - small classes, caring professors, and an excellent sense of community. I am proud to be a third generation Captain, and I will carry that pride with me much like my grandfather and mother did before me.

[captainforlife]

The Canny Family

Mother and daughter, Susan ('96) and Megan ('14), share an education at Christopher Newport. Megan decided to tour CNU after visiting a Marching Captains Practice with one of her high school band consultants.  After touring and spending time there, she chose CNU over several other Virginia universities. She has been a Captain for Life ever since!  

[captainforlife]

The Turner Legacy

Sisters, Hillary Turner ('06) and Kimberly Turner ('09) share a legacy with Kimberly's husband Ian Schwarting ('99), and their cousin Catherine Cristman ('16). What a lineage!

Hillary says, "CNU didn't start out as a family tradition. My sister chose CNU because she felt she could make a difference there and loved the small class sizes. She also loved the dorm and was only the second class to live in Santoro Hall. Her now husband, Ian Schwarting also attended CNU. Despite the small size of the student body at the time, they didn't know each other but shared mutual friends! My sister was especially active as an RA, was in one of the first leadership programs, and was involved in many other organizations on campus. One weekend when I was visiting her while I was in middle school, something happened that made me know deep down God was calling me to CNU...even if it wasn't for another five years. When it came time for me to look at colleges, CNU made the list if for no other reason than the dorms. However, I wasn't sure I wanted to attend if accepted. I didn't want to follow in my sister's footsteps. I wanted to make my own mark. However, on Admitted Freshman Day, I made the decision God placed on my heart five years earlier and said "yes" to CNU! It was the best decision I've ever made. I was active in many organizations on campus such as Young Democrats and History Club and was able to make my own mark. So many friendships were made, so many wonderful memories. The professors were top notch and still serve as some of my mentors for everything in life. I flourished at CNU and blossomed as a person. CNU made me the person I am today. Those four years at CNU were truly the best four years of my life. Now the family tradition lives on with my cousin, Catherine Cristman attending CNU."

[captainforlife]

Christopher Newport Cousins - The Trails

The Trails' legacy comes in threes! Deanna ('11), Tori ('15), and Gabi ('17) are in the process of creating their Christopher Newport family legacy.

CNU was a perfect fit for Deanna when deciding where she wanted to go to college: the people, the location, the feel was just right. During her senior year, her sister Tori began the daunting task that is applying to college, and CNU was one of many options. Tori had openly shared that she didn't want to follow in Deanna's footsteps and forever be known as "Deanna's little sister." She wanted to go to a big school, far away, and experience life on her own. For Christmas, their mom had given Tori a bunch of merchandise from her #1 choice, but little did she know, Tori had framed her CNU acceptance letter as a gift to their parents! Deanna says, "I've loved watching Tori grow in to the Captain that she has become, and her involvement has allowed her to be just who she wants to be. Yes, she did join my sorority, but she's established her own personality within the chapter and has already done fabulous things for the sisterhood."  

This past fall, their cousin Gabi began her own college search, and she knew the choice would be easy: CNU was the only option. Gabi spent weekends with Tori and Deanna and felt incredibly comfortable on the campus. She can't wait to join the ranks of the CNU Cousins.  

[captainforlife]

The Hunt Family

Hannah ('13) and Gabrielle ('12) Hunt have a twist to their sibling story!

Hannah began attending CNU in Fall 2009, a year after Gabrielle began her college education at Mary Baldwin College. After several visits to CNU, a change of major, and some research into future careers, Gabrielle decided that transferring to CNU was in her best interest. Hannah says, "I was lucky to be able to spend two years here with my older sister, and am proud to following her footsteps and graduating from CNU, Class of 2013."

Congratulations, Hunt family!

[captainforlife]

The Dougherty's family legacy at Christopher Newport is long! Patrick ('07), Kathleen ('09), Matthew ('13), and Carol ('16) are familiar with what it means to be a Captain for Life! 

Patrick first attended CNU almost ten years ago. Since then, their family has fallen in love with the school.  Carol knew that she wanted to attend CNU since she was very young.  She is now a Freshman, and the fourth and last child of the family to attend CNU!

Photo student submitted

From left to right, top row: Patrick (CNU '07) , Matthew (CNU '13), Kathleen (CNU '09); bottom row: Abigail (older sister), Dusica (Patrick's wife), and Carol (CNU '16)

[captainforlife]

The Candlelight Tradition

Held the evening before graduation, the Candlelight Ceremony has become a Commencement week tradition. During the ceremony, students, faculty, and administrators speak before the assembled future graduates and join them in a solemn ritual reflecting on their accomplishments. 

Photo by Debbie Dean '13

[captainforlife]

Another senior week tradition at Christopher Newport - The Sunset Toast.

Each year, President and Mrs. Trible celebrate senior week by  inviting  Senior Class Gift Campaign donors to their home, for a celebratory champagne toast at sunset.

This event is a chance to celebrate the fundraising efforts of the senior class.  Every year the senior class holds a campaign to raise funds for a gift to their alma mater, and each student's donation serves as their first alumni gift to CNU.  At the Sunset Toast, the senior class officially presents President Trible with their senior gift.  

Past gifts have included sending the Marching Captains to London, an endowed scholarship that will be awarded every year to a rising senior, and a clock in the David Student Union.

For the past three years, each senior class has exceeded the previous year's class for most funds raised and most senior donors.  This tradition of philanthropy and competitive spirit among classes is something CNU is very proud of! 

[captainforlife]

In light of the approaching Commencement (how many days, seniors?!), we're featuring some Christopher Newport senior traditions.

The Penny Toss

Each year the entering freshman class receives a penny, provided by the Virginia Educators Credit Union, to keep throughout their college career. When it's time to graduate, each student drops their penny into the fountain.

The tradition started in May 2001 with the instillation of Saunders Plaza to create new traditions for the young university.

Photo by Jesse Hutcheson.

A Christopher Newport senior is looking forward to tossing her penny into the fountain. 5.11.13. (http://instagram.com/p/X0BuPsFY2g/)

[captainforlife]

The Alisters Alysia Washington ‘99 & Andre Allister ‘00 El español We met in Spanish class during our junior years at CNU. He tried everything to get my attention, but I had my mind on my books, I was independent and I was on the move! The only reason I paid him any mind was because he never answered fast enough when the professor would call on him. Andre finally got to me by coercing my roommate to give him our phone number (since we were going to miss a lab class and would need the homework assignment). Just before our Spanish final exam, he set up a day to meet at the library for a tutoring session. He answered almost every question I asked him correctly. “Hey, you didn’t need my help,” I said. “No,” he replied. “I have a B in Spanish, I just wanted to you to get to know me before the semester was over.” Little did I know that by setting that study day that his pursuit was on! He called me often; we’d talked for hours about everything and became good friends. The mutual friends we made in college before we even knew each other, lunch dates at the McDonalds on J Clyde Morris Blvd., our love for (CNU) basketball, and celebrating each other's graduations are our favorite shared Christopher Newport memories!

[captainforlife]

The Diggs’ Erin Greene ‘06 & Gus Diggs ‘07 The historic triangle Gus and I met in 2005 at a retreat for the Student Government Association at Christopher Newport University. We had both been elected to be Senators at Large and started off the school year properly with a big party in my favorite apartment ever, Monroe 304. Gus and I quickly became best friends, he thought I was a crazy loud redhead and he was always the wild and zany Quaker. Gus was a founding brother of Kappa Delta Rho and I was a Phi Mu girl and we had a blast being involved in both student and Greek organizations. Time marched on and I moved to Ireland and he went off to graduate school and we remained friends throughout. A year later we had both moved home I was working in Williamsburg and Gus in Hampton and while playing amidst the glory of the historic triangle we fell in love over lots of croquet games and too much cheap champagne and the rest as they say is history. Waffle fries, Plaza, and campus We were both elected to be Senators in the Student Government Association in 2005. We were also both obnoxiously involved in other organizations he as a Resident Assistant and I in various Greek and political organizations. Over many orders of waffle fries at Discovery we became best friends.We both sit around and fondly reminisce about the old student center, Plaza runs, and of course Dr. Kidd :) The day Gus proposed to me he actually took me to Newport News for lunch at the original (and best) Plaza Azteca and then we walked around admiring all the new buildings and how crazy beautiful our campus had become. Walking around and remembering so many awesome shared experiences that we had on campus really made me realize how much I love my alma mater, and how grateful I am for the time that I spent there. If I had not gone to CNU we would have never met and I could not imagine my life any other way. Gus and I are so proud that we are a couple who can call ourselves #Captainsforlife.