HVZ Ends--Without a BANG

By Kira Calvaresi ‘17

Published December 2014

This fall’s game of Humans Vs Zombies (HVZ) ended with a win for the human team, one first year hospitalized, and a campus-wide bomb threat.

HVZ is a campus wide game organized by the HVZ Club once every semester. Anyone can join, including professors and their family members. The objective is to either remain human for the entirety of a weekend by shooting zombies with Nerf guns, or turn every human into a zombie by tagging him or her. This fall’s game ended with a bit more excitement than most.

Moderator, Club Weapon’s Master, and Vice President Bentley Kennedy-Stone ’16, who has participated in two previous HVZ games as a player, met with The Sundial for an interview on what had happened over the course of this year’s game.  “It’s light-hearted and good-natured, but also intense,” said Kennedy-Stone. “It’s a good way for people to put a lot of value in this thing that isn’t real, this great fantasy on human’s versus zombies.”

However, some HVZ participants tend to forget their safety. The game has witnessed at least one injured person every semester. This year, it was Douglas Hill ’18, who had fallen on his back as he was running down the hill on front campus for their final mission. “It was pretty scary, because we weren’t sure if he had actually broken his spine. We paused the entire game until after the ambulance had left,” said Kennedy-Stone.

At the hospital, Hill received x-rays on his back that revealed no breakage. He was diagnosed with some deep bruising of the muscles in his back.

When asked if he enjoyed his overall game of HVZ, and whether or not he would return to play next semester, Hill showed no sign of discouragement. “Hell yeah,” he said.

Emily Cornelius ‘17, Chris Foerter ‘17, and Kira Calvaresi ‘17, heavily armed and still human, prepare for the fall 2014 run of Humans Vs Zombies.  
Photo Courtesy of OCR.

This HVZ game also ended with a “bomb threat,” as a result of the club experimenting with the traditional game.

Long story short: in every game there is one optional mission on Saturday and one final mission on Sunday, the outcome of which determines the victors of the game. In an effort to expand the scope of the game beyond one team simply battling another, this year’s HVZ included an additional component. “We came up with one mission involving riddles that the players had to decode,” explained Bentley.  “All of the objectives were mental.”

The riddle mission was scheduled for Saturday at 11:45 p.m. Humans and zombies gathered in designated locations, and were given an objective in story form by the moderator. The narrative involved a fictional “Moderator X,” who’d gone rogue and planted a bomb on campus. The ultimate goal of the mission was to find a code to disarm the imaginary bomb.

“There were four riddles taped onto the flagpole, the curb, and underneath the sign on the circle in front of the main entrance,” Bentley detailed. “These had scribbled on them in pencil, ‘Do not remove, bomb will explode.’”

When one of the notes was discovered early Monday mornig, school officials called the police, and students awoke that day to an email urging caution due to a possible bomb threat on campus. About twenty minutes after this, at 9:17 a.m.,  a second email was sent out by the Critical Incident Management Team explaining,  “The police discovered that the notes were a part of the Human vs Zombies activity this weekend and were not intended as a real threat.”

The email went on to explain that the school would be conducting an internal investigation to determine if college policy had been violated. As the end of the semester approaches though, it appears as if humans will be continuing their nerf-dart struggle against the zombie threat, in the spring.

Fall 2014 Volleyball Season Kills it With ODAC Finish

Written By Jacob Lusczek ‘14

Published December 2014

The Randolph College volleyball team had a tremendous season this fall. They finished 19-11 overall and 6-5 in the conference, a significant improvement from their previous season. The team advanced to playoffs for the first time since 2006, but lost in the quarterfinal match against Washington & Lee University.

Even though the team did not make it past the first round off playoffs, its members have every right to walk around with their heads held high. There were many team and individual records set this year that deserve applause, as the team saw its first playoff game in eight years.

The team prepares before its quarterfinal match against W&L.
Photo courtesy of Randolph College.     

Other team records include most kills in a season, breaking the record of 1315. They also destroyed the record for hitting percentage, a record that was just set the year before. The team has collected the most wins in a season since 1997.

Kerry McMichael ’15 and Lexi Harrington ’15 were both named Third Team All-ODAC. They have been a major part of this team, playing a crucial role in its outstanding achievement. Throughout the season, they have broken a few individual records themselves.

Jordan Templin ’15 has also done some amazing things here at Randolph. Aside from breaking numerous individual records, she has won multiple Wildcat of the Week Awards. Even more impressively, Templin was named First Team All-ODAC, All-Region Team, and ODAC Player of the Week. On October 21, Templin was also named NCAA’s Division III Player of the Week in the sport of volleyball, meaning that she will always be recognized as one of the top players in the division.

McMichael, Harrington, and Templin have certainly left their marks in Randolph’s volleyball history books. They will be sorely missed but the accomplishments they have done for the team and for the program will never be forgotten.

A Girl, A Horse, and A Blue Ribbon

Written By Jacob Lusczek ‘14

Published December 2014

“Surreal” is how Reynolds Martin ’15 describes her experience at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Nationals. “The whole experience was new to me,” she said. The day before they competed, Martin and teammate Meaghan Hynes ’16 enjoyed the opportunity to assist their coach, Chris Mitchell, with the preparation behind the scenes. However, reality hit the next day when they began getting dressed for their performance.

Hynes rode before Martin. “I was getting super jittery for her because I wanted her to nail it—which she did—and I knew it would be my turn next,” said Martin. “I was definitely ready, but I was feeling the pressure.”

Then came “game time,” as Martin said. It was her time to shine. After a pep talk from her coach, Martin took to the ring where she gave it her all and left everything she had. The rest was for the judges to decide.

“They call the placing’s backwards, so you really wanted to be the last man standing,” said Martin. “After what felt like an eternity, I was standing there with only one other girl. They called her name, not mine, which meant I had won the whole class.”

President Batemen awards Martin with an IHSA championship ring as her teammates look on.

Photo Courtesy of Randolph College.

Martin is the current IHSA National Champion for equitation on the flat. This simply means that during the competition, the rider and the horse do not perform any jumps. Equitation is the art of horse riding also referred to as horsemanship. In a competition there are many things the judges look at when evaluating a riders performance. While the rider, not the horse, is whom the judges are evaluating, it is still necessary that the horse perform well. If the horse does not, it reflects back onto the rider’s ability to control the horse, which is one of the criteria the judges look at. Along with the performance of the rider and the horse, judges also look at the attire, form, and poise of the rider, as well as their use of riding aids. Riding aids are cues used by riders to communicate with and get the horse to do what they want. Judges also evaluate the cleanliness and polish of the rider, the horse, and the equipment.

How does someone become a national champion in equestrian? For Martin, it all started at a very young age and with a pony named Cotton.

“I started riding when I was four years old,” said Martin. That’s when her grandmother, Jane Rowe Reynolds ’66, bought Cotton for Martin and her three other grandchildren. Martin then started taking lessons with her Aunt Ann at her farm and participated in her first competition with Cotton when she was just five years old.

Aunt Ann breeds and sells horses. She gave Martin her first horse, Forte. Forte has taught Martin a lot and is one reason she is as good as she is today. “Horses teach you so much every time you get on them, no matter how long you have had them,” said Martin. Forte remains near and dear to Martin and is currently living on her farm in Charlottesville.

The first time Martin won a show was that first one she competed in. “All I can remember is being awake when it was still dark outside,” said Martin. “When we got to the show I had five people dressing me and telling me what to do, then I went into the ring, did what they said, and I got a blue [ribbon].” A blue ribbon is the ribbon awarded to first place.

Since then, Martin has continued to pursue her love for riding horses, gradually getting better while learning from the horses. She finds the connection made between riders and horses one of the most enjoyable things about riding. “You won’t connect with every horse, nor will a horse always connect with you,” said Martin, “That’s a relationship that takes a lot of time.” To her, horses are like people and they can have bad days just like people can. Martin said, “I have always enjoyed the time I spend at the barn in general; it is like my second home, and I am relaxed there.”

When Martin started riding in college she noticed a significant change in the equestrian environment, which she came to love. She was no longer riding as an individual. Equestrian became a team sport, and she was now competing on a team. “The girls are wonderful, and being able to share the same passion and love for horses with 30 other people is wonderful,” said Martin.

“I plan to continue riding after college,” said Martin. She hopes to make riding more than a hobby one day. However, in the near future, Martin intends to find a job and make a stable income before pursuing that dream. “Horses have been in my life for as long as my memory allows me to remember, and I know that will never change,” said Martin.

Racism at Randolph? One Student’s Story

Written By: Katherine McCallister ‘17

Published December 2014

Harassment has been the topic of discussion at Randolph recently, but for one student this has been an ongoing issue for over a year.

Dominique (Dom) Rose ’15 has been receiving racially offensive letters, pictures, comments yelled outside of his window, and even death threats since Moonlight Madness 2013. After having changed rooms, the harassment continued in the form of letters under his door, in his mailbox, and, most recently, inside his backpack while it was sitting in the Student Center. “I try to stay busy to keep my mind off of it,” Rose said.

 Though Dominique Rose ‘15 has received threatening
notes over the past year, some students have also
 sent him kind notes of support. 

Photo Courtesy of Rose.

Rose filed a report with the school last February, and since then he has been working with Kris Irwin, director of Campus Safety & Security. The harassment stopped for a while at the end of the 2014 spring semester, but picked up again this year when a letter was placed inside his unattended backpack. Following the suggestion of Irwin, Rose has filed a report with the local police department.

The College has taken the necessary steps for a normal harassment case, including moving rooms, locking mailboxes, having a slip to block notes from being slid under the door, and even installing a camera in front of his room last year. Since those measures have not seem stop the offender(s), the police are now being involved. “There are a lot of investigative tools to use,” Irwin said. “We are a community of very accepting people, but these actions are not acceptable.” From now on, the police will be notified immediately whenever the College learns anything new with regards to Rose’s case.

Rose has received support from his friends from the beginning of the harassment. Most recently, Evan Robert Smith ’15, president of the Student Government Association and also a close friend of Rose, sent out a petition letter to students, faculty, and staff, asking the community to show support for Rose by signing the document. “More people have my back than just my normal group of friends,” Rose said. Irwin agrees that the petition is a positive way to react to the situation. “It shows outward support for Dom.”



Since the publication and distribution of the petition, Rose has not received any new harassing notes. However, the investigation will not stop. “We will continue to investigate, along with the police department, “ said Irwin. “To stop this kind of behavior, appropriate action will be taken.”

Feminist Activism Expands on Campus between Class and Clubs

Written By: Megan Wilkes ‘17

Published in December 2014

Recently, the College has been buzzing with discussions on feminism-related topics. As an important issue on campuses across the nation, it is necessary to respond to feminism in an appropriate, constructive, and thought-provoking way.

Dr. Jennifer Gauthier, an associate professor of Communication Studies and also an advocate for feminism, will be teaching a class this coming spring semester called “COMM/GST 388 Gender and News Media.”

“This is a new class that will focus on creating a student-run consciousness-raising blog,” Gauthier said.  “It was inspired by the Feminist Blogging workshop we hosted a few weeks ago with Dr. Alison Bodkin from JMU, where she oversees a feminist blog on campus. The course will offer students practical skills in blogging as well as instigating public discourse about important issues. Using social media as a tool for making positive change in the world is very important.” Gauthier is looking forward to sparking productive conversations about gender and other important issues on our campus and in the larger community.

In addition, Gauthier, along with one communications and four sociology students, took a trip to Puerto Rico in November to attend the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. The annual conference for the NWSA unites academics and others interested in women’s studies for four sets of panels, round tables and workshops. At the workshop, the group got to hear the keynote address by writer, scholar and activist bell hooks. “I was very moved by bell hooks’ presentation,” said Abigail Smith ‘15, a participant in the trip. “[bell hooks] said that to choose love is to counter hegemony and to be revolutionary; when we choose love, we choose to end domination. In addition, she talked about the unspoken violence that women do to each other and to those around [them], especially children. This made me reconsider violence as we often think of it as male to female. It can be within the feminine circle as well.”

Furthermore, Smith explained, “The conference was focused on feminist transgressions. There was a particular session on the Caribbean and, being from the Caribbean myself, I was particularly interested in how I can help solve social issues in the Caribbean with a feminist approach.”

The students attended panels and workshops, meeting faculty and graduate students in women’s studies programs across the world. With the increasing number of gender studies courses that Randolph provides and the collaboration of students and professors on topics that are important to the upkeep of Randolph’s communal values, productive changes are possible. Nevertheless, in order for these changes to work, it is essential that the community come together and take advantage of these learning opportunities.

The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) celebrates this sentiment outside of the classroom by hosting events that benefit and empower feminists. Recently, FMLA organized a Mattress Carry Day where members of the community, survivors and allies alike, carried mattresses and pillows around campus to stand in solidarity against sexual assault. “Most of our big events are going to occur after winter break,” said Emily Fields ’17, co-president of FMLA. “We want to do a bra box where people can donate their bras or give money for us to go buy bras that we will then donate. We also want to decorate the trolleys and hold events for Women’s History Month in March and Sexual Assault Awareness and Activism Month in April.” You can stay up to date on FMLA activism on campus or voice your opinion by joining them on Facebook.

Anonymous Blog Unmasks Anxiety over Feminism at RC

Written By: Phuong Tran ‘15

Published December 2014

On Saturday, Nov 1, a group of faculty members and students received an email containing a link to an anonymous blog titled “Is This Feminism?”. Word of the blog, which has since been taken down, quickly spread and became a hot topic around campus.

The anonymous letter posted at feminismdiscourse.wordpress.com appeared to be a response to a series of several on-campus incidents, including posters and graffiti accusing two students of rape. In addition, there were reports of alleged harassment of two students, and on the Friday before the blog was posted, a local 14-year-old who was involved in the fall theater production Mother Courage was witnessed pouring an energy drink on a Randolph student in front of Skeller.

The blog raised some relevant questions about whether harassment and antagonism of alleged perpetrators of sexual assault, as well as those associated with them, is in keeping with the ideals of feminism. It mentioned two male students who were being “harassed, followed, and terrified by female students at Randolph College in the name of feminism.” The blog conceded that these two individuals had been accused of either rape or coercion, but made plea for fairness. “There are two people involved in the process of rape and it is not just to only consider the account of one,” wrote the blogger, “I would like to ask when it became appropriate to consider a person guilty until proven innocent.”

However, some of the language used by the blogger struck a nerve. In its original form, the blog referred to female accusers as “harpies.” While that term was deleted, the blog retained other potentially offensive terminology, characterizing the situation on campus as “an outbreak of female students crying wolf.” It went on to say, “There are several female students at Randolph that have begun to use the word rape and consent like weapons against male students either who maintain a difference of opinion, or who they have personal vendettas against, in the name of feminism.” The blog also created confusion by alluding to an epidemic of sexual assaults and yet singling out only one incident, which the blogger claimed to have “investigated.”

Reactions to the blog differ. Communication Professor Jennifer Gauthier, an advocate for feminism on campus who is also offering a gender and media class next semester, thought the blog contained some problematic language. However, she pointed out that “the blog was very well-written. It didn’t reveal any individual names and raised issues for discourse, which I think is responsible.”

In contrast, Ashley Peisher ‘15, president of the Feminist Majority League Association (FMLA) of Randolph College, thought that the blog takes a victim-blaming stance. “The blog shames sexual assault survivors on campus, claiming that they are lying. It is incredibly offensive, ignorant, and damaging, especially because it references specific cases and students rather indiscreetly,” she said.

Kira Calvaresi ‘17, also a member of FMLA, disagreed. “The blog is neither slut shaming nor victim blaming, but is addressing harassment and slander of others on campus. There is a way to go about dealing with sexual assault; hurting others is not one of those ways.”

On the anonymous social media platform Yik Yak, the issue was a hot bed for discussion. “The blog is the truth,” someone posted. “Feminism has been hijacked by liberal extremists who want to berate all men and blame them for all shortcomings,” wrote another.

Concerns about sexual assault and misconduct are not new to Randolph. In the spring of 2014, President Bateman hosted a forum to address issues raised by another anonymous blog. Under the banner of “notabyastander2014,” it was created by a group of socially-conscious students and survivors, with the hope of initiating a constructive dialogue on campus about sexual misconduct.

At the time, there were anxieties about how reported cases were handled at the College, and questions about the administration’s commitment to fixing the problems. At the forum, President Bateman corrected some inaccurate information reported in the blog and stressed that he, as well as the administration, would treat sexual assault and misconduct seriously. The last 20 minutes of the forum were left for discussion, where students’ opinions and feedback were encouraged. Despite the constructive nature of the forum, the discussion gradually grew into a verbal fight and ended with a survivor swearing at another who challenged her point, bursting into tears, and running out of Smith Hall Theatre.

The unsettled culmination of last year’s forum reflects the degree to which sexual assault remains a pressing problem not only at Randolph, but at campuses across the nation.

In April 2011, Vice President Joe Biden announced new Title IX guidelines regarding sexual assault and harassment, requiring all colleges to adopt and publicize stronger enforcement policies as well as designate at least one Title IX coordinator to enforce these policies under the law. Institutions were left to devise their own plans of implementation. On May 1, 2014, The Education Department issued a list of 55 colleges with open “sexual violence investigations,” including elite private to large public and even small regional schools. In September, Columbia University senior Emma Sulkowicz made headlines when she began carrying her mattress around campus as her senior project. Sulkowicz, a survivor of sexual assault, has stated that she will continue her protest until her alleged rapist is expelled from school. The performance went viral, and students at Columbia, as well as on other campuses, began carrying mattresses in support.

In the days following the posting of “Feminism Discourse,” the actual discourse among interested parties at Randolph escalated. Kira Calvaresi, a Sundial staffer who reported on Title IX developments at Randolph in November, was anonymously removed from FMLA’s Facebook page after a fallout with others in the group, due to her defense that the blog had made some valid points. She also became a target of attack on social media platforms. “THE TITLE 9 ARTICLE CONDONES SLUT-SHAMING,”  one Yik-Yaker wrote, despite the fact that Calvaresi’s article was a straightforward account of the College’s working progress on complying with Title IX policy. “Whoever said that the title IX article condones slut-shaming—quote it. Read and quote where it does that,” posted another Yik-Yaker. The controversy also led to the local 14-year-old from the drink-pouring incident being removed from the Mother Courage cast and barred from campus. Another situation, yet to be resolved, involved a member of FMLA shoving another student who was associating with an alleged perpetrator of sexual assault.

“I hadn’t heard much about the harassment at all until the blog,” explained FMLA President Peisher. “I don’t condone harassment. Period. It isn’t acceptable. The reason why I have spoken out about the blog has actually very little to do with the incidents and/or claims of harassment at all. It is everything to do with the wording the blog used.”

However, Peisher is concerned about the way FMLA has been linked to these incidents via social media. “That FMLA is being perceived that way is disturbing to me and obviously something I would help change. FMLA is not about man-hating or punishing anyone, it is all about spreading conversations of feminism on campus.”

The anonymous FMLA member who removed Calvaresi from the group’s Facebook page admitted that she did it of her own accord. “I removed Kira because I didn’t want to continue this argument about the victim-blaming blog. She wouldn’t change her mind and so wouldn’t we. It was not going anywhere, and I just didn’t want to see the whole group torn up because of this conversation,” she said.

This person was the one accused of shoving the student with a knee injury. While asked to comment on why she did it, she said: “It was in the Dining Hall at rush hour and it wasn’t intentional. However, I can understand why she saw it as harassment. I dislike this girl and I know she isn’t fond of me, either. So if she does the same thing to me, I would consider it harassment as well.”

As a survivor, this anonymous person was strongly offended by the blog. Last fall, she filed a sexual assault case with DOS. While the case was being handled, her alleged assailant was expelled for academic reasons, making it impossible for the DOS to complete the investigation. Although the accused was banned from campus after his expulsion, the case was never resolved. Hostility started growing between the anonymous survivor’s friends and those of the accused. “I am 99.99% sure that the blog made reference to my case, and it implied that I lied about my experience,” she said. 

Another anonymous source who is friends with parties on both sides of the dispute had this to say: “The problem tied up in this case is two groups of very strongly opinionated people that antagonize each other. The tension between them has been building and escalating since the hearing last year. This semester just happens to be the semester in which it all came to the fore front, and the antagonism elevated beyond just refusing to acknowledge each other.”

In an interview with The Sundial, Dean of Students Matha Thornton allowed that when students share information about sexual misconduct cases on a small campus, it can lead to unforeseeable consequences. “Students can share much more than the College and the administrators,” she said. “And students can share information that may not be accurate, which makes it difficult because I cannot speak to individual cases.”


In other words, even if misinformation is circulated,  DOS cannot comment. “That is our dilemma,” admitted Thornton. “It’s a dilemma faced on other campuses as well.”

The recent incidents at Randolph, involved not only antagonistic behavior between the two groups of students, but also other members of the community. Along with the 14-year-old local girl losing her right to perform in Mother Courage, Kira Calvaresi was harassed online and in person by certain individuals, after she published comments about the blog, and was tagged with supporting its contentions. On Yik Yak, insults were hurled at FMLA and its members, even though the group was not officially involved in what amounted to a quarrel between two distinct groups of students. Most seriously, there were other students who felt so unsafe that they began carrying pepper spray with them on campus.

“I am concerned for the students who are being hurt by the comments that are made by their peers on social media,” Dean Thornton said. “I don’t think that yelling at each other will solve anything. But disagreeing with each other is different and I think that you cannot cross that line to becoming hostile towards each other.”

Evan Smith ‘15, the president of Student Government, had a meeting with Dean Thornton on  November 5 about the blog and the bigger issues it raised. Smith was concerned that there are students who don’t have confidence in the current process for addressing sexual assault and harassment complaints. “We need to either fix the system or let people know that the system is fine,” he explained. “I don’t think the system is absolutely fine because it obviously did not serve some people well. I have told some students who have been survivors of sexual assault and rape that we need to record on paper how the system failed them and tell Dean Thornton what needs to be fixed, so that future survivors can have a better chance of being treated better. That way, we may get some progress or momentum going.”

Dean Thornton has encouraged students to speak up and voice such concerns at community meetings. As she put it, “Student Government meets every Wednesday, and it is always a venue for students to voice their opinions; they do not have to wait for a special forum or a town hall meeting.”

She also stressed, “There can be disagreement and there has to be room for that. I do think it’s important for students to engage in this discourse, but that can be difficult. Activist work is hard. It can be very difficult, time-consuming, and everyone is not going to always agree. So you have to be willing to engage in that dialogue and disagree and be willing to listen to one another about what they are disagreeing with and really hear one another.”

A Yik Yak post seconded Dean Thornton’s comment: “Let’s not further complicate the issue with in-fighting. Movements need positivity to make a proper impact. Our current situation is evidence of that.”

Campus Kitchen Gets Chopped: Admin Vetos Club Proposal

Written By: Phuong Tran ‘15

Published December 2014

Walk into Cheatham Dining Hall on any night of the week, and you’ll see a veritable bounty of food laid out before you. A tray of chicken-and-okra gumbo, heaps of Szechuan stir-fry, and piles of French fries. What you less likely to notice, are the large containers of food that are thrown out when meal time is over.

“It’s about 30 pounds, sometimes even 40 pounds, of food waste every night,” said Lauren Snead ‘15, who currently works the evening shift at the Dining Hall. “Of course it’s bad we have to throw the food out. But I try and make sure there is as little waste as possible when I work.”

Professor Jennifer Dugan and Paul Rush ‘16 visited W&L and VMI as a part of their 2014 

Summer Research Project to implement a Campus Kitchen at Randolph. 

Photo courtesy of Rush.

Like Snead, Paul Rush ‘16 has always felt uneasy about the waste, knowing that there are many homeless people in Lynchburg who have little or no food to eat. “Throughout my life, I’ve gone from being on welfare to having wealth. Along the way I’ve met many who haven’t been as lucky as me. I’ve never forgotten them. Some of them are like family and I really wanted a way to help.”

Rush thought that he had found a way to help in the Campus Kitchen Project (CKP), a national community service organization dedicated to promoting sustainability on college campuses and combating hunger in surrounding communities. Student leaders at participating schools team up with dining services providers to create a student-run kitchen facility where excess food is recycled into nutritious meals for the needy. CKP offers students the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the collective fight against hunger. It is also aims to provide participants with leadership skills and offer practical education opportunities in the culinary arts, health, and nutrition.

Rush first learned of the CKP in Global to Local Studies, a political science class taught by Professor Jennifer Dugan,. “We covered the topic of food security and CKP’s parent organization,” he explained, “and that’s where it started.”

From there, Rush embarked upon a summer research project with Dugan. Together, they created a plan for a Randolph Campus Kitchen (RCK), taking stock of local needs, seeking out food donors, and making arrangements with Randolph’s campus food vender Aramark. 

“Eighteen percent of the residents of Lynchburg are food insecure and our school is close to one of the city’s food deserts,” Rush explained. “There is also a proven abundance of excessive produce and food, from the Community Market to local restaurants, and donors are enthusiastic about contributing their surplus. By implementing the CKP model to Randolph, I hope that we can be an important community partner in reducing food insecurity.”

Rush and Dugan were aiming for RCK to begin delivering food to ltwo of Lynchburg’s hunger relief organizations this fall. “We worked all summer, researching, writing business plan, and meeting with community members as well as campus leaders,” said Dugan.

In early August, Rush went to DC to attend a CKP “boot camp,” a three-day training seminar in running, sustaining, and marketing a Campus Kitchen. Mitch Rodhe, Randolph’s dining hall director, signed on to support RCK by supplying kitchen and storage facilities; providing training in food safety; donating food; and allowing RCK to purchase food from Aramark’s existing vendors.

Rush set about recruiting fellow classmates, including Angie Chen ’17, an enthusiastic RCK advocate, who confirmed, “I was really excited about the project.” And Dugan mentioned the proposal to interested faculty members. “We discussed how it would fit into our classes,” she explained. “There is a willing body of faculty who would be interested in incorporating the work on the Kitchen into their class objectives.”

Despite the excitement, the RCK proposal was ultimately shelved in September due confusion over how such a program would be administered. Dugan and Rush had submitted the proposal to President Brad Bateman for approval. Bateman had shown support for RCK when Prof. Dugan mentioned it to him in July. However, he wasn’t prepared to sign off on the application this year, a decision that left the students involved confused and disappointed. “I have had a meeting with Wes Fugate for an explanation, but I was still unconvinced as to why the project was turned down,” said Rush.

In a meeting with The Sundial on November 5, President Bateman explained his decision. “When she first came to me in July, I told Professor Dugan that we would consider it,” he said. “As we looked into the proposal, we increasingly found potential problems with this community service projects competing with the six projects we had chosen to do this year.”

Those projects are part of the Randolph’s ongoing efforts to get students out into the community for volunteer work. President Bateman has emphasized that community involvement is integral to a liberal arts education. To that end, he assigned Amanda Denny, then MAC supervisor, as director of the Office of Leadership and Engagement, a position devoted to the development of volunteer community service programs for students.

Denny created a committee of faculty, staff, and students to look at organizations in Lynchburg that Randolph could partner with. They picked six, which offer a diversity of volunteering experiences and which the school has the resources to support. That work wrapped up in April.

When the RCK proposal was submitted in September, President Bateman was concerned that it might compete for financing, transportation, and student volunteers with the six projects Denny had initiated. “As we looked into this and talked to other campuses that support Campus Kitchen, we found out that almost all of their volunteers and resources went into this single project,” said President Bateman. “After having picked the six programs that we worked all year to select, it did not seem right to me to let this program come in and perhaps push those out of the way, or ask Amanda Denny, after she has done so much work on this, to then help to put the majority of her time into this project.”

Regarding what RCK can do to have the project approved, President Bateman said, “I think that Campus Kitchen is a wonderful project, but ultimately if we are going to do Campus Kitchen, it has to emerge from the process by which we pick the group. We have to think of it in the constellation of all the programs we support.” He also offered that he will happily reconsider RCK for next year.

Dugan, who’d received a nod of support for RCK from Dean of Students Matha Thornton in July, wasn’t satisfied with that explanation. She felt that having Thornton sponsor RCK made the most sense, since Denny was already busy with numerous other projects.

“I am not sure how Campus Kitchen would have affected Amanda because she was intentionally left out of the equation,” said Dugan. “I think each person has his or her own idea of how it would work. Paul and I certainly had our ideas, and President Bateman probably thought it should fit into Amanda’s thing. Matha thought she could sponsor it. Next time we will have to sit in the room at the same time.”

In light of the perceived difficulties in getting RCK up and running this year, Rush has decided not to pursue the project any further. “Doing this kind of volunteer work is very difficult,” he explained. “Legally, it gets tricky. Financially, it’s strenuous. And it is very time consuming. I understand the administration’s hesitations and fears. I would have them too.”

Dugan went on to explain the confusion surrounding RCK. “I think there are different and conflicting understandings of what the Kitchen is going to require. Paul and I met with the President, Matha, Kris Irwin, Mitch, and Jim Manero, all separately. I think a good lesson is to try to meet with everybody together because the group together may have come to a better consensus. I feel it’s absolutely necessary for a project like this to be supported by everybody at the highest level. That’s the next thing we will need to achieve.”

Thornton also believes that it is more advisable for the RCK to be funneled through the Office of Leadership and Engagement. “We are a community and I do not think it is possible to do this work independently,” she said. “In our initial meeting, I shared with Professor Dugan and Paul that I was concerned with the demands of the program. Before coming to Randolph, my previous institution sponsored a very active Campus Kitchens program. Having supported and volunteered for the program, I was familiar with the amount of dedicated hours necessary for this program to succeed.