That Night
- April 24, 2001
In life there
are marker events
where we will always remember where we were and what we were doing.
At 9:28
p.m. on that night, I was watching the wrap-up of
Dharma and Greg
when the phone rang. It was Kerry Mossler, a colleague from Longwood
College, who lives on High Street across from Lancaster Hall. "Ruffner's
on fire I
can see the flames from my front porch."
As I left home,
the sky over the town had an orange, ominous glow. At first, I thought
the location was wrong, but as I
turned onto Third Street, there was no mistaking that the sky was
aglow from the fire at Longwood. As I arrived, tall flames leapt
from West Ruffner and the side of Grainger Hall. My first thought
was, maybe we can save the Rotunda, but within minutes Main Ruffner
and the Rotunda were engulfed.
The next five
hours passed in a blur of action fueled by adrenaline. Sirens, explosions,
commands, and the gasps of onlookers filled the night air as Longwood's
landmark buildings burned and crumbled to the ground. My staff and
I set up a communications
command post in the PR office in Lancaster. Priority One: get the
word out that our students had been evacuated safely with no injuries.
We were online with our first web press release by 10:30
p.m. and the alumni office began sending e-mail messages to our
alumni.
A lot has been
said about the spirit of Longwood. Unlike bricks and mortar, the
spirit lives on long after the flames have died. It is that same
spirit that I saw in my staff over the past month. I am extremely
proud of them. Here, in their own words, are some of their thoughts
about that night.
Dennis Sercombe,
Editor, Director of Public Relations
"When I saw what was left of Ruffner, I thought it looked like those
photos of Richmond at the end of the Civil War. It was still smoldering
and looked eerie, almost surreal, even more so since it was overcast
and raining lightly. I worked in Ruffner for 14
years, so this really hit me personally."
Kent Booty,
Writer, Photographer, Media Specialist
"My first thoughts
when I got the phone call were, 'Rotunda on
fire-that's crazy. It's probably something small and I'll be home
in an hour.' As I approached town and saw all the smoke, I felt
sick to my stomach. I picked up Dave Hooper (PR web specialist)
on the way, and went to work. It was the most chaotic, nerve-wracking
event I've ever experienced, but
I felt great honor in my contribution. Knowing that Longwood survived
two other major fires gives me hope for
the future."
Cocheyse
Gilliam, Class of 1998, Office Manager
"Within minutes
of arriving at work, I posted the latest information
about the fire on the Longwood web site. I was surprised to receive
so many wonderful comments when this was over. Parents were very
thankful for the information - it
helped ease their minds. Even though the fire was a major tragedy,
it showed us all something ... the dedication of Longwood's faculty,
staff, students and the surrounding community. Witnessing this event
reminded me why I chose to attend Longwood College five years ago."
Dave Hooper,
Class of 2000, Web Specialist
"From the first
I was struck by the convergence of Longwood people
doing all they could to help. When I first walked up to High Street
I heard Mary Thornton of ARAMARK say, 'they're going to need food.'
In Coyner, Alison Kendrick was trying to handle all the phone calls
coming in. In Lancaster, Nancy Shelton was loading a cart with irreplaceable
Longwood memorabilia in case the fire jumped Pine Street ..."
Judy McReynolds,
Writer & Media Relations Coordinator
"I was sad to think of all that history going up in smoke.
I could picture
my favorite 'Longwood Ladies' waiting in the Rotunda to meet their
beaus or myself winding through the maze of Ruffner's hallways
en route
to Printing Services. Watching the televised reports in following
days, one image stands out: Betty Jo Simmons near tears speaking
so eloquently of the loss. I, too, was reminded of why I am associated
with Longwood the people."
David Whaley,
Director of Publications & Visual Art
