President Hemphill hosts students for late summer cookout

Radford students were invited to an afternoon cookout at the president’s home Sept. 6, giving them an opportunity to unwind from classes and all the activities that make up the university’s first two weeks.
President Brian O. Hemphill, his wife First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill and their family welcomed students to their home for an afternoon cookout on Sept. 6.

Moments after tossing bean bags at a cornhole board with friends, Ben Kolodny was ready to grab some food.

Ben, his roommate Coleman Gentry and their friend Emily Robey, left the game in the warm sun – the temperature was about 88 – cut through the Governor Tyler House lawn and went straight for the plentiful selection of burgers and hot dogs sizzling in the shade underneath two large white tents.

“It’s pretty cool to be here,” said Kolodny of being invited to a cookout at the home of Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, his wife First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill and their family. “We just came to have a good time and enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie.”

All Radford students were invited to the late afternoon cookout at the president’s home, giving them an opportunity to sit back and unwind from classes and all the activities that make up the university’s first two weeks.

As students arrived, they were greeted by President Hemphill and his family. Also greeting students was a DJ spinning a lively mix of fun summertime tunes.

“It’s really cool to be in the yard of our president,” Robey said as Flo Rida’s “Welcome to My House” filled the air. “He seems like a celebrity to me.”

Hunter Cole of Manassas attended the cookout because he wanted to meet new people, including President Hemphill, and because he “saw the word ‘food’” on the invitation.

“I’m a big fan of food,” said the freshman political science major.

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The same goes for Rodrigo de Oliveira, a senior finance and management double major from Brazil.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve had two big plates already,” he said, with a chuckle, about an hour into the cookout. “I need protein!”

In addition to food, de Oliveira was excited for the chance to talk with President Hemphill, hang out with friends and play some of the many games – cornhole, basketball and spikeball, to name a few – stationed around the lawn. “It’s just great to be here.”

Jamous Bitrick, a junior transfer student from Elliston, was a pleasantly surprised to receive the cookout invitation.

“There are a lot of things that have happened that I haven’t expected,” Bitrick, a computer science major, said about his first weeks on campus. “I expected there to be events for the first three days, but we’re in the second week and they just keep on going. This feels like a consistent thing Radford University does for students, and it’s fun.”

Sophomore Sydney Wray of Leesburg said the cookout was a “great idea” and a fun way for individual students and campus organizations to “get together and meet everyone.”

“We’re meeting new people and making connections, and it’s great,” the criminal justice and psychology double major said. “It’s nice that it is here at the president’s house; it shows he cares about us.”

 

Sep 19, 2018
Chad Osborne
540-831-7761
caosborne@radford.edu