Francisco Mejia
Film and Television
The Spirit of CHI Walks On
Longwood University has a very rich history. From the Civil War passing through main street, to four national sororities being founded on it’s campus, and even its involvement in the civil rights movement. But one thing is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of everyone who has stepped foot on Longwood’s campus: it’s long lasting traditions.
One of Longwood’s oldest traditions has lasted the test of time and continues to do so in 2015. CHI, a secret society founded on October 15, 1900 is Longwood’s oldest continuous service organization. CHI’s purpose has been to seek out and reward excellence and effort in different aspects of college life at Longwood. CHI has been able to keep its secrets and hide the identities of it’s members until the annual CHI burning at the end of the spring semester, where senior members reveal and give out commendations to students, faculty, staff, and other organizations.
“CHI is something that everyone in the campus community is a part of. The whole idea of CHI is service to the whole without seeking honor for thyself, to recognize selfless acts of others within the community,” says Cameron Patterson, Program Coordinator for the Office of Disability Resources. Cam Patterson is an alumnus of CHI, revealing in 2009.
“My first experience with observing CHI as a student was in April 2006, when I was a freshmen here at Longwood,” Cam explains. CHI was doing their burning ceremony. “To see this group marching down with torches and robes, it was almost like a nervous feeling … but I think as the burning ceremony went on, and I started to see people get recognized for various things, that kind of put me at ease because that’s when you really got to see what the group was trying to represent. But at first glance, it was certainly a shock.”
HISTORY
CHI was founded by members of three Alpha chapters (Kappa Delta, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Zeta Tau Alpha) at the State Female Normal School, now known as Longwood University. In the beginning, CHI wore white robes and chose the ‘X’ in the Greek alphabet (Chi) as their name, representing the founder’s own participation as Greeks themselves. The ‘X’ would become one of the most recognizable symbols at Longwood University, as CHI adopted the ‘X’ as their symbol and later changed it to a red skull and crossbones, which were meant to represent the ‘X’.
In 1904 the first every picture of CHI was taken for The Virginian’s publication, Longwood’s yearbook. As years went on CHI had an on and off presence on campus, and went through many changes.
“It was more about condemning versus commending,” says Larry Robertson, Dean of Students and a CHI 1990 alumni. “They basically served as an honor board in some respects. It would basically let people know that the students know that they have broken a policy, have done something incorrectly, or weren’t representing the Longwood spirit.”
CHI would make their presence known late at night with what are called CHI walks, where they would march through the colonnades and through some dormitories to commend or condemn. There have been many rumors and folklore about CHI, from members of CHI hazing freshmen students who needed scolding by making them put a mouse into their mouth, to a student attacking a member of CHI and slitting their through, and even the infamous CHI tunnels which were originally used to transport students in the rain. Although, there is no way of truly knowing if any of these legends are true, and they only add to the mystery and attraction to the secrets of CHI.
Evolution of CHI
With such over the top stories of CHI history, and with a growing negative perception of the organization, CHI began to change in the early 1970s.
“As the needs of the student body has changed, I think it’s important for CHI to evolve as an organization,” says Patterson. “I think a lot of what CHI did years ago was probably simply tied to the way the campus community operated at the time. As the student body has expanded, I think the organization just naturally evolves. I think that has been a healthy part of why CHI has been able to maintain itself for 115 years.”
The 1969-70 Student Handbook states CHI’s purpose as:
The purpose and the function of CHI are many. It is not a collection of individuals but a group representing the entire student body. CHI’s essential purpose is to encourage and maintain the spirit of cooperation among students in every phase of college life, to foster the high ideals and standards of Longwood College and to be an organization which never seeks to find fault in others.
It was around this time that three major changes occurred for the organization. Most notably was their decision to change from the skull and crossbones as their symbol to the Rotunda, with each piece of it Rotunda representing a different aspect of the organizations purpose. The four pillars of the Rotunda represent Loyalty, Character, Respect, and Challenge. The horizontal bar of the Rotunda represents Responsibility. The most important part of the symbol is the dome of the Rotunda, which symbolizes the ties that bind each of us together to represent one – the student body.
Chi also changed from white robes with a red ‘X’ on them to the university’s colors of blue and white. They wear royal blue robes, with royal blue hoods, and a white vest like piece of fabric with the rotunda on them.
The last notable change was the change to the lyrics of the CHI song. During CHI walks, members of CHI sing a chant that represents CHI. Prior to the earlier 1970’s the song was dark and creepy. Changes to the lyrics of the song made it more uplifting and more representative of how we know CHI today.
“I think post 1971-72 CHI has kind of adopted a more jovial personification. The song is more upbeat and a little more expressive of the ideas that CHI represents,” says Patterson.
While CHI has made many changes to extend its reach of supporters and create a positive reflection of them, the rumors, legends, and folklore continue to play a role in the way students understand and think about the organization now. Given the historical nature of Longwood and the surrounding town of Farmville, its not a surprise that some people may think the attire, secrecy, and its history of condemning some students mirror close to organizations such as the KKK.
“I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe that [the KKK] had influence on the attire or the way in which the group conducted itself,” says Patterson. “I will say though, throughout the years the group has always been mindful of the perception that the attire and things of that nature would give off to the campus community.”
Robertson also emphasized there is no connection. “There has never been anything ever written about those kinds of things. Are there some connotations? Sure. Have there been some things that have been changed to keep them from looking as closely as they have? Sure.” Robertson also explains that those changes had more to do with the direction of the organization at the time and its desire to be a more positive.
One thing that hasn’t changed in the 115 years of CHI’s existence … its commitment to secrecy.
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda Newspaper. May 10, 1950
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda newpaper. April 23, 1969
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda. Chi's sentinel. October 12, 2000
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda Newspaper. May 10, 1950
The Secrets of CHI
The members of CHI keep their identities to a secret. They choose whether or not they want to reveal their identities at the end of the school year at the annual CHI burning, where students, faculty, staff, and organizations around the campus community are commended.
“Part of [CHI’s secrecy] is to avoid ‘seeking honor for thyself.’ I think part of it is to keep it exciting, to keep people trying to figure out what’s going on there,” says Robertson. “I think honestly if there was a way to convince people to show up for commendations, I’m not sure the organization would revel themselves. I think the whole concept of service to the whole without seeking honor for thyself is very much of that.”
An important part of being in CHI is to keep your identity a secret, simple because it is not important to the bigger picture. One way members are able to keep their secret is by having a secret keeper. The secret keeper is an individual, not in CHI, that helps the CHI member make sure people don’t find out their secret.
I was able to speak to a secret keeper, who wished to speak anonymously in order to be careful not to betray anyone’s trust. The secret keeper’s name has been changed to Wayne for the purpose of the story.
“I was picked to be a secret keeper because the individual trusted me. Being a secret keeper is actually kind of cool. I knew who a few of the members were because I’d have to make up stories about where they were and who they were hanging out with,” says Wayne.
In Wayne’s opinion, CHI is secret because it is not about the individual. “It’s like when you think about an organization, you think about the president as a representation of what/who that organization is. For CHI, it’s not about the individual, secrecy helps make it about the organization, not the people who are in it.”
For Patterson, the secrecy is something that incites interest from the campus community. “I’ve always found the secrecy to be cool. Just a cool aspect. Trying to find out who is in the organization, sitting with friends pondering when they were to walk, trying to think of when they might do a dropping. Excursion through campus so I could try to go out looking for droppings. I just found all those elements to be cool aspects of the organization.”
The reality though, is that CHI is secret because CHI is an idea, and if everyone knew the inner workings of the idea, it may turn people off.
“When people hear certain things, it drives them a certain way. For the stuff that I know and I have heard, I could easily be turned off, but I’m mature enough to say, I may not like this, but I recognize the spirit and the power it has on my campus. I respect them,” says Wayne.
Wayne compared CHI closely to Santa Claus. Santa isn’t real, but what Santa represents is greater than just Santa Claus the man. Parents tell their children that Santa is real, and he comes by to every house on Christmas and gives them gifts. It’s in this way that parents can use Santa as leverage to keep their child on the nice list. When the kids grow older and find out that Santa isn’t real, and that people actually buy gifts for other people, it changes the perception of Christmas and about what’s important. Especially when a child learns the truth at a young age.
“I don’t want to kill someone’s though process of what CHI is, I don’t want to kill the spirit,” says Wayne.
But like Santa Claus, Wayne doesn’t think CHI is particularly necessary for the spirit of Longwood to live on.
“I do not think CHI is necessary. I think they are a great reminder of the spirit that we have here, however I do not think they are necessary. We can get spirit and encourage the comradery that we have here without having this idolized group of people,” says Wayne.
Similarly, Patterson says, “I believe that the ideas that CHI promotes are necessary. CHI has been a venue over the last 115 years to promote that.”
While the organization, and the people in it may not be “necessary” for the ideas and values of CHI to live on, there is a reason CHI has been able to survive for 115 years. That doesn’t just happen with alumni support, or just by luck. There is a strong connection to CHI from the Longwood community because CHI represents a promotion to citizen leadership and the notion to do and stand up for what you think is fundamentally right. Longwood is a place of great history and tradition, and CHI truly does help to share.
“I think if the organization continues to keep the mission at the forefront, I think it could have continued longevity,” says Patterson. “Promoting campus spirit, promoting the selfless acts of others, promoting various phases of campus life, and making sure to be a supportive element within the community.”
CHI in 2015
With the hopes that CHI can continue for another 115 years, there comes a natural fascination to question every aspect of it.
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How do they pick members?
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How do they decide who gets commended?
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Do they have by-laws? A constitution?
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What is their organizational structure like?
These questions, and many more are left unanswered by the organization. Secrets that they take to the grave. The only knowledge of any measures of accountability come from the fact that they have several advisors who serve as oversight and provide guidance.
“To me, I think that if you look at who the organization serves, it’s the students, it’s the alumni. I think all those people work to hold the group accountable. Unfortunately that’s a part of the mysteries of the organization. There are things in line, but one just might not know what those are,” says Patterson.
Tim Pierson, Vice President of Student Affairs, has been on Longwood’s campus since 1992, when we entered as the Dean of Students until the year 2000. He believes one thing that keeps CHI alive, even with all its secrecy, is the enormous amount of faith that the campus community has in them.
“Secret society and all of that stuff, certainly you would question, but I think if it’s done for the right reason, and I think the guidance that they have in place helps,” says Pierson. “I know the folks that are involved in it a little bit and I think that they are the folks that have all the right things, and some of them have been involved for a long time.”
Pierson also thinks trust is a key factor, believing the Longwood has placed an enormous amount of trust in CHI and those members know that. He also believes that if CHI started doing things they weren’t supposed to, people would notice, and something would be done about it.
“The ultimate thing is that if an organization is producing something that is not right, that is not acceptable, you would know. I think if CHI gets off on the wrong foot, I think people would know, and I think the Longwood community is strong enough to deal with that situation.
Due to the fact that CHI does not receive money from the institution or the SGA, they are self sustaining and are able to basically govern themselves with guidance from alumni.
“I would say in the end, it would be answering to the same people any student organization would answer to,” says Robertson. “If the group was doing something that the university was privy to or unhappy with, I imagine the advisors would be contacted and told to fix it.”
CHI has had to have those conversations with administrators up the chain of command before, but it mostly with safety issues to conduct CHI walks and CHI burnings.
“The organization continues to change throughout the years. Sometimes that comes from the University urging,” says Robertson. “CHI follows every policy and procedure to the nine because that’s part of what the group stands for.”
The Spirit of CHI Walks On
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda. April 21, 1971
Clipping from the Longwood Rotunda. April 21, 1971
With all the secrets, the history both negative and positive, those in the Longwood community urge students to focus on the ideas, values, and the spirit that CHI represents.
“If someone is thinking that deeply into it, they are missing what it’s all about,” says Patterson. “CHI is about the promotion of an idea, which is the spirit of Longwood. One sees the promotion of that idea through outward displays of campus spirit through the walks, droppings, burning, letters that students receive, and the banners. So to me, I think that if you try to look too deeply into it than you just miss what it’s all about.”
With 115 years under its belt, CHI continues to strive and work towards the promotion of campus spirit and recognition to those that are often overlooked. While much secrecy surrounds the organization, students constantly give CHI their trust, and are fascinated with their outward displays of campus spirit. With this growing fascination for material objects that represent CHI, students much remember why they are here in the first place: service to the whole without seeking honor for thyself.
We are all CHI, and the spirit of CHI forever walks through Longwood’s campus.
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