PLPHVD

by Eddie Sonnie

PLPHVD stands for “President’s Leadership Program (and) Honor’s Visit Day,” and these visit days occur about three times per semester. The idea of the program is for upcoming freshmen and prospective students in those programs to get to see what it’s like to be a Captain for a day. First-year students get to apply to have the opportunity to show prospective students around campus and take them to some events and answer questions they may have about college. The prospective student then gets a first-hand experience of residence life and stay overnight with their host. There are receptions that happen, our awesome President Paul Trible speaks to the groups of prospective students, and it is a great time. 

I really love the PLPHVD weekends, because it’s really nostalgic for me. I currently work behind the desk in one of the first-year residence halls we use for the visit day, so I get to check in the prospective students and make sure that they are accounted for in our system. Seeing them come in reminds me of when I came to Christopher Newport for my PLP visit day. 

My PLP visit day was awesome. I still talk to the guy who was my host, and we are good friends now. We went to see a lip-sync battle in the Freeman Center, ate at the Commons, played Cards Against Humanity with some other hosts and their prospective students, and my host showed me the wondrous phenomenon that is Bob Ross. 

When I applied to college, I wish I could have had the knowledge I have now. I applied only to Christopher Newport and no other universities, and I didn’t even visit the campus before applying early decision, which was just objectively a not-smart thing to do. I took a shot in the dark when I applied, but I somehow still hit a bullseye with this university. That weekend I started out not knowing what Christopher Newport was or even what it looked like, and by the end of the weekend, I was thanking the stars that I applied here. I am so happy to be here, and every day I am thankful to be a Captain.