PHC family hosts annual Hoedown!

In late October, students at Patrick Henry College threw on their boots, pulled flannels from their closets, and donned their cowboy hats for the College's annual country hoedown. 

This year, the festive fall dance was held at the Fischer’s house, a local family with one recently-graduated PHC alumna and one currently-attending student. The family’s hospitality is evidence of the tight bonds connecting the PHC community. “It felt like a family was just hosting a little bonfire. It took a while for me to remember that a good bit of our school was there all together just having fun,” sophomore Hope Thigpen said. Other students, like senior Marcia Washburn, commented that one of the best parts of the dance was the Fischer’s beautiful barn venue. 

Students enjoyed a fun Friday night starting with a dinner of hot dogs, chips, and cookies which were all graciously provided by the hosting family.

A band of PHC musicians—Josiah Sheffield on Banjo and Isaac Rits on violin—played live music while students bobbed for apples, played cornhole, shot BB guns, and line danced. “Most of us did line dancing in front of the barn while live music was played inside,” sophomore Jake Buus said. 

“It provided a place off-campus for people to gather together to actually have fun instead of just making a study group as an excuse to hang out with people. You’re getting to dance, listen to good music, and eat good food,” Washburn said. 

It started raining in the middle of line dancing that night, but the inclement weather was no match for PHC. The students laughed and danced through the rain. “The best part was just getting to see everybody together,” junior Steven Traphagen, one of the event planners, said.

The night ended around 9:00 PM. When the weather cleared, the Fischers lit a big bonfire in the backyard, letting students laugh, talk, and dry off from the rain. 

Overall, the second dance of the semester was a hit. As students work through tests and papers, this dance provided an opportunity to unwind, have some fun, and meet new friends.

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 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.