Hey there Hawks fans!

The fall season is well underway!  The volleyball team is on a roll, as they remain undefeated in the CIAA (8-0), and are 12-3 overall.  The football teams heads to Ettrick, VA this weekend to take on the Virginia State Trojans and the men’s soccer team is set to play at Mount Olive today.  GO HAWKS!

NCAA Division II student-athletes set high standards for themselves in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.  Based on the NCAA Division II positioning platform we all stand for the following six attributes: learning, balance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service.

In order to demonstrate our commitment to service, Division II has a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Each year, each school in Division II is encouraged to work with their students, faculty, staff and community to raise funds for this event.  It‘s awesome to see DII student-athletes come together and work to support this cause.

Student-athletes at Chowan take their commitment to service seriously.  Not only do we give 100 percent at practice and in the classroom every day, but we also give back to our community.  Each team has done their share of community service over the past year, and we are proud to contribute to the community that supports us.

Last fall, student-athletes from Chowan University’s baseball, men’s golf, softball and women’s basketball team contributed to building a house for Habitat for Humanity in Ahoskie.   Each of the teams spent a Saturday afternoon doing a variety of tasks to get the house constructed.

All of our women’s athletic teams (volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, softball, soccer, bowling, tennis and cross country) participate in our annual Girls and Women Sports Day.  This NCAA award winning event allows us to teach young girls our sport, and to encourage them to pursue their dreams in athletics and in life.

The CU Football team is currently participating in a Coach to Cure MD program, which raises research funds for Duchenned muscular dystrophy. For the past two seasons, the team has held a “Two for Turkey” campaign.  The team collects $2 donations in order to purchase food for the needy in the Roanoke-Chowan community.

The men’s basketball team helped clean up the campus this fall after it was hit by Hurricane Irene. They removed debris, fallen trees and branches in order to get the campus looking back to normal after the storm.  Last year, the volleyball team and soccer teams helped clean up a trail at Riverview Elementary School.

The softball team participates in the Adopt-A-Highway program, and performs Random Acts of Kindness for various members of Chowan faculty/staff.  It is so rewarding to give back to those who support us all year.

The women’s basketball team hosts a Pink Zone game every year to benefit the Kay Yow Foundation. This event is well attended by the school and community and focuses on raising funds to support breast cancer research.  Chowan invites breast cancer survivors and their families to the game, and includes them in halftime activities.

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee is looking for your help!  We are hosting a canned food drive to support the Rich Square W. S. Creecy Training & Community Center.  The center is looking for nonperishable food items, and we want to help them!

On October 1, SAAC representatives will be collecting canned food items at the women’s soccer game (12 noon), and the volleyball game (11 a.m.).  Also, on October 22, the CU Football team takes on the Shaw University Bears.  A portion of the ticket sales from this game will be donated to the cause.

Please come and support your community by bringing a canned item on October 1, and come to the football game on October 22!

Allie Kolezynski is a senior at Chowan University and a member of the Hawk softball team. She can be reached via email at sports@r-cnews.com.