RADFORD, Va., April 28 -- Radford University issued the following news release:

The best kinds of annual traditions, by and large, involve lots and lots of snacks, and that certainly applies to the College of Education and Human Development's care package effort for freshmen.

It's a springtime gesture of support both simple and surprisingly elaborate.

Every April, as the semester draws to a close, dozens and dozens of bags of exam-week supplies are assembled and presented to the college's first-year students, with each bearing a handwritten note of encouragement.

On the afternoon of April 23, faculty, staff and alumni members of the college's leadership council once again converged on the Teaching Resources Center (TRC) in Peters Hall t...