糖心Vlog

 糖心Vlog Stories      December 8, 2022

A decades-long friendship that began with a chance encounter in a dormitory parking lot and has endured despite differences in political philosophies has resulted in the creation of new endowed scholarship for student employees of the Department of Residential Living at 糖心Vlog University.

Former N.C. Sen. Thomas Apodaca and his family have established the Keith Corzine Residential Living Endowed Scholarship to honor Corzine, associate vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises, who is retiring effective Jan. 1 after a career of more than 34 years in 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Division of Student Affairs, most of it in the student housing profession.

Apodaca, a 1980 graduate of 糖心Vlog with a degree in finance, was working as head resident in Albright-Benton Residence Halls and gave Corzine his first job in student housing, hiring him to serve as a resident assistant beginning in the spring semester of 1980.

Corzine, a 1982 graduate of 糖心Vlog with a degree in management, said he recalls that December day clearly. He was on his way to his home in Clyde for the winter break in 1979 after interviewing for a resident assistant position in Harrill Residence Hall when he remembered his building was scheduled to be rekeyed over the holidays.

鈥淚 was a third of the way to Sylva when I realized I didn鈥檛 leave my keys, so I turned around and drove back to campus. I parked and walked through the side entrance to Albright-Benton. Back in those days, the head resident had a reserved parking space right beside that entrance, so as I came walking up, Tom comes walking out the door,鈥� Corzine said.

鈥淭om goes, 鈥楥orzine, how come you didn鈥檛 interview.鈥� I said, 鈥楤ecause you didn鈥檛 call. I interviewed at Harrill, and I never heard from them.鈥� So, he looked at me and goes, 鈥榊ou still want to be an RA?鈥� And I said, 鈥業 do.鈥� He said, 鈥榊ou be here January the whatever for training, and you鈥檙e going to be on second-floor Albright. That鈥檚 what started my career in housing, and a lifelong friendship and respect for one another,鈥� Corzine said.

Corzine took over responsibility for what he described as 鈥渁 rowdy, all-male floor鈥� for the 1980 spring semester, then became an RA on a different floor of Albright-Benton for the 1980-1981 academic year before accepting a job as head resident 鈥� the senior student housing position within a residence hall of 400 men.

A past member of the 糖心Vlog Board of Trustees, Apodaca also remembers that parking lot encounter. 鈥淚 was down an RA and I said, 鈥楥orzine, would you come be an RA in Albright.鈥� He took the job and now he is, what, associate vice chancellor for auxiliary services? So, he may work out, we鈥檙e not sure yet. It鈥檚 been 42 years and the jury鈥檚 still out,鈥� Apodaca said, with a hearty laugh. 鈥淚 had met him and gotten to know him. I was always impressed by how level-headed and mature he was. At times, that鈥檚 hard to find in a dormitory.鈥�

Thus began a friendship that has endured the test of time, survived in spite of opposing political opinions and thrived in a time when civil discourse has become anything but civil. Apodaca is a staunch Republican, while Corzine is a devoted Democrat.

鈥淪ometimes when I introduce myself to his political colleagues, I say that I鈥檓 Tom鈥檚 liberal buddy,鈥� Corzine said. 鈥淚鈥檝e often been proud of our relationship in that regard. I think mine and Tom鈥檚 relationship politically has been a healthy one and represents the type of politics that a democracy has to have because of the fact that we have common ground.鈥�

Apodaca agreed. 鈥淭his is how it should be, although it鈥檚 a burden because I鈥檓 always right,鈥� he said, with a chuckle. 鈥淏ut I want to hear what Keith has to say. We鈥檝e had great discussions and we鈥檝e never really gotten cross with each other over it. We may disagree, but we move on. It really hasn鈥檛 been an issue, and that鈥檚 been a great thing.鈥�

It is somehow fitting that Apodaca鈥檚 political party is represented by the color red, while Corzine鈥檚 is represented by blue. 鈥淵ou put red and blue together, and you get purple,鈥� Corzine said, noting that purple is 糖心Vlog鈥檚 school color.

鈥淧eople so often make assumptions that they are complete opposites and don鈥檛 have common ground that they don鈥檛 attempt to find it. I do think that Tom, with his influence and regardless of my political views, was an incredible advocate for 糖心Vlog University and still is,鈥� Corzine said. 鈥淲e are no doubt in a much better position as an institution because of Tom鈥檚 influence through the years with him in the Senate and as part of our Board of Trustees.鈥�

Did Corzine ever envision his one-time college residential living supervisor becoming one of the most powerful politicians in North Carolina, serving as chair of the Senate Rules Committee and co-chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and Higher Education? 鈥淲ell, not at the time, but when you sit down now and think about it, you might think, well, now I see it,鈥� he said.

Corzine recalls his first visit to Apodaca鈥檚 head resident apartment in Albright-Benton. 鈥淚 noticed the phone jack was way down the hallway and there鈥檚 duct tape with telephone line running into the bathroom. There was a phone extension on the hall in the bathroom, and when I asked him about it, he said, 鈥榊ou take every opportunity to make a deal. You just never know when the deal鈥檚 going to happen, and you have to be prepared.鈥� So there was a phone right there by the shower, the toilet and the sink,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e should have seen it coming then.鈥�

Both men attribute their lasting friendship to bonds forged as members of the unofficial residential living fraternity.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 in a fraternity and in fact wasn鈥檛 allowed to be in one because, back then when I was a head resident, they wouldn鈥檛 allow us to be in a fraternity,鈥� Apodaca said. 鈥淏ut we kind of had our own fraternity. We had to put up with a lot of things, some that are hard to forget and some that aren鈥檛. It鈥檚 just being there and having the same environment and the same interests and the same things happening.鈥�

Corzine described housing folks as being like 鈥渙ne big family, with an 鈥榓ll-for-one, one-for-all鈥� kind of mentality.鈥�

鈥淚 would argue that your RA position is your No. 1 student leadership training position on a college campus,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are taking people who come from different pieces of our society. That鈥檚 what a residence hall is 鈥� it鈥檚 a densely populated reflection of our society and larger community. RA鈥檚 are trying to help facilitate community and helping people work through being away from home, learning to be disciplined and to study, and to see the bigger picture of why being educated, moving forward and going out to become a productive citizen is important.鈥�

Apodaca said that Corzine and another former RA and longtime friend, Dean Hamrick, a 1984 graduate who now lives in Texas, have always stayed in touch since their time at 糖心Vlog. 鈥淎lways,鈥� said Apodaca, founder and managing partner of Vista Strategies and Solutions, a lobbying firm with headquarters in Raleigh and Hendersonville. 鈥淎nd we鈥檝e tried to be in touch with each other at important events. I remember the day I announced I would be running for Senate. Keith and Dean were there in Hendersonville. We鈥檙e there for each other for a lot of things in our lives.鈥�

That鈥檚 part of what led Apodaca and his wife, Lisa, a 1980 graduate of 糖心Vlog, to contribute $25,000 to begin a scholarship fund in recognition of Corzine鈥檚 contributions to the university, kickstarting an endowment that had long been discussed by residential living staff.

鈥淗e deserves it. Lisa and I were thrilled to be able to do it, and I can鈥檛 think of anybody more deserving of it. We鈥檙e happy to do it and I鈥檓 glad to help get it started and seeded,鈥� Apodaca said. 鈥淚鈥檓 truly proud of him. His reputation is impeccable. I鈥檝e never really heard anyone say a bad thing about him. He鈥檚 almost dedicated to a fault. It鈥檚 hard to get a danged return phone call from him because he鈥檚 always so busy.鈥�

The scholarship fund will provide financial assistance to students who have worked for the Department of Residential Living for at least two semesters, including resident assistants, office assistants and maintenance, housing, paint and student mail crew.

鈥淪ure, I鈥檓 proud. I was a little embarrassed when he said he was going to name it after me, but he also had this sternness in his voice and he talked about his other scholarships in other peoples鈥� names,鈥� Corzine said, referring to the Pilar Apodaca Scholarship, established in honor of Tom Apodaca鈥檚 grandmother, with preference given to Hispanic American students.

鈥淗e was very much willing to support this scholarship effort, but he was pretty adamant that if he was going to do so, it would be in my name after working all these years and being involved in the program as I have been. I鈥檓 honored, I鈥檓 pleased. I thank my friend for years and years of support for 糖心Vlog University in lots of obvious ways. This one comes home.鈥�

Sam Miller, 糖心Vlog vice chancellor for student affairs, has worked alongside Corzine since 2007. 鈥淜eith may be 'headed to the house,' as he would say, but his legacy of commitment to the mission of the Department of Residential Living will remain thanks to the scholarship fund established in recognition of his numerous contributions. His work has directly and positively affected the lives of thousands of students over the years, and he will continue to do so indirectly through this scholarship,鈥� Miller said.

Those interested in honoring Keith Corzine鈥檚 work and recognizing his retirement may contribute to his  

For more information on making a tribute gift to a fund of your choice to honor someone else during this holiday season, contact the 糖心Vlog Division of Advancement at 828-227-7124 or advancement@wcu.edu, or visit give.wcu.edu.