News Type: Campus

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –  Two student groups at West Virginia Wesleyan College are raising awareness against sexual assault which one in six women and one in 33 men experience in the United States.

On Tuesday, April 2, there will be a luminary display on the Wesley Chapel steps called Light of Hope with a ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m. WE LEAD’s Invisible Illness team is hosting the ceremony for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. WV FRIS (West VIrginia Foundation for Rape Information Services) has designated April 2 as the state-wide day of action to raise awareness about sexual assault and promote discussions around preventing it in our communities. 

The WE LEAD Invisible Illness Team would like to invite the greater Buckhannon community to join us for the Light of Hope luminary display and ceremony as we raise awareness, bring hope and healing to victims, and pledge to make our community safer.  

Jessica Vincent ‘12, Director of the Center for Community Engagement, remarked, “As our students work to tackle issues affecting individuals within the Wesleyan community, it’s disheartening to know that this issue transcends boundaries, affecting individuals from all walks of life. It’s imperative that this event is shared with our greater community and serves as a beacon of hope and healing for everyone involved.”

Amy Kittle, Title IX coordinator, will offer words opening the ceremony and the Centers Against Violence will be available with resources and for people to take a pledge against sexual assault. In preparation for the luminary display, local elementary students are decorating bags around the theme of bravery. 

To take the pledge against sexual assault online, click here. 

Leading up to the ceremony, the Brothers of Alpha Sigma Phi will hold their annual 24-hour Stand Against Sexual Assault starting on April 1.

Jay Coping-Smith ‘25, the Philanthropy Chair of Alpha Sigma Phi, said “This event makes me proud to be a part of my fraternity. I hope it continues to spread awareness for RAINN and the sexual violence we hope to stop.” RAINN stands for Rape Abuse Incest National Network and is one of five philanthropies the fraternity supports.  

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 21 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – A team from West Virginia Wesleyan College recently attended the Division II Athlete Prevention Programming and Leadership Education Institute in Orlando, Florida and are implementing initiatives to bring awareness to student-athlete supports on campus.

West Virginia Wesleyan College was selected by the Mountain East Conference to attend the APPLE Institute where they spent three days attending workshops and forming a student-led campus action plan to implement when they returned to campus.

Jackie Hinton, Director of Compliance; Shauna Jones, Director of the Center for Counseling and Well-Being; Dr. Theresa Black, Associate Professor of Nursing; and student-athletes Sneha Sundaraneedi ’27, of India, and Erik Rostoen ’26, of Norway attended a variety of workshops covering culture of care, vaping, supplements, hazing prevention, consent, strengthening the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and other topics.

Rostoen, a member of the men’s soccer team and exercise science major, said the workshops provided a lot of knowledge about student-athletes and drug use including “how little you need to consume to start having negative effects.”

The NCAA’s Sports Science Institute funds the APPLE Institute and 27 schools and approximately 200 participants attended the DII APPLE Institute conference.

Sundaraneedi, a physics major and member of both the women’s tennis team and WVWC’s SAAC, said, “We talked a lot about hazing, consent and sexual assault and how alcohol plays a role.” 

She said partnering with the SAAC makes sense as the conference offered ideas on promotion of events and initiatives from interactive posters to sidewalk chalk messages, social media posts and more. 

Rostoen and Sundaraneedi will complete an internship to earn credit for implementing the plan in the 2024-2025 academic year and more students will join each year to provide continuity.

One of the first initiatives the team wants to tackle is already in place at other institutions. They want to create a medical amnesty policy in which student-athletes can ask for help for addiction recovery without being penalized, which will put students on a path to recovery and support and allow them to stay in school.

Jones said, “We don’t feel our student-athletes need to choose between recovery and education.” 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 21 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, WEST VIRGINIA – West Virginia Wesleyan College and West Virginia MetroNews have launched the 17th annual West Virginia Scholar Program to award a full, four-year scholarship including tuition, room and board and fees at WVWC to one current Mountain State junior.  First and second runner-ups will also receive scholarship awards to WVWC.

Applications for West Virginia high school juniors who plan to graduate from high school in 2025 and pursue higher education, are open online through April 28. Students may apply for the WV Scholar Program online at wvscholar.com. Finalists will be announced this spring, following the April 28 deadline. 

John Waltz, Vice President for Enrolment and Marketing, encourages all current high school juniors to apply. 

“The West Virginia Scholar program has proven to be a life-changing experience for winners, finalists, and all applicants,” Waltz said. ”  Not only are students getting a start on the College application process, but they are also getting first access to WVWC’s generous scholarships and grants.  We now see winners of the program making a difference in West Virginia every day.”  

As part of the application process, applicants answer an essay question that explains how the student plans to use their education to improve the state of West Virginia or make an impact here from their education.

In addition to WVWC and WV MetroNews, the West Virginia Scholar Program is sponsored by Greer Industries,  Friends of Coal, West Virginia Hospital Association,  the West Virginia Farm Bureau and  ZMM Architects & Engineers.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, WEST VIRGINIA – Sleeth Gallery on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College will host a solo exhibition by Dr. Jason Hoelscher March 14-April 5. A gallery reception will be held Thursday, March 14 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. with an artist talk at 6 p.m. Sleeth Gallery is located in McCuskey Hall.

Hoelscher is gallery director and associate professor of interdisciplinary art at Georgia Southern University. He earned his PHD in aesthetics and art theory from IDSVA, where he completed his dissertation under the supervision of Brian Massumi. Hoelscher earned his MFA in painting from the Pratt Institute and certificates in complex and emergency systems studies and network modeling from the New England Complex Systems Institute at MIT.

His book “Art as Information Ecology” was published by Duke University Press in 2021, and nominated for the American Society of Aesthetics “Outstanding Monograph” award in 2022. 

“My paintings explore the role of attention in a contemporary context,” he said. “Artworks both demand and reward attention, but what counts as attention shifts over the years. It is in the zone where contemporary viewers’ attenuated attention spans meet accelerated information intake speeds that my paintings operate.” 

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Center for Professional Development will host a Career and Graduate School Fair on Thursday, March 21 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library.

The fair is designed to help WVWC students build professional connections and pursue next career steps.

Dr. Justin Bowers, director of career services and experiential learning said, “The Center for Professional Development is excited to once again host several businesses and graduate schools here on campus to support our students in pursuing their next vocational steps. We have over 20 organizations joining us for this event, and we still have room for those who might like to participate.” 

Graduate schools and/or employers interested in setting up at the fair should fill out the form found here. 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

West Virginia Wesleyan College will celebrate its annual spring day of giving on February 29. The 2024 WVWC Day of Giving focuses on athletic facility improvements. More specifically, funds raised will support upper-level bleacher replacement in the Rockefeller Physical Education Center gymnasium.

Because the gymnasium is a community space utilized for camps, festivals, ceremonies, and other similar programs, the greater Buckhannon-Upshur region is invited to make a gift on February 29 by visiting give.wvwc.edu to give online or by sending a contribution to WVWC Office of Advancement, 59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, WV, 26201. Gifts of $21, $210 or even $2,100 are encouraged in honor of the 21 varsity Bobcat sports teams. All gifts are tax-deductible.

The current bleachers have served WVWC well and are original to the building, which opened in 1974. Up-to-date facilities and an atmosphere of pride foster growth among the Wesleyan community and beyond.  Replacing the bleachers allows the College to offer functional, modern space for student athletes, varsity athletic teams, intramurals, campus events, community functions, and more.

WVWC Day also celebrates all Bobcat student athletes and athletic teams by using the hashtag #PrideBeginsAtHome, a phrase coined by new Director of Athletics Dr. Rae Emrick ’95. Accepting the invitation to participate in WVWC Day by making a gift will help to transform campus and confirm that pride does, indeed, begin at home.

Questions regarding WVWC Day may be directed to 304-473-8600 or makeagift@wvwc.edu

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Beginning in Fall 2024, West Virginia Wesleyan College full-time students from Barbour, Lewis, Randolph and Upshur Counties will have on-campus room costs reduced by $2,000 a year.

The move comes as more students choose to live on campus from these counties. The rate reduction will be honored for all campus housing choices for the length of time a student is enrolled at WVWC.

President James Moore said, “By removing the variables of students needing to find an apartment and deal with monthly utilities and groceries we help families control costs, and we ensure a more stable learning and living environment where young people can both enjoy themselves and focus on academic and extracurricular success. Lots of students and their families already see the value in this type of experience, even students who live within a reasonable commuting distance of Wesleyan.”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 50 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Accepted students to West Virginia Wesleyan College are being invited for Orange and Black Scholarship Recognition Day on Saturday, Feb. 24, a long-standing tradition that showcases what the College offers and celebrates student achievements.  

Students and their families have the opportunity to learn about all things Wesleyan from academics to campus life during tours, a student organization fair and panel presentations.  Student sessions and parent sessions provide an overview of academics, financial aid, student life and more. The highlight of the day is a banquet feast prepared by Aladdin Food Service and the opportunity to recognize students for their scholarships. 

Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing John Waltz ’01, said, “It is an honor to welcome our talented accepted students to campus for a visitation event unlike any other.  Prospective students get to experience all that WVWC offers in one day and the turnout of faculty, staff, and students that make it possible.  For those of us who attended this event long ago, it has been incredible to both see the event evolve and to also provide that same Wesleyan level of service to others.”

Orange and Black Scholarship Recognition Day was created roughly 30 years ago. 

Bob Skinner ‘75, said, “When the idea and framework of Orange and Black Day was developed by admission staff members David Ford ‘85, Bob Skinner ‘75, Kelley Cartwright Tierney ‘88 and Paul Willis ‘88, none of us knew we were creating a new Wesleyan tradition. Kelley deserves a great deal of credit for creating a distinctive event that has resulted in many wonderful memories. All of us are excited for the next group of students to enjoy this special day.”

Registration is open now. Accepted students are invited to sign up for Orange and Black Day, by clicking  here

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2022 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan a “Top 20” Best Value – Regional Universities (South) and one of the “Top 75” Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The West Virginia Wesleyan College Department of Theatre & Dance presents “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” based on the comic strip by Charles Schulz, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. and also Saturday, Feb. 24 at noon in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the door one hour prior to curtain and are $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors, students or anyone with a WVWC ID. 

In the musical Charlie Brown and the beloved Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship. The show runs just over one hour, with no intermission, and is appropriate for audiences of all ages.

This revival version was presented on Broadway in 1999, featuring book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and additional dialogue by Michael Mayer, additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and Tony Award-winning performances by Roger Bart as Snoopy and Kristin Chenoweth as Sally. 

Wesleyan’s cast includes junior musical theater majors Ben Long ‘25, of Buckhannon, West VIrginia, as Schroeder and Sydney Stewart ‘25,  of Barboursville, West Virginia, as Lucy, freshman biology major Kaylie “Kai” Toler ‘27, of Harts, West Virginia, as Woodstock and Peppermint Patty, freshman English major Amelia Hughes ‘27, of Bridgeport, West Virginia,  as Sally, senior biochemistry major Owen Hess ‘24, of Bridgeport, West Virginia,  as Linus, sophomore musical theater/communications double-majors Ashton Nardella ‘26, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, as Snoopy, and Julius Pretlow ‘26,  of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in the titular role of Charlie Brown.

Senior acting/directing major Ellery Brown ‘24, of Bay City, Michigan, serves as assistant director and stage manager, assisted by freshman business administration major Christina Green ‘27, of Huntington, West VIrginia. Additional crew includes costume designs by freshman psychology major Kostadena Matina Hartley ‘27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, properties design by junior psychology major Cam McGriff ‘25, of Wilmington, Delaware, sound design by freshman acting/directing major Rhyan Sebring ‘27, of Caldwell, Ohio, social media outreach by freshman computer science major Tawny Haines ‘27, of Romney, West Virginia, and deck chief freshman acting/directing major Elijah Dickey ‘27, of Chloe, West Virginia, with scenic and lighting designs by David Hartley, Director of Technical Theater. Musical direction is provided by Associate Professor of Music, Dr. R. Daniel Hughes while Adjunct Instructor and Dance Team Coach Lesa Dencklau serves as choreographer. The musical is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Thomas Schoffler. 

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2024 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan eighth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 50 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing, and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Celebrate Mardi Gras with Lady D’s performance of Bessie’s Blues and Chicago’s own Maggie Brown for an evening of live musical entertainment and New Orleans-style gumbo as West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosts Jazz & Java on Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event will be held at the Colonial Arts Center on Main Street in downtown Buckhannon.

Lady D, Bessie’s Blues is a one-woman theatrical performance that is a direct spin-off of the original “Lady and the Empress” stage play. It is a great piece of history and entertainment combined and guaranteed to leave an audience wanting more. This blend of education and entertainment will give the audience a glimpse into what America was like for people of color during the 20s and 30s, especially musicians and performers. It highlights some of the colorful “slang” that was in use at that time and brings to life the bold, beautiful, and bawdy Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, in a masterclass on this country’s first purely American musical art form, the Blues.

Maggie Brown is an American singer, spoken word artist, and music producer. A native of Chicago, Illinois, United States, Brown sings in many genres: jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and spoken word. Her singing style has been described by James Walker as “transcend[ing] limitations and genres, while still maintaining her unique unmistakable voice.” She is a protege of Oscar Brown Jr. and Abbey Lincoln. She uses music to educate, what she calls “edutainment,” a word that she learned from her father. Brown gives talks and demonstrations on music and African American musical history.

Tickets are $35 for the general public and includes food and one drink. Wesleyan faculty, staff and students are $18. For more information and tickets, call 304-473-8163.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 50 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more