News Type: Student

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –  Three West Virginia Wesleyan College communication majors attended the Eastern Communication Association Convention held in March in Boston, Mass. The students submitted seven submissions and earned all seven acceptances into the convention.

Danica Propst ’26, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was accepted for “Fourth-Wave Feminism on Social Media and Generation Z” based on her work in the Ledford Scholars program, and  “Magic, Dragons and Postmodern Feminism: How Female Authors are Taking Over Bestselling Lists in Previously Male-Dominated Genres.

Chloe Sotomayor ’24, of Spencer, West Virginia, submitted “We got the Pynk: Reclaiming Femininity and Sexuality Through Black Queer Artists and “Life is Plastic, It’s Fantastic (When You’re White): Analyzing White Feminism in The Barbie Movie.”

Faith Yoho ’26, of New Martinsville, West Virginia,, presented “When You Wish Upon a Star….Have Live-Action Remakes Gone Too Far: Exploring the Racial Connotations Behind Claiming “POC Representation” Within Recycled Media.”

In addition, Propst’s poster presentation “The Hunger Games and Hegemony: The Politics of Panem” and Yoho’s “This is the skin of a toxic male, Bella!”: Observing Toxic Masculinity Within Young Adult and Romance Novels” were both accepted.

Dr. Nancy Bressler, chair of the Department of Communication,  gave two research presentations at ECA entitled “Those Were the Days”: The Legacy of Norman Lear” and “I Don’t Care If You Think I’m Good at This or Not Anymore. I Care About Whether or Not I Can Make a Change”: The Influence of Quinta Brunson and Feminist Humor.” Bressler also taught a short course on media literacy and diversity, as well as a teaching activity entitled “Listen To the Song Here in My Heart”: Exploring Ways to Improve Listening and Provide Feedback.”

The Communications Department and Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society hosted the students at the end of the semester to present their research to fellow students and faculty/staff.

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 – West Virginia Wesleyan College faculty and staff nominated seven outstanding seniors from the Class of 2024 who have shown an uncommon commitment to academic excellence, participation in campus life and service to the College. The soon-to-be graduates were chosen on the basis of academic performance, having a 3.8 grade point average or above and significant leadership in a variety of academic and co-curricular activities.

Steven Groves ’24, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, is a biochemistry major with an honors minor, who also has a 4.0 GPA. He is the Vice-President of the Benzene Ring Club, a Wesleyan Ambassador, and a member of Theta Xi, the WE LEAD-Poverty Reduction team, Athletics Gender Equity Committee, Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and the swim team. He is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society and TriBeta National Biological Honors Society. He serves as the treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa and Senior Class Treasurer.

Ali Dalle ‘24 is a marketing major from Uccle, Belgium. She is a member of Bobcat Entertainment, the International Student Organization, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the swim team. She has held many positions within Zeta Tau Alpha, including Vice President. After she graduates, she plans to obtain a master’s degree.

Kendra Goeddert-Hamilton ’24, of Maxwelton, West Virginia, majors in sociology and political science and has a 4.0 GPA. She is a Service Scholar, member of the WE LEAD-Poverty Reduction team, Zeta Tau Alpha, and PRISM. She currently interns with the Center for Restorative Justice and has volunteered with many organizations including Appalachian Impact, Free Meals Appalachia, and the Project ISAAC Afterschool Enrichment program.

Hali Westcott’ 24, of Sistersville, West Virginia, is a biology major with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine and a minor in chemistry. She is a Service Scholar and Service Site Leader, member of Alpha Lambda Delta and the Pre-Healthcare Society, and is Secretary of the Student Art League. She currently serves as the President of TriBeta Biology Honor Society. She has volunteered with many organizations including the Upshur County Parish House, Child Development Center, New Martinsville Veterinary Hospital, St. Mary’s Veterinary Clinic, Mountain Valley Veterinary Clinic, Wetzel County Animal Shelter, Lewis-Upshur Animal Shelter, and T&J Farms Horse Barn.

Hannah Povroznik ’24, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, is a biochemistry major with an honors minor. She serves as the “Boxing it up to give thanks” food security charity leader. As of 2023, she raised $150,000, distributing 97,000 pounds of food for 5,000 boxed Thanksgiving meals delivered to 34 food pantries throughout seven counties in North Central West Virginia. She has devoted over 1,400 service hours to this initiative since its founding in 2017. She has also studied abroad in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. During her time at Wesleyan, she was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, TriBeta Biology Honorary Society, Alpha Lambda Delta, the Service Scholar program, and Benzene Ring.

Delany Gump ’24, of Weston, West Virginia, is a triple major in political science, criminal justice, and sociology with a minor in legal studies. She has held many positions within Zeta Tau Alpha, including Director of Philanthropy. She is a member of the WE LEAD-Human Rights team, Pi Sigma Alpha and Alpha Lambda Delta. She is also a Wesleyan Ambassador and a sociology tutor. In 2023, she studied abroad in Santiago, Chile. She was a Spirit Award recipient in 2022. She is a member of Student Senate and is the Class of 2024 President.

Abby Bowe ’24, is a biochemistry major with a minor in English and honors from Powell, Ohio. She is the President of the Benzene Ring, member of Alpha Delta Pi and Delight Ministries and is a chemistry tutor. She was the first recipient of the McCuskey Fellowship award in 2021 and received a Chemistry award from the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh in 2023.

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 – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s SPACE Club, Physics and Engineering Society and Sigma Pi Sigma, will sponsor a solar eclipse event from 2-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 8 in the Chapel Oval of Wesleyan’s campus.   Buckhannon will see a 90 percent eclipse, starting at 1:58 p.m. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 3:16 p.m., and the eclipse will end at 4:29 p.m.  Those attending will be given a pair of eclipse glasses and instructions on how to construct a pinhole camera. A few telescopes will also be available for use.

North America will be privy to a solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Anyone within the path of totality will be able to see a total eclipse, where the moon completely covers the sun and the sun’s tenuous atmosphere, the corona.  Although this 110-mile-wide path across the United States, from Texas to Maine, will present a total eclipse, those not in the path of totality will still experience a partial eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk.

“One of the neatest ways to see the eclipse is to look at the shadow of a tree,” Dr. Tracey Delaney, associate professor of physics, said. “As the sunlight makes its way through the leaves, the system is very similar to pinhole projection and so you will see all of the little sunbeams coming through and hitting the ground in the shape of crescents.

Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.  When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector.

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 –  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’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.

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– West Virginia Wesleyan College has released its President’s List and Dean’s List students for the Fall 2023 semester.

President’s List is composed of students who earned a 4.0 for the semester while completing at least 12 semester hours with no incomplete grades. The full list of students achieving President’s List honors can be found here.

Students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or above for the semester, while completing at least 12 semester hours with no incomplete grades are eligible for the Dean’s List.  Those students achieving Dean’s List honors can be 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 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 – The Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society recently hosted the Fall 2023 Communication Capstone final projects presentations.  Lambda Pi Eta is the Honor Society for the Communication Department at WVWC and fosters interest in the field of communication.

The three Communication majors who presented their work have been researching and creating their final capstone projects all semester. These research and video projects represent the critical thinking, media literacy, research, and media production skills garnered from their time in the Communication Department.

Chloe Sotomayor ’24, a senior Communication major from Spencer, West Virginia, presented her research entitled “Appalachian Roots, Latina Dreams: Navigating Ethnic Identity in West Virginia.” Her autoethnography analyzed her experience of growing up Latina in West Virginia, which was characterized by a complex interplay of factors. Chloe hopes that this project contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of diversity within the state and the potential for cultural integration.

Jason Wilson Jr, ‘24 a senior Communication major from Baltimore, Maryland, presented his video project “100+ Years in Black Men Fashion.” Jason’s video combined his interest in video production and creating a video that had a societal impact. He wanted to demonstrate how men’s fashion has transformed over the years and how cultural influences played a role in those changes.

Danica Propst ’25, a junior Communication major from Martinsburg, West Virginia, presented her Ledford Scholars Program research. The Ledford Scholars Award honors students doing undergraduate research in Appalachian counties and Danica was awarded a 2023 Ledford Scholars Award. Danica’s project entitled “Fourth-Wave Feminism on Social Media & Generation Z” examines how social media is being used as a tool for social change by using the feminist movement, and the impact that social media messages have on Generation Z women. Not only does her research investigate how social media is used, but it examines the perceptions of the people who use it, as well as how these perceptions gained from the social media messages influence their experiences in the real world.

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 – The annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will be held Sunday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. in Wesley Chapel ushering in the holiday season for West Virginia Wesleyan College and local community.

Dr. R. Daniel Hughes, Chair of the WVWC Department of Music, said, “The program this year features music by many English composers including William Walton, Herbert Howells, Samuel Wesley, Charles Wood, John Gardner, Judith Weir, Bob Chilcott and Errollyn Wallen. It will also feature carols for all to sing, including favorite arrangements by David Willcocks accompanied by brass quintet, organ and timpani.”

Dean of the Chapel Rev. Jonathan Acord, said, “The purpose of Festival of Lessons and Carols is to invite the Wesleyan community to experience the story of Christ’s revelation to the world through reflection and song.”

Members of the West Virginia Wesleyan College campus community will be invited to share this story during the program.

West Virginia Wesleyan’s Concert Chorale and Concentus Vocum, conducted by Hughes, will be joined by several alumni and by singers in fourth through eighth grades from Buckhannon Academy Elementary School, Flemington Elementary School, West Taylor Elementary School and Shady Spring Middle School, thanks to their teachers and West Virginia Wesleyan alumni Braden Hoffman ’20, Amanda Bise ‘10, M.Ed. ’16 and Megan Gray ‘14.

Immediately following the service, the congregation will recess outside for the lighting of the Christmas tree.

The Festival of Lessons and Carols and tree lighting ceremony are free and open to the public.

Aladdin Food Service will serve a holiday feast including herb crusted roast beef with a mushroom demi-glaze, chicken marsala, stuffed pork loin with peppercorn sauce, cranberry meatballs, caesar salad, spinach salad with dried cranberries, and feta, gratin potatoes, penne pasta with vegetable ragu, fresh green beans, wilted kale with apples
deviled eggs, fresh fruit platter and holiday dessert display.

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.