My WVWC History Class was on a “Field Trip” this week and looking around in the West Meditation Chapel when I mentioned that the name did not refer to the direction the building was facing, but to Calvin and Mary Lowe West.
Of course, one of the students pulled out a cell phone with a Compass App on it to check and see. This IS the age of the App after all!
It turns out that Calvin West, a devout Methodist, had spent a short time in Buckhannon during his youth before relocating to Florida. He was not a graduate of the college, but was so impressed with the school that he created an endowment fund “The Calvin A. West Scholarship Fund” which has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to help students fund their education at Wesleyan. His widow kept up the support of the school in his name, and provided further funds for the Meditation Chapel, which was completed in 1967. He followed his heart. She followed his lead.
Others were also involved in making the Meditation Chapel a special place, donating funds for many of the items that are there. Many of these people were alumni or their families who wanted to be part of the growth and mission of the school, and to create something special for the benefit current students. They were both following and leading.
Navigation Tools
Compasses tell us the direction that we want to go. They help us to know if we are on the right path.
Maps tell us how to get there. They show us the best way to get there. After all, the shortest route may not be the best one.
Our college publications also give us clues.
They tell us about landmarks along the way and the people who have led us. They give clues about where we have been.
Catalogs
For those who haven’t read a college catalog lately, I can tell you that there is more in there than just a list of classes. They help us to take a look at our current bearing (the manner in which one behaves or comports oneself).
Catalogs include:
- The calendar of important dates and deadlines
- Statement of Mission
- A brief history of the school
- Information about accreditation
- Procedures and the process for enrolling and graduating
- Tuition, fees, payment procedures, and financial aid
- What courses are required for the various programs
- Descriptions of each course
- Outcomes for the programs
- Academic policies and information about withdrawal, transferring of credits, auditing courses, grading, transcripts, technology requirements, commencement, academic integrity, plagiarism
- Student life policies about social responsibility, code of conduct, sexual harassment, alcohol and drugs
- Resources available to students, such as: the Campus Center, Campus Security, Career Center, Chapel, Child Development Center, Cultural Events, Food Service, Health Services, Housing Services, Learning Center, Library, Motor Vehichle policies and procedures, Physical Education Center, Wellness Center, Testing Services, and Writing Center
- Lists of Aministrative Officers and Staff
- List of the members of the Board of Trustees
- List of the Faculty
- List of the Presidents and Deans throughout the history of the school
The Pharos
Our college newspaper was named for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was built to guide and protect sailors. Likewise, our paper has served to announce upcoming events, discuss the storms of life that may be in the area, and otherwise to map out the course and give reports about the journey.
The Sundial
The West Virginia Wesleyan alumni publication is called the Sundial. There is a great deal of information in it about the school and about the people who care about it. It includes information about students from the past and current students as well as updates on the school itself. It also includes a good deal of information about finances and campaigns to do building projects for the future. The name of this publication is inspired by the sundial in front of the Lynch-Raine Administration Building. Sundials tell time by the way that sunlight and shadows interact. Much like a compass, it is set to true north. Unlike a compass it registers time rather than direction. It is local time.
Murmurmontis
Loosely translated as “The Voice of the Mountain,” our yearbook name was reportedly suggested by Frank B. Trotter, professor of Latin. In it, we see the photographs of the people who were here at any given time and read about their adventures and accomplishments. This publication has given us a treasure trove of information about those who have come before us. There are some very strong, powerful, creative, brilliant, and truly Giant names: Hutchinson, Haught, McCuskey, Fleming, Martin, Rockefeller, Hyma, Brown, Glauner, Atkinson, Reemsnyder, Davis, Trotter, Schoolcraft, Ross, Jelly, McKinney, Coston, Wark, Chrisman, Hamrick, Holmes, Boette, and many many more. Their leadership and their voices are worth consulting.
Here is an article about the Making of the First Murmurmontis, by Charles Aubrey Jones. He was the editor of that first one in 1904, and wrote this article for the 1910 edition. His article ends with:
As memory treasuries for the periods which they cover, I am glad to have been associated with the movement which brought them about, for in their pictures, their memories, are recollections which grow dimmer as the years go by, and yet which we cannot well afford to lose, for youth and college days do not come again. The “Murmurmontis” brings them back to us.
Sadly, this publication ceased with the 2012 edition – a 21st Century victim of social media, apathy, and expense.
The audiences for these publications are sometimes limited. Very few alumni are likely to read a current catalog. Students on campus may pick up a copy of the Pharos, but those far away are not likely to do so. Sundials are delivered to alumni, but few current students will read them. The Murmurmontis is not an option for current students, and the alumni are likely only to read those for the years in which they were in college. Faculty and Trustees will vary in their reading of these publications as well.
Fortunately, the Catalogs are all available online. From 1890-2010, they can be found on the Internet Archive. (For example, West Virginia Wesleyan 1940.)
The Yearbooks can be found there as well from 1904-2010 (For example, Murmurmontis 1958)
The Pharos and Sundials can be found on Pages In Time, a digital repository made possible by the Friends of the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library. There are other collections available there as well including Performing Arts Programs and the George Rossbach Digital Herbarium.
DreamersAndGiants includes information and stories. Things that bind us all together as the West Virginia Wesleyan College Community.
There is a Blog post each Monday – to pull things from all of these other sources and tell the stories. The archive of all of them is available. A couple that are especially helpful in talking about our Navigation are:
Gifts of Stories from the Past
So, how can we find a common map? A common path? A common sense of history and future? What Navigation Tools will we use? Is there an App for that?
