Things are not normal at the moment in Buckhannon, but this is not the first time that such disruptions have taken place. The last major one was in the 1970s.
1970s Oil Crisis and the Aftermath
Following the OPEC Oil Embargo (October 1973-March 1974) oil was scarce and prices were very high. Economies around the world were in trouble, suffering some of the worst losses since the Great Depression. This situation had repercussions for years on the campus finances, academic schedules, and the necessity of conserving energy in every possible way. President Jay Rockefeller had his hands full.
1975
At 3:00 on January 24, 1975, the Special Study Team on Energy Conservation met in the Trustee’s Room in the Martin Religious Center to begin their work: to find out how the college could survive. The team, led by Don Richardson, Vice President for Finance, worked for weeks to get the best possible information. They worked with conservation experts from Columbia Gas and researched all of the things being done all across the country to gather the best information.
The February 12, 1975 Pharos included this story on the front page. The recommenations were dire. Cut fuel consumption by 40% in non-residential buildings and a voluntary 15% in residence halls.
Faculty members also began using the college radio station to record lectures and distance learning took its place in college offerings. This, and another form of outreach, lectures via cassette tape, was something that would be welcomed in the following years.
This was not a crisis that was quickly solved. It took years.
1977
The May 1977 issue of the Sundial News included a story about the historic “Winter of 77” and the drastic measures that were taken. Click here to read the story.
WVWC closed for three weeks (January 26-February 21) due to the loss of gas heating supplies, and January term on campus was cancelled. The faculty got creative. During January one hundred and thirty-three students, eleven professors, and five staff members went south and held classes on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. Two hundred other students studied at home by radio cassette tape lectures, readings, and mailing in their work to the professors. President Ronald Sleeth worked tirelessly to try and keep everything afloat.
When everyone returned on February 21, faculty reworked their syllabi, and did the best that they could with the situation. Saturday classes were instituted for the rest of the semester to make up for the lost time. Strict conservation measures were in place throughout that time as well.
Major Life Events of All Kinds Require a Reset
Retirement, marriage, being new parents, moving to a new city, getting a divorce, starting a new job, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires: all of these can cause us to make major adjustments. It requires us to do a Control-Alt-Delete type of reset for our lives. Control what we can, find alternative ways to do things, and delete things that are no longer needed or relevant.
Pandemic of 2020
With face-to-face classes cancelled for the rest of the semester, WVWC faculty members are once again making major adjustments. They are doing an amazing job of transitioning to online instruction, and finding creative ways to connect with their students. They are also finding time to catch their breath from the frantic pace of the world. Although there is still a great deal to do, they can do it at a different pace.
Students are learning to cope with the realization that in addition to the course content, they must conquer the technology and the needed discipline to remember that they are still in the middle of classes. They are not on vacation. They, like so many people, are working from home.
Staff members have set up home offices, and are doing an extraordinary job of staying connected and productive. New initiatives are in the works, and there are new ways of having meetings.
Creative World
The entire world is being creative. People are singing from balconies in Italy, having youth group scavenger hunts, weddings, and finding ways to do extended family game nights via Zoom. They are learning American Sign Language and practicing with friends who are far away.
Museums are having virtual exhibits. Authors are reading their works on Facebook and YouTube. People are reaching out to share their talents and gifts with others. Churches are making their services available via Live Streaming and archiving them on YouTube, having virtual Sunday School via Zoom, and being sure to call and care for those who may be needing attention and company.
Some of these things have been there for years, but we haven’t taken the time to notice. At this time of being apart, you can take the time to explore, to be involved, to be entertained, and learn new skills. Time is something that many of us have generally found hard to come by — but now that is different for at least a few weeks.
Try some of these!
Here are just a few examples of what you can find from the comfort of your own home.
Book of Kells Online from Trinity College, Dublin
CLIO – when you can’t travel, check out this amazing website. Try searching for WVWC, your own home town, or somewhere you’ve always been curious about.
Google Arts and Culture –More than 1,000 virtual tours, museums, and cultural treasures. Even a whole section on dinosaurs! A few examples include Tour the Palace of Versaille, Vincent Van Gogh, Walk Around Yellowstone Park
Hogwarts Digital Escape Room – The Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA has created this.
Internet Archive has enough to keep you busy exploring for several hundred years (billions)! For example: 307 items that WVWC has included, The Wayback Machine, Movies, Audio, Software, and even Classic Video Games
Israel Museum has many exhibits including the Dead Sea Scrolls
Things to Do:
Besides the great collections at the Library of Congress, you can also participate in a Crowdsourcing Project called By the People to transcribe materials. Sign up to help transcribe Letters to Lincoln, Rosa Parks in Her Own Words, Suffrage materials, and more all from wherever you are. Click here to see what it’s all about.
Creativity and Survival
During this time of distancing to slow the spread of the COVID-19 Virus, I wish you some time to stop, think deeply, and be creative.
