After the past year of 24/7 political and pandemic coverage, it might seem odd to hear David Welch say “we need to talk more about politics, not less.” The director of the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University is quick to point out that he means being able to have constructive conversations. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd University
Civics and Civility for Students
Beyond its conversation events and programming, the Stubblefield Institute’s mission extends to being a catalyst for introducing the topic of civil political communication across the Shepherd University campus. Read the Full Story >>
Talking Across Time & Space
Adam Booth credits a course he took with Rachael Meads in the Appalachian Studies department at Shepherd University for starting him on the path to becoming a professional storyteller, a passion he has pursued as a career for the past fifteen years. Read the Full Story >>
Music Performance Transposed for COVID-19
The Music School at Shepherd University makes a point to be a highly personalized experience for its students. In contrast to many programs at larger institutions, Shepherd is focused on undergraduates and emphasizes the opportunities for its students to study directly with faculty. Unfortunately, the very adjectives that one would use to describe music programs in general and Shepherd’s program specifically — intimate, group, performance, together — also describe the activities the health department advises against during the pandemic health crisis. Read the Full Story >>
Online, Distant, Together, Ready
Shepherd University is moving forward with virtual and in-person instruction starting August 24, with an accelerated semester that reclaims Labor Day and Fall Break as instructional days and ends just before Thanksgiving. Read the Full Story >>
I Think I May Be the Luckiest Man Alive
Dow Benedict, former faculty member and Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Shepherd University, looks back on 48 years of service as a mentor, artist, and leader. Read the Full Story >>
SU Athletic Club Working Harder, Reaching Higher
Since its launch in the fall of 2018, the Shepherd University Athletic Club (SUAC) has gained some serious momentum toward their vision of elevating Shepherd University athletic programs and facilities through targeted financial support and improvement projects. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd University Announces First Poet-in-Residence
Dr. Hope Maxwell Snyder, poet laureate of Shepherdstown, has returned to Shepherd University as the school’s first poet-in-residence. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd, Marshall Sign Agreement to Provide Autism Services
Shepherd University and the West Virginia Autism Training Center (WV-ATC), located at Marshall University, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that establishes Shepherd as a WV-ATC campus-based satellite site that will provide services to Shepherd students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and training for faculty and staff through the College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (CPSASD). Read the Full Story >>
The Yellow House: Quietly One of Shepherdstown’s Oldest Homes
Shepherdstown is often designated the oldest town in West Virginia—some thirty-odd years older than the nation itself. High Street is considered to be the oldest street in town—used by pioneers crossing the Potomac River at Pack Horse Ford when they came up over the bluffs to the town—and on it sits a building named the Catherine Weltzheimer House, a.k.a., The Yellow House, circa 1817. Read the Full Story >>
Tyson Bagent’s Record-Setting First Season at Shepherd
This time last year, we put Tyson Bagent on the cover in recognition of his inspiring achievements as Martinsburg High School’s starting quarterback, which had culminated in a second straight state title and undefeated season for the Bulldogs. In early 2018, most of the Panhandle public officially learned that Bagent would be sticking around, and Read the Full Story >>
DogFest Brings in Spring in Shepherdstown
The dog days of spring will bloom when the Shepherdstown Visitors Center presents DogFest on Saturday, April 28, from 10am-4pm, and Sunday, April 29, from 11am-4pm. Exhibitors will be on North King Street, and several exciting events will take place on the grounds of Shepherd University. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd Students Gain Valuable Internship Experience Via New Program
Students will have more opportunity to work in paid internships on campus, thanks to a new initiative by Shepherd University’s College of Business that was announced during an event on Saturday, November 4. Read the Full Story >>
Love a good story? You’re in luck.
A words-artist and musician by profession, Booth is the founder of the Speak Story Series, a community-based and organized concert series that brings recognized storytellers from across the world to listeners in Shepherdstown (WV). The series presents stories about diverse cultures and beliefs, helping people, as Booth describes, “bond over deep emotional experiences.” Read the Full Story >>
Book Review: The Last Ballad – by Wiley Cash
Wiley Cash’s new novel The Last Ballad falls into an entirely separate category, presenting a multi-layered and lyrical portrayal of the strike and the travails of mill worker Ella May Wiggins. The Last Ballad introduces Wiggins struggling to feed her four children as a single mother in the sole white household of an impoverished African-American settlement known as Stumptown. Read the Full Story >>