#Virginia Wesleyan College

[athleticperfection1]

West Virginia Wesleyan Soccer

[historysideblog]

Online History Short-Courses offered by Universities Masterpost

Categories: Classical Studies, Egyptology, Medieval, Renaissance, The Americas, Asia, Other, Linguistics, Archaeology

How to get Coursera courses for free: There are several types of courses on Coursera, some will allow you to study the full course and only charge for the optional-certificate, for others you will need to audit it and you may have limited access (usually just to assignments), and thirdly some courses charge a monthly subscription in this case a 7 day free trial is available.

Classical Studies 🏛️🏺

At the Origins of the Mediterranean Civilization: Archeology of the City from the Levant to the West 3rd-1st millennium BC - Sapienza University of Rome

Greek and Roman Mythology - University of Pennsylvania

Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World - Open University

Roman Architecture - Yale

Roman Art and Archeology - University of Arizona

Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City - University of Reading

The Ancient Greeks - Wesleyan University

The Changing Landscape of Ancient Rome. Archeology and History of Palatine Hill - Sapienza University of Rome

Uncovering Roman Britain in Old Museum Collections - University of Reading

Egyptology 𓂀⚱️

Egypt before and after pharaohs - Sapienza University of Rome

Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization - University of Pennsylvania

Wonders of Ancient Egypt - University of Pennsylvania

Medieval 🗡️🏰

Age of Cathedrals - Yale

Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims - University of Colorado

Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe - University of Colorado

Enlightening the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Archaeology in Italy - University of Padova

Lancaster Castle and Northern English History: The View from the Stronghold - Lancaster University

Magic in the Middle Ages - University of Barcelona

Old Norse Mythology in the Sources - University of Colorado Bolder

Preserving Norwegian Stave Churches - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The Book of Kells: Exploring an Irish Medieval Masterpiece - Trinity College Dublin

The Cosmopolitan Medival Arabic World - University of Leiden

Renaissance ⚜️🃏

Black Tudors: The Untold Story

European Empires: An Introduction, 1400–1522 - University of Newcastle

The Mediterranean, a Space of Exchange (from Renaissance to Enlightenment) - University of Barcelona

The Life and Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots - University of Glasgow

The Tudors - University of Roehampton London

The Americas 🪶🦙🛖

History of Slavery in the British Caribbean - University of Glasgow

Indigeneity as a Global Concept - University of Newcastle

Indigenous Canada - University of Alberta

Indigenous Religions & Ecology - Yale

Asia 🏯🛕

Contemporary India - University of Melbourne

Introduction to Korean Philosophy - Sung Kyun Kwan University

Japanese Culture Through Rare Books - University of Keio

Sino-Japanese Interactions Through Rare Books - University of Keio

The History and Culture of Chinese Silk - University for the Creative Arts

Travelling Books: History in Europe and Japan - University of Keio

Other

A Global History of Sex and Gender: Bodies and Power in the Modern World - University of Glasgow

A History of Royal Fashion - University of Glasgow

Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-78 - University of Reading

Biodiversity, Guardianship, and the Natural History of New Zealand: A Museum Perspective - Te Papa

Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism - University of Exeter

Great South Land: Introducing Australian History - University of Newcastle

Indigeneity as a Global Concept - University of Newcastle

New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective - Te Papa

Organising an Empire: The Assyrian Way - LMU Munich

Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction - University of Virginia

Russian History: from Lenin to Putin - University of California Santa Cruz

Linguistics 🗣️

Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics - University of Leiden - Coursera version

Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics - University of Leiden

Archeology 💀

Archeoastronomy - University of Milan

Archaeology and the Battle of Dunbar 1650 - Durham University

Archaeology: from Dig to Lab and Beyond - University of Reading

Archeology: Recovering the Humankind's Past and Saving the Universal Heritage - Sapienza University of Rome

Change of Era: The Origins of Christian Culture through the Lens of Archaeology - University of Padova

Endangered Archaeology: Using Remote Sensing to Protect Cultural Heritage - Universities of Durham, Leicester & Oxford

Enlightening the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Archaeology in Italy - University of Padova

Exploring Stone Age Archaeology: The Mysteries of Star Carr - University of York

Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology - Durham University

Roman Art and Archeology - University of Arizona

The Changing Landscape of Ancient Rome. Archeology and History of Palatine Hill - Sapienza University of Rome

[papasbaseball]

Didelphis virginiana

Virginia Opossum

Wesleyan College (2009)

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Brian Handwerk, 11 May 2023

Mother’s Day is one of the year’s biggest greeting card occasions, but it definitely didn’t start out as a Hallmark holiday.

The Mother’s Day we celebrate on the second Sunday in May exists largely due to the incessant efforts — some might say maniacal single-mindedness — of a woman named Anna Jarvis.

But Jarvis wasn’t the first American to promote the idea.

Early attempts to get the holiday going focused on bigger social issues, such as promoting peace and improving schools.

But the version of the day that finally did catch on became its founder’s worst nightmare.

Early Mother’s Day celebrations

Mother’s Day was initially launched by antiwar activists in 1872.

Julia Ward Howe, better remembered for writing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," advocated a Mothers’ Peace Day on which pacifist women would gather in churches, social halls, and homes to listen to sermons or essays, sing, and pray for peace.

American cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago held annual Mother’s Day services, centered on pacifism, every June 2 until about 1913.

But these faded away, as did the mothers’ pleas for peace when the world entered World War I.

Another early Mother's Day effort was led by teacher and principal Mary Towles Sasseen, of Henderson, Kentucky.

Her idea, launched in 1887, focused on schools:

Sasseen wrote a guide, Mother’s Day Celebrations, with the hope that school systems around the country would observe Mother’s Day receptions to strengthen ties between students, parents, and teachers.

But by the time she died in 1924, Sasseen’s Mother’s Day never made it far beyond Kentucky.

Who really founded Mother’s Day?

In February 1904, Frank Hering, a University of Notre Dame faculty member, football coach, and national president of the Fraternal Order of Eagles delivered a speech entitled “Our Mothers and Their Importance in Our Lives.”

It was the first public call to set aside a national day to honor mothers.

Although that organization still bills Hering and itself as the “true founders of Mother's Day,” his role in proposing the holiday was soon eclipsed by the tireless efforts of Jarvis to publicize and promote the holiday — and herself as the founder.

Jarvis’s labors, which made Mother’s Day a reality, began with a wish to honor her own mother — who had attended Julia Ward Howe’s gatherings and prayed, quite literally, for such a day to exist.

In 1908, when Jarvis organized the first official Mother’s Day celebrations in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, she chose the second Sunday in May because it honored the anniversary of her mother’s death.

As Jarvis’s campaigning rapidly expanded Mother’s Day observations across the country, she rejected the idea that Hering’s earlier suggestion had anything to do with it.

An undated 1920s statement entitled “Kidnapping Mother’s Day: Will You Be an Accomplice?” explained her attitude towards Hering:

“Do me the justice of refraining from furthering the selfish interests of this claimant, who is making a desperate effort to snatch from me the rightful title of originator and founder of Mother’s Day, established by me after decades of untold labor, time and expense.”

Jarvis, who never had children, acted partly out of ego, says Katharine Antolini, an historian at West Virginia Wesleyan College and author of Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for Control of Mother's Day.

“Everything she signed was Anna Jarvis, Founder of Mother's Day. It was who she was."

How Mother’s Day became a national holiday

Jarvis had a point; she’s clearly the primary person responsible for launching the holiday as a national celebration.

Founding Mother’s Day and aggressively protecting her ownership of the holiday became her life’s work.

In her mission to win the holiday national recognition, Jarvis petitioned the press, politicians, churches, organizations, and individuals of influence including, notably, the wealthy Philadelphia department store magnate John Wanamaker.

Wanamaker embraced Jarvis’s idea and promoted a 10 May 1908 gathering at his department store, which Jarvis herself addressed.

The Philadelphia event drew a reported 15,000 people and each one received a free carnation — at least while they lasted. Mother’s Day was off and running.

Under relentless lobbying from Jarvis, state after state began to observe Mother’s Day.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson finally signed a bill designating the second Sunday in May as a legal holiday, Mother’s Day.

It was dedicated “to the best mother in the world, your mother.” The idea of honoring mothers was appealing.

General John “Black Jack” Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, highlighted the value of the holiday in a general order he issued on 8 May 1918 asking officers and soldiers to write letters home on Mother’s Day.

He wrote: “This is a little thing for each one to do, but these letters will carry back our courage and affection to the patriotic women whose love and prayers inspire us and cheer us on to victory."

In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt got into the act.

The avid stamp collector sketched a design for a Commemorative Mother’s Day Stamp based on the famous “Whistler’s Mother” portrait.

Unfortunately for FDR, Anna Jarvis didn’t approve.

She found the design ugly and made clear her intention that the words “Mother’s Day” not adorn the stamp — they never did.

Mother’s Day and commercialization

Business owners like John Wanamaker and Philadelphia's florists likely saw Mother’s Day’s commercial potential from that very first Sunday in 1908.

But Jarvis had many strong opinions about how the holiday should and should not be celebrated.

Foremost among them was her hatred of profiteering, even by charitable institutions.

Just a few years after that first Philadelphia Mother’s Day, one story goes, Jarvis ordered a “Mother’s Day Salad” at Wanamaker’s Tea Room — and dumped it on the floor.

Jarvis meant the holiday to be one of quiet reflection and personal relations between mothers and children.

“To have Mother’s Day the burdensome, wasteful, expensive gift day that Christmas and other special days have become is not our pleasure," she wrote in the 1920s.

“If the American people are not willing to protect Mother’s Day from the hordes of money schemers that would overwhelm it with their schemes, then we shall cease having a Mother’s Day—and we know how.”

If Jarvis really did have some plan to stop people from profiting off of Mother’s Day, that plan amounted to exactly nothing.

In 1948, Jarvis died in a Pennsylvania sanitarium, aged 84, penniless after spending her fortune fighting to maintain control over Mother’s Day.

Today, Mother’s Day isn’t just commercialized, it’s a retail juggernaut.

In fact, only Back-to-School and winter holidays inspire Americans to spend more money per person than Mother’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation.

The haul is over 30 billion dollars in all.

Hallmark profits handsomely from that spending; it’s the third biggest card-giving day of the year.

And, to the delight of florists, about three out of four people faithfully send mom flowers.

More than half of all celebrators also plan special outings for their mothers, gifting tickets to concerts and sporting events—or a day at the spa.

And Mother’s Day is also the busiest day of the year for restaurants, according to annual research surveys from the National Restaurant Association.

More than one in four people go out for a meal with mom each year, and many more at least order takeout so that no one has to spend the special day in the kitchen.

If the holiday has become a runaway moneymaker, Jarvis would have loathed, at least gathering around a table for those Mother’s Day meals offers children a chance to personally honor their moms in the way she always intended.

[weirdyearbook]

Today's wooden dog walker casting a lobster shadow is from West Virginia Wesleyan College's 1914 yearbook.

Strange shadows creeping through time: the shadow gallery.

Wondering about this post?  Wait for the dissertation (TBA). For now:  Weblog ◆ Books ◆ Videos ◆ Music ◆ Etsy

[ollieofthebeholder]

So I've been seeing this post doing the rounds again, and I'm reminded of a specific incident from my university days...not from the subject of the email exchange itself, from one of the professor's comments in the reply.

Picture the scene: Norfolk, VA, March of 2010. Three weeks earlier the entire Virginia Wesleyan (then College, now University) campus had closed down due to a predicted nor'easter that didn't exactly manifest. So when it began to snow, administration decided, "Oh, no, we're not doing THAT again. We'll leave it up to the individual professors to decide if they want to cancel class, and up to the individual students if they feel safe enough to attend."

My Modern History of Korea and Japan professor, whom I normally adored and who was a) the only reason I was taking this class specifically and b) the reason I was considering either switching to or adding a history major, did not decide to cancel class.

I was living on campus at the time, but I had already slipped and fallen and fucked up my knee during an ice storm earlier that winter and did not want to risk making this worse, so I emailed those professors who had not cancelled class for the day and stayed holed up in my tiny closet of a dorm room. Most of my professors were understanding and several of them chose to cancel class because of the number of students who also said they would not be coming.

Margolies was not one of them.

The snow melted in time for the next class, so I made my way to the other side of campus. While standing outside the door to the classroom waiting to go in, one of my classmates suddenly frantically asked me if I had done "the essay" and said she'd forgotten. I had no idea what she was talking about - I didn't remember a paper due on the syllabus that day - and told her so. Another classmate overheard and asked if I'd been in class the previous day; when I said no and explained my reasoning, he informed me that Margolies had been apparently angry with how many students "cut his class" and given everyone a flash assignment, due the next class, along with strict instructions NOT to mention it to anyone who hadn't been there; he also told them that anyone who didn't have it at the start of the next class would be sent to the computer lab to work on it during class.

Sure enough, first thing he did when class began was to ask everyone to turn it in and send the rest of us to the computer lab with instructions on what the essay was supposed to be on. I was kind of furious, but I went along with my classmates and sat down at a computer to work. Margolies expected titles on our essays, but I wasn't sure what my title would be yet. As a placeholder to maintain the formatting so I wouldn't go over the page limit, and still in a fit of frustration over the whole debacle, I put as a temporary title "I Call Shenanigans On This Bullshit Assignment".

It took me like twenty minutes, tops, to write this essay - it was like five paragraphs on some hyper-specific topic of modern Korean history that I've forgotten now, thirteen years later, but we had our books so it wasn't hard - printed it out, and returned to class. They were watching a film on, I think, pottery techniques, so I handed in my essay and plunked myself in my usual spot to at least pretend to watch the film.

I didn't realize Margolies was grading the essays then and there until, maybe fifteen minutes after I got back, his voice broke into a brief silence in the film's soundtrack:

"What does 'I call shenanigans' mean?"

[lboogie1906]

Charles W. Follis, a.k.a. "The Black Cyclone," (February 3, 1879 – April 5, 1910) The first African American professional football player was born in Cloverdale, Virginia. The Follis family moved to Wooster, Ohio, where he attended Wooster High School and participated in organizing and establishing the first varsity football team. He played right halfback and served as team captain on a squad that had no losses that year.

In 1901, he entered the College of Wooster. Rather than playing football for the college, he played for the town’s amateur football team – the Wooster Athletic Association, where he earned the nickname of the “Black Cyclone from Wooster.”

In 1902, Frank C. Schieffer, manager of the Shelby Athletic Club secured employment for him at Howard Seltzer and Sons Hardware Store in rural Shelby, Ohio. The six-foot, 200-pound played for Shelby (1902-03).

In 1904, he signed a contract with the Shelby Athletic Club, the Shelby Blues. He became the first professional African American football player. He played on the team with Branch Rickey, an Ohio Wesleyan University student.

Ηe faced discrimination. Players on opposing teams targeted him with a rough play that resulted in injuries. At a game in Toledo in 1905, fans taunted him with racial slurs until the Toledo team captain addressed the crowd and asked them to stop. In Shelby, he joined his teammates at a local tavern after a game; the owner denied him entry. At the Thanksgiving Day game of the 1906 season, he suffered a career-ending injury.

He turned to baseball, a sport he played for many years in the spring and summer. Having played for Wooster College and in the Ohio Trolley League, he was an experienced baseball player, but could only play in segregated baseball leagues. He played for the Cuban Giants, an African American baseball team, as a catcher. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[eliteprepsat]

Understanding Early Decision, Early Action, and Restrictive Early Action in US College Admissions: Pros and Cons

Applying to college can be a daunting and competitive process. To navigate this journey, many students consider early decision (ED), early action (EA), and restrictive early action (REA) programs offered by colleges and universities across the United States. These processes allow students to apply early and potentially increase their chances of admission. In this article, we will delve into the details of these application options, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.

Early Decision (ED)

Early Decision is a binding agreement between the student and the college. Students who apply under ED commit to attending the college if accepted and must withdraw applications from other institutions upon acceptance. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of applying under Early Decision:

Advantages of Early Decision:

Demonstrated interest: Applying ED signals to the college that the student is highly interested and committed to attending, which may enhance their chances of acceptance.

Higher acceptance rates: Many colleges have much higher acceptance rates for ED applicants than for regular decision applicants, as they tend to have a smaller applicant pool. 

Furthermore, some colleges fill more than 50% of the entering class through ED–for example, Boston University, Brown University, Claremont McKenna College, Columbia University, Duke University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, Northwestern University, Pomona College, Swarthmore College, Tulane University, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Wesleyan University. 

Early notification: ED applicants receive their admissions decision earlier, allowing them to plan their future accordingly. Also, applicants admitted to their ED college no longer need to prepare applications to other colleges.

Disadvantages of Early Decision:

Binding commitment: By applying ED, students must commit to attending the college if accepted, limiting their options and ability to compare financial aid packages.

Financial considerations: Students may miss out on the opportunity to compare financial aid offers from multiple institutions, potentially leading to less favorable financial outcomes.

Limited time for improvement: Students may not have the chance to raise their standardized test scores or improve their academic profile before submitting their application.

Most colleges and universities that offer Early Decision are private institutions. Here is a list of prominent colleges and universities that offer Early Decision:

Amherst College

Babson College

Boston College

Boston University

Brown University

Carleton College 

Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western Reserve University

Claremont McKenna College

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Emory University

Fordham University 

Harvey Mudd College

Johns Hopkins University 

New York University (NYU)

Northeastern University 

Northwestern University

Pomona College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rice University

Swarthmore College

Tufts University

Tulane University

Union College

University of Chicago 

University of Pennsylvania

University of Virginia (public university)

Vanderbilt University

Wake Forest University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wesleyan University

Williams College

Early Action (EA)

Early Action is a non-binding application process that allows students to submit their applications early and receive an admission decision earlier than regular decision applicants. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of applying under Early Action:

Advantages of Early Action:

Early notification: Students receive admission decisions earlier, providing them with more time to make an informed decision.

Comparing financial aid offers: Early Action applicants have the opportunity to compare financial aid packages from multiple institutions before making their final decision.

Flexible options: Students are not bound to attend the institution if accepted, allowing them to explore other opportunities.

Disadvantages of Early Action:

Competitive advantage: Some colleges may have a higher number of highly qualified applicants applying under Early Action, making the process more competitive.

Limited time for improvement: Similar to ED, students applying EA may not have sufficient time to enhance their academic profile or standardized test scores.

Many public and private colleges and universities offer Early Action. Here is a list of outstanding colleges and universities that offer Early Action:

Babson College

Case Western Reserve University

Fordham University 

Georgetown University (restriction: cannot apply to ED schools)

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) (different EA deadlines for in-state and out-of-state students)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Northeastern University

Pennsylvania State University

Purdue University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rutgers—New Brunswick

Tulane University

University of Chicago

University of Colorado—Boulder

University of Georgia

University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign

University of Maryland—College Park

University of Massachusetts—Amherst

University of Michigan—Ann Arbor

University of Minnesota—Twin Cities

University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill

University of Southern California (USC)

University of Texas–Austin

University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin—Madison

Wake Forest University (for first-generation college students)

Restrictive Early Action (REA)

Restrictive Early Action is a hybrid option between Early Decision and Early Action. While students applying under REA can submit their applications early, it is non-binding, giving them the flexibility to consider offers from other institutions. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of applying under Restrictive Early Action:

Advantages of Restrictive Early Action:

Early notification: Students receive admission decisions earlier, enabling them to plan their future and compare offers from other institutions.

Flexibility: REA applicants are not bound to attend the institution if accepted, allowing them to explore other opportunities.

Demonstrated interest: Similar to ED, applying under REA demonstrates a high level of interest and commitment to the institution.

Disadvantages of Restrictive Early Action:

Competitive advantage: Some highly selective colleges may have a substantial number of competitive applicants applying under REA, making it more challenging to secure admission.

Limited number of applications: REA applicants are often restricted from applying to other private institutions early, while still being allowed to apply to public universities.

Here are six universities that offer Restrictive Early Action:

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (applying EA to private colleges for scholarships permitted)

Harvard University (applying EA to private colleges for scholarships permitted)

Princeton University

Stanford University (applying EA to private colleges for scholarships permitted)

University of Notre Dame (applying EA to private colleges permitted)

Yale University

Multiple Rounds of Early Action and Early Decision

Many colleges and universities offer both Early Decision and Early Action options. Furthermore, some colleges and universities offer two rounds of Early Decision and/or Early Action options (also referred to as EA I, EA II, ED I, and ED II).

Here is a list of colleges and universities that offer multiple rounds of Early Decision and/or Early Action options:

Babson College (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Boston College (ED I and ED II)

Boston University (ED I and ED II)

Carleton College (ED I and ED II)

Case Western Reserve University (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Claremont McKenna College (ED I and ED II)

Emory University (ED I and ED II)

Fordham University (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Harvey Mudd College (ED I and ED II)

Johns Hopkins University (ED I and ED II)

New York University (ED I and ED II)

Northeastern University (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Pomona College (ED I and ED II)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Rice University (ED I and ED II)

Swarthmore College (ED I and ED II)

Tufts University (ED I and ED II)

Tulane University (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Union College (ED I and ED II)

University of Chicago (EA, ED I, and ED II)

University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (EA I and EA II)

University of Rochester (ED I and ED II)

University of Virginia (EA and ED)

Vanderbilt University (ED I and ED II)

Wake Forest University (EA, ED I, and ED II)

Washington University in St. Louis (ED I and ED II)

Wesleyan University (ED I and ED II)

Strategies for applying ED II

After Denial under ED I: Students can consider applying to their second-choice college under ED II after they are denied admission to the college they applied to under ED or ED I. (When one door closes, another door opens.)

Need Time to Strengthen Application: Students can consider applying to college under ED II if they need time to put together a stronger application–whether it’s writing a stronger personal statement, taking a standardized test such as the SAT or ACT, and/or developing a stronger relationship with teachers in the senior year in order for the teachers to write a stronger recommendation letter.

Elite Prep offers comprehensive college planning and application services for students in grades 7 through 12. 

Meet with our expert counselors to develop a winning strategy to get into your dream school!

[finishinglinepress]

NEW FROM FLP: Beyond the Noisy Membrane, Poems by Mary Imo-Stike

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/beyond-the-noisy-membrane-poems-by-mary-imo-stike/

The poems of Beyond the Noisy Membrane identify and celebrate the connections between what’s on the everyday roadways we travel and in the vast worlds that encompass us. They embrace the complex simplicity of the #natural #world juxtaposed with our human desire for understanding our place in it. They strive to extract and reveal stories from the life-ground we walk on, from the sight of a single kernel of yellow corn or the full moon, expansive in a winter night sky.

Mary Imo-Stike was born and raised in Rochester, New York.She worked non-traditional jobs as a railroad track laborer, a plumber, boiler operator and gas line inspector. Mary received her MFA from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2015 and served as the poetry co-editor of HeartWood literary journal. She was the co-creator of More Than Words* a monthly community literary event in Hurricane, West Virgina. Mary’s poems have been published in many journals, one nominated for a Pushcart Prize and her chapbook In and Out of the Horse Latitudes was published in 2018 by Finishing Line Press. A longtime resident of West Virginia, she now lives with her husband in Punta Gorda, Florida.

PRAISE FOR Beyond the Noisy Membrane, Poems by Mary Imo-Stike

Mary Imo-Stike’s new book, Beyond the Noisy Membrane, is a unique contribution to modern poetry, reflecting her singular and important place in the world. For her, even the rocks “hold our stories,/broken and discarded pieces/of our lives.” Imo-Stikes’s self-awareness is deeper than the babble we often encounter not only in social media and what passes for news but even in today’s literature. Her book is for people who want the hard impact of history on daily life. She asks to be buried “face down in Spring” so “I’ll embrace this earth/that holds the remains of my ancestors/who pushed seed deep with bony fingers.”

Beyond the Noisy Membrane is grounded in a Native American past still alive for her and, through these poems, for us. She feels the sting of lynching, the “noose still wringing my neck.” Although many of these poems hint at burial, rehearsals for a final act, Imo-Stike understand that our mortality highlights the joys to be found in simple acts, as in her poem When I Make the Bed:

I snap a crisp clean cover over

the carefully and freshly placed sheets,

and watch it float down and settle

unwrinkled and ready to caress

our work-worn bodies with comfort,

with love and promise of sleep.

—David Salner, author of the 2023 Portage Poetry Series title, The Green Vault Heist and Summer Words: New and Selected Poems and the 2021 novel

From the very first poem in this fine collection, Imo-Stike places us in a thin place where a moon resonates with a “loud neon” Coca-Cola sign, places us in a unique yet quite verifiable “here!” This notion of place, this here is critically important and revelatory for many of these superb poems, a herewith “rounded river rocks, like bread loaves rising.” That place should be so central is, of course, not surprising for a poet who proudly claims native ancestry. Among the many places in these poems are places of death and erotic attraction, places from which stories are born and re-told, places that fuel a desire for the “here” beyond “the noisy membrane” of life rushing by, a desire for the “real and wild that lives on here.” For myself I know I’ll be making a place for these lovely poems here on my very own shelves.

–Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia and winner of the Blue Lynx Prize for Woman in Red Anorak

Please share/repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #read #poems #literature #poetry

[stubobnumbers]

CFB Promotion and Relegation - The ACC

ACC Tier One - The ACC (FBS): Maryland Virginia Virginia Tech Duke North Carolina North Carolina State Wake Forest Clemson South Carolina Georgia Tech

ACC Tier Two - Atlantic Sun (FBS): Florida State Miami (FL.) Central Florida South Florida Florida Atlantic Florida International Coastal Carolina Appalachian State East Carolina Charlotte

ACC Tier Three - Coastal Athletic Association (FBS): James Madison Old Dominion Liberty University Delaware Furman Wofford Towson University Richmond Elon University William & Mary

ACC Tier Four - Big South (FCS): The Citadel Charleston Southern Presbyterian Western Carolina Campbell University Davidson College Gardner-Webb Hampton University North Carolina Central University

ACC Tier Five - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (FCS): Delaware State University Howard University Bethune-Cookman University Florida A&M University Stetson University Morgan State University Virginia Military Institute – VMI Norfolk State University North Carolina A&T South Carolina State University

ACC Tier Six - South Atlantic Conference (D2): Bowie State University Frostburg State University Virginia-Wise Virginia State University Virginia Union University Emory & Henry College Fayetteville State University Johnson C. Smith University Allen University Benedict College

ACC Tier Seven - North Carolina Conference (D2): Barton College Catawba College Chowan University Elizabeth City State University Lenoir-Rhyne University Livingstone College Mars Hill University UNC Pembroke Shaw University Wingate University

ACC Tier Eight - The Carolinas Conference (D2): U of Mount Olive Winston-Salem State University Anderson University (SC.) Erskine College Limestone University Newberry College North Greenville University Greensboro College Guilford College Methodist University

ACC Tier Nine - Central Coast Football Conference (D3): Saint Augustine's University Ferrum College Catholic U. Gallaudet University Johns Hopkins U. McDaniel College Salisbury University Stevenson University Brevard College North Carolina Wesleyan College

ACC Tier Ten - Old Dominion Athletic Conference (D3): Averett University Bridgewater College Christopher Newport University Hampden-Sydney College Randolph-Macon College Shenandoah University Southern Virginia University Washington & Lee University Roanoke St. Andrews University Bluefield University Louisburg College

[carmenvicinanza]

Maaza Mengiste

In Etiopia le donne hanno sempre combattuto in guerra. Erano presenti ma non hanno parlato della loro esperienza quotidiana. Una donna poteva essere un soldato sul campo di battaglia, ma di ritorno al campo, gli uomini potevano fare di lei quello che volevano. Il suo stesso corpo poteva essere usato come un campo di battaglia. Le donne si vergognavano di parlare di quei momenti, perché hanno sacrificato tutto ed è umiliante, per loro, ammettere che sono state in grado di difendere il territorio, la terra, ma non il proprio corpo.

Maaza Mengiste, scrittrice etiope che vive e insegna negli Stati Uniti.  

Considerata un importante riferimento per una diversa narrazione della storia dell’Etiopia, i suoi libri parlano di immigrazione, colonialismo e rivoluzione vissuta dalla parte delle donne.

Nominata New literary idol dal New York Magazine, ha ricevuto il Literature Award dall’American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Celebrata su importanti riviste come The New York Times, The New Yorker, Granta, Lettre Internationale, Enkare Review, Callaloo, ha contribuito a The Granta Anthology of the African Short Story, il suo podcast New Daughters of Africa è stato trasmesso su BBC Radio 4.

È nata a Addis Abeba, in Etiopia, nel 1971, a causa del colpo di stato, quando aveva tre anni, è stata venne costretta a lasciare il paese con la sua famiglia. Ha vissuto in Nigeria e in Kenya, prima di andare a studiare scrittura creativa all’Università di New York, dove è poi diventata docente al Queens College. 

Ha detenuto la cattedra di scrittura creativa a Princeton e insegna letteratura alla Wesleyan University. È stata anche scrittrice residente della Literaturhaus Zurich e della Fondazione PWG in Svizzera.

Il suo romanzo d’esordio, Lo sguardo del leone, pubblicato in Italia nel 2010, racconta le sofferenze delle vittime della guerra civile dal punto di vista di Hailu, medico che si trova a operare a Addis Abeba nel periodo di terrore seguito dal rovesciamento dell’Imperatore Hailé Selassié.

Il re ombra, del 2019, selezionato fra i migliori libri dell’anno da The New York Times, Npr, Elle e Time, è stato finalista al Booker Prize e vinto il Premio The Bridge per la Narrativa.

Ambientato nel periodo dell’occupazione italiana in Etiopia tra la Prima e la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ha come protagonista Hirut, una giovane orfana in balia di un sistema patriarcale che la vuole schiava e che trova nella resistenza armata una ragione di vivere, mobilitando le donne contro gli oppressori. Una storia in cui si intrecciano vari destini e che mette in luce la violenza e crudeltà degli occupanti italiani in Etiopia e, soprattutto, la sfortunata condizione delle donne.

Impegnata con diverse organizzazioni umanitarie come Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights e Words Without Borders, fa parte del comitato consultivo di Warscapes, rivista indipendente che evidenzia i conflitti in tutto il mondo.

Insieme a Edwidge Danticat e Mona Eltahawy, ha redatto una sezione del film documentario del 2013 Girl Rising sull’istruzione delle ragazze nel mondo, con la narrazione di Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys e Cate Blanchett. 

Attiva in dibattiti pubblici e ospitata in tutto il mondo, in marzo 2024 ha tenuto la prima lectio magistralis nella cattedra intitolata a Virginia Woolf presso l’Università per Stranieri di Siena.

[conandaily2022]

Miss West Virginia Teen USA 2024 results: Lakyn Campbell crowns Olivia Travis in Buckhannon

West Virginia, United States currently has 10 Miss Teen USA placements including the first runner-up finish of Elizabeth Sabatino in 2012. The most recent one was in 2018 when Trinity Tiffany finished in the Top 15. beauty pageant: Miss West Virginia Teen USAedition: 42nddate: June 1, 2024venue: Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon,…

[dennislmartire-blog]

Investing in Training and Education: Dennis L. Martire's Legacy

Dennis L. Martire embarked on his academic journey at West Virginia Wesleyan College, culminating in the attainment of his Bachelor’s degree in Government in 1986. Subsequently, in 1990, he commenced his career at the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), a tenure marked by steadfast commitment and unwavering dedication to the union's mission.

Recognizing the transformative power of education, Martire assumes oversight of LIUNA's exemplary training program. Designed to empower workers, the program offers ongoing education opportunities tailored to enhance efficiency, facilitate career advancement, or enable transitions into new fields. Emphasizing growth over competition, these diverse programs cover a wide array of subjects, reflecting Martire's belief in the value of continuous self-improvement.

Martire's ascent through the union's ranks stands as a testament to his resilience and relentless advocacy on behalf of LIUNA members. His enduring passion for his work and unwavering dedication to the well-being of workers exemplify his commitment to the union's mission. Currently affiliated with Local Union #1058 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Martire resides in Northern Virginia with his family, embodying the values of service and leadership both personally and professionally.

[dennismartire-blog]

Dennis Martire: Architect of Labor Progress

Dennis Martire's enduring impact within the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) is a testament to a career spanning over three decades, deeply rooted in his academic foundation at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in government, Martire’s elevation to the position of Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager at LiUNA since 2002 showcases his exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication.

Located in Buckhannon, West Virginia, West Virginia Wesleyan College, established in the late 1800s, played a pivotal role in shaping Martire’s professional journey. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college's commitment to academic excellence and values has been foundational in Martire’s approach to labor leadership.

Entering the sphere of labor unions in 1990 with LiUNA, Martire’s career path has been marked by continuous growth and noteworthy achievements. His election to the position of Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager in 2002 underscores the profound impact he has had on LiUNA’s mission and objectives.

Currently residing in Northern Virginia with his family, Martire remains an active member of his Local Union #1058 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His evolution from a diligent student to a respected union leader underscores his depth of knowledge and steadfast commitment to the labor movement.

Dennis Martire’s narrative transcends mere professional accomplishments; it represents a story of visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the principles of organized labor. His legacy serves as an inspiration, illustrating the pivotal role individuals like Martire play in advancing the cause and goals of the labor movement.

[lboogie1906]

Bishop Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly (March 5, 1920 – June 28, 2012) was a bishop of the United Methodist Church. She served as a pastor and a District Superintendent.

She earned a BA from Virginia Union University and completed graduate work in economics, history, and humanities at North Texas State University, the University of Cincinnati, and the College of William and Mary. She served as a public school teacher in Richmond and Northumberland County, Virginia for eight years.

She completed the Course of Study for Ordained Ministers in the Virginia Annual Conference of the U.M. Church by attending summer school at Wesley Theological Seminary. She earned her M.Div. degree from Union Theological Seminary.

She held honorary doctorates from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, DePauw University, Christian Theological Seminary, Virginia Union University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Bennett College, Willamette University, and Dillard University.

Although a member of the Virginia Annual Conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction, she was elected to the episcopacy by the Western Jurisdictional Conference of the UM Church in 1984 (only the second woman, and the first African American woman, to become a bishop in any major Christian denomination in the World). She was assigned to the San Francisco Episcopal Area, where she served until her retirement in 1992. She served on the UM General Board of Church and Society, as the President of the Western Jurisdictional College of Bishops, and on the executive committee of the Council of Bishops.

She was the 2002 recipient of the Thomas Merton Award. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #womenhistorymonth