Every December we all promise ourselves we’ll find a few spare moments to relax, read, think, and ponder before the New Year. Then the holidays rush past and the opportunity for a pause is lost. To help you find time to ponder, The Observer’s David Lillard asked six notable West Virginians to wonder aloud about youth, about education, about life and what it presents. So throw a log on the fire, have a read, and imagine 2008.
Gaston Caperton, former West Virginia Governor
Choosing to live history…
Every one of us has the opportunity to live history. When you live history, it’s about you, your family, your thoughts, your job and your passions, but it should also be your involvement in the things you believe in and the joy of working with people who share your passion for those causes. Increased knowledge through education gives you the opportunity to identify and prioritize those causes you care most about, the things you believe will have the greatest impact, and then take action.
Taking action means getting involved and defining a plan to effect change. Research, discussion and thoughts are absolutely necessary, but they are not enough and are generally focused towards the past. Living history is about reaching out, changing minds, and changing what is being done right now to effect change for the present and the future. It’s about being part of great causes. It’s about adding momentum and it’s about bringing others along. It’s about being involved, and being personally invested in the outcome.
Live history and take action. Become an active part of the great causes at hand. Create new opportunities and deliver new dreams for the world. You will succeed if you remember that you will become part of history if you take action.
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito
Holidays and Being at Home
This time of year is always a blessing. It’s great to have the family home where we can spend time together, and it’s nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle of Washington. This is a special year for us, because for the first time in many years, we hosted my parents at our home in Charleston.
I remember one Christmas Eve in particular from growing up in Glen Dale. My cousin - who was in the Navy at the time—surprised all of us by showing up for Christmas Eve dinner. We were all very grateful and thankful to be together, and it’s that kind of reunion that is wonderful this time of year.
We didn’t have any big surprises this year, but—like many West Virginians—we shared a big family dinner before going to our church for Christmas Eve service.
And of course, the beginning of a new year is a time to be thankful for those around us. Our family has grown and our Christmas and New Year’s traditions change with the times. But one thing never
changes, that is the warm and comfortable feeling of being with family and friends.
Dr. Suzanne Shipley, Shepherd University President
Travel and the Imagination
Something happens to the imagination when you travel abroad. Suddenly the light, the smells, the sounds are different. Expressions on faces, greetings from strangers, life's tempo and rhythms all change. The mind must stretch to grasp the differences, to cope with the challenges.
From the smallest detail—a light switch, a door knob, a mailbox, to the larger concepts—the press, social services, education—suddenly everything is new.
So we don't have to enter a New Year for rebirth, we can pull out our passports and cross a border to experience the exhilaration and the challenge of change.
My New Year's resolution? To travel abroad: I'm joining the faculty and students of Shepherd University's department of contemporary art to explore the art of Berlin, Prague and Vienna during spring break.
Bon Voyage!
Dr. Frank McCluskey,
Provost and Executive Vice President
Transitions
I came to the Eastern Panhandle from just outside of New York City three years ago. This move was a big transition. I left behind everything and started over. Living is all about managing transitions, some chosen and some not our choosing. Each transition is an opportunity for growth.
Being a wanderer, I have often envied those friends of mine still planted in the soil of our childhood. But each path has a teaching, each world has its lessons, and each dark night of the soul enriches us, if we can hang on till the dawn. Although I have a Ph.D. in philosophy, I do not know why we are here or what it means. But I do know one thing. Every challenge, every change, every new road, and every heartbreak is a book for us to learn from.
Many of us long to return to things that once were and are no more. But not only are those times no more, but the person we were at that time is no more. Every day we are a little different, hopefully a little wiser, and hopefully a little better.
But there are echoes. Shepherdstown reminds me very much of Greenwich Village, where I lived in my college days. The arts, the intellect, the openness, and the heart can be felt in the same way, familiar echoes in an unfamiliar place.
We are beings of time, creatures of transition. Yates knew this when he said “Before us lies eternity, our souls are love and a continual farewell.”
Dr. Pete Checkovich, President Blue Ridge Technical & Community College
Imagine a world in which there are no cell phones, laptops, I-phones, plasma screens, voice mail, e-mail or fax machines. That is where we were as a society just a scant quarter century ago--even a decade ago. In this short period of time these electronic and digital innovations have changed the way we think, the way we live, and the way we work.
At one time localities, regions, and states competed for scarce resources. Now we are in a global economy that places the expertise and knowledge of the entire world within a moment’s reach. Mathematicians from India, computer experts from Israel, or engineers from Pakistan can be contacted and consulted within seconds. It is a far different world than it was 25 years ago.
Our education system is changing as well. Now it incorporates many “newer” technologies, such as web-based courses, podcasting, e-books, and web chats. It is a marriage of knowledge, skills, and technology. As a result of the knowledge explosion, learning has progressed from finishing school by graduating to a program of lifelong learning. And none of us is exempt. Our education system will need to continue to be progressive and adaptive.
Gayle Manchin, West Virginia First Lady
Tackling our health issues in West Virginia
Collaborative efforts are essential in combating the obesity and diabetic epidemic in our children. The Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, which I chair on behalf of the Governor, are pleased to share some of the ways we are changing the dynamics.
The Department of Education has stepped to the plate to promote physical education and healthier food choices in school vending machines and cafeterias. At last count, we had twenty-three “dry” counties—those who have no soft drink machines in their schools.
PEIA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and WVU developed and implemented an alternative physical education opportunity for middle age students called “Dance, Dance Revolution” to address the child obesity issues. It promotes a healthier lifestyle through the introduction to and continuing use of physically interactive video game technology as an alternative physical education component where space is an issue.
Another exciting initiative being led by Dr. Linda Carson, West Virginia University, in conjunction with Head Start is “I am Moving, I am Learning”. Young children are not physically fit just because they are young; therefore by intentionally integrating appropriate physical activity and wise nutrition choices into their daily routines, they are improving children’s physical, mental and social development – all of which are critical to school readiness. This nationally acclaimed program is being replicated in Head Starts across the nation.
From our pre-schools to our active senior centers, West Virginians are getting on the move, and we know we can do even better. We can build a foundation for long term health and well-being, one bite and one step at a time.
