SPIRE Summer 2019

college news

Nathalia Lima Awarded Shott Excellence in Media Student Award The 2018 Shott Excellence in Media Student Award, featuring a $1,000 scholarship and designed to recognize a current BC communication student who demonstrates excellence in the classroom and in his or her extracurricular activities, went to Nathalia Lima. “Her professors unanimously voted for her to receive the Shott Excellence in Media Student Award because she is a skilled writer, graphic designer, videographer, and photographer,” said Bluefield College’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Lindsey Akers. During her time at Bluefield College, Lima was the tutor in several Modern Art classes. She also served as the Rotaract president, was a member of Active Minds, and was a Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow member. Additionally, Lima served as a resident assistant and organized the International Student Dinner, an event that is widely anticipated by the BC community.

Two Local Pastors Awarded BC Community Service & Justice Award Bluefield College held a special chapel service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. During the chapel service, Dr. Lewis Brogdon, dean of institutional effectiveness and research, presented two awards to local pastors. Bishop Frederick M. Brown of The Faith Center Church located in Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rev. Garry D. Moore, Sr. of Scott Street Baptist Church in Bluefield, West Virginia, became the first recipients of Bluefield College’s Community Service and Justice Award. Pictured from left to right are Bluefield College President, Dr. David W. Olive, Rev. Gary D. Moore, Sr., Bishop Frederick M. Brown, and Dr. Lewis Brogdon.

Farmer Teaches More Than Criminal Justice in China In May 2018, Dr. Kim Farmer, professor and chair of the department of criminal justice, spent a month in China touring major sites while experiencing the classroom in a different culture as part of Bluefield’s academic exchange program with Jiangsu Second Normal University. “I hoped that we could make the world a smaller place and a kinder place by bringing people from different geographic, political, and religious perspectives together and I hoped, that in doing so, we could also extend the footprint of Bluefield College beyond its immediate home in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains,” said Professor Robert Shippey, who helped establish the program with President Olive. Farmer’s month-long experience started when landing in Beijing, where she spent three days before flying to Nanjing, the city where the university is located. After three weeks, she took a train to Shanghai before flying back to the United States. During her trip, she visited Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace of the Emperors along with local sites in each city. While at Jiangsu Second Normal University, Dr. Farmer taught six classes, each meeting three times during her stay.

Students Celebrate 41st Mud Pig Day Students celebrated the school’s 41st annual Mud Pig Day on April 25. This day is designed to help students celebrate the culmination of the academic year and relax right before final exams. This year featured the traditional mud pit and water slide along with an obstacle course, corn hole, a color throw, inflatable games, food, and much more. The fun concluded with Head Baseball Coach, Mike White, going down the water slide as a part of the #BCGivingDay fundraising challenge to alumni and friends. The challenge raised approximately $80,063. There were 17 new donors this year and 111 gifts were given to Bluefield College. To see photos from this year’s Mud Pig Day/BC Giving Day view the photo galleries on the News & Events portion of Bluefield College’s website.

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