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Update from the President

Dear Cardinals,

The campus has been abuzz all week with activities leading up to Homecoming and Family Weekend, which began today. Our Campus Activities Office and student organizations held a number of ‘spirit week’ events to get everyone excited for our weekend celebration. The student body has selected the Homecoming Court. The seniors who make up this fabulous group are: Queen Candidates: Lauren Calhoun, Ally Cook, Taylor Cullen, Kimbria Lance, and Mikayla Petrisko. King Candidates: Malkolm Barrett, John Korte, Dom Parker- McDonald, George Taylor, and Elijah Young. All members of the Court will be introduced during halftime of Saturday’s football game, at which time the 2022 Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned.

Speaking of the weekend, we have over 200 parents, family members, and alumni attending all of the activities. This evening started with a reception in the Benedum Room, and BSU held an event for students in Troy Theater. Saturday is jam-packed with activities throughout the day, including disc golf, campus tours, food trucks, and athletic games. The highlight of Saturday activities is the Red Zone Tailgate which features kegs & eggs, live music with the MSM Band, a cornhole tournament, athletic team tents, and inflatables for young and old to enjoy. Do not forget to stop by the tailgate area and purchase some Wheeling University gear at the apparel shop.

We have three Lacrosse scrimmages to add to the Homecoming Weekend schedule. First, Wheeling Lacrosse takes on Mount Union at 1:00, immediately following Mount Union will face Bethany, and the final match of the afternoon will be our Cardinals taking on Bethany!

Thursday, our nursing department held its annual White Coat Ceremony. Junior Nursing majors received their White Coats, symbols of what they have accomplished so far in their education, and a rite of passage in the program. This ceremony marks the students’ transition from pre-nursing into clinical practice and emphasizes the importance of compassionate patient care. Members of the nursing faculty led the students in the recitation of the Nurses Pledge, and Fr. Praveen Malella blessed each student’s hands with Holy Water. I am always honored to participate in the beautiful ceremony celebrating our nursing majors.

The University is excited that we will once again host Alumni Weekend for our graduates October 21-23. Alumni Council has planned a weekend of activities and events for alumni of all ages, and we hope our alumni will return home to celebrate the first on-campus reunion since 2019. This year, classes ending in 2’s and 7’s are marking milestone anniversaries, but we welcome alumni from all graduating years to come back and have fun.  The 50 Year Club will officially induct the classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 into this prestigious society. Additionally, Saturday night, the Council and University will honor four alumni, giving these four individuals awards for their service to Wheeling and their outstanding professional careers. Those individuals to be honored are: Andrew Tran ’12, Fr. James O’Brien Young Alumni Award; Patrick Gannon ’72, the Fr. Clifford Lewis Award for service to the University; Robby de Andrade ’72, the St. Ignatius Loyola Distinguished Alumni Award for extraordinary competence and personal compassion in one’s chosen profession; and Tom Burke ’72, the Alumni Magis Award for an individual’s hidden, faithful service to the University. To make your reservations for Alumni Weekend, simply click here. We look forward to seeing you in two weeks.

Once again, the University has received accolades from a national ranking service. Recently, Niche’ selected Wheeling as the second best university in West Virginia – only the state’s largest institution, WVU, received a higher ranking this year. Additionally, Wheeling was chosen as the Best Catholic College in the Ohio Valley. Niche’ selected Wheeling as the 44th best Catholic institution in the country. Last month, Niche’ chose Wheeling University, the state’s second best college for value. The University’s consistent recognition by ranking services is a testament to the quality, affordable education we provide students. Niche’ and other ranking services recognize that Wheeling offers students a well-rounded educational experience – grounded in Catholic tradition. We are grateful to Niche’ for recognizing the impact a holistic university experience makes in the lives of our students.

Friday, October 14, is a very busy day on campus. At Noon, The Most. Rev. Mark Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, will be on campus to preside at our annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. We are so delighted that Bishop Brennan can be here to celebrate this Mass with our community inside Troy Theater. That same day, at 4 p.m., a Memorial Mass will be held in the Chapel of Mary and Joseph for Dr. Helen Faso, who passed away recently. I invite all community members, including alumni and former faculty/administrators, to pay tribute to Dr. Faso and her contributions to this University.

Finally, I would like to thank the many students, faculty, coaches, and staff who took time Wednesday to help spruce up the campus ahead of this weekend’s activities. Your dedication to this University never goes unnoticed and is always greatly appreciated.

Blessings and Go Cards,

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Ginny R. Favede
President, Wheeling University