WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., May 6, 2015 — Five West Liberty University students and two faculty members were welcomed into the Order of the Torch honorary society, Wednesday, April 29 in a ceremony held in the alumni room located in College Union.
Graduating seniors C.J. Hester, West Mifflin, Pa., Anthony Panebianco, Wintersville, Ohio and Ben Rogers, Woodstock, Ga., along with rising seniors Dan Lukich, Washington, Pa. and Joshua Taylor, Wheeling, were the student scholars who achieved this designation. Hester was accepted into dental school at West Virginia University, where he will continue his education. Panebianco plans on teaching music in the public schools while maintaining a performance career locally. He also is in search of a graduate school for music education, composition or performance. Rogers, a writing and rhetoric major, is going into the professional field.
Associate Professor and Basketball Coach Jim Crutchfield and Assistant Professor of Biology and the 2014 West Virginia Professor of the Year Dr. Zachary Loughman also were inducted into the men’s honorary society during a festive lunch celebration.
In addition to the new members, seven current members attended the induction ceremony and congratulated the new honorees.
Order of the Torch membership includes leading faculty members, staff and WLU’s highest achieving students. Selection is made based upon a demonstration of excellence and leadership in three areas: classroom academics, campus activities and community service.
The honorary society has a rich tradition and dates back to 1932, when West Liberty was a State Teachers College and then President J.S. Bonar organized the Torch Society, to serve as the ranking men’s honorary. The organization consisted of faculty members, staff and the most distinguished male students in terms of scholarship, service and sportsmanship.
The Torch was reinvigorated through the efforts of former President Robin C. Capehart and is now known as the Order of the Torch. By retaining the symbol of the torch, the updated honorary maintains tradition and links to the rich history of WLU, West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education established in 1837. It continues to serve as the most highly regarded men’s honorary society at West Liberty University today.
Similarly, the Liber Society is the highest ranking honor society for women.