WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Sept. 18, 2020 — Cancellations of events have been a constant since March when the pandemic response demanded social distancing. Many schools and organizations turned to virtual events. Through it all West Liberty University’s Topper Station provided an abundance of programming, both academic and community-oriented to assist in the effort.
“During COVID-19, Topper Station became a leader in providing community information, celebrations, meetings and more to the Wheeling area. We are pleased to do this and know that many are grateful for our work,” said Jason Koegler, vice president of External Affairs.
Topper Station (topperstation.com) launched last September and is the second generation of WLUTV-14. Its streaming content reaches more than 100,000 Comcast households in the Ohio Valley. Its public content is free and available to everyone online. Its academic content is password protected and used by hundreds of WLU faculty and students daily.
Among his many duties as vice president of External Affairs, Koegler seeks to partner with the community. He also manages Topper Station and is happy to offer help to the community during the pandemic. Some of the recent community programming found on Topper Station include:
- The Linsly School Commencement in July
- Wheeling Park High School Commencement in August
- Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s Soundbite performance in September
- City of Wheeling Public Hearing in September
- Youth Services System Good Samaritan Award ceremony in September
“It’s nice to be able to help the community when it’s in a bind like this,” said Theresa Gretchen who is the executive director of Visual Media. “We (hoped) Topper Station would be a useful tool in the support of WLU’s virtual education initiatives, but it feels just as good to be able to be there for our community. We aim to be a resource for those in the community who need support with digital media streaming.”
Koegler and Gretchen are assisted by about 20 WLU students from a variety of majors that help in doing the filming, editing and other work. Most of these students receive some form of payment or scholarship advantages for their time.
“I needed a job on campus and my friend, a broadcasting major, suggested I applied. Since I was good at computers and I wanted to learn a new skill, I applied and I’ve learned a lot,” said Maria Murphy of Wheeling, who is an elementary education major.
“I just filmed for the Wheeling Symphony last Sunday and really enjoyed it. This is experience I know I can use as a teacher in uploading lectures and the use of technology.”
“Providing our students with the opportunity to connect with our community through public meetings, city government and cultural events like the symphony, that they might never have attended otherwise is a unique experience that few universities can provide. They also get a chance to meet and network with local leaders and WLU stakeholders,” added Gretchen, who also is an adjunct faculty member at the university.
All while gaining hands-on experience in the field of digital media.
Topper Station is also a source for ongoing community events that include the Ohio County Schools Board of Education, Wheeling City Council and the Hancock County Commission.
Of course, WLU classes and academic offerings is its biggest content generator since WLU’s now offers online, hybrid and in-seat classes due to the pandemic.
More than 40 professors, through 140 classes, have recorded nearly 900 lectures via Zoom and have created more than 2,000 hours of content, according to Koegler who is rightly proud of his team’s effort.
“Topper Station’s digital streaming platform has proved invaluable during the pandemic and we look forward to doing even more as the year continues,” Koegler said.
Visit topperstation.com for more information or to view the programming online. To reach Koegler, please call 304.780.8144.