WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., May 24, 2016 — West Liberty University welcomed area high school juniors to campus recently to discover a Taste of CoLA. But it wasn’t a soft drink they sipped, it was a hands-on introduction to the College of Liberal Arts and its programs.

Canine officer 1st class Brantley with K-9 partner Jericho are demonstrating suspect apprehension. Corporal Martin of the Wheeling Police Department is acting as the suspect. 

“We welcomed 33 juniors from John Marshall High School last Friday and shared information about the Liberal Arts and the many career options that build on our programs,” said Dr. Tammy McClain, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA). “Students often wonder what the liberal arts are and what they can do with a degree in something like English or History if they don’t want to be teachers. This program was designed to help them understand just how diverse and useful a degree in Liberal Arts is, even in today’s world.”

Visiting students could choose to take part in four special presentations from a total of six topics meant to inspire and inform:

• BUDGETING AN INCOME, asked participants to devise a household budget that reflected the changing needs of individuals and families. This presentation was designed to illustrate the duties associated with careers using the Social Work degree.
• FIELD REPORT, allowed students to discover their inner geographers by exploring campus using a drone, GPS units and a portable weather station. They also learned to recognize the distinctive features of places like their hometowns to as far as a map could take them. This geography and planning program illustrated the Social Science degree.
• MAKING COMICS, offered a colorful look at English degrees as Dr. Jeremy Larance, assistant professor of English, discussed visual rhetoric. Students then created stories out of panels from famous graphic novels, as they saw what an English degree with a graphic narrative concentration might do.
• INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICES, introduced students to the field of criminal justice and allowed them to witness how specialized K-9 units work. This presentation displayed an important career path offered by the Criminal Justice program.
• PSYCH-OUT, gave visiting students the opportunity to participate in an assortment of psychology-related, hands-on learning demonstrations to assist those considering careers requiring a Psychology degree.
• REINVENTING THE VIKINGS, demonstrated how students can interpret the activities of these fearless seafarers by examining literary and archaeological evidence. This dramatic presentation offered a look at what a Social Science degree with a history concentration at WLU might involve.

Students enjoyed the opportunity to explore different fields of study, meet professionals in the various areas, talk to professors, walk around the campus, and just have fun, according to McClain.

High school counselor Marilyn Wehrheim looks on as Tifani Fletcher, assistant professor of psychology, demonstrates the anatomy of a sheep brain.

“I thought the program was wonderful. Our kids were excited to just be on the campus and then to be able to participate in the workshops, for many of them I think it sealed the deal. All the professors were so willing to give their time and to help our kids feel important. It was a unique program and very appropriate for our juniors,” said Marilyn Wehrheim, school counselor at John Marshall High School.

Wehrheim and the other John Marshall counselors are responsible for everything from personal counseling to academic advising, career choices, scholarship information and college counseling.

It was a very active day that included some help from WLU alumni like Wheeling Police Department K9 Officer Ryan Moore and Carlie Haywood, graduates of the Criminal Justice program, who demonstrated apprehension, explosive detection and drug detection, with the help of K9 officers.

“We loved having the students on campus to share our passion about our disciplines as they had fun. We hope to have this become a yearly event that all area high schools take advantage of as they help their students explore different career opportunities. It takes teamwork to make an event happen, and I am very appreciative of the WLU faculty and staff and the wonderful people from John Marshall High School who worked with us to provide this opportunity for the students,” McClain said. The next Taste of CoLA is planned for spring 2017.

For more information about the many opportunities provided by the West Liberty University College of Liberal Arts, visit the website at westliberty.edu/liberal-arts.

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