By Megan Jones, Advertising Manager
The College of Arts and Communication has a vibrant lineup of activities this Fall. The college is made up of art, theater, music performance, broadcasting, journalism, graphic design, music technology, directing, and more programs.
The theater department is starting out the semester strong. Recently, the Hilltop Players finished up Ramayana: Past in Present, the world-premiere first staging of student playwright John Sherwood’s musical. The theater season continues with another hit titled Poe: Master of Macabre on October 20, 21, and 27-30. After that, A Christmas Carol, which features professor Michael Aulick as Scrooge will run on Dec. 1-2 and 8-11.
Music performances are also in full swing. Dr. Linda Cowan, Chair of the Department of Music and Theater, will be directing a musical theater ensemble at the West Liberty Fall Festival on September 24. The Tri-State Choral and Band Festivals will take place during the week of September 25 and will continue through October 1. Talented high school students from the tr-state area will travel to West Liberty University and stay on campus for this fun recruitment opportunity.
Other guest performances, ensemble concerts, and a record 11 student recitals are planned for the fall semester, according to Dr. Cowan.
There is always something happening in the visual arts department, too. AIGA club, the professional association for design, will begin meeting weekly on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Currently in the Nutting Gallery in the Fine Arts Building, artist Won-il Chung’s “There as it is, photography” is on display. Artist Vernon F. Howell’s mixed media will take over the gallery on Sept. 28.
“I am always extremely proud of our faculty and students who do so much to promote the arts on and off-campus,” Cowan said. “They are the best representatives in our community and always excel in their work!
The Journalism and Communication department has also hit the ground running this semester. West Liberty’s television station, WLTV-14, includes a state of the art studio where students learn the techniques needed to further their careers. Noise Violation, a weekly show featuring local musical talent, will begin airing Sept. 28th and will continue every Wednesday, with additional sound provided by West Liberty’s Music Technology Department. The WGLZ radio station is always active on campus; you can constantly tune in to the station and listen to student shows.
The academic year’s first issue of The Trumpet, West Liberty’s student-run newspaper, hit the newsstands on Sept. 1. A group of new staff members join returning online editor, Ian Beabout and have taken over the weekly-publication, including editor Daniel Morgan, assistant editor Morgan Goddard, sports editor Cody Shook, distribution manager Jalyn Bolyard, and ad manager Megan Jones. They plan on having a great fall semester.
Whether you catch a stage play, walk through the art gallery, hear a choir student practicing, or get interviewed by a student writing an article, you can always find something to get into in the Fine Arts Building.
For more information on the College of Arts and Communication, contact the dean, Dr. Matthew Harder, at [email protected], or department chairs Cowan at [email protected] and Professor Brian Fencl at [email protected].
Photo by Ian Beabout
