INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Staff and students at West Virginia State University came together on Tuesday afternoon for a tree planting ceremony on campus.
The event marked one year anniversary of the devastating April 2024 storms.
The storm felled several trees across campus. and also led to a power outage on campus.
The heartfelt ceremony also served as a tribute to people who provided support during and after the storm. The event also featured Earth Day and Arbor Day observances.
Dr. Michael Fultz
“The event today started the planning stage back in the fall semester as we have students who wanted to recognize the heroes of yesterday and how we can prepare for the future.” said Dr. Michael Fultz, Associate Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Dr. Fultz emphasized that the event was organized by the students.
“This was a student led, student – driven activity that all circled back to helping the future generation of our students.” said Dr. Fultz.
The American Chemical Society at WVSU played an important role in making the event possible.
“The American Chemical Society, here on campus worked to get the funding needed to endow a scholarship and some grant money to then pay for some trees, pay for the plaques and the awards that went out to the recipients today.” said Fultz.
Many students were a part of the event.
“It recognizes the people who helped during the storm and it inspires people to do the same in the future.” said Rahat Islam, a student at WVSU.
Story by Ananya Rautela