INSTITUTE, W.Va — School pride paints the campus at West Virginia State University this week as classes begin for another academic year.
WVSU President Ericke Cage
As returners settle back in and incoming freshmen get ready for their first lectures, WVSU president Ericke Cage has been busy making sure every Yellowjacket is prepared to get started.
“My wife and I helped parents and students earlier this week as our new students moved into the residence halls, and it’s always an exciting part of the academic year to welcome new members to the State family,” he said.
Faculty and staff returned to campus last week ahead of classes beginning, and Cage took that as an opportunity to set forth a vision for the coming year. It’s a simple one, but he believes there’s a tremendous chance ahead for the university.
“I said this is going to be a year of action and opportunity at West Virginia State, an opportunity for us to double down on our mission of transforming lives through excellence in education,” he said.
New students will receive a formal introduction to just what Yellowjacket pride is all about. “State Stride” has become an annual opening week tradition and is scheduled for this Thursday.
“We’re a family at West Virginia State University, and when you come to our institution, you are embraced, and what ‘State Stride’ does is it gives our students an opportunity to be formally welcomed to the State family,” Cage said.
That event includes remarks from President Cage and a parade of new students through campus with support from faculty, staff, and alumni. Cage underlined the importance that the West Virginia State faculty, staff, alumni, and supporter community have to making the university what it is today.
“We are a small institution, but we have an incredible impact, and that is because of the dedicated faculty, staff, administrators, and community of supporters that stand behind our university,” he said.
The start to the academic year can be many things on a college campus, from athletic teams hitting the practice field and student organizations holding meetings to freshmen simply trying to find the best time to stop into the cafeteria. With all that in mind, Cage hopes that students will quickly learn what it means to be a Yellowjacket.
“We try to impress upon our students to be proud of the fact that you are a Yellowjacket because you are joining a rich tradition, a tradition that will help you change your lives again through excellence in education,” he said.