How will you remember your college days?
The West Virginia University Emeritus Graduates and the Alumni Center have joined together to create a continuing documentation of the history of WVU.
"Our goal is to create a lasting, living continuing history of the University," said Tara Curtis, director of communications for the WVU alumni center.
She said the project will consist of gathering stories and videos from pivotal moments at the University, as well as memorabilia, to document the history of WVU over time.
"We want to create a history that can be archived. There isn't really a comprehensive history of the university currently," Curtis said.
Al Ware, president of the Emeritus Graduates at WVU, earned his undergraduate degree from WVU in 1950 and graduate degree in 1952.
He said the idea for the Heritage Project has grown over time with the invention of new methods of communication.
"When I was in college more than 59 years ago, everything was done by mail or telephone. Now we have things like the World Wide Web, Twitter and Facebook. Before these inventions, there was no way to document the happenings of the University," Ware said. "Graduates could come back and talk about what happened, but there was no way to archive these moments."
He said the project is about keeping memories alive.
"Heritage is all about memories," he said. "Memories are wonderful and important in any university. It gives graduates and current students the opportunity to tell about things that occur during their years at WVU."
Ware said he encourages students to participate in the project and contribute their memories to the project's online archives.
"Heritage starts when students are still in college. It is important to be involved because it gives strength to your future. Students in the future will want to know what WVU was like hundreds of years ago," he said. "Keep your memories alive. Keep the friendships that develop in college.
"Throughout life, you only maintain a handful of friendships. Classmates are extremely valuable as you grow in years and experience the same things together. Looking back, my closest friends are people I met in college. I even met my wife in college."
Curtis also encourages students to participate in the project.
"It is important for students to realize they play a pivotal role in the history of the University. Many current students have gone through several major moments in the history of our country together," Curtis said.
Ware said he is excited about the opportunity the project presents.
"Everyone can enjoy reading it. It is wonderful to look back and see what you did as a student and how it influenced your present," he said.
Students and alumni of WVU can share messages, videos or photos by visiting http://heritageproject.wvu.edu.
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