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  • On Sunday, West Virginia University officially entered a powerhouse conference — the Big 12 — but it also embraced a new era of “bigger, better and bolder.” FILE PHOTO

    big 12 shirt
July 4, 2012

WVU primed for Big 12 challenge

Register-Herald Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sunday, July 1, West Virginia University officially entered a powerhouse conference — the Big 12 — but it also embraced a new era of “bigger, better and bolder.”

“We will officially join our new colleagues in the Big 12, and we will do so not just on the playing fields, but in the classrooms and in the research labs as well,” President Jim Clements told a sold-out crowd of Mountaineer faithful Thursday at the 34th annual WVU Alumni Luncheon on Capitol Hill. “This transition marks a new era of bigger, better and bolder. We’re joining a true power conference. Just look at the key word in the name of our new conference — BIG. That’s the true essence of a Mountaineer.

“Mountaineers strive to be the best at everything we do — and — we do it with the highest level of quality, nothing less.”

The entry into the Big 12 should be a celebration and reflection of what WVU has already accomplished, Clements said. But it shall also serve as a means for looking toward a bright future.

WVU enters the conference with a strong athletic record, Clements noted. WVU is one of only three programs (including Ohio State and Florida) to have won three BCS games and made a Final Four since 2005. He also applauded the women’s cross country Top 10 national finishes, women’s soccer NCAA appearances and the rifle team’s national championships.

More importantly, WVU has excelled on the academic field, Clements said.

WVU now has 22 Truman Scholars, and this year, the university’s 34th and 35th Goldwater Scholars were named.

Just this month, WVU announced its fifth Fulbright Scholar of the year — the most for WVU ever in one year. Student enrollment continues to climb to record highs.

“We’ve become a school of choice — not just for West Virginians, but for students from around the globe who recognize that WVU provides the education they need to succeed in an increasingly challenging and competitive workplace,” Clements said.

For nearly 35 years, the WVU Alumni Association’s National Capital Area Chapter has hosted the alumni luncheon on Capitol Hill honoring West Virginia’s congressional delegation and alumni and friends of WVU.

Sen. Joe Manchin and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito and David McKinley attended the luncheon, held at the Washington Court Hotel. Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Nick Joe Rahall were unable to attend, but were represented by staff.  

The luncheon ended with a video on how the Mountaineer spirit is alive and well at WVU through arts.

Proceeds from the luncheon benefit the John F. Nicholas Jr. National Capital Area Chapter Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to students in the D.C.-Metro area attending WVU. To date, the NCAC has raised more than $150,000 for scholarships, making it the second largest scholarship fund provided by an alumni chapter.

This year’s event sponsors included Alpha Natural Resources, The Arnold Agency, Chesapeake Energy, Clark Construction and Hamilton Insurance, as well as 17 WVU colleges and units.

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