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‘Halftime’ between semesters

The pine tree branches outside my window are heavy with falling snow, and the wind feels cold even from the warmth of the house. Writing this column a few days ahead of its distribution, the holiday break has provided both solace and perspective as we prepare for the upcoming spring semester at Davis & Elkins College. The calendar turns to a new year, often synonymous with fresh starts and resolutions. However, if I may borrow a sports analogy, for those of us in higher education, the pause at the end of the calendar year is less a brand-new game and more of a “halftime.” With the ...

In full swing

The new age of interventionism is now in full swing. Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela reinforced a trend that has been growing since the attack on the World Trade Center. Before that, you had the Iraqis’ invasion of Kuwait, America’s response, and George H.W. Bush’s intervention in Panama in 1989. Under Bill Clinton, you saw the dubious war that fractured Yugoslavia. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the United States relentlessly tried to make the Russian Federation a supplicant nation. Russia was plunged into chaos, leading President Boris Yeltsin to appoint Vladimir Putin ...

Our brains can change — and so can we

Have you ever heard or read a word that’s either new to you or that you’ve not encountered, and suddenly it starts cropping up everywhere? This is true for me with the word neuroplasticity.  It describes the brain’s ability to change and adapt by forming new neural connections and reorganizing existing ones in response to experiences, learning, or injury. It is the process of allowing new skills and/or changes in skills and abilities, as well as the opportunity to change dysfunctional patterns of thinking and behavior. This means that the brain is not a “fixed” organ and ...

Murky politics

Donald Trump’s decision to snatch Nicolas Maduro and his wife completed a largely smooth military operation. His choice of General Dan Caine as the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared to be an excellent decision. Technically, it went off without a hitch, but the politics are murky. What Trump did, however, was not without precedent in American history, even of the most recent variety. Joe Biden’s administration did not recognize Maduro’s government because they believed it was illegitimate due to vote rigging. Trump added the charge of drug trafficking even though he ...

Suiting up for the session

Finally, it is 2026 and things will begin ramping up from here as the new 60-day legislative session kicks off next week with the gaveling in of the House of Delegates and state Senate, and Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s second State of the State address. The West Virginia Press Association’s annual Legislative Lookahead is this Friday at the Culture Center in Charleston. The event serves as the kickoff for those in print, TV, radio, and non-profit news preparing for their statehouse coverage.  Reporters will hear from legislative majority and minority leadership, executive branch ...

Foundation

As December 2025 draws to a close, we find ourselves at a historic milestone. One fourth of the 21st Century is now behind us. For many, the last 25 years have flown by, as it inevitably does, but with a speed that’s hard to fathom. Even so, the years in West Virginia have been marked by progress. At the dawn of this millennium, West Virginia faced what many called “insurmountable” financial hurdles. Our state had massive unfunded liabilities in retirement plans maintained for schoolteachers and other state retirees. We were, quite literally, mortgaging our future to pay for ...