Bluefield College Celebrates Women’s History

March was Women’s History Month – commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history – and Bluefield College celebrated the event in a variety of ways.

“(Celebrating Women’s History Month) is important because the contributions of women have not always been celebrated or valued as they should,” said Dr. Josh Arnold, associate vice president for student development. “Yet, women are supremely important in the eyes of God as equal and fellow image-bearers alongside men.”

As part of the celebration, the college hosted a panel discussion, led by Tonia Walker, vice president for intercollegiate athletics. The panel featured BC women in leadership roles. It was followed by lunch with the ladies where students were invited to continue discussion.

 “I feel like we have a lot to learn from each other,” said Anne Pelchar, BC’s director of student engagement about the panel discussion. “I think there’s a lot students can learn from this panel of women and the panel discussion. I hope it is something that we will do year after year with different women.”

BC’s Student Activities Leadership Team (SALT) also solicited submissions from students and staff celebrating women they know — what they admire about them and what makes them great. The submissions or stories were posted on Instagram throughout the month of March.

“We see in Scripture that Jesus protected women, empowered women, honored women publicly, released the voice of women, confided in women, was funded by women, celebrated women by name, learned from women, respected women, and spoke of women as examples to follow,” Arnold said. “We should do the same.”

Pelchar said she and other organizers of the celebration considered other ideas to commemorate women, but were not able to execute them. She said the hope is to implement those ideas and others into a Women’s History Month celebration next spring.