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Socialist candidates have been enjoying political wins across the nation, but what do BU students think about socialism, and why is it popular? Find out in this audio story.

As one of his first initiatives as the new provost and chief academic officer at Bluefield University, Dr. Jason Craig introduced a new mentor program designed to strengthen relationships between faculty members and student-athletes.

The program was created to provide a bridge between the classroom and the athletic venue, helping professors develop relationships with student-athletes outside of the academic environment while serving as representatives of athletic teams on campus.

“It (the mentor program) is there for the students to feel supported and that they have a bridge between the classroom and the sport they play,” Dr. Craig said. “It also gives them someone to talk to that is not their coach or professor so they can perform to the highest standard.”

Bluefield University’s women’s soccer team has forfeited the rest of the 2026 season due to injuries, which include ACL tears, knee injuries, and ankle injuries. Athletics Director Corey Mullins explained the decision.

“Through the course of the preseason and into the first couple of matches of the season, we had some injuries and some other issues that we felt like it was not gonna be physically safe for our team to continue to play,” Corey Mullins said. “We just could not field a team . . . that was gonna be able to go out there every day and play for ninety minutes.”

The team played its first game against Reinhardt on September 14. Although the roster included 15 players, multiple girls were coming back from last year’s injuries and were not cleared to play. The team’s single sub was allowed to play only a short time because she also was coming back from an injury.

Home Nights are a time when students at Bluefield University can come together to worship God. They happen every Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in Harman Chapel. Campus Pastor Mason West gives some insight into what goes on during these nights and the responsibilities of student worship leaders.

“The main goal of Home Nights is to create a place where students can encounter God’s presence, grow in their faith, and experience genuine Christian community,” West said.

West said the reason they call it Home is because “we want students to find a spiritual family where students are known, encouraged, and challenged to become who God has called them to be, but overall to find their home in the presence of God.”

The 35th annual Duremdes Christian Emphasis Week, held September 21-25, was a memorable experience as guest speaker Danny Morales’s creative and passionate preaching helped students go deeper in their walk with the Lord.

According to a BU press release, Christian Emphasis Week was created in 1992 by Drs. Gene and Jane Duremdes of Princeton, West Virginia. Thanks to their faith and generosity, hundreds of BU students have made professions of faith and been baptized over the past three decades.

Sensing a special calling to “share with the students of Bluefield University some of the blessings they have received from the Lord,” the Duremdes created the event with BU leaders to allow students and the public at-large to “examine their spiritual lives” and to “seek answers to life-impacting questions.”

What was once hailed as a technological breakthrough with the potential to transform how people work has quickly become a concern in most college classrooms. As students turn to AI tools to help complete their work, professors are grappling with how to use the technology as a learning tool without allowing it to replace learning itself.

With multiple breakthroughs in AI in recent years, many students are relying on AI to complete their schoolwork and other daily tasks. In fact, a recent survey conducted by ed-tech provider Instructure found that 90 percent of college students use some sort of artificial intelligence to complete their assignments.

“The thing with AI and students, I believe, is it is affecting the student’s ability to think critically, causing them to not have their own opinions about certain topics,” said Caleb Casey, a BU student. “Most times now, instead of a student trying to learn and understand a certain topic, AI just does it for them.”

For many students at Bluefield University, Christmas at Bluefield is a special time of year with festive music and celebrations, but will the new academic calendar have students saying bye-bye to Saint Nick? 

Christmas at Bluefield is an annual event of music and celebration hosted by the Department of Music, held typically in December in Harman Chapel. The event features performances by the university’s instrumental and vocal ensembles, including the Chapel Worship Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Masterworks Chorale, and Variations Ensemble. But many are wondering if the event will happen this year since the fall semester ends before Thanksgiving. 

“We will celebrate on December 5 after the semester ends,” said Dr. Jeremy Yowell, assistant professor of music and worship arts. “Christmas at Bluefield is too important a tradition to miss, especially because it brings together so many people from our campus and surrounding community.”

Graham High School (GHS) students planning to attend Bluefield University now have a new scholarship opportunity that could help with the cost of college.

BU trustee Jack Reasor and his wife Cindy recently established the Reasor Family Graham High School Scholarship for graduates who choose to attend Bluefield University. According to the BU website, the scholarship is available for GHS students who enroll in on-campus BU classes during the fall semester, beginning with the GHS class of 2026.

Bryan Worrall, Bluefield University’s vice president for advancement, said students can continue receiving the scholarship throughout their undergraduate careers if funding is available and they remain in good academic standing. The scholarship is specifically for tuition, and the amount will depend on the number of eligible students and the growth of the endowed fund.

This weekend, Bluefield Youth and Community Theatre will present their production of “Smoke on the Mountain,” directed by alumna Tiffany Carter. The show follows the Sanders Family Singers on their first night in five years performing at a Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a small Baptist church in the Smoky Mountains. The show includes classic hymns such as “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” and “I’ll Fly Away,” with rousing monologues from each character. The show will open on Thursday, October 15, and run through Sunday, October 18.

The show has been a collaborative effort between alumnae Ashley Burton-Pruitt and Tiffany Carter. Both directors share a vision and heart for the show. Pruitt and Carter have worked together for a long time, making the process of this show seamless and enjoyable for them.

“It’s like a beautiful breeze,” said Carter. “I’ve known her a long time so there is a natural comfort and understanding of what she needed me to do. Everything she does is lovely and it has been a joy to join her in this show.”

In August, Rilla Cooper joined the inaugural class of BU’s online doctorate in education. She is one of five Bluefield employees and 21 total students enrolled in the first course of the Doctor of Education (EdD) program this semester.

“It’s one of the few programs I feel like I could do a doctoral level program and work full-time and have kids full-time and do it all together,” said Cooper, who serves as director of student success. She also teaches University Foundations classes, which replaced Career Pathways.

Bluefield University was approved as a level five institution in June, which allows it to offer up to three doctoral programs. Currently, the university offers the EdD Cooper is working toward, as well as a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Dr. Shellie Brown, who founded and teaches in the EdD program, said working toward doctoral programs was the primary motivation for Bluefield College changing its name to university in 2021.

Bluefield University recently launched its first-ever doctoral programs: a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with seven concentrations and a Doctor of Education (EdD) with three concentrations.

According to the Bluefield University website, BU has integrated a wide variety of new doctoral programs that will help workers boost their average salary by $22,776. The doctoral programs in business include seven concentrations in finance, health informatics, healthcare management, human resources, justice administration, leadership, and sports management.

“Bluefield University having doctoral programs opens up the university to offer even more programs to help students reach their goals [and] enables the university to have degrees at all three levels [bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral],” said Dr. Shellie Brown, founding director of the EdD program.

For many college students, graduation means saying goodbye to the campus that has been a huge part of their lives for years. However, for two Bluefield University alumnae, graduation didn’t mean leaving behind BU. Instead, it meant returning to campus in new roles.

For Abbie Justis and Elle Gunter, their journeys at BU have come full circle as they have gone from students to staff members. Although their paths to BU were different, both found opportunities at the university that encouraged them to stay after graduation.

For Gunter, Bluefield has always felt like home. When she was looking to transfer from her previous school, BU was willing to work with her even though she was transferring in late. While convenience played a part in her decision, her experience at BU quickly became about much more than just that.

The music department at Bluefield University experienced some changes this year when Dr. Andy Necessary retired over the summer. Dr. Necessary was a beloved professor at Bluefield for many years who brought much joy through his passion for music and his students.

“Dr. Necessary always made sure everyone felt at home. His band was like a second family to him. Even when we were small in numbers, we were never small at heart. He encouraged every one of us to not only play with confidence but to carry that confidence to serve our university and the community no matter what we did,” said John Thompson, a previous student of Dr. Necessary.

While Dr. Necessary will be greatly missed, BU is excited to welcome Dr. Carl Hess as director of bands and assistant professor of music. He is very excited to implement new changes and shows for the band. Dr. Hess attended Graham High School and has a great passion for the community in the Bluefield area.

Dr. Jason Craig began serving as Bluefield University’s newest provost on July 7, 2026. Dr. Craig brings experience in a myriad of areas including physical therapy, along with years of background in higher education as a student, professor, and senior academic leader. Since beginning at Bluefield University, Dr. Craig has brought new ideas and helped spur progress at our very own “lighthouse on the hill.”

Dr. Craig, who originally is from America, grew up and received his education in Northern Ireland. After earning his bachelor’s in physical therapy, he went straight to earning his research-based PhD through the same university, the University of Ulster. After around four and a half years of research, Dr. Craig earned his PhD and began teaching at his alma mater.