A view from along the rail trail near downtown Morgantown, photo by Aaron Geiger
Morgantown, West Virginia is one of the most unique places in the United States: it is close to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio; it is surrounded by wilderness and Appalachia; it is home to West Virginia University; it is the mother to a grand cultural mix of health care, coal mining, environmentalism, academia, pharmacology, athletics, and outdoor recreation. We’d venture to say the diversity of lifestyles is probably the most dynamic you’re going to find in the area.
That’s why we’ve decided to start a blog to clue some of Morgantown’s masses, potential students, and curious bystanders in on some of the more intimate and hidden areas of the town and its surrounding townships and hollers. We will focus on a different lifestyle each weekday, to be repeated each week. We’ll also do some smaller lifestyle vignettes on Fridays (that will not be repeated). We encourage you, the reader, to participate in adding your lifestyle and interests to our pages. We are inclusive. We are Mountaineers.
Mondays – Kirk Auvil will take you into the lives of gamers and hobbyists at the start of each week. Morgantown is home to a large crowd of enthusiasts, and they are passionate about what they do.
Tuesdays – Aaron Geiger ventures into the literary world of WVU, downtown Morgantown, and surrounding areas to investigate the weird lives of bibliophiles, verbal miscreants, and lingual voices. On its own, WVU hosts some incredible writers, poets, authors, and speakers. You can expect a Bryson-esque barrage of dry humor and interesting facts every Tuesday.
Wednesdays – Toni Cekada looks at the bread-and-butter of Morgantown and WVU: the spirit of volunteerism. From sending books to prisoners, to chronicling the Faces in the Mine to providing innovative outreach to the homeless, the town is a wonderful place to get your giving-back on. Expect Toni to unearth ways to volunteer you never knew existed, but always felt you should have been told.
Thursdays – Keri Gero investigates a little-known, but popular fact of Morgantown: pets and their owners. From jogging the rail trail with your dog, to finding apartments with dog parks and cat-friendly housing, to exploring the local shelters and dog-massaging parlors, Keri will bring the cultural gem of animal-friendly Morgantown to you.
Fridays – One of us will offer up a new vignette each week, maybe more, that will look into other lifestyles of Morgantown: the gay community, the Latino foundation, rifle team members, extreme sport enthusiasts—you name it. We’ll also take guest contributors here, too!
Thanks, and enjoy our site.
Mountaineer Life 