Despite the title, I am not going to spend a lot of time on the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 players and 5 coaches of the Marshall University football team (as well as 33 other people). I was 11 years old when it happened and really don’t remember much about it. Later, when I was in high school, I had a psychology teacher who was a member of the football team during that time. For whatever reason he was not aboard that ill-fated plane. I always wondered what heavy burdens that placed on his life. From the Ashes We Rose!
In 2006, film crews descended upon Huntington to make the movie “We Are Marshall”. I do believe that the local women still have visions of Matthew McConaughey dancing in their heads. Seriously, it was a cool time for this part of the state and for the Marshall Campus. Soon after the filming, Marshall changed their logo to
With that said, Marshall University has other sources of pride. It is one of these that is the reason for my visit today……The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall.
In 1983 the WV legislature established the Autism Training Center at Marshall. Since then, over 900 families of children with autism have registered for services from the center. In 2002 a college program for students with Asperger’s Disorder was established. These students are given the support they need to earn a college degree and lead productive, independent lives. There are 33 of them enrolled at present! With a little support we rise!
So…..let’s talk about my trip to Marshall Campus today. Of course it is raining buckets and Lesa and I aren’t sure where we are going so we get directions at the hotel and head out on our sure-to be-wet journey. We make it to the parking garage then set out on foot. These are my feet:
Yeah, I know I have on sandals. In my defense, it was sunny and seventy degrees when I left town yesterday! I did get a bit ingenious when it came to keeping my materials for the meeting dry:
A little piece of hillbilly luggage!
Lesa and I finally made it to the meeting thanks to our trusty campus map which was a bit worse for wear by the time we got there. From the puddles we dry!
Our meeting was at the Student Center.
I don’t know if you can see, but there were signs up all over the place advertising Rush Week! I looked around until I found the Fraternity my son joined during his college days at Marietta. Here it is!
And he told me it was an “academically oriented” fraternity! Despite the beer kegs we shine!
wayfaringandwanderlust 
I remember that day vividly. I was working at Ames Co and our manager of Sales, George Nathan’s son was on that plane. It was so devastating for their family.
A tough time in the history of our state. But “from the ashes we rose”!