by Shawn Nowlin

The enslaved laborers who primarily built Roanoke College over 175 years ago were recognized on April 8. During the observance, members of the College and Roanoke Valley community congregated as a small group of Maroon undergraduates unveiled two bronze plaques on the Administration building.

In his comments at the ceremony, President Michael Maxey said, “Today is an expression of discovery – discovery of our own history, and the hope for the future discovery that historical research can bring to us.” Continue reading Roanoke College pays homage to enslaved skilled laborers →

On a April 9, the curved pathway leading to the Graduate Life Center’s entrance across from Squires Student Center at VA Tech was lined with bags brimming with shoes. More than 1,100 pairs of footwear of all sizes, the result of a month-long drive coordinated by the Graduate School’s Office for Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion (ORDI) were headed for a Soles4Souls intake center. Continue reading Soles4Souls shoe drive nets more than 1,100 pairs of shoes →

A few years ago, Douglas Younger, III was at a crossroads. His family was growing as he and his wife had recently welcomed their second son into the world. Doug was also fast approaching a major career milestone: two decades in the corporate world where he was making a name for himself in marketing for Fortune 500 companies and startups. By all the standard definitions of success, Doug had it all. But his father, Douglas Younger, Jr. (“Tennis Pro”) had just passed following a sudden fight with stage four cancer. Continue reading 3STEPS4WARD: A continuing Father-to-Son Family Legacy →

by Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH

Last week, the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) moved into Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This means that now anyone in our districts who is age 16 or older and who wants to get vaccinated is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Although everyone is now eligible, there are still quite a few people who are reluctant to get vaccinated. This is in part because misinformation about the vaccines persists. Continue reading Dispelling Myths Pt. 1 →