Convergence
Capstone Blog

Mountaineer week has been a time-honored tradition here at West Virginia University for sixty-one years. Activities include the PRT cram, craft shows, and countless other activities. For this story I focused on two events Mountaineer Week was hosting this year, looking at an old tradition and also a brand new one. The Beard Growing Competition and The Inaugural push-up touchdown competition.

The first-ever beard growing competition was held in 1949. And is still one of the most anticipated events of the week. Any contestant that wants to is encouraged to enter. The only requirement is that they refrain from shaving their beard for four weeks. The contestants were judged on fullness of their beards and the top three received cash prices and congratulatory plaques. This year’s winner of 100 dollars and a champion’s plaque was Matthew Cree, a junior athletic coaching education major.

Story:

In addition to this old tradition the first ever Mountaineer Week Push up competition was held Nov. 10th . This competition was formulated by Rebecca Durst (last years Mountaineer.) She is known for laying right beside the male cheerleaders to perform their traditional push-ups when the Mountaineers score! Nineteen females participated in the competition. Carolyn Nelson, a senior psychology major, won the competition doing one hundred 74 push-ups. She received an i Pod for first place.

Both of these events took place within an hour of each other, and were located right inside the Mountanlair by the food court.

Students walking through the lair on their way to classes couldn’t help but stop and join the onlookers. A couple females even jumped in the Push-up competition because there were no pre-sign ups, ( anyone who wanted to could compete.) This made for an interesting crowd, and numerous participants.

The Mountaineer spirit is always high, and with the onset of Mountaineer Week, there is “Mountain Men” in the air. And winner of this years Beard Competition (Matthew Cree) divulged that he is considering running for Mountaineer next year. He wants to put his beard growing skills to good use.

Matthew also is excited to show his father his new championship plaque. He is currently stationed in Iraq and was cheering Matthew on from ever seas.

Cree Interview Extras:

Mountaineer Week is over for this year but that doesn’t mean that our Mountaineer family has to remain quiet in the stands. Be loud, Be proud, Be a Mountaineer!