All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Community connections: Lesson for WVU students focuses on how stories, those scary and those not, can bring people together

Students in Lisa Di Bartolomeo’s Russian Fairy Tales class recently shared fairy tales and scary stories as a way to make real world connections to class content. (WVU Illustration/Rachel Johnson)

MORGANTOWN — As the local legend goes, more than a dozen people have been murdered in Booger Hole, a small town in Clay County.

While the gory details of each murder are widely disputed, one thing all the locals can agree on is this: Booger Hole is haunted. Angry mobs, wandering travelers and Confederate soldiers are all said to have fallen victim to its evil forces.

Ahead of Halloween, Allie Douglas, a West Virginia University student from Elkview studying immunology and medical microbiology, recently stood at the front of a large lecture hall to share the stories of Booger Hole with her classmates and her professor, Lisa Di Bartolomeo, a professor of Russian and Slavic and Eastern European studies, in a class about Russian fairy tales.

“By going back into Russian history and Russian folklore we can see how many similarities there are from culture to culture, time period to time period. Hopefully, that demonstrates to people that you don’t need to hate people from another culture or another country because we all are basically the same,” Di Bartolomeo said.

With COVID-19 still creating logistical challenges in higher ed classrooms, Di Bartolomeo said she wanted to give her students an alternative to exams.

For the story assignment, she instructed her students to research local folklore and fairy tales from their hometowns in the hopes of driving connectedness within families, communities, neighborhoods and history.

“There’s no better way to appreciate one’s own culture and community than hearing other people’s stories of their own experiences both with folklore and other stuff,” Jaxon Miller, a history major from Hurricane who is also a teaching assistant for the class, said.

Di Bartolomeo said her goal, the purpose of the class, is for students to learn about Russian culture and its historical context while identifying cultural commonalities, including those close to home.

Other stories includedsome of the most notable names in Appalachian folklore like Mothman and the Flatwoods monster. Such folklore, Di Bartolomeo said, is important as an expression of human psychology and sociology.

“I’m less concerned that they memorize each Russian fairy tale, I’m much more concerned that they take away the 30,000-foot view of, ‘This is what folklore is about. This is what folklore can tell us about ourselves and about our culture,’” Di Bartolomeo said.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Woman arrested on six felony charges after allegedly shooting at a man in Upshur County

Jocelyn M. Krum, 28, of Charleston, was arrested on six felony charges after allegedly entering a Mt. Lebanon Road residence in Upshur County with a rifle and shooting at a man before fleeing the scene.

Buckhannon man sentenced to 11 to 21 years for Bailey Ridge Road shootout

Austin W. Arbogast, 26, was sentenced to 11 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges stemming from a March 2024 shootout on Bailey Ridge Road while attempting to retrieve his child.

Mountain East Conference extends invitation to Shawnee State University

The Mountain East Conference has approved Shawnee State University as its 12th full-time member, with the school set to join in 2026 pending NCAA Division II acceptance and expanding league competition in 19 sports.
Davis and Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College students recognized for high academic honors for Spring 2025 semester

Davis & Elkins College has announced the Spring 2025 president’s list, for students earning 4.0 GPAs, and dean’s list, for those earning 3.6 to 3.99, honoring academic excellence campus-wide.

Ketha Pearl Simmons

Ketha Pearl Simmons, 83, of French Creek, died at home on June 30, 2025, is survived by three children, ten grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and will be remembered at a Frenchton Community Church service.
Fred Eberle Technical Center

Fred W. Eberle Technical Center Administrative Council to meet July 8

The Fred W. Eberle Technical Center Administrative Council is scheduled to hold a regular meeting on July 8, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the center, focusing on career and technical education programs.

Man faces new charge related to stolen UTV from Barbour County

Travis Medina, 41, of Buckhannon, faces a new charge of receiving or transferring stolen goods after authorities found a UTV reportedly stolen from Barbour County.

River Fest returns in August with free food, live music and paddling for the whole community

River Fest will return August 23 with free food, live music, beginner kayaking, and community activities for all ages, aiming to attract 200 attendees and celebrate the Buckhannon River in memory of its founder, April Keating.

On the City of Buckhannon calendar: June 30 – July 4, 2025

Buckhannon has announced upcoming public meetings, July 4th holiday closures, a community celebration and fireworks, yard waste collection dates, and information on utility payments and city service requests available online.