Those students who earned the highest grades in WVU s Bennett Tower will gain the fullest stomachs on Wednesday, Feb. 13, when Bennett Tower hosts the 6th annual academic recognition banquet.

Students living in Bennett who earned a 3.0 grade-point average or higher during the fall semester will be treated to prime rib, cod and chicken cordon bleu.

“Its a way to show our students that we appreciate their accomplishments and it also encourages them to keep up their hard work,”said Joan Paglialunga, Bennett Tower resident faculty leader.

According to Paglialunga, 170 students out of the 435 living there received invitations to the academic banquet.”Thats a pretty good number,”she said.

Each student will receive a certificate and those who achieved a 4.0 will be awarded a Bennett Tower Scholar key ring.

WVU President David C. Hardesty and his wife, Susan, will be on hand to offer words of continued success and inspiration to the students.

The buffet-style dinner will start at 5 p.m. in the Blue Room of Lyon Tower. Entertainment will be provided by student musicians.

Bennett Towers academic banquet is one of the many unique programs that has stemmed from Operation Jump-Start, a nationally recognized program initiated by Hardesty in 1996 to assist freshmen and residence hall residents in adjusting to college life.