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MONDAY APRIL 15, 2019
Nonprofit hosts first-ever pride festival in Morgantown history BY GABRIELLA BROWN STAFF WRITER A few hundred residents showed up to Morgantown Pride’s first-ever block party on Saturday in South Park. Morgantown Pride, a local nonprofit, was created just ten weeks ago with the goal to establish more LGBTQ representation in Morgantown. The block party was their first major event, but many more are in the works, according to organizers. “What we are trying to do is give back more to the community,” said Johnny Perry, the social media and events coordinator for Morgantown Pride. “We want to do more LGBTQ+ teen nights, family events and different fundraisers throughout the year so we can we can have a nicer pride festival next year.” With limited time to put the event together, Morgantown Pride still managed to bring in 50 performers from around the state. Along with live music throughout the day, there was
PHOTO BY JOE SEVERINO
Various artists of wide-ranging genres performed live music throughout the day. face painting, drag-queen story time and vendors scattered throughout. Perry said putting all this together was no easy task, but well worth the effort.
“All of us have full-time jobs within the community and some board members are students, so it was working together every evening and waking up early before work,” Perry
said. “It was just a lot of effort and a lot of support from our friends and loved ones.” Because of the hard work of the board members, the block party was
an eye-opening experience to how diverse Morgantown really is for many in attendance. “I didn’t realize how important events like this were until I actually came,” said Sarah Cooper, a world languages graduate student at WVU. “So many different people from so many different backgrounds and walks of life are just here having fun.” Along with uniting hundreds of community members of all ages together, Danielle Walker, a Democratic representative of District 51 in the West Virginia House of Delegates, said the event had an even deeper meaning that represents what Morgantown Pride and the LGBTQ+ community stand for. “Events like this bring inclusion, events like this bring education, but most importantly, events like this bring love,” said Walker. “I see a sea of rainbows where everyone can just be who they are and no one is judgmental, no one has hate in their heart, because hate has no home here or anywhere.”
SEE PAGE 3 FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE EVENT
WVU tuition increase lowest in 20 years, up 1.4 percent for residents, non-residents BY JOE SEVERINO NEWS EDITOR The WVU Board of Governors voted Friday to increase resident and non-resident tuition and fees for the 2019-20 academic year, but by the lowest rate in more than 20 years. WVU SGA President Isaac Obioma was the only no vote on the proposal. The following tuition and fee increases per semester will be in effect next year: • Undergraduate residents: $60 or 1.36% • Undergraduate non-residents: $180 or 1.44% • Graduate residents: $72 or 1.44% • Graduate non-residents: $189 or 1.47% • WVU Medicine residents: $72 or 1.44% • WVU Medicine non-residents: $189 or 1.47% The increases across the board are the lowest since 1998, according to
PHOTO BY JOE SEVERINO
WVU President E. Gordon Gee and the WVU Board of Governors listening to SGA annual report on Friday. the Chronicle for Higher Education. The next lowest rate increase was in 2010, when the University raised tuition 1.9% for in-state residents and 3.7% for non-residents. Total University tuition and fee rates per semester for the 2019-20 academic year are now as follows: • Undergraduate residents: $3,828 • Undergraduate non-residents: $12,000
• Graduate residents: $4,410 • Graduate non-residents: $12,420 • WVU Medicine residents: $4,410 • WVU Medicine non-residents: $12,420 For all non-medical undergraduate colleges at WVU, all total tuition and fees increases did not reach more than $75 for West Virginia residents and $200 for non-residents.
Student health insurance rates per year increased to $1,086, up from $1,000. Application, orientation and most other student fees did not see an increase. A new late registration fee has been created for students who register for the fall or spring semesters after the first assessment date, which will cost $50. A $100 international student fee for the summer semester has also been created. For freshmen housing, rate increases per semester average around 3%, or about $100. Meal plan rates also increased by an average of 3%. Paula Congelio, vice president and chief financial officer for WVU Health Sciences, said the meal plan rate increase is due to new plan options being rolled out next year. The University will begin its second year with Sodexo, a private company that operates WVU Dining Services. WVU apartments, such as College Park and University Place, will see their rent increase from $40 to $70
a month. Congelio added that WVU is expecting around 4,900 students in the 2019 freshman class. Tuition increases over the last six years for undergraduate students (resident and non-resident): • 2014: 7.8% and 4.0% • 2015: 9.7% and 4.9% • 2016: 4.7% and 4.9% • 2017: 4.8% and 5.0% • 2018: 5.7% and 5.6% • 2019: 1.4% and 1.4% In an interview with the DA on March 24, WVU President E. Gordon Gee said because the state legislature did not make cuts to higher education funding this year, he thinks if there are any tuition hikes at all, he expects the increases to be “very moderate” ones. “I think with the stability of our budget, I think the expectation would be that if there is any, it will be very, very modest,” Gee said.