THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Monday September 15, 2014
Volume 128, Issue 21
www.THEDAONLINE.com
Gee talks direction, growth of U by carlee lammers editor-in-chief @CARLEELAMMERS
Gordon Gee wants to increase the quality of educational experiences at West Virginia University – without forcing students to dig deeper into their pockets. It’s an age-old issue that universities across the country are trying to com-
bat. Gee, who was named the full-time University President in March, said he is up for the challenge. “We can’t simply do it the old way, which is to raise tuition and raise fees and try to bring in a little money on the side, and hopefully the state will be supportive,” he said. “Really, we have to rethink that.” One of Gee’s goals is to
raise the size of the entering class within the next four to five years. He said he would ultimately like to boast a student population of 40,000 students. “We have to do that qualitatively, not quantitatively,” he said. “We want to make sure we continue to meet our academic expectations and accomplish
those goals.” Gee said by raising the size of the student population, WVU will enter a “different arena” in terms of academics. In June, the WVU Board of Governors approved a tuition hike of $252 per semester for resident students and $396 for non-residents. Gee said the University needs to better partner
WEST VIRGINIA 40 | MARYLAND 37
SWEET REVENGE “I just couldn’t be happier for our team, coaching staff, our fan base. Everyone needed this one.”
with the state of West Virginia and continue campaigns such as the “A State of Minds” campaign, to better the lives of students and faculty on campus, without having to raise costs. “We need to continue to advocate to the state, about the fact that they have a responsibility to the University, as we do to them,” he said. “We can’t be the
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WVU Quidditch team going strong into fifth year by kendall snee
— West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen
correspondent @dailyathenaeum
andrew spellman/the daily athenaeum
for more coverage, see sports page 10
economic, social and cultural engine of the state if we don’t have a strong partnership.” Earlier this month, the University’s “A State of Minds” campaign exceeded its fundraising goal of $750 million. The campaign hopes to reach its new goal of $1 billion by December
What started as a floor activity in a residence hall five years ago has evolved into one of West Virginia University’s most unique clubs. From getting the gist of the rules through their extensive Harry Potter knowledge, to having participants sign injury waivers, the WVU Quidditch team has come a long way. “Since my freshman year we’ve been playing, but we weren’t official until a year later,” said Michael Hipelius, a senior geology student and club treasurer. “We were basically inventing the game as we went, then we found out it was actually a real thing with a world cup and a rule book and everything.” Hipelius was also one of the first founding members to the club. But not every player is as experienced as Hipelius. Dan Ryan, a freshman chemistry student, is new to the team this year. “I saw a video on YouTube, and I’m a big Harry Potter fan,” Ryan said. “I used to play football and that really helped me.” Ryan is a “keeper,” which is the basic defense for the team. Ryan has also recently suffered an MCL sprain and a possible meniscus tear from playing Quidditch. He said the game has a good amount of physical contact. “Yeah, there’s tackling,” Hipelius said. “The snitch can tackle too, sometimes he likes to pull the broom out from under you. We spend a great deal of time teaching our players how to tackle someone correctly.” Hannah Clipp, a ju-
nior wildlife and fishery resources student is a “beater,” for the team. “It might be bad to say but I picked (the position) because there’s less chance of injury.” Despite the risk of injury, the team is still eager to play. “It really is nice exercise and a friendly environment,” said Spenser McGowan, an undeclared freshman student. “I’m also a Beater. We have ‘Bludgers’ aka kickballs that we throw at the ‘seekers,’ forcing them off their brooms, and then they have to run back to their side.” McGowan and Clipp take turns throwing kickballs at the incoming offensive “seekers.” One of the hardest obstacles the club has had to deal with is attendence. Despite having three practices a week, they still find it hard to get everyone together at one time. The team practices every Monday and Thursday from 6-8 p.m. in front of the Life Science Building on the grass. The team also has practice on Sundays from 1-3 p.m. by Towers with an annual scrimmage. The WVU Quidditch team plays different colleges from near and far. “We’re working to beef up and be more competive,” Hipelius said. Hipelius said he especially enjoys spending time with his teammates. “We are all best friends and it’s really chill,” Hipelius said. “Anyone can join. We only have 19 players and we need 21 to be a tournament level.” Students interested in joining the club can email wvuquidditch@gmail.com. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Color Me Rad race mixes fun, charity in Morgantown by alyssa lazar staff writer @dailyathenaeum
More than 3,500 people determined who was “rad enough” by participating in the Color Me Rad 5K at Mylan Park on Saturday. The festival’s stop in Morgantown was just one of about 70 stops the tour takes across the country in 2014. Runners of all ages began the race in pure white clothing and finish covered in a
rainbow of colors. Throughout the race, volunteers threw color bombs, which are packets of blue, green, yellow, pink and purple corn starch, on participants. William Strauss, event director and registration manager for the Color Me Rad 5K, said he was pleased with the turn-out and the enthusiasm participants displayed for the race. “I love watching people be active. This isn’t your traditional race; it isn’t your
75° / 56°
IDOL GOES ‘80s
INSIDE
Check out our coverage from this weekend’s Mountaineer Idol. A&E PAGE 6
MOSTLY SUNNY
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 6 Sports: 7, 8, 10 Campus Connection: 5 Puzzles: 5 Classifieds: 9
typical 5K,” Strauss said. “It is awesome seeing people coming out and doing a 5K for the first, or even second time.” The Color Me Rad 5K is loosely based on the Hindu Festival of Colors, where participants spray colors on other people. Hindus celebrate the arrival of the new season of spring, while participants in the Color Me Rad 5K celebrate their newly found “radness.” A portion of each festi-
val’s profits go toward a local charity. Profits for the race in Morgantown benefit the Rosenbaum Family House, an extension of West Virginia University Healthcare. “The Family House contacted us and gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse,” Strauss said. “They told us how great Morgantown was.” Volunteers were also recruited from extensions of WVU Healthcare.
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Doyle Maurer/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The crowd tosses their color bombs into the air in celebration of Color Me Rad.
ON THE INSIDE The West Virginia men’s soccer team dropped its third straight match, falling 1-0 on the road to Elon Sunday night. SPORTS PAGE 7
UNBEATEN STREAK The West Virginia women’s soccer team beat Duquesne and tied Georgetown at home this weekend. SPORTS PAGE 7