THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Friday December 10, 2010
VOLUME 124, ISSUE 73
www.THEDAONLINE.com
TKE hazing investigation continues BY TRAVIS CRUm CITY EDITOR
An investigation of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at West Virginia University by its national chapter for an alleged hazing is taking longer than initially reported, and isn’t expected to be concluded soon. On Nov. 29, an anonymous call was made to the Greek Anti-Hazing Hotline about an alleged hazing incident that occurred within a TKE residence the night before. Because of the chapter’s size, it is taking more time
to interview all its members and complete the investigation, said Tom McAninch, director of communication for TKE’s national chapter. Initially, the investigation was expected to be completed by Dec. 3. However, McAninch said they are continuing to look into the matter in an attempt to be as “absolutely thorough as can be.” “We treat every situation differently. Some (calls) that come in have no basis or don’t have any creditability. They take a day to solve,” he said. “Then there are some we
Fraternity collects ‘Donations for the Deployed’ soldiers by charles young staff writer
Students at West Virginia University can brighten up a service member’s holiday this year by donating through a campus service fraternity to be shipped overseas. The Alpha Tau Alpha fraternity began the “Donations for the Deployed” program in November for service members who cannot be home for the holidays because they are on tours of duty. ATA is sending care packages on Dec. 16 with non-perishable items such as hygiene products, books and magazines, said Allyson Peters, Donations for the Deployed organizer. “We are trying to support the who people support
look at a little bit more intently because of what’s come through, to try to make sure we cover all of our bases and get the best information.” Calls to the hotline are rare, but all are taken seriously and investigated, McAninch said. There have been instances in the past in which someone has called the hotline as a prank, such as if they were denied membership into the fraternity. A formal report into the investigation will be made following its conclusion, he said. Ron Justice, director of Student Organization Services,
said the investigation is up to the national chapter, and the fraternity has not been put on moratorium, which is a ban from any activities. Will Carswell, president of WVU’s TKE chapter, declined to comment and forwarded all comments to McAninch. This is the second report of an alleged hazing on campus since November. The University launched an investigation into an alleged hazing at the Phi Sigma Kappa house Nov. 15. According to police reports, University Police Department officers entered the fraternity
America,” Peters said. “We just want to give back.” Food donations, such as snack foods, can be made, but baked items cannot be sent, she said. Other good items to donate are CDs and DVDs, because they will give service members something to do on their downtime. Peters said inspiration for the program came from her cousin, Kevin Hoggatt, who is currently serving his second tour of duty with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. Peters said it was difficult to be away from her cousin, especially during the holiday season. She thought of others who would be without their loved ones and decided to Students study for final exams Wednesday afternoon in a group study room in the Downtown Library.
see soldiers on PAGE 2
cardsofhope.com
West Virginia University’s Children’s Hospital cancer patients are creating Christmas cards, such as this one by Cody Sullivan, 17, of Oakland, MD.
WVU Children’s Hospital offers ‘Cards of Hope’ Currently in its 19th year, Cards of Hope has become a fundraising tradition at West Virginia University Children’s Hospital. Greeting cards are created by patients of the Children’s Hospital and their siblings each year. The hospital staff members vote on their favorite designs, and the top 10 are chosen to be a part of the Cards of Hope collection. Cards from the patients and their family’s collections are available for purchase by the public, and sales directly benefit the WVU Cure Kids Cancer Fund. Lora Edgell, Children’s Miracle Network Director at WVU Children’s Hospital, said 100 percent of the money raised by Cards of Hope is donated to the fund. The fund provides not
only equipment to the hospital, but also gas cards, lodging expenses and other costs for families of the patients during their stay at the hospital, she said. “The last thing we want families to do is worry about bills and expenses when you just found out your kid has cancer,” Edgell said. The funds also benefit the Beads of Courage program, which began October at Children’s Hospital, said Edgell. Beads of Courage, a national program, provides each patient admitted to the hospital with a necklace and a journal to chronicle their time at the hospital. Patients receive different colored beads for undergoing certain treatments, reaching a certain number of days in the hospital and other noteworthy milestones, she said.
see cards on PAGE 2
42° / 29°
‘SNOOP DOG’
INSIDE
The legendary rapper comes to WVU. A&E PAGE 5
A.M. SNOW SHOWERS
News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 4 A&E: 5, 7 Sports: 8, 9, 10 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 11
travis.crum@mail.wvu.edu
Tara Mayle/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Libraries, Mountainlair study options during dead, finals week FOR MORE INFORMATION
staff writer
STAFF WRITER
another person or persons to destroy or remove public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into any organization ... operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by an institution of higher education.” The term includes, but is not limited to, “any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding ... forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity.”
Preparing for fall 2010 finals
by sarah o’rourke
BY DUSTIN HOFFMAN
house, located at 672 North High St., at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 14 after hearing music and seeing an open door. There they found pledges blindfolded and covered in food. The investigation into the alleged hazing at the Phi Sigma Kappa house will most likely be concluded early next week, Justice said. Hazing is, as defined by the West Virginia State Code, “to cause any action which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of another person or persons or causes
As dead week comes to an end and finals week approaches, students at West Virginia University have many places around campus to prepare for exams. Hilary Fredette, head of Access and Media Services at the Wise Library, said the Downtown Library has been busy since dead week began last Sunday. Fredette said the group study rooms and computers are the students’ highest demand during this busy time of year. There are 16 study rooms in the Downtown Library, and they can be checked out by groups of two or more for four hours. Fredette said during dead and finals weeks, students may not renew study rooms because of the popular demand for them. Laptops can also be checked out at the Downtown Library for
For a list of finals schedule, see page 2. four hours. Fredette said there are plenty of computers students can use between the laptops available for check out and the computers located on the first, second, fourth and sixth floors and in the basement of the library. More computers were added on the second floor during the summer, Fredette said. Fredette said the best advice for students is to not get frustrated if what they want is not immediately available for them at the library. All of the laptops and study rooms are consistently returned, and whatever they need will eventually become available, she said. Beginning at midnight,
see studying on PAGE 2
Tara Mayle/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Students fill the Downtown Library on Wednesday to study and work on final assignments to prepare for the end of the semester.
WVU receives grant to study secondhand smoke by ALEX DUFOUR correspondent
A West Virginia University Researcher and his team received a $100,000 biomedical research grant from the American Lung Association to study changes in the air caused by exposure to secondhand smoke early in life. The goal of the American Lung Association Nationwide Award and Grant Program is to
foster laboratory, patient-centered and social-behavioral research designed to find cures and prevent and relieve the suffering associated with lung disease, according to the ALA website. Zhong-Xin Wu, WVU researcher and member of the Translational Tobacco Reduction Research Program, will study the effects of secondhand smoke and if it leads to asthma. The team will focus on nerve
THE DA IS HIRING WRITERS Inquire about paid positions at The Daily Athenaeum at DA-editor@mail.wvu.edu or pick up an application at our office at 284 Prospect St.
CONTACT US Newsroom 304-293-5092 or DAnewsroom@mail.wvu.edu Advertising 304-293-4141 or DA-Ads@mail.wvu.edu Fax 304-293-6857
INSIDE THIS EDITION The No. 9 West Virginia women’s basketball team faced Villanove University to open Big East play last night. Check out our coverage. SPORTS PAGE 8
growth factors, which are essential in promoting and maintaining growth and survival of the nervous system, said Angela Jones, a public relations specialist for WVU Hospitals. “Secondhand smoke is an environmental trigger factor that leads to airway inflammation and asthma symptoms in susceptible individuals,” Wu wrote in a press release. “Disruption of normal production and release of nerve
growth factor after inhaling smoke results in changes in the airways, which leads to disease-related abnormalities in the respiratory system,” Jones said. Wu said the information gained from the study is particularly important in West Virginia, where 27.3 percent of pregnant women smoke, compared to the significantly
see grant on PAGE 2
PALMER ADDS SCORING DEPTH The No. 9 West Virginia women’s basketball team has received a spark from freshman guard Taylor Palmer. She has been warming up this month. SPORTS PAGE 9