The DA 01-24-2011

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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”

da

Monday January 24, 2011

VOLUME 124, ISSUE 84

www.THEDAONLINE.com

Snowstorm causes 52 car incidents One to two more inches expected by Wednesday by erin fitzwilliams associate city editor

911 dispatchers said snowstorms caused 52 car incidents in Morgantown over the weekend. Seven of the reports were accidents with injuries, and 29 were reports of accidents with

no injuries, said dispatchers at the Monongalia Emergency Centralized Communications Agency. Sixteen were motor assistance calls, which, according to MECCA, included vehicles getting stuck and other car problems caused by the snow. Five to six inches of snow fell in Morgantown Thursday night into Friday, said Alicia Smith, meteorologist for the National Weather Service for Pittsburgh. NWS issued a special weather advisory Saturday because the wind chill dropped temperatures to subzero.

Mo n o n g a l i a County Schools canceled school early Thursday night in anticipation of Friday’s snowstorm. West Virginia University remained open Friday, but some students had a difficult time getting to class. Jonathan Nelson, sophomore broadcast journalism major, said he had to drive 10 mph for his commute to class at 9:30 a.m., Friday. “I watched a driver fly by me and spin out of control into the oncoming traffic lanes,” he said. “Luckily there wasn’t any traffic

around, but it was intense.” Amanda Welsh, freshman business major, said the sidewalks outside the Life Sciences Building were not shoveled by her the time of her 8:30 a.m. class. “I wish WVU would have had at least a morning delay to get the sidewalks clear,” she said. Sandra Buckler, sophomore engineering major, said she could not get back to her house Friday. “The steps were too slippery

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Chelsi Baker/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Sidewalks on Pleasant Street are blanketed with snow due to winter weather.

Students pushed IT’S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME to finish FAFSA application early BY SARAH o’ROURKE STAFF WRITER

Members of the West Virginia University Financial Aid Office are encouraging students to prepare to file the 2011-12 FAFSA. Steve Riffon, assistant director of Financial Aid, said students should submit their FAFSA on or before the priority deadline of March 1. The West Virginia state deadline is April 15, 2011. “It’s better for students to prepare for next year than procrastinate,” Riffon said. “The earlier students apply, the earlier they know their financial aid for next year.” The FAFSA can be completed online or students can pick up hard copies in the Financial Aid Office. Students need their family’s 2010 income tax return forms and their own, if they have one, to fill out the information requested on the FAFSA, he said. Riffon said the Financial Aid Office focuses on giving financial aid statements to the incoming out-of-state freshmen first and then to incoming in-state freshmen. Upperclass students follow. Students fill out the FAFSA,

and the Financial Aid Office takes care of the rest, he said. “Students have to be proactive,” he said. “If they do their part, it is easier for us to do ours.” Beginning Feb. 7, the Financial Aid Office is hosting a Financial Aid Awareness Week through Feb. 11, said Paula King, senior financial aid counselor. Financial Aid representatives will be at a booth in the Mountainlair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. all week answering students’ questions regarding the financial aid process, she said. The Financial Aid Office is also hosting College Goal Feb. 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mountainlair Rhododendron Room. Financial Aid representatives will assist students and parents who need help filing the FAFSA, King said. Filing the FAFSA is free, she said, if students visit FAFSA. gov. Students should also respond immediately if they receive a letter regarding their financial aid statement. Anyone with questions or issues regarding the FAFSA or financial aid can speak to a representative in the Financial Aid Office in the Mountainlair.

STAFF WRITER

Students at West Virginia University have the opportunity to attend the Big East Career Fair in Madison Square Garden March 11. The fair, held in New York City, is an opportunity for students to meet with employers in all fields from across the country. “To have a chance to go to NYC and appear in person to employers is a big advantage for students,” said Dave Durham, director of WVU Career Services. “The fair is an opportunity to network with employers (who) will not necessarily recruit on our campus, and students can expect to find a wide array of companies.” The fair will accommodate 16 Big East schools and is open for current students and WVU alumni. Students are given the option to partake in a transportation and accommodation package hosted by Career Services, said Sarah Rotruck, assistant director of WVU Career Services.

“Students are welcome to travel to the Career Fair on their own,” Rotruck said. “The Career Fair itself is free, but we have a pretty great deal that includes a bus ride there and back, and hotel accommodations for two nights for $150.” The trip’s agenda includes leaving for New York City March 10 and returning on March 12. The Career Fair itself is to be held March 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students who going on the trip are required to attend the Career Fair at some point on Friday, Rotruck said. “Our students always bring their A-game, and we tend to hear employers are looking for the flying WV logo stickers we hand out to students before the fair,” Durham said. Durham said out of the 16 Big East schools, WVU has gotten its students mentioned by name for the past three years. Rotruck said students can go to http://bigeastjobfair.org to register. Students interested in

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FAREWELL FACEBOOK

INSIDE

A&E writer Jake Potts begins his quest to rid his life of Facebook. A&E PAGE 7

SNOW SHOWER

News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 5 Sports: 7, 8, 9 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 10, 11

Kristen Basham/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

New group encourages students to volunteer by connecting online BY NICK ASHLEY STAFF WRITER

sarah.o’rourke@mail.wvu.edu

Registration begins for transportation, housing at Big East Career Fair BY GINA DAMATO

Volunteers help make lunch for the Ronald McDonald House on Sunday as part of the Viral Volunteers program.

Members of the Viral Volunteers, a new Morgantown organization developed online and designed to get students involved in the community, took time Sunday to help the Ronald McDonald House Charities prepare lunch. The group prepared peanut butter and jelly several deli meats sandwiches, and it served chicken soup and salad. “The (charity) House has been doing great things for years for people who deserve and need help,” said Butch Campione, volunteer for the group. “This is the first event that the group has organized in the community, and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to give back in any way.”

Viral Volunteers formed earlier this month when its founders were brainstorming ways to get more students volunteering in Morgantown. “The idea for the group began with a cartoon profile picture posted on Facebook to stop child abuse,” said Neece Campione, co-director of the group. “Our organization wanted to start a website where people could do good deeds for others, post comments about their experiences ... and give their time to help out the community.” Viral Volunteers is looking for anyone interested in joining the group and participating in its activities. “Today is my first time working with the group,” said Aaron

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Kristen Basham/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Neece Campione, co-director of the Viral Volunteers program, pours noodles into homemade soup at the Ronald McDonald House Sunday.

WVU accepting names for social justice award BY JOEL MORAES CORRESPONDENT

Jennifer McIntosh, West Virginia University’s executive officer for Social Justice, said announcing the winner of the Neil S. Bucklew Award is her favorite call to make every year. “To say to somebody ‘congratulations, you are the winner’ is priceless because it is a very prestigious award,” McIntosh said. The President’s Office for Social Justice, in conjunction with the Social Justice Council, is

accepting nominations for the award which recognizes those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, courage and support on a continuous basis in the area of social justice, according to a press release. “We are looking for people who have been strong advocates above and beyond what’s expected in their normal work life,” McIntosh said. Richard Fleisher, an extension specialist and associate professor for global education, won the award in 2010. “I see my social justice work

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 Check out recruiting updates from high school basketball players interested in WVU at the Primetime Shootout. SPORTS PAGE 9

as expanding awareness and helping people see differences from a broader perspective,” Fleisher said. Fleisher teaches graduate classes for teachers on increasing capacity to work with Hispanic and low-income students and families. “One of the good problems that we’ve had is the quality of the nominees,” McIntosh said. “We’ve had people who go across the spectrum, but all have a commitment of helping to foster an environment of respect and of valuing all people.”

The award began in 1990, when Fanklin D. Cleckley of the College of Law won it. It’s named after former WVU president and current professor at the College of Business and Economics Neil S. Bucklew. This award recognizes the accomplishments of Bucklew, whose leadership and vision led to the establishment of the President’s Office for Social Justice. Nominations for the award should include a cover sheet

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WVU ROUTS USF BULLS The WVU men’s and women’s basketball teams defeated South Florida this weekend at the WVU Coliseum. Check out the results. SPORTS PAGE 7


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The DA 01-24-2011 by The Daily Athenaeum - Issuu