The DA 02-03-2011

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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

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

da

Thursday February 3, 2011

VOLUME 124, ISSUE 92

www.THEDAONLINE.com

Student arrested for sexual abuse BY TRAVIS CRUM CITY EDITOR

Marques Harvey, a freshman general studies major from Philadelphia, has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse after allegedly touching another West Virginia University student while she slept in a dorm room. Harvey was arraigned Tuesday at the Morgantown Magistrate Court after being arrested by University Police.

He was taken to North Central Regional Jail with a bail set at $50,000. An unidentified female, whose name has been withheld because she is the victim of sexual abuse, reported she awoke at 3 a.m. on Jan. 26 in a dorm room at Bennett Tower with a man in her bed. The victim said the man, whom she identified as Harvey, had his fingers in her crotch while lying next to her, according to her statement. Harvey also provided a

statement to police in which he said he had his right hand down the victims’s pants and he had placed his fingers in her crotch. University Police Chief Bob Roberts said Harvey and the victim were mutual acquaintances. The victim is not a resident of Bennett Tower, but was visiting her boyfriend who was not present when the incident occurred. The door to the room was unlocked, Roberts said. According to state law,

first-degree sexual abuse constitutes any touching or fondling under or outside of clothing that carries a possible five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. Roberts said he wanted to remind all students to lock their dorm room doors whether they are in bed or leaving. A similar incident occurred in November 2009 in which an unwanted male entered more than two dorm rooms that were unlocked.

According to police, the male student touched more than one person in Lyon Tower while they slept. WVU residence halls have custodians and staff on duty at all hours of the day. Students are also required to swipe their WVU IDs after 9 p.m. Anyone who is not a resident entering the halls after this time is not permitted in the building without a guest pass. West Virginia Regional jail website

travis.crum@mail.wvu.edu

Marques Harvey, 18.

Students mixed ARMSTRONG HALL MAKEOVER on after-hours emergency line by Charles Young Staff Writer

Students walk down Armstrong’s third floor hallway where construction has been taking place.

Mallory Bracken/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Armstrong Hall to have fresh paint, new seating in hallways by devon unger staff writer

Crews are currently repainting the interior of Armstrong Hall as part of West Virginia University’s standard maintenance procedures. University buildings undergo certain routine upkeep on a cyclical basis. This maintenance work is a continual process conducted each year, according to Dan Batson, associate director of Facilities Management. “It’s something we do on an ongoing basis. There is a rotation the painters go through on campus; every building is scheduled every so many years to get spruced up,” Batson said. He said along with repainting much of the interior, other crews have been working to remove unused

lockers from hallways to add seating. “They’re putting in some additional seating areas. I think arts and sciences requested that we remove some lockers that were not being used and then put those recessed seating units in where a student could sit there while they’re waiting for class,” Batson said Jeff Haught, an operations manager for Facilities Management, is in charge of the painting crews working in Armstrong. He said they are going to repaint all of the public areas in the building including hallways, stairwells, restrooms and some classrooms. Haught said the money to repaint Armstrong came from an operations and maintenance budget, but he

see makeover on PAGE 2

correspondent

The student food pantry at West Virginia University is in need of more donations, said Jacqueline Dooley, program coordinator for the service. Dooley estimates that approximately 20 students per week utilize “The Rack,” the student food pantry. There are many students who come in and take the graband-go food items without ever signing-in, she said. One of the requirements to take food is that the student must sign-

by erin fitzwilliams associate city editor

mallory bracken/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Construction takes place in Armstrong Hall.

in what they are taking from the pantry, so that it can be replaced. It was reported last year that the pantry had seen an increase in donations given by various student groups, such as sororities and fraternities. However, that number has declined this semester. The service is to make sure any WVU student who may be financially unable to purchase food still has access to meals, she said. “We have items students

see donations on PAGE 2

29° / 17°

ALBASHA

INSIDE

Morgantown just got a little bit spicier. A&E PAGE 5

FLURRIES

News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 4 A&E: 5, 7 Sports: 8, 9, 12 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 10, 11

see sga on PAGE 2

ABJ panel pushes education, assistance for diversity issues

Student food pantry in need of more donations By emily spickler

Jan Palmer, director of Student Health services at West Virginia University, gave a presentation at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Student Government Association about plans to purchase a new after-hours calling system for students who need medical assistance. Palmer said the purpose of his visit to SGA was to assess student interest in the program. “The reason we think it is so important to get student input on this issue is because WELL WVU is a student function and a student facility. Everything we do is for the students,” he said. After fielding questions about the program from members of the Board of Governors and students in the gallery, Palmer gauged support of the program by a show of hands. Twenty members of the audience were in favor of the system, while 25 were opposed. Palmer promised to take the feedback from the students to WELL WVU directors who will make the final decision on whether or not to purchase the system. The calling system would give West Virginia University students with medical problems after Student Health

hours, a number to call to be instantly connected with a registered nurse who could provide them with medical assistance or advice. It would cost a base fee of $34,000 per year. The money breaks down to a cost of $1.19 per student or approximately $25 per phone call, he said. However, after 120 students call the line, the fee would increase to $42,000. Whitney Peters, former SGA vice president and current graduate assistant for WELL WVU, said she was very proud of the progress SGA had made for health and wellness in the past year but encouraged the members of the BOG to continue making progress. “We are in the same place we were a year ago,” Peters said. “We have the dream, but we do not have the resources. We have to be able to fund the dream.” Also at the meeting, Gov. Evan Bonnstetter announced the completion of a comprehensive scholarship handbook and the launch of an uppergraduate student scholarship website. The handbook, which lists all student scholarships, is available for viewing in the SGA Office, he said. Bonnstetter said he hopes

Chelsi Baker/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

The Rack, a new food pantry that provides food for underprivileged students, is located in the Mountainlair.

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. 25 West Virginia men’s basketball team faced Seton Hall last night. Check out our coverage and the results. SPORTS PAGE 12

Florita Stubbs Montgomery, president of the Black Faculty Association at West Virginia University, remembers a time as a child when she had to drink from a segregated water fountain. Montgomery was one of seven panelists on a forum Wednesday night focused on issues of racism hosted by the Association of Black Journalists. ABJ had a seven-person panel made up of professors and students, as well as representatives from the Black Student Union and ABJ. About 15 additional students attended the forum throughout the evening. Chelsea Fuller, ABJ President, led the forum and prompte d dis cussions through 10 questions, in which the panel and students were free to discuss. One major issue discussed

was WVU’s lack of a place for students and faculty to report racism issues at the University. Montgomery said she hopes the 2020 Strategic plan will address diversity and a possible place for people to go with these issues. Educating incoming faculty and students about diversity was also a topic discussed. Some panelists suggested the education would create more of an understanding and respectable environment for WVU. Rich Simon, senior criminology major, said racism and diversity are topics that are not really discussed, and the bridge should be gapped between professors and students. “I have classes where there are two to three African-American students in a class,” he said. “It’s about

see panel on PAGE 2

SIGNING ON DOTTED LINE West Virginia has a slew of new athletes for the fall, as players from across the country signed letters of intent to play for the Mountaineers. SPORTS PAGE 9


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The DA 02-03-2011 by The Daily Athenaeum - Issuu