The DA 02-17-2011

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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 17, 2011

VOLUME 124, ISSUE 102

www.THEDAONLINE.com

West Run purchased for $21 million BY TRAVIS CRUM CITY EDITOR

West Run Apartments was purchased for more than $21 million today following a foreclosure earlier this week. Steven Prunty, partner with Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love LLP, said the student housing complex was purchased by a lien holder that assumed the entity name U.S. Housing Partners X. The company was the only one that placed a bid. Earlier this week, West

Run’s lender, Huntington National Bank, directed the property to be foreclosed and sold to the highest bidder. It is unclear whether the complex’s former owners, West Run Student Housing Associates, either failed to pay back a loan or violated the terms of a mortgage. The new owners have hired Campus Living Villages, a professional property management firm, to look after the complex, said John Iannuzzo, vice president of marketing for Campus Living Villages. It

is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and has a headquarters located in Houston. The firm provides management for properties primarily in the U.S. in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, according to its website. West Run Apartments is the firm’s first management assignment in the West Virginia University market, said someone close to the firm who was

Public relations spring capstone will benefit SGA Charles Young Staff Writer

Student Government Association Vice President Ron Cheng announced a partnership between SGA and a public relations capstone project during Wednesday night’s meeting. The capstone project is made up of students who are organizing “WVU Day at PNC Park,” the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, to sell discounted tickets to the game. They project requires students involved to promote the event throughout campus. “This is a unique partnership, and I applaud them for coming here. I am very happy to announce our partnership with this group,” Cheng said. The trip is scheduled for April 9 when the Pirates will play the Colorado Rockies. The group will be selling general admission tickets for

$47. Twelve dollars of the $47 will be donated to SGA. Outfield box seat tickets will be sold for $20, and $5 will be donated to SGA. Grandstand tickets will be sold for $12, and $3 will be donated. Ben Seebaugh, president of the SGA subsidiary group Student Advocates for Legislative Advancement, reported on the group’s recent trip to Charleston to participate in “WVU Day” at the state legislature. “WVU Day at the Legislature was a great success. We not only got the support of dozens of delegates, but we also got the support of some people on the senate side, especially for the Tenant-Landlord bill,” Seebaugh said. Also during the meeting, Gov. Tracy Spielman announced the rescheduling

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not authorized to be named. The source said current tenants will not see an increase in their rent and residents’ issues with management will soon be corrected. “As far as residents are concerned, all leases are intact and there will be no interruption in services,” the source said. “We anticipate the residents are going to see an immediate improvement and quality in services provided.” The source said Campus Living Villages would begin to address residents’ issues

Matt Sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

More than 1,300 people use new water fountain

Matt Sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

The WVU Women’s Studies center displayed advertisements for a healthier female lifestyle around the auditorium during Dr. Lise Eliot’s presentation.

Visiting lecturer explores gender roles in society The West Virginia University Center for Women’s Studies welcomed guest speaker Dr. Lise Eliot Wednesday to present her findings from her latest book, “Pink Brain, Blue Brain: Truth and Fiction about Sex Differences.” Eliot has published more than 50 works in the fields of neuroscience and biophysics, and her latest book explores the often stereotypical differences between boys and girls and how it affects their performance and outlook. She spoke to more than 100 people in Room G24 in Eiesland Hall. Eliot said common myths concerning gender roles are perpetuated by the stereo-

types that are often a part of the nurturing of children. “In truth, sex differences in the adult brain do not reveal their causes, because learning and socialization also change the brain,” Eliot said. Traditionally, differentiation between genders can cause people to conform to the stereotypes assigned to their sex, leading to a phenomenon referred to as “stereotype threat.” She said a study from 1997 showed men and women who were informed of certain gender specific differences before taking an aptitude test were far more likely to reflect those differences than those who were not informed of a difference.

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66° / 52°

WHERE ART THOU?

INSIDE

Check out our review of ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ A&E PAGE 5

PARTLY CLOUDY

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

travis.crum@mail.wvu.edu

Jackie Riggleman, a sophomore advertising major, refills her water bottle at the new water station in the Mountainlair Wednesday. The station was added to increase the University’s contribution toward sustainability.

correspondent

CORRESPONDENT

of $15 million. Huntington National Bank and West Run Student Housing Associates entered into a contract in which the bank agreed to make a construction loan in the amount of $39 million, according to a complaint filed on Oct. 13 in the Monongalia Circuit Court. The complex is located on West Run Road between Stewartstown Road and Point Marion Road and 944 bed and 322 units.

REHYDRATION

by lydia nuzum

BY LYDIA NUZUM

that have been raised to correct them. For instance, they have begun to clean up trash around the complex, he said. Huntington National Bank sued West Run Student Housing Associates in October 2010 for failure to pay back a loan of more than $40 million, according to documents filed in the Monongalia Circuit Court. The bank claimed West Run Student Housing Associates failed or refused to make a mandatory principal reduction payment in the amount

West Virginia University has taken another step toward a more environmentally friendly campus with the installation of a new water bottle filling station in the Mountainlair. The station, located on the second floor of the Mountainlair near the Blue and Gold Ballrooms, allows students to easily and hygienically refill their water bottles. It also encourages the reuse of permanent water bottles rather than continually throwing away disposable plastic bottles. The new station allows clearance for large water bottles, allowing students to easily fill

their water bottles completely, said Jeffrey Dunbar, assistant director of the Mountainlair. The fountain features a filtration system that is changed every 3,000 uses and provides cleaner drinking water. The system is equipped with a meter which reads how many 16 ounces bottles have been filled. Since its installation over winter break, the station has been used over 1,300 times. “It has a state of the art filtration system,” he said. “It’s a lot more sanitary than filling your bottle at a regular water fountain.” The system has the potential to reduce the

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Matt Sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Lauren Balistreri, a junior graphic design major, fills her water bottle with the water bottle refilling station in the Mountainlair Wednesday.

Entrepreneurship Law Clinic receives large grant By Alex Dufour correspondent

The West Virginia University College of Law’s Entrepreneurship Law Clinic has received a $127,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation as recognition for its outstanding services. The Entrepreneurship Law Clinic is run by third-year law students under the supervision of faculty as they provide an accessible, lowcost legal service to entrepreneurs across the state of West

Virginia. The Benedum Foundation Grant is important to the College and its academic and public service offerings to students and the community, said Professor Patricia Lee, director of the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic. This grant allows the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Law Program to be a resource for entrepreneurship legal services at the College, she said. “It’s to engage the community and to enhance business and nonprofit law skills for students,” Lee said.

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INSIDE THIS EDITION The West Virginia baseball team opens the season this weekend. Check out our complete coverage. SPORTS PAGE 12

The College of Law plans to utilize the grant by aiding West Virginia entrepreneurial businesses, informing the public about entrepreneurship, providing more student internships, training lawyers to aid entrepreneurship and to collaborate with other clinical law programs, Lee said. “We are very grateful to the Benedum Foundation for this generous support and to the WVU Foundation for the assistance we have received,” she said. She said the funds from the grant will also assist cli-

ents of the clinic in paying for filing fees and other related expenses. “Many clients of the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic have limited access to funding for these types of expenses, which can act as an obstacle to these individuals being able to start their businesses or implementing their business ideas,” said student attorney and law student Michelle Green. “These funds serve a vital role to small businesses throughout the

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WVU TENNIS FACED PITT The West Virginia tennis team took on Pittsburgh at the Ridgeview Raquet Club on Wednesday. Did the Mountaineers find a way to win? SPORTS PAGE 12


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