THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Thursday July 7, 2011
Volume 124, Issue 154
www.THEDAONLINE.com
Manilla elected as new mayor Bane elected as deputy mayor By Charles young City editor
Seven members of Morgantown City Council were sworn in during Tuesday night’s regular meeting at city hall. Jim Manilla, elected councilor for the second ward, was nom-
inated by third ward councilor Wes Nugent and elected by a role-call vote to serve as Mayor of Morgantown for the 2011-12 year. First ward councilor Ron Bane was elected to serve as deputy mayor. Council split 4-3 on both Manilla and Bane, with Byrne, Councilors Jenny Selin and Marti Shamberger in the minority. Councilors Manilla, Nugent and Linda Herbst attended their first meetings on Tuesday, after
being sworn in. Bane, Bill Byrne, Jenny Selin and Marti Shamberger returned to council for two more years. “I am here, and I think I am independent,” Manilla said. “I think we can work together and bridge the gap we have here and work in a positive manner to keep Morgantown on forward movement.” Shamberger was also nominated for deputy mayor but lost 4-3, with Manilla, Bane, Nugent and Linda Herbst dissenting.
Outgoing Mayor and current sixth ward councilor Bill Byrne said he welcomed the change in leadership brought on by the election and said he hoped there would be a continuation of independent leadership. “I’ve been on the Council now for 12 years and served under a number of mayors, and we have a change now in the political makeup of council as a result of the election. That’s a good thing, that’s a democracy,” he said. In his first official act as mayor,
FARMING FUN
Manilla read a proclamation recognizing former councilor Don Spencer for his eight years of service. “We take this opportunity to publicly thank and honor him for his great service to the city,” Manilla said. During his time on council, Spencer served as deputy mayor for four years, served on more then 20 committees and helped found the Suncrest Neighborhood Association. Spencer was defeated in the elections in April.
Correspondent
Brooke Cassidy/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Local farmers market helps build Morgantown community By Rebeccah Griffith Staff Writer
Populated by families and friends who come together every Saturday with the common goal of supporting local farming while encouraging healthy eating, the Morgantown Farmer’s Market is more of a bustling community than a street market. The market is located at the corner of Spruce and Fayette streets and sells fresh – often organic – produce, meat, jams and other local natural products. Independent farmers, their co-workers, family members and close friends staff the market. These people are motivated by the idea of providing a source for healthy and ethically grown food. “I think this is a valuable asset to the community since we’re providing a healthy, wholesome food source, and they, in turn, are helping to support the local farms. We get the personal contact with the community to find out what they want … it’s almost like a social event, too,” said Mark Matheny from the Mon Valley Farms. The social aspect of the market is obvious as customers and vendors linger over purchases or just to chat for a few minutes, leisurely wandering the market. Matheny’s livestock, like much of what is raised by the Market’s farmers, is never given antibiotics or growth hormones and are raised humanely. “I dread going grocery shopping, but I love the farmer’s market. I get to talk to people, I’m just not just there with my list,” said Caroline Copenhaver, a farm intern of the Red Barn Farm.
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charles.young@mail.wvu.edu
WVU introduces gaming graduate certificate By Joshua Clark
Aeneas Lauderman of Morgantown blows up a green balloon at the Farmers Market on Spruce Street Saturday morning.
“It’s been a great eight years, and it’s been a privilege to serve in public office,” Spencer said. Also during the meeting, City Manager Terrence Moore announced the decision to hire a police officer to serve as a Resource Prevention Officer for Morgantown High School. Moore said he supported the idea because it added another level of partnership between the City and the Board of Education.
West Virginia University students interested in pursuing a high-level career in video games could get their chance this fall. Graduate students in computer science will be able to earn a gaming certificate which comprises both the fields of computer science and English. “The difference in this college’s gaming concentration is an emphasis on immersive experience and the useful aspects of serious gaming,” said Brian Woerner, WVU Lane Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department chair. “There are more applications than just entertainment – military simulations, software industry here in West Virginia and other small to mid-size media companies.” Proposed courses include graphics, databases, artificial intelligence, multimedia writing and digital humanities. The gaming certificate will include five courses and a capstone project to create a small video game, as well as attending a seminar. This works would work in conjunction with a degree in computer science.
The program isn’t all about traditional gaming said Tim Menzies, associate professor of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. The certificate specifically focuses on interactive technologies and serious gaming. “Serious gaming is all about an entirely new field of human interaction. Hardware like the Xbox Kinect allows us to communicate with computers and each other like we never have before,” Menzies said. “Doctors could look at patients from the other side of the globe. Consumers could shop by grabbing virtual items. It’s the future.” WVU is not the first to offer serious gaming as a graduate program. Michigan State University offers a Master of Arts degree in gaming. Other schools, such as Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., offer everything from a master’s in game design to a bachelor’s in game art or development. With an undergraduate version of the gaming certificate tentatively scheduled for 2012, students will be prepared for high-tech jobs in the gaming industry and danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Environmental group to travel to Charleston to support fracking ban Brooke Cassidy/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Beats and hot pepper jelly are on display for purchase at The Farmers Market. The Farmers Market is open every Saturday on Spruce St.
‘Golden musket’ recognizes service with award BY Jessica Lear staff writer
17 Chapters of the West Virginia University Alumni Association were presented with The Golden Musket Award in April. The Golden Musket Award was created to honor chapters of the WVU Alumni Association that have shown outstanding dedication and commitment to the University. “The award means that the chapter is being active in support of WVU, the Alumni Association and the local community,” said A. James Ellis, past president of the Grand Strand Chapter. The award was presented at
the 14th annual Alumni Leaders Institute the weekend of the WVU Gold and Blue football game. “This is a significant recognition award as it recognizes the achievement of the core principals of the Alumni Association – service, scholarship, student recruitment, networking, mentoring and social events,” said Michael Petruski, president of the Charlotte, N.C. Chapter. The Golden Musket Award, which was created in 2007, highlights specific chapters of the Alumni Association that have a strong commitment to bettering WVU. “To be one of the recipients of the Golden Musket Award
is a tremendous honor,” said Kevin Nodianos, President of the National Capitol Chapter. The Alumni Association chooses Golden Musket Award recipients based on service, not size. “Considering that we are a small Chapter, it shows that size is not a determinant for success,” Ellis said. While all of the chapters of the WVU Alumni Association strive to better the University, these chapters have been recognized for their commitment to go above and beyond in their service to WVU. “I sensed the enthusiasm to get connected to WVU and to give something back. Once a
Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer,” Petruski said. The goal of the Alumni Association is to encourage graduates to stay connected to WVU through various events and activities. Ellis said that giving back to WVU is the reason to become an active alumnus. “I hold an appreciation for the high-quality education I received at WVU, what better way to help repay WVU for what it gave me?” he said. Being apart of the Alumni Association helps WVU graduates stay in touch with the University and offers ways to find
see musket on PAGE 2
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UNIVERSITY ARTS
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West Virginia University announces Arts series for 2011-12. A&E PAGE 3
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ON THE INSIDE Football season ticket sales are up from where they were at this time last year. ON PAGE 10
Mallory Bracken/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Signs used at the drinking water rally are placed near a tree following the May 26 event.
By Charles young City Editor
Members of a local environmental group, West Virginians for a Moratorium on Marcellus, plan to travel to Charleston, W.Va., Monday, to participate in a rally in front of the Capitol to show their support for Morgantown’s recently enacted ban on hydraulic fracturing. WV4MOM is a grassroots organization made up of nearly 800 residents who have come
together to voice their concerns about the environmental impact of natural gas drilling operations using fracking. The ban, which was passed during the June 21 regular City Council meeting, prohibits any operations using horizontal drilling and fracking to operate within the city limits or within one mile of the city limits. Northeast Natural Energy, a company operating two
see fracking on PAGE 2
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS West Virginia football defensive end Bruce Irvin has had a unique journey to get to where he is today. SPORTS PAGE 10