THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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Wednesday July 13, 2011
Volume 124, Issue 155
www.THEDAONLINE.com
WVU named a ‘best place’ to work
Habitat for Humanity
by jessica lear staff writer
Matt Sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Contestants watch as a team member shoots a clay target above the woods during the first annual Mon County Habitat for Humanity Shooters for Shelter event held on Sunday. The event was held at Hunting Hills in Pa. to raise money for Monongalia County Habitat for Humanity. Contestants in the event entered as teams for a $700 price that included the necessary ammunition and equipment to take place in the sporting event.
Matt Sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Matt sunday/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
A shell is discharged from a shotgun as a contestant fires at a clay target on Sunday. An Shells discharged from a shotgun as a contestant fires at a clay target on Sunday. An event event was held at Hunting Hills to raise money for Mon County Habitat for Humanity. was held at Hunting Hills to raise money for Mon County Habitat for Humanity.
West Virginia University was recently named one of the best places for scientists to work in academia. The list of the 40 best institutions to work in research was compiled by The Scientist, a magazine focusing on biology and life sciences. “I agree that WVU is one of the best places to work, but there is still room to grow. This survey recognizes that we are doing well, but we can do even better,” said Elena Pugacheva, an assistant professor of biochemistry in the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. WVU, which was not listed last year, was ranked twentieth on the 2011 list and was one of few large institutions that were included. “The quality of life here is amazing, working in the Bio department is a real treat. The people are great,” said Michael Aldridge, a graduate student in the WVU biology department. WVU beat out many distinguished universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Johns Hopkins University. The magazine has listed cooperation and collaboration between departments as one of WVU’s best and most unique qualities. “At a big university – compared to a small, more focused institution – there are a lot of different departments, which leads to a huge opportunity for corporation,” Pugacheva said. Pugacheva said she has
collaborated multiple times with the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, and specifically the Engineering department. Engineering professors help work on improving machines Pugcheva said she uses in her cancer research, saving money and promoting cooperation at WVU. Other collaborations between departments at WVU are common. Aldridge said he is currently working in WVU’s Shared Facilities. “I’ve done a lot of collaborative work with the physics, chemistry, and pharmaceutical science schools, and the people I’ve worked with there are great,” Aldridge said. “Even though I am a biology student, the professors in other departments have been helpful and accessible,” Aldridge said. In addition to collaboration, The Scientist has also named tenure, promotion, teaching and mentoring as strengths of WVU. “WVU is a great environment to grow – it’s not competitive, but very family-like and collegial,” Pugacheva’s said. The list, which has been compiled annually since 2003, was created by conducting a large-scale online survey that gained 2,260 responses from scientists in biology or life sciences from around the country. Respondents were asked to rate their institutions on 37 criteria including job satisfaction, peers and tenure. jessica.lear@mail.wvu.edu
Museum wins award for coal helmet exhibit Fenton glass company By Jessica Lear Staff writer
The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum, which is housed in West Virginia University’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, has won an award of merit from the American Association for State and Local History. The museum won the award for its exhibit “Helmet Men: Mine Rescuers of Appalachia’s Coalfields.” The exhibit will be on display until August 14. “The Watts Museum is very honored that the American Association of State and Local History has chosen to recognize our exhibition, ‘Helmet
Men’ for its contributions to the field of local history,” said Danielle Petrak, museum coordinator and curator. “Helmet Men” is an interactive exhibit that includes actual mine equipment, photographs and film footage. “Helmet Men” specifically follows the history of mine rescue teams in the Appalachian region and various other places throughout the country. “It brings attention to a largely underrepresented area of historical scholarship, as well as an important aspect of the mining industry,” said Danielle LaPresta, a graduate assistant working at the museum. The exhibition specifically follows the development of
mine rescue teams from being disorganized and chaotic to becoming functioning and efficient. “When mine accidents occur, we tend to focus on the hazards of mining, the lives that are saved or lost and the disasters’ impact on families and communities. With this exhibition, I wanted to acknowledge the role of the rescuers and their commitment to the mining industry and fellow miners,” Petrak said. The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum is named after the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and his wife. The museum’s mission is to explain the effects that the coal
and other gas industries have had on local, state and even national culture and history. “The Watts Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the social, cultural and technological history of West Virginia’s coal, oil and natural gas industries,” Petrak said. “And, this recent AASLH Award of Merit is helping us achieve this mission by bringing some public, national-level attention to West Virginia’s industrial history.” Artifacts from all aspects of the coal industry have been collected since 1930 and are now on display in the museum.
see museum on PAGE 2
Dean receives achievement award for basketball by Joshua Clark Correspondent
The Dean of the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity of Sports Sciences, Dana Brooks, recently received a lifetime achievement award from Hagerstown Community College for his time there as a basketball player and student. The Hall of Fame award, given to individuals who make significant contributions to an athletic department, showcases both Brooks’ past as an athlete at HCC as well as present and future accomplishments at WVU. Brooks recieved his associate arts degree in Hagerstown while playing basketball on scholarship, bachelor’s in physical education from Towson University, and master’s
and beyond as a graduate student at WVU. He won teacher of the year for CPASS as well as WVU’s Social Justice Award and the Martin Luther Achievement Award. According to Robert Myers, Director of Athletics at Hagerstown Community College, Brooks learned equally in the classroom and on the field. He likens him to Rodin’s sculpture, “The Thinker,” the ultimate planner and doer. “Athletics teaches so many things in a practical setting,” Myers said. “Honesty, integrity, teamwork, sacrifice, celebration, disappointment. Dana is certainly wellrounded. He’s a role model, not just because he’s an African-American, but because he takes every opportunity to take his experience and talents to new heights.”
When Brooks isn’t teaching or researching sports sociology or working on one his many projects like the newest edition of his textbook on “Racism in Sports,” he’s researching newer ideas for the department like crowd control or drug use in athletics. Brooks is a lone sociologist in a population of psychologists. “Where some say sports science, others say medicine or counseling. There is a breadth to physical education that is just amazing,” Brook said. WVU benefits from research into diversity at the University level, he said. One of Brooks’ ongoing projects, http://sportsintegration. wvu.edu, should remind the WVU community of the many contributions minority players have made to the college. Constantly updated, the
site chronicles player histories from football to women’s tennis. While research and programs of social justice earn him respect from others, what has brought him most joy is his students. He said he treasures seeing the pupils he teaches grow up after learning about sports behavior from him, and applying that knowledge to their own research. Brooks said he was very appreciative of the award and his success. “I feel honored and privileged,” Brooks said. “I never thought a young guy growing up in Hagerstown, Maryland, going to a junior college could have such an honor bestowed. It’s unbelievable.”
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INSIDE
All Good Music Festival to take Morgantown area by storm. A&E PAGE 9
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News: 1, 2, 3, 4 Opinion: 6 A&E: 9, 10, 12 Sports: 5, 7 Campus Calendar: 8 Puzzles: 8 Classifieds: 10, 11
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ON THE INSIDE WVU redshirt freshman linebacker Branko Busick was dismissed from the team after being arrested for armed robbery. ON PAGE 5
to close production BY Jessica Lear Staff Writer
The Fenton Art Glass Company has announced it will be shutting down production of hand-blown glass products within the next few months. Fenton Glass, which is located in Williamsburg, W.Va., has been experiencing financial woes since 2007 when they first considered shutting down. Now, four years later, the company has made the decision to cease production of glass at their 106-year-old factory. “The market for our pressed and blown glassware has diminished. We cannot sustain the overhead costs,” said Fenton Glass President George Fenton. Since Fenton Glass has been such a crucial part of Williamsburg, local citizens have expressed confusion and are upset by its imminent closing. It is expected that most of Fenton Glass Company’s employees will lose their jobs when the main furnace of the factory closes in the coming months. “Our employees have worked hard and efficiently, so this is a very sad day for us,” Fenton said. The closing of the Fenton Art Glass Company has made the community of Williamsburg and surrounding areas curious as to what will happen to the town after the closing of one of the towns’ biggest employer.
“Many of the workers, if not all, are very skilled at what they do, and sadly, they may be forced to leave the area to find work that fits their skills,” said Jeffery Blaker, a resident of Williamsburg. In addition to losing workers, Blaker said he is afraid Williamsburg is losing its main tourist attraction and thus important tourist money. “Because of the nature of Fenton’s business, the economy will also lose tourism dollars,” he said. Fenton Glass has grown since almost calling it quits in 2007, but in the face of a declining economy and increasing corporate competition, family-owned Fenton Glass has continued to struggle. To try to stay in business, the company has laid off workers multiple times since 2007. Currently, the company is looking into the possibility of selling some of its product lines. The company has not made clear what plans they have for the Fenton Gift Shop, which is separate from Fenton Glass. For now, the shop will continue to sell the remaining Fenton Glass inventory. “Remaining employees will be finishing existing glassware from the company’s inventory that will be available through the Fenton
see fenton on PAGE 2
PENALTIES ANNOUNCED The NCAA accepted West Virginia’s self-imposed penalties on its football program. SPORTS PAGE 5