THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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Thursday September 29, 2011
Volume 125, Issue 29
www.THEDAONLINE.com
Expansion of reading program in works by josh clark staff writer
The West Virginia University Student Government Association discussed a program to distribute national newspapers for free to University students during its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday. Ian Dryburgh, regional marketing manager for USAToday, spoke about expanding WVU’s collegiate readership program during the meeting.
First introduced in 2001 in Arnold and Boreman halls, the program has given free copies of USAToday, the New York Times and Morgantown’s Dominion Post to students. The program has since expanded to serve all residence halls. Newspaper copies were also available in the Mountainlair during March Madness last year. “Part of our mission is to promote civic engagement and really give students a chance to understand what goes on out-
side the college walls,” Dryburgh said. “There’s been 1.3 million newspapers picked up in the last 10 years and an average of 1,000 per day. It’s a tremendous readership.” Other colleges allow student governments to take ownership of collegiate readership beyond the residence halls, Dryburgh said. Seventeen percent of WVU students have access to the program. Dryburgh said the program is designed to make newspa-
pers available to every student, including those who live off-campus. The biggest issue is limiting access to non-students, Dryburgh said. “On other campuses we have displays only students are allowed to access,” Dryburgh said. “They’re called swipe-card machines. It doesn’t charge students, but gives them access to newspapers inside it. There are ways to keep out non-students.” Dryburgh said expanding the
program is not without cost, however. “We know where our budget stands in comparison to other schools that have sponsored these programs,” said SGA President Jason Bailey. “We can’t do this alone. Transportation offices could give up some money to put papers at bus stops and PRT stations so people forget how long they’re waiting.” SGA also addressed scheduling activities for the student recreation fields. Students can
by kelsey montgomery correspondent
Mallory Bracken/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Jewish students and community members sit down for apples, honey and challah to wish for a sweet new year at the Chabad House’s Rosh Hashana celebration Wednesday evening in the Rhododendron Room.
Jewish community celebrates Rosh Hashana correspondent
Members of West Virginia University’s Jewish community celebrated Rosh Hashanah in the Rhododendron Room of the Mountainlair Wednesday evening. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, involves contemplation and introspection of an individual’s life throughout the past year. “It’s a time for you to consider the value of what you’ve done in the past year,” said James Friedberg, faculty adviser for the Hillel House, a WVU Jewish student-led organization. Mallory Bracken/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM Services and a special dinner were Rabbi Zalman Gurevitz, of Morgantown’s Chabad House, leads a held in the Mountainlair, while the reading during the Jewish Student center’s Rosh Hashana celebra- Hillel House provided transportation tion Wednesday evening in the Rhododendron Room. to synagogue for students.
“It’s a holiday where we begin to ask forgiveness, essentially. We try to make amends with people we may have hurt,” said Deva Solomon, WVU alumnus and co-director of the Hillel House. Rosh Hashanah, which began Wednesday at sundown, means “head of the year” in Hebrew. It marks the beginning of a 10-day process towards the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur. “Yom Kippur is the day one becomes inscribed in The Book of Life – sort of like a last chance,” Solomon said. Friedberg said the Hillel House strives to create an atmosphere students can feel comfortable in if celebrating the holiday away from family.
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Geology & Geography Dept. hosts open house by julia nass correspondent
The West Virginia University Department of Geology & Geography will host its Alumni Event and Open House today through Friday in Brooks Hall. The event was planned to coincide with Homecoming in order to bring the alumni, current students and faculty together and to showcase the developments and progress the department has made. Presentations during the event will include assistant professor of geography Bradley Wilson’s “One Cup of Coffee: Taste, Place and Develop-
ment in Central America” at 9:10 a.m. and Peter Sullivan’s “Energy Geology of Webster County, W.Va.,” at 11:10 a.m. Current WVU graduate students and alumni from across the country, some of which are members of the department’s Visiting Committee, will also attend the event. There will also be a public demonstration of Schlumberger Petrel Software in 416 Brooks today as part of the event. The software is estimated to be worth $8 million, said Steven Kite, department chair of Geology & Geography. The department anticipates showing the alumni and
current students what this software can do to enhance the experience for geology students because of its use for energy exploration and geophysical tools, Kite said. “Our students have had great benefits from it because they get to learn how to use this software, which is stateof-the-art at the leading gas companies and oil companies,” Kite said. “They learn it here, so when they are out in the job market they really have a leg up on competitors from other schools who don’t have this resource available to them.” Kite said the department produces “plug-and-play”
students who are ready for the real world and appealing to recruiters. “They can put them on the job, and they know what to do with very little training because they’ve had to do it in their coursework here,” Kite said. The event also includes the “Professional Development Seminar: Grant Writing for Graduate Students” at 2 p.m. Friday. Geography demonstrations and laboratories will be going on during the event, including some work with virtual reality. The use of technology has
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‘Bonnie’s Bus’ spreads breast cancer awareness
‘HOME AWAY FROM HOME’
by carlee lammers
schedule recreation field activities at http://webviewer.wvu. edu/recfield. Any WVU student can access the program using their MasterID. The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences asks for scheduling a week in advance so they can approve the use, said Governor Allison Rollins. “The more they know about your event, the more likely
ON THE INSIDE The No. 25 West Virginia men’s soccer team lost to JMU 2-0 Wednesday night on the road to remain winless away from home. ON PAGE 10
The Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University is making mammograms more accessible to women in West Virginia. “Bonnie’s Bus,” a mobile digital mammography screening unit, travels across the state year-round to ensure women receive an equal opportunity to be tested for breast cancer. “We don’t turn anyone away,” said program Director Sara Jane Gainor. The 40-foot-long pink bus is equipped with state-ofthe-art equipment, a waiting room, a patient education area and a restroom. More than 1,100 women received mammograms from Bonnie’s Bus in 2010. Gainor said its main mission is to reach out to women who may not have convenient access to a specialist. “The main difference between our program and a regular program located in a medical building is that we can travel to any area that doesn’t have a mammography center available,” Gainor said. “This way, women don’t have to drive 50 or 100 miles to have a mammogram completed.” Bonnie’s Bus was launched in 2009 through a donation made by Jo and Ben Statler
to the WVU Cancer Center in honor of Jo’s mother, Bonnie Wells Wilson, who died of breast cancer. In addition to Breast Cancer Awareness month coming up in October, spreading awareness is a top priority for the organization because detecting breast cancer early can save lives, Gainor said. “We mainly spread awareness by word-of-mouth and our close partnerships with various breast cancer screening programs in West Virginia,” she said. The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 years and older should have annual mammograms, and Gainor said all women should take advantage of the opportunity for a mammogram, even if they doubt it’s necessary. Bonnie’s Bus accepts bill insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, the outreach program works with The Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program and other organizations to help cover the costs for uninsured women. To learn more about Bonnie’s Bus and when it is visiting a location near you, visit www.wvucancer.org/bonnie or search “Bonnie’s Bus” on Facebook. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Student creates wildlife conservation project by carlee lammers correspondent
For as long as Tina Dow can remember, she’s had a passion for wildlife. Dow, a West Virginia University student, is pursuing her passion through an organization she and her husband formed – Wildlife Research and Conser va- Dow tion. “I don’t ever remember a time not being interested in wildlife,” Dow said. “As a kid I always felt more at home outside with the creepy crawlies than I did inside.” During her doctoral studies at WVU, Dow’s focus has been on elephant captivation and the effects it has on the species’ fertility. Though Dow is unsure where she’ll end up after graduation, she knows she’ll always follow her passion for wildlife. “It’s so exciting that this is
a platform I’ll have no matter where I go professionally,” Dow said. “I’ve always wanted a platform to continue my research.” The mission of Wildlife Research and Conservation is to promote and support wildlife conservation through research and education. Dow has visited several scouting groups and classrooms to promote the organization and share her passion with others. “So many people aren’t aware of what’s going on in their own backyard,” she said. “I love sharing with somebody something new and then seeing their faces light up.” Dow’s organization has partnered with Eco-Cell, an e-recycling company, in efforts to protect gorilla habitats for its project “Answer the Call.” In parts of The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, miners in search of the rare mineral Coltan are destroying gorilla habitats, allowing them to become more easily exposed to poachers, Dow said.
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TAKING ADVANTAGE West Virginia freshman running back Dustin Garrison is taking advantage of the playing time he is receiving in his first year. SPORTS PAGE 7