THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Monday February 13, 2012
Volume 125, Issue 100
www.THEDAONLINE.com
J.T. Thomas’ Roadtrip helps children with epilepsy
WEST VIRGINIA 65 | NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 63
SHAMROCKED
“This is a big game. We have so many new players, and after losing five players last year and almost 90 percent of our offense, for these girls to get this type of win on the road – it will do a lot for their confidence.” — WVU head coach Mike Carey
by kelsey montgomery staff writer
Chicago Bears football player and former West Virginia University linebacker J.T. Thomas brought his “Ready Ready Roadtrip” to Morgantown this weekend to encourage the community to help children who suffer from epilepsy. The J.T. Thomas Foundation teamed up with The Epilepsy Foundation for the event, which was held at Buffalo Wild Wings in the Suncrest Towne Centre Saturday. “I wanted to come out to the community here at West Virginia University and Morgantown to give back and allow the people in the area a chance to come out, get an autograph and eat some wings.That all helps out a good cause,” Thomas said. The annual “Ready Ready Road Trip” started in Thomas’ hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and has traveled across the eastern United States, making a difference in children’s lives. The J.T. Thomas Foundation was created just this year, and aims to support a variety of childhood disabilities organizations through fundraising events and awareness campaigns. “The J.T. Thomas Foundation is here to promote leadership, good education and sportsmanship and to promote awareness for disabilities such as epilepsy,” Thomas said. Thomas said he was pleased with the community’s support for his cause. “We had a lot of people come out. We had Oliver Luck, Jarrett Brown and a lot of other guys
see THOMAS on PAGE 2
Students team up with local youth services project by mackenzie mays city editor
ap
West Virginia guard Christal Caldwell celebrates after West Virginia beat Notre Dame 65-63 Sunday in South Bend, Ind.
West Virginia notches win over No. 2 Notre Dame The West Virginia women’s basketball team traveled to Notre Dame as the clear underdog, but returned to Morgantown with a win against its highestranked opponent in school history. Read more from Sunday’s game against Notre Dame in Sports.
WEST VIRGINIA 65 NOTRE DAME 63 WEST VIRGINIA (18-6, 8-3) PLAYER FG-FGA FT-FTA REB HARLEE, J. 2-3 2-2 3 BUSSIE, A. 6-9 10-13 8 DUNNING, A. 4-7 2-2 7 CALDWELL, C. 4-15 2-2 4 STEPNEY, L. 0-2 0-0 2 PALMER, T. 3-10 1-2 5 BETHEL, A. 1-2 0-0 3 HAMPTON, B. 0-3 4-4 2 FIELDS, A. 0-1 0-0 1
A 1 1 2 0 3 3 2 4 0
TP 6 22 11 10 0 9 3 4 0
FG: 9-26 (34.6%); FT: 11-26 (42.3%); 3-pointers: 4-13 (30.8%); Rebounds: 41; Blocked shots: 4; Turnovers: 21; Steals: 10.
ap
West Virginia coach Mike Carey watches his team during the second half of Sunday’s game between West Virginia and Notre Dame. West Virginia won 65-63.
NOTRE DAME (24-2, 11-2) PLAYER FG-FGA FT-FTA REB PETERS, D. 1-8 2-5 17 DIGGINS, S. 10-19 12-18 5 NOVOSEL, N. 6-14 2-2 1 MALLORY, B. 1-3 0-0 2 McBRIDE, K. 2-6 0-0 3 ACHONWA, N. 2-3 0-0 0 MILLER, F. 0-0 0-0 3 TURNER, K 0-1 0-0 0 WRIGHT, M 0-0 0-0 0
A 3 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0
TP 4 32 16 3 4 4 0 0 0
FG: 14-27 (51.9%); FT: 16-25 (64.0%); 3-pointers: 3-8 (37.5%); Rebounds: 33; Blocked shots: 8; Turnovers: 17; Steals: 11.
A group of West Virginia University business students are using their skills and experience to help a local nonprofit organization in need. Students are working together to support the Morgantown Area Youth Services Project and create awareness about its services. The Morgantown Area Youth Services Project aims to reduce incidences of delinquency, substance abuse and violence among youth in Monongalia County. The project offers counseling intervention, education and community services and can help students get their records expunged. The organization made $90,000 less in 2011 than it did in the previous year, and staff members took a 20 percent pay cut to compensate, said Jason Junkin, a graduate student working with the program. “Right now, their main problem is low funding. It’s the result of a struggling economy and not many people knowing they exist. Grants are drying out,” Junkin said. “Essentially, these MBA and marketing classes are helping different organizations with whatever they need.” The program offers free services to at-risk high school and middle school students who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse, and it offers counseling and rehabilitation classes to college students and adults. “The people who work there are awesome and very dedicated to helping those who need
see project on PAGE 2
Mon River QUEST wins regional IMPACT Award for water research by lydia nuzum
associate city editor
The Mon River QUEST, a comprehensive water quality survey administered at 16 locations along the Monongahela River, received a regional IMPACT Award from the National Institutes for Water Resources. The project, founded by the West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University, received the Mid-Atlantic Region IMPACT
Award. Mon River QUEST is an automatic nominee for the National IMPACT Award. Representatives of the seven regional IMPACT Award winners will appear at the annual National Institutes for Water Resources meeting Feb. 14 in D.C., where each will give a presentation on their project. “We’ve already had an impact, we’re growing the program, there’s a large amount of interest in the program and it’s having positive results on a major river system in our re-
gion,” said Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the WVWRI. The Mon River QUEST began sampling in summer 2009, Ziemkiewicz said, and recorded high levels of Total Dissolved Solids in the Monongahela River and its major tributaries. Common compounds included in TDS reading are calcium, phosphates, nitrates, sodium, potassium and chloride, which can be caused by storm water and nutrient runoff, and can cause changes in the smell
and taste of drinking water. Ziemkiewicz said a contributor to high levels of TDS in the river comes from the coal industry, which pumps water from its mine sites to continue production in deep mines. The results from the organization’s surveys have been used to determine trends in the amount of TDS pumped into the river and enable the group to advise the coal industry in different ways to prevent incurring high levels of TDS.
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LOVE IS IN THE AIR
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INSIDE
Air Supply performed Sunday night at the WVU Creative Arts Center. A&E PAGE 4
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News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 10 A&E: 3, 4, 12 Sports: 13, 14, 16 Campus Calendar: 11 Puzzles: 11 Classifieds: 15
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ON THE INSIDE The No. 24 WVU gymnastics team upset No. 13 Auburn Sunday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum. SPORTS PAGE 16
“We’ve been able to use those results and go back to the coal industry and say, ‘Look, all of the high TDS issues we’re seeing are occurring during low-flow periods in our streams and rivers between August and November, so why don’t you guys back off your pumping during lowflow periods and pump more during high-flow periods?’” Ziemkiewicz said. “They implemented it almost immediately, and ever since, we haven’t seen any
exceedances in sulfates and TDS since January 2010.” The Monongahela River originates in north-central West Virginia and provides drinking water to nearly one million people. The river is 128 miles long and has a drainage basin of 7,340 square miles. It flows north through southwestern Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh, where it meets the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River.
see quest on PAGE 2
WVU FALLS TO LOUISVILLE The WVU men’s basketball team led No. 24 Louisville throughout the entire game but fell in the closing minutes 77-74. SPORTS PAGE 13