THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Thursday October 25, 2012
Volume 125, Issue 49
www.THEDAONLINE.com
WVU author to talk overcoming grief by shelby toompas staff writer
As West Virginia University’s Mountaineer Week kicks off, WVU’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies will welcome retired professor and West Virginia author Judith Stitzel to campus Friday. As a previous English Professor at WVU from 196598, and founding director of the Center for Women’s Studies at WVU in 1984-
92, Stitzel will hold a lecture titled: “Making the Years Count,” about her recently published book “Field Notes from Grief: The First Year,” which travels through her journal of lifetime struggles. Brian Jara, senior lecturer in the Women’s and Gender Studies department, said you can’t help but notice Stitzel’s impact as the founding director; her dedication and perseverance is the reason the
department exists today. “We are very proud of her and happy that she is still active,” Jara said. “She certainly is a huge legacy and she always supports us.” Liz Frinklea, web site administrator and event coordinator for the department, said that Stitzel has always been a strong advocate of women’s rights and is very firm in her beliefs. Jara said Stitzel’s book is based on the journal
that she kept during the year after her husband’s death, and it reads as if you were reading her personal journal. Stitzel’s book does a great job of highlighting the battle one goes through when grieving, but she uses honesty and humor to encourage readers that they can get through it as well. “She is an inspiration to all of us,” Jara said. “However, the point of the book
is not that you must experience grief the way she has, but she shows us how she did, and that there is no correct way to get through it.” Stitzel’s book is comprised of her personal stories and corresponding artwork from artist Claudia Giannini, and can be very helpful to individuals of all ages. Cynthia Ford, Administrative Associate at the Center for Women’s and
by andrew silva correspondent
Tyler Herrinton/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The West Virginia University School of Art & Design held its inaugural Juried Student Exhibition Wednesday.
CAC features students’ work in first ever Juried Student Exhibition By Shelby Toompas Staff writer
see cac on PAGE 2
Tyler Herrinton/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Work from various students was on display at the CAC Wednesday.
Science on Tap series explores nature of fear zak voreh staff writer
The pulse rises, pupils dilate and breath becomes shallow – these are all symptoms of fear – an emotion most would consider unpleasant. Still, around Halloween every year, it seems to become the norm – maybe even fun. Cara Palmer, a developmental psychology graduate student, tried to explain this fascination with fear at her 15-minute lecture last night for Science on Tap. Palmer veered from her usual studies to research fear.
“I normally focus on how we respond to positive events and positive emotions, but by focusing on the broad range of emotions that we can feel, it gives us a better understanding of our emotional lives,” she said. “My research in general is focused on emotions and why we respond to emotional events in certain ways. Then, when I first talked with Bia (Vianna) about designing a talk for October,” she said. “She was like, ‘you know, I really want zombies worked in somehow,’ so we started talking about Halloween and how we can incorporate my research into
the holiday.” To come up with the idea, Palmer and Vianna brainstormed. “We thought, ‘well, what do we do?’ We go to haunted houses, we watch scary movies, and it’s all based on this idea of fear,” she said. “That really made me think about ‘why are we afraid of these things?’ And if we are afraid, why we want to continue to put ourselves in situations where we experience something we normally think of as bad.” There was a good showing of both community members and college students at the event.
“For me, it was the connection as to why (we scare ourselves) at the very end – basically just saying we want to have fear and want to scare ourselves,” said Eric Perkuhn, a senior civil engineering student. Beatriz Vianna, a graduate student and co-founder of Science on Tap, said the event is designed to spread awareness about science. “There is a huge disconnect between science and society,” she said. Vianna said science is a crucial part of our society, which should be discussed and understood by everyone in order to better
see science on PAGE 2
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TOO MUCH TRUMP?
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INSIDE
Donald Trump gets more recognition than he deserves. OPINION PAGE 4
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see stitzel on PAGE 1
Pop culture pumps up pawning popularity
BEST IN SHOW
West Virginia University’s School of Art & Design held its first annual Juried Student Exhibition Wednesday night in the Douglas O. Blaney Lobby of the Creative Arts Center. Last night’s event began with the presentation of five monetary awards to student artists, including: a $300 award for Best in Show, two $200 CAC Dean’s Purchase Awards, $100 awards for Juror’s Choice, the School of Art & Design Director’s Choice and the Judy Raese Arts Award. Five other students also received Honorable Mention awards. The Director of the School of Art and Design, Alison Helm, said there were 80 submissions; however, only 30 pieces were chosen by visiting artist and WVU alumnus Martin Mazorra. “This is the first time we have ever done a student show with award money,” Helm said. Faculty coordinator of the event and assistant
Gender Studies, said that this event will tie into the theme of Mountaineer Week. “Not only will she be talking about her book, but she is also going to be speaking about her experiences here at WVU and Women’s Studies,” Ford said. For said the book related to Stitzel’s life and the loss of her husband.
There is a seven-foot, stuffed elk in the center of the room, a rack of movies ranging from “Hulk” to “Van Helsing” slightly to the left of the elk and a lazy dog named Gilda, who will carelessly roam the shop from time to time. No, this is not the pawnshop the American public has become accustomed to seeing on television. This is a typical scene at WV Pawnbrokers of Morgantown. “The shows are fun to watch, and they’ve made people aware of what pawnshops do, but a lot of what is done on there is for the show,” Karen Kalafat said. Kalafat, like many other pawnshop owners across the country, has seen increased business and popularity since the start of shows such as “Pawn Stars”, “Cajun Pawn” and “Hardcore Pawn.” These shows, coupled with a recessed economy, have contributed to a surge in the economic status of pawnshops. According to Businessinsider.com, the average pawn loan and number of gold transactions have both risen by more than 35 percent in the past four years. For centuries, pawnshops have been perceived as a marketplace for stolen merchandise. Now, they have a Hollywoodbranded glamour. The image portrayed on television, however, varies from that actually found in your nearby pawnshop. Kalafat recently opened WV Pawnbrokers of Morgantown. She has been involved in the business since her high school years. Her father first opened a pawnshop in 1987, and her brother is president of the West Virginia Pawnbrokers Association. Despite being so familiar with the business, she never saw this evolution coming in the industry. “It is surprising to see how fast those shows took off. It seems that new ones are always coming out now, too,” Kalafat said. “We’ve had a lot of customers come in and say they never thought about coming into a pawn shop but saw ‘Pawn Stars’ and wanted to check one out.” The intrigue of expensive and uncommon items has helped “Pawn Stars” become one of the highest-rated television shows among households, capturing several million viewers weekly. For pawnshops in the Morgantown area, these
COMING NEXT WEEK The West Virginia volleyball team lost in straight sets to No. 14 Kansas State Wednesday night at the Coliseum to drop its ninth straight contest. SPORTS PAGE 8
items rarely find themselves in the shop. “For the most part, we just get common items like guns, electronics and jewelry,” said Rob Summers, manager of Cashland Pawn. “We don’t normally get the crazy items like you’ll see on T.V.” That is not to say peculiar pieces never come in from time to time. Working at Cashland for more than a decade, Summers has seen his fair share of oddities – but one sticks out in his mind. “When I first started working here, we had a businesswoman come in and try to sell us a gold tooth with the tooth still inside. It was still wrapped up in tissue like it had just been pulled,” Summers said. “We didn’t end up taking it, and I didn’t even bother asking why she had that with the tooth still intact.” Kalafat’s brother, Brent, also owns C&J Trades in Clarksburg. Brent said he, too, has seen his fair share of strange items come through his shop. “Someone came in trying to sell half a box of cereal, and another time, a guy brought in a case of Mountain Dew,” he said. Kalafat did not pass up an opportunity, however, and ended up striking an agreement for the Mountain Dew. “I was able to get a pretty good deal on it, so I had to do it,” he said. Embedded deep in the roots of pawning is one aspect of the business that has not been lost in the camera’s bright lights. Bartering remains the lifeblood for every shop. It is essential to the bottom line, whether they will report a profit or loss. Bartering can often lend itself to frustration, though. “The key is to let them think that they are in control,” said Clinton Bankhead, a pawnbroker at Cashland. “People want to feel like they win, so we try to give them that, but in reality, we have numbers that we are not willing to deviate from.” On a recent afternoon, a customer went into Cashland looking to buy an iPod Nano. After selecting a royal blue one, the chess game began. The customer made the first move: “How much are you asking?” he said. “Sixty,” Summers said firmly. The two discussed some of the iPod’s features and amenities before the customer responds. “I was looking to get less than that,” the man said.
see pawn on PAGE 2
HARDWOOD HUSTLE The West Virginia men’s baskeball team is looking to play a more up tempo game in its inaugural Big 12 season. SPORTS PAGE 10