THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Thursday September 27, 2012
Volume 126, Issue 29
www.THEDAONLINE.com
IN THEIR COURT
The candidates for Homecoming King and Queen are looking for your votes. Get to know them a little better on PAGE 2.
Not your average WVU athletes by lacey palmer staff writer
Anyone who has cheered on the Mountaineers at a football or basketball game has seen the West Virginia University cheerleaders. Although some may notice the girls in the air with their cheerful smiles, fewer notice the guys holding them up. Males actually started cheerleading in the late 1880s. According to West Virginia University cheerleading coach Christy Davis, the first
cheerleaders at WVU were males as well. On WVU’s Gold cheerleading squad, which cheers at football and men’s basketball games, there are typically eight-to-10 males each year. Davis said The Blue squad, which cheers at women’s basketball games, is similar in number, and all males start. “It’s nice to have enough guys so every girl can have their own partner and improve in stunt skills as the year progresses,” junior cheerleader Chelsea Eades
said. Senior and Theta Chi brother Justin Bell has been cheering for three years. Bell decided to cheer after being pressured by a female cheerleader. “I went to a practice and saw the varsity guys doing some pretty cool stuff,” Bell said. “I said to myself that I wanted to be able to stunt like that.” Graduate student Clayton Allison is in his fifth year of cheering. A high school friend encouraged him to
cheer. “She actually contacted me almost every other day for nearly a month until I came to a practice,” Allison said. “After I attended one practice, I was hooked.” Sophomore and secondyear cheerleader Nick Powell started cheering his freshman year. “When I came to college, I was looking for something to keep me active and involved,” Powell said. “Now, cheering is more of a stress relief or a break that I look forward to
Volunteers make a difference as ‘Big Brothers and Big Sisters’ By Madison Fleck Correspondent
In the eyes of a child, just one hour a week spent with a Big Brother or Big Sister can make all the difference. Volunteers at the Morgantown Big Brothers Big Sisters program have dedicated their time to developing relationships with children from various backgrounds. Sylvia Hawkins, Executive Director of Morgantown’s Big Brothers Big Sisters program, said the ages of the children enrolled in the program range from eight-to-16. They come from homes where they are raised by a single parent, foster parents or, in some cases, their great-grandparents. Hawkins said more than 90 percent of the volunteers are either West Virginia University students or faculty, and she believes it is a great way for the WVU community to get involved. The Big Brothers Big Sisters program gives these children a temporary older sibling to confide in, and it gives the volunteers an eye opener to reality.
Older siblings are asked to make a weekly commitment of one hour to be with their younger sibling. Caitlin Barber, a graduate student at WVU, has an 8-year-old little sister in the program. Her little sister has two biological brothers and doesn’t get a lot of “girl time” in her day. Barber said the one hour per week she spends with her little sister is very worthwhile. “She likes having a girl there to talk to talk to,” Barber said. The moment Caitlin realized her volunteer work had value was when she took her little sister back-to-school shopping. “We went to Justice to pick out some clothes, and she was so excited. She had never gotten an outfit from there before, and now she wears it every time I see her,” she said. As a child, Barber said she feels she was very fortunate, and this experience has made her appreciate how she grew up. “I would recommend this program to everyone,” she said.
70° / 58°
THROWBACK TIME
INSIDE
Throwback Thursday looks back at two classic ‘90s television shows. A&E PAGE 6
SCATTERED T-STORMS
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 6 Sports: 7, 8, 10 Campus Calendar: 5 Puzzles: 5 Classifieds: 9
Evan Stalnaker, a WVU student, has a 9-year-old little brother in the program. “When I first met him, his grades weren’t good, but now he has A’s and B’s in all his classes and is a really good listener,” Stalnaker said. “We just go play games, or go bowling or hiking and fishing. He loves to fish.” Within the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, there are two programs with which volunteers can get involved, one through the school and one through the community. Hawkins said the schoolbased program requires the volunteer to travel to North Elementary School for one hour per week and spend time with their younger sibling at school. This can include playing sports in the gym, playing board games, or just talking and hanging out, she said. The community-based program requires the big brother or sister to go to the child’s house and/or spend time with them outside of school, such as playing games, outdoor activities or
see volunteer on PAGE 2
every week.” Almost all the guys agree cheering is something they never imagined they’d do. Kris Lankford, now in his second year of cheering at WVU, says cheerleading is incredibly different from other athletics. In high school, Lankford played football and lacrosse, and he wrestled. “In cheerleading, you have to use a lot more finesse,” Lankford said. “It was easy to try to use brute strength while stunting at first, but moves wouldn’t be nearly as clean
by lacey palmer staff writer
An amendment to the West Virginia University Constitution of the Student Government Association concerning the Bureau of Finance was proposed by Governor Dillan Knox Wednesday evening at the regular meeting. “The Bureau of Finance has been a part of the SGA for the past couple of years, but has not been taken advantage of,” Knox said. “I want to get the Bureau instated in the constitution so it will be around in the years to come.” Within the Bureau of Finance is a Grant Allocation Committee that considers grant applications from student organizations. The committee investigates the applicants to approve grants for deserving student organizations. The Board of Governors also receives the grant applications a week before and is able to research the request before they vote at the next meeting. Then, the governors are allowed to ask questions to the organization’s representative
concerning their requested grant. “The Grant Allocation Committee will review the applications, but this amendment still keeps the power in check with the Board of Governors,” Knox said. “The amendment simply adds an advisory bureau to help appropriate finances.” According to Knox, the Board of Governors can override the Grant Allocation Committee’s decision, leaving the ultimate decision to approve the grant in the governors’ hands. The Bureau of Finance is implemented in SGA, but has not been added to the constitution yet. According to Knox, the constitution allows SGA to implement a bureau at will. The proposed amendment to the constitution reads: “The Board of Governors will work in conjunction with the Bureau of Finance in all matters concerning financial appropriation with the Board of Governors having ultimate voting approval.” This amendment will be included in the next SGA campus-wide election for student body approval, which will take place toward
In addition to our print coverage, The Daily Athenaeum posts videos on YouTube at http://youtube.com/dailyathenaeum. ON THE INSIDE The West Virginia volleyball team heads to Manhattan, Kansas, for a road match against Big 12 Conference foe Kansas State. SPORTS PAGE 10
drinkWELL WELLWVU
®
The Students’ Center of Health
see athlete on PAGE 2
Proposed SGA amendment addresses grant allocation
THE DA’s YOUTUBE CHANNEL
CONTACT US Newsroom 304-293-5092 or DAnewsroom@mail.wvu.edu Advertising 304-293-4141 or DA-Ads@mail.wvu.edu Classifieds 304-293-4141 or DA-Classifieds@mail.wvu.edu Fax 304-293-6857
and are far more dangerous that way.” Bell and Allison also played football in high school. “I never thought I would be doing this, but now I enjoy it very much and couldn’t imagine not doing it,” Bell said. Davis says no experience is necessary for males looking to cheer, but athletic ability is essential. Eric Jenkins, who is in his third year cheering, didn’t find cheering too difficult to
REGRET – Did I do something I regret last night? I don’t remember.
the end of the 2013 spring semester. If it passes, the amendment will take effect immediately. The Board of Governors also approved three grant applications Wednesday evening – one for $300 to Alpha Tau Alpha, an organization for agriculture majors that will allow four members to travel to a national competition, another for $500 to the Gender Equality Movement to host three upcoming events on campus and a $500 grant to WVU Archery to take four members to a national competition. Three Judicial Board nominations were also approved by the Board of Governors. Zachary Kinnaird, a law student from Texas; Josh Snyder, a law student and former WVU SGA governor and Omolola Oluyemi, a law student from California join two other law students and one graduate student to complete the Judicial Board. Sophomore political science major Katie Armstead was approved for the executive position of Republican Chair at Wednesday evening’s meeting as well. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
WINNING WAYS The No. 17 West Virginia men’s soccer team defeated visiting Iona 3-1 last night at Dick Dlesk Stadium. SPORTS PAGE 10
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