THE DAILY ATHENAEUM “Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2010
www www.THEDAONLINE.com
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 145
Student arrested for arson attempt “ ” BY TRAVIS CRUM AND DEVON UNGER DA STAFF
A West Virginia University student is facing fourth-degree arson charges after police allegedly found him attempting to burn down the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house. The man attempted to light the house on fire April 16 around 2 a.m., according to reports. The suspect suffered a broken leg while attempting to elude police, said WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts. He underwent surgery April 21.
The student’s name cannot be released until police serve a warrant, Roberts said. A warrant cannot be served until he is released from the hospital, which should be sometime this week, he said. The police discovered the man squirting charcoal fluid on the mulch in front of the house as he was attempting to light it on fire. The suspect was not targeting the AOPi house for any specific reason but was under the influence of alcohol, Roberts said. “There was nothing in the initial interview that said it was di-
It’s so scary that people do things like that. With everyone asleep, no one would have even known it was happening. We seriously could have all been killed. Cindy Le, AOPi member
rected to anyone living in that house,” he said. “He just found the charcoal fluid, and I think there was mulch there. And he was squirting the charcoal fluid in the mulch.”
Cindy Le, a member of AOPi and resident of the house, said she heard someone pounding on the door the morning of April 16 but disregarded it. “I wasn’t going to go answer it at two in the morning,” she said, adding she assumed it was a neighboring fraternity playing a prank. The knock at the door was a University police officer. After no one answered the door, the police went to a nearby fraternity house, where they asked residents if they had phone numbers of anyone in the sorority, Le said.
“I woke up to texts asking if our house got burned down,” said AOPi member Ally Ruscin. “I had no idea what they were even talking about. I guess the police got a hold of our president, so she let everyone know what was going on.” Sorority member Casey Raftry said the man was not targeting the house members. “I think it’s actually probably true that he has nothing against AOPi. The people across the street have a grill, so I’m sure it could have been their charcoal fluid he used,” she said. “People just do dumb things when
BY SHAY MAUNZ STAFF WRITER
West Virginia University’s Strategic Planning Council is is preparing for the University’s next long-term plan. The council hopes to take more concrete steps in the next few weeks between finals and commencement, said Provost Michele Wheatly. “We will be helping some of those groups to have some intense discussion so we can do some real work with them over the summer,” Wheatly said at Monday’s Faculty Senate Executive Committee meeting. Wheatly added several task forces have been formed in addition to the other originally created in the process. Current task forces include
CHELSI BAKER/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Sophomore pre-nursing major Shayna Cohen studies for her upcoming chemistry final in the library Monday afternoon. Cohen disagrees with having exams and assignments during dead week, and wants the week to be dedicated to preparing for finals week. ‘I kind of feel like we shouldn’t even have class,’ she said. ‘I feel like the week should be about just studying.’
STAFF WRITER
Ryan Diviney fundraiser a ‘success’ CITY EDITOR
A West Virginia University professor organized an event that raised more than $8,000 to benefit the family of sophomore political science major Ryan Diviney. Earlier this month, Daniel Brewster, a sociology professor and two of Ryan’s friends held a fundraising dinner at Dragonfly
restaurant in Morgantown. The event aimed to aid the Diviney family with Ryan’s high medical costs. Brewster said money is still being calculated from the silent auction, which could bring the total to $9,000 by the end of the week. “It was definitely a big success, and we definitely got more than I expected,” Brewster said. “I anticipated around 200 to 300 people, but Dragonfly said we had a little over 700.” Ryan, who remains in a coma, was attacked outside the Willey Street Dairy Mart Nov. 7 at 3:10 a.m.
Jonathan May, 18, and Austin Vantrease, 18, of Newark, Del. were charged with malicious assault in connection with the beating. A trial date of July 16 has been set for the two teens. On April 22, Ryan moved from his home in Ashburn, Va., to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in northern New Jersey. The Institute specializes in rehabilitation programs for individuals with spinal cord and brain injuries. Ken Diviney, Ryan’s father, said Ryan has three hours of therapy a day and has adjusted to life at the Institute. “I don’t sense any stress in
him at all,” Ken said. “Right now, (the Institute) is trying to figure out where he is and what type of treatment they want to provide for him. It seems to be an excellent facility.” Recently, doctors said Ryan no longer needs a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe. They are planning on removing the tube once Ryan’s skull has been fully healed, Ken said. Ryan also received his first shower in six months while at the Institute, Ken said. Up until now, Ryan had only been receiving sponge baths from his
see DIVINEY on PAGE 2
Master of Fine Arts program ranks in top 100 BY DEVON UNGER STAFF WRITER
U.S. News & World Report ranked West Virginia University’s master of fine arts program 93rd among the top 100 fine arts graduate programs in the country. The WVU division of art and design has made the list every year since 2003. Alison Helm, professor of sculpture and chair of the division of art and design, said the rankings help bring attention to the program and its graduates. “It’s a vote of confidence not just from students that have graduated and gone on to have successful ca-
reers, but it’s other peers who look at your program and are knowledgeable,” Helm said. “This is a real valid rating from colleagues who know the arts.” The program is attracting energetic new faculty with ideas that move the school forward, Helm said. She said the program does not like to pigeon hole students into a specific artistic discipline but encourages students to explore various types of media. The program also allows students the opportunity to gain teaching experience they can apply to future jobs in art education. “I’m pursuing my own art ca-
59° / 36°
BLOCK PARTY
INSIDE
Adult Swim is hosting a block party at the VFW tonight. A&E PAGE 3
PARTLY CLOUDY
News: 1, 2 A&E: 3, 5 Opinion: 4 Sports: 7, 10 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 8, 9
Alex Koscevic contributed to this report. Koscevic is a member of AOPi.
reer, but also I’d like to teach as well. They’ve given me the opportunity to have some teaching experience, and that is very valuable,” said Cassie Clements, a third year student in the MFA program. Originally from Huntington, W.Va., Clements was aware of WVU’s program while completing her undergraduate work at Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. She said the program’s opportunities helped her decision to come to WVU for graduate school. Jennifer Rockage, a third year student in the MFA program, said she got the chance to meet printmaking professor Joseph Lupo
A total of 58 street fires have been reported since the beginning of the spring semester at West Virginia University, said Morgantown fire marshal Ken Tennant. Since the start of 2010, there have been 36 cases classified as street fires and 22 dumpster fires, Tennant said. The Morgantown Fire Department classifies street fires as anything ranging from burning couches, kitchen tables, piles of garbage and dumpsters. If a student is found taking part in a street fire, he or she could face the criminal charge of malicious burning, Tennant said. “We’ve had fires damage vehicles. We’ve had fire fighters injured, people injured,” Tennant said. “We have had couch fires and dumpster fires against the houses that led to setting the houses on fire.” Students who participate in
during her senior year at Clarion College in Clarion, Pa., where she completed her undergraduate degree. Lupo, as well as other faculty, encouraged Rockage to join WVU’s program. Along with her experience with faculty, Rockage liked the size and opportunities of the program. “I think the department definitely has a lot to offer graduates, and I’m glad to see it ranked in the top 100. It’s exciting,” Rockage said. There are approximately 24 students in the program at any time,
see ARTS on PAGE 2
see PLANNING on PAGE 2
the fires do not usually think about the danger they are putting themselves, their friends, property and bystanders in, he said. Tennant said in the past, the MFD was unable to attend to all emergency calls because they were too occupied with the number of street fires. During basketball and football season, the department has to call surrounding area departments for backup, he said. More than 27 fires were reported the night the WVU men’s basketball team won the Big East Tournament. “The criminal charges for setting the fires were implemented about 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m really not so sure that was such a turn for the students as the mandatory $1,000 fine seems to be,” Tennant said. In early 2000, Tennant said WVU started implementing judicial hearings for students
see FIRES on PAGE 2
CHELSI BAKER/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The charred remains of a couch sits on the side of a road in Sunnyside after the men’s basketball team won the Big East Tournament March 13.
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one to focus on discovery and innovation, one for inclusivity and another for international activity. New task forces include groups to focus on WVU’s main campus, the Health Sciences Center and some that are all-inclusive. They address issues such as faculty development, research, health and wellness, first year success and c o m mu n i t y e n gag e m e nt. Wheatly also said more work groups will be formed, and officials are still garnering input on the process. “We will listen to input from anyone who wants to give it,” she said. “But we are structuring some discussions around issues that we think are going
Number of street fires in Morgantown on the rise BY MELISSA CANDOLFI
BY TRAVIS CRUM
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Faculty Senate: Strategic planning process ongoing
‘DEAD WEEK’ NOT SO DEAD
$8,000 donated to Diviney family
they’re drunk.” Le said the sorority sisters are not taking the incident lightly. “It’s so scary that people do things like that,” Le said. “With everyone asleep, no one would have even known it was happening. We seriously could have all been killed.” If found guilty, the man could face between one to two years in prison and a fine of $2,500.
LATER THIS WEEK The West Virginia football team will play in the Gold-Blue spring scrimmage Friday. Check out the preview of the game in the DA on Friday and an update from after the game that night.
MEN’S B-BALL WINS TEAM OF THE YEAR In the first of four days of awards, the men’s basketball team garnered DA Sports Team of the Year award. SPORTS PAGE 10