THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Wednesday February 24, 2016
Volume 128, Issue 100
www.THEDAONLINE.com
City talks RFRA, Mountain Line levy by Jake jarvis staff Writer @NewsroomJake
New preliminary research from a marketing professor at West Virginia University suggests that when businesses actively display religious expression, potential customers are less likely to purchase services or goods from the business. The research by Paula Fitzgerald was presented to the City Council at its com-
mittee meeting of the whole Tuesday evening along with other business leaders condemning “religious freedom” bill likely to pass through the legislature this session. “How can we continue to boast inclusion if we allow a bill that actively discriminates people in our community?” asked Billie Murray, a WVU student and member of the city’s Human Rights Commission. Because of such strong
opposition to the bill, the council will consider a resolution—that the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce suggested— condemning the legislation. Although Fitzgerald’s research has yet to be peer reviewed, she said of all the research she’s done in her career, she has seen the stronger results from this research project than any other project. She created fake advertisements which included, among other
things, information about a couple who owns a bed and breakfast. In different versions, the couple was white or African American and displayed a pro-Islamic or pro-Christian image which said the business doesn’t serve same-sex couples, or an image that says the business serves everyone. “The race didn’t matter, the religion didn’t matter,” Fitzgerald said. “The only thing that mattered was if
they served same-sex couples or not.” Business leaders across the state have already called for the legislature to abandon the bill, and in the beginning of February, the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce joined that group. Kelly Kimble, chair of the organization, said Louisiana lost about $60 million after passing similar legislation last year, and is now spending millions on public rela-
tions to restore its image. “Some of the legislation now being considered could be used by doctors to deny treatment to some patients,” Kimble said, prompting many health organizations to oppose the bill. Also Tuesday evening, the council discussed a series of levies proposed to the Monongalia County Commission which will be voted on in May.
see COUNCIL on PAGE 2
‘I was an outsider’ Kristen Uppercue/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Before the unveiling, the Statler College presented the EcoCAR3 with great speakers.
WVU readies for competition, unveils car to transform by amy pratt
staff writer @dailyathenaeum
West Virginia University’s EcoCAR 3 team revealed the vehicle it will transform into a hybrid: a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The transformation of the car is part of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, a four-year competition which began in 2015 and is sponsored by General Motors and the Energy Department. The EcoCAR 3 Team will convert the Camaro, a stock vehicle, to a hybrid that uses both an ethanol engine and an electric loader and battery. “We got the Camaro a little while ago, we’d just been waiting to formally reveal it now that we have permission to start making modifications to the car...” said project manager Ryan Dudley. “We just got approval on Feb. 1 to make modifications once we passed a vehicle baseline evaluation.” WVU is one of 16 universities in the United States and Canada selected to participate in the competition. Last year, the team designed and chose all components for the converted car. They did modeling and simulations to design the hybrid-power train and change the engine from a six-cylinder to a four-cylinder. The design was approved in May 2015. This year, the team has refined the designs. Now that they have the Camaro, the team can start taking it apart and putting in the student-designed components. Students also have to consider making the car aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. The finished hybrid Camaro has to be able to hold two medium-sized pieces of luggage and appeal to drivers. “If you have a car that’s filled with batteries all over and you can’t put anything in it, that’s not going to be
very popular for use. General Motors is interested in engineers thinking about how they can make a car that will function appropriately and still be aesthetically pleasing,” said Eugene Cilento, dean of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. The EcoCAR 3 Team consists of students from multiple disciplines within WVU, ranging from freshman to graduate students. There are students working on marketing and public relations from the Reed College of Media, management students from the College of Business and Economics, along with students from several engineering departments. “Building and marketing a vehicle is a multidisciplinary business. You have to run the business, you have to market your product, you have to communicate and outreach to make the public aware of what you’re doing,” said Scott Wayne, faculty adviser to the EcoCAR 3 team. “You have to design the vehicle and build it and then sell it. The competition takes us through that entire process, just like an automotive company would do if they were going to build a car and sell it.” There are also awards each year of the competition in various categories. “Each year there can be a winner of the competition, so there are prizes and awards made for each year in a whole bunch of different categories,” Wayne said. “In a hybrid vehicle, fuel efficiency is one of the big criteria—that is, has low emissions or low pollution. Another (part) of the criteria is that it performs or handles well.” In addition, the students participating in the competition will also receive class credit, along with the hands-on experience.
Local Islamic leader leads congregation with surprising background Kip Curnutt is a young, white male. He’s an expecting father from Montgomery, Alabama. He’s a former musician. He’s an advocate for humanity. Kip Curnutt is a Muslim. Although Curnutt’s physical appearance and background don’t reflect American stereotypes of a devout Muslim, he has managed to acquire a position of great respect within the Muslim community of Morgantown, West Virginia. As Imam of the Islamic Center of Morgantown, Curnutt guides the Muslim community in worship and spiritual guidance, a position for which he was taught from within the Morgantown Muslim community. “I had studied with (the previous Imam) for a long time,” Curnutt said. “I was a student of his, and for me, I was an outsider. I was someone who had converted to Islam.” Growing up in an agnostic family in Alabama, Curnutt was not much exposed to religious practices as a young child aside from the occasional Southern Baptist church services he would attend with his parents to save face. “We went to church. Not really because of a religious thing, but because everyone went to church,” Curnutt said. “It was that environment where people know each other, and they don’t really know any outside traditions. (They) were typical people who just have one view of things.” However, at age 11, Curnutt befriended a young Afghan boy and spent much time getting to know him and his family. Curnutt watched the family’s traditions, prayers and the meals
Madison THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The Islamic Center of Morgantown is located on Harding Ave.
Madison Fleck/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
The Holy Quran is the primary book in Islam.
life. “I was exposed to actual Muslims before I was old enough to be watching the news and paying attention to what was going on in the world,” he said. “I got a more realistic account of who these people are and what their practices are, and I was very attracted to their way of life and their religion.” After the Afghan boy moved away, Curnutt lost touch with him, an returned to his agnostic/Baptist performance of his spirituality. During his youth in Alabama, Curnutt was much involved in the music scene of “underground rappers” in Montgomery. “That was the closest thing to spirituality for me; it was the music and
That was the closest thing to spirituality for me—it was the music and artistic expression.
artistic expression,” he said. “But there are other things that go along with that too. Just crazy lifestyles of running around and partying all the time.” Curnutt continued this lifestyle for several years, never imagining he would stray from his musical path. It wasn’t until he was in his early 20s while watching a documentary on Afghanistan that Curnutt remembered his childhood friend and the religion he had once been engrossed with. Curnutt began to study. He diligently studied Islam and spirituality, he studied the relationship with God and he studied the language of the Prophet Muhammad, taking Arabic classes at the local mosque. In 2010, Curnutt moved to Morgantown where he became involved in the Muslim community. Though he felt he was an outsider at first, he was never treated as one. He continued to study the religion, to learn Arabic and to build his spirituality. Islam means something specific, something spiritual to Curnutt. It represents his life’s purpose.
see IMAM on PAGE 2
see ECOCAR on PAGE 2
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Kip Curnutt reads verses in the Quran in Arabic, which he learned once he converted to the religion.
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KESHA VERSUS DR. LUKE Pop star made mistake in court trail that won’t lead to her contractual release OPINION PAGE 3
SWEEP FROG WVU looks to keep pace against TCU SPORTS PAGE 7