THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Tuesday September 15, 2015
Volume 128, Issue 20
www.THEDAONLINE.com
Players BAND SPECTACULAR dismissed Police identify alleged stabber, two of three victims were WVU football players by jake jarvis city editor @newsroomjake
Two West Virginia University football players were dismissed from the team Monday, for their involvement in a fight on High Street early Sunday morning. Devin Colston allegedly stabbed three people at the corner of High Street and Wall Street after a large fight broke out, according to a criminal complaint. Police later identified Kenyatta Greene, a redshirt freshman running back, and Tyree Owens, a defensive linemen, as members of the team.
Associate Athletic Director Michael Fragale said Greene and Owens are no longer members of the team because of “a violation of team rules,” according to a release. “We are appreciative of the efforts of the Morgantown Police Department and thankful that those identified will make a full recovery,” Fragale said in the release. The third victim, Jamal Clay, 20, is not listed as a student in WVU’s directory. Colston, 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, was arrested for malicious
see players on PAGE 2
English Conversation Table offers help to WVU international students by Jordan Miller Correspondent @dailyathenaeum
Literacy Volunteers of Monongalia and Preston Counties offer a weekly English Conversation Table at Panera Bread on High Street. The program aims to help international students at West Virginia University further their English speaking in a casual environment outside of the classroom. “I have no problem with English words in general. I can read, I can write, but I have problems with my speaking,” said Atiyah Alghamdi, one of the program’s participants. But his English falls short when he gets to the complicated intricacies of conversation. That can only be learned with tireless practice, he said. This program is led by Nathaniel Collins, a WVU alumnus who took on the idea for his senior project as a political science student. Collins said he decided to continue on with the project after he saw how much promise it had and after the program’s initial success. The program’s goals are as simple: to give people an opportunity to practice conversation in English. Collins said the great-
est challenge to overcome is getting the word out about the program and finding a good time to meet so as many people can participate as possible. As native English speakers, Collins said many people do not realize all the unique and confusing aspects of English speech, especially those of casual conversation that may vary from person to person. WVU offers an English as a second language course that entails the different aspects of reading and writing in American culture. In addition, it provides a writing class that is open to anyone, but primarily engineered for non-native English speakers. WVU’s Office of International Students and Scholars also offers many programs to help international students practice their English language skills and immerse themselves in the culture of the United States. In addition to offering its own conversation partners though the Intensive English Program, OISS has many other resources available. The English Conversation Table w ill meet from 7-8 p.m. on Mondays until Nov. 18. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Men attempt to abduct WVU student T h re e men attempted to abduct a woman from North High Street early Monday morning, authorities said. The woman, a student at West Virginia University, reported to police that the men were in a white SUV with a Maryland license plate. “We will have an update on the case in 48 hours, but as of now there is no indication that anyone should be worried about anything,” said Morgantown’s Police Chief Ed Preston. The University Police Department sent out a
message to all MIX emails Monday morning around 12:45 a.m., warning people to avoid the area. Later that morning, around 7:45 a.m., UPD sent out a follow-up message stating the area was cleared and safe to resume activities. No other information is available at this time due to Morgantown police department’s ongoing investigation of this incident, Preston said. Anyone with information regarding this incident is advised to call 304-284-7522.
83°/54°
FRESH BEATS
INSIDE
Interview with local rapper Ponce De’Leioun A&E PAGE 4
MOSTLY SUNNY
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 3 A&E: 4 Sports: 8, 9, 10 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 5
Askar Salikhov/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
— rel
Last night, Morgantown High School hosted Band Spectacular, which featured MHS Red & Blue Marching Band, as well as WVU’s Pride of West Virginia. Clockwise from upper left: The WVU piccolo section comes toward the sideline. Colorguard circles around during their performance. The saxaphone section plays during the bands set. The brass section plays in unity at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Faculty Senate votes for GEFs to replace GECs by john mark shaver staff writer @dailyathenaeum
GEC requirements will be replaced by the General Educational Foundations, or the GEFs, after a unanimous vote by the West Virginia University Faculty Senate yesterday afternoon. The GEFs are scheduled to start for the fall 2016 semester for new and transfer students, while current students can determine whether to stay with GECs or switch to the new system. Under the new system, students will take 31 to 37 general education credit hours rather than the current 40 to 42. While classes themselves will not change, the organization and fulfillment areas will be rearranged into eight new GEF “foundation areas.” The new system will make general education much easier for students, according to former Faculty Senate chair Lisa
DiBartolomeo. “With the pressure to move down to 120 hours for your maximum [hours] for most degree programs, looking at 40 to 42 hours in your general education made it a little bit top heavy,” DiBartolomeo said. “So we wanted to move it down [and] make it a bit more manageable.” Russell K. Dean, WVU’s Vice Provost, added to DiBartolomeo’s statement. “We found that many of our programs reported that they were learning from crediting bodies that we were very heavy on our general education requirements,” Dean said. “There were so many specific requirements in a degree, whether it was pharmacy or engineering or nursing, that on top of (general education) made it almost impossible to get to 120 (credit hours). There was a lot of interest in reducing the total number of hours but yet still having a meaningful program.”
The senate also approved four master’s level courses— one in Creative Arts and three in Law— as well as a new research and field-based capstone for those seeking a Masters in Law. Coinciding with the GEF system will be a change in the Degreeworks code, allowing students to take four of the entry level science classes in GEF Area 2, science and technology, as either lecture-only (2a) or lecture and lab (2b). Students may complete either two 2a courses or one 2b course. With the implementation of GEFs a new area, Focus, will have students choose at least nine hours in a variety of disciplines to have as a focus for their major. DiBartolomeo said this new area—dubbed the F8—could lead to new, unique areas of emphasis and innovative combinations of courses, such as a Medieval era “thread”
that would consist of music, theater and art. DiBartolomeo continued to say that F8 could be a gateway for students choosing a minor. “That three class, ninehour requirement is there, hopefully, for students to maybe begin building toward a minor or even a second major,” DiBartolomeo said. “You can do that pretty easily building on your general education courses.” The meeting also saw the addition of several new classes to the WVU catalog, as well as changes in Degreeworks coding. Faculty Senate will next meet on Monday, Oct. 5 in the Erickson Alumni Center’s Ruby Grand Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed at tlcommons. wvu.edu/Webcasts/. For the more information on the approved proposals, visit facultysenate. wvu.edu for the meeting’s agenda and annex links. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
WVU fencing club gives students opportunity to learn sword fighting by amy pratt
correspondent @dailyathenaeum
Most children picked up a long stick in their backyard and then fought an epic battle with their friends, pretending the stick was a mighty sword. While many have put down their weapons as they age, the West Virginia University fencing club offers students the opportunity to continue with an actual sword, or foil. Each semester, the fencing club holds a beginner’s class meeting from 7-9 p.m. on Mondays in Stansbury gym, and equipment is provided. Even though a few weeks have passed, interested students are still encouraged to attend. “You haven’t missed enough, and if people show up next Monday, they could still get started and not re-
ally be far behind,” said Caleb Shaw, the club’s treasurer who also instructs the beginner’s class. Gillain Junker was interested in kendo, a Japanese style of martial arts that uses bamboo swords, but since WVU does not offer the sport, she decided to try fencing. “We’ve mostly been working on the basic steps and stuff like that, which is not too hard. It’s a lot of awkward positioning, (but) I did dance for a while, so it’s a little easier for me,” Junker said. Austin Gibson is also a beginning fencer. He has participated in other forms of fencing before, but not the style of fencing the WVU club team participates in. Gibson decided to join the fencing club in order to get involved at WVU and has enjoyed learning the basics. “Footwork. Lots of footwork,” Gibson said. “We mostly focus on footwork at
THE DA’s HIRING WRITERS
Inquire about paid positions at The Daily Athenaeum at DA-editor@mail.wvu.edu or pick up an application at our office at 284 Prospect St.
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
DONALD TRUMP A Trump presidency will leave the country in shambles OPINION PAGE 3
Askar Salikhov/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
WVU Fencing Club members begin to spar Monday night. the beginning. So far I’m hav- together this year, both looking a lot of fun with it—it’s a ing to get more involved in good work out too because the University. we do a warm up exercise. “I just like sword fightFootwork is a killer on your ing. I’ve never actually done thighs. It’s a really good thing it, but I thought it’d be neat,” to learn, it’s a really fun thing LaRose said. “I was looking for something to do here beto learn,” Gibson said. Logan Mullennex and cause I think I had way too Malcom LaRose, a music ed- much free time, so I looked ucation student and a physsee fencing on PAGE 2 ics student, joined the team
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Ryan Cain leads offense for men’s soccer team SPORTS PAGE 9