THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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Wednesday June 10, 2015
Volume 127, Issue 140
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City Council debates student rep by Corey Mcdonald staf writer @dailyathenaeum
The West Virginia University Student Government Association has been taking strides to create more involvement and collaboration between the SGA Board of Governors and members of the Morgantown City Council. “If we work together we can use each other as a resource and make this community better for all of us,”
said George Capel, WVU student body president, at last week’s City Council meeting. Capel and his Chief of Staff, Randy Jones, have been attending weekly City Council meetings and speaking during the public portion to promote their efforts to create a student ex officio member of City Council. “When I ran for president of student government, I decided one of the best ways that we can link SGA and the
student body to the City of Morgantown as a resource for years to come is to put an ex officio type student on Morgantown City Council,” Capel said. In recent years, SGA has utilized a student liaison to attend City Council meetings, however this affiliate is only granted a chance to speak to council members during the public portion of each meeting. “Just having a City Council liaison like we’ve had in the past hasn’t really been
enough,” Capel said. “It hasn’t really made that person a part of the real discussion on the issues with City Council.” This ex officio member would act as a representative of SGA sitting on the City Council for formal deliberation and would be considered a sub-committee. The member would have no vote, but would be able to partake in council discussion throughout the majority of the meeting. “An ex officio would ac-
tually be able to sit up there with the council members during the meeting, and during the committee process as well, and give their opinion on all the issues that are on the agenda and not be limited to just a four minute public portion or to just a single issue,” Capel said. According to Capel, discussion for an ex officio member has been in the works for some time. “We hit the ground running when the summer
by kendall snee staff writer @dailyathenaeum
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WVU purchases MSU Beckley campus, hopes for fall 2016 opening by rachel mcbride staff writer @dailyathenaeum
West Virginia University completed the $8 million purchase of the former Mountain State University campus in Beckley, West Virginia on June 1. WVU entered a due diligence agreement with the MSU Board last November. According to Rob Alsop, vice president for legal and governmental affairs for WVU, many legal and logistical steps have taken place since then to ensure the completion of the purchase. “The residents seem delighted that WVU Beckley is now a reality,” Alsop said. Detailed plans for opening the facility are currently in discussion, with one of the first acts being appointing Carolyn Long as the campus president. This is a dual role Long will hold while continuing to oversee WVU Tech, where she currently works. Officials also hope to open a Visitor’s Center on the WVU Beckley campus this summer and hire an admis-
sions counselor for prospective students, although courses and degree offerings are still being developed. “The goal is to admit students in the fall of 2016,” Alsop said. “Our Board of Governors, our Academic Affairs, and facilities staffs and everyone in between are committed to a successful fall 2016 launch to meet the needs of the residents of southern West Virginia.” Alsop said WVU’s main campus in Morgantown will provide guidance and support for the new divisional campus in Beckley as they plan their opening. Alsop also believes that the purchase will benefit local residents as well as area students. According to Alsop, area students will benefit from having access to programs centering on professions such as nursing, other allied health fields and programs relating to tourism and hospitality that are planned to be offered at the new campus. “We’re also open to being a good partner with area colleges and technical schools to help grow additional educa-
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WVU freshman discusses his gender transition
SOUTHERN EXPANSION
West Virginia University hopes to open the Beckley campus in fall 2016.
started. We started advocating for it and speaking to City Council members,” Capel said. According to Capel, the main focus of this plan is the community. In recent months, a controversial divide has grown between residents of the City of Morgantown and students living in the city. “I definitely think it’s an issue of a community di-
tional opportunities,” Alsop said. “(The former Mountain State University) will serve as a catalyst for students as well as adult learners.” Alsop and other officials hope the economic impact of the campus will benefit community businesses as well as the tax base as the campus gains enrollment. They also hope this purchase will help increase the number of college-educated people in West Virginia. “That is our ultimate goal; to provide additional access to students who want to complete a college degree,” Alsop said. The University recently held a reception at Glade Springs, near Beckley, on June 4 in honor of the new purchase. WVU offered to purchase the Beckley campus and assets for $8 million on December 31, and this offer was granted by the Mountain State board on January 16. The actions on June 1 completed the purchase and according to Alsop, officials are delighted the transaction is complete. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Morgantown freshman Darrius Wright is going public with his female to male gender transition with his Facebook page “Trans in Morgantown.” With what some would call a controversial story, Darrius hopes to open doors for the transgender community by making it a topic of conversation. “I started the Facebook page because not a lot of people understand and I just want to help educate,” Wright said. “I want people to go with me as I go through this transformation. Then they can say ‘Oh I know a transgender person, it’s totally normal.’” Wright explained he has a loving support system behind him helping him along the way. “I am very positive, I have a lot of support behind me with the people in my life, but I’m also always scared. I do deal with people where I work, and I have to deal with a lot of mean things said sometimes,” Wright said. “A lot of people assume things by the way I dress. Like the other day I got called the F word. So yeah, things like that really scare me but I really believe in what I’m doing. It’s 2015 and there’s so much support going around for this kind of thing.” According to Wright, his positive attitude stems from the love and support of his own family and the guidance they have given him. “My dad is all for it, he has always done everything right, my family is totally behind me. I am really grateful,” Wright said. Despite what many may believe, Wright said
that his decision was not random or some sort of act of rebellion. “I’ve always felt this way in the back of my mind and around 17 (years old), I told a few select friends ‘Hey try calling me he, try calling me this new name, let’s see if I like it.’ I was really comfortable with it and in a few weeks I came out as Darrius,” Wright said. Choosing the perfect name seemed daunting, but Wright had certain guidelines he wanted his name to follow which made the process easier. “I was actually reading up on one of those baby naming websites and I found Darrius, which means upholder of the good and I thought that’s something that I really want to be. There were names like Cassius and Darren as my second choices, (I was) trying to stay within the realm of Greek mythology names,” he said. Along with his name change, Wright began researching other aspects of his transformation. During this he learned just how far behind scientifically we are in transgender studies. “I’m not sure yet about surgery, I’m going to start hormones soon, and I’m probably going to do top surgery so I can get my chest removed, but with the bottom surgery there’s still so little research and science put into it that it’s kind of a hit or miss at this point,” Wright said. “Yeah they can do it but can they do it right? I’m hoping maybe in the future when we know more. A lot of people have had (surgery) and don’t like the way it turns out.”
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Faculty member files second injunction against University tobacco ban by john mark shaver staff writer @dailyathenaeum
West Virginia University faculty member Dennis Cole has filed his second injunction against WVU’s tobacco ban, calling the policy both unconstitutional and inconsistent. Cole, a research assistant at the University’s neuroscience labs, said the tobacco ban, otherwise known as Policy 57, has no legal right to be in
place. “I can understand wanting smoking to be restricted,” Cole said. “I do object, however, to the way (of ) the University’s policy. It’s not only draconian, it’s inconsistent... Not only (is it a ban on) smoking, it’s a ban on any use of a tobacco product. Its wording is so broad and its penalties are so severe, yet the University itself feels comfortable violating that policy by its own definition.” Cole said, according to
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ical boundaries, saying while the ban stretches to roads, buildings and sidewalks adjacent to the University, the University has no legal bounds to govern those areas. Cole’s previous injunction was dismissed from court. “Let’s face it, no judge wants to handle a tobacco case,” Cole said. “It is something that is such
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Although the University has a ban on smoking, many students still light up on campus.
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the policy, transdermal patches and nicotine gum should also be banned due to some ingredients being derived from tobacco, yet they are not. The punishments faced by those who violate the ban, however, remain iffy. When reached out to for comment, it was made known that the University Police have little to no jurisdiction over the enforcement of the policy. Cole has also taken issue with Policy 57’s phys-
LGBT PRIDE MONTH Editorial: Celebrating and reflecting with pride during the month of June. OPINION PAGE 4
Davis and Myers named to First Team SPORTS PAGE 7
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