The DA 08-19-2015

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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”

da

Wednesday August 19, 2015

Volume 128, Issue 2

www.THEDAONLINE.com

City approves Evansdale traffic light by jake jarvis city editor @newsroomjake

The temporary traffic light that hangs on University Avenue where it intersects Oakland Street will be a permanent fixture this fall. The City Council, at it’s regular Tuesday meeting, approved an ordinance accepting a $250,000 gift from developers of University Park. “Not only will there be traffic lights, there will

be turn lanes onto Oakland Street on both directions,” said City Manager Jeff Mikorski. Developers from GlenMark Holding, who provided the funding to develop University Park near West Virginia University’s Evansdale Campus, entered into a gift agreement with the city prior to construction, according to Mikorski. “Another traffic light just drives me crazy,” said Councilor Ron Bane, First Ward. “When you add another lane

there, you’re going to have people backed up from Oakland (Street) to Daniel’s... Right now, that intersection, if I remember correctly, is already rated as a D/F road.” Developers, in the March 4, 2014 agreement, promised to give $250,000 to the city so that it could install a traffic light. A traffic study conducted by city engineers in 2013, the Oakland Street and University Avenue intersection is in desperate need of a traffic light. Without a light, travel

time through the intersection could ultimately take between 20 and 30 minutes, the study found. The traffic study looked at the intersection and also the surrounding areas of University Avenue, stretching from Patteson Drive to 8th Street, according to Mikorski. No study has been completed since. The traffic signal must be completed on or before Oct. 31, according to the ordinance. If it’s not operational by Nov. 28, and if develop-

ers and the City don’t reach a mutually agreeable completion date, developers can terminate the agreement. In that case, the City would have to return all of the $250,000. Prior to approving that ordinance, Mayor Marti Shamberger called an executive session so members of Council could speak with the city’s attorney about authorizing an agreement with FEOH Realty, LLC, relating to property annexation and construction of public

improvements. Dave Biafora, who was in the public waiting for the public portion, asked why the Council was going into executive session and why it wasn’t on the agenda. “Because I’m in charge,” Shamberger said. After returning from executive session, Council approved the ordinance pertaining to FEOH Realty. Bane took issue with the decision to go into executive

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Greek community MOUNTIE BOUNTY EXPANSION moving forward, ready for fresh start by caity coyne

associate city editor @caitycoyne

A complete reconstruction of Greek life is underway for this school year, according to Interfraternity Council Vice President Matt Blair. Following the administration’s efforts to improve the University’s reputation, Greek leaders have been required to change the dynamics of their system. “There have been a lot more guidelines we’ve been asked to follow so Greek life can become a positive society in our community,” Blair said. In May, Dr. William Schafer, vice president of student life, announced his intentions to revamp Greek life with systemic changes. Schafer’s initiative to postpone recruitment up to six weeks into the semester was enacted, with sorority recruitment now from Sept. 27 to Oct. 4. “In the time we’ve gained by pushing back (recruitment), we’re planning to hold seminars for all of the new members, targeted toward the freshmen that will be coming in,” Blair said. The seminars will be held daily, ranging from time management skills and healthy living to alcohol awareness and Title IX education, as well as other topics. “We know the freshmen already have AlcoholEdu, but we want to take it a step further and add in peer pressure awareness,” Blair said. The Title IX seminar will also teach sexual assualt awareness, how to pre-

vent it and what to do if it happens. “We want to make people aware of sexual assault and how it goes equally each way; men can be sexually assaulted as well as women,” Blair said. Blair believes these seminars will be crucial to proving to both members of Greek life and others the system is serious about changing their ways. “I think people can look forward to an overall complete rework of Greek life into what it truly should have always been,” Blair said. “We should have been a body that turns men and women into better versions of themselves.” Another one of Schafer’s initiatives included hiring a Greek director to work within the Division of Student Life who will advise and support social fraternities and sororities. The job was posted the last week of June and has not been filled. Schafer said he wants the Greek life director to oversee and mentor the Greek community without serving as a disciplinarian. In the past, disciplinary action for Greeks was issued by the Office of Student Activities, but now the Office of Student Conduct will handle cases. “I think (the director of Greek life) needs to be an advocate for both sides. They need to be someone the students believe will hear them out, as well as an advocate for the University who can explain things in a level-headed manner,” Blair said.

ASKAR SALIKHOV/THE DAILY aTHENAEUM

All of these establishments, as well as many others, all accept Mountie Bounty.

Local off-campus establishements now accepting Mountie Bounty by cameron Gleason staff writer @dailyathenaeum

Mountie Bounty, which in the past could only be used at on-campus locations, recently expanded to local stores and restaurants in the Morgantown area. Brandon Twigg of the Mountaineer Card Office has worked to expand the use of Mountie Bounty since he arrived at West Virginia University’s Mountaineer Card Office more than four years ago. “This was one of the first things that was on the top of my list when I got here. I’d actually come from another department on campus — student accounts,” Twigg said. “We worked with students a lot so we always heard the other side. Like, ‘Hey, how come I can’t make a Mountie Bounty deposit online?’ and, ‘How come I don’t have more options?’ I got to hear the other side of that, so it was one of my priorities when I got here.” According to Twigg, students are able to spend Mountie

Bounty off-campus this year because of the work put into the initiative in the past four years. “Keep in mind, four years ago, Mountie Bounty deposits couldn’t be made online. You had to visit the Office of Student Accounts or an Add-Value machine to make a deposit,” Twigg said. “Once adding money became more convenient, we were able to begin working on expanding its acceptance outside of campus.” After Mountie Bounty went online, Twigg and others at the Mountaineer Card Office had to receive special approval from the West Virginia State Treasurer’s office to create an outside bank account in order to pay participating merchants more simply. “Overall, with an initiative as large as this, it does take time and coordination with a lot of departments for all the necessary pieces to fall into place,” Twigg said. “I think we’ve accomplished a lot in the past four plus years compared to where we were at before I arrived in Mountaineer Card

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West Virginia falls on Princeton Review’s ‘Top 10 Party Schools’ list by jennifer skinner staff writer @dailyathenaeum

To some students’ delight and to others’ dismay, The Princeton Review ranked West Virginia University as the No. 8 biggest party school in the nation for 2016 – a drop from last year’s No. 4 ranking. The ranking takes into account several factors. Most schools in the Top 10 Party School list also rank in the Top Ten for “Lots of Beer,” “Lots of Greek Life” and “Lots of Liquor.” WVU ranks No. 9 in the “Lots of Beer,” No. 18 in “Lots

of Hard Liquor” and No. 8 in “Students Study the Least” category. “Some of the best universities in the country typically find themselves on these type of unscientific lists because they, like WVU, enjoy a campus life rich with both academic and social opportunities,” said WVU President E. Gordon Gee. “There is no doubt that West Virginia University students like to have fun – they are spirited and passionate; they play smart, and work smart – and I contend that the vast majority are here for the right reasons: to graduate and go on to do great things. So, our

87°/72°

FALL INTO FASHION

INSIDE

Get a look at this season’s best trends A&E PAGE 3

PARTLY CLOUDY

News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3 Sports: 7, 8 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 5

“I still have fun.” Sean Thrasher

first priority is, and will remain, contributing to the academic success and wellbeing of our students—and not let this untrue label define us.” Many students are ready for a change in WVU’s national reputation and think this year’s drop in the party ranking is a positive

sign of culture change in Morgantown. “I personally think it is a good thing that we are getting lower in the ranking, and overall I think the whole party school mentality is bad,” said Andrew Sutherland, a senior communications studies and political studies student. “I do agree that a social aspect at a university is encouraged, and students should try to be social, but it can’t be blown out

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

STAYING SAFE Editorial: Need for better sex ed in American schools OPINION PAGE 4

of proportion.” Others, like Julie Merow, a senior communications studies and political studies student, think fellow students are finally beginning to realize how the ranking affects the quality of their degree in post-graduation life. “(The town) didn’t seem nearly as chaotic as usual during welcome weekend,” Merow said. “I can tell this is going to be a big year for culture change on our campus.”

Within the top 20 party schools in the country, WVU has the lowest average SAT scores in reading and math— 510 and 530, respectively. Of the top seven party

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“It’ll show employers we’ve changed a bit.” - Rebecca Solorzano

WORLD DOMINATION WVU defeats teams in London and Spain SPORTS PAGE 7


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