The DA 09-10-2015

Page 1

THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

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

da

Thursday September 10, 2015

Volume 128, Issue 17

www.THEDAONLINE.com

Student faces sexual assault charge by jake jarvis city editor @newsroomjake

A West Virginia University student allegedly forced a woman to have sex with him recently during a party at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house, according to a criminal complaint in the Monongalia Magistrate Court.

Sean Douglas Innerst, 19, and a former member of the fraternity, faces upward of 25 years in prison after he was arrested Tuesday for the felony offense of second-degree sexual assault. “We are aware of a criminal complaint filed against a student and the ongoing investigation by the Morgantown Police Depart-

ment,” said Becky Lofstead, a WVU spokeswoman. “The University takes these matters very seriously and will, as always, provide all possible assistance and support to local law enforcement, as well as to assess the matter for further University action.” The victim, who is also a student at WVU, told police she was intoxicated when

she met Innerst at the party on Belmar Avenue, the complaint reads. After the two went to his bedroom in the frat house, he allegedly pushed her onto his bed, removed her shorts and underwear and proceeded to have sex with her, according to the complaint. Innerst admitted to police during a later inter-

BRIDGING THE GAP

view that while having sex with her, she eventually stopped moving or making any noises, the complaint alleges. Innerst then told officers that he allegedly continued to have sex with her unconscious for several minutes. Lofstead said that the University plans to offer the woman counseling services and that the University has

by caity coyne

Askar Salikhov/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

NAACP collegiate chapter calls for diversity, change in the community by paige czyzewski correspondent @Dailyathenaeum

It’s only 30 seconds into an icebreaker when a short eye-sweep of students’ faces explains why West Virginia University’s National Association for the Advancement of Corlored People chapter is desperate to diversify recruitment. On Wednesday night, the WVU NAACP held its first general forum and recruitment session of the semester in Oglebay Hall. Out of almost 40 students, four were not black. While attendees discussed current issues in the media, significant opportunities available on campus and possible events for the future, the lack of diversity did not go unnoticed. “We need to bring people of all races, ethnicities and cultures together to eliminate and bridge the gap that’s keeping dis-

crimination and inequality alive,” said Yasmeen Stubblefield, the WVU NAACP collegiate secretary. “If we don’t talk about issues, there will never be change. We want to see change in our community.” Members of the WVU NAACP started focusing on solutions to those problems last year. Executive board members said ensuring social justice and maintaining civil rights in the WVU community needs to be accomplished with education and equal recruitment of all races for this. “When students see the, ‘National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,’ they think it’s just for colored people,” said Jihad Dixon, WVU’s NAACP chapter president. “I think that makes people hesitate a lot to come to our events.” Though conversations surrounding issues of race

Askar Salikhov/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Jihad Dixon, the president of the WVU NAACP group, gives a presentation on the history of the movement in West Virginia. may be awkward, Dixon Through constant comsaid we shouldn’t shy away munication about social from that. Without uncom- problems like domestic vifortable dialogue, he said, olence in the NFL and pothere is no progression. lice brutality in communi“We [are] able to come ties across America, board at it from a head-on edu- members said the stucational view so that peo- dent body would become ple can better understand educated and realize the where we’re coming from NAACP values all human or where the issue is com- life. ing from in a respectful People who attended and safe environment,” he We d n e s d a y n i g h t ’s said. “It takes (away) that awkwardness.” see naacp on PAGE 2

see assault on PAGE 2

BOG passes annual budget, fills executive positions associate city editor @caitycoyne

Stephen Scott and Jessica Frazier socialize with one another at the community meeting hosted by the WVU NAACP.

been in contact with the fraternity’s national headquarters. No one from its national headquarters could be reached in time for a comment this story. In addition to possibly facing time in jail, Innerst could be expelled from school for breaching WVU’s Student

A freshman student was appointed as the Student Government Association’s elections chair at last night’s weekly meeting. Emma Harrison, daughter of the director of student organization and sister of Josh Harrison, a former elections chair who served four years, has no prior experience working with SGA. Some members of West Virginia University’s SGA Board of Governors, particularly Governor Blake Humphrey, were concerned about appointing someone to the position with so little experience with WVU elections. “People aren’t knocking down the door for executive positions in SGA, and the fact is that we have a volunteer willing to do that, and George said this is the best applicant we have,” said Governor Samuel Richardson. “And it is a great choice, that’s the best part about it. We’re making an investment for the next four years of SGA.” As Richardson spoke, Humphrey shook his hands in exasperation and mouthed, “That’s not true.” Professor Daniel Brewster, the SGA adviser, also spoke, saying no one else is qualified for the position. “It’s kind of comical to me to hear a discussion about inexperience from a group of people who were pretty much inexperienced when you were chosen to be on the board,” Brewster said. Humphrey “completely disagreed.” “I served as an intern, I had a year of experience working with Governor (Dustin) Seabolt before I was chosen to run for the Board of Governors… I just look out, and I see all of the other freshmen here applying to be interns… and I’m

wondering what they might be thinking about, because they’re wondering why they can’t be the attorney general, or they can’t be treasurer,” Humphrey said. “Because I sure as hell couldn’t when I was a freshman.” Student Body President George Capel said there were five or six other applicants, but Harrison was the best choice for the position. Despite her mere three weeks at WVU, Capel said Harrison stood out from the other candidates for her academics and extra-curriculars. One other applicant was a freshman and a couple were seniors, according to Capel. “There were various ages and backgrounds. One other was a freshman, (but) what was unique with Emma Harrison was the fact that, first of all, her brother Josh Harrison was one of the former elections chairs for SGA,” Capel said. Capel wouldn’t say the names of the other applicants and said he alone conducted the interviews. Jake Matthews, a sophomore, was also appointed as the executive director of LGBTQ affairs at the meeting. “I’ve seen things and experienced things that some people haven’t even thought about,” Matthews said. “I’m just really thankful to be able to be in a position like this so I can help somebody else out.” The budget for this academic year was proposed for the second time last night, but unlike last week, the Board voted to approve the budget unanimously at this week’s meeting. The budget comes in at about $184,000, the same amount proposed last week, the only changes being that the University and SGA worked to find alternative funding sources for the executive stipends, among other things.

see sga on PAGE 2

WVCH files counter claim against Turner Construction Company by caity coyne

Associate city editor @dailyathenaeum

The construction company that built University Place two years ago allegedly manipulated and concealed information from the apartment’s developers about the budget and its schedule, according to court documents. The company, Turner Construction Company, LLC, previously filed a lawsuit against WVCH claiming it failed to pay Turner nearly $7.2 million for building the facility and providing the materials

and labor necessary. WVCH filed a counter claim against Turner Construction on Sept. 4, admitting that it agreed to pay the Turner Construction and that the company finished the project. But, the counterclaim alleges, the Turner Construction didn’t furnish “all such services and materials in accordance with the parties’ written agreement.” According to the counter claim, WVCH told Turner Construction that it had to reach substantial completion of the project by August

75°/55°

MEET YOUR IDOL

INSIDE

Mountaineer Idol contestant bios A&E PAGE 3

SHOWERS

News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 5 Sports: 7, 8, 10 Campus Calendar: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 9

14, 2014, and that the maximum budget for the project was about $66 or $67 million. “Turner understood that failure to achieve either of those two objectives would, at minimum, require delaying the project for WVCH and Turner by a year,” the counterclaim reads. This would have allowed WVCH to solicit bids from and possibly select one of Turner’s competitors. But Turner Construction intentionally misled WVCH so it would be chosen and so construction would begin in 2013, the counterclaim

alleges. “At the time, Turner’s Pittsburgh office had fewer than normal projects in active construction and had just lost its largest potential project in pre-construction,” the counterclaim reads. When Turner received its first set of designs from the project’s architect, it estimated that the project would require about $82 million to complete, the counterclaim alleges. The construction company told developers that the cheapest way to complete the project would be to choose it.

The counterclaim said that WVCH chose Turner Construction only for that reason. Then, from October through mid-February of 2013, the company submitted 10 additional budget reports that showed it could meet the $67 million budget constraints. In the meantime, Turner Construction received a second set of design developments that “did not reflect the design changes and cost reductions Turner had anticipated,” the counterclaim reads. Developers asked Turner Construction to include it on

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

Sat., SEPTEMBER 12, 2015, 12-5 PM

LITERATURE MATTERS The importance of recommended books by professors OPINION 4

any of its solicitations for subcontractors—which WVCH alleges the company ignored to hide budgetary concerns from developers. “Had Turner disclosed this important information,” the counterclaim reads, “WVCH would have delayed the financial closing, the execution of the contract and the anticipated start of construction.” Among other things, WVCH alleges that Turner Construction committed fraud and breached its contract. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu

NO FLY ZONE WVU secondary flashes its major potential SPORTS PAGE 7


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.