THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
Volume 127, Issue 73
www.THEDAONLINE.com
TONIGHT Men’s basketball Tip-off @ 7 p.m.
v. GAMEDAY EDITION INSIDE Kyle Monroe/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Student government
‘IT’S THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN’ Vice Chair Scott announces new scholarship based on initiative, not resume by jake jarvis managing editor @jakejarviswvu
After months of deliberation and careful planning, West Virginia University’s Student Government Assoctaion’s Vice Chair Stephen Scott announced yesterday the formation of the “Catalyst of Campus Change Scholarship,” a $1,000 award split over the fall and spring semester for a student who proposes a project idea to better the campus. For Scott, this is his favorite change he’s enacted during his three years of involvement with SGA, starting as an intern for his mentor and former Governor Bridgette Boyd to now. Scott recalled meeting a student named Bobby from Florida during the 2013 election season who shared a similar background with him. Scott, who comes from a single-mother home, talked with Bobby about college affordability. “With this (scholarship,) there’s not a stipulation —
Applicants must: -Have completed one full semester -Be in good standing with the University -Be already enrolled at the University for the next academic year -Design and present a project proposal anybody can apply,” Scott said. “Regardless of who I am and what I may be and what I may do, doesn’t matter. It’s just what I’m doing to move forward.” Scott said he hopes this scholarship continues long after he graduates and is adopted into SGA’s bylaws before the next administration is elected to ensure it is always funded. Members of SGA are ineligible to apply, opening the field for other potential candidates. “With this scholarship, it allows students who may not have any past leadership experience, or maybe might not have the highest GPA apply and be on the same ground as any other student,” Scott
said. “Even if you’ve had so much involvement and been a leader of all these organizations, that doesn’t mean you shine brighter than another student. It’s the work that you put in.” The application is simple: Design a project you think would change the campus. There are no guidelines for what a project should or shouldn’t be. Scott gave the example of changing the keys to get into one’s residence hall to an updated card swipe system. “I think that’d be a great example of someone who is going out of their way, that’s not invovled in SGA, that just sees an issue and wants to do it,” Scott said. “I don’t want this to be something where
students read this and think, ‘Oh, this is kind of the boundaries of what I need to do.’” Another possible example Scott gave is coordinating activities to involve students after home football games to better WVU’s relationship with the Morgantown community. Guidelines for selecting a winner have not yet been solidified, but the winner will be selected by how he or she presents their project. A scholarship committee, consisting of five students, four faculty or staff memebers and one member of SGA to act as the committee’s chair, will review all of the applications and select the top three to submit to the Board of Governors. One member of the committee must be from the Division of Student Life and one from the Office of Student Activities. Scott said he would like to see the scholarship increased to $5,000 and perhaps start an account with the WVU Foundation or get it endowed.
see SCOtT on PAGE 2
Color guard coordinator Andrew Farris passes away by lauren caccamo correspondent @dailyathenaeum
The West Virginia University marching band, “The Pride of West Virginia,” lost a beloved member over the weekend. Color guard coordinator Andrew “Drew” Farris died Saturday morning at Ruby Memorial Hospital. He was 37 years old. “I think we are all in shock that he has passed. It is so sad that he was taken so early in his life,” said senior Elizabeth Decker, who serves as the assistant silk section leader in the color guard. Farris fell ill in November and failed to recover. Comments following posts related to his death on the “Pride of West Virginia” Facebook page suggest that Farris suffered from a respiratory illness. Meanwhile, students remember the lessons Farris
taught them not only on the field but also in everyday life as he devoted much of his time to WVU’s color guard, a winter guard at University High School and his job as a nurse at Ruby Memorial Hospital. “We saw his passion for color guard through all of his hard work and dedication to us and to the program as a whole,” Decker said. “I only knew him for four short years, but just in that time it was inspiring to see how hard he worked to balance his time.” Sophomore Rachel Sager, who also serves as the color guard’s silk rank leader, said Farris’ presence had a strong impact on the group. “He always expressed great joy when talking about his job as a nurse,” Sager said. “Whether he was in the hospital working or teaching at the practice field, he was lit up with joy doing what he loved.”
25° / 18°
GRATEFUL DEAD
INSIDE
Fans celebrate 50 years of music A&E PAGE 6
MOSTLY SUNNY
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 5, 6 Sports: 8, 10 Campus Connection: 7 Puzzles: 7 Classifieds: 9
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Farris coordinated the color guard, an integral part of the group. Farris also ran his own If his students needed somecompetitive indoor color thing, he made it happen,” guard program, Eloquence said junior Aylin Vural, assisPerformance Company. Ac- tant weapon section leader cording to the company web- in WVU’s color guard and cosite, Eloquence’s competitive designer and choreographer teams consistently came in for Eloquence. first place at Tournament InMeanwhile, color guard door Association shows held members reflect on the impact Farris made on their across Pennsylvania. “He was not only the face own self-confidence and of the Pride’s color guard, but search for identity. was the father and founder “At practice, he always of Eloquence. His passion made sure to encourage evand drive was infectious. He see FARRIS on PAGE 2 never took no for an answer.
GREEK LIFE
Moratorium partially lifted, initiation allowed by jennifer skinner staff writer @dailyathenaeum
West Virginia University fraternities and sororities are moving forward with their image makeover on campus after receiving a partial lift on the moratorium placed in November. On Dec. 18, Greek members learned the University administration, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic and National Pan-Hellenic Council agreed to approve new member initiation for the spring semester. “The continued success lies with each individual to set the bar high for the standard of behavior you expect of yourself and your organization,” Bob Campione, interim director of student activities, wrote in the letter to fraternities and sororities. The moratorium placed on Nov. 13 indefinitely suspended fraternities and sororities from holding new member activities after the death of a Kappa Sigma pledge and the arrests and citations of 19 Sigma Chi members and pledges. “Since that time, Greek activities and efforts around changing the culture and reputation of fraternities and sororities have been closely monitored—and will continue to be. In doing so, we are aware of the commitment and efforts under way to make positive changes,” Campione’s letter continued. Social events are still prohibited, but fraternities and sororities can now recruit more knowledgeable, responsible members, according to Interfraternity Council President Jonathan Thurston, who is also a junior forensic science and chemistry student and member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. “It was what everyone was waiting for. The pledging process is strict with time, so having this ban made it complicated,” Thurston said. This Sunday, the Interfraternity Council will vote on revised bylaws that will give more power to the judicial board.
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MANIAC MUSINGS The Maniacs, once again, keep us in the loop for tonight’s men’s basketball game GAMEDAY TAB PAGE 4
“I’m hoping that the school sees the change in bylaws as the first step in making us more accountable for our actions,” Thurston said. “This is one way to show them on paper that we have the rules in place to have that social atmosphere.” The partial lift on the moratorium was caused by an “extremely positive” Greek forum that involved facilitators from outside the institution, University officials and representatives from fraternities, sororities, IFC and Panhellenic on Dec. 8. “It was the first step in order to get the voices of the students heard,” Thurston said. “It got students thinking about results of the moratorium in a positive light.” At the forum, break-out groups focused on individual areas such as the pledging process, recruitment and accountability. According to Campione, the students’ leadership and positive response at the forum proved that they are engaged and determined to turn Greek life around. “Initially, what I hope to see is with the IFC and Panhellenic helping to drive the change we’re looking for. It needs to be driven by students and not just by an office dictating whatever we feel like dictating,” Campione said. “Everybody is being very respectful of the moratorium, and the University is trying to alleviate as many things as possible as long as cooperation stays where it is.” Thurston and his forum group discussed the Greek life image on campus, why the school thinks it’s important, what Greek members can do to improve it and how it was harmed by the moratorium. “I want to make sure we have rush. It’s my biggest priority right now,” Thurston said. “We can’t show the school our accountability if we can’t have recruitment. We need to be able to bring new members in to keep a flow and in order to function.”
see GREEK on PAGE 2
WANDA SYKES The famous comedian comes to Morgantown for latest tour A&E PAGE 3
Freggie (’freg-jē) n, ‘Fr’ = fruit, ‘eggie’ = veggie, i.e., fruits and vegetables, solo or in delicious combinations. Track here: tweatwell.com
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