THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
Tuesday February 3, 2015
da
Volume 127, Issue 86
www.THEDAONLINE.com
College of Law awarded $120k grant for community repairs by Lauren caccamo staff writer @dailyathenaeum
A clinic within West Virginia University’s College of Law has received a sizable grant that will ultimately benefit the rest of the state. The Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic will use the $120,000 awarded to them to help communi-
Members of WVU’s fencing club builds on 50 years of history
ties across West Virginia address abandoned and decaying buildings. The money received will further an agenda set by an initiative within the clinic called West Virginia Legal Education to Address Abandoned/Neglected Properties, or WV LEAP. Jesse Richardson, the Lead Land Use Attorney for the clinic, and Clinic Director Katherine Gar-
vey said in their travels throughout communities across the state, both noticed the leading or second-to-leading problem within these local populations was abandoned and dilapidated buildings. “This is an issue that we have seen affect communities state-wide, and for communities that are already struggling with their budget and the like, they will have a more difficult
time trying to address it,” Garvey said. Richardson said in some West Virginia towns, the amount of abandoned and uninhabitable buildings are alarming. “You drive into Richwood and it’s kind of shocking,” Richardson said. “I don’t want to pick one community out but between one-fourth and one-third of the buildings in Richwood are aban-
doned and dilapidated.” Apart from the obvious eye sore these buildings mark on towns and cities, the buildings eliminate any tax revenue to be benefited from a business or organization using that plot of land. They also burden communities by discouraging people from visiting the area, meaning a decline in tourism and
see GRANT on PAGE 2
CONTINUING A TRADITION
by john mark shaver correspondent @dailyathenaeum
West Virginia University’s Fencing Club carries on the centuries old tradition of sword fighting each week in Stansbury Hall. Fencing, which has been an official Olympic sport for well over a decade, requires deft handwork and footwork in order to score points on one’s opponent. The club has been around for over 50 years and has seen countless members go from beginners to skilled fencers. Ryan Backos, a graduate of WVU, began fencing in 2002 when he was a freshman, and is now the assistant coach as well as the instructor of the beginner’s class. “Like a lot of people, I was interested in the sword fighting that you’d see in movies,” Backos said. “I thought
Caleb Shaw, an international studies student, faces off against his opponent Monday evening in Stansbury Hall. it would be really cool to do. Photo gallery | More images from I saw a demonstration at the the WVU Fencing Club Rec Center and found out when practices were.” >> www.thedaonline.com Club president Travis Adcock said although he was volved in the occasional studies student. “We try to introduced to the sport from fencing tournament. host one or two of our own a cousin, he didn’t really get “There are several tour- as well. “ involved until coming to naments we try to go to In March, the club will go WVU. each year,” said Adcock, a to the Arnold Fencing ClasThe club even gets in- junior multidisciplinary sic, part of the annual Ar-
da
KYLE MONROE/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
nold Classic in Columbus, Ohio. Anyone interested in joining is free to do so, as the club is open to anyone and everyone, even non-students. However, one must currently be enrolled as a WVU student to become an
see Fencing on PAGE 2
New WVU fund makes Tattoo parlor donates proceeds to childcare easier WVU Children’s Hospital by rachel mcbride staff writer @dailyathenaeum
A new travel fund provided by West Virginia University will make the responsibilities of child and elder care easier for female faculty and post-doctoral female scholars wishing to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, social sciences and women’s studies. Women enrolled at all private and public institutions of higher education in West Virginia are eligible for the grant. The Division of Science and Research at the Higher Education Policy Commission will be administering the funds for the program, which is organized by WVU faculty members and is provided by the twoyear grant from the Elsevier Foundation’s New Scholars Program. The Elsevier Foundation helps provide financial support to programs assisting women in their earlyto-mid careers balance the daily stress of raising a fam-
ily as well as pursuing a demanding vocation. According to Leslie Tower, principal investigator of the program and associate professor in the School of Social Work, the program will help women advance their careers. “Conference travel is vitally important because it provides visibility, networking opportunities and social support,” Tower said. Tower also believes the program could help ease the glass ceiling commonly associated with traditional gender roles in the workforce. “(The program) gives resources to help the gender roles not negatively influence their careers,” Tower said. “It levels the playing field that way.” Freshman Byron Clayton expressed enthusiasm about the program’s potential to help women ease the heavy load of taking care of their families and advancing their careers. “I think this could definitely be a good thing. If there was more (monetary)
see CHILD on PAGE 2
32° / 26°
AFRICA WEEK
INSIDE
African Student Association returns with annual week A&E PAGE 3
PARTLY CLOUDY
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 3, 5 Sports: 7, 8, 10 Campus Connection: 6 Puzzles: 6 Classifieds: 8, 9
Nick Holstein/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Jeremy Plance, a tattoo artist who’s practiced for 14 years, gives Andrew Willis, a senior exercise physiology student, his first tattoo as a part of the ‘Tats for Tots’ promotion. to take place every Tuesday ically with Children’s Hosby kendall snee in February, promises to do- pital, we try to be as active staff writer nate proceeds from tattoos, in the community as pos@dailyathenaeum piercing and retail sales to sible. And with the amount the Children’s Hospital. of fundraising (the hospiMorgantown’s STICK The idea came from tal is) trying to do, we kind Tattoo Company marks its STICK Tattoo’s owner Da- of wanted to coincide this first annual “Tats for Tots” mian Ferek and his commu- campaign with a lot of their campaign in partnership nity orientated values. fundraising efforts.” with the West Virginia Uni“The Tats for Tots idea Many others in the versity Children’s Hospital. was actually an idea that I see TATTOO on PAGE 2 The campaign, which is set created,” Ferek said. “Specif-
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
OBAMA’S PLAN Editorial: The public should pay attention to President Obama’s proposed plans for higher education OPINION PAGE 4
Prof., student raising money for Malawi, Mozambique flood victims by emily leslie correspondent @dailyathenaeum
A West Virginia University professor and student have made it their mission to raise awareness and funds to aid those affected by life-threatening floods in Malawi and Mozambique. Presha Neidermeyer, professor of accounting in the College of Business and Economics, and senior business student Deonna Gandy, have been working with a non-profit organization called E4pWVU. While the pair has already helped raise $1,560 for the cause, they hope to reach their goal of $10,000. Tropical Cyclone Bansi caused extreme flooding in parts of southern Africa, displacing an estimated 200,000 people and killing nearly 200, according to CNN. People are without shelter, food and clean water as they await rescue and are ultimately struggling to survive. Not only has the flood washed away homes and possessions, it has destroyed crops that people in these communities need in order to sustain themselves. Furthermore, people fear cholera outbreaks due to contaminated water and greater risk of malaria due to lack of shelter. “The initial goal is to make sure everyone has enough food to eat and that there is clean water to be provided,” Neidermeyer said. “The need for food is ongoing until the next growing season is completed.I’ve had in-person accounts that people are waiting three days without food or water as they are waiting for rescue. Folks who are there have said that people who were quick to get to higher grounds were able to escape, but those who were not, many of them have not been heard from.” Gandy, who co-founded the Respectful Mountaineer Campaign last fall, asked herself the question: How can the Mountaineer community help? “Being the Respectful Mountaineers that I know we are capable of being, it’s time that we give back and open our eyes to what’s really happening in the world,” Gandy said. “We are educated, kind, caring individuals, and I really would love to see the support of the Mountaineer Nation to step up and help support this cause.” Neidermeyer and Gandy, in collaboration with E4p, have started a GoFundMe page to gather donations for People Development Fund Africa, a non-profit organization based in Africa, to provide food and help rebuild the community. “The money will flow through E4p and will go directly to PDFA,” Neidermeyer said. E4p is a charity organization with a WVU chapter based on combating poverty, while PDFA works toward making better living conditions throughout local areas in Africa. Both organizations aim to create sustainability.
see FLOOD on PAGE 2
ON THE ROAD AGAIN No. 15 WVU men’s basketball to take on NO. 21 Oklahoma SPORTS PAGE 7