THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
da
Friday February 20, 2015
Volume 127, Issue 99
www.THEDAONLINE.com
Police chief: Morgantown’s Bane, Papandreas crime rates are decreasing to face off LOCAL GOVT.
by courtney gatto staff writer @Dailyathenaeum
Morgantown, W.Va., is ranked No. 6 of 10 cities in the U.S. to see a major rise in violent crimes, such as forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, in the past five years. Morgantown Police Department’s Chief of Police Ed Preston said the 50.8 percent increase is misleading because the number doesn’t refer only to
crimes happening within Morgantown’s city limits. “We make up less than 1 percent of the geographical area (included in the statistic),” Preston said. “We are 10 miles of a nearly 1,000 square mile area.” Preston is referring to the “Morgantown Metropolitan Statistical Area,” which encompasses all of Monongalia and Preston counties, including the incorporated and unincorporated municipalities
within these two counties. Communities such as Granville, Star City, Westover, Kingwood and Masontown are all included in the area. Preston said every month, police reports from across the country are submitted to the FBI and put into the National Incident-Based Reporting System. This allows the FBI to see patterns of increases and decreases. For violent crimes within the Morgantown
city limits specifically, Preston said they’re on the decline. Crimes such as murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, property crimes, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle thefts have been declining since 2007. “The cold numbers of crime are decreasing, and at the same time our population within the city limits has consistently increased, as well,” Preston said. “So if you look at the
rate, it has actually decreased even more.” This decrease in crime may leave many students wondering about the increase in crime-related alerts. Preston offers one reason for the amount of alerts. “Those robberies and those events - a lot of those things happened, and they aren’t in Morgantown. That has a lot to do with it,” Preston said.
see CRIME on PAGE 2
REED ANDREWS Andrews says he’s ‘always identified with the Mountaineer’
Reed Andrews cheers on the men’s basketball team as it takes on Kansas Monday in the Coliseum.
by lauren caccamo staff writer @dailyathenaeum
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early 300 years ago, Morgan Morgan established himself as the first European settler in West Virginia and arguably the first-ever Mountaineer. Today, West Virginia University junior Reed Andrews plans to follow his ancestor Morgan’s footsteps. After an intense application and interview process, Andrews was chosen as one of four finalists to become the next Mountaineer for the 2015-2016 school year. “I’ve always identified with the Mountaineer since I’m a
REED ANDREWS/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
direct descendant of the original Mountaineer, Morgan Morgan,” Andrews said. “The Mountaineer is a reflection of the essence of those people who settled in the state of West Virginia and founded West Virginia University, and I would like to draw attention to our great school, the state’s wealth of natural resources and our rich history.” A Morgantown native, Andrews said he has always closely identified with the University. He was born in Ruby Memorial Hospital, where he currently volunteers, and never lived farther than a brisk walk to Milan Puskar Stadium. Throughout his entire life, Andrews’ family members have been
see MOUNTAINEER on PAGE 2
in elections by rachel mcbride staff writer @dailyathenaeum
A drawing was held Tuesday to determine ballot positions for the 2015 Morgantown City Council candidates. Incumbent Ron Bane and challenger George Papandreas will compete for the First Ward, while candidates Noel Hoffman and Jay Redmond will run for the Sixth Ward. Hoffman and Redmond would be newcomers to the council. Incumbents Bill Kawecki (Second Ward), Wes Nugent (Third Ward), Jenny Selin (Fourth Ward), Marti Shamberger (Fifth Ward) and Nancy Ganz (Seventh Ward) will run for re-election unopposed. Although the campaign process is competitive, each candidate has constructed a strategy to ensure they contend to the best of their ability. According to Bane, current First Ward council member, the campaign process is stressful but rewarding. “I typically do the same thing I’ve always done. I try to do a good job,” Bane said. “If they want me to continue to serve then I will.” City Clerk Linda Tucker emphasized the importance and simplicity of voting. “Registering is a very simple process,” Tucker said. The election will take place April 28. Absentee voting applications are still being accepted. Registration forms for voting can be found online or at the city clerk’s office. April 7 is the last day to register for absentee voting. Early voting will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, April 15-18 and April 20-25, in the City Hall lobby. Election day is April 28. Voting polls will be open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. The results will be announced at City Hall that night. For more information on how to vote, visit http:// monongaliacountyclerk. com. Other candidates were contacted but could not be reached by press time. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Children with disabilities participate in AAUW hosts Women’s jiu-jitsu, WVU’s CPASS sponsors the group Empowerment Night by cameron gleason correspondent @dailyathenaeum
The Anu Academy of Martial Arts is working closely with West Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences to jumpstart the Gifted Grapplers program. The Gifted Grapplers class, hosted by Anu Academy on Wednesday evenings, teaches children with disabilities the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The academy also partnered with Stepping Stones, a nonprofit organization with a goal to provide chil-
dren with mental and physical disabilities the opportunity to learn and practice sports and other physical activities. Anu Academy owners Neale Hoerle and Anna Burdette, both WVU alumni, said the program is a way for them to give back. “I’m a small business owner, she (Burdette) works for WVU and the people helping out are from WVU’s CPASS. So it all sort of ties together, and we’re trying to integrate the community, the University, the alumni and carry it all over into a program that everyone can enjoy,” Hoerle said.
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INSIDE
Mountaineers tell us where they’d rather be A&E PAGE 6
PARTLY CLOUDY
News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 4 A&E: 6, 7 Sports: 5, 9, 10, 12 Campus Connection: 8 Puzzles: 8 Classifieds: 10, 11
The Gifted Grapplers Program intends to give back to the Morgantown community through the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Hoerle has spent more than 16 years perfecting the sport, and Burdette placed second in her division in the 2014 International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Championship. The two qualified coaches hope to share their knowledge of the sport with the children of Gifted Grapplers, and the results are showing. As of Feb. 18, the class was on phase two of a four-class temporary trial run through Stepping
Stones. However, before the class finished for the night, the staff was notified that the Gifted Grapplers were to be permanently added to the Stepping Stones roster per the request of the children, parents and student volunteers from CPASS. Burdette and Hoerle hope to see the Gifted Grapplers program expand in the future, and considering their recent successes, expansion seems to be within reach. They encourage students and residents alike to give a little of their time to the program.
see JIU-JITSU on PAGE 2
by caitlin coyne correspondent @dailyathenaeum
The West Virginia University chapter of the American Association of University Women will be hosting the first annual Women’s Empowerment Night from 6:30-11 p.m. in the Towers Blue & Gold room tonight. The event is open to all WVU students and will kick off with an activities fair featuring several WVU organizations and events, including yoga, trivia sponsored by Victoria’s Secret and Amazon Student, and a presentation by WELLWVU. After 8 p.m., the 2014
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TAKING THE TOBACCO BAN SERIOUSLY Editorial: The University shouldn’t make exceptions for Sheetz to sell tobacco products OPINION PAGE 4
Mountaineer Idol Alexa Gonzalez is scheduled to sing and open up the floor for the guest speaker presentation, which includes a brief introduction to AAUW and a speech by sociology instructorDaniel Brewster. There will be special appearances made by Miss Morgantown 2015, the Mountaineer Mascot and President E. Gordon Gee before the night concludes with a presentation of Iron Jawed Angels, a drama starring Hilary Swank that tells the true story of the women in the 1917 Women’s Suffrage movement and their
see AAUW on PAGE 2
ON THE ROAD AGAIN No. 23 WVU travels to No. 22 Oklahoma State for Saturday’s game SPORTS PAGE 9