The DA 04-07-2014

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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

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

da

Monday April 7, 2014

Volume 126, Issue 124

www.THEDAONLINE.com

BOG talks PRT, housing, athletics plan by Laura Haight Staff Writer @DailyAthenaeum

The West Virginia University Board of Governors met Friday morning to discuss the five public-private partnerships that will improve Morgantown and generate tax revenue. These public-private investments will lead to safer, more modern neighborhoods throughout the community, provide financial returns for WVU and bring benefits to Morgantown and

its taxpayers. The five projects include University Place, College Park, University Park, Evansdale Crossing and the Monongalia County Ballpark. Narvel Weese, vice president for Administration and Finance, said 75 percent of student housing facilities are more than 25 years old, and WVU isn’t meeting student expectations. WVU facilities only house 25 percent of the student population. Most students find housing within the private sectors of Morgantown. “We are at full capacity,”

Weese said. “Our housing facilities have not kept pace with enrollment.” Another goal of the projects is to provide students with safer, more sufficient places to live. “We have some neighborhoods adjacent to campus that needed some revitalization,” he said. “Most of our housing that is in proximity to the Downtown Campus can be described as blighted, and we have some deteriorating neighborhoods.” Weese said the projects will preserve WVU’s debt capacity by shifting the debt

responsibility to the private sector of the partnership. Also, no state or tuition dollars are being used for the design or construction of these projects. These partnerships will generate more than $80 million in tax revenue during the next 40 years and will contribute around $1.7 million annually. At the end of these five projects, WVU will have more than 2,800 beds for student housing and a new baseball park with seats for 3,000 fans. Mayor Jenny Selin thanked WVU for the economic

“Most of our housing that is in proximity to the Downtown Campus can be described as blighted, and we have some deteriorating neighborhoods.” Narvel Weese

Vice President for Administration and Finance

growth the University has brought to Morgantown. “Businesses are growing greatly,” she said. “We owe that to you.” Selin said the housing projects will improve Morgantown’s pedestrian facilities and reduce parking problems.

“The fact that this housing is being created in town is really important, particularly for traffic,” she said. Selin said she also reassured President Gee the city and the University have a great relationship, and the

see BOG on PAGE 2

Tennant, Heitkamp tour WVU NRCCE, talk clean coal bill

Doyle Maurer/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp joined West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and WVU researchers to discuss cleaner ways to burn coal Friday. Mick Posey/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

The WVU Relay For Live event was held Friday evening through Saturday morning at the Cary Gym.

CELEBRATE. REMEMBER. FIGHT BACK. WVU joins fight against cancer, hosts annual Relay for Life event by laura haight staff writer @dailyathenaeum

West Virginia University’s annual Relay for Life event lit up the Shell Building for 12 hours Friday through Saturday. Nearly 1,700 people participated in the walk that lasted from 6 p.m. -6 a.m. and raised more than $77,000 for the fight against cancer. Ryann Moore, Relay for Life specialist, said she was impressed by the turnout but hopes to meet the goal of $120,000. “We have a good turnout tonight,”

Moore said. “Hopefully we can do some fundraising after the event and get to our goal before the school year ends” Moore said she was happy to see so many people come to the event to raise money for The American Cancer Society. “It just means a lot because I have had so many people touched by cancer in my life,” Moore said. “To see so many people fighting back against the disease and remembering all the people that we’ve lost means a lot to me.” Participants had the option to purchase a luminaria, which is a white bag with a light inside and can either be

in remembrance of a loved one lost to cancer or in honor of someone who is fighting cancer. A few hours into the event, the luminarias were placed around the track and lit up in the dark to honor those affected by cancer. “(The luminaria ceremony) helps you reflect on cancer patients and those who have lost their battle,” Moore said. “It’s a very touching ceremony.” The American Cancer Society is one of the biggest contributors to cancer research. At WVU, research grants are given to students to help find the cure to cancer and give students experience

see relay on PAGE 2

New SGA leaders inaugurated into office By Jacob Bojesson Staff Writer @DailyAthenaeum

The newly elected 201415 West Virginia University Student Government Association administration took its oath of office during an inauguration ceremony Saturday in the Mountainlair. President Chris Nyden and Vice President Jake Evans gave their inaugural addresses in which they promised to be a strong voice for every student at WVU. “We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow, and let there be no misunderstanding, we’re going to begin to act beginning today,” Nyden

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INSIDE News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 4 A&E: 6, 7 Sports: 8, 9, 10 Campus Connection: 5 Puzzles: 5 Classifieds: 11

said, quoting Ronald Reagan’s inaugural speech. “My intention is upon making every single student at WVU a well-represented one. Giving them a voice that is firm in times of chaos and tactful in times of dispute. A voice that stops at nothing to represent each and every student, and a voice that will continue to bring results to the student body.” Nyden dedicated much of his speech to the issue of college affordability, which he said will be one of his primary goals while in office. “College affordability is an issue of this generation,” he said. “If we do

see sga on PAGE 2

W.VA. WATER

WVU will host a lecture on the West Virginia Chemical spill and its implications tonight. NEWS PAGE 2

Wythe Woods/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

WVU’s new student body President Chris Nyden and Vice President Jake Evans are applauded after being sworn into office.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Follow @dailyathenaeum on Twitter for news, sports, A&E and opinion updates from the DA staff.

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

ON THE INSIDE Why do we care so much about coal? OPINION PAGE 4

By Jacob Bojesson Staff Writer @DailyAthenaeum

West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant and North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp took a tour of the National Research Center for Coal & Energy at West Virginia University Friday to promote and discuss investments in coal technology. Tennant, who is running for the U.S. Senate in the fall, opposes jobkilling regulations on coal-field power plants and wants West Virginia and WVU to hold a leading position in the coal research and technology developments. “I will fight these EPA job-killing regulations that are shutting down our coal fire power plants because they’re unrealistic and unfair,” Tennant said. “We should be putting that investment here into advanced coal technology to see what can take place and how we can propel coal and push coal along.” Heitkamp is currently pushing for legislation in Congress to get more resources for advanced coal technologies like those being developed at WVU. Tennant invited Heitkamp to WVU to showcase the NRCCE as a prime candidate for Heitkamp’s clean coal bill. “We’re on coal and natural gas, and West Virginia can be the test bed. We can be the research and development that you see right here,” Tennant said. “I’m

certainly proud of what they are doing here, and those investments and those solutions can happen here in West Virginia. We have all those resources.” During the short tour led by students and faculty, Tennant and Heitkamp got to see and test some of the features of the NRCCE including a 3-D simulation of a gas turbine. Heitkamp said she was impressed by resources available at WVU but said the political climate in the country makes for an uphill battle. “In Washington, the real challenge is telling the coal story,” Heitkamp said. “We’re so far behind the curve in terms of the narrator, and one of the things that makes it tough is when you polarize positions. We think the clean coal bill that we introduced is a start, but we also need to have rational regulations, and it scares the market.” Heitkamp said the support for her bill is growing stronger, and states like West Virginia and North Dakota need to work together in the future process. “What I’m trying to do is expand the network beyond Joe Manchin’s to really have a broader conversation and try to neutralize some of the oppositions and have a discussion,” Heitkamp said. “We’ve gotten a couple of good calls, and I think we’ve got some good support at deal.” danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu

NATIONAL DREAMS After an impressive showing at regionals, WVU gymnast Hope Sloanhoffer will advance to the NCAA national championship. SPORTS PAGE 9


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