THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
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Wednesday November 13, 2013
New student organization gives students research resources by hilary kinney staff writer @dailyathenaeum
Undergraduate students interested in research at West Virginia University will soon have a system of resources and fellow students to work with. The Association of Undergraduate Researchers will bring together students of all disciplines who have the desire to conduct research in their area of study. The AUR will work to recruit more undergraduates to become involved in research. It will also serve as a backbone and center of coordination for those who are already working on projects Cecil O’Dell, vice president of AUR, said the organization will serve as a network for student researchers. “Whoever is involved in research, we want to provide an organization for them that can speak for them and work to better their representation on campus,” O’Dell said. “We have some ideas to speed up the process. We can match students with professors, or we can assist people who are seeking to get involved with research.” Compared to other universities, WVU does not have a strong association for undergraduate researchers. The idea to bring AUR to WVU was sparked by student research organizations already in place at other Big 12 schools.
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O’Dell said a research network is important for all students and especially for WVU. As for those who have never been involved in research before, the Association of Undergraduate Researchers will be an ideal place to begin. “For those who aren’t really sure where to go with research, the organization will provide a lot of resources for them to find a research opportunity. One that they will like and one that will work for them,” O’Dell said. Those in the organization will not only find gateways to research opportunities but will learn different research skills. The association will also help students find funding and scholarships to carry out projects. Students of all majors are encouraged to attend the association’s inaugural meeting to learn more about building a collaborative, diverse working group. The group emphasizes that academic research is not only for math and science students, but for those in all fields. The association hopes to encourage students with different ideas and interests to participate. The first meeting for the Association of Undergraduate Researchers will be held Nov. 20 from 5-6 p.m in Room 110 of Oglebay Hall. For more information, contact WVUAUR@gmail. com.
Students woke to a blanket of snow covering West Virginia University’s campus Tuesday morning. Tuesday’s flurries marked the first snowfall of the year in Morgantown. PHOTOS BY ERIN IRWIN
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Filipino WVU students react to devastating disaster Lecture talks social by lacey palmer A&e editor @laceypalmer
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall, struck the eastern seaboard of the Philippines early Friday causing mass destruction. Rescue workers are still making efforts to reach survivors of the storm, which is believed to have displaced more than 600,000 people. Hitting the eastern coast of the country and Tacloban City hardest, the typhoon had devastating effects on the entire country of the Philippines, but it also has had effects right here in Morgantown. Many West Virginia University students are of Filipino descent, and many have loved ones in the country, creating a terrifying situation for those students as they received news of the storm. Liam Hogan, a junior landscape architecture student, has family living in the Philippines in Luzon, which is near the nation’s capital Manilla. “When I first heard of the typhoon, I didn’t think much of it. I mean, we experience these types of tropical storms for months in America, but I was being ignorant to the actual situation,” Hogan said. “I was the typical American reading the headlines and not reading the articles. What I failed to realize is how strong the actual storm was compared to other storms in the past.” Although this is not the first natural disaster to strike the area, it is the most severe. The death toll is currently estimated at 10,000, and wind speeds reached 170-200 mph with a storm surge of 20 feet. “Imagine that for a sec-
AP
This aerial photo taken from a Philippine Air Force helicopter shows the devastation of the first landfall by typhoon Haiyan in Guiuan, Eastern Samar province, central Philippines. ond,” Hogan said. “Imagine a baseball flying at you at 200 mph, or how about a sign slicing through the air?” According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, in some parts of the Philippines, 90 percent of the housing had been destroyed. Caitlin Wilson, a senior multidisciplinary studies student, was born in the Philippines and has family living on the island in Pandan, Antique. “We hadn’t heard from them in three days after the storm, but my mom finally got ahold of my aunt last night,” Wilson said. “All the power is down in my family’s town, so they had to drive an hour to the only place with generators for people to charge their phones and a satellite so people would have signal to receive calls.”
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Wilson’s grandparents, aunt, uncle and five cousins live on the island. Prior to the storm making landfall, Wilson was worried about her family. “I immediately thought of all my family and what they were going to do to keep safe during the storm,” Wilson said. “They don’t have very stable houses, and I knew the storm was going to hit hard. I just continued to worry about them until I knew they were okay.” Wilson said she is sure her family has already began cleaning up and rebuilding, as there are a lot of trees down and debris in the area around their homes. She believes her family is fortunate, because their homes are still in decent condition. “All the trees around my grandparent’s house fell away from it, which is a mir-
acle,” Wilson said. “They are extremely lucky given the circumstances.” The majority of Patrick Garcia’s family still lives in the Philippines in Kiamba, as well. Garcia is a senior biochemistry student at WVU. “My dad and I were finally able to get ahold of a few cousins and my aunts who found Internet service,” Garcia said. “We didn’t hear from them until yesterday morning, and we still haven’t been able to call, but they can message on Facebook every once in awhile.” According to Garcia, Skype and Facebook are the easiest ways to contact his family in the Philippines. Now, it’s time for the country to rebuild. Wilson agrees it will be difficult, she’s sure the Philippines can overcome this disaster. “I think it’s going to be difficult for them, but they are definitely a country that can overcome it,” Wilson said. “They have already been through a lot this past year but have gone through it all with great pride and strength. I absolutely believe they can do it.” Although they’ll overcome the obstacle facing them, the Filipino students agree the country could use some assistance. There are many ways, even locally, people can help the cause. Garcia said anyone interested in helping can donate to the local radio station, KLOVE, who is working with World Vision to raise money for the Philippines. Hogan suggests donating to a variety of different charities, such as Red Cross
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media, digital comm in professional market by Alexis Randolph staff writer @dailyathenaeum
Social media can both help and hinder students’ futures, which is why Geah Pressgrove, a strategic communications professor, finds managing social media so important in today’s world. Pressgrove held a lecture and discussion, “Social Media Primer,” about digital communication and social media Monday evening. Pressgrove is new to West Virginia University this semester and does research focusing on nonprofit organizations. She researches ways to strategically incorporate social media and digital communications into the company’s brand. With hundreds of digital communications outlets, Pressgrove explained the importance of proper branding. “Knowing your brand is something that is to be held close to yourself. Be protective of your brand, know who you are on social media,” Pressgrove said. “Know just because you have fabulous privacy settings, you still may not be protected from your brand being tarnished.” While there are several big names in social media today such as Facebook,
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ON THE INSIDE West Virginia junior guard Juwan Staten is becoming a strong leader on the men’s basketball team. SPORTS PAGE 7
Twitter and Instagram, Pressgrove talked about the importance of other sources, as well. She suggested that every student and future professional join LinkedIn. With this digital communication, students are able to connect with companies in their field of study and are able to put their name out there for industry members to see. Another media outlet that Pressgrove mentioned was Google+. According to Pressgrove, Google+ is currently the most used form of digital communication today. With this explosion of digital communication, Pressgrove said there has been a 1,300 percent increase in social media emphasis. Pressgrove covered several major points in the discussion. One of which was how to handle damage control once something has been put on the web that paints a student in a bad light. She also suggested that students engage their brands and be active, use hashtags and follow organizations they are interested in. “It was wonderful to have the opportunity to share the P.I. Reed School
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LOSING THE LEAD After holding a lead for much of the game, the WVU men’s basketball team fell to Virginia Tech 87-82. SPORTS PAGE 7