THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”
Monday September 16, 2013
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STRONG START
Volume 126, Issue 21
FOR FULL COVERAGE OF WVU’s 41-7 win Saturday, see sports page 6.
Jewish community comes together for Yom Kippur BY Daniel Schatz Correspondent
This weekend members of West Virginia University’s Jewish community came together to celebrate Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On this day, the Jewish community embraces the New Year by repenting and participating in a daylong fast. The two organizations on campus that observe Yom Kippur are The Hillel House and Chabad Jewish Center; each hosted a pre-holiday meal at sundown before services
commenced. This holiday for the Jewish community serves as a sort of reset button for any mistakes made throughout the year. The Day of Atonement serves as an opportunity to ask forgiveness for any actions or decisions one might regret. This year, The Hillel House was pleased to have such a large turnout and reported an attendance of approximately 30 congregates. Hillel president Zevi Lowenberg said he believes establishing a strong community bond between the Jewish students on the
campus of WVU and the Jewish people across the area is vital. “It is important to come together as a full community, uniting the Jews of WVU with the Jews of North and Central West Virginia, creating a more rich environment for learning and progressing the Jewish experience,” Lowenberg said. Members of the Hillel house include students and faculty of WVU. Additionally, James Friedberg, a WVU professor of law, also serves as a Hillel advisor and acts a liaison between WVU and The Hillel House. The Chabad Jewish Cen-
ter on the WVU campus also held events to celebrate and participate in the holidays. Rabbi Zalman Gurevitz of Chabad said the congregation serves as a home away from home for Jewish students during the holidays. “It was wonderful to see the turnout of Jewish students who came to services,” Gurevitz said. “During the holidays, many Jewish students feel lonely, and this is the time when it is most important for us to be available so students feel comfortable in Morgantown.”
Area motocycle riders hold charity poker run by kaity Wilson staff writer
The rumbling sound of motorcycles filled the air Sunday morning as bikers gathered for an annual poker run in Morgantown to benefit the Special Olympics. The Gold Wing Road Riders Association hosted the poker run in which participants rode motorcycles on a 96-mile route and visited several checkpoints. At the checkpoints, riders rolled three die, and the highest roller received a prize at the end of the day. The oldest rider, the youngest rider and the rider who traveled the farthest also received prizes after the poker run. The poker run began 11 years ago and is currently chaired by Jim Pompili and
Debbie Umble. The run first started when Pompili and his chapter of the GWRRA decided they wanted to do something for their community, so they chose to organize an event benefiting the Special Olympics. Umble has been involved with the Special Olympics in Monongalia County for 21 years and helps serve about 110 athletes participating in fall, spring and summer games. The Special Olympic athletes go through 13 weeks of training for each set of games, which include bowling, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, football, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Umble said all the work at the Special Olympics is done by volunteers. “It really just comes
68° / 50°
’80s NIGHT
INSIDE
Mountaineer Idol held its second elimination round Friday. A&E PAGE 7
A.M. SHOWERS
News: 1, 2 Opinion: 4 A&E: 7, 8, 10 Sports: 3, 6 Campus Connection: 5 Puzzles: 5 Classifieds: 9
straight from our hearts for the athletes,” Umble said. Pompili said several years ago, Chapter I of the GWRRA chose a few organizations to support, but the Special Olympics is one that stuck. “We are just a motorcycle group trying to give back to the community,” Pompili said. “It’s not just all about riding all over the country.” The GWRRA also helps the community during the holiday season in support of The Shack, a local organization that provides education and recreation for families in Monongalia County. The riders also have a holiday toy drive for children in the county. After the event, riders and non-riders were able
see CHARITY on PAGE 2
Chabad president Sabina Aliverdi, said the Chabad is looking to increase the number of participants at events in order to help promote a more energetic Jewish environment at WVU. “I have made really great friends at Chabad, and it has helped me connect more with my Jewish heritage,” Aliverdi said. “People sometimes feel shy about discussing their Jewish identity in Morgantown, and Chabad is a great outlet for students who may feel nervous about expressing their religion.”
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
WVU Intramurals to host volleyball tournament by caroline peters staff writer
The Intramural Sports Program at West Virginia University offers a variety of competitive sports. This opportunity affords WVU students and faculty to form their own teams and play a sport of their choice in a great atmosphere. WVU’s Intramural Sports is inviting students and faculty to participate in a free volleyball tournament Saturday on the Tower’s sand volleyball court. Participants will also be able to enjoy games of corn hole between tournaments. Bruce Brubaker, WVU Intramurals project manager, said he encourages people to come out and play. “We can all get some daily exercise, enjoy a good,
fun activity and be back in time to watch the Maryland game,” he said. Brubaker also said the intramurals staff has a backup plan to ensure the event is a success. “We will also be giving out prizes, including Tudor’s Biscuit World biscuits, T-shirts and coupons for Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said. The entire WVU community is invited to participate in the event, and Brubaker said the teams should be prepared. “I encourage both men and woman to come out and participate,” he said. “It is best to get your team together as soon as possible, because these are six-person teams.” The event currently has seven teams signed up, ranging from the Sand Kittens to the WVU Rompers. The Greek frater-
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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
While the Hillel house typically plays host to the Jewish community, each Sunday afternoon they also host an open bagel brunch. At these events, the house is open to members of all belief systems to socialize and enjoy an appetizing meal. For more information on events at the Hillel House, find them on Facebook at https ://www.facebook. com/wvujews. For more information about the WVU Chabad Jewish Center, visit http:// www.jewishwv.org.
GOLD RUSH SGA will host a Gold Rush kickoff event in front of the Mountainlair.
nity Theta Chi is also among those signed up to participate in the event. Theta Chi member Colson Jonske said he is excited to play for the team. “I just love to have the opportunity to represent my fraternity in athletics,” Jonske said. “The sand volleyball tournament gives me, as well as Theta Chi, (the opportunity) to not only represent ourselves as a brotherhood, but to combine with the University and get involved in something greater.“ The event will also include free T-shirts, gift cards and many other prizes. To register for the event, visit http://IMLeagues. com/WVU. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
PERFECT 10 West Virginia’s volleyball team advanced to 10-0 this weekend at the Eagle Challenge. SPORTS PAGE 6