Feb. 15, 2018

Page 1

NEWS, 2

OPINION, 4

SPORTS, 3

• Marshall students take on New York Fashion Week.

• Track and Field wins at home, races to Conference USA Indoor Championship.

• Editorial: NO WORDS • Column: Embracing empathy to overcome growing national apathy

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018 | VOL. 122 NO. 35 | MARSHALL UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER | marshallparthenon.com | SINGLE COPY FREE

Mayor Williams delivers State of the City Address: Talks past deficits, successes and hopefulness for the future

By TOM JENKINS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities,” has become synonymous with the passage that begins with, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It was this sentence that Huntington Mayor Steve Williams made apparent during Thursday’s State of the City Address. Williams made it clear that Huntington’s past year can be best described by Dickens’ famous words. In the past year Huntington faced a large budget deficit and cuts to both the Huntington Police and Fire departments. In that same year, Huntington was also named ‘America’s Best Community,’ and received a grant of $3 million. “2017 began with us facing an unexpected projected budget deficit,” Williams said. “We addressed this crisis by making unpopular but necessary decisions.” Those decisions resulted in cuts to the police and fire department leaving 24 city employees without jobs. Williams said the result of the 2017 budget deficit’s decrease came after those reductions. In 2017, Williams projected the deficit would drop by $2.2 million. “We finished the year in the black, without raising fees or taxes,” Williams said. “Without depleting our reserve funds, with a surplus, and by offering every professional employee who lost their job the opportunity to return.” “Last year when we came in here we were $5 million in the hole,” City Council member Charles McComas said. “This year is different. He is planning on bringing back more policemen, firefighters and firetrucks. I’m interested in looking over the budget, but I think he’s done a good job.” The budget does not specify an addition to fire vehicles but, it does plan on adding five new officers, five new police vehicles in the 2019 fiscal year and five the year after that. With this new funding to the police and fire department, Interim Police Chief Hank Dial said this funding will help provide a stronger police presence throughout the city. “We’ll be able to put [officers] back into investigative roles that are necessary for properly policing the city,” Dial said. “That investment in our fleet will go a long way toward making sure that we can do our jobs day in and day out.” One of Mayor Williams most poignant moments during the speech was addressing the perception of safety in Huntington and what it means for not only Huntington citizens, but Marshall University students as well. “We cannot and should not ignore the perception that questions

TOM JENKINS | EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mayor Steve Williams addressed a series of events that happened in 2017, from the budget deficit and cuts to the Huntington Police and Fire Departments to the winning of the ‘America’s Best Community’ competition, in Thursday’s State of the City Address. Huntington’s safety,” Williams said. “Downtown Huntington is safe. The students who attend Marshall University are safe. All who visit our town are safe.” Part of those duties of keeping the city safe entail addressing the drug epidemic that continues to grow in Huntington. Williams had very strong feelings toward the stigma Huntington has been given due to the rise in opiates. “Some say that Huntington is the epicenter of our nation’s drug problem,” Williams said. “I disagree. I believe that Huntington is the epicenter of the solution.” He continued by saying that Huntington is more affected by the “disease of hopelessness” than drugs, attributing this hopelessness to the lack of economic opportunity. One of those changes to Huntington’s economy will be the

addition of the open-space retail facility on 3rd Avenue, The Market. As for funding the drug crisis, Williams said that he wants to see more funding from Charleston and Washington D.C. “We must have state and federal partners,” Williams said. “If indeed this is as high priority as our leaders in Charleston and Washington exclaim, then show us the money. We cannot be expected to overcome this by ourselves.” Williams finished his address by continuing to push for his agenda and “faith” in that mission. “We have learned mighty lessons this past year,” Williams said. “We have learned that we can compete with anyone in the nation. We have the expertise and fortitude to set a path of success if we simply dare to have faith in our ability to prevail.” Tom Jenkins can be contacted at jenkins194@marshall.edu.

SGA discusses firearms and upcoming events on campus

By BRIANA MURPHY

THE PARTHENON Marshall University Student Government Association members discussed bills in the West Virginia legislature that could impact Marshall and upcoming events on campus at its meeting Tuesday. SGA started the meeting off by discussing different events it is going to fund for organizations on campus. This includes organizations such as Marshall University Film Club and Boxing Club, both of which are sponsoring an event in the spring. Student Body President Matt Jarvis spoke on House Bill 4298, which would allow concealed carry on public college campuses in W.V. This means that guns would be allowed at campus events, tailgates, in classrooms, in dorms and in the dining halls. After hearing opinions from students and staff, Jarvis decided to send a letter to the House of Delegates stating that the Marshall University Student Government strongly opposes this bill. “Simply put, firearms have no place on a college campus,” Jarvis wrote in a letter to members of the West Virginia House of Delegates. Jarvis’ argument is that the Marshall University campus is a place for students to

learn, make new friends, become involved and grow as a person. He said he stands for all this strongly in his beliefs, because he wants students to feel safe on campus. Jarvis argued that this bill will take safety and comfort away

using a firearm should a disruption occur on campus.” SGA member Makaylah Wheeler shared that many members of SGA feel the same as Jarvis.

“Firearms have no place on a college campus.” - Marshall University Student Government President Matt Jarvis

from students. “If passed, the resulting fear and anxiety created would be detrimental to the overall well-being of our students,” Jarvis wrote. “Students should not have to consider a classmate possessing and potentially

Marshall students ride FREE with I.D.

According to U.S. Legal, Inc., “concealed weapons are weapons, especially handguns, which are kept hidden on one’s person, or under one’s control.” “That’s not something that should be on a college campus,” Wheeler said. “The campus

should be a place where everyone feels safe.” Jarvis also shared that SGA will be trying to figure out a way to donate any unused flex or herd points or meal swipes students have at the end of the semester. Sometimes, students have extra swipes and points at the end of the semester that they do not know what all to do with. SGA is in the process of putting together an alternative plan for students to use their extra points and swipes rather than letting them expire. “As a college in a whole, we need to be more a part of the community,” SGA member Lydia Roberts said. “The university has a bad reputation about not doing enough to help the community. We need to better the world by starting small acts to better the community. SGA is built to help support and give back. This would be a good way to fulfill that.” Roberts said when discussing the topic of meal swipe and points that most students are frustrated with wasting food and money at the end of the year, and it makes students, especially freshman who are new, feel “ripped off ” by the amount of money they are wasting. Briana Murphy can be contacted at murphy282@marshall.edu.

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Feb. 15, 2018 by Marshall Parthenon - Issuu