THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
2 | NEWS
Thursday September 19, 2013
SOJ panel showcases secrets told by whistleblowers by kaity wilson staff writer
Telling secrets is often looked down on, but whistleblowers are tattle tales who have the public’s best interests in mind. The West Virginia University Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism hosted a panel discussion Wednesday evening to showcase the ability of professionals to expose secrets that could potentially save the environment. The moderated panel discussion featured three people who, “blew the whistle,” on companies and government agencies who were supposed to be protecting the environment. A whistleblower is someone who discloses evidence of wrongdoing to those who
can do something about it. This can include journalists, managers, hotlines or lawmakers. They seek to make a difference and risk their jobs and personal safety to do so. These people have worked closely with the Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower protection organization sponsoring the American Whistleblower Tour. The president of GAP, Louis Clark said whistleblowers should be noted for their courage. “For every one, there are hundreds that remain silent,” Clark said. “But if it wasn’t for those whistleblowers, we would never know about these problems.” “Without the work of whistleblowers, many ac-
tivities that are harmful to the public could never be brought to light and many of the parties responsible could never be held accountable for their actions,” said P.I. Reed School of Journalism Dean Maryanne Reed. Jack Spadaro, a WVU graduate, is interested in engineering safety, which was sparked by the Buffalo Creek dam failure in 1972. Spadaro is the former head of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy who blew the whistle on the federal agency’s attempt to whitewash an investigation into a major spill of coal slurry from a waste site in Kentucky. The spill, which occurred in 2000, destroyed wildlife and contaminated water for thousands of people
in Kentucky and West Virginia. Spadaro refused to sign the whitewashed report and went public, resigning from the company he worked for. Rick Piltz, a former senior associate in the office of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, also contributed to the discussion. Piltz blew the whistle on the Bush administration’s censorship of reports on global warming. Another panelist, Wilma Subra, is a scientist in Louisiana who blew the whistle when clean-up workers were not receiving adequate training and healthcare after the BP Gulf Coast oil spill in 2010. She also blew the whistle on misleading statements by the Food and Drug Administration stating seafood be-
ing harvested in the Gulf of Mexico was safe to consume after the spill. Six stages of whistleblowing were listed at the discussion. The first stage is discovering wrongdoing followed by disclosing the information which leads to retaliation by the whistleblower’s management. The last three stages are isolation from coworkers, becoming surrounded by change makers and supporters and the public recognizing the problem, resulting in changes being made. The three panelists said whistleblowing is not an easy decision to make, but it is an important job. They agreed working closely with journalists and those who have the power to initiate change is also an important
part of the process. “Sometimes the only hope we have of getting the truth out is good journalism,” said Spadaro. “It is essential to have somebody to go to and allow the public to know what is going on.” Wilma Subra, who endured threats and a driveby-shooting of her office after blowing the whistle, said her best advice if you are going to be a whistleblower is to have a thick skin. Subra said that although whistleblowers must endure negative responses, they’re working for the better good of everyone. For more information about the American Whistleblower Tour visit http:// www.WhistleblowerTour. org. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
International News
6 killed as Canada bus strikes passenger train OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Passengers screamed “Stop! Stop!” seconds before their bus crashed through a crossing barrier and into a commuter train during morning rush hour in Canada’s capital on Wednesday, killing six people and injuring 34. “He smoked the train,” witness Mark Cogan said of the bus driver, who was among those killed. “He went through the guard rail and just hammered the train, and then it was just mayhem.” It was not immediately clear what caused the bus to smash through the lowered barrier at a crossing in suburban Ottawa. The front of the double-
decker bus was ripped away by the impact, and the train’s locomotive and one passenger car derailed, though there were no reports of major injuries to train passengers or crew. Eight were still listed in critical condition late Wednesday. The crash brought trains on the national Via Rail’s Ottawa-Toronto route to a standstill. It was Canada’s second major rail accident in less than three months. A runaway oil train derailed and exploded in a Quebec town on July 6, killing 47 people in the country’s worst rail disaster in more than a century. Tanner Trepanier said he
and other passengers could see the four-car train bearing down on them as the bus approached the crossing. “People started screaming, ‘Stop! Stop!’ because they could see the train coming down the track,” Trepanier said. But the driver didn’t slow down, said Rebecca Guilbeault, who was on the bus with her 1-year-old son. “I don’t know if the bus driver blacked out,” she said. “I’ve seen a few people dead, someone ripped in half.” Another passenger, Gregory Mech, said the train crossing has about a 90-degree bend and he didn’t think the driver saw that the signals were flashing and the
barrier was down. “The bus actually hit the train dead on,” Mech told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “I could see that there were bodies on the train tracks. It was horrible.” Passenger Romi Gupta, a 40-year-old office worker headed to her job in downtown Ottawa, boarded what she called the “overfull” bus at its last stop before the crash. “The driver was OK. I got in a minute before and I said hello to him and he was fine,” said Gupta. Moments later, she looked out the window and saw the train headed straight for the bus. “The bus was too fast, he
could not put the brakes on,” she said. “It was crazy. People were flying. I saw limbs.” Transit union president Craig Watson identified the driver killed in the crash as 45-year-old Dave Woodard. He said had been with the bus company for about 10 years. Peyman Shamsi, a friend of Woodard who had started with OC Transpo 10 years ago, said he was “one of the nicest guys” at the bus company. “I’m surprised because he was a safe driver,” Shamsi said. Woodard, who leaves behind a wife and teenage stepdaughter, had celebrated his wife’s birthday on Tuesday.
“It is a tragic morning in the nation’s capital,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. The bus was on a dedicated transit line that runs parallel to a busy commuter artery just outside the suburban train station of Fallowfield. The Transportation Safety Board said the train was traveling at a reduced speed because it was nearing a station and because of the crossing. Via Rail crossings have long been a concern, according to the national Transportation Safety Board’s lead investigator, Glen Pilon, who said retrieving the black box recording was a priority to determine what went wrong.
FENCING
kles and lower leg muscles,” said James Reil, an aerospace engineering student and secretary of the club. “If you have quick feet and can change direction quick, then you can almost always beat your opponent – the arms just kind of follow.” Whether students and faculty want to play with swords, relieve stress or just have fun with other individuals on campus, people can sign up and learn the basics. “It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a good workout,” Clipp said. “The club is incredibly open and welcoming to new members and beginners, as well.” Miltenberger and Reil said when it comes to fencing, strength won’t win over technique. “Fencing is different from other sports in that how good you are is not determined in large part by your general physical fitness,” Miltenberger said. “There is a lot more that goes on in your head that can make you incredibly good at fencing.” Reil said fencing becomes
a lifetime sport for many. “Some sports you burn out on or your muscles tire, but you don’t burn out on fencing once you pass your physical prime,” Reil said. Member dues are $40 per semester or $60 for both. Dues go toward the maintenance of the club equipment and to help pay the coach. The club did a live demonstration in the Mountainlair last week, and they hope to organize a fencing tournament at WVU to get more people interested in joining the club. “I would encourage everyone to come and try it because we’re a fun bunch and college really is the best time to pick up that cool new thing you’ve always wanted to try – I mean what other club lets you play with swords,” Miltenberger said. For more information on the WVU Fencing Club, visit http:// http://fencingclub.studentorgs.wvu. edu/ or visit their Facebook page.
a business from scratch,” Cutright said. “It’s not just a competition to see if your idea’s good. “It helps you define the process of business value and business start-up, all in one nice package.” Both St. Clair and Cutright said they agree the only students who don’t win are the ones that don’t participate. “I really think it’s a good learning process,” St. Clair said. “Even if you don’t win, you can take what you learned from the competition and apply it in your life. “It’s really the tools that you learn and keep that can fix what’s in your business model.” Winners will receive $10,000, legal and acc ou nt i ng a s s i s t a n c e, and incubator space to make their idea come to life. “We’re not just going to
hand you a check; we want you to hit certain steps to make sure your business actually succeeds,” she said. In 2008, WVU senior Nesha Sanghavi entered her clothing design idea into the business competition. Sanghavi was a cheerleader and constantly saw people wearing WVU apparel at games, but she said she felt there weren’t many feminine or form-fitting designs specifically made for women. Sanghavi didn’t win the competition, but she said it motivated her to work even harder, and she now owns her own business called University Girls Apparel. Applications are due by Oct. 11 at noon. For more information, visit http:// www.be.wvu.edu/bpc/index.htm.
potential sisters engaged.” Jeffrey’s statements were echoed by another prospect, Allison Zutat. Zutat said she felt formal recruitment offered a window into sorority life. “I’ve gotten to go on tours of the houses belonging to the chapters I’m interested in joining,” Zutat said. “Additionally, I’ve gotten to see some of the charitable efforts that these chapters are a part of.” Natalie Barnhart, a senior and sister of Sigma Kappa,
summed up what being in a sorority really means and said it can’t really be boiled down to just one thing. “Greek life is about getting the most out of college, meeting new people, trying new things and giving back to society,” Barnhart said. Potential new members will find out which sorority they will be a part of Saturday at their bid day event.
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Mick Posey/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Members of WVU’s Fencing Club bout during practice.
SGA
Continued from page 1 that we’ve given out money, so I think everyone is confident in the amount that we have,” Williams said. “I will say that I am going to talk to the governors about perhaps being more sparing in the amounts that they give out. “The amount that we have in the budget (for student organizations) is a solid number; we can’t get any more money (for this purpose).” The consideration of these grant proposals also represented the first time the new official Bureau of Finance was able to present its recommendations to the board. The numbers provided to the Board from the Bureau of Finance were billed as the result of objective analysis and research. In practice, the numbers were often used as an in-
KELLY
resources student, said she saw a flyer for the club as a freshman but didn’t join until this year. “I was very interested because I thought it would be a fun and interesting experience, but the timing didn’t work out with my schedule,” Clipp said. “This year, I made sure to fit it in my schedule, and I have been attending every practice.” With the proper safety equipment provided for students and faculty, fencing is a safe sport with fewer injuries than to other competitive sports. “I like that it involves safe, controlled swordplay,” Clipp said. “It is a bit like the childhood fantasy of playing with stick swords made into a reality.” Although students don’t need a lot of arm strength, the sport does require tedious footwork. “We do a lot footwork drills – strengthening of an-
BUSINESS
formed starting point from which governors then proposed various amounts. Williams and Scott said they thought the board’s recommendations were very helpful in the process. “I think the numbers the Bureau provides can be very insightful, and I also think tonight shows that governors really want to be involved in the process as well,” Williams said. In addition to the approval of the student organization grants, the board also heard confirmation from SGA president Ryan Campione that students will not be required to have health insurance for the upcoming spring semester. SGA holds open meetings every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Hatfield’s B. For more information on WVU’s SGA, visit sga.wvu.edu.
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prisons in Afghanistan, and when you go outside of Kabul there is no electricity.” Prior to her lecture, Kelly spent the day visiting classes on campus and appearing on local radio and television stations. John Shibley, an associate professor in communication studies, said Kelly always makes him more aware of what’s going on in the world. “Every time I have been exposed to her, I not only have learned more information, but she evokes from me the kind of awareness that I say, ‘Thank you for telling me what you have experienced’,” Shibley said.
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
Not only can any student in West Virginia submit their idea, but applicants are also allowed to work in groups of four or fewer members per team. “This competition is different, because students from different schools can work together, so we’ve had students from Marshall and from WVU work in a group (to) submit an idea together,” St. Clair said. Steve Cutright, director of the BrickStreet Center, said even though it’s titled as a business competition, he encourages students from any major to give it a try. “The competition gives them the ability to evaluate business concepts and teaches them how to build
RECRUIT
Continued from page 1 that I’m looking at joining.” Jeffrey said she was looking forward to one recruitment week event in particular. “Recruitment week has a skit night (in which) sisters from all the different chapters perform skits for potential recruits,” Jeffery said. “I think that it’s a fun and entertaining way to get
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu
danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu