Feb 12, 2014 By Information Curated By kimmi Baston staff Writer 5 min read

Editor’s Note: The following is a summary of the 10 stories from last week that a college student needs to know.

1. University announces scholarship winners

Six Waynesburg women have been announced as recipients of the Vira I. Heinz scholarship. The program grants an opportunity for Waynesburg University, one of 15 Pennsylvania colleges to participate, to send three female students on a one-year study abroad experience. This year, six were chosen, receiving a combined $37,600. They are: juniors Ellen Limback, Rebecca Shindelar and Allyson Wernert and sophomores Caley Blankenbuehler, Cassandra Gates and Madison Perretta.

– Waynesburg.edu,

Feb. 10

2. Waynesburg man found dead

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, two passersby found Morgantown native Brian Friend lying in the snow along West High Street in Waynesburg. Friend was known for walking the streets of Waynesburg between the town and the personal care home, Respicenter, where he lived. According to the Observer-Reporter, his death did not appear to be suspicious.

– Observer-Reporter, Feb. 6

3. Pre-draft controversy in the NFL

University of Missouri football star ad NFL draft prospect Michael Sam announced he was gay on Sunday, Feb. 9. According to USA Today, many officials believe Sam’s announcement will affect his draft status, dropping 70 spots on Sunday night on the CBS Draft Prospect Board. Even so, many general managers and players support his decision, and he could still become the first openly gay NFL pro football player.

-USA Today,

Feb. 10

4. U.S. faces policy conundrum

A U.S. citizen suspected of working with Al Qaeda is currently planning terrorist action in a country that has refused U.S. military action on its soil. President Obama recently passed a policy stating that suspected American terrorists could only be killed by the military; since this isn’t an option in the current situation, normal action would be to send a CIA drone after the suspect. However, the CIA can send a drone to kill the suspect because he is a U.S. citizen. The U.S. government is therefore moving as quickly as possible through legal channels to find a way to deal with the issue.

– ABC News,

Feb. 10

5. IOC calls stickers a “political statement”

Sarah Burke, a talented and popular Canadian snowboarder, died while training in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2012. Her friend and colleague, Torah Bright, Australian Olympic Snowboarder, wanted to wear stickers during the Olympics to honor Burke’s legacy. The International Olympic Committee prohibited this, calling the stickers a political statement and stating that all forms of propaganda other than gear brand names are prohibited on competitions. The committee is now defending itself, saying that there are other ways for fallen athletes to be remembered.

– USA Today,

Feb. 10

6. Suicide bomber creates irony in Iraq

In a demonstration gone wrong, a Sunni suicide bomb instructor was training a group of militants on Monday, Feb. 10 when he accidentally detonated an explosive-ridden belt. Twenty-two members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria were killed, 15 were wounded and eight were arrested as they tried to run away from the camp. According to the New York Times, the group is at the root of much sectarian violence in Iraq, and the U.S. is helping to develop a plan for ending their reign of terror.

– The New York

Times, Feb. 10

7. Newest Olympic sweetheart discovered

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the “first big buzz of the Games” appeared in the form of 15-year-old Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia. She received a standing ovation after her performance in the team skating competition on Sun., Feb. 9, and received a score of 141.51, more than 12 points above the next best individual score. The Russian team took gold in the event, making Lipnitskaia the youngest athlete ever to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

– The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 10

8. Russian philanthropist solves Sochi dog issue

Nearly one year before the 2014 Winter Olympic games began, officials in Sochi issued a mandate for municipal authorities to kill any and all stray dogs in the city. The International Olympic Committee assured the public that only unhealthy dogs were being targeted by this mandate, but that did not stop animal rights activists from protesting. Now, however, billionaire Oleg Deripaska has created a dog shelter that will serve as a transition point for stray dogs to be adopted. The shelter is saving dogs every day, but activists continue to stage protests, the most recent one taking place on Saturday, Feb. 8.

– Fox News,

Feb. 10

9. Near identical crashes, 2,000 miles apart

On Sunday, Feb. 9, 11 total people total were killed in two car crashes, both involving a driver traveling the wrong way on a highway. In Tampa, Fla., a driver heading south in a northbound lane was incinerated in a crash that also killed the four people in the other car. Hours later, an intoxicated driver in Pomona, Calif. drove east in a westbound lane and caused the deaths of her two passengers and four people in the opposing vehicle. Driver Olivia Culbreath survived and is being charged with driving under the influence and manslaughter.

– Fox News,

Feb. 10

10. Oldest star newly discovered

Australian astronomers recently discovered what is now the oldest known star; it is approximately 6,000 light years away from Earth and is believed to be 400 million years older than the star previously believed to be oldest. Using its light spectrum to determine the star’s iron content, the astronomers date it at around 13.6 billion years old. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are probably more similar to it, but they will be extremely hard to find.

– The Wall Street

Journal, Feb. 10