The Daily Athenaeum's Most Influential 2010

1. Death of Senator Robert C. Byrd

The death of the nation's longest serving senator on June 28 caused political turmoil in the state of West Virginia from July to November.

Robert C. Byrd's name adorns bridges, school buildings and highways across the state. His efforts produced West Virginia University's Health Sciences Center, the PRT, the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and the WVU Eye Institute, among others.

"West Virginia has lost a great friend and champion in Sen. Robert C. Byrd," said WVU President James P. Clements, in a press release. "He embodied what we hold so dear in the Mountain State: loyalty, commitment, hard work, honesty and faith. I respect so much all that he has done for West Virginia, West Virginia University and the entire nation."

The 92-year-old Democratic senator served 51 years.

After his death, Joe Manchin, former West Virginia governor, appointed Democrat Carte Goodwin to Byrd's seat.

A special election was held in November to fill the seat. In a highly competitive election, Manchin, a Democrat, won, defeating Republican John Raese, Mountain Party's Jesse Johnson and the Constitution Party's Jeff Becker.

His body lay in repose in the West Virginia State Capitol's Rotunda for two days before the funeral July 2. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attended the memorial service.

He now lays in rest in Arlington, Va., near his wife, Erma, of 69 years, who passed away in 2006.

WVU Board of Governor's Chairwoman Carolyn Long. She said Byrd was not only a leader and scholar, but also a great friend to the University.

"I'm not sure you can put into words what he meant (to WVU)," Long said. "He will be greatly missed in the state, but I hope he is at peace now with his wife."

Born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr. Nov. 20, 1917, in North Wilkesboro, N.C., Byrd was the youngest of five children. At the age of 1, his mother died, and his father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle who renamed him and moved to the coal-mining town of Stotesbury, W.Va. He didn't learn his original name until he was 16 and his real birthday until he was 54.

Byrd was known as a Constitutional scholar and always carried a pocket sized Constitution.

In 1946, Byrd won his first race for the state's House of Delegates by distinguishing himself from 12 rivals by singing and fiddling. His fiddle eventually became a fixture.

Byrd voted against the War in Iraq in 2004, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, voted for the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee for approximately 11 years.

The AP contributed to this report.

2. Bob Huggins, WVU Men's Basketball Coach

WHAT: For the first time since 1959, the West Virginia men's basketball team made it to the Final Four. It was the second time in head coach Bob Huggins' career that he made it to Final Four, as well. For the first time in program history, Huggins led his team to the pinnacle of the Big East Conference when the Mountaineers won the Big East Tournament.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Huggins consoled his injured senior star Da'Sean Butler under the basket on the court at Lucas Oil Stadium. Huggins whispered into Butler's ear as his emotions flowed because of the injury and the impending loss to Duke in the Final Four.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "You have very few times in your life to be special. Very few people have that opportunity to be special, particularly in a place like West Virginia. Pitt has had great basketball, but they're not the Steelers. Cincinnati had great basketball when I was there, but they're not the Reds. Mountaineer football and basketball are West Virginia's pride, and we have a chance to be special."

3. The Ryan Diviney Trials

WHAT: The trial for Ryan's convicted attackers, who put the former WVU sophomore into a coma on Nov. 7, 2009, made national headlines this year. Jonathan May and Austin Vantrease, both Delaware residents, received jailtime for their role in the altercation. Ken, Ryan's father, said his son has died and come back to life many times since the attack due to a head injury and storming episodes, or instances in which his brain "short circuits." He is kept in constant care of Ken and his mother, Sue. His sister, Kari, said she honored her brother's wish by attending WVU as a freshman this year.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Vantrease was sentenced to 10 years in jail with the eligibility of parole in two years on Nov. 15 for a malicious wounding charge in connection with the attack. May received one year in jail on a misdemeanor battery charge.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "The consequences of the punch resulted in a broken jaw and brain damages. And you did damage to his brain when it hit the pavement," Ken said. "I guess the thing that makes me the most upset is this thug was the last person to see my son with a conscious thought."

4. James P. Clements, University President

WHAT: In September, University President James P. Clements unveiled a proposal to build a new $18.8 million Student Health Center that included an $8 million overhaul of recreational space for club, intramural and recreational sports. The need for a new Student Health Center and designated space for club sports had been discussed in the past and was included in previous strategic plans but was never given the green light.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Clements outlined the new 2020 Strategic Plan at the State of the University Address in October. The WVU Board of Governors approved the proposals, and Clements tasked the University to build a new Student Health Center and recreational fields for club sports.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "If we're going to do it, we want it to be the best in the country. We want it to be something that we're proud of, that you're proud of," Clements said. "In my eyes, this is the right plan. Even though it's more expensive, we're tackling a lot of things at once."

5. Coliseum Parking

WHAT: The University's Athletic Department made the decision Nov. 4, prior to the Nov. 5 men's basketball exhibition game, to close the Coliseum lot to the public and charge $20 to park. The lot is the only free lot on campus and is used by students, faculty and staff to cross Monongahela Boulevard to the Engineering Campus to take the PRT or go to class. The policy included no student input, and those who were expecting to park on the lot that day were turned away, causing many to be late for their classes.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The University changed the policy less than a week later after many students expressed their outrage over the change. The new changes accommodate those who park on the lot up until a certain time. Oliver Luck, WVU athletic director, later apologized for not including students in the change.

QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "This is a student university, not an athletic university, and not an athletic director university," said Cassie Werner, director of the Mountaineer Maniacs. "The governing consensus is that it's a huge, absolutely huge inconvenience. I can't support it because nobody will tell me why it was done."

Honorable Mentions

1. Coach Bill Stewart – Led the WVU football team to two consecutive bowl games.

2. Oliver Luck – Former WVU quarterback was named athletic director this summer.

3. Club Sports/Student Health – BOG approved proposals for new fields for club, intramural and rec sports and a new Student Health Center.

4. Brock Burwell – Mountaineer mascot, served as alternate for two years, plans to try out for the position next year.

5. Da'Sean Butler – The third player in school history to surpass 2,000 career points led the WVU men's basketball team to the Big East Conference Championship and the Final Four.