Year: 2018

By Reilly Wright, Managing Editor

There is not too much more an Ohio Wesleyan student can ask for before final exams other than food, music and, of course, dogs.

The first celebration of Poochella, a community wide dog festival, was held on Ohio Wesleyan’s JAYwalk Sunday, April 22. Hosted by Pet Pals, an OWU student organization dedicated to helping animals and animal-related issues, tables lined with local businesses and visiting canines filled the area.

“We came up with the idea of Poochella in order to connect the students on campus and the people in the Delaware community with amazing local businesses that are dedicated to improving the lives of our animals,” said senior Alex Medina, president of Pet Pals.

Over 70 people attended the festival, expanding into both the Ohio Wesleyan and Delaware communities. Sophomore Courtney Fobel, treasurer of Pet Pals, said the event’s turnout for its first year was amazing.

“I am so grateful that so many people showed up to support our club, see the adorable dogs and visit with our pet-friendly businesses,” Fobel said. “The whole festival was a blast and I couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

Along with the dog-related businesses, Pet Pals also had stations for visitors to color, create dog toys, eat at Dan’s Deli and receive awards for memorable dogs.

According to Fobel and Medina, the club contacted over 40 businesses offering registration forms and space for advertisement in Pet Pals pamphlets. Five total vendors attended, but others donated to the available raffle prizes. Medina said the club hopes to contact even more businesses earlier in coming years and invite back those from this year.

“I would love to see if we can get more businesses to come so the festival can be even bigger and to expand our community outreach,” Fobel said. “I would definitely love to expand the festival and get more businesses involved with the OWU community.”

The festival’s location directly in front of Beeghly Library was welcomed by some students for a quick study break.

“Poochella was an amazing event for a student like me to destress and relax with all the ‘puppers’ there,” said junior Penell Paglialunga. “I loved the stations to create your own bandana and tug-of-war toys for the dogs. It was super cool to see the vendors that had their free samples for owners to try out for their pets.”

Fobel said members of Pet Pals are grateful for those that supported by visiting, but they want to see it grow in continuing years.

“Poochella will definitely happen again next year and I can’t wait for it to grow and bring the community together with our shared love for dogs and living a cruelty-free lifestyle,” she said.

By Tung Nguyen, Online Editor

Music, a burger in hand and competitive cornhole matches are all it took to make the world a better place.

Cornhole for the Cure 2018, organized by Delta Tau Delta and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) raised hundreds of dollars to help cure Type 1 Diabetes (T1D.)

JDRF is one of the leading organizations in funding for T1D research with the exclusive focuses on the worldwide effort to end T1D as well as accelerates life-changing breakthroughs to cure and prevent the disease’s complications.

Ahmed Wiqar, Philanthropy Chair of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity and who also organized this event, said: “With this event, we raise money for JDRF by charging teams for registration fees. It speaks volumes about the students at our university that we received a lot of extra donations.”

Two main requirements had been set out prior to the event. They were to raise as much money as possible and to have fun, which were both satisfied, according to the organizing team of Delta Tau Delta.

In total, there were twenty teams participated which contributed to the fund by paying registration fees, food fees, and personal donations.

“Last year, we raised approximately $400, and this year, we have gone nearly a hundred over that figure,” Wiqar said. “This is certainly a nice improvement and we hope that it benefits JDRF in its vital research.”

Ankit Singh, an Ohio Wesleyan University freshman, said: “the event was scheduled on a really great, warm sunny day. I am glad that this event helped to raise funds for JDRF and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it. Great work and great food also by Delta Tau Delta.”

One of the biggest surprises was the winner of the cornhole tournament: a non-Greek team.    Unlike the previous years in which Greek teams kept dominating the competitions, this year’s event marked the success of Hollis Morrison and Scott Hughes with their two consecutive wins.

Wiqar said: “we hope this encourages greater attendance of non-Greek participants in all future Greek philanthropy events.”

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

Ohio Wesleyan University has placed a new emphasis on freedom of speech.

The Free Speech Review panel was passed at the April faculty meeting, and is awaiting approval by OWU trustees and WCSA board. The panel has two main purposes, according to professor of history Michael Flamm.

“The first was to create a clear statement of principles regarding the university’s commitment to academic freedom and free expression,” Flamm said.

“Creating this board will help students and staff to better understand where OWU stands on these issues,” Flamm said. The board was created in response to different issues on college campuses.

“A few campuses have experienced major incidents related to free speech,” OWU President Rock Jones said.  “In this context, and with a firm commitment to the values of academic freedom and free speech, I thought it would be helpful to ask a group to engage the campus community in conversation about these issues and to develop a statement articulating OWU’s commitment to academic freedom and free speech.”

Supporting free speech is often a valued ideal in the world of liberal arts, making the decision to support it not surprising for people.

“Students can help the board by practicing free speech in an educated way,” Flamm said. Others feel that students can understand the need for speech.

“Students can be most helpful by recognizing the benefit of free speech as a fundamental expression of freedom in a democratic society and as the means by which much-needed social change has originated throughout history,” Jones said.

The approval of the committee does not mean that any sort of speech will be allowed on campus. Students will more openly express their views, but that does not protect hate speech or dangerous words that can lead to dangerous actions. The board hopes that it will be able to handle those situations carefully.

“At times, this means tolerating speech that is truly repulsive,” Jones said. “In those times, we must speak in response, naming that which is repulsive and contrary to our values.”

The board was approved during the same meeting that banned the journalism department from faculty meetings. Journalism staff and students will be emailed a summary of these meetings from now on.

By Reilly Wright, Managing Editor

Since her first step on campus, Ohio Wesleyan senior Chloe Dyer has dedicated her time to food security and sustainability in the local community.

Dyer’s efforts toward food recovery were recently recognized with a 2018 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award and $250 Legacy Award mini-grant to benefit the charity of her choice. Since founding OWU’s Food Recovery Network chapter, a movement toward recovering perishable food and donating it to people in need, over 3,000 pounds of unused food has been donated.

The Ohio Campus Compact’s annual awards are aimed to recognize undergraduate students reflecting strong leadership and community service. Dyer said her Legacy Award funds will be donated to Grace Clinic Delaware, a free medical ministry that provides those in need with free medical assistance.

Dyer learned about the Food Recovery Network (FRN) during her freshman year food justice track of Fresh X, a part of OWU’s first year orientation. She said FRN’s recovered food from Chartwells has translated into thousands of meals for people facing food insecurity.

“When I learned about the Food Recovery Network, I wanted to start a chapter at OWU to address the issue and help combat hunger in the Delaware community,” she said. “FRN allows us to divert food that would be thrown away on campus to community partners who can provide it to those in need.”

Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones nominated Dyer for the award and said her local work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) also reflects her future in civic engagement.

“I would only say that Chloe Dyer exemplifies the highest ideals of Ohio Wesleyan University, connecting a rigorous academic program with deep and thoughtful engagement with the world, through study travel and through extensive volunteer service,” Jones said.

According to Jones, this campus-community partnership Dyer helped build has led the FRN to be an integral part of Ohio Wesleyan’s Sustainability Plan. This is a newly adopted effort to guide OWU toward a more sustainable and healthier future both for campus and for the earth.

Although Dyer recognizes FRN’s success, she said the problem is far from solved. In the Marketplace of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, Dyer said they sometimes have donated over 100 pounds of leftovers from one meal in one day.

“When you consider that we have two dining halls open for three meals a day, four days out of the week and one open on the weekend, it shows how much food goes to waste simply because the infrastructure doesn’t exist to take surplus food to where it’s needed,” Dyer said.

“This isn’t an issue restricted to our dining hall, either, but happens in cafeterias and restaurants throughout the U.S.,” she said. “At the same time, thousands of families in Delaware alone go hungry. Our work with FRN is an important first step, but there’s a lot of room for our efforts to be expanded.”

By Transcript Staff

Retention rates are a serious topic amongst colleges and universities

While most people hang on to the retention of students, they also overlook retention of faculty/staff as well. Without faculty to teach students, why would students attend college? Ohio Wesleyan University is one of these school that are seeing decreases, however, President Rock Jones is sure that OWU is prepared for such occurrences

“Ohio Wesleyan has established practices for providing support for departments when faculty leave unexpectedly, and for allocating tenure-track faculty lines,” Jones said. “The administration, in consultation with the University Governance Committee and the Board of Trustees, determines the number of full-time, tenure-track faculty positions to be allocated, and the Academic Policy Committee of the faculty makes recommendations for where those positions should be allocated. As the size of the student body has decreased in recent years, the number of allocated faculty positions has decreased proportionally. We are quite focused on increasing the size of the student body and, concurrently, increasing the size of the faculty. In the meantime, we are committed to working with departments to insure students have access to the courses needed to complete their degrees and prepare them well for life beyond OWU.

Even so, The Transcript has been notified that five professors are leaving OWU for different positions. And at least one member is retiring.

 

Ana Oancea, Assistant Professor of Modern Foreign Languages:

“I was recently offered a position as Assistant Professor of French at the University of Delaware. Though I greatly enjoyed my time at OWU, this university places me closer to my parents, who live in the DC area, and my husband, who was just offered a position at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. We’d been commuting over the past 5 years, which was certainly challenging, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to relocate together in the Northeast.”

“I am going to miss my great friends and colleagues in the MFL and beyond, and of course, the students. The French program has allowed me to meet many wonderfully smart and talented undergraduates, whose accomplishments at OWU have carried them very far. I’m particularly delighted I get to watch a number of such excellent students graduate this year!”

 

Christian G. Fink, Assistant Professor of Physics-Astronomy and Neuroscience

“I am tremendously grateful for the relationships I’ve developed with the students, faculty, administrators, and staff at Ohio Wesleyan. I will look back at my time here fondly. Leaving the OWU community was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but in the end my wife and I determined it was the best option for our family.”

 

N. Kyle Smith, Associate Professor of Psychology

“In my time at OWU I’ve built a lot of great relationships with colleagues and students, and created memories that I’ll treasure forever.  It’s never easy to leave a place that’s been a home for 17 years, but I’m excited for what lies ahead in the next phase of my life.”

“As for the effect on the psychology department, it’s likely that our departure will present a short-term challenge, but I’m confident that our colleagues will use it as an opportunity to build an even stronger department that matches their vision for what a psychology department should be.  If I were a student, I’d be very interested to see what new opportunities this will create.”

 

Sarah L. Bunnell, Associate Professor of Psychology

“I have accepted a position as the Associate Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Amherst College. In terms of why I’m leaving, my future position is a great fit for my career goals and it’s a wonderful opportunity for our family. I will miss the OWU students tremendously, and I appreciate the opportunities that being a member of the OWU community has provided.”

 

David L. Eastman, Associate Professor of Religion

“There are some family factors that played into the decision to look for a job farther south.  Because the academic job market is so challenging right now, not many opportunities for movement come along. This is an opportunity to continue my teaching and research, while also working with student-athletes, which has been one of my primary passions here.”

“I have accepted a position as the John Glenn Sherill chair of Bible at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I will be teaching many of the same classes and will remain actively involved in professional societies, publishing, and other research outlets. On one level, this represents A continuation of my current trajectory, although I will be doing it at a private high school instead of a university. I am hoping to recruit students from the school to come to Ohio Wesleyan in future years!”

Retiring

 

James (Jim) , Professor of Sociology/Anthropology

“I’m retiring because it is “time.”  At 70, I’m not as sharp as before but do perceive how my mental capacities have decreased.  Not my “academic knowledge,” which I think is as good as ever, but my ability to deliver it coherently.  I’ve especially noticed that my ability to organize and manage course requirements has declined. Briefly:  I “know” what I’ve always known, but cannot deliver it as well as before.  And my ability to choose and deliver readings and manage assignments has fallen quite a lot.”

“Low faculty morale is not a factor in my decision. But I would say that faculty morale is the lowest since I came 30 years ago. Some evidence is:  (1) Lower attendance at faculty meetings –a quorum is far  more difficult to achieve; (2) Number of younger faculty leaving for other institutions with their faculty lines not being replaced. This year OWU departments requested twenty positions, most of which were left overs from previous retirements and departures. The administration (in consultation with OWU Trustees) will fund four of the twenty.”

“I teach in two majors:  Sociology/Anthropology and East Asian Studies, which I’ve directed for the past dozen or so years.  East Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program and therefore has no faculty of its own. Classes in the major are taught by faculty in departments like Comparative Literature, History, Modern Foreign Languages, and Politics and Government.  EAS therefore is dependent on those departments to provide classes that are relevant or required for the EAS major. Modern Foreign Languages is most problematic for the EAS major. It offers several semesters of Japanese taught by a talented and dedicated part-time instructor. However, since the departure of our previous full-time Chinese teacher about four years ago, Chinese enrollments are much lower than in previous years. Given the significance of China in today’s world, it is hard to imagine that the decline is caused by lowered student interest in Chinese, so something else must be going on.”

Various departments together requested 19 faculty positions be filled not counting the 5 new departures above in an anticipation of retirements, new positions and those positions that have not been filled over the past couple years. However, only four of those 19 will be filled for the 2019-2020 academic year.

There are also more scheduled departures after the 2018-2019 school year. All of this puts the university’s faculty number way down and relies heavily on adjuncts.

Jones remains optimistic that retention of faculty won’t be an issue in the coming years.

“OWU has an unusually strong faculty,” Jones said. “Students regularly report that their highest levels of satisfaction relate to the support they receive from faculty and to the quality of instruction they receive in the classroom. We will continue to work to retain faculty at OWU. In the past five years, faculty salaries at OWU have increased significantly in relation to faculty salaries at GLCA institutions. The faculty is working on issues related to faculty work-load. The Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign includes fundraising to increase support for faculty scholarly work, faculty innovation, and general support of faculty salaries.

Staff who worked on this story: Kienan O’Doherty, Reilly Wright, Maddie Matos, Jesse Sailer, Kit Weber, Tung Nguyen.