Bri Kristine Sten – Page 2

Fire at the Science Center wasn’t really a fire

Students and faculty evacuated the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center on the afternoon of Oct. 27 due to an overheated drying oven in a botany-microbiology department lab.

There were never any flames, just a lot smoke, according to David Johnson, professor of botany-microbiology.

The smoke set off the fire alarms throughout the building which led to the evacuation and the arrival of Public Safety and the Delaware City Fire Department. Faculty and students remained outside for about 45 minutes until the problem was cleared.

“I think we all knew it wasn’t a very big incident but it did cause quite a large commotion,” said junior Brenna Peterson, a student in the Organisms and their Environment class that was using the oven at the time.

The class could not resume after re-entering the building due to the volume of smoke that still remained in the room, but senior Nick Fowler said Johnson led them on an impromptu hike to salvage some of the lessons.

The lab had been using the oven to dry out soybeans when they became aware of a scorch smell and turned off the oven Johnson said.

However, later in the afternoon smoke began to come out of the exhaust hole, filling the classroom with smoke and setting off the alarms.

“I think what seems to have happened was there was a short in the electrical system so the thermostat wasn’t working anymore,” Johnson said.

After the fire department arrived and contained the situation, the drying oven which resembles a giant box, was placed on a cart and wheeled out of the building.

Johnson said the department will most likely replace the oven, as this one was 10 years old and blackened on the inside. He said it cost $1,000 when the department bought it and he expects a new one to be around the same price.

If a new oven is acquired, it will probably not arrive until next semester, which could disrupt several labs this semester.

There had been no issue with the oven in the past, Johnson said.

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Packed like sardines: Athletes makes gym relocation work despite small space

The weight room located in Edwards Gym had been moved to a basement level garage in Hamilton Williams Campus Center due to construction, but coaches say they’ve made the most of the switch.

When construction for the Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center began this summer many of the rooms and offices in Edwards were closed off, including the weight room.

“We made the best situation out of a bad situation,” said Tom Watts, the head football coach.

The weight room needed to be moved because some demolition had to occur to install new plumbing, according to Peter Schantz, the director of physical plant for Buildings and Grounds.

The garage in HWCC seemed to be the only workable location that had enough space for the majority of the equipment to be transferred over. The space was originally used for snow equipment and salt storage Schantz said.

The Mailroom and dining services still have access to the area as well. Most of the equipment is in the center of the space and along one wall. The other side of the room is separated by fencing and is a storage area for the Mailroom and Chartwell’s.

“The important thing to remember is that this is a temporary renovation until we get back into the full swing of things,” said Seth McGuffin, track and field assistant coach. “One of the things I love about Ohio Wesleyan is that we were all able to come together as a group and make sure we could move forward with this and not put anybody out.”

Both coaches said there has been no problem coordinating with different teams on when the space is available, even though it is half the size of original room in Edwards.

Because of the smaller size not all of the equipment was moved over, such as the cardio machines, said McGuffin. Instead, they often use the machines already in the Belt Fitness Center located in Welch Hall.

Watts said everything will be moved back into Edwards after the renovations are complete. The weight room had just been redone in August 2012 due to a donation by Bob and Barbara Morrill.

Elliot Hall: refurbished and ready to go

Renovations and repairs gave Elliott Hall new life as the building reopened this fall after a water main break last winter caused significant damage.

Flooding and other water damage ruined most of the woodwork of the building, and some professors lost possessions as well. Major repairs went underway in the spring to restore Elliott Hall.

The Ohio Wesleyan University administration wanted to use this opportunity to see what other improvements could be made, according to Peter Schantz, director of physical plant for Buildings and Grounds.

“Besides the insurance company paying for the restoration of the building resulting from the damage, we also identified upgrades that we wanted to make that were not part of the claim,” Schantz said.

These upgrades include three new classrooms and two conference rooms in the basement of Elliott. The basement contains an additional common space with couches and tables as well.

“The addition of the basement classrooms have definitely opened up a lot more options for types of classroom experiences,” said senior Zach Paull, a history education major.

Many of the classrooms have new TVs that make it easier to connect to computers for presentations. The chalkboards were replaced by glass boards that look and act like white boards, but are more durable and easier to clean.

New desks allow students to move around easily and do group work.

“The flexibly of the furniture changes the dynamics of the intro classes,” said Ellen Arnold, assistant professor of history.

Leveling the floors and providing better insulation of the building was another important upgrade, according to Schantz.

Arnold pointed out several classrooms on a tour of the building in which ramps were necessary to make the floor level. Some even required an additional level, as in professor of politics and government Sean Kay’s office.

Air conditioning and a new paint job completed the renovations.

“You’d be surprised how much of a difference the new paint job has on the feel of the classrooms and halls if you saw the before and after,” Paull said.

Arnold stated the paint and new blinds provide more light in the classrooms, which makes them more inviting.

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Water main break had easy fix

A water main break on Williams Drive caused four fraternity houses to be without water for several hours on Sept. 29 while crews fixed the overflow.

The pipe burst in front of Phi Delta Theta on the morning of Sept. 28. Excess water formed a shallow pool on Williams Drive near the break, flowing down into the storm drain west of the pipe.

“Our best guess is that there were cracks around the pipe due to the stress of freezing and thawing from last winter that broke around the perimeter,” said Peter Schantz, director of physical plant for Buildings and Grounds.

Students were alerted of the problem in the afternoon and early evening after the situation had been assessed by Buildings and Grounds and Delaware City crews, said Levi Harrel, the residential life coordinator for Williams Drive houses.

Because the buildings maintained water pressure and there was still water in the pipe, residents of Williams Drive houses were able to safely continue using water for all needs on Sunday Sept. 28, said Schantz.

These residents were alerted through email and signs that water would be shut off at 8:30 a.m. on Monday Sept. 29 to allow crews to repair the break.

“This means there will be no water available for drinking, bathing, or flushing toilets until the work is complete,” said the email from the residential life office.

However, only Alpha Sigma Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Delta Theta were affected by the shut off.

Crews had found the leak and put a cuff on the pipe by 11 a.m., Schantz said. Water pressure was restored to allow bathing and flushing toilets as well, although a 24 hour boil alert was in place for drinking the water.

The scene was taped off with yellow caution tape and orange barrels until Thursday. The dirt removed in order to reach the pipe was piled into a heap next to the road until the hole was filled Thursday morning.

However, the asphalt above the pipe has not yet been replaced. The plan is to let the fix settle and then replace the asphalt in the spring, Schantz said.

“While I would never say a water main break was a minor issue, it was something that crews were easily able to repair,” Harrel said.

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Groundskeepers to replant trees over three year span

As construction went underway for Merrick Hall and the Simpson-Querrey Fitness Center, Buildings and Grounds removed several trees and shrubs from the surrounding areas to create more space for expansion and work.

Delaware city ordinance requires that trees with a diameter of 6 caliper inches or more at chest height must be replaced. This excludes trees cut down because of disease or trees that came down on their own. .

Due to the number of trees removed, B&G needs to replace a total of 180 caliper inches, according to Peter Schantz, the director of physical plant for B&G. They plan to replant 90, 2-inch diameter trees to meet that goal.

“We are developing a plan over the next three years to monopolize on the tree planting seasons, one of which is in the fall and one in the spring, to plant 15 trees each opportunity,” Schantz said.

The lilac bushes along the path outside Merrick are not part of the replanting project. The bushes and other shrubs are not wide enough to fit the six inch rule.

“In a couple of cases there were things that were the only one on campus, such as one [shrub] by the fitness center,” David Johnson, professor of botany-microbiology, said. “We will probably look for some other way to have that return to campus outside of this project.”

A horticulturist, Mike Ecker, from Dawes Arboretum visited campus Oct. 9 to help determine locations for the replanting, according to Johnson.

“We had decided back in the summer to have a consultant come and look at the situation and what we needed to do,” Johnson said.

“We’d like to add to the diversity of tree plantings on campus through this project,” Johnson said. “Anytime you plant too many of one thing it’s a scenario for having any kind of disease or pest problem wipe them out.”

In the past, all 65 ash trees on campus became infested with Emerald Ash borer and died.

The Ohio Wesleyan campus itself is a small arboretum. It contains a collection of species of plants and trees that are labeled. The botany-microbiology department produced guides through student research for visitors to use as they explore the Jane Decker Arboretum on campus.

Department of Humanities-Classics to split

At the faculty staff meeting on Monday, April 21, 66 faculty members voted in favor of a Humanities-Classics department split and 12 voted against it. Graphic by Sarah Thomas

The divorce is finalized: the Department of Humanities-Classics has split into two separate disciplines, after a faculty vote during the faculty meeting on April 21.

The reason for the split was that “there was little intellectual content holding Humanities and Classics together,” according to the resolution in the agenda for the faculty meeting.

This structure would “ensure adequate curricular support for Classics in particular,” it added.

The Department of Humanities also received a new name.

It is now the Department of Comparative Literature. Classics is not its own department, but rather is the Program in Classics.

“We think that the split and also renaming the Humanities side of the department to Comparative Literature is in the best interest of our students both on the Humanities and Classics sides,” Anne Sokolsky, professor and head of the former Humanities department, said.

“Renaming “Humanities” to Department of Comparative Literature best describes what we do in our classes and what we do in our scholarship.”

The difference between a Program and a Department is that a Program is run by an advisory board, while a Department is run by the faculty within it.

Classics will not be an interdisciplinary program – the only faculty member will be Lee Fratantuono, associate professor of Classics.

“This vote for Classics independence is a wonderful show of support for Classics,” Fratantuono said.

“It would not have been possible without the much appreciated work of the Academic Policy Committee and the provost, Dr. Stinemetz.”

Sokolsky said that next year they will try to get the requirements changed for the major to incorporate more foreign language and translation theory to adequately reflect the title of Comparative Literature.

Yetis look back at successful season

Alex Kerensky throws a frisbee during a tournament last fall. The team won its first tournament on April 5. Photo by Erin Gregory

The women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, the Yetis, reflect back on their first tournament win of the season on April 5 in Miami.

Senior team member Melissa Guziak said the team’s knowledge of the sport and strategies has improved this year, thanks to new coach Kate Taylor. Taylor had previously played at Ohio University.

Before this year, the team was self-coached. Senior Kate Johnson said it can be difficult for players to critique themselves and others while they are players themselves.

“The new coach has a better capacity to analyze and brings a different perspective,” Johnson said.

Junior Abby Bennett said the biggest difference she’s noticed in the team is the change in outlook.

“Now we think about strategy and get our head in the game, while before we were more focused on fun and learning the sport,” Bennett said.

Bennet said the team is going to have to focus on learning and teaching again in the fall, however, after the team’s 9 seniors graduate this year.

The Yetis played four tournaments this year, and there can be anywhere from 7-9 games in each tournament. They hope to make it to the regional tournament next year.

Career Services caters to students

Career Services began a new initiative this semester in an attempt to reach out to more students. The “Career Pit Stops” are a mobile operation that travels to academic buildings to make Career Counselors more accessible for students.

Nancy Westfield, assistant director of Career Services, said she has drop-in hours from 1-3 p.m. every day, but that there are a lot of students who have class during those times.

So far this semester, the Pit Stops have included Sanborn Hall, Edgars Hall, Schimmel-Conrades Science Center, Phillips Hall and University Hall.

Sophomore Natalie Wood, a music major, said she spends a lot of time in Sanborn and said she appreciated Career Services’ effort. Because Sanborn is far from the rest of academic campus, the music students often miss out on opportunities students can access in HamWill.

“We [music majors] often feel neglected by some of the campus services, so it was really nice that they came to us,” Wood said.

“I don’t think many music majors have the time to make an appointment so it was nice for several of them to be able to talk to some career [counselors] on the fly.”

Students can get help with resumes, cover letters, job and internship searches and networking at the Pit Stops.

If students need a more detailed meeting, they can sign up at the pit stops for a follow-up appointment in the career services office.

“We are thinking about extending the hours next semester, in order to reach out to even more students,” Westfield said.

Westfield said she cannot determine how effective the Pit Stops are until the end of the semester.

Artist talks give new insight to southwest exhibit

Artists featured in the “New Art/New Mexico” exhibit in the Ross Art Museum visited campus to shed some light on the history and inspirations for their work.

Both featured artists, Victor Goler and Anita Rodriguez, said their art is a medium for social commentary.

“Art is a way of bringing social change without violence,” Rodriguez said.

Goler specializes in the art of Santos, which are wooden depictions of religious figures and themes.

During his talk, Goler went through a brief history of Santos in Latin America in conjunction with some of his own work.

Goler creates Bultos, 3-D carvings of saints, in way that stays true to the traditional iconography of a specific saint, but in an interesting way. He said his worked in his family’s conservation studios growing up, and would work on the saints, replacing fingers and other pieces.

He graduated college with a major in graphic design and advertisement and didn’t expect to have a career as an artist.

“I always resisted being an artist,” Goler said. “It just worked out.”

Rodriguez, a painter, explained the traditions and attitudes surrounding death in Mexico, in particular the cult of Santisima Muerte, Our Lady of Death.

Santisima Muerte, often depicted as a skeleton, is normally the patron for criminals or the marginalized, and promises to grant a good death to those that pray to her.

In her paintings, Santisima Muerte is often placed above the people.

Rodriguez said this is because “she is for all of us and I picture her towering above country borders.”

“Everyone always asks why I put skeletons in my work,” she said.

“I grew up with these beliefs and feel that it is perfectly natural to use skeletons within my paintings.”

Shakespeare and Kanye: Comparing hip-hop to poetry

Professor of English David Caplan’s book explores the relationship between hip-hop music and poetry. Caplan uses Jay Z and Kanye West as examples in his newest book.

Jay Z and William Wordsworth. Kanye West and William Shakespeare. Eminem and D.A. Powell.

These unlikely pairings are a few that show up in “Rhyme’s Challenge: Hip-Hop, Poetry, and Contemporary Rhyming Culture” a new book by OWU English professor David Caplan released Feb. 10 by Oxford University Press.

In the book, Caplan compares the work of rap and hip-hop artists such as West, Jay Z, Lupe Fiasco and others, to that of classic and contemporary literary poets.

Caplan said he was first inspired when students asked if he considered hip-hop a form of poetry.

He became interested in a key difference between the two.

“Hip-hop differs from contemporary poetry because it uses rhyme, which contemporary poetry does not,” Caplan said.

The book’s main argument is that hip-hop music contains sophisticated rhymes, or what Caplan calls “verbal artistry.”

His book examines three rhymes that hip-hop artists favor: doggerel, insult and seduction.

“Eminem is my favorite rhymer, but I think that Lupe Fiasco has the most creative ideas,” Caplan said.

“Jay Z is the most versatile and Kanye West is the most erratic.”

Caplan, who is also OWU’s associate director of creative writing, has also published another non-fiction book, “Questions of Possibility: Contemporary Poetry and Poetic Form,” as well as a collection of poetry titled, “In the World He Created According to His Will.”