Poverty in Delaware reflects gender gap

The Family Promise house in Delaware. Photo: Facebook
The Family Promise house in Delaware. Photo: Facebook

Employment gaps between men and women are widening nationally, and Delaware County is no exception.

The official definition used by the U.S. Census reads, “If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty.”

In Delaware County there are 8,885 people living below the poverty line, with 1,818,886 of all of Ohio’s residents fall below the poverty line. Delaware holds approximately one-half of a percent of the underprivileged rate in Ohio. According to the 2014 Ohio Poverty Report, “…poverty rates are higher for families with children, families without a full-time, year-round worker, and single-parent households- especially those with a female head.”

Ohio Wesleyan women’s and gender studies instructor Rita Trimble, said she defines underprivileged people as those who are  economically disadvantaged. Trimble said she believes it “falls disproportionally on certain groups of women.”

“People who don’t totally fit the white, middle-class, feminine norm are at risk to be more economically disadvantaged,” she said.

According to the census data for 2011, 13.6 percent of males are under the poverty line, while 16.3 percent of females are impoverished.

In another census report from 2012, the poverty rates are displayed by age and gender. For ages 65 and over, 11 percent of women are suspected to be living in poverty, while 6.6 percent of men are believed to be living under the poverty line. From ages 18 to 64, 15.4 percent of women are underprivileged, compared to 11.9 percent of men. Ages under 18 show that 22.3 percent of women and 21.3 percent of men are living below the poverty line.

Children

Trimble said that “a big factor” of why more women than men are consider underprivileged is the fact that “unpaid labor that goes on is done by women.”

“We have an idea of how people should be able to pull their own weight and one difficulty for a single mother is that that unpaid labor doesn’t get recognized as labor,” she said.  “So it’s hard to be recognized as pulling your own weight.”

Various organizations throughout Delaware County provide multiple services to those who fall below the poverty line, with some focusing strictly on women.

OWU senior Tasha Cruz volunteers at Family Promise, a nonprofit organization in Delaware committed to helping those below the poverty line.

“We provide them with housing and food basically for a minimum duration of four weeks with a possible extension up to three months,” Cruz said.

Cruz said she believes a reason more women are underprivileged could be because they stay with their children.

Assistant professor of English Constance Richards defines an underprivileged person as “someone who doesn’t have access to basic needs: education, job, adequate food, safe home.”

Richards said women living in poverty often have children, which makes escaping hardship much more difficult. She also said it can be easier for men to be absent in the parent role than it is for mothers.

“Because we don’t have a subsidized child care system in this country, women are always going to have an extra job,” Richards said. “If we had subsidized child care — so safe, affordable child care — moms could put kids in child care then they might be better able to compete in the marketplace.”

Pay Inequalities

Trimble said there is a blaming stigma that occurs when a person is disadvantaged. Many people living below the poverty line work multiple jobs, but more often than not these workers earn minimum wage, making it difficult to achieve economic security. For women responsible for children, a minimum wage job makes earning a decent living especially difficult.  Despite their work at one or several jobs, people below the poverty line are frequently generalized as lazy.

Trimble said there is a sense of shame that the unprivileged face, as they can conform to society’s view of their situation.

According to the Insecure and Unequal Poverty and Income Among Women and Families Report for 2010 and 2011 by the National Women’s Law Center, “Poverty rates for all groups of women were higher than for their male counterparts.”

“The gender wage gap persisted, undermining women’s ability to support themselves and their families,” the report said.

It continued to show the discrepancies between men and women. Women on average make 77 cents to every man’s dollar, which for the year 2011 there was “an annual difference of $11,084 in median earnings.” African-American and Hispanic women earned 64 and 55 cents to every white man’s dollar, respectively.

Although there continues to be poverty, the report stated that poverty has stabilized between 2010 and 2011 after it had been increasing in the prior years.

In another report by The National Women’s Law Center, the center focuses on inequality of pay in Ohio.According to census data, women in Ohio earned $35,284 full-time to men’s $45,859 earnings in 2010. Additionally, 15.2 percent of Ohio women were in poverty to Ohio men’s 11.6 percent.

Local Organizations

Located in the middle of the Delaware community are three organizations that aimed to help those in need: Family Promise, he Andrews House and the Women’s City Club.

Family Promise volunteer Cruz said Family Promise works to take in and provide for low-income families. There is an on-staff social worker to help the families find work and housing for when they leave the organization.

Andrews House, located at the corner of North Franklin and West Winter Street, is a community center with offices that provide assistance to the underprivileged and works on programs to better lives.

The center includes offices for legal, financial, child care, health and food services. There is a full kitchen for the bi-monthly community dinners. Director Mel Corroto said about 40 to 90 people show up for each dinner.

Andrews House also works with other food programs like the Mobile Food Market with Mid-Ohio Foodbank and the Summer Lunch Program for children under 18 when they are not in school.

Every Wednesday the Andrews House offers free Medical services with its Grace Medical Clinic, and once a month the Delaware Bar Association offers free legal advice through a clinic.

Corroto said she does not necessarily see more women than men come in for the services offered at the Andrews House. However, the Andrews House is beginning to work with the program Support Through Empowerment and Partnerships (STEP), and she said she has seen more women through this program than men. Corroto said that last year the STEP class had eight students, seven of whom were women. Corroto said this year’s class is all women.

The Women’s City Club of Delaware focuses its attention specifically on women. Greta Bemiller, the club’s vice president, said the club offers housing for underprivileged women with a small rooming fee. All of the house’s nine rooms are currently occupied, and more women are on a waiting list to move into the club.

Bemiller said she believes there are more women in need than men because of “the glass ceiling” that prevents women from achieving the same successes of working men. She said it’s common for women to have less access to education, which can result in fewer job opportunities.

The Women City’s Club works as a transition place for the women to get them back on their feet. The club is able to stay afloat with government grants and fundraising events. The 37 members of the club are all volunteers.

Both Corroto and Bemiller said they have had Ohio Wesleyan students come and volunteer. Cruz said she hopes students can become aware of what is going on around Ohio Wesleyan.

“It would be so easy for a student to step outside off campus a little bit,” Cruz said. “They would be able to see that these are people.”

Rocking on Rowland

Wahoo Sam Crawford plays in the gazebo at Bicentennial Park, next to Rowland Avenue. Left to right: senior Erika Nininger on piano, junior Connor Stout on guitar, senior Michael Cormier on drums and senior Sam Sonnega on guitar. Photo by Spenser Hickey
Wahoo Sam Crawford plays in the gazebo at Bicentennial Park, next to Rowland Avenue. Left to right: senior Erika Nininger on piano, junior Connor Stout on guitar, senior Michael Cormier on drums and senior Sam Sonnega on guitar. Photo by Spenser Hickey

Day on the JAY may have been pushed inside because of the rain, but the sun came out for the inaugural Rock the Block event later that evening.

Although the event was the Student Involvement Office’s idea, they worked in conjunction with Residential Life, Campus Programming Board and Choosing and Learning Environments with Alcohol Respect (CLEAR).

Residential Life Coordinator (RLC) Jill Auxter said they decided to have the block party in the area on Rowland Ave in front of three Small Living Units (SLUs), because it has been seen as a “hidden treasure.”

“Anyone who grew up on a street that had block parties will know how much fun it is to be outside, play games, and hang out with your neighbors,” Auxter said.

“We wanted to give OWU students an event that brings our students together, not just as neighbors, but as a campus community.”

Levi Harrel, RLC for the SLss, theme houses and Welch Hall, said it was an event to join the city and campus.

“At its core, Rock the Block is a block party that is meant for members of the OWU and Delaware communities to come together and enjoy themselves,” he said.

The event featured food from Dan’s Deli and Kinetic, a food truck co-founded by OWU alum Andrew Tuchow and served free Whit’s custard.

The staff also distributed free t-shirts for the first 100 people. Student DJs the Arjune Brothers and band Wahoo Sam Crawford played music in the gazebo at Bicentennial Park.

“We are having this event for the students, and it adds another fun way to end the semester,” Auxter said.

“Rock the Block is a small-scale outdoor concert and all-campus block party meant for members of the OWU community to celebrate arrival of spring and the end of the academic year,” Harrel added.

Both Auxter and Harrel said the planning of the event has been pretty easy working with the different organizations and Delaware city.

OWU prepares for NCAA championships

Delaware and athletes prepare for the NCAA D-3 National Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Selby Field from May 22 to May 24. City Manager Tom Homan said this is the second time the Championships have come to Delaware in the past few years.

Head Track and Field Coach Kris Boey said he has been preparing the team by continuing their training program and making adjustments to athletes’ needs.

Sophomore Sara Johnson said she and her team are very excited for the Championships.

“For Nationals, this is a huge event for us,” Johnson said. “Not only is it at home but we are all ready to run with the best and we each know we can.”

Junior Matt Hunter agreed with Johnson.

“This is a huge event for OWU,” Hunter said. “It is obviously significant as a track meet, and it is also a large event for the university and for Delaware.”

Both athletes said that they are personally working on their events. Johnson said she is preparing herself mentally for the Championships. While Hunter said he is focusing on his technique.

As a team, Hunter said that they are working on keeping focused and achieving goals.

“I am most excited for ‘home field advantage’,” Hunter said. “We have the advantage of having done all our preparation on the same track, on the same runways, in the same circles, that we will be competing in.”

Boey said that getting the field ready for the Championships has been on-going.

“Our staff, along with the B&G staff, has been working very hard to make sure we shine when the competition begins,” Boey said. “Preparation for an event of this scale is a long and tedious process.  It is the largest of the NCAA championships event in terms of total participants.”

Additionally, Boey said that there will be around 800 athletes from 200 schools and about 15,000 fans are expected to show for the three day event.

Homan said that Delaware is very excited to host the Championships again. He said that the city will “roll out the red carpet” for the athletes and families that come. He said he wants everyone visiting to feel at home in the community.

Homan said that he hopes those who have never seen the city or campus will appreciate its beauty and embrace the local businesses. The only problems that Homan said the city might face are traffic and parking issues, but he said the city is prepared.

Homan said he hopes the Championships will come back again in the future.

SLUs bring mental health awareness to campus

Junior Kristen Krak and sophomores Margot Reed and Zoe Morris put on “Anthology of Survival” for their SLU house projects.

Reed describes the event as “a production produced and written by students, for the students.”

“It focuses on breaking the stigma of mental health in a way to get the word out about how it affects people in this community,” said Reed, a member of the House of Peace and Justice.

“The monologues written were submitted anonymously and randomly assigned to those who auditioned to perform.”

Morris, a member of the Women’s House, said recent graduates Megan Cook and Jordan Ahmed, who were members of the Active Minds group, first started “Anthology of Survival.”

Krak, a member of the Citizens of the World house, added that this is the third year of the project.

This year’s performance ran for about an hour and featured a variety of monologues.

Booklets from the performance could be purchased with a donation to Helpline.

As for planning the project, Krak said it was nice to have the work split up between three people. Krak said planning for the event started at the beginning of the semester, and she has been thrilled with the amount of participation from students.

“It’s been really encouraging to see people come out of seemingly nowhere to help with this project,” Krak said.

“A lot of the people in it are friends of ours, or housemates, but there are a few who just heard about it and were interested in helping, which is really awesome.”

Morris said she hopes this project will start a discussion about mental health.

“I also hope that the people who submitted stories and the students reading the stories feel that they gain something for the experience, be that, relief, understanding, or catharsis,” she said.

Both Krak and Reed said they want to raise awareness of mental health issues in the OWU community.

“Just being mindful of your own mental illness and others’ is helpful in creating a more welcoming environment for those struggling with it,” Reed said.

“No one should ever feel bad or wrong for something they can’t control.”

Baseball looks to improve NCAC record

Top: Junior JJ Buckey throws a strike to make it full count against Cincinatti-Clermont at Littick Field on April 10. Photo by Jane Suttmeier
Junior JJ Buckey throws a strike to make it full count against Cincinatti-Clermont at Littick Field on April 10.
Photo by Jane Suttmeier

The Baseball team currently stands at 6-18 this season and 1-7 in the NCAC, and is looking to change their outcome as the season draws to a close.

Despite getting a shaky start in their season, Head coach Tyler Mott and senior Sean Vollenweider both said they are hopeful about the team’s upcoming games.

According to Mott, the team is “off to an unusually slow start,” adding that the weather played a big role in their challenging season thus far, as it was difficult to get into a routine.

The unpredictable weather caused the team to have to cancel several of its games, and the extreme colds and rains have made it difficult for them to play when their games are not cancelled.

In addition to problems created by bad weather, the team has struggled with finding a lineup that allows for cohesion and accommodates the players’ strengths.

“Every year it’s [difficult] finding the right lineup,” Mott said.

Vollenweider said he’s feeling some pressure as one of the only two seniors on the team.

“Personally, I would like to improve my play on the field,” Vollenweider said. “My hitting can be better and being one of two seniors, I want to make sure I am being the best leader I can possibly be.”

Additionally Vollenweider said the team needs to maintain focus and deliver “energy and intensity” to each game.

“Our number one goal since the beginning has been to win the NCAC championship and that is still the outcome we hope for,” he said.

Mott expressed his confidence in the team, saying he’s seen their strengths in previous seasons and know they can play stronger than they are this spring.

“I hope we reach our full potential,” Mott said. “Everybody knows we’re a better team than what we have shown in the last couple of weeks.”

Senior honored as ‘Ohio Student Teacher of the Year’

Senior Kelly Maier. Photo from Communications
Senior Kelly Maier. Photo from Communications

The Ohio Association of Teacher Educators (OACTE) gives out the annual award of “Ohio Student Teacher of the Year.” This year, senior Kelly Maier won the honor and is the second Ohio Wesleyan student in the past few years to do so.

Maier, who plans to go into special education after earning her undergraduate degree, was nominated by Professor of Education Amy McClure.

McClure said in order to nominate Maier she had to turn in a letter of nomination, reference letters, and a detail of Maier’s teaching to the OACTE. The association is made up of faculty from 50 Ohio-based colleges. All can nominate a student for the award.

According to the association’s website, “The purpose of the (OACTE) is to advocate for and provide leadership in teacher education in the state of Ohio by working collaboratively with the public and private teacher education programs in Ohio.”

Maier said she only knew about the nomination because McClure needed her permission, but she was not expecting to win.

“I was elated when I called Dr. McClure and she told me the terrific news,” Maier said “At the time, I did not realize the multitude of student teachers who had been nominated for the award.  When I found out how many schools had submitted student teacher applications, I felt exceedingly honored that I had been chosen.”

Maier said she is proud of the award and hopes it, along with previous achievements, help her in her future. McClure agrees that the honor will definitely benefit Maier’s future endeavors.

“This should help Kelly get a job,” McClure said. “She has also been nominated to compete for National Student Teacher of the Year.”

“Currently I am planning on obtaining my Masters of Education in special education following graduation,” Maier said. “In particular, I want to specialize in behavioral and emotional disorders.”

Maier said she wants to work with children to help make their futures more successful.

“This is a population of children who has not made the same academic and social developmental gains as their peers,” Maier said. “I want to conduct research to find why this is so and provide interventions in order to help these children create their own definition of success so that they can reach and surpass their potential.”

Spectrum Center, scholarships receive endowment

President Rock Jones recently emailed students and staff about a donation given by Trustee Dan Glaser (’82).

The donation is a five-year endowment of $850,000 and is to be used as a scholarship for students coming from single-parent households, and also go towards the Spectrum Resource Center and the Ohio Wesleyan Fund.

“I am deeply grateful to Dan for his leadership as a trustee and for this generous gift to his alma mater,” Jones said.

“It will make a significant difference, both in the short term and in perpetuity.”

The Ohio Wesleyan Fund are scholarships that don’t necessarily go towards tuition. The money goes to resident halls, sustainable living, Day on the JAY and also provides funds for athletic competitions.

Senior Sophie Crispin, one of the student interns at the Spectrum Resource Center, said she was shocked and excited when she learned that part of the donation will be going to the Spectrum Resource Center.

Crispin said the donation will be put into an account and the center will receive its interest, so the Spectrum Resource Center’s budget will not be immediately affected.

However she said the donation will help with future projects.

“We’ll continue to do a lot of the things we currently do, but we have a couple, pretty cool ongoing projects we hope to add,” Crispin said.

Junior Kyle Simon, also a Spectrum intern, said he was very surprised by the amount of money given to the center.

“This donation will be a larger part of the Spectrum Resource Center getting more involved and planning more events for the Ohio Wesleyan community,” Simon said.

Crispin and Simon both agreed that this donation will help the Spectrum Resource Center thrive in the long term.

Crispin said the center has been funded by a donation from another trustee, Frank Quinn, but Glaser’s donation will further help to sustain the center.

Currently, the center helps with safe zone training, works with PRIDE, National Coming Out Day and other programs. The center also works to bring in speakers and artists, according to Crispin.

New coach brings fresh expectations

Drabczyk,_Tom-201314

Tom Drabczyk, Jr. Ohio Wesleyan’s new head tennis coach said his job has been a process.

“OWU has had great tradition in tennis, we are building the culture necessary to grow the program moving forward and bring us back to the glory days,” Drabczyk said.

Junior Whitney Lonnemann said Drabczyk has been an asset to the team.

“Our coach this year is pushing us harder and doing everything he can so that we improve,” Lonnemann said. “He is investing a lot of his time and has helped me improve my game.”

Lonnemann said this year the women’s team has a deeper bond.

“My goal for this year is to improve our overall record from last year as well as move up in the NCAC rankings,” Lonnemann said. “Personally, I am working on improving my mentality during matches because that is just as important as the strokes and technique.”

Drabcyzk said he is impressed with how the teams have adapted and improved throughout the season.

Senior Rich Karban said the beginning of the season was a little rough for him, but seems to be improving. He said he is excited to finish his last season strong and hopes to make the conference tournament.

New award to honor former professor

Photo: Connect2OWU

This year the President Commission on Racial and Cultural Diversity has added the Guy Sarvis Award to the Golden Bishops celebration of achievements.

“The President’s Commission on Racial and Cultural Diversity (PCORCD) is a group of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity at OWU,” said Richelle Schrock, assistant professor of women and gender studies and chair of PCORCD.

“Each year we host educational programs and recognize OWU community members who make significant contributions towards these goals,” she said.

This award was made possible by commencement speaker Stephen Ollendorff.

“Stephen and his family were profoundly impacted by the generosity of Dr. Guy Sarvis as they fled Nazi Germany to settle in the United States,” Schrock said.

“Stephen has carried with him a sense of gratitude for this act of kindness and with the creation of this award seeks to honor and perpetuate Dr. Sarvis’ memory and his values for the OWU community.”

According to the criteria for the award, the student needs to show an understanding of different cultures and incorporate that into the OWU community.

This year’s award will be presented April 12.

Local non-profit helps shine a light

Despite limited attendance, Ohio Wesleyan students embraced distinctive cultural dances last Friday in a workshop sponsored by SANGAM, the South Asian student organization on campus.

Senior Krina Patel, SANGAM president, said the event was the first of its kind.

The workshop featured lessons on many quintessential dance forms from the eastern side of the world, such as India’s “Bhangra” and the classical styles of “Bharatnatyam” from more Southern regions.

Senior Priyanka Venkataramen said the workshop came about because high student interest in cultural dances at other cultural events such as Culture Fest and Diwali.

“SANGAM thought it would be a great idea to offer a dance workshop to those who may be interested in learning some dance styles from different cultures,” she said.

The event took place in Welch Hall’s basement and attendance was low.

Patel said she thinks the conflict with Anchor Splash, Delta Gamma’s annual philanthropy event, may have caused this.

“We had posters up for weeks as well as a Facebook event, so I don’t think lack of advertising was the issue,” she said.

However, the Facebook page for the event had been accidently set to “private” until a few days prior to the workshop, which could account for lack of student presence.

Venkataraman said she thought the workshop was successful in the sense that the leaders represented a variety of dance forms from the subcontinent.

“The choreography was provided by OWU students, so it was nice to see how much our very own students know and can demonstrate about their cultures and dancing backgrounds that they belong to,” she said.

Patel said she thinks the low attendance did not detract from the experience.

“For someone who has only been exposed to Bollywood, this event was a great learning experience,” she said.