Author: Erin Ross

OWU launches coronavirus education team

Maddie Matos

Transcript correspondent

mrmatos@owu.edu

The coronavirus, which has infected 28,000 people – an increase of 35 percent since Monday – and killed 563 in China, appeared to draw closer to home last week, a fact not lost on the Ohio Wesleyan campus.

And the Ohio Department of Health said yesterday it is testing for another possible case of the virus in Ohio, but it won’t say where, according to the Columbus Dispatch.  At least 12 people around the U.S. have tested positive for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health officials had quarantined and tested two students from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who had traveled to China recently. The results for both students were negative, but OWU organized a team to keep a close eye on potential problems, although there are no indications anyone here has been infected, OWU President Rock Jones said.

“Sean Bolender, director of public safety, is leading a team of individuals from across campus in monitoring this situation and ensuring we are fully prepared if the virus arrives on campus,” Jones said.

The campus team is teaching students and staff about the virus and how to minimize risk, Jones said.

Doug Koyle, the associate dean for student success, in an email sent across campus Tuesday reiterated that no confirmed cases exist in Ohio and while the risk is low, the virus continues to spread “making it important to understand more about the potentially fatal condition.”

In an earlier email on Jan. 30 and the most recent note, Koyle pointed out the flu and coronavirus have similar symptoms, which include a fever, cough or other respiratory illness, a sore throat, runny nose and body aches.

“The most important difference is a person’s risk of exposure,” Koyle wrote. “To be diagnosed with the coronavirus, people must have – within 14 days of developing symptoms – either have traveled from Wuhan City, China, or have had close contact with someone who has suspected or confirmed coronavirus.”

Close contact is within 6 feet of, or the same room as, a coronavirus patient for a prolonged period, or having direct contact with the patient’s bodily fluids, including coughs and sneezes, without having protective gear, Koyle said.

The U.S. has temporarily barred travel to China, which has locked down an unprecedented 50 million people in the province of Hubei.

The campus community is urged to call the Student Health Center or any other local health facility first if they suspect they or someone else may have the virus to give medical staff time to prepare to avoid unnecessary exposure. The health center phone number is 740-368-3160 and its hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

More information can be found on the CDC website.

Students inspired by trips abroad

Caitlin Jefferson

Transcript correspondent

cmjeffer@owu.edu

Ohio Wesleyan students pack their bags every semester for adventures in countries all over the world and fall 2019 was no exception, with 35 students leaving Delaware to study in exotic regions.

Three of them, each with unique experiences, said the experience helped ground them, expanded their vision of the world along with international relations and politics and taught them independence.

Junior Kacie Howell, from Columbus, studied at Richmond International American University in London through the American Institute for Foreign Study program.

Howell studied psychology in her cognitive and personality classes. She also took sociology and examined London’s culture and subculture.

“Studying abroad in London gave me the opportunity to grow as a person, travel the world and gain a bigger perspective of psychology in other countries,” Howell said.

On weekends and mid-semester break, Howell also traveled to Paris, Milan, Venice, Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

“Most of the students I met were from the East Coast and we would travel together,” Howell said. “I had a big friend group abroad.”

Howell is a first generation college student and being in London was the first time she was far from home, which she said was difficult at times.

“One of my favorite parts of being abroad was going to Italy, as I studied Italian in high school,” Howell said.

She could not go to Italy while she was in high school and she was shocked to get there.

“I started crying happy tears when I landed in Italy because I was very humbled and excited,” Howell said. “Everything seemed unreal, especially being in the Vatican.”

Howell said she was not in the best place mentally before she left and being abroad helped her discover new perspectives.

“I really found myself on this trip and I feel more mature; I learned how to better treat myself and others,” Howell said.

Junior Billy Lewis from Madison, New Jersey traveled to Ireland at Arcadia University – University of College Cork to study international political science.

“Studying in Cork was a neat experience that let me get a better feel of a world view of politics and international relations, as well as new perspectives,” Lewis said.

Similar to Howell, Lewis traveled during the weekends to many places such as Paris, London and Rome.

“I took a class called political ideologies, which was very interesting because my teacher was an anarchist, which meant that he did not believe in social hierarchy or forms of government,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ school had mostly commuter students, so the weekdays in the city of Cork were crowded.

“The other students I met were from all over the United States and I also became close with Irish kids since I played for the university’s club tennis team,” Lewis said.

Lewis was sometimes teased by the Irish kids for his American accent and use of American terms.

“I would use American terms in tennis such as ‘FBI,’ meaning first ball in, which they did not understand,” Lewis said “However, they were very welcoming and asked me to teach them some American terms.”

Junior Paige Hunter from Westerville attended the University of Salamanca through the OWU Spanish Program. She studied basic general education courses taught in Spanish.

“My favorite part of being abroad was getting to speak Spanish all the time, as well as travel a lot, which was exciting,” Hunter said.

Hunter said she learned to be more independent, which inspired new travel aspirations. Hunter said her classes were interesting, but not too demanding, which allowed her to focus on cultural experiences around Salamanca.

“I was in the international studies department for my classes, so I was surrounded by American, Canadian, Japanese, and Chinese students, as well as someone from the Netherlands,” Hunter said.

OWU helping to get out the vote

Katie Cantrell

Transcript Correspondent

kmcantre@owu.edu

The deadline looms.

Ohio’s presidential primary election is March 17 and Ohio Wesleyan officials have made efforts to ensure all students eligible to vote in this year’s election can register in time by the Feb. 18 deadline.

OWU promotes voter registration every election year and it has created registration opportunities on campus for both the primary and general elections.  Now, students can register at the OWU Campus Store or Beeghly Library.

And today and Monday, Feb. 10 organizers will set up a table in the Hamilton Williams Campus Center with information about voter registration. Students can also follow the link here if they have questions or are looking for information on registering to vote.

Freshman Elizabeth Dickey said this election is important so she was sure to register.

“This is the first election where I can vote so I’m actually paying attention to the candidates and what’s going on,” Dickey said.

Sophomore Danielle Black said she thinks this election is going to be a tipping point.

“We have gay men running, we have women running, we have diverse candidates running for one of the first times in history, so I’m really interested to see what the outcome’s going to be and how it’s going to affect the future,” she said.

Junior Fatima Iqbal is an international student and unable to participate in U.S. elections, but she said she believes it is important for people to be registered to vote.

“Especially people 18-25, because the current data shows that 30% of those people are registered to vote and that’s very low,” she said. “They’re the upcoming generation and if they don’t vote for the correct person who’s actually working for them then you know it’s not good news for them.”

Senior Ahmed Hamed said he believes many key issues are at stake for the future of the United States and the direction we move in as a country.

“As important as I think this election is, I also think every election is important, even the local elections,” he said. “I vote in every single election that I can and I try to vote on every issue that’s on the ballot.”

Learning to self-defend at OWU

Katie Cantrell

Transcript Correspondent

kmcantre@owu.edu

Forget the flying spin kicks seen in martial arts movies, these Ohio Wesleyan classes focus on teaching students the basic skills of self-defense.

While they are not as well known, the two elective classes that teach Okinawa karate and a brand of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are popular in both spring and fall semesters.

The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday nights and last for about two hours at the Summit Martial Arts Academy, 425 S. Sandusky St., a few minutes’ drive from campus. The classes tend to have between 10-to-20 students.

Kyoshi Charles Reidmiller has taught both classes for over 10 years and said students can sign up for both or split the time between the two defense styles.  Kyoshi is a term that equals professor and designates the person as an expert teacher.

“Each one has a very distinctive philosophy,” Reidmiller said. “You may be dealing with stand up (karate) and then it goes to the ground (jiu-jitsu), so you may go from one philosophy to another.”

Reidmiller said students feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. The classes are respectful, controlled and even though students are doing dangerous stuff, it’s a structured environment.

“They feel safe,” he said. “You know it’s a controlled environment even though we’re kicking, punching, arm barring, and choking, but it’s very controlled and you know you tap and it’s done and stops instantly.”

Beginners should go with their natural feeling when considering which class to take. Some may want to learn how to protect themselves on the ground, others may want to learn defense while standing, Reidmiller said.

Reidmiller said he prefers to teach the basics of martial arts over flashy moves such as flying spin kicks seen in martial arts movies. The basics are reliable and proven to work a majority of the time, he said.

“Attacks and violent crimes happen every day,” Reidmiller said. “If you’re going to be around water you definitely take time to learn to swim. Amazingly when you learn to defend yourself the probability of you being a victim drops astronomically.”

The classes are also a confidence builder, Reidmiller said.

Junior Alex Illitch is taking the jiu-jitsu class and has been involved in the course for roughly a year. He said he now participates in the classes for his own enjoyment rather than for credits.

“It’s probably my favorite activity outside of school. It’s a good challenge both mentally and physically, which I like,” Illitch said. “It’s not just, you know, like weightlifting where you’re just using your body, you have to use your mind too. It’s just a unique challenge.”

Illitch has never taken similar classes but offered advice to anyone interested.

“Definitely try it,” he said. “Like obviously when you first start something it’s going be difficult, but if you stick around for long enough you’ll really get to appreciate it and have a good time.”

Senior Sam Miller is taking the jiu-jitsu class and also took it when he was a sophomore. Miller said he took taekwondo when he was younger, so he had some background in self-defense before he joined the class with some of his roommates.

“This place is great, it’s super chill,” Miller said. “They’re very understanding and they’re more self-defense minded. They’re not really competition based, which is good.”

Reidmiller also offered some advice for interested students.

“If you show up a couple times a week and practice what you learn, even if you’re the most uncoordinated 
 if you just can gain patience and do, it will come because you’re naturally made for it,” Reidmiller said.

Comparative literature launches new era of technology

Meg Edwards

Transcript Correspondent

mmedward@owu.edu

Balloons, glow bracelets and colorful flashing rings last night brightened Sturges Hall to celebrate the conversion of a former janitors closet into a digital work space for comparative literature students.

About thirty students, faculty and members of the Ohio Wesleyan community came to celebrate the launch of Lit Hatch, a new collaborative space where students can work on digital humanities projects, which the comparative literature department has increasingly been incorporating into its curriculum.

Lit Hatch is furnished with a large computer monitor, two chairs, a small bookshelf and a wall to be used for green screen filming in the small but organized space to the left of the building’s entrance.

“It used to be a janitor’s closet,” said Stephanie Merkel, a comparative literature associate professor who led the effort to create Lit Hatch. “We wanted to dedicate a space in Sturges Hall where our students would feel like it was their space.”

OWU junior Humza Nasir, a comparative literature student board member, said he was glad the department is incorporating more technology into its projects.

“Learning how to use this tech does open a lot of doors,” he said.

Knowing how to use specific technologies, such as the online publishing tool Scalar, “gives me an edge” when applying to graduate schools, Nasir said.

Although Lit Hatch accommodates only a few people at a time, the celebration took place in several rooms on the first floor, with each room exhibiting a different student project. A screening of the 1929 silent film “Woman in the Moon” ran in the snack room.

One project from the English department, a website created by Nancy Comorau, an associate English professor and other students, explored queer literature.

In another room, students could explore the blog created by students in Michal Raizen’s course Graphic and Experimental Novels of the Middle East. Raizen, an assistant professor of comparative literature, said each year her class learned to navigate the platform WordPress more quickly, and that the blog was becoming a large part of her curriculum.

“More than anything we use it collectively,” she said.

Some former students have continued to post and comment on the sites, giving current students a prior body of work to build upon.

Several students congregated in another room to play interactive fiction games designed by students in the CMLT 110 class, Myth, Legend, and Folklore. Designed like an online choose-your-own-adventure using a software called Twine, the games were inspired by common themes in folklore, which were then subverted to create a series of surprising twists for players.

Merkel said that incorporating tools such as Twine and Scalar help comparative literature majors apply their learning to relevant work. Some developers pay experts to evaluate game narratives, she said.

“Frankly, there are cool jobs for comp lit majors in game development,” she said. “You can be a ‘Happiness Engineer.’”

OWU sophomore Sarah Jonassen, an English and psychology major who attended the event, seemed to agree, and cited the folklore game as her favorite part of the event.

“I really like books,” she said. “But I think sometimes the perception of English is that it’s dusty old books 
 it’s important to cater to different interests, especially since video games are so popular.”

Bishops’ late comeback falls short

By Peter Lujan

Transcript Correspondent

pllujan@owu.edu

The game appeared to be spiraling out of control halfway through the first half for Ohio Wesleyan’s men in their basketball matchup against Wabash College Wednesday night.

The Bishops’ trailed the Little Giants of Wabash 24-7, but they stepped up the pace before the half ended and also in the second half. Although it was close at the end, it still wasn’t enough and OWU lost in Branch Rickey Arena with a final score of 80-77.

Senior guard Jaret Gerber led the way for the Bishops, scoring 17 points on the strength of five three-pointers.

The poor start was partially due to the Bishops’ shooting 5 of 22 from the 3-point range in the first half. That shot eluded the Bishops as they finished the game shooting 11 of 44 from 3-point range.

“Our offense is very high volume, we take a lot of shots, we shoot a lot of threes.  Some nights, it’s just not going in,” said freshman guard Jack Clement.

During the second half, Gerber and Clement created momentum after trailing at the half, 37-31. A layup by Clement tied the game at 39 after a quick 8-2 run to start the second half.

“When we’re out there running, when we’re getting up and down, that’s when we’re at our best,” Clement said.

The Bishops’ and Little Giants’ battled for the rest of the game, but Wabash was able to maintain a double-digit lead for the most part. Freshman point guard Bryson Lane hit some very important shots down the stretch, scoring 11 points in the second half.

The Bishops relied on the strength of their defense and the hot hand of Gerber down the stretch.

“When Gerb gets hot, he gets hot,” Clement said.

Gerber knocked down three triples. The Bishops’ aggressive play brought the team within one point with 14 seconds left, forcing them to foul Tyler Watson of Wabash. Watson nailed both free throws to give the Little Giants’ a 3-point lead with 11 seconds left.

The Bishops’ had one last chance to tie the game and send it to overtime, but a heavily guarded corner three from Lane was no good. Time expired and the Bishops’ had come up just short.

“We drew up a really good play, we just didn’t get open,” Clement said.

The Bishops’ next game is at 3 p.m. Saturday against Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio.

From politics to leisure, OWU clubs cover many bases

Alex Emerson

Transcript Correspondent

aaemerso@owu.edu

For whatever interest an Ohio Wesleyan student might have, it’s likely they can find a club on campus to help them pursue that passion.

Club recruitment was in full swing yesterday at the Hamilton Williams Campus Center at the Student Involvement Fair. A wide variety of clubs and their members were on hand, pitching their organizations and trying to enlist new members.

The 16 clubs represented ranged from academia to greek life to video game enthusiasts. A full list of OWU clubs can be found here.

One organization that will draw attention this semester and which has been an OWU tradition since 1884 is Mock Convention. The clubmeets every four years during the presidential election cycle to teach students more about the electoral process, said Ahmed Hamed, the organization’s president.

The “Mock” represents the party not in control of the White House, with the aim of predicting the party’s nominee for the coming election.

Some clubs are focused on activism. One example is the Citizens Climate Lobby.

“Our focus right now is that civic engagement is important. Helping people realize that their voice matters … and (offering) a bipartisan climate solution,” said Juniper Deitering, the group’s treasurer.

Pride is another activist club.

“The club is an inclusive space for the LGBT community and allies, attempting to connect queer people so they can express themselves, socialize and support queer related activism,” said Ben Acuna, the organization’s vice president. “It’s a casual student space, more so than student counseling or something.”

Fun is another element for many clubs, including the Game Club, which is also designed to promote new friendships.

“It’s a really relaxed club where people who like tabletop games and video games can hang out,” said President Ocheme Connell. “Occasionally, we hold events like the Super Smash Brothers Tournament. It meets Friday from 8 p.m. until we feel like going to bed.”

All clubs have signup sheets which include non-committal email lists.

Embrace the “o” of your own personal potential

Tiffany Moore

Transcript Correspondent

tpmoore@owu.edu

For many, the Hollywood sign is simply a famous Los Angeles landmark, but for a performer who appeared at Ohio Wesleyan Monday night, those o’s in the sign represent personal potential.

Tim Miller, who has taken his solo act around the world, likens those letters to Shakespeare’s notion of making the most out of theatre space, like the Globe Theatre of London built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s theater company and known as “The Wooden O.”

Shakespeare’s goal was to have his audience forget their surroundings as they immersed themselves in a play. Miller made a similar pitch, issuing a call to action for about 40 in the captivated audience at OWU’s Chappelear Drama Center to claim their potential.

In a presentation of his written works, Miller explored racism, homophobia and the fight for a better future. He also discussed his autobiography, “A body in the O” and sold signed copies at the end of his performance.

“I don’t want them to just listen to my story, I want them to be thinking of what’s a story like that, that [they’ve] felt in [their] life and if they got it then, maybe they’ll start telling it to other people or maybe that becomes a deeper knowledge of their own life,” Miller said in an interview.

A lot of Miller’s work focuses on marriage equality and the injustices that same-sex couples face in this country. Miller said his next goal is to bring more awareness to the climate crisis.

“I’m old enough that it may not affect me as much, but it’s going to affect you much more and it’ll affect someone whose four years old now more than you,” Miller said. “The idea of 100 years from now people not having this beautiful planet working, or just whole parts of the world being uninhabitable is pretty … what a horrible thing to have not done everything we could.”

Miller’s performance was filled with thought provoking moments, putting the audience on the edge of their seats as they listened to stories from the perspective of both a young and older gay male struggling to survive in a society where homophobia is ubiquitous.

OWU sophomore Aaron Eicher said, “It was cool to see and also made me think about what a performance is because it was just storytelling for an hour, but it still captivated you.”

OWU senior Ran Ye said, “I don’t have any of his experiences so he reminds me of a lot of new things … because something comes up in my mind and I haven’t thought about that before.”

Miller began performing at OWU in 2008. Most of his visits included workshops, working with about 20 students in writing an hour long piece of work over the course of one week. His latest performance was funded by the OWU Theory-to-Practice Grant program.

OWU professor’s novel honored again

Alex Emerson

Transcript Correspondent

aaemerso@owu.edu

An award-winning, Civil War era-novel about a boy’s search for his father led by a mysterious black horse and written by an Ohio Wesleyan creative writing professor has once again been honored.

The Ohioana Library Association chose Robert Olmstead’s book “Coal Black Horse” as one of 90 books by Ohio authors to celebrate the organization’s 90th anniversary. The winners are divided by decade on the “90 Years 
 90 Books” list going back to the founding of the library association. The books can be found on the organization’s blog.

Olmstead’s book is on the list for 2007, the year it was published.  He said he is in good company.

“I have a good relationship with Ohioana. Looking at the list, it’s surprising to see how many great authors are from Ohio,” said Olmstead, an English professor and OWU’s director of creative writing.

This isn’t the first time “Coal Black Horse” has received critical acclaim. The book received the 2007 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction. In 2008, it earned an Ohioana award for fiction and the American Library Association award as the Best Book for Young Adults.

Olmstead’s story takes place during the Civil War in the wake of the battle of Gettysburg after a boy’s mother has a premonition her husband was killed. She sends her 14-year-old son out to search for him astride an unusual black horse, which leads and protects the boy throughout their journey.

Olmstead said he happened upon the idea for the plot while living in Gettysburg.

“I’m more interested in what runs through the history than the history itself. I was living in Gettysburg as a tourist and had no intention of writing a historical novel,” Olmstead said. “But as I explored the town, its history drew me in irrevocably.”

The book was aimed at focusing on the relationship between American people and war.

“More Americans died in the Civil War than in all of America’s following wars combined,” he said. “This legacy of war, this inheritance of violence literally passes down through families. America has been fighting wars as long as my students have been alive.”

“Coal Black Horse” is the first book of a trilogy. The second novel is “Far Bright Star” and the third is “The Coldest Night.”

“Far Bright Star” has also received recognition. Chauncey Mabe, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, said it is “guided by Hemingway,” and that “a writer as skillful and subtle as Olmstead deserves to be judged on his own merits, influences be damned.”

The last two books continue to explore an inheritance of violence. The protagonist in each story is the child of the protagonist from the last book, living through a different war, Olmstead said.

Olmstead plans to publish more books in the future.

(Editor’s Note: after this interview our correspondent enrolled in Olmstead’s fiction writing class)

Another power crash across campus

Azmeh Talha

Transcript Editor

aatalha@owu.edu

Power outages across Ohio Wesleyan’s campus yesterday interrupted schedules and shuttered some dining halls, forcing some faculty and students to find a Plan B for classes and meals.

Connection problems between Selby Stadium West and East caused the power to go out at about 8:45 a.m. and fluctuate throughout the midday.  OWU’s power also crashed during the fall semester.

The problem was the equivalent of a blown fuse, said Cole Hatcher, OWU’s director of media and community relations.

The process of testing different connections to determine which ones were stable caused the power to fluctuate. The root cause of the problem was discovered on the east side of the stadium, Hatcher said.

The west side of Selby Stadium consists of OWU’s sports teams’ lockers and the east side is for visiting sports teams.

The power outage occurred on the central and academic side of campus. Dining facilities in both these areas were closed down as a result.

Michele Nobel, Director of the Special Education Program and Assistant Professor of Education had an advanced theatre class from Dublin Coffman High School come to OWU to perform on the day of the power outage. The performance was supposed to take place in the auditorium in Phillips Hall but could not due to lack of power and light. The performance was then moved to classroom 210 in Phillips Hall.

The change of venue was not easy, Nobel said.

“They had to carry their set pieces up the stairs instead of the elevator,” Nobel said.

The Hamilton Williams Campus Center Food Court and Bishop Café were temporarily closed and the Science Center Café was closed all day, according to an email from AVI. The Thomson Corner Store, Merrick Café and Smith Dining Hall remained open all day.

Reese Fuchs, a pizza maker in Ham-Will Food Court, said workers had to scramble.

“We had to put all the food in safety areas so that it didn’t go bad and we had to close down for a little bit,” Fuchs said.

Fuchs said some students were upset the food court was closed.

But Hatcher said AVI did a good job of getting information out on Facebook.