As the OWU family comes together for the One OWU Gathering of Unity and Support today, I find myself reflecting on the fractures in our social order and what it means to speak of One OWU.
In recent years, we have seen growing expressions of hatred and division within our society. Those expressions find voice in the anonymity of social media, in the rallies held by hate groups, and in the deeply divisive rhetoric of elected leaders. Most recently, an outside group has come on our campus placing stickers promoting its repulsive propaganda. The FBI describes this group as being “tied to a neo-Nazi Racially Motivated Violent Extremist ideology.”
My own emotions run high when learning this group has inserted itself here at OWU. Emotions ranging from anger to fear to bewilderment have been expressed by many and reflect my own initial feelings. These are appropriate responses, though I might add these are just the responses that organizations like this seek to promote. They look to create division and sow seeds of discord. They want chaos rather than order. They seek to cloak their own profound insecurities in a blanket of self-righteous superiority finding its most grotesque expression in various forms of white supremacism and other racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim sentiments, and numerous other hate campaigns.
I am deeply grateful and proud to note that on the OWU campus their presence has had just the opposite impact. Their visit here has surfaced a different set of values; values that have the power to unite rather than to divide, to heal rather than to hurt, to affirm rather than to reject, to build rather than to destroy. Rather than chaos and division, their brief stop at OWU has led to unity and support.
These values are deeply embedded in OWU. We are a community that has long appreciated the presence of difference while at our core this diverse community is one. When we speak of One OWU, we speak of a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. But more than valuing these principles, we understand them to be a call to action. They call us to the never ending pursuit of civil rights and social justice for all people.
That work is far from complete, including here on campus. While our values are strong, our human frailty means there are times when we fail to live up to our values, with some on campus feeling the benefit of diversity and inclusion more than others. There are times when our own words and actions are hurtful and marginalizing.
We have work to do in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We have work to do in response to the call to civil rights and social justice.
When we say we are One OWU, we commit ourselves to that work.
When we say we are One OWU, we affirm the dignity of every human being.
When we say we are One OWU, we stand in solidarity, working to ensure that the strength of our solidarity is shared by all, most especially by those who are marginalized and who are the direct targets of hate.
When we say we are One OWU, we celebrate the beauty of a community enriched by the presence of individuals who experience life in many different ways, with diverse talents, identities, and expressions of the human experience.
When we say we are One OWU, we acknowledge that we are better because we are not just alike.
When we say we are One OWU, we note the unity that binds us together in our differences. We think, we vote, we worship, we dress, we dance, we play, we love, and we see the world in different ways.
And yet, we are One OWU. Because we believe that difference is a strength. We believe that respect is a virtue. We believe that love is the better way. That’s why we say Hate Has No Home Here.
Today this is profoundly visible through the One OWU Gathering of Unity and Support. I am grateful to those who have planned this gathering, and I am grateful to every person on campus who every day lives the values of our University and our commitment to One OWU.
King’s neighbor heard his cries of fear through the walls of a southern Columbus apartment just nine days before humane agents removed the beaten pit bull terrier from the building.
King was lucky. Since his rescue, he has recovered and found a new home. Not all abandoned and abused pets have the opportunity to heal like King did.
Columbus Humane seized 18 animals from a Grandview Height’s Home on Sept. 10, 2019 after obtaining a search warrant because of reports of sick animals. The seizure included 10 cats, two dogs, two rabbits and four dead guinea pigs, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Columbus Humane seizes over 1,100 animals annually, according to its website.
Still, while animal cruelty and neglect cases are present in Central Ohio, they are a small percentage of the ways in which individuals in the area have an impact on animal welfare.
When talking about cases of intentional abuse and neglect, Charles Jones, assistant dog warden for Delaware County, said “those are really few and far between type cases for us.”
A greater number of animals in Central Ohio are harmed by a misunderstanding of the proper companion animal care. The Ohio Revised Code describes companion animals as “any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept.”
Jana Cassidy, executive director of the Humane Society of Delaware County, said that, although animal welfare in the area is good, more could be done to ensure residents are able to provide the right care for their pets.
“I would say, in terms of companion animals, I think that we’re doing a good job,” Cassidy said. “I think that, as a community, we can do better.”
To solve this problem, legislators in Ohio need to pass stronger laws and Central Ohio counties must provide more education and foster greater community collaboration, according to officials.
The humane societies and animal shelters in Central Ohio look to Chapter 9 of the Ohio Revised Code for information regarding animal welfare. The code states that no owner should willingly abandon or injure a domestic animal, and outlines prohibitions concerning companion animals and cruelty.
Despite such laws, human understanding and mindset about required animal care affects the way in which such humans determine how a companion animal should be treated. Cassidy said Ohio law regarding how individuals view and treat animals is not strong enough to protect animals from harm and neglect.
“What an animal is, by law, required to be given is access to food, water and shelter,” Cassidy said. “The definition of food, water and shelter depends on your perspective.”
With a vague legal outline of proper companion animal care, pet owners may develop their own individual mindset on what that care includes.
Mitchell Garrett, assistant dog warden for Delaware County, said, “There is a big push in society’s way of how we have evolved and everything where dogs have become family members…and it’s morphed into dogs are treated like children…but there is a lot of people out there that their dog isn’t their kid. Their dog is their dog.”
Many of the humane societies and animal shelters in the area aim for pet owners to adopt the mindset of their pets being like kids.
Crystal Richie, volunteer for PAWS (Powel Animal Welfare Society), said, “I would love to see more people kind of adopt that mentality that, ‘Hey, my dog is my family. My dog is like a four-legged kid with a tail.’”
However, with such differing mindsets, the way in which companion animals are treated varies from owner to owner.
Daniel James, another assistant dog warden for Delaware County, said, “There are a lot of dogs that sleep on beds and couches and pillows and blankets, and then there are a lot of dogs that sleep outside in the doghouse. It depends on the owner, basically.”
Various humane societies in the area, such as the Humane Society of Delaware County and Columbus Humane, follow and encourage pet owners to follow the ASPCA’s five freedoms.
Individuals who don’t adopt the mindset of their dogs or cats being family may intentionally or unintentionally neglect their pet from care and freedom that many other pet owners see as necessary.
Reproduced under the terms of click-use license, U.K. Farm Animal Welfare Council. Obtained from the ASPCA website.
Todd McCullough, director of the Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter, in an explanation of a newly enacted dog licensing policy, shared how difficult it can be to adjust the behavior of pet owners.
“It’s challenging to change behavior of people that don’t really want to change their behavior,” McCullough said.
The main priority of various shelters and humane societies is to ensure good health of the animals.
“We really emphasize both physical and mental health for the animals,” McCullough said. “That’s a priority for us.”
In an attempt to achieve such a goal, the humane societies and animal shelters in Central Ohio aim to place and keep animals in homes.
Data from 2018 and the first eight months of 2019 show (respectively) customers adopted:
1,239 and 815 animals from the Humane Society of Delaware County
44 and 17 dogs from the Delaware County Dog Shelter
582 and 435 animals from the Marion Area Humane Society
189 and 107 dogs from the Marion County Dog Pound
3,281 and 2,261 animals from Columbus Humane in Franklin County
426 and 238 dogs from the Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter
Additionally, the Union County dog warden returned 25 dogs to owners in 2018 and 52 dogs in the first eight months of 2019.
In addition to adoption numbers, the shelters and societies also have significant intake numbers that represent how many animals they bring into their facilities each year.
Shelter
2018 Total Intake Numbers
Humane Society of Delaware County
1,570
Delaware County Dog Shelter
528
PAWS (Powell Animal Welfare Society)
70
Marion Area Humane Society
969
Marion County Dog Pound
481
Columbus Humane
9,804
Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center
9,303
Union County Dog Warden
72
Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter
864
The Union County Humane Society and the Fairfield Area Humane Society did not release data for this story.
There are a variety of actions and behaviors that play a role in lowering the number of animals in need and, in turn, the number of animals brought into the various shelters. One remedy that staff at the humane societies and shelters call for is increased education. Such education may cover pet ownership, humane procedures or an understanding of overpopulation problems.
“It kind of all goes back to education on pet ownership,” said Payton Shanaberger, shelter manager for the Marion Area Humane Society. “So, if people kind of reach out to other organizations to get help, whether it’s financially or behavioral training, things like that, it may help animals stay in a home. And if there’s more education, then they know how to deal with their own pets better.”
Similarly, Kerry Manion, chief humane agent at Columbus Humane, explained that an understanding on the humane requirements of animal care goes a long way in improving overall animal welfare.
“The enforcement aspect is pretty much after the fact…but to prevent abuse and to teach compassion and empathy in the schools I think is needed at this point,” Manion said.
Jeff Chambers, director of communication services at the Ohio School Boards Association, said all schools are set up to meet the needs of their local community. So, each school may provide coursework on animal welfare if it is in their interest. However, he also said, because it is not something required by the state of Ohio, not all schools have time for such education.
“In terms of bringing in speakers, probably so,” Chambers said. “In terms of creating a whole new semester coursework for it, I don’t know if they do have the time for that for most school districts.”
Manion also emphasized that knowledge on animal cruelty and neglect is important for the community to have because residents are responsible for reporting such cases to the various humane societies.
“The vast majority of the complaints we receive are from the general public. They’re kind of our eyes and ears in the community to report animal abuse to us,” Manion said.
Obtained from Columbus Humane’s Website
In addition to knowledge about how to properly care for a pet and how to recognize cruelty, staff members at humane societies and animals shelters in Central Ohio call for greater education about the overpopulation of companion animals.
Richie, involved with the Ohio State Bar Association Animal Law Committee, said one of the biggest problems with animal welfare in Central Ohio is people being unaware of overpopulation. She said that many people get their dogs from breeders while other healthy, and sometimes full-blooded, dogs are available for adoption.
“That can easily be remedied through programs and education and just making the public aware that you can get a really wonderful dog at your local shelter,” Richie said.
Education about overpopulation also ties into education about the necessity of spay and neuter procedures.
McCullough, Fairfield County’s dog warden, said. “Communit[ies] paying attention and supporting the efforts of not creating unnecessary or unwanted litters is really critical.”
Data from 2018 and the first eight months of 2019 show (respectively) agencies euthanized:
250 and 185 animals at the Humane Society of Delaware County
82 and 36 dogs at the Delaware County Dog Shelter
53 and 25 animals at the Marion Area Humane Society
9 and 8 dogs at the Marion County Dog Pound
79 and 30 dogs at the Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter
The shelters and societies do not euthanize for overcrowding or lack of space, according to officials in Delaware and Marion counties. Euthanasia only occurs when requested by owner or when an animal’s health or behavior cannot be helped or controlled.
The Fairfield County Dog Adoption Center and Shelter works hard to ensure that its population does not get too high so that they don’t have to resort to euthanasia for overcrowding, McCullough said.
In addition to stronger laws and greater education, continued and increased collaboration between the community and animal rescue organizations is necessary in improving the welfare of companion animals in Central Ohio, according to officials.
McCullough emphasized the role cooperation between organizations and county residents plays.
“Examining the entire organization and reorienting it to having high standards of care for both the animals in our care,” McCullough said, “but also the public, and forming good partnerships with people in the community and rescue groups has been also really critical.”
The humane societies and animal shelters in Central Ohio rely on support from the community.
Cassidy said the Humane Society of Delaware County wants to do better to help out its community, but it is restricted by the resources the community provides.
“I’d love to be able to do more for the community, but we are limited by the physical constraints of our building and the funding that comes along with that,” Cassidy said.
As non-profit organizations, the Humane Society of Delaware County, PAWS and the Marion Area Humane Society rely solely on donations. Columbus Humane receives some government funding for its law enforcement work, but also relies on donations.
“We’re limited by the support of our community,” Cassidy said. “So, the more they support us, from either fostering, volunteering and of course financially, the more we can do.”
Humane Society of Delaware County 2019 Medical Cost of an Animal
Female Dog (40-60 pounds)
Medical Cost ($)
Spay
70.00
Veterinary Exam
20.00
Heartworm Test
20.00
Rabies
10.00
DA2PPC Vaccination
12.00
Bordatella
12.00
Influenza
15.00
Flea Preventative
10.00 (per month)
Heartworm Preventative
5.00 (per month)
Microchip
20.00
Dewormer
5.00
Total
199.00
Adult Female Cat
Medical Cost ($)
Spay
45.00
Veterinary Exam
20.00
Feline Leukemia/FIV Test
20.00
FVRCP
12.00
Rabies
10.00
Dewormer
5.00
Flea Preventative
10.00
Microchip
10.00
Total
132.00
The adoption price for a female dog weighing 40 to 60 pounds is $150 and the adoption price of an adult female cat is $60. After paying for each animal’s medical costs, the humane society does not make profit on adopted animals.
Obtained from Columbus Humane’s website
Additionally, the assistant dog wardens at the Delaware County Dog Shelter emphasized the importance of purchasing dog licenses to support the shelter and ensure the safety of the dogs.
James, Delaware County’s assistant dog warden, said, “So dog licenses, the funds that come from that, they run the shelter. They give all the dogs their shots, spays and neuters, they pay for gas in the trucks.”
Jones, also a Delaware County assistant dog warden, agreed. “If you want to help your local shelter, buy a dog license.”
Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano proposed a pilot project that would move the annual registration deadline for dog licenses from Jan. 31 to March 31, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Officials said they hope the change will result in greater licensing compliance.
The employees at the humane societies and animal shelters in Central Ohio encourage such change and support because they are passionate about the safety and wellness of animals.
“We’re in the profession because we care and we want to protect animals,” Manion said. “It’s our primary responsibility, and we strive to make a difference every day.”
He also emphasized the difficulty of the job. “It takes a special person to do these types of criminal investigations because you see the ugliness of human nature,” he said.
Manion adopted King, who after being brought into Columbus Humane, failed the canine good citizenship test he needed to pass to be adoptable. Today, King spends his days at Manion’s side, whether that be in the office at Columbus Humane or camping or shopping on the weekends. Manion said he loves the pit bull terrier.
“I also hope that, you know, he’s a reminder to the agents who rescued him,” Manion said. “The positive impact they make on animals, on the people … having him here every day hopefully reinforces to them the good work that they do as they can see a success story every day in front of them.”
Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) was one of six college campuses in Central Ohio that was targeted by a national white supremist group which is under FBI investigation.
On Nov. 1, stickers were found on campus including the academic side and Hamilton Williams Campus center, said Cole Hatcher, the director of media and community relations.
No stickers were found inside buildings. They were stuck on lampposts and signs, said Dwayne Todd, the vice president of student engagement and success.
Todd and Juan Armando Rojas, chief diversity officer and professor of modern foreign languages, do not want to name the group to prevent giving the group more attention.
“We’re not naming it because we don’t want to give them any additional publicity,” Todd said.“We didn’t want to put the name of the group in the message. We didn’t want to link to their website because that just fuels them.”
“It’s not about them; it’s about our institution,” Rojas said.
The FBI sent a warning that the group was active in Central Ohio and was targeting college campuses, Todd said.
About 25 stickers were found on campus, Hatcher said. Stickers had white supremist messages on them such as “America is not for sale,” “Reject poison,” and “Stolen not conquered.”
Hatcher said the stickers appeared and stopped in a small window of time.
President Rock Jones held a meeting on Nov. 4 about the matter. Rojas said the meeting was productive and engaging.
“We know that similar or identical stickers have been placed on other campuses in central Ohio and the FBI in its investigation of the matter believes the stickers are being placed by individuals from outside of the campuses,” Jones said.
“The notice that the FBI sent us showed Capital University, Ohio Dominican, Columbus State, Ohio State, us … (and) Otterbein,” Todd said. “All those schools had images from the same group posted.”
The group hit both public and private college campuses, which created a tricky situation for law enforcement due to the differences in free speech rights.
Greg Naples, supervisory special agent of the FBI, said in an email that the group is “tied to a neo-Nazi racially motivated violated extremist ideology.”
As the stickers were being taken down, it seemed as if more were being put up in their place. Todd thought somebody was still on campus, putting stickers up as they were being discovered on campus.
“As soon as we knew what was going on, we were going around campus and removing them so I’m not sure the majority of students ever saw them,” Todd said.
“We would pass by a place where there weren’t any and we came back and there were some.”
Todd thinks that this was a national coordinated effort on the group’s part to go to college campuses. He also said this was a recruitment effort on the group’s behalf to draw younger people to visit its website and join the group.
FBI agent Naples confirmed that. His email stated the group is in the midst of a campus recruiting campaign by placing the stickers on or near campuses.
“They are all red, white and blue with various slogans and/or symbols,” Naples said in his email. “When a member puts up the sticker, he/she takes a picture then posts it on a PF site,”
Nothing of this sort has happened before on campus, Todd, Rojas and Hatcher said.
Hatcher recalled some graffiti on campus a few years ago and Todd recalled the Westborough Baptist Church, which is homophobic, coming to campus.
“In one case, I think it was just random scrawling and I think there was a small amount of graffiti after the 2016 presidential election,” Hatcher said.
“They (Westborough Baptist Church) were here once and then they threatened to come a second time but did not from what I understand,” Todd said. “I consider them a hate group but not a group that’s a white supremist group like this.”
Todd described the most recent incident as disturbing. He was disgusted that this happened on OWU’s campus.
“For me, white supremacy is not a new concept and I am not surprised it happened,” said Alexis Thomas, president of the OWU Black Student Union. “I am hurt that it happened, but also this is not anything new, at least for black people.”
Collective efforts have been made on campus. Todd said there has been a show of solidarity that the efforts of this white supremist group are intolerable at OWU.
“We had people fanning out all over, looking for these things and trying to show support to students and others and we’re planning an event,” Todd said.
An event called One OWU gathering of unity and support will take place on Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. at the labyrinth with the objective to celebrate OWU.
“To celebrate we’re here, to celebrate that we’re united and to celebrate our diversity, our inclusion efforts and to reassure everyone that if we’re here it’s because our objective and goal is to make sure everyone is embraced,” Rojas said.
Chad Johns, the interim Chaplain said The Chaplain’s Office is an interfaith office that serves students of all faiths or no faith.
“Whenever hateful and ridiculous ideologies like white supremacy arise, our response must be to stand firm against the lie that some people are superior to others based only on the color of their skin, their country of origin, their gender…” Johns said. “We choose instead to celebrate the beautiful diversity of the one humanity that we all share.”
Posters were put up across campus with slogans such as “Racism has no home here,” Hatcher said.
An email sent by Rojas to OWU students and faculty addressed the poster campaign.
“If anyone sees something like this happen, call Public Safety right away,” Todd said.
If something of this sort occurs on campus again, Todd said Delaware police will be called. If a member of the group comes back to campus, they can be charged for trespassing and can get arrested, Todd said.
Sparks flew on Friday as a 400-pound ladle filled with molten iron was poured into the awaiting molds created by 3-D design and sculpture students at Ohio Wesleyan.
OWU art professor John Quick hosts an iron pour in Haycock Hall every semester. All students enrolled in 3-D design and sculpture participated as did a few alumni.
“I begin planning this event over a month in advance,” Quick said, “making my artwork and directing all activities in sculpture prior to the pour. The day of the pour I set up the furnace and all the associated equipment.
“During the pour, I direct all activity at and around the furnace, opening the spout (‘tapping out’) for every ladle-full of iron, and working at the furnace, making sure that it operates correctly.”
Classes went through a slightly different process and created different types of molds for the event based on the course.
“Students in sculpture made ceramic shell molds from wax sculptures and also resin-bonded sand molds,” Quick said. “The 3-D design students make molds by carving negative space in bonded sand blocks. We call these scratch block molds. All of the work was successfully cast.”
Because 3-D design is a prerequisite for sculpture, all the students enrolled in the upper level course have already participated in one iron pour.For most of the students enrolled in 3-D design, it was a new experience.
Sophomore fine arts major and 3-D design student Mukami Mboche said, “I really enjoyed watching the iron get poured. The color of the iron was really cool and vibrant.”
Design students arrived about 1 p.m. to begin setting up materials such as the molds and the charges, which are the buckets of iron being put into the furnace. Students enrolled in sculpture, however, had a much different experience. For Willow Smart, a junior art education major, it was her second time participating in an iron pour at OWU.
“I had to get up at 6 in the morning,” she said. “I was there by 7:30. Me and the rest of the sculpture and 3-D students just helped prepare with John.”
Alumni also helped by “pulling the cupola furnace outside and setting up bots, which are plugs basically for the furnace to stop the iron from coming out when there’s time between the iron pour,” Smart said. Students and alumni broke the iron for melting and got the molds ready.
The pour started at 1 p.m. and was open to the public. All the molds were full and cooling by 3 p.m. Cleanup lasted until 6:30 p.m.
The OWU Iron Pour is the result of John Quick’s independent research on cupola furnaces. Quick described several conferences that eventually led to his fascination with the process and the idea of building his own furnace.
“I have been organizing and leading iron pours at OWU every semester since 1998, that is, for twenty-one years,” Quick said. “Prior to that time, I had been operating a modest bronze foundry at OWU since 1989.”
Theatre majors will come together on Dec. 6 and 7 to put on a production, with the directing and playwriting courses, of “One Acts!,” a series of short scenes performed by volunteer actors and actresses.
At the end of each fall semester, the Department of Theatre and Dance produces a performance where two upper level classes, the directing and playwriting, put on a student-run play. Open auditions were held Oct. 29 for students wanting to participate. Directing and playwriting classes pick the actors they want to present their scene. Students in the two courses have been preparing for this the entire semester to showcase their talents.
“Directing is a lot of hard work,” said sophomore Jasmine Lew. “You have to accommodate the playwright and the actors’ or actresses’ needs and wants, while still making the scene look good for the audience.” Lew has been active in the department.
“The scene I am directing reflects what I learned in class this semester,” she said. “I hope everyone can come see what I have done. I am really proud of my work.”
The director, playwright and actors of each scene rehearse four hours per week. The actors memorize the script; the playwrights give ideas on what they want their play to look like; and the directors try to replicate that on stage.
Actor and sophomore Max Haupt explained that being an actor for “One Acts!” has helped him greatly improve his acting abilities.
“‘One Acts!’ really helps you learn how to work with everybody involved in the production,” he said. “And [it’s] a great opportunity for new coming actors to try out their skills. It can be a great learning experience.”
Haupt uses a lot of his free time memorizing the script and getting into his character, saying sometimes he spends up to two hours every day preparing for a role.
“I am very proud of how hard the students have worked this semester on the show,” said instructor Bradford Sadler of the theatre department. “I think it will be spectacular.”
Thirteen dancers, a faculty choreographer, a guest choreographer and five crews are preparing for next month’s performance of Orchesis.
The Orchesis concert will be performed in the Chappelear Drama Center on Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The performances are estimated to run 90 minutes.
“Orchesis is the annual faculty-directed dance concert that incorporates dance works made by students, faculty and professional choreographers,” said faculty choreographer Rashana Smith.
The choreographers in this performance include, guest Megan Bushway, Smith and student choreographers: Taylor Frasure ‘21, Miah Gruber ‘20, Maggie Welsh ‘21, Tess Meddings ‘22, Anne Raspe ‘22 and Ellie Bearss ‘22. Each choreographer has her own piece.
The themes of the pieces include: a musical score, going from day to night, school shootings, watered grass, physical contact without touching, stepping into unknown territory and uniformity and individuality, according to an OWU press release.
Some of the audience can expect to see at the performance are: Alex Dolph ‘23, Anne Raspe ‘22, Colleen Cornwell ‘22, Eleyna Stephani ‘21, Ellie Bearss ‘22, Jasmine Lew ‘22, Kayla Rush ‘23, Lizzy Nebel ‘23, Maggie Welsh ‘21, Miah Gruber ‘20, Miko Harper ‘21, Taylor Frasure ‘21 and Tess Meddings ‘22.
“Dancers and choreographers meet as a company each Monday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. to have technique class and rehearsal together and to go over the administrative work of the company,” Smith said. “There are two hour rehearsals for each piece throughout the week. The only day that rehearsals are not happening are on Saturdays.”
In addition to the rehearsals, “we encourage people to go to the gym,” said dancer Eleyna Stephani. “We encourage people to just do workout cardio; to run; to do anything that keeps [their] body active because the more limber you will be and the better the dances will look.”
Some fears for this year’s performance include getting hurt and forgetting the routine. Stephani, who has bicep tendonitis in her right shoulder needs to be aware of what dance moves cause her pain.
“My fear is just making sure I know the choreography with all the other stuff I have going on, but once I get to performing, I’m not really scared, just excited,” said dancer Jasmine Lew.
Tickets for OWU students who have a valid student IDs are free. General admission tickets are $10. For senior citizens, OWU faculty and non-OWU students who have a valid student IDs, tickets will be $5.
For the first time, the Ohio Wesleyan Student Health Center is providing free flu shots to students until Dec. 1, 2019.
The Center has always provided flu shots and for the past four years it charged students $20.
Some people may not want to get a flu shot because they think it will “make them sick” or that it does not help fight against the flu, said Marsha Tilden, nurse practitioner at Ohio Wesleyan. She said there are many advantages to getting a flu shot.
“The flu can cause fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, headache and runny nose. Thousands of people in the United States die from influenza every year,” Tilden said. “The flu vaccine can prevent this.”
There are disadvantages as well, she said, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
“The only disadvantages are possible ‘flu like symptoms’ after receiving the shot and your arm may have some redness and swelling where the shot is given,” Tilden said.
About 75 percent of students at Ohio Wesleyan are involved in athletics, including intramural and club. Julie Houston, an athletic trainer on campus, said that it is important for athletes to get a flu shot.
“Illness is easily spread among teams that spend a lot of time together,” Houston said. “As athletes you travel to other colleges and universities and you could potentially spread the flu to other campuses.”
Libby Norlander, a sophomore at Ohio Wesleyan, is part of both the cross country and track teams. Norlander is far from her home in Carlsbland, Calif., and also far from her doctor at home.
“It is really helpful and very convenient that the Student Health Center provides flu shots to students because I do not have a doctor to go to here since I am from California,” said Norlander. “It is also important to me since I am part of the track and cross country teams and I need to stay healthy for my seasons.”
Not only do flu shots help individuals stay healthy and prevent sickness, but also can help minimize a flu outbreak across campus if as many students as possible get the shot.
“Getting a flu shot is very important for your health,” Tilden said. Avoiding the flu should be a goal for all students this year.”
As October nears its end, Halloween-themed events within walking distance of Ohio Wesleyan University are available for students.
Several events such as a haunted castle and a trick-or-treat farmers market are scheduled for this weekend in downtown Delaware.
The Arts Castle, located on Elizabeth Street, is hosting its second annual haunted castle event on Oct. 26 from 3-9 p.m. and Oct. 27, from 3-6 p.m.
“Essentially the entire downstairs is going to be used up in the event,” said Kati Henning, the manager of registration and administration at the Arts Castle.
“There’s going to be two mazes and a haunted laboratory and a haunted forest. So, as you walk through, the themes will change a little bit.”
As the main organizer of the event, Henning described her fascination with the haunted history of the Arts Castle, previous events and how staff was working to make the events more accessible to the public.
“We wanted everyone in the community to be able to afford to go through it, so we’re just asking for any donation that people are comfortable giving,” Henning said.
The lights will be turned on during the day for earlier tours, which are intended for younger kids or those who want to see the decorations. However, the lights will be turned off later in night. No strobe lights will be used, but there will be a fog machine in one of the rooms.
A Halloween-themed farmers market on Sandusky Street was held Saturday. It was the last farmers market of the season.
“I go because I like the homemade stuff, especially the food,” said Sara Cordle, an OWU sophomore education major. “I like buying fresh flowers and I like buying the honey because I know it’s all homemade. There’s no preservatives or anything in it.”
Other upcoming events around Delaware are listed on the Destination Delaware Calender, including events at local parks and businesses.
OWU alumni who have contributed nearly $200 million to the school were recognized during Homecoming last week.
To kick start Homecoming weekend, the Senior Class Council (SCC) and Ohio Wesleyan University Student Alumni Association (OWUSAA) held an event on the JAYwalk during the lunch hour on Oct. 17. The event celebrated OWU being close to reaching its goal of raising $200 million in donations. Students painted a rock that was then hidden on campus for the alumni donors to find over the weekend. Lawn games were set up and rock-themed music was played. Students got photos with the Bishop mascot. SCC members passed out annual homecoming shirts.
On the night of Oct, 18, students and alumni gathered at The Hill for the annual Homecoming bonfire. They ate pizza, caramel apple, s’mores and cider. There was also a beer garden, music, multiple campfires, lawn games and glow in the dark miniature golf. The event was sponsored by the Student Involvement Office (SIO) and the Interfraternity Council.
“This is always one of my favorite events to help plan,” said Ali Mayer, coordinator of student involvement and first-years programs. “I love an event that connects the current students and alumni. OWU has such a great support system from the alumni.”
In celebration for the football game on Saturday, students and alumni attended the tailgate in Selby Stadium parking lot preceding the game. There were food trucks and the Marching Bishops played.
“We tried something new this year,” Mayer said, “by the SIO sponsoring 100 meals at the tailgate. Students were able to pick up a free voucher during the week to redeem at a food truck. We wanted to alleviate the cost and encourage student attendance.”
Many OWU sporting events took place over homecoming weekend. The football team beat DePauw 28-13 which put them at a 5-1 record. The stands were filled with students, faculty, alumni and families.
“The stands were packed,” said senior Ryan Rubel, a strong safety on the football team. “I loved playing with the alumni supporting us. It felt great to celebrate homecoming with a win.”
Men’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey were also victorious over the weekend. The men’s soccer win earned the team a spot in the top 20 ranked nationally for Division III, according to the OWU athletics website.
On Oct. 20, all of the fraternities opened their houses to students and alumni. Fraternity members took them on tours.
“Greek open houses gave alumni the opportunity to see the house and visit with fraternity ‘brothers,’” said Rubel, of Delta Tau Delta.
