Gopika Nair – Page 4 – The Transcript

Student poetry series hosted at bakery

By Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Several Ohio Wesleyan writers took a break from studying for midterm exams by sharing poetry and prose at an open mic event.

Speak/Easy, the open mic reading series affiliated with OWU’s English department, was introduced at Fresh Start Cafe and Bakery Oct. 10 and will be a monthly event.

Seniors Alyssa Clark, Curtis Taylor and junior Nicole White organized the event with the help of Amy Butcher, assistant professor of English. Butcher had the idea of arranging a student-run readers’ series on campus, White said.

Fresh Start is normally closed Mondays, but Butcher convinced the bakery’s owners to open that Monday evening to house Speak/Easy’s first open mic event.

“We chose Fresh Start because we wanted a venue that didn’t feel academic and instead felt cozy and welcoming to writers,” Clark said. “Fresh Start was open to working with us, had the room … and was eager to bring in more people to their new bakery.”

Nearly 40 OWU students attended the event, while around 15 shared their work. Some of the students who participated in the event included senior Chase Smith, junior Daniel Haygood, sophomores Em Sutliff, Emily Shpiece and Nash Bonnema. At one point, the manager of Fresh Start also hopped on stage to share a piece he had written.

Speak/Easy contributes to students’ growth as writers by giving them a platform to share their work, Clark said.

“One of the hardest aspects about being a writer is that you essentially need another set of eyes—or ears in the case of poetry and slam poetry—to read or hear your work,” Clark said. “An open mic night specifically for writers gives students a great opportunity to see how their pieces come across to an audience and to feel how their pieces sound out loud.”

White also said the open mic night gave students a chance to support the writers on campus, adding that the event provides something for everyone.

“Sometimes sharing something personal can be daunting, especially with a microphone, but I think we had a pretty open and inviting space for the first event,” White said.

The next Speak/Easy event will be held from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 on Veteran’s Day. The theme of the event is ‘War’ and specific topics can range from war of the heart or mind, war around the globe or war at home, White said.

Toxic greed infects water in “An Enemy of the People”

By Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Tensions run high as one man stands alone in a town filled with toxic greed in Ohio Wesleyan’s first theatre production of the academic year.

OWU’s theatre and dance department is presenting four performances of “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen at Chappelear Drama Center. The Norwegian play revolves around the struggles of one man’s fight for truth against those who stifle it for personal and political gain.

Though the play was written in 1882, its themes remain relevant as it parallels current water disasters in Flint, Michigan and throughout the country and world, said Elane Denny, professor of theatre and director of the play at OWU.

“I have wanted to direct this Ibsen play for a long time and felt that now was the right time,” Denny said in her director’s note. “It has been interesting and informative to hear our students comment about how relevant this play is to world in which they now live.”

More than 50 OWU students are involved with the production and rehearsals began in late August.

Environmental programs and clubs at OWU will also have displays in Chappelear’s lobby in conjunction with the show, said freshman Josh Martin who portrays Dr. Stockmann, the protagonist.

Martin said he was first introduced to Ibsen’s work and “An Enemy of the People” in 8th grade.

“I was always fascinated by the shift of character that Stockmann has and his hope in the face of political turmoil,” he said. “He’s justified in doing what is right and he’s very passionate in standing by his morals.”

The play also stars junior Daniel Haygood as Peter Stockmann, Dr. Stockman’s elder brother; and freshman Sarah Gielink as Petra, Dr. Stockmann’s daughter.

Haygood said he hadn’t intended to perform in any plays this year until he read the script and realized he couldn’t turn down the role given the timing of the production with the upcoming election and the Flint disaster.

“The places that the characters go can be very dark,” Haygood, who plays the antagonist, said. “It’s important, I think, to see what my character and other characters are capable of and I think that’s going to surprise people going in because it’s also very relevant today.”

Ibsen’s pieces are generally regarded as serious, but during rehearsals, the actors experimented with the script, approaching it in different, sometimes comedic ways, Martin said.

Gielink said that was one of her favorite moments during rehearsals. “There are definitely funny moments that you might not get reading it the first time, but how some of the characters interact with each other physically is very funny,” she said.

The three actors said they are looking forward to having an audience on opening night because they contribute to the actors’ energy on stage.

“I hope the audience will take away the message of hope that [the play] leaves with and how the struggle for fighting for truth isn’t an easy one, but it’s necessary,” Gielink said.

“An Enemy of the People” was held on the Main Stage at Chappelear Oct. 6 through Oct. 9.

Cheese meets Sandusky Street

By Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Ohio Wesleyan students and Delaware County residents don’t have to travel far to purchase gourmet cheeses and candies from Wisconsin, Indiana and Britain.

The Greater Gouda, located between Typhoon Asian Fusion Bistro and Hamburger Inn Diner on 12 N. Sandusky St., opened June 19 and business has been booming since, said co-owner Terri-Lynne Smiles.

Smiles said she and her husband Mark opened the shop in downtown Delaware because they discovered they had to drive to Amish Country, Plain City or Columbus to purchase Amish cheese, meats and other gourmet foods unavailable in Delaware County.

“We kind of looked around and loved downtown Delaware,” Smiles said. “We would just see a lot of people walking around and hanging out and thought, ‘Delaware’s ready for [the Greater Gouda].’”

Most of their customers have been Delaware County residents, but the store is attempting to widen their audience to include OWU students. During freshman orientation, the Greater Gouda provided coupons, giving all freshmen a 5 percent discount.

The shop is also organizing a September giveaway specially for OWU students. If OWU students sign up with their email address, they will be entered into a random drawing to win a 4.5 pound bag of Mike and Ike’s candies. No purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway.

Sophomore Anna Pakrasi said the co-owner suggested she sign up for the giveaway when she first visited the store.

“I haven’t tried anything from the store yet … but I saw some jams that looked good and I want to try their cheeses,” Pakrasi said.

The shop carries more than 80 different types of cheese, along with various deli meats and candies. Most cheeses cost about $4-6 per pound, and are imported from various parts of the country and world.

Some of their bestsellers include the Wensleydale with cranberry and the Cotswald from Britain, both of which were introduced to the store after customers requested it, and Big Ed’s gouda, originally made in Wisconsin. Customers can sample cheeses on request.

Kevin Farino, a customer who frequents the store at least once a week, said he purchases something different every wee.

“The Cotswald cheese is actually my favorite cheese,” Farino said.

The Greater Gouda also recently introduced “toastabags,” which are useful for students, Smiles said. Toastabags are used to make grilled cheese sandwiches in a toaster. The bags can be reused up to 50 times.

The store is also eventually planning on introducing non-food related events to the store, like musical performances, book readings and recipe demonstrations, Smiles said.

Currently, the store offers weekly taste testing opportunities to the first 10 people who sign up.

Since the store’s opening, the owners have organized two “Gouda Gives Back” days and plan to do one every month.

“We pick a local charity and … on that day, a percentage of all of our sales are donated to that charity,” Smiles said. “We also try to put out, through our social media outlets as well as some literature in the store, just some more information about the charity to get them some more exposure.”

One of the charities the store supported was People In Need Inc. and the day is designed to give back to the community of Delaware.

SLUs on the move

Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Dilapidation, bats and bees might alarm some, but for residents of Inter-Faith House (IF) and Peace and Justice House (P&J), leaving that behind means letting go of some cherished memories.

In an email addressed to the campus community on Jan. 27, Kurt Holmes, the interim dean of students, said OWU is vacating IF and P&J at the end of the 2015-16 academic year.

According to the email, both houses have “worsening mechanical and structural issues,” which led to the university’s decision to relocate the houses.

Members of both houses received another email on Jan. 28 with the news that P&J will occupy the Sexual and Gender Equality’s (SAGE) old house, while SAGE will move to one of the new SLUplexes in the coming academic year. IF will also move into a new SLUplex.

“[…] while I was somewhat saddened to know that the structure in which I have great memories will no longer be a part of my life, I was excited to know that the community with which those memories were made would still exist, and would possibly exist in a new SLUplex,” said junior Chase Smith, the moderator of IF.

Smith also said IF did have several mechanical and structural issues. The house does not heat evenly and though OWU’s Buildings and Grounds staff have inspected the issue, the outcome remained unchanged.

“When one half of the house is cold, the other is uncomfortable warm and vice-versa,” Smith said.

Moreover, lights in certain rooms tend to die out and there is a bee’s nest on the front porch of IF, which is aggravated in the warm weather.

“I do think it was necessary for [IF] to be vacated because it was no longer an efficient use of OWU’s resources to maintain the home,” Smith said. “I think the new homes … will be better maintained.”

Junior Emma Nuiry, a member of P&J, said that their house is also in rough condition. The toilets stop up often, their vacuum doesn’t work, water leaks from the ceiling onto a few housemates’ beds and there are bats on the third floor.

Despite these issues, Nuiry would have “relished the opportunity to live in [P&J for] another year,” but she realized that the house’s current state is a liability issue.

Sophomore Izzy Taylor also said that though they understand the administration’s concern about P&J’s worsening physical state, they have learned to adapt to its conditions.

“We love the rich history of the home we live in, and ultimately we don’t think the [current P&J] house is in such poor condition that we shouldn’t be allowed to live here,” Taylor said.

Nuiry also said that P&J is more than just a physical structure that houses students who live there. “It’s filled to the brim with memories, laughter, ghosts, bats, etc.”

She added that the move from P&J to SAGE “is the equivalent of the move from a severely dilapidated house to a slightly less severely dilapidated house.”

Nuiry said the move increases the likelihood of P&J being displaced again in the coming years because SAGE’s house also runs the risk of being deemed unlivable soon.

“Some people may think we are overreacting, but how would you feel if your living situation was constantly up in the air?” she said.

Despite the two houses’ relocation, students can go through the SLUSH process and try to become a member. This semester, IF will be recruiting to fill six spots for fall 2016, Smith said. P&J also has six openings, said Taylor and Nuiry.

Star Wars from a rookie’s perspective

Gopika Nair, Copy Editor
I haven’t watched the original Star Wars trilogy and I haven’t watched the prequels. I hadn’t even watched the trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” before I saw the movie.

Stormtroopers, Han Solo, R2-D2, Darth Vader and Yoda somehow existed in my periphery throughout my childhood, but I didn’t understand the fascination or hype surrounding the Star Wars franchise.

I get it now.

“The Force Awakens” takes place 30 years after “Return of the Jedi.” The sequel features the trio from the original trilogy—Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), whose first appearances on screen had me, a novice in all Star Wars related things, cheering internally.

With lines like, “Chewie, we’re home,” “The Force Awakens” give old fans of the franchise a taste of familiarity, while also welcoming new fans and a new generation as a whole.

The sequel introduces a power trio comprising Rey, a scavenger (Daisy Ridley), Finn, a stormtrooper (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron, a pilot (Oscar Isaac).

The recent Star Wars movie and the original trilogy share several parallels and themes, serving as a subtle reminder to veteran Star Wars fans that “sequel” isn’t necessarily synonymous with “disastrous.”

For a movie that lasted more than two hours, “The Force Awakens” could have easily bored viewers, especially those who aren’t die-hard fans of the franchise. But its biggest merit is that the movie didn’t feel sluggish.

The plot was interesting. The characters tossed around clever lines which hit the right mark of being funny without trying too hard.

The fight scenes were executed well and the tight, seamless editing contributed to the overall flow of the film, particularly where Poe, Isaac’s character, is concerned.

He appears in the beginning of the film, but after an attempt to escape the First Order goes awry, Finn presumes Poe is dead. The pilot doesn’t make a reappearance until the last 30 minutes of the movie.

Even so, his return isn’t jarring or abrupt, but his absence isn’t neglected, either. Throughout the movie, BB-8, Poe’s globular droid, befriends Rey to seek its master, thus ensuring that the audience remembers Poe.

Moreover, the actors, particularly Ridley, Boyega and Isaac, command viewers’ attention with their characters’ likability, while the older actors retain the signature charm that long-time fans loved from the beginning.

Even though most of us aren’t scavengers or stormtroopers or pilots located in a galaxy far, far away, Rey, Finn and Poe have qualities that make them admirable, quirks that make them likable and flaws that make them relatable.

Ultimately, “The Force Awakens” attracted a new generation of fans and that’s evident from the sudden surge of Star Wars’ popularity since the sequel’s release.

No matter how many years pass, you can’t escape the Force. The Star Wars franchise may have been dormant after the release of “Attack of the Clones” in 2005, but not anymore.

Cost of living in Delaware County

By: Gopika Nair, Copy Editor

Delaware County residents have a lot to smile about.

Low cost of living and a low unemployment rate make it an ideal place to live, according to interviews with a few residents.

But not only is it considered one of the best places to live in the nation, it is also one of the happiest, according to a study released in 2015.

SmartAsset evaluated the quality of life in the U.S. by examining factors such as family stability, physical health, personal financial health and economic security. Delaware County ranked second, behind Loudoun County in Virginia.

“The county’s median income is $89,757, while a three-person household in the county would need at least $34,057 to afford the necessities,” SmartAsset said in its study. “That adds up to an income-to-expenses ratio of 2.64, second highest of the nearly 1,000 counties in our analysis.”

However, residents worry about housing shortage and increase in education expenditure.

But compared to other counties in the nation, Delaware’s cost of living is cheap and hasn’t seen a significant increase in the past five years, according to a study by Bert Sperling, a demographer and researcher based in New York.

Sperling manages Sperling’s Best Places, a website that informs people about the quality of life in the U.S. and serves as a resource for those seeking relocation.

Based on a U.S. average of 100, an amount below 100 means that a county or city’s cost of living is low, while an amount above 100 indicates that the cost of living is high. Delaware’s cost of living is 94.5, which makes it cheaper than than the nation’s average, Sperling said in his study.

As of 2014, Sperling’s Best Places revealed that the average cost of food in a grocery store in Delaware is 93.1. The cost of housing and utilities, including mortgage payments, apartment and property tax, is 95. The average cost of gasoline, car insurance, maintenance expenses and mass transit fare is 98, while the cost of miscellaneous services such as clothing, repairs and entertainment is 91.

The only sector that is not cheaper than the U.S. average is the health care cost, which was 100.

Even so, Delaware County’s low cost of living was one of the reasons why Jerry Plak moved from Dayton in Montgomery County to Delaware city on Oct. 22.

“I’m originally from Ohio, but I wanted to move back [to Delaware], retire here and live more affordably,” Plak said.

The county’s low unemployment rate also influenced Plak’s decision to relocate. Delaware County has an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent, according to data by Delaware County Regional Planning Commission.

“Even during the period of high unemployment, Delaware was still the lowest,” Plak said. “[The jobs available] may not have been for everybody, but there was employment.”

Alice Simon, an economics professor at Ohio Wesleyan University, said the central Ohio area as a whole has a low unemployment rate.

“It’s the capital, so it has government,” Simon said. “It has agriculture, it has a lot of low-tech industries and it has a very large financial sector.”

In fact, JPMorgan Chase & Co., a banking firm, is the top private sector employer in Delaware County, according to Delaware County’s profile on the Columbus 2020 website.

The professional and business services sector is one of the highest employed industries in Delaware County, the county profile reported. But nearly 75 percent of employment opportunities lie in retail, government, education, health, manufacturing and transportation.

“Because [Delaware County] is so diversified, it weathers any kind of economic downturn …and is also able to keep people employed,” Simon said. “Ohio is also one of the Midwest states that’s still growing. That, in itself, attracts labor.”

Simon said one of the main reasons why people move to Delaware County and seek employment is the low cost of living.

Both Simon and Scott Sanders, executive director of the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission, agreed that the biggest expense is housing.

“Once you include the payment, the taxes and the interest, the biggest chunk [of money] goes toward housing,” Sanders said.

But as of 2014, the median home cost in Delaware County was $161,100, while the cost was $179,667 in Columbus. In 2015, housing expenses in Columbus went up to $194,758, according to the monthly residential statistics on the Columbus REALTORS website.

Another concern for residents of Delaware County is education, Sanders said. The population of residents who are three years or older and are enrolled in school is 123,101 as of 2015, according to the data on Delaware County’s regional planning website.

According to Sperling’s Best Places, the school expenditure per student here is higher than the U.S. average. Delaware residents spend $12,544 as of 2014, while the U.S. average is $12,435.

Though the cost of living in Delaware County is low compared to other counties in Ohio, not everyone is optimistic about the next five years.

Ryan Wince, who has lived in Delaware for the past four years after moving from Worthington, said the cost of living will increase as the economy grows.

But Holly Quaine, president of Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce, said the likelihood of the cost of living in Delaware increasing significantly is slim.

“The culture of Delaware is [one that doesn’t aim] to outdo the guy next to you,” Quaine said. “So even though we have excellent schools and health care, it isn’t an expensive place to live. It’s not a waterfront community, it’s not a downtown community and it’s not so urbanized that there’s a shortage for places to live.”

Simon also said Delaware will see an increase in the cost of living, but won’t become unaffordable. The addition of a mass transit system, however, might affect the cost of living.

“If they had a better mass transit system and a better rail system, you’re going to see massive increases in the cost of living,” Simon said.

Dan Charna, an assistant economics professor at OWU, said if interest rates go up and inflation starts to rise, then the cost of living will increase not just in Delaware but everywhere else.

Relative to Franklin County and other surrounding areas, he does not think that the cost of living in Delaware will increase dramatically.

Though some residents of Delaware County believe that the cost of living is going to increase over the next five years, most are still content living here.

Allan Wise, a resident of Delaware County for 23 years, said, “I’m thrilled [to be living here],” because he has been able to live comfortably due to the county’s low cost of living.

In close proximity

By: Gopika Nair, Copy Editor

At Ohio Wesleyan University, the chill of December doesn’t dampen art.

Seven studio arts professors from OWU’s fine arts department created works for the “In Close Proximity” exhibition, which will run from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 at OWU’s Ross Art Museum.

An artist reception was held on Dec. 3, which was open to students and faculty members. The exhibition features a variety of artistic media such as clay, metal, photography, printmaking, sculpture, painting, drawing and computer design.

Participating faculty members include Kristina Bogdanov, Cynthia Cetlin, Frank Hobbs, James Krehbiel, Justin Kronewetter, Jeff Nilan and Jonathan Quick.

Nilan, associate professor of fine arts, said the Ross Art Museum displays faculty members’ recent works every other year to share their works and research with the community.

“It’s a fact that we are engaged with our works in our studio and I think that breeds more effective and engaged teaching,” he said. “When we’re actively involved in doing things that we teach, I think that creates a more direct connection to what we’re [teaching] our students.”

Most of Nilan’s photographs that are on display at the exhibition were taken within the last two years, he said. The photos are also part of an ongoing project concerned with soft Western Iowa.

“I usually try to touch upon that project in every faculty biennial,” he said. “This time around, it was minimal.”

Instead, his primary focus was on landscape and figuring out how to perceive it.

Each faculty member explored something different in their pieces. Cynthia Cetlin, professor of fine arts, experimented in creating forms, patterns, textures and color by working with wool and silk, she said in her artist’s statement.

“I am fascinated with the repetitive technique of covering an entire fabric with closely hand-stitched rows that are pulled board-tight and knotted, then dyed or steamed,” she said.

In her statement, she described the process of preparing work for public view as “risky” as well as “inescapable and thrilling.”

“I am an ardent learner, always drawn to new techniques and to materials that are new to me. A constant in my life has been the desire to create body adornment and to develop knowledge and technical mastery.”

Sophomore Ellen Sizer said during the reception that the pieces that grabbed her attention were “Silver River of NymphsNaissos” and “Gold River of NymphsNaissos” by Kristina Bogdanov, an associate professor of fine arts.

Bogdanov said the pieces were inspired by her birthplace and the legend and folklore of Balkans.

Other pieces by Bogdanov include “6 Hours Difference Skype Conversations” and “Surreal Letters to my Sister.”

“In general, all of my work is inspired by my family,” Bogdanov said. “They are the inspiration and motivation, the provide me the experience and understanding of life and life values. Through the exploration of shapes, color, drawing marks or simply different materials, I try to visually communicate the stories related to my family or relationships within a family.”

Jillian Maruskin, a librarian at OWU, said during the reception that it’s important for faculty to showcase their work.

“They’re the ones teaching our students, and students have to feel like they have good mentors,” Maruskin said. “[Students can also] see what it’s like to be living, working artists.”

During the academic year, the Ross Art Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum to view “In Close Proximity” is free.

Bye bye stereotypes

By: Gopika Nair, Copy Editor

Actress Arden Cho. Photo courtesy of jackfroot.com.

I love movies, I love television shows and I love the world of make-believe so much that I grew up wanting to be a part of it. But as a kid, I had the disappointing realization that none of the leading ladies in Hollywood were anything like me.

They were rarely Indian, and if they were, they probably had a thick accent for ill-suited comedic effect along with a storyline about arranged marriages.

As a woman of color, I’m tired of seeing these overused tropes, and I’m not alone. The actors are tired, too.

After Deadline reported on the casting of the film “Death Note” on Nov. 12, Arden Cho, known for her role as Kira Yukimura on “Teen Wolf,” tweeted, “Great, another Hollywood feature film casting all white leads for a Japanese manga … Long way to go for Asians when we can’t even book animes.”

Cho has previously been vocal about turning down roles which feature “superhot Asian trophy wives with thick accents,” and took to Twitter in 2014, requesting writers and filmmakers write better roles for Asian actors.

The lack of worthwhile roles in Hollywood isn’t a problem that’s exclusive to Asian actors, however. It affects all actors who are women of color.

On Sept. 20, Viola Davis became the first African American woman to win an Emmy Award for best actress in a drama.

In her acceptance speech, Davis addressed the lack of roles for women of color in the entertainment industry.

“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity,” she said. “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

Out of several hundred network shows currently on air, only “The Mindy Project” is created, produced and written by a woman of color, Mindy Kaling.

Even shows that promote diversity, like “Modern Family,” often rely on one of the character’s accent for humor.

Actress Sofia Vergara. Photo courtesy of the Forbes website.

Unlike some women of color in Hollywood, Sofia Vergara, who plays Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on “Modern Family,” isn’t faking her accent. But her character does get ridiculed by the other characters often.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, Vergara said that there aren’t many ideal roles for Latina women in Hollywood.

Many untold stories about the lives of women of color still exist. So, ditch the tropes, writers.

Find new stories to tell. Tell stories about transgender women of color, gender-fluid people of color, non-binary people of color, bisexual women of color, asexual women of color and women of color with disabilities.

Tell stories that will earn Asian, Middle Eastern, African American, Latina and other women of color their Oscars, Emmys and Tonys. Keep telling those stories until a woman of color winning a prestigious award isn’t a complete rarity. Representation matters.

Orchesis takes the stage at Chappelear

By: Gopika Nair, Assistant Copy Editor

Ares Harper, Hilary Quinn and Jeremy Griffin-Jackson practice for this year's Orchesis performance. Photo by Trent Williams. — Ares Harper, Hilary Quinn and Jeremy Griffin-Jackson practice for this year’s Orchesis performance. Photo by Trent Williams.

After nearly two months of rehearsals, the Ohio Wesleyan dancers can finally rest their feet.

Students of OWU from the department of theatre and dance have been working toward staging Orchesis, the annual contemporary dance concert, since the first week of classes, said Rashana Smith, the artistic director of Orchesis and a professor in the theatre and dance department.

The show debuted on Nov. 13 on the Main Stage in Chappelear Drama Center. Additional performances were held on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15.

Orchesis featured 24 dancers and comprised eight pieces created by students, faculty and a guest choreographer. The individual pieces explored a variety of themes.

The show opened with “Migrations,” a piece choreographed by Jill Becker, the guest choreographer. Becker created the dance in response to the crisis of migrants fleeing war zones and seeking refuge in the west, according to her program note.

“I am moved and amazed by stories of the risky journeys people are taking in the hopes of having better, safer lives for their families.”

Some other themes that Orchesis explored included depression and the socialization process and its implication on women, which were choreographed by juniors Maddie Presley-Wolff and Diana Muzina respectively.

In addition to featuring original music, this year’s Orchesis is also the product of a collaboration between the theatre and dance department and the music department for the first time in years, said Smith.

The show concluded with Smith’s piece, titled “Effort of Interface,” which featured all 24 dancers.

Junior Trenton Williams, one of the dancers, said he hoped people understood the concepts of each piece.

“Nowadays, the rise in technology has made us more connected to our phones than to each other, and I really hope the people who attended Orchesis leave with a sense of awareness of this lack of connection,” Williams said of Smith’s piece.

Sophomore Alexia Minton, choreographer of the piece “Solitude of the Soul,” said part of the appeal of “Orchesis 15/16” was that it invited the audience to contemplate psychological, sociological and political issues.

“I think the greatest challenge I faced throughout the entire process of this show was trusting myself and having faith in my own choreography,” Minton said. “When creating anything, sometimes it can be hard to appreciate your own effort/artistry.”

Now that Orchesis has come to an end, Minton said she is thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from her small cast of dancers.

Williams also said that though Orchesis was demanding, he would consider doing it again next year.

“At this point, I have sixpack abs and strong calves,” he said. “It was a long experience, but it was definitely worth trying something new.”

Battling Bishops lose season opener

By: Gopika Nair, Assistant Copy Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan football team lost their season opener before a home audience to the University of Mary HardinBaylor (UMHB) 423.

The Crusaders’ victory on Sept. 5 at Selby Stadium marks the visiting team’s 55th consecutive regular season win, while the Battling Bishops start 01 this year.

“You win some, you lose some,” said sophomore Jerry Harper, a cornerback for OWU. “We just have to stick together as a family, not let this loss get to us and continue on forward.”

The Crusaders scored their first touchdown with about three minutes remaining in the first quarter, giving them a 70 lead.

Wide receiver Tim Shadoan, a junior, earned OWU three points with a 40yard field goal a few seconds into the second quarter. But going into the half, UMHB increased its lead, 143.

By the third quarter, supporters of the Battling Bishops grew restless. Cheers of, “Let’s go OWU!” and “Come on, get a touchdown!” roared from the stands.

UMHB, however, added field goals of 40 and 33 yards in the third quarter. Putting up a fight, OWU’s senior end Cameron Pappa, a senior, led the defense in tackles. Sharing the lead was junior linebacker Keaton Leppla, who intercepted one pass and broke up another.

With less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Crusaders brought up their score with a touchdown. The score remained at 423 for the rest of the game.

Sophomore Rene Garcia, a spectator, said the game was rough, but OWU’s football team has a lot of potential.

Another sophomore, Drew Singleton, said, “Every loss is a tough loss. But you [just have to] take this game, learn from it and get it next time.”

OWU’s football team reported to camp on Aug. 12 and have been training ever since, said Coach Tom Watts.

Camp consisted of practice in the morning, meetings in the afternoon and bonding activities to develop team chemistry at night, Watts said.

Captain Beau Michele, junior, said it was often difficult to get through practices but they helped strengthen the team.

“To beat the best, you have to be the best,” Michele said.

OWU is predicted to place fourth in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

“We will place where we deserve based on how hard we work throughout the season,” Watts said. “The conference is tough, and we are excited about the season. We know our guys are up to the challenge, and we are taking it one game at a time.”

OWU’s next game will be against Wittenberg University on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. in Springfield, Ohio.