Josh Dejshun Epkins – The Transcript

Taking the post-OWU plunge into “the real world”

We are two weeks away from graduation. I’d say the real world is knocking on the door, but at this point I feel more like the first little pig in his house of hay, and the world is huffing and puffing. For those of us who don’t yet have a job, the stress of finding one has kicked in, hard – almost as hard as Christian Grey has sex.

What’s the next step for us seniors, you ask? Good question. Some of the members of our class have job offers or are off to grad school (congratulations, you make us proud). I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of us are still trying to figure something out.

If I get asked one more time what I’m doing this summer or after graduation, I might punch someone in the face. My hatred for this question is so blatant that during a Spanish class, my teacher asked everyone in it but me, stating that, “She knows how much this question irritates me.”

I have absolutely no idea what I’ll be doing this summer, let alone with my life. I don’t even know which country I will call home in two weeks. And while that and other things such as grades and finding a job are absolutely despairing, I find comfort in the fact I have around 400 other anguished seniors who are still trying to find their footing.

In my desperate attempts to find a job, I sent applications almost around the clock. I’m an addict. I’ve been selling myself for the past four months. Sending resumes, cover letters, doing Skype interviews, phone interviews, regular interviews, you name it. Last week, I came to the conclusion that I was damn tired of selling myself – I was ready to take this body off the streets.

So I took a break from applying. Yet, I realized very quickly that it was a bad idea, and I fell off the wagon. I’m once again a victim of the likes of websites such as Indeed.com, where they feed you hundreds of job prospects, all of which require at least 1-2 years of experience despite being called entry level jobs. However, that’s a whole different can of worms – I’m not tackling that subject right now, as I am pressed for time. I need to apply for some more jobs.

I’d like to reminisce to high school. No, not the fond memories of our athletic peaks (for most of us, this is undeniably true, sorry y’all), but to graduation memories. Remember how hard it was to leave your high school, your friends, people you’ve known for a large part of your life? Yeah well multiply that by googol (that’s a 10 with 100 zeros behind it for non-science/math majors).

While Delaware and Ohio Wesleyan are a home to many of us, they are not our hometowns. I can go back every summer to Rio and see most of my friends. However, it’s a little trickier to find all of my OWU friends – we don’t all have a place in common besides this school, and our time here is over. That’s what makes this so hard.

I have made friends, connections, and memories that I will never forget. Take comfort in your fellow senior classmates’ struggles, share, bond, hang out, laugh, cry, whatever floats your boat. We can only walk this plank for two more weeks before we fall into the sea that is the real world – make ‘em count.

OWU takes Miami: two Moot Court pairs headed to nationals

Ohio Wesleyan Moot Court teams have a history of excelling in competition, and this fall the story was no different. Two rounds of qualifiers were held in November, and OWU was the only school to have all teams qualify to the second round of regionals.

Ten teams of two people traveled to Saginaw, Michigan and/or Wooster, Ohio to compete in the regional stage of the mock constitutional case completion. Each pair receives a case in the beginning of the year that surrounds two issues. This year, the issues were First Amendment and Equal Protection.

Partners have to craft arguments both for the state and the citizen. Seniors Liam Dennigan and Memme Onwudiwe were one of OWU’s teams.

Both said they found it a valuable experience.

“I really enjoyed it,” Dennigan said.

Onwudiwe agreed, stating: “Going to Michigan and competing against all these other teams from other schools was great.”

“Last year we went to nationals, and I think it really helped me with my presentation skills,” Dennigan said. “It gave me the ability to react quickly and respond in a clear and concise way. It is probably the most intellectually stimulating program on campus.”

Andrew Paik ‘14 went to Nationals last year in his last semester. He now attends Law School at Harvard. Paik shared Dennigan’s sentiments.

“Nothing prepared me more for law school,” he said.

While the Dennigan/Onwudiwe pair was eliminated in the second day of regionals, two OWU team made it to nationals.

Junior pair Katherine Berger and Rhiannon Herbert, and senior pair Jordan Bernstein and Lidia Mowad are going to represent the Bishops in Miami, Florida, at the national tournament in February of 2015.This is the third straight year OWU has sent at least one team to the national tournament.

Each year, OWU teams improved their performances. In 2015, Bernstein/Mowad and Berger/Herbert will be trying to place higher than 33rd overall, achieved by the Dennigan/Onwudiwe duo in May 2014.

Mowad said they are up for the challenge.

“I’m excited that my partner, Jordan Bernstein, and I are the underdogs,” she said. “This was our first year doing Moot Court. We never expected such success, but the thrill of being an unknown threat at Nationals in Miami is exhilarating.”

Bernstien said she is excited to continue on in the competition.

“My favorite part of Moot Court is reading the precedents and then applying them to our current cases,” she said. “It is fun to see the language that the justices use, especially the snark at each other.”

OWU students, faculty gather to address Ebola virus

In recent weeks, Ebola has gone from an unknown disease, to an epidemic, to a disease better understood and controlled. Although the only three official Ebola hotspots are halfway across the world, it still has the potential to affect the U.S., including Delaware, Ohio.

Senior MbaMemme Onwudie has a family member in Nigeria. Although not one of the hotspots for Ebola, there have been reported cases in Lagos. However, Onwudiwe does not seem concerned:

“I am honestly more concerned for my family in the U.S.,” he said. “There has only been one case in Nigeria. The virus is known to have travelled across the US, and in Nigeria it was one isolated case.”

The CDC has confirmed three cases of Ebola in the U.S. Most recently there has been one in New York City, where a member of Doctors Without Borders who had just returned from Guinea has already been put into a 21-day quarantine.

One of those cases is of particular interest to Ohio Wesleyan students because the patient is from Akron, and attended Kent State University. Amber Vinson is a nurse in Dallas who treated one of the previous Ebola cases in the U.S. She has since been quarantined, treated, and cleared on Oct. 28.

There were follow-up tests made with people she came in contact with, especially around the Akron-Canton-Cleveland area. So far, no tests have come back positive.

There have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ohio. Two weeks ago, however, the State Panel of Ohio voted and approved a motion to spend about $800,000 on Ebola prevention and treatment.

$800,000 might seem like a large sum of money, but that is not the case, once the costs of treating the disease are understood. For example, the insulated suits health care officials use to treat patients with Ebola costs around $7,000 dollars. Expensive, yes, but what makes it even more expensive is the fact that these suits can only be worn once.

After an official wears one of those suits, it is immediately discarded to minimize contamination risks. Considering that nurses, doctors, and officials probably check in on patients more than once a day, it is easy to see how quickly the $800,000 can be spent – especially if there are multiple patients.

While the CDC and the World Health Organization both state that contracting Ebola in the U.S. is a “low possibility,” they still affirm that citizens should stay alert, and wash their hands/use hand sanitizer as often as possible.

Ohio Wesleyan students gathered last week to show their support for those affected by ebola around the world by having a candlelight vigil.

WCSA academic forum talks changes

WCSA held an academic forum on Wednesday, Oct. 22 to discuss some of the current credit requirements. The forum was held over several tables in the Benes Rooms, each with a faculty representative, at least one current WCSA member, and a number of students from different classes.

Barbara Andereck, a physics and astronomy professor, was one of the faculty members present at the forum. Andereck had never “attended a student/faculty/administrative discussion about academics hosted by any group” before, but said she was attracted by the premise of this forum.

“I was very interested in the topic of general education requirements and wanted to hear what students’ views were on the subject,” she said.

Discussions included, but were not limited to, the current diversity credit requirements, requirements for non-majors, and writing requirements.

The general consensus was that the diversity requirements should be increased. The students and faculty believed that while Ohio Wesleyan promotes a cultured and broad stance to education, a single diversity course requirement was too little.

“Most students complete more than one diversity requirement anyway, so this change wouldn’t affect much,” said sophomore Sam Schurer, WCSA treasurer.

While the changes for the diversity credits would be relatively simple, the group discussed more complex changes to the same discipline requirements. A proposed idea was to change the three classes in two disciplines requirement to three classes and in three different disciplines.

This change would allow non-majors to broaden their horizons without having to go in depth into a subject that might not be of interest.

Finally, the group discussed writing requirements and how more options should be offered within the students’ majors. For example, a chemistry major needing to take an English course about British literature would certainly be out of his element. It was said however, if a chemistry class with an R credit was offered, the student would most likely be more successful and engaged.

“We heard a very wide range of potential changes,” Andereck said. “I would think that some of the ideas suggested could be implemented.”

While WCSA representatives were not clear as to which ideas will be proposed to the school, the purpose of discussing the credit requirements was achieved.

Field hockey shuts out Bethany 2-0

The Ohio Wesleyan Field Hockey team recorded a 2-0 shutout victory this Sunday over the Bethany College Bison. Junior forward Karson Stevenson netted her first collegiate goal to give the Bishops the lead, and sophomore midfielder Cheyenne Gibbons gave final numbers to the game.

It was a hard fought game from the beginning. The first 15 minutes were played in the middle of the field, with defenders getting the best of forwards and ball carriers.

The first scoring chance for either team came halfway through the first half, in the 17^th minute. Gibbons received the ball in the goalie box and had two shots, both saved Bison junior goalkeeper Courtney Snyder.

Snyder’s efforts would be short lived, however. In the ensuing corner, Gibbons received a pass from sophomore forward Montana Knapp and passed it across the goal, where Stevenson tapped it in to put the Bishops in the lead.

Five minutes later, Bethany had their first clear scoring chance to score after a corner, as freshman goalie Jackie Feliciano had two big saves to keep the Bishop’s lead.

Ohio Wesleyan managed to keep the lead into halftime, despite playing with one less player for the last 3 minutes of the half, and sophomore midfielder Haley Savoie sitting out for a yellow card.

In the second half, the Bishops came out hard. Five minutes in, a shot by junior midfielder Venessa Menery was saved once again by the Bison goalie.

At the 20^th minute mark, the Bishops began a flurry of attacks, which resulted in five corners in a row. Freshman defender Paige Haenig, Knapp, and Savoie all had shots saved by Snyder or cleared off the line by Bison defenders.

The Bishops kept pressuring Bethany College and on another corner on the 16^th minute, Knapp hit a shot into the net, only to see it get called back by the referee. The score remained 1-0 for the Bishops.

With 10 minutes to go in the game, OWU finally got their second goal. Menerey beat two defenders down the right side and crossed it for Gibbons, who simply had to put it in the goal. The lead was now at a comfortable 2-0.

The Bishops had a couple more chances with Haenig, and kept possession to keep the Bethany College forwards under control. With 25 seconds left on the clock, freshman defender Addy Boyles had a clearance off the line to keep the Bishop shutout.

With the victory, the Ohio Wesleyan Field Hockey team is now 5-7. They face Wooster for a conference matchup at Selby Stadium on Thursday, October 9^th.

Women’s soccer looks to restore winning tradition

The Ohio Wesleyan women’s soccer team has been collecting loses since the previous season, where their record was 5-12.

This year, the Bishops have achieved one victory in seven games, as well as two ties. However, the players are hopeful for the rest of the season and see many opportunities to improve.

“From what I have seen at practice we have more potential than we did last year,” said senior forward Lindsay Reed. “Hopefully we can translate that into some wins in the upcoming games.”

The Bishops won the NCAA Division III title in 2001 and 2002, and were known as a powerhouse in the NCAC. Those golden years seem to be getting further and further away, with the last NCAA tourney appearance being in the 2011 season – where OWU was knocked out in the first round.

Despite the recent struggles, freshmen players have brought new talent and excitement to the Bishops.

Freshman winger Brooke Zinader scored one of OWU’s goals in the 2-1 over time victory against Washington & Jefferson last week.

“I think our program is great,” she said. “We could definitely be doing better though.”

Seasoned players also have some solutions in mind to get out of this slump. “We play our best soccer when we focus on little things, like two-touch passing and winning 50/50 balls,” Reed said. “If we’re able to focus on that we can get better results.”

Zinader had a more tactical view of what needs to be done in order to achieve better results. She said the team needs to “improve checking to the ball” and “play quicker all around”.

The Bishops face Wilmington College on Wednesday Sept. 24th, at 5pm, at Roy Rike Field.

Solar Saloon shines new light on bar scene

Spirits and solar power is the concept behind Solar Saloon, a new bar in downtown Delaware.

Solar Saloon operates completely on solar power, and the bar also sells solar panels in addition to it’s drinks.

The “Solar” in Solar Saloon is more than just an attempt to attract a different crowd. Besides selling solar panels and other objects powered by solar energy, the bar itself is completely run by solar panels.

“We have a big display in the back (with the solar energy items),” said Patty Donovan the manager of the Saloon.

“We run our speakers, TVs, the lights with it. Everything, it’s so different.”

Located above Something Sweet Coffee & Bakery, the Solar Saloon is impossible to miss. The Saloon demands attention with bright green LED lights and flat screens lining the walls, especially when the sun begins to set.

“Everybody comes in and loves it. [It’s] so different than being downstairs on the street level, just something about it,” Donovan said.

With high chairs and a bar along the window, the Solar Saloon capitalizes on its unique location.

According to Donovan, they have been so busy since their opening two and half weeks ago, they haven’t had time for a grand opening.

“We have had soft openings after soft openings,” she said. “We get people of all ages, all walks of life, a lot of college students… That’s what makes it fun.”

Senior Maria Urbina is another one of the bartenders at the Solar Saloon. She started last Wednesday and said she “loves working there.”

“Patty [Donovan] is really great, and it’s a new bar which is always exciting for students,” Urbina said.

“I think it brings something fun and unique to the Delaware bar scene.”

When asked why people should consider including the Solar Saloon in their Delaware nightlife itinerary, Urbina emphasized the bar environment.

“It’s a really nice atmosphere… It’s cleaner than other places and I think it’s a nice change of scenery.”

Owner Don Temple has owned other bars in the past and is a partial owner of the solar panel company Goal Zero, which supplies the Solar Saloon with its clean energy.

Donovan said that Temple has “traveled around the country selling solar supplies” and also has “always wanted to combine a bar with his solar business.”

It seems like Temple has finally succeeded. The Solar Saloon is open 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Men’s soccer rallies to return to national stage

Year in and year out, the Ohio Wesleyan Men’s Soccer program is a strong contender for national titles, with two already under their belt.

Ran by Jay Martin, the “winningest” coach in any NCAA division history at over 600 wins, the Bishops have enjoyed constant success and two national championships.

Big expectations follow this kind of success. The players expect to be extremely competitive and win not only the NCAC, but also the national title. For a team customarily ranked top 10 in NCAA Division III, starting the season ranked eighth is nothing new.

“We know how much pressure there is on us,” said junior midfielder Ricardo Balmaceda.

“But that’s why we come here, to this program. We like it.”

Martin’s Bishops went 18-0-2 last year, the sixth undefeated season in OWU Men’s Soccer history. However, after getting a bye in the first round, the Bishops were defeated at home by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin’ Engineers.

“It was crazy when they lost last year,” said Lindsay Reed, a senior forward for the Women’s Soccer team.

“They outshot Rose-Hulman by like 30, it was really frustrating.”

The spirits couldn’t be higher in the locker-room at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex. Last year’s defeat has been forgotten, and the team is looking to make a deep tournament run once again.

“I think they’ll be as good as they want to be,” said Martin of his players. “We always have great players. It will come down to being mentally tough and having fun.”

After a heartbreaking overtime loss at Calvin College on opening night, the Bishops have bounced back with three consecutive victories, with two shutouts and six goals scored. This includes a 2-1 overtime victory at Hope College.

“It was tough at Calvin, it was raining and we had a couple of players cramp up,” Balmaceda said. “We were a lot looser at Hope. We had fun, and we won as a result.”

This past weekend the Bishops recorded two 2-0 victories, against Mary Washington University and Guilford College, respectively.