When I wrote my column âCatcalls and harassment: the antithesis of charming and funny,â the only person I thought I might offend was the man I described as making an offensive comment to me after I took a spill on some ice.
I attempted to accurately depict my emotions and the events that occurred in my piece as descriptively as possible. I elaborated on my clothes, what I was carrying and how I was feeling to place emphasis on the way a negative comment from someone affected me, and in the process I learned an important truth.
Despite some of our differing views, Alyssa Long taught me a very valuable lesson in her well thought-out letter to the editor. I was trying to set a scene for my main point, but in the process I distracted readers from my true intention of emphasizing the dangers that can occur for women victims of sexual harassment. Although I never would have thought of it myself, Long makes the strong point that my indulgence in describing my material possessions portrays an image of a classist mindset. It never occurred to me that someone would take that idea away from my editorial, and that is exactly the problem.
We might not always realize the implications of our words, which is why we must make a conscious effort in monitoring them and taking precautions that they do not misconstrue our true meaning. Itâs a hard pill to swallow when you offend someone despite your innocent intentions, but it is also a learning opportunity not to be taken for granted. The realization of potential arguments that our words can inspire is a crucial development in conditioning our writing technique, and I appreciate Longâs perspective and her courage to speak on an issue I was ignorant to ignore.
I never discriminate against a cute pair of high top sneakers or turn down an opportunity to wear five inch heels. I have about 109 pairs, and my collection continues to grow.
The Transcriptâs editorial staff and I lay out the paper every Tuesday, and because I operate under the look-good-do-good principle, I always dress up on Tuesdays so I stay in work mode. Dressing well makes me most confident and keeps me constantly alert, and for me, dressing well equates wearing nice shoes.
That is why this morning en route to Phillips Hall to get the paper ready for all the editors coming in to lay out their pages, I was wearing a pair of Zara Italian leather booties with a two-inch heel. The treacherous ice sheet that has become the residential side of Ohio Wesleyanâs campus did not welcome the leather soles warmly. As I exited Hayes Hall to walk to my car, I carefully watched my feet as I walked down the exit ramp.
I told myself âEllin, you cannot fall. If you fall you will ruin your whole day. You cannot afford to ruin your whole day. Whatever you do, do not fall.â
I was off the ramp and on to the even icier parking lot when I heard a man whistle at me.
I looked up to see who it was, and the second I stopped looking at my feet I felt my beautiful boots fly into the air. My arms flailed, and my brown leather fringe bag went flying and simultaneously expelled all its contents.
I fell on my thigh and my right wrist. My lipstick was about 30 feet away. Next to it was my wallet, and in the opposite direction were my vitamins, all my credit cards, my phone, my makeup bag and my iPad. My white t-shirt was soaked under my thin leather jacket, and didnât have time to go inside and change.
Then, the same voice that whistled at me started crackling.
It was someone smoking a cigarette outside of Smith Hall. Instead of coming over to help me, he and his friend laughed and catcalled me. One of them yelled, âGet yourself wet there, sweetie?â
As if it wasnât enough that I had a long day ahead of me, that I was already running my usual ten minutes late, that my beautiful leather boots now had a massive scuff mark.
As if all of those things werenât enough, the universe threw in a couple sexist assholes.
Iâll never understand what these men want to accomplish. What do you want me to say?
âYeah, let me just drop the tens of millions of responsibilities I have to attend to today and we can get it on in the back of your beatup Honda that smells like meth.â Nope.
I didnât respond, and I was fine. Iâm writing this in Phillips Hall with wet clothes and a strong desire to punch someone, but Iâm fine.
Unfortunately, this kind of incident does not always turn out okay for women like me.
Letâs take, for example, the 33-year-old women in San Francisco who, Jezebel reported, was stabbed in the face last January when she rejected a man who was sexually harassing her on the street. Or the 15-year-old girl in Chicago whom. the Chicago Tribune reported, was hit by a car and killed after she leapt a from a bus trying to run away from attackers.
These women were not okay. They didnât just get a wet shirt or a scrape on their hand. Me falling on my butt and getting a late start worked out fine. I still shouldnât have had to fall because of two jerk guys, but comparing that to being killed or seriously injured by dangerous attackers, I consider myself lucky.
This kind of thing happens every day, and obviously happens here. Apparently, it happens relatively frequently here, too. Just the other day, my best friend was walking to the gym and a male student yelled at her from behind, âDamn girl, Iâm going to rape you!â
Not okay. Not in a million years is that ever okay.
If you believe that sexual harassment isnât serious, that itâs funny, that itâs flatteringâyou are dead wrong. No one appreciates being treated like a piece of meat in leggings. No one likes to be yelled at the creepy guy from Smith Dining Hall whom you have to ask to make you gluten free pizza upon request.
We have to stop shrugging these incidents off as just âsome asshole yelling at you on the street.â It isnât flattering, and it isnât funny.
Not every woman is lucky enough to keep walking by that asshole and go on with her day like I did, or like my friend did. We have to remember that.
The culprit of the flooding was this pipe on the third floor. The pipe burst due to extreme winter temperatures.
Photo by Ellin Youse
The Christmas decorations that adorned Elliott Hall over winter break still hang in the foyer.
Photo by Jane Suttmeier
Professor William Louthan’s office on the third floor of Elliott Hall experienced one of the more severe blows from the flooding.
Photo by Jane Suttmeier
A lost piece of jewlery hangs waiting to be claimed by its owner.
Photo by Ellin Youse
Family photos in professor William Louthan’s office on the third floor were ruined during the flooding.
Photo by Ellin Youse
Senior Marissa Alfano is a member of the politics and government student board. Photo: Communications
Q: How has the Elliott shutdown affected the proceedings of student board members? A: I havenât been affected by the closing of Elliot Hall too much yet. The biggest inconvenience has been for professors who lost research, had books destroyed by the flooding and have had to relocate to a small location in the Stewart Annex. As a senior, I am sad I cannot go visit my professors in their own offices, but do not have any classes in the building this semester so I have not had to rearrange my schedule at all. The P &G Student Board has not planned any events yet for this semester, so we will just have to find another building for the events when the time comes.
Public Safety Officer Jay McCann was on scene the night the flooding occurred in Elliott Hall. Photo: Communications
Q: What was the Public Safety office like the night the flood occurred? A: Officer Andy Roy was the first officer to discover the flood. He was working a basketball game and was leaving the game when he heard the outside alarm bell. If not for Andyâs keen sense of awareness, the damage would have possibly gone unaware for several more hours. The response from Lt. Cathy Hursey demands recognition also. Chris Hinshaw (from B&G), Cathy and Andy ran into a building that was flooding, not knowing if the ceiling might collapse or the possibility of electrical problems, they braved ankle deep water in the basement and a soaking downpour.
Professor of anthropology Mary Howard’s office was the source of the flooding throughout Elliott Hall, as the pipe burst occurred directly above her office. Howard has lost personal and sentimental belongings, classroom material and office supplies. Photo: Communications
Q: What are some of the specific difficulties youâve had to face due to Elliott closing? A: Back-breaking packing and moving boxes. A loss of lecture notes for classes Iâm teaching this semester. But since I rarely do lectures any more, losing my security blanket isnât too big a loss. Q: How do you feel OWU has handled the situation? A: Beautifully! People all over campus have been incredibly kind and caring. The president wrote a very empathetic letter to all of us, the dean and provost worked days to find us accommodations and have reached out to us individually and campus police helped establish order but were flexible with our needs. We owe a large debt of gratitude to the Buildings and Grounds people who must have filled dozens of dump trucks with discarded books and file contents. Q: Did you have to deal with losses or destruction of personal items or important documents? A: I think the universe designed this to help me downsize. Iâve been at OWU for almost 30 years and had way too much stuff. So, thatâs the silver lining in my having the office directly below where the sprinkler system broke. My slides from around the world can be remounted and finally digitized, I can buy another large picture book of âThe Hobbitâ Iâve been saving to read to my grandchildren, and I can email Paul Farmer, who sent me a signed copy of his latest book out of the blue and simply ask for another. Q: In what ways has OWU helped, or not, with relocating your office and classes to alternative buildings? A: I love being in Stewart Annex! It suits my 1960âs ideals for communal living. Besides, two of my closest friends, Connie Richards and Corinne Lyman, have their offices in the Annex. Pam Laucher and Kathy Frissora â they were ahead of us in anticipating needs for the move. They kept us appraised of decisions being made about access to Elliott and they have since made the Annex comfortable and homelike.
Paul Dean, associate professor of sociology, is one of the many faculty/staff employees using the Stewart Annex next to the Ross Art Museum as a makeshift office space. Photo: Communications
Q: How was your office affected by the flooding? A: My office was pretty much untouched for the most part; actually it was totally untouched. Because Iâm new here, I hadnât really settled into my office and I didnât have much in my office anyway. One, I didnât lose anything, and two, I didnât have much to pack up. All of my office fit into three boxes, I probably had the least of anybody in the entire building, I felt very lucky. Q: What is the biggest difficulty of being relocated to the Stewart Annex? A:Definitely the only, greatest difficulty for me has been meeting with students. Thatâs the main thing. We donât have any personal space (in the Stewart Annex) and we need to give students that when we talk about personal, academic things. We have about three real rooms that are available, and although itâs not too frequent, they do get taken by other professors to talk to their students leaving you without a space to take yours. There was one time so far that all of the free spaces were occupied and there were no places to talk to students. Q: How has this affected others in the Stewart Annex? A: I know that we have a couple of student workers and itâs been difficult for us to find suitable spaces for them here, and I think a lot of faculty has difficulty getting work done. Some of us have had to scale back our office hours just because there isnât enough room here to meet with students. Q: What would you say is the most emotionally trying element of the Elliott flooding? A: The worst part of it all is the amount of personal objects that were lost by faculty during the flooding and how much meaning were in those things. Like with Mary Howardâs lost rocking chair that she breastfed in â when you have experiences like that with certain objects and we lose them, those things are no longer just objects. Q: Are there any positives about relocating to the Stewart Annex? A: I guess as a bright spot, my colleagues and I have been joking around a lot and it kind of feels like we are in graduate school again.
Senior Haley Leber is a resident of 4 Williams Dr. Photo: Facebook
Q: Several of the parking space in the lot at 4 Williams Drive were changed from âBâ spots used by students into âAâ spots in order to accommodate the communications employees that were relocated to 4 Williams Dr. How has that inconvenience you or your friends? A: The parking situation is unfortunate. However, when the issue occurred I immediately called Public Safety to ask if they would only be ticketing during normal business hours. Luckily, I never need the B spots during the day. However, I do feel sorry for those students who live at 4 Williams and the times are inconvenient to them. What I will say is that there are absolutely no lights near 4 Williams parking lot and it is scary when you are alone. Other students feel exactly the same about our parking lot.
Professor of Anthropology, Mary Howard, examines the damage caused by the burst pipe that flooded her office along with the rest of Elliott Hall on Jan. 8, 2014. Frigid temperatures, in combination with the age of the historic building, caused the pipe to burst. This in turn triggered the buildingâs sprinkler system. A pipe above Howardâs office was the source of the leak, causing extensive damage to her personal and professional items. âI breast fed my babies in this chair, consoled many students in this chair,â Howard said of the lounge chair that became collateral damage of the Elliott flood. âBut at the end of the day, everyone was safe. I totaled my car last year when I hit a cow, and that was something. This, this is nothing.â
When Public Safety Officer Jay McCann walked into the foyer of Elliott Hall the evening of Jan. 8, a waterfall greeted him.
âMy first feelings can be described as very emotional,â McCann said. âHere stands the matriarch of our community and the origins of OWU, and she is hurting. It was as if you could feel the pain of the building as you walked through. It was expressed by all those who saw it…..sad day.â
President Rock Jones walked through the building a few hours after the incident was reported, and said the damage he saw was âjust devastating.â
âI received a phone call probably around 11 p.m. from Dan Hitchell who broke me the news,â Jones said. âWhen we saw the extent of the damage, we realized the building had to be closed. There was still a lot of water, but you know, the building and grounds staff worked all night long and did a really terrific job working to dry the building out.â
The flooding that took McCann by such surprise was caused by a pipe in the sprinkler system that burst due to the extreme cold wave, or the âPolar Vortex,â plaguing Delaware and the rest of the Midwest over the last two months. Director of physical plant operations Peter Schantz said the flooding could not have been prevented.
âThe fire suppression system functioned per its design,â Schantz said. âUnfortunately, aspects of the design made the system vulnerable to extreme cold weather. It took the severe cold weather caused by the polar vortex event in early January to reveal the vulnerable aspects of the system. We are taking steps to change the system design to prevent this in the future.â
Those steps include immediately checking the status of all of OWUâs water and sprinkler systems. Jones said there is a concern for the buildings on campus, as the cold weather shows no signs of letting up soon. The Corns building has the same sprinkler system as Elliott.
âWe are in the midst of another, even longer, cold spell, so they (B&G) are being very diligent in making sure all of our pipes are running, but itâs a very scary time. â
Had Public Safety not initially reported the flooding thus making it possible for the water to the building to be turned off, Schantz said the damage could have been much more severe.
âWe estimate the broken sprinkler line released about 12,000 gallons of water per hour,â he said.
Thirty to 90 minutes elapsed before the break was isolated, meaning 6,000 to 18,000 gallons of water cascaded through Elliott.
âThe building and contents would have absorbed significantly more water with each additional hour that water was released,â Schantz said.
Because the buildings renovation plan is not completely finalized nor has the total damage been fully assessed, Schantz said it was not possible to disclose just how much it will cost to restore Elliott Hall in full. Hitchell told staff at their January meeting the cost could be $250,000, with the universityâs insurance covering all but $50,000, the planâs deductible.
The renovations for Elliott will not affect the construction on the JayWalk or the restoration of Merrick Hall as those projects are assigned to different contractors, but that doesnât mean the renovations will move at a quicker pace. According to Jones, delays will surely occur as buildings across the Midwest are experiencing pipe bursts, and increasing the demand for building materials.
âThe big issue that could effect us is that there were so many water pipe breaks all across this part of the country that there is going to be a surge in demand for things like carpet and drywall ceiling tiles, and fillers for cracks,â Jones said. “So, there is a significant, sudden need for the hundreds and hundreds of buildings across the Midwest that have suffered from this kind of damage.â
Renovations are already underway, but delays may arise as buildings across the Midwest are experiencing similar problems and increasing the demand for construction supplies.
Some private universities had as many as 8 buildings with burst water lines, Hitchell told faculty.
Elliott, the oldest building on Ohio Wesleyan Universityâs campus (OWU), is on the National Register of Historic Places, so all renovations must be carried out in compliance with the registryâs requirements. Jones said although OWU will receive no financial backing from the registry towards the renovations, the administration is dedicated to ensuring Elliott maintains itâs historic appearance.
âWe certainly have a strong desire to restore the historic beauty and feel of the building, and during the restorations we will be keeping that mentality,â Jones said. âAnd, as unfortunate as the flooding is, it is a chance to add some modern amenities to the building. We want to get this fixed as soon as possible, but we also want to take time to make sure we do it right.
âWeâve met with the chairs of the departments to look into improvements for the building…it does give us a chance to make them and make the building better than ever.â
Top photo by Jane Suttmeier; bottom photos by Noah Manskar Video from Jay McCann
Jones said accommodating the faculty housed in Elliot is one of his biggest concerns. The university relocated the departments of history, politics and government, international studies, as well as the Historian magazine, to the Stuart Annex and moved the Communications Department has been relocated to 4 Williams Drive, working in what Jones calls âdifficult circumstances.â
Despite the difficulty of moving and salvaging office supplies and personal items, Cole Hatcher, director of media and community relations, is staying on the bright side, saying the transition was quick enough that the department lost little to no time getting back to work.
âWe havenât stopped or even delayed any work because of the flooding,â Hatcher said. âCurrently, we are working from 4 Williams Drive in space that had been used by the Student Health Center during the Stuyvesant Hall renovation. Former exam rooms are now offices. The space accommodates our full staff and student interns. Weâve been very lucky.â
Upon hearing that no one was injured during the flooding, Hatcher said his immediate concern was for the expensive equipment the department uses on a regular basis.
âI wanted to make sure that our cameras and web streaming equipment survived,â Hatcher said. âAnd everything did, which also has helped us continue our work. Public Safety was kind enough to verify this for me as the scene was unfolding. We also had many filing cabinets filled with paper documents and photos, but those fared relatively well, too.â
Professor of Anthropology Mary Howardâs office experienced the most devastating of blows, as the pipe bust occurred in her officeâs ceiling. However, she, like Hatcher, is upbeat.
âChange is always challenging for all of us but since life is change, it makes sense to me to just go with the flow,â Howard said. âBesides, based on my observations of national and international poverty, this slight disruption seems pale in comparison to me.â
Howard said the OWU as a whole has been âincredibly kind and caringâ in helping her with the transition.
âWe owe a large debt of gratitude to the Buildings and Grounds people who must have filled dozens of dump trucks with discarded books and file contents.â
For centuries, humans have danced for their desires. We dance for rain, for harvest, for weddings, for coming of age ceremonies, for hope, and for support. As long as there have been human communities, there has been dance. Dance is a means of expression and often, an expression of longing. Last Saturday, the world danced out its longing for peace.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, Earthdance came to Ohio Wesleyan to benefit Main Street Delaware for their work nurturing the Delaware community. There were nine featured performances, including one student group choreographed by senior Katie Sponseller.
Earthdance is a synchronized, multi-location dance celebration aimed at raising money and awareness for various charities. Beginning in 1996, the worldâs first Earthdance began, and has since grown into a planetary dance party for peace by affiliating with various international peace events, organizations and companies.
Earthdance is held in over 600 locations in 80 countries and exhibits outdoor trance parties, destination music festivals, public gatherings, concerts, campouts, flashmobs and house parties all connected via social networking sites. The goal is to allow the music and performance genres to represent their geographic homes, and thus an Earthdance performance can be anything from a belly dance to a dubstep concert.
Despite the diversity of the total Earthdance experience, it does incorporate a Global Link-Up. The events begin with a playing of the Prayer for Peace music track at the same time for all locations, something the Earthdance website calls âa profound moment of shared intention for peace.â The website explains that the link-up is an affirmation of peace on all levels from personal, family, community and nations.
Earthdance is an annual event that has taken place on September 21 for the past 12 years. September 21 is The United Nations Peace Day, a day devoted to commemorating and strengthening ideas of peace between peoples and nations. Earthdance aligned its mission with the U.N. in 1999, and has since partnered with local peace, sustainability or social justice charity to raise profits to support their work.
âAfter dancing in Earthdance last year I was really excited for the opportunity to choreograph,â Sponseller said. âThere are so many talented and diverse groups that represent the movement that they love at Earth Dance. The idea of showing off some of our OWU dancers alongside these groups made choreographing an easy decision.â
Sponseller said it was Earthdanceâs unique combination of community and diversity that inspired her while choreographing the dance.
âAll of the student dancers that were in my piece represent a different aspect of OWU’s dance community whether they are involved in Orchesis, Terpsicorps, or they just love to dance,â Sponseller said.
On a grander scale, Sponseller said the vast range of cultural performances allows the event to give Delaware an impact that exceeds the social norms of small town Ohio.
âThe variety in groups that come to perform is truly incredible,â Sponseller said. âDancers of all levels are given the opportunity to show their interests and passions through dancing which is an important and beautiful concept throughout the world.â
Professor Rashana Smith said she is grateful that âour tiny town of Delawareâ is able to house an event that represents global diversity.
âEarthdance is a real opportunity to think more broadly about the concepts of community,â Smith said. âDance is about bringing people together, and since this is an event that could have played out in the big city of Columbus, itâs great that Delaware was chosen for its location.â
Sponseller agreed with Smith, saying the OWU and Delaware communities are lucky to hold the event each year.
âI think that holding Earth Dance at OWU is slightly surprising because it has the potential to be a huge event,â Sponseller said. âHowever, I think that it is great for the Delaware community to hold an event like this one and it also proves that dance is everywhere, not just in big cities.â
Israeli folk dancers, belly dancers, yoga and OWU students and professors all comprised the dayâs events, but Sponseller said it was the dance of a local artist that captivated her most of all.
âMy favorite dance was performed by Francine Butler who is a teacher at Hayes [high school],â Sponseller said. âShe moved beautifully and gracefully, it was a true treat to be able to see her do what she loves.â
Smith said that the emphasis on individual movement represented in Earthdance is quintessential of what dance is in a historical and social perspective.
âDance is something that not only fixates on self expression and, it brings people together,â Smith said. âI wish more students would participate in the event as it is such a huge opportunity, but I think those students who do perform gain an understanding of what it is like to contribute to something on a global scale.â
Rashana Smith is a loving wife and a new mother to a seven-month-old baby girl. For fun, Smith is an active member of the Ohio Roller Girlsâ Gang Green roller team. Â She enjoys filmmaking and is a documentary film aficionado, as well as the the owner of an 80 pound Great Pyreneese mix. Sheâs worked as a freelance dance instructor in Seattle and Texas and received her Masters of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University. Now, she is also the newest addition to Ohio Wesleyan Universityâs dance department.
Smith joined the OWU community this semester and will be instructing a workshop in Modern Dance, Dance Composition, Technique II and III during the 2013-14 academic year as well as working as the Artistic Director of Orchesis. Although new to OWU, Smith is not new to instructing dance at a university level. Smith has taught at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, sheâs worked at The Ohio State University and Wittenberg University. And while she feels comfortable teaching at a university level because of her past experience, Smith said she feels a real connection to college students because she was one herself when she fell in love with dance.
âI took Ballet and Tap when I was 5-7 years old. And then I played sports. I danced a little bit in a drill team in High School, but it wasnât until I went to college when I discovered that there was such a thing as Modern Dance and Improvisation,â Smith said. âAt the time, I was an art major enrolling in elective courses. I took the standard ballet class and then tried to branch out with something new, which led me to Modern Dance. I was hooked. I changed my major and eventually transferred to University of Texas because it offered a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. After graduation, I continued to dance in Austin with local choreographers before moving to Seattle, Washington where I continued to dance and create work.â
It was in Seattle that Smith developed a love for âall things technology.â Smith said there were no dance programs that directly addressed technology the realms of dance making at that time, so to be able to work in both fields she loved she worked as a technologist during the day and a choreographer, dancer and educator in her free time. After some time living what Smith called a âdouble life,â she attended The Ohio State University for a unique masters program.
âEventually, The Ohio State Universityâs Department of Dance offered a Dance and Technology masters program, which I am pleased to have completed,â Smith said. âIâm happy to be working in the field of dance and incorporating technology as well. Iâm also ecstatic to be at OWU where interdisciplinary courses are supported.â
Interdisciplinary courses are just one of many things Smith said she loves about teaching in a liberal arts environment.
âI think I am at my best [in a liberal arts environment]â Smith said. âOWU faculty, staff and students have been very welcoming and generous. The Theatre and Dance faculty in particular have been open to hearing and sharing ideas, which is imperative when developing a dance program.â
As far as comparing OWU to other institutions sheâs taught at, Smith said the devotion of OWU students is one quality of the university she finds particularly unique.
âThe dance programs of each of the places Iâve taught at are all a little different from each other, so itâs hard to compare,â Smith said. âHowever, I will say that OWU seems to have a high academic standard of admissions. Iâm impressed with this yearâs freshmen. In general, Iâm impressed with the level of professionalism, technical skill, work ethic, and knowledge of the OWU students as a whole. I enjoy the studentsâ sense of curiosity and I find myself evaluating how I can continue to challenge them further. Itâs a challenge that works both ways.â
The challenge of progressing her teaching and her studentâs perspectives in her work is something Smith says cannot come close to the challenge of time. Smith said that no matter where sheâs teaching, time is the one demon she always faces.
âIâm not new to teaching at the university level, but the challenge always remains the same â time,â she said. âI am always concerned with making sure each student gets the most out of their classes with me and this involves hours of preparation and meeting with students and colleagues. I love this aspect of teaching; I just wish I had unlimited amount of time for it.â
The challenge of time proved to be particularly present in the planning of this yearâs Orchesis concert. The performance is an annual contemporary dance concert that features the work of students, faculty and guest choreographers that is usually held in the spring. However, due to scheduling considerations for Chappelearâs main stage, the concert will be held in the fall this academic year.
Smith said this yearâs Orchesis will include works from five student choreographers, a new piece by dance faculty member Marin Leggat and pieces by Smith herself. Leggat was the artistic director for Orchesis in the past, but as she is on leave this year she left the production in the handâs of Smith.
âWeâre in the midst of intense rehearsals right now and loving every minute of it,â Smith said. âI enjoy working with so many young dancers with different dance backgrounds.â
One of the most exciting aspects of choreographing Orchesis this year was Smithâs ability to organize all 21 dancers into one piece. The production always features one act with a full cast, and Smithâs ability to direct it is one of most exciting honors of the Orchesis season.
âI like seeing these dancers performing as a large ensemble, all the while bringing their individual talents to the stage,â Smith said. âI was completely elated after our last rehearsal.â
According to junior Ben Danielson, Smith isnât the only elated cast member. Danielson said Smithâs combination of efficiency and playfulness keep everyone in the cast uplifted and motivated.
âItâs ironic to be asked this question because I was just boasting about how wonderful Rashana is,â Danielson said. âSheâs an innovative thinker, sheâs very organized and I can tell that sheâs always keeping us in mind as a group, just to improve our experience in Orchesis. She keeps the rehearsals professional and efficient, but she adds her own flare and quirkiness at the same time. Iâm very happy that sheâs a part of our company, and sheâs done nothing but great things.â
