Author: mrmatos

OWU renovations: long overdue

By Spencer Queen

Staff reporter

scqueen@owu.edu

Updated Feb 28, 2019

Broken elevators, outdated facilities, poor plumbing, and a lack of air-conditioning— all routine complaints made by OWU students— were recognized as serious problems by the Board of Trustees, which recently revealed a new plan to completely overhaul residential life on campus.

President Rock Jones relayed the Board’s decision in an email, calling the plan “ a new era for Ohio Wesleyan.”

What will this new era look like? The plan involves renovating Smith Hall, Hayes Hall, Welch Hall, and the fraternity houses, the removal of Bashford and Thomson Halls, and the building of a “senior village” at the end of the JAY Walk.

On February 20, President Jones revealed more specific details in a presentation open to the OWU community. He listed three criteria for the designs of the new buildings: “cleanliness, condition, and community.” He envisions residential life progressing from a community-driven first year to a fully independent senior year.  During the presentation, attendees were encouraged to use their cell phones to give feedback on various proposals. Though eager for student input, President Jones urged that plans are nearly complete, and any concerns should be voiced “sooner rather than later.”

Next year, students can expect a completely renovated Smith West and an apartment building housing 126 seniors. The apartments will be in units of eight, six, and four bedrooms, ranging from least to most expensive, respectively.

In the more distant future, Smith Hall will be remodeled as a “first-year” village housing 414 students. Students will live in double rooms while sharing quarter bathrooms. Other amenities proposed but not firmly decided include a fitness center, a quiet meditation space, and an outdoor dining area.

As part of the effort to foster independence, two more apartment buildings will be added to replace Thomson and Bashford halls. The expansion and relocation of the T-Store to this senior village is under consideration, with particular emphasis on students buying and preparing their own meals as an alternative to the current meal plan system.

Students at the meeting voiced many ideas and suggestions, but one brought up a point that was conspicuously downplayed in the presentation: sustainability.

Sophomore Carl DeScott, who attended the meeting, said that the plan was “pretty solid.” However, with respect to sustainability, Descott said that there is “a long way to go” to make the buildings environmentally friendly.

“The Ebony and Ivory Ball was everything that Ohio Wesleyan University needed at this moment in time,”

By Azmeh Talha

Staff reporter

aatalha@owu.edu

In celebration of black history month, the Ebony and Ivory Ball brought together students of different schools in Ohio.

The event was hosted by Ohio Wesleyan’s Black Student Union (BSU) on Saturday, Feb. 16. BSU treasurer, junior Keionna Babie was in charge of planning the night.

Babie said students from Otterbein University and Ohio Dominican University reached out saying they wanted to attend the event.

“Before we could even reach out to other schools, somehow they got word and started asking us where can they buy tickets and stuff,” Babie said.

BSU aimed to make the ball a big event for all the Ohio schools to attend like Ohio State University’s African Night, Babie said. African Night is “a region-wide cultural celebration that provides a platform for diverse expression amongst alumni, current students, faculty, as well as other Midwestern African student associations,” OSU said.

“We have 30 [attendees] registered from Denison but we had some more that were not registered,” said junior Daniela Black.

The ball was held in the Benes Room of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center and welcomed attendees throughout the later evening. Described as “chill” by Otterbein University junior De’Andre Mckenney, the evening had a decorated monochrome and champagne atmosphere suited to the ball’s theme.

A photo booth was set up with glittering gold drapes on either side with a black and white striped backdrop in between. Balloons of the same color scheme were arranged in the shape of the letter M across the photo booth.

Each table had a centerpiece of white and black roses in a long, thin, transparent vase with gold diamante clusters in between. Tables were also scattered with circular gold confetti.

“It was a lot of stuff that we had to plan and think about; it was worth it though,” said Alexis Thomas, secretary of BSU.

BSU hired DJ Vnicee (Javon Forrester) for the Ebony and Ivory Ball, a DJ Babie says has worked with a lot of Chicago rap artists.

Vnicee’s choice of music consisted of mainstream popular rap songs such as 21 Savage’s “Bank Account” and Drake’s “Nonstop” as well as some African culture with music by regional artists.

“The Ebony and Ivory Ball was everything that Ohio Wesleyan University needed at this moment in time,” said senior Ares Harper. “It created a safe space for people of color to come and have a great time, enjoy themselves and for one night not think about their race.”

Government impact on a private school

By Erin Ross

Staff reporter

emross@owu.edu

Ohio Wesleyan University faculty expressed relief in minimal effects from the recent government shutdown but holds concern about the effects of a possible part two.

Despite being a privately funded university, OWU depends on the federal government for financial aid and research funds. The university was able to avoid any detrimental effects from the shutdown, yet is unsure if such luck will last.

Kevin Paskvan, director of Financial Aid, said the university’s financial aid is fully funded for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years and that OWU has not seen any negative financial effects from the shutdown thus far.

“Federal Student Aid is also what they deem as an essential department and federal workers are still required to work,” Paskvan said. “We haven’t seen any negative impact at Ohio Wesleyan.”

Although no direct funding issues occurred, there were some complications within database matching, Paskvan said.  

“On some Fall 2019 admits we have seen some database matching issues for male students regarding selective service,” Paskvan said.

He explained how the office was still able to generate financial aid packages, but that they must fix the issue before they disburse funds.

“Federal Student Aid will reprocess these FAFSA mismatches now that the government has reopened,” Paskvan said. “Even if the government was shut down we could look the students up on the Selective Service website to clear the issue.”

The Financial Aid Office also received guidance from Federal Student Aid in the process of verification for students who were selected to be audited but could not get a tax transcript, Paskvan said.

Paskvan encouraged any students at the university whose families have experienced financial effects from the shutdown to reach out to their financial aid counselor.

In addition to the Financial Aid Office, scientists and researchers at the university discussed the impact that the shutdown had on their funding.

Chris Wolverton, professor of Botany-Microbiology, explained how he receives federal funding for his research endeavors at OWU.

“I have a NASA grant to study plant gravity perception,” Wolverton said. “We carried out a successful experiment on the International Space Station in 2017-2018 and are now in the process of extracting RNA to study differential gene expression in the plants from space.”

Beyond a lack of communication with research centers, Wolverton’s research was not negatively impacted by the government shutdown.

“The shutdown timing was fortuitous for my research project since it fell at a time that I did not require lots of interaction with my supporting team at NASA Ames Research Center and NASA Kennedy Space Center,” Wolverton said. “The main effect for this recent shutdown was that I did not get timely feedback on some questions I had.”

On a grant, NASA distributes funds in small intervals rather than all at once, so a need for more funds at a greater rate could have led to issues, Wolverton said.  

Despite avoiding any major funding issues throughout the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, Wolverton expressed concern for possible issues in the future.

“We have several large upcoming expenses though, and I’m slightly concerned that we will not have the next installment of our funding when those come if there is a part two to this shutdown,” Wolverton said.

In addition to personal research funds, Wolverton expressed general concern for the negative effects that the government shutdown could have on research throughout the nation.

“There is so much important research done every day in this nation that is funded by the system of federal grants …” Wolverton said. “When the funding dries up, even for a short period, it can have devastating impacts on progress, especially for long-term projects that require data collection every day or on a very time-sensitive schedule.”

Robert Haring-Kaye, professor of Physics and Astronomy and principal investigator for OWU’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, shared similar concern for the effect on research.

“I’ve heard concern from principle investigators at other institutions who are still waiting to hear if their REU proposal has been funded this year,” Haring-Kaye said. “The shutdown has delayed this process and they are uncertain what to do.”

Due to the security of funds through a three-year grant awarded in 2017, the government shutdown did not impact OWU’s REU program, Haring-Kaye said.

OWU radio back and better than ever

By Azmeh Talha

Staff reporter

aatalha@owu.edu

Despite facing a technical difficulty, Ohio Wesleyan University’s (OWU) radio station, The Line made a comeback and aired its first show two years after it was shut down.

The Line’s first show aired on Feb.1.

The hosts, freshmen Henry Tikkanen, Maxwell Peckinpaugh and Jacob Delight and played a diverse range of music and tossed jokes being around in between songs.

The university’s online-only radio station was inaccessible to those who were not connected to OWU’s Wi-Fi connection, Bishop Net but the problem was resolved, Tikkanen said.   

“Jacob is more geared towards rap, I’m more towards indie and Henry is more classic rock and modern rock,” Peckinpaugh said.

“Something about the radio that I just really like it like it’s not necessarily a playlist that’s built for you,” Tikkanen said, “so you can branch out and find different songs and different types of music.”

Students on campus contributed to the show by sending in texts during the show and commented on the music being played, Peckinpaugh said.  

Tikkanen reached out to Professor Jo Ingles, Professor of journalism and media advisor of The Transcript and OWU radio and asked to bring the station back.

“Henry has been doing a lot of legwork,” Ingles said.

She further said Tikkanen is very interested in doing his own show.

Apart from a few guidelines, Ingles has given the students the freedom to air whatever interests them to keep it fun.

“The radio should be a place where everyone can feel comfortable to tell stories, exchange ideas,” Ingles said.  

Ingles emphasized that a lot goes on in the university that people may not know about and the radio is an opportunity to spread the word about events that students and faculty might miss otherwise.

The Line is not restricted to topics related to events that happen in OWU but should also include discussions about life in general, Ingles said.

“Any of those things can be really great radio and my hope is that the students who are doing the radio shows will tap into that and create something wonderful,” Ingles said.  

Ingles hopes that more students will participate with the radio and express themselves by doing things that interest them and other students.

Peckinpaugh aims to spread good music across campus.

Delight looks forward to learning more about how radio stations work, sharing music with their listeners and hanging out with friends.

The next show will air on Thursday, Feb. 14, and will have Valentine’s day theme to it.

Mens basketball suffers another loss this season

Updated March 6, 2019

By Jacey Scheffel

Staff reporter

The men’s basketball team fell at Wittenberg University on Wednesday night, 91-58. After back to back losses, the team plans to get back on track to finish up their 2019 season.

Junior Tristin Tillman and Freshman Gabe Johnson had 3-pointers late in the first half to bring the Bishops to 39 points. Trailing 10 points behind Wittenberg. Freshman Nick Carlson put up 8 points and 2 rebounds in the first half. Junior Grant Gossard contributed 2 rebounds.

Freshman Ethan Stanislawski brought the Bishops up to a 7 point trail within the first minute of the second half. Junior Jaret Gerber, Sophomore Jeffrey Hudson and Junior Jake Hecker put up 2 rebounds each.

Gossard and Stanislawski contributed 10 points each to the Bishops.

Hudson was not surprised by the difficulties the team faced against the Tigers.

“Wittenberg came out really hard like we expected, but they consistently hit tough shots and made things hard for us on offense,” Hudson said.

Coach Mike Dewitt attributed difficulties to poor team play but believes the team has to learn to play away from their home court.

“I think any young team has to learn to play well on the road, especially against good teams. We are learning that lesson,” DeWitt said.

The team also lost a close game to the Wooster Fighting Scots Saturday at home, 76-74.

Coming back from back to back losses does not pose a challenge to DeWitt. His plan for the team is straightforward.

“Our goal all year has been to just improve in every game and in every practice, and that still remains our goal,” DeWitt said.

Student Assistant Coach Deji Adebiyi says improving as a team and individually every chance they get will help them recover from these losses.

The team stands 7th in the NCAC with a current overall record of 11-11. The Bishops plan to end the season with a winning record.

“I expect us to bounce back and play very well in these last three regular season games,” DeWitt said.

A disappointing defeat for Bishops

By Avery Detrick

Staff reporter

aedetric@owu.edu

The Ohio Wesleyan University Bishops Women’s Basketball Team lost 57-76 to the Wittenberg University Tigers on Feb. 6, 2019. The game was hosted at OWU at the Branch Rickey Arena and began at 7 p.m.

The Wittenberg Tigers played with a strong defense. Many of the points made by the Tigers were the results of rebounds off of the Bishops’ offense. The players on both teams played aggressively, resulting in the Bishops receiving 18 fouls and the Tigers receiving 16.

The OWU Women’s Basketball Team has a 10-12 record and holds a losing streak of 3. The score on Feb. 6 was led by sophomore guard Tia Karras, who scored 15 points. Karras was followed by senior guard Erin Delaney with 31 points and freshman guard-post Cierra Joiner with 8.

The Wittenberg Tigers have a record of 15-8. Their team was led by sophomore forward Kristie Kalis with 19 points. Following Kalis were junior center Riley Culver with 15 points, and senior guards Alex Kiess and Sydney Mayle, both scoring 8 points.

“I am proud of our seniors. Erin (Delaney) and Lisa (Zeller) have committed to being their best and lead by example, on and off the field,” said head coach Stacey Ungashick Lobdell. “We are in a rebuilding season and have a lot of talent in our younger players.”

“We have been working really hard in practice to finish out the season strong, and I think it’s showing in the games,” said Karras. “Although we did not win the game against Wittenberg, we gave them a hard-fought battle. We played well as a team, and I am excited to see what the end of the season has in store for us.”

The team’s next game will be against the DePauw Tigers on Feb. 9, 2019. The game will be hosted by OWU at the Branch Rickey Arena. 

New Title IX guidelines give rise to concerns on campus

By Avery Detrick

Staff reporter

aedetric@owu.edu

The U.S. Department of Education is in the process of making efforts to change the Title IX guidelines. The Title IX guidelines lay down rules for the way universities in the US respond to sexual assault and/or harassment.

A 60 day period of comment opened up on Nov. 28, 2018 and closed Jan. 28, 2019. As of Jan. 25, 71,600 comments had been issued. These comments must be reviewed and analyzed before the new rules are finalized, and they have the power to modify the proposal.

The proposed changes aim to enforce the gender-equity law passed June 23, 1972 which bans discrimination based on sex. (Columbus Dispatch)

“Ohio Wesleyan University is fully committed to providing a campus that is welcoming and safe for all people and accusations of sexual assault are taken very seriously, investigated carefully and fully with a commitment to fairness for all parties, with the commitment to honoring the outcome of an investigation and hearing, including appropriate accountability and consequences for anyone found to be in violation of our policies, and full support of and protection for victims of all forms of assault,” President of OWU, Rock Jones said.

“We will, of course, maintain our steadfast commitment to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct on campus no matter the outcome of the proposed changes,” OWU’s Title IX Coordinator and Dean for Student Engagement and Success Dwayne Todd said, echoing Rock Jones’s statement.

“The Trump administration has appeared to show that there is more tolerance to things such as sexual assault and hate crimes, which have had a continuing spike in the time he has been in office,” first-year Danielle Black said. “The trend of intolerance towards minorities seemed to decrease under the Obama administration, and now it is taking a dive that we’re going to have to spend years reversing. These changes are going to make it harder for the victims to bring up instances of sexual assault. Right now it is already difficult to prove sexual assault, and this will only make it increasingly difficult.”

Hate crimes have shown to be on the rise, as shown by the 2017 statistics released by the FBI.

“To me, the passing of this change seems to bring a more typically judicial approach to sexual assault claims in the way that it adds a full investigation to the accusations instead of simply anecdotal experiences. The ability to also appeal for a cross investigation would then cut down on any false allegations. While I do disagree with universities not being required to take action when the incidents occur off campus, I overall agree with the proposed changes. No victim should be fearful that they are not taken seriously, whether that be through a guilty case of sexual harassment or a false accusation,” freshman David Jindracek said, opposing Black’s view.

Conflicting views are to be expected. The proposed Title IX changes are heavily debated and politicized due to an increasingly tense political climate in the U.S.

“I feel that the definition of harassment the Title IX changes proposes is much too lenient. Otherwise, these changes seem fair to me. I especially agree with the changes allowing more due process for the accused. While being trained to become a resident advisor, one thing that’s stressed is that those being accused of sexual assault sometimes don’t realize they did something wrong, and it’s important to hear both sides of the story,” junior Alex McPherson said.

It remains unclear to what extent changes to Title IX will occur, or the impact that the comments issued by universities across the nation will have on the new legislature.

Puerto Rico still struggling post Hurricane Maria

By Meg Edwards

Staff reporter

mmedwards@owu.edu

As Delaware tackles snow emergencies and negative temperatures, some Ohio Wesleyan students remember other, more destructive natural disasters.

For Sandra Galindez (2020) and Alexander Sanchez (2022), both Puerto Rican students studying at OWU, Hurricane Maria was more than just a passing news story.

Puerto Rico, which is a United States protectorate with a population of over 3 million (according to the US Census Bureau) gained significant attention from US media after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria over sixteen months ago, in September of 2017. The official death toll from Puerto Rican officials is 2,975, referring to the thousands of people who died of conditions following the storm, such as a lack of electricity, fresh water, food, and access to medical care.

For Galindez and Sanchez, the hurricane had an impact even when they were far away in the midwest.

“I couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving,” junior Sandra Galindez said. “My mom said there were not enough rations.” Many houses on the island did not have electricity for over a year; for people like Ms Galindez’s father, who is a dentist, returning to work was impossible.

But Ms. Galindez also stressed that many Puerto Ricans who lived through the storm have no desire to recall all its details: they are eager to move on. “We don’t like to talk about it,” Galindez said. According to Ms. Galindez, time in Puerto Rico is broken into two periods: before Maria and after.

Alexander Sanchez, a sophomore, was able to visit his family in Puerto Rico over this past winter break, but he is not the only visitor to Puerto Rico recently. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) visited the island on January 22nd, using the trip to address the many communities still struggling and to criticize the current administration for its handling of the storm.

Sanchez says he hopes her visit will bring increased attention to the plight of Puerto Rico from mainland US citizens. Mr. Sanchez worries that this new attention may not be enough- “unless more politicians in both countries continue to bring attention to the issue.”

Shortly after the hurricane, USA Today published a poll with Suffolk University which showed that only 47% of Americans were aware that Puerto Ricans are US citizens from birth, and some observers pointed to this lack of understanding as a cause of the insufficient aid from the US government.

Galindez also expressed hope that Americans are gaining greater awareness of Puerto Rico’s existence, its status as a US protectorate, and its culture. When asked what she wishes more Americans knew about Puerto Rico, she said, “that we do not live in [shacks]… that we are still standing.”

Sanchez said he wishes more Americans understood how the development of Puerto Rican culture differed from that of mainland American culture, considering Puerto Rico’s history as a colony and America’s history as a colonial power.

“The colonial status of Puerto Rico is something that does still exist, and it is important for everyone to remain aware of the fact that this does influence many of the issues that surround the island both politically and culturally,” Sanchez said.

The attention that continues to surround Puerto Rico may be evidence that change is still on the horizon for the island, more than a year after the storm.

OWU rugby members get the chance to travel

By Claire Yetzer

Staff reporter

ceyetzer@owu.edu

It’s not just the retired who escape to Florida. Two Ohio Wesleyan students had the opportunity to travel to a warmer climate while representing the women’s rugby team.

On Jan. 19 and 20, two members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Women’s Rugby team participated in an All-Stars 7 tournament, hosted by the National Small College Rugby Organization in St. Petersburg, Florida. Jesse Sailer and Ariana Campos were chosen as seniors and captains of the OWU club team and helped form the Ohio Valley Women’s Collegiate All-Star Team.

The tournament is in its second year. It has expanded from 8 teams to 12 teams this year.

The  Ohio Valley All-Star team was made up of players from 5 small colleges. Players from Ohio Wesleyan University, Denison University, College of Wooster, University of Findlay and Tiffin University were nominated by their coaches and attended practices were chosen for this honor.

 

Yetzer: How long have you been playing rugby?

 

Sailer: Since my first semester freshman year.

 

Campos: I began by playing for the women’s soccer team my freshmen year but found it to be too big of a commitment time wise. So I decided to stop playing, and I started working as a waitress and then my roommates at the time both played rugby and got me to try it out. That was my sophomore year so I’ve been playing for 3 years now.

 

Yetzer: Why do you think that you were chosen to be a part of the all-star team?

 

Sailer: This was my second time being chosen to play for the Ohio Valley All-Star team, so I already had three and a half years of rugby under my belt as well as the experience and ability to play against harder competition. The coach was also choosing a lot of returners for the team and with that comes chemistry because you have this group of girls that have played with each other before and was able to help the newer players.

 

Campos: I believe I was chosen to be apart of the all-star team because of my athletic ability. I got really good at playing, it just came naturally to me and it’s honestly become my favorite sport

 

Yetzer: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

 

Sailer: I played soccer and track in high school so I already had the athletic ability under my belt, it just took a while to become accustomed to the rules of rugby but once I got the hang of it I was able to excel on the field. So I think my overall ability of knowledge of reading the field and knowing what to do is a strength. Weakness would have to be my lack of patience. I get really heated if we have girls that aren’t passing or are making the same mistakes but it’s those moments where I need to remind myself that as a veteran who’s been playing a while, it’s my job to teach them and to make them better players.

Campos: My strengths are my speed and my voice. I also communicate a lot on the field because it’s very important for my team to know what’s happening. Communication on the field gets overlooked a lot because everyone is so into the game that we forget how important it is to be communicating because that puts us in a better position while doing less overall work to win the game.

 

Yetzer: What is your favorite thing about rugby and why do you play it?

 

Sailer: Tackling. It’s nice to play a sport where you can just body someone and completely lay them out. Contact sports are different in that they make you use all of yourself and there’s a lot of both physical and mental strength that goes into playing something like rugby.

 

Campos: My favorite thing about rugby is just the type of game it is. Rugby is a truly a hard sport to play because there’s a lot of contact. It’s a great feeling especially when they come to a game and watch you lay someone out. They respect you and if you get laid out they respect you too because we take those hits like champs. That’s why I love rugby, and I would definitely like to continue playing after I graduate from Ohio Wesleyan.

 

Yetzer: What is your relationship with your teammates like?

 

Sailer: I love my team, as well as the teams I play against. As intimidating as it might seem, if someone takes you to the ground they’ll be the first to pick you up and tell you ‘hey great run’. We’re family first and foremost and that’s why I push so much when it comes to recruiting because this team gives more than it takes.

 

The Ohio Valley Women’s Collegiate All-Star Team placed 6th out of 12 teams. They won 2 games and lost 3.

 

OWU lacrosse gains new coach for the 2019 season

Updated Feb. 1, 2019 and Feb. 28, 2019

By Erin Ross

Staff Reporter

emross@owu.edu

Ohio Wesleyan University announced the promotion of the assistant women’s lacrosse coach on Monday.

OWU athletics director Doug Zipp was faced with finding a new coach for the women’s lacrosse team after Coach Chelsea Conley resigned from her position on January 3. Zipp explained the reasoning behind Conley’s resignation.

“The decision to step away is for family and personal reasons along with a great opportunity to pursue an exciting new career opportunity outside of athletics,” Zipp said.

On Monday, January 21 Zipp announced the promotion of Assistant Coach Patricia Ryan (’16) to interim head coach for the 2019 season. Ryan is an OWU women’s lacrosse alumna who is serving her second season as a coach for the women’s lacrosse team. Her commitment to the team and passion for the sport played a role in her promotion.

“The reason she was promoted is she has demonstrated leadership, initiative and passion for the program and for our student-athletes and that will go a long way and will push our program forward for this season,” Zipp said.

Despite being saddened by the loss of their head coach, members of the OWU women’s lacrosse team wished Conley the best and have remained optimistic about the upcoming season.

Junior midfielder Sloane Baumgartner said, “The team has taken the change very well and has a positive outlook on the season. We all had some insight that Coach Conley was going to leave. Therefore, having Coach Ryan step in was the best thing to advance the program.”

Ryan herself is eager to lead the team this season and looks forward to being able to try out new practice drills.

“I think implementing some new things and critiquing and working on the old will be exciting,” Ryan said.

Despite limited time to fill the position, Zipp is also happy about the decision to promote Ryan.

“We are excited that Patricia has agreed to take on this role just a few weeks before the start of the season,” Zipp said. “She has already embraced the role, has had team meetings with the players and is continuing to prepare for the season as well as finishing the recruiting for the Fall class of 2019.”

Ryan’s experience as both a student and a coach at OWU has encouraged optimism and fostered enthusiasm among the athletes.

Sophomore goalie Rachel Albers said, “I am looking forward to the energy that Patricia will provide for the team. She is super dedicated to the game and I look forward to learning from her experience as a former player and an OWU alumna.”

Baumgartner, 3-year member of the women’s lacrosse team, agreed with Albers.

“The team is very excited to have Patricia Ryan step into the head coaching role because she understands what it takes to be a student athlete,” Baumgartner said. “Being an alumna, she knows how to push us on the field and in the classroom at Ohio Wesleyan.”

Ryan also recognizes the chemistry that she has with her athletes and the ways in which her alumni status plays a positive role in such chemistry.

“I think it is easy for me to connect to them being that I’ve been in their place not too long ago,” Ryan said. “I like to think I really understand the importance of being a Division III athlete and all that comes with being a student athlete.”

Ryan also deems herself fortunate and is grateful for the help she has received from the athletics department.

“I think that there is a lot of knowledge in the department, so I will be looking to other coaches a lot for help,” Ryan said.

At the end of the 2019 season Ohio Wesleyan will begin a national search for a new head coach, Zipp said.

“Our women’s lacrosse program has a lot of potential and it is important that we now look nationally for the best person to lead our program into the future,” Zipp said.