Author: mrmatos

Washington marches add to rising political tensions

By Claire Yetzer

Staff Reporter

ceyetzer@owu.edu

Friday, Jan. 18 marked a busy day in the capital as the March For Life and the first ever Indigenous People’s March coincided. Tensions became high between the two when a group of male high school students came up to participants of the Indigenous People’s March and seemingly harassed them.

The altercation was recorded and has become viral around the internet. The students were wearing the famous red hats with “Make America Great Again” and at one point seemed to be chanting “build that wall, build that wall”.

“We noticed the tensions were escalating so we decided to leave before we were caught up in it,” sophomore Alana Guzman said. She and two other students had attended the Indigenous People’s March along with the Women’s March that weekend in Washington D.C.

The main person targeted by the students was Elder Nathan Phillips, a Marines veteran and a former director of the Native Youth Alliance. The march he was participating in was organized to address issues facing the indigenous community like mental health, police brutality and violence against women.

The young men were identified as students of a private Catholic school in Kentucky.  

The incident has now turned into a ‘he said she said’ scenario with both parties telling news outlets differing stories that paint them as without blame.

Hope Lopez, an attendee of the Indigenous People’s March, said that the March for Life participants were approaching the space reserved for the Indigenous People’s March. “They definitely were going into their space, I understand that these two protests were going on and they both the right to freedom of speech and express what they believe but they should respect each others’ platforms.”

A full video that has surface has shown a group of Hebrew Israelites and the high school students exchanging remarks. Phillips walked over to intervene in the scenario while playing a prayer song.

Phillips has given a full interview on CNN on Jan. 22 and Nick Sandmann, the student closest to Phillips, had given a full interview on the Today Show on Jan. 23. Both expressed their regrets for not having avoided the confrontation because of the controversy but maintain their part of the interaction to have been innocent.  

Conservatives and liberals have taken opposing stances toward the event, with conservatives condemning the media for rushing to judge and treating the students unfairly.  

President Trump has offered for the Covington High School students to visit the White House once the government has reopened.

Phillips has also offered to come and talk with the students about the importance of respecting other cultures and having a dialogue about racism and cultural appropriation.

Abnormal weather causes class cancellation

Updated Feb. 1, 2019 and March 25, 2019

By Maddie Matos

Editor-in-chief

mrmatos@owu.edu

Low temperatures and intense winds led Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) to cancel classes for Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The weather is expected to be below freezing levels in the early morning, with a high of 0 F. The low is expected to be -3.  With windchill, the temperatures are expected to dip below -40 F.

The temperature is not the only factor for the cancellation, with winds expected to be very intense.

“…The National Weather Service is forecasting Wednesday’s temperatures could dip as low as minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill values as low as minus 35 degrees,” President Rock Jones wrote in an email to students.

Cancellations do not happen often at OWU, with the last weather related closure happening in 2008.

“The last time classes were canceled due to the weather was the day before Spring Break, 2008 (just before I arrived), when a blizzard was approaching and the University closed early (I think at noon that Friday) in order for students to get to flights and for Spring break mission trips and athletic trips to be on the road before the weather hit,” Jones said.

Another cancellation occurred due to a power outage in 2011.

Students and staff have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible. The risk of Hypothermia and other issues was another factor for the closure.

“The wind chill conditions Wednesday are predicted to be at levels that would run the risk of frost bite due to exposure for students walking from one end of the residential campus to the heart of the academic campus,” Jones said. “While it is very rare that we close due to weather, these conditions make closure prudent and necessary.”

Students agree that closing school was the right decision as well, for their safety.

“The majority of students walk to class and the weather conditions, especially with the wind chill, could be dangerous to students,” junior Lauren Mangold said.

Classes will resume Thursday with shuttles running for students to get to class safely.

Study pills or addiction pills?

By John Bonus

Transcript Correspondent

jrbonus@owu.edu

More than half of college students with an ADHD drug prescription reported being asked to sell their medication to peers and friends, according to research done by the Society for the Study of Addiction. Another study at New York University found that 29 percent of 7,300 surveyed believed ADHD medications helped improve their grades, despite not being diagnosed with ADHD.

Ohio Wesleyan University is no different than any other college in that there are some students who use prescription drugs like Adderall to help them get their work done.

Across college campuses in the United States these drugs are increasingly being used by students who are not prescribed the medication, because of its reputation for helping them focus on work or studying.

One OWU student, who wishes not to be named, said he sometimes uses Adderall when he needs to cram for an exam or paper.

“It’s kind of hard to explain how it feels, but it keeps you awake and like laser-focused so all you can really think about is the work in front of you. It not like it makes you any smarter.”

Attention hyperactivity deficit disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a condition that makes it difficult for those affected to stay focused. Drugs that are commonly prescribed for this condition include Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin. They are a a Schedule II controlled substance that fall under the class of amphetamines and stimulants, and are designed to help those with ADHD remain attentive.

Dr. Kira Bailey is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at OWU who teaches classes such as Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology. She said drugs like Adderall work by increasing the release of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine.

“Dopamine is typically associated with things like reward, and norepinephrine helps increase arousal and attention,” Bailey said. “That’s why the general effects of an amphetamine like Adderall is an increase of general activation in the brain and body, so the person might feel like they’re better able to concentrate or pay attention.”

A survey by the Michigan Daily in Ann Arbor found that of the 1,300 respondents, 25 percent had used stimulants such as Adderall for schoolwork or to take an exam. However, only 8.95 percent of those respondents said they were prescribed Adderall by a physician or psychiatrist. Many of the others got the Adderall by buying it from another student.

One former OWU student said he used to sell much of his excess Adderall, which he had a lot of. He wished to remain anonymous.

“The one year I was selling I probably sold to around 60 kids, and 20 of those were regulars,” he said. “When it got close to finals I started getting random texts from people I hadn’t even met asking if they could buy.”

According to the same source, the street price for Adderall usually ranges anywhere from $3 to $10 a pill depending on strength.

There are many students with a prescription who feel uncomfortable with the idea of sharing their medication. Jakob Woodside, a junior at OWU who has been taking Adderall since he was 6-years-old, said he refuses to sell his pills to anyone.

“I honestly try to not tell people I have Adderall, because I know that there is a good chance they will ask to buy some,” Woodside said. “When I came to college my mom told me to hide my pills because she knew that kids would want it.”

According to Bailey, the side effects from these drugs are similar between people who use with a prescription and those who use without. However, they are much more prevalent and dramatic for those who do not have a prescription. Some of these effects include anxiety, sleeping problems, shortness of breath and in extreme cases even psychosis.

Addiction is not usually a risk at the levels that doctors prescribe this medication for their patients. But Bailey said that this risk increases for people who take their friend’s pills.

Bailey said she thinks the growing prevalence of drugs like Adderall on college campuses stems from a combination of its availability as well as increased pressure for students.

“Everybody feels like they need to be doing more and at the end of the day you only have so much time,” Bailey said. “So how do you do more with the time you have? Adderall probably looks like a really good option for some people.”

Transcript welcomes new staff for the spring 2019 semester

The Transcript is pleased to announce its new staff for the spring semester of 2019.

Maddie Matos: Editor-in-chief, mrmatos@owu.edu

Kit Weber: Photo editor, kmweber@owu.edu

Jesse Sailer: Online design editor, jvsailer@owu.edu

Claire Yetzer: Staff reporter, ceyetzer@owu.edu

Erin Ross: Staff reporter, emross@owu.edu

Spencer Queen: Staff reporter, scqueen@owu.edu

Meg Edwards: Staff reporter, mmedwards@owu.edu

Azmeh Talha: Staff reporter, aatalha@owu.edu 

 

We hope to serve the Ohio Wesleyan University community to the best of its ability.

Counseling Services seeing an influx of students this semester

Counseling Services at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) has experienced an abnormal increase in students seeking help this semester.

Counseling Services provides students with professional and confidential support in times of crisis, challenges or transitions. The staff offers individual, group or couples counseling, consultation, crisis intervention, outreach programming and a variety of other wellness services, according to OWU’s website.

Dr. Doug Bennett, director of Counseling Services, says the number of OWU students who have sought help this semester is atypical. Assistant Director Dr. Julie Duhigg, agrees.

“There is always an increase of requests for help over the progression of a given semester, but this year is standing out in that the requests soared much earlier than usual” Duhigg said.

After running some numbers, Counseling Services recognized a 60 percent increase in students looking for services from this time last year.

“We are struggling to meet the requests for students wanting/needing to be seen. This is unfortunate, and we are working hard to find a way to meet the student body demand for mental health support,” Duhigg said

Students have had to wait around three weeks to get an appointment.

Bennett pointed to a number of causes for this change on OWU’s campus specifically.

“I think this is the new [norm] for us,” Bennett said. “Contributors to that here at OWU have been that we have made a concerted effort to advertise our services quite a bit.”

In addition to the awareness that resulted from such advertising, the creation of the Survivors of Crime Assistance Program (SOCAP) has brought in more students than Counseling Services has seen, Bennett said.

SOCAP, run by counselor Mary DeCenzo, was created through a grant from the office of the Ohio attorney general.“Emphasis of the program is working with survivors of crime,” Bennett said. “At a college campus, what that translates to mostly in regard to her work are individuals who have experienced some type of sexual assault.”

In 2017 there were seven cases of sexual assault on OWU’s campus and in 2016 there were 10, according to OWU’s annual Clery Report.

SOCAP provides OWU students who may have been victims of sexual assault with an appropriate resource that supplies emotional and legal support.

Despite factors specific to OWU, Bennett and Duhigg recognized that this unusual increase in numbers has been a nationwide phenomenon.

“I will add that I am part of a nationwide listserv that provides collegial support to clinical directors of college counseling centers and the majority of other colleges in the U.S. [large and small, public and private] are also commenting on the unprecedented increase in numbers of students in need on their campuses,” Duhigg said.

Bennett identified similar discoveries after attending a conference for counseling directors in New Orleans, LA.

“Talking with my colleagues, I think nationwide we are noticing that counseling services are being called on in greater amounts than we have ever experienced,” Bennett said.

Both Bennett and Duhigg identified academic stressors, social connections and the political climate as factors that have affected this national increase.

“I think that young folks, college students, are under stresses that they haven’t been historically,” Bennet said. “That includes stressors in regard to performance academically and the role that plays in regard to securing employment in the future.”

The increased use of social media has also led to disconnection and made one-on-one interactions less rich and therefore more stressful, Bennett said.

Bennett and Duhigg agreed that the current political climate has also added stressors to students.

Duhigg noted anti-immigration attitudes, the rebirth of white nationalism, mass shootings, anti-transgender policies, reactions to the #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo movements, and threat of climate change as having led to a sense of insecurity in this generation of students.

“I further believe the social/political environment that fosters divisiveness in our country is negatively impacting students,” Duhigg said. “This atmosphere can certainly shape a person’s feeling of safety and security and I think we are seeing that impact creeping in and negatively impacting the mental health of many people in this country … Our students are not immune.”

Despite their struggles in meeting the requests of students, the staff at Counseling Services expressed gladness about students seeking help.

“Ultimately, I am happy that students are utilizing our services because we want to lay eyes on folks and make sure that they are getting what they need,” Bennett said.

According to Bennett, in order to accommodate for the increase in students desiring appointments, Counseling Services will be helping current students evaluate their skills and resources to determine whether or not they will need continued counseling next semester.

Bennett suggested that students waiting for an appointment should utilize the office’s wellness services, which include a meditation room and online resources.

“I also encourage students to take a look at our website because we have spent quite a bit of time putting together resources there that students can access,” Bennett said. “They could learn more about our services, but they could also learn about prevention.”

Counseling Services has walk-in crisis intervention hours from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on weekdays for students that may need immediate help.

Will I ever find love? No, but i’ll write about it

Dating for college students has become like taking another class. Students must find the person, go on multiple dates, engage in conversation via text or dm’s with them and discuss their ‘status’. For most students, there is simply not enough time during the day for this.

Between shuffling to classes, maintaining a high-grade point average (GPA) and engaging on campus via clubs or friends, students are stretched thin. Traditional dating can become a lost art.

A student from the University of Pennsylvania said in a 2013 New York Times article that she “positioned herself in a way that I can’t have a meaningful romantic relationship because I’m always so busy and the people that I am interested in are always busy, too,” and others agreed.

Online dating has become the main source for finding love. Students can download apps like Bumble or Tinder and simply swipe on a profile, without ever having to meet that person face to face, let alone have a conversation. The easiness of swiping takes away the emotional reaction to being rejected in person, as a user never knows who is turning them down. Users only know who is mutually interested in them.

“It takes a lot less effort to go on your phone than try to meet people in person,” sophomore Madison Drabick said.

Despite these new advances, students are still able to meet their respective partner in person with minimal issues. Students at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) often meet on campus due to the small size of the school.

“Couples at OWU meet through similar activities that they’re involved in, similar classes, and maybe a handful meet online,” sophomore Isabelle Rodriguez said.

For some students, sending a text or message is easier than talking in person. In a study reported by USA Today in 2013, approximately one-third of men (31%) and women (33%) agree it’s less intimidating to ask for a date via text vs. a phone call.

Hookup culture also dominates the dating field. Students are often so busy in their daily lives that they can’t see themselves doing anything more than casually hooking up with someone.

“Apps like Tinder have made it to where you’re experiencing looking through playing cards of infinite potential partners,” senior Adia Barmore said. “It makes people believe that there’s always something better out there instead of being satisfied with what they have. It less about getting to know people and more about moving on to the next sexual conquest.”

Online dating remains uncharted territory for some, leaving them questioning if that it can inhibit the natural chemistry people have when they meet. For most students, it seems to be a double-edged sword, something that is so ingrained into society that you must learn to use it, properly.

“I feel like with online dating you have a greater variety to meet people you’d never thought you would meet in the first place and it really expands your horizons, but then again it can be kind of sketchy, [because] you never know who someone is so they could just be hiding behind a screen,” sophomore Jacey Sheffel said.

Two Eras Collide at One Historic OWU Performance

By Maddie Matos A&E Editor

The weekend of Oct. 4 brought colonization and modern times into one show at Ohio Wesleyan University’s production of Cloud 9.

The show was directed by senior Ares Harper, making it the first show to be directed by a student in over 45 years.

Cloud 9 is divided into two acts that correlate with one another. The first act focuses on a British family in colonial Africa circa 1880. The family dynamic plays a key role in the plot of the show. Various characters are forced to suppress their sexual desires and orientations due to the social structures of the times they live in. This allowed the audience to draw obvious parallels between sexual oppression and colonialism.

“The show brought up a lot of serious questions… and social commentary,” sophomore Hannah Carpenter said.

The cast of seven students were asked to play 18 different roles in the show. Each character in the first act had a correlating character in the second act. Some characters switched their gender in the show as well, adding a unique aspect to the show.

The second act was set in modern day London. This act was more lighthearted, allowing the audience to laugh while still understanding the themes of the show.

“It was a good way to interweave humor with an important subject matter without it being convoluted or overdone,” sophomore Claire Yetzer said.

The audience received the show well, with standing ovations at the end of the program. Some actors got high praise as well for their roles in the show.

“I liked Edward in both the first and second half… he seemed honest and genuine,” Yetzer said.

Edward was played by freshman Jasmine Lew in the first act and sophomore Logan Kovach in the second act. The character is a gay man who must suppress his sexuality in the first half, and then in the second half come to terms with what he actually identifies as.

“It was interesting to see him in both the Victorian era and the modern era,” Carpenter said.

Each character had to grapple with their needs and desires to better themselves. The connection to the show was strong among the audience, with both Yetzer and Carpenter feeling the show offered insight into the need for self enlightenment.

The 14th Amendment And It’s Modern Interpretation

By Maddie Matos A&E Editor mrmatos@owu.edu

The 14th Amendment received a new interpretation as Ohio Wesleyan University hosted a guest speaker for the annual Richard W. Smith Lecture series.

The speaker was Michael Les Benedict, who has a doctorate in history. Benedict is a specialist in constitutional and political issues regarding the Civil War era. Benedict works at Ohio State University as an emeritus professor.

The Smith lecture series is hosted by the Ohio Wesleyan department of history. The lecture is sponsored by the Richard W. Smith Endowed Fund in Civil War History, a fund that has been established in honor of former professor Richard W. Smith.

Smith taught at Ohio Wesleyan in the mid-20th century. He was popular among students, with several alumni returning to campus in support of the lecture and Smith.

Over 160 people attended the event, which was held in the Benes rooms in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

University president Rock Jones and professor of history Barbara Terzian gave introductions prior to Benedicts presentation. Both Jones and Terzian expressed their enjoyment of the series and Benedict, with Terzian being more emotional.

“I have been really looking forward to this,” Terzian said. “He (Benedict) is my professor and Smith, my mentor.”

Benedict began his presentation with a discussion of how important the 14th Amendment is to history, and how it still impacts the United States today.

“It was a momentous event,” Benedict said. “It took a lot of pride on the southern states to agree to it.”

The amendment gives citizenship to all people born in the United States and allows the United States Congress to enforce this law. Through the passage of the amendment, African Americans and other minority groups became citizens and gained legal rights in society.

Benedict argued that the amendment established that it was the government’s job to defend rights.

“That is why we have government, to protect our rights,” Benedict said.

Benedict also discussed the role slavery had in the United States and the early days of the nation. Stating that the Constitution accommodated slavery and treated them like property, America was doomed to crack.

“The union could no longer endure,” Benedict said, quoting Abraham Lincoln.

Abolitionists were discriminated against, Benedict stated, with hundreds of protests and threats were made against them. The southern United States even went so far as to ban abolitionist literature and enforce the slave codes.

Benedict then discussed the beginnings of writing the amendment. He talked about early drafts of the document being proposed by different congressmen, including John Bingham, a representative from Ohio.

The presentation ended with a discussion of today’s implications the amendment holds. Benedict argued that the document made the United States Supreme Court more powerful than ever, an issue that continues today.

“Only now have we come to realize that the 14th amendment perhaps gives the court too much responsibility and gives us too little responsibility,” Benedict said.

The presentation closed with questions presented by the audience. Most questions were regarding the state of the Supreme Court in modern times and how citizens can have a voice in government. Benedict answered their question with a simple statement.

“Go vote,” Benedict said.

OhWoo Game of Games Begins With A Bang

By Maddie Matos

Arts and Entertainment Editor

mrmatos@owu.edu

A classic Ohio Wesleyan University event was revamped on Sept. 14 as a new way to build community on campus.

Hosted by the Campus Programming Board (CPB) and Residential Life, the first ever OhWoo Game of Games event was a combination of games and an improv show. This event used to be called Stuyin’ Up but has been renamed and moved to the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center Benes Rooms for the night.

Over 30 students and staff members came to the event. Students were provided food and drinks from AVI Foodsystems.

“We [had] a good turnout, with people participating and playing the games, and winning prizes so I think it [went] pretty okay,” junior HannahJo Grimes said.

For the first hour of the event, students were able to win different prizes if they won the game. The Residential Assistant’s (RA) on campus decided on the games and prizes, such as laundry detergent and movies.

The games were in a minute to win it style, giving competitors one minute to complete a challenge. The speed and constant revolving of games was a huge hit.

“Minute to win it games are super fun and people tend to get really into them,” junior Madison Haggerty said.

Both Grimes and Haggerty are on the Resident Life staff. They were accompanied by a small group of other RAs’ on campus as well as members of CPB.

Preparation for the event was slim, with both programs having to work quickly to make it happen.

“This event was thrown together with pretty short notice, we have a new staff that is throwing this event together in just the last couple weeks,” Grimes said. “They usually have a lot more time to plan it, so I think that they have done an amazing job for the short amount of time they had. But everyone wishes they had more time to put it together.”

Both programs collaborated on the event to create more buzz and allow the event to be improved from previous years.

“We joined forces to have more brain power and ideas for the event,” Haggerty said. “Each area tackled several elements, so the work load wasn’t overwhelming for one group.”

The second half of the night focused on the improv performance. Campus Programming Board brought the group MISSION improvABLE to campus. The group uses popular show styles and techniques to engage with the audience.

The event was well received by students, despite small challenges that Residential Life and Campus Programming Board had.

“Even without that extra time, we are still putting on a really great event,” Grimes said.

Social Advocacy Met Sewing At OWU

By Maddie Matos

Arts and Entertainment Editor

mrmatos@owu.edu

Advocacy and art combined and took new form at the most recent installation on campus.

The Social Justice Sewing Academy debuted its gallery inside Beeghly Library at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday, Sept. 8.

Open to the Ohio Wesleyan and Delaware communities, the gallery consisted of a presentation and workshop for participants.

The exhibit is part of the university’s 2018-2019 Sagan National Colloquium (SNC). The focus for this year’s SNC programing is how art can impact the world.

The Social Justice Sewing Academy was founded in 2017 by Sara Trail. Trail wanted a creative way for students to portray their ideas about social justice and what it means to them.

The academy teaches children to sew and use those skills to create a block of fabric that will later be incorporated into a quilt. The blocks can be about any issue that the artist cares about.

“It gives youth the forefront in issues,” Trail said in a video message to the audience. Due to a cancelation in her flight, Trail could not make it to the program, which had an audience of over 15 people.

The program started as a post collegiate endeavor, but the idea for it has always been in Trails’ mind.

“My dream is to open a non-profit to teach people to sew,” Trail said.

Social advocacy was a huge factor for Trail when creating the program. She has hosted workshops in underprivileged areas across the United States, such as Chicago and Berkeley. These areas allow Trail to reach out to students to educate them.

“I want to give young people the tools…to understand,” Trail said.

The work the academy has done has been featured across social media and news outlets. Trail herself was already well known in the sewing community for her previous collaborations with Simplicity, a well-known fabric and sewing company. Throughout her career, Trail felt that sewing could do more for people than they realize.

“Sewing is more than a hobby,” Trail said.

The presentation was well received, with over half of the audience staying for the workshop. The experience allowed people to learn new skills and see what an impact their art and voice has in the community.

“Workshops like this make it look possible and doable,”  junior, Miah Gruber, said.