Author: TheTranscript

OWU welcomes new athletic director

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor 

It’s the start of a new semester and the Ohio Wesleyan athletics department appointed Doug Zipp as the new athletics director in August.

“He is absolutely the right person to serve as OWU’s director of athletics at this time,” President Rock Jones said. “I look forward to working closely with him.”

Last semester, OWU’s athletics department said goodbye to Roger Ingles who served as the previous athletics director. Since then, the school tried to find a suitable replacement. For a while, Mike DeWitt was the interim athletics director while also being the head coach for the men’s basketball team.

Zipp was appointed to the position Aug. 15.

“The great work of … [DeWitt] in the transition has been ideal,” said Zipp. “The work he and the staff were able to accomplish over the summer was incredible and how they quickly were able to get me up to speed was a huge help. I cannot thank them enough for all of their good work.“

Jones said, “Doug has hit the ground running and is quickly engaging in every aspect of oversight of the athletic program at Ohio Wesleyan.” He also said Zipp has been learning a lot for being here a short while and that he has made time to get to know the coaches and staff.

Before coming to OWU, Zipp was the director of athletics of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia for five years.

But this is not the first time Zipp has been a part of the NCAC. Prior to his time at Shenandoah, Zipp worked various jobs at Kenyon College, from dean of Residential Life, special assistant to the president, project manager for the Kenyon Athletic Center to interim athletics director.

Zipp became aware of the opening for athletics director at OWU after his colleagues and friends told him about it.

“They encouraged me to take a serious look at the position and to consider applying,” Zipp said. Jones said the process of finding a new athletics director was primarily about finding someone who valued athletic and academic excellence.

“There was tremendous interest in this position, reflected in the fact that all four finalists who visited campus have experience as Division III athletics directors,” Jones said. “OWU’s athletics program is highly regarded, as is the [NCAC].”

Zipp already has high standards for OWU and its athletics program. He said he wants to instill a winning attitude in every team and build relationships with alumni and the Delaware community.

“It is our goal to provide each student the opportunity to compete for a NCAC championship at least once every four years,” Zipp said.

Before Zipp joined OWU, the athletics department added women’s rowing and men’s wrestling. Zipp ensured that the process for finding coaches and new staff is underway.

“We have search committees for each position and we are now on the fast track to find the best candidates [who] will buy into and support our academic and athletic mission and be able to build solid programs in wrestling and women’s rowing,” said Zipp. “We will be engaging in the interview process in the next two weeks with the goal of having coaches named and starting by early October.”

The Battling Bishops welcome Zipp and plan on improving the athletics department and its teams in the future.

American and international students eligible for Bachelor of Science degrees

By Spencer Pauley, Copy Editor 

Ohio Wesleyan has been accredited to allow international students to get a Bachelor of Science after a U.S.-born student at OWU receives one.

Earlier this year, OWU granted students the opportunity to receive Bachelor of Science degrees in approved scientific areas. But the Department of Homeland Security noted that international students cannot receive a B.S. degree unless a U.S.-born student receives it first.

OWU is a part of the Higher Learning Commission, which is the group that accredits the school when they request it. In this case, OWU was accredited the right for international students to receive a B.S. degree back in March. The process just took time.

Darrell Albon, the director of the International and Off-Campus Programs Office, said it’s a tricky process for school sto get accredited for various requests.

“If we had a new major or add[ed] more courses, no problem,” Albon said. “But if we add a program like a Bachelor of Science program or a separate type of program, then we need to be accredited.”

The Bachelor of Science degree is currently being conferred to students in four scientific fields: geology, microbiology, physics and astrophysics. But Barbara Andereck, a professor in physics and astronomy, said she believes there will be more options in the future.

“I am almost certain there will be others available,” Andereck said. “It’s just a matter of the departments needing to formulate what a Bachelor of Science requirement looks like in comparison to a Bachelor of Arts.”

Current students who are seniors can opt for the Bachelor of Science degree as long as they complete the requirements listed in the 2017-18 course catalog.

New disability services coordinator hired

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor 

The new school year always brings new faces to campus.

Ohio Wesleyan University recently appointed Stephanie Rowland as the new disability services coordinator.

“Stephanie Rowland brings outstanding experience and expertise to this position and is a tremendous addition to the OWU community,” President Rock Jones said.

Rowland is originally from the Central Ohio area and previously worked with Adrienne Luke, the former coordinator at OWU. They worked together on projects over the past years. Luke contacted Rowland and told her about the available position.

Rowland came to OWU with a master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University.

“What I like about OWU is the small school and personal one-on-one interactions I get to have with students,” Rowland said.

Her job at the university is not just to serve as the disability services coordinator, but also the testing center coordinator, which is located in University Hall.

Students who have documentation of a certain disability go to Rowland. Her main focus is to provide testing accommodations.

She also said she helps process school material and with scheduling exams while still working with students in and outside of the classroom so they can have support. She deals with students on a confidential basis so they feel comfortable and get the assistance they need. 

Students who have ADHD, learning disabilities, hearing disabilities, or who are on the spectrum can go to her with documentation for assistance.

Some of the accommodations include a testing area where students can go and take exams given by the professor. Other services are also designed to help students with assignments, note-taking and books. This department deals with around 200 students, according to Rowland.

“All student accommodations differ based on need,” Rowland said. “If students have a disability that impacts their college experience, they can register with the office.”

President Jones spoke about the Disability Services Center and how it is a very important part of OWU.

“OWU is committed to the success of every student on our campus and to ensuring that each student has the resources necessary to achieve that success,” Jones said.  “We are particularly concerned that students with disabilities receive support that allows them to thrive in our educational environment and that prepares them for success at OWU and beyond.”

The school year brings different types of challenges to different types of people. Jones said he is confident in the center’s efforts to help students deal with the stress of school, work and much more.

“The Disability Services Center plays a key role in assisting the entire campus in meeting these objectives as well as working directly with individual students with various diagnosed disabilities,” Jones said.

Students can call 740-368-3857 or email slrowland@owu.edu with any questions or inquiries.

Office of Career Services launches Career Closet

By Reilly Wright, Photo Editor 

Ohio Wesleyan University hides a variety of nooks and closets, but now one will be fully dedicated toward helping students’ futures.

The Office of Career Services is committed to providing students tools for interviews, internships, jobs and more. This fall, the office is launching Career Closet, a program that benefits students needing professional attire for those career opportunities.

“The Office of Career Services is committed to helping students through every step of their professional development process,” said Leslie Melton, the director of Career Services. “Part of that is ensuring our students are prepared and ensuring that they not only are able to demonstrate the skills they’ve gained in the classroom, but we want them to feel confident in doing so.”

Melton said the clothes provided are mainly business and business casual wear. The room holds job attire including suits, polos, blazers and portfolios that can be loaned out to anyone with an OWU student ID.

All of the clothes are dry-cleaned and the office currently sponsors alterations students might require. OWU Career Services requested faculty and staff to donate new or gently used clothing not too out of date in all sizes to keep in the closet.

“I think this is an excellent opportunity for professors and Career Services to work together to provide resources for students on the job market,” said Melanie Henderson, a professor in the psychology department.

Henderson had corresponded with Melton about possible methods to raise student awareness of various programs and initiatives Career Services offers, including Career Closet. She wanted to collaborate with the office to show students how these services can help leverage skills from the classroom, eventually donating clothes to the program herself.

“There are many expenses to consider, such as travel and professional attire, and funding the job search can be a challenge for students who are at an economic disadvantage,” Henderson said. “Providing students with the necessary clothing reduces some of the financial stress of the job market … so they can focus on preparing for the interview and the job itself.”

Some students have already used the program to their advantage when dressing for interviews or internships.

“[Career Closet] was a positive experience,” said senior Amber Sample. “The people there helped me to narrow down my search criteria and provided me with some other places to search that I did not know existed.”

Melton said she wants to see students using the program for the career fair Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Benes Rooms. More information about Career Closet will be coming out beginning Sept. 11.

“We’re always here to help students be prepared. That’s the biggest thing I want students to know is that it’s here,” Melton said. “If they need it, there’s no judgement. They can come in and use it freely.”

Sagan National Colloquium to tackle global health care issues

By Reilly Wright, Photo Editor 

From the developed world to the developing, Ohio Wesleyan’s Sagan National Colloquium is analyzing the broad issue of health care around the world.

SNC Global Health Challenges for the 21st century will explore topics such as emerging infectious diseases and the impact of government health care in developed and developing nations. The event features a lineup of 12 speakers and includes a documentary.

“Speakers were selected based on recommendation by faculty members and also a careful review of scholarly work by these speakers,” said Randolph Quaye, the associate professor and director of OWU’s black world studies program. “These speakers are well renowned in their respective fields and have furthered our understanding of global health issues in our world.”

The speaker lineup includes Christopher Fink, an associate professor of health and human kinetics at OWU. Fink was selected to speak for his connections to health, but more specifically to his knowledge in prevention and dietary health.

“So many economic, social, political and personal issues are tied to health—and good health allows much more growth in each of these areas—so it has never been more pertinent,” Fink said.

“For me, issues of health equity are also more pertinent than ever.”

The topic was chosen as a culmination of previous SNC topics addressing water, climate change, waste and data use. Quaye said this focus on global health care will bring those social determinants full circle and will address problems found in global health care due to their influence.

“It is my hope that participants would be better informed about global health challenges and their role in helping meet some of these challenges through volunteering and taking courses that addresses some of the broader issues raised by the SNC,” Quaye said.

OWU is also offering a class, UC 150, which will explore concerns in the liberal arts as well as in public life. More specifically, this year, the course will spotlight the topic of modern global health challenges.

UC 150 is set up to be a lecture and discussion-based series

that is led by scholars and activists recognized across the nation and globe for students.

“Students are expected to attend eight of 14 speakers and write a two to three page reflective essay on four of such talks,” Quaye said.

“This is of particular interest to students because of its interdisciplinary nature.”

From Nov. 7 to Dec. 14, the Ross Art Museum will be hosting the art exhibit Together with developmentally disabled artists from Creative Foundations. The exhibit examines the way relationships are shown through art. 

The series will kick off with speaker Anton Gunn, a health care and leadership expert, at 7 p.m., Sept. 12 in the Benes Rooms.

Marching band director to build a community of band enthusiasts

By Meina White,

Ohio Wesleyan may see the resurrection of a marching band and color guard in the near future.

Mary Kate McNally, the newly appointed marching band director, has many ideas of what she hopes for the band in years to come and she is all about tradition. 

McNally said she wants to bring back the roots of the old band. She is also hoping to have a band with at least a hundred members by the fifth year. But she does not consider size to be the most important factor.

“I want an established and polished spirit band from the beginning regardless of size,” McNally said. “You don’t have to have a big group to put on a good show.”

McNally added that she plans to collaborate with the cheer squad to open a band and spirit section in the bleachers.

McNally was hired in July of this year and took on the task of bringing spirit back to campus.

Dwayne Todd, vice president of student engagement and success and dean of students, said McNally is a perfect match because of her “energy and fever.”

McNally and Todd said they believe the addition of a marching band will attract many prospective students, especially those who played in high school.

“This is a program that is being created from interests that already existed,” Todd said.

It’s not expected that the marching band will be performing any time this year. McNally said she plans to set aside the first year for planning regarding budget, recruitment and equipment.

McNally and Todd said they are aware instruments can be expensive and do not want cost to hinder anyone’s decision to join.

Todd added that he plans to develop relationships with companies in town to rent or buy instruments and hopefully make it as affordable as possible.

“We will find a way to make sure cost is not a determining factor of participation,” Todd said.

McNally said she believes the band will open a lot of student leadership opportunities and potentially help music education majors gain experience in teaching music and conducting bands.

The last time Ohio Wesleyan had a band was back in the 1960s. McNally suggested the Vietnam War may have been a probable cause for why it was discontinued. Men were being drafted for the war and this stopped them from participating in the band.

McNally said she hopes to build a community of band enthusiasts and wants anyone who is interested to reach out with new ideas and contributions.

“This is the time to get in on the ground floor of something new,” McNally said.

Netflix series “White Gold” reminiscent of “The Wolf of Wall Street”

By Meina White, Arts & Entertainment Editor 

British star and former Gossip Girl bad boy Ed Westwick takes on a similar role in the new British Netflix series White Gold.

In the six, 30-minute episodes of season one, Westwick plays a window salesman named Vincent Swan who will do absolutely anything to make sure he finalizes a sale.

Swan crosses many lines to see more cash flow in his life. Things including, but not limited to, cheating, lying, stealing, tax evasion and fraud.  Though, who’s anyone to keep a bad boy down?

Westwick’s co-stars James Buckley and Joe Thomas also take on important roles and could be described as intolerable sidekicks and sometimes questionable friends, but their characters add a bit  of spice to the already inappropriately funny show.

While watching the show, I couldn’t help but notice its similarities to the notorious film, The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Both productions are riddled with monologues in which the star speaks solely to the audience.  There were even smaller similarities such as the clothing, cars and the way these men handled business. 

The Wolf of Wall Street was based on the life of businessman Jordan Belfort.  In his prime, Belfort schemed investors out of millions of dollars by selling them worthless stocks and instilling false hope in them. However, White Gold replaces stocks with windows and millions with thousands.

There is a scene in White Gold where one of Swan’s coworkers persuades a customer to buy new windows, claiming the windows she has previously purchased were “defective.” However, her windows were perfectly fine and though she was told she would be getting new windows, they simply took the old ones out and put them right back in.  Scandalous, but he then turned a 100 percent profit.

Though the similarities in White Gold and The Wolf of Wall Street concerned me a bit, both were impeccable.  If you have the time, I recommend you set aside three hours to watch White Gold this weekend. It is both hilarious and devious and will have you hooked within the first five minutes.

Football team kicks off summer in Spain

By Spencer Pauley, Copy Editor 

For nine days this summer, 30 members of the Ohio Wesleyan football team traveled to Spain to view local attractions, embrace the culture, enjoy the beaches and play football.

The itinerary for the trip included tours around various parts of northeastern Spain. For seven of those days, the team was in Barcelona and for the other two, they spent time in the beaches in Costa Brava. Tom Watts, head football coach, said he believed the trip overall was a success.

“It was a chance of a lifetime,” Watts said. “I’ve traveled quite a bit and seen a lot of different places but Spain was really gorgeous. We could have been there for another nine days.”

From the players’ perspectives, they got to experience a place unlike home. Junior Chicho Rodriguez, defensive tackle for the Battling Bishops, is from San Clemente, which is part of coastal California. How do the beaches of Spain compare?

“Spain beaches are a lot more packed with people,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot more around the beaches than what I’m familiar with. From volleyball, to muscle beaches, to restaurants. They had it all.”

As for football, the Battling Bishops played the Badalona Dracs, the recent champions of the Spanish national football league (LNFA). The Battling Bishops won the game 68-8.

Even though there’s not too much of a football culture in Spain overall, players noted what the sport meant to those who are a part of it. Sophomore guard Ryan Rhodes saw firsthand how big football was to those fans.

“Everyone went out, their side of the stadium was packed just to watch us play,” Rhodes said. “They’re really passionate about it.” 

This isn’t the first time OWU football has traveled as a team. Four years ago, the team traveled to Italy. For this year, the team decided on a trip to Spain over the alternative, which was Ireland.

The Battling Bishops play their first game of the season this Saturday at 7 p.m. against Otterbein University at Selby Stadium. 

Men’s soccer team travels to Germany

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor 

The Ohio Wesleyan men’s soccer team traveled to Germany this past summer to compete against local German clubs while also experiencing a culture different from the U.S.

This is not the first time the OWU soccer team has taken trips overseas. John A. Martin, the head men’s soccer coach, said the trip to Germany was his 13th trip overall while at OWU.

Over the years, the team has been to many places in Europe with the goal of playing good talent.

Twenty-six players went on the trip along with Martin, his wife and two assistant coaches. Martin said only four or five of his current players had been to Europe before.

Players on the team were able to fundraise for the trip and some had to pay out of pocket.

“[Americans] are behind when it comes to soccer,” Martin said, adding that he encourages his team to play up to any level and that an opportunity like this was a good way for the team to prepare for the upcoming season.

One major improvement was the team chemistry, which Martin said was one of his goals.

“They are more skilled and are more organized,” said senior Scott Harmanis who plays center back for the soccer team. “Soccer [in Germany] is a social event.”

The soccer team visited a small town in Germany called Baumholder. According to sistercities.org, Baumholder and Delaware, Ohio became sister cities in May 2011. But the two cities’ history goes back 20 years.

“Baumholder and Delaware have had a relationship for more than 20 years, thanks to the Ohio Wesleyan University men’s soccer team,” stated sistercities.org.

During the team’s visit, members of the team got to live with the citizen of Baumholder and stayed their for the majority of the trip. They also visited places like Trier, Heidelberg, Munich and Neuschwanstein. The trip was a mix of sightseeing and competition but Martin had a clear objective.

“My goals go far beyond the soccer field. It’s a cultural trip,” Martin said. “The relationship between our team and the people of Baumholder is very, very strong.”

The team played four German professional teams and also organized a clinic for the people of Baumholder. This experience gave the OWU men’s soccer team a feel of what it is like to play at a professional level, Martin said.

“This trip was probably the best trip we ever had,” Martin said. “The competition across the board was the best we have faced.”

The last two times the teams traveled to Germany, they won the NCAA National championship the following season. They went to Germany in 1997 and won the NCAA National Championship in 1998. The team went again in 2010 and won the championship in 2011.

Martin said the team this year is very young. Thirteen players of the team graduated in May and since then, OWU has recreuited eight freshmen who Martin said “are really good.”

“We are already better than where we were last year,” said Martin

Harmanis said he has high expectations for the team.

“We hope to win the NCAC,” said Harmanis.

This upcoming season will test the Bishops as the team’s schedule includes three top five teams that also made the NCAA tournament.

The OWU men’s team plays Calvin,who made the NCAA tournament last season, on Sept. 2.