Author: TheTranscript

Evolution alert: squirrels and rattlesnakes alike

By Allie Smith, Transcript Correspondent

A Science Lecture Series speaker traveled across the country to obtain data for a specific study: the drastic changes that California Ground Squirrels and Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes are undergoing in an evolutionary arms race.

Matthew Holding, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University, spoke of his evolutionary findings in the Schimmel/Conrades Science Center (SCSC) last Thursday.

Holding said that the discoveries made in rattlesnakes and ground squirrels help to contextualize the coevolutionary process that produces nature’s diversity of species and their traits, according to the Science Lecture Series website.

To understand coevolution, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “evolution involving successive changes in two or more ecologically interdependent species that affect their interactions.”

Species that are closely associated – in this case, the squirrels and the rattlesnakes – can impact one another’s ability to change over time. The poisonous venom of the rattlesnakes has incited profound changes in the squirrels’ ability to survive and overcome their predators.

For example, the squirrels rub their predators’ shedded skin on their bodies. This “hides” the scent of the squirrel from the snake and makes it harder for the snake to locate its prey.

This adaption has evolved over time and occurs over populations of California Ground Squirrels.

Holding will be defending his findings in a few weeks at OSU. If his thesis is approved, he is finished with the degree-earning stages of his training and can begin to apply for jobs that require a Ph.D., Holding explained.

“My goal is to become a professor at a university, and therefore I need a Ph.D.,” Holding said. “My research will later be published in scientific journals so that it becomes a part of the knowledge base on how predators and their prey evolve.”

Dr. Shala Hankison, the previous coordinator of the lecture series, said she loved the lecture. She said it was great to see a combination of molecular and ecological techniques as well as field and lab.

The Science Lecture Series invites speakers to present research on their areas of expertise in biology, chemistry, computer science and mathematics, geology, physics and neuroscience, according to the Science Lecture Series website.

While speakers come from a variety of science backgrounds, lectures are aimed at general science audiences of faculty and students.

The size of the lectures varies per presentation. Hankison said there is an average of 10-15 people at each lecture, but there could be less if the topic is not well-known compared to a topic that is broadly appealing.

There were approximately two dozen people at Holding’s presentation, many of whom were science majors.

Senior Holly Latteman contributed her opinion on the lecture series.

“I would really recommend the lecture series to all students. Even if you do not understand all the analyses, you will be exposed to other research methods and ideas that may be helpful one day,” Latteman said. “It is also important in the sciences to share and listen to others research to further our knowledge on a subject.”

Lectures take place on Thursdays at 4:10 p.m. in SCSC, room 163. However, Science Lecture Series coordinator Dr. Pamela Pyzza confirmed that Holding’s presentation was the last of the year.

Modern foreign language department contemplates new course for next year

By Amanda Hays, Transcript Correspondent

The modern foreign languages department is considering offering Arabic to students in the future.

The department at Ohio Wesleyan University already offers six languages, including Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Italian. Now, they want to add Arabic.

Including Arabic in the department has already been discussed among members of the department. Last semester, the faculty approved a Middle Eastern studies major. “Classes in Arabic would t nicely with our new program,” said Andrea Colvin, interim chair and associate professor of Spanish.

There is no guarantee, yet, that it will be included.

David Counselman, interim chair for the fall semester, said that they are looking to hire a professor from Cairo, Egypt, for a year. Counselman said he hopes the trial hire will result in something more permanent.

The professor the department hopes to hire is currently working at the University of Cairo. She plans to take a one year sabbatical. If she comes, she will be here for two semesters to teach 110 and 111-level courses, Colvin said.

“We are con dent that we will have enough interest for the course,” Colvin said, “However, due to visas and other travel necessities, we cannot make promises.”

If Arabic is approved, the board contacts the provost for funding. The provost requires a minimum of seven students to be enrolled before it is of officially added, Colvin said.

Even though the board periodically adds languages, they have removed some languages, too. In the past, Ohio Wesleyan offered Russian.

“Russian has been gone for a while because of low enrollment, however, there are some one-on-one sessions done on a case-by-case basis,” Colvin said.

If a group of students want to add a language to the department, they can send in a proposal. The department then discusses whether the language is practical, and if they will be able to support it financially.

“We would love to add more languages, but we must first focus on the ones we already have, and make sure their program is healthy,” Colvin said.

Jun Kawabe, a Japanese lecturer, teaches a language that does not have a major or a minor. She teaches three levels of Japanese. However, she is not concerned about the status of her class.

“We have a healthy enrollment,” Kawabe said, “I have been pretty lucky with that.”

Kawabe is not concerned that there isn’t a Japanese major or minor, but she said it bothers some of her students.

“I understand that they want to have a major to put on their resume,” Kawabe said, “But ultimately, people want to see that you have the skill, not that you have the title.”

No Chinese minor will be offered next semester due to a decline in enrollment. Chinese courses will continue, however, Colvin said.

“We started the Chinese minor a few years ago hoping that interest would increase, but unfortunately, that has not been the case.”

Coaches Corner: Kris Boey

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor

It’s now the spring season and the track and field team is ready to take the momentum from the winter into the new season.

Q: What is the attitude heading into this spring season?

A: The team’s attitude and purpose is excel- lent going into the outdoor season. We are building on a successful indoor season and as always we expect to be our best in May as the track and eld season culminates.

Q: What is the goal as a team this season?

A: Our goal is for each individual to improve and perform to the best of their capabilities and contribute to the overarching team goals. It’s a combination of individual achievements that allow the team to reach it’s full potential.

Q: What are the expectations heading into the spring season?

A: The expectations are to continue building the good work we’ve been doing all season and represent OWU in the best possible manner.

Q: Who, from Ohio Wesleyan, should people keep an eye out for?

A; In order to have the kind of team success that we are striving for, every team member will need to play an important role.

Q: Will we see another national championship performance from Robinson?

A:Cirrus has achieved a great deal in her rst season, and I believe she is far from her ceiling. My hope is that she enjoys the process and works towards her goals. If that is her mindset, then she will certainly be in a position to accomplish great things into the future.

Q: What events will Ohio Wesleyan be strong in?

A: We pride ourselves on being a complete, well-rounded team.

The BEAT: Calvin Harris continues new direction

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

With yet another single released, Calvin Harris is showing signs of a new production style and artistic direction.

It’s been a little over a month since Harris released his funky single “Slide,” featuring singer Frank Ocean and hip-hop group Migos. And now he’s back at it again with another unique pop collaboration, “Heatstroke”.

This new track features a variety of artists, including Young Thug, Ariana Grande and Pharrell. Young Thug carries the first verse while Grande and Pharrell mainly sing the chorus, creating a melody that hits very high notes.

The single is similar to Harris’ last release in that it incorporates a disco-pop sound that is very danceable.

“Slide” was Frank Ocean’s first appearance since the release of his summer album “Blonde.” The combination of his singing with verses from Quavo and Offset of Migos made for a popular single, hitting No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in its rst week.

Both tracks are a step in a different direction for Harris. He has been making electronic dance music for years, which has made him the richest DJ in the world, according to Forbes. These new songs are both de nitely pop, and are possibly an indicator for what type of music is to be expected from the producer in the future.

“Slide” came out on Feb. 24 and this most recent one, “Heatstroke,” was released March 31. One would think a new Calvin Harris album is on the way, however there is not.

According to Complex Magazine, Harris doesn’t plan to make an album at all. Instead, he plans to release
10 singles throughout the year, with ‘Slide’ and ‘Heatstroke’ being the rst two. While the reasons for this are not confirmed, Complex looks at this as a marketing strategy for Harris. There may be more money to be earned spreading these types of singles out over time, rather than in one single album release.

Album or not, we can be positive that a new Calvin Harris has arrived, and has a lot more in store for us in the coming months.

The Mowgli’s talk creative process and Bishop Bash

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Bishop Bash is around the corner and Ohio Wesleyan’s Campus Programing Board is bringing The Mowgli’s, an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California.

Two members of the band, Katie Earl and Josh Hogan, talked about the origins of the band, their creative process, and what they plan to bring to Bishop Bash in an interview with The Transcript.

Q: How/when was the band formed?

A: We developed in the LA music scene in 2009. A lot of us (members) knew each other in the years leading up to that. Around that time, we were playing a lot of shows together and opening up for each other’s bands. The band came together in this big art scene in LA at the time.

Q: How did you come up with the band name?

A: Mowgli is actually the name of a dog that we all knew that had a crazy personality, and we all saw a little of ourselves in him, and that dog was named after the “Jungle Book” character.

Q: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

A: We try to make upbeat music that people can relate to and that people have a good time listening to. That’s our main goal. Sometimes that creates a pop sound, and sometimes it makes a more rockin’ sound. We just try to make people feel happy and that they aren’t alone.

Q: So is that what you’d say your music is about? Are there a lot of themes in your music?

A: Yes, there is definitely a theme of unity in our music. We definitely explore the themes of connecting with other people. We try to let people know they aren’t alone and drive a theme of self-love. The themes have also definitely expanded in the past couple year; we just try to write from a place of honesty and hope it reaches our listeners.

Q: What is the creative process like for your band?

A: It’s definitely something that changes all the time. Our first album’s process was nothing like the second album’s process and the third was different from that, so it’s something that is always changing. A lot of the last record was written on the road. It has changed a lot based on circumstances and we’re looking forward to seeing how that process continues to evolve.

Q: Are you working on any projects right now?

A: We just released an album in September. We’re going to continue to tour in support of that with The Maine and then who knows? There are a lot of songs and music projects that are in the works because it’s just a group of creative people who are always writing and exploring their abilities so a lot of cool stuff will continue to happen with our group.

Q: What artists and music have inspired your sound?

A: That’s a pool that’s also always expanding. We all listen to a variety of music and pull from that. So that question can change depending on the member you ask. Some of the bands/artists that we like are Portugal the Man, The 1975 and other groups.

Q: Do you play a lot of college shows? And do you notice a big difference between playing colleges and regular shows.

A: Yeah, we play a lot of college shows. It’s always really fun because college kids work so hard during the week … for something like a night out at a show. So the audience is always really fun and energetic and a really good time.

Q: What are some of your goals as a band in the short and long term?

A: We have so many hopes and dreams, but one specific goal for us this year would be to go international. That’s such a dream of ours and while we love touring the U.S., we really want to take the show we’ve worked so hard on to another country that isn’t Canada. We also really want to have a long career in this business. Within our band we have so many musicians, and in our fantasy, everyone will have their own project that they’ll end up doing, but at the same time we’ll still have this band, kind of like Wu-Tang Clan.

Q: What should OWU students expect from The Mowgli’s at Bishop Bash?

A: When we come out to play a show, we work hard to bring our A-game. We’re going to do our part to bring a great show and we hope a lot of people come out, so we can make sure everyone has a lot of fun.

Ultimate frisbee wins first place in the High Tide tournament

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor

The ultimate frisbee club at Ohio Wesleyan University traveled to South Carolina to compete in the High Tide tournament and walked away with first place in their bracket over spring break.

The ultimate frisbee club entered the High Tide tournament that went from March 14-16 and stayed in Little River, SC just north of Myrtle Beach. According to hightideultimate.com, it is one of the biggest ultimate tournaments and was founded in 1996.

“We managed to get a house right on the beach which was nice,” said sophomore Espen Stalder who is a captain for the team. “There were around 120 teams overall, and about 40 within our division. Most of those were D-III schools but there were a few larger ones like Syracuse.”

The team had eight wins and one loss in their mixed bracket which included clubs as well as  Division-I teams. The term “mixed” means that both men and women participate on the same team. The team’s attitude seemed calm even during the matches.

“It was very relaxed, even at the tournament,” said Stalder. “It’s not a sanctioned tournament meaning it doesn’t count for official ranking, so winning isn’t as important so much as just hanging out. If you wanted to make stupid plays for fun you absolutely could.”

Before heading to High Tide, the club struggled to organize practices before the tournament began but seemed to come together nicely once tournament play began.

“The main challenge was people unable to come to practice,” said Stalder. “We only had one mixed practice a week, and oftentimes half the team wouldn’t be able to come. I had class most of the time so I went into the tournament not knowing most of the girls. Not knowing the playing styles of half the team is definitely a challenge, but we figured it out pretty fast.”

Stalder said that the team tries to practice three times a week during the school year but mixed practices are limited to once a week.

The team would eventually make it to the finals of their bracket where they would play Syracuse University. They beat the Division-I school and showed that they are able to compete amongst the other clubs and teams.

“It feels great, most of the people on the team have never won a tournament outright before,” said Stalder. “There’s a sense of pride that comes from beating Division-I teams like Syracuse as a small, relatively unknown Division-III school.”

Stalder went on to say that their main goal was just to “have fun” and that this was their first time competing in a mixed bracket. Looking ahead, the club’s members will maintain their positive approach after learning a valuable lesson about themselves.

“It’s a milestone for the club as this is the first time anyone on the team has won high tide,” said Stalder. “It also shows that we can in fact function mixed better than when we’re separate.”

Freshman track and field athlete wins national title at Division III event

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor

A national champion was crowned for Ohio Wesleyan University track and field while two others placed in the Division III national championship meet March 10 and 11.

Cirrus Robinson, Sarah Fowler, and Nate Newman all placed in their individual competitions at the NCAA championship meet. Robinson, a freshman, won the NCAA title in high-jump and is the second woman from OWU to win an individual championship.

Junior Nate Newman participated in the heptathlon and placed in the top 6. He received All-American honors joining senior Fowler who also received All-American honors. Fowler broke a school record in the 5000-meter with a finishing time of 16:54.38 and the previous record was 17:04.66 also set by Fowler earlier in the season according to battlingbishops.com. Freshman Robinson took the crown as national champion in high-jump and, according to battlingbishops.com is the second women in track and field to win a title.

“It was just a special moment,” said Kris Boey who is the the director of track and field, cross country and the head coach for track and field. He said this season gives the team a sense of pride and the tradition they have is “great.”  

The national meet was hosted by North Central College in Illinois and Boey said that the meet was organized well.

“There was a lot of energy,” Boey said. Sometimes meets can get the best of athletes because of the stressful atmosphere, but Boey was confident that the freshman would handle the pressure.

“[Boey] was really realistic with me,” said Robinson.

While two OWU athletes placed, Robinson won the NCAA title in high-jump just beating Emma Egan, a freshman from Williams College.

“I was completely overjoyed,” said Robinson.

“I think it is  tremendous for her and the track program,” said Athletic Director Roger Ingles. “It is unbelievable.”

Boey felt that she was willing and able to leap ahead of the competition. He said she kept a level head and that she was  able to perform under pressure.

“She knows how to have Fun,” Boey said. “After the conference meet, I knew she was ready. I knew she was going have a great meet.”

Robinson competed the second day and was seeded second heading into the meet. She said staying calm was key in her performing her jump and mentioned that Boey helped her get comfortable in the moment.

“We just kept focusing on making the heights,” Boey said. “We didn’t even talk about winning.”

The decision went down to how many missed attempts the separate individuals had in total and Robinson had the least missed jumps with just three.

“It took a while to sink in,” said Boey referring to how Robinson reacted to her win. “We have seen just the tip of the iceberg.” Robinson represents the program well, according to Boey, and this was a great moment for her and the team.

Robinson said she received several text messages from friends and family after she won and this moment solidified her confidence as an athlete.

This indoor track and field season has been a successful one for OWU. Boey hopes that success will lead to more in the upcoming spring season.

“I believe she will continue to grow and progress. I can’t say for sure but I know she will put herself in a position to be successful,” Boey said adding Robinson has the ability to be one of the best track and field athletes in Division III.

Robinson mentioned her two teammates, Newman and Fowler, played a big role by inspiring her to work and compete harder.

There is an overall sense of pride for the program and there is anticipation for what is yet to come from players and coaches. Robinson said that she does not feel content and she is currently preparing for the spring season. But for now, she can now breath a sigh of relief knowing that she is a champion and that this is only the beginning of her collegiate career.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said Boey. “They represent Ohio Wesleyan and they did it in the best of fashion.”

The Beat: Drake beats streaming records with “More Life”

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Drake continues his reign as the biggest hip-hop artist in the game with his record-breaking release of “More Life.”

The Toronto rapper released the 22-track album (which he refers to as a playlist) on Saturday and it broke streaming records on both Spotify and Apple Music.

“More Life” was streamed 88.9 times on Apple Music on its first day of release, which is more than any album has ever streamed in one day through the service, according to Billboard.

The playlist also received more than 76 million plays on Spotify, which is the most an artist has ever been streamed in one day. Both records surpassed the ones previously set by Ed Sheeran.

Drake has released four studio albums so far in his career and while this looks like a fifth, he’s chosen to call it a playlist, not an album. According to The Atlantic, this is because many people were involved with the project and it became more like a project created by many artists rather than just Drake. Some songs barely feature Drake at all; instead, featuring artists do a large bulk of the vocals.

The project has a lengthy and eye-catching list of features. He collaborated with some of the biggest artists in hip-hop including Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Migos’ Quavo, Young Thug and more.

Drake seems to draw back to his roots on many of the tracks in the playlist. His last two projects were seen as a victory lap and featured a lot of boasting over hype instrumentals. “More Life” features serious and emotional tracks and feels much more like “Take Care,” Drake’s second studio album released in 2011.

With 22 tracks the album is very dense and hits a variety of themes. It acts like a rollercoaster hitting many highs and a lot of lows which makes the tracklist diverse and interesting.

Playlist or album, “More Life” has been another smash hit for the most popular artist in hip-hop right now.

Is your bracket busted?

By Evan Walsh, Chief Copy Editor

Chances are you know someone, or know someone who knows someone that needs NCAA Tournament therapy.

Fear not, they are simply suffering from “Busted Bracket-itis.”

Do a quick search on web.md and you probably won’t find anything about it. But if you spend ve minutes during these two crazy weeks at a Buffalo Wild Wings or any sports bar you will see just how real this syndrome is. (Disclaimer: Busted Bracket-itis is not actually a real thing … please don’t sue me, web.md.)

The Men’s NCAA basketball tournament begins with 64 teams and over the course of several weeks the field will get whittled down one by one until a champion is crowned.

As fans of men’s college basketball know, making a perfect bracket where the winner of each game in each round is chosen is impossible. The chances of that happening are something like 1 in 6360309209. Not good.

So, as fans (or casual spectators feeling this annual bet-making itch) know, you should make educated guesses. But educated guesses, grounded in logic and informed by statistics, mean nothing. After all, it is “madness.”

Letter to the Editor: SIAC addresses lack of diversity among faculty

By Ryan Bishop, Contributing Writer

The Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs’ (WCSA) Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee (SIAC) was created in the spring of 2016 to ensure that students from under-represented groups on campus have a pres- ence and voice on our student government.

Its mission is focused on addressing is- sues that students from minoritized groups face. SIAC has eight voting senator positions, known as Inclusion Representatives, and is currently chaired by Ryan Bishop.

SIAC’s first big project for the 2017 term was composing a letter to address the lack diversity among faculty on our campus.

This three-page letter was reviewed by Juan Armando Rojas, associate dean for inclusion and diversity, and WCSA’s full senate.

In our letter, we expressed appreciation for the number of efforts which the university has already undertaken to address this issue, including creating Rojas’ position and holding various faculty training sessions related to diversity, inclusion and equity in the classroom.

Ohio Wesleyan prides itself on fostering a welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds and has been working toward strengthening the efforts in this area.

SIAC expressed concerns we have heard from our student body regarding the small number of faculty of color (for instance, out of 129 faculty members, only four are Black, and only three are Hispanic or Latinx; OWU has only ever had one Black female faculty member, Judylyn Ryan).

Not only do these numbers not re ect the diversity in our student body, but they are also unjust and undermine our commitment to liberal arts education.

Diversity among professors is crucial for a number of reasons, including providing students of diverse backgrounds with the opportunity to see themselves in their teachers who are often their role models.

According to a 2014 report by the National Education Association, professors of color are often more capable of connecting with students of color, and also tend to teach with a more socially conscious mindset which is inclusive of students from under-represented groups and incorporates diverse approaches.

Inclusive approaches are bene cial to all students, as they shape graduates to be true global citizens.

Increasing diversity among faculty, as well as strengthening diversity and sensitivity training of faculty and staff, is a goal of equity and justice, and one that can only improve our already exceptional liberal arts institution. In the letter, SIAC also offered suggestions which could help expand existing efforts.

Our letter was immediately addressed on multiple levels of the administration, including by Provost Chuck Stinemetz and President Rock Jones, both of whom ex- pressed desire to meet with SIAC and further the conversation.

Furthermore, departments that are currently hiring have expressed willingness to honor a resolution passed by WCSA in 2016 to invite SIAC members to hiring committees.

WCSA is grateful for the administration’s commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and just campus environment and for its willingness to work with students.