Author: Phoebe Christine Bush

By Sadie Slager

Transcript Correspondent

Students in some Ohio Wesleyan residence halls are already racking up community damage charges.

An unplanned fire alarm in the middle of the night over fall break brought up the possibility of community damage fees being assessed to all Thomson Hall residents, as the alarm was caused by fire extinguishers being unnecessarily expelled.

Jill Auxter, residential life coordinator (RLC) for Thomson and Bashford Halls and the fraternities, said at this time she has no additional information regarding the fire alarm incident in Thomson. She said thus far, Thomson and Bashford do not have any community damage charges.

Auxter said the only instance in which all residents are affected with a charge is if individuals are not identified who caused the damage. She said these types of incidents come in several forms.

“Some examples might be a broken window in a hallway or if a fire extinguisher is expelled or found missing,” she said. “This isn’t referring to a specific incident, but rather are just examples”

According to the 2013-2014 student handbook, students responsible for negligence, abuse of facilities or other forms of damage will be responsible for paying the cost of repair, cleanup or replacement. If the identities of these people remain unknown, community damage charges are divided between residents and charged to individual student accounts at the end of each semester.

Freshman John Waldon, a Thomson resident, said he was unaware the alarm went off until the next day because he slept through it. He said he heard about fire extinguishers being taken out of the building, but was unsure of the details.

“People told me someone was messing with the equipment,” he said. “I have heard of what happened, but I have no clue on the identities of those involved.”

Waldon said he doesn’t think it’s fair for all residents to have to pay for other peoples’ careless acts, but the rule has to do with group responsibility.

“The policy is aimed at creating a peer responsibility system and that creates an atmosphere where these people don’t feel unpunished,” he said.

Ally Himes, RLC for Smith Hall and Austin Manor, said she heard someone sprayed the fire extinguishers in Thomson, but didn’t hear of an official incident report after the event.

She said in the residential halls she manages, community damage incidents this year have ranged from bodily fluids in common areas like elevators and steps to public bulletin board displays being ripped down.

Himes said it is difficult to find out who commits most community damage because frequently no one sees the incident taking place or comes forward to report who has done it.

“If there’s community damage and no one was seen, there are really no steps taken to find out,” she said.

Himes said each damage has a “different price” and community damage charges for incidents such as vomit and urine are dependent upon how long each mess takes to clean up since this goes above and beyond daily cleaning services.

“It’s $22 per hour for cleaning, so that is applied and split among everyone in the building each time something happens that needs to be cleaned up,” she said.

Himes said community damage charges are significantly lessened once divided among all members of a residential community.

This is her first year as an RLC at OWU, but Himes estimates that throughout the whole year community damage charges for Smith are probably between $4,000 and $4,500 among the whole building. For everyone individually, Himes predicts this will culminate to be much less than $100 charged to each resident at the end of the year.

One way to reduce community damages is to make sure all residents are aware of what actions constitute community damage without a suspect being identified, Himes said.

According to Himes, students probably don’t know that incidents like pulling down bulletin boards and urinating in public places are considered community damages, but she aims to reiterate with her residents what will be charged to the residential hall as a whole.

Himes said community damage charges also depend on how diligent Residential Life staff members are in reporting and following up on incidents.

By Jija Dutt

Transcript Reporter

As of summer 2013, Ohio Wesleyan has developed a new initiative of Student Success Guides to improve student retention and graduation rates.

University President Rock Jones said the program was created to see if “through more personal attention we might help students engage more fully on campus and experience greater rates of success at OWU.” The Martin Eisenberg, dean of academic affairs, and Kimberlie Goldsberry, Dean of Students, oversee the program.

The role of the Student Success Guides is to be available as resources for the students and guide them to become more engaged on campus, help them find various forms of support and assist them in developing plans that will help meet their objectives and achieve success.

Currently there are three Student Success Guides on campus: assistant chaplain, Lisa Ho, part-time instructor of speech, Eric Gnezda, and career counselor Amanda Stewart.

“They were chosen because of their strong working relationships with students and their particular interest in this issue,” Jones said.

Ho said the average retention rate in the last five years is 82 percent and the graduation rate, which is the number of students who come in as freshman and stay on till they graduate four years later, was the highest in 2009 at 71 percent.

She said her role as a Student Success Guide is to see the “numbers get better.”

The students in the program are pre-identified by the admissions office as those who might need extra help. They receive an email about the program and it’s up to them if they get back to the guides as wanting the help that is offered to them.

So far, Ho said they have had about a 50 percent response rate from the 137 students who were identified. She said these students range from those who have basic problems with studying skills, to accessing books and requiring financial aid. The majority of the students, she said, have time management problems.

She said her goal as a guide would be to see the program open up more, have more staff involved in it and to develop a peer-mentoring program in which upperclassman who have gone through the program can mentor underclassman enrolled in it.

“(That way) both have an incentive to stay back,” she said.

Her formula for the program is to connect “people with passion.” The biggest achievement as a guide, she said, will be “standing in 2017 in Phillips and watching the freshmen graduate—see the students thrive.”

Ho said she is honored to be a part of the program, and is excited to see where it goes.

Craig Ullom, vice president for Student Affairs, said he thinks programs like Student Success Guides “are great partnerships with students to promote and support their continued success at OWU.”

Jones said he is “very interested” in seeing students succeed in all facets of their university experience.

“I hope this program will provide an additional resource toward those objectives and that one measure of success will be improved retention and graduation rates,” he said.

By Brian Cook

Transcript Reporter

The future of Ohio Wesleyan’s residence halls is now clearer with the completion of a plan from Mackey Mitchell Architects.

In October, the firm presented to the Board of Trustees a comprehensive package of renovation options the university could pursue.

According to the report, there are three different renovation options. The first option would “replace building infrastructure systems that have exceeded life expectancy and upgrade life safety features.”

This option, according to Mackey Mitchell, would result in little to no loss in capacity

The second option would “provide enhancements achieved with modest alterations,” according to the slideshow presentation.

According to Mackey Mitchell, this plan would result in a loss of two to three percent of present capacity in residence halls.

The most costly option would be to “reconfigure spaces to reflect current best practices in student life design,” which would result in close to a 10 percent reduction in present capacity according to the report.

Craig Ullom, vice president for Student Affairs, said any reduction in capacity in residential buildings would not include Stuyvesant Hall, which recently underwent renovation completed in the fall of 2012.

Wendy Piper, assistant dean of Students Affairs and director of Residential Life, estimated that the third renovation option would cost the university $90-100 million.

Piper said most of the improvements would go into projects that students would not be able to see from the outside.

“Eighty cents of every dollar go behind the walls,” she said.

The scope of work for the university starts with focused improvements. Piper described these as “more of a surface improvement,” with most of the money going into cosmetic improvements and a minority of the money going to improvements behind the walls.

The university is also exploring a restoration of the residence halls, according to a report detailing the next steps of the Student Housing Master Plan (SHMP).

Piper said renovation would involve “returning (the residence hall) to its original condition.” She said things like electrical wiring and plumbing repairs would take up a large percentage of the budget for the project.

Freshman Woody Jamiel said he would like to see improvements to the quality of living in Thomson Hall and Bashford Hall.

“Thomson and Bashford Halls definitely should get air conditioning and new flooring,” he said.

Sophomore Hideo Kikuchi said he would like to see some soundproofing in the walls.

“I need (soundproofing in the dorm room and living room) to use Skype… because talking by Skype and phone is noisy,” he said.

Kikuchi also described the color of the dorms as “dreary.”

In addition to the renovation projects, a plan has been proposed to construct brand new Small Living Units (SLUs), as well as build an apartment complex that would sit at the intersection on Rowland Avenue and Liberty Street.

According to the Mackey Mitchell report, the SLUs have a number of structural problems. Some of those problems include “water infiltration into stone basements” and “lack of ADA compliant accessibility.”

The report said the cost to renovate the SLUs would be prohibitive, and instead recommended that replacement SLUs be built.

Jamiel said the building of new SLUs would not impact his desire to live in them, but he said it would be a “great idea” to build the apartments.

Craig Ullom said an earlier version of the Student Housing Master Plan in 2010 included replacing the SLUs with apartments, but the university now intends to follow the recommendation of the Mackey Mitchell report and build new SLUs, as well as build the new apartments.

According to the SHMP report, the total cost of all the projects will add up to approximately $60.5 million. This amount includes $45 million allocated to the residence halls and fraternities, and $13 million for new SLUs and apartments.

The university estimates that it will cost about $37,000 per bed to renovate the residence halls and fraternities, while it will cost $65,000 per bed to build new SLUs and apartments.

Per the SHMP, the university has already invested more than $20 million into the residential side of campus, which included an overhaul of Stuyvesant Hall, renovations to 4, 23 and 35 Williams Drive, and focused improvements in Hayes and Welch.

Ullom said with the anticipated new apartments, the university will have to build at least one additional parking lot, probably near Bashford Hall.

According to Ullom, building all the new buildings and parking lots is contingent on gaining approval from city officials.

By Jija Dutt

Transcript Reporter

“I am clear as a Christian minister that in all the holy texts, (the) primary theme is to love humanity,” said University Chaplain, Jon Powers, at the end of yet another Pride Week at Ohio Wesleyan.

The week of Oct. 7 to 11 saw various activities celebrating the LGBT community being held across campus. The week began with the PRIDE members handing out free condoms, goodies and “hot-cards” in the campus center during the lunch hours.

A family dinner was held on Tuesday night, followed by an “All Gender Housing Discussion” led by Rebecca Mosely on Wednesday. Mosely is associate director of Residential Education at Oberlin College.

On Thursday immigration lawyer Bobby Thaxton spoke about the effects of immigration law on the LGBT community.

Junior Hannah Sampson, PRIDE public relations chair, said planning for the week began at the end of last year and was a “work in progress” until mid-September of this year.

“Planning the events was not terribly difficult, as our speakers and performer were very supportive of PRIDE week and incredibly flexible,” she said. “The little technical things, like being in contact with housekeeping, getting rooms reserved, and event setup were probably the most difficult parts of planning, but everything went fairly smoothly overall.”

Sampson said while the executive board planned the events, they worked closely with the Spectrum Resource Center, who helped bring a speaker and hosted the National Coming Out Day celebration at the end of the week. She also said PRIDE members were “invaluable” to the week’s success.

Associate Chaplain Chad Johns said this year’s Pride week saw a wider variety of events compared to previous years.

“This has been one of the best events this year,” he said.

Sampson said this year’s events had the highest number of attendees throughout the week compared to previous years.  Most events had about 20-30 people, while Friday night’s Pride Prom “had an incredible number of people in attendance.”

Chaplain Powers said as a university with a Methodist affiliation, “we are somewhat at odds with the church” in matters related to the LGBT community. However, he said ever since he became the university chaplain back in 1988, he has “always been supportive of people who are LGBT.”

Powers said he has always welcomed students who have come to him with personal concerns before coming out to the public about their sexuality and he has always “held them in secret.”

He said he has also received calls and met with parents who have been opposed to their child being of a different sexual orientation who have asked him to help “straighten them out.”

He said his counsel to both students seeking his help as well as parents has always been unique to each given situation, but his “response is always affirmative.”

Powers said he believes crimes towards any individual based on their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexuality of any kind is a deep problem arising out of fear.

“People fear the ‘other,’” he said. “It’s an ignorant reaction. It’s this human shadow that responds to fear by acting out violently.”

Sampson said one of OWU’s goals as an institution is to “celebrate diversity and allow individuals to thrive and express themselves freely.”

“I believe that this campus is very accepting of the LGBTIQA community as a whole and we have an incredible amount of ally support on campus,” she said.

A lot of people came out at this year’s National Coming Out Day; Sampson said some people also came out as allies at the event.

“Accepting people for who they are is something that is improving at OWU,” she said.

Sampson said the Spectrum Resource Center located on the second floor of the campus center is a great asset, especially for those who have concerns about coming out.

Powers said as more people get to know each other as people and don’t see them as the “other,” the less violently people will react to each other.

“A lot of the wall comes down,” he said.

His message to those struggling with coming out is simply to take care of themselves and not come out in way that might be risky to them. He said he wants them to know that OWU is a safe harbor; any place with a “Safe Zone” sign on campus has individuals who have been trained to talk. He asks them to seek a safer harbor within OWU and “know, discover and be assured” that they will be taken care of.

“It is not a political but a care issue,” he said. “We will meet you where you are.”

PRIDE meetings are held on Thursdays at 9:00pm in the Smith Piano Room.

 

By Jija Dutt

Transcript Reporter

Members of various Greek organizations on campus dedicated their afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 13, to raising over $500 for the children of St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

Sigma Chi fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority held, for the first time, a joint fall philanthropy event.

“(We) decided to work together because we both wanted to do a kickball tournament,” said junior Elise Pitcairn, Tri-Delta’s philanthropy chair. “Both philanthropies would support St. Jude, and Sigma Chi and Tri-Delta have always had a solid bond of friendship.”

For the past two years, Tri-Delta has held a twister competition as their fall philanthropy event.

Pitcairn said her main goal in planning philanthropy events is to ensure the sorority can raise as much money and awareness about St. Jude as possible and “that everyone has as much fun (as they can) while doing so.”

A total of 10 teams participated at this year’s kickball tournament. While most had Greek affiliation, the Delaware Fire Department was a special addition to the list of teams that participated.

Delta Gamma won among the participating sororities, while Phi Gamma Delta won among the fraternities.

Pitcairn said she thought the event’s first time was a huge success.

“There was an overall energetic and enthusiastic atmosphere,” she said.

Adding to the spirit on Fraternity Hill, where the event was held, was the appearance of Dan’s Deli.

Pitcairn said “a lot of Dan’s Deli was consumed” during the event and the money they raised by partnering with the food cart has not yet been added to the total money raised.

Senior John Bieniek, president of Alpha Sigma Phi, said his favorite part of the event was being able to play alongside his brothers and cheering them on as they participated.

He said the fact that a fraternity and sorority co-hosted the event was a plus, since it “probably encouraged more teams to participate.”

Sophomore Jen Luckett, a member of Tri-Delta, said she felt the event was a success and teaming up with Sig Chi “was a cherry on top of that.” She said she thought it was great that the Delaware Fire Department could come out in support of a philanthropy event on campus.

“It just shows the sense of community in Delaware,” she said.

Pitcairn said to her, philanthropy means, “being selfless.” She said it is an opportunity to give back and make an impact that goes beyond OWU.

“It cost(s) over $1.5 million a day to run St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, so every penny we raise is crucial,” she said.

 

By Sara Schneider

Transcript Correspondent

Faculty and staff at OWU have created the Internship Circle to discuss expectations concerning internships.

The group, sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, meets every second Tuesday of the month at noon in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center in room 304; the meetings are open for all to attend.

Professor of Politics and Government James Franklin, who organizes the meetings, said they are a “forum for faculty and staff to meet and discuss issues pertaining to internships.”

In March of 2013, a workshop took place to inform people about internships on and off campus. Following the workshop, faculty and staff said they believed follow-up meetings were needed. The Internship Circle was then created and the first meeting took place in September.

Several different academic departments already offer internships to students, but the Internship Circle encourages additional departments to create internship positions and promote internship opportunities for students off campus.

“Internships allow students to learn about careers in ways that is not possible in the classroom,” Franklin said.

Students have the ability to work alongside professionals in a field that interests them. These internships can lead to quality recommendations and possible future jobs.

According to the Career Services web page, internships are valuable for “building skills and acquiring an understanding of the demands of a particular career field.”

Career Services highly recommends that students complete at least one internship during their college careers.

Senior Chris Litzler has completed three internships with commercial real estate investment funds. He said he thinks they are “opportunities for students to extend classroom learning in a professional setting while preparing students for a meaningful career.”

“These internships have given me a better understanding on the industry and make me a very strong entry level candidate in the real estate space,” he said. “Students cultivate interests in classrooms and internships are avenues for students to test their interests to determine if they are passions.”