Author: Phoebe Christine Bush

Fourteen new WCSA Residential Representatives were elected to office last week. These members will make up the Residential Affairs Committee which is responsible for studying and initiating appropriate actions on residential living issues that concern students.
In addition to Residential Representatives for dormitories, representatives were elected from the SLUs.
“This year, Anthony and I felt that SLUs need more representation on WCSA, so we have made room for two SLU reps this year,” said Carly Halall, vice president of WCSA and chair of the residential affairs committee.
Sophomore Alex Kerensky, one of the new SLU representatives, said she is dedicated to make positive changes for the SLU community as well as the rest of campus.
Kerensky said some people are intimidated by SLUs and she wants to make the benefits of SLUs available to the rest of campus.
She said the SLU community can sometimes come off as exclusive at times, but they have a lot of great things going on that all of campus would enjoy.
One of Kerensky’s main goals is to convey to the student body what WCSA does.
“I’d like to make WCSA more transparent and less of a mystery,” said Kerensky. “I am also looking forward to working with Sean Kinghorn on the sustainability committee to further the environmental advancements on campus.”
Sophomore Anthony Fisher, a recently elected second-term residential representatives, also said one of his goals is better communication between WCSA and the rest of the student body.
“Every candidate on every campaign trail, national or small scale, will say they want transparency; this is such a generic term,” said Fisher.
He said his goal is to make WCSA more transparent by allowing the student body to voice their opinion freely.
“Through the mediums of our easily accessible web sites, public forums, surveys, and tabling events, I feel we can grasp the student body’s opinion,” Fisher said.
Fisher said the aspect of residential life that needs to be changed the most is removal of off-campus privileges.
“Many students go away to school for the sole purpose of learning to mature and become independent. How will a student be able to do that if they live in dormitories for four years?
Fisher said that the university should promote independence
“Some may say that the Greek community does allow some independence, however there is nothing like having to pay bills, cook, and clean in your own residence,” he said.
Sophomore Alvince Pongos, a new residential representative, said he looks forward to being a leader on campus.
He compares his position on the committee with nature.
“My goal as a representative is to be like water.” Pongos said. “I hope to reflect the voices and passions of the student body, to adapt and work with the limits of our resources, and with this to move mountains and carve our mark into the world.”
He said the most urgent issue on campus is the overcrowding in dormitories, specifically Smith.
“The problem with overcrowding is that it hinders the students’ ability to accomplish some of the goals of college life,” Pongos said. “Some of the goals of college life include gaining knowledge and with this reserve of knowledge to find inspiration and with this inspiration to create.”
He said overcrowding in dormitory life hinders every level of progression in this system.
“Our minds function like a flowing river. When there is clutter and overcrowding, our thoughts become dammed,” said Pongos.
“Thus, we become beings of stagnation, unmoved and bounded, he said. “However, when our environment is clear, the flow of progress is boundless and moves beyond the horizon.”
Improving and sustaining an environment that benefits the growth of students is another one of Pongos’ goals.
“It is understood we are partially products of our environment,” said Pongos.” “Thus, it is a constant endeavor to create an environment that will aid in the intellectual, emotional, and maybe even spiritual growth of the students.”
Pongos said he will accomplish improvement through gaining knowledge of self and his environment and using the information to make changes.
Pongos said the first step of solving a problem is finding out what the problem is.
“By keeping an open ear, and empathetic heart, I hope to gain understanding of the needs of the student body.”
“By gaining knowledge of systems of political leverage at OWU I hope to make efficient positive change.”

This semester OWU’s travel-learning courses will be sending students to Ghana, Bangladesh, various places in the United Kingdom, Rome, Alaska, Taiwan, Japan, Ireland, Costa Rica, Iceland and Tanzania.
Professors in the geology and geography department Karen Fryer, Ph.D. and Bart Martin, Ph.D., are teaching the course Tectonics, Volcanology and Geothermal Energy in the North Atlantic: The Geology and Energy Resources of Iceland. The course will travel to Iceland in May.
Fryer said she is glad to be teaching a travel-learning course for the first time and they are a good example of a well-rounded liberal arts experience.
“I really enjoy the interdisciplinary nature of the course,” said Fryer. “Less than half of the class are geography majors, and the students really bring the interdisciplinary aspect.”
Fryer said students are excited for the Iceland trip.
“One of the students taking the course is especially interested in languages…she will hopefully be able to teach us some Icelandic words.”
David Johnson, Ph.D., professor of botany-microbiology, and Jed Burtt, Ph.D., professor of zoology are teaching the tropical biology course.
Johnson said there are many benefits to taking a travel-learning course.
“I really do believe in the saying, ‘travel broadens the mind,” said Johnson. “I think gaining a new perspective can be very beneficial to understanding and applying what is learned in class,” said Johnson. With any(botany-microbiology or zoology)course, we would typically go to a laboratory to apply what has been learned. Traveling to Costa Rica will help students learn even more.”
Lee Fratantuono, Ph.D., associate professor of humanities-classics, will be teaching the course, “The Roman Republic”. Fratantuono said one of the greatest advantages of taking a travel-learning course is students will be able to supplement readings and assignments to actual visits.
“Students will have a chance to see some of the very sites associated with the readings they complete for the course; they will be able to walk past the same monuments as Cicero, Augustus, and Nero,” said Fratantuono.
In addition to this, students will learn life lessons.
“Having to look after yourself and others in the group is good training for life,” said Johnson. “We have some students who have never traveled out of Ohio.”
Johnson said he learns through teaching the course.
“I learn something new every time we (travel),” said Johnson.
Fryer said learning new perspectives are an important aspect of the travel-learning experience.
“(Students can learn) just by being in a place that isn’t like home and learning what it’s like to live there,” she said. “It will be interesting for students to get the Icelandic view of the U.S. and their perspective of the global economy. It’s a great way to finish off a liberal arts education.”

Many people do not realize that Delaware has a small museum for natural history and that it is located right here on campus (SCSC Room #166). Although it is free and open to the public, it seems to be a well-kept secret even among many OWU students and staff.
The other day I spent a lovely hour in the Zoology Museum, as it is called, and walked away with interesting new information, such as the history of science at OWU.
The original Science Hall was Merrick, whose large third-floor room contained a natural history museum.. Unfortunately, half a century ago the college gave away most of its holdings to OSU because of space restrictions. The current museum was finalized after six display cases from the Smithsonian arrived in 2009. The evolution of homosapiens is also displayed alongside human and primate skulls.
Despite the small dimensions of the gallery, it is chockfull with specimens. Every corner, wall and even the ceiling is mounted with various animal species. Birds dominate, no doubt due to museum director Dr. Jed Burtt, an internationally-renowned ornithologist and published author.
There must be close to a hundred birds in the various display cases and on the shelves, from the smallest humming bird to the largest turkey, owl, eagle, and albatross. Both domestic animals and species from around the world are present. Then, there are exhibits of numerous bird skulls and eggs. I have never seen so closely the formidable beak of a kingfisher, which makes digging the long underground tunnels that lead to their nesting chambers possible.
Also noteworthy is an exhibit entitled “The Top 10 Phyla”: a display case with coral reefs and marine shells; a collection of teeth (check out the large teeth of sperm whales!); a group of reptiles; etc. Hanging from the ceiling is a hornet’s nest, a great horned owl and the skeleton of a large beluga whale.
Above the doors are antlers of a moose and caribou as well as a bison’s head. Guarding one of the entrance doors is a two-headed calf that young visitors love to touch.
Given the small size of the museum, it is not surprising that some animal groups are missing. Only about 10 percent of the Zoology Department’s collections are actually on display because there is no room for the rest. For example, some 20,000 insects are stored out of public sight.
The little museum, primarily used as a teaching collection, is fairly traditional and conventional. At present, there are no interactive activities such as computers and/or loudspeakers. For school children, there is one laminated activity sheet (accompanied by a teachers guide.)
Perhaps a few more educational hand-outs could be made available, not only for children but also for visiting adults. For example, it is almost too much to absorb the rich information about the top ten phyla in one visit, so a leaflet containing that information would be helpful. You probably heard of mollusks and arthropods, two of the phyla, but perhaps you did not realize that we mammals belong to the phylum of so-called chordata (vertebrates), along with bony fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
One other comment, if I may. The little museum, as cute as it is, seems a bit out of step with modern times not only in terms of technology. Its science is somewhat dated and stale, too. For example, you see a passenger pigeon, but there is no mention that the bird became completely extinct in the 19th century. You see an eagle and an osprey, but the exhibit does not mention Rachel Carson’s courageous fight against DDT, the pesticide that almost wiped out all North American raptors. The modern concepts of conservation, environmentalism and sustainability are sorely missing.
Some day, if the right donor(s) can be found, the museum should be modernized. It could be a major attraction for prospective students, a travel destination and a shining beacon on campus.
However, it is worth seeing even at it is, especially the bird collection. So, if some day you have a free hour, or if the weather is bad outside, go visit the Zoology Museum. And if you are very lucky, you will find a student curator working in the back room who would be happy to answer your questions.

The Incident
Just before 6 p.m. Monday, students reported seeing Sigma Chi members flee the fraternity house at 30 Williams Drive. Sophomore Eric Dixon, a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, said he was in the library of the Delt house on 20 Williams Drive when the incident occurred.
“I saw multiple Sig Chi members running from their house,” Dixon said. “One member stopped and hit the emergency beacon multiple times and kept running.”
Minutes later about seven Delaware police officers approached Sig Chi with assault rifles drawn to establish a perimeter around Sig Chi, Dixon said. Sophomore Sigma Phi Epsilon Vince Donofrio said the event unfolded quickly.
“I looked out my window and saw police with assault rifles like in ‘Call of Duty,’” Donofrio said.
Officers arrived three minutes later at 5:51 p.m., at which point the scene was contained. The reporting officer, John Radabaugh, said the student was charged with trespassing and after a thorough search of the premises, no weapon or ammunition was found, according to DPD.

“I saw him with a gun on his desk and a magazine being loaded.”
At 5:48 p.m. Monday, Delaware Police Department (DPD) received a call alleging that junior Zachary Glazer had a gun in the Sigma Chi Fraternity house on 30 Williams Drive.
A brother of Sig Chi placed the call after he said he saw the suspect with a gun on his desk loading a magazine. He was in communication with a DPD dispatcher for six minutes and 16 seconds. Below is a portion of the conversation:

(:37) Dispatcher: “You said there’s a man with a gun?”
(:39) Caller: “Yes.”
(3:06) Caller: “I saw him with a gun on his desk and a magazine being loaded.”
(3:14) Dispatcher: “Okay. I’m sorry, you saw him physically with a gun?”
(3:18) Caller: “Yes.”
(4:38) Dispatcher: “Do you know what kind of gun it is that he owns?”
(4:40) Caller: “It was a handgun.”

Fraternity hill evacuates
Sig Chi and Delta Tau Delta fraternity men were directed to evacuate and were relocated to Sigma Phi Epsilon’s chapter room, according to Sig Ep sophomore Hank Owings.
Members of Delt were just sitting down for dinner when an officer entered the house and instructed everyone to evacuate to Sig Ep, said sophomore Jonathon King-Kaplan.
“Most of us were huddled around windows trying to see what was going on,” King-Kaplan said. “I figured they evacuated us to Sig Ep so there would be a buffer in case bullets began to fly.”
Students remained at Sig Ep for an hour and a half to two hours. The location was chosen because of Sig Ep’s sound emergency floor plan.
According to Sip Ep Residential Assistant (RA) Senior James Dibiasio, Sig Ep does not have a standard procedure for the situation that happened, but they do have evacuation procedures in place for similar emergencies that could arise.
“We practice twice a semester. I think it would be beneficial to have PS officers talk to people in case anything like today happens so people have an idea what to do in the future,” Dibiasio said.

Out of the Loop
Dibiasio said he was eating dinner during the incident and was unaware of what was going on. When evacuated men showed up at Sig Ep, he was surprised.
He said he did not receive a phone call, text or any other notification from Public Safety about the situation until everyone was at the house.
No one on campus received any sort of OWU alert until after the incident had occurred, at 7:10 p.m. Monday night.
According to a mass e-mail sent to the campus community, an alert was not issued because the scene was contained so quickly and the suspect was in custody.
However, many students were upset that an emergency notification was not sent out at the time of the incident.
“It is times like these that we have an emergency alert system,” King-Kaplan said. “Look at the incident at Virginia Tech; students were alerted within 10 minutes of the shooting. I am appalled that the campus was not notified as to why a dozen heavily armed officers were present on campus.”
Junior Wesley Barnes, a member of Delt, said the incident was on Facebook almost immediately.
“It’s a little ridiculous that most of the students were alerted by reading the Facebook news feed,” Barnes said. “Maybe we should switch the emergency alert system to Facebook.”

Safety in numbers
“I knew we were all safe here (at Sig Ep),” Dibiasio said. “PS responded quickly. We were together, and I found safety in that. As a Greek community I am glad we came together and helped them in their need and they could feel safe here.”
Donofrio said he was relieved the situation ended well for everyone. “It was scary, but I’m glad that things worked out and the Greek community came together,” Donofrio said.

Background
According to DPD reports, on Sunday at 9:24 p.m., Zachary Glazer was arrested for disorderly intoxication following an incident at 30 Williams Drive.
The report states that the suspect had been recently expelled from the fraternity and was becoming argumentative with other members and a PS officer. He was then arrested and held in the city jail until sober.

Resolution
At 6:13 p.m., officers communicated with the student by cell phone and, at 6:16 p.m., he voluntarily exited the building. Police report that he was cooperative at all times.
According to Delaware City Police reports, no gun was ever observed and no weapon was discovered during an extensive search. The student, who is from California, withdrew from the university on Tuesday afternoon, according to Cole Hatcher, director of media and community relations.

A message
from the president
In an e-mail at 11:59 a.m. on Tuesday morning, President Rock Jones said he wanted to remind the campus that student and employee personal safety was a priority.
“We work closely with the Delaware City Police and Fire departments to address issues quickly and effectively,” Jones said. “It also is important to note that City of Delaware statistics indicate serious crimes are trending downward in the community—by as much as 18 percent since 2005. Despite this drop in crime, there is increased communication about safety issues being shared with Ohio Wesleyan students, employees, and parents. Awareness is critical to crime prevention and personal safety.”
Jones said he would like to continue to remind everyone not to walk alone at night, not to listen to loud music with headphones that block outside sound, and to be aware of one’s surroundings at all times.
He also said he encourages people to report any concerns immediately and to utilize OWU’s SAFEwalk escort service, available from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
“We all play an important role in public and personal safety,” Jones said.
Jones said not to hesitate to contact him with questions or concerns.

Safety First
Hatcher said students may get tired of reading emails about not walking alone or wearing headphones with music blaring, but these pieces of advice are really important.
Hatcher said PS, Student Affairs and he always evaluate protocol after an instance to decide if actions taken were effective during an incident and that if any students have question he wants to know what they are.
“We must take actions to support student safety,” Hatcher said.

A message from Sig Chi
“The Brothers of Sigma Chi would like to address the campus in explaining the events that occurred at our house in the afternoon and evening of Monday the 6th of February, 2012.
“At around 5:45 p.m.,one of our brothers witnessed what he believed to be parts of a firearm on the person of a former OWU student trespassing on our property.
“This individual had a history of irrational behavior that warranted us taking every precaution, and while we believe that he would never wish harm upon any student, the members of Sigma Chi always endeavor to take every precaution when firearms are concerned.
“Whenever the safety of any member of the student body is at stake, we take no chances and strive to respond as swiftly and effectively as possible.
“As such, once the threat was identified, we immediately evacuated the area and notified all appropriate authorities.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ohio Wesleyan Department of Public Safety, the Delaware Police Department, and all other campus officials involved in taking all necessary measures to ensure complete safety on campus.
We would also like to thank Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity for serving as a temporary safe house for the members of both Sigma Chi and Delta Tau Delta.
“No firearm was found after an exhaustive search, and our chapter house has been secured and is completely safe.
“The individual in question is no longer on campus and is barred from our property by both school and police policy.”

Student outcry over “low flow” shower heads was addressed this week in a campus-wide forum held by WCSA and Sean Kinghorn, energy conservation and sustainability coordinator.
The forum was held on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at noon in Benes. Students voiced concerns about the shower heads themselves, but a call for better communication was also a major theme.
Sophomore Erika Nininger was one of relatively few students who attended the forum.
“I’m not sure how much debate this particular issue is worth, but it’s a good opportunity for students to voice their opinions, and it’s also good to see who’s running things.”
Sean Kinghorn answered students’ questions alongside representatives from the Residential Life office and Eric Algoe, a senior administrator.
“I explained to students that we held a pilot test in Bashford Hall and let students vote, which many students weren’t aware of,” said Kinghorn.
Apparent lack of communication between students and administration about this issue was an underlying criticism that both WCSA and Kinghorn hope to address in the future.
“I’m planning on holding sustainability forums in each of the residence halls to brainstorm with students about future projects and get their ideas and input,” said Kinghorn.
The low student attendance rate belied the amount of student frustration about the issue, a fact that junior Carly Hallal, vice president of WCSA, attributes to poor communication as well.
“The OWU daily isn’t seeming to work the way it was supposed to. We (WCSA) have a blog and a twitter, too, but it seems like we need a better way to reach students,” said Hallal.
Communication seemed to be more harshly criticized at the forum, and an understanding over the shower heads was established by its closing, according to Nininger.
“It seemed that aside from one or two people that there was a consensus that the switch was entirely worth it,” she said.
WCSA hopes to hold similar forums in the future to better communicate with students about changes on campus.
“We try to be as transparent as possible and we really want to hear what students have to say,” said Hallal.

– At 11:45 a.m., Feb. 1, Public Safety was dispatched to the Ham-Will Campus Center parking lot on a minor motor vehicle accident involving an OWU student and a University owned vehicle. There were no injuries to the involved parties in this case.

– At 11:40 p.m., Feb. 1, Public Safety dispatched to the Ham-Wil Campus Center on a theft report. The vending machines on the ground and first floor women’s rest rooms had been broken into and an unknown amount of money was taken out of them. Investigation on this issue is still ongoing.

— At 10:30 a.m., Feb. 3, an OWU student was transported from the Schimmel Conrades Science Center to Grady Hospital Emergency Room by Delaware EMS after suffering an apparent seizure.

— At 11:38 p.m., Feb. 3, an OWU student was referred to student conduct for alcohol prohibition.

— At 3:50 p.m., Feb. 5, Public Safety officers assisted Delaware City Police with a domestic dispute involving two non-OWU personnel in the vicinity of Welch Hall.

— 9:15 p.m., Feb. 5, an OWU student was arrested for disorderly conduct following an incident at 30 Williams Drive.

Rafiki wa Africa will be auctioning off dates to the highest bidder on Feb. 10. All proceeds will go to raise funds for Rafiki wa Afrika’s philanthropy.
Rafiki wa is an African and Caribbean based club that focuses on political and social issues. Yelena Coulibaly, president of Rafiki wa, said the purpose of the club is to share African and Caribbean cultures through performances, shows and parties.
Jonel Richardson, originally from Brooklyn NY, is one of the three social and cultural chairs of Rafiki wa. Richardson said she joined the club to connect with students who are similar to herself as well as for the philanthropy that the organization promotes.
“I joined Rafiki because my family is from the Caribbean and I figured it will be a nice way to meet people with the same background,” Richardson said. “Since I have been in Rafiki, I have learned so much about the different African and Caribbean cultures that are represented within the club. It has helped me to bond and make great relationships with everyone in Rafiki. Together we have put on several great events.”
The next event Rafiki plans to bring to campus is a Date Auction. This will be the first auction that the organization has presented.
Coulibaly said the goal of the auction is to raise funds for the Global Outreach Show, which is a talent show focused on raising money for the Ghana Student Education Fund (GSEF).
GSEF is an OWU student initiative organization that started in Dec. of 2006 to provide better education for bright, but needy students in Ghana, West Africa.
Coulibaly said, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it was an incentive to do the auction.
“Valentine’s Day is coming up and we think the auction will be a good way for people to bid on their perfect mate while at the same time benefiting a good cause,” she said.
Richardson said although the ultimate purpose of the event is to raise money, just having fun is also a goal.
“We figured it would be a great way of helping people enjoy it by being able to go on a date with our awesome volunteers,” she said. “Besides raising money, we hope that OWU would simply have fun with this event.”
According to Richardson, to prepare for the event the club searched for volunteers who would be interested in participating. They had volunteers send their pictures and a personal profile of themselves so they could be marketed.
Rafiki Wa also had to find a restaurant that would give a good deal on food for the dates.
Both Richardson and Coulibaly said there were some common difficulties in putting on the event; including finding a venue that would accommodate all of the dates at the same time.
They said the hardest part was finding people to do the auction. “Not everyone is comfortable standing in front of people to be auctioned,” Coulibaly said. “We had a difficult time finding consistent volunteers because of (their) fear of not getting selected.”
Junior, Tonisha Lee said she wasn’t afraid to participate and wanted to do the auction because she thought it would be fun and it was for a good cause.
“Yelena and Indira asked me to participate in the date auction one day as I was walking out of Hayes,” she said. “I decided to do it once they explained to me [what] the proceeds were for. It’s important to have events like this because it allows for students of all different nationalities, ethnicities and backgrounds to come together and participate in something for a wonderful and meaningful cause.”
The Date Auction will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Ham-Will Atrium.

The absence of the Bishop Bikes program in the fall of 2011 raised many questions and affected those students who utilized the bikes as a form of transportation.
The Bishop Bikes program began in the fall of 2009 as a bike-share program created by senior Christina Fesz. Students paid five dollars each semester for a universal key which would unlock any of the program bikes on campus.
While the same bike a student rode to class could be taken by someone else, it was believed that the bikes would circulate so the bikes would be available all around campus at any time.
Fesz said she simply enjoys the experience of biking.
“I just love biking, and how it is not only useful in getting from one place to another, but how a simple ride can instantly improve your day and brings you closer to your body and the environment.”
The program began to experience problems when three of the bikes went missing in the 2009-2010 school year. In the 2010-2011 school year, many of the bikes were mistreated and others would not be locked up, which resulted in people from outside the program taking the bikes.
“People from outside the school were gaining access to the bikes, and in fact, one man spray-painted a bike white, and tried to sell it back to Breakaway Cycling,” Fesz said. “I was also told that some students were stashing the bikes in their rooms, or hiding the bikes to make sure that they were the only ones using that bike.”
Fesz issued a survey to the student body in the spring of 2011 about the program and found that most students didn’t like the uncertainty of having a bike available at any given time or location. Other concerns included the mistreatment and hoarding of the bikes and the lack of advertising of the program.
“Although I liked the premise of the first-generation program, with its purely community-based foundation and its reliance and focus on sharing and trust between students, the people in the program have to buy into the system 100 percent, and this was not happening.” Fesz said.
Following the survey, Fesz created a revised plan for the bike program which will include only one checkout location at the Hobson Science library. Students who sign up for the program can check-out a bike at the library desk during its normal hours. They will then be issued a key, which unlocks a specific bike that will be stored in a rack outside of the library. The student then has the bike for 24-48 hours and returns it to the library. A small fee will be issued for returning the bike late.
Fesz plans to add more bikes to the program, and members of the program are helping to fix up some of the current bikes. The program will be launched in early March and anyone who is interested in helping with the program, or has any questions or suggestions, can contact Christina Fesz at ccfesz@owu.edu.
“It’s so easy to get enthralled in a ride, and I would love all students to have the resources to experience the convenience and enjoyment of riding a bike,” Fesz said. “Get ready to ride, OWU!”