New frat presidents focus on building awareness, programs

Every January, the seven fraternities on campus inaugurate new presidents to their chapters. Every president is different from the last, and each new president has new ideas and plans for the upcoming year.
Phi Delta Theta president, junior Marshall Morris, said he hopes during his presidency he can improve the reputation of fraternities.
“I wanted to be able to put our fraternity members in position to achieve success,” he said. “The Greek system has also been questioned recently, and I wanted to work with the other fraternity presidents to increase interest in Greek life.”
Morris also said his personal goal as president is to have a larger turnout for their 3-on-3 basketball tournament which will raises money to support the ALS Foundation, a foundation that researches for Lou Gehrigs’s Disease.
Chi Phi’s president, junior Macauley O’Connor, said he became president in hope to help Chi Phi status on campus.
“I would really like to motivate the guys to become more involved on campus,” said O’Connor.
“We are the only off campus fraternity. Sometimes it’s pretty easy for us to disappear from the public eye. If we can become more involved on campus, it will give people a better chance to get to know the Chi Phi’s.”
Junior Anthony McGuire is the president of Sigma Chi. McGuire said he saw becoming president as a way to make a positive change within Sigma Chi.
“I really just want to improve the governance and accountability of our house, so things can be run smoother, and brothers in their respective positions have the follow-through and more responsibility,” McGuire said. “I would also like to be more involved with our headquarters, because they provide a lot of programs and services that can really help us.”
McGuire said he is also interested in promoting the positives effects of joining a fraternity.
Sophomore Jake Von Der Vellen is the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon and said he is excited for his new position as president.
“For the upcoming year, I am looking forward to our two philanthropy events, Miss OWU and Belly Flop,” he said.
“Besides our main philanthropies, I would like to get every brother in the house more involved in community service. I am also trying to put together a fun alumni event for this semester.”
Juniors Jack Fiquett, president of Delta Tau Delta;  Paul Murphy, president of Phi Kappa Psi and Chris Martin, president of Alpha Sigma Phi. were all unavailable for comment regarding this story.

Sororities on campus are GROWING

Freshman Riley O’Brien embraces a fellow new member of Theta on Bid Night. O’Brien was one of 14 new Thetas to accept bids through this year’s formal recruitment.

Formal recruitment comes every spring, and the five sororities on campus prepare for this important time of year months in advance. All

Clockwise from top left: Seniors Anne McComas, Cynthia Sokolowski, Courtney Durham, Amy Braun, Audrey McBride and Mackenzie Conway strike the classic DG pose in the house on Bid Night. DG welcomed 15 new members this year through formal recruitment.

the preparation culminates in a week of activities for women on campus interested in Greek life until bids go out on Monday night, inviting the participants to become members.
Every participant has guides along the way in the form of Rho Gammas, Greek women who have chosen to put aside their house’s letters in order to

help students make the right choice for them.
In the week leading up to formal recruitment this year over 100 women took part in a variety of activities, ranging from lunch with members of the different sororities to nametag-making.
When the weekend arrived, each

Junior Becca Powditch embraces freshman Sarah Daily on Bid Night. Daily is one of 15 women who accepted bids from DG this year.

Potential New Member (PNM) spent time with every house, getting to know the current memebers. In addition, this was an opportunity to learn about the individual sorority’s values, philosophies and philanthropic causes.
Formal recruitment is set up as a mutual selection process, so that each sorority and each PNM ends up where they most want to be.
On bid night, each sorority welcomed 13-15 new members. By tradition, the new members ran over to their respective houses to be greeted by the house, usually with a lot of noise and singing involved.

Transcript 2012: a new vision for a new year

The craft of journalism is one strongly rooted in commitment to community, credibility and truth. It is an honest art that seeks to inform, raise awareness and teach the population.
Many journalists have left a lasting impact on society through the enactment of laws and fundamental changes in our culture that came about as a result of their reporting.
Within each journalist, there is a desire to make a difference. I knew little about the world of journalism until my sophomore year of high school when I signed up to be a staff writer for our newspaper, The Devilier.
My eyes were opened to a whole new style of writing: writing  with  a  sense  of  urgency,  of  purpose.
Coming to Ohio Wesleyan, I knew I still wanted to be involved in such a meaningful production. Now, during my sophomore year of college, it brings me great excitement and pride to introduce myself as the editor-in-chief for the 2012 Transcript.
My vision for The Transcript is to release a publication each week at the very peak of its potential; one that my staff and I can always be proud to be associated with.
This is both a simple and daunting task, but with dedication, it is possible. I want The Transcript to be the faculty, staff and students’ primary source of campus information at OWU.
Whenever there is a silver-faced robber running around campus causing a raucous, I want everyone to be able to grab a paper off the stand and find out every juicy detail first thing in the morning.
When there are controversial changes going on, such as the switch to low-flow showerheads or the construction of the fountain in front of the library, I want the paper to serve as a student forum, where anyone can express his or her concerns through editorials or political cartoons and  find the most up-to-date information available.
I want the OWU community to feel comfortable reading The Transcript and approaching the staff with story ideas and feedback. This is why I am raising our staff standards of credibility and of coverage, making sure that we do not neglect to cover issues important to our readers.
We’re going to increase our variety of coverage and delve deeper than ever before. I am also focusing on timeliness and dependability.
The printing schedule is being resolved, meaning the paper will appear in the paper trays every Thursday morning, hot off the press.
More than anything, I am excited to be a part of the legacy that is The Transcript and to be working with my fantastic staff this year.
If you ever hear a rumor and want to know more about what’s happening on campus, or if you want your voice to be heard on a current issue, I am approachable. Don’t be afraid to get more involved with The Transcript.
Here’s to a new semester and a great year ahead.

Clean up your act, residents of Smith Hall

Urine in the elevators. Vomit, feces and piles of trash on the stairs. Overflowing garbage and spoiled food in a kitchen with Ramen blocked sinks. Sound like an episode of “Hoarding: Buried Alive?” Wrong.
It is, in fact, the state students have left Smith Hall in these past semesters.
Since this is a university, I assume most students are at least 17, meaning that the individuals residing here are closer to being adults than they are to being children.
So, I guess my question is: Why do you people insist on acting like toddlers assuming that an adult will come along behind them and clean up their messes?
Not only is it disrespectful, but it’s also irresponsible.
No one is going to unblock your drain when you shove dry Ramen noodles down it, or pick up the trash you scatter down the hallway or scoop up the dump you decide to take in the stairwell when you move out on your own.
Very, very soon, you will be thrown into the real world, and that type of behavior is not tolerated by landlords, neighbors and potential mates.
As for being disrespectful, do you think Public Safety and/or Buildings and Grounds deserve to clean up your acts of stupidity, indecency or even delinquency.
Damage of private property can land you a felony charge.
Would you want to mop up someone else’s puke? I’ve done it once or twice, and I’ll answer that for you. No.
And as for trash cans — they are overfilled filled with boxes and spoiled, rotten food on top all because people are too lazy to recycle or actually put trash where it belongs.
And crud left on the stove and in the coils is a fire hazard that is risked every single time a person turns on the burner.
Food that is placed in the microwave should probably not be eaten, considering all of the left-over gunk likely  radioactive food bits covering all sides of the interior.
Objects such as kitchens and elevators are a privilege. The kitchen can be locked and no longer available for use, and a lock and key can be easily installed so that the only people who can use the elevator are only those who truly need it.
Abusing such amenities will lead to them going away.
The university is not required to provide these things.
If they get tired of having to clean this stuff up, they can just remove the problem.
It is you and your friends who have to live in these conditions, not those who have to clean up after you.
So listen to my advice and take the Golden Rule into consideration the next time you think of doing something stupid: Don’t urinate in an elevator if you don’t want someone to urinate in your bedroom.

Good literature waiting for new readers

Whether it was while pouring over volumes of contemporary poetry over break or when I actually enjoyed a piece of Stephen Burt’s literary criticism, I think I have gone off the deep end into academia.
Despite everything going on at OWU and in the country at large, I have found myself completely overwhelmed with the state of poetry in America.
In a country that used to laude its great poets, we are now in a generation without Robert Frosts or Adrienne Richs to captivate our nation.
Or at least we don’t see any on athe horizon.
I realize this might not seem like a pressing issue when compared to the new fountain on campus or the race for the GOP nomination, but I, as a self-titled “academic,” am frustrated with the state of the contemporary American poetry scene.
That is not to say I don’t love what is being written now.
With rising stars in the poetry world like Jennifer Grotz and C. Dale Young, I think that the future of poetry has promise.
What I am most frustrated with, however, is that no one reads it.
In a generation where poetry exposure comes from Tumblr and Blogger, we are inundated with—I’ll say it—bad poetry.
I am probably not one to speak having written a fair share of the abstract and emotional high school poetry and posted it in random confines of the internet.
Or maybe I am just the guy.
I was searching through Tumblr a couple days ago and clicked through what was being ranked as popular poetry entries by some writers on Tumblar.
Almost every poem shamelessly spoke of unrequited love, high school relationships, the ever-present and unanchored “soul,” and how pained each and every one of these individuals felt (that clearly no one else felt as profoundly).
Needless to say, I was sickened.
Everyone does have free speech. I clearly respect that.
You would think, however, that people would have at least decent taste.
The collective Tumblr consciousness does not understand poetry, and I don’t think that our generation does either.
In high school we are taught to look for symbols in poetry—to extrapolate that a dying dove in a poem clearly represents both the loss of innocence and the broken heart of the speaker.
This poetic upbringing kills what students should look for in poetry.
Innovation maybe, or even a narrative that does not use any of the following unmentionables: love, soul, pain, regret, sorrow or hearts.
Poetry is about preserving the conscious experience of a time period.
We can read T. S. Eliot and understand the lens in which he viewed his Modern reality. We can go back to Sylvia Plath and see her unique experience of the world around her.
What is our conscious experience of our time?
Are the only poetic testaments to our epoch going to be angsty adolescent drivel?
I will admit that I have not always been very well read in poetry, or in any real literature.
And that’s not to say that I’m well read now because there is always more to read, especially in the poetry world with no clear frontrunner.
However, I have started to read more. After years of not being able to engage in books (without Harry Potter how is that even possible?), I found a passion for reading again in poetry.
The answer to poetry’s readership problem is just that—reading.
I know that from now on I plan on only giving out poetry books for gifts. (Sorry everyone, now you know what you’re getting for your birthdays.)
I think that there is the potential for a wider poetry audience.
There has been in the past, so I see no reason why it can’t be rebuilt today.
Whether you’re with or against me, I beg you to read.
I don’t mean skim your book for that paper in Modern British Literature, and I don’t even necessarily mean poetry.
Just read again.
I spent my entire winter break curled up in bed with a stack of books and a bottomless cup of pomegranate tea.
Who knew that before Hulu people read?
At least give it a try outside of the classroom.
Everyone has a book they have always been thinking about or planning on reading at some point. You can find the time.
Maybe you’ll have to give up a Wasted Wednesday, but who remembers those anyway?

New athletic website keeps OWU fans updated

Ohio Wesleyan has made many changes to the campus going into the 2011/2012 school year.

The new athletic page displays up-to-date schedules and pictures of events.

The next time you check the schedule of your favorite Battling Bishops team, you may notice another change: a new athletic homepage.
The new homepage saw various cosmetic changes, as well as some new functions like a live auction site.
One new feature, the Athlete of the Week, distinguishes Bishops who have proven themselves to be exemplary in their sport and recognized by the NCAC.
The new website                                                                                                                                          also features an online photo gallery, an online store where fans can purchase a variety of Battling Bishops gear and the ability to stream live games efficiently.
The redesign of the website was prompted by the university’s desire for it to be easier to navigate and to allow for more media like live games and live statistics, said Athletic Director Roger Ingles.
Ingles also said that the website is more up-to-date and will appeal to high school students who are interested in becoming Battling Bishops.
“The modern look and ability to post more pictures and video is an added bonus that is attractive to high school age prospects as well as alumni and parents,” Ingles said.
Ingles said that he and Sports Information Director Mark Beckenbach worked closely with Sidearm Sports to design and implement the page. The new page is modeled closely after the athletics homepage featured on Harvard University’s athletic site, Ingles said.
“We gave them some ideas of what we wanted, and (Sidearm Sports) took it from there,” Beckenbach said.
The new homepage has received good feedback for the most part.
A poll featured on the webpage reports that 85 percent of voters either love or like the site. Six percent feel that the new site is too busy, and 10 percent said they like the old site better.
“It is huge improvement over the old site which was very text heavy,” Ingles said. “This site allows for more bells and whistles than the old one.”
Sophomore Jenna Rodcay is impressed with the new homepage. She said it is a lot easier to use than the last homepage.
Navigation amongst the website is smoother and things are easier to find, Rodcay said.
“I think the new webpage looks a thousand times better,” Rodcay said. “It is a lot more attractive than it used to be.”
Rodcay said she especially likes the new scrolling calendar feature.
“[The calendar] feature is very easy to use,” Rodcay said. “It allows me to see what sporting events are happening this week without having to dig through different pages.”
Senior Jon Rux is one of this week’s Athletes of the Week. He is captain of the track and field team where he is a thrower.
His previous two consecutive first place finishes in shot put earned him recognition as Athlete of the Week.
Rux said the new webpage is comparable to the quality of other schools’ athletic pages and is a lot more navigable.
Ingles said that fans of the Battling Bishops can expect to see more online auction opportunities and expansion of video clips and other media on the new webpage in the next few months.

WCSA, SUBA collaborate, create new spring event

Budget constraints from WCSA have resulted in a break from tradition for two major OWU student organizations. The Student Union on Black Awareness (SUBA) and the Campus Programming Board (CPB) are working to combine Step Show and SpringFest, their respective traditional campus events this spring.
Over the years, Step Show has included a stepping competition by members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) followed by a musical performance by a special guest artist. All proceeds raised from Step Show benefit the Black Student Retention Fund. SUBA’s executive board started the Black Student Retention Fund in 1993 following the departure of a female student who was unable to pay for her spring semester. As a result, the purpose of the fund is to help retain minority students on campus.
Junior Gene Sludge, co-president of SUBA, said Step Show has been a success in bringing Black traditions to campus. However, revenue from the event has not been up to the standards of the university.
“Step Show hasn’t been that successful on the financial side,” he said. “But we look at it as more than just a fundraising event. It’s about bringing culture to OWU and the entire Delaware community.”
Members of WCSA’s fall executive board reviewed a budget proposal from SUBA in September and suggested that they combine Step Show with CPB’s Spring Fest for a better chance of funding. Spring Fest, much like Step Show, has not generated a lot of revenue in previous years.
Senior Samantha DeJarnett, vice-president of SUBA, said members of SUBA understood this suggestion to mean that if they did not combine with CPB, neither Step Show nor Spring Fest would be funded.
As a result, the two organizations joined forces and created an entirely new name for their co-hosted event, Step Fest.
Following the receipt of an e-mail from WCSA on Monday, Jan. 23, the SUBA executive board called an emergency meeting on Wednesday. Jan 27 at the House of Black Culture to discuss the terms of this new proposal. The meeting was intended for members of SUBA, CPB and the umbrella organizations of SUBA. Some of those organizations include VIVA, Sisters United, Black Men of the Future, Rafiki wa Afika, Gospel Lyres and Horizons. Additionally, members of PRIDE attended as well. In a packed living room, Sludge led the emotional discussion.
“I called the meeting so that people would be aware of what was going on regarding the allocation of funds,” he said. “But also to raise any questions or concerns in the minority community.”
Junior Kelsey Brewer, president of CPB, explained the technicalities behind the combination of events.
“We never thought to collaborate,” she said. “It was (suggested) by WCSA because we were more likely to get funding. We had the option to stay separate and walk away but both events are too important and we wanted to keep them around.”
Brewer added that due to SUBA’s deeply rooted investment in the Black Student Retention Fund, the best option for CPB was to let SUBA take the lead on the Step Fest project.
“CPB is taking a backseat and will be in charge of advertising and publicizing the event,” she said. “We will be getting people psyched and contributing student performers.”
Unbeknownst to members of SUBA, members of the current WCSA executive board were also in attendance. Junior Carly Hallal, vice-president of WCSA, attended the emergency meeting and elaborated on WCSA’s suggestions claiming the ideas had nothing to do with erasing tradition but were simply about logistics and funding.
“As a committee, we respect the culture and tradition,” she said. “The logic behind changing the name of the event was so that it would be a more united effort on behalf of both groups.”
Many distraught and offended students in attendance voiced their concerns about the new event. DeJarnett said she felt that WCSA was not appreciating the history of both events.
“This would be the 14th year of Step Show and 30th of Spring Fest,” she said. “There is historical value in each of these events, and now they are making us change them for the sake of money.”
Junior Artiase Brown, former president of SUBA, said this is not the first time WCSA put stipulations on SUBA’s events.
“It’s not just about being funded for Step Show,” she said. “When we try to bring other programs to campus, it’s so hard to get funding. It’s a struggle and very frustrating. We have to fight just bring our culture to OWU. It’s like, ‘Do you believe in us, and what we’re trying to do? Do we even have a voice?’”
Senior Alexis Williams said WCSA is missing the purpose behind the event. She said she believes too much emphasis is put on bringing an artist when it should be about helping peers stay at OWU.
“WCSA is skeptical about the artists that we choose because of lyrical content and character,” she said. “They want us to find an artist that appeals to all of campus. That is never going to happen. It’s supposed to be about sharing culture and helping our classmates. We are tired of seeing friends leave every year.”
Tim O’Keeffe, sophomore class representative of WCSA, said he understood the crowd’s concerns and, as a cabinet, WCSA was doing its best to ensure that SUBA still had an event this year.
He said, WCSA was told by the Dean of Students Kimberlie Goldsberry that if SUBA and CPB were to bring their proposals in front of the executive board separately they would not receive funding. According to WCSA bylaws, organizations are only allowed to bring a proposal to the executive board once and if denied there will be no event.
“By telling you to combine both events it wasn’t to change tradition,” O’Keeffe said. “We were trying to help. We want you to be able to have your event and for it to be as successful as possible.”
Junior Anthony McGuire, president of WCSA, said the lack of allocation for Step Show predicament was an issue passed on from the previous executive board of WCSA to the present board. McGuire said he wanted feedback from the concerned members of SUBA and CPB in order to make communication better in the future.
“I’m not trying to place the blame but the decision was made last semester,” McGuire said. “We came into the new year unaware of what was happening.
“At this point, there is not much we can change for this year. But what can we do things differently in the future. We all just want what is best for OWU.”
Sludge said the cabinet seemed very reasonable and by attending the meeting showed that they were trying to be supportive and understanding.
Sludge said despite these setbacks he is more determined than ever to make this year’s Step Show the best one yet.
“The goal is to make this year as big and successful as possible,” he said, “to show the school and WCSA it can be successful and that we (SUBA and CPB) can go our separate ways for next year. We don’t want to build barriers with WCSA. We all want to be united and build a strong relationship and communication.”
Step Show in the past has been SUBA’s most successful event in raising money for the Black Student Retention Fund.
This year, Sludge said he is willing to combine with CPB to create a combination of Step Show and Spring Fest because he wants the traditions to continue.
The yet untitled event will be held March 31 in Gray Chapel of University Hall at 7 p.m. The special guest performer has yet to be announced.

Students wish for luck during Lunar New Year

Students lined up for the free authentic Vietnamese food offered by Ohio Wesleyan’s Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), who hosted the traditional celebration of the Lunar New Year on Saturday, Jan. 28.
It was held in the Hamilton Williams Campus Center in Benes B and C. VSA offered OWU students the chance to celebrate the lunar holiday and enjoy some of Vietnam’s traditional dishes.

The Lunar New Year, also called “Têt,” is a holiday celebrated in Vietnam that signals the beginning of spring. People typically celebrate in a festive manner with good food, and an exchanging of gifts.
The Benes Rooms were decorated with festive lights, posters and red lanterns. In many Asian

Students try traditional Vietnamese food at the Lunar New Year Festival on Jan. 28 in Benes B.

countries, the color red holds the symbolic meaning of luck which added an authentic flare to the Lunar New Year celebration.
Members of VSA gave away small envelopes filled with Asian candies to those who attended as a gift in appreciation of their attendance.

VSA’s celebration of the Lunar New Year gave international students the opportunity to celebrate a holiday tradition away from home.
The event also educated fellow American students on Vietnamese traditions and the diverse taste of their food.
Sophomore Rebecca Overbeeke said, “I liked expanding my taste buds to a different culture, and the fact that the food wasn’t store bought, but prepared by the VSA members showed that they genuinely care about the celebration of their culture. The atmosphere of the entire event was very relaxing too because they were playing soft music that sounded like music from Asia.”
Students involved in VSA set up a buffet-style dinner and served the students some of their favorite traditional  Vietnamese dishes.

Some dishes offered included vegetable spring rolls with a peanut butter dipping
sauce, pork, noodles, and sticky rice.
Senior Alex Clapp said, “I
loved all the food and it was
fun to try new dishes I’ve never had before.”
VSA impressed their fellow OWU students who attended the event by preparing and cooking dishes that originated from their Vietnamese culture.
Clapp said, “I was very impressed that all the food was prepared by the students themselves. It was a pretty big turnout of people which allowed the Vietnamese Student Association to share their food and culture with others.”

Top 10 albums of 2011 break mainstream mold

2011 was a year of phenomenal music. Different musicians from across genres produced quality work that rose to the top of the charts – even in many cases vying with their pop competitors.
With popularization of a more indie sound on mainstream radio, it proved interesting to attempt to assemble a list of what the top 10 albums could possibly be without catering to a specific genre.
This grew into a lengthy and thorough search, with much second-guessing. It is difficult to speak for a year of music, and much more for the best of a year of music without the restrictions of pop culture.
These choices represent artists who pushed the envelope and created work that, in some respects, completely changed their sound.
These choices represent artists that took chances and ran the risk of losing fans or chart status with daring lyrics. They are artists who deserve recognition for standing out and testing boundaries.
These are my picks for best albums of 2011, in no particular order, and their best tracks.

Kiss Each Other Clean
Iron & Wine
Listen to: “Black Candle”
Relaxed, colorful and full of imagery. It’s no “Boy With a Coin” or “The Sea and the Rhythm,” but definitely a triumph for folk and indie music.

The People’s Key
Bright Eyes
Listen to: “Shell Games”
A light-hearted, more poppy feel for Bright Eyes. Hard hitting lyrics still make you think.

The King of Limbs
Radiohead
Listen to: “Separator”
Pretty bizarre and abstract album, definitely an adventerous step for music veterans like Radiohead.

Angles
The Strokes
Listen to:  “Under Cover of Darkness”
An upbeat album from the Strokes, a little reminiscent of Say Anything.

Born This Way
Lady Gaga
Listen to: “Hair”
Another loud, in-your-face album from Lady Gaga. All about self acceptance, all fabulous.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Bon Iver
Listen to: “Perth”
Calm, relaxed album in traditional Bon Iver style, but he takes the words and music to a whole new level. This album is a tear-jerker.

Watch The Throne
Jay-Z and Kanye West
Listen to: “No Church in the Wild ft. Frank Ocean”
Jay-Z and Kanye West – need I say more? Probably. Two big names in mainstream rap collaborated to create a truly dynamic and electric album.

Ceremonials
Florence + The Machine
Listen to: “Only If For a Night”
Florence’s sophomore album proves to be a little macabre and fantastical. Haunting vocals paired with ethereal sound create an interesting listening experience.

El Camino
The Black Keys
Listen to: “Lonely Boy,”  “Little Black Submarines”
The Black Keys never fail to impress. With strong background vocals in this album, some of the tracks prove to be fantastic anthems for the year.

I’m With You
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Listen to “Look Around”
The Red Hot Chili Peppers new album brings a softer low-fi sound to a normally rambunctious band. A few tracks still capture the old RHCP feel, but this is definitely a pleasant change.

Honorable
Mentions:

21 –  Adele
The King is Dead
-The Decemberists
Zonoscope – Cut Copy
Who You Are – Jessie