saraschneider – Page 4 – The Transcript

OWU professor’s research is launching into space

As Ohio Wesleyan botany and microbiology professor Chris Wolverton develops his research on plant gravity sensing, NASA waits to bring his proposal into space.

On Feb. 10, Wolverton’s research, which he spent “six to seven years” evolving and refining, was chosen by NASA to be funded and conducted on the International Space Station. The NASA program is tax-payer driven.

Wolverton was one of a handful of recipients of the grant but was one of only three recipients that conducted research on botany. According to Wolverton, “this particular grant will enable the hiring of more students to work as researchers in the Summer Science Research Program.”

Wolverton expressed that, “the NASA panel was excited to see this research included undergraduate students.”

Wolverton and the students will work to prepare and send samples into space. However, the date of flight is currently not determined. Wolverton said before sending the samples into space, they “need to make sure this experiment will be able to be conducted in space.” This is known as the definition phase.

“At OWU, we were able to use unique tools to conduct and confirm our research,” Wolverton said.

Junior botany major Allie France said she is extremely excited for Dr. Wolverton.

“He has been working tirelessly on the research and his hard work has finally paid off,” France said. “This really shows the dedication Ohio Wesleyan professors have to giving their students hands on real world application for the work and research being taught in the classroom.”

The NASA selection process includes two different stages.

“The first being with the submitting of the proposal and a two page summary of what the researcher intends to do,” said Wolverton.

This process is intended to narrow the search and find the more desirable research proposals.

The second stage includes the proposals that were submitted to the first stage and were selected. During this stage, a panel of 10-12 people evaluates each proposal.

“About two people will tear the science in the proposal apart looking for both the strengths and weaknesses and will review the proposal with the remainder of the panel,” he said.

Wolverton worked on this panel in the past. He was asked to step down when he began to consider submitting research. Wolverton did not hold a position on the panel in 2014.

Wolverton believes this accomplishment shows that professors at OWU are “dedicated to giving the best learning experience to their students. This also shows people that we are who we say we are and our university is truly one of a kind.”

A blast from the past: OWU finds historic ledgers

Documents of financial statements. Photo courtesy of Sara Schneider.

Leaking water in the VP finance vault led to the discovery of historic ledgers that date back to the mid 1800s. These ledgers are now being stored in Human Resources.

The historic ledgers were brought to the Human Resource office for dry and safe housing while the vault is being repaired.

These ledgers consist of budget operation, cash payments, scholarship records, housing records and budget books. Also included are books filled with minutes from executive meetings. One of the executive meeting minutes discussed the Funding of the Spring Street Gateway.

“If the Human Resources department cannot find another place to store the ledgers, they will return the VP Finance Vault in the basement of University Hall,” said Elizabeth Foos, purchasing coordinator for Human Resources.

These ledgers contain records of budget operation, cash payments, scholarships, housing records and budget books. Also included are books filled with minutes from executive meetings.

“It is so interesting to see how they organized the finances and all the records when the university first began,” said Foos. “It’s fascinating to think that most all the records kept today are done electronically.”

The first tuition payment on record in the ledgers dates back to 1853, which consisted of $217.00 for one semester.

Almost all of the ledgers are handwritten in script, which can make them difficult to read.

Book with old tuition costs and payments. Photo courtesy of Sara Schneider.

“I reached out to the OWU Archives to see if they were interested in the historic documents,” Foos said. “However, they didn’t show interest in the ledgers because they are not considered to be true archives.”

According to Emily Gattozzi, digital collections librarian, “the OWU Historical Collection isn’t a true university archive, so it doesn’t serve as the department of record for things like financial records.”

The OWU Historical Collection contains material such as promotional items like brochures, pamphlets and event programs; periodicals such as The Transcript, Le Bijou, OWU Magazine, annual catalogs, faculty, staff and alumni publications; and memorabilia like letterman sweaters and pennants.

Something new brewing in Delaware

Standing in the place of the old Beehive Bookstore on 25 N. Sandusky St. is the upcoming Restoration Brew Worx (RBW), Delaware’s new brewery.

In January of 2014, the Beehive Bookstore closed. Following the closing, owners Joe and Linda Diamond began searching for a business to take over the empty space. According to Rick Martine, managing partner of Brew Worx, “the Diamonds wanted the space to continue to be a place where people could gather together, talk about the day’s events and relax in a comfortable and supportive environment.” Martine has been a resident of Delaware for 18 years.

“Restoration Brew Worx is technically a brewpub, where we manufacture our own beer for sale over our bar and we also provide foodservice,” said Martine. “We will brew our beer on a 10-barrel system purchased from B Cast Stainless in Plain City, OH.”

This new system will produce 310 gallons of beer per batch and will be served in the Restoration Brew Worx storefront and in select locations around Delaware. Martine said their goal is “to brew and serve 500-700 barrels of beer in the first year.”

The storefront of the former Beehive Bookstore will undergo minor changes as RBW settles in. Martine said “Joe Diamond ‘restored’ the front in 2007. We are leaving the existing iron sign frames in place and simply replacing the Beehive sign with our new RBW sign and the existing banners with our own.”

Other changes to the store front will include a fenced patio area in front with roughly 20 seats and two bi-fold windows within the existing framework. These windows will allow RBW to open the front in warm weather, and close it in cold weather.

Martine said that inside they “are in the process of adding a new 20-seat bar and roughly 15 dining tables, changing the lighting, adding ceiling fans, a fresh coat of paint and a new floor. We have added a small kitchen, new restrooms and our pride and joy, the 10 barrel brewery in the back. The brewery will remain open to view by the patrons as we feel it offers a truly unique visual experience, not available anywhere else in Delaware. Patrons will be able to see the equipment and experience what it is like to step inside a working brewery.”

In order to legally establish a brewery in downtown Delaware RBW had to obtain a tax and trade bureau permit, state liquor license, building permits, Delaware Heath District permits and USDA approvals.

As for an opening date, Martine said “at the moment our brew system is in and going through a testing phase, but we are waiting on the tax and trade bureau to approve our brewery permit and the state of Ohio to issue our A-1c manufacturing license, which will allow us to begin brewing. Once we can begin brewing, it will be roughly 5-6 weeks for us to brew enough beer to open the doors and let the taps flow freely. We will be keeping everyone updated on our website and our Facebook page.”

“While the legal drinking age remains 21 in the state of Ohio, we are a gathering place for people of all ages who share a love of good craft beer and their families,” said Martine. “We will serve our younger patrons with a limited children’s menu and soft drinks, featuring our house-made root beer, so that Mom and Dad can still enjoy a pint of their favorite brew.”

Senior Haley Schafer said, “I am excited for Restoration Brew Worx to open. I believe this will be a great place for people to relax and hang out in town, while getting a drink.”

According to Martine, RBW “will offer a slightly different element than most of the other drinking and eating establishments around town. We will make and sell only our own beers on tap, but we will attempt to make a beer that almost everyone will find to their liking.”

Coffee House comes to OWU

Two Worlds. Photo courtesy of developingartist.com.

Caffeinated students bobbed their heads to live music at the latest Campus Programming Board (CPB) event.

On Thursday, Feb. 5 CPB brought two independent vocal groups to the Milligan Hub. Two Worlds and Adelee & Gentry performed throughout the evening while students sampled free hot beverages and pastries.

Two Worlds, made up of 20-year-olds Nick Voelker and Adiel Mitchell, traveled from Colorado to sing. According to the male duo, their music comes from “a background of acoustic R&B with energetic pop.”

The group also incorporates break dancing into their performances and said they have “released many innovative covers and original songs on their YouTube channel.”

The second performance of the night was given by Adelee & Gentry from Dayton, Ohio. The group consists of two sisters, ages 21 and 19. They describe their music as “a polished folk-pop sound that is grounded by a root base.”

Adelee & Gentry. Photo courtesy of adeleeandgentry.com.

There are samples of Adelee & Gentry’s work on YouTube.

CPB is preparing for two other events this semester. Freshman Christiana Migliacci said, “The first is Popcorn and Pix, which is when The Lego Movie will be shown. This is taking place on Feb. 26.”

At Popcorn and Pix, CPB will be announcing the performer for this year’s Bishop Bash.

“The Bishop Bash is an annual event funded by WCSA,” said Migliacci. “This consists of an on-campus concert.”

CPB has a standard scouting process for campus events.

“Basically we draw from what OWU students say they would like to see. A group of CPB members go to a conference called NACA early in the year, and see loads of performers. Then we come back and tell the rest of the CPB what we saw and liked. We then vote. Both performers at the Coffee House event were discovered at NACA,” said sophomore Maddie Oslejsek.

Two Worlds. Photo courtesy of Alex Gross.

Visiting scholar brings artifacts, new perspective

About once a semester, an established Phi Beta Kappa scholar engages with Ohio Wesleyan students and faculty on wide ranging topics and issues.

On Monday, Feb. 2, Christine M. Thomas gave a lecture titled “Ordinary Bodies and Divine Intervention: Illness and Healing in the Hinterlands of the Roman Empire.”

Thomas, from The University of California, Santa Barbara, based her talk on “artifacts from Turkey, circa 200 CE, which were found in 1998.” The objects were discovered by Thomas, who graduated with a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1995.

Each artifact presented had a story, all linked to the ancient human beings who created and used them. “It’s important to consider the lives of the people during this time period and in these countries while observing the artifacts” said Thomas.

According to the Phi Beta Kappa web page, the organization, the “oldest of the learned societies in the United States, was founded in 1776. It is recognized world-wide as the most prestigious liberal-arts honor society.” The OWU Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1907.

The speakers from the program typically stay in Delaware for two days. “During this time, the individual will interact with students in the classroom as well as giving the lecture” said David Eastman, assistant professor of religion. “Christine stressed the importance of religious studies to the students,” he continued.

Joe Musser, president of the local Phi Beta Kappa Chapter, said, “bringing in Phi Beta Kappa scholars is very beneficial to students. They develop a new prospective on unique topics and can make important connections for postgraduation.”

In the fall, Phi Beta Kappa brought Wendy Brown to campus for a lecture seminar, where she discussed feminist issues. Future speakers have yet to be announced.

No more running out of food points

Many Ohio Wesleyan students struggle to budget their meal points throughout the semester. Can a new meal plan fix this problem?

“The new meal plans are designed to be more in line with the meal plans most universities offer,” said Gene Castelli, resident district manager for Chartwells. “They are considered a ‘traditional’ plan in that they offer a set number of meals per week as well as some flex dollars. All plans will have the off campus points as well. The difference is the new plans offer the student the confidence that they will never run out of meal at the end of the semester.”

The new plan will be available to upperclassmen who choose to participate and mandatory for this fall’s incoming freshmen.

According to Castelli, the final rate for the new meal plan has not been set. However, pricing should remain consistent with existing meal plan rates.

Leah Miza is Smith Dining Hall. Photo courtesy of Alex Gross.

As for individual food item cost, Castelli said they “work with the administration to keep pricing based on consumer price index increases and other market factors. The new plans will not have any effect on pricing going forward as they were designed to work within the pricing schedule we currently use.”

Junior Jerry Leherisson, Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs president, believes the new meal plan is “a great way to ensure that students are able to utilize the money they paid at the beginning of the semester.” Leherisson did mention that he will choose to use the current meal plan system for the fall semester.

According to Castelli, during their first year, “Freshmen are negotiating their new world of classes, self-directed studying as well as the social environment our university has. In the past they also needed to worry about budgeting their points so they last the entire semester. This will help them in that they will not run out of meals.”

Junior Mira Singhal said the new meal is “a great idea. Hopefully it will help students who normally run out meal points allocate their swipes more efficiently.”

Career Services teams up with student volunteers

A past OWU CareerFest in the Benes Rooms. Photo courtesy of Facebook. — A past OWU CareerFest in the Benes Rooms.
Photo courtesy of Facebook.

Career Services wants to enhance job preparation for Ohio Wesleyan students. The career development team is meant to do just that.

“The career development team is an initiative to increase student access to the office’s services and resources via highly trained career associates,” said career development team advisor Alison Himes.

“The career development team is designed to help student volunteers to develop their skills in communication and planning; specific responsibilities will be based on interest, such as event planning, giving presentations, and working with students during one-on-one advising,” she said.

Himes said the career development team is “An initiative that the whole office wanted to get started, so I took the lead on the planning. I looked at other institutions relative to OWU to see if they had teams like this and did a lot of research to plan exactly what we wanted our team to look like.”

The one-on-one peer advising offers resume critiques, cover letter critiques, interview etiquette critiques, job and internship searching assistance, sharing networking advice and much more.

A CareerFest from last year in the Benes Rooms. Photo courtesy of the career services webpage.

According to sophomore Brenda Gonzalez Santillano, “If students are looking for quick advice they can come in during our drop-in hours or they can make an appointment to meet one on one with a staff member to discuss interview tips, resume dos and don’ts etc. We have a room where we will conduct mock interviews and film it to help provide students with the best feedback possible.”

The career development team is currently working to get students to register for the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges CareerFest, which is being held on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus. According to Santillano, the career festival “is a great networking opportunity for students looking for jobs or potential internships with employers.”

Senior Allison Smith said she has visited Career Services. “As a graduating senior, I am stressed about finding a job,” Smith said. “The career development team gave me informative and useful advice for the upcoming CareerFest.”

Other programs the career development team has advertised and promoted are The Summer on the Cuyahoga and The Great Lakes Career Ready Scholarship.

Woltemade Center appoints alum to new position

Ohio Wesleyan alumna Megan (Sanders) Ellis (‘05) took on the new role as administrative director for the Woltemade Center in response to the continued growth of the economics department.

Over 100 applications were received for the position. Alice Simon, faculty director of the Woltemade Center, said that Ellis’ application “rose to the top.”

“She had the best set of credentials and most impressive impact on the committee,” Simon said.

The creation of an administrative director position had been discussed for a few years. The alumni advisory board for the Woltemade Center, along with the economics department and OWU administration representation agreed that because the Woltemade Center has grown a considerable amount since beginning in 1985 it was time to take the Center to “the next level” for the enhancement of our students.

“Discussions centered on maintaining a liberal arts approach to economics, business, entrepreneurship and leadership while increasing the Center’s visibility locally and nationally,” Simon said. “Working together with business leaders, alumni, the OWU administration and faculty, it is hoped that this new position will allow expansion of resources and programs that all students at OWU can benefit from.”.

Simon said that the work necessary was more than any of the faculty could realistically be responsible for.

The position calls for an “overarching organizer” who can assist faculty in executing new programs. Ellis said she will strive to “bring events to campus such as alumni presentations and increase the awareness of these events.”

Ellis also stressed her desire to engage other departments in Woltemade events and putting “Theory into Practice” ideas into action. Ellis also said that she will strive to raise awareness of the Woltemade Center for prospective students, working to increase recruitment. Finally, she will help students find internships and become integrated into careers after graduation.

The administrative director position is a two-year pilot position. The position is currently being funded by the Woltemade Center’s alumni advisory board.

“The continuation of the position is dependent upon endowing the position as well as endowing student programs and other opportunities,” Simon said. “It is in our hopes that Ellis’ success will yield programs, students and funds across the campus.”

Ellis received a degree in economics management with a management concentration and a minor in psychology. Shortly after, she worked for a running company that is currently known as M3S Sports in Columbus.

During her time as a student, Ellis worked at the front desk in the economics department, tutored in the department and participated in the Philadelphia Center program. After graduating, Ellis said she “stayed in touch with the economics department whenever possible.”

She also explained that this position is bringing all of her “experiences together with a whole new set of challenges.”

Sophomore Economics Fellow student Kellie Garvin is excited for this position.

“It will be perfect to help make new connections and by students having connections, it will make the department that much better,” Garvin said.

Public Safety hunts for break-in bandit

smith tv missing 2 — Wall in Smith Dining Hall where a television used to hang.

On Oct. 24, 2014, the Thomson Corner Store was broken into and $100 was stolen from the cash register. The intruder gained entrance to the store by smashing one of the door’s windows. This mode of entry is consistent with many break-ins that would take place in the months to follow.

On Dec. 2, a window in the Smith Dining Hall was smashed, although nothing was taken. The Hamilton-Williams Campus Center was broken into on Dec. 13. This time the intruder entered by breaking a door. Initially, nothing was found to be damaged or missing.

“On Dec. 14, it was discovered that a TV had been taken from The Marketplace,” Richard Morman, an investigator for Public Safety, said. Morman believes the stolen TV was not discovered until the following day because The Marketplace was far from where the intruder had entered.

On Dec. 23, the Thompson Corner Store was broken into again. This time the intruder made away with an envelope of $50.

The following day, Smith Dining Hall was burglarized yet again. The same window that was smashed during the earlier break-in was destroyed with a brick. A television valued at $500 was stolen.

Three days later, on Dec. 27, an intruder gained entrance to Welch Residence Hall through an open window. According to Robert Wood, director of PS, the window was in the Welch kitchen. There PS officers “found a safe that was broken into, however was empty.”

On Jan. 9 Smith Dining Hall was burglarized for the third time. Another television was stolen, bringing the count of stolen televisions to 3. According to Morman, “Chartwells is currently in the process of replacing them.”

PS officers and investigators are working diligently to figure out who is responsible for the break-ins. Wood said they “have persons of interest” who they believe are connected to the case.

“There is no indication of these persons of interests to be OWU students because students were on their winter break during the time of the break-ins,” Wood said.

“During this time, Public Safety struggled with the decision of whether or not to send out a Public Safety alert to Ohio Wesleyan students,” Morman said. He elaborated that it is the responsibility of PS to not only keep students safe, but to avoid unnecessary panic.

“The breaks-ins on campus are extremely concerning, however, I am confident that Public Safety will soon find the people doing this,” senior Ali Smith said.

PS does not believe these incidents to be indicators of great danger. Regardless, Morman advises students to “go by your instincts; if you see something suspicious, report it.” Wood said to take precaution and “never let anyone into the buildings on campus.”

Clear paths needed for students

Snow and ice on sidewalks poses challenges for students walking to class. Photo courtesy: Phil Noble/Reuters.

The poor conditions of the sidewalks and pathways are evident across the Ohio Wesleyan campus, but Housekeeping and Buildings and Grounds work to clear these paths.

Ice and snow continue to cover some of the walking paths that students take to class.

“I have fallen twice walking to class; once in the Edwards parking lot and another by Welch. This could be easily fixed by putting a sufficient amount of salt down,” junior Macie Maisel said.

B&G and Housekeeping staff are responsible for the maintenance of the walkways on campus. Peter Schantz, director of physical plant, disagreed that pathway conditions are poor, despite the complaints of students.

OWU President Rock Jones said one of the goals of these departments is “to provide safe walkways for the campus community.”

“When snow and ice are especially heavy and the task is especially challenging, they follow a protocol that includes clearing the most heavily traveled sidewalks first,” Jones said. “Of course there are times when the snow and ice are especially intense and it takes longer to clear the walks than at other times.”