Sara Hollabaugh – The Transcript

Last hurrahs of college

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

As a senior with 17 days left at Ohio Wesleyan, I’m about to experience a lot more lasts.

Naturally, right?

Some are irrelevant, but some lasts are actually making me stop and re ect on my four years here.

Though some lasts have taken place already—such as my last fall Day on the JAY, my last sorority date parties and formals, my last philanthropy events, and my last leadership roles in organizations I’m a part of—I’ve got a lot more coming.

I’ll have my last day of classes, my last nals, my last spring Day on the JAY, my last midnight breakfast and my last time walking into Phillips to slave away at The Transcript office or in my journalism classes.

I’ll have my last chapter meeting for my sorority, my last time laughing with my sisters as an active member, my last day working for Nancy Rutkowski (my favorite human at OWU) and my last time eating lunch in the Zook Nook.

There are plenty more lasts I will experience that I am not even cognizant of right now.

As I write this, I am sitting at The Backstretch, completing my daily 30 minutes for 50-Day Club.

It’s day 19 and I’m eating my usual Hencock fries (a glorious combination of french fries, hot sauce, ranch, cheese and bacon).

No beer today, though, I’ve got too much to do later. It would have been Ciderboys Peach, an apple peach hard cider, though, or a Stella Artois.

That being said, I’ll also have my last time at “the Stretch” as an undergrad and my last day of 50-Day Club.

As I reminisce over the past four years, however, I think about how some of these lasts will also be my rsts.

I’ll have my first senior “send off” at my last sorority chapter meeting. I’ll have my first Final Lap, an event one of my dear friends has started, after my first commencement rehearsal.

I’ll have my first college graduation.

For some, that’s a lot to take in. But I’m really ready to leave. I know I am.

I’ve outgrown OWU, just as I should.

This place has given me a lot and I’d like to think I’ve given a lot right back.

We all have our respective lasts and firsts as the days at OWU come to close, and that’s one of the most unique parts about college—none of us will remember OWU the same way, none of us will have the same memories and that’s why none of us will have the same firsts or lasts.

Life is special that way.

So as I sit here reflecting on mine, I’m experiencing writing my last words for The Transcript ever.

The end.

Thousands of Ohioans march for science in Columbus

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

Ohio Wesleyan students and Columbus residents alike spent their Earth Day marching for science—not silence.

The march started at 11 a.m. on April 22 at the Columbus Statehouse.

Marchers went down High Street to the Columbus Commons for a celebration after.

According to the official March for Science website, their mission includes science as a “pillar of human freedom and prosperity.”

“We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good, and for political leaders and policymakers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest,” the mission stated.

After the event concluded, the March for Science Facebook page thanked everyone who participated, physically and in spirit.

“Our official crowd estimate is 5,600—almost double what we expected,” the Facebook site said. “Your support and enthusiasm were overwhelming.”

Senior Malloy McCorkle, a neuroscience and psychology double major with a minor in biology, went to the Columbus march with senior Dana Beach.

“[We had] signs advocating for the protection and distribution of science,” McCorkle said. “We stood alongside many other scientists, activists, and concerned citizens.”

After the march, McCorkle said the commons had organizations promoting science and health care, as well as food and music.

“The event brought all scientists and activists together to demonstrate the importance of science-based public policy, scientific research and STEM education,” McCorkle said. “All who attended the march were upset about recent attacks on scientific evidence and complete disregard for science by policymakers.”

McCorkle said as a scientist, she believes it is a necessity to have factual information about science provided to the public.

Senior Jackson Hotaling, a history and geography major, attended the march in Columbus and joined a small group in Delaware as well.

“[The march had] impassioned marchers with signs and shouts [showing] Columbus that its citizens care about science,” Hotaling said. “And science is important.”

Hotaling added people marched for many different reasons.

“Some were scientists themselves, while others supported a wide array of NGOs, parks and small businesses,” Hotaling said. “I wanted to come because I believe that, environmentally, we are not taking the proper steps to make a better world for the future.

Hotaling said he was able to talk with many of these different people at the march.

“We shared ideas and a beautiful day, and I left feeling optimistic about what is next,” Hotaling said.

Faculty approve Bachelor of Science degrees for microbiology and geology

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

Faculty approved microbiology and geology for a Bachelor of Science degree during the faculty meeting held on April 17.

These additions come a month after the approval of physics and astronomy.

“The Bachelor of Science degree was approved by our accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission,” President Rock Jones said.

Jones added that the planning of the degrees was spearheaded by Dale Swartzentruber, associate provost for institutional research and academic budget management; Barbara Andereck, assistant provost for assessment and accreditation; and Craig Jackson, who chairs the Academic Policy Committee.

Jones said Swartzentruber worked on the administrative elements, Andereck arranged the application for accreditation and Jackson and his committee reviewed the proposals for the entire faculty to discuss.

Andereck said she, aside from compiling the proposals, was part of conversations in the departments.

“[The discussions] last fall … led to the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in physics and astrophysics,” Andereck said.

Andereck said the idea to apply for Bachelor of Science in the speci c majors stemmed from alumni, prospective students and families.

“Some organizations (employers, the government, graduate schools) view B.S. and B.A. degrees differently,” Andereck said.

Andereck added that offering both degrees gives students an advantage.

“The number of science and math courses required for the B.S. is higher than for the B.A.,” Andereck said. “So people familiar with that scenario sometimes assume that a B.A. from a liberal arts institution is not as rigorous [or] science focused as a B.S. from another institution.”

But Andereck said the assumption is not correct.

“We cannot have conversations with all people who hold this view,” Andereck said. “So to benefit our students and perhaps be more attractive to prospective students, we decided we should offer a B.S. option.”

For the physics and astrophysics majors specifically, Andereck said the B.S, degree “allows us to distinguish paths that lead to graduate school or professional work in the field versus paths that will rely less heavily on the content in the major.”

Beeghly Library hosts series of blind dates

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor

Students and faculty at Ohio Wesleyan University were able to participate in the english department’s “Blind Book Date,” an event where participants weren’t allowed to judge a book by it’s cover: literally.

The English department’s Nancy Comorau organized the “date,” which was held last Friday in the Beeghly Library. Here, students had a chance to get familiar with books they did not know existed.

According to Assistant Professor of English Amy Butcher, the event was thought up to celebrate the english department and encourage students to take classes in the department. Some of the books that were included have appeared before in syllabi of the department’s classes.

The blind book date consisted of students and faculty walking from one table of concealed books to the next. On top of each lay a hand written description of the book beneath it. The meaning for this event was to let OWU students pick something unfamiliar when it came to reading stories.

“It was essentially a way to encourage students to perhaps step out of their comfort zone and nd a book that might not be something they would pick up again,” said Butcher.

The books put on display did not favor one genre over the other. Butcher said that each professor in the department was asked to write down a few books they thought were powerful, and that deserved to be shared.

Some books included “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, which is a Tony Award winning play.

Butcher said that partnership with the library on campus was helpful in making sure that the students know it has many diverse books and stories to choose from.

Tragedy bleeds onto the Main Stage

By Liz Hardaway, Arts & Entertainment Editor

If you listen closely you can hear wedding bells chiming in the Chappelear Drama Center.

Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” or “Bodas de sangre,” is being shown on the main stage, using colorful, surrealist design and lighting to display this Spanish tragedy. The play was translated and adapted by Edward Kahn, the director of the play as well as a professor of theater and dance, and Eva Paris-Huesca, an instructor in modern foreign languages.

“Blood Wedding” is a contemporary play that exhibits the tragic battle between passion and tradition. Telling the tale of a soon-to-be-bride, played by senior Alexia Minton, the audience learns of her ex-lover Leonarda, played by freshman Rose Jonesco, returning to the bride’s life right as she is preparing to marry her boyfriend, played by sophomore Ares Harper.

“It’s been a great learning experience…the role itself is exhausting to play because there’s such a roller coaster of emotion which is partially, at least from my character’s perspective, part of what makes it so engaging to watch,” said Minton.

The play takes place in 1932 in rural Andalusia where, despite many progressive actions made by the Spanish government, the public remained close minded. Lorca was a gay playwright and poet.

“One can sense the personal struggles of the playwright, who once pondered whether ‘living one’s instinctual life to the full’ was the only possible path to happiness,” said Kahn in the director’s note of the playbill.

The play will be shown at the main stage of the Chappelear Drama Center on April 6-8 at 8 p.m and April 9 at 2 p.m. General admission is $10, and faculty/staff, seniors and non-Ohio Wesleyan student tickets are $5. Student admission is free with an ID.

WCSA Today: Funds allocated for storage

By Liz Hardaway, Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) is allocating $4,150 to subsidize a part of the campus storage for 2017.

WCSA will cover $5 of the cost of each small box up to the purchase of 300 small boxes, as well as $15 of the cost of each large box, up to the purchase of 150 boxes. For bikes and refrigerators, WCSA will cover $8 of each, up to 50 units.

The cost for small and large boxes will be $10 and $20 respectively, and bike/refrigerator storage will cost students $17 per unit. These rates are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and Robert Wood, the director of public safety, recommended students use smaller boxes because they are easier to carry.

The Budget Committee funded $8,816 to the physics club to buy tickets to the March for Science, a non-partisan rally in Washington, D.C., to celebrate science on April 22.

The committee also decided not to fund the Black Men of the Future for supplies, such as marshmallows, for their upcoming bonfire. But the committee funded $27 to the Investment Club to have a public screening of “The Big Short.” VIVA’s Latin Dance Party, which will be held on April 21, was funded 95 percent. This event will teach attendees various Latin dances.

The Student Life Committee met with Aramark to discuss housekeeping issues on campus. If students have issues with housekeeping, they should contact committee chairs Mollie Marshall and David Robinett.

WCSA funded $1,072 to CLEAR, a group focused on created events on and off-campus not involving alcohol, for free T-shirts to be given away at Rock the Block, which is April 28 from 6-8 on Rowland Ave.

The next full senate meeting will be Monday, April 10, in the Crider Lounge in Ham-Will.

Letter from the Wesleyan Council Student Affairs president

By Chris Dobeck, President of WCSA

The other day a close friend asked what the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) was doing to make a presence on campus.

In all honesty, I floundered. Make a name for ourselves? We’re the people everyone comes to for funding. The Campus Programming Board (CPB) is the outreach part of our student government.

This friend not only asked an important question, they answered why WCSA has fallen into such a rut.

OWU students don’t care about stu- dent government, because student governments haven’t shown the care deserving of OWU students. Over the years WCSA strayed from initiatives, gave up on the legacy of itself and its students and confounded itself with unnecessary professionalism.

As president, I never sought to push a legislative agenda. Surely all the senators had pet projects. Policy reform, food, sustainability, and budgetary guidelines have gone through the ringer. Now, our well-spring of creativity has begun to trickle.

Over the last month, the Senate has hit gridlock again and again talking about reforms to the treasurer position. It has brought the momentum of progress to a halt. Today, that changes.

This April my administration will push for a New Student Affairs Policy, bringing the cloistered WCSA out of its shell. We’ll push for initiatives students care about, like a water fountain in Sanborn. We’ll begin to build monuments to OWU students of ages past; civil rights activists like Mary King, abolitionists like Fredrick Merrick, and Vice President of the United States Charles Fairbanks. Through our new policy, WCSA will end this brutal isolation, reaching out to students in constructive ways, like offering of office hours to voice complaints and turning the WCSA of office into a quiet study room in the weeks leading up to finals.

Politicians always promise things. It’s kind of the bread and butter of our career. But honestly, you guys deserve better. These policies should be ful lled because we, as a student government, have the op- portunity to help make this school really something. At this point many WCSA members have been here long enough to know what we can and can’t do. The difference between what we can do and what we have done de nes who really was t for the job. So when 2017 comes to a close, I hope WCSA remembered to do all they can.

Food pantries: Take what you want, leave what you don’t

By Tom Wolber, Contributing Writer

At least 12 colleges and universities across Ohio operate free food pantries, ac- cording to the latest “Hunger on Campus” report by the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA).

The organization, which releases reports on poverty every year, estimates the poverty rate in Ohio to be 14.8 percent (or about 1.6 million people) in 2015.

Food insecurity is also common among many higher-education students, which is why numerous college campuses in the U.S. run their own food pantries. The College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) has 400 members.

Many pantries have been in existence since the Great Recession of 2008/09, others have opened recently.

OSU started one a year ago, which serves 110 people every month, according to a Columbus Dispatch article that appeared on March 24. Nearby Otterbein University recently started one. Wright State’s pantry began in 2011 and serves anywhere from 10 to 50 students a week.

The Owens Community College in the Toledo area not only serves students but also staff members. Janitors earn low wages and part-time instructors do not receive any benefits, so money is tight for many of them as well.

Other Ohio campuses with food pantries include Akron University, the University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Kent State, the University of Toledo, Wright State and Xavier University.

Ohio Wesleyan, too, has a small food pantry.

The “Chaplain’s Free Food Bank,” as it is called, is located on the third oor of the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center. A sign reads, “Take what you want, leave what you can.”

At a recent visit, there were only a handful of nonperishable items sitting on the shelves – several cans with beans and tuna and some packages with edamame and quinoa.

Depending on the season, there may also be fresh produce from someone’s garden. There is no attempt to advertise the pantry and no budget to keep it well-stocked. At times, it is completely empty. If it were better known, perhaps more students, faculty and staff would drop off items they don’t need or want for those who don’t have enough.

Hopefully this little article encourages the campus community to invest a bit more time and effort into the pantry. Especially during the summer months when the campus cafeterias are closed, there are students who would benefit from having access to a food bank that reliably supplements their food intake.

At Wright State, individuals and businesses donate about 1,000 pounds of food (as well as hygiene products) every month. There is no reason why OWU couldn’t create a dedicated room at a central location and open it up at a few convenient times each week.

The Chaplain’s Office is to be commended for having shown compassion and having maintained its food bank for years, but perhaps the time has come to raise its pro le and to elevate it to somewhat higher, institutional level, as other colleges and universities have done.

An attractive and well-stocked food pantry could even serve as a recruitment tool to be shown to prospective students and their parents when they visit the campus. It would send the message that the university stands ready to take care of each and every one of its members when they nd themselves in need.

Low-and-moderate-income people are sometimes blamed for making “bad choices” or for not demonstrating enough “personal responsibility.” Not so.

The prevailing Ohio minimum wage of $8.15 an hour is not a living wage. Students, in particular, have limited opportunity to work and make money.

The average student graduates with a debt of more than $30,000 these days. The funds they do have are spent on necessities such as textbooks or medication.

Cheap clothing can be found at thrift stores, but cheap or free food is harder to come by. Many middle-class families are one medical emergency, one car crash, or one paycheck away from food insecurity, forfeiture, and bankruptcy.

Poverty is all around us, even in the sub- urbs. “The age of poverty” is ascendant, and income inequality is getting steadily worse. The Trump administration is adamant about slashing Pell Grant funding by $3.9 billion in 2018 and by $65 billion over the next 10 years. Students should not be shy and hesitant about taking advantage of opportunities to supplement their meager income with free items such as food or clothing if they can nd them. If anyone should be ashamed, it is the politicians who are ddling in Washington while America is burning.

Climate Change brings Ohio 5 schools together

By Theodore Elmore, Transcript Correspondent

Nearly 300 people from the Ohio 5 schools are coming together for the first time at Ohio Wesleyan’s rival school Denison University to fight climate change together.

The Climate Change Coalition started off as a senior project for environmental science major Liam McElroy at Denison and quickly grew from there. The goal of the group was to bring together the Ohio five schools (Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, Kenyon, Wooster and Oberlin) to collaborate on different ideas in order to improve the environment on and off campuses.

“My strength is getting people together who can help get to the bottom of things so we can each play off of our own strengths”, Said McElroy.

McElroy’s goal was to bring together as many people as possible and brainstorm ideas on how they have been able to make their school greener. Groups or speakers representing each school will give a short presentation during the conference, with a goal of sharing how they continue to make their school more environmentally friendly.

McElroy got in contact with Eva Blockstein, a sophomore at OWU and together they worked on getting a group of students to the conference on April 1. Blockstein, who is working as a lone wolf to present, is excited to share about OWU’s strengths which include; Tree House, Environment and Wildlife club, plans for green week, the Sustainability Task Force and other events. “One problem I’ve seen at OWU is students not getting involved” said Blockstein who hopes to find ideas from other schools on how OWU can find more students to get involved in more green projects on campus.

Along with the schools going to the event McElroy is bringing in two guest speakers; the Yes Men an environmental activist group and Madonna Thunderhawk a member of the Native American Sioux tribe and organizer of the tribe at Standing Rock. Thunderhawk has a connection with a professor at Denison University and will be coming back for her second time to the campus on Saturday for the event. Denison funded the majority of the money for the project, however each school had to put up a small entrance fee to help pay for it. From OWU, the zoology department donated $50 while WCSA funded another $637.

While McElroy is a senior, his goals for this conference expand to long after he is gone. “The success of this organization is going to be measured next year not this year”, Said McElroy whose dream is that this organization continues to meet and collaborate every year and hopefully grow bigger in time.

Portable toilet plays role in exhibit at Arts Castle event

By Allie Smith, Transcript Correspondent

The third graders’ eyes widened when they discovered that the strange-looking pot in their instructor’s hands was once used in the 19th century as one thing and one thing only – a portable toilet.

The Arts Castle is hosting an exhibit on art and fashion in early Delaware County until April 28. The Castle is located on 190 W. Winter St. in Delaware. Life and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries can also be explored, including the portable toilet on display.

Art and photographs derived mostly from the 1800s coat the walls of the Arts Castle. The right corridor opens into a room containing a stunning lace wedding dress and a stately black suit from 1946, originating from Delaware, OH.

The parlor next door holds a variety of items ranging from women’s and children’s apparel to a uniquely designed hair wreath, woven to fashion the history of the family of the wearer. The parlor also contains an arrangement of toys and eating utensils, books and old wooden chairs, all from the late Victorian Period.

Diane Hodges, executive director of the Arts Castle, has worked at the Castle for ve and a half years. She commented on her favorite piece from the current exhibit.

“My favorite piece is the one in which hair is woven into a wreath and displayed in a shadow box. The hair was gathered by women as they brushed their hair and placed in a dish on their vanity,” Hodges said. “When enough was gathered, it was nely woven into a design and dis- played.”

Numerous organizations made this event possible by donating or loaning many of the items on display, according to the Arts Castle of cial website. For example, The Delaware County Historical Society (DCHS) donated over 80 items to the exhibit in the hopes of giving third grade students an up-close look at Delaware County art and fashion, according to the DCHS website.

Past exhibits have demonstrated how the Arts Castle offers a diverse array of exhibits to visit.

“We recently had an exhibit, ‘When Ohio Was Young: New Art and Old Artifacts,’ which included artwork de- picting early Native Americans and artifacts that were loaned from the Olentangy Caverns,” Hodges said. “For another exhibit, The Castle partnered with the Columbus Zoo in an exhibit entitled ‘Zoo View: Art & Artifacts,’ which featured art from the collections of zoo volunteers, staff and directors focusing on Africa and the Arctic.”

There are several more events in store for museum-goers this summer. The Arts Castle’s calendar as featured on their website indicates that the museum will feature the Delaware Artist Guild from May 7-June 23, an exhibit yet to be determined from July 5-August 4, and the Equine Jubilee from August 14-October 14.

The Arts Castle is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact artscastle@ artscastle.org