Athletics Director Roger Ingles is leaving OWU to become director of athletics at Capital University.
On March 23, President Rock Jones sent a campus-wide email stating Ingles is leaving behind his combined 33 years of experience at OWU as a coach and director.
In his email, Jones said Ingles will âoversee 20 menâs and womenâs varsity sports.â
According to the Batthing Bishops staff director, Ingles coached baseball for 22 seasons, was assistant athletics director for seven years and associate athletics director for three years before he became the athletics director.
Before becoming interim athletics director, Ingles was associate athletics director for 3 years and assistant athletics director for 7 years.
Jones wrote of Inglesâ success at OWU as both baseball coach and athletics director.
âDuring his 22 seasons coaching the Bishops, Rogerâs teams earned 15 NCAA Division III postseason appearances and eight North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships,â Jones said. âRogerâs accomplishments include creating the student scholar-athlete awards banquet, expanding the coaching and athletic training staffs, working to improve gender equity across the athletics spectrum, and helping to improve Ohio Wesleyanâs athletics facilities.â
Jones added Ingles brought OWU two NCAA menâs and womenâs track & field national championships and one menâs and womenâs cross country national championship.
âAsk Roger what heâs most proud of during his tenure as Athletics Director, and all of his comments have a common theme: Supporting Ohio Wesleyan student-athletes, helping players achieve academic as well as athletic success, and preparing them for happy, healthy, well-balanced lives,â Jones said in his email.
Ingles said, to Jones, joining Capital Universityâs athletic program will challenge him.
âI have great love for Ohio Wesleyan. I am proud of all that has been accomplished here. Capital is looking to enhance its athletics programs and facilities, and this is just the kind of opportunity and challenge that I like to take on,â Ingles said.
The Transcript is reaching out to Ingles and other members of the athletic department at this time and will update the story when information is available.
Ohio Wesleyan University has notified the House of Black Culture (HBC) residents that they are being relocated.
On March 2, President Rock Jones sent a campus-wide email stating the house, located at 65 Oak Hill Ave., is not in good living condition and that the members would be moved out of the house.
The current building housing the HBC âis in significant disrepair,â Jones said in the email, Â âraising questions about the best location for the house to ensure that it remains a vital and vibrant space for students.â
Jones said the floors are in bad condition and animals such as raccoons and rodents have gotten into the attic and other areas of the house.
After speaking with members of the house and other students, Jones said the next step was to select an advisory group made up of students, alumni and employees.
Jones said the advisory group is being established to decide on a new location for HBC, potentially being the current Honors House, located at 123 Oak Hill Ave.
â[The Honors House] would house more students in a setting that potentially could support the socializing, studying and sharing in cultural experiences that recognize and celebrate the African American experience,â Jones said.
Prominent on OWUâs campus since 1971, Jones said HBC is an important part of the college experience for students of color.
âCurrent and former residents often describe the house as their safe haven and home away from home,â Jones said. âThis is a wonderful legacy that Ohio Wesleyan is committed to preserving and protecting.â
Jones added the house will soon be celebrating 50 years on campus.
âWe want to assure everyone that Ohio Wesleyan is committed to supporting the House of Black Culture,â Jones said. âAnd to continuing to honor the legacy of Dr. Butler A. Jones, for whom the house was named in 1994.â
On March 9, Jones sent out another campus-wide email saying the advisory group had been determined.
Jones said the group is made up of students, alumni, faculty and administrators.
Chaired by Aaron Granger â93, the group consists of students Adedayo Akinmadeyemi, Ornella Bisamaza, Iyana Buckmon, Genaye Ervin, Cara Harris and Austin Moore.
The alumni in the group are Khadija Adams â04, Kaila Johnson â16 and Andrew Wilson â13 and the faculty members are Nancy Comorau, associate professor of English, Randy Quaye, professor of black world studies and Juan Armando Rojas Joo, professor of modern foreign languages and associate dean for diversity and inclusion.
The administrators in the group are Lisa Ho, associate chaplain; Terree Stevenson, director of multicultural student affairs and Dwayne Todd, vice president for student engagement and success.
Jones said the first advisory group meeting will be held March 24.
âI am grateful for the many people who expressed interest in serving on this group,â Jones said. âThe advisory group will solicit input from the campus community and from alumni as it undertakes its work.â
In the conclusion of his email, Jones said those who wish to contribute to the conversation can email hbc@owu.edu and everyone can look for updates at owu.edu/hbcupdates.
Junior Cara Harris does not live in HBC but is part of the community and will participate in the advisory group.
Junior Cara Harris
âThe house is a physical and symbolic place for Black students and students of color to come together in a safe space to hang out, study, have dinner, and celebrate our cultures without the pressures of attending a PWI (predominantly white institution),â Harris said.
In regard to the relocation process, Harris said she is frustrated.
âThe worst part of the relocation process is that administration did not notify the residents nor the greater OWU campus until after they had made a decision,â Harris said. âThere was no consideration of the students and alumni that the HBC has affected, until we voiced our concerns.â
Sophomore MaLia Walker has lived in HBCulture since the beginning of her sophomore year, but has been part of the community since her freshman year.
Sophomore MaLia Walker
âI loved the community, vibe and the people who resided in the house,â Walker said. âLiving in the house is an experience I’m sad to see taken away, because it is one that I will cherish forever.â
Walker said being a minority on campus is difficult, especially when it comes to finding a community to be part of, but that HBC is her home away from home.
âIt is very unfortunate, that programs for people of color on this campus are constantly getting cut or no longer available for students,â Walker said. âAnd it’s sad to say that the actual house of black culture is another thing that will be cut.â
âIt’s really hard to be a part of a community that is always getting underrepresented and undermined,â Walker added.
Walker said the relocation process makes her uncomfortable for three main reasons.
â[The] first first reason being the school has already made their decision before consulting the people who live in the house.â Walker said. â[The second reason is] the school has known about [HBCâs] condition for about 20 years now.â
âDwayne Todd even stated in the meeting that had their not have been a new honors house being built next door that the students who live in the house a black culture would have to continue to reside in this house that has been falling apart,â Walker said.
Walkerâs third reason was that the potential relocation to the Honors House makes their walk to the other parts of campus minutes longer.
Walker said the move to the Honors House makes her feel like the school wants them further away from the public view.
After stating there had been work orders yet to be filled for the house in the initial meeting with administrators, a box of supplies was left at the house the next day.
âIt may not be true but it feels as if residential life and the dean of students are trying to cover up their tracks,â Walker said.
Walker also said she responded to Jonesâ email that asked for advisory board volunteers, but did not hear back for eight days.
âWhen my moderator responded that she and I would both be interested, President Rock Jones immediately responded to her email saying that the list has already been published and finalized,â Walker said.
Walker said she wonders how the group was made after her request was ignored.
âOnce again, the dean, residential life and now even the president are making decisions without notifying the people who are involved.â
However, Jones said a lot of people asked to be on the committee, therefore not everyone could participate.
âI tried to make it as representative as possible,â Jones said. âSo the alumni are from different class years and represent different times in the history of the house.â
Jones said leading up to the idea of the advisory group, it became obvious that many involved with the house had strong feelings about it.
âWe needed to take a step back and listen more carefully to hear people share their feelings and then think more fully about all of the options that could be available.â
TyâAira Manning â15 was close to the HBC community throughout her time at OWU and decided to live in the house her senior year.
Ty’Aira Manning ’15
â I decided to live in this community because the house residents have been supportive of my academic journey since freshman year,â Manning said. âThese HBC residents and alumni were invested in my education and well being.â
Manning said she remembers late-night talks with residents supporting her college experience.
âSimply, the HBC became my support system because its residents were going through the same process as me; this process being a black person trying to prove the world wrong and make our families proud,â Manning said.
Manning said her feelings on the relocation process are complex.
âOn one hand, I am elated because the relocation process would ensure the legacy of the HBC could thrive longer for future OWU students to experience,â Manning said. âHowever, I am troubled because the HBC is in need of renovation due to the poor upkeep of the facility itself.â
Manning said she wonders if relocation would have been necessary if HBC had âreceived additional maintenance throughout the years.â
Though Manning will not participate in the advisory group, she said sheâs been contacted by members and will âadvocate for the preservation of HBC.â
JaMilla Holland â16 also lived in the HBC and will serve on the advisory group.
JaMilla Holland â16
Holland moved into the house during her sophomore year.
âI chose to live in the House because I truly began to consider it my home,â Holland said. âI felt socially, emotionally, and academically supported there; I was also able to connect with other students on the basis of cultural likenesses, which boosted my experience as a Black student at a predominantly white institution such as OWU.â
Holland said the relocation process does not fully support the needs of Black students that live in or are part of the HBC community.
âTo both past and current residents/friends of the House, it’s not just about having a geographical location on campus,â Holland said. â The House was placed where it is for a reason (directly across from the Cave in Stuyvesant Hall, another essential resource geared toward Black students).â
Manning also said issues discussed with administration before plans were made are not being honored.
âAlso, none of the information available to current students and alum seems to be consistent with board members or with administration,â Holland said. âThose things, combined with the years of neglect of maintenance certainly makes it appear that administration does not value the importance of creating a positive and safe space and resource for students of color, even having been told quite how significant it is.â
Manning said the physical house is extremely important to students, which is why the relocation process and how it is taken care of is so important.
âI will always consider HBC the place I felt most at home, and I don’t think my experience and growth as a Black student at OWU and a person could have been nearly as positive without the resources and provided by the House itself, the members, and close friends/groups associated with it,â Holland added.
On Tuesday, March 7, from noon to 1 p.m., Ohio Wesleyan is celebrating its 175th year on the day the school was given a charter.
Erin England, social media producer for the office of university communications and coordinator of the event, said President Rock Jones will speak on the importance of charter day.
â[The celebration] will also include a giveaway of fifteen $10 Chartwells gift cards as well as a grand prize of a $175 gift card to the bookstore,â England said.
England said there will be free temporary tattoos, tech pockets, wristbands and cookies, but the main event will be the balloon drop that will take place at noon.
The charter day celebration, supported by the Presidentâs Office, will include a balloon drop of about 600 balloons in the Hamilton-Williams atrium.
Junior Katie Kuckelheim, intern for the office of university communications, is involved with blowing up the balloons.
âThe communications office will blow up some of the balloons,â Kuckelheim said. â[And] a couple of my [Delta Zeta] sorority sisters and I will help blow up the last of the 600 balloons.â
Kuckelheim said she loves OWU and loves history, which is why she wanted to get involved with the charter day celebration.
âIt seemed fitting I would help with the celebration of the anniversary of the 175th signing of the charter that made our university a reality,â Kuckelheim said.
Cole Hatcher, director of media and community relations for the officer of university communications, wrote excitedly of the event.
âIt should be a fun event for everyone to come together to celebrate OWU’s heritage and the university’s ongoing impact in the world,â Hatcher said.
Despite finishing the year with 21 wins and a conference championship appearance, the Bishops were not chosen to compete in this yearâs Division III National Tournament.
Ohio Wesleyan defeated Kenyon and Wittenberg en route to the NCAC championship game.
However, their 14-game win streak came to an end against College of Wooster in front of a home crowd on Saturday evening.
Down by 21 points at the half, OWU rallied late for a comeback. But it was not enough as the
Fighting Scots held on to beat OWU 76-72.
OWU can still call itself NCAC champions since they had the best regular season record.
That marks 2016-17 as the third consecutive year OWU has earned that title.
The decision not to include OWU was made Monday afternoon. It took some players and fans of the program by surprise.
Captain Ben Simpson, a senior, said he was disappointed by the news, but not entirely surprised.
âI was nervous about [tournament prospects] and thought that we had about a 50/50 chance of making it in,â Simpson said.
Athletic Director Roger Ingles said he shared some of Simpsonâs disappointment.
âThe NCAA selection process sometimes can seem very unfair. Our menâs team is the first NCAC regular season championship team to be left out of the tournament since the early 1990âs,â Ingles said.
It is likely that early, out of conference losses to weaker teams, hurt OWUâs National Tournament chances.
âThe process is based on strength of schedule, won-loss record, opponentâs strength of schedule and success, games and won-loss versus regionally ranked opponents,â Ingles said
With the win, Wooster qualifies automatically and will be the only team representing the conference at the tournament.
Simpson, Eugene Coleman, Jon Griggs and Erick Bryant are among the teamâs seniors. They turn the reigns over to Academic All-American Nate Axelrod and fellow captain Seth Clark.
Simpson said he felt positive about his experience. Quoting Dr. Seuss, Simpson said, âDonât cry because itâs over, smile because it happened.â
Things got personal last week when John DâAgata came to visit.
American essayist John DâAgata held a writing salon in Sturges, as well as a reading of his work in Merrick Hall on Feb. 21.
In the evening, DâAgata read an essay from âAbout a Mountain.â In this essay, DâAgata explored the suicide of Levi Presley, who jumped from the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. DâAgata took creative liberties with some of the facts of the event, receiv-
ing mixed reviews and criticism from fact-checkers, including Jim Fingal, who he wrote âLifespan of a Factâ with.
âI needed to trust that if I put in the work, and really had gotten to know [Presley] as well as I could…that I had to trust my-
self and trust the reader that they would trust me; that where I took liberties were the appropriate places, and I wasnât tarnishing him,â said DâAgata.
Agata began his writing salon by reminding the students that attended of the literary importance of lists. He stressed their ability to reveal characters, comic and tragic elements, as well as the culture of a piece.
â[My Netflix queue] offered too much information, it told a story about me that I wasnât comfortable being told,â said DâAgata.
He used the opening from âBridget Jonesâ Diary,â where the protagonist lists her New Yearâs resolutions for what she will do and will not do. He also discussed an excerpt from Joan Didionâs âThe White Album,â where
DâAgata explained that her list expressed how then-journalist Didion created a genderless armour in a male-dominated field.
âThereâs a story there…some lists are both informational and poetic and literary and sometimes historical,â said DâAgata.
â[DâAgata] weaves his essay like a story,â said senior Alyssa Clark, who opened for DâAgataâs reading in Merrick Hall. â[He] turn[s] it into something familiar, and redefined my preconceived notions of what an essay entailed…a piece of art that is much more than what it originally seems.â
Known for his books âHalls of Fameâ, âAbout a Mountainâ and âThe Lifespan of a Fact,â DâAgata has written six books, and is an English professor at the University of Iowa.
DâAgata is currently working on a translation of a book by ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch, as well as a new collection of his own essays.
These were all topics of discussion at Saturday nightâs âButterfly Confessions.â
Twelve women dressed in black sat in the middle of the Studio theater, standing up to read monologues from Yetta Youngâs âButterfly Confessions.â From describing how a man should treat a woman, to contracting HIV from one night of unprotection, these monologues aim to empower and reveal the daily struggles and misconceptions about women of color.
Though some laughs were present (like how easy it is for a woman to become âdick-matizedâ), some statistics shed light on some issues that arenâtâ typically discussed. For example, African-American women are more likely to experience chronic depression compared to the general population, according to a study conducted in 2010 by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). African-American women, also, are the least likely demographic to seek out treatment.
â[I] feel that people of color are expected to give and give and give even if they donât have anymore to give, especially when it comes to educating white people on all topics of race…these issues that the monologues bring up are not ever really talked about in our media, education or society,â said junior Audrey Castaneda-Walker, who also did the sound for the production.
After the performance, Kat Blaque held a discussion with the audience. Blaque is a feminist, YouTuber, writer, illustrator and animator from California.
The show was organized by Sisters United, a student organization that seeks to raise awareness on issues related to multicultural womenâs empowerment and community involvement.
âThis is very important to put on at Ohio Wesleyan because as a majority white campus, any form of art that could bring people of color into the light and have the majority understand is something very powerful,â said senior Lauryn Carter.
Hip-hop artist Future has put out two albums in the past week, and he might be breaking records as both soar to No. 1 on the charts.
On Feb. 17 Future released his self-titled album and it immediately shot to No. 1 with more than 100 million streams and 60,000 sales in its first week, according to Billboard.
However, Future wasnât finished. Exactly one week later he released a second album, titled âHNDRXXâ.
This album has also done extremely well in its first week and according to Hits Daily Double, it could reach the No.1 spot in its first week.
If âHNDRXXâ makes it to the top, Future will make Billboard history as the first artist to release two No.1 albums in consecutive weeks.
Hitting No.1 is not a new feat for the Atlanta rapper. This is his fourth and possibly fifth time reaching the top, with other releases such as âDS2,â âEvolâ and his collaborative album with Drake, âWhat a Time to Be Aliveâ topping the charts.
While the albums came out within a week of each other, Future definitely takes a different approach to each project. Future has no featured artists and definitely sticks to the melodic trap style that Future has created for himself.
âHNDRXXâ has features from both Rihanna and the Weeknd. It takes on a unique style as many of the tracks are more upbeat and at times take on a much more mainstream sound. This might be a result of those artists featured on it.
Both albums take on a variety of themes. He addresses things like transitioning from a poor to wealthy lifestyle, partying, drug usage and falling in and out of love. âHNDRXXâ addresses a softer side that is uncommon in a lot of Futureâs music as he talks about some of the more personal problems in his life.
While it remains unknown whether both of Futureâs albums will make it to No. 1 it remains certain that he is on a winning streak. The artist has continued his rise to becoming one of the most popular and influential hip-hop artists today.
By Evan Walsh, Chief Copy Editor and Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor
By Evan Walsh
I canât imagine there are too many bad ways to spend spring break. And Iâve got to admit Saraâs Spring break plans are wor-
thy of envy. But there will always be those college students among us that simply cannot get/take a break from reality. Even if the university tells you to get lost March 11 and 19.
I have been part of that Delaware Spring Break crowd for four years now, and although itâs not the most desirable option, it may be the most necessary. Spring break at OWU is carte blanche for study time. In the environs of a student-less Ohio Wesleyan I am completely distraction free.
Ahhh.
Does it bug me that I will never experience the joys of Panama City Beach? For many, it is the quintessential college experience. A true rite of passage for any undergrad. Replete with fellow co-eds enjoying the same hedonistic pleasures that our society is so fond of it would make sense that it would.
But it really doesnât … Is something wrong with me?
Iâd like to think there isnât. Iâd like to think Iâm just lazy.
Organizing a Spring break trip is exhaustive and requires leadership. No thanks.
If I donât even have enough time during the Ohio Wesleyan school week to get my work done, how the hell can you expect me to find time to waste to make plans to get wasted?
Even if I did, I canât afford these excursions. No matter how cheap and seemingly affordable. You see, college is that special time where many young men and women are introduced to the practice of budgeting.
[This is more of a concept than an actual practice for me.] So, come late February Iâm about as financially soluble as the country of Greece.
Should I ever come into possession of the requisite funds I would like to take a trip. Greece sounds pretty nice and Iâve even heard weâre financially alike.
Lastly, Spring Break destinations scare me. They seem like the perfect place for everything to go wrong- itâs âMurphyâs Lawâ in a bathing suit. Thereâs a reason no one tells their parents about their plans for Spring Break.
So if youâre sticking around for the break, donât feel bad. Spring break isnât for everyone.
By Sara Hollabaugh
I remember watching every reality show of the early to mid 2000s and how, when it came time for spring break, the phrase constantly repeated was âitâs spring break b**ches!â
I grew up with television, movies and advertisements campaigning the best and biggest parties of the year happening over spring break with alcohol, women in bikinis and endless fun on the beaches of Florida, Mexico and other exotic places in the Caribbean.
I would be lying if I told you that I didnât think they looked totally fun and that I wanted to go on a quintessential spring break trip when I was younger.
However, I knew deep down I was never going to be that girl.
To be honest, I wasnât cheeky enough in high school, and Iâm really not now, either. But no matter the type of spring break I partake in, that week in mid-march is hands down one of my favorite weeks every single year.
Why? Because I grew up going to those beaches of exotic places in the Caribbean such as Dominican Republic, Aruba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.
Let me stop you right there before your brain skips to the thought of how ridiculous that sounds. Trust me, I know.
But I was lucky enough to go on extremely amazing vacations growing up. I zip lined, climbed high ropes courses, and rode horses on the beach, all while experiencing different cultures from the local people of each place.
I not only did really fun activities, but met other kids from all over the world. I made friends from Canada, France and and different parts of the United States that I had not yet been to.
When I stayed at a resort in a foreign place, I felt like I was in my own little world and on an adventure.
While we did spend hours on the beaches, my mom never let me get away with doing nothing all day. I was encouraged to go to the kids club, urged to make new friends, pressed to try new things.
And thatâs one of the most rewarding parts about my spring break experiences. I never did the drunken trip with wild concerts. I never danced in a crowd at a spring break concert with profanities shouted every second.
I didnât do those insanely crazy things, but I turned that sense of recklessness into a sense of adventure. And I think thatâs what makes spring break such an enjoyable time.
So no, you wonât find me drunk on a beach surround by thousands of people yelling âspring break b**ches,â but you will probably find me making the most of my 7 day break.
Greek life at Ohio Wesleyan University came together to participate in Delta Gammaâs Anchor Splash, and other drives to raise money for a philanthropic cause just last week.
Every spring semester, Delta Gamma (DG) holds Anchor Splash at the Meek Aquatic and Recreation Center. To help raise funds, the sorority also organized some small competitions during the week of Feb. 20-24
The funds raised go towards Service for Sight. According to deltagamma.org, Service for Sight is a non profit created by DG to help the visually impaired.
Alpha Sigma Phi and Delta Zeta were the winners of this yearâs Anchor Splash.
âWe are happy that we won,â said sophomore Andrew Alaniz who is also a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. Alaniz said that they lost a lot of points early on in the week but was pleased with how they were able to work together in the other activities.
âSeeing everyone come together for a good cause is something special to see,â said sophomore Maggie Greer. As officer of the Anchor Games Greer was responsible for organizing  the swimming events that took place on Friday. Â
âIt was hard at first, but with help I was able to organize and get things together,â said Greer. âIt was a great experience.â
Throughout the week leading up to the swimming events, fraternities and sororities collect pennies for what DG calls âpenny warsâ. Pennies that are collected by specific fraternities and sororities get counted for points. According to Greer, the top three organizations that collect the most get points awarded to their house.
Then comes the banner making where fraternities and sororities compete to see who can make the best one. The banner must to be placed in the atrium in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center no later than Thursday night.
To qualify for the banner competition, each organizationâs banner must feature Delta Gamma or its iconic anchor. The fraternity or sorority that makes the best banner is awarded the most points.
Delta Gammaâs judges emphasize creativity when it comes to designing banners.
âIt is really cool to see people be as creative as possible,â said Greer.
Also on Thursday, serenades for the senior members of the sorority were held.
Together, they travel to every greek house where the members of that organization have to sing to them. The songs vary from pop to old time classics. However, extra points are rewarded for those serenades that have Delta Gamma related adaptations.
Throughout the week, participants receive more points through social media shout outs. This includes mentioning DG or Anchor Splash on any of the major social media outlets such as, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Those organizations that participated in the week long activities gathered in Meek to compete in races of various kinds on Friday. One notable competition involved two team members pulling an inflatable whale. In it, a DG member rides on the whaleâs back, to the opposite side of the pool where two teammates are waiting to ride it back across.
The funds raised are yet to be fully counted, but Greer approximated that they raised close to $1,000 for this yearâs Anchor Splash.
Though a nuclear bomb has not been detonated in 70 years, nuclear security still remains a strenuous and messy issue in foreign policy.
âEvery nation forms their foreign policy and national security policy based on their own self-interest,â said retired Army Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich. âIn the United States, I think we loose sight of this and we need to acknowledge that as we think about issues around the world.â
Laich spoke Friday about nuclear security at the second of eight sessions of the Great Decisions community series on U.S. foreign policy.
There are universal factors to foreign policy and national security, Laich said. Powerful countries have the ability to do as they please, he said, whereas weaker countries do their best to cope. For example, when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world responded by using force to eject Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
However, when Russia invaded Ukraine and took over Crimea in 2014, only sanctions were put into place and there was no military action.
Laich said nine nations, led by the United States and Russia, control thousands of nuclear warheads that can be deployed at any given moment.
âIt is alarming to me that any one person on the face of the Earth can have the capability to order that these 1,830 deployed (U.S.) nuclear warheads be fired⌠with justification,â Laich said. âThe president of the United States, whoever he or she is, makes one phone call.â
The United Kingdom and France have more than 500 nuclear warheads total, and China has 260.
â[China] relies much more exclusively on conventional arms to protect themselves, butâŚthey have the capability to expand dramatically,â Laich said. âOne of the things that China has demonstrated is their ability to⌠move national interests forward rapidly.â
India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea also have nuclear warheads. However, Israel officially has not acknowledged that it has the weapons. Israel is the only nuclear power in the Middle East.
âI had no idea the list [of countries with nuclear weapons] was so long, and thatâs kind of scary,â said Delaware resident Michael Casto.
The only country in the world to ever use a nuclear weapon is the United States, twice during World War II.
In 2015, the five permanent members (U.S., Russia, Britain, China and France) of the U.N. Security Council, Germany and the European Union reached an agreement with Iran to suspend its nuclear programs, putting limits on centrifuges, enrichment levels, uranium stockpiles and plutonium production. Iran sent more than 90 percent of its existing uranium stockpiles to Russia for security.
âThis treaty allowed us to put a troublesome nationâs nuclear program on hold for at least 10 to 15 years, without firing a shot,â said Laich.
Countries such as North Korea, Russia, India and Pakistan continue to challenge nonproliferation efforts.
Terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaida and ISIS, have been very explicit about seeking nuclear weapons, Laich said. They donât necessarily need a nuclear warhead to do damage. A dirty bomb, which contains used nuclear fuel surrounded by dynamite, can have limited physical impact but contaminates a wide area of a populated city with nuclear material.
âIâm concerned because of the (Trump) administration and things beyond our control like nuclear terrorism,â said Lee Lybarger, a resident of Delaware.
The next topic for Great Decisions is âSaudi Arabia in Transition,â presented by Melinda McClimans, an associate director at the Middle East Studies Center at Ohio State University, and Rand Guebert, a former consultant.
