Author: Sara Hollabaugh

Local ice cream shop welcomes back customers

By Alanna Henderson, Managing Editor

Dari Point is officially open for the season.

The locally, family owned ice cream shop is now open from mid-Feb. and closes mid-Oct. The ice cream shop opened on Feb. 15 and welcomed the warm weather.

Current storeowner Jim Ballinger worked at Dari Point for one year before buying the shop in 1999. Throughout the years, Ballinger’s three children and wife have also worked at the shop. Currently, youngest daughter, Brooke Corwin handles Dari Point’s advertising and social media accounts.

Ballinger is now going into his 18th season at Dari Point. “It’s not an easy business to run and operate. Being open everyday and for long hours makes it a difficult business to run
 It’s demanding, but it’s rewarding,” Ballinger said.

Dari Point has become a tradition for many current Delaware residents. “It’s become an iconic place in Delaware. A lot of our customers are third or fourth generation customers,” Corwin said.

“We have grandparents and great-grandparents bringing in grandchildren and you can hear them say in the lobby, ‘grandma used to come here and eat ice cream when she was a little girl.’ That’s really special to us to know we have maintained that trust with our customers for them to keep coming back generation after generation,” Corwin said.  

Some customers have come from neighboring Columbus areas to as far as Texas just for Dari Point. Ballinger said there have been customers who are traveling that will make Dari Point a pit stop on their routes. “We don’t have a ton of visitors like that, but enough that makes us feel really good. Our customers are our best advertisers,” Ballinger said.

OWU junior and Delaware resident, Brooke Zinader went to Dari Point over the opening weekend. “I always remembered going to Dari Point after all my soccer games as a little girl. It was everyone’s favorite ice cream place growing up and still today is a favorite by many in the great city of Delaware,” Zinader said.

“It’s so cool to see what a huge part in the community that we play
 In today’s world when things are moving so fast, and most people hide behind a screen for their social aspect, it means a lot for people to see a family running a small business that is not a commercial chain. There’s something about a small town and family run business that [makes us a] tradition and our customers know that we really care about them,” Corwin said.

The menu contains several family recipes such as the chicken noodle soup and the pork barbeque sandwich. All of the specialty ice cream flavors are made from scratch with real ingredients, for instance the peanut butter and peach flavors.

At any given time, Dari Point offers six soft serve flavors and if from the same machine, can be twisted together. The chocolate, black raspberry and blue raspberry soft serve flavors are always available, while vanilla, banana and blueberry are currently being featured.

Other possible flavors that will be offered throughout the ice cream season are lemon, peanut butter, cinnamon roll, peach, apple pie, pumpkin pie and orange pineapple.

Dari Point’s signature flavor is their blue raspberry sherbet flavor. “[Blue raspberry] picked up on it’s own. People started calling it the ‘Smurf Cone.’ When anybody orders a Smurf Cone, it gets two eyes, a marshmallow nose which started before I even bought the store,” Ballinger said.

The Smurf’s were first created as a comic in Belgian in 1958. It wasn’t until 1981 when the Smurf’s appeared on television in America. In 2011, Raja Gosnell directed The Smurf’s movie, which a live-action and computer-animated comedy and brought back the well-known characters.

OWU senior Dominick Orsini went to Dari Point for the first time as recommendation from another student. “The Smurf cone was amazingly decorated and tasted like a little bit of heaven on earth. Best cone I’ve had in years,” Orsini said.

The Papa Smurf sherbet cone is also available but includes the top of the ice cream dipped in a hard, cherry shell to create a hat, and finished off with a whipped cream beard. The Paper Smurf has become Dari Point’s number one seller.

Dari Point’s menu includes appetizers, sandwiches, soft serve ice cream cones, sundaes, over 20 milkshake flavors and more.

Like Dari Point on Facebook for the most recent updates on which flavors will be featured throughout the ice cream season.
Dari Point is located at 303 E. Winter St. – roughly a five minute drive from OWU’s main campus. The shop is open Mon. through Sat. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and on Sunday, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Professor Goran Skosples says European finances uncertain

By Evan Walsh, Chief Copy Editor

Goran Skosples has an optimistic, but uncertain, view of the ongoing economic crisis in Europe.

An associate professor of economics at Ohio Wesleyan University, Skosples is a native of Croatia.

He paid particular attention to those ways in which international political economy, the Euro and migration have contributed to some of the region’s most pressing issues. Skosples was the first speaker in the annual Great Decisions lecture series Friday at the William Street United Methodist Church.

Skosples alluded to the sovereign debt crisis on several occasions.

He made it clear that the debt crisis is responsible for creating sovereign, localized crises that then led to the larger, international crisis. Greece, a European Union member, is one place where failed monetary policy had a crippling effect. It then had an impact on other member nations sharing similar currency.

Despite those failures, Skosples told the audience that this currency consolidation was intended to improve relations across Europe.

“It has brought a lot of positives … the idea was that the creation of the Euro was going to lead to prosperity through gains from trading which would then lead to greater European solidarity and the next steps in integration,” Skosples said.

Integration, however, seems elusive, as major European powers inspired by populist movements within their borders are questioning their commitment to that ideal.

This change in attitude has created a lot questions that have yet to be answered.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in Europe,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with ‘Brexit’ … and the problem is that when you’ve been so deeply integrated how do you just pull out?”

The reality is we don’t know right now, according to Skosples.

Jim Klepcyk, a retired pharmacist from Powell, spoke highly of the talk.

“I thought it was excellent. He offered a lot of insight and having that international perspective has clearly helped him under-
stand those realities,” Klepcyk said.

Skosples took questions from the audience, including from retired Maj. General Dennis Laich, who will speak about nuclear security at the next Great Decision talk at noon Friday, Feb. 24.

WCSA Today: WCSA discusses the closing of an Indiana college and what it means for OWU students

By Liz Hardaway, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana is temporarily closing their doors next fall, and Ohio Wesleyan will help pick up the slack.

“Ohio Wesleyan has already offered [Saint Joseph’s College students] financial accommodations to match all non-athletic scholarships, plus $6,000 more a year to come here,” said freshman Greg Margevicius, a member of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA).

The Academic Affairs Committee is looking into the specifics of how the university will accommodate the new students, such as how their credits will transfer and if current transfer-credit policies will be adapted, Margevicius said.

“We are welcoming to any of the former Saint Joseph students … but also making sure the transition is fair to students who are here already,” Margevicius said.

Junior Robert Gossett also proposed an addendum to impose stricter regulations on the election for WCSA’s treasurer at the full senate meeting Feb. 27. Gossett suggested an evaluation process, conducted by the economics department, to determine the capability of a potential nominee.

The current treasurer, junior Kristen Nooney, is also the current president of the Campus Programming Board (CPB).

The Student Led Art Movement requested $1,350 and was funded $813. The Chinese Culture Club also requested $620 to cover the costs for a DVD, advertising and screening fee for the International Queer Film Festival. The club was funded $556.

 

Additionally, the council elected sophomore John Bonus as its CPB liaison at the meeting on Feb. 20. The position entails the liaison to attend CPB meetings and the

National Association for Campus Activities conference.

WCSA’s next full senate meeting will be held Monday, March 6, in the Crider Lounge in Ham-Will.

The Board of Trustees travel to Florida for an update on OWU’s campus status

By Alanna Henderson, Managing Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees held an offsite three-day retreat in Florida; it’s the first offsite meeting since 2014.

The meeting took place in Naples, Florida, from Feb. 9 through Feb. 11. with President Rock Jones, several trustees, the offices of the university, and eight faculty members in attendance.

The Board of Trustees meets four times a year. Back at the 2014 retreat, the Board of Trustees established the framework for OWU’s Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign. At the previous February retreat on campus, the board committed to OWU’s goal and plan for enrolling 2,020 students by fall of 2020.

The Florida retreat’s agenda was just as busy and equally as ambitious.

“The board meeting was an energizing time for all who participated as we explored the challenges faced by small colleges today and the many opportunities Ohio Wesleyan has to meet those challenges,” Jones said.

Associate Professor of Comparative Literature Sally Livingston is on the University Governance Committee and said the retreat was a very positive experience. The focus, she said, was to continue to make OWU the best the university can be.

“[The retreat] is more checking in to make sure we are on the right path in the right direction. In the end, we felt whatever little bumps might come up, we know that we are all committed to working on it together,” Livingston said.

It was reported to the rest of the faculty that of the eight new majors being introduced to students, Business Administration has generated the most interest from newly admitted students among any major. Also, many of the majors introduced this year have been among the most visited pages on the OWU website.

Additionally, Jones reported that OWU’s new regional recruiter in Chicago, Jay Shamlin, has helped double the number of OWU applicants from the Chicago area.

“The amount of international applications also are up substantially from last year, with an increase of more than 55 percent in completed applications from international students. Overall, applications are about even with this point last year,” Jones said in the email.

The fall-to-spring retention numbers fell this year, and the board continues to explore the reasons. The board is looking into retention issues related to academic, social and financial perspectives.

“This means looking carefully at the first-year experience including advising, student support services, and the residential experience; enhancing co-curricular opportunities including health, wellness, and recreational sports along with other existing initiatives, and creating a better understanding among new students of the level of work required for college success,” Jones said in the email.

At the meeting, the co-chairs of the Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign announced that the total raised to date exceeds $123 million.

According to an emailed report, the trustees were particularly enthusiastic about the impact of the campaign, which includes the $11 million for the OWU Connection, funding for three SLUplexes and a new Honors House, support of innovative new programs, Merrick Hall and the Simpson Querrey Fitness Center, more than $11 million in endowments supporting fac-
ulty positions, and more than $26 million for student scholarships and financial aid.

Two trustees, Carol Latham and Kara Trott, each announced seven-figure commitments to the campaign.

Jones said OWU will celebrate the 175th birthday anniversary as a part of Homecoming Weekend Oct. 19-22. Among the many festivities planned are a special Day on the JAY on Friday, welcoming the entire campus, Board of Trustees and other campus guests.

“This is an exciting time at Ohio Wesleyan as we approach our 175th anniversary and chart the course to help prepare new generations of students to become moral citizens in this truly global society… We have made progress, and we must continue to take urgent action and focus keenly on proper execution to best serve our students,” Jones said in the email.

CPB announces headliner

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

The Campus Programming Board (CPB) is bringing The Mowgli’s as the headliner to Ohio Wesleyan for Bishop Bash this year.

Planning since last year, junior Kristen Nooney, CPB president, said it was a long process of finalizing the event.

“[The] first step for us is to brainstorm a list of all of the different people we would like to see on campus,” Nooney said. “At [that] stage, we don’t take the price or availability of the artist into consideration.”

Nooney said the next step was to talk to Nancy Rutkowski, CPB’s adviser, who contacted Concert Ideas, the middle agent CPB uses to find talent for Bishop Bash.

After narrowing down a list of artists, Nooney said CPB ranks the potential artists.

“[The ranking is] based upon who we want to bring and who would be the best fit for the campus,” Nooney said. “This list then goes back to Nancy who works with our middle agent to get contracts.”

CPB then goes through the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) to get funding for the event.

“We reached out to WCSA at the beginning of the school year because we wanted to keep them in the loop with our Bishop Bash plans,” Nooney said.

“This year we were hoping to bring Twenty One Pilots to campus or host a weekend music festival. However, with limited funds we weren’t able to make this happen so we adapted and created a new list of artists within the budget we received from WCSA.”

In addition to Twenty One Pilots, Nooney said CPB eliminated more than 26 different groups due to compatibility on campus, price and the groups’ availability.

Once deciding on The Mowgli’s, Nooney said their price was good enough for CPB to find a popular opener, too.

“We decided on Never Shout Never because the two bands have a similar message and complement each other’s sound,” Nooney said. “They were also well known while most of us were in middle school and high school, making their appearance exciting and nostalgic.”

Nooney said the estimated cost for Bishop Bash this year will be around $45,000 after the production, the bands, hospitality, security and housekeeping.

 

Junior Catie Kocian, a member of CPB, said she is extremely excited about seeing both bands perform at OWU.

“I have been a fan of Never Shout Never since middle school and our headliner is a new favorite of mine for sure,” Kocian said.

The Transcript reached out to The Mowgli’s and Never Shout Never, but have not spoken with either band yet.

Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball roll past the College of Wooster

By Aleksei Pavloff, Sports Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan University men’s basketball climbed to the top of the NCAC standings with a win against the College of Wooster on Feb. 11.

Senior Ben Simpson and junior Nate Axelrod contributed nearly 50 points combined in the win against the conference rival. In the previous game, when the Bishops played the Scots, the score was 99-76.

The lingering thought of the last time these two teams met motivated the Bishops and the hard work and preparation paid off with the score 81-72.

“We realized that this was a big one with only a few games left,” said sophomore Chris Allocco. “We needed to not make the same mistakes as last time.”

“The main thing we needed to change was our competitiveness,” said Axelrod.

“We just wore them down throughout the game.”

The Scots did not just give in. At the half, the score was Wooster leading 38-30.

That did not faze the team, however. They went from scoring 39.9 percent of their three-point shots in the first half to 52.94 percent.

“Throughout the game, we trusted the process even when we were down,” Axelrod said. “We had faith in each other and we knew we would give them a run for their money.”

At the end of the game, Simpson and Axelrod had stand-out performances and together contributed 49 points, 7 assists and 4 blocks. They also recorded 37 minutes played in the game.

One aspect that influenced the game was the fans or as they should be called the “Sixth Man.”

“The fans are a great help. They really gave us the energy we needed,” said Axelrod.

“The fans were great,” said Allocco. “The combination of senior night and the stakes in the game made the atmosphere that much better.”

There is no looking back. The Bishops are now in the driver’s seat in the NCAC and are looking forward to the possibility of meeting the Fighting Scots one more time. Both Allocco and Axelrod believe that the teams will play again. But only time will tell.

“If things go the way we want, we will definitely play them again,” said Axelrod. “I have no doubt we will come out with the same energy again.”

The BEAT: #Fest brings Migos as additional headliner

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

The Number Fest has announced the final headlining artist of the biggest college music festival in the country and it is a big one… or better yet, three.

Migos will be the performing at the music festival hosted by Ohio University in Athens. It will take place April 21-22.

Migos aren’t the only big artists on the lineup this year.

They will be joined by Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, Jauz, Louis the Child and many more. This lineup offers a variety of genres ranging from hip-hop to electronic dance music.

The Number Fest, advertised as #Fest, has been a tradition at OU since its founding in 2003. According to the

#Fest website, the festival was started by two college juniors who just wanted to throw a huge end-of-the-year party. Now, in its 15th year, it is the largest collegiate music festival in the United States.

Dominic Petrozzi is one of the founding members of #Fest and he is still a huge part of making the party happen every year. In an article by XXL Magazine, he said Migos was a perfect pick as headliner for the festival.

“The cultural impact the group has made with recently released music aligns perfectly with the cult-like following #Fest has grown into within the collegiate space,” Petrozzi said.

The festival has gotten bigger every year, with last year’s attendance surpassing 15,000. The festival is open to everyone.

Play makes mighty roar in Studio

By Liz Hardaway, Arts & Entertainment Editor

“La Comedia Teatro” has come to town and is bringing classic Rome to the Studio Theater.

“Androcles and the Lion,” a children’s play, brings to life the story of Androcles, played by junior Charlie Lennon, who is enslaved by the wicked, crotchety miser Pantalone, played by sophomore Jack Riter.

When Androcles attempts to help two star-crossed lovers, Isabella and Lelio, played by sophomore Doris Ottman and freshman Josh Martin, run away together, he is chased by Pantalone and the El Capitano, played by junior Nash Bonnema. He is at risk of becoming a captured slave, when he comes across a cranky lion, played by sophomore Hannah Wargo, who just wants to take a nap.

The play, directed by professor of theater D. Glen Vanderbilt, follows the commedia dell’arte style of theater. Originating in Italy, the style uses stock characters to create similar stories made different by their use of improv, Lennon said.

During casting, actors were asked to read and understand each scene.

Then, they were asked to improvise and act out each scene to the best of their ability. This created a lot of the movements used in the actual performance, Lennon said.

Lennon’s outlandish, cartoon shrieks and flails complemented the sweet love songs Martin sang to Ottman. It’s unbelievable that this wacky slave got sold for only 20 gold pieces.

The cast’s antics were also accompanied by a two-person ensemble, made up of junior Audrey Castañeda-Walker and senior Jake Simpson, who played the guitar and kazoos.

The play will be shown in Chappelear Drama Center at 8 p.m on Feb. 16-18 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 17-18.

General admission is $10, $3 for children 5 and below, Ohio Wesleyan employees and non-Ohio Wesleyan students, $5 for senior citizens and free for Ohio Wesleyan Students with a valid OWU ID. Call (740) 368-3855 to reserve seats.

Short film makes history

By Gopika Hair, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Trent Williams made history Feb. 3, during Black History Month, by being the first black director/producer to create and showcase a film with an all-black cast.

1. What was most challenging about bringing the play to life?

The biggest challenge was getting my actors to see the script as a current day 2017 piece of art that wasn’t written in the 1950s, and to treat the topics and dialogue as if it were happening right there in the present.

2. What was the name of the play you chose and why did you choose it?

I did an adaption of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin In The Sun,” a story about a struggling black family on the south side of Chicago. I chose to do this play because it was the first play I ever read in 6th grade. When I reread it a decade later, lots of things and actions made more sense to me. I understood the characters better and where they were coming from. I am also from the south side of Chicago, and could personally understand the type of culture that was being represented, so I guess you could say I felt “destined” to take on this project.

3. Why did you decide to direct it as a short film as opposed to staging it as a play?

This is a very long, complicated play, especially for a senior project. My actors also did this voluntarily without pay, so doing the whole thing would have required a definite paycheck, a real Hollywood film budget, no time for school or anything else, and food point[s] that I do not have.

By shortening the play and picking certain scenes and important moments to direct, I was able to fit this huge project into my busy schedule. I also chose to film it because I have many years of experience directing and producing my own films, and film is all pre-recorded and can be shown multiple times without anything changing, so that allowed me more time to focus on my school work once post-production started.

I also chose film because performing the four small scenes on stage would not flow as well, and the audience really wouldn’t understand what they had just watched. Film allowed me to create a shorter narrative out of a bigger narrative that somehow managed to all look good together.

4. How did your production bring a new element to the play?

Since the play was over 70 years old, I decided to treat the house where all of the events occurred as a symbolic time capsule that had no specific time period attached to it, constantly making the viewer question whether the events they were watching were occurring when the play was written, in modern day 2017, or both.

5. How long was the rehearsal period?

The rehearsal period lasted from the second week of the school year, late August, until the last week of September. Rehearsals often lasted only an hour since me and the cast were all busy people. All of the scenes were shot throughout October in five days total. The editing took up to 2-3 weeks.

6. How are the themes of the play relevant today?

The plays touches on very controversial/uncomfortable subjects and issues that many people choose not to talk about or often seek to avoid such as racism (yes, it still exists), abortion and pro-choice, poverty, feminism and embracing one’s heritage.

7. What was the reception to your short film?

The turnout was as good as I expected. Just about 200 audience members in total were able to make it to this historic event.

Most people I ran into said that they really enjoyed it.

8. What do you hope the audience took away from it?

I hope that audience members understood that we as humans are much more alike than we think we are and that we all face similar problems in society, no matter our race, sex, social status, gender, or location.

9. What were you looking for in the actors you chose for your film?

Besides time commitment, I was looking for actors who I knew had the potential to bring these big, larger-than-life characters to life and add their own flavor to the dialogue.

Love is a battlefield: Which side are you on?

By Evan Walsh and Sara Hollabaugh

By Evan Walsh, Chief Copy Editor

Boxes of chocolates, roses, dinners your college budget can’t afford—Valentine’s Day just came and went. I want to leave you bachelorettes and bachelors with some survival tips for Valentine’s Day 2018.

Now, while it may seem like everyone is making preparations for this holiday (is it actually that?), you shouldn’t get discouraged if you spent Tuesday alone.

Being single in college has its perks, so let’s look at the proverbial (wine) glass half-full.

For starters, you avoided having to prepare.

Making the perfect plans is stressful, and among couples there is an unwritten rule that each couple has to outdo the other couples they know. Valentine’s Day should not be about you winning and everyone else losing. But if that’s how you choose to celebrate, that is your decision.

Just remember, you’ll have to anticipate what that lucky lady or man in your life wants and then go way past their expectations. That, to me at least, sounds really hard.

In doing so, you run the risk of failure and the unfortunate feeling that you have failed your better half.

Valentine’s Day is not the only holiday to have this effect. New Year’s Eve often ends poorly when friends make plans so unrealistic that they might actually need a New Year’s Miracle.

Second, as a single man or woman, you can fly under the radar.

If you aren’t doing anything special in the first place, then you will never feel the need to let everyone know how awesome your evening was.

You have spared your friends and social network from having to endure hearing about it, and that deserves a big thanks.

Also, please do your best not to misconstrue what seems like cynicism for honest skepticism.

My parents have been married for 38 years and I’d be surprised if they even realized Valentine’s Day happened. Why do they, or any other couple, need a special day to validate their love for each other?

Last, when you’re single you can give yourself the gift of Valentine’s Day.

Maybe, instead of booking a trip to a bourgeois restaurant, you’ve freed some time to read that book you started, polish off a Netflix series, prepare for tests and papers, or get drunk and try your luck at Clancey’s. The choice is yours.

So that is what you, my failed fellow Casanovas and Casanovettes, are not missing. I hope all you single college students will consider this Hallmark advice.

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

Look, I’ll be the first one to say it’s stupid to celebrate your better half only one day out of the 365 days a year gives you.

I get it.

If you love someone, show them every day. But honestly, I do that with the guy in my life, as he does with me.

So let me play devil’s advocate to Evan’s well-intentioned “tips for Valentine’s Day success,” which in summary tells everyone to stop trying to validate their love.

I don’t get excited for Valentine’s Day because I need the attention or want everyone else to be miserable by sharing my excitement over plans, gifts and obligatory social media posts.

I just want people to know that genuine love is out there.

If I were to ignore Valentine’s Day and tell my significant other I wanted him to basically delete it from his calendar, he’d say no. He’d say no because he likes celebrating me. And you know what, I’d never even suggest it because I like celebrating him, too.

I found someone I like to go out to dinner with and spoil with my college budget on a thoughtful gift.

I know I can do this any other day, but I mean come on—Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, birthdays and every other holiday exists.

Let one that applies to me at 22 years old, other than my day of birth, get celebrated. I’m not a mother or a father, and by cause and effect, I’m not a grandparent, either.

So I get this one day to be outwardly mushy with the one I love.

If you have a problem with that, I’m sorry. Like I said, I don’t do it for attention or to one-up my boyfriend. I do it, in part, because it’s America’s tradition that I’ve grown up loving.

I know many of you will find flaws in that sentence, but trust me, I have the best intentions when it comes to celebrating this Hallmark holiday.

So here’s my overarching tip: enjoy the day and don’t let those who want to bring you down feel insecure about celebrating love.

After all, it’s love we’re celebrating. Not hatred. And I think that’s the most important part of it all.