Shamayeta Rahman – The Transcript

Hopsters provides festive beer options

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

Holiday-themed beers are in stock at Barley Hopsters. Flavors include nutmeg, cinnamon and allspices, all of which are already in shelves.

Owner Brian Harpster displayed a collection of holiday-themed beers, some of which are made locally. The special ales, beers and porters come in Christmas-themed bottles and the avors range from peaches, citruses and other winter spices.

“This is mainly a beer store, so we’ve got a lot of themed beers and we’ll serve it up in a beer mug rimmed with nutmeg,” Harpster said.

Some of the beers on display included Great Lakes Brewing Co. Christmas Ale, Shiner Holiday Cheer, Sweet Water Festive Ale and Alpha Klaus Three Floyds Christmas Porter.

“I like craft beer and they have a lot of great variety,” said Ohio Wesleyan senior Connor Payne, “I’m drinking a citrus-flavored local brew and am enjoying the new flavors they’ve got for the holidays.”

Students of legal age flock to the little beer joint and Barley Hopsters has a great reputation in the student community, said Payne. He also added that he has heard plenty of students talk about it and knows of many more who frequent the store.

CPB crafts for the holidays

By Shamayeta Rahman Transcript Reporter

Craft tables, hot chocolate and cheese trays covered the second oor lobby at Smith Hall as a means for students to relax before finals Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.

The event also included a table for decorating wine glasses, Christmas ornaments and ceramic mugs. The highlight of the event was the mason jar snow globe crafting tables with assortments of ribbons, colors, stickers and more.

Christmas carols and movies played in the background, as well. “Painting was very therapeutic and I got a nifty mug out of it,” said senior Khayyam Zubair.

Zubair said he also thought that the event was a great stress reliever before the exams and really enjoyed the event.

The Campus Programming Board (CPB) usually hosts a similar holiday-themed event every year before the stress of finals week starts to pour in.

CPB has hosted events with DIY crafts before, most notably during Escape Rooms, their Halloween-themed event.

“This is just something fun and relaxing to do and a way to make fun DIY holiday and Christmas gifts for family and friends because college students are usually broke,” said sophomore Alyssa DiPadova, a member of CPB.

This was CPB’s last event for the year, according to DiPadova.

Post-election result raises questions

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

ELECTION IS OVER: NOW WHAT?

On Nov.8, Donald J. Trump won the election with 290 electoral votes. A lot has happened in the one month since the controversial election. Here’s the breakdown of the few major issues:

Protests spread in large cities countrywide

Mass protests spread across cities like Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and more, drawing in thousands. Even in states that voted Republican saw protests in metropolitans like Dallas, Kansas City, Omaha, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tampa and more. Most protesters gathered in front of Trump Towers or government offices.

People were initially peacefully protesting under the rallying cry “Not my president!” When things did get violent in some of the cities, tear gas, pepper sprays and flash-bang devices were used to subdue and disperse the crowd.

There were about a hundred arrests nationwide on the first day, with 65 in New York City.

In Portland, Oregon, when the protests turned violent on the third day, the local police categorized it as a riot and arrested 26 people for vandalism. In Oakland, California, three police officers were injured. Vandalism was widespread in some cities, and many burned effigies of Trump and the American flag in protest.

Initially, Trump condemned such behavior on Twitter by saying, “Professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!”

When reminded of the First Amendment and the right to peacefully assemble, he changed his mind two days later and posted, “Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!”

Petitions

A petition on change.org requesting the electors to vote for Hillary Clinton has almost 4.7 million signatures as of now. Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2 million votes.

Petitions on change.org usually require 100,000 signatures within 30 days to get a response from the officials. Daniel Brezenoff of North Carolina started the petition the day after the election, and itwas addressed to the electoral college.

The electoral college, with its 538 electorates, will be voting on Dec. 19. In 24 states, electors are bound legally to vote for the chosen party in their area and are fined if they do not follow. However, in 14 states (with close to 149 electors) there are no rules against it. The petition cites Alexander Hamilton and how he spoke of the electoral college as a balancing scale that would help to put someone who is not only popular but also fit to serve as president.

Part of the petition letter said:

“Casting your ballot for [Clinton] preserves majority rule – the “sense of the people” – and prevents the most unqualified candidate in history from taking office. Never in our Republic’s 240 years has our president had no previous experience in an office of public trust, be it elected or appointed, civilian or military. Never has a president admitted to sexual assaults. Never has a president encouraged violence at campaign events.”

While the Constitution does not say anything specifically on this point, which technically makes it legal, there have rarely been faithless electors, especially enough to turn the election.

Three electors have already come out saying that they will not be voting for Trump and that they would prefer a more experienced Republican candidate instead.

If neither of the candidates reach the 270 vote mark on Dec. 19, the House of Representatives will decide who the president will be. Considering the current House is Republican, this should play in Trump’s favor.

Recounts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan

Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who won 1 percent of the national vote, started a fundraiser trying to raise $7 million to pay the legal costs and recount fees for the states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. They have raised $6.1 million of their goal.

The costs are outlined as $1.1 million for Wisconsin, $0.5 million for Pennsylvania and $0.6 million for Michigan and about $2-3 million in attorney fees. As of now, they met their funding goals for Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and the petition is already in for the two states.

Clinton is 70,000 votes behind in Pennsylvania, about 20,000 votes behind in Wisconsin and 11,000 votes behind in Michigan. The recount initiative was taken up by the Green Party when rumors of hacking and voter fraud began.

Meeting with President Obama

Trump met with President Barack Obama at the White House Nov. 10. They had an hour-long meeting that Obama described as an “excellent and wide-ranging” conversation.

Despite the impolite things they’ve said about each other before the election, both men seemed pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

“My number one priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful,” Obama said.

Trump said, “I have great respect. The meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half, and it could’ve, as far as I’m concerned, it could’ve gone on for a lot longer.”

Melania Trump also met with First Lady Michelle Obama that day. Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Trump also met House Speaker Paul Ryan the same day.

Policies

There have been a lot of backtracking in terms of what Trump had promised before the election.

One of the main issues he intended to tackle on the first day of office was repealing ObamaCare, but he has now said that considering the expenses and feasibility of it, a reform might be much better suited.

On immigration and the famed “wall” that was promised to be paid by Mexico, Trump has only spoken about how it might be a “fence” in some parts to reduce the cost, but didn’t address whether the Mexican government will be funding it or not.

He has still been very outspoken about the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, but is citing smaller numbers now.

Additionally, he has also taken down the anti-abortion messages from his website, and in his 60 Minutes interview said that gay marriages will remain legal as it is now the law of the land. These were both things that he had been very vocal about changing before the election.

As for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), despite Trump’s threats of leaving Europe to be, Obama has assured Europeans leaders that Trump will not be moving away from the commitment to NATO, saying he has spoken to the president-elect about it.

He has also said he will not be proceeding with the trials against Clinton and her email server case.

Cabinet

Hailed as a “knife fight,” Trump picking his cabinet has been a point of controversy throughout the last month. But the trends in his choices indicate he is rewarding people who have been loyal to him from the beginning.

His current choices are:

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions has been nominated for attorney general. Sessions, who has been an outspoken Trump supporter from the beginning, previously failed to become a federal judge when he was deemed too controversial for the position.

Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are currently the top runners for the position of secretary of state.

Giuliani’s nomination would be a lot more controversial due to his links with an Iranian group deemed to be terrorists by the Department of State. Romney had previously voiced his disdain for Trump, but Trump is still considering him for the role.

Mike Pompeo has been selected as the CIA director. Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn has been named as the national security adviser.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus might possibly be given the role of chief of staff and campaign executive.

Steve Bannon, the editor of Breitbart, is getting the role of senior adviser or chief strategist. Bannon’s nomination has been riddled with a lot of controversy especially due to his anti-Semitic and occasionally racist comments. Newt Gingrich is also one of the contenders for a cabinet position.

Betsy DeVos has been nominated as Secretary of Education; she has been a top campaign donor and a school choice activist. Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina has been named the ambassador to the United Nations and Ben Carson has been named the secretary of housing and urban development.

International students talk turkey

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

To most Ohio Wesleyan students, Thanksgiving is a time for turkey and time together with the family.

However, those who are thousands of miles away from home are often left to spend this American tradition on an empty campus.

Most international students and some domestic students who live far away choose to stay on campus during Thanksgiving break, finding the long journey too unfeasible for such a short trip.

Although there are programs that set up these students with local families who welcome them into their homes for Thanksgiving Day dinner, most are left to celebrate on their own or with fellow peers who are staying behind.

Residential Life charges $27 per night for anyone choosing to stay behind over break.

Despite the extra cost, there are no on-campus food options available during the break, so these students often have to eat outside or cook for themselves during this time, making it even more expensive to stay behind over break even if they have no other options.

“It is OK for the most part, except on Thanksgiving Day when everything is closed,” said senior Urvija Rishi, an Indian international student who stayed behind for break.

Senior Kyul-El-Lee, a Korean international student, agreed to having the same problem, but spoke about how
he went to a Korean Church nearby on Thanksgiving Day.

The church usually hosts meals open for everyone, and Lee said he really appreciated the combination of traditional American and Korean food they served there.

“It is really nice that they host these events for the community; it really helps us to feel a lot more at home when [nobody is] around,” Lee said. Hamburger Inn also serves a free Thanksgiving meal for the community along with a few other churches in the city.

Unlike Lee, Rishi spent her Thanksgiving cooking cuisines from her own culture using the time and opportunity that the break provides to make it a more personalized holiday experience.

“Even though we don’t celebrate it back in India, Thanksgiving makes me homesick seeing everyone back with their families,” Rishi said.

“I cooked butter chicken and biriyani to recreate that feeling of home even though I was in my residence hall.”

Farewell, Obama

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

When he entered the Oval Office, Barack Obama, 47, the junior senator from Illinois had made history as the United States’ first African-American President. He was inaugurated into office on Jan. 29, 2008 with an economy on the verge of a recession, skyrocketing unemployment rates and two wars that were nowhere near ending.

Now, after eight years and two terms served in office, as he grows closer to the end of his presidency, it is time for a retrospective analysis of his successes and failures, and what he will be leaving behind for his successor.

When campaigning in 2008, Obama defeated then Republican nominee John McCain with a majority of 365 electoral votes. A media sensation and a symbol of hope and change, Obama spoke loudly of his opposition to the war in Iraq and his intentions to end it, eradicating weapons of mass destruction around the world, and strengthening ties with allies to finish the fight with the al-Qaida and the Taliban.

He has always been a spokesperson on equality and LGBTQA+ rights and has been clear about promoting equal rights for men and women. His tech-savviness and progressiveness made him well-liked among the younger generation, and his charismatic personality did the rest.

Within the first 100 days of his inauguration, Obama put out an order to shut down Guantanamo Bay, but the Congress did not let it go through and started developing plans to deploy the troops from Iraq. He was awarded a Noble Prize for his promise to end the war in Iraq.

Having been elected in the midst of the subprime mortgage crisis, Obama acted soon to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus geared to helping the economy recover from the terrible recession. By the end of his first term, the unemployment rate had come down from 10 percent to 7.7 percent. And today, eight years after the Great Recession, the unemployment rate is back at its natural level much to the credit of the policies taken up by the Federal Reserve and the Obama Administration.

No president has ever had all their decisions met without some dissent. Although a popular figure, Obama has faced scrutiny about some of his policy decisions over the years. In 2011, the Congress decided to not support the president’s “involvement” in Libya which he disregarded as military action started up under NATO operations. Some deemed it to be an unconstitutional act on his behalf.

Again in 2015, the decision to get involved in Syria in the overthrowing of President Bashar-Al-Assad and getting rid of their chemical weapons was seen by the U.S. public as unnecessary specially in light of the fact that President Vladimir Putin had extended his support to Assad, and engaging in Syria would mean a rise in tensions with Russia.

Despite that, Obama does also have many great political successes in terms of renegotiating relations with Cuba, being the first U.S. President to visit Hiroshima since World War II, succeeding in negotiating with Iran, leading the war on terror and ISIS and most notably the assignation of Osama bin Laden. Though some of his decisions over the years have been disappointing to the public, others have been equally lauded.

Obama worked relentlessly to make the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare a reality. It helped provide health insurances to over 20 million uninsured Americans and made health care a lot more accessible to those who are struggling with poverty.

However, there have been lots of criticisms of Obamacare as well, noting its huge fees for not having insurance and not providing insurance, the rising costs in insurance premiums and the underemployment due to the specificity of this mandate. The health care system will need to be improved whether it is repealed or not.

Donald Trump, the next president of the U.S., will have to figure out how to reduce national debt which is currently at 75 percent of the gross domestic product, make reforms in the health care system and immigrations process and take on the role of ending multiple involvements in the Middle East.

We have four years to see if Trump can fill Barack Obama’s shoes, who in the end of the day is a well-loved President who worked with the nation’s best interest in heart despite his many shortcomings.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Policies: National Debt

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

Currently the U.S. has about $14 trillion in debt, which is about 75 percent of the gross domestic product.

This is projected to grow by almost 130 percent by 2040. Majority of the U.S. public spending goes into federal health care and Social Security costs.

High national debt hinders the economy greatly and often leads to great fiscal crises.

According to Gallup, 72 percent of Americans believe that reducing the federal budget deficit should be the elected candidate’s first priority.

Trump’s primary stand on the national debt issue has been the promise of reducing taxes for high wage earners to promote investment and growth in the economy.

He also intends to increase growth by tightening up trade by increasing tariffs on the international front and deregulating on the domestic front.

He believes that all of this will help drive the economy forward.

While cutting down on Obamacare and instead proposing a state-based block grant for Medicaid will save him about $500 billion, it will be spent in whatever health care reform that will be in place instead of Obamacare.

He proposed a “Penny Plan” which would allow massive budget cuts in the federal government even if it is by 1 percent a year (excluding defense, Social Security and federal health spending), but a majority of this saving will also be taken up by increased spending on defense and veteran care.

Trump has a lot of reforms in mind, but without a lot of information on how he plans to fund or sustain these programs.

He will be cutting down on income taxes which will cost the government about $4.5 trillion in revenue, leaving the country with about $5.3 trillion in federal deficit.

Under his policies, the U.S. could be looking at about 105 percent of the GDP in national debt.

A spooktacular weekend event

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

The prospect of Halloween on a Monday did not discourage Halloween festivities at Ohio Wesleyan University; instead, they simply took on a head start on Friday, Oct. 28.

Leaflets and Facebook shares for the events led them to skyrocket and words like “Zombie Bash” and “Ghoulish Gala” spread.

Zombie Bash was held in the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center Atrium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It was organized by the student board of the botany-microbiology (BOMI) and zoology department.

“Most other departments have picnics and receptions; we decided to change things up,” said senior Jemil Seid, a member of the BOMI student board.

Seid said he did not expect it to garner this much attention, but was pleased that he had done his job well.

“It was a unique event that really captured the essence of the departments, and Halloween is always fun,” said senior Connor Payne, a microbiology major.

Stations and props lined the atrium. The fan favorites were the carnivorous plants and the crawling critters. They had also set up a showing of “Hocus Pocus” and Halloween-themed snacks were also in place.

Later that night, at 7 p.m., the atrium was redecorated, this time for the Ghoulish Gala.

The event lasted three hours and included Halloween-themed cupcakes and drinks. The organizers also arranged costume contests and both students and faculty alike took home the coveted ‘golden skeleton’ trophies.

“It was really fun, but I wish that it didn’t look so empty for the first hour or so,” said senior Urvija Rishi, a student who attended the gala.

VIVA begins Hispanic Heritage Month

Programs to include films, discussion on immigration and closing dinner

Sophomores Cajsa Ohlsson and Aletta Doran talk during the dinner, which also included music and instructions in traditional dance and a group performance of the Macarena. Photo by Spenser Hickey

Hispanic Film Series Schedule

All films will be shown in the Benes Rooms of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center from September 18 to October 2.

“7 Cajas” (Seven Boxes) – Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Country: Paraguay.

“Arrugas” (Wrinkles) – Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Country: Spain.

“Un Cuento Chino” (Chinese Take Away) – Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Country: Argentina.

“También La Lluvia” (Even the Rain) – Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Countries: Spain, Mexico, France.

“Pan Negro” (Black Bread) –Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Country: Spain