Author: Tung Nguyen

Bishop Bash 2018 to feature “The Daily Show” star

By Kienan O’Doherty, Editor-In-Chief

Yet another major talent will try to take Ohio Wesleyan University by storm.

Hasan Minhaj, comedian and senior correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will perform at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Bishop Bash 2018.  He will take the stage at 7 p.m. April 7 in Gray Chapel.

Minhaj’s performances have been described by critics as “electrically witty, of course … [b]ut he doesn’t so much wisecrack as amplify the exasperation he feels over the state of things around him. … The comedy comes from compassion, from a hope for improvement.”

Minhaj announced recently that he would be launching a weekly talk show on Netflix summer, making him the first Indian-American to host a weekly comedy show.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Netflix family as the country braces for another election season,” Minhaj said in a prepared statement, “and like you, I cannot wait to find out who Putin picks this time.”

Of Minhaj, Netflix’s vice president of content, Bela Bajaria, told reporters: “He’s a phenomenal writer with a distinct point of view. He is a brilliant performer, who is hilarious both on stage and off. And, more importantly, he isn’t afraid to share his thoughtful voice and unique perspective.”

In addition to appearing on the “The Daily Show,” Minhaj also has appeared on Netflix’s “Arrested Development,”HBO’s “Getting On,” and Comedy Central’s “@midnight.” He served as host of the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and his first stand-up comedy special, “Homecoming King,” debuted on Netflix last year.

President’s Club President Paul Heithaus is beyond excited to have Minaj come to campus.

“It’s a dream come true,” Heithaus said. “This is something I’ve looked to find in Bishop Bash throughout my entire time at Ohio Wesleyan. I’m thrilled that President’s Club and the Campus Programming Board (CPB) could partner to bring in and individual who is making his way into the mainstream beyond his work with “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central”

General admission tickets for Minhaj’s Ohio Wesleyan performance are $5. Tickets are free for Ohio Wesleyan students and employees with a valid university ID. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Bishop Bash 2018 is sponsored by the President’s Club and by CPB, a student organization that brings a wide variety of events to campus, including festivals, a cappella concerts, comedians, and novelty acts.

OWU professor appointed to the American Council of Education

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

Leadership roles on and off campus provide new insight to professors who will serve as a Fellow on the American Council on Education (ACE). 

Dale J. Brugh, professor of chemistry at OWU was nominated for the role by President Rock Jones.

Brugh was accepted onto the council and Jones will also serve as mentor to Brugh during his time on the council.

The American Council on Education’s purpose is to “strengthen U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership,” an OWU press release said.

Brugh completed a lengthy application process after the nomination, with applications and interviews throughout the fall and early spring semester.

Brugh will be one of forty-five people on the council, making his acceptance well appreciated.

“I feel honored and excited.” Brugh said. “It is a great opportunity to learn more about how higher education institutions work and to improve my ability to contribute,”

Being on the council will prevent Brugh from teaching for a year. Instead, Brugh will complete activities for the council that will strengthen his work as a professor and leader on campus.

“While I am [an ACE] Fellow, I will participate in retreats, interactive learning opportunities, and visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations.” Brugh said. “I will also be placed at another higher education institution for the entire year. There I will work on projects relevant to that institution,”

The council picked their fellows off criteria relating to the skills that they have presented, and how those skills will serve them in the future. Participants in the program often become senior officials at their institutions.

“ACE Fellows are selected based on their potential to positively impact ‘the effectiveness, innovation, and direction’ of higher education.” Jones said in a press release. “Dale has shown repeatedly that he possesses this ability,”

Brugh has experience with leadership roles on college campuses. He is the chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee at OWU, which reviews and updates faculty members on campus.

Brughs also assists in the selection of new majors and minors, update course scheduling and help student acceptance into graduate programs.

United States’ nonexistent role in efforts to decrease pollution

By Jacob Paxson, Transcript Correspondent

“A new nation needs to step up to combat climate change during the United States’ absence as leaders under the Trump administration,” Joshua W. Busby said.

Joshua W. Busby, Ph.D is a University of Texas-Austin associate professor and senior research fellow for the Climate and Security Center, spoke at Ohio Wesleyan University in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center on Thursday, March 22 during an event sponsored by the International Studies Program and the Arneson Institute for Practical Politics and Public Affairs.

There were around sixty people from the OWU campus and Delaware area who engaged in the discussion and were genuinely interested in his speech about the current state of climate change globally and the work being done to combat the issue.

Busby began with the issue of the United States’ intent to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which countries sign to pledge a decreased percentage of annual gas emissions, removing themselves as a large player in reducing pollution and potentially being a large overseer of other countries to make sure they keep their agreements.

He still stated optimism about the future of the United States’ role in preventing climate change as an official withdrawal can’t take place until 2020 immediately after the next presidential election.

Although Busby fears the negative impact that the Trump administration’s vacancy will have he offered ideas for candidates to relieve the duties of the United States giving confidence that the problem will lessen between now and 2020 without United States leadership.

“This is a global issue that impacts everyone’s lives negatively and that should make them want to help,” Busby said. “We need commitments be enforced for reducing emissions; the current state of policy is not very official and countries to not need to uphold their pledges.”

He stated that the leading candidates to help prevent the current course of temperature increases annually are: China, India, Northern California and the European Union. These areas have worldly influence and can cut their own emissions to help further the process.

Despite stating that an effective leader emerging is the best solution, Dr. Busby does bring up some issues that could make reaching this solution difficult.

“It is difficult to prevent everyone from polluting with much of the pollutants coming from private actors and there are 190 countries to try to convince that they need to reduce their annual emissions,” Busby said. “Natural gas is the present and very problematic, but it is difficult to transition to fully renewable energy; the middle east would lose most its income being forced to change means of production,”

This transition being unable to happen quickly and having a challenging time convincing all countries to heavily regulate pollutants makes it difficult to lower annual emissions. This is a
main point he states as to why climate change needs a strong leader and attention as a bunch of smaller problems in which countries will work together to combat the problem.

“The top four countries account for 60 percent of the emissions in the world and two of them, the United States and China are not playing a productive role in trying to cut their own emissions and help hold other countries accountable,” Busby said.

He said that many of the major polluters are not cutting back on emissions, climate change advocacy meetings are not very productive and there isn’t nearly enough funding with only $10 billion raised between 2015-2018 where the expected value to combat climate change is $100 billion annually.

“We need to address climate change and understand the problem better. With a leader to successfully enforce lower emissions the problem can be mitigated,” Busby said. “The plan for the future is to be highly ambitious in 2020, have the United States reclaim leadership to bring about change at the Paris Climate Agreement Global Stocktake in 2023.”

Softball combats cancer

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan softball team raised close to five thousand dollars towards cancer research during their annual StrikeOut Cancer game.

OWUs softball game against Denison wasn’t just any regular season game, it was chosen to be the softball teams StrikeOut Cancer game that helps raise money and bring awareness to cancer.

Attendees were able to purchase a 50/50 raffle ticket or buy a ticket to win a 55” TV or grill.

There was also an opportunity to color ribbons in honor and recognition of those closest to you that might be affected with cancer.

This was the softball teams fifth year partnering with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to host a StrikeOut Cancer game

After its creation more than 10 years ago, NFCA’s goal through the StrikeOut Cancer program is to “help increase cancer education and promote healthy living through awareness efforts and fundraising activities.” (https://nfcaevents.org/docs/strikeout-cancer/strikeout-event-information.pdf)

“The strikeout cancer game was more than a game to everyone,” freshman outfielder Madison Bridger said, “It was greater than ourselves and i am super blessed to be a part of a team that was able to raise so much money for the cause.”

Last year, OWU women’s softball raised $3,726 and were recognized as one of the top individual fundraisers for that years NFCA and American Cancer Society annual StrikeOut Cancer initiative.

This year, softball set a goal for $4,500 and have since passed it, predicting a number closer to $5,000 by the time all the donations come through.

“It’s the first time i’ve ran it specifically with such a big goal in mind, we are very excited that we beat our goal by a long shot,” assistant coach Chloe Shell said.

Last saturday’s doubleheader against Denison was also one for the record books.

Senior captain Erin Ferguson became OWUs career home runs leader after she blasted a home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth.

The home run was the 14th of her career, breaking the previous record of 13 set by Taylor Dickinson 17’.

Bridger tied a school record by going 4-for-4 for Ohio Wesleyan, tying the school record for hits in a game. It marked the fourth time this season that the Bishops have tied the single-game hits record

The victory was split, with Ohio Wesleyan winning the first game 9-2 and Denison winning the second 13-10.

Freshman Baylee Small remarked that “Being able to use my god given talents and play the game that i love to help raise money to find a cure for cancer was incredible, and i can’t wait to do it again.”

OWU recognizes student-athletes

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

DIII Week kicked off this past Monday with the goal of highlighting the impact student-athletes have on and off the field.

The week long event encourages every Division III school to conduct outreach activities that relate to academic accomplishment, athletic experience or leadership/community service/campus involvement.

“It’s definitely a positive opportunity for all athletes associated with Division III to observe and recognize what each other has accomplished on campus and in the surrounding community.” said junior football player Joe Yurik.

DIII week is part of Division III’s “Identity Initiative” which was created back in 2010. The idea was to gain an understanding and effectively explain why schools and conferences prefer to compete at the DIII level.

The initiative has described Division III as “A place where student-athletes can follow your passions and develop your potential within an approach that combines rigorous academics, competitive sports and an opportunity to pursue other interests.”

“It speaks directly to what OWU is all about,” said junior football player Colten Harvey, “competing in a sport as well as pursuing a liberal arts education is exactly why DIII has so much more to offer.”

The North Coast Athletic Association (NCAA) also partnered to promote Mental Health Awareness as an initiative that ties in with DIII Week. Information was given about resources and counseling services here on campus.

Activities to celebrate DIII Week have been  planned and put together through the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Committee (OWAC). OWAC is comprised of OWU student-athletes, and led by the women’s assistant field hockey coach Lauren Thomas.

“It gives us an opportunity to formally recognize and honor our athletes for everything they do both on the field and academically and in the community,” said OWU athletic director Doug Zipp.

At a student tailgate and cookout held for student-athletes of OWU, athletes were given emblems that asked the question, why DIII? Individuals filled them out and hung them all over Hamilton-Williams.

Students will be tabling all week to raise money for Life Bank which is happening conference wide in the form of a change war.

2018 Division III Week runs from April 2 through April. 8, 2018.

The loss of a legend

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Richard D. Gordon, a pioneer of intercollegiate athletics and a man who gave 64 years of his life to the Ohio Wesleyan community, passed away last thursday at the age of 89.

Gordon, who was an OWU graduate in ‘52,  returned to his alma mater in 1954 after getting his masters at The Ohio State University.

Gordon coached at OWU for 39 years and remained active in the Ohio Wesleyan and golf communities for another 25 years.

He started off as head coach of the soccer, swimming and golf teams.

He was head coach of the men’s soccer team when it returned to varsity status in 1955 and coached its first All-America selection that season.

Gordin served as the Battling Bishops’ men’s golf coach from 1955-93, with a 39-season run marking the longest coaching tenure in OWU history at the time.

Out of the 25 teams he coached, he led 22 of them to the NCAA Division III or College Division tournaments. OWU won a total of 12 league titles in five different decades under Gordin. His teams won seven Ohio Athletic Conference championships and five North Coast Athletic Conference crowns.

Gordin was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993.

“His accomplishments were stellar, and we will forever remember him as one of the giants who helped to make the University what it is today.” President Rock Jones said.

Gordin became Ohio Wesleyan’s athletics director in 1977, and during his tenure Ohio Wesleyan opened the Branch Rickey Center, Edwards Gymnasium and Pfeiffer Natatorium.

During Gordin’s first seven years as athletics director, Ohio Wesleyan won the OAC’s coveted all-sports trophy three times.

Dr. Jay Martin, who had succeeded Gordin as athletics director in 1985, said, “Dick Gordin set the standard for coaching and athletic administration at Ohio Wesleyan. He had the foresight to act toward achieving gender equity before it was ever an issue.”

Gordin also helped develop the North Coast Athletic Conference, the first intercollegiate athletic conference in the country to treat men’s and women’s sports equally at its inception, with Ohio Wesleyan becoming a charter member in 1983.

Gordin was inducted into the Ohio Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.

The Ohio Wesleyan athletics department annually bestows the Dr. Richard Gordin Award, which recognizes the highest cumulative grade point average among senior male student-athletes, as well as hosting the Gordin Collegiate Classic, a fall tournament that includes 12 of the best NCAA Division III teams.

Just when you thought he couldn’t get any more impressive

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Nate Axelrod claims yet another title as he is named the NCAA National Player of the Year.

It was announced by D3hoops.com that Axelrod was named NCAA Division III Player of the Year as part of the D3hoops.com All-America teams.

“It’s a huge honor and really means a lot,” said Axelrod, “this really reflects all the work I’ve put in over the past 21 years of my life, and I’m really grateful.”

Axelrod, the Battling Bishops’ point guard, was a first-team All-America select, as well as a second-team All-America pick by D3hoops.com in 2017 and 2016.

It was just last month that Axelrod was named NCAC Player of the Year for the third year in a row, making him the first men’s basketball player in conference history to do so.

“I’m definitely happy with way my college career has played out. I’ve had a lot of success as a player and have to give my teammates and coaches a lot of credit for helping me do it,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod also became the first Ohio Wesleyan athlete to receive the Jostens Trophy, which recognizes the most outstanding NCAA Division III men’s basketball player.

It’s given to an athlete who not only succeeds on the court, but in the classroom and community as well.

“Nate is a role model for every student-athlete that walks on campus,” said Ohio Wesleyan athletics director Doug Zipp.

Off the court, Axelrod is active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as in service to the Delaware community through his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.

“Nate Axelrod epitomizes the values of the scholar-athlete at the Division III level,” said Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones.

He led the NCAC in scoring (19.2 points/game) and assists, becoming the first player in conference history to lead the league in scoring and assists in a season.

He finished his career as the second Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball player and the fourth in NCAC history to surpass the 2000-point mark, and is Ohio Wesleyan’s all-time leader in assists (655) and consecutive games started (114).

Robinson defends title

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Sophomore high jumper Cirrus Robinson defends her national title and becomes the third Ohio Wesleyan woman to bring home a national championship.

Robinson is third following her own 2017 title win and OWU alumni Julie Bredenbeck’s national championship in the discus in 1982.

She successfully defended her national championship in the high jump during the second day of the NCAA Division III indoor championship meet, hosted by Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama.

Kris Boey, head track and field coach, said, “Cirrus has accomplished more in her first two years of collegiate athletics than most any student-athlete could dream of achieving over an entire career, yet she remains humble and hungry to [continue] improving.”

Robinson was one of four high jumpers who entered the meet with the nation’s top height of 5-7¾, which she achieved during the North Coast Athletic Conference championship meet.

Robinson cleared 5-8½ on her very first attempt to win the national championship. She missed only once on her first six heights.

The final 3 competitors, Robinson, 2017 runner-up Emma Egan of Williams College, and Helene Hall of Williams College, each missed all 3 attempts at 5-9¾, and tiebreakers determined the final standings, with Robinson winning the national championship, Hall finishing second, and Egan third.

“This competition was more of a fight for the podium, with first place shifting around between a few of us, which made the finale even more rewarding than last year,” Robinson said, “I was the most grateful for another healthy season and the opportunity to compete with OWU’s name on my chest.”

Robinson earned OWU 10 points in the team standings and boosted the team to a tie for 20th place among the 105 schools that were represented in the meet.

“I admire Cirrus’s drive and dedication to her sport and her team,” Boey said, “And while she has accomplished so much in her first two years, I believe the best is yet to come.”

French film shows viewers the ups and downs of growing old

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

As people grow older, new challenges are presented that are hard to overcome with age. 

Ohio Wesleyan University’s Tournées French Film Festival presented a film that brings the issues of age to the forefront. 

The film, Things to Come, was directed by Mia Hansen-Løve tells the story of a professor, Nathalie Chazeaux, reaching her late middle ages. As she is teaching her younger students, she is overcoming the struggles she finds associated with growing older.

The Tournées festival theme is strong female leads this year. The theme allows women directors or stars to be showcased in a field that is often dominated by men. The festival theme also fits in with the lessons that French students are learning.

“My seminar is structured around various rebellious figures in French culture and literature, including rebellious women authors and characters, and the festival theme is ‘Strong Female Lead’ in recognition of the complex female characters of the selected features, as well as their female directors and script writer,” professor Ana Oancea said. 

The department of modern foreign languages has hosted the festival for four years. Ohio Wesleyan shows six films, five being recent films and a classic film. The goal of the festival is to present French films to American students on college campuses and let students experience a new style of filming.

“In my experience, French films have fewer aggressively commercial elements than American films.” senior Katherine Romeo said. “More often the film seems more focused on communicating a story than say the audience leaving feeling as though they understood everything and had a good time,”

Students in the school’s French club and Oancea come together to bring the festival on campus. Oancea writes and submits a grant to the Tournées board to host and have the rights to the films. 

“The grant through which the festival is made possible is nationally-competitive, so it’s a great honor to be selected,” Oancea said. 

The film’s protagonist also brought the question of a liberal arts education and its importance to the film. As a professor at a university, Chazeaux teaches her students the importance of education across all mediums and reminds herself of these lessons as she matures. The films message of education was a drawing point to the people who chose it.

“This film, ‘L’avenir’ or ‘Things to Come’ in English was chosen because it deals with a very modern concern — the lesser perceived importance of the humanities,” Oancea said. 

Students and staff alike enjoyed the film, and the message it gave to viewers, and showed that people across the world are all connected.

“One of the most accessible ways to access another person’s story is by consuming film.” Romeo said. “By showcasing French films, we can see more clearly the way we are distant but also the ways we are alike,”

Unique performance and songs given by a unique group on OWU campus

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

 Performing unique pieces that appeal to everyone can be difficult, but Ohio Wesleyan University’s Choral Arts Society and Chamber Choir spring concert met the challenge.

The performance was held on Tuesday, with 100 people in attendance. Students and performers filled Gray Chapel, as the choirs performed twelve songs.  

Each song was picked by director Jason Hiester, an associate professor of music. Each song is a favorite of Hiester, and each had a unique sound that stood out from each other.

“There’s no real theme to our program, if there was I guess it’d be music Dr. Hiester likes,” Hiester said. 

The show began with the Choral Arts Society. The society opened the show with two songs. The spiritual tone of the songs allowed members to surround the audience as they entered the chapel and ring bells to the beat of the song. 

“The bells at the beginning where they walked around behind all of us was incredible, and the chords they were singing as they moved to the stage,” attendee Alex McPherson said.

The next set of songs the society performed were more upbeat, but still gave the audience the feeling of being in a church. Throughout the performances, different members had solos including an Oboe solo by student Kathryn Lawson. 

 Audience members were responsive to the songs and seemingly enjoyed the beauty of the show.

 “I hope the audience enjoyed our performance and got something out of it,” performer Hannah Carpenter said. 

 The second part of the show featured four songs performed by OWU’s Chamber Choir. The choir is smaller and more exclusive than the Choral Arts Society and performs harder songs. 

 The first song had a tambourine and drum component and featured solos by Hannah Carpenter and Eli Reed.

 The second song was a folk song and the audience experienced “love in a small village.” 

As the show progressed, the choir sang two contemporary songs. They both were well received by audiences, with applause afterwards. 

The end of the show featured the Choral Arts Society again, as their last two songs closed the show. 

The first song featured a soprano saxophone solo by professor Nancy Gamso and was a more jazz driven style. The final song left the audience amused, as the performers sang “The poet is a banana” the whole song. 

“Our final song was definitely an interesting one and I think the audience really enjoyed it,” Carpenter said.

As the show ended, audience members gave a standing ovation the choir, applauding the hard work put into the show.

“I hope our pieces touched people in a positive way and brought them some happiness because that’s what music is supposed to do,” Carpenter said.