Category: News

Feb. 16 8:50 a.m. – Public Safety and Delaware City Police officers were dispatched to 23 and 35 Williams Drive on a report of vandalism. Several pieces of furniture in the common areas of each residence had been turned over, and a television was destroyed at the 23 Williams address. Investigation is ongoing.

Feb. 16 5 p.m. – an OWU student reported an alleged sexual assault at an off campus location on February 11. The case remains under investigation.

Feb. 17 7:30 p.m. – damage to a vehicle in the Smith Hall parking lot was reported.

Feb. 17 10:30 p.m. – an OWU student was attacked by a dog in the vicinity of 31 South Washington Street and suffered bite wounds to the lower leg. The student was treated and later released from Grady Hospital ER. A report was filed with the Delaware City Police Department.

Feb. 17 8:35 a.m. – OWU Housekeeping staff recovered a wallet and turned it in to Public Safety. The owner of the wallet reported that cash was missing from the wallet.

Feb. 18 2:40 a.m. – Public Safety and Delaware EMS personnel were dispatched to Hayes Hall on a report of an unconscious person. Upon the arrival, the student was conscious and coherent. The student refused treatment.

Feb. 19 1:30 a.m. – Public Safety officers were dispatched to Welch Hall on a noise complaint.
Feb. 19 5:45 p.m. – Public Safety dispatched to the JAYwalk on a report of a suspicious person. A search of the area failed to locate the individual, described as a white middle-aged male of medium height and slim build.

Feb. 19 11:48 p.m. – a Bashford Hall resident was referred to student conduct for drug, alcohol and criminal damage offenses. Delaware City Police also issued citations for drug abuse and paraphernalia.

Feb. 20 1:33 a.m. – a local resident was arrested and charged with trespassing after Public Safety and Delaware City Police officers were dispatched to the Beeghly Library on a security alarm activation.

A sexuality, marriage and homosexuality debate was held last Wednesday to address the intersection between gay marriage and the church.

The lecture was introduced by Emmanuel Twesigye, Aden S. and Wollam Benedicts professor of Christian studies, who began with the topic of polygamy in African cultures. Twesigye talked about the benefits of polygamy and how it is a symbol of power and wealth as well as “(a) system of community” within the family.
He also talked about homosexuality in Africa, and how the cultures there are against it. He focused on his home country of Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal.
Twesigye said that in the past, “(a) man who got caught in the act would be put to death,” but now, the laws are being modified to punish homosexual acts by long imprisonments.
Twesigye connected both the controversial topics of polygamy and gay marriage. While homosexuality is condemned in most African countries, strong support for gay marriage can be found in the United States.
On the other hand, polygamy in African nations such as Uganda is highly valued, yet shunned here in America.
Twesigye continued by saying, “maybe you should let us have many wives, and we’ll let you have homosexuality.”
The next presenter was Reverend Charles Wilson, the director of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Delaware. He said, “next to abortion, the issue of homosexuality is one of the greatest of our time.”
Wilson believes people have developed negative views of homosexuality from religious text. He provided an example of homosexuality in the Bible from Leviticus 18:22, which says, “You should not lie with a male as with a woman.”
Wilson argues the concept of homosexuality as we understand it now was not present when the Bible was written.
He talked about Biblical teachings of sex, and how God encouraged men and women to reproduce. He recited from Genesis, where God says, “Be fruitful, multiply.” Wilson argued this passage portrays sex as natural and as a gift from God in order for humans to reproduce.
One of the main reasons homosexuality was condemned in the church, Wilson believes, is because it discontinues reproduction.
“We agree that heterosexuality is preferred for the reason of procreation,” Wilson said.
He believes that “cultural norms created by the power of the state and religion” have established the idea that sex should be used for the production of children.
Wilson pointed out, “children have always been the main reason for having sex.” He added that historically, children were the ones who would provide for parents when they reached old age.
Because homosexual sex is non-reproductive, Wilson said gays are viewed as “doing something opposite of God.Gays have been demonized,” and the gay community has been “used as a boogeyman” and “monster” to scare children into being “manly.”
He believes that sex is viewed differently today. Wilson used the media as an example. He talked about Beckham’s underwear ads and the Modern Family actress, Sofia Vergara, who has been titled “sexiest woman,” in order to address the way sex is encouraged and used to sell in our culture.
Wilson talked about an “evolution of sex,” which “allows us to view non-reproductive sex in a less negative light.”
He later went on to talk about marriage as an establishment. Wilson said people get married because “we human beings do is organize things.”
In terms of same-sex marriage, Wilson believes gays should have access to the same rights, and “they should allow same sex marriage across the board.” Junior Victoria Wehner was pleased with Wilson’s discussion. “I liked how he mentioned that humans are organizational,” she said. “He brought up some really good points.”
As a member of the LGBTIQ community, freshman Ryan Haddad was happy to see a religious figure in a position of support for gay marriage. “Seeing religious figures that say it’s alright to be who you are is very important,” said Haddad.“(It) gives us comfort and is empowering,” he added. Haddad believes it demonstrates that “not everyone will exclude us.”

Students craving midnight snacks can now find salvation in the form of a monkey holding a paper bag.
This is the logo of Bag o’ Fries, a new student-run business and venture capital with Chartwells.
The business, which supplies generous bags of fries with the customer’s choice of a number of dry and wet seasonings for the price of three dollars, has made its debut on campus.Run by seniors Brian Trubowitz and Andika Hartawan, Bag o Fries has been a year-long effort to break into student-run business.
“There’s only two things open at night (on the weekends),” said Hartawan, “either the Hamburger Inn or Dan’s Deli. So we thought for a first time business, why don’t we just do that? … Back home (Indonesia), McDonald’s tried to do something with French fries, but I guess people didn’t like it. I said, you know what, what if we gave more toppings and stuff. I’m sure college kids would love deep-fried stuff at night. So that’s how it came to be.”
Hartawan explained that Chartwells guided them through the appropriate processes for launching their business. Additionally, they provided their kitchen and insurance, and helped them get their supplies.
However, Hartawan and Trubowitz are personally funding the entire project.Upon stepping into Smith, students are greeted by the smell of fries and a long list of flavors to choose from.
Senior Josh Decker, who attended the free sample debut, said, “I believe this is a good twist on a traditional recipe. It’s the future of the French fry industry, and I am a fan of all the different flavors and toppings they have to offer.”
“It all started from going to Kroger’s (supermarket) and walking down the aisles picking up what looked good,” Hartawan said. “It was sort of like an experiment.”
With experimenting came mishaps, Trubowitz said.
“We tried a sesame ginger sauce, which was terrible,” said Trubowitz.
Hartawan added that straight garlic powder and straight mango sauce were amongst the other mishaps. The top flavors so far have been the “Funky Monkey sauce,” the ingredients of which are secret, French Toast, and the Tango Meriyaki (a mango teriyaki sauce). On their first night in operation, Bag o’ Fries attracted many students with free samples.
“We sold 60 pounds of fries within the first 45 minutes,” Hartawan said. He added that on their next night when they required students to pay, they sold about 43 bags of fries in a couple of hours.
Trubowitz said that Bag o’ Fries has not worked extensively on their marketing, but so far their feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive.
He added that the monkey logo, designed by Hartawan, has played a major role in attracting customers.
Hartawan and Trubowitz said they endeavor to break even in six months. Trubowitz expressed uncertainty that the venture would be able to become an independent business.
Hartawan and Trubowitz both hope that Bag o’ Fries will help build their resumes, give them something to talk about and enhance their college career.
Bag o’ Fries hours of operation are from midnight to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in Smith Hall.

Despite having their own cooks, the brothers of fraternities would like to see some food points added to their meal plans.
Every fraternity has a contract through Chartwells that provides each house with a chef.
After joining a fraternity, food points transfer over so the new member may eat at the house, according to sophomore Brad Ingles, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
The chef employed for each house provides meals Monday-Friday.
During the weekend, the members of the fraternities eat the leftovers from the week. Ingles said during the weekend the kitchen at Sig Ep is always stocked and unlocked for the brothers.
Ingles said the chef at his house is more than a chef–she is like a mom, continually keeping the brothers accountable for their behavior, academics and the cleanliness of the house. He said she treats them well.
“She even has a binder filled with recipes that we brought from home that our parents make, and she tries to cook one once every two weeks to give us that taste of home feeling,” Ingles said.
Junior Marshall Morris, president of Phi Delta Theta, said he appreciates eating at his house.
“I do enjoy being able to hold meals at the house,” he said. “It provides an additional avenue to bond with our brothers.”
Senior Tyler Mather said he absolutely loves the cook at his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, but wishes food points were offered as part of the meal plan.
“The only disadvantage to having a cook is sometimes running out of food on the weekends and not being able to eat in Smith or grab a coffee and a doughnut with a friend in HamWill,” said Mather.
Ingles and Morris both said they would also like to have food points they could use around campus.
“I personally am happy with the chef and Chartwells. I wish we had some food points and she could help hire other chefs for fraternities so everyone can share the joy we have the privilege of experiencing everyday,” said Ingles.

WCSA and campus administrators are brainstorming ways to allow off-campus housing for OWU students during the 2012-13 academic year.
The OWU Residential Life (ResLife) office announced last semester in a campus-wide email that students would not be offered the option of off-campus housing.
In the past, upperclassmen have had the option to enter a lottery for off-campus housing.
According to the ResLife email, Stuyvesant Hall’s reopening next fall means they anticipate having “adequate housing for all students who are not commuting from home.”
Student response to this development has not been uniformly positive.
“I think people are upset because living off-campus is an opportunity to experience greater responsibility before you graduate,” said junior April Warner.
Juniors Anthony McGuire and Carly Hallal, WCSA president and vice president, agree, although they understand the university’s motives.
“I know the main reason is enrollment,” said McGuire, “They would love to let people off-campus, but an empty floor in Stuy would look bad.”
Communication between ResLife, WCSA and the student body has also been a problem in the past, which both Hallal and McGuire want to improve.
“I was upset when I received the email because my committee had worked closely with the Residential Life office, and they hadn’t mentioned it before,” said Hallal. “Most of the issues with ResLife have been communication.”
Hallal and McGuire, along with other WCSA members, have come up with a few ideas to make off-campus living a possibility, and campus administration has been receptive to listening to their ideas.
“We’ve had several meetings with (OWU President) Rock Jones and Craig Ullom (vice president of student affairs). One idea is to put three people in Smith Hall instead of four, so it would take fewer students to fill those rooms, and then more people can have singles,” said Hallal.
“It would also help cover costs because singles are a little more expensive,” said McGuire.
“It was something Tim Carney (former WCSA vice president) and Sharif Kronemer (former WCSA president) came up with before they left WCSA.”

“Everyone loves a ghost story,” said Public Safety Officer John Ciochetty, author of two books, “The Ghosts of Stuyvesant Hall and Beyond Vol.1,” and “Ghosts of Historic Delaware, Ohio.”
Ciochetty is known throughout OWU for his ghost expertise and captivating tales. Each year he leads freshman on the “Ghost Tour,” taking the new students around the haunted parts of campus and presenting electronic voice phenomenon recordings as well as photos of spirits.
Students seem to have a rising interest in the “Ghost Tour.” Ciochetty has had as many as 200 attendees and says that it continues to grow each year.
Ciochetty began working at OWU in 2001, but his fascination with ghosts started much earlier in life at the age of four. When he lived in West Virginia, Ciochetty observed what he calls an “apparition,” or a spirit.
“I ran to my parents in the middle of the night and turned around to see in the other room a spirit run through my bedroom wall through the other wall across the room,”he said.
On his high school graduation night, Ciochetty camped out with friends at the Old Pioneer Cemetery in Belpre, Ohio in search of ghostly encounters.
He brought a tape recorder and called out to the graves, “Hey, is anyone there?”
When he returned home, Ciochetty said he heard a response from a “gutter-voiced” male in the recording replying, “Hello.”
Ciochetty continued to experience paranormal encounters when he joined the army in Fort Bliss, Texas. During his time there, Ciochetty stayed in a housing complex above an old battle ground where the Mexican-American War was fought.
He said he remembers doing laundry with some peers and coming back to find their clothes soaking wet on top of the dryer. Ciochetty said he recalls hearing the lids clanging up and down as well as footsteps at the end of the hall. He said that it was “common knowledge” the place was haunted.
“You always felt like you were being watched,” he said.
After obtaining his graduate degree in Criminal Justice at Marshall University, he was called back to the army reserve, serving as a platoon leader in Kentucky.
When Ciochetty started working at OWU, he began to hear tales of campus ghosts from students, staff and alumni. He also felt that “something was out of kilter” here.
One of the tales Ciochetty is familiar with is that of the ghost of Elliot Hall. Elliot Hall was first constructed in 1833 as a luxurious resort called the “Mansion House Hotel.”
It is believed that a young woman named Laura was murdered at the resort. Ciochetty says that Laura has been witnessed on the third floor balcony, but that he has not personally seen her.
A ghost that Ciochetty said he has personally experienced is that of a previous OWU student, Scotty.
Scotty resides in the Chappelear Drama Center and now “pulls pranks” on the Drama Crew, fiddling with equipment and lights.
“Sometimes I go in there, turn the light on, go back down the hallway and it’s off,” says Ciochetty.
Ciochetty said his most striking experience with a ghost on campus was “Sean,” the spirit of a thirteen-year-old boy in Gray Chapel who Ciochetty said died “goofing off on the top floor” of the building.
“Sean” is “what we call him,” Ciochetty said. During an investigation, Ciochetty recorded the voice of Sean. “From what I can remember, Sean said, ‘There’s a bad spirit, run!’”
Many of the buildings at OWU seem to have their personal ghosts. Sanborn Hall, Hayes, Welch, Ham-wil, University Hall, Mowry Center, Edwards and Beeghly Library are just some of the buildings believed by Ciochetty and others to be haunted.
Of the haunted buildings of OWU, the most well-known is Stuyvesant Hall, which is currently being renovated. Stuy provided much of the material for Ciochetty’s book, “The Ghosts of Stuyvesant Hall and Beyond Vol. 1”
He said he supports the renovation of Stuyvesant Hall.
He said he thinks it will be gorgeous when it is done and he said he has “no doubt” Stuy will continue to be haunted even after its new renovation.
When asked about why our campus is haunted, Ciochetty replied, “I don’t know exactly, but (it) could be a combination of things.”
He said he believes such factors to be “tragic events” that have happened here, and our location above old “Indian land,” upon which much violence occurred.
Ciochetty said he believes ghost experiences on campus happen when they’re, “unexpected,” and can occur at “any time.”
“I don’t go looking for them,” Ciochetty says, although he sometimes partakes in paranormal investigations, often when they are requested.
He is called in when places are thought to be haunted, whether a home or a public building.
When Ciochetty takes on an investigation, he said he first gathers the details people come to him with, and then looks for ways to “debunk” their ghost theories with other possible explanations.
He calls himself a “skeptic,” needing for things to be proven.
When Ciochetty finds something worth investigating, he brings tools such as electromagnetic meters, motion sensors, a digital camera, a recorder and a laser grid to record spirits. Ciochetty has managed to put in print the unique paranormal experiences he has found both at OWU and in Delaware.
“The main reason I write the books is because I’d hear all these stories and never saw them in print,” he says.
His two books, “The Ghosts of Stuyvesant Hall and Beyond Vol.1,” and “Ghosts of Historic Delaware, Ohio” are sold in Barnes and Noble, and other book stores around the nation as well as internationally.
Ciochetty has been on local and national radio stations, book signings and is currently working on his third book about the ghosts of Delaware County.He plans to use some of the proceeds from his second book as a donation to Ohio Wesleyan.
“It is my desire to give something back,” Ciochetty said.
Ciochetty’s books can also be found at Beehive Books. “Ghosts of Historic Delaware Ohio” is due to appear in e-book form in the near future.

Four years after the doors of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) closed at Ohio Wesleyan, the fraternity has returned to restore the values it once held on campus.
During the mid-2000s Fiji’s numbers started to decline, and their members were straying from the values of the fraternity. In 2008, the graduates decided to close the chapter.
They worked in partnership with the university, knowing they could return in the future and re-establish the chapter with a values-based recruitment effort, according to Brett Pytel and Josh Moore, representatives of the International Headquarters of Phi Gamma Delta.
After presenting to a Greek Life Expansion Committee, it was decided that Fiji would return to campus Spring of 2012.
With the help of Pytel and Moore, the chapter will choose men to be the founding fathers of the chapter.The men chosen will have the unique task and opportunity to build the foundation of OWU’s reestablished Theta Deuteron chapter.
“The organizational structure, tone and presence at OWU will be determined by values, determination and motivation of each individual member,” Pytel said. “They will be responsible for becoming fully contributing members throughout the OWU community.”
The process of selecting the founding fathers will extend over six weeks.
During this period, interested men will have the opportunity to learn more about the organization, ask questions, hear about experiences from graduates and meet men that share the same interest of rejuvenating Fiji.
On March 8, the initial founding fathers will be chosen and pledged to the fraternity. The same evening a dessert reception called “Evening with the Fijis” will be held off campus.
“Everyone on campus will be invited to this formal event to help celebrate the return of Phi Gamma Delta to Ohio Wesleyan,” Pytel said. “The Fraternity will introduce the new men, give away their scholarships, philanthropy money and thank the entire campus community for being such gracious hosts.”
Because academic achievement is one of Fiji’s values, several academic-based scholarships will be available for students.
According to Moore, all the men who join Fiji and uphold at least a 3.0 GPA will receive a $500 Academic Achievement Award. There will also be scholarships available to those who don’t go through initiation.
“There is no commitment to join the organization or even participate in the recruitment process to be eligible to receive this scholarship,” Moore said. “The graduates from the chapter wanted to show their commitment to having a strong relationship with the university with their return and give back to the community at the same time.”
The next event will be an information session on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
Pytel said he was looking forward to reaching out to the OWU community and reaching out to individuals who thought they wouldn’t consider Greek life.
“Being a fraternity man is more than wearing a Fiji t-shirt,” he said.
Fiji’s sister sorority is Kappa Alpha Theta, which has an active chapter on campus.
Sophomore Sarah Hartzheim, a member of Theta, said she is excited to have the brother fraternity of her sorority on campus again.
“The Fiji recruiters have really impressed us by meeting with sorority chapters, coming to school events and being so enthusiastic about their recruitment,” she said. “I hope this will encourage all students in Greek life to support school events and the other chapters. We (Theta) definitely plan to really get to know Fiji once they’re back on campus.”
The Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity has over 7,700 undergraduate members on 140 campuses throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Other chapters in the region are located at the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, The Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University and Michigan State University, to name a few.
The Theta chapter of Fiji at OWU was founded on Oct. 25, 1869. Notable alumni include Charles W. Fairbanks (1872), Cecil J. “Scoop” Wilkinson (1917), Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (1920), Bob Bauman (1953), Douglas Dittrick (1955), Phil Meek (1959).

To the best roommates ever, my wonderful Transcript Staff, and my lovely DG sisters.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
-Marissa

Welch 013,
Couldn’t have asked for better roomies. Love you all!
-Natalie

WoHo:My beautiful current and future housemates, please take this symbol of my undying love. You are the most beautiful group of feminist men and women I have ever met.
Love
always,
Suzie,
the Woodchuck,
and the man
in the basement

Dear Jim,
Dancing with you feels like magic.
Guess who?

Lois Lane, I love you.
-Superman

Families are like fudge, sweet and a little nutty.
IF House love.
-Rachel V.

I Dunkaroosed Up in Them Guts to find these words—there are just Jewmanji out there, and I wanted to be Attenborough. I love ya from your Snake Hips to your Sassafras and everything in between. You make my Pop Fly!
Ocelot
Love

Dear Transcript Staffers,
Your word counts rock!
Sincerely,
Your
Adviser

O: IF House
“I like my whole house!
My whole house is
great!
FROM: Fig