Category: News

“Welcome to Avvio’s!” A man with short cropped hair and glasses enthusiastically greeted customers at the door. His name is Ray Smith, vice president of marketing at Avvio’s Italian Restaurant and Grille. He has huge plans for this new

business.
Avvio’s is a contemporary Italian American restaurant with a unique design, both in the decorating and the service.
“You order your food up front; we’ll run the food out to you. You pour your own drinks, You bus your own tables,” Smith said. “What people don’t know is when you’ve got a full service restaurant model, 50 percent of your labor is spent on having your wait staff refill drinks.”
He also pointed out the LED monitors used to display the many menu items.
“What you see on the menu is whole wheat pasta, gluten free pasta, made-to-order, five minute fresh. You get to pick your choice of grilled meat, and all the fresh toppings you want,” said Smith.
Junior Tylor Havemann has worked at Avvio’s since it opened in November.
“The most dangerous part (of working here) is the food. It’s so delicious, and you can’t help but eat something every day,” Havemann said.
The pasta bowl is Avvio’s signature dish. “You can’t go wrong with (it),” he said. “It’s made just how you want it. And if people aren’t in the mood for pasta, there are flatbreads and sandwiches, too.”
Students who frequent the spot enjoy the contemporary food and atmosphere. Sophomore Katie Sponseller said she would definitely recommend the restaurant.
“For the most part you were able to create your own dish and choose everything you wanted, making it easier for picky eaters to be picky. It was delicious and the portion sizes were perfect.”
Smith revealed the meaning of the restaurant’s name.

“Avvio is an Italian word that means ‘the start of an event.’ And that theme is replicated throughout the restaurant. The whole concept is to be the best version of yourself. We want you to feel welcome; we want you to be who you are. The whole theme is designed to reflect the love and good food that you would get from mama.”
“The atmosphere is very casual and comfortable,” Sponseller said, “And the service was great as they had very friendly and helpful employees. We did not have to wait an unreasonable amount of time for the food, and the line to order also moved rather quickly.”
Avvio’s management is excited about being part of the Ohio Wesleyan community as an entertainment venue.
“I want to give the two best Wesleyan students the chance to play on the Avvio stage on Friday nights alongside local and national artists,” Smith said.
On Friday nights, Avvio’s hosts artists either in their bar or, in the summer, on the patio they share with Amato’s.

Upcoming performers include Rebecca Loebe, a contestant from “The Voice,” on April 20.
Smith said, “I’m working with the Ohio Machine, the Lacrosse team, to see how we, with our resources here, can promote the events at Ohio Wesleyan. We’re all about lifting Wesleyan up with finding the best talent out there.”

Smith hopes to start a Wesleyan Wednesday, when students can come in and perform on the stage and have “a midweek study break, eating the type of food they should be eating.”
When asked what the strength of Avvio’s is, Smith gestured to a to-go menu. “Smart food,” he said. “It’s just the way people need to eat these days. We’re doing local sourcing. We’re very eco friendly. We’ve got biodegradable to-go containers and recycled napkins.”
The crowd at Avvio’s varies from locals to students, The restaurant has a low-lit, full-service bar and a 24-seat booth in the back for large crowds.
“The way the menu and the whole restaurant is set up, it’s for anyone who wants to come in, no matter what occasion,” Havemann said.
“We are here to serve th6e community,” said Smith. “It’s a positive energy here at Avvio’s.”
Anyone interested in performing may contact Smith at rsmith@avviogrill.com.

Ohio Wesleyan prides itself as being an institution that embraces diversity. It welcomes those from all walks of life and gives them the opportunity to be a part of the OWU family. Unfortunately, striving for diversity does not eliminate instances of harassment on campus.
On Monday, Jan. 23, junior Anthony McGuire, president of the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs, presented the revised student harassment policy on behalf of WCSA to the January faculty meeting. This policy was approved by WCSA in December 2011.
The university revised its harassment policy in April 2011. To remain consistent with the university’s harassment policy, the student harassment policy was revised by a team, including Politics and Government Professor and Coordinator of Judicial Affairs Michael Esler, senior Yavor Danailov, Dean of Students Kimberlie Goldsberry, Human Resources and Assistant Professor of Politics and Government Ashley Biser.
WCSA reviewed and voted on the revisions, McGuire said.
The changes allow for more opportunities for informal resolutions. These resolutions are aimed at ending the harassment without pursuing a disciplinary investigation which may increase confidentiality. Additionally, more categories, such as family configuration, are protected under the revisions Biser said.
The Student Conduct board generally receives two to three complaints of sexual harassment per year, according to Esler.
He is unsure about how this number compares to complaints at other institutions, but he stressed the importance of organizations’ review and revision of harassment policies.
“Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that violates the principle and law of equality,” Esler said. “It can be insidious because it is often subtle or even unintended, and it can pervade a culture of an organization. That is why organizations need to be vigilant and review and update their policies.”
Biser said that issues of harassment should be talked about, and the revisions to the policy force those conversations to occur.
“These are roots of the liberal arts education,” Biser said. “This is how you create diversity.”
McGuire believes that sexual harassment is a rare occurrence at OWU.
“I have faith in the Bishops,” McGuire said. “But (sexual harassment) is still worth talking about.”
If students witness or are victims of harassment, they may report incidents to the Harassment Advisory Panel.

An unknown perpetrator vandalized the side mirrors of eight cars, at least six of which belong to students, along Oak Hill Avenue on Jan. 20. The crime is the second of two similar crimes to happen to vehicles parked on the street.
According to a Delaware Police Department report filed the next day, the incidents occurred around 9:30 p.m. DPD Captain Bruce Pijanowski said there are no suspects in the case.
“Typically we either catch them in the act or immediately after,” he said, “and the longer it goes, the harder it is to determine who did it because there’s no physical evidence at a crime scene like that.”
Sophomore Annaliese Harvey, one of the victims, said the damage done to her vehicle was not as severe as that done to others.
“My mirror was just flipped around, and luckily I do not have to pay to have it repaired,” she said.
The Transcript reported on 31 similar vandalisms that occurred on Nov. 5, 2011. The affected vehicles also had their side mirrors knocked off or severely damaged. A witness described the only suspect in that case as “a white male, with short blonde hair and a gray blazer.”
Harvey said she thinks the recent incident is a “similar situation, but unrelated” to the November crimes. Pijanowski said it’s doubtful the same person is responsible for both incidents, but doesn’t rule out the possibility.
“If you have one person walking through there that thinks it’s funny and they did it in November, it’s possible they did it again,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s kind of like a turkey shoot. It could be anything at this point.”
According to Pijanowski, vandalism offenses like these are “not unusual” in Delaware, but don’t regularly occur in such great numbers.
“What is unusual is having that large cluster,” he said. “The number involved is somewhat atypical.”
Such acts violate Ohio Revised Code statute 2909.06, which prohibits “creat[ing] a substantial risk of physical harm to any property of another without the other person’s consent.”
The damage done to the vehicles in this case constitutes a second-degree misdemeanor under the statute.
Pijanowski advises any Delaware resident to call DPD at the first sign of any such occurrence. “When someone sees or hears what’s going on and calls us, that’s when those types of crimes are solved,” he said. “It’s very helpful to keep your eyes and ears open.”

SLUs (Small Living Units) only had 10 days to finish interviews and deliberate to meet this year’s Jan. 25 deadline, leaving some SLUs struggling to advertise openings and fill spots.
Sophomore Katasha Ross, a member of the Inter-Faith House, said that the early deadline limited interest.
“The dates and deadlines this year made it more difficult to get out information and advertise the fact that we have open positions,” Ross said.
“And with half the house being a part of formal recruitment for sororities last week, we never had the chance to hold a SLUsh event during the spring semester,” Ross said.
The early due date also put pressure on SLUs.
“It becomes difficult, even in my smaller sized house of 10, to find enough mutually free hours in order to conduct interviews that we can all attend,” Ross said. “Between the half hour interview slots and the large amount of time it takes to deliberate about who will we want to live in our house, who will be put on an alternate list and who is not put on either, we have  had some pretty late nights here at IF this week.”
Sophomore Alex D’Amore-Braver, a House of Thought resident, said that deliberation is hard for other reasons as well.
“It is a stressful and long process, because most SLU members have a favorite candidate. Adding to the fire is the fact that multiple SLUs attract the same candidates.
SLUsh week is the time when SLU members prepare to be at war with each other over (applicants). Although it is crazy, it is very important. We pick people to ensure that our passions are preserved at OWU,” D’Amore-Braver said.
Applicants accepted into one or more SLUs had until Jan. 27 to make their decisions, a mere two days after they were told of their acceptances.
Though some may have had a hard time deciding, sophomore Amy LeFebvre said that she is happy that the Inter-Faith house offered her a spot.
“I wanted to be part of its family,” LeFebvre said.
“When I toured this school, I thought that they were the coolest things ever; a bunch of people with similar interests living in the same area. It was practically part of a friendship algorithm,” LeFebvre said.
Though some SLUs have struggled this year with recruitment, the houses remain as integral parts of the Ohio Wesleyan community, displaying the many interests of the OWU community.

Ohio Wesleyan’s Small Living Units, or SLUs, held interviews this week for prospective residents who are dedicated to the cause and who add to the community of each house.
Each SLU has different academic requirements for prospective students to meet, but students are also selected based on their personal devotion to their house’s cause, as well as their individual personality.
A clean streak does not hurt their chances either, says senior and member of the Modern Foreign Language House, Tori Schlaudt.
“We consider this a community, and it is privilege to live here, so we would like our house mates to be courteous, clean, fun and friendly,” she said.
Junior and resident of the Women’s House, Colleen Waickman, said individual personality is a very important part of her selection of new members as well.
“I look for all kinds of personality traits. I like to live in a diverse house in terms of personalities,” Waickman said.
“ Overall, I like to live with considerate, kind, optimistic and respectful housemates who are excited about life and our mission.”
Students participating in “slushing,” like freshman Kerrigan Boyd, also take personality into consideration when choosing a house.
Boyd plans to live in the Citizens of the World  or COW House, as it is more commonly called, next semester.
“I slushed COW House decided that I really wanted to live with people who were interested in creating a global community,” Boyd said. “Plus, I just thought it’d be really cool.”
Boyd’s interest in learning about world cultures began her senior year of high school when she studied abroad in Mexico.
“Last year was my first time in the international community and is kind of why I wanted to live in COW House,” she said.
“That experience of living with so many international students made my perspectives on life so much wider.”
Because students in SLU’s are brought together by a common interest, Schlaudt says the experience of living in a SLU provides students “with similar interests have a haven and a place to call home.”
“It’s important to consider living in a SLU because the community is a place where a person can feel comfortable to pursue their interests and be wholeheartedly supported,” Schlaudt said.
“The community can help people find their voice on campus and in their home.”
The sense of community that each SLU provides its residents is unique, Waickman said.
“Living in a SLU is great because you get connected with lots of activism and campus events that are going on through your housemates,” Waickman explained.
“But you also learn how to cooperate with other people every day, take care of your friends on a whole new level, and grow as a person and as a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Every January, the seven fraternities on campus inaugurate new presidents to their chapters. Every president is different from the last, and each new president has new ideas and plans for the upcoming year.
Phi Delta Theta president, junior Marshall Morris, said he hopes during his presidency he can improve the reputation of fraternities.
“I wanted to be able to put our fraternity members in position to achieve success,” he said. “The Greek system has also been questioned recently, and I wanted to work with the other fraternity presidents to increase interest in Greek life.”
Morris also said his personal goal as president is to have a larger turnout for their 3-on-3 basketball tournament which will raises money to support the ALS Foundation, a foundation that researches for Lou Gehrigs’s Disease.
Chi Phi’s president, junior Macauley O’Connor, said he became president in hope to help Chi Phi status on campus.
“I would really like to motivate the guys to become more involved on campus,” said O’Connor.
“We are the only off campus fraternity. Sometimes it’s pretty easy for us to disappear from the public eye. If we can become more involved on campus, it will give people a better chance to get to know the Chi Phi’s.”
Junior Anthony McGuire is the president of Sigma Chi. McGuire said he saw becoming president as a way to make a positive change within Sigma Chi.
“I really just want to improve the governance and accountability of our house, so things can be run smoother, and brothers in their respective positions have the follow-through and more responsibility,” McGuire said. “I would also like to be more involved with our headquarters, because they provide a lot of programs and services that can really help us.”
McGuire said he is also interested in promoting the positives effects of joining a fraternity.
Sophomore Jake Von Der Vellen is the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon and said he is excited for his new position as president.
“For the upcoming year, I am looking forward to our two philanthropy events, Miss OWU and Belly Flop,” he said.
“Besides our main philanthropies, I would like to get every brother in the house more involved in community service. I am also trying to put together a fun alumni event for this semester.”
Juniors Jack Fiquett, president of Delta Tau Delta;  Paul Murphy, president of Phi Kappa Psi and Chris Martin, president of Alpha Sigma Phi. were all unavailable for comment regarding this story.

Formal recruitment comes every spring, and the five sororities on campus prepare for this important time of year months in advance. All

the preparation culminates in a week of activities for women on campus interested in Greek life until bids go out on Monday night, inviting the participants to become members.
Every participant has guides along the way in the form of Rho Gammas, Greek women who have chosen to put aside their house’s letters in order to

help students make the right choice for them.
In the week leading up to formal recruitment this year over 100 women took part in a variety of activities, ranging from lunch with members of the different sororities to nametag-making.
When the weekend arrived, each

Potential New Member (PNM) spent time with every house, getting to know the current memebers. In addition, this was an opportunity to learn about the individual sorority’s values, philosophies and philanthropic causes.
Formal recruitment is set up as a mutual selection process, so that each sorority and each PNM ends up where they most want to be.
On bid night, each sorority welcomed 13-15 new members. By tradition, the new members ran over to their respective houses to be greeted by the house, usually with a lot of noise and singing involved.