Category: News

Local restaurant plans to move soon

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

Columbus top-rated and Delaware located restaurant Veritas is moving to downtown Columbus.

Named “Best New Restaurant” by Columbus Monthly, Veritas opened in 2012 at its 15 E. Winter Street address in Delaware, Ohio.

According to its website, Veritas “uses modern techniques, the best available products, creativity and amazing cocktails to create a unique dining experience.”

In 2013, Veritas was featured in Columbus Monthly as number one of 10 top-rated restaurants.

Their website describes it as a restaurant that is “committed to providing you a positively unique dining experience. Dishes are served as Small Plates in order to present you the opportunity to enjoy an assortment of our traditional and unexpected flavor combinations.”

As a result of the restaurant’s success, Joshua Dalton, owner and head chef, has decided to move from downtown Delaware to downtown Columbus.

Dalton said he wasn’t trying to move from Delaware, but an opportunity for the move was presented two years ago.

“The sole reason for this move is that it is a one in a million opportunity,” Dalton said. “One that I simply cannot pass up.”

According to Columbus Monthly, Veritas will move from East Winter Street to 51 N. High Street, the old Citizens Building, allowing Veritas to go from 1,300 square feet to 2,700.

The space will also allow Veritas to add a weekday lunch menu and hold a glass-encased kitchen, Veritas told Columbus Monthly.

“I feel like the way the industry is going, people want to see what’s going on, to see where the magic happens,” Dalton told Columbus Monthly. “We looked at a ton of spaces and this gives us the opportunity to do the food we want to do.”

As for the East Winter Street location, Dalton has plans to open a new restaurant in that space.

“While we are extremely excited to move Veritas to a larger market, we’re equally excited about our plans for the Delaware space,” Dalton said. “The new concept will be called Speck and it will be an Italian eatery with a really unique approach at an affordable price.”

Dalton said Speck is a concept he has wanted to create for a long time.

As of now, Veritas is set to move in the spring of 2017, but there is no set date yet.

In addition to Veritas and in the future, Speck, Dalton also owns 1808 American Bistro, located at 29 E. Winter St about 50 yards away from Veritas.

Established in 2009, 1808 American Bistro, remaining in Delaware, offers a full course menu unlike Veritas’ tapas-style menu.

At 1808, a happy hour is offered all day Monday and from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, according to Abby Cottongim, bar manager.

The American bistro’s happy hour includes half-priced draft beers and $2 well drinks.

Abby added that 1808 has a pint night on Tuesday, live music every Wednesday, wine bottles sold at retail on Thursday and bottomless cocktails at brunch every Sunday.

Dalton said his success is relative to individual perspective.

“We have been very lucky to have our customers and critiques enjoy what we are doing,” Dalton said. “By that I mean we do food we are excited about. Food that moves us. When you love what you do, it shows. You can taste the difference.”

Ohio Wesleyan seniors continue the hunt for jobs

By Ben Farynowski, Transcript Reporter

Like millions of other students across the country, seniors at Ohio Wesleyan University are on the hunt for employment after graduation.

Searching for a job is no easy task. In today’s society, even a college degree does not guarantee an individual a job.

According to the 2014 OWU Outcome Report, 97 percent of OWU graduates reported being employed and/or in graduate school within a year of graduation, while 81 percent of the reported graduates stated that they are working in their field of choice.

These statistics are above average when compared to a survey conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics in 2016. This survey states that 89 percent of individuals who graduated college with bachelor’s degrees found employment within a year of graduation.

But this does not take into account whether that employment is in their field of choice.

When surveying students at OWU about their job hunting experience, senior Nick Norman said, “It is harder now than ever to find a job, and nearly impossible when you do not graduate from a target school.”

A school is considered a target when a high number of firms recruit directly from the institution year after year. Most common target schools include Ivy League universities and top liberal arts colleges. Target schools vary from city to city as well as from industry to industry.

Norman is an economics management major with minors in accounting and Spanish.

He currently has a 4.0 cumulative GPA, in addition to being the captain of the men’s soccer team and a member of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI). Norman’s resume seems to be a golden ticket for finding a job upon graduation, yet like other graduating seniors, he continues to struggle in his hunt for employment.

Job hunting is very competitive, especially right out of college. A new factor that has become more important than ever in the hunt for a job is networking.

Senior Neil Wilson said, “The phrase ‘It’s all about who you know’ has never been more true.”

When firms are looking to hire new employees, getting referred is one way to get your resume to the top of the list. This can be viewed as a positive or a negative, depending on who you know.

Students at OWU have many opportunities to interact with a large pool of successful alumni through many programs offered by the university.

As the hunt for employment continues, look out for students to utilize resources such as the OWU Alumni Center in addition to online resources like LinkedIn.com.

OWU seniors and millions of others soon to be graduated college students continue to compete for jobs as fall semester winds down.

PRIDE celebrates Transgender Day of Remembrance

By Gabe Linderman, Transcript Reporter

In recognition of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a small group of Ohio Wesleyan students gathered in the Benes Room in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center to memorialize transgender people who were killed out of hatred or prejudice in the last year.

The event was held Dec. 4. Students, many of whom identify as transgender, read aloud names of the 262 transgender people killed globally in the last year.

“In 1999, a transwoman created the event to recognize the disproportionate amount of murders of transgender people and the event has since been held annually on Nov. 20, but obviously we couldn’t do that, so we’re having it after Thanksgiving break,” said sophomore Emily Shpiece, one of the organizers of the event.

After the names were read aloud to a silent crowd, students mourned together and discussed the uncertainty that clouds the future.

“A lot of the time, I think that transgender voices are not brought to light,” Shpiece said. “I feel like transgender people are generally overlooked on campus. People are ambivalent to ask questions and have a conversation about [transgender issues].”

The event, sponsored by PRIDE, concluded with a sullen tone.

ROTC secures futures

By Ben Farynowski, Transcript Reporter

Two Ohio Wesleyan University students per year are selected to participate in the highly selective Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.

The ROTC program is offered at colleges and universities all over the country. The goal is to prepare young adults for a career in the U.S. Military after graduation. According to the Army’s ROTC website, program benefits include education scholarships, health care benefits and subsidized food and housing.

OWU has an Army ROTC program as well as Air Force ROTC program available for students. The only catch is that both programs are based out of Capital University’s campus.

“You have to be committed to getting up hours before anyone else on campus and in my case, driving an hour to Capital for morning physical training three times a week on top of class, which we have twice a week,” Zach Klies, senior Army ROTC cadet, said.

When you add this heavy time commitment to a full course load, campus activities and athletics, the ROTC program can be very “taxing,” according to Klies. He said he does believe that the program has been a valuable part of his college experience so far.

“You have many leadership positions and responsibilities, especially during your junior year,” said Klies.

The program is structured in a way that you are expected to play the role of student and teacher. The program has leaders whose job it is to make sure everything runs smoothly, but it is mainly self-run by the students.

Klies said he believes he has gained many skills from the ROTC program that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. The most important skills he learned from the program were time management and how to deal with adversity, he said.

A drawback that Klies pointed out was that academic credit from the required classes in the ROTC program don’t always transfer. Even though Klies won’t be able to fulfill the requirements for his desired minor, he intends to graduate on time with a major in economics management.

ROTC programs as a whole have been gaining popularity and interest from potential new members. This is a result of people searching for alternative ways to find a job, pay for college and get a head start in to working world, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Freshmen students attend a YearOne coffee house event

By Curtice Taylor, Transcript Correspondent

College freshmen received tips about the transition from university life to home life over coffee and sweet treats Nov. 30.

The Ohio Wesleyan Student Involvement Office hosted a YearOne Coffee House event in the Milligan Hub of Stuyvesant Hall.

The event took place from 7-8:30 p.m, and was open to all OWU freshmen. The event featured free coffee and desserts, background music provided by sophomore guitarist Orion Wright, and a group of upperclassmen who spoke with freshmen.

“We want to strengthen the first-year program,” Susie Long, one of the administrators of the event, said. “It’s nice to have an event like this that welcomes all freshmen.”

Residential Life Coordinator Thea Smekens, another administrator of the event, said, “This was a home-grown event. We reached out to student leaders, and asked them to participate.”

The main focus of the event was to help freshmen prepare for the upcoming return to their homes on the holidays. Freshmen and upperclassmen spoke back and forth about different topics of college. These topics included transitioning back home for the winter break and selecting better housing for the upcoming year.

“I heard about this event from my RA’s white board, and wanted to take a break from studying,” freshman Ben Arnold said. “It was nice meeting upperclassmen and talking with them.”

Freshman K’lynn Partee said, “This event let me see what things to look forward to in the coming years. I was able to meet other people, tap into what college has to offer.”

The Student Involvement Office plans to host more coffeehouse events in spring 2017.

“We’d love for this program to grow further,” Long said. “We want more upperclassmen to reflect on their own experiences and talk about them with first-years.”

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.

Chi Phi’s Chili Cook- Off heats up OWU

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Many Ohio Wesleyan organizations made chili hoping to impress judges and win Chi Phi’s annual Chili Cook-Off.

The cook-off is held to raise money for epilepsy research. The event took place Dec. 2 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Benes Room at Hamilton-William Campus Center.

The cook-off is held in honor of OWU Chi Phi alumnus Aaron Riley ‘11. Riley had epilepsy and died shortly after graduation.

Riley loved chili, which is why Chi Phi does the cook-off in his honor, said senior Hayden Knisley.

People purchased tickets as they entered the cook-off to try the different kinds of chili or participate in different games for prizes.

Several people served as judges, including some professors and staff members from around campus.

Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta) won the judges’ choice for best chili. On the other hand, Alpha Sigma Phi was the winner of the popular vote.

Junior Evelynn Wyatt made the chili that Theta entered for the competition. She said the chili took more 10 hours to cook, but the effort was ultimately worth it.

One of the judges at the competition was Erik Brewer, who works as a barista in the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center. He said he was really impressed with the chili he tried.

“It was really tough to choose between all of them because everyone made good chili,” Brewer said. “They tasted homemade just like my mom used to make.”

WCSA Today: Spring budgets funded

By Gopika Nair, Copy Editor

Ohio Wesleyan’s Campus Programming Board (CPB) requested $200,000 for Bishop Bash 2017, but was granted $25,000 at the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs’ (WCSA) last full senate meeting.

CPB intended to have Twenty One Pilots, a band from Ohio, perform at Bishop Bash. WCSA’s Budget Committee initially funded the programming board $45,000.

At the Dec. 5 senate meeting, Treasurer Daud Baz said though CPB planned on hosting a “big Bishop Bash,” the Budget Committee decided to grant $45,000 because that gave CPB enough funds to host a good event despite the fact that Twenty One Pilots was “completely off the table.”

Sen. Ryan Bishop argued that $45,000 was a large sum for an event that students might not even attend. Following more discussion, members moved to lower the funded amount to $25,000 and the amendment passed.

President’s Club also requested $60,760 to invite either J.K. Rowling or Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snapchat, to speak at OWU. The Budget Committee funded the club $24,218.

Baz acknowledged that the granted funds wouldn’t be sufficient for President’s Club to bring Rowling or Spiegel, but it was enough money to fund another “big speaker.”

Overall, clubs requested $471,645 for spring 2017 and total funds approved by Budget Committee was $199,668.

At the meeting, WCSA’s executive of officers also addressed that CPB would receive $40,000 for general programming funds as opposed to $25,000. This allocation amount is based on past figures CPB has requested.

“While WCSA is dedicated to quality programming on campus and recognized CPB as a crucial element of campus life, all funds requested beyond the guaranteed $40,000 … per semester are to be distributed at the discretion of WCSA Budget Committee and the WCSA Full Senate,” said a revised copy of the Campus Programming Board Agreement Terms Resolution.

As per the new agreement terms, CPB is exempt from standard rollover procedures. Unspent money will remain in CPB’s account until the board decides how to spend it.

WCSA’s Budget Committee will have $168,664 left for clubs and organizations next semester after recently funding spring budget requests.

Class of 2017 trustee elected

By Courtney Dunne, Editor-in-Cheif

The seniors have voted and the votes are in.

Current senior Daud Baz was elected to be the Class of 2017 trustee. Other candidates who ran included Lee LeBoeuf and Shashank Sharma.

Each year the graduating class elects a member to the Board of Trustees. The class of 2016 elected representative is Emma Drongowski.

During his time at OWU, Baz has served in multiple other leadership roles in diverse organizations across campus including president of Horizons in his sophomore year, Treasurer of Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs and philanthropy chair and corresponding secretary of his fraternity Phi Gamma Delta. He also serves on the senior class council and the Student Conduct Board.

“I have been at OWU for four years and when I started off, I never thought I would be so involved because coming from Afghanistan, there aren’t a lot of opportunities,” Baz said. “I never thought I would do anything this big in school.”

Baz said he wants to continue to imporve his leadership skills while bringing new ideas and change to the table.

“I am not going to change OWU overnight and I am not going to change everything, but I want to be a small drop of water in a big pond,” Baz said.

“Throughout my time at OWU, I saw leadership opportunities and I needed to grow and I saw the Board of Trustees position as an opportunity to do that.”

He will be a full voting member participating in discussions and making decisions alongside seasoned trustees.

“As a young student, I am voicing concerns of students and what they want to see changed,” Baz said. “I have learned a lot at OWU and I can take that home and do something bigger.”

Baz has also worked with the Embassy of Afghanistan on women’s rights. Completion of his internship pushed him to join more organizations on campus, as well as take on some leadership roles.

Baz said he would like to improve the dining services for students by trying to bring back options like the Library Cafe and Trattoria.

After receiving news that he would be the Class of 2017 trustee, Baz posted on his personal Facebook, “Someone once said, ‘Little drops of water make the ocean big.’ Thank you for entrusting me to be part of something bigger.”

“I wanted to take the time to express my appreciation to all those who supported my journey in being elected as Class of 2017 trustee. I am humbled to serve as a vessel of progress and unity for the OWU community. When I have the decisions to make, I will choose action, I will strive to always wear my values, to work diligently knowing you have placed your faith in me. Last but not least, I must acknowledge the candidates, Lee LeBoeuf and Shashank Sharma, in running a competitive race. Thank you once again.”

“I want to leave a position in better shape or at least the same shape,” he said.

Baz has already received messages from trustees congratulating him, which he said surprised him at how fast news spreads.

Pres Ball celebrates 31 years

By Gopika Nair, Chief Copy Editor

Over the last 31 years, Ohio Wesleyan underwent several changes, but President’s Ball remains an unchanged, annual holiday tradition at the university.

President’s Ball is a formal dance event attended by students, faculty and staff, and is typically held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Since the ball’s inception in 1985, the only differences are the addition of a late-night DJ and the location.

Originally, the event was held in Slocum Hall, but relocated to Schimmel-Conrades Science Center because moving the tables in Slocum to make space for the ball was inconvenient, said Nancy Rutkowski, director of student leadership and involvement at OWU.

However, many aspects of President’s Ball have stayed the same over the years.

“It has always been sponsored by the President’s Club, the Jazz Band plays, there is great food and the price has stayed the same ($5 per person) for [31] years,” Rutkowski said.

The ball was created at the suggestion of then sophomore Gay Grossman ’88. Former OWU President David Warren wanted a spirited, holiday event, so he encouraged the idea, Rutkowski said.  

In 1985, Grossman planned the first President’s Ball and eventually married her date, Steve Grossman ’87, according to the OWU website. Now, the gala is organized by the President’s Club and features a cocktail hour for the senior class.

The ball’s directors choose the theme every year in conjunction with the committee and the President’s Club, Rutkowksi said. One of the themes she said she liked best was “Celebrate Colorfully.”

“Everyone was encouraged to wear bright colors and it turned out great,” Rutkowski said.

The theme for the 2016 President’s Ball is “Take Flight for the Night” and will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 in the atrium of the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center. The event will feature music provided by DJ Matt Ryan and OWU’s Park Avenue Jazz Band.

President Rock Jones said he and his wife Melissa enjoy attending the ball every year and appreciate the work put forth by the President’s Club who planned the event.

“We enjoy the cocktail reception with seniors prior to the ball, the music of the Park Avenue Jazz Ensemble, the dancing of students alongside emeriti faculty and staff and the enormous energy and holiday spirit that fills the hall,” Jones said. “President’s Ball is a special OWU tradition that attracts a large portion of the OWU family. We are looking forward to Saturday evening.”