Trent Williams in the Hamilton-Williams dining hall. Photos by Courtney Dunne.
Courtney Dunne, Copy Editor
Sitting at the lunch table chatting with friends, eating Chartwells and talking about weekend activities makes for a normal day at Ohio Wesleyan.
On Wednesday, Feb. 17, that routine was broken as many OWU students walked into Ham-Will and held an unexpected demonstration to raise awareness for Black Lives Matter.
Students were subtle, but their voices were strong as they held signs that said, “Stop police brutality,” “Unapologetically black… Deal with it,” “Queer black lives matter” and “Black disabled lives matter.”
Students were spread throughout the dining hall, the Bakery, the Ham-Will Atrium, the Bishop Cafe and Beeghly Library.
Junior Caitlin Burton-Dooley stood up in the Zook Nook and asked if everyone could stand in solidarity with senior Reilly Reynolds, who silently held a sign to raise awareness for black lives. Everyone in Zook Nook fell silent.
The Student Union on Black Awareness (SUBA) organized the demonstration to educate the campus on the intersectionality within the African-American community.
Hayden Knisley participating in the demonstration.
Throughout the demonstration, students were seen having different reactions.
Some ignored it and kept on with their daily routine, some gave a nod in acknowledgment while others others, like Burton-Dooley, were vocal of their support.
“It was nice to see people taking it from Facebook into real life [and] doing what they say they want to do,” said senior Cecilia Smith.
Senior Mili Green said, “It’s good to see people taking action. They planned it well to coincide with the Butler A. Jones lecture on Race and Society.”
Junior Trent Williams said, “My sign “Stop police brutality” was as simple as it could get. Police brutality of any kind against any human being is unacceptable in general and should not be tolerated from any police district at all.”
Fourteen empty chairs sat in the front row as President Rock Jones stood behind the birch plywood podium and addressed the room filled with Ohio Wesleyan faculty during their Monday, Feb. 29 meeting, the second official meeting of the semester.
The faculty discussed options to increase enrollment, but Jones began by thanking everyone who was involved with the I³ 30-minute lecture and the production of “Artifice.” He was impressed by the diverse crowd of the lectures and called the production a “terrific, major production.”
Jones then asked a popular question: What’s the right size of OWU and “what strategies will achieve that size?”
A long list of ways to reach the goal of 2,020 students by the year 2020 was presented. A couple of those items to improve upon were career services, athletics, international admission strategies, regional recruiters and the physical campus, which Jones talked about and said “we’ve made strides, but there’s more to be done.” He also specifically brought up the improvement of first-year housing.
Chris Wolverton, professor of botany-microbiology and the chair of the Committee on University Governance, began with a PowerPoint to highlight student recruitment, student experience, program initiative and physical campus.
He reiterated the importance in finding the right students when recruiting.
“Identify students who are able to pay so we can continue to offer heavily discounted tuitions to those who need it.”
When talking about student experience, Wolverton said he wanted to get the point across to potential students.
“What are we about?” he said. “We could be about 50,000 things, but if [students] don’t see themselves here, they won’t come.”
The equation “630 + 85% = 2,026” was left on the screen. Wolverton explained that 630 represents the number of students and the percent represents retention rate.
When talking about the retention rate, which is currently at 81 percent, Wolverton said there’s a lot of work behind the number.
“It’s arguable this number is doable,” he said. “Redesigning the entire student life side of campus.”
When Wolverton pointed out the bold new strategy of the Board of Trustees, Michael Flamm, a faculty member, said, “We invest in the future because the faculty don’t take salary increases.”
Ellen Arnold, Andrew Brandt, Glenn Bryan, Susan Gunasti and David Councilman were awarded tenure and a neuroscience major with behavioral/cognitive and cellular/molecular tracks was approved by unanimous vote.
It’s official. Gender inclusive housing is coming to Ohio Wesleyan starting this fall, but the new policy does not apply to everyone.
Gender inclusive housing is a form of housing that allows students to live together in rooms and suites regardless of their gender identities.
Gender neutral symbol courtesy of allpix.club
Wendy Piper, director of Residential Life, said gender inclusive housing “aims to create an environment that acknowledges, appreciates and respects the diverse nature of the OWU student body, and supports the various needs of students who feel that they would be more compatible with a roommate of a different biological sex or gender identity.”
Piper said the ResLife staff has been talking with students about creating a gender inclusive housing policy since the fall of 2012 when some students came to them with “a vision for gender inclusive housing.”
The first proposed policy was drafted in February 2013. However, inquiries from students reach as far back as 2004. Piper said those inquiries went undeveloped mostly because the interested students graduated.
According to Piper, ResLife did not feel a gender inclusive housing policy should be developed with a “top-down administrative approach.”
All-gender bathrooms are on the rise. Image courtesy of mydoorsign.com
“It did not make sense to impose it upon students who were not requesting it,” she said. “As OWU students recognized an increasing need for gender inclusive housing options, we invited them to contribute to the introduction of a policy that would apply specifically to their needs.”
Junior Lissette Gonzalez, Sexuality and Gender Equality House (SAGE) moderator, said she understood this reasoning, but wished a gender inclusive housing policy existed before students became vocal about their discomfort with the current policy, instead of after.
Piper said the new housing policy does not apply everywhere on campus.
Hayes will remain women-only housing in order to accommodate female students who do not want to participate in a gender inclusive housing environment.
The policy also will not impact students living in fraternity houses because those fraternities are men-only organizations.
Bashford Hall, Thomson Hall and 4 Williams will also not be gender inclusive because they have common bathrooms on each floor.
Unlike other students, first-year and transfer students will have to specifically request to be included in the new policy, and requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis, said Piper.
“I think that’s a little bit hard and isolating just because there are a lot of first-year students who actually would benefit from this,” Gonzalez said. “But I guess it’s just to see how next year is going to go.”
Piper said she does not anticipate many complications.
“The only change that we have made to our online housing application is to ask students if they prefer a gender inclusive housing environment,” she said. “Residential Life will make gender inclusive housing assignments prior to the various housing selection events at which students come and select their room.”
Julie Duhigg, Spectrum Resource Center co-adviser, said this policy change means OWU is joining the 21st century.
“This means a healthy shift toward greater inclusivity for our students, and particularly for students that have historically been marginalized and not recognized,” she said.
Gonzalez said without gender inclusive housing, the transgender and non-binary students in SAGE can live in a single, but if they want to be with a roommate, they won’t necessarily be allowed.
“I think it’s important because there are a lot of different gender identities, and people should really be allowed to live in a space where they feel safe and live with people they feel safe with.”
A crescent moon had risen in the sky as the temperature hovered around 20 degrees Fahrenheit when Luke Gabbert and a friend wandered back from Clancey’s Pub on Feb. 5. Only one would successfully make it back to campus.
Luke Gabbert. Photo courtesy of battlingbishops.com
Gabbert, a freshman from Lewis Center, Ohio, was found dead on the morning of Feb. 6. He was spotted in the Delaware Run, a muddy stream flowing near OWU’s campus. The events that occurred in a short span of time would leave people wondering what happened to Gabbert, a soccer player and new pledge of Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi)
As of April 13, OWU banned the Phi Psi chapter from campus.
A Transcript investigation has pieced together Gabbert’s final moments on that night and the following morning by talking to a variety of sources, some of whom requested and were granted anonymity because they feared retribution. One of those who did talk to the newspaper on the record was freshman Phil Foisie, also a new pledge of Phi Psi.
Captain Adam Moore of the Delaware Police Department said, “A gentleman on Saturday morning was walking to the [NAPA] auto parts store on Spring Street and while walking on Franklin Street discovered Mr. Gabbert.”
The cause of death is being investigated by the Delaware Police. As of Wednesday, Feb. 17, only preliminary autopsy results have been released by Delaware County Coroner’s office.
“We have the autopsy report, and no obvious cause of death has been found,” said Moore. “No visible traumatic injuries were found and the coroner is now conducting forensic testing for internal injuries and also for toxicology, the results of which are awaited.”
A detailed autopsy and toxicology report is expected to take 8-10 weeks, according to the coroner.
Investigators have been on campus trying to piece together where Gabbert would have been prior to his death, said Moore. In addition, President Rock Jones said Public Safety has cooperated with the police as requested.
Investigators have been talking with a large group of people, including sports teams and friends, according to Moore.
Clancey’s Pub declined to make a statement to The Transcript. Gabbert’s family also declined to comment.
Around 10:00 p.m. – Phi Psi finished its pledge ceremony.
Around 10:15 p.m. – Pledges allegedly began drinking alcohol.
According to one source, Gabbert brought his own alcohol, while another source said it was served to pledges by Phi Psi. The fraternity would not answer questions from The Transcript.
Saturday, Feb. 6
Between Midnight-12:30 a.m. – Gabbert went to Clancey’s Pub.
Around 12:45 a.m. – He vomited inside the bar and was asked to leave.
12:51 a.m. – Upon seeing police, who had stopped a car on Spring Street, Gabbert and a friend split up fearing being questioned by the police.
Between 1-1:30 a.m. – The same friend went to Gabbert’s residence 256 W. Central Ave. to check if he had returned and then to Smith Hall to look for him.
10:24 a.m. – A passerby found Gabbert’s body in Delaware Run adjacent South Franklin Street.
10:30 a.m. – New Phi Psi pledges gathered at the fraternity house and a source reported this was when the fraternity brothers noticed Gabbert’s absence.
10:40 a.m. – Gabbert pronounced dead.
Shortly before noon — President Rock Jones notified about Gabbert’s death.
12:42 p.m. – Transcript editors notified of a student’s death.
2:06 p.m. – OWU community informed.
Saturday, Feb. 13
Funeral for Gabbert held at Grace Church in Powell.
An Ohio Wesleyan record was broken when two OWU students earned a Top-5 finish in last month’s American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s national championship.
In Moot Court, students argue for or against a fake case that requires each team and its members to interpret constitutional rights that apply to it.
OWU was eligible to send four students (or two teams) to this event, which was attended by more than 350 schools from across the country.
Michael Esler, a professor of politics and government, accompanied seniors Katherine Berger and Rhiannon Herbert and juniors Forrest Dearing and Chloe Dyer on the trip.
California State University in Long Beach hosted this year’s championship.
Seniors Katherine Berger (left) and Rhiannon Herbert (right) show their awards. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
“It’s a great opportunity to cultivate and begin the process of developing arguments, learning the necessary forensics and getting arguments ready for competition,” said Michael Crum, one of the team members.
The team, which meets several times each week to discuss different cases, earned praise from President Rock Jones for their commitment to the program.
“Our students who participated in Moot Court worked very hard in preparation for the competition and did very well against very strong teams,” Jones said.
Berger and Herbert earned a Top-5 finish in the American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s national championship, setting a new OWU record. Last year, they had a top 20 finish.
In a press release, Essler said, “At last year’s nationals they won every round in the preliminaries, one of only six teams to do so but they were undaunted, knew what they had to do, and took care of business with the determination that has characterized their performance throughout their moot career.”
The team proceeded to win three consecutive rounds against higher-ranked teams, including two of the nation’s top-ranked teams.
Jerry Lherrison, a former team member, spoke highly of the Berger and Herbert’s record-setting performances.
“I think they are both phenomenal debaters,” Lherrison said. “They’re going to make incredible attorneys one day.”
Religion can bring millions of people together, but it can also be used as a tool to divide a nation. Religion professor Emmanuel Twesigye has experienced this firsthand.
Born and raised in Uganda, Twesigye worked to spread peace and religious acceptance in opposition to the oppressive regime of Idi Amin, a military general who took over as Ugandan president in 1971. Twesigye managed to escape with his life, but not everyone was as lucky.
Note: The following interview has been condensed for space.
Q: What was growing up in Uganda like? A: I was born a British subject because Uganda was under British rule until 1962 when Uganda became independent. We grew up singing the British anthem. So for me it was wonderful, except that now I realize we received a British education. In high school, I never had a single African teacher. Elementary school had African teachers, but high school had all English teachers … even history was British history.
Q: Can you provide your perspective on Uganda’s political upheaval while you were there? A: That’s a painful topic. When I first came to the U.S., I was told, “Don’t talk about it. It might create political hostilities between you and the government in Uganda. Your silence will be part of your protection.” But now most of the people who were involved in the persecution there have suffered and died.
General Amin was a Muslim in Uganda’s military and was semi-illiterate. The British government promoted him to high ranks because he was a stooge of the British … President Obote inherited this military structure in which Idi Amin was the top military officer. In Uganda there were two religious factions: the Anglicans, who ruled the country … and another group of Catholics who did not have political power. [Obote] created one state. He wanted to unify both the Anglicans and the Catholics who had formed two separate political partie s… And so you had a government which was Anglican in structure and resented by a majority of Catholics, and you also had Muslims who were left out of the two political groups. Then, in 1970, [Obote] declared he was going to adopt African socialism, and the British thought, “Oh, that’s dangerous. This guy’s getting out of hand.” … They went back to Idi Amin and told him, “We created you. We need you. Kick out your president and be the new president.” So Idi Amin, a Muslim, overthrew the president … but Idi Amin had another agenda [the British] didn’t know about. He had been talking to some Muslims from Libya and Saudi Arabia, and so when he took over, Gaddafi (Libyan dictator) said, “Now you better join us to form this Islamic league.” He did, even though Uganda was 85 percent Christian. The Muslims at the time were 7 percent.
Q: What was your life like when all of this was happening? A: As an assistant chaplain at Makerere [University], I organized the bishops to protest against Idi Amin and his oppressive measures … When you are a chaplain, it’s heartbreaking for you to bury young people because of a dictator who has ordered for them to be shot. I said, “We have got to protest.” The archbishop said, “I can’t do that because they will kill him and they will kill his family.” But when this happened for over a year and he had to bury the dead he ended up saying, “It’s okay now, but you have got to go mobilize the bishops.” It took me three months to persuade [the bishops] to consent, and then when they agreed, the archbishop asked me to write a letter which would be used as a point of discussion, and then would be sent to Idi Amin. In it, I had written all the grievances I could think about, mainly political and military oppression, killings and murders of innocent civilians by military groups, people disappearing at night. Of course, Idi Amin was so angry, and that’s when he vowed to retaliate and kill us. I don’t know how he knew I was one of those who drafted the letter, but he sent a message to me saying if the archbishop acts on this, he will be dead and I will be dead, too. I warned the archbishop … and he said, “Let God’s will be.” And that’s how he went and got killed that day, and they began looking for me. I went to hide in the dorms … but why I had enough time to hide was because one of my maids happened to be shopping at the corner store, and these people came there to find and arrest me. Talk about divine providence. Who was at the counter? My maid, buying bread and sugar. I will never probably do enough to reward her. She told them where the Catholic chaplain lived, and she came and told me, “They are really coming for you.” Then I went and took a few things to go and hide. It was rough time … So now I know the price to be paid when you stand for peace and justice.
Q: Do you think you’ll ever return to Uganda? A: We left Uganda and I refuse to go back and take my position in the cabinet of the new government because my wife said, “You have a loud mouth.” She didn’t want me running out again because this time I might not be so lucky.
Q: Where does your passion for theology stem from? A: My father’s an Anglican minister. He’s retired now … And so it was a debate between me and him even on matters of evolution. He was a creationist. I was an evolutionist. I was supposed to go into medicine, but I ended up saying somebody has got to teach the world that God didn’t create the universe in six days.
Some people say, “Are you really a priest writing on evolution?” It became a passion, a mission, and I love it … There are students who think I’m an atheist, but I try to be a voice of reason for all.
Q: There have been some incidents at OWU over the years of students acting in racist and inappropriate ways to you. Can you tell me about this? A: I had just come and this student left a voicemail on my answering machine actually saying I should change a test date, otherwise they would shave my nappy head. But the chaplain had actually warned me that this place could be racist because the week before I came for the interview, someone had vandalized the shanties on the JayWalk that were protesting South African apartheid. He said, “When you come, don’t be horrified when you see things like this.” So, I had been forewarned and I am grateful he warned me.
Q: What are your plans for the future? A: I don’t have any plans yet. I want to teach here. I’m working on a new book on critical issues in religion and ethics, and I’m excited about that, so I still want to teach until I’m too old to teach.
WCSA members talk to Trustees during their winter visit to campus. Photo by Olivia Lease.
Areena Arora, Managing Editor
Olivia Lease, Online Editor
The Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees (BOT) passed a resolution to support the goal of enrolling 2,020 students by 2020 when they visited last week.
This goal, according to the BOT campus retreat report shared by President Rock Jones with faculty, calls for a 25 percent growth in total student body over the next five years. Ten faculty members were also present with the trustees for discussion.
On Feb. 11, Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA) invited the Board of Trustees to dinner to discuss a myriad of issues and celebrate their love for the school.
Topics such as the importance socioeconomic and racial diversity among the students, and enhancing school spirit were discussed. Also at issue were the appropriate role of academic advisors and campus accessibility for students with different abilities.
In his opening statement, Thomas Tritton ‘69, chairperson of the board, said, “We [the board members] love coming back to campus because it allows us to reminisce. We love sharing good memories, and of course, blocking out the bad ones.”
Addressing the students present, Tritton said, “You all are going to be us someday. I hope that doesn’t scare you too much. It should inspire you instead.”
Junior Jess Choate, president of WCSA, said she wanted those in attendance at the dinner to focus on “looking to the past in order to better the present.”
Choate talked about discontinued OWU traditions such as Spring Fever Day during which a bell was rung and the students were allowed to ditch class in exchange for other fun activities. WCSA, she said, is aiming to reintroduce old traditions.
The idea of rethinking OWU’s plentiful travel opportunities was also discussed. Laurie Anderson, professor of botany-microbiology, suggested offering a competitive scholarship so more students can go on travel-learning courses.
Will Kopp, chief communications officer, suggested the idea of an “angel fund” or emergency scholarship to help students who are struggling to pay tuition. “It’s just a shame,” he said.
Senior Emma Drongowski, former WCSA vice president, who was in attendance and remembered planning the event last year, said, “It’s very stressful. I mean, people on the Board of Trustees are very important people and they have a limited amount of time on campus. So as a student, we know how valuable that time is.”
“At my table, we talked about varying abilities of students coming in, specifically academic-level abilities and how to best support them,” said Drongowski. “I think all the issues talked about today [at the dinner] were important, but the overall question on most people’s minds was retention just because that is indicative of a lot of other things on campus.”
According to U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 edition of America’s Best Colleges, OWU’s retention rate was 87 percent. The current rate however, is 81 percent, showing a drop of 6 percent in the past five years. In 2011, OWU had the lowest freshman retention rate of the Five Colleges of Ohio or the Ohio5 (Oberlin, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, Denison and Wooster).
Gregory Moore ’76 said, “I love the big 2020 plan. We want to get more students to come and stay. The trustees are really starting to echo with what students have been saying. We are starting to listen more.”
During the retreat, the board reviewed results of the Student Satisfaction Inventory survey, which was collected in October 2015, and engaged, along with faculty, in conversations with students about ways to enhance the student experience and increase student satisfaction and success, according to the retreat report.
In an email, Rock Jones, the president of OWU, said, “This is an exciting time at the university as we set out on this new, critical pathway. We must embrace appropriate change while remaining true to our historic mission, be willing to take urgent action, keenly focus on proper execution and be dedicated to our nearly 175-year-old commitments to a liberal education, diversity and public service.”
A 200-pound bell, made by senior Owen Kelling, will be settled in front of Elliott Hall over spring break.
The creation of the bell was initially a house project for the Peace and Justice House (P&J). Kelling decided to create this piece in order to represent both the house and school curriculum.
“[Kelling] signed up for an independent study last fall and elected to work on a commemorative bell celebrating 30 years of the Peace and Justice House,” said Jon Quick, part-time professor of fine arts.
The bell has two different sayings: “For Peace and Justice” and “A Coeli Usque ad Centrum,” which is Latin for “to the sky from the center of the earth.”
“It’s a phrase from old Roman property tax code,” Kelling said. “It was a literal definition of infinite personal property. In this context, it’s more figurative and spiritual [of] peace and justice everywhere.”
The frieze embedded on the bell was another reference to the P&J house. “It’s a charcoal rubbing I took of the radiator that’s in my room at pj and then retraced it on the plaster and carved the shape in the plaster so it’s from scratch,” said Kelling.
Kelling cast the bell this past October. “The final cast was a little disappointing due to significant breakout in the cast. But [Kelling] put in untold hours of work, as did I, providing troubleshooting and assistance throughout the entire process,” said Quick.
The bell got recognition after a house meeting at P&J with President Rock Jones.
“Owen has done a great job of promoting his efforts and apparently got the attention of Rock Jones and others who deemed it an appropriate and timely addition to the campus landscape,” Quick said.
The bell tower will be positioned 20 feet over from Elliot, will stand at 11 feet and ring the D note. Kelling mentioned that the bell might ring for commencement this coming May.
Camille Mullins-Lemieux, a resident of P&J, spoke highly of her housemate. “I think that we were excited when we found out he was making the bell. As he made it over the months, the excitement grew. He would bring molds and drawings to house meetings and we would all be in awe each time.”
Mullins-Lemieux said the project was a way to preserve the legacy of P&J.
“It will be here forever and it will be maintained as a landmark,” Kelling said. “It’s going to ring for every single person that goes here forever. That’s really one of those augmentation things I really didn’t expect.”
Snapchat, with its growing popularity, has swept over Ohio Wesleyan’s campus and is telling OWU’s story all over social media.
The account was launched in the summer and gave students who were not on campus a glimpse of Merrick Hall and its renovations. Initially, the app’s usage underwent a trial period and a few students were asked to try it out to gauge people’s responses.
“I like OWU Snapchat because I think it’s a way to connect with the current student body and encourage pride in our campus,” said senior Venessa Menerey.
Senior Julia Stone, who runs the OWU Snapchat, said it was challenging at first because she was unsure of what to include.
“Luckily, my friends were full of good ideas such as footage from an open mic at Choffey’s or the opening of an art show in Edgar Hall,” Stone said.
Stone said she enjoyed the experience because it forced her to get out of the comfort of her room and to “seek out adventure, fun and excitement at OWU during homework breaks.”
Since the initial trial period, the “My Story” feature on Snapchat has gotten about 140 viewers. Jessica Vogel, the student social media intern at the communications office, said she hopes this number will grow with time.
Students have used Snapchat for seven days to actively tell the OWU story and give a clear depiction of some of the events that happen on campus on a regular basis.
The mission of the weekly takeover is “to be flexible as we explore the best way for students to share their ‘My Story’ with classmates and future students,” Vogel said. “We want to create a program that is more than just a ‘take-over Tuesday.’ We want to see a real week in the life of an OWU student.”
The OWU Snapchat has one intention with this new social media account.
“The main goal of the account is to spread a sense of community and reach out to prospective students in a way that is authentic and fun,” Vogel said.
So far, some of the users of the account include Nicole Sanczyk, Stone and Emily Feldmesser, the chair of public relations during Mock Convention.
Lacrosse players also used the app to show what athletes on campus experience regularly. To add OWU’s Snapchat account, download Snapchat and add the account ohiowesleyan.
The investigation into the death of freshman Luke Gabbert continues to progress as results from the autopsy report become public.
“We have the autopsy report, and no obvious cause of death has been found. No visible traumatic injuries were found and the coroner is now conducting forensic testing for internal injuries and also for toxicology, the results of which are awaited,” said Captain Adam Moore of the Delaware Police Department.
Moore said he cannot pinpoint as to when those other tests will be received but they do not think foul play was a factor in Gabbert’s death..
As for where the investigation is headed next, Moore said they are looking into what Gabbert’s whereabouts were prior to him being found and also looking into who he may have been with.
A pedestrian called police about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, after noticing a body in Delaware Run creek south of a building the first block of South Franklin Street near OWU’s campus.
He said investigators are trying to piece together a full timeline of Gabbert’s activities between the night of Feb. 5 and the discovery of his body.
Anyone who came into contact with Gabbert on the night of Feb. 5 or the morning of Feb. 6 is asked to call the Delaware Police Department at 740-203-1111.
The Transcript will continue to update this story as more information becomes available
