Category: News

By Rachel Vincinguerra
Transcript Reporter

Linnea Velasquez has worked at the Schimmel Conrades Science Center (SCSC) Food Cart serving students and faculty their morning coffee for almost 13 years. Velasquez began her day alongside the science majors early in the morning and closed up shop at 1:30 p.m. every weekday. After working at the university for so long, students and fellow employees were surprised when she did not return from winter break the week of Jan. 14 with other faculty, staff, students and Chartwells employees.

Junior Jenna Reeger said she saw Velasquez setting up the Science Center Food Cart on Monday Jan. 14, but has not seen her since. Reeger said she knew Velasquez from her visits to the Food Cart over the past three years.

“Sometimes she was really happy to see me and would chat and tell me a personal story,” Regger said. “No one is sure if she was fired, if she quit or if she was asked to leave. I could never tell how much she actually liked her job–she definitely liked the students–but I don’t know how much she actually liked working there.”

Senior Kathleen Dalton echoed Reeger’s assessment of Velasquez’s interaction with students.

“She seemed very kind to some students but sometimes impatient with others,” Dalton said.

Dalton personally had a friendly relationship with Velasquez and would often stop at the Food Cart to get her morning tea before class. She had not heard about Velasquez’s absence and said she is mostly curious to find out why. Although students like Dalton are curious about the cause of her absence, Chartwells employees have not said much on the matter.

Michele Van Buren-Keefer, who has taken Velasquez’s place at the Science Center Food Cart, said only a few other employees have asked where Velasquez went. “A couple employees said they’d miss her but not much has been said,” Van Buren-Keefer said. Gene Castelli, Chartwells’s Resident District Manager at OWU, said he is saddened to see Velasquez go.

“I personally liked Linnea a lot and got along very well with her and enjoyed her personality,” he said.
“It is sad she chose to leave.”

After twelve years, Castelli said he was upset by Velasquez’s sudden departure.

He said the reasons she left are uncertain and she has not confirmed anything to him at this point.

Velasquez said she came to OWU as a Chartwells employee in 2000 to support her son’s activity in high school sports.

She said she enjoyed the time she spent in the Science Center Cart and will always remember the kind words and small gifts of recognition she received from grateful students.

“Customer service was so important to me and knowing the names of each of you and what each person liked or disliked,” Velasquez said. “I can honestly say you people made me feel so important and special over the years and I thank you.”

Velasquez has chosen to remain private about her resignation, but she said she appreciates the good wishes of students and employees.

Students like Reeger, however, just wish they had time for farewells after three years of seeing the same face behind the counter.

“If I had known she was leaving, I would have liked to say goodbye,” Reeger said.

By Brian Cook
Transcript Correspondent

The Backstretch Bar will hold sign-ups for their annual 50 Day Club on Saturday, March 23, according to owner Joanne Meyer.

The club, which started ten years ago, involves ordering at least two drinks at the Backstretch every day for 50 consecutive days leading up to Ohio Wesleyan’s graduation. Drinks don’t have to be alcoholic.

According to Meyer, it was inspired by two employees who decided to come to the bar every day for the last semester of their college career.

They only made it 32 days, but from that semester Meyer decided to make a change.

Meyer said it made her think about the emotional experience of finishing college and being part of the Delaware community and the “Backstretch family.”

Senior AJ Alonzo likes the idea of the challenge, but has limitations that will keep him from participating this year. “I would like to do the 50 Day Club, but I’m part of the ultimate Frisbee team, and we travel to tournaments often during the semester so I would miss too many days,” Alonzo said.

Senior Ethan Chapman, on the other hand, said he has “no interest in participating.”

The challenge is typically geared towards seniors, but it is open to anyone who is at least 21 years old at the start of the challenge.

Participants may miss up to three days if they have a valid excuse for each day, but must make up the drinks they missed within five days of their excused absence.

The 50 Day Club started with just 20 people signing up, according to Meyer.

She also said the highest entry rate ever was 178, but most people do not finish the challenge; so the highest number of completions in any one year was 69.

Recently, according to Meyer, the club added a team aspect to the game, where people are randomly assigned to one of four different teams that compete in games every Wednesday night.

Meyer believes team play has made the club better.

“Teams provide interactions between the OWU and Delaware community,” she said.

By Samantha Simon
Transcript Reporter

On November 30, a bankruptcy judge approved bonuses for the management team at Hostess, while allowing the company to liquidate.

The move calls for 15,000 people to immediately lose their job, with an additional 3,000 expected to work for one more year before the company shuts down entirely.

The shutdown and closure of the company gained national attention as a result of the Teamsters, a union representing the drivers, choosing to accept the terms Hostess put forth to remain in business.

The other union, The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), has more workers and chose unemployment over reduced wages and benefits.

The company’s shutdown was also noteworthy because of its nostalgic and well-known brands of Wonderbread and Twinkies.

The bankruptcy judge’s decision will force the eventual end to 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers, approximately 5,500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores throughout the U.S.

In Ohio, it is estimated that between 800 and 1,000 workers will lose their jobs. The company will shut down three bakeries in Cincinnati, Defiance and Northwood.

Drivers throughout the state will also lose their jobs, as well as those individuals who worked at the five Hostess bakery outlet stores.

The company had already shut its Columbus Wonderbread plant in 2009, citing diminished demand for its products.

Some students are upset about Hostess closing, realizing that many of their favorite treats may be unattainable in the future.

Junior, Rebecca Overbeeke said she will forever miss many of the treats especially HoHo’s.

Senior Andrew Sloan said it is unfortunate the company had to close, but realizes it is a profitable brand name and someone will probably buy it and redistribute it.

If the products are not redistributed, students can turn to hundreds of fans who are “pinning” recipes for Twinkies, Snowballs and more on pinterest. Junior Meg Greff said “if we can’t count on Hostess, what can we count on?”

Eating habits have changed as the focus on diet increases, and Hostess has battled the growing acceptance of lower carbohydrates in one’s diet leading to a drop in demand for its bread and snack items by between four and nine percent per year, over the past three years.

Increased competition from grocery store brand items that are similar in nature to Hostess’ well know dessert and snack products also weakened the company’s fiscal health.

While blame has been pointed in many directions, unions have been targeted as being unrealistic, with respect to their wage demands, when working for a company that was struggling financially.

Conservative groups have criticized the unions for opting to collect unemployment checks, rather than reduced paychecks.

The management of the company has also been criticized for voting for their own reasonable raises and bonuses, and liberals have faulted the investors and company management from trying to profit at the expense of laborers.

The primary investors, Ripplewood Management, a private equity hedge fund, have also been critiqued for their approach to handling labor negotiations.

Ripplewood enlisted the services of former Senator Richard Gephardt, in the hopes that he would convince the unions to give in to the demands of the company.

There was instant distrust on the part of the unions when Gephardt’s son was appointed to the board of directors with a $100,000 salary and Gephardt had an equity stake through his consulting group.

“I voted no to the proposal. I need a job, but it became pretty clear that one way or another we were going to go out of business. No one could trust anyone. Management didn’t know what they were doing, and we could take a pay cut, but we all knew that a few months from now, they would be asking for more concessions,” said David Kellogg, a 47-year-old worker from the Northwood bakery and a member of BCTGM.

Steven Rogers, a member of the Teamsters union from the Toledo area and a delivery man for Hostess products, said he was not happy with the “bakers” whose vote effectively left him without a job.

“I have to be honest,” Rogers said. “If I would see a baker right now, I’d have to be restrained. Sure things are not great. And they have a point that management wasn’t changing any of our marketing or approach to selling Twinkies, but I need to work, and I was hopeful, that once we got things going in right direction, we could eventually be making good money again.”

Rogers said he would have preferred to have a job during the holidays, as his kids are going to be disappointed this year.

While blame goes around, and conservative and liberal pundits offer their views on who is at fault, the end result has been an investment company that will lose most if not all of their 125 million dollar investment.

Union workers who voted to save their jobs and union workers who voted to end their jobs are out of work leading to 18,500 jobs lost on a food product that may have passed its shelf life, even if it was a multi-year expiration date.

By Marissa Alfano
Editor-in-Chief

An OWU student was arrested for burglary, indecent exposure, voyeurism and disorderly conduct on Saturday, Dec. 1, according to Delaware Police Department incident reports.

At 1 a.m. freshman Waleed Osman was written up by Public Safety after a freshman female student reported that she noticed a male inside the girls Thomson Hall bathroom watching her take a shower. The victim was able to identify the suspect.

At 2:10 a.m. Osman was again cited by Public Safety after a junior female student reported a burglary at 70 S. Liberty St., the address for Bashford Hall. She told officers she was sleeping in her bed and awoke to a strange man in her bedroom. He was arrested and charged with burglary, indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

These two cases have been combined into one, according to DPD Captain Robert Penrod. He said after charges are filed, the person in custody has a right to a preliminary hearing within 10 days. He said it is not unusual for a case such as this to go to a grand jury. Osman was being held for $150,000 cash bond or surety.

Penrod said OWU Public Safety did a good job of gathering information and working with DPD.

“It was a great job by OWU PS in their response,” Penrod said. “A very astute officer took the first report, and then the officer who wrote the second thought it was kind of suspicious and they might be connected. He contacted us and the investigation went on from there.

“The student identified him, we took him into custody and questioning and he was charged with four charges. He was transported to Delaware County Jail to wait for his bond hearing. It gives credit to our working relationship with them (PS). That is a big part of why it came to fruition.”

Penrod said it was important for OWU students to remember common safety tips when on campus.

“Keep doors locked in your dorm rooms and be careful who is following you home,” Penrod said. “Walk in groups and report all strange incidences even though they might seem justifiable at the time. You can always call 9-1-1 or go to PS as well for help.”

Efforts to reach Dean of Students Kimberlie Goldsberry before publication failed.

By Chrissy Wesney
Transcript Correspondent

On Sunday five clubs put on their baking aprons to make cakes to benefit and raise awareness about “The Other Side of Sandy” at a Cake Walk in the Milligan Hub.

Black Men of the Future, Rafiki Wa Afrika and VIVA put on the Cake Walk to raise money for victims in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The event followed a discussion held on Nov. 29 about the impact of the hurricane on the Caribbean.

Junior Ashley Madera, vice president and treasurer of VIVA, said she thinks it’s important to focus on the Caribbean because of the lack of media coverage the area got after the hurricane.

“We all noticed that other areas outside the United States were not covered, especially the Caribbean,” she said. “This was our way of helping an area that probably will not be covered in the news in the near future.”

Sally Leber, director of Community Service Learning, works with Pwoje Espwa (Project Hope), an orphanage in Haiti, and was able to talk to them after the hurricane.

“We know from our partners down there that when Sandy went through, there was just tons of flooding and a lot of their sustainable agriculture projects were really messed up. And there were some roofs torn off too,” she said.

Clubs donated a $15 entrance fee to enter a cake in the competition.

With a small donation of $1, students were able to sample the different cakes and vote on their favorite. Sisters United’s rum cake won the taste contest, and its winning recipe will be featured in the bakery.

“We were hoping for the whole community to sign up, but five is good,” said junior Hazel Barrera, the president of VIVA,” Madera said she came up with the idea for the event after gaining inspiration from community centers that have done cake walks.

“It’s a fun way, and a delicious way, to raise money, so I thought students would really be into that,” she said.

Sophomore Mariah Powell, the president of Sisters Untied, said she participated because it was another opportunity to help hurricane victims.

“When Hurricane Katrina occurred, my mom was really big on donating (things like) water and diapers,” she said. “I felt like this could be a good way to give back on my end since it’s a new tragedy that occurred.”

Barrera said while she is grateful for all the participants this year, she is looking forward to expanding the fundraiser for next year.

“We hope to do something like this next year and gain more support from OWU students and staff,” Barrera said.

Sisters United’s rum cake recipe will be at the bakery later this week.

Nov. 26 – Dec. 2

Nov. 26 4:10 p.m. – Public Safety dispatched to Haycock Hall on a report of approximately 300 pounds of scrap metal missing from the exterior of the building.

Nov. 26 11:45 a.m. – A resident of Smith Hall reported being bitten by a pet rat while attempting to cage the rodent.

Nov. 27 2:31 p.m. – An OWU student was transported from Science Center to Grady ER by Delaware City EMS.

Nov. 27 7:50 p.m. – A Smith Hall resident was cited for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Nov. 27 – two separate bike thefts were reported to Public Safety. Investigations are ongoing.

Nov 28 1:50 p.m. – an ARAMARK employee reported damage to their vehicle while parked in the Beeghly lot.

Nov. 28 8:46 p.m. – Several Bashford Hall residents were referred to student conduct for underage consumption and violation of residential housing policies.

Nov. 28 9:14 p.m. – A Bashford Hall resident was transported to Grady ER by Delaware EMS.

Nov. 30 8:05 p.m. – An OWU student was transported from the Ham-Wil to Grady ER by Delaware EMS.

Nov. 30 8:05 p.m. –Two television sets were reported missing from the third floor storage room at 20 Williams Drive.

Nov. 30 9:30 p.m. – A Smith Hall resident reported the theft of a Bishop Bike that had been left unsecured in the vicinity of the Ham-Wil.

Nov. 30 11:05 p.m. – An OWU student reported the theft of a book bag and contents valued at approximately four hundred dollars.

Dec. 1 1:12 a.m. – A Smith Hall resident was transported to Grady ER by Public Safety personnel.

Dec. 1 10:15 a.m. – An OWU student was taken into custody for questioning, and later charged with several criminal offenses by Delaware City Police, following two separate incidents that occurred on campus.

Dec. 1 3:05 p.m. – an OWU student reported damage to her vehicle while parked in the Welch Hall lot.

Dec. 2 12:30 a.m. – Delaware City Fire and Public Safety were dispatched to Bashford Hall on a full building fire alarm. The cause of the alarm was due to an expended fire extinguisher located in the third floor stairwell.

Dec. 2 11:50 a.m. – Two OWU students reported the theft of their personal property from a downtown Delaware establishment. Investigation is ongoing.

By Liza Bennett
Transcript Reporter

Ohio Wesleyan’s Freethinkers focus on religious, secular and human based ethics as they discuss winter holiday displays in relation to the separation of church and state.
The discussion was held in the Beeghly Library Café where nine students discussed their opinions of religious displays on public and governmental property.

While the discussion varied in views, the majority of students discussed the need to be inclusive, not exclusive, in regards to holiday displays.

All of the students also agreed that placement of religious displays should be placed in the hands of citizens and not the government.

Sophomore Avery Winston, co-president of Freethinkers, said he felt government employees specifically should not set up religious displays or have the power to decide whether or not to do so.

“I believe that religious displays can be on government property but only placed there by a non-government employee and they have to allow anyone to put up their display whether it be a menorah, kinara, happy human, or even the flying spaghetti monster,” Winston said.

Senior Adam Coles, co-president of Freethinkers, said the decision to display holiday signage should be placed in the hands of citizens.

“Personally, I think that we should keep them off of government property. This sort of thing belongs to private citizens, not the government,” Coles said.

The Freethinkers is a group that discusses religious and philosophical topics through the lens of reason and promotes secularism and human based ethics.

The purpose statement of the Free Thinkers is “an organization dedicated to the discussion of religious topics through the lens of logic and reason.

We take ourselves and our prejudices out of the equation and talk about these important topics without coloring them with our personal opinions.”

Senior Amanda Boehme joined the Freethinkers because as a member of the Inter-Faith House.

She wanted to begin attending the meetings because the discussions are relevant to her house’s mission.

Boehme said the discussion was good and explored both the political and social side of the issue.

Coles said although the discussion was a little more chaotic than usual, overall it went well, and he hopes more members of the OWU community will become involved in the discussion of faith and ethics.

“Honestly, all I want to say is that we have a fairly pervasive reputation as ‘those wacky atheists’ and I just want it to be known that we aren’t all atheists and that we aren’t faith haters,” Coles said.

“Give us a chance, and we’re decent folks, just trying to understand the world we’ve been given.”

Freethinkers next event is Dec. 3 in Bishop Café with OWU Better Together as a forum for members to share their stories of discrimination, marginalization and the misunderstanding as members of this social group.

By Margaret Bagnell, Banita Giri and Rebecca Muhl
Transcript Reporter and Correspondents

Black suits, sparkly dresses, high heels, smiling faces: OWU students crowded the Schimmel Conrades Science Center for this year’s President’s Ball on Dec. 1.
This year marks the fourth in recent history the event has been held and was complete with refreshments, music, dancing and a cocktail hour for the senior class, according to the President’s Club website.

Tickets were $5 for students to attend the “colorful” event. Senior Megan Pinto, co-president of the President’s Ball committee, said thanks to funding from the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs and the President’s office, the annual party was just as good as last year’s.

“Our theme involved a lot of fun decorations and lighting; it (was) sure to make the space look beautiful and exciting,” Pinto said. “We also (had) lots of yummy snacks, as well as everyone’s favorite – the chocolate fountain.”

This year’s event theme was “Live Colorfully,” and drew its inspiration from the designer Kate Spade, according to senior Claire Whitaker, co-president of the President’s Ball committee.

“I wanted the theme to be something bright and cheerful, but not over the top,” Whitaker said.

“I’m pretty satisfied with the choice. Everything looked so classy.”

Senior Zeke Brechtel, a member of President’s Club said in order to make President’s Ball a reality, the President’s Club put in a lot of hours “planning, advertising and prepping.”

Whitaker agreed and said the President’s Club members were very helpful.
“We had to hang decorations in the atrium, distribute invitations to mailboxes, and sell tickets,” Whitaker said.

“We even distributed hot chocolate with colored umbrellas to get everyone excited about the event. All of us were pretty busy, and I don’t think that one single person could have done everything on their own.”

Brechtel said everything came together for a successful event.

“I’m proud of the entire club and it seems as though everyone had fun at the event,” he said. “I even got to dance with some of my professors, and I only heard positive feedback.”

In past years, President’s Ball offered a photo booth to students. However, this year the President’s Ball committee decided to change it up. A graffiti wall was available to students instead.

“The graffiti wall (was) located in the Science (Atrium) and function(ed) as a photo station/interactive projection screen,” Whitaker said. “Students pose(d) for a snapshot in front of the screen and then once the image is captured they (could) decorate as they see fit.”

As student’s approached the Science Center, they were greeted with colored luminaries along the walkway. The sounds of the OWU jazz band could also be heard from outside, senior Emilie Schachtner said.

Inside the Science Center atrium, a spread of food was available for both students and faculty.

“The food was fantastic,” Schachtner said. “They had everything from a spread of hummus to mini crab cakes … Everything looked and smelled so delicious; I didn’t know where to start!”

Schachtner said she had a really great time.

Chartwells was also present at President’s Ball. Donned in white catering gear, Chartwells’ employees assisted with setting up, attended to the refreshments and helped keep everything clean.

Junior Maria Jafri worked President’s Ball for Chartwells last year as well as this year. Despite the crowd, she said she believes this year’s President’s Ball was better organized and well-executed.

“I felt that this year things went very smoothly; there was a decent system in place,” said Jafri.

“When certain problems came up, we were prepared to deal with them appropriately.”

The problems that took place last year did not happen this year, Jafri said.

“A few students had managed to get into an unlocked room, people had left empty bottles of alcohol around, there were lost phones, ID cards and glasses,” she said of last year’s President’s Ball.

Jafri said working President’s Ball was worth it, and she had fun even though she was on the job.

“I got to see everyone and enjoy their company for short periods of time, but still got to work and make money,” she said.

Sophomore Deki Pelmo, a Chartwells employee who also worked President’s Ball, said it didn’t feel awkward to work the event.

“When I see students working hard at an event, I respect them for working hard and making money,” she said. “I’d expect others to look at me the same way.”

Pelmo said working President’s Ball was not much different than working other events on campus.

“With every event, the work is the same,” Pelmo said. “It starts out slow at first and then becomes busier as more people come and there are more plates to clean.”

“If the crowd is difficult that’s what makes the event hard for me,” she said.

Pelmo said she enjoyed herself at President’s Ball this year.

“As a senior my favorite part was the cocktail hour, but I also really enjoyed the live band,” she said. “It was just great to see both faculty and students celebrating being with each other and enjoying a fun evening.”

By Ellin Youse
Transcript Reporter

Although they may have been primarily focused on the guacamole, the students gathered in Benes Room C last Wednesday were supporting the Love and Hope Ministries’ efforts to assist dispossessed children of El Salvadore.

The Love and Hope Ministries hosted its “Taco Fiesta” luncheon Nov.28 to raise money for their annual mission trip to El Salvadore as part of a Chaplin’s Office Spring Break Mission Trip.

Six students will travel with David Eastman, assistant professor of religion, and Lisa Jackson, assistant to the president/secretary to the Board of Trustees, the advisors for the trip.

Each year the group travels to the Love and Hope Children’s Home, founded by Cleveland native Rachel Sanson in 2003 after visiting Nejapa, El Salvadore with her church in 2001. The home houses around 20-30 children.

In past years, students visited the original home in Nejapa, but in September 2012 the home relocated to Los Planes de Renderos to better serve the needs of the children.

Once in El Salvadore, the mission team will work around the house attending to everything from painting the home to building chicken coops.
Senior Katie Jacob is the team leader for next semester’s trip.

An active participant in the Love and Hope Mission Trip since her freshman year, Jacob said the Children’s Home is dear to her heart.

“The home provides a loving environment for kids who would probably be living on the street without it,” Jacob said.

“The kids call the woman who founded the home ‘Mamacita’ which in Spanish means little mother. I think this is a testament of the environment of the home. The kids love Rachel so much and she loves them so much that the children really view her as a mother.

“Rachel has given these children the life and love they deserve, a life and love that all children deserve.

“I truly admire Rachel and all of the people who work in the Home and I feel blessed to have been able to take part in the ministry of Love and Hope Children’s Home.”

Junior Laurel Fuller has participated in two mission trips in the past, but will be traveling to El Salvadore for the first time this spring.

“I was very excited to be selected to be a part of this incredible group,” Fuller said.

“I think that this cause is very important because I believe we are all global citizens and have a responsibility to help when we are able.”

Jacob said because the opportunity to participate in the mission trip program is part of the reason she decided to come to OWU, they are the most important and influential experience of her college years.

“Meeting kids and playing with them is easily the most rewarding part (of the trip),” Jacob said.

“They have taught me a great deal about myself and the world.”

Fuller also said the children are the most exciting aspect of the trip.

“I love to see the enduring impact of service in a person’s life,” she said.

“We are going to be working closely with the children of the home and I am excited to see the positive change that will result in their life from being given the opportunity to succeed.”