Opinion – Page 6 – The Transcript

Jimmy Fallon hugged me, but there’s no proof

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

True life: I hugged Jimmy Fallon and they didn’t show it on TV.

Last month, my boyfriend and I got tickets to the taping of a Fallon episode in New York after sitting on a prestigious waiting list.

A few weeks before the taping, we waited eagerly to find out what celebrities and musical guest would appear on the show, only to later be disappointed by Vin Diesel, Norman Reedus and an unknown musical guest.

I guess I wasn’t disappointed, but my initial reaction was “eh.”

We told ourselves that it didn’t matter, because we were going to see Fallon in person, hopefully up close.

It turns out we did get up close and personal.

Fast forward to the day of the taping, Oct. 13, where we were escorted from a stairway in the main lobby to the Peacock Lounge, a waiting area for the audience members and strictly told not to take any photos whatsoever.

Not willing to chance getting kicked out of NBC Studios before even getting to see Fallon, we happily obliged.

Photo taken by NBC Studios. Since we weren't allowed to take photos while waiting for the show to start, or during the show, employees of NBC Studios took this photo of me and my boyfriend. — Photo taken by NBC Studios.
**Since we weren’t allowed to take photos while waiting for the show to start, or during the show, employees of NBC Studios took this photo of me and my boyfriend.**

So we waited for a good hour and a half before being let into Studio 6B, the room Fallon films in. Was it worth it, you may ask. Absolutely.

By some luck, we ended up in the first row right behind the producers of the show and one of the cameramen.

The. First. Row.

NBC had a comedian get us excited for the show to start, then the famous band from Philadelphia, The Roots, entered and Fallon’s counterpart, Steve Higgins, began his nightly introduction to the show.

Lights, camera, action: Fallon was on stage less than 20 feet from me.

Disclaimer: Even though I wasn’t pleased with the guest stars and music selection, I couldn’t really say anything. The tickets were free and I was sitting extremely close to Fallon, the person I watch on Hulu every night.

So Fallon went through his opening jokes, talked with Vin Diesel, messed around with Norman Reedus and kept me mesmerized.

I genuinely forgot I was actually watching it live because he’s that good.

Not only did everything run so smoothly while the cameras rolled, but during the scheduled taping breaks, what would be a commercial break when it aired later, Fallon continued with his witty remarks in such a casual manner.

Like I said, he really is that good.

But as the show neared its end, that’s when I got most excited.

I waited for Fallon to run up and down the audience seating area while the cameras rolled to hug, gives high fives and shake hands with us.

That’s when I got to hug Fallon and try not to pass out from excitement.

So long story not so short, I was the last person Fallon hugged, but the credits ended on television maybe two seconds before he got to me.

You know what they say: If it’s not on social media (or on TV for my experience), did it even happen?

Honestly, I’m still in shock, so if you told me I was lying I’d probably believe you.

Fallon hugged me and they didn’t show it on TV.

Sports icons lost in 2016

By Ross Hickenbottom, Sports Editor

On Sunday, the 25th of September, I received two ESPN notifications on my phone of deaths
in the sports world; Miami Marlins ace pitcher Jose Fernandez and legendary golf icon, Arnold Palmer. Two in one day is bad enough, but in 2016 alone there have been over 30 “notable” deaths to accompany these tragic losses. Icons lost in 2016 such as Muhammad Ali, Dave Mirra, Gordie Howe, Pearl Washington, Pat Summitt, Buddy Ryan, Dennis Green, John Saunders and Kimbo Slice impacted their respective sports in ways someone like me could only dream to do.

I’d call myself a lover of anything and everything sports, and I have been for as long as I can remember. My very first sports loss I experienced as a fan was on February 18, 2001. The death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. My family, especially my father and late grandfather loved to watch the “Intimidator” race, and succeed while doing so. This love rubbed off on me and developed me into a die-hard “#3” fan, and at the age of 7, his death devastated me. I couldn’t believe it. How could someone so untouchable and godly on the track be so vulnerable?

The fact that these men and women served as such iconic and influential individuals towards the evolution of not only their sports, but social issues like racial barriers, gender equality and religious freedom makes their deaths that much harder to cope, but also makes their legacies left behind that much greater to remember.

Elite human beings, including the names I previously listed, took it upon themselves to improve the culture and competitiveness of their game. Every single day of their professional lives, and the days it took them to become profession- als, were dedicated to “the cause.” Whether it was to become an 8-time NCAA Champion like Pat Summitt, or to become a Gold Medalist boxer like Muhammad Ali, they laid it all on the line for one broad and everlasting asset in their lives; sports. Sports have contributed so many life lessons and opportunities to my life alone, and I’m sure any athlete can say the same.

The last thing I want to do is undermine or overshadow the tragic losses of anyone else lost in the year 2016, or any year at that. Instead, I wish to shine a light on the toll the world takes when someone belonging to simple as a sports franchise is lost. It goes far beyond athletics. They could’ve stopped at becoming famous for their success in sports, yet these fallen titans took it several steps beyond that by using their success on the field of play to further their influence into aspects of life they cared so dearly for. We’ve all seen or possibly even reaped from the actions and commitments of these worldly figures, and I feel that part of my responsibility as a journalist and sports fan is to help revive their legacies and reflect on their impacts.

2016 has been a year to remember in sports, from celebration to lamentation.

Chelsea Clinton, pushing politics since Trump paid taxes

By Liz Hardaway, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Growing up in the White House has a lot of perks, including train- ing Chelsea Clinton to be a political mule.

September 27, National Voter Registration Day, Courtney Dunne, editor-and-chief, and I were con- tacted by Wyatt Ronan, the regional press secretary of Hillary for Ohio, to participate in a press call with Chelsea Clinton. This being a great opportunity, we jumped at the idea.

Little did we know what scarce information this would provide.

Of course, this is politics. Before callers could ask questions to the daughter of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Chelsea boasted how proud of her mother she is. The main points she brought up were debt-free college, criminal justice reform and climate change.

Yet, their biggest push right now is in voter registration. Hillary is promoting a robust campaign on college campuses in swing-states.

When talking about debt-free college, Chelsea informed the students on the press call that her mother would enable people who engage in public services, like teachers and firefighters, a three-year grace period before paying back loans, and Hillary is working toward making community colleges completely tuition-free.

“Anyone should be able to go to community college tuition free… anyone should be able to go to public university or college…and graduate debt free,” said Chelsea Clinton.

When students from various colleges started asking questions, Chelsea would relate their names to a family member, or talk about how she had visited their home states, an unnecessary waste of time.

Only five soft-ball questions were answered by the daughter, such as how to get students motivated to vote, policy differences between Obama and her mother (which she only touched on one issue) and how climate change is, spoiler alert, real.

Chelsea even included that every home will be powered by renewable energy by the time her mom hits her second term. I commend her for wishful thinking, but let’s get past this first election.

Though the call ended before I could ask how Hillary planned to pay for debt-free college, Hillary did articulate this plan at a North Carolina rally on September 27.

“We’re going to go where the money is and the money’s at the top”,” said Clinton.

The estimated cost for this initiative is $500 billion over ten years, according to the “New College Compact Breifing” on Clin- ton’s homepage. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found this is possible through closing loopholes for high-income earners and businesses.

Let’s hope so, Secretary Clinton.

An opinion of OWU Macks: “Not cool”

By Dylan Hays, Transcript Reporter

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been on campus here at Ohio Wesleyan. Let me tell you, my first few weeks at OWU have been amazing.

I love the campus, I love the history, the culture, the diversity, the people … well, most of the people. Before classes started, the studying became priority and before I even found a core group of friends, I was introduced to the Instagram account “owu_macks,” which as of now (Sept. 20, 11:00 p.m.) has 240 posts and 1,291 fol- lowers, and the most recent photo has a respectable 95 likes.

When I first saw this account I thought little of it – just another stupid thing we college kids do. The more I thought about it, the more it enraged me, the more furi- ous I became. It is not the subject matter itself that brings up so many feelings, but merely the fact that no one seems to be bothered by it.

During orientation we were presented were presented with different seminars on college relationships, hook-ups and sexual assault.

I greatly respected the choice to include these sessions and I think they were not only insightful, but necessary. Of course you have the guy who hasn’t really gotten out of his high school stage and is yell- ing just a couple of inappropriate jokes, but I seemed to think that these individuals were the minority and most students were more adult than that.

I loved the fact that OWU took the time to talk about this serious topic, one that most other larger universities tend to ignore until it’s much too late. Then days later, I began to really think as to why someone would make this ac- count. The truth, I admit, is I do not know. I do not even understand why someone would think it’s OK.

If you are not familiar with the account, then let me explain that the way it works. One indi- vidual will snap a photo of fellow students making out (usually at a party or other similar situation) and direct message the image to the account where it is posted with a “clever” comment.

Why does this inherently anger me? Why should a first- year student care so much? Well, why should I not care? This is my school as well, my pride, the place I hope to graduate from one day.

Should the highlight of our school be the fact that we, as students, are doing great things or the fact that two students once kissed at a party and their photo now resides on the Internet for- ever. I could go into the details of how it’s a part of rape culture and the logistics of these individuals not giving consent to have these photos posted. The thing is, I shouldn’t.

That girl you just posted a photo of? She has a family, she has hopes and dreams and one day her potential employer might see that photo. That guy in the picture? His future children might see
that; what would they think? That person you just tagged? They are now forever linked to one moment in their life that they just might not want to remember.

I’m not shaming anyone (except the individual(s) who manage the account). We all make mistakes, that’s a part of being human – but the Internet is this false intimacy that we all have become addicted to. I’m not asking anyone reading this to think twice. I am asking you to think differently

Student called from person claiming to be FBI agent

By Areena Arora, Managing Editor

By the time you’re done reading this piece, I might be in jail, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or, I might be deported back to my homeland, India.

On Sept. 6, at precisely 5:34 p.m., I received a call from an Akron, Ohio phone number.

“Hello,” I answered.

“This is a call from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Am I speaking with Areena Arora?”

My heart skipped a beat. I trembled, “yes,” replaying the last couple of days in my head to recall anything illegal I had maybe done. None.

The person on the other end proceeded to inform me how this was a final warning call from the FBI, before I was to be arrested. He warned me that if I hung up, an arrest warrant would be issued for me.

After about 11 minutes of hearing him accuse me of defaulting on some sort of an education tax, I hung up.

I should have done so sooner. It was a scam.

I called and let both Public Safety (P.S.) and the International and Off Campus Programs Office know, who both reassured me that it was a scam, and that I needn’t worry.

But here’s the problem. The number the scammers called me from, was in fact a registered FBI Akron number. How could this possibly be true?

I called P.S. again.

Flash forward to two days later, I got another call. Same script, same arrest warrant threats, except this time, the call was from Delaware Police’s (DPD), non-emergency number.

P.S. connected me with Captain Adam Moore at DPD and a formal police complaint was filed; On charges of my scammers impersonating federal officers and threating to arrest me.

Here’s the lesson to be learned; If you get a similar call, do not panic. Definitely do not let them threaten you for as long as I let them (11 minutes!). Contact your local police, immediately.

Do not confirm any information. They might be calling just to ask, “Is this really your address/ your bank account number.” Do not say yes. Just hang up.

It doesn’t end here. Make sure you contact your bank, and change your generic passwords and ATM pins, as a precautionary step. Update all your social media profiles to heighten security and make as much information as possible, private.

The weirdest part about my scam incident was the extent of my personal information the strangers had and that unlike usual spam emails, they did not ask me for anything. For instance, they knew about my visa status, my employment and tax information, majors and my postal address.

However, simple psychology; they were trying to scare me. But in the real world, the FBI does not call people to arrest them; at least not without sending any prior warnings in mail. Even then, they do not threaten to arrest you should you hang up.

According to a P.S. advisory, “the FBI does not call private citizens asking for money.”

Hope my story serves you as a reminder should you fall victim to a scam like this. And if it does happen, take immediate steps. Laugh off the incident, like I did, but not before securing all your information and reaching out to the local police.

Additionally, you must also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov and/or with the local Attorney General.

For additional resources, contact Public Safety at 740-368-2222 or Delaware Police at 740-203-1111.

By the way, I informed my advisor the next day, and while he did reassure me that it was a scam, he also said if it wasn’t, he would visit me in prison, though he said he wouldn’t pay for my bail.

Fresh Start rises on Sandusky Street

By Leia Miza, Photo Editor

If you didn’t know, the most delicious cinnamon rolls are being made right here in town.

Delaware’s newest cafe and bakery, Fresh Start, opened its doors to the community this past July, offering fresh baked good, pastries and Crimson Cup Coffee.

Co-Owner, Todd Daughenbaugh, Delaware resident of 14 years, said he “lived in Columbus, slept in Delaware” and aspired to finally connect with the community and start fresh, hence the name of his new business.

“I really wanted to be more connected to the community, or find something, a business that the community really needs and wants and I think we found that niche here, with great pastries, baked good and hopefully even more deserts.” he said.

Ron Lawson, manager of Fresh Start, added “The reason why wanted to open in Delaware was the fact that Buehler’s had closed down and so there was a need immediately because of that. But our heart was to bring great coffee and great baked goods anyway, and I think that’s something downtown Delaware needed.”

Photo by Leia Miza. — Photo by Leia Miza

By walking into the bakery on any morning, you will notice that business is booming. “We have people in everyday that are new but then we have a lot of people who are regular customers already. Eight weeks in, to have as many regular customers as we do, that’s a very positive sign.” said Lawson.

Daughenbaugh said it’s been amazing, and the community has been very supportive. “People really appreciate the quality and the customer service and the great products, great food, pastries and coffee, things like that.” he said.

And although, Home Slices is right down the street, competition is not something of much concern to Fresh Start.

“The only competition that we see is that they’re on the corner which is a prime location and we’re a little further up the street. But everything we do is different than anywhere you’ll find baked goods in Delaware or anywhere close.” said Lawson.

His wife, Lynette Lawson, runs the kitchen as head baker. “All of our doughs are hand laminated.. We don’t use any frozen batters or any frozen breads. Everything is made from scratch.” she said.

From her spinach rosettes to her grandmother’s cinnamon roll recipe, Lawson explains that there’s a strong demand for all the products.

Drinks made in Dela-where?

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor

If you had asked me two years ago if I thought you could buy beer that was brewed in Delaware or drink wine from a vineyard down the road, my answer would have been: “Drinks made in Dela-where?”

It wasn’t that I thought the city of Delaware had nothing to offer its residents or the students of Ohio Wesleyan, but when I thought of beer, Delaware wasn’t on my radar and when I thought of wineries, I thought of California or Italy.

My view was completely changed when Restoration Brew Worx opened 15 months ago. Located on Sandusky Street, Restoration Brew Worx offers a variety of beers such as IPAs and Porters, among others that are all brewed in the back of their restaurant.

I sat down with Frank Barickman, partner and brewer of Restoration, who has been brewing beer for 20 years. He had done work for other people but realized about two years ago that it was time to start his own brewery. Barickman told me that all of their beer is made on premise and they only sell their beer in the restaurant. For now, he said they’re going to stick with their Sandusky Street location and continue selling their beer at restaurants in Delaware, but they plan on distributing kegs in the future.

When I asked Barickman why he thought the city of Delaware was a good place to brew beer in-house, he mentioned the growth Delaware has seen in the last 10 years and how the business owners in town have stepped up and answered that growth with successful restaurants such as Amato’s, Typhoon and others. Barickman said that if someone said they were going to start a brewery 10 years ago, people would say that it was never going to work, but today it is possible.

But if your palate desires wine over beer, try Blend of Seven Winery. Opening their first location in 2013 and currently located on Stratford Road, owners Steve and Sandi make their wine from imported grape juice. Offering wine by the taste, glass and bottle, Blend of Seven Winery offers reds and whites, among other types of wine.

When I spoke with Sandi, she said people actively seek out wineries, but it is their centralized location that draws in customers from Columbus, Findlay, Marion and other cities within twenty minutes of their winery. Sandi said they have the capability to ship their wine within Ohio, which has increased their customer base but also provided the issue of trying to stabilize their inventory level. Sandi said once they can get a steady amount of inventory, they would like to sell their wine at restaurants in Delaware.

So let me fast forward to my 2016 view: Drinks made in Delaware do exist and their presence around town is growing just as fast as Delaware grows.

Letter to the editor

Letter to the Editor

Ohio Wesleyan University Transcript

Monday, April 25, 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

As former Editor-in- Chief and Managing Editor of the Ohio Wesleyan University Transcript, we were dismayed by the recent decision to prohibit student journalists’ access to faculty meetings.

This is not the first time the faculty and administration has attempted to restrict access. During our tenure on the Transcript, then University President David Warren refused to speak to student reporters and would only speak to the Editor-in- Chief. So Tricia (we still call her Minnow) and others camped outside of his office daily to request interviews. Eventually, he relented. On our graduation day back in 1992, he said to Minnow, “I wish you well, but I will not miss you.”

We encourage the Transcript staff to continue to attempt access to faculty meetings, and report on each instance that you are denied entry. Do not let this story wither over summer break.

We also encourage the journalism faculty to guide these student journalists through this situation to learn how to build solid professional relationships in the midst of covering a controversial story. Out in the real world of news, relationships matter.

To the faculty, a warning: the student journalists that you brush aside today will quickly become the alumni from whom you will seek financial support tomorrow. The decision to ban access appears timed to take advantage of the end of the semester and its distractions. The only thing transparent here is your motive. What are you trying to hide? We recognize that as a private institution the faculty may have occasional need for closed-session discussion of select items, and an outlet exists already for this purpose in the executive session of faculty meetings. However, the strong preference ought to be toward transparency, and secrecy must be the exception.

The journalism alumni are hearing whispers of threats to both faculty and students in retribution for fighting this ridiculous and unnecessary policy. Shame on the administration if this is true. You have put the journalism alumni in the heart-wrenching position of evaluating how we support our beloved alma mater. Do we cut off our contributions and the matching gifts of our employers in a show of solidarity? Or do we designate our gifts specifically to the Transcript in order to continue to empower student journalists who follow in our footsteps?

In the 20-plus years that have elapsed since our departure from OWU and entry into the real world of journalism, we have witnessed first-hand the erosion of the public’s representation via the media through corporate ownership, staff cuts, consolidation and a steady march to the bottom in terms of quality and resources. We fear that this incident is a continuation of the same trend, and that the proponents of secrecy within the faculty are keenly aware of this and using it to their advantage.

Bear in mind, faculty members: you – even those who advocate against the transparency we seek – are the ones who taught us to think critically, to question authority, to effect positive change in our surroundings. The student journalists with whom you are in conflict are simply living up to that mandate – the single most significant element of a liberal arts education.

To the Transcript staff, we say congratulations on continuing the tradition of excellence for the oldest independent college student run newspaper in the history of our nation. We take great pride in the faded papers in our personal archives, our OWU journalism degrees on our office walls, and the war stories that came with them. It is truly thrilling for us to follow campus news through social media. When we began our journey in the JO Department we lugged electric typewriters to Slocum Hall. We used a wax roller and scissors to paste the layout together by hand in the wee morning hours in order to hand deliver the spec sheets to the printer on time.

To the graduating seniors, we wish you continued success as you enter the world of professional journalism. We hope you take this experience with you as a valuable lesson: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When someone in a position of power stands in your way or asks you to kill a story, it is a sign that you must dig deeper. You will encounter this daily. When you do, we hope your training from the OWU JO Department will serve you as well as it has served us.

Good luck!

Jason Cohen

Former Transcript Editor-in- Chief

Tricia “Minnow” Taylor-Lyphout, MPH, MBA

Former Transcript Managing Editor

Ohio Wesleyan University

Journalism Department

Class of 1992

Jason and Tricia also served on the Journalism Student Board during their time at OWU.

Letter to the Editor

To the members of the Ohio Wesleyan University community:

The April 18 action by the OWU faculty members should be reversed immediately. Although OWU, as a private institution, is well within its legal rights to be as secretive as it wishes, closing the doors of its faculty meetings is not only detrimental to the university community’s ability to function, it sends a message of elitism and paternalism to the students. The faculty’s action demonstrates that the university’s mission, as described on the website, is either hypocritical or out of touch with the mindset of those who purport to educate OWU students.

In part, the university website states:

Ohio Wesleyan provides them [the students] with a bounty of interconnected experiences—across disciplines, across cultures, even across continents. After our students graduate, we expect them to be insatiable problem solvers—and agents of change….

We are active and engaged with the world. We have thoughtful opinions, big ideas, and we share them in a rich campus conversation….

If the faculty members actually believe in providing a “bounty of interconnected experiences,” they cannot fail to note that their action demonstrates that they believe students do not understand the concept: The faculty members have shown that they believe students are incapable of synthesis, are incapable of understanding anything beyond the confines of the classroom, and therefore will not understand the implications of the faculty action. Faculty members apparently also believe that students are incapable of understanding what economics professor Bob Gitter means by a “chilling effect” on discussion. What Gitter means, of course, is that the students’ role models are too craven to express their opinions in an open forum – a lovely lesson in evading accountability.

“Rich campus conversation,” indeed.

Sincerely,

Arthur L. Ranney, Ph.D.

OWU Visiting Professor (1989-1990)

Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Contact: 608.330.1950 (mobile, preferred)

ranneya@uwplatt.edu

Look closer: being a mindful consumer

Olivia Lease, Online Editor

I try to see stories in everything I purchase.

I wonder whose hands made the sweater resting on my shoulders or where the watermelon I am currently eating was grown, picked, washed and perfectly sliced.

I don’t like to go shopping very often. There are so many options that it is no longer exciting but overwhelming. I can walk into a store and see thousands of cheaply priced goods in front of me. What I don’t see are the hidden costs, I have to search for the real stories.

Organic pineapples being grown in Costa Rica, most of which to be transported elsewhere. Photo by Olivia Lease. — Organic pineapples being grown in Costa Rica, most of which to be transported elsewhere.

I think it’s time for us to acknowledge the fact that we live in a consumer-centric society made possible by the hard work of others. People we will most likely never meet but whose stories matter.

But first, let’s acknowledge the fact that our supermarkets no longer abide by the seasons.

You can buy a pineapple at any time, regardless of that fact that we are not living in Brazil or Paraguay, where the plant originated. It has now been spread throughout South America. I visited Costa Rica over winter break and was able to a tour a plantation.

There, some of the crops we saw would eventually travel over 3,000 miles to reach California while some would go even further destinations in the U.K.

A single pod of fruit from which palm oil is extracted. Photo taken in Costa Rica by Olivia Lease. — A single pod of fruit from which palm oil is extracted.

When we walk into a store, we don’t see the hours of hard labor or the elaborate transportation system it took to give us more choices. Variety is simply something we’ve become accustomed to.

While in Costa Rica, I also had the chance to tour a palm oil plantation.

The edible vegetable oil is used in 50 percent of all packaged products in America. It is extracted from the fruit grown on African palm trees. These trees are originally from Western Africa but are now grown wherever heat and rainfall are abundant enough.

On the tour, I passed workers yielding machetes. The heat was suffocating despite the early time of day. Poisonous snakes are common in the field and a constant threat for workers to be aware of. One boy helped wrangle the cattle used for transport. This was their everyday routine, a dangerous job they had become accustomed to.

Across the world, forests are being slashed down and indigenous people relocated in order to make room for these crops, just to keep up with our demand.

America, the land of the free, is unwilling to admit that we also are a catalyst for conflict and destruction.

Wokers herd cattle used for transportation of fruit from palm oil trees. Photo taken in Costa Rica by Olivia Lease. — Wokers herd cattle used for transportation of fruit from palm oil trees.

Look in your backpack, pick out a few things. How many of them say “made in the U.S.A.”? I don’t think it should be a point of pride to have these products, but more so, a standard.

There a several things you can do help slow the global economy, the best being to buy local items (and if it’s produce, make sure it’s in season). This phrase is so much more than a trendy consumer choice. It’s an effort to be a part of your community and a chance to know the story behind what you are purchasing.