Death and Deceased take center stage at OWU play

By Azmeh Talha

aatalha@owu.edu

Staff reporter

Ohio Wesleyan University’s (OWU) department of theatre and dance put on a senior project production that was far more technical compared to productions in the past.

The show A Mother’s Love was written by senior Daniel Brothers and directed by senior Jack Douglas Riter. It highlighted the importance of relationships and how to deal with the loss of a loved one.

The performances took place on March 22 and March 23 in the Studio Theatre located in the Chappelear Drama Center. Performances were 40 minutes long.

The two main characters of the play were the deceased and death.

The role of the deceased was played by senior Beverly King. Her role was of a deceased mother with a daughter, Audrey played by freshman Isabel Johnson to be taken care of by her Aunt, Margo, played by junior Sara Gielink.

The show was not purely based on the emotions people feel, but also souls in a parallel universe.

While watching over her daughter, only a few minutes passed on the other side, years had passed by on Earth. Audrey, who was just a little girl had grown into a nurse within 12 minutes.

Freshman Maxwell Haupt played the character of death. who had feelings of his own as well. Every time someone died, death would appear to send them to the other side. While doing so, he would come across Audrey. The two would have brief conversations every time death would come to help the deceased cross over to the other side.

Over time, the two characters developed feelings for one another. By the end of the performance, Audrey’s time on Earth came to an end. Her and death crossed over to the other side together and King’s character, the deceased became the new death.

Riter described the set as brilliant.

Junior Josh Martin was the scenic and lighting designer for the show. Martin was interested in exploring how the audience would experience the two worlds.

“Using lights and the set I devised a viewport inspired originally by the Vitruvian man that much like artistic and mathematic depiction of the mysterious proportions of the human body, sought to allow the audience to experience the world of the play,” Martin said.  

A Mother’s Love was challenging compared to other shows, Riter said.

“We had teams for publicity, lights, set, tech, makeup, sound,” Riter said, “I’d say on a technical side of things this was a far more extensive senior project production than is usually done here.”

Brothers described his script to be loosely about love, death, loss and a solution for individuals can move on. He wrote the script from a personal perspective. When he was younger, Brothers had trouble coming to terms with people dying and wrote this as a way to help people think about people in their lives dying.

“Death happens, it’s something that’s okay and natural and confusing and hard as well,” Brothers said.

Remembering a Beloved OWU Employee and Delaware Community Member

By Erin Ross

emross@owu.edu

Staff reporter

Kathryn Carlisle Schwartz, previous president of the League of Women Voters of Delaware County and Professor Emeritus of English at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), died on March 3.

Schwartz, born on Nov. 17, 1926 in Biltmore, North Carolina, graduated from Bard College in 1947 with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in music. Schwartz also acquired a master’s degree in English in 1967 and a doctorate in English in 1976 at The Ohio State University, according to her obituary.

She married Paul Schwartz on July 5, 1947. Together they lived in Gambier, Ohio for 39 years before moving to Delaware, Ohio in 1986.

While living in Gambier, Schwartz had a variety of ad hoc work experiences such as teaching music at public schools and Kenyon College and teaching English at The Ohio State University and Kenyon College, according to her obituary. She also held leadership positions in the Gambier League of Women Voters, the Beethoven Club, the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, the Knox County Symphony, and Save the Children Federation, according to her obituary.

Schwartz, 92, began working for OWU in 1978 as a teacher of English Composition and retired as a professor of English in 1993. Starting in 1984, she also served as Director of Freshman Composition and worked with over 4,000 students, according to her obituary.

Schwartz also contributed greatly to the Delaware community. She did community service on the Delaware City Charter Review Commission, Community Impact Team of the United Way and Central Ohio Symphony Trustees, according to her obituary.

She was also an active member of the Delaware County Democratic Party and served as president to the League of Women Voters of Delaware County for seven years and co-president for four years.

Schwartz also led composition seminars for high school teachers from 1984-88 and taught courses on Perspectives on Women in Literature for ten years, according to her obituary.

During her time at OWU, Schwartz created connections between campus and community members.

“With quiet and gracious counsel, she connected me to so many dimensions of Delaware and the campus, especially the League of Women Voters and the more trustworthy liberal characters of the community,” university chaplain Jon Powers said.

In addition to connecting the OWU campus and Delaware community, Schwartz formed close relationships and mentorships with many OWU faculty and students.

“Kathryn was such an elegant soul – personally, socially, societally, intellectually, politically,” Powers said. “She was one of the first to welcome me to campus back in 1988 when I nothing more than a raring young upstart. Over the years, she endured my immature impatience with exquisite grace, and mentored me wisely in the wiley whimsies of this wonderful community.”

Professor of English Lynette Carpenter also commented on Schwartz’s impact on OWU.

“Dr. Schwartz was a dedicated teacher who held her students to high standards and taught generations of students to be better writers,” Carpenter said.

Schwartz’s impact on the university and community members will remain present in the minds of faculty members who knew her.

“In recent years, as I have passed daily by her stately home on North Washington, I have had such thoughts of gratitude for her profound presence in my life, and in the life of so many of us who have been blessed by her quiet presence,” Powers said. “We have lost a regal elder; our village will never be quite the same again.”

Schwartz, who died at Willow Brook at Delaware Run, is survived by daughters, Angela and Julia Schwartz, two grandchildren, Serena and Alma Kunzler, nephew John Alch and his daughter Miranda Alch, and her sons-in-law Shepherd Mead, Christoph Kunzler, and Arthur Lopatin, according to Schwartz’s obituary.

She was preceded in death by her husband Paul who died in 1999, and her middle daughter Isabel Lopatin who died in 2018, according to Schwartz obituary.

A memorial service is scheduled to occur on Sunday, April 14, in the Summit Room at Willow Brook at Delaware Run.

Contributions to Kathryn’s memory can be made to the Central Ohio Symphony, P.O Box 619, Delaware, OH 43015, the League of Women Voters of Delaware County, 4477 Chapman Road, Delaware, OH 43015 or Population Connection, 2120 L Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20037.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/delgazette/obituary.aspx?n=kathryn-carlisle-schwartz&pid=191797534

Mold, mildew and leaks: what’s next?

By Kit Weber and Claire Yetzer

Photo editor, staff reporter

kmweber@owu.edu, ceyetzer@owu.edu

Updated March 19, 2019 and April 8, 2019

College dorm rooms are notorious for filth but mold is just another issue for Ohio Wesleyan University students.

Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) students living in Smith and Hayes Residence Halls on campus have been complaining about mold and leaks within the buildings.

A problem that students face is failing pipes within Smith Hall, a residence hall that can accommodate 229 students.

“ The leaks in Smith are more widespread in the building and caused by failing pipes.  We repair these as they arise as quickly as possible,” Peter Schantz, director of buildings and grounds said. “The design for a complete renovation of Smith is underway.  This work will replace all of the plumbing and mechanical systems in the building and eliminate these problems.”

Another problem that students are experiencing is mold within their dorm rooms.

“At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of mold in our room to the point where the bottom of our curtains were covered and had to be thrown away. They eventually came and cleaned it with bleach and gave us new curtains but there is still some on the walls,” Sophomore Ari McPheters said.

OWU fired Aramark as the provider for cleaning services in February, Resident Assistant Mona Lynch said. Students on campus have expressed their displeasure with Aramark’s services.

Housekeeping services were contacted.

“I am sorry but unfortunately it is against Aramark’s policy for me to interview with any media sources,” Aramark’s Cleaning Services said.

“Our shower usually has stayed pretty clean but recently it’s been getting a lot of mold on the floor and it seems like every time they come and clean nothing looks clean,” McPheters said.

The university is currently looking for a new company to outsource their cleaning services.

“As you know, we’re searching for a new provider. That process is ongoing and should be wrapped up by the end of the academic year,” Brian Emerick, director of residence life said.

The Chicago Sun has reported about the problems with cleanliness within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). CPS officials had been investigating the cleanliness of their schools throughout 2018. Aramark was responsible for the cleaning services within 125 schools that CPS surprise inspected, with only 34 schools passing inspection.

SEIU Local 1, a union group that represents custodial workers, is a part of the investor group that owns the Chicago Sun. CPS is trying to fix the problem by hiring more custodians during the school year and over the summer months but has kept Aramark on as its service provider.

 

Did the groundhog predict wrong?

On February 2, the groundhog did not see his shadow on Groundhogs Day. This predicted an early spring, but was it wrong? The beginning of March proves so, as Ohio has still experienced snow. When will it end and if it does, will it become Summer immediately, or will Spring prevail? Are we losing seasons due to climate change? Maybe we should start asking the groundhog that every year.

OWU students address racism head on

By Transcript Staff

owunews@owu.edu

Updated March 10, 2019

Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) students held a sit-in March 1 at University Hall to protest against the treatment of minority groups on campus.

The sit-in predominantly occupied the main hall of the ground floor of University Hall, as well as Slocum Hall for a brief period. Organized by senior Daniella Black, the event was held to not only raise awareness for unheard voices, but to also start a conversation about the University’s treatment of its minority students.

The morning of the protest, the student organizers sent out a letter to the campus. In the letter, students listed their complaints and solutions to campus-wide issues regarding race.  A survey was also attached, allowing others to say what they identify as an issue on campus.

“I hope that this protest starts conversations about diversity, inclusion and justice on campus and that they continue as the years go on,” senior Sarah Mattick said. “And result in changes for the better.”

Mattick said multiple recent incidents as causing the protest, including the vandalism of a diversity bulletin board in Hayes Hall and OWU Public Safety shutting down a House of Black Culture party an hour before it was registered to end.

“[Admission] tours were told to avoid entering University Hall, as some visitors might get the wrong idea involving the intentions of the protest,” said freshman Micaela Kreutzer, an admissions worker.

Senior Cindy Huynh said she loved that students and faculty passing through took the protest in stride and were open to having conversations with protestors about their perspectives.

“I think it’s important to be here to show that we see them … there are people who want to make things better,” associate politics and government professor Ashley Biser said. Biser attended the protest because she considered it an opportunity to learn and listen to students who do not feel that their voices are being heard.

Benji Acuna, a sophomore and protestor, said all of the aforementioned events for the protest, as well as a speak out by the OWU Student Inclusion and Advocacy Committee involving unreported incidents against minority groups.
“The issues the students are bringing up are important and urgent and I think my office, because we primarily serve people of color, in particular, is a major stakeholder in supporting movements like this and trying to ensure that action happens as a result,” Charles Kellom, assistant dean of office of multicultural student affairs, said.

Rock Jones addressed the campus on multiple occasions, by sending an email and tweeting during the day. Jones also addressed the protesters multiple times during the day.

“I am grateful for the students’ work and for their desire to collaborate with me, the officers, their fellow students and the faculty and staff to explore where we are now, where we want to be, and how we get there together,” President Rock Jones said during the protest and a campus-wide email. “I am grateful to the members of the faculty and staff who stopped by to visit with the students today, listening to them as they shared their concerns and their suggestions.”

On March 7, Jones emailed the campus community, saying that he will meet with students again to discuss the issues raised at the sit-in. Jones also linked to a webpage for student recommendations on the school website.

 

Reality check or climate check?

By Claire Yetzer

Staff reporter

ceyetzer@owu.edu

The Ohio Wesleyan campus got a dose of climate change reality at the 30th annual John Kennedy Eddy Memorial Lecture on World Politics.

The title of the lecture was “Global Climate Change, Water Security and Ecosystem Disruption: Higher Scientific Confident Than You Might Think.”

This year’s speaker was professor Jonathan T. Overpeck, an interdisciplinary climate scientist. He has written over 210 published works on climate change and served as a Coordinating Lead Author for the Nobel prize-winning IPCC 4th Assessment in 2007.

The Eddy lecture series is hosted by the International Studies Program and the Department of Politics and Government. The series was established to honor John Kennard Eddy, a student who perished in a car accident when attending a seminar at Oberlin College.

Over 150 people attended the lecture, which was held in the Benes Rooms in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

Professor Sean Kay, Professor James Franklin and Provost Charles Stinemetz gave introductions prior to Overpeck’s lecture.

“It was great to see all of the young people and especially all the great questions they had. They obviously know about this issue and are thinking about this issue and I am confident that they will be the ones that will solve this issue,” audience member Linda Diamond said.

Overpeck started the lecture by introducing it as the 21st-century challenge. He went on to describe the major problems the United States faces along with impacts around the world. Issues being faced are major droughts, sea level rise, lack of biodiversity and higher expenses for living.

After discussing the impacts that high emissions of greenhouse gases have on the environment. He impressed upon the audience the importance of starting the transition to clean energy immediately.

There are other concerns with starting the change as soon as possible, like preventing China from capturing the clean energy market. These major changes that need to occur are direct responsibilities of government involvement in climate change policies and involvement of major corporations dedicating research towards cheaper clean energy Overpeck said.

“A giant step that we need to take is electing people who believe in climate change, if we keep voting for people who push it away or don’t think of it as a major issue then we aren’t gonna get anywhere,” freshman Danielle Black said.

The lecture ended with questions from the audience. Most questions were posed by students who wanted more specific examples of solutions to the climate change problem. The last thing imparted upon the audience by Overpeck was a simple statement.

“We created the problem, solving the problem is the responsibility of the next generation or two,” Overpeck said.

And the Oar Goes To …

By Erin Ross

Staff reporter

emross@owu.edu

Ohio Wesleyan University’s professor of zoology proved the indispensability of his discipline by winning the last remaining seat to new civilization at the Life Raft Debate on Feb. 21.

Sponsored by the university’s Honors Board, the Life Raft Debate is a time-honored event for OWU’s Honors Program. The debate is structured around a hypothetical post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland in which a group of survivors are leaving to rebuild society and have one spot left on their raft, according to the description on the OWU Daily.

At the 2019 Life Raft Debate, OWU professors went head to head as they each argued why their respective discipline deserved the last spot on the life raft to a new civilization.

Faculty participants were Professor of Zoology Ramon Carreno; Mary Anne Lewis Cusato, assistant professor of modern foreign language; Nathan Amador Rowley, assistant professor of geology-geography; Kristina Bogdanov, associate professor of fine arts; and Goran Skosples, associate professor of Economics, who played the devil’s advocate.

Carreno beat out his competitors for the last seat on the life raft by arguing that objective knowledge and the scientific method are the most powerful tools that humans have made.

“Pick me if you want to live,” Carreno said to begin his argument.

Zoology is the only discipline from the group that provides the necessary knowledge to navigate the genetic chaos of a post-apocalyptic world, Carreno said.

A zoologist’s knowledge and ability to analyze safe food and water was also a part of Carreno’s presentation.

Claiming that a zoologist, who knows both human and animal anatomy, is the only individual from the group who would be qualified to perform any medical operations added to Carreno’s persuasive argument.

Such knowledge would also help the new society manage the remaining insects, particularly cockroaches, which would be the predominant creature living in a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland, Carreno said.

Following his argument, Skosples, the devil’s advocate, responded to Carreno by making fun of the professor of zoology’s past research on pinworms and cockroaches. Carreno rebutted by bringing out a jar of live cockroaches and daring Skosples to hold and eat them. The audience reacted with laughter and gasps.

Different than Carreno’s argument, Bogdanov, faculty participant supporting the fine arts, said, “art is the foundation of everything.”

Art came before science, and artists would be necessary for designing and engineering new architecture in a new society, Bogdanov said.

Rowley, in support of geography, argued that geography and geo-locations, used in apps like Tinder, are responsible for forming human relationships that would be necessary in a new society.

Differently, Cusato, the runner-up of the debate, argued that humanities and philosophy are the foundation of critical thinking that is involved in all aspects of life and all other disciplines.

“Why choose the other when you can choose the mother,” Cusato said in her closing statement.

While Bogdanov, Rowley and Cusato each presented arguments that elicited positive responses from the audience, their claims were not strong enough to beat Carreno.

“It was nice to showcase our zoology department,” Carreno said after the debate. “I tried to invoke as many different aspects as I could to highlight how many things our department is actually involved in within the biological sciences.”

Carreno also expressed challenges that he faced during the debate.

“All of the other disciplines are equally important to mine in the context of a liberal arts college,” Carreno said. “For this reason, I did not enjoy being critical of the other faculty in the debate because I respect those disciplines a lot.”

Rowley, assistant professor of geology-geography, tried to embrace such competition before the debate.  

“I am excited about it. I think it can be fun,” Rowley said. “It’s even more exciting knowing that a friend of mine, Dr. Cusato, will also be participating. But our friendship will end the moment the first person speaks at the event! I need to get on that boat!”

In planning the event, the Honors Board surveyed students about which professors they wanted to have participate. They then reached out to those professors who received the highest number of requests.

The Life Raft Debate was previously held intermittently from 2003 until 2014, according to Amy McClure, faculty director of Honors Board. This year, Honors Board decided to bring back the event with the hope of reclaiming the tradition.

Greg Margevicius, student Honors Board coordinator for the 2018-2019 academic year, said that he wanted to use his appointed position as an opportunity to resume the tradition.

“I think events like this are important because it gives professors the chance to take their lessons and explain the importance of those lessons in a wider context,” Margevicius said.

Participating faculty agreed with the importance of such an event.

Rowley said, “I think it is important for the various disciplines across campus to express their significance, and contribution to society.”

McClure, co-director of the honors board, also expressed what she and other members of the board hoped students got from attending the event.

“We hope students get to see the benefits of disciplines they might never have considered,” McClure said. “We also want them to see faculty in a fun, informal environment that is still academic and intellectual.”

Cusato expressed similar hope.

“My hope is that this will encourage everyone who is involved to think about and appreciate both the specificities of all divisions and the elements all academic specializations share,” Cusato said. “All disciplines should inform, educate, and cultivate values. They do these things differently, but they all do them.”life raft debate new conceptlife raft debate new concept (1)