Freshman libero Danielle Birney digs a ball in the Bishop’s match against Bluffton.By Margaux Erilane
Transcript Correspondent
The women’s volleyball team has long been the brunt of OWU’s sports jokes, but having already won more games this season than in the previous three seasons combined, things can only improve for the Lady Bishops.
The Bishops currently have a record of 11-15 and have qualified for the NCAC tournament. The question now most likely on everyone’s mind: How did they do it?
The answer has a lot to do with the performance of freshman libero Danielle Birney.
The libero is the one in the different colored jersey who only plays back row. They serve as defensive specialists and can replace any player on the court without using a substitution. Each team is allowed to have one libero and they can enter the game at any time.
Though liberos often receive little recognition compared to their offensive counterparts, they hold one of the most important positions on the court.
Volleyball is a game that can’t function without defensive players as they are needed in every play. Birney has greatly assisted in strengthening the Bishop defense.
Senior outside hitter Megan Weissenberger said Birney’s back row play is a major factor contributing to the success of the team.
“Our defense wouldn’t be as strong without Birney in the back row,” Weissenbergr said. “She’s scrappy and picks up a lot of balls, which allows us to run a more effective offense.”
Senior setter Brittany Vickers said Birney’s smart game play and ability to play alongside other teammates makes her a good addition to the line-up.
“Danielle is great at reading the attack and she makes a lot of hustle plays,” Vickers said. “She and (junior defensive specialist) Emily Stewart compliment each other well.”Birney holds the highest average digs per set with 5.74 since 2007.
Currently in her rookie season, Birney holds the highest average digs per set with 5.74 since 2007 when Jaime Scharf averaged 6.94 in 2007. In addition to her defensive contributions, Birney has also recorded 22 aces, 20 assists, and seven kills, making her an all-around benefactor.
Birney said she came into preseason this year after a summer of preparing herself for the college game.
“Over the summer, I worked out on a regular basis, played at a local high school, and participated in beach tournaments weekly,” Birney said.
This proved beneficial for her as she quickly secured her spot in the starting lineup as libero.
Despite her statistical contributions, Birney still relies on her teammates. She said her favorite part of being on the team is, “having the support of 14 other girls no matter what.”
Birney said she hopes the team will continue to improve and grow while building off of the accomplishments this year.
“There were a lot of close games we could have pulled out but we’re taking them as a learning experience and preparing for the next ones,” Birney said. “I just hope we can improve our record more and more each year.”
The Bishop’s play date is Saturday Oct. 27 where they will play Oberlin College and Buffalo State College.
The rededication of Stuyvesant Hall last weekend attracted many alumni, parents and students to attend the historic ceremony. The 15 month renovation project was funded by generous contributions from alumni. Stuyvesant first opened its doors in 1931 and was a women-only residence hall.
By Rachel Vinciguerra
Transcript Correspondent
After 15 months of renovations Stuyvesant Hall officially opened its doors last Friday as current students, faculty, trustees, alumni and Ohio Wesleyan parents participated in this historic event.
David Chambliss, development officer of university relations, said they invited alumni and friends who had supported the Stuyvesant Renovation, and he noticed Ohio Wesleyan alumni from all over the country in attendance.
Stuyvesant was open to guests and visitors from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Fifteen minutes before the ceremony ended, the Owtsiders, Ohio Wesleyan’s co-ed a capella group, performed. They began their set with the Alma Mater.
Thomas Stratton, a grandparent of a current student, said his family was drawn to this event by the music, but stayed for the dedication after seeing the architecture of the building.
“This impression is similar to my impression of colonial Williamsburg,” Stratton said.
President Rock Jones also acknowledged the traditional feel of the building.
“Stuyvesant bears all the history of a building in the 1920s, but now with all the amenities of the 21st century,” Jones said.
The dedication ceremony began with the hymn “When All Thy Mercies, O My God.” It played on the restored carillon, just as it had at the first dedication ceremony in 1931.
Michael Long, the chair of the Board of Trustees, began the speeches.
“‘It’s a great day to be a Bishop,’” Long said, quoting Evan Corns. “There are over 80 years of memories in this place and there will be new memories as precious to today’s students as ours are to us.”
Throughout the ceremony, memories of the old Stuyvesant were shared.
Jones spoke some of the history of Stuyvesant’s original construction.
He said Frank Stuyvesant and his wife had learned about Ohio Wesleyan from their neighbor’s daughter, who attended school here. They were impressed by the education she was receiving, but not by the housing available for women at the time.
“They took an interest and wanted to share their sources,” Jones said.
These sources represented the largest financial commitment to the university until that time. For the next 40 years Stuyvesant served as the female dorm for first-year women.
Jones asked all the women in attendance who had lived in Stuyvesant during that time to raise their hands. Nearly 30 raised hands could be seen across the courtyard.
Alumni who remembered those 40 years shared their memories of Stuyvesant before, after and during the ceremony.
“I imagine that Gordon Crider Smith was one of those fraternity men who would croon outside the windows, singing to the women of Stuyvesant,” Jones said.
Helen Crider Smith ‘56, a donor for the restoration, said she remembered living in Stuyvesant during that time.
“Nostalgia played a part in our wanting to renovate,” Smith said.
She spoke about life in Stuyvesant Hall.
“We had to be in by 8:10 p.m. on weekdays, including Friday,” she said.
“There was even a night watchman, we called ‘Pop,’ who made notes of which lights were on after 11 p.m.
She said she really came to understand how respected Ohio Wesleyan was when she worked as an assistant to an English professor at Harvard University who had heard good things about OWU.
“That understanding of how important our school was in the country really made me appreciate what Ohio Wesleyan has done for me,” Crider Smith said.
“We sense that current students are just as proud of their education as we were.”
Gordon Crider Smith ‘54, a donor for the restoration, gave a message to current students.
“As time progresses during your lifetime, Stuyvesant will age and need renovation again,” he said.
“Remember this day when time delivers you to your 70s and 80s, I promise it is closer than you think.”
Gordon Crider Smith encouraged current students to take on what he called “the $100 challenge.”
He said if current students would invest just $100 now they will be able to give back thousands more by the time Stuyvesant needs renovation again.
“We will have gone away, but remember us and the $100 challenge we put before you,” he said.
Gordon and Helen Crider Smith gave a similar challenge to Jones last year when they donated thousands of dollars to the renovation efforts.
“We had to meet their donation within 90 days so that construction could begin in the summer of 2011,” Jones said.
A similar proposal was made in 1925 when Stuyvesant was being constructed for the first time, Helen Crider Smith said.
“The original proposal for Stuyvesant had a stipulation that the money would be matched in five years,” she said.
“They did not give us that much time. But we are glad we could complete the task,” Jones said.
Jones went on to thank alumni, students and trustees.
“We’ll benefit from your vision, your philanthropy and your generosity,” he said.
Senior Iftekhar Showpnil, a residential assistant in Stuyvesant Hall, spoke on behalf of the students at the ceremony.
He said he lived in Stuyvesant both before and after the renovation.
“Stuyvesant was not the first choice on anyone’s list before the renovations,” he said.
But even then, he said, there was a sense of community unique to the building.
“I’ve seen people laugh in joy and share their sorrows here. Stuyvesant is more than a building, it’s a community,” Showpnil said.
He called Stuyvesant his “home away from home.”
Senior Allyson North said she came to the ceremony because she appreciated the appearance of the building.
“I love the architecture, and it does give a sense of home and tradition,” North said.
Junior Erika Kazi, a resident of Stuyvesant, said she came to the ceremony as a member of President’s Club.
Kazi said she was moved by the tradition she felt throughout the ceremony.
“When they had the women who lived here when Stuyvesant was an all-girls dorm raise their hands, I was so moved. It’s nice to know that they returned here after all this time,” Kazi said.
“I know it’s not just another building: it’s the heart of campus.”
Nancy White ’54 and Ruth White Boden ’53 said they came to the ceremony from Cincinnati.
They both lived in Stuyvesant when it was an all-girls dorm. They said they were most impressed by what had been renovated in the courtyard.
“This was just a bunch of grass, it was very unattractive,” Boden said. “They’ve done so much with the outside now. It’s beautiful with all the gardens.”
White, who lived on the 3rd floor of Stuyvesant during her residency, said she donated the study room that is on the same floor today.
Jones said he expects Stuyvesant will continue to be a meaningful place for the Ohio Wesleyan community.
“Every person who’s lived in this building has his or her own memory of Stuyvesant,” he said.
“When students were asked about renovating Stuyvesant they said, ‘We like the feel of the place, we just look forward to it being fresh and current and contemporary.’”
Wendy Piper, assistant dean of Student Affairs and director of Residential Life, said they have tried to maintain the feel of the building alongside the new renovations.
“Stuyvesant will once again thrive as the beacon on the hill with historical integrity matched to the needs of a 21st century college student,” she said.
The grand opening, “Stuyin’ It Up All Night,” will be held on Friday, Oct. 12 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. with food, performances and a dance party.
Grace Brown, creater of Project Unbreakable, speaks about sexual assault while presenting photos that are a part of the project. Photos were taken of OWU students earlier that day.By Suzanne Samin
Arts & Entertainment Editor
When Grace Brown created Project Unbreakable in her dorm room at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, she did not know it would take her many places across the country, and soon the world.
On Sept. 25, Ohio Wesleyan became one of those many places. Brown set up shop in Benes A to photograph anyone who wanted to participate. – some coming from as far as Kentucky to be included in the project.
She then delivered a presentation that night.
Project Unbreakable is an on-going photo project depicting survivors of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse holding signs with quotes from their attackers or anecdotes from their traumatic experience.
Brown has photographed people of all different ages, ranging from as young as 15 to as old as 87 and she has been featured in multiple publications such as Time Magazine and The Guardian.
Brown began her project after realizing sexual violence was closer to her than she originally thought.
“I found that I was always surrounded by survivors of sexual assault, and then one day a friend of mine just blurted out her story to me,” she said.
“Even though I had heard these stories, something about this one really got me. I went to bed that night feeling very distraught with our world and just feeling like this was just going to happen and I was just going to hear these horrific stories and not be able to do anything about them. Then the next morning, I woke up with the idea for Project Unbreakable.”
Brown said she then approached her friend and photographed her.
Soon the project launched online and grew so much that people from all over began submitting photos of themselves and asking her to visit their cities, towns and schools.
Since creating Project Unbreakable in 2011, Brown has traveled to several states and has recently announced tour dates abroad in London and Paris.
Brown said though her initial goals for Project Unbreakable were more centered on raising awareness, she also discovered a new way of healing.
Seniors Alexandra Crump and Megan Cook, both residents of the Women’s House and members of Delta Zeta, were responsible for bringing Brown to campus as their house project.
Both Cook and Crump had previous knowledge of Brown’s project because they are followers of her blog on Tumblr.
“I’ve followed Grace Brown’s work with Project Unbreakable for a long time, and when she announced a fall tour, I knew we had to bring her to OWU,” Cook said.
“It was amazing seeing all the details come together, and when Grace arrived, it was hard to believe this was all actually happening. Grace was a wonderful, down-to-earth person, and talking with her about her project and her life inspired me to think about where my passions could meet the world’s needs.”
Cook and Crump were satisfied by the turnout of both events. Many people came to be photographed, and almost every seat was taken for Brown’s presentation.
“We decided to bring Grace to give more awareness to her project and allow members of the OWU community to participate,” Crump said.
“I think it had a profound impact on the people who were photographed, just from the few people who I spoke with it seemed to be a very important experience for them.”
In her presentation, Brown shared some of the photos she had taken in the past; including ones of people close to her.
She spoke about keeping faith in humanity, keeping positive and the importance of awareness.
She urged the audience to not be people who “sit down,” but “stand up” in the face of adversity.
Cook said she felt the project profoundly affected many of those who participated and attended the lecture.
“The response from the campus and community also surpassed all my expectations. Seeing interest from people I never would have expected really drove home the point that sexual abuse and assault affect far too many people,” Cook said.
“Sitting with Grace while she photographed students and others allowed me to see the wide variety of experiences and the different stages of response and recovery different people had.”
Cook said Brown was also satisfied with the presentation.
“Grace said that OWU was one of the best stops on her tour so far. She loved how engaged the audience was, and said this was the first speech she had given after which she felt totally satisfied,” she said.
Brown’s visit also impacted Cook on a more personal level.
“She helped me realize that the limitations I place on myself because of my age, my shyness and the like don’t have to keep me from doing something with impactthe important thing is not to be perfect from the start, but just to start something at all and see where it leads,” she said.
Editor’s note: The author of this article lives in the Women’s House but was not directly involved in this project.
Freshmen Devonta “Dante” Oden and Hannah Matias perform from “Two Eclairs,” directed by junior Jackie Amanna.
Freshmen Max Killough and Kristen Pellington perform from “Table Settings,” directed by junior Margaret Knecht.
Junior Gabrielle Vizcaino, a transfer student, and freshman Sarah Shulman perform from “Skateboards,” directed by senior Leah Reilly.
By Ellin Youse
Transcript Reporter
The newest additions to Ohio Wesleyan’s theater department took to the stage for the first time last Saturday night at the Chappelear Drama Center in “Scenes!”
The performance is an annual collaboration between the Theatre and Dance department’s directing class and students who are new to the program, both freshmen and transfers.
“Scenes!” allows both groups of students to experience a new area of drama, with the new students taking the stage for the first time and the upperclassmen stepping down from it.
Junior Jason Bogdany said this transition from acting to directing was the highlight of the production, despite the difficulty of having to sit back and watch as opposed to performing.
“My favorite part of ‘Scenes!’ was, for the first time, actually being able to direct actors and getting them ready for their performance,” Bogdany said.
“I have experienced performances as an actor or working backstage, but it’s a completely different feeling when your work has shaped a scene that you no longer have control over. It can be a little scary, but exciting at the same time.”
Freshman Maeve Nash said her director, junior Megan Pinto, taught her most of her knowledge on acting in just the first few weeks at OWU.
“My director (Pinto) was absolutely amazing to work with,” Nash said. “She helped me and my scene partner explore our characters; I actually learned a lot about acting in just my first weeks here! It’s hard to believe it was her very first time directing.”
The students performed ten scenes pulled from various productions, each lasting about four minutes.
However, what the scenes lacked in length they made up for in intensity, each portraying an extremely dramatic scenario.
From a pair of skateboarding grandmothers to a pair of old girl friends unmasking their love and sexual tension for one another, the actors balanced highly melodramatic content with comedic silliness.
While some scenes took either a dominant comedic or dramatic tone, some scenes combined both. Junior Kati Sweigard’s scene from Tennessee William’s “Suddenly, Last Summer,” depicted a desperate aunt begging a surgeon to perform a lobotomy on her niece.
Despite the complicated and dark content of the script, the one-liners delivered by freshman Lane Bookwalter during his performance as Dr. Cukrowicz inspired chuckles from the audience despite his scene partner, freshman Hannah Simpson’s harsh, threatening lines.
Sweigard said she took pride in her actors’ ability to combine these light and dark moments interchangeably.
“The best part about rehearsals was that we were able to have fun while getting a lot of work done,” Sweigard said.
“Lane and Hannah and I had a really good balance of silly and serious, so there was never a dull moment although our scene was very serious and tense.”
Although the four weeks of rehearsal demanded high-intensity acting, Simpson said her experience working on the show was a fun and energetic experience that allowed her to connect with her cast mates.
“Getting to know Kati and Lane so well was my favorite part of ‘Scenes!’” Simpson said.
“We all worked so closely with each other, and we all clicked very well. Kati is a great director; she gives clear, concise notes and still allows her actors the freedom to explore their characters on their own. Lane is just a wonderful scene partner; he is so full of energy, and he is so committed to what he does. And, of course, it was amazing to watch my cast mates perform and see their hard work pay off.”
Junior Gus Wood, director of the scene from Steve Martin’s “Underpants,” said he was only able to share in his cast members’ excitement after his scene was over.
“I mean this in the best possible way, but my favorite moment was right after my scene was over,” Wood said.
“I was so nervous about it, just because that’s how I am. I was wringing my hands but as soon as they got onstage and the laughter happened, I could feel myself breathing again.”
Wood said although performing and directing comes with a healthy anxiety, his passion and appreciation for theater always brings him back to the stage.
“What draws me to the theatre is its honesty,” Wood said. “It’s one of the rawest and most spontaneous communicative art forms we have left.”
Senior Megan Weisserman hits the volleyball over the net as a Earlan tries to block it. Weisserman received the award of athlete of the week for the week of Sept. 30.
By Tim Alford
Transcript Correspondent
In just over half of the season, Ohio Wesleyan’s volleyball team has already won nine more games than they did in all of last season. Their record stands at 11-9 so far this season after a record of 2-29 last season.
Coach Taryn Haas said in an email interview she has used the quote “find a way” to encourage her smaller outside hitters to get the big blocks.
“We’ve also talked a lot about game smarts, and intelligence on the court, which can make a huge difference,” Haas said. “With our early wins, we’ve gained some much-needed confidence in our abilities. I think that, along with the added depth to our roster to push our intensity at practice, has led to a more successful year so far.”
Haas said the team has had great wins against Earlham College and Adrian College, as well as some close losses against Kenyon College, Trine University and Otterbein University.
Junior defensive specialist Emily Stewart said the team’s mentality has helped lead them to success.
“In general, we all just have a much more positive attitude and we believe in our self a lot more,” Stewart said. “The fact that our coaches were so excited about this season really helps keep us motivated. One thing that is different from last year is our will to fight, we aren’t giving up as easily, we have heart and we have been proving that.”
Senior Brittany Vickers, the starting setter, said senior leadership has been key to the team’s success.
“I think it comes from having four great senior leaders, our senior class has been through a lot of tough times playing OWU volleyball but we all managed to stay with it,” she said. “That takes a lot of heart and a lot of courage. Coming in this season all four of us were ready to take charge on the court and off the court to make this year a success.”
Vickers said the freshman class has made a difference this year too.
“I also think this year’s freshmen class is full of difference makers,” she said. “…They are all so positive and just genuinely wonderful people. I think everyone on the team is happy to see each other every day this year, which can make all the difference when you’re playing a team sport together.”
Haas said this added depth has helped rebuild the team.Freshman Meigan Day volleys the ball back to the other team.
“Although it sounds cliché, I truly believe every single player on our team has been a part of the rebuilding process this year,” Haas said. “Our depth is what has challenged our starting six to become the players they are today. Not only that, they continue to push each other day in and day out at practice.”
Haas said this is her second year with Ohio Wesleyan and last year was a great learning year for her and the team.
“While we didn’t necessarily get the wins that we wanted, the hard work put in last year has really set us up for this year,” she said. “The seniors (Brittany Vickers, Megan Weissenberger, Ashley Haynes and Heather Kuch) took interest and truly believed in the change I set out to make and their buy-in has led to our program’s early success.”
Haas said the team has started the conference games, so every game will be big for the success of the season.
“We’re approaching each game with excitement, confidence and enthusiasm, because we know that we have the opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done in OWU volleyball lately, and we’re looking forward to that chance,” she said.
Stewart said the team knows that they are “underdogs” in the conference and they love surprising other teams.
“We have no pressure on us,” she said. “We just get to show up every day and surprise people with what we are capable of. It’s awesome. Nobody knows what is coming because they underestimate us. For us, it’s just important to have fun and play with heart. If we do that, we will have no problems.”
Vickers said staying confident and having fun will be key to continuing the team’s success.
“We need to come into every game feeling happy to be there and to have the opportunity to play with each other, and with the confidence that we are a talented team,” she said.
“We also need to continue to work hard and smart in practice. It’s easy to get tired and overworked in the middle of the season, so taking care of injuries and illness is key to our success as a team.”
Vickers said she hopes to make the NCAC tournament this year.
“We’ve never made it in the three years I’ve played at OWU and I think it’s within our capability as a team this year,” she said.
“Handing success well is just as important as handling adversity. I want this team to continue to be successful after this season and I want our senior year to leave our team with positive memories and a tradition of fun and success to carry on.”
The Bishops’ next home game is Oct. 19 against the College of Wooster at 7 p.m.
Vandalism in Smith East and West has been rampant this semester. Students incure community damage fines when responsibilty for these incidents is not claimed.
By Breanne Reilly
News Editor
Public Safety is investigating damages inflicted upon the Smith East and West residence halls. In the past month, the buildings have procured several hundred dollars in damages and Smith residents are paying out of pocket for the vandalism.
Most of the damages have occurred at Smith East.
According to Levi Harrel, residential life coordinator of Smith and Austin Halls, damages in the past month include a shattered door on Smith East first floor and a flood light was torn down on the fifth floor.
Fire extinguishers have been sprayed on two different occasions, one of which caused a building-wide evacuation.
Vomit has also been found along with a smashed bottle of alcohol in the #3 Smith East stairwell.
In Smith West, a Rec Room door window was shattered on the second floor. Twelve bulletin boards have been ripped down in both buildings.
According to Harrel, the cumulative cost for the September damages is not currently known, but he said the damages have been expensive to repair.
For example, according to Ramon Walls, public safety officer, the repairs needed to fix the shattered door on the Smith East floor cost $216.
Harrel said when damages like these occur, those responsible for the damages have to pay for repairs.
However, the investigation is ongoing and no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility.
So the university has had to pay for cleanup and repairs and then recollect the money through community damages.
According to Harrell, “when no one takes responsibility that cost is passed on to the entire Smith community.”
Sophomore Jack Sussman, a resident in Smith East, said it is unfair that each student is billed for the damages, but he understands the repairs have to be paid for.
Sussman also said he was charged for community damages last year when he lived in Thomson Hall.
“When no one fesses up to it, there is no other logical way to pay,” Sussman said.
According to Andrew Peterson, assistant director of Residential Life, students last year paid up to $35 in community damages, depending on where they lived.
The university does not charge students for community damages that cost less than one dollar per student.
Still, most students are charged $5-10 in community damages each year.
Peterson also said the per-student cost appears to be “reasonably small.”
However, there are approximately 1,500 students on campus.
“When the cost per student is multiplied 1,500 times you can see that a very small number of students are causing everyone to pay a collectively giant sum of money for senseless destruction,” Peterson said.
Freshman William Boaz, a resident of Smith West, said he agrees the destruction does not make any sense.
“I think it’s ridiculous and immature, I really don’t see why people do that,” Boaz said.
According to Richard Leavy, professor of psychology, like most behaviors, vandalism has many sources.
“Those who vandalize may be more impulsive, enjoy risk-taking and exercise less self-control than most people,” Leavy said.
Leavy said environmental factors can play an important role.
For example, adolescents who vandalize property are more likely to come from families where the parents do not closely watch their children’s actions.
They are also more likely to be antisocial.
He said vandalism can be classified as a “peer norm.”
If a group participates in destructive, defiant, and deviant behavior, adolescents who join will adopt that behavior.
“Vandalism is likely when, as with most kinds of undesirable behavior, there are infrequent or minimal negative consequences for the behavior,” Leavy said.
Part of the problem is that those responsible for the vandalism cannot be identified because they have not been caught in the acts.
“Vandalism is most likely to occur in the late night or early morning when few people are awake to see or hear what has occurred,” Peterson said.
He said students who witness the vandalism or who know the party/parties responsible for the damages should contact their RA, RLC or Public Safety immediately.
They can also email reslife@owu.edu and be directed to the proper person.
Boaz said the Smith community has a responsibility to prevent the vandalism and to find the people who caused the damages.
“People should take it upon themselves to contribute to a good atmosphere,” Boaz said.
Sussman said those responsible should remember that their actions are costly for everyone.
“They should think twice about what they do,” Sussman said. “If they have violent tendencies, they should talk to someone about it.”
After just five weeks of classes, students are starting to settle in their rooms and grow comfortable with their course load. But for some parents, five weeks is the longest time they have been away from their children.
Parents and families arrived last weekend for Family Weekend and were able to attend a number of school-sponsored events, including a football game and Stuyvesant Open House and ceremonies.
Junior Olivia Gillison said she enjoyed going to the game with her family.
In her three years here, they have yet to miss a game.
“(We) always go to watch the football game no matter what,” Gillison said.
“Last year we sat out in the cold, wet rain just because it’s what we do.”
Many families that visit do the same thing every year and call it a tradition.
Sophomore Thomas DeHaas, greeted both of his parents this year, just as he did last year.
However, this year he was joined by his sister, freshman Heather DeHaas in celebrating the activities.
“Generally I just really appreciate my parents taking time out to come and see me on the weekend and spend time with me, that is what this weekend is all about,” Thomas DeHaas said.
“My parents usually only come for the Homecoming/Family Weekend which is split in two weekends this year.”
“I was only expecting them to come for one of the weekends, but they surprised me.”
Many students use the time to catch up with their parents and to take a break from campus food.
Gillison said she has gone to Bob Evans the past two years with her family.
DeHaas spent at least one meal out with his parents as well.
“My sister and I drove to meet our parents at a restaurant close to their hotel where we all enjoyed a very tasty brunch.” Thomas DeHaas said.
Students also tend to receive praise from their parents and compliments about the school.
DeHaas said this “moral boost” is beneficial.
“They like the positive and welcoming atmosphere and enjoy exploring the beautiful campus as the trees begin to change with the onset of fall,” DeHaas said.
Parents visiting campus had the opportunity to attend a number of events with their children and had time to explore the campus before heading home at the end of Family Weekend.
“I think that they like the school a lot but they like it even more because I’ve been able to thrive so well here and be comfortable even though I’m pretty far from home,” Gillison said.
DeHaas said the only part that was stressful about Family Weekend was the he had “to straighten up the room so that it looked presentable.”
Later this fall, parents will have the opportunity to return to campus alongside alumni for Homecoming Weekend in October.
“Primarily for grad school and GRE information.” – Scott Rosenthal, ‘13
“I’m looking for a job in the marketing field.” – Ramiz Kamarli, ‘13
“I came for two main reasons: opportunities for post graduate education and possible job opportunities between college and post grad.” – Oore Ladipo, ‘14
“A friend made me come, but there are so many opportunities that I found.” – Billie Paulus, ‘16
“I came to get a head start on my career. There are a lot of interesting companies.” – Getner Fabe, ‘15
Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity is one of the newest additions to the Greek community at OWU.
Fiji officially gained its first pledge class on March 8 of last semester after their national headquarters facilitated their new charter and recolonization. Fiji had been an active fraternity on OWU’s campus previously, but had their charter revoked in March of 2008 due to financial issues and declining membership.
Members of Fiji are a part of many organizations on campus such as the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA), tennis, basketball, soccer and lacrosse teams.
It is this diversity that senior Paul Hendricks, president of Fiji, sets his fraternity apart from the rest.
“A lot of the fraternities have kind of stagnated and settled into a stereotype, and I think we are very different in that sense because we have guys who are literally coming from almost every single organization on campus,” Hendricks said.
Sophomore Philippe Chauveau, a member of the philanthropy and brotherhood committee and the pledge education committee, echoed this same feeling.
“We are a pretty diverse group of guys,” Chauveau said. “Some fraternities you can look at and say oh, they are football players and they are basketball players, but not us. We have soccer players, lacrosse players, tennis players, baseball players, ultimate Frisbee players, we have WCSA members, and all other organizations.”
Fiji is also different than other OWU fraternities because they do not have a house.
That doesn’t seem to hinder their appeal to potential new members however, as Chauveau said they just signed on seven new pledges.
Not having a house may not always be the case, though. Chavauveau said he speculates they may get a house his in the next year or two.
“This is just speculation, but what I was told was that, by either my junior or, latest, my senior year, we will be getting our old house back or some other house on campus,” Chauveau said.
One thing the men of FIJI said they expect to add to the Greek community is gentlemanly behavior.
“We are trying to have the image of the nice guys I guess,” Cheaveau said. “Just being gentlemen, always helping out, and being an active member of the community by doing a lot of community service and also by being very sociable.”
Another thing that the self-proclaimed Fiji gentlemen plan to add to the Greek community is a higher grade point average.
“We will also definitely bring a higher GPA to the Greek community. I believe we had a 3.0 last semester, so we lost by like a decimal to Alpha Sig. I think we will get the whole GPA up,” Chauveau said.
Although the fraternity is no longer being run by the graduate brothers who, during the six week transition period Hendricks said “held our hands” and “showed us the ropes, ” the brothers aren’t completely alone.
“I actually have biweekly correspondents with our top graduated adviser, our purple legionnaire, to talk about things,” said Hendricks. “We also have a board of colony advisors which represent every single area of our fraternity; one for recruitment, one for philanthropy etcetera and those guys are in contact with our committees regularly.”
Fiji has had a few issues getting up and running, which is why their presence is more dominant this year than the last. One of those main issues, according to Hendricks, was organization.
“The committees didn’t know who to report to, and lot of the people didn’t know who to report to, so just creating that structure has been my top priority as president and now people are starting to hold each other accountable and we are starting to get things done,” Hendricks said.
Not all the problems have been bad however, according to Hendricks.
“One of our slogans is ‘not for college days alone’ so I am constantly being contacted by graduate brothers asking if they can get involved and what they can do to help,” said Hendricks. “It’s almost to the point that I don’t know what to say to them because we have so many people volunteering but that’s a great problem to have.”
The men of Fiji are well underway this semester and already have several events in the works that students can look forward to Hendricks said.
“We are hoping to hold a Wittenberg soccer run with the Fiji chapter there to increase school spirit for the soccer game and we are also hoping to get some kind of signature philanthropy event on campus, maybe a fundraiser or two for the USO and our national philanthropy the Red Cross,” Hendricks said.
Kate Chapek poses with members of Sisters United.Women’s bodies are a hot topic in Washington D.C. these days and last Monday, the conversation came to Ohio Wesleyan.
Kate Chapek, National Women’s Vote Director for the Obama campaign, spoke to students and faculty about issues effecting women from abortion rights to the Fair Pay Act.
“This is the first campus that we’re doing this kind of conversation with,” said Chapek. “But this type of setting is modeled after what we’ve been doing for our women’s program all over the country. Really starting to have conversations with women about what’s at stake in this election.”
No time was wasted in building the connection between the people in the room and the relevance of the topic at hand.
In his introduction to the event, Michael Deininger-Bell, a member of the Obama campaign working specifically with Ohio Wesleyan, emphasized Ohio’s role in the election.
“Ohio is the number one state in this upcoming election,” Deininger-Bell said. “Really how this state goes, that’s how the election is going to go. So your voice and your vote are really more important than you can imagine.”
As a swing state with 18 electoral votes, winning Ohio will be a significant victory for the presidential candidate who wins the state. Democratic voters were also warned of the significance of their vote in such a conservative county as Delaware.
Besides the impact of political party, the influence women have on the outcome of the election was also discussed. Women make up a majority of the United States population as well as voters.
“The president can’t win the election without the women’s vote,” Chapek said. “He won the women’s vote in 2008. Women are the majority in this country, we are the majority of the electorate. We decide elections. So that means the women in Ohio are that much more important.”
Winning the women vote may pose a problem for Obama though. While in 2008, Obama support among the women of the country was 56 percent, that support dropped to 48 percent in 2010. Also, in 2010 republican women had the highest electoral presence in the last 30 years.
This, however, does not mean that Romney has gained female support. In a survey conducted by Quinnipiac University, Obama was shown to lead Romney with 56 percent to 38 percent of female voters.
Chapek also spoke about the power women have on influencing one another, saying women trust and rely on women like themselves to determine how they will vote.
“So not only does that mean we decide elections but we influence the outcome of elections based on the relationships we have every single day,” Chapek said.
Throughout the lecture, several issues that effect women were touched upon, many surrounding economic issues, such as fair pay. The issue recognized by the audience as the most pressing, however, was healthcare.
“Our healthcare as women is about our economic independence,” Chapek said. “It’s about our reproductive choices and freedoms. It’s about our lives.”
While insurance companies may charge up to twice as much for women to be covered by insurance, Affordable Care has provided 2.1 million Ohio residence with free preventative services like mammograms, cancer screenings, and immunizations freeing people from having to make the decision between getting the health services they need and other necessities like food because they can’t afford both.
However, despite the casual and energetic atmosphere of the lecture, the topic that stopped the laughter and seemed to provoke a sense of desperate urgency was the issue of a woman’s right to make decisions for herself concerning her body.
“The republican party has promised that they will overturn Roe v. Wade,” Chapek said. “They put it on their republican platform saying that they will ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest, and here’s the big piece, regardless, of the life of the mother. That’s what’s at stake here, and it’s terrifying.”
This topic is what turned the lecture into a conversation between Chapek and the audience. Members of the audience began to chime in about bill proposals sentencing women to life sentences for receiving abortions and mentioning the lack of governmental support for women once giving birth to her child.
Audience member senior Carly Shields said, “We don’t want to go back to years before when women were going underground and bleeding to death and dying from infections.”
Just as the speech was opened, Chapek closed her speech by reinforcing the relevance of the issues at hand with the members of the audience.
“You need to be thinking about what you want your life to look like when you step off this campus,” Chapek said. “Do you want to have a good job, do you want to be paid fairly for being a women doing equal work, do you want to have affordable access to healthcare, and do you want to be able to choose how and when you have a child?”
