OWU service tradition continues in new Small Living Unit

Meg Edwards

Transcript correspondent

mmedward@owu.edu

Service to others will once again be the central theme for a Small Living Unit (SLU) on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan.

The former home of the House of Peace and Justice, 94 B Rowland Ave. will be occupied in the fall by the House of Service, Education, and Learning (SEAL). Freshmen Grace Ison and Carissa Silet proposed the house to the office of Residential Life in January and were approved to start looking for new members that same month.

It’s a significant development. OWU has been without a community service-based SLU, but it was one of three universities awarded the President’s Honor Roll’s Excellence Award for General Community Service in 2009 under the direction of Sue Pasters, the former director of Community Service Learning.

Last week, an open house event drew about 20 prospective house members, according to Silet. She said living with other people dedicated to service would be exciting and motivating.

“We want everyone to be involved,” she said. “You don’t have to live in the house to be involved with everything that we want to do.”

Ison, who will be the moderator of SEAL, said service is important to her because she enjoys being able to do something for others and it gives her  “ … new perspectives in the world and makes me rethink my priorities and my goals.”

SEAL is only the latest development in a longer history of service at Ohio Wesleyan.

Sally Leber, director of Service Learning, remembers when the House of H.O.P.E. was still on campus. H.O.P.E. was an acronym for Helping Others Pursue Education. While SEAL provides broad opportunities for students to pursue different kinds of service, H.O.P.E. provided regular tutoring in various academic areas.

Since she inherited the program in 2011, Leber said the number of students coming into her office has continued to grow. Over 1,000 Ohio Wesleyan students participated in service last semester.

Leber said she is excited to see a service-oriented SLU again.

“I believe in the collective power of the SLUs to do service. I have seen it happen,” she said.

Club Circle K is one existing service group at Ohio Wesleyan, meeting biweekly to create craft-like service projects, in addition to volunteering in the Delaware community.

Circle K has organized blood drives and canned food collections on campus, but its co-president, junior Emma Neeper said service doesn’t have to be a big event.

“[Service] is doing things that are within your power to make someone else’s life a little bit less gloomy,” she said. “Imagine how much of a better place the world would be if, for every bad thing that happens to someone, they did two good things for someone else.”

On campus health program delivers physical and social benefit

Hailey De La Vara

Arts and Entertainment Editor

hhdelava@owu.edu

For one nationally recognized health program at Ohio Wesleyan the social rewards can be on par with the physical benefits.

FitOWU, aka “Noon Fit,” is a wellness and training program taught by OWU students that is available to current and retired OWU faculty, staff and others on campus.

And the American College of Sports Medicine recently recognized the program, qualifying it for the Exercise is Medicine designation, a global health initiative to make physical activity assessment a standard in clinical care.

Nancy Knop, a former professor of health and human kinetics, started the program in 2004. Andrew Busch, an assistant professor in health and human kinetics, took the reins of the program in 2016.

The goal of FitOWU is to provide many types of fitness programs throughout the academic year at a minimum $30 semester fee, regardless of the participants’ fitness level. About 45-50 people are taking advantage of the program this semester.

Busch said the program is more than just a fitness resource, it also has a big social aspect.

“We have an intermediate group that is made up of all women and some of them have been coming since the start,” he said. “They enjoy it so much because they get to see each other an extra three times per week.

Classes include resistance training, which meet at noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  FitOWU also offers yoga, swimming and cycling classes.

For student trainers, the program is an upper-level health and human kinetics course and usually two trainers manage each fitness group level.

Junior trainer Xavier Sarver thinks the program is just as beneficial to students as it is to faculty.

“Being a trainer of FitOWU gives us a chance to interact with the faculty and the locals and they are helping us just as much as we are helping them,” Sarver said.

Students have some leniency in creating workouts for the participants, so they can get a feel for being accountable to their clientele, and they are assessed as the training takes place, Busch said.

”During the first half of the semester I give the students the training recipe and by the second half of the semester they get more leniency with adapting their own workout movements into their teachings,” he said.

Senior trainer Emily VanDermark said the program gives students the chance to put themselves in a real work environment.

“It’s a nice way to put yourself in a professional environment without having to go out and apply for an internship or job,” VanDermark said.

New economics major could open doors

Tiffany Moore

Transcript Correspondent

tpmoore@owu.edu

A new major at Ohio Wesleyan will allow students to use mathematics and statistical models to study economic issues, explore theories, predict the future and lead to a job.

The quantitative economics major will also grant international students the opportunity to extend their stay in the U.S. for an additional two years post-graduation because it is classified as a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program.

With this major, students will be able to pursue career paths in finance, business or government, or continue their education in graduate school. The new program is attracting interest.

Junior Hanna Cao, currently a math and economics major, is one of those students. She said she plans on transitioning to a quantitative economics major and is excited to be able to combine her interest in math and economics.

“I have a great passion for economics and I want to use math as a tool to do research in social sciences in the future. I want to improve and give back to society as a whole,” Cao said.

OWU was able to incorporate this major at no additional cost because no new courses were created. Each course already exists in either the math, economics or computer science department.

Goran Skosples, an associate professor of economics and chair of OWU’s economics department, said the idea for the major came from an article in the Economist magazine, which said some schools are reclassifying their econ majors under quantitative economics mainly because of STEM designation.

“If you graduate in a STEM field you get a two year extension for a total of three years. It’s not guaranteed but you can apply if you have a STEM field,” Skosples said. “That was one of the leading things for us to offer. International students are well aware of this.”

The major will prepare students for graduate school, but would not provide enough math. Mathematical courses fill the first few years of a graduate-level degree in economics, so students should take as much mathematics as they can, he said.

Robert J. Gitter, a Joseph A. Meek professor of economics, said the degree will be helpful after graduation.

“Economics majors do extremely well in the job market, but I think that if you have this degree you’ll be even more marketable,” he said.

Gitter thinks this program could potentially attract around 5-10 students each year.

“I’m looking forward to having even more students in the class that are excited about taking the course,” Gitter said.

According to the OWU website, students will be required to take:

  • Economic theory courses that provide the tools needed for analyzing economic issues.
  • Mathematics, statistics, and computer science courses that provide the skills needed for understanding economic theory and analyzing data.
  • Field courses that apply economic tools to business, social, or specialized areas.

A classic myth becomes OWU’s spring play

Hailey De La Vara

Arts and Entertainment Editor

hhdelava@owu.edu

With Eurydice’s production, Ohio Wesleyan’s theatre department is bringing a post-modern spin on the classical Orpheus myth.

Eurydice is written by award winning playwright Sarah Ruhl. Ruhl gives the myth a new perspective in this poetic work. Theatre professor and director of the show, Bradford Sadler, will bring a Greek myth to the Chappelear Drama Center in the Studio Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 13. The performances will take place until Feb. 15.

The play is told from the point of view of Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, played by Miko Harper.

Sadler expressed his excitement for the upcoming play.

“This is an out of the ordinary play, and when you come into the theater it will be different from any other play you’ve seen,” He said.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens. Admission is free for OWU students with a valid OWU ID.

A winning culture lands Coach Martin into Hall of Fame

Peter Lujan

Transcript Sports Editor

pllujan@owu.edu

He reached the pinnacle of success with a simple formula – just do the job. Of course, having great players didn’t hurt, either.

Jay Martin, Ohio Wesleyan’s men’s soccer coach for the last 43 years, has 708 wins, the most in NCAA men’s soccer history, two NCAA Division III championships, and countless other achievements under his belt.

On Jan. 18, he was inducted into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors coaches on all levels of the sport – professional, college and high school, has been around since 1941 and includes just 66 people, Martin said.

“All I’ve tried to do in 43 years is my job and I’ve tried to do my job the best I possibly can, and to be respected by your peers enough to go into the hall of fame is really, to me, big time. It’s the biggest achievement I think a coach can have,” Martin said.

Martin credited the players who contributed to his success.

“You don’t get inducted into a Hall of Fame with lousy players,” Martin said.

The feeling is mutual for many players, like midfielder Hector Gomez.

“He not only is a coach but he is like a second father. The way he cares about his players is like no other,” Gomez said.“You know you can always count on him for anything and that’s because that’s the culture he has built around our soccer program.”

Players often decide to come to Ohio Wesleyan and play for Martin because they recognize his caring and style, which is to focus on the player and help the team form bonds.

“We have a culture up here that emphasizes intrinsic motivation,” he said. “We’re about relationships, we’re about empowerment, it’s their program. The best thing about Ohio Wesleyan is the students, without question.”

With such success, and so many accomplishments, Martin has seen his fair share of offers from other programs, yet his loyalty to Ohio Wesleyan has never wavered.

“I’ve had opportunities to leave here over the last 43 years, but every time I’ve gone to look at another place, it reinforces in my mind what a great place Ohio Wesleyan is,” Martin said. “I enjoy coaching. To me, coaching is an extension of teaching. As long as I am healthy and feel that I am doing the job, then I will continue to coach.”

Senior forward Ryan Roberts said Martin helps players set standards and goals that help them stay focused.

“It’s been a pleasure being coached by Jay Martin. I’ve not only become a better player, but a better individual as well,”Roberts said. “Within this program is a culture of brotherhood and family which can never be taken away.”

The team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last season and Martin said he has high hope for next season too, starting with the opening match.

“Goals for next year? Winning the first game of the season,” he said.

End of an era, Clancey’s closes Saturday

Meg Edwards

Transcript Correspondent

mmedward@owu.edu

The party is over.

Clancey’s Pub, which for almost two decades has been a go-to spot for Ohio Wesleyan students and the Delaware community, will close its doors for good after Saturday,

The building’s owner plans to sell the property to someone who will open a microbrewery, said Dave Weiser, Clancey’s owner.

Conveniently close to campus, the pub will be missed by students who hold many college memories of the place and by the alumni who return to it to reminisce. Weiser, a lifetime Delaware resident, said he would miss the students as well.

Weiser moved the pub from a previous location to the corner of Spring and South Sandusky streets in order to draw more Ohio Wesleyan students. The bar’s customers are made up of about two-thirds OWU students, and one-third Delaware residents, he said.

“We’ve never hid the fact that we want students,” Weiser said. “It’s a sad time for me and for the students.”

Weiser said many students have complained that, without Clancey’s, there is “nowhere to go.” Part of that could be because the bar made an effort over the years to keep its prices reasonable for students, especially after the Great Recession of 2007-2009, he said.

“After the economy changed, a lot of students don’t have the money of the past,” Weiser said.

Weiser said he has no intention of opening his own microbrewery, which would be expensive for cash-strapped college students.

“I wouldn’t even want to open a place that students didn’t want to come to,” he said.

Since its opening in 2001, the Irish-themed pub has hosted a wide variety of events, some of them drag and LGBTQ+ themed, as well as drink specials for students at the end of classes. The bar featured student musicians and a band of OWU faculty.

Not all students have found entertainment at Clancey’s. Senior Andrew McFarland said for weekend drinks now he would simply go to Kroger.

“I don’t really see Clancy’s as a place to go to drink,” McFarland said. “It’s more of a place to go to party, after a different party.”

Other students echoed Weiser’s concerns about the bar closing.

“I thought it was unbelievable,” said senior Kimberly Zuniga. “Many students go there every weekend … I think that there is a mix of people that love Clancey’s and always go and others who would never step in there. It varies a lot throughout campus.”

Zuniga said she may go to The Backstretch, also on South Sandusky Street, when  Clancey’s closes.

Clancey’s Pub will host a drag show for its last night, titled “Love’s A Drag,” in honor of Valentine’s Day. It will be the pub’s fourth drag event.

“I’ve always been open to all types of things,” Weiser said.

The closing weekend also coincides with Weiser’s 65th birthday. While he does not have plans to start a new business, he expects to continue working part-time in a pub.

“I can’t sit still for long,” he said.

OWU launches coronavirus education team

Maddie Matos

Transcript correspondent

mrmatos@owu.edu

The coronavirus, which has infected 28,000 people – an increase of 35 percent since Monday – and killed 563 in China, appeared to draw closer to home last week, a fact not lost on the Ohio Wesleyan campus.

And the Ohio Department of Health said yesterday it is testing for another possible case of the virus in Ohio, but it won’t say where, according to the Columbus Dispatch.  At least 12 people around the U.S. have tested positive for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health officials had quarantined and tested two students from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who had traveled to China recently. The results for both students were negative, but OWU organized a team to keep a close eye on potential problems, although there are no indications anyone here has been infected, OWU President Rock Jones said.

“Sean Bolender, director of public safety, is leading a team of individuals from across campus in monitoring this situation and ensuring we are fully prepared if the virus arrives on campus,” Jones said.

The campus team is teaching students and staff about the virus and how to minimize risk, Jones said.

Doug Koyle, the associate dean for student success, in an email sent across campus Tuesday reiterated that no confirmed cases exist in Ohio and while the risk is low, the virus continues to spread “making it important to understand more about the potentially fatal condition.”

In an earlier email on Jan. 30 and the most recent note, Koyle pointed out the flu and coronavirus have similar symptoms, which include a fever, cough or other respiratory illness, a sore throat, runny nose and body aches.

“The most important difference is a person’s risk of exposure,” Koyle wrote. “To be diagnosed with the coronavirus, people must have – within 14 days of developing symptoms – either have traveled from Wuhan City, China, or have had close contact with someone who has suspected or confirmed coronavirus.”

Close contact is within 6 feet of, or the same room as, a coronavirus patient for a prolonged period, or having direct contact with the patient’s bodily fluids, including coughs and sneezes, without having protective gear, Koyle said.

The U.S. has temporarily barred travel to China, which has locked down an unprecedented 50 million people in the province of Hubei.

The campus community is urged to call the Student Health Center or any other local health facility first if they suspect they or someone else may have the virus to give medical staff time to prepare to avoid unnecessary exposure. The health center phone number is 740-368-3160 and its hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

More information can be found on the CDC website.

Students inspired by trips abroad

Caitlin Jefferson

Transcript correspondent

cmjeffer@owu.edu

Ohio Wesleyan students pack their bags every semester for adventures in countries all over the world and fall 2019 was no exception, with 35 students leaving Delaware to study in exotic regions.

Three of them, each with unique experiences, said the experience helped ground them, expanded their vision of the world along with international relations and politics and taught them independence.

Junior Kacie Howell, from Columbus, studied at Richmond International American University in London through the American Institute for Foreign Study program.

Howell studied psychology in her cognitive and personality classes. She also took sociology and examined London’s culture and subculture.

“Studying abroad in London gave me the opportunity to grow as a person, travel the world and gain a bigger perspective of psychology in other countries,” Howell said.

On weekends and mid-semester break, Howell also traveled to Paris, Milan, Venice, Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

“Most of the students I met were from the East Coast and we would travel together,” Howell said. “I had a big friend group abroad.”

Howell is a first generation college student and being in London was the first time she was far from home, which she said was difficult at times.

“One of my favorite parts of being abroad was going to Italy, as I studied Italian in high school,” Howell said.

She could not go to Italy while she was in high school and she was shocked to get there.

“I started crying happy tears when I landed in Italy because I was very humbled and excited,” Howell said. “Everything seemed unreal, especially being in the Vatican.”

Howell said she was not in the best place mentally before she left and being abroad helped her discover new perspectives.

“I really found myself on this trip and I feel more mature; I learned how to better treat myself and others,” Howell said.

Junior Billy Lewis from Madison, New Jersey traveled to Ireland at Arcadia University – University of College Cork to study international political science.

“Studying in Cork was a neat experience that let me get a better feel of a world view of politics and international relations, as well as new perspectives,” Lewis said.

Similar to Howell, Lewis traveled during the weekends to many places such as Paris, London and Rome.

“I took a class called political ideologies, which was very interesting because my teacher was an anarchist, which meant that he did not believe in social hierarchy or forms of government,” Lewis said.

Lewis’ school had mostly commuter students, so the weekdays in the city of Cork were crowded.

“The other students I met were from all over the United States and I also became close with Irish kids since I played for the university’s club tennis team,” Lewis said.

Lewis was sometimes teased by the Irish kids for his American accent and use of American terms.

“I would use American terms in tennis such as ‘FBI,’ meaning first ball in, which they did not understand,” Lewis said “However, they were very welcoming and asked me to teach them some American terms.”

Junior Paige Hunter from Westerville attended the University of Salamanca through the OWU Spanish Program. She studied basic general education courses taught in Spanish.

“My favorite part of being abroad was getting to speak Spanish all the time, as well as travel a lot, which was exciting,” Hunter said.

Hunter said she learned to be more independent, which inspired new travel aspirations. Hunter said her classes were interesting, but not too demanding, which allowed her to focus on cultural experiences around Salamanca.

“I was in the international studies department for my classes, so I was surrounded by American, Canadian, Japanese, and Chinese students, as well as someone from the Netherlands,” Hunter said.

OWU helping to get out the vote

Katie Cantrell

Transcript Correspondent

kmcantre@owu.edu

The deadline looms.

Ohio’s presidential primary election is March 17 and Ohio Wesleyan officials have made efforts to ensure all students eligible to vote in this year’s election can register in time by the Feb. 18 deadline.

OWU promotes voter registration every election year and it has created registration opportunities on campus for both the primary and general elections.  Now, students can register at the OWU Campus Store or Beeghly Library.

And today and Monday, Feb. 10 organizers will set up a table in the Hamilton Williams Campus Center with information about voter registration. Students can also follow the link here if they have questions or are looking for information on registering to vote.

Freshman Elizabeth Dickey said this election is important so she was sure to register.

“This is the first election where I can vote so I’m actually paying attention to the candidates and what’s going on,” Dickey said.

Sophomore Danielle Black said she thinks this election is going to be a tipping point.

“We have gay men running, we have women running, we have diverse candidates running for one of the first times in history, so I’m really interested to see what the outcome’s going to be and how it’s going to affect the future,” she said.

Junior Fatima Iqbal is an international student and unable to participate in U.S. elections, but she said she believes it is important for people to be registered to vote.

“Especially people 18-25, because the current data shows that 30% of those people are registered to vote and that’s very low,” she said. “They’re the upcoming generation and if they don’t vote for the correct person who’s actually working for them then you know it’s not good news for them.”

Senior Ahmed Hamed said he believes many key issues are at stake for the future of the United States and the direction we move in as a country.

“As important as I think this election is, I also think every election is important, even the local elections,” he said. “I vote in every single election that I can and I try to vote on every issue that’s on the ballot.”

Learning to self-defend at OWU

Katie Cantrell

Transcript Correspondent

kmcantre@owu.edu

Forget the flying spin kicks seen in martial arts movies, these Ohio Wesleyan classes focus on teaching students the basic skills of self-defense.

While they are not as well known, the two elective classes that teach Okinawa karate and a brand of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are popular in both spring and fall semesters.

The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday nights and last for about two hours at the Summit Martial Arts Academy, 425 S. Sandusky St., a few minutes’ drive from campus. The classes tend to have between 10-to-20 students.

Kyoshi Charles Reidmiller has taught both classes for over 10 years and said students can sign up for both or split the time between the two defense styles.  Kyoshi is a term that equals professor and designates the person as an expert teacher.

“Each one has a very distinctive philosophy,” Reidmiller said. “You may be dealing with stand up (karate) and then it goes to the ground (jiu-jitsu), so you may go from one philosophy to another.”

Reidmiller said students feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. The classes are respectful, controlled and even though students are doing dangerous stuff, it’s a structured environment.

“They feel safe,” he said. “You know it’s a controlled environment even though we’re kicking, punching, arm barring, and choking, but it’s very controlled and you know you tap and it’s done and stops instantly.”

Beginners should go with their natural feeling when considering which class to take. Some may want to learn how to protect themselves on the ground, others may want to learn defense while standing, Reidmiller said.

Reidmiller said he prefers to teach the basics of martial arts over flashy moves such as flying spin kicks seen in martial arts movies. The basics are reliable and proven to work a majority of the time, he said.

“Attacks and violent crimes happen every day,” Reidmiller said. “If you’re going to be around water you definitely take time to learn to swim. Amazingly when you learn to defend yourself the probability of you being a victim drops astronomically.”

The classes are also a confidence builder, Reidmiller said.

Junior Alex Illitch is taking the jiu-jitsu class and has been involved in the course for roughly a year. He said he now participates in the classes for his own enjoyment rather than for credits.

“It’s probably my favorite activity outside of school. It’s a good challenge both mentally and physically, which I like,” Illitch said. “It’s not just, you know, like weightlifting where you’re just using your body, you have to use your mind too. It’s just a unique challenge.”

Illitch has never taken similar classes but offered advice to anyone interested.

“Definitely try it,” he said. “Like obviously when you first start something it’s going be difficult, but if you stick around for long enough you’ll really get to appreciate it and have a good time.”

Senior Sam Miller is taking the jiu-jitsu class and also took it when he was a sophomore. Miller said he took taekwondo when he was younger, so he had some background in self-defense before he joined the class with some of his roommates.

“This place is great, it’s super chill,” Miller said. “They’re very understanding and they’re more self-defense minded. They’re not really competition based, which is good.”

Reidmiller also offered some advice for interested students.

“If you show up a couple times a week and practice what you learn, even if you’re the most uncoordinated … if you just can gain patience and do, it will come because you’re naturally made for it,” Reidmiller said.