Members of the Class of 2019 move in. Photo by Lisa DiGiacomo.
After much anticipation and preparation, the class of 2019 has finally arrived.
Continuing the tradition of welcoming freshmen to campus, Ohio Wesleyan students called on the Greek community to organize and assist with moveÂ-in day.
âI love move-Âin day,â said senior associate director of admission Patricia âPatâ Kelly. âItâs such an exciting time, and itâs my favorite time of the year because itâs when I get to see freshmen settle into their home away from home.â
Since then, organizations like the Campus Programming Board and the office of Residential Life have been staging orientation activities, free events and socials exclusively for freshmen.
Although statistical information about the class of 2019Â was not available when this article was written, convocation data suggests an actively involved freshman class.
Specifically, the class of 2019 comprises 267 varsity athletes, 117 varsity sport captains, 92 high school musicians and 224 students who participated in community service and volunteer work.
Christopher Bonner, a freshman from Parma, Ohio, falls into one of those categories. âI chose OWU because my football coach at Valley Forge High said great things about it, and I visited and loved it, too,â he said.
In an attempt to combat low enrollment, this summer, OWU expanded its publications, developed its website and hired a new marketing firm to design banners that currently line campus walkways.
âThe reason we are developing all of this is to develop a better way to share the OWUÂ connection,â said Director of Admissions Alisha Couch.
No matter how the numbers turn out, or what the banners look like, the freshmen are here to stay.
Alison Parker and Adam Ward, the reporter and videographer killed in the shooting. Photo courtesy of thewrap.com.
When I first sat down to write this piece, it was going to be a welcomeÂ-back-Âto-Âthe-Âyear type of op-Âed; you know, the standard âletâs have a great year, everyone!â rhetoric. Then the WDBJ shooting happened.
For those of you who donât know, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, a reporter and a cameraman were killed, and an interviewee was injured, during an on-Âair interview by a former employee of the Virginia television station.
There are many issues with this latest shooting. One of the issues is that I had to say âlatest shooting.â It feels like every time you blink, thereâs a report of another gun shot, another killed.
Another major issue was that the killer, Vester Lee Flanagan (also known by his onÂ-air name Bryce Williams), put his homemade video of the shooting on social media. His social media accounts have been taken down since the shooting, but the live, onÂ-air report that was being filmed during the shooting still circulates.
A few years ago, I wrote my first-Âever opÂ-ed on gun control, spurred by the 2013 Navy Yard attack. How many more opinion pieces do concerned citizens need to write about gun violence?
How many more times will I hear about shootings at places that are supposed to be safe? Must we live in constant alert in every public space, holding our breath whenever we see a man by himself shift in his seat?
This latest act of violence will stir up another gun control debate again. And Iâll listen to the politicians and talking heads talk themselves in circles. The fact is, if gun control wasnât reformed after the slaughter of 20 first graders, it never will be.
Editorâs note: After the writing of this story, Texas sheriff’s Deputy Darren H. Goforth was killed in an execution-Âstyle attack at a gas station in Cypress, Texas.
The Edwards Gymnasium weight room in 2012. Photo by Mark Schmitter â12.
The Edwards Fitness Center is, in a sense, a new building. This semester is the first that many sophomores are seeing it. Its remodeled interior, though incomplete, is now modern and sleek.
Built in 1906, it is now over 100 years old. After a large donation from Louis A. Simpson, class of 1958, and his wife Kimberly K. Querrey, the Edwards Fitness Center became the focus of a large scale construction project, much like Merrick Hall.
Though students are now free to roam Merrick, Edwards remains closed. Meant to be done by the end of August, construction was recently delayed, and the building is not set to open until early or mid-ÂSeptember.
Athletics Director Roger Ingles commented that the delay was due to back-ordered flooring, which is set to come in on August 31. Installation should take a few days. After the flooring is placed, equipment still needs to be moved in and staff must be trained. However, that does not mean certain facilities are still unavailable to students.
The Edwards Gymnasium basketball court shortly after being re-done during the 2013-14 school year. Photo by Roger Ingles and Larry Hamill.
Ingles explained that several classes and module courses will be moved into the fitness center after fall break, if not sooner. As of the first day of classes, the weight room in the basement of Edwards is open. Certain classes, like jazzercise, are already being held in the finished basketball court. Contrary to rumors, the fitness center in its current state is open to all students.
While many students are excited about the new facilities, many are concerned about the loss of the Belt Fitness Center in Welch Hall. Though hot and musty year round, âWelch Gymâ is a convenient resource on the residential side of campus. According to President Rock Jones, Welch Gym will remain open, but not to the same extent as before. A few cardio machines will remain but the space will also be used for âfitness classes and other group exercise experiences.â
With such a lengthy renovation, one would expect massive improvements; however, one student noted her disappointment. Senior Alex Cook mentioned that the now open weight room looks exactly the same as it did before. However, she did state that other parts of the building were in desperate need of improvement prior to the beginning of construction and is pleased with their progress.
Though currently limited, once construction is complete, Edwards will have new cardiovascular equipment and circuit machines. Each machine will have internet access for convenience.
The approximate times the facilities will be open are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. Edwards will close earlier on Fridays and open later on the weekends.
Though no crime had been committed, on Aug. 17, hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the country arrived at sunny Ohio Wesleyan. As part of the second annual Leadership in Crisis conference, the officers discussed their work experiences in hopes of educating police forces around the country.
John DiFava, chief of police at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the visiting officers, âserved as the incident commander of the institution during the search of the Boston Marathon bombers who ultimately murdered MIT police officer Sean Collier,â according to an event pamphlet.
Michael Kehoe, âchief of police in Newtown, Connecticut,…was one of the first through the doors at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting,â was also in attendance.
âEach officer discussed the events they experienced, how they had to respond and what they have learned from those incidents,â said Public Safety officer Robert Wood.
According to Wood, âthe presenters got the people who attend the event thinking about how they would respond if they encountered a similar tragedy.â
Wood organized the event and brought it to campus along with officer Tom Saccenti of Furman Universityâs university police.
Saccenti said, âThis event was incredibly successful. We had a very large amount of people attend, and the feedback we received showed that so many people got a lot out of the conference.â
Saccenti said he would consider holding the event again in a different state so they could gather together people that have yet to attend the conference.
Pending a decision by the Academic Policy Committee (APC), Course Connections could be adopted as potential minors for Ohio Wesleyan students.
According to the Course Connection (CCs) website, CCs are âcrossÂdivisional networks of courses organized around common themes.â
Philosophy professor Erin Flynn, director of the CCs program, explained that when first created, âin the broadest sense, the programâs goal was to advance crossÂdivisional knowledge and interaction among students and faculty.â
Professor Anne Sokolsky, director of the âSilk Roadâ CC, stated that the program originally âcame out of an interest to make our general education requirements have some rhyme and reason to them, so that students aren’t just taking a literature course because they have to, but taking a literature course and a science course and a social science course and having some sort of sense of a flow, or an interconnectedness.â
While the core goal of connecting courses still remains, Flynn said the university has recently been considering changes to the program because âstudent understanding of and participation in the CCs remain too low, relative to the resources the university has been putting into the program.â
Changing CCs into minors would ideally increase student participation in the program by placing a more formal academic emphasis on CCs. When asked about the reason behind the changes, Sokolsky mirrored Flynnâs explanation, informing that, according to student feedback, âwhen you [as a faculty member involved in a CC] do call out and say âDo you want to go on this trip?â
or âDo you want to go to a lecture?â if the student has ten thousand things to do, even if they want to do it, they just canât.â
As to the likelihood of actual changes to the program, Professor Chris Fink, one of the faculty contacts for the âFoodâ CC, noted that âthere have been discussions about new minors in various areas, but itâs really important to point out that it has all been discussion at this point.â
Flynn similarly commented, âAn advisory group has made recommendations to the Academic Policy Committee regarding how the program might be transformed, but what will be done with the recommendations is up to APC.â
The Marketplace is one of the on-campus dining options available to students. There, they can use their food points with no additional markup. Photo by Alex Gross ’18.
Using Ohio Wesleyan food points to get an off-campus meal isnât a bargain.
According to WCSA President Jerry Lherrison, students can be charged up to 44 percent extra by the establishment they visit. Furthermore, OWU takes 30 percent of all off-campus purchases, regardless of a mark-up, which encourages participating businesses to increase prices just to break even on those purchases.
In other words, the university and local business benefit when points are used off-campus, but itâs no deal for students. The 100 points students purchase through their meal plans each semester donât go as far a students might think. And many students donât use them, even though theyâve paid for them.
Students are given a degree of control over the program through a voting system that decides which restaurants will be included each year, but even that process has its flaws.
The largest problem with the voting system seems to be that many, if not most, students donât know when or how to vote. In the fall of 2014, WCSA announced the process through a news release which also included a notice about the schoolâs activity fee increasing.
Last year, 426 of 1,830 students signed into a WCSA survey to vote. Out of those, 398 voted.
Hamilton Williams card office secretary Nancy Tumeo said most students seem to know very little, if anything, about the program and many students â particularly freshmen â donât take advantage of their off-campus points at all.
The number of eateries that can participate is limited by the university, based on the number of card-scanning machines it has to distribute to the businesses.
Confusion exists on the other side of the program as well.
Richard Upton, owner of Delaware’s J.Gumbo’s, in his restaurant. Photo courtesy of youtube.com.
Richard Upton, owner of JGumboâs, said, âIâm very happy to be in the program. I think itâs done well for business, but itâs hard to connect with the students about the restaurant and get them to vote.â
Upton said students who work for him suggested the best method for advertising would be flyers because other methods, such as including releases in the OWU Daily, are ignored by most students. Upton resorted to hanging signs in his establishment, encouraging students to vote in the election, which, he said, students donât seem to know is occurring at all.
Once a restaurant makes it into the off-campus program, the restaurantâs part in profiting from the partnership is not done there. Restaurant owners who preferred not to be named voice similar struggles to quantify their benefit from the program as did Upton.
âMy wife looks at the numbers sometimes and says, âI donât see [the benefit].â But I do,â Upton said. âI think about 20 percent of the business is OWU students and probably about 50 percent of those use off-campus points. This is the third year weâve been able to take [food points]. The real bump comes from students getting used to coming, sitting down, having a good time even when they donât have the extra cash.
âWe do the max mark-up 42 percent, and thatâs just to cover our costs and give the school its take. Iâm not making 42 percent more money on each sale to students, not by a long shot.â
Overall, representatives of all the restaurants who commented for this story were positive about the program despite any difficulties they found with promotion, the election process or contracts they signed as part of their affiliation with the school.
Another point of frustration, however, was the perception that some long-standing restaurants seem to always be on the list at the detriment of newer establishments.
Also, two years ago students made an effort to help the Delaware Community Market, a non-profit, by voting it into the program. They succeed, but few students visited the establishment, according to Tumeo, who said she believes the Market â a 22-minute walk from campus â was just too far for students when many other options line Sandusky Street near campus.
Upton said the slot used by Community Market could have been given to an establishment that may have better benefited from the program.
Vaqueroâs is another lightning rod for criticism from restaurateurs and students alike. Most troubling, according to multiple sources who didnât want to be named for fear of getting in trouble with OWU administrators, is the practice of letting students purchase alcohol using their food points. The off-campus program does not allow the purchase of alcohol with food points, but Vaqueroâs apparently has garnered a reputation for getting around the rule.
Multiple students recounted the process of making a joint food-drink purchase at Vaqueroâs â including alcohol â and splitting the cost on their meal cards so the cashier submits the alcohol purchase as âmiscellaneous.â Using that terminology makes it easier to get through the schoolâs validation system. The practice was cited as a reason students were more likely to vote for the restaurant despite those same students noting occasions where the food supposedly made them sick. More issues with Vaqueroâs are borne out through their health inspection records.
The interior of Vaqueros. Photo courtesy of pacerinnandsuitesmotel.com.
The owner of Vaqueroâs refused repeated requests for comment.
The restaurant consistently racks up health violations, according to an analysis of public records. During an investigation into five years of health records for all restaurants in the off-campus points program, Vaqueroâs had the largest file â 60 pages. Opaâs Bar and Grill was next with 12 pages of health inspection reports during the same period.
For example, an inspection in February found three critical violations as defined by the Delaware General Health District. All involved keeping ready-made food improperly, such as leaving it near raw food. Hot and cold foods were not kept at proper temperatures. And refrigerated items were not marked to show when they were opened. An issue with cleanliness of food preparation surfaces has been a problem on and off since 2012.
In 2012, the restaurant was investigated for complaints of possible foodborne illness and cited for 11 violations. Over the past five years, the health district also noted employees have a history of failing to demonstrate knowledge about food safety.
The health district inspects restaurants at least twice a year for food safety issues, according to Karey Sanders, food safety sanitarian for the district.
Kim F. Eckart, administrative assistant to Dan Hitchel, OWUâs vice president for finance and administration, said the university weighs input from students about the off-campus points program when making decisions about it.
Brown-Smith is a 2015 graduate of OWU and wrote this story as part of course assignment in May.
After 40 years in the Student Affairs office, Craig Ullom decided to make a change.
âWith over half of that time as a senior Student Affairs officer, I believe it is time in my career to explore other ways I can contribute to the higher education community,â Ullom said.
Ullom believes the Student Affairs team in place is ready for his departure.
âFor me this change is offset by the challenge and excitement of new opportunities and next steps,â Ullom said. âKnowing there is a wonderful Student Affairs team in place makes this decision less difficult as well.â
Though stepping down as vice president, Ullom will maintain a role on campus.
âI will be working on strategic initiatives and projects that impact student persistence and success,â Ullom said.
President Rock Jones said Ullomâs departure will allow Ohio Wesleyan to review the Student Affairs program.
âThis transition gives us the opportunity to consider how the division can best support students and Ohio Wesleyan in the future,â Jones said.
Jones said they will assess other schools as well, then search for a new hire.
âFollowing this review, we will develop a position description for a new leader and launch a national search to identify the individual best suited to serve in this capacity in the future,â Jones said.
Dean of Students Kimberlie Goldsberry was asked by President Jones to serve as the interim vice president of student affairs for the 2015Â2016 academic year.
âDean Goldsberry has provided outstanding leadership in six years at Ohio Wesleyan,â Jones said. âShe is wellÂsuited to serve as interim vice president. We are fortunate to have someone on campus readily available and highly qualified for this interim role.â
Ullom agrees with President Jonesâ decision.
âI am thrilled for Kimberlie,â Ullom said. âShe is a consummate professional who is well-prepared for this position.â
Goldsberry is equally thrilled about the change.
âI am extremely excited to serve OWU and our students in a new capacity,â Goldsberry said. âIt affords me to the opportunity to understand even more about our institution and work more closely with the other members of the Senior Leadership Team.â
Goldsberry said she hopes to achieve institutional goals and collaborate with her colleagues in the Student Affairs for student success.
With Ullom stepping down and Goldsberry transitioning on campus, Kurt C. Holmes will be the new dean of students for the 2015Â2016 academic year.
A new year brings new faces, and this August, Ohio Wesleyan is welcoming more than just freshmen to campus.
Kurt C. Holmes, former Dean of Students for The College of Wooster, will be joining OWU for the 2015-Â2016 academic year.
After Craig Ullom stepped down as vice president of Student Affairs, former Dean of Students Kimberlie Goldsberry was chosen to fill the vacancy. That left her position unfilled.
Holmes saw the job listing and jumped at the chance.
âAfter 14 years with The College of Wooster, I had an opportunity which doesn’t come along very often in administration,â Holmes said. âFaculty have âsabbaticalsâ which allow for a battery recharge, professional development and career growth. You have to be more creative in administrative roles.â
Holmes will have a part time role on campus. âI will typically be on campus three days a week, including some time in residence overnight,â he said.
Holmes will also provide daily service to students and will provide feedback about OWU to the administration, given his unique perspective.
âPresident Rock Jones and Vice President Goldsberry have asked that I serve in some ways as a consultant in residence,â Holmes said. âI bring an experienced, outsiderâs view to campus and can hopefully offer some useful observations.â
Jones echoed this statement. âHe is widely recognized for the quality of his work with students and for his positive impact at Wooster,â Jones said. âWe are fortunate that he is available to work in a part-Âtime role at Ohio Wesleyan this year.â
Though Holmes is not entirely sure what this year will bring, he does have one specific goal to accomplish. âI have a request for the whole student body; I hope to get to meet and interact with as many of you as possible,â Holmes said. âBut with so many new names to learn, please introduce yourself more than once.â
Although the amount of alcohol consumed during syllabus week and the night before the new
year is eerily similar, thatâs not the reason for the correlation. Thereâs more to it.
Go back to last New Year’s Eve. You put on your best shirt, wore your nicest dress, planned to
hit nine bars and three house parties all before midnight. The excitement mixed with over the top expectations is much the same going into the first day of school.
Itâs great to see missed faces, give hugs, catch up and brag about everything youâve done over the summer. Donât forget to mention the summer fling that gives Danny and Sandy a run for their money.
Semester goals hide on the inside of your planner as a monster would under the bed, ready to pounce with their big, meaty claws as you hightail it to the bars. Be realistic, going to the library three hours each night will not happen. Just as going to the gym twice a day didnât quite work out.
Photo courtesy of theodysseyonline.com
New Yearâs Day and hangovers pass. Reality sets in and suddenly itâs the second day of school.
NYE ended up like any other night out would, and the first day of school was more or less a regular day of school. Homework is assigned, tests are scheduled and books are begging to be opened. Do not get caught up in what New Year’s Eve entails. The semester is long and college is even longer.
Enjoy the highs of New Year’s Eve and the lows of 2 a.m. library sessions. Enjoy the highs of best friends and the lows of breakÂups. Enjoy the highs of living away from home and the lows of living away from home. Every day cannot be New Year’s Eve.
When you reach and accept the perfect balance of highs and lows, then, and only then, will college give you the twelve oâclock kiss youâve been looking for all night.