The Transcript – Page 94 – This is the archive of our old website

New designs look pleasing to SLU community

Students and representatives from the administration reached a compromise at the forum on design changes to the Small Living Unit (SLU) residences.

Thomas Carlson-Reddig from Little Diversified Architectural Consulting led the forum on March 20, and shared schematics of the new SLU duplexes along Rowland Avenue. He also went through floor plans for the first duplex to be built on the corner of Rowland Avenue and Liberty Street.

The design is to have two SLUs in one building, or a SLUplex. However, each SLU will be self-contained with entrances to each only accessible from the outside.

The first of the SLUplexes is scheduled to begin construction by August, with students moving in fall 2016. However, the budget for these designs has not been finalized with a contractor.

“Right now we don’t know if we are in budget,” Carlson-Reddig said. “The next step is to look at the cost.”

He said the total allocated amount for this first project is $1.5 million, which should cover the cost, but if the budget exceeds this amount, they will protect the core project of the building first.

Based on feedback from the first forum, Carlson-Reddig said the designs were updated to focus on fostering community, having connection to outdoors, accessibility, comfort and sustainability and maintaining individuality and identity.

Junior Reilly Reynolds, the moderator of the Tree House said she was pleased with the new designs even though she had concerns with the original plans.

“I was a little bit concerned about how cookie cutter the houses looked at that time, and at the idea of internal bedrooms,” she said. “The new designs are much more open, unique and I feel very positive about them in general.”

“As an environmentalist, I am hopeful that the architects will be true to what they are saying about maintaining and improving sustainability in all the houses,” Reynolds said.

The floor plans provide open dining and gathering spaces on the ground floor, as well as some bedrooms for accessibility. However, concerns were brought up about accessibility to the second level.

It was suggested to include a lift in the stairwell, but Carlson-Reddig said there are currently no plans to include it. One could be added later if needed.

Senior Alicia Brown, a member of the SAGE House, said she was concerned that not having the lift in the first place could discourage students with handicaps from even applying to live in the house.

Senior Meredith Harrison, also a member of SAGE, added that she wouldn’t want to live in a house where one could never go upstairs.

“I can’t imagine not being able to ever get upstairs,” she said. “You’re missing half the house.”

At the end of the meeting, Carlson-Reddig asked how everyone liked the new designs and the students responded with snaps and nods.

Junior Margot Reed, a member of Peace and Justice House, expressed her thanks for the architects being receptive to the needs and suggestions of the students.

Rising costs affect living conditions and more

A three percent increase in next year’s tuition recently made an impact on Ohio Wesleyan students, and their bank accounts.

Total tuition will be approximately $55,000 next year. This is comparative to the rates of DePauw University and Denison University, but less than both Oberlin College and Kenyon College, which are around $61,000.

“No one likes to see costs for students increase year after year,” said Director of Residential Life Wendy Piper. “Especially when so many of our students already find it challenging to fund their education.”

A portion of the increase is due to the cost of living. For individuals living in a standard room, room and board costs $11,540. Residency in Stuyvesant Hall, 35 Williams Dr., 23 Williams Dr., 4 Williams Dr. and 123 Oak Hill Ave. will cost extra. These facilities are seeing a 10% increase in fees.

The extra revenue created will be reinvested into the buildings for further improvements.

“This is not something that has historically been done at OWU,” said Piper. “We recognize that our residential facilities need that revenue stream for improvements.”

Piper also said the increase in price had not affected the choices students are making when it comes to next year’s housing selection. As usual, 4 Williams Drive and Stuyvesant Hall were still almost completely full after the first round of senior selections.

“It didn’t matter when I picked to live in Stuy that it cost more because I know that it has nicer conditions than some of the other places to live,” said junior Michael McDermott. “Especially if you know OWU will be putting the money back into the building, it kind of makes sense.”

Other students were not as optimistic as McDermott. For sophomore Isabella Flibotte, a visible change would be appreciated for next year.

“For me, if I’m able to see improvements to the buildings and living conditions, I’ll feel a lot better about it,” Flibotte said.

Indoor track team competes at NCAA championship

The Ohio Wesleyan indoor track and field team may not have finished first in the NCAA division III championship, but they did come away with experience and a new determination.

A total of five OWU athletes (three men and two women) took part in the Division III championship in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on March 13 and 14.

“It was a great experience going down to North Carolina and it was just nice to get some good competition and experience on a national level,” said junior Abbey Wrath who finished 15th in the mile. “The race didn’t play out how I wanted it to but it was a good learning experience.”

Three OWU men – senior Matt Hunter, junior Aaron Port and freshman Nate Newman – all competed in the heptathlon.

The men’s heptathlon, as the name suggests, is made up of seven events – 60 meter sprint, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60 meter hurdles, pole vault and 1000 meters.

“Just to make it my freshman year was pretty cool because everyone else there was a junior or senior,” Newman said. “The first day we had high jump, long jump, 60 dash and shot put… the second day I started doing a little better; we had the 60 hurdles, pole vault and then the 1000 meter run which is the killer.”

Newman went on to say that he is optimistic about his future with the sport because of his freshman status and that he looks forward to returning to the DIII championship.

Another OWU track and field athlete optimistic about their future is junior Sara Johnson, who finished 17th in the 60 meter hurdles.

This was Johnson’s second time participating in the DIII championship but her first for indoor track and field. Her first time was last summer when the championship was held at Selby Stadium.

“Last year for outdoor we hosted and it really was like a blessing because we hosted it at home and a lot of my family and friends came to support me,” Johnson said. “It was much different in North Carolina for indoor, it was more subtle, less dramatic, less people but there was a lot of pressure still.”

Johnson suffered a leg injury while running in this year’s championship which she feels slowed her down. However, going forward, she spoke about the confidence she gained.

“I was super upset afterwards,” Johnson said. “I’m just happy I made it that far. Next year I am definitely going for it.”

Student artists join forces

Two friends came together to showcase their figure drawing work from previous years.

Seniors Ben Danielson and Leah Budde collaborated to put on a senior art show called “One and the Same.” The friends decided to put on an exhibit because they have grown with each other throughout their art careers at Ohio Wesleyan.

Senior Leah Budde. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

According to Danielson, he did not like Budde in the beginning of their sophomore year because her drawings were so good.

“We had figure one together and I walked by her and her work and I did not like her because it was just so good,” said Danielson. “But in the end we love each other so much and it shows in the work. It’s been a transformation for the both of us.”

There were 16 pieces in total at the art show exhibit; each artist had eight works featured.

According to Budde, the competition between the two has been helpful throughout the years.

Senior Ben Danielson. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

“Ben and I took a drawing class last semester and it was just the two of us and our model Michelle,” said Budde. “We’ve always been good friends and also in competition with each other as artists since our sophomore year. We knew in the beginning of the semester we wanted to do a show together because our work is complementary of each other and we have the same aesthetic.”

The art exhibit had a good turn out and was a success according to junior Kelly Johnson.

“In my opinion the show was a success. I wasn’t surprised by the outcome considering Ben and Leah are such talented artists.”

The exhibit is open at the Werner Gallery on the first floor of Edgar Hall now.

OWU for a cure

The sign at Relay for Life. Photo courtesy of Kera Bussey Sims.

Participants at Relay for Life walked to remember those with cancer while dressed as comic book superheroes.

The annual overnight event sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer, was held on March 20 to March 21. Teams are formed and the members participate in different events throughout the night. The participants stay up all night, or as long as they can, taking laps around the track and doing different activities.

Sophomore Shaaref A. Shah, one of the presidents of Colleges Against Cancer, stated “weeks before Relay for Life, Colleges Against Cancer began promoting the event through social media.” The members of CAC sent out emails to teachers, alumni, and everyone else affiliated with Ohio Wesleyan that might want to participate.

One thing that made this year’s Relay for Life event different from year’s past is the theme. After the teams were established, CAC held meetings with the team captains to think of fundraising ideas, which was where the superhero theme was established.

The goal this year was to raise a minimum of $15,000 to donate to American Cancer Society. The proceeds have not been counted in its entirety yet, but as of publication, OWU raised $14,000.

“My mom had cancer so I wanted to be here to support her,” sophomore Rick Gordon said. “That is my main reason.”

Fellow sophomore Claire O’Keeffe added “Relay for Life is important to me because I have lost family members to cancer in the past years and recently. Also, I thought it would be fun to come and walk around with my friends”.

Colleges Against Cancer meets every Wednesday at 5:00 pm in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

Professor talks conflicts in Middle East

By: Breanne Reilly, Transcript correspondent

Extreme interpretations of Islam are to blame for the conflicts in the Middle East, said R. Blake Michael, professor of religion at Ohio Wesleyan University.

He opened his Great Decisions presentation Friday with a Sunni phrase about Shi’as.

“Oh Sunni of Bahrain, we know nothing of what they do is in any way related to Islam and is full of superstitions and empty turbans. There is no Islamic basis to their actions,” Michael said.

Bahrain, located in the Persian Gulf, is divided between two major denominations of Islam, the Sunni and the Shi’as. In Bahrain, the ruling family is Sunni and the population is mostly Shi’a. The quote Michael used demonstrates one of the conflicts that makes the Middle East violent because of the variety of ethno-linguistic groups and religions that reside there. Sectarianism, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group is often the result.

To demonstrate the problem, Michael compared two maps, one depicted ethno-linguistic groups and the other depicted religions in the area. He over-laid the two maps to demonstrate how the various ethno-linguistic groups and the religions bleed into one another. This is considered problematic because the groups disagree on how their religions are interpreted.

“In Islam, the prescriptive use is the prevalent use,” Michael said. “They tend to identify their way of being Islamic as true Islam and other ways as un-Islamic.”

Like al-Qaida, ISIS pushes for a strict application of the Quran. However, while al-Qaida focused on terrorism abroad, until recently, ISIS wanted authority over territory in the Middle East because it would give its caliphate power. Now, ISIS wants recognition for off-site events. This week, it claimed responsibility for the Yemen mosque bombings and Tunisia museum attack.

With regard to those attacks, Michael recommended not forming a prejudice.

“Don’t blame that on the Muslim living down the street from you,” Michael said.

When Delaware resident Helmut Kremling asked why young people are joining ISIS, Michael explained that the appeal lies with the groups’ identification with a goal.

“It’s the same reason our military recruits are 18 years old,” Michael said. “You’re young; you’re looking for a meaning, self-definition or purpose.”

Michael said ISIS recruits identify with a radical eschatological vision that promises paradise to devotees after Armageddon.

“Better that the battle be fought and lost, than the battle not be fought,” Michael said.

As for U.S. involvement, Michael said he is no political expert, but it would be unwise for the U.S. to engage in direct conflict with ISIS.

“It would be playing right into their hands,” he said.

A survey of those attending the presentation found 84 percent opposed sending ground troops to fight ISIS if air strikes are not enough to stop the group. And 90 percent said Muslims are like people everywhere and common ground can be found. The vast majority said they believed violent conflict between civilizations is not inevitable.

“The only hope for the Middle East is that the fanaticism wears down,” Michael said.

The final session of the eight-part Great Decisions series occurs on March 27 at noon when Irfan Nooruddin, a professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will talk about India.

OWU group braves the weather to find social justice

John Durst limped slowly through snow, slush and rain determined that nothing was going to interrupt a trip to hilly Pittsburgh with students and faculty studying social justice issues.

At one point, Durst, associate professor of sociology at Ohio Wesleyan University, ignored doctor’s orders not to walk without the plastic, open-toe boot supporting his fractured left ankle because he wanted to keep up and, frankly, he got tired of having a wet, cold foot.

The Feb. 20-22 trip was part of the Poverty, Equity and Social Justice (PESJ) Course Connection program. Seven students and three faculty members, across a variety of disciplines including sociology, psychology, journalism, and women’s and gender studies, ventured to the traditional Rust Belt city to examine issues of racial conflict, gentrification and entrepreneurship.

OWU professors John Durst (right) and Paul Dean, both of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, listen to area speakers during a lunch in the Slopes neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Photo courtesy of Paul E. Kostyu.

“We wanted to offer students an opportunity to go see something,” said Durst, who is the coordinator for the PESJ course connection.

Durst also said part of the course connection’s strong suit is that it gives different faculty members a chance to get to know each other and explore difficult issues from various viewpoints.

Celeta Hickman, a co-founder of the cooperative Ujamaa Ujamaa, seemed to have the most impact on the group as she explained how her neighborhood has changed as wealthy people move in, putting pressure on rent and housing costs.

Google Inc. recently announced it was building a 200,000 square foot, six-story office building near by. And while the expansion project has been touted as an economic boost for Pittsburgh, residents and businesses at the neighborhood level worry about both the short- and long-term impact for them.

“You have to understand that we have billionaires moving here, and we don’t know what to do about that,” said Hickman, who recently found out her shop’s rent will be raised $300 a month.

“People are fighting for their opportunity to shine in the sun,” she said. “African-American women [are] banding together to make it.”

The cooperative, which is in the city’s Hill District, sells pottery, body care items, clothing, jewelry and an assortment of other items. Most vendors are of African descent.

“It was really awesome,” senior Rizz Dickson said of the trip. “I liked seeing those parts of Pittsburgh because I’ve been to Pittsburgh a lot but I’ve never had a tour of it. I liked hearing from the local people.”

Heather Fry, '99, tells course connection students about how neighborhoods, including hers, have changed, sometimes not for the good, in the last 15 years. Photo by Paul E. Kostyu. — Heather Fry, ’99, tells course connection students about how neighborhoods, including hers, have changed, sometimes not for the good, in the last 15 years. Photo by Paul E. Kostyu.

The group also met with Heather Fry, ’99, who recommended places worth visiting to Durst. She led a discussion at the Carson Street Deli in the Slopes neighborhood, within sight of downtown, but across one of the three rivers that weave through the city.

“I thought it was interesting to gain from her perspective because she went [to OWU] and she has been living in Pittsburgh for a long time,” said senior Ava Fiddle.

The group left its tracks in the snow at Freedom Corner, where “every meaningful march that has ever been” started there, Hickman said. On August 28, 1963, 2,000 people left for the March on Washington.

Celeta Hickman, co-founder of the Pittsburgh cooperative Ujamaa Ujamaa, told OWU students she worries about how small businesses like hers will survive in the Hill District as billionaires move in causing housing and rent prices to increase sharply. Photo by Paul E. Kostyu.

Other stops included the James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy, the Homewood-Brushton Center of the Community College of Allegheny County, Senator John Heinz History Center and The Andy Warhol Museum.

According to The Weather Channel, Pittsburgh received no more than one-half inch of snow while the OWU group was there, still, some places Durst planned visiting were closed.

“I think if anybody learned, I did,” said Durst in regards to the weather. He said he plans to have the trip in October next year.

“I wish we would’ve spent more time talking about solutions,” said senior Meredith Harrison. “I just felt like we saw a lot of the problems and a lot of people didn’t have answers when we were asking them about solutions.”

A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded the trip. The foundation, though based in New York City, was started in part by the accumulated wealth of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh.

Durst said the PESJ Course Connection will do its annual trip to Detroit in March to discuss similar issues.

Senior spotlight: 3-point sharp-shooter

Senior Nick Felhaber. Photo courtesy of battlingbishops.com.

Coming from a family of college basketball players, an Ohio Wesleyan senior was destined to continue on the tradition.

Nick Felhaber, the only senior on the team, has been through a lot in his time wearing the black and red jersey, including injuries, conference championships and NCAA tournament runs.

However, he did not have OWU on his college radar until an assistant coach saw him play at one of his high school games at Toledo St. Johns.

“I had a pretty good game the day he was there and afterwards we talked,” Felhaber said. “I ended up applying, liking the school and wanted to play basketball four more years.”

Halfway through his sophomore year, Felhaber broke his foot. And just two weeks after his junior season ended, he broke it again.

During that time, he chose to focus on improving different aspects of his game he could control.

“I had to be a little smarter and focus on things I knew I could do. Like ball handling, watching film and shooting,” said Felhaber.

Shooting cannot be emphasized enough. Felhaber made 95 three pointers this season, including breaking a single-game OWU record of nine against Calvin on November 22. However, the record would not stand for long. He increased it to 10 two months later against Oberlin College.

To put 95 three pointers in perspective, that’s only 12 shy of the amount made by the whole Kenyon squad this season.

As Felhaber enjoyed individual success, the team also prospered. Although being picked to finish fourth in the pre-season poll and were thought to be not much of a threat, the Bishops, led by Felhaber, started the season 7-0.

“It was one of those years where we came out of nowhere,” Felhaber said. “Everyone said we were going to be rebuilding and we came out in the first week of the season and beat the sixth ranked team in the country.”

The team won the NCAC regular season, finishing with a 21-5 record entering postseason play. After fighting back from injuries and leading the team during his last year, the title will always stick out for Felhaber.

“That was a huge moment for us. And that was one of the big ones for me personally.”

“It was just a great year and a lot of fun. I was very fortunate to have some great teammates and coaches.”

His teammates were fortunate to have him as well. Junior Joey Kinsely has been a part of the team the last three years with Felhaber.

“We all look toward (Felhaber) during practice, in games and in the classroom, and he’s always giving it his all and going 100 percent,” Kinsley said. “Everyone wants to be on a team with people like that, he’s a great guy and will be missed.”

March Madness

My favorite time of the year is finally here. While some prefer the summer months, and others like fall or December, I prefer March for one simple reason: the Madness.

The moment that every basketball and sports fan has been waiting for is upon us. The NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament tips off this week, and fans of college athletics can rejoice in the biggest event of the year.

As a testament to the enormity of the Madness, last year’s revenues were over $1 billion – more than the entirety of the NFL playoffs.

That figure is merely nominal, since everyone knows how big March Madness is. Everyone also knows that the first four days of the tournament in the middle of March are the greatest four days of the year.

An extravaganza of basketball begins this week, as games will be on 24/7 starting today and lasting until Sunday. Legends are made, hearts are crushed and unimaginable stories become reality. During these four days, the first two rounds of the 64-team single-elimination frenzy will take place.

You’ve been filling out NCAA Division I basketball tournament brackets since you’ve been able to write. Fortunes are made and mortgages are lost. Brackets are everything this month, evidenced by the $1 million prize for whoever manages the impossible task of predicting the perfect bracket, the most elusive item in all of athletics. According to Bleacher Report, you have better odds of getting attacked by a shark, struck by lightning or being an NBA player.

The atmosphere of each game is always stunning, and somehow the next game is somehow even better. The ever-amusing David verses Goliath matchups litter the first round.

Yet, more importantly than the revenues, the bets, and the brackets, are the memories of each NCAA tournament. Those last for a lifetime, whether players and fans like it or not.

Kentucky fans still wear shirts that say, “I hate Christian Laettner” across the chest after what became known as “The Shot” made by Duke’s Laettner in the 1992 semifinals to beat the Wildcats by one.

In the category of improbable villains, Michigan’s star Chris Webber is the first that comes to mind. As a member of the iconic Fab 5 Wolverines team in the 1990s, Webber mistakenly called a timeout when his team had none left, which cost Michigan the national championship.

Or if you’re feeling especially nostalgic on this throwback Thursday, another famous improbable villain is Georgetown’s Eric “Sleepy” Floyd, who accidentally passed the ball to North Carolina’s James Worthy, helping the Tar Heels seal the 1982 championship.

While the villains are remembered, the heroes are ultimately celebrated. Who can forget the NC State “alley-oop” to win the 1983 national championship against Houston that sent coach Jim Valvano running around the court in shock?

If we’re talking about shock, George Mason’s Cinderella run to the Final Four as an 11 seed definitely comes to mind. As does Mario Chalmers’ game-tying three-pointer with just over two seconds left in regulation. Propelling the Kansas Jayhawks to the championship, shocking not only the then Memphis Tigers coach John Calipari and future NBA MVP Derrick Rose, but a whole nation.

Whether you’re watching to root on the alma mater, to win the bracket pool at work or just out of shear enjoyment; sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacle that is March Madness. That’s what I’ll be doing.

The decline and future of house parents

House parents, live-in moderators for fraternities and sororities are not common at Ohio Wesleyan. But a remaining few still hold the title.

A house parent is similar to a Residential Advisor (RA). They deal with managing property, handling conflicts and sometimes assisting in academic advising.

Chi Phi is one fraternity that retains the position.

“To the best of my knowledge, the house father is a title and job that was grandfathered in after the university acquired our houses with the Memorandum of Understanding,” said junior Conor Golden, a member of Chi Phi. “To the school, the house father is the liaison between the university and the chapter representing their interests and relaying back our interests to them.”

Chi Phi’s house father, Peter Chew, was unavailable for comment.

Fraternities are not the only ones that currently have, or have had, house parents.

Delta Gamma parted ways with their house parent five years ago, but they still have someone they consider to be an honorary house mother.

“The closest thing to a mother we have is Marilyn Haas, who is our house corporation president,” said senior Mariah Bockbrader, a member of Delta Gamma. “She is in charge of all of the remodeling and decorating of our house, and helps us out with so much more than just that.”

Haas visits the sorority once a month during the school year depending on weather conditions. In the summer she stops by twice a week if there are any renovations being done to the chapter lodge.

“I absolutely love my Alpha Rho (chapter) sisters. I moved back to Ohio almost five years ago, got involved with the chapter and have never been disappointed,” Haas said.

She went on to say that she doesn’t think Delta Gamma will have a house mother in the near future.

“While each of us has different personalities, we have worked well together and the chapter members are very grateful for the improvements to the physical house,” Haas said. “They are respectful of the alumnae, love celebrating Delta Gamma traditions such as Founders’ Day and parent/alumnae weekends and have been gracious hostesses.”