The Transcript – Page 98 – This is the archive of our old website

U.S. policy in Africa comes in different shapes

Randolph Quaye. Photo courtesy of owu.edu.

On the sidelines when Europe colonized Africa in the 19^th century, the United States’ role on the continent changed when decolonization began after World War II, said Ghana native Randolph Quaye.

Quaye, director of the Black World Studies program at Ohio Wesleyan University, spoke about U.S. policy toward Africa in the latest meeting of the Great Decisions Lecture Series Friday.

“I think it is very difficult for me to talk about one specific U.S. policy toward Africa,” Quaye said.

That is because each African country is different, requiring different policies from Washington, D.C. Colonization of Africa resulted from the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, creating neighboring countries with diverse backgrounds, he said.

“The U.S. was just an observer,” Quaye said. “The U.S. never took part in colonizing any of these countries.”

After World War II, charismatic leaders who favored socialism began emerging in Africa. With the decolonization process supported by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, the United States was forced to step in.

“I feel the U.S.’s relationship with Africa has been mixed,” Quaye said. “The major U.S. advancements in Africa have been made in the health field.”

Quaye said the African Growth and Opportunity Act passed by the U.S. Congress in May 2000 advanced more open economic policies with African countries and helped build free markets. Greater integration of three economic unions in Africa also was promoted by the U.S. That led to more American influence on the continent.

The U.S. also has promoted democracy and improved health care.

“We are seeing a gradual reduction in the number of people with HIV/AIDS, specifically in East Africa,” Quaye said.

The war on terror is a continuing problem in many African countries, Quaye said. The U.S has established military zones in Libya, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Tunisia.

Stephanie Smith, a Delaware County resident who came with her daughter, Kathy Kelly, said, “I enjoyed the lecture tremendously because I don’t know a lot about Africa. I’ve learned so many things about different parts of the world.”

The Syrian refugee crisis will be the topic at the next Great Decisions lecture on March 6 at noon in the William Street United Methodist Church.

Female-driven comedy is needed more than ever

For about 13 weeks, my favorite day is Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. It’s when my favorite show “Broad City” airs on Comedy Central. It follows Abbi and Ilana through their trials and tribulations as young women in New York City. It’s not one of those typical New York female shows, like “Sex and the City,” which I happen to love. It’s so much more.

If you’ve never seen this show, you’re majorly missing out. I think it’s one of the funniest shows out there. Abbi and Ilana are relatable; they’re young women who are working dead-end jobs while trying to figure out what they actually want to do. Every show includes some cringe-worthy moment, which makes it authentic. For example on last week’s episode, Abbi kicked a soccer ball while wearing roller skates to some cute men and fell. If that isn’t realistic, then tell me what is.

One reason why I’m so drawn to “Broad City” is because of its realistic approaches to sex, love and being young and naive. Both Abbi and Ilana encounter some unsavory situations concerning sex and relationships, but the way they handle these experiences is what makes the show brilliant. They’re frank and honest with each other and themselves, which in my experience is completely realistic. I mean, I’m not as funny as they are, but I’m working on it.

Another Comedy Central show (who would have thought Comedy Central would be such a trailblazer?) that I love is “Inside Amy Schumer.” Another female-driven show, but instead of a single story a week, Schumer’s show is a series of sketches interspersed with some of her hilarious stand-up comedy. Schumer talks about everything from sex to food to diets to therapy. I’ve seen every episode of both seasons of “Schumer” so many times I can recite some of the skits verbatim. Another strong woman in comedy not trying to be something she’s not. Yes, her comedy is more female-centric, but plenty of men find it relatable and hilarious.

If you ask me, these two shows are very important for women in 2015. Why? Because these are women who aren’t afraid of being funny; who aren’t afraid of talking about uncomfortable sexual situations or periods or typical “female” things. They aren’t trying to be “cool girls,” the girls who were made famous, rather, infamous, in that passage from “Gone Girl.” They’re authentically themselves, which comes across in their comedy. Their vulgar and stupid, but not because they’re trying to impress some guy or seem “cool”; they’re doing it because they can be stupid. They’re being vulgar because guess what? Women are vulgar; women are stupid. And these shows don’t hide it.

Female driven comedy is more important than ever now. With the unfortunate cancellation of “Parks and Recreation” with the amazing Amy Poehler (who is actually a producer of “Broad City”) there is definitely a growing chasm between male and female comedians. I mean, when Jon Stewart announced his retirement, the first person I thought of replacing him was Jessica Williams, a correspondent on the “Daily Show.” And on the “Saturday Night Live” 40th anniversary show, the strongest players in my opinion were the women. But it seems as though the television higher ups never realize it and end up hiring another white male.

Luckily, with “Broad City,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” Tina Fey’s new Netflix comedy “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and the brilliant “The Mindy Project” by Mindy Kaling, I think female driven television comedies are making a strong presence in the media. These strong, funny women are needed to show young girls and women it’s okay to be stupid and silly, because it’s normal. And it’s okay to be funnier than men and not to hide your style of humor. These women are people that I look up to; to learn from my mistakes with. Now only if there was that much progress in the movie industry with giving meaty roles to women in films. But that’s another issue on itself.

Bishop Bash bringing Bell

After months of speculation and wild rumors, Ohio Wesleyan’s Campus Programming Board (CPB) announced its mystery guest for this year’s Bishop Bash: Drake Bell.

Bell, known for his role in the Nickelodeon television show “Drake and Josh,” also has musical talent. Sophomore Maddie Oslejsek, the director of entertainment for CPB, said Bell was one of the board’s top choices due to his name recognition.

Bell will be joined by Liberty Deep Down, a band from Powell, Ohio whose members met at Liberty High School. Levi Harrel, a residential life coordinator and one of CPB’s advisers, said the band has a large local following and reflect a “boy-band style.”

Freshman Elle Benak, a co-president of CPB said, “[Bell] is well-known by our generation for his work on ‘Drake and Josh’ and we knew that would draw many people to the concert. We focused on finding a name that everyone would recognize and believed that his name would do that.”

Bishop Bash will be a new addition to OWU’s entertainment roster. Previously, CPB planned events such as Spring Fest, which was not as successful as the board had hoped. Junior Nathan LaFrombois, the other co-president, said through marketing research and surveying OWU students, CPB decided it would be beneficial to revitalize a concert series, and that required a name change.

“When talking to students on campus there was great desire for a concert,” Benak said. “And even among CPB members, everyone wanted to put on a large-scale concert with an artist.”

Liberty Deep Down. Photo courtesy of Liberty Deep Down's management. — Liberty Deep Down. Photo courtesy of Liberty Deep Down’s management.

Oslejsek said CPB made a large list of possible artists and narrowed them by availability and price. CPB used a company called Concert Ideas to negotiate the act’s appearance and price.

After attending a concert management lecture last summer to learn how to put a concert together, LaFrombois said CPB had the ability to revitalize concerts and make them better than in the past.

The budget, which was provided by Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA), was $50,000. Bell will cost CPB about $20,000. LaFrombois said the rest of the money goes toward hospitality, technology required for the concert, housekeeping, security and any “hidden costs.”

“Once you know the performer, everything else falls into place,” Oslejsek said.

Harrel said CPB plans on continuing Bishop Bash, but will rotate yearly between singers and comedians. He said future Bishop Bashes are contingent on WCSA funding.

Bishop Bash logo courtesy of OWU’s communications office.

Nancy Rutkowski, assistant director of student involvement for leadership and CPB’s adviser, said funding for next year’s Bishop Bash will be submitted in the fall before the spring budget deadline.

“Believe it or not…$50,000 really covers a small concert so if we wanted to do a bigger name someday, it would take more than that,” Rutkowski said.

The concert will take place on March 28 in the Gordon Field House of the Branch Rickey Arena. Doors open at 7 pm and parking is free. Advance tickets can be purchased at owutickets.com by OWU students, staff and faculty for $10 and the general public for $20. All tickets are $25 at the door.

One hundred OWU students will be able to purchase VIP tickets for $15. Students with these tickets get early admission through a special entrance, a Bishop Bash t-shirt and a VIP lanyard.

Big talent surpasses small stage in “Kindertransport”

The much anticipated ‘Kindertransport’ came to life for the first time in Ohio Wesleyan’s Chappelear Drama Center’s Studio Theatre last Wednesday evening.

In accordance with its namesake, ‘Kindertransport’–by Diane Samuels– draws inspiration from the many Jewish children who were pushed out of their homes in Germany before World War II in the hopes of ensuring their safety. The play focuses specifically on one child, Eva, who was relocated to England and forced to make a new life for herself.

‘Kindertransport’ fluidly travels between different times in Eva’s life; beginning with her evacuation of Germany at 9 years old, to adult life in an English home raising a daughter of her own.

Junior Katie Patrick, a non-theatre major, took on the role of portraying Eva between the ages of 9 and 17. Patrick, never having performed in an OWU play before ‘Kindertransport’, showed incredible talent within the challenging character. Believably transforming from an innocent child to a responsible and strong-willed adolescent between the opening bell and the closing applause is no easy task.

Freshman Rachel Scherrer played adult Eva, or technically Evelyn; after adapting to life in England, Eva felt the need to assimilate by claiming naturalization papers and changing her name to one with less German flair. Patrick and Scherrer established a cohesive chemistry on stage that allowed audiences to easily see how the younger developed into her older version.

A play with such a flexible timeline would seem nearly impossible to communicate on a stage the size of the Chappelear Studio. But any difficulties that the cast and crew may have had were virtually untraceable.

Freshman Hailey LaRoe served as the show’s assistant master electrician. LaRoe said the crew heavily relied on lights and sound to portray any change of setting throughout the production.

“The lights are designed to isolate different areas of a stage, and you can also use them to imply different settings,” LaRoe said.

She said that in one scene, two of the main characters are meant to be on a boating dock. To portray that setting the lights were given a blue-green tint and muffled sounds of boat horns played in the background.

“It was a lot of hours physically moving the different lighting instruments,” LaRoe said. “That is really hard to do in the Studio Theatre, it requires more physical effort.”

LaRoe said even though ‘Kindertransport’ required extensive hours of preparation, it was worth it.

“It was cool to see my work in the end,” she said. “It is one of the reasons I like doing theatre work, you get to actually see the final product that you helped to produce.”

Junior Margot Reed, who played Eva’s mother Helga, said ‘Kindertransport’ was one of the most rewarding productions she has been a part of during her time in the theatre.

“It was one of the best pieces of drama that we have had in the department,” Reed said.

“It is a really influential piece of theatre and I am glad that I can say it is on my resume.”

Reed explained when the cast and crew first began production, they weren’t entirely sure how the play would turn out. “I think we were all kind of confused how it would be done since it takes place across so many timelines,” Reed said. “But I think that it has become such a solid piece of work. None of use knew what to expect from it, but what it ended up becoming was this amazing, emotionally moving piece of art.”

“Really it has been a joy working on [Kindertransport],” Reed said. “I can’t really explain it other than that there was never a bad day.”

Education and experiences: a new way to measure?

In the world of academic innovation, grades are not all that matter. A new importance is being place on the life lessons students learn at college through an experiences transcript.

Elon University in North Carolina first implemented their version, the Elon experiences Transcript, in 1994. It measures participation in five program areas, including leadership, community service, study abroad, internships and undergraduate research. Now, the idea that schools should be putting more than classes on the official record is gaining momentum.

In an online Q&A presentation on Elon’s distributor’s (Parchment Exchange) website, Elon registrar Rodney Parks said this version of the transcript “paints students in a different light.”

“Registrars have been pressured for years to try to add more details to the academic transcript,” Parks said.

The Elon experiences transcript is optional, and separate from the academic transcript, though requests for both go through the registrar’s office. Parks said, in response to surveys he sent out to recipients of the experiences transcripts, most employers viewed the experiences transcript favorably.

Parks acknowledged, “…if students don’t build robust co-curricular transcripts, [the transcripts] could be seen unfavorably by [recipients].”

The increased focus on experiential diversity, Parks said, is taking “advising to a whole new level,” with advisers giving life advice as well as academic advice. What goes onto an experiences transcript, Parks said, is determined individually by universities and their campus culture and values.

Ohio Wesleyan Registrar Shelly McMahon said the office listened to the presentation and discussed potential merits, but has no plans to implement the transcript at this time. McMahon said in an email that an OWU experiences transcript might include internships and volunteer work, but, ultimately, validation for content would be up to other departments.

McMahon also said she wouldn’t see an experiences transcript as adding pressure on OWU students to take on more; an experiences transcript might be a way “to document what is already happening.”

“Our students are already involved in multiple activities and many want things on their transcript that are non-academic,” McMahon said. “We don’t have a way to do that now.”

Junior Elizabeth Raphael said the idea of an experience-based transcript seems unnecessary.

“If one of the organizations that I am a part of did something so incredible that it made the actual transcript (and I played some part in it), maybe I would send it to grad schools,” Raphael said. “But even then it’s kind of questionable. All clubs and organizations are doing things on campus, but they don’t need to be acknowledged constantly – that’s just not how the world works.”

Junior Joe Wagner said he also believes an additional transcript is unnecessary.

“Transcripts are just supposed to focus on school,” Wagner said. “If something is that important, why not just put it in your resume?”

Only a few other schools currently offer co-curricular transcripts, including Georgia College and State University and University of North Florida. Parks said co-curricular transcripts make up about 22 percent of Elon’s transcript orders.

Whether the co-curricular transcript catches on remains to be seen, as it remains a fairly new concept.

Empty bleachers despite success

Update:

The Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball team received one of the 19 at-large bids to the NCAA tournament Monday.

The team will face St. Olaf in the first round on Friday in Whitewater, Wisconsin. If victorious, a matchup with the defending champions, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is likely for Saturday.

Last week the Duke University vs. Syracuse University game recorded the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball history at 35,446.

The Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball team has a 20-4 record and captured the NCAC crown after being picked to finish fourth in the pre-season poll. The team is ready to host the conference tournament at Branch Rickey Arena.

But sometimes home court advantage doesn’t mean a packed house of yelling and screaming fans. OWU has averaged just over 600 people in attendance this season at their games, not quite 35,446.

Students are involved in all aspects of the OWU campus, and with classwork on top of it, they often don’t make it to sporting events, despite free admission and conference championships.

“The students here have so much going on,” Athletic Director Roger Ingles said. “Wednesday nights are tough. Just the other night we had a speaker with about 200 people at it. Students have classes and a lot of responsibilities on weekdays.”

The student section in Branch Rickey Arena has the potential to make OWU’s court a very difficult place for opponents to play, and has in some cases.

“Some of the bigger games against Wooster or Wittenberg, we can put about 100 students in there and it doesn’t look like a lot, but it’s about 5 percent of the student body,” Ingles said. “That same 5 percent at Ohio State University is 3,000 people.”

He’s right. OSU’s enrollment is 57,466 and 5 percent is about 2,800. OWU’s enrollment is 1,850 and 5 percent is about 90.

It’s not just students that are busy. Some faculty members are consistently seen at sporting events throughout the year, but it is very rare to see a large number in attendance.

“Faculty have so much going on too, especially the ones that don’t live right in town. It’s hard for them to go home and then go through traffic to try to get back for the games,” Ingles said.

The men's basketball team plays below mostly empty bleachers. Photo courtesy of Alex Gross. — The men’s basketball team plays below mostly empty bleachers. Photo courtesy of Alex Gross.

The Student Homecoming Organization (SHO) is in charge of promoting the games to the OWU community. They have created “Red Alert” games, which are usually reserved for rivalries, to attract more people.

“For every sport team we host a red alert game that we promote on social media and with flyers,” SHO Vice President Brittany Spicer said. “We also try to either have a tailgate or theme for at least a few games each year to try to bring out the community and get them more involved.”

With crucial games approaching, the team is getting ready to make a deep run into post-season play. They certainly have the potential based on their record and success this season. Large crowds and support among the OWU community would make this tournament journey that much more successful.

“We have worked really hard to put ourselves in this moment,” junior forward Joey Kinsley said. “We feed off the energy of our students and to pack Branch Rickey would be special.”

Sugar may be sweet, but Maroon 5’s newest album is sweeter

Maroon 5’s latest album, V, was released on Aug. 29, 2014. It sold 164,000 copies in just the first week; the album has a mix of fun dance songs to some emotional, calm songs.

A couple notable songs on this album include “Maps,” “Animals” and my personal favorite, “Sugar.”

“Sugar” is a catchy song that is good for any occasion, and the music video that goes along with it makes me like the song so much more.

Adam Levine and his band drive around Los Angeles and go to different weddings. Without the happy couples knowing, the band gets on stage that is covered by a sheet. When the sheet drops Maroon 5 is singing their newest hit “Sugar.”

The couple’s faces are the best part of this video; it is sure to give any viewer chills. Who wouldn’t freak out if Maroon 5 appeared at your wedding?

The video was released on Jan. 14, 2015 and David Dobkin directed it. Dobkin might not sound like a well-known name, but if you’ve seen the movie Wedding Crashers, this is the man who directed it.

The video has been trending on Facebook and YouTube throughout this past month. It has received more than 146 million hits in February alone. If you haven’t had a chance to see this video I would highly recommend checking it out.

Nobel Prize winner to be honored at Heritage Day

Frank Sherwood Rowland. Photo courtesy of nobelprize.org.

Ohio Wesleyan alumnus and 1995 Nobel Prize winner Frank Sherwood Rowland will be honored at the next Heritage Day celebration in November.

Sherwood, who was born in Delaware, Ohio, won the 1995 Nobel Prize for his work in chemistry alongside fellow chemists Mario Molina and Paul Crutzen.

With the help of Molina, he discovered that propellants from chlorofluorocarbons sped up the breaking down of the ozone layer. Their discovery prompted international change in the chemical industry.

Heritage Day is celebrated on, or as close to Nov. 13 as possible, to commemorate the first day of classes at OWU in 1844.

A committee works all year to put together a day-long event that will inform students about the history of Ohio Wesleyan.

According to heritageday.owu.edu, “Each year a new topic is celebrated bringing together faculty, students, staff, and friends of the University through the Heritage Day committee.”

“We’re still determining next year’s program, but more than likely it will focus on environmental and sustainability issues in honor of Rowland’s work,” said Heritage Day committee member Chad Johns, the director of mission in the Chaplain’s Office.

Rowland graduated high school before turning 16. He went on to attend OWU and graduate in 1948 at the age of 18. He earned a degree in chemistry, math and physics. During his time as a Battling Bishop he was also the sports editor of The Transcript, played on the basketball team and was a member of Delta Tau Delta.

“I think he came back around 10 years ago, maybe a little less, to talk to the fraternity,” said junior Bill Milanick, the current president of Delta Tau Delta.

Milanick went on to say that Rowland – as well as Branch Rickey – are the two brightest people to come out of Delta Tau Delta.

“It’s inspiring, I won’t say we try to live up to his name because I don’t think we are going to win any Nobel Prizes but his accomplishments impress upon us to be great,” Milanick said.

Getting loud at the library

Librarian Jillian Maruskin opens the show. Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey.

Ohio Wesleyan public services librarian Jillian Maruskin first began planning “Live at the Library” at the start of last semester, and it was finally held Feb. 19 in the Bayley Room.

She received assistance from library social media intern Kyle Hendershot, a senior, and fellow librarian Ben Daigle; performing groups included the JayWalkers, Babbling Bishops and Pitch Black.

“We really wanted to figure out a way to use the library’s spaces that they have, so we figured this (the Bayley Room) was kind of an under-utilized space,” Hendershot said.

They set the event up between the Grammys and Oscars, and it too had a red carpet atmosphere, with Hendershot serving mocktails and senior Caleb Dorfman taking photos.

“We really want attendees to dress up and feel kind of fancy and special,” Maruskin said before the event. “The red carpet and paparazzi will hopefully make attendees and performers feel like movie stars, at least for a little while.”

By the start of performances, the seats were all filled, with more attendees standing in the back.

“I think the attendance surpassed what we thought it would be, we had a lot of fun,” Maruskin said. “I think on this campus, performing groups support other performing groups and that helps a lot. I was really happy with the (Babbling) Bishops; that was so fun – I’ve never seen them before.”

The Babbling Bishops, a campus improv group, brought out a few new routines they had developed. One, “Story Story Die,” had direct audience participation for the first time.

In the skit, participants have to take turns telling a story; anyone who can’t keep up has to act out a death scene of the audience’s choosing.

Sophomore Dane Poppe of the Babbling Bishops explains "Story Story Die" while sophomore Jenna Chambers and senior Rhiannon Herbert listen from the center aisle. Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey. — Sophomore Dane Poppe of the Babbling Bishops explains “Story Story Die.” Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey.

Junior Spencer Dick was selected to take part with the Babblers, and together they told a story of Taylor Swift’s fight against unicyclists, Martians and ex-boyfriends.

“I thought it would be fun, I love doing skits and stuff,” Dick said; he has similar experience as a summer camp leader.

Junior Dane Poppe, who led the “Story Story Die” skit, said they’d been planning to get audience members involved in short-form games like that.

“It gets more people to come back,” he said.

“I’d heard about the Babbling Bishops before, I didn’t really know what they did but I knew they were kind of an improv group,” said sophomore Jenna Chambers, an audience member.

“It was fun seeing their different games, and everyone got really into it.”

Senior Christian Gehrke of the JayWalkers solos on "Last Kiss." Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey. — Senior Christian Gehrke of the JayWalkers solos on “Last Kiss.” Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey.

Chambers and several other members of Delta Zeta came to watch some of their fellow members in the Babbling Bishops and Pitch Black. Senior Rhiannon Herbert was one of them, seated next to Chambers, but they didn’t know in advance about the formal, red carpet aspect.

“If I knew we would have (the red carpet), I would have dressed up,” Herbert said.

The improv act was bookended by a cappella performances, with the JayWalkers leading off the event with seven songs and Pitch Black finishing with a rendition of their recent competition set.

The JayWalkers performed a series of songs – some, like All-American Rejects’ “Gives You Hell” and Fergie’s “Clumsy,” for the first time.

Senior Audrey Bell leads Pitch Black's performance of a boy band mashup. Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey. — Senior Audrey Bell leads Pitch Black’s performance of a boy band mashup. Photo courtesy of Spenser Hickey.

“Of the stuff we knew, we tried to get an even mix of fun, fast (and) slow songs,” said their president Gabe Incarnato, a senior.

While Pitch Black performed the same songs from ICCA, they added snapping to their second song “Run To You” and cut out the choreography, due to the smaller performance space.

“We had a week off after ICCA so we haven’t much rehearsals yet, obviously that’s fresh in our minds,” said senior president Grace Thompson. “We like supporting the library and Jillian’s one of our biggest fans, so of course we were willing to do it.”

Gender-inclusive housing in 2016?

Ohio Wesleyan’s lack of gender-inclusive housing may prevent some students from living with who they are comfortable with, and Residential Life (ResLife) has plans to change this.

Gender-inclusive housing means students of all gender identities can live together in the same room or suite.

According to a document written by interns at the Spectrum Resource Center, “gender-inclusive housing provides students maximal choice in determining and taking responsibility for their own living arrangements.”

One of the students impacted by OWU’s non-inclusive housing is freshman Ryan Bishop, a student from Bulgaria who identifies as transgender.

Bishop said he was initially assigned female roommates because he is documented as a female, but was then offered a single room.

“Basically I was told that they (ResLife) can’t put me with male students because gender-inclusive housing is not a thing here,” Bishop said. “But a single room is what they can offer me.”

He said he thought the administration would approve his desired placement if he changed his gender on his documentation, but it would be “problematic” if his parents found out.

Bishop recently accepted a bid to the Chi Phi fraternity, but is not allowed to live in the Chi Phi house because it is all-male housing.

Senior Kyle Simon, a member of Chi Phi and an intern in the Spectrum Resource Center, said for Chi Phi to be able to extend Bishop a bid, the fraternity brothers had to call their national headquarters. Then, he said they talked to Dana Behum, assistant director of student involvement for fraternity and sorority life, who was “extremely supportive.”

Bishop said living at Chi Phi would be great, though he is a private person and would prefer having a single.

He said he had not intended to join a fraternity at first, but chose to accept his bid to Chi Phi because he knew the brothers would provide the kind of support he never had.

Simon said even with the current plan for gender-inclusive housing, Bishop may not be allowed to live at the Chi Phi house because the plan focuses on internal bathrooms where men and women are already housed.

“If we at Ohio Wesleyan are talking about how diverse we are and how great of a supportive community we are, and our policies don’t support transgender students, then how supportive are we really?” Simon said. “And currently, our Residential Life staff does very, very little to accommodate transgender students.”

Chad Johns is an associate chaplain and adviser to Chi Phi, and said he has heard OWU loses prospective students because of the lack of gender-inclusive housing.

“I think gender is one of the things we get overly concerned about a lot of times in religion,” Johns said. “I think this is a campus where people stay with their friends in different contexts, and letting that be an official living situation isn’t anything to worry about as long as everyone who’s involved wants to be in that living situation.”

Meredith Dixon, assistant director of residential life, said the Spectrum Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center and SAGE House are working together on a proposal for gender-inclusive housing that the ResLife office will consider.

She said her office has been working on bringing gender-inclusive housing to OWU for over a year and hopes to implement it by the fall of 2016.

“We’re not quite on the cutting edge, but we’re also not far behind,” Dixon said.

Converting residential facilities to be gender inclusive would not be expensive or involve many changes, she said.

“We’re actually pretty lucky because most of our facilities have suite-style rooms and bathrooms, so we don’t have to do a lot,” Dixon said.

She said Bashford and Thomson Halls would likely remain single gender by floor. The other residence halls would have gender inclusive suites, and students could choose to opt in or not.

Dixon said educating people about gender-inclusive housing would be an important task and she was curious to see how the change is received, especially by alumni, parents and older members of the community.

“Gender-inclusive housing is something that really only pertains to a small number of students, but I think for that small number of students it’s really important to their daily life and their level of comfort here,” Dixon said.