featured – Page 16 – The Transcript

OWU professor’s first book is a coping mechanism

Shortly before the end of her undergraduate career, Amy Butcher went out for drinks with some friends, including a close friend named Kevin. He walked her home, told her a joke about a John Denver song and said goodnight. Less than two hours later, Kevin’s 19 year old ex-girlfriend, Emily Silverstein was dead in his bathroom.

This story is the basis of Ohio Wesleyan University assistant professor Amy Butcher’s first book, Visiting Hours, which was released nationally on April 7, 2015.

Butcher teaches creative nonfiction in the English department.

In her book, Butcher writes about how she coped with losing her friend, Kevin.

“It is taboo to say that I grieved for the erasure of Kevin as much as I grieved the loss of his victim,” Butcher said. “But it’s the truth.”

“Kevin was a history major, the president of the college radio station, a kid who wore skinny jeans and green tennis shoes and form-fitting t-shirts in hipster shades: crimson, baby blue, magenta,” she says. “In short, he was one of the most innocuous and responsible people I knew, and this made the incident all the more horrifying.”

Butcher said she had written him letters every month for three years.

“Because Kevin would not talk to me about any of this – not the crime, not what really happened,” said Butcher, “I eventually drove back to Gettysburg and sought this information myself by way of a request for all public documents related to the case.”

The "Visiting Hours" book cover. Photo courtesy of amazon.com. — The “Visiting Hours” book cover. Photo courtesy of amazon.com.

This is when Butcher learned the truth about what really happened that night.

“I learned Kevin had been trying to take his own life when Emily physically intervened,” she said. “When someone is so overcome with the desire to kill themselves, they kill the person who gets in the way.”

Butcher says she wrote this book not only as way of coping with the loss of her friend, but to open a discussion on mental illness.

“Depression and suicidal ideation is incredibly common,” Butcher says. “In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death nationally for those ages 15-24.”

Butcher said she began writing the book during her third year of graduate school at the University of Iowa.

In her first version of the story, Butcher found, through help from her mentors (Robin Hemley and Meghan Daum), that the book was really about how she was obsessed and traumatized.

Butcher says when she finished the book, “It felt like the most pressurized valve had been turned, and I could breathe again.”

As for what’s next for Butcher, she has three works in progress.

“I’m generally not one to talk about my work until it’s done, because I think it can create a false sense of success that I’ve in no way earned,” she says.

Several of Butcher’s students are encouraged by the amount of success she’s had at her age.

“Butcher’s book inspires me to be an effective writer while still pursuing my own career, just as she has,” senior Lauren Moore said. “To me, balancing both her job search and her personal publishing is an amazing accomplishment.”

Senior Paul Priddy shared these sentiments.

“From a student’s perspective, I don’t know that I can say enough about the value of having a highly recognized and award-winning author as my professor,” Priddy said. “It’s really amazing to have the opportunity to have our work critiqued in as thoughtful and intelligent a way as professor Butcher does.”

Controversial run-off voting for senior class council takes place

The announcement of a run-off election for Senior Class Council in late March has not gone over well with candidates who were previously told they won.

In order to confirm the results of the initial election, juniors Ben Miller and Brittany Spicer – who were told they won via email – were yet again forced to contend for president and vice president.

Miller went against Shelli Reeves for president and Spicer against Milagros Green for vice president. All of those who are running are juniors, a requirement of the election.

“When I first found out there would be a run off, I was angry,” Spicer said. “We had gotten multiple emails confirming the election results and congratulatory messages from faculty, staff, students and even Rock Jones.”

Miller, who is the Arts and Entertainment editor at The Transcript, shared his disapproval.

“I was just really surprised, I was congratulated by the administration and then it was just kind of taken away,” Miller said.

Miller said he found the proceedings unfair and the school should have notified all of the candidates beforehand.

Two other additions to the Senior Class Council, secretary Kelly Johnson and treasurer Sean Roskamp, were unaffected by the announcement of a run-off.

Roskamp ran unopposed and Johnson won the majority of her votes. This resulted in both keeping their positions.

Still, Johnson was upset with how things played out.

“It was definitely pretty frustrating,” Johnson said. “How can you tell someone they won when they didn’t?”

During the run-off election, the worry was whether or not enough people would vote. Those who were still in the running for president and vice president did not campaign as much the second time around.

“I think the big concern is just getting enough people to vote in general this time,” Spicer said. “No one was really expecting this to happen, so I haven’t seen any candidates putting as much into campaigning as we all did the first time.”

Reeves and Green sent out emails reminding students to vote, but not much else has been done in terms of campaigning from any of the candidates.

The run-off voting took place online, April 8-9. And after tallying the results, Reeves and Green won their respective positions.

Award-winning musical brings satire and singing to OWU

An evil corporation charges people for peeing in order to control water consumption in the Tony Award-winning Urinetown: the Musical, coming to Ohio Wesleyan on April 17.

Senior Ian Boyle describes the play as a satire of capitalism, social irresponsibility, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement and municipal politics.

The musical was chosen by the show’s director, theatre professor Edward Kahn, who said rehearsals have been going smoothly.

“A musical brings additional people into the collaboration,” he said. “Vocal coach Jennifer Whitehead, choreographer Rashana Perks Smith and music director James Jenkins have all added so much to the production, as have the cast, designers, stage managers and crew.”

Understanding the style of the show has been the biggest challenge for junior Hannah Simpson, who is portraying Josephine Strong.

“Since it is a satire, it is important to differentiate between which lines were written to be delivered straight and which lines are more…involved,” said Simpson.

She said she thinks students will enjoy the witty and thought-provoking script.

“If nothing else, people should come see the show to watch their friends dance around onstage for two hours,” she said. “You can’t beat that.”

Freshman TJ Galamba plays Josephine’s son, Bobby Strong, who leads the resistance against the water conservation company.

He said balancing rehearsal with class and work has been challenging but rewarding.

Musicals can be difficult because actors must bring their characters to life while also singing and dancing, Galamba said.

“People should see it if they just want to have a good time, but at the same time the show makes you think about the human condition of consuming resources, so if you want food for thought it’s definitely a show to come see,” he said.

Urinetown: the Musical will play in the Chappelear Drama Center at 8 p.m. on April 17, 18, 24 and 25 and at 2 p.m. on April 26. Tickets are $5 for faculty and staff and free for OWU students.

SAGE and MFL houses might be razed this summer

By: Ben Miller and Nicole Barhorst

The Modern Foreign Language House (MFL) on Rowland Avenue. Photo courtesy of owu.edu.

Residents of the Modern Foreign Language House (MFL) and the Sexuality and Gender Equality House (SAGE) are preparing for the possibility that their houses will be razed over the summer.

This is the newest in a series of changes to the small living units (SLUs). While the House of Thought (HoT) house has been scheduled for demolition for some time, MFL and SAGE were not set to be replaced by a SLUplex until a later date.

Residential Life (ResLife) coordinator Levi Harrel said MFL and SAGE may be razed earlier than anticipated because of a forthcoming donation, though nothing is final.

“There is a possibility of a donation being made, and if that donation does present itself, then for the sake of efficiency building two SLUplexes at once would be the most ideal thing to do,” he said.

There will be four SLUplexes built on Rowland Avenue, and each will contain two SLUs divided by a wall, Harrel said. The two SLUplexes in the middle will be mirror images of each other and look more like traditional duplexes. The SLUplexes on the ends will also mirror one another..

Harrel said that though each SLUplex will have a mirror image, the windows, porches, siding and other features will be different.

“For architectural purposes they might look similar, but I think students will absolutely see them individually,” he said.

The MFL and SAGE furniture will be stored by the university at no cost to the residents, Harrel said.

Senior Lauren Rump, a SAGE resident, said ResLife met with MFL and SAGE residents to discuss the possibility of the construction this summer. Though some members of the SLU community are upset about all these changes, she said she is excited about the new houses.

SAGE house on Rowland Avenue. Photo courtesy of owu.edu.

“Although I love the charm and history of my house, I have not enjoyed having to deal with fleas, skunks under porches and things falling apart,” she said.

The displaced SLU residents will most likely be placed elsewhere on campus, and ResLife is working on determining where that will be. The housing selection process for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors has already occurred, which complicates the matter.

“I am mostly sad for seniors who now have less options for next year if the houses get torn down,” said Rump. “Because housing rounds are finishing up and senior housing has already been filled, seniors who might have had a single in their respective SLU and the joy of living in a house their senior year might have a living situation they find less than ideal for their senior year.”

Junior Elizabeth Raphael, a MFL resident, said she had hope for the future of the SLUs.

“I think the SLU community is a very strong one, and I would like to see that continue,” said Raphael.

Drake Bell talks musical influences, performing at OWU

Sports editor Matt Cohen interviewed Drake Bell on Saturday, March 28 shortly before he went onstage in the Gordon Field House.

Transcript: What’s your go-to pick up line?

Drake Bell: Um, I don’t know I don’t have a favorite.

T:Who influenced you the most when going into music?

Bell: Elvis, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Lil Richard, Eddie Clarke, Stray Cats, a lot of old people.

T: Growing up, did you like music or acting more?

Bell: There’s nothing to compare to playing live on stage in front of a live audience. It’s awesome being creative and being on a movie set, but there’s a lot of sitting around, a lot of waiting until they’re ready for you. Working on sitcoms is fun because it’s fast passed and you do have a live audience. But there’s nothing to compare to live performing. That’s the best.

T: What’s the coolest venues you’ve played at?

Bell: The coolest ones are actually in South America and Central America. Brazil, Mexico, the latin fans take “fan” to the whole next level. It’s the most intense and a lot of fun.

T: What were your first thoughts when hearing about the OWU concert?

Bell: That it would be awesome to come play. I love playing, seeing new places, meeting new people. Doing these colleges have been a lot of fun because all the people in the crowd are usually just a little younger than me. So it’s awesome I can do whatever I want, you know? I don’t have to cater my performance toward the younger kids.

T: Have you played a lot of colleges during the tour?

Bell: Yeah a few, don’t ask me which ones. Notre Dame, Berkeley was a lot of fun. Yeah the college thing has been a lot of fun.

T: Have you kept in touch with anyone on Drake and Josh?

Bell: Yeah I talk to Josh all the time and I just saw Miranda the other day we went to the Children’s Hospital together. We worked on a cartoon together not that long ago. I’m actually working with the Dad from the show, Jonathan Goldstein, on a new project that I’m producing and he’s directing. We were a pretty tight knit group.

T: What’s coming up next for you?

Bell: Touring and now I’m doing the voice of the Flash. Now I’m the Spiderman and the Flash, that’s pretty cool.

Confidence leads to success on field

Confidence is one of the reasons the Ohio Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team is seeing more wins this season compared to last season.

This season, the team has been ranked number seven in the nation among other division three schools, coach Mike Plantholt said.

Three of the team’s ten seniors are scoring a high amount of goals compared to last season.

Senior Kyle Foster said another reason the team has been so successful is the addition of assistant coach Trey Keeley.

“Coach Keeley’s main suggestion is to play fast,” said Foster. “But a lot of our success has been building off last year’s success.”

Plantholt said the team only lost three seniors at the end of last season, so mostly everyone returned.

“With such a huge senior class, we have a highly experienced team that has been here all four years,” senior Brenden Bouchard said. “When you have the majority of your starting offense, it’s kind of easy to just build off what you’ve already got.”

Bouchard and Foster said they think the team has been so successful this season is because of the new coaching staff, combined with a large amount of seniors on the team.

“We were a very talented team last year,” Bouchard said. “But we weren’t having the success that we are having this season. If you look at our record and the teams that we were playing, we were losing by one goal. We were losing to these very competitive top ten teams that we’ve had, but I think now you will see that we are just winning those games.”

Senior attacker Tommy Winkler seizes up his opponents. Photo courtesy of battlingbishops.com.

Winning games translates to confidence on the field, which then results in more wins.

“Once you start to see success, you can feel it in the locker room now, you can feel the energy, people are excited to be at practice, people want to get better,” Foster said.

Senior John Umbach said this confidence stems from the team’s first big game of the season.

“After that first big game of the season, the [Franklin and Marshal] game, what we did there in third quarter,” Umbach said. “When we saw we had eight goals in one quarter, I mean, John had five goals in the span of two minutes, that’s when people started realizing what we had and what we were capable of doing.”

“The confidence started to build off of that, and in the Roanoke game we saw what we could do in four quarters of lacrosse, and that’s when we started to realize that when we put in four quarters of good lacrosse then we could start doing some damage to these other teams,” Umbach added.

“Psychologically, I think it’s nice to see yourself beating those teams cause then you know you can beat them, as opposed to trying to convince yourself in your head that you can beat them,” Foster said.

Bouchard said the team isn’t always confident.

“You definitely get nervous before those big games, because there is nothing like playing a top ranked opponent,” Bouchard said. “But it’s a number that gets put on their back, it’s a giant, all of a sudden, so it’s natural for an athlete to get nervous before those games, but after winning that game, I think everybody is excited at the opportunity to maybe just demoralize or smash another opponent. Now you are on the other side of it. You know, you are now no longer the underdog.”

An American crisis: police brutality

During the racially heated 1960s, civil rights characterized a decade of social combat. This time period also saw plenty of physical conflict that was taken to the streets. Black and white photos of black and brown people being mangled by government dogs, blasted by fire hoses or just straight assaulted with police nightsticks have been permanently burned into our past, all while they were only fighting for their humanity. As Americans, some us believed those hardships marked a point of social growth.

However, it is 2015 and the same old crap still continues. Police brutality needs to be treated as a national crisis. The topic was finally brought to national attention following the murder of Trayvon Martin. His bag of Skittles must have been a very menacing weapon in the eyes of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.

Next, the murder of Michael Brown brought the predominately black city of Ferguson, Missouri into the spotlight. This case was problematic for the black community because Brown was already stereotyped as a thug. Whether you’re a Michael Brown opponent or supporter, witnessing a grieving mother who just lost her child to those who are meant to “protect and serve” is resonating.

The 2014 Staten Island case of Eric Garner was particularly disturbing because the entire execution of the father of three was caught on video, and perpetually played by news organizations here to Timbuktu. According to the New York Times, from 2009 to 2013 over 1,022 complaints were filed by New Yorkers in which they said New York Police Department officers used chokeholds, which were banned since the death of Michael Stewart in 1983. Of the 1,022 complaints, only nine were substantiated. Nine out of 1,022? To make matters worse, NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton doesn’t believe race is relevant to his officers when making split-second, life-ending decisions; go figure.

The most recent occurrence of police brutality bloodied a black UVA student, Martese Johnson. His bloodied face which was mashed into the concrete while being cuffed has made the front-page of publications all over. The Alcoholic Beverage Control cops who arrested Johnson, an honor student, claimed he possessed a fake id, which he was never charged with having, and was publicly intoxicated. Witnessing this video imparted some fear in me; all you have to do is swap Martese for Graham.

The elemental root of these events is easy to see Slavery was only abolished 150 years ago. Black and brown folk are the only bodies in this country ever accounted by the state as valueless. The Nation.com columnist Mychal Denzel Smith said it best, “History is present whether we invite it to the table or not. We don’t escape America’s history of racism because we believe ourselves to be good people, or that we’re just doing our jobs. It’s already defined our lives.” Aside from our shameful history of slavery and genocide of native people, the modern root is veiled racism and unconscious stereotyping. How can we come to trust our community protectors if they are racially profiling? Sad thing is, many local law enforcement makes people feel anxious and unsafe, watched and controlled. A solution lies somewhere, but where? Changing these sentiments will be one hell of a task for the American mind.

Women’s tennis scores points in the sun

Freshman Brooke Butterworth. Photo courtesy of battlingbishops.com.

After winning four out of five matches in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Ohio Wesleyan women’s tennis team looks to bring more than warm weather back from the adventure.

The spring break trip built a strong bond and prepared the players for the rest of the season of competition.

“It was a really good way to get to know the team,” freshman Adrienne D’Alewyn said. “We have a lot of new freshman playing high up, and with a van ride that long you’ll get to know everyone. It was good for us.”

It’s especially important as a doubles team to know the strengths and weaknesses of your partner. The team and coach Tom Drabczyk were able to try out some new partnerships during their time off.

“As a doubles team it is so important to be able to work with your partner as one. What balls to take and to move to the net together is important,” D’Alewyn said.

Coach Drabczyk helps with his players and the strategy behind the game, but in a different way than usual. Including 6am practices twice a week to keep the team going.

“He always makes us laugh and cheery on the court,” D’Alewyn said. “He’s a character and a fun coach to have.”

The team is led by four seniors and crop of freshman scattered in the lineup. Senior leadership is key for the team moving forward and keeping the attitude positive according to Sophomore Harriet Watson.

“They have so much experience and know how to handle other players, motivate and bring us up when we’re down,” Watson said. “They’re all very talented and can step up for us.”

The team has a streak of nine matches at OWU coming up next on their schedule before the end of the season NCAC tournament in Gambier, Ohio.

Coach Drabczyk was unavailable for comment at press time.

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.”

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.