Tag: owu

OWU Rugby wraps up fall season

By Ross Hickenbottom, Sports Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan club Rugby men’s and women’s squads recently wrapped up it’s fall seasons, both being named semifinalists in their conference championship tour- naments. The women are part of the Ohio Valley Women’s Collegiate Rugby Conference, along with NCAC rivals Hiram, Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin and Wittenberg, and the men are part of the Great Lakes Collegiate Rugby Confer- ence Central Division along with Denison Kenyon and Oberlin.

Both squads began their fall season as early as August 31, just a week after classes began at OWU. Their seasons consisted of games versus much larger schools including Xavier University, Ashland and the University of Kentucky. With only seven weeks of contests before the National Small College Rugby Organization playoffs.

Coach John English, who began coaching the men’s program midway through the spring of 2014, and in the fall of 2015, took over as the Director of Rugby for both men’s and women’s programs, set a goal to put Ohio Wesleyan University Rugby on the forefront of Ohio rugby.

“There has been great support for the rugby program from everyone at OWU, from the President all the way down,” he said.

“The university does a great job in recognizing the success of the players and program as a whole.”

As far as putting OWU on the map for Rugby, he has done just that. Both teams finished with winning seasons, and chalked up impressive numbers against opponents such as men’s wins over Oberlin 68-0 and Ashland 87-14, and a staggering women’s win over Wittenberg 55-7.

The OWU Rugby program continues to grow and gain relevance on campus through constant recruiting and adver- tisement among campus. The men’s team fielded 20 players in their first bout of the 2016 fall season while the women’s team fielded 25. Both numbers have shown an increase as compared to previous years in the program.

On Saturday the 29th, the men ended their season with a hard fought loss against the Jackets from Baldwin Wallace, 14-46 while the women ended theirs with a loss to the Oilers from Findlay 25-0.

The OWU Rugby teams are clubs of men and women student-athletes committed to the constant pursuit of perfect pitch, and are always recruiting.

Orsini sets precedent for OWU Quarterbacks

By Matt Maier, Transcript Reporter

As a senior football player, nothing is more exciting than performing best in your final season on the team.

That was the case when senior quarterback Dominick Orsini set a school record for total offense and the second highest single-game rushing performance in the history of Ohio Wesleyan football.

On Oct. 22, the OWU men’s football team played DePauw University in which Orsini had 252 rushing yards on just 25 carry attempts and also had three touch-downs.

Orsini threw for 242 yards and one throwing touchdown. Total, Orsini had 494 yards in offense, breaking the school record of 484 yards that was set by Mason Espinosa on Nov. 13, 2010.

“Great preparation and focus helped me achieve these records, but most importantly, my team- mates playing extraordinarily well and doing their part helped me accomplish this,” Orsini said.

Orsini was named to the d3football.com’s Team of the Week. The honor recognizes six offensive players, one offensive line, 11 defensive players and four special teams players from around the nation. Along with this honor, Orsini was also named the NCAC athlete for the week of Oct. 24.

In his senior season, Orsini said he is proving to leave it all on the field. Teammates and coaches recognize this fact and praise his efforts.

“Having a guy like Dom [Orsini] on our team is something that makes our team special,” said senior captain Mason Tomblin. “He is always putting himself in the best situation to make our team better and I think he exemplifies OWU football perfectly.”

Looking back on his time at OWU and his past few games, Orsini said he has no regrets or ill feelings toward finishing a great career.

“It’s been an incredible feeling to end my career with these games and achievements, but ending with these great memories and doing it … with my brothers on the gridiron is an indescribable feeling that I’ll cherish with me throughout the rest of my life,” Orsini said.

The men’s football team will play Allegheny next at 1 p.m. Nov. 5 in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

A spooktacular weekend event

By Shamayeta Rahman, Transcript Reporter

The prospect of Halloween on a Monday did not discourage Halloween festivities at Ohio Wesleyan University; instead, they simply took on a head start on Friday, Oct. 28.

Leaflets and Facebook shares for the events led them to skyrocket and words like “Zombie Bash” and “Ghoulish Gala” spread.

Zombie Bash was held in the Schimmel-Conrades Science Center Atrium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It was organized by the student board of the botany-microbiology (BOMI) and zoology department.

“Most other departments have picnics and receptions; we decided to change things up,” said senior Jemil Seid, a member of the BOMI student board.

Seid said he did not expect it to garner this much attention, but was pleased that he had done his job well.

“It was a unique event that really captured the essence of the departments, and Halloween is always fun,” said senior Connor Payne, a microbiology major.

Stations and props lined the atrium. The fan favorites were the carnivorous plants and the crawling critters. They had also set up a showing of “Hocus Pocus” and Halloween-themed snacks were also in place.

Later that night, at 7 p.m., the atrium was redecorated, this time for the Ghoulish Gala.

The event lasted three hours and included Halloween-themed cupcakes and drinks. The organizers also arranged costume contests and both students and faculty alike took home the coveted ‘golden skeleton’ trophies.

“It was really fun, but I wish that it didn’t look so empty for the first hour or so,” said senior Urvija Rishi, a student who attended the gala.

Beeghly Library celebrates 50 years

By Matt Maier, Transcript Reporter

The Ohio Wesleyan campus celebrated a monumental birthday Oct. 21.

OWU’s Beeghly Library turned 50 years old. The celebration included cupcakes, alumni, a chance to win an Amazon Fire and pictures which showed changes the li- brary has undergone over the years.

L.A. Beeghly donated the library 50 years ago in recognition of his children and grandchildren who had attended OWU. One of his great-grandchildren is currently an OWU student.

“Celebrating 50 years is definitely an amazing accomplishment for OWU,” said junior Jeb Beeghly. “It’s humbling to know my family had something to do with this milestone.”

Current students who work in the library said they can feel its history every day.

“Although I’ve only worked in the library for a short time, I feel as though I learn something new about it each day,” said senior Clara Ellis. “The history is rich and I always am finding out new things.”

This birthday both marks an accomplishment for the univer- sity, but it also serves as reminder that the library needs to strive for greatness, said Dee Peterson, in- terim director of libraries and coordinator of user services.

“Physically, we have returned to a more open floor plan simi- lar to when the building first opened,” Peterson said. “We now have more tables and areas for group study and collaboration, especially on the first floor with the creation of the ICEcube. We have worked to accommodate different studying styles and user needs with our spaces.”

Beeghly Library is home to one of the country’s oldest government document depositories, as well as rare books, manuscripts and artifacts collection.

New Honors House plans in place

By Leah Miza, Photo Editor

A new Honors House is being funded by anonymous donors and will be built where the former Inter-Faith House stands.

Twenty-seven students will be able to move into the new house by fall 2017.

Amanda Barry, student honors program coordinator, said the honors program has been seeking to create a larger sense of community for the past several years.

“It was expressed that having a larger house where more students—30, give or take—could live and interact together would help to achieve this goal,” she said.

Amy McClure, co-director of the honors program, said the new structure will possibly host seminars, classes and study rooms.

“We have an office and study area but we can’t get in it,” she said. “It’s locked all the time. So, we don’t really have a space that’s viable.”

McClure discussed another idea that was tossed around. “For the upstairs, we’re looking at different configurations of rooms. One of the things that they have suggested are special singles that are very small. That encourages people to mingle in the common area.”

Amy Downing, co-director of the program, said, “The house will have more common spaces and some teaching spaces in the form of small seminar rooms. The Honors Board will be working closely with students to determine how to best utilize these new resources in the context of the broader Honors Program at OWU.”

Although not much can be said on the donors, McClure said, “They’re very interested in the honors program, so it just became a natural fit.”

The current Honors House will be passed on to a current Small Living Unit, said Colleen Garland, director of development.

Bashford renovation put on indefinite hold

 By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Ohio Wesleyan’s plans to renovate Bashford Hall this year have been canceled, despite students not mov- ing into the facility this semester.

Bashford was previously scheduled to be demolished this year and replaced with a new residence facility mainly for first-year students, which is why the hall is empty.

The project is not happening this year because the school doesn’t currently possess the funds for renova- tion of residence halls, said President Rock Jones.

Decisions have not been made in regard to students moving into the hall in the near future and this will likely be the case until administration knows exactly how many students will be coming to campus next year.

Jones said one possible scenario in the long-term future would be to replace both Bashford and Thomson with complex housing for all first-year students. However, no source of funds have been identified for this kind of project.

While the project for Bashford may be dead, Jones said, there are still plans to improve student living situations.

“We will be making small improvements that I am confident students will appreciate as we seek to in- crease the quality of life in our residence halls,” Jones said.

One of these improvements will be the installation of new lounge furniture in some of the residence halls by the spring semester. The furniture will be placed in Smith and Welch.

The addition of new furniture was recently approved by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA).

Nick Melvin, a class of 2019 representative for WCSA, said the council decided the new furniture was a good use of its resources for improving residential life.

“WCSA passed the bill for new furniture to make more comfortable living situations for students that will hopefully contribute to a better community overall,” Melvin said.

Repairs and renovations around campus

By Sara Hollabaugh, Online Editor
Recently renovated and constructed buildings on campus have already received repairs this semester.

Before the repairs, steps outside of Merrick Hall were cracked and part of the Sexuality and Gender Equality (SAGE) house had a water leak in the ceiling of the newly constructed Dittrick House.

According to Thomas Wolber, associate professor of modern foreign lan- guages, it was announced in the faculty meeting on Oct. 21 that the university needs $15 million worth of repairs made to the campus.

Wolber said Ohio Wesleyan currently has $300,000 allocated for repairs to be made this year.

Merrick Hall’s renovations were nearly finished before the graduation ceremony in 2015, but was officially rededicated and opened Aug. 20, 2015.

A little over a year after the rededication, the steps cracked.

According to Peter Schantz, director of physical plant planning and operations, the contractor used a non-water-proof sealant during the construction of the stairs.

“Around the handrail posts where the posts are cored into the concrete … the sealant took on water and froze over the last winter, cracking the corners of the steps,” Schantz said.

Schantz said the contractor made the necessary repairs under warranty.

SAGE was completed before students moved back to school in August, and was dedicated Oct. 6.

Since students have lived in SAGE this semester, a shower drain leaked on the upper level, resulting in a ceiling stain.

Schantz said the contractor repaired the leak under warranty, but the ceiling stain has not been repaired.

Senior Natalie French, SAGE resident, said Buildings and Grounds told SAGE they would paint the ceiling when they were positive the leak was fixed.

Schantz said the leak was fixed over two months ago.

“We haven’t heard anything since then,” French said.

Schantz said, “We plan to repaint the kitchen ceiling over Thanksgiving break when it’s more convenient for students.”

In addition to the leak in SAGE, Inter- Faith House’s (IF) residents said outlets were not working in their part of the Dittrick House when they first moved in.

Schantz said they’ve received three work orders since students moved into the house in August and believes each issue was taken care of.

“Two of the work orders were for outlets in the upstairs bathroom, where the ground fault circuit interrupter breaker tripped,” Schantz said. “This is not uncommon in damp environments. The contractor showed a resident how to reset this breaker at the outlet when it tripped.”

Schantz said the breaker is likely to trip again, but the outlets themselves do not have any issues.

Aside from new construction repairs, there was a steam leak on the academic side of campus that affected Sturges Hall, Elliott Hall, Slocum Hall and University Hall.

On Oct. 24, Cole Hatcher, director of media and community relations, sent out a school-wide email about the issue.

The next day, Oct. 25, Hatcher, on behalf of Schantz, followed up with the campus community.

“While working to fix the steam line issue affecting Sturges Hall, we discov- ered a condensate leak involving the main line as well,” Schantz said in the email. “To enable us to make repairs, we will not be able to heat these build- ings overnight: Beeghly, Corns, Elliott, Slocum, Sturges and University.”

Schantz continued to send out updates and assured the OWU community that repairs were being made overnight.

By Oct. 28, Schantz said the repairs were complete and warned the commu- nity about potential temperature fluctua- tions in buildings surrounding the former leak.

“We know it is older and could de- velop issues again,” Schantz said. “We are reviewing options for replacing the line or installing stand-alone boilers in each of these buildings.”

“We are gathering invoices from the repair crews that worked on the steam line,” Schantz said. “The university is reviewing options for funding steam line replacement or boiler installations.”

As of now, Schantz said warranty is covering the repairs.

Sustainability Task Force meets to discuss goals

By Evan Walsh, Transcript Reporter

Members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Council of Student Affairs are working with faculty and administrators to make the university more environmentally friendly.  

The Sustainability Task Force meets weekly and discusses those ways in which the university can prioritize sustainability.

The task force is currently led by WCSA representatives Caroline Hamlin and Ryan Bishop, but was begun independently prior to this year.

On Sept. 7, Hamlin and Bishop spoke with faculty about the possibility of hiring a program coordinator. Bishop said he feels this is an important first step in committing to the group’s goals.

“Our focus is to find someone to take this position because everyone [from academic and non-academic departments] has commitments of their own,” Bishop said. “Pushing for those big goals will be more achievable if we have someone there.”

Included in last week’s discussion was the proposed creation of an Environmental Sustainability major. This would require restructuring the curriculum of several courses and finding qualified professors.

Professors from several different departments, as well as non-academic personnel, attended the meeting. They expressed their optimism and concerns, particularly about budgetary choices.

Besides providing students with a new learning opportunity, the Sustainability Task Force’s goal is to make their “green” impact in a more concrete way.

By making changes to OWU’s residential facilities, students would apply what they learn in their classes to improve the condition of the place where they live.

Their plan is to make certain, unspecified living units LEED certified by 2018.

To encourage participation, students involved in Sustainability Task Force projects may receive academic credit.

Students familiar with the group’s goals are receptive to them and want to see these initiatives affect important changes.

According to Sumner “Chappie” Wick, “success would make us a role model for other small liberal arts schools. I’m glad that the OWU community is taking this seriously.”

Bishop said he agrees with Wick’s sentiment. “We are in a conceptual, building stage right now. A lot of our ideas are good ones but we need professional help, and money for professional help, if we want to succeed,” he said.

Seniors and alumni reflect on OWU

Areena Arora, Managing Editor

With only two weeks left to graduation, besides academic work and designing graduation caps, seniors have much to accomplish.

While some wish to drive on the JayWalk, others want to maintain strong relationships with friends and graduate.

Senior Mackenzie Sommers’ bucket list includes going for a midnight dip in the fountain at the JayWalk. “I’m pretty cautious about this one, though, because god only knows what people do to the water in that fountain,” said Sommers.

Senior Mili Green does not have much on her bucket list. “I try to live without regrets, so I do what I can. I do want to go karaoking at Clancey’s, though,” said Green.

With nearly 100 clubs, there is always room for involvement at Ohio Wesleyan.

Senior Nate Goodhart said, “This school offers so many programs, clubs and organizations that allow for students to truly take advantage of their time here at OWU.”

Senior Sadie Parsons from California said, “I do participate in many things. However, I wish I would have acquired more leadership roles in the clubs and activities I was involved with.”

Looking back at the four years spent at OWU, some say it has been a rewarding experience while yet others have some regrets.

Sommers said, “I wish I’d written more TIPITS (Theory-to-Practice grants) and SIPS (Student Individualized Project grants). This school gives you so many opportunities to see and do the things that you are interested in.”

Green said, “I was always curious about Greek Life … but I think it was too late to rush because everyone knows I’m not for it.”

For some seniors we talked to, summarizing four years’ experience was not easy. Parsons said, “My time at OWU has been amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I wouldn’t even take back any of the hardest times I’ve had here because I learned from them and only became a stronger person from them.”

Senior Camille Mullins-Lemieux, resident of Peace and Justice House said, “This place has allowed me to flourish as a person a lot.”

Kim Eckart, ’13, who now works as the assistant to VP of Finance and Administration said she regrets not having participated in a travel learning course and not joining a small living unit.

Haley Barber, ’13, who now works for the Community Service Learning office and Office of Career Services said, “I regret not studying abroad. That was one of the things on my bucket list … I couldn’t fit it in with my double majors in biology and studio arts.”

Kelly Rand, ’15, an intern at the Office of President, has some advice for rising seniors. “My advice to seniors is to be a little less responsible and little more spontaneous. You should enjoy time outside by the fountain with friends on a beautiful day. You can do your reading later, because you won’t be able to do that next year. Soak it all in while you can,” said Rand.

Looking ahead, in less than a month, seniors will be out in the world with an undergraduate degree. The campus they’ve come to identify as home will no longer be their residence.

Senior Shelli Reeves has her post-graduation plans made. “I will be completing my first book and travelling as much as possible,” said Reeves.

Mullins-Lemieux said, “I’m staying at a Buddhist monastery in Oregon in June … and then taking an internship in Panama at a sustainable village on their design-thinking team.”

50-Day Club takes off

David Fradkin, Transcript Correspondent

It is finally spring where the weather is getting warmer and the school year is winding down. It is also that time of the year when Backstretch Bar hosts its annual 50-Day Club event.

This year is the 13th annual 50-Day Club where 57 people signed up to participate. The deadline to sign up was March 21.

The even is open to Ohio Wesleyan students, Backstretch employees and Delaware residents.

Every day, participants are required to spend at least 30 minutes at the bar and order two beverages during each visit for 50 consecutive days. But participants are granted three excuses that must be requested and approved before missing a day.

The event began 13 years ago when two employees, who were also OWU students at the time, created a competition between each other to see how many days they could attend in a row.

The competition lasted 23 days until they were both unable to attend.  The bar owner, Joanne Meyers, thought it would be a great way to count down the days until graduation.

She said there are roughly 50 days left of school after spring break, which is when senioritis really kicks in. It has been a tradition ever since.

“A lot of what we stress and what we really promote is kind of developing like a little family unit,” Meye’s said. “It builds a very nice little community of people that you probably wouldn’t have been involved with.”

There are also more interactive activities that are optional such as the elite club.

The elite club is designed for dedicated participants. All participants are given Sundays off as a day of rest. But elite members are required to attend for 50 consecutive days, which includes Sundays anytime between noon and 2 p.m.

There are also team competitions on Wednesday nights for around two hours. For this optional activity, students are randomly divided into groups. Since employees and town’s people make up a smaller portion of the group, they are equally allocated in groups.

The groups compete in these weekly activities which vary each week. At the end, the winning team members get to sign and add some decoration to the winning trophy.

Senior Bridget McQuaide said she is excited to participate in the event for her first time.

“I think that 50-Day Club is a really good way to give seniors an opportunity to do something fun together everyday up until graduation,” McQuaide said. “It’s definitely something that you have to dedicate yourself to, but it’s a really awesome experience where you get time everyday to make more memories with friends and maybe even people you haven’t talked to since freshman year.”