Tag: Rock Jones

Ohio Wesleyan, City of Delaware and Delaware County Show Collaboration with Entrepreneurial Ideas

By Kienan O’Doherty, Editor-In-Chief

A new chapter for the future has already been written for Ohio Wesleyan, the city of Delaware and Delaware County with the latest grand opening.

The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) opened its doors for the first time to the public with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. The center, which takes the place of the old Stewart Annex, was completely remodeled to provide a home for those that are looking to venture into the business world.

With an industrial and modern theme, the center includes two floors filled with offices, open presentation floors, and small rooms where people can brainstorm and expand on ideas.

One of those offices already has an occupant. Jack Foley ’22 is the founder of ReYuze Cases, a company that creates and sells cellphone cases made of plastic recycled from the streets, canals, and landfills of Haiti. He believes that the opening of the center provides a bright light for students seeking entrepreneurship.

“A lot of students can get internships with companies here, like myself,” Foley said. “For any student at OWU that has a business idea, it allows them to collaborate with not only people in Delaware, but also via the OWU Connection, and this building represents that. It’s connecting OWU students with the community and entrepreneurial spirit.”

The center also featured many other student-founded businesses throughout the center, including Sweet Lizabella’s, a toffee company founded by Elizabeth Knowlton ’19, which prides itself on using four ingredients.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, OWU President Rock Jones stated that the opening of the center is the first of its kind in the nation.

“We are not aware of another place in the country where city, county and university have come together on the university campus to do what’s happening here,” Jones said. “That is extraordinary, and it’s a reminder of the good fortune we all have to live in a community where the town and the county and university collaborate with one another, value one another, and want to create experiences with one another.”

The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center also provides a hub for residents as well, as City of Delaware Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle sees more possibilities.

“Unfortunately, Delaware has been a bedroom community for quite a while,” Riggle said. “I would love to see more businesses stay here so that you’ll live here, [but] also work here and play here, so that we can offer everything, and I think this entrepreneurial center provides that opportunity.”

The 14th Amendment And It’s Modern Interpretation

By Maddie Matos A&E Editor mrmatos@owu.edu

The 14th Amendment received a new interpretation as Ohio Wesleyan University hosted a guest speaker for the annual Richard W. Smith Lecture series.

The speaker was Michael Les Benedict, who has a doctorate in history. Benedict is a specialist in constitutional and political issues regarding the Civil War era. Benedict works at Ohio State University as an emeritus professor.

The Smith lecture series is hosted by the Ohio Wesleyan department of history. The lecture is sponsored by the Richard W. Smith Endowed Fund in Civil War History, a fund that has been established in honor of former professor Richard W. Smith.

Smith taught at Ohio Wesleyan in the mid-20th century. He was popular among students, with several alumni returning to campus in support of the lecture and Smith.

Over 160 people attended the event, which was held in the Benes rooms in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.

University president Rock Jones and professor of history Barbara Terzian gave introductions prior to Benedicts presentation. Both Jones and Terzian expressed their enjoyment of the series and Benedict, with Terzian being more emotional.

“I have been really looking forward to this,” Terzian said. “He (Benedict) is my professor and Smith, my mentor.”

Benedict began his presentation with a discussion of how important the 14th Amendment is to history, and how it still impacts the United States today.

“It was a momentous event,” Benedict said. “It took a lot of pride on the southern states to agree to it.”

The amendment gives citizenship to all people born in the United States and allows the United States Congress to enforce this law. Through the passage of the amendment, African Americans and other minority groups became citizens and gained legal rights in society.

Benedict argued that the amendment established that it was the government’s job to defend rights.

“That is why we have government, to protect our rights,” Benedict said.

Benedict also discussed the role slavery had in the United States and the early days of the nation. Stating that the Constitution accommodated slavery and treated them like property, America was doomed to crack.

“The union could no longer endure,” Benedict said, quoting Abraham Lincoln.

Abolitionists were discriminated against, Benedict stated, with hundreds of protests and threats were made against them. The southern United States even went so far as to ban abolitionist literature and enforce the slave codes.

Benedict then discussed the beginnings of writing the amendment. He talked about early drafts of the document being proposed by different congressmen, including John Bingham, a representative from Ohio.

The presentation ended with a discussion of today’s implications the amendment holds. Benedict argued that the document made the United States Supreme Court more powerful than ever, an issue that continues today.

“Only now have we come to realize that the 14th amendment perhaps gives the court too much responsibility and gives us too little responsibility,” Benedict said.

The presentation closed with questions presented by the audience. Most questions were regarding the state of the Supreme Court in modern times and how citizens can have a voice in government. Benedict answered their question with a simple statement.

“Go vote,” Benedict said.

OWU busy buying and selling properties

By Tiffany Moore, Online Editor and John Bonus, Transcript Correspondent

The Ohio Wesleyan board of trustees bought two houses located near campus using part of the
$1.5 million gained from selling Austin Manor.

One of the properties is a home at 145 West William St., which currently separates the Smith
and Hayes Hall parking lots. The other is a residence at 46 Hayes St., which is next to Haycock
Hall and the Buildings and Grounds office.

Lauri Strimkovsky, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer, said in an email
to the Transcript that the property on West William Street will be used to expand student
parking.

Strimkovsky also said that a portion of the remaining funds from the Austin Manor sale will
potentially be used for repairs in Beeghly Library.

According to the Delaware County auditor’s website, Riverwest, a private investment firm in Columbus, bought Austin Manor Aug. 14, 2018. Strimkovsky said that RiverWest plans to make
improvements to the property so it can be used as a rental community.

“The property needed a substantial infusion of renovation dollars to modernize systems and bring the building up to current standards,” Strimkovsky said. “Rental revenues did not produce
adequate funds for this.”

Because of this and the fact that students no longer live in Austin Manor, the university senior leadership team recommended that the board of trustees sell the property.

The Transcript contacted Riverwest about the status and timeline of renovations but received no comment.

Austin Manor was built in 1923 as an all girls residency according to President Rock Jones. He said in an email interview that the building was converted into an intergenerational apartment
building in the 1980s.

This is not the first property that Ohio Wesleyan has sold in the past year. According to the Delaware County auditor website, the Hiram Perkins House was sold Nov. 13, 2017 to James
Manos for $170,000. It was previously used as a small living unit for the House of Peace and
Justice.

Strimkovsky said the university sold the house because it was no longer needed as a student residence and needed significant renovations.

In an email interview, Manos said he plans to use the property to build a 43 room hotel. This proposal was discussed at multiple Delaware city council meetings between June and August.

According to Manos, the council did not approve his initial plan because it included the construction of a parking lot in a residential area. In response, Manos proposed that parking
spaces be built into the ground floor of the hotel.

“Now that I’m keeping on the existing property which is zoned properly, all I need is a change of use, as a hotel is permitted on the Perkins property,” said Manos.

The council will be discussing this revised plan at a meeting in October. If the proposal is approved, Manos plans to start building the hotel in March 2019.

“Having a hotel close to campus is a great idea, especially for families who come to visit from long distances” said Paris Norman, a junior at OWU.

Nicholas Melvin, a senior at OWU, said having a hotel basically on campus would be awesome, but he would also like to see the historical aspects of the Perkins House remain intact.

According to Strimkovsky, the university currently does not plan to sell any more properties.

OWU Hires New Quantitative Tutor

By Maddie Matos, Arts and Entertainment Editor

mrmatos@owu.edu

Student resources at Ohio Wesleyan recently expanded with the addition of a new quantitative skills tutor.

Katie Boyd was hired by the university as the new coordinator for the Quantitative Skills Center. Students go to the center for assistance in the subjects of math and science.

The center is located inside the center, which serves as a place for students to receive help for their classes, across multiple subjects.

Boyds experiences with college student from her previous jobs. Boyd worked at Ohio State University as a teacher’s assistant and currently works at Columbus State Community College as a math professor.

“I truly love working with college students and being a part of their educational experience as they formulate their dreams and complete their corresponding, supporting goals,” Boyd said.

Working with technology will be part of Boyd’s role on campus with the new addition of TutorMe.

“Katie also has extensive computer and technology training and proficiency in My Math Lab, Math Excel, ALEKS, LaunchPad, and Blackboard,” said James Stull, assistant dean of academic advising and director of the sagan academic resource center.

Boyd will also help with the hiring of new tutors for the university’s Math Peer Tutors program. The program hires students in math or science majors to tutor students in lower level courses in those fields.

Boyd will act as a public relations representative for the center, encouraging students to get help for their courses as well as the new online tutor assistant program.

Throughout her career, Boyd has received numerous accolades, including being nominated for distinguished teacher of the year. Boyd was nominated five times for the award during her time at Hilliard Darby High School, located in Hilliard, Ohio.

Interacting with students is a key component to the center and is a key reason for Boyd’s hiring.

“Katie has a great demeanor and will connect with students, Katie is also versed in current methods of instruction, so she will work effectively with students who have a wide range of skills and individual learning styles or preferences,” Stull said.

With the hire of Boyd, the university continues its commitment to student success on campus.

“Ultimately the university will benefit from higher retention and graduation rates and from higher levels of student satisfaction and success,” university President Rock Jones said.