New SLUs on the block

By David Fradkin, Transcript Correspondent

It has been almost a year since Ohio Wesleyan began constructing the new Small Living Units and it will not be long until they are all finished.

The first ‘SLUplex’ located at 118 Rowland Ave. is completed and occupied by members of both the Inter-Faith house (IF) and Sexuality and Gender Equality House (SAGE).

Senior Chase Smith, member and moderator of the IF house, said he will always miss and cherish the memories shared at 81 Oak Hill, but he is very thankful for their new one.

“The A.C. is wonderful, the natural lighting is wonderful and it’s located a lot closer which makes it feel like senior living,” Smith said. “I think it’s appropriate that I moved in here my senior year”.

Another complex is still under construction at 86 Rowland Ave., which will be occupied by members of the House of Peace and Justice (P&J) and the House of Linguistic Diversity (HOLD), which was formerly known as the Modern Foreign Language House.

Moderator of HOLD, junior Audrey Castaneda Walker, who established their SLU’s new name, said she is excited to move back to the house’s original location. While their new SLUplex is undergoing construction, they have been temporarily relocated to the old IF house.

“I’m never petty about a lot of things, but I am going to be petty about this: I just want my spot back,” Walker said. “I just want to be on the corner and that would be great.”

Walker was told their SLUplex should be done by Thanksgiving and they could move in at the beginning of the second semester.

Members of P&J currently reside at their 235 W. Williams St. location, but they said they are skeptical about the transition into the new SLUplex this winter.

“There is a little bit of a pushback in my house because [moving is] scary and we are very attached to our home,” said junior Rachel Scherrer, moderator of P&J.

Scherrer also said she feels like Residential Life is trying to push for a more residential campus, which might not be a bad thing, but some students did not seem to have much input on the decision for the SLU relocations.  

“One thing that my house is trying to discuss right now … with ResLife is to get some transparency,” Scherrer said. “Just so they could tell us what’s happening so there could be an open line of communication.”

A third SLUplex is likely to be built between the other structures on Rowland Avenue, but the official plans have yet to be finalized.

Let peace and justice ring

Photo by Leia Miza
Photo by Leia Miza

Leia Miza, Transcript Reporter

A 200-pound bell, made by senior Owen Kelling, will be settled in front of Elliott Hall over spring break.

The creation of the bell was initially a house project for the Peace and Justice House (P&J). Kelling decided to create this piece in order to represent both the house and school curriculum.

“[Kelling] signed up for an independent study last fall and elected to work on a commemorative bell celebrating 30 years of the Peace and Justice House,” said Jon Quick, part-time professor of fine arts.

The bell has two different sayings: “For Peace and Justice” and “A Coeli Usque ad Centrum,” which is Latin for “to the sky from the center of the earth.”

“It’s a phrase from old Roman property tax code,” Kelling said. “It was a literal definition of infinite personal property. In this context, it’s more figurative and spiritual [of] peace and justice everywhere.”

The frieze embedded on the bell was another reference to the P&J house. “It’s a charcoal rubbing I took  of the radiator that’s in my room at pj and then retraced it on the plaster and carved the shape in the plaster so it’s from scratch,” said Kelling.

Kelling cast the bell this past October. “The final cast was a little disappointing due to significant breakout in the cast. But [Kelling] put in untold hours of work, as did I, providing troubleshooting and assistance throughout the entire process,” said Quick.

The bell got recognition after a house meeting at P&J with President Rock Jones.

“Owen has done a great job of promoting his efforts and apparently got the attention of Rock Jones and others who deemed it an appropriate and timely addition to the campus landscape,” Quick said.

The bell tower will be positioned 20 feet over from Elliot, will stand at 11 feet and ring the D note. Kelling mentioned that the bell might ring for commencement this coming May.

Camille Mullins-Lemieux, a resident of P&J, spoke highly of her housemate. “I think that we were excited when we found out he was making the bell. As he made it over the months, the excitement grew. He would bring molds and drawings to house meetings and we would all be in awe each time.”

Mullins-Lemieux said the project was a way to preserve the legacy of P&J.

“It will be here forever and it will be maintained as a landmark,” Kelling said. “It’s going to ring for every single person that goes here forever. That’s really one of those augmentation things I really didn’t expect.”