WCSA – Page 2 – The Transcript

WCSA 2017-18 leaders appointed

By Anna Davies, Transcript Reporter

Junior Christopher Dobeck and sophomore Michael Sheetz will be the 2017 Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA) president and vice president respectively.

Dobeck said his main concern is wisely spending the WCSA budget in ways that will improve student life and happiness. He also said improving transparency between students and administration is crucial.

Sheetz and Dobeck said they want to make WCSA more accessible to the OWU community. “I would like to have a monthly letter in The Transcript from WCSA to the students. I’d also like to do ‘reside chats’ on the Facebook page,” Dobeck said.

Dobeck also said he wants to create an archive of current and past WCSA records. “Any self-respecting institution should have a record system for itself and to keep its heritage alive,” he said.

He also mentioned wanting to create a student film festival sponsored by WCSA. “We’d show student-made films as a celebration of OWU artistry,” he said.

Sheetz, who has worked with Dobeck on bills for WCSA, said, “(Chris) has an amazing ability to keep a group going and keep a group cohesive, where my skill set lies more in getting specific projects done.”

“I am most excited about having a voice at the highest portion of our school’s administration,” Sheetz said about his new position. “I firmly believe that every student has a right to know what the administration’s thoughts and feelings are on any part of the school that they so wish.”

Sheetz said he wants to work with the Provost to make an easier system for student feedback. “The most important thing in my eyes is open communication and students being able to voice their complaints in a safe environment,” he said.

Sheetz said he also wants to include Greek Life and Small Living Unit (SLU) communities in the WCSA budget, improve campus sustainability and continue campus inclusivity.

Dobeck previously served a year as a senator for WCSA’s Administration Policy Committee (APC). Sheetz first met current WCSA vice president Sam Schurer through the men’s ultimate frisbee team and joined the Student Life Committee after learning more about WCSA from Schurer.

Dobeck said he started thinking about running two months before the elections. Sheetz reached out to him and said he wanted to join the campaign. The two will hold their positions for a year.

Dobeck said he values Sheetz’s professional attitude. “He had experience other people didn’t,” he said.

Other candidates that ran include Robert Gossett for president and Brad Marcotte for vice president and Armando Polizzi for president and Adriana Rodriguez for vice president.

Outgoing President Jess Choate and Vice President Sam Schurer spent much of their term working to increase representation of minorities on campus. Out of that came the Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee (SIAC). WCSA of officers that sit in on the SIAC Committee are elected directly onto WCSA to be on this committee. The students elected to this committee include: Ryan Bishop, Jason Perry, Cindy Huynh, Ahmed Hamed, Cara Harris, Spencer Zhang and Marisa Grillo.

Elections were held on Nov. 11. The new of officers will begin their terms at the start of the spring semester.

WCSA Today: Senate passes amendment to close meetings

By Gopika Nair, Copy Editor

Election season is forthcoming both in the U.S. and Ohio Wesleyan’s student government.

The Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) is currently accepting applications for executive positions, including president, vice president and secretary, for the 2017 calendar year.

Senior Caroline Anderson, secretary, said WCSA hadn’t received many applications for the positions thus far and urged current members to spread the word about available positions at the Oct. 31 meeting.

Election for executive and senator positions will be held Nov. 11 and 18 respectively.

WCSA also recently passed an amendment to its constitution to allow closed meetings. For the first time at its Oct. 31 meeting, WCSA advisers, those unaffiliated with WCSA and The Transcript were asked to leave while the student government discussed a budget.

Following the closed session, junior Ryan Bishop of the Public Relations Committee, proposed including members from Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee (SIAC) to OWU’s Search Committee.

Two members from SIAC should be included in the search for high-ranking positions such as vice president, dean and director of administrative division, while one member should be included in the search for at least two faculty searches per year, Bishop said.

Bishop’s proposal passed.

At WCSA’s Oct. 24 meeting, senior Diana Muzina of the Student Life Committee said the committee had arranged to meet with Chartwells and OWU’s vegetarian club to discuss including more vegetarian options for students.

Muzina also said the green containers in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center are only getting a 3 percent usage and encouraged other members to spread the word about using it more.

Toward the end of the meeting, Dwayne Todd, vice president for student engagement and success and one of the WCSA advisers, said the administration has been discussing residential fees for students who stay over breaks, but nothing has been finalized yet.

WCSA Today: New furniture added to dorms

By Transcript Staff

New furniture will be added to Smith, Hayes and Welch Halls through the funding of the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA).

The Furniture Resolution, proposed by Dwayne Todd, the vice president of student engagement and success, will introduce study tables, chairs and soft seating to the residential halls at the cost of $164,000.

“This is not our job, but I think that we are all in agreement that we are making a step beyond that … we have this opportunity to step in where someone else has fallen short … it could have a really immediate impact on the student experience,” said Sam Schurer, the vice president of WCSA.

A Gaming Resolution was also passed, al- locating $4,000 to the Bishop Gamers Project. Two Xboxes, Playstations and Wiis, along with an assortment of popular games will be avail- able for students to rent from the library.

WCSA also funded a visitation from Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, a program that focuses on gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry.

The musical “Fun Home” was approved and the date will be announced in the coming months.

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.

WCSA creates inclusion board for underrepresented students

By Anna Davies, Transcript Reporter

Ohio Wesleyan is taking steps to stop inequality in its student government with an inclusion board for underrepresented students on the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA).

The Student Inclusion Advocacy Committee (SIAC) “was created to address issues of underrepresentation both in our student government and on Ohio Wesleyan’s campus,” WCSA President Jess Choate said.

Junior and WCSA Sen. Ryan Bishop said, “The SIAC guarantees eight voting senator positions in our student government for people who would usually be underrepresented in the senate because, historically, they feel that …their voice would be ignored in WCSA.”

Choate said, “We worked all of last semester in collaboration with all of OWU’s cultural clubs, and honestly with anyone who had an opinion to figure out exactly what this committee should be.

Bishop said the SIAC was the idea of former senior class council president Shelli Reeves ‘16. He said he hopes the creation of the SIAC will encourage more students of dif-
ferent ethnicities to run for WCSA.

Choate said Bishop and senior WCSA Sen. senior Emma Nuiry were key advocates for the SIAC.

Bishop wants the SIAC to create a plan for future students and staff to receive diversity training. He said this term of WCSA has been mindful of ensuring everyone has a voice.

Each member of the SIAC had to have a written recommendation from at least one professional working at the Spectrum Resource Center, the Chaplain’s Office, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs or the Associate Dean for Inclusion and Diversity, according to the SIAC amendment.

Students also had to have a written recommendation from a cultural club. The diversity groups WCSA approached were those officially registered on OrgSync.

“I personally hope that more students feel that they can step forward and voice their opinions and thoughts … when we make decisions which affect the entire Ohio Wesleyan campus community,” senior and SIAC member Shashank Sharma said.

Additionally, President Rock Jones started the academic year by sending an email to all OWU students where he said that OWU’s tradition of tolerance is currently crucial.

Jones said OWU would stand firm in its mission of using liberal education to promote tolerance.

“At the heart of our conversations will be a commitment to the dignity of every human being and a commitment to create a campus that is safe, welcoming, and hospitable, especially to those who have been marginalized or who may be victims of inhumane words and actions because of their identity,” he said.

Jones then wrote about how Branch Rickey, who graduated from OWU in 1904, fought for the end of racism in sports and treated everyone with dignity.

Jones ended his email with a list of resources for students such as Counseling Services and the Chaplain’s Office.

WCSA selects Rowan Hannan as chairperson to its Committee on Racial and Cultural Diversity

By Transcript Staff

At the Sept. 5 meeting, Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) announced Rowan Hannan the chairperson to its Committee on Racial and Cultural Diversity.

According to an email sent to all students by WCSA sent on Aug. 30, this 8-member committee will work to identify and address issues faced by underrepresented students on campus.

Hannan said, “I haven’t been on WCSA before. I have led clubs (PRIDE, BOMI club) and am on my third year at SAGE, but I wanted to make change at a different level. I think WCSA really has the power to shape this university and provide a louder voice, especially for underrepresented platforms.”

“I’d like to push WCSA toward a more diverse senate, and encourage other committees to consider different backgrounds when planning their projects,” they added.

In the committee’s first report to the senate, Hannan announced that the committee would be working on sensitivity training for WCSA members, creating a buddy system for international students and providing incentives for making dean’s list, among other things.

Bob Wood, director of Public Safety, announced the starting date for Colum-Bus – an initiative by WCSA and Public Safety to provide cheap transportation to Columbus on a bi-weekly basis. The first bus ride is scheduled to depart from Roy Rike parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The round trip will cost students $5 and will make multiple trips to Columbus University Gateway. The tickets can be purchased online through Columbus Coach’s website.

Wood also announced flashing lights were established at Rowland Avenue, earlier this month, and encouraged students to use them. In his report, he also mentioned changes in campus parking; particularly changing Selby parking lots from C parking to B parking.

Senators junior Ryan Bishop and sophomore Caroline Hamlin addressed the full senate on developments being made by the Sustainability Task Force.

Bishop said one of the task force’s main goal is to get the university to hire a new Sustainability Coordinator by 2018. He said the plan is to have the student activity fee will sponsor a part of the costs for the new position.

The Sustainability Task Force meets Wednesdays at noon on the second floor of Merrick Hall. Hamlin invited senators to come to the meetings, and said it is an open meeting.

WCSA debates internal workings

Areena Arora, Managing Editor

In just one hour on Feb. 1, members of WCSA went from debating about the internal workings of the institution to concluding the meeting with a group selfie.

The discussion from last week continued, as Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) voted again to appoint members to five new members positions, two senators and three ex officio non-voting members.

At the Jan. 25 meeting, a resolution to appoint new members was proposed through the Administrative Policy Committee (APC), and was opposed by Sen. Phub Dorji who questioned the role of the executive body. At issue was how special elections are conducted and who gets voting rights.

At the Feb. 1 meeting, WCSA President Jess Choate started off by addressing concerns raised last week.

Choate said, “Obviously there was some confusion last week. What has happened in the past in special elections is that exec (executive body) receives and reviews applications and then makes recommendations to full senate to vote on.”

However, since there was a confusion, in pursuant of Standing Order 126 (a) of WCSA’s governing documents, a new vote will be carried out, said Choate.

In his report, junior Andrew Stock, chair of APC said, “We are going to go over appointed senator positions and re vote because we did not follow the right procedure in the way we addressed these positions (calling them members at large). By standing orders members at large do have voting powers, but we are (now) appointing three members ex-officio with no voting powers.”

Sen. Chris Dobeck asked, “How are we able to go back on this after having voted?”

Choate said, “We will suspend rules momentarily, so we are able to make the change, to make sure we are all on the same page and we all agree on the decision being made and can move forward.”

Stock added, section 126 (a) of the standing orders allows WCSA to vote again in such situations.

The class of 2017 representative, Jo Meyer asked if the senators will be able to see applications of the candidates being voted on.

Choate said, “The applications we (executive body) have brought forward are very representative. We had six applications, and multiple people expressed concerns about one applicant, so we are bringing forward the other five.”

Dorji who had raised concerns about the application reviewing process initially suggested that to avoid misunderstandings in future, instead of exec having right to review applications, APC should have the right to do so.

Throwing an open invitation to attendees at the meeting, Stock said, “APC will certainly look into it. If something in standing order looks funny to you, attend our meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 2) and we will put suggestions into our docket.”

Stock added, “This is the way things have been done, APC is working to clarify it (the governing documents) more and make it more transparent.”

Choate said, “While I agree we (executive body) make recommendations, we have no real executive power. It is (special elections) done this way because we have representatives from each class year and all voices have a say. While I say that, we still want to make sure your (Dorji’s) concerns are addressed.”

In discussing old business, the senate moved to suspend rules to discuss the issue further and give chance to speakers to present their points.

At this point Dorji said, “I recommend heavy amendments in the constitution and forming an independent temporary committee to look into it or APC to look into this. At the end of this, I still do not agree how applications were reviewed, however in the spirit of pragmatism, I will be voting.”

Choate said Dorji’s comments will be taken into consideration and opened the floor to invite more speakers.

Before voting, Sen. Shareeque Sadiq motioned to have all candidates speak to the senate on their behalf, which was accepted.

Freshman Katie Kuckelheim in her speech said, “WCSA has the power to change things at OWU.

Concerns were raised about one candidate who was not present at the meeting, but Choate suggested that senators rank on the ballot according to whatever they believe is necessary and if need be, the full senate will discuss the outcome once results are out.

With only six minutes left before the meeting’s end, Choate said that results will be tallied and announced at the next meeting on Feb. 8.

After the meeting on Jan. 25, WCSA Vice President Sam Schurer said, “Those are the kinds of conversations that Jess (Choate) and I have been trying to get started since we decided to run. It is awesome to see someone with so much passion for WCSA and we think it is a really good sign.”

WCSA also voted to appoint junior Daud Baz as the new treasurer and approved two budgets.

An ongoing lighting project sponsored by WCSA was completed and announced at the meeting. Lights were added around The Hill on Williams Drive, 4 Williams and Haycock Hall.

WCSA debates democracy

Photo courtesy of the OWU website.

Areena Arora, Managing Editor

Democracy was debated by members of the Wesleyan Council of Student Affairs (WCSA) at its Jan. 25 meeting. How senators are appointed and who gets the right to vote was at issue.

A resolution to appoint new members was proposed through the Administrative Policy Committee, and was opposed by Senator Phub Dorji who questioned the process used to decide which candidates received voting rights.

WCSA President Jess Choate said there were five equally qualified applicants for two open positions and the executive committee made a decision after a long discussion.

“We appointed three students as members at large because we only had two vacant positions and we did not want to disregard the other three voices,” said Choate.

Dorji responded, “If all five candidates were equally qualified, wouldn’t it be better if full senate decided on who gets voting power and who gets to be a member at large?”

Dorji said, “The Executive has great powers, but their combined powers must always be smaller than that of the Legislative – if they appoint Senators like they did, then they can fill the Legislative with their friends who will vote along their lines.…If we want to call ourselves a democratic establishment, we need to start taking democracy seriously.”

Dorji also asked if it would’ve been better to have the applicants come to the meeting and talk to the full senate.

However, since all the applicants were not present at the time, Choate suggested it would be unfair to others and acknowledged Dorji’s concerns.

WCSA Vice President Sam Schurer said, “(The discussion) left me more excited than ever to move forward with improvements to WCSA’s internal workings that Jess (Choate) and I see as crucial to a successful term.”

Choate said, “At this point, we did what our current constitution requires us to do, but we will be working to create a more inclusive appointment process in the future.”

According to the WCSA constitution, “The Executive Committee shall appoint, with the consent of WCSA, at large representatives for the purpose of ensuring appropriate constituent balance on WCSA.”

However, according to WCSA’s Standing and Sessional Orders of the Council, adopted in April 2014, members at large do in fact occupy a voting seat. The Executive Committee may also appoint one member at large, with rights to attend its meetings but no voting rights.

Freshman Katie Kuckelheim, who was appointed as a member at large with no voting rights, said, “Being a member at large gives me a chance to learn what WCSA does….before I make my vote count. I feel it’s better that I do not have voting rights as of now so I can get to know WCSA better, and then I will be able to have a more informed choice.”

Kuckelheim added that when a spot for senator opens, she will be the first to apply.

Senator Ryan Bishop, while agreeing with Dorji’s concerns, expressed satisfaction with Choate and Schurer’s approach to the situation.

Bishop said, “Sam (Schurer) clarified that this is coming out of the constitution and they (Choate and Schurer) agreed that in future we should try restructuring the election processes, but it really made a great impression on me that [Schurer] took out the time to explain exec’s (Executive Committee) position.”

Choate said, “We contacted Senator Dorji and other senators who were raising concerns and are hoping to continue the conversation with them. Our Administrative Policy Committee has already begun to incorporate the concerns raised in Monday’s full senate into their ongoing efforts to improve our organization.”

Schurer said, “Those are the kinds of conversations that Jess (Choate) and I have been trying to get started since we decided to run. It is awesome to see someone with so much passion for WCSA and we think it is a really good sign.

Full senate also voted to appoint senator senior Andrew Stock the sergeant of arms and voted to adopt a resolution to change the names of the Residential Affairs Committee to Student Life Committee and the Campus Relations Committee to Public Relations Committee.

Two budget requests also were passed at the meeting.

WCSA’s first full senate meeting

Photo courtesy of the OWU website.

By Areena Arora, Managing Editor

The first full senate meeting of 2016 for the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) was on Jan. 18, coinciding with this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The meeting at Crider Lounge in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center commenced with the attendees watching a part of the famous speech “I have a dream,” by Martin Luther King Jr.

“It was designed to both honor and learn from his accomplishments,” said junior Jess Choate, the WCSA President.

Choate welcomed new senators and guests to the new meeting venue in Hamwill and said the change was made to encourage more attendance by people who are not a part of WCSA.

In her report Choate introduced a new resolution to change the names of “Residential Affairs Committee” and “Campus Relations Committee” to “Student Life” and “Public Relations,” respectively. The senate will vote on the resolution at its next meeting.

Senior Caroline Anderson, secretary of WCSA, reminded senators of the attendance policy and requested attendees to refrain from using cell phones during the meeting in her report.

Sophomore Nick Melvin, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee said in his report, “We hope to solve academic problems before they arise,” adding that one of the goals for the committee this year would be to make a coherent four year plan for all incoming students.

Campus Relations Committee requested senators to get the word out for treasurer applications and appointed senator applications which are both due Friday, Jan 22.

Junior Graham Littlehale, who served as treasurer for WCSA last year, is serving as the interim treasurer until a new one is appointed.

A discussion-question portion was added at the end of the meeting as part of changes made in WCSA’s working this year.

“This is being done to provide a specific platform for senators to speak,” said Choate in response to a questions about the concerns that senators may have heard from students around campus.

Transportation to Columbus, gaps in student-faculty communication and student safety on snowy days at crosswalks were some of the concerns voiced by senators.

The meeting concluded with an announcement by Brad Ingles, the associate director for Young Alumni/Student Programs, about informational session on upcoming Board of Trustees election.

The next full senate meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 25.

WCSA discusses budget requests, approves most

WCSA crest. Photo courtesy of the owu website.

“This is it! Retirement is coming,” said President Jerry Lherisson, a senior.

The final full senate meeting of the semester for the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) was Dec. 7, and most discussion focused on the requested budget of one club.

Vice President Emma Drongowski, a senior, began by thanking the senators for their hard work this semester, adding that they don’t get paid and often don’t get credit.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about all that we’ve accomplished this year,” said Drongowski.

She asked senators to make a list of what they accomplished this semester and include two tasks they hope to accomplish next semester.

Secretary Lee LeBoeuf, a junior, updated the full senate on the state of composting.

“The reason we stopped composting is because the place in Delaware that took our composting is no longer doing so,” LeBoeuf said.

She added that there is now wireless printing in the Welch and Hayes computer labs.

Kimberlie Goldsberry, Interim Vice President of Student Affairs and WCSA adviser, reported that revisions to OWU’s pet policy are still being considered. Feedback about the policy has been gathered from members of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Small Living Unit (SLUs) moderators.

The feedback included a request for the pet policy to remain the same until the end of the semester or the school year.

Goldsberry noted that some change is expected for the spring semester. Changes that could eventually be made are requiring dog owners to cage their dogs whenever the dogs will be home without them and not allowing cats to roam houses when their owners aren’t home.

Goldsberry also reported the news of two babies recently born to faculty and staff members. Dr. Brandt, Associate Professor of Psychology, had a daughter born Dec. 1 and Leslie Melton, Director of Career Services, had her daughter Dec. 4.

Recently, the Administrative Policy Committee (APC) proposed revisions to WCSA’s constitution, and senators voted unanimously at the meeting to accept the revisions.

Conversation shifted to financial matters, and Treasurer Graham Littlehale, a junior, said 53 budgets for next semester have been reviewed.

Campus Programming Board (CPB ) and Faith and Justice Club requested the most money.

Littlehale explained that CPB’s funding request was for the spring’s annual Bishop Bash, which would feature a non-musical performer this year.

“Last year it was really well-attended,” Littlehale said. “A lot of the surrounding community came.”

He said the budget committee knows the performer CPB plans on bringing in and it is someone widely known, but they cannot yet say who the performer is.

Six clubs were not awarded any money they requested, though they can apply for supplemental funding in the spring. Five of the groups did not receive funds because they did not send representatives to mandatory budget training.

The budget committee denied the requested funding for the Pre-Law Club for a different reason.

Sam Schurer, a junior, said there have been issues with the group in the past because they are so closely affiliated with the Pre-Law department. He said the club’s budget was turned down last year and the problem was explained to club members.

“Here we are a year later and nothing has changed,” Schurer said.

He added that this year’s budget request was also a lot of money per student.

Lherisson, a member of Pre-Law Club, made an argument for the group and for the Moot Court trip the budget request was for, stating that some of the close affiliation with the Pre-Law department was due to the group’s adviser and that the Moot Court team performed very well when they competed last year.

A motion passed to separate out the Pre-Law Club’s budget request in order to vote on the other requests. All the other budget requests were approved.

Goldsberry suggested the Pre-Law Club receive written advice and instruction, and she urged the senators “to strike a balance” between supporting the group and its endeavors while also judiciously approving budget requests.

The budget committee will re-convene this week to further discuss the issue, taking into consideration the points made during the meeting.