1847
Otterbein University
Second Issue
2013
Are You Feeling the
Heat? Fashion for a working world War veteran follows in grandfather’s footsteps Balancing babies & term papers
from the editor
Salutations: There were no tears. No punches were thrown. The yelling was kept to a minimum—well, at least it was inaudible to the classrooms surrounding the computer lab.
It takes many hands and many eyes to produce a magazine in a month, and, if these words are ever read, that means those hands and those eyes met a deadline. Or five. It means that every story in this magazine was touched and read and changed. If the words in this magazine ever reach the eyes of a reader, it will not be the first time they tell their stories; for some of those words it will be the 10th, for others, the 50th. They have been worked, and reworked, to tell the stories of people and the things those people can do. Guns, powered by humans, divided the nation in the wake of a year filled with tragedy. In the month it took to produce this magazine, more shootings occurred, and once again guns were thrust to the forefront of this nation’s collective mind. As firearms continue to make the front page of newspapers, a gun shop sits quietly outside the confines of Otterbein’s borders. An Otterbein coach surrounded herself with a cast of people who helped her on a journey from student to player to coach and mom—and 300 wins along the way. A grandfather inspired his granddaughter to join the Navy. Now 28 years old and a student at Otterbein on the GI Bill, the granddaughter remembered her time served on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, swimming in the Arabian Sea and the look in her grandfather’s eyes before he closed them for the final time. Otterbein became home to a student who grew up in Cambodia watching her mother dedicate her life to helping abuse victims through the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center. Now as an adult in Westerville, she and her mom try to rebuild their relationship that suffered during her childhood. Humans power this world. These are their stories.
Policies
Evan Matsumoto Editor-in-Chief
The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty and administration of Otterbein University. 1847 is a student publication. One hundred percent of the production, editing and design is done by the students. The first copy of 1847 is free to the public. Each additional copy is $3, and payment can be made at the office at 33 Collegeview Road, Westerville, OH 43081. Offenders will be prosecuted.
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1847 staff Editor-in-Chief Evan Matsumoto
Managing Editor Jacob Ritzenthaler Associate Editors Chelsea Coleman Lindsay Paulsen Writers Becky Gaskill Joshua Hartley Melissa Kent Danielle Lanning Meghan McHenry Emily Pratt Harrison Ralph Natasha Shorts Copy Editors Mike Cirelli Joshua Hartley Danielle Lanning Briana Shaw Gloridely Tavarez Creative Director Stephanie Parker Designers Christina Cutler Katie Feltz Social Media Specialist Neil Brown Web & Multimedia Specialists Blythe Malone Jeremy Morgan Business Manager Laina Thompson Advertising & Marketing Group Melissa Kent Aaron Rhinehart Turp Ricketts Advisers Sherry Paprocki Hillary Warren
Front cover photo by Evan Matsumoto Back cover photo by Stephanie Parker
contents
The Man Behind the Frying Pan
3 7 11 13 19 23 29
5
Sailing Overseas to Earning a Degree
Dress Decoded Need some advice on dressing for a job interview or internship?
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A Powerful Past A student’s transition from watching her mother fight abuse in Cambodia to finding a home in Westerville. Defining Depression: Debunking Mental Myths Feeling tired, lonely or really hungry? As a college student, this is normal. Or is it? Caffeine Kick A student’s experience with caffeine and its importance and effects in students’ lives.
Gender, Sexuality and Duct Tape
Uncovering the Alumni Gymnasium Research revealed that Battelle Fine Arts Center was once the Alumni Gym. Baby Bumps & Learning Curves Three students share their experiences juggling the role of young mother and student in college. Beyond 300 Getting to know Women’s Basketball Coach, Connie Richardson, on basketball, students and life.
The Firearm Paradox
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all photos by stephanie parker
Jordan Brown and Andrew Szczerba model what is appropriate in the professional world.
BUSINESS
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Szczerba is wearing a black suit (slim-fit, flat-front suit pants with a notched lapel suit coat) over a subtle white-striped dress shirt with black lace-up dress shoes. He accessorized with a slim charcoal-gray tie, tie bar, pocket square and wrist watch. Brown is wearing a black suit (tapered flat-front suit pants with a notched lapel suit coat) over a ruffled charcoal-gray dress shirt with black pumps; she accessorized with pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.
Dress Decoded JOSH HARTLEY writer & copy editor
Fashion in college? Ha! Ok, who are we kidding? Most of us know that suits are for the office but how many of us really know that there are over 15 different types of dress codes. Who really knows the definition of “business casual”? Double breasted suits, so 1995. And if you would wear it to the club or bar, keep it at home. Fashion in the workplace can make or break your internship or job interview. Follow these rules of workplace fashion and you will be sure to stand out to future employers. Words of advice: Men — always have a tie with you. Women — keep a set of heels in your office. You never know when you may be integrated to a business meeting. 1847
casual Szczerba is wearing a pair of gray flat-front dress pants and a red-and-blue gingham button-down under a blue V-neck sweater with maroon loafers; he accessorized with a wrist watch.
B usiness casual
Brown is wearing a blackand-turquoise plaid dress under a black blazer with black peep toe flats; she accessorized with indigo hoop earrings.
Szczerba is wearing a pair of dark-wash jeans and an orange button-down shirt under a blue blazer with brown oxford shoes; he accessorized with a wrist watch and bracelets. Brown is wearing a pair of dark-wash jeans and a multi-color striped buttondown under a black V-neck sweater with metallic flats; she accessorized with diamondstudded earrings.
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Bon Appétit’s general manager talks company standards, student needs and eggplant parmesan. Jacob Ritzenthaler managing editor
The Man
BEHIND the Frying Pan
From behind the doors
separating students from the kitchen, Terry McGhee keeps Otterbein University’s food service running. How do you feed thousands of hungry college students throughout a day? How do you maintain a trendy, modern menu without alienating those who prefer more traditional fare? The life of a food service employee is a hectic one and no less so for those employed by Bon Appétit Management Company at Otterbein University. These dedicated workers are responsible for making sure the cafeteria never runs out of food. Behind the scenes, however, there is a large amount of work involved in the food production process that students rarely see. Bon Appétit is a professional restaurant company based in Palo Alto, Calif. An employer of over 10,000 workers, the catering company has over 400 cafes across the country. A quick scan of the company’s list of clients reveals an extensive amount of influential corporations: Starbucks, Target, Adidas, Best Buy and Amazon.com. In addition to these industry giants, Bon Appétit’s list of university clients is extensive, boasting larger, more recognizable schools like the University of Pennsylvania and American University, while also catering to smaller schools like Oberlin College. In 2011, Bon Appétit’s service at Wheaton College in Illinois was acknowledged by Princeton Review as the country’s best college food, an honor that reflects the effort put into the company’s products. Bon Appétit has also long been a supporter of sustainable food policies, enacting a number of environmentally friendly procedures over the past decade. One of its most recognizable policies is its Farm to Fork initiative, where local farms become valuable partners in supplying organic, locally sourced produce and responsibly raised meat. These types of sustainable policies have earned the company numerous awards, such as the Award for Excellence in Food & Service from the American Humane Society and
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story continued on next page
photo by danielle lanning
the “Golden Dumpster Award” from the City of San Francisco, which is awarded to the company that is the most successful in transforming waste products into recycled resources. The service of the Bon Appétit brand places a heavy burden on the employees in charge of the individual cafes. In order to live up to the standards set by the national headquarters, the general manager must be able to run an efficient kitchen. The general manager is the last stop for any decision in the food service, which includes negotiating deals to get food from local farmers and finalizing the daily menu. What qualifies a person to manage every aspect of a service responsible for feeding thousands of students? For the most part, a passion for food makes up the driving force behind McGhee’s advancement within Bon Appétit. McGhee grew up in Pennsylvania and
began his career with Bon Appétit after earning his degree in culinary school. A chef by trade, his training and skill within the kitchen offered him advancement within the company and also gave him insight into the needs of the kitchen staff. McGhee started work with Bon Appétit at Grove City College and has since worked in five different states over the course of 17 years. “I saw an ad about this company that did food from scratch and did all the things I learned in school that I could apply my talents to, so I applied with them,” McGhee said. Since that time, McGhee has worked in a dozen different college environments, from campuses with only several hundred students to large universities, like Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. When asked about what makes Otterbein special to him, McGhee does not hesitate before answering. The most rewarding part of the job is the students
that he helps feed on a daily basis. He said that he loves to interact with the student body and enjoys being able to help sculpt the food service into a better experience for everyone. “They have a great student body here,” McGhee said. “They’re vocal at times, but at the times when they’re vocal, they’re correct.” McGhee said he knows the food service won’t be able to please everyone all the time, but he takes pride in fixing any shortcomings and improving the dining experience. Despite being with the company for so long, he said that he enjoys nothing more than eating the eggplant parmesan his staff prepares. His favorite dish from his days in culinary school, McGhee recalls his experience. “We got to eat the things we made and one day we made eggplant parm and I was like, ‘Oh my lord, is this good!’” McGhee exclaimed. “I went home and I told my parents, ‘I have to make this for you!’” 1847
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A Powerful Past
photo by danielle lanning
An unconventional childhood helps student find strength in college. NATASHA SHORTS staff writer
She looked into the distance, as though she was looking
right into her childhood. It was late one night in Cambodia and after not seeing her mother for a long period of time, she was finally able to spend time with her. But before she could even blink, an hour had passed and it was time for her mother to leave. Overcome with tears and frustration, Chivy Chattana ran outside of her grandmother’s house after her mother, in the midst of a heavy storm, trying to convince her to stay a little while longer. Before she could even reach her mother, she began to panic at the sight of rising water and she became scared of the thought of drowning. But her grandma, being her usual protection from danger, came just in time, scooping her out of the water and back into the house. Dressed in a three-quarter sleeve plaid red button-down shirt with black leggings and a simple black scarf, Chattana sat relaxed, with her gray crocheted Ugg boots resting on the Campus Center footstool. She revealed parts of her life spent with her mother who ran a Cambodian organization to help women who were victims of human trafficking and other crimes. Though Chattana’s mother worked to fight violence against women, Chattana found herself in the midst of an abusive relationship after coming to Otterbein. “I’ve seen clients with scars on their faces, bruises on their bodies; they came to my mom’s office for help and I knew that could be me if I did not get help,” she said. Leaving Chattana to live with her grandmother and cousins at the age of
five was one of the hardest decisions Chattana’s mother, Sreyroth NopSarin Weaner, had to make. “The most difficult part was to see her cry when I was about to leave her … that is more than I can say,” Weaner said. At the time, she did not completely understand the dangers and long hours that kept them apart. Chattana now speaks of her mother with high regard and has respect for the work that she accomplished while she was the Secretary General of the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center. The CWCC was established to help victims of rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence by protecting them physically and legally. This created a dangerous atmosphere for a single mother like Weaner. “Sometimes I would get phone calls that would say, ‘Be prepared to die in the next few days.’ Sometimes they called, and said ‘You are a strong woman. I wonder how long you can live,’” she said. “I was scared, but I never stopped what I was doing. I was happy helping others.” This fear of life trickled down to Chattana. As her grandmother became overly protective with her, Chattana began to feel like she was constantly guarded from the world. Going to the playground? Not safe. Sleepovers? Not allowed. The older she became, the more Chattana felt locked in her own home, only allowed to leave the house if her grandmother was by her side Store hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cafe hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
photo provided by sreyroth
Chattana and her grandmother at Angkor Wat temple, 2000.
acting like her security guard. “At first I was confused and then when I got older I was jealous that my cousins had more freedom than I did,” Chattana remembered. Chattana’s life changed dramatically at 13 years old when she, along with her mother and new stepfather, moved from the tropical country of Cambodia to the cold January weather of Defiance, Ohio. “It was hell!” Chattana said, regarding her first semester in an American high school. In Cambodia, Chattana was a sophomore in high school, but in America she was only a freshman.
Starting school in the beginning of second semester was frustrating enough being the new student, but not knowing the language, and being expected to complete assignments in English was a challenge in itself. “I had an English tutor in Cambodia, but I did not pay much attention. I never really thought I would need to use English. Besides, I was taught proper English and no one speaks proper English,” Chattana said as she laughed. The simple classroom structure was completely backward.
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photo provided by sreyroth
Chattana and her mother at Kolen Mountain, 1999
“In Cambodian classrooms, when the bell rings, all of the teachers switch, not the students, but in America it was completely different,” she said. Chattana began to go into a depression. With no friends at school and a stepfather she did not know very well, she tried going to her mother. But the time spent away had impacted their relationship. “She didn’t know me,” Chattana said. Over the following summer Chattana became determined to learn English and with the help of her stepfather’s friend, a retired teacher, who became
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like a second grandmother, as well as the media, Chattana was able to speak conversationally when the next school year began. “Watching TV and listening to music really helped me learn English because the people were my age, so after a while I began to understand their jokes, and understand how they talk,” Chattana said. A few years later Chattana found herself making a number of visits to her stepfather’s alma mater, Otterbein. In the fall of 2012 Chattana made her way as a
The first week I was here I felt like this is my home.
”
- Chivy Chattana
freshman to Otterbein’s campus on movein day, with the hopes of finding a place to fit in. “The first week I was here I felt like this is my home,” Chattana said. Her outgoing personality exploded when Otterbein’s New Student Orientation began and she was able to connect with anyone and everyone around her. Before she could even call herself a freshman, she was in a relationship with the guy who everyone seemed to love. “Everyone said we were so cute together, but they did not know how he was when everyone else was not around,” Chattana said. A little while after the relationship began it became dangerous and even abusive. “I know all of the tricks (abusers) have because of my mom’s work, but it was hard to believe (it was happening to me),” she said. Faced with the same situation that her mother spent fighting in Cambodia, Chattana knew that it was time to get help before it was too late. Using what she learned from her mother’s work, she was able to get out of the relationship before she became a victim. When Chattana finally did tell her mother about the abusive relationship, she kept the details at a minimum, knowing that if Weaner knew everything she would take her out of school. Currently enjoying her life at Otterbein, the roles that Chattana and her mother once had during her childhood have switched. Although they now live a few hours apart from each other, the mother and daughter continue to develop their relationship, despite the distance between them. 1847
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Defining Depression: Debunking Mental Myths CHELSEA COLEMAN associate editor
As I sat in my room
recently, sifting through four years of memories, I came across a magnet I had been given the first day of freshman year. That magnet had been on four different refrigerators and traveled from dorms to apartment to house, but this is the first time I really looked at it. The white and blue magnet starts with the text, “Tell Someone! We are here to help,” then goes on to list behavior to be aware of, such as consuming large amounts of alcohol or failing a class. If you or a friend is depressed, the definition offered is social withdrawal, change in sleep or eating patterns and trouble concentrating. The remainder of the space is dedicated to the phone numbers of Student Affairs, Academic Support Center, Academic Affairs, Disability Services, Student Health Center, Chaplain’s Office, Security and the Center for Career Planning. According to the magnet, most of my college-age friends and I are depressed. What college student hasn’t experienced changes in sleep, trouble concentrating or social withdrawal? Does this mean we are all depressed and need to seek professional help? Mental health—depression included—has been thrown into the spotlight recently as a hot-button political issue. When does someone cross the line from everyday mental bumps
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What a 4-year-old magnet says about depression and mental health in college. and bruises to realizing outside help is needed? It seems there is a vague and broad definition of depression. So I picked up the phone and called Student Affairs to schedule an appointment.
I showed up at Student Affairs the day of my appointment and was directed to a dorm room turned office down the hall. I was met by Kathy Ryan Ph.D., who has worked with Otterbein for 23 years. Ryan agreed with the symptoms on the magnet but went on to include, “Emotions are closer to the surface,
you may cry often, be more irritable. Certainly if someone is dealing with depression, we want to ask about suicidal thinking and energy is a big piece of it.” When depression is being discussed, Ryan said you must consider three things: “Frequency, duration and intensity, because any of us can feel a little anxious, a little sad, a little stressed. When it does become a problem, it depends on how much it is disrupting your day-to-day functioning.” College students are busier than ever. Some people are stressed all the time and that is how they function best. The key is to know yourself; you know when something isn’t right with you. It could be the little things that add up over time or a combination of classes, relationships and roommates. Ryan said that, for the most part, students see her for a combination of personal and academic reasons. The topics of visits have included homesickness, identity issues, alcoholrelated concerns and relationship troubles. Sometimes it is nice just to talk to people and vent your stresses. But the problem is that friends are often busy, and we don’t want to feel like we are bogging them down with our problems. You could call home and talk to family, but maybe you don’t want to talk to them about this particular concern you have.
That is why it is nice to have the option to speak to a counselor or a psychologist. It does not have to be some major, life-altering reason to go see them. If something is on your mind, that is reason enough to go and talk. The talks are private and not included on your academic record. When a student calls to set up an appointment, he or she will have an initial meeting with Julie Saker, Director of Student Conduct and Wellness, Matt D’Oyly, Assistant Director of Wellness, Lisa Patterson-Phillips, Director of Office of Diversity, or Bob Gatti, Vice President for Student Affairs. At this initial meeting, students have the choice to speak to that person or to not tell them anything and just continue on to meet with one of the two psychologists Otterbein works with. Saker said that while the goal is to help students, they are certainly not going to make a student talk to someone or about a topic they are not comfortable with. Student Affairs initially has 20 meeting sessions available per week; the majority of the sessions are with Saker. With 15 weeks in a semester, that is about 600 students a year, if the sessions are filled, which according to Saker, they are. This means roughly 20 percent of students at Otterbein have attended at least one counseling session, from that number, 7 to 8 percent opt into meeting with the psychologist. “In the last (several) years there has been a emphasis on mental health, and the idea is any of us can run into some kind of snag … then (we) figure out what to do and take that action and change,” Ryan said. 1847
you know you go to Otterbein when ...
s
1
You receive 20 emails a day, none of which you read.
2
You have been woken up by a fire alarm at 3 a.m. because someone can’t make popcorn.
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Thursday nights at Old Bag were once the highlight of your week.
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You have painted the rock.
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You have appealed a parking ticket… and lost.
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You have slipped on the steel plates in the sidewalks.
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You have taken exercise walking as a class.
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You have tried to drive to class only to end up parking further away than you originally were.
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The words “hand fruit” mean something to you.
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You have played Humans vs. Zombies with President Krendl. 1847
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Caffeine Kick BLYTHE MALONE web & multimedia specialist
It’s Monday morning
, your alarm clock is about to go off for the third time as you attempt to convince yourself that pressing the snooze button for five more glorious minutes will be the difference between a solid night’s sleep or perhaps the beginning of a rough 8 a.m. class. As young adults, we tend to sleep as long as humanly possible before we realize we do not have a single pair of clean pants to wear and have no time to shower before making the journey out of our front doors and into the real world. There have been more than a handful of times where I have found myself sleeping through all three of my alarms and waking up only moments before my first class to make the fast-paced jog to the far edge of campus. This is my confession and the confession of a vast majority of our student population: we make time to get our caffeine fix no matter what circumstances may arise. If we do not have that magical cup full of syrup,
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Senior confesses caffeine takes high priority.
sugar and flavored fuel, we find ourselves distraught. A Monday morning class can seem longer and more painful than a trip to the dentist. Since 1987, Red Bull has become increasingly popular for its reputation with energy drinks that were designed to increase an individual’s physical and mental performance. Patterns among college students reveal the quantity in which energy drinks, like Red Bull, are being used. Based on a caffeine study published by the Nutrition Journal, a board of 32 researchers compiled responses from a college-student focus group. A 19 item survey was used to assess energy drink consumption patterns of 496 randomly surveyed college students attending a state university in the Central Atlantic region of the United States. Fifty one percent of participants (253) reported consuming more than one energy drink each month in an average semester period; these individuals are defined as energy drink consumers. Insufficient sleep was the most common reason to drink energy illustration by katie feltz drinks, as indicated by 67 percent of energy drink users. The majority of users consumed energy drinks to increase their energy (65
percent) and to drink with alcohol while partying (54 percent). Fifty percent drink while studying or completing a major class project, 45 percent while driving a car for a long period of time and 17 percent to treat a hangover. Now the question is: do energy drinks provide the consumer an extra boost of energy just as the advertisements claim they do? The answer is yes. Caffeinated energy drinks can provide the consumer with the desired effects of increased alertness, improved memory and enhanced mood. With effects being strongest 30 to 60 minutes after consumption and sustained at least 90 minutes in the body, we tend to feel that our consumption is never satisfactory. Perhaps what we do not realize is how much excess caffeine we are drinking in order to function. The average person between the ages of 18 and 24 consumes 329.3 milligrams of caffeine daily, according to the Food and Drug Administration. When finals come knocking on our doors, caffeine becomes our lifeline. If Red Bull, Pepsi, Diet Coke, 5 Hour Energy, coffee and espresso allow us to feel like superheroes who can conquer that semester-long research project the night before it is due, you bet we will not hesitate to consume every ounce of that energizing liquid. College is the time in your life when you need the most resources and you learn to make something out of nothing. We are masters when it comes to living on minimum wage, consuming massive amounts of Ramen noodles and staying up until unhealthy hours of the morning. In our daily lives, caffeine acts as the best friend that sustains us as we attempt to balance school, work, internships and all of the other responsibilities that are thrown our way. 1847
Sailing Overseas to Earning a Degree DANIELLE LANNING writer & copy editor
Jenna Meny looked around
a classroom in Towers Hall on a Friday night after a long day of work. She had been up before the sun to teach her 6 a.m. boxing class at TITLE Boxing Club in Pickerington. Then she spent her afternoon with a classroom full of 2- and 3-year-olds as a part-time preschool teacher for Primrose School at Polaris in Westerville. “It’s a room probably half this size,” Meny said as she scanned the dimensions of the classroom. The room she is describing is called a berthing and it’s where she spent 7 1/2 months living on the USS Theodore Roosevelt while in the U.S. Navy. The 40 bunks in the room were stacked three tall, and Meny had a middle one. “If three people were getting dressed right there, you had to, like, wait a minute to get out of your bunk,” Meny said. “When you’re deployed, everybody’s on a different schedule because people have to be working 24 hours. If you’re lucky, you’re not all on the same schedule in the same area. … I was lucky, I worked 12 to 12, so noon to midnight.” Joining the Navy was a decision Meny made to honor her grandfather and make him proud. “My grandfather was Jenna in her service dress blues for the Navy (left) and the USS Theodore Roosevelt returning from deployment in the Persian Gulf (right). photos provided by jenna meny
As service members return from war, Otterbein sees an increase in veterans. in the Navy so that gave me the interest in it,” she said. He used to tell stories to Meny and her brother about his time in the service. “It was kind of neat to carry on the legacy and do a lot of the same things that he did,” she said. “Like, in the Navy when you cross the equator in your ship, there’s this big crossingthe-line ceremony. It was neat to be like I’m the only one who shares that bond with him.” “I remember how he smiled and looked at me when I came back from boot camp and he saw me in my uniform,” she said in an email. “I would sit and talk to him about all the things I had done in boot camp and was dealing with being stationed on a ship. He would laugh and smile as the memories would come back to him.” Meny’s grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when she was 15. As the disease worsened, the stories he told her about his time in the Navy dwindled. Meny is now one of approximately 60 veterans who are attending Otterbein every semester. According to Laurie Mayhew, the assistant registrar and Veterans Affairs benefits-certifying
official at Otterbein, the number of veterans at Otterbein has doubled. Prior to 9/11, there were 25 to 30 veteran students per semester, but now it’s up to 55 to 60 students. “I get people just walking in the door that I had no idea that they were coming, but they’re here, they’re interested in taking classes and trying to get done with a program,” Mayhew said. Veterans are bringing abilities from their time in the service that college administrators like to see. “A common trait with veteran students is they really count on you as the person that’s there to say ‘this is what we need to do and these are the steps’ because they’re used to a regiment like that,” said Mark Moffitt, the director of adult and transfer admission. “They’re used to being told, ‘This is when we’re gonna eat breakfast, this is when were gonna do drill, and this is when we’re gonna do this.’” Working with veterans more has changed how the administrators approach the process. “We see a lot of combat veterans who have been on the frontlines and have served overseas more than once or several times, and their experiences are much different than what we may see on a daily basis on television,” Moffitt said. “The personal stories (are) very unique, continued on next page
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illustration by katie feltz
and things that we always say, like, ‘Oh, I understand,’ but in that kind of stuff, we don’t understand.” With her hair up in a ponytail, the same way she wore it for deployment, Meny recalled her experience of being a woman in the Navy. “There’s a lot of pressure to be able to fill the shoes of a man because you don’t want to be looked at differently because you’re a woman,” she said. “You want to be able to do the same things the men can. … I remember
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I would always have my mom send me mascara. For seven months, I wore my CoverGirl mascara. That was, like, the one way I felt like a girl while I was on deployment.” Meny was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier. It was an eight-hour drive for her to come home. “When you’re in boot camp, when you’re about to graduate, you get to make your wish list where you put the three
places that you like to get stationed,” she said. She picked the East Coast hoping to stay somewhat near Ohio. Being stationed on the ship meant they weren’t out to sea and didn’t live on the ship, but reported there every day to perform duties, which Meny described as similar to a 9 to 5 job, although certain duties required being there for 24 hours. Being a “petty officer third class in aviation administration,” or AZ3, means Meny was a secretary for the executive
officer, who was the second in command on her ship. “I did lots of paperwork, correspondence, swabbing the deck, cleaning. Things like that, that you hear (and) see in the movies — it’s all true,” she said while laughing. Within her four years in the Navy, Meny went on one deployment to the Persian Gulf. “The hardest part was definitely the deployment because then you are on the ship,” she said. “Seven and a half months is a long time.” During the months Meny was on the Persian Gulf, the war had shifted focus from Iraq to Afghanistan. Meny recalls aircraft flying off the ship to drop bombs in Afghanistan and then returning later. There were occasional tense situations where unidentified aircraft were flying over the ship. Among some of those scarier situations, Meny also had enjoyable experiences while being deployed. Upon arrival in the Arabian Sea, the ship stopped the engines in the water. Meny and the crew leapt off the side of the ship and swam around it in what the Navy calls a “Swim Call.” She was on deployment during Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. “I was appreciative of my family before, but I never realized how much it hurts to be away from them when they’re all together on Christmas and you’re on the other side of the world, nine hours ahead of them,” Meny said. After the USS Theodore Roosevelt returned from the 7 1/2 month deployment, Meny rushed home knowing her grandfather’s health had been worsening. “When I walked into the room he looked at me — he couldn’t speak anymore,” she said in an email. “I could see in his eyes he knew it was me. I hugged him and told him all about my deployment. He closed his eyes and never opened them again. My grandma said he had been waiting for me.” Four days after, her grandfather passed Jenna with her late grandfather, a Navy veteran himself.
away. Meny said she had the privilege of speaking at his funeral and sharing the impact he had on her life. “Almost four years later, I still have a hard time believing he’s gone,” she said. Meny is originally from Utica, Ohio. After graduating high school, she worked for a couple years before going into the Navy. As she was completing her time, Meny thought to herself, “I’m ready to go to college now.” She finished her service in August and began classes at Otterbein in September. Meny had started the process to receive her education benefits a few months before she was out of the military. “I wanted to make sure I got as much taken care of beforehand as possible,” she said. Meny picked Otterbein because of the small atmosphere of a little town and small class sizes where she could have a one-on-one relationship with professors. At 28 years old, Meny is set to graduate in spring 2014 with a health promotion and fitness major and nutrition minor. “It was actually in the military I learned how much I really liked being physically fit and helping others photo provided by jenna meny
achieve goals,” she said. “It just kind of brought out that side of me. I never, in high school, had been into sports.” Meny is already a certified personal trainer, which she achieved after completing a class at Otterbein. Her initial benefits took about two months to begin. “Now that I am enrolled continually, the process has gone pretty smoothly,” she said. “It usually takes about six to eight weeks for the VA to send Otterbein the payment for my tuition each semester, which Otterbein is very understanding of.” More service members are coming back to America and searching for the next step in their lives. At 12 years long, the war on terror is the longest war in American history. After the General Infantry Bill, or GI Bill, was updated in 2008, veterans of the war were able to receive enhanced funding and support for schooling from Veterans Affairs by falling under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program is a section of
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the Post-9/11 GI Bill for which some veterans are eligible. According to Mayhew, who helps the veterans go through the process of receiving their benefits, the funding for each veteran is different depending on their corresponding chapter. After completing an online application, the veteran will receive a certificate of eligibility back from the VA. Once enrolled in classes, the certificate will show Mayhew what benefits they are able to receive. After eligibility is determined, the VA will provide benefits to veterans regardless of what major they want to pursue. “As long as they’re seeking a degree, they’re good,” Mayhew said. “The courses that they take have to be pushing them toward their degree program and their major.” There are a few masters students, but most veterans are usually seeking
Classroom Deployment
During fall semester 2011, Otterbein senior Steve Resch went to basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for 4 1/2 months, where he was trained as military police in the U.S. Army Reserve. The summer after his freshman year, Resch went to a recruiter’s office and signed a six-year contract with the Army Reserve. He had looked at his bills and debt from his first year at Otterbein and decided he needed to find a reliable way to pay for his schooling. His contract started the day it was signed and exactly one year later he was sent to basic training. At basic training last fall, Resch woke up at 4:30 a.m. six days a week and ran or did other exercises. Immediately after waking up, he had to make his
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undergraduate degrees. A few are in then need to be refunded back to the majors such as nursing, political science, government. history and business. Some students According to Mayhew, the tuition are also taking advantage of adding coverage varies for each veteran, but a teaching licensure to their degree. those under the Post-9/11 GI Bill vary Mayhew doesn’t certify veterans’ benefits the most. Eligibility depends on the if the classes they are scheduled for do length of service, ranging from 40 percent not count toward eligibility for payment I’ve learned just as their degree and up to 100 percent, will therefore not be meaning tuition much from them, if covered by benefits. would be free. not more, than they’ve The VA pays the A student at 100 learned ever from me. benefits of veterans percent eligibility is directly to the school. currently entitled to - Mark Moffitt “If, for instance, a receive $18,077.50 student would come in and withdraw for an entire year going from August from courses after a month of taking 1 to July 31. With Otterbein’s tuition classes and just decides that this is not being at $15,329.00 per semester, most of their cup of tea, then I have to report those benefits are used up within the first that to the VA to let them know that the semester. student’s dropped out,” Mayhew said. Since Otterbein is a Yellow Ribbon If the VA has already paid Otterbein School, veterans have the ability to attend on behalf of the veteran, the money will tuition-free because of an agreement
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bed perfectly and have everything organized a certain way. “Every time we ate breakfast, lunch or dinner, in basic training, we got two cups of water with (our) meal. Every time,” Resch said. “When you sit down and the first thing you do is you chug the first glass of water, and you flip it over when it’s empty. When you’re done eating, you drink your entire other glass of water. And you flip it over. Every time. And if you didn’t flip it over, you know your drill sergeant would, like, make you stand up and eat. And you only have, like, two minutes to eat your entire meal.” Under the Montgomery GI Bill, Resch is eligible to have money deposited into his bank account for every month he is a full-time
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student. The army also provides tuition assistance, which will help him pay off up to $20,000 in student loans. Now Resch’s future has abruptly changed. He will be deployed at some point in 2013, and it will take him much longer to finish his degree. (He cannot discuss his deployment location.) Otterbein will be giving him an extended leave of absence. He is majoring in sport management with a minor in marketing. “What I want to do is marketing for a sport organization,” said Resch, who will especially miss playing lacrosse at Otterbein. Returning to Otterbein in spring 2012 was challenging, but he doesn’t know what to expect readjustment to be like after deployment.
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I can’t even imagine what it would be like coming home from a war zone. - Steve Resch
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photo by danielle lanning
Otterbein has with the VA where they split the remaining amount 50-50. According to Moffitt, most of the veterans coming to Otterbein are here under the Yellow Ribbon Program. In the fall semester of 2012, Otterbein had 36 students who served time (the veterans) and 12 students who were spouses or children of a veteran. The Yellow Ribbon Program supports tuition and book costs. Since veterans must be enrolled full time as a student to receive benefits, it is hard to work a traditional job so the VA also provides a stipend every month for living expenses. “We have seen increases not only in enrollment but also in discussions we’re having with prospective students,” Moffitt said. “And giving them the understanding of what opportunities they have at Otterbein.” Moffitt said he’s heard many unique stories from veterans. “We have built
a relationship with a lot of veterans, that even after they’ve been through this enrollment process that they feel comfortable and they have that trust of our department and our staff and they come in and share and bounce things off us, and I really enjoy that aspect,” Moffitt said. “I’ve learned just as much from them, if not more, than they’ve learned ever from me.” As the war on terror continues, or even ends, the veteran population will continue to become more prevalent. “We’ve always served our veterans,” Moffitt said. “There’s been an influx and an increase in interest from the veterans because of the Yellow Ribbon Program. The GI Bill has been in place for years. I foresee we will only continue to see growth in our military veterans on campus over the years to come.” The Student Veterans Transition Group is a resource to the students while
they’re at Otterbein for support, concerns and opportunities. Meny is a part of the campus group. “I have gone to a few meetings and know a few of them,” she said. “Normally we’ve just kind of met up for dinner every couple of months.” The group is where veterans talk about experiences or any issues they might be having. Back in Towers Hall, Meny has learned to take things in stride and not to sweat the small things. “You sit back more and take things in,” Meny said. “You’re not so quick to just always voice your opinion unless you really feel like it needs to be said. I’m very disciplined planning my day out and making sure I have enough time to get everything done. It just makes me very appreciative of everything that I’m getting here at Otterbein, like the education, because I know what I had to do to get it. I don’t take anything for granted.” 1847
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our services resources include: ur spring o t u o k ur Chec p and o u e n i l m progra
new
. s e i r e S e 21& Don De
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du/care
erbein.e
ww.ott tails at w
individual career advising career & major exploration resume/cover letter assistance internship & job search Cardinal Careers internship/job board self-assessment, including Focus2 interviewing and networking skills
career@otterbein.edu www.otterbein.edu/career www.facebook.com/otterbeincareercenter @OtterbeinCareer
Center for Career & Professional Development Barlow Hall - Behind the Rock 614-823-1456
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Uncovering Alumni Gymnasium the
While transitioning from an athletic facility to a performing arts center, the current Battelle Fine Arts Center has catered to current and past generations of Otterbein.
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m
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The Alumni gym was a competitive facility within the OAC during its lifetime. Capital,Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Marietta, Akron were all similar or worse.
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- Dan Carlos, former Otterbein All-American basketball player (Class of 1967)
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We had a one-lane cement track that went around a balcony that we trained on.The only schools at the time that had indoor tracks were Denison, Kenyon, Ashland and Ohio State.
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-Dave Lehman, former Otterbein runner and current head track and field and women’s cross country coach
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The first basketball game I ever coached in the Alumni gym for Otterbein was against Oberlin College in 1972.Their coach was Tommy Smith, an Olympic sprinter who was one of the three athletes who stood on the awards platform and raised a black glove-covered fist as the national anthem was played.
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-Dick Reynolds, former faculty member and head basketball coach Visit Otterbein360.com for an audio slideshow.
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Gender, Sexuality and Duct Tape
Defining gender and sexuality in today’s society. EMILY PRATT staff writer
Blake Jones puckers his
lips and applies his hot red lipstick. The Otterbein sophomore’s hair is pinned up, and his high-maintenance ponytail is ready to whip around. His corset is tight and set for the show. He slips into his high heels that only a professional could walk in. He steps out from behind the curtain and onto the stage. He is no longer Blake Jones, he is Anjelica Whitney.
Jones has been doing drag for three years. “I do not see myself as one gender,” he said. “Drag queen is defined as any man who assumes a female persona and performs in a drag show, regardless of the man’s sexuality,” said Vian Yohn, an Otterbein graduate and former president of FreeZone. Jones is a homosexual man and fits this definition but he said at times he feels more feminine than masculine and has thought about transitioning from a man to a woman. He is one of many people who are pushing for diversity when it comes to gender and sexuality. The acceptance of various genders and sexualities such as transgender, queer or pansexual are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Individuals are now able to select male, female or “other” on some job applications. I get to be somebody else for a night. - Blake Jones When Jones performs, he transforms into Anjelica Whitney. Jones takes two hours to prepare for a show. “Fortyfive minutes for the face” is a must, considering that Jones is a perfectionist. He said the three things a drag queen must always have are: hairpins, to keep hair from flying away; lipstick, “in case you need to freshen up your lips and just in case someone wants a kiss”; and duct tape. Jones mentioned wrapping his body with duct tape or plastic wrap as part of his preparation. “It’s really painful, and you can’t really breathe when you’re doing it,” Jones said. “I would rather use plastic wrap for my body. I bind my waist in order to make sure everything is tight and curvy. Then I normally put a corset over it.” When starting out in the drag queen business, a queen’s only payment is from
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photo by blythe malone
Jones takes 45 minutes to do his makeup.
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photo by stephanie parker
The full transformation takes about two hours to complete.
tips. Once a drag queen becomes more established as a local talent, he can get an agent and start booking shows. Jones has a friend who gets paid $150 a night, plus tips, to perform in local clubs and bars. Jones’ favorite part of performing is being able to impersonate someone else. “I get to be somebody else for a night, and nobody knows who I am.” He said his least favorite part is the massive amounts of drama that goes on backstage. “The drama and cattiness” is something that Jones has seen a lot of as a newcomer to the drag queen scene. He said that locals sometimes feel territorial, and some rude comments can slip out behind the curtains. Yohn identifies as gender queer, an umbrella term that strongly relates to gender deviance, which means to contradict gender norms or depart from the accepted standards of society. Yohn explains that both gender and sexuality are broad concepts. “Sexuality is more about relationships, and gender is more about your relationship to your body, your sex, your anatomy,” she said.
Asexual: Having little to no sexual desire. Can still experience romantic attraction and conditional sexual desire.
genderqueer
Pansexual: Indentifying withRomantically multiple andallsexually attracted to (or even possible) allidentities genders, including gender genderqueer and transgender people.
pan gender
Pansexual: Romantically and sexually attracted to all genders, including genderqueer and transgender people.
Queer: Umbrella term Any gender identity that fornormative non-normative defies stan- sexudardsality of gender
The blend of masculine Asexual: Having little to and feminine characterno sexual desire. Can istics, behaviors and/or still experience romantic expression. attraction and conditional sexual desire.
androgyny
FreeZone, the GLBTQ organization on campus, is designed to be a safe
Queer: Umbrella term for non-normative sexuality
genderqueer
There have been recent debates that question if gender is constructed by society or is innate. “I am more inclined to say it’s a mixture of both,” Yohn said. Society, media and family are some of the elements that can play a part in constructing gender. Behavior, clothing
Definitions Provided by Vian Yohn
Definitions Provided by Vian Yohn
pan gender
Jones holds out a handful of the makeup that turns him into Anjelica Whitney.
space and a friendly environment for all students. FreeZone meets at 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday of each semester at the GLBTQ Resource House located at 49 W. Home St. “Meetings not only serve the purpose of helping students who come to feel safe and welcome, but the larger mission of the group is to aid in helping the university to stay a safe environment,” said Elizabeth Licking, president of FreeZone. 1847
androgyny
photo by blythe malone
and even hair length can dictate how people label gender. In a sense, gender has a major and a concentration. For example, someone’s major could be “woman” and their concentration “high femininity.” Sexuality boils down to relationships both romantic and sexual. “My sexuality is pretty fluid,” Yohn said. “I identify as queer. I tend to be sexually attracted to all genders but more romantically attracted to women and genderqueer folk.” Yohn gives advice to young adults who are questioning their gender or sexuality. “Take advantage of meeting people in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community, and don’t be concerned with labeling in the beginning,” she said. There is a common threat of oppression within the GLBTQ. “Do not be afraid to leave your identity open,” Yohn said.
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Baby Bumps & Learning Curves These single mothers found ways to balance everything from motherhood to a college career. LINDSAY PAULSEN associate editor
MEGHAN McHENRY staff writer
BECKY GASKILL contributing writer
With books in one arm and a baby
in the other, single mother Sabrina Jones was able to be academically successful at Clark State Community College, but her college career came to an end after her financial aid expired. Christina Hiatt, the mother of two energetic boys named Kevin and Michael, spent a total of nine years coming in and out of Otterbein University and now plans to receive her diploma this spring. Faith Efetevbia works two jobs in addition to being a mother and a student. She is able to balance her responsibilities with the help of her godmother. These three women’s stories provide examples of a national phenomenon: single mothers seeking a college education. Research by Geraldine Hayes at Kent State University shows that it is possible for single mothers to succeed in college, but to do so single mothers typically need significant support from family and must have monetary resources to simultaneously support a family and finance an education. According to Dr. Claire Kamp Dush, an assistant professor of Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University, 40 percent of children born in the United States are born to unmarried women. Dush said that lack of university support and the expense of child care tend to be major roadblocks that can slow down or even halt a single mother’s education. 1847
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SABRINA JONES Her story:
When Jones first enrolled at Clark State Community College, she remembers the moment when she was asked to select a major. Her response? “What do you mean?” After being forced to find an alternative to her original plan of being in the military, Jones admits that she didn’t really know what she was doing when she found herself at Clark State with a 2-yearold child. Age: 29 Despite her initial confusion, Jones Location: Springfield, Ohio became an early childhood education Area of study: Early childhood education major and quickly became a regular on Family: daughter, Lilianna the dean’s list. She said that making (8) and son, Alex (2) good grades wasn’t that much of a struggle because of her ability to multitask and because her fiance was able to help take care of the baby while she was in class. “I would go to school or work and fit homework in during whatever time I could,” she said. And even though Jones said that she made A’s with ease, she recalls spending many nights crying because she was tired and just wanted to go to sleep. Jones’ college career was funded by military benefits from her father. When those benefits expired after three years, her schooling ended as well. Since then, she has had another child and has become a stay-at-home mom, but she is also currently in the process of exploring other job opportunities.
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I was lucky. I had support from family and friends and I was able to have a babysitter so I could manage. Don’t get me wrong, it was still hard to write papers at home with a baby and stuff, but I was able to handle it.
- Sabrina Jones
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CHRISTINA HIATT
FAITH EFETEVBIA
Her story:
Like many Otterbein students, Christina Hiatt started at Otterbein University when she was 18— at 19 she became pregnant with her first child, Kevin. Hiatt said that school became difficult with the new stresses and responsibilities Age: 27 of being a young mother. “It was a Location: Westerville, Ohio struggle. My grades fell and I lost Area of study: Business scholarships and it was very difficult administration with a minor in marketing emotionally because I had suddenly and a concentration in become this (new) person. I didn’t photography Family: two sons, Kevin (7) even know who I was anymore,” and Michael (2) she said. Due to many variables in her life, including her college career, work and the birth of her second child, Hiatt made the decision to put college on hold at different times over the next few years. In 2011, she decided to come back to school and found a way to work fewer hours so that she could focus on her course load as well as her role as a mother. With the support of her friends, boyfriend Daniel Combs, and family, Hiatt said that she has been able to succeed academically in the past year. “Now I get to spend my days feeling almost like a normal student and dedicating all my focus on school while the boys are in school. I go to class, I study, I relax at the coffee shop sometimes, to just unwind a little bit,” Hiatt said. She will graduate this spring after nine years of being in and out of school and she said that she hopes to open her own photography studio one day.
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Now I try to find a balance between work and class, so that I could make enough money to pay my bills but still have enough time to go to class, study and be with my boys.
- Christina Hiatt
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Her Story:
Three to four hours of sleep per night is normal for Otterbein junior Faith Efetevbia, who works two jobs, attends classes and helps raise her daughter, Imani. Efetevbia, who was born in Nigeria and moved to Columbus at the age of 4, says that her godmother plays a large role in helping her care for her daughter when she is in Age: 21 classes or at one of her jobs. Efetevbia Location: Columbus, Ohio Area of Study: Journalism lives with her father and works at and Media Communication Otterbein’s Service Department and Family: daughter, Imani at a nursing home near campus. Even (20 months) in spite of her many responsibilities, she says that she doesn’t think that her lifestyle is completely different from that of a more traditional college student. She says that on the rare occasions that she does relax, she enjoys doing things that are not normal for women in her native country, like going to the movies, going shopping or taking a walk in the park. Efetevbia laughingly said that her daughter is a diva who likes to stay busy and enjoys music, much like herself. She said that one day she would like to turn her passion for helping others into a career, possibly working for an organization like the United Nations.
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Seeing (Imani’s) face and seeing her smile at me, it just makes it feel like all of this hard work is really worth it. Having that small child who looks up to you for everything smile, it seems to say don’t worry, it’s ok, I appreciate what you’re doing.
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- Faith Efetevbia
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photo by blythe malone
Aumiller’s Gun Shop is located at 1 W. Main St. in Uptown Westerville
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The Firearm Paradox
Proposed gun ban leads to increased sales at local shop. HARRISON RALPH staff writer
A strategically placed poster hangs directly above the cash
register in Dan Aumiller’s store, as if to make it part of each sale, something he has had far more of in recent months than in any of his previous 38 years in the business. The poster reads “Firearms Salesman of the Year” with a large headshot of President Barack Obama. Aumiller’s Gun Shop, located on 1 West Main St. and South State St. in Westerville, Ohio, is just steps beyond the outlining boundaries of Otterbein University. Although guns have been villainized by the media and leaders in Washington D.C., firearms are being bought at a higher rate than ever before. “Usually, one of four people that walk through the door will purchase a firearm,” says Aumiller. “Now, three out of every four that come in here will buy a gun. Start telling people they can’t have something, that’s what they want.” The shop owner is referring to the verbal promises our commander in chief made to “vigorously pursue” measures to tighten gun laws, which may include a ban on certain weapons. Due to speculation on the ban, people are flooding firearm dealers faster than a Best Buy on Black Friday. This rapid consumption of guns is what prompted the message of the poster over Aumiller’s register. Guns and schools; words rarely used in the same sentence. However, in the week following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Matthew
Hall, a journalist for the “Union Tribune” in San Diego chose to write a story about the location of a gun store, just around the corner from a California elementary
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Usually, one to four people that walk through the door will purchase a firearm. Now, three out of every four that come in here will buy a gun. - Dan Aumiller
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was 22 at the time of his shooting. The rampage that took place in the Aurora movie theater was done by a 24-yearold male. In the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, the perpetrator was a 20-yearold man. Young men between the ages of 17 and 24 appear to be the most likely demographic to carry out such an act. Given that there are roughly 1,500 males within that particular age group around the Otterbein Campus, it becomes easy to understand the uneasiness that sets in after each one of these unimaginable acts. Add in the media coverage in the
school. Hall asked to speak to the owner of the store, teachers at the school and parents whose children attend the school. They all declined. “There is absolutely an increased awareness in law enforcement regarding mass public shootings,” says Larry Banaszak, chief of the Otterbein Police Department. “We don’t live in fear, however, we recognize the importance of training for such a crisis.” The infamous Columbine shooting was carried out by two young men, ages 17 and 18. The shooter at Virginia Tech was a man, age 23. The criminal who open fired in Tucson, AZ, One of the many guns that hangs from the ceiling at Aumiller’s.
photo by danielle lanning
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weeks following these killing sprees, and you have campuses across the country operating in fear. For nearly 40 years, Aumiller’s and Otterbein have co-existed with absolutely no problems. The current gun laws in the state of Ohio forbid weapons on any school property, with the exception of law enforcement. In response to the topic of Aumiller’s being so close to campus, Banaszak said, “If someone wants to use a firearm during the commission of a crime, they will do so. We all know that firearms are easy to obtain.” Timed with a stopwatch, the process at Aumiller’s shop, from the moment a man said he wanted to make the purchase to the employee saying “You’re clear,” was 12 minutes and 19 seconds. In reference to time, it is easy to obtain a weapon. However, within that time, the customer filled out three pages of paperwork, which goes through the buyer’s background, history, mental health and other very specific personal information. The next step is a phone call from the
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store employee to the FBI that runs the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The seller speaks with an FBI employee and gives the buyer’s information for a full background check. The seller in the store has the ability and right to delay or deny the sale of a gun. If someone comes in under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will not be able to purchase a weapon. If someone looks or acts suspicious, they can also be denied. A person must be 18 to buy a long gun (Rifle, Shotgun) and 21 to buy a handgun (Glock, Revolver, Pistol). Gun shows, however, are different. Faceto-face gun sales are the easiest way to acquire a weapon. It is at the discretion of the seller as to whether or not the buyer is capable of responsibly owning a gun; there are no background checks. This appears to be a problem for most of the country, including Otterbein’s Vice President of Student Affairs, Bob Gatti. “Gun shows are the problem. I’m not concerned about Aumiller’s,” Gatti said. An argument often presented is that people are going to sell guns face to face regardless of the law. It would be
impossible to enforce a law prohibiting people from selling and buying guns. The two perpetrators who shot and killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School, broke 19 different laws over the course of their actions. With firearms flying off the rack, it would make sense that bullets would become a hot commodity as well. Gun enthusiast and Otterbein graduate, Chad Pepper, said he has recently struggled to find ammunition. “I went to six different gun stores looking for ammo (ammunition), couldn’t find any,” Pepper said. The current spike in sales may look great for gun shop owners like Dan Aumiller, but that is far from reality. Their sales are up and their store traffic is high, but soon they will no longer have what people want. Business will come to a screeching halt. Shops are not able to restock their inventory quick enough. “There’s right around 800 gun shops in Ohio, and they are all trying to order the same thing,” Aumiller said. “People are buying weapons faster than they can be manufactured.”
photo by danielle lanning
While in the shop speaking with Aumiller, a gentleman walked in and asked for a specific firearm. Aumiller told the potential buyer they had sold out of the particular item. The middleaged man then requested to see another specific weapon; Aumiller’s response was the same. The disappointed customer, who seemed to be a regular in the shop, said with a smirk on his face, “You guys will be selling slingshots before long.” Aumiller nodded his head and chuckled as if he had heard that line before. The customer ended up exiting the store without making a purchase. The escalating fear of gun violence in America has prompted an ironic response across the country: a surge in firearm sales. The government has scrambled for answers, Congress has been placed on the hot seat, and firearm manufacturers have been hard at work in an attempt to replace the inventory flying off the shelves of shops like Aumiller’s. 1847
Pros & Cons Pro-Gun
In association with a surge in gun purchases, total violent crime decreased between 2008 and 2009. Since the federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004, the murder rate has dropped 10 percent as of 2010. Since 1904, the firearm accidental death rate has decreased 94 percent.
AARON RHINEHART marketing and advertising
Anti-Gun
On average, over 100,000 people in the U.S. are shot in violent crimes every year. On average, 2,829 children are killed from gun violence every year. On average, 50 children and teens are shot in gun violence every day. From: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
From: NRA-Institute for Legislative Action
On campuses where students are permitted to carry concealed handguns, none have seen any incidents of gun violence since 2006. No academic study has shown that state crime rates have increased after concealed carry bills are put into effect. From: Students for Concealed Carry
The majority of gun sales (60 percent) are completed through licensed firearm dealers who complete their sales with criminal background checks. Only six states require universal background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. From: Coalition To Stop Gun Violence
Saturdays 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. on 610 WTVN
Weekdays 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. on AM 1230 Fox Sports Radio “Your Auto Questions Answered”
@autosmartsradio Auto Smarts Radio
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Beyond
With a record number of wins in the books, Coach Connie Richardson offers insight into her success. MELISSA KENT staff writer
After the recent anniversary
of the passing of Title IX and the achievement of her 300th win, Coach Connie Richardson talks about how things have changed over the years and the development of her coaching style. Title IX is an educational amendment made in 1972 to ban sex discrimination in both academics and athletics. Over the years, equality among men’s and women’s athletic programs has greatly improved due to this law. Coach Richardson has been the head women’s basketball coach at Otterbein for 22 years. Richardson graduated from Heidelberg University in 1986, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team, beginning her junior year. Throughout the years, Richardson said she has learned things about herself, her players and the game of basketball that she never expected. Although she is the coach, she often acts more like a mother. “When you go to her office, she always asks you about your personal life first before anything else. She really cares how we are doing,” senior forward Rachel Snedegar said. Richardson shared some of her personal and professional experiences from the past 22 years with 1847.
Q: What is your main goal as a coach? A:
I think these four years are really the foundation for who the girls are going to become and it’s my job, in essence, to
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coach basketball, but it’s also my job to guide them through those four years. There is a lot more going on in these four years of development than just basketball. My hope is that, yeah, we have bad days, there are days they can’t stand me, there are days I want to photo by kristen davis chuck their heads, it’s a healthy Richardson does more than coach, both on and off the court relationship but, my objective is or my desire is, that when they walk away and look back on these four years they will look back and say, that was them, they will play hard and give the a great experience. When I’m done or program everything they have to give. when a kid leaves, I don’t want to be known as the coach that won 300 games. What is your favorite part about I want to be known in regards to how our your job? relationship was and how I influenced them. I really don’t even refer to it as a
Q:
Q: Do players’ personalities and their relationship with you carry over to the court?
A: That is the fun part of coaching.
I compare it to trying to put a puzzle together. You try to mesh each of those personalities along with their talents into a working puzzle and by the end of the season you put your glue on it. Corny, but it’s really what we are trying to do. I tell each of them that I care about them first and foremost as a person, basketball is secondary. My door is open 24/7 and I am very open and honest with them. I think if they see you genuinely care about
A:
job, but what I enjoy most about it is that I watch a girl grow from a punky little freshman who thinks she knows everything to a nice, classy young lady by the time she graduates.
Q: Do you have any team traditions or
rituals?
A
: We sing the Otterbein Fight Song after each win, annual Christmas and Halloween parties, complete with costumes. We also participate in the homecoming 5K each year.
Q: Is it difficult to balance home life and coaching?
A: Balance is the key. I think I have
gotten better as I have gotten older. Trying to raise a family and coach is not the easiest task. You have to surround yourself with a wonderful, understanding and supportive cast to make it work. It is funny to see my kids call me out when I am being grumpy at home now. It used to be they didn’t care if we won or lost, they just knew mommy was home; now they tell me how bad we played or shot or who did what during the game. Deep down, I am proud of them for embracing what I do and it always brings a smile to my face. My kids have grown up at Otterbein and have always been a part of the Otterbein family. It is one thing I have always appreciated about Otterbein and our staff: they have open arms for my family. I am not sure I could have done it anywhere else and been happy.
Q: How has collegiate women’s
basketball evolved due to Title IX?
A: I look at when the OAC did not
have women’s basketball until my junior year, which was 1984, and then you can see the steps that have been taken, not just in the OAC or the NCAA, but even just here at Otterbein. I think the person that got that was Dick Reynolds. He was very adamant as an athletic director that no one program was any better than anybody else, male or female. I was with him for 20 years. Listening to him and watching how he developed this athletic program was cool to see. The progress that was made there was immense and that’s important for the kids no question.
Q: Do you believe there is still room for improvement in regards to Title IX laws?
A: I don’t look at it as men’s and
women’s, I look at it as athletics in general. How can we make this better for student athletes? And that’s what it’s about. That’s why we do what we do. And you look at Division III coaches, we don’t get paid a lot of money. A lot of these coaches do it for the love of the game and
the love of impacting student athletes, and that’s the big thing in those regards.
Q: How have you seen your career develop?
A: It has taken me time to get to this
point. When I was a young coach, I was an idiot. You see yourself evolve as you get older and you can step back and look at what you have done. I was young, dumb and thought I knew everything, and the reality is that I was learning and it’s neat, too, to see the growth. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m not afraid to admit that I make mistakes. I’m not afraid to listen to the kids. If the kids have suggestions I think that’s important because in the big scheme of things, it’s their program.
Q: What is your favorite thing about
the game?
A: Winning, of course!
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Visit Otterbein360.com for: Audio Slideshow: Uncovering Otterbein’s Alumni Gymnasium Video Extra: Coach Richardson reflects on achievements at Otterbein, Title IX Additional Photos: Dress decoded