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tan cardinal
otterbein university thursday, april 14, 2011 vol. 92, issue 23 www.otterbein360.com
FreeZone ‘speaks out’ for Day of Silence 4 Policy reviewed to extend equality 3
Glass blows up on State Street 5
All-Ohio Meet right around corner 8 illustration by kristen sapp
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opinion
Tan & Cardinal
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t&c editorial staff
Lindsey Hobbs Josh Adkins Kaity Vorbroker Leah Driscoll
Editor-in-Chief
thursday, april 14, 2011
Student raises voice for silence To call attention to the impact of homophobia, freshman advocates vow of voicelessness Most of us have heard the
News Editor saying “Actions speak louder Assistant News Editor
Opinion Editor Steven Collins Arts & Entertainment Editor Jordan LaBatte Sports Editor Mike Cirelli Copy Editor Kristen Sapp Photography Editor Anna Schiffbauer Business Manager assistant editors Monica Begazo Paola Casale Alyssa Cook-Alexander Troy Foor Julia Robideau Laina Thompson Kathleen Quigley Hannah Ullom contributing staff Pete Clack Dorrion Jennings Josh Park contact us 614-823-1159 tanandcardinal@yahoo.com Tan & Cardinal Otterbein University Westerville, OH 43081 advertising For advertising information, contact Anna Schiffbauer at 614823-1159 or by e-mail at tanandcardinaladvertising@ yahoo.com policies The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty and administration of Otterbein University. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not of the newspaper staff. Positions in unsigned editorials represent a consensus of the editorial staff. The first copy of the Tan & Cardinal is free to the public. Each additional copy is $0.50, and payment can be made at the office at 33 Collegeview, Westerville, OH 43081. Offenders will be prosecuted. The T&C staff would love to hear from you. Write a letter to the editor and tell us what you’re thinking. Letters to the editor are letters responding to a writer or an article published in the Tan & Cardinal. Please keep your letter to 300 words or less. It is at the discretion of the Tan & Cardinal staff as to whether or not the letter will be published. Letters attacking an individual will not be accepted. Letters must include the author’s first and last name, signature, phone number, address and affiliation to Otterbein University.
than words,” and on Friday, April 15, this saying will be put to the test. Friday is the National Day of Silence. Students in high schools and colleges across the nation take vows of silence PETE in hopes of CLACK calling attention to anti-GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer) harassment and bullying issues. While Friday is the actual Day of Silence, Otterbein will be participating Thursday, April 14. A day of silence is a great way for our generation to come together and speak out about inequalities and GLBTQ issues. By staying silent for a day, students are raising their peers’ awareness about GLBTQ issues. If students are unaware of the issues of inequality the GLBTQ community is facing, whether it be getting the right to marry or dealing with prejudice, the Day of Silence is a way for them to become informed of the issues. By raising awareness, students are opening up conversation about issues that really matter. Julia Spatt, a freshman equine business major, has participated in the Day of Silence as an ally for three years. Spatt agreed to take a vow of silence because she felt that “it was a serious way to address an issue that doesn’t get much attention.” She remembers her classmates being respectful of her vow. “The teachers respected our vows of silence and didn’t make us talk in class, but you could tell some of them got annoyed with it,” she said. The Day of Silence is a great way for students to stand up for GLBTQ issues, but homophobic messages are still being preached in our nation. The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church pickets at events where they feel their strong stance against homosexuality needs to be heard. In a recent video, the group mocked the NOH8 campaign with their own called GOD H8S. The NOH8 campaign is a protest against Proposition 8, which banned same-sex mar-
aCCept it:
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aMy DaVis/MCtCaMpus.CoM
The Day of Silence began in 1996 at the University of Virginia and is a unique form of protest.
riage in California. The GOD H8S 25-minute video is filled with hateful homophobic comments and speeches. In a parody of NOH8’s imagery, members of the church are pictured with duct tape over their mouths and homophobic slurs on the tape. While the Westboro Baptist Church preaches its messages of hate, for one day the GLBTQ community can be silent to address issues like these. We are at a point in time where you can tune in to prime time TV and see a gay couple on the screen, yet only five states allow same-sex marriage. We are now so far along that we can repeal policies such as “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” yet the Westboro Baptist Church still protests with homophobic messages. By staying silent, students are demanding that their peers listen to the silent issues at hand. The GLBTQ community needs the silence that goes on every day to be stopped. It’s time that students talk about the problems that people all over are facing. t&c PETE CLACK IS A FRESHMAN UNDECIDED MAJOR AND IS A STAFF WRITER FOR THE t&c.
Letter to the editor
Dear Holly Takach, I would just like to say thank you. Your article titled “America’s savior complex frustrates freshman” was one of my all-time favorite articles that I have ever read in the T&C. I loved it for a number of reasons. First, I took a look at a not-so-popular opinion. And that in itself is brave, so massive kudos for that. Secondly, your not-so-popular opinion was based on facts, research and logic. You didn’t say you felt this or that, or wah-wah-wah (whining noises), it just gave an opinion and then backed it up with great examples. Lastly, I really enjoyed the way you presented it. You didn’t just list the facts, but you asked cynical rhetorical questions that proved your point. You also made some pretty funny, fresh and relevant comedic remarks, such as comparing Charlie Sheen to the US. So again, thank you so much, it was a pleasure to read
your article, and I hope you continue to write how it is, not how we want it to be. Devin Fraze, junior math education major Dear T&C, Perhaps Holly is actually a terrible writer and a complete dunce. In that case, the article was a complete fluke and does not represent her skill at all. However, looking at the quality of the article I am going to assume that this is not the case and that she is a phenomenal writer with a sharp wit and an extremely refreshing and real perspective on the world. She seems to view it not how we want to see it, but how it really is. So please, I beg you, let her keep writing articles, and maybe even take some notes yourself (as “fun” as some of your other articles may seem). Devin Fraze, junior math education major
news
vol. 92, issue 23
Change proposed for OU handbook
www.otterbein360.com
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The GLBTQ advisory commission hopes to amend Otterbein’s nondiscrimination policy to include cases of ‘gender identity’ BY JOSH PARK Staff Writer
Adding two words to the student handbook may extend Otterbein’s prejudice protection to even more students. Otterbein’s GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer) Advisory Commission said it hoped to add gender identity to the university’s nondiscriminatory policy. The nondiscriminatory policy in the Campus Life Handbook states that Otterbein does not discriminate, among many other things, on the basis of sex or sexual orientation. Gender identity, though, has yet to be covered. “I’m surprised that Otterbein hasn’t already added this policy because there’s probably a good amount of people at this school that are transgender,” freshman art major Amber Hoop said. “Gender identity is not sexual orientation,” said Lisa Phillips, director of the Office of Diversity and co-chair to the GLBTQ Advisory Commission. “It’s how
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SECURITY REPORT
a person presents him or herself. It’s not an issue of being gay.” The commission consists of staff and students that deal with GLBTQ-related issues. While working toward making the Otterbein community safe and respectful, the commission said it hopes to raise awareness for GLBTQ issues. To move from just a proposal to an official part of the policy, it must follow the college’s bylaws, work its way through the Otterbein University Senate and finally to the cabinet, said Mary Kerr, executive assistant to President Kathy Krendl. The Senate, consisting of an equal number of students, faculty and staff, has approved the proposal. It is now under consideration by the Cabinet, which involves all vice presidents, the Director of Information Technology Jeff Kasson and President Krendl. Kerr said that when the Cabinet votes, sometimes it’s just discussion, but other times it has to vote almost unanimously.
Nondiscriminatory Policy - Otterbein University does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation, gender
GenDer eQuality:
identity, national or ethnic origin ...
pHoto by JayMe DetWeiler anD illustration by kristen sapp
Updated rules will protect transgender, questioning and queer students from discrimination.
When the proposal was first put on the Cabinet’s agenda, it was delayed because other issues took precedence. However, it has been pushed onto the schedule to be reviewed on April 18. Some Ohio universities have already incorporated gender identity into their policies, including Ohio State University, Ohio University, the University of Cincinnati, Baldwin-Wallace College, Miami University and the University of Toledo. “The GLBTQ Advisory Commission brought the proposal forward so that the policy statement could be updated,” said Suzanne Ashworth, English professor and co-chair.
“Transgender persons are a part of the Otterbein community, and our policies should reflect and affirm that,” she said. Jake Ramirez, a sophomore BFA acting major, said, “I have no problem with transgender (persons),” he said. “They should be able to go to class and be themselves.” Along with working to update the nondiscriminatory policy, the commission is attempting to afford Otterbein GLBTQ students with gender-neutral bathrooms. Right now, there are seven total unisex restrooms on campus located in the Art and Communication Building, Dunlap-King Hall, Davis Hall, Mayne Hall and Towers Hall.
The commission hasn’t abandoned this cause, but no change can be made until the university decides to move forward with it. Also, the commission, along with the Office of Diversity and FreeZone, are sponsoring the National Day of Silence at Otterbein with Speak Out, a forum for students to share stories about their own experiences, like coming out, harrassment and acceptance. t&c
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Editor’s Note
For campus news briefs and the interactive security report, please visit www.otterbein360.com.
According to the WPD and the Otterbein Security Log, the following has been reported from April 8-9.
1. 4/8 A Davis Hall RA reported finding damage to one of the bathrooms. A stall door in the men’s restroom had been knocked off with obvious damage to the area on the door around the hinges. No footprints or evidence showing how the damage had occurred could be found. There had been an incident earlier that night, but the RA was not sure the two incidents were related.
inForMation CoMpileD by kaity Vorbroker
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Davis Hall GrapHiC by kristen sapp
2. 4/9 Westerville Police Division (WPD) was called in response to the smell of marijuana coming from a door in Davis Hall. When WPD arrived, they knocked on the door and heard things being moved around. The resident of the room opened the door. The resident said that no marijuana had been smoked. WPD noticed the resident had glassy eyes and when asked again, denied smoking anything but did admit to taking five or six shots of rum. The second resident admitted to having been drinking but denied having smoked any marijuana. A third student had glassy eyes and slurred speech and denied having had anything to drink. The two residents of the room brought marijuana, marijuana paraphernalia and empty alcohol bottles to WPD officers. All three students were issued Mayor’s Court summonses.
arts & entertainment
R O E F E Z NE GIVES STUDENTS A VOICE 4
Tan & Cardinal
FreeZone, Otterbein’s GLBTQ organization, is hosting a Day of Silence Speak Out with the Office of Diversity.
BY MIKE CIRELLI Copy Editor
Vianca Yohn has come a long way from being denied a gay-straight alliance at her high school. In the fall, the junior English major will start her second consecutive term as president of FreeZone, Otterbein’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) organization. She’s been a member since the first quarter of her freshman year, when she stepped in as secretary. Yohn didn’t have an organization like FreeZone in her high school in Madison, Ala. Both of her attempts to start a gay-straight alliance (GSA) were halted by the high school’s principal, who thought it would promote sex. “He said, ‘All told, letting you have a GSA will be like letting you start a Nazi club. It wouldn’t be read as you hoped,’” Yohn said. “He tried to take the stance that parents wouldn’t want a GSA. We’re not here for the parents, but for the students.” Yohn was discouraged, but didn’t give up. The principal told her that if she could bring a sizable number of students interested in a GSA to his office, he would reconsider. A couple weeks later, she and a group of 30 students spent two hours there explaining why a GSA would make them feel safer. His response? “He pulled out the outdated anti-sodomy law. He kept 30 people after school for nothing. It still didn’t happen,” Yohn said. The gold may have been scarce at the end of that rainbow, but things changed in college. “I didn’t have a huge community of queer-identified people other than my girlfriend,” Yohn said. “When I came to FreeZone and we were able to discuss it in a safe environment, it helped me button up:
pHoto by kristen sapp
thursday, april 14, 2011 validate my identity that hadn’t been validated for the first 18 years of my life.” FreeZone tore down the strict boundaries of gender for Yohn, who grew up thinking everyone had to be either a boy or a girl. She now identifies with the “Q” in the GLBTQ acronym, which stands for “queer” or “queeridentified.” “I identify with being femalebodied, but in my head, I don’t necessarily identify as a boy or a girl,” she said. For some, FreeZone is a haven away from judgment and intolerance. Like Yohn, sophomore creative writing major Jessica McGill didn’t have a GSA in the small farm town where she grew up. “Coming to college and finding a safe place to explore my own sexuality was good because I couldn’t do that back home,” she said. “I could also help my friends who were stuck get the resources they need.” One of FreeZone’s goals this year is Thursday’s 5 p.m. Day of Silence Speak Out. During this annual forum, students take turns standing in front of a microphone at Towers Plaza and sharing experiences in which they’ve felt silenced by others. “It’s very rousing,” Yohn said. “I usually tear up at least once.” A topic that’s caused a lot of discussion among FreeZone members is the value of adding another letter to the acronym: “A” for “ally,” meaning someone who is straight but supports other kinds of sexuality. “The allies are just as vital a part of the community,” sophomore English major Beth Merritt said. “They have just as much of a voice. They’re part of the majority helping the minority.” FreeZone may represent a minority, but when its members come together, they become their own majority – and it’s here that they feel most compelled to be themselves. “In FreeZone, we can be whoever we really are,” Merritt said. “It’s like going home.” t&c
Members of FreeZone passed out buttons like this one on pHoto by kristen sapp the days preceding the Day of Silence.
vol. 92, issue 23
arts & entertainment
Glass glistens in Uptown
www.otterbein360.com
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April is Art Glass Month, and State Street boasts a colorful display BY KATHLEEN QUIGLEY Staff Writer
Swinging and rolling a molten blob from a pipe seems like a haphazard way to do anything, let alone create something of value. But Kriss Rogers of the Uptown shop Outside Envy knows differently. In 2007, she opened this local Garden of Eden that sells a great number of these blobs, which are commonly referred to as glass art. As April brings National Art Glass Month with it, these blobs are more prominent than ever. Outside Envy has moved the spotlight from its usual unique garden treasures to handmade glass in honor of Art Glass Month. The pieces (mostly made by a father-daughter duo in Ontario, Canada) create an eyecatching display in the middle of the shop, the colors of which shine vibrantly despite the gray Ohio weather. “My own garden is full of glass pieces, and it’s so nice because you have wonderful color even when it isn’t from the plants,” Rogers said. It’s hard to imagine something colorful and beautiful coming from that aforementioned molten mass before it’s shaped, but according to local artist Therese Medley, “Glass is so dimensional; you see compo-
Just HanGinG out:
sition, color, texture, and you see through it. It can be awesome to create then view from different angles and see many different colors.” Though many of Outside Envy’s larger art glass pieces are from the Ontario-based company Kitras, Rogers said, “Local artists are a big part of our store. They allow us to tell a story through each of our pieces in three ways: through local art, North American art and if the customer requests, imported art.”
“Glass is so dimensional ... It can be awesome to create then view from different angles and see many different colors.” Therese Medley Local artist
formed glass is pliable enough to blow into bubbles and create some form of container, roll and sculpt into a desired shape or even create some abstract pieces. Since the early signs of artistic glass pieces (some dating as far back as Mesopotamian ages), America has not had a huge presence in the art glass world. Recently, thanks to renowned glass artists like Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino, America has made itself more known in the artistic field of glass. “The importance of art glass is doing it and enjoying what it brings to others,” Medley said. t&c
little liZarD:
pHoto by kristen sapp
(Above) A reptilian piece of glass artwork sits in the window sill. (Below) Several tall bulb-like structures stand together. Outside Envy is displaying the sculptures for sale in their store.
The origin of each glass piece is kind of an ugly duckling story. Beginning as a variety of raw materials, the soon-to-be glass is heated at roughly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. From there, it sits as the bubbles rise, not unlike kneaded dough, and cools to 1,300 degrees. The newly
pHoto by kristen sapp
These trinkets are meant to catch and refract light.
pHoto by kristen sapp
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Tan & Cardinal
thursday, april 14, 2011
25%
8.2%
Public companies
25%
Top private companies
Government
45%
Men Women Colleges and universities
Nonprofit organizations
CEO positions in central Ohio:
0%
WorkinG Girl:
GrapHiC by kristen sapp
While women hold no CEO positions in central Ohio public companies, 45 percent of nonprofit organizations and 25 percent of colleges and universities have women in leadership positions.
Data inspires new curriculum
Recent census shows female leadership in central Ohio is lacking BY JOSH ADKINS News Editor
Spring Fitness & Sports Intramurals Join us for 2011
Spring Fitness & Sports Intramurals View offerings online at the Fitness and Intramural Website
Fitness
• Tone & Sculpt • Kick & Tone • Yoga • Spring Cardio Bootcamp • Step to the Beat • Pilates
http://www.otterbein.edu/ fitness/sports.asp
Contact Information
Sports
• 5 on 5 Co-Ed Basketball • Co-Ed Softball • Cornhole League
For Fitness Information please contact: Amanda Rammelsberg at arammelsberg@otterbein.edu For Sports Intramural Information please contact: Joe Nemith at jnemithiii@otterbein.edu
Colleges prepare men and women for leadership positions after graduation, but lately the female half has been absent in central Ohio. No women in central Ohio hold CEO positions among 30 public companies, according to the Central Ohio Leadership Census, conducted by Otterbein University, Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) and The Institute on Women. This finding from the census will be put to use at Otterbein University, encouraging not only talented female but also male graduates to stay put in central Ohio. Otterbein President Kathy Krendl said, “Our faculty designed and developed the new curriculum that will launch this fall around experiences and learning outcomes — both in the classroom and outside of the classroom — that will provide a solid foundation for students to succeed in the 21st century.” “Our students should be among the first local employers recruit in order to build excellence in our region,” she said.
Krendl said the census is meant to assess where women in leadership positions stand now to “encourage more women to seek leadership positions and to work as a community to develop and prepare more diverse leaders in all economic sectors.” Of the 12 colleges and universities surveyed, women made up 25 percent of the CEO positions.
“Ohio is just not good at utilizing anyone who is not a white man.” Meredith Lum senior equine pre-vet and molecular biology major Freshman BFA acting major Nina Anderton said, “I think that men are still superior and sometimes they’re just taken more seriously and seen as being able to do things better, unless the woman looks good.” An Ernst & Young study revealed a direct relation between corporate financial growth and women in leadership positions.
They also said that during the current negative economic climate, it is crucial to recognize and utilize the contributions women offer to corporations and governments. Senior equine pre-veterinary and molecular biology major Meredith Lum said, “I feel like Ohio is just not good at utilizing anyone who is not a white man. Ohio is conservative, man, especially in this area.” In an Otterbein news release, Barb Smoot, executive director of WELD, said, communities benefit financially from gender equality in leadership positions. “(The census) makes it clear where we’re strong in the engagement of women in leading our community, and where there’s still much work to be done,” Julie Graber, founder and managing director of The Institute on Women, said in the release. “(The numbers) are evidence of barriers that still exist for the effective utilization of talent in our community.” Lum said, “I just think we need to empower people.” “There’s this huge stigma with being a feminist, but really you just want everyone to be equal,” she said.
t&c
sports 7 Alum club has long history with Otterbein sports www.otterbein360.com
vol. 92, issue 23
The “O” Club is centered around fundraising for the needs of the Athletic Department and sports teams BY JORDAN LABATTE Sports Editor
Where can $1,000 get you as an Otterbein sports fan? A lifetime membership to the “O” Club, an organization that provides funding to Otterbein’s Athletic Department. Operating separately from the university, the “O” Club raises money for things needed in collegiate athletics such as transportation, exercise facilities and uniforms. They were part of a joint $3.2 million fundraising effort for the construction of Memorial Stadium. What began as a male student-athlete club called the Varsity “O” Club was soon changed to just the “O” Club. Edwin L. Roush, who was the “O” Club’s first president, Francis S. Bailey and Robert Agler, the Athletic Director in 1958, turned the club into an alumni association for former Varsity “O” Club members.
Roush and Bailey had been friends and teammates at Otterbein. The “O” Club was originally established in 1955 to support the football program through assistance in locating employment, raising scholarship money and recruiting. However, over time OAC, NCAA and Otterbein regulations have reformed the “O” Club’s
upGraDeD:
assistance to a focus on projects and not so much the individual student athletes. This is because the NCAA has made efforts to make sure athletes in colleges and universities stay at an amateur level. Division III schools are not allowed to give out sporting scholarships. “In the early ’60s and ’70s ... a lot more rules and regulations
came into effect as to what support groups can do, and the “O” Club has always been operating within that framework of rule,” Athletic Director Dick Reynolds said. “They have just progressed over the years to the level of major projects and not so much the nuts and bolts of the student athlete,” he said. Within Memorial stadium, a $75,000 room called the “O”
pHoto by kristen sapp
The $3.2 million Memorial Stadium was built using money partly raised by the “O” Club.
Club Room, which typically holds receptions and meetings, was designed and furnished under the association. Another room bearing the club’s name is the “O” Club Weight Room, which cost them $86,000. Located in the Rike Center, it holds $43,000 worth of equipment, flooring and walls and is used by athletes and students alike. “The major thing when we go into a project (is) we try and gear the project towards helping the entire department, not just one group, and so their involvement expands,” Reynolds said. Today the “O” Club has expanded its reach to all the athletic programs at Otterbein, providing fundraising for the 20 different varsity sports. “The “O” Club is one of the more effective support groups in DIII because of their involvement … with the student athletes in the program. It certainly is positive” Reynolds said.
t&c
WOBN is back with a brand new schedule for spring quarter! Rock it out with us!
Maxtown Rd & N State St
Shows not to be missed: Girl Talk, Mondays 8-9 p.m. The Whoa Show, Tuesdays 5-6 p.m. Around the World in 60 Minutes, Wednesdays 7-8p.m.
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Schedule
WoMen’s tennis
Saturday, April 16 vs. Mount Union 1 p.m.
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Scores laCrosse
Otterbein
Adrian
9 19
soFtball soFtball
Saturday, April 16 vs. Mount Union (DH) 1 p.m.
6 10 Wilmington 0 0 Otterbein
Cards look for second chance
Weather aside, track and field will be ready for the All-Ohio Meet BY DORRION JENNINGS Staff Writer
The Otterbein Cardinals look to capitalize as they prepare for the All-Ohio DIII track meet. Last week, the Cardinals placed eighth at the Marv Frye Invitational hosted at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Cardinals had several finishes in the top five, including a first-place finish in the men’s pole vault from junior Karl Wunderle, vaulting a height of 4.43
Men’s tennis 9 Wilmington 0
Otterbein
Men’s GolF
Saturday-Sunday, April 16-17 OAC Spring Invitational @ Cumberland Trail, Pataskala, Ohio
thursday, april 14, 2011
baseball 6 Cedarville 8
Otterbein
Go HiGHer:
meters. Also for the men, junior Austin Curbow won a secondplace finish in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.85. The women earned top-four wins themselves with secondplace finishes in the long jump from sophomore Michelle Gernert with a distance of 10.14 meters. Senior Sarah Petraitis earned a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.16. Freshman Kaila Cramer took a victory in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:29.31. Weather conditions in the area have created a less than favorable training atmosphere, especially for the pole vault and hurdles, both of which are events that head coach Dave Lehman feels to be the strength of the team. “This week has
been kind of tough because of the weather and the demands on the indoor facilities … two of the strengths of the team are the pole vault and the hurdles. Both have been pretty tough in weather like that,” Lehman said. Due to the conditions of the track and other sporting events being held on the field such as lacrosse, the team has resorted to using nearby high school tracks and fields to continue training. This week’s meet will include every team that qualified for AllOhio. Teams such as BaldwinWallace, which was last week’s overall winner on both the men’s and women’s sides, and strong host team Ohio Wesleyan will be in competition with the Cards. Lehman hopes to have a greatly improved showing at this weekend’s meet. “I just hope our kids can react well. They just showed a little transitioning from the indoor season from outdoor,” Lehman said. The Cardinals will be in competition at Ohio Wesleyan Saturday, April 16. The time is TBD. t&c
pHoto by kristen sapp
Karl Wunderle earned a first-place finish for the Cards with a vault of 4.43 meters last Saturday.