Ohio Wesleyan Student Films Examine Delaware’s Economic Geography
(Photo by Pam Roth, courtesy of stock.xchng)
DELAWARE, OHIO – Six documentary films created by Ohio Wesleyan University students studying economic geography will be screened and discussed at 7 p.m. May 7 in Ohio Wesleyan’s Phillips Hall Auditorium, 50 S. Henry St., Delaware. The event is free and open to the public.
Films scheduled to be screened at the Geography 345 event are as follows. Each documentary is 20-25 minutes long.
Downtown Delaware: Changing socio-spatial patterns of production and consumption. Is the downtown experiencing gentrification? The owners and investors of downtown Delaware businesses employ particular cultural signs to attract desired clientele. What are the socio-spatial impacts of this form of investment, economic production, and consumption? This documentary is produced by Alexandra Bishop of Grand Rapids, Ohio; Aisha Brinkwart of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.; Chris Ng of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ethan Perry of Cincinnati; and Chad Williams of Sunbury, Ohio. The Latinoficación of Delaware: Is Atzlan moving north? There is a burgeoning Latino migrant population in Delaware. What are the socio-spatial impacts of Latino-owned sites of economic activity in Delaware – and in Columbus and Central Ohio? Student-producers are Sena Ababio of Accra, Ghana; Jordan Alexander of Warrensburg, Mo., Seth Frentos of Delaware, Ohio; and Lizzie Rubenstein of Pittsburgh. There goes the downtown: How many Wal-Marts can Delaware support? The impact of big-box stores on retail businesses is significant. What is the socio-spatial impact of such stores in Delaware? Student-producers are Megan Bachelder of Edison, Ohio; Christopher Demecs of Waterville, Ohio; Kyle Karczynski of Caledonia, Canada; Meredith Merklin of Marysville, Ohio; and Cole Oberli of Wadsworth, Ohio. The economies of transportation geography: The Kroger Distribution Center – there a lot of cookies and snacks in Delaware. Why is there a Kroger distribution center in Delaware? What incentives did the state, county, and city offer the grocery-retail company? What are the impacts on the employment structures, roadways, and environment? How did zoning impact the company’s decision to locate in Delaware? Student-producers are Karli Amstadt of Cleveland; Christopher Badenhop of West Liberty, Ohio; Gabriella Heffron of Santa Monica, Calif.; Aleksandar Ilic of Delaware, Ohio; and Paul Kline of Essex Junction, Vt. Light manufacturing on the west side: From mass production to just-in-time manufacturing. The west side of Delaware is the city’s center of manufacturing. Because of global shifts in economic trade and regulation, Delaware’s manufacturing sector has experienced many changes in the last 30 years. What is the impact of the changes? Student-producers are Hannah Benzing of Findlay, Ohio; Sophie Gage of Boston; Michelle Lee of Kuala Lumpur; Nick Striler of St. Louis; and Sarah Wodenshek of Ridgewood, N.J. The Mall-ing of central Ohio: The production of consumption and financial-management spaces in southern Delaware County. Just 17 years ago, the lands where Polaris Fashion Mall and the McCoy Building (which houses the JP Morgan Chase National Headquarters) stand today were dedicated to corn and soy production. The transformation of southern Delaware County from agricultural production to retail and finance has been swift. What are the impacts of the changes? Student-producers are Paul Gruber of Cincinnati; Carolyn Hallal of Brecksville, Ohio; Jonathan Rux of North Oaks, Minn.; Katherine Stone of Round Hill, Va.; and Caitlin Zeller of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.