Today's Update: Friday, August 22, 2025
August 22, 2025
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday!
You may know that I send out a regular newsletter to students called Doc’s Download with news and information to enhance their Ohio State experience. Starting this semester, I’m adding a new component, a podcast available on Apple Podcasts and YouTube. High Fives to those who have helped make it happen, including Jen Vandemark, Travis Barnhart, Anita McCoy, Katrina Norris, Dave Isaacs and J-Randall Hicks. The first episode dropped this morning and includes advice for new Buckeyes and their families. You can listen to Doc’s Download: The Podcast Edition at go.osu.edu/docpodcast or watch it at go.osu.edu/docyoutube.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Ohio Union’s Sarah Rensko was spearheading a donation drive for the Monda Student Resource Center (MSRC). Today I can report that she raised over $600, leading to a donation of nearly 1,500 items for the center including food, toiletries and clothing. High Five, Sarah! To everyone else, the MSRC is always looking for donations, so please consider doing what you can to help students meet their essential needs. Get in touch with Morgan Vibbert if you’d like to help.
A number of people helped out to keep the MSRC programming going this summer. High Fives to all of them, and High Fives to Kristen Hill and the Student Wellness Center team, including Re’Nesha Weston, Ahmed Hosni, Josh Bensink and Mackenzie Hogan for being leads in the center all summer.
High Five to Rachel Conners for setting us up with another opportunity to buy Student Life branded merchandise. I saw in Slice this morning that the latest online store will open next week on Wednesday, so watch for an email then with the link.
It’s being a busy week rolling out the Scarlet Carpet for arriving students, including Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement’s Commuter Preview Day. High Fives to everyone involved, including breakout session partners Brooke Olson, Taylor Koon and Rachel DeMooy, as well as keynote speakers Dilna Cama and Aubrie Belinger. High Fives as well to Aisha Echols for quick marketing help, Jordan Rutherford with Events and Conferences for her collaborative partnership and the staff at Union Market for serving 200+ students in an hour!
On Monday, I had the opportunity to speak to this year’s Resident Advisors at a breakfast hosted by BuckeyeThon. I was very impressed with their enthusiasm and know they are going to be great ambassadors for BuckeyeThon this year. High Fives to Barb Kefalas, Annie Schuster and the rest of the Housing and Residence Education team, along with Jayden Messer and Felix Alonso from Student Philanthropy, for a successful and powerful collaboration to share with students about the importance of giving back.
You may already know that Ohio State has a phenomenal Suicide Prevention Program that features a suicide prevention training called REACH. Counseling and Consultation Service’s Joni Sivey is a volunteer REACH trainer, and a campus community member she trained a few years ago reached out to share that the skills they learned through the training helped them save a friend’s life. High Five Joni, the Suicide Prevention Program and to everyone who has taught or been trained through the REACH program!
Counseling and Consultation Service nominates Jonathan Register and Emily Gerrick from Human Resources for High Fives, saying, “They have been great partners in assisting us with working on searching for multiple admin staff positions simultaneously. We greatly appreciate their support to move as efficiently and quickly as possible!”
The reservations desk for Events and Conferences suggests High Fives for Robin Bolterman and Nathan May of Student Life Technology Services for “for their knowledge and consistent, quick help with questions! Our work wouldn’t be possible without them.”
Have a Scarlet and Great Move-I n weekend (they’re back!!!), with a big helping of Go Bucks!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University