Today's Update: Friday, May 30, 2025
May 30, 2025
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday!
Some preliminary numbers are coming in from the 2025 Student Life survey that students took during spring semester. The Ohio Union and Student Activities team gets a High Five for a couple noteworthy data points. We are now up to 85.6% of undergraduates saying they are involved on campus, an increase of 5.5% over what was already a very encouraging percentage last year. High Fives to everyone who helps promote student involvement, and special High Fives go to Brooke Olson, Abby Frank and Anna Sullivan Kvam who have helped increase student organization involvement to 59.7%, the highest level since before the pandemic!
Two Student Life departments had an excellent “department exchange” recently. Risk and Emergency Management (REM) attended a Dining Services team training session that included a trivia competition to learn more about REM. High Fives to the winners, Kris Loudon and Zac Douglas. And High Five to Dining’s Kathaleen Grant for giving the REM team a tour of the Culinary Production Kitchen.
Student Life was well represented in the 2025 Amazing Race to Wellness, led by the first-place winners, Dining Dashers from Dining Services. High Fives to Ashley Richardson, Annette Misenko, Chris Coleman and Phil Amerine. High Fives as well to the second-place team, Club Swell, with Adrienne Wilson, Ahmed Hosni, Brandon Horton and Arianna Camel of the Student Wellness Center.
As you may know, Student Life offers housing for summer conference attendees and interns coming to Columbus. Events and Conferences is Scarlet and Grateful for the support they are getting from the BuckID team, so High Five to Josh Bodnar and the whole team for going out of their way during a busy time to build custom meal plans for housing guests on short notice. High Five to Tyler Wynkoop for dealing with access needs quickly, without mistakes, and with a smile. And High Five to Paul O'Leary for going above and beyond with a massive project to install thousands of new door readers and help configure the new access system.
High Fives to John Cronin, Gabrielle Bockelman, Drew Stark, Joe Hast and Ray Dennison for their fast action with an urgent project to change the furniture setup in one of our North District Event Spaces for a major Events and Conferences client.
If you had your photo taken by one of our official photographers at the O-H What a Celebration earlier this month, you can go to this online folder,2025 OH What a Year Celebration Photos, to find the pictures.
Have a Scarlet and Great weekend, and never, ever forget to Go Bucks!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University