Today's Update: Friday, May 5, 2023
May 5, 2023
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday!
I’ll start with High Fives to all students who are about to be graduates, including our GTA’s and student employees, as well as everyone who has helped mentor, encourage and support our students. I’m so proud of all of you!
Spring Sizzle was a huge success, as we fed hundreds of students breakfast for dinner during exams. High Fives to everyone involved including Julie Wagner, Chris Nesler and the rest of the Ohio Union Events team, University Catering, Stacy Smith, Lindsey Boyd, Jen Cottrell, Travis Barnhart, Kailee Missler, Anne McDaniel and Dex, Tracy Stuck, Tanisha Jenkins, Shawnte’ Elbert, TJ Logan, Ryan Walston and friends, Dave Wiseley, Erica Regan, Nancy Thompson, Shina Drummond, Danny Glassmann, Ryan Lovell, Kellie Uhrig, Cheryl Lyons, Christian Manning as well as friends from across campus: Anne Garcia, Chief Spears-McNatt and Norman Jones.
High Five to Amber Barchus and Addie Green in STEP for calling 531 students in one week to recruit them to participate in the program next year. These personal touches really do matter!
Carla Smith Jones gets a High Five for being selected to be part of the newest class of Plus Delta’s Management of Frontline Fundraising (MFF) program.
High Five to the Ohio State Lima Student Life Quad Squad of Justin F. Courtney, Amy Livchak, Rachel Richardson and Chad Welker for their work coordinating the recent Academic Celebration, which featured awards recognizing academic achievement of Lima campus students as well as scholarship, distinguished service, mentorship and teaching excellence of faculty and staff.
Marjorie Freggens, a research analyst in the Center for the Study of Student Life successfully defended her dissertation this week. And Jasmine Stephenson just completed her EdD in Higher Education and Student Affairs. High Five, Drs. Freggens and Stephenson!
High Fives to Morag Boyd, Chantal Brown, Clinton Daugherty, Jaylen Lindsey, Brooke Olson and Michelle Scott for helping select Keith B. Key Center for Student Leadership and Service office and locker tenants for the upcoming year. There were more applicants than space so their work reading through each lengthy application and making recommendations was greatly appreciated.
Adrienne Gladish and her team of student employees at the Ohio Union Loading Dock, Zach Snyder and his team of student employees at the RPAC and graduating Coca Cola Donation Program Student Manager Christina Slabinski all get High Fives for their collaborative efforts to ensure student orgs and departments receive products through the Coca Cola Donation Program.
High Fives to everyone who braved the cold, wind and rain this week to provide snacks and refreshments as students navigated various High Street festivities, including Roger Perkey, Ahmed Hosni, Brandon Horton, Ashton Ansel, Ari Camel, Nick Fowler, Ben Raines, Cristina Vega, Will Cangialosi, Teri Cugliari and Jaylen Lindsey. High Fives, too, to those who helped with the planning, including Brandon Horton, Laura Lewis, Jaylen Lindsey, Jessica Miller, Kailee Missler, Molly Hegarty, Rachel DeMooy, Rochelle Toth, Lorraine Pennyman, Will Cangialosi, Ahmed Hosni, Kelly Mathiesen, Roger Perkey and Tonya Dawson. Special High Fives to University Catering’s Kathie Serif who secured a donation that helped us reach even more students and Cassie Smith who helped acquire the Coca Cola products despite a last-minute change of plans.
High Five to Chef Cherrelle Rowser for being amazing, thoughtful and offering top-notch service. Grilled cheese for the win!
High Five to Kristen Hill of Buckeye Careers. When student workers were unable to cover a recent Saturday night closing shift at the Younkin Success Center, Kristen stayed until midnight to ensure that the center was able to stay open. A colleague says, “Kristen is a great supervisor that cares about her student workers.”
Candice Williams of Facilities gets a High Five for excellent customer service. She was on her rounds on the first floor of Lincoln Tower when she saw a lost-looking woman. Candice offered to help and was able to give the parent directions on where to go to meet her student.
High Five to Service2Facilities dispatcher Paul Bossley for showing great professionalism while handling a difficult call.
I think we all know that our support of students makes a difference in their lives, and it’s especially rewarding to hear it directly from them. A student recently wrote to Kelly Bonice at Student Life Disability Services, “I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me as I could not have become the student and person I became without your support along the way. When I first walked into SLDS I was so scared that I would have a horrible experience getting the accommodations I needed as that was my experience at another university. I remember sitting in the parking garage with my mom in her car after meeting with you for our initial meeting and saying to her this was the place I wanted and needed to be. I am happy to say SLDS far exceeded even those initial high expectations.” High Five Kelly and Disability Services.
One quick note—mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 24 when we will have our next activity-based Scarlet and Great Gathering focusing on self-care. Come to reflect and engage in activities centered around taking care of yourself. Come when you can, leave when you must. We’ll be in the Ohio Union from 9:30-11 a.m. and RPAC 2-3:30 p.m.
Have a Scarlet and Great Commencement weekend!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University