Today's Update: Friday, October 20, 2023

October 20, 2023

Dear Student Life team,

Happy High Five Friday.

I’ll start by reminding you of our virtual, lunch-and-learn sessions on major Student Life topics. Here are the dates, times and links to join, and please let me know if there are other topics you would recommend for the future.

I hope you were able to take a moment to recharge and rejuvenate over Autumn Break and are ready to take on the rest of the semester. Our team has certainly been busy with High Five-worthy efforts!

Homecoming was an amazing success with lots of people to High Five who were involved in all the various festivities, including those who helped make the Homecoming Court experience truly outstanding, especially Jen Pelletier, Matt Couch, Cassie Smith, Jaylen Lindsey, Mike Jones, Jayden Messer and Elissa Kuharich. Others helped coordinate Homecoming festivities and the courts on the regional campuses, including Annie Maxwell, Kelly Kyser, Amy Livchak, Justin Courtney, Emily Rich and Candace Floyd.

The Homecoming Parade was great fun, so High Fives to the OUAB team of Tonya Dawson, Krystal Vielman-Diaz, Devon Stith and Rae Toran (who organized her very first Homecoming Parade.) High Fives to those who assisted student organizations with building floats, including Jenn Miller and Kirk Winters as well as the SL Warehouse and Environmental Services crews of John Cronin, Drew Stark, Michael Brecht, Mark Eldridge, Troy Keller, Bridget Hildreth and Alex Cates.

Student Life team members served as parade judges, grandstand emcees and location support including Qiana Smith, Charity Martin-King, Anna Wagner, Matt Couch, Noah Gilbert and Adam Specht. High Fives for the additional support to Daren Lehman, Tracy Stuck, Elizabeth McGreevy, Mindy Clagg, Stacy Smith, Tom Reeves, Jen Pelletier, Cassie Smith, Jesse Fernandez, Aisha Echols and Meagen Rinard.

A special High Five to the 2nd shift SL Facility Operations crew of Josh Karnap, Josef Kraft, Arnel Capulong and Tyler Silfverduk who came to the rescue when several floats were destroyed by wind. They helped with repairs so the groups could still participate. They also helped students tear down their floats after the parade.

High Fives to those who supported the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Sorority and Fraternity Life Homecoming celebrations, including Kimberly Allen-Davis, Devin Baisden, Kirby Bell, Brandon Britt, Will Cangialosi, Seneca Crump, Teri Cugliari, Jamyra Davis, Tonya Dawson, Aisha Echols, Mayalin Ford, Morgan Hammonds, Hunter Hartwig, Brandon Horton, Malcolm Jenkins, Tanisha Jenkins, Ryan Johnson, Eddie Labid, Ryan Lovell, Shayla Martin, Charity Martin-King, Tylon McGhee, Elizabeth McGreevy, Kim Monteaux De Freitas, Christy Muhoberac, Gabi Nuñez, Julie Schnell, Jordan Smoot, Max Steele, Devon Stith, Tracy Stuck, Donovan Tabon, Chevon Toler, Cristina Vega, Anna Wagner, Re’Nesha Weston, Liz Westrick and Nae Williams.

Another highlight of Homecoming Weekend was a celebration of the 80th birthday year of Barbie and Jim Tootle for their long and impactful service to Student Life and the university. High Fives to everyone involved, including Tracy Stuck, Matt Couch, Will Cangialosi, Daren Lehman, Max Steele, Kathie Serif, Dave DeAngelo, Kim Pachell, Christy Muhoberac, Tonya Dawson, Seth Rhodes, Candyce Williams, Isabel Biasella, Ryan Lovell, Teri Cugliari, Gabi Nunez, Julie Schnell, Jen Cottrell, Rae Toran, Kellie Uhrig, Dave Isaacs, Travis Barnhart, J Randall Hicks, Yvonne Dulaney, Adrienne Gladish, Jeff Pelletier, Natalie Hornback, Chris Nesler, Sara Keefe, Lindsey Boyd, Colleen Lins, Stacy Smith, Tiffany Quattlebaum, Hannah Warner, Bridgett Keener, Dave Wiseley, Felix Alonso, Johna Walls, John Cronin, Drew Stark, Roger Garland, Brian Bassitt, Zach Rall, Danielle Bereznay, Chad Crumwell, Chuck Balue, Mike Steinhilber, Lori Green, Dan Crowley, Noel Justice, Kylie Hicks, Anna Garcia, Sara Healea, Katie Davidson and Dan Hausman.

Former Student Life team member Rob Jech gets a High Five for his eagle eyes during Ohio State’s Homecoming win over Maryland.

High Five to Dave DeAngelo for being an amazing tour guide to some special guests last week, to Stacy Smith for her help in coordinating and to Daren Lehman for helping solve an unexpected transportation challenge. BIG thanks to students, Rachel Sipes, Isabel Biasella and Khushi Pabboju for being the resident experts on the tours.

Angie Wellman and Morgan Hammonds get High Fives for coordinating the Together in Student Life educational sessions that followed the recent Big Table event.

Did you get your succulent during this week’s Grow Kindness Initiative? Student Life, in partnership with CFAES, distributed nearly 10,000 plants on Tuesday. High Fives to everyone who helped out, including Tracy Stuck and committee members Aubrie Smith, Daren Lehman, Rob Lyons and John Cronin, tent captains Aubrie Smith, Jenn Miller, Sam Bradway, Kim Traverse, Bridgett Keener, Kristin Smith and Morgan Hammonds, as well helping at the sites including Seth Rhodes, Julie Wagner, Anna Wagner, Sean Stewart, Karen Narwicz, Xavier De Freitas, Jen Nelson, David Ternier, Noah Gilbert, Tom Reeves, Kristen Rupert Davis, Katelyn Morgan, Adam Specht and AJ Johnson, plus pre-event help from Dave Isaacs, Jen Cottrell, Adrienne Gladish, Tiffany Quattlebaum, Hannah Warner and Candyce Williams. Special High Fives to Drew Stark and John Cronin for all the tent deliveries and Daren Lehman for being the Product Distribution Analyst.

High Five to Anna Wagner and Kala McClure for all of their amazing work on Leadership Week for the more than 1,100 program attendees, as well as all those who helped out, including Amy Barnes, Ana C. Berrios Allison, Brendan Greisberger, Carla Elliott, Cassie Smith, Charity Martin-King, Cristina Vega, Kristen Rupert Davis, Tina Pierce, Elissa Kuharich, Erin McAlhaney, Jack Tumulty, Jasmine Stephenson, Jayden Messer, Jennifer Chilman, Jon McCullough, Julie Schnell, Julius Mayo, Kala Coyan-McClure, Kathy Krajnak, Kioshana LaCount Burrell, Kirby Bell, Leah Wheeler, Lucy Hennon, Madison Eagle, Maggie Kruth, Max Grogan, Meagen Rinard, Mercedes Wallace, Michelle Miranda, Mike Jones, Rachel DeMooy, Roger Perkey, Ryan Wilhelm, Sindhu Sharma, Sohan Daniel, Steve David, Taylor Koon, Teri Cugliari and Unni Shreram.

Kala McClure, Julie Schnell, Aisha Echols, Alex Thomas and Gabi Nunez get High Fives for spending their Autumn Break facilitating the LeaderShape Institute at an off-campus retreat center for several of our students.

High Five to Lucy Hennon for putting on a free and accessible Autumn Break service trip for students through the Buck-I-SERV program.

I saw in Slice this morning that the Center for Belonging and Social Change’s Madison Eagle has been inducted into the College of Social Work Alumni Hall of Fame with their Recent Career Award. High Five!

Rae Hofmeister, Laura Przytulski, Jennifer Finch and Ian Trautman get High Fives for being willing to go above and beyond to keep operations running smoothly when an unexpected situation arose.

High Fives to Hauwa Imran, Frida Gillespie and Raven Ho in Housing and Residence Education for co-facilitating the 26th annual MUNDO initiative experience in NYC during Autumn Break. They helped coordinate 31 undergraduate students through multicultural walking tours, a visit to the United Nations, a meeting with Ohio State alumni and ongoing reflective discussions.

Finally, High Five to Tom Reeves for his leadership role in Ohio State’s sustainability efforts. The Association for the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has awarded the university a STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Gold rating.

Have a Scarlet and Great weekend and GO BUCKS!

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD

Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University