Today's Update: Friday, October 31, 2025
October 31, 2025
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday!
You know I love birthdays, so I was especially excited this week to celebrate the 60th of our favorite mascot, Brutus Buckeye. And we set a new Guiness World Record for most people wearing party hats with nearly 2,000 people attending. High Five to Tracy Stuck for leading the event, including the move indoors because of bad weather, and to the planning committee of Aubrie Smith, Jeremy Gabis, Kim Monteaux De Freitas, Frida Gillespie, Katie Sherman, Dave DeAngelo, Sean Stewart, Candace Floyd, Annie Maxwell, Adam Smith, Re’Nesha Weston, Aislin Daugherty, Jocelyn Rojas-Ramirez, Andrea Bowlin, Matt Couch, Jennifer Cheavens, Meera Menon, Lily Brouder, Candyce Williams, Anita McCoy, Janele Bayless, Dave Isaacs, Christy Muhoberac, Travis Barnhart, Cate Cunningham, Amy Gallagher, Matt Lynch, Laura Lewis and Teri Cugliari. There were also plenty of people who helped out during the event doing everything from counting to handing out ice cream and cupcakes. I’ll make sure they get High Fives next week.
High Five to Morgan Vibbert of the Student Wellness Center team who recently hosted a group of Government Affairs staffers from colleges across the nation. At their annual meetings, they like to do a service project on the campus they are visiting, and Morgan put them right to work in the Monda Student Resource Center. Bill Couch from the Ohio State Government Affairs team shared that, “Seeing firsthand the work you are doing for students and the community was incredibly powerful and inspiring to me and my colleagues.” Nice work, Morgan – way to tell and SHOW the Student Life story.
High Five to Morgan Hammonds and Angie Wellman for putting together the special awards that will be handed out in February at our annual Student Life Years of Service ceremony. As I wrote in Monday’s Today’s Update, please nominate deserving colleagues. The details and submission forms are online.
Rachel Conners gets a High Five for setting up another online store for Student Life branded Nike Apparel. Don’t delay! It closes on November 4.
High Five to Domonique Dunn and his team in Rec Sports for 100% completion of the Collin’s Law Training by their Sport Club Coaches.
Our Buckeyes for Charity Ambassadors, D'Arcy Oaks, Jen Vandemark and Morgan Hammonds get High Fives for holding a number of special campaign events. High Fives to the Dining Services team, specifically Abby Hertzfeld, Patrick Ionno and Chef Ben Flores for supporting the events in Woody's Tavern and the Ohio Union Instructional Kitchen. High Fives to Jarrode Davis, Jeff Pelletier and Natalie Schroeder for making our first trivia contest happen, and High Fives to the teams that won the two rounds of trivia, Events and Champions and Nuts about Giving. The Chili Cook-off was also amazing. High Fives to our winners: first place went to Tom Reeves, second place to Joe Hast and third place to Peter Hansen. High Five to Bridgett Keener for leading the cook-off and to those who helped make it possible including John Cronin, Kim Traverse, Teri Cugliari, Audrey Evans, Natalie Schroeder, Mindy Clagg, Tori Rehr, Elijah Balogh, Molly Chandra-Jenkins, Amelia Scheetz, Kady Gies, Scott Brown, Stacey Renker, Julia Skrabak, Julie Schultz, E'nid Patterson, Drew Stark and Thyrone Henderson, plus Dan Huffman and David Martin for some delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. You have until Monday, November 3 to donate to nonprofits across the state through Buckeyes for Charity.
I also want to remind you that today is the last day to complete the survey that is gathering feedback for the Student Life strategic plan. Go online at go.osu.edu/slplanstafffeedback and answer a few questions to help shape the future of Student Life.
Have a Scarlet and Great weekend (don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour on Sunday) and Go Bucks!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University