Today's Update: Friday, September 13, 2024
September 13, 2024
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday, and Scarlet and Gray Friday! For those of you who are newer to the team, and for those of you who may have forgotten, every Friday in Student Life we celebrate this extraordinary institution by wearing our school colors. Not only does it demonstrate school spirit and serve as something fun we can all enjoy together, Fridays also tend to be big days for campus tours, so our efforts help welcome prospective Buckeyes and their families. No matter the season, whether or not it’s a gameday weekend, every Friday is Scarlet and Gray Friday. And if you don’t have gear, let me know and I will send you a Block O pin that can Buckeye-ize any outfit!
Wednesday’s BeKind food packing events were both fun and rewarding. High Five to everyone who participated in packing 350,000 meals over two sessions, the most we’ve ever done in one day. And High Fives to those who are helping distribute those meals to non-profit organizations in southwest Ohio today to feed people with low food security in that part of the state. Special thanks to Tracy Stuck for all her hard work on this annual event.
High Five to Leadership and Community Engagement, especially Meagen Rinard and Madi Barnes of OSU Votes, for their leading role in Ohio State earning a Silver Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge based on the 2022 campus voting rate.
High Five to our Dining Services team for being named as one of the Top 10 college dining programs in the nation with an overall grade of A and an A+ for campus food.
Laura Lewis and the Suicide Prevention team get High Fives for their efforts on behalf of this week’s World Suicide Prevention Day.
High Five to Mollie Workman, Sean Boiarski, Chinwe Dabo and John Link for quickly addressing a technology issue that impacted the ability to synch career coaching appointments between Handshake and Outlook. Their quick action enabled Buckeye Careers and career services staff across the university to continue offering great service and support to students.
Hina Nisar of Human Resources gets a High Five from the Marketing team for all of her support, time and guidance while their HR consultant has been on leave. She stepped in, learned about the department and provided great help.
High Five to Anne McDaniel for being selected by the Council on Student Affairs (CSA) Executive Committee and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to join the inaugural class of CSA Fellows.
During a recent network outage at Residence on 10th, Hall Director Morgan Gill was extremely helpful with assisting the residents. Says a colleague, “She was engaging and friendly, that made a challenging situation much easier to handle.”
High Five to Kristen Hill and the entire Buckeye Careers team for their work on this week’s Career Closet event as part of the Monda Student Resource Center. More than 450 students attended to receive professional attire, get their resumes reviewed and learn tips for talking with employers at career fairs. High Fives as well to our colleagues in Advancement, including Sara Rubin and Kelly Mills, for holding their own clothing drive to support the effort and for volunteering at the event.
Shivani Edwards of Counseling and Consultation Service gets a High Five for masterfully handling and supporting a student with multiple needs. She demonstrated grace and patience to ensure the student was supported in the best manner possible.
It’s always encouraging to hear how we impact students and their families. A mother, who wants to remain nameless, wrote to express her deep gratitude for the care and support her son received while living in Lincoln Tower. She specifically mentioned how much it means to her that her son is thriving in a positive and nurturing environment.
It’s not only students we support. High Fives to Tom Reeves, Indra Leyva Cook and others at the Center for Belonging and Social Change for helping a visitor to the Ohio Union who missed his Greyhound bus. Despite language and technology barriers, they patiently worked to get him on his way.
Have a Scarlet and Great weekend!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University