Today's Update: Friday, September 6, 2024

September 6, 2024

Dear Student Life team, 

Happy High Five Friday! 

I’ll start with a High Five to everyone who attended yesterday’s Scarlet and Great Gathering. If you missed it or want to go back to some of the information that was presented, an archive video of the morning session is online.  Save the date; the next Gathering is October 21.  

I hope you filled out a High Five card at the Gathering. I am especially grateful when people share their appreciation for colleagues. We also are giving prizes to a random selection of those who received kudos. High Fives to prize winners Mark Arthur, Madi Barnes, Kirby Bell, Christy Blessing, Kelly Bonice, Chinwe Dabo, Anne Driscoll, Chrisse Edmunds, Megan Haddock, Angie Kim, Eddie Labid, Chris Nesler, Seth Rhodes, Lindsey Shaw, Stacy Smith, Lauren Stazen, Alex Thomas, Christine Thompson, Laura Westhoven and Paul Wojdacz. 

I also want to offer special High Fives (High Paws?) to the handlers and dogs from Buckeye Paws who visited during the morning session.  

Sean Miller of Technology Services gets a High Five, and high praise from a colleague, “Sean Miller has shown a great deal of patience and expertise in navigating my computer challenges over the past few months, but especially in the past week.  He has been responsive, solution-focused and extremely kind when working through the issues and so accommodating - even dropping off and picking up devices after hours - to limit disruptions and to ensure I had something to work from at all times.” 

Diana Berry, a Talent Acquisition Senior Analyst in the Office of Human Resources, also gets a High Five and rave reviews from another department, “She supports Dining Services hiring needs, especially with the students. We hire a lot of them - she always handles this load in a very efficient manner, with patience and humor. She answers questions promptly for both the students and me. It is wonderful to have such a partner in hiring that takes such pride in doing an outstanding job!”

Dining Services also appreciates Jason Holbrook, Christy Blessing and Michelle Rankin for their support with dining plan changes. 2,000 plan changes and more than 1,900 Off-Campus plans have been processed in just four weeks. “It could not have been done without them.” High Fives! 

Sorority and Fraternity Life appreciates everyone who helped with the recent National Pan-Hellenic Council Yard Show. More than 1,000 people attended. High Fives to Kristen Rupert Davis, Nancy Gibson, Arianna Camel, Kirby Bell, Akua Nelson, Kristen Van Gundy, Meagen Rinard, Brandon Horton, Malcolm Bello, Lacey Gosnell, Re'Nesha Weston, Cortney Brewer, Demi Deolu-Sobogun, Devon Stith and Ariel Burns. High Fives as well to Adrienne Gladish, Stacey Renker, Josh Karnap, Natalie Hornback, Julia Skrabak, Christy Muhoberac, Tim Bell, John Cronin, Aubrie Smith, Nate Darder and Matt Wells for their assistance in troubleshooting and ensuring a successful event. 

High Five to Jennifer Nelson and the entire team of Residence Hall Desk Coordinators: Olivia Adams, Megan BeVier, Ben McKinley, Nicholas Patrick, Ayeshia Pompey, Sarah Smith, Fred Swank, Deanna Wright Gordon and Noah Zona for their tireless effort to ensure that our front desks were ready to welcome students back to campus, including hiring and training hundreds of student staff, preparing thousands of keys/keycards for Move-In and processing tens of thousands of mail items and packages.   

Student Life hosted the Third Annual Ohio Anti-Hazing Summit last month, welcoming more than 250 people from across Ohio and the Big Ten. The day featured sessions on prevention education, innovative resources, best practices and strategies to eliminate hazing on college campuses. High Fives to the Summit Planning Team for organizing the event:  Will Cangialosi, Kirby Bell, Cortney Brewer, LaShanda Coleman, Jaylen Lindsey, Erica Butler, Brooke Olson, Abby Richard, Kim Monteaux De Freitas, Alex Sommer, Christy Muhoberac, Johna Walls and Maya Bygrave. High Fives to the Student Life team members who presented at the summit: Jordan Smoot, Jaylen Lindsey, Lacey Gosnell, Nicholas La Torre and Teri Cugliari. High Fives as well to everyone who helped support the summit planning and execution: Danny Glassmann, Malcolm Bello, Erin McAlhaney, Gabi Nunez, Joshua Bensink, Eddie Labid, Re'Nesha Weston, Emily Murphy, Ryan Lovell, Kelly Smith, Lorraine Pennyman, Julie Jones, Hunter Hartwig, Chevon Toler, Dave Isaacs, Angela Britton, Brittany Crall and Anita McCoy. 

Have a Scarlet and Great weekend and GO BUCKS!  

 

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD               
Senior Vice President for Student Life                
The Ohio State University