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Equity and Inclusion Newsletter Current Otterbein Journals

11-2017

Equity& Inclusion Matters - Issue 3, November 2017

Otterbein Office of Social Justice & Activism Otterbein University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Otterbein Office of Social Justice & Activism, quity&"E Inclusion Matters - Issue 3, November 2017" (2017). Equity and Inclusion Newsletter. 3. https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/equity_inclusion_newsletter/3

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Current Otterbein Journals at Digital Commons @ Otterbein. It has been accepted for inclusion in Equity and Inclusion Newsletter by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Otterbein. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EQUITY & INCLUSION MATTERS Otterbein’s Office of Social Justice & Activism: Making the Invisible Visible Issue 3 - November 2017 Issue 3 - November

Middle school students display their poster presentation at the Women, Leadership, and Innovation Conference, presented by WELD held at Otterbein.

CALENDAR OTTERBEIN Conference highlights power of women, Nov. 17 middle, high school girls International Night Campus Center Lounge More than 400 women and 150 • Brooke Yoakum, founder 7 - 9 p.m. middle and high school girls came of GiftPocket and winner Nov. 29 to campus in summer for the of the Young Entrepreneur Women, Leadership, and Innovation Academy. The Arena of Masculinity Conference, presented by Women Roush 330 for Economic and Leadership Participants then broke into 4 - 5:30 p.m. Development (WELD) at tracks with topics ranging Jan. 17 Otterbein University. from presentation skills to career acceleration; emotional Martin Luther King, Jr. The event started with a keynote intelligence to generational Convocation panel of speakers for all attendees, disparities in the workplace; and Cowan Hall featuring female leaders, including: social enterprise to personal 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. stories shared by those who • Kathy Krendl, president of followed an unexpected path to Jan. 22 - 26 Otterbein University, moderator; achieve career success. Social Justice Week • Tara Abraham, chairman and co- CEO of Accel Inc.; The Girls’ track was held at Feb. 9 • Donna James, managing director Otterbein’s Point. Guided by William Henry Fouse Student of Lardon & Associates; Otterbein students, the middle & Alumni Dinner • Natasha Pongonis, co-owner of and high school girls conceived Nativa; and developed a social (Location TBD) • Elaine Roberts, president and innovation project. 7 - 9 p.m. CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority; and 2 Equity & Inclusion Matters

Columbus City Schools FROM THE DIRECTOR sending best, brightest to Otterbein Greetings:

There are many discouraging events Otterbein President Kathy students entering the year happening in our world, country Krendl, a first-generation college before. Because of its success and campus. The graduate who became the the program has recently University’s first female president expanded to Southwest City, in 2009, made it her mission to Westerville City and Whitehall should be a country renew Otterbein’s commitment City schools. Currently, there of freedom, to access and affordability for are 92 CCS students enrolled acceptance and students from all backgrounds. at Otterbein. liberty for all. The outcome of her commitment is The current retention rate of 93 In order to do incredible: a 93 percent success percent for CCS students who so, it must be a place where rate at Otterbein for first-year entered in 2015 is up from 62 opposing views are heard. However, students from Columbus City percent for CCS students who when an ideology contends that Schools, making them the highest entered in 2012, and higher some people are less human, performing student cohort than the retention rate for the on campus. entering class as a whole. Of deserve fewer rights than others, the new students who enrolled and commands violence in the name “Access without success isn’t in fall 2016, 40 percent are of racial purity, we must reject that really access,” said Jefferson first-generation college students ideology as immoral. Blackburn-Smith, vice president and 64 percent are federal Pell for enrollment management. grant eligible. The Pell grant helps students living in poverty College campuses are certainly on to pay for college. the frontline of white supremacy’s battle against inclusion. We must “OUR COMMITMENT “Otterbein was one of first affirm an unequivocal commitment WAS NOT TO BRING CCS partners to sign on with the STUDENTS TO CAMPUS, BUT district to provide the Seniors to diversity, inclusion, equity, and TO CREATE A PROGRAM to Sophomores program. I the dignity and worth of all people. THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM think that speaks volumes to We must pledge together to have TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE how Otterbein was ahead an unwavering commitment to study, OF THE LIFE-TRANSFORMING of the game,” said Tanya teach, work and live in a climate of OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT McClanahan, the higher OTTERBEIN.” education partnerships respect and safety. supervisor for CCS. We need to be a resilient community To support this, Otterbein has united against hate. As the Rev. established outreach efforts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., taught, in central through its enhanced need-based financial “Our lives begin to end the day aid program, as well as we become silent about things that participating in the state’s Senior matter.” Silence is an appropriation to Sophomores program. The of injustice. I encourage us to first new financial aid model began with 28 entering Columbus City examine our stance on critical issues. Schools (CCS) students in 2014, Adunia Tsehaie, Northland High grad (front left) and Mairame an increase from only six CCS Daff, Columbus Global Academy grad (front right), are both high (See Director, page 3) acheviers at Otterbein this semester. Equity & Inclusion Matters 3

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Mairame Daff (left), Bethany Soto (center), and Tonia Dunson-Dillard (right) learn about jobs in the health communication field.

THE MOST DIVERSE FIRST-YEAR (Director, from page 2) CLASS IN OTTERBEIN’S HISTORY Why do I believe the way do? What BEGAN IN AUGUST is the context of the information I am receiving? What can I do to promote equity and inclusion on This fall’s first-year class Netherlands, , campus and my community? exceeds 20 percent students of South Korea, Sri Lanka, and color, or 126 students. It is the . Students from South most diverse class in Otterbein’s Korea are the largest incoming It is my hope that with one voice, history for the fourth year in a group followed by Japan, we will oppose hatred—whatever its row. The class of approximately then . form. Let us unite in remembering 607 students represents 25 those who lost their lives to states and 62 Ohio counties. OTHER STATISTICS INCLUDE: this struggle. Moreover, let us Forty-five students have enrolled continuously work for goodwill from , • Thirty-two percent of the among us all. Our voices need to thanks to outreach programs to entering class is eligible for be raised together, now more than the district’s graduates, which the federal Pell grant; ever. boast a 93 percent retention • More than 40 percent rate. of the class has a 3.8 or Sincerely, higher GPA; Otterbein also has 25 new • Retention is up 8 percent international students this fall over the last five years, and two international scholars, from 75 percent to more James E. Prysock III representing 10 countries. The than 83 percent. students come from China, Germany, , India, Japan, 4 Equity & Inclusion Matters

Left: Otterbein students joined in the Campus Center to openly voice opinions on the racist acts that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. Right: Posters distributed on campus after rally. OTTERBEIN’S CAMPUS REACTS TO CHARLOTTESVILLE EVENTS

Shortly after the racist confrontations society, and appropriate reactions because I wanted to learn how in Charlottesville, Virginia, that to them. students on campus who are left one woman dead and scores underrepresented feel,” said wounded, Otterbein held a Common One student panel on junior Haylie Schmoll. “It was a Hour meeting to discuss reaction to microaggression discussed how standing room only crowd.” the Charlottesville events. students must be conscious of their views and language toward all As a result of the rally, posters The goal of Otterbein’s Common people on campus. were created and distributed Hour was to discuss, highlight stating unequivocally, “Hate has and educate students about white “I attended because of the social no home here.” The posters can supremacy and neo-Nazism in our justice aspect of the protests and be seen throughout campus.

By the numbers

20% of students of color in this fall’s first-year class represent the most diverse class in Otterbein’s history, for the fourth year in a row.

40% of the first-year class has a 3.8 or higher GPA.

25 new international students are on campus this fall representing 10 countries.

8% is the increase in the retention rate at Otterbein over the past five years.

Director, Office of Social Justice & Activism: James Prysock Newsletter Designer: Erica Meier Newsletter Editor: Dan Steinberg