THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Winter 2018 THE CAMPAIGN FOR OHIO WESLEYAN Special Issue Celebrating 175 Years More than 1,000 alumni and friends returned to campus Oct. 19-22 to mark 175 years during Homecoming and Family Weekend, including the all-campus noon celebration at which the Board of Trustees formally voted to enter the public phase of the Connect Today, Create Tomorrow campaign. 8 EDGAR SANBORN HALL HALL HAYES STUYVESANT HALL HALL SMITH S HALL ANDUSK O AK HILL AVENUE SPRING STREET Y S MERRICK HALL TREET SMALL LIVING UNITS OPENING 2018 ROSS ART MUSUEM PHILLIPS WELCH HALL HALL UNIVERSITY HALL The Dittrick 94A & 94B HAMILTON-WILLIAMS22 SLOCUM HALL 30 CAMPUS CENTER GILLESPIE HONORS HOUSE House Rowland Ave. HOUSE OF BLACK CULTURE MOWRY THOMSON WA ALUMNI HALL CENTER LIBERTY S ǼƩĬ SHINGT ǨƶǼ The Jim and Eilleen Dicke House BIGELOW REED HOUSE Features FIJI SELBY ROWLAND AVENUE ON S STADIUM R.W. CORNS TREET BUILDING TREET ƩƷƩ BASHFORD STURGES PANHELLENIC HALL HALL HOUSE ELLIOTT HALL BEEGHLY LIBRARY CHAPPELEAR SCHIMMEL/ 8 Creating tomorrow CONRADES DRAMA CENTER JAY MARTIN SOCCER COMPLEX ƶǼƪ SIMPSON QUERREY FITNESS CENTER SCIENCE CENTER Campaign priorityFrom scholarships for first-generation students, to support for student travel and real-world N Map not to scale PARK AVENUE opportunities, to innovative team-teaching, donor support elevates every aspect of OWU. CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES EDWARDS GYMNASIUM Investing in our students Investing in our professors Capital improvements Investing THE OWU CONNECTION SCHOLARSHIPS RECRUIT AND RETAIN FACULTY INNOVATION: SLOCUM HALL/CAREER SIMPSON QUERREY FITNESS RESIDENTIAL in each day AND FINANCIAL AID THE VERY BEST NEW AND ENHANCED CONNECTIONS CENTER CENTER, MERRICK HALL 22 Special feature GOAL: $35 MILLION GOAL: $10 MILLION ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAMS This innovative curricular GOAL: $50 MILLION GOAL: $25 MILLION GOAL: $10 MILLION A fold-outFULLY FUNDED map of campusOur unique living-learning highlights the areasGOAL: $35 that MILLION have been or will be supported program helps students Whether need-based or Help OWU recruit, foster, and GOAL: $12 MILLION The OWU Career Connections environments nurture students As we look to our bright BRANCH RICKEY ARENA connect academic theory merit-based, scholarships develop our greatest asset — With the creation of new Center will be dedicated to as collaborative, socially aware future together, we also GOAL: $3 MILLION Paths Background Trees Reds (brick) with real-world practice in and other financial aid can the people who educate, majors and degrees to meet fostering pathways from the bycitizens. the The campaign.newly opened (Can remainyou committed find to the Bishop?) a global context, through be the deciding factor in shape, and inspire our leaders the shifting demands of classroom to meaningful The eye-catching structure, Gillespie Honors House and maintaining our historic BRANCH RICKEY ARENA Travel-Learning Courses the college decision. Aid of tomorrow. We look ahead today’s incoming students, employment. Its location in named after the legendary three small living unit (SLU) campus on a day-to-day and Theory-to-Practice alumnus who helped break duplexes, including the Dittrick for returning students can to attracting the most promis- as well as the continued Slocum Hall near Admission basis. From landscaping to Dark blue Light blue Yellows Limestone tones (Slocum) Grants. Students also help ensure that students ing new educators to our enrichment of The OWU will send a clear signal to baseball’s color barrier, opened House and the Jim and Eilleen building maintenance, to MEEK AQUATICS apply classroom learning who love their OWU academic tradition, as well as Connection, our faculty prospective students and their in 1976. Renovation of the Dicke House, as well as the faculty and sta salaries, AND RECREATION CENTER through OWU Career experience but struggle retaining our existing talent in continually demonstrate their families that students will be iconic arena would give our planned new House of Black annual giving touches each Connections, career- student-athletes a new home Culture, are all thanks to financially are able to an increasingly competitive forward-thinking academic ready for their first job upon part of OWU, each day. Windows and roofs Warm grays (University Hall) related internships. complete their degrees. professional market. creativity and curiosity. completion of their degree. court on which to shine. leadership30 gifts. Celebrating 175 years ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK KASTNER A look back at OWU in pictures Browns Cool grays (Merrick) Departments 02 LEADER’S LETTER 29 OWU TIMESCAPES 34 FACULTY NOTES 04 LETTERS 32 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 36 CLASS NOTES 05 FROM THE JAYWALK 34 CALENDAR 46 THE FINAL WORD ON THE COVER: A planned OWU Career Connection Center in Slocum Hall will help further realize the University’s commitment to providing pathways to meaningful work after graduation. Photo: Mark Schmitter ’12, styling by Gregg Blume, Jay R. Blankenship 2 | OWU Leader’s Letter Charting our bold path forward: undergraduate research). Toward this academic buildings and athletics THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY end, we will add significantly to our new facilities, and enriching the residential CONNECT TODAY, CREATE TOMORROW OWU Career Connection and guarantee campus where the students spend the that every student has the opportunity largest amount of time. n 1842, the Rev. Adam Poe and a the accomplishments in response to us cannot even imagine. to complete a robust internship or I am thrilled with and humbled by group of Delaware, Ohio, visionaries those values, and to acknowledge the This is a season when the values of a I research experience in preparation for a the early results of the Connect Today, imagined the formation of a university countless people who have shaped this liberal arts education are more important WINTER 2018 | Volume 94 Issue N0. 3 meaningful job and a fulfilling life. Create Tomorrow campaign, which that would bring education to a new institution throughout its storied past. than ever. And it is a season when our Our democratic society is built on the surpassed the $140 million mark before spot on the American frontier. One- The dedication of the Gillespie Honors society, more than ever before, hungers www.owu.edu/alumni proposition that education is the ladder our public launch and was nearing $145 hundred-and-seventy-five years House and the recognition of nine for a new generation of moral leaders for Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Online Community of opportunity and should be accessible million as this issue went to press. (For later, Ohio Wesleyan University is the individuals and families for induction into a global society. In short, it is a season Vice President for University Advancement to all qualified students. With family the latest on campaign progress and heir to a legacy that has prepared the Founders’ Circle reminded us of the that calls for the values inherent in an Colleen Garland incomes stagnant and with dramatic priorities, visit owu.edu/campaign.) transformational leaders who have more recent legacies that sustain and OWU education, and for the leadership Chief Communications Officer characteristic of OWU alumni. Will Kopp It is toward these high purposes THE CONNECT TODAY, CREATE TOMORROW CAMPAIGN Editor that our celebratory weekend turned its WILL LEAD OHIO WESLEYAN INTO THE DYNAMIC AND Molly Vogel attention from a historic milestone to a [email protected] course for Ohio Wesleyan’s future and RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD OF THE FUTURE, ALLOWING Director of Alumni Relations to the resources necessary to achieve OWU TO FULFILL ITS HIGH CALLING AS A PREMIER Katie Webster its destiny. The Connect Today, Create UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITY THAT EDUCATES LEADERS Class Notes Editor Tomorrow campaign is the largest Amanda Zechiel-Keiber ’09 fundraising campaign in OWU history. FOR EVERY SECTOR OF OUR SOCIETY. [email protected] As its name suggests, this campaign will Editorial Assistant lead Ohio Wesleyan into the dynamic Anna L. Davies ’19 demographic changes in our society, the More importantly, I am inspired by the and rapidly changing world of the future, single largest element of the Connect lofty vision shared by our Board of Copy Editor allowing OWU to fulfill its high calling as Today, Create Tomorrow campaign Trustees and faculty. It is this vision for Andrew Sterling a premier undergraduate university that is endowments to provide financial the future that drives our campaign, educates leaders for every sector of our Designer assistance for academically talented and it is this vision that allows Ohio Walker Design & Marketing society. students whose families simply are Wesleyan to retain its historic position Throughout its history, the heart Contributing Photographers unable to fully fund a college education. as a beacon of hope for an increasingly Sara Blake, James DeCamp, Lisa DiGiacomo, and soul of Ohio Wesleyan has been This commitment serves our students; it complex, interrelated, and interesting Cole Hatcher, Maddie McGarvey, reflected in the strength of its teaching Mark Schmitter ’12, Paul Vernon, Reilly Wright ’20 also advances the common good. world. faculty. We must ensure that we continue Our physical campus is our laboratory As you read this issue of OWU Contributing Writers to recruit and retain the very best faculty, Anna L. Davies ’19, Kathy Lynn Gray, Molly Vogel for learning. While the digital age offers Magazine, I invite you to consider your President Rock Jones (center) chats with Cara Harris ’18, who traveled to Uruguay on a faculty who are devoted to students and Theory-to-Pratice Grant in May and will serve as president of Wesleyan Council on Student important opportunities for learning place in this legacy, and I invite you to Editorial Board to the enterprise of teaching, who ensure Affairs in 2018. Pictured behind, from left: Ahmed Hamed ’19 and Ben Whitbourn ’19. through technology, there remains no join us as, together, we Connect Today, Dale Brugh, Mike Plantholt, excellence in our curriculum, and who Eugene Rutigliano, Nancy Bihl Rutkowski substitute for the experience of engaged, and Create Tomorrow.