THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Fall 2015 A NEW DAY for Merrick Hall PagePage 12 12 10 Business, 18 Under 35 and 24 OWU’s History 28 OH-WOO Buildings, and Bikes On Their Way in China Rocks! MAY 2015 GRADUATION Ohio Wesleyan celebrated its 171st Commencement on May 10 with historic Merrick Hall as the backdrop. More than 350 OWU students became OWU alumni during the ceremony. 12 18 24 28 Features 12 A Regal Rebirth Merrick Hall’s renovation was a milestone in the making. Today the historic building transforms the campus community in ways that preserve OWU’s past and propel its future. 18 Under 35 and On Their Way Six risk-taking alums take on the business world with their own start-up companies, from digital networking sites to healthy ice pops for kids. Putting a liberal arts education into practice is clearly helping these young entrepreneurs succeed. 24 Of Missionaries and Educators OWU’s mission service in China began as early as 1860. Since then, and despite years of political upheaval, says Ezra Vogel ’50, OWU’s legacy has had educational and service impact, including in music and medicine. 28 OH-WOO Rocks! By day, OWU professors light up the classroom with discussions on history, politics, philosophy, and classic literature. By night, several of them also light up local stages performing classic rock tunes to standing-room-only crowds. Departments 02 LEADER’S LETTER 10 COMFORT ZONES 35 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 03 LETTERS 27 ALUMNI PROFILE 36 CLASSNOTES 05 FROM THE JAYWALK 33 OWU TIMESCAPES 46 CALENDAR 08 GIFTS AND GRATITUDE 34 BISHOP BATTLES 48 THE FINAL WORD 09 IN WRITING ON THE COVER: Merrick Hall on the first day of classes. Cover photo Larry Hamill 2 | OWU Leader’s Letter THE LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION AT OWU Ignites the entrepreneurial spirit orbes magazine recently published curriculum that requires students to think You also will read about the fabulous F a list of the most entrepreneurial for themselves, to pose questions for renovation of Merrick Hall, which colleges in America. The publication which there may be no clear answers, to reopened this summer and is home ranked the colleges explore complex problems from multiple to The OWU Connection. Merrick Hall and universities perspectives, to value both analytical will be the place where students find “based on the thought and creative expression, and to support to design experiences that entrepreneurial communicate persuasively while learning reflect their personal interests and that ratios—the total to listen empathetically to those with connect their classroom learning with number of alumni other points of view. These traits become practical, real-world experience. The and students who the marks of leadership and the qualities OWU Connection provides students with have identified of an educated citizen. opportunities to extend their education themselves as The creative, entrepreneurial spirit is through travel-learning courses, founders and the backbone of this country. Innovation internships, undergraduate research, business owners on LinkedIn, divided drives advancement that touches cross-cultural experiences, service by the school’s student body.” Ohio every aspect of our collective human learning, and independently-designed Wesleyan ranked No. 17 in the experience, improves the quality of study-travel experiences, many of which country—and No. 1 in Ohio. life, and strengthens the structures of are supported financially by generous Ohio Wesleyan has a long history societies. The Forbes list is a powerful donors. of producing alumni who embody the reminder that the best preparation for As students design an education entrepreneurial spirit. I have met many entrepreneurial accomplishment happens that reflects their passions and their alumni across the country who share a individual learning objectives, they bring similar story—at some point in life they the entrepreneurial spirit to their OWU chose to leave the security of a job in THE FORBES LIST AFFIRMS education. They create experiences that order to pursue a dream. They took the enrich their learning and prepare them for risk, perhaps stumbled a time or two THAT A LIBERAL ARTS success in their chosen field of endeavor. along the way, and with tireless effort and EDUCATION HAS When people question the value the support of many people, saw an idea ENORMOUS SOCIAL of a liberal arts education, they often take shape and fulfilled a dream. I am not are concerned with the outcomes that surprised to see Ohio Wesleyan listed BENEFIT AS MEASURED accompany a liberal arts degree. Last fall among the most entrepreneurial colleges IN ENTREPRENEURIAL we surveyed alumni who graduated the in America. previous spring. With a high response Perhaps more interesting is ACTIVITY. rate, we learned that 97 percent of the the fact that 17 of America’s top 20 class of 2014 were enrolled in graduate entrepreneurial colleges are members of at places like Ohio Wesleyan. A liberal school or engaged in full-time jobs or the Annapolis Group, an association of arts education prepares students to internships. Our graduates get jobs. And the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. pursue their passions and to make a they create jobs that build our economy At a time when some in the media and difference in the world, indeed, to change and strengthen the fabric of our society. in public office question the value of a the world. Our founders established Ohio liberal arts education, the Forbes list This issue of OWU Magazine was Wesleyan’s mission as a liberal arts affirms that a liberal arts education has planned long before Forbes published university. Our mission is enduring, and enormous social benefit as measured in its list, but the content of the magazine the impact is great. Thank you for your entrepreneurial activity. reflects the Forbes ranking. Here you will affirmation of this noble and historic A liberal arts education challenges read a handful of stories of young alumni mission. students to hone the creativity, ingenuity, who have embraced the entrepreneurial determination, persistence against spirit. We could have told numerous the odds, and other characteristics other stories in their place. And our necessary for entrepreneurial success. entrepreneurs reflect virtually every major Rock Jones These characteristics are shaped by a in the curriculum. President, Ohio Wesleyan University Leader’s Letter Letters OWU Journalism Stars and I was fortunate enough to have THE MAGAZINE OF OHIO THE LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION AT OWU The journalism article (Spring 2015) is been placed in that class, along with WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY great. I especially like the magazine other freshmen and quite a number of Ignites the entrepreneurial spirit cover! Perfect. upperclass students. While we were —Tom Goodman ’76 reading classics like “Young Goodman Brown,” I got the idea that I could do Honoring Quentin some honors work in the course and FALL 2015 | Volume 92 Issue N0. 2 I thought that the article in your spring went to Libby with a proposal to write issue on OWU journalism graduates some poetry about early American was wonderful, but I must concede society. www.owualumni.com that I liked the article in that issue She readily agreed to this, and I set Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Online Community on Quentin Brelsford even more. out to write some narratives in verse. Ohio Wesleyan has produced many A week or two later I met with Libby to Vice President for University Advancement legendary track and field athletes over go over my poems, and knowing what Colleen Garland the years—Bob Davis, Bert Reuss, I know now about poetry, I admire her Dit Kane, John Gutknecht—but in my considerable self-control. She kindly Editor and Chief Communications Officer Will Kopp opinion, Brelsford is the greatest of informed me that my poetry really wasn’t poetry. Actually the word she all of them. In my day at OWU, The Director of Alumni Relations used was “nothing.” She gave me some Transcript had bound volumes of past Katie Webster years, and I spent a lot of time back instruction about what poetry is really then reading about Brelsford and the about, and we agreed that I might try Managing Editor others. Thank you for writing about him. again another quarter. Lisa Lopez Snyder —Roger Allaway ’67 While I had a number of memorable professors at OWU, Libby may have Class Notes Editor More Memories of Libby Reed left the strongest impression because Amanda Zechiel-Keiber ’09 [email protected] While I’m sure others mean well, I am she helped me wake up to the fact struck by references (Spring 2015) that I wasn’t in high school anymore. I had no more classes with her, but her Designer to Libby Reed’s “red pen” and the Walker Design & Marketing “rigor” of her instruction. I remember American Image course (and her kind Mrs. Reed’s gentle humor and critique of my poetry) taught me more Editorial Assistant encouragement as well as her high of literature’s value than all of my high Abby Hanson standards. school English classes. In 1966, unsure of my major but After graduating, I had little contact Contributing Writers eager to take literature courses, I with Libby. I did, however, continue my Pam Besel, Cole Hatcher enrolled in both her American Image literary education in a verse-writing and Short Story and Novella courses. In course with Bob Flanagan, and I have Contributing Photographers continued writing off and on, for many Larry Hamill, Mark Schmitter ’12, both, she provided not only stimulating Paul Vernon lectures but also many questions, years now. My next and last contact with encouraging independent thought. In Office of University Communications American Image, I asked if researching Libby came when my wife Mary (Hunt) (740) 368-3335 the Southern Appalachian roots of the Newcomb ’79, died in April of 2006.