Otterbein College Alumni Newsletter

Alumni Out and About
Have you recently gathered with fellow Otterbein alumni? Send us a photo
and we will post it in future issues of Cardinal Connections.

	Members of the comedy improv troupe, Devil's Dancebelt, after winning an improv contest in NYC on Sept. 6. (L to R: Ben Hauck '98, Victoria Libertore '98, Casey Weaver '96, Joe Mathers, Ryan Migge '97, Rebecca Lupardo and Brian MacInnis.)
	Alumni and friends of Otterbein watched Otterbein athletic teams during Community Athletics Day on Sept. 23. The Alumni Club of Westerville provided free photos with Cardy and the cheerleading squad. (Left: Bill Freeman '57, center, ready to cheer on the Cardinals.)
	Students had a great time at Senior Night Out on Sept. 27. Alumni from the Class of 2006 attended as special guests.The event was hosted by the Offices of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, and the Campus Programming Board. (More photos...)
	Homecoming 2006 October 7 was a beautiful day for Homecoming...and it didn't rain! (Photos from Homecoming '06) (L to R: Pat Merryman '68, Karen Summers Jayne '68, and Linda Spicer Beckner '69 at the Clements Recreation Center.)
	Class of 1996 friends gathered at Bar Louie in Columbus for a mini-reunion. (L to R: Phil Steele, Mark Buckingham, Kris Gossett, Chris Smiley, and Russ Beitzel)

Sarah's Corner was dedicated at the Courtright Memorial Library in honor of Sarah Rose Skaates Gorsuch '56. during Homecoming.

(L to R: Sonya Stauffer Evans '56, Bill Evans '56, Louise Schultz and Margaret Lloyd Trent '65)

(More about Sarah's Corner)


	Viva Italia! A total of 85 alumni and friends toured the Tuscany region of Italy in October. Sites visited included Siena, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii and Rome. The trip received great reviews. Dianna Ball had this to say about the experience, "Does it get better than this? Great people, great food, great scenery! And we got to leave the driving to someone else!"
More photos from Italy coming soon.


Word of the day: Wan•der•lust \ a strong desire to travel; having an itch to get out and see the world. Do you have the desire to travel? Do you crave adventure? Leave the planning to us and hit the road with Otterbein in 2007. Follow the links for more information and ways to ease your wanderlust.
Outdoor Adventures Hiking, kayaking, kumbayah...	Cardinal Migration Historic Savannah is waiting for you...	The Big Apple New York, New York, a wonderful town...	Inimitable Ireland When Irish eyes are smiling...

Get Involved
Would you like to stay connected with Otterbein? The Office of Alumni Relations has organizations and activities that appeal to everyone. Listed below are just a few. If you see something that interests you submit a Get Involved form online. It's that easy!

Otterbein Alumni Clubs of...
Akron/Canton, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Ft. Myers, New York & Westerville

Alumni Networks including...
African American Alumni Network, Alumni Book Club, Friends of Music, Honors Program Alumni, MBA Network, Otterbein Broadcasting Network & Theatre Alumni

Did You Know?
Because many alumni are now parents of students at Otterbein (where does the time go?) we want to share information about the Parent Advisory Council (PAC). PAC is a group of committed parents who help recruit new students, assist families in transition to Otterbein, and provide support and feedback for college services and programs. Each summer PAC works with the Office of Alumni Relations on the annual Summer Send-off Cookouts to welcome the new students. Parents (or guardians) of Otterbein students have an open invitation to attend PAC meetings and functions. The next PAC meeting is Saturday, November 11 at 9:45 a.m. in the Campus Center.

PAC also offers Tender Care Packages (TCP) for students. TCP are delivered to students during the last week of classes. They have a variety of snacks, candy, and helpful tools for final exam week. This year you can even upgrade the TCP with an Otterbein t-shirt! Go to the PAC website to order a TCP.

Legacy Students
L to R: Sheridan Carr ’06, Shannon Carr ’08, Mark Cook ’05, Michelle Mohler ’06, Mark Cook ’05, Leslie Nash ’08, Katie Starling ’07 (on ladder)


Central Ohio alumni know his voice from his nightly broadcasts on 610 WTVN. Get to know the rest of the story about the alumnus behind your radio dial when you read about Joel Riley '86.
Helping people to help others is the passion and career of Dave Thomas '69.

Call for Nominations for the 2007 Alumni Awards
For over 50 years, Otterbein Alumni Awards have honored individuals who have demonstrated Otterbein's excellence through their outstanding achievements. Perhaps you know of someone who is worthy of recognition. Honor them with a nomination. (more)

The nomination deadline is December 4, 2006.

(Pictured at left: Shirley Amos Hodapp '56, recipient of the 2006 Community Service Award, with Rick Dorman during Alumni Weekend 2006.)

2nd Annual Otterbein Crafts Bazaar
Start your holiday shopping early at the 2nd Annual Otterbein Crafts Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Campus Center Lounge. The bazaar features handmade items only. It is sponsored by the Otterbein Support Staff Council. All proceeds benefit the Westerville Caring and Sharing program. For more information, contact Gina Kosmo.

Strike up the band!
The Otterbein College Cardinal Marching Band under the direction of Russell McCutcheon will present a concert performance on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Rike Center. It will feature performances by the O-Squad, the Cardinal Color Guard and the Cardinal Twirlers. The event is free and open to the public.

When you care enough to send the very best
With the holidays just around the corner U.S. servicemen and women throughout the world will long for the comforts of home. Megan Karr Magoon '05 recently approached the Office of Alumni Relations with a way to bring a little joy to our soldiers. Megan's husband, currently on his third deployment, this time to Afghanistan, has told heartbreaking stories about the soldiers who never receive mail from home. As her husband puts it, "It's like Christmas here when we get mail."

You can make a difference for these men and women by sending them care packages, cards or letters. If you would like to help, please contact Megan Magoon by e-mail at megan.magoon@us.army.mil and she will provide the address of a soldier overseas.

Kudos to...

Otterbein College for being named one of 13 finalists for President George W. Bush’s “Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll” in October. Of 500 schools across the nation to apply for the honor, Otterbein was the only finalist from Ohio. The award honored the 58 percent of Otterbein students who participate in community service-learning activities.

“This award is a special honor because it recognizes not just one or two of our programs but rather the College’s comprehensive commitment to civic engagement and service-learning,” said Melissa Kesler Gilbert, director of Otterbein’s Center for Community Engagement. The Center administers the majority of the College’s service programs. (press release)

Don Myers '52 of Canton, OH who brought home 10 Senior Olympics Medals from the Ohio Senior Olympics event earlier this year. He competed in a wide range of events, ranging from the 400-meter dash to the triple jump, the pole vault, and even shuffleboard.

Otterbein men's and women's golf programs for being ranked in the top 25 across all NCAA divisions by Golf Digest in its "Academic First" rankings.

Otterbein women's volleyball team for earning the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2005-06 academic year. The award honors college teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative G.P.A.

Jacob (Jake) Widman '09 for being one of the top 10 finalists in the Big Bopper Dance Topper contest, presented by the Broadway show "Hairspray." Jake submitted a 30-second dance clip to one of the songs from "Hairspray" for the contest and now he needs your votes! You can view his submission online and vote at www.hairspraythemusical.com/dance. The winner of the contest will be flown to New York to dance on Broadway for one magical night!