Piece of Ukraine on Otterbein’s Campus
Ukrainian Independence Day is Aug. 24, and as citizens in their homeland continue to fight for independence, Ukrainians and Ukrainian Americans in central Ohio are finding community, sharing their culture, and spreading awareness of the ongoing fight for freedom. This year, the Ukrainian Cultural Association of Ohio (UCAO) cultivated a plot at the Otterbein Community Garden. UCAO Garden Leader Michael Litvinovich and UCAO member, Otterbein Associate Professor Megan Chawansky, share their reflections on communing at the garden. Michael Litvinovich UCAO…
Five Questions with a Rubik’s Cube Speedcuber
By Erica Bush ’25 In 1977, one of the most popular toys of all time was released: the Rubik’s Cube. July 13 is Rubik Day, a day to enjoy the Rubik’s Cube and celebrate the birthday of Ernő Rubik, the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube. A classic three-by-three Rubik’s Cube has over 43 quintillion possible combinations to be solved. Despite this, all Rubik’s Cubes can be solved in 30 or less moves. Kyle Miller, an Otterbein sophomore studying computer science…
Otterbein Rolls Out the Mats for the First Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Program in Central Ohio
Many athletes want to compete at the college level once they graduate from high school, but for women wrestlers the options are limited. “Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Right now, there are 50,000 participants at the high school level, and that number is increasing every year,” said Brent Rastetter, head coach of men’s wrestling at Otterbein. “More colleges are adding women’s wrestling, but there isn’t a lot of choice for women wrestlers yet.” Now…
Pride Month: Learn about the Stonewall Riots and Check out the Library’s Book List at Home
When did you first learn about the Stonewall Riots? When guest speaker Dwayne Steward posed this question to an audience at Otterbein at a presentation on June 16, most in attendance had not learned about the Stonewall Riots until college or even later in life — and most didn’t know very much about the historical event. The Stonewall Riots, which took place in NYC in 1969, are widely considered to be the watershed event that kicked off the activist movement…
Q&A: How Studying Abroad Helped a Student Discover New Passions
Each May, Otterbein students have the opportunity to study abroad on one of many different faculty-led travel courses traveling all around the world. Students and faculty experience the culture of a different country first-hand while applying what they’ve learned in the classroom through activities in the chosen country. Academic subjects include art, history, education, and more. This year, one of the study abroad courses traveled to Athens, Greece, and Barcelona, Spain, to study art and art history. The trip lasted…
Q&A: Professor Takes Unique Path from Mathematician to Musician
Nicholas Ross, professor and chair of the Department of Music, recently had one of his digital recordings released on Spotify. This album is a collaborative piece of Swiss composer Arthur Honegger’s music. Ross shares the story of his unique career path, the process of recording this work, and some background on Honegger: Mélodies et chansons, his recently released work on Spotify. Where are you from? I was born in West Yorkshire, England. My family is Irish, and most of them…
Otterbein Music Faculty Member Honored by MTNA as a Foundation Fellow
Suzanne Newcomb, Department of Music piano accompanist, has had a prestigious music education fellowship established in her name for her decades-long impact on the lives of fellow music teachers in central Ohio. The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) formally recognized Newcomb as a Foundation Fellow on March 27, 2023, at the MTNA Gala, during their National Conference held in Reno, NV. Founded in 1876, MTNA is a nationwide organization for the support, growth, and empowerment of music-teaching professionals. MTNA supports…
Cool Courses: ASL Instructor Incorporates Advocacy into her Dream Course
In fall semester 2022, Victoria Frisch received the Teaching in Excellence Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award. She teaches American Sign Language, Integrative Studies (INST), and Senior Year Experience (SYE) classes, and serves as the advisor of the Otterbein Deaf Culture Club. She considers advocacy to be one of the most important aspects of ASL. To bring that to life, she teaches a unique Senior Year Experience Course. Name of course: SYE 4407: Silence and the Golden Years, Engaging the Language and Culture…
Nationwide Executive, Otterbein Trustee Networks with Students and Faculty
Otterbein University’s entire community is committed to the career success of its students — from the professors to the support staff and even members of the board of trustees. Otterbein Board of Trustees member and Chief Audit Executive at Nationwide, Greg Jordan During spring semester, Otterbein Board of Trustees member and Chief Audit Executive at Nationwide, Greg Jordan, hosted an on-campus information session about internal audit-related career opportunities at Nationwide — complete with pizza and soda! He also brought four…
“I Do, I Do” Want to See You at the Otterbein Summer Theatre Season Premiere
Toes will be tapping across the newly restored stage of the Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall when Otterbein Summer Theatre opens its 2023 season with “I Do, I Do, A Musical About Marriage,” running June 1-4 and June 8-10. “I Do, I Do” is a musical valentine and celebration of a marriage written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (The Fantasticks). It is the touching story spanning 50 years of two soulmates, Agnes and Michael, as they navigate the perils…
Otterbein Students Make Up 30% of Inductees in National Honor Society and Present Research at National Conference
By Erica Bush ’25 This past March, six Otterbein students were inducted into Chi Omega Lambda, the honor society of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) in Seattle. This year, only 20 students nationwide were inducted into Chi Omega Lambda — meaning Otterbein students represent 30% of the new class. The six students inducted were Olivia Brickey, Olivia Miller, Mason Nolan, Kaitlin Dean, Jenna McPeek and Ashni Patel. The induction ceremony was held during the ASBMB yearly…
Otterbein Alumnus Inspires and Finds Inspiration as Columbus City Schools Music Teacher
By Erica Bush ’25 Otterbein music alumnus Kendell Edgerton’21 has found himself in a job that allows him to educate, inspire, and lead all at once. Edgerton is a music teacher at Starling K-8 School in Columbus City Schools teaching middle school instrumental music. Edgerton graduated from Otterbein with a degree in music education and says that Otterbein’s connections and proximity to Columbus made all the difference for him in his search for jobs and networking. “Just by being in…
Senior Athletic Training Students Advance to the National Athletic Trainers Association Quiz Bowl
By Erica Bush ’25 After a fierce competition at the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association (GLATA) Quiz Bowl, three senior athletic training students will advance to compete in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Quiz Bowl in June in Indianapolis. The competition started for three Otterbein students — Leah McNutt, Mamadu Nabe, and Olivia Teague — in November 2022 at the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association (OATA) Quiz Bowl, which they won. Two other athletic training seniors, Kalie Siereveld and Courtney…
How is a Philosophy and Religion Major or Minor Perfect for a Future Doctor, Lawyer, Software Engineer, and More?
By Erica Bush ’25 When considering what major to study, many students choose one with a career in mind, so they may overlook a versatile degree like philosophy and religion. We asked Assistant Professor Alex Rocklin, Department of Philosophy and Religion, why students should consider studying philosophy and religion at Otterbein. What specific jobs are out in the market for people with an undergraduate degree in philosophy and religion? Career outcomes are so much more diverse than most people realize.…
Cool Courses: Otterbein’s President and First Lady Want You to Learn about Civic Engagement
If you want more face time with Otterbein’s president, all you have to do is take his course! President John Comerford and his wife, Rachel, teach a Senior Year Experience course about civic engagement and leadership before sending them off into their careers with a professional network many people would envy! And they do it while providing the strong support and life lessons that students get from all their professors at Otterbein. Are you ready to enroll so you can…
