Otterbein Editorial Staff, Author at Otterbein University Towers

Otterbein Faculty Members Offer an Inside View into the Olympics

Olympics Interview

In 2020, the global pandemic postponed the Tokyo Olympics, dashing the hopes of athletes who had been training for years for a chance to compete with other athletes from around the world. This year, the Olympic Games are on track for competition without public spectators, but the pandemic could still derail those plans. How does this disappointment and uncertainty affect an Olympic athlete? How do athletes prepare for the Olympics? Two Otterbein faculty members have answers to those questions and more.

Associate Professor Bruce Mandeville

Associate Professor Bruce Mandeville competed in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games, two World Championships (1994 and 2002), and two Pan American Games (1999 and 2003) as a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team. He is an accomplished coach and dressage horse trainer. He has coached students in the North American Young Riders Championship (NAYRC) to a gold and bronze medal. At Otterbein, he teaches equine business management courses, including sustainable practices, equine center design, and equine law, among others.

Q: As an athlete, what does it take to prepare mentally and physically for Olympic competition?

Mandeville: For major competitions, athletes (and the horses) try to peak at the right time, not too early or late. Physical peak is easier to monitor and attain than mental peak. Having delays of even hours or days can influence a competitor’s mental state. Having months of uncertainly would be disarming. With two team members (rider and horse), there are many more physical and mental variables to consider. Preparation takes a village, including sports psychologists, which are often part of the traveling team.

Physically, national team members, during my years, were given physical therapy sessions to help with pains and strains. I also had a sports masseuse and osteopathist attend major competitions. Outside of competitions, my horse often got more medical attention than I did (those approaches and techniques I use today in my equine therapies classes).

Q: What should people know about the experience of competing in the Olympics?

Mandeville: The Olympics offers a unique atmosphere. The Olympic Village is often not accessible to all sports due to the various venue locations. Equestrians need land, so we rarely get to be in the village. The different countries identified by sportswear in the restaurants and gyms is memorable and exhilarating. Often, lifetime friends are made.

The Olympics also represent extreme stress — mental and physical, not only on the athlete but his/her support group. Finding a life partner or friends who understand the commitment and sacrifices poses a huge hurdle. Another stress is that just one thing could go wrong: a horse misstep in training, for example, and *poof* — that opportunity is gone.

Life after the Olympics can be tough. Athletes often suffer mentally and physically, including gaining
weight from not being on the same workout regime after retiring from the sport. The bright side is that the Olympics undoubtedly change athletes’ lives, and opens doors, opportunities, and new experiences.

Q: How has the pandemic changed Olympic qualification?

Mandeville: The postponement will affect athletes differently. Some will be advantaged, others not. Equestrians work in four-year cycles: World Championships, Pan American Games, then Olympics, followed by a year off. A certificate of capability is required to compete. For individual riders (not the team qualification), those required results last for 12 months. Team results from the Pan Ams and Worlds will qualify a country to send a team. Having a postponement creates chaos in this system, which is designed to keep riders safe.

The major competitions where one qualifies are “on again, off again” due to changing COVID circumstances; canceled competitions limit where equestrians can get qualified for the Olympics. On the bright side, riding horses is pretty COVID friendly — open riding areas (even indoors) offer plenty of airflow, and horses require social distancing (standing too close can get you kicked). COVID challenges many aspects of life, but equestrians benefit from still being able to ride during the pandemic.

Senior Instructor Denise Shively

Senior Instructor Denise Shively teaches public relations and health communication courses in the Department of Communication, as well as First Year Experience, Integrative Studies and Senior Year Experience courses. When she isn’t teaching, she is involved in artistic swimming, formerly known as synchronized swimming. She is the current president of USA Artistic Swimming and has been working closely with the national team that is hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games. In previous roles as vice president of the U.S. Synchronized Swimming board of directors and as an international team manager, she traveled with Team USA to many World Championships, three Pan American Games, and the 2008 Olympic Games.

Q: How long have you been working with artistic swimming champions?

Shively: I was asked in 2003 to serve as a team manager for our junior national team. Following the Junior World Championships in 2004, I “moved up” with the coaches and some of the team members to the senior level. Those are the athletes who ended up training for the 2008 Olympic Games. As a national team manager, I handled logistics for and represented the team officially at international competitions. That meant I was booking flights and ground transportation, securing hotel rooms, helping on deck during training, and supporting the team in any way that was non-coaching. Now as president of USA Artistic Swimming, I chair the board of directors and work to bring visibility and support to our members and the sport.

Q: What does it take to manage athletes at the Olympics?

Shively: As the manager at an international competition, I work with the coaches to figure out what time to walk to the bus, attend very tightly timed practice sessions in the pool, watch film of practice, get back on the bus, eat, recover, and repeat the next day. Schedules are prepared to the minute for each day. There’s no free time. People may not realize how many volunteers it takes to run such an event. That’s my favorite part of traveling internationally with the team. Often the volunteers are young adults or college students who want to practice their English. I have gotten to know so many young people from so many countries as a result of this experience and have kept in touch with many of them.

Q: How has the pandemic changed the way these athletes are preparing?

Shively: Our athletes were some of the leaders to embrace virtual training, especially land training. They organized sessions and invited athletes from around the world to join them. They were especially effective in building a supportive community of artistic swimmers whose training plans suddenly had to adapt. They worked with the international body FINA to host international land competitions. In February, the USA hosted a virtual World Series competition, the first of its kind.

Since the athletes are based in California, they had to follow state guidelines about returning to the pool and had to remain “in their bubble.” They often could not see family members or friends during holidays or other times of year to remain safe, healthy, and to be in compliance. Although that has been challenging, this group has remained focused on their goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games.

COVID-19 Vaccines Give Hope for Pandemic’s End

When Christopher Cordle ’69 was a self-described “farm boy” in the 1950s, he vividly recalls the oral polio vaccine program “Sabin on Sunday.” In the ’50s and early ’60s, polio vaccinations (developed by Jonas Salk) and oral polio vaccines (developed by Albert Sabin) were administered across the United States, and Cordle remembers going with his family to take his oral vaccine. Thanks to the successful vaccination programs, polio has not been seen in the U.S. since 1979.

Fast forward to 2020 and the world is in the middle of its worst pandemic in 100 years. Cordle watched as the United States and other countries raced to develop a vaccine to fight COVID-19. He was skeptical that mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccine technology would be effective and could be developed quickly, but later was ecstatic to find he was wrong.

“The new vaccines are so extraordinary,” Cordle said. “I thought to myself, ‘Are these guys crazy? That’s never going to work. There’s not a single mRNA vaccine approved for humans in the world.’ Boy was I wrong. The thing I love most in science is when my favorite prejudice or theory is dashed by new data.”

Cordle was raised in Knox County, OH, where he resides now. While attending Otterbein, the U.S. was dominated by the race to the moon. “The country was enamored by science,” Cordle said. He attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University as the government ramped up efforts to increase funding in science.

At Johns Hopkins, Cordle studied immunochemistry and immunology, the branch of biology that deals with the immune system. In 1980, he took a position as an immunochemist at Ross Labs, now Abbott Labs.

Although he retired from Abbott Labs in 2018, Cordle says he was mesmerized as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He closely followed the race to develop a vaccine to combat it.

“For the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the scientists and the people who laid the groundwork, certainly there will be some Nobel Prizes, and not only that, the thanks of the planet,” Cordle said. “The integration of all the research and development by Pfizer and Moderna is an extraordinary accomplishment in the timeframe it was accomplished in. They just said ‘Don’t worry about whose budget it is, just do this,’ and they did! These vaccines are safe and effective and, if fully used, will save millions of lives across the globe.”

As director of the Otterbein interdisciplinary program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Professor John Tansey also followed closely how quickly the vaccines were developed.

“There were already other coronaviruses that people knew about, such as SARS and MERS,” Tansey said. “We already had an idea about how these viruses work, what they bind to, and their life cycle. Because we’ve had these basic advances in the sciences, it just takes far less time to develop therapies now than it would even a few years ago.”

The coronavirus uses its spikes to bond to human cells and gain entry to the human body. The result can be serious illness and death. The vaccines will build up immunity against the virus.

Tansey said the difference between the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines is due to the differences in how the information in coronaviruses is delivered to the immune system.

While the mRNA technology used by Pfizer and Moderna is new, the viral vector technology of the
Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been used by scientists since the 1970s.

Cordle and Tansey agree that the mRNA vaccines are important developments in scientific history. The speed in which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed, and the massive implementation of vaccines in arms, is remarkable, they say. The COVID-19 vaccines are a big step in getting the U.S. back to the new normal.

But the vaccines have sparked political and trust issues in America too. “This is really just a human health issue and not a political one,” Tansey said.

Cordle agrees. “I think some people are naturally distrustful of anything new,” he said. “I think many people get information from bad sources. For this vaccine, because of the necessity to have it out there quickly, it’s created a push and so some people naturally push back.”

The vaccines have introduced an ethical dilemma for some Americans. Equity in access to vaccines is at the core of this discussion.

Otterbein Professor Stephanie Patridge teaches classes in ethics, philosophy of art, philosophy of race, and human rights.

“Assuming that the goal of mass vaccination is to save as many lives as possible, then we likely do have a moral reason to pay attention to things like socio-economic status, and racial or ethnic status,” Patridge said. “There is a significant amount of empirical data to suggest that phenomena like racial weathering — advanced aging caused by the intense stress of living in a racist society — and working in frontline and essential industries have a significant impact on who gets sick (primarily those of low socio-economic status and Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and how sick they will get.”

Will the vaccine get the U.S. back to normal?

“The vaccine will get us back to the new normal life,” Cordle said. “There will never be such a thing as the old ‘normal’ again. If you won’t get vaccinated, your future and the health of your family and friends is at risk. Please folks, get vaccinated, as soon as you can.”

Grace Weidenhamer ’23 is a health communication and public relations major from Westerville, OH. She plays on the Otterbein women’s soccer team and is on the executive board of Otterbein’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

The Class that Wasn’t Forgotten and the Class that Persisted

Celebrating 2020 and 2021 Graduates in One Weekend

Otterbein held five Commencement ceremonies to honor both the Classes of 2020 and 2021 on May 1 and 2. The weekend was a delayed celebration for the Class of 2020, 96.1% of whom were employed, enrolled in graduate school, or serving in the military within six months of graduation. For the Class of 2021, it marked the end of a difficult year full of obstacles they successfully overcame.

The decision to hold a ceremony for the Class of 2020 was an easy one. “The Class of 2020 was surveyed regarding an in-person or virtual commencement. Overwhelmingly, the class supported an in-person experience. Students wanted this special opportunity for family to see them walk across the stage and be recognized for their individual accomplishments,” said Steve Crawford, executive director of alumni and family engagement.

By Madelyn Nelson ’23
More than 750 graduates from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 crossed the stage in Memorial Stadium on May 1 and 2. President John Comerford (pictured) presided over the five ceremonies.

The celebration kicked off with annual events leading up to the weekend, including Lavender Graduation to honor LGBTQIA+ students and allies, Noble Transitions to celebrate multicultural students, and the Baccalaureate Ceremony, an opportunity for spiritual reflection before commencement. All of these ceremonies are available online at Otterbein Commencement Recap.

The graduate and undergraduate students of the Class of 2020 and the graduate students of the Class of 2021 were celebrated at two ceremonies on May 1. The undergraduates of the Class of 2021 were honored at three ceremonies on May 2.

With Memorial Stadium open at 30% capacity, each graduate received four tickets for immediate family to watch the ceremony in person, seated in pods with social distancing and facial coverings. All friends and family were invited to watch the special day via a livestream.

The weekend closed a chapter for the Class of 2020 and gave them the proper, formal Otterbein farewell that they deserve — a day that was a whole year in the making finally came to life.

After a year of challenges, the Class of 2021 celebrated the culmination of their time at Otterbein. They persisted through guidelines, adjusted to online formats, and took the monumental steps across the graduation stage. Now, diploma in hand, they are ready to take on the world.

The 2021 Undergrad Student Speakers

“The pandemic does not define our college experience; we have spent the last four years joining and leading sports teams, clubs, and other organizations while using our various skills to make a difference. We helped pave the way for future student leaders while also being molded into the ones we are today; we asked questions and we demanded change.”

Angel Banks

Psychology and criminology and justice studies major Angel Banks has been a student leader and strong advocate for issues of social justice and racial equality, serving as vice president of Student Government and president of the African American Student Union. Her ideal work is “building equitable and sustainable environments where people of minoritized backgrounds feel safe and are set up to succeed in life.

“Otterbein has given me such a strong foundation in every aspect of my life that I know I will only continue to grow and be a lifelong learner. It has given me a clear path to my dream career; has made me critically think not only in my classes but in my everyday life; has given me a support system that I will take with me after college; and has given me an opportunity to meet people who are different than myself and challenge my current beliefs.”

Gabby McGeorge

Biochemistry and molecular biology (pre-med) major Gabby McGeorge will be attending medical school to pursue a career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. On campus, she was president of the CardinalCorps Leaders, a group of students who excel academically and in service to others.

“I am not here to tell you that with hard work and dedication you can accomplish even the most unimaginable dream you may have. I am here to prove it to you. We have grown a lot and we will continue to grow. We will continue to take opportunities, but now we will also be able to create opportunities.”

Alex Natividad

Spanish and Latin American studies major Alex Natividad will be teaching Spanish in Columbus City Schools after graduation. His career hopes include, “being the best teacher in the world.” He wants to know his students as human beings and help them to find or create their own paths towards their goals.

GRADUATES BY THE NUMBERS

2020 Undergraduate

2020 Graduate

2021 Undergraduate

2021 Graduate

Inspiring Graduates of 2020 and 2021

“I started the Black Student-Athlete Union for the purpose of bringing support and security of the valuable experience Black student athletes have in this community now and in the future. I wanted to build an allyship in sustaining an inclusive athletic environment that takes contribution from all involved with Otterbein athletics.”

Phanawn Bailey ’21

Finance major Phanawn Bailey played midfield for the men’s lacrosse team for four years. He used his position as a student-athlete to advance equality on campus.

“My most valuable experience has been the time spent with knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated nursing professionals. My graduating peers and the Otterbein faculty have not only supported my education and learning, but have become treasured members of my family.”

Francesca Bryan-Couch DNP’21

Dr. Francesca Bryan-Couch is a care coordination chief for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her Doctor of Nursing Practice project was titled, Evaluating VA Nurse Acceptance of Virtual Healthcare Technology during the Coronavirus Outbreak.

“I’m excited to finally cross that stage, especially as the first woman in my family to do so. I’m thankful to Otterbein for not giving up on seeing graduation through for the class of 2020.”

Kaitlyn Brooks ’20

Despite the upended job market due to the pandemic, Kaitlyn Brooks turned an internship at TMH Solutions, LLC, into a full-time job after graduating in May 2020 with bachelor’s degrees in marketing and business administration and management. She served as a student trustee on Otterbein’s Board of Trustees, and she’s already giving back to her alma mater as a member of the Young Alumni Board.

“I chose to continue my education at Otterbein because they offered the 4+1 program for accountants. This allowed me to get my undergraduate degree in four years, then complete
my CPA exams and MBA in the following year. I was able to earn all three of the designations I wanted in my career in just five years because of the opportunities at Otterbein.”

Nick Hassinger ’20, MBA’21

Nick Hassinger is a back-to-back graduate, earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2020 and his master’s degree in 2021.

“Being a nursing major and growing up in a family full of healthcare workers, I wanted to shed light on what they were doing [during the pandemic]. With the virus, it was so much more than ordinary care, and being outside looking in, I didn’t feel that frontline workers had a voice. Writing Frontline was my attempt in giving them that voice.”

Devin Henry ’21

Nursing major Devin Henry wrote an original song to honor frontline workers fighting the pandemic. He aspires to work in a critical care unit with hopes of one day becoming a pediatric nurse anesthetist.

Class of 2020 Student speaker

“Amidst so many unknowns in the past year, I am beyond grateful that the Class of 2020 is being honored this May. While this might not be the graduation we expected, I am so excited that my classmates and I have been given the opportunity to return to Otterbein to celebrate together. I think this is the perfect example of Otterbein’s dedication to students and alumni.”

Katie Exline

Biology alumna Katie Exline is enrolled in The Ohio State University College of Optometry where she serves as the president of her optometry class.

Where are They Now?

Class of 2020 student speaker finalists are making their mark.

Maya Venkataraman

Maya Venkataraman ’20 is currently taking part in the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education’s online master’s degree in teaching with a concentration in K-12 English education. She hopes to teach English education in international high schools, primarily in Southeast Asia and Europe. She graduated with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and English creative writing.

Mina Zaky

Mina Zaky ’20 is currently enrolled in The Ohio State University Mortiz College of Law. He graduated from Otterbein with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and criminology and justice studies.

Dakota Brown

Mathematics alumnus Dakota (DJ) Brown ’20 turned an internship into a job at Grange Insurance, where he now works as an actuarial analyst. He is pursuing an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS) designation.

John Posey

Philosophy alumnus John Posey ’20 is currently on active duty with the National Guard, serving in central Ohio.
Learn more about his story >>

Madelyn Nelson ’23 is a public relations major from Coshocton, OH. She is involved with the Student Alumni Board, Host and Tour Program, and Sigma Alpha Tau. She is an intern in Otterbein’s Office of Marketing and Communications.

Commencement Albums

Class of 2020
Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement

Class of 2021
Undergraduate Commencement ceremony 2

Class of 2021
Graduate Commencement

Class of 2021
Undergraduate Commencement ceremony 3

Class of 2021
Undergraduate Commencement ceremony 1

Spring Fling: Otterbein Laces Up for Unique Semester of Athletic Competition

Nearly 20 varsity sports competing in the same semester during a pandemic. That’s exactly what Otterbein University and its Department of Athletics found a way to implement this spring.

Due to ongoing issues regarding COVID-19, the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) decided to postpone all fall/winter competition until after the calendar flipped.

“Athletics has a unique ability to shape people, especially younger student-athletes,” said Dawn Stewart ’98, vice president for student affairs and director of athletics. “Finding a way to implement that experience safely was very important, to keep them engaged and allow them opportunities to keep growing. I’m proud of everyone for staying the course and seeing this through.”

Unique conference-only schedules were devised for each sport. In compliance with OAC medical protocols, student-athletes and other Tier 1 personnel, including coaches, athletic trainers, and support staff, were tested either weekly or multiple times per week, depending on the sport. If a team’s positivity rate exceeded a certain threshold or enough “at-risk players” were missing due to contact tracing, a contest would be canceled.

“It’s certainly been tough,” said Colin Hartnett, men’s lacrosse coach. “You have to make sacrifices and ask college kids to do things that college kids don’t necessarily want to do. Sometimes you have answers and many other times you don’t. But I think each program, and our department as a whole, found leadership in multiple ways to help us remain focused.”

More than 450 student-athletes, and respective coaches, needed to get creative and share facilities even more than they already do. Schedules were compiled to use the Rike Center, Clements Center, Memorial Stadium, and other important spaces. Teams took turns practicing at 6 a.m. before class, and rotated in the late slot at 9 p.m. It wasn’t uncommon to see the stadium lights still on approaching midnight.

“I’m proud of the guys who stuck it out, and proud of our coaches for keeping us invested,” said junior linebacker Greg Nolder, a football team captain. “Sports has the power to bring people together and provides something to look forward to. No matter the circumstances, it’s so much fun being with my teammates.”

Support staffs were stretched thin. Athletic trainers helped oversee COVID testing while providing athletes with regular care. With no fans initially permitted at events, the Sports Information Office had to be creative through social media, website, and live video coverage to share the latest Cardinals news.

Otterbein TV rallied a crew, mostly comprised of students, to stream as many home games as possible online. Equipment, facility, and event management staff ran ragged. Administrators handled troubleshooting behind the scenes.

Otterbein Football in a Pandemic

Otterbein Women’s Basketball Set New Points Record

Beginning Jan. 22, women’s basketball launched the most hectic 18-week stretch in the history of Cardinal sports, setting a new program-best for most points in a single game on Jan. 23 against Marietta. The seasons started with no spectators, but a limited number of spectators was allowed just in time for Senior Night for men’s and women’s basketball.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said senior guard Abby Zerkle, becoming emotional when asked about seeing her parents back in the crowd. “This year has been difficult with a lot of uncertainty, ups and downs, you name it. Being able to have my family at a game meant everything.”

Attendance ultimately increased to a two-ticket allotment for each participant, and the competition became full throttle into March, April, and May. There was at least one event every day of the week. Frequently, multiple sports programs were suiting up at home or on the road in a 24-hour sequence.

Fall and winter sports played condensed schedules, and unfortunately saw their NCAA Championships canceled by Division III management.

Traditional spring sports, which were also impacted by the abrupt shutdown in 2020, attempted to play full slates as best they could.

Some teams were forced to play shorthanded at times due to illness. A handful of events were canceled or altered, but the Cardinals pressed on and spirit remained alive.

Fans who weren’t on the “pass list” found creative ways to set up outside the official premises to watch and cheer from beyond the gate.

“Our biggest takeaway has been gratitude,” softball coach Brooke Donovan said. “Gratitude for the game, teammates, coaching staffs, and overall opportunity to compete. We appreciate all that our athletic administration and University leadership did for us to be on the field. We tried our best to make it count.”

Ultimately, the NCAA issued a “blanket waiver” for all student-athletes in 2020-21, meaning they are not docked a year of eligibility. Some will utilize it and others will likely not, especially in Division III where there are no athletic scholarships.

There were victories, defeats, laughter, tears, thrills, heartbreaks, broken records, championship runs, and all that encompasses the natural character-building of athletic competition. Regardless of the circumstances, Otterbein found ways to play — with one another and for one another. They play for how it shapes people, for what it means to a college campus, and for a true love of the game.

Adam Prescott MSAH’15 is the sports information director at Otterbein, and has more than a decade of experience promoting the Cardinals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Mount Union and a master’s degree in allied health administration from Otterbein.

Theatre and Dance Adapts Fall Season

Like all of our programs, the Department of Theatre and Dance had to adapt how they teach, rehearse, and perform due to the pandemic. With the eyes of the public on their performances, the students adapted techniques, technology, and even costumes, to produce successful performances this fall. You can read about their three productions — The Theory of Relativity, An Enemy of the People, and Dance 2020: The Wild Within — at the links below.

Dance 2020: The Wild Within

An Enemy of the People

Leaving a Legacy

Alumni and friends who include Otterbein in their estate planning are celebrated through the 1847 Society. Planned gifts are vital to Otterbein’s future. We acknowledge and thank the following who have recently provided for the University:

Westerville resident and alumnus Steven Leonhardt MBA ’05 documented an estate bequest, estimated at $75,000, for Otterbein’s scholarship endowment fund. Steve and his wife, Julie, have been donors for more than 15 years contributing annually to the Otterbein Fund. Steve said, “The value of the MBA program at Otterbein and the interaction with peers during the program made this decision easy for me.” Steve works as a senior manager consultant for Sogeti USA.

Dr. Lynn Corbin ’75 has established through her estate The Edith Peters Corbin ’48 and Lynn Ann Corbin ’75 Fund for the Department of Music. The fund, estimated at $100,000, will support students with domestic or international touring costs. Lynn’s parents, Bob and Ede, were loyal Otterbein benefactors. This gift serves to honor their memories and their spirit of giving and service. Bob passed away in 2014 and Ede passed away in August 2019. This endowment comes from Lynn’s inheritance and commitment to also give back to the institutions that provided inspiration for her life and career. Lynn retired in 2018 after more than 42 years of teaching, including as a faculty member for several universities. At one time, she also was the music consultant for the Ohio Department of Education. She has been active as a choral director and professional singer in several churches and community choirs, most recently at First United Methodist Church of Madison, Florida, where she and her husband, Rollie Seiple, have lived for the past 15 years.

Last fall, Otterbein lost beloved Professor Emerita of Art, Joanne Miller Stichweh ’67. Her award-winning artwork was exhibited locally and regionally. Otterbein alumni from every decade credit Stichweh with inspiring their lives as artists and creators. She generously committed her estate, more than $600,000, to benefit The Frank Museum of Art and the Miller and Fisher Galleries at Otterbein. To honor her life and impact on countless students and fellow faculty and staff members, Otterbein University and the Department of Art and Art History dedicated the Joanne Miller Stichweh ’67 Gallery adjacent to the Miller Art Gallery located at 33 Collegeview Road. A formal dedication ceremony will be held in person once the University is permitted to host in-person events.

Joanne Miller Stichweh ’67

Office of Alumni and Family Engagement

New name, same great care and services

As we begin a new calendar year, the Office of Alumni Relations has updated its name to the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement to reflect its expanded commitment to serving Otterbein families, too. Alumni will not see a change in the programming and volunteer opportunities available. The team still will coordinate virtual and in-person events, work with 50th class reunions, and send regular communications crafted toward alumni. Parents and families of current students, though, will receive more targeted e-communications, experience an updated social media presence and see programs geared toward families. Why the change? Otterbein values the opportunity to work with families and students throughout the entire university experience and beyond. Our goal is to create a partnership with parents and families that enhances students’ success.

Check out the new family website at otterbein.edu/family.

Fun Getaway to the Finger Lakes

Not ready for overseas travel? Join us for a four-day tour of the beautiful New York Finger Lakes region of New York state, July 12-15, 2021. If you are an outdoor recreation enthusiast, a nature lover, a foodie, a wine or beer lover, or just enjoy being on the water, the Finger Lakes are a perfect destination for you! Highlights include the Bully Hill Winery, Corning Glass Museum, Belhurst Castle and Winery and the Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion.

For more information on either of these trips, please visit otterbein.edu/alumni.

Experience Ireland with Otterbein

Join fellow Otterbein alumni as we tour the Castles & Legends of Ireland, Sept. 21-Oct. 2, 2021. Spend 10 nights in Irish castles while experiencing the breathtaking beauty of the Cliffs of Moher, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Trinity College Book of Kells and so much more. Once again, we have partnered with our travel expert, Warther Tours, to provide you with a coast to coast luxury tour. The trip is limited to 30 participants, and deposits currently are being accepted. Otterbein and Warther Tours will continue to monitor the safety of traveling overseas, and the health of our travelers remains paramount. Full refunds are available if cancelled by June 21, 2021.

More details about the trip can be found at otterbein.edu/alumni.

Notable Giving News

Highlighting generosity within our Otterbein community

Step Up for Students

An exciting new opportunity has begun at Otterbein, called the Step Up for Students Challenge. Start your very own four-year scholarship, while making use of a limited time pool of matching donor funds.

This challenge is a part of The Otterbein Fund Scholarship Program, which provides direct assistance to offset tuition expenses for a student’s four-year undergraduate experience. The $10,000 Otterbein Fund Scholarship can be the deciding factor for whether a student enrolls or graduates on time. While alumni love the experience of setting up their own scholarship and corresponding with their student, for some, this charitable commitment is out of reach.

The Step Up for Students Challenge provides $3,000 in matching funds, making an Otterbein Fund Scholarship a real possibility for donors who want to make an impact. This $7,000 commitment gradually “Steps Up” a donor’s giving over the course of four years, while making a substantial difference in the life of a student at Otterbein. In 18 months, Otterbein’s goal is to establish 47 new scholarships, to reflect the year Otterbein was founded — 1847.

We would like to highlight some of our amazing donors who have already stepped up to the challenge: Dr. Chris Cordle ’69 and Dr. Susan Palmer ’70, Luis Navarro and Mary Navarro P’11, Virginia Phillippi Longmire ’55, and Annie Upper Ames ’86.

Many continue to fund the traditional Otterbein Fund Scholarship Program; new donors include James F. Boltz ’86 and Bernie Campbell ’61.

To learn more, please contact Kathleen Bonte, executive director of development, at kbonte@otterbein.edu or 614.823.2707.

1847 Minutes for Otterbein a Success!

Thank you to all 412 donors who accepted the 1847 Minutes for Otterbein challenge! Thanks to you, we exceeded our goal of 250 donors and set a new challenge giving record — $105,392 raised for Otterbein.

Now more than ever, we’re grateful for the community that has come together to make a difference for Otterbein, since its founding in 1847. Donors Brad Longo ’12 and Karissa Dahdah Longo ’12, shared why it was important to them as young alumni to pay it forward and support Otterbein.

“We are beyond grateful for Otterbein because it provided us with so many memorable experiences and relationships. It is important for us to give back so that Otterbein can continue to do the same for other students.”

Brad also gives his time by serving on the Young Alumni Board. We’re grateful to the Longos for their support.

Brad Longo ’12 and Karissa Dahdah Longo’12

Cowan Hall Dressing Room Renovations

In July 2020, the Chang Family gave a generous donation to fund dressing room renovations for the Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance. The renovations will provide an enhanced behind-the-scenes experience for our talented theater and dance students. The Changs, parents of Cameron Chang ’20, reside in San Diego, CA, and made the gift during their son’s senior year at Otterbein. “We are honored to give back to the Department of Theatre and Dance. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the outstanding faculty for their incredible training, guidance, and support our son was so fortunate to receive during his four years in the BFA Musical Theatre program at Otterbein.”
– Chang Family P’20

Cardinals Care in Times of Need

Otterbein has been humbled by the outpouring of support for our students since the pandemic began earlier this year. The effort to assist students was named “Cardinals Care” and donors to date have given more than $70,000 to help students with multiple areas including:

Student Emergency Fund to provide funding to Otterbein students who were challenged to afford housing, transportation, basic needs, and required resources for learning as a result of protective measures resulting from COVID-19.
Promise House to help combat food and resource insecurity for students.
Textbook Affordability to provide copies of textbooks from the library that can be reserved by Otterbein students who are challenged to afford textbooks.
Counseling Center to help ensure that any student who needs extra guidance from Otterbein counselors during this time has easy access to it.
Areas of Greatest Need to help Otterbein adapt operations to best serve students during COVID-19.

In August, Darrell Miller ’79 and his Columbus-based water treatment company, Aqua Science Inc., donated 600 gallons of hand sanitizer to keep Otterbein students healthy and safe as they returned to campus. In-kind donations of critically important supplies make a tremendous difference for our ability to serve students and we are so grateful for Miller and his company’s generosity.

600 gallons of hand sanitizer was donated by Columbus-based water treatment company, Aqua Science Inc., owned by Darrell Miller ’79.

A number of alumni have helped Otterbein with unexpected expenses over the past few months to directly support the student experience while on campus, including Bill Cole ’52 for COVID and outdoor enhancements; Gwen Swigart Nichols ’93 and Nichols and Co. LLC for student programming and games; and Robert Woodruff ’67, Curt Moore ’64 and several nursing alumni for providing funding for flu shots.

The Nigel Chatman Student Emergency Fund has been established to help students with emergency needs such as food, toiletries, books, utilities, car repairs and more. The fund honors Chatman, a sophomore at Otterbein, who died in a car accident in September 2019, en route to football practice.

To support the fund, visit www.otterbein.edu/give and in the “Designation” line, please enter: Other, “Nigel Chatman Fund.”

Otterbein is grateful for the support of Coral Harris, who generously donated funds for enhancements at the Otterbein Community Garden. Harris also helped purchase tents for the campus community, so students could hold classes and outdoor activities while being socially distanced.

Adapting to COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed everything — how we learn, work and play. The Otterbein community has met the challenges of this pandemic with a variety of responses that are defined by grace, humility, humor, and ultimately, resilience and hope. In checking in with our community, we found shared truths that remind us we are not alone in what we feel, how we are coping and what we are learning about ourselves in adapting to this temporary but challenging COVID-19 world.

Sarah Bouchard

PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCE

Sarah Bouchard, a professor in biology and earth science, describes adapting to the pandemic in phases. “At first, it was all crisis management: Who needs a computer? Who needs help with their wi-fi connection? Does everyone have a safe place to live?,” Bouchard said.

Then, after the dust settled and it was time to “get down to the business of teaching and learning,” Bouchard said it felt a bit like staring into an abyss. “I knew my students were all out there, but I wasn’t sure what was going on with them.”

Now, she says she’s discovered that with careful planning, creativity and flexibility, she can still capture much of what it means to be teaching and learning despite the challenges.

“Although it has been hard, my classes are all benefitting from the revisions and adaptations that I have had to make,” Bouchard said. “The pandemic has really highlighted how much I value the close, personal relationships that I’m able to have with my students.”

Bouchard, named Otterbein’s 2020 Master Teacher, is a physiological ecologist, active researcher and active part of the Zoo and Conservation Science program.

Fernando Jose-Chairez ’23

SPANISH/LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES AND JOURNALISM/MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
The biggest challenge I’ve faced during this pandemic has been trying to stay financially afloat while trying to grow as a person. Financially, I am on my own more than ever. Growing as a person is another challenge — it’s hard to know who one is if all you can do is mostly stay indoors, online.

Adeline Almendinger ’19

ASSISTANT MERCHANT, EXPRESS
Adeline Almendinger ’19 turned an internship into a full-time job as an assistant merchant at Express when she graduated. Until March 2020, she reviewed and planned timelines and sales from week to week, arranged store “looks” and worked with multiple teams to decide which styles will sell. But how has the fashion retail industry dealt with a pandemic when people aren’t shopping in stores, dressing for work or going out to eat? Almendinger said it requires a different approach to decision making. “COVID has made things a lot harder from a retail perspective because we are not able to physically see the product,” she said, adding that making connections with her teams also has been challenging.

Theory of Relativity:

“Otterbein University’s deft first streaming production brims with ardent singing and honest emotions.” Those are the words of theatre critic Michael Grossberg, The Columbus Dispatch, about Otterbein’s first socially distanced production, The Theory of Relativity. The departments of Theatre and Dance and Music partnered to safely produce the musical, filming fully staged performances in advance — complete with lights, sound, scenery and costumes — and streaming to audiences online from Oct. 8-11.

Paul Wendel

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, EDUCATION
So how are the teachers who are preparing the future teachers adapting? “We’ve learned to hold good classes in configurations ranging from entirely online
to half in-person and half online. We’ve learned to conduct socially distanced in-person experiments with online lab partners, sometimes conducting the
experiments outdoors.” The adaptations go beyond Wendel’s classes into his students’ K-12 field placements. “Our students are teaching classes in person
and online, learning a wide range of online tools in the process,” he said.

This award-winning educator offers the perfect lesson to this situation. “With a good deal of humor we’re all adapting, learning and growing together as educators — and we’re finding we can handle just about anything,” Wendel said.
Wendel was named the 2020 Exemplary Teacher and proudly describes his students as his future colleagues.

Lisa Minken ’03

BROADWAY MARKETING MANAGER, COLUMBUS ASSOCIATION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CAPA)

Promoting CAPA’s Broadway in Columbus Series changed dramatically for Lisa Minken ’03 in March when she learned during a Columbus run of My Fair Lady that the State of Ohio was restricting theatre performances. “The show opened on a Wednesday and by Thursday gatherings were no more.” Since then, her work has focused on keeping fans engaged until theatre makes a comeback. “Normally we would be in our current season and we would have already had a show,” she said. Predicting the future during the pandemic is difficult, but Minken is hopeful Broadway in Columbus can return by spring 2021. “Every day is a day closer to having our theatre doors open.”

Sara Anloague Bogan ’18

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, OHIOHEALTH
Since March, Sara Anloague Bogan ’18 has been supporting the incident command center at OhioHealth’s flagship hospital, Riverside Methodist Hospital, from home. Her goal is to keep OhioHealth associates and leaders informed and resilient through these hard times and support OhioHealth’s back-to-business efforts. “COVID-19 intensifies the need for clear, engaging communication. Because of the change of pace, there is always something that makes my job challenging,” she said.

Randy Mobley ’80

PRESIDENT, TRIPLE-A INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Each spring, Randy Mobley ’80 would complete final planning and oversight tasks and gear up for the regular season to start. This season was different. “We shut down in March and began reworking our schedule, thinking we could start as early as late May. You look back now and think how silly we were,” Mobley said. Now, Mobley is unsure about the future. Minor League Baseball teams continue to lose revenue while Major League Baseball is seeking to alter its relationship with the minor leagues. “We’re going to do what we can do,” he said, “but for now we’re along for the ride.”

Evan Brandao ’22

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

I have been using this time to think about what my passions are, how I want to pursue them and how Otterbein can help me. I’ve been reaching out to local professionals to get advice, and it is amazing how much insight people are willing to provide if you take the initiative to reach out.

Jeremy Llorence

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ENGLISH

Jeremy Llorence, an assistant professor in English, has encouraged his students to find activities or hobbies that they find fulfilling to balance their worries. “You can use things you enjoy doing to recharge after all of the video calls you’re going through,” Llorence said. “Whether for socialization, for classes or for work, video calls can be really draining. I think it’s important for your mental health to take that time for yourself to do things that you find fulfilling — whether that’s creative work or just reading a book that you really love.” Llorence acknowledges that these are difficult times — but he’s taking heart. “If I’ve learned anything at Otterbein over my career here, it’s that we are a strong community, we are capable and we will get through this together,” he said. Llorence was named the 2020 Best New Teacher and is the faculty advisor for Otterbein’s Quiz and Quill literary magazine.

Lily Burnside ’23

ECONOMICS

I found a hobby of gardening. Working at the Otterbein Community garden was perfect because it was easy to social distance with my coworkers and because of the mental health benefits of being outdoors.

Anna Egensperger ’23

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES

The biggest challenge I have faced during the pandemic is the inability to focus during online classes. I was frustrated with my lack of concentration, so I decided to take action to combat it.