ONU Department of History Politics and Justice

Professor Schul and Social Studies Methods Students Present

2011-11-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. James Schul of the Center for Teacher Education, along with students from his Social Studies Methods class, and aided by Dr. Crawford of HPJ and Mr. Tim Montgomery of Allen East High School, hosted the first of three sessions to help teachers from Allen East make use of images from the library of Congress website. Schul applied for and received a grant from the Library to fund the program, and the first day was an introduction to the sessions and participants worked to learn to navigate the website, then worked on using photographic images to teach history. Students helped Schul run the session and worked with the teachers from Allen East to create lesson plans that can be deployed immediately in the classroom. Future sessions will include using political cartoons and sound recordings to teach history.

Hill Second Floor Gets Makeover

2011-11-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Students taking HIST 2301 Introduction to Museums and Archives, directed by Professor Schuck, recently created and posted information about the department's programs on the walls of second floor in Hill Memorial Building. The material that now graces the walls will be updated as the year goes along.

Well done Museum and Archive students!

Economic Development Talk Hosted by Professor Jimmy Wilson

2011-11-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

Paul Craun of the Hardin County Business and Chamber Alliance was the featured guest presenter in Dr. Wilson's Geography Methods and Materials class.

Mr. Craun discussed the growing importance of Northwest Ohio to national and global shipping, recent attention given to North Baltimore (just north of Findlay) by railroads, and the resulting explosion of new development of retail distribution centers in our area.

Dr. Wilson stated that "This is an important issue to us all that many of us believe will open the doors to new opportunities for our university and community."

Mr. Craun gave this presentation to the Ada Community Improvement Corporation and graciously agreed to this encore performance. During the talk he discussed the new rail facility in North Baltimore and the importance of building distribution networks that will help move the incredible amount of material that passes from coast to coast each day. Several national companies, including Meiers, Home Depot, and Lowes have constructed facilities in the are in recent years due to Ohio's central location within close proximity to the majority of the American population.

Professor Waters Presents in Belgium

2011-11-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Waters organized a panel on Latin America and the Caribbean, and presented a paper at the AFL-CIO and the International Cold War: Problems, Paradigms, and Pragmatic Responses sponsored by the Congress Center Het Pand at the University of Ghent on October 7 and 8.

According to the Conference website: The international workshop The AFL-CIO and the International Cold War: Problems, Paradigms, and Pragmatic Responses at Congress Center Het Pand in Ghent (7-8 October 2011), will explore the Cold War international history of U.S. labor’s relations with worldwide organized labor. Scholarly papers based on a rising tide of scholarship in the field of international labor history will show how labor history can break the boundaries of national borders to be truly international in focus.

To draw attention to this reinvigorated field of study, the organizers have brought together scholars whose work spans five continents to offer a global approach to the phenomenon of an 'activist' American trade union movement. The participants have used recently opened labor archives that have been generally overlooked by Cold War scholars. The presentations will demonstrate how the AFL-CIO played a significant and usually overlooked role in Cold War international political history.

Topics covered include the relationship between the AFL-CIO and the CIA

Solidarity
the Algerian Revolution
the Brazilian Coup of 1964
the Chilean Coup of 1973
'Slave Labor' in the Soviet Union
Modernization
South Vietnam
women workers
post-war Italy
post-war France
Latin American labor
neutralism in sub-Saharan Africa

Scientific Committee:

Prof. dr. Geert Van Goethem (Amsab-ISH/ Ghent University)
Prof. dr. Robert Waters (Ohio Nothern University),
Dr. Magaly Rodriguez Garcia (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

Waters' paper, titled More Subtle than We Knew: The AFL in the British Carribean explored the role of the American Federation of Labor in opposing the Cheddi Jagan regime in British Guyana. The Conference website can be found here.

HPJ Host Model UN Simulation for Are High Schools

2011-11-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

More than one hundred high school students representing ten area high schools gathered on the ONU campus to take part in a Model United Nations simulation on October 8. During the day, team members debated issues such as proliferation, women's rights, and others, attempting to craft resolutions to be adopted by the body as a whole.

Competitors were judged on criteria that included how active and effective their team members were, and how well they remained in character (for instance, Israel and Iran working together would be contraindicated by reality).

France, represented by William Henry Harrison High School earned the award for Outstanding Performance. Earning awards for Superior Performance were Bowling Green High School (Australia), Tippecanoe High School (Saudi Arabia), Clay High School (UK), and Maumee High School (Iraq).

Also taking part in the simulation were Antwerp HS, East Dayton HS, St. Charles HS, Metro HS, and Keystone HS.

Well done to all competitors, judges, and especially to the students who ran the individual sessions and to Tristan Kilgallon, who organized the day.

Professors Wilson and Crawford Present at OCA

2011-10-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Drs. Wilson and Crawford presented at the Ohio Communications Association Annual Conference last week. They spoke about their experiences setting up talks between Russian linguistics students from Perm State University and ONU students from a variety of majors.

Professor Kate Isaeva, of PSU, joined the presentation virtually, having recorded a summary of the exchange between the two universities on YouTube. She spoke about how the exchanges came about, starting with Crawford's presentation to PSU students on Sport and the Cold War, and evolving into a forum for students to share their university experiences.

Wilson and Crawford then spoke of the technical details and the value of inter-cultural exchanges, and answered questions from the audience. The talk took place at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon, so the audience consisted of one instructor from Owens College in Findlay, but the exchange of ideas made the experience worth the effort.

For once, the technology worked fantastically!

Homecoming at ONU: Alumni Returns in Triumph!

2011-10-03T12:53:00.001-07:00

Andy Zaebst, who graduated last year with a BA, majoring in Integrated Social Studies and Teacher Licensure, was on hand for the chilly parade last weekend. Andy is employed by Garrett High School in Garrett, IN.

Andy is enjoying his new position, where he teaches World Geography, and expressed interest in setting up distance lectures by Dr. Wilson, and wouldn't mind being a guest speaker for a weekend seminar on Teacher Licensure Orientation.

It was great to see you again Andy and keep up the good work!

Homecoming at ONU: Alumni Returns in Triumph!

2011-10-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Stephen Borden, who graduated last year with a BA, majoring in History, with a minor in Public History/Museum Studies, came back for Homecoming weekend and was immediately put to work by Professor Schuck. They redying displays created by the Museum Studies class for hanging on the walls of Hill Building. These displays publicize the good work that students, faculty, and staff accomplished during the last few years.

Stephen is currently in graduate school at Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis, which is a premier school for Museum Studies. He is enjoying his courses and is working as an intern for the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is helping him sharpen his practical skills.

Those skills were put to good use by Professor Schuck, so come see what the Museum Studies class has done for the decorations of second floor Hill!

Building a Cultural Bridge - ONU and PSU

2011-10-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, students from ONU and Perm State University in Russia took part in an online conversation. This is the fourth talk between students from the two nations since 2009. The talks came about when Dr. Crawford delivered a lecture for PSU students on Sport and the Cold War. The initial contact was between Crawford and one of his friends from graduate school who was teaching in Perm. Other Russian professors led by Kate Isayeva of the Faculty of Linguistics, expressed interest in continuing the sessions to give their students practice communicating in English. Dr. Jimmy Wilson and some of his Geography students as well as students from Dr. Smith's Geography classes have also taken part in the talks. Talks are held using Skype and despite some technical issues, they have gone smoothly.

Students from both universities have made presentations, shared videos of their university lives, and conversed since then. This latest effort asked both sets of students to write their conceptions of the others before the conversation started, and then to write about how those preconceptions changed as a result of the talk.

Communication between cultures is an important method for bringing the content of textbooks to life. We believe that both sets of students benefit from these and will continue in the future!

Dr. Jimmy Wilson Inducted Into Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance

2011-10-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wilson, who is an active member of the Committee on Community Improvement, as well as being a member of the Ada Village Council, was recently inducted into the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance. The Alliance focus is on improving the economic condition of Hardin County, and recently received a $175,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to help accomplish that goal. Dr. Wilson has been a strong advocate for community development and has used his Geographic Information Skills to help planners.

Two HPJ Students Op-Eding In the Northern Review

2011-09-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ben Buehler, sophomore Social Studies and History major, and John Curiel, junior Political Science are trying their hands at writing opinion/editorials for the Northern Review this year. Check them out inside the pages of our student newspaper!

Phi Beta Delta Talk: Students Present Their South Korea Experiences

2011-09-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

Phi Beta Delta (PBD), the honorary for International Scholars held its inaugural forum Thursday night in the Dicke Forum. Five students who had studied abroad in South Korea last summer told an audience made up of their fellow students, faculty, and staff of their adventures abroad.

The students included Megan Piersol, the student president of PBD, a senior majoring in History, International Studies, and Spanish; Jacob Schwab, a senior majoring in International Business; Sam Jones, a junior majoring in Marketing, Scott Bauman, a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering; and Eric SeGall, a nunior majoring in Criminal Justice. SeGall went to Korea with the Dankook program, which allows students to teach English for their first three weeks, then take classes. The rest went through the Hanyang program. Both of these programs offer students an attractive financial aid package that helps defray many of the expenses they would otherwise have to pay themselves.

All of the students reported having a great experience, telling the audience of the places they visited, the food they ate, and the nice people that they met. In addition to their studies, which ranged from International Business to Korean culture, the students had the chance to travel around the country, even to North Korea. The highlight of the trip for Piersol was the chance to visit the De-Militarized Zone, SeGall visited the 1988 Olympic venue, Jones took Tae Kwando classes, Bauman had Korean food fed to him by the restaurant owner, and Schwab enjoyed his Model United Nations course taught by HPJ professor Nsia-Pepra.

To watch the video, click here.

Study abroad truly opens new world for students and we encourage all students who can fit it into their programs of study to take advantage of these tremendous opportunities. For further information on study abroad in general, you can contact Mitch Lawson, the Director of the ONU Study Abroad Office, Dede Shine, the Director of International Admissions, who handles the Dankook Program, or Mary Drzycimski-Finn in the Dean of Arts and Sciences Office works with the Hanyang Progam.

Social Studies Fall Extravaganza!

2011-09-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

The Social Studies majors, sponsored by Studia Socialia Americae (SSA), held their Fall Pizza Extravaganza Wednesday September 21. The students gathered in the conference room of Hill Building to feast on pizza and welcome new students into the program. Lawren Neeley, who is student teaching this semester, shared her initial experiences, and the group also helped our new students understand the steps they would have to take to navigate their way through the major.

SSA holds these meetings each semester to build esprit des corps among its majors and to discuss common issues in the major. The next extravaganza will take place during Spring Semester.

HPJ's Darrick Oswald Gets Facetime on CSPAN

2011-09-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

While he is in Washington DC doing a Washington Center internship with the United States Marshals, Darrick Oswald, a senior majoring in Criminal Justice attended a panel discussion featuring former US Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Trent Lott (R-MS) on the topic of partisanship. During the Q and A phase, Darrick asked a question and identified his affiliation with ONU. To see the streaming video of the event and Darrick's question click on the following link.

The Washington Center is a super resource for ONU students. We have had students placed in a number of fabulous internships through the center, including then House Minority Leader John Boehner's office, the Smithsonian Institution, the US Marshals and many others. If you are a current or prospective student, we urge you to take a look at this fantastic program! You can contact Dr. Robert Alexander for more information.

Way to represent ONU and HPJ Darrick!

Football in American History Class Tours Wilson Factory

2011-09-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

The HIST 4421 - Football in American History class went to see how the footballs that they watch being thrown and caught on Saturday and Sunday are made. The Wilson Football Factory makes all of the footballs that are used by the National Football League, and a majority of the footballs used in college football.

As always, the students were impressed by the amount of work that goes into making a single football. Stamping the patterns, sewing the pieces together, turning the shell inside out, and inserting the bladder for air all involve hard labor. One of the assembly worker encouraged students to do well in school so they would not have to do such work.

Michael King, a Social Studies major, unearthed an interesting article about the factory that can be found here.

Well done Mike!

HPJ Holds Symposium on the Physical Costs of Heroin Abuse

2011-09-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ohio Northern University hosted a panel discussion on heroin, focusing on demystification and drug counseling, on Monday, Sept. 12.

The ONU Department of History, Politics and Justice sponsored the event, which consisted of four professionals. Dr. Mike Schafer, director of counseling at the ONU Counseling Center, will mediate the discussion and discuss counseling techniques for those who are affected by heroin. Dr. Mike Milks, ONU professor of pharmacology, will present “Heroin Demystification” and answer questions. Dr. Greg Brigham, chief research officer at the Maryhaven Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, will discuss his experiences as both researcher and treatment professional. Angy Shaferly, a registered nurse at the Anhedonia clinic in Findlay, Ohio, will talk about treatment and drug replacement therapy. The panel discussion is available in streaming video at this link.

The Department of History, Politics and Justice will host two other panel discussions during the academic year, “Schools and Prevention” and “Drug Courts and Prison Drug Counseling,” and a seminar on legalization.

HPJ Spaghetti Dinner for Freshman Held at Dr. Wilson's House

2011-09-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

The start of a new semester means that it is time to welcome our new students into the department and get to know one another better. This gives students a chance to place a personality with their professor's faces and for faculty to learn about the great things our students want to accomplish in their time at ONU. As usual, the food was great and the conversation better.

Welcome aboard all!

Department Celebrates Kathryn Baker's Birthday

2011-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Faculty and staff gathered in the conference room to celebrate the birthday of Advanced Administrative Assistant Kathryn Baker. Turnabout is fairplay, and Kathryn is the person who always makes us remember our birthdays, so it was her turn.

Happy Birthday Kathryn!

Adam Schwiebert Assumes New Position

2011-08-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

From The Buckeye Institute Newsletter: Adam Schwiebert began as the William and Helen Diehl Fellow at the Buckeye Institute on July 18. Created in 2011, the William and Helen Diehl Fellowship Program provides a recent college graduate the opportunity to conduct fiscal policy research as a full-time analyst at the Buckeye Institute. Schwiebert is the first Diehl Fellow to be selected.

Prior to joining Buckeye, Schwiebert served as an administrative aide in the office of State Senator Keith Faber. In addition to his experience in Ohio state politics, Schwiebert also completed internships at The Heritage Foundation and in the office of Congressman Bob Latta.

Schwiebert originally hails from Hamler, Ohio and currently resides Gahanna. He graduated with high distinction from Ohio Northern University in 2011 with a degree in political science.

Well done Adam!

Professor Alexander in the Media: The Debt Crisis

2011-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

In the midst of directing the Japan Camp, Dr. Alexander found time to comment in the local and national media on the debt-ceiling talks. National Public Radio interviewed Dr. Alexander concerning the possibility that OH Representative Jim Jordan's district was in danger of being re-districted out of existence because of his opposition to Speaker Boehner's plan to fix the problem in Washington. In the online article, Alexander felt that Jordan would not back down to pressure by his fellow Ohioan and that his stand against the debt deal was based on Jordan's principle, not political expediency.

Alexander also appeared on WLIO to discuss the possible redistricting. Click here to see the video of the report.

Alumni Finishing Dissertation

2011-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Scott Wolfe, who graduated from ONU with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Criminal Justice is finishing work on his PhD at Arizona State University. Wolfe earned his MA in Criminal Justice from Louisville University in Justice Administration, and his dissertation is titled "Crime in the Late Life Course.

Best of luck on completing your diss Scott!

Professor Crawford on the Op-Ed Pages

2011-06-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Dr. Russ Crawford contributed another opinion piece to the Lima News titled "Sports and Patriotism: A Long Tradition." Crawford commented on the uproar over NBC Sports' decision to omit "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance in a video insert during the U.S. Open Golf Championship.

Crawford discussed the long history of combining religion, sports, and patriotism in the United States, and opined that NBC should have known better than to leave out that particular phrase. The network editors should have known their audience.

Profesor Waters Presents Research

2011-06-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Dr. Robert Waters recently traveled to Washington DC to present and take part in the Historians of American Foreign Relations annual meeting. Waters presented his paper "Non-State Actors and the Cuba Problem - Puppets or Puppeteers?" The paper focused on Cuban activities in attempting to influence the government of British Guiana, which is Waters' primary research interest.

Waters also chaired another panel titled "Stuck in the Middle With You: Cuba-Canada-United States Relations, 1959-1964."

In addition to his scholarly work, Waters also facilitated the attendance of Raul Rodriguez Rodriguez from the University of Havana to present his paper. Rodriguez has taught ONU students during their Cuba Program experience in the past.

Well done Dr. Waters!

Professor Geistman's Book Published

2011-06-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Geistman recently received word from his publisher that his book Women, the Crime of Stalking, and It's Effects: A Study of Police Attitudes and Practices, is now officially available for sale. Published by the Mellen Press, Dr. Geistman's work explores the reasons why stalking victims often have trouble receiving help from the police.

Geistman views stalking through the lens of police culture and feminist theory, and describes how the crime is usually perpetrated in the United States. For more information, click on the title above to be taken to the Mellen website.

Well Done Dr. Geistman!

ONU Named Military Friendly School

2011-06-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

After years of research and a recent survey of more than 8,000 schools, Ohio Northern University has been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine. This distinction recognizes Ohio Northern for ranking in the top 20 percent among all universities and trades schools nationwide in welcoming military and veteran students.

Schools and universities on the Military Friendly Schools list encourage policies, efforts and results used to recruit and retain military and veteran students. Ohio Northern shows an interest in recruiting military students and attempts to continue and improve the efforts of military friendliness each year.

As a military friendly School, ONU will be provided with a basic listing in the “2012 Guide to Military Friendly Schools,” which will be published in late September. ONU also will receive a basic listing online at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com. Additionally, ONU will receive a Military Friendly Schools plaque honoring this distinction.

G.I. Jobs magazine acts as a base for serious military recruiting programs, offering schools and companies the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to reach and influence military and veteran workers and students. G.I. Jobs extends its help to others by providing ways to make companies and schools a military friendly environment and then communicating these welcoming areas to the military community.

According to G.I. Jobs, a selected panel of five higher education administrators helps determine these schools. The Military Friendly Schools list is determined by research from government agencies and private entities, which administer education benefits and a comprehensive survey administered by G.I. Jobs.

To determine a military friendly school, the panel compiles and weighs the research findings according to four categories: certification measuring a school’s non-financial efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, financial commitment, a school’s result in recruiting military and veteran students, and academic accreditations.

Pictured above are three HPJ student veterans who spoke to the Phi Beta Delta Forum last winter about their experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Triumph of Alumni

2011-06-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

According to the Ada Herald, Rob Underwood, an HPJ graduate in History, was recently named K-12 Assistant Principal for the Ada Public Schools. Underwood, pictured here on the left, originally hails from Alger will be a full-time assistant principal.

Well done Rob!

Professor Decker Named to National Panel

2011-06-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

According to WLIO Lima, Russ Decker, who teaches Environmental Law for the department, was named to serve on a national panel. The story, from the WLIO website, reads:

"Allen County's Emergency Management director is appointed to a national council.

Russ Decker spent the day Friday at the White House for the National Mass Care Council's first meeting.

Decker is one of 18 people appointed to serve on the newly formed group. Its goal is to come up with common goals and identify resources needed for the nation to respond to disasters.

That includes finding temporary shelters, distributing relief supplies, reuniting families, and providing recovery assistance."

Triumph of Alumni: Ben Wollet Writing Masters Thesis

2011-06-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ben Wollet, a 2009 graduate with a BA in History, is finishing his Masters Thesis at Ohio University. Wollet stopped by the department last week to share his research activities and catch up with his former profs. He had just returned from the Gerald Ford Presidential Library who funded his research into railroad de-regulation during the 1970s.

Ben plans to take a break from grad school and look for work in historical archives when he finishes his thesis. During his time here, he served an internship at the Case Western Reserve Historical Society, and along with his research at the Ford Library, he has developed a liking for the life of the archivist. He will be a credit to any organization that acquires his services!

Best of luck Ben!

Triumph of Alumni: Brian Hoefel Finishing His MA

2011-06-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring, Brian Hoefel, BA History 2009, visited campus to talk to his old professors and let them know how his graduate career is progressing. Brian is currently working on his Masters Thesis and also working as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Akron.

Brian's thesis explores the role of southern trade shows that took place prior to the Civil War. Brian argues that they were part of an effort to bring industry to the south that ultimately failed to provide enough manufacturing to match the north during the war.

Professor Crawford in the Media

2011-06-14T13:32:00.001-07:00

Doctor Crawford recently tested the waters of punditry by publishing an op-ed piece in the Lima News. Crawford's column titled "Tressel Scandal: Same Song, Different Verse," placed the fall and resignation of Buckeye head coach Tressel in an historical context. Crawford argued that the current troubles are just the latest in a long line of scandals involving coaches and players whose squeaky clean images did not live up to close scrutiny. Unfortunately, the possibility of such a crash is the price we pay for our fandom.

Triumph of Alumna: Lindsay Naiman at Law School

2011-06-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

According to the William and Mary Law School website, Lindsay Naiman, a 2009 Criminal Justice graduate of ONU is continuing hter good work. "The William & Mary National Trial Team (Hunter Allen 3L, Madelyn Buckley 1L and Lindsay Naiman 2L (left to right)) won first place at George Mason's John C. Costello National Criminal Trial Advocacy Tournament in January."

In addition to her work in the classroom, Naiman was also an outstanding performer in many of ONU's Freed Center performances. She has put her CJ background and her performance skills to good use at William and Mary.

This is the sort of eclectic background that ONU students can experience here, following their passions both in the classroom and on the stage, field, or internship!

Well done Lindsay!

Professor Crawford in Louisville for AP U.S. History Reading

2011-06-14T13:29:00.002-07:00

Dr. Crawford spent the first week of June in Louisville, KY reading AP U.S. History exams for the Educational Testing Service. The experience consisted of a grueling schedule of reading essays eight hours per day, seven straight days.

Despite the difficulties of maintaining alertness, the experience is always useful. Not only does ETS pay well, but Crawford had the chance to talk with other university professors and also practicing social studies teachers. That is the true value of the week: to hear about conditions in the teaching profession. It can truly be viewed as a graduate seminar in teaching the social studies.

It was not all work, however, and Crawford found time to take in a Louisville Bats baseball game and touched bases with friends he hadn't seen in a while.

Kelly Morman and Jay Myers Selected for Freed Leadership Award

2011-06-14T13:29:00.001-07:00

The annual President’s Leadership Dessert was held May 11 to honor student leaders. Kelly Morman, not pictured, and Jay Meyers (Third from Left) were selected for this honor.

The DeBow Freed Leadership Awards, the highest level of recognition of excellence in student leadership were presented to one man and one woman from each class level. Three student organizations were honored with the A.K. Hilderbrand award in recognition of their active leadership role at ONU and positive contributions to the campus community.

Winners of the leadership awards were: seniors Casey Davis, an accounting major from Malvern, Ohio, and Kelly Morman, a political science major from Monroeville, Ohio; juniors Jay Meyers, a political science major from Leipsic, Ohio, and Marsha McMunn, a communication arts major from Oxford, Mich.; sophomores Chi Wo (Wilson) Wu, an accounting major from Connellsville, Pa., and Paige Dirmeyer, a communication arts major from Ada, Ohio; freshmen Nick Jantzen, a pharmacy major from Plymouth, Minn., and Colleen Kerger, a nursing major from Bartlett, Ill.

Honored with the Alice-Kay Hilderbrand Student Organization of the Year Award were the Student Planning Committee, the Student Society of Health System Pharmacists and the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Well done Kelly and Jay!

Professor Loughlin's Article to be Published Revue Europeene d'Historie

2011-06-14T13:28:00.001-07:00

Dr. Michael Loughlin received word that his article "French Antimilitarism before World War I: Gustave Herve and L'Affiche Rouge of 1905" will be published by the European Review of History.

The European Review of History - Revue Européenne d'Histoire is an international journal covering European history of all centuries and sub disciplines. It aims to create a forum for ideas from across Europe, to encourage the most innovatory research, to make diverse historiographies better known and to practically assist exchanges between young historians.

Dr. Loughlin's research on Herve goes back to his doctoral dissertation and he will be working to edit the document for possible publication during his sabbatical next fall.

Well done Dr. Loughlin!

Kelly Morman in the Media

2011-06-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

No sooner had Kelly Morman, Sr. Political Science, returned from her Washington Center internship with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Welfare and Pensions, than she began appearing on local television news programs.

In her first interview, Kelly took part in a woman-on-the-street interview concerning a new billboard along Highway 235. The billboard displayed the message that a man in Hardin County had been arrested with several heroin-filled balloons "in his butt," and asks "Do you know where your heroin has been?" WLIO Lima TV reporters were asking for reactions to the billboard and Kelly replied that she had not been aware that the heroin problem was so bad in Hardin County.

Her second interview was part of a story on ONU President Kendall Baker's final graduation commencement that also ran on WLIO. The interviewer asked Kelly, who was mentioned by name by commencement speaker Senator Sherrod Brown, was asked about her university experience and particularly about her internship, which she described as fantastic.

Next year Kelly will be joining the Teach for America Program, teaching disadvantaged students in the Mississippi Delta. Kelly's career in the department was one of high achievement and accomplishment and we expect great things of her in the future.

Best of luck Kelly!

Classes Conclude - What's Next for Our Graduates?

2011-06-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Another school year is in the history books! Students, faculty and staff will be scattering to the four winds for the summer. Graduating seniors will be preparing for their next steps, whether that be careers or graduate school.

Those looking for work or moving into a new position include Daniel Arant, Katherine DeMars (Social Studies teaching), Ryan Fleming (Social Studies teaching), Michael Krummery, Kelly Morman (Teach for America), Kyle Roby (teaching preschool in Columbus), Matthew Wiseman, Kerry Wollenhaupt, and Andy Zaebst (Social Studies teaching).

Students headed for grad school include Stephen Borden (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis), Victoria Clack (John Jay?), Lauren Colby (ONU Law), Meredith Dutton (Bowling Green State University), Alexandra Habbouche (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Ashley Kalleugher (Toledo Law), Mike Hamper (ONU Law), Jacob Jeffire (Grad School in Spain), Taylor Temkewicz (Police Academy), Nathan Waibel (Seminary), Sabrina Wideman (Toledo Law), and Carol Wilson (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis).

Whichever path their careers take, we expect great things of these graduates! Their departure will leave large holes in our programs next year, but we have many fine returning students that will fill the breach!

Best of luck graduates!

Honors Day Celebrates Departmental Student Success

2011-06-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Students, faculty, and parents gathered on Saturday April 14th to celebrate all of the accomplishments of our students. Individual honors were presented to students from each class year in History, Political Science, International Studies, Social Studies, and Criminal Justice. Honoraries from the department also inducted new members during the ceremony.

Once again, we are graduating an outstanding senior class, and we will watch with pride their next steps as they begin careers or go on to graduate school. Well done HPJers!

HPJ and PMCP Celebrate Mahdi Abulail's Birthday

2011-05-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

Members of the HPJ Department, the PMCP Saudi Prison Certificate Program, and children of the Saudi officers gathered to celebrate Mahdi Abulail's birthday. Abulail serves as translator and is Assistant Program Coordinator for the PMCP.

Triumph of Alumnae

2011-05-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Becky Boler, who graduated from ONU in 2004 with a BA in International Studies, recently completed the requirements for her Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from Syracuse University. Dr. Rob Alexander received word from Boler, who also mentioned that she was currently employed by Management Systems International, a contractor working with the United States Agency for International Development in Washington DC. Her email was to thank the members of the HPJ Department who had helped guide her undergraduate career here, and included Dr. Andy Ludanyi, Dr. Ellen Wilson, Dr. David Smith, and Departmental Administrative Assistant Pat Badertscher.

Well done Becky!

Phi Beta Delta: Professor Emeritus Andy Ludanyi Speaks About Hungary

2011-05-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andy Ludanyi, who taught Political Science for 40 years at ONU, spoke to a crowd of students, faculty, and community members last night about Hungary, the country of his birth. Ludanyi was concerned about "Hungary, the Threat," an article recently published in the New York Times Review of Books by distinguished scholar Istvan Deak. In the article, Deak argued that the new Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been acting as the European Union president for the past 3 months, represents a threat to Europe.

Ludanyi argued that Deak had been taken in by a smear campaign orchestrated by former communists and the losers in the last parliamentary elections, headed by Ferenc Gyurscany. Ludanyi described the opposition to Orban as coming from a group that was largely educated in the West, and who understood how to work with Western writers and journalists. Working with the former communists is a combination of influential organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and several multinational corporations. The IMF was concerned with Orban's decision to reform the Hungarian economy without that body's guidance, and the multinationals were angry with the new PM because of his policy of taxing the profits of those corporations. Orban, according to Dr. Ludanyi, is also often the victim of his own personality. He believes that if his actions are correct, then he needn't worry about his reputation in the press.

Deak accused Orban of passing policies that discriminate against Jews and Rom, or Gypsys in Hungary. He told the audience that Orban had actually worked to enact policies to help those groups, but that his success at the polls, which gave him a 2/3 majority in parliament, and therefore the ability to change the Hungarian constitution, has led those who lost in the elections to try to lessen Orban's effectiveness by accusing him of being a quasi fascist.

This, Ludanyi argued, was not the case at all, and Orban was proving to be an effective leader. Ludanyi based his comments on his experience living much of the year in Hungary since his retirement.

Model UN Takes to the Field

2011-05-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Ohio Northern Model United Nations team attended the National Model United Nations Conference, New York held at the Marriot Marquis Hotel and the United Nations General Assembly from April 19-24, 2011. Over 400 universities and 5,000 students worldwide participated in the simulation.

The team, representing Kyrgyzstan participated in eight committees that include General Assembly Plenary, three General Assembly committees, Human Rights Council, World Intellectual Property Organization and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review. The team was actively involved in committee sessions, debating, negotiating, and coordinating with fellow delegates with the view to making recommendations to resolve global problems. The team made concrete suggestions, drafted and passed resolutions with other delegates to deal with sensitive global issues.

The members of the team in attendance were Megan Piersol -head delegate, Stacy McClelland, Gwen Carver, Victoria Army, Daniella Chambers, Yuki Tada, Andrew Crozier, John Curiel, Brendon Schaefer, and Rochelle Reamy with Professor Kofi Nsia-Pepra as the student advisor.

The team also called on the Kyrgyzstan Ambassador to the United Nations and his staff officers and had a fruitful interaction and discussion with them on mentioned global issues. The Model UN simulation equips global future leaders with the skills of diplomacy, negotiation, coordination, accommodation in the spirit of multilateralism to deal with the global challenges we face as a community of nations today. Dr. Nsia-Pepra was impressed with the eagerness and enthusiasm of the team, especially the new members, in learning to solve global problems in an amenable but very tasking atmosphere. He requests faculty to encourage students from all departments to join the Model UN since the experiences gained are essential and useful in all fields of study. Dr. Nsia-Pepra expressed his heartfelt thanks to his colleagues in the department of History, Politics and Justice for their worthy support, financial and otherwise, to the team.

Professor Alexander In the News

2011-05-03T11:45:00.001-07:00

Dr. Rob Alexander has been busy lately providing interviews to the local media. The recent and unexpected killing of Osama Ben Laden has had media sources scrambling to explore the meaning of the event, and many turned to Dr. Alexander, who the Lima media outlets commonly turn to for hi political expertise.

Alexander provided interviews for WLIO television and The Lima News. On the small screen, he provided an immediate interview in which he hailed the death of Bin Laden as a step forward in the War on Terrorism, but also cautioned that a dead Bin Laden could become a martyr for jihadists to avenge, but that his death was not only a relief for Americans, but also for people in the Middle East region.

He followed that up with an interview on the Morning Show hosted by WLIO, where he told the interviewer that perhaps Bin Laden's death might encourage American and world leaders to discuss what this means for the War on Terror: "Is the war over?" "Is it time to bring the boys home?" He argued that the death of the "Face of Al Queada" did not mean and end to the war, there will always be replacements waiting to take over. To expect this to end terrorism, would be, in his words, "Pollyannish," or marked by extreme optimism. He also mentioned while this is a temporary gain for the Obama Administration administration, with plaudits coming in from both sides of the aisle, this will be fleeting as new issues knock the president off of the wave of popularity he is now riding. To see the complete interviews, click here.

Alexander also was featured in an article in the Lima News on local Professor's reaction to news of the terrorist leader's death.

Oddly enough, WLIO, when seeking man-on-the-street reaction to the news, Jon Carver, who is an adjunct professor of history in the HPJ department was also featured in the original interview. ONU HPJ is everywhere!

Phi Beta Delta: Earth Day - Professor Jay Mager: Birds and Global Warming

2011-05-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

For Earth Day, Phi Beta Delta sponsored a talk by Dr. jay Mager on the effect of global warming on migratory birds. Titled " A Bird's Eye View on Global Warming," major told the audience how global warming might affect worldwide bird populations if left unchecked.

Report by Alexandra Habbouche

In Dr. Mager's lecture, we learned about the various bird species that are being affected by global warming. Although we do not notice a drastic change as humans, the bird populations are undergoing changes that may lead to the extinction of many species of birds. There are 9,787 bird species currently known and cataloged and nearly 21% of them are near extinction or are on endangered species lists. This is due to many reasons related to global warming and the melting of the polar icecaps.

The emission of “greenhouse gases” by humans is a leading cause of the global temperature rising because the carbon creates a sort of barrier which prevents heat from escaping the atmosphere after is reflects off the earth. This entrapment of heat leads to an overall warming effect, much like a sauna, which keeps the heat circulating in our air. The air warms the ice caps, causing them to melt and, in certain areas, the water level to rise, while at other points it causes the water already present to evaporate, causing a decrease in water levels in other areas.

One connection that was made for quite a few birds was that of indirect effects. The water levels change and the temperatures change making the habitat of certain microorganisms and various types of prey less livable than previously, diminishing the food source of the birds in question. With the lack of available food, the populations of birds which eat the diminishing prey no longer have the available resources necessary for survival and reproduction. It falls to a sort of “cascade effect” in that when something affects a certain aspect of a population the food chain that that organism is a part of becomes disturbed and cascades into a negative affect on the ecosystem as a whole.

Other animals rely on larger animals, such as polar bears, to obtain their food. Scavengers, such as the ivory gull, wait for a polar bear to finish feeding and then pick at the remainder of the carcass from the polar bear’s meal. With the number of polar bears decreasing due to the melting of their natural habitat, we are seeing a decrease in the number of ivory gulls and other scavenger birds because their food is becoming more and more scarce. The interdependence of the various animals is critical in an ecosystem and each need the other for survival and nutrition for reproductive success.

Although humans are not as affected by global warming in the same way other creatures are affects, one can see a drastic change in the wintering pattern of migratory birds. The areas of migration during the winter months has shifted north by hundreds of miles in only 40 years. This shows that in order for the birds to reach their primal breeding grounds, the birds must travel farther north to obtain the resources necessary for reproduction and survival. Birds are also leaving much earlier than before to head to their winter habitats. Altitudinal shifts are also a cause of distress because while certain birds are able to move up, some birds are as far north as they are able to go and are being out-competed for resources in the land, putting them at a risk of becoming extinct in the near future.

There are many aspects that involve the upkeep of an ecosystem. Man could insert certain things within the ecosystem to sustain a certain species or population, however, an entire shift would be created that would need to be sustained through different means. This artificial sustainment would only lead to more danger to the environment, therefore the ecosystems must be self-sustaining and not artificially maintained. It all comes down to what the bird species need to survive and reproduce because without those necessities, they will eventually all face a similar doom and become extinct.

Public History Students Present Plans for Hill Displays to HPJ Faculty

2011-05-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Public History minors Caitlin Kegley (standing in yellow sweatshirt) and Carol Wilson (seated in blue shirt) attended the HPJ Department meeting to gather input from the faculty about their plans for creating displays of the majors and minors offered by the department. The displays will highlight the accomplishments of students and faculty from the department, and give prospective students a chance to see the great things that they will be exposed to when they join the HPJ family.

One of those things will be the chance to design such displays. This effort has been driven by students from the Public History/Museum Studies minor, supervised by Professor Schuck. Well done all who have worked hard on this project - we are looking forward to the result!

Professor Loughlin Takes Student Presenters to Conference

2011-05-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Four students accompanied Dr. Loughlin to Walsh University last weekend for the "All Politics is Local Conference, where they presented their research.

The All Politics is Local Conference was established in 2004 as a conference tailored to undergraduate students interested in political science and international relations. It offers students an opportunity to present one of their papers in the domestic, international or philosophical areas of the discipline. It also has informational sessions on "What to Expect in Graduate School" and "What to Expect in Law School." These sessions are hosted by students who are currently in graduate or law school.

The students, which included Megan Piersol, Matt Wiseman, Soo Kyung Oh, and Jamie Culp presented their papers and acquitted themselves well, according to Loughlin. The students were encouraged to present their papers by Dr. Loughlin and Dr. Nsia-Pepra, who assigned those papers in their classes.

Phi Beta Delta Debate: Civil Liberties, National Security Policy, and Targeted Killing in the War on Terror: Change vs. Continuity from Bush to Obama

2011-04-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

On April 6, , the Phi Beta Delta International Forum, with support from the ONU Student Senate, presented a debate between ONU Associate Professor of Law Michael W. Lewis and Ben Wizner, the Litigation Director of the ACLU's National Security Project. The subject of the debate was: "Civil Liberties, National Security Policy, and Targeted Killing in the War on Terror: Change versus Continuity from Bush to Obama."

Prof. Lewis served in the US Navy from 1987-95. He flew F-14's in Operation Desert Shield, conducted strike planning for Desert Storm and was deployed to the Persian Gulf to enforce the no-fly zone over Iraq. He teaches International Law and a Law of War Seminar and has just published a volume with the Oxford University Press entitled The War on Terror and the Laws of War: A Military Perspective.

As the Litigation Director of the ACLU's National Security Project, Ben Wizner has litigated numerous cases involving post-9/11 civil liberties violations, including lawsuits on behalf of torture victims, lawsuits challenging unlawful airport security policies, and a suit challenging the government's authority to use lethal force against U.S. citizens without due process. He has written widely on issues relating to detention, military commissions, and accountability for torture.

The debate was a model of civility, which demonstrated to the audience of students and faculty that contentious issues can be amicably contended. Both debaters did agree that there had been little change in the national security policies of the Bush and Obama administrations, though they disagreed on the cause for that similarity. Lewis argued that President Obama, once exposed to the realities of his new office, came to see the Bush policies as appropriate. Wizner, on the other hand, saw the Obama Administration as being trapped by the policies of his predecessors, and unable to make rapid change.

Professor Crawford Presents to Allen County Lifelong Learning Institute

2011-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Dr. Crawford visited the campus of OSU-Lima to give a presentation on the interaction between China and the West to the Allen Country Lifelong Learning Institute. The LLI is a program that provides educational programming for retirees, and Crawford told them of the fateful choices the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans made to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. This isolation cut those cultures off from technological advances and resulted in their subjugation by the West following the Industrial Revolution.

Carol Wilson Has First Publication of Her Research

2011-04-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Carol Wilson, a senior majoring in History and Creative Writing, recently received fantastic news. The research project on the lead-up to the Civil War that she produced during her Gilder-Lehrman fellowship last summer has been selected for publication in a volume entitled the Secession Crisis of 1860-1861: Documenting the march Toward Disunion published by the GL Institute.

For an undergraduate to have their scholarly work published is a rare honor, and a testament to the fine record of accomplishment that Carol has put together here.

We expect even greater things of her in the future - Well done Carol!

HPJ and Multicultural Affairs Hold Sympoisum on the Division III Student Athlete Experience

2011-04-16T14:10:00.002-07:00

Ohio Northern University presented “Paying the Price To Play: a symposium on the Division III Student Athlete Experience,” in the James F. Dicke College of Business Administration Forum on Thursday, on April 14.

The event was sponsored by the ONU History, Politics and Justice Department and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, featured two panels. One panel consisted of Division III administrators and coaches and the second panel featured current and former athletes.

Russ Crawford, assistant professor of History at ONU and organizer of the event, along with Clyde Pickett, said, “The headlines are dominated by the Big-Time athletic programs, but there is more to the story of American university athletics. Division III athletes play mostly for the love of the game, and face many issues that their big-time counterparts do not. We feel this symposium was a great opportunity to explore the current and future concerns of Division III student athletes and how their experience is different from their Division I and II athletic counterparts. With the two panels, I think we got a great insight into all aspects of Division III sports from the administrators to the athletes.”

Clyde Picket, director of the Multicultural Office at ONU, served as moderator.

The administration and coach’s panel tackled the issues of laboring in anonymity, applying the NCAA rules and opportunities, as well as looking at possible changes that might be needed and the future issues that face the Division III athlete. They also discussed the imbalance in resources among Division III schools and the high standards expected from their athletes.

Members of the administration and coach’s panel consisted of Paul Govekar, ONU associate professor of management and faculty athletic representative to the Ohio Athletic Conference, Anthony Gholson, head basketball coach at Heidelberg, Fred Barends, head track coach at Capital University, John Rhodes, head basketball coach for ONU and Tom Simmons, athletic director at ONU.

The athletic panel, consisted of present and past student athletes will give their first-person insight into competing at the Division III level and the issues they face such as the balance between sports and school, the positives and negatives of participating in athletics and the personal sacrifices made by Division III athletes.

Making up the athletic panel were Pat Dochentz, senior football player at ONU, Jayce Born, freshman volleyball player at ONU, Kara Dysert, junior basketball player and ONU alumni, Ezra Bradshaw, a former standout ONU basketball player, Gabriel Washington, a former football player for ONU, and Derrick Flynn, a senior basketball player from Heidelberg University.

The Symposium gained notice from the NCAA Division III National Office. Gary Brown, from that office, attended the event and wrote a story for their website that included some video interviews of the participants. The article can be accessed here.

Celebrated Scholar and Film Consultant Delivers Talk at ONU

2011-04-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

Renowned scholar, Dr. Jack Shaheen on addressed stereotypical images of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood films. His presentation drew from his seminal book Reel Bad Arabs and the documentary of the same name. Dr. Shaheen’s analysis was both timely and relevant given recent events taking place across the world.

Dr. Shaheen is the world's foremost authority on images of Arabs and Muslims in American popular culture. He is the author of several award winning books including Reel Bad Arabs and most recently, GUILTY: Hollywood's Verdict on Arabs after 9/11. Shaheen regularly serves as a consultant with TV and motion picture companies such as DreamWorks, Showtime, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros. In recent years, he has consulted on the films Three Kings and Syriana. During his talk, he told the audience of the genesis of his work, and the attention, both good and bad, that it had brought him.

During the day, Dr. Shaheen also talked to Dr. Alexander's War and Film class.

The event was sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, C.A.S.E. and the ONU Prison Management Certificate program. April 11^th also marked ONU’s annual Multi-cultural Fair. Dr. Shaheen’s presentation was an excellent way to conclude those activities.

Dr. Robert Alexander, who introduced the author, had read Shaheen's work and was the motivating force behind bringing the scholar to campus.

Well done Dr. Alexander for providing ONU students, faculty, staff, and administration with a super event sure to provoke thought and discussion!

Professor Nsia-Pepra Speaks With Students at the Lorain Arts Academy

2011-04-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Dr. Nsia-Pepra took a trip to Lorain, OH last week to tell students from the Arts Academy in that town about the programs that Ohio Northern University and the Department of History, Politics, and Justice can offer them. Nsia-Pepra took along a variety of promotional materials, including Tales from the Hill 2010, which discusses all of the great things that we do in our department. He also took posters for the Social Studies Colloquium, which seeks to help practicing Social Studies teachers earn Continuing Education Units.

If students from the Arts Academy, or any other school are reading this, we hope to see you at ONU next year! If you would like a copy of Tales from the Hill 2010, send me an email at r-crawford.2@onu.edu

Professor Loughlin Presents Paper at Ohio Academty of History

2011-04-11T13:53:00.001-07:00

Professor of History Michael Loughlin presented a paper on Saturday April 9, 2011 at the Ohio Academy of History’s annual spring conference. The title of Loughlin’s paper was: : “Antimilitarism in France before World War I: Gustave Hervé and the Affiche Rouge of 1905.”

Dr. Robert Waters also served as a moderator for a panel at the OAH Conference.

Andy Zaebst Presents at Clement Stacy Undergraduate Research Conference

2011-04-11T13:52:00.001-07:00

Andy Zaebst, a Senior majoring in Social Studies and History presented his paper "Disloyalty to the Confederacy in Southwestern Virginia" to an audience at the 19th annual Clement S. Stacy Undergraduate Research Conference hosted by the Purdue University Calumet. Zaebst paper was a shortened version of his Senior Research paper.

His presentation at Purdue-Calumet was his third as an undergraduate, a truly impressive record for an undergraduate student. Previous to this, Zaebst presented at the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting in 2010 and at the Michigan Regional Phi Alpha Theta conference the week before this presentation.

Zaebst is currently student teaching and will be looking for a teaching position next fall, if anyone is looking for a fine addition to their staff.

Well done Andy and best of luck in your job search!

Megan Piersol Earns Top Paper Honor

2011-04-11T13:51:00.001-07:00

After her presentation at the regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference, Megan Piersol (pictured here with Dr. Lomax and Dr. Waters - in Brendon Kinder's Russian hat) won the top paper award in the Medieval History category with her paper, "The King's Great Matter: Conflicting Viewpoints on the Divorce of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon"

Well done Megan!

HPJ Students Present Research

2011-04-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday March 26th Andrew Zaebst, Brendan Kinder, Megan Piersol, and Caitlin Kegley traveled to Oakland College to present at the regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference. Phi Alpha Theta is a national honorary that recognizes students who are history majors or history enthusiasts. The students presented with topics ranging from the Kent State Massacre to Henry the 8th. Papers were scored by a panel of judges and winners received a book voucher from Phi Alpha Theta nationals. Megan Piersol won the award in the Medieval History category with her paper, "The King's Great Matter: Conflicting Viewpoints on the Divorce of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon." The students were accompanied by Dr. John Philip Lomax and Dr. Robert Waters, both of whom served as judges. The students ended the day with a trip to Sonic where a good time was had by all!

Alumni Triumphant: Justin Dickerson Directs Graduate Student Conference

2011-04-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Justin Dickerson, who graduated with a BA in History in 2008, successfully ran his first Graduate Student Research Conference for Loyola University's History Graduate Student Association. Dickerson had to deal with the myriad disasters that typically threaten any conference and did so successfully. This was his first year at the helm of the organization, and it proved to be a tour de force. Membership in the grad student organization is up, and the conference ran as smoothly as possible.

Dickerson plans to take a break from history next year and will teach English in Korea.

Best of luck Justin!

ONU Phi Beta Delta Wins National Award

2011-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

In addition to being chosen as the top regional chapter in the Midwest, the ONU Phi Beta Delta chapter was also chosen as the top PBD chapter in the United States, and since the organization is international, with chapters in four nations, presumably it is number one in the world! Dr. Loughlin was presently surprised to learn of this honor when he attended the Annual Meeting of the organization last week in Long Beach, CA.

The ONU chapter richly deserves the honor. In the past few years the organization has hosted many interesting sessions that have included students speaking of their study-abroad opportunities, talks on environmental issues, hosted significant international scholars, and held lively debates on international issues.

The next Phi Beta Delta session will be a debate on the legality of the Predator Drone Program that will be held at 7:00PM Wednesday April 6 in the Moot Trial Courtroom of the Petit Law College.

Congratulations ONU PBD!

Honoraries to Host Panel Discussion on Heroin in Hardin County

2011-04-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ohio Northern University will host a panel discussion on the effects and use of heroin on local and international scales on Thursday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in the Forum of Dicke Hall.

Free and open to the public, the discussion is titled “Heroin – Is It Really a Problem in Hardin County?” ONU honorary chapters Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography), Alpha Pi Sigma (Latina Students), Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology), and Phi Beta Delta (International Scholars) are sponsoring the event.

The panel will consist of Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhart and Ada police Chief Mike Harnishfeger, who will discuss the problem of heroin on a global scale, its use in Hardin County, and local efforts to combat this problem.

Everhart and Harnishfeger are members of the Hardin County Crime Task Force, a multi-agency entity that has had success in identifying and arresting local heroin distributors.

David Smith, ONU associate professor of geography, will introduce the panelists and provide an overview on the topic. A question-and-answer session with the panel will follow the discussion.

Professor Crawford Presents at OCTEO Conference in Columbus

2011-04-01T13:49:00.001-07:00

Along with several colleagues from the Education Department, Dr. Crawford presented information about the Social Studies Colloquium to the Ohio Confederation for Teacher Education Organizations. Crawford told the audience about the colloquium, which seeks to provide local teachers with help earning Continuing Education Units. The colloquium has had ten sessions so far, on Wednesday nights, and has provided talks on such varied topics as the Electoral College and Myth in History.

Crawford was joined on the panel by Jim Geistman, who put together the panel, Ron Kieffer, Diana Garlough, and Deb Ghallagher, all from the Education Department.

Criminal Justice Class Tours Juvenile Detention Facility

2011-04-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, the Juvenile Justice class visited the Allen County Juvenile Court Treatment & Detention Center. Students were taken on a tour of the entire facility, courtesy of Officer Pedersen and the treatment center directors, Mr. Berlin Carroll. Staff explained the steps involved in the intake procedure, guided students through the detention area and explained the process of maintaining security, and discussed the schooling and rehabilitation of juveniles.

Students were shown a display of weapons that officers had taken from juveniles entering the institution, and one student, Eli Lange, was put in “The Chair,” a security device used to restrain inmates who pose a danger to themselves or others.

Members of the class are Nicole Bratton, Victoria clack, LeAnn Clark, Eli Lange, Patrick O’Connor, Kyle Rex, Dave Roudybush, Jason Scott, and Arthur Wade. The course is taught by James Geistman.

ONU Phi Beta Delta Earns Midwest Chapter of the Year Recognition

2011-03-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ohio Northern University's Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Delta, the Honor Society for International Scholars, has received the Outstanding Midwest Chapter Award for 2010-2011. ONU's Gamma Upsilon Chapter also received that award in 2002. The ONU campus coordinator for Phi Beta Delta, Michael Loughlin, was nominated for the national award as one of the outstanding Phi Beta Delta organizers and contributors. Other Gamma Upsilon officials for Phi Beta Delta include: Khalid al-Olimat as President; Howard Fenton as Vice President, Roseanna Dufault as Secretary, and Suzanne Morrison as Treasurer. The student representative for the last two years has been Political Science major Kelly Morman and the alternate representative is International Studies major Megan Piersol. Loughlin hopes to be able to pick up the ONU Gamma Upsilon Chapter Award at the Phi Beta Delta annual conference in Long Beach, California later this month.

The next major event planned by Phi Beta Delta this year is an April 6, 2011 panel and debate from 7:30 until 8:30 in the Dicke Forum between ONU Associate Professor of Law Michael W. Lewis and an ACLU Washington representative named Ben Wizner. Professor Lewis has just published a volume with the Oxford University Press entitled "The War on Terror and the Laws of War: A Military Perspective." The tentative title of the debate and panel will be "The Predator Program: Legalized Assassination or Legitimate Defense?" Former ONU Student Senate President Michael Hamper and former Vice President Kelly Morman were instrumental in getting the funding for this event.

Well done Phi Beta Delta!

2011-03-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 5, 2011, Kevin Cieplowski, B.A. in Criminal Justice, 2009 and Dr. H. "Jimmy" Wilson presented their research on crime analysis at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) annual conference, held in Toronto, Canada. Their research focuses on utilizing GIS to analyze crime and socio-economic variables in the community. Specifically, their research focused on a spatial analysis of property crime in Garfield Heights, Ohio committed between May 2004 and April 2009, and trying to geographically correlate the occurrence of these crimes with social, economic, and foreclosure data. As a result of their research and presentation, they were contacted about turning their research into a book chapter for an upcoming textbook on crime analysis.

Caitlin Kegley Named Honors Council Secretary

2011-03-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Kegley, a senior majoring in Social Studies and History, with a minor in Public History/Museum Studies was named Secretary of the Honors Council last week. As part of her duties, Kegley will be charged with reading the roll of organizations during the spring Honors' Day celebration. Caitlin is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, is president of Studia Socialia Americae, and is also active in several other campus organizations.

Well done Caitlin!

Mock Trial Team Concludes Season

2011-03-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

The Polar Bear Mock Trial Team concluded their 2010-2011 season with Regional competition that was held at the Hamilton County courthouse in Cincinnati. The competition was a disappointment for the Bears, as they failed to qualify either team for nationals for the first time in three years. Dr. Jo Ann Scott felt that the talent on the teams this year should have taken them farther, but that they seemed to have a mental block when competing against larger schools such as OSU or Miami of Ohio. Next year, Scott plans to replace one tournament with a weekend in Chicago scrimmaging against top teams from the city.

The only bright spot came when Brandon Bryant was named an Outstanding Attorney for the Regional. Wait 'til next year Bears!

Phi Beta Delta Talk: Students Share Study Abroad Experiences

2011-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Phi Beta Delta hosted a recent forum for students who have studied abroad in the past year. Among the speakers were Megan Piersol, Kelly Morman, Vicky Sheppard, and Jacob Jeffire. Piersol studied in Scotland, Morman in Spain, Sheppard in South Korea, and Jeffire in Germany. They regaled the assembled students and faculty with the stories of their adventures, which included trips to cathedrals, museums, and impromptu road trips across Europe. Not all of their adventures were educational in nature, of course, but they uniformly reported learning a great deal, both about their host-countries and about themselves. Such is the advantage of study abroad.

All students who are able should think long and hard about taking such a trip. This will add to the value of your degree while enriching your life. For more information, students should talk to Mitch Lawson in Lehr 122, or with Dr. Alexander, our campus representative for the Washington Center.

East Asia Class Takes to the Field

2011-03-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

The HIST 313 East Asia to 1800 class decided to sample Asian food and culture by going off-campus. They went downtown to the New China restaurant where they sampled the cuisine of East Asia, China in particular. This is the second time the East Asia courses have ventured downtown for lunch, and this time nearly all students tried out using chopsticks. Dr. Crawford had experience eating for five weeks with only chopsticks, and some of the students, including one from South Korea, had experience as well, so things went smoothly. The most popular dish turned out to be General Tso’s Chicken, named for one of the officers who helped put down the Taipeng Rebellion (1850-1864). As usual, a good time was had by all!

Alumna's Triumphant Return: Telling Students About the Washington Center

2011-03-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Johni Amos, who earned her BA majoring in Political Science, is now the Associate Director of the Washington Center. Amos was on campus recently to share the programs available from the Washington Center with ONU students. She spoke in several classes and held informational sessions for students, telling them about the outstanding opportunities that are available through the Center. Students have the chance to work in offices in the federal government, with non-profit corporations, and even intern abroad.

ONU students have recently completed internships with the U.S. Marshall Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Commonwealth Association in Great Britain, to name only a few. During Spring Quarter, HPJ students are doing internships with the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and with Financial Executives International.

Plans are also in the works through the center to take students to the National Nominating Conventions for the Democratic and Republican Parties in 2012. Thirteen students attended one of the conventions in 2008, and had great experiences. Maybe you could be one of those students next time?

Professor Alexander on the News

2011-01-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

With political events taking center stage in the past few weeks, Dr. Alexander has been a frequent guest on local news programs. Among the topics that he discussed with WLIO News were the debate over gun control in the wake of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords,' the challenges faced by the new Republican Kasich administration in Ohio, and President Obama's State of the Union speech.

Alexander is routinely interviewed on the latest political news, and aside from local coverage has also been interviewed by national news sources such as CNN and CSPAN.

Keep your eyes on WLIO and you may just see a familiar face!

Professor Geistman Publishes Book Review

2011-01-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jim Geistman recently had a book review published in Terrorism and Political Violence. Geistman reviewed American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement's Hidden Spaces of Hate by Pete Simi and Robert Futrell.

Mock Trial Brings Home More Hardware

2011-01-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Mock Trial Team 1014 placed brought home the Third Place trophy from the Illini Tournament. The photo of Team 1014 to the left includes: Left to right: Melody Smith, Alexandra Habbouche, Lisa Bradley, Autumn Manley (coach holding the trophy), Nicole Bratton, JaMesha Williamson. The men in the back row are left to right Brandon Bryant, Franklin Howard, and Rob Kidd.

In addition to team honors, Kelly White from Team 1015 in the photo to the right also won individual honors as Top Witness.

Well done Polar Bears!

Social Studies Students Enjoy Pizza and Fun

2011-01-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Several of the Social Studies students, along with Dr. Crawford and Dr. Lomax gathered last week for the Winter Quarter gathering. They enjoyed pizza, although maintaining that they prefer cheese pizza to vegetarian, and talked about issues in the major and the profession. Jennifer Sherman reported on her student teaching experience, and talked about opportunities for presentations, among other topics. This was also a chance for freshmen to get to know the other majors who can help them avoid the various pitfalls that can befall students.

Thanks to Student Senate for buying the pizza and Mock Trial for providing the drinks - left over from the Polar Bear Invitational. We will do this again in during Spring Quarter.

ONU Alumni Back on Campus for Polar Bear Invitational

2011-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Several HPJ alums traveled through cold and snow to help out with the recent Polar Bear Invitational. Among those helping out were

From left to right (back row): Ricky Stahl (white shirt) graduated from ONU undergraduate (major was criminal justice) and law school, he is in private practice in Cleveland, Ohio and is the mock trial coach for Case Western Reserve University. Hank Swearingen is a third year law student at ONU law, he was a criminal justice undergraduate at ONU. Andrew Wick just graduated from ONU law in December is will be going into JAG (the Navy's Judge Advocate General service) in the summer. He was a criminal justice undergraduate at ONU and participated in mock trial all four years.

Front Row: Stephanie Pearce Burke, graduated from ONU undergraduate (major was criminal justice and political science) and law school. She is currently a District Court Judge in Louisville, Kentucky. Autumn Manley graduated from ONU undergraduate (major was criminal justice). She attend Cal Western law school in San Diego, California. She is an attorney and is currently one of the two attorney coaches for ONU’s undergraduate mock trial team.

Not pictured, but also helping out was Dan Jones, who graduated with a Political Science major and is now at ONU law.

Congratulations to all of them for their achievements after graduating from HPJ!

ONU Hosts Polar Bear Invitational for Mock Trial

2011-01-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

the HPJ Department sponsored their annual ONU Mock Trial Invitational last weekend. More than 41 teams from 27 colleges and universities from around the nation competed in the tournament. In a strong field that included teams from the University of Michigan, Notre Dame, Loyola University, and last years' winner Central Florida, which repeated as victors, Team 1014 from ONU finished in fifth place.

students and professors from HPJ and ONU's Petit College of Law served as workers and judges, in a tournament that ran smoothly despite the cold and snow. In an article by John Curiel and published in the Northern Review, ONU' Assistant Coach Nicole Winget commented "I want to thank all of the faculty, law students and alumni who made this tournament possible. Never before has the Polar Bear Invitational gone so smoothly, and it was all due to everyone's combined efforts."

The top ten teams included:

1. Central Florida, Team 1025, Record 8-0

2. 2. Michigan, Team 1187, Record 7-1

3. 3. Eastern Michigan, Team 1009, Record 6-2*

4. 4. Loyola, Team 1274, Record 6-2*

5. 5. Ohio Northern University, Team 1014, Record 5.5-2.5*

6. 6. Michigan State, Team 1094, Record 5.5-2.5*

7. 7. Case Western, Team 1614, Record 5.5-2.5*

8. 8. Northwood, Team 1221, Record 5.5-2/5*

9. 9. Central Florida, Team 1026, Record 5-3*

10. Drexel, Team 1224, Record 5-3*

Miranda Wade Attends Inaugural Events

2011-01-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

Miranda Wade, a Senior Political Science Major, recently attended the midnight swearing in ceremony and inaugural events at the capitol in Columbus. The left photo is Wade pictured next to Dave Yost, the new State Auditor, and at right with new Governor John Kasich and his wife Karen, worked as an assistant campaign manager for Yost. After graduation, Miranda plans to work in state government and the connections she made during the campaign will no doubt be a great help.

Well done Miranda! You are 1-0 in campaigning!

NPR Correspondent Talks with Students

2011-01-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Rose Previte, BA ’03, and her husband NPR News correspondent David Greene visited the ONU campus on Jan. 7 and took time to talk with several classes in the Department of History, Politics, and Justice.

Greene, who spent five years on NPR’s national desk, covered the White House during the second term of former President George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the first days of President Obama. After intensive study of Russian at Moscow State University, he is now reporting from Moscow and covering the entire region, including the Ukraine, the Baltics and Siberia.

Greene shared his observations with students about impediments to democracy in Belarus as well as the obstacles reporters face in the region. He also spoke to students about his concerns over “gotcha” journalism and the need for civil discourse in the American media. Both Rose and David eagerly answered a number of questions from students and encouraged them to stretch their undergraduate studies through internships and study abroad opportunities.

A native of Lancaster, Pa., Greene is a graduate of Harvard with a degree in government. He spent seven years as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun before joining NPR in 2005. He and Rose live in Moscow.

Alum Proves That it is a Small World

2011-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Justin Dickerson, who graduated with a history major in 2008, met up with Professor Pitts of the English Department at a conference in Turkey. Dickerson is working on his Masters in History at Loyola University and was presenting a paper at the conference.

Dickerson presented his paper on Daniel Burnham, who was a leader in the civic improvement of Chicago and a pioneer in the city planning movement. Pitts is spending the year teaching English at a university in Turkey.

Triumph of Alumni

2010-12-10T13:11:00.001-08:00

Jared Hardesty, who graduated with a degree in History in 2008, recently passed his Oral Comprehensive Examinations with High Distinction! Jared is attending Boston College and finishing his Masters Program.

Well done Jared and best of luck in your future endeavors!

Veterans Share Their Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan

2010-12-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday December 10, three ONU students spoke with students about their experiences serving in the military in Afghanistan and Iraq. The veterans included:

Marcus Quinones - Married, father of three, Forensic Biology Major. Marcus began his service by joining the Marine Corp as an Infantryman. Because of his ability, Marcus was also asked to join an elite unit within the Marine Corp called the Scout Swimmers. He deployed to Iraq with the Marines. After returning home, he decided to allow his contract to expire due to the birth of his son. However, mere months after returning to civilian life, Marcus realized it was not for him and thus he decided to join the Army where he could retain the rank that he held in the Marine Corp. He redeployed to Iraq with the Army after being sent to his new unit. During this deployment, an enemy explosive hit Marcus and caused severe damage to his leg and knee. After returning from Iraq, he was medically discharged from the Army due to his wounds.

Bradley Nungester- Divorced, no children, Criminal Justice Major. Bradley began his service by joining the Army as an Infantryman. He received orders to be assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and then deployed with this unit to Iraq in late 2006 to early 2007. One day in Baghdad, Iraq, Bradley's unit was conducting a mounted vehicular patrol when the patrol was forced to stop. He exited his vehicle and was immediately shot in the chest 3 times by an enemy sniper. Luckily, lethal damage was avoided due to his body armor. However, he did suffer several broken ribs. Later, Bradley suffered a series of heart attacks. It is not known whether a correlation existed between his being shot and the heart attacks as he may have suffered from a preexisting genetic condition. The heart condition led to Bradley being medically discharged from the Army.

Brandon J. Bryant- Single, no children, Political Science/International Studies Majors. I began my career by joining the Army as an Airborne Infantryman. After graduating from Advanced Infantry Training at Ft. Benning, GA, I went on to Airborne School and graduated as a Paratrooper. I then received orders to be assigned to the 1st of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. I deployed to Afghanistan with this unit in October of 2003. I returned home in August of 2004 where I received orders to be reassigned to Ft. Hood, TX to the 1st Batallion of the 22nd Infantry Regimment, 4th Infantry Division. I deployed with this unit to Iraq in December of 2005 and returned home in December of 2006. In March of 2007, my contract expired and I was honorably discharged from active service in the Army.

All of the veterans above received the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, including myself. All of us ended our military careers as highly decorated veterans.

Jones Named Mr. ONU

2010-12-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Trey Jones, a Junior majoring in Social Studies, was recently crowned Mr. ONU last week. The event was sponsored by Kappa Alpha Theta and was held to raise money for the sorority's philanthropic efforts.

Well done Trey!

Pi Sigma Alpha Receives Grant to Bring Scholar to Campus

2010-12-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

HPJ's Pi Sigma Alpha chapter has received a grant of $848 from the national organization, which makes this the ninth consecutive year that the chapter has received external funding. During that time, the organization has brought in over $11,000 to be used in their programing.

This grant will be used to bring Dr. Jack Shaheen to campus to talk about his book Reel Bad Arabs that discusses Arab stereotyping in film and television. Shaheen, who published his book in 2001, is also the author of six other books, many of which deal with the theme of the popular culture's depiction of Arab Americans. In addition to his prime time talk, he will possibly also talk in some of Dr. Alexander's classes during the day.

Given HPJ's Saudi Prison Management Certificate Program (PMCP) that has brought a large number of Arab students to campus, his talk will be a timely and important one. The PMCP and the ONU Cultural and Special Events Committee will also help provide funding for Dr. Shaheen's talk.

Mock Trial Brings Home Hardware

2010-12-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

The Mock Trial Team came home from the University of Saint Francis Mock Trial Invitational with considerable success. Team 1014 placed 5th out of 18 teams at the invitational, as well as winning the Spirit of AMTA (American Mock Trial Association) Award. A truly nice trophy, which changes colors as you watch, can be seen in the Mock Trial Team's packed award case on the second floor of Hill Building.

In addition to team success, the 1014 Team also earned individual awards. Brendan Bryant once again won Outstanding Attorney (scoring a perfect 20!), and Franklin Howard also repeated as Outstanding Witness.

The ONU teams litigate into action next at home. The ONU Mock Trial Invitational will be held on January 15th and 16th, and some 42 teams from across the nation are scheduled to attend.

Social Studies Students to Nature Center for Teacher Licensure Orientation

2010-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Eleven students and Dr. Crawford went off to the Metzger Nature Center for Teacher Licensure Orientation last weekend. While there, they watched the documentary Harvard beats Yale 29-29, and discussed how sports can be used to teach the Social Studies. On Sunday, the students presented lesson plans that they made to accomplish that goal, and all did a great job! Another purpose of the weekend was to familiarize Social Studies candidates with the Ten Themes of the National Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Crawford also went over the requirements of the Center for Teacher Education and discussed opportunities and challenges that students will face as they make the transition from student to teacher.

As always, the food, supplied by Nature Center caretakers Wayne and Carol King was first rate, and the class traveled to a local mall to forestall cabin fever. It was a fun and productive weekend!

Pictured above are (L-R) Kevin Obarski, Scott Russell, Dustin Scott, Dr. Crawford, Lawren Neeley, Ben Buehler, Amarilla Fair, Jasmine Goldsmith, Annie Hertzler, Aaron Craft, Michael King (back), and Sadie Wiley (front).

Students Take Part in DC Internship Opportunities

2010-12-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Several students including Richelle McMannis and Alex Habbouche (O and H in the photo below) spent Fall Quarter in Washington DC interning with the Washington Center. McMannis interned with the U.S. Marshalls, and Habbouche worked with the Federal Trade Commission. Also in DC last quarter was Matt Wiseman, who worked with the law firm of Kohn, Kohn, and Colapinto, who specializes in representing whistleblowers, or people who report employers for violating the law.

All of them report fantastic experiences at their internships. We have several more students who plan to do their internships with the Washington Center during Spring Quarter.

ONU Students in DC for Rally

2010-12-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

Several ONU students and alumni gathered in the nation's capitol to take part in the Restore Sanity Rally put on by the Comedy Channel's John Stewart. Students who traveled from ONU included Kelly Morman and Mike Hamper (not pictured, but he was on TV). While there, they met up with other current and former students such as Alex Habbouche, Matt Wiseman, alumna Patti Stiger and

All attendees reported having a great time, and enjoying being able to meet up with those who haven't been on campus for a while.

Mock Trial Gets On-Track

2010-12-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

The ONU Mock Trial teams turned in their best effort of the year so far, when Team 1014 finished 3rd and Team 1015 finished 5th at the Lewis University Mock Trial Tournament. Up until the Lewis tournament, held in Romeoville, Il, the ONU teams had little team success. Their fortunes turned in Illinois, however. In addition to the team's success, individual members Brendan Bryant, who was named an Outstanding Attorney, and Franklin Howard, who was named an Outstanding Witness continued to shine.

The Mock Trial team litigates into action again this Friday when they travel to Fort Wayne, IN for the Saint Francis University Tournament that begins Friday and ends Sunday.

Good Luck Mock Trial!

Professor Loughlin Presents Paper in Louisiana

2010-11-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

Dr. Loughlin presented his paper, "French Antimilitarism from the Dreyfus Affair until World War I: Gustave Herve and the Affiche Rouge of 1905," to the Western Society for French History's Annual Conference in Lafayette Louisiana. The area around Lafayette contains one of the largest groups of French descendants in the United States and so was an appropriate backdrop for the conference.

Loughlin's paper was well received and the Cajun food reportedly good.

First Year Experience Students Celebrate Award Winners

2010-11-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

HPJ First Year Experience students wrapped up their class today by awarding several members for papers that they turned in as part of the work for the class. (more to come)

Department Celebrates Professor Waters' Birthday

2010-11-09T11:11:00.001-08:00

Faculty and students came together Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Dr. Robert Waters birthday in the second floor Hill Conference Room.

Waters teaches contemporary American History, as well as Latin America, African American, contemporary Africa, and Western Civilization.

Waters had to endure some good natured fun at his expense due to the landmark nature of this particular birthday (the nature of which is a closely held secret).

Happy Birthday Dr. Waters!

Professor Nsia-Pepra Presents Paper on U.S. Foreign Policy toward Africa

2010-11-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Dr Kofi Nsia-Pepra on November 6, 2010 presented a paper titled ‘America’s Militarized Foreign Policy in Africa- Backlash to Its Strategic Interests” at the International Studies Association Midwest Conference in St Louis, Missouri. The paper examined the inherent contradictions in US foreign policy of pursuing its idealist goals using realist mechanisms and the effects on its strategic interests on the African continent.

The paper argued that the US assumes that it can promote its objectives by securing human rights, human dignity, and international justice by advancing the respect of rule of law. However, instead of employing liberal mechanisms to achieve such idealistic ends, America employs realist mechanisms, especially the use of military force, to achieve its putative liberal goals, thereby undermining the attainment of those liberal ends.

In the post 9/11 era, America’s heightened, but selective, military involvement in Africa in the pursuit of its strategic interests has backfired due in large part to the inherent contradiction between the use of realist means to achieve liberal ends. To meet its strategic goals on the continent, it would be prudent for America to deemphasize “hard power” and heighten “soft power” in its foreign policy.

Weekend Seminar: The Salem Witch Trials

2010-11-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Students in Honors Seminar on "The Great Witch Hunt, 1450-1700" added to their knowledge of this dark but fascinating episode in the history of the Western world at a weekend seminar on "The Salem Witch Trials." This mini-seminar took place at the ONU Nature Center in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, on October 30-31.

Dr. John Lomax, who teaches "The Great Witch Hunt," led the students on an intense exploration of the witch hunting frenzy that took hold of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. He was assisted by Professor Ray Schuck, a specialist in public history and museum studies. The students at this seminar were Tracy Campbell, Clara Harrod, Nicole Heidelberg, Carolyn Lishawa, Bethany Miller, Kelly White, and Carol Wilson.

They read, discussed, and reported on documents from the trials themselves as well as seventeenth-century theological treatises on witchcraft, contemporary accounts and responses to the Salem witch trials, and modern scholarly studies of the trials. They discovered that the Salem episode is an excellent case study in the witch hunting ideology of the early modern era. At the same time, they found that it is necessary to consider factors that were specific to Salem and the colony of Massachusetts to account for size, velocity, and ferocity of the 1692 hunt.

The weekend was topped off with two films, the classic Arthur Miller drama "The Crucible," an account of the Salem witch trials that drew its inspiration from the hunt for Communists during the Red Scare of the 1950's. They also viewed "The Blood on Satan's Claw," a decidedly B-grade English cult horror film of the 1960's that nonetheless a smörgåsbord of the stereotypical traits of early modern witch hunts and modern ideas about witches, such as malicious magic, the pact with the devil, devil worship, demonic familiars, the witches sabbath, ritual murder, and cannibalism.

The weekend seminar took place at the ONU Nature Center, a study center established in 1989 through the generosity of The Hiller Family Charitable Trust. Academic departments, administrative units, and other groups at ONU regularly take advantage of the many features of the Nature Center, which include a modern study center with classrooms, laboratory facilities, display areas, lounge, dining area, a restaurant-quality kitchen, and lodging facilities for sixteen students. The Nature Center is on the historic Metzger farm, which has a fully renovated farm house to house faculty and visitors, a barn, a pond, and an archaeological site. Wayne and Carol King, who operate the facility for the university, always provide mounds of quality family style food for students, so it is best to go there hungry.

Every year, Professor Schuck conducts a Field School in Archeology on the site, at which students learn the basics of site preparation and excavation, the handling and identification of artifacts, and the proper storage and display of artifacts. Other Weekend seminars that HPJ has held there include Teacher Licensure Orientation, Film and War, Serial Killers, Hostage Negotiation, and Football on Film.

Students and Faculty Gather to Watch Election Results

2010-11-03T06:44:00.001-07:00

Election night 2010 brought several students and faculty back to the Hill to watch the election results Tuesday night. Alpha Phi Omega, the Political Science honorary supplied the pizza and pop, and Dr. Jimmy Wilson chipped in with his homemade ice cream.

Civic spirit was on full display throughout the day, with students and faculty reminding each other to go out and fulfill their public duty by voting. Despite differing political views, the night remained good natured, with only minor skirmishes over whether to watch returns on Fox or MSNBC. The television generally remained on the more down-the-middle CNN, and aside from political triumphs or tragedies, a good time was had by all.

Mock Trial Kicks Off New Season

2010-11-02T13:29:00.001-07:00

The ONU Mock Trial Program opened its 2010-2011 season traveling to (more to come). This year's team is young and struggled in their first test. Team 449 did come home with a Spirit of AMTA (American Mock Trial Association) Award, and Brandon Bryant won an Outstanding Witness Award.

Their next competition will be held at the St. Francis Invitational.

Alumni Returns in Triumph!

2010-10-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Joe Kent, who graduated with a BA in History last year, stopped by Hill Building Friday to talk about applications for graduate school. Joe has been working in his hometown in Pennsylvania for the past year and now is getting ready to move on to the next stage in his educational career.

We wish Joe the best of luck and are prepared to do whatever we can to help him reach his goal!

Phi Beta Delta Talk: Professor Crawford on Teaching Abroad in China

2010-10-30T11:23:00.001-07:00

Dr. Crawford told attendees of the experiences that he and his wife Sophie enjoyed while he was teaching a course for the United Studies Abroad Consortium in Chengdu China last summer.

Crawford told students and faculty about the geography, climate, and the people of Chengdu. He also addressed the penetration of Western, particularly American, culture in China. Along with his remarks, he also showed students photos that he and Sophie took while there. They both viewed the trip as a chance of a lifetime to live in China for five weeks. While there, they enjoyed the very spicy food from Sichuan Province, and saw the sights in Chengdu, as well as taking trips into the countryside and to the first imperial capital of Xian, where they were fortunate to see the famed terracotta warriors.

Crawford also urged both faculty and students to take advantage of opportunities to teach or study abroad. These sort of opportunities provide experiences that will often be life-changing. The opportunity to live in another culture expands one's mental horizons, and incidentally looks good on a student's resume.

Professor Wilson Tells Marketing Students about GIS

2010-10-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jimmy Wilson addressed a large audience of Marketing and Geography students in the Dicke Forum Wednesday night. He told them of the ways that Geographic Information Systems can be used to make their marketing efforts more effective. He also discussed his recent efforts to aid the Admissions Department in recruiting efforts and also about research that he and students have accomplished in the past few years.

Wilson kept the audience involved in his presentation by asking for volunteers to help demonstrate the use of his GIS software. He had volunteers demonstrate how GIS software could help analyze data to give users as narrow a focus on states, counties, communities, and neighborhoods to track demographic and purchasing patterns, among others.

These tools can make marketing, whether of a new soft drink, or a university more efficient. The crowd had several questions for Wilson, and in general were open to the information that they were being exposed to. To see Dr. Wilson's talk, click here.

Professor Jimmy Wilson Presents Joint Student-Faculty Research

2010-10-27T09:00:00.001-07:00

At the East Lakes Division of the Association of American Geographers Annual Meetings, Dr. Wilson presented two papers that he worked on with HPJ students Kevin Cieplowski, BA 2009 and Samantha Licata, BA 2010.

Wilson presented a paper that he worked on with Cieplowski, titled "Spatial Analysis of Sexual Offenders Charged with Gross Sexual Imposition in Cuyahoga County, Ohio." The abstract of their research states:

Police departments in the suburbs of many metropolitan areas have witnessed increases in property crimes since the recent global economic downturn began a few years ago. Residential foreclosures have also increased dramatically during recent years, especially in certain large cities in the United States, such as Cleveland, Ohio. These phenomena have helped stimulate discussion regarding the relationship between property crime, residential foreclosures and other socio-economic variables. The current research focuses on spatial analysis of these variables in Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, 2004-2009. Our findings lead us to conclude that any correlation that currently exists between property crime and foreclosure is coincidental in nature. While certain criminal activity is localized in specific areas within Garfield Heights, foreclosures continue to be a problem throughout this community.

He presented a paper that he worked on with Licata, titled "Spatial Analysis of Sexual Offenders Charged with Gross Imposition in Cuyahoga County, OH." The abstract for this paper reads:

Spatial research pertaining to sexual offenders has increased in recent years, thanks in large part to local and state legislation requiring offenders to report their locations, and also to state agencies that disseminate their information to the public. However not much emphasis has been given to examining the neighborhood environments of those charged with particular sexual offenses. This research examines social and economic variables associated with the environment of individuals charged with Tier 3 gross sexual imposition as of April, 2008 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Among other findings, we illuminate a geographic trend associated with these locations and general quality of life.

Cieplowski remains at ONU, working for the Saudi Prison Management Program, and Licata is pursuing her Masters Degree in Psychology at Spalding University.

Working with students on research projects such as these has been an emphasis of the department, and gives us a chance to publicize the good work that our students are doing.

Military and Society Class Visit Air Force Museum

2010-10-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

On October 12, Dr. John Lomax and Professor Ray Schuck took the students in “Military and Society” on a field trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton. The museum holds the country’s largest collection of military aircraft and other artifacts of war in the air. The students saw aircraft from every era in the history of military aviation, including a B-17, the “Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby,” from the Second World War. An AC-130A transport plane, the workhorse of the American military from the 1950’s to the 1990’s. A Juncker Ju52, a transport plane that carried paratroops and cargo for the Germans during the Second World War. Hitler also used a Ju52 as his personal aircraft in the 1930’s, most notably in the opening scenes of Leni Riefenstahl’s infamous propaganda film, “Triumph of the Will.” Professor Schuck, the department’s museum specialist used the museum’s collection to discuss the decisions that curators make when they select artifacts and decide how to display them for the public.

“Military and Society” is the gateway to a wide range of courses that the department offers on war, the military, and the relationship between warfare and the political, social, cultural, and economic life of peoples and their governments. These include courses on the Crusades, the Wars of Religion, the revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the American Civil War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Cold War, espionage during the Cold War, the Vietnam War, wars in Africa, contemporary asymmetrical warfare, and terrorism.

In front of the B-17 (Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby) are:

Standing: Joe Fisher, Jerry Nelson, Stephen Borden, Cat Apicella, Brad Nungester, Mike Dunson, Lauren Colby, Brendan Kinder, Patrick Blasius, and John Curiel.

Kneeling: Dr. John Lomax.

In front of the AC-130A are: Lauren Colby, Brendan Kinder, Cat Apicella, Patrick Blasius, Jerry Nelson, Brad Nungester, Stephen Borden, Joe Fisher, and Mike Dunson.

In front of the Juncker Ju52 are: Stephen Borden and Joe Fisher.

Department Celebrates Professor Geistman's Birthday

2010-10-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The department gathered to celebrate Dr. Geistman's birthday on Friday October 15th. The Saudi Prison Management Program supplied pizza and soft drinks.

Happy Birthday Dr. Geistman!

Fleming Named Ohio Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week

2010-10-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan Fleming, a senior Social Studies major, was named OAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Baldwin Wallace. Ryan had 4 catches for a career high 201 yards and scored 2 touchdowns, one of 54 yards and the other that went for 49 yards.

Ryan will be doing his student teaching next quarter and will be back on campus for spring quarter to run sprints for the track team.

Well done Ryan!

Professor Alexander and Students Attend Washington Center Event

2010-10-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alexander, along with ONU students currently interning in Washington, D.C., and several ONU graduates of the program, took part in the recent Washington Center gala, held Oct. 4 in Washington, D.C.

The “Gala 2010: Transforming Potential into Achievement” event celebrated the impact The Washington Center’s programs have on more than 40,000 alumni and the influence they have on their communities. It also celebrated the individuals and organizations that partner with the center to develop students’ talents and turn their ambition to a greater purpose.

The gala was held in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Bob Schieffer, anchor of CBS’ “Face the Nation” served as master of ceremonies. Proceeds from event provide program scholarships to make the center’s program accessible to students regardless of their backgrounds.

The Washington Center is the largest internship organization in Washington, D.C., and has provided internship opportunities to many ONU students as well as university students from across the nation and the world. The organization’s president is an ONU graduate, Michael Smith, BA ’68, Hon. ’10.

Several of our students in recent years have also used their experiences at the Washington Center as a springboard for acquiring a position in government. Liz Drummond, Mark Schloemer, and Miranda Wade are among a few who have gotten their starts in politics by reaching out to the contacts they made at the Center. This a great opportunity for ONU students and one that they should take advantage of, if at all possible.

Pictured at the Washington Center gala are, from left, David Lewis, a senior in physical education from Gainesville, Md., Dr. Robert Alexander, BA ’94, associate professor of political science, Jaime (Uppenkamp) Wright, BA ’04, Ashleigh Kaleugher, a senior in criminal justice from Aliquippa, Pa., Alexandra Habbouche, a senior in political science from Oregon, Ohio, Michael Smith, D.P.S., BA ’68, Hon. ’10, Richelle McMannis, senior in criminal justice from Thornville, Ohio, Matthew Wiseman, senior in history from Findlay, Ohio, Stephanie Spirer, BA ’03, and Johni Amos, BA ’03.