Spring Quarter Classes Conclude

Professor Rob Alexander and his Political Science class enjoy the fine weather that finally arrived just in time for the end of classes.

Students now are preparing for their final examinations next week and some are getting ready to graduate. It was a great year for the HPJ Department, with students and professors alike traveling widely to present ideas to their peers. As previously mentioned, several HPJ students are looking forward to graduate school, and others will be embarking on their careers soon.

We wish them all the best luck in whatever path they decide to follow!

Students Present at Political Science Conference

On April 25, Doug Chapel and Jesse Longbrake presented papers at the 6th Annual All Politics is Local Conference at Walsh University. Chapel's paper was entitled "Implicit Guarantees, Bailouts, and 'Too Big to Fail:' The Administration's Power Grows." Longbrake presented his paper: Laughing in the Face of Conflict: Evolution of Satire in the War Film. Chapel and Longbrake are the last in a long line of HPJ students who have journeyed off campus this year to present their ideas to peers and professionals.

HPJ Students Headed for Graduate School

Several HPJ students plan to further their educations by attending graduate school next year. Among those headed up the educational ladder include: Ryland Breeding - Virginia Commonwealth - History, Rob Capovilla - ONU Law School, Doug Chapel - Indiana University - Public Administration, Justin Dickerson - Loyola University - History, Denise Jansen - George Washington University - Public Affairs, Brian Hoefel - Akron University - History, Shalia Patel - Law School in Canada - already accepted, but still waiting on other schools , and Ben Wollet - Ohio University - History.

In addition to those aiming for graduate school, Stephanie Wells has successfully completed the highly competitive process and will work with Teach for America next year.

This was truly outstanding senior class and they will be missed next year, but we will continue to watch their subsequent careers with a great deal of interest and pride.

Honors Day 2009

More pictures from HPJ's Honors Day 2009 held at Presser Hall on Saturday May 9. From Left to Right, the organizations are Phi Beta Delta (International Scholars), Studia Socialia Americae (Social Studies), Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science), Phi Alpha Theta (History), and Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice). Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography) is pictured in a previous post. HPJ had an outstanding group of seniors this year, with at least nine students already accepted to graduate school.

GIS Class Presents Security Map to Campus Security

Professor Jimmy Wilson and his GEOG 348 Applied GIS presented Campus Security with an updated map of security locations across campus on Thursday. The map shows locations of emergency telephones and security towers throughout campus. Wilson noticed that the information that Security had on these locations was outdated, and so he set this as a class project.

Students who worked on the project included Aimee Baehrens, Patrick Dochenetz, Travis Drury, Michael Krummery Sean Kazmierczak, Michelle Kim, Tyler Musselman, Jonah Simmons, and Chris Tylenda.

HPJ Department to Conduct Prison Management Program for 30 Saudi Arbaian Corrections Professionals

HPJ will conduct a two-year prison management certificate program for prison administrators from Saudi Arabia that will begin this summer.

The Department will offer 30 prison management professionals, who already have bachelor’s degrees and training, the opportunity to study the English language and criminal justice in Ohio Northern University’s Department of History, Politics and Justice.

These professionals will come to ONU to study corrections and prison management to learn about and experience “best practices” in the United States and prepare them to provide leadership in reforming their own system when they return to Saudi Arabia. While at ONU, the students will have formal course work and practical experience opportunities, weekend seminars and many onsite visits with professionals in the field. The program will include
an internship, and they will also have the opportunity to study at The Washington Center.

ONU Prepares Prison Management Program for Saudi Arabian Students ONU will hire additional ESL instructors, an assistant program coordinator and an interpreter. Many of the visiting professionals will live in campus apartments or in University housing off-campus.
Prior to the arrival of the Saudi students, Michael Wilhelm, the director of the Office of International students and Scholars at West Virginia University, will visit ONU and Ada May 21-22 to meet with all involved in the program as well as the community. There will be four information sessions open to the community. Individuals interested in the program or anyone who has questions about the impact of the students and families are encouraged to attend.

Thursday, May 21
11 a.m. — First United Methodist Church of Ada
1:30 p.m. — McIntosh Activities Room
6 p.m. — Ada Visiting Nurses Community Room
Friday, May 22
1:30 p.m. — McIntosh Ballroom

Professor Ludanyi Lends Name to New Award

During the May 9, 2009 Honors Day ceremony, the ONU chapter of Phi Beta Delta, the honorary for international scholars, established the Phi Beta Delta Andy Ludanyi Award for Young International Scholars. The award was named for Professor Andy Ludanyi, who retired last year after forty years of service teaching political science at ONU. Ludanyi also served as the sponsor for Model United Nations since 1974 and continued this year in a semi-retired role.

The first winner of the Ludanyi Young International Scholar Award was Shaili Patel, who will graduate this spring. During her time at ONU, Patel, who majored in Political Science and Pharmacy, was an active participant in Model UN, serving as Head-Delegate this past spring. She was tapped for the award because the consistent record of excellence that she demonstrated in her four years in the program. Patel plans for the future includes law school in her native Canada.

New Honorary Inducts Charter Class at ONU

During the May 9 Honors Day ceremony, ONU inducted its charter members into Gamma Theta Upsilon, and honorary for Geographers. Charter members included Matthew Boutin, Professor David Smith, and Professor Harry "Jimmy" Wilson.

Other inductees not pictured included Stephen Borden and Kevin Sigg.

Professor Wilson Teaches Gumbo Techniques

Professor Harry "Jimmy" Wilson took part in the Cooking with Faculty program sponsored by Residence Life. He shared his HPJ famous gumbo recipe with students who gathered to learn cooking and eat great food. Wilson emphasized that gumbo is a dish that can be individualized and various ingredients can be added or subtracted based on personal taste. The audience enjoyed the obvious relish that Wilson displayed while cooking and he told them he liked to make sound effects while cooking. Also appreciated by students and faculty alike was Wilson's homemade ice cream. Click on the document to download his gumbo recipe - which is delicious!

Justin Courtney, the Director of Residence Life, and his wife Tabitha, the Associate Director of Alumni Recruitment, also shared their recipes for buffalo chicken, homemade salsa, and tortilla casserole.

Professor Crawford Speaks to Legal Group

On May 1st, Professor Russ Crawford delivered a talk entitled Abraham Lincoln: Historical Buffet to the Findlay/Hancock County Bar Associations' 2009 Law Day Breakfast at the Findlay Country Club. Crawford told the group that historical figures such as Lincoln can be viewed in various ways, depending on the political orientation of the viewer. He contrasted Lincoln the Savior of the Union, with Lincoln the trampler of the constitution; Lincoln the Emancipator with Lincoln the racist (as some have charged). Historical figures who have played such central roles in the life of the nation often become contested figures in the Culture Wars that continue to rage in the 21st Century.

Student Present Papers

Brian Hoefel and Ben Wollet presented papers at the Clement S. Stacy Undergraduate Research Conference at Purdue University Calumet in March.

Hoefel presented The Illusion of Southern Nationalism and the Reality of the Civil War

Wollet presented "Disinterest in the Vaterland: German-American Newspapers’ Account of Bismark and Foreign Affairs, 1877-82"

Both Hoefel and Wollet did a fine job as is the norm for ONU students on the road.