Saudi Officers Visit Nature Center

Students from the Saudi Prison Management Program visited the Nature Center in two groups during the last week. While there Professor Scott told them about criminal procedure in an investigation and Dr. Chris Yanai from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections gave a talk on transporting prisoners. He also told them about the record keeping system that ODRC uses to keep track of inmates. Yanai also gave a demonstration of the PR-24 baton and students, led by Kevin Cieplowski worked on procedures for applying restraints. The Prison Management students will see this in real world situations later when they visit the Marion Correctional Institution.

Students also watched film adaptations of the criminal process, watching A Few Good Men, or A Time to Kill, depending on their group. They also helped the King's prepare the meals for the weekend, making nearly the entire meal on Saturday night.

Career Fair Announced

The Ohio Council of Criminal Justice Education Career Fair

Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

at

The University of Findlay/AMU

Sponsored by The University of Findlay Career Services Office

careerservices@findlay.edu

For information call 419-434-4665

Meet with criminal justice, public administration organizations and law schools.

Professional, internship and/or summer employment opportunities.

ONU STUDENTS: Register to attend by contacting the Ohio Northern University Office of Career Services by e-mail: career@onu.edu or calling 419-772-2145. Include name, major, expected graduation date and contact information. If you would like to use ONU-provided transportation, make a $5 refundable deposit at the Office of Career Services at the Lehr-Kennedy House. Money will be refunded upon departure on ONU bus or van. Please register by Tuesday, November 10.

Be sure to take copies of your resume to the career fair. Meet with an ONU Career Services professional career advisor for resume review. Call 419-772-2145 for appointment.

Some of the employers who have registered at this time:

* Federal Air Marshal Service

* Lorain County Domestic Relations Court

* Ohio Army National Guard

* Ohio Attorney General’s Office

* Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources-Division of Watercraft

* Ohio Division of Wildlife

* Ohio Investigative Unit

* Ohio State Highway Patrol

* Oriana House, Inc.

* The Juvenile Residential Center of NW Ohio

* U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

* U.S. Secret Service

Sheila Willamowski: Adventures in D.C.

Sheila Willamowski (SR Political Science) has reported from her Washington Center internship in the nation's capitol, and has many adventures to relate. During her first week, she attended a memorial for September 11th along with 2008 Republican nominee John McCain, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Minority Leader John Boehner, who she works for. Speaker Pelosi ended the event by leading the gathering in singing "God Bless America."

Willamowski also ran into Joe Wilson, the Representative from South Carolina who caused an uproar when he loudly interjected "You lie!" during President Obama's Address to a joint session of Congress. She and her fellow new interns in his office also met with Boehner, identifying herself as being from Representative Jim Jordan's district. Boehner talked with the interns for 30 minutes and Sheila reported the thrill of getting to spend an uninterrupted 30 minutes with a public figure who is in constant demand. This was the first of many meetings with the Minority Leader that she has had as part of her duties.

Touring the capitol and the White House have also been part of her experience. She enthusiastically reported on her chance to take the Dome Tour of the capitol building, where the picture above was taken and she also was able to tour the White House. At one point, while she was in the capitol on business, she even had Vice President Joe Biden walk by her, with Senator John Kerry and Speaker Pelosi. Another high point came when she and other interns toured the West Wing of the White House, which included the Rose Garden, Press Briefing Room, and the Oval Office. She even met the First Dog, Bo Obama!

Willamowski is in D.C. working as an intern in Representative Boehner's office. Students majoring in Political Science are encouraged to complete an external internship as part of their program, and Shiela took an active role in making this happen. While considering an internship, she met a Boehner staffer at a political dinner where she learned more about internship opportunities in the Minority Leader's office. She realized that she would love to have such an experience, sent in her application, and was accepted.

She is also taking coursework and is being housed through the Washington Center, which places students in a variety of positions in the nation's capitol and elsewhere, including in locations abroad. Students are housed in a secure facility with other interns near public transportation, and receive the opportunity to add valuable practical experience to the first rate education they get from our professors.

The HPJ Department encourages its majors to take advantage of these tremendous opportunities to both broaden their horizons and to gain the experience and contacts that will help them as they move into their careers.

Mock Trial Brings Home Trophy

The Polar Bears have returned from the OSU invitational mock trial with some hardware. Team 448 captured Fifth place (of 24 teams) and received a very nice looking trophy for their efforts. They finished with a record of 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. Students on 448 include Alexandra Habbouche, Dan Jones, Robert Kidd, Laura Presbrey Peet, Lara Wood, Steve Keslar, and Matt Wiseman (pictured at left).

Team 449 (our first year mock trial students) did not fare as well but they now have one tournament under their belt and their nervousness should not get in the way in future tournaments. I am convinced they will do very well in future tournaments and their attorney coach Mrs. Nicole Winget (a new attorney) is working very diligently with them. She commented during the weekend how they improved with each trial. 449 team members include Taylor Vance, Victoria Dickman, JaMesha Williamson, Nicole Bratton, Melody Smith, Marlina Mackie, and Andrea Fiutem.

Dan Jones earned a perfect score of 20 and received an Outstanding Attorney Award for the Prosecution. Alexandra Habbouche received and Outstanding Witness Award for the Defense.

Our next tournament is scheduled for October 23-25 at Eastern Kentucky University.

Alums Return for Homecoming

Doug Chapel (second from the left) and Brian Hoefel (third from the left) returned to ONU for Homecoming festivities. Last year, Chapel graduated with a major in Political Science and Hoefel with a major in Social Studies. Chapel is attending graduate school at Indiana University majoring in Public Administration, and Hoefel is at Akron University studying History.

Both reported that grad school is going well, but is a lot of work They are pictured here with Drs. Waters, Crawford, and Lomax, who were happy to hear of their adventures.

Homecoming and HPJ

HPJ students were out in force to raise money and tell others about the various programs at ONU and in the department. Phi Alpha Theta students sold models of Hill Building to raise funds for the International Honor Society. Other students worked at booths providing information about Student Senate and other campus organizations.

Pictured are Mike Hamper at the ONU Student Senate table, Dan Jones, and in the left most picture, Dr. Lomax, Lauren Colby, and Jason Bauer.

East Asia Since 1800 Hears About Japanese Martial Arts

Eric SeGall, a Freshman Criminal Justice major, gave a talk to the HIST 314 East Asia since 1800 on Japanese martial arts. Though SeGall is in his first year at ONU, he has a deep interest in the subject and has made studying Japanese martial arts his hobby. In the summer of 2009, he attended the Kasukabe-U.S. Camp at ONU that brought together 20 Japanese and 20 American students, and it was there that his interest in and knowledge of the importance of Japanese martial arts in understanding Japanese culture became apparent.

SeGall told the class about the basic weapons of the samurai and the different fighters in Japan. He also took the story of bushido's (the way of the warrior) influence through World War II. Without a firm understanding of the role of the martial arts in Japan, it is difficult to understand the way that they engaged the rest of the world in the period leading up to the war. Eric managed to teach the instructor something as well, which was one of the purposes of his presentation, and I learned that samurai were initially taught archery skills by their mothers.

The department's faculty is interested and determined to provide students the opportunity to share their knowledge in a variety of formats, ranging from this class to professional presentations at conferences. These experiences help students get real world experience, which looks good on resumes, and provides a nice nerve wracking experience that takes students out of their comfort zone. Eric admitted to being nervous, but did a wonderful job in his presentation. Well done!

If you are interested in learning more about Japanese martial arts, click here to watch the streaming video.

Phi Beta Delta Hosts Talk on Water Quality

On Thursday October 8, Beth Seibert, Watershed and Stormwater Programs Coordinator for the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, delivered a talk entitled "Water Quality Challenges in the Ottawa River Watershed." Phi Beta Delta, the honorary for International Scholars sponsored the event, which was held in the Dicke Forum.

Seibert described the Ottawa River Watershed, which drains eventually into Lake Erie, and told attendees where to find the mini continental divide just to the south of Lima, where rivers begin to flow to the south into the Ohio River. She told assembled students and faculty about the challenges to local water quality, which includes point source industrial waste from Lima and non-point source pollution from agriculture, construction, and the normal activities of humans on the land - lawn care, etc.

Seibert also described the efforts to minimize pollution within the watershed, which included certification of waste water treatment plants, educational programs, and possible future regulation. She praised the city of Ada for having plans and processes in place that make them a model for other communities.

Deapartment Holds Freshman Spaghetti Dinner

New students and faculty gathered at Dr. Ellen Wilson's house Tuesday October 6, for the annual new student spaghetti dinner. This provided a chance for our freshmen to meet the members of the faculty and vice versa in an informal session with great food. Students, including many from the Saudi Program, attended in waves and took the opportunity to put names to faces and find out what we teach. For the faculty, it was a chance to get to know more about our new students, and find out how the first quarter is progressing for them.

As usual, Dr. Wilson cooked the excellent spaghetti and other faculty provided side dishes. It was a lot of good food and a lot of good conversation! click on the pictures below to enlarge them.

Professors Loughlin and Smith at Roundtable on South Asia and American National Security

On Oct. 6, Dr. Michael B. Loughlin, professor of history, and Dr. David R. Smith, associate professor of geography, participated in a roundtable on South Asia and American national security with the faculty of Heidelberg University, guests from other regional universities, and two sitting CIA and Department of State analysts and officers.

The main speakers at the roundtable were John Collinge, a former foreign service officer, and Zandra Flemister, a former special agent in the U.S. Secret Service.

Collinge was a career CIA analyst who for the past several years has been with the agency’s Historic Collections Division. In that capacity, he has been a key part of the agency’s declassification effort in general and of its contributions to the Department of State’s Foreign Relations of the U.S. (FRUS) series.

Flemister is currently a member of the Senior Foreign Service in the Department of State with tours in Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, London, South Korea, and, most recently, again in Pakistan as consul general. She is currently assigned to the Terrorist Screening Center in Washington, D.C., as its deputy director.

Western Civilization Series Adresses Rhetoric in Ancient Greece

Dr. Ray Schuck from Bowling Green State University told students in Western Civilization 1 classes about the origins of rhetoric in ancient Greece today. Schuck teaches communications at BGSU and is a frequent contributer to the Series.

As usual, Schuck did a bang-up job describing the origins of rhetoric and sophism. He described the controversies surrounding the sophists, who argued that truth was relative to a community's perception of reality, and who took money for their teaching, which was frowned upon at the time. He went on to discuss the leading sophists, including Isocrates who argued that persuasion made human society possible, Protagoras, who held that every argument could be met with a counter argument and that a skilled rhetorician should know both sides of every argument, and Gorgias, the most famous of the sophists, who maintained that words do not represent reality, but hold the power to shape thought and action.

Schuck also discussed the critics of the sophists, that included Plato, who argued that rhetoric was not a techne, or a true art. He also spoke of Aristotle who attempted to find a middle ground by arguing that what we know in human affairs (history, political science) is not truth, but what we think is probable and that while there is an ultimate reality, rhetoric deals with that probability.

He also defined for students the important parts of rhetoric, such as enthymeme ( an argument in which one premise is assumed to be true, i.e. that freedom is a core value in America), and arete (virtue) which the sophists argued could be promoted through the use of rhetoric.

Schuck summed up telling students that rhetoric was significant to the study of communication, law, politics, philosophy, religion, literature and the meaning of culture.

Dr. Schuck received his undergraduate education at BGSU in Popular Culture, his Masters from Michigan State in American Studies, and his Ph.D. from Arizona State in Communications.

HPJ Hosts Football 101 for Saudi Program Officers

On Sunday, nine Saudi Program officers came to Hill Building to learn about the rules of football, American style. Professor Crawford introduced the basics of the sport, Professor Ellen Wilson provided the Diet Pepsi, and Professor Jimmy Wilson provided the football. The group watched part of the Cleveland vs. Cincinnati game, and then went out to play a pick up game. The officers attending included Badr Al Shathri, Safar Alamari, Turky Ahmed Aljedani, Abdullah Almutairi, Abdulaziz Binklaib, Mohammed Alharthi, and Saad AlQahtani. Kevin Cieplowski, Umar Saylaman, and Mahdi Abulail helped with translations and explanations.

The group had numerous questions about the game, which is very different from soccer, and had a fun time throwing the ball around after watching the pros go about it. We told them about next weekend's homecoming game and parade and now they will hopefully enjoy more fully the spectacle that is American football.

ONU Host High School Model UN Competition

On Saturday, October 3, HPJ and Modern Languages hosted the ONU Model United Nations Simulation for area igh chool students. Six schools, that included Bowling Green, Clay, Lima Senior, Lorraine Arts Academy, Tipp City, and William Henry Harrison sent nearly 90 students who represented 30 nations.

The top team award went to Bowling Green High School's group acting as Venezuela. This is the fourth year in a row that one of BG's teams have taken the top award. Other Outstanding Performances were turned in by William Henry Harrison (United States), Bowling Green (Japan), Clay (United Kingdom), and Tipp City (Russian Federation).

After the awards ceremony, many of the students took the opportunity to tour the campus led by guides from the Admission's Office. This was an outstanding group of students, and we hope to see some of them on campus in the years to come.

This year's competition marked the first year that Professor Kofi Nsia-Pepra assumed leadership of the Model UN at ONU, replacing Professor Andy Ludanyi who retired last year after 40 years at the university and nearly as many as the head of the MON program.