Professor Crawford on the Op-Ed Pages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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!