Holliday Hilling: Newton, Iowa

Dr. Crawford stopped in Newton, IA to interview a man who had played football with the Newton Nite Hawks during a tour of Europe.  Crawford is researching a possible book on the history of American football in France, so he should be able to write off this trip from his taxes!

Holliday Hilling: Ainsworth, Nebraska - Go Huskers!

Dr. Crawford also made a quick trip home to Ainsworth, Nebraska to visit family and friends.

The field, bathed in sunshine, is where Dr. Crawford played his high school football.  Go Bulldongs!

Holliday Hilling: Atlanta Georgia

All flights go through Atlanta!

Holliday Hilling: Queretaro, Mexico

On the way home to snowy Ohio

Holliday Hilling: San Miguel Allende, Mexico

Dr. Crawford and famiily visited nearby San Miguel, a haven for artists and American expatriots.  Should have gotten a picture along side the Sam's Club!

Holliday Hilling: San Jose Iturbide, Mexico

Dr. Crawford visited grandchildren over the hollidays in Mexico, which was much warmer than Ada!

GIS Students Learning and Doing

Dr. Jimmy Wilson and his GIS students have been working diligently to improve our university and the village of Ada by using Geographich Information Systems to make helpful data available.  In the past, they have mapped the location of emergency sites around campus, and created 3D images of the buildings on campus.  A recent story featured on ONU's homepage tells of yet another effort - mapping trees in the Ada community.

Dr. Wilson makes it a requirement that his student's projects not only give them experience using GIS applications, but also aid someone.  The combination of academic content and useful application is what makes GIS courses so valuable to students.  Wilson and students Blakely and Nebgen who are featured prominantly in the ONU article, presented their research to the 2012 Northwest Ohio Urban Forestry Semionar at Blufffton University last November.  These sorts of knowledge and skills can raise applicants with this background above their competitors in the job market and separates an ONU education from many of its competitors!

Hilling the World: Ben Wolett and Doug Chapel in Detroit

Who knew that the Hill Building was part of the Detroit skyline?



Ben Wollett BA '09 History





Doug Chapel BA '09 Political Science


That's who! 


Thanks to our alumni for carrying the spirit, and the little model, of Hill Building with them in their travels!

ONU to host seventh annual Polar Bear Invitation Mock Trial Tournament

Release from the ONU website:

Ohio Northern University’s mock trial program will host the seventh annual Polar Bear Invitational Mock Trial Tournament from Jan. 19-20. The competition will take place at ONU’s Pettit College of Law, Hill Building and Dukes Memorial. More than 300 students from 24 colleges and universities representing 12 states will participate in the tournament.

The tournament consists of four rounds, with trials taking place simultaneously in each round. Each mock trial has a panel of two judges who evaluate students on their knowledge of case material and presentation and litigation techniques. On Saturday, the first round of the competition begins at 10:30 a.m., and the next round begins at 4 p.m. On Sunday, the first round begins at 9:30 a.m., and the second begins at 2 p.m.

The tournament gives honors to the top teams as well as outstanding attorneys and witnesses.

The case this year, as assigned to each mock trial group by the American Mock Trial Association, is a civil case that deals with Lee and Andy Allen. The couple signed up with Neptune Underwater Expeditions to explore a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean. On July 7, 2011, Lee died during the dive. Andy, acting on behalf of spouse Lee, is suing Neptune for Lee’s wrongful death.

Dr. JoAnn Scott, professor of political science and adviser of the ONU mock trial team, emphasized the benefits afforded to students involved in mock trial beyond awards and honors.

“At the ONU invitational, students get the chance to try a case against different regions, where legal norms are different,” Scott said. “Practice of this sort only adds to the mock trial experience. Since the majority of team members are considering law school, mock trial allows them to see if it’s really what they want to do.”

An invitational such as this one is just practice, Scott said. Teams gain experience and learn from their mistakes in order to prepare for regional and national competitions later in the year.

The teams participating this year are from the following colleges: Allegheny, Baldwin Wallace, Bowling Green, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Dayton, Eastern Michigan, Emory, Indiana, Kentucky, Lewis (Illinois), Loyola (Chicago), Manchester, Miami of Ohio, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwood, ONU, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Sullivan, Texas-Dallas, and Toledo.

Lima Sr./ONU Political Science Student Earns Top Score in Americanism Contest

Summer Miller, who is a high school senior at Lima Senior High School taking a dual enrollment Political Science course from ONU earned the highest score for any female in the nation on the American Legion's Americanism Test.  Miller's teacher is Adam Vermillion, a 2005 graduate of HPJ and ONU and who is teaching the course for ONU.

The Americanism test included 50 questions that included multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essays.

Miller told the Lima News that Vermillion has helped her change her previous attitude of not much interest in government by conducting "good discussions" and "making us really learn and understand it [government]." To read the entire story, click here.  Mr. Vermillion returned the comment saying that students like Miller "make my job easy.  She is a great student."

Miller is reportedly considering ONU for next year and we hope to see her here then.

Well done Summer and Adam!