The PME Graduate Cording

Pi Mu Epsilon held a dinner in Eagles Landing on Thursday, December 5. The 2020 PME graduates -- Kelly Fullin, Cassidy Johannsen and Janeen Grese -- received their cord.

English Senior Spotlight: Sarah Toki

I'm an English major with minor in Psychology.

I have so many great memories involving the English department but some of best involve my classes with Dr. Sharleen Mondal and now-Professor Emeritus Joe Mackall, reading and analyzing different texts such as The Rape of The Locke, Americanah, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Native Son, and the final paper I turned in for The Poem with professor Jay Robinson.

After graduation I plan on taking a semester off just where I will continue to drink ridiculous amounts of coffee, work through my every growing reading list before coming back for the Bachelor's Plus program to obtain my teaching license

Congratulations, Psychology Graduates!

Seven Ashland University Psychology majors took part in the commencement ceremony on Dec. 14. Pictured below are Dr. Bonfiglio, Yuanyuan Jiang, Liz Takacs, Kaylei Ruffing, Paige Leitz, Jessica Wilson, and Dr. Metzger (Ariana Graves and Sabrina Dickens not pictured). Congratulations!!!

English Senior Spotlight: Sarah Norris

I am an English and Creative Writing double major.

My favorite memories from being part of the English department include every class I had with former professor, Joe Mackall, analyzing various texts ranging from John Milton's Paradise Lost to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, to Toni Morrison's Beloved, and crafting a paper over the connotations of setting in the novel, Pride and Prejudice, comparing it with two of its film adaptations.

After graduation I plan to continue to drink copious amounts of coffee as I write novels, to find a publishing or editing job local to Ashland, and maybe someday travel to Italy!

JDM December 2019 Graduates

Not long ago, two transfer students joined the Journalism and Digital Media department. On Saturday December 14, these transfers became Ashland University graduates. Digital Media Journalism major Steve Shrenkel and Digital Media Production major Alan Naymick were excellent contributors to JDM media and solid students. Good luck to them as they pursue careers in the profession.

English Senior Spotlight: Steph Sorrell

I’m a creative writing major and English minor.

My favorite memories at Ashland within the English department are turning my first ever assignment into my capstone, taking a leap of faith by volunteering to play John Winthrop in a reacting to the past lesson, and forcing my peers to play a town of Salem game during my presentation on the Crucible.

After graduating I’m looking for jobs locally but the goal is to work at a university and eventually work towards my masters!

AU Participates in Mathematical Competition

The 80th William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition was held on Saturday, December 7, 2019. The following Ashland University students participated in the competition: Daria Kochis, Kelly Luck, Samuel Meredith and Dakota Hamilton. These students worked on six problems from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and then six more questions from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Spanish in Law Practice

by Clarke Owens, Attorney

Recently, the court staff in Holmes County noted on my attorney profile that I speak some Spanish, and they asked me to accept an appointment to represent a Central American client who spoke no English.

At our first hearing, I was introduced to the certified court reporter. The CCR is a person fluent in a foreign language, trained and board-certified to translate in a court of law. Since his skills were greater than mine, he offered to translate for me and my client. I was greatly impressed with the interpreter's ability to put all my questions, instructions, and legal terms into language that the client understood. The CCR seldom interrupted me, and allowed me to express myself at great length, taking down key words as I spoke, which enabled him to remember everything I had said.

Knowledge of Spanish is becoming more and more valuable in the legal profession, even here in Ohio where the Spanish-speaking population is not as visible as in California, Florida, or Texas. Whereas, for many years, immigration attorneys were only available in the big cities, like Cleveland and Akron, today we have an attorney in Wooster who tells me immigration law is 25% of her practice.

Spanish speaking ability is the wave of the future for people whose jobs require them to communicate with a large number of people. It's also gratifying to be able to use this skill to help others, aside from using it in travels, or in reading. My foreign languages are French and Spanish, and I derive great satisfaction from studying them, and from using these skills in my legal practice.

English Senior Spotlight: Audrey Ashbrook

Audrey Ashbrook is a double-major in English and Creative Writing with a minor in History. “One of my favorite memories with the English Department was taking ENG 372: Nietzche and the Problem of Values with Dr. Weaver and reading Lord Jim and Crime and Punishment. His classes are always so much fun and really make me think about the text, characters, themes and issues on a deeper level. After graduation, I’m going to try and find a job in the field of writing, editing or publishing while also writing creatively on the side!”

Psychological Science Accelerator Featured on NPR.org

An article was published today on NPR.org about the Psychological Science Accelerator which was founded by Ashland University's Christopher Chartier. The article focuses on the first study that has gone through the accelerator which " included just shy of 11,500 participants from 41 countries. Each participant rated 120 photos of racially and ethnically diverse faces on one of 13 traits such as trustworthiness, aggressiveness, meanness, intelligence and attractiveness." Read the complete article at www.npr.org

3rd Annual 24-Hour Theater Project: Just Clowning Around

Written by Noah C Gore on December 1st, 2019

On November 8th thru 9th Ashland University students gathered for the 3rd annual 24-Hour Theater project. From writers to actors, costume designers to makeup artists, anybody can participate in this event no matter what department you come from. In fact, while the majority of those involved were, in fact, CFA students, the 24-Hour Theater Project hosted students from English & Creative Writing, Ashbrook, JDM, Computer Science, and more.

Miranda Bielawski, Ivey Buffenmyer, Eric Breeden, and I were all involved with writing the libretto for the play. Ivey acted as lead editor and will proudly stand by the fact that this year’s performance was based on an odd occurrence the morning prior at 2:00am; as she phrases it, she woke up in a cold sweat and thought to herself, “Existential Clown College.” For whatever reason this happened, it must have been fate, for this was the obvious choice for this production.

This year’s performance was announced prior that we would be attempting to write a musical, as well. Though many were skeptical and even a bit hesitant, we pressed onward. Starting at 7:30pm Friday and ending around 4:30am the following morning, we (including scriptwriters and music coordinators) had successfully written and scored* the script, lyrics**, songs, and stage directions for our production. It was decided then that we would call in all the actors that had auditioned, and by 5:30am, the first table read was underway.

The play follows Josh (a.k.a. John, a.k.a. Jason, etc.) as he stumbles into the biggest mix-up in his life; what he thought was an acceptance letter from Brown University turned out to be a one-way ticket to Clown University. However, this clown college is not like other clown colleges. Those that find themselves here aren’t sure why and don’t look for answers. Every waking moment is an existential crisis for these clowns, and they couldn’t be happier!

In the end, “Existential Clown College” was a huge success. In total, there were three full-length musical numbers fully choreographed and scored**. The crowd couldn’t stop laughing and the actors were very into their characters. If you’d like to see the production, the Ashland University Theater page on Facebook live-streamed the majority of the 24-Hour Project, including the entire live performance.

*All music was written and recorded by Ethan Tingler.

**All lyrics were written by the 24-Hour Theater Project scriptwriters.

Open Mic Night: Tuesday 12/10 at 7 in Eagles Landing

The English Department's students are hosting an open mic night on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in Eagles Landing. Come hear students read their original work and/or come read your work. There will be snacks. Come and decompress from the tense finals week!

Toxicology student presents research on Pesticide Analysis

Cillian Donahue, a senior Toxicology and Biology major (with a concentration in Forensic Biology) from Strongsville, had the opportunity to present her research on “Using Passive Sampling as a Method for Pesticide Analysis” at the recent National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in New Orleans. Cillian has been investigating a new method using silicone tubing to absorb pesticides from sediment for her Honors Capstone project. She is supervised by Dr. Jeff Weidenhamer (Chemistry) and Dr. Andrew Trimble (Toxicology). Read more at ashlandscience.blogspot.com

Festival of Lights, Sunday at 7 p.m.

Ashland University will officially begin its observance of the holiday season with the 29th annual Festival of Lights on Dec. 8 in Ashland University’s Jack and Deb Miller Chapel, located at the intersection of King Road and College Avenue.

The 7 p.m. candlelight service, which is free and open to the public, symbolizes Christ coming into the world. The story is communicated in verse and song. It will include Scripture readings by Rob and Kim Pool, traditional carols, and seasonal choral music by the Ashland University Choir and Women’s Chorus, and the Ashland Area Chorus. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Winter Band Concert Showcases a World Premiere & Xylophone Soloist

The Department of Music presents its annual Winter Festival Band Concert on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. Under the direction of Joseph Lewis, Jr., the concert will feature the Ashland University Symphonic Band and the Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB). The concert will offer a program of classic compositions for concert band along with some holiday favorites. The concert is free and open to the public.

More info at:
ashlanduniversitymusic.blogspot.com

Randall-Griffiths Presents with Kelsey Nicolay

Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths, Professor and Director of the Online Communication Studies Program in the Department of Communication Studies, presented a session with alumna Kelsey Nicolay titled Communication is the Key to Breaking Down Barriers for the American Council of the Blind Regional Conference, Columbus, OH. Read more at: ashlandcomstudies.blogspot.com

TubaChristmas Returns to Ashland on Dec. 7

The local holiday favorite TubaChristmas returns to Ashland University's Hugo Young Theatre on Saturday, December 7 at Noon. The concert is free and open to the public and invites area tuba, euphonium and baritone players to perform. Musician registration will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a rehearsal at 10:20 a.m. More information at ashlanduniversitymusic.blogspot.com

Science Alumni Gather for Fall Social

Science alumni gathered last Friday at Ashland's local brew pub Uniontown with 16 alumni, their guests and a handful of faculty.  This was our third AU Science alumni social with the next planned for the spring.

If you are a science alumni you should be receiving email invitations to these events.  If you are not, please contact us to update your email address by emailing us at ashland-science@ashland.edu.

Holiday Jazz Concert, Dec. 5

The Ashland University Department of Music will present an Ashland University Jazz Concert on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 pm in Hugo Young Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public and will feature performances by three different ensembles. 

The evening will begin with pre-concert music from the Lost and Profound jazz combo followed by selections from the 4th annual AUJO Alumni Big Band and concluding with jazz standards and holiday favorites from the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra (AUJO).

Award-Winning Poet and Ashland Alum Logan Fry Visits Campus

On November 15th, Logan Fry came and visited his stomping grounds of Ashland University where he received his bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing. During his visit, he attended Dr. Deborah Fleming’s Poetry Workshop class, where he answered questions posed by the students. There was a lot to learn from him, such as information about his personal life, the road to publication, and how he found his niche. Fry also made it a point to note that poetry was not always his first choice; he originally wanted to write fiction, but that all changed when a visiting professor told him he spoke like a poet. This awakening helped push him to where he is now.

Read more about Fry's visit from Noah C. Gore at englishatashland.blogspot.com

Clarinets, Flutes, Brass & Strings Perform, 12/4

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m., several student ensembles will perform in a joint recital including a clarinet trio and the Flute Loops Jazz Combo under the direction of Dr. Thomas Reed, a brass ensemble directed by Joseph Lewis Jr. and a string ensemble directed by Jane Reed. The concert is free and open to the public.

Hullman and Pollutro Present at National Conference

Dr. Gwen Hullman and Camille Pollutro (Criminal Justice and Health & Risk Communication major) presented "Strategic Messaging Elements of the Tips from Former Smokers Centers for Disease Control Video Campaign" at the National Communication Association's 105th Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD last week. The conference focused on Communication for Survival, which "encourages Communication scholars and practitioners alike to think about the vital role communication plays in survival."

To learn more about the National Communication Association, visit their website.

Fall Honors Recital Tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The best of Fall 2019 will take the stage at tonight's Honors Recital in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall in the Center for the Arts. The concert is free and open to the public.

Performers will include:

VOCALISTS: Sami Eron, Lila Hyatt, Maya Rickard, Alayna Ross, Katie Snell, Rebecca Young

INSTRUMENTALISTS: Kailyn Buyok (violin), Ariane Hill (flute), Jed McFadden (piano/violin)

Melan White Responds to Maggie Smith's Reading

As a junior, a Creative Writing and Mathematics double major, and a student athlete, it can be hard to find time to attend events on campus like this one. I was grateful to be able to attend, I felt both honored and inspired to listen to Maggie Smith read her work. Towards the end of the reading when Smith was reading her poem “Let’s Not Begin,” I had this moment of deja vu. I focused in on Smith’s words and realized that I had heard her work before. I was a member of a writing community in my hometown and we would open our writing time with Smith’s poems. It was such a great moment to be able to put a face to the words that had moved me so many times before. Full story at: englishatashland.blogspot.com