Link - SPHINX Senior Class Honorary - The Ohio State University
Link - SPHINX Senior Class Honorary - The Ohio State University
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<strong>The</strong> 102nd <strong>Class</strong>: Who are they? 101 & Not Forgotten:Where are they now?
As the newest members of Sphinx, we have been<br />
afforded the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a group of<br />
people whose dedication to academics, service and this<br />
<strong>University</strong> is truly extraordinary. As Fall Quarter comes to<br />
an end, the 102nd class has already established a standard<br />
of excellence, having studied abroad in Ireland and China;<br />
presented award-winning research; celebrated Homecoming<br />
with eight members on Court, including this year’s<br />
queen; served as contributing citizens by working on political<br />
campaigns; and volunteered as tutors, builders, and<br />
helping hands in surrounding communities and around the<br />
world.<br />
In the last few months, we have come to understand<br />
that this organization reaches far beyond each member’s<br />
current involvements. Sphinx is genuinely about<br />
meaningful relationships. While it is a great honor to be<br />
inducted into a senior class honorary, our names on a roster<br />
mean nothing without the memories that bind them. We are<br />
an organization brought together by our ideals and preserved<br />
by our friendships. Most students will conclude<br />
their experience six months from now, but we know that<br />
our friendships will serve as a bridge into the next chapters<br />
of our lives.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 102nd class still has a great deal of time to enjoy<br />
as active links and exciting things to accomplish. In the<br />
upcoming months, Sphinx will help <strong>University</strong> Development<br />
fundraise for the 100th Anniversary gift to the new<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> Union, perpetuate this impressive tradition by selecting<br />
the next class, and continue to celebrate our cherished<br />
time at our Alma Mater. I look forward to living the next<br />
six months as some of the best of my life, with 23 newfound<br />
friends.<br />
1<br />
Mark Torrez<br />
President<br />
102nd <strong>Class</strong><br />
Andrew Aten is a Biology (pre-medicine)<br />
major from Centerville, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Aten bursts<br />
with enthusiasm and energy for <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong><br />
at various athletic events as Brutus Buckeye<br />
and is committed to serving the Columbus<br />
and <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> communities<br />
through volunteer work at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Medical Center. As a brother of the <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> chapter<br />
of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, he serves on its Judicial<br />
Board. Aten was also a member of Chimes Junior <strong>Class</strong><br />
<strong>Honorary</strong> and dedicates time to research.<br />
Barbara Barash is a Biology (premedicine)<br />
major from Blacklick, <strong>Ohio</strong> and<br />
is involved in many organizations, including<br />
Mirrors and Chimes <strong>Class</strong> Honoraries,<br />
Student-Alumni Council, and volunteers at<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> Medical Center.<br />
In Student-Alumni Council, Barash is<br />
dedicated to serving students – past, present,<br />
and future – in various roles, including Student-<br />
Alumni Liaison Program Coordinator, Vice-President<br />
of Communications, and the current president.<br />
Victoria Bouttavong is a Journalism<br />
major and Spanish minor from Elmore,<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong>. Vicki has empowered her peers as<br />
a Buckeyethon morale captain, a mentor<br />
in the Office of Minority Affairs, and is a<br />
member of the Buckeye Leadership Society.<br />
Dedicated to a future career in broadcasting,<br />
Vicki is active with Buckeye TV and served as<br />
an intern for the news channels ABC 6 and FOX 28.<br />
She is committed to improving student life on campus<br />
by serving as vice-president for the nationallyrecognized<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> Union Activities Board.<br />
Kyle Brewer is a nursing major from<br />
Euclid, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Kyle’s commitment to<br />
serving others is exemplified by his various<br />
community efforts. As a member of<br />
Students Engaging in Responsible Volunteering<br />
(SERV) Team, he led a team of<br />
over 100 students to Purdue <strong>University</strong> to<br />
promote inter-campus relations through<br />
volunteering. Kyle has immersed himself in the cultures<br />
of other countries, especially through his study<br />
abroad experience in Mexico. He personified the spirit<br />
of a Buckeye by relating these experiences with incoming<br />
students as an Orientation Leader.<br />
Megan Conroy is a biomedical sciences<br />
major from Gaithersburg, Maryland. She<br />
worked diligently in the research laboratory<br />
in the Center for Microbial Interface<br />
Biology and in internships at <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong><br />
and the National Institutes of Health. She<br />
promotes the welfare and traditions of the<br />
university through her involvement with<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>rs, Inc. and by volunteering with Phi Sigma<br />
Pi, an honors service fraternity. Her leadership ability<br />
is exemplified in these organizations by serving as<br />
president of Phi Sigma Pi and recording secretary for<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>rs, Inc.<br />
Gregory Ebersole is a material science and engineering<br />
major from Strongsville, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Greg served as a<br />
teaching assistant for the Fundamentals of Engineering
Honors Program during his sophomore year.<br />
As an Orientation Leader and <strong>University</strong> Host,<br />
he has assisted the transition of first-year students.<br />
In the Greek community, Greg serves as<br />
historian for the <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> chapter of Phi<br />
Gamma Delta fraternity, pursuing the five values<br />
of friendship, knowledge, service, morality, and excellence.<br />
Andrew Eggerding is a strategic communication<br />
major from Cincinnati, <strong>Ohio</strong>. His passion<br />
and enthusiasm for the student experience has<br />
been demonstrated as a Resident Advisor in<br />
Stradley Hall. Serving as an Orientation<br />
Leader and a Student Orientation Coordinator,<br />
Andrew has welcomed and supported a new<br />
generation of Buckeyes. He represents student organizations<br />
on the <strong>Ohio</strong> Union Council and serves as an intern in marketing<br />
and Greek life at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> Union. Andrew served as<br />
secretary for <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>rs, Inc. and is a member of Sigma<br />
Phi Epsilon fraternity.<br />
Adam Helbling is a civil engineering major<br />
and entrepreneurship minor from Stow, <strong>Ohio</strong>.<br />
Adam has contributed significantly to the community<br />
through his involvement with the<br />
Mount Leadership Society and the Boys and<br />
Girls Club of Columbus. He spent the summer<br />
of 2007 teaching children to water ski and<br />
wakeboard, and he has worked on campus at the Student<br />
Wellness Center. As the captain of the Water Ski Team at<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>, Adam has made great strides in improving the<br />
organization and secured funding to purchase new equipment<br />
for the team.<br />
Timothy Lamb is an agricultural education<br />
major from Cable, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Tim has been an integral<br />
part of the College of Food, Agricultural,<br />
and Environmental Sciences, as a CFAES ambassador<br />
and the co-chairman of the 2008 college<br />
recognition banquet, one of the largest<br />
student-run college events. Tim served as<br />
chancellor of the agricultural honorary Alpha Zeta Partners.<br />
He has served as vice president of communication for Alpha<br />
Tau Zeta fraternity and now serves as vice president of recruitment<br />
and retention.<br />
Michelle Millar is an accounting and international<br />
business major in the Fisher College of<br />
Business. She has reached the corners of the<br />
globe through her study abroad experiences in<br />
Uganda, Egypt, Brazil, and Panama. Michelle<br />
advises her peers as a career coach in her college’s<br />
Career Services Office. She has worked<br />
diligently to provide opportunities to all students, especially<br />
African Americans, and successfully helped reestablish the<br />
Afrikan Student Union and serves as president. She also cochaired<br />
the first Annual Big 10 Conference on Black Student<br />
Leadership.<br />
Kelly Mirgon is from Zanesville, <strong>Ohio</strong>, and is<br />
pursuing a degree in marketing. Kelly participated<br />
in MTV’s Quad Squad, in which her<br />
group developed the winning marketing plan<br />
for Ford Motor Company’s new Ford Focus<br />
which landed her an internship with Ford this<br />
summer. She participated in the First-Year<br />
Leadership Collaborative as a freshman. Her passion for this<br />
program encouraged her to give back and serve as a facilitator<br />
as junior. A member of the Student-Alumni Council, she<br />
currently holds the position of vice president of communications.<br />
Kelly was also a member of Mirrors and Chimes<br />
<strong>Class</strong> Honoraries.<br />
Sean Mittelman is a mathematics major and<br />
health and wellness minor from Dublin, <strong>Ohio</strong>.<br />
As vice president of member development for<br />
Sigma Phi Epsilon he ran a personal and professional<br />
development program called<br />
“Balanced Men,” and his chapter won the<br />
award for the top member-development program<br />
in <strong>Ohio</strong>. He continues to serve the fraternity as its current<br />
president. Deeply invested in Buckeyethon, first as a<br />
morale captain and then as a co-director, Sean helped double<br />
the number of dancers in one year. His volunteer and academic<br />
pursuits keep him focused on his lifelong mission of<br />
teaching.<br />
Robert Nicholson is an international business<br />
major and English minor from Warren, <strong>Ohio</strong>.<br />
He currently serves as the senior vice president<br />
for the Business Builders Club in which he<br />
helps prepare students for participation in the<br />
Business Plan Competition. Rob has been a<br />
two-year participant in the Dean’s Leadership Conference at<br />
the Fisher College of Business. One of Rob’s most notable<br />
accomplishments has been the creation of SMILE, a nonprofit<br />
organization that helps reduce the burden of home and<br />
auto expenses for single parents in the Columbus community,<br />
for which he also received the Deloitte Entrepreneur of<br />
the Year Award.<br />
Teresa Pratt is a linguistics and Spanish double<br />
major from Cincinnati, <strong>Ohio</strong>. She is actively<br />
engaged in linguistics research and<br />
served as a John Glenn Fellow in Washington,<br />
D.C. where she interned at the Center for Applied<br />
Linguistics. She served consecutive terms<br />
as the program coordinator for recruitment within the Student-Alumni<br />
Council and implemented a new program focusing<br />
on access to higher education among disadvantaged<br />
students in the city of Columbus.<br />
Brandon Price is from Canton, <strong>Ohio</strong> and working towards a<br />
dual degree in biology and chemistry focused<br />
on medical school while devoting his time to<br />
volunteering in local hospitals. Over the past<br />
two years, Brandon has been an integral member<br />
of the Association of <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>Class</strong> Honoraries<br />
and currently serves as its president. He<br />
devotes countless hours to running and training<br />
and has completed several marathons and hopes to compete<br />
in the Iron Man competition someday. He helped welcome<br />
students back to campus as the Student Alumni Council program<br />
coordinator for Welcome Week.<br />
Laura Rizzo is a strategic communication major from Lebanon,<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong>. Laura worked to better the student experience as<br />
member of the Undergraduate Student Government, serving<br />
as press secretary. As president of her sorority, Chi Omega,<br />
she made strides in their scholarship plan, planned philanthropy<br />
events, and served as a counselor on a day-to-day<br />
2
asis for her sisters. Her internships with<br />
Smith Barney Financial Advisors and Sports<br />
Illustrated Campus Consulting, she has challenged<br />
herself professionally. This past summer,<br />
Laura forged relationships with first-year<br />
students as an Orientation Leader.<br />
Andrew Samuels is a mechanical engineering<br />
major from Blue Ash, <strong>Ohio</strong>. As a university<br />
and honors ambassador and a member of<br />
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Andrew found<br />
his niche on campus. As the vice president of<br />
finance for his fraternity, he managed the quarterly<br />
budget with creativity and enthusiasm. A<br />
member of Bucket and Dipper Junior <strong>Class</strong> <strong>Honorary</strong>, Andrew<br />
was co-chair for the Illibuck exchange between <strong>Ohio</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> and the <strong>University</strong> of Illinois, bringing the tradition to<br />
a new level by introducing a new Illibuck turtle and increasing<br />
publicity through YouTube videos and TV appearances.<br />
Nellie Smith is an English and theatre double<br />
major at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> at Lima.<br />
Nelle is involved in a mentorship program<br />
through the Health Learning Center where she<br />
tutors students, helps them become better writers.<br />
She is involved in <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> Lima’s Chorus<br />
and serves as editor to several campus and<br />
local publications. She has vast travel experience, having<br />
studied abroad in Canada, England, and the Netherlands, In<br />
2006, Nellie was designated the Outstanding Student in Geography<br />
and in <strong>The</strong>atre and English in 2007.<br />
Mark Torrez is a strategic communication<br />
major and sociology minor from Toledo, <strong>Ohio</strong>.<br />
As a first- and second-year student, he served<br />
as the president of the university’s Residence<br />
Hall Advisory Council where he helped lead<br />
the residence hall experience for 9,000 undergraduate<br />
students and assisted in managing an<br />
annual budget of $100,000. Recently, Mark was highly involved<br />
with <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>’s Orientation program, serving as a<br />
student orientation coordinator. He is an active member of<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>rs, Inc., served as a trip leader for the Alternative<br />
Breaks program, and is a Humanities Scholar.<br />
3<br />
Debra J. Van Camp is a food science and nutrition<br />
and agribusiness and applied economics<br />
double major from Lancaster, <strong>Ohio</strong>. As the<br />
student assistant to the Economic Access Initiative,<br />
she established a student advisory board<br />
and organized data on first-generation faculty<br />
and staff. She founded Students for Equal Access,<br />
an organization promoting opportunities in higher education<br />
to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Deb<br />
now serves as the undergraduate student representative on<br />
the university’s Board of Trustees, contributing a student<br />
perspective to the strategic planning of the university.<br />
Katie Whipkey is a psychology major with<br />
minors in Spanish and dance from Mineral<br />
Ridge, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Recipient of the Provost and<br />
Beanie Drake Student Leader Scholarhips,<br />
Katie is accomplished both inside and outside<br />
of the classroom. Katie currently serves as<br />
president of <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>rs, Inc., working to better<br />
the <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> community. She has been a role model to<br />
prospective first-year students as a telecounselor and Orientation<br />
Leader. She also dedicates herself to others through<br />
volunteering on service projects and as an Alternative Break<br />
trip leader.<br />
Terrance Wooten is a political science major<br />
and African American Studies minor from<br />
Webster Springs, West Virginia. Terrance is<br />
a coordinator for OSU Kid Corps and volunteers<br />
at the South High Children’s Hospital.<br />
He is involved in the Undergraduate Black<br />
Law Student Association and the <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong><br />
chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. A member<br />
of the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars, he is a mentor to<br />
first-year students. Terrance was recently selected as one of<br />
ten students to serve as a strategic research intern for the<br />
American Federation of <strong>State</strong>, County, and Municipal Employees<br />
in New York City.<br />
Kathryn Zatroch is an animal sciences major and business<br />
and international studies minor from Pepper Pike, <strong>Ohio</strong>.<br />
Katie challenged herself with valuable professional experi-<br />
ences as an intern with the Village Veterinary<br />
Clinic and the New Vocations Racehorse<br />
Adoption Facility. She has expanded her<br />
global horizons by studying abroad in England,<br />
Greece, and Egypt. An honors ambassador,<br />
Katie has been instrumental in giving tours,<br />
serving on panels, and volunteering at various recruitment<br />
events. She is also extremely active in the Student-Alumni<br />
Council.<br />
Jillian Zientek is a zoology major from<br />
Toledo, <strong>Ohio</strong>. Jillian has volunteered and<br />
worked in veterinary hospitals across the state,<br />
including <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>’s Veterinary Teaching<br />
Hospital in the oncology department, blood<br />
bank and greyhound medicine program, and at<br />
the Capital Area Humane Society, as well as animal care<br />
organizations in Dublin and Toledo. She currently serves as<br />
treasurer and tour guide coordinator for the OSU Pre-<br />
Veterinary Medical Association. Jillian served as the Beat<br />
Michigan Week program coordinator for the Student-<br />
Alumni Council and was a member of Mirrors and Chimes<br />
<strong>Class</strong> Honoraries.<br />
HONORARY MEMBERS<br />
Felix Alonso is a 1995 graduate of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> and is currently the associate<br />
director of the Multicultural Center. Throughout<br />
his life, Felix has displayed exceptional<br />
loyalty and service to <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>. As a student,<br />
Felix served two terms as chapter president<br />
for Delta Chi fraternity and was a member<br />
of the Undergraduate Student Government and Men’s<br />
Glee Club. After earning his master’s degree from the <strong>University</strong><br />
of Vermont, he returned to his alma mater in 2000.<br />
Working as director of student programs for the OSU<br />
Alumni Association, Felix revived campus traditions such as<br />
May Week and Homecoming Court, and advised the Student-Alumni<br />
Council, shaping it into one of the preeminent<br />
advancement organizations nationwide. Felix has also<br />
served as advisor for Beta <strong>The</strong>ta Pi fraternity, Alpha Psi
Lambda fraternity, and Chimes Junior <strong>Class</strong> <strong>Honorary</strong>. In<br />
2006, Felix was recognized by <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> students as an<br />
Outstanding Student Organization Advisor. In his current<br />
position at the Multicultural Center, Felix is leading the implementation<br />
of a new strategic plan, all while continuing to<br />
stay connected to undergraduate students as an advisor, mentor,<br />
and friend.<br />
Dr. Jacqueline Jones Royster is the executive<br />
dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences.<br />
A graduate of Spelman College with a B.A. in<br />
English, she continued her education and<br />
earned a master’s and doctoral degrees in English<br />
from the <strong>University</strong> of Michigan. She<br />
came to <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> as an associate professor of<br />
English in 1991, and she has served as executive dean since<br />
2005. A professor of English in rhetoric and composition,<br />
Dr. Royster has been published in countless scholarly books<br />
and journals and has received awards for her academic contributions<br />
and service, including the designation of “Dr.<br />
Jackie Royster day” in Chillicothe, <strong>Ohio</strong>, on December 6,<br />
2003. As executive dean, she oversees the students from<br />
more than 70 major programs spanning five colleges and 41<br />
academic departments. She fosters interdisciplinary initiatives<br />
such as the Institute on Women, Gender, and Public<br />
Policy, and the Africa Network that brings together faculty,<br />
staff, graduate, and undergraduate students from across the<br />
university. She is admired by the <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> community for<br />
her devotion to undergraduate students while balancing the<br />
responsibilities of leading such a large federation of colleges.<br />
David Tomasko is a distinguished teacher,<br />
advisor, and administrator from the Department<br />
of Chemical Engineering. A graduate of the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Tulsa, he earned his Ph.D. from<br />
the <strong>University</strong> of Illinois and began teaching at<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> in 1993. Currently, he is the deputy<br />
director of the Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of<br />
Polymeric Biomedical Devices and director of the Honors<br />
Collegium. Dr. Tomasko has earned numerous research<br />
awards from the College of Engineering, and he holds a patent<br />
for polymer nanocomposite foams. Outside of the research<br />
laboratory, Dr. Tomasko has been recognized for his<br />
excellence in teaching and education by multiple departmen-<br />
tal, college, and university awards including the 2002<br />
Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. Additionally, he<br />
is active in community outreach through his efforts developing<br />
a program for <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> graduate students to visit K-12<br />
Columbus public schools, creating nanotechnology experiences<br />
for first year undergraduates, and fostering an environment<br />
for some of <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>’s most exceptional students<br />
through the Honors<br />
Collegium. His<br />
candor, wit, and<br />
ambiability set<br />
him apart as a<br />
teacher and<br />
advisor.<br />
Jillian Zientek, <strong>SPHINX</strong> 102<br />
Shortly after <strong>Link</strong>ing Day this past May, the 102 nd <strong>Class</strong> of Sphinx discussed a<br />
long list of things to do together in the coming year. As soon as we were together<br />
after linking day and formal initiation, we had developed an extensive to-do<br />
list. True to our nature as student leaders we decided to bring a bit more articulation<br />
and organization to the matter, and thus the “102-Do List” was born.<br />
We systematically narrowed down everyone’s ideas. Originally, we generated a list<br />
of 24 items, one for each member, but we agreed to a list of 26, with the goal of<br />
completing 24 of those by spring commencement. <strong>Senior</strong>s in and out of Sphinx<br />
have such lists of their own, but what sets the 102-Do List apart is we intend to<br />
complete these tasks as a group, with more than half of the members present in<br />
order to consider it completed.<br />
Most of the items on our list are <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> traditions like jumping into Mirror<br />
Lake, camping out on the Oval, sleeping over with President Gee, and kissing the<br />
Moos at Mama’s Pasta and Brew. Experiencing the city of Columbus also found a<br />
place on our list including attending Gallery Hop in the Short North and cheering<br />
on the Columbus Crew and Clippers. <strong>The</strong> list is focused on bringing our class of<br />
Sphinx together while having fun. An all-night lock-in, a canoeing or whitewater<br />
rafting trip, playing Laser Tag, and writing a round-robin story are in the plans for<br />
this year.<br />
With several items crossed off, we are looking forward to completing the remainder<br />
of the list together.<br />
4
5<br />
What we did on our summer advance<br />
Teresa Pratt<br />
<strong>The</strong> last weekend in August saw<br />
the first Sphinx 102 advance.<br />
About 15 links were able to<br />
attend the weekend getaway to a<br />
campsite on the Clarion River in<br />
Pennsylvania. Adam Helbling graciously<br />
offered to share his family<br />
friend's riverside getaway with us,<br />
and we spent the weekend lounging<br />
by the dock, riding in Adam's boat<br />
(or tubing behind it), jumping off of<br />
bridges, and engaging in general<br />
merry-making.<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Helbling, Adam’s<br />
parents, cooked delicious breakfasts and dinners for all<br />
of us over the weekend. A few of us even learned to<br />
make a campfire treat - banana boats. <strong>The</strong>se rustic<br />
delicacies are constructed by filling a half-emptied<br />
banana with marshmallow, peanut butter, and chocolate.<br />
To cook, seal it back up in tin foil and heat over<br />
the fire. This was an outstanding addition to our latenight<br />
campfire discussions.<br />
As for nighttime fun, we spent time at the dock and<br />
were entertained by <strong>Ohio</strong> ghost stories, courtesy of<br />
Andrew Samuels and Rob Nicholson. <strong>The</strong> tale of Dr.<br />
Snook and his disastrous affair with a student was by far the most memorable of the ghost stories,<br />
particularly because it happened right on <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>'s campus.<br />
Summer advance was a good time had by all; those who couldn't attend were sorely missed,<br />
but luckily this year will see more social opportunities and more advances to look forward to!<br />
Buckeyes vs. Spartans:<br />
Fall Advance at Michigan <strong>State</strong><br />
Vicki Bouttavong<br />
After months of Holiday Inn phone calls and hitting the<br />
“Reply All” button in e-mails, Fall Advance to Michigan<br />
<strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> had finally arrived.<br />
Many members of 102 began their trip to Lansing, Michigan<br />
in the afternoon, arrived safely and spent the night in<br />
the hotel getting to know each other, playing games and<br />
activities. Four members of the class, Kyle Brewer, Sean<br />
Mittleman, Terrence Wooten, and myself, had obligations<br />
Friday evening and left late that night. How late we<br />
would leave was the question.<br />
<strong>The</strong> plan was to leave after an <strong>Ohio</strong> Union Activities<br />
Board event around 10 p.m. However, the adventure was<br />
delayed until 2 a.m. Sean Mittelman attended an event<br />
with his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and it lasted much<br />
later than originally expected. I prepared myself for the<br />
late-night trip with a nap and a Starbucks cappuccino.<br />
Finally on the road, Kyle Brewer and I bonded during the<br />
long drive; before the trip, we didn’t know much about<br />
each other. <strong>The</strong> drive went almost without a hitch, and<br />
we arrived at the hotel at 6 a.m., only to be woken up two<br />
hours later by a morning brigade of <strong>SPHINX</strong> links volunteering<br />
for Make a Difference Day (MADD), where <strong>Ohio</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> students volunteered in Lansing, Mich. with students<br />
from Michigan <strong>State</strong>. As we all dressed and got<br />
ready to leave yet again, Kyle Brewer didn’t even bat an<br />
eye. An earthquake would not have woken him up!
We met other volunteers on Michigan<br />
<strong>State</strong>’s campus and left on a trip to a<br />
swampland where we built a boardwalk<br />
along the water in a nature preserve.<br />
After bending many nails,<br />
bruising thumbs, and muddy shoes<br />
we successfully built eight to ten<br />
sturdy boardwalks. A learning experience<br />
for some, everyone enjoyed<br />
the physical labor and the beauty of<br />
the Michigan landscape around us.<br />
Not everyone volunteered, and the others got a few more hours of sleep, went to<br />
lunch, and explored Michigan <strong>State</strong>’s campus. It was a beautiful day. Perfect<br />
weather for a hooded sweatshirt and a football jersey, perfect for exploring, and<br />
perfect for football. After gathering for lunch, we headed to Spartan Stadium, but<br />
not before taking the perfect photo with the Sparty statue.<br />
<strong>The</strong> game went exceptionally well, with a Buckeye victory of 44-7! <strong>The</strong> O-H-I-O<br />
chant even made its way around Michigan <strong>State</strong>’s stadium, creating an unreal experience!<br />
After grabbing dinner, we spent some time relaxing at the hotel, but the long day<br />
had many of us exhausted. A rented video camera from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> Union collected<br />
some of the festivities and personal<br />
stories and experiences of our fellow<br />
links.<br />
In the morning, about 12 links drove to<br />
Ann Arbor to have lunch with a<br />
<strong>SPHINX</strong> alum, who was unable to join<br />
us. As luck would have it, we still had a<br />
great time at Zingerman’s, a very popular<br />
food spot, and exploring downtown<br />
Ann Arbor. I hate to say it, but it is actually<br />
a pretty neat place!<br />
Whether over the summer break or during the academic quarter,<br />
Sphinx links can be found in many corners of the world. From the<br />
beautiful landscape of “that state up north” to the harbour of Hong<br />
Kong, links are gaining valuable experiences through internships<br />
and study abroad opportunities.<br />
This past summer and autumn quarter, links from the 102nd class<br />
documented their experiences and the lessons they learned.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Awakening<br />
Barbara Barash<br />
Coming from Lviv, Ukraine when I was eight years old, I thought I<br />
knew all there was to know about poverty and unhealthy conditions,<br />
but when I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica and worked in a<br />
children's clinic in the town named Alajuelita, I realized I knew<br />
very little about these issues.<br />
As seven <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> students volunteering<br />
with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of<br />
Children, we helped doctors treat patients and run the<br />
clinic. For one week, starting on Sept. 8 and ending on<br />
Sept. 12, we worked from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. or until we<br />
ran out of supply, which was about 15 patients.<br />
Recording information like height, weight, and temperature<br />
was among our daily tasks in addition to stocking medicine,<br />
filling prescriptions, and explaining how to take the medicine.<br />
This was great practice for our Spanish.<br />
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We shadowed a doctor, listened to his questions as he<br />
posed them to the patients and explained what he did<br />
as he went along. We spent afternoons planning skits<br />
and presentations to give to children in the village<br />
soup kitchen on proper healthcare management, how<br />
to have fun being healthy, and how to stay safe. Some<br />
afternoons we went to the soup kitchen, played with<br />
the children and taught them about health.<br />
I learned more than I could ever learn by simply reading<br />
books or seeing documentaries. I learned that children<br />
have fun no matter what, that patients are people,<br />
that healthcare really is a problem worldwide, and<br />
that patients around the world are more grateful for<br />
the minimal care they receive than those in the United<br />
<strong>State</strong>s.<br />
Of course, no trip could be complete without seeing<br />
the country and having fun. Our group was able to<br />
arrive early and enjoy the area and sightsee. We visited<br />
a nearby beach, the most beautiful area I have<br />
ever seen in my life. We stayed on a cliff-side resort<br />
with a view of the clear-blue water. Iguanas walk<br />
around everywhere like they own the world and exotic<br />
flowers bloom around you creating an unreal atmosphere.<br />
Monkeys often jump down to visit, or steal<br />
your food. We interacted with local people at the<br />
beach, visited some restaurants, and danced our hearts<br />
out to Spanish and American music in clubs. I experienced<br />
life to its fullest.<br />
Our host families in Santa Ana were very accommodating<br />
and thoughtful. <strong>The</strong>y taught me a lot about the<br />
culture and economics and took me in like I was just<br />
another member of their family. I spent time with<br />
them in the mall, ate amazing home-cooked meals<br />
and learned to live like a Costa Rican. When my<br />
plane was cancelled due to Hurricane Ike for three<br />
days, the family dropped me off and picked me up<br />
from the airport every day because they felt they were<br />
responsible for me and took the time to make sure I<br />
was safe.<br />
My experience was entirely fulfilling. It is a place and<br />
time that I will always cherish in my heart and my<br />
memories. I spent more time finding out about the<br />
world in the 13 days I was there than I would have<br />
ever done by staying close to home. My life has forever<br />
been changed and I look forward to the next opportunity<br />
to visit the friends I made and make new<br />
memories.<br />
I see London, I see… Hong Kong!<br />
Michelle “Mickey” Millar<br />
During the summer I interned with a public accounting<br />
firm, KPMG. I was selected for their Global Internship<br />
Program and I spent half of my internship in<br />
Atlanta, Ga. and the other half in London. Not only<br />
was it a great learning experience but I also had a lot<br />
of fun. For a month I lived in a flat in central London<br />
with two other interns from the United <strong>State</strong>s and<br />
used the Underground to commute either to the office<br />
or to clients. During my free time I went sightseeing<br />
and spent time the interns from the United Kingdom. I<br />
learned a lot about international accounting standards<br />
in comparison to those in the U.S.<br />
Currently, I am spending autumn quarter at <strong>The</strong> Hong<br />
Kong <strong>University</strong> of Science & Technology. This university<br />
is an exchange partner with <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>'s Fisher<br />
College if Business. I have been here since the very<br />
end of August and will stay until right before Christmas.<br />
I am taking business related courses that count<br />
towards my major. I have been having a really awesome<br />
time. <strong>The</strong> students here are very friendly and<br />
Hong Kong is a very exciting city. Although I don't<br />
know much Cantonese, I still get by because my<br />
classes are in English and all the students speak it.<br />
It's great living in such a different place with a different<br />
culture. I've gotten to know several local students<br />
as well as exchange students from all over the world.<br />
My roommate for example is from Paris, France. I've<br />
also taken advantage of the opportunity to get involved<br />
with activities I normally do not at <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong>.
I am now a member of the HKUST Taekwondo<br />
club!<br />
I have fit in a few trips to surrounding countries,<br />
having been to the Philippines and I just returned<br />
from Tokyo. Next, I plan on traveling to mainland<br />
China. I am having a really amazing time, but I can't<br />
wait to get back to <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> and all of the fun<br />
Sphinx activities I've been missing out on.<br />
My exotic study abroad experience<br />
Kelly Mirgon<br />
Okay, maybe I didn’t do a study abroad in some far<br />
away country. However, the location I did reside in<br />
all summer was as close to a foreign place as an<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong>an can get without going outside the country. It<br />
is so foreign that I can’t even utter its name. Yes, I<br />
dare say that I stayed in “that state up north” for a<br />
whole summer, interning at Ford Motor Company in<br />
Dearborn, Michigan. If I was going to be in Michigan<br />
I thought I might as well be patriotic and work<br />
for an American car company.<br />
I was assigned to the Global Headquarters in the<br />
Chief Marketing Office and was very fortunate to be<br />
placed in the strategy department. I worked on a rebranding<br />
project of Ford, finding what Ford meant<br />
not only to its customers, but to its employees as<br />
well. I sat in on many interesting meetings and had<br />
some very knowledgeable mentors on my team to<br />
teach me everything I needed to know about marketing<br />
and the auto industry. My final presentation was<br />
a pitch to the Chief Marketing Office on how I<br />
thought they should implement their findings internally.<br />
I could not have asked for a better internship! On top<br />
of learning about marketing and working with some<br />
great people I also obtained an inside look on future<br />
models of Ford vehicles and shadowed other Ford<br />
departments. I realize now how valuable an internship<br />
at such a large company can be because I was<br />
able to learn not only about marketing, but also the<br />
various areas of a company and how they are dependent<br />
on each other to maintain and sustain a<br />
highly functioning business.<br />
My internship also made me realize how proud I am<br />
to be a Buckeye. I met a multitude of Buckeyes<br />
while living in Michigan and every single one of<br />
them proudly wear a Block O on their chest, even in<br />
a sea of maize and blue. If that doesn’t say true<br />
Buckeye fan, I don’t know what does.<br />
Summer in DC<br />
Terrance Wooten<br />
I gained a lot from my experience at <strong>The</strong> American<br />
Federation of <strong>State</strong> County and Municipal Employees<br />
and learned to work in a professional atmos-<br />
phere. I learned to successfully communicate with<br />
coworkers and members of administration and to ask<br />
for help even when it might make me look completely<br />
inept or unknowledgeable. Most importantly,<br />
I learned a lot about myself. I know my limits,<br />
my strengths, and what I can improve upon.<br />
<strong>The</strong> icing on the cake? I had the opportunity to hang<br />
out with a fellow link while in Washington: Debra<br />
Van Camp. She is like my other half – the skinnier,<br />
female, and Caucasian version, that is. Due to our<br />
schedules, we didn’t get to hang out all the time, but<br />
in the moments when we did, I took a lot away from<br />
them. Being able to share my experience with someone<br />
in Sphinx really helped anchor me. One can<br />
only read through so many union contracts, court<br />
dockets, IRS Form 990s, and dealing with the ridiculous<br />
heat without going absolutely insane. Deb was<br />
definitely a soothing breath of reality. She helped<br />
bring <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> to D.C. with me, and for that we<br />
will forever have a firm friendship, just as Carmen<br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> describes.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> 101 st <strong>Class</strong> of <strong>SPHINX</strong> was dedicated to scholarship and service at <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>. <strong>The</strong>ir year together has come and gone, but the impact<br />
they made and the friendships they fostered make their links ever<br />
stronger. As the links of 101 move on, they continue to seek out opportunities<br />
in scholarship and service in their current and future endeavors.<br />
Paul Barash graduated in June with a degree in marketing and has relocated<br />
to Chicago, Il. He now works for Intersport, a sports-marketing company.<br />
Robbie Beaulieu graduated in June with a degree in comparative studies.<br />
He lives in Murcia, Spain as a Fulbright Scholar and is conducting research<br />
in the area of soil quality and biocontrol development at CEBAS-CSIC, a<br />
national Spanish research center. Robbie continues to work towards attending<br />
medical school.<br />
Leah Bunck graduated in June with a degree in social work. Leah is now<br />
working for Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience at <strong>Ohio</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> as an admissions counselor.<br />
Anjali Chavan graduated with a degree in criminology and political science<br />
in June. Anjali is now attending Georgetown Law School at Georgetown<br />
<strong>University</strong>.<br />
Joseph Clark, III graduated with a degree in psychology in June and is<br />
now in pursuit of a law degree from the Moritz College of Law at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong><br />
<strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Mary Curphey graduated in June with a degree in marketing. She has relocated<br />
to Cincinnati, Oh., and works for the Nielsen Company, a global<br />
information and media company and is one of the world's leading suppliers<br />
of marketing information.
Daphne Everhart graduated in June with a degree in political science. She is<br />
now attending graduate school at the <strong>University</strong> of Georgia in Athens, Ga., seeking<br />
a Masters in College Student Affairs Administration and working with the<br />
student programming board.<br />
James Fondriest graduated in June with a degree in biology. He is now pursuing<br />
his law degree from the Moritz College of Law at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Michael Jaung graduated with a degree in international studies and microbiology<br />
in June and has since relocated to Boston, Mass. Now a first year at Harvard<br />
Medical School, Michael is pursuing degrees in medicine and public health and<br />
hopes to see many <strong>Link</strong>s in town.<br />
James Knight will graduate in June 2009 with a degree in chemical engineering.<br />
After June, James will continue his studies and pursue a Ph.D.<br />
Katie Krajny graduated in June with a degree in sociology. She is now in her<br />
first year in graduate school at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> seeking a Masters in<br />
Higher Education and Student Affairs. As a Graduate Administrative Associate<br />
at the <strong>Ohio</strong> Union, Katie works in marketing, development, and Student Life orientation.<br />
Jake McKim graduated in June with a degree in economics. He has relocated to<br />
San Francisco, Ca. and now works for Google. Jake is enjoying sunny California<br />
and is thinking of writing a novel, but hasn’t forgotten his family and his Buckeye<br />
pride.<br />
Erin Meyer is continuing her undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering with<br />
plans to graduate in the spring. After which, she is crossing her fingers for a position<br />
in construction management.<br />
Ben Pulley graduated with a degree in biology in June and is now attending<br />
medical school at Wake Forest <strong>University</strong> School of Medicine in Winston-Salem,<br />
North Carolina. Ben and his fiancé, Jessica Chinn, are looking forward to their<br />
wedding in July 2009.<br />
Michael Repasky graduated with a degree in operations management in June.<br />
He now works for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity as a regional director helping<br />
young men live their best lives by pursuing a sound mind in a sound body with a<br />
healthy spirit, and cultivating a desire to constantly improve.<br />
Luis Sanchez graduated with a degree in criminology and sociology in June.<br />
Luis is now attending graduate school at Penn <strong>State</strong> <strong>University</strong> seeking a dual<br />
Ph.D. in sociology and demography. He is also conducting research in the areas<br />
of immigration, education, and multi-group segregation in U.S. metropolitan regions.<br />
Nathaniel Sheppard is currently finishing his studies and will graduate in June<br />
with an engineering degree with minors in business and entrepreneurship. He has<br />
accepted a position at Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity headquarters in Indianapolis,<br />
In., and is looking forward to this position.<br />
Annie Specht will graduate in June 2009 with a degree in agricultural communication<br />
and English.<br />
Marie Strouse graduated with a degree in actuarial science in June. She has relocated<br />
to Caribou, Maine where she works as a “Leader in Motion” within the Defense<br />
Finance & Accounting Service. She recently ran a full marathon in Boston,<br />
Ma., and is looking forward to the cold, winter sports in Northern Maine. Marie<br />
has recently made great progress in establishing Maine’s first <strong>Ohio</strong> <strong>State</strong> Alumni<br />
Club.<br />
Matt Van Jura graduated in June with a degree in history and political science.<br />
Now attending the <strong>University</strong> of Vermont, Matt is seeking a Masters in Higher<br />
Education and Student Affairs and works as an Assistant <strong>University</strong> Residence<br />
director.<br />
For more information about <strong>The</strong> <strong>Link</strong>,<br />
Visit sphinx.org.ohio-state.edu<br />
or contact Andrew Eggerding, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Link</strong> editor<br />
eggerding.4@osu.edu<br />
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