Tan & Cardinal 05/02/2012

http://www.otterbein360.com/index.php/article/2012/05/by_invitation_only

After presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited campus to talk about the national economy and challenges that graduating seniors face, students and staff are weighing in on whether the closed-door event was worth the disruption.

The event was open only to invited participants, including seven students involved in a round table discussion with Romney. Five more students were invited to stand on stage during Romney’s speech to the 200 invited guests in Battelle’s Riley Auditorium, according to Dean of Student Affairs, Robert Gatti.

Overall, Otterbein officials said they were pleased with Romney’s campus appearance, but they wished more students could have participated.

“I was hoping more students could participate… but the fact that a presidential candidate came to our campus and spent two hours with us, and asked seven of our students their opinions, I think speaks a lot for our university and our students,” Gatti said.

A video clip from Romney’s Otterbein speech, where he said students should borrow money from their parents to pay for their education, continues to make the rounds of the broadcast news outlets. Gatti also said that national coverage of the event was positive for the school.

According to vice president for Business Affairs Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings the campaign is reimbursing the school for all expenses, including staff overtime, and will be billed at the standard rental rate for Riley Auditorium and other facilities.

“I’m working on gathering the expenses now from the various departments impacted by this,” Vazquez-Skillings said.

Student reviews of Romney’s visit were mixed.

Senior psychology and public relations major and invited participant Kelsey Gorman said, “I believe that (Romney) could make a huge difference in America, and of course meeting him will impact my vote.”

Senior English major Jeff Kintner wasn’t invited to participate. His Friday class was cancelled so he stood with other students and protestors outside of Battelle. By not letting the majority of students in, he said Romney disrespected them.

“It shows he has no intention of hearing opposing viewpoints. As much as I didn’t identify with McCain’s politics, at least he let everyone in who wanted to hear him speak,” he said.

Gatti said that the university has been approached several times over the years to host different campaigns and events.

The last similar event was in 2008, when John McCain held a presidential campaign rally at the Rike Center, which was open to the public and reportedly drew 6,000 attendees.

“What was unusual this time is that it interfered with classes,” Gatti said. “Normally we’d do this on the weekend so it isn’t so disruptive—so this is something we’ll have to re-evaluate.”

Despite student complaints that Otterbein primarily hosts conservative and religious speakers, Krendl said the school’s speaker invitations are balanced across political boundaries.

“When we did Opportunity Nation (in March), we sent invites to Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Madeleine Albright, as well as others like Condoleezza Rice, but not all of them were able to commit. We try to reach across the political spectrum,” Krendl said.

“I think it’s important to represent the diversity of opinions across campus, but after you issue invitations you’re at the mercy of the speaker to accept or not,” she said.

The Romney event was not due to a university invitation, Krendl said, and that was why it was the campaign’s decision as to how the event was run and which facility it was held in.

One thing almost everyone seems to agree on is that, at the least, Romney should have opened his speech up to a larger audience.

“I think his speech should have been open to the public,” senior math major and invited participant Jeff Fabus said. “It would’ve been a great opportunity for Otterbein students to listen to his thoughts on the economy so they can be better informed voters.”

Senior education major Lauren Sweezey and invited participant said that she thought Romney made more enemies than supporters with the closed-door event, but that she was glad for the opportunity to provide her opinion.

“I thought it was a little silly not to have the speech open to the public,” Sweezey said. “And I now see how complicated and tiring it must be for the candidates, but it was refreshing to be heard by someone in the political spotlight,” she said.

Tan & Cardinal 05/02/2012

 http://www.otterbein360.com/index.php/article/2012/05/back_to_school

With five kids at home, running a household and shuttling between soccer, music, dance, Scouts and church, finding motivation for college classes and homework can be tough.

“It was always my goal to finish (a bachelor’s degree), and the timing was finally good,” English major Rebecca Whitney said.

Since her youngest child was starting school and her husband is an adjunct here, which is partly why she came to Otterbein, she said it is a great opportunity for her to take advantage of.

Like Whitney, I similarly wanted to return to finish my degree. I have a family, house and I’m working two full-time jobs, so taking time for school is a real balancing act.

Otterbein Director of Adult and Transfer Admission Mark Moffitt said that completion of personal goals, career opportunities and continuing lifelong learning are the top reasons he hears as to why people return to higher education.

“Usually (adult learners) are working, have family obligations and are coming back on a part-time basis,” Moffitt said. “This spring semester we have 2,853 total students; 285 are in the adult learner category.”

That category is defined as 23 years old and above, with the majority of them transferring credit from other institutions, according to Moffitt.

When I told my 5-year-old daughter about going back to school, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. When I replied that I’d like to be a writer, she asked me what I really wanted to be.

I knew the answer was that I want to be a successful parent—a rather complex goal that I didn’t try to explain to my daughter. Whitney agreed.

“Success is looking back and seeing my children with good standards, well-developed goals and the determination to achieve them,” Whitney said. “My 16-year-old has confidence in me to help him because (of this). I’m managing my school work, which gives me confidence and happiness that carries over to them.”

“The fact is that if I can pull straight A’s, I can tell my kids that they can do it, too,” she said.

These rewards don’t come easily, though.

“Every student’s story is different, and the path can be a bumpy one, so we’re here to help solve their issues,” Moffitt said.

Nursing student Emily Harold said Otterbein’s hybrid class format works well for her. She lives in Crestline and works full-time for Ashland University as a clinical coordinator.

“I chose Otterbein because of its great reputation,” Harold said. “It takes about an hour and a half to get here, but since most of the classes are online, I’m able to do it.”

Harold graduates this spring and wants to continue her education, hoping to become a faculty member at Ashland.

According to Moffitt, the most popular programs for adult learners are connected to further career goals, in particular the business, communication and education programs.

“Those programs have online and evening offerings,” Moffitt said. “If you do another program, then you’ll likely mix more with traditional students.”

Mixing with traditional students provides an opportunity to engage perspectives we might not otherwise encounter.

“I think everyone is really good at treating me as an equal student. I don’t feel out of place,” Whitney said. “Unfortunately, the student life where everything happens right here on campus, those things are a challenge.”

Fellow English major Jordy Stewart is one of those traditional students.

“Most adult learners I’ve had the privilege of sharing my learning experience with have brought more depth to class discussion,” Stewart said. “They’ve experienced the ‘real world’ and bring that scope of reality into the context of academic education.”