Ohio Northern University Social Studies

New Site for Social Studies Information

2011-11-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Due to the amount of time necessary to maintain blogs in various places, Social Studies news can be found on the History Politics and Justice Blog and also on the department's website.

Caitlin Kegley Named Honors Council Secretary

2011-03-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Kegley, a senior majoring in Social Studies and History, with a minor in Public History/Museum Studies was named Secretary of the Honors Council last week. As part of her duties, Kegley will be charged with reading the roll of organizations during the spring Honors' Day celebration. Caitlin is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, is president of Studia Socialia Americae, and is also active in several other campus organizations.

Well done Caitlin!

2011-01-24T08:14:00.001-08:00

Several of the Social Studies students, along with Dr. Crawford and Dr. Lomax gathered last week for the Winter Quarter gathering. They enjoyed pizza, although maintaining that they prefer cheese pizza to vegetarian, and talked about issues in the major and the profession. Jennifer Sherman reported on her student teaching experience, and talked about opportunities for presentations, among other topics. This was also a chance for freshmen to get to know the other majors who can help them avoid the various pitfalls that can befall students.

Thanks to Student Senate for buying the pizza and Mock Trial for providing the drinks - left over from the Polar Bear Invitational. We will do this again in during Spring Quarter.

Jones Named Mr. ONU

2010-12-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Trey Jones, a Junior majoring in Social Studies, was recently crowned Mr. ONU last week. The event was sponsored by Kappa Alpha Theta and was held to raise money for the sorority's philanthropic efforts.

Well done Trey!

2010-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Eleven students and Dr. Crawford went off to the Metzger Nature Center for Teacher Licensure Orientation last weekend. While there, they watched the documentary Harvard beats Yale 29-29, and discussed how sports can be used to teach the Social Studies. On Sunday, the students presented lesson plans that they made to accomplish that goal, and all did a great job! Another purpose of the weekend was to familiarize Social Studies candidates with the Ten Themes of the National Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Crawford also went over the requirements of the Center for Teacher Education and discussed opportunities and challenges that students will face as they make the transition from student to teacher.

As always, the food, supplied by Nature Center caretakers Wayne and Carol King was first rate, and the class traveled to a local mall to forestall cabin fever. It was a fun and productive weekend!

Pictured above are (L-R) Kevin Obarski, Scott Russell, Dustin Scott, Dr. Crawford, Lawren Neeley, Ben Buehler, Amarilla Fair, Jasmine Goldsmith, Annie Hertzler, Aaron Craft, Michael King (back), and Sadie Wiley (front).

Fleming Named Ohio Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week

2010-10-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ryan Fleming, a senior Social Studies major, was named OAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Baldwin Wallace. Ryan had 4 catches for a career high 201 yards and scored 2 touchdowns, one of 54 yards and the other that went for 49 yards.

Ryan will be doing his student teaching next quarter and will be back on campus for spring quarter to run sprints for the track team.

Well done Ryan!

2010-10-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Social Studies students gathered at Dr. Crawford's house for pizza and enlightenment during the third week of classes. The pizza was supplied by Crawford, while the enlightenment was provided by Jennifer Bazell and Katherine Gualtiere, who are doing their student teaching this quarter. Jennifer, who is at Kenton HS, and Katherine, who is at Riverdale HS, told the students of their adventures so far as student teachers. The experienced students also shared tips with the new students on how to effectively make their way through the program at ONU. Fortunately, the deck, that Dr. Crawford built with the help of friends and family, was able to stand up under the stress.

The social studies candidates will meet at least once per quarter, to build esprit des corps, and to hear the tales of those who have experienced the next step in the process toward becoming a teacher.

Tutoring Opportunity at Lima Senior High

2010-09-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

Looking for a job opportunity that will enhance your resume? Here is one.

Study Abroad Opportunity

2010-09-08T13:38:00.001-07:00

Interested in Studying Abroad Outside Western Europe? Boren Scholarships Webinar - Monday, September 13

The Boren Scholarships provide a unique funding opportunity for U.S. undergraduate students to study world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East).

During this webinar, we will explain the eligibility requirements for the scholarship along with the award preferences for country, language, and field of study. We will also discuss the service requirement and give an overview of the application.

Be prepared to listen closely and to ask questions.

Michael Loughlin, ONU Boren Scholarship and Fellowship Representative

m-loughlin@onu.edu ; 419-772-2092

This Monday, September 13 at 2 p.m. eastern time, we are offering a Boren Scholarships webinar. Please let your students know about this opportunity, as it will give them an overview of the award, and it will also offer them the opportunity to ask questions. To register for the webinar, please visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/587681568

All that is required to participate is a computer and a phone or headset.

Matt Fox Accepts New Position

2010-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Matt Fox, who graduated from ONU in 2009, recently accepted a position at Darby High School in Hillard, OH. His new position involves teaching Early World History and Social Psychology at the school that is near Dublin, OH.

Last year, Matt taught Social Studies part time at Lima Senior High School and also coached football at another area school.

Best of luck in your new job Matt!

Another Caution for Future Teachers

2010-08-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Girls Bugged Teacher Staffroom

NewsCore - A pair of mischievous Swedish schoolgirls ended up in court for bugging their teachers' staff room in a bid to get better grades, local media reported Tuesday.

The girls were only caught when one of them was so excited about the scam that she blabbed about it on her Facebook page, according to news website The Local.

The teenagers, who were not named, came up with the plan after finding a key to the teachers' lounge. They then went to a spy shop, bought bugging equipment and planted it in the staff room the day before teachers were due to have a meeting about how to grade students' work.

The pair reportedly thought the plot would give them an advantage on upcoming tests and school work -- but after one of the girls mentioned their clever plan on Facebook, teachers found the bug.

The girls were charged with trespassing and fined 2,000 kronor ($270) each in Stockholm District Court.

original story found at MyFoxNY.com

Social Studies Grads Return in Triumph to Talk to Current Students

2010-04-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday April 28, Matt Fox, Joy Kessler, and Ashley Reiff who teach in the area, and Rick Ingold, who is currently student teaching and interviewing for jobs, returned to ONU to talk with current students about their first-year experiences and the job search process. They joined current Social Studies students Jennifer Sherman, Beth Miller, Katherine Gualtiere, Lawren Neeley, Caitlin Kegley, Andy Zaebst, and Dr. Crawford for pizza, supplied by the HPJ Deparment in the Conference Room of Hill Building.

Fox, who teaches at Lima Senior High, Joy, who is at Lima Central Catholic, and Ashley who is teaching at Elida High School regaled the students with the adventures they have been encountering during their first year, some good and some not so. Fox mentioned breaking up fights, Joy told about an academic competition that she successfully brought to her school, and Ashley told them about her interview process when she faced questions from administrators and teachers who had taught her in the same school only a few years earlier. Ingold joined in, talking about his student teaching experience and his recent interviews. Crawford mostly sat back and listened with awe to see what professionals these graduates have become.

This was a great experience for the current students and a nice chance for the graduates to give advice to those who will soon join them in the field. Among the pertinent tips for finding a job were:

Network with former teachers and coaches to get job leads
You may want to identify where you want to teach, then bookmark their Human Resources page and check it each week. Job postings are sometimes very brief and not publicized on national sites, so one must watch them closely
Make use of web services such as REAP, which allows teacher candidates to register online and makes resumes and credentials available to schools with openings in your subject area. REAP also has state specific sites, so you may want to narrow your focus to those states in which you would like to teach

Crawford told the gathered professionals and students that he was setting up Finding Social Studies Jobs, a new page for ONU students that brings together web sites that offer potential jobs in a single spot. Hopefully this will be helpful in finding positions for our students.

It was great to see all our grads who could come back and to see the teachers they have become. They provided a super example for our current students to emulate. Well done Matt, Joy, and Ashley!

Drs. Schul and Crawford accompany Students to OCSS Annual Meeting

2010-04-21T14:04:00.001-07:00

Ten students, along with Drs. Schul (Education Department) and Crawford, traveled to Worthington, OH on Friday April 16 for the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting. Schul and Crawford, along with students, presented sessions to the gathered teachers.

Schul's session dealt with using desktop documentaries to engage student interest in history. He was joined in his presentation by Beth Miller and Lawren Neely, both Social Studies students, who told the audience of the process they went through to make their documentaries and then screened them. Miller's documentary was created as an assignment to place oneself in the shoes of another and consisted of a rap song intermixed with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and images of children. Neely's video was a mix of Depression Era songs by Woody Guthrie and images of the Dust Bowl years.

Crawford presented on the National Football League and Integration, and was joined by Rick Ingold and Andy Zaebst, who presented their lesson plans for making this a part of discussion of the Civil Rights Movement. Zaebst presented a lesson plan for discussing the reasons why integration happened relatively quickly in the NFL, but took longer for high schools. This led to a lively discussion by the audience and presenters. Rick Ingold then presented his lesson plan for discussing the Rooney Rule, which mandates that African-American candidates must be interviewed as part of the process of hiring a new head coach in the league.

All of the student presenters did a bang-up job in their presentations, and they were joined by several other students who also attended. Those students included Katherine DeMars, Jennifer Sherman, Trey Jones, Ryan Fleming, Jennifer Bazell, and Emily Spangler (Middle Childhood).

In addition to presenting and attending sessions given by practicing educators, the students also brought home a lot of free materials that they might use one day in their classrooms. This was a valuable experience for students, both in the ideas that they gained, and also in the chance to interact with professionals in their field, some of who may one day be in a position to hire them.

Students Take Teacher Licensure Orientation

2009-12-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

Eight students and Professor Crawford traveled to the Metzger Nature Center last weekend to discuss using sport to teach the Social Studies, and the National Council for the Social Studies Ten Themes. After a hard day's work on Saturday, the group went to the theater in New Philadelphia to watch The Blind Side, a heartwarming story of a family that took in a homeless teenager who became an outstanding football player for Old Miss, and who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

As part of the program, students created and presented lesson plans to use sport in teaching the Social Studies. Keep your eye on this blog for their plans in the coming months.

As usual, Wayne and Carol King fed us more great food than we could eat!

Students who participated in the weekend seminar were (front row L-R) Beth Miller, Caitlin Kegley, Tom Walton, and (back L-R) Trey Jones, Ben Nauman, Andy Zaebst, Ryan Fleming, Zach Esterline. Professor Crawford is at the far right.

Another Student finds Teaching Position

2009-10-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ashley Reiff, who graduated in February 2009, is now teaching 10th grade U.S. History and 11th grade government, as well as coaching junior varsity volleyball at Elida High School. The district hired Ashley in mid June and she reports that everything is going well in her new job.

With Ashley's news, all six Social Studies/History majors who graduated in 2008-2009 are safely at work (4) or attending graduate school (2).

Students Find Positions

2009-08-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Four ONU Social Studies majors graduated this past spring, and all have found positions for the fall. Joy Kessler (pictured in an earlier post) will be teaching Social Studies at Lima Central Catholic High School. Matt Fox will be teaching History at Lima Senior High School, and is also the Head Football Coach at Arcadia Middle School. Brian Hoefel (pictured in an earlier post) will be attending Akron University, working on his Masters Degree in History. Aaron Stiger will be attending Ashland University, where he will work for Residence Life and pursue a Masters Degree in Administration. Not pictured is Ross Spencer, who will be teaching in Arizona next year.

Well done to all of them, and we wish them the best of luck as they start their new careers!

Crawford Publishes Online Article

2009-08-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

On July 27, Crawford's article "Bowling, Basketball, BCS, Baseball, and Birdies: Obama’s Use of Sport to Connect" was published on the History News Network. Crawford argued that President Obama has expanded the presidential use of sport, interjecting games into nomination speeches, appearing on commercials for sporting events, and inserting the office of the presidency into debates over controversial issues in the sporting world. For instance:

When the president nominated Sonya Sotomayor, he prominently mentioned her role in ending the 1994 Baseball Strike, establishing her bona fides as a true blue American.
As a candidate, Obama recorded an opening commercial for Monday Night Football, and joined announcers in the booth for the MLB All Star Game, using a game analysis of the Bears' chances to further his chances for the presidency.
He inserted the office of the president into the debate over the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), calling for its end and encouraging a playoff system for Division I Football.

Crawford argues that this represents an expansion of the presidents role in the use of sports. While presidents since Theodore Roosevelt have participated in sport as players or participants and have used their "bully pulpit" to encourage sporting behavior, the current president, so far in his administration has increased his visibility in the sporting world and in his use of sport to connect to the American people.

Crawford and Schuck grade AP U.S. History

2009-06-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

Professors Russ Crawford and Ray Schuck travelled to Louisville, KY from June 4 to 11 to serve as readers for the Educational Testing Service’s Advanced Placement U.S. History exams. They were among 1100 readers who waded through over 300,000 exams taken by high school students from around the nation. The work was hard, but the pay was good, and it also offered a chance to network with educational professionals from around the nation and world. Crawford made contact with a fellow grad of the University of Nebraska who teaches English and History at the University of Perm in Russia, and they made plans to cooperate in online guest lectures during the next year. There was also time to enjoy the city and the two attended a Louisville Bats (AAA Cincinnati) baseball game as well as getting in some golf at one of Fuzzy Zoeller’s nearby courses.

Studia Socialia Americae Inducts New Members

2009-05-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

During the May 9 Honors Day ceremony, five new members were inducted into Studia Socialia Americae, ONU's honorary for social studies students and practicing teachers. This year's inductees included students Katherine DeMars, Katherine Gualtiere, and Rick Ingold. The organization also inducted two practicing educators, Chad Spencer of Shawnee High School, and Drew Chiles of Lima Senior High School.

Three Students Looking for Positions

2009-05-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ashley Reiff (not pictured), Matt Fox, Joy Kessler, Aaron Stiger, and Brian Hoefel have graduated this year or will graduate in May. Hoefel has accepted an assistantship at Akron College, and Kessler has already accepted a position at Lima Central Catholic, but the others will be looking for positions soon. All will be fine teachers for your school. Should you wish the contact information for these new teachers, please contact me at r-crawford.2@onu.edu

Social Studies Students Attend OCSS Meeting

2009-03-30T05:17:00.001-07:00

On Friday March 27, six ONU students and Professor Russ Crawford attended the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Convention in Worthington. Along with Crawford, Matt Fox (SR Social Studies Cardington, OH), Brian Hoefel )SR Social Studies Akron, OH), and Aaron Stiger (SR Social Studies Wapakoneta, OH) presented a session on Using Sport to Teach the Social Studies to the secondary teachers gathered there. Also attending were Katherine Gualtiere (SR Social Studies Parma, OH), Rick Ingold (SR Social Studies Newark, OH), and Jennifer Sherman (Jr. Social Studies North Olmstead, OH).

After Crawford gave an overview of how sport could be used to teach the National Council on the Social Studies Ten Themes, Hoefel presented his lesson plan for using the 1980 U.S. Hockey team victory over the Soviets to understand the latter phase of the Cold War. Matt Fox then presented hi lesson plan International Sporting Events as Sites for Political Engagement to describe how the Olympics are often sites for political protest as well as athletic achievement. Aaron Stiger followed with a multiage lesson plan for teaching Civic Ideals and Practices using sport.

Among the audience was Tom Rutan, the Associate Director in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at the Ohio Department of Education, who asked what we would say to a principal who wondered why we were wasting time talking about sport when we should be getting students ready for the Ohio Graduation Test. Stiger answered immediately that sport is an important way to reach many students who wouldn’t otherwise care about the social studies, and student interest increases their comprehension of the subject.

All of the student presenters did a fine job delivering their part of the talk, and all students had the chance to listen to professional educators tell about their fields of expertise. They also had the chance to network with other educators and to talk with sales representatives from various textbook and other educational companies, not to mention gathering bags full of complimentary materials.

Four Student Teachers Take to the Field

2009-03-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

Matt Fox, Aaron Stiger, Brian Hoefel, and Joy Kessler will be going into the field for their student teaching experience during Spring Quarter. They join Ross Spencer (Fall) and Ashley Reiff (Winter) as ONU Social Studies candidates who have or will graduate this year. If you are looking for a fine Social Studies teacher for next year, email me at r-crawford.2@onu.edu and I will put you in touch with them.

Lesson Plan of the Month: Matt Fox on Problem Solving

2009-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Matt adapted this plan from a lesson that he had in high school, and the situation and profiles of the people were found at: http://www.eduref.org

Subject: Psychology/History

Grade Level: 12th

Topic: Nuclear Warfare in the 20^th Century

Relationship to Ohio Academic Standards:

Benchmark A; OH-SS.11-12.1.A - Explain patterns of historical continuity and change by challenging arguments of historical inevitability.

Benchmark B; OH-SS.12.2.B.4 - Evaluate the effectiveness of international governmental organizations (e.g., United Nations, European Union, World Court and Organization of American States), multinational corporations, and nongovernmental organizations (e.g., Amnesty International, Red Cross and World Council of Churches) in the global arena.

Performance Objectives:

1. Students will use problem solving and cooperation skills when working together to come to a decision over an issue that does not have a right or wrong answer.

2. Students will use analyze other students choices in comparison with their own.

Opening: Show students a picture of the leaders of the G8. Discuss that nuclear warfare has been a constant threat and this group has a vital role in what will be done with it. Transition this into a picture of a doomsday clock and proceed to give the history and importance of the doomsday clock. This includes today’s time, the closest time in history, the farthest time in history, and finally the time at the Cuban missle crisis.

Transition: Use the time at the Cuban Missle Crisis into reading the artificial story where the two great powers went to nuclear war over that key point in time.

Story: It’s October 16, 1962. One week earlier, the rising tensions built up during the Cuban missile crisis led to all out nuclear war with every country in the world involved. The first attacks completely destroyed most of earth’s major cities. The first two days radio and remaining television broadcasts reported a substantial loss of most of earth’s population. Over the last four days the number of broadcasts has dwindled down to zero including the total annihilation of most of Earth's population. You have banded with a group of twelve other people and have made it too a fallout shelter that can sustain life while nuclear winter and radiation harms the surface. From what you know this group of people are the last living in the world or at least in your part of it. Upon looking into the hideout shelter you come across a major dilemma. There is room for twelve people, but not enough water and other supplies to keep them all alive for the time needed for the atmosphere to clear up. To survive, the people must stay inside the fallout shelter for at least three months. The problem is that if all of them stay in the shelter, all of them will starve to death or dehydrate. There are enough supplies in the shelter for seven people (besides yourself) to live.

1. Hand out worksheet and clearly read directions at the top of it to students.

2. Have students work individually to come up with their seven surviviors.

a. When a student is finished have them pair with 2-3 other students who are finished.

3. This new group is required to debate and agree upon seven survivors

a. Do the same till you get 4-5 groups of students (depends on class size)

4. When a group has reached a consensus, have them read you their seven and write it on board.

a. Separate groups by colors if possible, and put each group’s seven survivors up on board.

5. Bring the entire class together. Circle all names that show up in each of the group’s. Work to try and get entire class to agree on seven survivors.

a. Have one group at a time present why they chose the person they did.

b. Ask others if they agree, if not; why?

c. Work this way to you get seven or cannot reach an agreement.

Closure: Finish by explaining that the leaders of the world have to face difficult situations where there may be no right or wrong answer. The importance of negotiation and compromise is very important in serious world affairs.

Materials (see worksheet below) – Student worksheet; Paper with story on it; Powerpoint and slides with pictures of g8 and doomsday clock.

Students to present at OCSS Annual Meeting

2009-01-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

Matt Fox, Brian Hoefel, and Aaron Stiger will be presenting, along with Dr. Crawford, at the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting at Worthington, OH on March 27th. The title of the presentation is Using Sport to Teach the Social Studies. Other social studies students will also have the chance to attend. This meeting brings together social studies teachers from across Ohio to present their lesson plans, discuss common concerns, and carry away bags full of free teaching materials.

Studia Socialia Americae holds its Winter Meeting

2009-01-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

SSA members braved the snow Tuesday night and met at Dr. Crawford's home for their Winter Meeting. Ashley Reiff, who is currently student teaching shared her experiences with the group, who will soon be going out into the field themselves. We also discussed the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting that will be held in Worthington, OH on March 27th. Matt Fox, Brian Hoefel, and Aaron Stiger will be presenting, along with Crawford at this meeting. The group also discussed finding jobs and other teaching concerns. Sophie Crawford provided the dinner of tortilla soup with bite-size quiches as starters, and dessert was a gallette de roi, or king cake, a traditional French treat that is eaten after the start of the new year.

Pictured are (left side, front to back) Aaron Stiger, Brian Hoefel, and Ben Kretz. (right side front to back) Vice President Joy Kessler, Ashley Reiff, and President Matt Fox.

Football on Film Weekend Seminar

2009-01-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

During the weekend of January 17-18, four ONU students and professor Crawford journeyed to the Metzgar Nature Center to explore how football had been imagined in the popular culture. During the weekend, we watched Knute Rockne-All American (1940), The Male Animal (1942), North Dallas Forty (1979), Brian's Song (1971), and Gridiron Gang (2006) (or would have if snow hadn't forced an early departure).

Students also read articles about the positive and negative views of football, including "My Crusade Against Football," an article by Wade Thompson published in the Nation magazine in 1959, and a recent article by Terrence P. Jeffery entitled "What Politicians Could Learn from Football," which took a more positive view of the game.

From the scholar athlete to the dumb jock, the class explored the various ways in which football players and the game have been depicted in film and discussed the cultural contexts that gave rise to the varied depictions.

As always, Wayne and Carol King, who run the center for ONU, provided high quality food and more than we could possibly eat.

Pictured above are (L-R) Joe Kent, Matt Cuffari, Chad Turner, and Eli Lange.

Department of Education Teaching American History Grant Opportunity

2008-12-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Check out the following link to the program. Copy and paste the URL: http://americaninstituteforhistory.org/eblast/2008/12/1/

Lesson Plan of the Month - Ashley Reiff

2008-11-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

Ashley is a senior who will be student teaching at Shawnee High School during Winter Quarter. Her lesson plan involves teaching the Counter Reformation to High School students. Click on the thumbnail to see the larger document. The picture of her documents are a bit hard to read, but if interested, please send me an email, and I will send you the original documents, which also include a PowerPoint.

The first two thumbnails are Ashley's resume, so if you are looking for a fine addition to your staff next year, contact her!

Wilson Factory Tour

2008-11-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Football in American Culture class (History 462) visited the Wilson Football Factory in Ada Tuesday, November 12. The students saw how the footballs are made and informed that all of the NFL's balls, as well as 50% of Division I and 70-80% of Division III balls are made here in Ada. The Wilson factory, which turns out between four and five thousand footballs a day, Monday through Friday, during their peak season, which lasts between January and September, opened in 1938, as a way of using hides that were a byproduct of the parent company's meat packing efforts. The company was named after an employee of the original company who oversaw the construction of the sporting equipment division.

The students were very interested in the process and this was a nice closing activity for the class.

Former ONU professor offers NEH summer program for teachers

2008-11-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

Claude Smith, Professor Emeritus of English and the National Endowment for the Humanities is offering a five week seminar on The Frontier Experience in the American Midwest: Greater Illinois to 1860. Teachers who are accepted will receive a stipend of $3800 to attend. More information can be obtained from the following email address.

The Frontier Experience in the American Midwest:
Greater Illinois to 1860
June 28-August 1, 2009 (6 weeks)
James E. Davis
Illinois College
Department of History
1101 West College Avenue
Jacksonville, IL 62650
217/245-3426
NEHSeminar@ic.edu

Football 101

2008-10-23T14:18:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, October 5, students from the Football in American Culture (professor Russ Crawford) hosted Football 101, an informational session for international students at ONU. Seven FAC students, including Joe Kent (JR, History, Volant, PA) Eric Lose (JR, Sport Management, Decatur, IN), Mike Fisher (JR, Sport Management, FR Sports Management, Munster, IN), Greg Purdy (JR Sport Management, Dublin, OH), Durane Harris (FR General Studies, Fort Wayne, IN), Chad Turner (FR Technology, Hamilton, OH), and Andrew Adamus (JR History, Erie, PA) explained the positions, rules, and football plays to five International students, including Hyojin Kim (TR Literature, Masan City, South Korea), Chiu yi Lin (Instructor of Chinese from Taiwan), Richard Ewane (JR International Business and Economics, Silver Springs, MD), Anna Baer (TR Business Administration, Germany), and Rita Oti (P2 Pharmacy, Rockville, MD).

The FAC students gave brief presentations on various facets of the game, and we snacked and watched the Colts play the Texans on the big screen in Hill Building. At halftime, we went out in front of Hill Building and tossed around footballs provided by Professor Jimmy Wilson.

ONU Students Visit Pro Football Hall of Fame

2008-10-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Football in American Culture (HIST 462) class travelled to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH on Friday. Students viewed exhibits that traced the history of professional football from the National Football League’s origin in a car dealership showroom in Canton, to the now global sport that includes professional leagues in Europe, Asia, Central and South America. In addition to the displays dedicated to NFL players, coaches, and fans, the Hall also had large exhibits illustrating the role professional football played in providing opportunities for African-Americans to enter the mainstream of American society in the 1940s and 1950s, and the service and sacrifices of NFL players and coaches in America’s wars.

Students who attended were Durane Harris (FR General Studies Fort Wayne IN) , Nate Ganyard (FR General Studies Warren OH), Matt McKean (FR General Studies Dayton OH), Joe Kent (JR History Volant PA), Stewart Watson (JR History Middletown, OH), Mike Shaffer (SR Marketing North Canton OH), Andrew Adamus (JR History Erie PA), Eric Lose (JR Sport Management Decatur IN), Jason Bauer (JR History Edon OH), Kevin Grassman (JR Technology Gahanna OH), Greg Purdy (JR Sport Management Dublin OH), Mike Fisher (FR Sport Management Munster IN), Chet Gapczynski (FR Management Wexford PA), Zack Click (SO Management Seville OH), Chad Turner FR Technology Hamilton OH), Jared Oehler (FR Accounting Trenton OH), Jake Heaphy (SO Technology Dublin OH) , Katie Sondergelt (SR Mechanical Engineering Beavercreek OH), Alan Staley (SR Sport Management Ada OH)

Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Convention

2008-10-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Professor Crawford and several Social Studies students submitted a proposal to present lesson plans based on using sport to teach the Social Studies to the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual meeting that will be held in Worthington, OH March 27th. So far the students that have volunteered to present their lesson plans are Aaron Stiger, Brian Hoeffel, and Matt Fox. We will be soliciting additional students to present their lesson plans during Winter Quarter.

SSA elects first officers

2008-10-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

At the first meeting of Studium Primum, the Ohio Northern chapter of Studia Socialia Americae, the organization's first officers were elected. Our first president is Matt Fox, a senior from Cardington, Ohio. The Vice President is Joy Kessler, a senior from Republic, Ohio.

Studia Socialia Americae recognized by ONU Student Senate

2008-10-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday September 30 was an historic day! The Ohio Northern University Student Senate gave formal recognition to Studium Primum (Chapter number 1) of Studia Socialia Americae, an honor fraternity for those who teach, or plan to teach high school social studies. From here, we plan to begin contacting other college and university social studies programs to spread the organization. If anyone out there would like more information, please contact Russ Crawford via email at r-crawford.2@onu.edu, or by calling 419 772-2081.

New Honorary Inducts Members

2008-09-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

First members to a new national honorary, Studia Socialia Americae, for students in the social studies and for those who hold state certification in the area, were inducted during Honors Day. The organization was created by Dr. John Lom ax, professor of history, in 2006-7. This year ONU became Studium Premum (the first studia) of the organization. Charter members are, front from left, Joy Kessler, a senior from Republic, Ohio; Gretchen Hull-Morris, lecturer in history; Ellen Sondergelt, a senior from Beavercreek, Ohio; and Ashley Reiff, a senior from Elida, Ohio. Back row, from left, Brian Hoefel, a junior from Akron, Ohio; Dr. Michael Loughlin, professor of history; Matt Fox, a senior from Cardington, Ohio; Jesse Kill, a senior from Elida, Ohio, and Dr. Russ Crawford, assistant professor of history. Not pictured are Dr. Ellen Wilson, Dr. Michael Romanowski, Aaron Stiger, a senior from Wapakoneta, Ohio; Ben Kretz, a junior from Belle Center, Ohio; and Jon Carver, lecturer in history.

Social Studies Annual Conference

2008-09-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

On April 11, three social studies students, Jennifer Sherman, a sophomore from North Olmstead, Katherine DeMars, a sophomore from Toledo, and Jennifer Bazell, a junior from Logan, and Dr. Russ Crawford, assistant professor of history, attended the Ohio Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in Worthington. They attended sessions on innovative teaching methods and talked with vendors about text books and interactive social studies programs. They also visited the C-SPAN bus, which travels the nation to introduce high school and university students to the public affairs network.

Students Present Papers

2008-09-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Dr. John Lomax, professor of history, and Dr. Russ Crawford, assistant professor of history, took seven students to the Phi Alpha Theta student history conference at Kent State University on April 5.

Five students delivered papers. They are Jared Hardesty, a senior from Lima, Ohio; Laurie Lotz, a senior from Milford, Ohio; Cassie Graf, a senior from Maumee, Ohio; Aaron Stiger (Social Studies), a senior from Wapakoneta, Ohio, and Erica Ranly, a senior from Coldwater, Ohio. Patti Stiger, a sophomore from Bradner, Ohio, and Joe Dellaposta, a senior from Middletown, Ohio, also attended. Jared and Laurie won top papers in their sessions.