otterbein university

wednesday, may 2, 2012

vol. 93, issue 29

www.otterbein360.com

Women’s soccer plays U.S. Deaf Team

Otterbein’s book of campus records 4

Romney receives rough reaction 2

Breaking Dawn into Otterbein athletics 8

photo by blythe malonekick it: Hail and rain didn’t stop the Otterbein women’s soccer team and the U.S. National Deaf Team from squaring off at the Crew Stadium Saturday.

tan cardinal&

Mike Cirelli Editor-in-Chief

Lindsay Paulsen News Editor

Katie Taggart Assistant News Editor

Dennison Sleeper Opinion Editor

Laina ThompsonArts & Entertainment Editor

Ally NagleSports Editor

Chelsea ColemanCopy Editor

Josh ParkCopy Editor

Kristen DavisPhotography Editor

Blythe MalonePhotography Editor

Anna SchiffbauerBusiness Manager

Danielle LanningAssistant Business Manager

Lindsey HobbsWeb Editor

contributing staffSteven CollinsTyler Dubiak

Andrew MillerSarah Patashinsky

Holly Takach

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Otterbein UniversityWesterville, OH 43081

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policies The views expressed on this page do not necessarily refl ect the views of the faculty and administration of Otterbein University. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not of the newspaper staff. Positions in unsigned editorials represent a consensus of the editorial staff. The fi rst copy of the Tan & Cardinal is free to the public. Each additional copy is $0.50, and pay-ment can be made at the offi ce at 33 Collegeview, Westerville, OH 43081. Offenders will be prosecuted. The T&C staff would love to hear from you. Write a letter to the editor and tell us what you’re think-ing. Letters to the editor are letters responding to a writer or an article published in the Tan & Cardinal. Please keep your letter to 300 words or less. It is at the discretion of the Tan & Cardinal staff as to whether or not the letter will be published. Letters attacking an indi-vidual will not be accepted. Letters must include the author’s fi rst and last name, signature, phone number, address and affi liation to Otterbein University.

&t&c editorial staff

wednesday, may 2, 2012Tan & Cardinal2 news

1 2

4Engle Hall

3

Davis Hall

79 S. Grove St.

1. 4/28 A student was assaulted at 79 S. Grove St. at 1:55 a.m.

2. 4/28 At 2:16 a.m., a student was assaulted at 79 S. Grove St.

3. 4/28 The legs of a pool table were broken at Davis Hall. It was reported as criminal damage.

4. 4/29 A student was charged with underage possession of alcohol at Engle Hall.

According to the Otterbein Univer-sity Police Daily Crime Log, the following has been reported from April 28-29.& POLICE

REPORT

inFoRmation compileD by katie taGGaRt

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Sapp

By invitation onlyRomney’s speech limited student attendance

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 dis-ruption. The event was open only to invited participants, includ-ing seven students involved in a round table discussion with Romney. Five more students wereinvited to stand on stage during Rom-ney’s speech to the 200 invited guests in Battelle’s Riley Audi-torium, according to Dean of Student Affairs, Robert Gatti. Overall, Otterbein offi cials said they were pleased with Rom-ney’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 broad-cast 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 ex-penses, including staff overtime, and will be billed at the standard rental rate for Riley Auditorium and other facili-

ties. “I’m working on gather-ing 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 par-ticipate. His Friday class was cancelled so he stood with other students and protestors outside of Battelle. By not letting the

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 opportuni-ty 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 opportu-nity 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 some-one in the political spotlight,” she said.

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 dif-ferent 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 speak-ers, Krendl said the school’s speaker invita-tions are balanced across political boundaries. “When we did Opportunity Na-tion (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 rep-resent the diversity of opinions across campus, but after you

”

“ I believe that (Rom-ney) could make a huge difference in America, and of course meeting him will im-pact my vote.

Kelsey Gormansenior, psychology and public relations

”“Romney disrespected us by not letting the ma-jority of us in to hear him speak.

Jeff Kintnersenior, English

t&c

BY ANDREW MILLERContributing Writer

New and improved crust!

www.westervillepizzaprimo.com

–Noah Berryfreshman vocal performance

–Rachael Amundsonjuniorart

–Andrew Szczerbasophomorevocal performance

–Brittany Traversophomoreactuarial science

Do you think it’s fair for hall directors to have alcohol?

“No. If we aren’t al-lowed, they aren’t. The same rules apply to them on this campus.”

“Yes. Since they are required to live on campus, and they are adults, they should legally be allowed to make responsible decisions for them-selves.”

“No. The campus is dry.”

“No. If the campus is dry, no one should be allowed to have alcohol regardless of their age or position.”

photoS anD inFoRmation compileD by kRiSten Sapp

&Say what?

www.otterbein360.com vol. 93, issue 29 3newsDry campus policy does not apply to allHall directors are allowed to possess alcohol on university grounds because of their job and housing arrangements

BY DANIELLE LANNINGAssistant Business Manager

Although Otterbein is a dry campus and alcohol is prohibited in the residence halls even if a student is at the legal age of 21, it might be surprising that the hall directors are allowed to have alcohol on Otterbein’s campus. Tracy Benner, the director of Residence Life at Otterbein, said the policy is similar to those of a lot of other schools that are comparable to Otterbein. “The university doesn’t dictate that they follow student policy when they’re not students,” Ben-ner said about the hall directors. Benner explained that “dry campus” is more of a term that is used because alcohol is actually allowed on university property but has restrictions as to when and where, like in the case of hall directors who are of age. “They are viewed as profes-sionals and (the residence halls) are viewed as their full-time home,” Benner said.

According to Otterbein’s Student Handbook, the Frank Museum of Art also allows alcohol to be served for certain occasions such as receptions by following all the state regulations. Otterbein currently has eight hall directors: one undergraduate student studying at Otterbein who must follow the student handbook and is not permitted to have alcohol on cam-pus, two graduate students studying at Ohio State and fi ve master’s level individ-uals who are viewed as professionals. Benner is fi nish-ing up her 12th year at Otterbein and said she doesn’t remember having any issues regarding hall directors being allowed to have alcohol. She explained that there is no tolerance for hall directors fl aunting the fact that they are allowed to have alcohol.

As a previous hall director herself, Benner recalls that stu-dents may have been aware that she was allowed to have alcohol by seeing it inside of her fridge. She explained that hall direc-tors having alcohol is usually a

question with undergrad and fi rst-year students. “Sometimes students don’t see a difference in hall directors (compared to them-selves)… so there is confusion between who

is allowed to do what,” Benner said. Jennifer Mathews, a sopho-more early childhood education major, said that she didn’t know the hall directors were allowed to have alcohol on campus. Mathews said, “I guess (hall

directors shouldn’t be allowed to have alcohol), since they are living in the dorms and nobody else can.” Mary-Cate Anderson, a fresh-man allied health major, said she thinks hall directors should be al-lowed to have alcohol only if all 21 year olds are allowed to have alcohol, too. Bella Carfagna, a freshman education major, said, “But if it’s just the hall directors, then it seems really unfair.” Last year, a group of students looked at the policy and initi-ated conversations about where alcohol is allowed and how other institutions handle the matter. “Ultimately, I don’t think any recommendations for change oc-curred,” Benner said.

The renewed interest oc-curred last year as a result of the policy change that requires stu-dents to live on campus through their junior year, which is also when most students turn 21. The majority of students who live on campus are not yet 21, but many of the students who are live in the Commons. With the renewed interest in the alcohol policy, there have been discussions about limiting the location of alcohol use. Benner said that other schools that allow alcohol in some man-ner see a connection between more alcohol offenses and more serious crimes. “Alcohol is still really abused, so that makes it a bit of a struggle to create a proposal,” she said.

”“ The university doesn’t dictate that they follow student policy when they’re not students.

Tracy BennerDirector of Residence Life

t&c

wednesday, may 2, 2012Tan & Cardinal4 arts & entertainment

Longest teaching professorThe professor who has been teaching at Otterbein the longest, continuously, is English professor Norman Chaney with 44 total years.

Record High and Low Temperatures for WestervilleFor Westerville, Ohio, the record high temperature was 103 degrees on July 22, 1901.The record low was -27 degrees on Janu-ary 21, 1994. That makes you think twice about complaining over the cold this winter.

Most Purchased Item at the Otter Bean

The Otter Bean Café sells about 55 hot or frozen Otter Bean Mochas per day, and it’s no surprise why: With white chocolate sauce, swirls of caramel and a stocking cap of whipped cream, this decadent drink sends enough sugar and caf-feine into your noggin to keep you awake in even the most boring INST class.

Most Checked-Out Book at the Courtright Memorial LibraryWith 570 rentals, “Introductory and Intermediate Algebra for College Students, 3rd Edition,” is the most requested book at the Otterbein library. Despite its popularity, this big, green textbook, which has been on reserve its entire life at Otterbein, is in relatively good condition.

Collection of Otterbein’s most random recordsThe T&C compiles some of Otterbein’s most random school records, from the fi eld to the Otter Bean Café

An Otterbein student may not have the world record for the longest duration of living with scorpions, most spoons balanced on one’s face or lon-gest fi ngernails, but we do have campuswide records for the professor who has been here the longest, the most pur-chased drink at the Otter Bean Café, sports records and many others. Broaden your knowl-edge of Otterbein with some interesting facts that many people don’t know.

101Oldest Living AlumniSarah Wisleder is 101. She graduated in 1934. She was born July 10, 1910, in Illinois. At Otterbein she majored in French and English. She was involved in choir, OWLs and the literary society.

photo by blythe malone

Football RecordsShane Rannebarger, 2001 graduate, holds multiple football records. In his career (1996-2001), he had the most rushing attempts (713) and the largest net rushing yardage (3,409 yards), and he scored the most points (258) and had the most touchdowns (43) in Otterbein history.

photo by mike ciRelli

Most Career Volleyball KillsMandy Simmerman, 2001 gradu-ate, holds the record for the most kills in volleyball. In her career that lasted from 1997-2001, she put fear in her opponents’ eyes 1,747 times.

Most Career Points in SoccerKarren Beers, 2006 graduate, holds the record for the most career points scored in soccer. She scored a total of 98 points between the years of 2003-2006, a great number considering second place was only 28 points.

photo by linDSay paUlSen

Tallest Horse at the Barn Sophomore Kelsie Bricker rides Jerry. He measures 17 hands tall, or 68 inches tall, at his withers.t&c

CONTRIBUTING STAFF TO THIS STORY INCLUDED:

MIKE CIRELLI, LINDSAY PAULSEN, BLYTHE MALONE, STEVEN COLLINS AND SARAH

PATASHINSKY

BY LAINA THOMPSONArts & Entertainment Editor

44

photo pRoViDeD by FlickeR/eVeRtbaRneS

68

Senior Celebration Fun • Food • Drink • Prizes

Thursday, May 17, from 6-8 p.m. Medallion Country Club

5000 Club Drive Westerville, OH 43082

All seniors are welcome!RSVP to kanderson@otterbein.edu by May 11

www.otterbein360.com vol. 93, issue 29 5arts & entertainment

With fi ve kids at home, run-ning a household and shuttling between soccer, music, dance, Scouts and church, fi nding motivation for college classes and homework can be tough. “It was al-ways my goal to fi nish (a bach-elor’s degree), and the timing was fi nally 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 fi nish my de-gree. 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 Moffi tt said that completion of personal goals, career opportuni-ties and continuing lifelong learn-ing 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,” Moffi tt said. “This spring semester we have 2,853 total students; 285 are in the adult learner category.”

Back to school

Non-traditional students show college life through different eyesphoto by blythe malone

bookWoRm: The relaxation that adult student Rebecca Whitney found in reading led to a major in English.

That category is defi ned as 23 years old and above, with the ma-jority of them transferring credit from other institutions, accord-ing to Moffi tt. 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 confi dence in me to help him because (of this). I’m managing my school work, which gives me confi dence 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,” Moffi tt said. Nursing student Emily Har-old 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 educa-tion, hoping to become a faculty member at Ashland. According to Moffi tt, 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,” Moffi tt said. “If you do another pro-gram, then you’ll likely mix more with traditional students.” Mixing with traditional stu-dents provides an opportunity to engage perspectives we might not otherwise encounter. “I think everyone is really good at treating me as an equal student,” Whitney said. “Unfor-tunately, the student life where everything happens right here on campus, those things are a challenge.” Fellow English major Jordy Stewart is one of those tradi-tional students. “Most adult learners I’ve had the privilege of sharing my learn-ing experience with have brought more depth to class discussion,” Stewart said. “They’ve experi-enced the ‘real world’ and bring that scope of reality into the con-text of academic education.”

t&c

Want to hear the best in music and sports? Tune in to WOBN 97.5 FM

- your college radio station.

Make sure you don’t miss Girl Talk Tuesdays at 8

and the Cardinal Sports Wrap Mondays at 9

ANDREWMILLER

Check out Otterbein360.com for some Web-only stories on changes in Greek recruitment policies, budget cuts for the stu-dent TV station and options to cut down on summer internship costs.

Scan the code for pictures from this weekend’s women’s soccer game.

Sophomore says Romney’s not readySleeper analyzes Mitt Romney’s past and how his plans would affect the United States The race for the Republican presidential nomination has been an embarrassing affair this year. Debates were centered around per-sonal attacks and rarely dis-cussed actual plans for the country. The party has been divided by differing levels of conservative fanaticism, and I think Ron Paul fell asleep at the podium a few times. Gingrich dropped out under the weight of his own troubled past (or maybe just his weight), Santorum had his name literally redefi ned (Google it), and Rick Perry’s attempt at being the next George Dubya Bush fell fl at against criticism from the gay and minority communities. So now we are left with Mitt Romney, who succeeded basically because he hasn’t done enough to offend the country. He has done this by fl ip-fl opping on multiple issues and lying low while the other candidates tore each other to shreds in a political sequel to “Mean Girls.” What do we really know about Mitt Romney? He seems so tame and naive at times, but what wor-ries me is that he seems genuinely unprepared. He will say almost anything to please a crowd, and his views go from radically

decisive to being so vague he might as well be talking about the weather. But enough about the good things—let’s take a look at what makes Mitt Romney the man he is. For starters, his dad’s money. Despite his claims of being a champion of the working man, Romney inherited millions from his father, who was a politician and former head of American Motors. Romney attended an elite private high school before attend-ing Harvard for law school. Romney expanded on this wealth when he was the head of investment fi rm Bain Capital, a company infamous for laying off thousands of workers to increase profi ts. The company has been criticized for its dishonest deal-ings on Wall Street, as well as be-ing quoted by the former manag-

ing director as “having a scheme where the rich got richer.” The Los Angeles Times reported that he even set up shell companies in the Cayman and Bermuda islands in order to funnel money through them and avoid heavy American taxes. As for job creation, under Mitt Romney’s leadership, Massachu-setts ranked 47th among the 50 states in job creation and had a job growth rate of 0.9 percent, far behind the national average of over 5 percent. Romney has been quoted as saying, “Corporations are people,” a dangerous notion that leads to less taxes for big corporations and heavier taxes for the little guy. About the working class: Romney has a new tax cut set up for them. He wants to cut capital gains taxes for anyone earning $200,000 or less a year. The issue? Research by think-progress.org shows that around 74 percent of people in this category will not benefi t from this because few households in this category even earn capital gains, which is defi ned as money earned from investments such as real estate, stocks and bonds. It does, however, benefi t the wealthy that have access to capital gains. According to the Tax Policy Center, 67 percent of the entire benefi t from lower capital gains tax rates goes to millionaires. Sev-enty-fi ve percent of the benefi t goes to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. This tax plan costs around $7 trillion and is supposed to have a focus on the middle class, but all the benefi ts suggest otherwise. He has fl ip-fl opped on the issue of abortion before but

currently believes that it is not a woman’s right to choose and that abortion should be illegal. He is also against gay marriage and has campaigned against it. In an interview with the Ohio News Network, Romney was asked about his position on the Blunt Amendment, a controversial bill that attacked contraception and health benefi ts, and he responded that he was against it. Moments after the interview ended, however, the Romney PR team redacted this statement and said he was confused by the question and actually supports the amendment. So basically what we have here is a wealthy businessman more concerned with the bottom line than the interests of the average American. Unless you are a super-religious millionaire, what can you possibly gain from electing this man? And speaking of religion, I am all for the freedom to believe in what you choose. But his religion expressly states that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri, that Jesus visited America and Native Americans are actually descen-dants of a lost Israeli tribe, and that God is a physical being who lives near a planet called Kolob. I don’t think I could trust the fate of our country, and the fate of our scientifi c endeavors, to a man who believes in faith over logic. This man is not evil, he is sim-ply unprepared. And electing him in such a tumultuous time would be a disastrous mistake for our government and economy.

DENNISON SLEEPER

t&cDENNISON SLEEPER IS A SOPHOMORE JOURNALISM MAJOR AND THE OPINION EDITOR FOR THE t&c.

Theta Nu picked a theme for Greek Week that became even more relevant when, like in “The Hunger Games,” where typically only one party wins the competition, Theta Nu and TEM tied.

Procrastination, be-cause it means I’ve had a pretty grand semester socially. I’ve also gotten really good at Tetris.

Quidditch is this Friday and a bunch of people (hopefully) will be running around trying to throw and catch things while hold-ing a broom between their legs. Players, let’s hope you have more coordination than I do.

Otterbein was on “The Daily Show,” displaying students with expressions as bland as Romney’s speech.

When Taco Bell runs out of beef. C’mon, aren’t you known for solving the late-night munchies issue?

thUmbS Up thUmbS DoWn

Procrastination, be-cause end-of-the-term projects are due soon and productivity is now a re-quirement.

BY HOLLY TAKACH AND DENNISON SLEEPER

Contributing Writerand Opinion Editor

www.otterbein360.com vol. 93, issue 29 6opinion

all eyeS on mitt: Romney spoke to a group of select students in Battelle last Friday. photo by blythe malone

www.otterbein360.com vol. 93, issue 29 7sports

BY TYLER DUBIAKStaff Writer

Otterbein women’s soccer faced the U.S. National Deaf Team for a spring exhibition game at Crew Stadium A different kind of opponent, but same game

Walking to the ticket window, rain continued to pour down as the cold winds got stronger and stronger. The temperature for the day was in the 40s and the sun hid behind the clouds, making the sky dark. However, with all of those weather distractions, the Otterbein women’s soccer team and the U.S. women’s deaf team still squared off for an exhibition match at Crew Stadium. The Cardinals pulled off a 4-1 victory over the U.S. team. The game was an exhibition game, but it created a new experience for all of the players. Stacy Messner, one of the players for the U.S. Deaf Team, said, “Some people tend to be afraid of deaf people, but this event really opens it up for ev-eryone. ... It’s a great experience

to see what it’s like and not be afraid of it. We all have com-mon interests of playing sports, being with our friends and being active.” The team is currently prepar-ing for the World Deaf Foot-ball Championships in Ankara, Turkey, this July and the 22nd Summer Deafl ympic Games in 2013. Otterbein Head Coach Brandon Koons saw this game as a great experience for his players, as they would be playing a competitive national team in Crew Stadium. “They contacted me and wanted to test their play-ers’ skills for the upcoming world championships and Deafl ym-pics,” he said. Koons believed that playing a competitive national team would give his players good experience during the spring. He also said it

even got him thinking about the upcoming fall 2012 season and how they could improve from this exhibition. “In the spring, we focus a lot on learning and getting better, and then in the fall we put all of it to the test.”

The crowd might have looked small due to the size of the stadium, but they made up for it in cheers and excitement. In the fi rst half, the Cards scored two goals before the U.S. team scored its only goal in the game. During the second half, Ot-terbein’s goalie, freshman Melissa Zang, collided with one of the U.S. players, causing injury to Otterbein’s goalie. Koons then sent in a backup and walked over to the other team, asking if the Cards could use their goalie that played in the fi rst half. Coach Yon Struble of the U.S. team agreed and sent her in. She was the goalie for Otterbein for the remainder of the game. The Cards would add on two more goals, one near the beginning of the second half and another two minutes before the game ended. Before and

throughout the game, Koons wasn’t focused on winning or losing. He just saw it as an op-portunity for his players to get some playing time during the spring, when they are usually just practicing. The U.S. Deaf Team showed no disappointment in losing. They were happy and enthu-siastic during the postgame handshake with the Cardinals. Both teams came together for a group photo shoot, smiling and laughing. The fans showed their sup-port, and many stayed for the second game between the Crew Soccer Academy and the U.S. men’s deaf team, which also showed up early to support the women’s team.”

“It’s a great experience to see what it’s like. We all have common inter-ests of playing sports, being with our friends and being active.

Stacy MessnerU.S. National Deaf Team

t&c

wednesday, may 2, 2012Tan & Cardinal8 sports

Dawn Stewart reveals some of her plans for Otterbein, including possible turf and a renovation to the RikeBY ALLY NAGLE

Sports Editor

all SmileS: Stewart will begin her new position May 7, following in the sneakers of Dick Reynolds, who held the position for decades, even when Stewart was a student at Otterbein.ViDeo Still pRoViDeD by SteVe RoSSman

Picture Otterbein: the brick roads lined with the trees fully in bloom and the students walk-ing to and from class with their bookbags and friends. This, along with years of memories, are some of the reasons Ot-terbein graduate of ’98 Dawn Stewart, the newly hired athletic director, decided to return. In a recent interview, Stewart gives some insight into who she is and what she has in store for the Athletic Department. She also revealed her less serious side, as she talks about how she would love to go skydiving and visit the Italy.

Why did you choose to leave Capital and come to Otter-bein? I know you are an alum-na and played tennis here. Otterbein has always held a special place in my heart. There were many people who helped to provide me with a positive experience. I see this (as an) op-portunity to give back to a place that has given me so much.

What was your reaction upon being hired as the new athletic director?

I am excited to return to Otterbein. I had a wonderful experience as a student athlete and feel blessed to have this op-portunity.

What is it like being a female in the sports world when it is generally male-dominated? I think if you love sports, it does not matter. So no, I do not fi nd it hard at all. I love sports and working with student ath-letes and coaches. That is what it is about.

What is it like taking over after Dick Reynolds? He hired me for my fi rst full-time opportunity (when I graduated). To follow an Ot-terbein legend is certainly not an easy task, but Coach Reynolds has put a lot of great things into place. So my hope is to continue on those things and to make him proud and the past athletic direc-tors proud and to just continue to celebrate the tradition of Ot-terbein athletics.

What is the fi rst thing you are going to do when you take your spot in offi ce on May 7? Meet a lot of people. The fi rst six months will be dedicated to making my way through campus

and spending time with people and most importantly, spending time with student athletes and the coaches. Focus on building relationships.

What do you want to change within the Athletic Depart-ment at Otterbein? I am looking forward to tak-ing the time to become reac-quainted with campus and the athletics program. Otterbein has had a strong athletic history, and I look forward to continuing this tradition.

Any plans to redo the Rike? The Rike Center is one of the buildings that everyone throughout the OAC or anyone who is familiar with Otterbein associates Otterbein with. It is historical in its own right, but yes, I think it needs to be renovated, but I think it is one of those places that we could renovate but also celebrate some of its history and show the tradi-tion of Otterbein. Also, use it more as an academic place. It is a historical piece of Otterbein, so it would be great to redo it but also keep its tradition.

You get to help select the new basketball coach. Are there a

lot of applicants for the job? There are many applicants. Coach Connie Richardson will be leading the search. We have been talking a lot and trying to discuss the process. There are a lot of applicants, it is a great job in the Division III college sports world and this person and I will have a lot in common as they are also coming in after Dick Reynolds. It will be an important hire. It will be my fi rst hire here at Otterbein. We need to get an important fi t and someone who will match up with my goals and the department goals.

What are the two most im-portant things for you as an athletic director? Program integrity, and competitiveness. Competitive-ness not only athletically but also academically, and making sure we are accomplishing things outside of the game.

Do you have any kids? No, a black lab mix named Frankie. He is very spoiled and the baby of the family. Frankie has a good life.

Favorite sport? I like everything. I am a big baseball fan, more into the main-

stream sports like baseball and football.

Favorite Otterbein College memory? Meeting my husband. We actually met after graduation, which on a small campus is pretty unusual, but we just never crossed paths. We met when we both started working here after graduation.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? Spend time with family and Frankie. Free time in the college athletic world is a luxury. You don’t get a lot of it, so when you do, I really like to spend time with my family. I am also a big TV junkie. I also love unwinding and catching up on TV shows. DVR is the best invention. Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fal-lon are great.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Italy in a heartbeat. We love to travel. We have been to Ireland and England a couple of times and Scotland a few times. We would love to travel more in Europe. It just gives you such a broader perspective, it opens your eyes to so many things. t&c

New athletic director talks sports and bucket list

“To follow an Otterbein legend is certainly not an easy task, but Coach Reynolds has put a lot of great things into place.”-Dawn Stewart, Otterbein athletic director