The Ohio State University at Newark

Playing Politics for Regional Campuses

| Buckeye Voices at Ohio State Newark

Zach Sparks stands at The Ohio State University at Newark smiling in front of McConnell HallZach Sparks, junior psychology major (attended Regional Campus Day at the Ohio Statehouse on February 12 with fellow student Jesse McAndrew and Ohio State Newark Dean/Director William L. MacDonald, PhD.)

Regional Campus Day at the Ohio Statehouse was the most stereotypical political experience you could imagine. Not the TV-soundbite, petty back-and-forth politics dominating the news cycle right now, mind you, but the real, honest-to-God political legwork that is constantly happening behind the scenes of every political decision being made.

We started the day going to a conference room with all the other students and deans to meet with Chancellor Randy Gardner. When we arrived, some of the other students were sharing their stories and explaining why regional campuses were important to them. We got to hear about the challenges of being a nontraditional student from a mom with three kids, a tale of being an involved and active student from a student government president, and the experience of being an immigrant from Europe coming to learn in the U.S. with hopes to become a citizen. These stories, along with the others we heard, each highlighted a different element to the regional campus experience, and it was amazing to be able to hear from so many other students from across Ohio. Afterward, the chancellor discussed why he cared about regional campuses and how much he appreciated us coming, and he wished us luck as we began our day of politicking.

After this meeting with all the day’s attendees, we all dispersed to begin meeting with our respective state senators and representatives. We were booked for four meetings throughout the day — two senators and two representatives — and each of these meetings followed the same pattern: We would show up at our registered time; the congressperson would actually be very busy and a staff person would meet with us instead; Jesse, Dr. MacDonald and I would all explain why we care about regional campuses; we would all thank each other, and we would leave. Simple as that.

I understand that this description of events could come off as simplistic or even a bit dismissive, but I want to strongly empathize that it isn’t meant to in any way: That’s just politics. Jesse, Dr. MacDonald and I each got to play the role of being a lobbyist for the interest of regional campuses that day, and we played the part well. Even if we were not there to take a stance on any specific legislation (something we were asked about in each office), each of those congressperson’s offices got to see three people that took the time out of their day to show up, tell their story and say “Hey, don’t forget about us.”

To me, even though I’m still pretty new to the political game, this is the most basic yet essential part of politics. We weren’t there to push any specific agenda or tell the congresspersons to vote this way or that; we were there to give a face to a very important demographic in this state. We showed up to remind the congresspeople that each of their decisions has a real impact on real people, whether that’s students who are supporting a family back home, immigrants just trying to start a life in this country or college drop-outs, like me, who need regional campuses to have a second chance.

Even though a lot of that day was spent sitting in an office waiting room or walking around lost in a 30-floor skyscraper, I’m very glad I got to be a part of it. My experience on this campus has dramatically changed my life and opened new opportunities for me, and I know many other students think the same way. Keeping regional campuses in the minds of our state legislators is so important for the success of those campuses, and I would gladly spend another day playing politics to make that happen.

Community Service: How being a helping hand enriched my Ohio State Newark experience

| Buckeye Voices at Ohio State Newark

Roman Lee, public affairs, 2021

Community service goes a long way and has a positive impact on the issues, people and community being served. I love volunteering because community service is one of my core guiding principles. The Ohio State University at Newark gave me the opportunity to not only learn and set myself up for my future career, but also to continue volunteering in both the campus and Newark community. I was a part of Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge, Journey Campus Ministries, COTC Ambassadors and the Laurel Collegiate Society. I served as the student body president of Ohio State Newark and Central Ohio Technical College. In my opinion, service to others is very crucial today because society faces many social, economic, racial and political obstacles that strike a divide among people. I see taking time out of my busy schedule to give back as a way to not only give back to those in need, but also to establish a connection with someone who comes from a different walk of life.

I first learned the importance of service from my mother who taught me to live a selfless life. I’m also driven to help others due to the experiences I had as a child growing up on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio, in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood in a single-parent household. Because of the actions of others to help us, my mother always taught us to lend a hand to those in need and to never ignore issues that may occur in our world. One memorable moment of selflessness and generosity was when my mother reached out to a homeless man who didn’t have enough money for a single banana at a grocery store despite our own struggles. My mother took a sandwich, pop and bag of chips from our groceries and gave it to the homeless man sitting outside the store in the cold. My mother later told us, “He needed it more than us. We may be struggling but there are some people out there with absolutely nothing. Never be selfish. If you can give, then you should give.” Her words and that simple act of kindness made an impact on me and how I decided to carry myself from then on. Because of her words, I started to help those in my community with cleanups or by doing lawn work for elderly neighbors who couldn’t. Doing service in the community was reinforced during my years at Elder High School. I’ve discovered that service is an action that can make a big difference in difficult situations. It can bring attention to critical issues that affect our communities.

When I came to Ohio State Newark, my experiences of community service drastically expanded. I joined the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge enabling me to go on two spring break trips to help build homes for those in need in Fort Smith, Arkansas and Monroe, North Carolina. Both trips taught me the importance of giving time to not only help one person but a whole family. I was able to help put a roof over a family’s head to provide a place for shelter, comfort and growth. I got to meet different people who have been affected by poverty or hard times in more ways than one. I also got the opportunity to build relationships with my peers who participated and those who oversaw the building of the homes. I learned why they do it and why the organization means so much to them. Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge expanded my eagerness to help others in need. It also pushed me to challenge my peers to pay attention to issues that we face and to think of someone else when throwing away food or clothes that could be donated. Participation in community service expanded my knowledge of the world’s growing issues and inspired me to seek out more ways to aid communities. These experiences have helped me to decide what to focus on with my degree and what I can strive to accomplish every day. My college career and values as an individual are not complete without community service. Service to others helps build important characteristics within ourselves and makes a difference. My Ohio State Newark experience wouldn’t have been the same or complete without my involvement in community service.

Service to others will always be something that drives me to seek ways to fix issues that grip our communities. Ask yourself, ‘What am I doing for others? What could I do right now to help?’ There is no greater feeling than lending a hand to those in need and creating a positive connection with those around you.

The Right Choice

| Buckeye Voices at Ohio State Newark

MacKenzie Webb, junior, business management

“Make good choices.” Those were the words my parents always hollered at me as I was dashing out the door to go on whatever adventure my friends and I had planned that day. For me, senior year of high school was when my parents gave me some control over the reins of my life and more freedom to make my own choices. The freedom was a head rush because for once, I was finally being treated like the adult I always wanted to be. The adrenaline rush of freedom came crashing down when the acceptance letters came in for my top two college choices. I remember wondering if I could make this huge life decision on my own. Ohio State Buckeye or Kentucky Wildcat? Who do you want to be? Will you make the right choice?

I bet you can guess what decision I made! I am so thankful I made the right choice for me by becoming an Ohio State Buckeye. Without The Ohio State University at Newark, I wouldn’t be half the student or individual I am today. The Newark campus was supposed to be a temporary home before I made the transition to Columbus. However, the campus, faculty and my fellow students made it too hard to leave, so I decided to extend my stay indefinitely.

Ohio State Newark has given me many opportunities to expand my skills and knowledge. After English 1110.01, Professor Shawna Green believed in my writing abilities enough to recommend me to take English 3467S to train to become a tutor at the Ohio State Newark Writer’s Studio. Through the Writer’s Studio, I have found a passion for helping students improve their writing skills. Getting to watch their confidence in their writing flourish is extremely satisfying to me. Working at the studio has given me the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who have become friends for life. Through the Writer’s Studio, I also found the passion to continue developing my own writing which led me to pursue an unplanned minor in professional writing. The professional writing minor led me to an internship at the Office of Marketing and Public Relations on campus that has changed my writing abilities and solidified my choice to become a business major and a Buckeye!

One of the most important decisions in choosing a school is looking at the tuition cost. Even though it seems like an obvious factor to look at, many overlook the cost because they will take out student loans to cover it and won’t have to worry about paying it back until after they graduate. This was one of the biggest factors that sent me running the other direction from attending the University of Kentucky. While I loved everything the university had to offer, I could not justify spending thousands of dollars to receive a similar if not better education at Ohio State. It is not worth putting yourself into crippling debt when you have similar opportunities to get a great education.

Consider class sizes in your choice. Are you going to be comfortable asking questions in a room of one hundred people or more? Are you going to get the necessary attention from the professor you need to succeed? For me, smaller class sizes are a must. I am easily distracted by others and not the most outgoing when it comes to answering and asking questions. When I came to Ohio State Newark, I knew I would get the most out of my learning experience because I wouldn’t be anxious to go to class and participate.

While many students choose colleges far away from their families to experience their new freedom, it isn’t always easy to be away from them in a new place. Take the location of your school into consideration. For the past 18 years of your life, you have spent the majority of your time near family. They are oftentimes who you turn to when you need a boost of confidence or support. Remember to take into account how much you lean on your family. A school that is a couple of hours away will still give you the experience of being independent.

Making a decision is never easy regardless of how big or small it is. Choosing the right college is a big decision to make because it affects the rest of your life. While I was lucky enough to have made the right choice, many others make the college decision based on the sports team, the college parties, and how far it is away from their family. Oftentimes, they learn that college wasn’t the best fit, and they should have considered other factors when making their decisions. Make the right choice for your future by weighing your options and the factors that are actually important to you.

Life After Graduation

| Buckeye Voices at Ohio State Newark

Jessica Carrington

Ohio State Newark Alumna, English

First, congratulations! You are graduating college and that is no small step! Take a few moments to be proud of yourself and celebrate your accomplishments before worrying too much about the “real world”. This is something to be proud of. You’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this day, and I’m proud of you for it.

Enjoy some free time if you have it. Do some traveling this summer, even just day trips around the area. Go somewhere new, do something outside of your routine, and learn something new! Learning experiences are everywhere, and a lot of them are free– take advantage of that.

One of the biggest tips I can give you is to network. Networking is vital, I know you’ve heard that a lot but honestly, it is incredibly important. I didn’t realize just how important it was until after I graduated. Stay in touch with your professors and mentors after graduation, they can put you into contact with people in your field. Look into volunteer and community service opportunities in the community–it’s a great way to do something productive and meet people to network with. You never know what sort of opportunities may fall into your lap, take advantage of those.

If you’re in search of a job post-graduation, apply for everything. If it is mildly interesting and you’re mostly qualified, apply. Your first job probably won’t be your dream job but apply for your dream job anyway. Write a new cover letter with each application and tweak your resume to be tailored towards each specific job. You will get rejections, you will get people who never contact you back, you will get interviews, and you will get a job. It takes time, but stay positive. Do practice interviews with your friends or even yourself. Research frequently asked interview questions and prepare answers to those in advance. Remember that you are on your own journey and it doesn’t have to match up to exactly what your friends and peers seem to be up to.

If you’re going to grad school, congrats! This is another huge step in life and I’m proud of you for being accepted and continuing to reach for your goals. Remember the study skills you’ve learned so far and the most effective ways you personally learn and apply those. Connect with people– peers, professors, mentors… network! Remember to take care of yourself, too. Sleep, eat, hydrate, go for a walk. You are your most important asset, so make sure you are taking care of you.

If you aren’t sure what your next step is, that is okay too! That’s where I was. That’s where a lot of people are. Take some time and do some soul-searching–figure out what you really want to do in life and what you’re passionate about, and start taking steps toward achieving those things. Don’t forget that as alumni you have access to various career services and career fairs, too. I’ve discovered that a lot of adults still don’t know “what they want to be when they grow up”, and that is perfectly okay. Stay positive.

Lastly, you are graduating from The Ohio State University, and that is nothing to scoff at. I’m proud of you. Lots of people are proud of you. Take a moment to be proud of yourself, and then go out there and tackle the world–in whatever way makes the most sense to you.