Students at Ohio State Mansfield are saying No More to domestic violence and sexual assault by forming a new chapter at the campus. The campus chapter is the first of its kind in the state.

Launched in March 2013 by a coalition of advocacy groups, the U.S. Department of Justice and others, No More is supported by thousands who want to increase visibility for domestic violence and sexual assault.

Kathy Ezawa, director for the Domestic Violence Shelter, which serves Richland and Huron counties, broached Diversity and Family Engagement Director Renee Thompson with the idea to start a chapter at the campus.

“I’m excited to be partnering with Ohio State Mansfield and students who have such a vision for compassion and leadership in our community,” Ezawa said.

Graduate Social Work student Ashley Foust, who interns for the Diversity program, set plans in motion.

“I thought it was definitely something we should have on campus,” Foust said. “It’s an inherent problem on college campuses because kids are out on their own for the first time. They might not be connecting with their parents about relationships so they might accept things that aren’t acceptable.”

Ezawa said, “Once we formed the group then the students were highly motivated to be involved in a process where their voices could be heard and they could make a difference.”

In collaboration with the College of Social Work Student Association, the fledgling chapter organized two events – a photo booth where students, faculty and staff could photograph their response to No More, and the official chapter launch with talks from a domestic violence victim and a county prosecutor.

“It was a huge collaboration and it happened unexpectedly,” said Quinn Johnston, a member of the social work club.

Johnston found herself in an abusive relationship on the Columbus campus in 2006. She says she didn’t have the support system to keep her on track, so she stopped going to classes and eventually was dismissed from the university.

“Most of us know someone who has been affected by sexual assault and domestic violence but you don’t hear people talking about it,” she said. “No More focuses on putting an end to the violence through open communication.”

The chapter already is planning activities in conjunction with Welcome Week and orientation in the fall. Foust hopes the group can bring more awareness and a voice to the issue.

“Just speaking up can stop a lot of the behaviors and cause people to think about their actions,” Foust said.

The Ohio State University at Mansfield cares as much about future Buckeyes as it does its current students and alumni. The Bitty Buckeye Leadership Project pairs Ohio State Mansfield students with local schoolchildren as pen pals to promote community relationships and plant the seed that they too can attend college.

The project is being coordinated by First Year Experience Coordinator Natasha Stouffer and First Year Experience Junior Coordinator Savanah Osborn. While this isn’t the first year the program has existed, it is the first time that they’ve started expanding the number of students involved.

“The program started with a few Buckeye Ambassadors,” Stouffer said. “When I got here, I found Buckeye Ambassador Kaitlyn Miller’s instruction manual for the program. I saw the potential in the project and thought that we should continue the outreach into local schools. The instruction manual has allowed us to replicate the program in various schools.”

The program has now grown to include Buckeye Ambassadors and First Year Student Leaders.

The university students get a lot of satisfaction out of the program. Michael Morgan, a freshman from Cleveland suburb Shaker Heights, has a pen pal at Sherman Elementary School.

“I think the Bitty Buckeye letters are amazing,” Morgan said. “My participation in the Bitty Buckeye Program has truly helped me in my first year in college, and I hope it helps the children understand the importance of education and hard work.”

Morgan is an example of what Stouffer likes about the program.

“I see The Bitty Buckeye Program as a great way to make students who aren’t from the area feel connected to Mansfield,” Stouffer said. “I think it shows what can happen when a community and the university work together.”

The program has been well received in the community, according to Stouffer.

“The teachers really like it because it gives their kids a way to practice their creative spelling and writing,” she said.

The children really enjoy the program as well. The conversations between students and the children are typically about education.

“They’re really excited about being able to talk to Buckeyes and learn about the college experience,” Osborn said. “We talk about college and what they want to be when they grow up and what they think college is like. Then we explain to them what our experiences are.”

The conversations will continue throughout the school year as letters are exchanged every couple of weeks. The program culminates when the college students meet their pen pals face-to-face at the local schools and spend a half-day talking about college and doing educational activities focusing on college access.

Stouffer and Osborn believe Bitty Buckeyes is a scalable project and expect the program to expand.

“We have more interest in it than we have students to write letters,” Stouffer said. “I expect to see it grow and grow over the next year.”

Members of the Theatre department at The Ohio State University at Mansfield present The Tin Faces Project.

Through unique venues and community collaboration, professors of the arts at The Ohio State University at Mansfield provide extensive learning experiences for both their students and the local community.

Most students who participate in theatre productions, art shows and chorus at Ohio State Mansfield likely will never pursue a degree in the arts; instead, they participate to earn general education credits and for the chance to perform.

“I think one of the things that is very different about our program is that we really get to know our students,” said art professor John Thrasher. “We definitely build a learning community here, and in the case of art, it becomes a very creative cauldron. There’s a great energy within the group.”

Professors blend community outreach with class assignments to give deeper meaning to the art students create.

The University Chorus last year performed at the NAACP Martin Luther King event and partnered with St. Peter’s Catholic Church and First Congregational Church to sing Puccini’s Messe di Gloria with a full orchestra and soloists.

“Most of the students had never sung with an orchestra,” said music professor and chorus director Joel Vega. “So it was really fun and a great learning experience for them.”

Kate Shannon, art professor and curator for the Pearl Conard Art Gallery, and Thrasher try to relate the content of the gallery art shows to the curriculum each semester.

“The gallery is our way to expose them to a wider variety of artists,” Shannon said. “We try to bring in artists who are working in non-traditional ways, or ways that we don’t typically see in the community. We aren’t looking to showcase artists who are primarily interested in selling their work. It is more of an experimental space.”

The art instructors also volunteer at the Mansfield Art Center. Shannon recently was on the board of directors while Thrasher and his students have created several pieces of art for fundraisers.

“One of the benefits of the connection with the art center is that my students realize that I am very engaged in a place outside of here,” Thrasher said. “They know that I am a regular participant in exhibitions. They know that I volunteer for their events. It excites their interest a bit and they end up showing up where they might not otherwise do that.”

The Theatre department produces three to four performances each year, combining the talents of Ohio State Mansfield students and community members. They also partner with The Children’s Theatre Foundation and the Renaissance Youth Theatre to produce children’s theatre productions hosted on campus. Theatre director and professor Joe Fahey serves on both the Children’s Theatre Foundation and the Ohio Theatre Alliance.

When a production has a community services connection or social cause behind it, Fahey reaches out to groups that support or advocate for the issue. Fahey partnered with The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project during the recent production, The Tin Faces Project.

“We offer patrons both an entertainment experience and an educational experience,” professor and theatre director Joe Fahey said. “They are getting a chance to see our students on stage doing really impressive work. It represents the campus very well.”

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Members of the Ohio State Mansfield homecoming court include Nella Blackford, Jordan Landis, Jordan Morse, Joey Burley, Maris Bucci and Greg Palmerton. Morse and Burley were named queen and king at ceremonies in Columbus.

Ohio State Mansfield junior Jordan Morse and senior Joey Burley were crowned Mansfield Homecoming Court queen and king at a ceremony Oct. 17 on the Columbus campus. The court also included Nella Blackford, Maris Bucci, Jordan Landis, and Greg Palmerton.

The court was chosen through an interview process with faculty and staff, who looked for campus and community involvement, volunteer work and GPA. Students then selected the king and queen from the court.

“The 2014 Homecoming Court was a fun and unique group this year,” said Elise Riggle, director of Student Engagement.  “They were leaders from many different areas on campus.  Collectively, they were six students, each with unique and wonderful personalities, coming together in a joyful, perky, ball of Homecoming goodness!  It was truly a pleasure to work with them this year, and to experience their celebration with them.”

Morse is from Ashland and is studying Psychology. She plays on the Mansfield Mavericks Volleyball team and is a third-year resident advisor & office assistant at university housing Molyet Village Apartments. She also works with children with disabilities at Raemelton Therapeutic Equestrian Center.

Joey Burley also is from Ashland, pursuing degrees in Psychology and English. He is involved in Psychology Student Association, English Club and Boxing Club. He participates in theater productions and is a certified research assistant in the Psychology department. Burley is also an office assistant and resident advisor at Molyet Village Apartments as well as a summer cleaning and maintenance staff manager.

Nella Blackford, a senior Early Childhood Education major from Ashland is involved as an ally in OutLoud, as well as Club Ed and the Book Bunch.

Communications major Maris Bucci is a sophomore from Bellville. She is a Buckeye Ambassador, an intern in the Office of Student Engagement, Campus Activities Board co-leader, Camp Hetuck facilitator, a member of the Mavericks Volleyball team, and involved in the Haiti Empowerment Project and 2014 OSU LeaderShape Institute.

Jordan Landis, a senior from Crestview, is studying Middle Childhood Education. Landis has worked as a tutor in the Conard Learning Center since 2012. He is also a member of Club Ed – a student organization for education majors.

Greg Palmerton, a sophomore from Norwalk, is studying Biology and Pre-Med. He is a Buckeye Ambassador, an intern in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and is involved in undergraduate research.

Homecoming events included a number of activities on the Columbus campus – the Ohio State homecoming parade, pep rally and recognition during the Buckeyes homecoming football game.

The Mansfield Homecoming Court commits to a year of service projects. During Homecoming Week they took whipped cream pies to the face to raise money for the Domestic Violence Shelter.