Letters

A Life-Changing Professor

While attending my 50th reunion in May last year, I visited the rare book room in Beeghly Library. I saw a collection of books written in Spanish and asked Bernard Derr, the rare books librarian, the origin of that particular collection. He told me that a former OWU Spanish professor, Dr. Frank Sedwick, had passed away and that his daughter had donated these Spanish books to the library.

Since Dr. Sedwick was my absolute favorite OWU professor, I asked Mr. Derr if he would give me the email address of Dr. Sedwick’s daughter. I wrote a long email to her and told her how her father motivated me to study the Spanish language, culture, and history. Through OWU, Dr. Sedwick was the primary organizer of a semester abroad program at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, which I attended for two semesters.

I firmly believe that the OWU Spanish classes taught by Dr. Sedwick, along with many other OWU classes, and the two semesters at the University of the Andes changed my life. Due to the fact that I was so motivated and fluent in the Spanish language and had spent so much time in an academic setting in Bogotá, I was hired by the Lexington, Massachusetts, school system in the early ’70s. The Lexington School System was, and still is, considered one of the best school systems in Massachusetts and in the ’70s had a national reputation as one of the most progressive school systems in the nation.

On the official OWU web page, OWU states that it “combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience,” and I agree. Between on-campus classes, study abroad programs, and internships, current OWU students are attending an incredible liberal arts university that keeps up with changing times.

—Arden Veley ’65

OWU Pride

Just got the most recent alumni magazine. Fantastic piece of work. Great stories and great hopes.

As a 1996 graduate, I’m very proud to be a Battling Bishop, Sigma Chi, and varsity baseball player. I use all the skills, thought processes, teamwork, and real-world lessons I accumulated at OWU in my everyday life, and they have made me successful.

Keep the spirit alive. We feel it all around the country. I can attest, living in Ohio, California, Missouri, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Thanks again for all you are doing.

— Tim Hohl ’96

The Music Scene

Not to make too fine a point here, but in the Fall 2015 OWU Magazine on page 33, the 1970 Chicago concert photo features guitarist Terry Kath front center, not bassist Pete Cetera. I know this because I served on the OWU social committee for a couple of years. We brought in Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, Jefferson Airplane, Mountain, Frank Zappa, Allman Brothers Band, Jethro Tull, J. Giles Band, MC5 (where I lost part of my hearing), and many other great groups and individual musicians from the era.

OWU was somewhat of a central beacon for music and we’d get kids from all the surrounding colleges and universities to attend. If we didn’t have it, you could just go down the road to Columbus to see Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, and anyone else that lit your fire. Suffice it to say, it was an amazing period for history and music, and OWU was right in the middle of it all.

—John Summer ’71

Finding a Calling

WOW. What wonderful words of wisdom uttered by “The Rock” about the importance of a liberal arts education in our quest to be what God wants us to be and do to make this a better world. After reading Rock’s words, (“The liberal arts education at OWU ignights the entrepreneurial spirit,” Fall 2015) I shed tears of joy about my OWU experience and about my mother, Leah Cunningham Moyers ’36, who encouraged me to go to her alma mater and get a liberal arts education before I decided how God wanted me to make a difference in the lives of others.

Thanks be to me for taking a mother’s advice. Thanks be to God and to mom and to OWU for an AWesome Experience Shared Openly, Mightily, and Enthusiastically (AWESOME).

— Robert Moyers ’63