Dublin Life February/March 2021

Hometown

Heroes Meet Dublin’s firefighters

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The Official City Magazine of Dublin, Ohio Mailed to EVERY Dublin homeowner

February/March 2021

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8 Community Calendar 10 faces

Blaze of Glory

Mailed to EVERY Dublin business

Getting to know Dublin’s firefighters

14 Making Suicide Prevention a

Community Priority

Official Community Calendar

16 in focus

From Dancing Shoes to Hiking Boots

Award-winning design & editorial

Irish dancer-turned-thrill seeker

20 ARTifacts: Created at Home

Dublin Arts Council’s community exhibition

p26

showcases creative pandemic responses

24 Lead the Way to Success

Two viewpoints for developing leadership

To grow your business call Carrie Thimmes at 614-572-1243

26 Extending the Racket

Student starts Dublin Tennis Outreach Program 30 A Booked Schedule

Reading, writing and the pursuit of

vocabulary words

32 #DubLifeMag 34 student spotlight

So You Want to Be a Medical Student

The ins and outs of what it takes to apply

p34 Want your snapshots to appear in print?

Send photos to marnold@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

For more info call Mallory Arnold 614-572-1251

On the Cover Dublin firefighters Andrew Peters and Evan Will Photo by Ray LaVoie

to med school

38 dublin dishes

It’s All Greek to Me

Genuine Greek recipes from a Dublin kitchen 40 luxury living real estate guide 41 top homes sold in dublin 42 write next door

Let’s Choco ‘Bout It

The ultimate dark chocolate and red wine

taste test

46 bookmarks 4 • February/March 2021

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Kathleen K. Gill President/CEO Gianna Barrett Vice President, Sales Dave Prosser Chief Creative Officer Mallory Arnold Editor

Rocco Falleti Associate Editors Brandon Klein

Amanda DePerro Contributing Editors Sarah Robinson

Janet Cooper Contributing Writers Colleen D’Angelo Rebecca Myers

Sanaya Attari Editorial Assistants Maddie Gehring

I NS P I R E D SPACE S WO R L D - C L A S S C OM PL I M E N TA RY I N T E R I O R DE S I GN S E RV I C E

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February/March 2021 • 5

Be Well

How are you? It is a simple How are you?

It isand a simple question we ask are asked by question we ask and arehow asked by others all the time, but often others all the time, but how often do we pause to really think about do we pauseIn tomany reallyways, think itabout the answer? has the answer?

In many ways, become more of a greeting,itinhas become more of a greeting, which the question is merelyin which the question is Imerely rhetorical. Right now, am taking rhetorical.

Right now, taking this opportunity to askI am each this opportunity to ask each of you — how are you? of you — how are you?

If you can truthfully answer that If you can truthfully answer that you are “well, ” I am genuinely thrilled for you. There are few you are “well, ” I am genuinely thrilled forhealth you. There arehealth few things in life more important than your and the things in life more important than your health and the health of your loved ones. of your loved ones.

However, remember that wellness extends beyond physical However, remember that wellness beyond health.

Mental well-being is just as extends important.

It hasphysical been said, health.

Mental well-being is just as important.

It has been said, “It’s OK to not be OK,” and that is true. We all experience stress, “It’s OK to not be OK, ” and that is true.

We all experience stress, anxiety, fear and uncertainty. It is important, though, to anxiety, fear and uncertainty.

It isknow important, acknowledge these feelings and when though, they areto acknowledge these feelings and know when they are persistent or acute enough to require a little extra attention. persistent or acute enough to require a little extra attention.

Unchecked anxiety can lead to very serious physical Unchecked anxiety can lead to very serious physical conditions. conditions.

If your answer is on the other side of the spectrum — that you If your on the side that of the spectrum — that are notanswer feelingisyour bestother — know recognizing that is ayou are not feeling your best — know that recognizing that a sign of strength. Know, also, that feeling better is withinisyour sign of strength.

Know, also, that feeling better is within your reach. reach.

Our community has the resources to ensure that everyone has Ouropportunity community has the resources ensure that everyone the to thrive physicallytoand mentally.

Join the has the opportunity to thrive physically and mentally.

Join Dublin Community Recreation Center or participate in the our Dublin Community Recreation Center or participate in our

5555 Perimeter Drive 5555 Perimeter Drive Dublin, Ohio 43017 Dublin, Ohio 43017 614.410.4400 | DublinOhioUSA.gov 614.410.4400 | DublinOhioUSA.gov

many virtual offerings. Reach out to our partners at Syntero many virtual offerings.

Reachprograms out to our partners at Or, Syntero for care, counsel or support and services. for care, counsel or support programs and services.

Or, learn more about our Community Outreach & Engagement learn more about ourare Community Outreach Engagement opportunities.

There many options to get&involved in opportunities.

There are many options to get involved in your community, and various studies indicate that giving your community, and various studies indicate that giving back to a community and helping others can boost your back happiness, to a community others can boost your own healthand andhelping sense of well-being. own happiness, health and sense of well-being.

Businesses can take advantage of our FitBiz corporate Businesses can takewhich advantage our FitBiz corporate wellness program, offers of a variety of health and wellness program, which offers a variety of health wellness opportunities for the Dublin workforce. and wellness opportunities for the Dublin workforce.

Educational programs and fitness classes are currently Educational programs and fitness classes are currently being conducted virtually in partnership with the OSU being conducted virtually in partnership with thewill OSU Wexner Medical Center, and in-person programs be Wexner Medical Center, and in-person programs will beback available as businesses begin to bring their employees available as businesses begin to bring their employees back to the office. to the office.

In Dublin, we pride ourselves on being a world-class In Dublin, weYes, pride on that being world-class community. weourselves often mean in aterms of the community.

Yes, we often mean that in terms ofto the exceptional services and amenities the City has offer, but exceptional services and amenities the City has to offer, but our most important and precious commodity is you — the our most important and precious commodity is you — the extraordinary people who live here. extraordinary people who live here.

So, please make it a point to ask yourself regularly, “How am pleaseYour make it a pointistoalways ask yourself “How am ISo, doing?” well-being worth regularly, the time and Iattention doing?” Your well-being is always worth the time and it takes to ask the question, give an honest attention it takes to ask the question, give an honest answer and do what it takes to be well. answer and do what it takes to be well.

Want to report an issue on the go?

Want to report an issue on the go?

Download the GoDublin app.

Download the GoDublin app.

Submit your service request.

Submit your service request.

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LIST Your source for the BEST Eat + Drink Events • Travel • Home Health • Shopping Entertainment Check out CityScene’s listings of top picks featuring photos, mapping and more! cityscenecolumbus.com 8 • February/March 2021

CommunityCalendar

February/March Note: These events are subject to change due to COVID-19.

Check website details for more updated information.

Dublin Arts Council 7125 Riverside Dr. www.dublinarts.org

MARCH 9-APRIL 16 Art & Wellness: ARTifacts Created at Home FEB. 4-7 Winter Scrapbook Escape Hilton Garden Inn, 500 Metro Place N. www.facebook.com/Creative EscapesWithPam

Abbey Theater of Dublin 5600 Post Rd. www.dublinohiousa.gov/abbey-theatre

FEB. 14 Valentine’s Day FEB. 15 Ohio History Center presents Ohio’s First Ladies 1-2 p.m.

Virtual www.ohiohistory.org

MARCH 1 Ohio History Center presents Ohio Statehood Day Time TBD Virtual www.ohiohistory.org MARCH 12-13 Instaband Semi-Finals Groove U Creative Campus, 5030 Bradenton Ave. www.instaband.org

FEB. 19-20 #Charlottesville 7 p.m., Virtual

MARCH 13 St. Patrick’s Day Reverse Parade 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Darree Fields Park www.dublinohiousa.gov

MARCH 3 Could You Hug A Cactus?

7 p.m., Virtual

MARCH 17 St. Patrick’s Day

MARCH 13-14 Frozen KIDS 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

MARCH 19-21, 25-27 Songs for a New World 7 p.m.

Geri Ziemba of the Dublin Tavern on the ideal St. Patrick’s Day meal: “St. Patrick’s is a big day here, along with Parade Day. Guinness obviously is king, but we do serve an excellent Irish coffee made with Jameson and demerara sugar www.dublinlifemagazine.com

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❤❤❤ with a frothed cream topping that is very popular. As for food, we do a lot of everything – Irish egg rolls, braised beef shepherd’s pie and, of course, corned beef and cabbage.”

MARCH 18 Hello Spring! Creative Escape 3 p.m.

Hilton Garden Inn, 500 Metro Place N. www.facebook.com/Creative EscapesWithPam MARCH 18-20 Dublin Jerome Drama Club presents Little Women March 20, 7 p.m.; March 20 & 21, 2 p.m.

Dublin Jerome Center for the Performing Arts, 8300 Hyland Croy Rd. www.dublinschools.net/Jerome • • • • • New restaurants recently opened around Dublin FUSIAN 7721 Sawmill Rd. Recommended eats: Tofu Thai crunch salad

Dublin Life surveyed 272 residents about what they wanted for Valentine’s Day from their significant other this year and the results are in!

• 175 people want a nice dinner out and to just spend time together.

• 61 people want their significant other to clean the house or the car.

• 21 people want something simple like flowers or chocolates.

• 15 people want a nice dinner cooked at home together.

• 5 people want something expensive like jewelry or a new tech gadget.

• 4 people want an at home cooking class.

Participants were given the option to write in a suggestion and here are just a few of our favorites: “In the time of COVID-19, take-out will do!” -- Megan T. “We get pizza and watch basketball. … So romantic!” -- Ashley G. “A nice dinner and a movie at home, but I don’t want to cook it. I don’t even want to help!” -- Darla G. “Nothing! I hate Valentine’s Day!” -- Heather R. Thanks for participating, everyone!

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264

faces

by Sarah Robinson Photo by Ray LaVoie

According to a survey by Roll Free Forwarding, the fifth most common childhood dream job is be a firefighter – and for good reason. Firefighters are everyday heroes, and Dublin is home to some of Ohio’s finest: the Washington Township Fire Department (WTFD).

The department boasts some impressive statistics: 97 percent of its full-time firefighters are certified paramedics and its response time to emergency calls is a swift five and a half minutes. The WTFD couldn’t achieve what it has without its phenomenal crew, including longtime Dublin residents Andrew Peters and Evan Will.

Will grew up in Dublin and graduated from Dublin Coffman High School before leaving for college and attending fire school. When he was in elementary school, he had his first experience with the WTFD when his neighbor’s house was struck by lightning, causing it to catch fire. Everyone inside got out

Blaze of Glory Getting to know Dublin’s firefighters 10 • February/March 2021

unharmed and although the ordeal might have been scary for other children, Will was awed.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” says Will. “We got to walk through their house after the fire was out. The firemen were still there, and I just thought it was totally awesome.”

2021 marks Will’s seventh year with the WTFD. Peters grew up in Columbus and attended Dublin Scioto for his junior and www.dublinlifemagazine.com

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Andrew Peters (left) and Evan Will

senior years of high school. Unlike Will, Peters didn’t grow up knowing he’d be battling fires one day.

“Firefighting just kind of fell into my lap,” says Peters. “It was one of those things where I had the opportunity to go to fire school and always thought it’d be interesting. Pretty much the day I walked into the academy I knew that this was the following that I was destined for.”

The WTFD made an impression upon Peters while he was in fire school, and he www.dublinlifemagazine.com

was honored to join the crew. Now, he’s a 10-year veteran of the department!

A look inside There are a few surprising aspects of firefighting that the public doesn’t often see. It’s not just about riding the red truck and hosing down fires.

“The one thing people don’t always understand is the depth of the things that we handle,” says Peters. “The word ‘firefighters’ just kind of insinuates that we

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February/March 2021 • 11

go and put out fires, but we have special rescue and hazmat and water rescue, rope rescue, confined space, and, more importantly, the medics.”

“When people call 9-1-1, we’re it.

There’s no 9-1-2,” adds Will. “So, we have to have a solution for everything.

We have guys from every single trade.

They’re the smartest group of people I have ever been around as far as problem solving and trade work.”

And TV shows like Chicago Fire don’t always portray an accurate picture of firefighting.

Fire Prevention Month The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) declared that October is Fire Prevention Month in 1922 after in commemoration of the great Chicago fire in 1871. The month is meant to serve as a reminder to practice fire safety and prepare households for emergency.

The NFPA records that three out of every five fire deaths result from fires in homes with no working smoke alarms and less than 50 percent of homeowners have an escape plan.

Smoke alarms are the fire line of defense and should be placed on every level of the home; the basement, inside each bedroom and especially the kitchen.

The American Red Cross records that home fires most often occur in the kitchen and the second leading cause are heating sources such as wood and fireplaces.

It’s not being overly cautious – more than half of all fire deaths occur between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., oftentimes because smoke detectors are in the wrong place or not near the source of the fire.

Another asset to creating a fire-safe home is to have a fire extinguisher on every floor of the home. Moreover, it’s important to actually know how to use it. Fire Engineering conducted a study that proved 75 percent of people could use an extinguisher with no training of the tool. Here is the acronym to help civilians remember:

“There are a lot of things that the media misrepresents in their depiction of firefighting,” says Peters. “It is a less glamorous job, and you don’t always get to see the fruits of your labor at the end.

There are a lot of stories that we don’t always know how they turn out.”

Not every call involves explosions and Hollywood glamor, adds Will.

“As cheesy as it sounds, the show Paw Patrol probably depicts best what it’s really like, because it’s based on teamwork and bringing all the units together to rescue people,” he says.

Heroes of their own Though Dublin couldn’t be prouder of its frontline workers, the WTFD don’t see themselves as heroes. Instead, they look to their crew and their families for inspiration and support.

“I don’t think anybody really sees themself as a hero,” says Peters, “but those small and massively impactful actions that I’ve seen crew members and people in our department do over time, when you see people come back into the station later on, it’s really obvious that some of our crews have had a deep and long-lasting impact on the community.”

“A hero is somebody who is willing to put others before themselves,” says

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Will. “The heroes I always think about, other than the guys that I work with, are dads.”

So, when asked his biggest personal hero, Will’s answer is no surprise.

“My dad. For showing me how to treat people, showing me how to treat others, how to be kind, how to be patient,” says Will. “I don’t know how to put it into words. He’s just awesome.”

Peters gives all the credit to his wife.

“There are a lot of things that are sacrificed to do this job, health and fitness and time and all that other stuff,” says Peters, “and (my wife) is left holding a lot of the other ends to make sure that it’s possible to do. She’s the one that I always lean on and has the greatest impact in my life.”

Firefighting has given the pair not only important skills and experience to become better firefighters – it’s given them the tools to become better community members and people when they take off the fireproof suits, too.

“It’s constantly impactful. I learn something new every single day,” says Will. “I’ve got 20 guys that want to make me better as a firefighter, as a dad, as a human being in a public service.”

Peters looks up to the firefighters who came before him, building the WTFD

up from a small-town firehouse to the extremely effective fire department it is today.

“It’s the retirees and it’s the men and women that have been here 25 years and are looking to retire,” he says. “Those are the guys that I really looked to and am continuously impressed by and who, honestly, have had the best impact on the city.”

The relationship between the Dublin community and the WTFD is mutually supportive. As much impact as the firefighters have had on community members, the community’s incredible support has hugely influenced the lives of the firefighters, too.

“This community is just amazing. We’ve always been shown a massive amount of love and support from them,” says Peters.

“It’s been really, really helpful in times.

Knowing that you have the support of the community allows you to stay motivated and keep pushing forward.”

“I’ve driven fire trucks in the St. Paddy’s Day parade, the Fourth of July parade, and I see a bunch of smiling faces every time we come,” says Will. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world, getting looked up to by the young ones.”

Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Washington Fire Department Classes The WTFP offers bimonthly CPR certification and first aid certification classes, training people how to handle emergency situations such as sprains, broken bones, shock and bleeding.

200,000 lives are saved every year

by CPR, so it’s more than beneficial to know how to perform it.

The department also hosts a Red Cross for Babysitting class annually, giving teens more responsibility and know-how when it comes to caring for children.

Washington Township encourages people to keep an emergency kit in their car equipped with a flashlight, flares, blanket, snacks, gloves, jumper cables, ice scraper and first aid kit.

Making Suicide Prevention a Community Priority

By Rebecca Myers

There’s power in community and how it can shape critical conversations.

And a big conversation happening all over the globe is access to mental health and well-being resources and education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated that need with people feeling the effects of isolation from stay-at-home orders and missing out on social events for the majority of a year.

Intertwined is suicide – a difficult public health crisis to talk about but one that affects people across all cultures, populations and age groups. Yet, it is preventable, and everyone and every community has a role to play to reduce stigma around mental wellness.

Having people share their stories as loss survivors, or people whose loved ones have died by suicide, can be a first step. Greg Lattanzi, a lieutenant with the Dublin Police, offers his experience about the death of his sister in order to encourage others to open up about this crisis and to connect people with the support they need.

“Talking about these issues,” Greg says, “provides a comfort level for other people who are struggling to come forward and seek treatment – and have difficult discus-

sions that may save their life or save one of their loved ones’ lives.”

Personal Perspective In 2015, after working a shift with the Dublin Police, Greg received a phone call from his mother that his older sister, Christina, wasn’t answering her phone. Greg’s mother wanted to know if he had heard from his sister recently. So, Greg says they decided his mom would take the 40-minute car trip to check on Christina, all while feeling that something didn’t seem right.

Community Conversation Before the pandemic, the Dublin Police Department had planned to host a townhall focused on suicide prevention and education efforts. The aim was to include the public in an open dialogue and empower residents to know how they can impact suicide prevention efforts in their community.

While that in-person discussion was halted last spring, a growing emphasis on residents’ well-being has energized the need for education right now. Dublin Police is considering virtual options to continue this community conversation in 2021.

Susan Ortega, with local behavioral health agency Syntero, explains the need for that open dialogue.

“We need to make conversations about mental wellness as commonplace as talking about the weather or how well the Buckeyes played this week,” Susan says.

“By making it the norm to really talk about how we are really doing, people who may be struggling with stressors, whether they’re mental health or substance abuse related – they will hopefully see that it’s OK to talk about those things openly.”

14 • February/March 2021

www.dublinlifemagazine.com

His mom couldn’t enter the apartment but noted there was a different car in his sister’s parking space. Greg remembers that made his instincts as a police officer start to kick in, trying to understand the situation and all the possible scenarios. He asked his mom to call the local police to conduct a wellness check.

After the officers arrived, they spent a long time inside. Greg waited on the phone with his mom who was sitting in the apartment’s parking lot; the police said Christina had died by suicide at home.

Greg says his sister had struggled with finances and had, a few months prior, lost her job, taking a pay decrease at the next position she found. He says he and his family had not seen clear signs that she could have been having suicidal ideation, directing them to realize the complexity of suicide.

“That’s just not characteristic of my sister,” he says, “so that’s what leads me to believe there was not just financial but mental health components to the struggles she was having.”

Susan Ortega says it’s not just one cause that leads to suicide. “It’s a complex, complicated picture. Just as we don’t have the ability to look at a person and know off the bat they have a physical health condition or concern,” she notes, “we can’t look at someone and know if they’re struggling with a mental health concern or suicidal thoughts.”

The call to action for Greg became researching risk factors of suicide, coping mechanisms for families and available treatment opportunities in different communities.

“For whatever reason, she didn’t reach out to someone,” he says of his sister, “and whether that was because she didn’t know that she could, she didn’t know where those resources were, she didn’t know how to pay for them or she didn’t want to burden us by telling us she was having these problems – in and of itself is disheartening.”

So, Greg says people need to learn how to recognize the signs of suicidal ideation, be empowered to notify someone, and help direct themselves or others to professional assistance.

“I don’t want other people to have to go through what she obviously was going through and what we went through in the aftermath of feeling like we missed something.”

The next step, Greg says, includes communities creating a comfort level where people know to call a mental health www.dublinlifemagazine.com

provider, a hospital, the police department or someone who can navigate a crisis situation so a person doesn’t harm themselves.

Resilience through Resources As director of strategic partnerships and initiatives with Syntero for Franklin County, Susan notes her agency’s ongoing focus on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention (helping those affected by this crisis), as well as treatment within the Dublin community.

She teaches a lot about myths versus facts, and the biggest myth about suicide is that if you talk with someone about suicide, it will put the idea in their head.

“Talking about suicide actually has the opposite effect,” Susan says, noting that candidly addressing suicide can make people realize that if they can talk about it, then maybe there’s another way to deal with the concerns they’re having.

Susan also emphasizes connectedness and the importance of feeling united with others.

“We need to act as if everyone could benefit from that genuine, human connection, because they can. If it’s a simple ‘hello’ or holding the door open or a thoughtful card … whatever it might be, just that human connection is such a large importance.”

Mindfulness. Being mindful goes a long way. Susan says working to center yourself can help create good coping skills before you’re in crisis. She also encourages anyone who’s had suicidal ideation to have a conversation about life when things are going well in order to build those skills.

Helping others. Don’t offer to keep someone’s suicidal thoughts a secret, Susan advocates. If you have a concern about a person’s safety but don’t know how to talk to them directly, Susan says to reach out to someone else.

“You can say something, such as, ‘This is really important, and I want to make sure

you have the support you deserve. Can I go with you to talk to someone?’”

Reducing stigma. Practice saying the words: “Are you thinking about suicide?”

It’s not a comfortable thing to say, Susan notes, but it’s important to prepare yourself to be in the position to help others when necessary.

Finding Hope “One of the things that gives me hope that this gets better is there are more resources now available to people struggling with mental health than there were when I started in this profession,” Greg says of his 15 years in law enforcement. “I continue to see resources and opportunity [like well-trained professionals in Dublin] … that are available for folks to seek out, and that even starts at a young age with resources that are available within the school system.”

Dublin City Schools, through a partnership between Syntero and school counselors, provides Signs of Suicide, or the SOS program, aimed at educating young people about adolescent depression and how to notice changes in themselves or friends that could trigger suicidal ideation. This work has continued during the pandemic.

Susan says Dublin’s students give her hope because of their willingness to look out for one another, especially during a time of widespread isolation. Students are bringing light to a needed discussion and living out the City of Dublin’s value to be a thriving, connected community, she says.

“The Police Department and community is in a really neat and hopeful place to have those conversations, because it just takes starting it,” she says. “We just gotta talk about it.”

Rebecca Myers is a public information officer for the City of Dublin. Feedback welcome at rrmyers@dublin.oh.us

If you’re having thoughts of suicide, reach out to someone.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: Text “4HOPE” to 741-741 Learn more about services from Syntero at syntero.org. The Franklin County Suicide Prevention Coalition also offers local resources and training to help people who may be considering suicide. Visit franklincountyspc.org.

February/March 2021 • 15

in f o c u s

by Mallor y Ar nold

From Dancing Shoes to Hiking Boots Irish dancer-turned-thrill seeker

Like many Dublin kids, Sara Sarafa was inspired to begin Irish dancing after going to the Dublin Irish Festival when she was 7. She developed a passion for performing, dedicating six days a week to training all the way up until her final performance at the end of her senior year of high school at Dublin Jerome.

Sarafa credits Irish dancing for her everyday perseverance and determination.

“I feel like that’s where my value of work ethic came from,” she says. “The instructors teach you respect and how to work hard on things. I owe a lot to them.”

Sarafa had no idea that one day she’d trade her dancing shoes in for hiking boots and scale the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. She laughs when reflecting that she used to spend hours getting her hair and makeup ready for dance performances, but years later, during her climb up the mountain, she didn’t shower for a week. But hygiene aside, surprisingly, Sarafa finds many similarities between the two passions.

“I really enjoyed the aspect of dance being individualistic but also working as a team,” she says. “Climbing the mountain was sort of the same thing because you go with a team to get to the top. It’s the same camaraderie I had growing up.”

16 • February/March 2021

All those years being attentive to footwork helped with climbing, too.

“While I was climbing, I focused on making deliberate steps one after the other,” Sarafa says, “and while I’m not pointing my toes all the way up the summit, I’m constantly thinking about what my feet are doing every step of the way.”

Good Morning, Let’s Climb a Mountain For most people, merely the conversation of taking on a record-breaking mountain might sound both terrifying and daunting. But for Sarafa, it was just another phone call from her brother David Sarafa in 2019.

“I had been in kind of a slump looking for something else to get up and do,” she says. “Since dancing ended, I really hadn’t found a new hobby.”

David called her one morning to announce he was going to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in three months and asked if she would like to go with him.

Sarafa jumped on the opportunity.

Sarafa says to prepare for the climb, a lot of people will go to lower-level mountains to practice. But since she lived in Michigan at the time, she used the StairMaster at the gym and wore hiking boots and a weighted backpack.

She and David weren’t alone, though, as both their spouses came along for the feat. Sarafa and her husband Daniel and David and his wife Kelly all attended Dublin Jerome and were high school sweethearts. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

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February/March 2021 • 17

believes hers were something along the lines of, “Holy crap, I made it.”

As romantic as that is, the climb wasn’t just a sweet couple’s getaway. There were difficult parts of the journey, summit night being one of them. The climbers are directed to go to bed around 7 p.m. to wake up at 11 p.m. and climb for 14 hours straight, 4,000 feet up.

“It’s pitch black, you’re climbing over boulders and it’s the arctic,” she says. “But of course, the most amazing part is getting up to the summit.”

Sarafa jokes that a lot of people assume when you get to the top you have this existential, worldly first words, but she

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Bringing Others Along Although beautiful, the area around Mount Kilimanjaro is impoverished. Sarafa works with the same group guides and has established relationships with the locals, some of whom rely heavily on tourism for income. This year with COVID-19, only a fraction of climbers visited the mountain.

“One of our regular guides told us that without our help, he wouldn’t be able to feed his family this year,” she says.

“Also, a lot of people who climb with us will help out with local charities and visit schools in the surrounding area.”

Sarafa speaks warmly of the coffee plantations, the Serengeti and especially the people.

“They’re so warm and welcoming,” she says. “Getting to know the people is one of the best parts of the experience. At night, after a day of climbing the mountain, we’d play checkers and cards and stay up way too late.”

The experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was so life-changing that Sarafa and David didn’t want the journey to end, so they developed their own tour company called Kopa Tours.

“We wanted other people to come experience this, too,” she says.

Although no one else from Dublin has been up the mountain yet, Sarafa is determined to get her loved ones there. She believes that everyone should learn how to push themselves and reap the benefits of putting in the hard work.

“You feel this elated sense when you reach the top,” she says. “You feel like you can do anything.”

It’s In Her Dublin DNA No matter how far away Sarafa travels, she credits Dublin for the person she has become today.

“I had so many role models throughout my Dublin life who led me down this path,” she says. “Being in Africa and listening to our guide about the things that are difficult for them; his kids take a two-hour bus to get to school. We’re so thankful we grew up in Dublin. It taught us what support means.”

Sarafa remembers that even her high school teacher taught her what community means through helping her get her very first job at Five Guys. It was as simple as www.dublinlifemagazine.com

him believing she was a good student and wanting to help in any way he could.

“The support system makes you feel like a family and you don’t see that everywhere in the world,” she says, “and now we’re the ones that get to provide people the support to go on this journey.”

And speaking of journeys, Sarafa’s journey doesn’t stop here. Her next dream is to bring Kopa Tours to all of

the Seven Summits, a collection of the highest mountains from each of the seven continents.

If Sarafa’s story can tell us anything, it’s that you can only go up from here.

She shows us that altitude – sorry, attitude – is everything.

Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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February/March 2021 • 19

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20 • February/March 2021

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ARTifacts: Created at Home Dublin Arts Council’s community exhibition showcases creative pandemic responses

By Janet Cooper Photos courtesy of Dublin Arts Council

The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of our lives. The way we work, communicate and stay connected looks very different now than it did a year ago. As the Dublin community has remained resilient, creativity has flourished. A new exhibition at Dublin Arts Council, ARTifacts: Created at Home, celebrates the many ways the community has responded to COVID-19, with an emphasis on art and wellness.

The exhibition will be on view March 9 through April 16, virtually at www.dublinarts.org/artifacts or by appointment at Dublin Arts Council, 7125 Riverside Dr. “We had already begun an initiative dedicated to nurturing creativity, wellness and connection, and quickly developed additional grassroots programs to engage the community in safe and meaningful ways of expression,” says Dublin Arts Council Executive Director David S. Guion.

Community projects included neighborhood arts festival displays, curbside concerts and a Plant Kindness rock garden, among others. The ARTifacts exhibition provides a look at both community and individual creativity before and during the pandemic.

Inside the Dublin Arts Council gallery Three connected interior spaces have been activated for the exhibition, including the North Gallery, where visitors will reflect on art and wellness activities that took place just prior to the pandemic. Highlights include photos of yoga classes with the public artwork Field of Corn with Osage Orange Trees during the artwork’s 25th anniversary

Participants take a yoga class during a pre-pandemic Art & Wellness event.

FACTS about ARTifacts artist Matthew Mohr Born: Columbus Raised: Hudson Residence: Dublin

Roles: Associate Professor, Columbus College of Art & Design Public artist and creator Husband, parent, dog guardian Engaged community member

Noted public artwork: As We Are Greater Columbus Convention Center 400 N. High St., Columbus Interactive “universal human head” sculpture; launched 2017 14 feet tall; 850,000-plus LED lights and 29 cameras

Inspired by the now-commonplace act of documenting our existence. Through the resulting portraits, individuals are acknowledged in a stature similar to traditional public monuments. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

Inspiring creations from the Plant Kindness rock garden at Dublin Arts Council.

February/March 2021 • 21

Artwork by Pat Carbone in the 6 ft. gallery public art and public health initiative.

celebration in September 2019, and poems created from community member prompts by Typewriter Rodeo during Dublin Arts Council’s FLOW event in October. Videos show guests prior to maskwearing guidance sharing food, movement and artmaking activities, and feature interviews with artists and community collaborators about the importance of art as a component of well-being. Who could have predicted what would come next?

As visitors move through the Dublin Arts Council sunporch with stunning views of the riverfront grounds and Scioto River, they experience a space that has been transformed by Dublin artist Matthew Mohr. Inspired by the pandemic’s disruption, the installation introduces solar-powered lightning sprites, mythical creatures deposited in our midst by a natural phenomenon. A future community art quest will provide interaction with the artworks and nature, prompting discovery, challenge, connection and delight.

The Main Gallery features community artifacts created during the pandemic, including artwork submitted by individuals, and a series of COVID-19 “bad hair limericks” facilitated by Dublin resident Cindy Gibbons who, at one time, had shared limericks with her mother, helping strengthen their relationship.

“Why not take a moment to play with words around a common experience?” says Gibbons. “Some were funny, some were political and some were sad, but whatever was submitted, it was important to play and reflect the moment.”

In addition to the limericks project, Gibbons created a sing-along with uplifting and spirited musical selections. Residents of her 55-plus community gathered virtually each morning for a week to sing or play along with Gibbons’ YouTube playlist. As a follow-up, Gibbons learned to 22 • February/March 2021

juggle, and in response to one of the limericks, was inspired to add purple highlights to her hair.

Other Main Gallery artifacts include six-foot gallery decals that were placed throughout downtown Dublin in a public art and public health project created in collaboration with Dublin Area Art League artists and Visit Dublin Ohio, as well as photos of Dublin student artist Cecilia Martyna’s celebrated We Can Do It!, a temporary chalk artwork inspired by World War II cultural icon Rosie the Riveter.

Outside the gallery Being ever mindful of health and safety protocols, the exhibition includes ample outdoor engagement opportunities.

Bubble tents installed on the Dublin Arts Council grounds house a variety of artistic responses from the community.

Installations include artistic interpretations from a variety of community collaborators such as first responders and service providers, as well as student artwork created in response to the pandemic.

One tent, activated by Erin Suman’s eighth grade art students from Davis Middle School, includes the tableau of a single desk, highlighting how adolescents are experiencing and exploring the world.

The artwork is highlighted by suspended imagery of daily life during the pandemic.

The tent is transformed into the image of a globe, representing individual connections to the world during the global health crisis.

Dublin Arts Council has also placed a wishing tree on the plaza near the building’s entrance. Visitors are encouraged to inscribe a biodegradable tag with their wishes for the coming months and either hang it on the tree or place private thoughts in a receptacle. The tree will later be planted on the Dublin Arts Council grounds with the wishes, to nurture, heal and grow, both literally and figuratively.

“The ARTifacts exhibition celebrates our remarkable community resiliency and the creativity that keeps us inspired, connected and moving forward toward a brighter future,” says Guion.

To learn more or schedule a gallery visit, please visit www.dublinarts.org/artifacts.

Janet Cooper is director of engagement, Dublin Arts Council.

The [Your Street Here] Arts Festivals featured neighborhood installations for walkers, joggers and drive-by viewing. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

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February/March 2021 • 23

Lead the Way to Success Two viewpoints for developing leadership

By Sanaya Attari

Strong leadership is the foundation of any successful business or organization. As Nab Kundu, the chief executive officer of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin affirms, an efficient leader is someone who communicates openly and reflects self-awareness into his or her everyday actions.

“To me, the qualities that make up a good leader are to demonstrate humility, take ownership of successes and failures, and hire people smarter than yourself,” Kundu says.

Kundu is thankful that Nobis Rehabilitation Partners provided him this once-in-acareer opportunity to be part of building a brand new state-ofthe-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

During the pandemic, Nab Kundu he has gained deeper insights into the U.S. health care system and has learned how to care for patients more effectively.

“COVID-19 has shown us how fragile we are as people. I have seen our health care workers step up over and over to ensure there is a safe environment for our patients and each other,” says Kundu. “The compassion seen by our workers has reaffirmed to me why we all chose to get into health care.”

24 • February/March 2021

Kundu says that Dublin has had so much to offer his family. In fact, many of his children’s best memories are tied to the community.

Tips to Success Believing that every individual has strengths, Kundu says that only while working together can they improve a hospital to reach the desired goals of excellent patient care.

“I once had a college mentor who told me to make a list of 10 things I wanted from a career, and simply find a career that fits my list,” says Kundu. “It was one of the best pieces of career advice I have ever gotten. I would also advise young people to work hard at whatever their current job is. The better you are at your current job, the more The Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital, located at likely the next big thing 3805 Emerald Pkwy., opened in January 2021 as will present itself. My last the first dedicated inpatient rehabilitation facility. piece of advice is to have patience and be resilient.”

Kundu firmly believes that a good leader has a culture of excellence in daily conversations to listen to their team and be open to change while holding accountable those who choose where possible. A good leader also reinforces to disrespect others in the workplace.

“To me, the qualities that make up a good leader are to demonstrate humility, take ownership of successes and failures, and hire people smarter than yourself.” www.dublinlifemagazine.com

In addition, here are some other qualities Kundu believes a good leader does each morning: 1Do your best to wake up with a positive attitude.

2Try to leave some of your personal stressors at the door when going to work.

3Make a list of items to accomplish for the day and rewrite the list every day before opening the computer in the morning.

4Get a solid night’s sleep, so you are refreshed as much as possible before work.

5Be easy to work with and be open to hearing different ideas.

Michael Devine of Michael Devine Counseling in Dublin says that there are a million leadership assessment tests that purport what a good leader is, but every job, company and person is different. In his experience, he has seen three behaviors that he believes are innate within most great leaders.

Devine describes a leader: 1“They possess what I call the ‘golden rule’ – which is they know how to be OK not being OK,” says Devine. “In business, things can change in an instant and great leaders will be able to acknowledge when things are not good and will choose a course of action that only serves the purpose of increasing the probability of success, ... even if that means the answer is to do nothing.”

2“They have the ability to admit when they are in the wrong and take responsibility for it,” says Devine. “When I do leadership development classes, I tell young leaders to embrace young employees who can admit their mistakes because if I know that an employee can admit something is their problem, then I have faith that they have the ability to make the changes that they need to.”

3“They are doers not planners,” Devine says of the third leadership characteristic. “Planners will say, ‘Hey, we need to do something about this next week,’ but when exactly is next week? Most of the time those things will fall through the cracks. A doer on the other hand will say, ‘We need to do something about this! Everybody take out your schedules and let’s put a day on the books and we are going to take care of it!’”

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Sanaya Attari is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

February/March 2021 • 25

Extending the Racket Student starts Dublin Tennis Outreach Program

By Brandon Klein

26 • February/March 2021

William Sun recalls traveling with his Dublin Coffman tennis team in his freshman year to compete. Sure, Coffman bested the opposing team and it was a great victory, but it was the conversation he had with the opposing team’s members after the match that stuck with him.

“They were really passionate about this sport,” Sun says.

Many of that school’s members told Sun they wished they started playing tennis at an earlier age. Most, if not all, started playing the sport in high school. It was for this reason that Sun, who started playing tennis in the fifth grade at the encouragement of a friend, decided to start a tennis outreach program in 2018. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

Tennis is an expensive sport and “It has been astonishing to see the while much of Dublin is fortunate, it growth that Dublin TOP has experiisn’t without families who experience enced. It is an absolute blessing to see financial barriers when it comes to the continual support of our wonderful their kids’ extracurriculars. communities that we serve. All Sun started the program at an in all, I am so grateful to see elementary school teaching more and more peers of mine seven students before lunch coming together to help with time four to five days a week. our organization in continuing But Sun knew he could reach to provide the best service posmore than the seven students he sible,” Sun says. started with, so he founded the The weekly lessons involve Dublin Tennis Outreach Pro- William Sun conditioning and drill sessions. gram, which caters to stu-dents Since the pandemic, the proin kindergarten through the fifth grade. gram has moved to virtual sessions.

The program has branches in Dublin, During the early days of those virtual Hilliard and Olentangy school areas, instructions, students had to mimic tenabout 600 student registrations and more nis swing motions without a racket from than 20 high school students that volun- their bedrooms or their back yard. Soon teer to instruct the lessons free of charge. after that, Sun’s program received some

To inquire about how to get involved in the program, contact dublintop2019@gmail.com.

www.dublinlifemagazine.com

February/March 2021 • 27

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grant funding to provide many of its students a child-sized racket and a foam ball to practice.

Now a high school senior, Sun says he’s focused on getting into college but hopes to continue playing tennis. When he leaves Dublin, the program will be run by high school student volunteers.

Gangadhar GS and Shwetha Shashidhar decided to enroll their son, Milan, in the tennis program and he was accepted after the pandemic began.

“For Milan, tennis has become his favorite game,” Shashidhar says.

Her son follows tennis players who’ve accomplished the Grand Slam – winning the major championships in Australia, France, England and the United States in the same calendar season – and he wants to play for his school and in international matches.

“He wants to learn and play the best shots of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal,” she says.

Milan practices tennis against a wall in his basement in the winter and outside with parents and friends in the summer.

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“Milan is very passionate about tennis and is getting most of the motivation from the DTOP classes,” Shashidhar says. “DTOP coaches are very committed, passionate and full of enthusiasm. They make it a fun learning experience. Especially during this pandemic time, having DTOP taking classes online is helping kids to maintain their fitness and also learn the game. They are truly spreading the love for tennis in kids.”

Brandon Klein is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com.

28 • February/March 2021

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A Booked Schedule Reading, writing and the pursuit of vocabulary words

By Mallory Arnold

Mary Jo Fresch provides edification to teachers and students across the country.

Edification, as she might define in one of her 20 education books published for teachers, is the process by which one gains greater understanding of something.

Fresch says learning vocabulary words is best when given context – so, there you have it. Fresch offers edification through her It’s Fresch’s job to think about learning knowledge of the education world and in a way most people don’t. For example, how best to reach kids through literacy. she says that spelling shouldn’t just be Fresch has lived in Dubabout memorizing a word. lin since 1988, although “You need to have some she took three years off to strategy,” she says. “Just live in Melbourne, Austramemorizing a word is like lia with her husband after memorizing a phone number he was transferred at work.

– you can memorize the They returned in 1995 sequence of letters, but you and have been in the same didn’t really learn the words.” house ever since.

Instead, she says, teachers As a retired professor of can associate a memThe Ohio State University for ory with a word the College of Education and Mary Jo Fresch so it will stick in Human Ecology, Fresch has kid’s minds. done her fair share of research and study“What we’re doing about how to best teach the youth of ing as teachers is to America. make the students Her 20 books include but are not more independent limited to vocabulary, spelling, picture in their reading and books and more. Her most recent work, writing,” Fresch says. “We can give Empowering Students’ Knowledge of Vo- them the strategies to do that.” cabulary, which she co-authored with A facet of learning that has changed David L. Harrison, will go to schools and in her years in education is the use of teachers across the country. nonfiction books. Fresch says schools are “I really love talking about words and getting implementing more nonfiction literature kids excited about the English language,” she into younger grades so they can learn to says. “The more words they know, the better it read while also getting facts about social is when they go to write and read.” studies and science.

30 • February/March 2021

Reading the Room Fresch, of course, is the biggest advocate of reading. She realizes all kids have different book preferences and encourages parents to find out what their child’s is.

Her own grandkids mimic Fresch’s love of literature and are always eager to talk shop when they see her.

“One grandson of mine is reading Charlotte’s Web,” she says, “and so, he and I were talking about how good it is. They know grandma loves reading.”

She says in any household, if a parent shows an interest in something, the kids will pick up on it. Because Fresch’s grandchildren know she values reading, they constantly are bringing her homemade books and showing off their storytelling skills.

“You don’t have to be an expert on reading and writing around children,” she says. “You just have to be excited about it.”

That being said, Statista’s 2019 study stating that 75 percent of U.S. adults read at least one book in the year is uplifting, as well as the fact that Americans spend around $110 per year on reading.

Fresch doesn’t downplay the increased use of online reading and knows that www.dublinlifemagazine.com

digital literacy has a lot of opportunities for readers to go in different directions.

“You can click on a word, and a picture or separate story might come up,” she says. “There’s an opportunity for more engagement.”

Passing on Passion Fresch was an avid reader as a child, the kind who stayed up late and hid underneath her covers with a flashlight with a pile of books. She says her parents were also big on literature, and she even still had some of her dad’s old books from the early ‘20s.

“You see the power if that,” she says. “If, as a child, you see an activity valued, then you’ll emulate it.”

Now here she is with a whole family of readers and 20 published books to her name. Fresch thought she might be done with book writing for a bit after her most recent project, although she still loves blogging and writing in her spare time.

However, she just received an email from her friend who prompted the idea of writing a book about partner reading and hopped right back into it.

“I’m always trying to unlock that passion for words and reading with students,” she says. “I’m interested in being part of that in any way I can.”

Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Top Picks It’s almost impossible for Fresch to recommend books for young to middle grade kids.

“I think you have to pick favorites based on who you’re recommending them to,” she says.

While she believes there is a canon of books every child should read, such as The One and Only Ivan and Charlotte’s Web, Fresch knows not all kids are going to like them.

“I’d hate to have kids reading something because we told them they have to,” she says. “If they are going to independently read, you have to let them lead the way.

There’s a better chance they’ll read if they have choice.” www.dublinlifemagazine.com

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Horticulturist Tim Fleischer, Deputy City Manager/Chief Operating Officer Megan O’Callaghan and Senior Planner Devayani Puranik are just three of the many City of Dublin employees who are Ohio State University alumni. They sported their school pride on the Dublin Link before the OSUAlabama National Championship game in January.

Colin Dacierno, 11, knows how to have a little fun while Recycling Right!

Plastic containers, such as yogurt cups and butter tubs, are now accepted through the Rumpke curbside recycling program. Learn more at RecycleRight.org.

#DubLifeMag Want your snapshots to appear in print? Tag your photos #DubLifeMag on Twitter and Instagram, and then send your high-resolution shots to Mallory Arnold at marnold@ cityscenemediagroup.com. Include your name and caption information.

32 • February/March 2021

Ocran, 5, and August, 7, make bird feeders using pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed, so that they could support the wildlife in their backyard.

Find more ideas for Winter Fun in Dublin at DublinOhioUSA.gov/winterfun-in-dublin Photo courtesy of Nell Foulke

www.dublinlifemagazine.com

Julie and Tony Keefer, and their furry friend, participated in the Hike for Hope on MLK Jr. Day.

Harper, 5, and Jaxon, 2, took the Hike for Hope together.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Glovac

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In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the City created a self-guided tour through M.L. ‘Red’ Trabue Nature Preserve for visitors to read Dr. King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

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Catherine, 13, reads a passage from Dr. King’s speech and enjoys the views on her Hike for Hope.

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February/March 2021 • 33

s tu d e nt s pot l i ght

by Sarah Robinson

So You Want to Be a Medical Student

The ins and outs of what it takes to apply to med school Everybody knows that medical school is no joke, but the application process itself is almost as strenuous as the four-plus years of study.

“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl, but even I was a little daunted by the MCAT and the application process,” says Calsey Graham, 2016 graduate of Dublin Jerome High School and current med school applicant. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

If you’ve got an aspiring anesthesiologist, a potential pediatrician or soon-to-be surgeon at home, or if you’re just curious

about the process, Dublin Life Magazine has you covered with the top tips, tricks and insider knowledge for the medical school application process.

Pre-med preparation Before starting on medical school applications, typically during a student’s junior and senior years of undergraduate study, there are some important boxes to check. The biggest piece of advice all college freshmen receive is, “Get involved!”

Nothing is truer for med school applicants.

“Any student that’s thinking about pursuing medicine in the future should plan out their four years of college in advance,” says Graham. “Since there

Graham’s dog Sage reports MCAT studying materials are “ruff” 34 • February/March 2021

are so many different categories of involvement medical schools are looking for, like volunteering in both clinical and non-clinical settings, research, shadowing, leadership, etc., you have to make sure you can fit it all in.”

Assistant Director of Admissions & Outreach for the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic MedicineDublin (OU-HCOM) Terry Porter says in addition to academic metrics and the MCAT, there are many other aspects of a student’s application that can stand out.

“We also strongly consider each candidate’s extracurricular activities, health care experiences, community volunteering hours, research exposure, leadership opportunities and why they want to practice medicine,” Porter says. “We look at all facets of the candidate through a holistic evaluation.”

It’s important for med school hopefuls to seek opportunities where they can develop skills relevant to their future, but also to get involved in things they genuinely enjoy.

“My biggest advice is to not worry about trying to be the ideal pre-med student, but to find something that you’re truly passionate about,” says Graham. “For me, since dogs have been a huge part of my life, one of my involvements on campus was raising two service dogs with 4 Paws for Ability at Ohio State.”

Of course, one of the most important and well-known aspects of a medical school application is the formidable MCAT exam. Just like the SAT or ACT, when applying for your undergraduate education, each individual medical school has a range of scores they tend to accept. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

Graham used a ton of resources to prepare for the MCAT. She studied more than 1,800 MCAT practice questions and read more than 325 MCAT practice passages.

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February/March 2021 • 35

“Plan, plan and plan,” Porter says.

“Students who most successfully completed the MCAT will probably tell you they gave themselves several months to create and follow a plan of study.”

He also explains that there are many study resources available and recommends candidates try all of them to find the right means of studying to match their style of learning.

“Talk to students who have completed the MCAT to see what they did to be successful and practice self-care throughout the experience,” he says. “It’s important to build in time to de-stress and re-energize.”

Unlike some standardized tests that students take in high school like the ACT and the SAT, the MCAT is definitely not a test to take blindly the first time to get a benchmark. Not only is the test more than eight hours long, it can cost upward of $300 each time.

“Usually, you want to study around four to six months for the MCAT, too,” adds Graham. “It’s divided into four sections, but it tests you on biochemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, biology, physics, psychology, sociology and reading, so there’s a lot of material to cover.”

After carefully mapping out a four-year undergraduate plan and systematically

Graham trained two dogs for 4 Paws for Ability, Frasier and Murrell. Here she is with Murrell before his doggy graduation.

To MD or not to MD?

ally western approach, whereas a DO’s education may focus more closely on holistic and preventative care. According to the American Medical Association, DOs work for around 200 additional hours of hands-on training with the musculoskeletal system.

Porter says that while it’s a good idea to have direction when first coming into school, it’s not necessary to know exactly which you field you want to go into.

“A student may have a strong idea of the area of medicine they want to practice

when applying,” he says, “but that can easily change during their journey through medical school.”

Both MDs and DOs are licensed practitioners of medicine, can practice medicine and prescribe medication in all 50 states and may follow any route of specialization from general practice to surgery.

Medical school hopefuls can shadow both MDs and DOs to get an inside look at each type of physician and figure out which route is best for them.

Your future physician has their choice of two similar and medical board-certified degrees – DO, or doctor of osteopathic medicine, and MD, or doctor of medicine. Whether you’re a DO or MD depends on the medical school you attend, but either degree can set you on a path toward whichever specialization you’d like.

So, what’s the difference?

The difference is rooted in educational philosophy. Think of an MD as a more tradition-

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studying for the MCAT on top of a rigorous course of study, it’s finally time to dive into the application process itself.

Application 101 The medical school application process is unlike an undergraduate college application. For starters, the average medical school applicant in 2020 applied to 17 schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

“I applied to 25 med schools, which is a lot, but I wanted to make sure I got in somewhere,” Graham says, laughing.

“My criteria when looking at schools was distance from home and average MCAT scores. I applied to a range of schools, where I would be in the lower tier, middle tier and upper tier of applicant.”

After selecting the schools to apply to, it’s time for the swath of supplemental essays and personal statements. Each school has at least one but often times more than three essays required. If you do the math, that’s anywhere from 16 to 48 essays for the average medical school applicant.

“I wrote more than 100 essays. Some of them were only one or two paragraphs long, but some had to be longer. One school actually required nine supplemental essays,” says Graham. “Practically every school had a prompt about COVID this year. Many schools had essays about diversity, resilience, specific reasons you’re interested in that school and whatever else they want to know about you.”

“The applications that stand out to me are from candidates who have aligned with a service philosophy,” Porter says.

“Also, I am always amazed by the many examples of perseverance I see from our candidates, from overcoming challenging life situations to being engaged in so many great experiences all while completing the rigorous courses needed to prepare for medical school.”

Finally, once essays are written and turned in, the waiting game begins.

First, applicants need to make it to the interview stage before they can receive an acceptance, and each school functions on a different timeline.

“I turned in all of my application materials in August, had my first interview in November and got my first acceptance in December,” says Graham, “but I still have a few more interviews scheduled for after winter break, so my journey is not over yet!”

All schools may be looking for different things in an applicant’s interview, but Porter speaks for OU-HCOM. “We are looking to see if the candidate is authentic,” he says. “We are looking to www.dublinlifemagazine.com

see if there a good fit between our college and the student and are looking to see if the candidate represents the values we have here.”

He notes that by the time an applicant reaches the interview stage, the admissions team is fairly confident that he or she is able to be academically successful, thus it’s really about the qualities needed to be a good fit.

Once an interview takes place, a medical school applicant’s chances of acceptance soar. But if they don’t get a call in the winter, there’s still hope.

Due to the high volume of applicants at each school, there are very active waitlists, so as soon as those with acceptances accept or deny their offer, those waitlisted get another shot. Students are sometimes even admitted into a program mere days before the term begins.

The best feeling of all, though, is getting an acceptance letter.

“It’s very surreal,” says Graham. “All my hard work and dedication has finally paid off.”

Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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du b l i n d i s h es

by Mallor y Ar nold

It’s All Greek to Me Genuine Greek recipes from a Dublin kitchen Dublin resident and owner of Trusty & Company Claudia Trusty says cooking and eating is ingrained into her family.

She’s half Greek and half Italian – both sets of her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. – so there are tons of traditions and recipes passed down.

Trusty says her grandparents lived right next door when she was growing up and they, along with her parents, were in the restaurant business together.

“I will say,” Trusty says, “Greek cuisine is laborious. Greeks are known for spending hours making delicious food.”

The recipes on the right, while still just as yummy, don’t require strenuous hours.

38 • February/March 2021

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Recipes courtesy of Claudia Trusty

Chicken Soup with Avgolemono (Lemon Sauce) Chicken Soup • 1 roasting chicken, 3-4 lbs.

• 6 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred • 1 cup raw orzo or rice • Salt to taste

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Put chicken in large pot with chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove and set aside chicken and keep it warm. Strain broth, removing as much fat as possible. Put broth back in the pot and add orzo (or rice), bring to a boil then simmer until orzo is tender, about 15 minutes.

While broth is cooking, remove skin from chicken and slice meat.

Avgolemono Sauce • 2 eggs • 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice In a blender add eggs with lemon juice and blend well. With the blender running, add 2-3 cups of hot, strained broth.

When thoroughly blended, add the avgolemono sauce to the broth, stirring until broth has thickened. Add sliced chicken to the broth.

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Stir and serve.

Cocktail Meatballs Keftedakia Yields: 1 ½ -2 dozen • 1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey) • ½ cup grated onion • 1 tbsp. minced garlic • ¼ tsp. dried oregano • 1⁄8 tsp. dried mint • 1-2 slices white or wheat bread • ½ cup dry white wine or water • 1 egg • Flour for rolling • Butter for frying Mix meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and mint. Remove crust from bread then moisten the bread with wine or water.

Add bread to meat mixture and knead until bread is well incorporated. Roll into 1-inch meatballs.

Melt butter in a medium pan until it is hot enough to fry. Add flour to a shallow bowl or plate, roll meatballs in flour to cover.

Fry meatballs in butter, turning them to make sure they are browned on all sides.

Keftedakia can be served warm or at room temperature. www.dublinlifemagazine.com

February/March 2021 • 39

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February/March 2021 • 41

wr it e n e x t d oor with columnist Colleen D’Angelo

Let’s Choco ’Bout It

The ultimate dark chocolate and red wine taste test Valentine’s Day is around the corner, which makes me think of love, roses, chocolates and red wine. We know that love and sweet-smelling flowers are good for us, but what about the wine and chocolate? Well, there is good news and bad news. Let’s begin with the positive.

Chocolate comes from the cacao plant, which contains high levels of minerals and antioxidants. Cacao is full of flavanols, the chemical compounds found in many vegetables and fruits that have health benefits, notably for heart health.

Flavanols help produce nitric oxide which helps blood vessels to relax and blood pressure to lower. Improvements have also been found in brain health, especially the regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory.

Now to ruin the fun. Although cocoa flavanols look promising for reducing the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular events, the cocoa supplement and multivitamin Outcomes study (COSMOS) makes no conclusive link between cocoa and a decreased risk of clinical heart attacks. Even if dark chocolate contains important minerals like iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, there are only very small amounts of these minerals in dark chocolate compared to other foods.

It is also important to note that chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar. Still, dark chocolate, which has

larger amounts of cacao and less sugar, is a better choice than milk chocolate. When choosing a healthy dark chocolate for eating, there are many qualities to look for on the label. You will want a high cacao content and a low sugar content, with no added flavors or preservatives. Check for a bar that is at least 70 percent dark chocolate and organic is best as the cacao plant is grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Okay, now onto the red wine theories.

According to the Mayo Clinic, red wine in moderation has long been thought to be heart healthy. Links between red wine and a reduced risk of heart attacks aren’t completely understood but the antioxidants in red wine may increase levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.

Polyphenols are an antioxidant in red wine that may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. A polyphenol called resveratrol might also help prevent damage to blood vessels, prevent blood clots and reduce LDL, the bad cholesterol.

More research is needed on resveratrol however, as studies are mixed on whether it actually lowers the risk of inflammation and blood clotting. Doctors also do not recommend that you start drinking alcohol for heart benefits, as the risks of drinking can outweigh the benefits. For now, moderation is key with red wine, and dark chocolate should be considered a treat or small indulgence where you enjoy every morsel.

In the name of research and unbiased journalism, our family conducted a red wine and dark chocolate taste test. I

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”

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picked out a large variety of dark chocolates from Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffee in Old Dublin, Anthony-Thomas Retail Shoppe on Bridge Street and Kilwins in Bridge Park. Then I visited Chateau Wine & Spirits on Sawmill Road and selected three wines in different price categories that would pair well with dessert. Our tasting instructions were to take

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a sip of wine, swallow, then take a bite of chocolate, and when it is almost dissolved in your mouth, take another sip of wine.

Our family began with a 2017 Kendall Jackson, Vintner’s Reserve, Red Wine Blend, which cost around $15. We tried it with four different kinds of AnthonyThomas dark chocolates: a nougat center, raisin interior, pineapple center and honeycomb covered. Overall, we were surprised to enjoy the pineapple and honeycomb the best when consumed with the wine. The raisin was OK and the nougat was great on its own but turned bitter with the red wine.

Best review for this round: “The honeycomb did cartwheels in my mouth!”

Next, we opened a bottle of 2017 Sexual Chocolate, a California blend that cost about $25. We paired this wine with three distinct chocolates from Winans: a salty caramel, a double dark chocolate and a coffee center with espresso bean on top.

The double dark made the wine taste bitter on the back of the tongue, the caramel was pretty yummy, but the coffee was the most amazing thing in the world! We were all surprised by how awesome it mixed with the wine and gave it a 10 out of 10.

Top review: “Coffee-chocolate baby, you make my taste buds twerk!”

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Next was the 20 year old Taylor Fladgate Port at $60 per bottle. The Tawny Porto was aged 20 years in a wood barrel and tasted sweet. We combined it with Kilwins almond cluster, peppermint center and pecan-caramel turtle. We aren’t huge port fans but mixing it with the chocolates was very interesting and made the port smoother. We expected the peppermint to go poorly but it surprised us and complemented the wine. Still, the biggest winners were the almond and the pecan/ caramel which were perfect with the port.

Best review: “This turtle/port combo is giving my mouth a hug.”

I can’t promise that our red wine/dark chocolate research was very scientific, but it was a very fun night that I can highly recommend. I guess we will need to conduct further studies in the coming months with greater sample sizes for more accurate information. Happy Valentine’s Day! Colleen D’Angelo is a freelance writer who lives in Dublin with her husband, three children and several small animals.

She enjoys playing tennis, walking the Dublin bike paths and traveling.

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Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All

By Martha S. Jones

Do Nothing: How to Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving

By Celeste Headlee

Vanguard recalls the many women who fought for equal rights during the suffrage movement, but urges the reader to notice the hidden Black voices within the movement.

In an ever-changing world that places value on productivity, people are working more than living and experiencing more stress and anxiety with every step.

Journalist Celeste Headlee posits that the key to slowing down and finding peace lies in embracing creativity, the foundational component of being human.

A History of My Brief Body

By Billy-Ray Belcourt A History of My Brief Body explores a rich life crafted by a broken world, colonial violence and deep explorations of the body and mind. Belcourt revisits elements of his early life and formative years by opening with a letter to his kokum (grandmother).

Hailing from the Driftpile First Nation in Alberta, Belcourt goes on to meditate on the roles of gender, anger and shame in his life. Poetic and heartbreaking, Belcourt illustrates the power of language in this devastating and consoling reflection about life, sexuality and the human experience.

The Guest List

By Lucy Foley On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one.

It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity. But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. When someone turns up dead, the question arises: Who didn’t wish the happy couple well?

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Dublin Life Book Club Selection Editor’s note: To be added to the Dublin Life Book Club mailing list and for more information, email Mallory Arnold at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com. Due to recent health concerns, the next Dublin Life Book Club meeting will be virtual. The next Zoom meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.

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