The
ENDEAVOR
Newsletter of the Oklahoma City University Honors Program
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Director’s Corner
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Welcome, Class of 2022!
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Student Spotlight
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Honors Students in TEXAS Outdoor Musical Drama
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Honors Alumni Feature
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NCHC 2018
Pictured: Gold Star Building, home of the OCU Honors Program
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Fall 2018
Director’s Corner elcome to the fall 2018 edition of The Endeavor, the semi-annual newsletter of the Oklahoma City University Honors Program. Thanks for taking time to catch up with us and learn about recent activities and developments within the program. We hope this is a place where the entire OCU honors community--current students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the program--can connect and reconnect on a regular basis. In the pages ahead you’ll meet our new freshmen cohort who arrived on campus in August and get to know some of our upperclassmen a little better through our student spotlights. We also take time in this issue to profile Honors Program alumni who have returned to campus in full-time positions with the university. These three alums, who work in Religious Life and the Meinders School of Business, reflect on their time in the program within three different decades and the impact the honors experience has had on their broader intellectual and vocational lives. We also currently have honors alums working as full-time employees in Career Services, Admissions, and the School of Theatre. As I write this welcome, our group has just returned from a successful trip to Boston for the National Collegiate Honors Council’s (NCHC) annual conference. This year’s meeting was one of the best ever, with students participating in downtown City as Text activities, presenting original research, moderating sessions, hearing from plenary speakers like poet and activist Nikki Giovanni--all in the context of a glorious New England fall weekend. Thanks again for checking in, and we hope you stay in touch!
Karen Youmans, Ph.D. Honors Program Director
STAY CONNECTED ocuhonors 2
@ocuhonors
Welcome, Class of 2022! This past August, the honors program welcomed 44 new students representing a diverse array of majors and hometowns. The class of 2022 moved into school a week early to participate in honors orientation, which was planned and facilitated by a group of honors peer mentors. This is the third year of the honors peer mentoring program, and it has continued to be a huge success. This year, honors orientation consisted of informational sessions, a campus scavenger hunt, and team-building at Escape OKC. Thank you to the peer mentors for planning such a successful orientation. Everyone in the Honors Program is excited to get to know the freshman class and wishes them a great first year!
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Student Spotlight: Tammy Phillips
Tammy Phillips Tammy is a senior cell & molecular biology major and chemistry minor from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is an active member of the campus committee and currently serves as Vice President of the Honors Student Council, Student Court Justice, and is an honors peer mentor and member of the Student Conduct Board. You were recently named a 2018 NextGen Under 30 winner. Can you tell me a little bit about this recognition and what you did to achieve it? NextGen Under 30 recognizes the next generation of Oklahoma’s most innovative, creative, and inspiring individuals who demonstrate talent, drive, and service to their communities. It was awarded to 267 of the state’s 4
best and brightest, which is why I was so surprised and humbled to have received it. Many of the other winners that I’ve met were so incredibly successful that it was hard to believe that I had been given the same award. I think I’m one of the youngest people to have received the award (I’m 21). The program has been going on for seven years now, and it’s geared toward encouraging young leaders to stay in and help improve Oklahoma. I was anonymously nominated to compete for this award in the Healthcare category. After being nominated, I was asked to apply for the award and give more information about myself and my community service efforts/future goals. There were over 1,000 applications this year. In my application, I talked about volunteering at the food bank, Mobile Meals, a local free clinic, and fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I also shared some of my life experiences that have inspired me to pursue a career as a physician and dedicating my life in service to others. It’s nice to receive recognition, but these were all things I was just doing and never really knew anyone was paying attention. Let that be a lesson to always do good, and good will come to you whether you expect it or not! I’m very grateful that someone saw something in me that they felt was impressive enough to
have nominated me for this prestigious award. How has the Honors Program contributed to your success? The Honors Program has allowed me to more deeply explore different topics that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. The classes I’ve taken through the Honors Program have encouraged me to be more assertive in group discussions, giving me confidence to express what I think to others. I have also gained invaluable leadership experience and been able to attend enriching conferences throughout the state and the country. I am heavily indebted to the Honors Program for pushing me to be a critical thinker and lifelong learner, both traits that will no doubt continue to help me in my future endeavors. What is your favorite honors memory? My favorite honors memory is the honors graduation dinner last year. It was such a fun night of camaraderie between the students and faculty, and I really enjoyed the great conversation and company. The food was also delicious!
Student Spotlight What are your plans postgraduation? I am currently in the process of applying to medical school, so hopefully I will be on my way to becoming a doctor after I finish undergrad at OCU. After medical school, I’m thinking that I’d like to pursue a surgical specialty in orthopedics. But who knows, there’s a lot of time between now and then. Fun fact though, orthopedic surgery has the lowest representation of females, so I’m excited to potentially contribute to breaking down that barrier. At some point, I plan on earning my MPH and maybe one day opening up a physicianowned hospital. Big dream, I know, but they say shoot for the moon, right? Looking back on your experiences, what advice would you give to your freshman year self? Some advice I would give to my freshman year self is just to work hard in silence, let success be your noise. Try your best, be humble and gracious, and know that happiness is a choice. No one can take your happiness away from you if you don’t let them. Life surprises you, not all in good ways, but you always have the power to choose to be happy despite any setbacks just by deciding to be.
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Honors Students in TEXAS! The Outdoor Musical
TEXAS! Outdoor Musical first opened in 1960 at the Pioneer Ampitheater in the heart of the Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo, Texas. The family-friendly show takes the audience on a musical journey through Texas history filled with laughter and romance. The music, dancing, live animals, and spectacular special effects have made the show a national sensation. Each summer, the cast of the show is filled with OCU students. This past summer, six OCU honors students were a part of the ensemble cast, along with several other OCU music & dance students. Honors members of the dance ensemble included Claire Engelhaupt, dance universal sophomore, Kathryn King, dance performance junior, and George Pyle and Austin Watkins, dance management juniors. Caroline Hawthorne, acting senior, was a member of the chorus, and Emily Haan, dance management junior, was Wardrobe Supervisor. We sat down with a few honors cast members to learn more about their experiences. To learn more about TEXAS! and find out about upcoming auditions, check out their website at https://texas-show.com
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Honors Students in TEXAS Outdoor Musical Drama How did you hear about TEXAS! and what inspired you to audition for it? Claire Engelhaupt: I heard about TEXAS! through upperclassman who have auditioned/worked with them in previous years. Emily Haan: The summer after my senior year of high school, one of my friends who was majoring in dance at OCU at the time performed in their summer season. When I added TEXAS! to my list of potential employers freshman year, I felt I would have the strongest chance of receiving a contract if I applied for wardrobe, as this was the department in which I had the most experience. Also, as someone nearly six feet tall, I towered over all of their other performers, and thought this might inhibit me from becoming employed. I accepted an offer, and was promoted to Wardrobe Supervisor this past summer. Austin Watkins: I found out about TEXAS from fellow classmates who’ve done it in the past, and I know some people do it as a good first professional job, so I gave it a shot. What was your favorite memory from this past summer? Claire: My favorite memory from TEXAS was our closing night performance. Over the course of the summer we had our fair share of performing in the rain, since it is an outdoor theatre and the weather in the Texas Panhandle can change in an instant. During the patriotic tribute of the closing show, it had poured rain unlike we had seen all season. There was no more fitting way to close out the summer. We were splashing in puddles on stage and were absolutely soaked, but the energy between the cast on stage and the audience was absolutely electric. Emily: I very much enjoyed watching my team succeed. It was gratifying to give them different challenges and watch them overcome! It was cool to see their work on stage and know how much effort had been put into making things happen. Austin: My favorite memory from this past summer would probably have to be when the dancers would get notes after our 10-minute overture every show. We’d all meet by the benches outside and would be trying our hardest to catch our breath and it was just fun to see everyone doing their best and being SO out of breath because we always wanted to give the best show ever. What was the most challenging part of being a cast member in this particular show? Emily: As a supervisor, it was my responsibility to oversee everything related to costumes, including maintenance, laundry, building, inventory, policy, etc. It was difficult to manage all of the different responsibilities, but my team and I were able to accomplish a lot! Austin: The most challenging part of being a cast member in this show was definitely balancing my sleep schedule with my work schedule. Our calls weren’t until 4:30 for an 8:30 show that would get done around 11 and then we’d have to drive home from the theater and shower and eat dinner, and that would be around 12:30 or later before we’d get to sleep, just to wake up the next day with enough time to get errands done and do other duties before our call time.
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TEXAS Outdoor Musical How do you feel that OCU has prepared you for professional work, whether in the music school, theatre school, and/or dance school? Emily: The curriculum-specific skills, such as project management and sewing techniques, aided me in assessing, organizing, and completing tasks. However, OCU’s culture of professionalism helped me in my relationships with coworkers and dealing with policy issues. Austin: The dance school at OCU has definitely prepared me for my first professional job by having me be professional, always presenting myself the way I want to be perceived, being on time to everything, and learning how to work under a deadline, but put forth my best within that time limit. OCU has one of the only (if not THE only) honors programs in the nation with such a large cohort of performers. How has your honors experience helped you further your study of your craft? Claire: My honors experience at OCU has taught me to always keep an open mind and interest in learning new things. Of the honors courses I have taken thus far, I have been challenged to learn in subject matters that may have not been as familiar. It is this passion for gaining more knowledge that was also utilized this summer. While working at TEXAS!, I was able to learn much more about the technical theatre aspects of the production. We worked very closely with our wardrobe and technical teams, so there were many opportunities to learn about other aspects of the show than just the dancing and performing that I did onstage. Emily: Being an honors student has helped improve my analytical abilities and my understanding of multicultural issues pertaining to creating a beneficial work place. Austin: Being an honors student, I’ve had classes with smaller amounts of students, so I’ve been able to engage more in discussions and listen to people’s differing views on various topics. Honors has also taught me a lot about myself and the work I put forth. Honors has pushed me as a student, which definitely helped me this past summer as a professional dancer. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Emily: Being able to apply the lessons learned in my degree program to a professional setting has helped me to grow in my career as an arts manager. Austin: The administrative/management staff at TEXAS! is fully aware of the products of OCU. It’s so nice to see that people in the “real world” are aware of our little school and the success we have. It wasn’t until I was in the “real world” that I was fully aware of the impact OCU has on the entertainment industry. Students at OCU should be aware of this and should also know that being an OCU student or graduate comes with an expectation of maturity and professionalism that the people in the “real world” have of us. It’s very heartwarming that our school does so much to prepare us for this world, and that the work we put into it is NOT going unnoticed by those hiring.
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Honors Spotlight OCU Honors Alumni Feature
Addison Witzel
Charles Neff
Elizabeth Horton-Ware
This semester’s alumni spotlight features three OCU Honors Program graduates who now work full-time at the university: Elizabeth Horton-Ware, Director of Religious Life BA Religion 2004 Charles Neff, Vice President for University-Church Relations & Dean of the Chapel BA Religion 1999 Addison Witzel, Undergraduate Business Advisor BBA Marketing 2014 What is your favorite honors-related memory OR what was your favorite part about being in the Honors Program? Elizabeth: I attended the National Honors Conference in Chicago. We stayed at the Palmer House, a historic hotel in downtown Chicago. We were split into groups to travel to different neighborhoods that were populated by specific cultural groups and learned about their history and unique characteristics. We had some time to explore in our own student groups. And of course, sharing a poster about a topic I was passionate about was a specific educational highlight. Dr. Neff: I’m not sure if they still do this, but in the ‘90s, honors classes were weighted .25 points higher than regular classes. It was a great boost to the GPA! Addison: My favorite part of being in the Honors Program was the community. From the first day of Honors Move-In to the Senior Honors Dinner, I felt that I was welcomed and supported. How has your honors experience impacted your career? Elizabeth: The honors program encouraged me to continue to be studious, and this has impacted how I pull together study for my profession (Bible, theology, practice of faith). I am always trying to learn something new and find how it can benefit those I work with. 9
Honors Spotlight Dr. Neff: Taking challenging, honors-level courses in college prepared me well for graduate school and life beyond. While many peers struggled in seminary to write papers, my experience at OCU had given me everything I needed to succeed in the classroom. Because of this, I was easily able to balance classwork and work outside the classroom as a student pastor, which in turn provided invaluable practical experience in my chosen career field and helped put me on the fast track to where I am today. Addison: The Honors Program significantly impacted my career. I began researching Higher Education Administration/Student Affairs graduate programs after Dr. Virginia McCombs and Dr. Regina Bennett (former directors) suggested that I consider a career in Student Affairs. We were at the NCHC Conference in Boston at the time and I found myself being drawn to the conference sessions that were intended for faculty and directors as opposed to students. Coincidently, I ended up at Boston College to earn my M.A. in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs. How has the honors program changed since you were an undergraduate student? Elizabeth: I am amazed by the space in Gold Star Building. I can imagine myself meeting with my honor student peers for study groups and to work on projects. It is a great addition for the program. Dr. Neff: When I was a student there was no honors hall or honors housing. We all had classes together, but our interaction was limited outside of class to the groups we were a part of. Today’s honors students have a lot more opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and fellowship, which I think makes their experience even richer. Addison: The largest change I can see is in the physical space that Honors students have—with the addition of the space in the Gold Star Building. Securing this space was something I worked on when I was a student, so it was fun to see that come to fruition. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Elizabeth: I may also tell my undergraduate self to spend more time at The Wesley Center or participating in Religious Life activities…(Ha!). The reality is that a healthy spiritual practice will help your studies. I hope I can be of help to all students with this component, even Honors Students. Dr. Neff: I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to come back and work at my alma mater. It has been fun having a different kind of relationship with the professors I had 20 years ago as a student and to reconnect with some of my classmates that are on staff here, too. It has also been great to have the opportunity to give back to the place that helped to shape me and to be a part of helping to shape the lives of the students who are here now.
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NCHC 2018 This past November, the 53rd annual National Collegiate Honors Council Conference was held in Boston, Massachusetts. The theme of this year’s conference was “Learning to Transgress.” Nikki Giovanni, one of the foremost poets and chroniclers of the African American experience, was this year’s plenary speaker. Abbey Renner, biomedical science senior, presented her poster, “Bacteriophage: A Potential Replacement for Antibiotics.” Sammi Bronow, economics senior, Lucas Freeman, history/political science junior, Emily Haan, dance management junior, and Vladislav Izda, cell & molecular biology junior, served as student moderators for a variety of different panels and presentations. Dr. Karen Youmans, honors program director, served on a panel, “Making Space for LGBTQ Students at Faith-Based Colleges and Universities,” which explored the ways in which faith-based colleges and universities can become more welcoming to LGBTQ students, creating spaces where they can thrive. Dr. Erik Heine, honors program assistant director, served on a panel, “‘Semi-Woke’ Honors Administrators & Faculty Mentoring ‘Semi-Woke’ Students.” The focus of this panel was discovering ways for faculty to make vulnerable student populations feel safer in honors when they themselves may have only partial understanding of the challenges their students face in modern America. The panelists also led a discussion about empathy, and how teachers can best help students who are not “woke” discover greater empathy with their fellow students. All five students participated in the NCHC City as Text program, a half-day session in which students explore different areas of the conference city to learn about local culture. This year, students got the chance to visit numerous parts of Boston, including the Boston Commons, the Boston Public Garden, the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, Newbury Street, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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