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DO SOMETHING GREAT

THIS ISOHIO’S UNION

Welcome to the new Ohio Union at The Ohio State University

“If our name is the Ohio Union,” Stuck says, “we should be as much about Ohio as possible.”

OHIO UNION ONLINE

Ohio Union web site:ohiounion.osu.edu

Audio slide show:osu.edu/features/2010/

ohiounion

Facebook :Ohio Union at The Ohio

State University

Twitter:twitter.com/ohiounion

YouTube:TheOhioUnion

Alumni:ohiounion.osu.edu/

get_involved/alumni

OHIO UNION PROJECT—TIMELINE OF EVENTS

2004: Board of Trustees approves the new Ohio

Union project

2005: Planning Committee members tour student

unions across the country

2006: Farewell dinners held in the “old” union—one for student leaders and one for staff and alumni

2007: Construction of the new union begins on January 31

2008: Last piece of steel is placed at the highest

point of the building during a “topping ceremony”

2009: Bronze bust of Beanie Drake (first Ohio Union director)

is poured and floorboards signed by Ohio State notables

are installed in Woody’s Tavern

2010: Grand opening March 29

The new Ohio Union is bursting with Buck-eye spirit. One of the first things visitors will notice is the Ohio State seal embedded into the terrazzo floor; beyond that, a bronze statue of Brutus sits on a bench. Block O

detailing is scattered throughout the building, turning up in everything from chandeliers to an outdoor fire pit.

But look beyond the scarlet and gray and you’ll find something else: a place where students can get involved in extracurricular activities and even boost their resumes with jobs in their fields. The union is a sustainable build-ing that helps promote Ohio products, to boot. “When you walk in,” says union director Tracy Stuck, “you’re go-ing to be a very proud Buckeye.”

The new 318,000-square-foot union continues a proud Ohio State tradition; the university has been a leader in the student union movement since 1909, when Enar-son Hall opened as the first student union at a public university.

Stuck is particularly proud of the union’s new Cen-ter for Student Leadership and Service, which serves as home to nearly 1,000 student organizations. Center staff-ers, including student employees, will help students find volunteer opportunities and figure out which extracur-ricular activities are right for them.

The union was built with sustainability in mind. Ohio State is seeking silver status from the U.S. Green

Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. To that end, materi-als from the old union have been used, including floor-ing and fireplace stones, and a food waste pulper is used at the union’s dining facilities. The pulper will grind kitchen scraps and turn them into fertilizer to be used at Ohio farms—an example of a green initiative that benefits the state.

More than 260 Ohio firms helped build the union. Companies such as Shearer’s Foods in Brewster and the Hobart Corporation in Troy have partnered with the union as part of an effort to support goods and services produced by Ohio-based businesses. “If our name is the Ohio Union,” Stuck says, “we should be as much about Ohio as possible.”

Students check out the new Ohio Union on opening day, March 29. Each received a “memory box” to collect momentos of his or her collegiate experience.

Aside from the splendor of the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ball-room, the fun of a bronze Brutus, and the wow-factor of the Great Hall—aside from the Buckeye spirit and traditions that permeate the rooms from floor to ceiling and the sense of real community fostered by the union’s many meeting spaces—aside from all that, let’s talk business.

The Ohio Union has had a positive economic impact on Ohio since the first plans were drawn. More than 1,100 Ohio workers were involved in the design and construction of the union, with two Ohio minority-owned businesses heading up the project: Moody • Nolan served as the architect of re-cord and Smoot Construction served as construction man-ager. More than 260 Ohio companies played a role in building the union, 43 of them food and beverage vendors, and 76% of the building’s furniture, fixtures, and equipment vendors are Ohio-based. In total, 98% of labor costs went through Ohio businesses.

And now that construction is over and the new union is indeed open for business, the economic impact doesn’t stop there. The project resulted in nearly 650 new jobs for Ohio State students. Dining Services added 350 students to its workforce, now totaling 1,950 across campus—a 22% increase

overall. The new union has a student staff of 363, more than five times the number employed in the past three years when the team had no building to operate.

Student employees work in areas of marketing, graphic design, hospitality management, and event planning for the union. And these jobs are not just a way to earn some extra cash during college. As union director Tracy Stuck notes, “Every student who works in this building will have learning outcomes. Our goal is to get them hired when they leave these positions.”

Students are not the only ones benefitting from increased job opportunities provided by the new union. Dining Servic-es also added 46 regular staff positions, and the overall union added 34 regular staff positions and five temporary positions.

From the menus you read and food you order in the Union Market and Sloopy’s Diner to the beverages you en-joy in Woody’s Tavern—much is made in the Buckeye State. Add to this the 888,264 construction labor hours and the 50 prime contractors and their subcontractors who worked on the project, and perhaps the name Ohio Union has never been so genuine.

Over 60 student organization office spaces

Seven dining options with seating inside and outside

A nearly 18,000-square-foot ballroom

Brutus in bronze!It’s the real deal. 6

Get cookin’!Tomorrow’s chefs are in the union’s instructional kitchen today! 7

Have you visited Ohio State lately?Come to campus and see what’s new. We think you’ll be impressed! 2

New Union Makes an Economic Impact on Ohio

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010∑

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITYSpring 2010 osu.edu

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Central Ohio residents—including Ohio State al-ums—who haven’t visited campus lately will be in for a surprise when they do. The new Ohio Union

(building 161 on the campus map*) is only one of many new buildings that are evidence of the university’s com-mitment to the student experience. And they are dramati-cally changing the face of campus.

Less than five years ago, the university opened the na-tion’s largest academic recreation facility at the former location of Larkins Hall, just southeast of Ohio Stadium. Today, the 25,000-square-foot Recreation and Physical Activities Center (RPAC, building 246 on the Campus Map*) provides workout facilities, eight basketball courts, 10 racquetball courts, an indoor jogging track, a café, and

much more to contribute to students’ health and wellness. The most notable architectural feature of the building is the scarlet glass walkway that connects the Physical Ac-tivities and Educational Services building to RPAC.

The university’s Thompson Library (building 050 on the Campus Map*) reopened on the Oval last fall after three years of renovation and restoration. Many of the library’s unique architectural features were returned to their original grandeur while adapting the facility to the 21st-century needs of students and faculty, including wireless access and more than 230 computers for public use. Gone are the days forbidding food and drink in the facility. In fact, the Berry Café in the new west wing is a favorite stop for students.

Just this quarter, the university also officially opened the new Student Academic Services Building (build-ing 160 on the Campus Map*) at Lane and Neil Avenues. The building brings together for the first time the many academic services that students require, including Stu-dent Financial Aid, Bursar, Registrar, Minority Affairs, and Graduate and Professional Admissions. The Student Consolidated Services Center on the first floor was creat-ed to help students maneuver the business of college life.

*For a view of campus or a guide to help you find your way around if you visit, go to the Campus Map at osu.edu/map.

Have You Visited Ohio State Lately?This Ohio Union is just the latest physical embodiment of the kind of true collegiate community we are developing at Ohio State. Here, we seek to nurture dreams, refine abilities, broaden perspectives, and create the university of the American future.

— OHIO STATE PRESIDENT E. GORDON GEE

Ohio State Points of Pride• The 2009 first-year class of 6,607 is the most academically prepared in the univer-

sity’s history. Average ACT scores are now 27.5, nearly five points higher than a decade ago. Half of the admitted class graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

• In a comparison of tuition costs to graduate earning power in SmartMoney maga-zine, Ohio State ranks 11th best nationally, with an average return of 179 percent on tuition investment.

• The Ohio State University Medical Center was named one of “America’s Best Hos-pitals” for the 17th consecutive year. The medical center is among only 21 hospitals in the country named to U.S. News & World Report’s elite Honor Roll.

• Ohio State is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States.

• Ohio State has the largest self-supporting athletics program in the country. In 2009–10, the Department of Athletics transferred nearly $29 million to support uni-versity initiatives, including a $9 million commitment to the renovation of Thomp-son Library.

• Ohio State leads the country in the number of new “fellows” named by the Ameri-can Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), with 17 Ohio State re-searchers recognized among the 2009 class.

• Ohio State’s regional campuses are an increasingly popular point of entry for Buck-eyes, offering open admission to all Ohio high school graduates and tuition that is lower than the Columbus campus.

What service or feature do you like most about the new Ohio Union and why?I love that the union is a one-stop shop for students. In addition to taking care

of a lot of your student “business,” you can meet with advi-sors, grab a meal, study in a lounge, hang out with your friends, and so much more without ever leaving the building. Within a week, it has already become home.

How does the new union capture Buckeye spirit and tradi-tion for you personally?Every touch of the building has Buckeye spirit all over it. From the door pulls to the room names, the building celebrates the

tradition and excellence of Ohio State. It is a visual reminder to me every day that I’m lucky to be at this university.

What two words best describe your first impression of the new union?Proud, excited.

Jaimie Horning, senior from Chillicothe, Ohio, to graduate in June 2010

What service or feature do you like most about the new Ohio Union and why?What I like most is the way the students have so quickly settled in and made it their own. I walked into the Gottsegen Lounge midday on Friday of opening week and students were studying; three were grouped around a computer checking out

something on the Web; someone was sitting on the floor…like they had always been there. If you watch from the second level of the Great Hall, you will see an amazing number of students walking along and looking at the artwork—really looking, not just blowing by.

How does the new union capture Buckeye spirit and tradi-tion for you personally?The stone fireplace in the Terrace Lounge was right outside

my office on the third floor of the former Ohio Union. And, there it is in the new building. That connection was all I needed to know that this still is the Ohio Union—only so much more functional and beautiful.

What two words best describe your first impression of the new union?I’m home.

Barbie Tootle, Ohio State alumna and retiree,consultant to the Ohio Union Project

What service or feature do you like most about the new Ohio Union and why?I love Woody’s Tavern. It seems to be a new tradition. If I want to find a student leader after a big meeting or event, I know I can go there and relax with friends.

How does the new union capture Buckeye spirit and tradi-tion for you personally?Having the good fortune to experience the Ohio Union from its early stages, I can see all the distinct nuances that capture various Buckeyes’ input. The Ohio Union staff has done a ter-rific job in getting input from students, faculty, and alumni alike. From the Great Hall to the Script Ohio in the bathroom, this union is unmistakably Ohio State.

What two words best describe your first impression of the new union?Open mouth.

Joey Clark, 2008 graduate,current Moritz College of Law student

What’s great about the new Ohio Union... Ohio State by the NumbersResearch

Research expenditures (2009).................................................................... $716 million

Rank among U.S. public research universitiesbased on research expenditures (NSF* 2008)......................................................... 7th

Rank among all U.S. universities based on industry-sponsored research (NSF* 2008) ..............................................................2nd

Academic Structure (autumn 2009)Undergraduate majors ..............................................................................................175Master’s degree programs .......................................................................................133Doctoral degree programs..........................................................................................99Professional degree programs......................................................................................7Courses (estimated)............................................................................................ 12,000

Tuition and Fees (2009–2010 academic year)................................. QUARTER..........ANNUALOhio undergraduate

(Columbus campus)....................................................................$2,802.........$8,406(Regional campuses) ....................................................................1,887........... 5,661

Ohio graduate(Columbus campus)......................................................................3,470..........10,410

Typical annual cost, all fees**........................................................................... $18,695

*Excludes COTA and mandatory recreation and Ohio Union facility fees**Typical undergraduate resident fees for Columbus campus students

Annual economic impact ..................................................................................$4 billion+

Living alumni ..................................................................................................... 465,000+

Percent of students receiving aid ..................................................................................82

Degrees granted (through August 2009).............................................................622,368

Annual budget (2009–10) ..............................................................................$4.45 billion

Enrollment (2009–10, all campuses) ......................................................................63,217

Donors (2008–09) ................................................................................................119,048

Medical Center admissions (2009)........................................................................ 55,316

Recreation and Physical Activities Center (RPAC) Thompson Library Student Academic Services Building

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 ∑


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Letting Your Food Go to Waste Is a Good Thing at the UnionCan’t finish that half-eaten sandwich you bought at

the Ohio Union? Don’t worry—it will eventually be used to power someone’s home.

As part of the union’s success in becoming a “green” building by obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design silver certification, the university sought a multitude of ways to make the union eco-friendly. One of the most unusual was the addition of a food pulper, which mashes up organic waste and turns it into a byproduct that can be recovered and used in multiple ways.

Kurtz Bros. Inc., a 65-year-old Cleveland-based com-pany with operations in Columbus that has a long his-tory of working with Ohio State on landscape material product development, is currently taking the waste and composting it, and will use it in topsoil and mulches to increase their nutrient values.

“It is a very innovative process,” says Jeff Moore, Kurtz Bros. director of development. “There are not many of these kinds of systems around the U.S. Ohio State has taken a real lead in incorporating this technology into the student union. Essentially they’re diverting all the food scraps from the landfill, and the plateware is composta-ble too. It all goes into this disposal that masherates it down into a slurry, which is then dewatered so it becomes more of a cake that will be composted within six to eight months.”

The Ohio Union was able to dispense with garbage dis-posals by using the pulper, reducing the union’s waste and water usage while lightening the burden on the city’s need to treat any wastewater.

But there are bigger plans in the works for the union’s—and all of Ohio State’s—organic waste. Kurtz Bros. is a partner in Quasar Energy Group, which opened a biogas facility on April 8 at the new 95-acre BioHio Research Park developed by the university’s Ohio Agricultural Re-search and Development Center (OARDC). The facility is funded in part by a $2 million grant from the state of Ohio’s Third Frontier program, which attempts to spur innovation to bolster Ohio’s economy and create jobs.

Moore says Ohio State’s waste will be diverted to a sim-ilar facility in Columbus that Quasar breaks ground on this month and will begin operating in October. About 25,000 tons of waste annually will be processed and bio-gas will be fed into a heat and power generator that will produce up to 18 megawatts of electricity per day—po-tentially enough to power 1,000 homes for an entire year.

The technology to utilize solid waste in a biodigester was first developed in Germany, but Ohio State’s Yebo Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Food, Agri-cultural, and Biological Engineering, improved that tech-

nology three-fold—up to 20 percent of the waste can be solid now. The use of new Ohio State-developed technol-ogy in the Wooster facility allowed Quasar and OARDC to jointly apply for the Third Frontier grant.

Steven Slack, Ohio State’s associate vice president for Agricultural Administration and OARDC director, says the partnership is a crucial step in helping move the Unit-ed States toward energy independence.

“Taking the waste stream to another level, where you’re directly developing a stream of gas that can be put back into the energy system for the state of Ohio, is a direct response to the need to develop alternative energy,” he says. “Ohio State has an obligation to help the state in this way, and at the Wooster campus, we have land where we can put the facility, test out how well it will function with

the various waste streams we have in Ohio, and private industry can evaluate it as well. It’s absolutely critical that we use our institutions of higher education as places for proof of concept as well as places of discovery.”

Quasar’s biogas facility is the first in central Ohio, though it began operating one in Akron in 2007. “We are leveraging the biogas business to help us expand all our other business units including landscape supply, sports turf, and equestrian footings around the Midwest,” Moore notes. “It’s the frontier for Kurtz Bros. in terms of growth and expansion.”

So the next time you can’t quite finish that last bite at the Ohio Union, it’s okay to let it go to waste. You’ll be helping the environment, advancing the energy frontier, and influencing the growth of Ohio’s economy.

Part of the union’s success in becoming a “green” building includes the addition of a food pulper, which

mashes up organic waste and turns it into a byproduct that can be recovered and used in multiple ways.

Crimson Cup, a Columbus-based coffee roaster since 1991 isproudly served at these great OSU dining locations:

Espress-OHat the Ohio Union

Sloopy’s Dinerat the Ohio Union

The Berry Café at Thompson Library

Terra Byte Caféat the Science & Engineering Library

The Blackwell Inn

The Golf Club

Street Sweetsat The Marketplace

The Pad at the Drake Union

The Cyber Caféat OSU Newark campus

The KSA Caféat Knowlton School of Architecture

The Reece Centerat OSU Newark campus

www.crimsoncup.com • Facebook: facebook.com/crimsoncup • Twitter: @crimsoncupBlog: www.crimsoncup.com/blog • 700 Alum Creek Drive, Columbus, OH 43205 • 614.252.3335

Crimson Cup Coffee

outperformed local, regionaland national

coffee brands as the taste choice of participants.

In numerous

BLIND TASTE TESTS,

∑ ∑


4THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITYSpring 2010 osu.edu

5

Lower Level

First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

Maudine Cow RoomThis meeting room is

decorated to recognize Ohio’s agricultural heritage. Carpet squares in a cowhide design

and a large photo of a Holstein recall the time a bovine named

Maudine Ormsby was declared homecoming queen after a

fraudulent election eliminated the human contestants.

Ohio Stater’s, Inc. Traditions Room Named for the university’s oldest student service organization, the room recognizes the history of organizations at Ohio State. The room includes historic items from various student organizations, as well as the building’s time capsule.

Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom One of central Ohio’s largest event spaces, the ballroom is illuminated by three chandeliers with LED crystal lights cascading from Block O fixtures. Archie Griffin has allowed one of his two Heisman trophies to be displayed in a case outside the ballroom entrance.

Instructional KitchenA demonstration station with video cameras and six student cooking stations provide multiple ways to use this kitchen for course work, informal classes, team building, and guest cooking demonstrations.

Performance Hall and South Courtyard A versatile space that can host everything from a lecture to a wedding reception, the Performance Hall boasts state-of-the-art technology and custom light fixtures. With its comfortable cushioned seating, the South Courtyard is a popular place to gather on warm days. A gas-fired Block O fire pit provides warmth and light for evening events.

U.S. Bank Conference

TheatreIdeal for video

conferencing or movies, the theatre seats 293 and

features a stage with flooring recycled from the

ballroom in the 1951 Ohio Union.

Cartoon RoomA large meeting room that can be sub-divided, the Cartoon Room features wall art from some well-known cartoonists who honed their skills as students at Ohio State.

Round Meeting Room Inspired by the kivas—ceremonial or council chambers—of the Hopi culture, the Round Meeting Room is especially suited to discussion and dialogue, as all participants can see one another.

Brutus, Buckeyes, and Block O

There’s no doubt this is an Ohio State building.

Block O’s, buckeye leaves, scarlet and gray

paint, and many other university symbols

are used throughout the Ohio Union.

“When you walk in,” says union director Tracy Stuck, “you’re going to be a very proud Buckeye.”No Lack of Variety in Union Spaces

Meeting/Event Spaces Offices Dining Lounges

1739 N. High Street,at the corner of 12th Avenue

and High Street

For Ohio Union hours of operation, visit ohiounion.osu.edu.

For parking information, visit tp.osu.edu/visitorsmain/parking/

garageinfo.shtml.


∑ ∑


4THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITYSpring 2010 osu.edu

5

Lower Level

First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

Maudine Cow RoomThis meeting room is

decorated to recognize Ohio’s agricultural heritage. Carpet squares in a cowhide design

and a large photo of a Holstein recall the time a bovine named

Maudine Ormsby was declared homecoming queen after a

fraudulent election eliminated the human contestants.

Ohio Stater’s, Inc. Traditions Room Named for the university’s oldest student service organization, the room recognizes the history of organizations at Ohio State. The room includes historic items from various student organizations, as well as the building’s time capsule.

Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom One of central Ohio’s largest event spaces, the ballroom is illuminated by three chandeliers with LED crystal lights cascading from Block O fixtures. Archie Griffin has allowed one of his two Heisman trophies to be displayed in a case outside the ballroom entrance.

Instructional KitchenA demonstration station with video cameras and six student cooking stations provide multiple ways to use this kitchen for course work, informal classes, team building, and guest cooking demonstrations.

Performance Hall and South Courtyard A versatile space that can host everything from a lecture to a wedding reception, the Performance Hall boasts state-of-the-art technology and custom light fixtures. With its comfortable cushioned seating, the South Courtyard is a popular place to gather on warm days. A gas-fired Block O fire pit provides warmth and light for evening events.

U.S. Bank Conference

TheatreIdeal for video

conferencing or movies, the theatre seats 293 and

features a stage with flooring recycled from the

ballroom in the 1951 Ohio Union.

Cartoon RoomA large meeting room that can be sub-divided, the Cartoon Room features wall art from some well-known cartoonists who honed their skills as students at Ohio State.

Round Meeting Room Inspired by the kivas—ceremonial or council chambers—of the Hopi culture, the Round Meeting Room is especially suited to discussion and dialogue, as all participants can see one another.

Brutus, Buckeyes, and Block O

There’s no doubt this is an Ohio State building.

Block O’s, buckeye leaves, scarlet and gray

paint, and many other university symbols

are used throughout the Ohio Union.

“When you walk in,” says union director Tracy Stuck, “you’re going to be a very proud Buckeye.”No Lack of Variety in Union Spaces

Meeting/Event Spaces Offices Dining Lounges

1739 N. High Street,at the corner of 12th Avenue

and High Street

For Ohio Union hours of operation, visit ohiounion.osu.edu.

For parking information, visit tp.osu.edu/visitorsmain/parking/

garageinfo.shtml.


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010∑

DO SOMETHING GREATosu.edu

One university. Multiple choices.Prefer a small campus close to home?

An Ohio State regional campus may be right for you.

Interested in research leading to a “green” career?

Consider Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio.

Eager for the challenges of a top-ranked comprehensive research university in a major city?

Thousands choose our Columbus campus each year.

Always wanted to be a Buckeye?Any of the above.

Whether you attend Ohio State’s Columbus campus; one of our regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, or Newark; or the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, all credits lead to an Ohio State degree.

And all offer the pride of being a Buckeye.

Columbus • Lima • Mansfield • Marion • Newark • Wooster


6

Brutus Buckeye is Ohio State’s iconic symbol of spir-it and pride, so it is only fitting a life-size bronze replica of the university’s mascot is in the Great

Hall to greet visitors to the new Ohio Union.When alumna and artist Renate Burgyan-Fackler

found out Ohio State wanted her to create it, her con-nection as a Buckeye came rushing back to her. She was

editor of the MAKIO, Ohio State’s yearbook, in 1975, and she worked in an office in the old Ohio Union. She also was a resident advisor in Drack-ett Tower in ’76 and a graduate of the School of Journalism. The chance to fashion a lasting piece in the new building was an honor she would never refuse.

“I’ve been sculpting for 24 years, and I don’t think I’ll make anything that gets as much recognition as Brutus,” says Burgyan-Fackler. “And it’s the only thing I ever made where thousands of people will gain pleasure from touching my work. The univer-sity intends for people to rub his knees, his finger, and head for good luck. That’s why I love working in bronze because it’s all about touching it, and it brings people closer together. Brutus has something about him that unifies everyone at Ohio State.”

Nobody knows that better than one of the four stu-dents who currently dresses as Brutus and posed for the sculpture. Brian Bunting, a fifth-year senior from Co-lumbus studying industrial systems engineering, says being a part of immortalizing Brutus in the union will always be a highlight of his time at Ohio State.

“That statue may be Brutus, but that Brutus is me,” Bunting says. “It’s the mark I’m leaving on this univer-sity—certainly the most visible one. That’s something that will be here longer than I will be here, and to know that and come back 50 years from now and show my kids or grandkids, ‘That’s me. That’s what I did so many years ago. That’s what’s left behind.’ That’s a legacy not many college students get to have. I’m very thankful for the op-portunity. It’s nothing short of amazing.”

After photographing and measuring Bunting as Bru-tus from every angle and working with Beth Ullum, special projects coordinator for the Ohio Union in the Office of Student Life, to determine the most welcom-

ing pose for the sculpture, Burgyan-Fackler spent four to six hours each day over eight months shaping Brutus in clay.

Even though Burgyan-Fackler is a stickler for perfec-tion, her Buckeye roots gave her even more reason to build the perfect Brutus. She spent time poring over ev-ery detail, making sure the stripes on Brutus’ shirt had texture to represent the color red or the lack thereof for gray. She also used lighter bronze patinas to bring out Brutus’ face.

“Renate didn’t take poetic license. She sculpted what Brutus looks like,” Bunting notes. “It’s not an artist’s ren-dition. It’s the real deal and it’s on display for everyone who walks through these doors. She spent a lot of time on it and she realized the importance and what it meant symbolically. I love the end result.”

Burgyan-Fackler fashioned Brutus out of clay before the foundry broke him into 20 pieces to make a wax mold, into which liquid bronze was poured. Brutus’ parts were then welded back together into his sitting pose on the bench. And she made sure she was intricately in-volved in the bronzing process at Coopermill Bronze-works in Zanesville—making the sculpture an all-Ohio collaboration.

“I’d like people to feel connected to Ohio State and each other when they see and touch Brutus,” Burgyan-Fackler says. “He is a medium that reinforces, and for some reawakens, positive feelings about the university.”

Burgyan-Fackler directed her life toward art after experiencing what she calls an “a-ha” moment. Follow-ing a brief advertising career, at age 30, she underwent a hysterectomy for cancer. The experience helped convince her to focus her attention, aside from family, on what mattered most to her.

Though her primary reason for sculpting was person-al, her business has been a recognized success, and the Brutus commission was a byproduct of that. She origi-nally was hired to cast 13 bronze faces of former frater-nity and sorority presidents for Chi Omega to display in the Leadership Rotunda. When Ohio Union staff mem-bers saw her work, they asked her also to create a bust of former Ohio Union director Beanie Drake to display at the entrance to the Center for Student Leadership and Service. That led eventually to being asked to do Brutus.

“There’s a certain amount of inner satisfaction of com-pleting something to the best of my ability,” Burgyan-Fackler says. “When someone looks at what I’ve done, and says they like it, I can tell on a gut level whether they are sincere or not. It’s a nonverbal communication you just can’t hide. That’s my thermometer to see if my piece works. But everyone seemed elated with Brutus, and I’m glad they were so ecstatic about it.”

BRUTUS IN BRONZE

All-Ohio Collaboration Creates Lasting Tribute to Ohio State’s Mascot

Burgyan-Fackler

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 ∑


7

As students, faculty, and staff enjoy the 13 sand-wiches offered at Sloopy’s Diner in the new Ohio Union, they probably have no idea that the food

could be prepared and served by students planning ca-reers in the hospitality industry. The diner and an in-structional kitchen are providing real-world situations for 400 women and men majoring in hospitality man-agement in the College of Education and Human Ecol-ogy. Through classes held in the kitchen and opportuni-ties to work in the diner, undergraduates are confronted with the kinds of decisions restaurant managers face every day.

“The new union provides great opportunities that hospitality management students have not been able to experience yet,” says Jamie Jelleson, a graduating senior from Medina, Ohio. “The students will be able to grow

in their restaurant skills with the teaching kitchen and improve their customer service skills while interacting with Sloopy’s customers.”

In the instructional kitchen, they study the impact of their menu, such as whether the vegetarian selections will sell and if delicacies can be cost-effective. They see how to balance nutritious selections with opportunities to satisfy a sweet tooth. They find out how to standard-ize a recipe so customers enjoy the same taste every time they order a favorite dish, and they learn how to safely store, prepare, and serve food in order to prevent food-borne illnesses.

At Sloopy’s, they hone their ability to provide fast ser-vice and good food at a great price. They learn how to

ensure customer satisfaction so an unhappy diner can be persuaded to return. They also learn how difficult it is for managers to satisfy every employee’s request for time off.

Most universities have student-run facilities, such as the lunchtime bistro formerly operated by the Hospital-ity Management program for several years. “But this ex-perience takes it one step further and allows students to gain a different view into the workings of a restaurant,” explains Margaret Binkley, assistant professor of con-sumer sciences.

“I’m really excited about the opening of the new union. It will give students a great place to work, study, interact, and enjoy delicious food,” says Jameson App of Wester-

ville, Ohio. When he graduates in autumn 2010 with a double major in hospitality management and landscape horticulture, he would like to manage a greenhouse for a hotel or resort, growing plants and produce on-site for its restaurants and decor.

The 3,300-square-foot kitchen was designed in part-nership with the Wasserstrom Company. It holds up to 100 students at its demonstration stage and six student kitchen stations. Students also can study the action in Sloopy’s Diner, thanks to a live video feed into the in-structional kitchen.

The space also can be used for conference special events, corporate team building, cooking courses with guest chefs, student cook-offs, and wellness education. “As a hospitality student I really appreciate the planners for the new union accepting the Hospitality Management program as a partner and including us in their design of the building,” Jelleson says.

“The addition of the instructional kitchen positions Ohio State to build one of the top Hospitality Manage-ment programs in the country,” says Cheryl Achterberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Ecology. Binkley adds, “Alumni who are already in the industry will know our students are gaining an advantage before entering the hospitality field.”

The Ohio Union Lantern Tower Symbolizes Journeys to Freedom

The lantern tower architecture on the southeast wing of the Ohio Union symbolizes the Underground Railroad that ran through the land upon which the building stands. Five mark-ers on campus indicate the path of the railroad—beginning at the Olentangy River, passing along what was once Neil Run stream in the Mirror Lake area, on through the South Oval, and emerging in a marshy plot of land where the union now stands.

On April 6, the Multicultural Center (now housed in the new union) held a “Grand Opening Freedom Festival and Lantern Tower Lighting Dedication Ceremony” to commemo-rate journeys to freedom, past and present. At the end of the celebration, featuring performing artists, everyone attending played a role in lighting the lantern tower, creating a spec-tacular reflection of freedom and inspiration.

LEARNING THE ROPES:

Union Instructional Kitchen and Diner Give Hospitality Management

Students Real-World Experience

“The addition of the instructional kitchen positions Ohio State to build one of the top Hospitality

Management programs in the country.”

Art in the UnionBrutus Buckeye bronze statue, designed by Ohio State alum Renate Burgyan-Fackler; molded andpoured by more than 20 employees at Coopermill Bronzeworks in Zanesville, Ohio

Four wooden mantels, statue base, wooden buck sculpture, and table, created by Ohio State alum NoelTaver, using trees from the construction site

Limestone relief sculptures on the building’s exterior, six from the previous union and two new reliefsdesigned by Ohio State alumna Linda Langhorst, featuring women, minorities, and the arts

Art collection featuring works by students, faculty, staff, and alumni

Iron bench created by Fortin Ironworks of Columbus, and iron directional signage featuring buckeyeleaves, created by Blackwood Sheet Metal of Columbus

Light feature in Sloopy’s Diner, created by Franklin Art Glass of Columbus

Those who attended the dedication ceremony on April 6 helped in lighting the lantern tower on the union’s southeast wing.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010∑ 8

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The Ohio State University