While writing the final blog post about our summer journey; connecting alumni, family, faculty and friends to each other and to Wittenberg, I had to take a break. A break that allowed me to reflect on the 33-day tour, our goals, our mission but mostly to engage in something that was moving and incredibly rewarding, so old-school Wittenberg. Something that allowed us to get back to the basics of who we are, why we are here and to illustrate the core values of the 'Wittenberg' many of us know and love.

Our experience with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition exemplified the true meaning of Wittenberg and the motto we so frequently quote, "Having Light We Pass It On To Others," many times not really knowing what this means or uncertain of the impact this has on people in our own community and the world. We all need to take time to examine the motto and reflect upon how each of us "Pass It On," making the world a better and brighter place. Take a look, see what you find, make a difference!

Now back to my Witt Nation 2009 - Engage final post...And So It Goes...

It was not like any ordinary road trip. It was a journey that created excitement, a journey that was an interesting adventure for our young alumni travelers and a journey that allowed time for reflection. Witt Nation 2009 - Engage- brought students, faculty, staff and alumni together. This year, being part of the crew, added a new dimension to the tour for me.

MY JOURNEY
Riding for miles in the van, listening to multiple iPods with great song selections, sunglasses, rotating drivers, co-pilots and faculty members, bonding with the crew, pictures, videos, events...it all became part of the 'experience.' Anytime I would take over as the driver or even co-pilot, they knew we were in for a true adventure. Atlas in hand, Jill-the GPS turned off, sun beaming through the cracked windshield, my trustworthy assistant, Jon Duraj, or now known as Dur-E-Tiss riding shotgun, music set to our favorites, stops were limited and we were in control.

Part of our job, as we were the 'fresh' members, was to relieve the crew so they could relax, work and sleep. My first wonderful experience (besides the trip to Taco Bell in Palo Alto) was taking the 'long and winding road' down Highway 1. They were all thrilled. 17 Mile Road first, you have to see Pebble Beach, then on to the best-of-the-best, BIG SUR. You could lose yourself in thought with the breathtaking views that were all part of this leg of the journey. So what if it was 3 hours 'out of our way,' I looked at it as 'in the way' and we needed to experience all we could. It was a great drive, one I will never forget.

The next leg they allowed me to drive was through Utah. It was a risky decision on their part. However, they were tired from Vegas! It was just fabulous. The geological formations were absolutely amazing. As we drove through the mountains in Colorado and watched the scenery change from the red rock to the lush green mountainous terrain, I thought, "what a beautiful part of the country." As we made our descent into Denver, from a distance it looked like a million fireflies dancing in the sky. Back to civilization, they were only the tail lights from all of the cars on I-70!

HOSPITALITY
We would like to thank the alumni who were so gracious to host the crew in their homes and hotels, sponsor events in their communities and attend the events that were part of the Witt Nation tour. A big thanks to the faculty that surrendered part of their summer, spending it on the road with the crew! We would also like to thank all those that give of their time, talent and treasure to assist the university in meeting its goals of educating the next generation. Passing on the light in all of these meaningful ways is how our Wittenberg alumni base continues to amaze me. From the Witt Nation Crew, thank you!

CONNECTIONS
It was interesting, when we departed the West Coast, knowing it was the half-way point, as we had titled it 'the turn', we said goodbye to many new friends from our 14 stops, only to connect with many more along the route East. The countless hours of planning, preparation and travel to meet our goals and objectives was visibly paying off. As I took time during my travels to reflect on 'why Witt Nation," I remembered our first brainstorming session in 2007 and the ideas and laughter that came from a wonderful group of creative and talented people. We knew the goal was to engage, listen and connect with alumni in their homes and communities. The crew, now staffed with faculty, connected with over 1,000 alumni, family and friends of the university. We captured video profiles that will be used by alumni relations and recruitment efforts for years to come.

All of this is great, however, ultimately, what we gained were wonderful friends, Wittenberg friends that will last a lifetime. The outpouring of compassion, generosity and graciousness comprise the motivating factors that continue to make Witt Nation a success. We found when traveling across the country or across the street, Wittenberg alumni all carry an element of the Wittenberg light. Wittenberg alumni are passionate about their alma mater, their academic experience and their life-long friendships that were ignited at the University. I often say it is about the people, the passion and the place. Recently, I have tried to think of a better way to express the Witt Nation experience...No luck, it is the People, the Passion and the Place...making connections that enhance who we are as people and as an institution...

Thank You!

Signing off for Witt Nation 2009...keep the sun at your back...be authentic in all you do...and try, every day, to Pass It On...

~Linda

We headed out of DC pretty early, sans coffee. That is always trouble for the two of us! We finally got some coffee at a pretty off-the-beaten-path gas station, along with breakfast biscuits (tasty but not so healthy; turns out they are made in Ohio!). Not a bad morning, in all – the sun was shining and we were ready for a twofer; lunch in Philly and nighttime cocktails in New York. Jill (the GPS unit) was fed our Philly location and we were off!
Except that we were clearly headed deep into the city; apparently there is a Valley Forge street in North Philly. Oops. Matt took over driving for a tired Ashley and we pointed north to the suburbs, where we arrived right at the scheduled time.
We had a really nice turnout of recent and older alums at Valley Forge pizza. Michael reconnected with Lindsey Short ’08, who will be back at Wittenberg in the fall to run a study in his lab – it is funny how these academic connections can last past the tenure of a student! We had lunch with Lamar Kilgore ‘55 and his partner Pat, who were delightful. Lamar told stories about being adopted by the class of ’56, about his design of Pat’s shoes (please see the video!), and about coming to a new life passion at the intersection of animal rights/welfare and peace studies.
The drive to New York was uneventful, but there was a lot of traffic. Ben steered us in the right direction, and we headed to unload at the apartment of Jon Stewart ’06. Michael’s former student Bekah Stewart ’08 was there and it was fun catching up.
The beginning of the New York event was two parties in one; Pier 66 was really full, we had no guaranteed seating, and we quickly split into two groups – one to meet people and redirect to a new location (Chelsea Brewing) and one to stay and meet people who were already in the large crowd. While we were still at Pier 66, Mike Falcone ’01 regaled us with stories, and told us about his brief appearance in an upcoming Tucker Max film.  Then we all came together at Chelsea.
What fun! Wittenberg graduates are strikingly easy to talk to, on such a variety of subjects. Michael spoke to James Horst ’99 quite a bit – he was really clear on how John Ritter’s classes shaped him.  Heather, Lauren, and Kelly Eggers ‘09 spent the better part of an hour knee-deep in conversation discussing the value of media analysis and interdisciplinary work!
We had to get to the airport for our plane trip home, so we gathered our stuff from Jon’s and cabbed it over to the LaGuardia area around 1:30 am.  A late night snack of, what else, Domino’s pizza, and then time for some much-needed rest.
Back home in Ohio, our garden is overgrown after only a few days away, and we’re missing WittNation already!

- Michael and Heather

Our last stop couldn't have gone any better! Although Ashley and I were exhausted from 33 days on the road, the alumni, family and friends energized us for the last stop on Witt Nation 2009! We had WittFREE rockin' the house down while over 100 alumni gathered in the upstairs bar. It was great to see so many familiar faces in my hometown! It was a great mix of younger and older alumni, each person with their own Wittenberg story. Everyone seemed willing to talk to the camera, and I was able to capture about 12 stories for the site! It's back to the real world for me as I rush to find a place to live in Springfield.

I'm really excited to start working full-time for the university giving back for the fantastic four years I had at Witt. I think I might sleep for a straight week as I spend time with my family on Lake Erie. I cannot express how great of an experience Witt Nation was for me. I feel like Ashley and I met so many great alumni and friends of the university. I can honestly say that every city we visited was an adventure and an absolute blast. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget. Thank you so much for all your support! Come back and visit soon. It would be great to see you!

Ben

Columbus Day 2!

It was mile 9,672, day 31, the van was covered in subway cups, trash, and nametags, and the Febreeze was being used frequently as we traveled down highway 71. We then arrived at Ben's house where we were greeted by a homemade sign that said "Welcome home "weary" Witt Nation travelers", and his parents Barbara and Tim, who were extremely excited to see us.

After getting some good food and caffeine in us we headed to Graeter's Ice Cream to meet our Columbus alumni. With almost 100 guest signed up we knew it was going to be a great event, but we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. With record attendance, we had almost 200 alumni, students, family and friends attend, making the event the largest yet. We were ecstatic to have so many alumni there to welcome us home!

We can't wait to have another great event tonight at the Grandview Cafe. What better way to end a road trip but with Wittenberg's very own faculty band WittFREE! Hopefully see you there!

After spending a couple days on, the relaxing, Jersey Shore, we headed down to Cleveland, our biggest Witt Nation event thus far. The Yacht Cub was a great place to have drinks, food, and meet up with the great Cleveland crowd. I set up my “studio” overlooking the boats and canal leading to the lake, which provided a great backdrop for all of the video profiles. I was able to film a group of alumni that made up most of the fraternities and sororities on campus. They recounted funny stories about pulling pranks on one another and still maintaining friendships despite living in separate houses.

I was able to interview three generations of the Uhle family and hear how Wittenberg has impacted each of their lives. It was great to see friends reconnect after many years of time apart. After conversing with and filming the rest of the profiles in Cleveland, we headed out with a few alumni to a local bar. It was there that I had the chance to talk to Paige and Ace, members of the class of ’95.

After an eventful night, we headed to the home of Matt ’09 and Liam ’12 McDonald. After getting some much needed rest, we made our way to the Akron event at the Barley House. It was a fun happy hour before the Akron Aeros’ game. It was great to hear from Ed Wittenberg ’78, who a year prior was interviewed by the Witt Nation crew. We caught up, and he kept the funny Wittenberg stories coming most of the night. It was nice to meet the Dyer family and reconnect with friends like Lindsay Smith ‘08.

After the Barley house, many alumni showed their support for the Aeros and in good timing too, just missing the three-hour rainfall. We, then, packed up after another great event and headed to the home of Anne Davies Davis ‘76. She opened her home to us and treated us to a hearty breakfast this morning. We're now on our way to Columbus, where we’ll connect with more alumni. See you there!

-Ben McCombs '09

Cleveland

 
Akron

We had been thinking about this trip since December, when Linda Beals first told us Wittnation II was in the works during a Christmas party. We were so excited to get started, and our excitement was well founded! How could we fail to have a great time?   

On Thursday morning we met up with Lauren Welch and Matt McDonald outside Bayley Alumni House – the four of us were a team of replacements headed to DC. Lauren and Matt were joining for the rest of the tour. When we heard that Matt was on his way to meet us via his longboard, we thought he would be light on luggage – as it turns out, he just has excellent balance!  Together with Ashley and Ben we would be a powerful force of six for three nights on the road.

Traveling was a breeze, musical tastes synched easily with much Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd played (insert the required “this generation is gonna be OK comment” here), and some veggies brought from our garden made for healthy snacks on the road.  Peggy Tighe ’81 was our host in D.C. We arrived amidst a lively party for Strategic Healthcare at the townhouse - an auspicious beginning! After a few hours settling in with Taylor, Matt, Lauren, Ashley and Ben (and Brad Folta ’10 and BreAnna Kimble ’10) we called it a night.

Friday night at the Hill location was the main event, and a wonderful evening ensued! Peggy wore the mascot suit and told hilarious stories! The townhouse was filled with Wittenbergers (alums, parents, current students, new students) and the party easily overflowed onto the lovely brick patio in the back. Rest assured the DC group bleeds Wittenberg red; we had incredibly stimulating conversations with so many people. Given the location and the expertise and experience of all the attendees, I’m sure we had potential solutions to many of the world’s challenges, but where are tape recorders when you need them? We reconnected with Stacy Raustaukus ’98, Ryan Nuss ‘07, Dan Foreman ‘08, Molly Knepper ‘07, and Leigh Hendrix ’08, and met many others for the first time, including Serge Thomas ’98, Hannah Hoffman ’13, and others, having some intense and illuminating conversations.  The evening didn’t wind down until after 1:30 am, and then only because we would be up bright and early to head for Philly!

If you view the videos, you can see that our graduates are involved in some serious work to improve the wider world. Dan, for example, is teaching English in a DC high school, introducing students to novels for the first time. He spoke compellingly of the serious challenges these students face, and very convincingly of his time at Witt in the English department and his love for Mac and Darcy’s classes. Also, Serge is working with the Central Union Mission in DC as a grant writer. The Political Science department was his home at Witt (as with many DC attendees!), and he loved the experience. Just as Witt gave so much to these folks, they are now in positions to pass it on, and they welcome your help at their respective institutions.

A quick night’s sleep later (and we mean really quick, as the night didn’t wear down until laaaaaate), we were on the road at 7:30 am, minus Taylor who drove the minivan back to Witt as we headed out.  Can one be exhausted and energized at the same time? Absolutely!

- Michael and Heather

After a very exciting event in N.Y.C., we headed to Fairfield, Connecticut, to help the CT Alumni send off the local 2013s. With a great turn-out of almost 40 people, I was thoroughly impressed by the excitement from both the incoming students and alumni. I am thrilled, and slightly jealous, of the new adventure the students are about to embark on, and I can’t wait for them to experience Wittenberg. Board of Director Members Chad Weller ’70 and David Boyle ’69 gave enthusiastic welcoming speeches to the Wittenberg crowd that made me even more proud to be a Wittenberg Alumni.
Once the very successful event concluded, we drove the short drive to Ocean Grove, N.J., located right on the Jersey Shore. We were excitedly greeted by Matt McDonald’s family and friends, who were happy "Witt Nation" had finally arrived. For those of you who know Matt, you will not be surprised to hear that he is like the Ocean Grove Ambassador, everyone knows him! The whole town was very welcoming. After meeting the town, we cooked out and went to bed early eagerly awaiting today!
When I say eagerly awaiting it’s not just because it’s my birthday (haha), but we have a fun-filled day of catching some rays on the beach, surfing and swimming before the lifeguard competition begins! I’m anxious to see how the competition goes; I’m pretty sure the only lifeguard tournament I have seen was on Bay Watch.
Well, we are on the home stretch with only four days left of the tour! I will see you in Ohio, Witt Nation, a little tanner and slightly older.
~Ashley

An early departure from D.C. started what would be a very long but very fun day in WittNation history. We made a quick breakfast stop at a shady gas station, which we all came to the conclusion that every road trip must have a stop at one. The looks of the place didn’t deter us from the breakfast sandwiches, which were amazing. We made it to the Valley Forge Pizza Company about 11:30. About 30 alumni and friends were in attendance. The pizza was great and the conversation was better. This was also the event of pilots. I met two fellow aviators, Carl and Tom. Carl was a 1970 grad who flew privately and worked for British Airways. This was very exciting for me because I happen to be a pilot myself.
After saying our goodbyes to the Philadelphia Crew we were off to New York City, where we were greeted by Hosts Jon '06 and Bekah '08 Stewart, a brother and sister duo who are but two out of six of their family members who have graduated from Wittenberg University. They were very welcoming as we rushed to get things ready for our event at Pier 66.
Upon arriving at Pier 66, we were ready and set to start greeting Alum when we were caught off guard by the crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder location. Thanks to some teamwork and a couple of phone calls, we moved the event down the street to the beautiful Chelsea Pier on Pier 51 off the Hudson River. Alumni were very pleased with the location, and the night turned out better than it could have elsewhere, thanks to the great food and the open space allowing everyone to get acquainted and have a couple of laughs over some drinks.
As the night finished, many of us found ourselves on the deck of Chelsea Pier overlooking the amazing New Jersey Skyline talking about crazy times in the Hollow and our favorite professors. It was defiantly a night to remember.

-Matt McDonald and Lauren Welch

Click here to see the photos and videos from the Philidelphia event! 

Click here to see the photos and videos from the New York event!

The Witt Nation Washington, D.C., event was a success, thanks everyone who participated in the event. One of the moments that stood out most to me was after introductions, I found myself asking Alum, “So when’s the last time you’ve visited Ol’ Witt?” One, to get understanding of what they know and don’t know of our ever-changing campus, and two, out of my own curiosity for how long it’s been since they’ve been able to re-live some old Wittenberg memories and perhaps, create some new ones, as well. Surprising, but not uncommon, for some it’s been years since their return to campus.

I found myself chatting with hostess Peggy Tighe ’88, who, though she had not been back at Witt for some years, expressed her love for her undergraduate days and times as Ezra the Tiger, with such excitement and passion. It was as if she had just paraded around football games as our beloved mascot yesterday. One of the greatest things about Witt Nation is that it brings Wittenberg to the Alum in circumstances where the Alum, for whatever reason, have not been able to make it back to their alma mater.

I am very fortunate to have met the D.C. Alums! In the exciting and lively city of Washington, D.C., our Wittenberg Alums certainly gave the city a run for its money, keeping the stories and laughs coming all night!

Lauren R. Welch

Click this link to see pictures and videos from the D.C. event!

After a great night in Atlanta, we woke up this morning at 4 a.m. and were on the road to Raleigh. Miguel took over at the wheel, and the rest of us decided to get a little more sleep. When I woke up around 8, we were experiencing problems with the van. At first, it would not move out of 'park' and the dash read: service stability traction. After multiple attempts, Ben somehow managed to get it out of park, and we drove immediately to a dealer about 20 minutes away in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The staff there was unbelievably helpful and even drove us to a local establishment called "Papa's Breakfast Nook" while we waited to get the diagnosis on the van. Miguel and I each had their famous, "Trash Can Omelette," which was amazing. Next thing we knew, the van was pulling into the parking lot. The mechanic told us he had never seen that problem before but they checked it out on the computers and everything was okay. We hopped back in the van and took off towards Raleigh. We knew we were going to be a little late, but still hoped we could make most of the event. This was before our next problem occurred. We hit traffic in a constuction area and moved about three miles in one hour. Once we made it through, our GPS, better known as "Jill" told us our arrival time was 2:26 in Raleigh, almost two and a half hours after the 12 p.m. start.

Luckily, the event was in good hands with Board Member Stephanie  Rodelander '69. She organized the lunch and got the names of all the people there. We showed up to Raleigh about 2:45 for the service event at Brookside apartments. The apartments are a temporary shelter for families who have recently suffered from job or home loss. Finally on the scene, Miguel, Ben, Ashley and I unloaded the van to help out the alumni who were able to stick around after lunch. In two hours, we were able to clean three apartments that will soon be home to new families. When we were finished, Ashley and I talked to Ms. Wright, one of the managers at Brookside, who explained the mission of the apartments to us. She is very passionate about the apartments and the service they provide to the citizens of Raleigh. After the day's struggles, cleaning the apartments and talking to Ms. Wright was a refreshing experience. Even though we were late, we were really glad we still had the opportunity to help this great organization.

We apologize to the people who made it to the Raleigh event, but we have your sizes and the T-shirts are coming your way! Thanks for coming out to support Witt Nation. After the service event was complete, Miguel was off to the airport to catch a flight back home. We had a great three days with Miguel and his excitement will be missed tremendously. Like many of the Wittenberg professors, not only is he an amazing educator, he is a great person to spend time with outside of the classroom as well. Now, we just ate some Burger King and are on the road to the nation's capital to meet Psychology Professor Michael Anes, Political Science Professor Heather Wright, Matt McDonald '09 and Lauren Welch '10. We are excited for the event tomorrow and are expecting a big crowd!

Taylor

I'm writing from my birthplace. Yes, I was born in hotlanta, Ga. I made my move--or someone made it for me--when I was only two, but I digress. I can't tell you how impressed I am with Ashley and Ben--road warriors to say the least. They, like Taylor, have been patient with my prima donna-like antics. My visit to the home of country music, i.e., Nashville, was more eventful than I could have ever imagined. I realize Ashley mentioned "the judge" but I don't know whether she described our engagement at Tootsies, Paradise Palace, the White Horse Saloon and all the other Nashville establishments that took our hearts away. Imagine, I told my wife I was working. Conversations with Witt alum confirmed my belief that relationships are critical for our formation--ok too deep. We were treated to “shark tales” (a real shark bite no less) by Jack Nyiri class of 73, while Chris Patterson, class of 82, discussed his nostalgia-filled accounts of his Witt experience, and Leah, class of 04, remarked on her commitment to ‘philosophy’ –ok I gest. Remarkable it was to engage Witt alum. I had heard folks talk about the Witt family; this experience confirmed my suspicion that there really is something ‘there.’

If Nashville didn’t do the trick, Atlanta certainly put me over the top. Talking to alums and their respective others, I realized once again that the relationships are critical oh so critical. We hung out at the Park Tavern in Midtown bordering Piedmont Park. The spot was fantastic and the conversations were even better. Convincing Witt alum to share their stories for Ben’s open lens had its challenges, but once the stories started flowing, you couldn’t help but appreciate the authenticity that drives these folks. Please appreciate the fact that my undergrad experience was at Florida State University—30,000 thousand students. We didn’t have the opportunity to make these type of connections. Talking to Nicole about her life-affirming experiences at the hands of Carmiele Wilkerson and Mac continued to drive home the importance of relationships. After all, we have to be open to be moved by people. Students have the power to shape and influence our lives just as we, as faculty, have the power to shape their lives.

Overall, the hospitality and the warmth, including Mike Budney class of 05’s willingness to provide floor space in his (1)900 square foot apartment, reminds me of the importance of being part of a tight knit community. I can’t say I would be willing to wake up at 4 a.m. to drive 7 hours next year, but I do hope they will give me the opportunity to participate again. Did I say next year? Ashley and Ben still have 8 more days of Witt Nation fun left. Sorry I got ahead of myself.

Miguel

 Click here to see the photos and videos from Atlanta!

After a great night’s sleep in St Louis, we were off early to our next stop- Nashville.

The drive proved to be slightly longer than what we expected. We ran into miles and miles of construction and finally decided to get out the ol' Atlas to aid us in finding a detour. Once we arrived in the Music City, we picked up Philosophy Professor Miguel Martinez-Saenz from the airport. We then headed to the "world-famous" Tootsies to meet up with our Nashville alumni. Tootsies had two great country bands playing (Taylor and I, of course, loved the music).

We had a great showing of alumni, even more than we were expecting! We all ordered some of Tootsies famous food, and after Miguel’s tenth time of asking me about the BBQ Chips (that did not exist) I had to explain to him, after we had received our food, that it was BBQ with Chips, NOT BBQ Chips.

Once the event was over we traveled with some of the alumni across the street to Paradise Park... the bar was designed to look like a trailer park. We even met the "judge" of the park, he was very entertaining to say the least. The next morning we ate breakfast at the Loveless Cafe with Jack '73, Cheryl and Chris '10 Nyiri. Apparently, Carrie Underwood had eaten there the week before. We were hoping to see someone famous, but I'm pretty sure we were the closest people to fame there.

We are now on the road heading down to Atlanta. We are excited to see what's in store for us as we embark on our journey along the East coast.

~Ashley

Click on this link to see pictures from the event!

After spending the summer back at Witt and reading the blogs every morning, it is exciting to be on the journey and writing a blog of my own. I jumped in the van yesterday in St. Louis to meet Ashley, Ben and Tammy Proctor just a few hours before the event.

The crew seemed to be doing well, and while I thought Ben and Ashley would be exhausted, they were in good spirits. (Can you believe they have already lasted 3 weeks and still have 10 more days to go?!) When we got to Harry's, it was apparent I was with professionals. Before I could find the door to get out of the van, Ben and Ashley had the T-shirts, stickers and other giveaways dug out of the van; they knew where to find the wrinkle spray for their shirts and double checked if they needed the tide pen.

We had a great night meeting the St. Louis alumni and getting to hear about their Wittenberg experiences. As a follower of Witt Nation all summer, it was exciting to get to hear stories from alumni first-hand rather than through the videos. Meeting with the alumni, we talked a lot about how campus has changed over time; although buildings (and roads) may not be what they used to be, the people still have the same love for Wittenberg and realize what an incredible place it is.

Taylor

Click this link to see the photos and videos from St. Louis!