Breakfast with an Alum

Jessica Borer,
Senior, Electrical Engineering

Athens, OH 19 October 2011 – Another great part of Homecoming weekend is interacting with all the alumni who come back. I had the chance to have breakfast with one particular alum, Ms. Carla Lucchino. She is currently the Assistant for Administration to the Secretary of the Navy, which means she works in the Pentagon; and her boss regularly attends soirees with the President at the White House. She returned to OU this Homecoming to receive the Ohio University Medal of Merit for her accomplishments.

She received her Masters from Ohio University in industrial and systems engineering. From there she worked as Assistant Chief of Operations Management at the Defense Logistics Agency, where she helped make part of the Army more efficient.

She has worked for the Defense Logistics Agency, Lockheed-Martin Missiles and Space, and the Defense Contract Management Agency. After many more prestigious titles she now works for the Secretary of the Navy. For her current position, she works as a kind of ‘mayor’ to her section of the Pentagon, where anyone in her section can come to her with any type of issue and she figures out how to solve it. She oversees numerous employees and makes sure they continuously work to her standards.

Not only did this breakfast open my eyes to some possibilities of where I could be working if I work hard enough, but she also gave us resume and interview tips. Now she is the one holding interviews and reading over resumes. It was pretty cool that someone who has held these types of jobs and has accomplished so much graduated from Ohio University, and was willing to have breakfast with me because I am currently a student at OU.

Homecoming 2011

Abby Frankart, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Athens, OH 18 October 2011 – Homecoming at Ohio University is not only a fun opportunity for alumni to enjoy college again, but it is also a great weekend for current students.

To start, there is the parade that goes the wrong way up one-way Court Street. The street lines up with students supporting student organizations, Athens fire department and law enforcement, political parties, and the homecoming court. Voting for homecoming king and queen is a tradition not left behind in high school (though the homecoming dance is!!).

There is also the chance to show your school spirit by attending the football game. This year the stadium was packed with undergrads, grad students, and alumni alike in support of the Bobcats.

Another great opportunity that many don’t associate with homecoming is the fact that a lot of distinguished alumni come back to campus. This homecoming I had the privilege of meeting Carla Lucchino who is the highest ranked civilian in the Navy and recent recipient of the Medal of Merit from Ohio University. Myself and a few other students were able to listen to her speak in one of our classes as well as have breakfast with her.

Showing school spirit, meeting distinguished alumni, and enjoying the parade are just some of the fun things during homecoming weekend.

Homecoming Pride

Bill Kandel, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Athens, OH 17 October 2011 – This weekend reminded me how beautiful Athens can be in the fall. The temperature was perfect–in the low 70’s, the skies were clear, and the smell of fall filled the air. Yet this weekend was not about the weather; this weekend, like all things Ohio University, was about the people. It was about bringing together of the entire Bobcat family, with people from all over the nation, and even world, to celebrate the Green and White. Alumni, facility, staff, and students all witnessed many heartwarming experiences this homecoming. Alumni filled the stadiums, streets, and bars renewing Ohio University pride for another year.

The Homecoming parade was probably my favorite part of the entire weekend. Thousands of alumni, students, facility and their children filled the street united in their sense of Ohio pride. The Marching 110 topped off the parade in the company of the alumni band in a beautiful demonstration of Ohio unity. You’re not a Bobcat for four years; you’re a Bobcat for life. I had the honor of meeting people that graduated in the 1960’s to 5 year old children wearing Bobcat shirts that read “Class of 2028” (If that doesn’t make you feel old I don’t know what will). Regardless the reason for being there it was great to see the pride of Ohio at its finest. There’s no place like Ohio University home.