New Awareness Month Activity for the Social Work Club

Yesterday, the Social Work Club met to make ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At the most recent meeting, the club voted on doing small projects like this each month in order to raise awareness for different issues. For breast cancer awareness, the group gathered to make ribbons as well as write down facts about breast cancer. One in eight women in their lifetime will be diagnosed with breast cancer. For more information about breast health and early detection, visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

For more information about Social Work Club, please contact ahiggins@ashland.edu or hfalter@ashland.edu.

The Cleveland Urban Plunge

For the past 25 years, the Cleveland Urban Plunge has been a tradition in the Social Work department. Senior Social Work majors devote a Saturday in the fall semester to learning more about urban life and the struggles that come with it. Though previously held over an entire weekend, the shortened Urban Plunge still has a lot to offer students. 

A first-hand look at poverty and homelessness can be incredibly powerful. “This trip has enabled me to understand myself and how I react to certain situations,” said senior Hillary Falter, “I definitely went out of my comfort zone, but I believe it changed me for the better and I am more thankful for what I have.”

When asked about the most memorable moment of the trip, Jennifer Tenbrook talked about a man she had met on the trip named Ray. He had been homeless since 2005, when he moved to Cleveland after Hurricane Katrina. “Even though he has been homeless for 8 years, he was still very happy and outgoing, as though nothing could possibly bring him down.”

Hillary also commented on the positive attitudes of people she met on the trip. “Despite the situations these individuals have encountered, they did not fail to stay positive-- how powerful is that?”

For more information about the Social Work and Family Studies Department, visit our website.

Social Work Seniors Travel to Cleveland

This past weekend, senior Social Work majors participated in the Urban Plunge, a trip to Cleveland with the purpose of looking at the challenges of living in an urban area. Stay tuned for further details on the trip, as well as students' reactions to the experience, later this week.

Amanda Roberts, Maureen Centa, Nikki Wrubel, Bethanee
Burden, Jennifer Tenbrook, Elizabeth Marconi, Hillary Falter,
Hillary Krause, and Katelyn Exner on the Urban Plunge

50th Anniversary March on Washington Event

Last Wednesday, the Ashland Center for Nonviolence celebrated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington event. Students, staff members, and citizens of Ashland gathered at the Ashland Theological Seminary and walked with signs down College Avenue, proceeding to the Eagle’s Nest on campus to view footage of the original march as well as watch the “I Have a Dream” speech. Following the speech, the group discussed the meanings of the speech, the effects of the march, and the continued fight for equality that still exists today. Approximately 50 people of all ages participated in the event.

For more information on the Ashland Center for Nonviolence and their programs, please visit their website.

Nancy Udolph, a Social Work department faculty member, with
students at the March (L-R: Jennifer Williams, Diana Anchundia,
and Jessie Ryder)

First Social Work Club Meeting

Last week, Ashland’s Social Work Club met for the first time this school year. Pizza, pop, and cookies were served to students as upcoming events were discussed.

Social Work Club’s major event, Skip-A-Meal, is quickly approaching. Skip-A-Meal is an annual fundraiser where Social Work Club members collect meal swipes outside of the Eagles Nest to provide food baskets to charity. It is a week-long event and counts for community service hours as well as professional identity credit. The date for this year’s Skip-A-Meal has not been set, but the executive committee is looking at potentially having it during the first three weeks in October. For any conflicts or questions, please email one of the group’s Co-Presidents at ahiggins@ashland.edu or hfalter@ashland.edu.

The group also discussed the purchase of t-shirts for this school year. Last year’s shirts were very popular and the possibility of changing the design or color was also brought up. Please email ahiggins@ashland.edu or hfalter@ashland.edu if you are interested or have ideas for new shirts. The price would be approximately $10 per shirt.

AU Social Work program now offering a minor in Family Studies

This fall, exciting changes have taken place within the Social Work department. Many students were taken aback last year when Ashland University announced the elimination of the Family Studies major. This year, the Department of Social Work has now become the Department of Social Work and Family Studies.

A Child and Family Studies minor is now offered and can be completed in just 15 credit hours’ worth of courses, many of which closely tie into the already existing Social Work curriculum. For instance, Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (a course that examines the relationship among biological, social, and psychological systems) is a part of both the Social Work and Family Studies curriculum (click here to view a full list of courses for a Family Studies minor).

Dr. Michael Vimont, head of the Social Work and Family Studies Department, believes this to be a very beneficial change for both current students as well as future students beginning their search for potential college programs.

For more information about the Social Work and Family Studies Department, visit our website.

Summer has almost arrived...

We wish everyone a wonderful & safe summer break!

Congratulations to all graduating seniors!