CULTURE
ABANDONED CHIPPEWA LAKE PARK
By Ashley Santore
 Chippewa Lake Park Museum |
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 The Wild Mouse |
 Sound Stage |
 Tumble Bug |
 Ferris Wheel |
 Little Dipper |
 Ferris Wheel |
Chippewa Lake Park was once a great amusement park that was located in Medina County, Ohio. The park originally opened in 1878, but would fall to hard-times, which would lead to its inevitable closure in 1978, a mere 100 years after its opening.
Today, the park is much is still standing, but not operating to rot and deteriorate, and ultimately be reclaimed by nature.
THE ERIE SHORE: AU STUDENTS SPEND SUMMER WORKING AT CEDAR POINT
Produced and edited by Ashley Santore, Chris Beisel, Alexis Robertson
Ashland is conveniently located in central Ohio, between Cleveland and Columbus. Similarly, Sandusky is only about an hour away--known to many AU students as the location of Cedar Point. While Cedar Point is in fact known as a thrill-seeking amusement park, many AU students flock to Cedar Point for employment opportunities.
THE GROWTH OF ASHLAND UNIVERSITY GREEK LIFE
By Hallie Carrino
Today at Ashland University, over 20% of the students are Greek. In Ashland’s 130 year history, Greek Life on campus has only made up less than a third of it. Since 1964, Greek Life at AU has grown exponentially. Take a look!
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ASHLAND UNIVERSITY VERSUS ASHLAND COLLEGE
By Audry Art
Ashland University wasn't always known as AU. In 1989, college officials decided to change the name of the institution to Ashland University, better representing what the school had become.Virginia Goble shares her experience at Ashland College, and how everything has changed from the transformation of the mascot Tuffy to the demolition and creation of buildings.
THE PURPLE & GOLD: A LOOK BACK INTO OLD ASHLAND COLLEGE TRADITIONS
By Ashley Santore
Every University has their own set of traditions and stories that are passed down from generation to generation. If you went to Youngstown State University, you would learn that after a Penguin victory, the marching band always will march through the campus to their fight song, and gather around the old rock, that has spray paint so thick that it would almost be impossible to peel off to sing the YSU alma mater and pay homage to their university fair. If you went to Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pa. you would know that it’s considered bad luck to step on University seal in Old Main. Ashland University is no different, and having been around since 1878 we have our own fair share of traditions that have been passed down through the years. Although some have been lost with time, and faded into the background, some are still prominent today and are as large of a piece of history here at Ashland University, as they were back when we were Ashland College.
“Most of the Ashland College traditions disappeared by the end of the 1960's,” explained Don Rinehart, who is a Professor Emeritus of Religion at Ashland University, and also graduated from the College in 1959. “This was a period of unrest on college campuses, Viet Nam, student protests, anti-administration, and so on.”
TUG-OF-WAR, HOMECOMING AND DINKS
One of the old traditions that began at the turn of the century when freshman students would have to wear beanie hats upon arrival to Ashland College’s campus, and by wearing the beanies (called “dinks”). The wearing of the dink was to signify to the upperclassmen that they were freshman. At the time, it was not out of the ordinary that if a freshman was caught without their dink, the freshman would have to carry upperclassmen’s books, holding the doors open, or shine the upperclassmen’s shoes.
“You would have to carry with you matches, you would have to know the school fight song, things along those lines,” explained Dr. Duncan Jamieson, Ashland University History Professor. “You would have to defer to upperclassmen, tip your dink to them, carry their books anything that would be mildly embarrassing.”
The only way that the freshmen would be allowed to take off the beanie, would be for them to compete in a Tug-of-War contest during Homecoming weekend against the sophomore class. If they won, they wouldn’t be bound by this tradition, and could take off their dinks. If they lost; however, they would have to wear them for the remainder of the semester.
THAT'S A LOAD OF BLARNEY!
Out of all Ashland Traditions that have been passed down throughout the years, the one that is very much alive in today’s campus culture is the painting of the rocks. Although most students are probably not aware, this tradition dates back to 1914, when the “Blarney Stone” was donated to the University.
“It was a place on campus where you would become engaged,” Jamieson explained. “You would have the boy, man if you prefer, would have some kind of spiel to talk the woman into marrying him, a line of blarney, if you will.”
Like the other traditions of the time, the Blarney Stone became the focus of the various class feuds. Each class would take turns painting the rock their own unique class colors, and in some accounts, the rock would sometimes change colors multiple times per night.
“Somehow the idea got into the student’s minds that the rock belonged to the sophomores, and they would paint it their colors. Then the freshmen would come along and paint it their colors. The idea was that the freshman were not permitted to sit on the rock, and it was only open to upperclassmen,” described Jamieson.
Despite the passing of time, and the demise of the rivalry between the classes, this tradition is still very much alive today. The tradition throughout the years transferred itself to the hands of the various Greek organizations that exist on our campus, and spread to the point where every rock on Ashland’s campus is covered in thick layers of spray paint.
FRESHIE! FRESHIE! GOT YOUR GOATIE!
At the turn of the century, AC played host to a goat farm on campus. Dr. L.L. Garber, who was an English professor and chair of the department used part of Ashland’s campus to graze his goats. Both Garber, and the president at the time Dr. A. J. Allen Miller, enjoyed the goat milk. Eventually, the professor’s goats began disappearing and they would later appear in odd places around campus, such as tied to a faculty member’s desk or in front of a classroom. This led the students devise a new idea, and the senior class brought a toy stuffed goat named “Billie” or “Little William.”
During this period of time, the AC population was split by the idea of sister classes; the seniors and sophomores, and the juniors and freshman. With the toy goat involved, the sister classes battled for ownership of the stuffed goat.
“The goat belonged to the senior class, obviously they’re leaving, and they would pass it to the sophomore class,” described Jamieson. “The freshman and junior classes’ intent was to steal the goat from the sophomore and senior class, which they would always do during Chapel.”
At the time, AC had mandated Chapel services for its students. This gave the students the perfect opportunity to pass-the-goat. According to Rinehart, during the May Day festivities seniors would come into the Chapel yelling, “Freshie! Freshie! Got your goatie!” and toss the stuffed goat out of the window. The freshman and juniors would run after said goat, but little did they know that a sophomore student would be outside the window waiting to catch it.
LIBERATING THE EAGLES
You can’t walk five feet on Ashland University’s campus today without noticing the four-foot-tall, cast iron Eagles that stand as a guardian at the entrance to every building on campus. They’ve become a part of the culture here at AU, and they were very much a part of the tradition at AC. The eagles did not just migrate to AC by choice; however, they were an act of thievery. Most of the eagles on campus today were actually stolen from the J.I. Case Company.
It wasn’t until the summer of 1940 when the first eagle, Louie, made his way to campus. Faculty and students alike were confused by the appearance of the Eagle and he stood proudly on-top of the scoreboard in the old Redwood Stadium for many years.The years would pass, and more and more eagles would make their nest at AC.
One of the eagles, Kate had been recently liberated by Don Rinehart, Lonnie Eagle, Dick Osgood and Kenny Mundorf. After the long “self-sacrificing” drive to Lebanon, Ohio and back, the eagle, who would be named Kate, would find her nest in front of Myers Hall.
“Myers Hall was nearly completed spring of 1959 and Kate thought that would be a wonderful location for her to rest after the long journey to Ashland,” said Rinehart.
The eagle was named Kate after the woman who donated to build Myer’s Hall, and still resides in her perch to this day.
An article in the Ashland Times Gazette in 1977 claimed that, “The eagles represent a tradition to the AC students, something steady and constant in a time when everything around them was changing at a steadily faster and faster pace.”
And change it did. Over the next few years, the number of Case Eagles that migrated to the campus grew exponentially. Ultimately, the campus would have 22 Case Eagles, the last of which to nest on campus is the eagle that now resides in front of the old Tau Kappa Epsilon house, which was liberated by the Sigma Nu’s in the spring of 1968.
Beyond the liberation of the eagles by AC students, there were other traditions revolving around the Case Eagles. For example, one of the very first Eagles, Louise who stood outside of Miller Hall until its removal in 2010, had a piggy bank shaped hole in her beak from where the eagle was cast together. It became a tradition for students to put change into her beak, in the idea that they would have good luck on their exams.
 Case EagleOne of the Case Eagles stands proudly outside of Bixler. |  Time passesThe clock stands between the library and the quad. |
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 The QuadThe Quad at Ashland University looked very much like it does today. |  Ashland CollegeAshland as a college was founded in 1878. |
 The Blarney StoneThe Blarney Stone was a popular place for students to get engaged at the turn of the century on AC's campus. |  The DinksFreshman at Ashland College were bound by tradition to wear little beanies, called "dinks." |
THE PASSAGE OF TIME
By Matthew Erickson
Time has a way of changing things. It has a way of bending and shaping the world around us. One thing that has certainly changed through the years is Ashland University. It has been molded and morphed. The past holds many stories though, and the history of AU holds many as well. There are a few similarities between the two.
Nevertheless, Ashland College was a different world in a different time. An open window under the fire escape allowed a group of men access into Allen Hall. The bunch ran in, yelling and laughing. They snatched a bra lying about and dashed for the open window. A disheveled dorm mother was hurrying up the stairs in an attempt to catch the intruders. They were long gone by the time she reached the window, however. The swiped bra hung from the flag pole the next morning.
Lonnie Eagle had a smile in his eye after recounting that story. The other members of the group had forced him to tell it saying that he was the one who went on most “dorm raids” as they were referred to back in the day. Dick Osgood was also a frequent participant in these activities. The others had a great time laughing at him about it. The group mentioned refers to five Ashland College graduates, who all attended AC around 1960.
Dorm raids and the rules that they broke are just the beginning on a long line of differences between AU and AC. As another example there were no male dorms for quite some time. While this seems absolutely foreign now the men who attended AC had to live off campus. They were required to find lodging around town. Many moved into homes that rented out rooms for that specific purpose. All of the fighting that happens at AU to live off campus never was even thought of. Eventually Jacobs Hall became a male dorm and housed the gentlemen.There was one women’s dorm on campus, Allen Hall. Living on campus had many rules that came with it. For instance, students had to sign in and out of the building. The students had a curfew that they had to abide by, 9 p.m. on weeknights to be exact. If not signed in by that time the students were fined per minute tardy. If an individual were to return 10 minutes late that person would be placed on campus restriction. Campus restriction means exactly what it sounds like. There was no arguing these disciplinary actions. In this age rules were rules and that was clear.
“You did what you were told,” comments Janet (Klingensmith) Rinehart with a laugh.
If curfews and fines were not enough, the students of Ashland College were subject to room inspections. “There was a dorm mother, usually about 95 years old, and usually about as fun as a train wreck,” reflected Ann (Lindower) Eagle with a laugh. These checks were not searching for contraband but they were checking to ensure that the rooms were clean. Even in the male dorms these would happen.“You had inspection once a week,” Dr. Don Rinehart said. “You had to have your room cleaned up.”
As difficult as it is to have a party at Ashland University now, it was next to impossible in the ‘60s. There was no dancing allowed on campus. At one point the Student Senate attempted to hold a dance off campus to abide by these rules.
Janet Rinehart began telling a story of advertising for the dance. “I was hanging flyers and a man from the seminary began walking behind me ripping down the flyers I had just put up,” she said.
They had the dance regardless and it was a hit at the college.Many of the Student Senate-sponsored events were popular. There were no parties or TV shows to be competed with. The campus-sponsored events were what was happening, or you made your own event. A student’s event certainly didn’t include alcohol though. Any alcohol consumption could get a student expelled from the college. The college hosted pep rallies and bon fires. Students could find ping pong and bowling in the student center. All of these things point to the fact that there were many things available if a student chose to look. Ann Eagle said that she and her friends “constantly looked for something fun to do.”
This group of friends certainly found ways to do just that. There were so many stories, so many laughs. When recalling their college days many of them smile fondly. They laugh, tease and reminisce. The reason that these people had such an amazing college experience is simple: people bonded. The friendships that were made were lasting. This is one important factor that remains the same between Ashland College and Ashland University.It is about the people. College is about the friends you make and the memories you make with those friends. These five friends graduated roughly 50 years ago and yet they are still prevalent in each other’s lives.