ORSA 2014: Catching Fire on the Cuyahoga
Ohio Recreational Sports Association     |      September 2014, vol. 3
ORSA 2014: Catching Fire on the Cuyahoga
Cleveland, Ohio Skyline
The 2014 Ohio Recreational Sports Association (ORSA) State Workshop will be hosted by the Campus Recreation Services staff at Cleveland State University from Wednesday, October 22nd through Friday, October 24th, 2014.

For those of you not familiar with Cleveland’s vast history, the Cuyahoga River (which means ‘crooked river’ in the Native American langue of Iroquoian) has made Cleveland infamous for the polluted river fires of 1952 and 1969.  The river fire of 1952 caused damage in excess of $1 million dollars and the river fire of 1969 made the cover of Time magazine.  While the fires influenced popular culture song lyrics, stirred national debate, and coined Cleveland as the “The Mistake on the Lake” it was the driving force of future regulations of national water supplies in the United States and the eventual creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Today, the restored Cuyahoga River is one of the most important waterways channeling imports and exports to and from Cleveland via the five Great Lakes, Saint Lawrence Seaway, and five oceans worldwide.

We encourage attendees at the ORSA State Workshop to take what they learn back to their campus and be the driving force for change and improvement.   
 
To learn more about Cleveland State University, click here.

ORSA Auction Items 
Please remember we are in need of donation items to auction off during the Thursday evening banquet at the Arcade. Proceeds from the auction provide funding to 30+ annual ORSA, Region III Student Lead On, and NIRSA scholarships. Please contact Rob Jech at jech.2@osu.edu if you plan on bringing items.

ORSA Extramural Travel Stipend
The ORSA Extramural Committee is excited to announce a new travel stipend for those interested in pursuing extramural officiating opportunities. The Extramural Travel Stipend can be used by Ohio students to help offset the cost of attending regional, state, and national events. Limited funds are available, and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 
Additionally, the ORSA Extramural Committee will be assisting the University of Dayton in hosting the Region III Flag Football Workshop October 4-5. Please contact Matt Ferdinand at mferdinand1@udayton.edu for information regarding the registration of your student officials for this educational event.

ORSA Registration - Early Bird by September 29
Registration for the 2014 ORSA State Workshop is now open.  Please be sure to register by September 29, 2014 to get early bird pricing.  Cleveland State University Campus Recreation Services asks everyone to answer all of the conference information questions so they may accurately plan the logistical needs for the state workshop. 
 
Click here to register today!

The Wyndham Hotel: Cleveland
ORSA Hotel - Book by September 29   
The host hotel is the Wyndham at Cleveland Playhouse located at 1260 Euclid, Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.  The room rate for this year’s state workshop is $109/per night ($126.99 with tax/per night).  The Wyndham at Cleveland Playhouse is a proud partner of Cleveland State University and they have provided ORSA with a 40% discount on our nightly room rate for the duration of the state workshop.    

Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel directly at 216.615.7500 and referencing the room block under “ORSA Annual State Workshop”.  Reservations call also be made on-line, and please use the group code “1022142OR”.  The ORSA group rate will be available until October 1, 2014.  Any reservations made after this time period are subject to hotel availability and current room rates. 

For more hotel information, learn more here.

Sleep at the Rec for FREE during ORSA!
We are extending an invitation to all ORSA State Workshop attendees for FREE overnight accommodations at the Cleveland State University Recreation Center on Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23.  The Recreation Center has the following FREE facilities and amenities available to our overnight guests: individual shower and restroom stalls in the men, women, and inclusive locker rooms; unlimited towel service for showering or working out, and limited number of sleeping bags and yoga mats for mattresses.  Attendees staying at the Recreation Center are asked to bring bedding (i.e. sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.) and any personal toiletry items. Please feel free to contact Nick Froelich with any questions. 
Cleveland State University's Campus Recreation Center

ORSA Committee Application - Due October 1 
Please consider getting involved in the largest and most active state association in NIRSA.  No prior committee experience is required and we welcome first time applicants.  The application deadline is Wednesday, October 1, 2014.  Each committee and their team members will be announced on Friday, October 10, 2014.  We are asking each committee applicant to be available during the ORSA State Workshop on Friday, October 24 from 9:00am until 9:30am.  There will be a brief welcome and we will outline a few of the new initiatives for the year. All current committee chairs do not need to reapply, but current non-committee chairs do need to reapply on an annual basis.
 
Fill out the ORSA Committee Application today!

ORSA Keynote Speakers Announced
Peter Lawson Jones
PETER LAWSON JONES is an attorney, business consultant, professional actor, voice-over artist, political commentator and public speaker.
 
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College in Government and graduate of Harvard Law School, Mr. Jones has received over fifty awards and honors for his governmental, civic and political work.  He has been listed in the Who’s Who in American Politics.
From February 2002 through December 2010, Mr. Jones served as a member of the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners and for three of those years as its president.  Mr. Jones previously served two and one-half terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he was the ranking member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee and second vice president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. He was formerly the Vice Mayor and a Councilman in the City of Shaker Heights, Ohio.  He was the first African-American ever nominated to run for lieutenant governor in the history of the state of Ohio.  In addition, he previously served as special counsel for the Ohio attorney general and associate bar examiner for the Supreme Court of Ohio.  
 
Mr. Jones, has appeared in over a dozen films as well as on network television. Among his many credits are “Alex Cross” and ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7.”  He has appeared in plays at numerous venues throughout Northeast Ohio and in staged readings Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane and the Ensemble Studio theatres.  His drama, “The Family Line,” has been successfully produced at Karamu Performing Arts Theatre, Harvard University and Ohio State University and has received staged readings at several other venues. In addition to his work as an on-air political analyst at WEWS-TV5 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Boyd Yarbrough
DR. BOYD YARBROUGH is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Cleveland State University. He leads the departments of Student Life and Campus Support Services, which encompass functions across the university including campus recreation services; residence life & housing; health and wellness services; dining; student organizations, events, activities; and more.
 
Dr. Yarbrough came to CSU with extensive leadership, management, and strategic 
planning experience from a diversity of roles in higher education.  He most recently served at Furman University for 14 years in a number of roles including Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Planning, Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, and Director of University Housing. Before Furman, he worked in higher education administration at Frostburg State University and Florida State University. He received his doctorate in education from Florida State, a master of arts in human development and psychological counseling from Appalachian State University and a bachelor of arts in phychology from Furman University.

Pickwick & Frolic (Left) and The Arcade (Right)
ORSA Wednesday Evening Social
We hope everyone will be able to join us in the Gateway District of downtown Cleveland at Pickwick & Frolic Restaurant & Club (left) on Wednesday, October 22 from 7:00pm until 10:00pm. We will have exclusive use of the retro designed Martini Bar & Taproom. Hors d’oeuvres will include: chorizo stuffed date wrapped in bacon; chicken and black bean taquito; edamame dumpling; vegetables and dip; breads and spreads, and assorted artisan cheese displays. Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to attend.
 
Please click here for more information.
ORSA Thursday Evening Banquet & Auction
Downtown Cleveland is rich in history and no other venue showcases this history quite like The Arcade (pictured at right). Once known as Cleveland’s Crystal Palace -- The Arcade has been one of Cleveland’s best-known landmarks for over 100 years.  The Arcade was the first building in Cleveland and the ninth building in the United States to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
 
Dinner will be served at 7:00pm and will feature locally crafted and grown products from Ohio City Pasta. Workshop participants will be able to choose from a variety of pastas, sauces, and toppings.  Dinner will be followed by an always entertaining auction.
 
Please click here for more information.
ORSA Thursday Evening Social
What better way to celebrate Oktoberfest and the ORSA state workshop than the place where the Bavarian party originated. 
Hofbrauhaus Cleveland
This brand new 24,000 square foot entertainment venue located in Playhouse Square is affiliated with the original Hofbrauhaus and is slated to open in September 2014.  ORSA will be the first organization to utilize the establishment in a group social setting. 

This Cleveland restaurant serves delicious pretzels and other hearty traditional Germanic fare.  It includes three floors and a number of private and public rooms.  The most prominent of these rooms is the 450-seat hall where ORSA attendees will be able to mingle and enjoy the sounds of a Polka band playing on stage.  This hall has large tables and communal seating so you can meet new people and make new friends. 
Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Title Sponsor  
Design Fitness
ORSA 2014 Title Sponsor: Design Fitness

These Boots Were Made for Walkin'...
This year’s state workshop will be held within a 1-square mile district of downtown Cleveland.  Parking comes at a premium in a major metropolitan city and therefore we are strongly encouraging all workshop attendees to park your vehicle and walk the duration of the state workshop.

Target 250
Target 250  
ORSA and Cleveland State has a goal of registering 250 attendees to make this the largest ORSA State Workshop in our 40-year history.  Help us to reach this goal by registering today!

Cleveland State University
About Cleveland State University
Cleveland State’s home is the heart of the city sitting on 85-acres of land encompassing over 40 academic spaces located north to south between Chester Avenue and Euclid Avenue and east to west between East 17th Street and East 30th Street. Campus and downtown Cleveland has bustled with excitement over the past decade as a $500 million campus makeover has sparked a downtown renaissance.  Enrollment has increased year-over-year and we are proud to boast a population in excess of 18,000 students.  With eight colleges and more than 200 academic programs Cleveland State is committed to being a best-in-class urban university for the 21st century.  Please join us for the 2014 ORSA State Workshop and experience Cleveland State University and downtown Cleveland!
Cleveland State University Campus Recreation Center
2420 Chester Avenue  •  Cleveland, OH 44115  •  216.802.3200  •   csurec.com