Ohio Northern University to honor veterans with wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery
By Jose Nogueras
ADA — Ohio Northern University will honor veterans of the U.S. Armed Services by participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 12:15 p.m.
President Daniel A. DiBiasio, Athletic Director Tom Simmons, and student-athletes Kristina Klusek, a 2015 ONU graduate from Canton, Mich., and Jason Luthman, a senior mechanical engineering major from Bellbrook, Ohio, will represent ONU at the ceremony.
DiBiasio said, "Ohio Northern is honored and humbled by this tremendous opportunity. ONU's commitment to honoring those who have given so much to the country can be traced back to the establishment of ONU, and this ceremony is a continuation of our support for the U.S. Armed Forces."
Simmons has been instrumental in organizing this trip as well as past ceremonies to honor veterans at athletic events, such as a Veterans Appreciation Day during a 2012 football game and recognizing members of the Wounded Warrior Project at football games the past two years. He said this is a continuation of ONU's athletic support of the men and women who have served.
Simmons added that he selected Klusek and Luthman because it was important to choose individuals who embody what it is like to be a student-athlete. Klusek, who graduated with a degree in nursing, was a standout soccer player, and in her four years she was named OAC Forward of the Year once, All-OAC twice and an Academic All-OAC selection twice. This year, she also received the Clyde Lamb Award, which recognizes the top female athlete in the OAC. Luthman has been named an Academic All-OAC selection twice and has won numerous OAC swimming championships.
Ohio Northern University's quality, student-centered education distinctively combines nationally ranked sciences, arts and professional programs for more than 3,600 students in its five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Pharmacy and Law.