Spare time

Photos by Kevin Fitzsimons Dave Horn, professor of entomology, takes a turn on the lanes.

Faculty and staff bowling league is Monday night institution

By Susan Wittstock, onCAMPUS staff

It's 6:15 p.m. Monday, and every lane at Sawmill Lanes in northwest Columbus is occupied. The heavy thud of balls landing and rolling toward the hoped for destination of 10 pins fills the air, as does the thick murmur of conversations, punctuated by the sound of hands slapping in high fives.

Fifteen of the bowling alley's 52 lanes are occupied by the Ohio State Faculty and Staff Bowling League, a well-organized but unofficial group of self-described mediocre bowlers who get together for the mere joy of the game.

"If you're too good, we don't want you," said Joan Jerauld, president of the league and an office associate for the Department of Animal Science.

Jerauld, a slender woman dressed for this evening's sport in a long-sleeved white T-shirt and blue jeans, is sitting at a table on lane 33 with her newlywed husband Peter; her boss and team captain, Dave Latshaw, professor of animal science; and George Johnson, retired professor and chair of animal science.

"When I came here from Cornell in '55, they told me two things -- to bowl and to join the Faculty Club," said Johnson, who at 84 years old, is his team's eldest bowler.

Some 45 years later, Jerauld had a similar experience. "When I interviewed for my job, that was the first thing they asked: ‘Can you bowl?'" Jerauld said, and shared a laugh across the table with Latshaw.

Left to right: Jonathan Khan, Candy Martinson, Cary Daniel, Dave Horn, Eric Zwierschke, Dawn Farver, Norm Fausey and Lee Luckeydoo.

The league, which this year has 15 four-person teams of faculty, staff, students and University friends, has been in existence for decades, with estimates of its starting date hovering around 1938 and 1940. It meets once a week, with the year divided into two series, culminating in a bowl-off in May between the two top teams to determine the year's champion. Last year, Team Dairy Science bowled their way to top honors and Jerauld has the large trophy on display in her office to prove it.

Tonight, Dairy Science is having a less than stellar night. They're up against a new team, Ed's Pin Heads, comprised of Ohio State dental student Marilyn Machusick and three of her twenty-something friends. The Pin Heads (named in homage to the NBC television show) demonstrate team spirit by dressing in matching red T-shirts that proclaim "Stuckey Bowl" on the back.

Dairy Science has its moments, though. Johnson takes three quick steps on his lane and drops the ball as he executes a low hop, and the ball careens down the alley and neatly topples all of the pins. He turns his back to the lanes and punches his right arm in victory, and returns to the table for high fives all around. "All right, George!" Jerauld hoots.

"One of the really good things about this league is that it lets people -- the whole campus community -- get acquainted with each other," Johnson said.

It is a sentiment echoed by many of those bowling tonight.

Down at lane 19, Dave Horn, professor of entomology, is enjoying the company of his lab's graduate student, Jonathan Kahn, a newbie participating in his second league evening; Cary Daniel, a former University librarian, wearing a garish green softball shirt that says "Maggots"; and Candy Martinson, who is the former assistant curator of the University's insect collection.

Horn's team, the Zoo-Ent Maggots, are playing against FABE, named for the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Martinson bowls a strike, and receives the requisite high-fives from the other Maggots.

"With Ohio State being so big, it's hard to get to know people outside of our immediate area," Horn said. He leaned forward to make his voice heard above the chatter around him. "This is a chance to get to know others around the University. I probably wouldn't interact with 90 percent of these people otherwise."

Sawmill Lanes is the sixth bowling alley Bob Ringer has bowled in with the faculty and staff league.

People like Bob Ringer, a retired assistant to the vice president of human resources and director of payroll who has bowled in the league since 1945. Ringer, dressed in slacks and a light blue dress shirt, is revered by fellow bowlers for his staying power. Sawmill Lanes is the sixth bowling alley Ringer has bowled in with the league, including lanes at the Ohio and Drake unions on campus.

"Each alley keeps getting torn down and we have to go somewhere else," said Ringer, who is bowling tonight on lane 21 for Team Bursar. "They may throw us out of here. Who knows?"

His comment earned him a nod and laugh from teammate Blair Jenson, a retired professor of plant pathology who has bowled in the league since 1946.

Although advanced in age, Ringer and Jenson still relish the chance each week to come and exchange good natured barbs with one another between turns on the lane. This evening, their non-strategy of simply aiming to hit pins is working: they have beat Team New Comers in the first two games.

Meanwhile, back on lane 22, the Dairy Science team is still duking it out with Ed's Pin Heads. After losing the first game, Dairy Science rallied to win the second. Halfway through the third, the teams are playing fairly evenly.

"There's a total of four points that we play for," Jerauld explained. "Three games and then the total of pins."

By 8:30 p.m., the evening is winding down. Jerauld and her teammates do their best, but the final glory belongs to the Pin Heads, who win the third game as well as the final tally of pins knocked down.

As she changes out of her bowling shoes, Jerauld is in good spirits, despite the loss.

"They were good," she said, and nodded respectfully toward the departing winners. "We lost tonight, but three out of four games we win, so who cares?"

Throughout the alley, balls are zipped into bags, bowling shoes are untied and replaced with sneakers and loafers, and farewells are said. Winners and losers exchange well-wishes, knowing that next week will bring a clean scorecard to fill with x's and slashes.

Jerauld smiled and shrugged her shoulders, her coat buttoned and bag in hand.

"It's all for fun."

For more information, contact Mike Boyle, league secretary, at 688-4212 or boyle.6@osu.edu.

Holiday Recipes

onCampus thanks all the faculty and staff who answered our call again this year for holiday recipes. Look for more in our Dec. 19 issue. Enjoy the season!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

24 mushrooms (white)

1/4 cup chopped shallots or onions

1/4 cup mayonnaise

8 oz. of crabmeat

4 tablespoons Italian dressing

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Bake stems in oven for 5-10 minutes to dry out slightly. Chop stems finely. Saute shallots (onions) and Italian dressing in a small sauce pan (drain). Cook until onions turn translucent. Add mushroom stems. Cook a few minutes. Combine crabmeat, a half-cup of breadcrumbs, eggs, mayonnaise, onions (shallots) and lemon juice. Fill mushrooms. Top with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

-- TINA HARRELL, sponsored programs specialist, University Treasurer

Mom's Pumpkin Pie

Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl. 

Add:

2 cups sugar

1 large can Libby's Pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I add more!)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of ginger

2 cups milk (be sure to add spices before milk)

Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells (I use Pillsbury Fold-Out Crusts). Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Bake 45 minutes (or less) at 350 degrees. Cover crusts when they start turning brown. Makes 2 pies. Delicious!

-- MARY BETH DUNN, assistant to director, Department of Biochemistry

Nanny Jessie's Spiced Nuts

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb. pecan halves, not crushed or pieces. (You also can use almonds.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In small bowl, mix sugar, salt and cinnamon together and set aside. Beat egg white and water until frothy. Add vanilla slowly. Add pecans and mix until nuts are coated. Add sugar mixture and mix well. Place nuts on greased baking sheet. Bake approximately 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

-- CONNIE L. YOUNG, division manager, Anatomy

Amish Sweet Potato Souffle

4 to 6 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the above ingredients together and spoon into a 10 x 10 greased baking dish.

Mix the following ingredients together and crumble over the sweet potato mixture:

1 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

-- ANN MONTAGUE, case management nurse, OSU

Brunch Egg Casserole

Combine in greased 6 x 10 baking dish

2 cups plain croutons

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine

4 slightly beaten eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 dash pepper

1) Mix until blended. Pour over crouton mixture in casserole. 2) Cook 4 slices bacon untill crisp, drain and crumble (can substitute with real bacon bits). 3) Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until eggs are set.

-- RITA MARKET, TV program coordinator, WOSU

Joanne's Authentic New Mexico Salsa

1/2 medium sweet onion

1 sweet yellow pepper

2 ripe medium tomatoes

3 Roma tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper (split and remove seeds)

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1-2 full cloves garlic

2 limes (extract juice and discard rinds)

1 tablespoon oil (Safflower or Canola preferred)

salt

pepper

Separate leaves of cilantro from stems, discard stems and wash leaves well. Split jalapeno pepper and remove seeds and inner membranes. Use a food processor or hand held chopper to chop the onion, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. Press and chop the garlic finely. Mix all these ingredients together in a large glass or plastic bowl. Do not use metal. Add oil and at least 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix. Finally, add the lime juice to all. Stir once more. Taste and add pepper or more salt if desired. Refrigerate or serve immediately with Tostidos lime chips or crackers. Will keep for up to one week. NOTES: You can vary the ingredients to your own family's tastes. Additional lime juice will cut the heat or spiciness of the mixture. Additional cilantro leaves will raise the heat level. Some substitutions: green peppers or red peppers or use both and the yellow peppers.

-- JOANNE WESTON, associate to vice provost, Academic Affairs

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