Ohio Northern students and ICAPP Fellows Hailey Trimpey and Kennedy Aikey got the chance to sit down with Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp, who reflected on his accomplishments and the events that shaped his career in public service. This interview can be found in their newest podcast episode titled, “All That Goes Into Holding a Political Office.” The hosts dive into what motivated Cupp to pursue a career in politics and what advice he had for young people regarding the political process. 

• LINK to podcast https://anchor.fm/un-cappit

Speaker Cupp knew he wanted to be involved in politics and public affairs from a very young age. He first worked in the legal field as a city prosecutor and legal counsel before running for public office. He served as a County Commissioner, State Senator and State Supreme Court Justice. In between, he was a Professor of Applied Politics at Ohio Northern University, facilitating the creation of a Leadership Studies option. When reflecting on this time at ONU he states, “it was terrific, I really enjoyed being in the classroom,” and that he takes great pride in seeing his former students enjoy successes today.

Cupp provides insight on what life is like as the Speaker of the House. He discusses his different roles and responsibilities as well as what he can expect from each day. Speaker Cupp mentions that the best part of his job is fashioning public policy that truly help to improve the lives of people.

When asked what advice he had for young people looking at politics today, Speaker Cupp suggested that things are not always as they appear and are often more complicated. 

Cupp is the final speaker in the “Polar Bears in Public Affairs” series that brought successful alumni back to Ohio Northern to discuss their careers in various aspects of public service. The series was funded through a grant students were awarded by the national office of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science honor society.  

The Institute for Civics and Public Policy (ICAPP) at Ohio Northern University is a non-partisan, education-based community of scholars dedicated to conducting high-quality research to support civic literacy and an informed understanding of public policies with a focus on those issues affecting citizens in the Industrial Midwest. ICAPP Fellows write Critical Questions to speak to topics affecting Americans in the present moment. Through their non-partisan analysis, they provide perspectives as students and political scientists.