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The Lantern •

What Ohio State students need to know about Senate Bill 1

Senate Bill 1 has caused a handful of changes affecting the daily lives of students at Ohio State.

SB 1, a bill that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming and faculty striking, limits the teaching of controversial subjects and requires course syllabi to be public online, was passed on Mar. 25. SB 1 went into effect on June 27.

Here is what students need to know about SB 1 compliance at the university.

The university has an implementation committee that works to establish guidance o...
The Lantern •

Lawrence Tower lawsuit moves forward to trial

Students and families involved in the Lawrence Tower mold lawsuit will see one of two lawsuits move to trial.

On Sept. 8, the Ohio Court of Claims Judge David Cain ruled that four of five claims that were brought against Ohio State in one of the two Lawrence Tower lawsuits can move forward.

Lawrence Tower has been vacant since the beginning of the spring semester due to mold growth in the residence hall. In one room, the mold spore count reached 2 million, exceeding the normal count of 9,000,...
The Lantern •

Campus Roundup: Undergraduate Student Government Election timeline

With the Autumn semester in full swing, students have the opportunity to participate in voting for the new student body executive board for the Undergraduate Student Government.

With the election results this past spring voided by the Office of Student Life, USG is required to hold the election from the beginning, starting with petition signatures.

Potential candidates began collecting signatures Aug. 26, and had until Sept. 5 to get the required number of signatures to run. President and vice...
The Lantern •

One person in critical condition following shooting Saturday in University District

One victim is in critical condition after a shooting near Ohio State’s campus early Saturday morning.

Police responded to reports of a group fighting at North Pearl Street and East 13th Avenue at 2:35 a.m., according to the Columbus Division of Police. At the scene, police encountered a victim suffering from a gunshot wound and the victim was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition but expected to survive.

There is no public information on the identity of the victim.

One su...
The Lantern •

Ohio State prohibits most land acknowledgements

Ohio State has banned land acknowledgements from written class materials and verbal statements, unless directly related to the subject of the course, to comply with Senate Bill 1.

SB 1 is a bill passed by the Ohio legislature that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming, as well as faculty striking, per prior Lantern reporting. A land acknowledgement is a statement that Indigenous people and their communities were the original stewards of land occupied by land-grant universities, inclu...
The Lantern •

‘A fundamentally different university’: E. Gordon Gee and his role in the Strauss sex abuse scandal

In 2019, former Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee told The Lantern that he had no recollection of Dr. Richard Strauss.

A former university physician, Strauss abused at least 177 Ohio State athletes and students from 1978-98. He was under Gee’s presidency for the last eight years of his tenure with the university, retiring in 1998 with emeritus status. Strauss died by suicide in 2005.

Now Gee is back at the university for one year as a part-time consultant and as President Walter “T...
The Lantern •

Lawrence Tower remains vacant with no university plans for the building

It has been nine months since the first reports of mushrooms and mold growing in Lawrence Tower, but Ohio State’s plan for the residence hall remains unclear.

“Right now, there’s nobody living in it, and there’s some litigation going on, so we’ve got to get through that first, and then there’ll be some public determination about what we’re going to do with that tower,” University President Walter “Ted” Carter said in an interview with The Lantern.

Dave Isaacs, university spokesperson, confirme...
The Lantern •

Rainbow crosswalk part of federal highway study vandalized in University District

A rainbow crosswalk in University District was defaced in black paint this past Tuesday. Though these colors have long been equated with LGBTQ+ pride, the street wasn’t painted for that reason.

The rainbow crosswalk — located at East Lane and Waldeck Avenue — was part of a research study from the Federal Highway Administration to see if different crosswalk designs would influence specific behaviors from drivers and walkers, according to reporting from Columbus Underground.

People reported the...
The Lantern •

Ted Carter discusses chalking ban, AI fluency program in pre-Convocation press conference

Convocation is an opportunity for incoming freshmen to get to know Ohio State and it’s traditions but Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. opened up on a variety of topics, including Senate Bill 1 compliance, the size of the incoming freshman class and international student trends, in a pre-ceremony media conference.

Before addressing any of those, he shared his excitement for the Texas v. Ohio State matchup this Saturday.

“It’s going to be a great game,” Carter said. “The weather look...
The Lantern •

Ted Carter, Ryan Day speak at 2025 Convocation ceremony on challenging yourself and achieving success at Ohio State

An unexpected guest welcomed the class of 2029 to campus at Convocation Monday.

A roar of applause filled the Schottenstein Center after President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. announced Head Football Coach, Ryan Day, would kick off the speeches for the annual ceremony for incoming freshmen.

Beginning with “OH-” and “-IO” chants, Day told the incoming freshman class to picture what they want their next four years to look like, since “now is the time to think about those things.”

Day said for studen...
The Lantern •

Top takeaways from The Lantern’s sit-down with Ted Carter

On Tuesday, The Lantern sat down with Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. to discuss this upcoming school year.

Here were the top takeaways.

Senate Bill 1

By June 27, Ohio State had to comply with Senate Bill 1, Carter said. The majority of the work that needed to be changed was finished after Spring commencement, where most students leave campus.

The new law, commonly referred to as SB 1, bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming as well as faculty striking, per prior Lanter...
The Lantern •

Former Ohio State president Gordon Gee to return to the university

Controversy and expenses have not held E. Gordon Gee away from Ohio State for long. Despite retiring as university president in 2013, President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. offered Gee an opportunity to return to the university in a consulting role.

Gee will report directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda, according to the press release. In his role, he will be “a resource for university leaders” by helping them advance their strategic priorities.

The position is a one-y...
The Lantern •

Dorm floor decoration limited to Ohio State spirit themes, partially due to Senate Bill 1

When students walk onto their dorm floor for the first time, the walls could be covered in pop culture references like Spongebob or favorite dogs that the resident advisor believes incoming students would enjoy. Now, that is all changing.

Ohio State has advised all RA’s to keep their welcome programming, as well as their dorm floor decor, Ohio State-themed. This means that students this year will have floor decorations that showcase Ohio State through the university’s scarlet and gray colors, B...
The Lantern •

Man pleads guilty to 2023 hate crime that took place at Ohio State

A man pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court this past Friday for a hate crime that happened on North High Street on Ohio State’s campus in 2023.

Timur Mamatov admitted to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act after his physical assault of two Jewish students on campus based on their religion.

University Spokesperson, Chris Booker, said in an email that the university condemns hate crimes.

“Antisemitism is despicable and has no place in our community,” Booker said. “Ohio State immediate...
The Lantern •

Report Reveals LT. Col. Kelvington Had “Sufficient Evidence” of Violating Title IX Policy

More than 17 months have passed since Lt. Col. Michael Kelvington faced accusations of sexual misconduct throughout his time as an ROTC leader at Ohio State’s campus.

Though the former military science and leadership professor is still awaiting a trial in a military court, the university concluded its own investigation a year ago.

In documents obtained by The Lantern, the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) found “sufficient evidence” on Aug. 13, 2024, that Kelvington violated Ohio State’s No...
The Lantern •

Strauss sexual abuse lawsuit moves into mediation per judge orders

A ruling on Wednesday by a federal judge ordered Ohio State and the plaintiffs involved in the ongoing lawsuit regarding former university doctor Richard Strauss into mediation.

Judge Michael Watson, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, gave this court order to the remaining lawsuits involving Ohio State on Wednesday.

In the order, Watson wrote that while the university states it is a different university today “than it was when Dr. Richard Strauss abused hundreds of y...
The Lantern •

Ohio State bans chalking in updated signage policy

Ohio State updated its signage policy on Aug. 14, banning all forms of chalking across campus. Chalking is labeled as “not permitted” in the University Signage Standards and students can be fined for any damage to campus property from chalking.

“Chalking is not permitted on campus and will be removed by Facilities Operations and Development, which reserves the right to charge for the cost of any repairs required due to removal,” the new policy reads. “In addition, any students found to be respo...
The Lantern •

Umit Ozkan delivers summer commencement speech focused on unity and the power of learning

Umit Ozkan delivered the 440th commencement speech, focused on her life experiences and advice for graduates, for Ohio State’s summer commencement ceremony at the Schottenstein Center on Sunday. 1,769 students were granted degrees, with 973 graduates in attendance for the ceremony.

Ozkan, a distinguished College of Engineering professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ohio State, began her speech by appreciating not only the graduates, but their families...
The Lantern •

What to expect from USG’s interim administration

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) is experiencing an unprecedented election season after the spring race failed to appoint a new staff due to an investigation into the election.

USG will hold a re-election in the fall, but before the new race is held and the results are announced, an interim staff will keep USG running. Here is what to expect from the interim administration.

In a statement released on Instagram, the interim administration stated that its goal is to maintain the organi...
The Lantern •

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Umit Ozkan and her path to Ohio State commencement speaker

With a career spanning over 40 years, Umit Ozkan has made a name for herself, paving the way as a woman in the chemical engineering field. 

In addition to being a College of Engineering distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ohio State, Ozkan has been elected to boards like the National Academy of Engineering, given over 350 presentations and has over 14,000 citations of her work. 

Aug. 3 will be Ozkan’s first commencement speech to the su...
The Lantern •

Rep. Jim Jordan to be deposed for Strauss sex abuse scandal

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and former Ohio State assistant wrestling coach, is to be deposed following allegations that he knew about the sexual abuse happening to his wrestlers throughout his time at the university.

Jordan will testify on Friday in Washington. Jordan is not a defendant in the lawsuits; however, he is mentioned in the cases as being allegedly aware of the abuse.

This is the first time that Jordan will be questioned under oath by the lawyers representing the former university stu...
The Lantern •

Ohio State announces new vice president, chief information officer

Former Indiana University Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Rob Lowden, will join Ohio State in those same positions, according to a press release Wednesday. He will be tasked with leading the university in adapting to changing technologies.

Lowden will oversee the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) department, according to the press release. This follows the news that the university’s AI fluency program is being incorporated into coursework this upcoming fall semest...
The Lantern •

Ted Carter announces book about his experience as a Top Gun graduate and university president

From Top Gun graduate to president of a Big Ten school, Ohio State President, Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., explains his guide to success in a new book set to release on Aug. 1.

Titled “Top Gun Performance: From the Cockpit to the Boardroom,” Carter writes about his personal and professional stories with co-author Jack Stark, a performance psychologist and psychotherapist, according to the University of Nebraska Press.

“I’ve always been interested in the methods and mindset of successful people, an...
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