The Lantern - February 20 2018

TUESDAY

OPIOIDS

THURSDAY

P2

Overdose training to be considered for resident hall advisors.

GALLERY

P4

High Street art gallery hosting several styles of art to promote unity in diversity.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

P8

Two losses, out of first place in Big Ten, Ohio State attempts for bounceback against Rutgers tonight

MEN’S HOCKEY

P8

Tanner Fritz realizing NHL dreams after fewer than three years after leaving Ohio State.

The student voice of the Ohio State University

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

thelantern.com

@TheLantern

Year 138, Issue No. 12

A nearly invisible population: Despite increase in campus diversity, African-American male enrollment remains at 2.6 percent ALYSSIA GRAVES Assistant Sports Director graves.338@osu.edu How many black men do you think you’ve seen today on Ohio State’s campus? Two? Three? Four?

Keith Bell, a graduate administrative associate at the university, estimated he sees on average two or three each day; but for some students, staff and faculty on campus, it’s possible they don’t see any.

“I started noticing because I started counting,” Bell said. “There were days I saw none, one, three, you know.”

The reason why it is rare to see an African-American man on Ohio State’s campus is because, when it comes to enrollment numbers, they’re virtually invisible.

Ohio State prides itself as a diverse and inclusive institution. This year, the university welcomed its most diverse freshman class in university history, comprising of a record-high 1,452 first-year minority students.

Despite this, the enrollment of African-American men remains low.

African-American men make up less than 3 percent of the undergraduate student population, and less than 2 percent of first-year students on the Columbus campus.

A Lantern analysis of Ohio State’s Columbus campus enrollment data from 2013-2017 shows the university has enrolled fewer than 130 African-American men in each freshman class. Out of the 7,136 first-year students enrolled in 2017, 129 were black men.

For comparison, African-American women comprise 3.2 percent of the student body, which is 263 more students than African-American men.

COURTESY OF BSA

Members of the Black Student Association at Ohio State wear shirts representing the percentage of African-American students that attend Ohio State. Of the 5.33 percent enrolled, less than 3 percent are black men.

REPRESENTATION CONTINUES ON 2

OSU minimum-wage increase being pushed for USG ballot MADDY FIXLER Lantern reporter fixler.8@osu.edu Students might have the opportunity to vote on raising Ohio State’s minimum wage in March’s Undergraduate Student Government general election.

Experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology calculated the living wage for a single adult in Franklin County to be $10.77 per hour. The minimum wage in Ohio for all workers, including those at Ohio State, is $8.30. One student group is trying to change that.

OSU Fight for 15, a student-run initiative, is calling for a $15 minimum hourly wage for all university employees, including those outsourced through contracts with other companies.

The group has been on The Oval getting signatures, said Patrick Cleary, a third-year in geography and economics.

As of Friday, 1,600 people had signed in support. USG is working to validate the petitions submitted by OSU Fight for 15.

CASEY CASCALDO | LANTERN PHOTOGRAPHER

Val Nikaidoh, a third-year in nursing and co-chair of the Young Democratic Socialists of America student organization, speaks about increasing Ohio State University’s minimum wage during a meeting on Feb. 14, 2018. Nikaidoh founded the club nearly a year ago.

Pending approval, it will be Issue 1 on the March 5 ballot for students to vote on.

In order to get the issue on the USG ballot, petitioners are required to gather at least 1,000 signatures.

“Broadly, the goal is to get as many people as possible talking

and thinking about labor and how important it is to this university,” Cleary said.

The initiative has expanded since its creation in Autumn Semester. Originally it comprised a few members of Young Democratic Socialists of America at Ohio State. It now includes indi-

viduals from varying social and political backgrounds.

Ohio State now employs more students than ever, most of them at minimum wage. As of November, the university staffed 17,776 active student-employees.

One of the central points of OSU Fight for 15 is university employees’ need for a living wage.

“It shouldn’t be this difficult to be a student at OSU,” said Val Nikaidoh, the co-chair of OSU Fight For 15 and a third-year in nursing. “I feel like the university can afford to raise wages. I feel like they should because I know a lot of students that are having difficulties making ends meet.”

OSU Fight for 15 is not just about the students, though, Cleary said.

“It’s also about the people who clean the libraries and dorms at night,” he said. “A lot of those workers are marginalized in other ways. A lot of them are immigrants, or refugees, or women or people of color, and they’re how we have this school. We can’t have class unless someone comes

and shovels The Oval. I think that because of that, and because this university is so prosperous, we really should be taking care of those people.”

Should the student body vote in-favor of the minimum wage raise, the possibility of further action will fall on the university.

“The university respects the role of the Undergraduate Student Government General Assembly to act as the student voice on issues pertinent to campus affairs.

Pursuant to our policy, should USG pass a resolution, we will carefully study the resolution and determine how to proceed,” said Ben Johnson, a university spokesman.

With the minimum of 1,000 signatures gathered, the issue of minimum wage at Ohio State will be on the March 5 ballot, along with student government candidates. Students will be able to vote in support or opposition of the wage increase, but the end result will essentially be a recommendation for university administration to consider.

2 | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

LANTERN APP

CAMPUS

thelantern.com

@TheLantern

Want to read The Lantern when you’re walking on The Oval? Check out our iPhone app, available in the App Store.

USG passes resolution to put naloxone in residence halls AMANDA PARRISH Lantern reporter parrish.272@osu.edu Undergraduate Student Government passed a resolution that could result in all resident advisers, resident managers and hall directors being trained on how to administer naloxone and recognize the warning signs of opioid overdose.

Currently, all hall staff members, including resident advisers, resident managers, and hall directors, are trained to call 911 if there is any medical emergency.

“We rely on first responders to make a determination of the appropriate treatment for patients,” said Dave Isaacs, spokesman for the Office of Student Life. “Those first responders, including Ohio State police officers, carry naloxone.”

Nick Davis, fourth-year in natural resource management, said he believes it’s important for all resident-hall personnel to be trained to recognize the signs of overdose and to use naloxone, a medication designed to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose through administering an injection or nasal spray during life-threatening situations.

“Training the most people

the antidote.

“Training the most people should be one of the main tasks. Because the more people that are trained, the more likely it is to save someone.”

Nick Davis Fourth-year in natural resource management

RIS TWIGG | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Naloxone kits are available for purchase at the Wilce Student Health Center pharmacy. A resolution passed

by USG aims to have residence hall staff be trained to administer naloxone in the case of an opioid overdose. should be one of the main tasks,” Davis, the sponsor of the resolution, said. “Because the more people that are trained, the more likely it is to save someone.”

Opioid overdoses have ravaged the state of Ohio. The rate of deaths from opioid overdose in Ohio is 22 per 100,000 people, more than double the national average of 10 in 100,000, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Davis said even if an RA felt

uncomfortable using the medication, they would not have to be the one to use it.

“By being trained, that doesn’t mean you have to be the one to administer the naloxone,” Davis said. “You would be trained with every other RA in your building, so you should be able to find someone willing to do it.”

The resolution also proposed all fraternity and sorority houses have a dosage of naloxone and one resident trained to administer

Isaacs said individual chapters and their respective national organizations determine the availability of naloxone at Greek residences.

In the resolution, Davis requested the Office of Student Life to add a “Good Samaritan” clause related to narcotics to the Code of Student Conduct. ”I think that is especially important because if some friends are doing drugs and one is overdosing, we want to make sure the friend that is [not overdosing] will be willing to get his friend help without fear of getting in trouble himself,” Davis said.

There is a “Good Samaritan”

policy in the “Residential Living Handbook: Community Standards of Conduct” that prevents Ohio State from punishing students if they are drinking underage or using illegal drugs and place an emergency call for help when a friend is at risk of a health emergency.

The handbook states, “The student bystander’s own use of alcohol or drugs, level of intoxication, or impairment generally should not result in any university disciplinary proceeding against that student bystander.”

Davis said he will work with the USG Health and Safety Committee to move forward with the resolution.

USG will work to find funding outside of the university for the naloxone if there are insufficient funds in Ohio State’s budget to pay. According to the resolution, outside resources will include Franklin County Public Health and Adapt Pharma Ltd., which had previously donated free doses of the drug to universities.

Davis said he hopes to have the program in place for the 2018-19 academic year, though any USG resolution is merely a recommendation for Ohio State to implement.

REPRESENTATION FROM 1

So, at a public, land-grant university that prides itself on diversity, why is enrollment of African-American men so low?

The inability to enroll more African-American men stems in part from a specific question regarding academic discipline on the common application that poses as a barrier and makes it difficult for African-American men to be given a fair opportunity to attend the university, according to experts.

Additionally, Ohio State is selective in admissions. The objective to admit only the top students can keep the university from considering a more diverse pool.

All of these factors lead to another problem that influences the perception of black men: a tacit stereotype that African-American men only attend college to play sports.

Paris McGee plays a sport at Ohio State, but views himself not as an athlete first, but as a student.

A fourth-year in journalism who also is on the gymnastics team, McGee said sometimes he’s often the only African-American man in his classes.

“Being the only black person in the classroom or being the only person of color, you feel very much a minority, and I think it’s unfortunate,” McGee said.

While Bell said he didn’t think there was anything intentional “about not admitting black males,” the numbers present a troubling counterpoint to Ohio State’s push to increase diversity.

According to undergraduate student enrollment data, the number of first-year African-Ameri-

can men has increased each year since Autumn 2014, but so has the overall undergraduate enrollment at the Columbus campus.

This has kept the percentage of African-American men in the first-year student body stagnant for the past four years.

James Moore, Ohio State’s interim vice provost for diversity and inclusion, said this trend is nothing new at the university and across the country.

“African-American males are usually the most underrepresented groups throughout the education pipeline,” Moore said. “This dilemma has been long-standing for black males, more so than other groups.”

The university has been pushing to increase minority enrollment, including the number of African-American students.

“In 2017, new first-year student minority representation increased to a record high 1,542 students — 21.6 percent of the class,” said Ben Johnson, a university spokesman. “Ohio State also set record highs in enrollment of total minority students at all campuses and all levels to 13,065, up 6.1 percent, and hit record highs in enrollment [categories] of African-American, Hispanic and Asian students and students who identify with two or more races.”

However, the data shows Ohio State is continuing to struggle in admitting African-American men. This 2017-18 academic year, there are 1,200 African-American men at the university.

In the past four years combined, Ohio State’s Columbus campus

JACK WESTERHEIDE | PHOTO EDITOR

Dr. James Moore is the interim vice provost for diversity and inclusion at Ohio State. admitted 455 African-American men as first-year students.

A large number of African-American men transfer from regional campuses or other schools, which is why the enrollment of African-American men is greater in comparison to first-year enrollment data, Johnson said.

A simple question Ohio State uses the Common Application. This format has been adopted by more than 600 universities as the primary way to apply to college in an effort to obtain a larger applicant pool.

Bell said the common application was supposed to help increase minority representation, but has hindered African-American men from successfully applying.

“Ohio State moved to the Common App with the understanding that if you get more students [to apply], obviously the thought is

that you would get more minority students,” Bell said. “The number of overall applications for the university has increased, but the yield and percentage of minority students has stayed the same and decreased over the same period of time.”

Bell said one specific question on the Common Application can play a factor in limiting African-American men from being enrolled in the university.

It asks, “Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at any education institution you have attended from the ninth grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct that resulted in a disciplinary action? These actions could include but are not limited to probation, suspension, removal, dismissal,

or expulsion.”

A former superintendent at Euclid City Schools in Euclid, Ohio, Bell said this question poses a barrier for school districts in areas comprised mostly of minority students that have a strict disciplinary policy.

“As a ninth-grader, you come in and you’re a knucklehead. You make mistakes. You do things that you normally wouldn’t do when you’re a senior,” Bell said.

“So you come in and make a mistake as a freshman, [then years later when applying to college], you have to check the box.”

School districts vary in the actions they take in dealing with academic and behavioral misconduct, but the aggregate result is unfair to African-American men, Moore said.

Districts comprised of primarily white students of higher socioeconomic status do not take such serious measures, Bell said, adding the leniency can give students a better opportunity of getting into college, despite having past disciplinary trouble, because they do not have to answer yes to the aforesaid question on the application. “[Say for example] I’m applying to Ohio State. As a ninth-grader I got into a fight, I got a charge,” Bell said. “Same ninth-grader got into a fight in Upper Arlington, it’s not a charge at all, he didn’t have to check the box.”

Johnson said applicants who answer yes to the disciplinary question are sent a form in which they are asked to provide addiREPRESENTATION CONTINUES ON 3

@TheLantern

thelantern.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 | The Lantern | 3

REPRESENTATION FROM 2

tional information and include any rehabilitation and what they learned from the experience.

Applicants who are not considered for admittance — the step when an application is reviewed for acceptance — will not have the question evaluated. Those who are considered for admittance into the university will have the disciplinary information reviewed prior to a final decision for admission, Johnson said.

“In this society it’s sort of like there’s no redemptive process. It’s sort of like the badge of shame sticks with you,” Moore said. “I recognize why others may say that there’s no place for that, but also I recognize theoretically this institution, we have to follow the federal and state laws and discrimination is not something we do.”

Selectivity Ohio State’s high standards and selective admissions make it one of the top public universities in the nation.

In the 2018 U.S. News and World Report’s college and university rankings, Ohio State ranked No. 16 for top public schools and No. 54 overall nationally.

Grade point averages, ACT and SAT scores of incoming freshmen at Ohio State continue to increase each year. Because of the rising standards, there’s pressure to maintain a high academic standard due to the amount of money invested in the university and the large number of donors and contributors, Bell said.

“You can’t tell me that out of [roughly] 10,000 black males in Columbus Ccity Sschools, there are not 500, 400 or 300 that would be eligible and be able to [succeed] at Ohio State University.”

Keith Bell Graduate administrative associate at Ohio State

“There’s people who say if you allow students who have [lower GPAs or test scores] ... then you dilute the experience for everybody else, so we’re not going to have them,” Bell said.

Comparison of first-year students First-year student

130

AU 2014

97

AU 2015

108

AU 2016

7,083

121

AU 2017

AU 2013

African-American first-year men

129

7,024

6,978

7,885

7,136 *On Columbus campus LANTERN ILLUSTRATION BY JL LACAR | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY The Lantern is a student publication which is part of the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. It publishes issues Tuesday and Thursday, and online editions every day. The Lantern’s daily operations are funded through advertising and its academic pursuits are supported by the School of Communication. Some of the advertising is sold by students. The School of Communication is committed to the highest professional standards for the newspaper in order to guarantee the fullest educational benefits from The Lantern experience.

Editor in Chief Kevin Stankiewicz Managing Editor for Content Jacob Myers Managing Editor for Design JL Lacar Copy Chief Rachel Bules Campus Editor Summer Cartwright Assistant Campus Editor Owen Daugherty Sports Editor Colin Hass-Hill Assistant Sports Editor Edward Sutelan Arts&Life Editor Ghezal Barghouty Assistant Arts&Life Editor Sara Stacy Photo Editor Jack Westerheide Assistant Photo Editor Ris Twigg Design Editor Chandler Gerstenslager Assistant Design Editor Kelly Meaden Multimedia Editor Hailey Stangebye Social Media Editor Nick Clarkson Engagement Editor Matt Dorsey Oller Reporter Sheridan Hendrix Miller Projects Reporter Erin Gottsacker

In an interview with The Lantern, University President Michael Drake said Ohio State welcomes students of all backgrounds.

“The more people from [the African-American] background and the more people from Latino backgrounds or people from other backgrounds who are underrepresented, the more students we can have from low-income backgrounds, the better to help all know that this is a place that we want people to come and to succeed,” Drake said.

Not all school districts are equal in terms of funding per student, which can have an outsized impact on a students’ educational outcome.

“There’s some fundamental things that are inhibiting African-American males from being successful,” Moore said. “Oftentimes, they’re not afforded the same kind of opportunities where they can develop the scholastic skills that are indicative of success.”

This systemic issue can have an even greater impact on groups that are oftentimes marginalized, which is seen in the enrollment numbers.

“All I would say, it’s a reflection of the many inhibitors that prevent black males from successfully and seamlessly moving through the education pipeline,” Moore said.

As a global institution that has built offices throughout the world, Cesar Seguil, former director of academic services in the College of Education and Human Ecology, believes the university should make a greater effort to reach out to its own community.

“We’re not putting as much effort into infiltrating communities here, particularly communities of color and with that outreach,” said Seguil, who now serves as the program administrator of academic affairs in the College of Pharmacy.

The university has implemented several outreach programs during Drake’s tenure as president.

“We’ve done things, like doubled the Young Scholars Program, that we go into communities, that we’ve added tens of millions of dollars to our need-based aid,” Drake said. “The reason that we do those things — we’ve changed policies to do those things — is to create more opportunity and access for those parts of our population, who we’re not seeing in the numbers that we would like to.”

University administration recognizes the low enrollment numbers for African-American men and is looking for new ways to increase their opportunities for Director of Student Media General Sales Manager

Spencer Hunt Marie Pierce

Business Office 614-292-2031 Newsroom 614-292-5721 Advertising advertising@thelantern.com Classifieds classifieds@thelantern.com FOLLOW US thelantern.com @TheLantern @TheLanternOSU facebook.com/TheLanternOSU @LanternOfficial

ALYSSIA GRAVES | ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

Paris McGee, a fourth-year in journalism and gymnast at Ohio State, views himself as a student before he views himself as an athlete, something he doesn’t think the university reflects always. enrollment.

“We acknowledge that minority enrollment remains a significant challenge, and we conduct a race-conscious holistic review of applicants because we believe it is needed,” Johnson said. “Even with the holistic review, like other selective universities, Ohio State has struggled to enroll a critical mass of underrepresented minority students. Ohio State is thinking broadly about ways to enhance diversity outcomes from its admissions process.”

Moore said efforts such as mentorship and social persuasion in these communities aren’t enough to combat the issue.

“They focus on the things that increases efficacy the least,” Moore said. “What increases efficacy the most is achieving. A person who has been successful tends to have a higher level of efficacy and motivation.”

Out of the 51,183 students in the Columbus City School District, 28,744 of those students are African-American, according to the 2014 Public School Review .

Bell said it is hard to grasp why more African-American men, specifically those who live in Columbus, do not enroll at the university.

“You can’t tell me that out of [roughly] 10,000 black males in Columbus City Schools, there are not 500, 400 or 300 that would be eligible and be able to [succeed] at Ohio State University,” Bell said.

Moore said the general public needs to remember why higher education was created in the first place.

“It was created to educate,” he said. “Not to say you have to be at [a certain] level, it is to educate.”

A stereotype The assumption that black men seen at a renowned university must be on a sports team has been Letters to the Editor To submit a letter to the editor, either mail or email your letter. Please put your name, address, phone number and email address on the letter. If the editor decides to publish it, he or she will contact you to confirm your identity.

Email letters to: stankiewicz.16@osu.edu Mail letters to: The Lantern Letters to the Editor Journalism Building 242 W. 18th Ave. Columbus, OH 43210

an ongoing stereotype. In 2016, 9.2 percent of Ohio State’s African-American male population were student-athletes.

“Black males are oftentimes seen as a part of a group rather than the individual,” Moore said.

“Whatever another group thinks of the group, is how people engage that group.”

Although Ohio State receives significant recognition for its NCAA Division I athletic programs, athletes are also students at the university.

“We’re students first, athletes second,” McGee said. “And I let people know all the time, my knowledge, who I am as a person, is so much bigger than anything I REPRESENTATION CONTINUES ON 5

Lantern Classifieds HELP WANTED RESTAURANT FOOD SERVICE Delivery Driver Come deliver for the best... and make great money too!

Adriatico’s Pizza is looking for top level talent to join our team, and if that is you, come in and apply today!

We pay commission in addition to hourly wage and tips. Applicants must be 18 years old, have a valid drivers license, a reliable vehicle and proper insurance coverage. Must be friendly and dependable.

Apply in person at 265 W. 11th Ave., Columbus, OH, 43201.

Email adriaticospizza@ yahoo.com

To advertise go to thelantern.com Corrections The Lantern corrects any significant error brought to the attention of the staff. If you think a correction is needed, please email lanternnewsroom@gmail.com

4 | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

ARTS&LIFE

thelantern.com

@LanternArtsLife

COMEDY Local comedy club providing laughs in political climate and supporting women’s health. | ON PAGE 5 JILLIAN FOUNTAIN Lantern reporter fountain.50@osu.edu Print artist Jennifer Jolley Brown wanted to create a gallery that represented what she and her audiences “root” themselves in.

In her latest exhibit, aptly named “Rooted,” Jolley Brown did just that.

A 1990 alumna, Jolley Brown’s first-ever solo exhibit debuted Saturday at Studios On High.

“The idea started with thinking about the things that ground us,” she said. “What makes us who we are, what gives us a sense of place or a sense of identity. So, trees are the obvious connection because trees have actual roots, but I feel rooted in nature too.”

In addition to wildlife, Jolley Brown pulled inspiration for her printwork from human-built structures, particularly those that are old, broken down but still loved. Often, those structures are houses. Printmaking is an artform in which paper, or other similar materials, are printed with an original element, rather than reproducing photograph on paper.

While scoping for these houses on “art safaris” with her husband and fellow artist, Rex Brown, she often went the extra mile to gain insight on her muses. Jolley Brown would stop to talk to homeowners to learn of the stories behind the walls she sketched.

Jolley Brown’s piece “Homestead,” for example, was created based off a farmhouse that she had to pull over on a highway to

High as a full-member artist over the summer, fills the studio’s printer role, while Kim Maurer, fellow member and encaustic artist, is happy to stick to her own style.

GALLERY SPOTLIGHT

“I love that the art can also have its own story or that people can bring their different stories to it.”

Jennifer Jolley Brown Print artist

Studios On High

COURTESY OF JENNIFER JOLLEY BROWN

“Homestead” is just one of the pieces in Jennifer Jolley Brown’s gallery “Rooted,” currently on exhibition at Studios On High Gallery. visit.

“We happened to be driving by there one day and we saw people out,” Jolley Brown said. “So, we stopped to talk to them about the story … the man that owned it said that [the farmhouse] was his grandma and grandpa’s homestead.”

Simple stories like this are what Jolley Brown said she loves about her craft. One person’s home on the freeway can be another’s place of identity or connection to family roots.

“I love that the art can also have its own story or that people can bring their different stories to it

like, ‘That looks like a place I remember or somewhere I’d like to live or it reminds me of this feeling I had once,’” she said.

For Studios On High, an artist-owned-and-operated gallery, diversity in stories and art mediums also is important. Jolley Brown, who joined Studios On

But despite — or more likely because of — their art’s differences, the members of Studios On High appreciate the works of each other’s mediums. It’s made the gallery a place where diversity, rather than competition, is celebrated.

For Maurer, “Rooted” has tapped into a feeling that Jolley Brown intended the exhibit to reach: peace. “[Jolley Brown’s exhibit] is just really calming and beautiful. That was my first reaction to it,” Maurer said. “It’s a beautifully serene show.”

“Rooted” by Jennifer Jolley Brown will be featured through April 5. Studios On High Gallery is located on 686 N. High Street and is open noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Rec sports ramps up fitness options SHANTI LERNER Lantern reporter lerner.66@osu.edu The Department of Recreational Sports at Ohio State has updated fitness group classes and personal development workshops to keep Buckeyes fit this spring.

Students have four new fitness group classes to choose from that will cater to a variety of fitness goals and school schedules. The additions will include Cardio Kickbox Express, Barre Express, Ropes and Rowers, and Yoga Fit. Students will have the opportunity to participate in weeklong progressive and private group workouts offered throughout the spring.

“These group event classes are meant to achieve a goal, so it’s not just drop in and leave.”

Alycia Israel Rec sports personal training coordinator

“We offer 116 classes a week at all different hours of the day and formats, whether you are into mind-body, strength, cardio, or

whatever it might be, we always hope there is something you can find,” said Alice Adams, a group fitness coordinator. “We always encourage people to drop in and try something new or people who are looking to switch up their workout routine or get general guidance and work out in the community.”

Ideas for new classes are often suggested to the coordinators by student instructors who lead the group fitness classes at Ohio State.

One of these classes is Yoga Fit, a class targeted toward people who normally attend cycling, strength and cross-training classes but do not usually practice yoga. But this class also is for Yogis who want a bit more of a challenge.

“For Yoga Fit that was an idea that one of my instructors brought to me and it’s something we wanted to do for a while,” Adams said.

“Essentially it’s a lot similar to yoga but for people who are looking for a little more of a workout and a physically challenging class with a little bit of mind-body and less of the mind-body breathing.”

Another option for students who want to participate in group classes but have busy schedules is express classes offered weekly by rec sports, such as Barre, which now has an express option.

“It’s going to be a mix of pi-

COURTESY OF OSU REC SPORTS

The Department of Recreational Sports at Ohio State is introducing new and updated group fitness classes, including Cardio Kickbox Express, Barre Express, Ropes and Rowers, and Yoga Fit. lates, yoga, and ballet bar type movements but 45 minutes instead of an hour,” Adams said.

“Again, it might move a little quicker, and you’ll get more of an express workout if you are limited on time.”

Aside from group classes, students who are interested in achieving a more focused fitness goal also have the chance to get personal training, during which they can hone in on certain skills and get more individualized instruction.

“Even though [a small group and instructional class] is a group of 30, the training is still individual,” said Alycia Israel, personal training coordinator for rec sports. “These group event classes are meant to achieve a goal, so it’s not just drop in and leave.”

Some of the progressive workout classes include Intro to Boxing; a body mechanics workshop called Get Up and Move; Dare to Fly, an arm balance and inversion intensive workshop; Kettlebell Resistance Training; and Buckeye

Metcon, a six-week course where students can learn the basics of Olympic weightlifting.

“You just gotta find something you love and stick with it and that is all we want is to help people find how they are going to continue a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their life,” Adams said.

Group fitness schedules and instructional progressive program registration can be found on the rec sports website and are offered at the RPAC and North Recreation Center.

@LanternArtsLife

thelantern.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 | The Lantern | 5

Local comedy show stands up for choice Style Meetup connects

students and influencers

CLAIRE LEFTON Lantern reporter lefton.18@osu.edu Columbus Stand Up for Choice will use laughter to lighten up a serious subject Tuesday at Ace of Cups.

The quarterly comedy show is co-produced and co-hosted by local stand-up comedians Amber Falter and Pat Deering, who wanted to do what they love while raising money for an organization that supports a cause they believe in –– the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights League of Ohio (NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio).

The show will feature eight local stand-up comedians, including Jackie Shreves, Brian Tower Doney and Lisa Berry.

I think there’s beauty in laughter that makes things that don’t feel OK seem OK.” Amber Falter Columbus Stand Up for Choice co-producer and co-host

Since starting the shows about two years ago, the events have raised more than $10,000 for several Central Ohio organizations –– about $1,000 has been raised per show for groups such as NARAL, Planned Parenthood and Women Have Options, Deering said.

While abortion and reproductive health can be controversial conversation topics, Falter and

AMAL SAAED Lantern reporter saeed.40@osu.edu

CLAIRE LEFTON | LANTERN REPORTER

To support the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights League of Ohio, local comedy club Columbus Stand Up for Choice will be hosting a show at Ace of Cups on Tuesday.

Deering find that the medium of stand-up comedy is the perfect way to explore those topics.

“It’s something where everyone feels so silenced,” Falter said. “And I think there’s beauty in laughter that makes things that don’t feel OK seem OK.” When booking comedians, Falter and Deering aim to find local and independent performers with some connection to reproductive rights. They find that the personal story element generates a strong emotional response.

“When I promote, I say I always cry on stage because someone’s performance is so open or Pat and I go up and talk about the current state of abortion access in Ohio,” Falter said. Put another way, she said they are looking for “the people who are fighting the good fight.”

Admission is a suggested $5 donation. Bartenders are also

known to donate part of their tips.

Deering and Falter said they’re proud the community they have created is willing to share its stories and support its members because comedy makes the topic more approachable.

“I remember one show specifically. It was the week after Trump got elected,” Falter said.

“After the show, I was hugging people I don’t know telling me that they needed to laugh so bad, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, all I did was host this stupid comedy show,’ but at the end of the day it helps.”

The comedy show will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ace of Cups, 2619 N. High St.

For more stories like this, follow us on Twitter! @LanternArtsLife

Typically, when you go to the Ohio Union, the only market you’re visiting is one for food, but on Feb. 28 at least, that’s going to change.

Through Wilson On-Campus and the Office of Student Life’s Style Meetup, students will have a chance to meet brands and influencers in the fashion, entertainment, and fitness industries.

The goal of the event is to give students access to social media influencers they might admire, but also give brands the opportunity to sell their products.

“It’s a way to bring the online world offline,” said Leigh Tedeschi, engagement director for Wilson On-Campus, which is an organization that facilitates connections between Student Life and corporations.

The Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom will be transformed into a marketplace for brands.

The marketplace will host different pop-up shops from a variety of brands. There are a total of nine businesses coming to Ohio State including Macy’s, Daniel Wellington, Victoria’s Secret PINK and Aveda.

The Style Meetup is free for all students and brands will have the opportunity to give away coupons and free samples. In addition, Macy’s is bringing Mac Cosmetics and Benefit Brow Bar for complimentary makeovers during the event.

“We’re trying to have different elements of excitement throughout the event,” Tedeschi said.

Some of those elements include a photo booth and a media backdrop that will serve as a background for photos.

This event is also an opportunity for students to meet brand ambassadors and possibly begin working relationships with them.

Employees from each brand will also be available to answer questions about the companies and their jobs.

The Style Meetup also will feature a variety of influencers ranging from a yoga instructor and body positivity advocate to a sneaker designer from Versace.

Val Veak, a third-year in marketing whose Instagram has 45,000 followers, will be joining the influencer panel and speaking about balancing school and her passion.

“We wanted basically to give Ohio State students an opportunity to see folks who are really creating careers for themselves in very nontraditional ways,” said Dave Wilson, the founder of Wilson-On Campus.

In addition to free attendance, the first 150 attendees of the event will receive a PINK OSU sweatshirt for free.

The Style Meetup will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Feb. 28 in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom in the Ohio Union.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

thelantern.com

REPRESENTATION FROM 3

could ever do [athletically].”

He said the university only recognizes African-American men through their athletic achievements.

“The black names that you do hear that are big are athletes, but they are spotlighted in an athletic way for their athletic performance,” said McGee, the journalism student and gymnast. “You don’t hear about J.T. Barrett and the great academic achievements, if he’s made any. You don’t hear about any of the black basketball players and their academic achievements, but you always hear about the athletic side.”

The majority of the Ohio State football and basketball teams are African-American. In 2016 the football team had 70 African-American men (53 percent), and the basketball team had 10 (76.9 percent). Sports such as gymnastics, ice hockey, volleyball and tennis each had one.

For many African-American men at the university, this is an issue they have experienced throughout their scholastic journey.

“Many of the young men who do come here, unfortunately their educational journeys were lonely and they were by themselves,” Moore said. “In many ways there are challenges in our society, unfortunately that young [black] men have to endure what other groups don’t have to endure.”

The lack of representation for

ALYSSIA GRAVES | ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

Paris McGee tapes his wrists before practice at the Steelwood Training Facility on Feb. 14.

African-American men at Ohio State underscores the lack of opportunity African-American men are given.

McGee said African-American men shouldn’t be given opportunities solely because of their athletic ability.

“Being the only black person in the class, I feel that I’m the one who may have an opportunity that many people could [have], but they don’t have that opportunity because it’s not given to them,” he said.

He added that the idea that African-American men are only successful in athletics diminishes

the hard work that many students put in to excel at the university.

“It’s a rough stereotype but it makes me feel that people are telling us we can only be but so much. It’s like people expect us to be athletes in order to attend this great university,” McGee said.

“They don’t expect us to have the knowledge or education ourselves, that we need something else in order to be great.”

Very few athletes play professional sports after college. Last year, seven African-American men from Ohio State went to play in the NFL. The basketball team had no one enter the NBA.

“In terms of being an athlete, I know that five, 10 years down the road, the successful job that I get, I’m going to get because of my education, not because I was some athlete,” McGee said.

Moving forward Seguil said there are many resources at Ohio State to further diversity and inclusion, but it is not reflected in the campus’ racial makeup.

“There seems to be a lot of units across the university that are charged with this very important work,” Seguil said. “But you don’t really see its reflection whether it’s the population of stu-

dents or the population of staff or the population of faculty.”

Ohio State is trying to attract and support minority students through various initiatives, Johnson said, including the American Talent Initiative.

ATI comprises more than 80 schools and was set in place in December 2016 to enroll 50,000 low and moderate-income students at top colleges and universities in 10 years.

Additionally, Ohio State offers Buckeye Student Leadership Academy, a trip provided to highschool seniors to experience college by spending three days at the university participating in activities and interacting with students, staff and faculty. This opportunity is given to first-generation, rural, and/or underrepresented minority students.

Ohio State also is home to nearly 200 student organizations that identify as ethnic or cultural based, including the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African-American Male (BNRC). A student-based extension of the BNRC, Band of Brothers, is founded on the principles of scholarship, service, professional development and brotherhood, and is an organization comprising of primarily African-American men.

The BNRC is not involved in the recruitment of African-American men to the university, but has

REPRESENTATION CONTINUES ON 6

6 | The Lantern | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

thelantern.com

REPRESENTATION FROM 5

made efforts in helping these students succeed at the university once they enroll.

Moore, who serves as the executive director of BNRC, said there are nearly 500 full-time African-American male students involved, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

“Are we where we want to be?

No, but when you look at where we started and where we are now, I would argue it’s very few institutions of higher learning at this level have made the kind of progress [BNRC] have,” Moore said.

The BNRC works to make systematic changes to foster academic success in young black men that extends beyond the university.

“Some of it is that we had to help young men and change the way they think about themselves and their approach to scholastic achievement,” Moore said. “What we try to do is create a healthy space for the ethos of excellence and not let an A, B, or whatever dictate your ceiling.”

Even with all the university’s efforts to increase the number of minority students on campus, the enrollment of African-American men has remained a significant problem.

“I don’t think people realize how disproportionately low these numbers are,” Bell said.

As the third-largest university in the nation, Ohio State has the

ability to be the center of opportunity to a large amount of people.

“Why can’t you be [a top research] university, the catalyst to be a pipeline to be able to help solve societal issues?” Bell said.

“I couldn’t find black male teachers to save my life as a superintendent because they weren’t available. Here’s a university that could make them available and be able to give them an opportunity.”

Ohio State is considered a PWI — predominantly white institution. People who are a part of the majority population can be blind to the lack of minority students.

“You have to show them the data to show them something needs to be done and something needs to change,” Seguil said.

As a former member of the university staff advisory committee, Seguil relayed staff issues and possible solutions to university officials. This is one way in which concern about minority representation is brought to the university’s attention.

“What you think is happening and what is actually happening are two different things,” Bell said. “There has to be a way to be able to bring [this to the attention of] the people who are making decisions about what’s really happening in secondary schools and the barriers so people can actually address it.”

Moore said the issue is not a

While the numbers are low, university leaders said Ohio State is looking to the future, continuing its work in attracting and retaining African-American men.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years and it’s always work. If you could just take your hands off and it would coast, then we wouldn’t have these things happening,” Drake said. “But it’s something that’s always a national problem and we see it from a variety of complicated points of view and it takes active, consistent effort all the time to move forward.”

COURTESY OF BSA

According to a Lantern analysis of Ohio State enrollment data, out of the 7,136 first-year students enrolled in 2017, 129 were black men.

Paris McGee previously wrote for The Lantern as part of his journalism curriculum.

lack of push, but more of a lack of joint forces working together to make change.

“I think sometimes it is not a void of effort,” he said. “I think the challenge is how do we work more collaboratively.”

This issue is not only prevalent at Ohio State, but also other universities across the nation.

The enrollment of African-American men has been an ongoing issue. There are many efforts set in place by the university, but none has had a big enough impact to bring about significant change to this concern.

@AlyssiaGraves

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

www.thelantern.com

@TheLantern

PIPER FROM 7

sits among the Buckeyes’ leaders in nearly every offensive category through nine games this season with a .389/.421/.778 slash line and three homers, 12 RBIs, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases. In 2017, her first year with the Buckeyes, she led the team in all the categories, except stolen bases, where she was second, and was a second-team All-American.

“Last year she came here and she made a name for herself. In one year to be All-American is so hard,” Kovach Schoenly said.

Piper went into this season with a renewed confidence though, after she recently tried out for the USA Women’s National Team during Christmas break. She took part in the open tryout and was picked to go to the invitational tryout.

“I just feel like I can’t be beat,” Piper said, “I’ve seen the best.”

Piper is looking to continue to do what she said she does best this season: have fun and enjoy herself.

“I just like to have a lot of fun,” Piper said. “At the end of the day this is just a game and yeah we take it, I mean this is our jobs at the end of the day but we might as well make it fun while we’re doing it.”

For more stories like this, follow us on Twitter! @LanternSports

Puzzles

Answer Key for Feb. 15: Across 2. The torch carry’s the Olympic _______ (flame) 8. 2nd place medal (silver) 11. A one eyed mascot of the 2012 Games (wenlock) 12. Another Mascot of the 2012 Games (mandeville) 14. A fast running event (sprint) 16. What you need to do to be given a gold medal (win) 19. Very long race (marathon) 20. How many years apart were the ancient Olympic games held (four) 21. 1st place medal (gold) 23. These people were first allowed to participate in 1900 at the second modern Olympic Games (woman) 24. _____ put (shot)

Down 1. Original Olympic games contestants were all _____ (men) 3. What is the capital of Greece (athens) 4. The location of the Summer 2000 Games (sydney) 5. During the Games the athletes stay in the Olympic ______ (village) 6. Olympic competitors are also known as ______ (athletes) 7. What are you given if you come 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in an Olympic event (medal) 9. An Olympic event that you can do to get to school (cycling) 10. An event which has 3 sports (triathalon) 13. The 1st opening ceremonies were held during the 1908 Olympic Games in this city (london) 15. The Olympic flag has 5 of these (rings) 17. 3rd place medal (bronze) 18. Where many games take place (stadium) 22. Holds a flame (torch)

Periodic Table Across 1. Each vertical row on the periodic table 6. Atoms that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

Down 2. Positively charged particles in the nucleus 3. Smallest particle in which an element can be divided and still be the same substance 4. Particles in an atom that have no charge

7. Elements in group one on the periodic table

5. Nonmetal with 4 valence electrons

13. Unreactive nonmetals that are in group 18

7. Atoms that have 2 outer electrons

14. SI unit that expresses the masses of particles in atoms(amu)

8. Negatively charged particle that moves around the atom in certain paths

16. Extremely dense positively charged part of an atom in the center of the atom

9. Weighted average of the masses of all the naturally occuring isotopes of that element

17. Repeating chemical and physical properties of elements change periodically with the elements numbers

10. ‘Happening at regular intervals’

18. Number of protons in an atoms nucleus

12. Region in an atom where electrons are found

19. Each horizontal row on the periodic table

11. Very reactive nonmetals that have 7 valence electrons 15. Sum of the protons and neutrons

@LanternSports

thelantern.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 | The Lantern | 7

SOFTBALL

Piper zips from Akron two-sport athlete to OSU softball star Schoenly up on her offer.

The now-junior shortstop Piper not only transferred schools, but she gave up basketball at Akron to pursue only softball at Ohio State.

“She was willing to leave a pretty cushy thing at Akron, you know, you’re on a full ride and you get all of these things as a basketball player,” Kovach Schoenly said.

“Last year she came here and she made a name for herself. In one year to be AllAmerican is so hard.”

Kelly Kovach Schoenly OSU head softball coach

GRETCHEN RUDOLPH | FOR THE LANTERN

Ohio State junior infielder Lilli Piper (22) rounds third base towards home plate during an exhibition game against Wright State on Sep. 24.

TAYLA DAVIS Lantern reporter davis.5252@osu.edu Lilli Piper made it clear from the beginning: she wanted to play college basketball. That’s why when now-Ohio State head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly recruited her to play softball at Miami (Ohio), where she was coaching

at the time, Piper wasn’t interested.

Kovach Schoenly backed off, as did many other softball coaches, when Piper instead began to pursue a collegiate career playing basketball. Even though she scaled back her of recruiting Piper, Kovach Schoenly was still recruiting the other girls on Piper’s travel team, so she continued to

watch her play.

“I had told her when I heard she was going to play basketball … ‘If you ever decide you want to play [softball], come find me because I would love to have you on my team,’” Kovach Schoenly said.

After just one season playing both basketball and softball for Akron, Piper took Kovach

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Buckeyes drop eight spots in AP Poll after two losses EDWARD SUTELAN Assistant Sports Editor sutelan.1@osu.edu The Ohio State men’s basketball team had one of its worst weeks of the season, dropping two straight games for the first time since losing to Butler and No. 15 Clemson on Nov. 26 and 29, respectively.

The result was a drop of eight spots from No. 8 to No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Buckeyes are joined by No. 2 Michigan State, No. 9 Purdue and No. 17 Michigan.

Ohio State lost to Penn State on the road in a blowout 79-56 loss Thursday before losing again on the road at Michigan 7462. Head coach Chris Holtmann’s team in one week went from controlling its own BASKETBALL PREVIEW FROM 8

“When their guards are rolling and their bigs play off their guards really well, they make it for a difficult matchup,” Holtmann said. “It’s as physical a team as we probably play in the Big Ten I think. So I’m anxious to see how our guys respond to their physicality and length and rebounding ability.”

Senior Day Tuesday night will mark the final time seniors Jae’Sean Tate, Kam Williams and Andrew Dakich take the court at the Schottenstein Center as Buckeyes. There is also a chance it will be redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop’s final home game in Scarlet and Gray, if he forgoes his remaining year of eligibility to leave for the NBA draft.

There will be a pregame ceremony for

destiny in the Big Ten — win out and claim the outright Big Ten regular-season title — to now falling behind the Spartans in the standings.

With just two remaining games on the schedule, the Buckeyes will need Michigan State to lose at least one more game in order to finish with at least a share of the Big Ten title. Purdue is currently tied with Ohio State in the standings, but the Buckeyes would have the tiebreaker for seeding in the Big Ten tournament.

Ohio State plays its final home game against Rutgers at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Its final game of the season comes against Indiana at 8 p.m. Friday in Bloomington.

@EdwardSutelan the seniors and Bates-Diop, and a chance for the players to address the fans after the game.

Tate said his collegiate career has not flown by, but that his senior year has felt quicker than any other season despite the fact it could last longer than most other years due to the chance for extended postseason play.

“Maybe that’s because we’re winning, having more fun than we have in a couple past years,” Tate said. “We’ve still got a good team coming in tomorrow, and we’ve still got to prepare for Indiana and make noise in the Big Ten tournament.”

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

www.thelantern.com/email

Piper wasn’t exactly having a bad year at Akron, either. She played in 20 softball games — starting in 11 — for the Zips.

She slashed .313/.327/.417 with a home run and two stolen bases.

She also held her own in basketball, the sport she decided to leave. She appeared in 29 games, averaging 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game, and even had a 24-point, nine-rebound effort against Buffalo in the MAC semifinals.

Despite the success as a twosport athlete, Piper said playing softball full-time just began to feel like the right option. Her parents didn’t have any objections to

Don’t miss our Spring Sports Special Section on February 22nd!

the decision, either.

“Both my parents voted for softball when I was growing up, so they really pushed that and I kind of went against it and I guess I had to find my own path back to softball,” Piper said.

Attending Akron made a lot of sense for Piper at the beginning.

It was close to home — Pipher is from Norton, Ohio — and she had been around the university a lot with her aunt, Kay Piper, who played both softball and volleyball there from 1982 to 1985.

“Knowing that I played there and I think also she’d been around Akron U a lot because I used to take her to some of the games and stuff. I think she felt comfortable going there,” Kay Piper said.

Kay’s number, 23, is one of only two retired numbers in program history, but Piper was still able to wear it for the year that she played at Akron. Seeing her wear that number was an “immense sense of pride,” Kay said.

Although Piper’s decision to transfer to Ohio State was a risk, she was not leaving all comfort behind in Akron.

A few of the people who played on Piper’s travel team were already playing at Ohio State, so Piper did not feel as though she was “jumping into a situation blind.”

Piper quickly found her groove at Ohio State and has continued to thrive since she arrived. She PIPER CONTINUES ON 6

SPORTS

8 | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

SOFTBALL

thelantern.com

@LanternSports

Lilli Piper was once a two-sport athlete at Akron, now she’s one of the country’s best kept secrets. | ON PAGE 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL

No. 16 Ohio State ends home season with chance to rebound against Rutgers EDWARD SUTELAN Assistant Sports Editor sutelan.1@osu.edu It would be an understatement to say No. 16 Ohio State had a bad week.

The Buckeyes lost 79-56 to Penn State on Thursday, then fell 74-62 to Michigan on Sunday in back-to-back road games. The two losses dropped Ohio State from first place in the Big Ten to a tie with Purdue for second behind Michigan State with just two games remaining.

With its Big Ten regular-season title hopes all but dashed, Ohio State (22-6, 11-3 Big Ten) will focus on bouncing back from the losses and gaining momentum heading into Big Ten tournament play in its its final home game of the season against Rutgers at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Addressing recent struggles Though Rutgers will bring one of the nation’s worst offenses to Columbus, this game will be pivotal for Ohio State to begin addressing issues highlighted in last week’s losses.

The Buckeyes lost physical battles against both Penn State and Michigan. Penn State out-rebounded Ohio State 38-30. Michigan finished with a slight 26-25 defensive rebounding advantage, but also scored 32 points in the paint.

Part of the Buckeyes’ issues stemmed from defending guards larger than their own. Penn State’s 6-foot-5, 204-pound guard Tony Carr dropped 30 points —

PROJECTED STARTERS Rutgers G - Corey Sanders - Junior 6-foot-2, 176 lbs., 14.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg

G - Geo Baker - Freshman 6-foot-4, 180 lbs., 10.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.9 apg

G - Issa Thiam - Sophomore 6-foot-10, 190 lbs., 7.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.6 apg

F - Deshawn Freeman - Senior 6-foot-7, 227 lbs., 11.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.9 apg

C - Shaquille Doorson - Junior JACOB MYERS | MANAGING EDITOR FOR CONTENT

Redshirt junior forward Keita Bates-Diop (33) drives to the basket in the first half of Ohio State’s 74-62 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. including 4-for-8 from 3-point range — against Ohio State. The next game, Michigan’s 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman delivered 17 points, and 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman Jordan Poole scored 15.

Rutgers is fourth in the conference in offensive rebounding, the 30th-tallest team in the country and has relied on strong post play to generate the bulk of its scoring. Overall, 60.5 percent of its points have come from 2-pointers this season, the second-highest percentage in the country.

The Scarlet Knights also have received the most out of their guards. Geo Baker and Corey Sanders are two of the highest

point-scorers on the team. The two were the only players to score double-digits against Ohio State in the last meeting between the two teams on Jan. 14.

It would seem like a concerning matchup for the Buckeyes if not for the team’s inept offense. The Scarlet Knights average the 20th-fewest points per game in the nation with the ninth-lowest field-goal percentage in the country.

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said going up against a good rebounding team and one that relies on interior scoring to win means his team will need to focus on what plagued it in the past two games.

7-foot, 275 lbs., 2.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.2 apg

Ohio State G - C.J. Jackson - Junior 6-foot-1, 175 lbs., 12.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.0 apg

F - Jae’Sean Tate - Senior 6-foot-4, 230 lbs., 12.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.9 apg

F - Andre Wesson - Sophomore 6-foot-6, 220 lbs., 2.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.1 apg

F - Keita Bates-Diop - RS junior 6-foot-7, 235 lbs., 19.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.6 apg

F - Kaleb Wesson - Freshman 6-foot-9, 270 lbs., 10.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg

BASKETBALL PREVIEW CONTINUES ON 7

MEN’S HOCKEY

Tanner Fritz pushes through unstable start to NHL career KEVIN HARGRAVE Lantern reporter hargrave.10@osu.edu It seemed like a routine, early January day for Tanner Fritz.

He had just finished another morning practice with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. He skated, went through drills and discussed strategies with his coaches and linemates. The former Ohio State forward did absolutely nothing he had not done since the season began in the fall.

Everything was normal until Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson called Fritz into his office to inform him he was being called up to the Islanders to make his NHL debut.

Since that moment, Fritz’s life has become anything but routine. He has faced no shortage of obstacles in his first month in Brooklyn playing hockey at the highest level. Yet, with the opportunity to live out his lifelong dream now possible, he is determined to maintain his mental stability and enjoy the moment.

Fritz went undrafted after playing for Ohio State from 2011 to 2015. After graduating, he joined the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL for the 2015-16 season. The following season, he signed a professional tryout contract with the Sound Tigers, eventually earning a two-way contract that allowed him to be called up to the Islanders.

“Now that I’ve been up and down a couple times, you just stay level headed. No matter where I’m at, I’m just going to try to be the best player I can be.”

Tanner Fritz Former Ohio State hockey forward

“I continued to get opportunities,” Fritz said. “It just wasn’t at the level I thought it was going to be at. I just kept working hard, kept pursuing it.”

Fritz’s hard work finally received vindication when Islanders head coach Doug Weight inserted Fritz into the lineup against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 2.

LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Tanner Fritz was a forward at Ohio State from 2011 to 2015. After signing with the Sound Tigers he was pulled up to play with the New York Islanders in his first NHL debut on Jan. 2.

“He’s earned his trip up here,” Weight told reporters, according to MSG Networks. “It’s no bones about it, we need some energy … We need some swagger, and I want him to bring his energy and bring his confidence.”

Taking the NHL ice for the first time was an unforgettable experience for Fritz.

“It’s just kind of cool playing against some of your childhood idols,” Fritz said. “You kind of get star-struck a little.”

Although Fritz said his first game felt surreal, the beginning of his NHL career has been far from fantasy.

Fritz is on a two-way deal, which means at any moment he might have to pack his gear and make the 90-minute drive between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Brooklyn to either be promoted or sent down. Fritz underwent this process of being sent back to the Sound Tigers and recalled by the Islanders twice within a month of his NHL debut.

He also had to overcome an injury. After his second

recall to New York, Fritz suffered a lower-body injury, which held him out of six games in mid-February.

Despite the instability, Fritz has tried to remain mentally grounded regardless of where he takes the ice.

“Now that I’ve been up and down a couple times, you just stay level headed,” Fritz said. “No matter where I’m at, I’m just going to try to be the best player I can be.”

Fritz has had to adjust his game on the ice.

At Ohio State, Fritz had the largest offensive role on the team. As a senior, he led the Buckeyes with 27 points and scored a career-high 11 goals. He led the team in assists with 24 as a junior and 16 as a senior. Fritz also was a leading offensive contributor in Bridgeport, but has been asked to play more of an auxiliary role in New York. However, Fritz feels that his style of play translates to any role he is asked to play.

“You can kind of throw me wherever in the lineup and I think I’ll have some success and I’ll adjust my game accordingly,” Fritz said. “I played a little bit different game [in Bridgeport]. [In New York] I’m just a little bit more cautious and maybe not taking as many offensive chances.”

Many individuals in the Islanders organization have helped Fritz become acclimated with the NHL game, but Fritz directly cited his linemate Jason Chimera, a veteran winger who has played more than 1,000 NHL games, as one of the people he has leaned on for support.

“One of the first things [Chimera] told me was you were called up for a reason,” Fritz said. “[He told me,] ‘Play to the best of your abilities and you’ll have a long career in the NHL.’ Hearing that from a guy that’s played 1,000 games, that’s pretty uplifting.”

Fritz has a long way to go until he skates in 1,000 NHL games. For now, he is just attempting to relish the opportunity.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the moment,” he said. “Wherever I am at … I just want to have fun playing hockey and enjoy it because you never know when it’s going to be your last game.”

On Monday, in the second period of his 14th career game, Fritz was able to enjoy the moment of scoring his first NHL goal.