Tuesday January 28, 2014 year: 134 No. 13
www.thelantern.com @TheLantern weather high 6 low -7 partly sunny
thelantern the student voice of The Ohio State University
Football not just boy’s club
8A
4A
Bodega to receive facelift
Snow coats campus
6A
1K quality checks Despite canceled classes, some students assigned work set for off-campus properties in 2014 LIZ YOUNG AND ANDREW TODD-SMITH Campus editor and Lantern reporter young.1693@osu.edu and todd-smith.1@osu.edu
Visits scheduled for 2014 1,000* Days left in 2014 Visits per day
337 2.97 *estimate
To complete the 1,000 visits scheduled for 2014, roughly 3 visits would need to take place per day with no days off Source: reporting
MADISON CURTIS / Design editor
CAITLIN ESSIG Managing editor for content essig.21@osu.edu The Off-Campus Housing Excellence Program at Ohio State has kicked off its home visits, where a representative from Neighborhood Services and Collaboration and the Columbus Division of Fire visit students’ homes to make sure the properties are up to par. This includes assessing the “safety, security and environmental sustainability of off-campus housing in the university area,” according to the program’s website. The program as a whole consists of three components: home visits, education and eventually, enhanced rental property information, which will be available online. The Off-Campus Housing Excellence Program was established by the Office of Student Life as a
continued as Off-campus on 3A
Classes at Ohio State’s main campus are canceled Tuesday for the third time since Spring Semester started, but some students might still be called for attendance. OSU’s Emergency Management sent an alert Monday at about 4:45 p.m. announcing that classes were canceled for Tuesday, though “normal university operations (will) continue” and faculty and staff are expected to report to work as usual unless otherwise directed by their supervisor. Three weeks ago, OSU called off classes Jan. 6 and 7 because of extreme weather conditions as temperatures fell to roughly minus 7. Some OSU students said their professors were still planning on teaching class despite the cancellations the last they heard. “My teacher is having class. We’re having it over Google chats. She was like, ‘We’re not missing another day,’” said Andrew Dempsey, a third-year in biochemistry. “She hasn’t confirmed it but that was her plan … over the weekend.” The professor did not provide information about her class plans for Tuesday by Monday night. Other students said they’re glad to be given the day off, but plan to be productive in their extra time. “It’s really good the university’s doing it … By canceling, the university’s promoting well-being because it is dangerous to be outside,” said Leah Moody, a graduate student in public health. “I’m going to use it personally as a day to just relax, do yoga, catch up on my reading … I’ll be better prepared and probably succeed in my academics more because I won’t be outside freezing. I’ll still keep up with my readings for those classes and correspond with my professors via email.” Others also said they still have schoolwork to keep up with. “All my professors guessed that the day was going to be off, so they’re sending their assignments. So, I’m going to stay inside, stay warm and try to keep up,” said Kathryn Hess, a third-year in respiratory therapy. The Ohio Union, all libraries and all recreational
SHELBY LUM / Photo editor
A snowman stands about 2 feet tall on the Oval Jan. 27. Classes at OSU’s main campus are canceled Jan. 28 for the third time since Spring Semester started. sports facilities are set to be open Tuesday, though an email from Emergency Management said people are “strongly encouraged to limit these activities to only those that are absolutely necessary.” Student Life’s Student Health Services, the Dentistry Clinic and the Veterinary Medical Center will also be open as usual Tuesday, though the Optometry Clinic will be closed. The OSU Campus Area Bus Service is set to run its normal weekday hours, which vary from route to route. OSU’s main campus will not be the only one affected by weather Tuesday – OSU-Newark,
OSU-Lima and OSU-Marion are set to be closed, and classes are canceled at OSU-Mansfield and OSU-Wooster, though faculty and staff are expected to report as usual, according to the OSU Emergency Management website. As of Monday night, the high was expected to be 6 degrees with a low of minus 7 degrees Tuesday in Columbus. In Newark, temperatures were set to hit a high of 7 degrees and a low of minus 9 Tuesday, and in Mansfield, the forecast predicted a high of 2 degrees
continued as Classes on 3A
1st-generation students face Buckeye success hinging on Amir struggles coming to OSU DANIEL ROGERS Asst. sports editor rogers.746@osu.edu
First-generation students make up a significant population at OSU
Close to 20% of the freshman class is FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS Source: reporting
HANNAH CHENETSKI Lantern reporter chenetski.4@osu.edu Casey Ward hasn’t necessarily had an easy time on her path to a college degree. The third-year, who is studying psychology and women’s gender and sexuality studies, is a first-generation college student and Appalachian, and said financial aid in particular has been a “nightmare” for her. “College has always been my No. 1 goal,” Ward said. “I’ve never wanted to end up like my mother, working a mediocre job that pays just enough to support our family.” She said she did not get much help in high school from her teachers and advisers, and had to make her college decisions and discoveries on her own. “When I told my advisers I was applying to OSU, they told me that even as the class valedictorian, president and yearbook editor I would not get in, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to pay for it,” Ward said. First-generation students make up a significant population at Ohio State, with close to 20 percent of the freshman class coming in as first-generation students, said Laura Kraus, associate director for Economic Access at OSU and adviser of College Mentors for Kids. Economic Access works to help low income and first-generation students find a path to higher education. “We (at Economic Access) do a pre-enrollment conference on campus called the Buckeye Leadership Connection that targets first-generation students,” Kraus said in an email. The Buckeye Leadership Connection offers advice on networking, academic, personal, social and professional development skills, according to the First-Year Experience website. There are discussions held about living on campus, getting involved and what it means to be a first-generation student. Kraus said the number of students who participate varies from year to year.
Tuesday January 28, 2014
MADISON CURTIS / Design editor Kraus said first-generation students make up a diverse group that comes from multiple backgrounds with various identities. She said it is important that all first-generation students have a mentor to guide them. “First-generation students may not have the knowledge of university structure and language, and that can be alienating,” Kraus said. “We need to work on our campus to ensure that we explain things carefully to all students and to understand that not everyone comes in with the same college knowledge.” Despite that help, Ward said she’s still faced some struggles. “My mom doesn’t have the answers for my questions so I have to rely on the financial aid services at OSU, which leaves something to be desired,” she said. Autumn Wilson, a fourth-year in social work, has faced experiences similar to Ward’s. She said it was difficult figuring out the application process and finding scholarships, but comes from a family that values hard work, as her father owns his own business and her mother was in the Army. “I, luckily, had friends going through the same process, so I wasn’t too lost,” Wilson said. She said she never thought twice about going to college and it was always part of her plan, so she started working toward it at a fairly young age. “In order to help me with the college process I started working when I was 15 and have held one or more jobs at a time ever since,” Wilson said. Wilson said so far she has made the most of her time at OSU. “I definitely feel that I appreciate college with a whole new light after working very hard to get here and to be successful throughout,” Wilson said. “I truly appreciate every opportunity I am given.” Ward agreed. “Ohio State felt like home to me,” Ward said. “It felt like the generic college experience I’ve always wanted, but it turned out to be so much more than face value.”
When you come to Ohio State, the pressure is on to succeed. When you come to Ohio State as a 6-foot-11-inch McDonald’s All-American center, living up to expectations is nearly impossible. Career averages of 4.1 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game — with his career highs this season at 8.9 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game — haven’t been what the OSU faithful were hoping for from junior center Amir Williams. But despite all this, Williams just might hold OSU’s season in his hands. Before OSU’s matchup against Illinois Jan. 23, coach Thad Matta said Williams’ success is something the team needs. “We need Amir to play well. We need Amir to play consistently on both ends. We gotta get him back to tracking the ball, we gotta get him back to blocking shots more activity around the rim in terms of challenging shots … When he’s played well, we’ve played well. I know that,” Matta said. In games where Williams has played 25 minutes or more, the Buckeyes are 10-1, with a missed layup by junior guard Shannon Scott against Michigan State the only thing keeping OSU from perfection in those 11 contests. As the then-No. 17-ranked Buckeyes (16-4, 3-4) snapped their four-game losing streak by taking down Illinois, 62-55, Williams played 31 minutes — third most on the team — and added seven points and nine rebounds. OSU was outrebounded in each of the final three games of the losing streak, during which Williams never played for more than 22 minutes. Although the Illini grabbed more rebounds against the Buckeyes as well, the gap was closed to just one — 32-31 — because of the junior’s time on the court. “Amir had ‘the look’ tonight. He was active. He was energetic. He was tracking the ball, blocking shots. I thought he did just a really, really good job. He was rebounding the ball, he got a couple out of his area,” Matta said after the Illinois game. “Those guys had a pretty good blow with what Illinois was attempting to do. His ball screen defense was really, really good. And finally we had support where we needed it and he started trusting guys that they were going to be there and I liked it.” Although the Detroit native has started every game this season, his 31 minutes against the Illini were the most since he played 35 during the Buckeyes’ 72-68 loss against Michigan State. That was also the last game where OSU outrebounded its opponents. Williams so far this season has an average plus/ minus rating of +11.1 per game. Plus/minus is the metric that tracks how much a team outscores its opponents by when a player is on the court: the higher the number, the better. Junior forward Sam Thompson, whom many of the Buckeye faithful have
KAILY CUNNINGHAM / Multimedia editor
Junior center Amir WIlliams (23) fights through defenders for a shot during a game against Illinois Jan. 23 at the Schottenstein Center. OSU won, 62-55. been calling to start in place of Williams, has a season average of just +6.6. Thompson commented before OSU’s loss against Minnesota Jan. 16 that Williams’ size and rebounding ability were big against the Spartans earlier in the season. “We tried to go to the ‘small ball’ lineup versus Michigan State and we couldn’t rebound. We didn’t have some success we had in the past, so we went back to Amir and he really produced for us in that lineup,” Thompson said. During the losing streak, it wasn’t just the rebounding that killed the Buckeyes, but points in the paint as well. With Williams playing less and less, OSU was outscored 120-80 in the paint over the last three games of the losing streak, allowing no less than 38 points in a single game. Against Illinois with Williams back in, OSU held the Illini to 22 points in the paint, scoring 22 of their own. Fourteen of the 22 came in the second half for OSU, something senior guard Aaron Craft said was a big part of the win. “I think we got some easy buckets off turnovers,
continued as Amir on 3A 1A