Tuesday October 19, 2010 year: 130 No. 137 the student voice of
The Ohio State University
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thelantern Gee: OSU music facilities ‘awful, horrible’
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Ryan Book Arts editor book.15@osu.edu
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Ohio State’s post-season appearance is riding on a complicated web of Big Ten matchups.
Roaches, asbestos and filth, oh my. All that and more greet music students on a daily basis at Hughes Hall, amounting to a problem in the music program’s home that not even Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee could deny. The facilities “are awful! Are horrible!” Gee said loudly during an Oct. 6 meeting with the Lantern editorial board. “Our programs are much better than our facilities, and we intend on correcting that,” he said. At this point, members of the music department are looking for more than good intentions from the administration. “It always seems like something is being promised on the horizons,” said Richard Blatti, interim director for the School of Music. “It’s hard to picture in my career.” Blatti described Hughes Hall as “deplorable.” Among the complaints about the building are its dirtiness, thin walls and asbestos tiles left over from its construction in 1949. “Even if all these things were fixed, it still looks terrible,” Blatti said. Music students, who spend much of their time practicing in Hughes Hall, have reported pest problems among a laundry list of hazards in the building.
CODY COUSINO / Lantern photographer
Jeremy Riddell, a 37-year-old student returning to school to study molecular genetics, plays piano Wednesday in a practice room on the fourth floor of Hughes Hall, located on the northeast corner of Ohio State’s Oval. “You don’t want to see huge cockroaches while you’re in class,” said Adam Gilbert, a fourth-year in jazz studies. “Freshman year, I took a picture of one that was about a quarter of one of these (12-inch) tiles.”
Mariah Holt, a third-year in horn performance, said that using the practice rooms is in itself a hazard. “Doorknobs fall off. People get trapped in the
arts & life
Escorting Gee no walk in the park
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War zone Nate Duxbury leads his group of friends, the ‘101st Airborne,’ as they wage their campaign against the zombies in the biannual Human vs. Zombies game at Ohio State on Monday.
Sarah f isher Lantern reporter fisher.713@osu.edu
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Circleville Pumpkin Show turns all things orange
This year’s festival has everything from giant pumpkins to pumpkin bread and pumpkin burgers.
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Sometimes, after a long day of work, Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee likes to take a stroll through the University District to see how students live outside the classroom. When he does, he rolls out with an entourage of student escorts. University officials choose who gets to brush shoulders with Gee based on recommendations anyone can submit to the Office of Student Life. There is no formal application process for eligibility. Staff in the Office of Student Life and the Office of the President try to reward involved and hard-working students with the leadership opportunity of being a student escort, said Tracy Stuck, assistant vice president for Student Life and director of the Ohio Union. “We try to pick as a diverse group of students as possible: undergrads, grads and professional students,” Stuck said. The privilege comes with certain rules, she said. Always carry water and snacks. Know how to use all types cameras. And most importantly, don’t lose Gee. Once the escorts know the drill, they can help decide the president’s agenda for the night, along with other events pulled from Facebook and the Office of Student Life’s calendar. Escorts “pretty much go on Facebook and find out what’s going on on-campus. So essentially, they’re Facebook stalking,” said Lucas Nutter, former president of Block “O” and a past escort. The length of Gee’s to-do list depends on factors such as his mood and the weather, Nutter said. “He won’t bypass a house to get to somewhere we’re trying to
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Despite study, OSU finds psych majors satisfied with degrees jamie Morgan Lantern reporter morgan.693@osu.edu A recent Wall Street Journal study found that only 26 percent of psychology graduates are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” in their careers. It was the lowest percentage of 21 majors studied. But the nearly 1,800 undergraduates pursuing psychology degrees at Ohio State might not need to worry. “Psychology, being one of the most popular majors nationally, is offered at more places than almost any other major,” said Richard Petty, the Department of Psychology chair, in an e-mail. “Because of this, the quality of the major may not be as high in some places as in others, leading student satisfaction to vary as well. “The most important thing for OSU students to consider is the quality of the (psychology) major at Ohio State.” Petty said not only is OSU’s psychology department rated among the top 10 across the nation by the 2010 US News and World Report, but a 2009 graduating senior exit survey conducted by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences showed 83 percent of psychology majors had a satisfying experience in their degree. Lauren Bokesch, a fourth-year in psychology and president of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology,
said the transition from school to work is a reason for post-graduate dissatisfaction. “I think people are unhappy because they expect to become a psychologist with just a bachelor’s degree, and they don’t know what they are getting into once they declare their major,” Bokesch said. “You have to have at least four years after that, and a lot of people don’t want to go further and just try to find a job with whatever they can.” In autumn 2007, the Department of Psychology surveyed 1,770 psychology graduates who completed their degrees between spring 2001 and 2006, with a response rate of 21 percent. Responses indicated 64 percent had full-time employment, 10 percent had part-time jobs and 2 percent were unemployed. Of the respondents, 31 percent pursued a master’s degree, and 27 percent pursued a doctorate or professional degree. “I think continued education is important in every field, and I think the type of people who major in psychology like to learn and hopefully want to be lifelong learners,” said Eric Shaeffer, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology. According to the survey, 40 percent of the respondents did not seek a graduate degree. The survey also indicates that 71 percent of respondents found a job in three
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OSU getting $1.5M less for work-study program nathan mccull ough Lantern reporter mccullough.179@osu.edu Ohio State received $1.5 million less in federal work study funds this year, leaving thousands of students scrambling to find replacement jobs. The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students. It allows students to earn money to help pay education expenses and encourages work related to a student’s studies. Meagan Howman, a third-year in social work, said she received work-study awards for her first two years in college. This year, she didn’t. “Over the summer I realized that my financial aid did not include work-study, so I was worried that I would lose my job,” Howman said. Merilyn Lee, assistant director of Student Financial Aid at OSU, said stimulus funds bolstered last year’s work-study award. “In the 2009-2010 school year, we had extra money from the federal stimulus, and we do not have that money this year, so we unfortunately do not have the funds to award as many students,” said Lee. Each year, OSU is allotted work-study money from the U.S. Department of Education. The money is split between university departments authorized to hire students for work-study jobs. This year, the university got $3.4 million, down from $4.9 million in 2009. “Due to the lower appropriation, we know that some students who have been awarded in years past will not get an award this year,” Lee said. Last year, students with an estimated family contribution below
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