Tuesday October 9, 2012 year: 132 No. 113
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Obama visit to close Oval, nearby buildings
sports
Kristen Mitchell Campus editor mitchell.935@osu.edu
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Buckeyes banged up
Linebacker Etiene Sabino and running back Jordan Hall are not expected to play Saturday.
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Running from zombies
The Zombie Buffet 5K is scheduled for Saturday at Arch Park at 11:30 a.m.
campus
Gnome journeys campus
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weather high 64 low 47 partly cloudy
W 59/34 TH 64/47 F 60/44 SA 70/59
partly cloudy mostly sunny partly cloudy mostly cloudy www.weather.com
With President Barack Obama’s visit to campus on the minds of many students and faculty, one question prevails: Should class be canceled? The answer is mixed. Wesley Skupski, a second-year in business finance, said teachers should be democratic about cancelling class. “It should be up to the students in the class, they could have a vote,” he said. Obama is scheduled to make an appearance on campus with musical artist will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas Tuesday afternoon. A stage was being constructed for the event Monday on the Oval. Others didn’t think the visit should disrupt schedules. Jie Zhang, a firstyear in computer science and engineering, said classes “shouldn’t be changed just because a famous person is coming to campus.” Niraj Antani, communications director of Ohio State’s College Republicans, said no academics should be disrupted and no student or state dollars should be spent. “We cannot shut down things that students pay for, that I would also argue the state pays for,” Antani said. When Obama visited campus and spoke on the Oval two years ago, the
William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library was roped off for some time. When he came in March, the RPAC was shut down. Antani said this time, students should not be disrupted. Obama’s campaign paid to rent the Oval two years ago. According to a November 2011 Lantern article, the Democratic National Convention picked up most of the cost from Obama’s last visit to the Oval, but the university paid nearly $80,000 of the tab. That includes the cost of public safety and security operations, preparation and cleanup expenses. Obama paid the university $75,000 to rent out the Schottenstein Center near campus May 5 to kick off his re-election campaign. “If students are denied access for the Thompson Library, then I will demand that students be reimbursed,” Antani said. That promise also includes reimbursement for canceled classes and other facilities. Several buildings on the Oval will be closed during the event, and access to building entrances on the Oval will be limited. By 11 a.m. Tuesday, Orton Hall and the Faculty Club will be closed. By noon, the Oval will be closed, but surrounding buildings will remain open, including Thompson Library. An email to students described security for the event to be “airport-like.”
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allie janneck / Lantern photographer
The College Democrats set up a booth on the Oval Oct. 8 to distribute tickets for President Barack Obama’s visit to OSU.
Domestic violence a wide- OSU mum spread issue, study says on safety task force findings anna duee Lantern reporter duee.1@osu.edu
The death of 18-year-old Alexandra Kogut at the hands of her boyfriend has made national headlines and sparked discussion about the need for increased awareness for domestic violence. Kogut’s body was discovered in her dorm room at the State University of New York at Brockport, where she was a freshman. Authorities say that Kogut was beaten to death by her 21-year-old boyfriend, Clayton Whittemore, who has been charged with second degree murder in the case. Whittemore admitted to killing Kogut but is pleading not guilty in the case. Kogut’s Sept. 29 slaying came two days before the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Some people at Ohio State, like Amy Bonomi, an associate professor of human development and family science, said students need to be more aware of the prevalence of domestic violence. “Many students feel that it could not happen to them, and that they may have had one or two friends that have had some experience with dating violence, but they may view that as an exception, when we are seeing a more common pattern in teens,” Bonomi said. A research study released in September, of which Bonomi was the lead author, concluded that “one in three victims of teen dating violence has had more than one abuser.” The research study included data from 271 college students who were asked to recall dating violence from ages 13 to 19.
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Swing states favor Obama, but Romney gains ground Teddy Ellison Lantern reporter ellison.91@osu.edu One state and a few thousand people could decide the difference between winning and losing the presidency for either candidate in the 2012 election. Swing states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida typically play a key role during election season and this year should be no different. “The most important swing state is Ohio. It is absolutely vital for Mitt Romney if he wants to win this election.” said Michael Flannagan, communications director for the Ohio State College Democrats. No Republican candidate has won the election without carrying Ohio, but swing states also traditionally include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. President Barack Obama leads 50 percent to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s 45 percent in a seven-day rolling Gallup poll. According to Politico, a news source that covers
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Andrew Holleran / Photo editor Cody Cousino / Multimedia editor
kristen mitchell Campus editor mitchell.935@osu.edu Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee called for the creation of a safety task force last month, but students have yet to see any safety recommendations. The task force was formed after a string of bicycle and pedestrian accidents that occurred in the on- and off-campus area. The force was announced in a Sept. 7 email to students and staff. Javaune Adams-Gaston, vice president for Student Life, and Jay Kasey, senior vice president for Administration and Planning, were chosen to head the task force, which was expected to make recommendations to the university Oct. 1. More than a week after the Oct. 1 expected date, the task force results have yet to be announced to the OSU community. The recommendations are close to being finalized but will likely not be announced this week, said Jim Lynch, an OSU spokesman, in a Monday email. The task force was formed after several accidents involving students in the University District. In an accident that occurred Sept. 5, a student was hit and run over by a dump truck near a construction site on Woodruff Avenue. The student, James Daniel Hughes, had one of his legs amputated and is still at the Wexner Medical Center receiving treatment. First-year student Rachel Stump was involved in an Aug. 19 car accident that caused her to go into a coma. She has woken up but is still recovering. OSU student Yifan Gu was struck by a bicyclist Sept. 6 near Chumley’s on High Street. She left the scene in an ambulance that took her to the Wexner Medical Center, where she remained in stable condition Monday afternoon. Other campus-area accidents have resulted in only minor injuries.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney (left). President Barack Obama (right).
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