Wednesday November 9, 2011 year: 132 No. 25
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Voters take issue with SB5
sports
Sarah Stemen Oller reporter stemen.66@osu.edu
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Lion’s share of issues
Amid scandal regarding former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, coach Joe Paterno canceled a weekly press conference Tuesday.
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Ohioans struck down Senate Bill 5 Tuesday night when Issue 2 lost on the ballot by a percentage of 62-38. A supporter and backer of SB5, Gov. John Kasich, offered his congratulations to the victors. “When you get beat, you have to admit it and shake hands of those who prevailed,” Kasich said. Kasich said that the opposition to Issue 2 was a voice of the people. “It is clear the people have spoken,” Kasich said. “I have heard their voices, I understand their decision, and frankly, I respect what people have to say.” Many experts are now speculating what its rejection means for Ohio and the nation. SB5 would have limited public employees’ right to collectively bargain for anything except wages. This would have affected government officials, teachers, firefighters and nurses. Being that voters chose to appeal SB5, all of these employees will
be able to keep their rights to collective bargain for whatever they please, including benefits. Gov. Kasich signed SB5 into law on March 31, and it was appealed Tuesday night, making its life less than 8 months long. Ohio State law professor, Daniel Tokaji, told The Lantern the loss will be heavy on the current administration. “Obviously this is a huge black eye for Gov. Kasich, who has made this the cornerstone of his administration so far,” Tokaji said. David Stebenne, an OSU law and history professor, told The Lantern, he thinks the administration will go for a more moderate approach. “Issue 2 was the most extreme situation,” he said. “We can’t know for sure, but its rejection would hopefully mean all of its proponents, like Kasich, would regroup and propose something less drastic.” Kasich did not offer future plans on Tuesday night, but said this gives him a chance to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. Tokaji said the Issue 2 protestors are so proactive that it may affect the upcoming presidential elections.
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OSU student group walks the line with hobby David Gerad Senior Lantern reporter gerad.2@osu.edu
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Gordon-Levitt’s OSU inception Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt spoke at the Ohio Union Monday for the OUAB “hitRECord at the Movies” event.
campus
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No-Shave November
The annual activity of taking a month off from shaving is also part of a movement to raise health awareness.
David gerad / Senior Lantern reporter
Member of Slackliners at OSU, Zak Bainazarov a 2nd-year in computer science & engineering, maintains extreme concentration when practicing his balance on the slackline to avoid falling off Friday, Nov. 4, at Goodale Park.
Alli Murphy Lantern reporter murphy.840@osu.edu
high 63 low 38 pm showers
mostly sunny sunny mostly sunny cloudy Emily Tara / Lantern photographer
www.weather.com
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Sophomores required to live on campus?
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TH 49/31 F 47/36 SA 56/44 SU 59/50
If you were armed with the task of walking across an elastic-type rope tied between two trees, could you pass? What if you saw someone not only walking across, but jumping, running and bouncing on the same rope, could you do the same? Do you possess the ability to concentrate as well as utilize the strength it takes to maintain your balance on the line? If you are a member of Slackliners at Ohio State, you do. The rope is actually called a slackline, used in slacklining, a sport that has been well-known in the climbing community for decades. Now if you picture someone in the Oval at OSU with a slackline tied between two trees, the thought might be familiar. In spring of 2011, the student group Slackliners at OSU came into existence. The president and founder of the club, Andrew Jylkka, a third-year in environmental science, said he got the inspiration for the club one day before class when he was watching slacklining videos. “I learned slacklining here, people have been slacklining here for years so I figured if there was enough interest I could start a club,” Jylkka said. “It started with a Facebook group and they got on me to talk to OSU and make it an actual club.” Despite being fairly new around campus, the club now has more than 80 members on Facebook. Adam Bush, a fifth-year in mechanical engineering and an officer for the Slackliners, said about 10 to 15 core members make up the foundation of the group. “I didn’t even know what (slacklining) was until I saw people doing it on campus,” said Chad Gillis, a third-year in criminology. Bush said slacklining isn’t just limited to the trees, it’s actually composed of many different variables as well as multiple styles of slacking. “There is longlining, highlining and tricklining,” Jylkka said. “I like to longline, which means I’m trying to walk across a line that’s 150-200 feet long but my goal is to get up to around 500-600 feet.” Jylkka said highlining is done between a gap high in the air, like a canyon. “There are so many more variables to highlining like the wind or anxiety that my anchor isn’t clipped in correctly,” Bush said. “I consider highlining past the point of no return so if you fall, you’re going to be seriously injured or not going to make it.”
President Gee said his plan to move all sophomores into the dorms begins with making enough space.
Ohio State could become a university that requires students to live in dorms for their first and second years. It is not yet set in stone that students must live in campus dorms for their first two years at OSU, but it is in the “exploratory” phase, Ruth Gerstner, director of communications for the Office of Student Life, said in an email. Gerstner said there are numerous benefits for students living in dorms through their second year. “There is evidence that students who live on campus for two years graduate more quickly and at higher rates than those who live on campus for only one year,” Gerstner said in the email. “Their retention rate, connection to the university and involvement rates are also higher.” This second-year residential living requirement is not new to the university. It has been a rule since 1965, but due to a lack in supply of housing it has been unenforceable, Gerstner said in the email. President E. Gordon Gee has told The Lantern on numerous occasions that requiring all first- and
second-years living in residence halls is a goal of his. Gee outlined his plan in January. “We started on the south campus; we move to the north campus; we’ll try to figure out what to do with ... Lincoln and Morrill towers,” Gee said. “That’s our No. 1 priority.” Gee also reiterated that the requirement is already a university rule, but because of space issue, again, it is unenforceable. Gee said his plan will solve that issue. “The second thing would be to build enough significant additional housing to be able to house all freshmen and sophomores on the campus,” GEe said. “We will not enforce any arbitrary conditions until we have the ability to be able to ensure that housing is available.” Gerstner said there are several benefits to dorm-life. “Reviving enforcement of the second-year residential living requirement is being considered because we believe that it is in students’ best interest and will contribute to their academic and personal development and success,” she said in the email. Despite these benefits, some people have
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