Monday February 28, 2011 year: 131 No. 32 the student voice of
The Ohio State University
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thelantern Father says steroids did not cause death
sports
Football staffer Jake Nickle’s autopsy results are expected in about 6 weeks PAT BRENNAN Lantern reporter brennan.164@osu.edu Although the autopsy results of former Ohio State football strength and conditioning volunteer Jake Nickle are not yet available, Jake’s father Lawrence said he wanted to make one thing clear: His son’s death was not steroid-related. Lawrence said he’s worried about how reports that claimed steroids played a role in Jake’s death Friday might affect his son’s memory. “I’ve been hearing all kinds of things,” Lawrence told The Lantern on Sunday. “It tarnishes his reputation, and he’s been clean all along. “I don’t want it to be made any more than it is.” Lawrence received a welcomed phone call from OSU football coach Jim
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No. 1 again?
The No. 2 men’s basketball team cruised to an 82-61 win against Indiana on Sunday. No. 1 Duke lost on Saturday.
arts & life
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‘The good stuff’ is coming
Country artist Kenny Chesney is scheduled to bring his ‘Goin’ Coastal Tour’ to Crew Stadium this summer.
campus
Peace Corps celebration planned
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student voice
The Lantern details dental story weather
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Tressel on Sunday. “They got the greatest coach in the world,” Lawrence said. “(Tressel) said that I raised a great son. He said they’re all deeply saddened about it. (Tressel’s) really a class act.” OSU athletics spokesman Dan Wallenberg conÿrmed to The Lantern on Friday that Jake lost consciousness during a pickup basketball game at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center before being pronounced dead at the OSU Medical Center. The cause of Jake’s death is unknown. An autopsy was performed Saturday on Jake, Lawrence said, and the results will be available six weeks from then. “I was curious about that too,” he said, referring to the autopsy results. “Jake had had light-headedness after working out,” Lawrence said, adding that a doctor in Marysville, Ohio, Jake’s hometown, performed “a battery of tests
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Dance machines raise $222K SARAH PFLEDDERER Lantern reporter pfledderer.2@osu.edu The 2011 BuckeyeThon’s fundraising more than doubled 2010’s record. Last year’s dancers raised $100,823, but this year’s raised $222,518. The increase was due in part to a record amount of dancers — about 800. BuckeyeThon is Ohio State’s 17-hour dance marathon requiring participants to physically stand in an effort to end childhood cancer. Proceeds go to the hematology/ oncology ° oor of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is part of the Children’s Miracle Network. For the BuckeyThon’s 10th Anniversary, dancers were not required to dance the entire 17 hours, but were asked to stand, said Jessica Burbach, a fourth-year in English and French and director of event operations. “‘We stand for those who can’t’ — that’s our motto,” Burbach said. The marathon was held for its ÿrst time in the Ohio Union, and in past years it lasted 14 hours. “We chose 17 hours for the 17 million children treated at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals each year,” said Alexis Murray, a third-year in strategic communication and Spanish and director of marketing and public relations. Murray said the organization wanted to expand and be more competitive with other dance marathons, like the annual 48-hour dance marathon held at Penn State. The event took place in the Union’s Archie Grifÿn Grand Ballroom from 5 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. Dancers were required to raise $100 to participate and were categorized into eight color teams. Color teams gathered at the Union entrance hall chanting their team colors at 5 p.m. Their cheers roared to the
JEFF BARNETT / Lantern photographer
Students spent 17 hours dancing, playing games and just staying on their feet to support cancer research during the BuckeyeThon charity event on Saturday night in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom in the Ohio Union. top ° oor of the building. Dancers welcomed 16 children and their families from Nationwide to the party singing “Carmen Ohio.” President E. Gordon Gee gave a welcoming speech. “You guys are crazy … I’d dance with you but you’d get tired of seeing the Macarena,” Gee said. He then
helped cut a yellow ribbon blocking the staircase to the ballroom. Dancers stampeded up the staircase and formed a conga line in the ballroom, which had transformed into a club-like atmosphere with strobe lights and big screens. BuckeyeThon received cash gifts from Time Warner Cable, Amway
Global and the Credit Union of Ohio, which gave $5,000, said Mark Mangia, a third-year in medical technology and director of sponsorship. “We also received in-kind gifts from more than 40 businesses and individuals … totaling up to over
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Athletes’ perks continue upon return to OSU JAMES OLDHAM Senior Lantern reporter oldham.29@osu.edu If former student-athletes have exhausted their eligibility and have yet to graduate from Ohio State, the Student-Athlete Support Services Ofÿce might be willing to pick up the tab. In 1994, SASSO implemented the Outreach Education Program, which is now known as the National Consortium for Academic and Sports (NCAS) Degree Completion Program. The DCP provides former student-athletes with academic and tuition support, helping them to complete their studies and obtain a degree. “From (athletic director) Gene Smith on down to the coaches and us, it’s a commitment that we make to the students during recruiting, that we want them to graduate,” said John Macko, an OSU alumnus and athletic academic counselor in SASSO. “We always try to encourage them to come back and ÿnish school.” There are few things in life that come with no strings attached, and the DCP is no exception. Admission into the program is judged on a case-by-case basis, and the student-athletes have to meet certain requirements before becoming eligible to participate. If an athlete doesn’t meet the requirements, however, he or she isn’t immediately disqualiÿed from using the DCP. “When we’ve had students come that were outside of those particular parameters, we don’t necessarily turn them away,” said David Graham, assistant provost director of SASSO. “We try to ÿgure out a plan, and we have them put together a plan so that they can ÿt into that window.” Graham said 10-15 athletes typically participate in the program each quarter. “It provides them with an opportunity to tap into their real-life experiences, and use that experience to work with some of our active student-athletes,” Graham said. Scoonie Penn is one former student-athlete who took advantage of the education assistance the program offers. Penn played on the OSU men’s basketball team from 1998-2000, but forwent his senior season to enter the NBA Draft. He’s been playing professional basketball overseas for 11 years.
Degree Completion Program (DCP) requirements for athletes returning to college Athletes in the Degree Completion Program are evaluated quarterly with regard to academic performance, community service and work. In order to participate in the DCP, the following requirements must be met:
1) Must be former Ohio State student-athlete who received an athletic grant-in-aid, has exhausted his or her eligibility and did not graduate. 2) Must have a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. 3) Must be within 45 quarter-degree hours of graduation. 4) Must complete a written application. 5) Must provide an academic plan approved by college academic adviser of remaining courses. 6) Must schedule community service and/or work hours during the quarter. Source: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
EMILY COLLARD / Lantern designer
“I came to Italy and what worked out to be a blessing was, I ended up breaking my ankle in my ÿrst year out of school, halfway through the season,” Penn said. “So I went back to Columbus and that’s when I ÿnished my two remaining quarters and graduated.” The student-athletes that have participated in the program represent many sports and ages. For an athlete like Penn, who has made money playing basketball in a number of different countries, the ÿnancial assistance might not make or break his decision to return.
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