2.2.2012

Page 1

Thursday February 2, 2012 year: 132 No.18

the student voice of

The Ohio State University

www.thelantern.com

thelantern Meyer assembles ‘dream’ team

sports

Pat Brennan Sports editor brennan.164@osu.edu

Dirty business

5A

Known for recruiting, at least six of football coach Urban Meyer’s 25 recruits were previously committed elsewhere.

[ a+e ]

During his introductory press conference on Nov. 29, new Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer said football teams in the Southeastern Conference were “hot,” both on the field and the recruiting trail. Meyer has yet to coach a single game for the Buckeyes, but as far as recruiting is concerned, Meyer is white hot. During OSU’s National Signing Day press conference Wednesday, the finishing touches of the Buckeyes’s 2012 recruiting class, regarded by multiple media outlets as a top-rated class in the country, were revealed. Meyer disregarded immediate evaluation and rankings of the class, but one expert called Meyer a “dangerous” recruiter, adding that he had assembled a “dream class.” Meyer lauded the effort of his coaches and said “(Wednesday) was a great day for Ohio State.” “I’m very pleased with the work ethic our (coaches) showed,” Meyer said. “Very impressive to pull that class together. (It) was a very selfless approach to close this kind of recruiting class on such short notice.” The 25-man class includes 16 Ohioans,

according to an OSU release. The class is also comprised of two five-star recruits and 14 four-star recruits, according to Rivals.com. The rate at which players were committing to the Buckeyes was so rapid that OSU football spokesman Jerry Emig re-released an updated version of the team’s commit list just minutes after distributing it for the first time. During his opening remarks, Meyer mentioned six players by name, adding that he could have spoken at length about each of his commits. Meyer first mentioned three defensive ends — Cincinnati, Ohio, native Adolphus Washington, Harrisburg, Pa., native Noah Spence and Canton, Ohio, native Se’Von Pittman — calling Pittman and Spence the “prize of the recruiting class.” “According to … the coaches that were on the previous (OSU) staff, defensive line was very critical this year,” Meyer said. “I think we signed three guys in the top 100 (in the nation).” Meyer also singled out linebacker Jamal Marcus, a Durham, N.C., native, and offensive linemen Taylor Decker and Kyle Dodson, natives of Vandalia and Cleveland, Ohio, respectively.

Chelsea Castle / Managing editor

Football coach Urban Meyer talks to members of the media about the class he has assembled on National Signing Day on Feb. 1.

Recruiting Power

continued as Ohio on 3A

More on the success of OSU’s recruiting under coach Urban Meyer. Stories on Page 5

OSU inks $125M deal with Huntington Bank Thomas BRadley Campus editor bradley.321@osu.edu

10A

A look underground

The Lantern begins its series of profiling Columbus based underground bands with a look at The Helionauts.

campus

Ohio State and Huntington Bank have agreed on a $125 million deal that gives the Columbus-based bank exclusive rights to campus in exchange for a $25 million lump sum payment and future investment in the surrounding area. Representatives from Huntington and the university will formally announce the 15-year partnership at noon Thursday, which could open up to four Huntington Bank branches on campus. Geoff Chatas, chief financial officer of OSU, said this money will be used directly to improve the “academic core” of the university. “It’s a significant amount of money we will be investing into the student experience at Ohio State,” Chatas said. “What we’re trying to do is to create a unique partnership with Huntington really for the benefits of students, faculty, staff and alums.” Shelly Hoffman, spokeswomen for the university, said it will be a one-time payment at the beginning of the 15-year partnership. “But we also will receive income on top of the $25 million, paid each year as people sign up for Huntington services,” Chatas said. Chatas said $10 million of the $25 million will be put directly into the endowment and used for classroom improvement. “There is plenty of renovation on campus that

Chris Scullin / Lantern photographer

Huntington Bank and OSU have agreed on a partnership to give Huntington an exclusive consumer banking. needs to be done,” Chatas said. “Whether it’s the renovating of classrooms or investing in different programs at Ohio State.” David Schamer, director of not-for-profit banking at Huntington Bank, said this partnership is one of a kind. “The banking deal will be off the charts,”

Schamer said. “But let’s go even beyond that to the members of the community. We’re going to deploy our lending capacity and availability into the university district, and even beyond into different economics projects that relate to the university.” Huntington and OSU have established an agreement that Huntington will provide $100 million in lending power to the university area to improve the economic development of the area. “How can we continue to invest in the economic development around the university?” Chatas said. “Some of that will be direct lending into businesses in the university district, but none of it is defined yet.” Schamer said this deal is “unique” because of the positive impact it can have on the university area. “We approached this deal differently,” Schamer said. “What’s good for Ohio State is good for the community, and it’s good for us.” Chatas said the details of where the $100 million might go is still being worked out. “One thing we are looking at is how the university will be a partner in development east of High (Street),” Chatas said. “It’s still very early, so we don’t have any specific retail ideas, but a lot of that will be coming out in the next couple of months.” President E. Gordon Gee said in a statement he is excited about the new partnership.

Cuzzins moves onto campus Rec Sports changes could cut some fees

2A

weather high 49 low 33 partly cloudy

F 50/35 SA 46/37 SU 46/36 M 45/34

partly cloudy few showers few showers rain/ snow www.weather.com

Sarah Stemen Oller reporter stemen.66@osu.edu Ohio State’s Council on Student Affairs came to an agreement Tuesday with university officials that could lead to personnel changes on two different committees. Pending legislative approval, the members on the Undergraduate Recreational Sports Committee and the Ohio Union Council could be changed to reflect a student majority. This is the first step in a long process that Undergraduate Student Government President Nick Messenger said he hopes will end in June with the Board of Trustees meeting and approval. The Board of Trustees will meet on June 21 and 22. “Since (the resolution) was approved, it will go to University Senate Steering and then it will bounce to the University Rule, back to Steering and then it will go to a full-floor University Senate vote with faculty, students and staff,” Messenger said. “If it passes there, it will go to the Board of Trustees for a final vote, hopefully in June.” Proposed changes to the Ohio Union Council include dropping the number of members from 33 to 23, which will include 12 students, two regular faculty members, one staff member, three Student

Life staff members, one alumni member and four at-large members. The proposal also looks for USG to select the Ohio Union Council’s undergraduate students in the future, some in consultation with the director of the Ohio Union, who is currently Tracy Stuck. Another part of the CSA resolution was to change how members were appointed on the Undergraduate Recreational Sports Committee. The resolution looks to increase the number of students who sit on the committee and the method of being chosen to sit on the committee. The Undergraduate Recreation Sports Committee would work to draft reviews and recommendations, including the Rec Sports budget. One new task of the committee is to: “Review and make recommendations regarding the annual budget of the Department of Recreational Sports, approve other ancillary student recreational fees and make recommendations to the vice president of Student Life annually regarding the student recreational sports fee,” according to the resolution. Messenger said the committee’s biggest responsibilities would be to make recommendations about the Rec Sports budget, review and make recommendations for extra fees and look at student fee increases and decreases. Bryan Ashton, chair on CSA, said the Board of Trustees still has the ultimate approval to increase or

continued as Chatas on 3A

We’re kind of winding up talks about reducing the intramural fee and getting rid of the fitness class fee. Nick Messenger president of Undergraduate Student Government decrease a fee, but he said he thinks student recommendation is important. “(The committee) does not have power of approval of any increase of the Rec Sports fee,” Ashton said. “But they will have the power of recommendation.” USG’s ultimate goal for the proposed changes to the committees is to reduce, if not obliterate, the additional fees OSU students pay for fitness classes and intramural classes. “We’re kind of winding up talks with the university administrators and student life administration about reducing the intramural fee and getting rid of the fitness class fee,” Messenger said. “We’re finishing up discussions with them about it and I’m really

continued as Fee on 3A

1A


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.