Thursday April 21, 2011 year: 131 No. 56 the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern ‘We were dismissed all along’
sports
Still fighting workers’ comp claims from staff, OSU running out of options MOllY GRaY Managing editor for design gray.557@osu.edu
The Lantern looks at which positions to watch at Saturday’s spring scrimmage.
arts & life
Pat BReNNaN Lantern reporter brennan.164@osu.edu
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‘Mary’ set to pop in
Tony Award-winning musical ‘Mary Poppins’ opened at the Ohio Theatre on Wednesday. Shows run through May 8.
campus
Students get look at fair trade
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online
Steve Stivers talks Ohio jobs at Fisher College weather high 56 low 42 partly cloudy
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Gas prices have wallets running on ‘E’
54/53 rain 67/59 t-showers 68/55 t-showers 75/61 isolated t-storms www.weather.com
It’s week four of Spring Quarter, gas prices are climbing and commuting to campus for class and work has become a costly expense for tens of thousands of OSU students, faculty and staff. Sierra Cooper, a second-year in English and psychology, is struggling just to fill her car with gas so she can attend class. Cooper, who drives from Hilliard, Ohio, to OSU’s Columbus campus, said gas prices are taking a significant toll on her commute, which ranges from 20 to 40 minutes. “(Rising gas prices) makes going to school even more expensive,” Cooper said. “It’s a huge bummer. I fill up my tank once a week and that’s $50 right there.” According to AAA data, the average cost of unleaded gasoline in the metro-Columbus area on April 20, 2010, was $2.80. The average cost of unleaded gas in the metroColumbus area on Wednesday, exactly one year later, was $3.75 — nearly a 34 percent increase. On Wednesday, the cost of gas at some stations near OSU was higher than the metro-Columbus average. Gas prices at the Exxon station at the corner of Summit and East 17th Avenue were $3.85 for unleaded and $3.97 for mid-grade gas. The Shell gas station at North High Street and East Lane sells its brand of unleaded gas for $3.89 and mid-grade fuel for $4.08. In an email to The Lantern, Kimberly Schwind, the AAA Ohio Auto Club public relations manager, explained rising fuel costs throughout the country. “The high prices are not based on supply and demand. We do not have a supply issue. What’s happened is, the unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa has market speculators worried that the tension will spread to large oil-producing countries and impact supply,” Schwind said. “Because of this, they are willing to invest more for crude oil futures. As the crude oil prices rise so do the prices at the pump.” Schwind said the lessened strength of the United States’ dollar is partially to blame for rising gas prices. “What happens is, when the dollar weakens,
Gas price average highest it has ever been The daily average for a gallon of gas in the Columbus metropolitan area has gone up from about $3.11 on Jan. 1 to about $3.75 on Wednesday. The current gas prices for the area are the highest ever recorded for this time of year, said Kimberly Schwind, public relations manager for AAA Ohio Auto Club. Columbus daily average price for one gallon of gas Jan. 20 $3.1179
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Ohio State is nearing its final breath in a workers’ compensation claim for Olga Stavridis, a woman who suffered a months-long illness that resulted in the loss of part of her lung. Stavridis’ claim already has been validated through two hearings at the Ohio Industrial Commission, which deals with all workers’ compensation claim appeals in the state. On March 22, OSU appealed for a third hearing with the commission. A commission-level hearing is awarded on a discretionary basis and is rare, according to OIC’s website. Hearing officers at the district and staff level both allowed the claim in favor of Stavridis. “Usually in about a month or so the Industrial Commission renders a decision saying yes or no that they will hear the appeal,” said Ron Koltak, Stavridis’ lawyer. “But (OSU isn’t) guaranteed a third hearing.” If the Industrial Commission denies OSU’s appeal for a third hearing, its only option would be to file a claim in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Stavridis’ coworker, Amy Franklin, who also got ill
clear the office of a musty odor following a flooding that occurred in March 2009. Shortly after the fans were turned on, there was debris in the air and particulate matter covering the office suite. OSU’s main argument in the case is that Stavridis lives near a school that was undergoing serious renovations. OSU’s lawyer, David McCarty, argued it is more likely Stavridis got the disease near her home, Koltak said. McCarty referred The Lantern to Amy Murray, spokeswoman for the university, for all questions. Stavridis is filing for compensation of lost wages for her sick leave as well as compensation for medical costs, which would be paid to her insurance company. Stavridis’ salary for 2009, the year of her illness, was $38,220, according to a database of public university salaries that is run by Collegiate Times. At the time, she was working as an administrator in the College of Engineering; she is now teaching within the engineering program. Franklin, who works with the internship program in the College of Engineering, is also seeking compensation of lost wages and medical costs. She estimates that she lost a little more than two weeks of work. Franklin’s salary in 2009 was $38,459,
in 2009, recently filed her own workers’ compensation claim under advisement from Koltak. She said she believes OSU handled the situation poorly. “It haunts me to this day that I heard Olga say ‘Chris (Mulholand, facilities engineer in the college of engineering), is it OK for me to be sitting in here breathing this stuff? I have three little kids at home,’” Franklin said. “He just kind of laughed and shook his head. I just feel like we were dismissed all along when we would express our concerns.” The two women were diagnosed with histoplasmosis, a fungal disease that affects the lungs. Stavridis was diagnosed in June 2009 after taking sick leave several weeks prior. Franklin was diagnosed in October 2009 while having surgery for a different lung condition that doctors had misdiagnosed. Histoplasmosis is caused when one breathes in histoplasmosis spores, which then affect the lungs. “The only way to get histoplasmosis is when the earth is dug up and spores become airborne,” said Dr. George Deepe, a leading researcher of histoplasmosis and professor at the University of Cincinnati. “People who like to go caving or spelunking should be familiar with this disease.” Stavridis said she believes she contracted the disease after box fans were placed in the ceiling of her office suite in Hitchcock Hall in an attempt to
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Tips for conserving gas: • Run all of your errands, such as the gym, grocery store or class, at once instead of making additional trips. • Lighten your load: The less weight you have in the trunk or back seat of your car, the better milage you will get. • Drive the speed limit. The faster you go, the more gas you use. • Be “smooth” with the pedals. Don’t slam on the brakes or the accelerator. Source: Kimberly Schwind
investors, including those holding foreign currencies, are more likely to invest in commodities, including crude oil, which pressures prices upward,” Schwind said. The OSU community does have options when it comes to combating the increasing cost of refueling its cars.
MOLLY GRAY / Managing editor for design
Marty Stutz, vice president of communications, marketing and customer service for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, said he expects commuters to turn to COTA bus service as gas prices continue to rise. “When it costs somebody $50-plus to fill their
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Free Chipotle among Earth Day offerings DaNielle HiXeNBaUGH Lantern reporter hixenbaugh.9@osu.edu Earth Day is Friday, and local businesses and campus buildings are making efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Chipotle, the Blackwell Inn and the Ohio Union are just a few of the businesses or buildings that are practicing sustainable living efforts. The Chipotle located at 1726 N. High St., will have a “picnic for the planet,” on the Oval from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, said Katie Kelso, the local store marketing coordinator for Chipotle. It will give out free tacos and burritos to students. “Chipotle, at a national level, partnered with The Nature Conservancy Organization and we are sponsoring these events around the country mostly on college campuses,” Kelso said. This is not the only way Chipotle supports sustainable living. “We are working towards providing 100 percent grass-fed beef and naturally raised meats. It’s important to us because there are a lot of things that
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KaYla BYleR / Lantern photographer
Cards at the Blackwell inn inform guests that towels and linens will only be washed upon request in an effort to conserve energy.
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