The Lantern – Feb. 25, 2020

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The student voice of the Ohio State University | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

THE LANTERN thelantern.com

WHAT’S INSIDE

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Year 140, Issue No. 12

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Ohio State’s win against No. 7 Maryland marred by Kyle Young’s injury ON PAGE 12

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DIVERSITY

Black Student Association gives students a weekly opportunity to celebrate the color of their skin

ON PAGE 2

Three campaigns on USG ballot for 2020-21 administration BRENDAN KUCERA Lantern reporter kucera.31@osu.edu

LOVE YOUR BODY

Student Wellness Center organizes events to promote body positivity ON PAGE 7

Disney wedding gets Buckeye surprise

COURTESY OF CIARA RUTH

The Ohio State marching band traveled to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to surprise Ciara and Dquan Ruth, a couple getting married on Disney Plus series “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.” The episode aired Feb. 14.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Buckeyes look to get back on track against Northwestern ON PAGE 12

WHERE IS IT? CAMPUS ARTS&LIFE SPORTS

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ANNA RIPKEN Copy Chief ripken.2@osu.edu When an Indiana couple held its wedding ceremony at the happiest place on Earth, the last thing the couple expected was a performance from The Best Damn Band in the Land. On Feb. 14, Ciara and Dquan Ruth were featured in the season two premiere of “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings,” on Disney Plus. The show highlights couples whose wedding dreams come true at various Disney locations, but for a bride who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, having members

of the Ohio State marching band perform between the ceremony and reception was beyond even her wildest dreams. Konner Barr, then-Ohio State drum major and December graduate of the university, said the marching band received an email mid-June 2019 from the show’s directing staff asking if the band was interested in going to California and surprising the Ruths. “We didn’t really know what to expect. None of us had really been to a video shoot like this or behind the scenes of anything like this,” Barr said. “So we were all pretty excited. But yeah, it was a very cool opportunity. Getting to

travel to California — Disneyland — to make this ultimate surprise for this couple was something that was very interesting.” The band members were flown out by Disney, and Barr said shipping the instruments presented a logistical challenge. A bigger challenge for Barr was marching out after the ceremony to perform. “The marching band is taught to be very thousand-yard stare and try to keep the emotions off of your face,” Barr said. “But it was definitely a cool experience marching out, and I was in front, so just hearing [Ciara Ruth]

DISNEY CONTINUES ON 6

After two years with just two campaigns up for election, this year’s Undergraduate Student Government campaigns kicked off Sunday evening with three groups officially on the ballot. Sophie Ruttenberg and Ethan Wolf, Roaya Higazi and Caleb Hineman, and Nicole Espinoza De Montreuil and Edward Donis Madison will be running for president and vice president, respectively.

Read about the candidates on page 4.


CAMPUS

2 | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Living in your skin Black Student Association celebrates black students

COURTESY OF BSA

The Black Student Association, a student organization on campus for more than 20 years, celebrates black heritage beyond Black History Month.

MADDIE GEHRING Lantern reporter gehring.80@osu.edu Although Black History Month is drawing to a close, one Ohio State student organization focuses on loving one’s blackness year-round. The Black Student Association is the umbrella organization for all the black organizations on Ohio State’s campus, Kaelyn Sanders, a thirdyear in criminology and sociology and the community outreach coordinator for BSA, said. The organization has been on Ohio State’s campus for more than 20 years, putting on events once a week to give students an opportunity to celebrate their heritage. Sanders said BSA is an involved

living organization funded by University Housing, so the organization gets more money than other black organizations on campus and receives many requests from other student organizations asking for donations. However, BSA provides more than financial assistance. Ocean Coldren, a second-year in business marketing and special initiative ambassador for BSA, said the organization seeks to provide social support and community for black students. “BSA’s main goal is to create a safe space for students of color — especially black students of color,” Coldren said. Coldren said that she felt alienated during her freshman year on

campus. “I was like, ‘Where’s all the black people at?’” Coldren said. “And whenever I came to BSA, I was like, ‘Oh here they all are.’” Sanders said it’s important to be surrounded by other students with whom she can relate and feel comfortable. Coldren agreed. “We go to a [predominantly white institution] and we are only 6 percent black in our undergrad, and it’s really important to look around and see people that look like you,” Coldren said. Coldren said college is a struggle for anyone, making it important to be surrounded by people of the same race as it’s likely they might experience similar issues. Sanders said BSA’s goal is for students to live their blackness to the fullest, which is different for everyone. “Living in your blackness is essentially being who you are, being black and not being sorry about being black — whatever that means to you,” Sanders said. Coldren said there isn’t a right way or a wrong way to experience one’s blackness, and everyone is welcome to join BSA, not just black students. “Everybody has a place here, and everybody is important,” Coldren said. BSA holds meetings from 7 to 9 p.m. every Thursday in the Hale Hall MLK Lounge.

CRIME MAP

Burglary, theft from a motor vehicle and more in this week’s crime map

ONLINE

New study shows preference for revenge over forgiveness MARY KIDWELL For The Lantern kidwell.118@osu.edu An eye for an eye might be easier than turning the other cheek, according to new Ohio State research on human cognitive processing. Research published in Sage Journals in December by Ohio State professor Matthew Grizzard and graduate student C. Joseph Francemone found that humans have a gut-level instinct to respond with retribution, but forgiveness in humans is learned. Grizzard and Francemone collaborated with the State University of New York at Buffalo, Texas A&M University-Texarkana and Culture by Numbers, a computer software development company.

When we see those meaningful, thought-provoking stories, we generally kind of let go of our innate desire to see this punishment or vengeance kind of idea. C. JOSEPH FRANCEMONE Graduate student

Grizzard, the study’s leading researcher, said participants read different scenarios and assessed whether they liked or disliked varying retribution endings — underretribution, equitable retribution or overretribution. The researchers then measured the participants’ response rates between reading the scenario and narrative ending to decide whether they liked or disliked the ending. “It just measures response rates … and so we are just asking them to press like or dislike as quick — basically as soon as they’ve made a decision,” Grizzard said. After choosing whether they liked or disliked an ending to the given scenario, Grizzard said participants were asked


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MARY KIDWELL | FOR THE LANTERN

Ohio State professor Matthew Grizzard is the lead researcher on a study examining human responses to retribution and forgiveness.

to rate more complex emotional responses using Likert scales from strongly agree to strongly disagree to note their fondness of aspects of the story, such as the fun or enjoyment of a story and its thought-provoking nature. After collecting data, Francemone said it was challenging to determine how to display the data. “It’s definitely interpretation and figuring out the easiest way to convey what we found,” Francemone said. Grizzard said the idea for the study began a year prior to data collection in spring 2017, when he was leading a graduate class at the University at Buffalo that explored research regarding media entertainment and the narratives humans enjoy. “We were curious about whether or not that original study — they just measured liking. They didn’t measure pleasure versus appreciation and things like that, so we were curious if that would hold up, and if we could kinda separate this liking response into more pleasurable responses or these more contemplative, meaningful, thought-provoking responses,” Grizzard said. Francemone said the study has the potential to impact society as a whole. “I think that it demonstrates how different stories are perceived by different

people in society and what that kind of means,” Francemone said. “When we see those meaningful, thought-provoking stories, we generally kind of let go of our innate desire to see this punishment or vengeance kind of idea.” Grizzard said the research could help understand the human preference for emotions such as punishment and reconciliation. “There’s a couple of things that I think it could help us understand better and so one is just kind of people’s innate preferences for vengeance versus forgiveness,” Grizzard said. “That could be important for criminal justice reform, helping us understand the extent to which we like punishment, we like vengeance, we like — and how do we foster a liking for forgiveness or reconciliation?” In terms of the short-term impact of the study, Grizzard said it showed that judgments of the media are reflective. “That can be useful because it can help us not only identify how we’re making judgments in the real world by isolating them in these kind of really carefully controlled experiments and things like that, but we can also indicate that we can use media as a tool to kind of understand how people might be making these judgments,” Grizzard said.

Across 1. Roberto’s house 5. Piece of news 9. Mirthful laugh (2 wds.) 13. Apart 15. Actress Witherspoon 16. Envelope stickum 17. Snake poison 18. Dr. Frankenstein’s helper 19. Wrongful act, legally

20. Hang loosely 21. Boneless ____ of chicken 23. Judge’s title (abbr.) 24. Tusked hog 25. Crested lizard 28. Optimally (2 wds.) 31. Waiters’ handouts 33. Curdles, as cream 34. Greasiness 37. ____ d’oeuvres

Down 1. Nickname of Cleveland cagers 2. Sailing 3. Emulate Kate Smith 4. Confused bustle 5. More frosty 6. “Animal House” costume 7. Greek love god 8. James Bond’s drink 9. Altitude (abbr.) 10. Hawaiian greeting 11. Michigan-Ontario lake 14. Create raised lettering 22. Lab rodent 24. Frenzied 26. Rifle 27. Preowned auto (2 wds.) 28. Gray shade 29. Party horn sound 30. Perry Mason portrayer 31. Melissa, to some

32. Yalies 34. Iridescent gem 35. Offer for money 36. Captain Hook’s pirate 40. Conditional words 42. Mineo or Maglie 43. Promised 44. Scrooge’s visitors 46. Placed first 47. Cuisine creators 48. Monastery head 49. Hooded snake 50. Lived 53. Sitarist Shankar 54. “Bullets ____ Broadway” 55. Bridge payment

38. 23rd Greek letter 39. Ashton’s ex 41. Unlawful entry 44. Staff symbol (2 wds.) 45. Mass meeting 46. Marine mammals 47. Sound like a hen 50. Peephole’s place 51. Cable network 52. ____ out (covers with noise) 55. Defunct airline

58. Declines 60. Bestowed freely 61. “F ____” (TV oldie) 63. Prolonged utensil 64. Stuntman Knieval 65. Becomes sullen 66. Linger 67. Dish the ____ (gossip) 68. Musical TV show set in a high school

56. Roused 57. Church area 59. Star’s home 62. Floor covering

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4 | The Lantern | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

USG ELECTION 2020

COURTESY OF SOPHIE RUTTENBERG

said. “We’ve done things a little bit differently in the sense of the creation of the way that we have structured it … We have an engagement side and a strategy side.” Wolf said the engagement side has been put together with more than 10 people who are experienced in particular areas on campus to help reach different students. “Our engagement side doesn’t just have like three people that are meant to go collect votes. We have an engagement director and underneath that, we have 15 to 16 different chairs and these 15 to 16 chairs represent about the 15 to 16 communities that exist on this campus,” Wolf said. Ruttenberg and Wolf said one of their campaign goals is to change the way USG interacts with students, particularly by meeting students in their spaces instead of asking students to come to them.

RUTTENBERG & WOLF

Ruttenberg, a third-year in public management and current senator in USG’s General Assembly, and Wolf, a second-year in public management and a governmental relations committee representative in USG, said they have focused their campaign on doing things differently than how they have been done in years past, making outreach a top priority, which is embodied in their slogan, “Branching out, building us.” “I think the structure of our campaign is inherently one that is meant for the introduction of new voices, different people and different perspectives,” Wolf

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“Students come up, and they say, ‘You know, I feel like you didn’t hear me. You didn’t listen to me. You didn’t recognize my concerns — my student experience,’” Ruttenberg said. “And that’s because as an organization, for years, USG has put on an approach where they put on programming and they reach out to student orgs and students and say, ‘You come to us. We have this really incredible program,’ but it needs to be flipped.” Making people feel supported at Ohio State is a campaign priority and why Ruttenberg and Wolf said they feel confident in their approach. “This idea, this plan that we have, it is so much bigger than the two of us,” Wolf said. “It is not about the two of us, and it’s about finding ways that we can make people comfortable — make people feel at home inside this campus.”

COURTESY OF ROAYA HIGAZI

There are three main themes for the Higazi and Hineman campaign: Access and affordability, excellence and equity, and student empowerment, Higazi, a third-year in city and regional planning and current vice chair of diversity and inclusion in Shared Governance as a party of USG’s Collaborative Leadership team, said, which inspired their slogan, “#PowerOfStudents.” “Those three themes really come from things that me and Caleb are personally passionate about, not just within USG, but the other things that we are involved in on campus,” Higazi said. Transparency is another important piece of the campaign in making sure everyone is aware of how they can use USG to best support them, Higazi said. “Right now, USG has really strong relationships with specific organizations on campus, but there are some organizations that don’t know USG can fund them

and fund them regularly,” Higazi said. “So making sure we’re transparent in what USG as a service can be for other student orgs so that they can further their missions in a way that they feel is efficient and true to the work that they do.” Transparency within the financial side of college is also something this administration will pursue, Higazi said. “One of our last points is on the financial side, so we realize that there is a lack of transparency within our financial aid system at Ohio State,” Higazi said. “Oftentimes with verification selection, and just the nuances of the FAFSA, students are put in stressful situations where they are at risk of being dropped from their classes or they are not receiving the proper amount of aid that they are supposed to — especially a lot of low-income and first-generation students.” Like Ruttenberg and Wolf, Hineman, a third-year in natural


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meet the candidates

THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

The Lantern is a student publication that is part of the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. It publishes issues Tuesday and Thursday, and online editions every day. The Lantern’s daily operations are funded through advertising and its academic pursuits are supported by the School of Communication. The School of Communication is committed to the highest professional standards for the newspaper in order to guarantee the fullest educational benefits from The Lantern experience.

HIGAZI & HINEMAN

COURTESY OF NICOLE ESPINOZA DE MONTREUIL

resource management and current parliamentarian for GA, noted outreach as something that should be a priority within USG. “I think one of the main things we do right now is we have forums and we also have office hours,” Hineman said. “Office hours, I think I can be very critical of the way that they are ran and that they are just held in the USG office, so you have to first know that you trust USG, that you can go to USG, that you have any clue who those people are.” Within diversity and inclusion, expanding the current administration’s efforts is something Higazi and Hineman look to do in office, Hineman said. “I think expanding what we are doing in diversity and inclusion is something that — you’re right — it is being evoked more, especially after the most recent show up for public forum, but I think a huge piece of that is just going to continue to work with students on any level,” Hineman said.

Next week, as a part of their campaign, Espinoza De Montreuil, a third-year in marketing and former president of USG at Ohio State’s Newark campus, and Donis Madison, a second-year in science, technology and environment exploration, will be wearing different colors to represent different themes of their campaign, Espinoza De Montreuil said. They will kick off the campaign wearing green Monday to promote their goal of an environmentally friendly campus, Espinoza De Montreuil said. To bring awareness to Buckeye Food Alliance’s food pantries on campus, they will wear yellow Tuesday. On Wednesday, they’ll wear black, representing the campaign’s goal to make parking on campus more affordable for both students and faculty. Blue, signifying campus safety, and red, for the inclusion of transfer students, will finish out the week Thursday and Friday, respectively.

ESPINOZA DE MONTREUIL & DONIS MADISON

E nv i r o n m e n t a l issues and more affordability within Ohio State were highlighted most by Espinoza De Montreuil and Donis Madison as issues they would tackle if selected to be president and vice president of USG. “Some of the more pressing matters would probably be our parking and an environmentally friendly campus because obviously we care about the environment a lot. It’s a big issue,” Donis Madison said. Trying to make campus plastic free is something Espinoza De Montreuil said she would like to bring over from her job at Nationwide Children’s Hospital to Ohio State. “What Nationwide does is the stuff that they use is not plastic. So basically what we are trying to do is trying to get a meeting with the people that oversee all of that to see the problems they went

through so we can do something like that at OSU,” she said. To improve the affordability of parking, the campaign aims to include it in tuition. “We were thinking something that maybe could be included in tuition kind of thing — a flat rate for everyone,” Donis Madison said.

Voting for the USG election opens March 2 and closes March 4.

Editor in Chief Kaylee Harter Managing Editor for Content Abhigyaan Bararia Managing Editor for Design Kelly Meaden Managing Editor for Multimedia Casey Cascaldo Copy Chief Anna Ripken Campus Editor Sam Raudins Assistant Campus Editor Lydia Weyrich LTV Campus Director Akayla Gardner Sports Editor Griffin Strom Assistant Sports Editor Andy Anders LTV Sports Director Brian Nelson Assistant Sports Director Khalid Hashi Arts & Life Editor Nicholas Youngblood Assistant Arts & Life Editor Ashley Kimmel LTV Arts & Life Director Oliver Boch Photo Editor Amal Saeed Assistant Photo Editor Cori Wade Design Editor Victoria Grayson Assistant Design Editor Richard Giang Social Media Editor Shelby Metzger Engagement Editor Lily Maslia LTV Special Projects Director Jack Long Oller Reporter Jasmine Hilton Miller Reporter Emma Scott Moran Director of Student Media General Sales Manager Lantern TV Production

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Business Office 614-292-2031 Newsroom 614-292-5721 Advertising advertising@thelantern.com Classifieds classifieds@thelantern.com Corrections The Lantern corrects any significant error brought to the attention of the staff. If you think a correction is needed, please email lantern@osu.edu Letters to the Editor To submit a letter to the editor, mail or email your letter. Please put your name, address, phone number and email address on the letter. If the editor decides to publish it, she will contact you to confirm your identity. Email letters to: harter.830@osu.edu Mail letters to: The Lantern Letter to the Editor Journalism Building 242 W. 18th Ave. Columbus, OH 43210


Arts&LIFE

6 | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

ALL-BLACK IMPROV

Group performs monthly improv shows to embrace diversity in comedy. ON PAGE 7

COURTESY OF CIARA RUTH

The Ohio State marching band traveled to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to surprise Ciara and Dquan Ruth, a couple getting married on Disney Plus series “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.” The episode aired Feb. 14. DISNEY FROM 1

scream and seeing her face light up with this joy was — it was definitely hard to try to keep that serious face because I’m sure that excitement was something that she wasn’t expecting, and it was like a true emotion from her.” Ciara Ruth said she had seen “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” before and knew Disney often surprises couples with something extra, such as bringing the Stanley Cup to a wedding reception for two hockey fans. As for her own wedding, Ciara Ruth said she did not know what to expect from Disney’s wedding plans. “They took the time to really get to know us — to really get to know what we like,” she said. “So they really understood, and I didn’t expect anything.” Dquan Ruth said he felt similarly. “I sure didn’t expect no Ohio

State marching band to be there,” he said. The bride and groom were not the only ones happily surprised. Ciara Ruth’s mother Carole Fisher described the family as being “Buckeye fans for life,” all born and raised in Columbus. “To experience, first off, obviously our daughter getting married to a very wonderful young man is an excellent experience on its own. And to see what Disney did with the celebration, it was very nice. It was a very nice experience,” Cevin Fisher, Ciara Ruth’s father, said. While Dquan Ruth needed some convincing from Ciara’s family to give the Buckeyes a chance, Ciara Ruth has been around Ohio State her whole life, despite attending Wright State University and later living in a Fort Wayne, Indiana, apartment complex, where she met her husband. But the Buckeyes weren’t Ciara

Ruth’s only childhood obsession. Her first bedroom was Disney themed, her mother said. And that love of Disney followed Ciara Ruth to Wright State, where she applied for the Disney College Program and spent about a year in Orlando, Florida, embracing the magic. “Having that magical touch that a cast member goes above and beyond that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, the characters that you meet that you’ve seen in the movies or the shows — to be able to go down there and to help actually lead those life-changing moments just was really rewarding,” Ciara Ruth said. It was thanks to the program that she was also introduced to a casting call for “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.” The Ruths were attending a New Year’s Eve church service in Fort Wayne when Ciara Ruth got a notification from a Disney

I sure didn’t expect no Ohio State marching band to be there. Dquan Ruth

College Program Facebook group about the show. “I’m the type of girl who’s always just gone for it and just given it a try,” she said. “Like the Disney College Program, I just went for it and I ended up getting in.” Ciara Ruth said she did not think she and Dquan would be selected for the show, as they had to go through several phone calls and Skype interviews with casting directors and producers before they officially started the wedding planning process in March 2019. Their wedding was July 9 that year. The Ruths spent the whole week of their wedding at Disneyland Park, Ciara said, with time to explore as the production team captured their first reactions. One such reaction was filmed immediately after the Ruths’ wedding ceremony, when hosts of DISNEY CONTINUES ON 7


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DISNEY FROM 6

the show Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker, both former “So You Think You Can Dance” contestants, introduced members of the Ohio State marching band. “We were in the park all day. So when we were in the park with the producers, like not knowing anything, they had the band practicing at our reception and our ceremony location,” Ciara Ruth said. After the band members got their rehearsal in, they were given passes to explore the parks, as well — but with some restrictions. “When we were in the park, we

were actually kinda instructed not to wear anything Ohio State because if this family, or the bride and groom, saw a bunch of Ohio State, they might seem a little skeptical,” Barr said. “So we didn’t meet them or talk to them up until after the whole surprise and stuff.” Looking back on the week spent at the resort, Ciara Ruth added that she did not realize how isolated they were by the production team so they wouldn’t find out members of the marching band were nearby. “Buckeyes travel. There’s Ohio state fans everywhere, and I’ve

Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | The Lantern | 7

seen some in California while we were there,” Ciara Ruth said. “You say, ‘O-H’ and they say, ‘IO,’ if they’re the real ones.” Dquan Ruth thanked the marching band for making their dream wedding special. “They didn’t have to go all the way out of their way to actually do that, and I’m very appreciative of the marching band for actually coming out there,” he said. Ciara and Dquan Ruth now plan to capture more moments together, as they are organizing a trip to Walt Disney World Resort for their first anniversary.

“It was a very cool opportunity. Getting to travel to California — Disneyland — to make this ultimate surprise for this couple was something that was very interesting.” —Konner Barr, former Ohio State drum major

COURTESY OF CIARA RUTH

The Ohio State marching band traveled to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to surprise Ciara and Dquan Ruth, a couple getting married on Disney Plus series “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.” The episode aired Feb. 14.

Via Vecchia Winery hosts all-black improv group RISHIKESH RAJAGOPALAN Lantern reporter rajagopalan.40@osu.edu Wine and improv enthusiasts alike will have a chance to watch comedians of color over a glass of wine this week at Via Vecchia. Affirmative Distraction, a local all-black improv group, will perform its first show of 2020 Thursday night at Via Vecchia Winery in the South End of Columbus, Ohio. “Whether it’s work, whether it’s home, whether it’s family or friends, or people just being obnoxious, for 90 minutes or two hours or four hours — depending on what we get booked for — I get to entertain you. I get to distract you from being that person. I get to put a smile on your face. And that, to me, means more than anything in the world,” Joseph Moorer, founder of Affirmative

Distraction, said. The group’s shows contain a number of improv games, some of which are exclusive to them. Chad Tennant, a member of the group, said a fan favorite is “Spelling Bars”, a game that has two teams compete in a spelling bee. If one fails to correctly spell the word, they have to rap four bars with that word. The event will also feature special guests Qamil Wright, CEO of entertainment company Soul Dope Entertainment, and Eric Rollin, vocalist in local hip-hop group Mistar Anderson. Moorer said they regularly invite members of the tight-knit black arts community in Columbus to perform with them. Shawn Burrs, a member of Affirmative Distraction, said he notices that many of their guest performers aren’t confident in their improv abilities at first.

“None of them think they’re funny. Most of them are musicians, and they’ve performed in front of crowds before, but they’ve never had to make a crowd laugh before,” Burrs said. Moorer said he formed the group in late 2018 after leaving #Hashtag Comedy, another Columbus-based improv group, in which he was the only black member. “When I separated from Hashtag, I immediately was like, ‘Why isn’t there an all-black improv group?’ And people started chiming in,” Moorer said. The 11-member group performs monthly improv shows at Via Vecchia Winery, a South End winery and event space that specializes in Tuscan-style red wines made from California grapes, according to its website. “When you come to an Af-

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COURTESY OF JOSEPH MOORER

Affirmative Distraction, at its Halloween show at Via Vecchia Winery October 2019.


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8 | The Lantern | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

IMPROV FROM 7

firmative Distraction show, it’s not just a black crowd. It is so mixed. It’s so diverse. Everybody comes and has a great time. And just seeing how the numbers just kept doubling, how quick we’ve grown,” Tennant said. Moorer said he first met the winery owners, Paolo Rosi and Michael Elmer, when his band, The Conspiracy Band, played at a wedding held at the venue. He said Affirmative Distraction was outgrowing its previous venue, The Pelican Room, and managed

to seat up to 130 people at its most recent Via Vecchia show. “Every time we have filled this place up. And again, everybody that I’ve talked to — my friends — when they get here they’re all amazed at the venue itself, and then we put on a good show. So it’s almost like this place only enhances our show, or we enhance this place,” Burrs said. Food for the event will be provided by Big Beez Lunchbox, a black-owned food truck run by Columbus native James Allen. Moorer said it is important to him

Wellness center hosts Love Your Body Week

CHANTAL BROWN Lantern reporter brown.7317@osu.edu At least 30 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, and Ohio State’s Student Wellness Center is trying to tackle the issue head on this week. The wellness center kicked off its inaugural Love Your Body Week Sunday with events across campus to coincide with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. In collaboration with student organizations and university initiatives, Love Your Body Week is a week of seminars, art workshops, performances and fitness courses to promote health and self compassion, Claire Pitrof, a third-year in English and accounting and student assistant for body acceptance program Body Project, said.

“No body is better than any other body,” Pitrof said. The week of events is not directly affiliated with NEDA Week, an annual event put on by the nonprofit National Eating Disorders Association, but Pitrof said it still has a message they are trying to pass on to the university’s students. The event was called Love Your Body Week to broaden its scope from eating disorders to promoting health and body positivity, Pitrof said. According to the event flier, to put on the 21 events over the course of the week, the center partnered with CHAARG, an organization that aims to ignite passion in college women for health and fitness, according to its website; RPAC fitness instructors; Buckeye Food Alliance, the university’s food pantry; the Body Project; and Project HEAL, an organization that fundraises to provide treatment grants and spread

to collaborate within the black community. “It’s opportunities that aren’t usually afforded to us, and I have to change that,” Moorer said. “And so if I can do that one vendor or one group or one venue or one act at a time, we’re going to do that.” Affirmative Distraction will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at Via Vecchia Winery, located at 2108 S. High St. Doors will open at 7 p.m. Presale tickets cost $10 and are available on Eventbrite. Tickets cost $15 at the door.

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RISHIKESH RAJAGOPALAN | LANTERN REPORTER

COURTESY OF JORDAN HELCBERGIER

150 Messages of Gratitude and Positivity, part of Love Your Body Week, took place at the RPAC Feb. 24.

awareness for eating disorders and body positivity, according to the club’s purpose statement. The message is especially important for students because college is a common time for people to develop eating disorders, Rani Bawa, a third-year in neuroscience and president of Ohio State’s Project HEAL chapter, said. “Being in college, you have so much pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way, and you have a lot of peer pressure, and so body positivity is something that historically hasn’t really been talked about,” Bawa said. Project Heal is an awareness

and fundraising organization meant to help those with eating disorders overcome barriers to treatment, according to its website. Bawa added that diet culture and fad diets can lead college students to develop disorder behaviors, and she wants to bring discussions of body positivity to the forefront to combat that. Project HEAL members are hosting a movie night Tuesday, when they will discuss body positivity while watching “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and passing out goodie bags. “Taking part in mental health

awareness and body positivity activism is a big part of giving back to the community, and being a college student and a part of this community, you have a responsibility to educate yourself, so that is why I think it is important for people to participate,” Bawa said. Love Your Body Week will run until Friday, with events each day held at various locations and times. All events are free and open to the public. A complete schedule and more information about the events can be found on the Student Wellness Center’s website.


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Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | The Lantern | 9

CLARK FROM 10

Emily was very talented and a completely said. “If things don’t work out in her way, I different skillset.” think she starts to get into her head and she As Avery Clark overthinks the littlest readjusts to life as things. Just remember a softball player, to trust yourself and Emily Clark is a to slow down the moconstant source ments. It gives her that of advice and enconfidence that she is My mindset is to do couragement, the supposed to be there.” younger sister damage. I know that they Soon the Clark famsaid. ily will have to build are probably scouting “Stay calm, a second mantle to me, but I want to go in breathe, take it show off the accoin and know that there and make sure I am lades earned by their your work is worth in the right mindset, and Buckeye softball playit and you can do especially if Avwhatever is thrown at me ers, anything,” Avery ery Clark continues Clark said. “She I am going to do damage to dominate college texts before every to. pitching. game day.” “My mindset is to AVERY CLARK Emily Clark Ohio State freshman designated hitter do damage,” Avery spoke about how a said. “I know that they good start to a caare probably scouting reer is significant in impacting a player’s me, but I want to go in there and make sure mindset going forward. I am in the right mindset, and whatever is “She needs the confidence,” Emily Clark thrown at me I am going to do damage to.”

GRETCHEN RUDOLPH | FOR THE LANTERN

Ohio State then-second baseman Emily Clark makes an off-foot throw to first base during the Sept. 24, 2018, game against Wright State.

sister’s intrasquad in the Woody Hayes, and she said, ‘How would you feel if I came on the team next year?’” Ohio State head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly said. It took courage as well as an appetite for success and competition for Avery Clark to get back on the diamond. “Over the summer, I put in as much work as I could,” Avery Clark said. “I was in here 24/7. Just putting in the work was what I was trying to get in my head, making sure I was ready for anything and everything.” The work has paid off, as Avery Clark’s return to the sport has already yielded several high-level performances. Avery Clark hit .500 with six hits and four RBI four games against NC State and Notre Dame Feb. 14-16. In the second game against Notre Dame, Avery Clark hit home runs in consecutive at-bats, making her the first Buckeye to do so since Niki Carver on April 21, 2019.

She also became the first freshman to hit two home runs in one game since Ashley Prange on May 18, 2019. In her first 13 games, Avery Clark is hitting .475 with five home runs and 11 RBI. Emily Clark said she recognizes some of her own qualities in her younger sister. “We definitely will go get what we want and we’re never going to settle,” Emily Clark said. “She hasn’t had the best road; she wasn’t even supposed to be playing in college. It just shows that hard work pays off.” Although Avery Clark has produced similar numbers to her sister early in her career, Schoenly, who has coached both Clarks, said the two each worked in their own way to produce results. “They are completely different kids,” Schoenly said. “Avery is a power player through and through, and a lot of what she does comes out of her competitive spirit.


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10 | The Lantern | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Avery Clark picks up where sister left off

BASKETBALL FROM 12

JACOB BENGE For The Lantern benge.30@osu.edu When Emily Clark’s decorated Ohio State career came to a close this past May, opposing softball

programs breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was a short-lived reprieve, as another Clark is torching pitchers in her first season with the Buckeyes. Avery Clark, a designated hit-

JOHN HUETHER | FOR THE LANTERN

Ohio State freshman forward Rebeka Mikulasikova (23) attempts to make a 3-point shot during the first half of the game against Nebraska. Ohio State won 65-52.

double-bye in the Big Ten Tour- game is third-best in the confernament. ence. She’s coming off a week in Now, it sits a game behind In- which she averaged 21.3 points diana with just two contests left per game throughout a threeto play. game stretch. The Wildcats enter Colum“She’s one of the best players bus, Ohio riding a seven-game in college basketball,” McGuff winning said. “You can streak, really see her most regame starting cently to round out t o p p i n g I was staying after and flourish in Wisconway.” practice and just shooting a big sin 82-66 Wildcat on the free throws. Now I’m very s o p h o m o r e road. This confident with it and at guard Veronis the ica Burton the best time. Buckeyes is one of the and Wildmore versatile cats’ first DORKA JUHASZ players in the and only Ohio State sophomore forward c o n fe re n c e , meeting averaging 11.7 this season. points per game and facilitating Northwestern is led by ju- the offense with 5.1 assists per nior guard and ESPNW Nation- game, good for third-most in the al Player of the Week Lindsey conference. Pulliam, whose 19.3 points per Northwestern has a stout de-

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COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS

Ohio State freshman designated hitter Avery Clark leads the Buckeyes in batting average, slugging, RBI, runs scored and home runs through 13 games.

fense, giving up the second-fewest points per contest in the conference at 56.7 points per game. Burton gives them a boost on that end, as she leads the conference with 3.4 steals per game. Ohio State freshman guard Kierstan Bell did not travel with the team Saturday for personal reasons, McGuff said. She is back with the team now, but McGuff said her status for tomorrow’s game remains up in the air.

Bell is the Buckeyes’ primary scorer off of the bench, averaging 11.1 points per game. Playing their second game in three days and fourth in 10, McGuff said the Buckeyes’ schedule is a concern due to the amount of energy the team has expended during the past week. “We played really hard against Rutgers,” McGuff said. “We will have to find a way though.” The Buckeyes will recognize

ter and Emily’s younger sister, is off to one of the hottest starts in the conference, with back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors to start the new season. “I knew I had big shoes to fill,” Avery Clark said. “So knowing that my sister was a really great player here, I want to make my own legacy and want someone to remember Avery.” Avery Clark leads the Buckeyes in batting average, slugging, RBI, runs scored and home runs through 13 games. She could have played alongside her sister Emily Clark –– a four-year starter and 2019 All-American –– if she didn’t take a year off from the sport. Before coming to Ohio State, both Clark sisters earned AllOhio honors three times in Prospect, Ohio. They were also four-time All-Mid Ohio Athletic Conference first team honorees. But rather than come directly to Ohio State, Avery Clark spent a year at Marion Technical College in Marion, Ohio. Following the year off, Clark sought an opportunity at her sister’s alma mater. “She came up to me during her

CLARK CONTINUES ON 9

the lone senior on the roster, forward Savitha Jayaraman, during Senior Night Tuesday. Despite missing this season with a back injury, Jayaraman said she has fit the role of the “team mom” on the young squad. “I was making sure everyone was aware of how we’re supposed to be as an Ohio State athlete,” Jayaraman said. The Buckeyes and Wildcats tip off at 6 p.m. Tuesday.


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Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | The Lantern | 11

YOUNG FROM 12

sons. “He’s had really bad luck,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said. “I just feel terrible for him.”

Wesson is that you can slide him around and he can guard other positions,” Holtmann said. “Having guys like that is really important.” Freshman forward E.J. Liddell stepped up while Young sat in his boot against Maryland, attacking the offensive glass with aggression. He was the only Buckeye to play off the bench in the second half, when he snagged three offensive rebounds. Liddell –– who scored a season-high 17 points against Iowa this past week –– has played a key bench role for the Buckeyes this season, averaging 15.8 minutes per game. His hustle and activity on both ends of the court drew praise from both Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon and Holtmann. “Liddell was great today,” Turgeon said. “He was so active.” Holtmann said Young’s injury may serve as a way for Liddell’s development to continue.

He’s had really bad luck. I just feel terrible for him. CHRIS HOLTMANN Ohio State men’s basketball head coach

Young has been a key player for the Buckeyes this season, starting every game he’s played. He averages 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and shoots a team-best 59 percent from the field in 24 contests. But Young’s impact transcends the box score. He is known as a scrappy, high-effort player who gives his all on the court, and that reputation goes beyond Columbus, Ohio. “He’s just active. He’s a hardnosed, tough dude and he’s about winning,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said after a 68-52 loss to Ohio State Feb. 15. “You can’t have enough guys like Kyle Young on your team.” The Purdue game was one in which Young’s contributions were evident in the postgame stat column. Young dropped a career-high 16 points, connecting on each of his six 2-point field goals just five weeks after returning from an appendectomy. It was Young’s ninth double-digit scoring performance of the year –– five more than he had a season ago. “He’s a terrific player and energy giver to us,” Holtmann said. This is the second time Young has injured his right leg during

his time at He’s just active. He’s a CORI WADE | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Ohio State. hard-nosed, tough dude Ohio State junior forward Kyle Young (25) goes down following an injury in the first half against Maryland He suffered and he’s about winning. Feb. 23. Ohio State won 79-72. a stress fracture af- You can’t have enough ter a hard guys like Kyle Young on ward went strength. fall against down Sunday, In those games, the Buckeyes M a r y l a n d your team. his first con- threw sophomore guard Duane during his cern was that Washington and freshman guard sophomore he had reag- D.J. Carton into the starting lines e a s o n , MATT PAINTER gravated the up, sacrificing much-needed size which side- Purdue men’s basketball head coach stress frac- in the rotation. lined him ture. Outside of size, the Buckeyes for four During his will lose Young’s steady presence games and bothered him for the absence a year ago, the Buckeyes in the paint on both ends of the back half of the year. snapped a four-game losing streak floor. Young’s practice time has been and turned in a 2-2 record. Holtmann has typically turned limited because of the wear and They had less luck following to senior forward and fellow starttear on his legs, and he’s worn Young’s appendectomy this year, er Andre Wesson to fill this void tape on both of them for the past when the Buckeyes went 0-2 with when Young has missed time in several contests. Holtmann said losses to Wisconsin and Mary- the past. that when his starting power for- land while Young regained his “The value of a guy like Andre

He’s a terrific player and energy giver to us. CHRIS HOLTMANN Ohio State men’s basketball head coach

“It’s really critical that he keeps growing and getting better,” Holtmann said. “His offensive rebounding stemmed some momentum in this game.” With no timetable on Young’s return, Ohio State may be without its key energy man for the final four games of the season as it tries to improve its seeding in the Big Ten Tournament.

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SPORTS

12 | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

SOFTBALL

Freshman Avery Clark’s work is paying off on the field, with influence from older sister and former player Emily. ON PAGE 10

SIDELINED Ohio State upset win against Maryland marred by Young injury

JACK EMERSON Lantern reporter emerson.131@osu.edu Ohio State men’s basketball’s upset win against No. 7 Maryland came at a cost. With 4:29 remaining in the first half, junior forward Kyle Young went down with a high right ankle sprain that sidelined him for the rest of Sunday’s game. Young returned to the bench late in the second half with a walking boot on. The ankle is just the latest in a series of injuries Young has dealth with in the past two sea-

CORI WADE | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State junior forward Kyle Young (25) gets walked off the court after an injury in the first half against Maryland Feb. 23. Ohio State won 79-72.

YOUNG CONTINUES ON 11

Welcoming the Wildcats

She’s one of the best players in college basketball. You can really see her game starting to round out and flourish in a big way.

KEVIN MCGUFF Ohio State women’s basketball head coach

Ohio State looks to get back on track JACK EMERSON Lantern reporter emerson.131@osu.edu

JOHN HUETHER | FOR THE LANTERN

Ohio State sophomore forward Dorka Juhasz (14) defends during the second half of the game against Minnesota. Ohio State won 99-76.

Ohio State women’s basketball’s six-game winning streak was snapped Saturday, and in order to get back on track, the Buckeyes will have to go through one of the conference’s top teams. Ohio State (17-10, 10-6 Big Ten) awaits No. 14 Northwestern (24-3, 14-2) Tuesday at the Schottenstein Center, where the Buckeyes seek to

regain momentum heading into the postseason, while the Wildcats try to keep pace with Maryland at the top of the Big Ten standings. “We need to quickly turn the pages to Northwestern, who is a great team,” Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff said. The Buckeyes come into this matchup off a razor-thin loss on the road against Rutgers. Prior to the loss, Ohio State had gained control of the fourth seed and the BASKETBALLL CONTINUES ON 10


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