January 26, 2023

Standardized tests have been an important part of education for generations, but after the COVID-19 pandemic and record-low ACT scores nationally, Ohio State’s test-optional policy challenges the necessity of the exam.

BECCA DUNCAN LTV Campus Producer duncan.1282@osu.edu

After taking the ACT seven times before applying to Ohio State, Jessie Kasper felt confident with the 34 she scored on her ACT.

Just under 3 percent of students in the U.S. achieve a score as high as 34 on the standardized test, according to the national ACT profile report. For Kasper, it was the result of years of work.

Now a fourth-year in marketing and screenwriting, Kasper first took the ACT in seventh grade. Even though her efforts paid

The student voice of the Ohio State University

off by achieving a high score, Kasper said her memories of the exam are not positive.

“It’s just too much stress for nothing,” she said.

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State students have recorded an average score above a 28 every year since 2012.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“You wake up, and you’re nervous early in the morning, and since you normally take it at your own school, you see a bunch of your friends, but you aren’t even allowed to talk at all.”

Kasper said she doesn’t feel the test is a measure of intelligence — it’s more about knowing how to take the exam.

“For my last two times taking it, I had a tutor,” Kasper said. “We didn’t go over the content of the test or anything, we just went over strategies to take the test, like how to go faster or what order to do stuff in.”

Applying to college is an anxious time in a high school senior’s life. After years of study, numerous essays, extracurriculars, recommendation letters and application fees, students can finally breathe a sigh of relief and refocus on school work once their Common App is submitted.

That is, until acceptance letters start going out.

For a public university, Ohio State has frequently boasted its students achieve higher-than-average ACT scores. With a 36 being the highest possible score on the test, Ohio State’s incoming classes have

recorded an average above 28 since 2012.

In the university’s recorded enrollment data, the average ACT score of incoming freshmen was steadily on the rise, with the peak average score at 29.5 in the fall 2019.

However, Ohio State’s scores dropped. A Lantern analysis of enrollment data showed this constant growth in average ACT scores ended with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the enrollment data, the average ACT for incoming freshmen in 2020 dropped to 28.8, the lowest average since 2014. Since then, students have had the option to withhold their ACT score when applying to Ohio State.

By making this decision, Ohio State is part of a trend in which universities across the U.S. declared ACT tests as optional to gain admission. University spokesperson Chris Booker said in an email the decision made sense because the pandemic restricted test availability to students. Even though COVID-19 is less of a barrier, Booker said the ACT is expected to remain optional.

Despite this policy, the university still tracks average ACT scores — shown by the university’s enrollment data from 2022 —

leaving students, like Kasper, to question just how optional they are.

“I would probably have ended up taking [the ACT] and sending it to the colleges even if it was optional because they’ll probably still look at it,” Kasper said. “They might look more at the person who had the score turned in. So, I feel like it would just be nice to get rid of it entirely and not even have it optional.”

Bethany Schweitzer, an independent educational consultant and founder of CollegeReadyUS, said it’s important to make these scores optional to lessen the pressure when applying to colleges or universities.

“I’ve loved seeing the way this test-optional landscape has opened up so many options, especially for those students who really challenged themselves in high school,” Schweitzer said. “I had students, back when test scores mattered, not be able to get in because they couldn’t get their ACT higher than a certain point.”

Rose Babington, ACT’s senior director for state partnerships, said in an email she has seen a drop in national ACT scores, but not all of it can be blamed on the pandemic.

“The score declines show the effect of school-related closures and learning disruptions during the pandemic,” Babington said. “However, we also see a decline over the longer term, suggesting additional effects from systemic failures that predate COVID-19 but were exacerbated by it.”

Every year, over 70,000 students apply to Ohio State’s main campus. Booker said university admissions takes a holistic approach to enrollment, relying on student achievement, extracurriculars and GPA as well as standardized test scores.

As a public land-grant university, Ohio State has to accept all applicants from the state of Ohio. The university currently has an acceptance rate of 57 percent and early acceptance of 64.5 percent, according to US News & World Report.

What the admissions reports don’t show is how the university only enrolls around 8,000 first-year students to the Columbus

campus each fall. This means only 1-of-10 students who apply to Ohio State end up attending the main campus.

The university manages to maintain its high acceptance rate by admitting students to regional campuses, which do not have as competitive acceptance requirements. In 2021, the average regional campus ACT score was just under 22.

For main campus admission, the university’s enrollment reports show the middle 50 percent of incoming freshmen from the 2022 school year had ACT scores in the 27-32 range. The national ACT data showed only 15 percent of all students in the country who took the test achieved a score in this range.

Since the pandemic, average scores at Ohio State have started to increase. After the initial drop to 28.8 at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, they fell further to 28.6 in 2021; however, this turned around in 2022 when Ohio State’s average increased to 28.9.

At the same time, average scores across the U.S. are going down. The national average has been on a steady decline since it peaked at 20.8 in 2018. The national ACT average was down to 20.3 in 2021, the most recent year with recorded data.

Schweitzer said COVID-19 may have played a role in the drop in scores due to online schooling changing the way students are examined.

“I’m just wondering if kids aren’t used to taking high-stakes tests anymore,” Schweitzer said. “It’s not the knowledge that’s gone. It’s the ability to sit and take a long test in a very short period of time.”

Despite this drop, Schweitzer said the test-optional college applications have benefited the students she advises.

“For the mental health of students, I think it’s way better because it hit this point where kids were just taking the ACT over and over and over and over again, and to what end?” Schweitzer said.

BECCA DUNCAN LTV CAMPUS PRODUCER

National data from the ACT shows how many students achieve each composite score on the test. The score range Ohio State looks for students to achieve is outlined in the box.

Number of students

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“I would rather them go and challenge themselves with another harder class during their junior year of high school and learn something new than to just be hitting themselves with this test that really doesn’t show anything at the end of the day.”

Test-optional policies moving forward

Booker said Ohio State chose to become test-optional in 2020 as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic had an immediate impact on the availability of testing for students, with many locations canceling tests,”

Booker said. “With the decision to become test-optional, we anticipated that students would not be able to submit test scores and retest as they were able to pre-pandemic.”

Babington said the pandemic impacted some students’ abilities to take the ACT, and this likely caused more schools to remove the requirement.

“Test-optional admissions policies existed prior to the pandemic, but we know from ACT market research that COVID-19 prompted an abrupt and significant expansion,” Babington said. “Institutions that adopted the policies during this time did so less deliberately, out of immediate concerns over testing accessibility, because many testing centers around the country closed temporarily.”

Booker said while Ohio State’s ACT average of incoming freshmen was lower in 2020 and 2021, this was also seen nationally, and the university anticipates these scores will continue to rise.

“As testing administration has continued to increase, we do anticipate that our average test scores will continue to reflect the strong academic preparation of an Ohio State student,” Booker said.

Despite the test-optional policies, Babington said the ACT is still an important part of the college search for high school students.

“The ACT test helps students find the college that is right for them, begin exploring potential majors and careers, and pay for school by qualifying for certain types of financial aid,” Babington said. “Many colleges that don’t currently mandate test scores for admission still require scores for awarding merit-based scholarships.”

Booker said the university is still looking to keep the test-optional policy available to students in the future.

Although the ACT may never return as an application requirement at Ohio State,

Booker said the university is dedicated to identifying well-rounded students with a holistic process.

“Ohio State seeks students whose applications demonstrate that they are prepared for the academic rigor of the Ohio State classroom, are ready to contribute as a university citizen, and are committed to the notion that there is strength in a diversity of people and ideas,” Booker said.

According to Ohio State’s Undergraduate Admissions website, the university “recommends” submission of ACT or SAT scores if they’re available, because “we believe that standardized test scores provide useful information and predictive value about a student’s potential for success at Ohio State.”

Kasper believes the best answer moving forward is for schools to stop accepting the ACT all together.

“I would say they should just get rid of it, honestly, because I feel like what matters more is how you did in your classes and your extracurricular things because the ACT is literally just how fast you can take a test,” Kasper said.

BECCA DUNCAN | LTV CAMPUS PRODUCER

Ohio State’s enrollment data showing the change in the average score of incoming freshmen compared to the national average score students achieve on the ACT.

CHRISTIAN HARSA | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DIGITAL CONTENT

Ohio State has joined other universities nationwide to allow for students to opt out of sharing standardized test scores.

ARTS&LIFE

Open Door Art Studio & Gallery to showcase

‘Coast to Coast’ exhibition

gallery in 2007 and operates other programs intended to provide career experiences and opportunities for every individual based on his or her specific passions or aspirations, according to the website.

“Coast to Coast,” Open Door’s first exhibition of the year, will include works from a selection of the gallery’s artists, giving them a chance to freely explore personal meanings behind memories of past travels and experiences, Moore said.

“We try to really make things kind of egalitarian so that everyone can take part in the exhibition’s expression, express themselves as they want to express themselves,” Moore said.

Moore said what differentiates “Coast to Coast” from other exhibitions is the way it comprises both figurative and nonfigurative artistic styles.

“We really try to conceptualize exhibitions that can kind of offer opportunity and encompass all — regardless of medium and regardless of artistic direction — of point of view, subject matter,” Moore said.

For example, a nonfigurative piece that’s green and yellow could in fact be algae from the bayou, Moore said.

FRANCES DENMAN Lantern reporter denman.84@osu.edu

Artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities will premiere their sentimental interpretations of various U.S. landscapes at Open Door Art Studio & Gallery’s all-encompassing “Coast to

Coast” exhibition Feb. 11 from 5-7 p.m.

Located at 1050 Goodale Blvd., “Coast to Coast’’ will remain on display Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through March 3 with free admission. The exhibition features a variety of mediums — including acrylic paintings, graphite drawings, pastels and watercolors —

Program and Gallery Director Sean Moore said. The exhibition will showcase a range of iconic American destinations in every artist’s medium of choice, he said.

Open Door is an organization that offers care, support and services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to its website. It opened the

“They’re incredibly talented,” Moore said. “They’re creative in a way that sometimes even baffles me.”

Do you want your secrets revealed without the audience knowing they’re yours? Read more about Anonymous’ show “Your Secrets, Our Show.”

OPEN DOOR ART STUDIO & GALLERY

Tony Hoover’s “Brooklyn Bridge” on display at Open Door Art Studio & Gallery’s “Coast to Coast” exhibition.

Claire Smith Program Exhibition and Volunteer Coordinator

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Program Exhibition and Volunteer Coordinator Claire Smith said “Coast to Coast” highlights themes of travel and represents an appreciation for past explorations, usually including both abstract and objective landscape scenes.

“These artists are artists that have experienced fun times on vacation or are from different places and have moved back to Columbus,” Smith said. “It’s kind of based on state to state traveling, vacation, some roadside attractions, things like that — kind of like a nostalgia about America.”

“Coast to Coast” was designed by Open Door’s staff not only to be easily received by every Open Door artist, but to provoke thought about which places are significant to them and why, Moore said.

“Something that was important to me for whatever memory or childhood reference I have may not be important to someone else,” Moore said. “So, I like seeing what

is selected by our artists and what is important to them and then hearing why it’s important to them. I like that kind of background story because it makes me even more connected to the artwork.”

Moore said “Coast to Coast” is an exhibition that cultivates this growth and expressive freedom.

“I think in a traditional space, very figurative works would be important,” Moore said. “I think that us really kind of branching out and allowing for more interpretive pieces that maybe are not direct depictions of something, but that could elicit a feeling of something that someone may recognize, I think that most certainly drives our mission.”

Smith said “Coast to Coast” contributes to Open Door’s goal by providing every artist an opportunity to share something they’re proud of.

“It really helps them feel accomplished in their goals of making artwork and being

able to exhibit it places,” Smith said.

All artwork on display in the Coast to Coast exhibition will be available for purchase, Moore said. Artists receive 60 percent of all sales, while the remaining 40 percent goes back into the studio to pay for supplies and materials, he said.

Smith said she plans on contributing to “Coast to Coast” herself with a watercolor painting and hopes visitors will attend the exhibition, not only to experience the U.S. as each individual artist sees it, but to see the additional studio art that isn’t a part of the exhibit.

“Our art is affordable. And it’s a great jumping off point for people that want to collect art or need art for their houses,” Smith said.

”

It really helps them feel accomplished in their goals of making artwork and being able to exhibit it places.

‘Anonymous: Your Secrets, Our Show’ reveals the truth, but not the source

MATTHEW RATTERMAN Lantern reporter Ratterman.19@osu.edu

One of the Nest Theatre’s most popular shows, “Anonymous: Your Secrets, Our Show” turns your confession into a profession, adding an extra element by not revealing whose secrets are whose.

The North High Street theater’s own improvisation group, Anonymous, performs “Anonymous: Your Secrets, Our Show” Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. in which it performs the cast’s and audience members’ secret stories in a comical way. Tickets will be between $15-100 based on seating placement and method of purchase. Anonymous also aims to make this its 41st sold out show in a row.

The show takes personal stories between 50-75 words from cast members and guests in order to lead the story they are improvising, according to the website. Stories will be randomly chosen from the cast’s “big board,” secrets that were written down before the show. None of the cast members know what the secrets are before discussion.

Co-founder of Anonymous and performer Rance Rizzutto discussed how this show is laid out.

“The stories are the nucleus of the show, but they inspire the comedic scenes,” Rizzutto said. “We don’t replay anything, we just chat about it and then inspire ourselves to do scenes from those details.”

When talking about whether some secrets can be hard to make stories out of, Rizzutto said a specific instance stood out to him: “I steal Kroger donuts.”

While this wasn’t exactly what they were looking for when setting a word limit, Rizzutto said, they were able to make a story out of it.

“I remember when I was five, and I took a candy bar out of a store and then had to go apologize,” Rizzutto said. “So, it leads to a discussion, and the discussion feels out more potential possibilities.”

Co-founder, artistic director and performer Tara DeFrancisco gave insight into how people feel when hearing their own stories acted out by the cast.

“Excited,” DeFrancisco said. “We definitely have an ethos at the Nest where we always try to celebrate the audience members rather than ridicule them.”

While audience members may be nervous about writing down their secrets, Rizzutto said, people can also just sit back and enjoy

the show without writing any secrets for the cast members to perform.

“It’s also voluntary, where not everyone has to come in and write down a secret,” Rizzutto said.

Anyone can enjoy the show, whether it be students looking for stress relief, workers or families, DeFrancisco said.

“We have over 35 rotational shows at the Nest, so there’s stuff for everybody,” DeFrancisco said. “You can see people exhale from their week when they get into the theater because they’re there, and they grab a drink and laugh for an hour.”

The variety of shows at Nest Theatre al-

lows Anonymous to further connect with other performers and cast members, Rizzutto and DeFrancisco said.

“A lot of the people knew each other and if not, you have the same kind of fundamentals that build a strong foundation of community when you join a cast at the Nest,” Rizzutto said.

The ability to understand improvisation and connect with other cast members is the key to success, DeFrancisco said.

“Once you learn how to do the tenets of improvisation, it’s easier to implement them into any show that you do,” DeFrancisco said. “It’s all about trust and connection with your cast,” DeFrancisco said.

MATTHEW RATTERMAN LANTERN REPORTER

The Nest Theatre on the opening night of the sold out ‘Anonymous: Your Secrets, Our Show’ Jan. 20.

Men’s Basketball: ‘Like a dream come true’: Spencer earns scholarship for hard work, character as walk-on

CASEY SMITH LTV Sports Producer smith.12971@osu.edu

Following the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s 93-77 win against Iowa Saturday, the Buckeyes gathered in the locker room like normal, but with a bit more joy as they had broken their previous five-game losing streak.

This time, though, there was something a little different about their postgame locker room routine.

The coaches came in holding two handwritten letters: one for graduate guard Isaac Likekele and another for junior forward Owen Spencer.

Likekele opened his letter, which read, “We are so glad you are a Buckeye!” Then, Spencer opened his.

“You are now on scholarship at Ohio State University,” it read, as his teammates mobbed Spencer in celebration. From the 6 a.m. summer workouts, running at Ohio Stadium or lunging with 50-pound sandbags in hand, to now with the scout team work he puts in every day at practice, Spencer was rewarded for his hard work as a Buckeye.

“It was a lot of exhilaration, happiness,” Spencer said. “It was a really special moment for me, and I was really glad I got to experience that in that fashion with my whole team.”

Spencer’s journey to Columbus started as a kid in Cincinnati. He said he was “very familiar” with Ohio State basketball, even going to a few games growing up, as some of his friends were “die-hard” Buckeye fans.

A three-time letter winner at Turpin High School, he accepted a scholarship to The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where he played his first two seasons of college basketball.

When The Citadel fired former head coach Duggar Baucom in March 2022, Spencer, like most of his teammates, entered the transfer portal. In his search for a new home, he wanted the same thing he had with the Bulldogs: to be surrounded by good people.

Spencer said the Division II schools that attempted to recruit him didn’t have the same appeal as when Ohio State assistant coach Mike Netti called him to give him an opportunity with the Buckeyes.

“I really wanted to be closer to home, and then obviously play for the Ohio State University,” Spencer said. “That’s like a dream come true.”

Spencer’s decision wasn’t without consequence, leaving behind a scholarship at The Citadel for a walk-on role with the Buckeyes.

That’s not to mention the cultural differences between a military school in South Carolina, Spencer said, where days are “structured from when you wake up to when you go to bed,” to now being “a normal college student.”

Spencer said he “always knew” his role moving forward would be to mirror each opposing team’s big man’s tendencies and skillsets, embracing the team’s core value of “being a great teammate” from the time he arrived in June.

“He’s 6-9, 220 pounds. He provides us a scout team center that can also play in a pinch if we need him,” head coach Chris Holtmann said. “Great attitude, great kid.”

Spencer talks before each practice with assistant coach Jack Owens, who is in charge of the scout team, learning what plays he will run and how he can best replicate the opponent’s center. Spencer said his favorite to exemplify so far is Purdue junior center Zach Edey.

He also enjoys raising the level of

competition in practice.

“I don’t see practice as, ‘Oh, it’s just another practice. Oh, I have to get through this,’” Spencer said. “I view it as, ‘OK, if I come ready to play and I push Zed [Key] and I push Felix [Okpara], that could be the difference in us winning a game or not.’ I feel like practice matters a lot to me.”

Spencer has appeared in just 12 minutes of game action this season, scoring his first points as a Buckeye against Charleston Southern Nov. 10. However, during every game, he stands up and cheers on his teammates from the bench.

Freshman guard Roddy Gayle Jr. — who said Spencer is “one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet” — was happy to see him get rewarded for his hard work.

“His kind of character really sets a huge goal for our team,” Gayle said. “He works hard in the weight room and in practice

every day, so to see him get that major accomplishment, you know, it meant the world to him. It meant the world to all of us as well.”

When Spencer made the jump from The Citadel to Ohio State, he said he appreciated his parents’ support despite the financial burden it caused. Now, seven months after he arrived on campus, that burden dissipated.

His parents, David and Sarah Spencer, were in attendance for the Buckeyes’ victory against the Hawkeyes, and after the game, he had a note to deliver to them.

“I didn’t tell them straight up, I just gave them the envelope, and my dad opened it and read it, and his eyes lit up. Then, my mom looked over his shoulder and read it, and she started tearing up and crying,” Spencer said. “It was just a really cool experience to share with all my support system at the game which was awesome.”

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State junior forward Owen Spencer (44) was awarded a scholarship following Ohio State’s win over Iowa Jan. 21.

Partially blind women’s rugby club player aims to bring awareness to students with disabilities through sports

basketball, Lopez said, because she would get hit beside the head with the ball. She then turned to wrestling and track and field in high school.

Lopez said after enrolling at Ohio State, she still wanted to participate in sports. She looked to join a sport similar to wrestling and learned more about the women’s rugby club, she said.

“I was like, ‘Man, rugby seems pretty violent and aggressive,’” Lopez said. “I was like, ‘Oh cool, I get to tackle people and maybe it will be a little bit like football.’”

condition because of rugby’s violent nature. However, Lopez’s communication and worth ethic quelled that fear.

“Alayna is one of the hardest workers I’ve come across in any setting,” Levenson said. “If there were a way to make this sport accessible to somebody with legal blindness in the general team setting, she was the one to do it.”

Lopez is a member of the women’s club rugby team, despite her diagnosis with retinitis pigmentosa.

JAYLA VANHORN Lantern reporter vanhorn.110@osu.edu

Whether it be tracking down a football over several yards or connecting a bat against a baseball, many sports require an athlete’s eyes to see a moving object.

Yet, when a rare genetic eye disease threatens performance ability, sight turns from a strength into an Achilles’ heel. Mistakes and the ability to process information no longer become clumsy accidents, but rather physical incapabilities. An athlete may have to step away from the field, along with the ability to see ever again.

For club women’s rugby player Alayna Lopez, a second-year in communication technology, the diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa — a group of rare eye diseases that affects individuals from birth and currently has no cure, according to the National Eye Institute — in high school further fueled her passion to compete in sports, despite hearing she will lose her

eyesight in the next six years.

Lopez, a Cleveland native, said she aims to bring awareness to students with disabilities in sports through her participation in this year’s women’s rugby club at Ohio State.

“Sports build character, they teach life lessons, and it’s important for every person, despite their disability, to experience that,” Lopez said.

Lopez said her journey in playing sports started as soon as she could pick up a basketball at 2 years old. She began playing organized sports in the fifth grade because it offered her a chance to step away from her issues at home, she said.

Lopez didn’t think her vision interfered with her athletic performance growing up because she has worn glasses since she was 11 months old, she said. She often attributed her errors while playing sports on her lack of awareness rather than her eyesight, she said.

These errors frustrated her while playing

Lopez said she joined the women’s rugby club team and began practicing in fall 2022. She disclosed her eye disease to her coaches but did not specify the extent of it.

In October 2022, Lopez went to an appointment at Ohio State where she was informed that her condition had progressed more than she was previously told: She would lose her vision entirely in the next five to 10 years.

“They essentially told me that my vision is going to go out completely,” Lopez said.

Lopez said she had a difficult time telling her condition to her team and coaches because she was still in denial about her diagnosis.

“I have to start identifying with the fact that I have a disability,” Lopez said. “I’m not going to be able to do what I’m doing right now, specifically for rugby.”

Raeanna Levenson, assistant rugby coach at Ohio State, said she has a history of coaching players with medical conditions and was initially nervous about Lopez’s

Levenson said Lopez played at the fullback position, which allows her to stand behind the rest of the team and see the entire field straightforward. Lopez’s greatest strength and impact on the team comes from her mentality, Levenson said.

“Her greatest mental improvement throughout the season has been in her confidence and leadership,” Levenson said. “She is one of our most vocal players; leading the team on defense, communicating defensive positioning, calling for the ball and motivating her teammates.”

Lopez said the women’s rugby club gave her a reason to continue at Ohio State by providing her with a family and support system.

She hopes to stay involved with the club — even if she becomes unable to play — through photographing or filming the team due to the relationships she’s built.

“I hope people recognize that there is always a way,” Lopez said. “There’s always another path to go down no matter what obstacle there is, and there’s people out there who are willing to guide you and accommodate you in order to find that way.”

A men’s basketball player speaks on how a scholarship from Ohio State changed his life. Read about its impact.

GRANT HOYT

Alayna