Spring Game - April 13, 2023

Tuimoloau sees ‘small details’ in spring can lead to big 2023

JACOB BENGE Sports Editor benge.30@osu.edu

Junior defensive end JT Tuimoloau’s career as a Buckeye has taken off quickly.

In July 2021, Tuimoloau committed to Ohio State later in the recruiting cycle but already turned heads on his way to the program. The former five-star recruit became the highest-rated defensive player to sign with the Buckeyes since 2000, and Tuimoloau was the No. 1 player in 247 Sports’ class of 2021 rankings.

It hasn’t been difficult to see where Tuimoloau makes his impact, whether the 6-foot4, 270-pound defensive end is making a sack or scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns.

“It’s honestly crazy that I’m one of the older heads, one of the leaders,” Tuimoloau said. “I thank all my older brothers that left, but I still talk to them, and they still talk to me on how to lead and what my role is on the leadership aspect. It’s weird knowing that I’m young, but I’m also the old guy in the room. That’s the role I have to take on, and it’s a role I thank my team for trusting me with and as well as the coaches.”

One of Tuimoloau’s standout performances last season came at then-No. 13 Penn State Oct. 29, 2022, when he contributed to four takeaways, including two interceptions — one of which a pick-six, a forced fumble and a scoop-and-score.

Tuimoloau also totaled six tackles, three for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup against the Nittany Lions. Nearly every box was checked when Tuimoloau and the Buckeyes emerged victorious in a fourth-quarter comeback over Penn State.

Tuimoloau now boasts two seasons of experience under Larry Johnson’s defensive line room and has 26 games under his belt.

Where does Tuimoloau see himself improving? The answer remains in the de-

tails, he said.

“Just staying consistent with all the little things, like what coach [Jim] Knowles is teaching us,” Tuimoloau said. “That’s one thing I want to push on myself is just pay attention to the small details and all the little things that can make a difference. Everybody knows the saying ‘little things matter,’ and that’s one thing I want to focus on.”

Little factors of Tuimoloau’s game may be hard to notice when he’s crashing and thudding against opposing offensive linemen, but it’s in the trenches where he sees areas he can improve.

Tuimoloau said “eye discipline” is one aspect he wants to enhance. It’s something he and Johnson have worked through when addressing the next step of the defensive end’s career.

“It’s not the big things [but] the little things that you get better as a player,” Johnson said. “Where you step, his hand placement, eye discipline, all those things are important to become an elite player. He has the talent and skill set, so how can we make him better? Well, that’s my job. I got to find those little things to make him better.”

Johnson has a hand in helping Tuimoloau improve. Ohio State’s offensive line is playing an important role, too.

Losing three starters from a unit last season that allowed 17 sacks, which were for the fifth-fewest yards in the Big Ten, Ohio State trots out offensive linemen who prove difficult challenges come both in game time and practice. The Buckeyes offensive line is taking advantage of competition against their defensive counterparts, Tuimoloau included.

“They’re the best of the best,” sophomore offensive lineman Tegra Tshabola said. “Working with them, just like not getting discouraged when say they get the best of you and staying calm when you’re going up against them, knowing that you got a lot

to learn when you’re going against them. There’s a lot on the table that you can take out of it. Just using those guys to make you better, make them better, all around.”

Tuimoloau’s role in Ohio State’s rotating defensive line room will be larger in 2023.

Zach Harrison declared for the NFL Draft, and former defensive tackles Jerron Cage and Taron Vincent are among those who are also seeking professional opportunities and have graduated from the program.

Johnson typically rotates defensive linemen throughout the season, and Tuimoloau said he expects he and the D-line room will take advantage of the reps from departed contributors.

“We’re all here,” Tuimoloau said. “We’re called the ‘The Rushmen.’ We’ll always have each other’s back, so whenever it is, whoever’s up, we’re always going to

support them and push whoever’s up.”

Ohio State’s spring game Saturday gives Tuimoloau and the Buckeyes a chance to showcase more than a dozen weeks and several months of work since the end of last season.

Tuimoloau will continue to perfect his play on the field through the remainder of spring practice and into the summer. Come next season, he’s looking forward to some of the larger roles he’ll have as a leading voice in the defensive line room.

“I think for everybody, the whole unit, we’re as a defensive whole we’re playing great,” Tuimoloau said. “We just got to keep this up and keep learning from each other, keep learning what they’re doing in the back end and learning what we’re doing in the front end and just be that gel with one another. Just come together and work as one.”

ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

Then-second-year defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) celebrates an Ohio State forced punt during then-No. 2 Ohio State’s 21-7 win over Northwestern Nov. 5, 2022.

Ohio State hopes to ‘build a foundation’ in Saturday’s spring game in preparation for season

The Mount Laurel, New Jersey, native has sat behind Stroud for the previous two seasons, starting one game Sept. 25, 2021, against Akron, throwing for 319 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. After battling Brown for the starting position for most of the offseason, McCord has a chance to establish himself as Day’s starter Week 1.

In Brown’s absence, graduate quarterback Tristan Gebbia will serve as McCord’s backup. Day said he wants to see how his quarterbacks handle the pressure of throwing in front of a live crowd.

“For Kyle and Tristan, great opportunity on Saturday to put it on the field,” Day said. “Ultimately you can say it’s the same, but it’s not. It’s not the same practicing in front of a small group as opposed to being in the stadium.”

fensive coordinator.

“It’s a learning opportunity,” Hartline said. “I want to identify our top 22 to 30 players. I want to come out of spring knowing, ‘Hey, these are the guys that are earning opportunities, who are the guys who need to try to steal opportunities,’ and let’s go from there.”

Depth on the defensive line

Ohio State lost defensive linemen Zach Harrison and Javontae Jean-Baptiste to the NFL Draft and transfer portal, respectively, and currently have one rising senior on the roster. The lack of depth on the defensive line is something Day said worries him.

STEVEN KISHPAUGH Asst. Sports Editor kishpaugh.3@osu.edu

While the regular season is still months away, Ohio State football fans have a chance to get a sneak peek of the 2023 Buckeyes Saturday during the spring game.

After coming off a loss to national champion Georgia in the Peach Bowl Dec. 31, 2022, Ohio State went into the offseason with more questions than answers in its quest for another national championship.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud declared for the NFL Draft, alongside over a dozen players who hope to hear their names called at the end of April. The Buckeyes lost a few key starters in spots they look to fill on both sides of the ball, and head coach Ryan Day said he’s looking for players to fill their needs.

“We’re in pretty decent shape, but we want to make sure we have enough depth,” Day

said. “It’s another opportunity to compete, put it on film, and we’re going to grade it out. See who grades out at champion or starter level, and we’ll go from there.”

Saturday provides Day and his coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate the roster and decide on who fills the holes left behind by players such as Stroud, wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba and defensive back Tanner McAlister. Day said he anticipates over 50,000 to attend and hopes to provide the fans with a show.

Here is what to look out for ahead of Saturday’s spring game.

McCord looks to fill QB1

After news broke Wednesday that sophomore quarterback Devin Brown will not participate in the spring game due to a “procedure” on his throwing hand, all eyes shifted toward junior signal-caller Kyle McCord.

Regardless, Saturday provides McCord with the opportunity to fill the role that he’s worked two years toward and to demonstrate how he handles the pressure of a presumptive starter.

New offense, same weapons

After former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson left to become the head coach at Tulsa, wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was promoted to the position. While the offense will have a new signal-caller, the Buckeyes have no reason to be concerned over who he’s throwing to.

Ohio State returns junior wideouts Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, who combined for 2,414 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, with Harrison finishing as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver in college football. The Buckeyes also return the running back duo of junior TreVeyon Henderson and senior Miyan Williams, who combined for nearly 1,400 yards rushing last season.

Hartline said he knows how talented the offense is, but wants to identify his top guys alongside growing into his new role as of-

“The depth on the D-line is actually the area we’re a little bit concerned with,” Day said. “I think we have five defensive ends going in, so that would’ve been hard to split them up. Especially if one side goes for a long drive and someone has a short drive, it’d be hard for us to do that.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said he has seen a lot of growth in the young defensive line, highlighting players such as junior defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau. Knowles said Sawyer’s move from the hybrid “Jack” linebacker position back to defensive end has been “really good” for him.

“He gets to focus on the fundamentals with coach [Larry] Johnson,” Knowles said. “I really like his progress with him on one end and JT on the other. I think we’ve got a great pair to start out with.”

Saturday should provide Ohio State with the answers it looks for on the defensive line, going against an offensive line that also lost key starters such as tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and center Luke Wypler to the NFL Draft.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 4

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Graduate wide receiver Xavier Johnson (10) cuts through the defense during the spring game on April 16, 2022. Team Scarlet won 34-26.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Hartline said spring is the time to make

mistakes and build toward the fall, where the Buckeyes will finalize their rotations.

“Spring is really trying to build a founda-

tion to help some young guys really do a great job through the summer,” Hartline said. “Now fall camp is like your third time doing it all. Then it can all slow down a

little bit, and now we can really put our best foot forward.”

How Ohio State will format, hold spring game

LAURYN LUDERMAN Lantern reporter luderman.4@osu.edu

Ohio State’s spring game Saturday will present the traditional scarlet versus gray scrimmage where players will get a chance to display their skills in front of a crowd.

Like years past, the game will play offense, donning scarlet jerseys, versus the defense, donning the gray, head coach Ryan Day said in a press conference Wednesday. This format allows the team to rotate players in and out to work on depth, beginning with the first string Buckeyes.

“The first couple drives with the 1’s will be thud, but everything else will be live,” Day said.

Day said the 2’s will face off next before going into a full four quarters, though the clock might run toward the end of the game after the players have gotten adequate time to play in a “live” competition.

“Might be running a little bit in the fourth quarter or the second half, but the goal is to get these guys out there and be live, get them in front of a good crowd,” Day said.

Offensive scoring will be counted the traditional way, while the defense can score points from a number of defensive stops. A takeaway touchdown will be worth six points, a general takeaway will be three points, two points for a sack and one per forced punt.

Ohio State’s defense will display some of the strides taken in the early goings on Jim Knowles’ second season as defensive coordinator.

In a game of firsts for many, offensive coordinator Brian Hartline will be acting in his new role after his promotion in January. Hartline remains in his position as wide receivers coach, which he’s held since 2019.

“It’s definitely a little more uncomfortable than it would have been this time last year. But I would say that any time you’re uncomfortable, you have a chance to grow,” Hartline said. “One thing I will say though, my passion is still the receiver room. That’s never going to change.”

Saturday will also be Hartline’s first time as the offensive play caller.

“I enjoy it. I think that it’s different, probably, in a world where we’re not scheming anybody right now,” Hartline said. “We’re

kind of trying to put ourselves in good play calls, bad play calls versus our defense.”

An ongoing quarterback competition, new concepts within Ohio State’s defense and the arrivals of new Buckeyes are among the number of topics of interest surrounding Saturday’s scrimmage.

Day and Ohio State have logged 15 practices this spring. Big Ten Network will broadcast the Buckeyes’ latest edition of the spring game, beginning at noon Saturday.

“It’s supposed to be a great day,” Day said. “I think we’re north of 50,000 seats sold so far, which for midweek is a pretty good number, as it’s trending but hoping to get even more on Saturday. Should be a great turnout and a great opportunity for our guys to play in front of a good crowd.”

ZACHARY RILLEY PHOTO EDITOR

The Buckeyes exit the field after the spring game April 16, 2022. Team Scarlet won 34-26.

Five Ohio State players to watch in spring game

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

Saturday will give Buckeye Nation their first look at the 2023 Ohio State football team.

There are plenty of new faces, storylines and position battles following the Buckeyes’ 15 spring practices.

Coming off an 11-2 season in which Ohio State missed out on a national championship berth by one point, it will also have to deal with replacing quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones, among others.

As fans pack Ohio Stadium for the first time in 2023, here are five Buckeyes to keep an eye on in the spring game.

Carnell Tate

One NFL scout texted ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid and said watching junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. go through Ohio State’s Pro Day workouts was like “window shopping at a Lamborghini dealership for the model that doesn’t come out until next year.”

This is what Saturday feels like when talking about freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate.

A four-star recruit out of high school, according to 247Sports, Tate has shown flashes in his first spring as an early enrollee, needing just five practices to lose his Black Stripe March 25.

Head coach Ryan Day said there’s “a lot” to be impressed with about Tate.

“The first thing is just his maturity when he came here,” Day said. “The feedback we’re getting from academics, the nutritionist, strength and conditioning, position

coaches, player development, everyone has such great things to say about Carnell off the field.”

Day said Tate’s ability to take care of business off the field translates to on-field success.

“On the field, just making a lot of plays,” Day said. “Has to pick up a lot of offense. For a young player, he’s got a pretty mature route tree, does a nice job at the line of scrimmage, catches the ball strong, makes plays. All really encouraging signs.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline said the Buckeyes’ receivers room is deep and Tate might be in the mix, but veterans Harrison, juniors Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Ballard, senior Julian Fleming and graduate Xavier Johnson will assume most of the pass-catching duties.

With Harrison and Egbuka likely to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, this will be Tate’s

year to show he is worthy of joining that next wave of Buckeye great receivers.

“He’s being well-detailed,” Hartline said. “Probably the best thing he’s done is just the ability to make a mistake, correct it and then move on from it.”

Jelani Thurman

It won’t be hard to miss freshman tight end Jelani Thurman Saturday. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 253 pounds, Thurman has stood out, showing his physical contested catch abilities in spring practices.

Head coach Ryan Day said Thurman has “embraced” the “developmental” nature of the tight end position, looking up to veterans like seniors Cade Stover, Joe Royer and Gee Scott Jr.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 6

1 2 3

Then-first-year Sonny Styles (20) tackles the Iowa ball carrier during the then-No. 2 Ohio State’s 54-10 win over Iowa on Oct. 22, 2022, in Columbus.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

“He’s got a lot of potential,” Day said. “To think about a guy that we’ve had, at that age, come in with this much talent, I don’t know if we’ve had one since I’ve been here.”

247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks said in an assessment Thurman had “great height” with an “elite frame and a large catch radius,” but tight ends coach Keenan Bailey said April 5 Thurman’s best attributes are “his off-the-field habits.”

“Jelani and Carnell Tate are two of the first guys in here every day,” Bailey said. “I go into my office at the end of the night and Jelani’s in there with our GA Sean Binckes, who’s one heck of a coach, and they’re going over tomorrow’s script or they’re watching film.”

Thurman may see action in his first year in Columbus behind Stover, Royer and Scott, but expect his role to increase after next season.

Davison Igbinosun

looks to open the season as a starter when the Buckeyes travel to Indiana Sept. 2.

The Union, New Jersey, native transferred to Ohio State from Ole Miss Jan. 31, coming off a freshman campaign in which he recorded 37 tackles with five pass breakups in 13 games. Igbinosun said in his first spring with the Buckeyes, he’s felt “very comfortable,” and it’s been a smooth transition to Columbus.

“Ohio State has been very easy,” Igbinosun said. “It feels like home. It feels like Jersey.”

Though the Buckeyes return cornerbacks juniors Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock and sophomore Jyaire Brown, it was a weakness on defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense a season ago.

In 110 targets in 2022, Ohio State’s cornerbacks combined to allow 60 receptions for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns, while breaking up 11 passes, according to Pro Football Focus.

Secondary coach Tim Walton said Igbinosun’s length at 6-foot-2 will pay dividends when it comes to breaking up passes at the

top of a route.

Walton said Igbinosun, who also lost his Black Stripe March 25, needs to “keep doing what he’s doing” to compete for a starting role.

“He’s learning. He’s putting the time in. He’s competing. He has a passion for the game,” Walton said. “He has a good skill set. We just keep practicing and keep applying it, man. Then what we’ll do, we’ll evaluate it at the end of the summer.”

Sonny

Styles

Coming out of high school, sophomore safety Sonny Styles was a five-star recruit and the 12th-best prospect, according to 247Sports.

Styles was projected as a first-round pick in the NFL draft according to 247Sports’ Allen Trieu Aug. 13, 2021, with his play style compared to Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who also stands 6-foot-4.

Knowles said Styles “establishes competition” with senior safety Lathan Ransom for the Bandit safety position — which is tasked with covering the boundary for the position — but both will see the field.

However, Styles’ in-game role won’t be carved out until the fall.

“We want to go all the way through fall camp with him because in spring, you’re really working on the basics making sure that he and everyone else has a mastery of the base defense,” Knowles said. “Then, when you get more ‘scheme-y’ as you go into camp, and, if he or anyone else has proven themselves in the spring and the beginning of camp, now you can start to use more creativity to build a spot for him,”

After recording nine tackles and one for loss in 10 games last season, safeties coach Perry Eliano said Styles still has untapped potential for 2023.

“The exciting thing is we haven’t really even scratched the surface of what he can be and I can see him being,” Eliano said. “There’s a huge ceiling, but the biggest thing I love about him is he’s focused, he’s humble and he’s locked into taking it one day at a time.”

Styles said he wants to continue to get better ahead of this season.

“I just want to show that I’m reliable and whatever you ask me to do, I can do it,” Styles said.

Carson Hinzman

With former center Luke Wypler off to the NFL, a big hole is left to anchor the middle of the Buckeyes’ line.

Sophomore offensive lineman Carson Hinzman stepped in and took a big portion of first-team repetitions in spring practice. Hinzman is in competition with senior offensive linemen Victor Cutler Jr., who transferred from Louisiana-Monroe Jan. 18, and Jakob James, who is currently injured during spring ball but will look to fight for the starting job when he returns.

Day said Friday Hinzman hasn’t solidified the starting center position just yet.

“I think he’s done some good things,” Day said. “But to say that he’s earned a starting spot, I don’t think we’re there yet.”

Offensive line coach Justin Frye said Feb. 1 Hinzman was working against the firstteam defensive line by the end of the year.

“I’d keep him up a lot. He wasn’t always down on the scout team,” Frye said. “By the end of the bowl prep, you’d be using and watching clips of him versus our starting defense. That’s a true freshman doing that, like that’s the process you’ve been working and going through and is understanding, and then now you build strength and you build size.”

Frye said by a lineman’s second season at the collegiate level — where Hinzman currently is — he “figures out” how to play his position and that the Spring Valley, Wisconsin, native has “progressively gotten better” as a “worker.”

“The best part about him is how he just wants to keep working,” Frye said. “That’s going to give him a shot to compete to get on the field.”

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Sophomore cornerback Davison Igbinosun

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Experts weigh in on former President Donald Trump’s indictment, impact on Republican Party

WIL STEIGERWALD Lantern reporter steigerwald.47@osu.edu

Former U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t been convicted, but that didn’t divert any eyes from the first-ever U.S. president to be indicted for a crime.

Trump showed up to his arraignment April 4 after being indicted on 34 felony counts of business falsification charges. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Paul Beck, professor emeritus of political science, said Trump’s indictment and arraignment is not comparable to anything in U.S. history and can impact the Republican Party’s support of the former president and the younger generation’s association with the party.

“There’s no president who has been indicted before, maybe some are thinking of President Nixon back half a century ago, who probably would have been indicted and convicted were he not pardoned afterwards, but this is a first,” Beck said.

Beck said however Trump’s case finishes out — whether he is proven guilty or not — that there even being a case to start with does not look good for the nation as a whole.

“I think we’ve taken a real hit here, and it’s been an embarrassment to us,” Beck said. “It means that our position as leaders of the free world is no longer as unchallengeable as it used to be.”

Beck said while it depends who gets voted into office next, he believes a former president indictment is unlikely to happen again.

“I think it’s more likely a one-off situation,” Beck said. “I want to hope so because this is messy business and, you know, nobody likes to see this.”

The section of the case regarding falsification of business records stems from an attempt to cover up hush money payments to American adult actress Stormy Daniels before Trump’s 2016 election campaign. This was an attempt to keep Daniels quiet about an alleged affair between the two, Danny Cevallos, MSNBC legal expert and partnered Ohio State speaker, said.

Cevallos said Trump’s team pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming the payments were made instead by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer.

Cevallos said falsification of business records in the state of New York is not a felony, but instead a misdemeanor. What makes this case a felony is the claim that business records were falsified to cover up or commit another crime.

“An additional crime can be a violation of any rule, any order, any regulation, and it’s very broad,” Cevallos said.

Cevallos said there are three potential options for the additional crime in this case: a federal election law violation, a state election law violation or a tax violation. It has not been stated which of the three violations will be used in the felony charge.

Cevallos said according to New York law, Trump does not have to be charged with an additional crime to turn the case into a

felony, a crime just has to have occurred. Beck said he predicts the Republican Party will slowly start experiencing damages as a result of Trump’s arraignment, specifically in one important area.

“It’s losing particularly young people,” Beck said. “Young people are less inclined to want to identify with the Republican Party today than they were 10 years ago.”

Beck said the fallout of the arraignment will likely not change Trump’s projected Republican nomination in the 2024 election, but could impact his chance at the presidency.

“Unless the support base changes in demonstrable ways, he could be pretty much assured of the nomination,” Beck said. “Now, the other question of course is ‘OK, getting the nomination is one thing,

can he win the election?’ And that, at least in my view, is very doubtful.”

Beck said the one thing to keep an eye out for as Trump’s case slowly unfolds is a potential abandonment of Trump by other Republican politicians.

“One thing about politicians, Democrats and Republicans, is that they don’t want to be caught on the wrong side of an issue, so they are going to be paying very close attention to how this is paid among the public,” Beck said. “If it turns out that it’s really not helping Trump very much, we may begin to see them deserting him.”

Beck said the only way he could see Trump winning the 2024 election after his arraignment would be if the Electoral College vote widely differs from the popular vote, which he said is possible.

MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO GETTY IMAGES VIA TNS

Former President Donald Trump arrives for an arraignment hearing at New York Supreme Court on April 4, 2023, in New York.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

ARTS&LIFE

From concert venues to restaurant openings, Arts & Life has it all!

Residents on Chittenden Avenue prepare for the annual Chitt Fest

ABBY DITMER Lantern reporter ditmer.17@osu.edu

As Chittenden Avenue’s annual block party — Chitt Fest — draws near, residents hope to maintain a fun, but safe, celebration after the events of Chitt Fest 2021 turned violent.

“Give Chitt Fest a second chance,” Charlie McDermott, a third-year in sport industry and resident of Chittenden Avenue, said.

In 2021, Chitt Fest was deemed a riot by the Columbus Division of Police, with seven cars destroyed and attendees attempting to steal a street sign. After the spring game, when the Ohio State football team holds a scrimmage at the Ohio Stadium, over 1,000 people gathered on Chittenden Avenue, resulting in flipped cars and Columbus Police helicopters being called in.

This year, Chittenden residents like McDermott are hoping individuals attend the event with good intentions.

“Based on the last two years, I’ve had two different experiences. I think we’re sort of finally heading back to that normal Chitt Fest kind of vibe,” McDermott said. “When you check it out again, just come in with good intentions, because I don’t think anybody wants to car flip. I don’t think anybody wants random people coming into their house.”

McDermott said he expects this year’s Chitt Fest to be a fun environment. Although Chitt Fest was quiet in 2022, McDermott said he is looking for a happy medium this year.

“It was two different environments between my sophomore year and my freshman year,” McDermott said. “You obviously

don’t want things to get out of hand, but you also want people that don’t live on Chitt to feel welcome, because this is a university thing.”

McDermott said he remembers exactly when Chitt Fest turned into a free-for-all in 2021.

“I was at one of these duplexes with a white railing and a porch. I just heard something crack. It was just a bunch of people, maybe a football field down, just trying to move a car, and I was totally confused, but it piqued my interest,” McDermott said.

McDermott said he and his friends left 3045 minutes before the first car was flipped, but said the events from Chitt Fest 2021 are the reason why he paid for a parking spot on Indianola Avenue this year.

McDermott said his plan for Chitt Fest this year is to invite all of his friends to his house and spend some time with them. He said for Ohio State seniors, this is their last hurrah before the annual bar crawl May 2.

“We’re all different years, and we’re all graduating at different points, so to sort of build that sense of family and sense of community is going to be pretty important,” McDermott said. “That’s why I wanted to live on Chitt, was to sort of be able to host that kind of thing.”

Andre Arman, a third-year in criminology and resident of Chittenden Avenue, said he has a good feeling about Chitt Fest 2023.

Arman said he thinks there will be more individuals at Chitt Fest this year because it’s after the spring game.

“I’m hoping that it’ll be better than last year in terms of the number of people that attend,” Arman said. “You don’t want it to

get too rowdy to the point of where it was a couple of years ago. Columbus Police will be there so honestly, I have pretty good hopes.”

Arman said he has not attended Chitt Fest in the past, but he hosted a party at his house for “Chitt Show” in October 2022, an event similar to Chitt Fest that usually attracts a smaller crowd.

“It was just a lot of people standing on our lawn. People playing die, people playing pong. There were some cops that posted up near where we were, and it was actually pretty cool,” Arman said. “The people that we were hanging out with went up to them and started talking to them and just having a good time. I remember seeing people taking pictures with them and stuff.”

Arman said for people unfamiliar with Chitt Fest, he describes it as a big block party for the whole street to get together to have a good time.

“In a way, it’s not like the typical, you know, weekend of going out or going to parties,” Arman said.

With big block parties like Chitt Fest comes a lot of trash. Arman said he plans on doing his part to keep empty cans off his lawn.

“A big part of it for me is doing your own parts and not trashing [Chittenden] in the first place. I know a lot of people kind of just don’t care and throw their empty cans on the ground on their lawn,” Arman said. “I like to just not do that, and I’m just gonna try and limit that.”

COURTESY OF CARL KREAMER Students gathered around one of the flipped cars from Chitt Fest 2021.