Jan. 19, 2021

THE LANTERN Year 142, Issue No. 1

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BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Shorter quarantine time, more social activities planned in spring semester OWEN MILNES Campus Producer milnes.12@osu.edu

O CASEY CASCALDO | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Ohio State will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends at the university and in Ohio to evaluate safety of in-person activities.

WHAT’S INSIDE

USG

PERFORMING ARTS

WRESTLING

Undergraduate Student Government sets goals for spring semester

Performing arts educators implement creative safety measures to continue inperson classes

Wrestling team prepares to navigate past COVID-19 challenges as they return to the mat

ON PAGE 2

ON PAGE 4

ON PAGE 16

hio State students access their schoolwork with internet slow and fast — but even with lightspeed bandwidth, they may still struggle connecting socially.

Students who struggled to form or maintain meaningful relationships fall semester may see a few lights on the horizon in the form of quarantine periods reduced from 14 days to 10, the new Buckeye Connection Cohorts program and in-person activities scheduled to resume Feb. 1.

Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers and Dean of the College of Public Health Amy Fairchild said Ohio State will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends at the university and in Ohio to evaluate the safety of in-person activities, but after hearing reports of students’ social struggles fall semester, they said increased interaction is necessary.

“We want to make sure that (what) we’re able to do is to be able to provide them with opportunities to be able to connect with other people,” Shivers said.

The university will launch Buckeye Connection Cohorts, informal meetings to connect small groups of students with student leaders. Shivers said it will begin in February — and will be virtual, at first.

Although the Buckeye Connection Cohorts marks a change for students’ social lives, Fairchild said the two biggest changes of the semester are the requirement for off-campus students to be tested weekly and to require a “green checkmark” on the Daily Health Report to use recreational facilities.

“It’s going to allow us to control spread in a way that’s much more quickly than what we saw last semester, if you look at the data, you saw that the on-campus rates began to come down much more quickly than off-campus rates,” Fairchild said.

About three weeks after Ohio State’s student population hit its single-day high of 6.7 percent testing positivity for COVID-19, the on-campus seven-day average positivity rate was below 1.5 percent; at the same time, that number for off-campus residents decreased to below 4 percent.

SPRING CONTINUES ON 3

Campus

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2 | Tuesday, January 19, 2021

We really want to make some serious groundwork on before we leave so that we can support the next administration.

USG president, vice president outline goals for last months of term

O

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | The Lantern | 3

SPRING FROM 1

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

—Roaya Higazi, USG president prevent a rushed procedure like USG experienced last semester with the pass/no pass resolution.

USG Vice President Caleb Hineman said the student government is also collaborating with Keesha Mitchell, interim associate vice president of the Office of Institutional Equity, for a survivor pathway resolution. He said its goal is to make it possible for sexual assault victims and survivors to disclose their assault once, either to residence life, the Office of Institutional Equity or Counseling and Consultation Services.

At Ohio State, regardless of whether a victim or survivor discloses to a resident adviser, professor or friend, their first interaction with Title IX will be to disclose their assault to a Title IX intake coordinator. After that disclosure, if the victim or survivor chooses to pursue an investigation, they will be interviewed by a civil rights investigator.

Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

USG is working with the International Student Council to advocate for the

JESSICA LANGER Lantern Reporter langer.42@osu.edu

hio State’s first LGBTQ center, a set state-of-emergency grading system and a streamlined sexual-assault reporting process — these are some of the goals the Undergraduate Student Government administration hopes to work toward before terms end in April.

USG President Roaya Higazi said the student government is prioritizing five initiatives — which also include advocacy for international students and adding gender-inclusive language to the university’s student-employee system — to make the transition for the next administration easier.

“We are really trying to hone down on some of our biggest priorities right now,” Higazi, a fourth-year in city and regional planning, said. “We really want to make some serious groundwork on before we leave so that we can support the next

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Undergraduate Student Government is prioritizing five initiatives to make the transition for the next administration easier.

administration.”

Higazi said USG hopes to complete final decision memos for the location of Ohio State’s first LGBTQ center and ensure a consistent stream of feedback from LGBTQ students during the process.

USG is also working on an extension of the pass/no pass grading system passed by the University Senate in September that

would go into effect any time Ohio State enters a university state of emergency.

Action items passed by USG’s General Assembly are subject to University Senate and Board of Trustee approval.

“That’s something we already made good progress on last semester and really hope to finalize this semester before we leave,” Higazi said. “Making sure it

COURTESY OF JACOB CHANG

includes pre-forgiveness, that it includes some type of pass/no pass option, that it includes flexibility from instructors, covers all the bases so that students know what accommodations they have going into a state of emergency.”

The emergency grading system plan will be finalized within the next two months, Higazi said. She said the rule would

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creation of an International Affairs Shared Governance Committee, Hineman said.

This committee would have faculty, staff and students work together to help redefine Ohio State’s support for international students.

“Right now, international students are often sent to the Office of International Affairs for many of their problems,” Hineman said. “And many of the offices kind of throw their hands up, that they’re not necessarily able to help with all issues that affect international students when, in fact, many offices have the responsibility to serve them because they’re students like anyone else.”

Higazi said USG’s newest project with Ohio State’s Enterprise Project and human resources is to ensure that Workday, a platform used to manage student employee data, and other platforms that require students’ personal information are inclusive of gender identity with language considerate of transgender or gender-nonconforming students and does not require students to disclose their birth certificates.

Editor in Chief Sam Raudins Managing Editor for Content Jasmine Hilton John R. Oller ME for Design Richard Giang Managing Editor for Digital Content Jack Long Copy Chief Trevor Simpson John R. Oller Campus Editor Sarah Szilagy Assistant Campus Editor Max Garrison Campus Producer Owen Milnes John R. Oller Sports Editor Keaton Maisano Assistant Sports Editor Jack Emerson Sports Producer Curtis Grube

The change in quarantine policy comes from recent modifications to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Fairchild said.

The CDC announced on its website Dec. 10 that quarantine could be limited to 10 days with no symptoms or seven days with a negative test result on the fifth day or later.

However, due to the uncertainty of the virus, Fairchild said the university is prepared to pivot its stance on a moment’s notice.

Fairchild said the experience from the fall semester has enhanced the university’s contact tracing, which will help the university’s response to off-campus students.

“One of the things that we know is that the more time students spend off campus, the more likely they are to be infected,” Fairchild said.

Even though the university is aware of the risk of off-campus transmission, they will not be changing their disciplinary measures for off-campus COVID-19 policy violation, Shivers said.

Prior to the start of fall semester, Ohio State threatened students with suspensions and other punishments for violating COVID-19 policy, but despite filing 5,443 charges — only 32 suspensions have been issued so far.

Student conduct vans patrolled the off-campus area for mass gatherings, writing down addresses of those violating university and state COVID-19 guidelines and rewarding people hosting and attending gatherings of 10 or less.

“We will continue to do our carrot and stick approach,” Shivers said.

Shivers said she expects an increase in reports of mass gatherings upon the return of in-person classes, but the university will continue to use the conduct process to address off-campus mass gatherings.

The university will also continue to work with the city attorney’s office to remind off-campus bars and restaurants of the safe and healthy guidelines, Shivers said.

“We’ll continue our partnership and continue our accountability efforts in hopes that people will start to catch on and want the virus gone as much as we do,” Shivers said.

SOPHIA TOBIAS | FOR THE LANTERN

Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers said in in an interview with The Lantern that in-person activities are set to resume Feb. 1.

Assistant Sports Producer Kevin Lapka Arts & Life Editor Olivia Albert Assistant Arts & Life Editor Tess Wells Arts & Life Producer André White John R. Oller Photo Editor Mackenzie Shanklin Infographics Editor Ivan Kostovski Design Editor Jordan Conroy Social Media Editor Gabriela Okhuysen John R. Oller Projects Editor Asia Atuah Patricia B. Miller Projects Editor Bella Czajkowski

Director of Student Media General Sales Manager Lantern TV Production

Spencer Hunt Marie Pierce Tao Wang

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Arts&&Life Arts

4 | Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Performance-based educators find innovative ways to engage students and audiences OLIVIA ALBERT Arts & Life Editor albert.228@osu.edu

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ith the virtual return to classes, some education does not translate as easily to online platforms as others.

However, performing arts educators have used their creativity to implement safety measures and continue their primarily hands-on education.

Eugenia Costa-Giomi, the interim director of the School of Music, said that the school has made an effort to move most courses online, but they have developed safe procedures and opportunities to provide in-person connection for

students.

For wind ensembles, students rehearse for no more than an hour, maintain a distance of 10 feet, bring their own music stands and material, and use face masks and bell covers to reduce the spread of aerosols out of their instruments. Vocal lessons and choirs are not permitted in the building, but CostaGiomi said the instructors have been persistent in trying to get around the troubles of teaching over Zoom.

“Teaching a voice lesson over Zoom — with all the problems of synchrony and the nuances in the loudness of the sound and the quality of the tone — those are things that we

have to thank our instructors for being so resourceful and creative and the students for being so patient and persistent and determined to make this work,” Costa-Giomi said.

Practicing is an important part of the process for musicians. Costa-Giomi said the school has safely made practice rooms available for students by implementing a sign-up system, room monitors and letting the room air out for 15 minutes between performers to decrease potential time for airborne transmission.

Valarie Williams, a professor in the Department of Dance, said the department has put forth tremendous efforts to

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

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Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | The Lantern | 5

Student organizations integrate new ways to stay connected ON PAGE 6

+ 6 ft

+ 6 ft

Zoom Camera Projector

Three dance students, Carter Smyke, Arie Vasquez, and Rachel Waid (left to right) demonstrate for ballet classes with pianist Phil DuPont.

Sound Mixer

Laptop

The Department of Dance has created a projection system used to let professors teach students simultaneously in two different studios and Zoom.

Courtesy of Valarie Williams

allow for in-person instruction.

With cameras, sound mixers, projectors, microphones and Zoom, Williams was able to simultaneously instruct two in-person sections and a handful of virtual participants from one studio.

Additionally, Williams said the department has implemented a virtual option for each course so that students in quarantine can get instruction tailored to them through the online medium, instead of having to join an inperson class via Zoom.

Sherée Greco, the production manager for the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts, said the department has enforced rules such as a mask mandate at all times inside the building, 6-foot distancing between actors and 30-minute breaks after each hour of rehearsal to decrease exposure.

In an effort to provide as many production opportunities as possible for students during a challenging time, Greco said the department has added many new projects to their season. These new opportunities include Master of Fine Arts students designing set and costume installations that undergraduate students will then construct, a Zoom production of “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties,” a radioplay and a new spin on the annual DigiEye event, an evening of original live action and animated moving image short films created by students.

“This year, in order to avoid an audience in an indoor theatre, DigiEYE is set to be projected onto the Drake building exterior for an outdoor film experience,” Greco said.

Williams said new

opportunities such as completely asynchronous classes, outdoor performances, and a project where performers are filmed individually and the clips are spliced together to create a full piece, have been a good challenge for students.

“You feel the embodiment of what you’re doing and the dancers are thinking in new and different ways,” Williams said. “So it’s been a real benefit from the unbelievable mess of the pandemic.”

Costa-Giomi said the School of Music typically has 150 recitals per semester, and even though they continue to perform virtually, the lack of in-person performance has been shocking.

“In performance, we have this great combination of all the time we spend alone mastering our craft. We do it alone for hours every day, but

Courtesy of Valarie Williams

then the purpose of all that is to make music together and for others,” Costa-Giomi said. “So we continue to do it alone, but it’s so difficult not to be able to do it together, so that balance is broken.”

In order to help students find determination in their craft, Williams said she likes to emphasize the difference between the presence students have when they are in the studio and the presence they have when they are one of 25 squares on Zoom.

“I think that students are understanding the embodiment of what we’re asking them to do in a different way because they have to connect with another person through a very different medium and sometimes across several miles and sometimes across four time zones,” Williams said. “I think this determination, the idea of

embodiment, the idea of presence and how that changes in different mediums is really beneficial to students.”

Although the pandemic has caused some challenges, Williams said there are some things that she would like to continue implementing into her instruction once the pandemic is under control, such as allowing students to join class over Zoom if they are injured or ill.

“You can learn a lot by watching and reflecting,” Williams said. “Sometimes it’s good to step back and watch what other people are doing.

You listen differently.”

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6 | The Lantern | Tuesday, January 19, 2021

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Arts-related student organizations let their creativity shine in various approaches to operating online TESS WELLS Assistant Arts & Life Editor wells.1442@osu.edu

I

Courtesy of Joe Gerard

A behind the scenes look at the DJ Club’s gig setup.

nstead of breaking legs onstage this semester, members of arts-focused student organizations have had to make serious changes in order for the show to go on.

Student organizations have been forced to find other ways to keep operations running since in-person meetings were banned indefinitely Nov. 12

by Ohio State. Some clubs have been able to regain a sense of normalcy in their virtual operations, while others continue to face barriers that cannot be solved through Zoom meetings alone.

Joe Gerard, a third-year in biomedical science and the president of DJ Club, said the club’s primary functions — DJing at events such as BuckeyeThon and teaching new members — have been difficult to continue without in-person connections. Aside

from having an active group chat where members can ask others for advice, Gerard said there isn’t much the club can do.

“We tried to do virtual stuff,” Gerard said. “The issue with that is so much of what we do is, one, there’s a social component to it that you just can’t get over Zoom, and then DJing is real-time stuff. And a one-second delay is a lot when you’re talking about mixing music together and lining up beats.”

In addition to real-time delays over Zoom presenting a challenge, Gerard said the

DJ Club normally allows newcomers to use communal equipment to hone their skills, which they can no longer offer.

Without members being able to practice, Gerard said it’s easy to fall behind and lose interest.

“It’s not like riding a bike,” Gerard said. “It’s really easy, if you don’t do it for a while, to fall behind.”

Although some clubs have been dealt the same unlucky hand as DJ Club, others have been able to work around logistical issues.

Mackenzie Waxler, a fourth-year in communication

technology and president of the service-based theater organization Off the Lake Productions, said they still have plans to put on their play “She Kills Monsters” and their Night of One-Acts virtually in February and March.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to get the rights to shows that are able to be performed virtually,” Waxler said. “So we’ve been rehearsing virtually for those as well as holding game nights and stuff over Zoom.”

Waxler said one of the biggest challenges they faced was figuring out how to put

“It’s easy to be like, ‘Well, we can’t do anything in person so let’s just sort of hang out and talk to each other and not create anything,’” Shearer said.

together a musical, which normally accompanies Off the Lake’s play and one-acts during the spring semester.

“We’ve been having a really tough time because we planned to do a musical, but it’s just something that’s a little too difficult to do over Zoom,” Waxler said. “So we kind of prepared to do all of that, but it’s not been really working out for us, so that’s something that’s been put on the back burner for this year.”

Waxler said this semester marks OTL’s 25th season, which would normally be celebrated with bigger plans than are feasible online.

However, Waxler said the season will be accompanied by increased interactions with the organization’s alumni network to celebrate the organization.

“Even though it’s a really weird year, I think it’s a good time to do that when we’re a little less busy at rehearsals four days a week,” Waxler said. “So definitely the plan for this semester is to reconnect with our alumni network.”

Some student organizations have gone beyond moving standard procedure online and have used the new format to do something entirely new.

Carlie Shearer, a third-year in linguistics and theatre, and the president of Fishbowl Improvisational Comedy Group, said the organization started a podcast called “Bits in the Tank,” which can be found on Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube and Fishbowl’s website.

“We found that we didn’t really like doing the traditional long-form over Zoom; a longform is basically a 20-minute

DJ Club performing at Buckeyethon 2019.

improvised play, which is what we usually do in person. But, in place of that, we started a podcast,” Shearer said.

Shearer said that if COVID-19 did not exist, Fishbowl would be preparing to perform with other schools and professionals – including Rot, their alumni group – during their annual Tides Comedy Festival. Instead, Shearer said, the group is aiming to recruit new “guppies” through tentatively scheduled February auditions and produce one podcast episode a month.

“It’s easy to be like, ‘Well, we can’t do anything in person so let’s just sort of hang out and talk to each other and not create anything,’” Shearer said.

“I’m really proud of Fishbowl for rising to the occasion, it’s super weird and obviously not what anyone thought would happen.”

Courtesy of Joe Gerard

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Theatre/Performances

What’s Up: Online events to spice up your spring semester OLIVIA ALBERT Arts & Life Editor albert.228@osu.edu

W

ith a semester of online school and winter boredom ahead of us, The Lantern has you covered. Here you will find a heavily researched — and

Who: When: How much: Info:

still tragically incomplete — list of online events happening throughout the semester. Click the title of any event for more info.

Music Who: When: How much: Additional Shows:

Phoebe Bridgers Thursday, January 21 $9.99

Cory Wong Saturday, January 30 $15

Wallows Friday, February 19 $9.99

9 p.m.

8 p.m.

9 p.m.

Mxmtoon Friday, January 22 FREE Jan. 24, 29, and 31

6 p.m.

BLACKPINK Sunday, January 31 Midnight $29.99

Daniel Caesar Saturday, Febraury 20 8 p.m. $15

Bjork Sunday, January 24 FREE

The Staves Friday, February 5 $16

12 p.m.

11 p.m.

Fleet Foxes Saturday, February 27 9 p.m. $9.99

Adam Lambert Friday, January 29 $18.50 at 10 p.m.

African Caribbean MixFest Tuesday, January 19 6 p.m.

FREE

Hack City Comedy Show Friday, January 22 8 p.m.

FREE

“Live at The Lortel” Series: Phillipia Soo Monday, January 25 7 p.m.

FREE

MixFest celebrates the diverse stories in theatre with virtual readings of new works through Jan. 29.

Featuring comics from MTV, Comedy Central and more, the Hack City Comedy Show streams every Friday through May 14.

This live podcast is dedicated to amplifying the voices of theatre-makers of color. Soo joins the hosts to give insight into her career and creative process.

Theatre Alive!: A Celebration of School Theatre Thursday, January 28 8:30 p.m.

FREE

ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway Thursday, February 11 8 p.m.

FREE

This year’s virtual gala for The Educational Theatre Foundation will be hosted by John Stamos and include performances from Jennifer Hudson, Audra McDonald and Amber Riley.

This one-night-only benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is chock-full of the stars of ABC Daytime singing Broadway classics.

Gatsby – A Musical Friday, February 12 $25

2:30 p.m.

3 p.m.

A Night In with Josh Groban Sunday, February 14 8 p.m. $30

“The Seth Concert Series”: Stephanie J. Block & Sebastian Arcelus Sunday, February 14 8 p.m. $25

“Guess What:” The Family-Friendly Standup Comedy Show Saturday, February 20 1 p.m.

FREE

Broadway stars Block and Arcelus join host Seth Rudetsky to share behind-thescenes stories and sing songs from their careers.

NYC comics perform their best standup live accompanied by kids telling jokes in between sets. Additional shows March 20 and April 17.

Comedy Crossing: The Animal Crossing Standup Comedy Show Friday, March 5 7 p.m.

FREE

Our Home, Your Home Saturday, March 13 7:30 FREE

With an additional show April 2, Comedy Crossing is a standup show within the Animal Crossing game.

The Bergen Performing Arts Center Gala is benefitting COVID-relief with performances from Jay Leno, Dionne Warwick, Jack Antonoff and more.

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10 | The Lantern | Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Festivals/Award Shows

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Other

She Rocks Awards Friday, January 22 9:30 p.m.

FREE

iHeart ALTer EGO 2021 Friday, January 29 9 p.m.

FREE

Hoggetowne at Home: A Virtual Medieval Festival Experience Saturday, January 30 FREE

Paws & Pages Wednesday, January 20 FREE

Honoring women from all areas of the music industry, the She Rocks Awards will include performances from The Go-Go’s, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, comedian Margaret Cho and more.

The fifth annual festival features performances from Billie Eilish, Coldplay, twenty one pilots, Weezer and more.

Watch performances and demonstrations, engage with characters, shop the medieval market and more at this virtual medieval festival streaming through Feb. 7.

Join Annenberg PetSpace for a story and a virtual pet encounter every Wednesday through Feb. 24.

SF SketchFest Saturday, January 30 $20

New Works Festival Saturday, January 30 $5

5 p.m.

With comedy sketches, improv scenes, game shows and interviews with entertainers, this comedy festival features performers from shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” “The Upright Citizens Brigade,” “Portlandia”and “The Office.”

Ely Winter Festival Thursday, February 4 FREE

1 p.m.

Three new plays will be developed throughout each week of this festival by the Contemporary American Theatre Company and performed digitally at the end of the week. The festival goes through Feb. 13.

Guillermo Gómez-Peña: WE ARE ALL ALIENS Thursday, February 11 7 p.m.

FREE

DANCE@30FPS Friday, February 12 FREE

Created solely during lockdown, this solo performance is composed of poetry, theory and performance texts.

Streaming until March 11, this festival celebrates the intersection of filmmaking and global dance.

Golden Globes Awards Sunday, February 28 8 p.m.

FREE

Grammy Awards Sunday, March 14 FREE

Hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the 78th Golden Globes will air live on NBC.

Airing on CBS, the 63rd Grammy’s features nods to Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and more.

9 p.m.

11 a.m.

Oscars Sunday, April 25 FREE

1 p.m.

This festival celebrates winter with 10 days of snow sculpting, artwork and Zoom workshops through Feb. 14.

2:30 p.m.

Wonderball Saturday, January 30 FREE

8 p.m.

Columbus Museum of Art celebrates a night of black and white fashion during their annual Wonderball.

Policing Black America: A Dialogue

Friday, February 5 FREE

4:30 p.m

Join Shannon King and Carl Suddler for a discussion hosted by the Department of History.

The Black Athlete: Politics and Protest in the Era of Black Lives Matter: A Dialogue Friday, March 5 4:30 p.m.

FREE

CoffeeCon Online L!VE Saturday, March 6 11 a.m.

FREE

Hosted by the 1619 and Beyond Program and the Department of History, join professors Derrick White and Louis Moore for a discussion on politics and protests in athletics.

CoffeeCon is an interactive livestream for coffee enthusiasts to learn from the best and ask questions to experts.

Matsuri: A Festival of Japan Saturday, February 27 10 a.m.

FREE The Arizona Matsuri festival celebrates Japanese culture with exhibits, performances and more.

8 p.m.

The 2021 Academy Awards will air on ABC with nominations being announced in February.

Blackpink is holding an online livestream concert on January 31st.

Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor

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Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | The Lantern | 12

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR

contest, posting a game-high 16 points alongside nine rebounds and eight assists in Purdue’s 67-60 win over the Buckeyes.

Holtmann pointed to Williams as the centerpiece of Purdue’s aggressive attack on both ends of the floor.

“They’re up there in terms of the most physical teams that we’ve played in the last couple years and it begins with Trevion (Williams),” Holtmann said. “He pursues the offensive glass as good as anybody we’ve played against and he’s got elite back-to-the-basket game.”

Williams comes into his second matchup with Ohio State coming off of a doubledouble performance in Purdue’s 80-72 win over Penn State Sunday. Williams provided 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

Holtmann said that it’ll be a team effort to slow the Purdue forward down.

“He made some tough shots, he also made a lot of plays for others which is what he does,” Holtmann said. “I think we’ll need to, obviously, do some things to

Ohio State senior forward Kyle Young (25) and sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) regain the ball after a Morehead State shot during the Ohio State-Morehead State game Dec. 2. Ohio State won 77-44.

Men’s Basketball:

No. 15 Ohio State looks to stay hot against Purdue JACK EMERSON Assistant Sports Editor emerson.131@osu.edu

D

espite key injuries to the Ohio State backcourt, the Buckeyes have hummed their way along to three-straight conference wins.

The winning streak has raised Ohio State (11-3, 5-3 Big Ten) six spots in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, making it the No. 15 team in the country. However, Purdue (10-5, 5-3 Big Ten) enters Tuesday’s contest on a three-game win streak of their own.

Head coach Chris Holtmann pointed to Purdue’s physicality as a reason for their Big Ten success to this point in the season.

“In Purdue, you have certainly one of

the hottest teams in the country right now, given what they’ve done as their last couple of road wins have been extremely impressive,” Holtmann said Monday. “I’ve always felt like they’re a really physical team, I just think this Purdue team in particular is one of the most physical teams we’ve played against.”

Ohio State kicked off its Big Ten season against Purdue Dec. 16, and the opener proved to be a losing effort for the smaller Buckeyes.

Purdue junior forward Trevion Williams led the Boilermakers in that

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Ohio State sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) tries to find an opening to take a shot at the basket during the Ohio State-Morehead State game Dec. 2. Ohio State won 77-44. try to make it really difficult for him, but it’s really gonna be on us collectively to slow him down.”

Although it may be a team effort to keep Williams in check, the assignment will largely fall on the shoulders of sophomore forward E.J. Liddell and senior forward Kyle Young.

Holtmann said the frontcourt duo will need to play their best defensive game of the season to slow down Williams.

The duo is coming off one of their better defensive performances of the season in Ohio State’s 87-81 victory over Illinois Saturday.

Although Illini center Kofi

Cockburn finished the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds, the Jamaican native was frustrated all day thanks to aggressive doubleand triple-teams, spearheaded by Liddell and Young, that limited his ability to work in the paint.

However, the team has been mediocre on the defensive end this season — sitting at sixth in the Big Ten giving up 67.7 points per game.

Holtmann said defense was an issue that was identified early in the season and they need to be better on that end of the floor.

“We recognized that could be a challenge for our group,”

Holtmann said. “We need to be better, and we’ve got to embrace that more right now.”

The Buckeyes also trudged through the last week without their typical guard rotation as redshirt senior guard CJ Walker and senior guard Jimmy Sotos were out with injuries.

However, redshirt junior forward Justice Sueing, junior forward Justin Ahrens and freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. have all stepped into different and larger roles successfully.

Sueing has commanded the offense as the primary ball handler since Walker’s injury

sidelined him. However, the transfer from California struggled in his Big Ten debut against the Boilermakers — scoring 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and tallying five turnovers in the loss.

With Sueing in a new role at the helm of the Buckeye offense, Holtmann said Tuesday’s contest will be a significant challenge for him.

“He’s had to play through some mistakes, but he’s gotten better,” Holtmann said. “Tomorrow will be a huge test with how physical they are. They affected him in game one with their on-ball physicality, they bumped him off

a lot of cuts and just made it very difficult for him and that’ll be the same thing tomorrow night, he’ll just have to handle it better.”

As the Buckeyes look to avenge their Dec. 16 loss, Holtmann said Ohio State will have to handle Purdue’s physicality better.

“I think we’ve gotten better with each passing week, even in spite of these injuries here, but they’ve also gotten better,” Holtmann said.

“I’m not expecting us to handle [pressure] perfect but I hope we handle it better, particularly on the offensive end than what we did last time.”

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Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | The Lantern | 14

A

COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS

Redshirt senior midfielder Alyssa Baumbick (7) dribbles through a pair of Louisville defenders.

Women’s Soccer: Baumbick sisters look to make most of season together ATHENA MARKOWSKI For The Lantern markowski.19@osu.edu

lyssa and Christin Baumbick may share a last name and position on the field, but until this season, they were never teammates.

Redshirt senior midfielder Alyssa Baumbick and her sister, freshman midfielder Christin Baumbick, will both play for Ohio State in the spring. However, their soccer connection began years ago in their Avon Lake, Ohio, backyard with Christin in goal and Alyssa shooting.

“It was always super competitive,” Christin Baumbick said. “She never really took it easy on me, even though I was a lot younger than her.”

The Baumbick sisters share a five-year age gap, meaning they’ve never had the chance to be teammates. Now, in their redshirt senior and freshman seasons at Ohio State, they finally have the chance to find the net together.

“It’s kind of random that we even are playing together in the first place,” Alyssa Baumbick said. “I should have graduated last year, so it’s crazy I did get this chance for an extra season and that we were able to be on the same team together.”

After a brief stint at the University of Florida in which she redshirted her freshman year due to a torn meniscus 18 minutes into her career, Alyssa Baumbick transferred to Ohio State in 2017. Since then, she’s been a successful midfielder for the Buckeyes, starting in the last 37 games and scoring four goals.

Meanwhile, Christin Baumbick found success at both the high school and club level; she was named team MVP at Magnificat High School as a junior after

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tallying 22 goals and eight assists and played for Ohio Premier Club.

Now, she joins her sister and fellow midfielder at Ohio State.

“It was one of the schools that I looked at that I felt most at home and most comfortable,” Christin Baumbick said.

“I would go to Alyssa’s games, and I just loved the team and the coaches.”

Both sisters said that their familial chemistry would give them an advantage on the field.

“I feel like I know her so much more as a player since I’ve watched her constantly growing up,” Christin Baumbick said. “I feel like it’s a lot easier to play with her

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | The Lantern | 15

than anyone else because I know her so well.”

Although the fate of a spring season remains uncertain, the Baumbicks are still grateful for the time they’ve shared as teammates thus far. Be it training together or grabbing a bite to eat, they said that this time has brought them closer as sisters.

“It’s having someone who kind of gets you and understands you more than anyone else does on the team,” Alyssa Baumbick said. “No one else really knows where I come from and what my true personality is to the fullest, so it’s nice to have someone who you’re super close to.”

Next year, Christin Baumbick will remain

at Ohio State in hopes of finding the same success in the midfield as her sister did.

Meanwhile, Alyssa Baumbick looks to continue playing at the next level after her May graduation and is awaiting news on how professional teams will host tryouts amidst COVID-19.

If all goes well, she’ll have to thank her old backyard goalkeeper.

“It was always super nice to kind of have her there and having her also be super interested in soccer,” Alyssa Baumbick said. “It was like a training buddy who’s always available.”

“It’s having someone who kind of gets you and understands you more than anyone else does on the team,” Alyssa Baumbick said.

“No one else really knows where I come from and what my true personality is to the fullest, so it’s nice to have someone who you’re super close to.”

COURTESY OF CHRISTIN BAUMBICK

Freshman midfielder Christin Baumbick makes a run at the ball in a pee-wee soccer game.

Sports

16 | Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Wrestling: Buckeyes begin unusual journey traveled by few others

Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan watches a match.

KEATON MAISANO John R. Oller Sports Editor maisano.2@osu.edu

O

hio State’s football team battled with a season lost then recovered, positive COVID tests and canceled games.

Now, Tom Ryan and his wrestling team look ahead to how they will navigate their own season over the course of spring semester.

The challenges of playing a season in the midst of a pandemic

have not ceased with the turn of the calendar year — nearly a year removed from when COVID-19 initially disrupted the 2019-20 wrestling season. Aware of the challenges faced by sports that have played before his own, Ryan and his team are thankful to have the opportunity to compete.

“Right now, I think this team is in a very grateful place,” Ryan said Friday. “Gratitude is moving throughout the program. We’re

LANTERN FILE PHOTO

super grateful we’re going to get to wrestle this year in the midst of a pandemic, so we’re taking it one day at a time.”

Sunday’s tri-meet against Illinois and Wisconsin marked the first time the Buckeyes competed on the mat since March 8, 2020.

Since the initial disruption in the spring, Ryan said he was able to coach his team in September, but it wasn’t until Oct. 19 that they returned to the facility.

WRESTLING

Alyssa and Christin Baumbick team up on the pitch for the first time as Ohio State teammates ON PAGE 14

While Ryan was in the early stages of trying to navigate training his team in an unprecedented environment, Ohio State football became the first sport at the university to step back onto the field of competition.

Enduring numerous positive COVID-19 tests, three canceled games and months without being able to spend time with their families, head coach Ryan Day admitted the team needed a break following a loss in the national championship game.

With his own team’s season on the horizon, Ryan kept close tabs on what Day and his team went through to compete.

“He and I have become friends through the process, because he was walking through it — what I’m about to get into now,” Ryan said. “We’ve been really fortunate so far, as far as our first competition goes, as of today, everyone is good to go. Our team can wrestle. But as we know, tomorrow, we could lose a starter and not have the weight class being represented. So we’re in the beginning stages of it.”

Aware of the circumstances outside training and competition, Ryan said he is focused on paying attention to the parts of his players’ lives that extend beyond athletics.

“I’ve never been told to stay in my dorm room for 10 days in isolation. I don’t know what that feels like, so just communicating with them through that is really important,” Ryan said. “They’re humans that are dealing with things — that to some degree — no college student-athlete has ever dealt with. We’re loving them.”

One of the wrestlers that Ryan will be coaching throughout the season is redshirt sophomore Sammy Sasso.

Sasso, who collected a pair of wins Sunday, said his training effort has not decreased because “things aren’t going to slow down because of what’s happening.”

Along with a Big Ten-only schedule, daily antigen testing and other safety protocols, a key difference from last season will be the lack of fans in attendance.

An Ohio State spokesperson said there is a hope to have families of student-athletes and coaches at events, but the situation is still being evaluated.

Ohio State football saw friends and family attend 2-of-3 home games — with the game against Indiana played without any fans in attendance as a result of Franklin county reaching a “purple” COVID-19 distinction.

In the last home game for men’s basketball Wednesday, families were allowed to attend for the first time all season — a morale boost head coach Chris Holtmann recognized following the game.

“Best thing for me tonight, 1A the win and 1B having the families here,” Holtmann said Wednesday. “As a coach, you just love the families having a chance to see their players.”

Although sports such as wrestling are waiting for a determination on the allowance of families, Sasso said his approach to competition has remained the same because the objective has stayed the same.

“You make it as simple as it can be,” Sasso said. “It’s another season, it’s another chance to go wrestle, so why would I make it much different? Every time I step out to compete, whether there’s fans in there or there’s not, it’s the same thing: Two guys are going out there and they want to get their hand raised. And I’m going to do everything in my power to get my hand raised.”