The student voice of the Ohio State University | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
THE LANTERN thelantern.com
WHAT’S INSIDE
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Year 140, Issue No. 14
FOOTBALL
Players give cause for excitement with bright moments in first spring practice ON PAGE 12
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FOOD PANTRY
Graduate student making food pantry more efficient by exporting data from online orders
ON PAGE 2 THE WAREHOUSE
Coronavirus causes travel plan cancellations
Owner who took over Bullwinkles focused on improving entertainment in the dance club and bar COURTESY OF TNS
ON PAGE 6
OWEN MILNES Lantern reporter milnes.12@osu.edu
TRACK & FIELD
High school coach had influence on junior sprinter Eric Harrison on and off the track ON PAGE 12
WHERE IS IT? CAMPUS ARTS&LIFE SPORTS
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Study abroad and spring break plans for Ohio State students have fallen through as the coronavirus spreads worldwide. Ohio State’s suspension of university-sponsored travel to China, South Korea, Italy and Iran resulted in 21 students having to return to the United States from study abroad programs, according to Ohio State personnel, and others have canceled their own plans in response. Ninety-eight percent of confirmed worldwide coronavirus cases, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, are from those
Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases as of March 2
80,174 confirmed cases in China
4,212
confirmed cases in South Korea
1,689
confirmed cases in Italy
978
confirmed cases in Iran
countries. The virus has led to a temporary suspension of Ohio State study abroad programs in China and South Korea through April 20, Jeannie Simmons, director of Ohio State’s Education Abroad, said. “We no longer have students in those locations for this semester,” Simmons said. “Once the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] elevated its warning to warning level three, they departed.” China, South Korea, Italy and Iran are all under warning level three. Simmons said warning levels are determined by the CDC, and a warning level three means people should avoid all nonessential
travel to the area because the outbreak is of high risk to travelers, and there are no precautions to protect against the increased risk, according to the CDC website. “That’s typically the line in the sand that would lead to cancellation of education abroad programming or having students return,” Simmons said. Simmons said both students studying abroad in South Korea have left, as has the one student abroad in China. China has 80,174 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,915 deaths as of March 2, according to WHO. South Korea has 4,212 confirmed cases and 22 deaths as of March 2, according to WHO. Two summer faculty-led edu-
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CAMPUS
2 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
CRIME MAP
Campus area saw robbery, theft from motor vehicle and assault this past week ON PAGE 5
Graduate student improves efficiency of food pantry OLIVIA ALBERT Lantern reporter albert.228@osu.edu Anthony Unger graduated from Ohio State in 2012 with a degree in chemical engineering and a job at tire company Bridgestone. Six years after graduation, Unger found his way back to Ohio State with the goal of giving back to the community and expanding his career beyond chemistry. Unger, a graduate student in business administration, said he was introduced to Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry
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through Fisher Board Fellows, a in the household in order to destudent-run organization at the termine how many points they Fisher College of Business. Now, will receive to use on items at the Unger is using his skills in data pantry. analysis to make the food pantry With an online ordering system more efficient. implemented in 2018, Fralic said “I saw it as a really nice oppor- clients can order nonperishable tunity to do something beyond the items online for pick up at the disclassroom, connect to the outside tribution centers. Once clients arcommunity and use some of my rive at the pantry to pick up, they experience in the business world can shop for perishable items as to make an impact,” Unger said. well. Each of the program’s 30 memUnger, the only person who bers is paired with a nonprofit to helps the pantry with data and work with during the second year operations, said though the online of their graduate program. Unger ordering system is a great system, said LSS was his top choice. it is hard to collect data. Jennifer Fralic, director of LSS, “The dashboards on there arsaid the pantry serves 12 counties en’t very intuitive,” Unger said. and more than 4,000 families per “But there’s the opportunity to month and is moving toward be- export all of that data.” coming more time and cost effiUnger said he exports the data cient. into Microsoft “The projExcel, anaects that we’re lyzes it and working on comes up with with Anthony insights reis a remodeling garding the of our facilities I can’t think of another most poputo enable us to lar among 66 be more effi- food pantry that nonperishable cient and effec- actually maintains products and tive in provid- a live accounting of how quickly ing emergency they move off food to our their inventory. of the shelves, community,” thereby inFralic said. creasing effiJENNIFER FRALIC To shop at Director of LSS ciency for the the food panpantry. try, Fralic said “We can use a family must be at or below twice the data to focus on those items the federal poverty level, which moving forward, so that we can is $26,200 for a family of four, most effectively and efficiently according to the federal govern- get those items in and make sure ment. From there, clients create a that they’re available for the cusfamily profile online and list the tomers,” Unger said. number of people and their ages Unger said the data is also help-
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COURTESY OF SARAH MILLER
Anthony Unger, a graduate student in business administration, collects and analyzes customer data to improve cost and space efficiency at the Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry.
ful in determining the next-best items to offer when certain products are out of stock. “It’s rare,” Fralic said. “I can’t think of another food pantry that actually maintains a live accounting of their inventory.” The goal of the initiative is to better serve the customer, Unger said. “The things that we can do to be more operationally efficient and improve the process flow potentially can get the customer in and out of the food pantry faster, and they have a better experience, instead of sitting in the pantry waiting for things that they need,” he said.
Unger said this also saves the pantry time and money because it can now calculate the most cost-efficient time to reorder an item. With limited space in the warehouse that houses the products, Fralic said the new system has been very efficient. “By knowing what clients purchase through Anthony’s analysis of how fast items move, we’re maximizing the space and making sure we have the items they want in stock,” Fralic said.
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Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | The Lantern | 3
Parents prep care packages for students in need JESSICA LANGER For The Lantern langer.42@osu.edu Ohio State students are getting a mother’s love delivered to their door by a group of parents assembling care packages. Ohio State mom Marla Gitelson-O’Brian said she saw a group on Facebook at another university with a similar mission, and this prompted her to bring the idea to Ohio State, where her son Tyler O’Brian, a fourth-year in criminal justice, attends. Since the project’s start in November 2019, more than 100 Ohio State students have received care packages from the Kindness Project. The Kindness Project gathered hundreds of contributors to help students who may have had a bad day or needed some extra support. Gitelson-O’Brian said the packages consist of razors, soap, shaving cream, tampons, snacks, microwavable dinners, cereal bars and a $20 gift card to select restaurants on North High Street. “We describe it as: We’re a group of Buckeye parents that want to spread the love to all students and let them know people care about them,” Gitelson-O’Brian said.
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I just thought it would be really sweet to have local parents actually put something together and then deliver it to them at the door. CRYSTAL DUNCAN Ohio State alumna and parent
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The project coordinates distribution with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Student Advocacy Center, which select students they believe are in need of support. The parents are unaware of students’ identities and are only told by the two of-
COURTESY OF MARLA GITELSON-O’BRIAN
Marla Gitelson-O’Brian, Cindy Farnsworth and Denise Busch after unloading 100 kindness packages in November.
fices the number of packages they need to make. The Kindness Project delivers the packages to the offices on Sunday mornings, and the offices organize where the packages go from there, Gitelson-O’Brian said. During the first delivery in November, Gitelson-O’Brian said there were 80 gender-specific packages and 20 nonspecific packages given out. The project created a Facebook page called “Ohio State University (OSU) Parents & Alumni Giving” Jan. 23 to make it easier to share information with other parents without it getting lost in a larger Ohio State parent group that has more than 4,000 members, Gitelson-O’Brian said. The kindness group had 371 members at the time of publication. “Even when we did the first care package, and I was overwhelmed on how many donations, I had so many parents tell me, ‘I didn’t even know about it. I would have sent you some,’” Gitelson-O’Brian said. In the Facebook group, the project announced a February collaboration with Buckeye Food Alliance, an on-campus food pantry. According to the Facebook posts, monetary contributions, Amazon packages with baking supplies, spices, pasta, coffee grounds, toilet paper, personal-care items and cereal are all accepted. Students with meal plans can also donate swipes to BFA through Virtual Donations
on Grubhub, and parents are able to donate to giveto.osu.edu. BFA collected more than $400 worth of
food, spices, seasonings, coffee and baking essentials for the Kindness Project Feb. 4. Another $370 order was made Feb. 9. According to a Facebook post, a Feb. 16 order brought the total to $1,600. Before the Kindness Project began, Ohio State alumna and parent Crystal Duncan said about 12 families would create care packages for their own children at Ohio State in 2017 and 2018 by gathering in Panera Bread’s community room to assemble care packages with food, snacks and items such as stress balls. The packages would then be delivered to students’ residence halls. “I just thought it would be really sweet to have local parents actually put something together and then deliver it to them at the door,” Duncan said. The parents received an excess of donations for the care packages, and as a result, they gave out random acts-of-kindness KINDNESS CONTINUES ON 5
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4 | The Lantern | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
CORONAVIRUS FROM 1
cation abroad programs to China have been canceled, but warning levels for other countries haven’t warranted a decision on the status of summer programming, Simmons said. “It’s definitely a fluid situation,” Simmons said. “University officials and risk management continue to monitor the situation.” Eighteen students are studying abroad in Italy and are currently in the process of making travel arrangements to return home, Maureen Miller, director of communications in the Office of International Affairs, said in an email. “We are in the very early stages of working out details of next
steps with respect to academic programs,” Miller said. It is not immediately clear whether there will be refunds or other financial compensation for returning study abroad students. As of March 2, Italy has 1,689 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths, according to WHO. The university has no study abroad programs in Iran, and there are no students there, Miller said. Iran has 978 confirmed cases and 54 deaths, according to WHO. On Jan. 30, the university announced its first travel restriction, limiting travel to China until March 6, according to a univer-
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email said. At the time of publication, there are no confirmed cases in Ohio, according to the CDC. There have been 43 cases and two deaths in the United States. While some students are abruptly returning home from study abroad trips, other students are scrambling to rearrange their spring break plans. In August 2019, Gus Workman, a fourth-year in Chinese and electrical and computer engineering; Rahul Mansukhani, a fourthyear in finance; and three of their friends booked “a once in a lifetime kind of trip,” Mansukhani said.
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MAUREEN MILLER Director of communications in the Office of International Affairs
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sitywide email. On Feb. 19, this restriction was extended to April 20. The university has also since suspended university-sponsored travel to South Korea, Italy and Iran until April 20. According to a universitywide email, those who travel to restricted areas must report their travel to the university at travelreporting@ osumc.edu through April 20. A universitywide email sent Feb. 29 said the best way to prevent the spread of any disease is to practice routine hygiene etiquette. “There is no need to change any routine campus activities or behaviors due to COVID-19,” the
We are in the very early stages of working out details of next steps with respect to academic programs.
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CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES ON 5 Down 1. Almanac tidbit 2. Provide gear 3. Garth Brooks’ birthplace 4. Take food 5. Liquid measure 6. Matty of baseball 7. Silencing button 8. Certain sweater sizes (abbr.) 9. Repented 10. However, informally 11. Address bk. line 12. Doghouse sound 15. Flock females 20. Runs away 21. Emulate a beaver 23. Cocktail party cheese 24. Spud-producing state 25. Installer of flooring pieces 26. Panic 28. Actor Bates et al. 30. Black-____ Susan 31. Writer Bombeck 32. “Balanced” zodiac sign 33. Case or well preceder 34. Pond denizens 38. Sandwich shops 39. Actor Estrada 41. Ran, as madras 44. Chihuahua chums 46. Tailors 48. Hip to (2 wds.) 50. Actress Verdugo 51. Tries to find 53. Old El ____ (salsa brand) 54. “Beware the ____ of March” 56. Church recess 57. Calendar square 58. Songwriter Berlin, familiarly 59. Compass pt. 60. Buddy 61. Apron part
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THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE
CAMPUS AREA CRIME MAP: FEB. 24 - MARCH 1
ASSAULT ROBBERY ROBBERY
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | The Lantern | 5
LILY MASLIA Outreach & Engagement Editor maslia.2@osu.edu A robbery was reported to Columbus Police as having occurred at 3:57 p.m. Feb. 25 at Key Bank on North High Street near East 12th Avenue. According to the online police log, the suspect presented a note to the complainant and displayed a knife. The complainant complied with the note, and the suspect took $1,200 and fled. A theft from a motor vehicle was reported to Columbus Police as having occurred between 4:20 and 4:40 p.m. Feb. 25 on East Hudson Street near Summit Street. According to the online police log, unknown suspect(s) removed $700 in cash from a vehicle. A robbery was reported to Columbus Police as having occurred at 3:21 a.m. Wednesday on East Hudson Street near Summit Street. According to the online police log, two men told the victim they had a weapon and then
CORONAVIRUS FROM 4
The five friends planned to travel to China for a nontraditional spring break trip, Workman said, but the COVID-19 outbreak
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THE LANTERN caused their plans to fall through. “We were originally aware of the situation, and we had determined that if the CDC thought it was OK, we would still go,” Workman said. “But then they started canceling all the flights, and so the situation worsened.” The friends rescheduled their trip to China for April 2021, Workman said. The outbreak forced them to make last-minute travel plans for
took his vehicle. The men were later arrested by Columbus Police. A robbery was reported to Columbus Police as having occurred at 8:58 a.m. Friday at Berry Blendz on High Street near East 11th Avenue. According to the online police log, the suspect entered the business and displayed a knife and demanded money. The employee ran to the back of the restaurant and the suspect removed $240 in cash from the register. An assault was reported to Columbus Police as having occurred at 12:20 a.m. Saturday at The Warehouse, formerly Bullwinkles, on North High Street near East 13th Avenue. According to the online police log, the victim found the suspect inside the bathroom having sexual intercourse with a female patron. The victim escorted the suspect out of the business, and the suspect began fighting and bit the victim two times, drawing blood. The victim denied medical attention.
THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
The Lantern is a student publication that is part of the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. It publishes issues Tuesday and Thursday, and online editions every day. The Lantern’s daily operations are funded through advertising and its academic pursuits are supported by the School of Communication. The School of Communication is committed to the highest professional standards for the newspaper in order to guarantee the fullest educational benefits from The Lantern experience.
Editor in Chief Kaylee Harter Managing Editor for Content Abhigyaan Bararia Managing Editor for Design Kelly Meaden Managing Editor for Multimedia Casey Cascaldo Copy Chief Anna Ripken Campus Editor Sam Raudins Assistant Campus Editor Lydia Weyrich LTV Campus Director Akayla Gardner Sports Editor Griffin Strom Assistant Sports Editor Andy Anders LTV Sports Director Brian Nelson Assistant Sports Director Khalid Hashi Arts & Life Editor Nicholas Youngblood Assistant Arts & Life Editor Ashley Kimmel LTV Arts & Life Director Oliver Boch Photo Editor Amal Saeed Assistant Photo Editor Cori Wade Design Editor Victoria Grayson Assistant Design Editor Richard Giang Social Media Editor Shelby Metzger Engagement Editor Lily Maslia LTV Special Projects Director Jack Long Oller Reporter Jasmine Hilton Miller Reporter Emma Scott Moran
KINDNESS FROM 3
spring break, Mansukhani said. The friends will now drive to the Smoky Mountains, but because they rescheduled, they did not get a refund for their planned China trip. “It’s like we are paying for two trips for one spring break,” Mansukhani said in an email. Lily Dickson, a third-year in international studies, had a trip planned with two friends from Ohio State to visit their four friends studying abroad in Florence, Italy. “We had this planned, and we saved up money since before Thanksgiving for this,” Dickson said. “It was so perfect because we were going to stay in their apartment for free and we just had to pay for our flights.” Dickson said the increasing warning level of coronavirus
in Italy caused tension in their friend group. “I said if it gets to a level three, I’m not coming, and they were really mad, but then they literally got sent home so there was no choice,” Dickson said. Dickson said that even though she is disappointed she’s no longer going to Italy, she looks forward to relaxing over spring break. “Now I’m going to my grandma’s house in Florida with my mom on Monday,” Dickson said. “Not as exciting, but I get sunshine, I guess.” Outreach and Engagement Editor Lily Maslia contributed to this story.
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packages to students on the Oval, Duncan said. However, the project slowed down when their own children did not need as many care packages. “After assembling so many care packages with so much stuff that our kids weren’t in need of, Marla suggested maybe we try to find a way to help kids who didn’t actually have parental support while they were at college,” she said. Gitelson-O’Brian and other mothers received thank-you cards from the students who received the care packages, which encouraged them to continue their efforts, Duncan said. The Kindness Project plans to continue sending care packages in March, Gitelson-O’Brian said. The project is organizing another food drive with BFA in April and a school-supply drive in August.
Director of Student Media General Sales Manager Lantern TV Production
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Business Office 614-292-2031 Newsroom 614-292-5721 Advertising advertising@thelantern.com Classifieds classifieds@thelantern.com Correction from Feb. 27 issue: In the article titled “Leftover Funds” on pg. 1 of the Feb. 27 edition, we incorrectly represented the unawarded funds by the College of education and Human Ecology. The College of Education and Human Ecology left $372,604 unawarded of its available $1,099,622 undergraduate scholarship funds. Letters to the Editor To submit a letter to the editor, mail or email your letter. Please put your name, address, phone number and email address on the letter. If the editor decides to publish it, she will contact you to confirm your identity. Email letters to: harter.830@osu.edu
Arts&LIFE
6 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
GALLERY
Ohio-based artist brings international and domestic landscapes to a new exhibition.
ON PAGE 7
NIGHTLIFE
The Warehouse replaces Bullwinkles:
More changes to come for campus bars
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NICHOLAS YOUNGBLOOD Arts&Life Editor youngblood.27@osu.edu
new owner has changed up the look and name of freshmen-favorite bar Bullwinkles, but his plans stretch beyond a fresh coat of paint. Campus-area club Bullwinkles reopened Friday as The Warehouse after seven weeks of downtime, boasting new lights, sound, ownership and management, according to a Facebook event page. New owner Gregory Knoob said he is making improvements, but the building’s days are numbered. He is also in the process of acquiring the nearby Big Bar & Grill, and more changes are yet to come for both establishments. Knoob said most of the changes are things students won’t notice: fixing broken toilets and keeping the space clean. “I just want it to be a nice, clean, safe place that people can have a good time and that’s it,” Knoob said. Upon reopening, the most no-
table change was the lack of the iconic red bull’s head hanging from the ceiling. Knoob’s wife and The Warehouse manager, Liz, said it was taken by a group of fraternity boys within 10 minutes of setting the tattered styrofoam sculpture on the curb. Knoob said this and other design changes were meant to give the club a more professional look. “This place looked like it was meant for people in junior high. I mean it really did,” Knoob said. Despite the changes, Knoob said the Bullwinkles sign on the front of the establishment will stay put for the foreseeable future. Strict rules for High Street businesses mean changing the name could take months, he said. Inside, “The Warehouse” is printed in large letters over the bar. Knoob said changing the name to The Warehouse was apt due to the building’s boxy, industrial look, but the title holds more significance to him. The Warehouse
The Warehouse opened Feb. 27. The sign will remain the same.
was the name of the Chicago club where house music first got its start, and as a DJ who began managing clubs in Illinois more than three decades ago, Knoob said he wanted to honor his history.
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noob said he has DJ’ed most nights at The Warehouse since he started managing it in May. Many of his changes are focused on improving the entertainment aspect of the club. “I don’t want to have six guys sitting at the bar drinking a beer. I want everybody to dance and have
a good time,” he said. “I honestly care less about the alcohol part of this business. I wish it wasn’t necessary. I honestly just want a place where people go out, dance, have a good time. That’s it.” Bullwinkles moved to Big Bar during the hiatus — according to a Jan. 10 Facebook post — taking its staff, pricing and rules to the smaller club a block south. Knoob said this was possible because he currently manages Big Bar as well. “I had employees here [at Bullwinkles] that I had hired, and I didn’t want to fire people, lay peo-
AMAL SAEED | PHOTO EDITOR
ple off, while we were closed, so I had to do another acquisition just so people had jobs,” he said. Knoob said he was also motivated to purchase Big Bar because he does not see The Warehouse lasting long. He said he is only making minor changes because Campus Partners, the university’s real estate arm, has plans to acquire the property within three to five years. “I’m kind of worried about what the entertainment options are going to be once they tear all these things down,” he said. “It’s WAREHOUSE CONTINUES ON 7
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WAREHOUSE FROM 6
going to be tough. It’s part of student life; entertainment is part of student life.” Knoob said he plans to renovate Big Bar, starting with the rooftop during spring break. He said he is waiting until the summer for any major renovations that will require the bar to close. Knoob is also taking over The Little Donut Shop, situated a floor below Big Bar. He said plans are still up in the air, but his current idea is to turn it into a classy pub
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I honestly just want a place where people go out, dance, have a good time. That’s it. Gregory Knoob
with craft beer and cocktails for students searching for a more relaxed drinking experience. There is no specific timeline for these changes. Knoob began the lengthy process of transferring ownership of Bullwinkles from 1774, a corporation managed by Ted Lawson, in April 2019, according to previous Lantern reporting. Knoob took over operation in May, but the deal quickly went south, leading to a lawsuit filed by Knoob and a claim of theft. Lawson did
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | The Lantern | 7
not respond to request for comment by the time of publication.
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noob said he decided to apply for his own liquor license after the relationship soured instead of waiting for the transfer process, which can take months. He said the establishment was closed for seven weeks as he waited for this new license, which was approved Thursday. In addition, Knoob said he had to work out a new lease with the
landlord. “It was a nightmare scenario with the previous guy. It just got confusing. And it was just better just to start over,” he said. Currently, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control lists liquor licenses for both Knoob and Melissa Kampman, owner of 1774, at the address of the bar. The Warehouse is located at 1770 N. High St. and is open Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Short North exhibition leaves an impression JULIANNE KERVER Lantern reporter kerver.3@osu.edu
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new exhibition in the Short North is walking its viewers through nature from the comfort of the indoors. “And all the land was swathed with color,” an exhibition showcasing more than 20 oil paintings from Ohio-based artist Mark Gingerich, went on display Sunday at Brandt-Roberts Galleries in the Short North Arts District. The collection depicts domestic and international landscapes. “The inspiration was my travels in Europe and in Ohio, here, so you’re gonna see some things from France, a little bit from Switzerland, and then I think there’s one from New York state,” Gingerich said. Gingerich said he is a founding member of the Ohio Plein Air Society, a group of artists interested in painting outdoors. He called himself a contemporary American impressionist. Gingerich said impressionist work typically depicts nature and draws the viewer’s eye through strategic use of focus. “The texture of the work itself is put on more spontaneously, either with a loaded brush or palette knife,” Gingerich said. “And so
the work isn’t necessarily realist, but it’s impressionist, focusing on color and composition and the effect of light.” Though he was born in Germany, Gingerich moved to Ohio at the age of 10, according to his website. “The majority of my life, I’ve lived here in Ohio, so I think that’s the reason that Ohio has become something that I enjoy painting, because it’s familiar, and I like the variety of landscapes that you get here,” Gingerich said. Michelle Brandt, owner of Brandt-Roberts Galleries, has worked with Gingerich for a decade and said he has continuously found romantic and beautiful interpretations of nature. “He has such reverence for the landscape and whether rural Ohio or in his travels, and he’s so wonderfully able to capture that with paint,” Brandt said. “I think sometimes we can get comfortable with our own surroundings, and he has a way of taking those works or those views and elevating them.” “And all the land was swathed with color” will be on display until March 29 at Brandt-Roberts Galleries at 642 N. High St. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
JULIANNE KERVER | LANTERN REPORTER
Artist Mark Gingerich’s “Harmony in Green and Red” is featured at Brandt-Roberts Galleries’ “And all the land was swathed with color.”
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8 | The Lantern | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
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COMEDY
Traveling comedians raise money for veterans
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RISHI RAJAGOPALAN Lantern reporter rajagopalan.40@osu.edu
aughter is supporting the troops this week through the Big and Tall Comedy tour. The show will be held at the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Post 8794 in Whitehall, Ohio, Thursday, and will feature headliners Mike Bova and Ernesto “Big Ern” Galano. Local comedian Jesse Pimpinella will emcee the event. Bova said proceeds will benefit the VFW. Bova and Galano began the Big and Tall tour in January 2018. “I just started booking some gigs, and we’re off to the races,”
Bova said. “So we’ve been doing this for over two years now. This is going on our third year of doing the tour, traveling all over the country, and now we’re on a mission raising money for veterans.” Bova and Galano perform eight to 10 shows a month, many of them at VFW posts and American Legion locations. Bova said he contacts venues, books gigs, writes contracts, helps promote the shows and performs. “We bring in a professional show, including a nice sound system, my guitar and amplifier. We bring in a spotlight. I mean,
COURTESY OF MIKE BOVA
Comedian Ernesto Galano performs at the FunnyBone Comedy Club in Syracuse, New York, Sep. 22..
Comedian Mike Bova performs at the FunnyBone Comedy Club in Syracuse, New York, Sept. 22, 2019.
we actually bring in a professional show to the place, so it’s like going to a comedy club wherever we’re at,” Bova said. Even at non-VFW shows, Bova said he and Galano keep veterans in mind. “We try to contact a local VFW or American Legion, have them help us promote the show, and then in return, we will give them 10 to 20 percent of our earnings, so we’re always thinking about the vets, and always thinking about how we can raise money for them,” he said. For this performance, ticket revenue will go to the comedians, and food and bar sales will go to the VFW, Bova said. Along with observational humor and impressions, Bova ends every show with a half hour of
musical parodies, putting new lyrics to songs by artists such as Eric Clapton and Willie Nelson. Bova even has a witty rewrite for the Kay Jewelers jingle. “I say that my wife wants jewelry for her upcoming birthday, and I’m frugal. So every kiss begins with Kmart,” Bova said. Bova said showgoers can expect adult humor and a lack of political correctness. “We have this disclaimer that you’re going to hear some things that may offend you. But at the end of the day, we love everybody, no matter what race, religion or gender preference. We love everybody, we’re just trying to make you laugh,” Bova said. The show was originally going to be held at VFW Post 4044 but had to be moved after the post
COURTESY OF MIKE BOVA
closed. Post 8794 has been operating since 1953 and currently has 321 members. “This is the first time we’re actually going to get a chance to see them, and if we like what we see and it works out well, we’ll have them back,” Richard Curry, quartermaster of VFW Post 8794, said. “What we’re hoping for is really just some exposure — maybe have some opportunity to recruit some new members.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Thursday for the Big and Tall Comedy Tour Ohio Veterans Fundraiser at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8794, located at 4100 E. Main St. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available both on Eventbrite and at the door.
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“We’ve been doing this for over two years now. This is going on our third year of doing the tour, traveling all over the country, and now we’re on a mission raising money for veterans.” —Mike Bova, comedian
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ESPORTS FROM 10
said. “If I’m not getting them there, then Nikolai said he is spending the rest of they might as well try and get there on their the semester without the pressure of comown, and I can try to help them out.” peting as he helps underclassmen improve Now, Bauer said he helps with review- their games. ing practice and match “I think it’s about replays to help players giving younger improve. He said critiguys more expericism is much easier to ence now, so trygive and take when it ing to build up the comes from a nonteamnext squad that’s mate. gonna be here for The focus isn’t really on Friedberg was drawn me. It’s more on making a few years,” Nikoback to the fold this lai said. “The focus past fall though, joining OSU Rocket League isn’t really on me. OSU Scarlet with new better next year and the It’s more on makteammates under BGC. next years after that, too. ing OSU Rocket “What made me League better next come back was I missed year and the next competing so much. I AARON NIKOLAI years after that, Senior Rocket League player love competing, and too.” this was the game that Friedberg said I put so much time into it’s enjoyable to and was so good at,” Friedberg said. think about a time when there were only Freidberg and OSU Scarlet missed the three players who hoped that when it was playoffs Feb. 23, while Nikolai and OSU time to graduate, there would be others to Gray failed to qualify for the league alto- continue playing on the team after them. gether.
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COURTESY OF JUSTIN RAIFF
Junior Ben “Vortex” Friedberg scored the second goal against Utah Valley during Game 1 Jan. 26.
sionally at the time. The trio took the league by storm, winning five series in a row in the Northern Conference playoffs to qualify for the national tournament. “No one knew how good we were, and we took everyone by surprise and just slayed everyone up until finals,” Nikolai said.
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If you’re interested in video games, don’t get discouraged because you think you’re not good enough or you won’t fit in. Don’t stop because you don’t think you’re good enough.
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BEN FRIEDBERG Junior Rocket League player
In four months, Ohio State went from being nearly unable to play in the regular season to competing for a $50,000 prize pool in the league’s grand finals. On Dec. 10, 2017, Northeastern emerged
from the loser’s bracket for a second chance against Ohio State. Both best-of-seven matches in the grand final went 4-3. This time, Northeastern won. “Being able to get that far in my first tournament felt really good, and that kind of solidified me playing for the rest of school,” Nikolai said. “I knew I was good enough, so that tournament meant a lot.” Nikolai continued to play competitive Rocket League until this semester, when he was unsuccessful in qualifying for Collegiate Rocket League Spring 2020. Meanwhile, Friedberg took a break from competitive play after 2017. “After that first season is really when I stopped playing, probably for nine to 12 months,” Friedberg said. “When I was playing Rocket League, I was getting kind of burnt out.” The team expanded shortly after its first run, adding a team manager and drafting a “B team,” consisting of three alternate players to form distinct OSU Scarlet and OSU Gray units in 2018. But neither team made it out of playoffs several seasons in a row, and Bauer moved from player to president of the Buckeye Gaming Collective after the spring 2019 season ended. “If we had performed up to our expectations, I think I might have stayed with it. But if we’re not going to be a top team, I don’t think there’s a reason to play,” Bauer
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10 | The Lantern | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
How Rocket League blasted off at Ohio State AARON LIEN Lantern reporter lien.47@osu.edu
Less than three years ago, Ben Friedberg, Aaron Nikolai and Jimmy Bauer were strangers at Ohio State, but they had one thing in common: Rocket League. The soccer-inspired video game not only brought them together, but garnered them a $9,000 reward –– the first time any of them had earned a monetary prize for gaming –– and set the standard for the growing Rocket League esports community at Ohio State. “If you’re interested in video games, don’t get discouraged because you think you’re not good enough or you won’t fit in,” Friedberg, a junior at Ohio State, said. “Don’t stop because you don’t think you’re good enough.” Ohio State missed out on a chance to be represented in Atlanta for the Final Four Fan Fest –– and a $75,000 prize pool –– this year, but in December 2017, Ohio State players competed remotely from personal computers in their bedrooms during the grand finals of Collegiate Rocket League’s first season. Ohio State won nearly $10,000 in a second-place finish to Northeastern, but hasn’t attained that FOOTBALL FROM 12
highlight, as he pulled down a similar ball with a defender draped over him on the opposite sideline minutes later. Smith-Njigba is one of Ohio State’s four top 16 receivers –– headlined by Julian Fleming –– in this recruiting cycle, and Day said he was impressed by each of their
level of success since. Once the fall 2020 semester begins, Friedberg, who plays by the name “Vortex,” will be the only person remaining from the team’s original roster. Bauer, known as “Jbob,” initially failed to qualify for the Collegiate Rocket League in fall 2017 with his original team, but he still had one final date to meet the mark. Bauer had to assemble a new squad though, and linked up with
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Nikolai –– known as “KiiNGz” –– through a signup page set up by Ohio State’s esports initiative. The pair searched other avenues for a third member to complete the team. Bauer said he visited the Twitch stream of popular professional player “Jacob” to ask if there were any high-level players at Ohio State. He was referred to Friedberg, who as a freshman nearly qualified to play profesESPORTS CONTINUES ON 9
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Ohio State freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) participates in drills during spring practice March 2.
COURTESY OF JUSTIN RAIFF
Junior Ben “Vortex” Friedberg (right) sits with OSU Scarlet teammates sophomore Kevin “Slepy” Higgins and sophomore Justin “Maseter” Raiff.
performances Monday. “I think all four of them really have a chance to play and be successful,” Day said. “Now they have a long way to go, but for Day One, better than expected.” But the newcomers didn’t steal all the shine from returning members of the receiving corps. Sophomore Garrett Wilson was
a scarlet blur, flashing to the end zone on several occasions, regardless of who was passing him the ball when matched up with defensive backs in one-on-one drills. Junior cornerback Sevyn Banks intercepted two passes for a depleted Buckeye secondary while junior cornerbacks Wade and
Cameron Brown were limited and junior safety Josh Proctor was unavailable. “He’s got to step up. It’s only two months since we played our last game, and we’ll see once we get through the spring if he’s willing to take that next step,” Day said, referring to Banks. Sophomore offensive lineman Harry Miller entered as a five-star prospect at center this past season, but with redshirt junior Josh Myers returning after a second team All-Big Ten campaign at the position, Harry Miller lined up at guard in practice. Day said the move was about getting the best five players on the field, and said he expects “big things” from Harry Miller heading into this season. “The ability for him to now go from guard to center is really good, so I think he’s going to be the next really good one in terms
of the Elfleins and the Corey Linsleys and the Billy Prices,” Day said. Day said 2019 standouts junior cornerback Jeff Okudah and junior running back J.K. Dobbins were “younger players” during the spring practice period a season ago, but springboarded into leadership roles as a result of stellar play. There will be nearly six weeks of work for this season’s Buckeyes to do the same thing ahead of the Spring Game April 11.
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HARRISON FROM 12
watched me coach as a young kid, and I end up having the opportunity to coach him.” The two were officially introduced to each other at the end of Harrison’s eighth-grade year. Harrison began working with Ruffin –– now a volunteer coach at University of Maryland –– and eventually became a staple for the St. John’s College High School track and field team in Washington, D.C. The relationship did not flourish immediately, however. “We kind of had a disagreement a little bit as far as the type of runner I was,” Harrison said. “He assumed I would be a 400 [meter dash] runner, not really knowing me that well. He put me in a sprint event at a track meet, and I blew him away.” From that moment on, the two were on the same page on and off the track. Ruffin allowed Harrison to stay true to his roots and developed him as a sprinter. The speedster was graced with raw talent that his coach said he saw in him early on. “Eric had all the ability in the world when I first met him,” Ruf-
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Eric is like a son. We developed something really close.
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ALONZO RUFFIN Former St. John’s High School track and field coach
fin said. “I knew he had something working with him.” Ruffin did not let Harrison’s talent go to his head, though. During practices, there would be instances in which Harrison became sidetracked, and Ruffin was right there to zero him in. “When it was time to focus he would always say, ‘Eric, focus.
COURTESY OF ALONZO RUFFIN
Alonzo Ruffin, a high school track coach, served as a father figure to Ohio State junior sprinter Eric Harrison.
Eric, focus,’” Harrison said. “I had a lot of friends on the team, and he wanted me to be able to separate myself so that I could compete at a high stage.” A typical week for St. John’s track consisted of practice every day but Wednesday. Despite the day off, though, Harrison and Ruffin would still talk with each other as they did every day at practice. The topic of conversation was rarely about coaching. “Believe it or not, we talked little about [track and field]. I gave him a lot of life stories of what I went through and tried to make sure he didn’t screw things up with his life,” Ruffin said. “I would tell him a lot of stories that were not true that my coach told me that scared the hell out of me, and I did the same with Eric.” Ruffin’s resume includes training retired NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, retired NFL wide receiver
Brandon Stokley and NBA center DeMarcus Cousins. Ruffin has also served as a speed consultant for the Baltimore Ravens, Army football and the USA Gymnastics team. He is the founder, owner and director of Accelerate Your Game, an agility and speed training company based in Columbia, Maryland. “When you get to this level –– high school and college –– I feel like it’s necessary to have somebody that’s experienced what it’s like and can be hands on,” Harrison said. “Coach Alonzo and coach Joel [Brown] are both similar in that area. They can show me what I’m doing wrong instead of just telling me.” In high school, Harrison took full advantage of Ruffin’s handson coaching approach, compiling impressive results for himself. In 2016, Harrison was a member of the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation team that
traveled to Cuba to compete in School. international competition. He “Me and coach Alonzo still talk followed that up with a 2017 at least once every other month,” campaign that featured a District Harrison said. “Me and [Ruffin’s of Columbia State Athletic As- son] A.J. talk all the time, so if I sociation Indoor Track and Field don’t hear from coach Alonzo, I’ll state championship in the 55-me- hear from A.J.” ter dash and 300-meter dash and Ruffin said he cherishes his was named a New Balance Indoor time with Harrison. All-American. “My son graduated, and I chose This caught the attention of not to leave St. John’s. People Ohio State assistant coach and re- were like, ‘Oh, your son finished cruiting coordinator Joel Brown. there. You’re leaving.’ Well, I “When we look at athletes, wasn’t going to leave Eric bewe don’t only look at results and cause he’s like my son,” Ruffin times, but we look at the ability said. to go out there and compete,” At the end of Harrison’s senior Brown said. “A lot of times, peo- season, Ruffin stepped down as ple talk about being state champi- head coach of the St. John’s track ons and local champions in their and field team, a memory that respective state, but when you can Ruffin said is one of his favorites go compete against all the kids in during his time with Harrison. the country, it’s a whole different “The last day, when I told evstory.” eryone I wasn’t returning, he and Now in his third season at Ohio I just hugged each other really State, Harrison has done just that. tight,” Ruffin said. He has been named a first team The two were attached at the All-Amerhip from ican and 2013 to competed ’17. Defor Team spite their USA in the initial U20 World Believe it or not, we talked differencChampion- little about [track and es, Ruffin ships. served as field]. I gave him a lot of Despite a father his success, life stories of what I went figure to he’s never through and tried to make Harrison, f o r g o t t e n sure he didn’t screw things getting on where he his case came from. up with his life. I would when necHe said he tell him a lot of stories essary and m a i n t a i n s that were not true that my shaping contact him into with Ruf- coach told me that scared the athlete fin and his the hell out of me, and I did and man family to the same with Eric. he is tothis day. day. H a r r i s o n ALONZO RUFFIN “There’s said it’s not Former St. John’s High School nothing as frequent track and field coach really for anymore, him to however, in coach me part because of Ruffin’s focus on on at this point. He just makes his daughter Amanda’s success sure I’m good mentally, kind of as a high school track and field like a second dad,” Harrison said. athlete at Glenelg Country High
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SPORTS
12 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020
ESPORTS
Rocket League’s roots at Ohio State ON PAGE 11 TRACK & FIELD
Like father and son
Spring forward
High school coach’s tutelage helps Ohio State sprinter get to the finish line CASEY SMITH For The Lantern smith.12971@osu.edu
Ohio State football returns ahead of Spring Game The Ohio State Buckeyes run drills during spring practice March 2.
GRIFFIN STROM Sports Editor strom.25@osu.edu Shaun Wade looked on from the sidelines while Kerry Coombs dug into his defensive backs for the first time on the field Monday. Jonathon Cooper was helmetless, trotting across the turf as Larry Johnson and the Buckeye defensive line drilled technique. Chris Olave stood to the side, stretching while the new stable of Ohio State receivers was turned loose. “It’s really for the younger guys,” head coach Ryan Day said of spring practice, and some of them didn’t waste time making indelible impressions on the first day. Freshman quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller are two players seeking reps and a leg up in the battle to be junior Justin
Fields’ backup. Day grinned and nodded when asked if more is asked of new quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis because he occupies Day’s old post. But with Dennis handling a competition for the future of the position in his first season, it will be more than just Day’s eye fixated on him and the Buckeye passers. “He’s got his hands full there with some young guys with inexperience,” Day said. However, both players likely gave Dennis cause for excitement with bright moments Monday, including one from Stroud that saw a smiling Dennis zipping downfield to greet his new pupil. Although clad in a noncontact jersey, a quarterback keeper from Stroud infiltrated the secondary during 11-on-11 drills, which garnered a smile from the Cali-
GRIFFIN STROM | SPORTS EDITOR
fornia native and a giddy reaction from Dennis, who ran to give the freshman props. Stroud showcased his arm, as well. In a red zone drill that concluded practice, Stroud placed a ball into the arms of redshirt senior wide receiver Demario McCall –– newly moved from running back –– in the right corner of the end zone from 20-plus yards out. This time, it was Stroud streaking down the field after the play, meeting McCall for a celebratory mid-air embrace. Jack Miller threw a standout dime of his own earlier on, threading the needle over the right shoulder of freshman wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a tiptoe catch down the left sideline. It wasn’t Smith-Njigba’s lone FOOTBALL CONTINUES ON 10
The bond between Ohio State junior sprinter Eric Harrison and his high school track mentor runs deeper than the typical player-coach pairing. Alonzo Ruffin, who has trained professional athletes for the NFL and NBA, is like a second father to Harrison, a relationship that has helped Harrison grow into
an All-American runner for the Buckeyes and kept him grounded as a person. “Eric is like a son. We developed something really close,” Ruffin said. This bond developed, unknowingly, when Harrison was young. “There was a picture of him standing along a fence at a track meet at a young age, watching others that I used to train,” Ruffin said. “It’s kind of funny that he HARRISON CONTINUES ON 11
COURTESY OF ALONZO RUFFIN
Ohio State junior sprinter Eric Harrison and high school track coach Alonzo Ruffin officially began working together with Harrison’s at St. John’s College High School track and field team in Washington, D.C.
