Page 1 Thursday, March 31, 2022
Students gather, voice opinions on proposed USG resolution to divest from companies conducting business in Israel GABE HAFERMAN | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Around 200 people gathered in the Performance Hall at the Ohio Union Wednesday during the Undergraduate Student Government’s General Assembly meeting.
SARAH SZILAGY Special Projects Reporter szilagy.3@osu.edu JESSICA LANGER Campus LTV Producer langer.42@osu.edu Around 200 people gathered in the Performance Hall at the Ohio Union Wednesday during the Undergraduate Student Government’s General Assembly meeting both in support and opposition of a proposed emergency resolution that looks for Ohio State to divest from two companies it says contributes to human rights violations against Palestinians. More than 50 students and Columbus community members spoke during an open forum session lasting more than two hours. Many spoke on the implications the initiative could have on campus, including increased levels of antisemitism and continued support of violated human rights of Palestinians. Others urged both the Jewish and Palestinian communities to come together to encourage peace. According to a copy of the resolution
obtained by The Lantern, the sponsors — Sens. Rama Naboulsi, Yondris Ferguson, John Fuller, Julius McIntyre and Suhavi Salmon-Rekhi — l ook for Ohio State to boycott Caterpillar Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. At the time of publication, the resolution had not yet been introduced to the General Assembly for a vote. As an emergency resolution, it was not on the General Assembly’s schedule for the meeting. The resolution stated that Hewlett Packard Enterprise has provided technology used by the Israeli military “which facilitate discrimination against Palestinians, restrict their freedom of movement, and limit their access to education, employment, and medical care.” Hewlett Packard Enterprise did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Palestinian land has been fought over for the last century, with several wars breaking out — the last one being in 2014, during which 2,251 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed, according to a 2015 report by the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry.
Caterpillar Inc. provides engineering tools and bulldozers used to expand settlements in Palestine, construct a separation wall in the West Bank and demolish Palestinian homes and refugee camps, according to the resolution. “By investing in such companies, The Ohio State University implicitly condones and profits from the decisions and actions of these companies, and, as such, becomes guilty by association when such consequences from the actions and divestments of these companies, including, but certainly not limited to, the killing of innocent civilians,” the resolution stated. Caterpillar Inc. was unable to provide a comment by the time of publication. Alex Grosman, a Jewish student and opponent of the resolution, spoke about his fear that the resolution’s passage would encourage antisemitism on campus. “This threatens the direct personal and physical and emotional safety of every member of the OSU Jewish community, including myself,” Grosman, a second-year in international studies, said. Dana Alkashkish, an Ohio State alumna, spoke about her family members in
Palestine who she said have struggled to obtain medical treatment in Israel. “The Ohio State University, which plans to advocate for justice and quality, should not be investing in companies that continue to dehumanize and contribute to the prevention of medical care in overall violation of any group’s human rights, specifically Palestinians,” Alkashkish said. University spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email the university’s endowment is not funded with tuition or fees, and the university follows “all applicable laws regarding investments.” “Ohio State has an unwavering commitment to free speech and encourages our students, faculty and staff to engage in discussion and debate,” Johnson said. The Lantern requested verification of and details from the contracts with Caterpillar Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise from the university that were not available by the time of publication. Mariyam Muhammad contributed reporting.
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Thursday, March 31, 2022
CAMPUS
Friendly campus Spider-Man spreads positivity at Ohio State
Phil Re works as a registered nurse at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and as campus’s own Spider-Man.
HOSNA SADAQAT Lantern reporter sadaqat.3@osu.edu Phil Re has a passion for helping others and being a source of joy, which he channels into his work as a registered nurse at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and as campus’s own Spider-Man. Re, an Ohio State alumnus, said after watching the movie “Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire, he became fascinated with the character. In particular, he said he now lives by a line from the movie, “With great power comes great responsibility,” serving as his inspiration to wear the suit. Although he doesn’t wear the suit while
making his rounds at the medical center, Re said he wears it around campus to perform random acts of kindness and meet new people. He said he also wears it to football games on occasion. Nichole Dowell, a registered nurse at the medical center, said she is one of Re’s preceptors — a licensed clinician who supervises nursing students during their clinical rotations. She said Re loves what he does and is passionate and caring toward his patients. “He’s just obsessed with Marvel stuff,” Dowell said. “I think also his personality shines through with all that, like I think he just truly, I mean, nursing is definitely the right profession for him.”
Re has also been featured on television stations such as Fox 28 News in Columbus, and, most recently, on “Good Morning America” Monday. Ben Bohman, a registered nurse at the medical center, said he has known Re since his first year at the university and he enjoys seeing his impact. He said he’s especially impressed by how Re remains humble despite all the attention he has received. “I think it’s really awesome that Phil’s being recognized for this because there’s something that he didn’t do to get attention,” Bohman said. Bohman said since there aren’t many men in nursing, he and a group of other male students would sit together during
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lectures and call themselves “murses,” short for male nurses. Initially getting to know Re in that lecture group, Bohman said it was Re’s detail and care-oriented attitude that has led him to become Ohio State’s superhero. Re said he plans to continue dressing as the superhero, hoping to contribute to the wellness of patients through social media posts for the medical center as well as his own Instagram page. “The world’s a crazy place right now, and you got to take it how it is and roll with the punches,” Re said.
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Thursday, March 31, 2022
ARTS&LIFE
Men’s Glee Club participates in land-grant tradition of community outreach
ON PAGE 4
Columbus bakery donates March proceeds to help those in Ukraine TYRIK HUTCHINSON-JUNIOR Lantern reporter hutchinson-junior.1@osu.edu A Columbus home bakery will donate all proceeds from cookie sales during the month of March to organizations aiding those in Ukraine. Pechka Bakery, owned by Masha Downing, will donate money made from cookie sales during March to World Central Kitchen and Razom for Ukraine. The bakery is described on its website as a “cottage bakery located in Columbus, Ohio, featuring Eastern European flavors.” Downing, a Russian native whose family members have fled both countries since Russia invaded Ukraine, said this was a way for her to use her business to help those in need. “I have family from both Russia and Ukraine, so every day since the invasion, I have been receiving horrifying news from my relatives,” Downing said. “Feeling absolutely helpless and a guilt that I’m not with my people, this is the only outlet that I could find.” Downing said March was a busy month for her, and she ended up working many 16-hour days and baking 966 cookies, as of Wednesday. She said the community support has been encouraging, as she has raised $2,260, surpassing her goal of $2,000. “It has been busy, but it has been really great to see the community really support the cause that is very personal to myself,” Downing said. Pechka Bakery, which opened in November 2020, offers a variety of cookies, including its popular vegan pistachio and chocolate cookies. It also serves buckwheat, apricot and chocolate cookies.
COURTESY OF MASHA DOWNING
Masha Downing, owner of home bakery Pechka Bakery, has donated all proceeds from cookie sales during the month of March to help those in Ukraine.
Despite the month coming to a close, Downing said Ohio State students can continue to help by supporting the Ukrainian community on campus. She said the Ukrainian Society of The Ohio State University has been proactive in aiding efforts in Ukraine. “They hosted a bake sale, they’ve been on campus trying to share information,” Downing said. “It is important for Ukrainian and Russian speakers at Ohio State to have that smaller community right now. Hopefully professors are talking about it and discussing what is going on
around the world.” David Novikov, a third-year in computer science and engineering and a member of the Ukrainian Society at Ohio State, said it is not surprising that Downing — who is a family friend of his — is donating proceeds to help Ukraine. “It is the right thing to do,” Novikov said. “It is very in line with her character because she is a very nice and warm and giving person.” Novikov said the Ukrainian Society has put on several events and activities to raise funds and awareness for the war in Ukraine.
He said the club has hosted two fundraisers since Feb. 25 — raising $9,100 total — and a donation drive for medical supplies. “It means a lot to have the support from everyone in the OSU community and, generally speaking, everyone in the U.S.,” Novikov said. According to Pechka Bakery’s website, orders should be placed at least five days prior to the desired pickup date. Downing said she is available for pickups before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
4 | The Lantern | Thursday, March 31, 2022
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Men’s Glee Club to put on end-of-year performance as part of land-grant mission COURTESY OF ROBERT WARD AND THE MEN’S GLEE CLUB
The Men’s Glee Club performed one of its last pre-pandemic concerts at the OMEA Professional Development Conference Jan. 31, 2020, at the Cincinnati Music Hall.
GABE SANDER Lantern reporter sander.83@osu.edu Two years after the start of the pandemic, the Men’s Glee Club will once again perform maskless. The Ohio State Men’s Glee Club will resume mask-free performances after a hiatus that forced the group online, Robert Ward, director of Choral Studies at Ohio State and the ensemble’s leader, said. The group will put on two performances Sunday — one at 4 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. — in the 1858 Meeting House in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, according to the event page. “After 38 years of college-level teaching, I had no idea what to expect after a year and a half of silence,” Ward said. “I think they came out of the gate ready to sing enthusiastically, pleased to be back — their energy and level of musicianship had not sunk one bit. And we just picked up right where we left off.” The glee club is taking part in Ohio State’s land-grant tradition of community outreach and engagement by performing in
Mechanicsburg, a village 30 minutes west of Columbus, made up of a little over 1,000 residents in rural Champaign County, Ward said. Two members of the glee club are from the town, and Ward said local music educators reached out to him about putting on the performance. “I’m going to make a public statement thanking the music teachers in the Mechanicsburg area and school system for teaching these two students who are now part of this ensemble, one of the country’s top 10 collegiate men’s choirs,” Ward said. “We’re going to make a very public, very intentional statement that the arts are back. And the arts have always, do have and will forever have a presence on the campus of Ohio State University.” Part of being a performing arts group at a land-grant school means performing acts of outreach and engagement in communities that are not always near Ohio State, Ward said. “The OSU Men’s Glee Club is part of that outreach and engagement,” he said. “I think the future of the performing arts, to a large extent, will depend on the arts going to where the people are, not expecting that
the people will always come to where we are.” Not only does the glee club want this performance to highlight communities beyond Ohio State, but within the group’s own ranks as well, Jarrod Hay, a fourthyear in neuroscience and president of the group, said. He said the group came back stronger than ever now that members are able to perform at full capacity, without masks. “This group cannot exist without the flourishing community that exists between the members,” Hay said. “This is something that has to come before simply making great music, and I think that the drive for events and the drive for connection that was lost last year has really brought everyone closer together.” The concert program will include four works performed by the 67-person glee club, as well as two numbers by Men’s Glee Club members who comprise the Statesmen — a separate, auditioned, “lighter fare a cappella group,” Ward said. Hay said the Statesman will add an interesting variety to the concert, leaning toward the pop music side of the choral
spectrum. Ward said he purposely chose accessible and upbeat music for the occasion, including Brant Adams’ “Musica!” and Joseph Martin’s “The Awakening.” The Statesmen will perform William S. Pitts’ “That Little Church in the Wildwood” and will close with a traditional Buckeye medley, he said. “The pieces for this concert are intentionally up-tempo, positive, enthusiastic texts, all intended to be a celebration of the fact that we were silent for a year and a half,” Ward said. “So they were chosen for that reason, lots of energy, lots of hype. We’re glad to be back.” The 1858 Meeting House is located at 43 E. Sandusky St. According to the event listing on Eventbrite, there are limited tickets available for each concert priced at $20 each. “This is a really exciting experience for us, and I sincerely hope that the people who choose to come to these performances get as much out of it as we will,” Hay said.
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 | The Lantern | 5
‘Living Afghanistan’ exhibits Afghan culture through the eyes of a photojournalist
AMANI BAYO | LANTERN REPORTER
Robert Nickelsberg did a gallery walk Tuesday to talk about his work in the exhibition “Living Afghanistan,” on display in Hagerty Hall until April 29.
AMANI BAYO Lantern reporter bayo.6@osu.edu The photo exhibition “Living Afghanistan,” displayed by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, aims to bring a fresh narrative surrounding Afghan culture to campus. The exhibition, which will be on display through April 29 in the Global Gallery in Hagerty Hall, features everyday moments captured by photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg during the 25 years he spent in Afghanistan. Nickelsberg attended the exhibition to do a gallery walk Tuesday, during which he shared the stories behind the photos. “What this helps to show is what different Afghan narratives include,” Noah Blacker, academic program coordinator for the department, said. “It’s so important to get beyond the headlines and think of Afghanistan as something that’s not just a battleground.” A former photographer for Time
magazine, Nickelsberg combined the work he had done in Afghanistan since 1988 into his 2013 novel “Afghanistan: A Distant War,” according to Nickelsberg’s website. Nickelsberg said the “Living Afghanistan” exhibition consists of 48 panels of his photos from Afghanistan. He said the purpose of the exhibition was to capture Afghan people in their daily lives and engage with their culture without the presence of politics. “As a journalist, we rarely have time to cover topics like this, so this was a treat,” Nickelsberg said. “No guns, no flag jackets, no military boots, nothing. Pure culture. That’s the beauty of this project.” Nickelsberg said he aimed to preserve culture through photography by capturing key structures that are integral to Afghan heritage — such as the white marble mosque in Bagh-e Babur, or Gardens of Babur . “Before the Taliban came in August of 2021, people were freely accessing these places,” Nickelsberg said. “Now, with the Taliban in power, there’s uncertainty this
history will be preserved. This maintains it so people can appreciate their own culture.” Nickelsberg said his interest in photographing the people and cultures of countries facing regional turmoil is rooted in his upbringing. “I was raised during the Vietnam War period, so I’ve been around conflict and trying to understand it all my life,” Nickelsberg said. Several students attended the gallery walk with Nickelsberg, and Swati Mishra, a first-year in public health, said she was surprised to find a connection between Afghan culture and Indian culture. Mishra said she was especially drawn to photos of a garden named after a Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, which also carries cultural significance in India. “Understanding that Shah Jahan was from Afghanistan, seeing that cultural coincidence, it was really nice to see,” Mishra said. Multiple students asked Nickelsberg about his inspiration and the manner in which he produced the collection displayed
in “Living Afghanistan.” Despite admiring the exhibit, Mona Dada, a fourth-year in human development and family science and a member of Community Refugee & Immigration Services, told Nickelsberg she had reservations about how and whether Nickelsberg went about gaining consent from the individuals photographed. “You don’t ask,” Nickelsberg said. “If people don’t want their picture taken, I listen, but generally they are happy to have their picture taken.” Ila Nagar, associate professor in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and program coordinator of the exhibition, said she was pleased with how many students came to visit the exhibition and attend the gallery walk, as it is one of the first in-person events the department has put on since the pandemic. “We are so happy,” Nagar said. “Seeing students actually talk to us at some point — we really missed that type of interaction during the pandemic.”
6 | The Lantern | Thursday, March 31, 2022
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Men’s Tennis: No. 2 Buckeyes to take road trip through Indiana GABE WARE Lantern reporter ware.421@osu.edu No. 2 Ohio State’s quest for a Big Ten title continues this weekend as it travels to Indiana, taking on the Hoosiers Friday before traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face Purdue Sunday. The Buckeyes (17-2, 2-0 Big Ten) look to extend their current win streak to four, bolstering their record against two teams in the bottom half of the conference. However, Indiana (5-9, 0-1 Big Ten) will be hungry to find itself back in the win column. Ohio State is riding the momentum of back-to-back conference wins, knocking off No. 55 Illinois and No. 25 Northwestern at home Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Hoosiers have lost four-straight coming into the match, most recently dropping one to Purdue 0-4 at home. Their last win came March 4 against Illinois State, a 4-0 sweep. The Boilermakers (8-7, 1-0 Big Ten) find themselves on the positive end, winning five of their last six matches since Feb. 26. Purdue also holds a perfect 6-0 record at home so far this season. Purdue is led by redshirt senior Athell Bennett, a veteran presence for the squad who’s racked up a 12-9 singles record playing at the top of the Boilermakers’ lineup. Before the Buckeyes arrive, Purdue has a date with Penn State Friday, a chance to further build its momentum and maintain an undefeated conference record. Ohio State rose one spot in the rankings, keeping a winning consistency as then-No. 1 TCU fell to No. 4 Baylor. Both Buckeye matches of the weekend will be streamed on the Ohio State Buckeyes website beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and noon Sunday.
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Ohio State junior Justin Boulais forehands a return during his singles match against Tennessee freshman Shunsuke Mitsui at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center Feb. 5. Ohio State won 4-0.
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Ohio State graduate Matej Vocel pumps his fist in celebration after winning a point in his singles match against Tennessee graduate Adam Walton at the Ty Tucker Tennis Center Feb. 5. Ohio State won 4-0.
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Thursday, March 31, 2022 | The Lantern | 7
Women’s Lacrosse: Buckeyes clash with Cardinals on the road KATIE GOOD | FOR THE LANTERN
The Ohio State women’s lacrosse team huddles up after a successful goal during the Ohio State-Vanderbilt exhibition Feb. 6. Ohio State won 16-11.
MAC NAGEL Lantern reporter nagel.182@osu.edu The Ohio State women’s lacrosse team will take on Louisville in Cardinal Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m. After splitting a pair of conference games, the Buckeyes (7-4, 1-1 Big Ten) are gearing up for a nonconference bout against the Cardinals (5-6, 1-4 Atlantic
Coast Conference). “We are getting in our offensive 30, which is great, but what that tells me is we need to do more with those possessions,” head coach Amy Bokker said. “That is something that we certainly want to do with Louisville.” Bokker said having the ability to compete with a team like No. 3 Northwestern March 19 kept the Buckeyes’ momentum going into their 12-11 win against Penn
State. Ohio State sophomore attack Jamie Lasda capped off the Penn State win for the Buckeyes, scoring the first and last goal of the game — bringing her total to a team-high 30 on the season. The Cardinals are currently on a three-game losing streak after falling to No. 16 Virginia, No. 7 Duke and No. 1 North Carolina. The Cardinals held their own against Virginia and Duke but
were no match for the Tar Heels in their 21-8 loss. Ohio State senior attack Chloë Johnson has broken the program’s single-season draw control record with 89 so far this season. Johnson currently sits third in career draw controls with 174 and needs 64 more to break that record with five more regular-season games remaining. “When we set up for the draw, I think in my head, ‘We’re getting
this ball and now we are going to have a chance to score,’” Lasda said. The Buckeyes have a tough schedule to finish out the season with the remainder of their opponents being ranked in the top 25. Thursday’s road game against the Cardinals begins at 7 p.m. and is available for streaming on the ACC Network on ESPN+.
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Thursday, March 31, 2022
SPORTS
Ohio State men’s tennis and women’s lacrosse teams prepare for competition ON PAGES 6 & 7
Football: ‘Let the chips fall where they may’: Harrison’s return spearheads defensive line GABE BURGGRAF Design Editor burggraf.34@osu.edu Eleven draft-eligible Buckeyes participated in Ohio State’s Pro Day March 23. Zach Harrison was not one of them. The defensive end and Lewis Center, Ohio, native chose to come back to Columbus for his senior season and said his path — albeit a long one — is his own. “Everybody comes in with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to go to college for three years and head to the NFL,’ and that’s not reality,” Harrison said. “Everybody has different stories and realizing that’s not my story — my story is to come back for my senior year and play ball.” Harrison returns to Ohio State looking to improve his all-around skills and help lead an evolving Buckeye defense steeped in tradition. “I still have a lot of areas to improve in and I want to improve in every area I can,” Harrison said. “I want the junior Zach to pale in comparison to senior Zach, and that’s what I’m working towards.” “Junior Zach” set career-high marks in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles and passes defended in 2021. Despite a career year, Harrison said last season’s defensive performance as a unit didn’t meet the goals and expectations the group had for themselves.
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Ohio State then-junior defensive end Zach Harrison (9) cheers as he leaves the stadium after the Ohio State-Penn State game Oct. 30, 2021. Ohio State won 33-24.
“We definitely know that we weren’t what we were supposed to be,” Harrison said. “When the term ‘Silver Bullet’ gets thrown around, we kind of took that for granted. We’re taking it more personal now.” Ohio State’s revamped defense, led by new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, is still in “early stages,” according to Harrison. Harrison said experience and game reps are very valuable in preparing for offenses amidst a changing defensive outlook. “Experience is the greatest
teacher, so we all have a little bit under our belt,” Harrison said. “We know what to expect and we know what to work towards.” Harrison noted a key difference between his first year and now: younger Buckeyes like sophomores defensive linemen J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer come into their second year with additional game experience to draw from, which allows them to be conscious of their training efforts and evaluate their performance. “We know when we’re hitting
on all cylinders and we know when we’re not,” Harrison said. “We can be open about it and call each other out. We know what it’s supposed to look like.” Graduate defensive tackle Jerron Cage said a new “energy” has developed with defensive adjustments and the feeling around the program has changed. “The whole vibe is just different,” Cage said. “It’s not only that the coaches can see it — it’s them showing it to us so we can see it.” Harrison said he’s recovered
well from a “little” injury sustained in the fourth quarter of No. 6 Ohio State’s 48-45 victory over No. 11 Utah in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1. He said he is excited about the possibility of helping reinvigorate a storied defense. “We know that there’s a standard guys set at Ohio State before we were even born, and we’re the next step to hold that legacy and hold that standard, and we take pride in that,” Harrison said. “All of us know that’s what we got to get to.”