Wellness Edition — March 28, 2024

Wellness Edition

©THE LANTERN

watering plants

listening to music

eating breakfast

a good read

moving your body

relaxing

The good, the bad and the obsessive:

Experts explore the benefts and detriments of calorie-tracking apps

By Kamryn Karr Lantern Reporter

Moderation is key — especially when it comes to calorie-counting apps.

Apps like MyFitnessPal — launched in 2005 and one of the most well-established calorie-tracking apps — typically give people a free way to maintain healthier diets, said Rick Petosa, an Ohio State professor of kinesiology in the Department of Human Sciences. However, the apps can also lead to overly obsessive and unhealthy eating habits, Janele Bayless, the university’s wellness coordinator for nutrition education, said in an email.

“[Using the apps] could be a ‘gateway’ for experiencing disordered eating, which could lead to the development of an eating disorder,” Bayless said.

Bayless said she has observed a signifcant connection between regularly using calorie-tracking apps and experiencing indications of an eating disorder, namely an obsession with calorie counting, a rigid diet, high app dependency and negative emotions surrounding eating.

Abbie Evans, a third-year and former user of MyFitnessPal, agreed with Bayless. Evans said she began personally using the app during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to become more physically ft but then stopped using it in the summer of 2021 due to the toxic relationship she developed with eating.

“I would feel guilty about eating certain things, or binge eating,” Evans said. “I would still be hungry, but it’s like, ‘Oh, I ate my calorie defcit for the day, I can’t eat anymore.’ I think me and food had an unhealthy relationship after using it.”

Evans said despite these downsides, she still recognizes these apps’ positive features, like their ability to cater to diferent body types and goals. The pre-logged meal feature, which automatically records daily calories and other nutritional details like protein intake, is also demonstrative of the apps’ convenience, she said.

Bayless said Evans’ assessment makes sense, as it is common for individuals to have both positive and negative attitudes toward calorie-counting apps because of their nutritional insights and other useful ftness resources.

“Calorie trackers are like any tool – it depends on how it’s used and the impact it has,” Bayless said.

Like Bayless, Petosa said users can shape their own experiences with the apps depending on how they choose to use them. Specifcally, he said there are often two diferent categories users can fall into: those who consistently monitor their eating habits daily and those who sparingly use the apps to simply become more informed about healthy food options.

Petosa said he personally aligns more with the latter user, or the “self-monitoring learner,” as he primarily uses the apps to learn about certain foods’ nutritional value. Yet, he said both groups are valuable in their own regard as they can lead people to healthier lifestyles.

“That’s the really wonderful thing

about all of these tools: they make the subconscious conscious, opening the door for you to take control and be in charge of your diet and your exercise,” Petosa said.

On the other hand, Bayless said there are alternatives to calorie-tracking apps that still assist one in meeting their nutritional needs without putting them at risk for developing unhealthy habits. Some of these options include Ohio State’s Intuitive Eating Workshop Series or nutrition coaching, both of which are free to all current Ohio State students.

Even with an app or program, Evans said the most important health and ftness resource is simply listening for what her body needs.

“I realized just exercising in general is really important for my mental health, and it’s less about tracking the food,” Evans said. “It’s more about how I feel.”

ABBY FRICKE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Ohio State “story scientist” examines reading’s psychological benefits in advance of 18th annual Ohioana Book Festival

By Josh Mink Lantern Reporter

Ofteninundated with assignments, college students don’t have too much time to read for pleasure. Research shows they may be missing out.

According to a Journal of American College Health study, which monitored 231 Canadian college students and was digitally published in March 2020, “[r]ecreational reading was associated with decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms over the school year, when controlling for baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms.”

Angus Fletcher, a professor of story science in Ohio State’s Department of English, said reading can be a powerful self-care tool for young adults. For students who want to develop a healthy reading habit, the 18th annual Ohioana Book Festival on April 20 may be the right ft, Da-

vid Weaver, the Ohioana Library Association’s executive director, said.

Fletcher is also an active contributor to the College of Arts and Sciences’ Project Narrative, “a cluster of faculty, visiting scholars and graduate students who work on narrative and narrative theory,” according to the college’s website. A self-proclaimed “story scientist,” Fletcher said reading for pleasure can help invigorate people’s imaginations and emotional intelligence.

“Diferent books are engineered with diferent kinds of medicines in them, basically,” Fletcher said. “It builds generosity in the brain. It generally builds positive aspects like happiness in the brain.”

In many ways, immersing oneself in reading can essentially function as a healing process, Fletcher said.

“A lot of times, there’s a therapeutic response because maybe you’re bonding emotionally with a char-

acter that goes through struggles or hard times,” Fletcher said. “And when that’s happening, that’s usually helping your own brain process its own experiences of hard times.”

Fletcher said reading is also an instrumental activity for developing empathy and a greater understanding of others’ dynamic lives.

“Literature can help you because if you can fnd stories about people, real-life people who are diferent from you, and you read those stories, that increases your imaginative friend group,” Fletcher said. “So, by doing that, that makes you less judgmental, more open to friendships with diferent people, and that can help ease loneliness and things like that.”

Founded in 2007, the Ohioana Book Festival likewise aims to ease loneliness by bringing authors and readers together, Weaver said. The event is free and utterly open to the public, he said.

Weaver said this year’s festival, which will host 123 prominent Ohio authors and illustrators, is expected to garner over 5,000 visitors. Panel discussions, live podcast recordings, an on-site bookstore at The Book Loft of German Village and book-signing opportunities are just some of the festival’s interactive elements.

“Our tagline is ‘connecting readers and

Ohio writers,’ and no event we do exemplifes that better than the [Ohioana] Book Festival,” Weaver said. “We have something for every reader of every age. If you are coming out with a group of people, and each of you has a diferent literary bent, you can fnd an author that you will enjoy at the book festival and be able to meet and hear them and talk to them.”

For those who have “lost” a passion for reading with age, Fletcher said getting back into the hobby is easier than many people may realize.

“There’s two good tips,” Fletcher said. “One, just go back to something you used to like to read and read it again. If you liked a book once, you’re gonna like it again when you reread it. Another thing to do is get a friend. Ask them for advice, like, ‘Hey, what’s your favorite book?’ And then when you read that, you can get close to your friend. Or start a reading group with your friend and be like, ‘Hey, let’s read this book together and then we’ll talk about it.”

Columbus-based author Nita Sweeney — who will present her latest book, titled “A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment” at the Ohioana Book Festival — said she looks forward to having productive discussions with Columbus readers.

“Authors will talk to you about anything,” Sweeney said. “You can just go from table to table to table or fnd the genre that you’re interested in reading or interested in writing and pick their brains. They’re there for you, to listen to you and to answer your questions.”

Another featured writer of the 2024 festival is Mindy McGinnis, whose newest young adult novel “Under This Red Rock” was recently published on March 19. A psychological thriller, the book embraces mental illness’ disorienting efects as one of its core theme ideas, McGinnis said.

Notably, McGinnis said reading ofers individuals a rare opportunity to step away from reality’s general harshness.

“Reading for pleasure is important because it can be a trapdoor out of reality,” McGinnis said. “It can be a lovely escape from whatever is going on in the world at large, or in your personal world. If you just need to tap out for a minute, reading is a safe way to do that.”

Conversely, reading can also empower individuals to fnd support and reassurance in relation to their own lived experiences, McGinnis said.

“It’s important to see yourself refected in the stories,” McGinnis said. “It helps people feel seen. It’s really important for everyone and anyone to be able to pick up a book and see themselves.”

Ultimately, the festival is meant to provide a welcoming space for casual and avid readers alike, Sweeney said.

“There is something for everyone,” Sweeney said. “And so if you are even remotely interested in reading, in books, in authors, in writing, anything related to books, you should go because there’s something there for you.”

A facet of well-being that can’t be forgotten: Center for Ethics and Human Values’ dialogue facilitating program helps students navigate interpersonal disagreements

By Izza Haq Lantern Reporter

In today’s ever-polarized political climate, college-age individuals may be particularly susceptible to anxiety at the prospect of navigating conversations around real-world issues that will likely impact their adult lives. Center for Ethics and Human Values associate director Aaron Yarmel hopes to change that.

the center’s website. As part of this program, Yarmel decided to establish an on-campus dialogue facilitation program for students, which involves discussion sessions that “train participants to initiate and manage conversations about challenging topics,” according to the center’s website.

partments collaborate on workshops.

“Lately, the CEHV has been getting attention from other universities as well as other organizations, including religious organizations, throughout the country that are interested in learning how to facilitate dialogue or experiencing facilitated dialogues,” Yarmel said. “And I foresee CEHV continuing to innovate in that space and create value through collaborations with institutions outside of OSU.”

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The Ohioana Book Festival will be held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library, located at 96 S. Grant Ave., on April 20. More information about the festival can be found on the Ohioana Library Association’s website.

In 2022, the center — also known as CEHV — developed its Civil Discourse for Citizenship program, which “supports undergraduates in the practice of civil discourse” via public forums and other workshops, according to

Shortly after, Yarmel and other CEHV members established another dialogue facilitation program, Philosophy for Children — also known as P4C — in which local elementary and middle school students engage in facilitated conversation. As a spearhead for dialogue-facilitating initiatives across the Columbus area, Yarmel said he hopes to see more centers, institutes and de-

Jamie Herman, the CEHV’s civil discourse graduate research associate, has been involved with P4C over the past 18 months and has been facilitating on-campus dialogues with Yarmel through the Civil Discourse

for Citizenship program for more than a year.

Herman said her research focuses on the dynamics of institutional disagreement — or difering motivations for individuals’ involvement with particular institutions — and how these competing justifcations specifcally afect universities. In her facilitation eforts with Yarmel, Herman said she has been working toward helping others dismantle their apprehension toward engaging in disagreement.

During one of her P4C inquiry sessions, which comprised a group of middle schoolers discussing their personal values, Herman said she recalls witnessing a special moment where the students realized they had disagreements that did not necessitate a heated debate or argument.

discourse virtues.

“One of the students at the end of the conversation just pitched to their whole group, turned away from us and was just speaking to the group of students that we were working with and asked, ‘Hey, can we all agree that this won’t afect our friendships going forward?’” Herman said. “It was this beautiful moment.”

Herman said pushing young students to start and sustain in-depth discourse is accompanied by many challenges; even so, she said building trust with students allows them to feel secure enough to share their vulnerable experiences with others.

Yarmel agreed. He said people, particularly educators, should not underestimate children’s intelligence and valuable curiosity.

“I think it’s deeply insulting to young children to treat them like they’re just passive receptacles for knowledge because it underestimates their ability to know things about the world and also fails to prepare them to deliberate with others in the pursuit of an-

swers to the central problems that we face in our lives,” Yarmel said.

Yarmel said the CEHV’s frst on-campus dialogue facilitation workshop was in April 2023 and focused on navigating when to bring signifcant others into shared living spaces. Since then, Yarmel said he, other CEHV faculty and students — mostly involved by way of extracurricular participation — have been working toward developing more dialogue facilitation workshops centered around issues currently salient in the community.

Regarding her experience with the on-campus civil discourse forums — another facet of the Civil Discourse for Citizenship program that involves two opposing viewpoints presenting their respective opinions to an audience — Herman said she relishes sharing the connection with those around her when they collectively realize the assumed disagreement between one another contained more overlapping attitudes than expected.

“I think it’s helpful for the remainder of us in attendance to walk away and be like, ‘OK, I moved past the sort of

Psychologists unpack whether “laughter is the best medicine” maxim is scientifically sound

By Avery Caudill Lantern Reporter

Derived from a biblical proverb, “laughter is the best medicine” is an adage long-used to refect the health benefts that can result from good humor.

Through a 2024 lens, it’s difcult to discern whether the saying is scientifically legitimate or overly optimistic.

Laughter, humor and comedy are shared human experiences that are often not deeply analyzed beyond people’s surface-level perceptions of them, Ohio State psychology department lecturer Lauren Pino said. Hu-

surface level I had or assumption about the disagreement,’” Herman said.

Yarmel agreed and said this is especially true for college students.

“One of the central purposes for colleges is for students to fnd better answers to the questions that matter most,” Yarmel said. “There’s some questions about how we ought to live with one another that can’t seem to be given to them by experts. They need to fgure it out for themselves in collaboration with others. Properly facilitated dialogues are settings where this can happen.”

Salma Albezreh, a 2022 Undergraduate CEHV Civil Discourse Fellow, attended a dialogue facilitation workshop at which “12 undergraduate students [participated] in an

be detrimental to one’s mental health when used to ofend and ridicule.

“You can be passive-aggressive with humor and actually hurt people with it,” Shatz said. “It’s a tool, and it’s your choice how to use the tool. Fortunately, most people tend to use it for its benefts, but all you have to do is go on to social media and you’ll learn very quickly they can use humor as a weapon to hurt others.”

inquiry dialogue about the situation in Israel and Palestine,” according to the event’s application form.

“The frst question that we asked as a group was ‘What is the right question for us right now?’” Albezreh said. “The question that they ended up choosing was, ‘When is it appropriate to talk about topics like this on college campuses?’ which was the scope of the conversation.”

Albezreh said for an activist to successfully convey their message, they need to be able to facilitate conversations among themselves.

“Civil discourse is necessary for any sort of movement, particularly within movements,” Albezreh said. “In that sense, it’s not meant to replace other eforts like disruptive activism.”

The CEHV hosts civil discourse forums throughout the year, all of which are open to Ohio State students and anyone from the Columbus community; similarly, Yarmel said he intends to host more dialogue facilitations in the near future. More information about the centers events can be found on its website.

you might get a kind of skewed idea of what the impact is if you don’t understand all these moving parts.”

Nevertheless, there is an upside to joke-like humor, so long as it’s delivered in the correct format. Pino said prosocial teasing — or intentional but playful teases not meant to be taken seriously by the joke’s subject — is one particularly efective example, Pino said.

mor is a handy tool humans can use to cope with undesirable emotions, build relationships and entertain one another, said Mark Shatz, an Ohio University psychology professor with expertise in comedy, death and dying.

“What humor does is allow individuals to spin [life] on some level, rationalize what happens,” Shatz said. “But once they do that and once they get that laugh, they can see life with clear eyes. So what humor does is it doesn’t fx stuf, but it helps you see better.”

Nevertheless, there are situations where humor is no laughing matter, Shatz said. Though it can be efective when used for positivity, humor can

Because humans have been socialized to laugh when someone tells a joke, Pino said those hurt by another’s intended-to-be humorous comments may refexively laugh despite feeling wounded. She said it’s important for people to be cognizant of when humor is being used with ill intentions, or when laughter is weaponized against others.

“I’ve found in my research that although we’re decently good at telling when something’s meant to be friendly versus mean and teasing, it’s not a 100% thing on average,” Pino said. “What could be funny to one person might be really hurtful to another and they could still laugh, despite that. So

“Prosocial teasing seems to be helpful in a lot of situations, including just generally relationship building and a lot of people value it as part of their relationships,” Pino said. “But obviously, you do have to be careful because not everyone values it and not everyone can recognize it.”

Though Shatz said laughter can be used to cope with life’s harsh realities, as it can reduce the intensity of one’s outlook on day-to-day stressors, he said there is an important distinction to be made between “daily humor” and the capitalized comedy industry.

“There’s a diference between daily humor where, if you and I were together and something stupid happened to you and I, we can make a joke about it,” Shatz said. “To me, that’s just humor, it’s a gift that we have and as advanced primates, we can do that. The comedy market, the production of it and delivery of it, that’s a totally diferent beast.”

Notably, Shatz said daily humor is something humans often use to regulate emotion and, on an even deeper level, grieve.

“Life is limited, we often forget that. It’s really easy to forget that we’re only here for a brief period of time and when somebody dies that we care for and love or somebody famous that we cared for, we remember that,” Shatz said. “That’s where the death gives you

the big perspective and humor again, it gives you daily perspective. However, I will often say the two do mix because if you think back to the most memorable funerals you had, I would bet the house they involve laughter.”

It may seem obvious that positive humor and laughter can combat negativity, but Pino said these mechanisms can even serve to reduce stress and moderate one’s mental health.

“If you have that negative, stressful event happen, and then you engage in humor and laughing and so forth, that could kind of help you think about the stress in diferent ways, and as a result, might lower any negative impacts on your mental health that that event otherwise could have had,” Pino said.

Similarly, Pino said interpersonal relation-

ships can be strengthened through laughter because of the way humor afrms positive thoughts and feelings from others, helping an individual feel a greater degree of acceptance.

“Laughter is one of the things that we know kind of leads to people feeling their relationships, getting a better sense that they’re supported in their relationships with others,” Pino said. “And it might be laughing at those emotions and experiences that leads to you feeling more supported by people in your life, and in turn is what drives you to have a stronger or greater sense of well-being.”

All in all, while Shatz said laughter may not be the “best” medicine, it’s one of the most accessible.

“It is the cheapest medicine,” Shatz said. “Laughter has limits, your body does what it wants to do, and even if you have a great attitude, the end game is still the same.”

Around the Block: Alum and spouse create wellness food brand Too Good Eats

By Jayla Vanhorn Asst. Sports Editor

Anique and Ali Russell developed their vegan drink and popsicle brand Too Good Eats after ensuring their children eat healthy. Now, they sell their products at local markets and stores around Columbus. Scan the QR code to watch why Too Good Eats should be next on your list of brands to check out!

Academic Resource Guide:

• Student Advocacy Center: Helps students navigate and resolve issues at Ohio State inside and outside of the classroom. Students in need of assistance from the center can email advocacy@osu.edu or call 614-292-1111.

• Student Life Disability Services: Helps students with disabilities access campus resources and navigate Ohio State. Students in need of services can email slds@osu.edu or call 614-292-3307.

• Multicultural Center: Uplifts Ohio State students through its intercultural model, in addition to ofering services, outreach and programs. Students in need of services can email sl-mccinfo@osu.edu or call 614-688-8449.

A Better Student Loan Experience.

You’ve got big plans for your future, and we won’t slow you down. With a fast and easy application and flexible repayment options, we’ll help you find a private student loan that keeps pace with your life and goals.

• Student Wellness Center: Helps students to work towards balance and wellness. Students in need of services can email wellness@osu.edu or call 614-292-4527.

• Younkin Success Center: Provides information regarding tutoring, academic services, career services and more at younkinsuccess.osu.edu.

• Tutoring Services: Services can be found at younkinsuccess.osu.edu/tutoring/. To fnd additional tutoring resources, see below and visit younkinsuccess.osu. edu/tutoring/additional-tutoring-resources/.

Residence Hall Tutoring (Certifed Tutors in math, physics and chemistry) Ofce of Diversity and Inclusion Tutoring

Business: Fisher Business Ofce of Diversity and Inclusion Student Services Tutoring Assistance

General Chemistry Learning Resource Center Economics Learning Center

Spanish and Portuguese Teaching and Learning Centers

French and Italian Tutoring/Translation Services

Math and Stats Learning Center

Department of Physics Center for the Study of Teaching and Writing Research Assistance through M.A.R.S – Mobile Assistance with Research

Ohio State film experts analyze fandom culture and its psychological impacts

By Nicholas DeSantis Lantern Reporter

It’snearly impossible to deny the internet’s revolutionary, ever-changing impact on human relationships. In the realm of pop culture, the modern-day “fandom” is just one facet of the World Wide Web’s social dominance.

Fandoms, or communities forged by people’s shared emotional investment in a creative property, have inspired positive and negative psycho -

With mental health becoming an increasingly important issue for the college-age demographic, Ohio Stateson — a lecturer in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies — and Alex Thompson — a sixthyear Ph.D. student in English — said several crucial factors have shaped fandoms into what they are today.

Both Jackson and Thompson said fandoms provide a safe space for countless people to express themselves, especially if they struggle with boredom or loneliness in their daily lives.ing in academia was very much focused on the positive things that fandoms do,” Thompson said. “The community that it builds is super helpful for a lot of people.”

Beyond the improvement of interpersonal communication skills, Thompson said another advantage of joining fandoms is the creative opportunities they inherently encourage, such as the creation and distribution of fan art. Jackson agreed.

“Fandom is a really emotionally supportive community of people who have come together in mutual recognition around a story,” Jackson said. “And they see themselves, they see each other, through and in that story. And that’s really, really amazing.”

Thompson cites “Blade Runner”sionate fandom led the charge to love a -

sic status” years after its initial release.

“Even though ‘Blade Runner’ wasn’t a hit when it came out, the people who were fans went on to work in the industry and went on to design cities that looked like that, and it became kind of a cultural touchstone for that kind of thing and has remained a cult classic,” Thompson said. “Because it had maintained that cult classic status, Denis Villeneuve could make a giant sequel that’s two and a half hours, and I think pretty darn good. And there’s no reason why — outside of fandom existing — that movie would exist.”

Jackson said fandom culture is highly malleable, seeing as it can be embraced by a wide range of people for an even wider range of reasons.

“Captain America’s shield was seen at the [Jan.] 6 insurrection, and it was seen at Pride parades,” Jackson said. “The iconicity of that means that you can put

and people connect to the emotion behind the symbol, which means if you’re

Thompson and Jackson said the action of “gatekeeping,” when some fans attempt to exclude others for not being “knowledgeable” enough about a creative property, has undermined fandoms’ fundamental sense of inclusivity.

Jackson said gatekeeping can be harmful, as seen with recent installments of the “Star Wars” franchise.

Following her performance as Rose actress Kelly Marie Tran “deleted all of the posts from her Instagram page” after she was continually “criticized by ‘Star Wars’ fans for her performance, looks and Asian ethnicity,” according to a June 2018 article from Variety.

“Think about Kelly Marie Tran and the fact that Kelly Marie Tran had to took it as their charge to gatekeep this property,” Jackson said. “‘Star Wars’ actually has a lot of good moral lessons, but when you start the fascistic, ‘only this is appropriate fandom,’

that’s where you run into trouble.”

Thompson said gatekeeping in the “Star Wars” fandom can be related to the ideas of Cornel Sandvoss, a professor of media and journalism at the University of Hud-

the impacts fandoms have on society.

In the past, Thompson said Sandvoss has associated fandom with the term “Heimat,” which has German origins and describes a strong feeling of belonging.

“Heimat is the sense of home, but like home as kind of a fortress, where you’re safe inside and you are using that home to keep everyone outside,” Thompson said.

Even if people haven’t seen a speand Jackson said the majority opinions of fandoms can color prospective viewers’ opinions of a creative property before they’ve even engaged with it on a personal level.

“People tend to echo the thing that they hear most often, and that’s how public opinion happens,” Jackson said. “And we have the social internet that makes our opinions that much more transferable, that much more viral.”

— like parasocial relationships go -

ing sour and the patrolling of certain people’s opinions — stem from -

lated to the internet, Jackson said.

“It’s a collective trauma that we all have, particularly those of us who grew up with the social internet as a part of our socialization,” Jackson said. “This is a conversation that we need to be having among ourselves: How did this tool develop and culti-

people ever to have brains that have networked in the ways that ours do.”

Cancel culture has also played a role in how people engage with online forums, Jackson said.

“We all have trauma attached to the they get taken away fast,” Jackson said. “Cancel culture happens quickly, and it happens through the same mechanisms that make fandom a good space.”

There is no doubt the internet’s cre-

changed fandom as a general concept, Jackson and Thompson said.

“The fact that we can see each other interacting in our fandom spaces via Reddit or Tumblr or [X, formerly] Twitter or whatever and are able

Kelly Marie Tran arrives at the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

to comment upon each other’s fandom as a text itself, it starts to get a little like an echo chamber, and that’s the danger of particularly when you think of fandom as like a commitment and emotional connection to a certain story,” Jackson said.

Notably, Thompson said relatively

new social media platforms like X or Reddit often prompt either excessive praise or criticism from users, which can create polarizing echo chambers.

“Social media platforms are designed to amplify interaction so that interaction has to be either strongly positive or strongly negative to inspire that interaction with the post,”

Thompson said. “Those are the

that exist within fandoms are what make them so vivid and engaging. Jackson said if more people can recognize and accept this fact, online fandoms can grow into healthier spaces with time.

“We can all sit down in a row and

watch the same movie and have incred-son said. “None of them are wrong. All of them are contextual. There has to be some way that we can talk to each other and feel curious, instead of defensive, because I think that we’re a richer understanding for everybody.”

Studio Dance members gear up for spring showcase Saturday

By Rosel Burt Lantern Reporter

The student organization Studio Dance will hold its annual spring performance, titled “Radiance” for 2024, on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Ohio Union’s Performance Hall.

The club hosts showcases at the end of every fall and spring semester, and this event marks the group’s 11th end-of-year performance since launching in 2018, club president Melina Koch, a fourth-year in logistics management, said. As a student-run club, Studio Dance’s choreography is exclusively created, taught and performed by its members, Koch said; additionally, all components of the showcase are managed by Studio Dance executive board members, including costuming and stage management.

Madison Ramsey, a fourth-year in middle childhood education and Studio Dance member, said she and several other club participants feel its numerous performance opportunities, which widely range in style, are what sets Studio Dance apart from other dance-focused organizations at Ohio State.

“I grew up doing dance, and one of my favorite parts is performing, so looking at all of the student organizations at OSU, I really liked that this involved having a showcase or performance at the end,” Ramsey said. “So that’s what drew me to this club originally.”

Like Ramsey, most Studio Dance members also grew up dancing, soportunities that were structured like the classes they were familiar with upon arriving at Ohio State, Ramsey said. She said the weekly rehearsals and biannual performances mean the club operates in a similar manner to traditional dance studios.

ROSEL BURT | LANTERN REPORTER

Studio Dance members will showcase their dance skills to friends and family at their spring showcase on Saturday.

Koch agreed.

“Performance opportunities de-

uate high school since a lot of people have to leave their studios to further their education,” Koch said. “With our performances, we can demonstrate that our passion for dance has not diminished but actually increased.”

One of the club’s distinct features that enables its members to further

their hands-on dance education is the option to choreograph a featured

Suzy Kress, a second-year in nursing and Studio Dance member, said. For each style — jazz, lyrical, ballet, tap and hip hop — all dancers are placed into three levels based on experience, and each of the resulting 15 classes requires at least one student teacher to choreograph a routine, Kress said. Including the designated senior

dance, Koch said “Radiance” will feature 16 performances in total.

Vanessa Moats, a second-year in microbiology and member of Studio Dance’s social and outreach committee, said despite the nerves that came with taking on a teaching role, the club’s warm atmosphere made the process rewarding.

-

cause I had never taught before, and I was worried about balancing that, but it ended up being really nice,” Moats said. “Everybody is so nice and accepting and inclusive, if any of us are struggling we’re all there to help.”

Ally King, a fourth-year in landscape architecture and one of Studio Dance’s performance team managers, said the club has been holding weekly rehearsals for each spring showcase performance since the semester began, except for the seniors-only number, which has a separate rehearsal process. Because many members, including the choreographers themselves, are involved in multiple routines, King said this process can become a large time commitment.

“Sometimes we do have to get down to business, and we have to do extra rehearsals to make sure everything comes together in the way we want it said. “Sometimes it’s hard to pull everyone together and be the boss.”

Anyone interested in the show is welcome to attend, and admission is free. In addition to the 16 dances performed by Studio Dance, there will be three guest performances by the university’s 3D Dance Team and DanceSport at OSU clubs, Koch said. More information about Studio Dance can be found on the group’s Instagram page.

Mental Health Resource Guide:

If you are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone. ere are many ways to get connected with mental health professionals both nationally and locally. Below is an incomplete list of resources including counseling, crisis text lines and addiction services.

Hotlines

• National Suicide Prevention 24/7 Life-Line: 800-273-8255 or dial 988

• Columbus Suicide 24/7 Hotline: 614-221-5445

• The Trevor Project 24/7 LGBTQ Suicide Hotline: 866-488-7386

• National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine: 800-950-6264

• CCS Crisis Hotline (after-hour consultation): 614-292-5766 and choose option 2

Text Lines

• National 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741

• Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “4HOPE” to 741-741

• The Trevor Project LGBTQ Suicide Prevention 24/7 Text Line: Text “START” to 678-678

Counseling and Consultation Services at Ohio State:

• ccs.osu.edu, 614-292-5766, sl-ccs@osu.edu

• Phone Screening: A 10-15 minute conversation with a counselor to identify the best way to address your concerns, including individual counseling through Counseling and Consultation Services. Screening can be scheduled online.

• Let’s Talk: An informal, drop-in consultation that consists of a 15-20 minute phone session for students to speak one-on-one with counseling staf.

• Group Counseling: Psychoeducation and skills group counseling; interpersonal group counseling; and identify-specifc group counseling.

• Drop-In Workshops: Free drop-in workshops with topics ranging from food, exercise and sleep strategies for mental health to beating anxiety.

Wexner Medical Center Harding Hospital:

• 614-293-9600. (Provides behavioral health care, ranging from hospitalization to outpatient care.)

Psychological Services Center, Ohio State Department of Psychology:

• 614-292-2345, psc@psy.ohio-state.edu. (Ofers free counseling and treatment for depression, anxiety, personality disorders and other mental health conditions.)

Addiction Resources and Treatments

• Columbus Public Health Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program: 614-6456839 (Provides prevention, intervention, outpatient treatment and group counseling programs.)

• The Recovery Village Columbus: 855-477-8671 (Ofers multilevel substance abuse treatment, including medical detox, residential rehabilitation, outpatients care and teletherapy.)

Crime, Safety and Sexual Violence Resources:

In case of emergency, call 911 and seek medical help.

Hotlines

• Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) Rape Helpline: 614-267-7020

• Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800656-4673

• LSS Choices Domestic Violence Hotline: 614-224-4663

• LGBT National Health Center Hotline: 888-843-4564

On campus:

• Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO): 614-688-2518

• Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Trauma Recovery Center: 614-2937827, STARTraumaRecoveryCenter@osumc.edu

• Counseling and Consultation Services: 614-292-5766, choose option 2

Of campus:

• Mount Carmel Crime & Trauma Assistance Program: 614-234-5900

• LSS Choices for Victims of Domestic Violence: 614-224-7200

• Ohio Domestic Violence Network: 614-781-9651, info@odvn.org

Sexual Assault Reporting:

• This resource sheet, found on Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety’s website, updated by the University Police Division lists the steps followed when sexual assult is reported as well as supplying support resources and access to the Ofce of Institutional Equity.

Safety Tips:

• The Department of Public Safety compiled a list of tips and suggestions for students to follow in order to help make the campus area safe for everyone.

Bug Your Bike

• The Ohio State University, the City of Columbus, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) partnered to create a program where bikes can be tagged with a radio frequency identifcation device to increase the odds of their return if they are lost or stolen. Visit dps.osu.edu/resources/bug-your-bike for more information.

Of-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement:

• Students can receive free personal safety alarms, window and door alarms and light timers. Visit of-campus.osu.edu/resources/safety/ to learn more.

Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State:

• Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State ofers eligible students discounted rides, inside the university-designated service area and Short North area along High Street. Service runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Prices may be impacted by distance, trafc, time of day, special events and prime time surcharges.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

State, said the branding employed by energy drink companies frequently targets college students. This contributed to a noticeable uptick in consumption over the last eight years.

“The general trend from what I’ve looked at from college campuses is that the energy drink consumption is exploding,” Donnelly said. “Energy drinks seem to be the stated special unicorn that is incredibly sugary, but people don’t perceive it to be unhealthy.”

Companies like Red Bull have strategically developed the names, imagery and slogans of their drinks to appeal to younger consumers, Donnelly said. Their advertisements often highlight the notion that energy drinks enhance productivity over addressing potential health concerns, like “Red Bull gives you wiiings.”

After examining trends, Donnelly said there has been a shift in energy drink consumption from peaking during exams to consistently high levels throughout the year.

“My hunch is that early adoption was

that [consumption] would need to be a normative behavior that people do.”

Donnelly said young college students are ideal targets for companies aiming to cultivate lifelong customers, an idea supported by extensive partnerships energy drink brands forge with universities.

In 2018, Ohio State entered a 15year pouring rights contract with Coca-Cola — an agreement that grants the company the right to sell and market certain beverages across campus and has a projected value of almost $85 million — according to a September 2018 article from Ohio State News. The company partially owns Monster Energy drinks, which are available for purchase via several vending machines around campus.

“It has sort of made, unfortunately, students kind of susceptible to a lot of marketing communication because the universities are like customers in a way,” Donnelly said. “Much like we banned cigarette smoking on campus, I think we should do the same for sugary beverages because they have

negative health impacts for people.”

nance, said she has sometimes consumed as much as two to three energy drinks a day when faced with the impending academic pressures of exam weeks and personal tasks.

so I am a regular consumer,” Akhilesh said. “I just think the functionality of an energy drink sometimes cancels the attached health risks out, but I know that’s not always right. It’s just what I say to myself so I feel better about it.”

As a student, Akhilesh has seen a growing prevalence of energy drink culture among friends and peers for various reasons, including escalating workloads, habitual consumption and the

“[Energy drinks] are being marketed as a lifestyle instead of just one single drink,” Akhilesh said. “It’s part of a healthy life image, but there are also health risks the branding kind of mitigates completely.”

Despite experiencing energy drinks’

Akhilesh said she still consumes them as part of her daily routine. Recently,

however, she started moderating her intake more strictly after becoming informed of the potential health risks

Alternatively, Weinandy said she recommends students consume coffee or tea in moderation to satisfy

Still, this change must be balanced with getting good sleep, maintaining a balanced diet and slowly eliminating dependence on energy drinks.

-

son’s overall nutritional status,” Weinandy said. “Energy drinks are really not going to have anything in them

Initiating education about the im-tion at a young age should be thetion of energy drink culture among young adults, Bartholomew said.

“Kids only get about eight hours worth of nutrition education per school year when they really should get about 40 to 50 hours to elicit behavior change,” Bartholomew said. “I can guarantee you they’re probably not learning anything about energy drinks.”

COURTESY OF TNS

According to dietitians at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, some of the ingredients in energy drinks pose a serious risk to the consumer.

Fuel for thought:

The

dynamic duo of energy drinks

By Brooke Tacsar Lantern Reporter

Before reaching for that extra boost of energy, dietitians recommend students consider the “monster” hidden within seemingly innocuous cans of

Though students can expect to feel less fatigued after consuming one of the drinks, Liz Weinandy — an instructor of practice in dietetics and nutrition at Ohio State’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences — said energy-seek-

These include heart failure, increased anxiety, high blood pressure, jitters and, in the worst cases, even death. intake vary from person to person due to weight and other sensitivity considerations, Weinandy said the FDA’s recommendation for daibe found in just one energy drink.

“There’s almost no regulation from the government over [energy drinks], something happens. Then, the FDA can send a warning to companies,” Weinandy said. “Outside of that, they’re really poorly regulated and controlled.”

Weinandy said energy drinks often contain high levels of sugar, another nutritional concern linked to weight gain and diabetes. Still, she said the main issue now lies in the drinks’ elevated emergence of zero-sugar alternatives.

Though the FDA mandates that carbonated sodas containing synthet-

than naturally extracted from plant ingredients, Weinandy said they are not obligated to specify the quantity.

“[Energy drinks] should be mandated to put the amount of caffeine or any other ingredients that might be considered stimulants on the label,” Weinandy said.

Ciara Bartholomew, a graduate student in dietetics and nutrition, -

neurological repercussions, such as the disruption of sleep. On the other hand, she said prolonged intake can impact cardiovascular health by potentially increasing heart palpitations and high blood pressure.

“[Energy drinks] tend to have a lot of vitamins added into them, and to be honest, I think it’s just there to look pretty,” Bartholomew said. “It’s not really something that’s going to beready have a good, well-balanced diet.”

Bartholomew said two vitamins emphasized by energy drinks’ labels, despite the little nutrition-

are vitamin B3 and vitamin B6. help treat high cholesterol and is natlatter is essential for brain development and immune function but can be obtained from fruits and vegetables like bananas or dark leafy greens.

“B-vitamins are not something that we store in our body,” Bartholomew said. “If we have more than enough, we tend to excrete it in urine anyway, content we need to be worried about.”

and sugar intake can cause cirrhosis, a condition that can leave one’s liver scarred or permanently damaged, Weinandy said, similar to the

“I would also be remiss if I didn’t talk about mixing these drinks with alcohol,” Weinandy said. “We’ve seen

students in the emergency department who have taken in a lot of caffeine, nullifying the depressant effects of alcohol, so it’s a dangerous combination when they start mix-

Popular energy drink brands among students include Bang, boasting 300 with 200 milligrams per can and Monster Energy, containing 160 milligrams per can. Weinandy said after consumption exceeds more than one drink a day, concern grows dramatically.

ABBY FRICKE | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

“Once you get up around 200 milligrams or more, those are the ones I would really pay attention to,” Weinandy said. “What scares me is that it is the marketing technique for a lot of these drinks. [Companies] make them fruity, and they’ll make the packaging really bright, and in my mind, it’s anal-

Grant Donnelly, an assistant professor of marketing and logistics at Ohio