GRAD SCHOOL EDITION
By Reilly Ackermann Asst. Campus Editor
ong gone are the days of staring at blank Google Docs — or Microsoft Word; to each their own — when tackling graduate school applications.
As deadlines draw closer, students may struggle with how to approach thetions. A large part of the process is crafting a personal statement — an essay meant to showcase university applicants’ backgrounds and personalities. In a large sea of applicants, out from the crowd. Even so, of graduate studies, said in an email that though many applicants have similarities — especially in areas like grades, extracurriculars and coursework — the personal statement gives them an opportunity to highlight their “unique journey.”
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or by including information distinct to the applicant’s university of choice.
“The more you can do to make the connection explicit between how your mission/values of the graduate program to which you are applying, the
Matthew Page, senior assistant dean for Graduate Student Experience, said in an email the personal statement
holistic view” of an applicant.
“As interviews are often not a part of the graduate admissions process, a personal statement may help to tell the applicant’s story in a way that isn’t fully apparent in an application form,” Page said.
Page said he suggests that applicants use the prompt as a guide when tackling their personal statement response.
ing a detailed personal statement will help supplement other parts of the application process, such as letters of recommendation. He said programs typically ask for three letters of recommendation from faculty members whotions, so forming strong relationships
dividual institutions will also help strengthen an application. He recomstatement, whether that be by identifying faculty members who conduct ESSAY continues on Page 4
How do Ohio State students feel about grad school?
According to informal polls on e Lantern’s o cial social media channels, here’s what Buckeyes had to say:
Are you considering applying to grad school?
If you are planning on attending grad school, are nances a concern?
No
CAMPUS
How creating a balance between workload and personal life can lead to overall wellness Grad school struggles
By Kyrie Thomas Campus LTV Producer
The classic airplane safety speech is often reiterated on TV, in movies and in real life. Passengers are told where the exits are, how to signal for help and — in the event that oxygen masks must be deployed — to put on others.
The same sentiment can be applied to graduate students when it comes to their mental and physical health, said Bernadette Melnyk, Ohio State’s vice president for health promotion and
“You can’t keep pouring from an empty cup,” Melnyk said. “You can’t tell others to be sharp or teach them to be engaged if you’re not car-
As many Ohio State graduate students approach end-of-semester con-
they maintain a balance between their workload and personal lives, all while keeping wellness in mind.
November in particular can be a stressful time, said Hannah Lewis, a graduate student in Ohio State’s High-
gram.
“Most of our larger events happen during that time because everything just goes to the end of the semester,” Lewis said. “So, the closer you get, the more highly concentrated the events and assignments are.”
As assignments — combined with graduates’ other responsibilities and personal engagements — pile up, Melnyk said students need to develop the habit of carving out time geared toward self-care.
“They’ve got to prioritize [self-care],” Melnyk said. “Just like they schedule their classes, they have to build in time for wellness and self-care. Unless you prioritize it, it tends to get lost or set as a lower priority.”
Academically, Lewis said planning out her assignments, arranging meeting times with students and getting a head start on future tasks are all helpful when creating extra space for selfcare.
Lewis said movies, books and walks
but that dancing is her favorite relaxing activity.
“It’s like exercise in the way it can get my stress out, but it also just helps
in the moment,” Lewis said. “Luckily, it lends itself to the weekends and later in my evenings, so it’s like my reward for getting work done during the week.”
Annie Dooley, a graduate student currently pursuing a doctorate from the School of Communication, said in an email reading, crocheting and hiking are just some of the hobbies she intertwines into her schedule, but knowing when to incorporate those
managing one’s wellness.
“I have a policy that I listen to my brain and body,” Dooley said. “I know when I need to take a break to avoid burnout. I also know when I don’t need a break and instead need to power through.”
Malnyk said many graduate students may feel that “putting their nose down” and pushing through their workload will reward them in the end, but in reality, there’s a high chance they’re putting their mental and physical health at risk.
continues on Page 5
CASEY CASCALDO
study is a necessity.
“If [applicants are] thinking of graduate or professional school, [they should] be sure to form relationships with faculty that [they have] had in class or have worked with [them] on
“Graduate school applications are reviewed by faculty committees, and they value the perspectives their peers provide in recommendation letters.”
Page said if applicants are unsure them in the application process, they should simply follow the trail of their personal and professional goals.
“By speaking to their goals, graduate studies committees will have a better understanding as to how applicants and how they may use their degrees in the future,” Page said.
Follow
resources available to help applicants craft their statements. The Center for the Study of Teaching and Writing — located in Smith Laboratory — is home to the university’s Writing Center.line consultations, as well as individual and group writing support. Appointments can be made via the Writing Center’s website.
Ultimately, Page said the key factor
“Personally, I believe that institumore so, than the admissions process,” Page said. “Applications are certainlygram that a student feels comfortable in is, arguably, more important than the process used to gain admission to said program.”
CASEY CASCALDO | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
ESSAY continued from Page 1
STRUGGLES continued from Page 3
Instead, Malnyk said she advises a “preventive approach” to help students avoid such burnout.
“If you’re facing stress, anxiety, depression and burnout to the point where it’s interfering with your judgment or concentration, you’ve got to face it,” Malnyk said. “There’s no shame [in] needing mental health help — in fact, there’s a strength to recog-
Like many graduate students, Lewising position. Notably, she said she does her best to practice what she preaches in terms of overall health and wellness.
“This is something I preach to my students all the time,” Lewis said. “It’s
a student second’ mantra. I think for grad students in particular, it can being schoolwork and some kind of job position at the university.”
Dooley said there are three aspects incoming graduate students should consider to help foster a healthy worklife balance. First, they should determine whether or not their program isond, they should make sure they genuinely enjoy their chosen path of study.
“Third, and perhaps most importantly, you can do it,” Dooley said. “Everyone will tell you it’s hard. I’m here to tell you that it’s doable. You will survive this and be great.”
CONGRATS, GRADS!
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ARTS&LIFE
Ohio State MFA students share their experiences with graduate school thus far
is semester’s Ohio State graduate school events
By Nick DeSantis
Asst. Arts & Life Editor
There are many graduate and professional opportunities across Ohio State’s campus for students looking to expand their professional network and foster their education.
Below are a few upcoming events for
Ohio State graduate students to attend this semester.
interested in combating anxiety related to climate change.
(2201
Fred Taylor Drive)
The Environmental Professionals Network Breakfast Event — held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center — is a program for any Ohio State graduate students and professionals
According to the university’s website, the program will be used to support those working in “critical climate change adaptation” workplaces, and is meant to help adjust ecosystems and communities while managing stress and anxiety.
Those interested in attending the event can register via the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences website.
Announced in September 2024, Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School are career training programs created with the intent to time at Ohio State, according to the university’s Graduate School website.
Beyond Graduate School, according to the website, includes video lessons, career exploration, guidance on writing application materials and interview preparation.
The website states Beyond the Professoriate is a practical tool that helps EVENTS continues on Page 7
“I
EVENTS continued from Page 6
graduate students transition from the careers through on-demand courses and career workshops.
For more information about the webinars, including upcoming dates, visit the Ohio State Graduate School website.
According to the university’s Graduate School website, Three Minute Thesis is an annual competition that only Ohio State master’s students working on their thesis and PhD research may participate in.
According to the website, the competition provides an opportunity for students to explain their current research and its outcome in just three minutes in order to receive a monetary award, of which the quantity has not yet been announced at the time of publication.
To register for the workshop, visit the Ohio State Graduate School website.
postdoctoral trainees with other doctoral and master’s students interested in tenure and non-tenure track faculty positions.
According to the website, the event is a massive collaboration between the Ohio State College of Engineering’s Of-
Arts and Sciences and the Council of Graduate Students.
For information about the career fair, including how to register, visit the university’s website.
Union, the Leadership Forum brings together graduate students to listen
professional sectors, including governwebsite.
According to the website, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about current and emerging trends in leadership, public administration and public policy.
According to Ohio State’s College of Engineering website, this virtual career fair is focused on connecting
Charting a path
How Ohio State graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts program balance artistry,
education and opportunity
cant for aspiring artists.
Lantern Reporter
Amid the eclectic, art-covered hallways of Hopkins Hall — the building home to Ohio State’s Department of Art — graduate students hang up
brush strokes on their portraits and Ohio State graduate students seeking a Master of Fine Arts and faculty share insights on the transformative journey of graduate school, plus balancing the promise of personal and professional growth with the weight of
valuable opportunities, Roger Beebe, a professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Art and the Department of Theater, Film and Media Arts,-
“Some grad programs are really prohibitively expensive for everybody, except for those with trust funds who are willing to go into massive debt to [California Institute of the Arts],” Beebe said. “There are great schools, but $50,000 in tuition plus your living expenses for two or three years is tough, especially if your dream surrounds the arts.”
Despite the high costs typically associated with graduate school, Beebe said Ohio State provides funding options — which include several fully-funded MFA programs like the Art -
nancial support for others, including the Department of Design program — that many students may not be aware of.
“It’s kind of an incredible thing to think about because a lot of our under-
(1739 N. High St.)
Held annually by the John Glenn
Current Glenn College students can attend the event for $10 with a valid BuckID. For anyone else interested in attending, the fee is $180, according to the event’s website.
are graduate programs that are fully funded here and give you the ability to really get yourself out there,” Beebe said.
Beebe said the three-year structure of the MFA program at Ohio State allows students to fully immerse themselves in their craft.
“Having three years to really make work, to experiment and to kind of learn new skills outside of whatever
you came in here with is so important,” Beebe said. “You are able to emerge with a lot more work and an exhibition history form showing your work.”
This sentiment is what Onni Estabrook, a second-year MFA student with a focus in ceramics, said was their motivation in making the decision to attend graduate school.
MFA continues on Page 8
HANA EL NEMR | LANTERN REPORTER
continued from Page 7
After graduating with their Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from California State University, Long Beach, Estabrook said they worked as a studio assistant supporting other artists until they felt a strong pull to rekindle their own creative journey. -
dio assistant for a long time where I was fabricating art for other artists, and that position didn’t have any upward mobility,” Estabrook said. “I really wanted to get back to my personal practice as an artist, and grad school allows you three years of focus on your own practice.”
Samuel Lo, a second-year MFA stuin photography, said the MFA program his creativity.
“It’s almost like an incubator for your work, where you get time to really focus on just making, experimenting and researching,” Lo said. “Aside from having to teach, there aren’t re -
ally many other obligations outside of courses, so it’s a really good time to just concentrate on your practice.”
Beebe said the art world can be challenging, particularly when it comes to securing support that allows students the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in galleries, but graduate school can provide this crucial network for artists.
“As an artist, the hardest thing for work,” Beebe said. “Graduate school gives you almost like a built-in support system of people that help you to gain traction.”
MFA student in consumer sciences
enced her decision to return to school after graduation. She said she ultimately returned in search of direction and opportunity.
“I decided the best way forward, especially considering how competitive the job market is, was to go back to school and be around more like-mind-
ed people,” Buckenmyer said. “I really just wanted to prepare myself for my future, experience things that I hadn’t before and gain more research skills and networking abilities.”
Beebe said as artists prepare for their future careers, many in the MFA program are driven by their ambition to teach in the future.
“Many students in these programs are thinking about being professors themselves, and the purpose of a grad degree is to gain those credentials,” Beebe said. “You can’t get hired at most places for a tenure track job without an MFA, and that terminal degree motivates many of our students.”
Estabrook said the hands-on teaching experience integrated into the MFA curriculum has had practical advantages for what she hopes to embark on in the future.
“I’m really interested in teaching at the collegiate level,” Estabrook said. “With that, you need a master’s degree, and at OSU’s MFA program, you have to teach a class every semester, so you graduate with three years of teaching
experience on top of everything.”
Buckenmyer said the value of personal exploration and the opportunity to create a tailor-made experience throughout her graduate career are time thus far in graduate school. go into, explore your interests and look into the things that make you curious about the world,” Buckenmyer said. “In your study, so really make this experience your own.”
For more information on the Ohio State MFA degree program, visit the Ohio State Department of Art website.
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WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
MacLeod and Petrie named WCHA players of the week
By Emily Sculli Lantern Reporter
Two Buckeyes were awarded for their performances in the women’s ice hockey team’s Friday-Saturday sweep over Bemidji State.
Freshman forward Jordyn Petrie was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Week, and junior Hailey MacLeod merited the WCHA Goaltender of the Week title.
Petrie scored three goals in two games against Bemidji State, earning Rookie of the Week honors after only four collegiate games. She said she was surprised to win the award, but also that she’s just sticking to what she knows.
“I wouldn’t say I have expectations to score or get assists, but I do have expectations to play the way that we are taught to play,” Petrie said.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native has scored four goals thus far, putting her at a tie for the most in the country. She also leads all rookies nationally with
Petrie said she credits her success to her teammates.
“The goals that I scored, it was because our team was doing the right plays for me to be able to get the puck and score,” Petrie said.
Head coach Nadine Muzerall said she knows her players come to Ohio State to be successful, and she holds them accountable in return.
“When they receive success, it’s good for them,” Muzerall said. “Especially in a true rookie, in Petrie, getting points in key moments when it matters with Duluth and then getting us going on Saturday in Bemidji too.”
Buckeye to her former school, Minnesota Duluth, having transferred to Ohio State in April, MacLeod earned the Buckeyes a shutout against Bemidji State Saturday. She said maintaining a strong mentality was the key to her
bounce-back performance.
“Coming to a new team is always nerve-wracking, but all the girls have been super welcoming and have made me feel very welcomed,” MacLeod said. “It’s helped me perform at my best.”
MacLeod said having initial games under her belt made her feel comfortable enough to achieve the shutout.
getting those out of the way, and then you can get back into a groove of being in games,” MacLeod said.
Muzerall said it can be tough for an athlete to have a great game but not be included in the box score, making a shutout all the more valuable.
“It’s important for goaltenders to get the big shutout so that it can boost
MacLeod’s record improves to 1-1-0 on the year, with a 0.911 save percentage.
Muzerall said she expects more impressive play from MacLeod moving forward.
“We see a lot of great things in her game, and she’s very much a student of the game, always asking how to be better,” Muzerall said. “So, I think I’ll see much more improvement in her game quickly because of how invested she is to get better.”
will be back in action this week No. 8 rence.
The teams will face p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday at Apple ton Arena.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
No. 5 Ohio State set to face No. 8 St. Lawrence in New York this weekened
By Emily Sculli Lantern Reporter
The Buckeyes are gearing up toence opponent this weekend in No. 8 St. Lawrence University.
The Buckeyes (2-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) will head to Canton, New York to face the Saints
Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.
No. 5 Ohio State opened its season with two close losses to rival No. 4 Minnesota Duluth, but subsequently swept the unranked Bemidji State 11-2.
After the weekend sweep, the Buckeyes now enter a multi-week gauntlet. Ohio State will begin its tough stretch of games against ranked teams, starting with the Saints Friday. Buckeyes head coach Nadine Muzerall said her team needs to use its
“Our problems the weekend before were producing goals,” Muzerall said. “But now that they have scored some, and gives them momentum.”
Muzerall said she hopes her team’s early losses have shifted players’ mentalities for the better.
games the way we did, outshooting your opponent 49-12 and losing, that can be demoralizing when you feel you’re the stronger team, but don’t win,” Muzerall said. “So, how do you take that, right? Hopefully, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, so that you want to punch back, and when you do, you’re successful.”
This weekend will mark the Saints’ second and third games, as well as season.
St. Lawrence defeated the un-
ranked Merrimack College Warriors 3-0 Friday in its season opener. The Saints also had an exhibition showing versus No. 7 Colgate University, but
Muzerall said the main goal for her team this weekend is to compete for
“They have to continue to push regardless of the score or who the opponent is, and that’s going to be a mental thing,” Muzerall said.
WCHA goalie of the week, junior Hailey MacLeod, said she has a similar attitude toward her team’s weekend objectives.
“I think we just need to continue being consistent and be prepared for anything,” MacLeod said.
The Buckeyes’ leading goal scorer, freshman forward Jordyn Petrie, said she and the team have high expectations for how they should play going forward.
“I think just playing Buckeye hockey, like playing the way we do next weekend, and just doing even better at it than we did [this past weekend],” Petrie said.
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SPORTS
The women’s ice hockey team seeks its second straight sweep on Friday and Saturday
No. 3 Buckeyes to face biggest test yet, will welcome Iowa Hawkeyes to Columbus
By Noah Weiskopf Sports Editor
Ihasn’t broken much of a sweat. Saturday, however, could mark the game of the season.
The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) will pose a challenge that Ohio State has yet to encounter thus far — an elite defense.
Iowa’s defense currently ranks 18th in the country, according to NCAA stats. Through four games, the Hawktouchdowns, 272.8 yards per game and an average 4.72 yards per play.
Iowa’s defense is led by defensive coordinator Phil Parker, who’s the
longest-tenured defensive coordinator in the country.
There’s a reason Parker has occupied the same position for so long: consistent dominance. And it’s no
unit has been at the top of college football year in and year out.
“It doesn’t matter what year you watch them, it’s the same guys inside,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “They play with great technique, they’re well-coached, they understand
level is low, their hands are low, they play physical, they run to the football; coach Parker does a great job in making sure they understand how they’re being attacked.”
tor Chip Kelly said facing the Iowa defense will be a challenge Saturday — maybe even the Buckeyes’ toughest.
“I think they are fundamentally sound. I think they’re really, really well-coached,” Kelly said.
“It’ll be the best coached defense that I think we’ll face all season long, and that’s the challenge of going against them.”
Ohio State must beat Iowa in various ways, whether that be with their rush-
ing attack or wide receiver tandem in senior Emeka Egbuka, sophomore Carnell Tate and freshman Jeremiah Smith.
Kelly said the Hawkeyes tend to
forcing them to turn to other options.
“They don’t give up X plays; they make you earn everything they get,” Kelly said. “It’s not gonna be an easy one, so it’s a challenge that I think you get excited about if you’re a real football guy going against somebody like coach Parker.”
Looking at the Hawkeye defense,
“They’re typically veteran players who have played a lot of football before,” Day said. They’re usually not 18, 19, 20; they’re usually older guys. They have some young players in there, but they usually gave guys that have matured, and they’re physically mature, and mentally mature and emotionally mature — they understand the defense. And this is a great example of a defensive coordinator that keeps it simple. Not easy, but it’s simple.”ers for Saturday.
“Again, bigger challenge, really stout defense this week,” Day said. “It’s gonna come down to our guys winning their one-on-one battles and executing at a high level.”
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KATIE GOOD | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
Ohio State then-second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) scores a touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes Oct. 22, 2022. The Buckeyes went on to win 54-10.