Thursday February 7, 2013 year: 133 No. 19
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Maymester rollout to feature 75 classes
sports
SHAHED AL-ASADI Lantern reporter al-asadi.3@osu.edu
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Foundations for the future
The OSU football finalized its 24-man recruiting class as part of National Signing Day.
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The four-week long Maymester is a side effect of the semester switch Ohio State students have yet to experience. But due to limited course listings, some students never will. Fourth-year in psychology Melanie Reed said she wanted to take advantage of the May Session, however none of the courses Reed needs to take are offered, and a study abroad trip would interfere with her job. “I thought about it, but I did not think it would work out for me,” Reed said. For others, the three free credit hours are a lure they can’t pass up. Rebecca Mashni, a second-year in public health, is planning to take a public health environmental class during the May Session. The class is expected to meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Even though she is worried about the time commitment, Mashni said it was worth it because the class is free.
OSU, UM could land in same B1G division
“I am not sure how it is going to work, but I am willing to try it out,” Mashni said. Most U.S. colleges operate on the semester system, but few have included a May Session, said Jay Johnson, the assistant provost and associate director of Institutional Research in the Office of Academic Affairs. Johnson called this session “new for everybody and a step in a fun direction.” On Jan. 28 the courses being offered were put on BuckeyeLink. Students will register for May Session during the registration for Summer Session. Students will find out who will be teaching these May Session courses when Summer Session registration opens on Feb. 18. The Summer Term includes the May Session and the seven-week Summer Session. Students will be able to combine the two sessions, enrolling in all of Summer Term, however the three free credit hours will not be offered during Summer Session. Johnson said the May Session offers a free class to encourage enrollment when the classes are moving at a quicker pace than during a typical 16-week semester. Since May Session is four weeks, the courses offered will be intense and fast-paced, Johnson said. For a three-credit course, a student must
Maymester opportunities -3 free credit hours -General education courses -Study abroad opportunities from 10 days to 3 weeks -Students can combine May and Summer session
receive 37 hours of in-class instruction, Johnson said. During May Session, students are expected to be in class about two hours a day, five days a week. However, the number of students that will sign up for these classes has yet to be determined. “We would not know until students register in February,” Johnson said. There will be about 75 to 80 courses offered, he said. Each section will have a maximum capacity like any other course section.
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Meyer wins over recruits in football ‘street fight’ OSU coach Urban Meyer speaks to the media at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on National Signing Day, Feb. 6. Check the Sports Section on page 6A for in-depth coverage of Meyer’s commits.
DAN HOPE Oller reporter hope.46@osu.edu
Famous four
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The ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ runs through Sunday at the Palace Theatre.
campus
Although the border war behind Ohio State and the University of Michigan is considered the most significant rivalry in the Big Ten Conference, the Buckeyes and Wolverines are currently in opposite divisions. That could change in 2014. OSU athletic director Gene Smith said in an interview with The Lantern that he and Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon have had “informal conversations” about the two schools being realigned to the same division when the conference adds Maryland and Rutgers, which were previously in the Atlantic Coastal Conference and the Big East respectively, in 2014. “We would like to do that if it’s beneficial to the conference and doesn’t get in the way of the overall good of the conference,” Smith said. “Right now, both of us are kind of leaning in that direction, and just waiting to hear the debate in the room amongst our colleagues on the pros and cons of that.” Brandon did not return The Lantern’s request for comment.
Study says less freshman drink Students apathetic to jeopardized bus stops continued as B1G on 3A
ANDREW HOLLERAN / Photo editor
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weather
SHAHED AL-ASADI Lantern reporter al-asadi.3@osu.edu
Stops no longer being considered for removal.
high 44 low 36 partly cloudy
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snow showers
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showers www.weather.com
Courtesy of COTA
Representatives from Central Ohio Transit Authority discussed pending bus stop changes coming to Ohio State during a town hall meeting, but its presentation on a revised number of stop removals only reached a handful of people that the change will affect. With roughly 100 seats available, only about 15 were filled during a Wednesday presentation in the Round Meeting Room at the Ohio Union. Service planner for COTA Kristine Marsh led the meeting with a presentation on the bus stop service improvement project, COTA’s proposal to balance efficiency and usability by eliminating several bus stops in Columbus. The revised proposal for May would be to remove the bus stops at northbound and southbound stops at North High Street and Northwood Avenue, and stops at North High Street and East 17th Avenue. The new proposal has four stops
slated for removal, while the old one had six including stops located at North High Street and E. 15th Avenue. The initial proposal was revised after public backlash about the proposed E. 15th Avenue eliminations, Marsh said. “Our goal is to improve the efficiency of our operations which benefits our riders, so our goal is to speed things up as much as possible,” Marsh said. She explained that the project’s goals were to optimally space bus stops to balance the need for faster in-vehicle travel time and reasonable distances customers would have to walk to the bus stops. They are the “two competing needs that are always at odds with each other,” Marsh said. Other goals included improving operational efficiency, and on-time performance. Marsh confirmed that the $13.50 fee students pay each semester will not be raised as a result of any of the planned changes, and that the frequency of buses will not be altered.
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