Tuesday January 22, 2013 year: 133 No. 9
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
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thelantern Reported rape suspects face dorm removal
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liz young Senior Lantern reporter young.1693@osu.edu
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Defending home court
Junior guard Aaron Craft said it’s imperative to protect home court in the Big Ten. OSU plays Iowa Tuesday.
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Uncharged suspects in two of the 11 sex crimes that have been reported on Ohio State’s campus since Fall Semester were removed from their on-campus housing. Andrea Goldblum, director of Student Conduct at OSU, was not able to comment on specific cases because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) but described the typical disciplinary action taken for students involved in any kind of nonacademic misconduct. They can be moved to different dorms or removed from on-campus housing and still attend the university, or they can be removed from the university all together, among other disciplinary actions. “People can be removed for many different kinds of cases … Often it is either because they’ve had, and it might even be lower-level cases, but repeated cases to the point where they are suspended or dismissed from the university, or it is because they are a risk to an individual or because they are a risk to the community,” Goldblum said. “Or they just have shown that they can’t live in a community.” On Sept. 9, a female student in Morrill Tower
We’ve got a responsibility to the people here. Andrea Goldblum director of Student Conduct at OSU reported to hall staff members that after meeting a fellow resident of the building earlier in the evening, she had returned to his room with him. He then allegedly used his finger to penetrate her. When she got up to leave, he told her he would stop. She stayed, but when he then exposed himself to her, she again tried to leave the room. The suspect attempted to block the door but the victim was able to leave, according to the University Police report. The Ohio Revised Code defines rape as “without privilege to do so, the insertion … of any part of the body or any instrument … into the vaginal or anal opening of another.” Criminal charges were not pursued. The victim wished to remain anonymous and did not talk to police. The suspect was “supposed to move by Wednesday (Sept. 12),” according to a Morrill employee’s statement. The case on this alleged rape is closed.
In another case, a male Park-Stradley Hall staff member called University Police on Oct. 12 after an 18-year-old female resident became visibly upset. She told friends and staff members that she had returned to the hall from a bar in downtown Columbus with a male resident of Park-Stradley. The two entered the co-ed bathroom on the suspect’s floor, where the suspect then allegedly raped the victim in one of the private stalls, according to the University Police report. Charges were not filed, but the suspect was “dismissed from OSU beginning (Nov. 29),” according to the report. The victim said in a police statement that she heard “he had been removed from the building and suspended for 10 days.” There have been seven rapes reported on campus since Fall Semester began. A rape reported in Paterson Hall Nov. 21 is now closed. A reported Nov. 10 rape in the Neil Avenue Residence Hall is listed as “investigation pending.” A Nov. 21 rape at Mirror Lake has been closed. A reported rape in Norton House on Jan. 8 is still listed as “investigation pending,” and a Jan. 12 rape in the Neuropsychology Department was “unfounded,” according to the University Police log.
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Students journey to Obama’s inauguration caroline keyes Lantern reporter keyes.64@osu.edu
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What to watch in 2013
Our columnist suggests which 2013 movies to watch and which to avoid.
campus
Candlelight vigil for Syrian blast
The world was watching as President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term, but some Ohio State students had a close-up of the action. Several students traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 57th U.S. Presidential Inauguration on Monday, where the president was sworn in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol by Chief Justice John Roberts. Mohammed Miniato, a second-year in microbiology, said his longstanding admiration of Obama was a major driving factor in his decision to attend the ceremony. “I’ve been a big Barack Obama supporter since eighth grade … when my school held a mock election where I ran based on his principles and actually won,” Miniato said. “I think attending a presidential inauguration is something everyone should do at least once. You have a front-row seat to the leader of the free world getting inaugurated.” Obama spoke on a number of topics, including health care, women and gay rights, national security and the economy. He said America posseses the tools to solve its problems. “America’s possibilities are limitless,” Obama said, “for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.” Niraj Antani, a fourth-year in political science and communications director of the OSU College Republicans, said the inaugural ceremony is important for all Americans despite party affiliation. “The inauguration should be a unifying moment for the country and it signifies that we are a democracy,” Antani said. He said it is also important for more high school and college students to become involved in the political process. Although Antani didn’t
Courtesy of MCT
President Barack Obama takes the oath of office as his wife, Michelle, looks on at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Jan. 21. attend the inauguration this year, he traveled to D.C. for the inauguration in 2009. “Seeing the president get inaugurated, whoever it is, is important,” Antani said. “Watching that many people, both Democrats and Republicans, witness that transition of power together was certainly the opportunity of a lifetime.” The theme of this year’s inaugural ceremony was “Faith in America’s Future,” which according to the official event website, was in commemoration of “United States’ perseverance and unity.” Erica Van Heyde, a first-year in communication, said she has had an interest in politics since high school and was excited to attend her
first presidential inauguration this year. She said she feels hopeful looking at the next four years. “I think a lot will get done in the next four years and I’m hoping we will be able to come up with more bipartisan solutions to a lot of problems we are facing as a nation right now,” Van Heyde said. Other ceremonial events that took place included a traditional morning worship service, the procession to the Capitol, the vice-president’s swearing-in ceremony, the presidential inaugural address, luncheons, a parade and inaugural balls in the evening. During the ceremony James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson sang “America the Beautiful” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” respectively, and Beyoncé Knowles sang the national anthem after the benediction.
Thad Matta rakes in $300K salary increase
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OSU coach Thad Matta speaks to junior forward Deshaun Thomas during the Jan. 13 game against Michigan. OSU won the game, 56-53.
Thad Matta will likely be receiving a raise, but he will have some added responsibilities when it comes to compliance. Director of athletics Gene Smith announced Monday that the Ohio State basketball coach’s salary will increase to $3.2 million per year from about $2.9 million per year, pending a Board of Trustees vote. Not taking into account other pay and bonuses, the increase makes Matta the sixth highest paid coach in college basketball, according to 2011-12 salary data compiled by USA Today. Smith said he initiated the pay raise in January 2012 to keep Matta’s compensation “consistently in the top 10 in the country.” “The Ohio State University should
have a program that is consistently chasing championships, and as you all know, over the years we’ve had peaks and valleys,” Smith said of the program’s history. “Frankly (Matta has) attained (that goal) to some great degree. We’re one of the premier programs in the country in basketball.” Matta, in his ninth year at OSU, has compiled a 234-69 record, has led the Buckeyes to two Final Fours and won five Big Ten titles. For every conference title Matta wins, an extra year is added to his contract and despite his raise, his contract still expires in July 2019. Matta said he is happy with the extra money but is more excited because of how it reflects the state of his program. “From where we started, we were at ground zero nine years ago in terms of the uncertainty of our program,” Matta said. “You look at what we’ve been able to accomplish, for me personally, I am a lot more proud of that than I am of a contract.”
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