Tuesday April 9, 2013 year: 133 No. 51
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Added security remains after shooting threat
sports
Kristen mitchell Campus editor mitchell.935@osu.edu
the next step
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Urban Meyer expects the tight ends on the OSU football team to have a more prominent role this season.
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While the immediate threat of a shooting or explosive violence on campus has passed, Ohio State University Police Deputy Chief Richard Morman said there will still be additional security on campus. Morman said “we’re going to have an increased presence on campus” in the days following the Sunday public safety notice from University Police. “We do feel that we’re past the specific time and date, which was (Monday), but we are going to maintain (security),” he said. University Police issued a public safety notice Sunday at about 7:30 p.m., making students and staff aware of the situation. The threat had been geared at a “cafeteria” or unspecified area on campus, and police forces were on campus Monday investigating the claims that were made on a chat website. A message from University Police at about 4:30 p.m. Monday said the immediate window of threat had passed, but encouraged students and staff to remain aware of their surroundings. According to the notice sent Monday afternoon, it is still unknown if the incident is related to a similar threat to an unspecified cafeteria reported last week. The Sunday notice came four days after University Police issued a notice for a similar concern after it was notified of threats made on a fantasy, roleplayer game site. Local, state and federal law enforcement were on campus assisting with the ongoing investigation, but Morman said the department does not discuss numbers or tactics involved. “We’ve been asking people to be extra diligent if they see things that don’t belong,” Morman said Monday afternoon.
cody cousino / Multimedia editor
a us marshall leads a trained dog around the oval on april 8. Police presence increased on campus because of a threat of a shooting or explosive violence to osu. Arps Hall was evacuated Monday after authorities were made aware of a suspicious package. However, after investigating, it was discovered not to be a threat. University Police was aided by two of its own explosive detective dogs, but Morman said extra dogs were working on campus Monday. Morman said closing campus was discussed, but the decision to cancel classes is not up to University Police. “We would have some input in it, and it was obviously something discussed,” he said. Morman deferred to OSU Media Relations for information on who makes the decision on canceling class or closing the campus. University spokeswoman Liz Cook said in a
Monday email that it was determined “all appropriate security measures” were being taken to protect campus. “Thousands of faculty, staff, students, patients and guests depend on the university, and after enhancing and assuring safety precautions, we made the decision to maintain all campus operations,” Cook said. Cook did not immediately return requests for comment regarding which individuals or groups decide when it is appropriate to close campus. For snow days on campus, several university departments collaborate and OSU President E. Gordon Gee makes the final decision to cancel class.
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Public tobacco use not a protected right
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never ending
right to smoke on campus?
Let smo me ke!
ON AN ON is scheduled to play at the Rumba Café Thursday at 10 p.m.
campus OSU can legally enforce a tobacco ban since smoking and chewing tobacco in public is not a protected inalienable right, according to experts.
Greek growth
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Gamma Phi Beta is returning to OSU’s campus in fall 2014.
source: reporting
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Kayla Byler / Design editor
Ohio State can legally enforce a tobacco ban since smoking and chewing tobacco in public is not a protected inalienable right, according to experts. Freedom of speech, press and assembly are considered to be “fundamental” rights and are “strictly scrutinized” by the government, but smoking in public does not fall under that category, said John Herbert, a Central Ohiobased lawyer with Blaugrund & Herbert Inc., in an email. Tobacco use can be regulated because it ranges from the dangers of second-hand smoke to littering, Herbert said. “This is just a health and sanitary regulation, and it is probably within (the Board of Trustees’) authority to do that,” he said. Last week a proposed tobacco ban was approved by the OSU Board of Trustees and is set to go into effect Aug. 1. The Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees public colleges and universities, encouraged all universities in the state to move toward a smoke-free policy last summer. As early as 1987 the OSU campus had a restriction on smoking in buildings, and in 2006 the ban extended to outside the Wexner Medical Center. OSU President E. Gordon Gee said the change is part of a goal to make OSU the healthiest campus in the country, and the ban will make OSU join 766 tobacco-free campuses across the United States. Nick Worner, an American Civil Liberties Union spokesman, said bans on smoking and
tobacco use are a complicated issue since a lot of people feel the right to do what they want in public. “So the purpose of the argument is you have to separate out,‘Do I have a right to smoke?’ From ‘Do I have a right to smoke in public?’” Worner said. Worner said smokeless tobacco can be controlled the same way chewing gum can be regulated. If the university deems tobacco to be unsightly it can ban the substance. “Remember when we were in school and they banned chewing gum? You’re not allowed to chew your gum in class because you put it under the desk and it is going to make a mess,” he said. “It is kind of the same logic.” Nakeisha Salmons, a second-year in criminology, said she doesn’t know how the university plans on enforcing the tobacco ban and instead thinks there should be a compromise. “I personally think they should just make designated areas,” she said. “That way people know they can avoid those areas if they don’t like smoke.” The Ohio Revised Code states “The Board of Trustees of the Ohio State University shall have general supervision of all lands, buildings and other property belonging to the university, and the control of all expenses therefor.” University spokeswoman Liz Cook said in an email how OSU plans to enforce the ban “will be considered by a broadly represented committee that will develop an implementation plan.” Herbert said someone could try suing the university over the ban, but it wouldn’t get far. “Anybody with 300 bucks can sue anybody for anything,” he said. “Is it very likely to go very far if they do? No. It is the thing that would be dismissed on motion rather quickly.”
OSU to add new meal plans Fall Semester shay trotter Lantern reporter trotter.35@osu.edu
weather
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Smoking is a general right and can be regulated, unlike “fundamental” rights like freedom of speech, press and assembly.
daniel eddy Lantern reporter eddy.80@osu.edu
Ohio State University Dining Services has expanded its available meal plan options for Fall Semester to include two weekly block plans that will reset every Sunday evening. The new plans will offer either 25 or 20 weekly blocks, as stated in an email from Dining Services sent to students who have renewed their university housing contracts. Unlike the current meal plans that expire at the end of every semester, the new options will be used on a weekly basis, with blocks not accumulating throughout the semester. Zia Ahmed, senior director of Dining Services, said the new plans should be useful for incoming students. “We thought that if we could provide an additional option for students so that if you’re coming in as a freshman and you’re not quite comfortable with taking on or managing a big meal plan, along with everything else that you have to do, it will be nice to have that option for them,” Ahmed said. The blocks meal plan is new to OSU this
academic year with the semester conversion, and serves as a replacement to the swipes meal plan. Earlier this year many students had extra blocks at the end of Fall Semester, and were refunded $3 for every block, worth $5 at campus dining halls, on their BuckIDs at the end of the term. Although students will have more meal plan choices available, Ahmed said there are some issues students might encounter with the new plans. If they do not budget accordingly, students could run out of their allotted number of blocks before the week’s end. The flexibility of the plans will likely be considered a positive feature for many students, Ahmed said. Lauren McNulty, a second-year in microbiology, said while she will not be using a meal plan in the fall, she thinks the concept of a weekly plan might be beneficial for students. “I feel like that’s probably a better idea than the 350 blocks or a set amount because you don’t have to worry about spending them all at the end,” McNulty said. “If I were to get a meal plan next year, I’d probably get that.”
JenniFer JunG / Lantern photographer
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osu dining services has expanded its meal plan options for Fall semester to include plans with blocks that will expire every week.
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