Tuesday February 19, 2013 year: 133 No. 1
the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Unopposed USG election could slow voting
sports
MICHAEL BURWELL Senior Lantern reporter burwell.37@osu.edu
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Brawling brothers
Logan and Hunter Stieber have their sights set on a wrestling national championship.
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Lantern file photo
USG Vice President Kevin Arndt (left) and President Taylor Stepp (right) write in chalk on an Oval walkway during the 2012 USG campaign.
Overcoming ‘winter doldrums’
Performances of ‘Hairspray’ are scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.
campus
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OSU last in B1G in female representation BRANDON KLEIN Senior Lantern reporter klein.340@osu.edu
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The first unopposed presidential election in almost 50 years within the Ohio State Undergraduate Student Government has brought mixed views from students. Unless a write-in candidate wins, USG President Taylor Stepp will become a two-term president, which hasn’t happened in about 10 years. Some students are cautious of the unopposed election. “A little friendly competition never really hurt anything,” said Kathryn Roslovic, a third-year in special education. “A little bit of competition always makes it a little better and I think that if he is running unopposed, maybe some of the issues that a different party could bring about probably aren’t going to be thought about.” Paul Beck, a professor in the Department of Political Science, said in an email to The Lantern that “competition is essential for democracy in general.” The lack of competition, Stepp said, gives more opportunities for
Ohio State’s faculty is more than two-thirds white, but that’s about average compared to other Big Ten schools. The university does, however, have the lowest representation of women. With only about 33 percent of its faculty being female, OSU has the lowest number of female faculty among all 12 Big Ten schools, according to OSU’s website. The university’s total faculty is about 77 percent white, 21 percent minority with 6 percent unknown, according to the OSU Human Resources’ website. “Our data are part of a national crisis reflecting the need to more aggressively recruit a diverse faculty for 21st century student populations,” said Valerie Lee, vice provost of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at OSU, in a Jan. 22 email. This contrasts with the University of Iowa, whose faculty is comprised of 63.9 percent female, according to UI’s website. Seven of the 12 Big Ten universities have faculties that are more than half women, according to their respective websites. Olivia Wiser, a second-year in business administration, said she’s surprised there are not more women in OSU’s faculty. She said diversity
is important to the student body and teachers should be able to communicate their subjects clearly. “I think they should hire people from different backgrounds,” she said. Five universities — Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Purdue — employ a higher percentage of minorities in their faculties than OSU. Iowa, Penn State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Indiana have faculty that is more than 80 percent white, according to data from their respective websites. Purdue employs the highest percentage of minority faculty members with 26 percent. Some faculty members like Manuel Martinez, an associate English professor at OSU, said the university has made progress on the issue of minority representation in its faculty, but that it has a long way to go. “We made immense strides,” he said. “It’s a more diverse place, a stronger and more vibrant intellectual space. That’s what diversity brings to the university. We still have a ways to go, of course.” Some OSU students said diversity is an important component in their education. “By having a diverse faculty you’ll have a diverse education,” said Dae Yoon Lee, a second-year in communication. She said a diverse staff will make students better prepared when going to diverse places in the future.
Faculty diversity in the B1G University of Iowa 10.3 percent
Pennsylvania State University 11.5 percent University of Nebraska 16.2 percent
University of Wisconsin, University of Indiana, University of Illinois 18 to 19.6 percent
Ohio State University 21 percent
University of Minnesota 22.3 percent
University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Northwestern University 24 to 25 percent
Purdue University 26 percent
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JOHN WERNECKE / Lantern photographer
Reported stabbing at Charlie Bear early Monday frightens some OSU students
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DAN HOPE Oller reporter hope.46@osu.edu
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KAYLA BYLER / Design editor
SAM HARRINGTON Lantern reporter harrington.227@osu.edu A stabbing reportedly occurred at Charlie Bear: Land of Dance in the South Campus Gateway on Feb. 18 at about 2 a.m.
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Source: reporting
Religious studies major aims to eliminate bias in class discussions
Vet school holds class for puppies weather
Percent of minority faculty at schools in the Big Ten.
Police said an unidentified person was stabbed at Charlie Bear: Land of Dance, a dance club located at 1562 N. High St. in the South Campus Gateway, early Monday morning. According to a report from 10TV, the stabbing occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Monday. After the incident, the victim was reportedly driven to and dropped off at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in a white Honda Accord. Representatives from the Columbus Division of Police and Charlie Bear did not immediately respond to The Lantern’s requests for comment Monday. Ohio State Police Deputy Chief Richard Morman said his department was “somewhat
knowledgeable” of the incident but could not confirm the stabbing. Dave Isaacs, a spokesman from OSU’s Office of Student Life, said he did not believe the victim was a student but could not confirm whether the incident occurred. Olivia Stranges, a third-year in biology, said the report of the stabbing is “really frightening” because of its proximity to campus. “It’s definitely a scary thing,” Stranges said. Jonny Palay, a first-year in business marketing, said he tries not to walk alone at night in the South Campus Gateway. “It makes me more aware,” Palay said. “I’ve always been trying to walk in groups, especially in that area.” Katie Lianez contributed to this story.
Religion is sparking philosophical debates from Ohio State students enrolled in classes for a major new to the university. “Exploring the contingency of where these different theologies and things come from is always very earth-shaking for people,” said Rachel Reiser, a fourth-year in religious studies. “It really has changed the way I understand a lot of things in a lot of profound ways.” Religious studies became a major last semester after breaking away from being a comparative studies focus. It allows students to either study different religions or the interplay of religion and culture, said Thomas Kasulis, a religious studies adviser. Although the major is made up of only about 45 students, it is successful because it supplies a demand for religious knowledge among highly interested students, Kasulis said. “Our job is to help Ohio State students understand religion and its roles in society. So we’re not about counting how many majors
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