Marvel exhibit coming to COSI, game day changes and voter redistricting
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
CAMPUS
The Ohio Redistricting Commission worked against a midnight deadline for new state maps.
USG advocates for LGBTQ+ center on campus
ON PAGE 3
COURTESY OF JACOB CHANG
Ohio State is the only school in the Big Ten without an LGBTQ+ center. USG is pushing for an LGBTQ+ Center, an Out List, gender-inclusive housing and LGBTQ+ learning community.
YINING ZHOU Lantern reporter zhou.2832@osu.edu The Undergraduate Student Government is working to provide more resources for LGBTQ+ students on campus. In 2019, the USG LGBTQ+ campus climate survey found that Ohio State is the only Big Ten school without an LGBTQ+ center and other related initiatives to support LGBTQ+ students. USG President Jacob Chang confirmed that there is still no center and said LGBTQ+ students have needs in areas such as housing and learning centers, which USG is working to address. “We’re just hoping to improve the housing resources because there are trans students and other queer students on campus who don’t feel comfortable living in the house and with other students,” Chang, a fouth-year in psychology and
political science, said. USG’s Justice and Equity Committee pushes a list of LGBTQ+ initiatives seeking to amend university policy to offer resources and space for the LGBTQ+ community at Ohio State, Chang said. Chang said USG is seeking the addition of an LGBTQ+ Center, an Out List — a list of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff at the university –– gender-inclusive housing and an LGBTQ+ learning community. Each initiative focuses on different aspects of the LGBTQ+ community’s daily life on campus. Chang said by pushing the formation of these different initiatives, USG is asking for more resources and space for the LGBTQ+ community to identify with and host events to further express themselves. Some initiatives, such as gender-inclusive housing, are focused on the existing Office of Student Life system and striving to
amend university policy for the LGBTQ+ community. USG Vice President Anna Valerius said these initiatives are smaller pieces in a larger process of creating an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ students.USG has been trying to implement these initiatives since 2019, but the need for an LGBTQ+ Center has existed in the community long before USG started pushing for it. Valerius, a fourth-year in political science, said the formation of the Tiger Team — a group of university staff, students and administrators under USG’s Justice and Equity Committee who work together to address inclusivity — is a “big win” during this process. Chang said the team will work to identify and communicate the LGBTQ+ community’s needs. “They identified a lot of different goals that they’re going to be focusing on for
LGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging and just to make sure that students know what resources already exist so then they can also identify what needs to exist in the future, as well as how to communicate those things better,” Chang said. Valerius said members and university officers in the Tiger Team regularly hold meetings to discuss official suggestions and results. Chang said USG is in the process of identifying a space to build an LGBTQ+ center and working with administrators to make it official. “This is a multi-level topic that we’re hoping to bring awareness that LGBTQ+ Center at Ohio State is there for more resources that are best suited to protect them, support them, help them to achieve the success that they want to see,” Chang said.
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Thursday, September 16, 2021 | The Lantern | 3
Ohio faces voter redistricting
TOM HANKS | LANTERN REPORTER
TOM HANKS Lantern reporter hanks.53@osu.edu After hours of emotional testimonies from hundreds of Ohioans, the Ohio Redistricting Commission faced a midnight deadline to approve the state’s House and Senate district maps Wednesday. Under the Republicanproposed plan, University District residents will be split between the 3rd District, encompassing Columbus’ northeast side, and the 7th District, which includes Grandview Heights. John Fortney, communications director for the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus, said in an email the Republicandrawn map will stand for only four more years rather than 10 if not approved by midnight Wednesday. “A 10-year map can be approved since it takes two votes of the minority party, and since there are two Democrats, they would both need to approve the map for it to be a 10-year map,” Fortney said. “If not, a four-year map can be approved by a simple majority.” The Republican-proposed map, which the commission has used as a working draft, would favor Republicans by 67 percent – a veto-proof majority. Republicans currently hold 64 out of the 99 seats in the House, according to the Ohio House of
Representative website. They hold 25 out of 33 seats in the Ohio Senate, according to the Ohio Senate website. Senate Democrats submitted their most recent proposals for districts in a Cleveland public meeting Monday. In a statement, Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, said the Republican-proposed maps are concerning because they do not reflect statewide voter preferences over the last 10 years and failed to include racial and demographic data. Ray DiRossi, budget director for the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus, said to the Ohio Redistricting Committee that the maps comply with requirements laid out in the Ohio Constitution. He added that the maps did not take race or demographics into consideration. DiRossi did not respond to request for further comment. Voter-approved changes to the Ohio Constitution in 2015 and 2018 added roadblocks to how mapmakers craft districts for the General Assembly, mandating that they not favor either political party and must look the way the state votes, Fortney said. Under the 2015 changes, any legal challenge to the maps must be heard by the Ohio Supreme Court. The commission is required to create a map that will be good for a decade and coincide with the
release of census data, Fortney and Richard Gunther, a professor emeritus in political science, said. It missed a Sept. 1 deadline and caused an extension. Republicans blame delayed census data on the pandemic, according to testimony at a commission meeting Sept. 9. Advocates for fair maps attended the Sept. 9 meeting at the Statehouse, with many claiming a lack of transparency in the commission’s process, comparing the process to that of 2011, where the maps were drawn in secret in a Columbus hotel room over a period of 90 days, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. “I suppose cheating out in the open is a slight improvement over the secretive cheating used in 2011 to create our current district maps,” Melissa Stull, a resident of Gahanna, Ohio, said in a testimony. Gunther said he believes a fairly elected legislature will reflect the opinions of voters and lead to greater support for higher education. “Over the last 30 years, we’ve seen a drastic decrease in state support for higher education, which is a result of right-wing policies pursued by the legislature,” Gunther said. “This has meant that the only alternative is for the university to raise tuition.”
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
ARTS&LIFE
Neil deGrasse Tyson will go from astrophysicist to movie critic in upcoming Columbus show.
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Marvel Universe exhibition coming to COSI KATHLEEN JONES Lantern reporter jones.6245@osu.edu
Avengers fans –– assemble and prepare to welcome the largest-ever Marvel Universe exhibition to Columbus. From Nov. 26 to May 30, 2022, the Center of Science and Industry will be home to the “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibition. The exhibition will offer a unique, in-depth experience to celebrate Marvel’s visual and cultural impact, according to a press release from COSI. More than 300 original artifacts, many of which have never been seen by the public, will be put on display, including Captain America’s shield, the late Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther costume and art from the Marvel universe. The addition of this exhibition is groundbreaking for the company, Frederic Bertley, CEO and president of COSI, said in the press release. “We cannot wait to welcome COSI guests and Marvel super fans alike to be wholly immersed into the Marvel Universe in a truly memorable and once-in-a-lifetime way,” Bertley said. Josh Sarver, vice president of experiences and operations at COSI, said the center built its foundation on teaching people that science is everywhere and for everyone, including in Marvel movies. Through examples of technological innovation in Marvel movies, viewers are exposed to ways science could ultimately impact the world they live in. “I think it was about two years ago an individual flew over the English Channel. They were calling him the ‘Real Iron Man,’ ” Sarver said. “It’s those types of opportunities that these films, the comic books, these conversations, they inspire innovation within individuals.” Sarver said the Marvel exhibition is also a great way to prompt conversations about pressing topics such as race and
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE MITCHELL
Audiences of all ages can enjoy the interactive elements of the largest-ever Marvel universe exhibition at COSI.
discrimination. “We’re excited to bring this one to our community and share with them the great message that it has, not just about the films and the comics, but actually diving deeper into where that content came from, such as talking about race and diversity and religion and those type of things that really are the underlying piece of what Marvel is all about,” Sarver said. The almost six-month period of time “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” will spend in Columbus is warranted by the size of the production and the interactive activities within it, Sarver said. It is 10,000 square feet, making it larger and more time-consuming than the usual traveling exhibition, which people typically spend about 20-30 minutes in.
“Not only is it larger than our typical traveling exhibitions, but the content behind it is so rich,” Sarver said. “And individuals, whether you’re a huge Marvel fan or you’re just an individual wanting to hear the messages that are behind it, are staying in this exhibition anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to an hour and a half.” Marci Howdyshell, senior director of scientific content and research at COSI, said her role within the company allows her to introduce aspects of science directly to exhibitions through interactive activities. “Around every new exhibit that comes in, we are always creating content related to the exhibit, right?” Howdyshell said. “So, maybe when you come to see the Marvel exhibit, there will be a cart out in the hallway where you get to learn some
science that’s related to maybe one of the Marvel characters.” Howdyshell said the timing of the exhibition coming to Columbus could not be better after the past several years. “We’ve seen these everyday superheroes all throughout our lives over the past two years and really just kind of been able to celebrate them,” Howdyshell said. “I feel like bringing in Marvel at this time is a great way to celebrate superheroes and imagine that we can all be a little bit of a superhero.” Guests can attend the “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibition Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets to the exhibition are $15 and are separate from the $25 general admission tickets.
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Thursday, September 16, 2021 | The Lantern | 5
Neil deGrasse Tyson to perform at Palace Theatre COURTESY OF DELVIN HAIR PRODUCTIONS
Neil deGrasse Tyson on stage presenting “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies.”
SOPHIE YATES Lantern reporter yates.288@osu.edu After rescheduling his show several times due to the pandemic, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts will host astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson, host of National Geographic’s “StarTalk,” will present his new show, “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies,” at the Palace Theatre Tuesday. According to CAPA’s website, Tyson’s show will include an entertaining scientific review of what popular movies like “Star Wars,” “The Martian” and “Frozen” got wrong. “Folks who have come before will love it because they’ve never seen it, and people seeing it for the first time will love it because he’s just so entertaining and
knowledgeable,” Rich Corsi, vice president of programming at CAPA, said. Tyson has performed with CAPA before, but Corsi said this is the first time Tyson will be presenting the show “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies” with them. “His shows usually last around two hours, and I think if he had his choice he would probably do it for four or five hours, and I think everybody in the audience would literally sit there for four or five hours because you just can’t get enough of him,” Corsi said. According to CAPA’s website, the show was originally scheduled for March 18, 2020, but was later rescheduled for Tuesday. CAPA spokesperson Rolanda Copley said the rescheduling process has not affected fans’ excitement for the upcoming show.
“They’re still hanging in there,” Copley said. “They’re still holding on to their tickets from when it was originally scheduled because they just enjoy him and he’s fun to listen to.” What makes Tyson so captivating is his ability to explain complicated scientific concepts in a way that the average person can understand, Copley said. “It’s not every day that you are running to listen to an astrophysicist, but he just has a talent of making all of this head knowledge he has accessible to everyone on a level that is entertaining and informative at the same time,” Copley said. After seats being empty for almost two years due to the pandemic, Copley said shows like Tyson’s bring a layer of added excitement to theaters being up and running again.
After fully shutting down in mid-March, CAPA did not host any live events until July 21, kicking things off with its summer movie series, according to CAPA’s website. Tyson’s show is the third full-capacity show since the end of summer and is the start of a large rollout of shows, Copley said. “We’re just excited to have people back in theaters,” Copley said. “It’s just sad when you see this big, beautiful, gorgeous theater and it’s empty and you just have to wait it out.” Tickets for the show can be purchased online through CAPA’s website, and masks will be required for guests attending the show.
6 | The Lantern | Thursday, September 16, 2021
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Ohio State redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud (7) prepares for the snap during the Ohio State-Oregon game Saturday. Ohio State lost 28-35.
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MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR
Stroud an early bright spot in dim start to season JACK EMERSON Sports Editor emerson.131@osu.edu Taking over for legendary Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is no easy feat, but redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud has excelled in his early tenure as Ohio State’s signal caller. Through two games, Stroud has taken over the position and made it his own while earning twoconsecutive Big Ten Freshman of Week honors. Although Stroud already has a loss under his belt as the starter, head coach Ryan Day said the team’s early-season issues don’t lie on the shoulders of his young quarterback. “We got to help him more. We got to run the football better. We got to play better defense,” Day said Tuesday. “That’s the bottom line.” Stroud entered the season without a collegiate passing attempt, but Day has relied heavily on his young quarterback in the Buckeyes’ first two games. The Empire, California, native has racked up 76 attempts — 54
coming against Oregon — in his pair of starts. With a heightened workload, Stroud has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 778 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba — one of Stroud’s favorite targets against the Ducks — pointed to his competitive fire as a reason for his early success. “C.J. has a big heart and he’s a competitor,” Smith-Njigba said. “He’s going to keep going, we’re going to keep going. I know he has my back. I have his back.” While Stroud has been effective through the air so far, he’s failed to fill the dual-threat void left by Fields. Through two games, Stroud has just 10 rushing yards on eight attempts. Although Stroud has struggled to effectively impact the ground game thus far, the skills are there. In his freshman campaign, Stroud broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run against Michigan State — showing that he has the
running ability to help in that area. Despite Stroud’s struggles in the running game, Day said he thinks the 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback has done a sound job with his legs. “I think he’s got a pretty good feel in the pocket. He is a threat with his feet. He’s a threat with his legs,” Day said. “He’s had some good scrambles. We’ll continue to build on that as time goes, but at the end of the day, our running backs have to run, our O-line has to block. There’ll be times when we want to read somebody with him. He’ll do a good job of it.” Against Oregon, the Buckeyes had no problem moving the ball between the 20-yard lines, but struggled to put points on the board off of those drives. Converting on fourth downs was a major issue; Ohio State went 2-for-5 on fourth-down attempts against the Ducks. Stroud said it’s on him as the leader of the offense to complete those drives with points rather than loss of possession. “To begin the game, I felt
like we came out strong, got the ball moving. Kind of the whole first half, everytime we got the ball past the 50-yard line, we split the field. We just weren’t getting into the end zone,” Stroud said. “Definitely something that we need to fix execution-wise because I feel like if we put more points up, we might’ve won the game. Definitely on my part, I have to be better.” The young quarterback has also dealt with an ailing shoulder over the past couple of weeks, and even called it a “blessing” that he was able to play against the Ducks. While the nagging shoulder has been an issue for Stroud, Day said it just comes with the territory of playing quarterback. “You’re going to have bumps and bruises. I think when you’re playing in the spring or you’re in preseason and you have a black jersey on, you’re never touched. Then, you go out there in conference play or this game this past weekend; you’re going to get banged around a little bit. Justin (Fields) went through that, all these guys. J.T. (Barrett)
went through that a ton,” Day said. “That’s part of being a quarterback at a big-time level. It’s something he’s going to have to get used to and work through.” Looking ahead, the Buckeyes close out their nonconference schedule with tune-up games against Tulsa and Akron before digging into a difficult Big Ten slate. Although an early loss has knocked Ohio State off track, it was not a fatal blemish. The Buckeyes still have the opportunity to make the College Football Playoff if they’re able to run the table. Looking to make a one-loss College Football Playoff run, Stroud said it’s his job to get the Buckeyes back on track. “Practice has to be better. On my part, we have to be very precise on everything,” Stroud said. “On my part, I have to make sure that the offense is as sturdy as possible and we have to be on point with everything.”
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Thursday, September 16, 2021 | The Lantern | 7
Four Buckeyes compete for international opportunity KOLE EMPLIT Lantern Reporter emplit.2@osu.edu
Four current Ohio State wrestlers competed in the World Team Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska, Saturday and Sunday. The World Team Trials is an event where the champion in Men’s Freestyle, Women’s Freestyle and Greco-Roman will represent Team USA at the 2021 Senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway, from Oct. 2-10. Greco-Roman is wrestling in which the use of the legs for attack or defense is forbidden and a fall is gained by the contestant who pins both of an opponent’s shoulders to the ground. GrecoRoman also refers to the weight class in kilograms instead of pounds. This differs from the freestyle wrestling used in college, which allows scoring below the waist. Redshirts sophomore Nicholas Boykin, junior Brady Koontz and senior Fritz Schierl all advanced to the finals over the weekend. Redshirt senior Dylan Koontz advanced to the third-place match. “We are proud of the daily disciplines that each of these men displays,” Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said. “To have three college athletes in the finals of the WTT is a strong showing and a testament to their commitment.” In the 97-kilogram weight class, Boykin started off the weekend strong, defeating Chad Porter 8-0 in the quarterfinals and Lucas Sheridan 3-1 in the semis. In the best two-of-three final, Boykin fell to G’Angelo Hancock, losing 8-2 and 5-0. Brady Koontz had a bye in the quarterfinals before taking on Billy Sullivan under the 55-kilogram weight class. Koontz finished the dual in fast fashion, defeating Sullivan 8-0 in just 2:21 during the semis.
COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS
Four current Buckeye wrestlers competed in the World Team Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska, including redshirt sophomore Nick Boykin, junior Brady Koontz and senior Fritz Schierl (pictured above).
Advancing to the finals, Koontz fell 3-1 and 2-1 to Max Nowry. Under the 77-kilogram weight class, Schierl won in the quarterfinals via decision and swept the semis 4-0. He ultimately fell 9-0 and 9-7 in the finals to Jesse Porter. While Dylan Koontz didn’t make the finals in the 60-kilogram weight class, Ohio State associate head coach J Jaggers said Koontz had an encouraging weekend and has a lot to look forward to. “Dylan Koontz wrestled angry
on Sunday after getting caught in a headlock and pinned Saturday in his only match,” Jaggers said. “He bounced back from that very nicely and should be proud of that.” While it didn’t go the way they hoped, Jaggers said he’s proud of the way his guys competed and represented themselves. “Sometimes in a winner-takeall event like the World Team Trials, it’s hard to be satisfied with anything other than first, but all of them wrestled to or above
their seeds, so that was nice to see,” Jaggers said. “I’m not sure how many other guys finished top three in Greco while actively being on a college roster, so we’re proud of them and their progress.” Former Buckeyes also competed at the event. Evan Henderson took third place in the 65-kilogram weight class and Kollin Moore took second in the 92-kilogram weight class. “It’s always a great time to see them and cheer for them,” Jaggers said. “They’re disappointed to
not be the guys representing the U.S. in the world championships, but they competed hard and represented themselves well.” While the tournament didn’t end up in the Buckeyes’ favor, a lot of learning experience was gained. “To make a world team you have to win the best of three,” Ryan said. “Focusing on your strengths and staying disciplined is going to be critical going forward.”
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
SPORTS
Through two weeks, C.J. Stroud has impressed as the heir to Justin Fields ON PAGE 6
Improved game day experience announced JACK EMERSON Sports Editor emerson.131@osu.edu JACOB BENGE Asst. Sports Editor benge.30@osu.edu After a disastrous home-opener on the field and in terms of gameday operations, Ohio State’s athletic department announced solutions to ensure a smoother game day experience Wednesday. The home-opener saw ticketing systems and stadium WiFi fail alongside undermanned gates, creating delays at the student entrances, particularly near the south end of Ohio Stadium. The delays prompted a statement from the Ohio State department of athletics Saturday, citing “a technical issue with Wi-Fi and learning curves with new technologies and new systems.”
“[Saturday] was a landmark day, with digital tickets and mobile parking passes,” the athletic department stated. “We want to apologize to those who experienced delays entering the stadium that were caused by a number of reasons. We will learn from today, make improvements and we anticipate next week will be better.” With attention to these mishaps, Ohio State will increase the number of ticket scanners, staff and metal detectors at gates to help speed up the entry process, according to a release. The athletic department is also encouraging fans to load their tickets into mobile wallets, citing a smoother entry process because WiFi is not needed to access tickets.
MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR
After a disastrous home-opener on the field and in terms of game day operations, Ohio State’s athletic department announced solutions to ensure a smoother game day experience Wednesday.
“One of the most important and proactive steps fans can do to assist the entry process at the gates is to load their mobile ticket to their iPhone or Google Pay wallet before arriving at the stadium,” the athletic department stated Wednesday. “It helps the process considerably, and it guarantees tickets will be available because WiFi is not needed to access tickets from a mobile wallet.” The department also stated that 66 percent of scanned tickets during the home opener were already preloaded to mobile
wallets. Ohio State will add 27 more pedestal ticket scanners alongside the same number of staff members to the hardest-hit gates Saturday. The athletic department will also have 80 additional hand-held ticket scanners at the most affected gates to serve as backups in case the pedestal system faces similar issues to the home-opener. An increased number of metal detectors, police officers and stadium security will also be enforced at the student section gates on the south end of the stadium.
In order to help with the prevalent WiFi issues in Ohio Stadium during Saturday’s home-opener, Ohio State will have additional on-site engineering support to monitor and manage stadium WiFi and connection at entry sites.
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