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A LANTERN SPECIAL PROJECT
Inside the hazing culture of Ohio State’s fraternities Brotherhood, parties, violations and sanctions
By Nora Igelnik | Campus Editor and Brooke Tacsar | Senior Lantern Reporter
This story has been shortened for this print edition. See the full version at thelantern.com/special-projects/
Ohio State’s chapter of FarmHouse International Fraternity, Alpha Tau Zeta, is a fraternity committed to shaping men into intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical leaders.
A community of young individuals with philanthropic interests, FarmHouse actively supports organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, according to its website.
And just like 30 other Greek life organizations, it is also a fraternity that has faced hazing violations.
In September 2022, the Student
ymous report alleging hazing — including activities such as a blood oath, verbal abuse, pornography and forced memorization of songs about rape — had taken place on ATZ’s properhouse at 154 E. 14th Ave.
“How did you become aware of this
violation?” the report language asks.
“It happened to me,” the anonymous reporter wrote.
Of the 31 Greek life organizations that have committed violations from 2017-24, roughly four in 10 have faced revocation — or long-term suspension — according to a Lantern data analysis of violations committed by Greek life organizations and the disciplinary sanctions Ohio State handed out. In other words, these organizations lost their statuses as registered student organizations due to violations of the Code of Student Conduct, according to Student Conduct’s website.
For the other 17 Greek life organizations that committed violations but were not revoked, the most common sanction given — applied in 75% of cases — was titled “additional sanctions,” followed by “disciplinary probation,” which accounted for 50% of the violations.
Followed by hazing, alcohol violations were committed by 61% of Greek life organizations, while endangering behavior occurred in 42%.
Between 2017 and 2024, 77.5%
of all hazing violations have been by Greek life organizations, 70% of which were fraternities.
Not all Greek life organizations at the university fall under Sorority and Fraternity Life’s jurisdiction, but all student organizations are subject to -
duct, said Hunter Hartwig, associate director of council leadership in Sorority and Fraternity Life, who also advises Ohio State’s Interfraternity Council.
-
basis, said Kelly Smith, director of Student Conduct.
“The facts are always unique, and the students are always unique, and we just have to make sure that we’re doing right on a holistic measure,” Smith said.lished numerous educational initiatives to raise awareness among students about hazing.
“We have implemented mandatory [anti-hazing] training for all students who are joining student organizations,”
duct presents sanctions — a form of penalty or reprimand — for conduct violations operates on a “case-by-case” HAZING continues on Pages 2-3
CARLY DAMON | ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Ohio State’s chapter of FarmHouse, Alpha Tau Zeta, located at 154 E. 14th Ave.
Hartwig said. “Then, of course, we talk about [anti-hazing] a lot in our social event management training that we do with our students, as well as our counadditional anti-hazing education with
Susan Lipkins, a psychologist who specializes in hazing and authored the 2006 book “Preventing Hazing: How Parents, Teachers and Coaches Can Stop the Violence, Harassment and Humiliation,” said educational programs that target students are not going to change a Greek life culture that may revolve around hazing.
“There are many, many, many signs of hazing, but most of the universities have not educated all those people who are being paid to do that security to crack down on it in a meaningful way,” Lipkins said. “So, if you’re asking me where we should be educating or changing, it’s probably not the people doing it as much as the people who are being paid to prevent it.”
For members of FarmHouse in 2022, it seems as though Sorority and Fraternity Life’s educational hazing-prevention initiatives did not stick.
The September 2022 anonymous report outlined the events of initiation week — known as “Builder of Men” week — at FarmHouse, describing how “new members [were] put in situations where their morals [were] compromised, their individuality diminished, and their limits [were] pushed.”
One of these “situations” involved
vocal performances, with the expectation that new members memorize the tunes taught to them by existing members.
“The new members [were] ‘taught’ new songs,” the anonymous reporter wrote. “All of these new songs [were] vile — either crass or downright promoting the raping of women (even to the extent of raping members of sororities right next to their location).”
According to the report, the initia-
all-nighter, which new members began by deep-cleaning the fraternity house. They were subsequently introduced to “frat games” accompanied by non-alcoholic beverages.
Following these games, each new member was individually taken to sign their name in ATZ’s “blood book,” according to the report. After signing, members were instructed to grab a utensil “to draw their blood and seal their oath.”
The reporter wrote that before the new members were able to draw blood on their own, they were restrained and pricked with a diabetic needle. They were then instructed to use their blood to cover their signature in the book.
The disciplinary process
Ohio State’s Student Conduct reports reveal a consistent trend among Greek life organizations: No group has been permanently banned from campus, though some have faced temporary suspensions. From 2017-24, approximately 44% of Greek life organizations have encountered revocation, yet many eventually restarted their operations, despite serious violations.
assess and implement the new member plan and follow-up communication with Student Conduct.
When asked about the September 2022 hazing report, Brady Jacobs Bell — FarmHouse president at the time he was contacted in November 2024 and also a fourth-year in agribusiness — said in an email he was “not an active member” at the time.
The fraternity was not subject to revocation, and it was not the only Greek life organization to face this exact outcome over the years.
Delta Tau Delta was not subject to revocation following a Sept. 26, 2020, report and subsequent disciplinary documents that detailed a party hosted by the organization. The event, which involved alcohol, was found to have violated social-distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jack Pott, president of Delta Tau Delta and a third-year in information systems, said in an email he was notciplinary probation that followed the 2020 hazing report, as it occurred before he joined the fraternity.
“As the current president, I can assure you we are working closely with the university and our national organization to foster a positive and respectful culture,” Pott said.
Omega Gamma was not subject to revocation after a Sept. 9, 2022 report and related disciplinary documents revealed an initiation event where pledges were required to surrender their phones and consume “a tower of provided alcohol” before participating in a subsequent game.
Rho did not respond to The Lantern’s requests for comment by the time of publication.
Sanctions: A case-by-case evaluation
Smith said giving sanctions to student groups rather than individual stu-
She referred to the Greek “Ship of Theseus” paradox, a philosophical thought experiment that debates whether a ship remains the same object even if its components are replaced one by one. If a fraternity gets new members and a new executive board every few years, Smith said its past violations cannot be viewed at face value.
“We may get a group, and we haveer some educational outcomes — those additional sanctions,” Smith said. “We work with them very intensely, and [if] we have two years passed [where] we don’t have another violation, and then
FarmHouse sanctions included disciplinary probation for eight months, BuckeyeLearn Anti-Hazing Training, educational presentations, new member education, Builder of Men Week review and training on how to conduct initiation week. Additionally, the fraternity was required to have the presence of a FarmHouse International
Kappa Delta Rho was not subject to revocation after a May 5, 2023 report — supported by both disciplinary and police documents — described several serious incidents. These included members throwing “bottles and cans” from a balcony onto a public street, injuring an individual; providing alcohol to new, underage members; and directing members to participate in “embarrassing activities,” including a new member talent show, calisthenics and the consumption of unusual food combinations that could lead to “ill health outcomes.”
Omega Gamma and Kappa Delta
The reasoning behind the university’s relatively low revocation rate may be due to the constant reconstruction of these “ships,” or fraternities, Smith said.
In contrast to the university’s revocation rates, “additional sanctions” are a frequent response to Greek life violations. These sanctions can encompass responses like repeating Collin’s Law training — an anti-hazing training under a recently established state law — group presentations and work with Student Legal Services.
“You’ll see some of the same things we use over and over again, but we could develop something new that’s up just for that group based on their particular needs and circumstances, and it just gets all put under additional sanctions,” Smith said.
— also known as the Ohio Anti-Hazing Act — “makes acts of hazing a second-degree misdemeanor and acts of hazing that include coerced consumption of alcohol or drugs or abuse that
result in serious physical harm a felony of the third degree,” according to the Hazing Prevention webpage of Ohio State’s website.
Unlike disciplinary probation, revocation and additional sanctions, no fraternities have received an all-encompassing ban instructing them to never return to campus — at least, not during Smith’s time at the university, she said.
Even after revocation, all Greek life organizations receive an opportunity to return to campus after a set time period if they follow certain conditions, said Dave Isaacs, communications and of Student Life.
The mind games of hazing: Unpacking psychological forces at play
Hazing activities often vary based on fraternities or sororities, Lipkins said. Though hazing in sororities is more sexualized and typically involves some form of humiliation, fraternities involve more alcohol consumption or physical activity like calisthenics and sustenance deprivation. In both, servitude is consistently used, Lipkins said.
“The fraternities have a, I think, more detailed expectation of hazing on a day-to-day basis,” Lipkins said. “In some fraternities, I’ve seen it where it’s almost like a business plan: ‘Day one, we do this. Day two, we do this. Day three, we do this.’ I think sororities may do that, but not to the extreme or fraternities.”
Kim Monteaux De Freitas, direc-
tor of Sorority and Fraternity Life at Ohio State, said the reason Greek life organizations committed the majority of student conduct violations at the university from 2017-24 might be
to student organizations to report any potential instance of hazing.
“We spend a lot of time with our sorority and fraternity students talking about how to report,” Monteaux De Freitas said. “There may be more re -
but I also want to acknowledge we are a state with the newer anti-hazing law, and we have spent a lot of time trying to help our students know how to get help, how to ask for help, how to report.”
Lipkins, however, said observational learning — a social process during which people learn and imitate new behaviors after watching others perform the same behavior — by new members who were hazed creates a “blueprint of hazing.”
“You come into an organization, so you’re hazed,” Lipkins said. “Then, once you’ve been hazed, you become a bystander, and you watch other people get hazed, and eventually, you have seen your status and now it’s your turn to do unto others what was done to you, and you feel like you have the right and duty to pass on the tradition. And I believe that each time that tradition is passed on, the individuals usually want to leave their own mark, so they increase the tradition.”
Conduct often looks at a given organization’s national chapter — the overarching governing body that represents all local chapters across universities — when determining sanctions.
“Things we consider are, for example, what sort of support and partnership are we seeing with that headquarters?” Smith said. “Is this a group that is being well-supported
and has a structure that we know can step in and provide the education and the support the group needs to be successful?”
Lipkins said, if anything, these national chapters preserve the hazing culture.
“The college is all, ‘Let this traditions won’t reoccur,’ and that’s not true,” Lipkins said. “They do reoccur because it’s a national thing, and the new organization, the new chapter, will grow up and learn the same [traditions].”
Additionally, Lipkins said a symbiotic relationship exists between universities,
Greek life organizations and national or international chapters because they provide the school with a social milieu, alumni retention, donations
“They like that symbiotic relationship,” Lipkins said. “Some might say they need the symbiotic relationships, but they haven’t created an appropriate method of making sure that the behaviors that are engaged in are not risky and protect the lives of the students.”
Smith disagreed. Though several workers within Sorority and Fraternity
of Student Conduct, in which only one a fraternity.
Underground operations
After a fraternity’s status is revoked,
university, Monteaux De Freitas said.
“When they are not recognized by us, we don’t get a roster,” Monteaux De Freitas said. “I’m not meeting with
with them regularly. They’re not coming to council meetings. They’re not getting Collin’s Law training in the same way.”
Even so, fraternities can still operate under their national or international organizations’ charters.
This is the case for two Ohio State Greek life organizations The Lantern has Delta Kappa Epsilon and Alpha Epsilon Pi.
DKE’s registration as a student organization was revoked Aug. 14, 2024 until Aug. 6, 2028 for hazing, endangering behavior and failure to comply with sanctions, according to Sorority and Fraternity Life’s Organization Conduct History webpage.
Similar to roughly 16% of Greek life organizations found to have committed repeat violations since 2017 by The Lantern’s data analysis, DKE committed previous violations May 22, 2023 and Feb. 7, 2023, according to the Conduct History webpage.
AEPi’s registration was revoked in 2018 for hazing, endangering behavior and alcohol, according to Collin’s Law Reports published by Ohio State. Per prior Lantern reporting, AEPi was allowed to petition for reinstatement in 2023.
Both of these fraternities have decided to continue to operate as “City of Columbus” organizations rather than Ohio State student organizations, according to DKE and AEPi’s respective Instagram pages.
DKE and AEPi were recruiting new members as of January of this year, according to their Instagram pages.
The Lantern reached out to DKE and AEPi via Instagram, but neither organization responded by the time of publication.
“It’s in the national or international organization’s best interests to dissuade students from using their marks, intellectual property, their name, for activities that are not supported by the university,” Isaacs said.
CARLY DAMON | ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Alpha Epsilon Pi, located at 200 E. 17th Ave. The fraternity is unrecognized at Ohio State.
ARTS&LIFE
three free productions of “The Turn of the Screw” this weekend
Ohio State a cappella groups Scarlet Fever and Sound of Science to face o in ‘Pitch Perfect’-style ri -o
By Jackson Hall Social Media Editor
Ohio State’s a cappella scene is gearing up for a night of high-energy performances and friendly competition, as Scarlet Fever and Sound of Science will take the stage for a “Pitch
Hosted by the Ohio Union Activities Board, the event will take place at the U.S. Bank Conference Theater in the Ohio Union, located at 1739 N. High St. According to a Feb. 12 OUAB Instagram post, doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the two a cappella groups performing at 7 p.m. before a screen7:30 p.m.
Ashmita Bhattacharjee, a second-year in biological engineering and OUAB member, said in an email though OUAB is assisting in hosting the event, it was made possible by Scarlet Fever and Sound of Science.
collaboration event with two a capella groups on campus: Sound Of Science and Scarlet Fever. They are super talented, and worked really hard to sing and create an arrangement to perform for us,” Bhattacharjee said. “Students can expect an amazing singing performance from both groups in a creative and innovative way. Then we will also be showing a free screening of the ‘Pitch Perfect’ movie, with a lot of food and drinks.”
Aidan Marrone, a third-year in biomedical science and Sound of Science’s president, said Scarlet Fever and Sound of Science will go head to head, each bringing their own performance styles to the competition.
singers making up arrangements on
the spot, Marrone said both groups have been working behind the scenes to deliver polished performances that still capture the energy and unpredictability of a true vocal battle.
Dawson Doren, a third-year in industrial systems engineering and Scarlet Fever’s president, said in “Pitch Perfect,” if a line from one song overlaps with another, teams can interrupt by launching into their own song. He said
Marrone said Sound of Science has been practicing extensively to prepare
“We’ve used our rehearsal times that we have normally scheduled to work on our parts, pick soloists, make sure that we sound good together,” Marrone said. “Then, we’ve also rehearsed with the other group twice to
make sure that all of the transitions are tight.”
style event is something many associate with a cappella groups, and he’s excited to be able to deliver on that expectation.
“I think what makes it special is collaborating with another a cappella group,” Doren said. “A lot of people expect us to perform something like
and screening the movie will help us get our name out there.”
Beyond the competition, Bhattacha-
showcase Ohio State’s a cappella talent in an unprecedented setting. She said with the combination of live music, movie nostalgia and plenty of snacks, OUAB hopes the night will bring students together for a fun and memora-
ble experience.
ursday
“I really hope students have fun and have a sense of nostalgia,” Bhattacharjee said. “I really loved the movies when they came out, and I know I’m not the only one, so I really think seeing the movie play out in real life will be really cool and exciting for students to watch. I especially think when things are rough with school, events like this can really make you feel better.”
Marrone said the event will also shed light on Ohio State’s a cappella scene, which has continued to thrive over the years. He said for both Scarlet Fever and Sound of Science, participating in an event like this isn’t just about showcasing talent — it’s an opportunity to connect with the campus community and share the inclusive culture that a cappella fosters on campus.
“Anyone can perform; anyone can sing,” Marrone said. “We’re not just individual singers. We come together, and we are the instruments; we’re the whole sound. This is not just limited to people who do music as a career. It’s the community aspect of it that we want to share.”
Doren echoed this sentiment, and said he hopes events like this will inspire more Ohio State students to join an a cappella group.
“I’ve been working to grow Scarlet Fever, so we’re just trying to reach as many people as possible and get the word out,” Doren said.
For more information about the event, visit OUAB’s website or Instagram account.
COURTESY OF DAWSON DOREN
Scarlet Fever poses for a group photo after performing at BuckeyeThon.
Ohio State lm community addresses recent surge in biopic lms
By Siena Kessler Lantern Reporter
Bgenre for decades, evolving into a major Hollywood force and frequently featuring top stars in their leading roles.
Films such as “A Complete Unknown,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer” and “Elvis” are just a few examples of the genre’s biggest releases in the past three to four years. With this recent surge of biopics hitting theaters, Ohio
produce these real-life stories and why audiences keep coming back for more.
Scott Spears, a lecturer in Ohio State’s Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, said he believes the lasting appeal of biopics comes fromcance of their subjects.
“These people in the biopics have been in our lives for decades, if not longer, and so there is an interest,” Spears said.
Michael Kaplan, also a lecturer in the Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, said biopics not only serve audiences, but also provide a distinct challenge for actors who must reproduce distinguished individuals’ mannerisms and quirks.
“Biopics give performers an oppor-pand their range a bit,” Kaplan said. “In some cases, they get to perform as the person they are most enamored by.”
Beyond performance, Kaplan said biopics feed into audiences’ fascination with larger-than-life people.
“They are fascinated by the cult of personality,” Kaplan said. “They are interested in origin stories and [seeing] where a person grew from and [how they] developed their fame.”
Kaplan compared the organic allure of origin stories to that of the popular Marvel franchise.
“It’s not unlike audiences’ fascina-
Timothée Chalamet stars in “A Complete Unknown.”
tion with the Marvel Universe’s origin stories,” Kaplan said. “Just like how you want to see where superheroes came from, you want to know where a famous person came from.”
This natural curiosity — paired with Hollywood’s ability to shape compelling narratives — gives biopics the
Kaplan said.
“If you don’t know the story of a person, and then you base your perception on a biopic, then you’re gonna walk away thinking that is an accurate representation of that person’s life,” -
ence on the public’s perception of famous people.”
and experiences, they often tread aterpretation.
“They capture an essence,” Spears said. “Do they capture the full truth? Probably not. Sometimes, accuracy doesn’t make a good story, and so you will take liberties to add some drama, or collapse time or combine characters.”
Kaplan agreed.
“Filmmakers will latch onto things that are perhaps more exploitative, and the result is you get a slanted point of view,” Kaplan said.
fully capture reality or not, viewers continue to adore them and are drawn in by seeing their idols on screen.
for those kinds of movies because they want to align themselves with famous people in some way,” Kaplan said.
Supreeth Koppula, a December 2024 graduate in psychology and social chair of Ohio State’s Film and
Video Society, said award season also plays a crucial role in the popularity of biopics.
“The main selling point, besides the public’s opinion, is award sea son,” Koppula said. “I think a lot of awards, if you look in the past de cade, most of them are given to real-life portrayals and those biopics.”
Koppula said another key factor in the rapid production of biopics comes from the reliance on adapting ex isting material rather than developing original stories.
“I think Hollywood has always re lied on non-original material, at least within the 21st century, whether that
BIOPICS continues on Page 6
Ohio State Opera eatre to o er three free productions of ‘ e Turn of the Screw’ this weekend
Senior Lantern Reporter
The Ohio State Opera Theatre will present “The Turn of the Screw,” an opera production based on the 1898 gothic horror novella of the same name by Henry James, this upcoming weekend.
Three performances will be held at Weigel Auditorium — located at 1866 College Road N. — Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Admission is free, though attendees are encouraged to donate “books, audiobooks on CD and DVDs” to the Columbus Metropolitan Library in lieu of purchasing a ticket, according to the Ohio State School of Music website.
“The Turn of the Screw” follows an unnamed governess caring for two children in a secluded English manor, but the scenario turns dire as ghosts begin to haunt the home and torment the characters, said Eric Gibson, visiting assistant professor of music and the opera’s director. He said composer Benjamin Britten adapted the tale into an opera in the 1950s.
ate student in vocal performance who stars as the governess, said the show revolves around how audience memblanks themselves.
“They can come to their own conclusion about what is happening inside this house,” Johnson said. “Some believe the ghosts are real and that the governess is a victim. Other readings have the governess as a sort of villain where it’s all in her head.”
Gibson said he feels the production is a hallmark of 20th-century, modern opera. He said the music is a key factor in the show’s lasting success, as its combination of performers’ high soprano and tenor voices — along with a small orchestra comprising just 18 musicians — creates a distinctly eerie atmosphere.
“All the instruments are solo; they’re not playing in a section,” Gibson said. “By using just a few instruments, it’s able to evoke an almost outof-this-world, ethereal, spooky sound.”
Gibson said unlike many operas traditionally sung in Italian, German or French, “The Turn of the Screw” is performed in English, making it more accessible for an Ohio State audience.
“Britten is one of those composers that sets words very well,” Gibson said. “[English] is a hard language to sing in, especially if it’s too high or fast; sometimes, you can’t understand all the words, but the way this has been set to the music, it’s very expert in that you can get most of the text.”
Despite this irregularity, Johnson said the music still guides the audience through the story like it does in most major operas.
“The music is all tied together with a common theme,” Johnson said. “When the music changes, you can tell when something is about to happen or if a decision has been made.”
Johnson said one of the show’s central themes is the battle between good and evil, and whether it’s truly black and white. She said the intentionally unsettling set design helps convey this theme to viewers.
“We use plastic to represent the veil between the ghost world and the living,” Johnson said. “There’s grayness and ambiguity. Everything is slightly unclean.”
In addition, Gibson said the set’s furniture has been carefully painted to give it a “dreamlike” appearance.
“All the wood has been painted
overlaid it with a little bit of red, almost to make it look like everything’s bleeding,” Gibson said.
Johnson said at its core, the show is about how we confront the past.
letting go of the past and letting it take over,” Johnson said.
For more information about the production, visit Ohio State’s School of Music webpage.
BIOPICS continued from Page 5
be a person’s life, a book [or] a reboot of something,” Koppula said. “So, it’s not just to blame biopics per se, but I feel like Hollywood is going away from
As biopics continue to dominateception and industry trends remains balance accuracy with dramatic liberties, Spears said the line between truth and entertainment becomes increasingly blurred.
Regardless, Spears said audiences remain captivated and eager to see their favorite celebrities immortalized
“The great thing is, it does recognize people that achieve greatness against great odds,” Spears said. “It keeps their name in the history books.”
COURTESY OF KONNER BARR
The Ohio State Opera Theatre to host productions of “The Turn of the Screw,” starring Skye Johnston as “the governess” and Connor Bruce as Miles.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
How Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon’s friendship has fueled Ohio State to a strong season
By Sam Cipriani Asst. Sports Editor
It was late September 2024, and Jacy season of professional basketball as a member of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.
The former Ohio State star guard in Australia, before a lingering lower leg injury prompted a change in plans.
A month earlier, then-sophomore forward Cotie McMahon also faced uncertainty. She and Sheldon had combined for the one-two scoring punch that fueled the Buckeyes to a 2024 Big Ten regular season championship, fostering a deep friendship in the process.
When Sheldon graduated, McMahon was handed the reins of a Bucksecond-year players. The rising junior
dominated on the court, but didn’t have the experience as a leader.
McMahon said she knew the young
someone who knew the Buckeyes inside and out. It needed Sheldon.
made the jump from player to coach, joining the Buckeyes as their new director of player development. This choice meant she and McMahon would once again be a formidable duo in the world of women’s college basketball.
Reunited, the Buckeye stars continued a relationship that’s now as strong as ever, helping McMahon develop as both a player and leader.
“Since I’ve been here, Jacy has always been here,” McMahon said. “Just being who I am, I just feel like I struggle in some areas that she’s really good at. I did not know what I was going to do without her, so I was just excited that I still had her.”
McMahon said one of these struggle areas was leadership, a quality Sheldon possesses and has helped her improve.
Sheldon said though McMahon’s passion for the game can come across as intense, she can use that internal drive to enhance her leadership abilities.
“I think she’s done an awesome job at transferring that passion to actually leading these girls and teaching these girls, and she’s learned how to communicate with all of them, which is really hard,” Sheldon said.
McMahon said having Sheldon as a role model has allowed her to step up for the team. In addition, she said Sheldon provides the team with valuable insight from her time as both a player and member of head coach Kevin Mc-
“We just needed somebody to kind of just chew us up,” McMahon said. “It’s
in. Just having her, and having somebody who has played in our system for
more within what we do in our system has been great.”
allows McMahon to embrace Sheldon’s advice and use it to improve her game, along with her teammates’.
“Cotie really trusts Jacy, and I think extremely important for her to have somebody like Jacy, who says something to her, and she knows it’s coming from a place of Jacy trying to help Cotie get better. Cotie understands that and appreciates it, so she’ll listen to Jacy.”
McMahon said she is currently implementing Sheldon’s advice to adjust her leadership style based on which teammate she is helping.
“I’ve played with older people, and the way they would talk to me would be harsh, and I would just take it,” McMahon said. “But [I’m] learning how to adjust and be patient and kind of change my words so that people can actually listen and really make a change, versus
McMahon said Sheldon will always hold a special place in the grand scheme of her college basketball career. Though Sheldon is in a new role, she still sees her as a teammate and a friend.
“I can literally talk to her about anything, whether that be basketball, whether it not be basketball,” McMahon said. “That’s just always how our relationship has been.”
Sheldon agreed, noting that sharing a relationship on the court forms a distinct, one-of-a-kind bond that endures
“I think that it’s special to have a player-player relationship,” Sheldon said. “We’ve been through a lot of the same things.”
has instilled in McMahon are certainly evident this season.
With McMahon at the forefront, the No. 8 Buckeyes are 24-4 overall and
against Maryland Jan. 23. The Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins 74-66.
sit third in a tough Big Ten conference with one game left to play in the regular season.
Sheldon said she believes this team has formed the strongest bonds she’s seen during her time as a Buckeye.
“This is one of the closest groups we’ve had in a while, even when I was here,” Sheldon said. “They all really like each other, they all really care about each other and they make each other better. That’s really rare; that’s special, and they realize that too.”
McMahon said this Ohio State team’s drive to improve is what separates it from past squads, adding that she feels optimistic about the program’s future with these players in the mix.
“I think this team is really special,” McMahon said. “[We all] want to get better, and I just think our chemistry is just something that’s unmatched. I feel like the sky’s the limit.”
CALEB BLAKE | LANTERN FILE PHOTO Then-graduate guard Jacy Sheldon (4) drives in from the right wing
State’s 75-63 loss to No. 7 Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament March 23, 2024.
SANDRA FU | PHOTO EDITOR Ohio State junior guard Cotie McMahon celebrates after the game
SPORTS
Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon’s close connection shapes the leadership of Ohio State’s women’s basketball team
No. 8 Ohio State prepares to face rival No. 11 Michigan
By Liv Rinaldi Lantern Reporter
It’s an all-important rivalry weekend for the Buckeyes in Columbus.
No. 8 Ohio State will host No. 11 Michigan in a highly anticipated showdown to close out the regular season, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday at Value City Arena.
and the stakes have never been higher. The Buckeyes and Wolverines’ most recent series was ultra-competitive, with Ohio State winning 4-3 Jan. 3 and Michigan claiming a 3-2 overtime victory Jan. 5.
“I feel like we both have come a long way since we last saw each other,” Buckeye forward Joe Dunlap said. “There’s a lot to expect, and I think we’re ready and we’re well-prepared.”
Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik said the upcoming clash means a lot to this team, especially for his graduating players.
“We got some guys that have been of blood, sweat and tears and a lot of amazing, good things that they have done for this program.”
The Wolverines lead the all-time series 97-52-16, and they still hold the upper hand on the Buckeyes’ home ice with a 41-27-8 advantage.
As the teams prepare for this critical weekend, Ohio State (20-10-2, 138-1 Big Ten) has secured the No. 3 spot in Big Ten standings, and Michigan (17-12-3, 11-9-2 Big Ten) sits just behind in fourth.
As a result, Rohlik said his team is goal, which is doing right by Ohio State.
“It’s truly about the name on the front,” Rohlik said. “This is what
means the most to our group. And it’s that time of year.”
by forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who has recorded 32 points this season. He’s followed by forwards Riley Thompson and Davis Burnside, both with 29 points.
forward T.J. Hughes, who leads the Wolverines with 35 points and ranks No. 1 on the team for both goals and assists.
On the defensive side, the Buckeyes
have the edge, allowing just 2.44 goals per game, compared to Michigan’s 3.2 goals per contest.
Michigan’s power play is among the best in the nation, ranking fourth in the NCAA with scores on 27.2% of its chances, sure to test Ohio State.
With both teams averaging similar goals per game, goaltending will also be a decisive factor.
Ohio State’s Logan Terness has been stellar this season, boasting a 92.3% save rate, and Michigan’s Logan
of shots on goal.
Aside from numbers and stats, Buckeye forward Patrick Guzzo and his teammates know what’s on the line whenever the Buckeyes and Wolverines meet.
“Anytime we get to play Michigan, that’s one of the games that we circle on our calendar, for sure,” Guzzo said. Both games in the Ohio State-Michigan series will broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Then-senior forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (13) drives the puck toward the
Michigan Feb. 3, 2024. The Buckeyes fell to the Wolverines 4-1.
CALEB BLAKE | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
net during Ohio State’s game against
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY