Nora Igelnik

Journalist and Editor

The Lantern •

Ohio State cancels raises for over 300 employees after overturning of US Department of Labor rule

Hundreds of university employees had their raises rescinded after a United States district judge overturned a new Department of Labor rule Nov. 15 that made more employees eligible for overtime pay due to a salary threshold increase.

A Nov. 22 email from Katie Hall — Ohio State’s senior vice president of talent, culture and human resources — and Sarah Sherer — senior associate vice president and chief human resources officer for the Wexner Medical Center — alerted 306 Ohio State employees they...
The Lantern •

Students react to election results, identify what factors influenced their vote

Following the 2024 presidential election, The Lantern reached out to Ohio State students to hear their opinions on the outcome.

Following a close and contentious election, former President Donald Trump won with 50% of the popular vote and 312 electoral votes, while Vice President Kamala Harris received 48.3% of the popular vote and 226 electoral votes, according to the Associated Press.

Out of 31 responses, six leaned conservative while 25 leaned liberal.

The Lantern created a Google Form sur...
The Lantern •

Rear View Mirror: The early seasons of ‘Shameless’ are shamelessly brilliant

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead

“Shameless,” one of Showtime’s most acclaimed television series, is a dark comedy that expertly navigates the fine line between humor and heartbreak.

“Shameless” — which ran for 11 seasons from 2011 to 2021 — follows the Gallagher family, led by al...
The Lantern •

Election 2024: Bernie Moreno wins 2024 Ohio Senate race

Trump-backed, staunch Republican Moreno — a car salesman born in Bogotá, Colombia — defeated incumbent and long-time Democratic player Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH-D) to win the election with 50.6% of the vote when it was called Tuesday at 11:27 p.m., according to the Associated Press.

Brown, who had previously held his Senate seat since 2007, and Moreno led a contentious race fueled by constant and aggressive campaign advertising.

According to a Nov. 1 X post from AdImpact Politics, an advertising...
The Lantern •

Photo gallery: Students for Justice in Palestine hosts study-in for northern Gaza at Thompson Library

Ohio State’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a silent “study-in” protest for northern Gaza in the Grand Reading Room of Thompson Library Tuesday.

Students were invited to study between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. while organizers passed out signs for students to stick on the back of their laptops or other devices.

According to an Ohio State SJP Instagram post, the organization called students to protest “the horrific ongoing genocide in Gaza and the rampant escalations in North Ga...
The Lantern •

Two male students assaulted and robbed near 1728 N. High St. Thursday evening

Two male students who were walking with a female non-student near 1738 N. High St. Thursday night around 11:46 p.m. were physically assaulted and robbed by four male suspects, according to an Ohio State Public Safety Notice issued around 1:20 p.m. Friday.

No arrests have been made at the time of publication, according to the Columbus Division of Police director of communications Jennifer Watson.

Prior to the assault, one of the four male suspects approached the female non-student and made rema...
The Lantern •

Rear View Mirror: Why Samantha Jones and Charlotte York are the true stars of ‘Sex and the City’

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead

HBO’s seminal “Sex and the City” is one of the most influential and iconic television shows in recent history.

“Sex and the City” follows the life of 30-something Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who writes a weekly sex column for the fictio...
The Lantern •

Overview of 2024 Annual Security Report: Fondling, motor vehicle theft and arrests for alcohol violations are top crimes on campus from 2023

In 2023, fondling, motor vehicle theft and arrests for alcohol violations were among the top crimes on campus, according to the 2024 Annual Security Report.

The Clery Act, passed in 1990, requires college campuses to report campus crime data — including Violence Against Women Act offenses, hate crimes, criminal offenses and arrests and referrals for disciplinary action — while outlining policies and procedures put in place to enhance campus safety.

One of the most reported crimes, fondling, in...
The Lantern •

Graduate student injured after shooting at 11th Avenue and North High Street, suspects remain at large

A version of this story was published Sept. 18 at 8:42 p.m. to include information from an interview with Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Joe Albert. The story has since been updated to correct a misunderstanding between The Lantern and Albert, which resulted in an incorrect report that a medic had been shot.

An Ohio State graduate student was injured after a shooting occurred at 11th Avenue and North High Street around 6:18 p.m. Wednesday, said interim Ohio State University Police Division  —...
The Lantern •

One injured after shooting on Olentangy River Road and John H Herrick Drive, suspect still at large

One person was injured after a shooting occurred near Olentangy River Road and John H Herrick Drive Monday night, with the suspect still at large.

According to an Ohio State Public Safety Notice issued at 10:20 p.m., an unhoused individual unaffiliated with the university flagged down a bus on the John H Herrick Bridge at approximately 8:30 p.m. The victim informed the bus driver he had been shot and needed medical attention.

The victim was then transported to the hospital in stable condition....
The Lantern •

Takeaways from university President Ted Carter Jr.’s sit-down interview with The Lantern

University President Ted Carter Jr. visited The Lantern’s newsroom Wednesday to discuss some of Ohio State’s most pressing issues, including university space standards, the unfilled vice president and provost positions, his recent raise and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Space standards

Following a sharp increase in on-campus political activism last year due to the war in Gaza, Carter and Melissa Shivers, senior vice president of Student Life, issued two separate university-wide emails regar...
The Lantern •

Rear View Mirror: How ‘The Sopranos’ showcased society’s reluctance to change

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead.

“The Sopranos” is arguably one of the most highly regarded television shows of all time. The program’s premiere put HBO on the map in 1999, establishing it as a network willing to redefine the boundaries programming can cross concerning touchy subj...
The Lantern •

Over 300 gather Tuesday night for vigil on the Oval, commemorate six Israeli hostages killed in Gaza

A vigil organized by OSU Hillel and JewishColumbus took place on the Oval around 6 p.m. Tuesday, with over 300 students and community members praying over the loss of six Israeli hostages and all hostages who remain in Gaza.

According to the Associated Press, Israel announced Sunday it had recovered the bodies of six hostages captured Oct. 7, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 21. Five of the six hostages kill...
The Lantern •

Ohio State football players participate in Christian baptism ceremony outside of Curl Market, over 800 gather to observe

More on this event’s timeline, context and relationship with the university’s space standards below. Plus, read comments from involved athletes and attendees.

Between 800-1,000 people congregated to watch Ohio State football players help facilitate a Christian baptism ceremony outside of Curl Market Sunday, with at least 60 attendees being baptized by the end of the night.

Senior running back TreVeyon Henderson, senior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, graduate wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, former B...
The Lantern •

Ohio State offers free teletherapy to all students through college mental health service Uwill

Ohio State now offers free teletherapy services to all students — whether they are undergraduate, graduate, professional or live on a regional campus — due to a $2.5 million mental health award from the state of Ohio.

Funds were allocated in the 2024-25 state budget to provide mental health and behavioral resources to institutions of higher education across Ohio, Ryan Lovell, associate vice president for health and well-being in the Office of Student Life, said in an email. Ohio State applied t...
The Lantern •

OSUPD Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt to retire, Monica Moll named interim chief and associate VP of public safety

After 34 years with the department, the Ohio State University Police Department — or OSUPD — Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt is set to retire Monday. Monica Moll, former Ohio State director of public safety, will step in as interim OSUPD chief and serve as the associate vice president of public safety.

Spears-McNatt said she graduated from Ohio State in 1993 and joined the OSUPD in 1994, making her a long-time Buckeye community member. She was named the OSUPD’s first female police chief in 2018, a...
The Lantern •

President Ted Carter Jr., USG President Bobby McAlpine speak at 2024 Convocation ceremony

Ohio State welcomed its freshman class of Buckeyes — estimated to make up at least 9,000 students as the largest class in the university’s history — at Convocation Monday, the book-end ceremony to Commencement.

After the Ohio State University Marching Band finished its round of upbeat songs as the freshman class filed in, Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for Student Life, opened Convocation with a lesson about how connected Ohio State is as a community.

“Have no doubt when you call ‘O-H-...
The Lantern •

University transitions away from free access to Adobe Creative Cloud

Ohio State students no longer have free access to the Adobe Creative Cloud on personal computers due to an Aug. 1 transition to free Adobe Express Premium as a replacement.

The university’s new contract with Adobe permits it to offer free Adobe Express access to students, faculty and staff, while also providing the Adobe Creative Cloud at the “significantly reduced cost” of $35 per license with a $1 credit card processing fee, Katharine Keune, chief communication officer for the Office of Techn...
The Lantern •

Protests, DEI and more take center stage at President Ted Carter Jr.’s pre-Convocation press conference Monday

University President Ted Carter Jr. addressed class size, affordability, safety, campus protests and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — or DEI — before Ohio State’s 2024 Convocation Monday.

Notably, Carter said he estimates the freshman class to be the largest in the university’s 154-year history.

“I had a record-breaking 80,000 applications for this fall semester,” Carter said. “That was just for the incoming undergraduate freshman class — 40,000 out of state, 40,000 in state. So we’re estimat...
Ideastream Public Media •

Playhouse Square volunteer marks milestone birthday and anniversary

When you go to see a show at Playhouse Square, you've likely met up with a RedCoat volunteer that has shown you to your seat.Over the last 40 years, Bill DeCapite has been one of those ushers. His volunteer work in the community is part of a long life of service that that also included active duty in World War II.DeCapite grew up in South Euclid and spent much of his life in Cleveland. As a small business owner, he operated a body shop in Cleveland Heights.He will turn 100 later this month and r...
The Lantern •

College of Medicine introduces Community Medicine MD Track to improve healthcare in rural areas

The Ohio State College of Medicine will host its very first cohort of students who will be taking the Community Medicine MD Track — or CMT — which is for students who want to practice medicine in rural areas or small communities.

According to a Health Resources and Services Administration report, 65% of rural areas had a shortage of primary care physicians in 2023. The incoming CMT cohort will host 15 students who will spend their first two years of medical school on the Columbus campus, and th...
Ideastream Public Media •

Ohio universities developing ‘intellectual diversity centers

Universities across the country have faced scrutiny recently over a perceived liberal bias on campuses, ranging from issues related to the Israel-Hamas war to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.Some lawmakers, like Ohio Senator Jerry Cirino, a Republican from Kirtland, see universities as places where students are immersed in liberal teachings without being exposed to other viewpoints.That is why Cirino and fellow Republican Ohio Senator Rob McColley drafted Senate Bill 117, which was added to and...
The Lantern •

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

Ohio voters approved Issue 2 last November, thereby legalizing the possession, growth and use of marijuana statewide. Additionally, the law’s passing permitted the sale of marijuana by licensed dispensaries and created the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, or DCC.

The DCC issued the first dual-use dispensary certificates of operation Tuesday, allowing select dispensaries to start selling non-medical marijuana to consumers.

According to the DCC’s website, non-medical consumers of marijuana cur...
Ideastream Public Media •

Ohio is now open for business for recreational marijuana sales

Ohio is now open for business for recreational marijuana sales.The state allowed dispensaries to begin selling marijuana yesterday, nine months after voters approved making recreational marijuana legal. Adults 21 and older can legally grow or buy marijuana under provisions of the statute that passed last November.The state already had a medical marijuana infrastructure established and the 98 dispensaries that opened for business yesterday were given the greenlight by the state late last week for...
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