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The student voice of the Ohio State University
Thursday, October 5, 2017
thelantern.com
@TheLantern
Year 137, Issue No. 40
Apple partnership bringing free iPads for incoming freshmen SUMMER CARTWRIGHT Campus Editor cartwright.117@osu.edu Every incoming freshmen at all Ohio State campuses will receive a 10.5-inch, 256GB iPad Pro from the university — for free — beginning in Autumn 2018. The university is collaborating with Apple to provide not only iPads, but also an iOS laboratory, which will be introduced to Ohio State’s Columbus campus Spring 2018. The total retail value of providing all first-year students with the device next year is more than $10 million. The university will pay a discounted rate, given the scale of the agreement with Apple — the first of its kind for each entity — but the terms are still being finalized, Chris Davey, an Ohio State spokesman, said. The iPads will be funded through the university’s administrative efficiency program, which redirects various inefficient funds into savings or quality improvements. The iOS laboratory will be a location for students to learn
Apple-specific coding called “Swift,” develop apps and collaborate with Apple employees on tech endeavors, University President Michael Drake said Wednesday. He said the collaboration with workers from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, could occur, as well. “The idea is to really have the collaborative, working-together opportunity for people to learn and develop apps,” he said, though it’s not entirely clear whether the university or the tech company would own the apps created. The lab location, which has yet to be determined, will be in a temporary space for Spring 2018 and move to a permanent location in 2019, Drake said. A course will be open for students to learn Swift coding Spring Semester, while other extracurricular options, such as appointments to learn the computer language, are still under development, Davey said. In addition to the courses, students and faculty could be hired to work at the iOS lab, Drake
RIS TWIGG | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
The university is collaborating with Apple to provide not only iPads, but also an iOS laboratory, which will be introduced to Ohio State’s Columbus campus Spring 2018. said. The rollout of iPads on campus will be gradual, Drake said. Incoming freshmen will be given the device, and the next three incoming classes after them will, as well. Those already attending Ohio State will not, because Drake said providing iPads to all students at once is “cost prohibitive.” “This is a big start and this will
be enough,” he said. “This phase is really a four-ish year phase until we have all entering classes [with iPads].” Though the iPads are technically under university ownership, students will be given a training course on how to use various apps and features. Professors will be trained on how to implement iPads in their courses by other faculty members
USG revives discussion on excused-absence policy TERESA CARDENAS Lantern reporter cardenas.53@osu.edu Undergraduate Student Government’s general assembly voted last week on a resolution to create a university-wide excused-absence policy. The resolution passed unanimously. This policy would suggest an enforcement of all professors to not penalize students for missing class if there is a valid reason to be excused. These reasons include, but are not limited to, military duty, religious observances and deaths in the family. Students would still be responsible for completing the work required for their missed class. Ohio State does not have a university-wide absence policy, and instead lets each department or school decide its own policy. USG’s Vice President Sophie Chang, a fourth-year in environment, economy, development and sustainability, said this policy
The
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Ohio State does not have a university-wide absence policy, and instead allows each department or school to decide its own policy. could relieve students from dealing with inflexible professors who will not adapt their attendance policy. “If you have a final during a religious holiday you shouldn’t be required to go to your final in light of your holiday and you should have the flexibility to re-
schedule whatever final or class or exam that you’re taking at that time,” Chang said. Mario Belfiglio, a fourth-year in biology and USG’s chair for the undergraduate caucus, said the majority of introductory classes have exams in the evenings, around the time of prayer
with knowledge on the matter like Nicole Kraft, an assistant professor in journalism who teaches courses using the iPad app iTunes U, and Theodore Chao, an assistant professor in the college of education and human ecology, who trains prospective teachers in practices they can use on the iPad while teaching. “There is no device that has more accessibility built into it than the iPad,” Chao said. He said his students with an iPad can immediately upload video footage, move files around, create interactive lessons and easily share documents.” “I see a lot of potential [in the Apple partnership],” Chao said. “Swift is so intuitive — a platform that children can use to code, but also doctoral students and adults can use to build out apps.” Ohio State has been involved with Apple for several years, most notably in 2013 when the marching band purchased 45 iPads and began using the devices to choreograph and plan its halftime shows. IPADS CONTINUES ON 4
New service for international students to discuss LGBTQ identities
for certain religions, which would be protected by this policy. USG senator Becky Slavik, a third-year in international studies and Russian, said she has personally experienced times where it was difficult to be excused from class for religious holidays, and said that other people in the student body have felt the same way. “They’ve been told that they need to show extra proof or they need to make it seem like it’s important and you really have to go out of your way to explain what the holiday is,” Slavik, also a co-sponsor of the resolution, said. A similar resolution was passed by USG in February of the 20162017 academic year. However, resolutions expire at the end of each academic year, and Kate Greer, a second-year in German and history and a co-sponsor of the resolution, said she believes this updated resolution could generate support from administrators.
International students at Ohio State who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer now have the opportunity to take part in a group specifically made to discuss their sexual orientation. The group, called International Exploration, was introduced this week at Counseling and Consultation Services. It was created to provide students the support they might need while away from home. For students to participate, a 20-minute screening with psychologist Chiaothong Yong is required to confirm their qualification and ensure confidentiality.
USG CONTINUES ON 2
LGBTQ CONTINUES ON 3
JASMINE HUANG Lantern reporter huang.2350@osu.edu