December 4, 2014

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Thursday December 4, 2014 year: 134 No. 95

@TheLantern weather high 39 low 33

thelantern

Jones prepares for B1G game

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OSU mum on how much it pays PR firms

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Truslow focuses on positivity

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‘O-H-I-O’ chant has poor timing

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“We’ve still got that bad taste in our mouth from last year, in that stadium ... We haven’t been back since, so we’re coming in with a chip on our shoulder.” -Jeff Heuerman, senior tight end

Liz Young Editor-in-chief young.1693@osu.edu Ohio State has held contracts with at least two public relations firms this year, but it’s unclear how much those firms were paid. Both of the contracts were in effect when former OSU Marching Band director Jonathan Waters was fired. The university entered a contract with Atlantabased Paradigm Four Inc. for “advice, strategies and consultations in regards to communication, media relations and messaging,” or other areas as decided on by President Michael Drake or OSU’s general counsel, according to the contract, provided to The Lantern on Nov. 25 to fill an Oct. 9 records request. The contract’s term ran from July 13 to Oct. 12. The contract required that Paradigm Four CEO and President Brian Curtis be the exclusive person providing the services. It left open the option for further consulting work, to be paid for by an additional fee, the amount of which was not disclosed. The amount of the contract was redacted because of trade secrets. It was paid by one sum for the first 30 days and then a flat fee for the following two months. Curtis was also entitled to reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses like meeting room costs and travel expenses. Paradigm Four did not return calls or emails requesting comment. Paradigm Four works with “institutions, athletic departments and businesses on leadership, teambuilding, messaging and crisis communication,” according to “From the Field to the Firm,” a leadership program. Curtis has written two books and was a college basketball and football reporter for CSTV/CBS College Sports with previous broadcast reporting experience as well. The firm was selected for its “strong national reputation,” OSU spokesman Gary Lewis said in an email, and there was no competitive bid process.

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mark batke / Photo editor

Members of the OSU football team gather around coach Urban Meyer (center) before a game against Michigan on Nov. 29 at Ohio Stadium. OSU won, 42-28.

Buckeyes stick together ahead of B1G title game

tim moody Sports editor moody.178@osu.edu After falling short of its goal last season, the Ohio State football team earned a second chance in 2014. The Buckeyes — ranked No. 5 in the College Football Playoff standings — are set to match up with No. 13

Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday, one day short of a year since they lost to Michigan State in the title game last season. In order to reverse that 34-24 result, senior cornerback Doran Grant said OSU has to work harder than ever before heading into Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend. “Just more effort. More effort, more focus, more everything,” Grant said

Wednesday. “It’s championship week, everything has to be more, and we’ve gotta execute and compete.” If OSU pulls out a win against the Badgers, it will mean the 35th Big Ten championship in program history, but first since 2009. That four-year gap means the current Buckeye seniors don’t have a conference title on their resume.

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CABS driver to return to work after hitting pedestrian Collision undergoing formal review process CABS citations ‘not a common occurrence’ chelsea spears Multimedia editor spears.116@osu.edu

A Campus Area Bus Service driver is expected to return to duty roughly a week after the bus he was operating struck a pedestrian off-campus. Columbus Division of Police officers issued the CABS driver a citation for failing to yield and hitting a pedestrian on North Fourth Street and East 13th Avenue on Monday morning, CPD spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said. That driver will be returning to work next week, although the incident is still undergoing a formal review process, Administration and Planning spokesman Dan Hedman said in a Wednesday email. “Transportation & Traffic Management has a thorough review process and takes every incident of this nature very seriously. This process includes a review and understanding of any information available from CPD (which responded to the incident and gathered information) as well as a review of any other relevant records,” Hedman said in the email. The incident happened Monday at about 10:30 a.m. when the pedestrian was attempting to cross North Fourth Street. The pedestrian told police that when he began crossing North Fourth Street eastbound at East 13th Avenue, no vehicles were coming toward him, Alex-Bouzounis said. At the time the pedestrian started crossing the street, the CABS bus was stopped at a bus stop also on North Fourth Street just south of East 13th Avenue, Alex-Bouzounis said. She said the bus driver told officers he

michaela good Lantern reporter good.241@osu.edu

taylor cameron / Lantern photographer

Passengers board a CABS bus heading north on College Road on Nov. 11 outside the Ohio Union. didn’t see the pedestrian and began moving the bus forward when he then struck the pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center in stable condition, a CPD dispatcher said Monday. The pedestrian is not affiliated with the university, OSU spokesman Gary Lewis said in a Monday email. Alex-Bouzounis said the CPD report does not state how fast the driver was going when he struck the pedestrian, but noted the roads were wet at the time of the incident.

Hedman said the driver has worked for CABS for three years and had never been issued a citation prior to Monday’s incident. “It is important to note that prior to this incident the driver had a spotless record and is a valued team member with many years of experience,” Hedman said. The dispatcher said the incident report does not state if anyone besides the bus driver was on the bus at the time of the incident.

Campus Area Bus Service drivers are expected to obey the laws of the road just like every other licensed driver, but sometimes they fail to meet expectations — but an Administration and Planning spokesman said that isn’t common. CABS, an Ohio State-based transit service used by many in the OSU community, had 4.9 million riders in 2013, said Administration and Planning spokesman Dan Hedman in an email. And since 2012, CABS drivers have received at least nine traffic citations for a variety of reasons ranging from improper backing to hitting a pedestrian. As of Dec. 3 of this year, CABS drivers have received at least three citations: one for failure to control, one for assured clear distance and one for failure to yield and hitting a pedestrian, Hedman said. According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, all three citations result in two points on the recipient’s driver’s license. Columbus Division of Police officers issued the CABS driver a citation for failing to yield and hitting a pedestrian on North Fourth Street and East 13th Avenue on Monday

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Crime brief: At least 4 arrests during Mirror Lake jump MICHELE THEODORE Managing editor for content theodore.13@osu.edu There were various arrests during the Mirror Lake jump this year, including one incident where a student tried to take a police officer’s hat. There were at least three

reports of disorderly conduct, three thefts and one offense involving underage persons at Mirror Lake last Tuesday and early Wednesday during the Mirror Lake jump. A 20-year-old male student was arrested for offenses involving underage persons on Nov. 26 at 12:20 a.m. He was taken to Franklin County Correctional Center,

according to a University Police report, and his case was still open as of Wednesday evening. A 22-year-old female student who was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol was arrested for disorderly conduct at about midnight on Nov. 26. She had also lost her phone but it was recovered, according to the report.

Two 21-year-old women were also arrested for disorderly conduct — one at midnight and one at about 11:30 p.m. earlier that night. They were both suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. In one of the cases of theft, a 20-year-old female student

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leisa decarlo / Lantern reporter

OSU fans jump into Mirror Lake on the night of Nov. 25-26.

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