September 7, 2012

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Friday September 7, 2012 year: 132 No. 93

the student voice of

The Ohio State University

www.thelantern.com

thelantern Trophy within grasp

sports

PATRICK MAKS Asst. sports editor maks.1@osu.edu

Catching on

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OSU coach Urban Meyer said his wide receivers are starting to improve.

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While Ohio State’s football season now has the potential to end with a trophy, OSU sophomore wide receiver Evan Spencer said perfection was the goal anyway. “I’m glad we can, but at the same time, we were going to go undefeated either way,� Spencer said. Despite NCAA sanctions that barred the program from playing in the Big Ten Championship game and a bowl this postseason, Big Ten Conference spokesman Scott Chipman confirmed the Buckeyes are eligible to officially win the Leaders Division this season — and they’d even get a trophy for doing it. The hope for a Big Ten Championship or national crown is still unachievable, but claiming their divisional is better than nothing, right? Spencer said the battle plan for this season doesn’t change. “We were always just trying to go undefeated and show the country that we’re the best,� Spencer said. “And now that we actually get a chance to win a trophy or something like that, it’s just kind of like a cherry on top. It’s just something extra.� Hours after the development broke, first-year coach Urban Meyer said it was news to even him. “That’s the first I’ve heard something like that,� Meyer said. Meyer said there wouldn’t be talk of the matter within the program and spun the discussion to the Buckeyes’ game against Central Florida on Saturday. “We’re 1-0, we’re not a very good team. We’re average right now,� Meyer said. “We’re playing a

very good team that I think’s equal at some positions. There’s going to be zero conversation about that in our locker room.â€? Meyer, who won his Buckeye debut 56-10 against Miami (Ohio) last Saturday afternoon, was adamant that he hadn’t heard the news that his team now had the potential to achieve something tangible in 2012. “I don’t want to spend that much more time on it but yeah, I think at the end of the day ‌ I never heard that.â€? Meyer said. “I’ve never even thought about it and it’s not going to make us play harder this Saturday.â€? Meyer found room to interject humor into the conversation. “I know we can’t go to the (Big Ten Championship) game. They didn’t change that did they?â€? Meyer said playfully. Like their coach, a handful of players available to the media after practice on Wednesday evening insisted they were formerly unaware they could claim a divisional title. “Do you know what happens if you have the best record in the Leaders Division?â€? one reporter asked sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller. The sophomore said he hadn’t a clue. “Nope,â€? Miller said. “I have no idea — just keep playing.â€? When told the Buckeyes could capture their division championship, Miller said the team’s mentality wouldn’t change. “Uhhh,â€? Miller started, “it’s just one game at a time. We’ll see what happens after that.â€?

continued as Trophy on 3A ANDREW HOLLERAN / Photo editor

Student in critical condition after accident KRISTEN MITCHELL Campus editor mitchell.935@osu.edu

4A

A tribute to Zeppelin

Zoso, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, is scheduled to perform 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Newport Music Hall.

campus

Biker strikes pedestrian

DANIEL CHI / Asst. photo editor

First-year OSU student James Hughes is in critical, but stable condition Thursday afternoon, said his father David Hughes.

After being hit and run over by a construction truck Wednesday, injured cyclist James Hughes’ father said he’d have a long road to recovery. Ohio State Police identified 18-year-old Hughes, a first-year in chemical engineering, as the student who was hit near a construction site on Woodruff Avenue Wednesday by a dump truck while biking to class. The South Point, Ohio, native was transported to Wexner Medical Center for treatment of injuries. Hughes’ father, David Hughes, said his son is in critical condition, but is stable. He said when he heard about the accident and that his son was injured, he was shocked. “At that time we just knew he’d been hit, we didn’t have a lot of information,� he said. “At this time, to our understanding he left his dorm and was headed to class on his bike, and got hit by a dump truck. He got ran over by the front wheel of the dump truck.�

A representative from the Medical Center said Thursday afternoon that the hospital did not have James Hughes in its system. David Hughes said that his son is still in the hospital Thursday afternoon. “He won’t be out of the hospital for a long time,� David Hughes said. “It’s going to be a long road for him.� He said the incident has been hard on his family, but they have been staying with friends and family in the aftermath and doing a lot of praying. The university released a statement from Jay Kasey, senior vice president of administration and planning, that expressed his remorse about the situation. Kasey said that safety remains the “highest priority� on campus, and that the project manager on the construction project is cooperating with the university and is involved in the review of the incident. “All of us at Ohio State are deeply

3A Drinking laws don’t change on game day

weather

PAM HARASYN Lantern reporter harasyn.1@osu.edu

high 89 low 68 partly cloudy

SA SU M T

70/53

showers early

73/54

partly cloudy

76/55

sunny

81/58

partly cloudy www.weather.com

With football season in full swing, students and fans seem to cross alcohol at every turn. From tailgates to house parties to bars along High Street, one can forget how easy it can be to violate open container and underage drinking laws — and pay very real consequences. Ohio State Police Chief Paul Denton said these laws are black and white. “You can’t have an open container of beer. No person — adult, underage, anyone — can have an open container of beer or liquor in any public place,� Denton said. University Police cited 12 people on campus for violating open container laws on Saturday when the Buckeyes opened up their season against Miami (Ohio), according to police logs. All 12 arrests were non-affiliates of the university and of legal drinking age. Last season when OSU opened against Akron on Sept. 3, 14 people were cited for breaking this law, two of whom were under 21. Denton said there is no hidden meaning to the term “public place,� meaning the second people

step foot off private property, they run the risk of receiving a ticket for breaking the state of Ohio’s open container law, a minor misdemeanor. The consequences are much worse if the violator is under the age of 21. Anyone under the legal drinking age cannot possess alcohol, even in an unopened container, Denton said. “That’s a misdemeanor of the first degree,â€? Denton said. “It’s on the same level as domestic violence, assault, resisting arrest ‌ it’s the same level of seriousness.â€? Denton added that violators of both laws might also be in violation of university policies regarding alcohol possession and consumption, which applies to more than just students. “The other punishment is the university has policies about regulating and governing alcoholic beverages for faculty, staff, student employees, students, volunteers and visitors,â€? Denton said. OSU’s official policy states, “The use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the premises of The Ohio State University unless an exception for a special event is requested and written approval is granted ‌ (or) it occurs in university premises licensed to sell alcohol.â€? The policy states, “Any student, faculty member, staff member, volunteer or visitor found to be in

continued as Biker on 3A

violation of local, state, and/or federal law, or who violate the university’s alcohol and other drug policies, are subject to university disciplinary procedures and/or referral to the appropriate authorities for legal prosecution.� Jade Lackey, a second-year in public affairs, said she received a hefty fine and a required alcohol class when she was ticketed last year for sitting in front of a beer at a bar. “I had a draft beer mug in my hand and I put it down on a table,� Lackey said. “(Some police officers) came up to me and asked how old I was and I said 19. And they said, ‘Put your hands behind your back, you’re under arrest.’ It was like $1,000 when all was said and done, and I had to go to a drug and alcohol, all-day class because I was underage.� Logan Oates, a fourth-year in communication, warns that the harm of underage drinking doesn’t end at the legal level. “You’re putting those people you’re providing to in jeopardy because they don’t really understand how to consume alcohol appropriately and what their personal limits are,� Oates said. “Especially with first-years, they’re balancing so much other

continued as Drinking on 3A

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