Oct. 7, 2021 — Best of OSU 2021

2 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BEST LATE NIGHT EATS

BUCKEYE DONUTS LINDSEY AMORE Lantern reporter amore.32@osu.edu

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Flavor, nostalgia, convenience and community are some of the secret ingredients to Buckeye Donuts’ success over the decades.

For the fourth consecutive year, Buckeye Donuts has been voted best late-night eats by readers of The Lantern. Although much of High Street has changed to be almost unrecognizable, one thing has remained the same over the years — selling the same sweet treats.

Jimmy Barouxis, third-generation owner of Buckeye Donuts since 2001, said he frequently meets up with regulars from years before, especially during the football season. An instance that remains near and dear to his heart involves a man and his son who come in every October to take a photo behind the counter.

“His son is bigger than me now,” Barouxis said. “We took a picture right behind the counter every year. I think we’ve gotten about 10 years of doing that.”

For students on campus, Buckeye Donuts is frequented largely because it is quick, convenient and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week standing by their motto “open always, closed never,” Barouxis said.

But alumni go out of their way every year to come back, due to the quality, nostalgia and dedication to serving the community at every given opportunity, Barouxis said.

“Christmas Day, we have a line. New Year’s, we have a line. Thanksgiving, a line,” Jason Payne, production manager of Buckeye Donuts, said. “It’s very oldfashioned here. That’s a good thing.”

Payne, who has worked at Buckeye Donuts for more than 30 years, said the donuts are all cut, filled and coated by hand, as has been tradition since the shop opened. He said he thinks the quality is better than most modern donut joints as a result.

BUCKEYE DONUTS CONTINUES ON 3

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“The dough is all made by hand, it’s all hand-cut,” Payne said. “Sometimes they’ll be a little bigger and some a little smaller, though that’s the nature of hand-cut stuff — it’s better.”

With over 50 flavors to choose from, there is something for everyone, Barouxis said. Not only are the donuts all made using the same methods from when the store first opened, but they are made fresh every day of the week and twice daily five days a week.

“Let the product speak for itself — that’s the key,” Barouxis said.

“That’s the number one thing and then, of course, you have to advertise it. But if you are advertising products of subpar average, it’s only going to get you so far. You won’t get the repeat business. Without repeat business, you can’t have a thriving business.”

This repeat business has paid off, and Barouxis said Buckeye

Donuts has recently beaten its sales record. Although he did not share specific numbers, he said the business is doing well.

Business is booming, but Barouxis said he does not plan to expand the business in his time of owning it.

“This is enough,” Barouxis said. “You know, I don’t need anything more than this. I’d rather be small but good, rather than two or three locations and it’s just mediocre.”

Despite the reputation Buckeye Donuts has built as a late-night watering hole, Barouxis said the shop has been popular for a while.

In 2001, when Barouxis took the reins, famed musician Prince came into the shop, boosting its popularity at the perfect time.

“This was pre-internet when I took over,” Barouxis said. “I had to advertise paper print advertising and word of mouth.

Word of mouth is the best

Thursday, October 7, 2021 | The Lantern | 3

advertising, I think, but it takes time. But back then, the radio called me and I was here, I served him and that’s been in the paper.”

Prince is not the only wellknown figure to step foot into the sweet-smelling shop during Barouxis’ reign. Dave Attell from the early 2000s Comedy Central show “Insomniac,” which covered 24-hour late-night food spots in different cities, featured Buckeye Donuts on Season 4, Episode 9, Barouxis said.

With patrons ranging from Ohio State students to international pop stars, steady business and complete ownership over the store, Barouxis said customers will never have to worry about Buckeye Donuts leaving.

“I want to keep a continual chain of Buckeye Donuts 24/7,” Barouxis said. “Buckeye Donuts is here to stay.”

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Jimmy Barouxis, third-generation owner of Buckeye Donuts, poses with some of the donuts sold at his shop, all of which are cut,

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BEST BAR

OUT-R-INN

KATHLEEN JONES | LANTERN REPORTER

KATHLEEN JONES Lantern reporter jones.6245@osu.edu When Ohio State canceled class in January 2014 due to extreme temperatures, flocks of students still made the freezing trek to Out-R-Inn for Mug Night.

Out-R-Inn is a bar near North Campus known for its old-style atmosphere and great deals, such as Mug Night, which offers low-priced refills of beer in a souvenir mug. After its opening in 1969, the bar quickly became a not-so-hidden gem for Ohio State students and Columbus residents alike, holding the history of decades of patrons within — and scribbled on — its four walls.

Tom Shepherd, a 2014 Ohio State graduate, said he and his friends were among those who went straight to the bar on the frigid Sunday night after classes were canceled.

“Immediately, everybody left their homes and apartments and went to OutR-Inn,” Shepherd said. “It was just kind of funny because it was too dangerous for students to walk to class because it was so cold, but we still went to the bar anyway.”

This year, Out-R-Inn was voted best bar by readers of The Lantern. Although the

bar appeals to plenty of current Ohio State students, many Ohio State alumni dating back to the bar’s opening have a deepseated appreciation for the spot as well.

Shepherd said the primary appeal of Out-R-Inn when he was in college was its laid-back ambiance.

“There were other bars where you would kind of get looked at if you weren’t wearing the right clothing, because you had to wear a shirt with a collar or anything like that,” Shepherd said. “Out-R-Inn is kind of the exact opposite. It’s a very come-as-you-are place.”

Mic Gordon, who lived in Columbus from 1987 to 1988, said the character of the bar has remained very similar over the years.

Gordon, the father of a fourth-year, said he recently went with his daughter and the atmosphere of the bar has remained largely unchanged, down to the signature pool table.

“It’s probably the exact same pool table we used to shoot pool on,” Gordon said.

Despite having maintained the same atmosphere for decades, in the 1980s, Gordon said Out-R-Inn was more technologically savvy than its competitors.

“CDs were a brand new technology about then, and they were super cool because they

had a big CD player and a great collection,” Gordon said. “They would just pop on an album or a CD and play the whole thing, which is pretty rare. Most bars would either play the radio or a set playlist or whatever.”

The rack that held hundreds of CDs in the 1980s is still in use behind the bar, Billy Parrott, a 2015 Ohio State alumnus and bartender at Out-R-Inn, said.

Now, however, it holds some different items, such as liquor balls and personal belongings patrons may want to entrust to the bartender while at the bar.

Although Out-R-Inn has maintained similarities to its original years, some things have inevitably changed with time.

The bar used to have a basketball court where the wheelchair ramp is now, Gordon said.

“Even if girls didn’t come with us, we didn’t really care,” Gordon said. “We would play two-on-two basketball and just be dripping in sweat, right? But yeah, we would play for beers, and same thing for pool.”

Since he started working there in 2013, Parrott said the bar itself hasn’t changed much, but the people coming through have.

“I remember when I first started bartending, if you weren’t at the bar by like 7 o’clock on a Wednesday through Sunday,

you wouldn’t be able to find a place to sit down or anything. It’d be slammed,” Parrott said. “Now, people just come out later.”

The bar has expanded since its opening in 1969, Parrott said. There is a beam overhead a few steps after entering the bar, and everything north of the beam has been added on to the original building, Parrott said.

Liz Singer, a 1988 Ohio State graduate, said Out-R-Inn is appealing to the older crowd as well because they can count on being able to come back to a place that is familiar.

“Once you get to a certain year, it’s nostalgic,” Singer said. “People always want to go back, and it really doesn’t change.”

As seasons have passed and years have rolled, Out-R-Inn has stood as a testimony that the history of the Buckeyes lives on in unexpected places.

“There’s writing on the wall from decades ago,” Shepherd said. “I think it’s kind of corny to say, but you feel very attached to the history of Ohio State when you’re there.”

6 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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JACOB BENGE Assistant Sports Editor benge.30@osu.edu When the confetti settled and the lights turned out at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami last January, then-junior wide receiver Chris Olave had a decision to make.

The wideout just finished an eightcatch performance against No. 1 Alabama in what could have been his last game as a Buckeye. Olave’s first opportunity to enter the NFL was ahead, and he very well could have been selected to earn both a professional roster spot and contract.

But Olave said his legacy at Ohio State was not over.

“I’m a competitor, so after the national championship, I had a terrible feeling in my stomach. I just didn’t want to leave college like that,” Olave said in April.

“Growing up, I always wanted to win a national championship, I always wanted to do everything in college. I feel like we had unfinished business.”

In a surprising move, Olave returned to the Buckeyes for his senior season. The 2020 First Team All-Big Ten receiver currently leads Ohio State in receiving touchdowns and has started all five games.

Olave was voted best football player on the No. 7 Ohio State roster by readers of The Lantern.

“He’s got a really bright future. He puts a little bit of pressure on himself because he wants to be the best in the country, and that’s good,” head coach Ryan Day said.

“We want guys like that. His experience has really helped that room.”

Named a captain for the first time in 2021, Olave leads the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room, touted as one of the best in college football.

The California native completes a dangerous duo with junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson, a fellow preseason AllAmerican. Sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba makes the pair more of a three-headed monster from the slot position, and a number of four- and fivestar recruits wait in the wings behind them.

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Olave is already a threat when the Buckeyes look to move deep downfield, and his athleticism is apparent from the toetap catches he completes with regularity.

However, there’s more Olave said he wants to add to his skill set.

“I feel like I needed to work on some things,” Olave said. “Try to get in the weight room more, get a lot stronger, turn into a complete receiver. Try to be NFLready Week 1 when I get to the NFL.” The 2021 season has been an intriguing one for Olave, where he saw 12 total receiving yards across Weeks 3 and 4 while

getting shut out completely against Tulsa.

Olave burst back onto the scene against Rutgers, however, with his third 100-yard performance of the year. He added two touchdowns to move into a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter for most receiving scores in Ohio State history.

“To be able to get that feel again, get my hands on the ball, make some plays with my team, that’s huge for me,” Olave said.

“That’s all I want to do is make the team better.”

It’s easy to see how skilled Olave is on the football field, but the impact he has on

BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER

his teammates off of it is even greater.

His return to Ohio State showed his commitment to not only himself and his football future, but also to the Buckeyes.

“I think everyone knew what he could do on the field, but to be captain is a direct reflection of how he’s carried himself off the field,” wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said. “He’s not a big ‘rah rah’ guy, so it just shows how I’m sure he is pulling guys aside and making an impact when guys aren’t around. That’s who Chris is: always has been.”

CHRIS OLAVE

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SOPHIE YATES Lantern reporter yates.288@osu.edu With its short distance from campus and intimate atmosphere, Newport Music Hall has remained a favorite concert-going location for Ohio State students over the years.

The hall is the longest continually running rock club in the country, converted from a movie theater into the Agora Ballroom in 1970, according to the PromoWest Productions website. In 1984, the location was purchased by PromoWest Productions and converted into the Newport Music Hall.

Since then, the venue has hosted many musical greats, including Neil Young, Twenty One Pilots, Foreigner and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The music hall has earned a reputation with the Columbus community as a go-to concert venue for Ohio State students in particular, earning the title of best concert venue from readers of The Lantern.

Located across from the Ohio Union on North High Street, Newport is a stone’s throw from campus. Marissa McClellan, marketing director for PromoWest Productions, said the proximity and history of the venue could be a reason for its continued popularity over the years.

“Being so close that everybody can walk to it is definitely a bonus,” McClellan said. “We’ve been around there for over 50 years now, and it’s just a staple to the community.”

Because the venue has been around for so long, McClellan said Newport’s popularity has likely transferred over generations of Ohio State families.

“I’m sure the students now, their parents remember going to a show there if they went to Ohio State, maybe even their grandparents at this point,” McClellan said.

“I think that kind of has a lot to do with just the history involved with the venue.”

In comparison to other concert venues in Columbus, such as Express Live! and Nationwide Arena, McClellan said Newport is a moderate size and feels very intimate. She said concertgoers enjoy being up close and personal with bands, and the venue provides that special experience.

Lisa Poffenberger, a fifth-year in data analytics, attended Newport

Thursday, October 7, 2021 | The Lantern | 7

BEST CONCERT VENUE

NEWPORT MUSIC HALL

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR

Friday to see Walk The Moon, a rock band from Cincinnati. She said the smaller size of Newport makes for a better experience.

“It’s a smaller concert venue that has smaller bands and names, but it’s still really fun,” Poffenberger said. “I almost prefer it to a really big concert because it’s more intimate.”

Poffenberger said she thinks Newport’s location on High Street has led to its popularity with the campus community, particularly considering how close it is to dorms and popular nightlife spots.

Abigail Kapcar, a second-year in electrical and computer engineering, also attended the Walk The Moon show Friday.

She said she goes to Newport because of its proximity to campus, giving her the ability to see what’s going on at the venue just by walking past it, as opposed to having to check online or in another manner.

“Part of its popularity is the appeal of it being on campus,” Kapcar said. “The last couple weekends, I’ve seen the tour buses parked next to it, and I saw the huge line of people waiting to get in.”

Another appeal of the venue is the

historical feel of the building design, Kapcar said. According to the PromoWest Productions website, Newport has aimed to preserve its historical ballroom architecture.

“It’s really cool because there’s character in the building,” Kapcar said. “Marble stairs near the bathrooms and seeing the ceiling and the old finishes is cool because as cool as it is to go to a modern place like Express, I think there’s something cool being at a historical place like that and thinking about how many bands have played there.”

8 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

JACK EMERSON Sports Editor emerson.131@osu.edu It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Adelaide Aquilla, but her story goes beyond her status as a NCAA national champion and Olympian.

The senior thrower joined the Ohio State track and field program as a walk-on, incorporating perseverance and dedication in her craft to build herself an incredible career. With multiple national titles and an Olympic appearance just over the course of the past year, Aquilla was voted best

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female athlete by readers of The Lantern.

Reflecting on her incredible season, Aquilla pointed to a three-week span in which she achieved numerous athletic goals.

“We were out in Oregon for 21 days and during those 21 days, I won a national championship and became an Olympian for life,” Aquilla said. “It was kinda weird how the second part overshadows all the other accomplishments that I did this season.

But, it’s truly a great feeling to represent Ohio State at the highest level.”

Prior to reaching Tokyo, Aquilla made a name for herself at the collegiate level.

Aquilla’s command over the collegiate throwing landscape began with a 2020 Big Ten Indoor Title, but due to the season being cut short by the pandemic, she was unable to carry that momentum into an indoor national title and outdoor season.

But the Magnificat High School product said the pandemic played in her favor and allowed her to fast-track her throwing career.

“I wasn’t really physically as good as I am now, and my technique wasn’t as good as it is now,” Aquilla said. “Through the quarantine and all of that stuff, I really improved myself and all of my technique,

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE

ADELAIDE AQUILLA

COURTESY OF OHIO STATE DEPT. OF ATHLETICS

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my strength levels and everything to really jump the next level again to become an Olympian.”

The Rocky River, Ohio, native was crowned an NCAA National Champion twice in the 2020-21 season — earning both the indoor and outdoor titles in the season.

Her collegiate dominance was years in the making as Aquilla slowly moved up the ranks from a freshman walk-on all the way up to a nationally recognized Olympian.

“For me to jump levels, I had to accept in myself that I was good enough to get to the next level,” Aquilla said. “I really had to focus on how I perceived myself and what I wanted to do at the next level.”

After earning the 2021 NCAA outdoor throwing title in Eugene, Oregon, June 9, Aquilla remained in the Beaver State for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Prior to the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign, Aquilla said she originally planned to finish in the top five at the trials.

But after her mastery at the collegiate level, she quickly pivoted her goal to qualifying for Tokyo.

Aquilla accomplished her new goal, finishing third at the trials and punching her ticket to Tokyo.

“I was so overwhelmed when I qualified.

I started crying right as I was walking into the ring. I could not focus on my throw to save my life,” Aquilla said. “Doing the victory lap, which was awesome to see all the people coming out to support.”

In Tokyo, Aquilla threw a top throw of 17.68 meters, which was good for 20th in the qualifying round. However, she was unable to earn a spot to compete in the medal stages.

Ohio State assistant track and field coach Ashley Kovacs said Aquilla made an incredible transition from the time she arrived in Columbus as a walk-on to her appearance at the Olympics as an accomplished athlete.

“She’s nowhere near the same athlete that she was when she came on campus.

Even who she was as a recruit, she’s just developed so much in such a short period of time,” Kovacs said. “You have a goal for an athlete, an endgame goal for an athlete, and she’s surpassed all of the benchmarks I set for her so quickly. I think a lot of that is a testament to how willing she was to be fully committed to the process.”

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BEST SMALL BUSINESS CLOSE TO CAMPUS

Thursday, October 7, 2021 | The Lantern | 9

CLOTHING UNDERGROUND & ADRIATICOS TESS WELLS Arts & Life Editor wells.1442@osu.edu There are few businesses too physically small to go unrecognized by the Ohio State community, as proven by a clothing store started in a small rented room and a quaint pizza shop.

Voted some of the best small businesses near campus by readers of The Lantern, Clothing Underground and Adriatico’s, despite supplying starkly different products, found beginnings in stereotypical Ohio State small-business fashion: in little dwellings, with the support of college students.

Josh Harden, owner of Clothing Underground, a secondhand clothing store at 1652 N. High St., sells upcycled items, often Ohio State-related. He said eight years ago the shop started out in a small rented room to the side of a larger record shop, Johnny Go’s House O’ Music. “[The owner] was able to rent us a little room to the side of his record store to try it out and see how it went,” Harden said.

“Like I said, it kind of took off from there.”

Two years later, Clothing Underground moved into its current residence, which is two or three times larger than its original domain, Harden said. With a more accessible location directly off campus and a dedicated fan base, the secondhand store has not only attained popularity, but maintained it as well.

“It’s a very unique store that could only work on these few blocks at this campus,” Harden said. “We have kind of a rabid fan base, and people like to wear different things to each game, and we keep things at a price point that they can do that.”

With a combination of trendy, footballseason-friendly items and a location that appeals to students, Clothing Underground found what worked for them and has stuck with it over the years, Harden said.

For Adriatico’s, a pizza place near campus, a marriage of unique flavor and remaining faithful to original recipes is what makes the spot stand out against its

competitors, Jameson Wagner, general manager at Adriatico’s and a 2009 Ohio State alumnus, said.

“We have a unique style to our pizza — our sauce is a flavor that I haven’t seen anywhere else,” Wagner said. “We really stress consistency, trying to make the same quality pizza that people had when they were in college 10, 20 years ago. They come back and they like to make sure it’s the same pizza that they remember.”

In similar fashion to Clothing Underground, Adriatico’s switched locations in 2018 to a much larger building nearby at 1618 Neil Ave. However, instead of moving as a deliberate upgrade like Clothing Underground, Adriatico’s had to leave to make way for an Ohio State optometry clinic and office building, according to an article from The Lantern.

Despite leaving its cozy, hole-in-thewall beginnings, Wagner said the move was good for the pizza place, allowing it to better serve customers as business continues to grow.

“Bigger dining room, bigger kitchen and everything,” Wagner said. “I feel like we’ve really just helped grow the business there and just been able to meet the demand that we have.”

Despite Clothing Underground and Adriatico’s having become popular community staples, with upcycled clothing present at every football game and pizza from the shop around the corner served regularly at Ohio State student organization meetings, Wagner said their appreciation for their customers has never waned.

“Something we strive to do is to be in the forefront of OSU students and employees and everything because, you know, they’ve always treated us well, given us lots of business,” Wagner said. “We just try to have a consistent quality, and it’s great to be recognized that people see that and appreciate that.”

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10 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BARSTOOL

BEST OHIO STATE-RELATED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT ATHENA MARKOWSKI Social Media and Engagement Editor markowski.19@osu.edu From creating trend-worthy memes to commenting on Urban Meyer’s 0-4 NFL debut, Barstool Sports is a social media phenomenon.

Founded in 2003 by internet sensation David Portnoy, Barstool Sports began as a print publication and has since moved entirely online. In 2016, they took the leap into college sports –– a leap that has since paid off tenfold, Caleb Griffin, graduate student and Barstool OSU manager, said.

“Five years ago, they started a college program, and Ohio State was one of the first initial [schools], with Penn State being the first,” Griffin said. “They weren’t sure how it was going to do, but it blew up across the country, so I believe over a

thousand viceroys and around 40 schools represented.”

Griffin and Jackson Haskins, a fourthyear in biomedical engineering, are a part of the five-person team that runs the brand at Ohio State. Boasting over 117,000 followers on Instagram, 94,200 on Twitter and 41,900 on TikTok, Barstool’s presence at Ohio State has boomed, growing on Instagram by 83 percent since the current team took over in 2018, and voted best Ohio State-related social media by readers of The Lantern.

“When we took over, we started doing pretty regular content, and that was enough to really bolster the brands to move forward,” Griffin said. “We were the first major social media push that was a very brutally honest student perspective of the campus.”

The student perspective is key to making

Barstool what it is. Griffin and Haskins both said the Barstool OSU accounts have succeeded because almost every Ohio State student can find something to laugh at on their feed.

“Since we have a national brand and a lot of the big faces of Barstool HQ are grown adults, a lot of people don’t understand that the Barstool OSU accounts are controlled by students,” Haskins said. “So we relate to our fans, our fans relate to us, all the content is relatable.”

With content ranging from football highlights and jabs at opponents to shenanigans of intoxicated students, Barstool OSU has become a fan-favorite of many students. Unique to this year are the food robots roaming around campus, which Barstool OSU has taken full advantage of, creating posts about them that often receive anywhere from 5,000-9,000 likes

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on Instagram.

However, Griffin and Haskins said they realize their large platform is influential beyond posting outtakes from game day.

After last year’s “Chitt Fest” ended with totaled cars, Barstool OSU helped spread a GoFundMe page to assist those affected.

This year, they have used their accounts to broaden awareness about safety concerns on and around campus, sharing posts commenting on campus safety notices and, Tuesday, an open letter from the mother of Chase Meola –– a fifth-year in marketing who was shot and killed outside the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in October 2020 –– urging students and parents to peacefully protest for a safer environment for students on and off campus.

“We’re all Buckeyes, BARSTOOL CONTINUES ON 11

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BARSTOOL FROM 10

so it really matters that our campus returns to the way it was and that people can feel safe walking home and people can feel safe going to their friends’ apartments at night,” Griffin said.

Barstool OSU also hopes to increase its work with athletes at the university.

Thanks to new rules regarding athlete’s name, image and likeness, fans could see stars from Ohio State athletics working alongside Barstool OSU, Haskins said.

“What we’re really excited for is, hopefully, once we let the NIL stuff simmer a little bit more, creating content with different athletes on campus,” Haskins said. “Basically helping by using our platform to help bring the lighter side to our fans and allow the athletes to show themselves as not just numbers on the field,

but as people.”

As Barstool OSU continues to evolve, Griffin and Haskins said they hope one thing remains true –– their relation to students. With each class that comes to Ohio State, they hope to continue the tradition of being a student-favorite and providing laughs to their viewers.

“I think that really we are just a relief and a distraction and in a lot of ways, a joust on the humor and a more friendly look at sports,” Griffin said. “We’re trying to use our accounts to do important things such as raise awareness, and that’s something we’d definitely like to do more of in the future, but I think it’s just an honest, funny laugh at campus culture.”

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Bella Czajkowski Olivia Albert Managing Editor for Design Marcy Paredes Managing Editor for Digital Content Maya Neyman Copy Chief Asia Atuah Campus Editor Mary Kidwell Assistant Campus Editor Jessica Orozco LTV Campus Director Jessica Langer Sports Editor Jack Emerson Assistant Sports Editor Jacob Benge LTV Sports Director Kevin Lapka Assistant Sports Director Casey Smith Arts & Life Editor Tess Wells Assistant Arts & Life Editor Chloe McGowan LTV Arts & Life Director Andres Ibarra Photo Editor Mackenzie Shanklin Assistant Photo Editor Gabe Haferman Design Editor Gabe Burggraf Marcus Horton Social Media Editor Athena Markowski Special Projects Director Christian Harsa Oller Special Projects Reporter Mariyam Muhammad Miller Reporter Sarah Szilagy Editor in Chief

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MOLLY SCHMITZ | FOR THE LANTERN

12 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BEST STUDENT ORG

BLOCK O MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR

CASEY SMITH Assistant LTV Sports Producer smith.12971@osu.edu TESS WELLS Arts & Life Edior wells.1442@osu.edu When basketball enthusiast Madeline Markenson got involved with the men’s basketball section her freshman year, zebra-patterned pants were not at the forefront of her mind.

Three years later, the director of the

men’s basketball section, which is known as the NutHouse within the student organization Block O, has fully embraced deeply rooted traditions that go hand-inhand with being part of the student section, and she is not alone. From pulling card stunts in Ohio Stadium to donning pajama pants in the Schottenstein Center, Block O, the official student section of Ohio State athletics, boasts a large numberplethora of game day traditions.

“One of our biggest traditions is our Zubaz,” Markenson, a fourth-year in economics, said. “We have these red and white zebra-print striped pants that people

in the NutHouse have been wearing for years and years and years.”

The NutHouse has established another, more recent tradition centered around head coach Chris Holtmann’s wardrobe choices.

Holtmann frequently wears a salmoncolored blazer to basketball games, and members of the NutHouse have followed suit, leading to pink patches in the Schottenstein.

“I don’t know why, but we just love when he wears the salmon suit,” Markenson said.

“He looks good in it. I think we win more when he wears the salmon suit.”

Markenson’s domain is only one of 10

sections that make up Block O, which stands at over 3,000 members strong.

Founded in 1938, according to its website, Block O has student sections at football, basketball, soccer and baseball games, among others.

“I think that a lot of people just assume that we’re just football, like that’s all we’re known for, when there’s actually a lot more to Block O, Savannah Deuer, a fourth-year in sport industry and director of operations for the baseball section, said.

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BLOCK O FROM 12

Deuer said the baseball section, the Buckeye Sluggers, is one of Block O’s newest sections. Created in 2007, Buckeye Sluggers has managed to establish its own traditions by following in the footsteps of major league baseball and establishing strikeout cards, keeping track of how many times Ohio State pitchers are able to strike out opposing players.

Although some sections and traditions have been tacked on more recently, others have remained the same since 1938.

Enter the football section’s card stunt tradition.

Lucas Bruckmann, football director and a third-year in finance, said the process of developing the card stunt starts in the football committee meeting Monday before home games.

There, the committee discusses general designs they want to center their stunt

around for that particular week, planning it around a holiday, event or opponent, before putting the design in Microsoft Excel, Bruckmann said.

“We can have an image that we’ll use as almost a watermark on Excel,” Bruckmann said. “Then we’ll go through and each cell will be a different color from row to row.”

Block O then recruits volunteers to place the thousands of squares in the stands, matching each seat to a multi-colored card.

Bruckmann has been involved in card stunts since 2019, but he said one of his favorites was done a few weeks ago during the second quarter of then-No. 3 Ohio State against then-No. 12 Oregon.

“My favorite one was the one that just [represented] the American flag to honor our fallen heroes in the attacks on 9/11,” Bruckmann said. “Being from the Northeast, that’s something that’s very

impactful in the area that I’m from.”

Just nine years after the first rendition of the card stunt, students began another tradition by chanting “Stadium O-H-I-O” around the ‘Shoe, but in a different capacity than is done today.

In 1942, U.S. Navy sailors were stationed on the USS Lexington, chanting “O-H-I-O S-T-A-T-E” to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The chant began filling Ohio Stadium five years later before being shortened to the simpler, four-letter , easier-to-keep-up-with “O-H-I-O” that echoes around today whenever Block “O” South sees fit.

The tradition has left an impact on Block O President and lifelong Ohio State fan, Nick Wead.

“One of the coolest things is when you’re in Ann Arbor, doing ‘Stadium O-HI-O’ throughout the Big House,” Wead, a

fourth-year in economics, said. “That is one of the coolest things that I have ever seen and been a part of, and when I was football director, being able to start that is absolutely chilling. It’s an absolute thrill.”

Wead’s fascination with the history of the sailors in 1942, coupled with his familial ties to the Navy, inspired him to create a flag that honors the dying command of War of 1812 officer James Lawrence — something Wead said he hopes will continue to be a tradition carried out by Block O long after he graduates.

“There’s a flag that says, ‘Don’t Give Up the Shoe.’ IAnd that’s a flag, it’s an adaptation I created when I was the football director two years ago, that is from the flag, ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship,’ ” Wead said. “That actually means the world to me.

It was one of those things that I hope is one of my marks.”

BEST MAJOR

GABE HAFERMAN | ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

MARCUS HORTON | WEB AND INFOGRAPHICS EDITOR

14 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BEST LIBRARY CHLOE MCGOWAN

THOMPSON LIBRARY

CHLOE MCGOWAN | ASSISTANT ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Thompson Library provides a place of comfort for Ohio State students, being home to 1.2 million books, 11 floors, glass staircases, private study rooms, art installations and Berry Cafe.

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Thursday, October 7, 2021 | The Lantern | 15

BEST MALE ATHLETE

E.J. LIDDELL

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State then-sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) dunks the ball during the Ohio State-Purdue Big Ten Tournament game March 12. Ohio State won 87-78.

CASEY SMITH

16 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BEST PLACE TO SPEND A SATURDAY AFTERNOON

COLUMBUS ZOO

MORGAN GIBBS

Boo at the Zoo is full of Halloween-themed fun and attractions, including a giant pumpkin carver.

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COURTESY OF GRAHM S. JONES

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MARCY PAREDES | MANAGING EDITOR FOR DESIGN

ZOO FROM 16

18 | The Lantern | Thursday, October 7, 2021

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BEST COFFEE

STAUF’S

CHRISTIAN HARSA | SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR

JILLIAN PAVLISH

COFFEE CONTINUES ON 19

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COFFEE FROM 18

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters’ Victorian Village location on Neil Avenue.

CHRISTIAN HARSA | SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR

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