9.23.2012 by The Lantern

Tuesday October 23, 2012 year: 132 No. 120

the student voice of

The Ohio State University

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thelantern Obama, Romney face off on foreign policy

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MICHAEL BURWELL Lantern reporter burwell.37@osu.edu President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had their third and final presidential debate Monday night to try to persuade voters 15 days before the Nov. 6 election. The debate, held at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., focused on foreign policy in areas throughout the world, ranging from the Middle East to China. Some specific topics Obama and Romney discussed were trade with China, the U.S.’ relationship with Israel and nuclear weapons in Iran. “As long as I’m president of the United States, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Obama said. Romney agreed with Obama and said Iran should not have nuclear capabilities. He said “the greatest national security threat is a nuclear Iran.” Both candidates also felt the U.S. could have a better relationship with China. Obama said “we believe China can be a partner,” since the U.S. is going to continue to have a presence there. Romney said the U.S. can be a partner with China as long as China is willing to be responsible. America needs to “make sure we have trade relations with China that work for us.” Other topics discussed during the debate included the war in Afghanistan and America’s role in the world. “We are now in a position where we met many of the objectives that got us (to Afghanistan) in the first place,” Obama said. The U.S. needs to transition out of Afghanistan “in a responsible fashion.” “After a decade of war, it’s time to do some nation-building at home,” Obama said.

Battered Miller ready to go

Braxton Miller left Saturday’s game against Purdue, but coaches are planning for the quarterback to play against PSU.

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continued as Debate on 3A

‘Spirit Bird’ spreads wings

Xavier Rudd is slated to perform at 7 p.m. Friday at Newport Music Hall.

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Fitness group creates community

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Semester scheduling causes some conflict KAYLA BYLER Lantern reporter byler.18@osu.edu For some students, scheduling for Spring Semester has been an additional source of anxiety associated with the semester switch. The two courses Maggie Frankenberg, a fourth-year in psychology and Spanish, needs to complete her degrees are only offered at one conflicting time. She said she never had a scheduling issue like this one on the quarter system and is worried she might not be able to graduate on time with both majors completed. “I’m really close to finishing both of them,” she said. “I just don’t want to sacrifice all the hard work I’ve done so far.” Frankenberg met with a psychology adviser who recommended that she change her Spanish major to a minor, she said. “My huge potential conflict is do I continue on with my Spanish education, or do I just settle for the minor and graduate on time?” Frankenberg said. “I just don’t want to spend more time or money as an undergraduate.” Despite students’ potential scheduling conflicts, advisers in the College of Arts and Sciences have seen the same number or fewer students in their advising office compared to when the university was on the quarter

LINDSEY POOLE / Lantern photographer

OSU students wait to see their advisers at the Arts and Sciences advising office at Denney Hall Oct. 22. system, said Mary Ellen Jenkins, assistant executive dean for Arts and Sciences advising and academic services. The advising group in the College of Arts and Sciences “feel that it is no harder (for students to schedule) than before,” and think “it just might take a bit longer since students have to schedule more classes at a time,” said Libby Eckhardt, spokeswoman for the College of Arts and Sciences, in an email. “In the past, advisers were typically booked for

appointments two to three weeks in advance, and that is holding true this semester as well,” Jenkins said. “Our walk-in hours have not been as busy as they were under quarters, but we expect that to pick up.” The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college at OSU. About 80 majors, almost 40 departments and more than 2,000 faculty and staff are housed within the college. However, many more students have scheduled appointments with advisers in the Fisher College of Business this semester compared with past quarters, said Robin Kraus, a student office assistant at Fisher Undergraduate Advising. Fisher Undergraduate Advising has established sameday appointments to combat the flood of requests, “so we can see more students per day,” Kraus said. Students in Fisher can sign up for a 15-minute appointment and meet with an adviser the same day. Students must sign up the morning of the day they wish to meet with an adviser. Some say they’ve benefitted from meeting with their adviser this year. Carlos Mendez, a first-year in biomedical engineering, said that when he had problems registering for a math course, he contacted his adviser, who was able to get him into the class. “She actually helped me,” he said.

Impact of DOMA ruling ‘remains to be seen’

weather high 79 low 60

BRANDON KLEIN Lantern reporter klein.340@osu.edu

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Photos by ANDREW HOLLERAN / Photo editor

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Less than a week after a federal appeals court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act’s denial of benefits to same-sex married couples unconstitutional, members of the Ohio State community are reacting. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was passed in 1996 and defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It basically puts the decision of the legality of same-sex marriages in the states’ hands. The ruling occurred in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York Thursday. Two of the three presiding judges ruled that the law could not constitutionally deny federal benefits to married same-sex couples. The court was ruling in favor of Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old lesbian who was widowed in 2009. Windsor had to pay $363,000 in federal estate taxes.

continued as DOMA on 3A

Courtesy of MCT

Washington joined six other states and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex couples to marry Feb. 13. A portion of the Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York Thursday.