The Lantern — March 21, 2024

Promoting Conversation: Columbus Police dialogue team informs protesters of rights

By Nora Igelnik Lantern Reporter

At many events and protests around campus or the city, people sporting light blue vests stand out in the crowd.

Among other ofcers, Columbus Police dialogue ofcers — vested in blue — specialize in facilitating conversations and informing people of their First Amendment rights. The initiative started after a series of protests following George Floyd’s murder in 2020 and now has 53 trained ofcers who take part.

The dialogue ofcers are volunteers with other full-time jobs within the division. They must go through a 40hour training where they study the social identity approach, read case law, learn negotiation and de-escalation skills and speak to community members, Sgt. Kolin Straub said.

“Our motto [is] honest dialogue requires honest intent,” Steven Dyer, a sergeant for the Columbus Police Department, said. “So we’re there to honestly facilitate peaceful First Amendment activity.”

The foundations of the program began in 2020 when Dyer went to Europe for 21 days with Commander Duane Mabry and another sergeant to study

crowd management under Cliford Stott, a professor of social psychology at Keele University in England and an expert in crowd psychology.

Stott taught the group of ofcers a social identity approach to crowd management, which is “viewing crowd action as a rational, meaningful and identity-based response to social context,” Straub said.

Police departments are moving away from mob theories where crowds are seen as performing irrational and random actions infuenced by ring leaders, Straub said. With this social identity approach, police can understand that there are individuals in the crowd and that the “decisions and actions that they take are rational and meaningful to them.”

“Instead of us versus them, it’s us with them — working together,” Straub said.

The First Amendment right to speech and assembly are the team’s guiding principles, Straub said.

“There’s been some controversial messages that have come to town, and we don’t have an opinion on either side of those controversial messages,” Straub said. “We support the right to say that message.”

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Science Sundays continues to bring “thrill of scientific discovery” to Columbus community PAGE 03

Columbus-based band Courtney From Work to headline Ace of Cups Thursday PAGE 06

Cheer coach finds resilience and acceptance through cancer journey PAGE 07

COURTESY OF THE COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE

Columbus Police dialogue ofcers can be identifed by their blue vests. The team was created to improve police-community relationships.

CAMPUS

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Dyer said the dialogue team operates from within the crowd so they can speak with participants and watch in case issues arise. Their mission is not enforcement, but to act more as liaisons.

“We’re trying to ensure that everything’s peaceful and we don’t need the police to respond,” Dyer said. “Our goal is to get them to police themselves, and we’ve been able to do that here in Columbus.

David Goldberger, professor emeritus at the Moritz College of Law and an expert on free speech, said he is concerned by the police mixing in with crowds during protests or assemblies due to the chance it may discourage people from participation in the protest.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions that are very important because it is easy for this [dialogue team] to turn from something constructive into something intimidating,” Goldberger said.

Goldberger’s questions included where the ofcers would be stationed within an assembly, how they would communicate with one another and whether they should be talking to leadership as opposed to general members of a protest.

Straub said there are instances where participants do not want to speak with police or be near them, and the team tries to respect their request.

“There’s times when we are clearly communicated with and we’re

not welcome,” Straub said. “We will be available, but we’re not there to be a part of that demonstration.”

Judson Jefries, a professor of African American and African studies who specializes in police-community relations, said the dialogue team can act as a bufer between protesters and other law enforcement to stop the escalation of possibly dangerous situations.

“The dialogue team has to be willing to intervene when it calls for them to intervene,” Jefries said.

The team learned a lesson about optics in early December 2022 when it was outside a scheduled “Holi-Drag Storytime” holiday-themed event featuring drag queens at First Unitarian Universalist Church and Red Oak Communi-

Learn about how the College of Arts and Science bridges the gap between the community and science experts through “Science Sundays”

ty School at 93 W. Weisheimer Rd. The Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group, were protesting the event, and Dyer was seen high-fving a member.

A woman confronted him and uploaded the video to social media, where it received heavy backlash.

Dyer said he gave high-fves to multiple participants, including LGBTQ+ supporters, to help build relationships, support people’s right to protest and stay impartial.

“It’s important to understand perception,” Dyer said. “It’s a big lesson I learned and we learned as part of the team.”

As the dialogue team learns and grows, it hopes to obtain a fulltime unit to ensure familiarity

within the community, Dyer said.

“A full-time unit would give us the option to consistently build relationships with our community,” Dyer said. “And that’s what it’s all about — the public are the police, the police are the public. We’re all the same.”

In March 2023, the Columbus City Council approved $90,000 of funding for the dialogue team, specifcally toward a research initiative focusing on crowd management and dialogue techniques called Enable Columbus, which involves Stott.

Science Sundays continues to bring “thrill of scientific discovery” to Columbus community

According to Beacom, there have been about 250 people in attendance at recent talks. He said there is always a mix of current students and those of all ages with or without a scientifc background. Despite these diverse audiences, Beacom said making the events understandable to people of all educational backgrounds and ages is important.

“I tell speakers that they are not giving a seminar to their professional colleagues,” Beacom said. “Instead, they’re talking to someone they’re sitting next to on a plane or met at a party about what they do.”

Robyn Wilson, an Ohio State professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, spoke in January on climate change efects in Ohio. Her presentation revolved around its impact and the efort Central Ohio residents can take to better

the world or piques your interest,” Wilson said. “It’s a very cool opportunity.”

Bart Elmore, an Ohio State history professor and previous Science Sundays speaker, said the events are a great occasion for Ohio State students to unwind and learn something new without the pressure of being graded.

“Going in that space and starting of your week with brilliance from these other speakers is amazing,” Elmore said.

After each lecture, an informal reception allowing individual audience members to meet with speakers takes place, Beacom said.

The reception that followed Wilson’s presentation was one of the more rewarding parts of her Science Sundays experience.

“It’s always great to make that connection with people, versus just standing up there, giving a talk, then disappearing and never knowing what impact it had,” Wilson said.

By Kyle Quinlan Lantern Reporter

Quantum matter, genetically modifed food and space, oh my! Columbus community members can fnd all of this and more at Ohio State’s “Science Sundays,” a free lecture series held in the Ohio Union U.S. Bank Conference Theater.

Attendees have the opportunity to hear from expert speakers on current and emerging scientifc topics that are relevant in a modern context, according to the Science Sundays webpage. John Beacom, an Ohio State professor and chair of the Science Sundays Organizing Committee, said these events exist to share research and information with the public and Ohio State students alike.

“The benefts of scientifc discovery should belong to all of humanity, but not everyone has access to those

things,” Beacom said. “With Science Sundays, we want to broaden that access so everyone in the Ohio community, not just students, has a chance to beneft from the engine of innovation that is happening at Ohio State.”

Created in 2011 by the College of Arts and Sciences, the program has since grown and featured many speakers covering topics ranging from quantum matter to the efects stress and anxiety have on individuals’ brains, according to the Science Sundays webpage.

All ages are welcome, but Beacom said he hopes to specifcally connect with young children and high school students.

Most kids have met doctors or maybe a few engineers, but they have most likely not met scientists who work full-time on research, Beacom said.

“It’s hard for a kid to know if they want a career as a scientist if they’ve never really met one,” Beacom said.

the natural future, according

to the Science Sundays webpage.

“I feel like science is one way to help us identify better solutions to problems and to understand why we aren’t making progress on solving problems,” Wilson said. “I want people to be aware of what we’re doing, what we’re learning and what that means for problem-solving.”

Wilson said this concept of sharing ideas and informing the public is very important to her, as she believes it is a moral responsibility for scientists to share their fndings with everyday people.

For those debating whether to attend a Science Sunday event or not, Wilson said she lives by the advice that “more education is never a bad thing.”

“You never know what you’re going to hear that you’ve never thought about before that broadens your horizons and makes you think diferently about

Wilson said she has had great interactions with a wide range of people at receptions, from speaking with a curious, elderly woman to a high schooler whose parents take him to every Science Sunday.

Elmore said that along with the personal interaction and engagement from the audience, the “mind-blowing” information he has learned from other speakers is what makes this event special.

“Science Sundays take these folks who do incredible work, but don’t wear it on their sleeve and gives them this opportunity to inform and rif a bit,” Elmore said. “And once that Q&A starts, it takes the experience to a new level from these specialists.”

The next Science Sundays event will be held April 21 at 3 p.m. and will feature Stefanie Strathdee, associate dean of global health sciences and professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego. More information on speakers, past events and RSVP access to upcoming events is available on the Science Sundays webpage.

COURTESY OF JOHN BEACOM

Professor Adam Leroy from Ohio State’s Department of Astronomy presents to an audience as the featured speaker of a Science Sundays event on Dec. 3, 2023.

ARTS&LIFE

Meet Jerry Lent

A former person with alcohol addiction given a second chance through Columbus Relief

By Jayla Vanhorn Asst. Sports Editor

Two years ago, Jerry “Doc” Lent lay lifeless in Columbus’ Harrisburg Pike.

A man struggling with alcohol addiction and homelessness, he exhibited no pulse or breath. In a miraculous turn of events, paramedics were able to revive Lent within minutes.

Lent was granted a second chance at life, despite how dire his circumstances had become, and eventually found the purpose behind it.

Columbus Relief, a nonproft rooted in Christian doctrine and dedicated to assisting homeless communities, played a crucial role in the transformation of Lent, a person recovering from alcoholism, who has since devoted himself to serving others through the same organization that helped save his life.

“They gave me hope,” Lent said. “They gave me a dream. They gave me a reason to survive because I was on the verge of giving up.”

Lent — born in Spokane, Washington — said he experienced life’s hardships starting from a young age. A frst-time father in middle school, Lent’s educational journey ended in the sixth grade when he chose to prioritize caring for his newborn child.

The decision to embrace fatherhood and its associated responsibilities ensured Lent grew up at a quicker rate compared to most middle schoolers, he said.

“That’s when kids are still supposed to be playing at the playground and playing with a yo-yo,” Lent said. “Not me, I had to play with a hammer.”

Lent continued to have children as he grew up, moving back and forth between Washington and Ohio; now, at 57, he has fathered 23 children. Though Lent tied the knot around 20 years ago after settling in Columbus and began his marriage on a positive note, he said his happy relationship suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Lent said the deteriorated state of his marriage left him in a state of chaos, leading him into a downward spiral with alcohol six years into the union.

In the blink of an eye, Lent became homeless as a result of his dependency on alcohol and his inability to maintain steady employment, he said.

With no place to call home, Lent said he spent years wandering Columbus’ streets in search of shelter, no longer fnding solace beneath a sturdy roof, but rather within a fragile tent.

Lent said he not only sufered through harsh weather conditions but also lacked basic necessities like food, shelter and clean clothes, which are typically assumed to be easily accessible by most people.

“Trade shoes with somebody just one time,” Lent said. “I don’t care if it’s just one hour, you’re going to hate it. Being homeless is not easy.”

Lent’s inability to accept his marriage’s conclusion, coupled with his struggles against alcoholism and homelessness, plunged him into a deep state of depression. Lent said he contemplated suicide numerous times and admits he attempted to take his own life on several occasions, “succeeding” once.

Dance and music go hand in hand, but can still stand apart. Read on to learn more about ballroom dancing and local music

But, on that fateful day up in Harrisburg Pike, Lent said he was given another shot at life. Little did he know, this second chance was in the city he had learned to resent, just 8 miles away at Columbus Relief.

Amy Ramsey, CEO of Columbus Relief, said she remembers her frst encounter with Lent in the nonproft’s parking lot.

“He was really struggling with his addiction, and pretty mouthy, vulgar and just wasn’t pleasant to be around, didn’t smell very good,” Ramsey said. “But he also had a joyful mannerism about him, you could see inside with some of the things he was struggling with.”

Lent said Columbus Relief admitted him to a rehabilitation facility, where he spent seven days undergoing intense treatment for his addiction.

For Columbus Relief director Dwyane Costa, Lent’s transformation is one of the most notable transitions he’s ever seen, and it all began during a gathering at the World Harvest Church.

“I said, ‘I’ve heard a lot from a lot of people, only time will tell,’” Costa said. “Then he said, ‘I’m getting bap -

tized.’ Next week, he got baptized. The next week after that, he said ‘I’m going to rehab,’ and he jumped into rehab. I said, ‘You go, Jerry, keep going.’”

Once Lent completed his rehab program, he began making short visits to Columbus Relief. Ramsey said like most of Columbus Relief’s members, Lent was initially hesitant to forge a connection with the on-site staf.

However, she didn’t let that deter stafers from ofering him support. Through providing him with weekly meals, access to a warm shower and a place to wash his clothes, they were able to spark longer and more meaningful conversations, she said.

Lent’s passion for drawing was eventually discovered through these discussions, Costa said.

“We got him a coloring book,” Ramsey said. “And we were coloring and started building that conversation, helping him to just feel safe and feel like we’re not passing judgment on him. We’re helping him with the struggles he deals with on a day-to-day basis.”

COURTESY OF COLUMBUS RELIEF Spokane, Washington, native Jerry “Doc” Lent now volunteers at Columbus Relief after completing his six-month stay with the organization.

Ramsey, whose husband has achieved two decades of sobriety, knows the perils of addiction frsthand. She said it’s important to be patient when interacting with a person who struggles with addiction, as it establishes a strong level of trust that leads many individuals to overcome their challenges.

After a six-month stay at Columbus Relief, Lent was able to secure a stable job thanks to the support of Columbus Relief, Costa said. Now, he dedicates his time to volunteering at the organi-

zation on a daily basis, and is currently seeking out a permanent residence with the help of stafers. Notably, Lent said this position requires him to be the best version of himself at all times.

Even though he remains homeless, Lent said he has stopped drinking alcohol, which he considers to be the most important development in his life. He now dedicates his time to assisting others at Columbus Relief, where he serves hot meals and educates members about the organization’s services.

“I love coming here and helping people out,” Lent said. “That’s my payment.”

With almost four months of sobriety under his belt, Lent continues to make a positive impact in the community. He hopes his story serves as a testament by reminding others that even amid adversity, change is possible.

Lent said with Columbus Relief’s guidance and encouragement, he’s been able to overcome the dangerous grip alcohol had on his life. Upon waking up, Lent said he no longer opts for a beer to feel normal; rather, he now chooses a warm cup of cofee.

“I’m living proof,” Lent said. “If I can do this, anybody can do it.”

DanceSport at OSU prepares for nationals, popularizes ballroom dancing on campus

By Rosel Burt Lantern Reporter

DanceSport at OSU, Ohio State’s premier ballroom dance club, is gearing up to send 22 of its dancers to the USA Dance National Collegiate DanceSport Championships.

The competition — set to take place Friday through Sunday in Pittsburgh — celebrates ballroom dancing at a college level by awarding national ti-

tles and team rankings, its website states. Ren Hentz, the current president of DanceSport at OSU and a third-year in psychology, said she will participate alongside her dance partner Kylie Hicks, also a thirdyear in psychology, this weekend.

“It’s our biggest competition that we go to, and everything that we’ve been doing since the beginning of the school year has been leading up to this moment,” Hicks said.

The championships are organized in accordance with skill, Hentz said; once dancers compete within a handful of “syllabus levels” — newcomer, bronze, silver and gold — they can “graduate” to perform in the novice, pre-champ and champ categories.

Before joining the club, Hentz had four years of high school color guard experience, while Hicks had no dance experience. Having danced with the club for three years, the duo is excited to compete in the silver and gold tiers.

“You basically dance all day, and when you’re not dancing, you cheer for your teammates,” Hicks said. “Dancing for [the] collegiate level is like a sporting event — everyone is cheering you on and yelling, and it’s really fun.”

As a unit, the team has spent seven months rehearsing 15 diferent competition dances that range in style and difculty, Hicks said.

Notably, some team members have decided to compete in Bolero, a style that has not previously been taught by the club. According to a July 2019 USA Dance blog post, Bolero has Latin roots and is defned by a slow, sophisticated tempo.

“We’ve been scrambling as a club, trying to prep Bolero to compete at Nationals,” Hicks said. “I’m really excited to see everyone’s progress and what they put on the foor.”

Hentz said DanceSport’s free class-

es are open to all Ohio State students, regardless of their preexisting relationship with dance. There are two beginner-friendly lessons ofered by student leaders every week, while an upper-level lesson is taught by professional ballroom dancer and well-known competition judge Dana Edwards once per week, she said.

“She teaches above and beyond what we as student teachers can teach,” Hentz said. “She has dance degrees that we don’t have, she has a lot of experience dancing in the professional world, and she also judges, so she knows what moves are allowed in what levels.”

During classes, Hertz said partners are rotated so every person can dance with other members of the club. There are also no rules for who leads or follows or which genders partner pairings consist of, she said.

“Historically, ballroom was very gendered, so men would usually lead and women would usually follow, but that’s not the case in our club,” Hicks said.

Members don’t necessarily have to compete, but the club aims to foster an ambitious and confdent mindset among all its participants, Hentz said. As long as paired dancers are college students, they can automatically qualify for nationals, regardless of skill level or years spent dancing.

COURTESY OF PAM WAGNER

DanceSport at OSU team members at their annual home competition in October 2023.

“We are both building up new dancers and going out and competing, so we have both the social dance aspect and that com-

petitive dance aspect,” Hentz said. Despite the fact a majority of students who have engaged with DanceSport have little to no previous dance experience, Hentz and Hicks said many of them have sustained a

passion for ballroom dancing after graduation, even going on to dance professionally. Still, they said simply spreading joy via dance has always been the club’s main priority.

“Our club is about bringing together

a community through a shared passion of dance and also introducing dance to other people,” Hicks said.

More information about DanceSport at OSU can be found on its website.

Columbus-based band Courtney From Work to headline Ace of Cups Thursday

By Rachael Forsythe Lantern Reporter

For local alternative-rock band

Courtney From Work, head nodding, frenzied dancing and being in the moment are expected of anyone who fnds themselves at Ace of Cups on Thursday.

Alongside openers Unseen Keys and The Stereofowers, Courtney From Work — a three-piece band consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jacob Fournier, bassist Conner Hannah and drummer Andrew Davis — will perform Thursday at Ace of Cups, a popular concert venue/bar located at 2619 N. High St.

When the band was formed in 2014, it was originally titled “Gentleman” and consisted of Fournier, Davis and a mutual friend Colin Cavanaugh, who played guitar and bass. After learning the original band name already existed, Davis changed the group’s title to “Courtney From Work” in February 2016.

“We just named the band after this guy named Courtney we used to work with at McDonald’s, around the same time we started back up jamming again,” Fournier said.

Davis said Hannah joined the group — thus establishing it as a quartet — shortly after its rebranding, as he knew Fournier and Davis from their shared days at Worthington Kilbourne High School. After Cavanaugh amicably left the band to pursue other passions, Hannah said he, Fournier and Davis were able to fnd a sound that felt true to them, drawing inspiration from punk and garage-rock bands like Fidlar and Waves.

“We self-proclaimed it as ‘barbecue rock,’ but to be real it is alternative rock,” Fournier said. “The band’s

sound is driven by simple power chord progressions, similar to popular bands Weezer, Green Day and Nirvana.”

Like most local bands during the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19, Hannah said Courtney From Work experienced a disappointing turn of events. What was expected to be a pivotal point in the group’s music career was ultimately its fatline.

“The month of the pandemic, we had a tour scheduled,” Hannah said. “What would have been our frst leap as a band fell through, so it was just really bad timing.”

Considering the band hasn’t scheduled a tour since, Fournier said the group hopes to do so in the future in addition to playing its ongoing local shows.

“We are always trying to book stuf,” Fournier said. “We mainly just need a van and to be put in touch with the right people.”

Alongside its live shows, Hannah said the band has been focusing its attention on producing new music. In fact, he said the group recently recorded a currently untitled EP at Relay Recording, a Columbus-based recording studio, which plans to be released this summer.

Although the group has remained friends with its former fourth member after his departure, Hannah said this EP is intended to portray the band’s development from a four-piece to a trio.

“This bundle of songs that we’re going to release, hopefully this summer, will kind of encompass what we are doing now as a three piece,” Hannah said.

In accordance with its change in membership, Fournier said the band’s sound on this upcoming EP will be distinct from its previous work, with a heightened raw feel.

“It is going to be more true and no

frills, just rock ‘n’ roll or garage rock,” Fournier said. “It’s going to be diferent from our last stuf that we released.”

For its Thursday show, Fournier said Courtney From Work encourages Columbus concertgoers to “come as [they] are.”

“We defnitely want people to bob their heads, mosh, feel the music,” Fournier said.

The band is excited to return to Ace of Cups, having played at the venue multiple times, Hannah said.

“We started playing at Ace of Cups in 2016,” Hannah said. “There were a lot of mature bands that were inviting us into the local scene in the early days when we didn’t know what we were doing.”

Fournier, who occasionally works as an Ace of Cups sound technician, said the venue’s style aligns with Courtney From Work’s musical stylings, which is likely why the band keeps coming back.

“It is a solid, punk-rock venue,” Fournier said. “It has a good stage, solid standing room, huge patio, cheap beer, a parking lot — you can’t go wrong with a parking lot.”

All Courtney From Work members also encourage Columbus’ wider community to spread the word about their upcoming show.

“Tell your mom, tell your dad, tell your teacher and your boss,” Davis said.

Tickets for this show can be purchased via Ace of Cups’ website for $10 plus fees.

“If you’re a person and you’re reading this, just get a group of your two or three closest friends and just get on down there,” Fournier said.

COURTESY OF CHANDLER MOYER

(From left to right) Conner Hannah, Jacob Fournier and Andrew Davis make up the alternative-rock band Courtney From Work.

Cheer coach finds resilience and acceptance through cancer journey

By Jayla Vanhorn Asst. Sports Editor

Siobhan

St. John keeps a handwritten letter buried deep in one of herlong dream of motherhood and a continued battle with a rare form of cancer.

It begins, “To my child I will never meet.”

At just 18 months old, St. John was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcotargets the skeletal muscle that accounts for just 3% of cancer cases. The tumor, found in her vaginal canal, would also pose a barrier to having her own biological children, a struggle she details in her memoir, “Scars Left to Heal: A Memoir About Perseverance and Finding Acceptance.”

Twenty years later, St. John found her way to Ohio State becoming the assistant Ohio State cheer coach. Without her own children, she has devoted herself to coaching hundreds of them, sharing a piece of herself with each one.

Her cheer career started after remission as a young child, cheering for her neighborhood youth football league and dancing in local classes. These carefree activities were then accompanied — when she turned 10 — by days spent in the operating room undergoing vaginal reconstructive surgery after it was damaged by chemotherapy.

“What was being explained and things, and they weren’t lining up for me,” St. John said. “I just don’t understand why I have to do this. I don’t understand why it’s painful. I couldn’t correlate the two at that time frame.”

School was much harder for St. John given her treatment, but she found continued support on her cheer team. She said cheer had become her “saving grace.”

“Siobhan is naturally a leader,” Addisa Goldman, a longtime friend of St. John’s, said. “So, [being a cheerleader] just came natural to her. When she was

in that position, she would let go of all her worries and insecurities, because she was curing that, and we all felt it.”

St. John continued with it with the help of a partial cheerleading scholarship to Morehead State University. As a Black student, the racism she experienced on campus forced her to leave after one semester and return home.

She said she had hit the lowest point in her life.

“It just felt as if the whole world was on my shoulders, and there was nothing anyone could say or do that made me feel worthy, that made me feel comfortable in my own skin,” St. John said. “And it was kind of that point where I’m like, I don’t know

what I’m doing here. I don’t know why I’m here. And it’s just not worth it.”

On that night, she made a vow to herself that she would never return to that dark place again.

After thorough research, St. John found a hospital — MD Anderson Cancer Center — specializing in cases like

underwent surgery there in May 2002.

St. John said the pain seemed to intensify with each session, leading her to stop the procedure. As a result, she chose to undergo a second sur-

MD Anderson agreed to carry out.

During this time she was also dancing with the Brooklyn Nets, coaching for her alma mater New Rochelle High School and back in school getting her undergraduate degree.

On her next visit to MD Anderson, she received devastating news. St. John found out a hysterectomy was the only viable solution.

“I felt her pain,” St. John’s mother, Diane Battle-Young, said. “I felt helpless. I was as much as a support to her learning that she was going through early menopause, and that she [may] no longer had viable eggs. For the most part, I could only listen.”

St. John underwent a partial hysterectomy in June 2006 at the age of 22.

A 12-inch incision was made from her abdomen down to her belly button, an image she said she vividly recalls to this day, realizing she would no longer be able to hide the

Remembering the vow she made to herself, St. John knew she couldn’t linger in that dark place for too long.

Just a year out from the surgery she decided to reaudition for the Nets. Initially, she felt self-conscious about her scar, but this feeling disappeared once she started dancing, continuing to live out her dream.

Amid her busy schedule, she continued receiving therapy along with regular checkups regarding her condition after the partial hysterectomy.

With therapy and regular check-

leave the NBA in April 2014. She said it had been eight remarkable years, however, she believed God had greater plans in store for her.

That decision eventually led her to Columbus, but at the same worst fears: her likelihood of having any eggs left was slim to none.

Even so, with this new role and support, St. John said she eventually came to understand with the help of her loved ones that she already had children.

“They have given me so much. It’s hard for me to truly put into words,” St. John said. “I think what the athletes I coach will never truly understand is how much they’ve given me way more than I could ever give them.”

COURTESY OF OHIO STATE ATHLETICS

Siobhan St. John, the assistant cheer coach of the Ohio State cheerleading team, poses next to Ohio State’s mascot, Brutus.

Ohio State assistant cheer coach

Siobhan St. John writes memoir about cancer battle

2024 Women’s Frozen Four: What to know and how to watch the No. 1 Buckeyes

By Reid Murray Design Editor

The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team is headed to the NCAA Frozen Four for the fourth straight season.

The No. 1 Buckeyes (33-4-0, 26-20 WCHA) have a chance to win their second national title in three years and avenge last season’s National have to beat the No. 4 Clarkson Golden Knights (33-4-2, 18-3-1 ECAC)

at 4 p.m., streaming live on ESPN+.

If Ohio State wins, it will play the winner of No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 3 Colgate in the championship on Sunday. All Frozen Four games will be held at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, New Hampshire.

The last time the Buckeyes made the Frozen Four, they defeated No.

nal before losing 1-0 to Wisconsin in the championship game in Duluth, Minnesota on March 19, 2023.

This season, Ohio State advanced to the Frozen Four by making history in broke the NCAA record for goals in a tournament game with a 9-0 win against No. 8 Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.

For Clarkson, it took four overtimes to make the Frozen Four withnesota. Graduate forward Dominique Petrie scored the game-winning goal to secure a 3-2 victory.

Ohio State and Clarkson enter the Frozen Four tied for the fewest losses in the country at four, but both teams lost in their respective conference championships on March 9.

Ohio State has a 4-3 record against teams in this season’s Frozen Four. The Buckeyes lost to Colgate in the

before beating the Raiders the followgames against Wisconsin before losof the regular season Feb. 24, 4-2, and in the Western Collegiate Hock-up against Clarkson this season. The Golden Knights’ starting goalie, senior Michelle Pasiechnyk, has a 1.29 goals-against average and .945 save percentage this season. Pasiechnyk started in the quarter-

61 saves through seven periods.

Junior defenseman Haley Winn and senior defenseman Nicole Gosling lead Clarkson in scoring with 39 points each.

Ohio State graduate forward Hannah Bilka leads the Buckeyes in points with 47. Freshman forward Joy Dunne is tied with Bilka for the team lead in goals with 22.

The Buckeyes’ expected starting goaltender, senior Raygan Kirk, leads the country in shutouts with nine. Kirk has a goals-against average of 1.11 and a .941 save percentage. Kirknal win against Minnesota Duluth.

COURTESY

game against Minnesota Duluth March 16. The Buckeyes won 9-0 to advance to their fourth straight Frozen Four.