The Lantern _ Back to School 2026

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ARTS & LIFE

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Country bar Welcome to the Farm to host grand opening in Short North Arts District Thursday

Helena Hennessy Managing Arts & Life Editor

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elcome to the Farm, a country music-themed bar and entertainment venue, will host a grand opening for its third location in the Short North Arts District Thursday at 5 p.m., following a soft opening to the public on Saturday.

The country-concept bar was founded by country music artist Chase Rice in collaboration with Forward Hospitality Group — owners of national bar chain Good Night John Boy. Welcome to the Farm will share a location with the Short North Arts District’s Good Night John Boy in its newly renovated ground floor at 906 N. High St, according to a press release from Forward Hospitality Group.

“The response to Welcome to the Farm has been amazing,” Rice said in

a press release. “My dad grew up just outside Columbus in Grove City, so this has always been one of those places I’ve loved coming back to. Bringing The Farm to Short North just feels right, and I can’t wait for everybody to come hang with us this summer.”

Welcome to the Farm aims to foster genre-bending collaboration, as it shifts between the laid back atmosphere of the country bar to the dance-forward environment of Good Night John Boy, said Zosimo Maximo, chief marketing officer at Forward Hospitality Group.

“Country music is something that continues to grow and it’s part of our mainstream culture now,” Maximo said. “You can come pregame here, have a couple drinks, eat and then make your way up and dance the night away over at Good Night John Boy.” The bar will offer an extensive drink menu, Maximo said, featuring a variety of options of whiskeys, bourbons, beers, cocktails and seltzers and will serve food from Sexton’s Pizza, a Columbus-based eatery and chain.

With a goal of establishing a lasting presence in the Columbus community, the bar will also serve as a live event venue, and plans to host local music artists, Maximo said.

“We are going to have acoustic [music], but we are going to supplement that with having DJs,” Maximo said.

“It’s like country meets electronics, but most of the time you’re gonna hear good, solid country music.”

Welcome to the Farm has two existing locations in Cleveland, Ohio and St. Pete, Florida, which also serve as live music venues, Maximo said.

“In both of our locations, we have a lot of our regular lineup consisting of local artists,” Maximo said. “We feel

Columbus is rich with a lot of music and singers, and we would love to feature and discover some here.”

With wide-screen televisions in multiple areas of the bar, Maximo said, welcome to the Farm hopes to establish itself as a premier game day location for Ohio State students to celebrate the Buckeyes.

The new bar also aims to attract a new audience, bridging the gap between Ohio State students and other young adults in the workforce, Maximo said.

“You can have your campus experience, and not even half a mile away, come into something a little bit richer or more elevated,” Maximo said. “It takes the upperclassmen, your juniors and seniors or grad students as they’re 21 and over, and it kind of helps them transition out of college life to the young professional [life].”

Maximo said in addition to connecting students with other young adults, he would like to focus on drawing in an older audience.

“The biggest group that is starting to come out a lot more is Gen X, because their kids are older now and they’re empty nesters,” Maximo said.

“It’s like, ‘We invented the party. We are a big part of developing the Short North in this whole scene.’”

Looking ahead, Maximo said he is confident in Welcome to the Farm’s potential and its goal of establishing a lasting impression in the Columbus community.

“We’d love to become a staple,” Maximo said. “We want to put our foot down here in Columbus, and now having a second venue to go along with [Good Night] John Boy, it kind of gets us a little deeper.”

Welcome to the Farm rocks a bison as its mascot.

CREDIT: MICHAEL GOULET | CAMPUS PHOTO EDITOR

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | @thelanternosu | 3

Local flea market Dollhouse & Co to host backto-school pop-up this Sunday Helena Hennessy Managing Arts & Life Editor

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local flea market pop-up hosting more than 35 vendors is coming to Columbus, and it’s Bratz dolls inspired.

Dollhouse & Co, a local small business that hosts pop-up shop flea markets, will host its second annual backto-school market Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Strongwater Events — located at 401 W. Town St. in downtown Columbus. The one-day-only “Passion 4 Fashion” festival– is themed around the tagline and aesthetic of Bratz dolls

from the 2000s.

“It definitely is a great opportunity to find some cute pieces for the back-to-school season in a more ethical way,” Sania Mohamed, the founder and owner of Dollhouse & Co, said,

“It’ll be shopping secondhand and supporting small businesses, which is super important for our community.”

The flea market will host vendors selling goods such as vintage and 2000s-inspired clothing, handmade jewelry, art, drinks and more, Mohamed said.

Specialty vendors will include flash tattoos from Groovy Jo Tattoo, a Columbus-based tattoo artist, a pop-up photo studio from Femme Foto, an Italian charm bracelet making bar from local brand pochettely — locat-

ed at 1589 N. High St. — and matcha and chai lattes from maani’s, a Pakistani-inspired café, according to a Dollhouse & Co Instagram post.

The flea market will take place on one floor of Strongwater Events, and will split vendors and entertainment acts into different areas of the venue, including the outdoor courtyard, Mohamed said.

Mohamed said she is particularly excited for guests to experience a photo studio experience from Femme Foto.

“It’s a back-to-school shopping experience, so keeping that in mind, [Femme Foto] was like, ‘We should do a yearbook backdrop, because I feel like that’s so cute and nostalgic,’” Mohamed said. “She got the backdrop.

It’s awesome. I’m just so excited to see people do that.”

In addition to retail vendors, Mohamed said the flea market will also host two DJs — ENVY and DJ Ballzy.

Abi Hartzell, an Ohio State graduate of the Class of 2026 and a Cincinnati-based DJ who goes by the stage name ENVY, said she has been playing at Dollhouse & Co flea markets for two years.

At the “Passion 4 Fashion” market, Hartzell said she will play nostalgic, 2000s pop artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child, along with music from newage artists like Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress.

“I think the ‘Passion 4 Fashion’ fest gives Bratz vibes, so I’m definitely going for something more Y2K [inspired],” Hartzell said. “It’s mostly music for the girls.”

While the Bratz-inspired market and its vendors will lean toward more feminine styles and aesthetics, Mohamed said she prioritizes curating an inclusive environment for all attendees by incorporating vendors selling more masculine and androgynous clothing.

MARKET continues on Page 4 An attendee shopping pochettely at Dollhouse & Co’s Kitty’s Sweetheart Market in Feb. 2026.

CREDIT: COURTESY OF LONNIE LE

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | www.thelantern.com | 4 Continued from page 3.

“We obviously like to create the most inclusive environment as we can, and we do highlight local [person of color], queer and woman-owned businesses,” Mohamed said. “All the vendors that we work with, you’ll see they’re within these marginalized groups, which is really cool to highlight.”

Mohamed said the market’s themes of diversity and inclusivity also tie into the Bratz theme, as the dolls showcase women and girls of differing backgrounds. ​​“Everything is intentional about our market, and I feel like customers really do see that,” Mohamed said.

The event will not only serve as a sustainable shopping experience, but as an opportunity for attendees to mingle and interact with others in the Columbus community, Mohamed said.

Through founding her own small business, Mohamed said she was able to find her community —

now, she hopes to provide the same opportunity for others.

“I saw that there was an opportunity where there were so many people here in Columbus, where I feel like we do lack that space for Gen Z — a younger crowd who you know wants more of that 2000s nostalgia,” Mohamed said. “It is a community that we are building.”

The “Passion 4 Fashion” market is one of the largest that Dollhouse & Co has hosted to date, and Mohamed said she credits her markets’ success to her community.

“We’re able to create a type of space where people feel comfortable trying our market out, and then they come back again,” Mohamed said. “Each theme is different, so you’re gonna expect something new each time.”

Entry tickets for the flea market can be purchased for $5 at the door, or on the website.

Want more more inspiration for the fall? Check out our article “A guide to romanticizing the fall semester at Ohio State” on our website.

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Fans enjoy the Rotunda outside of Ohio Stadium.

CREDIT: SANDRA FU | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

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Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | @thelanternosu | 5

CAMPUS

New and improved: Changes coming to Ohio State dining services Reegan Davis and Audrey Coleman Managing Campus Editor and Campus Editor

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enu changes, more delivery robots and new food options are among several changes Ohio State Dining Services will bring to multiple locations across campus this semester.

Dining Services made several expansions to multiple locations over the summer, bringing in new partners, more choices and renovated spaces.

With over 30 locations across campus, students have the opportunity to find a new favorite menu item. “[The decision was] definitely to appeal to students and to offer students a variety of menu items,” Debbie Wakefield, the marketing specialist for student life, said. “And, to offer students what students want to eat and to really switch things up.”

Café, Hamilton Café and Postle Café, according to the Office of Student Life website.

Der Dutchman baked goods will be​​ at locations across campus as well, and new chicken wing options at Traditions at Morrill.

“We wanted to bring a local, popular option to campus,” Wakefield said about Der Dutchman arriving on the campus menus. “You would need a car to go to Amish Country to bring those delish donuts and pastries.”

Expanded service range

Some locations have changed hours of operation, with the largest shift coming from Traditions locations.

Kennedy and Morrill will no longer be closed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., which was originally used as a transition period between lunch and dinner offerings.

Rover delivery will also expand, bringing 30 new robots to the front lines of food delivery across campus.

“That’s been part of the plan all along is to expand and to be able to get more areas and to be able to meet student needs,” University spokesperson Dave Isaacs said.

Food trucks will be stationed at the

north clocktower on Saturday away football games, with Pitabilities from noon to 4 p.m., and Kubido 4 to 8 p.m.

Marketplace on Neil, McPherson Café and Connecting Grounds got new, modern and comfortable furniture, Wakefield said. The seating layouts changed to optimize the dining spaces, as well as outlets being added in Marketplace on Neil.

New menus Blenz, an acai bowl and smoothie group, and Hellenic Greek Kitchen were added to Sloopy’s Diner over the summer, per prior Lantern reporting.

Sloopy’s Diner remains open serving some fan-favorites, but the two new restaurants are designed to provide more variety.

“There’s always change,” Wakefield said. “[There’s] a lot of additions coming on.”

Blenz also replaced the coffee shop that was in Marketplace on Neil. However, students are still able to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches just across the street at Hamilton Café, located in Hamilton Hall, Wakefield said.

Lighter additions Boba tea drinks will also be located at more locations, notably Courtside

Students gather at Ohio State’s Dining Service’s Marketplace on Neil.

CREDIT: MICHAEL GOULET | CAMPUS PHOTO EDITOR

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | www.thelantern.com | 6

Les Wexner steps down from university medical board, remains as chair emeritus Reegan Davis Managing Campus Editor

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Unleash Your Extraordinary I’m excited to welcome you to the new academic year. Buckeyes are creating incredible momentum together – through top-ranked academic programs, transformative research, life-saving health care and championship-winning athletics teams. Our relentless pursuit of excellence will take us to even greater heights in the year ahead.

That’s possible because of you. As Buckeyes, we work hard, treat each other with care, and achieve greatness with grace – the timeless values that have made Ohio State one of America’s most consequential universities for more than a century and a half.

This year, let's do the hard things worth doing -- and have some fun along the way.

Go Bucks!

Ravi V. Bellamkonda President

trustees website states.

Wexner has faced public es Wexner has stepped down as and judicial scrutiny afchair of the Wexner Medical Center Board, but is not entirely leaving ter his relations with sex the Board of Trustees. offender Jeffrey Epstein, Wexner will stay on the board as per prior Lantern reportchair emeritus – meaning he will remain on the board without being a ing. His name appears in voting member, university officials the Epstein files over 1,000 confirmed. The move follows months times and he was named as of public scrutiny involving Wexner’s a co-conspirator of Epstein relationship with deceased sex-ofby the FBI. fender Jeffrey Epstein, and calls to remove the Wexner name from Ohio State buildings, including the medical center.

LES continues on Page 7 Robert Schottenstein replaced Wexner as chairman of the board, CEO and president. Schottenstein is the chair of M/I Homes, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States.

“New board chairs always refresh the committee structure and appointments,” university spokesperson Ben Johnson stated in an email. “As part of that process, Les Wexner has stepped back from his role as chair of the Wexner Medical Center Board. Les and Abigail have been great supporters of the university for many years, and we appreciate his ongoing service on the committee.”

The last time Wexner attended a board meeting was May 2025, according to multiple news reports. The meetings and dues bylaw for the board says that attendance is not required for continued membership but is encouraged.

Schottenstein served as a trustee of the university board from 2005-2014 and was chairman of the university board from 2012-2014, according to the board website. Schottenstein also served as a member of the board of LBrands and Bath & Body Works, Inc. Wexner founded and served as Les Wexner speaking during a board meeting CEO of both of these companies, the

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | @thelanternosu | 7 Continued from page 6.

Former university president Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. said in a Lantern interview in Jan. 2026 that he did not forsee Wexner’s name being removed from the buildings.

“I don’t want to speculate because we don’t know what’s coming or is going to happen, right?” Carter said.

“There is a process for any kind of name changes. So we’ll follow all the processes that we have, but I don’t anticipate anything there.”

The university has received nearly 500 requests to review Wexner’s name on campus buildings. Wexner and a legal representative of Wexner denied any claims of wrong-doing or knowledge of his connection to Epstein, per prior Lantern reporting.

“The Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was being viewed as a source of information about Epstein

and was not a target in any respect,” Carter said. “Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.”

Wexner has donated over $200 million to the university over 30 years, according to the medical center. His name appears on the university’s medical buildings, including branches around Ohio, the Wexner Center of the Arts — which is named after Wexner’s father, Harry L. Wexner — and the Wexner Football Complex within the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, per prior Lantern reporting.

Follow us on X/Twitter @TheLantern for more updates!

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SPORTS

Ohio State moving Senior Day from Michigan game week to season opener Bridget Lombardo Sports Senior Writer

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he forecast for Michigan game week at Ohio State has long called for more than cold November air.

M’s disappear beneath red X’s across campus. Michigan becomes “The Team Up North.” Gold pants wait to be earned, and when the Wolverines come to Columbus, Buckeye seniors take their final ceremonial walk across the turf at Ohio Stadium.

This season, Ohio State is clearing one thing from that forecast: Senior Day. The Buckeyes will honor their seniors on the Sept. 5 home opener against Ball State, moving away from the long-held tradition of recognizing seniors before their final home game against the Wolverines.

Head coach Ryan Day said the change is centered around minimizing distractions surrounding “The Game” against Michigan the final week of the regular season.

“There are already enough distractions during that week,” he said on Aug. 15. “This was just one more thing that we felt like we could move.”

The ceremony had traditionally added another layer of emotion to a week already carrying the weight of one of the biggest rivalries in college football.

Although Ohio State erased a fouryear losing streak against the Wolverines a season ago, with a 27-9 win in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes have not beaten Michigan at Ohio Stadium since 2018.

In 2022 and 2024 (“The Game” was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19), Ohio State seniors took their Senior Day walk in silver pants with the chance to earn gold, but fell in losses to the Wolverines.

That recent history adds another layer to Day’s emphasis on keeping the final week of the regular season centered on the rivalry itself.

The move, which was first proposed

by Ohio State’s administration, Day said, gives the Buckeyes an opportunity to recognize their veterans early while shifting the focus late in the season to remain solely on football.

The Buckeyes initially considered moving Senior Day up one week, but the discussion shifted toward recognizing the group before their first game kicks off.

“We said, ‘well, why don’t we just recognize all the seniors at the beginning of the year and let them know how much we appreciate everything they’ve done,” Day said.

On the same day that the seniors are recognized, Ohio State will also honor Ohio’s lieutenant governor and former Buckeye football head coach Jim Tressel, adding his name to the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor during the Buckeyes’ season opener.

Still, Day explained the program did not want to make the change without hearing from the players who would be directly affected. The idea was brought to the seniors before finalizing the decision, and they gave their approval. “[The seniors] were all nodding quickly and said, ‘Yeah, I think that’s a great idea,’” Day said.

While the seniors will receive their flowers in front of the Horseshoe crowd in September, the cold and the Buckeyes’ annual matchup with Michigan will still belong to November.

“We think it’s going to allow us [an] opportunity to really kind of recognize them early in the season, and then to focus on games,” Day said.

Senior wide reciever Brandon Inniss (1) participating in a drill at fall camp on Aug. 6, 2026.

CREDIT: CASSANDRA D’ANGELO | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | www.thelantern.com | 10

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Ohio State’s running back room building depth in fall camp Reilly Cahill Managing Sports Editor

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Ryan Day sat at a table during Big Ten Media Days on July 29 and emphasized how crucial running back play would be for the Buckeyes to succeed.

After the way the 2025 season ended, his concern was valid.

Ohio State ran for its fewest rushing yards of Day’s head coaching tenure in losses to Indiana and Miami to end its season. Running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West also missed spring practice due to injury, raising the significance of the position group’s play in fall camp.

“If we’re going to get to where we need to go, we need a high level of play at that running back position,” Day said. “This is critical.”

Jackson stood out during fall camp practices, continuing his growth from the Buckeyes’ leading rusher last season, becoming the fifth Buckeye running back to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards as a first year.

“His reads and the way he’s hitting the hole has really shown up,” Day said Aug. 15. “He’s doing a much better job at the second level.”

Day looks for Jackson to take another step, including with his ability to make defenders miss in the second level.

“If he continues to keep building and practicing and stacking these practices the way he’s doing it, it’s going to show up in a game and that’s going to be a big part of who we are this year,” Day said.

He’s not the only running back that’s turned heads.

New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith described that West and Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson has also made an impact.

“There’s a lot of talent in that room, Bo obviously had a lot of experience last year, Ja’Kobi’s played a lot of big-time foot-

ball, [West’s] had a heck of an offseason,” Smith said.

Despite West and Bo Jackson missing spring practices, Wisconsin transfer linebacker Christian Alliegro believes the returning running back duo hasn’t missed a step in their return to the field.

“I knew [Bo Jackson] was fast last year but it seems like he’s gotten faster and when he hits that hole he just goes and he’s gone,” Alliegro said. “In terms of [West], I think he just got so much bigger and stronger, which also made him faster. I think he’s kind of like that downhill running back where he’s going to run you over if you don’t bring yourself, for sure.”

CAMP continues on page 11

Running back Bo Jackson (25) carrying the ball upfield at fall camp on Aug. 7.

CREDIT: CASSANDRA D’ANGELO | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | @thelanternosu | 11 Continued from page 10.

Ja’Kobi Jackson, who enters his seventh season of college football, was not scared away from the Buckeyes’ returning backfield when transferring to the Buckeyes.

“I thrive at my best throughout competition,” Ja’Kobi Jackson said.

Despite the crowded backfield, West is focused on how the mix of talent in the position group can help the team as the Buckeyes strive for the postseason.

“You can’t do it alone, you need an entire unit to kind of push you through, it’s a long season we expect to play all the way through January, so you need a multitude of backs,” West said.

Although Day set the bar high for the running backs, Bo Jackson is not discouraged from the test.

“It’s just a challenge given to us and we’ve just got to live up to the expectation,” Bo Jackson said.

Arthur Smith and Julian Sayin form new partnership in Ohio State’s offense Ally Wolfe Sports Editor

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t Ohio State, Arthur Smith is the new guy. Quarterback Julian Sayin, somehow, is the veteran.

Smith, the Buckeyes’ new offensive coordinator, arrived in Columbus in January after 17 seasons of coaching in the NFL. Sayin, entering his second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, led the country in completion percentage in his first season under center.

Now, the two can learn from one another.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with him, and obviously somebody who [has an] extremely bright offensive mind,” Sayin said in an Aug. 8 interview.

“When you have someone who has an NFL background like that, coached at

the highest level and been an NFL head coach, it’s really awesome for our development as players.”

Smith, a former head coach for the Atlanta Falcons and offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers, has coached former NFL MVP quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers at later stages of their careers.

He explained how much he has learned from those experiences and those players.

“A lot of times in pro football, you get guys that get on these long runs in the same play caller and quarterback, and I’ve had that, and it’s been really good for me,” Smith said. “You don’t assume anything because everybody sees the game and everybody’s different, so it’s not like one size fits all. So that experience has helped me a ton.”

Quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith at Fall Training Camp in early August.

CREDIT: CASSANDRA D’ANGELO | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR

Now Sayin, who emerged as one of the country’s top signal callers last season, is the latest quarterback Smith is working with.

As a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist, Sayin threw for 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns and was second in the country in quarterback rating at 177.46. “[Sayin] continues to impress. He doesn’t feel like a young player to me because he sees the game so well,” Smith said. “He understands football.

He’s so smart.”

Smith says due to how smart Sayin is regarding the game, he’s constantly ready to learn something new after getting one thing taken care of.

“Sometimes I have to pull him back to be like, ‘Hey, [you’ve] gotta let everybody else catch up to you.’ You know, we talk about one thing, and he’s ready to [go]. But that’s a great problem to have,” Smith said. “[I’m] super impressed with him. I mean, he understands how to play quarterback and understands the game.”

After hiring former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator a year ago, the Buckeyes have followed a similar path of bringing NFL expertise onto their coaching staff.

Smith takes over for Ohio State’s former offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who took the head coaching job for the University of South Florida in December.

For Sayin, who becomes eligible for the NFL Draft after this college season, he welcomes the expertise Smith brings and knows how beneficial it will be having him as a resource during his time in college.

“We want to go to the next level,” Sayin said. “So it’s really cool to have him in our corner.”

Tuesday August 25th, 2026 | www.thelantern.com | 12

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