THE LANTERN
The independent student voice of Ohio State University since 1881.
Domhnall Gleeson channels his inner journalist with the help of Ohio State professors in “The Paper”
Antonia Campbell Arts & Life Editor
“Funny, heartfelt, chaotic and funny again” are the adjectives Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson offers to describe his new show, “The Paper,” premiering Thursday Sept. 4 on the streaming service Peacock.
A spin-off of the critically-acclaimed series, “The Office,” “The Paper” follows the same mockumentary style of the original series but focuses on a struggling newspaper rather than a paper company.
Known for his roles in the “Harry Potter” series, “Ex Machina” and “About Time,” Gleeson will star as Ned Sampson, the new editor-in-chief at sinking Ohio newspaper, the Toledo Truth-Teller.
Gleeson said when the creators of “The Paper” – Greg Daniels, known for creating the U.S. version of “The Office” and Michael Koman – sent him the script, taking on the role was a no-brainer.
Domhnall Gleeson (standing) as Ned, the new editor-in-chief on “The Paper.” The Peacock original premieres Thursday.
“Greg Daniels has done an incredible amount of insanely brilliant work making funny American things, and Michael Koman has also done some incredible stuff like ‘Nathan for You,’” Gleeson said. “So yeah, they sent me the script and asked to have a chat. I thought the script was really funny. I really enjoyed talking to them. I talked to some people who had worked with them before and all those people said, ‘They’re amazing. You have to work with them if you can,’ and that was it.”
In preparation for the role, Gleeson traveled to the Midwest to speak to local journalists as part of his training. Specifically, Gleeson visited Ohio State and spoke with Spencer Hunt, director of student media at The Lantern, and Nicole Kraft, professor of journalism practice.
“I’d never spent much time in the Midwest, so I just went to Ohio, went to a few cities and talked to a few reporters,” Gleeson said. “The idea is that my
character hasn’t been an editor since he was in college — he hasn’t been involved in papers since he was at a school paper. So I talked to a few people at OSU as sort of an example of the kind of place he might have gone to college, and they were very helpful. I got to walk around The Lantern and stuff like that.”
Gleeson said to play an American as someone from Ireland, it was important to find commonalities between him and his character on his own, but also create commonalities by exploring where his character is from.
“Oftentimes with the character, you’re looking for the things you have in common, but you also want to have some sort of, almost made up memories,” Gleeson said. “You want to join your history with the character’s history, in some ways. So just traveling around, seeing the size of the different cities, like the size of Cincinnati versus Toledo, for example, all that sort of stuff helps you mix your history with the character’s in some way.”
Focusing on commonalities between Gleeson and Ned Sampson, Gleeson said Ned is more optimistic than he is, but they still share similar traits.
“I think what [Ned] and most people have in common is that he wants the world to be a better place,” Gleeson said. “He wants to rally the troops. He wants everyone to work together really well. He wants a happy work environment. And [he is] even romantic. I do think I have aspects of being overly romantic at times in my real life, not necessarily always in my actions, but in my outlook.”
“THE PAPER” continues on page 4.
AARON EPSTEIN/PEACOCK | TNS PHOTO
CAMPUS
On page 3
Classic campus bar set to reopen in new location after fall 2024 closing.
‘Standards Aren’t Lower’: USG sets the tone for an unusual fall election
Sean R. Phillips Lantern Reporter
As thousands of Buckeyes returned to campus this fall, they faced more than just a new semester. They also have a chance to participate in one of the most unprecedented elections in the history of Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government.
After a year defined by election chaos and controversy, USG officials insist this fall’s race marks a fresh start.
“I hope they see it as a breath of fresh air,” Matt Okocha, a fourth-year in psychology and USG chief justice, said. “There were a lot of issues with the last election, and hopefully those problems will not rear their heads again.”
The problems included a spring election cycle marred by numerous candidate disqualifications and capped by a decision by the Office of Student Life to intervene and require another election.
Candidates can begin campaigning on Sept. 11 and continue until balloting ends on Sept. 19, according to the USG Instagram. The Rossing-Noma campaign have announced that they are not planning to run again in the fall.
The USG Judicial Panel will inform candidates by Sept. 10 if they are on the ballot.
Among members of USG, this new race is being framed as a reset and a chance to prove that the student organization can run a fair and transparent election.
“Whatever candidates there are will run normal campaigns,” George Bernard, a third-year in finance and information systems and USG interim vice president, said. “The standards aren’t lower.”
Bernard said that despite the turbulence of last spring, candidates will be expected to campaign under normal rules and procedures.
For USG leaders, maintaining standards is only one piece of the puzzle.
“A successful election season involves three main things,” Aryav Yadapadithaya, a fourth-year in finance and USG interim chief financial officer, said.
Yadapadithaya pointed to coalition building, transparency and collaboration as the key pillars of a successful election season.
“Obviously, we have a large student body,” Yadapadithaya said. “A
successful election season would see that each of those students are being best represented and best advocated for within the entire season.”
While the officials are emphasizing team building and transparency, they acknowledge the shadow of last spring’s controversies and areas for growth in ensuring fairness.
“We don’t want the negative aspects of the election bleeding into USG,” Lexie Wade, a fourth-year in political science and English and the USG interim chief of staff, said.
Wade said that the USG executive board does surveillance monitoring campaign activity to ensure compliance with election rules.
USG leaders acknowledged that procedural flaws contributed to the nullification of the spring results and are pushing for a “cultural reset.”
“I think some of our issues were with our bylaws,” Okocha said. “There were points in which it was overly complex. There was not enough language in general to really give us a good way to navigate through some of those situations.”
Officials say this election is about more than filling seats. To them, it represents an opportunity to reshape USG’s culture while ensuring the procedures guiding the process remain stable and fair.
“At a certain point, new ideas, new people are necessary,” Yadapadithaya said. “I’m really, really excited to see where that takes us.”
DANIEL BUSH | CAMPUS PHOTO EDITOR
Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government will hold an unprecedented special election this semester, following a university decision to annul the spring election results.
Bier Stube set to re-open at new location off-campus
The original Bier Stube closed last September to make room for an apartment complex. The Stube will reopen at a new South Campus location, according to its owner.
Rayne James
Lantern Reporter
Bier Stube, a well-known campus bar that closed last September to make way for new off-campus apartments, will be revived at a new location.
The Bier Stube has been a staple of Buckeye culture since 1966, per prior Lantern reporting. Craig Kempton, who once worked as the Stube’s doorman before becoming its owner, is set on a spot located along King Avenue in South Campus.
Kempton said he’s excited to revive the sense of community that students, alumni and many other regulars shared.
“You form strong relationships,” Kempton said. “To not see the faces all the time was really hard.”
The bar had to close its doors at 1487 N. High St. after the University District Area Commission and Columbus officials approved a developer’s plans to replace the building with an apartment complex. Scott Ellsworth, friend of Kempton and owner of Thr3es, Fours and Fives, also understands that feeling.
Ellsworth was the owner of Too’s from 2007 to 2017 until a development plan forced Ellsworth to close the bar’s doors, according to prior Lantern reporting.
“Craig and I go pretty far back and have an unfortunate bond that both of our bars were taken at their peak on High St.,” Ellsworth said.
Kempton said he’s familiar with the Stube’s new location at 234 King Ave.
“I used to live across the street from the new place back in those days,” Kempton said. “It was called Estrada’s Mexican Restaurant (and Cantina), and we used to enjoy going over there and having some cerveza on the patio.”
Kempton considered the location to be a good place for the bar.
“I always thought to myself that this place would make a great location to have a Bier Stube,” he added.
The work to remodel the property into the new Bier Stube has already gained the attention of devoted Buckeye alumni and students on social media, including an Instagram post that gained 190,000 views.
“I know the public is ready. I know the community is ready,” Kempton said. “Just gotta give me time to rebuild it, so it feels like the Bier Stube again.”
Since taking ownership in 2004, Kempton said he knows what is needed to keep the Stube an enjoyable “meat and potatoes” bar.
The Bier Stube’s longtime customers have continued to support it, and many are excited about Kempton’s efforts to keep the bar going. Ellsworth praised Kempton’s work to reopen and preserve the dive bar’s culture.
“Craig [Kempton] is a resilient guy, and people will never understand what he’s been through and what it takes to stay motivated to try to relight that flame, and he’s doing it right now,” Ellsworth said. “We all know it’ll be great.”
JOSIE STEWART | LANTERN FILE PHOTO
ARTS & LIFE
Rambling House Music
Bar to close Oct. 1
Grayson Newbourn Managing Arts & Life Editor
Rambling House Music Bar has been a local staple for over 11 years. The venue owners made the decision to close its doors Oct. 1.
Rambling House Music Bar
— a local bar and live music venue located at 310 E. Hudson St. — announced Tuesday it will officially close Oct. 1 after more than a decade of hosting up-and-coming musicians. The closure was announced in an Instagram post by the venue.
“Community isn’t a building. It’s the people that make it,” the post says. “For 11+ years, Rambling House Music Bar has been a gathering place for some of those amazing individuals, indescribably talented artists and the most magical memories possible.”
According to the post, all shows up to Oct. 1 will take place as scheduled. Any artists set to perform after that date will be contacted by the venue’s booking team and all tickets for those shows will be refunded. The venue’s team encourages
others to show up and make their last month of operation special.
“Help us close this chapter the right way by coming out to show love to your favorite faces behind the bar, at the door and in the sound booth,” the post says. “And bring your support for the amazing artists who will be on the Rambling House stage being a part of what we do best for a little while longer.”
The post says the music bar’s closure will not impact Rambling House Soda. The venue is actively seeking out buyers to reopen the venue.
No reason was given for the bar’s closure.
“About
On page 5
Free concert to be hosted on campus by student organization.
Time” star takes on new comedy show
Continued from page 1
Gleeson said that portraying a journalist gave him a greater appreciation for journalism and also made him more optimistic for the future of the profession.
“I guess I knew that journalism was in a tough spot, like all over the world and America, but I just hadn’t put a lot of thought into how difficult it is to be a journalist,” Gleeson said. “And what I found really cool is the fact that young people are still getting into it, despite the many harsh realities of the business at the moment. I just found that really inspiring. I think I took that for Ned – that was the big thing I found out – was that people are still doing it and people still really care about it. I thought that was super cool and super hopeful, despite a lot of the outlook being pessimistic.”
“Anybody who has that feeling – that’s absolutely fine,” Gleeson said. “I think that when we worked on the show, we worked really hard to make it its own thing and to make it have similar qualities in some ways, in terms of the feel of the show, but the tone is a little different … If people want more of ‘The Office,’ there are so many episodes of ‘The Office.’ We’re not deleting those off the internet, those are all still there. I’m hopeful that people can focus on our own strengths and weaknesses, but I’m not going to try to convince anybody.” It was announced Wednesday that “The Paper” was renewed for a second season by Peacock a day before its release to the public. Daniels already has ideas for season two, according to an article released by Variety Wednesday.
Gleeson said he’s excited and also relieved for the show to be released so audiences can interpret “The Paper” for themselves.
“The Paper” takes place in the same fictional universe as the U.S. version of “The Office,” with the idea being that the same documentary crew that filmed Dunder Mifflin Paper Company came across the Toledo Truth-Teller and decided to document the happenings there.
To any skeptics that feel “The Paper” is unnecessary, Gleeson said he is not here to change anyone’s mind.
“I’m just excited for it to be out in the world, and that we can stop sort of explaining what we think it’s about and let people find out for themselves,” Gleeson said. “That’s always a nice thing – sort of letting go of it. We’ve seen it, and in like three days, anybody who wants to see it can see it, and that sort of lifts the pressure in a certain way, because it’s not up to us to explain it anymore. I’m looking forward to that.”
SANDRA FU | MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR
Domhnall Gleeson, left, as Ned and Sabrina Impacciatore as Esmeralda in “The Paper.”
TROY HARVEY/PEACOCK | TNS PHOTO
Scarlet Guitarists to host free Scarlet Shakedown concert at Browning Amphitheater Friday
Shea Sooley
Senior Lantern Reporter
Scarlet Guitarists, a student organization, will host their Scarlet Shakedown event — a free back-to-school concert featuring performances from club members and bands from across Ohio — at the Browning Amphitheater Friday.
Craig Minnick, a third-year in finance and president of Scarlet Guitarists, said the concert, which starts at 6 p.m., will represent a variety of genres and musicians from Columbus, Cleveland and Canton, some of whom are members of the organization.
“We got two of our bands [from] within the club, [then] we got Cougar Meat, which is more like ‘80s hair metal [and] Paperview, which is more alternative,” Minnick said. “We have our own e-board band within the club called the Scarlet Executives, and we have the local 5 Dollar Club — they play some good ol’ rock n’ roll.”
Minnick said the goal of the concert is to raise awareness about their club and bring together people who appreciate music.
“We want to make a place where, even if you have a casual interest in music and you’re just looking for somewhere to go during your first weeks, trying to find somewhere that you belong on campus,” Minnick said. “This is a way, at least, to meet up with people who appreciate that sort of thing at some level.”
“If you’re a musician and you see one of our acts play, maybe in a couple months time this could be you on stage.”
Kyle Zaklan, a third-year in marketing and operations management and co-vice president of Scarlet Guitarists, said in addition to spreading awareness of their club, the show is also a great way to get involved with the Columbus music scene.
Ohio State University student organization, Scarlet Guitarists, will show their appreciation of music by hosting a free concert, called Scarlet Shakedown, in the Browning Amphitheater.
“A lot of people come to Ohio State for those sports aspects of it, but there’s also a growing music scene in Columbus and we want to be a part of that,” Zaklan said. “Columbus is a growing and expanding city. It’s rather young and we want to be a part of that developing music scene.”
Minnick said the club thinks the concert will be a great way to kick off the school year after hosting a similar event last semester.
“We really wanted to expand a lot on the last concert we had as well, because we saw a lot of people within the club wanted to put their skills to the test,” Minnick said. “It’s something that people could work towards within the club — it’s fun performing live and seeing everybody come up with some cool stuff.”
Zaklan said they do not collect membership fees because they want music to be accessible to anyone interested. While the group did not receive any funding from Ohio State, the executive board members purchased all the equipment necessary for the concert out of their own pockets.
“Literally everything has been upgraded. We went from no equipment to [having] everything we need,” Zaklan said. “So yeah, we’re gonna put on a good show because we actually have the ability to do that now.”
Zaklan said the financial contributions towards the group are guided by their passion for music.
“None of us have a label backing us. We just do it because we love to do it,” Zaklan said. “We just want to create that atmosphere that’s welcoming to everyone.”
Minnick said if the weather does not cooperate, Independence Hall is booked as a backup venue. Updates on the venue location can be found on the organization’s Instagram.
“Even if it’s rain or shine, we’re going to make it happen,” Minnick said. “We’re going to create a community and have something for people to look forward to.”
More information about the Scarlet Shakedown concert can be found on their Instagram page.
SHEA SOOLEY | LANTERN REPORTER
Ohio State student wins $250,000 after making field goal on ESPN’s College GameDay
Reilly Cahill Sports Senior Writer
Logan Pallo stood in line at ESPN College GameDay’s set outside of St. John Arena. It was 2:30 a.m. and he had come to be part of the pre-game experience before Ohio State took on the Texas Longhorns.
He left 9 ½ hours later with a check for $250,000.
Pallo, a second-year in business finance, was selected for Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest, which gives a student at each College GameDay stop the chance to win cash for kicking a ball 33 yards through goal post uprights.
As McAfee asked if Pallo felt any nerves prior to the kick on the broadcast, Pallo was focused on the task that could change his life forever.
“No, not at all,” Pallo said.
Pallo was one of thousands of Buckeye and Longhorn fans who gathered in Remembrance Park during the early morning hours to share in the College GameDay traditions.
In addition to watching the analysis and picks from the crew that includes Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, the first 300 fans at the set were entered into a raffle to compete for McAfee’s kick.
When the clock struck 9:30 a.m., a staffer pulled a raffle number and Pallo was shocked to find he was holding the winning number.
“I think that poop was a bad omen,” Powell said. Neither the celebrity nor the circumstance fazed Pallo.
“I was kind of blocking out everything,” Pallo said. “I heard everything that Pat was saying, what Glen [Powell] was saying and Kirk [Herbstreit] when he was helping me out, as well. I heard all that, but everything else was just kind of background noise.”
“My number at the time was 434, so when they started with the number zero, I was like okay, so it’s not mine,” Pallo said. “But then I remembered there was a zero in the front of my number. Then another number (came down), then another. Finally, it ended up being mine.”
The competition started in 2023, and McAfee has offered as much as $800,000 to a winner. Saturday, as Pallo lined up for the kick around 11 a.m., McAfee had a surprise–on a whim he upped the amount from $100,000 to $250,000. Just before the kick, they were joined on set by movie star Glen Powell, a Texas fan.
McAfee seemed to do all he could to psych Pallo out, including noting the call of nature in the kicking by Herbstreit’s dog, Peter.
“You got the mascots staring you down!” he screamed. “They don’t want you to win. Glen doesn’t want you to win. Peter is taking a dump in the middle of a kicking contest.”
He squared up, sprinted forward and drilled the kick with distance to spare.
The celebration was immediate as college mascots, Powell and Herbstreit swarmed him, jumping up and down.
Pallo described it as one of the best moments of his life.
“I feel amazing right now,” Pallo said moments after the kick went through the uprights.
“That was amazing.”
Pallo was not a complete novice when it came to field goals, having supported his brother, Xavier, a high school kicker in Northeast Ohio.
“I’ll shag balls for him,” Pallo said. “[I’ve attempted] no more than probably 20 to 30 kicks.”
Pallo was reticent about when and how he will receive his winnings, seeking privacy about the operation.
Pallo said his phone buzzed throughout his time at the game Saturday and on Sunday, but his fame was short-lived.
“A few congrats out of the blue would happen, but other than that, everything else just went back to normal,” he said.
Pallo said his most-asked question was if he really got dog poop on his shoes.
“As much as Pat screamed it at the top of his lungs and made it nationally known, I looked at my shoes right after and I didn’t step in anything,” Pallo said.
Pallo is just the second student to split the uprights on the first try in McAfee’s Kicking Contest.
Despite making the kick with ease, Pallo believes his brother has a better chance of becoming a Division 1 kicker.
“No, my brother can kick about 15 yards farther than me and he’s about three years younger,” Pallo said. “I’d give the nod to him.”
Head Coach Ryan Day (far right) joined the cast of ESPN’s College GameDay on Sat. Aug. 30 to talk about the game against the Texas Longhorns.
LIAM AHERN | SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR
SPORTS
On page 6
Photo gallery: Ohio State vs. Texas.
On page 7
Student feature on field goal kicker at ESPN’s College GameDay.
The Jones family Big Buckeye Bash: Four generations of tailgating at Ohio State
Jack Diwik Managing Sports Editor
The stairs off Woody Hayes Drive spill fans into a tide of scarlet and gray, and just to the left of the bus stop, an old ritual is already in motion.
Folding tables go up. Coolers full of Miller Lite and soft drinks thump open. A white flag snaps in the crisp August breeze: The Jones Family Big Buckeye Bash. Another banner ripples beneath it, reading: LAST CALL.
If Ohio State Saturdays have a heartbeat outside the stadium walls, it sounds a lot like this corner, where the Jones family has staged a tailgate for 65 years.
In October 1959, Jane Jones and her husband, Stu, pointed a red Chevrolet convertible east out of California and drove all the way to Columbus. Stu had just returned from military service in Korea, and their destination was Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes hosted Purdue for Homecoming.
“We drove straight through,” Jane said. “We got here on Friday night and had a tailgate the next day.”
What began as a simple pregame picnic between a young couple and a few friends has grown into a gathering that now stretches across four generations.
Jane, now 88, who cannot remember the last time she missed a home game, still sets the tone for the tailgate. She is always one of the first people there, directing the setup and making sure the tailgate never skips a beat. Her four children — Elizabeth, Marcy, Grant and Stu — now help shoulder the workload.
Stu and Moore talked football all week leading up to game day, and when Saturday came, he made sure the tailgate had a sense of timing. Years ago, he had three tongue-in-cheek signs made: First Call, Next to Last Call and Last Call. The joke still hangs on the tent poles — a reminder to laugh, linger and then finally head inside.
Stu, who passed away in 2019, is still everywhere at the Jones tailgate. His name ripples on the Last Call flag, and talk of the humor, energy, and warmth he brought to every Saturday is widespread.
Jane Jones stands in front of her car at an Ohio State tailgate — just like every other game, for the past 65 years. Jones and her family have extended the invite to friends, extended family and anyone who wants to join.
“She’s incredible,” said longtime attendee Scott Shaffer. “She will be the first one out here to set up at 6:00 a.m. It’s amazing.”
At the Jones’ tailgate, trays of Giant Eagle mini sandwiches sit beside bowls of corn dip and piles of chips, with steaming cups of Chick-fil-A coffee cutting through the morning chill on a table in front of an open trunk of a black Infiniti.
To the left, two cars sit with their trunks open — one belongs to Stu’s longtime friends, Butch Moore and his tailgating partner, Paul Ballinger, their spot marked by a flag that reads Butch and Paul’s Tailgate. The other is owned by Cliff Aiken, who has been part of the group for 25 years. Together, the three camps have built a gameday neighborhood, showing up early to defend their spots, swap stories and raise their flags side by side.
“You couldn’t pick a better father-inlaw,” said Dave McKee, who married Elizabeth, the Jones’ oldest daughter. “He was funny. He was a good athlete. He had just as much energy as Jane did, and then some. He was a lot of fun and just a great guy to be around.”
Before kickoff, the air around the Jones tailgate vibrates with a shared feeling. It’s in the laughter that spills from one table to the next and the steady pop of cans being opened. It’s in the way old friends lean in to swap stories.
This enduring tradition isn’t about the food or the drinks. It’s built on a foundation of people — a four-generation chain of returners who show up, year after year, to keep the rhythm of this sacred spot alive.
“Many of our friends who tailgated with us the last 60 years have passed,” Jane said. “But now their children and grandchildren still come. Everyone is welcomed.”
Born from a cross-country drive in a red Chevrolet convertible, the tailgate lives on. The car is long gone, but the people who first drove it to Columbus built a tradition that continues today.
“You couldn’t pick better people to build a tradition like this,” McKee said. “They made it fun, and they made it last.”
And when Last Call comes, Jane and her crew pack up, lock the car and leave their sacred corner behind as they join the scarlet-and-gray stream toward the ‘Shoe — just as they’ve done for 65 years.
SANDRA FU | MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR