Emma G. Wozniak

Journalist at The Ohio State University with a firm belief we all have a story to tell — and a passion for being the mouthpiece through which those stories can be shared with the world.

The Lantern •

SB 1 becomes law; Ohio public higher education overhaul bill signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon

Ohio Senate Bill 1 — which bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming and faculty striking, limits the teaching of controversial subjects, requires the online publication of course syllabi and more across Ohio’s public higher education institutions — was signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon.

SB 1 — formally known as the “Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act” and introduced by Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) — previously passed through the Ohio Senate Feb. 13, p...
The Lantern •

Former NASA leader and astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. named Ohio State’s spring commencement speaker

Bolden — who served for 34 years in the Marine Corps, during which he traveled to space four times — was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 to serve as NASA’s 12th administrator, according to a Monday Ohio State News article. This role, which is the highest-ranking position within the agency, involves working with Congress and other elected officials to make decisions about space-related programs and policies, according to a December 2024 Government Executive article.

“It is qui...
The Lantern •

‘Buckeyes don’t stand for foolishness’: Roughly 900 students, faculty and staff gather to protest SB 1, criticize university President Ted Carter Jr. and state legislature

Around 900 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Oval from 1-4:30 p.m. Tuesday to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks.

From Ohio State community members to administrators, religious leaders and politicians, the crowd grew from a mere few dozen people just before 1 p.m. to approximately 900 by 2:30 p.m. The protest was organized by Ohio State’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the university’s chapter of the...
The Lantern •

Trump threatens college campus protesters with arrests and federal funding cuts via Truth Social Tuesday

This morning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened college campus protesters with arrests and federal funding cuts.

This post arrives in light of a scheduled protest of Ohio Senate Bill 1 — which aims to make significant changes to Ohio’s public higher education system, namely by overhauling programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, per prior Lantern reporting — on the Oval today. In his post, Trump threatened to cut off all federal funding to any education institutions that allow...
The Lantern •

‘We laughed at him:’ Ohio State community reacts as President Carter announces end of Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Belonging and Social Change

The fabric of Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion programming has begun to unravel following Thursday’s University Senate meeting.

Inside Drinko Hall’s Saxbe Auditorium, Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. announced the university’s plan to discontinue the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change effective Friday, meaning 16 related professional staff positions will be removed within 60 days, per prior Lantern reporting. The 3:30 p.m. meeting dre...
The Lantern •

University eliminates DEI leadership position; former senior vice provost of inclusive excellence Wendy Smooth returns to faculty role

Ohio State eliminated a top leadership position that directly focused on university diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in late January.

Wendy Smooth, former senior vice provost of inclusive excellence, returned to a faculty position Jan. 31, according to an email sent by then-interim Executive Vice President and Provost Karla Zadnik to university colleagues. The email, sent on Jan. 9, said Smooth would return to a College of Arts and Sciences faculty position at the end of the month an...
The Lantern •

DEI-banning bill SB 1 passes through Ohio Senate Wednesday afternoon, heads to Ohio House

A version of this story was originally published Feb. 5 but has since been updated in light of Senate Bill 1’s passing.

A bill that proposes banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at all public Ohio higher education institutions passed through the Ohio Senate Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1 — or the “Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act” — was passed in a 21-11 vote, largely along party lines, despite roughly 200 Ohioans testifying against the bill in person at the Statehouse Tuesday, pe...
The Lantern Projects •

Behind the scenes of Chris Pan's viral commencement speech: The nomination process, Ohio State's speaker history and who really made the call

As the class of 2024 sat in the ‘Shoe in May, there were dozens of commencement speakers they could have heard from, each one having been considered by the university’s Commencement Speaker Advisory Committee that year.
Michelle Obama, the 44th first lady of the United States and the first Black woman to serve in the role, was the committee’s first choice.
Lizzo, formally known as Melissa Viviane Jefferson and a singer-songwriter with almost 11 million monthly Spotify listeners, was the committe...
The Lantern •

Football: Ohio State quality control coach Joe Lyberger placed on paid administrative leave

Ohio State defensive quality control coach Joe Lyberger was placed on paid administrative leave just days before the Buckeyes traveled to Los Angeles for the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl, due to an ongoing investigation by the Office of Institutional Equity.

The OIE handles reports of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct, according to Ohio State’s webpage. Lyberger received a letter from Ohio State Human Resources Dec. 27, 2024, informing him that he had been placed on administrative leave with...
The Lantern •

Attorney General Dave Yost announces bid for Ohio gubernatorial race; here’s a breakdown of current contenders

Political leadership is shifting in the state of Ohio.

Since Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vice President J.D. Vance’s Ohio Senator seat until the November 2026 special election, questions have arisen surrounding other positions within the Ohio government — namely, who will succeed DeWine as governor Nov. 3, 2026.

The current list of potential candidates includes five Republicans and three Democrats, all of whom have either officially declared their candidacy or e...
The Lantern •

Roughly 600 students gather in Ohio Union to participate in Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Monday

In collaboration with over 20 nonprofit community partners, approximately 600 students gathered at the Ohio Union Monday to participate in community service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Pay It Forward, a student cohort within Ohio State’s Office of Student Life, has hosted the MLK Jr. Day of Service for roughly 25 years as part of its mission to organize service opportunities for other students, said Madi Barnes, the office’s coordinator for community and civic engagement. Over the c...
The Lantern •

Lawsuits, crime and football: Five takeaways from The Lantern’s January interview with university President Ted Carter Jr.

The Lantern sat down with university President Ted Carter Jr. Tuesday to ask about pressing issues affecting the Ohio State community, from lawsuits to campus crime to the upcoming National Championship game.

Below are the five major takeaways from Carter’s responses.

Lawrence Tower mold lawsuit

Regarding the mold growth in Lawrence Tower and the subsequent relocation of roughly 500 students to other housing accommodations for the spring semester, Carter said the university took action upon l...
The Lantern Projects •

The True Cost: Why life-saving drugs are so inaccessible and how one student group is working to change that

Taxpayers shelled out at least $3.8 million to help develop a cancer drug that offers new promise to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

It now costs over $194,000 per year for those who need it.

For people suffering from various rare forms of blood cancer, acalabrutinib offers the promise of improved life quality by reducing serious side effects — namely suppressed immune systems that left patients dangerously vulnerable to infect...
The Lantern •

Election 2024: Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris in presidential race, Ohio State alum and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be vice president

Former President Donald Trump has won the 2024 race for the White House, capturing Ohio’s 17 electoral votes and 277 total electoral votes at the time of publication.

The Associated Press named Trump the official winner around 5:34 a.m. Wednesday.

In what was anticipated to have been a remarkably tight race, Trump’s victory was officially secured by winning key battleground state Wisconsin, putting him over the 270-vote threshold to win. Within the state of Ohio, Trump won with 55.26% of the vote.

Current Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be Trump’s vice president, making him the first Ohio State alum to ever hold the position.

The Republican Party has also taken...
The Lantern •

University President Ted Carter Jr. discusses 10-year vision for Ohio State, enrollment diversity and affordability challenges

Tuesday, The Lantern sat down with Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. to discuss Friday’s investiture, the university’s record-high minority enrollment rate and issues regarding affordability at Ohio State.

Friday’s investiture

In a Jan. 24 sit-down with The Lantern, Carter said he intended to have a “three-to-five-to-10-” year plan ready by his 100th day in office.

Marking Carter’s 312th day in office, Friday’s investiture — a formal event at which he will publicly share his vision for Ohio...
The Lantern •

New details on Title IX investigation into Lt. Col. Michael Kelvington come to light

Former Ohio State professor of military science Lt. Col. Michael Kelvington has been under investigation for sexual misconduct and “conduct that could constitute non-consensual sexual penetration, stalking, and/or prohibited relationship,” according to records recently obtained by The Lantern.

Kelvington, a leader in Ohio State’s ROTC program, was previously relieved of his university position and replaced by Lt. Col. Steven Spiker June 7 as part of an ongoing Title IX investigation.

The Lante...
The Lantern •

Three takeaways from The Lantern’s sit-down interview with newly named executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda

Wednesday morning, Ravi V. Bellamkonda was named as Ohio State’s next executive vice president and provost.

Alongside university President Ted Carter Jr. and additional media representatives, The Lantern interviewed Bellamkonda about various topics — including his hiring process, goals for the university and opinions on artificial intelligence — Wednesday afternoon.

Here’s what Ohio State community members should know about Bellamkonda’s administrative approach before his appointment begins Ja...
The Lantern •

Election 2024: Which campaign came out on top? Experts weigh in on this year’s presidential debates

After only three meetings, the presidential debate stage is unlikely to see any more action in 2024.

Since the presidential face-off between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump Sept. 10 — which followed this election season’s first debate on June 27 between Trump and President Joe Biden, before his ultimate withdrawal from the race — and Tuesday’s vice-presidential contest between Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, it appears this year’s debate cycle ha...
The Lantern •

Election 2024: Vance and Walz step to the podium in vice presidential debate, discuss gun regulation, abortion and economy

Though initially expected to be even more explosive than last month’s presidential face-off, Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate between Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was surprisingly cordial.

Hosted by CBS News in New York City at 9 p.m., the debate — which was likely the final debate of this election cycle — saw both Vance and Walz directly talk to the American public by staring straight into the camera and even using “you” to personally address a...
The Lantern •

Letter from the editor: Ohio State needs to be more transparent about its space standards

As student-led demonstrations surge on college campuses across the country, nationwide controversy regarding free speech has sparked.

The discourse largely surrounds the limits on students’ abilities to exercise their First Amendment rights compared to the powers universities possess to enforce campus safety and security — and Ohio State is no exception.

Though the university’s space standards intend to strike a balance between students’ freedom of expression and maintaining a safe space for “...
The Lantern •

Recent University District crime sparks conversation surrounding campus safety resources, Ohio State joins forces with city of Columbus

After two near-campus shootings in three days, Ohio State is collaborating with the city of Columbus in attempts to bolster safety resources for the campus community.

Per prior Lantern reporting, a shooting took place Wednesday night near 11th Avenue and North High Street. The incident resulted in an injured graduate student, and the two unidentified suspects remain at large. A separate shooting took place Monday night near Olentangy River Road and John H Herrick Drive, resulting in one individ...
The Lantern •

Graduate student injured after shooting at 11th Avenue and North High Street, suspects remain at large

A version of this story was published Sept. 18 at 8:42 p.m. to include information from an interview with Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Joe Albert. The story has since been updated to correct a misunderstanding between The Lantern and Albert, which resulted in an incorrect report that a medic had been shot.

An Ohio State graduate student was injured after a shooting occurred at 11th Avenue and North High Street around 6:18 p.m. Wednesday, said interim Ohio State University Police Division  —...
The Lantern •

Election 2024: Trump and Harris face off in presidential debate, discuss abortion, immigration and other hot topics

PHILADELPHIA — After months of anticipation, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris met face-to-face for the first time Tuesday on the presidential debate stage.

The 90-minute debate, hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center, gave Americans their first opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions since Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee in August.

Harris and Trump laid out their visions for the country if elected, a...
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