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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 “...

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...

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  —...

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...

A summer to remember: Political experts unpack Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and its effects on young voters

Summer 2024 may very well go down in history.

Though political tensions were rising throughout the season, three historic events — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris being the first woman-of-color U.S. presidential nominee — occurred in the span of nearly one month, potentially sending ripples throughout American politics for decades to come.

Ohio State professors provide an...

A summer to remember: Political experts unpack the Trump assassination attempt and its effects on young voters

Summer 2024 may very well go down in history.

Though political tensions have been rising throughout the season, three historic events — the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris being the first woman-of-color U.S. presidential nominee — occurred in the span of nearly one month, potentially sending ripples throughout American politics for decades to come.

Now, Ohio State professors...

Ohio State football players participate in Christian baptism ceremony outside of Curl Market, over 800 gather to observe

More on this event’s timeline, context and relationship with the university’s space standards below. Plus, read comments from involved athletes and attendees.

Between 800-1,000 people congregated to watch Ohio State football players help facilitate a Christian baptism ceremony outside of Curl Market Sunday, with at least 60 attendees being baptized by the end of the night.

Senior running back TreVeyon Henderson, senior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, graduate wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, former B...

One dead after five-hour standoff with police in the University District Sunday morning, police records show

A version of this story was published Monday at 7:42 p.m. and has since been updated to account for new information from a police report.

One man is dead after an over-five-hour-long barricade standoff with the Columbus Division of Police Sunday morning.

According to police records, officers initially responded to a 911 call around 8 a.m. on the 1500 block of Worthington Street, during which the caller reported a former roommate had potentially broken into the residence. When officers arrived,...

Ohio State alum and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is Donald Trump’s pick for vice president

Former president Donald Trump has selected Ohio State alum and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential nominee come November.

Trump announced his pick for running mate Monday at 2:04 p.m. via a post on Truth Social, Trump’s own social media platform. In the post, Trump stated Vance is the person “best suited” to take on this role.

“J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so br...

Lt. Colonel Michael Kelvington removed from Ohio State Army ROTC post, replaced by Lt. Colonel Steven Spiker in light of ongoing Title IX investigation

Ohio State Army ROTC Lt. Colonel Michael Kelvington was relieved of his university position and officially replaced by Lt. Colonel Steven Spiker as of June 7, as part of an ongoing Title IX investigation.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed Kelvington was on Jan. 22 issued a “no-contact order,” mandating he not interact with cadets and “perform administrative duties only.” Kelvington was later removed from his position and replaced by Spiker, who had served as the university’s interim profess...

Ohio State’s Lt. Colonel Michael Kelvington violated campus stay away order twice, has been reassigned off campus as part of ongoing Title IX investigation

A leader in Ohio State’s Army ROTC has recently been reassigned off campus as part of an ongoing Title IX investigation.

Lt. Colonel Michael Kelvington, also the university’s professor of military science and leadership, violated a “stay away order” in February and March, respectively, and has since been reassigned off campus, according to a police report provided under an open records request. University spokesperson Chris Booker declined to comment on what exactly Kelvington has been ordered
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