My Recent Work

Sept. 2025 Department Debrief: Monda Student Resource Center

Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.

This month, our team met with Morgan Vibbert, the associate director of the Monda Student Resource Center (MSRC). The MSRC is a support center for students that provides essential needs and services in a centralized location.

To the Girls Who Became My Home: A Her Campus Love Letter

I joined Her Campus at Ohio State my freshman year of college, not knowing that a simple club application would lead to some of the most important relationships in my life. Fast forward a few years, and I found my soulmates in Zoe Velez, Gia Freeman and Brooke Hoctor. 

What started as a way to get involved on campus quickly turned into a friendship that has shaped my college experience in ways I never could have imagined.

Book Review: Rebecca Yarros' "Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)"

“Onyx Storm” is an enthralling new entry in the fantasy genre, as I am sure most of you have heard. Combining rich world-building with a fast-paced plot, the book explores themes of identity, power and destiny.

The highly anticipated third book in Rebecca Yarros’ “Fourth Wing” series takes readers on an even more catastrophic journey of war, betrayal and bonds. Picking up where the second book left off, this latest installment follows the complex relationship between the main characters Xaden Riorson and Violet Sorrengail, the consequences of their choices and the high-stake battles they both face.

While the novel attempts to build on the intense stakes and character dynamics, much of the plot feels like a rehash of what came before, lacking the fresh energy fans were hoping for.

A home for queer joy: Members of Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint speak on recent transgender legislation, experiences in LGBTQ+ community

Bossy Grrl’s Pin Up Joint has earned a reputation as a vibrant hub for performance, community and self-expression.

A staple of the Old North Columbus neighborhood for over a decade, the venue — located at 2598 N. High St. — fosters an inclusive atmosphere and showcases a diverse array of events, including drag shows, karaoke nights and live performances by both emerging and established drag and burlesque artists, said Mickie Johnston, local performer, show producer and bar manager at Bossy Grrl’s.

With recent political developments targeting transgender rights, members of the Bossy Grrls community are speaking out about their experiences both at the venue and within Columbus’ queer community as a whole.

Brotherhood and parties or violations and sanctions: Inside the hazing culture of Ohio State’s fraternities

Ohio State’s chapter of FarmHouse International Fraternity, Alpha Tau Zeta, is a fraternity committed to shaping men into intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical leaders.

A community of young individuals with philanthropic interests, FarmHouse actively supports organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, according to its website.

And just like 30 other Greek life organizations, it is also a fraternity that has faced hazing violations.

In September 2022, the Student Conduct office within Ohio State’s Office of Student Life received an anonymous report alleging hazing — including activities such as a blood oath, verbal abuse, pornography and forced memorization of songs about rape — had taken place on ATZ’s property, specifically inside the fraternity’s house at 153 E. 14th Ave.

“How did you become aware of this violation?” the report language asks.

“It happened to me,” the anonymous reporter wrote.

Jan. 2025 Department Debrief: Suicide Prevention and REACH

Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.

This month, our team met with members of Ohio State’s Suicide Prevention Program (OSUSPP), an initiative working to create a systematic, inclusive, diverse and coordinated effort that educates and advocates for suicide prevention to be seen as a shared campus responsibility.

Nov. 2024 Department Debrief: Office of International Affairs

Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.

This month, our team met with the Office of International Affairs, an office dedicated to championing cross-cultural interactions through teaching, learning, outreach, collaborations and innovative programs that help create a globally engaged campus.

Oct. 2024 Department Debrief: Buckeye Leadership Fellows

Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.

This month, our team met with Buckeye Leadership Fellows, a program that partners with alumni and community leaders to provide undergraduate students with unique and transformative experiences to gain competitive advantages in their post-graduate pursuits while remaining connected to Ohio State.

Opinion: Reimagining justice: Why the death penalty should be left in the past

I had just turned 14 when my life resembled that of an American classic killer-next-door story.

My 13-year-old neighbor fatally shot his 11-year-old brother — a horrifying act subsequently reduced by local media to mismanaged behavioral choices. My own experience with the brothers, however, was deeper than something that could merely be classified as a tragic incident. It was a glaring reflection of systemic failure when it comes to society’s attitude toward crime.

“Better Than the Movies” Book Review

Lynn Painter’s New York Times bestseller “Better Than the Movies” is a classic high school rom-com where the goody two-shoes girl falls for the bad boy neighbor. A quintessential romance book, “Better Than the Movies” kept me up until 2 a.m. to finish binge-reading it in one sitting. This love story follows Liz Buxbaum, a hopeless romantic with a flair for melodrama. After her childhood crush, Michael, returns to their hometown, Liz is determined to capture his attention.

“Better Than the Movies” Book Review

Lynn Painter’s New York Times bestseller “Better Than the Movies” is a classic high school rom-com where the goody two-shoes girl falls for the bad boy neighbor. A quintessential romance book, “Better Than the Movies” kept me up until 2 a.m. to finish binge-reading it in one sitting.

This love story follows Liz Buxbaum, a hopeless romantic with a flair for melodrama. After her childhood crush, Michael, returns to their hometown, Liz is determined to capture his attention.

The only way in? Wes Bennett. Portrayed as a quirky senior on the search for the romance of the ages (as portrayed in movies like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Notting Hill”), Wes is the perfect man to fake-date until she wins Michael’s heart. Little did we know, however, that Wes was her hidden dream boy all along.

Ohio State English Department launches reader experience lab

Instructors, advertisers and politicians are always trying to find ways to make their message more clear, persuasive or attention-grabbing. A new lab at Ohio State may be able to provide more concrete answers.

The Department of English’s new “reader experience lab,” launched in January, is looking to concentrate on gathering direct data on how readers interact with, generate, interpret, analyze, comprehend and respond to both verbal and written messaging formats that are created by students themselves, Christa Teston, the director of business and technical writing in the Department of English, said. The lab is built into the business writing curriculum and is an official course in Denney Hall, but Teston said the lab has the potential to be reserved by researchers starting next semester.
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