Author: Natalie Hornback

Buckeyethon Dance Marathon

Eight hours until show time. It’s the first Friday afternoon of February and the Ohio Union is humming in anticipation of one of our biggest events of the year. Months of meticulous planning on the part of Buckeyethon members and Ohio Union staff has all been building up to the next 36 hours. All of the hard work that they have put in will finally pay off when tonight’s opening ceremony begins and approximately 4,800 registered dancers begin participating in the 2016 Buckeyethon Dance Marathon- and the best part? It’s all For The Kids.

Buckeyethon Logo

“Every kid deserves to run and jump and laugh and dance. Every kid deserves to live carefree.”

Above are the logo and words presented on Buckeyethon’s website, and this sentence represents the root of Buckeyethon’s mission: For The Kids. These three words are used to link fundraising dance marathons across the nation in the fight for children who need it most. Courtney Thomson, who is Buckeyethon’s Director of Marketing and Communication, told me that “everyone has his or her own reasons for being FTK, and it means something different to everyone,” and that is what makes this event so special.

Tonight and tomorrow, throughout the Ohio Union, students will come together not only with each other, but also with the families of 17 special children who currently have or have fought pediatric illness at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Some of these families have been with Buckeyethon for multiple years and some are participating for the first time. They will be able to witness the support and the For The Kids mantra in action. Each child has their own page on the Buckeyethon Kids section of the website (which dons the heading “Every Kid Deserves to be a Buckeye!”) where you can read about their personality, their favorite things and their personal journey in their fight against pediatric illness. This weekend those children will get to see and feel the overwhelming support of students like us who care. Most of us will never understand the hardships these kids are facing, but we can help, we can donate and we can dance.

Brutus Boy

Dancers will interact with each other and the Buckeyethon Kids, as well as participate in various activities and- of course- dance! This event is enough to get even the shyest of movers onto the dance floor, if even just to learn the Morale Dance. For anyone who doesn’t know what the Morale Dance is, I am here to tell you: It is a type of line dance that is choreographed and taught to dancers by students from Buckeyethon. The dance is set to a mash-up of today’s top hits (I would like to think Adele would participate if she was an Ohio State student) and a few throwbacks; and, as Courtney explained to me, serves as “the perfect pick-me-up throughout the event,” as well as a way for dancers to work together and learn the routine.

Buckeyethon Great Hall

Eight hours (give or take the five minutes it took you to read this blog post) until show time- and I couldn’t be more excited to witness it. Tonight, thousands of Ohio State students will descend upon the Ohio Union in what I believe is one of the most perfect examples of why I am so proud to be a part of the Ohio State community.

For more information, visit the Buckeyethon website.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Happy 2016, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter break. We just wrapped up our first week back at Ohio State and I’m sure you are all excited for what is sure to be our best semester yet.

Snow

I don’t know about you but I’m already exhausted after a mere 5 days of classes and activities (I guess that’s what happens when you spend a month being a couch potato and eating 10 holiday cookies per day.) Thankfully, this long and very cold week is followed up by a much needed 3 day weekend! In keeping with the January theme of making resolutions, I encourage you all to take this day off of classes as an opportunity to give back to our community. So often our resolutions (New Year’s or otherwise) center around bettering ourselves and not enough on helping others and bettering our community, both local and global.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a wonderful event put on by Ohio State’s Pay It Forward. Below are the details about how you can spend the day volunteering with other Ohio State students:

When: Monday, January 18 at 7:45 a.m.

Where: Participants are gathering at the Ohio Union. Volunteers will be placed on a first come first serve basis. The day of service will end by 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the MLK Jr. Day of Service website.

MLK

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#WellnessWednesday: Treat Yo’ Self

#WellnessWednesday: Treat Yo’ Self

It’s December 16 everyone, which means we are approaching the finish line of not only this semester but the year. Some of us are done with exams *struts around with weight-free shoulders*, and some still have exams today and tomorrow (you can do it!). Either way, winter break is almost upon us. We know you worked hard this semester, with stress levels culminating this past week, so here are our “10 Ways to Treat Yo’ Self” post-final exams:

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  1. Sometimes the best way to help yourself feel better is by helping those around you. The holiday season is a wonderful time to give back to those that don’t have the opportunity to do the rest of the activities on this list. Visit the Hands On Central Ohio home page to find out how you and your friends can volunteer this winter break.
  2. Embrace your inner couch potato. I’m not claiming to be an expert in this subject, but I know a thing or two about treating myself to a day in front of the TV. Netflix has some quality holiday flicks to get you in the spirit (my personal recommendation: Christmas with the Kranks), so brew a cup of coffee or cocoa and kick back for a day.
  3. Go on a run. I’m also not claiming to be an expert in this subject, or even a participant, but for some people exercise is at the top of their list of ways to relieve stress. Let’s be honest, 58° in mid-December? That’s an invitation to get outside if I’ve ever heard one!
  4. Cheer on the Bucks. Football season may be coming to an end, but basketball season is just getting started. Get together with some friends and tune in to Big Ten Network tonight, December 16 to watch the Buckeyes take on Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.
  5. Have a dance party. It is officially socially acceptable to listen to all your Christmas favorites- although, in my personal opinion there is no WRONG time for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Blast the Christmas jams while you’re cleaning or while you pack to head home.
  6. Bake* some holiday treats. *Or (if you’re like me) buy them at the store. Either way, it’s time to chow down on all the holiday goodies before you make the New Year’s resolution to eat better.
  7. Deck the halls. Whether you’re into decorating your dorm/apartment, or you wait to get in the holiday spirit until you go back home, decking the halls with boughs of holly will not only bring a smile to your face but will also cause you to ask yourself: what’s a “bough”? Answer: it is an Old English term for a tree branch- and yes, I had to look that up.
  8. Read a book. Now I know what you’re thinking- “but I just spent a whole semester reading!” however, winter break is the best time to hit the bestseller list and read all of the books you’ve been wanting to read for the past few months but didn’t have the time to. Oh, and the best part? You don’t have to answer any questions or write any essays on what you’ve just read. I recommend visiting The Book Loft in German Village to pick up some new reads!
  9. Explore your hometown. If you’re going home for the break, get out and explore what makes your hometown unique. You don’t know the next time you’ll be back so enjoy your favorite things about your native city before you return to Columbus in the New Year.
  10. Spend time with loved ones. Last but certainly not least, take some time this break to spend time with your loved ones. Whether that’s family, friends or coworkers- make sure to let them know you appreciate all that they do for you. That’s what the holidays are all about!

 

So pat yourself on the back and prepare to unwind as we put another semester in the books and our textbooks on the shelves!

Beat Michigan Week

Happy rivalry week, Buckeyes! This week marks the 97th annual rivalry week between the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and our Ohio State Buckeyes. Our friendly competition with that team up north began in 1897 shortly after Toledo war where Ohio gained control of the Toledo strip. The two teams first met in Ann Arbor in October of 1897. (Spoiler Alert!) They crushed us with a 34-0 victory, but there is no need to dwell on our rocky start, this is the 21st century and we have won 12 of the last 15 games!

The annual meeting of our teams started in 1918 and we have been facing off every year since then, with the game site alternating between Columbus and Ann Arbor. The Michigan vs. Ohio State game has compelled fans for almost a century and this legendary rivalry was deemed the “greatest North American sports rivalry” in 2000 by ESPN. For more information on Beat Michigan Week, visit the Beat Michigan website.

This year “The Game” will be played this Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan at 12 noon.

A graphic showing the Ohio State Michigan rivalry

 

 

 

Want to do your part to beat Michigan? Check out our post on the American Red Cross Club and stop by the Ohio Union today (11/25) from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. for your last chance to donate blood for the Ohio State vs. Michigan blood battle!

We Have a Winner!

This week we had a Brutus Selfie Contest in honor of Brutus’ 50th birthday. Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to our winner Mikayla Simon! Mikayla posted her selfie with Bronze Brutus and received the most likes on Instagram.

Mikaylay's winning photo

 
The prize for the contest was a miniature Brutus statue. Here she poses with her prize along with it’s bronze namesake. Mikayla poses with her prize

Be sure to check out our post about Brutus’ birthday written by the nut himself! Don’t forget to follow the sOUrce for all the information you need about what’s happening in the Ohio Union.