Dining in the Short North

Hey first year students!

Missing your mom’s cooking? Tired of always eating at Traditions? Try going to the Short North! COTA buses can take you there in minutes and it’s a fun, easy, and appetizing weekend activity.

There are also awesome affordable options. Some cheap and casual choices include Mikey’s Late Night Slice and Melt Bar and Grilled. If you are a huge fan of grilled cheese, like me, Melt is the place to go. Late Night Slice — which is somewhat of a dive — offers cheap, delicious, and quick pizza.

If you’re willing to spend a little extra money for delicious dinning Northstar Cafe and North Market are fantastic prospects. North Star, a spunky organic restaurant, has great brunch and offers vegetarian options. North Market, my favorite, is like a food festival! Individual cafes, butchers, grocers, ice-creameries, and bakers are set up in a retro warehouse. Although it can be a bit pricy, there are so many yummy options. Some include crepes, Thai food, Indian, German styled sandwiches, etc. If you go to North Market, be sure to factor in money to park if you don’t take the bus.

If you’re craving authentic food, a few selections include Marcella’s, Haiku Poetic Food and Art and La Fogata Grill. La Fogata delivers mouthwatering Mexican food — the restaurant offers fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, and other authentic cuisine. Marcella’s, an Italian restaurant, has great high-end pizza and pasta. Haiku Poetic Food and Art offers Asian Pacific style food, like appetizing sushi, noodles, salads, and more. Poets, musicians, and artists come in to perform as part of a fine dining experience — the atmosphere is amazing!

If you’re looking for desert options or if you love coffee, there are a number of selections in the Short North. Some include famous, locally owned Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Le Chocoholique, Tasi Café, and ZenCha Tea Salon. If you have not already tasted some of Jeni’s ice cream, it’s a fantastic place to bring your family if they are visiting. Le Chocoholique has fondues, coffees and gelato. They also have delicious crème brûlée. Tasi Café has enjoyable coffee in addition to freshly baked breads, and they also offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Finally ZenCha Tea Salon is a fun place to drink lots of tea or experience the ambient atmosphere.

If you’re looking for something fun, want to experience delicious foods, or want to adventure through Columbus, check out the Short North!!

I Wrote This With My Tears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello readers, just an emotional senior over here writing a blog post for first-year students with my tears. Casual.

When I think back on the summer before my freshman year, I had a lot of emotions going on. I was beyond excited to finally go to college at The Ohio State University, nervous about leaving my friends and family at home and absolutely terrified because I didn’t know what to expect as a student at Ohio State. My life was going to completely change and I had no idea how I would handle the transition. For you first-year students who are moving to campus in, oh, approximately SIXTEEN DAYS, I imagine you’re feeling similar emotions, experiencing similar fears, and fluctuating between this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…or this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…or maybe this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

…all while attempting to prepare yourself to start at The Ohio State University.

My situation now isn’t too different. I’m approaching my last semester at The Ohio State University (I’m graduating early in December. Totally not freaking out or anything. Like, it’s fine. BRB, CRYING IN THE FETAL POSITION).

 

 

 

 

 

And guess what? I’m still scared of the unknown. For the first time, my path isn’t directly laid out at my feet. After high school, I had to make the choice of where to go to college, but there wasn’t a question of going. Now, I could look for a job, apply to graduate schools or enroll in a service program. I could also move back home (hi, Mom and Dad!) but we’ll say that’s not an option right now. Three years ago as I was coming to The Ohio State University, I also didn’t know where my path would lead me over the next four years. I could switch my major (and I did); I could join any student organization (or none at all); I could decide who I wanted to be at this huge university where nobody knew me. Though this idea is terrifying, it’s one that first-year students should appreciate because of the opportunities that await you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really! One of my favorite things about Ohio State is the limitless choices that students here have. No Buckeye will follow the exact same path as anyone before or after them; the combination of academics, involvement, interests and activities that mark their time as an Ohio State student is completely unique. To my incoming Buckeye friends – take advantage of this. Pursue what interests you, whether that is your passion for history that results in a Folklore minor or your love of The Best Damn Band In The Land that sees you at the Lincoln Tower fields on Friday nights to watch their final pre-show practice. It is these things that make Buckeyes love Ohio State in their own unique ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can do what you want to do and be who you want to be here at the greatest university, and I am so jealous and so excited that you have the next four whole years to do just that. You may ask yourself this question like little David after the dentist,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the sad news is, your time at Ohio State will eventually end. As Carmen Ohio states,

The seasons pass, the years will roll…

It’s incredibly true that all of a sudden you’ll be scheduling your last semester of classes and wondering where the years went. Cherish your time on campus, find the friends who will become your family and treasure your memories. I’m taking inspiration from Bilbo Baggins in how I’m looking at the next phase of my life:

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’re doing just the same by coming to The Ohio State University. And hey, if you need to write a reminder to yourself on move-in day or President’s Convocation or the first day of classes, I’ll have the same thing on my hand during Commencement on December 21st:

35 Adjectives to Describe My First Year

Fellow Buckeyes!

I’m so excited to see you on campus during your first year at Ohio State; in fact, it’s only been a year since my own first year experience at Ohio State. When people ask me how to describe the way my freshman year went, I often struggle to come up with even one word – so many activities, so much memories – and often settle on “indescribable.”

This all changes today. My good friend Dylan MacDowell has challenged me to come up with 35 Adjectives to Describe My First Year at Ohio State, so in order to remain brief as a blog should, I will simply list some adjectives while fully describing others. Here I go!

1. Exciting – I know, pretty cliche of me to begin with this one here, but there really is no other word to describe it.  Come move-in day, you’ll know what I mean. The nice thing is that we have OWLs to move your stuff in while you bask in your excitement!

 Residence Hall Move-In

2. Beautiful

3. Zealous – Come onto campus eager to learn!  That’s what you’re here for…right?!

4. Creative

5. Homesick – I live about 20 minutes away, but even I would miss my family from time to time. Expect this, but don’t expect it to ruin your time here. Just make sure you give them a call every so often!

6. Rowdy

7. Active – As Rec Sports taught you during Orientation, it’s best to live your life in motion!

8. Social

9. Powerful

10. Gustatory – Experiment and try something new!  There’s so many excellent restaurants around campus, and I’d love to hear from you about the next one.  While you may not have an appetite like myself, you should definitely give Thurman’s Cafe in German village a try!

11. Elaborate

12. Beneficial

13. Icy – I might just be going out on a brink, here, but expect some winter weather to come our way in the next 6-12 months!

14. Nocturnal – You may or may not stay up a few nights past your home bedtime…

15. Confusing – We try to give as much information on freshman year as possible, but I guarantee you will still have questions coming in. FYE is a resource that you can always go to for information!

16. Smooth

17. Enthusiastic

18. Flexible – If you don’t see yourself as a great time manager now, just wait!  You definitely will be soon enough.  I often recall the good old college triangle in order to prioritize my time, but with practice, you’ll be able to bypass this triangle and achieve perfect college zen.

19. Daring

20. Bold – During your first year, you’re going to be doing things you never thought you would in high school.  Coming to Ohio State will certainly give you these experiences.  Being bold always pays off, though.

21. Enormous – While our campus might be big, your freshman year is going to devour any petty notion that you’ll never learn your way around Ohio State.

22. Generous – The free stuff, though…

 Buck-i-Frenzy

23. Bubbly

24. Humbling

25. Nuts – As a Buckeye, expect yourself to go nuts (lol) at football games, free concerts, and other campus festivities with all of your new friends!

26. Natural

27. Inclusive – This might be my favorite word. Ohio State has around 55,000 students, and they’re all different from you. Being inclusive of others and their uniqueness will do you a lot of favors in the friends department.

28. Free-Spirited

29. Arcadian – There isn’t anything quite like campus on a beautiful day. Spend your serenity with friends on the Oval during the day, or perhaps at Browning Amphitheater come sunset.

 

30. Studious – Hit the books! Studying is no longer optional in college if you want that good grade.

31. Challenging

32. Raw – Just ask this guy:

Cody Nagel, 2014 OL

33. Laughable – I guarantee when second semester is here, you’ll look back on something that happened during your first semester of college and crack up about it with friends!  Have humility and know when to laugh at yourself.

34. Independent

35. Tril – A mix of true and real, there is nothing more tril than being at Ohio State.  If you’d like to join Club Tril, just walk on to the basketball team and do absolutely nothing.

This wraps up the First Things First blog post contributions from the 2014 Orientation Leaders; on behalf of all of us, I just want to say thank you for an amazing summer, and we can’t wait to see you on campus!  GO BUCKS!

Mark

14 Interesting Classes to Take in Your Second Year (and Beyond!)

I want to tell you about my favorite day of class as an undergraduate student. Let’s flash back to autumn 2009 (my third year). I started my morning in the basement of Hughes Hall with my History of Rock ‘n’ Roll class. The lecture was on “Pop Music of the 1980s”—my favorite music genre. As expected, we spent the class period exploring the glory of one-hit wonders, synthesizers, and the first music video icons. And much to my satisfaction, we spent significant time learning about the pop icon, Michael Jackson. Not only did we observe the magic moves of MJ on the large projector screen, but we learned about the impact he had on music, dance, stardom, and race in America. We explored the meaning of the feuding characters in his Beat It video, the popularity of the 13-minute Thriller video (FYI, it was played on average twice per hour on MTV), and the historic event of revealing of his signature dance move—the Moonwalk.

I was fascinated to learn the true story behind one of my all-time favorite musical artists in a college academic course. I actually enjoyed learning in this class. I also gained a new perspective on a topic that impacts my daily life more than I realized. For instance…I finally learned how I’d answer the common conversation-starter, “What kind of music do you like?” with a response other than “Everything.” And I can hold my own in a debate over which decade produced the best music. I also have a new appreciation for music and pop culture because of my deeper understanding of its history.

And here’s the kicker: this class was in no way related to my majors or career interests. I took it for a general education (GE) requirement. That’s the beauty of GE classes and electives. By taking classes outside your major or career interests, you’ll become a more well-rounded and informed individual. In fact, in my list of favorite classes I took as an undergraduate, only three of my top ten would be courses within my major.

I hope you take advantage of the variety of GE and elective options at Ohio State. Take a class that sounds interesting or just because it sounds fun. You might discover a new interest, passion, or major/minor! If you don’t know how to find these “fun” classes, never fear. I polled my Facebook friends and Twitter followers (including recent alumni and current students) about their favorite undergraduate class at Ohio State. Here are some of their most interesting responses…

  1. ARTSSCI 4870:  The Ohio State University: Its History and Its World — An introduction to the past and present of Ohio State, its importance, its disciplines, the interrelations of the academic and other components of the institution, and the contributions over the years of Ohio State to the wider world.
  2. MEDREN 2666: Magic and Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance — A study of the history of witchcraft and magic from 400 to 1700 C.E. within sociological, religious and intellectual contexts.
  3. COMPSTD 2367.07: Religious Diversity in America — Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society.
  4. EEOB 2250: Dynamics of Dinosaurs — A review of current information on dinosaur biology, emphasizing scientific approaches to reconstructing dinosaurs as living, dynamic animals.
  5. ECON 4830: Economics of Sports — Analysis of economic and business aspects of sports teams and their strategic interactions in sports markets.
  6. FDSCTE 1110: Chocolate Science — Introduction to science and business of chocolate. Students develop and market a chocolate product as part of a virtual company. Students taste commercial products.
  7. ITALIAN 2055: Mafia Movies — Examines Italian and American mafia movies made from 1905 to the present day and traces the history of the Italian and Italian American Mafias. Taught in English.
  8. DANCE 2181: Social Dance — Learn and practice forms of social/ballroom dance, including fox trot, tango, waltz, etc.
  9.  GEOG 3900: Global Climate Change: Causes and Consequences — Examines the natural and human factors that force changes in our climate and environment and explores strategies for a sustainable environment in the future.
  10. KNSFHP 1139.11: Rock Climbing — Basic rock climbing techniques, rope handling, and safety systems will be covered.
  11. ECON 4597.01: Issues of the Underground Economy — Focuses on the informal sector of the underground economy: illegal drugs, arms sales and human trafficking. Applies economic reasoning. Prereq: Jr standing and above.
  12. EARTHSC 1108: Gemstones — General introduction to gemstones, including the origin of gems, identification techniques, and the history of important gems. Precious metals are also discussed.
  13. GERMAN 3252: The Holocaust in German Literature and Film — Reading, analysis, and discussion of representative works pertaining to the Holocaust from the perspective of German literature and film. Taught in English.
  14. COMPSTD 2367.04: Science and Technology in American Culture — Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues.