Brianne Blevins

Journalist with a passion for political and cultural storytelling.

My Work

The Lantern •

Black Student Union Legacy Group condemns Ohio State DEI changes in letter to university President Ted Carter Jr. Friday

Nearly two months after Ohio State discontinued its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change, many members of the university community are still voicing their discontent.

The Black Student Union Legacy Group sent a letter addressed to university President Ted Carter Jr. Friday, calling on the university to defend diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives following February’s major cutbacks.

Michael Williams, a former Ohio State student who co-founded BSU i...
The Lantern •

From sunrise to sunset: The history of Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion was founded in 1970, following more than a year of protests against racial discrimination on the university’s campus.

Nearly 55 years later, it was shut down.

Along with the Office of Student Life’s Center for Belonging and Social Change, the university discontinued ODI, a department dedicated to promoting on-campus diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Feb. 27.

The decision came in light of several federal and statewide legislative decisi...
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 •

PHOTO GALLERY: Students, faculty and staff organize sit-in protest, letter-writing and march across campus Friday in response to Ohio State DEI changes

Students sit in front of the Center for Belonging and Social Change in protest of the closure effective Friday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Penelope Rupert, second-year graduate student in comparative studies, sits outside of the Center for Belonging and Social Change Friday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Students sit outside of the Center for Belonging and Social Change in protest of the closure effective Friday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor...
The Lantern •

Breaking down Ohio State’s newly launched website on its responses to federal and state policy changes

In light of multiple policy changes coming from federal and state governments, Ohio State has launched a new website to share information about how changes in the country’s legal landscape may impact the university.

In a statement released via email Feb. 12, university President Ted Carter Jr. shared updates about the university’s response to ongoing legislative and executive decisions, also announcing a website that will act as the “central resource for all information on legislative and execu...
The Lantern •

Ohio State responds to ICE concerns via Jan. 31 email sent to faculty and staff

Since President Donald Trump began enforcing stricter immigration policies via a series of executive orders, questions have been raised as to how these developments will affect college campuses nationwide.

Ohio State responded to this uncertainty via a Jan. 31 email statement to university faculty and staff, confirming Ohio State cannot disclose a student’s immigration status without Office of Legal Affairs consultation or the student’s consent.

In the email statement, Ohio State provided info...
The Lantern •

Ohio State Athletics claims $37.7 million deficit in Monday NCAA report

Despite recent major wins — including this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship title — the Ohio State Department of Athletics has recorded net losses, a recent report to the National Collegiate Athletic Association shows.

In a membership report for the 2024 fiscal year released Monday, the department upheld its status as one of the largest collegiate football programs in the country, revealing its total operating revenue was valued at nearly $255 million. This marked a notable...
The Lantern •

Approximately 60 students and community members protest Israeli Defense Force soldiers at off-campus Schottenstein Chabad House Monday night

Approximately 60 Ohio State students and community members gathered outside the Schottenstein Chabad House — located at 1996 Iuka Ave. — to protest an event featuring two Israeli Defense Force soldiers Monday evening.

The protest — held by Students for Justice in Palestine — began at 6:30 p.m. and was organized in response to Chabad hosting a 7:30 p.m. dinner conversation with Saar Arie and Maya Desiatnik, two former Israeli Defense Force soldiers. Arie was a 1st sergeant in the Givati infantry...
ROUTE Magazine •

A Station is Reborn

As Route 66 winds southwest through Edwardsville, Illinois — now designated as State Route 157 — it transforms into St. Louis Street, where a humble 1,200-square-foot, sand-colored brick building quietly claims its place as the town’s oldest enduring façade. Situated at the corner of West Street, the aptly named West End Service Station has been a fixture almost as long as the Mother Road itself. Its original red-brick structure was built in 1927, standing as a beacon for early adventurers embarking on journeys into the great unknown.
ROUTE Magazine •

The Last Mural

America’s most famous highway is home to a
number of memorable characters, individuals who
represent the spirit of the nation, people who have
defined their own path and future. But perhaps
none is as beloved and well-remembered as the wandering artist and environmentalist, Bob Waldmire. Traveling up and down the 2,448 miles of road coursing through America, Waldmire embodied the free and friendly nature of Old Route 66, certainly making an impression with his bright orange 1972 Volkswagen Microbus, towed by a school bus that he had converted into his home on wheels. He was quite the sight, but people loved it.

“Everybody loved to see him coming,” remembered Buz,
Bob’s brother. “He’d be traveling on the highway, and people would see his van go down the road, and they’d make a U-turn and try to catch up to him.”
ROUTE Magazine •

Desert Dreams: Earl's Route 66 Motel

The year was 1952. Route 66 was at the height of its glory, and Winslow, Arizona, thrived as a bustling stop along the Mother Road. Positioned in northeastern Arizona, Winslow’s strategic location on America’s Main Street made it a key waypoint for travelers journeying between Chicago and Los Angeles. The town’s economy, driven by a constant flow of motorists and adventurers traveling the open road, flourished with a variety of motels and hotels providing much-needed respite. Amidst this vibrant hospitality landscape, one motel emerged, destined to become the longest continually operating Route 66 motel in Winslow.

Back up a few years to 1940, and Rex James Marble and
his wife, Lillian, established a motel at 512 E Third Street.
They named it Marble Motel. The property underwent
renovations in 1952, likely to accommodate the changing
needs of post-war travelers. While much of Marble Motel’s early life remains largely obscure, one thing that is for sure is that it weathered the ups and downs of the Mother Road.
ROUTE Magazine •

Get Your Kicks Under Route 66

While it may not look like it today, at one point, during Route 66’s heyday, numerous sections of the highway were incredibly busy with automobile traffic, making pedestrian crossing certainly a little dangerous. So, several towns devised plans to safeguard their foot traffic while ensuring that the flow of the motoring public went undisrupted. Today, underneath a section of Route 66 that runs through peaceful Chelsea, Oklahoma, survives one of these plans: a pedestrian underpass that holds a piece of the town’s storied past and is a symbol of the historic road’s legacy.

By 1956, parts of 30-year-old Route 66 had approval
to expand from two lanes to four due to the pressure of
growing traffic. At that time, Chelsea was nearing the
completion of a new elementary school building on the
east side of town, raising concerns among residents about
students crossing the four-lane Route 66.
The Lantern •

No arrests made as roughly 600 gathered on South Oval for pro-Palestinian protest

The setting sun beat down on roughly 600 people as they came together to protest the war in Gaza on the South Oval Wednesday, also urging Ohio State to divest from Israeli assets and criticizing university President Ted Carter Jr. Unlike a previous protest on Thursday, no arrests were made.

Wednesday’s protest succeeded a pro-Palestinian demonstration that took place on the South Oval Thursday, during which 36 people — including 16 students — were arrested. Even before then, two students were a...
The Lantern •

Mohler announces provost search committee

The university announced the formation of a search committee for the new provost after Melissa Gilliam announced her departure in October. Credit: Lantern File PhotoAfter Executive Vice President and Provost Melissa Gilliam announced her departure to Boston College on Oct. 4, interim Ohio State President Peter Mohler announced the start of a search committee to fill her position Wednesday.
The board of trustees appointed Karla Zadnik, curre...
The Lantern •

Wexner Medical Center Board recognized awards Tuesday

The Wexner Medical Center Board’s meeting recognized its staff’s recent awards, including one for individuals who have influenced public awareness about organ, eye and tissue donations, Tuesday.

Dr. Matthew Exline and nurse manager Chelsea McVay received the Champions of Hope award from Lifeline Ohio on Oct. 14., Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer for the medical center, said.

Lifeline is an organization dedicated to the procurement of organs for people seeking transplants and donations...
The Lantern •

A recap of November’s Ohio State Board of Trustees meetings

Amy Pompeii, chair of the Ohio Nurses Association Economic and General Welfare Commission, began Tuesday’s meeting by representing the Ohio State University Nurses Organization in speaking out about issues at the Wexner Medical Center, including understaffing that she said has been a source of violence in the workplace.

“We hear stories of acts of violence perpetrated by patients and visitors weekly, sometimes by the same person. Based on the lack of meaningful response from medical center exec...
The Lantern •

Protesters in support of Palestinian territories interrupt board of trustees meeting

An Ohio State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance and Investments meeting went into recess for about 15 minutes after students protesting in support of Palestinian territories interrupted proceedings.

About 35 students from Ohio Youth for Climate Justice, the Palestinian Liberation Movement and several other student organizations occupied the room in the Longaberger Alumni House, chanting and carrying signs to encourage Ohio State to divest from companies funding Israel’s military efforts in...
The Lantern •

University announces new interim executive vice president and provost

The Board of Trustees Talent, Compensation and Governance Committee appointed Karla Zadnik, current dean of the College of Optometry and interim dean of the College of Public Health, as interim executive vice president and provost Wednesday morning. 
According to an email from interim university President Peter Mohler, the full board will consider Zadnik on Thursday and if approved, her term will begin Jan. 1, 2024. Zadnik said she is excited to lead Ohio State’s academic mission and will work w...
The Lantern •

Student groups hold vigil to honor Palestinian lives lost in Gaza

Hundreds of Ohio State community members from more than 30 organizations gathered on the Oval Tuesday evening for a night of remembrance and prayer. The event was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Students’ Association and the Palestinian Women’s Association in an effort to honor the lives lost in Gaza as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.

The event included speakers reading passages from the Quran, reciting poetry and speaking to their personal feelings and those of the...
The Lantern •

University reaches 30,000 robotic surgeries

Students know all about the food delivery robots on campus, but there are even more robot surgeons.

Ohio State has reached a milestone of 30,000 robotic surgeries performed mainly at the James Cancer Hospital and the Wexner Medical Center, according to an announcement from the Quality and Professional Affairs Committee at a board of trustees meeting Sept. 26. This type of surgery has been on the rise since the beginning of the millennium, according to Dr. David Cohn, a health sciences physician...
The Lantern •

Fisher College dean to step down at end of the academic year

The current dean of the Max M. Fisher College of Business, Anil Makhija, announced he will step down at the end of the academic year Sunday.

In an announcement by Provost Melissa Gilliam — who also announced her own departure Wednesday — she said Makhija will continue as a faculty member in the Department of Finance after concluding his second term as dean. Makhija said he feels it is the proper time to step down after his 10 years in the position.

“I’ve had a good run. I’ve served for 10 year...
The Lantern •

Ohio State working toward cure for type of ALS through ‘transformative’ gene therapy

Some say it’s best to attack a problem at its core — in science, that could mean altering a disease’s genetic makeup.

New developments at Ohio State could help researchers find a cure to a specific form of ALS — a condition that progressively destroys nerve cells and reduces muscle function — caused by a mutation in a certain gene. Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer for Ohio State, said the research puts Ohio State on the map as one of the few institutions conducting gene therapy, which...
The Lantern •

Senate Bill 117 proposes new academic center for “intellectual diversity,” sparks controversy

A center for “intellectual diversity” may be established within Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs under a bill currently being considered by the state’s House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 117, which proposes new educational centers in universities throughout Ohio, passed the Ohio Senate June 28 and awaits House consideration. The bill — sponsored by state Sens. Jerry Cirino and Rob McColley — would create the Salmon P. Chase Center on Ohio State’s campus if passed.

“Our inte...
The Lantern •

University plans for expansion and updates in Framework 3.0

As always, time will bring change on Ohio State’s campus.

Framework 3.0, introduced to the board of trustees in August, outlines changes to benefit the university area within the next five to seven years. Amanda Hoffsis, vice president of planning, architecture and real estate in the Office of Administration and Planning at Ohio State, said the plan intends to enhance students’ quality of life and further the university’s mission of excellence in academics and research.

“There’s parts of campu...
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