Mirror Lake jump costs Ohio State $46K

The 2012 Mirror Lake jump is estimated to cost Ohio State more than $46,335, according to figures given to The Lantern.

Repairs to Mirror Lake and the surrounding areas will cost an estimated $24,600, said Student Life spokesman Dave Isaacs. The public safety presence will cost an estimated $21,735, said Administration and Planning spokeswoman Lindsay Komlanc.

“This includes police and security personnel presence, including that of outside agencies such as Columbus Police Department, medical and EMS (emergency medical service) personnel and traffic control,” Komlanc said in an email.

Komlanc also said that the total cost is only an estimate and is subject to change.

“This is an estimate of the expected costs, it is not the final cost, which is still being tabulated,” she said.

Damage was done when an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people jumped in Mirror Lake days before the OSU football game against Michigan. The participants left behind trampled grass, muddy sidewalks, discarded shoes and clothing, duct tape and trash. The Mirror Lake area was mostly cleaned before the next morning.

OSU defeated Michigan, 26-21, to complete a undefeated season with a 12-0 record.

Representatives of OSU Police, Columbus Division of Police, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Columbus Division of Fire, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and MedCorp Mobile Medical Services were present at the Nov. 20 jump.

About 16 people were treated at the Wexner Medical Center emergency department, and 12 people were arrested in connection with the jump, said Deputy Chief Richard Morman of University Police.

Cleanup after the 2011 jump cost about $25,000, with $19,000 worth of damage to the grass and landscaping. The remaining $6,000 in costs came from the university compensation to employees who cleaned and restored the area, Paul Walsh, assistant director of landscape services, told The Lantern in a December 2011 article.

The public safety cost of the 2011 jump was estimated around $23,500.

Some students said they think the costs aren’t preventable.

“If the university did sanction it, I don’t think that there’s any way they could make it cost less,” said Jennifer Pietsch, a first-year in animal sciences. “It would make more sense for the university to spend that money on something that they agree with more.”

Isaac Folzenlogen, a second-year in computer science and engineering, thinks the money could be used to upgrade classroom materials.

“There are plenty of other endeavors that are kinda struggling here. No matter what it is, there’s probably a better place the money could go.”

To compare, the average tuition, room and board paid by an undergraduate student attending OSU’s Columbus campus is $20,429 for in-state students and $35,837 for out-of-state students, according to the OSU Undergraduate Admissions website.