With Ohio State’s first semester in almost a century coming to a close, a moment of reflection is needed on everything that’s happened this fall.
Returning students like myself had to take a deep breath and plunge into the semester system, facing issues such as starting school earlier than normal, taking more courses than normal, having more traffic accidents than normal and stressing out more than normal.
But is that not normal at OSU?
The biggest issue the new semester brought (which probably could not have been foreseen because it was so obvious) was the frequent traffic accidents. Shorter class times plus more courses plus a large student body will definitely equal a higher chance of someone getting hurt while getting around on campus.
The Columbus Division of Police started handing tickets out to students for jaywalking. Meanwhile, the university said it will simply put up more safety signs and prohibit bikes being used on the Oval, as if that will solve anything.
But wait, there’s more.
While students adjusted to semesters, they also had to contend with the presidential election from August all the way to November.
Just before the start of the term, when students were either checking Buck-I-Frenzy or participating in community service, President Barack Obama made a visit at the Ohio Union for a quick lunch before speaking at Capital University.
Of course that wasn’t the last time students would see him, as the president returned in October to speak at a rally on the Oval.
And when he wasn’t there, students couldn’t miss the Obama campaign stand that was out on the Oval, nor could they avoid the people with the clipboard asking them if they were registered to vote.
But, in the end, after all the nasty campaign advertisements and pointless debates, the president won re-election with ease, including Ohio, despite the mainstream media-reiterated claims that this would be a close race.
At least we have four more years to recuperate until the next election.
However, other than politics, there was also OSU football that was regenerating from last year’s tumultuous season. After the “Tattoo-Gate” scandal and former coach Jim Tressel’s resignation, OSU football had fallen so low in the 2011 season that it even lost to Michigan.
But as the cliché goes, when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up, and sure enough the football team made a comeback with coach Urban Meyer at the helm with an undefeated season this year.
A lot has happened this term and I can only say that my first semester has just been plain exhausting.