Faces of Ohio State

Ohio State: A name with a thousand faces. These are the portraits of people in and around campus, of fellow Buckeyes and their stories. Go Bucks!

[facesofohiostate]

STORY TELLERS WANTED.

Hej all! I'd like to thank you for following this photo project and for your excitement about stories. The support and inspiration we have received in the past has been amazing; and we would like to continue this project forwards with a new direction.

So, I would like to extend an invitation out to you, the readers and supporters! If anyone has a passion for storytelling and a knack for photography and is interested in working alongside us to continue this project, please email me at [email protected] with the subject line "Faces of Ohio State." Thank you for your continued support.

[facesofohiostate]

"As a business student, I was pursuing a broad range of options without really knowing what I wanted to do. When I came here, switching majors gave me more direction and once I got that direction, I received more purpose. So now, I have more of a sense of purpose than a broad exploration. A sense of purpose is important to me, but purpose in the sense of doing something important and not so much personal importance. I know this sounds kind of vague, but making the world a better place—that kind of purpose is important to me. To be honest, I haven’t done much as of right now, but I think a degree in Natural Resource Management gives me the potential to keep things sustaining and keep life sustaining into the future. I may not have done much to change the world so far, but getting an education is preparing me to do that in the future. I think sustainability is pretty important to everybody. Eventually things, in a broad sense, are going to run out. Sustainability as an idea is important because without it, we’re just going to exhaust everything, but with it, hopefully, we’ll have our resources for a longer time." By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

"I’m quite amused about realizing that most of the things anyone has ever told me has been lies. They tell you, 'If you do this, you’ll be fine,' and then you meet people who didn’t do that, and they’re fine. I think everyone mostly wants to help out and try to give advice, but I wish we were taught how to start thinking for ourselves so we can say, 'I’m going to make this choice and I have enough agency to actually do it and realize it’s my choice.' I feel like most of what I’ve done has been based on other people—'What sounds good? What did they say?'— and then I end up not liking it and I’d get this deep anger at the people who told me about it because, as I would say, "I did it for you!!' even though they didn’t force me to do it; it was my choice. So, it’s interesting for me to look at things now and say, 'What do I want to do?'

I like that people here seem really focused on their majors and their work. When I was at Ohio University, I was a super drifty person. I was always trying to find something to make me happy, but I don’t know if it really works like that anymore. I’m trying to decide if you need to just settle on something and just do it and be happy sometimes and be unhappy sometimes and that’s just how it is. I was always like, 'Oh, I’m unhappy now; I gotta stop doing this' but I’ve started to consider that maybe it’s forever happy then unhappy back-and-forth. A balance. I like Ohio State because it seems balanced. At least for me."

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

"I’m from a little town right outside of Boston, and I’m the only person from my high school, the only person from my town, the only person within at least a 30 minute driving distance of where I live that goes to school here. So, last week when I was walking through campus, it hit me—

'Damn. I’m so alone.'

Then, I looked around and I realized that I’m not even close to being alone. I’m not even referring to that nice metaphorical thing of 'everyone is my brother and sister' but the fact that everyone is so nice here and everyone wants to say hi and smile at strangers and that’s so amazing. There are so many people here watching out for you.

It’s so important to do something as simple as smiling at a stranger; walking around with a frowning face isn’t going to get you anywhere.

I'm not gonna lie, when you approached me, I thought that I had met you somewhere and I just forgot. That just shows how friendly and approachable people are here, which makes it so much easier to make friends."

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

“I was a commuter for my first two years and I didn’t really feel connected to OSU because I was missing out on that traditional college experience. I decided I wanted to become an RA mainly because I thought it would be a cool experience to build a community with people. I remember asking my girlfriend, who was never a commuter, ‘Do they give you laundry detergent or do I have to bring my own?’ So it was kind of like being a first year all over again.

The hardest part about being an RA is feeling like I am pouring so much into other people but am not getting poured back into. It’s draining, but I try not to look at being an RA as a job, but more of, ‘Hey, I live with 39 other people and we do stuff together.’ That’s my philosophy, and it tends to work itself out.

If I could give any advice to my residents, it would be to find out what you love and to take care of yourself by doing small things like getting out of the building more and not only studying in your room, but also the classic stuff like going to class because that’s important. I don’t think they realize how much they’ll grow in college. I’ve grown a lot; I guess everyone has.”

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

Hello all! Just a heads up that I will be studying abroad the rest of the summer, and consequently will be unable to post any stories. Have no fear! Come fall semester, there will be an abundance of new faces accompanied with their loveable stories. I look forward to meeting many of you Buckeyes soon. Have a great rest of the summer! - Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

“In grad school, there this transition into adulthood. When you’re in high school, you kind of want to be independent but you really aren’t. In undergrad, you actually start experimenting with being independent because you move away from home, but it’s a limited experiment because you start in the dorms a lot of the time where you have access to a very nice food plan, so there aren’t many responsibilities.

The social scene is very easy because everyone is around you. For me now as a grad student, I have more of those personal responsibilities. I have grown into that role a little more. There’s less that is just given to me. Grad school is another step in the direction of becoming a full-fledged adult in a sense.

I don’t really think I’ll feel like a full-fledged adult until I actually have a job that is permanent. I have all the qualifications in some sense, but right now, I just feel old.“

You feel old, but not like an adult? How so?

“I feel like if I were to walk into some situation, people will look at me and act as if I’m an adult, and I think that is even somewhat true as an undergrad, but I don’t feel like I’ve fully made it there. I feel like the last thing I need is a full-time job and then I’ll feel like I’ve kind of made it to the next phase of life. The final step in some sense.”

Do you think you need a full-time job to be an adult?

“No, but it’s a stability issue. That’s my goal, and what I think is a lot of people’s goal--to obtain stability.”

How are you working towards obtaining stability right now?

“I’m interning this summer at Amazon.”

Do you get free shipping?

“No, but they give me a salary.”

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

“I’m going to grad school in public heath, and I’m lucky that I get the opportunity to stay here because I’m not ready to leave yet.

Everything you’ve heard about college is true, but it’s also so different because you’re going to be faced with so many things that are really difficult and challenging. I came here thinking I wanted to be a doctor and that I didn’t want to do any research, but now I’m thinking I want to get my phD and teach at a university like Ohio State. 

You come into college with all these preconceived notions about yourself and about school, and in four years, you grow up a lot because you’re forced to, and you don’t have your parents there to help you. Even though I call my mom every day, it’s still very different. 

My freshman year, I didn’t do very well. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy, but my roommate situation was very stressful, I broke up with my high school boyfriend, and I liked this guy and I didn’t know if he liked me back. It’s all dumb and ridiculous looking back at it, but as an 18-year-old who was alone for the first time, it was a lot to handle. I’ve grown up so much since then. 

My freshman year was really interesting because I didn’t get involved in very much, so I made it my priority that my sophomore year, I would do everything and I would try to not say no. I joined a bunch of clubs and I met a ton of new people. 

In my time here, the campus became very small because I came to know so many people...like, I know that girl right there -- hold on. Erin! Happy birthday! 

It’s just...I don’t know...small things that made it fun for me. It’s really weird to reflect on my time here. My friends and I were at Cazuela’s the other day just talking and we realized that this is it; it’s never going to be the same again. Some are moving to Nashville, some are moving across the country, and I’m staying here. I can’t just text them at 11:30 and say, ‘Let’s go to brunch.’”

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

“I study aeronautical engineering. I’m going to be a super senior next year and I’m not happy about it. I’m sick of school. I wanna get out. I just don’t give a shit about studying. It’s fun hanging with your friends and stuff, but I don’t like going to class. The reason I don’t like school is because it seems like a waste of my time. I don’t want to study something for ten hours that’s never going to be useful in the future. I currently have an internship and I enjoy working because I’m actually doing something.”

What made you interested in aeronautical engineering?

“To be honest, sci-fi movies. I am just really interested in space. It would be really cool if we could explore the stars, basically. The one aspect of space that always blows my mind is the fact that we don’t know what’s out there and exploring it would be really cool. If Star Trek was real, that’d be pretty awesome. I’m reading Star Trek right now, actually.”

Do you believe in aliens?

“I’d say it’s pretty arrogant to not believe in aliens. If the universe is infinite, there’s gotta be aliens. They might not be intelligent or advanced and come here in spaceships, but there are definitely microbes at the very least.”

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

“After I get my degree, I’ll be certified to teach any kind of music, so I am thinking right now that I want to do middle school choir and general music. I know a lot of people who only took choir because they had to in grade school, but I do think schools should require kids to take a music class, or at least a fine arts course because it’s definitely a different way of learning.

You learn different things in those kinds of courses -- art and music -- that you don’t learn in science and English. It incorporates the different ways of thinking required for the other subjects in a way that nothing else can by combining the practical and emotional sides of learning, so I think it’s important for every kid to at least be exposed. They don’t have to be world class musicians when they grow up, but at least they will have a basic knowledge and exposition.

Music has been a great problem solver for me. There are several different ways of going about music and expression, so I’ve learned how to be an expressive thinker and person. Whenever I pick up a piece of music to play or learn, I can go online and see, like, fifty different people playing it in a completely different way. Even though they are all playing from the same page, they bring their own style and sound to the music.

I experience that every day when I read music; I play it and experience in a way that no one else can. It’s like a blank canvas for an artist. If they all try to paint the Mona Lisa, everyone is going to paint it a little bit differently.”

By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

"A couple years ago, my friends and I were in Pennsylvania. One of my friends knew of this really nice national park. We went to just hike and walk around. It was beautiful. There were rock quarries and waterfalls everywhere. We got to the middle of the park and there was a huge river going through it. My friend jumped right in and said, 'This is awesome! We should swim down the river!' So we did. Halfway through, the river started to pick up really fast. I coined the term whitewater swimming that day. It was really rough and probably really dangerous looking back at it. We made it out with just a few bumps and bruises five miles down in another town and we had to find our way back to the car. It was awesome. I find it hard to keep social at this point in time. This is my first year living off campus and especially with studying, I feel like sometimes I am my own best friend and I stay home and don’t do anything. I wish I had more of an exciting life filled with parties and stuff, but that’s just not me. I really just like to be outside during my free time, whether that’s going on a walk with friends or exploring and driving to random places." By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

For the anon asking about the curriculum at OSU, just don't take the Chem 1210 track, and you'll retain your sanity. Probably. (Also maybe not engineering.)

Definitely not Engineering, or anything in Fisher, or Knowlton, or law school. These are all more difficult than others programs. 

[facesofohiostate]

On a scale of 1-10, how difficult is the curriculum at Ohio State?

It honestly depends on the program you are applying for; some are more difficult than others. 

[facesofohiostate]

“At a couple interviews I’ve had, I’ve been asked, ‘What’s your dream job?’ and my answer always surprises them. ‘I want to be a dad.’ It’s a job too. My end goal is to have a job where I have a family and I am providing for them. I want to be in the situation where I am sitting down at the dinner table with my kids and I’m able to say, ‘This is my family.’ I don’t think there is anything more to life than that. I guess that’s why it’s hard for me to let go of my past relationships because I had a glimpse of what could have been. Maybe that’s why I find myself being really depressed and loathing myself because I think, “you could have had this” even though it was a complete fantasy. Family is all you have. Family is a team. That’s one thing my dad taught me. Whenever I would fight with my brothers, he would tell us, ‘You guys need to stop because you are teammates. You need to work together, not work against each other.’ My brother Lorenzo is one of the smartest kids I’ve ever known and I’m so happy he is on my team. My older brother Raphael is confident and philosophical; I am so happy he is on my team. Even my second cousin once-removed is my teammate for life. This is me. This is why I am here. This is why I am going here. Not necessarily so I can get the best job in the world, but so I can support my family. I’m really happy that I came here and found that out about myself. I think that is the greatest thing Ohio State has offered to me; it has given me an environment where I am able to learn about myself. I now know what my mission is: to build a family. I just don’t want to be Ted from How I Met Your Mother and meet my wife when I’m, like, 40." By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

Faces of Ohio State turns two years old today! Thank you to all new and old followers! This project would be nothing without your support. Please continue to support FOOS by following it on social media, sharing the posts, and spreading the word!! Oh, and most importantly, keep on sharing your wonderful stories. This project had changed both our lives. :) Tumblr: http://facesofohiostate.tumblr.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FacesofOhioState Twitter: @facesofOSU Instagram: @facesofOSU

[facesofohiostate]

“I graduate soon and I’ve been kind of reflecting about what I have contributed to Columbus and where I belong in it because a lot of the time, I feel pretty drowned out. I’m not super active in a lot of student organizations. I have had these moments where I think, ‘Oh my gosh. Ohio State is so big.’ I don’t feel like I’ve left a lasting impact on this school partly because of it, though obviously anyone who goes through four year of school feels some kind of progression. It is overwhelming at times, but I have definitely come to know Columbus a lot better as a city. Ohio State is so big that it is connected to the city and I think that is really cool.

It’s funny that it’s raining right now because I love Columbus and I love Ohio State in the rain. Usually people are inside and only a few people are shuffling along and it’s really quiet and there’s all these yellow lamp lights all over the place. I remember I had some friends from OU come over once and we were at somebody’s house party on the other side of campus and we were all laughing at how huge Ohio State is because it took us 45 minutes to get to the party. We walked home and it was pouring cats and dogs and we were giddy and running around campus in the rain, getting completely soaked. I was showing them campus and pointing things out, when I realized how much of campus I know, regardless of how huge it is. I had a really good time just running around and realizing that there is so much here, but so much that I actually do know.

Ohio State is big but small at the same time; I’ve learned that you just have to make your place here.” By Laurie

[facesofohiostate]

- Are you guys in a relationship?

S: “We’re.. we’re in a friendship. A new one. Which is kind of the best. We’ve known each other for two or three weeks but it feels a lot longer. We’ve had a lot of unspoken similarities and we both spend a lot of time on Tumblr.”

A: “Hahah yes! What a unifying bond that is. We exchanged a lot of words very fast, I feel. We’ve had a few hang outs that were 3-4 hours long.”

S: “If you spend three hours talking to someone, you definitely have a good connection. In my own experience, people undervalue that.

I don’t think you really need that much in common. People put too much emphasis on that. It’s a lot more about your personalities and how they work together instead of having a list of things you both like. At least that’s what I’ve noticed in my friendships. When it comes to romance, though....I don’t know.” A: “I don’t think I’ve had enough practice in the realm of romance to really be able to say anything super accurate or enlightening to the masses. I just kind of stumble into people and realize that I like them a lot and find them generally aesthetically pleasing and then choose to spend a lot of time with them. It seems like an easy equation, but that’s the tricky part; it’s not.

You should be with someone who wants to experience the way you perceive the world around you. That is so important.

Three months ago, a guy ended things with me because he said I was too adorable. He’s like ‘You wear flowers and sparkles all the time and I just can’t take you seriously!’ I’m just like ‘Cool. My aesthetic is weeding off the weak.’”

By Laurie