2025 Society of Professional Journalists Region 4 Mark of Excellence Award Finalist

In 1903, Ohio State and the Dairy Processors of Ohio hosted a butter sculpting contest with no restrictions on subject matter; the selected piece would be displayed at the Ohio State Fair. 

There was one entry in particular that stood out from the rest — a life-sized cow and calf, submitted by A.T. Shelton & Company, a butter distributor. Little did they know, their winning entry would spark over a century of butter creations, becoming an iconic tradition at the fair.

For 10 seasons now, the hit Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind” has asked contestants the question: could you fall in love with someone without ever seeing their face? 

Victor St. John, an assistant professor in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, sought to find out after his friend suggested he check out the application.

Collaborative piece with Helena Hennessy.

Ohio’s longest-running lesbian bar, Summit Station — originally called Jack’s A Go-Go — will be the focal point of an upcoming documentary, “Free Beer Tomorrow.” 

The film honors the historical landmark that served as a safe haven for the queer community in Columbus for nearly four decades, featuring testimonials from its patrons and owner, Petie Brown. It officially closed in 2008 and is now home to the Summit Music Hall, which is northeast of campus. 

From buying a new outfit to furnishing a living room, thrift stores have always been crucial in helping people live comfortably and affordably. 

But, some go above and beyond in satisfying the customer — one store in particular even offers free and accessible healthcare for community members. 

Published in print for The Lantern’s 2025 Best of OSU special edition.

“Palestine ‘36,” a period drama directed by Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, is the only feature film to have been shot in Palestine in the past two years.

“I am the sea / In my depths all treasures dwell / Have the divers asked about my pearls?” — Hafiz Ibrahim.

Features an exclusive interview with Emmy-award winning director and lead actress Cherien Dabis.

For more than 200 years, the classic novel by Mary Shelley has entertained people all over the world, prompting multiple film and television adaptations, attractions and cementing itself into the lesson plans of high school English teachers across the country. 

At first glance, it looked like a line to get in the bars — hundreds of people wrapping from Newport Music Hall around to 14th Ave. and back toward High St.

These were actually the fans of sombr — an up-and-coming indie rock artist from New York whose songs “back to friends” and “undressed” went viral on TikTok in March — ahead of his “Late Nights and Young Romance” tour stop at Newport Friday.

Women wearing “Free Mom Hugs” shirts strolled along the edges of the sidewalk — signs reading “Queer Joy is Resistance” and “Trans People Belong” were waved as groups of nonprofit, community, political and corporate organizations walked alongside their peers toward Goodale Park. 

At 11 a.m., the festivities continued with more than 200 vendors, community resources, live entertainment and, of course, freebies, scattered throughout Goodale Park.

Elaborate color palettes, a variety of animal prints and culturally-inspired fashion were at the headfront of Saturday’s 16th annual Fashion Week Columbus Finale show — the flagship program of Columbus Fashion Council. 

At the Hilton Inn in downtown Columbus, six designers displayed their latest collections throughout the night. The event served as a launchpad to the runway for local fashion designers. 

Prominent content creators, Hollywood actresses, CEOs and founders of multi-million — in some cases, billion — dollar companies took to the stage to answer the question the crowd came to hear: how did they do it?

Throughout the disciplines, their answers varied, yet many of them shared the same principles. Though the stage would see plenty of panels and foster advice from prominent activists in climate change, governmental leaders — such as Vivek Ramaswamy, candidate for governor of Ohio — and investors, a bulk of the summit’s content centered around these five takeaways.

While there are several Juneteenth events taking place all across Columbus, one venue stands out from the rest — the historic Lincoln Theatre, which has served as a cultural hub for African-American communities since its opening in 1928.