Fall 2015

FISHER INK MAGAZINE

AUTUMN 2015 \\ VOLUME XI

GENTRIFICATION?renovationor

Whose got the best ‘za? P22

The Wolf of High Street P18

Buckeyes’ Playoff Payoff P9

P14

CONTENTSOrientation was my first time setting

foot on Ohio State’s campus. It was an enlightening experience, cementing my excitement for college as I got a sneak peak at my new home. As an overwhelmed underclassman-to-be, hearing tales of the campus’ storied past made me feel comfortable in the 1,900-acre jungle. The ghost of Rutherford B. Hayes, the whispering wall and, best of all, the Oval.

Alumni will be able to return to the Oval and every direction they look will be exactly the same from their days as students. Ohio State is so dedicated to the idea that they built a set of stairs, which leads to nowhere, in front of Page Hall in order to preserve its image after renovations were done.

What a giant waste of money.Every time I walk past Page I see John

Glenn looking despondently at a stack of cash with a metal fence at the top. It is irksome now, but Ohio State is betting that when I return with gray hair and a cane I will appreciate being able to take a twirl around the Oval and having it look like it did when I was a hapless freshman.

Ohio State is adamantly preserving the Oval because the only thing familiar about the rest of campus will be orange cones and the cadence of construction. In a few years, north and south campus have gotten face-lifts to accommodate the increase in student body. It seems that now Ohio State has run out of campuses, and with the Oval permanently safe from orange, the university has set its sights on High Street.

Campus Partners, a local developer affiliated with the university, has decided to undertake the long-overdue project of renovating the corner of 15th and High.

The current plan is set to give way to a young-professional haven featuring a public plaza and hotel. It looks great on paper, and any student or employer will be able to make great use of the space. In this issue of Fisher Ink, we attempt to dissect the proposed project and address the question posed by many skeptics of the plan: is it renovation or gentrification?

Campus Partners also completed the South Campus Gateway. The extensive gentrification of the Short North over the past decade coupled with the Gateway and now 15th and High renovations appear to be squeezing out the lower income areas, making way for the students and the affluent. It’s textbook gentrification, and it’s happening right under our noses.

In 10 years I can walk around the Oval and see familiar facades. In 10 years, the less fortunate can walk up and down High Street and won’t see any familiar, affordable faces.

Where’s their Oval?

Devin K. Casey

Staffpresident

Devin Casey

vice presidentMaggie Wehri

v.p. of designElita Marchetti

v.p. of marketingTaylor Woodhouse

v.p. of promotionsHarry Pan

v.p. of writingDillon Mitchell

secretaryEllen Dupont

photo editorQarina Raissa-Vashti

writing editorAdam Lee

webmasterBob Craig

president-electChristian Johnson

v.p. of internal affairsMichaela Cunningham

design teamJosh Aber, Tania Gray, Moyu Konishi, Ethan Newburger, Laura Peshek, Karen Selva, Nicole Thomas

marketing & promotions teamCole Kennelly, Asher Koreman, Paige Meyer, Zack Pezzner, Nick Stewart, Shengwei Zhou

writing teamSagar Amrania, Derek Eckstein, Scott Koenig, Jay Panandiker, Rayhan Sufi, Nicole Zubovich

advisorAndrea Evans

FISHER INK MAGAZINE FROM THE EDITOR DEVIN CASEY

This newsmagazine is a product of the Fisher Ink staff. Material does not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Fisher College of Business administrators. All printing costs are generated from advertisements, fundraisers and sponsors. Photos used

are taken by Fisher Ink staff or labeled for free and commercial reuse.

Please contact [email protected] with concerns for Fisher Ink.

facebook.com/FisherInk @FisherInk FisherInkMag

3contact us at [email protected] or visit us at fisherink.com

CONTENTSautumn 2015

FEATURE

FISHER

ACROSS CAMPUS

C-BUSINESS

12

20

14 4

15TH AND HIGH 14Fisher Ink covers the early stages of the renovation plan for the corner of 15th and High by popular Columbus affiliate Columbus Partners.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS 10View the results of Associate Dean West’s annual Continuous Improvement Survey

MARINE TO BANKER 6Kyle Keeran: Marine, Goldman Sachs intern, Ohio State student.

THE WOLF OF HIGH ST 18See the routine of day-trader and Fisher student Zach Pezzner.

COLUMBUS BY THE SLICE 20Follow writer Scott Koenig through some of the popular pizza spots near campus.

NEURXSTEM 20OSU’s neuroscience department is revolutionizing the field - with tiny brains.

POCKET POINTS 4Check out the app that pays you to go to class, if you can stay off your phone.

MAGGIE WEHRI 12Maggie is combining her majors, art and business, to brighten the halls of Fisher.

22COLUMBUSBY THE SLICE

4 FISHER INK MAGAZINE || AUTUMN 2015

POCKET POINTSThe mobile app Pocket Points has quickly spread to

schools across the nation. The idea behind the app is to offer an incentive based solution to the problem

of students being distracted by smartphones inside the classroom. Students can simply download the app, lock their phone when located in campus buildings and accumulate points for redeemable coupons at local businesses.

Current college students have never known a time of not being wired. According to the Pocket Points website, “students spend more than 2.5 hours a day on their phone.” Technology can facilitate learning within the classroom when used in the right manner, but for many the struggle of not replying to a friend’s text, beating the next level of Candy Crush or constantly refreshing a social media news feed can be a serious distraction. Through the use of the mobile app Pocket Points, one can be rewarded for staying focused on learning.

Founded on the campus of Chico State in Northern California, this digital trend is offered at over 200 schools in the United States and Canada, Ohio State being a recent addition. It can be beneficial to those who need a reminder to focus, or just an added reward for those who already stay focused. Most poor college students will appreciate the deals, especially when it comes to food.

However, for some students paying attention in class is not a concern. “It wouldn’t help me because I see school as a something I pay for, therefore I want to focus to get my money’s worth in education,” said Aaron Beckert a third year in the HIMS program. “The idea behind it is good, but it may not work for everyone.”

Terry Klinker, a senior lecturer at the Fisher College of Business, said he would encourage his students to use the app. “I could see where this could work as an incentive to get students to attend and to pay attention during class,” Klinker says.

The app targets businesses around college campuses as well. A few of the merchants the app has partnered with include Wendy’s, Jimmy Johns and Starbucks. This creates a win-win for the community as a whole from a business perspective, as merchants are able to market to a concentrated demographic in a flexible manner. Students are being rewarded for going to class and businesses are gaining loyal customers.

rewarding students in and out of the classroom

DOWNLOAD APP SET YOUR LOCATION GO!lock your phone on campus

earn points

use points to redeem free stuff from select

food joints and online retailers

Ohio State student Brianna Branco // Photo by Laura Peshek

T H E A P P steps to success

story ellen dupont | | design laura peshek

How do I close this? Where is the ‘X’? How do they know I like artisan cucumbers? Why do so many local singles in my area

want to meet me? How do I get rid of these ads? For many internet users, freedom from ads is only a few clicks away. There are a lot of plugins available that remove everything from pop-ups to banners from your browsing experience, but they all serve a single purpose: to block ads. Extensions that prevent ads from being displayed have only increased in popularity since their introduction in the mid 2000’s. With millions of downloads to date, the adblocking movement is showing no signs of slowing down.

With Apple including adblock support on their mobile platforms, many are wondering how blocking ads will affect the structure of the internet. Why does Apple’s support of adblocking on iOS 9 have such far reaching ramifications? To understand this, we first have to come to terms with the ugly truth: ads matter. Many of the world’s most popular websites like Twitter, Facebook and Google are reliant on ad revenue to function, and more importantly to remain free to use. Apple, however, is not reliant on ads to run. Thus, their support of adblocking is a symbolic slap in the face to web based companies around the globe.

Though avid supporters of advertising may claim so, Apple is not the bad guy in this case. They are simply providing users with a feature many have been asking for since the launch of the iPhone. After all, a large portion of mobile ads are not optimized for the platform; most pop-up

or banner ads on mobile sites are obtrusive and ugly. Websites are looking for more efficient and appealing ways to deliver ads on mobile devices. “Advertisers need to focus their ads and provide people with what they want…,” says Robert Seo, CEO of Slidejoy, “which is something Slidejoy is trying to do.” Slidejoy is an android app that displays well-designed news stories and ads on users’ lock screens. The catch, the app actually pays users for using their phone. Users can get paid up to $9 a month, independent of the number of ads they choose to look at, by simply using their phones as they normally do. “It gets the user to welcome ads, because they know they are going to be compensated,” Seo says.

Even though apps like Slidejoy are trying to make ads more appealing, the fight for ad space remains in full swing. Users are tired of being inundated with unfocused and lazy ads and are expressing that irritation by simply blocking them. It’s hard to say who, if anyone, is at fault for the current climate of internet advertising; but apps like Slidejoy are attempting to remedy the situation, through clever use of mobile real estate and by compensating users. Even though kids won’t be reading about “The Great Adblock Wars of 2015” in history books anytime soon, the internet may be feeling its effects in the years to come.

The Great Adblock Warswritten by Sagar Amrania design by Qarina Raissa-Vashti NOVEMBER 1, 2015, 6:28 PM EST

FROM MARINE TO

It has 73 offices around the world and primarily recruits from Ivy League schools. Last year, only three percent of 267,000 applicants were hired.

Of those offered a position, 90 percent chose to join. Goldman Sachs is the top firm for investment bankers, attracting and hiring the best talent from around the world. Kyle Keeran landed his dream internship and job by being one of six interns last summer in Goldman Sachs’ Los Angeles office, and will return as a full-time employee following his college graduation.

At the moment, Keeran is a graduating senior in the Fisher College of Business with a specialization in Finance. Prior to attending Ohio State, Keeran grew up with small-town life in Canal Winchester, Ohio before spending four years with the United States Marine Corps. During his four-year enlistment, he spent time in Southern California, Afghanistan, Japan, and Australia. His interest in finance was sparked when he began investing his own money at the age of 18. During his free time, he would also help his fellow marines with their personal budgets. From there, Keeran gravitated from personal financial management to investment banking as a career path.

At Ohio State, Keeran became involved with student organizations such as Buckeye Capital

Investors (BCI) and enrolled in Fisher Futures. Through the Office of Career Management, this highly competitive program helps prepare finance students for the world of investment banking through interview preparation and networking trips. Keeran learned many skills and strategies for entering this job field, but he says an individual’s

uniqueness is an important part of the job.

“For those trying to go into investment banking, take the time to figure out what

will make you different from the rest of the competition,” Keeran says. “When you find out what makes you different, translate it into how it will make you successful.”

Keeran started his internship search last fall with his sights set on the Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Summer 2015 Analyst internship. After applying online and being one of seven students selected for an on-campus interview, Keeran began preparing. He spent hours reading and studying, as well as reaching out to other investment bankers. After successfully making it through his first round interview, he went to Los Angeles for “Super Day,” a series of three 30-minute rotational interviews. By the end of the day, he received an offer for the internship.

From there, Keeran was off to New York City for a week of training, and then to Los Angeles for the remainder of his internship. On his first day, Keeran was put on a deal team, a group of 4-6 analysts and managing directors who worked with the firm’s clients.

Keeran knew going in that a life in investment banking would be arduous. He worked 8 a.m. to midnight six days a week, averaging about 70 hours a week. Keeran was surprised by how much responsibility he was given within Goldman Sachs, such as deals ranging from an Initial Public Offering to client-specific modeling analysis. With these responsibilities, he felt he was able to add a lot of value to the team and their projects. Still, the part of his internship that Keeran values the most is the people with which he spent time.

“It was an incredible experience to be surrounded by such motivated, intelligent and humble people who were more than willing to help whenever I asked,” Keeran says. “Beyond the financial modeling itself, the people I had the opportunity to work with were my favorite part about working at Goldman Sachs.”

Even though Keeran received and accepted an offer for a full-time position after college, he isn’t mentally checking out of his remaining time at Ohio State. Rather, he’s focusing on his involvement as BCI President, helping other students pursue their interests in investment banking by critiquing resumes, giving mock interviews and teaching students about the industry.

Founded in 1869, became public in 1999. Headquartered in Manhattan, New York

Rank

#1

Financial Institution

Global Mergers and Aquisitions

Equity Capital Markets

$12,575.65 m

2015 YTD Values

$1,3,12.1 bn

$64.28 bn

“It was an incredible

experience to be surrounded by such

motivating, intelligent and humble people who were

more than willing to help whenever I

asked.”

INVESTMENT BANKER story and design nicole thomas

Fisher


INVESTMENT BANKER you can

At a large university, Ohio State students can choose from hundreds of minors to complement their major. While it might seem logical to pursue a minor that’s similar to one’s major, more students are opting to complete minors in fields that are not at all related their field of study. What value do these other minors have? Traditional minors like Spanish or Psychology might be more practical, but minors of all kinds allow students to explore outside interests while developing skills and knowledge that can be applied to the real world.

business

Spanish

How do the number of students enrolled in less common minors stacks up against the number

of students enrolled in more popular minors like business

and Spanish?

MINORin what

970

19

1

Through the School of Music, Music, Media, and Enterprise combines the fields of music, communication, and business. Students learn about the role music plays in both the business world and society as a whole. “The MME minor focuses on knowledge of entrepreneurship as applied to the business of bringing music to the public,” said David Bruenger, Director of the Music, Media, and Enterprise Program. Courses in music focus on methods of production and specific genres while the business courses, like Entrepreneurship and Introduction to Accounting, give students a foundation in business concepts and practices. “Students are encouraged to learn process models that can be used to evaluate and even predict emerging trends in the business,” said Bruenger. The communications courses bring the pieces together by focusing on the reception of music by various audiences and the impact music has on society. Students must take five classes for a total of 15 credit hours.

Offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Jewish Oral History minor is a unique combination of cultural studies. With this minor, students establish a background in modern Jewish history and learn about the techniques used to document historical accounts. Consisting of 12 credit hours, the minor requires students to take one course each from four areas of study: Modern Jewish History, Holocaust Studies, Oral History Method, and electives. “While only a few students have graduated with the new minor so far, it appears to have been successful in giving them a sense of connection with the past of the Jewish people,” says Matt Goldish, Director of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies at Ohio State.

JEWISH ORAL HISTORY

Any student with an interest in pop culture could explore an array of ideas, attitudes, and perspectives. Students must take the introductory course, COMPSTDS 2264 along with at least one course from either the study of history pop culture (before 1945) or the pop culture outside majority-U.S. culture. Fulfilling this minor can incorporate fun requirements like Medieval 2666 – Magic and Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and Anthropology 3334 – Zombies: The Anthropology of the Undead.

POPULAR CULTURE STUDIES

Uncommon MinorsPopular vs.

MUSIC, MEDIA, & ENTERPRISE 15 hours

For students who look to enhance their artistic and creative abilities, the video arts minor offers self-expression through video formats. Offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, students must take courses from two of the four departments: Art, History of Art, Dance, and Theatre. An introductory course in any department is a must and students must take three to seven credit hours in each of the following categories: basic tools and concepts; issues and techniques; and electives. Students learn the basics of video production and video editing, yet enhancing the basic technical skills.

VIDEO ARTS 17 hours

12 hours

15 hours

This autumn, the School of Communication introduced the Health, Environment, Risk, and Science Communication minor. Through this 12 credit hour avenue, students gain an understanding of the role communication plays in the science and health care field. Intro COMM 2596 serves as the foundation course and then allows students to choose the remaining three communications courses from nine options. “This minor provides an opportunity for students across the university to learn more about how to effectively communicate such critical information to the public via media campaigns, new communication technologies, and interpersonal communication,” says Dave Ewoldsen, Professor at the School of Communication.

HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, & SCIENCE COMM. 12 hours

675579

story nicole zubovich | | design ethan newburger

Every four years, the presidential election process encourages all Americans to make their voice heard in the national discussion. Students at The Ohio State

University are no different this fall as there are a vast number of student groups encouraging them to do the same. While the 2016 Presidential Election is still more than a year away, student groups such as the College Republicans, College Democrats, and Buckeyes for Bernie are engaging students.

Ohio State’s political groups offer students an outlet for political action regardless of their previous political experience. Many students’ explanation for political disinterest is that what is being discussed doesn’t really affect them in any way. They aren’t Political Science majors so they assume that the policies being debated have little to no influence on their respective fields. However, this couldn’t be any further from the truth as the policies being discussed, whether health care or the economy, affect every United States citizen. The university’s many political organizations realize this and they strive to attract students from as many different majors as possible.

“I’d encourage voters who want to become more informed to take a half hour and spend some time looking at platforms on candidates’ websites,” says Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats.

The College Republicans are always looking for ways to energize students and educate them on Republican policies. This group is the official college organization for the Republican Party, and they specifically focus on many issues ranging from the cost of tuition to military spending. The opportunities provided by the College Republicans give students many ways to become politically active.

“What we are really big on is taking trips to political events such as going to New Hampshire to walk with John Kasich in the Labor Day Parade and going up to Cleveland in August to watch the first Republican Primary Debate,” Vice Chair

of the club, Ryan McGrath, remarked on how the College Republicans get students involved. “We like to be the medium, or the conduit, for people to get internships in the Statehouse or with political campaigns.”

The College Democrats are one of the university’s most active organizations. Similar to the College Republicans, they are the official club of their party. A few of their priorities are the cost of college, criminal justice reforms, and health care reforms.

“From registering voters, to canvasses, phone banks, internships, and candidate forums, College Democrats spends every week informing students and developing our members,” he later explained.

Compared to the College Republicans and College Democrats, Buckeyes for Bernie has a much more narrow and concentrated focus. Buckeyes for Bernie is a caucus within the College Democrats that’s goal is to elect Sen. Bernie Sanders as President. The group does this by canvassing on campus, advocating for Bernie’s position, and supporting his general campaign.

“What we’re doing is taking Bernie’s recent surge around the country and transferring that excitement into real political action. We have split our group up into many different committees so students can choose how they can help the organization.” stated John Collier, a representative for the group. Buckeyes for Bernie is just one of the many different specialized political action groups that Fisher students can join.

With this many organizations available, students will have no trouble finding the one that fits their political views. As the world becomes more globalized, it is vital for business students to become aware of the current events that affect hundreds of millions of people. At Ohio State, it doesn’t get much easier to get involved with politics as there is bound to be the right group for everyone.

not just reserved for your senile relatives at family functionsENGAGEMENT

college republicans college democratsbuckeyes for bernie

80 73

*estimated number of active members

40

story derek eckstein | | design elita marchetti


5 BIGGEST COLLEGE SPORTS TOWNS

January 12, 2015—the day the Ohio State Buckeyes became “undisputed champions” of college football. That day marked the beginning of something special for Buckeye

Nation. Ohio State’s 42-20 victory over the Oregon Ducks in the inaugural 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship changed the nation’s perception of Ohio State, while also making a substantial financial impact on Ohio State and local businesses near its campus.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State is expecting an increase of $3 million in royalties from licensed merchandise sales by the end of the year, netting around $17 million in total royalty revenue. The football team itself has also benefited from its national championship run. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ohio State has become the most valuable college football program, worth more than $1.1 billion. After the season, the estimated program revenue for Ohio State was $93,036,878, one of the highest in the nation.

While the College Football Playoff National Championship has affected the school and football team, local retailers have also prospered from Ohio State’s big win. Conrads College Gifts, a college apparel retailer on Lane Avenue, believes that the National Championship has made a clear, positive impact on their business. Since January 12, “sales have

increased significantly,” said Bennett Cohen, who has worked in the accounts payable department for Conrads for 30 years. Likewise, profits have gone up more this year than they have in previous years. While there have not been changes to the prices of merchandise, Conrads has had to bring in more clothing due to an increase in demand for championship gear. T-shirts, hats, gloves, and scarves are the primary products that have sold out at a faster rate.

College Traditions, located near Ohio Stadium on Lane, has also profited from increased business. Owner Kelly Dawes explains, “sales have skyrocketed and business has been unbelievable [since January].” Since she started working for College Traditions in 1987, Dawes believes that business has never been better. “Business is way up. It’s even surpassed the 2002 national championship.” Dawes said there is normally not much business in January, but this year was different due to the sheer number of

customers hoping to get their hands on Ohio State apparel. Ohio State’s championship run has helped not only the

football team, but also the campus area and its many local merchants. If the top-ranked Buckeyes continue to thrive this year and reach the College Football Playoff again, then it can be expected that Ohio State and surrounding areas will continue to benefit from a financial standpoint.

BIG WINBIGGER REWARD

story rayhan sufi | | design tania gray

*based on research from Sports Cheat Sheet and football and basketball team successes, attendance records and merchandise sales

5. TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA

4. KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE

3. ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

2. MADISON, WISCONSIN

1. COLUMBUS, OHIO

Winning a national championship reaps more than just bragging rights. Ohio State expects a $3 million influx from royalties.


The annual Continuous Improvement Survey made its way through the halls of Fisher this

past spring and the promising results have recently been released.

The survey essentially serves as an SEI for the college, as it is made available to all 6,728 Fisher undergraduate students and covers a broad range of topics including academic and peer advising, facilities and career services, and all aspects of the academic experience.

The circulator of the survey, Associate Dean Pat West, has coordinated it since its inception three years ago. With additional input from the Undergraduate Business Council (UBC), the survey has evolved to encompass deeper student insight on the highlights and challenges within Fisher.

“Dean West and I were talking about the possibility of SEI’s being more public so students could see how others rated professors they would potentially have,” says Jack Renner, finance major and former UBC president. “After hitting many roadblocks West got the idea to give us the continuous improvement survey.”

Renner and UBC met with West biweekly to break down the survey and identify problem areas in Fisher. UBC also conducted focus groups with students in certain Fisher courses and met with course coordinators to communicate issues while brainstorming tangible ideas.

“We don’t get student input in a broad

sense like this in any other way,” West says. “We consistently use its results to find challenges that we can address that wouldn’t be identified in faculty meetings.”

One of the larger changes that was instigated from the survey in previous years came from the business core satisfaction results. Students were asked how satisfied they were with the quality of teaching in each class, and the results were organized by the year in which the class was offered. West says the college looks for at least 80 percent of respondents to indicate a satisfied or very satisfied rating.

In 2014, only 53.4 and 53.1 percent of students who took Accounting 2200 and Accounting 2300, respectively, reported satisfied/very satisfied – the lowest satisfaction rates among the business core classes. The following year, the administration made faculty and curriculum changes, including the elimination of lab assignments to both courses, and the rates increased to 79.8 and 87.9 percent, respectively. The satisfaction rate increases were the two largest in the history of the continuous improvements survey.

“The responses we were getting from students told us something needed to be done. We were seeing students fleeing OSU for Columbus State’s accounting courses in droves, which cost the college financially and students doing this were not performing well upon their return,” West says.

This year, the courses with lower satisfaction marks that will be addressed

include Business Analytics 2321 (67.2 percent), Decision Sciences 2320 (58.5 percent) and International Business 2000 (43.1 percent). According to West, Business Analytics and Decision Sciences will be completely restructured for this upcoming fall. West also noted that while the Academic Advising Team scored well despite being understaffed, going forward students and staff may encounter increased turmoil.

“Our advising team is understaffed, especially during periods when students are registering for courses,” West says. “This makes it difficult for students to gain access to advising. If we were able to add one additional advisor to the team it would improve the availability of academic advising for our students.”

In addition to the survey for current students, West sent a similar survey to 5,659 alumni who graduated from Fisher with a BSBA in the last four years. Alumni gave Fisher high marks in the expected BusinessWeek questions, with 98.5

TAKING CARE OF

BUSINESSANNUAL Survey of Fisher students provides promising information

“The response we were getting from students told us something needed to be done,”

story devin casey | | design nick stewart

“The responses we were getting from students told us

something Needed to be done”

Fisher


percent reporting they would encourage others to pursue a degree from Fisher and 97.2 percent reporting they consider their Fisher degree to have been a worthwhile investment of their time and money.

The alumni survey response rate was low with 367 total respondents, which could be indicative of a larger issue of alumni engagement. Alumni reported that Fisher’s Alumni network was unhelpful, which West says suggests an important need to engage Fisher alumni with current students.

West also added metrics to record which skills alumni find important in their careers and how prepared they felt in those areas by the time they walked across the stage. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 as not important/prepared and 5 as extremely important/prepared, alumni feel the most important skill is “conduct yourself with integrity” with a 4.63 average, which coincidentally received the highest score for preparation at time of graduation with a 4.38 average. The gap analysis indicated that alumni felt appropriately prepared for the overwhelming majority of the skills that received the highest average importance.

“It’s certainly a great sign that alumni are feeling that Fisher is in tune with the skills needed to compete in the job market today,” West says. “We have areas to improve, but we are very satisfied with the results we are seeing from current and former students.”

The next Continuous Improvement Survey will be released in March of 2016, the next alumni survey will be in three years, and highlights from the survey are available on the Fisher Career Data Center’s website.

BY THE NUMBERS

53%2014

accounting 2200

53%

accounting 2300

80%88%

accounting 2200

accounting 2300

2015

Student SatisfactioN

1067Respondents

reported being satisfied or very

satisfied with Finance core classes

“We have areas to improve, but we are very satisfied with the results we are seeing from current and former students.”

-Dean west

Reported they would encourage others to pursue a degree at

fisher Reported they would consider their fisher/

osu degree to have been a worthwhile investment

REDE

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MaggieWehri

ART+ BUSI NESS

There comes a special challenge by dual majoring in specializations housed by different colleges and

Maggie Wehri is no exception. As a fourth year, Wehri has come to know 18 credit hour semesters well and is bringing two ostensibly different things into one complete package. While others may find the combination of art and business daunting, Wehri is pursuing her passions at full force.

Majoring in Art and Business, Wehri specializes in sculpture and “Sustainable Enterprise Management” (SEM) with a minor in entrepreneurship. SEM is a major she created through Fisher’s “Special Area” that focuses on the application of economics and sustainability. “Sustainability is the future of business. It’s a necessary part of any organization to succeed in today’s market with growing regulation and climate change awareness,” says Wehri. “No one’s talking about the bottom line anymore, rather, the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.”

Composing this major was no easy task and was accomplished with the help of Dr. Neil Drobny, faculty leader of Ohio State’s Economy, Environment, Development and

Sustainability (EEDS) major. “At the time we talked about her pursuing an EEDS major with a business minor or doing a Fisher major with a EEDS minor. However, neither of those options gave her the focus she was looking for. I helped convince Fisher to let Maggie create her dual major.”

Wehri’s combination of interests is much more than just setting herself apart from the crowd. She refers to artists as makers and businesspeople as thinkers; by merging the two, Wehri is tapping into her own skill of creative problem solving. “Art is so much more than just application,” Wehri says. “You’re not just doing techniques, it’s a lot of conceptual work. If you’re really willing to investigate meaning and ask the questions that challenge something, you hold the opportunity to expand your mind in a really powerful way.”

Wehri takes this analytical and conceptual side of art and applies it to practical, real-world business ideas. Wehri has been part of the collaborative effort in creating RecycleNow, a mobile application that analyzes the costs and benefits of increasing recycling rates for municipalities. Wehri’s two-year experience and success of this project has

landed the team in a year-long course that examines RecycleNow from a potential commercialization standpoint. “We ask questions like, does this app actually meet the customer’s problem? It’s going back to these basic elements and identifying a value proposition around the app’s commercialiabilty.”

Not every student can say they helped create an app in their college career and Wehri’s originality doesn’t stop there.

This fall, Wehri has been selected to participate in two art exhibitions hosted at regional and national levels through the Whitdel Arts Gallery in Detroit, MI and Main Street Arts in Clifton Heights, NY. “I’m really proud that others are finding value in the work that I do,” states Wehri. “My piece, Multiples, is the reason I selected sculpture as my discipline. This work utilizes an everyday material like safety pins, fastened by its natural properties in a really beautiful way.”

Wehri’s duality is one of the greatest

@ m o m o n e y m a g g z

story dillon mitchell & maggie wehri | | design karen selva


MaggieWehriI’ve been pushing myself to really create this formal connection to show the university that

“

struggles she has faced throughout her college career. Although she’s never received push back from departments, Wehri says, “they’ll accept students dual majoring in two different colleges, but they don’t encourage it enough. I’ve been pushing myself to really create this formal connection to show the university that there’s a lot of value in cross collaboration; especially in my instance, art and business, two fields that are on the surface very different.”

After 3 years of laying down the foundation, Wehri is out to establish the intersection of her two worlds. This semester, Wehri features her artwork on select TV monitors in the Fisher campus. “The image I created explores the relation between art and business and comes from a very conceptual sense. What is art? What is business? So I brought it back to the basis of ideas. In fact, all fields are ideas, they’re just applied differently,” states Wehri.

Todd Slaughter, the head of the sculpture program in the art department, oversees Wehri’s cross-collaborative movement. “Everyone is doing a

combination of things,” Slaughter says. “If you go and just be an artist, or you go and just be a business person, you won’t end up doing something terribly interesting. That’s just the way of the world.” Slaughter advocates there’s an increase in the number of art students with other interests and upper administration is attempting to get department entities to talk and formally collaborate.

Wehri’s originality looks to create awareness around the student ability to cross-collaborate. “When I talk to my peers and they ask what I’m doing, a typical response is that [they] had no idea that you could even do that,” states Wehri. As a pioneer, Wehri is planting seeds for the university, “she’s a little bit ahead of her time, with the confluence of her two interests, but that’s okay because you need leaders.” states Drobny. “I think this will

set an example for other students who want to pursue combinations of fields.”

“I created a lot of great experiences that have been rewarding and were by no means easy to tackle. A lot of people think that when they struggle, that something is too hard and they can’t do it,” states Wehri. “But if you push through and you’re willing or able to see the outcome, regardless of whether you’re completely satisfied with the outcome, the experience is invaluable.”

scan to see Maggie’s Fisher feature artwork, idea relation:

“But if you push through and you’re willing or able to see the outcome, regardless of whether you’re completely satisfied with the outcome, the experience is invaluable.”

The meeting of Wehri’s sustainability economics and creative problem solving isn’t just about fulfilling degree requirements; it is satisfying a true need in the world. “I read an article in Fast Company Magazine and a similar article in the Harvard Business Review that effectively says the world is looking for individuals with all kinds of training from the arts: artists, filmmakers, musicians and so many others,” Wehri says. “Research shows that these individuals are more adaptable, resourceful and can quickly learn and apply new skills to a variety of challenges. Artists aren’t just dreamers or rebels. They’re builders, project managers, communications specialists; they have the mind of an inventor and the heart of an explorer. It’s not a bad set of talents in a world faced with uncertainty and change.”

In Wehri’s mind, her combination of art and business lives up to the ideals that the university preaches: one student, one faculty, one university. “I honestly never thought that I would be this thoughtful about anything a

few years ago,” Wehri states. “It makes me so excited to think that in reality, my first few steps in the collaborative arena are only just the beginning.”

THERE’S A LOT OF VALUE IN CROSS COLLABORATION.”



The southeast corner of 15th Ave. and High St. is largely quiet. The building, which once housed Long’s

Bookstore, is boarded up and its parking lot is empty. However, a new zoning framework, which was recently approved by the City of Columbus, could revitalize the site as well as several of the buildings around it. The plan, which covers nine acres in total, is being led by Ohio State affiliated developer Campus Partners. It calls for larger mixed use buildings, a public square, a hotel and a large parking garage.

Campus Partners is a local developer affiliated with the university and largely focuses on projects within the University District. It was founded in 1995 and dates back to an initiative of then-President Gordon Gee. At the time, the area immediately surrounding the university was in a state of neglect and needed to be revitalized, according to Erin Prosser, Director of Community Development for Campus Partners. She added that students were moving out of the area, primarily because they felt unsafe. After five years of meeting with community members and prioritizing projects, the developer started work on what eventually became South Campus Gateway. The Gateway replaced a section of High St. that was largely concentrated with bars, Prosser says, and showed the university’s commitment to revitalizing the neighborhood. It was one of the first large investments in the area in decades. Eventually this created a new real-estate market and helped jumpstart

private-sector development along High Street.

“It’s not the intention of Campus Partners to do everything,” she says “We want to push the market where we can and create investment that is high quality and supportive of the neighborhood.”

While initially planning the project, Campus Partners focused on five goals—promoting a mixed-use environment, developing public spaces, making the area more pedestrian friendly, connecting streets and addressing the parking problems. Hoffsis says it is also important to note that keeping the area the way it is today is something that is not realistic.

“The reason we chose to engage is because there was so much activity,” says Amanda Hoffsis, president of Campus Partners. “We knew if we did not act now and use the properties we have as leverage most of the properties would develop and would be piecemeal.”

Hoffsis says that while a lot of people may make the comparison between South Campus Gateway and this project, the goals are very different. South Campus Gateway was built in order to create a market and clean up an area, Prosser says. The development

now would happen with or without the university, Hoffsis said, and Campus Partners is involved to ensure an outcome with elements that benefit the private sector and the community.

“What we want to do is encourage a smart development that meets all of these goals, not just the developer’s goals,” Hoffsis says.

Kevin Wheeler, an administrator with the Office of City Planning for the City of Columbus says the project’s large scale means it’s an opportunity to bridge the gap between the university and the community. He specifically mentioned the public plaza as a way that the plan can achieve that.

“Right now, High St. is a divide in a way that no one really benefits from,” Wheeler says. “So seeing development that provides a stronger link across High St. is important. This moves

strongly in that direction.”

story jay panandiker | | design moyu konishi

“What we want to encourage is smart development that

meets all of these goals, not just the developer’s

goals.”

C-Business

Campus Partners urban framework centers around reconstructing both the infrastructure and the buildings in the area. However, unlike with the South Campus Gateway project, the organization is not the sole developer and it’s unlikely the entire project will be completed at once. The footprint includes buildings along High St. and Pearl St. between 14th and 17th avenues. As of right now, the plan has focused mainly on zoning, meaning specifics about the design of the new buildings has yet to be decided, Hoffsis says. The framework was developed in addition to the traditional zoning documents in order to make the project understandable to community members and to get their input, Hoffsis says.

“We’re not picking paint colors,” Hoffsis says. “We’re putting parameters on how dense the area should be; we’re putting parameters so whoever comes in to build will have to stick to that.”

The framework outlines both density and use for the project, which Hoffsis says gives a basic overview for

development to happen over time and in a way that the community is supportive. Before the zoning, private developers would be able to develop any area that they owned in a way that makes the most financial sense to them. With the plan that is now in place there is an area for a public plaza, something which Hoffsis says wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Plans for redevelopment had been proposed by other developers, Hoffsis says, but they could not get the support of the larger community. Because Campus Partners owned several of the buildings in the area, they were able to leverage their status in the community to get other property owners on board and make a plan that the community could benefit from.

While the newly rezoned area covers a large area, not all the property owners have immediate plans for redevelopment. Hoffsis says developers were more interested in the properties along High St. while plans for properties east of Pearl St. have yet to be made. The plan calls for limited residential development. The corner of 15th and High St. will feature a public plaza bordered by development that complements it.

Hoffsis says there is an opportunity for a hotel to be developed, something that will likely be built behind the plaza on Pearl St. The area around the university is vastly underserved, Prosser says, despite the university being one of the largest draws for visitors to the area. The hotel will be on a direct axis with The Oval and will be the tallest building in the development. Much of the development is considered mixed use—a zoning term that includes residential, office, and retail. Much of the project will feature ground-floor retail and offices above.

Currently the cost of the project has not yet been determined and the timeline is still in the works. Hoffsis says it will take time because of the necessary changes in infrastructure and because the changes to properties are up to individual property owners. She added that five to ten years is a likely horizon for how quickly the entire project can materialize.

The zoning plan was reviewed by the Office of City Planning as well as by the University Area Review Board, which is staffed by the office, Wheeler states. He says the mixed use nature of the project is also a real benefit and the parking

garage will be crucial in maintaining long-term investment in the area.

Campus Partners currently does not own the entire zoned area, and won’t even after the project is concluded. However through strategic purchases of important properties, the organization was able to get other property owners to join them in their plan. Because the buildings will be built by individual developers, the zoning code and the framework will ensure the project remains consistent all the way through. It includes a list of architectural design principles and also guidelines of how to handle things like parking, Prosser says.

Additionally when building plans are developed the plans will have to be approved by the University Area Review Board. The board is a mix of community members and professional architects. Wheeler says the city was looking for consistency with the area as well as a cohesive development pattern when they were reviewing the zoning plan. As individual buildings are proposed they will once again be reviewed by the city.

“Zoning is a legislative action, so it is now in code,” Prosser says. “In order to vary from what we wrote you would have to go to the city and ask for a variance. The community and city are not going to allow that.”

Hoffsis says the entire project will likely not start all at once. Some pieces, like the Long’s Bookstore site will move sooner than others, depending on how

the developer wants to pursue the project.

Currently, Campus Partners is working with the city to decide the best route to solve the infrastructure problems in the area from both a fiscal and engineering standpoint. The framework calls for a realignment of 15th Ave. in order to meet High St. straight on as opposed to the angle it is at right now. The plan also connects 14th and 16th avenues to High St. A parking garage along Pearl St. will also need to be built before much of the property can develop. Hoffsis says much of the infrastructure improvements will begin in the next couple of years. Wheeler says improving the street grid may also involve reallocating property uses.

“It may happen so what is now a roadway will become a building and what is currently a building may become a roadway,” he says.

Wheeler added that the infrastructure improvements on their own do present a challenge, because it involves relocating utilities, determining right-of-ways, and financing the improvements.

Currently many of the properties that are in the area that has been rezoned are occupied by local businesses. This

includes businesses that are in buildings that are already owned by Campus Partners. Hoffsis says she hopes there will be opportunities for the businesses when the time comes to redevelop the individual properties.

“Since it’s not all going to be done at once, if they’re interested in staying in


the area, that they can relocate,” Hoffsis says.

She added that some businesses, like Insomnia Cookies, have chosen to relocate proactively, in order to avoid the area during construction. Because there is not a clear timelines yet, Hoffsis says owners are making decisions based on what is best for their business—some relocate while others chose to stay in the area. The organization also works to help businesses identify opportunities, but since it doesn’t own all the buildings in the area many decisions about the businesses are left to the businesses and their respective landlords.

One of the businesses in the newly rezoned area is Evolved Body Art, a piercing and tattoo shop. Owner Nick Wolak says he has been hearing about plans to redevelop the area for years, but firm dates for the project have never really been given—leading to uncertainty.

“Unfortunately, all or most all of the businesses who are still hanging on, have been given month-to-month leases and are hoping for the best,” he says.

He added that his business has been given no relocation plan and it is likely that he will likely have to start over from the beginning in a different part of the city.

“It is very sad to see all the local High St. businesses being squeezed out,” Wolak says.

Campus Partners worked with the community in order to develop a plan that achieved the needs of the area.

The organization worked with the University Area Commission which is comprised of staff members, students, and neighborhood residents. The commission functions as the main conduit into the community and is the recommending body to the Columbus City Council. They also worked with the University Area Review Board which includes architects and community members. The organization also worked to ensure the needs of the communities aligned with the needs of the university.

“I think we have a lot of buy in,” Hoffsis says.

Hoffsis says that much of the community has been supportive of the zoning changes, and resistance mainly comes in the form of people who don’t want to see the neighborhood change from what they remember.

“The folks that live here have been very positive because they understand what is happening. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to shape their future,” Hoffsis says.

Prosser says the opposition is often those on the outside who have not been involved very much with the entire redevelopment process. She added that portions of the project like the plaza have always been things that the community has wanted.

Prosser says the ultimate goal of the project is to create a place that’s central to the community, that can be shared between community members, students and other members of the university community. Hoffsis added that with the

inevitability of development in the area, the new zoning regulations that were championed by Campus Partners will ensure high-quality development.

“The tsunami of developers is coming, and there’s not a lot we can do but we can make sure the projects are positive,” Hoffsis says

For more information, visit us online at fisherink.com


For marketing student Zach Pezzner, it all began in his junior year of high school when he decided to take a sports management class. As part of an assignment for class,

Pezzner had to play around with a stock simulator, a program that provides players with the opportunity to practice trading stocks. By mirroring current stock market trends, it produces real results while removing any risk from the players. Although Pezzner was unaware at the time, this minor class activity would spark an insatiable desire to explore the world of stocks.

After completing the assignment, Pezzner decided he wanted to learn more about the stock market. He began by surfing Google and YouTube for articles and videos that would introduce him to the functions of the stock market. He read numerous books, and followed hedge fund managers, namely Carl Icahn. He approached his father and grandfather, who were both patent attorneys, with questions involving the benefits and ramifications a patent would have on a company. Finally, he spent about nine months practicing with stock simulators and employing newfound strategies.

Pezzner sensed that he had the potential to competently invest, and the urge to attempt to do so was impossible to

suppress. He initially focused on the healthcare and technology aspects of the stock market. As profits began to creep to the surface, Pezzner felt more comfortable. Through TD Ameritrade, he opened a brokerage, with which stock exchanges could be executed more efficiently. This move opened up the floodgates, and Pezzner committed himself to facing the challenges of investing.

The majority of Pezzner’s profits have come from beating the stock market, or earning an investment return that exceeds that of the elected benchmark. The path to these rewards, however, was daunting. Pezzner would spend hours researching the company and past stock movements before making a prediction. Upon taking this pivotal step, Pezzner would pester himself with any doubts he could come up with. Rather than succumbing to self-confidence, he forced himself to give all sides their deserved attention.

With every inch of profit, Pezzner’s passion for investing grew. Soon enough, he was ready to tread through the unchartered waters of day trading. Day trading requires that participants exchange stock only throughout a specified window of time, lasting no longer than a day. Only accounts

To succeed in day trading, Ohio State marketing student Zach Pezzner makes it part of the routine.

thewolfof High Street

story adam lee | | design bob craig

Fisher

“I knew that other people wouldn’t be getting up that early. I felt that the only way to be successful was to put in as much effort as possible. I declined an internship this past summer in order

to dedicate myself to day trading.

”that have garnered over $25,000 can enter the rigorous day trading market. In order to meet the demands of day trading, Pezzner had to choose his academic schedule carefully. He made a conscious effort to limit breaks between classes, so that enough space in his day could be cleared for day trading without interruption. Even with an accommodating schedule, Pezzner found himself waking up at 5 a.m. “I knew that other people wouldn’t be getting up that early,” he says. “I felt that the only way to be successful was to put in as much effort as possible. I declined an internship this past summer in order to dedicate myself to day trading.”

Pezzner calculated that 60% of his summer profits came from earnings, 30% from day trading, and 10% from longs, or investments fueled by expectations of gradually inflating asset values. During that summer, Pezzner discovered the tactic of selling a stock after beating the market. Since most people will rush toward that stock, its value will depreciate. “Stock could start the day up 25%, but be up only 12% by the day’s end.” Pezzner also found that discussions with his grandmother helped to enhance his understanding of the day trading market. His grandmother believed that a more conservative approach was necessary to investing; she played a vital role in curtailing Pezzner’s aggressive style.

To this day, Pezzner is hunting for new methods to forecast fluctuations in stock value. “A great way I’ve found to expand my skills is to teach others what I have learned from my experiences. I lead a stock group in my fraternity to help promote financial proficiency and talk about the market. I am also an associate for Buckeye Capital Investors, a group that exposes Fisher students to investment opportunities.” By debating with his peers, Pezzner is able uncover new ways of grappling with the market. Rather than viewing his accomplishments as a means to celebrate, Pezzner recognizes that what he has earned can open more doors. “There is always more to learn about the stock market. The skills cannot be perfected.”

Top Tips1. Be PatientMost day traders do not end up trading every day. Remember to watch for the strongest options, not just those currently available to you. Trust your judgment, not your current choices.

2. It’s Okay to LoseWhen first getting into the market of day trading, be prepared for growing pains. Day trading can be daunting to beginners, but a few early mistakes can save you in far more in the long run.

3. Have a SystemMistakes are fine to make when entering day trading, but they are only useful if you can learn from them. Track your decisions, the results, and work to refine the system that will see you through thick and thin.

day trading

It’s a tiny white blob, no bigger than three millimeters across, and it’s floating in a test tube inside The Ohio State University’s biomedical research tower. To the untrained eye, it’s an inconspicuous speck of flesh.

But to a rising number of scientists across the world, it’s a revolution in the field of neuroscience, and it may forever change how we understand the nervous system.

That tiny white blob is a nearly perfect recreation of the human embryonic brain.

Engineered in the laboratory of Dr. Rene Anand, a professor at the College of Medicine, these brain “organoids” have the potential to unravel the secrets of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, cancer, and many other diseases that have stumped the research community for decades.

They’re grown from stem cells in petri dishes and they equate to a brain at five weeks of prenatal development. What sets these organoids apart from previous attempts at growing brain tissue in a dish is just how strikingly similar they are to the real thing. They have 99% of the genes of an embryonic brain and nearly all of the recognizable anatomical structures. As a result, they have the potential to serve as excellent research models for all types of brain disorders.

“We have very sophisticated strategies to understand if something is in fact likely to be involved with causation [of disease] because we have the model,” says Dr. Anand. “You can use cells in a dish but it ain’t the brain.”

Dr. Anand spent years investigating brain disorders with rats and mice as his research subjects but eventually grew dissatisfied with the results.

“You can’t study such higher order disorders in rats and mice,” says Dr. Anand. “At every level they’re not us.”

The clear disparity between humans and rodents led him to seek an alternative, but it was a challenge at first. Two years of complete failure preceded any sign of promise in his quest for a more reliable brain model. But

his personal contact with those affected by the diseases he studies spurred him to keep pushing.

says Dr. Anand. “You’re no longer just an academician who wants grants, papers, and prizes. You want to solve the problem.”

So he and his team continued their efforts and soon after, the organoids were developed. Now two years removed from their first success, Dr. Anand and his colleague, Susan McKay, have started a business to market these organoids to researchers around the world who want a more accurate representation of the brain. They’re currently in the process of getting their company, NeurXstem, off the ground, which involves constructing a detailed business plan. But it has been a difficult endeavor for the two scientists, neither of whom have a great deal of experience in the marketplace.

“We are not business people but we’re learning.” says McKay, who has worked with Dr. Anand for seven years. “You develop a lot more respect for what people have to do to start up a business.”

One of the most important steps in building this business, as with any other, is identifying a target demographic. Radically altering the status quo of brain research does not come without a fair share of skepticism, however, and many potential clients could be resistant to changing their methodology in the laboratory.

“I think a lot of people are so well versed in using older models of brain development, such as the rodent model or tissue culture, that they really weren’t prepared for the

and the world of

story scott koenig | | design josh aber

ACROSS CAMPUS

“When you talk to parents of children with autism year

after year you realize it’s time to take the risk,”


data that we were showing them,” says McKay. “So it’s hard to break into a new developing technology if people are rooted in their way of thinking.”

In addition to attracting clients, another crucial hurdle facing any burgeoning entrepreneur is attracting investors. McKay and Dr. Anand are confident in the quality of their product, but convincing venture capitalists is an entirely different battle. According to Dr. Mike West, CEO of BioTime, it can be difficult to secure funding in the biotechnology industry. His company specializes in regenerative medicine, so stem cells are integral to many of their projects. But progress in stem cell research often takes time, something that turns off many potential sources of capital.

“In today’s fast-paced world, the development of new therapies is very challenging,” says Dr. West. “The biggest reason, in my opinion, is that today’s investors, for the most part, are looking for short-term gains. Therapeutics generally require long-term investors. For those who are willing to be patient, however, the rewards can be large.”

McKay and Dr. Anand are hoping that pitching the prospect of a large, long-term reward is enough to draw investors to NeurXstem. But they aren’t going about it completely alone. They’ve enlisted the help of members of Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, lawyers specializing in information technology, and Rev1 Ventures, a Columbus-based venture development organization that helps build new companies.

Armed with the assistance of these business-savvy organizations, McKay and Dr. Anand are enthusiastic about NeurXstem’s potential to profoundly impact not only the biotechnology industry, but the whole realm of medical research. However, the translation of a research success to a commercial success isn’t always a streamlined process, especially for a professor with obligations to the university.

“This is not cheap science,” says Dr. Anand. “If you look at it from a business perspective — Who’s going to buy it? What

will it cost? How will you market it? Who will run it? There are a thousand different things that I have to do on that side in addition to writing my grants, teaching my students and doing everything else, so it’s a very hard two hats to wear.”

But according to the founders of NeurXstem, the hard work will pay off. Their goal is to make the platform of brain organoids available to scientists as quickly as possible in order to accelerate the discovery of a cure, whether it be at Ohio State or anywhere else in the research community.

“We’re not going to sit and figure out all the cures to every disease,” says Dr. Anand. “What we do is we enable all the brilliant minds to ask the questions and solve the problems. The platform opens the gateway.”

NeurXstem isn’t the first biotechnology company to market human organoids and it certainly won’t be the last. The biotechnology industry is growing, due in part to an increased interest in alternative means of conducting research. And when the goal is a cure to any of the countless brain diseases that affect millions of people on a daily basis, they can use any support they can get.

“Obviously, there is no tissue in the body more important than the brain,” says Dr. West. “I would suggest that society needs more researchers joining the race like Dr. Anand, and more people cheering them on.”

cephalic flexure

optic stalk

cerebral hemisphere

Dr. Rene Anand & Susan McKay

The cerebral hemisphere, optic stalk, and cephalic flexure are indicative features of the fetal human brain.


Sicilia’sSicilia’s Fine Italian Specialties offers an array of Italian-like food, most important of which being their pizza, in all its thin- crusted, glistening-grease glory. Their pizza by the slice is usually fresher than most others’ — it’s prepared in a brick oven, rather than one of those carnival-style pretzel warmers that, after thirty minutes, gives pizza the sog-gy and lifeless appearance of a moist hot dog bun. So after two or three minutes of reheating in the oven, the pizza comes out with renewed vibrance. It’s a classic, New York style street vendor slice, so thin and crispy that it’s begging to be folded in half and wolfed down with little regard for dining etiquette. The sauce is slightly sweet and tastes like it’s made with fresh tomatoes, but the cheese it supports is just average. Cheese is often the first ingredient to lose its pizza pizazz after reheating and Sicilia’s is no exception. But the product is redeemed by its tasty crust, so crispy outside and chewy inside that you’re compelled to finish every last bite of it before returning to shouting expletives at passing Red Sox fans.

Cottage InnRemember the carnival-style pretzel warmer I warned you about? The owner of Cottage Inn could not be reached for comment but I suspect she or he may have been a carnie in the past. The slice I ordered was the culinary equivalent of a tired old man walking out of a malfunctioning sauna. My pizza was lukewarm and bereft of vitality, begging to be put out of its misery. I obliged, but only out of devotion to my craft. The crust was previously fro-zen and as such, was too chewy, slightly stale, and offered no distinguishing flavor. The presence of actual tomatoes in the sauce was contestable at best and, perhaps as some sort of compensation, there was an excess of sugar — so much so that I wondered if the sauce was actually swapped out for some revo-lutionary new tomato-based candy product currently in small-market testing. I didn’t have the chance to tell for sure, though, as it seemed like half of the sauce that once existed was dried up in the dreaded pretzel warmer. Cottage Inn’s pizza did have one thing going for it, however, and that was its sharp and tangy cheese. All in all, it’s still pizza so it’s hard for it to be bad.

columbus by the slicestory scott koenig | | design nicole thomas


Catfish Biff’s

Catfish Biff’s Pizza and Subs has garnered somewhat of a cult fol-lowing around campus but I attribute that more to the amus-

ing quirkiness of their namesake being a whiskered, ray-finned freshwater lake dweller, and not to any striking

quality about their food. If you’re a devotee of Catfish Biff’s, you probably live in a dorm on 11th Avenue.

That said, they do offer a decent slice of pizza and that’s all you can really ask for in this dog-eat-dog

world. This establishment unfortunately opts for the warmer instead of the brick oven to heat

their slices, but it’s a notch above the warm-er at Cottage Inn — my pizza still looked uninspired but it had a bit more pep in its step than its pretzel warmer companion. The warmer dried up much of the sauce, as expected, which ended up not being such a big deal because the sauce itself had enough salt to kill several slugs. The positives about this slice were its tart cheese and its delicious crust, with a near-perfect balance of crunchiness and chewiness.

A Slice of New York

I was raised in a family of native east coasters and A Slice of New York was the

first place to give off a vibe reminiscent of the big apple. The employees had the charm-

ing carelessness of Manhattan pedestrians, the interior was decorated with all the design flair

of a subway car, and the pizza was thin, crispy and delicious. It was love at first slice — as soon as it came

out of the oven, a white light cascaded onto it from the heavens and an immaculately sweet melody filled

my ears. They make you pay extra for the spotlight and the choir of angels but it was worth it. Their pie is the New York

style standard. It had a beautiful light brown crust with fresh to-mato sauce and tangy cheese. The only conceivable knock is that it

could have used a little more sauce. Another conceivable knock, albeit not related to the pizza, is the fact that History Channel’s “Ancient Aliens”

was playing on their television during my visit. The cashier spent 30 seconds trying to validate its entertainment value and being a friendly patron, I appeased

him with conversational niceties. But let me be clear: Ancient Aliens is unequivocally balderdash.

Scott Koenig brings you an in-depth look at what the campus-area pizza scene has to offer. Ratings are out of 10 possible points. Did he miss your

favorite spot? Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]

if you’re playin’Find a ticket, win an iPad. The hunt begins December 1.

Follow us online for clues and live updates. Official rules on fisherink.com

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Fall 2015

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