Fences fall: Ohio State fans swarm Mirror Lake early

Amy Macynski
Tue, 26 Nov 2013 07:12:25 +0000
Campus, mirror lake, mirror lake jump, ohio state, osu

Fans stand around Mirror Lake while some jump in despite university efforts to control the event. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

Fans jump into Mirror Lake Nov. 25 despite university efforts to control the event. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

Fans jump into Mirror Lake Nov. 25 despite university efforts to control the event. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

A fan waves a flag from Mirror Lake Nov. 25. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

Fans stand around Mirror Lake while some jump in despite university efforts to control the event. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

An OSU security car is parked outside the Mirror Lake area Nov. 25. Credit: Ryan Robey / For The Lantern

Some Ohio State fans knocked down chain-link fences and jumped in Mirror Lake Monday night after new restrictions on the Mirror Lake jump were announced Sunday.

OSU officials had announced there would be increased safety and security efforts for the Mirror Lake jump, originally planned for Tuesday night. Fences were installed surrounding Mirror Lake with one designated entrance spot and multiple exits. Students, whether jumping or watching, were set to be required to wear a wristband issued to those with BuckIDs only for admission to the area Tuesday, causing some students to take to social media and plan an alternative event.

Jumping in Mirror Lake before the OSU football game against the University of Michigan is a university tradition, though it is not officially university-sanctioned.

A Facebook event and Twitter page were created, encouraging others to jump Monday at 11:45 p.m. instead of Tuesday. More than 800 people had responded that they were going to attend as of 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, while more than 8,000 were invited on Facebook.

Police officers did not stop people from entering the area at about 11:45 p.m. Monday.

A University Police officer said at its peak, there were an estimated 1,500 people at the lake Monday night. There were no injuries or arrests reported as of 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, said officers from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Police forces present included Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and University Police, the officers said.

It was 32 degrees and snowing as of 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Weather Channel.

Representatives of OSU’s Student Life were not available for comment Monday night about what would happen with Tuesday’s scheduled jump.

OSU Vice President for Student Life Javaune Adams-Gaston said Sunday she was unconcerned with students’ negative reactions to the announced university restrictions.

“I have great faith in our students, I know that change is difficult and people have the right to have views about that change, but I also know that our student population is one that is spirited and not disruptive,” Adams-Gaston told The Lantern.

University Police Chief Paul Denton told The Lantern Sunday the messages about knocking down fences or jumping early didn’t “give (police) much concern.”

“We’ve got great partnership and trust in the students as well from a public safety standpoint,” Denton said. ?“I don’t think that will happen (students tearing down fences) and I sincerely believe our students will come and have a good time as they always have … but there will be a police and security presence continuing over the next few days.”

“We’re ready, as we always are (if students jump early).”

Some OSU students who participated in Monday’s jump said they did it to continue the legacy.

“We wanted a night that is unregulated and something the students can own and can continue a really fun and really great tradition,” said Morgan Johnson, a first-year in public affairs.

Patrick Mortenson, a fourth-year in political science who jumped Monday, said he strongly disagreed with the university’s new restrictions.

“This is what the tradition is all about. Every year I have been here, the university has sent me an email saying don’t do the jump, it’s not a tradition,” Mortenson said. “Yet we come here and we do the jump every f—— year. And it’s been like that every year since my dad was here, since my grandpa was here. So why say it’s a tradition but make it an official jump day?”

After the first Monday Mirror Lake jump Facebook event was taken down, Ben Baaske, an OSU student in anthropology, said he decided to make a new page.

“I was part of the Facebook page that was put up initially by a guy … All of a sudden it was gone. It was removed. So we were just kinda messing around for a little bit, like someone should start up a new one. I was like, ‘OK.’ And I just started one up. And then all of a sudden this happened,” Baaske told The Lantern Monday.

He said about 50 people from the Facebook group showed up Monday at 11:45 p.m. to walk together to the lake.

Impromptu jumps have occurred in the past, including in 2011 when thousands of students gathered at the lake to celebrate the announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death.

A Cleveland-area lawyer told The Lantern Monday the new measures planned for Tuesday’s jump could increase OSU’s liability if a student gets injured.

“It sounds like they’re increasing their liability by regulating it,” said the lawyer, who has worked in insurance defense and personal injury plaintiff practice throughout his career and requested anonymity because of the ongoing nature of the university regulations and the short notice on which those regulations were released. “Basically, at the time that they permit something to occur on their property and especially since they’re monitoring the people going in and out, they would have moral responsibility.”

A request from The Lantern for comment from OSU’s legal counsel was forwarded to OSU spokesman Gary Lewis, who said liability issues are not at the forefront of OSU officials’ reasoning for the new safety measures.

“The well-being of Ohio State students is our top priority, and for that reason, we will take appropriate efforts to maintain safety and security. Liability concerns, while important, are secondary to our efforts to promote the safety of our students,” Lewis said in a Monday email.

He did not provide additional comment about what liability concerns OSU would face if students were injured or in response to the attorney’s statement that the university’s liability could be increased.

Baaske said he doesn’t know if he’ll jump again Tuesday night or not.

“I have to get ahold of a bracelet first,” he said. “I don’t have one of those yet, but I might look into it.”

Liz Young contributed to this article.