Here’s what Kelly Garrett, the director of the School of Communication, had to say about this celebratory occasion:
"On behalf of the School of Communication, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for this special reunion. Your presence helped make the event a meaningful celebration of our shared history, our vibrant community, and the exciting future ahead.
The success of the reunion was a reflection of the incredible energy and generosity of our alumni, faculty, students, and friends. I’m especially grateful to the Host and Planning Committees for their tireless effort in bringing this event to life.
A special thanks to Tegna Chief Content Officer Adrienne Roark, who served as the Host Committee’s Honorary Chair and inspired us with her keynote remarks; Akayla Gardner, MSNBC White House Correspondent, whose leadership as Deputy Chair and insights as a panelist enriched our conversations; CNN’s Chief Domestic Correspondent Phil Mattingly, who brought warmth and wit as MC of The Lantern Dedication Ceremony; and comedian Bruce Vilanch, whose featured luncheon talk reminded us of the power of storytelling and laughter.
Thank you again to all who made this reunion so memorable. We look forward to many more moments of connection and celebration in the years to come."
The School of Communication at The Ohio State University is proud to celebrate the accomplishments and experiences of our alumni. Our virtual yearbook is now complete and ready for you to explore! Discover updates on professional journeys, personal milestones, and favorite memories shared by fellow Buckeyes. This collection honors the paths our graduates have taken and will inspire our community for years to come.
And while our reunion has officially concluded, The School will be providing post-reunion updates through various channels, including this alumni reunion website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and our School of Comms alumni e-newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed on opportunities for alumni to stay involved with the school in numerous ways, including mentoring our students; identifying potential internship or job opportunities; or being a guest lecturer virtually or on campus, to name a few.
And finally, if you haven’t done so already, please look at our School’s Buckeye Funder and consider how you might wish to give to one of the various funds that supports our students and helps prepare the next generation with real-world career experience.
Event Information
The Lantern Newsroom Dedication
- 9:00 - 11:15 AM Dedication and Open House Event | Journalism Building
- 9:45 - 10:00 AM Dedication Ceremony
All-School Reunion - The Blackwell Inn
- 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM Registration | Ballroom Foyer
- 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch & Panel | Ballroom ABC
- Lunch served at noon; panel begins at 12:30
- Speakers: Kelly Garrett, Spencer Hunt, and Mary Sterenberg.
- 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM General Session | Ballroom ABC
- Speakers: Adrienne Roark and Bruce Vilanch
- 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Breakout Sessions
- “The Lantern: Past, Present, Future” | Pfahl 140
- Moderator: John Oller.
- Panelists: Christopher Amatos, Akayla Gardner, Sheridan Hendrix, Lily Pace, and Cliff Treyens.
- "Strategic Communication Panel and Discussion: Preparing the Next Generation" | Pavilion
- Faculty Panel Moderator: Kerry Christopher.
- Faculty Panelists: Jasmine Roberts-Crews, Tim Miller, Mary Sterenberg, Osei Appiah, and Bingjie Liu.
- Alumni Panel Moderator: Mary Sterenberg.
- Alumni Panelists: Linda Thomas Brooks, Olivia Cohen, Shannon Littell (Reed), and Kevin Volz.
- "Curiosity-Fueled, Theory-Driven: The Buckeye Approach to Communication Research" | Ballroom ABC
- Moderators: Matthew Grizzard and Shelly Hovick.
- Alumni Panelists: Brian Weeks and Matthew Sweitzer.
- Faculty and Graduate Student Panelists: Robert M. Bond, Alex Bonus, Jesse Fox, Matthew Grizzard, Shelly Hovick, Teresa Lynch, Jingbo Meng, Emily Moyer-Gusé and Brooke Bennington.
- “The Lantern: Past, Present, Future” | Pfahl 140
- 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Reception | Pavilion
Attendees are also encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to attend the following day’s football game, featuring the reigning College Football National Champions—The Ohio State University Buckeyes—squaring off against the Bobcats of Ohio University.
School of Communication Host Committee
- Adrienne Roark (1993 B.A. Communication)—Honorary Chair
- Akayla Gardner (2021 B.A. Journalism)—Deputy Chair
- Kevin S. Adelstein (1990 B.A. Journalism)
- Roger Bolton (1972 B.A. Journalism)
- Linda Thomas Brooks (1985 B.A. Journalism)
- Larry Burriss (1971 B.A. Journalism and 1972 M.A. Journalism)
- Chris Davey (1994 B.A. Journalism and 2003 M.A. Communication)
- Robert Dilenschneider (1967 M.A. Journalism)
- Jocelyn Dorsey (1972 B.A. Journalism)
- Zuri Hall (2010 B.A. Strategic Communication)
- Susan Henderson (1979 M.A. Journalism)
- Sandy Hermanoff (1965 B.A. Journalism)
- Gretel Johnston (1983 B.A. Journalism)
- Jeff Kamin (1972 B.A. Journalism)
- Kelly Hibbett Kavanaugh (1982 B.A. Journalism)
- Barbara Levin (1973 B.A. Journalism)
- Cal McAllister (1993 B.A. Journalism)
- Kim McBee (1989 B.A. Journalism)
- Patty Miller (1972 B.A. Journalism)
- Rich Moore (1980 B.A. Journalism)
- John Oller (1979 B.A. Journalism)
- Shawn Ramsey (1984 B.A. Journalism)
- Jay Smith (1971 B.A. Journalism)
- Kate Stabrawa (2002 B.A. Communication)
- Trevor Thompkins (2016 B.A. Strategic Communication)
- Jeffrey Trimble (1978 B.A. Journalism and 1982 M.A. Journalism)
The School of Communication at The Ohio State University is proud to celebrate the accomplishments and experiences of our alumni. Our virtual yearbook is now complete and ready for you to explore! Discover updates on professional journeys, personal milestones, and favorite memories shared by fellow Buckeyes. This collection honors the paths our graduates have taken and will inspire our community for years to come.
Download this document for session descriptions and speaker bios.
Download this document for keynote speaker bios.
A message from our Honorary Chair, Adrienne Roark.
The digital version of The Lantern Commemorative Edition, a first-of-its-kind issue featuring reflections from 21 alumni spanning the 1960s through the 2020s, is now available on The Lantern website.
Click to download the event press release.
The digital version of The Lantern Commemorative Edition, a first-of-its-kind issue featuring reflections from 21 alumni spanning the 1960s through the 2020s, is now available on The Lantern website.
These former student journalists reflect on how the student newspaper impacted their communities, college experiences, careers and approaches to journalism — and reflect on some extraordinary tidbits from the Lantern’s 144-year history.
"When we realized that this was the first new home for The Lantern in 51 years, we were inspired to reflect back over that half century of Lantern history as well as the nearly full century of history before it,” explains John Oller (B.A. Journalism, 1979). “We hope readers will enjoy this trip down memory lane."
That long history is full of surprises. Did you know that…
- In 1892, The Lantern was briefly named the “Wahoo?”
- In 1975, Lantern reporters helped clear an innocent man of a murder charge?
- In 1989, Lantern staffers faced a $5 million lawsuit over a cartoon?
- In 2016, one Lantern story drew more than 400,000 page views, competing with national news sources like CNN and The Washington Post?
The digital version of The Lantern Commemorative Edition, a first-of-its-kind issue featuring reflections from 21 alumni spanning the 1960s through the 2020s, is now available on The Lantern website.
These former student journalists reflect on how the student newspaper impacted their communities, college experiences, careers and approaches to journalism — and reflect on some extraordinary tidbits from the Lantern’s 144-year history.
"When we realized that this was the first new home for The Lantern in 51 years, we were inspired to reflect back over that half century of Lantern history as well as the nearly full century of history before it,” explains John Oller (B.A. Journalism, 1979). “We hope readers will enjoy this trip down memory lane."
That long history is full of surprises. Did you know that…
- In 1892, The Lantern was briefly named the “Wahoo?”
- In 1975, Lantern reporters helped clear an innocent man of a murder charge?
- In 1989, Lantern staffers faced a $5 million lawsuit over a cartoon?
- In 2016, one Lantern story drew more than 400,000 page views, competing with national news sources like CNN and The Washington Post?
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