Reilly Ackermann

Latest Work

Yellow Scene Magazine •

2025 Election Guide: Boulder County & the North Metro - Yellow Scene Magazine

For 25 years, Yellow Scene Magazine has been a trusted voice in local election coverage. Every candidate featured here was interviewed in person, by phone, or via video—never by email. We believe voters deserve authentic, unscripted answers, and the only way to achieve that is through real conversations that allow for follow-up and nuance.
Our writers—Guethshina Altena, Mandie Johnson, Akshaya Krishnan, Jamie Lammers, Owen Swallow, and Noell Wolfgram-Evans—approached each interview with integrit...
Prince William Times •

New Virginia law drops fees for diagnostic breast exams

It’s about to get a little easier to pay for a mammogram.

On Jan. 1, a new law enacted by the Virginia legislature goes into effect, prohibiting public health insurance providers from imposing cost-sharing requirements — such as copayments and deductibles — for diagnostic breast exams, ultrasounds and MRIs.

The law will apply only to health care services regulated by the state of Virginia, such as Medicaid and plans bought through the Virginia Health Marketplace.
Prince William Times •

Manassas’ historic Liberia House marks 200th anniversary

This year, the Liberia House historic site, located at 8601 Portner Ave., is celebrating its 200th anniversary and looking to further educate visitors through a special exhibit in the Manassas Museum as a part of its year-long celebration. Dellinger said the exhibit will provide a “full picture” of the house’s evolution over the decades, augmenting a traditional tour of the house. It will include a closer look at the site’s history of slavery and the enslaved people who contributed to the house,...
The Lantern •

Navigating the ever-changing higher education landscape: Four takeaways from The Lantern’s sit-down interview with university President Ted Carter Jr. Monday

Amid an era of unprecedented shakeups in educational institutions across the country, the American public university system has faced multiple challenges from both federal and state policies over the past six months — and Ohio State is no exception.

From Ohio Senate Bill 1 to diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks to visa revocations, students, faculty and staff at Ohio State are left to wonder what is next for the university.

The Lantern sat down with university President Ted Carter Jr. Mo...
The Lantern •

Opinion: Five under-the-radar stories from this year’s campus desk

The Ohio State community has witnessed many changes this academic year, whether local, statewide or national.

There is a new U.S. president. New laws. New university policies. A wavering and fragile social and cultural climate.

Through all this, one factor endures: the Campus desk’s commitment to keeping an eye on what impacts students, faculty, staff and the broader Buckeye community. However, with so many daily changes, it can be difficult to remember the “underground” campus news.

Below, w...
The Lantern •

USG presidential election results have been delayed over a month; here’s why

A little over a month following the Undergraduate Student Government’s 2025 presidential election, students are still waiting for a winner.

The campaign period for the presidential race began Feb. 23 and ended March 5, though election results were postponed due to ongoing USG Judicial Panel hearings, with no set date for when results would be announced, according to a March 6 USG Instagram post.

Following an election cycle filled with accusations of misconduct against all candidates, which saw...
The Lantern •

Ohio State graduate student sues Trump administration over F-1 visa revocation, alleges pro-Palestinian activism as cause

An Ohio State graduate student filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for revoking his F-1 student visa, alleging he was targeted for participating in pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

Ahwar Sultan, a second-year graduate student in comparative studies, filed the lawsuit Tuesday afternoon, claiming ​​unconstitutional retaliation by the federal government in violation of the First and Fifth Amendments, according to the press release.

Ohio State’s chapter of Students for Justice in P...
The Lantern •

College of Arts and Sciences announces 11 F-1 visa revocations at town hall meeting Wednesday, 5 students from ASC impacted

At least 11 international Ohio State students have had their F-1 visas revoked, as confirmed during a College of Arts and Sciences town hall meeting with faculty and staff Wednesday afternoon.

Of these 11 students, five are enrolled in ASC, according to university Dean David Horn. This updated figure marks an increase from the seven students reported in university President Ted Carter Jr.’s Tuesday university-wide email.

University spokesperson Ben Johnson confirmed these updated numbers Thurs...
The Lantern •

Ohio State reports at least 7 students had F-1 visas revoked via campus-wide email Tuesday

At least seven international Ohio State students have had their visas revoked, according to a Tuesday email from university President Ted Carter Jr.

This email follows a Friday announcement confirming five students had their visas revoked, per prior Lantern reporting. Though two additional students have since come forward, Carter said the university is still unaware of the exact reason behind the revocations, and university officials were not formally notified of the government’s actions.

“I k...
The Lantern •

5 international Ohio State students have F-1 visas revoked for reasons unknown to the university

At least five international Ohio State students had their F-1 visas revoked as of Friday afternoon, the university confirmed.

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said in a statement the university does “not have any indication why this action was taken” at this time, but that the students are still in the United States as they, their attorneys and the university consider next steps.

An F-1 visa allows individuals to enter the United States as full-time students at accredited academic instituti...
The Lantern •

Ohio House passes DEI-banning Senate Bill 1; bill returns to Ohio Senate for concurrence

A bill that would reconstruct the state’s higher education passed the Ohio House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon and will now move to the Ohio Senate for concurrence.

Ohio Senate Bill 1, also known as the “Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act,” aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and prevent faculty from striking, as well as limit the teaching of controversial subjects within Ohio’s public higher education institutions.

The Senate intends to concur with the House...
The Lantern •

PHOTO GALLERY: Approximately 200 students, faculty and staff walked out to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 Wednesday

Roughly 200 students, faculty and staff walked out Wednesday in opposition of Ohio Senate Bill 1, which aims to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and faculty strikes at public higher education institutions statewide.

The protest — which was organized by the Ohio Student Association — marched from the Oval to the Ohio Statehouse from noon to 2:30 p.m., as chants of “This is what democracy looks like” and “Mikey, Mikey hear us say, we need DEI to stay” rang through the streets, in r...
The Lantern •

Student organizations react to university’s recent DEI programming cuts

As diversity, equity and inclusion programs face further attack by the federal and state governments, Ohio State has taken the first steps toward removing its own DEI initiatives across campus.

Feb. 27, university President Ted Carter Jr. announced Ohio State would shut down the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Belonging and Social Change the following day, along with removing 16 related staff positions over the next 60 days, per prior Lantern reporting.

Students, faculty and s...
The Lantern •

‘Buckeyes don’t stand for foolishness’: Roughly 900 students, faculty and staff gather to protest SB 1, criticize university President Ted Carter Jr. and state legislature

Around 900 students, faculty and staff gathered in the Oval from 1-4:30 p.m. Tuesday to protest Ohio Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks.

From Ohio State community members to administrators, religious leaders and politicians, the crowd grew from a mere few dozen people just before 1 p.m. to approximately 900 by 2:30 p.m. The protest was organized by Ohio State’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the university’s chapter of the...
The Lantern •

USG presidential candidate found guilty of intimidation, former campaign manager and senatorial candidate found guilty of belittlement

As the Undergraduate Student Government election cycle kicks off at noon today, every campaign has faced judicial hearings in recent weeks. While most addressed electoral infractions, some involved misconduct allegations.

For some candidates, this has resulted in significant reprimand.

USG presidential candidate Oliver Griffith was found guilty of intimidating other candidates by USG’s Judicial Panel Feb. 24. In addition, Griffith’s former campaign manager and senatorial candidate Matt Levine...
The Lantern •

‘We laughed at him:’ Ohio State community reacts as President Carter announces end of Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Belonging and Social Change

The fabric of Ohio State’s diversity, equity and inclusion programming has begun to unravel following Thursday’s University Senate meeting.

Inside Drinko Hall’s Saxbe Auditorium, Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. announced the university’s plan to discontinue the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change effective Friday, meaning 16 related professional staff positions will be removed within 60 days, per prior Lantern reporting. The 3:30 p.m. meeting dre...
The Lantern •

US Department of Education, DOGE issued letter Friday threatening to pull public education federal funding if DEI initiatives remain

In a Friday letter posted on the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE — X account, the Department of Education threatened to remove federal funding from public education institutions if the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives isn’t achieved by the end of the month.

The letter — written by Craig Trainor, the Department of Education’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights — outlines public academic institutions’ “racial discrimination” through admissions, sch...
The Lantern •

PHOTO GALLERY: ‘Nobody wants this bill:’ Ohio State students and faculty gather to oppose Senate Bill 1 at Ohio Statehouse Tuesday, bill passes 5-2 through Higher Education Committee Wednesday morning

The Ohio Senate heard hours of opposition testimony Tuesday over Senate Bill 1 — or the “Enact Advance Ohio Education Act” — which would most prominently eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and ban faculty striking in an attempt to improve public higher education.

SB 1 passed through the Senate Higher Education Committee with a 5-2 vote among party lines Wednesday morning, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The bill will move to Senate Rules and Reference.

Students and profe...
The Lantern •

Attorney General Dave Yost announces bid for Ohio gubernatorial race; here’s a breakdown of current contenders

Political leadership is shifting in the state of Ohio.

Since Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vice President J.D. Vance’s Ohio Senator seat until the November 2026 special election, questions have arisen surrounding other positions within the Ohio government — namely, who will succeed DeWine as governor Nov. 3, 2026.

The current list of potential candidates includes five Republicans and three Democrats, all of whom have either officially declared their candidacy or e...
The Lantern •

J.D. Vance, first Ohio State alum to be elected vice president, sworn in during Monday’s presidential inauguration

Vance, a former venture capitalist and author of best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” took the oath of office while standing beside his wife, Usha. Vance took the oath by using a family Bible that belonged to his great-grandmother, who is featured in “Hillbilly Elegy” — a chronicle of Vance’s rural Appalachian roots and experiences with his mother, who suffered from drug addiction, according to The New York Times. He received the Bible in 2003 when he left to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps.

V...
The Lantern •

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted chosen to fill Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s Senate seat

Current Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was chosen by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon to fill Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s U.S. Senate seat. Credit: Joshua Gunter via TNS [Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted at the 2024 State of the State address in Columbus. Sen. JD Vance is expected to leave his seat in the coming weeks to become vice president, creating an opening for a new Ohio U.S. Senator.]

Current Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was chosen by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday afternoon to fill Vice Presid...
The Lantern •

Lawsuits, crime and football: Five takeaways from The Lantern’s January interview with university President Ted Carter Jr.

The Lantern sat down with university President Ted Carter Jr. Tuesday to ask about pressing issues affecting the Ohio State community, from lawsuits to campus crime to the upcoming National Championship game.

Below are the five major takeaways from Carter’s responses.

Lawrence Tower mold lawsuit

Regarding the mold growth in Lawrence Tower and the subsequent relocation of roughly 500 students to other housing accommodations for the spring semester, Carter said the university took action upon l...
The Lantern •

University cancels in-person classes Monday due to winter weather, expected to resume Tuesday

Ohio State has canceled in-person classes Monday due to weather, following a winter weather advisory.

According to a Buckeye Alert sent out around 7 p.m. Sunday, in-person classes are canceled; however, the university encouraged instructors to host “virtual synchronous classes, where feasible.”

“In-person classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, January 7,” the alert states. “Campus will remain OPEN.”

The National Weather Service is projecting seven to 10 inches of snowfall in Columbus from...
The Lantern •

Ohio State men’s soccer player Nathan Demian shot on Chittenden Avenue early Sunday morning, expected to recover

Ohio State men’s soccer player Nathan Demian was shot in an off-campus shooting at 262 Chittenden Ave. around 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

Demian, a third-year in computer and information science and defender on the team, was transported to the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in “serious condition.” As of 2:47 a.m. Sunday morning, Demian was reported to be in stable condition, according to a Columbus Division of Police report.

According to the police report, officers responded to 911 calls reportin...
Load More

Multimedia Work

The Lantern •

Photo Gallery: Striking scenes from Tuesday’s protest against Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s DEI changes

Approximately 900 Ohio State community members assembled in the Oval to protest Senate Bill 1 and Ohio State’s recent diversity, equity and inclusion cutbacks. Attendees included students, faculty, staff, alumni and more.

This demonstration comes after Thursday’s University Senate meeting, where Ohio State President Ted Carter Jr. announced the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Belonging and Social Change were being eliminated. These changes accompany numerous executive order...
The Lantern •

Erasing tradition: Knowlton students fight against student censorship within the School of Architecture

In the main stairwell of the Knowlton School of Architecture, students encounter bare concrete walls underneath dim fluorescent lights as they make their way to class.

If they take a closer look, however, they may see traces of students past.

Knowlton’s stairwell was historically filled with artwork left by students past and present. But in fall 2023, all preexisting drawings and statements were removed from the passageway after a pro-Palestine message was added to the wall, per prior Lantern...
The Lantern •

Takeaways from university President Ted Carter Jr.’s sit-down interview with The Lantern

University President Ted Carter Jr. visited The Lantern’s newsroom Wednesday to discuss some of Ohio State’s most pressing issues, including university space standards, the unfilled vice president and provost positions, his recent raise and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Space standards

Following a sharp increase in on-campus political activism last year due to the war in Gaza, Carter and Melissa Shivers, senior vice president of Student Life, issued two separate university-wide emails regar...
The Lantern •

Over 300 gather Tuesday night for vigil on the Oval, commemorate six Israeli hostages killed in Gaza

A vigil organized by OSU Hillel and JewishColumbus took place on the Oval around 6 p.m. Tuesday, with over 300 students and community members praying over the loss of six Israeli hostages and all hostages who remain in Gaza.

According to the Associated Press, Israel announced Sunday it had recovered the bodies of six hostages captured Oct. 7, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 21. Five of the six hostages kill...
The Lantern •

Students personalize their graduation with Grad Cap Craft Night

For those about to say farewell to Ohio State, the Ohio Union Activities Board gave students the opportunity to decorate and personalize their own grad caps on Dec. 10.

As a reward for completing their degrees, students were given fabrics, paint, beads and several other materials to customize their cap to their liking. Grad Cap Craft Night occurs at the end of each semester and is just one of several free events that occur for commencement week.

“I think OSU is such a huge school. It’s a reall...