#instagrampage — Public Fediverse posts

Animation director Ahn Jae-huun, owner of the studio Meditation with a Pencil, works at his desk in Korea. Ahn will visit the Wexner Center for the Arts later this September. Credit: Courtesy of Meditation with a Pencil

The Wexner Center for the Arts will host a five-part event series dedicated to the work of Korean animation director Ahn Jae-huun throughout September. 

According to the center’s website, Ahn is known for his work on American shows like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy,” as well as founding his own Korean film studio called Meditation with a Pencil. The studio’s main goal, according to the center’s website, is creating “drawings that cure and colors that touch one’s heart.” 

The upcoming event series — presented in conjunction with Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, or CXC — is set to begin with a  7 p.m. Tuesday screening of Ahn’s “The Shaman Sorceress” — a film about a shaman whose son returns to his family a converted Christian after many years away, causing family conflicts to arise — at the center. 

Melissa Starker, creative content and public relations manager at the Wexner Center, said working with CXC to bring influential artists like Ahn to Ohio State is really important for the center.  

“[This event] illustrates the mission of Cartoon Crossroads — and by extension The Wex — of bringing important, and inspiring and influential artists to Central Ohio,” Starker said.

The series also includes a Sept. 24 screening of “The Road Called Life,” which is based on Korean short films and follows two market vendors who discover they share more commonalities than they initially thought. Notably, Ahn will attend this screening, according to the center’s website. 

A discussion event with Ahn and Kyoung Lee Swearingen, an Ohio State associate professor of design and moving-image production, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 26. 

On the same day, a 7 p.m. screening of “Green Days” — another Ahn film that centers around a group of children and their respective career aspirations — and corresponding Q&A will unfold, according to the center’s website. 

The series’ final event is a screening of  “The Shower” — a film that follows the story of a young boy who befriends a girl while walking to school in the rain, sparking a bond — on Sept. 29.

Swearingen said she became aware of Ahn’s work after meeting him in Korea.

“I watched ‘Green Days’ and I was absolutely blown away,” Swearingen said. “It was such a beautiful story. I absolutely loved everything about it, so I approached him and said, ‘Hey, can you come to Ohio State?’” 

Swearingen said Ahn jumped at the opportunity to come to Columbus.

“He heard about [Ohio State], and he was curious. He was very curious about the animation community, the Korean community and the art community here,” Swearingen said. “He was also interested in connecting with [United States] audiences. He’s shown his films in the U.S., but not much.” 

Swearingen said Ahn will also visit numerous Ohio State classes, including those focused on animation and Korean studies. She said Ahn wants to be as involved with the Columbus community as possible during his time in town. 

 “This is probably the biggest event he’s participated in the U.S.,” Swearingen said. “He’s excited to meet as many students and as many faculty as he can.” 

Beyond its partnership with CXC, the event series is supported by an Ohio State visiting artist grant, according to the Ohio State Office of Academic Affairs website. 

Starker said the importance of CXC providing free events for the local arts community cannot be understated.

“One of the great things about CXC is that they have tried to stick to a mandate that everything is free,” Starker said. “Not only is it a no-risk opportunity to hear about creatives like Ahn Jae-huun, who is very little known in the U.S., and to see those artists who are really well-known, but also to go to the marketplace and check out what’s being made locally.” 

Tickets for Ahn’s Wexner Center for the Arts events can be reserved for free on the center’s website.

Head coach Ryan Day at the press conference following Ohio State’s 56-0 victory over Western Michigan Saturday. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

The Buckeyes are headed into their first of two bye weeks in 2024.

Ohio State won its first two games against Mid-American Conference opponents, collectively outscoring Akron and Western Michigan 108-6. But the Buckeyes know bigger challenges lie ahead.

That’s why head coach Ryan Day said Ohio State is reframing its first bye week as an “improvement week.”

Instead of taking a week to relax, the Buckeyes will go to work on the practice field Wednesday and Thursday, taking some time off Friday and Saturday.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from Day’s Tuesday press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

How the Buckeyes will approach their “improvement week”

Day said the Buckeyes’ 2024 schedule differs from previous years, with no games against Power Five non-conference opponents. This change gives younger players more chances to gain game experience, which will help the Buckeyes further down the road.

“It has allowed us a little bit of an opportunity with some of the newer guys to get them going and look to get their feet underneath them,” Day said. “As we grow, we know that we got a long way to go on this thing, and it’s just been a little bit different.”

With the bye week arriving after Ohio State’s second game, Day said the team would rather reassess and continue to build skill than just sit back and relax.

Day said a full season of college football isn’t a marathon — like many people claim — but rather 12 straight sprints.

“Everybody else in the country is playing this week for the most part, so we have to as well,” Day said. “We’ve got to get each other better.”

This week, Day said every player will be given a different focus area to improve upon from their respective positional coach.

“That’s the No. 1 thing this week: We gotta stay in a rhythm,” Day said. “We gotta have a good week of practice and think of it like a game week.”

Seth McLaughlin and the offensive line

When graduate center Seth McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State from Alabama, the Buckeyes knew they were getting a seasoned veteran.

Day said having a pro like McLaughlin around has been an immense help to the players and coaches alike.

“If Coach Frye or myself are barking at him, like we will, he just has a calming presence like, ‘We got it, we’ll get this straightened out,’” Day said. “And that’s what you want to hear as a coach.”

The offensive line has been impressive thus far in 2024, despite being without Donovan Jackson, a two-time First-team All-Big Ten senior left guard. Jackson is currently dealing with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

The Buckeyes’ offensive line as a whole has improved from its first to second game, as proved by the rushing attack. Day said he’s seen a lot of good plays and effort from the line, but he knows it still needs to improve for tougher tests later in the season.

“Things were cleaner, but it’s just a start,” Day said. “Bigger challenges ahead.”

Without Jackson, and in a lopsided second half against Western Michigan, Ohio State was able to rotate in more depth linemen, allowing them to gain live experience in a game setting. Day said there’s encouragement in that aspect of the offensive line.

“I did think that the guys who came in in the second half on the O-line was a group that — Was it perfect? No — but I did feel like coming out of this game, it was better than it was in the last couple years,” Day said. “We were finishing at the end of games, guys were competing.”

Former Buckeye quarterbacks excelling elsewhere

Former Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord is off to a phenomenal start in his first season away from Columbus.

McCord has led the Syracuse Orange to two straight victories out of the gate, tallying a combined 735 pass yards and eight touchdowns, with only one interception.

Day said he’s happy to see McCord find success in New York.

“I’ve only seen a few highlights; it looks like [he’s] doing a great job,” Day said. “It looks like the first couple games, he’s got a good rhythm.”

But McCord isn’t the only former Buckeye quarterback to begin 2024 on a strong note. 

University of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has led the Longhorns to a 2-0 winning streak, most recently securing a top-10 win on the road in Ann Arbor, Michigan against the Wolverines 31-12.

Day said he uses examples like McCord’s and Ewers’ as key selling points to players who are considering committing to Ohio State.

“When you come to Ohio State, you’re going to get developed at a high level at every position,” Day said. “But at quarterback, I take a lot of pride in that, in the fact that we develop guys at a high level. And that even if you were to leave — we don’t want you to leave — but even if you were to leave, it’s time well spent and invested.”