Helena Hennessy

Journalism student at The Ohio State University

My Recent Work

The Lantern •

Matt Schmidt of Schmidt’s Sausage Haus family dies in Upper Arlington house fire Sunday

Columbus’ family-owned business Schmidt’s Sausage Haus has lost a family member following an Upper Arlington house fire Sunday morning.

Matt Schmidt, a 43-year-old fifth-generation family member and brand ambassador of Schmidt’s Sausage Haus in German Village, was pronounced dead after his Chevington Road home caught fire just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the Upper Arlington Fire Division said in an NBC4 article.

“[Matt Schmidt’s] magnetic personality, kindness and service to all he met, both perso...
The Lantern •

StateHouse Highline terminates student leases following expanded master lease agreement with Ohio State

For upperclassmen seeking off-campus housing, apartment-living in the University District can be hard to come by — making reliability a deciding factor within choosing who to sign a lease with.

StateHouse Highline notified students March 11 in an email obtained by The Lantern that as a result of the expansion of their master lease agreement with Ohio State, leases signed for the 2026-2027 term would be terminated.

As an alternate housing option, StateHouse offered students the possibility of t...
The Lantern •

‘You, Me & Tuscany’ cast and creators discuss the film’s implications for the rom-com genre

Romantic comedies in the modern era of filmmaking often fall victim to common tropes and stereotypes — the creatives behind “You, Me & Tuscany” aim to escape this fate.

The film, which releases in theaters April 10, was written by married screenwriters Ryan Engle and Kristin N. Engle, and stars Halle Bailey, of “The Little Mermaid” (2023), and Regé-Jean Page, of season one of the TV series “Bridgerton.”

In the rom-com, Anna’s (Bailey) life is in shambles — she has abandoned her career aspirati...
The Lantern •

The Little Bar to close Sunday for demolition after 20 years of service

After 20 years on High Street, The Little Bar will close its doors Monday, but not without hosting various going-away festivities.

The bar’s lease will end March 31, according to prior Lantern reporting. Following that date, the building — located at 2195 N. High St. — is set to be demolished and replaced with a nine to 12-story apartment building that will touch High Street, Norwich and Lane Avenues.

“I guess everything good comes to an end,” said John Massimiani, The Little Bar owner.

The b...
The Lantern •

$84 million University Square development to include 141-room Marriott hotel and 120 residential units

The University District continues to evolve and expand its multi-use buildings as more details about another hotel and apartment complex have come to light.

Set to open in May 2029, the University Square hotel and apartment complex — to be located at the northwest corner of North Pearl Street and East 16th Avenue — will cost $83.5 million in total, with the city of Columbus providing $5 million to build parking spaces, according to public records from the city of Columbus and the development ag...
The Lantern •

Ohio State community reflects on mental health resource accessibility and campus outreach efforts

When students reach out to Ohio State’s Counseling and Consultation Service for mental health resources, they expect to be met with quick response times and unconditional support — sometimes, these expectations are not met.

Kylie Stuart, a second-year in strategic communication, contacted CCS in fall 2025, expecting her request for an appointment to be met in a timely manner.

Before the start of winter break, Stuart said she had her first appointment — it was a positive experience. Her next ap...
The Lantern •

Ohio State’s viral a capella group Buck That! proceeds to Midwest ICCA semifinals

The International Championship of Collegiate A Capella is not merely a “Pitch Perfect” plotline — it is entirely real, and Ohio State’s Buck That! a capella team is dominating the competition.

Buck That!, one of Ohio State’s competitive men’s a capella groups, have advanced to the semifinals in the 2026 Midwest International Championship of Collegiate A Capella. Their performance will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday in Indianapolis at Warren Central High School.

“It can be very intimidating when...
The Lantern •

High Street business owners reflect on Ohio State’s history of locally formed friendships

For businesses residing on High Street, each establishment faces fierce competition.

Scott Ellsworth and Jimmy Barouxis both took ownership of their university district businesses in 2007. When they met, their relationship was purely transactional. Now, after two decades of working alongside one another, they consider themselves brothers.

Ellsworth owns the series of number bars along High Street — consisting of the soon-to-be revived Twos Under High, Threes Above High, Fours on High, and Five...
The Lantern •

‘The end of an era’: Fives Up High announces May closure, promotes Twos Under High’s reopening

Fives Up High will be closing its doors in May.

In a Tuesday Instagram post, the well-known campus area bar announced it was shutting its doors so the owners can focus on opening Twos Under High, a location closer to campus.

“Fives has been a huge part of our brand, but as we grow, we evolve,” the Instagram post said. “We’ve decided to go all-in on our next big project: moving the spirit of Fives (and the liquor license!) into a brand-new basement space [of Twos Under High], opening this Augus...
The Lantern •

Ohio State professor Victor St. John reflects on ‘Love Is Blind’ experience, marriage and newfound friendships

For 10 seasons now, the hit Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind” has asked contestants the question: could you fall in love with someone without ever seeing their face?

Victor St. John, an assistant professor in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, sought to find out after his friend suggested he check out the application.

“One of the things I quickly noticed was that [the application] really forced you to think about yourself in a very introspective way, in terms of just what your romanti...
The Lantern •

Unverferth House to be demolished and reconstructed to create 23 units

A temporary free housing facility for patients and families seeking treatment at the Wexner Medical Center, was unanimously approved to be demolished and replaced to create 23 units.

The Unverferth House — located at 190 King Ave. — currently has eight units and most often serves heart patients, as it is located less than a mile from the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, according to its website.

The pitch was presented to the University Area Commission on Wednesday to the review board by Dave P...