Helena Hennessy

Managing Editor for Arts & Life at The Lantern

Journalism student at The Ohio State University

My Recent Work

Cincinnati Magazine •

OTR Menswear Boutique Elevates Everyday Outfits and Workwear - Cincinnati Magazine

Inside English on Vine, one of the newest boutiques to open in Over-the-Rhine, owner Andrew Turner has carefully curated a brand aesthetic that is upscale, yet welcoming, and fills an oft-neglected niche in menswear in the OTR community.The menswear studio at 1429 Vine St. hosted its grand opening on June 6. According to Turner, the location puts him in the heart of the local small business community. “I want the store to be more of an experience than a transaction,” he says. “When people have c...
The Lantern •

Queer artist JORDY reflects on headlining Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival Saturday

JORDY, a queer pop singer-songwriter, will headline the 2026 Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and Resource Fair on Saturday on the Freedom Main Stage.

The 45th anniversary of the Columbus-based pride festival will run from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at Goodale Park, located at 120 W. Goodale St., according to the website. JORDY will take the stage at 6:45 p.m., according to an Instagram post from the festival.

“Pride fests are always so fun, because there’s that energy...
Cincinnati Magazine •

Watch the World Cup in 360 Degrees at the Mercantile Immersive - Cincinnati Magazine

To celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Mercantile Immersive, a 360-degree immersive event space located within downtown’s Mercantile Center, will host watch parties for upcoming matches, beginning on Friday.The 14,000-square-foot venue will host watch parties of select World Cup games, beginning with the June 19 match between the United States and Australia. The venue will livestream the games on floor-to-ceiling LED screens and offer food and drink catering and varying seating options for lo...
Cincinnati Magazine •

Father’s Day Deals for Dining Out with Dad - Cincinnati Magazine

Get out this Father’s Day weekend and treat dad to a meal from these local restaurants, cookouts, brunches, and more.El VaqueroMexican restaurant El Vaquero, known for its authentic cuisine and family-friendly atmosphere, is commemorating Father’s Day through its gift card deal running now through June 21. For a limited time, guests who purchase $100 in gift cards to the restaurant will receive a $20 bonus gift card in return. On June 21, any fathers who dine in will be gifted one free cheese di...
The Lantern •

Concert Review: Tyler Childers and The Red Clay Strays steal the show at Buckeye Country Superfest 2026

The annual Buckeye Country Superfest took place Saturday at Ohio Stadium, drawing fans from across the country for a star-studded lineup.

The 2026 festival’s roster featured a mix of rising and seasoned country and country-adjacent artists including Tyler Childers, The Red Clay Strays, Lord Huron, Sierra Ferrell, Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts. Doors opened at 2 p.m., and fans filed into the stadium throughout the day to catch their favorite acts.

Saturday’s festival sold out and drew 60,7...
The Lantern •

Album Review: “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” is Olivia Rodrigo’s most mature work yet

Olivia Rodrigo’s third studio album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” traces a chronological story of falling in love and eventual heartbreak. Through her raw songwriting, she paints a complex portrait better than she ever has before.

The 23-year-old Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter released her 13-track album Friday. In it, she tells two sides of the same story. The first seven tracks depict the rise of a romantic relationship, while the latter six describe its fall.

In the...
The Lantern •

Barrio Tacos’ High Street location to close Sunday

Barrio Tacos’ Ohio State location — at 1870 N. High St. — is set to close its doors Sunday after four years of service.

The Mexican restaurant known for its “tacos, tequila and whiskey,” and its build-your-own style ordering system, opened its High Street location in Sept. 2022, according to prior Lantern reporting.

The restaurant chain previously had a location in Grandview — located at 1415 W. Fifth Ave. — that closed in 2025, according to a 614NOW article.

Barrio Tacos’ High Street locatio...
The Lantern •

Wexner Center for the Arts representatives express concern for Board of Trustees approved $2.3 million development plans

Representatives of the Wexner Center for the Arts are concerned and seeking to raise awareness about the future of the center’s film theater, as campus construction plans create uncertainty.

At a March 5 Board of Trustees public meeting, the board approved a $2.3 million proposal to design and construct a revitalized gateway to campus, according to board documents. The project aims to design a campus entrance and walkway at 15th Avenue and High Street, neighboring the Wexner Center for the Arts...
The Lantern •

Ohio Attorney General aims to dismiss over 80 claims in Strauss sex abuse lawsuit

The Ohio Attorney General’s office has sent a motion to dismiss the claims of over 80 plaintiffs of the Dr. Richard Strauss sexual abuse lawsuit, arguing they fall outside an allowable timeframe.

In a May 10 filing on behalf of Ohio State, Attorney General Dave Yost said any claims of abuse that happened before Oct. 21, 1986, should be thrown out. According to the filing, on that day, Congress passed legislation that allows states to be sued for discrimination, including the failure to prevent...
The Lantern •

Local small business to host jewelry and coffee-themed pop-up shop Saturday

Customizable jewelry and charms, vintage watches and one-of-a-kind lattes will be available for purchase Saturday at a pop-up shop curated by small and locally-focused businesses.

Montre Vintage, ALV Jewels and La Tazza Coffee Cart will collaborate to host their first shared pop-up shop from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at ALV Jewels’ show room and warehouse — located at 403 Venture Dr. in Lewis Center.

“It’s kind of a sip and shop experience,” said Eve Berish, founder of Montre Vintage. “People dr...
The Lantern •

‘Hope and healing exist’: Ohio State’s campuses celebrate annual Out Of the Darkness Campus Walk

Mental health can be a hot topic on college campuses, but Ohio State’s Columbus and regional organizations have banded together to promote a shared goal of hope and healing.

Thursday, hundreds of students, volunteers and staff members came together in the Tom W. Davis Gym of the RPAC for the seventh annual Out Of the Darkness Campus Walk. Hosted by the Suicide Prevention Program, in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the event featured indoor activities, guest sp...
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...