Nora Igelnik

Journalist and Editor

Featured

Some of my favorite articles or productions.

Ideastream Public Media •

Affordable housing advocates and high-end developers discuss the need for more apartments

Driving around different neighborhoods in Northeast Ohio, you may have noticed new, high-end apartment buildings. There is The Ascent in Cedar-Fairmount and the Raye Apartments in the Van Aken district.There's the Intro complex across from the West Side Market in Ohio City, and the seven story Welleon apartment complex now towers over the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.These modern, attractive buildings have the chance to bring more foot traffic and residents to areas that can benefit from revita...
The Lantern •

Rear View Mirror: The early seasons of ‘Shameless’ are shamelessly brilliant

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead

“Shameless,” one of Showtime’s most acclaimed television series, is a dark comedy that expertly navigates the fine line between humor and heartbreak.

“Shameless” — which ran for 11 seasons from 2011 to 2021 — follows the Gallagher family, led by al...
The Lantern •

Rear View Mirror: Why Samantha Jones and Charlotte York are the true stars of ‘Sex and the City’

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead

HBO’s seminal “Sex and the City” is one of the most influential and iconic television shows in recent history.

“Sex and the City” follows the life of 30-something Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who writes a weekly sex column for the fictio...
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 •

Rear View Mirror: How ‘The Sopranos’ showcased society’s reluctance to change

Rear View Mirror is a monthly TV show column that examines the cultural influence and societal reflection of the “New Golden Age of Television,” prioritizing shows from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s.

Disclaimer: There may be slight spoilers ahead.

“The Sopranos” is arguably one of the most highly regarded television shows of all time. The program’s premiere put HBO on the map in 1999, establishing it as a network willing to redefine the boundaries programming can cross concerning touchy subj...
Ideastream Public Media •

Ohio universities developing ‘intellectual diversity centers

Universities across the country have faced scrutiny recently over a perceived liberal bias on campuses, ranging from issues related to the Israel-Hamas war to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.Some lawmakers, like Ohio Senator Jerry Cirino, a Republican from Kirtland, see universities as places where students are immersed in liberal teachings without being exposed to other viewpoints.That is why Cirino and fellow Republican Ohio Senator Rob McColley drafted Senate Bill 117, which was added to and...
Ideastream Public Media •

An intern’s epiphany: Local news is alive and well

Beyond the concrete work experience I have gained in the past two months as the “Sound of Ideas” intern at Ideastream Public Media, I have had an epiphany of sorts.Walk into any journalism course at a university these days, and you will hear professors gently telling their students that, frankly, the news industry as we know it is falling apart. And we students should be prepared for the hardships that come with seeking a job in the journalism field.There may be some truth to that. The news indu...
The Lantern •

Supreme Court rules outdoor sleeping bans are permissible; Ohio State faculty experts and Columbus community leaders weigh in

In a 6-3 decision divided along ideological lines, the Court’s conservative majority upheld a ban on camping outdoors in Grants Pass, Oregon, which has been trying to address issues of homelessness in its community where there is only one homeless shelter. The Court struck down a previous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which stated banning a person from sleeping outside when no shelter beds are available is cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

Jus...
The Lantern •

No arrests made as roughly 600 gathered on South Oval for pro-Palestinian protest

The setting sun beat down on roughly 600 people as they came together to protest the war in Gaza on the South Oval Wednesday, also urging Ohio State to divest from Israeli assets and criticizing university President Ted Carter Jr. Unlike a previous protest on Thursday, no arrests were made.

Wednesday’s protest succeeded a pro-Palestinian demonstration that took place on the South Oval Thursday, during which 36 people — including 16 students — were arrested. Even before then, two students were a...
The Lantern •

Inside the five-hour standoff between police and protesters on the South Oval

At 7:32 p.m., Thursday, Ohio State police issued a warning to a group of hundreds protesting the war in Gaza and previous arrests on the South Oval: disperse within 15 minutes or face arrest.

Four hours, five arrest vehicles and three warnings later, the police — along with state troopers — approached the crowd. Forming a circle with their arms linked together, the protesters turned toward the officers and braced for impact.

As a crowd watched from the steps of the Ohio Union, protesters tight...
The Lantern •

ACLU sues Ohio over ban on gender-affirming care for minors

The Ohio affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state March 26 over a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors set to go into law next month.

In December, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 68, also known as the Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act, banning medical gender-affirming care for minors and barring transgender girls from playing on high school and college sports teams.

Medical gender-affirming care may include medical, surgical and m...
The Lantern •

The Zyn Takeover: nicotine pouches surge in popularity

As bans on electronic cigarette flavors are pursued by the federal government and state governments, another flavored nicotine alternative has surged in popularity.

A prevalent nicotine pouch brand, Zyn, expanded its U.S. business by 62% in 2023, according to Phillip-Morris International, the parent company of Zyn’s manufacturer, Swedish Match. Zyns are small, pillow-like pouches that contain nicotine powder that can be discreetly placed between the lower or upper lip and gum.

The product has...