To many Ohio State students and alumni, the University’s alma mater, “Carmen Ohio,” is a hymn that inspires feelings of pride and nostalgia. Upon hearing the song, they are reminded of the good friends they made and the bonding experiences they shared throughout their college journey. To one student’s frustration, however, the evocative lyrics seem far from universal.
“I roomed with my best friend from high school, thinking we were going to remain close throughout college,” says Casey Hill, a second-year biology student, recalling her experience as a freshman. “As the year went on, we talked less and less, and she started hanging out with different people.”
The specific lines with which Hill takes issue read: “Time and change will surely show/How firm thy friendship/Ohio.” She claims that these lyrics contain a promise. And for her, that promise was broken. “Quite honestly,” she admits, “my relationship with my friend completely fell apart. Much like something that’s not firm.”
According to Hill and other people who don’t understand the function of songs, when the University played the alma mater during a college tour, it presented misleading information to potential students. Hill claims that this deception heavily influenced her decision of which school to attend: “The main reason I chose OSU was to ensure I had a firm friendship, especially through all that time and change it talked about!”
When asked if she plans to file a complaint against Ohio State, Hill replied, “I haven’t really thought about it. I just want to warn other people that this could happen to them if they’re not aware of what’s going on. I don’t want someone else to have to go through what I did.”
The Sundial would have reached out to Freddy Cornell, the writer of “Carmen Ohio” and an apparently popular man, for a comment, but he died many years ago. We bet he had a lot of friends𑁋firm friends𑁋at his funeral.
Written by Sarah Palazzo, Co-President