How to spot a Clevelander at Ohio State

Of the roughly 65,000 Buckeyes that attend Ohio State, a little over 48,000 of them call the great state of Ohio home. Many of the Ohioan students identify as being from one of the “3 Big C’s,”: Cincinnati, Columbus, or Cleveland.

Therefore, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve sat down next to someone in class or ran into someone at a bar that’s from Cleveland. We Clevelanders tend to gravitate towards each other, always exchanging an excited, “Oh you’re from Cleveland too? What part?” That is only if you couldn’t already tell from the nasal, Cleveland-like accent (emphasis on the ‘ay’). If you happen to not know anyone from The Land, here’s a few ways to spot a Cleveland kid on and around campus:

What cold?

When it comes to winter in Columbus, no one handles it better than Clevelanders. While everyone else is waddling around in their abundance of layers, you may spot a Clevelander contently walking around in a light jacket or vest. When you grew up in the snow belt of Lake Erie, a few inches of snow doesn’t worry you in the slightest. Trudging across campus through the snow and bitter cold to get to class is no problem for a Clevelander.

They are what they eat

If there’s anything Clevelander’s have more pride in than merely being from Cleveland, it may be the food you can find there. Swenson‘s Drive In and Malley’s Chocolates are hometown staples. You can’t go wrong with a Galley Boy burger in one hand and a Malley’s chocolate bar in the other. 

Clevelanders love having a taste of home down in Columbus. Chances are if you see a long line of students at the Thyme and Change food truck on pierogi day or if you go to a bar around campus and you see a group of people drinking Great Lakes beer, they’re from Cleveland. 

The luck of the Irish

Speaking of beer, St. Patrick’s day is one of the most celebrated holidays in Cleveland. A good chunk of Cleveland’s population is Irish, meaning that a lot of Clevelander’s consider St. Patty’s day a national holiday. If you find a Buckeye whose number one priority is to be in downtown Cleveland over spring break, you know they’re a dedicated Clevelander.

Always repping their high school

Whether they went to a public or private school prior to coming to OSU, Clevelanders still love to sport the colors of their high school long after they’ve graduated. They follow along with their alma mater’s sports teams and hope for the chance to watch their high school battle it out against their rival at a state championship game, which are commonly played at or near Ohio State. Where a Clevelander went to high school is a big part of who they are and is a part of themselves that they will uphold for the rest of their lives.

Buckeyes throwing up the J for the jaguars of Saint Joseph Academy, their alma mater

They’re the best tailgaters

Clevelanders go hard when it comes to tailgating. A lot of beer, a game of corn hole, and a few songs by Cleveland native, Machine Gun Kelly, make for perfect pre-game festivities. Chances are someone’s relatives have made the trek down I-71 to see the game too, bringing with them absurd amounts of food and even more beer. In general, tailgates can get pretty crazy regardless of where the host is from. But when the whole party stops and everyone yells, “‘Till I die!” in unison, you know they’re from “The Land”. 

Buckeyes from Medina Senior High School tailgating for OSU vs. Hawaii

They love brown and orange as much as scarlet and grey

It’s a safe assumption that anyone wearing brown and orange together, an arguably hideous color combination, is a Browns fan. On Ohio State’s campus, a majority of students can be found sporting either Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals gear but it’s no doubt that Clevelanders are far more true to their roots. Being a Browns fan isn’t always easy, but not even the worst of Sunday losses can shatter the loyalty of Browns fans because hey, there’s always next year! 

Although we love Columbus, Cleveland will always be our home. There are few more words to describe a Clevelander’s loyalty towards their city and all that it has to offer including the food, beer, traditions and the some of the best alma maters in the state.

Even when times get rough on Sunday’s with the Browns, we are reminded of our undisputed champions: the Buckeyes! That is why those from The Land can easily be spotted around The Ohio State University’s campus, and now you know how to spot one!