Spring 2015 (Vol. 8, Issue 3) by Backdrop Magazine

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SPRING 2015

Dating Network: Finding Love Might Need An Update

TechGROWTH: Investing in Local Innovation

New App Enables Private Reporting of Sexual Assault

Quiz: Undecided? Every Degree Has Personality

Contact Alecia Moquin 740.592.5262 or 740.591.6498 alecia@diversifiedproperties.net

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Providing quality residential rental properties to the Athens Community for over 25 years!

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3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house located at the end of a quiet southside street, central air, washer/dryer, plenty of offstreet parking.

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Like new! 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouses featuring spacious open & bright floor plan, onsite parking with garage, deck and much more. Close to everything… bike path, OU, O’Bleness Hospital, easy access to all major highways.

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Incredible central uptown Athens location! 15 person occupancy, parking included.

4 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house. Great uptown location, large front porch, central air, washer/dryer, onsite parking for all residents.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

During my internship last summer, I had to factcheck stories with sources throughout Northeast Ohio. It was often pleasant chatting with so many different people, but one conversation left me a bit sour. “Athens is a backward town,” a source said, after learning I attended school at Ohio University. “Really?” I asked. “It’s such an old place. It never changes and you never really hear about it,” he went on. Too late, the fire was lit. I was on the defensive. Backward? Did he even stop in and see the city? I didn’t ask. I was surprised to hear such a sure opinion so quickly. Sure, Athens is very economically diverse, with trailer homes hidden behind one hill and mansions behind the next, but I would hardly consider something such as that to make a place intellectually or culturally inferior. Athens and Ohio University are teeming with creativity and ingenuity. Our third issue is meant to highlight the incredible efforts of students and residents working hard to advance our community through technology and innovation. OU is focused on addressing social issues by making efforts to further women in the engineering field (p. 12). Athens is full of entrepreneurs willing to take the risky financial steps necessary to push their ideas of improving sustainable technology (p. 14). Students are investing their time and efforts into the booming video game industry, while others earn thousands of dollars through skillful online betting (p. 8, 24). Our community is showing continuous growth and improvement. OU has even been chosen to host the Space Studies program this summer by the International Space University — an incredible opportunity that would not be reserved for a “backward” town. Athens and OU are forward-thinking communities on so many environmental, technological and social fronts. Let’s celebrate our efforts, because a town this beautiful can have the looks and brains to match. Stay sharp,

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PAGE 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES » 12 Leveling the Field An organization works to close the gender gap within the Russ College of Engineering.

Sara Portwood MANAGING EDITORS

Nick Harley & Julianne Mobilian

14 Funding Regional Ventures

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Zachary Berry & Colette Whitney

An OU-based partnership helps local startups to flourish.

CONTRIBUTORS Olivia Cobb, Amanda Damelio, Andrew Downing, Kyle Ellis, Alexandra Greenberg, Brianna Griesinger, Gabrielle Hollowell, Michelle Jacobson, Evan Leonard, Emily McIntyre, Kaitlyn Pacheco, Jordan Simmons, Mackenzie Smith, Kelly Wallace

HEAD COPY EDITOR

ON THE COVER

Jacob DeSmit

COPY TEAM Olivia Cobb, Alexandra Greenberg, Adam McConville

backdrop magazine SPRING 2015

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Katelyn Boyden ART DIRECTORS

Victoria Prichard & Karlee Proctor Sara Portwood Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

Jessica Shokler

DESIGN TEAM Meredith Kern, Rahul Mukherjee, Natasha Ringnalda, Amanda Weisbrod

Dating Network: Finding Love Might Need An Update

TechGROWTH: Investing in Local Innovation

New App Enables Private Reporting of Sexual Assault

Quiz: Undecided? Every Degree Has Personality

PHOTO EDITOR

Amanda Puckett ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Cover design by Victoria Prichard

Jilly Burns

VIDEO EDITOR

Alyssa Pasicznyk

backdrop | Spring 2015

SPRING 2015 » VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3

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Tapping into Potential Meet a team of OU game developers and their addictive app-based game.

A regional company’s homemade sauces have expanded across the globe.

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MARKETING DIRECTOR

Rebecca Zook

ASSISTANT MARKETING DIRECTOR

Alyssa Keefe

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER RELATIONS

Cheyenne Buckingham Dillon Stewart ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

Jacob DeSmit

SPORTS WEB EDITOR Chris Manning ENTERTAINMENT WEB EDITOR Jake Zuckerman

Upgrading South Green Out with the old and in with the new: the “dirty south” is getting a redesign.

Investing in Sustainability Solar panels start to dot the Athens skyline.

SEX & HEALTH » 20 22

An innovative phone app allows college students to confidentially report sexual assault.

Swipe Right for Love

From Junior to Freshman

Interested in working with us?

Stop by one of our weekly meetings, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in Grover E205.

SPRING 2015 » VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3

Hockey players may have an unusual road from athleticism to college education.

Gaining Balance Say “Namaste” to winter and welcome the new season with a custom yoga routine.

Snuffed Out The controversial ban coming to OU may not be enough to deter tobacco users.

Hold the Phone

Events »

New sports betting websites are earning some Bobcats major cash.

FITNESS »

Delve into richly vivid Moroccan life.

VOICES »

Diving into Bobcats’ romantic behind-the-screens endeavors with online dating.

Taking the Gamble

Passageway to Morocco

ON THE WEB »

Confiding in Callisto

24 308 Bradley Avenue Cincinnati, Oh 45215

Simply send an e-mail to backdropadvertising@ gmail.com to get started.

Say goodbye to Franzia and embrace the challenge of making homemade wine.

PHOTO STORY »

SPORTS » Want an advertisement in Backdrop?

Fruits of Labor

ENVIRONMENT »

FEATURES WEB EDITOR Anna Lippincott

Mobile: (513)616-2426

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WEB EDITOR

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ENTERTAINMENT » Adam McConville ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

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INVOLVED

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Put down the phone and pick up some etiquette.

Stay up-to-date this spring with fests, performances and university events.

? QUIZ » 44

Undecided

Photo Hunt

Know yourself and discover the perfect college major.

Try to find every difference in this Moroccan scene.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Tapping INTO Potential BY ZACHARY BERRY | PHOTOS BY KELLY WALLACE

A team of video game designers at Ohio University has created an unorthodox sloth that has over 2,000 subscribers.

esigners at Sega chose a hedgehog to serve as the mascot of their flagship franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog, due to the speedy nature of the character and gameplay. So it’s a little surprising to see game developers, designing a similar fast-paced side-scroller, select a sloth to race across levels. Known for its sluggish behavior, it can take hours for a sloth to move a few feet, if it even moves at all. It is the mission of the Ohio University team behind the app-based game Super Sloth to tap into the high-spirited nature of an otherwise slow-moving mammal. Super Sloth is a side-scrolling game developed for Apple and Android devices by a team of OU students and graduates. The goal in Super Sloth is to see how far the player’s sloth can travel while jumping off of platforms. Although similar to traditional side-scrollers, the game separates itself from the competition by integrating a wacky atmosphere into every aspect of development. Super Sloth’s whimsical nature helped it reach a considerable following. Currently, the game has over 2,000 downloads on Apple devices and 514 downloads on Android devices. Super Sloth originates as a project facilitated by the Ohio University Game Developers Association. OUGDA, founded in 2011, offers two main functions to students at OU. First, upperclassmen in the program provide a tutoring service to anyone who wishes to learn how to develop games. OUGDA’s second function is to create a community of game developers

LEAD PRODUCER

NATHAN YELLON

who can offer support to one another. “OUGDA offers pretty much everything you need to either become a game developer or to continue your development,” says former OUGDA president Alec Lisly. The Game Research and Immersive Design Lab, or GRID Lab, houses various technologies that the students of OUGDA use. The GRID Lab originally opened in 2004 as a public arcade and gaming research center located on Court Street. When the arcade failed to gather substantial revenue, the lab became a strictly research-based facility and moved to Scott Quadrangle’s basement in 2008. Since focusing on technology research, the facility has received grants from the National Institute of Health, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation. According to GRID Lab director John Bowditch, the lab will once again relocate next summer, moving to Scripps Hall. The new location will allow for the implementation of additional technology, such as a motion capture facility. Members of OUGDA work on several games throughout the school year in order to gain career experience. According to Bowditch, hands-on game designing is a necessity for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the gaming industry. “There’s nothing supernatural about what we do,” Bowditch says. “It’s not a skill set you’re born with. It’s a skill set that is only acquired through effort.” Rather than focusing on one aspect of game development, OU’s Games and Animations

CODE PROGRAMMER

LEAD ART DESIGNER

MAC CRABTREE

MICHAEL STEPHENS

CONNOR GARTLAND

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2D ART DESIGNER

TYLER BLUST

AUDIO PRODUCER

ANDREW DECKER

program adopts what Bowditch calls a holistic approach, educating students on all parts of the design spectrum. As they move forward in their college careers, students pick one area to specialize in. According to Bowditch, plans are currently in place to offer gaming and animation programs on the graduate level with a proposed Master of Fine Arts. “The way the industry is changing, you can’t get a job knowing just one skill set,” Bowditch explains. “It’s going to require a more well-rounded developer.” OUGDA provided the developers of Super Sloth with the tools and techniques necessary to create their addicting video game. Art designers Connor Gartland and Tyler Blust begin by designing the art for the game using Photoshop, an unexpected but essential program. After the art is produced, sound designer Andrew Decker develops music for the game. Each song and sound effect is designed to reflect the feel of the art. Once everything is ready, the team uses the Unity gaming engine to finalize development. It took time for the development team to settle on a sloth as the mascot of the game. Conceptual ideas included a spaceman, a marshmallow and a puppy. After Gartland drew a sloth for a Tshirt contest, the rest of the team embraced the creature. “He drew up a sloth, and we just thought it was too cute not to pick,” Decker remembers, a sophomore studying Integrated Media. While watching Game of Thrones, Gartland thought of the idea to market the game through parodying famous movie and television posters and album covers by placing Super Sloth on them. Since then, the team has “slothified” everything from Orange is the New Black to Elf. “It’s hard to market a game where all you do is jump as a sloth from platform to platform,” says Tyler Blust, a junior studying Games and Animation and the current president of OUGDA. “So we took the concept of just parodying everything.” Development is not without its share of complications. Producer Nathan Yellon, code programmer Michael Stephens and Gartland graduated from OU shortly after the game was produced. The distance makes it difficult for the developers to meet up and discuss the game. In order to speak with one another, Super Sloth’s designers rely on Google Hangouts. For Decker and Blust, who are still enrolled at OU, the requirements of their classes and other extracurriculars can often leave few hours in the week to devote to Super Sloth. The team always finds a way to work on the game despite the limitations. In fact, the Super Sloth designers recently added OU senior Mac Crabtree to their team as a second code programmer. An update with a winter theme was recently released, and the team anticipates the development of an in-app store that will allow for sloth customization using various costumes and items. Super Sloth is a labor of love for its creators. It represents the good natured and wacky personalities they all share. While distance and responsibilities may make it more difficult to work on the game, they cannot decrease the enjoyment the Super Sloth team receives from developing it. “It doesn’t feel like work,” Stephens says. “It’s just a super fun thing that we get to do, and I think people can recognize that. I think people feed off of that.” b * Screen shots and sloths provided by Connor Gartland. John Wilkes Booth had a sloth named Voodoo.

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THE DROP

South Green UPGRADES Ohio University’s plan to update the dorms includes tearing down outdated structures and introducing higher safety standards across residence halls.

BY ALEXANDRA GREENBERG | ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA WEISBROD

DORM DAZE New features on South Green.

REFURBISHED NEW SECURITY CAMERAS BATHROOMS

DORMS DEMOLISHED 2015

BROUGH CADY FOSTER

ADDING AC BROWN CRAWFORD MACKINNON PICKERING

2018 FENZEL O’BLENESS MARTZOLFF SMITH

NEW ELEVATORS

backdrop | Spring 2015

thens is undeniably beautiful, but recently, the picturesque scenery has been bogged down by unsightly construction sites. Although tedious and seemingly never-ending, the developments are crucial to improving safety and efficiency on campus. With recent sexual-assault allegations and various electrical and heating problems in older dorms, making the campus safer is an important priority. Ohio University — South Green, especially — has undergone major renovations in the past few months, and there are more to come. “Enhancing security efficiency is always a desire when we do a renovation or new construction,” says Peter Trentacoste, executive director of OU’s Residential Housing department, who assisted the university in developing plans to better student housing on campus shortly after his appointment to executive director in July of 2012. The latest improvements are no exception to that desire. They include updates such as the addition of security cameras in public spaces and new residence halls on South Green. Four residence halls and another central building — which will house a living/learning center — have been under construction since 2013 and will be completed by fall 2015. The housing will be constructed of semi-suites, that include a shared bathroom. Double-occupancy suite rooms will cost the same as those in Adams Hall, and a single suite will be the same price as a renovated single. Wireless Internet, cable television, Ethernet and laundry areas will be available to students in each of the The first mobile phone call took place almost 41 years ago.

halls. Two of the buildings are reserved specifically for upper- eralize costs for many projects in the future, Trentacoste classmen and one is exclusively available to freshmen. The last says that renovations are costly. “To give an example, when we replace a roof on one of building will be open to any student who wishes to live there. The influx of student enrollment and need for more up- the residence halls, we typically budget $1 million,” Trenperclassmen housing in recent years has put the university tacoste explains. in a bind. The solution to the housing shortage created a Over the past few years, OU has invested over $20 million different problem: a lack of parking spaces. Although the into its facilities. Improvements have been made to residence buildings will lodge about 900 students, they have also halls, roadways and infrastructures. However, the improvetaken the place of three former parking lots that contained ments are nowhere near finished. Many of the renovations and close to 400 spaces. New parking lots will be built on the additions are part of a 10-year Housing Development Plan unintramural fields east of the Front Four on South Green, veiled by the Division of Student Affairs two years ago. and extend to the current lot east of the Ping Recreation Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi also Center to make up for those lost. aided the university in its plan to improve the residence The South Green Living Learning Center, which will be halls for incoming students. at the center of the new dorms, will contain meeting rooms “Our overall goal with these changes is to ensure a more that will display the events of the day in each particular positive residential experience for our first-and secondroom on a device resembling an iPad. The digital signage year students,” Lombardi says. “Many of our residential replaces the paper bulletin boards that are often seen out- facilities have not been renovated in 30-plus years, so we side of meeting rooms in Baker Center. Not only will these are playing catch up right now and working on an aggresbe more appealing, but they’ll also make it easier to change sive plan that is overdue.” schedules on a daily basis. Thanks to the plan, there will be many Both the dorms and South Green changes to South Green in the approachLiving Learning Center will have elecing years, some of which are already tak...We are playing tronic key-card access. ing place. Electrical upgrades are being “By including electronic key access, made in residence halls, including Mackcatch up right now we provide students additional flexibilinnon, Pickering, Brown and Crawford, ity for building entry and also entry to provide air conditioning in each room. and working on an into common area spaces like group Elevators will be added to buildings that aggressive plan that are being refurbished, and many dorms study rooms,” Trentacoste says. “Being able to get into my hall using will see restroom upgrades. is overdue.” a key card would be so much easier,” Residence halls located on the back of Ryan Lombardi freshman Janette Stafford says. “My South Green, also known as the “back Vice President for Student Affairs dorm is pretty old, and I’m excited to 15,” will eventually be demolished as see what changes they’ll make to older dorms are created to make up for the dorms in the next few years.” lost housing space. As of 2010, the halls Key cards will be used in various entries to the buildings, on South Green had lower average student-satisfaction rates and individual rooms will be accessed with standard keys. than those in the East or West greens. The buildings with Although the university doesn’t keep track of how many keys the worst ratings have not been renovated since, making the are lost in a year, the costs of changing locks and replacing recent updates overdue. Students won’t see Cady, Foster or keys for safety reasons are still the students responsibility. Brough halls when they return next fall, as these buildings In addition to increased safety, the project aims to be en- will be demolished over the summer. In addition, Martzolff, vironmentally friendly. Buildings will be built to the Lead- O’Bleness, Smith and Fenzel halls will be taken offline from ership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver the room selection process for fall 2015 and will be torn down standards and will be the university’s most sustainably-effi- after the renovations to Jefferson Hall are completed in 2018. cient residence halls. LEED is a building certification system The “south beach” area of South Green will expand as part that allows building owners to be environmentally respon- of a “sweep” concept. Phase A of the three-phase project will be sible and use resources efficiently. Ohio University commit- completed in the summer of 2015 in front of the latest project. ted to LEED certification in 2009, and has designed and “Improvements to the green space include an amphitheater, built many structures to meet those standards in the past few enhanced accessibility and the addition of an outdoor stage,” years, including the Schoonover Center for Communication Trentacoste explains. The stage is part of the third phase of and the Walter International Education Center. this project and shouldn’t be expected for a few more years. “It’s great [the] campus is going green,” freshman Julia Upgrading existing dorms and creating safe, efficient and Fair states. “I know a ton of students are hoping to live in eco-friendly living space for OU students is a priority. With the new dorms for the sole reason that they’re eco-friendly.” improvements already underway and many more renovations This $110 million, five-building project is subsidized scheduled to take place in the next few years, the university’s through housing funds and bonds. Although unable to gen- Residential Housing department is focused on the future. b

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“

b FEATURE

We keep doing it because we want young girls in this area to see that they can choose to go down the path of engineering.” Natasha Norris President of the Society of Women Engineers

LEVELING THE FIELD WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KAITLYN PACHECO

As the female enrollment rates within Russ College of Engineering struggle to improve, the Society of Women Engineers strives to create a balanced workforce.

“W

omen’s brains are like spaghetti because we mix everything together, but guys think more like waffles because they’re very compartmental,” says Jennah Rawahneh, vice president of the Society of Women Engineers. “But you need both perspectives to create a new, innovative engineering project.” Rawahneh, along with 50 other members of the Society of Women Engineers, is striving to increase gender representation within the Russ College of Engineering by bringing in the one thing it has historically lacked: women. According to the Ohio University Office of Institutional Research, in the fall of 2013 a total of 2,022 engineering and technology students accounted for nine percent of the total student population. This year, the Russ College of Engineering enrolled 404 freshmen. Of the 404 enrolled, only 63 were female. Russ College’s female enrollment rate for 2014 is estimated to be 15.6 percent, and although the number of incoming Engineering and Technology students significantly increases every year, the female enrollment rate has remained between

backdrop | Spring 2015

14 and 15.6 percent for the past five years. Diana Schwerha, associate professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering and faculty advisor of SWE, says that many high school girls interested in math or science don’t usually consider engineering as a career. They are drawn toward “more comforting” STEM careers, such as medicine or pharmacy, that have an equally-split workforce between men and women. Rawahneh believes a lack of promotion of engineering careers to girls by high schools and universities has caused the unbalanced enrollment rates. “If you ask any girl that’s in SWE now, they’ll say their mom or teacher told them about engineering, but it’s as if schools are not advertising to girls,” she says. “We’ve found that most of the time, girls had never even heard of the major.” Associate professor and department Chair of Chemical Engineering Valerie Young has a different take on the issue. She says that although it has taken over two decades for the numbers to accumulate, there are more females with advanced engineering degrees than ever before. Young laughs The first computer mouse was a wooden shell with two metal wheels.

as she describes how she first noticed the growing number of women in engineering. “When I first started going to professional engineering conferences, I never waited in line to go to the bathroom. In fact, not only would I be the only one in the bathroom, but I was also often the only female in the entire conference,” she remembers. “And now, if I go to a professional conference, I am never the only person in the bathroom. I’ve even had to wait.” Although it is to a lesser degree than in the past, research from the National Science Foundation indicates that women remain underrepresented in engineering as they make up only 13 percent of the occupation’s workforce. David Juedes, professor and chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, says that organizations like SWE are important in helping to increase the participation of women within engineering disciplines. “I believe, from my own observations, that the gender breakdown has largely remained the same over my 20 years at Ohio University,” Juedes says. In order to create a more balanced work environment in the future, SWE is determined to educate young girls about engineering through its annual Girl Scouts Day event. Every year, over 40 Girl Scouts pack the Academic Research Center to explore the basic principles and problem solving involved in engineering. The young girls spend time learning about each division of engineering from SWE members and apply that information by building flashlights, mixing household chemicals, and using tin foil to create structures. Natasha Norris, junior electrical engineering major and One third of the world’s population has never made a phone call.

president of the SWE student chapter at OU, says the amount of positive feedback they’ve received from Girl Scouts Day encouraged SWE to create Daisy’s Day for 4- and 5-year-olds. “We keep doing it because we want young girls in this area to see that they can choose to go down the path of engineering,” she says. “If we can make them see at a young age that it’s available, then maybe as they get older they can focus on the academic areas leading up to an engineering career.” Along with raising awareness and breaking the stereotype of engineering being a male-dominated field, Norris says another part of SWE’s mission is to help the underclassmen students feel comfortable and confident within their field. “I think SWE is necessary for freshman girls to gain support from upperclassmen to show them that they can do it,” she says. “It’s intimidating to be the only girl in your class, but SWE has had a lot of success stories that can help keep them motivated and on track.” The Russ College of Engineering has made strides to increase its female enrollment rate by awarding scholarships through the Russ Vision Plan, and it has been recently successful as the rate of enrollment more than tripled after women were offered a Russ Vision scholarship. Schwerha says that in order for the amount of women enrolled in Russ College to continue to grow, the faculty members must make an effort to cater their curricula and examples equally to both genders. “I think that, from a faculty member’s perspective, we need to make sure we use balanced examples of engineering that more people can relate to,” she says. “But when you’re out in the workforce, people want you to do a job. If you do a good job, it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female.” More than anything else, members of SWE believe in the place women deserve in the engineering field and work tirelessly to increase the presence of women and their acceptance into the Russ College of Engineering. “It was really intimidating, but by my sophomore year, I became ‘one of the engineers,’” Norris explains. “If someone were to describe me, it wouldn’t be ‘she’s one of the female engineers,’ it would be ‘she’s an electrical engineer.’” b

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b FEATURE

A Southeastern Ohio partnership helps entrepreneurs grow. BY EMILY MCINTYRE PHOTOS BY EVAN LEONARD ILLUSTRATION BY VICTORIA PRICHARD

backdrop | Spring 2015

Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here

n Ohio’s poorest county, entrepreneurs in Athens might struggle to find a foothold in the community. For technologically innovative businesses, TechGROWTH Ohio is taking entrepreneurs from the startup phase to explosive success in just a few years by giving them the fuel they need to advance. Such is the case for Ecolibrium Solar, which has more than doubled its sales each year and counting. TechGROWTH Ohio is a $40 million private partnership led and managed by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. It encompasses a network of collaborators and partners from within Ohio University and throughout Southeast Ohio. They also provide venture development services, as well as capital and talent, to help jumpstart technology-based companies in the region. After receiving funding in 2007 from the Ohio Third Frontier, a $2.1 billion Ohio Development Services Agency initiative, TechGROWTH hit the ground running just one year later. “I think over time that we’ve been able to establish a good, balanced approach that includes both services and investment capital,” says Lynn Gellermann, executive director for TechGROWTH and OU’s Center for Entrepreneurship. “Early on, it was much more service and grant oriented. We’ve been able to help companies get to the threshold where they can compete for investment,” he continues. TechGROWTH has a few areas of technology under which their new entrepreneurs fall: advanced energy and environment, medical devices, Information Technology and some degree of advanced materials. Gellermann explains that TechGROWTH examines creative technology presented to them by entrepreneurs who have the potential to either disrupt or complement a certain market, even if their companies don’t fall in one of the above categories. He also adds that a lot of consideration has to do with the nature of the Southeast Ohio region, as well as the research and development completed at OU.

SWEET SUCCESS

The tech companies TechGROWTH has taken from startup to high-growth are nicknamed “gazelles;” Global Cooling Inc. and Ecolibrium Solar are both included in that category. Global Cooling Inc. manufactures special freezers that store materials used in life-sciences research, biotech and pharmaceutical facilities, according to a recent case study published by TechGROWTH. In the study, CEO of Global Cooling Neill Lane explains that these freezers — operating at temperatures below minus 80 degrees Celsius — have been around for years yet are basically identical on a technological basis. The downside is that they require as much energy as it takes to operate a whole household. Global Cooling has developed a new type of ultra-low temperature freezer that uses 66 percent less energy than the previously mentioned standard, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately, Lane faced several financial obstacles while manufacturing and creating the brand. Enter TechGROWTH, which assisted Global Cooling in writing a proposal that earned it a $1 million grant with the Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program. TechGROWTH and Lane Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here

TechGROWTH Companies

worked together to develop a strategic business plan for the company and provide support, such as recruiting assistance in the process. “The financing we do going forward can be traced back to TechGROWTH in terms of introductions,” Lane writes in the study. Since then, Global Cooling’s sales have doubled in the past two years. It is expected the same thing will happen two years from now. In early summer 2010, TechGROWTH Director John Glazer brought in Brian Wildes, who is now chief technology officer of the company Ecolibrium Solar. Ecolibrium Solar installs solar panels with a rack-mounting system made of 100 percent recycled plastic, which is less expensive, lighter and faster to install than traditional mountings. Without hesitation, Wildes declares that the firm’s most prominent obstacle in the startup process was funding. “You can’t do anything without a significant amount of funds, and most individuals don’t have those funds. A great idea goes nowhere without money,” he says. TechGROWTH also assisted Wildes with coaching and connecting him to consultants, contractors, and various angel groups around the area. In receiving these services, Ecolibrium Solar was provided with a competitive edge among other solar energy companies. “When we came to market, there were less than 10 racking companies, and within a year, there were at least 30 or 40 of them. They all kind of saw the same need and came out the same time we did,” Wildes recalls. “Most of them are gone already. We’ve been able to outlast that wave, and I think it had a lot to do with the strong financial backing. TechGROWTH helped lay that foundation.” Ecolibrium Solar — based in Athens — has exploded into a firm serving all 50 states, especially the East and West Coasts. Wildes says less than 1 percent of their sales come from Ohio.

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b FEATURE THE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Although developing technologically innovative businesses is the main focus of TechGROWTH, it also makes a significant effort to contribute as best it can to Ohio University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Gellermann explains that TechGROWTH had been one of the key drivers for the Center, which launched in 2011. “Moving over to the Center for Entrepreneurship, the students have a strong appetite to learn more about entrepreneurship these days,” he says. “[The Center] provides a whole spectrum of courses and outside-the-classroom experiences for students to get engaged. Really what we’re teaching is entrepreneurship is a way of thinking critically and creatively. I believe that form of learning can help students, no matter what field they’re in.” If a student is in the College of Business, he or she has the option of majoring in entrepreneurship. Students whose majors are not a part of the college are eligible to receive a Certificate in Entrepreneurship. “If a student is involved with the Center for Entrepreneurship, then TechGROWTH will know a lot more about him or her and can better help them,” Gellerman says. “Whether it’s plugging them into an internship, a startup company or an idea pitch competition, there’s lots of opportunities at OU these days for students.” Gellermann adds that the Center is not entirely technology-focused. Rather, it teaches entrepreneurship and provides those entrepreneurship encounters to students from all across the board, whether they are interested in opening a retail store or simply creating a new app. He describes the framework as how you start a business, how you run a business and how you develop a model for the business to make it work.

How an Individual or Company Can Qualify for TechGROWTH Assistance: Must have a substantial presence in all 20 counties in Southeast Ohio Must be an individual or company with less than 50 employees Must have less than $5 million in annual revenue Must have a technologically innovative idea, service or product

enormously valuable, because you want successes like Global Cooling to happen again and again. [The goal is] to create an environment that grows companies as a matter of course.” Ecolibrium Solar is more than doubling their sales every year. Gellermann adds that they employ almost 30 people and are hiring every week. “Those companies hire students for internships and for full-time jobs, eventually, so it’s a big ecosystem that can feed itself,” Gellermann explains. “I think Ohio University and the larger Southeast Ohio community has really spent the last several years building the organizations and assets required to have a healthy ecosystem. Everyone has a role. You can be as engaged as you want to be. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of really cool things in the future.” b

How an Individual or a Company Can Qualify for Tech Growth Assistance: • • • •

Must have a substantial presence in all 20 counties in Southeast Ohio Must be an individual or company with less than 50 employees Must have less than 5 million dollars in annual revenue Have a technologically innovative idea, service or product

THE BIG PICTURE

Gellermann believes technology is pervasive, and exposure to it is critical because it teaches students about how it can be applied to what they want to start their own business in. “It’s important that students have some exposure to the technologies and tools that can help run the business, like technology to help market research, technology for effective point of sale, and methods for connecting with suppliers,” he says. On a more local scale, teaching entrepreneurship through TechGROWTH and the Center contributes significantly to helping Ohio University provide better interns — even employees — to the Athens community.

STILL “GROWING” STRONG

Lane, who was previously employed as an Executive in Residence with TechGROWTH, knows the success that TechGROWTH brings to its businesses is contagious. “What TechGROWTH has done is create in Southeast Ohio an entrepreneurial venture community,” Lane writes in the case study. “Speaking more broadly than just Global Cooling, that’s

backdrop | Spring 2015

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ENVIRONMENT

INVESTING IN

BY COLETTE WHITNEY ILLUSTRATION BY NATASHA RINGNALDA

SUSTAINABILITY

Establishments around Athens are making the switch to solar power.

ften gleaming in the Appalachian sun, the large solar panels that sit atop Village Bakery & Cafe are hard to miss. There has been a surge in solar-powered homes and businesses in Athens, although the initial cost of installation isn’t cheap — the smallest systems ring in at nearly $13,000. With 32 percent of its residents living in poverty, Athens is the poorest county in Ohio, so a costly and perhaps unnecessary investment such as solar power, may not seem like a lifestyle choice citizens would be jumping to make. Yet for many solar power users, it’s not about the money: they have made the choice to prioritize environmental responsibility.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Bob O’Neill, co-owner of Village Bakery, is one of many people in Athens who uses solar energy. He and Christine Hughes, another co-owner of the bakery, opened the restaurant to provide Athens with an environmentallyfriendly experience; after first setting out to fulfill that by serving only local, non-genetically modified food, the switch to solar panels seemed like a natural progression. They spent $110,000 on two solar panel systems that now power the bakery and produce enough power to sustain 12 homes. “It’s an investment, but it’s one that we need to be making for ourselves and future generations,” O’Neill says.

THE COST AND BENEFITS

It’s an investment that is easier to handle once the initial hefty cost of purchase

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and installation results in smaller electric bills. O’Neill says he pays half of what he used to pay for electricity. It’s just the first payment that may seem insurmountable to some people; but there is state and federal support for those who want to make the switch. A federal tax credit is in place that allows individuals to deduct 30 percent of the cost of their solar panel system from their federal taxes. There are also some state-specific incentives in place for solar power. Green Energy Ohio has a Solar Thermal Rebate Program for commercial applicants that can cover up to 20 percent of the project cost. Ohio Solar Renewable Energy Credits offer incentives for solar power based on energy production and are available to both residential and commercial applicants. The cost of solar power in Athens ranges according to the size of the system. For a system that can power an entire home, or 9.12 kilowatts, one would pay about $23,500 without a federal tax credit. But with that tax credit, the price is reduced to about $16,400. The cost lowers from there for smaller, less-powerful systems. There are a couple of solar power businesses that serve the Athens area, including Dovetail Solar & Wind and Third Sun Solar, the latter of which installed panels at Village Bakery, the headquarters of Wayne National Forest, Ohio University’s compost center and, more recently, the Athens Public Library. “We have installed about 70 systems in Athens County — primarily residential, but several commercial, institutional and government buildings, as

well,” says Bailey Wagner, growth coordinator at Third Sun Solar.

THE GREEN IMPACT CAMPAIGN

Village Bakery is part of some alliances and groups that are striving to make legislative headway in terms of protecting the environment. “We have to be part of an alliance that will lobby for green energy bills, like the gas and coal people are lobbying for fracking laws,” O’Neill says. Every day there are people in Columbus and Washington who are trying to pass laws that could potentially harm the environment. O’Neill wants to fight back against legislation that will further damage the planet. “We spent billions after Hurricane Sandy and Katrina and after all of our derechos and hurricanes and that snow storm in Buffalo, but it’s all because of climate change,” O’Neill says. “We need to do this now and not later.” He wants to see preventative action, rather than the costly cleanups after climate change-related disasters, which is why he and Hughes chose to use solar power. This is where the Green Impact Campaign comes in. GIC is a nonprofit organization that provides free energy audits to small businesses, in an effort to reduce their environmental impacts and equip the next generation of climate leaders. “The act of receiving one of these free energy audits shows that a business is committed to identifying ways that they can reduce their energy usage and environmental impact,” The first laser was made in California in 1960.

says GIC president Daniel Hill. “Unlike other programs or organizations, GIC business members are all about action. Finding tangible ways to make an impact and acting on them.” Village Bakery is currently the only business in Athens to register for a safety audit with GIC. Once that is approved, the bakery can become a member of the campaign.

The sun’s rays contain energy that is absorbed when they reach the system. The solar panels capture the sun’s energy using a semiconducting material, such as silicon or metal.

ACADEMIC EFFORT

Ohio University has also been looking to increase its environmental sustainability with solar panels. The office of sustainability has committed to being carbon neutral by the year 2075, meaning it hopes to have a zero carbon footprint, a feat it hopes to achieve Once the rays are absorbed by the with environmentally responsible practices like semiconducting material, their energy solar power and compost. converts into an electric current. OU has three solar panel systems installed on campus: one on a storage An inverter converts the energy to shed adjacent to the Lauspower the building or house. che Heating Plant, one at OU’s compost facility and one at the OHIO Ecohouse. The storage shed The power is directed into an electrical panel, system is a 61.1-kilowatt where it is funneled into outlets and other system of solar panels that electrical systems, such as heating and cooling. is located on the roof of a storage shed and visible from the Ridges. The comINFORMATION BY HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM post facility has a 41.1-kW array of panels that were installed in two parts: a 10kW system installed in 2009 and a 31.1-kW system installed in 2012. According to Annie Laurie Cadmus, director of sustainability during the A carbon footprint is the Heating a house with coal, 31.1-kW system installation, the panels cost about $212,000 and amount of greenhouse gases oil, gas or electricity emits were made possible through the a person creates in a given CO2. Becoming carbon American Recovery and Reinvestperiod of time, measured in neutral means that a person ment Act grant. carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 or business has taken action “The sizes of these grid-tied systems is constantly being formed. to remove as much CO2 from were selected in an effort to offset all the power used by the compost facility,” When you drive a car, the atmosphere as they put Cadmus says. “So, in theory, the compost the engine burns fuel into it, making their carbon facility is a carbon-neutral facility, which, I that becomes CO2. footprint zero. think, is pretty darn awesome.” b

CARBON FOOTPRINT

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SEX & HEALTH

Confiding in Callisto Survivors of sexual assault can find a voice in a program that anonymously posts information about the incidents. BY OLIVIA COBB ILLUSTRATION BY LIZZIE SETTINERI

he speed and convenience of modern technology makes sharing aspects of daily life a source of comfort and enjoyment for most people. The current generation is young and savvy, allowing them to use technology to express both emotions and experiences. However, within this newly candid world there is a group that often remains silent: the survivors of sexual assault. Discouraged by the mental, physical and emotional terror of a sexual assault, as well as a culture largely dismissive of rape, the silent group is growing. A new web application called Callisto is currently being developed to help end the silence. The computer-based app allows survivors to fill out an incident report regarding their attack in a private, online form. It encourages survivors to find their own voice by giving them the tools to record their assault, and it couldn’t arrive at a better time. In Athens alone, as of February 2015, the Ohio University Police Department has reported and warned students of four incidents involving sexual harassment or imposition and one report of rape that occurred in November 2014. Callisto enables survivors to record the information needed

backdrop | Spring 2015

to persecute attackers without forcing them to recount the trauma to an unknown authority figure. After completing the report, the survivor is provided with three different reporting options. The first allows them to submit the information to either the police or campus authorities. If the survivor doesn’t wish to file the report at that time, he or she can save it as a time-stamped record to submit later. Alternately, a third option allows the report to be filed automatically with the chosen authorities if another survivor names the same assailant. “The primary objective is to make this whole process more empowering,” says Jessica Ladd, the creator of Callisto and founder of Sexual Health Innovations, a non-profit company working to improve sexual health through technology. Ladd, working with a diversely-qualified board, structured Callisto to ease the burden placed on survivors during the reporting process. She also hopes the app will work toward preventing future assaults. “If you stopped college sexual assailants after their second assault, you would prevent 60 percent of sexual assaults,” Every minute, users collectively upload 100 hours of video to YouTube.

“

If you stopped college sexual assailants after their second assault, you would prevent 60 percent of sexual assaults.”

THE FUTURE OF CALLISTO

Jessica Ladd Creator of Callisto and founder of Sexual Health Innovations

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

Ladd cites. By making the reporting process more welcoming to survivors, Callisto has the potential to identify repeat offenders before they attack again. Unfortunately, sexual assault has become an issue whose resolution extends beyond simply catching assailants. It’s not just survivors remaining silent on the topic, but society as well. Law enforcement can catch offenders after they attack, but open conversation could help to prevent assault before it occurs. “A lot of people are immediately on guard just at the mention of sexual assault. It’s triggering for people; it’s an uncomfortable topic,” says Sarah Fick, the co-site leader of Hollaback! Appalachian Ohio and program coordinator for the Sexual Assault Prevention Program at the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network. Hollaback! is a site where users who have witnessed or experienced street harassment can share their stories. Fick finds that filtering through a computer screen allows people to engage in a more comfortable manner, promoting better education and more open discussion. Ladd hopes Callisto will encourage a more open dialogue on college campuses. The developers hope that with more discussion will come greater awareness and, hopefully, fewer assaults. An additional benefit of Callisto would be its ability to discourage future assailants. “We need to make people less okay with rape,” Ladd says. The most important aspect of Callisto is its ability to support survivors while they make the decision to report their assault. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two-thirds of sexual assaults are committed by someone a survivor knows. A reporting system that makes survivors feel safer in naming their attacker — whether that person is a peer, a friend or an acquaintance — could make a world of difference. Callisto has worked with college-aged survivors to mold the system into what fits their needs best. The process allows survivors to regain control over decisions affecting their bodies and their lives. “Callisto’s tag line is ‘By Survivors, For Survivors,’ and I try very hard to make that the case,” Ladd says. “We’re always keeping the needs and voices of the people who actually experience the problem in mind when developing the technology to assist them.” b Of the 60 billion e-mails that are sent on a daily basis, 70 percent are considered spam.

Once development is completed, the Callisto team will introduce its web app at three pilot schools. To nominate OU as one of those pilot schools, visit projectcallisto.org and submit a request.

Less than 5 percent of completed or attempted rapes are reported to authorities.

One out of every six women is a survivor of either a completed or attempted rape.

One out of every 33 men is a survivor of either a completed or attempted rape.

80 percent of victims are under the age of 30.

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SEX & HEALTH

E P I W S

T H G RI E V O L FOR

Zachary, 21

Karlee, 21

BY ALYSSA PASICZNYK | PHOTOS BY AMANDA PUCKETT

As relationships make their way onto the web, looking for “the one” will never be the same.

he world would be lovely if everything worked like a dating app. Wipe out on the icy bricks on the way to class? Swipe left. Cover charge at Jackie O’s? Swipe left. Free food in Baker? Swipe right! Although real life is not at all like online dating, more people are getting sucked into the virtual dating world. Although meeting partners on the web was once seen as a last resort, online dating is now nearly the status quo. According to the Pew Research Center, one in 10 Americans has used the Internet to find his or her perfect match.

COURTING BOBCATS Ohio University is not immune to the virtual romance virus. Backdrop conducted an online dating poll to find out more about OU’s online dating habits. Out of the 90 students who responded, 51 replied that they have used an online dating site. About 80 percent of those responses indicated that Tinder is the app they prefer to use. The fact that more than half of the student population surveyed is swiping away on Tinder doesn’t make the concept behind the app appear any less shallow. The idea of rejecting or accepting a fellow Bobcat based on his or her face is shallow in

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the closest respect of the word. The networking app serves as a channel to find either a potential romantic partner or simply a partner for the night. For senior Leanne Krul, Tinder is not a shallow hookup app as much as a chance to get to know someone new. “Swiping across everybody says looks are the first thing. In my opinion, I like reading the bios, too,” Krul says. “You always have to give somebody a chance, and if you do talk to them a while online, and you do start feeling out how they are, it’s like, ‘Why not?’” Krul represents one of many people who have taken the plunge to use smartphones not only for dating, but also as a means to meet suitors in person. Although she has had some success, not all of her matches have been a home run. “The first Tinder date I ever went on said he was 21, then I found out he was 18,” Krul laughs. “It was just really uncomfortable because after I found out he was 18, it sort of made everything a lot different. That’s just shocking seeing how people can lie like that.” Despite the substantial number of students attempting to find their counterparts behind the glow of their smartphone, the majority of students who answered the Backdrop survey never went out to meet their matches in person. Only about Last year in the U.S., one of every eight married couples met online.

FUTURE MATCHES a third answered they actually went on a date with the people they met online. “I feel like a lot of people use Tinder as a confidence boost,” Krul says. “It takes that extra little step to have a connection with somebody, to actually get the balls to go and meet them in person.”

TINDER ORIGINS The notion of publishing a detailed description of the perfect catch is not a new one. Before Tinder enabled people to swipe right, local newspapers dedicated a special section to people searching for their true love: personal ads. “The closest correlation to online dating when I was younger was personal ads,” Women and Gender Studies Professor Dr. Patty Stokes explains. “You had to come up with a description of yourself to put into this tiny little box and it would go in the back of the alternative daily paper.” Like Tinder, personal ads gave readers the opportunity to describe themselves to their potential suitors in a few short sentences. The ads also let people specify exactly what kind of relationship they were seeking. Unlike Tinder, personal ads were not tremendously common. “I don’t really know anybody who placed a personal ad. I was never desperate enough to post one,” Stokes laughs. “I think that certainly that type of opportunity to hook up is relatively new. In the pre-Internet era you had to go to a bar.” Apple earns $300,000 per minute.

Although OU students may not be meeting their soulmates swiping right on Tinder, there are other demographics falling in love through online dating. The specificity of virtual dating enables people to find their perfect person in a way that otherwise may not have been available in the past. “I do know a few people in my generation who have met partners online. One of them was a widow in her 60s whose husband was killed suddenly,” Stokes says. “She was living in Athens, and, as you can imagine, the dating scene for older women in their 60s is not what it is if you’re in your 20s here. She met somebody up in Columbus, and they got married and, you know, happy things.” Outside the world of online dating, technology has forever changed the way individuals meet and date. Because of the all-seeing eye that is Facebook, criminal records, embarrassing pictures and job history are just a click away. “If you even meet somebody here at school and know what their name is, you can check out everything about them,” Krul says. “Now, we don’t have to do blind dating, because we can automatically look them up and see who they are.” For the majority of current OU students, online dating has not proved to be the seamless way to meet “the one,” but future Bobcat alumni may turn toward their screens once Athens’ busy social scene is far behind them. “When you’re out of college it’s a lot harder to meet people,” Stokes says. “Then, online might seem like a more interesting demographic.” b

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SPORTS

TAKING THE

GAMBLE BY JAKE ZUCKERMAN | PHOTOS BY AMANDA PUCKETT | ILLUSTRATION BY ANDIE DANESI

Loopholes in gambling laws have turned the Internet into a virtual Las Vegas, where betting on sports can generate big winnings.

oday’s conception of gambling doesn’t look anything like Las Vegas. Online sports betting is legal. There is no table, and there are no eyes to gaze into to spot the sucker. However, as with any form of gambling, there is always a way to find an edge, and plenty of Bobcats are doing just that. When Ty Hammond, a senior at Ohio University, isn’t bartending at The Crystal, he’s either placing bets on DraftKings or selling the lineups he creates to friends and co-workers. Hammond could not confirm his exact winnings, but mentioned that they are big enough to swallow his original bet whole. “Winning money is 50/50 [on DraftKings],” Hammond says. “You’ve got to know what you’re doing. I’ll tell you right now: there’s people who play on here, and that’s their job.” The legality of Internet gambling is currently in question by several U.S. courts. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 bans all online gambling with one exception: online sports betting is considered a game of skill, not a game of chance.

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However, an argument is growing today that the law has become outdated. Before DraftKings and FanDuel, playing fantasy sports was a season-long commitment. Participants drafted a team of real players before a given season started, and benched, played or traded those same players until the season’s end. The new model, however, is a daily activity that consists of participants making head-to-head lineups with opponents that change from game to game. Legal critics of the new fantasy models say that they increase the chance aspects of the game and reduce the usage of “accumulated statistical results.” Harris Kaserman, the president and co-founder of the Ohio Sports Analytics Team, sides with UIGEA’s critics. “I think it’s a game of both skill and chance, but I think the skill aspect has been overstated,” Kaserman says. “I’d say it’s 70 percent luck, 30 percent skill.” Some players disagree. Senior Brandon Starr grew up playing, watching and talking about sports throughout his entire life. He started playing DraftKings two years ago and still plays today. Following his moderate success with fantasy football, Skype is available in over 28 languages and is used in almost every country.

his gambling trickled into fantasy baseball and basketball. According to Starr, the average gambler’s chance of winning on FanDuel is between 30 and 40 percent, and the chance of winning in online poker is 50 percent. “If a regular person went on DraftKings and tried to win, they’d only win 30 to 40 percent of the time,” Starr says. “I think the people who actually know what they’re doing, know the matchups, know who’s hot and who’s not — those are the kinds of people that are going to win a lot more based off of skill set.” According to Forbes, FanDuel has accumulated more than 1.1 million customers in 45 states as of 2015. By the end of 2015, it is expected to pay out more than $1 billion in winnings and earn roughly $100 million in revenue. FanDuel maintains about 75 percent of the market share, while DraftKings covers the rest. Robert Boland, a lawyer and professor of sports business at New York University, says that if the courts approve of the new sites, the companies are likely to go public. Following a successful evaluation, larger media conglomerates are likely to take them over, leading to similar sites entering the market. “My sense is that this is going to be a very lucrative field moving forward,” Boland says. “This is a little like the phone business, you can have the best product one day, and be irrelevant the next.” Alongside public and financial appeal, professional sports associations are supporting daily sports gambling. In an op-ed to The New York Times, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came out in favor of both legalizing and regulating sports gambling. The op-ed ran just one day after the NBA announced its partnership with FanDuel. Alongside the NBA, FanDuel has business ties to one of the league’s teams: the Dallas Mavericks. Likewise, DraftKings has

TY HAMMOND | SENIOR Facebook reports over one billion registered users.

partnerships with the NHL and the NFL’s New England Patriots. According to Boland, those partnerships may help the legal cases for both websites. “I think the fact that the leagues were very quick to embrace them is at least going to be helpful that they ultimately win legal approval going forward,” Boland says. “They’re strongly favored to be declared legal.” There is credible evidence to suggest intelligence in the processes of sports bettors. According to statistics provided by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, it can be argued that the average fantasy player has “relative knowledge and skill,” of the game, as per the UIGEA. According to the FSTA’s data on fantasy gamblers, 78 percent them have some college education. Average bettors have been playing fantasy sports for 9.5 years; they spend more than eight hours per week playing fantasy sports, and 90 percent of them use at least one sports news website to obtain relevant data. Likewise, Hammond has developed a system to determine his picks and wagers. His advice: Use rotoexperts.com for cheat sheets and player write-ups, do your homework and never bet more than you’re willing to lose. Whether or not daily sports betting is a game of chance or careful analysis, and thus, legal or illegal under the UIGEA, is for the courts to decide. In the meantime, both FanDuel and DraftKings will rake in millions as the courts scurry to keep up with the changing legal field brought on by the modern day tech revolution. Hammond found an eloquent way to surmise the debate. “If you can go into a casino and bet on some cards,” he says, “then why can’t you do it online?” b

HARRIS KASERMAN | SOPHOMORE

BRANDON STARR | SENIOR www.backdropmagazine.com

SPORTS

FROM JUNIOR TO FRESHMAN These hockey players took an unconventional path to further their skills and education. BY ANNA LIPPINCOTT | PHOTOS BY JILLY BURNS

t’s three in the afternoon. Matt Wipper rolls out of bed and drags himself to a workout, which is followed by practice. By the time he gets home, it’s 8 p.m., and time for dinner, a few hours of Xbox and more than one episode of Breaking Bad. By 4 a.m. he’s asleep again and ready to repeat the cycle. Wipper’s not lazy, and he’s certainly not an atypical hockey player. At this point in his life, he is a 19-year-old junior level player, practicing the sport seven days a week with the hope that over the next two years he will be offered a college scholarship. Every year, thousands of athletes graduate high school and join the world of junior hockey, moving all over the United States and Canada to do so. Unlike any other college sport, hockey offers its players the opportunity to take anywhere from a one-to-three-year gap after high school to grow as players. Athletes are eligible to play in juniors until they are 21, often resulting in 21-year-old college freshmen and 25-year-old seniors. Having older players is a very normal practice for college teams, both in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and National Collegiate Athletic Association. According to Sean Hogan, head coach of Ohio University’s club team, nearly all of the team’s 26 varsity players took at least one year off after high school to play junior hockey before coming to Ohio University, which plays in the ACHA. In fact, he can only think of one player, junior Liam Geither, who was ever a “true freshman.” As a junior, Geither is an upperclassman playing his third season with the Bobcats. He is also in the youngest fifth of the team.

backdrop | Spring 2015

“It’s hard to take on a leadership role when you’re a young guy but older than everyone,” Geither, 19, explains. “It’s hard for players to listen, because who wants to listen? They’re older than me.” Junior hockey poses a challenge for high school students looking to begin their collegiate careers. It comes down to making a decision of taking multiple years off after high school to hopefully play at a higher level. Students also have to consider that they will have to jump back into an academic world if they do play in college — something that has not been a priority to them in years. While it is possible to take online or community college classes during a season of juniors, it changes players’ college eligibility, so many avoid it. “The main requirement we’re looking for, before we get even into the hockey side of it, is they have to be strong academically and they have to be able to be strong time managers,” Hogan says. “Players’ ability to keep up in school once reaching OU is vital, and after a few years out of school, it is certainly a worry.” For players, taking time off after high school has its ups and downs. Now a 21-year-old freshman, Wipper admits after playing two years of juniors, getting back into the swing of school is not always easy. “I think the hardest part is remembering things, like when things are to be turned in. So I was like, ‘Okay I need to remember these, I’m going to write them down,’ but then you just don’t remember to check your planner because you haven’t done anything like that in the past couple years,” Wipper says. Matt Hartman, a 22-year-old sophomore, spent his first year of junior hockey post-high school in South Palm Beach, Fla. He describes his days as carefree and spent filled with golfing and trips to the beach. Hartman came to OU as undecided and was put into a learning community. While a small group makes large classes less daunting, it does not change the fact that he was an older first-year student and had not taken a non-online class in two years. E-mail was already around before the World Wide

Apple sold 340,000 iPhones per day in 2012.

“It’s weird because the years before that I was nervous going into Philly and Palm Beach because of hockey and I was like, ‘This is a new experience’. But my freshman year, I almost felt calm for the hockey part and was nervous for school. It was almost like my freshmen year of high school again, I was like ‘Oh my god, what is happening,’” Hartman says. “You’re thinking, ‘I’m 21, I should be walking in here like I own this, and I’m so scared.’” While getting back into the swing of school can be challenging for some players, that by no means makes it the standard. Junior hockey has no entry-level age, and some players play a year or two of juniors while still in high school. Michael Kretz, a 23-yearold senior, had experience balancing academics and competitivelevel hockey before coming to OU. He played his first year of juniors his senior year at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School before taking only one gap year to play a second season of juniors in Pittsburgh. For other athletes who play two and three years of juniors after high school, the move back to college can be overwhelming at times. “When I played college hockey I came in as a true freshman, as an 18-year-old, and I remember this senior…He was like 25, and I just remember thinking he was seven years older than me,” Hogan says. “He was a man, and I was a kid.” Wipper, now 21, is a freshman living in Crawford Hall. He says after taking two years off to grow up, he definitely can notice a maturity level difference between himself and his peers. Many of the players can live in the dorms for one year, and OU’s Residential Housing is understanding of their unusual situations. “I think all of us when we get here and see the dorms after living on our own for a couple years, are like, ‘This is not what we want to do,’” Wipper says. While Hartman is now embracing apartment life, he had a more unusual situation than most players. When he entered OU as a 20-year-old freshman, his younger brother began his college career as a Bobcat as well. Growing up, the boys were two years apart academically, but both were freshmen in 2013. The Hartman Brothers were roommates in a standard double in Sargent Hall. “I felt comfortable saying stuff to him when he was acting like a dick,” Hartman says about living with his younger sibling. “Because it was my brother, I didn’t have to side step around it like if he was some random kid.” Kretz, Wipper and Hartman all made friends in the dorms, learning communities and classes like any traditional freshmen. In discussion-based classes, Wipper says he can definitely tell there is a maturity difference, and Hartman says that sometimes he got frustrated with people in his residence hall. “I think there’s just general growing up that I’ve done over the past couple years that I see a lot of what I was doing when I was [my classmates’] age, which is interesting,” Wipper says. While the boys had additional time to grow up, there are drawbacks to starting school so much later. Hartman says at times he was upset that he was missing out on college, but he would not take back his experience for anything, even if it meant eating dining hall food. “I knew I was going to go through it one day, and I was going to be a freshman in college some day, so I knew I could put it off a little bit, mature a little bit, and then experience it,” Hartman says. b

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POSE 1

FITNESS

FINDING

SEATED POSITION

BY CHEYENNE BUCKINGHAM PHOTOS BY AMANDA PUCKETT

BALANCE

“The first thing you want to do at the beginning of practice is come to a comfortable seat so you can be centered,” Stobart advises. “This pose in particular, when you find the right alignment, actually engages the core and brings the muscles back to postural balance.”

ALIGNMENT CUES

Cross legs and sit in a comfortable, seated position. If hips are tight, sit on a folded blanket or two so that the hips are higher than the knees. This will alleviate pressure on the hip flexors. Inhale and exhale slowly.

Immerse yourself into a world of relaxation and alignment with Inhale Yoga.

ichelle Stobart, senior teacher and studio director of Inhale Yoga Studio on Court Street, shares how to get the full mental and physical experience of yoga in the comforts of home. Stobart is knowledgeable when it comes to seeking out restorative balance after the cessation of one of life’s hectic days. Her teachings focus on resetting or restoring the body’s joints and postural muscles to their natural formation. “I talk a lot about alignment cues when I teach,” Stobart says. “I teach from a perspective of yoga as therapy. With my work, I look at what the body is anatomically meant to do, and what daily habits, patterns and habitual movements make it do.” For example, both college students and worker bees experience the inevitable slouching of the shoulders over computer screens, because they have a tendency to sit over technology periodically throughout the day. Stobart analyzes the bodies of each individual in both her group sessions and private classes to locate misalignments and recreate a harmonious balance between the front, back and sides of the body. She eliminates the cliche stereotype of practicing yoga poses solely as a way to trim the body. Rather, she explores the greater depths and benefits that it has on both the mind and the muscles. “What we are trying to do with yoga poses is not only tone the legs, the core and the arms, but we are trying to tone those things in a way that is balanced muscular effort,” Stobart explains. “It becomes a practice of maintenance for all levels of your well-being.” Backdrop shares some of her tips to gain the most efficient yoga workout. A note from Michelle Stobart before you begin practice: “The most important part with every pose is that you are breathing, and breathing deeply and fully, without force.”

backdrop | Spring 2015

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FITNESS From the seated position, take a deep breath in and roll up onto your hands and knees so that you are in a tabletop formation. Shoulders are directly over top of the wrists and the hips should be directly over top of the knees. Stobart says the balancing tabletop pose capitalizes on core integration and strength.

ALIGNMENT CUE

“What I call [this cue] in my classes is ‘tightening the drawstrings,’” Stobart explains. “This is referring to the space that is in front of your hip crest (the bony part to the front of your pelvis) and drawing that up and in.” Now the pelvis becomes level and the lower back does not sag. Next, extend the right leg back so that it forms a straight line. Make sure to keep the hips parallel to the ground.

Bring hands to hips until spine lifts up off the floor, slightly bend the knees and, imagine that you are sitting on a ball that is expanding outward. Now bend forward more deeply and let the shoulders relax. Straighten legs out in front by lifting the hips. Finally, to loosen the hamstrings even more, rotate the weight from your upper body toward the toes as opposed to grasping for the heels. Bill Gates’ house was designed by using a Macintosh computer.

ALIGNMENT CUES

Roll up your yoga mat or a dense blanket and line it up directly behind your spine. Slowly lay down, extending the legs across the floor or placing the bottoms down flat. “The point of this pose is not only relaxation but, physically, it is a chest opener,” Stobart says. In other words, this pose actually helps aide the postural muscles back into their natural alignment. Spend a minimum of two minutes here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

MA T

The most prominent physical benefit to this pose is the nice, deep stretch it provides for the hamstrings. In addition, it enables the lower back and spine to lengthen.

POSE 6

Stobart emphasizes the need to relax with restorative poses after a workout full of strengthening moves and positions. “Anytime that we do an active bit of work, we want to balance that out with things that are little bit more passive and restorative in nature,” she says. People frequently skip this portion, not knowing it is crucial to perform these for the workout to set into the muscles.

WIDE LEGGED FORWARD BEND

ALIGNMENT CUES

backdrop | Spring 2015

GODDESS POSE CHALLENGE: TWISTED

QUEEN RESTORATIVE POSE

Lift the chest up and bring the palms of the hands together in heart position. “If you press the palms together into heart, it helps recruit those extra muscles along the spine and the upper core, to draw everything into the middle, to keep that energy up,” Stobart says. Keep the head back, knees together. Let the shoulders roll down the back, avoid shrugging them up to your ears. Breathe slow and steady.

Stand facing the long edge of the mat and spread the feet wide apart. Reach arms out into a “T” shape so that the wrist is right overtop the outer ankle. Let arms drop and spin the heels in about halfway. Slightly bend knees until you feel the outer hips toning.

SQUAT

ALIGNMENT CUES

POSE 4

ALIGNMENT CUES

With the right leg still extended, stretch the left arm forward with the thumb facing up. Breathe in and out through the nose for two to three breaths. Now repeat on the other side.

From tabletop, walk the hands back and roll up onto the toes until you come to a squat. “You want to feel the hips anchored down towards the heels, and the inner thighs squeezed toward each other,” Stobart says. This is the foundation of core activation.

POSE 5

“This pose is all about leg strength and tone,” Stobart explains. “It opens the inner groin and its main focus is on the strengthening of the outer leg line and outer hip.”

Hands down just above the knees and use hands to press knees open, arms will carry the weight. Inhale, lengthen spine, exhale, drop right shoulder and right side of the rib cage towards the floor and twist your left shoulder and left ribcage up towards the ceiling. Inhale and twist deeper. “Whatever direction you are twisting you are using the hand to push the opposite inner knee and thigh away,” Stobart says.

BALANCING TABLETOP CHALLENGE

POSE 3

GODDESS POSE

BL A NK E T S

DRINK WATER

BALANCING TABLETOP

POSE 2

PARTING WORDS:

When walking off the mat, apply your intentions from yoga to reality. “Judge yourself less, and maybe even be less judgmental to those around you. It is beyond just a physical workout; this is what makes it yoga,” Stobart says. b About 70 percent of virus writers actually work under contract for an organization.

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FOOD

Local Jar, Worldly Taste What started as a small, family-owned business has transformed into an international enterprise.

Cultures have different taste preferences, which make a difference in the base of the product. Whether it is cream or yogurt that is used, the company has to accommodate their customer’s preferences. Nadia Mitchell is the mind behind many of the company’s recipes. As taste creator, Mitchell works as a chef and puts together ingredients for new products. Whether she is cooking on her stovetop at home or the kitchen at work, Mitchell develops new flavors and has been generating them since the company started. “I’m thrilled I have the job that I have. It’s a great opportunity and I can use my taste buds to create products,” she says. Having spent many years living in Morocco, Mitchell has brought an international taste to the Athens-based company. The Moroccan sauce combines tomatoes, onions and spices, including cinnamon, red pepper, black pepper and dried currant, to add sweetness and flavor. The recipe came from watching friends cook and make different Moroccan foods. Mitchell has also created an enchilada sauce, and she is currently working on three other new flavors. “What I like about each product is that it tastes really fresh and is not made with any preservatives,” Mitchell explains. Mitchell’s role not only has her whipping up recipes, but also cooking based on customer demands. Vino de Milo has increasingly focused on customer feedback. Mitchell will take suggestions, reverse-engineer them and figure out what amounts of the ingredients are needed to perfect each

recipe. Many companies will ask for co-packing and private labeling as well. Co-packing allows Mitchell to create a product specifically for that company; private labeling takes an already existing product from Vino de Milo and puts another company’s name on the label. It’s a strategic business practice for Vino de Milo’s, because it allows the company to save time and money otherwise spent on research and planning for new development. Leal has seen Vino de Milo evolve through sales. According to him, the company has figured out that the best way to sell its product is by making alterations without the need for advanced technology. As he puts it, everything is done “pretty old school.” Aside from selling to customers online, everything else is done by hand, including the spreadsheets used for inventory. The company is currently investigating future investments in a hightech system, which would innovate everything from purchasing to shipping and producing. Although the new technology would make life easier, it would be a big step and take a lot of change, according to Leal. Vino de Milo continues to develop with changes and more additions to its staff. Currently, new salad dressings, savory jams and barbecue sauces are being developed. The ultimate goal is to carry on and become a much larger company. Leal noted that his business is just a small percentage of the industry it is a part of; however, he views that fact as merely an opportunity for the business to grow. b

BY MICHELLE JACOBSON | PHOTOS BY AMANDA DAMELIO

resh fennel, basil, tomatoes and Argentinian Malbec wine: these, along with other natural ingredients, make up Vino de Milo’s fresh herb marinara sauce. For over 11 years, this Athens-based company has created wholesale specialty foods under the guidance of its founder and owner, Jonathan Milo Leal. What began as a small business selling only three sauces has expanded into a company that sells over 30 products internationally. After graduating from Ohio University, Leal began working at a catering company, wherein a kitchen manager suggested that he jar and sell his eggplant pasta sauce. Believing it wouldn’t be hard to sell the sauce, Leal took the recommendation and turned his personal creation into a product. “It was kind of an organic start and then took off from there,” Leal says. Milo’s was the name of the company during its first year, but the name was soon reconsidered. In order to be successful both nationally and internationally, the company needed to stand out and have a name that no one else had. The company soon became Vino de Milo, a reference to the wine included in a majority of its products. “I love wine. I don’t drink it,” Leal admits. “But I love when it’s in something, and it gives it a real depth of flavor.” Customers can see everything that is included in Vino de Milo’s products by reading the label of each sauce, pre-

backdrop | Spring 2015

serve or salad dressing. “Nothing is a secret; it is all on our labels. We don’t hide anything,” Leal says. Local products are what give the company an original flavor. As a local business, Vino de Milo makes a point to source locally grown products for all its recipes, buying from familyowned farms and businesses. “A lot of people like that when they are spending with us, they are keeping a lot of money specifically in the state, and that really makes a difference,” Leal says. “And I really like supporting local companies.” Another supporter of local companies and a long-time customer of Vino de Milo is the Athens’ Kroger. According to manager Ernie Norris, Kroger has been selling the company’s products for more than 25 years. The close relationship has evolved, which has been beneficial to the community and to both companies. “Customer demand is the reason we sell their products. Our partnership with Vino de Milo shows that we are a part of the community,” Norris says. With expansion, the company has made its way from the United States to other countries, including Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan and New Zealand. Trade shows have helped the company meet buyers from around the world in a process Leal compares to “speed dating.”

Sweden has the highest percentage of Internet users — about 75 percent of its population.

It only took the World Wide Web four years to reach 50 million users.

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DIY

Fruits of Labor BY JORDAN SIMMONS PHOTOS BY JILLY BURNS

Learn how to make wine from the comfort of your home with these tips.

aking wine at home may seem complicated, but it can be a fun and exciting hobby. In just one evening after a productive day of class, you can have 30 bottles of wine in the making for under $50. It only takes five simple steps to become a D-I-Y home-brewer.

All of the following ingredients are easy to find at the Athens Do It Yourself Shop right off of Route 50. Eric Hedin can help you out with any questions you may have or equipment you may need to rent. Start now and have a full cellar by fest season.

WHAT YOU NEED

PREPARATION

Blackberry Wine Ingredients

Step 1

Use an Easy Clean No Rinse Cleaner to sanitize all equipment.

6 cups water

Over high heat, mix one can Blackberry Fruit Wine Base with three cans water and 12 pounds of sugar for 10 to 15 minutes, leaving enough time for the sugar to fully dissolve.

12 lbs. Morena Pure Cane Sugar

Step 2

3 tsp. acid blend — $2

Pour mixture into ale pale. Slowly mix in 3 tsp. acid blend, 4 tsp. yeast nutrient, 2 ½ tsp. pectic enzyme, and ½ tsp. wine tannin. Add remaining three cans of water. Add yeast last.

1 can Blackberry Fruit Wine Base (96 oz.) — $38

4 tsp. yeast nutrient — $2 2 ½ tsp. pectic enzyme — $2

Step 3

½ tsp. wine tannin — $2.25

Place lid over ale pale. Fill the airlock with water up to the marked line. Place airlock over ale pale.

1 package wine yeast — $1

Tools 1 5 ½-gallon carboy (for final fermentation) — $30-40 1 7-gallon ale pale (for first 2 weeks fermentation) — $14 1 airlock 1 syphon hose 1 funnel

backdrop | Spring 2015

THIS PHOTO WAS PROVIDED BY TYLER GOLDBERG

WINE PAIRINGS

Step 4 Wait 10 to 14 days. After, syphon the mixture into the carboy. Place airlock over carboy.

Step 5

In 40 days to six months, you can begin enjoying your wine. Check the wine in the carboy; there will eventually be a degree of clarity showing from the top down. The clarity means it’s ready. Rent a wine corker for $5 to top it off, unless your friends already drank all of it first.

MOSCATO

MERLOT

ZINFANDEL ROSE

Breads, desserts and soft cheeses

Chicken, beef and hard cheeses

Fish, Thai cuisine and lamb

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PHOTO STORY

Large gate in the city of Assilah, a northwestern city of Morocco.

Passageway

TO MOROCCO PHOTOS BY BRIANNA GRIESINGER & BECCA ZOOK

Over winter break, 15 Ohio University students traveled to Morocco as a part of a documentary screenwriting program through the School of Media Arts and Studies. While there, Becca Zook and Brianna Griesinger worked on a documentary focused on Moroccan witchcraft and its cultural ties. These photos are a compilation of various cities they visited while travelling throughout the vibrant North African country.

BELOW

Baby donkey standing in the narrow streets of Fez.

ABOVE

Tour guide stands in front of a traditional doorway in Chefchaouen, a city in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco. Chefchaouen is known for its distinct blue buildings and walls.

ABOVE (TOP TO BOTTOM)

Cat walking down steps in Chefchaouen. Fruit stand outside of a local shop.

BELOW

Man holding animal skin working in the leather tannery in Fez.

ABOVE

Hand-painted dishes hanging in a shop in the local souk of Marrakesh.

RIGHT

Hand-painted ceramic bowls and tagines in a local shop within one of the souks in Marrakesh. Tagine is a common Moroccan dish, named after the pot in which it is cooked.

LEFT

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.

BELOW

A Moroccan Shawafa, or fortune-teller, selling supplies in a graveyard outside of Oudaya.

ON THE WEB

SNUFFED

OUT

Ohio University will implement a campus-wide tobacco ban starting August 2015, but many worry that the new policy may be difficult to enforce. BY AMANDA DAMELIO | ILLUSTRATION BY LIZZIE SETTINERI

or students who enjoy the occasional cigarette or the more public-friendly e-cigerette, inhaling either may become difficult in the coming year, regardless of whether or not they are looking to quit. Recently finalized legislation will attempt to make Ohio University’s campus completely tobacco-free beginning August 2015. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, vaporizer pens and all other tobacco products will be banned from academic grounds. With those various options exhausted, users may have a tough time figuring out how to satisfy their urges. With all of the pressure for students and faculty to quit, it is important to know the root of the issue. In July 2012, the Ohio Board of Regents sent out a resolution to all colleges and universities recommending that they consider being a tobaccofree campus. The goal is to maintain a healthier atmosphere. “The decision was made to promote a healthy lifestyle and environment, and we all have a part in that,” says Ryan Lombardi, vice president of Student Affairs. The board seriously examined the University of Toledo, University of Iowa, Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky, which have all already implemented policies of their own, and examined the possibility of locally adapting the policy.

backdrop | Spring 2015

Smoking a cigarette is already prohibited inside campus buildings, as well as within a 25-foot radius of any doors. The new tobacco policy would prohibit the consumption of all forms of tobacco products on all academic grounds. Although Lombardi acknowledges that the adjustment will be a challenge for current tobacco consumers, he says that the change will not merely happen overnight, but rather over a period of several years. The idea is to give those individuals ample time to utilize resources provided by OU, such as the university’s developing cessation programs and web resources, to help them discontinue their tobacco usage. With such a substantial policy change coming, OU plans to do everything in its power to ensure an easy transition. “We are spending this year trying to get the word out to everybody [and] developing a university website about [the ban] so that people can find necessary resources,” says Judith Piercy, interim university ombudsperson and Tobacco-Free Implementation Task Force Chair. The resources include a comprehensive website that was launched in January. The website is comprised of a brochure containing the policy regulations, as well as promotional flyers and available cessation resources.

The world’s first computer, which was named the Z1, was invented by Konrad Zuse in 1936.

Courses to support quitting the habit will be offered by the Health Promotion Department and will be free for students. According to Ann Addington, the assistant director of Health Promotion for Tobacco, Other Drugs, and Recovery Programs, students will have access to a complete tobacco cessation program and a free two-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy. “As we get closer to the actual date to become tobacco free…I predict that more tobacco users will take advantage of the classes,” Addington says. Although the classes are likely to provide substantial health benefits, the policy itself may result in a less than desirable outcome. “We are not going to do a typical enforcement concept that people have, which is being charged with a violation of the student code of conduct,” Piercy explains. “What we’re going to do is focus more on compliance, asking somebody, ‘Will you please put out that cigarette? We are a smoke-free campus,’ and if they continue to walk and do it, there’s not a whole lot that person can do.” It is not a simple matter of fear or apathy. Without instilling any tangible rules or consequences, students may not care enough to endorse the wellness initiative. “From the start, there was no interest from the university administration to create an environment in which the only reason people don’t use tobacco is out of fear,” Lombardi says. Kyle Hildreth, a freshman screenwriting and producing major, has been smoking regularly for as long as he can remember. “The way that students drink now is a perfect metaphor for how we will smoke in the future,” Hildreth says. All students are aware of the alcohol policy that stands on campus, yet underage students continue to drink. The policies on other controlled substances such as alcohol have extremely strict consequences, which fail to discourage students from indulging in illegal behavior. Some students, such as freshman Micaela Slye, also believe the ban will prove to be difficult. “I’m kind of a naturally-introverted person, so even saying something like, ‘Hey, would you put that cigarette out?’ to a friend would be a little weird,” Slye admits. “If a stranger was smoking near me, I’d definitely want to say something, but unless it was really extreme, I doubt I would.” If OU does not acknowledge that the policy may not provide the desired effect, the change may not be properly implemented. Although Slye likes the idea of community support, without any actual regulation of the rules, she doesn’t see the ban having many benefits. “If there are no actual rules against smoking, the people who want to do it are going to keep doing it,” Slye says. The policy may even aggravate the situation. “If it were me, it’d probably just make me want to smoke more to spite them.” b

Doug Engelbart made the first computer mouse out of wood in 1964.

ACROSS THE NATION As of Jan. 1, 2015, there are at least 1,514 campuses that are 100 percent smoke-free. Of those, 1,014 are 100 percent tobacco-free, and 587 prohibit the use of e-cigarettes anywhere on campus.

BANS CLOSE TO HOME A map of Ohio universities that have campus tobacco bans. 100% E-cigarette Free

100% Tobacco-Free

100% E-cigarette Free and 100% Tobacco-Free

100% Smoke-

10 9 3

5 8

14 7 12

11 4

1. Central State University 2. Cedarville University 3. Dwight Schar School of Nursing 4. Hocking College 5. Malone University 6. Miami University 7. Mount Carmel School of Nursing 8. Mount Vernon Nazarene University 9. Northeast Ohio Medical University

10. Notre Dame College 11. Ohio Christian University 12. Ohio Dominican University, 3 campuses 13. Ohio State University at Newark 14. Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center College of Medicine 15. University of Toledo, 6 campuses

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VOICES

HOLD the

PHONE Mobile devices meant to bring people together are tearing us apart.

BY JORDAN SIMMONS | ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA SHOKLER

SPRING semester

2015 WEEK 7

FEB. 22-28

24 feb

VOICE | 7:30 p.m.

25 feb

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company | 7:30 p.m.

Baker Center Theatre Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

WEEK 8

MARCH 1-7

6 Basketball: last home game v. Miami | 7 p.m. march Convocation Center (Men’s) 7

Basketball: last home game v. Miami | 2 p.m. march Convocation Center (Women’s) Spring Break march MARCH 1 - MARCH 7

WEEK 9 9

backdrop | Spring 2015

called “The Power of Now” on ACRN from 2013 to 2014. “Basically, cellphones feed the ego with other elements that turn us into consumers instead of creators. Instead of creating in the moment, we turn into consumers, so we are not actually using the moment.” People too often spend their lives in a state of worry rather than of balance. Humans automatically tangle their brains with confusion in the cyber world, rather than immerse themselves in the present state. If cellphones did not exist, people would be forced to go back to their roots of person-to-person communication and look one another in the eyes once in a while. “The moment you are in now is what is real, it’s the only real thing that you really have,” Godwin says. “The future doesn’t really exist, the past doesn’t really exist. They only exist in your mind.” Cellphones leave barriers between people. Life is more fun and spontaneous when you listen to your thoughts and follow them. With technology set aside, you awaken yourself to conscious-based interactions and are more in-tune with the earth. Life would be a whole new journey if we forgot our phones at home once in a while. b

About 91 percent of adults have their mobile phones within arm’s reach every hour of every day.

march

MARCH 8-14

A Trip Through Strawberry Fields | 7:30 p.m.

Palmer Fest

march

Juicy J at Indie Fest march Lake Snowden, Albany Ohio.

WEEK 12

MARCH 29-APRIL 5

Baseball: first home game v. Central Michigan | 2 p.m.

Easter Sunday

april The Softball Field april

WEEK 13 april

APRIL 5-11

Moms Weekend

Broadway’s Next H!t Musical | 8 p.m. april Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

WEEK 14 MARCH 15-21

Simply Three (string trio) | 7:30 p.m. march Baker Center Theatre Memphis (musical) | 7:30 p.m. march Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

Palmer Place Fest

MARCH 22-28

Mill Fest

WEEK 10

march

Milliron Fest

First home baseball game v. Siena College | 1 p.m. march Bob Wren Stadium march

WEEK 11 march

march Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

wish cellphones did not exist. So much of our time is spent on them. I can’t even have an honest conversation with some family members on holidays anymore, because they have to stop and take a picture every second. We spend so much time trying to preserve memories for tomorrow rather than just embracing them in the present. When I went without a phone for three months, my curiosity was at its peak. I remember embracing my spontaneity, showing up at random friends’ houses, and engaging in conversations more fully. I took time just to pop into places, something I wouldn’t do if I had my handheld distractions pulling me away. Recently, I was hanging out and listening to music at my neighbor’s when I pulled out my phone. I wondered why I was staring at the stupid device. Thrown into my thoughts, I couldn’t understand why it took so much effort to put my phone away. The people surrounding me were creating conversations that I was no longer a part of. Minutes of reality were slipping from my awareness. “The stuff on our phone is not what’s happening around us now,” says Becca Godwin, a senior who hosted a weekly special

EVENTS

april

Number Fest, 13th Edition

WEEK 15 25

High Fest

april

APRIL 12-18

APRIL 24-26

Athena Cinema 100th Year Anniversary

STAY UP TO DATE WITH OUR ONLINE CALENDAR AT WWW.BACKDROPMAGAZINE.COM There are 6.8 billion people on the planet and 4 billion of them use mobile phones.

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? QUIZ See where you end up on the path to higher education. Are you in or out?

I C D E D ED? N U

CREATED BY THE BACKDROP STAFF

NUMBERS TRANSPORT

BUS DRINK UP

HYBRID

SPORTS CAR

WALT

CRISTAL

IMPROV

COUNTRY CLUB

PORN

numbers or words?

HOCKING HILLS

CENTRAL PARK

WEB ADDICTION

GUS GOOGLE STOCKS

PARKS & REC

THE CRYSTAL

CLUB SCENE

BREAKING BAD

JESSE

Are you better with

ATTIRE

URBAN

DRESS DOWN

SUIT UP

NO PANTS

LEX LUTHOR TWITTER

THE RIDDLER

JOKER BAR

DRINKING SCENE PERSONAL LIBRARY

KINDLE

HARDBACK

THE BEATLES

MUSIC TASTE

LIFESTYLE

BACKPACKING CHOCOLATE

VILLIAN

STORY TIME

WORDS

SNACK ARCADE FIRE

KALE TEA HOUSE

RIFF RAFF

LIFTING

WORKOUT YOGA

STARBUCKS

COFFEE FAIR TRADE

SCIENCE WHIZ

BUSINESS-MINDED

PEOPLE-PERSON

THE INTELLECTUAL

FREE SPIRIT

DROP OUT

Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Medical

Management Accounting Economics Marketing Advertising

Political Science Social Sciences Psychology Journalism Education

Foreign Languages Philosophy History English Law

Photography Theater Design Film Art

Well, it’s time for some serious life evaluations.

backdrop | Spring 2015

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STUDENTS! STUDENTS! STUDENTS! STUDENTS!

PHOTO HUNT

wsowN wow to noN eSdnetetnusntdstN esN utud StSuStd

PHOTO HUNT

PHOTO BY BECCA ZOOK Find the five differences on this bright Moroccan through-street.

Alu Alu Alu Alu mn mn mn i Lat i mn iLat Lat erierLat er er

Bobcats Bobcats Bobcats Bobcats Forever Forever Forever Forever

2 3

Your Your Your Your Alumni Alumni Alumni Alumni Association Association Association Association isn’t isn’t isn’t isn’t just just just just for for for grads. for grads. grads. grads.

Get Get Get involved Get involved involved involved with with with the with the thethe Student Student Student Student Alumni Alumni Alumni Alumni Board Board Board Board today! today! today! today!

Follow Follow Follow us us Follow us us@OhioSAB @OhioSAB @OhioSAB @OhioSAB Contact: Contact: Contact: Katrina Contact: Katrina Katrina Heilmeier Katrina Heilmeier Heilmeier Heilmeier at at heilmeik@ohio.edu at heilmeik@ohio.edu heilmeik@ohio.edu at heilmeik@ohio.edu

backdrop | Spring 2015

Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here Fun fact goes here

Five million photos are uploaded daily on Instagram.

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363 Richland Ave. | Athens, OH 45701 backdrop | Spring 2015

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