backdrop magazine
FALL 2019
DEW DROP IN
pg. 20
VELVET SOUNDS pg. 24
FOUNDING FUR PEACE RANCH
pg. 36
Letter from the Editor
Ally Lanasa | Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com
On behalf of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Backdrop staff, I am writing to share my most sincere apology to the Kaukonens and my deepest regret for unprofessionally publishing a rough draft article in Issue 1 about Fur Peace Ranch, located in Meigs County. As the editor-inchief of this student-run publication, I take full responsibility for what was published. There is no excuse for the release of the erroneous article. The following is a list of corrections appended from the previously printed version: We incorrectly stated that Fur Peace Ranch is a musical camp for young musicians; we inaccurately described Jorma Kaukonen as a bluegrass legend; we misspelled the name of the Kaukonens’ cat, who is pictured beside Vanessa on the porch at the ranch; we inaccurately stated when and where Jorma met Jack Casady; we inaccurately reported who Jorma formed Jefferson Airplane with; we incorrectly stated that John Clark sold the land in Pomeroy to the Kaukonens and how the deal was closed; Clark only informed Jorma about the opportunity to purchase the land; we inaccurately stated when Jorma taught at The New School; we failed to report sufficient information about Jorma’s fingerpicking style; lastly, we inaccurately reported where Jorma and Vanessa moved after they married. Immediately after being informed about the inaccuracies, I referenced the SPJ Code of Ethics to resolve the situation. I communicated with Vanessa Kaukonen to make the proper corrections to the article. Then, I uploaded the accurate article on our website and in the digital magazine on Issuu with a public statement. I shared the links on our social media accounts. In this issue, I have republished the article with corrections appended, showcasing Jorma’s musical accomplishments and the commendable work at Fur Peace Ranch as we had originally intended (pg. 36). I express my greatest appreciation to the Kaukonens for allowing us to address our mistakes and repair the damage we created through careless reporting and fact checking. It is through the generosity of community members like the Kaukonens that we gain opportunities to grow as storytellers. This incident revealed a weakness in our editorial process. In response to the difficult lesson, I have been working with my staff to enhance the rigor and accountability of our procedures and will continue to do so throughout the rest of this school year. I hope you enjoy our second issue. Thank you to all those who made it possible. Best,
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FALL 2019 » VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2
Contact Alecia Moquin 740.592.5262 or 740.591.6498 alecia@diversifiedproperties.net
Welcome to Madison Heights... Located centrally on East State and Madison, within walking distance to restaurants, shopping and OU campus.
9 MADISON
A re-creation of the former Athens Flower Shop, there are two (2) newly constructed, two-bedroom apartments. Each with two bathrooms, washer-dryer, open kitchen-dining-living rooms, plenty of natural light, and two parking spots for each apartment. August occupancy anticipated.
17 MADISON
Two newly constructed townhouses with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths each, with 2 parking spots for each townhome. Each townhome will have its own washer-dryer, and open kitchen-dining-living rooms. Please call to learn about this rental opportunity and its anticipated occupancy date.
UPPER APARTMENT
LOWER APARTMENT
Providing quality residential rental properties to the Athens Community for over 25 years!
Floor plans, photos and more information at www.diversifiedproperties.net
backdrop magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALLY LANASA MANAGING EDITOR GRACE DEARING ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR MICHAELA FATH WEB EDITOR ELEANOR BISHOP ASSISTANT WEB EDITOR NORA MCKEOWN COPY CHIEF AVERY KREEMER ASSISTANT COPY CHIEF JULIE CIOTOLA ASSOCIATE EDITORS RACHAEL BEARDSLEY, JESS DEYO, ALEXIS MCCURDY, LILLI SHER WRITERS ASHLEY LAFLIN, CYDNEY CARPENTER, ELENA GOLUBOVICH, HELEN WIDMAN, MORGAN SPEHAR, SAMANTHA WEBNE
PUBLISHER CLAIRE MCGEE CREATIVE DIRECTOR KAITLIN HENEGHAN ART DIRECTORS JESSICA COORS & ASHLEY LAFLIN DESIGNERS ABBY SUMMERS, ANDREA MATTHEWS, DEREK ZEMPER, IRIS ZWIRN, KALEIGH BOWEN, KATEY KRUBACK, LAINEY DOUGLAS, MACEY ELDER, MEGAN SYER, MORGAN MEYER, SAMANTHA MUSLOVSKI PHOTO EDITOR MAX CATALANO PHOTOGRAPHERS ANDREW JOHNSON, CATIE GROUBERT, ELLIE HABEL, JACOB DURBIN, MICHAEL COBB, PATRICIA PORTER, TANNER PEARSON SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR SARAH TODACK
Readers are entitled to one free issue.
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Send an email to backdrop.publishing@gmail.com to get started.
Stop by one of our weekly meetings at 8 p.m. Tuesdays in Schoonover 450.
SEE "FLOWING
Follow us! Twitter & Instagram @BackdropMag
AT LITTLE FISH" PAGE 44
OU students and Athens residents partake in Little Fish Yoga on a Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Photo provided by Little Fish Brewing Co.
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CONTENTS FEATURES JUST DEW IT
An organic hop and vegetable farm provides the Athens community with craft beer and memorable experiences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
STAGE FOR SIX
A local “junk funk” band is focusing on growing its fan base and making an impact, starting with the Athens music scene.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Q&A
CALENDAR
The Stevens Literacy Center is dedicated to improving reading and writing skills . . . . . . . . . . 6
Check out the best events happening in Athens and Nelsonville this winter. . . . . . . . . . 34
PROMOTING LITERACY
THE DROP
ENTERTAINMENT
A student organization teaches problem solving through design-based thinking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Fur Peace Ranch utilizes its co-founder's decades of music industry experience to help guitarists improve their sound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
WHAT CAN YOUDESIGN?
THE WONDERS OF WISTERIA
A community in Meigs County has an ecoeducational mission that promotes healing . . . . . 10
HEALTH
BELIEVE SURVIVORS, CHANGE THE CULTURE
An OU student uses her story to support and advocate for survivors of sexual assault . . . . . 12
PIERCING PROTOCOL
Piercings are the latest fashion trend that require attentive care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
RECIPE
FALLING FOR BRUNCH
Embrace the changing seasons with these fall-themed brunch staples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
INFOGRAPHIC Cover photo by Catie Groubert
ON THE BRICKS
BEYOND THE BRICKS
Rediscover Athens with these locally treasured eateries.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
PEACE, SOUL & ROCK ’N’ ROLL BLUES IN THE FOOTHILLS
A family-owned barn in Meigs County attracts crowds to blues concerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
COMMUNITY
A TOWN OF MAKERS
The Athens Artisan Co-Op Shop offers handmade fine-quality art and goods. . . . . . . . 42
VOICES
FLOWING AT LITTLE FISH One Backdropper found her flow at Little Fish Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
EXHIBIT A Student finds solace in digital
media artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
PHOTO HUNT Spot the five differences between these photos
of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway . . . . . . . . 47
PHOTO STORY LEAVING A MARK
A local tattoo artist shares his talent with Athens and beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
FALL 2019 » VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2
backdropmagazine.com
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Q&A
PROMOTING
LITERACY The Helen M. Robinson Center for Reading provides tools for local children to excel in reading. BY MICHAELA FATH PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JULIE FRANCIS, PH.D.
T
he Stevens Literacy Center has been dedicated to serving local schools, businesses and other community agencies since 1997. As a parent organization for the Helen M. Robinson Center for Reading, the Stevens Literacy Center is involved in community tutoring and promoting literacy within Athens. Julie Francis, Ph.D., director of the center, was involved in the establishment of the Helen M. Robinson Center for Reading when the Patton College of Education reopened in 2017. b
HOW DOES THE STEVENS LITERACY CENTER HELP THE COMMUNITY? We call it a community tutoring center, and it’s part of our emphasis on providing services to our community for children — PreK to 12 — to come to the center and receive any kind of literacy support provided by what we call our literacy ambassadors. Those literacy ambassadors are typically undergraduate teacher candidates or graduate students working on their masters of reading program. Sometimes we also have other undergraduate students from other various colleges that are just interested in connecting with children. They really want to be a positive role model for children that might need some enrichment or extra support with developing literacy and language skills.
WHEN WAS THE HELEN M. ROBINSON CENTER FOR READING IN THE STEVENS LITERACY CENTER CONSTRUCTED?
HELEN M. ROBINSON 6
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When The Patton College of Education reopened in January of 2017 after major renovations, I became the new director of the center. We were really trying to envision what the center’s mission would be. We had a very blank space in there. There was nothing on the wall. There wasn’t any furniture. It looked like a traditional college classroom. It had long tables and chairs. So we began working with the Ohio University interior designers. Just by talking with them about how we wanted to create this space for children, teacher candidates and families to come to, they began to conceptualize that we needed to have colored furniture, walls and appealing features that could accommodate and be safe [for] kindergarten through third graders.
Students in the Athens area take advantage of the learning resources available at OU's literacy center
WHO WAS HELEN M. ROBINSON? WHAT CONNECTION DOES SHE HAVE TO THE UNIVERSITY? Helen Mansfield Robinson Jobe grew up in the Athens area. Her family was one of the first families to have this big plat of land on the Hocking River even before [OU] was founded. The Mansfields have a long history of living in Athens County and being a part of [OU]. Helen was a graduate of [OU], and she went on to be one of the pioneer experts of reading education. She wrote for over 60 years about reading education. For a woman in the ’40s and ’50s, she was really paving the way — really thinking about great research and asking, “What is it that we can do for students to help them to be better readers and writers?” We’re also looking at a field that was dominated by men and she was definitely leading the way. She also wrote the Dick and Jane books in the mid-1960s. That’s sort of her claim to fame, but she was really a scholar in every way.
WHAT IS INSIDE OF THE STEVENS LITERACY CENTER? There’s a rocking chair, there’s bean bag chairs. There’s this book boat called the S.S. Ohio. It’s where we invite children to go inside and enjoy reading and writing by fantasizing that they’re on this book boat. You know, it’ll take them to great places when they read and write in the book boat. We also have this huge mural that takes up a big wall space in Aunt Helen’s Treehouse. We wanted it to have that feeling of being outdoors and represent our beautiful Athens area. It’s how
we’re honoring where we live, but we’re also talking about how fun it is to be a reader. It’s such a welcoming space for children.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE STEVENS LITERACY CENTER? Every year we hire at a minimum 15 literacy ambassadors to provide support to community families and students that are coming in. When we do summer camps, we’ve worked with a minimum of 100 families. We’ve had a wonderful response. It will keep growing as the years goes on.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE STEVENS LITERACY CENTER TO GROW IN THE FUTURE? With our grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Aspire program, in five years, we would like to see two-generation programming going on, where we’re not only providing academic support for children, but we complement that with support for parents that want to improve their academic basic skills. But also, a program that gives them an opportunity to enhance workplace and soft skills so that they have increased employability skills. Additionally, we’re developing an OHIO PREP program to support campus literacy skills, or bridge programs, to help incoming freshman be more successful as they transition from high school into postsecondary education. All these programs fulfill the mission of the Stevens Literacy Center—to research, promote and develop literacy across the lifespan. backdropmagazine.com
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THE DROP
WHAT CAN
YOUDESIGN? A new student organization focuses on uniting students across majors to teach problem-solving skills. BY MORGAN SPEHAR | PHOTO PROVIDED BY WINTER WILSON
T
he CoLab bustles with activity as students move in and out of rooms, draw on whiteboards and excitedly discuss ideas and projects. The energy in the room reflects the vibrant pinks and greens decorating the space designed by the University Innovation Fellows. The communal space in Alden Library is for students across disciplines to come together and work on projects outside the confines of a classroom. Here, students studying engineering can meet with students from the journalism, arts and environmental fields to work on projects that reach far beyond their own areas of expertise. In the center of it all is Winter Wilson, a senior studying journalism and environmentalism and one of the Innovation Fellows who designed the CoLab. She believes in the power of interdisciplinary problem solving and design thinking. “Basically, design thinking is just a process of really understanding a problem,” she says. “Being able to define what that problem is, coming up with an idea, prototyping it and then testing that idea.” Now that the CoLab is open, Wilson is working on engaging more students in interdisciplinary projects and design thinking so the idea behind the space is utilized. Last spring semester, Wilson gathered a group of Ohio University freshmen from different majors
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and partnered with No Rulz, a tie-dye company that employs people with Down syndrome. The students helped the company improve everything from its website design to its production process. What started as a semester-long project became yOUdesign, an organization dedicated to empowering students and the community at the same time. Wilson and her co-founder Dylan Denner, who has since graduated and now works in the Peace Corps, founded the organization based on those same principles. “I have personally realized how valuable design thinking and interdisciplinary problem solving can be,” Wilson says. “We wanted other students to have these opportunities early on and be engaged in real world problems in the design process from start to finish.” But Wilson isn’t the only one who thinks that an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving will be beneficial for students. yOUdesign’s faculty adviser Cody Petitt, a lab coordinator at Russ College of Engineering and Technology, believes it’s a skill that is necessary for the modern workforce. “It’s a really cool aspect that’s really beneficial,” Petitt says. “Whenever you get into an industry, whatever industry that is, you’re going to have to work with people that didn’t study the same thing as you, and everyone needs to learn how to communicate with
A yOUdesign team from last year works on designing an interior bike rack for the inside of an electric vehicle.
people who think differently than they do.” yOUdesign organizes students into small teams to work on specialized projects that are chosen based on the students’ interests and skill levels, and although the organization is based on design, it’s not just engineers. Natalie Sova is a business administration major in yOUdesign. She worked on No Rulz’s website to make it more sales-friendly. “Originally the organization was a lot of engineers, but we want to make it more interdisciplinary,” Sova says. “The idea is that we bring all these people together that have different skills but work toward a common theme.” Because the projects are for the surrounding community, students have a chance to see their designs come to life and how new ideas can influence companies like No Rulz. “The website is a thousand-fold better,” says Nick Regan, the communication and sales manager at No Rulz. “We’ve gotten more hits on our website, and we’ve made more sales on our website since the redesign.” yOUdesign’s goal now is to work on recruitment and get more OU students involved with the community. The student organization is planning to work with Athens Village, a local group of senior citizens who help each other live autonomously. The students will offer help sessions so that the community members can come in and bring technology questions. Wilson is looking to expand yOUdesign; her goal is to have five teams of students working on projects each semester. She says the earlier someone joins the team, the better, because learning interdisciplinary skills toward the beginning of a college career can have a significant impact on communication and problem solving. yOUdesign is also focusing on educating students
about 21st century skills. “We’ve developed workshops that are focused on design thinking, effective teamwork, entrepreneurship, prototyping and communications,” Wilson says. She notes that the workshops will be open to everyone who wants to come and learn, but she encourages students to join yOUdesign and help them work on projects. As the faculty adviser, Petitt says he’s seen yOUdesign grow into a unique organization.
“
The idea is that we bring all these people together that have different skills but work toward a common theme.” NATALIE SOVA MEMBER OF YOUDESIGN “It’s interesting because last semester when they started the organization, they started under the premise of [wanting] to do really cool stuff,” he says. “They want to have practical experience projects that are really awesome, and not just little project, but things that are actually meaningful and inspire young minds to go do things.” b backdropmagazine.com
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THE DROP
THE
WONDERS OF
WISTERIA A nearby community is a place of spirituality and healing for visitors and residents. BY RACHAEL BEARDSLEY | ILLUSTRATIONS BY MACEY ELDER
F
or Lee Neff, community is the biggest priority. This is largely because Neff’s community is one of a kind, weaving together spirituality, environmentalism and healing. Neff’s home, called Wisteria, is a campground and event site situated halfway between Meigs County and Athens. He calls it a 620-acre playground of self-discovery. “Wisteria was formed to help others, not make money,” Neff says. “People wear what they want, go by whatever name they want and act how they want, so long as it does not hurt others.” Wisteria was born from a group of friends’ mutual desire to live authentically, says Gina Kruzel, a resident of Wisteria and former president of the community’s business, which handles the campground and event site. “We would sit around the campfire and dream that dream,” Kruzel says. “[Then] a group of people actually found the land and created this.” “This” refers to Wisteria’s 80 acres of meadow and woodland that make up the campground and event site. The area also features a covered stage, a pavilion and an amphitheater used to host concerts and music festivals. In addition, a nature preserve home to local plants and wildlife makes up over 200 acres of Wisteria. The land, formerly used for strip mining, was purchased and left undisturbed, allowing it to heal naturally.
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“
I think, first and foremost, we are a collection of people who wanted to heal a land and [ourselves] in a way. Basically, the one similar want was to create a place in nature that was safe for people to express themselves.” LEE NEFF RESIDENT OF WISTERIA
Although many visitors come and go for festivals, events and camping trips, about 10 dedicated shareholders live on the land, contributing to the community in whatever ways their skills allow. Some help build roads or collect firewood, others manage the finances. Everyone finds their place. “I think, first and foremost, we are a collection of people who wanted to heal a land and [ourselves] in a way,” Neff says. “Basically, the one similar want was to create a place in nature that was safe for people to express themselves.” Neff’s parents, two of Wisteria’s primary founders, researched, planned and visited southern Ohio for years hoping to create a land-based community. Neff says the catalyst for actually purchasing the land was his mother’s mental health struggles. “My father dreamed of a place she could be in nature—away from a judgmental and misunderstanding society—and could heal,” he says. Neff’s mother did eventually heal during her time at Wisteria, and her experience has inspired Neff, a fifthyear senior studying psychology at Ohio University, to one day establish a mental health crisis shelter at Wisteria. “[Residents and visitors] are surrounded by like-minded people who can help them process traumas and stress,” Neff says. “The whole place is just a healing place.” Wisteria has an eco-educational focus that is inclusive of any philosophy that understands the importance of environmentalism. Although Wisteria is not a religious body, many founders and current residents are neopagan. As a nature-based religion, paganism is diverse and does not have any single set of beliefs. Instead, it combines aspects of many ancient religions, such as the recognition of many gods and goddesses or
the practice of rituals. Neff says paganism offers a large amount of freedom to practitioners in terms of what they believe and how they choose to practice their faith. “[Neopaganism] represents an individualistic journey to religion where the only guiding principles are reverence toward nature and open-mindedness,” Neff says. “You kind of collect a lot of religions into it, and everyone is their own type.” Wisteria weaves this spirituality into the land itself. The grounds are home to the Turtle and Ancestor mounds, known as sacred sites because of their use for rituals, as well as a sweat lodge, a fire circle, a stone circle and a shrine to nature spirits. One of Wisteria’s signature festivals, Autumn Fires, is a Halloween-themed and family-friendly event full of pumpkin carving, trick-ortreating in the woods, feasts and public rituals. Current president Pam Cooper emphasizes that Wisteria is a place for everyone, regardless of faith. They’ve hosted events for many different groups of people, from Boy Scouts of America to Mennonites to atheists to those who just love nature. They also host many weddings, music and folk festivals on the grounds. “We’re all positive, nature-oriented people, but there’s a lot of different spiritual paths here,” Cooper says. Wisteria’s many facets can be complicated, yet Neff thinks of simplicity when he thinks of home. He thinks of tall trees and moss growing on stones. He remembers learning the names of plants as a child by grabbing leaves and smelling them during walks on gravel roads. Wisteria is home—a continuous safe space. “I see Wisteria as a place of complete healing” he says. “Healing for the people who go there and healing for those with mental illness and healing for even the land. It’s kind of like a place for transformation.” b
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HEALTH
Believe Sur vivors, Change the Culture An OU student shares her recovery story and the journey toward justice after her sexual assault. BY JESS DEYO
O
ut of 1,000 sexual assaults, only 230 are reported. Only 46 suspected assaulters are arrested, and only five are convicted. Those statistics flash across the screen at the end of “Start By Believing,” a short documentary that tells the story of Brie Sivy, an Ohio University student, who is a survivor of sexual assault. In 2017, 200 people gathered for the Start by Believing talks to hear the heart-wrenching stories of survivors who weren’t believed and details about how that impacted their likelihood to tell their stories in the future. Sivy, though, had a different story to tell — a story of the time she felt truly believed and supported. Sivy stood alongside Ohio University Police Department Detective Mathew Austin and Director of the Survivor Advocacy Program Kimberly Castor, who Sivy spent nearly a year working with. Together, they resurfaced the details of her case, playing audio from her initial interviews. Sivy reassured survivors, identified or not, that they are valid. Austin and Castor stressed the importance of ensuring victims feel believed. Sivy’s speech was held because of OU’s commitment to Start by Believing, a campaign by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI). The campaign, created in 2011 and adopted by OU in 2017, aims to demonstrate the importance of a survivor-centered focus during reports of interpersonal violence. “[EVAWI] started this campaign with the idea of it being that the best thing you can do when responding to survivors is to simply believe what they are telling you,” Castor says. “That’s what it means when they say, ‘start by believing.’”
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Universities and organizations can adopt the Start by Believing Campaign however they wish, and Sivy presented OU’s audience with a unique twist to her story — her positive experience with campus resources. Sivy’s speech became so well-known that her words were requested everywhere, from Housing and Residence Life events to national conferences. Before long, Sivy’s audience expanded, but her time wore thin. As a senior, coordinating time for a two-hour talk, one that forces the past to constantly be merged with the present, was becoming unrealistic. It was then that the idea of a 25-minute documentary was presented — a perfect solution to keep the conversation going for audiences anytime, anywhere. “Folks can watch it in their dorm room lying in bed, and classes can show it too,” Austin says. “Instead of getting 200 people a pop, we can get thousands, hopefully.” Sivy says it felt surreal when she was approached with the idea. For her, it’s a weird feeling knowing that everyone — including her assailant — can view her story, but she says revealing every painful detail was necessary. “I kind of hope [the assailant] sees it. I tell people all the time, I didn’t always feel like I got the justice I wanted from the legal system,” she says. “So, this is kind of a little bit of my justice. He didn’t break me. He didn’t win.” While Sivy still struggled to put together her idea of justice, she can proudly admit that her experience with the OUPD and the Survivor Advocacy Program was unbeatable: a “gold standard” where she was believed by everybody.
“I never felt like any of them thought it was my fault, the way a lot of survivors get that reaction or we feel it internally,” Sivy says. “I didn’t feel that way with any of them. I genuinely feel believed by them, which is good.” Sivy shares that throughout her entire journey, OUPD and Castor helped explain legalese and court-room procedures. At one point, she admits to possibly talking to Austin more than her mom because of his dedication.
“
My message to survivors always is that we are valid, we are loved, and we aren’t alone in this even though if feels like we always are.” BRIE SIVY SURVIVOR “He was never upset that I would ask the same question over and over again,’” Sivy says. “None of those things ever bothered him, which is nice. It felt like I had a good safe space I could go and talk to about this.” Austin’s inviting personality was no coincidence, but instead an intentional effort. For any report he receives, he hopes to send a message to victims that OUPD officers strive to be people first. OUPD and Austin’s welcoming attitude was just one factor of the process that is detailed in Sivy’s documentary. Austin and Castor also speak highly of Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview, or FETI, a type of interviewing that helps someone who has just suffered a severe trauma remember more details. During Sivy’s first interviews, she was one of the first to be exposed to FETI by Austin. “Today, every detective is trained in FETI and all officers are trained in trauma-informed processes,” Austin says. FETI is one of the concepts that Christofer Smith, a video producer for University Communications and Marketing, was sure to include in the documentary. For Smith, putting Sivy’s two-hour talks into a much shorter documentary proved to be taxing, but Sivy, Castor and Austin knew what needed to be emphasized. “Brie, Kim and Detective Austin are all extremely easy
to work with. They were kind of producers themselves in that they’ve done a Start by Believing event before,” Smith says. “They were really good at knowing what they wanted to say in their story and helping the story come out naturally.” Smith and his team worked on the documentary for nearly a year, including every piece of Sivy’s story through interviews or on-screen captions. What was most important to Smith, though, was showing off the relationship that Castor, Austin and Sivy had built over the years. “They have a great chemistry and a great working relationship between the three of them,” Smith says. “I think that’s why their program has been so successful.” For Sivy, the relationship between herself and Castor has been so strong that it inspired her to change her major from nursing to social work after her assault. Today, Sivy hopes to make a change in someone's life the way Castor impacted hers. Castor continues to stand with Sivy, whether that be as a friend, a counselor or a walking partner. “I pretty much want to be her when I grow up. She’s awesome,” Sivy says. “If someone can sit in 10 years and sing my praises the way I sing hers, then I’ll know I’ve done my job right.” Sivy is already on her way to spreading an impactful and powerful message, with the success of the documentary reaching all the way to a university in Australia, Castor says. Anywhere it goes, it will be an absolute shock to her, Sivy adds, but she is passionate about starting the conversation to change lives. “My message to survivors always is that we are valid, we are loved, and we aren’t alone in this even though it feels like we always are,” Sivy says. b
(740) 597- SAFE (7233) survivor.advocacy@ohio.edu Lindley Hall 038
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HEALTH
PIERCING
PROTOCOL Follow these six tips to ensure your next piercing heals properly. BY MICHAELA FATH | ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAINEY DOUGLAS
O
ne of the latest fashion trends requires diamonds, metal rings, needles and a bit of a pinch: the piercing craze. Both male and female students strut down the streets of campus rocking a stud (or four) every day. But, without the proper care, those piercings can cause complications, including swelling, pain, bacteria and bleeding. Before going through with a piercing, it’s important to consider the necessary aftercare tips and tricks to ensure proper healing.
Call a local piercer to inquire about the healing process. Whether it is a cartilage, navel, oral or any other type of piercing, be sure to pay attention to how long it takes to heal. Although each body is different, piercings such as earlobe piercings take only one to two months to heal, while nose piercings may require six to nine months healing time. Talk with a piercing specialist for a more accurate estimate.
bleeding
Prepare for minor reactions after getting a stud. Bleeding, swelling, itching or bruising may initially occur after getting a new piercing. Although it may seem a little concerning, those symptoms can show that the piercing is healing properly. swelling bruising
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Be sure to purchase the right cleaning products. Clair Strode, a former piercer at Decorative Injections on Court Street, recommends sterile saline solution for a deep clean. At Decorative Injections, a four-ounce can of H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare, a type of sterile saline solution, costs $8. “It comes in a sterile spray can, so you spray your piercing with it,” Strode says. “Therefore, it’s sterile every single time that you use it, and there’s no way to mess that up.” After thoroughly using the solution and rinsing the area of any residue, gently pat the pierced area with a clean paper towel. Cloth towels may contain harmful bacteria or snag the stud. Sterile saline solution may be found at any drugstore or local tattoo and piercing shop. Avoid any harsh products that will irritate the skin. Items like hydrogen peroxide, soaps and cleaning alcohol can dry the skin out, leaving the piercing irritated. Thick ointments can also damage the skin surrounding the piercing. “If you put a really thick ointment around your piercing to keep it moisturized, it can also clog it,” Strode says. “This will prevent air flow and you’ll have more issues.” Be aware of what metals are used in each piece of jewelry. Strode says the tattoo and piercing shop where she was formerly employed only pierces with jewelry made from surgical implant grade titanium. “That is the type of metal that you can’t get a reaction from because it’s implant grade,” Strode said. “That is why it is a bit more expensive to get pierced with titanium.” Implant grade is known to be a high-quality metal type, decreasing the chances of an infection. At Decorative Injections, titanium jewelry can cost up to $25 per piece. For those looking to save a bit more, jewelry made from surgical steel is another option. Decorative Injections sells surgical steel jewelry for as low as $6 each. Although it is cheaper, the surgical steel contains nickel, a metal people are often allergic to. “If you don’t think you have any type of allergy to a type of metal and you’re looking to save money, you should go with the surgical steel,” Strode says. Do research. After considering the above factors, if you think you can handle the work that comes with keeping a piercing clean and healthy, head down to your local piercer for the stud you’ve been coveting. b
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RECIPE
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Brunch Falling for
Try Backdrop's seasonal twist on brunch favorites. RECIPES AND PHOTO BY ASHLEY LAFLIN
CARAMEL APPLE CIDER MIMOSA TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES | MAKES: 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons caramel sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 cup chilled apple cider 1 750-ml bottle champagne Apple slices, for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Dip the rim of a glass in caramel, then spin the rim in brown sugar. Pour one cup of apple cider into the glass, then add champagne. Top with an apple slice to spruce up the presentation. Serve, sip and enjoy!
APPLE CINNAMON WAFFLES TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 1 MINUTE | MAKES: 10 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons brown sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups warm milk 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon caramel 1 grated apple 1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS: Preheat the waffle iron. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and grated apple. In a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs and stir in warm milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until blended. Ladle the batter into the heated waffle iron and cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp. Top with cinnamon whipped cream, pecans and caramel.
CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup heavy whipping cream ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: In a medium bowl, mix the heavy cream at medium speed until thick. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon. Chill until ready to use. backdropmagazine.com
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INFOGRAPHIC
BEYOND THE
BRICKS
Explore these hidden gems located a short distance from OU’s main campus. BY SAMANTHA WEBNE ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAITLIN HENEGHAN
Although Court Street is lined with a variety of businesses, Athens has countless attractions to explore beyond uptown. Locally grown, family-owned and fair-trade services are scattered throughout the area, and Backdrop highlighted several of those places for you to check out. b Athens Bread Co. Athens Bread Co. is owned by an Athens native, Douglass Wistendahl, who has shared his joy for making breads, paninis and pastries with the community for five years. Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. M-F, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sat., Closed Sun. Address: 284 E. State St. About a 15-minute walk from uptown Athens.
Larry’s Dawg House A haven for classic American food, Larry’s Dawg House is the place to go for warm chili dogs, fries and creamy milkshakes. Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Address: 410 W. Union St. About a 20-minute walk from uptown Athens.
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Pleasant Hill Winery Pleasant Hill Winery, a familyowned and operated establishment, sprouted in the Athens community in 2012. The Corders family discovered a love for sharing wine and conversation and opened the winery to spread that sentiment throughout the area. Hours: 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. W-F, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sat. Address: 5015 Pleasant Hill Road About a 10-minute drive from uptown Athens.
Purple Chopstix Opened by Ed Fisher in 1989, Purple Chopstix offers unique Asian and European tastes with its savory dishes.
Eclipse Company Store Eclipse Company Store carries 40 local and international craft beers on tap and offers food and live music.
Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. W-Th., 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. F-Sat., 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sun. Address: 371 Richland Ave. About a 20-minute walk from uptown Athens.
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. M-Th., 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. F-Sat., 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sun. Address: 11309 Jackson Drive, The Plains About a 10-minute drive from uptown Athens.
Miller’s Chicken Miller’s Chicken is a local, family-owned restaurant, bringing homemade cooking to Athens for more than 60 years. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. M-F, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat., Closed Sun. Address: 235 W. State St. About a 15-minute walk from uptown Athens.
West End Cider House West End Cider House offers delicious hard ciders, all of which are naturally gluten-free and made from local, Ohio-grown apples. Hours: 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. M-Th, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. F-Sat, 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sun Address: 234 W. Washington St. About a 15-minute walk from uptown Athens.
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FEATURE
Steve Geisler in the hop field begins one of the last harvests of the season.
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Just DEW It Two OU graduates are hopping into the craft beer industry. BY ALEXIS MCCURDY PHOTOS BY TANNER PEARSON
F
ifteen minutes from Athens, in Meigs County, the sun is rising on a 23-acre farm adorned with colorful cabins, filled with an array of organic vegetables and rows of lush hops. In the middle of it all are two men with a passion for farming and connecting with people. Steve Geisler and Casey Buchannan are eager to make the most out of their farm through their products, services and experiences. The beginnings of Morning Dew Hop Farm can be attributed to a mutual love of the Grateful Dead. Geisler, who graduated from Ohio University in 1995, and Buchannan, who graduated in 2015, met at a chiropractor's office. Geisler was a patient and Buchannan was in the middle of an internship at the office. When Buchannan noticed and commented on Geisler’s Grateful Dead T-shirt, the two instantly hit it off, forming a friendship that would eventually become a business partnership. With Geisler’s earnings from running multiple food carts and Buchannan’s inheritance, the duo was prepared to venture into business and purchase real estate. It was just a matter of figuring out exactly what they wanted to do. One day, they found themselves at a health food store and noticed a piece of scrap paper on the bulletin board. Hastily scrawled across the note was “Land for Sale,” accompanied by a phone number. Buchannan, initially skeptical, was assured by Geisler that it was a good idea to check out every property they could. Initially, only five acres of the 80-acre farm were for sale, but Geisler and Buchannan negotiated with the owner to acquire a 23-acre portion, which had more useable land than what was originally offered. “So, we pulled the trigger and we bought the farm,” Buchannan says. “When we moved out there, it was pretty much like starting from a blank slate. It was an old horse farm, which is good because it didn’t have a bunch of pesticide use, like it would have if it was like a corn farm. The piece of land was relatively untouched and had one small 15-by-15 building on the property, and that was the only thing that was there.
The rest was 23 acres of untouched land.” Noticing the hype for craft beer around the area, Geisler and Buchannan decided to grow organic hops, since it’s a crop that isn’t grown often in the Appalachian region. They reflected on how they would get their feet wet in the craft beer industry and eventually founded the Ohio Hop Growers Guild. “It’s like basically a support group where you go and you meet with this group and you talk to each other about different farming techniques and different ways you can get the most growing potential out of your hops,” Buchannan says. From talking about how climate change affects hops, to lending equipment among members, Geisler and Buchannan have found the guild to be necessary to growing their business. “It’s a really good brotherhood thing of hops growers to share knowledge and equipment,” Geisler says. “We had a question the other day and we just called one of the elder guys and said, ‘Well what about this?’ It’s a good thing. Without those guys, we wouldn’t have amounted to much, because that’s where we find a lot of answers to things.” Last year, Morning Dew produced 135 pounds of hops, all grown and hand-picked by Geisler and Buchannan. But, that task can prove to be time-consuming and tiresome in the heat. This year, the two handpicked for a total of 30 hours, before they got a call from Brad Bugerford, the head of hops at the Ohio State Agriculture Extension. As an “experiment,” he told Geisler and Buchannan he’d let them run their hops through his machine that extracts the flower (the useable part of the hops). Normally, he’d charge $100 an hour, but this time he let Geisler and Buchannan use it for free. The machine took an hour to do what Geisler and Buchannan did in 30. In 2018, Geisler and Buchannan sold all their hops to Little Fish Brewing Company, which resulted in the brewery making a specialty beer with Morning Dew Hop’s name plastered on it. Estate #3 was a farmhouse ale, which typically contains wild bacteria that creates lactic acid in the beer to give it a sour taste. Buchannan describes it as an “enjoyable Warhead flavor.” backdropmagazine.com
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FEATURE This year, although they didn’t sell to Little Fish, Morning Dew is trying to diversify the ways in which it uses its hops. Geisler and Buchannan’s upcoming project is a wooden spa house, featuring hop baths in which guests can soak in a mixture of brewer’s yeast, barley, hops and beer. Afterward, guests will be able to decompress on a hay bed while they wait the required two hours before taking a shower as part of the treatment. The method has been proven to result in numerous health benefits and has been popular in Eastern Europe for ages. “It’s really cutting edge,” Geisler says. “No one here really does it; they’re mostly in Europe. I mean, there’s one in Chicago, one in Oregon and now there’s one in Virginia, but that’s about it. We’re pretty excited; we just have to figure out how to do it. Nobody will tell us how to do it. We’ve called asking about how to do the mixture, because you can’t just pour beer in the tub.” Other than figuring out the mixture, Geisler and Buchannan are also having trouble finding someone to build the tubs which would hold the bath mixture. Despite those setbacks, they remain optimistic about their projects and have talked to people from the Athens Do-It-Yourself Shop, a local home-brewing business specialized in helping people brew their own selections. The shop has said that it will let Geisler and Buchannan come in and brew batches for their baths and has also shown interest in buying Morning Dew’s hops for other customers to use in their brewing processes. Geisler and Buchannan recently broke ground on construction for the spa house and hope to have most of the building complete by the winter. They also hope to possibly produce hop pillows, which produce a smell that is supposed to serve as a sleeping aid, which will be available for purchase. The spa is not the only hospitality initiative in the works at Morning Dew. So far, the farm has two cabins that are used as Airbnbs. The Fairy House was designed to be reminiscent of a dollhouse, decorated with intricate details. It features two double beds, cable television, Wi-Fi and a full bath. The Lupulin House was painted the same bright yellow color as lupulin powder, a sub-product of hops that gives them their bitter flavor. A third Airbnb, The Dream House (painted a light purple), is currently under construction for guests. Geisler and Buchannan reside there for the meantime. The plan is to build a loft above the spa house as a place of residence, so they can fully rent out all of their cabins. Geisler and Buchannan say that, while they enjoy farming, it’s not very lucrative. They’re hoping the Airbnbs will become their main source of income for the fall when hops are not in season. “It’s interactive; it’s a good talking piece. It’s a good draw, but we only made $800 from the hops, and we can make that in a good weekend of the Airbnb,” Geisler says. “All summer in the hot sun or one weekend of flipping beds
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“
When we moved out there, it was pretty much like starting from a blank slate.” CASEY BUCHANNAN CO-OWNER OF MORNING DEW HOP
Pictured is a hop harvested from Morning Dew Hop Farm’s hop vine. Inside this hop is a substance called lupulin, which includes essential oils and acids that gives flavors, aromas and bitterness to beer.
and washing sheets. But it all meshes together. Without the hops, people wouldn’t come so much. People really come there because they see it’s a farm-stay type thing. We let some people pick vegetables the other day for free. I said, ‘Pick whatever you want and take it with you.’ It’s fun. We know it doesn’t pay that big on agriculture.” For people who come to visit the farm, Geisler and Buchannan give tours of the property and showcase their apiary as well. Geisler explains it as a treat for the “city people.” Morning Dew frequently welcomes OU visitors as well. Classes like Food Matters take field trips out to the farm for learning purposes. Sometimes, Geisler and Buchannan will even host parties at the farm, serving beer — some made with their own hops and some not. They also employ OU students as interns. The intern chooses what they do at the farm, Buchannan says. “We like to let the student figure out what work they want to do and try to make it as beneficial as possible for both parties,” Buchannan says. “We structure it so we get something good out of it and they get knowledge and a good experience they can take with them into the next part of their lives. Then, we give them a really good reference.” The internships are normally announced via social media, or occasionally Buchannan will go into classes and pitch the available opportunities. Once the student decides he or she wants to intern at Morning Dew, the student will meet with his or her adviser and have the internship approved. For every 40 hours of work the intern completes at Morning Dew, they’ll receive one course credit. Morning Dew also has Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) volunteers come out occasionally. WWOOF is an organization that pairs volunteers with organic farmers to promote cultural and educational experiences. Volunteers are required to work four hours a day and get their meals and housing provided. At Morning Dew, WWOOF volunteers stay for an average of two weeks. In between the lapses of volunteers and interns, Geisler and Buchannan find ways to keep Morning Dew selfsustained. Finding success in such a short amount of time, Geisler and Buchannan are even more excited to see how their business expands from here. “We’re pretty happy with where we’re at,” Geisler says. “Everyone we talk to about what we’re doing ... they say, ‘Oh, those are nice dreams.’ But no, they’re all happening.” While Geisler and Buchannan relish in the success they’ve amassed thus far, they know there’s plenty of room to flourish. “We’re still trying to figure it out,” Buchannan says. “But we’re growing organically, so we’re letting our business grow slowly and naturally and the amount of success so far has been a good amount.” b
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CURRENTLY OR TO BE OFFERED BY MORNING DEW
Hops
Airbnb
Craft Beer
Hops Baths
Internships backdropmagazine.com
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FEATURE FEATURE
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Members of local band Velvet Green.
STAGE FOR SIX A recently formed "junk funk" band is taking over the Athens music scene. BY HELEN WIDMAN PHOTOS BY MICHAEL COBB AND NATE SWANSON
A
set stage overlooks the empty black and white checkered floor of the venue. A keyboard, guitars, drums and microphones sit in silence. The audience trickles in as musicians position themselves behind their instruments. Stage lights cast pink, blue and green tints on their faces. The members of Velvet Green take a deep breath before they begin their set at The Union. Velvet Green, a local band formed in 2018, is composed of six members: drummer Shea Benezra, guitarists Sam Debatin and Harper Reese, keyboardist Liam McSteen, bassist Mitchell Spring and vocalist Cora Fitch. All members, except for New York native Benezra, met each other while attending Athens High School. “Sam and I have been playing music since my freshman year of high school,” says Reese, a freshman at Ohio University. Since the band’s first gig during the Halloween block party last year, Velvet Green has made a name for itself in Athens. This fall semester, the band played two house shows in late August and played three out of four weekends in September at The Union, including an opening set for Freak Mythology, a psychedelic funk band from Cincinnati that has gained a loyal following in Athens. Velvet Green’s hour-long set featured a mix of original songs and covers, ranging from crowd-pleasing classics by The Beatles to Ariana Grande’s spunky pop song “Side to Side.” “Sometimes you just have to give in and play Ariana Grande,” says McSteen, a sophomore at OU.
The band played at the 2019 Yell Like Hell Pep Rally on College Green on Oct. 10. The rally usually brings in hundreds of people each year. “Yell Like Hell was definitely a different vibe than we are used to,” Reese says. “The crowd wasn’t too engaged, so there was kind of an awkward empty space in front of where we were playing. But the sound and mixing were great. Overall, the gig went well.” Reese says the band does not have any upcoming shows as they plan to focus more on writing and recording original material. Between the bandmate’s six different schedules and two different schools — Fitch is currently a senior at Athens High School — Velvet Green is no stranger to chaos. The musicians claim that the most challenging part of being a band is synching their calendars. “I think that honestly last year we were really focused on trying to be really…tight and organized and refined,” Reese says. “This year, we just relaxed a lot.” Over the past year, the musicians have focused on figuring out how to collaborate better as a band. Through their efforts, they realized the band’s stage setup is crucial to their show’s atmosphere. “We show up with six people and not that much equipment, like a keyboard’s kind of big and two guitars is kind of a lot of space and drums,” says Debatin, a sophomore at OU. “Then, these stages that people built for us [at house shows], we are all just cramped. But we realized that that’s where we play the backdropmagazine.com
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FEATURE
“
Bassist Mitchell Spring
The audience is integral to the whole process. They are the most important part.” HARPER REESE GUITARIST FOR VELVET GREEN best [is] when we’re just almost touching. It’s just…closer, like we’re one.” The band attests that spending time together before shows is crucial for its performance. “If there’s one of us that’s not into [the right mindset], we make sure they get into it,” says OU sophomore Benezra. Despite spending much of their free time together, the musicians say that they never truly tire of one another, though they do have “loving fights.” In addition to having a close-knit relationship on and off stage, Velvet Green believes the band’s interaction with the audience and other artists is key to a successful show.
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Drummer Shea Benezra
“The audience is integral to the whole process. They are the most important part,” Reese says. Velvet Green encourages interactions with its fans. It is not uncommon for Benezra to take a break from drumming for one song so he can go down and dance with the audience, as seen during their Sept. 27 show at The Union. Velvet Green’s current fan base is comprised mostly of friends and the members’ parents, who frequently attend shows to support their children. Though the band has only been together for nearly a year, it has seen rapid local success. “We’ve actually started getting more people that we don’t know to come to our shows,” Fitch says.
The band recognizes and appreciates the importance of playing in a smaller town, where it can get more exposure to audiences. “Even coming from New York, I feel like Athens is uniquely cultured…and that is what fosters music appreciation,” says Benezra. Velvet Green credits a lot of its exposure to the first annual Battle of the Bands at The Union on Nov. 16, 2018. “Last year, we had a few really new bands, and Velvet Green was one of them,” says Ally Campbell, president of AllCampus Radio Network (ACRN). “So, I think the audience [was] really excited to see them because they hadn’t really had a chance to see them before.”
Keyboardist Liam McSteen
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Campbell, who helped organize the inaugural event, adds that it was largely successful. “It was an insane turnout that none of us really expected,” she says. “So, that was really cool to see how our idea of helping local musicians get their stuff out there sort of translated into the community.” Although Campbell says Battle of the Bands has a strict no repeat-performance policy, she says that they will likely host Velvet Green at another ACRN music event. As its exposure continues to grow, one of Velvet Green’s main goals is to produce and perform more original music as well as release its music on streaming services like Spotify or iTunes. The band has a growing collection of original pieces like “Mr. Miller,” “Randy Mode” and “Spill the Tea.” “We probably have a full album’s worth of stuff, but it’s not all done, or it’s things that we don’t really want to put out there yet,” Fitch says. The band’s current songwriting process consists of building onto each member’s random riffs or strums to produce full melodies. “A lot of [songwriting] is just kind of sitting around and usually it involves being slightly depressed and being mad at each other,” Debatin says. “And then, eventually, the good vibes come out of our sadness for a minute. You have to have a momentary sadness to remind yourself that you’re happy.” Ultimately, the band members hope to become more familiar with each other’s diverse musical inspirations and individual techniques as well as continue to perform for the community and its local music scene. “We love doing this,” Fitch says. “We appreciate that you support us and come to our shows.” b
Vocalist Cora Fitch
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Members Liam McSteen (keyboard) and Mitchell Spring (bassist) of Velvet Green perform at The Union.
Guitarist Sam Debatin
Guitarist Harper Reese
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PHOTO STORY
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Leaving
a Mark
An Athens-based artist finds a creative outlet in tattooing. BY MICHAELA FATH | PHOTOS BY ANDREW JOHNSON
www.backdropmagazine.com 31
PHOTO STORY
D
evens is no stranger to leaving his mark on others, though he does it with a bit of ink. With an interest in art his entire life, the local freelance tattoo artist traded his drawing pen for a tattoo machine two years ago and began to tattoo close friends to gain experience. Through tattooing, Devens has become friends with people across the U.S. and internationally who share a love of the art form. “I learned by getting tattoos and making friends with people who have tattooed me,” he says. “I get tattoos when I travel, so I’ve made a lot of friends around the world who have helped me out.” Devens has tattooed clients in cities all over the U.S. from Athens to Chicago and even California, growing his portfolio to nearly 700 individual tattoos over the past two years. b
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ABOVE
Devens gives Ohio University student Courtney Jones her first tattoo. It says “No Struggle, No Strength.”
TOP RIGHT
Devens’ tattoo machine rests on the table beside bottles of ink.
BOTTOM RIGHT
Bailee Nemeth shows off her foot tattoo done by Devens.
PHOTO STORY
Devens gives Austin Huffines a tattoo to add to his leg sleeve. Devens has done most of Huffines’ tattoos. His leg sleeve is a tribute to his favorite musicians. Devens finishes up a tattoo as a tribute to Lil Wayne’s music.
CALENDAR
OONN TTH THE HHEE Before winter break, be sure to check out these events in Athens and Nelsonville.
Sustainability Film Series: “On The Front Line” NOVEMBER 13, 7 P.M. Directed by James Byrne, “On The Front Line” shows that “protecting the beautiful conservation areas of Mozambique requires courage, ability and passion.” Don’t miss the chance to see the free showing of this 80-minute, feature-length documentary, that show cases Rangers who are chosen to proudly wear the uniform and protect the area from poaching, illegal logging and more threats.
Record Sale at Stuart’s Opera House NOVEMBER 17, 12 P.M. - 5 P.M. Visit Stuart’s Opera House, located at 52 Public Square in Nelsonville, for a record sale. Vendors will be selling vinyl records and CDs throughout the afternoon.
Clothing Swap with the Climate and Sustainability Ambassadors NOVEMBER 17, 2 P.M. TO 4 P.M. Stop by Jefferson Hall for a clothing swap on Sunday, Nov. 17. Learn about how to reduce clothing wastes and have the opportunity to ask advocates from the Office of Sustainability questions to become more environmentally conscious. For more information about the event, contact Abigail Espaillat.
BY LILLI SHER
Women of Color Who Paved the Way: Women of the Civil Rights Movement DECEMBER 3, 11 A.M.-2 P.M. Looking for a creative outlet before the stress of finals week sets in? The Women’s Center will host this year’s Women of Color Who Paved the Way art workshop in Baker University Center room 233. Pictures and biographies of women of color who have made notable contributions to society will be provided as inspiration, but artists are encouraged to bring their own materials as well. This year, artists who attend will have the opportunity for their artwork to be displayed at the Martin Luther King Jr. brunch in January.
Dairy Barn Holiday Bazaar DECEMBER 6, 12 P.M. - 7 P.M., DECEMBER 7 9 A.M. - 3 P.M. Need to do some holiday shopping? Visit the Dairy Barn’s annual holiday bazaar on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, to purchase gifts from local vendors, enjoy baked goods from Sunflower Bakery and participate in arts activities such as wheel throwing and glazing. The Dairy Barn is located at 8000 Dairy Lane Road.
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When not at Fur Peace Ranch, Jorma enjoys riding his Harley CBO Breakout, a hobby of his for over 60 years. Photo provided by Scott Hall.
ENTERTAINMENT
Pe a c e , S o u l a n d
Rock ’n’ Roll Deep in Southeast Ohio, a music legend has created a space for guitarists to enhance their sound. STORY BY ALLY LANASA AND ELENA GOLUBOVICH | PHOTO BY ELENA GOLUBOVICH A rough draft of this article was unprofessionally published in the first print issue of the 2019-20 academic year. For the full list of inaccuracies, please see Editor-in-chief Ally Lanasa's letter on page 2. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
P
erched on the edge of the Ohio River is the old coal town of Pomeroy, just 24 miles south of Athens. The county seat of Meigs County is the current home to Jorma and Vanessa Kaukonen, who founded Fur Peace Ranch in 1989. Fur Peace Ranch serves as a music camp for musicians to learn from renowned performers such as Jack Casady, G.E. Smith, David Lindley, Steve Kimock, Bob Margolin, Chris Smither, Peter Rowan and, of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Jorma Kaukonen. “[At] the beginning, it was a way for Jorma to give back to his fan base,” Vanessa says. “Jorma said, ‘Help me run this school. Let’s give back to these guys who have been paying for our tickets for the last 50 years.’” Jorma, a Grammy-nominated pioneer of psychedelic rock, has more than half a century of experience in the music industry and excels in a variety of instrumental
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techniques that he shares with his students. Fur Peace Ranch offers instruction for varying musical styles on an assortment of instruments, including mandolin, banjo and guitar. Its name came from Jorma’s belief that the ranch is “a fur piece from anywhere,” meaning, “it’s a long way from anywhere.” Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Jorma was an avid fan of musicians like Buddy Holly, a 1950s rock ’n’ roll star, who influenced blues and rhythm. Jorma’s parents also inspired him to listen to gospel music, although they weren’t religious. As a teenager, he learned guitar alongside his neighbor Jack Casady, who would become his band member in the counter-culture psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane and still-touring Hot Tuna. Together, they discovered the array of music played in clubs and concerts in the nation’s capital and bonded over a love for blues, country and jazz.
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[At] the beginning, it was a way for Jorma to give back to his fan base.” VANESSA KAUKONEN CO-OWNER OF FUR PEACE RANCH After high school, Jorma attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he met Ian Buchanan, who introduced him to the fingerstyle fretwork of the Reverend Gary Davis. Then, a work-study program in New York expanded Jorma’s interests in American folk and blues and increased his skillset as a guitarist. Jorma continued his education at Santa Clara University in the 1960s, where he met rhythm guitarist Paul Kanter. In 1965, they founded Jefferson Airplane in the San Francisco Bay area with Marty Balin. Shortly after, Jorma called in his childhood friend Jack Casady, who was still living in the district to audition as the electric bassist. The famous mezzo vocalist Grace Slick joined the band after the release of its first album, “Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,” in 1966. During Jefferson Airplane’s career, Jorma and Casady often played shows together at local clubs as an additional creative outlet. After striking a record deal, the masterful duo formed Hot Tuna in 1969. During one of Hot Tuna’s concerts in Key West, Florida, in summer 1988, Jorma met Vanessa. After his set, Vanessa was invited backstage where she promised to take Jorma on a sailing trip—despite not owning a boat—in hopes to impress him. After frantic calls to friends, she finally found a boat to borrow and took Jorma and his band on the water. The two connected through their love of music and were married later that year. They moved to L.A. where Jorma was partaking in the Jefferson Airplane reunion of 1989. Following the reunion, the Kaukonens moved back to Jorma’s place in Woodstock, New York, for two years. While living in Woodstock, they learned about an offer for a piece of land in Meigs County. Now after decades of running “a ranch that grows guitar players,” the Kaukonens have served over 4,000 repeat students. Jorma’s passion for education as a means of repaying the music community spans from the 1980s when he taught guitar classes, gave individual lessons and ran workshops with The New School for Social Research in New York, according to Boulder Weekly. As the co-owner, Vanessa is responsible for planning workshops, art shows and retreats for various organizations, which can range from two to six days. With a background in civil engineering, she built the ranch from its imaginative state into reality.
Over the years, the Kaukonens have expanded their ranch with various attractions, including the Psylodelic Gallery, which is located in the towering silver silo at the edge of the property. The interior of the silo is a gleaming white pine with a gift shop on the first floor and spiral stairs leading to the second. Tie-dye bean bag chairs are pushed against the walls to make room for the collaged guitars being showcased in the middle of the room. The gallery houses revolving art shows as well as Jorma’s personal collection of posters, artifacts and photos from his musical career with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. The most popular features at Fur Peace Ranch are the workshops led by Jorma. Musicians travel from around the world to learn from the founding member of two legendary bands in a small and intimate setting. Single-occupancy cabins create a slow spiral formation behind the main buildings, employing the feng shui method that creates a flow of energy meant to inspire the students, who may practice on benches surrounding the fire pit. “That community of likeminded spirits that not only love the same kind of music— more or less but the geeky stuff that comes along with being guitar players,” Jorma says. “You talk about strings or weird stuff that nobody else would talk about in a million years, but we talk about it.” Jorma’s humble demeanor is the type of easy-going teaching style that encourages his students to explore their sound within a serene, yet unexpected environment. b
Vanessa and her cat, Zamir, sitting on one of the porches of Fur Peace Ranch.
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ENTERTAINMENT
BLUES IN THE
FOOTHILLS
Over the years, the Sheets’ barn has transformed into a popular music venue, drawing crowds of blues fans to shows. BY NORA MCKEOWN | PHOTOS BY ANDREW JOHNSON
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he dance floor at Charlie’s Red Star Blues Barn attracts a motley group. As blues artists fill the space with lively music, generations of people — from grandchildren to grandparents — get up from their chairs to dance in rhythm to the smooth sounds coming from the stage. Those performances happen three times a year, bringing residents from Athens and the surrounding areas to the remote venue in Meigs County to watch Mudfork Blues and other blues artists perform. Jared Sheets became the barn’s fourth-generation owner after he bought it from his father, Jim Sheets, in 2007. When the barn was transformed into a musical venue, it was named after Jim’s father, Charlie Sheets, who would often drive out to the
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barn from his home in Pomeroy. Jim says the “red star” part of the name comes from the star that used to hang from his wife's family home in Pomeroy. Jared rewired it with red LED lights and set it up on the stage to shine behind the artists as they perform. Growing up, Jared says, the barn wasn’t used the way it is now. It housed horses, hay and other farming supplies. Jim says he remembers swinging from a rope hung in the middle of the barn as a child, then watching his sons do the same years later. “If you have ever read ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ the antics that went on in our barn are very similar,” Jim says. This year, Mudfork Blues is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The star brightened with red LED lights used to hang from Jenny Sheets’ family home in Pomeroy.
“One day, I came home for Thanksgiving,” Jared says. “I started to play and take interest in blues music and I actually came with a set list. I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to start a blues band and here’s our first set list.’ So, that was the start of our band.” Music has been an integral aspect of the family’s dynamic for years. Jim and his wife Jenny both play the piano and encouraged their children to learn to play an instrument as well. “Music’s always been a part of the family,” he says. The family gene for musical talent was passed all the way down to Jared’s children. The band is now composed of six family members: Jared, his wife, his brother, his mom and both of his kids. “Our band has always been the core of all of this,” Jared says, referring to the legacy Charlie’s Red Star Barn has built. In 2006, the Sheets founded the Foothills Music Foundation to support and encourage music and the arts in the foothills of Southeast Ohio. With that mission in mind, they started the Foothills Music Festival in the field outside the barn to provide a free event for artists to perform and local vendors to sell their products. “We did the festival as a completely free community event,” Jared says. “So, all the artists could come free. All the vendors could come free. We had free admission and free camping, which is one of the reasons it became quite popular.” The festival occurred annually from 2006 to 2011 until it gained so much popularity that the foundation could no longer sustain the event.
Jared Sheets poses in front of the musical stage.
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ENTERTAINMENT
“
Jared Sheets performs at the barn with his family band, Mudfork Blues.
It’s really one of our favorite places to play because it’s like nowhere else.” MARK BURHANS FOUNDER OF THE WILD HONEYBEES “We had probably 5,000 people there,” Jared says. “It wasn’t quite as big as [the Pawpaw Festival], but it was definitely headed in that direction.” So, in 2011, after the barn’s traditional purposes had become less necessary for the family and the music festival needed to downsize, Jared suggested the family turn the barn into a concert venue. They switched from one big free festival to three smaller ticketed shows throughout the year. The following year, renovations were started and in spring of 2013, Charlie’s Red Star Barn hosted its first concert. “We didn’t have any idea how big the single festival would get,” he says. “Nor did we have much idea how popular the barn shows would be.” Charlie’s success allowed it to partner with brands like Maple Lawn Brewery, a local brewer that sells its products during the shows. As the events change, the Sheets still try to bring in local food vendors for the barn concerts like they did at the original annual festivals. “We have typically a different [vendor] for each show,” Jared says. “The couple who were [at the last concert] were a husband and wife who own a small, sustainable farm in Jackson County.” Although the concerts are focused on featuring local blues artists, Jared says Charlie’s welcomes all genres, like traditional folk and Southern rock, as well. The barn has even seen a few performances from wider-known blues artists like Johnny Rawls, Biscuit Miller and Larry Garner.
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Jared Sheets plays electric guitar during a concert at the barn.
The Wild Honeybees, a nine-person band, is a local group who frequently performs at the barn. Its New Orleans-inspired dance music always gets the crowd on their feet. The founder and trombone player of The Wild Honeybees, Mark Burhans, says the band enjoys the lively audience during its sets in the barn. “I had no idea what their place was [when Jared first emailed us],” Burhans says. “I had never even heard of it, which is sort of what’s really interesting about Charlie’s Red Star Barn. It’s a sort of little-known thing, and yet enough people know about it that [it still draws] a huge crowd.” The Wild Honeybees plan on continuing to perform at Charlie’s as long as the Sheets invite them back. “It’s really one of our favorite places to play,” Burhans says, “because it’s like nowhere else.” b
unique gathering AA unique gathering place of students and place of students and community members members community Social Justice • Fair Social • Fair Trade •Justice Local Art & Trade••Spoken Local Art & Music Word Musicians Open Stage Music • Spoken Word “Best Coffee House In Ohio” www.donkeycoffee.com Musicians Open Stage Located: 1/2 17 W. Washington St. (uptown) “3rd Best Coffee Shop in America” Voted Best Coffee St. in 17 W. Washington Awarded best coffee house Voted Best Coffee in Athens 16 Years Running Athens for 8 years! (Uptown) in Ohio by Ohio Magazine - Ohio Magazine
- The Great American Coffee Tour - The Athens News Readers Poll
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COMMUNITY
A TOWN OF
MAKERS
Nanakai Megert, a vendor at the Athens Artisan Co-op Shop, paints.
The Athens Artisan Co-Op Shop offers an opportunity for local artists to share fine-quality art, jewelry and other goods.
BY GRACE DEARING | PHOTOS BY ANDREW JOHNSON
W
hen the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Advocacy, Training, Careers and Opportunities (ATCO) department dissolved in 2018, it recommended that patients, including Athens resident Dan Schoonover, move into a day habilitation center, which is designed to help people with developmental disabilities lead more independent lives. Schoonover, a local entrepreneur, had other plans: to pursue his dream of owning a storefront where he could sell his custom line of t-shirts and sunglasses. Though he already owned his own online brand called Shady Dan’s, Schoonover realized he did not have enough inventory to open a storefront on his own. So, he partnered with Darci Shields, an Athens native and a local jewelry maker. Now, more than a year since their partnership began, Schoonover and Shields run the Athens Artisan CoOp Shop, which provides one-of-a-kind handmade artisan goods. Located on Columbus Road (in the same storefront as Schoonover’s previous business endeavor, Wags & Whiskers doggy daycare), the co-op is still new to the Athens community — just over six months old. But that hasn’t hindered its impact.
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What started as a desire of two local crafters to share their work with the community has now evolved into a full-fledged store with more than 13 artists involved. “As a group, we decided to keep the co-op style because we all want to feel like we’re equal members in this shop,” says Shields, who is also the co-op’s secretary. “We can work collectively as a group to get things accomplished without having to have an owner or boss.” This inclusivity is exhibited through the design of the store as well. The shop boasts an eclectic product line, which ranges from glasswork to sewn goods to ceramics and even includes a coffee line that isn’t sold anywhere else in Athens. Rather than sectioning off each artist’s product like a flea market would, the Athens Artisan Co-Op proudly displays its inventory as a collective unit. Shields’ jewelry trees are set up across from handmade artisan soap which shares a display case with Schoonover’s t-shirts. The goal, Shields says, is to encourage people to spend time browsing each of the unique products to support the co-op’s many artists. Artists have the option to be working or non-working vendors. A working vendor will spend time inside the shop managing the register and assisting customers whenever
“
To me, it means that my products are now going out to the people who are willing to shop local [and] keep it local.” DARCI SHIELDS CO-OP MEMBER & SECRETARY Schoonover is unavailable to do so; a non-working vendor simply sells his or her products at the store. However, regardless of what category vendors falls into, they receive equal public exposure and make a profit from the pieces sold at the store. As an artist, Shields reaps the benefits of being part of a coop firsthand. “To me, it means that my products are now going out to the people who are willing to shop local [and] keep it local,” she says. “There really wasn’t anywhere [for artists] like that in Athens.” In fact, Shields, Schoonover and Teresa Grimes, the co-op’s treasurer, noticed this need within the Athens community and saw the co-op as the perfect way to bridge the gap. Shields says she realized that there aren’t many places in Athens where you can buy fine-quality art other than the shops uptown. “Nowadays, people are looking for gifts that are unique to Athens,” Grimes says. “Whether it says ‘Athens’ in it or not, it doesn’t matter. It was purchased from somebody that makes it in Athens, and that’s a unique Athens gift.” Despite its idiosyncrasy and popularity among Athens natives, the co-op struggles to draw customers from Ohio University’s student population. Shields says she believes it is due to the store being located away from the bustle of uptown Athens.
To combat that issue, the co-op hosted car shows in August and September. The allure of vintage cars displayed outside the shop enticed passers-by to stop in and learn more about the co-op’s mission. The success of the car shows encouraged Shields and the rest of the co-op board to try to continue community involvement with First Fridays. On the first Friday of each month, as the weather gets colder, the shop hopes to feature one or two of its artists who will then be invited to set up demonstrations inside the store or take personal requests from customers. Shields says the co-op extends its offer for community members to get involved even further through its call to action for local artists. Vendors are not limited to any specific medium, age or gender. The co-op welcomes any and all creatives whether it’s a student looking to only contribute on a semesterly basis or an Athens resident hoping to grow his or her business in a more permanent way. Interested artists can stop by the store and talk to Shields during the week. “It’s so worth it,” Shields says. “It’s worth it to be part of a community, it’s worth it to be part of a group, to belong. We may all have differing ideas, but as a group collectively we get together and we get things done.” After an artist submits his or her work, the co-op board members share their opinions and make a final decision based off a majority-rules vote. “[The co-op] makes it fair. When we go to vote on important topics, my vote is no more important than someone else’s. We all have a say,” Shields says. For aspiring artists who feel insecure or nervous about submitting their artwork to the co-op, Shields adds, “[You belong] right here, at a locally owned shop, and we will welcome you.” When Schoonover originally pitched the idea to open a storefront, he never could have imagined how much it would grow in such a short period of time. “None of us would be here if it weren’t for Dan,” Shields says. “When things get looking tough, we just [have to] think about [the fact that] this is not just Dan’s dream [anymore], this is everyone’s dream.” b
The Co-Op Shop welcomes artists and makers of all kinds, embracing the use of different mediums and inspiration.
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VOICES
Flowing at
One Backdropper recounts her first practice with local instructor Erin Pfahler at Little Fish Yoga. BY CYDNEY CARPENTER | ILLUSTRATIONS BY ABBY SUMMERS
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hen I first heard that a brewery was hosting a yoga class, I was both skeptical and intrigued. I was curious to see how well a yoga class would flow in such a unique place. Never having visited the Little Fish Brewing Company, I was pleasantly surprised with the environment. Little Fish Brewery is located in the hills of Athens, offering a view of the changing fall trees, perfectly capturing the beauty of the Appalachian region. When the weather permits, Little Fish hosts its morning yoga outside under its pavilion. Unfortunately, it was too cold to have our class outside, so we moved into the brewery’s taproom for the class. Having practiced yoga for close to two years now, I was excited to take on a class in a new environment. There were large barrels stacked to the ceiling and placed on shelves around the room. I enjoyed how the openness of the room reminded me to be mindful of my breathing. What I enjoyed most about the room was the smell. I’m not sure if it was the beer brewing or the wood aroma from the barrels, but I found it relaxing. Erin Pfahler is a local instructor, who teaches at both Athens Yoga and Bodhi Tree Guesthouse and Studio. She comes to Little Fish Yoga every other week, rotating
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with a fellow instructor in the area, to help raise money for their studios. The class at Little Fish is completely donation based, accepting any amount. Pfahler’s flow was catered to both new yogis and those of us who were more experienced. It’s a great class for individuals at any level; she led a well-balanced relaxing flow, leaving us energized in the morning. Personally, I enjoy yoga classes as a guide to my own practice. I listen and flow alongside the instructor but enjoy changing certain poses based on what is best for me. Pfahler offered adjustments but remained respectful to those who wanted to work on our flow alone. After the class, I had an opportunity to speak with Pfahler and learn more about Little Fish Yoga. The brewery has held classes for over two years now, and it’s remained popular in the Athens community. It’s a great way to branch out and experience Athens beyond the local businesses uptown. Little Fish invites all attendees to hang out after each flow and try one of its many craft beers with a Sunday breakfast. Although I didn’t have the chance to stay late that week, I look forward to heading back soon. After only one visit, I’m positive this event will become a Sunday morning ritual for me, and I highly recommend it to those who are looking to start yoga. b
Upward-Facing Dog
Warrior I
Camel Pose
Bound Angle
Tree Pose
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Exhibit A. Adrianne Crabtree, an OU sophomore, uses art to reduce the stress of college life. With a preference for digital art, she draws animals and serene landscapes on her tablet.
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PHOTO HUNT
Spot the five differences between these photos of the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway. PHOTO BY JACOB DURBIN
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ORIGINAL
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1. Change color of train paint 2. Changed color of bench 3. Removed cardboard box 4. Removed telephone pole 5. Changed train number
Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery first opened its doors in 2005. Since then, we’ve expanded to include 3 unique Athens locations. Stop by our original Brewpub, located at 24 W Union Street, and sample 18 exclusive drafts made with locally grown ingredients. Right next door, our Public House restaurant features 30 different draft lines and a delicious, locally sourced menu that offers something for everyone. Public House 22 West Union Street Daily 11am-11pm
Court St. Carpenter St.
ve. Stimson A
Taproom & Brewery 25 Campbell Street Mon-Thurs 2pm-9pm Fri-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 12pm-7pm
House N. Congress St.
W. Union St.
BrewPub 24 West Union Street Tues-Thurs 7pm-2am Fri 4pm-2am Sat 2pm-2am
BrewPub & Public
Taproom & Brewery
Just a mile from our uptown locations is our Taproom and Production Brewery, located at 25 Campbell Street. With 16 additional taps, food cart, and a large outdoor patio, it’s a perfect retreat at the edge of town.
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