Fall 2015 (Vol. 9, Issue 1) by Backdrop Magazine

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NEW BREWERY Makes a Splash

ABBY GILLELAND: BOBCAT VOLLEYBALL’S

Award-Winning Senior

LOCAL CHEF

Finds What Drives Her STAND UP AND

SPEAK OUT:

OU ACTIVISM

Contact Alecia Moquin

STUDENT ALUMNI BOARD

740.592.5262 or 740.591.6498 alecia@diversifiedproperties.net

28 N. College St. 18 Blick Ave.

SAB is a professional organization that strives to connect students to the University and Bobcat alumni through exciting programs and initiatives. SAB hosts the Yell Like Hell Pep Rally at Homecoming, informative Bobcat 2 Bobcat Panels, the Bare on the Bricks charity, and more. SAB’s passionate, creative, and hardworking undergraduates make a difference on campus. More at www.ohiosab.com.

AVAILABLE MAY 2015 Like new! 3 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.

Kendra and her roommate went to SAB’s open house their first year, curious to learn more. That was three years ago, and both Kendra and her roommate are now stalwart members. In fact, Kendra is the President of SAB.

21 Herrold Ave.

30 Blick Ave.

5 Atlantic Ave.

What makes SAB so engaging?

-Justin Mosley, sophomore studying computer science in Russ College of Engineering and Technology.

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

Learn more at www.ohiosab.com and follow usfacton Twitter @ohiosab Fun fact goes here Fun goes here Fun fact goes here

Floor plans, photos and more information at www.diversifiedproperties.net

80 Mill St. Apts. 1,2,3

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.

19 Herrold Ave.

“If you want to join a fun but professional club, build your professional network, etiquette and team work skills, SAB is the club for you.”

22 Blick Ave.

Why choose SAB?

16 Blick Ave.

-Kendra Lutes, junior studying organizational communications in Scripps College of Communication.

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

4 bedrooms, central air, onsite parking for all residents, private back patio, close to everything.

77 N. Congress St.

“I can build my professional network, maximize my connections and share my OHIO pride with students and alumni,” Kendra says. “And, I do this with 70 of my closest friends.”

Justin found out about SAB his freshman year as a member of of OHIO’s LINKS scholarship program. He decided to check it out and hasn’t looked back. Now a sophomore, Justin will serve as the project manager for the SAB website.

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

Welcome back, Bobcats! Congratulations! You’ve just opened up the first Backdrop of the 2015-16 academic year! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of school, regardless of having to go to class again. I, like many other students, refuse to accept the calendar year and am protesting the s-word … because, just no. For all those reading who are not facing the impending doom of graduation at the end of this year — enjoy it. I cannot explain how much I already miss this place and fall semester has barely begun. Backdrop’s new staff has many changes — from an editorin-chief coming from the business side of the magazine to a surprisingly young executive staff. Producing this issue has been both crazy and exciting. Although I’m halfway certain I’ll need an IV of coffee by the final issue, I wouldn’t change a thing. Our new staff is incredible and worked all summer to bring this first issue to you. If any of you know me personally, you understand how much I love food, and I mean LOVE it. That being said, I’m happy to present our cover story in which Cheyenne Buckingham introduces you to an eclectic, health-inspired food truck here in Athens (Page 20). To add to the great food featured in this issue, we also feature great beer (for those of you who are 21 and older, of course). Chris Manning takes you to a new brewery that’s making waves in this spirited town (Page 24). Something new we’ve added this year is a quarterly guide stock full of events so our readers are up to date on what’s happening between issues. From Ohio Athletic events to festivities on the bricks, this guide has everything you need to know to enjoy Athens this fall (Page 34). If you’ve read this far into my letter, thank you for actually reading it, because it was surprisingly difficult to write. I am proud to say this is my first published issue as EIC, even with the late nights and extremely late nights that came with its production. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

backdrop maga zine

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SEE THE PHOTO STORY

PAGE 28

Us Now?

Rebecca Zook

Students unite to speak out against the strained studentadministration relationship.

MANAGING EDITOR

Emily McIntyre

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR

Real 20 Chelsea’s Food Truck

Kaitlyn Pacheco

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Amanda Weisbrod & Andrew Downing

Local chef serves wholesome meals from her trademark food truck.

COPY CHIEF

Alexandra Greenberg COPY TEAM Elizabeth Backo, Olivia Cobb, Madison Eblen, Julia Fair, Hayley Harding

ON THE COVER

CONTRIBUTORS

Max Catalono, Michelle Jacobson, Amanda Demelio

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Cheers,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES » 16 Can yOU Hear

FALL 2015

Karlee Proctor

backdrop magazine

ART DIRECTOR

Andie Danesi

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

LOCAL CHEF

STAND UP AND

Finds What Drives Her

SPEAK OUT

OU ACTIVISM

Natasha Rignalda Rebecca Zook Editor-in-Chief backdropmag@gmail.com

DESIGN TEAM Lindsey Tennent, Meredith Kern

PHOTO EDITOR

Jilly Burns

NEW BREWERY

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

ABBY GILLELAND BOBCAT VOLLEYBALL’S Award-Winning Senior

Brianna Griesinger

Makes a Splash

Cover photo by Jilly Burns Cover design by Karlee Proctor

backdrop | Fall 2015

FALL 2015 » VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1

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

www.backdropmagazine.com

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PUBLISHER

b ?

Q&A »

SPORTS »

Adam McConville ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

MASONRY CONTRACTORS

Students’ Choice Awards Two student-honored professors create their own courses.

Briana Ekanem

THE DROP »

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER RELATIONS

Tricia Tighe

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Zachary Berry

BRAND STRATEGIST

Samantha Pelham

Church grounds find new life as an apartment complex.

Gabby Hollowell

ENTERTAINMENT »

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

WEB EDITOR

Chris Manning WEB MANAGING EDITOR

Cheyenne Buckingham

ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR

#TweetOnTheStreet Backdrop lists the six Twitter accounts that should be on every Bobcat’s timeline.

FOOD » 24

Alexandra Greenberg

Instrumental Education Read about one student organization’s latest efforts to assist persons with learning disabilities.

Little Fish in the Brew Pond Two Athens natives open a farmhouse-style brewery with true local flavor.

Want an advertisement in Backdrop? Simply send an email to backdropadvertising@ gmail.com to get started.

Interested in working with us? 308 Bradley Avenue Cincinnati, Oh 45215 Phone: (513)821-2117 Mobile: (513)616-2426

Morning Oats Start your day off right with these two oat-standing recipes.

PHOTO STORY » 28

A Vision Realized L’Arche community center celebrates 50 years of interactive instruction.

Ohio Volleyball’s nationally recognized senior brings leadership to more than just the court.

On the Bricks From Homecoming to HallOUween, check out nine signature fall events in Athens.

TECH » 36

Making the Virtual a Reality Delve into the artificial technology that is enhancing classroom environments.

SEX & HEALTH » 38

Fad Diets, Bad Diets Backdrop investigates which of the decade’s most popular diets are worth the hype.

VOICES » 40

RECIPE » 26

Setting the Standard

INFOGRAPHIC »

In Good Faith

EVENT COORDINATOR

Mackenzie Smith

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What I Wish I Knew Before I Transferred... Read how one student transitioned into life as a Bobcat.

EXHIBIT A » 42

A showcase of creative works by fellow students.

PHOTO HUNT » 44

Spot the differences at the Athens Farmers Market.

Stop by one of our weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in Scripps.

FALL 2015 » VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1

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? Q&A

STUDENTS’

choice

AWARDS

Two professors create their own courses thanks to recognition from their students. DR. PAUL MAYHEW

DR. SOICHI TANDA University Professor Award winner Biological Sciences Proposed Course: Biotechnologies in Society

BY SAMANTHA PELHAM | PHOTOS BY KEEGAN SHAW How many years have you taught and for which grade levels? Soichi Tanda: I started teaching in 1993 at the University of Maryland at College Park and then have been teaching at Ohio University since 2000. I’ve taught only collegelevel biology courses and have found that my time here has been rewarded with friendly, hardworking students. What was your reaction to being chosen for this award? ST: I was humbled and thrilled! It is a very rewarding feeling that the student body values what I do, and that’s the best feeling you can get when you’re a college professor. What course do you plan on teaching now that you are able to design your own for spring semester? ST: The course is called Biotechnology in Society and it is going to introduce different biotechnologies and what they do. I will discuss how it works and examples of how it is used in our society today … I like that everyone can have different opinions and cultural differences in which they can exchange ideas. Some of today’s technology may or may not be a part of people’s backgrounds depending on their morals and advancement, so this will help students explore all types of biotechnologies. What do you hope students gain from this course? ST: I want students to gain this understanding of the different technologies and how these advancements can further the medical field. If these students can leave this course with new outlooks they never thought about in the world of biotechnology, then I have done my job.

backdrop | Fall 2015

Pringles were involved in a lawsuit where another company tried to prove they weren’t potato chips.

What classes are you currently teaching? Paul Mayhew: I am currently teaching two academic classes: Introduction to Music Education and General Music Methods … I also have two ensembles, a 107-voice women’s ensemble and I have a 130-member community choir called Choral Union.

University Professor Award winner School of Music Proposed Course: Understanding Nonverbal Communication

What was your reaction to being chosen for this award? PM: I’m really, really honored to be receiving this, especially since I’m going into my third year here and feel like it more often goes to professors who have been here a while. That’s the really amazing part to me; I send out course evaluations and the feedback from my choirs and education courses has been amazing. What course do you plan on teaching now that you are able to design your own for spring semester? PM: The course is called Understanding Nonverbal Communication for teachers, performers and presenters, although it is open to all majors with junior and senior status. People form their first impression of a person within the first 15 seconds of meeting them, so I wanted to create a course that gives students the skills to apply it to the area they are interested in … I want them to learn how to keep the right eye contact and facial expressions, as well as proximity, tone of voice, volume and many other essential parts. What do you hope students gain from this course? PM: Social intelligence. A huge goal of mine is that students walk away with a social intelligence in which they can hold their own in whatever environment they’re in. As a performer, you have to find a way to connect with your audience; that is a key element to being good. Some say people are just born with it, but I think students can learn how to be good communicators. It is possible to teach charisma to students by making them aware of how they present themselves. b The average ear of corn has 16 rows of kernels.

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THE DROP

IN GOOD

FAITH Homestead U works together with the New Life Assembly of God to build on the church’s former land. BY ALEXANDRA GREENBERG | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY HOMESTEAD U

onstruction, especially in Athens, is not typically met with enthusiasm or positive reactions. Students, professors and locals alike suffer through long periods of disruptive noises and route adjustments. However, many don’t consider how demolition affects the previous property owners. Regular construction seems to be bad enough, but when people see a bulldozer and a backhoe tear a church to the ground behind a banner advertising for a new apartment complex, they might think the project is not only troubling for them, but for the pastor and parishioners as well. But that’s not the case with the new addition of River Gate apartments off of South Green. In fact, Pastor Phillip Foster of the recently demolished New Life Assembly of God supports the replacement of the church with the new apartments. He believes both Homestead U, the property management company leading the construction of the apartments, and the church will benefit from the move. “We don’t have enough student housing and they looked like they wanted to put together a nice project, so I thought it made sense,” Foster says. The New Life Assembly of God was lacking the congregation and funds to up keep with the almost 40-year-old church ever since the founding pastor left in the mid-1980s, taking most of the parishioners with him. “We put like $50,000 in it a few years ago for upkeep and it didn’t even put a dent in it,” Foster says. “So you’d have to put about a half a million into it to really bring it up to where it needed to be.” When Foster and his assembly no longer believed the renova-

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tions and deferred maintenance were worth the hefty price, they decided to sell the property. The church went on the market in 2014 and was quickly sought out by Homestead U. Laura Formica, vice president of operations at Homestead U, and other company executives saw a great future for the property. “We just knew that we had to jump on the opportunity. With the location and the land’s proximity to our properties, it was just a really fortuitous opportunity for us in Athens,” Formica says. “You don’t see that kind of land become available often.” Homestead U is typically focused on fixing up acquired apartment complexes, but choosing to develop on this site benefited both parties. “It was never a discussion; we don’t set out like, you know, ‘What churches can we demolish and build apartments on?’ That’s definitely not our approach,” Formica says. However, the legal side of the approval process hasn’t been easy for Homestead U. The Athens Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the initial plan for a 4.5-story complex that would take up 82 percent of the lot area. Homestead U returned to the board with a proposal for a 3.5-story building and requested a variance for 77.5 percent of lot coverage that was later approved, plausibly thanks to an unlikely ally. “Pastor Foster actually has been amazing just speaking on our behalf. He’s actually attended some of the zoning meetings and he wrote a letter of recommendation supporting the project to the city,” Formica says. “He’s been really supportive of the whole project.” In Brazil, one of the most popular pizza toppings is green peas.

But, the pastor’s support could not prevent a lawsuit from another apartment complex. Attorneys for the Summit at Coates Run further complicated the situation by suing the city of Athens for approving River Gate’s construction plans. They believe the Board of Zoning Appeals was incorrect in approving the requested parking zones for River Gate based on the landscape size, considering what was approved for their own property. Although the Athens County Common Pleas Court dismissed the lawsuit, the Coates Run attorneys are persistent in their appeals of the decisions. Because the Summit at Coates Run didn’t participate in discussions between the Board of Zoning Appeals and Homestead U before construction plans were approved, the court ruled that they had no say in the decision after it was made. Despite the setbacks, the $17 million River Gate apartments still include the same amenities as other River Park apartments: a pool, a fitness center and a clubhouse with a cyber café. Unlike those before it, however, River Gate will offer a covered parking garage and a movie theater with a gaming room. To give the building a more modern feel, the apartments will come fully furnished and have finishes such as granite, stainless steel and wood. Students will also be able to rent the apart-

In South Korea, Dunkin’ Donuts has products such as Honey Rice Sticks and Garlic Rolls.

ments by bed instead of by a joint lease, meaning that each roommate in an apartment will be on his or her own lease. Homestead U hopes to have occupancy available by mid-tolate summer of 2016. The modernity won’t come cheap, though. The average cost of a bed at River Park is about $550 and those at River Gate will be closer to $845. Formica believes that today’s students will accept the increase, as many of them want better apartments. “Kids want nicer housing; they want what they were accustomed to at their homes,” Formica says. “We’re really positioning River Gate as the newest, best in class and nicest Class A property at Ohio University that you can find.” As River Gate construction moves along smoothly, the New Life Assembly of God church is still looking for a permanent location. For the time being, sermons can be found online and the congregation can be found in theater 11 of the Athena Grand Cinema on Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m. “It’s different; there’s no question about it. I mean, we’re used to having all the lights on,” Foster says. “But, people love the seats and the smell of popcorn on the way out is pretty awesome.” And yes, sometimes people do stay to watch a movie or two after church. “We had one lady show up early one Sunday to watch movies,” She said, ‘Well, I’ll just stay and come to your church today and then I’ll watch the movie after,’” Foster Says. Foster hopes they can relocate to a close, small location soon. He and his congregation are very optimistic for the future, just as Homestead U is looking forward to River Gate and the addition of another apartment complex near South Green. “I like to think of it as history’s a blank slate and we can either read about it or we can write it,” Foster says. “And I think doing what we’re doing is going to help us write more history than what we’d be able to do than if we stayed where we’re at.” b

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THE DROP

Instrumental

Education BY MICHELLE JACOBSON | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS

ously possible,” Turner says. Creative Expressions’ main goal is to help children learn in new and effective ways by using technology that incorporates music and motor tactic skills. This includes using an aspect of music therapy that can be vital in stimulating and encouraging learning. By targeting motor tactic skills, they teach the children how to get all of their systems to work together. One of the technologies that incorporates this skill is the Sound Beamz, an instrument that projects sound when an object is picked up or dropped. “The great part about this group is that students have a chance to work with kids in activities that are more about creativity and expression than right or wrong answers,” says Dr. John McCarthy, associate director of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “The technology is motivating and it is a great way for kids and students to learn.” Different forms of technology are implemented into the students’ educations as a way to stimulate comprehension. One of the newest tools that the organization uses is called a Skoog. A Skoog is an instrument that is frequently used in music therapy as a way to reinforce learning. The students also use other auditory stimulations, textiles, clickers and microphones while they participate in activities with members. “I love working with the children. It’s such a blessing and it’s so fun to get out … in a community that is poor and struggling and being able to work with those children and just have fun with the kids,” Turner says. “Being a part of this organization helps me get through the stressful school weeks and makes me feel like I am making a difference while in college,” Moss says. “Giving back gives you

a happiness that you can’t find anywhere else.” The support that Creative Expressions has for the community also shows through its efforts to bring advocacy and awareness for those in need to OU’s campus. One of the individuals whom this organization has helped is Noah Trembly, a 39-year -old Athens resident diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Dr. McCarthy worked to provide him with a new handicap accessible van. After holding a fundraiser this past spring, Creative Expressions members are helping to make this van a reality. The organization is also working to get a new Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for Trembly. This tool will allow Trembly to communicate by using eye tracking. In order to make the AAC more affordable, Creative Expressions’ members are using their own resources to photograph and illustrate the items that will be used on the screen. Because of its hardwork and continuous commitment to the community, Creative Expressions was recognized as an award-winning organization. As a recent recipient of the Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Greater Community by a Student Organization in the College of Health Sciences and Professions, Creative Expressions was acknowledged for its time and dedication to those in the Athens area. With this acknowledgement, the organization sets its new goals toward acquiring new technology for the students, making more trips to schools and getting more people involved. “This is a great organization to be a part of because it is hands-on, extremely rewarding for both you and the children you work with and is helping our future generations with their communication skills and education,” Moss says. b

An Ohio University student organization dedicates time to create new tools, that assist persons with learning disabilities.

ommunicating and using motor abilities are seemingly simple daily tasks, but when a barrier lies between a child’s ability to learn and use language, these tasks become quite complex. In order to accommodate these challenges in the classroom, one Ohio University organization, Creative Expressions, uses different educational methods as an opportunity for the child to grow. With its efforts put toward providing educational inclusion for children with developmental disabilities, Creative Expressions makes a difference by continuing its mission: inclusion through the arts. As a program within the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at OU, members strive to provide the necessary tools for children in the community to learn and be actively engaged. “Our organization also improves student life at Ohio University, as students can make a direct impact on their local community,” says Annie Turner, president of Creative Expressions. “They are able to give back and help the children of Athens County in ways they would have not been able to before.” Creating a direct connection to the Athens community, members visit local elementary schools each week, work closely with the students and bring new outlets for them to learn.

backdrop | Fall 2015

They serve Sycamore Run and Chauncey Elementary (now known as the ACS Early Learning Center). Previously, they worked with Beacon Elementary and the Child Development Center at OU. “The kids really enjoy the company we bring them. They are always so excited to see us because that means they get to do something fun and different, while also learning,” says Madison Moss, vice president of Creative Expressions. “They really enjoy our activities that involve more modern technology.” When working with both typically and non-typically developing children, members target the student’s retention, comprehension and motor skills through innovative, studenttaught lesson plans. The kids then engage with OU students through activities about the seasons, colors, shapes and animals, by working hands-on and using assistive technologies. With this style of teaching, the lessons are generated toward creativity as an opportunity for the kids to realize their full potential. Although the activities are small ways to aid the children’s education, they play a significant role in their ability to grow academically, socially and personally. “Through our lesson plans, we provide each student with an opportunity to learn in ways that would have never been previTea bags were first developed in New York in 1908 as a way to distribute samples.

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ENTERTAINMENT @OUCrushes – OU Crushes is the new age “put a note in a locker” way of letting someone know that you admire him or her. Most posts involve some type of weird sexual innuendo, but are supposed to be taken as compliments. If you see your name posted, it’s up to you to decide if it’s creepy or sweet. Either way, it’s always fun to see which of your friends or classmates are being posted about.

#TweetOn TheStreet

@OU_Confessions – If you’re ever curious about the wild happenings of Court Street, this is the Twitter account to follow. It’s not all party on this page, as some of the posts deal with real issues that your fellow Bobcats are going through, such as depression and anxiety. After reading through some of the deeper thoughts of other Bobcats, you’ll be surprised to learn how many of your peers feel the same way as you.

Backdrop recommends Twitter accounts for Bobcats to follow.

@JennyHallJones – Jenny Hall-Jones is the Dean of Students and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs on campus and a great source for campus information. Her personal account includes updates on events, interactions with students and even pictures of nice days on the Athens campus. Get familiar with her on campus and on the Twittersphere.

BY ANDREW DOWNING @OUBananaEaters – What’s funnier than a candid photo of your friends eating bananas? Nothing. Follow OU Banana Eaters to see all of the gloriously awkward photos of your fellow students choking on a piece of fruit. They also retweet and tweet about events that are happening on campus. @OUPolice – It’s very important to stay in touch with your local law enforcement, especially in a college town. The Ohio University Police Department tweets important updates that students should be aware of throughout the year. They also engage in community conversations and other events around campus. If your mother understood Twitter, she’d be proud of you for following.

n this day and age, there is no escaping social media. The Internet is flooded with YouTube videos, tweets and Facebook posts. Athens is no stranger to this, as it has been home to many parody and anonymous Twitter accounts throughout the years. From the very first anonymous endeavor, Court Street Shufflers, to

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a new account that pops up every few weeks in hopes of gaining some popularity, it is clear that OU students have bright and entertaining minds. Some in the past have struck out — @SouthGreen_Catwalk, for example — but nevertheless, there are some essential Twitter handles that every Bobcat should take the time to follow. b

Lachanophobia is the fear of vegetables.

HONORABLE MENTION

@OU_Drake – This is a new account that popped up at the end of the summer. Someone has taken it upon him or herself to let us all into the life of Drake, as if he were an OU student. It seems too early to tell if it will stick around, but by frequently referencing buildings on and around campus, OU Drake makes it easy for students to resonate with the tweets.

Titanium dioxide, used in sunscreen, is also used in ranch dressing to make it whiter.

b FEATURE

CAN yOU HEAR US

NOW

Ohio University’s student activism groups rally support for issues from last year into next. BY AMANDA WEISBROD | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY STUDENT UNION, B.L.A.C., FRC AND SARAH WILLIAMS

alking to class, heading to a football game or strolling through College Green, an Ohio University student is certain to come across one or two of them. They grow and pulse with energy as the hours pass, eventually dissolving into exciting and invigorating memories for those involved. But on those just passing by, the energy and unanimous voices exploding from student-led protests may have no effect at all. Issues such as tuition hikes, sexual harassment and racial inequality echoed through Ohio University’s campus in 2014. The rallies led to an increase in student support and involvement in various activism groups around campus. Although these organizations focus on different movements, one issue was common between the various activism groups last year — being heard by the administration. Kevin Mattson, professor of contemporary history at OU since 2001 and an avid participator in protests on campus, described the relationship between administration and students as “pretty tension-filled right now” and hopes to see a change this coming year.

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“I think a new generation of students is starting to worry about a horrible situation of debt that they’ll leave with,” says Mattson, who is also the president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), an organization dedicated to ensuring the potential of the greater good for higher education and protecting those who carry out the mission through teaching and research. “I hope students’ voices are listened to by the administration, and I hope that students stay engaged and voice their ideas.” Dean of Students and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jenny Hall-Jones has a varied description of the studentadministration relationship. “We are about the same thing — student safety and a healthy campus community,” Dr. Hall-Jones says. “Within that framework, there are roles for all of us: activism, advocacy and administration.” Although opinions differ about the relationship between administrators and those they govern, OU students will continue to protest.Momentum for student activism has built over the past three years beacause of a number of organizations.

Peanuts are a part of the legume family.

STUDENT UNION In the spring of 2012, Student Union formed at Ohio University after concerned Bobcats noticed the disparity and heard the cries of outraged students protesting in other cities around the globe. They realized they could be doing so much more at their own university to combat tuition hikes. They heard the need for change within the iconic chant, “We are the 99 percent!” and decided to take action in their own way. Fast forward to Fall Semester of 2014. After a year and a half of grassroots organizing in order to educate the community by campaigning and passing out flyers, the Student Union had enough momentum to get more OU students active in social issues. Ryan Powers, a two-year member of Student Union, says this organization set the foundation that led to the increase of student activism on campus this past year. On March 31, 2015, the OU Student Union sponsored a protest that brought national attention to Ohio University. Known as the ‘Bat Rally,’ hundreds of students gathered in front of 29 Park Place to protest the administration’s purchase of a $1.2 million dollar home for President Roderick J. McDavis and his wife, Deborah. “The building of Student Union’s structure allowed things like the Bat Rally and other popular protests last year to happen because without an organized group advocating for change to happen, it’s not going to happen,” Powers says. In 2015, Student Union has much planned for its agenda, inTryptophan, found in bananas, can help battle mild depression.

cluding continuing to grow student support and building popular movements at OU. Its mission will remain the same — to give students a voice by advocating for a truly democratic university structure. “There are always going to be things that people want to change, but the current university structure doesn’t encourage people,” Powers says. “You can think about all of the desire for change and the popular anger as steam, and the Student Union is the steam engine to actually make meaningful change. Because without an engine to put it in, all of that steam just dissipates and nothing would happen.”

F--K RAPE CULTURE It’s Homecoming Weekend 2013 and as usual, Court Street is lined with drunken Bobcats on their march to the bars. Tonight, there’s something unforgettable happening that will affect the reputation of the university for the next few years. Students crowd around a man performing oral sex on a woman in front of Chase bank on Court Street. The next day, after photos and videos of the scene went viral, the female filed a sexual assault complaint and the Ohio University Police Department sendt out emails suggesting that female students take measures to avoid sexual assault or harassment.

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F--k Rape Culture (FRC) banded together shortly after in response to these events to educate Ohio University students and Athens community members on the prevention of sexual violence on campus. FRC founders were brainstorming name ideas for their newly established organization and as they shared their own experiences with rape culture out loud, one of them said, “ugh, f--k rape culture,” in exasperation. They realized this was the perfect title, as they wanted people to think about why the word “f--k” is more offensive than the word “rape.” Over the past few years, FRC played a huge part in organizing various events and marches on campus, such as Empowering Women of Ohio Week and Take Back the Night Week. The main focus of FRC is challenging, undermining and eradicating rape culture at Ohio University. In 2015, FRC members hope to continue the trend of raising student support for issues on campus by pushing the hashtag “#youokaysis” — an online campaign to raise awareness for street harassment, created by @FeministaJones in 2014. Alyssa Ensminger, a junior at OU and a member of FRC, noticed a transformation in overall student activism on campus in the spring of 2014. To her, the combination of groups such as Student Union, FRC and B.L.A.C. worked tirelessly to mobilize students to care about various social issues, leading to an increase in student participation at Ohio University. “I think it’s really exciting and really important that we’re seeing this increase in actual participation or at least an increase in accepting or supporting this kind of radical activism that’s taking place in Athens,” Ensminger says. Since the movement, planned protests have become a frequent discussion on campus and Dr. Hall-Jones mentions she’s more than willing to discuss change. “I am always open to meeting with students to talk about our shared goals,” Dr. Hall-Jones says. “We have had very successful meetings with students and OUPD to make sure that planned protests are as safe as possible.”

BLACK LIFE ACTION COALITION OU students played their own part in the protesting of police brutality when hundreds spontaneously gathered on College Green on Oct. 22, 2014 and marched to the Athens County Courthouse chanting, “No justice, no peace!” To demonstrate support for Michael Brown, a black teenager who was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Miss. last year, students participated in a “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” march across campus while advocating for solidarity and racial equality. Less than a month later, students again rallied around the case of Brown when Wilson was not indicted. Without warning, students met in Baker Center to demand racial equality at OU. It was during the Occupy Baker movement when the seeds of inspiration to form New Black, a student-led organization promoting racial equality and solidarity on campus, were planted.

backdrop | Fall 2015

OU CAN began spreading awareness by passing out flyers in front of Baker and inviting guest speakers to the university. One of these guests was Joe Stagner, executive director of Sustainable Stanford, who virtually visited Baker Center through Google Hangouts in April. Sustainable Stanford is a campus-wide effort at Stanford University to reduce “environmental impact, preserve resources and show sustainability in action,” according to the website. Stagner spoke to more than 50 students, faculty and Athens community members, comparing OU’s situation to the transformation of renewable energy resources that Stanford went through five years ago. He urged OU to have a “fully transparent analysis of good holistic data” in order to make the best decision for the university and town of Athens as a whole, according to The Athens News. “The main reason we had him here was to show people that not only was it possible for a university to go green, but it was actually profitable,” Zak says. “We wanted to show the general public that this can be done.”

According to Jazzmine Hardges-Garner, a sophomore at OU and member of Black Life Action Coalition (B.L.A.C.), the reason for these impromptu gatherings was to start the conversation about race relations at OU. “No one was really talking about it. There were a lot of people of color who wanted to talk about it, but didn’t know how,” Hardges-Garner says. “We needed some kind of place where there was true unity, true transparency to be able to talk about all of these incidents.” During the summer of 2015, members of New Black set their plans for the 2015-16 academic year and changed their name to “Black Life Action Coalition” in order to clarify their mission. “Sometimes if you hear ‘New Black’ it makes it seem like we’re trying to redo what has already been done, and that’s not the route we’re going for,” Hardges-Garner says. The main goal for B.L.A.C. is to continue the discussion of equality among all races at Ohio University from last year, garnering more student support in the process. “Our top priority is trying to get true unity among student of color, regardless of their sexuality, their gender, their ethnicity or their class,” Hardges-Garner says. One way B.L.A.C. is planning on strengthening race relations is to require OU students to take a cultural competency class with open dialogue to discuss real problems and issues in the world. Another mission is to bring all of the different activism groups at Ohio University together to fight for equality and justice as a whole. As a member of multiple student groups on campus, such as LGBTQ, STEM and Allies, Hardges-Garner noticed a disconnect between these organizations even though they all fight for similar causes. “Certain things are talked about in certain organizations, but 18 percent of an apple’s volume is air.

they all intersect with each other, and one person is not just part of the LGBTQ community; not one person is just a part of the NAACP or BSU,” Hardges-Garner says.

OHIO UNIVERSITY CLIMATE ACTION NOW In the fall of 2014, Zak Blumer and his twin brother, Ari, were searching for a group on campus that would allow them to give back to the Athens community. They stumbled upon the Kanawha Project — an organization dedicated to promoting environmental literacy at OU through changing syllabi in classes across campus to include more environmental topics — and decided to join. Throughout the semester, Zak and Ari met with Dr. Austin Babrow, a professor in the College of Communications, to create a plan to make a difference. They chose to focus on environmental issues on campus because they didn’t feel those issues were being discussed. That winter, Ohio University Climate Action Now (OU CAN) banded together for the first time. OU CAN’s main objective is outlined in its name — to educate members of the Ohio University community on environmental issues that need to be solved. “We wanted to educate people to understand that this is a problem right now. This isn’t something that we can slowly deal with in 20 years,” Zak says.

“

Without an organized group advocating for change to happen, it’s not going to happen.” RYAN POWERS TWO-YEAR MEMBER OF STUDENT UNION

Over the summer, protestors from OU CAN, Student Union and Appalachia Resist, an organization comprised of Athens community members advocating for environmental issues, met at the construction site of the natural gas pipeline that would run from the interstate gas pipeline near Dairy Lane, underneath the Hocking River and to OU’s heating plant. According to The Athens News, OU officials claim that converting coal to a natural gas energy resource would allow a bridge to be built for renewable energy. Some OU students and Athens community members disagree; they believe that a better solution is out there — one that can change OU’s fuel consumption now, not later. The momentum that OU CAN has built on campus will continue into the 2015-16 academic year with similar objectives, but larger goals in mind. “As one of the first students in the group, I really hope we can succeed in getting more attention and more things done by getting more students involved,” Zak says.

Protesting and picketing issues at OU have gained momentum with eerie familiarity to the 1970s. These groups’ energies will continue to rise throughout the year as they advocate for their causes. b

There was a law in Kentucky making it illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

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b FEATURE

Chelsea’s

REAL FOOD TRUCK Chelsea Hindenach supports local farmers in her pursuit to feed members of the community with food sensitivities. BY CHEYENNE BUCKINGHAM | PHOTOS BY JILLY BURNS

backdrop | Fall 2015

Growing a single almond takes roughly a gallon of water.

hile browsing through the Athens Farmers Market on East State Street each Saturday morning, it is inevitable that customers experience hunger as they stroll past the variety of fresh produce and scrumptious baked goods. However, something was missing — customers needed a place where they could purchase a warm meal to suffice the cravings that ignite while gazing at the vibrant colors of the juicy fruits and crisp vegetables before them. The farmers market needed a venue for the consumers to sink their teeth into a sandwich and walk away feeling clean, satisfied and free of guilt for its caloric value. Early bird market shoppers dreampt of an aspiring chef that believed in integrating real, wholesome food into meals. As of July 2013, one woman’s passion filled that missing component with the inception of Chelsea’s Real Food Truck. From a young age, Chelsea Hindenach, owner and founder of Chelsea’s Real Food Truck, had a passion for cooking and baking her own creations. She adopted her parents’ method of preparing meals from scratch at the age of 6 when they granted her free rein of the kitchen, which enabled her to experiment and relinquish her curiosity for food combinations. “Often I made these lovely bricks,” she says of the homemade muffins she attempted to make as a child. Now, at 32 years old, Hindenach remains true to that ambitious attitude she acquired so early in life by trusting her abilities and knowledge of food to create the perfect concoctions. “Even now, I don’t use recipes often. I look up recipes for a basic concept,” Hindenach says. Instead, recipes rather serve as a starting point for her — she builds onto them and then integrates her own flare into the dish. “Most of the recipes that I make in my purple kitchen are things that I come up with myself,” she says. What makes Chelsea’s Real Food Truck stand out prominently in Athens, however, is her focus on serving people with specific dietary needs, which was inspired by her own life experiences. “I grew up with a lot of food allergies,” Hindenach says. Unfortunately, she could not eat dairy, eggs, nuts, chocolate or tomatoes, which made learning to cook a vital skill. Hindenach is not the only member of her family who struggles with food intolerances. Her parents are burdened with their own allergies — her father with shellfish and her mother with legumes. Moreover, preparing meals that could feed the entire family with such tedious limitations always required special attention. “Food was always cooked,” Hindenach says. “We never got frozen dinners or went out to eat. It wasn’t an option.” At 26 years old, Hindenach had a life-changing epiphany that would transform the way she cooked and ate for the rest of her life. After years of dietary discomfort, she had the idea of eliminating gluten from her diet. “I had a hunch,” Hindenach says. “When I was stressed out, I would live on bread, which I think is very common. It is almost an addictive thing.” She immediately considered pulling wheat from her diet,

Peanuts are used to make dynamite.

the main proprietor of gluten, and once she did, she felt amazing. As she sustained her new diet, she noticed the severity of her other food allergies remarkably begin to dissipate. “I had to convince myself; it was this big emotional process … to cut that out,” Hindenach says, “[But after,] so many of my other issues cancelled out.” While dairy products still don’t agree with her body, she can now eat chocolate, high quality eggs, peanuts, cashews and many other food items that ailed her during the first two and a half decades of her life. While this method worked miraculously for her, she emphasizes that it may not be the solution for all. She has effectively made the kitchen in her food truck both dairy and gluten-free to ensure that other people who experience food limitations can enjoy wholesome meals without risking digestive pain. “I am not evangelical about the gluten thing, but that’s how I cook,” Hindenach says. “I respect people’s dietary preferences and choices. I am pretty evangelical about good quality food though, because I do think that makes life better for everybody.” It is this kind of genuine acceptance and mindset that allows Hindenach to accommodate a diverse group of people; she can wholeheartedly cater to people’s needs upon request. Leah Crosby, former president of the Gluten Free Alliance at Ohio University, was a fan of Hindenach’s classic menu items as a student because the options tailored to her dietary limitations. When Crosby entered college five years ago, she was diagnosed with celiac disease, which is defined as a severe gluten intolerance. During childhood, Crosby’s mother did not prepare many glutenous meals, so it was not until she was introduced to the dining halls at the university when her intolerance became apparent. “I began getting sick all the time at school and started taking steps to isolate the problem,” Crosby says. “As I continued to cut gluten, my extreme sensitivity to it became more obvious.” Unlike Crosby, Hindenach was never tested for celiac disease, but just like any allergy, the level of severity may differ depending on the individual. Regardless, both women do not let these restrictions inhibit them from enjoying food. “Food is love,” Crosby says. “Communal cooking and eating are important emotionally and socially and often people with allergies miss out on big group meals.” Similar to Hindenach, Crosby rarely eats out, but having a positive perspective enabled her to get creative with cooking, such as making a pancake solely out of a banana and an egg. At festivals during the summer, Hindenach’s creativity especially shines through her refreshing specialty meals and snacks, most notably her watermelon gazpacho and gingerpeach popsicles. As for fall, she looks forward to serving her popular roasted, spiced sweet corn, which she roasts right above the flame and coats with a light, tangy glaze of cayenne, curry, lemon and salt. Although Hindenach is talented with creating eccentric

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“

I have been into food my entire life, specifically healthy food and food made from scratch.” CHELSEA HINDENACH, CHEF

that they can plan to grow it for her. Consuming healthful food is something that Hindenach highly values; therefore, she ensures her customers that they are only buying the best, natural quality food. In particular, Hindenach puts an emphasis on buying local so the ingredients are fresh and at their most nutritious state. “A lot of what I do is both organic and chemical free. I place the local sourcing slightly higher than I place organic, though,” Hidenbach says. “Some of my farmers are certified organic, some are as good as organic but not certified and some are not any of that, but they grow nice food.” Regardless of whether her meals are composed entirely of organic items or local ones, Hindenach always stays consistent with the cleanliness and safety of her purchases. “Low chemical load is important to me; I also use non-GMO items,” Hindenach explains. “A lot of gluten-free stuff does not taste very good or has a nasty ingredient list.” She pledged to never utilize potato starch in her bread because of its high chemical load content, which indicates that it was grown with a number of pesticides. Hindenach also stresses that some gluten-free companies’ products seen on the shelves of grocery stores may consist of synthetically made additives and ingredients such as cellulose. Luckily, her sandwiches and classic vegetable focaccia bread are free from all unnatural elements. Organic brown rice flour, certified gluten-free oats, flour, tapioca and organic flax meal are what make up the base grain blend. “I spent a lot of time coming up with a gluten-free bread recipe that also does not contain eggs, because a lot of folks around here are vegan or cannot eat dairy,” Hindenach says. “I wanted to be able to feed as many people as possible.” Hindenach’s goals and motives to help supply the community with nutritious meals were not dreams she envisioned in the classroom. She actually never attended culinary school nor took classes.

She was scheduled to attend the culinary program at Hocking College when she was 18 years old, but decided against it at the last minute. She yearned to learn more about the significance of locally sourced, healthy food, rather than how to implement great knife skills. But such professional culinary skills did not appear overnight — she absorbed methods by meticulously observing her mentors, taking a little bit away from each baker and chef and gradually becoming an expert in the field. From working at an Italian restaurant in her hometown, to Athens’ own Village Bakery for five years and then as a personal chef for a family for three years, Hindenach can confidently affirm that she immersed herself into a variety of culinary environments over the years. Christine Hughes, co-owner of Village Bakery, speaks of Hindenach’s rapid adaptation into the chef-inspired world. “She quickly turned into one of our main line cooks, a very demanding position,” Hughes says. “Her creativity and exceptional, aesthetic talent helped us turn the excellent ingredients we work with into wonderful dishes. Chelsea’s talent continues to build upon the foundation of the top quality local ingredients she seeks out.” Above all, Hindenach just loves to make and eat good food. “It is important to me both health-wise and ethically that when we support local farmers, we are getting much higher quality, more nutrient-dense, fresher foods that will keep our bodies healthy,” Hindenach says. “When you buy anything fresh off the farm, it’s vibrant and alive; it’s a whole different world.” Nevertheless, Hindenach continues to educate and inspire members of the community with her passion for health, portrayed through both her enthusiasm and spunky meals. She will continue to assimilate her philosophy of solely cooking with real foods from local farmers into Athens’ culinary community. “The local food community is so strong here and that’s what I do; I support the local farmers as much as I possibly can.” b

Make a Banana Pancake! menu items, she faced a steep learning curve when it came to designing her own food truck. Unlike most food trucks, she wanted her business equipped with a full-size commercial kitchen that houses five sinks, a four-burner range, a convection oven, a twodoor refrigerator with a freezer and a small salad station to boot. Add two people and a plethora of fresh greens and this 8.5-by-18 foot space becomes comfortably occupied. Searching for a truck that could handle such complexity in a confined space was not an easy task — in fact, it did not exist. Hindenach specially ordered her purple trailer from a company based in Georgia. After tireless, unsuccessful phone conversations with banks and the rewriting of business plans, four private investors gave her the funds to start up her food truck. She quickly learned to drive a pickup, retrieved her trailer and installed the equipment.

backdrop | Fall 2015

Her business was finally born. She had no troubles fitting in at the farmers market, seeing as a majority of her ingredients are sourced from neighboring vendors. All of the meat and nearly all of the fruits and vegetables used in Chelsea’s Real Food Truck are locally sourced. A popular menu item of hers is called “The King Sandwich,” which consists of a sausage patty produced by King Family Farm, a family-owned, antibiotic-free, non-GMO pork and poultry business that resides in Albany, Ohio. Her pumpkin seed and black bean veggie burger is another hearty hit, but her creamy smoothies and fruit tarts offer a sweet, lighter endeavor for those just wanting a snack. Over the last two years of operation, she has developed personal relationships with a handful of farmers in the area, so much so that they ask her at the beginning of each season what she will need so October is National Pasta Month.

Recipe by Leah Crosby

Ingredients

1 Banana

Steps

1 Mash Banana

1 Egg

2 Whisk Egg

1-2 tbsp of Almond Flour

3 Add Almond Flour

Sugar is the only substance that humans are born craving.

4 Add Cinnamon

Pinch of Cinnamon

5 Grease pan with butter

Heap of Butter

6 Cook on medium heat

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“

FOOD

Athens needs more places like this.”

Little Fish in the

BREW POND BY CHRIS MANNING | PHOTOS BY ANDREW DOWNING AND REBECCA ZOOK

Two locals open a brewery in hopes of giving Athens something it needs.

n its current state, Little Fish Brewing Company is both the genesis of something new and the culmination of years of hard work. Its taproom reflects this — it looks and feels under construction, but the foundation has already been laid. “Eight months ago, this place was bare,” says co-founder Sean White, who opened Little Fish in July with longtime friend Jimmy Stockwell after two and a half years of planning and 60-plus hour weeks. “It was a big open box, so we could do whatever we wanted to.” White and Stockwell are both Athens natives and became friends in sixth grade at East Elementary School. They were friends throughout high school before taking their own paths. The two kept in touch despite living in different parts of the country and working completely different jobs. Stockwell graduated from Ohio University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. From there, he went to work at the United States Forest Service and then as a scientist for Quidel, a biotechnology company that commercializes tests for infectious diseases. “I wanted a change,” Stockwell says, “and there’s beer [in this job].” As for White, he went to culinary school and worked as a chef at various restaurants for about a decade before seriously getting into homebrewing. He interned at Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, New York and then worked at Alameda Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. After he finished at Alameda, he took a job at Cascade Brewing in Portland, which specializes in sour beers. “I was tired of working in restaurants,” White says. “[Restaurant work] is kind of a burnout thing and I wanted to do

backdrop | Fall 2015

this. I’ve been daydreaming about doing a brewery for a long time, for at least 10 years.” Three years ago, White moved back to Athens and took a position as the pub brewer at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery. After working at Jackie O’s for two years and brewing an early batch of what would later be Lil’ Harvey’s Milk Stout, he left to fully focus on building Little Fish. White and Stockwell reconnected when White moved back and first talked about opening a brewery in March 2013 — a time when both were starting to look for career changes. Stockwell wasn’t happy with his job and wanted to start his own business, while White was looking to fulfill his dream of opening a brewery in Athens. “Before me and Jimmy were working on it together, I was working on a brewery idea and starting to get things together. Jimmy and I and met up and he was just like ‘my job sucks,’” White recalls with a laugh. “I don’t know if I’d be here without a partner.” “I think I actually said that we should start a brewery together and [White] called me the next day and said ‘I’ve already got that planned in my mind,’” Stockwell says. After two years of planning out their business, Stockwell and White eventually set a goal to open during Athens Brew Week on July 10, 2015. The total cost of the property and brewing equipment was just south of $700,000, and it took them about a year to get all of the money together. Aside from the bank, the money came from family, friends and private investors who live in and outside of Athens. It was close, but Little Fish was open for the 2015 edition of Brew Week with very few pilot batches. “To actually make that goal and actually open up a brewThe average potato only has .02 grams of fat.

SEAN WHITE, LITTLE FISH CO-FOUNDER

ery on time, it’s pretty crazy,” Stockwell says. “If I had to do it again, I’d say we realistically only had a 25 percent chance of doing it.” The inside of Little Fish reflects the cozy, green environment that White and Stockwell set out to build. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and a homemade ginger ale for those looking for a non-alcoholic option. A bag of Shagbark chips with salsa is available for $3 if a patron craves something to munch on while drinking. In time, patrons will also be able to walk or bike to Little Fish in lieu of driving; the Athens bike path will end right on Little Fish’s property once the city is done expanding the path. To top it off, Little Fish sources as much as it can locally. A couple in Marietta designed the signature logo, key grains like corn and spelt are Ohio-grown and the beers are designed with local flavors and ingredients in mind. For instance, a pawpaw beer was added to the menu the week before the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival. Local food trucks — Cajun Clucker on Wednesday, Holy Guacamole on Thursday and Friday and Mauvette’s Caribbean Fusion on Saturday and Sunday — are on site each day selling locally made food. “Food, we thought, was a necessity for our vision of people coming to the taproom for an extended period of time,” Stockwell says. “We built a place we would want to come hang out at on the weekend.” The beer is brewed just a few steps from where people sit and this too is on purpose. Stockwell and White say they want their customers to know what’s going into their beer. In fact, in typical farmhouse style, all of the ingredients are stored on a shelf just a few feet from the bar. Customers can literally see what White makes the beer out of while they drink it. “We want people here to feel like they are involved,” White says. Now that its doors are open, the plan for Little Fish is continuously evolving. The property that Little Fish currently resides on is a 2-acre plot, so as time goes on, Little Fish

BEST BREWS! LIL’ HARVEY’S MILK STOUT | 4.8% ALCOHOL

Named after White’s son Harvey, this stout is made with nitrogen and is smooth from start to finish. It tastes like a stout, but isn’t as bitter due to some added sugar.

Alliumphobia is the fear of garlic.

will expand outward. Plans are already in place for a patio addition to the left of the entrance. White and Stockwell also envision adding a green space and perhaps even a community garden on the property. As Little Fish continues to grow, its beer menu will too. Right now, White is working on a few robust, barrel-aged beers that will be ready to sell by year’s end. In addition, Little Fish’s House India Pale Ale (IPA) — a light brown pale ale that is Little Fish’s strongest beer at 6.6 percent ABV — will use different hops and grains depending on the season. Lagers and a pilsner made with organic Ohio-grown corn will also be added to the menu soon. “We wanted to have a wide breadth and use different yeasts to create different flavors, so it’s not just a bunch of different color beers from blonde to black that all kind of taste similar,” White says. “It’s a balance of traditional styles done how we want them done and experimentation.” Aside from the taproom itself, Little Fish beer is on tap at Cat’s Den on Union Street, the milk stout will be regularly on draft at J-Bar and they are working on getting their beer on tap at Casa Nueva. They also participated in J-Bar’s Athens Tap Takeover at the end of September to help showcase local craft beer to a student population which often chooses a cheap, watery 30-rack of anything light over something with actual taste. At the end of the day, though, what Little Fish is — and hopes to be — is based around its Armitage Road location. Even as it expands, the idea is to always keep the taproom a place where people can chill out, drink a few beers and spend a relaxing afternoon with family and friends. “It’s a little less intense,” Stockwell says. “We envision people coming out here on a Saturday and playing yard games and drinking a couple beers and actually relaxing.” “Uptown is its own thing. We want to do something different — it’s drinking, it’s having fun and it’s a little more mature,” White says. “Athens needs more places like this.” b

REINHEITSGEWHAT!? — 4.2% ALCOHOL

Little Fish’s sour wheat beer’s name stems from Reinheitsgebot, a 1516 Bavarian Purity law that limited brewers to malt, water and hops. Made with fruit instead of hops, it’s bright yellow and in each sip, you taste the zesty fruit and chamomile finish.

SAISON DU POISSON | 5% ALCOHOL

Little Fish’s house ale was the first beer made by the brewery and it’s brewed with organic spelt: a grain White wanted to use in Little Fish’s beer.

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RECIPE

SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS: 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of strawberries, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed, 1/3 cup of uncooked oat bran or old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of almond milk and 1/2 cup of water. Optional: nut butter, cinnamon or honey TIME TO MAKE: 4 minutes | 1 serving DIRECTIONS: Put all of your ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy. The result is a breakfast you can drink on your walk to class or sip on while nursing your hangover. If you’d like, add some nut butter, cinnamon or honey (or even all three).

DORM-FRIENDLY BREAKFAST BOWL

MORNING OATS

INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup of oat bran, 1 cup of water, 1 pinch of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, 1/2 cup of berries, 1/4 cup of raisins, 1 tablespoon of your favorite nut butter, 1/2 sliced banana. Optional: almond milk or hemp seeds

Running late? No need to skip the most important meal of the day!

TIME TO MAKE: 7 minutes | 1 bowl DIRECTIONS: Combine oats with water in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes. When the oats are cooked, mix in cinnamon, chia seeds, berries and raisins. Then add your nut butter — we recommend peanut butter with no added sugar — and stir. Slice your banana up on top and, if you’d like, add a little almond milk. If you’re looking for more protein, mix in some hemp seeds, which you can also find at Kroger for $13.49 a bag. When you’re done, you have a breakfast bowl that will leave you full until lunch.

BY CHRIS MANNING | PHOTOS BY BRIANNA GRIESINGER

n college, breakfast can be a hassle because it requires waking up more than 15 minutes before class. Even if you do manage to drag yourself out of bed before a 9 a.m. class that feels more like a 6 a.m., it’s still hard to eat a healthy, balanced meal. Oats, however, may be your saving grace. Oats are inexpen-

backdrop | Fall 2015

sive and easily accessible; for example, Kroger on East State Street sells oat bran, a variety of oatmeal high in fiber, for $2.69 a bag. They blend well with a variety of flavors to give you options when you’re both low on funds and don’t want to get up more than a few minutes before class. b

Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family.

There are over 7,000 varieties of apples in the world.

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PHOTO STORY

A Vision

Realized WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMANDA DAMELIO

ABOVE Workshop service members Simone and Peter pose for a portrait underneath the fallen parachute at the Beginning of the Summer Kickoff Picnic at Loch Ness.

LEFT The main goal of L’Arche is to create a community of like-minded people where everyone feels included and safe. They celebrate the unique value of every person and recognize their common need of one another.

Scotland L’Arche celebrates 50 years of serving the learning-disabled community. Until my recent study abroad experience, I never came across a group of people who appreciated the little things in life as much as the residents of the L’Arche community in Inverness, Scotland. L’Arche is a worldwide community founded in 1964, which celebrates and supports people with learning disabilities. Distressed by the institutionalization and the segregation of those with disabilities, founder and philosopher Jean Vanier had the ultimate goal of creating a safe space where people — with and without learning disabilities — could share life. Today, L’Arche USA includes 18 communities located in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington, Oregon, New York, California, Washington D.C., Missouri and many more. Even with a 50year history and 146 communities worldwide in 35 countries, the concept of a L’Arche community is still foreign to many people.

backdrop | Fall 2015

ABOVE (From left to right) Josephine (workshop service member), Liz Wilson (workshop member’s mother), Nicola (workshop service member), Thomas Lacroix (L’Arche workshop garden leader), Simone (workshop service member), and Lindsey (workshop service member), engage in a group parachute activity during the Beginning of the Summer Kickoff Picnic. Core members, assistants, workshop service members, family and friends all attended the picnic on Loch Ness in Inverness for a day of fun in the sun. It takes almost two years for a pineapple plant to grow its first fruit.

LEFT (From left to right) Core member Kerry Fraser, assistant Holly Hiles and core member Martin Fraser take a stroll to the park. When the weather permits, many of the members enjoy walking around and taking in the beautiful Inverness scenery. Gelatin is made from pork skins and cattle hides.

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LEFT Every Saturday for the past 15 years, Janet, owner of Blackfriars Pub in Inverness, Scotland prepares a meal for Susan of “chips” (french fries) and a salad, accompanied with two glasses of beer. Once Susan finishes her meal, Janet brings out earl grey tea and biscuits. Due to Susan’s visual impairment, she prefers to keep a consistent routine.

ABOVE

Workshop service member Patrick poses for a portrait during the annual Beginning of the Summer Kickoff Picnic. Although Patrick does not live in the Braerannoch house, he and many other members participate in weekly workshops and attend excursions.

TOP RIGHT

Core member Martin Fraser holds Sheldon, L’Arche’s newest anxiety dog and is comforted by the soft texture of the dog’s fur.

RIGHT

Core member Susan Stewart struggles walking along new routes due to her visual impairment. Live-in assistant Lucia Komova stays by her side for the entire 40-minute walk back to their home from Blackfriars.

backdrop | Fall 2015

ABOVE (From left to right) Core member Tracey O’Mara and live-in assistant Lucia Komova from Slovakia enjoy a few moments of sunshine in the park in Inverness, Scotland. Komova sought refuge in the L’Arche community in 1991 from a mental instition. Pretzel twists were designed after an arm crossed in prayer.

The Ohio state fruit is the pawpaw.

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SPORTS

Setting the Standard Abby Gilleland brings leadership, experience and national recognition to Bobcats’ volleyball. BY BRIANA EKANEM | PHOTOS BY KRISTEN OLDIGES

bby Gilleland races forward from the back row to her spot at the net, intently watching as the defensive specialist sets up for a pass. The topspin-enhanced ball shoots to the left side of the court, forcing the setter to move from her ideal spot at the net. Ohio’s plan is no longer intact and it is now up to Gilleland to decide the fate of the play. Whatever she chooses to do in this moment will not only impact the play, but also provide an example of her training and the trust she built in her skills. She sprints to the ball and sets up for what seems to be a typical set to the outside hitter, but to the surprise of the defense and her teammates alike, Gilleland pushes the ball over the net. It sails past the middle and outside blockers to land right behind the 10-foot line. The Bobcats erupt in cheers and a point is added to the scoreboard. “I think when it comes down to it, it’s just instinct. It comes naturally at this point in my career and I just trust myself and go for it,” Gilleland says.

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As a team, Ohio finished 23-6 overall in the 2014-15 season and garnered a perfect 16-0 conference record for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2006. Last season’s success marked Ohio’s 12th straight Mid-American Conference East Division title and second straight MAC regular season victory. As of September 17, 2015 the Bobcats’ record is 7-3 with one of their wins coming against the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats. With national recognition and conference awards and honors on her resume, senior Gilleland, Ohio’s co-captain, is not only a major threat to her opponents across the net, but also an incomparable model of leadership for the Ohio program. “She is such an example of hard work. She does that in the gym, in the weight room and in the classroom and she provides a great example for the people around her,” says Deane Webb, Ohio’s volleyball coach. “As a captain, there are times that you have to use words, but you always have to use actions. Abby does that and she does it at a high level.” Cucumbers are 96 percent water.

Gilleland’s hard work earned her a captain position at Ohio, put her name in the record books and allowed her recognition in several facets of the game. In 2014, Gilleland led the Ohio squad with 1,149 assists, 157 kills, 265 digs and 28 service aces. She ranked third for the Bobcats in both digs and service aces, and fifth in kills. As a junior, Gilleland’s .332 hitting percentage ranked as the eighth-best attack percentage in program history. Gilleland’s impressive statistics and determination led her to be named MAC Player of the Year and MAC Setter of the Year, as well as won her first-team All-MAC honors for the second season in a row. However, her credits didn’t stop at the conference level; Gilleland was also awarded an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region honor for a second consecutive year to conclude Ohio’s 2013-14 season. At 5 feet 10 inches tall, Gilleland is considered to be on the shorter side for setters at the collegiate level. It is clear that the Bull Valley, Illinois native has not let her size stop her from being aggressive at the net. “You see those tall setters, but they can’t play defense like Abby does. Abby is the perfect size for a setter,” says Meredith Ashy, senior libero and Gilleland’s teammate. “She can play front row and back row, run an offense and dump the ball. She’s just well-rounded.” Adding more accolades and acknowledgement is not Gilleland’s first priority in her last season on the court for Ohio. “I think everyone goes into their senior year envisioning it to be their best and to go out with a bang, but I just want to enjoy it,” she says. “If it’s awards, if it’s winning, if it’s losing, whatever it is, this last year is really my year to just embrace it all.” Being a role model requires Gilleland to make an example out of her mistakes and several members of the Ohio squad remember an instance when the senior did just that while sacrificing herself to keep the ball in play. “She fell on her face last year,” says Mallory Salis, junior and a co-captain with Gilleland. “She was going for a ball, and she tripped over her feet and fell, but she still tried to set it as she was going down. She even put her hands up like she was really going to be able to set it.” Gilleland says her success doesn’t solely come from her own skills. She attributes more of it to the people around her. “With this team, I’ve never really questioned who can I set to or who I don’t want to get a pass from, so that makes my job easier and in turn, makes the game go and I think that’s where the awards came from,” Gilleland says. “It’s really of little credit to me and more credit to them.” Ohio was ranked 24th in the nation according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll in November of last year, but the success of last season only makes Gilleland hopeful to improve upon it this year. Working hard to do well in the conference again will help Ohio extend its season past the conference tournament. “I would love to see our team make it back to the NCAA tournament. I’ve only been there once as a sophomore and I feel like that’s not enough,” Gilleland says. “It doesn’t do our team enough justice for how hard we work and the success that we have had.” In the close of Gilleland’s sophomore year, the 2013 squad fell to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in three sets after posting a 27-6 overall record. That M&M’s are named after the co-creators: Mars and Murrie.

same year, Salis joined the squad and began learning from Gilleland right away. “I don’t think I would be the player that I am if it weren’t for her,” Salis says. “She’s the one who puts the ball in the right position for us to score and she even scores herself.” Salis’s trust in Gilleland helped the outside hitter to finish the 2014 season seventh in kills per set, despite her primarily being in the back row for the year. “If you were to say leader, I think Abby would be the perfect definition,” Salis says. “We have a big variety of personalities and as a captain you need to be able to adjust to those different personalities and know how to criticize them, how to help them on the court and with a lot of things off the court.” Webb enjoys explaining the time Gilleland made a 14-hour round-trip car ride in one day with redshirt freshman and Canadian teammate Katie Nelson to ensure Nelson’s passport could be fixed before summer classes began. “She did several things behind the scenes because they needed to be done and she didn’t ask for people to know about it,” Webb explains. In volleyball, just like in many sports, it is common for athletes to try different positions as they get older and continue to play at higher levels. For Gilleland, the setter position is the only one she has been in and she believes that happened for a reason. “I think from a young age I just kind of had the personality that worked well for it,” Gilleland says. “I wasn’t scared to push people or motivate people and kind of step on some toes if I felt like it was making someone better.” Pushing her teammates to improve and excel is a priority as a captain for Gilleland, and she is serious about being a support system for her team. “I hope the girls always know that they can come to me and that I will always push them and I will always want them to be their best,” Gilleland says. “I’ve always had the drive to lead, but I’m working to improve everyday.” The memories she’s made along the way will resonate with Gilleland louder than all of the awards and titles she’s earned during the her time at Ohio. “You’re not going to remember the play when it was 7-5, but you’re going to remember the feeling after winning and being with everyone after a win and putting it into perspective,” Gilleland says. “I’ll have all the memories, but I’ll miss being in the moment.” b

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INFOGRAPHIC

ON THE

BRICKS

Nate Ruess October 14

Rock out to the lead singer of F.U.N., who recently released his solo album “THE GRAND ROMANTIC,” at Mem Aud on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Come prepared to belt out his hit singles “Nothing Without Love” and “We Are Young,” a fun classic.

HallOUween October 31

Grab a killer costume and get ready for a wild night on Oct. 31. Need we say more?

Your guide to the upcoming events happening around Athens! BY CHRIS MANNING AND EMILY MCINTYRE

Homecoming October 5-10 From Oct. 5-10, Bobcats will unite to celebrate this year’s Homecoming theme, “Same Bricks, Different Stories.” Local businesses and OU offices will compete in “Paint the Town Green,” a decorating contest to see who has the most Bobcat spirit. Student Alumni Board will also collect canned goods on the third floor of Baker to benefit the Athens County Food Pantry.

Ohio Football October 10

Homecoming football games are always rocking, but this year Peden Stadium figures to be louder. On Oct. 10, the Ohio Bobcats will take on their biggest rival, the Miami RedHawks, in the 92nd edition of the ‘Battle of the Bricks.’ Ohio has won eight of the last 10 meetings.

The Athena Cinema

Race for the Cure

The Athena Cinema on Court Street has been exploring and celebrating film decade by decade since the start of 2015. On Oct. 24, The Athena will enter the 1980s when Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing,’ a comedydrama exploring racial tension in Brooklyn, plays at 3 p.m.

Sponsored by OU’s School of Nursing, Race for the Cure is coming to Athens for the first time on Oct. 25. Online registration is required.

October 24

Dad’s Weekend

November 6-8

Singing Men of Ohio October 13 The Singing Men of Ohio and OU’s top choral group, University Singers, will perform on Oct. 13 for their annual fall concert at 8 p.m. in Mem Aud.

backdrop | Fall 2015

*Photos provided by Nick Bolin Isaac Hale, Athena Cinema, Ohio University, Jilly Burns and Jackie O’s

Ohio’s annual Dad’s Weekend takes place this year Nov. 6-8. While the full calendar of events has not yet been announced, Ohio Hockey will play Drexel University on Friday and Saturday at Bird Arena.

The Swiss consume the most chocolate.

October 25

Jackie O’s Each year, Jackie O’s releases a batch of Black Maple, a barrel-aged porter brewed with maple syrup that will be your go-to drink as the leaves change. Brewmaster Brad Clark doesn’t set a specific date for its release — he decides when it’s ready by tasting it — so you’ll have to call ahead or visit their Campbell Street taproom to taste Black Maple before it’s gone.

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TECH

MAKING THE VIRTUAL A

Reality Glimpse into the new technology transporting classrooms to a new sensory world. BY ZACHARY BERRY | PHOTOS BY JILLY BURNS

n the wake of a still morning, a dew-covered valley sits in silence. Out of nowhere, an explosion disturbs the peace. Soldiers donned in Union and Confederate uniforms emerge from behind hills and charge into battle. Brother fights brother in a brutal skirmish. The scene is soon interrupted by another noise: a student informing his professor that class is over. With that, the computer-generated images of the battle dissolve, and History 2000: Survey of the United States is dismissed. That experience may seem like something out of science fiction, but it is actually the vision of Ohio University’s Immersive Media Initiative. With new virtual and augmented technology on the horizon, the virtual world could soon become reality. The Immersive Media Initiative, abbreviated as the IMI, is a coalition of Media Arts professors and specialists at Ohio University. Its goal is to integrate virtual and augmented technology into every collegiate department, from nursing to philosophy. “We’re strong proponents that this is going to be the future of media,” says Eric Williams, an associate professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies and a member of the IMI. “This is going to apply to every single discipline across the university.” Virtual reality (VR) transports users into a computergenerated world, while augmented reality (AR) brings virtual aspects into the real world. The members of the IMI feel that VR in the classroom is closer to realization than expected, especially considering how the Internet changed the way courses were taught several years ago. “Think about some technologies that have been disruptive in the last 30 years,” explains John Bowditch, director of the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab at Ohio University. “Take the iPhone; look at how enormously popular that’s been at changing the world’s communication structure. It’s only 8 years old!” Before it can implement the technologies into university classrooms, the IMI needs to explore the capabilities and limitations of VR. That’s where Oculus Rift comes into play.

backdrop | Fall 2015

Oculus Rift is a VR head-mounted display developed by the company Oculus VR. The Rift uses two stereoscopic 3-D screens to create a sense of visual depth. The result is a powerful illusion that makes virtual images seem real. Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in 2012. Later that year, the company created a Kickstarter campaign to fund the first development kit for the Rift. The development kits are prototypes of the Oculus Rift that are available for purchase, which allow developers to create content for the device. The initial Kickstarter became flooded with funding, and work soon began on a second development kit, which included improved graphics. Funding received another boost when Facebook acquired Oculus Rift for $2 billion in cash and additional Facebook stocks. Currently, a commercial release for the Oculus Rift is scheduled for early 2016. However, that release date might be too slow to the draw, as many competitors have entered a jungle of VR technologies. Sony is planning on releasing its Project Morpheus VR system around the same time as the Rift, and HTC has teamed up with video game developer Valve to release the HTC Vive later this year. Awaiting the commercial release of Oculus Rift, Ohio University staff and students explored the technology with development kits. The university owns five Development Kit 2 systems, with Bowditch providing his own Development Kit 1 and Development Kit 2 devices. The university purchased multiple devices because of their affordability. Back in the 1990s, a VR helmet could cost between $6,000 and $15,000. By comparison, Bowditch says that each Oculus Rift Development Kit costs around $350. Ohio University has the Oculus kits to develop virtual technology, but it currently lacks hardware to develop AR. The IMI members felt Google’s attempt at augmented technology, Google Glass, lacked the innovation they desired, An average hot dog is consumed in six bites.

and they hope a standard device for augmented technology will be introduced soon so their work can move forward. “There’s no great hardware for it yet,” Bowditch says. “There’s no iPhone equivalent. Google Glass was OK technology, but probably poor realization of what you could do with that technology.” For the time being, the IMI focuses primarily on VR research. What they discovered is just how immersive the technology can be. Along with the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), the IMI initiated a study to examine the effect VR has on the brain. “If you watch a movie, your brain knows that’s just something you’re watching,” Williams says. “What virtual reality does is it changes that equation. Your brain thinks it’s much more real.” Josh Antonuccio, a professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies, recalls just how real VR can seem. During his storytelling class, students had the chance to play a horrorbased VR game. However, the experience was too immersive for some and two students quit the game. James Thomas, director of the Motor Control Lab, and Chris France, a professor in the Department of Psychology, worked together on back pain research that used a VR bowling game to examine stretching patterns. Michael Braasch, a professor While French fries originate from Belgium, they are most popular in the U.S.

of electrical engineering avionics, also used VR in a flight simulation experiment. In addition to university faculty, members of the Ohio University Game Developers Association (OUGDA) began using VR in their projects. During April’s Student Expo, students displayed two separate Oculus-based games. The development of VR games will increase when the new Scripps Hall GRID Lab, which is equipped with virtual technology, is finished later this year. While previous immersive media research is extremely informative, the IMI hopes to work alongside faculty of every department to discover how virtual and augmented reality best works with different curriculum. “Our vision with the IMI is to be the provider of media for the experts in these fields, and let their expertise and their imaginations tell us what we need to help make that a reality,” Antonuccio says. With the rift between reality and VR rapidly decreasing, the IMI is determined to transform Ohio University into a leader in the immersive media race. That is clear in the mission statement provided by Williams: “Immersive media is the future of media, and it should be the future of media at Ohio University.” b

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SEX & HEALTH

JUICE CLEANSE – An occasional diet that only allows the

consumption of fruit and vegetable juices during a one to seven day cleanse.

FACT

Because the average juice cleanse usually only lasts from one to seven days, this diet is obviously not a long-term solution for weight loss. Valter Longo, a biogerontologist who studies the connection between nutrition and the human life span, uncovered a possible link to intermittent fasting and longevity. Though more proof would solidify this theory, the evidence that exists suggests that an occasional significant decrease in calories without a decrease in nutrients could allow humans to live longer, healthier lives. Juice cleanses provide a decrease in calories without a decrease in nutrients; therefore, the diet is presumably beneficial to the body. The actual act of fasting is more important than the distinct ingredients of the juice, but either way, the diet proves to be beneficial. The cleanse provides wholesome ingredients, a moderated rate of consumption, only a temporary dietary restriction and an intermittent eating schedule that can easily be integrated into everyday life.

Fad Diets, Bad Diets Backdrop looks into popular fad diets to reveal the good, the bad and the unhealthy. BY MACKENZIE SMITH | PHOTOS BY KRISTEN OLIDGES

ieting: a word that is all too common in the 21st century. Moms diet, brothers diet, girlfriends diet — even dogs diet. It seems as though dieting has become ingrained into our culture almost as much as eating has. Between celebrities, magazines and the latest trends, dieting has become stylish. Are these eating habits healthy? Do these diets actually work? Backdrop magazine decided to do a little research and find out. After identifying the three most talked about fad diets of 2015, we set out with one specific goal: debunking these dieting trends. After talking to multiple health professionals, we created a checklist of common criteria and ultimately dubbed these diets as Fact or Fake. According to Darlene Berryman, a nutrition professor at Ohio University, an eating regimen must have the following properties for a diet to be successful. •Wholesome – Many diets restrict calories, but mention nothing about ingredients; the food that is consumed ultimately fuels the body. Does the eating regimen involve healthy, wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and lean meats? If not, make sure to kiss that diet goodbye.

backdrop | Fall 2015

•Moderation – As Americans, huge portion sizes are a part of our culture. Berryman believes that eating smaller meals and decreasing our calorie intake without decreasing our consumption of nutrients is one of the most important changes we can make to our eating habits. •Non-Restrictive – Almost everything that is consumed has some kind of positive effect on the body’s health, whether it’s emotional, mental or physical. Therefore, restricting entire food groups can be dangerous and unhealthy. Though moderation is key, restricting something completely should be, well, restricted. •Longevity – Many people use the phrase “on a diet” to describe their eating habits. This implies a time limitation, not an eating pattern. How can an eating habit last if it is inapplicable outside of your own kitchen? If a diet cannot last a lifetime, it is not an eating habit that should be applied to any lifestyle. *Be sure to check out the full story online to see to see more diets debunked! Honeybees visit 2 million flowers in order to make 1 pound of honey.

Wholesome Moderation Non-Restrictive Longevity

PALEO DIET – A diet based on the types of foods presumed to

be eaten by early humans. It primarily consists of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, and excludes dairy or grain products and processed food.

FAKE

Though many of the foods included in the Paleo regimen are wholesome and eaten in moderation, the diet restricts multiple foods found on the food pyramid. Dr. Berryman warns her students against this because “when you restrict, you potentially restrict the positive.” The Paleo Diet is so constricting, it leaves yet another item unchecked — longevity. Though the strict eating regimen helps some people stick to healthy eating habits, the intense nature of the diet leaves its benefits and permanency in question — can these restrictive eating habits realistically last a lifetime?

Wholesome Moderation Non-Restrictive Longevity

RAW DIET – A diet containing raw fruits, vegetables, nuts,

seeds and sprouted grains. Some eat unpasteurized dairy foods, raw eggs, meat and fish. The food can be cold or even a little bit warm, as long as it doesn’t go above 118 degrees.

Wholesome

FACT

Moderation

A raw diet is one that can be modified or intensified based on the preferences of the dieter, which leaves some of the criteria up in the air. Ideally, a raw diet contains wholesome ingredients ingested in moderation, with few dietary restrictions. Because eating raw food is more of an eating preference than a diet, these factors can vary from person to person. One precautionary tip: though most foods are not restricted, some nutrients are and there are multiple nutrients that can only emerge if the food temperature reaches above 118 degrees. As for longevity, if the will power is there, do it if you dare. Strawberries and raspberries are not actually berries.

Non-Restrictive Longevity

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VOICES

What I Wish I Knew Before

I TRANSFERRED... BY GABBY HOLLOWELL | ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA ZOOK

and staff,” says Learning Community Instructor David Lawrence. These programs are offered for both freshmen and transfer students. I’m not sure what I would have done without my learning community because I learned a lot about the history of OU, where my resources were and how to appreciate the beautiful place I’m lucky to call home. I was with 20 other people who were going through the same thing as me, so I had a great support system while I tried to get into the swing of things. “I liked seeing how everyone interacted together and were willing to help each other,” says Margaux Aschinger, a learning community student leader who helped Lawrence teach my class and plan activities. “It was also nice to see them succeed with the transfer into OU.”

I WILL NEED TO RE-ADJUST

Coming from a small community college, transferring to a fouryear school seemed like a huge change to me. OU may seem cozy and small to those who transfer from larger schools, but for me, it was a little overwhelming in size at first. Yet, OU still had the small-town feel of home that I was used to. I figured a lot of transfer students were coming from other four-year schools, meaning they already knew how college life was. I felt like I was coming in as a freshman. Multiple thoughts went through my mind: How do I know if it’s the right school? Will I feel at home here? How will I make friends?

I’M NOT NEW TO COLLEGE

One Backdropper reflects on her experience transferring to OU.

early every college student dreads the same question at family gatherings: “Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend yet?” My family has heard the same “no” from me every year, so they hounded me with another question instead: “Have you figured out what school you’re going to transfer to yet?” This went on for months, and it wasn’t just my family asking; my friends, my friends’ parents, my co-workers and even my boss wouldn’t stop asking me. Didn’t anyone understand that transferring from one college to another is a huge process? I had to consider a few schools, see how much money they’d offer me, take road trips, visit them all and make a final decision. That was a lot of to-do’s for a young adult taking 19 credit hours of college classes and working a part-time job. I was anxiously awaiting an acceptance letter from Ohio University and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Once the letter came in the mail, I immediately framed it and couldn’t wait until the day I could visit and see the campus for myself. At one point, I freaked out about deciding on a school because I liked every other campus I’d seen. Then I voyaged to Athens with

backdrop | Fall 2015

32.

my parents. “This is it,” I told my mom when I first stepped foot onto OU’s stunning campus. Even in the rain it was beautiful, and it looked as if it came straight out of a movie. The contrast of the bricks with the green trees and the fact that it was an easyto-navigate college town won me over. The few other colleges I’d considered didn’t even compare. I finally knew where I was about to transfer. I had that gut feeling and it was relieving. By the time I arrived at OU as an enrolled student, I had an Associate’s Degree from Lakeland Community College under my belt. I was ahead of the game since I had a full year of postsecondary education in high school. However, I knew being a transfer student wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. There was a lot I had to learn.

JOIN A TRANSFER LEARNING COMMUNITY

During that first visit to Athens, I was encouraged to join a learning community. “Transfer Learning Communities help transfer students expedite social and academic connections with their peers, faculty

In Japan, square watermelons can sell for over $85.

I felt like my family expected a lot from me coming to OU. “You spent two years in college, you’ll be fine and should know better not to go out and party all the time,” they said. Yeah, I had two years of college while working a nearly full-time job and living at home under my parents’ rules. But at least I knew the basics of college, such as how to prepare for exams. I think going to a community college was a good middle ground for the transition I had to make.

happen after they’ve been here for a few weeks,” Lawrence says. I realized what transfer shock was once it electrocuted me about halfway through my first semester. I rarely spent any time at the library. Instead, silly, clueless, transfer me decided to spend my free time making friends and having fun. I struggled balancing schoolwork and a social life. My priorities were all out of whack. I procrastinated and crammed for tests, thinking they weren’t important and that I could crack down and do better on the next one. My community college classes were much easier and less was expected of me. I ended my first semester with a not-so-hot GPA. This was so unlike me and I was disappointed in myself. I never got homesick, but I spent a lot of my time thinking I would be happier somewhere else. I thought I made too quick of a decision to come to OU because I got into Scripps, and I’d be crazy to pass that up. I’ll never not wish I was at Syracuse — my dream school — but I can go on about how much I love OU and why it’s the best choice I’ve ever made. I got out of my dorm and studied in a variety of places around campus, mostly at Donkey Coffee, which quickly became my second home in Athens. And guess what? I’m doing well in all of my classes now.

GET INVOLVED

Aside from classes, so many people told me to get involved. I was stressed because there were so many clubs to choose from. I went out on a limb and joined the waterskiing team. Additionally, I joined Backdrop and earned an executive position as event director. OU truly has so many opportunities. With over 500 student organizations, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t be afraid to go out of my comfort zone and get involved. Being at a new institution gave me the perfect opportunity to be who I wanted to be. “There are so many ways to make this place feel like home. If you can get insulated with good friends and activities, the bumps of the transition seem a lot less jarring,” Lawrence says.

I WON’T HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS FRESHMEN DO I’M NOT ALONE IN THIS I was told that transfer students at OU have a different experience than any other group of students on campus. “Transfer students may be new to Ohio University, but they’re not new to higher education,” Lawrence says. “For that reason, they need to be treated as experienced students who’ve had experiences elsewhere, but are just new to OU.” There are quite a few things transfer students go through that the rest do not. I really began to miss my friends at my old school, and I had to learn my way around a new campus. I knew that I wouldn’t be here as long as the people who came here as freshmen, and I felt pressure to make sure I experienced as much as I could in a short amount of time.

BE PREPARED FOR TRANSFER SHOCK

At transfer orientation, I was warned about transfer shock. Transfer shock is when students who transfer from one college to another become overwhelmed and experience a dip in their grade point averages. “Sometimes it happens right after they arrive; for others, it can-

Ripe cranberries can bounce like rubber balls.

I’ve realized that a majority of my good friends are also transfer students. I’m grateful that I had a separate orientation, because that was my first opportunity to make friends with other transfers. By joining a learning community, my entire floor was full of transfer students, which enabled me to make friends. “For starters, most transfer students end up living in the residence halls, whether they’re part of a Learning Community or not,” Lawrence says. “The in-hall staff, either RAs or Resident Coordinators/Directors, know a lot of ways to get connected with the university in co-curricular ways.” Lawrence also advises to get in touch with faculty advisors. “If [students] can get in touch with faculty early, they can set an academic trajectory that will streamline their experience here,” he says. After experiencing what transferring is like, I know that I’m not alone in the process, and the uneasy feelings that I’ve had are normal and nothing to be ashamed of — I want students who have recently transferred to know this. Looking back on my first year at Ohio University, I can confidently say that I adjusted and now walk on sunshine, except more literally, bricks. b

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EXHIBIT A

exhibit A By: Rebecca Zook

By: Jilly Burns

By: Brianna Griesinger

By: Jilly Burns

By: Rebecca Zook

backdrop | Fall 2015

America’s least favorite pizza topping is anchovies.

A Twix bar was called a ‘Raider’ until 1991.

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PHOTO HUNT

Find the differences between these images of the Athens Farmers Market!

5 44

backdrop | Fall 2015

Rowntree invented the Kit Kat before being bought by Nestle.

b BACKDROP

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Deep-fried Mars bars can contain over 600 calories and 28 grams of fat.

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