MOVING FORWARD Winter Magazine January 2022
From the Editor:
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t’s surreal to think that it’s already 2022, two years since 2020 and the year that will define my generation. Not only did we experience the beginnings of a global pandemic, but we also witnessed unforeseen protests of racial reckoning. And, our fears for the economy were matched only by the 2008 recession. We watched as policymakers and leaders promised to take the hard lessons from 2020 and create a better future. Governments at the federal, local and state level made grants for small businesses and local economies to bounce forward from the pandemic. Institutions declared racism a public health crisis and promised to work to dismantle systemic racism. With reduced human activity during lockdown proving beneficial to our environment, there were
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promises to take better care of the Earth for all of us. In “Moving Forward,” The New Political staff looks back on those promises in 2020 to see if we have indeed moved forward. Staff Writer Claire Del Vita and Opinion Editor Aya Cathey wrote about their perspectives as students of color at Ohio University. Our staff also explores funding for food security and the push for ecotourism in Appalachia, protests in Ohio during the Vietnam War and protests for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and the environment. It’s hard to finance the printing of a magazine, almost as hard as finding the time as students to create a print piece of media. I want to thank the staff of TNP for pulling together since the beginning of the fall semester to finance this magazine, and all of our supporters and readers who donated money to make this magazine possible. Lastly, thank you for picking up this magazine.
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The Team Emily Crebs Zach Zimmerman Emily Zeiler Audri Wilde Madeline Harden Izzy Keller Aya Cathey Evan Gallagher Claire Del Vita Henry Jost Brenna Nye
Editor-in-chief Managing editor Digital managing editor News editor News editor Digital editor Opinion editor Director of PR/Social media Staff writer Staff writer Digital content creator
The Content Retro Report: Looking Back on Ohio U’s Student Protests................3 Students on the Ballot ............................................................................5 Food Distribution: What is being funded? ..........................................7 A Look Back at Athens’ Declaration of Racism as a Public Health Crisis..........................................................................................................9 Through the Eyes of the 1.9% ..............................................................13 Ecotourism is Reshaping Appalachia .................................................19 Grandmothers Against Pipelines ........................................................21 In Defense of the Scripps Kids ............................................................24 Opinion: Ohio University’s HEED Award Does Not Accurately Reflect the School’s Progress ...............................................................25
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Retro Report: Looking Back on Ohio U’s Student Protests
By Henry Jost Staff Writer
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ne might think of political polarization, racial tensions and students sent home early as a description of Ohio University’s 2020 academic year. Think again — this is a description of Ohio U in 1970. On May 4, 1970, the state of Ohio became the epicenter of the anti-Vietnam War movement. At Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard gunned down and killed four students who were peacefully protesting the expansion of the Vietnam War. Nine others were wounded. The massacre energized the anti-war movement throughout the nation as all eyes focused on Ohio. Protests on Ohio U’s College Green became a common occurrence. “If you flunked out of school you could be drafted,” Alan Wagner, an Ohio U class of 1973 graduate, said. “Everyone was just exhausted about the war, and the war was a big deal. People were protesting the war, and there was a lot of anti-war sentiment throughout the country, but especially on the college campuses.” In a time where students could be drafted but were unable to vote, protests ranged from rallying against the Vietnam War, to lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 and to announcement that Ohio U was raising the tuition for its students, according to Ohio Today. Looking back, this time period raised Ohio U’s reputation as a campus whose student body welcomed free speech. In 2005, a plaque was dedicated by the class of 2005 on College Green recognizing the
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university’s support of free speech and its history of its students using their voices. “College Green has served as a forum for the voices of Ohio University’s students throughout its history. Whether supporting civil rights, advocating for the abolishment of women’s curfews or in protest, students have and will continue to play a vital role in shaping Ohio University,” the plaque reads. After the Kent State Massacre, antiwar protests at Ohio University and around the country began to grow. Students burned their draft cards, set off fire alarms and created dumpster fires. Students blocking off traffic to protest the war was almost an everyday occurrence, as stated in Ohio University’s College of Arts & Sciences Forum. The tension of the protests ultimately led to the arrival of the National Guard. Then-university President Claude Sowle announced on May 15 that students would be sent home for the remainder of the semester, according to OHIO News. Another element that contributed to student protests were racial tensions during the fight for civil rights, particularly following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. “In its own way, it was the Black Lives Matter. There was so much racial tension even in the backdrop to the Vietnam War. You have all these young men serving who are African American; they are over there fighting in Vietnam and they aren’t treated well in their own country,” Wagner said. The debate on collective good and individual freedoms currently polarizing our culture and politics is reminiscent of the late ’60s and early ’70s.
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Flashback to 1970 (Pictured above) A copy of The Post the day after the Kent State shootings.
(Pictured above) The front page of The Post on April 18, 1967 showing ongoing protests against the Vietnam War. (Shown left) Ohio National Guard on Court Street in 1970. Photo by Beverly Wagner, Ohio U class of 1971.
(Shown above) Ohio National Guard on Union Street in 1970. Photo by Beverly Wagner, Ohio U class of 1971.
(Shown above) Nelson Commons after being firebombed on the front page of The Post on May 13, 1970. Photo by Lew Stamp. Images without credits are from the Ohio University Libraries Digital Archival Collections
Spread designed by Izzy Keller and Brenna Nye
(Pictured above) Front page of Ohio U’s Afro-American Affairs on Nov. 3, 1970 with mention of the Kent State shooting.
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Students on the Ballot Write-in
By Madeline Harden News Editor
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hough the Athens City Council race this past November saw a few younger and newer faces running for local government, none of the candidates were Ohio University students. The last time Athens saw a student serving as an elected official on City Council was Judge Pat Lang. Lang, currently serving on the Athens County Common Pleas Court, graduated from Ohio U in 1999 but not before a successful run for Athens City Council in 1997. However, he wasn’t the last student to make a run for council. Aaron Dauterman ran as a Republican out of his Bromley Hall dorm room in 2014, as reported in The Athens News. “Running for local office as a student was a very rewarding, but challenging, experience,” Dauterman shared in an email interview. “I was able to interact with a part of the Athens community most students never get the chance to see.” Dauterman explained that one of the most difficult aspects of running his campaign was attempting to navigate the election trail with a full course load. “The campaign in it of itself was a challenge because there are a lot of rules set by the Ohio Secretary of State and the state elections commission, such as campaign finance reporting, making sure you have a campaign treasurer that is trustworthy and able to track incoming donations and expenses dollar for dollar, and overall campaign literature, canvassing, and electioneering laws,” Dauterman wrote. Iris Virjee, a 2020 Ohio U graduate, ran for City Council in this past election. “Pretty much every part of this process has been a new experience for me, so
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while it was incredibly intimidating, I can say now that I’ve learned so much, and ultimately come away more confident and driven than before, even despite my loss,” Virjee said. Virjee came in fourth out of five candidates with 11.22% of the vote in the 2021 City Council election, as previously reported by The New Political. Described as the “Smiling Skull bartender” in many headlines, Virjee transcends the title. “I grew up in farming country, working-class, a bit crass, so even though I absolutely have the education and social experience to do the job, I certainly don’t look or act like the standard image of a politician,” Virjee said. “I’m proud of that, and I think a lot of people were happy to see someone relatable in the run, but the intimidation was still very present.” Looking back, Virjee explained she would have never expected to see herself in the limelight of local politics, but stated it is important the local government represents the community. “I absolutely believe students, or young people in general, should shoot their shot,” Virjee said. Dauterman mentioned how student’s voices are often dismissed but deserve to be heard. “It’s important that students have a say in local policy,” Dauterman said. “Whether it’s the noise ordinance, dealing with parking enforcement, and the city code enforcement office, students should have a seat at the table.” Although student organizations of Ohio U representing the Republican and Democratic parties encourage students to challenge the status quo, they have not run any candidates in recent elections. “I definitely think a student running for local office is a great thing,” Brad Kennedy, current president of Ohio University College Republicans, said. “Regardless of what side of the political
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aisle you’re on, a lot of people believe… meaningful political action or change can be accomplished through the involvement and enthusiasm of today’s youth.” Grant Perry, Ohio U senior and current president of the Ohio University College Democrats, said students in local government are vital to student engagement in local politics. “If there is a way to increase political participation on campus, it is to have students actually involved in the political process,” Perry said. For what students lack in experience, they make up for in political vigor, Kennedy shared. “Younger people today, in the modern political climate, tend to be a little bit more proactive in their political ideologies, whether it’s rallies, polling, door knocking, participating in parades,” Kennedy said. Perry added that young blood in local politics is multifaceted. “Not only is it a student that’s on council, but you have a new generation of young individuals that have representation that they might not otherwise have,” Perry said. Students play a major role in the local economy, Kennedy mentioned. According to an economic impact study conducted for Ohio U, the university, its students and statewide alumni added $2.9 billion in income to the state economy in 2016-2017. “I’ve been here during the school year and I’ve also been here over the summer and there’s a stark contrast going to Athens in… July versus September,” Kennedy said. Dauterman stated there’s a certain stereotype that is often cast upon the student population that is vastly reductive and could harm a student’s campaign. “As students, we’re all sort of cast in the same light as the one ‘bad apple’ who decides to punch a horse cop during fest season, or the one that causes destruction
of property following a Friday night drunken bender after a week of final exams,” Dauterman said. “While I know 90% of the student population doesn’t behave that way, most of the community doesn’t see that, or at least act that way.” While Ohio U students play a major role in the Athens county economy, Virjee explained the job goes farther than campus. “It’s important to acknowledge and appreciate the diversity of people here and how you can appropriately serve and represent them. Good intentions aren’t often enough,” Virjee said. Although students are only temporary residents of Athens, they have a viewpoint unique to permanent residents, Dauterman explained. He is confident many students are facing the same problems he dealt with as a student from 2013 to 2016. Grant said the reason Athens may not be seeing student candidates is due to a lack of interest, adding that in his time in the College Democrats “we have never talked about it.” But if someone from the College Democrats wanted to run, he said “they would have our support.” Dauterman recommended that prospective student candidates keep the issues topical to the concerns of the folks they represent. “I see all too often, many students running for local office talk about issues of raising the minimum wage, a woman’s right to choose, gender equality, and national economic policy,” Dauterman said. “Roads, bridges, income tax, municipal levies, and local ordinance are the primary focus of the folks who have a seat on council.” Virjee mentioned that in order to run a successful campaign, a candidate needs to realize that it’s not exactly about them. “If you’re just in it for the cool addition to your resume or to climb the political ladder, don’t. We can do better than the generations before us,” Virjee said. Spread designed by Izzy Keller
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Food Distribution: What is being funded? Written and Designed By Evan Gallagher Director of PR & Advertising
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thens has a rich food culture. From classic restaurants on Court Street to homegrown options at the Farmers Market to celebrating its homegrown food and hard work at the Pawpaw Festival, the population has a respect for what they consume. Yet, in this region, food insecurity remains a prevalent issue. Athens County Food Pantry and the Saint Vincent De Paul Food Distribution Center are just a couple of the many resources working to combat food insecurity in the area. There is also the Salvation Army Food Pantry, Athens Catholic Community Food Pantry and other churches in the area that provide access to food. The Athens County Food Pantry, founded in 1980 and run entirely by volunteers, is one of the most well-known resources for food in the county. Karin Bright, president of Athens County Food Pantry, is part of an initiative put together by Athens Mayor Steve Patterson to address the issue of food insecurity. “I have been part of a group that the Mayor has put together, kind of a round table. It was a number of nonprofits coming together to try to hold things together,” Brights said. There are also programs to help students at Ohio University. There is SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which provides benefits for students on the poverty line. The other services are Cats’ Cupboard, a
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pantry in Baker University Center and the Meal Bank, a program that allows students to share their meal plans with a student in need. However, there are limitations to these programs. SNAP requires its members to work at least 20 hours a week to qualify and Meal Bank members have to be approved by the Dean of Students Office. So, these services are accessible, just not without conditions. While Ohio U and Athens County have set up locations for those who need them, politicians have taken other actions to help Athenians combat food insecurity. According to Athens City Council President Chris Knisley, the city donates between $6,000 and $15,000 almost every year to Community Food Initiatives (CFI), an organization that distributes food to pantries in the region. CFI also brings awareness of food options to people in Southeastern Ohio. The organization focuses on locally grown options and is membership-based. “The other support we have provided is to help with the ‘Bounty on the Bricks’ project, by closing the city streets for their annual fundraiser meal,” Knisley said. The “Bounty on the Bricks” is a yearly feast on Court Street that raises money for the Southeast Ohio Food Bank. The event, which is run by the city of Athens, aims to raise awareness of food
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Data source: Athens City Council Clerk Debbie Walker Amount Athens City Council Invested in CFI Yearly $15,000
Amount
$10,000
$5,000
$0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Year
insecurity in the region. Like CFI, it shines a light on local options for Athens County residents. Councilmember Ben Ziff also praised CFI as a resource for food access. Ziff said he was “planning on sitting down with members of CFI to see if there’s anything council can do to help them with their amazing program.” Additionally, Councilmember Micah McCarey pointed out another organization that works to combat food insecurity in the area. “I’m enthusiastic about opportunities to support city collaborations with regional organizations like Hocking Athens Perry Community Action (HAPCAP) that specifically focus on promoting accessibility of nutritious food options not only in Athens but throughout Southeast Ohio,” McCarey said. HAPCAP works with the Southeast Ohio Food Bank and offers food stamps to Athens locals. It also serves as a resource for information on local housing, transportation, food & nutrition, utilities, etc. There are programs that are available for the city, county and Ohio U, and it’s a question of if they will continue to be funded in the future. Councilmember Ben Ziff made note of that in his statement on the issue: “I think one of the most important things I can do on council to combat this issue is to try and spread awareness of the programs and initiatives already in existence.”
Photo credit: Evan Gallagher
A look back at Athens’ declaration of racism as a public health crisis Written and designed by Izzy Keller Digital Editor
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ver a year ago, the Athens City Council passed a resolution declaring racism to be a public health crisis in the city, county and state. The resolution contains five sections dedicated to action, two of which are still in the works today. The resolution, R-10-20, was brought forth by Councilmember Sarah Grace on June 22, 2020 in a special session of council. City Council unanimously passed it with the support of Athens Mayor Steve Patterson. “I found that the resolution became a line in the sand to start systemic change here in the city of Athens … We’ve got to turn things around as a country, since we are a municipality within the country. This was a starting point for change here in our own community in Southeast Ohio,” Patterson said about R-10-20 in a phone interview. Along with declaring racism a public health crisis, the resolution urged the Ohio General Assembly and Gov. Mike DeWine to pass Senate Concurrent Resolution 14, which declares racism a public health crisis in Ohio. A copy of the resolution was sent to its sponsors along with other lawmakers. Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 was referred to the Senate’s Heath, Human
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Services and Medicaid Committee on June 3, 2020, according to the Ohio Legislature’s website. The resolution includes a commitment from City Council to conduct an internal review of the Athens City Code, along with other city practices and procedures with racial equity in mind. Currently, there is an ongoing assessment to identify potential weaknesses in terms of equity. The resolution also asks Patterson to create a group dedicated to racial equity and mitigating systemic racism. The group, functioning as a partnership between a city task force and the Athens Racial Equity Commission, was created in December 2020. The group has 31 members, many of whom belong to existing commissions and differing city departments. “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel of creating a new coalition of any type, so I had reached out to a number of individuals from throughout the city,” Patterson said of the creation of the task force. “As well as my HR Director Ron Lucas (also) identified a number of people in the different departments of the city to kind of augment the Racial Equity Coalition.” Patterson followed Grace’s recommendation during the June 22, 2020 council meeting by selecting standing commission members and people from city departments. One frequently mentioned body is the Athens Community Relations Commission, cochaired by John Schmieding.
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TIMELINE: STEPS TAKEN BY THE CITY OF ATHENS TO IMPROVE RACIAL EQUITY 2010 - Creation of the Community Relations Commission March 20 and March 21, 2019 Groundwater Training: Led to the creation of the Racial Equity Task Force of the Athens County Foundation. June 22, 2020 - Athens City Council passes R-10-20, which declares racism a public health crisis.
Sept. 9 and 10, 2020 - REAL 100 training through the National League of Cities.
January 2012 - Creation of the Joint Police Advisory Council
June 2020 - History of racism in the U.S. course for law enforcement. The course featured five classes created by four Ohio U history professors.
July 2020 - 8 Can’t Wait Initiative, a list of eight policies needed for more equitable policing. In the City of Athens, 7 of 8 iniatives are in compliance. December 2020 - City Task Force/Racial Equity Coalition partnership creation.
April 2021 - Athens County Foundation Art of Hosting racial equity training
May 4, 2021 - Athens Asian American Pacific Islander charter meeting Information displayed is from the “Athens Racial Equity Report” document given to The New Political by the Athens Mayor’s Office.
April 23, 2021 - Black Business Leaders of Athens County charter meeting
Currently underway - National League of Cities, Race, Equity and Leadership Athens Assessment.
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The commission, created in 2010, has the goal of “see(ing) that everyone gets along in Athens, particularly to pay attention to historically disenfranchised groups,” Schmieding said in a phone interview. Although not an official member of Patterson’s task force, Schmieding remains in close communication with the group. Since the resolution passed, members of the Community Relations Commission have been teaching a for-credit class on equity, racism and anti-racism at Athens High School, in addition to holding other community events. Originally, it was the joint city task force and Racial Equity Coalition’s charge to assess the city’s laws and departments. According to Patterson, the city chose to find an organization that is “better equipped” to assess the city. The city decided to work with the National League of Cities (NLC), an organization made up of local government leaders from over 2,000 cities. Athens chose to partake in NLC’s Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) assessment. According to its website, the REAL assessment works “to help cities and towns learn the impact of historical inequities and design programs that dismantle structural and system racism.” “We went with the National League of Cities’ Race Equity and Leadership training … The REAL 100 was able to put together a package of programs,” Patterson said. “As well as a survey to start things off to kind of figure out what the baseline is when it comes to racial equity for city employees.” The city is awaiting an initial survey from NLC. Once the initial survey is received, it will be sent to the joint city task force and the Athens Racial Equity Commission for approval. After their 11
blessing, it goes back to NLC to finalize the survey. Once finalized, all city employees will be required to take it. NLC will then compile the survey results and send them back to Athens. “Once we get those (REAL survey) results, we will convene a meeting of the Racial Equity Coalition and people that I have asked to serve on the task force and look at those results,” Patterson said. “And out of that, start to identify where are areas that we view that we need to improve.” Athens would start three layers of training. All city employees would have to go through two layers and administrators would go through the third. Finally, there will be a section for the racial equity trainers, so takeaways from the REAL assessment can be utilized for future employees. Patterson wishes to add a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator to city staff. The work in making Athens more inclusive is ongoing, and it is impossible to end systemic racism overnight. To Patterson, remaining vigilant of remnants of historic racism is the best way to promote racial equity. Meanwhile, Schmieding sees community and communication as being the best defenses against racism and systemic racism. “As a commission, we do talk about building relationships. Building relationships with other white folks, if you’re white, where you actually talk about these issues,” Schmieding said. “ … Just, you know, have those conversations, what have you noticed about racism lately? And then particularly for white people, for us to be building relationships with people of color, people of the global majority, in this time in particular is really important.”
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Through the Eyes of the 1.9% The importance of representation on campus from an Asian perspective
Written and Designed By Claire Del Vita Staff Writer
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ntil my junior year of high school, I never truly acknowledged my “Asian-ness”. I grew up in the two very white, upper-middle-class communities of Sudbury, Massachusetts and Dublin, Ohio. Everywhere I looked there were people who shared the same Eurocentric features as my father, an Italian man who immigrated to America in the late ’90s. So, I decided that if I wanted to fit in, I had to identify with my European side. I would eat classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, play sports with my friends and listen to Taylor Swift — all the things I thought American children did. At home, however, there were no boundaries to who I could be or how I should present myself. I was able to embrace both of my cultures freely without feeling pressure to conform to the majority. My halmeoni (“grandmother”) stuffed my sister and me with all the Korean food our hearts desired while my halabeoji
Baby Claire before she finds out what it means to be a person of color.
(“grandfather”) watched Korean news on the computer. I would eat steaming sweet potatoes by the sack, but no one at school could know because they thought they tasted funny. As a young girl, I held many microaggressions against myself, 13
my family, and my people, which held fast until I entered high school. Amy Szmik, a junior studying Journalism Strategic Communications at Ohio University, found herself holding similar microaggressions that affected how she acted or wanted to be perceived by her classmates growing up. “I was ashamed and embarrassed by my ethnicity and almost wanted to make jokes about myself so it showed people that I ‘wasn’t sensitive’ and could make fun of myself,” Szmik said. “I wanted to distance myself from my culture for such a long time, and I really regret that because I could have spent that time accepting and being proud of who I was.” Although Dublin Jerome was not very culturally inclusive, high school was when I began to redefine my identity. Winter break of freshman year, my dad took my family on a trip to Seoul, and that became a turning point. I was able to experience Korean culture firsthand, hear the language all around me and learn the history. It felt almost as if a weight was lifted because I was surrounded by people who looked like my family and who shared our culture. From then on, there was a shift in how I addressed my Asianness. On state exams I would shade both “White” and “Asian” on bubble sheets, I would tell people my middle name without feeling shame and I became more interested in cooking Korean cuisine. At Thanksgiving, my sister and I would help our halmeoni make mandu, Korean dumplings, for an appetizer. This gave us a chance to learn more about her and my halabeoji’s life in Korea. We have also always had two Thanksgiving meals, one of sushi on Thanksgiving Day and the second a traditional feast the day after. My halabeoji passed away right after the fall semester of school began. It will be strange going to family reunions without
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him there, but by embracing Korean culture, part of him will always be present. He moved to the U.S. in the early 1970s, working odd-end jobs to earn enough to bring my mom and the rest of the family over. They would, a year later, wind up in Andover, Massachusetts, a small suburb with a decently-sized Asian population. From working as well-respected teachers in Korea to finding whatever jobs could support their family, my grandparents did not have it easy. Looking at what my mom, aunt and uncles have been able to achieve in their lifetimes, it is evident their struggles were not for nothing. While I was never that close to my grandfather, the last memories I have of him are the ones that stick with me the most. He always collected coupons and would treat my family to pizza lunches. The last one we had was the first time I ever saw him in jeans and that blew my mind. One of the last times my entire
“I held many microaggressions against myself...”
family was together for the holidays before the COVID-19 pandemic, we engaged in our usual Christmas tradition of watching “The Sound of Music”. I distinctly recall my grandparents laughing over the scene where the nuns had stolen car parts from the Nazis; it was a nice change from their usual serious demeanor. Some people may think that those of a different background do not share similar experiences, but this is not always true. Whether you are white, Asian, Black, Latinx or Native, the lives we live resemble each other much more closely than we assume. Being surrounded by the news of hate crimes committed against Asian Americans during the pandemic and the shootings in Georgia, which left six
My grandparents on their wedding day in 1956
Asian women dead, was very draining. It felt as if there was no escape from seeing a new headline with the same rhetoric. The moment I turned on my phone there was a news article or social media thread posted about the events. I constantly found myself checking up on my family, asking them how they were handling everything. Worried that I would feel the same burnout I did during the summer of 2020 when the same stories were being shared but from a different narrative, I knew I had to find a way to step back while keeping myself informed. Reading articles and essays from Asian journalists, including Elaine Quijano and Vicky Nguyen, and listening to podcasts, like “What The Georgia Shootings Reveal About Anti-Asian Racism In The U.S.” from On Point, helped me cope with the shootings. They provided Asian perspectives on the news stories that swallowed up my feed. Jake Boyk, a senior at Ohio University, is the vice president of the Asian American Pacific Islander Student Union (AAPISU) and is also a Diversity Leadership Ambassador for the school. He has played a role in many diversity initiatives on campus and spends lots of time outside of Baker Center reaching out to multicultural students across campus. The hate crimes against Asian Americans also affected him. “Seeing the hate crimes being shared throughout the media caused me to be scared,” Boyk said. “They made me fear-
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Boyk is a senior and the vice president of the AAPISU.
ful that the next victim of these horrific hate crimes could be me, or my family.” Szmik was in Chicago when the attacks occurred and saw a procession of cars with anti-Chinese sentiments displayed on them. This event on top of the shootings affected how she saw herself and highlighted the importance of finding a safe space amongst her peers. “It was hard to see and honestly is probably why I’m so angry and irritable now,” Szmik said. “It’s something that, unless you’re a person of color, you could never understand the fear. I already wanted to get involved with other Asian students and people, but I think the fact of needing a community who could understand was so important.” No group of people should fear that they will be targeted because of who they are, which is why representation on campus matters. A student can feel debilitated by their emotions if they lack a support system of other students with similar backgrounds and experiences. When students are given an outlet to share their cultural experiences with others, it makes the campus a more inclusive environment and allows students to see life from different perspectives. Students who come from multiple backgrounds may especially benefit from this because oftentimes they feel that they do not fit in even within their own bubbles. “I’ve struggled with my ethnic identity my whole life,” Jhasmin Glass, a freshman double-majoring in strategic leadership
and management and business pre-law at Ohio U, said. “Being multiracial in itself is difficult. But being both Black and Asian is a whole other ball game. Not only are both minority communities, but they’re communities at odds. With the constant tensions, I always felt like I had to choose between the two as if both identities couldn’t exist together.” The AAPISU is just one of many multicultural groups on campus that offer the small percentage of minority students at Ohio U a community where they can be themselves and feel a sense of belonging. The organization was founded in the fall semester but has already made an imprint on AAPI students at the university. Having a group of people who look like me, grew up in similar environments as me and share the pain brought on by the hate crimes against Asian Americans ear-
Glass is a current freshman.
lier this year has impacted how I view my ethnicity. “I decided to join the AAPISU because I wanted to be a part of a community where I feel like I belong,” Boyk said. “I believe the most impactful aspect of being a part of a multicultural organization is connecting with other individuals who are also passionate about fostering the values of diversity, inclusion, and respect.” I tell my tight-knit group of friends on campus all the time how much I love them, but that there is something about being friends with other Asian students that is just so refreshing. My friends understand because the majority of them are white and have always seen themselves represented in their communities
Szmik is a senior strategic communications major.
and the media. “Community is vital for a person’s well-being,” Glass said. “In order for students to be successful, they need to feel supported both academically and socially—finding others with similar identities plays a huge role in social support networks.” Being part of the AAPISU has not always been a positive form of representation. Even within that community there can be assumptions about where you are from. While I and other members of both the AAPISU and the Athens Asian American Alliance were waiting for the Homecoming parade to begin, many of us were asked by another member which professor we had for Chinese. He had made a racist assumption that we were Asian so we had to be Chinese, one that occurs so often. Although it may seem small to someone who is not part of the AAPI community, when a statement like this comes from within your hub it can feel extremely invalidating. It seems as if you do not even fit in amongst the people who you are “supposed” to. “Marginalized groups need a place where they can share their authentic experiences without fear of invalidation,” Boyk said. By emphasizing and appreciating the diversity not only within the university but also within its Asian population, other students will hopefully not have to undergo the same experience. On a Friday night after playing sand volleyball for a club social, a few members of the AAPISU and I started to share our experiences growing up Asian compared to college life. While our family life differed somewhat, some of us hailing from biologically Asian or mixed families or having been adopted into white ones, we all had cultural struggles. The AAPISU, and other multicultural student organizations on campus, have given students a place to connect to their cultures in a way that they have not before. When
only 1.9% of the entire student body is Asian, most being international students, that is so important. Alexis Karolin, a senior studying history at Ohio U, said that through the AAPISU she has been able to make friends who look like her and share her life experiences. “I was adopted when I was eight months old, and my parents are white,” Karolin said. “Growing up, I never felt fully comfortable as a Chinese person or as an American. Culturally, I identified with white middle-class society, but I knew I would never fully fit in because of my race. I also never felt comfortable in a Chinese or even a Chinese American community because I did not grow up speaking the language and my immigration experience is not the common expe-
Karolin is a senior majoring in History.
rience of most Chinese Americans.” There is no one student narrative or one student experience. We are such a diverse body of people with different cultural backgrounds. Making sure everyone has a place or group on campus that they feel accepted and represented in is so important. For students like me who have felt pulled in two directions their entire lives, representation on-campus shows us that we do not have to be one or the other. We can feel a sense of belonging by being our full selves, without having to pick between being white or being Asian. “There is no conventional AAPI experience because many people within our own community are so diverse,” Karolin said. “I don’t have to fit into either specific group, white American or Chinese American. I can create and exist in my own multicultural space.”
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s the country is working toward building a better future in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, some Appalachians are focusing on ecotourism and encouraging the growth of small businesses. Appalachia Ohio has been subject to multiple efforts in recent years to improve infrastructure and to bring economic prosperity into the region, with some efforts focusing on ecotourism. Ecotourism is “the practice of touring natural habitats in a manner meant to minimize ecological impact,” according to the Webster Dictionary. It also aims to observe wildlife and to support conservation efforts. A study conducted by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) found that ecotourism can incentivize communities to take care of their environments because their incomes can be linked to the preservation of said environments. It concluded that ecotourism operations have the potential to return up to 95% of its earnings into the local economy. Politicians also believe that ecotourism has the potential to bring more jobs into communities than other industries such as mining or timber, showing a shift in industries in the United States. Jasmine Facun, the Baileys Trail System program assistant with Rural Action, talked about using the scenery that exists in Appalachia in a previous interview with The New Political. “Sustainable development is possible
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in a rural place, and we don’t need to necessarily look at our natural resources as something that needs to be extracted,” Facun said. “The beauty of where we live is a natural resource.” In November, Vinton County Probate Judge Bob Grillo approved the creation of the Vinton County Park District. Proposed by the county’s marketing director Caleb Appleman the park district is intended to serve as a tool for economic growth, a press release said. “There are beautiful areas of our county away from the existing state parks and forests, but there isn’t much for a visitor to do other than drive past private property,” Appleman said in the press release. “We can use the park district not just to conserve scenic natural areas and historic sites, but to build tourism assets that will provide recreational and educational opportunities,” he added. “This is our county government’s first major step toward taking an active role in transforming our local economy from one based on mining and timber to one based on tourism and outdoor recreation.” A previous report from The New Political noted that Airbnbs and other lodging options have been popping up near the Baileys trailheads, giving travelers a convenient place to stay and access the trails. Additionally, in December, the Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau
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purchased Hotel McArthur, the oldest surviving structure in the county, in a bid to renovate, repair and restore the building to allow for additional lodging, a press release said. Once fully operational, the hotel could bring in an estimated $860,000 in state and local tax revenue to the county, according to the release. “... Vinton County really doesn’t have much in the way of tourism infrastructure, yet tourism is our only growing industry,” Appleman said in the December release. “The decision to operate the hotel — and to create our own parks as tourist attractions — was made because no one else is doing it,” he continued. “We’ve committed ourselves to being proactive and building the things we’re missing.” The Baileys Trail System, with a trailhead located in Chauncey, has been a big source of momentum for ecotourism initiatives in the region. According to a previous report from The New Political, the Baileys has already resulted in two lodging businesses opening up in Millfield: Baileys Lodging Company and Baileys Basecamp. In a recent report from the Athens Messenger, an old school building in Chauncey will be renovated to have a brewery and a restaurant inside as well as other businesses in the future. Rural Action is a group in Appalachia Ohio that aims to help sustainable and inclusive development for communities, with a focus on sectors such as food and agriculture and social enterprise development. The group is currently running a project called the Trail Town Business Challenge. This challenge aims to give an opportunity to participants to learn how to create a business plan and develop it while competing for a prize that could give them the opportunity to turn the plan into reality. The challenge’s purpose is to help bring
more businesses into the region and grow the outdoor economy. In June, Rural Action hosted an event called the Ride Through Time Guided Bicycle Tour that allowed participants to ride along the back roads of Athens County and see historic and natural sites the county has to offer. A previous report from AP News states that approximately two-thirds of the coal industry jobs in Appalachia have disappeared since the 1990s, resulting in a need for more economic opportunities and jobs in the region. The state of Ohio is releasing more funding opportunities through grants for entrepreneurs to recover from consequences that arose through the pandemic or to start a business to help develop the economy of areas in need. Grant opportunities are also opening up in Appalachia to support small businesses and bring economic opportunities into the region that has become less prosperous in the past few decades. One grant available for Ohio communities is the POWER grant offered through the Appalachia Regional Commission (ARC). The ARC is an economic development agency that spans across 13 state governments with the mission to innovate and invest to build communities and strengthen economies in Appalachia. The POWER grant aims to help communities that have been negatively impacted from job losses connected to the coal industry. One purpose of the POWER grant is to create new jobs and build on community infrastructure. According to Ohio State Code on open space acquisition and development projects, to acquire or develop land from money awarded from grants, the space’s purpose would need to emphasize uses such as the enhancement of economic development of a community or the preservation of the ecosystem.
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Written and designed by Emily Crebs Editor-In-Chief — grandmothers are a force, a real force. hree grandmothers sat in chairs We can be if we unite.” outside the gates of construction of Smucker, Sparks and Sheehan are all the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline, their arms environmental activists who have worked locked together and chained to the gate. with the Athens County Future Action They attached a banner to the gate that Network (ACFAN). Originally, ACFAN read “Grandmothers Stop Line 3.” stood for Athens County Fracking Action “People gonna rise like the water, Network. The group has fought against gonna shut this pipeline down. I hear the fracking and injection wells in Athens voice of my great granddaughter, saying County since 2011. ‘Keep it in the ground,’” they sang. In the summer of 2021, ACFAN asked Judy Smucker, Anne Sparks and for volunteers to travel to Minnesota Claudia Sheehan, all from the Athens to fight against Enbridge Line 3, a area, traveled to Minnesota in July replacement pipeline for the Canada2021 to take direct action against the based oil and gas company. The line construction of Line 3 by obstructing one extends from Alberta, Canada to of the roadways for pipeline construction. Wisconsin, with the replacement adding Their efforts granted them all felony 330 miles to the line, according to the theft charges. As of December 2021, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. women are still out on bail and awaiting Environmental and Indigenous rights trial. activists have prioritized Line 3 due to “This is my time, it’s my generation that the line crossing through land of multiple made the mess … We want to take care of Indigenous tribes, including Anishinaabe our children and our grandchildren, but territory, and through lakes and wild rice we did such a poor job of not cleaning up beds. Line 3 violates the sovereignty of the mess,” Smucker said. “I can do it now. tribal nations on the land and violates There’s nothing to stop me. We’re a force treaty rights to hunt, gather and fish on
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the land, according to Stop Line 3. The line transports heavy tar sands which must be pushed through the pipes. This burdens a massive carbon and fossil fuel cost to the environment and poses threats to the environment and communities surrounding the spills. Manoomin, or wild rice, is a sacred food for Chippew, Ojibwe and Anishinaabe people, according to High Country News. The construction of the Line 3 replacement involves working in and draining bodies of water, according to Enbridge, which could harm the wild rice lakes if those bodies are drained. In August 2021, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe exercised Rights of Manoomin, tribal law that gives legal status to the plant species and what is known as a Right of Nature, to stop the construction of Line 3 in tribal court. “Tribal communities have been putting their bodies in harm’s way for over seven years to end pipeline construction and transport of tar sands through their homelands … Science tells us that our earth is at a tipping point. Yet our politicians subsidize fossil fuels and block clean energy, refusing to act responsibly and require use of cleaner and safer energy sources,” Sheehan, Sparks and Smucker wrote in a statement published on ACFAN about their actions. In June 2021, the three Athens grandmothers traveled to an Earth First! camp in Minnesota with activists planning direct action against the pipeline. While there, the women used pseudonyms and were informed that there were likely undercover agents at the camp. During the week, a neighboring camp led by Indigenous people was put “under siege” by the Hubbard County Sheriff ’s department.
The media outlet Unicorn Riot and anti-pipeline organization Giniw Collective documented on video the Hubbard County Sheriff ’s Department preventing vehicles taking supplies into the Indigenous camp, despite it being on private property and used with the approval of the land owner. According to the Intercept, at the time of the barricade, Enbridge reimbursed Hubbard County $2,660 for riot helmets, face shields, chest protectors and other equipment to remove pipeline protests. The women were sent to the camp to provide support, and upon arriving, heard a loud, piercing sound. Sheehan described it “like people screaming and torture, it sounded so loud and so bizarre.” “I realized they were using sound, these huge sound devices, in the middle of the night just to torment the people in this camp. Just for no reason at all. If they’re saying it’s a road issue, why are they using this loud sound?” Sheehan said. The Giniw Collective has documented law enforcement’s use of Long Range Acoustic Devices — sound cannons — against pipeline protests. The devices are known to cause nausea, fatigue, sweating, hearing loss, memory loss and difficulty thinking. The women were initially turned away from the camp but were able to return and provide aid. They were the sentries at the Indigenous camp and negotiated with the sheriff ’s department to allow food and water into the camp. The women said being three older white women wouldn’t provoke the situation. “The way they were being treated is just, there’s no justice in it at all. I know that they wouldn’t get away with it if it was anything but a Native American camp. I know that they were targeted for
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being Native American,” Sheehan said. None of the other camps, according to the women, were treated in that manner. Members around the camps referred to the women as the grandmothers. The women were chained to the gate and each other for three hours until they were arrested. Currently, they are out on bail and advised to “not even jaywalk.” Cusi Ballew, member of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Nation and Millfield resident, has also been a long standing activist. When you look up his name, you find articles published by fossil fuel companies decrying Ballew’s direct action. He has traveled across the country fighting pipelines and for the environment with his wife Madeline Ffitch, author of “Stay and Fight” and “Valparaiso, Round the Horn,” and their children. Ballew is part of the Athens community fighting against pipelines and spoke at the protest on March 29, 2021 outside Chase Bank on Court Street. Chase Bank is one of the largest monetary supporters of fossil fuels, contributing over $196 billion since 2016, according to Stop the Money Pipeline. “We can’t wait for presidents, bankers, or governors to have a change of heart about fossil fuels. Anishinaabe water protectors are asking people everywhere to join the fight, to put themselves out of their comfort zone and take mass action to stop this and every pipeline on stolen land,” Ballew said at the protest. On the outside of the Village Bakery, customers are greeted with signs that read “Stop Line 3” and “Seas are rising and so are we.” The Village Bakery is an unapologetic part of the activist community in Athens. In an Instagram post of a customer review, 23
Image of the sign outside the Village Bakery. Photo by Emily Crebs.
a customer said that the Village Bakery was “To liberal, don’t mix business and politics, I won’t go back (sic)”. The Village Bakery account captioned the post “We’ll be mixing business with politics from 8 AM - 3 PM today” Christine Hughes, owner of the Village Bakery, said that the Village Bakery wants to have an overall positive impact on the environment. The bakery purchases ingredients from local farms, uses solar panels and uses more energy conserving appliances. The bakery raised $1,500 for different organizations fighting the pipelines, including the Giniw Collective. The Village Bakery is not about profit, Hughes explained. “We’re about making the world better and more happier, healthier place for everyone to live in,” she said. On the way to Strouds Run State Park, visitors see signs also in opposition to Line 3. Oil began running through Line 3 pipeline on Oct. 1. Smucker, Sparks and Sheehan are being careful in their activism per the advice of legal experts. But the activists in Athens are continuing to work against pipelines and for the environment and for Indigenous peoples’ rights. “It’s a momentous thing to know that decisions that we make now are gonna affect the rest of civilization, the future of our planet. The decisions that our government people are making now, it’s gonna affect all of life. Forever,” Smucker said.
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In Defense of the Scripps Kids
Letter from the Managing Editor by Zach Zimmerman
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hio University is my home and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism is my family. We are one unit of walking ambition, knowledge, dedication and anxiety bundled together into machines working and running on different motors. We are studying as classmates, working as colleagues and striving to become journalists. Scripps kids are bound to clash occasionally, just as families do. But most of us are good-hearted people who want the best for ourselves and our peers. I am honored to be a part of the Scripps school. My colleagues never cease to amaze me with their journalistic skills. I look forward to seeing what all we accomplish in the future, at Ohio U and in the professional industry. For that reason, it is of the utmost importance that we prepare to graduate and enter the job market. While Ohio U is one of the best schools in America for journalism, the students should have more of a say in what constitutes our curriculum because we are the ones who work wageless jobs
and dedicate our time to student publications. The university is taking steps towards creating an environment where student input is more valued than it has been in the past. In September, it announced a long-term investment plan that included the creation of a student media leadership council consisting of leaders from student publications. Dean Scott Titsworth said he hopes this “will allow student media leaders to collaborate in a positive way (The advisory board has yet to be created, though it is supposed to occur at some point this school year). A key point I took from the announcement, though, as The Post reported, was Titsworth exploring “the possibility of practicum credit for students who work in media organizations at OU.” Working for student publications, whether it be writing, editing, digital and design, audio and broadcast, etc., is where we gain the most valuable experience as student journalists. It is silly that we do not have this type of credit already in place. I fully understand the importance of the j-school’s curriculum. It
is how we learn about AP style, ethics, types of journalism and so many essential aspects of what we do. However, I disagree with the attitude of putting media before the classes we are required to pass. I like to explain to my sports friends that we are not Cardale Jones. We are, in fact, here to “play school.” But playing school at Scripps still means the most important part of our learning experience doesn’t even come from the school’s curriculum. It is hard to find a major more susceptible to burnout, alcoholism and severely deteriorated mental health than journalism. It blows my mind that we have accepted this reality with the concept of being a full-time student while adhering to the same standards of professional journalists and professional publications (may I remind you – most student journalists don’t get paid for any of this). In this hOUme the family bond is strong. Let us keep it that way by supporting student journalism and allowing us to thrive at Scripps in a way that both makes sense and benefits everyone.
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. Opinion .
Ohio University’s HEED Award Does Not Accurately Reflect the School’s Progress Written by Aya Cathey Opinion Editor
Spread designed by Emily Zeiler
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s a Black student at Ohio University, I do not feel adequately supported by the faculty and staff, journalism school or the overall institution. This October, Ohio U was awarded the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the fourth consecutive year. At 45 years old, INSIGHT Into Diversity is the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education. Its company works to connect individuals seeking jobs with potential employers within education. They pride themselves on creating a diverse workforce that reflects a wider range of genders, races, ages and abilities. The magazine has over 700,000 monthly visitors and covers news in and around corporate and academic campuses. INSIGHT Into Diversity features leaders and experts, racial and equity teachings and highlights marginalized identities. The INSIGHT Into Diversity HEED Award recognizes colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion on their campus. This is measured through their implementation of successful “initiatives, programs, and outreach; student recruitment, retention, and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff.” INSIGHT Into Diversity claims that their award is notable because it is the only national award to recognize institutions
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that prioritize diversity and inclusion. Recipients receive a certificate, copies of the award and access to the HEED award logo for promotional and marketing use. The last four years that Ohio U has applied to the award, it has won, along with nearly a hundred other schools. The application is relatively straightforward, and there are no application fees or requirements for applying (other than geographic location). Essentially, colleges and universities can submit an application with a weak diversity and inclusion plan, nominate five other schools and, in return, receive bragging rights and the ability to showcase their “achievements” to prospective students and donors. The HEED Award is not a real honor; it’s a gold star and a pat on the head that tells our university administrators that they have accomplished the bare minimum. It does not reflect the student body’s opinions, those who are paying the school to reap the benefits of this “great” diversity plan. There are more students of color on campus this year, but it does not mean they are actively supported. Ohio U’s ability to support its diverse community and foster inclusive environments should be evaluated by the students and faculty of the university. An advisory board made up of people who do not have lived experiences at Ohio U cannot assess whether or not a Black student sees peers and professors who
look like them, if the student who uses a wheelchair can easily get around campus or if the transgender student feels safe in their housing on campus. The only thing these board members can do is make their best judgment based on the information provided by our multicultural office directors. I have read Ohio U’s Inclusive Excellence Plan, and they are not performing as well as they claim to be. Their plan was directly motivated by the political and civil unrest of the summer of 2020. Still, they did not maintain the sense of urgency they showed when the killings of Black people were being covered on national news. While both institutions and individuals have made efforts to engage in more inclusive, anti-racist conversations, it is not enough. I am still the only Black student in several of my classes and constantly face uncomfortable, isolating and awkward interactions. I often feel I have to defend my right to take up space while my white counterparts are unaware that my identity puts me at a disadvantage. It is exhausting, so I look to Black organizations for support. Unfortunately, these groups are underfunded and underrecognized, and many of us dedicate our meeting time towards brainstorming ways to change this. Even outside of the classroom, I will always have to fight for a place at a predominately white institution.
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The New Political is an award-winning, independent publication run entirely by Ohio University students. We are dedicated to covering politics and government on the Ohio University campus, in the city of Athens and in the state of Ohio. The New Political seeks to educate and empower the public as an independent voice for Athens.
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