FEATURES

20

Res halls reimagined

New Housing Master Plan creates a more connected community, in every way

36

Paving the way

Alumnus Byron Ward pays it forward to a new generation of Black Bobcats

28

What the PORTSfuture holds

A facility updates from Cold War past to hydrogen energy future

40

The gift of forever

Alumni and Athens News founders support OHIO’s Urban Scholars Endowment

South Green will see major changes with implementation of the next Housing Master Plan (page 20).

On The Cover

The iconic cherry (sakura) trees on the Athens Campus draw visitors every spring. OHIO’s Japanese Language and Culture Association hosts an annual Sakura Festival when the trees are blossoming. Photo by Joel Prince, BS ’12, MA ’15, courtesy of Visit Athens County.

Visit ohiotoday.org for multimedia stories that complement the stories inside this issue

Trails blazed, legacies paved I am proud of the achievements by both of our Trailblazer Award winners (fall 2022 issue). Coach Banton led the track teams for many years and was the first African American head athletic coach in OU’s history. His teams were consistently powerful and during his tenure frequently contended for MAC titles.

George Reid set several lofty levels of achievement both as an athlete while in school and as a college administrator both here at OHIO and elsewhere. He was the early advocate of the Black Alumni Reunion (BAR), which has grown to be the second-largest attended alumni activity behind Homecoming. That event, which is celebrated every three years in Athens, has allowed the University to expand its goal of being a more diverse community.

These two graduates of OU were honored during BAR 2022 for their years of success while representing our alma mater all over this nation. —Leslie Blakemore, AB ’70, via ohiotoday.org

Still the first and only I enjoyed reading the article about the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College (fall 2022 issue). It was well written and very informative. My only disappointment is that there is no mention of Dr. Joe Berman in the article. He is listed in the “In memoriam” section of that issue. It would have been appropriate to have mentioned him in this article as a “tie-in” to his passing on Dec. 12 of last year.

I noticed this because Dr. Joe was one of my teachers during my time at Ohio U. He also became a mentor and life-long friend. Joe was amazing because he was a fantastic teacher, and he took the time to maintain life-long friendships with literally hundreds of his students. I would bet that I will not be the only one of Dr. Berman’s former students to offer similar comments regarding the well written article about the Honors Tutorial College. —Tim Werner, BSC ’79

Born of Bobcat spirit

I went to OU from 1968-1974. A major weekly event for us poor students was attending the 25cent movies in Mem Aud. The movies ranged from excellent to terrible, with the saving grace each and every time the many catcalls and loud comments from the thousand-strong young audience. No better way to watch a movie.

Never understood why they didn’t sell popcorn and candy there, and heaven forbid you were caught with such “contraband.” Great times! —R. Marc Kantrowitz, AB ’72, MA ’74, via ohiotoday.org

All aboard

“The B&O at OHIO” (fall 2022 issue) is a striking example of a university magazine that offers alumni and friends an impressive range of storytelling. Sadly, many other schools use their magazines primarily as donor tools. Ohio Today is in a small cadre of magazines that dig deep into our world. Thank you for your great impact! —Duncan McDonald, BSJ ’66

I remember taking the train home to Cincinnati at Thanksgiving and Christmas—once sitting on a suitcase in the aisle when the train was too full. The carriages we rode in must have been left from the 1920s. They had crushed velvet seats and gold faded tassels. Must have been something else in their glory days. —Barbara Glenk Good, AB ’68, MS ’75, via ohiotoday.org

Off the beaten track

This was a great article about Gary Wolf (fall 2022 issue) and something we need to see more often. I happened to have been the assistant athletic trainer under Head Athletic Trainer Al Hart, 1967-1971, which allowed me some contact with Gary. Although I was assigned to the ice hockey team, I did treat basketball players and made a trip to the Milwaukee Classic with them in 1968. Loved Coach Snyder, who always treated me with respect and passion. Congratulations to Gary on his great career and his ability to help many people and possibly save lives. Hope to run into him sometime when we are both on the beautiful Athens Campus. —Larry Starr, BSED ’68, MED ’71, via ohiotoday.org

Last Word: Dr. Jason Rawls

This article was an eye-catcher for me. As a retired educator, I remember always looking for a way to reach students and keep them interested in learning more and enjoying it along the way! Dr. Rawls has made that connection, and I see it being a connector that will help many young people get involved with their own learning and finding what makes them grow, what makes them tick, what makes them reach for the stars. I’d like to connect with Dr. Rawls and help recruit students that might find this program to be a next step to their future. —Stella Antwine, BSED ’70, via ohiotoday.org

WRITE TO US. Ohio Today welcomes comments from readers. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, space, clarity and civility. Send letters by email to ohiotoday@ohio.edu or by mail to Ohio Today, Ohio University, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701-0869 or join the conversation at ohiotoday.org. We regret that we cannot publish all messages received in print or online.