January 20, 2022

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022

All In Good Fun

First snowfall of the season brings OU students together Here’s why some OU students love sad music PG 8-9 OU has a week of events planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Day PG 11 How Taniah Stephens broke an Ohio track record PG 16

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Winter in Athens is a symbol of new beginnings

F

ABBY MILLER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

all Semester at Ohio University is marked by a mix of excitement and nerves for the new school year, football games and Halloween weekend. And, yes, in my humble opinion, fall is the best time of year to witness all of the natural beauty that Athens has to offer.

But that doesn’t mean the other seasons in Athens have little to offer in both opportunities and beauty. In fact, the opposite is true, and I’m trying to remind myself of that fact every time I have to leave for classes a little earlier than usual to defrost my car.

Over this past weekend, Athens received a dumping of snow. It was the first major snowfall of the season, putting Athens County under a Level 3 Snow Emergency. There was, unsurprisingly, chatter over whether professors would switch their classes to virtual for Tuesday or if OU as a whole would cancel classes.

But that wasn’t all there was chatter about.

On Monday night, a swarm of several hundred OU students took to College Green for a snowball fight to celebrate the snowy weather. Our projects editor, Taylor Burnette, spoke to some of those students, who said they heard about the snowball fight

through word of mouth, Snapchat stories, Yik Yak posts and group chats. After the snowball fight, some students migrated over to Jeff Hill, sledding down it on moving carts, laundry baskets and bin tops.

The students who participated in the winter festivities came from different majors, classes and hometowns. One student from Florida said it was his first snowball fight.

Another student said after two years of the pandemic, seeing so many people outside having fun together was “really nice.”

In many ways, winter is a symbol of new beginnings. A fresh layer of snow can resemble a blank sheet of paper. We’re invited to trek through it, leaving our mark as we embark on new adventures. Where we go is up to us, and if we’re willing to brave the cold and get our socks soaked from snow slipping into our shoes, we can grow.

Snow can also cover up a lot. Fall Semester was hard on students in a plethora of ways. The return to in-person classes, and for some, their first time on campus, was overwhelming. If your Fall Semester didn’t quite go the way you wanted, it’s not too late to change your path this academic year. Student organizations are still accepting new

members, and you have a chance to explore different classes and make new friendships.

The same holds true for The Post. We are always accepting new writers, photographers, coders, designers and more, and any student interested in joining can email us at thepostrecruitment@gmail.com. We’ve already made some changes this winter, including debuting our new newsletter, Daily Rundown. You can sign up to receive the Daily Rundown every weekday at the bottom of any edition. As you navigate this Spring Semester, continue to read The Post for important campus and Athens news. That will remain the same no matter the season.

Fall Semester feels symbolic of new starts because, well, it is. But that doesn’t mean Spring Semester, or the emergence of winter, can’t also be a clean slate. Next time you step on the bricks donning snow boots and a puffy winter coat, remember that it’s never too late to make a change in your life. Change is what college and its many seasons are for.

Abby Miller is a senior studying journalism and political science at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Abby at am166317@ohio.edu or tweet her @abblawrence.

COVER PHOTO BY JESSE JAROLD-GRAPES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Abby Miller MANAGING EDITOR Bre Offenberger DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Geiger EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Emma Skidmore, Ryan Maxin ASST. NEWS EDITOR Molly Wilson PROJECTS EDITOR Taylor Burnette SPORTS EDITOR Jack Gleckler ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Ashley Beach CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Kayla Bennett OPINION EDITOR Mikayla Rochelle ASST. OPINION EDITOR Hannah Campbell THE BEAT EDITOR Madyson Lewellyn ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer COPY CHIEF Anna Garnai SLOT EDITORS Anastasia Carter, Will Cunningham, Bekah Bostick, Isabel Nissley ART ART DIRECTOR Mary Berger ASST. ART DIRECTOR Olivia Juenger DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Nate Swanson PHOTO EDITOR Jesse Jarrold-Grapes DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Brianna Lender AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jack Hiltner ASST. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Claire Schiopota DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Noah DeSantis BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan, Jamyson Butler 2 / JAN. 20, 2022

THE

POST ISSUE 16, VOLUME 112

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OU encourages COVID-19 booster shot despite no current university-sponsored incentives MADALYN BLAIR FOR THE POST As the omicron variant of the coronavirus contributes to rising infection rates across Ohio University’s campus, the university does not currently have an incentive program for students, faculty or staff to get a booster dose.

As of Jan. 15, there is a cumulative result of 842 asymptomatic positive test results among on-campus students since the beginning of 2022.

In an attempt to slow the spread, Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, said OU is encouraging all students, faculty and staff to get a booster shot and continues to update on-campus vaccine and booster clinic schedules. However, she confirmed the university is “not currently offering an incentive program” for students to get boosted.

In July 2021 and September 2021, the university implemented incentive programs to encourage students to obtain one of the COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. Among the incentives was a personal one-hour

photo shoot and a fall-themed block party for residence halls that achieved at least a 95% vaccination rate.

Despite the incentives, only nine resident halls currently have a 95% vaccination rate or higher, according to OU’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.

The university announced Aug. 31, 2021, that it would be requiring all students, faculty and staff to get a coronavirus vaccine, though it has not yet mandated a booster shot.

Previously, Gillian Ice, special assistant to the president for public health operations, said there would have to be thorough evidence and agreement among members of the scientific community for the university to mandate the booster, according to a previous Post report.

Carole Merckle, the assistant director of community health programs and area health education center within OU’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, or HCOM, said more OU students are self-pursuing the booster.

“A lot of (students) who were fully vaccinated wanted to be boosted before they went home and were around par-

ents and grandparents and potentially family members who were higher risk for complications with COVID,” Merckle said.

“The other factor that influenced students was the university mandate to be on campus.”

Merckle said vaccination clinics at HCOM are averaging more than 300 individuals per week seeking the vaccine or booster. However, it is primarily the booster shot that people are going to the clinics to receive.

Merckle also said she doesn’t think incentives implemented by the university in 2021 had a significant impact on students getting the original vaccine.

Recently, OU encouraged students, faculty and staff to upload records of being boosted. Doing so allowed those who are boosted to have a shortened quarantine period of only five days instead of the standard 10 to 14 days. Similarly, a boosted student who has been exposed to someone with coronavirus can avoid quarantining altogether.

Donovan Reed, a freshman studying biology, said he thinks there would be benefits to having booster incentives pre-

sented to residents.

“I do think that it would be in the university’s best interest to incentivize students to receive their booster as they did with the first round of vaccinations earlier in the school year,” Reed said in an email.

With the university providing free access to booster vaccinations, there is more opportunity for an increase in rates, Reed said. However, students who are opposed to the booster would probably not be as easily convinced even if similar incentives are available, he said.

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City Council discusses reopening police contracts; SMO cease and desist order lifted EMMA SKIDMORE NEWS EDITOR City Council discusses pay increases for police Athens City Council met Monday evening and discussed reopening contracts for the city’s police union to include pay increases in the coming years.

The ordinance discussed by Council would approve the contract reopener with the Athens Fraternal Order of Police. The contract would be amended to include a 2.5% increase effective on the first full pay of 2022 and a 2.25% increase effective on the first full pay of 2023. All patrol officers, lieutenants and communication officers within the union would be eligible to receive a pay increase.

Additionally, a $1,000 one-time retention payment was proposed for union members and must be repaid to the city.

It’s placed on officers who leave the department for any reason other than retirement or disability.

In other business, Council discussed ordinances such as a $155,000 expense for the Athens Water Treatment Plant and a new restroom facility in the works at West State Street park. On the topic of the new fire house, Council discussed an ordinance to increase expenditures to a maximum of $56,000 from the general fund for structural repairs.

Singing Men of Ohio no longer under cease and desist order

found not to have violated the Student Code of Conduct, and its cease and desist order has been lifted.

The order was formally lifted Dec. 2, 2021, after the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, or CSSR, conducted an investigation. The group was issued a cease and desist order Nov. 29, 2021, for violating the Student Code of Conduct and endangering the health and safety of its members.

The incident report stated SMO allowed underage alcohol consumption and required an “excessively long” walk between two locations during a formal ceremony. CSSR found there was “insufficient information” to prove alcohol was provided to students illegally, and the walk was not intended to be harmful.

SMO may now return to meeting in capacities outside coursework, sanctioned practices and university-sanctioned performances. CSSR recommended SMO should create and enforce a risk management policy for events with alcohol and a summary of big/little reveal traditions, among others.

Board of Trustees continues discussion of university divestment projects Ohio University’s Board of Trustees met Friday in both committees and executive session to discuss divestment, budget and capital projects as well as the results of an external audit.

During a previous Board meeting, properties such as the Crewson House, Lasher Hall and Haning Hall had been approved for divestment. In its most recent meeting, the Board passed a motion regarding the demolishment of the Research and Technology Center.

Steve Wood, chief facilities officer at OU, said it would cost about $25 million to modernize the building and roughly $30 million to construct a new research lab, whereas the demolition would cost $3.25 million.

OU is also projecting a positive operating budget of $36 million for financial year 2022, or FY22. That is mostly due to funds remaining from the COVID-19 Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, or HEERF II, that still need to be allocated, Steve Casciani, chair of the Resources, Facilities, and Affordability Committee, said.

Additionally, Gwyn Scott, associate vice president for auxiliaries, said to become more cost-efficient, the OU airport will only operate through its charter service provider and will no longer keep pilots on staff.

The Audit and Risk Management Committee heard a presentation on the university’s external audit, which found the university was fully in compliance and properly implementing financial procedure.

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Ohio University’s Singing Men of Ohio, or SMO, was

POLICE BLOTTER

Stolen car found; stolen catalytic converter MOLLY WILSON ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The units sat stationary in the area but did not observe any loud noise and returned to patrol.

No fight here

Hunting season

Deputies from the Athens County Sheriff ’s Office were dispatched to Millfield after receiving a report of an active fight.

The fight was over when deputies arrived, and the issue was resolved. Deputies returned to patrol.

Hey, that’s mine!

The sheriff ’s office dispatched deputies to Fisher Road in Athens in reference to a case of breaking and entering.

Upon arrival, a man told deputies someone had entered a home he owned and had stolen property.

The case is under investigation.

Quiet down

Deputies responded to West Second Street in The Plains on report of a noise complaint, according to the sheriff ’s office.

4 / JAN. 20, 2022

The sheriff ’s office responded to State Route 144 in Coolville on a report of suspicious activity. The male caller said there were people on his neighbor’s property with flashlights.

The property owner said he gave the individuals in question permission to be on his property to hunt.

Suspicious woman

The sheriff ’s office responded to Penn Street in Glouster after receiving a report of a suspicious female knocking on doors. The woman was also seen entering a garage.

Upon arrival, the deputies checked the garage and surrounding area on foot but did not locate the described female.

Another one stolen

The sheriff ’s office took report of a catalytic con-

verter that was stolen off a vehicle on Dutch Creek Road in Athens.

The report was put on file, and no suspects have currently been identified.

Found it

Deputies from the sheriff ’s office received a tip on the location of a stolen vehicle and subsequently located it in Waterloo Township.

The owner of the car was contacted and asked for the vehicle to be left where it was found until they could retrieve it the following morning.

@MOLLYWMARIE MW542219@OHIO.EDU

OU introduces new COVID-19 isolation protocols ALEX IMWALLE FOR THE POST Ohio University has shifted its COVID-19 quarantine and isolation requirements to coincide more accurately with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The new protocols include a fiveday quarantine period for any students who test positive in university housing regardless of vaccination status, as opposed to the previous 10-day quarantine requirement, Gillian Ice, special assistant to the president for public health operations, said.

James Gaskell, health commissioner at the Athens City-County Health Department, said the CDC changed its isolation guidelines based on data that shows the time of contagiousness stretches from two days before symptoms to three days after symptoms, creating a five-day isolation window. Additionally, Gaskell said the omicron variant in particular has a shorter period in which an infected person is contagious compared to the previous alpha and delta variants, which bodes well for OU’s new isolation protocol.

Gaskell said he believes OU’s changes will be successful in the Spring Semester, as they are well-researched and focus on minimizing the time students spend isolated.

“They’re here to go to class and get educated, not here to be isolated and quarantined for long periods of time,” Gaskell said. “I think this is a pretty solid plan.”

Though Athens County and OU have both seen a spike in cases following the return of potentially infected students to the Athens campus, Gaskell said the worst of the spike is over.

“We sort of absorbed (the spike) already, I think, as the students have come in,” Gaskell said. “We should get better numbers going forward and, as a matter of fact, we have.”

Though OU experienced a higher positivity rate of 10% to 15% upon students arriving back on campus, Ice said the new quarantine period will create a faster turnover rate in quarantine and isolation dorms, allowing the dorms to keep up with the increased spread of the virus. She added the decreased isolation period has led to more students opting to use isolation and quarantine housing than going home and potentially infecting their families.

However, in the case that the isolation

True House, left, and Dougan House, right, sit at the back of South Green and serve as COVID-19 isolation and quarantine housing at Ohio University. (CARRIE LEGG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

and quarantine dorms do fill up, Ice said the university would have to explore other options, such as isolating in their own dorms or going home.

Cliff Cooke, a sophomore studying finance and analytics, was recently sent to Dougan House, a designated campus isolation dorm. He said he tested positive from the weekly asymptomatic testing.

Cooke said he took his test Jan. 11 and got his results back Jan. 13. He was notified by OU Housing and Residence Life on Jan. 14 that he had to move into the isolation dorms.

Within the isolation dorms, students who have tested positive are not permitted to leave the building, and when leaving their rooms, they are instructed to wear face coverings at all times and not linger in the halls, Cooke said. Though there were many other people isolated within the dorm, Cooke said they were instructed to not gather with any other students

in isolation.

The isolation dorm rooms are cleaned for students upon arrival and well-kept when they are vacant, Cooke added.

Cooke said he likes the transition to the shorter quarantine period. He said he appreciated not having to miss as many classes as he would have with the previous isolation protocols.

Despite his appreciation for the new protocols, Cooke said there were still complications in his isolation process.

Though Cooke was contacted by Housing and Residence Life after testing positive, he said he was never contacted by OU COVID Operations throughout the entire process.

Cooke said despite his multiple unread emails and voicemails to COVID Operations about his dismissal from isolation, he was never contacted about his eligibility to return to his dorm.

“Eventually, I emailed Gillian Ice, and

she responded in like five minutes, and that’s what got me out,” Cooke said. “That could be a big problem if they aren’t able to keep up with all the new people who test positive … They could get stuck in there.”

Ultimately, Ice said the high vaccination rate on campus along with newly instigated weekly testing for those living in dorms or other university housing will aid in protecting students from COVID-19 and keeping them out of quarantine in the first place.

“The vaccination rates still look great, and this will help us get disease under control,” Ice said. “It’ll help protect people from severe disease (and) hospitalizations.”

@ALEXIMWALLE AI687120@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

OU’s prioritization of in-person classes receives mostly positive responses from students, faculty ADDIE HEDGES FOR THE POST Ohio University started its Spring Semester with in-person classes but has incorporated stricter COVID-19 policies to help slow the spread of the omicron variant.

President Hugh Sherman announced Jan. 5 that OU students would be able to return to campus for the start of the Spring Semester and continue to take in-person classes. On Jan. 9, he specified that in-person classes would be prioritized in a university-wide email.

Despite concerns across campus of rising cases due to the omicron variant, the availability of in-person classes was possible due to the high percentage of OU students who are vaccinated, Carly Leatherwood, a university spokesperson, said.

“Along with most public universities in the state, we made the decision to require vaccination for members of our community with the option for exemption,” Leatherwood said in an email. “We are thrilled that we have exceeded a 90 percent vaccination rate on our Athens campus, which, when combined with other public health measures that we have put into place, has allowed us to prioritize in-person learning, which has been our commitment to students and families.”

OU students and faculty have responded similarly to the prioritization of in-person classes. Though cautious of COVID-19 and especially aware of the omicron variant, many were relieved to learn they could return to a classroom, one way or another.

“It’s kind of bittersweet because I was basically teaching online for almost two years from the time the pandemic struck and I missed that interaction with the students. And I know the students, by and large, are burnt out of doing their college on a computer screen,” Charles Lester, a professor in the Honors Tutorial College, the Ohio Honors Program and the Cutler Scholars Program, said. “Part of me wants to be in the classroom, but I also obviously want to be safe and I want my students to be safe.”

Although OU is continuing to offer classes in-person, online courses are still available to students.

Having the option to take an online

6 / JAN. 20, 2021

Cassandra McFadden watches her online class from the Co-Lab in Alden Library on Jan. 11, 2021. (ZOE CRANFILL / FOR THE POST)

class is helpful, Olivia Patterson, a junior studying psychology pre-physical therapy, said. Patterson said she likes having the opportunity to choose which classes are taken online and in-person, rather than only being able to take online courses.

David Spielman, an undecided freshman, agreed with Patterson and said he’s more receptive to class material in an in-person environment.

“I’m happy that OU prioritized in-person classes,” Spielman said. “If you really were … nervous about online classes, it’s nice that there was the option, but then it wasn’t taking away from the in-person experience because I personally learn better that way.”

Class modalities are determined by department chairs, school directors and either associate deans or college curriculum coordinators, Cary Frith, chief of staff in

the provost’s office, said.

Lester said professors in the Honors College were told of OU’s prioritization of in-person classes but did not receive a clear explanation as to why they were going to be prioritized during the Spring Semester. Within the Honors College, professors did not have the option to conduct their classes online, he said.

Sam Girton, a professor of visual communication, did not question OU’s choice to allow in-person classes and prepared his curriculum accordingly.

“Hands down, the quality of education is so much better face-to-face and I prefer that method … but if the university or somebody says, ‘Hey, this isn’t the way we should do it,’ I don’t care (either way),” Girton said. “We did (online classes) previously, and I figured out how to make it happen.”

Leatherwood said the university is committed — first and foremost — to educating students and ensuring the health and safety of everyone in the university community as it continues to stand behind its commitment to in-person instruction.

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The solace of sad music Sad music: Why shared pain can cultivate serenity

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER BRE OFFENBERGER MANAGING EDITOR

W

hen Emily Squance and her roommate first met, they were deeply homesick, so they blasted “July” by Noah Cyrus and watched the weight of the world fall from their shoulders and turn to dust.

Squance, a junior studying strategic communication, said the two of them bonded over that shared melancholia, and Cyrus’ sad, pain-tinged words helped them forge a connection.

Sometimes, sad music makes the tough moments a little easier. Some think that’s counterintuitive, and others know it as a remedy that never fails.

Kimberlea Czulewicz, a senior study8 / JAN. 20, 2021

ing psychology, falls between those two mindsets. She always pulls up “Ultimately” by khai dreams, which is brimming with self-doubt and tells the story of love in limbo, when she’s smothered by a wave of dejection. While she doesn’t know why she likes listening to sad music — she admits it’s a toss-up as to whether it ends up making her feel better — she finds comfort in knowing she’s not by herself in feeling this way.

“I have depression and anxiety just like a lot of other people,” Czulewicz said. “I think it just makes me feel a lot less alone, like I’m not the only person that’s sad a lot.”

Mindsets like Czulewicz’s aren’t out of the ordinary, Andrew Holbrook, an assistant professor of music therapy at Ohio University, said. He said there is no uni-

form reason why people listen to sad music if they know it’s not guaranteed to lift their spirits, but that’s also the beauty of it: It resonates in lots of ways for lots of different people. Just like some people listen to songs for production while others value lyrics, music affects one person diversely from the next.

Holbrook added that while people may immerse themselves in sad music and see no immediate improvement in their mood, they shouldn’t be discouraged.

“Even though they may not feel better right away, I think that in the long run, it does help,” Holbrook said.

Listening to music can also be comparative to commiserating with someone, Holbrook said. Just like that exchange of sympathy and comfort, which often in-

cludes cathartic moments, music can offer a similar type of relief.

Catharsis is an aura cleanser that Preston Lynch, a senior studying music production and the recording industry, knows well. Lynch, who makes music under the moniker Peat Lynch, just released his hiphop album Rain or Shine in Nov. 2021. He said the saddest song he’s ever written, “because i love you,” appears on it.

The track, ripe with sorrowful keys and gutting lyrics about cutting ties with a long-term partner when feelings are still there, was something Lynch felt he had to write.

“A lot of times, I don’t even have a choice (as to) what kind of music I make,” Lynch said. “It just comes out, especially if it’s something heavy like that.”

Not only does music help Lynch express himself, but he finds sad music repairs his mood. Though he’s recently spun a host of artists, including Kendrick Lamar and The Zombies, Lynch has found himself leaning on The Red Hot Chili Peppers not only for subconscious inspiration but also because it currently seems to fit the soundtrack of his life.

Lynch’s favorite Chili Peppers song is one of its more slow-paced and thought-provoking: “Dosed.” He said listening to sad music boosts his mood, but he knows it’s not like that for everyone. He said whatever music feels right in the moment should always be pursued.

For Annie Fink, a senior studying music production and the recording industry, her choice of sad music is the stylings of Joji — specifically, his song “Ew.” She said she feels emotionally connected to him and other relatable artists like Billie Eilish who create sad music because knowing that someone else has experienced the same type of pain can lead to healing, but she doesn’t think consuming sad music frequently is healthy.

“If that’s all you’re listening to all the time, I feel like your body and your mind is just going to latch onto that and instantly take on the emotions that you might not be feeling just because you’re so used to it,” Fink said. “I feel like that can really just enclose you in a space that you don’t want to be in.”

Fink recommends taking sad music in small doses and instead diversifying listening patterns, but if someone needs to sit with their emotions for a minute, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach for what they need.

This phenomenon of fans being emo-

She’s curated a slew of playlists that each encapsulate the emotions she can’t express herself, and she plays them when needed.

However, when a sad playlist isn’t the answer, Holbrook recommends working with a music therapist. A method they often implement with clients is the “iso principle,” which is started by playing music that aligns with the client’s present mood.

If they have depression, sad music may be used.

Gradually, the music therapist changes the overarching mood.

“We try to get them to entrain with music,” Holbrook said. “When they start really resonating, really feeling that music, then we might progressively move to a different place: might be more relaxing or soothing or more upbeat or up-tempo kinds of things. If we truly have entrainment, then their mood will move with the music.”

Holbrook recommends music therapy for those of all ages with a mental health disability, especially if music is a mainstay in their life.

Though Squance recognizes the imtionally connected to artists they’ve never personally met isn’t something that artists typically keep in mind when creating their music, Josh Antonuccio, director of OU’s School of Media Arts & Studies, said. Antonuccio, a producer himself and owner of 3 Elliott Studio in Athens, said most of the thought process goes into channeling what the artist specifically wants to delineate through their work. However, if they’ve created something that’s hitting them hard, he said they never doubt that it’s going to touch the listener in the same way.

It’s different when it comes to why artists create the music they do, though, Antonuccio said. They might consider how it will sound or feel in a live capacity or how it will impact a certain market.

“There are many, though, that I think probably trend trying to write something that resonates with what they themselves are feeling or something they’re trying to get out,” Antonuccio said. “They’re trying to find an emotion. They’re trying to find a thread that feels familiar or cathartic for them. And, hopefully, there’s an audience — or their audience that might be expecting it from them — (that) feels the same way.”

Moments like that from country outfit Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have reached Emily Marlow, a sophomore studying communication studies. Though Isbell makes country music, a genre Marlow doesn’t listen to otherwise, his poetic lyrics have

portance that “July” served for her and her roommate, she knows constantly listening to sad music may reinforce unsought feelings, but sometimes, she needs the vulnerability of Cyrus and others injected into her veins.

“I feel like there’s a special sensitivity to sad music,” Squance said. “It just lets you feel those emotions, and I’ve always been an advocate of feeling what you need to feel and not pushing anything down, and I feel like these sad songs help.”

@BRE_OFFENBERGER BO844517@OHIO.EDU

stayed with her, especially those from the track “If We Were Vampires.”

“That song in specific … it’s sad in a way that is beautiful,” Marlow said. “It makes you focus more on realizing that life is short rather than ‘I’m sick of today and yesterday.’ I think a lot of times it shows you a different perspective.”

Though she said sad music undoubtedly makes her feel better, Marlow echoes Fink’s sentiments that it shouldn’t be gorged. If it can help someone block out distressing feelings, then it can be a great tool and should be used, but if someone doesn’t read the room and chooses to self-inflict that pain, she said that’s not a viable way to take care of oneself.

Diamond Allen, a senior studying women’s, gender and sexuality studies, thinks how much sad music should be digested depends on the person. She recognizes sad music mends the scrapes right off some and deepens the wound for others, but like Fink said, whatever works for someone is always OK. Allen tends to gravitate toward “Mockingbird” by Eminem when she’s sad, even though she can’t exactly relate to his words. She likes that even though they’re not going through the same experiences, he emulates the same type of passion stewing in her soul.

“You can feel his emotion in his songs,” Allen said. “Sometimes, I can’t articulate how I’m feeling, so I will just use a song so I can get it out as best I can.”

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Athens City Commission on Disabilities sets plans, events for 2022 Stop the flood of misinformation.

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LAUREN SERGE STAFF WRITER The Athens City Commission on Disabilities is an organization dedicated to providing necessary accommodations and advocacy for individuals with disabilities.

The commission, consisting of members appointed by the mayor, focuses its work on ensuring that the city of Athens continues to create structures that are accessible for people with disabilities, and in turn, creating a more inclusive city.

Carolyn Lewis, treasurer of the commission, said the commission’s operations have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which only further emphasized the need for proper accommodations for people with disabilities, as many are immunocompromised.

“People with disabilities are usually more susceptible to whatever’s going on, so we have to really watch our immune systems,” Lewis said. “I live with a disability and use a wheelchair. My immune system is very weak, so to go around a lot of people in meetings, I’m very cautious.

We’ve had to petition to make sure even though when the governor said everyone could go back to meeting in person, we got an exemption because a lot of our folks are afraid to come out because we don’t want to be get COVID because of being around a lot of people.”

Within the commission, there are a series of working committees. Lewis said the accessibility committee and the advocacy committee have now joined forces for several of the events and plans for 2022.

Usually every month, the commission does a “Walk and Roll” event, which, Lewis said, helps to continuously check and ensure that updates are being made to the city that reflect the needs of various individuals in the community who have disabilities – ranging from installing ramps to including braille menus.

“We meet with city officials or within the commission to look at streets, curb cuts, building interfaces, and work with businesses as well, to see what’s working and what’s not for people who have different disabilities,” Lewis said. “Just to make sure each month that the city is doing what it’s supposed to do to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Dianne Bouvier, the mayor’s designee of the commission and co-chair of the accessibility committee, said the goal of events like “Walk and Roll” is to initiate a collab-

oration with the city, as the city is the one responsible for enforcing the changes the commission suggests.

“We have a certain kind of expertise that will help (the city) make good decisions,” Bouvier said. “During (each) project, you learn something else, so it’s building a knowledge base for the people that work with the city. We’re kind of the voice to help. I think the thing that’s really nice is that the city is really committed to making the city accessible. We just can help give them ideas of how to do that.”

In addition to the continuation of prior projects such as “Walk and Roll,” Bouvier said her committee wants to cover new ground with accessibility in technological settings. “(Technology is) another area – if people use a screen reader or if they use some kind of text to text to voice stuff – where you need to set things up and websites in a way to make them accessible to those devices (and) applications,” Bouvier said.

“Some of what we’re hoping to do is also give general ideas of what businesses could do to help make their own online presence more accessible.”

David McNelly, chairperson for the commission, said he is hopeful that this coming year will include more communication and signage around the city for accommodations, such as an accessible entrance. Additionally, McNelly said an important aspect of each accommodation present in the city is that businesses learn to reach out to customers who may be in need. “(I’m hoping for) people to be more aware in terms of training staff to know how to ask people if they need something, if they need an accommodation,” McNelly said.

For the year of 2022, Lewis is hopeful that the work done by the commission will improve the overall inclusivity and accessibility in Athens, to make current residents feel more visible and accommodated. “(I hope that) we can continue to meet, to focus and make sure that we’re envisioning the best possible methods of accessibility,” Lewis said. “(We can) make it a more livable city for those who are here with disabilities and a more welcoming city for those who want to come.”

@LAURENESERGE LS351117@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATON BY KATIE BANECK

Week of events celebrates life of Martin Luther King KATIE MILLARD FOR THE POST Ohio University closed Monday to join the nation in honoring Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., but OU’s celebration of King’s legacy has hardly begun. The university’s week-long celebration, hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and sponsored by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, will feature speakers, service projects and a silent march all in remembrance of King.

The week was originally intended to begin Monday. However, due to a large amount of snowfall Sunday into Monday, the event has been rescheduled for Saturday. There will be a silent march at 10:30 a.m. in honor of King. Following the march is a celebratory brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring the highly decorated Patricia Russel-McCloud as a speaker.

Now, the week of celebration started Tuesday with a virtual presentation at 7 p.m. by Rev. Bernard LaFayette Jr., an original Freedom Rider. LaFayette began his work for civil rights by helping to organize events such as the Selma voting rights movement and has continued fighting for equality throughout his life.

Pamela Kaylor, professor of communication studies and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at the

Lancaster campus and a committee member, helped to organize Tuesday’s event. She said it was the one she had most looked forward to.

“I saw Dr. Bernard Lafayette in person on our campus about two years ago, and his speech really always stuck in my mind because it was so inspiring that he was telling us his experience as a 20-year-old in the Freedom Riders,” Kaylor said. “He has been working on nonviolent equality, nonviolent demonstrations for 60 or more years.”

Wednesday was a Well-Being Wednesday Resource Fair from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. The event focused on mental health services and general advocacy and continued to celebrate the life and legacy of King.

Another virtual conversation will take place Thursday from 12 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. “Bridging the Gap: Unifying Our Community” will allow participants to discuss how to best support one another as a unified population.

Thursday night will also hold an event, as Rev. Jack Sullivan Jr. will discuss the limitations of allyship and the benefits of being a co-conspirator instead. The virtual lecture, “Why Justice Seekers Need Co-Conspirators More than Allies,” will help participants reconsider the best practices to assist justice-seeking people and communities.

A virtual social will be hosted Friday from 6 p.m.

to 7 p.m. The penultimate day of celebration will feature a show with music, performers and opportunities to connect with others.

The week will conclude with the busiest day of all.

Saturday will include the adjusted events from Monday as well as its originally intended celebrations.

From 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., participants can help with the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society Service Project and work on restoring a historic church. The goal of the project is to help the future of the Black community of Southeast Ohio by creating a new community center.

Finally, the week will conclude with a Write Your Reps! Campaign. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., participants can join in a large letter writing campaign to all levels of representatives about issues of personal impor tance.

The week of activities comes from tireless planning by the committee. Travis Gatling, director of OU’s dance division and co-chair of the committee, said there were months of work that went into this week.

“We have been meeting regularly with the committee as a whole during the Fall semester, and we’re currently meeting up until the event,” Gatling said in an email. “In the preliminary planning, we met to generate a theme for the event. Next, the committee starts to plan specific events related to the theme, beginning with the MLK Celebratory Brunch on Monday and other events throughout the week.”

The theme of this year’s week-long celebration is “UNITY, CommUNITY and OpportUNITY.” Gigi Secuban, vice president of Diversity and Inclusion and ex-officio member of the Celebration Committee, feels the theme honors the week’s activities and King.

“I hope this year’s celebration gives us time to reflect the ways we can come together, in UNITY, as one commUNITY, embracing the opportUNITY to create an anti-racist, inclusive and equitable OHIO and local communities in which we serve,” Secuban said in a press release. “I am proud of the work the organizing committee and our entire community is doing in support of this vision.”

While planning and executing the events has taken much work, Gatling said he is glad to be able to help contribute to this important week.

“I think that this celebration is significant because it honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Gatling said in an email. “My parents were admirers and followers of Dr. King. Unfortunately, like many African Americans, they were impacted by racism and injustice living in the south. However, they encouraged us to emulate Dr. King’s fight for equality, human rights and social justice as kids into adulthood.”

Gatling added he hopes the events are well-attended.

“I just want to encourage everyone to participate in as many of the events during the week as possible,” Gatling said in an email. “There is something for everyone and so many opportunities to learn and share.”

@KATIE_MILLARD11 KM053019@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

Snowballs, sledding, a sense of normalcy OU students keep winter fun, traditions alive during pandemic TAYLOR BURNETTE PROJECTS EDITOR Some unknowing students walking across College Green on Monday night were greeted with a flurry of snowballs as they unintentionally walked into a joyful campus snowball fight.

The onslaught of snowballs began at 8 p.m. in front of Cutler Hall, joining together students of all years and majors to partake in the chilly fun. Around 200 students gathered after word of mouth, Snapchat stories, Yik Yak posts and group chat messages gave them the time and place. Throughout the evening, many people cycled through, with smiles and squeals of delight all around.

After almost two years of college during the COVID-19 pandemic, many saw the snowball fight as a bit of normalcy during an eventful and stressful time.

Unless, of course, they got pummeled with a large chunk of snow.

There were many attempts at retaliation, with strategic hiding places and surprise attacks from all corners of the green, but there was no bad blood on the battlefield. Few were spared from the flying snowballs, but all were happy to partake in the fun.

Some students brought tables and other items to use as barricades while others came out with laundry bins to hold their ammunition.

Erika Leimkuhler, a freshman studying exercise physiology, came ready in a helmet and goggles. After snowballs began flying in front of Cutler Hall, Leimkuhler said, the groups that were concentrated in front of Cutler spread out across the green.

There was a collective excitement in the air, Leimkuhler said, as she and a friend were pelted by snowballs. She said it felt great to be outside in the midst of all the fun.

Turner Sorge, a sophomore studying anthropology, took a second away from the chaos to absorb the weight of the moment, aside from throwing snowballs.

“It is just really nice after COVID to be able to see so many people out having fun, especially something like a snowball fight,” Sorge said. “You can get a lot of primal energy out, so people are just going crazy, and it feels good to just let 12 / JAN. 20, 2022

your energy out after being cooped up for two years. It’s nice to see everybody from every class out having fun.”

With bass from a portable speaker booming in the background, Jackie Smith, a junior studying science education, laughed with her friends as they planned their next move, packing snowballs and heading toward another group.

She arrived just after 8 p.m., she said, but after an hour, the group was still going strong.

For students from warmer climates, packing a cold snowball and lobbing it at a friend had an extra special significance. Isaiah Davis, an undecided freshman, said he came out to the snowball fight alone, but when he arrived, he knew a lot of the people who were already out throwing.

“I’m from Florida, so the snow is something kind of new,” he said.

It was his first snowball fight.

After around an hour and a half of brutal warfare, some students surrendered back to their dorms and apartments.

However, for many, the fun didn’t stop there. They grabbed cardboard, storage container lids, inflatable air mattresses and even some of the laundry baskets used for snowball storage less than an hour before and made their way down toward Jeff Hill. The sledding took place not on the road but on the grass just to the side of it. A few students did make it into the empty street, often with cheers from the crowd.

When somebody saw a car coming, a collective student body yelled “car!” to warn their peers of any impending danger.

Huckleberry Jones, a sophomore studying sports management, said by the time he made it to Jeff Hill to sled, he was tired from throwing snowballs, but he was still having a great time. Being covered in snow wasn’t weighing down his spirits.

“Honestly, I can’t complain,” Jones said. “I’m from California, so this whole foreign object of ‘a snow’ is pretty fun.”

Delaney Minto, a sophomore studying nursing, and Olivia Lewis, a sophomore studying biological sciences, returned from their journey down Jeff Hill with grins, and both said they couldn’t wait to go down again. COVID-19 had changed

the college experience for Lewis and Minto, but both were thankful for the opportunity to go out and enjoy a more typical aspect of their college experience.

“It’s better than I heard it was last year,” Lewis said.

While most of the crowd spent a few hours enjoying the cold, snowy hill’s sliding capabilities, one unlucky sledder ended his evening with a trip to the hospital. Jakeb Wagner, a sophomore studying meteorology, had a run-in with

a light pole, and an ambulance was called to the scene for his leg injury.

Despite some injuries, cracked sleds and freezing in the 20-degree temperatures, going out and playing in the snow gave some much desired relief from the grind of daily college life and the challenges many students have endured during a semester with COVID-19.

“It’s some good anarchy,” Sorge said.

@TAYLORBURNETTE_ TB040917@OHIO.EDU

Masses of students face off against each other in front of Cutler Hall while engaging in a snowball fight throughout Monday night on Jan. 17, 2022. (NATE SWANSON | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Students throw snowballs across Union St. while having a snowball fight on Sunday Jan. 16th, 2022. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

Jacob Wagner is carried up Jeff Hill after hitting a lampost and injuring his leg while sledding on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. Soon after he realized he could not stand, a group of fellow Ohio students, friends and strangers gathered around him to comfort and help him manage the pain. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES | PHOTO EDITOR)

Ohio University students ride down Jeff Hill in a move-in cart as snow piles up in Athens, Ohio, on Jan. 16, 2022. (PEARL SPURLOCK | FOR THE POST)

An ambulance arrives for Jacob Wagner at the top of Jeff Hill after the Ohio student was injured while sledding on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. Wagner was instead hauled into the trunk of a friend’s car to be taken to the hospital in order to avoid paying for the notoriously expensive health care service of an ambulance. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES | PHOTO EDITOR)

Throughout the evening, students gathered at College Green to engage in a snowball fight planned through social media. (NATE SWANSON | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Snow falls on East Green, bringing out students from their dorms to play in the snow. (RYAN GRZYBOWSKI | FOR THE POST)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

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Sex-positivity encouraged by conversation, ‘Safe and Sexy’ event KAYLA BENNETT ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Throughout middle school and high school, many students are faced with learning about abstinence-only sex education, Mady Nutter, a senior studying journalism, said. Nutter believes the stigma surrounding sex is caused by a lack of education and a refusal to openly talk about it.

“I think the biggest step that you can take towards promoting sex-positivity in your own life is to normalize conversations around sex,” Nutter said.

Like Nutter, Phi Long, a senior studying communication sciences and disorders, agrees sex is likely not talked about due to it being shamed in the public eye.

“Shame has a really big role and why there’s a stigma around sex,” Long said. “Sex didn’t used to be a shameful bad thing, and it’s not. Prior to a Western civilization kind of taking over, it wasn’t really a shameful thing because religion wasn’t as involved as it is now. I think that has a big role to play with it, certainly for my own journey.”

Long said religious trauma or lack of education can cause the shame some people feel. It’s not bad to be horny, want to masturbate or have sex, Long said.

Nutter and Long are a part of Promoting Ohio University Wellness, Education and Responsibility/Greeks Advocating for Mature Management of Alcohol, or POWER/GAMMA, which is an organization on campus that programs toward and educates students.

Leslie Aguilera, a senior studying political science, is also a part of POWER/GAMMA. Aguilera said in order to

become an educator within the group, she had to take a class where one can be educated on topics regarding sex while learning how to properly educate others.

There are many ways one can educate themselves on sex and learn how to help others learn at the same time.

POWER/GAMMA intends to help show students these ways.

POWER/GAMMA and Better Bystanders are planning an outer space themed event, “Space and Sexy,” a play on their previous programming, “Safe and Sexy,” right in time for Valentine’s Day. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 11, unless rescheduled due to COVID-19, in Baker University Center Ballroom. “Space and Sexy” will promote a sex-positive atmosphere through talking about sex, body image, consent, self-love and more through different organized booths.

Long and Nutter said they personally will be doing a transgender sexual health booth.

The event will cover stimulation and masturbation, or how one can get to know themselves and their body.

There will also be a BDSM, or bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism, tent, which will talk about how to safely execute using restraints, control and pain in the bedroom. Sex toys will be available to look at and learn about as well.

Different organizations are to be at the event, such as Planned Parenthood, the Survivor Advocacy Program and Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, or MAPS. “It’s honestly such a great event,” Aguilera said. “It doesn’t all relate to just sex in general, like this year

I’m working on mental health and self-love. There’ll be a booth where you can do an affirmation or craft, just promoting loving yourself.”

Aside from the event, on a daily basis, the Health Promotion Office, Baker Center room 339, works to educate students through its website, in its office and over email.

People are able to email the office with questions if they do not feel comfortable asking in person at healthpromotion@ohio.edu.

Nutter said a tangible first step to beginning the journey of learning about sex when it comes to oneself is to question assumptions that one has internalized about sex.

“It’s OK that uncomfortable conversations make you laugh, and you’re not silly and immature, but I would say that can only last for so long and you do need to be able to stomach conversations surrounding consent, boundaries or something,” Long said. “Because if you take everything as a joke, then boundaries get crossed really fast.”

Nutter, Long and Aguilera encourage people to have difficult conversations and attend the upcoming event.

“That’s just our goal, honestly, is to let people know how to (have) safer sex, but also just be more comfortable, just to talk about it, because sometimes even talking about it is hard, even if you’re already having sex,” Long said.

@KKAYYBEN KB084519@OHIO.EDU

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TRACK AND FIELD

Taniah Stephens rebuilt her confidence and broke a program record ASHLEY BEACH ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Taniah Stephens set in the blocks at the Jim Green Invitational with butterflies in her stomach. It was her first indoor meet for Ohio, and she was set to run in an event Ohio rarely competed in. Now, she’s been etched in the record books.

Stephens broke Ohio’s 40-year-old program record Jan. 14 for the 300-meter dash with a time of 40.61 seconds. For Stephens, it was like any other run. She focused on executing the proper body position and exaggerating her knee drive.

She didn’t even know she had broken the record. In her mind, she was just competing.

But a few months ago, Stephens was ready to retire.

“Last year was going to be my last year.

I was going to quit track,” Stephens said.

“I just didn’t have any passion for it. I was not happy at all. I was ready to email the coaches and let them know that this was my time to depart from track and field.”

16 / JAN. 20, 2022

Stephens turned to her family with a heavy heart. She was unsure of herself and her future. However, her family encouraged her to pursue another year with Ohio. Together, they prayed for change, and Stephens put her trust into track.

It wasn’t the first time she had taken a chance on something new. Before high school, Stephens never pictured herself as a track and field athlete. To her, it was something her brothers and mother had been known for. She wanted to be a basketball player, and her running experience never extended beyond racing her siblings in the street. But in her sophomore year of high school, she joined the Villa Maria Academy track and field team at her mother’s suggestion.

“I was trying to be the one that didn’t run track. I was trying to play basketball,” Stephens said. “But basketball didn’t work out.”

The newly-minted runner was added to the 4x100-meter relay — the same relay her mom earned a state medal for in high school — as well as the 200-meter

and 400-meter events. Before she knew it, Stephens had made a name for herself.

She and her relay team reached the 2018 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships.

After high school, Stephens knew she was going to further her education, but she didn’t know if collegiate track was for her. She wasn’t sure if she shared the same passion for track that she had for her education. If she chose to continue competing, however, she would be the first collegiate athlete in her family.

Ohio offered Stephens the best of both worlds. She could continue competing while earning a degree in journalism. The idea excited Stephens, and she took the offer.

“Nobody in my family is a Division I athlete or has competed in college in general, no matter the division,” Stephens said. “I wanted to really do this for my family and let them know that somebody is putting in work for them.”

Stephens’ drive comes from her family and their shared faith. The encouragement from her family and the music of gospel artists like Jonathan Baker provide her with a sense of serenity before she sets on the blocks.

Track and field hasn’t always been serene for Stephens, though. Injuries plagued her career at Ohio. She had only run a handful of races and was consistently having to miss the indoor or out-

door seasons, sometimes both. She’s had to learn to build her confidence from the ground up.

She credits Ohio coaches Sarah Pease, Ian Kellogg and Danielle Burbage for pushing her to expand her horizons and stretch into her limbs. They have helped her learn how to trust her abilities and others.

Above all, they’ve helped restore her love for the sport.

Track and field is Stephens’ stress release. She knows if she’s having a rough day, there is the promise of loving arms waiting for her at practice. It’s her safe haven. Stephens has fallen in and out of love with track and field throughout her career, but now, it’s how she copes. The adrenaline rushing through her veins eases her mind and takes her to a happy place. It makes her feel like she’s home.

“When the world is crashing down, I can rely on track and field,” Stephens said.

@ASHLEYBEACHY_ AB026319@OHIO.EDU

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Ohio University guard Mark Sears goes up for a dunk during warm-ups as the Bobcats get ready to play against Miami University at Millet Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (CLAY STARK / FOR THE POST)

How Mark Sears stepped into his role as a starter JACK GLECKLER SPORTS EDITOR Mark Sears wasn’t expecting to become a starter for Ohio as early as he did.

The sophomore spent the back half of last season as the Bobcats’ proverbial sixth man. He’d earned that distinction after excelling in four games during which starter Jason Preston was sidelined with a leg injury. Sears did well for himself, averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and eight assists per game in that span.

Ohio coach Jeff Boals took notice as well.

As the regular season wound down, Sears’ time on the court ticked up. By the time Ohio reached the Mid-American Conference Championship, Sears established that, with time, he’d be gunning for a spot in the starting rotation.

That time came sooner rather than later.

After Preston entered the NBA Draft in April, the Bobcats had a void to fill. They needed a point guard to take the reins. Boals

went to Sears and made a proposition. If Sears put in the work, the spot in the starting rotation was his to lose.

“When JP had left, coach told me, ‘It’s your time now. You gotta step up,’” Sears said.

“That, and I also had to work for it. Nothing was given to me, so I just had to work hard.”

Sears didn’t waste a second. Instead of returning home, he stuck around Athens and went to work. He studied his game and focused on honing his weaker aspects. He claims to have put up 15,000 3-point attempts over the summer while attempting to perfect his jump shot.

The results speak for themselves. Not even a full year into his first season in the starting lineup, Sears has cemented himself as Ohio’s offensive heavyweight. He hasn’t scored fewer than 10 points in a game this season, and he totes the best field goal and 3-point percentage of Ohio’s usual starters.

Sears follows the ebb and flow of Ohio’s offense and vice versa. When he excels, Ohio excels. Over the course of Ohio’s nine-game

winning streak, Sears has scored 20 points or more six times and is shooting an average of 52.9% from the field. Those stats have garnered him three of the four MAC Player of the Week awards he earned this season.

That’s not to say he’s been without low points. In both of Ohio’s losses this season — blowouts by LSU and then-No. 13 Kentucky — Sears made less than 25% of his field goal attempts and had his lowest scoring games all season.

Despite the lows, Sears takes his lumps and moves on. Following the losses to LSU and Kentucky, the sophomore went back to his business as usual.

“I think if you watch him, you’d think he’s started for two years already,” Boals said.

“Nothing fazes him. I think that’s kind of his demeanor, who he is as a person off the court. And that’s a great trait to have. Never get too high, never get too low.”

That cool demeanor is a trait Boals admires. Sears keeps his emotions in check on the court, and he often reacts to a turnover

the same way he’d react to an easy 3-pointer.

He goes with the flow, and that attitude pays dividends for both himself and the Bobcats.

Sears is a far cry from where he was last year. He’s grown from a bench player who was thrust into a starting role to a consistent offensive threat the Bobcats can rely on. If the rest of the team hits a slump, they rely on Sears to keep up production.

While Sears has torn through his sophomore year, Ohio is on its best stretch of games in recent memory. His growth from last season was expedited through necessity, but Sears is an asset Ohio has come to depend on.

“The crazy thing is, he’s after whatever he’s after, but he’s gonna get better and better,” Boals said.

@THEJACKGLECKLER JG011517@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

HOCKEY

Phil Angervil’s confidence allows him to connect MARIA MONESI FOR THE POST Phil Angervil is no stranger to the ice.

His mother enrolled him in a league at 3 years old to burn off his extra energy. Her early influence sparked a passion in Angervil and, little did they know, hockey would build him priceless connections for years to come.

“No one in my family really played hockey,” Angervil said. “I was a really hyper kid, so my mom decided to put me in a sport and, being Canadian, she decided to put me in hockey. And ever since I have been playing hockey.”

Angervil began playing hockey in Montreal, Canada. Before he knew it, Angervil had climbed the ranks to junior hockey.

However, COVID-19 pandemic restrictions prematurely ended his junior season in Canada. With nowhere to play in his native country and one year of junior hockey eligibility left, Angervil packed his bags for Columbus.

Angervil’s stay in Columbus was not long. Angervil spent two months with the Columbus Mavericks before coming to Athens to play for Ohio. Angervil had

heard good things about Ohio’s program, and it didn’t take him long to realize he had made the right decision.

Getting to play the game he loves while figuring out how to make an impact for the Bobcats has been rewarding to Angervil.

He may bring an aggressive playing style to the ice, but his time at Ohio has presented him with learning curves.

“The game is a lot faster,” Angervil said.

“You have less time with the puck, (and) you have to move faster. It’s a learning experience, and I’m taking it day by day, but so far, I am enjoying it.”

On the ice, Angervil is a dominant player. The forward doesn’t shy away from his dauntless side, and it’s not a rare sight to see him in the middle of action on the ice or in the penalty box. That’s the type of player Angervil is. He is always ready to defend and never afraid to fight.

While he wants to avoid time in the penalty box, Angervil will do anything to protect his teammates. Whether it be jumping out for a quick change or taking a punch, Angervil is ready to roll with the changes for the Bobcats. His team is family, and family is important to him.

“I try not to be aggressive,” Angervil

Ohio forward Philippe Angervil (91) upset after missing an attempt on the goal during the Bobcats' game against Stony Brook on Jan. 14, 2022, in Bird Ice Arena.

(ALAINA DACKERMANN / FOR THE POST)

said. “Sometimes, the other team gets the benefit of the doubt, and they get in my head.”

But there’s always another voice in Angervil’s head — his mother.

From taking him to church to instilling him with confidence, his mother has had an enormous impact on shaping the man he is today. She is his biggest influence and the person who’s been there for him every step of the way. Without her, Anger-

vil wouldn’t be in the position he is, playing where he is. She has given him the drive to keep going and improving his play.

“My mom pushed me to be better every day,” Angervil said. “Since I was little, she has always told me I could do anything I put my mind to.”

Throughout all of his different experiences and having played the game for so long, he will never forget the memories and people he has bonded with over the years. They have encouraged Angervil to stick with hockey.

“I’ve made so many friends. I’ve made so many good connections (with) people I won’t forget,” Angervil said.

Angervil’s career has taken him all over the map, and, no matter where he goes, he carries his confidence and skates with him. @MARIAMONESII MM017019@OHIO.EDU

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HADDY THE HEBREW

America is still a beacon of hope HADASS GALILI is a junior studying political science pre-law at Ohio University I was a senior in high school when a gunman barged into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was heartbroken. My barely 18-year-old-self had yet to encounter a threat like this so close to home. Growing up in Cleveland and participating in a myriad of activities which involved other midwestern Jewish teens, I had many friends who lived near the synagogue.

I heard about the attack during Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, so I could not contact anyone at the time because using my phone is a violation of the holy day. I spent the whole day paralyzed with fear, counting down the seconds until I could call each of my friends who were in the area. I must have been on the phone for three or four hours that night talking to friends and acquaintances. Thankfully, none of my friends or their families had been harmed, and they were not at the synagogue.

Many of them had been in attendance at the synagogue the week prior for a Bat Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age celebration. The gunman had also been at the synagogue the week prior and was scoping out the event. He was under the impression that the synagogue was always filled with guests on Shabbat. It was chilling to hear this in the days that followed, thinking about how my friends could have been the victims.

I was depressed for weeks following the shooting. I could barely eat or get out of bed. I arranged events in the club I was president of, the Israeli Culture Club, and did what I could to offer support to other students. But it was clear I

was suffering emotionally, and the truth was that no one could fix that for me. Most of that time is a blur to me. I declined any invitation to go out with my friends, and I could not keep food down. One thing I do remember, though, is calling one of my closest friends and tearfully asking her if this was the new reality, if I would have to flee America like my grandparents fled Kurdistan and like hers fled Poland.

She said she didn’t know. Of course, how could any of us know? How could our teenage minds have the answer to the most frightening questions we could muster?

Later that same school year, in April, a synagogue called the Chabad of Poway was faced with another malicious intruder. But at this point, I was numb. I arranged the same events as I had the previous October, but it felt ridiculous.

Essentially, I was following a precedent, a protocol that I had put in place for myself for how to grapple with something that I should never even have to think about.

After the Tree of Life shooting, I was depressed. But after the Chabad of Poway shooting, I was unfazed. The initial attack had taken too much out of me, and I was a shell of my former self. I was no longer able to be hurt. I was actually in a place much darker than that. It became clear that these events were part of a pattern that was beginning to form and that these events would not remain isolated for long.

Since Oct. 2018, the time of the Pittsburgh shooting, the national rise in antisemitism has been clearly outlined. This past Saturday, four hostages were held at gunpoint in a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. The four attendees of Congregation Beth Israel, the name of the synagogue, were captive for 10 hours. Thankfully, everyone was released unharmed.

But this attack, like all the other ones previous to it, will not be the last of its kind. From the stabbings in New York, to the beatings of college students, to the Nazi and SS-themed high school parties, there has been an alarming rise in antisemi-

tism in America. But there is still hope.

Just recently, I wrote a letter to the editor explaining how Ohio University did not have a presence of antisemitism on its campus, and that remains true. I will go further with this statement now and say that, despite the rise in antisemitism across the country, America is still one of the best places to live as a Jew. I enjoy rights and freedoms within my religious observance and expression that are not afforded to my Jewish counterparts in other countries, such as France or even Canada. Scandinavia, especially Sweden, has proved itself to be violently antisemitic, with Jews being attacked on a weekly basis in Sweden.

The antisemitic incidents in the U.S. are increasing, but these other places make Jewish life almost impossible. After the hostage crisis, I still went out and enjoyed myself on Court Street, because the country is not at a point where it is steeped in antisemitism. Just yesterday, I went to Chabad to celebrate Tu B’Shvat, a Jewish holiday that honors nature, and I was able to do so because I do not live in a country that is more violent toward Judaism.

America, for all of its faults, is still a beacon of hope. It is still a place in which Jews can live and celebrate freely and also be involved in the wider community. French Jews are fleeing in droves because they can no longer live full Jewish lives, but I will not have to flee. The pattern that has been occurring over the years does not mean I will be forced to leave because the U.S. is still overall the most welcoming place for me to be Jewish. America is a reminder that things will get better.

Hadass Galili is a junior studying political science prelaw at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Hadass by tweeting her at @HadassGalili.

ON MY HILL

The NFL problem with lack of Black head coaches CHRISTO SIEGEL is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University As it now stands in the NFL, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin is the league’s only Black head coach. It’s an interesting development, seeing that nearly 58% of players in the NFL are Black.

There lies a massive double standard and racial undertone in professional football. Black people are relied on to carry their teams to victory but not entrusted enough to lead them as coaches. But this is hardly a new revelation.

Jim Caldwell was fired from the Detroit Lions after consecutive 9-7 seasons, including two of only three playoff appearances since 1999. He was replaced with Matt Patricia, who proceeded to go 13-29-1 before ultimately being fired as well. Caldwell was a respectable coach who seemed to be dragging the Lions out of the basement of the NFC North but was a victim of the shorter leash and held to higher standards.

The Rooney Rule was set in place in 2003 to counter this issue. Created by former Steelers owner Dan Rooney, it was originally stated that teams must interview at least one ex-

ternal minority head coaching candidate, but it has since been altered to include two minority head coaches, along with interviewing coordinators, general managers and other executives. It has also been amended to include compensatory draft picks for teams who lost Black personnel that were hired as coaches or GMs elsewhere.

The rule was partially set in response to the firing of Tom Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also Dennis Green of the Minnesota Vikings. The NFL felt threatened by a serious lawsuit on racial discrimination by two civil rights attorneys who showed data that proved Black coaches were more likely to be fired despite historically winning more games than white coaches and less likely to be hired to begin with. The rule seemed to be working at first. Now, nearly 20 years later, we’re back at square one, having to revise the rule because, again, the Steelers are the only ones to take it seriously.

This goes for offensive coordinators as well. According to The Undefeated, from 2009 to late 2019, 91% of offensive coordinator hires were white.

Two of the NFL’s top offensive coordinators are Black: Tampa’s Byron Leftwich and Kansas City’s Eric Bieniemy.

Yet, neither can seem to get hired as a head coach. In fact,

Bieniemy has been interviewed multiple times, but never been hired, despite heading arguably the league’s most terrifying offense for the last four seasons.

There is also a trend in hiring younger, white coaches since the emergence of the Rams’ Sean McVay. Steve Wilks, a Black one-and-done coach for the Cardinals, was replaced

by Kliff Kingsbury, someone with no NFL experience.

This isn’t an issue with lack of talent. There’s a huge pool of Black coaches and offensive coordinators with experience who are often overlooked, while guys like Kingsbury, Urban Meyer and Joe Judge are hired with little to no tenures in the pros. It’s unfortunate the Rooney Rule even needs to be put in place, and there isn’t an immediate fix to the issue.

The front offices of each NFL franchise have to commit to improvement on this, for the good of the sport and themselves. The racist bias held around the league is damaging, and is keeping teams from hiring and retaining some really talented guys.

Christo Siegel is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree?

Tell Christo by tweeting him at @imchristosiegel.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

All 8 ‘Harry Potter’ movies, ranked SEAN EIFERT FOR THE POST If you’ve watched the recent reunion film on HBO max, it’s no wonder why Harry Potter is back in conversation. The altogether wonderful production brought teary eyes and warm hearts to the screen. Being able to see how much this movie franchise affected those involved in the making of these films was so endearing.

But just as much, if not more, this franchise has meant so much to the fans. With that said, here is each Harry Potter movie, ranked worst to best:

8. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002) Chamber of Secrets feels like an awkward attempt to maintain the nostalgia the first movie has, but it falls short. The introduction of Dobby, the house elf, is perhaps the best addition of this film, though he only appears for a few minutes and reappears to save the film in the end. All around, this movie fails to find a good follow-up to the first, possibly because the first movie was so widely loved.

7. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004) As the third installment of the franchise, this movie is respectable but still very awkward in its own right.

The movie offers an alternative to Voldemort as the

main antagonist. Instead, the ultimate foe of the storyline is Sirius Black, who is framed as a terrible serial killer. While it’s sort of refreshing to see a new plot line not centered around the fear of Voldemort, it almost feels as if they didn’t have enough within this movie to make it fully embody a very serious addition to the franchise.

6. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001) Sorcerer’s Stone is an all-time classic, and it’s one that will be remembered as the pinnacle of the film collection. This movie is refreshingly nostalgic, as the glimmer of hope still flickers in the eyes of the children. They have no idea the darkness they will encounter in the next films, which is what makes it so interesting. I think the film as a whole does a wonderful job of encapsulating the nuance that’s required in the first movie of a powerful franchise. The movie embodies the naive nature of Harry, but the acting is still fairly rough, and the storyline isn’t deep enough for it to rank higher.

5. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART TWO (2011) This take might get some heat, but the first Deathly Hallows is better produced and executed than the second, tenfold. Simply put, the second tries to pack so much detail in that it becomes overwhelming for the viewer. The battle scene is by far the highlight of the film, which certainly moves the film along. The begin-

ning is very boring and drawn out, so the fight scene at the end is appreciated to help the movie seem more interesting than it is.

4. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007) The Order of the Phoenix is not necessarily the best film of the bunch, but it is the most heart-warming. The audience is finally able to see Harry’s life seem the most complete, and his character seems so content with his life in this film. The introduction of Sirius as a father figure for Harry is endearing because we finally get to see Harry have someone he can look up to. The order surrounds Harry with love, which bolsters the heartwarming feeling in this movie.

3. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART ONE (2010) The first Deathly Hallows film is far superior to the second because it shows the journey of the friends as they try to unveil the horcruxes. This movie has arguably the best acting in the whole franchise, and the main trio provides some really heartfelt dialogue that is believable and formative for their relationships.

The three friends go through an unbelievable amount of turmoil within their relationships together, which makes the storyline all the more real. It’s also what propels the sentimental quality at the highest level throughout the film.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009) This movie is heartbreaking yet so intriguing for so many reasons. It is arguably the darkest movie in the franchise, which makes it so interesting to watch. The best aspect about this film is the character arc of Draco Malfoy as he struggles with becoming a death eater. The overall feeling within this movie is gloomy and depressing. The joy of the previous movies is lost, which makes the film appear darker and more serious in nature.

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005) The best movie in this franchise is Goblet of Fire. This film perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness of being a teen and translates it to the fictitious wizarding world.

This movie is so happy and joyful in its display of the competition, yet it doesn’t create an unbelievably fantastic atmosphere. Although the competition is very fictitious, it doesn’t feel fake. The audience is brought to believe the stakes are high, and it draws them closer to the story.

@EIFERT.SEAN SE538920@OHIO.EDU

20 / JAN. 20, 2022

Here is your New Year’s resolution based off of your zodiac sign MAGGIE PALMA FOR THE POST Welcome to the New Year! With each ball drop comes the time to choose your New Year’s resolutions. Figuring out a resolution every year can be frustrating and repetitive, but no one will know you better than your astrological chart. With a resolution tailored to you by your zodiac sign, it should be able to stick this year. Jupiter will be assisting almost everyone in every aspect they may need.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19)

Your New Year’s resolution is to find closure. It is time for a fresh start and a new chapter of your life. Jupiter will be in Aries on May 10 through Oct. 28, magnifying your personal goals and dreams. This year is not the time to dwell on your past. Use Jupiter’s power of growth to your advantage because it is the first time it has entered Aries since 2011. 2022 is going to be about making a lot of changes, one being putting your happiness first.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)

Start journaling. You’ve spent a lot of your life caring for others, but this year, your chart will align to break free from your duties. With Jupiter in Aries this year, your ambition is activated and your priorities will become clear.

You have a lot of bottled emotions from helping others, so get a journal to let them out. Keeping all of your emotions to yourself can feel overwhelming.

Taking the time to write it out can help calm you down.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22)

Practice gratitude. Leo, being ruled by the sun can lead to you falling in love with the center of attention. You have a bubbly and warm personality, but being in the spotlight can be exhausting. So, this year, take the time to write one or two things down you are grateful for to ground yourself. Jupiter is currently in Pisces, so you may be feeling as if you want to keep your life more coveted for a while. It enters Pisces again Oct. 28 through Dec. 20, so be prepared to feel the same at the end of the year.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)

Work on networking and new connections. The North Node will be shifting into Taurus this year. The node represents your future, destiny and purpose. Feel free to follow the cosmos into your fate by being confident and developing your social and professional contacts. Be ready for changes this year with a lunar eclipse on April 30. It may feel like a slow burn this year, but remember, results can take longer than you may want.

Prioritize your relaxation this year.

Last year was a year full of budding relationships, and this year will be no different. With Jupiter leaping from Pisces and Aries this year, a lot of your time may be used to grow and experience new adventures especially in your love life. Because relationships may be exhausting, take this year to pick up meditation and more “me time.” Specifically, take time to schedule out relaxation time to make yourself feel more organized.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22)

Take the time to learn a new language. Geminis are known for their chattiness and love to share new information. Learning a new language may be something you have put off in order to work on some other goals, but 2022 is the best year for you to do it. Learning a new language may even help with your passion for traveling. Mars will be taking its time with you by staying in Gemini until March 2023, so use the extra confidence and charisma to your advantage.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)

Travel on a budget. Last year was unruly for you, so look forward to a drama-free year. With Jupiter in Pisces, you will be having a calm year. Take this time to go somewhere you have always wanted, or take a relaxing cabin vacation for a weekend. Try to do a fun outing at least once a month. Maybe try going to a new park or local site you have never seen. Make it a challenge by creating a budget since you love to spend your money.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21)

Let go of grudges this year. Scorpio,

ILLUSTRATON BY MALAYA TINDONGAN you are a misunderstood person and may come off as frustrated, but you are intuitive and deep. Because you typically keep a death grip on your grudges, take the time this year to let them go.

Saturn will be staying in Aquarius, and you’ll be attached at the hip with your “chosen family.” By letting go of your previous grievances, you can clear a lot of mental space to devote more time to what makes you happy and spending more time with your friends.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21)

Learn something new. Sagittarius, you are the epitome of learning. With the lunar North Node in Taurus this year, you will be able to manage your workload this year, so make it fun! Is there something you have been meaning to learn, but did not really have a chance? Well, now you will, so figure out a skill or topic that you can hone in on. Make sure it is as specific as it can be. If it is too broad, you may feel overwhelmed and give up on your resolution before it even starts.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)

Plan your career. Do you find yourself stuck in a standstill? Take time this year to create a five-year plan. Similarly to every other sign, Jupiter will be ruling your career this upcoming year.

Find some local networking events. Use this year to get feedback from mentors and fellow colleagues. You may find your life getting a little busy due to Mars entering Gemini on Aug. 20, but just stay organized and everything will be OK.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18)

This year, start volunteering. Aquarius, you are a natural humanitarian, and you love to make a difference in the world around you. Pick a group or organization that moves and speaks to you.

Create a plan to volunteer regularly and keep yourself grounded throughout the year. Use Jupiter’s positions to your advantage to follow your passions.

Align yourself with things you believe in and want to work on to see a difference in the world.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20)

Try something spiritual. Pisces, you are deeply spiritual and compassionate, so try picking up tarot cards. Take the time to figure out exactly why Jupiter is so important and why it is affecting everyone this year. Pick up things that can provide you with a self of wellbeing, like meditation and chakra healing.

Keep up with it by journaling and keeping track of everything you do to see your growth.

@MAGGIEPALMA01 MP359120@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender The Itty Bitty Print Exchange Gallery at ARTS/West features activism, connection ALEX IMWALLE FOR THE POST

In 2019, Fiona Avocado, a graduate student studying printmaking, who uses she/ they pronouns, had just started grad school at Ohio University. They made a trip to ARTS/West, where they purchased a simple teacup print, naive to the fact that just three years later, their print gallery would be displayed on those very walls.

Later, in December 2020, Avocado had the thought to ask some of her friends for similar, small, handmade prints for her birthday. Avocado began the exchange and made an Instagram page to expand and network for their idea.

Now, just one year later, the Itty Bitty Print Exchange is being put on full display, and Avocado’s fun quarantine activity has manifested into a gallery of over 70 total prints of various different styles. The Itty Bitty Print Exchange is available for viewing from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, until Jan. 28 in the ARTS/West Performance Space Gallery, 132 W State St. There, one can observe the work of artists from all over the world, including Canada, Pakistan, India, Australia and right here in Athens.

Avocado, the main curator and organizer, in addition to being an artist featured in the project, said she got into printmaking in 2009 during her undergraduate career and loved how community-oriented the art form could be, especially how easily the tools and pieces can be shared with other artists.

“In the print community … people are really eager to help each other and support each other,” Avocado said.

Avocado said they did not anticipate such a large following and participation from the project; they only ever meant for it to be a small project among friends, but when they put word out on social media, the printmakers of the world answered the call.

“It blew up in a way I wasn’t expecting at all, and I wasn’t prepared for that,” Avocado said. “I learned a lot about organizing a larger exchange. We ended up having about 77 participants.”

22 / JAN. 20, 2022

Over the course of the year, Avocado was busy receiving a multitude of prints and even featuring them in multiple galleries both in person and virtual. However, Avocado never had the opportunity to display the project locally.

“I wanted to bring it to Athens because we had several Athens participants, (and) the exchange was organized here,” Avocado said.

In hopes of making this dream a reality, Avocado reached out to Emily Beveridge, the program specialist of ARTS/West.

Beveridge said Avocado proposed the project to her, and she was immediately taken with the sheer volume of the gallery. Typically, the galleries displayed in ARTS/West contain around 20 pieces, but Avocado’s exchange blew that standard out of the water.

Additionally, Beveridge acknowledged the international component of the project and said it was another aspect of the gallery that piqued her interest.

“It’s literally an international show, and so that’s highly unusual for the gallery space at ARTS/West because, primarily, we show work from local artists,” Beveridge said. “That made it appealing to me to want to have the show in the ArtsQuest gallery space.”

Beveridge said she believes it is important to display student art within ARTS/West because it can be a branch between the OU campus and the rest of the Athens community.

“It’s important for the students to feel like they are part of the community, too,” Beveridge said. “Having the ability to show their artwork in the space is just one of the ways we can do that.”

Most of the time, student artwork can be overlooked and only seen by a professor, Owen Vandivier, a freshman studying integrated social studies in education, said. He believes that putting galleries such as these on display gives them a much-deserved spotlight.

Vandivier said the exchange is unique in that it gives OU students and Athens citizens a window into the daily lives of a multitude of artists from different countries.

“Athens, obviously, is a college town,” Van-

Itty Bitty Print Exchange art exhibit at Arts West on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2021.

(LIZ PARTSCH | FOR THE POST)

divier said. “You wouldn’t think something like this would be in Athens, and that makes it cool.”

The Itty Bitty Print Exchange has a special place in Avocado’s heart because it takes artwork from artists of so many different backgrounds, cultures and skill levels and puts them all on the same display.

“Something that I really loved about this exchange is there are a lot of folks who are amateur, first-time, early printmakers, and then you have top-notch professional print-makers, folks who are printmakers as a career,” Avocado said. “Seeing that diverse range of skill sets and perspectives was a really beautiful thing.”

Avocado said they created the gallery with their background in activism in mind and really just want the gallery to serve the community as a source of motivation. She said its sole purpose is to be interpreted individually and portray the theme, “Another World is Possible.”

IF YOU GO WHAT: The Itty Bitty Print Exchange Gallery WHERE: ARTS/West, 132 W State St. WHEN: 2 p.m to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday ADMISSION: Free “I really believe that art can be inspiring,” Avocado said. “It creates a lot of pleasure and comfort in really uncertain and difficult times.” @ALEXIMWALLE AI687120@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S GOING ON?

Enjoy live music at Eclipse Company Store; view the Dairy Barn’s latest exhibit LIZ PARTSCH FOR THE POST

FRIDAY, JAN. 21 Peachfuzz with King Buu and Cid Berry at The Union, 18 W. Union St., at 7 p.m. Opening for the event will be King Buu, a rock band from Cleveland. Shortly after, Peachfuzz, a band identifying as rock-n-rock, stoner pop music, will take the stage.

Admission: $8, $10 for those under 21 Fridays with Bill Foley at the Eclipse Company Store, 11309 Jackson Drive, The Plains, at 6 p.m. Every Friday in January, Bill Foley, a full-time classic rock/ oldies/folk rock musician, will be playing at the event. Foley has been performing since 1980 and tours nationally. CDs will be available.

Admission: Free SATURDAY, JAN. 22 Athens Farmers Market, 1002 E. State St., from 9 a.m. to noon. Featured every Saturday year-round, the farmers’ market has moved indoors to the “Market On State” Mall. Vendors include a wide range of produce, food and arts and crafts.

Admission: Free

Martin Luther King Jr. Silent March at Galbreath Chapel at 10:30 a.m. In honor of Rev. King’s legacy, a silent march will be held. The annual event will commence at the Galbreath Chapel and end at the fourth floor entrance of Baker University Center. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the silent march will be held outside this year.

Various locations

Admission: Free SUNDAY, JAN. 23 OH+5 2022 will display contemporary artworks Thursday through Sunday at The Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit features artwork from a multitude of artists from Ohio and neighboring states. Featured will be sculptures, paintings, photography and more.

Admission: $7 for general admission, $5 for students and seniors and free for Dairy Barn members

@LIZZY_PART LP274518@OHIO.EDU

LATE 20TH CENTURY

The need is constant, the need is urgent, sign up and give today.

DANCE PARTY

WITH DJ BFUNK FRIDAY NIGHT: BILL FOLEY

Admission: Free Megan Bee with Bruce Dalzell at the Eclipse Company Store at 7 p.m.

Only a short drive for students or Athens city residents, the Eclipse Company Store, known for its wide selection of craft beers, will be hosting Megan Bee with special guest Bruce Dalzell on bass. Bee is a singer-songwriter based out of Athens.

Stuarts Opera House

BLOOD DRIVE

visit the Red Cross online.

Enter your zip code to search for an available drive. Times availble each week

scan to schedule your donation

The Market on State ATHENS FARMERS & ART MARKET Locally grown and raised meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, prepared foods, , traditional and specialty bread, coffee, wine and cider, shelf stable canned goods, sweets, plants and seeds. Plus locally made artistic goods Find us in the front parking lot and inside the Market on State Mall

Saturdays 9 am - Noon

Arts West • 132 W State St ITTY BITTY PRINT EXCHANGE: ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE This exchange consists of seventy-seven artists from five countries. The artists in the exchange created prints utilizing a wide range of analog print media—screenprinting, relief printing, intaglio, lithography, letterpress, risograph, printing on glass, and more. What’s beautiful about this exchange is not only its vastness, but also the varying imagery and perspective in response to the prompt “Another World Is Possible.”

on view through January 28th @ittybittyprintexchange Free & Open to the Public

The perfect place to gather ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK! we have 32 Beers on Tap & Don’t Miss Bill Foley every friday in January at 6pm.

Tuesday night trivia.

@EclipseBeerHall Open to All

Alden Library • 4th floor

NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED THROUGH TIME Exhibit of items entirely selected and described by students in the Margaret Boyd Scholars Program Freshman Seminar, delayed since spring 2020. This student-curated exhibit features materials from various collections in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, and that address questions and issues of relevance to all students around gender, sexuality, societal expectations, rights, and so on.

on view through February 10th Free & Open to the Public

DJ B-Funk will be playing music from 1950 to early 2000’s for your enjoyment.

There will be food provided

by Lacey Rogers, fellow book club Facilitator and community organizer, a full cash-bar, and Sharrell Wise Photography will be on hand to snap photos of all of you having fun.

The event will be streamed online for those who can’t make it.

ALL PROCEEDS benefit the anti-racism book club.

EVENT DATE HAS ▼▼CHANGED▼▼ Friday, MAR 11th 7 pm- 11 pm TICKETS & DONATION HERE: linktr.ee/djbfunk $15 Donation and proof of vaccination required to attend

promote

YOUR NEXT EVENT HERE

because it’s an affordable (cheap) way to expose art, music, theater, films, exhibitions, and non-profit events and happenings

TO

THOUSANDS OF READERS for as low as

Dairy Barn Arts Center 8000 Dairy Lane

OH+5

CONTEMPORARY ART OF OUR REGION This exhibition features artwork from 62 artists living in Ohio and the five surrounding states. Visitors will enjoy a variety of artworks including sculpture, painting, photography, fiber art and mixed-media art.

Jan 15th - Mar 13th $7 general admission $5 student/seniors • members FREE

$15 per week! send us an email postadvertising@ohio.edu

Semester pricing and discounts are available.

Space is limited

For more Music, Arts, and Events scan

dairybarn.org

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

LEADER Sca get tn me to he a pp

Applications due Feb. 1 ohio.edu/leadership-awards BROUGHT TO YOU BY STUDENT AFFAIRS AND DIVERSITY & INCLUSION