January 23, 2020

+

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020

Board of Trustees recap…PG 5 The university’s budget, explained…PG 8 A seat at the table…PG 20

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Understanding the budget crisis S

ELLEN WAGNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ince the end of last semester, there has been a lot of buzz around campus surrounding the alleged budget crisis that Ohio University is facing.

Around campus, students could see papers around campus that stated “Top 10 OU Fun Facts about Ohio University” with facts about when OU was founded, the tuition, budget issues and the number of faculty and staff employed at the university. The OU Fun Facts group is made up of OU students, faculty and staff.

The group marched on campus at the end of the semester, starting the rally at the Civil War Soldiers Monument and ending at the Cutler Hall stairs, demanding to meet with Nellis. OU Fun Facts has also hosted round tables to discuss the university’s current budget situation and the goals of the organization.

The OU American Association of University Professors, or OU-AAUP, is another group that has been raising awareness about the budget crisis and the concerns over possibly losing their jobs. The OU-AAUP hosted a rally by the monument on College Green before the end of the Fall Semester. The group also held a silent protest during the main meeting for the Board of Trustees on Friday.

As all this has been circulating around campus in the past couple of months, there has also been a lot of confusion. A lot of students have been wondering what they can do to support their professors and other faculty and staff of the university. However, they do not understand the university’s budget and the issues surrounding it.

There are two sides to the budget issues the university is facing.

For the university, it is required to make changes for the university to be successful moving forward. Enrollment is down for the university, which means less money is coming into the university. Those in charge of planning have to adjust the budget in order to make up for the money the university is losing.

On the other side, OU faculty and staff members are worried about what this means for their jobs as well as what programs will still be available for students.

This week, we decided to explain the budget, the groups involved and other issues to help our readers get a better understanding about the budget crisis.

In our print edition this week, we have articles including the Board of Trustees recap from Thursday, Jan. 16, and Friday, a breakdown of OU’s budget and more about the

AAUP and its mission.

One reporter recapped the Thursday and Friday Board of Trustee meetings in which the board said the university’s financial position is strong. Another reporter took the almost 200-page university budget and condensed it to one article. Another reporter was also able to talk to members of the OU-AAUP to understand its goals and what it wants from the university.

Our staff is creating a landing page that will be updated with articles as we continue to follow this topic. We are hoping some of the articles will help clear up some questions people have been asking and that our readers continue to read our content as we continue to report on the budget, OU-AAUP and OU Fun Facts.

Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19.

Correction: An article from the Jan. 16 issue with the headline “Field of a Champion” mislabeled Athens City School District.

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY RILEY SCOTT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN WAGNER DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Taylor Johnston

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITORS Abby Miller, Nolan Simmons ASST. NEWS EDITOR Ian McKenzie LONG-FORM EDITOR Ashton Nichols SPORTS EDITORS Matt Parker, Anthony Poisal CULTURE EDITOR Baylee DeMuth ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells OPINION EDITOR Shelby Campbell THE BEAT EDITOR Molly Schramm ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Mady Lewellyn COPY CHIEF Bre Offenberger SLOT EDITORS Jack Gleckler, Avery Kreemer, Chloe Meyers, Kevin Pan

THE

POST

ISSUE 16, VOLUME 110 1 PARK PLACE, ROOM 325 EDITOR@THEPOSTATHENS.COM PHONE | 740.593.4010

ONLINE thepostathens.com FACEBOOK thepostathens TWITTER @ThePost INSTAGRAM @thepostathens

Send us your letters Do you ever find something in The Post thoughtprovoking, questionable or even infuriating? Let us know!

We are always interested in hearing about the way our readers respond to our content every day.

Your opinion is welcome. Letters should be fewer than 500 words. Longer submissions will be considered as guest commentaries, but space is limited. All letters must be signed by at least one individual; anonymous letters will not be accepted. The Post does not accept letters soliciting donations or news releases. Please include your year and major if you are a student. Letters can be submitted online at www.thepostathens. com, by email at editor@thepostathens.com or at The Post’s front desk in the media wing on the third floor of Baker University Center.

We reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, vulgarity and Associated Press Style.

IN PERSON Baker Center, Room 325 ONLINE thepostathens.com/letters

BY EMAIL letters@thepostathens.com

The Post is an independent media outlet run by Ohio University students. We distribute the paper free of charge in Athens, Ohio, when classes are in session. Editorial page material represents the opinions of the editors, columnists and letter writers. Opinions expressed are independent of Ohio University and our printer.

ART

ART DIRECTORS Rilee Lockhart, Riley Scott DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kelsey Boeing PHOTO EDITOR Emilee Chinn

DIGITAL

WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Midge Mazur SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Matthew Geiger DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Nicholas Langer

BUSINESS

STUDENT MEDIA SALES INTERNSHIP MANAGER Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Emily Cassidy, Ali Gifford, Kyle McCort

2 / JAN. 23, 2020

FRONT DESK HOURS 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Closed Saturday and Sunday.

1 Park Place Baker University Center, Room 325 Athens, OH 45701 (740) 593-4010

Advertisement Policies The Post will not print advertising that violates local, state or federal laws. The Post will not run advertisements that violate the Fair Housing Act, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policies. The Post reserves the right to reject advertising deemed to adversely affect the integrity and credibility of the publication or be in conflict with the educational mission of the university or community it serves. The Post retains the right, at its discretion, to approve or reject an advertisement that negatively affects the relationship with our readers or that promotes content, services, or activities

that violate our advertising policy.

If an error occurs, and an advertisement is published not as ordered, please notify The Post by the end of the business day following publication, a corrected advertisement will run without charge in the next print edition.

Cancellation requests for advertising must be received and acknowledged by staff no later than 2:00 pm on Wednesday for the Thursday print edition. Refunds will not be given for ads that have been printed. These advertising policy rules can be changed at any time without prior notification.

An Athens Approach iChowDown brings food delivery service to the region

In August, iChowDown began delivering food from across the city of Athens to those in the area. iChowDown is a third-party food delivery service that delivers food from over 26 restaurants to the surrounding Athens region. The business was started by former Ohio University students Sam Bowser and Zach Dudziak, who saw an interest in the surrounding region for a delivery business that is tailored to the region.

“We’re … just like DoorDash, but we’re here in town,” Bowser, co-owner of iChowDown, said. “We’re 30 percent faster on average. That means we deliver in about 35 to 40 minutes rather than 55 to 65 minutes.”

The business delivers from many local and small businesses, including Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP and Donkey Coffee.

Delivery from Donkey Coffee includes bulk coffee and individual lattes.

The business has a team of about 100 employees and features 12 delivery drivers, all of whom Bowser personally interviews.

Bowser emphasizes the importance of keeping costs down for the customer and allowing drivers to make a reasonable amount.

“Our drivers get paid 100 percent of the delivery fee and 100 percent of the tips,” Bowser said. “That’s not what DoorDash does. They will take a part of that out.” iChowDown focuses on serving Athens and the surrounding area, not just the students of OU. “We honestly have really slim profit margins … but we really try to do our best to provide for this community,” Bowser said. “It is a small community; it’s not rich … we recognize that as being a part of the Athens community, not just as college students, but the people that live

Amenities you will love at lease rates you deserve.

www.ourentals.com 740.594.9098

FEATURED PROPERITES

TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST

here in town.” iChowDown has also partnered with local businesses to make the entire ordering process easier.

“It’s for a mutual benefit (and) more sales,” Bowser said. “Sometimes it makes (orders) cheaper for the customer. We were able to reduce the fees for the customer, so it’s really valuable for both of us because that just increased our sales overall for both sides. On top of that, it’s just a lot easier to communicate one-on-one.”

Bowser also believes experience and trust are important with his delivery drivers.

“Personally, I don’t think that it’s appropriate for any one of them to not have, at least, a bare minimum food experience because, first off, they’re handling it. They’re bringing it to you.

Driving is not a hard skill. I’ve got a driver’s license … but the big thing is whether or not I can trust them with that food,” Bowser said.

Bowser also said the hiring rate for drivers is only about 40%.

“I am really, really focused on my drivers because it’s a front-face experience for the customer because if they do not have a good experience with my drivers, then they’re not going to come back to us,” Bowser said. “So I always make sure that there’s a good personality, they have food experience ... they’re someone charismatic and they’re able to

28 SMITH STREET per person / $ per month

450

4 BEDROOM 2 KITCHENS NEWLY REMODLED 2 BATHROOMS VERY SPACIOUS with PRIVATE YARD & PARKING near Engineering School

be personable.”

In the future, the business is looking to expand but not to larger areas like Columbus, Bowser said.

“We actually really want to be the Appalachian service because it’s something that a lot of these people have not experienced. We’ve got calls from … people in Gainesville, and they said, ‘This is the first time we ever experienced this. I’ve lived here my entire life,’” Bowser said.

Some students are interested in the business. Colin Russell, a freshman studying electrical engineering, said he likes how iChowDown is focused on the region.

“It is very good for the town of Athens in particular, as it is focused on it. It shows they care a lot about the Athens community and the student population, which is something much better than something much larger (like), let’s say, DoorDash,” Russell said.

Others, like Kaitlyn Urbaniak, a junior studying psychology and social work, don’t usually get their food delivered.

Urbaniak is still, however, interested in the idea.

“I think it’s unique, and I like it,” Urbaniak said. “I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

107 N CONGRESS

$

499

per person / per month

4 BEDROOM NEWLY REMODLED KITCHEN 2 BATHROOMS VERY SPACIOUS with OFF-STREET PARKING security UPTOWN LOCATION!! deposit

99

$

per person

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 3

From Grain to Glass

Devil’s Kettle Brewing provides special place for beer lovers RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Sitting at the bar in the taproom, beer in hand and greeting customers is Cameron Fuller, owner and creator of Devil’s Kettle Brewing.

The brewery, 97 Columbus Road, is lined with walls of hanging art and guitars and cases of vinyl records, and Fuller watches it fill with members of the Athens area. It’s his way of sitting back and watching years of hard work come to fruition.

But Fuller’s brewery wasn’t created over night. He’s the classic story of homebrewer gone obsessed: initially, he wanted to save money by making his own beer but ultimately invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into starting a brewery.

“I just have always been searching in my life for that balance of art and science, and brewing really just struck a chord with me as the perfect balance,” Fuller said.

In 2013, Fuller made a plan to officially start his own brewery. His first step was to acquire the perfect location. Previously a used car shop, the location was already equipped with features that were attractive to Fuller, such as sloped floors that lead to a trench drain.

Regarding the name of the brewery, Fuller didn’t want anything location specific or esoteric but something with attitude that would grab people’s attention.

After going through a road atlas and reading about a sight called Devil’s Kettle Falls, the name fit perfectly.

“I was like, ‘Devil’s Kettle’ … that’s a really cool name for a brewery,” Fuller said.

“And I did a little Google search, and nobody had jumped on that one. So I was just like, ‘Cool. I’ll roll with it.’”

The final step: to create a specialized selection of brews for his customers to enjoy. This step was what Fuller felt the most prepared for, as he had spent the majority of his time perfecting his brewing skills.

Typically, Fuller only brews kegs but will sometimes brew specialty barrels, using grains from Brewers Supply Group.

His sizes include $3 Tasters, $4 Glasses, $5 Pints, $6 Goblets and $10 1L Steins.

From there, Fuller began the logistics portion of running a business. Though he took on most, if not all, of the work in the beginning stages, he knew Devil’s Kettle couldn’t be a one-man job and quickly began to delegate responsibilities.

Fuller has five bartenders, including Kyle Geele, a fifth-year student at Ohio University studying history and chemistry. Geele began home-brewing when he was 18, and when Fuller hired him, he quickly began taking on more and more responsibility, helping out with cleaning, taking stock and even some light help in the brewery.

4 / JAN. 23, 2020

Though most of Geele’s takeaways from his time at Devil’s Kettle have been professional, being more involved with the residents of Athens rather than just the students has made a great impact on him.

“Getting to know the people and what makes Athens great has really opened my mind and perspective about Athens and has made me want to live here for a bit after I graduate,” Geele said.

In addition to his employees, Fuller has also received a lot of support from his partnership with a food truck called The Kitchen at Devil’s Kettle, which is a part of a larger business called Pork & Pickles.

Fuller partnered with The Kitchen about two years ago to enhance the brewery with year-round food service.

Between working in the back, handling the taproom and filling out paperwork, Fuller finds time to interact with several customers, including Leslie Johnson and Chris Fahey, two regulars who have been coming to Devil’s Kettle since it first opened.

“He isn’t afraid or offended to allow his customers to experiment with what he has to offer,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Fahey have both had a hand in naming beers on the Devil’s Kettle menu and said they both have had some of their best experiences when in Fuller’s taproom.

“The friendly and engaging owner and staff here make it amazing,” Fahey said.

Other than the predictable challenges of running a business, Fuller’s greatest struggle has been the growing number of breweries over the years. However, Fuller feels lucky that he got his foot in the door of breweries earlier than most. He not only enacts his brewery’s quirky charm to entice customers, but also takes on a green initiative to stand out from his competitors.

Having grown up in Berkeley, California, Fuller is a self-proclaimed “hippie at heart,” priding himself on protecting the environment. He knew brewing to be energy-intensive, so he offsets that by surrounding the brewery with solar panels, which act as his primary source of energy to run the brewery.

Every time Fuller sees people enjoying themselves at Devil’s Kettle, he feels his long journey has been worth it.

“You know, you’re seeing people who really love the product and love the place, and people who have come in and didn’t know me before the brewery started and are now good friends of mine,” Fuller said.

“That’s really special.”

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.edu

Board of Trustees Breakdown Among conversations of faculty cuts and an alleged budget crisis, the board said the university’s financial position is “strong” ABBY MILLER NEWS EDITOR

T

he Ohio University Board of Trustees met Thursday, Jan. 16, and Friday among a faculty-led silent protest to discuss the university’s “strong” financial position.

During Friday’s main board meeting, the Ohio University chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, led a silent protest against what they see as a lack of faculty input in the current conversation about the university cutting faculty, according to a previous Post report.

AAUP President and professor of classics Loren Lybarger said one of the goals of the protest was to make the board aware that faculty are concerned about possible cuts and want to be included in budget conversations moving forward.

During the media availability meeting later the same day, Board Chair Dave Scholl said OU is doing all right financially.

Outside factors, such as falling enrollment, are forcing the university to reconsider how it can better position itself to remain sustainable and competitive in the realm of higher education, he said.

During the Interrelated Strategic Agenda Update on Jan. 16, Deb Shaffer, senior vice president for finance and administration, said a budget crisis starts when the university stops innovating fiscally.

Currently, OU has about $1 billion, Shaffer said. Not all of that money is at the university’s disposal, however, as some is held in bonds or restricted in other forms.

The university earned about $10 million more than expected this fiscal year but still is down about $6.8 million in net tuition on the Athens campus alone. There was also about $2.5 million more in expenses than expected in 2019.

The board also approved the planning and construction of six different projects

Dave Scholl, left, and Dave Moore, right, speak during the Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 17, 2020. (ERIN BURK / FOR THE POST)

across its campuses Jan. 16 at the Resources, Facilities and Affordability Committee meeting.

OU President Duane Nellis expressed his support for the approval of constructing an eSports facility in Scripps Hall.

“It really is a multi-dimensional facility that spans across the university,” Nellis said. “From the general humanities, business, to engineering, it’s really important stuff moving forward.”

The facility will be on the ground floor of Scripps and is estimated to cost about $650,000. It will include a competition room, a club practice room, a social gaming area, an office space and a broadcasting booth.

Five other projects that span across the Lancaster, Dublin and Chillicothe campuses were also approved. About 75% of all the projects are funded in part through federal or state grants, Trustee Steve Casciani said.

The board also had conversations about how it plans to make its campus safer.

One goal is to eliminate hazing on OU campuses. By doing this, the board hopes to create a more positive experience for all OU students.

The board said it is taking proactive steps to eliminate both hazing and sexual assault, but no specific plans were mentioned during the Main Board meeting.

During the Governance and Compensation Committee meeting, the board clarified parts of its sexual misconduct standards. The conversation was prompted by Michigan State’s recent lawsuit in which its Board of Trustees’ interim president was forced to step down.

In cases of sexual misconduct between

students, the university is not held liable.

That policy does not change unless the university is made aware of the misconduct and disregards it.

The board also reviewed its sustainabil-

ity and climate action plan and proposed revisions to the plan.

OU first made its climate action plan in 2012. In the original plan, the goal was for OU to be carbon neutral by 2075. The new proposed deadline is by 2050 in order to minimize the university’s impact on the climate.

The university will attempt to be carbon neutral before that deadline.

OU has 32 sustainability goals and 16 thematic areas of sustainability that it focuses on. Some of its top priorities are climate, curriculum, buildings and investment.

The board also announced that a new Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine building will be named Heritage Hall.

Heritage Hall will be a medical education building at 191 W. Union St. The university has recently received three gifts that are all at least six figures for the building’s construction.

Scholl expressed his excitement for the project and how it is a great project in the eyes of alumni.

“This is going to be the most energizing for alumni … that we are building for the future,” Scholl said. “It’s encouraging.”

@ABBLAWRENCE AM166317@OHIO.EDU

21ST ANNUAL

FEBRUARY 22 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. $30 per person REGISTER TODAY ON RECSHOP.OHIO.EDU

www.ohio.edu/recreation THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

NEWS BRIEFS

University spends millions on remediation courses; city passes resolution in favor of Ohio Fairness Act ABBY MILLER NEW EDITOR UNIVERSITY SPENDS MILLIONS ON INSTRUCTION, RESOURCES FOR REMEDIATORY COURSES Ohio University’s 2019 Remediation Report shows that the university spent about a combined $3.7 million for the instruction and resources of remediation courses.

Every year, in compliance with Ohio Revised Code, state universities must release a report detailing the remediation of students. The report includes the number of enrolled students who require remedial education, the cost of remedial coursework, the specific areas of remediation provided and causes for remediation.

Remediation courses refer to a course a student must take to improve their skills in a subject before taking the entry level course.

In 2019, about $2.6 million was

spent on the instruction of remediation courses, and about $1.1 million was spent on academic support and student services. The amount of money spent on instruction has gone down from 2018, when $2.5 million was spent.

The number of students enrolled in remediation courses has also decreased since 2018, when 2,009 people were taking those courses. The 2019 report shows that 1,746 people are enrolled in remediation courses.

The report also lists the top factors that lead to students taking remediation classes. The largest factor contributing to students taking remedial coursework is lack of student preparation.

The lack of student preparation is the largest contributing factor because the majority of OU students come directly from high school, according to the report.

CITY PASSES RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF EXTENDING PROTECTIONS

AGAINST ANTI-DISCRIMINATION City council passed a resolution Monday in support of a state bill that would extend protections against antidiscrimination for sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.

The Ohio Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill, would make employment discrimination, housing discrimination and discrimination in public accomodations illegal, according to Equality Ohio.

The resolution was introduced by all members of Council. Athens already has protections for LGBT people in place, and the resolution noted that it’s another testament to the city’s support of LGBT rights. The city added the categories of gender identity and expression to the city’s non-discrimination policy in 2010. delfin bautista, former OU LGBT Center director and a member of the board for the Southeastern Ohio Rainbow Alliance, said the city historically has supported same-sex marriage, and now it’s showing its support for LGBT

workplace protections and having a place to live.

ONE WOMAN INJURED AFTER ATHENS SHOOTING A woman was injured Friday after a shooting took place at Campus Heights Apartments.

The Athens Police Department responded to a shooting report at about 2:30 a.m. Friday. When police arrived on the scene, they found a woman suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

The woman was transported to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, according to a news release.

All parties involved in the shooting are accounted for, and there is no further risk to the public. APD is still investigating the incident, and there is no other information available at this time.

@ABBLAWRENCE AM166317@OHIO.EDU

POLICE BLOTTER

Person calls police for a creaky porch; man refuses to leave basketball game IAN MCKENZIE ASST. NEWS EDITOR HOW’D THEY TAKE THOSE? Athens County Sheriff ’s Office deputies were contacted over the weekend by a woman who said her washer and dryer were stolen from a property she owned.

There are currently no leads on the matter.

SCOOBY DOO? Deputies received a patrol request 6 / JAN. 23, 2020

over the weekend for Broadwell Street in Stewart.

The caller reported that they heard creaking on their porch. Deputies patrolled the area but did not encounter anything suspicious.

still on her property.

Deputies met with the man who drove the truck. The deputies determined that the man was a friend of the caller’s husband, and his truck had gotten stuck.

STUCK TRUCK Deputies responded to Del Carbo Road over the weekend for a possible trespassing report.

The person who reported it said a truck had driven onto her fence and was

JUST GO HOME Deputies responded to Alexander High School on Jan. 16 for a report of a man who would not leave the facility.

The man was asked to leave the game by school officials, so the deputies served

the man with a trespassing complaint, and he was advised not to return.

HOW CRIMINAL Deputies responded to Rainbow Lake Road in Shade on Jan. 15 for a report of a vehicle honking its horn.

Deputies spoke with the residence, and the issue was resolved.

@IANMCK9 IM581017@OHIO.EDU

GAMES

STUDENT HEALTH

INSURANCE

Looking for affordable health insurance?

Look no further than the OHIO plan for students and their dependants.

Open enrollment for the Spring coverage period is available through January 31, 2020.

All enrollments are processed in the order they are received. Please allow 5–7 business days to receive an email confirmation.

TO LEARN MORE, GO TO WWW.OHIO.EDU/STUDENTINSURANCE/ENROLLMENT

www.ohio.edu/student-insurance THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

OU Budget Breakdown OU is budgeted to make over $280 million from undergraduate tuition in 2020 IAN MCKENZIE ASST. NEWS EDITOR GRAPHICS BY RILEE LOCKHART

O

hio University’s operating revenue for the 2020 fiscal year is $758.9 million, which is only about $1.6 million larger than its operating expenses of $757.3 million.

Since 2016, the highest revenue was in 2017 when it was at $783.6 million. Since then, it has risen from $756 million in the 2018 fiscal year to $758 million in the 2020 budget.

In the 2019 fiscal year, the academic reserves was at $110.5 million. That number is projected to decrease to $80.3 million in the 2020 fiscal year and further decrease to $50.5 million in 2022. It is predicted to start increasing in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the 2020 budget.

OU is budgeted to make $286.8 million in undergraduate tuition from all campuses and eLearning, which is the online learning program. That is a decrease from 2016, which saw $304.5 million come in from undergraduates.

~$1.6 million profit margin 2020 FY REVENUE

$758.9 million

2020 FY EXPENSES

$757.3 million

NOW LEASING

1to 6 BEDROOM UNITS

PRIME CAMPUS LOCATIONS Palmer • Hocking • Stewart Milliron • Coss E. Union • W. Washington W. State • Franklin

BobcatRentals.net

740-594-4441

info@BobcatRentals.net | 86 N Court Street 8 / JAN. 23, 2020

Over $8.5 million of the athletics department’s budget’s revenue is budgeted to come from net undergraduate tuition and fees in 2020. Another $7.6 million comes from internal and external sales.

The total revenue for athletics in 2020 is $21,123,419, including the money from undergraduate tuition and fees.

Athletics is budgeted to spend $21,326,365 in 2020, which is $202,946 over the revenue. The biggest expense is payroll, which is over $7.9 million. The second-largest cost was predicted to be supplies, services and capital costs, which was budgeted at $7,071,672. Benefits for employees also take up $2.6 million.

The forecast 2020 budget requires $175.5 million in state appropriations, which is an increase from 2019, when it was $171.9 million. In 2016, OU only received $161.5 million in state appropriations.

SPRING 2020

KIDS NIGHT OUT FEBRUARY 7 · MARCH 20 · APRIL 17 PING RECREATION CENTER · 6 – 9:30 P.M. $25 PER CHILD · AGES 6 – 12 REGISTRATION OPENS ON JANUARY 1 AND CLOSES ON FEBRUARY 5, MARCH 18, AND APRIL 15 RESPECTIVELY

QUESTIONS? (740) 593-9913

WWW.OHIO.EDU/RECREATION DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Tuition revenue in the millions

$304.5

$305.3

$297.8

$298.7*

2016

2017

2018

2019

$286.8*

2020 *Budgeted numbers only

OU’s undergraduate student enrollment has been declining since 2017. That decline is partially due to the decline in U.S. birth rates, according to the budget.

The birth rate has been on a gradual decline since about 1990, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2018 provisional data.

OU’s regional campus enrollment for full-time undergraduate students has also been declining. There were 12,696 students in 2016, and only 10,381 are predicted for 2020.

2017’s undergraduate enrollment on the Athens campus was 18,209, which was the highest number since 2016. The 2019 enrollment was 17,325 students, according to the budget.

Enrollment is projected to get as low as 16,411 in the 2021 fiscal year. The university also predicted that undergraduate enrollment would begin increasing but not reach above 17,000 until 2024.

In 2016, 4,423 freshmen started at OU in the Fall Semester. In 2019’s Fall Semester, 3,671 undergraduate students started at OU, according to an OU news release.

Tuition earnings decreased by $10.2 million from 2016 until 2020, according to the budget.

State appropriations make up over 23% of the 2020 budget, which is the highest it has been since 2016. They made up only 21.7% in 2016 and 22.7% in 2019.

OU is also projected to get $29.7 million from the federal, state and local governments in 2020. There is also another $15.7 million projected from private

Athletics Spending $202,946 Over-budget

$1.5 million Capital Cost Investments

$2.2 million Interest $7 million Supplies & Services

$21.3 million

$2.6 million Employee Benefits $7.9 million Salaries & Payroll

grants and contracts.

The 2020 budget predicts that OU will earn $224.9 million in net undergraduate tuition and fees, which is down from $231.4 million in 2019. That number was $246.7 million in 2016.

The net graduate tuition and fees was budgeted at $100.9 million for 2020.

In 2019, it was forecast at only $92.2 million, and in 2016, it was much less at $71.6 million.

OU is projected to spend $366.4 million on salaries, wages and other payroll in 2020. This is up from $358.2 million in 2019 and $346.2 million in 2016. OU also will spend $123 million in benefits, which again is up from the $116.3 million in 2019 and $117.4 million in 2016.

The 2020 fiscal year administrative costs are broken down into 12 categories. The largest area is operations and maintenance, which makes up 26% of

all costs. This is predicted to be about $46 million.

The next highest administrative cost is information and technology, which makes up 13%. This is predicted to be $27 million. The third-highest cost is debt service step-down, which is predicted to cost $19.6 million, or 10% of the total costs.

A notable area of administrative costs is the university president, who is allocated $9.1 million, or 4% of the total administrative costs.

Total salaries are expected to make up $272.9 million in 2020. About $144 million will go toward faculty members while $128.1 million will go to administrative salaries. This type of ratio has been standard since 2016, when it was $136.4 million for faculty and $111.8 for administration.

Benefits for employees are projected to cost $123 million in 2020. Healthcare is the highest-costing benefit at $58.4 million. The next highest is variable benefits, which is $53.8 million. Other benefits and employee fee waivers cost $10.8 million altogether.

OU was budgeted to make $39,780,090 from Culinary Services in 2020. Over $37 million is budgeted to come from room and board fees while the other money would come from sales.

Culinary Services was only budgeted to lose about $38 million in expenses in 2020. Most of these expenses are from supplies, benefits and salaries.

@IANMCK9 IM581017@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

Striving for Greatness

Lifestyle brand McEw showcases maverick mindset through clothing and striving

SOPHIA ENGLEHART FOR THE POST The presence of contemporary fashion, whether it be seen through a computer screen, walking a runaway or window shopping on Main Street, is an industry that is driven by passion, faith and creativity. Major fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Versace and Gucci were all born from ideas and designs, created by aspiring designers, that eventually turned their work into some of the biggest fashion companies.

The same origin story is beginning for McEw, a fashion and lifestyle company based in Columbus. McEw is an inspirational athletic gear company that has gained a worldwide reach through its 32,000 followers on Instagram and whose founder also maintains a YouTube channel boasting 730,000 subscribers.

For former college athlete and dreamer Andrew McEwen, McEw combined both his love of clothing and his personal mindset of being inspired by the hard work,

motivation and fearlessness of people like him: young leaders looking to make a positive impact on the world around them.

“Simply put, I didn’t love college,” McEwen said. “ I was a computer science major, and sitting behind a desk coding the rest of my life wasn’t what I envisioned. After much conflict, I ended up dropping out, and now I feel like I’m living my dream.”

McEwen attended Capital University until his junior year and currently lives in Columbus.

McEw, since its inception, has released many products, from sneakers to hoodies to the newest V/per jacket, which will drop Jan. 25. Each item, emblazoned with the winged McEw logo, is designed to make the wearer feel confident, comfortable and like they have a purpose.

McEwen and the original “McEw crew” have also grown exponentially to include models, designers and fellow strivers, individuals who advocate and embody the ide-

Already have health insurance?

Don't get charged twice!

Waive the student health insurance.

To learn more and to find guidance for waiving the insurance, visit ohio.edu/student-insurance/waiver

www.ohio.edu/student-insurance 10 / JAN 23, 2020

McEw designer Thomas Lee (left) and founder Andrew McEwen (right) during a photo shoot in New York City. (PHOTO PROVIDED VIA THOMAS LEE AND ANDREW MCEWEN)

ology of “striving,” by pursuing their own goals and achieve their own dreams. This, in turn, inspires McEw to do the same.

“Our entire company goes off the idea of ‘striving,’ which is being the best version of yourself,” Thomas Lee, a McEw designer, said. “So if we aren’t giving 100 percent towards the company or ourselves, then we aren’t working to be better. I’ve always wanted to be part of something like that.”

Lee, a freshman at Ohio University studying business marketing & analytics and retail merchandising and fashion product development, has worked as a retail designer of McEw for over a year.

For McEw and its army of strivers, striving holds a different meaning to each individual and whatever challenges they are going through. However, the main mo-

tivator, to become the best person you can possibly be, holds true as McEw continues to strive onward.

“For myself, it’s to focus on being a positive and productive human and leaving a lasting impact,” McEwen explained. “For the brand, it’s to increase the quality in our products and continue the growth of our community. It’s about the students working for their degree, athletes looking to go pro, teachers building a new generation, those struggling with depression/anxiety, people trying to do big things. We all face everyday struggles, and we all must do our best to overcome our circumstances and rise to success.”

As McEw grows, its platform and ability to promote the brand has also flourished, especially in a time where TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and other social media forums are popular forms of communication. The McEw team, which consists of individuals ages ranging from 19 to 22 year olds, holds a huge advantage in that department because of their skills in social media branding and versatility.

“Coming into McEw, I always knew that whatever Andrew worked on, he would succeed in,” Robert Pizzuco, a McEw photographer, said. “The path that we took as a brand was the result of the creative decisions that we made over the years. The brand is ever-changing, and I never know what is going to happen next.”

Pizzuco is the chief marketing officer of McEw and works in photography, film, social media and other mediums to promote the McEw brand.

In the future, McEw hopes to establish its own warehouse to serve as home base for McEw operations and for all strivers.

In a world where the pressure to pursue a college degree, work a 9 to 5 job and follow a predetermined path to life is the norm, maverick companies like McEw prove that one doesn’t have to play it safe to achieve their greatest aspirations and personal fulfillment.

“No matter your age, gender, occupation, what you wear, we are all human,” McEwen said. “We all want to be happy.

We all want to live a fulfilled life, so do your best to stay positive, and lift those around you. In your darkest times, be balanced with the light, and stay striving.”

@ENGLEHART_SOPHIA SE269217@OHIO.EDU

A Charitable Chorus SATB uses talent, passion to support local charities TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST SATB calls itself “a different kind of choir” and exemplifies this through its charity work and familial atmosphere.

The choir, ranging from ages 26 to around 70, is a community group that gets together with the goal of sharing its talent and uplifting charitable causes in the area.

“We are quite special because we’re kind of a family, and we really have an incredibly good time singing together,” Metra Peterson, the music director at SATB, said. “On top of that, we are a civic organization, which means before every concert, we choose some sort of other nonprofit organization, and we theme our concert around that organization.”

SATB is a mixed soprano, alto, tenor and bass choir, working with many different genres of music, Peterson said.

“We do pop music. We do jazz,” Peterson said. “You name a genre; we do it. We look under all sorts of ‘choir rocks’ looking for music.”

The organization consists of people with many different types of jobs and backgrounds.

“I have university professors, school teachers, entrepreneurs, nurses and just the whole gamut: lots of different people that love to sing together,” Peterson said.

The group gets together not only to sing, but to raise money and garner attention for social justice and charitable groups in the area.

“It’s pretty much just a concert that’s geared toward that particular organization,” Chelsa Morahan, a member of The Post publishing board and a member of SATB, said. “Then we partner with that organization, and they do a little talk during the concert, you know, to expand knowledge of things like that.”

The profits from the biannual concerts go to the charity of choice, with some going to ARTS/West for allowing SATB to use its space. A small cut is taken to pay for the music.

The choir’s upcoming concert will be performed in June and will be in support of PRISM, a group for LGBT-identifying youth to have a safe space where they can relax, do art and express themselves. The concert will coincide with PRISM’s art show as well.

This year’s theme will coincide with PRISM’s goals of self acceptance.

“All of our music will be gender-appropriate, and it will be about positiveness, liking yourself and hope,” Peterson said.

For previous concerts, SATB has supported organizations like the John Glenn

“

I was really sad that I didn’t have a choir to conduct, and so my dad said, ‘Well why don’t we start our own choir?’”

- Metra Peterson, music director for SATB

Space Park at Hocking Hills.

The choir began after Peterson, a middle school music teacher in Meigs County, lost her choir class due to a scheduling change at the school.

“I was really sad that I didn’t have a choir to conduct, and so my dad said, ‘Well, why don’t we start our own choir?’” Peterson said. “My daughter was living in Chicago at the time, and she told me about a choir that did what we are doing now, and so we thought that was a great idea.”

The group is more than just a choir and a civic organization to many of its members, including Peterson’s daughter.

“I’m the daughter of the founder,” Morahan said. “And I was actually in a choir when I was living in Chicago that did something very similar. And that’s kind of where mom got the idea, and then she just blossomed it in a different way.

It’s being part of a family. Honestly, it’s such a great group of people, and we have a lot of fun together, and we enjoy making music together.”

Many members emphasize feeling a sense of family, like SATB member Danielle Bridges, who felt a sense of belonging after moving from Arkansas to Ohio after college.

“Having this group of people (to) make music and weird jokes with every week was kind of always the highlight of my week,” Bridges said. “Like, I never had an older brother, and I was, like, having like 20 older brothers.”

The group practices at ARTS/West, a space that it is able to use for free.

“We’re very thankful for ARTS/West that they allow us to do this. So, I mean, if we had to pay for all the space and all the times and you know, all that sort of thing, yeah, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Peterson said.

The group practices Tuesdays at 5 p.m. and is currently accepting new members.

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

Marching for MLK

The cold breeze blew into Helen Mauck Galbreath Memorial Chapel as dozens filed into the small church.

Despite snowflakes falling down and chilling temperatures, many people showed up to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.

LIZ PARTSCH FOR THE POST Ohio University and Athens community members march across College Green during the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. silent march on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Athens, Ohio.

(ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

T E N 99 4 BEDS.

$ We have The largest selection in ATHENS with the amenities you want & MANY EXTRAS

12 / JAN. 23, 2020

security deposit

d e b r u o f The

r

s t r e p x e al oom rent

740-594-9098

The King’s a cial bru Alph greetin struck ered ar of the Evan Y “Ho end. Th more h this gr with us Afte ers file march Earl Phi Alp how im “It’s fratern things today,” bration things in that Hop has com “You commu how ot

e MLK March started at Ohio University a year after assisnation on April 4, 1968. Twenty years ago, a speunch was added to take place after the march. ha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers held the doors open, ng locals as they prepared for the march. As the clock 10:30 a.m., Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers gathround the church podium while Tyrone Carr, co-chair Celebratory MLK Committee, introduced Reverend Young of the United Campus Ministry to give a prayer. owever long, however difficult the road is, there is an here is a destination that is better, more whole and holy than this place,” Young said. “We know today in roup that there are many who continue on that path s.” er the prayer was given, the Alpha Phi Alpha brothed outside the church and lined up, preparing for the to begin. l Hopkins, a recent OU graduate and previous Alpha pha president, spoke about the turnout this year and mportant it is to partake in the event. s really an important day just to commemorate our nal brother, Martin Luther King Jr., like some of the that he implemented in our society (are) still carrying Hopkins said. “So it’s more of, like, any day. It’s a celen of his accomplishments to society, civilization, other of that nature. We just want other people to partake t celebration along with us.” pkins has taken part in the march before. This year, he me back to support his fraternal brothers. u can really see how important it is to the Athens unity,” Hopkins mentioned. “And even on a larger scale ther people in the world see this day.”

(LEFT) Ohio University and Athens community members march across College Green during the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. silent march on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Athens, Ohio.

(ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST) (BELOW) Kalvin Harvell gives a speech as the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King Day brunch in the Baker Center ballroom on Jan. 20, 2020. (ERIN BURK/ FOR THE POST) (BOTTOM) Silent march in honor of MLK in Athens, Ohio, on Jan. 20, 2020. (GRACE WILSON/ FOR THE POST)

After the fraternity brothers lined up outside, others followed behind, marching across College Green and then making a left onto Court Street toward Baker Center.

Alicia Lundy-Morse, a senior studying urban and regional planning, participated for the first time in the march and spoke of why she came out today to celebrate King.

“I’m in Student Senate, and we’d like to go to these type of things to support the organizations that host them,” said Lundy-Morse, vice president of Student Senate and a member of The Post Publishing Board.

After arriving at Baker, many people congregated in the lobby and started making their way to the brunch, which was set to take place at 11 a.m. in Baker Ballroom.

Although the attendance for the march was large, some believe there is still work to be done.

Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, professor of sociology at Henry Ford College, was the keynote speaker of the event and spoke about why it is still important to journey forward and continue King’s work.

“One of the most important things that Dr. King talked about later on (in) his life is of the two Americans, which means that it’s important to celebrate him, so we can be attentive to the fact there’s still unfinished business in terms of his dream,” Harvell, coordinator of the Black Male and Queens Focus Group at Henry Ford College, said. “A lot of people assume that the journey was complete on April 4, 1968, because King was assassinated. But he himself said, ‘I may not get there with you, but we as a people will get to the promised land.’”

@LIZZY_PART LP274518@OHIO.EDU The Post is an award-winning, student-run media outlet that publishes online daily and also prints a weekly tabloid. We cover local and Ohio University news, sports, Athens life, entertainment and everything in between. We are always looking for new staff mambers who are willing and wanting to work in an exciting and digitally-minded newsroom.

Whether this is your first experience with journalism, or you are a veteran of your high school paper, we are more than happy to help get you started with reporting, shooting photos and video, coding, designing pages, producing podcasts and so much more.

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SIBS WEEKEND WITH OUTDOOR PURSUITS CAMPFIRE AND STARGAZING

THE RIDGES, MEET AT PING RECREATION CENTER LOBBY AT 7:45 P.M. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 8 P.M. – 11 P.M. $10 PER PERSON

ZIPLINE

THE RIDGES, MEET AT PING RECREATION CENTER 15 MINUTES BEFORE TIME SLOT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 EACH ZIPLINING SESSION IS ONE HOUR. SESSIONS BEGIN ON THE HOUR, RUNNING FROM 10 A.M. – 12 P.M. AND 1 P.M. – 5 P.M. $25 PER PERSON, PER SESSION

DAY HIKE IN HOCKING HILLS

MEET AT PING RECREATION CENTER LOBBY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 10 A.M. – 3 P.M. $20

REGISTER TODAY ON RECSHOP.OHIO.EDU

CHOOSE YOUR PURSUIT. WWW.OHIO.EDU/RECREATION

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

14 / JAN. 23, 2020

Cece Hooks relishes her role as Ohio’s defensive anchor First-Team All-MAC, MAC-All Defensive and the Defensive Player of the Year. Now, her sights are on repeating.

When Cece Hooks plays de“I earned it last year, so fense, she values two things: agI’m hoping to get it back gression and anticipation. again this year,” she said.

It’s why at least a few times a And she’s on pace to do it. game, the Ohio point guard will Hooks currently has a seemingly come out of nowhere conference-high 57 steals. to snatch a pass out of mid-air, If she keeps her 3.6 steals block a shot or take a charge. a game-average, she may Ohio is one of the best defenbreak her own record again. sive teams in the Mid-American Her steals have come in a Conference, and a major reason variety of ways. Sometimes why is because it is the confershe strips a weak crossover, ence’s best lockdown defender. and other times, she’ll just “She has tremendous inintercept the ball out the air. stincts,” coach Bob Boldon said.

It doesn’t matter how she “She’s a tremendous athlete. gets the ball because most of Right when she sees the ball, Ohio’s Cece Hooks drives she can go get it before any- past a Ball State defender the time her steals end up in during the game on Jan. points for the Bobcats. body else.”

20, 2020, in The Convo.

“I love stealing the ball,” Hooks’ anticipation stems (MADDIE BRYANT/ Hooks said. from her preparation with her FOR THE POST) While Hooks stats are brother, James. Before every impressive, she couldn’t game, the two siblings talk on the phone and scout who she’ll have to face. care less if they don’t result in a win over her If their point guard can’t go left, Hooks will most-talented opposition. Winning is what know. If the opponent’s top forward likes the drives her — that and locking down the best player her opposition has to face her. ball on the block, Hooks will anticipate it.

The MAC is full of talented scorers. Players And if Hooks has a bad game, she can exlike Buffalo’s Dyaisha Fair, Central Michigan’s pect James’ criticism, too.

“I take my brother’s criticism well,” Micaela Kelly and Miami’s Lauren Dickerson Hooks said. “If I don’t hear from him, I know all have Hooks excited. She revels in the idea of not only shutting them down, but shutting it’s a problem.”

Hooks has grown in all facets of her game them out.

“I want to get them no touches on the since arriving in Athens. Her improvement is more obvious on offense. During her fresh- ball,” Hooks said. “I want to take away their man year, Hooks scored 13.5 points per game, opportunity to score.”

Guarding the opponent’s best player is then improved those numbers to 17.7 in her sophomore campaign. Currently, Hooks’ 16.6 just one example of what Hooks is willing to points per game rank fifth on the MAC lead- do to help Ohio (10-6, 3-2 MAC) win. Her huserboard, but if she continues to have 25- and tle on the court fuels the Bobcats on every 28-point performances like she did in her last possession. Her motor is what creates andtwo games, those numbers may go up. It’s one buckets, charges, assists and many of the been an exciting development for the Bobcats key plays that help the Bobcats succeed.

Best believe if Hooks is on the floor, she’s to see her evolve into a more well-rounded scorer, but it’s even more reassuring to see giving her all. James wouldn’t have it any other way. how’s she’s sharpened her defensive tools.

“He’s always telling me to be aggressive In her first season, Hooks led the conference in steals and broke the Ohio sea- and to not take plays off,” Hooks said.

That explains Hooks’ play-to-the-end son record with 100. She was a clear lock for the MAC’s Freshman of the Year award mentality, her desire to dive for loose balls but failed to come home with two trophies and take charges from women twice her size.

But what about her ability to see into after the committee felt that the Defensive Player of the Year honor belonged to Cen- the future, to intercept passes like a alltral Michigan’s Tinara Moore for a second pro cornerback?

“I’m just quick on my feet I guess,” consecutive season.

Hooks said.

“I felt like I got robbed,” Hooks said.

In her sophomore season, Hooks made sure that none of the voters would overlook her. She @JL_KIRVEN broke her own steals record and was voted JK810916@OHIO.EDU

J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Examining the very slow but steady incline of the Bobcats MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR

I

f you look at the four losses in the Bobcats’ Mid-American Conference record, you wouldn’t be surprised at whom they came from.

Ohio has suffered two home defeats by Bowling Green and Toledo and a pair of road losses at Western Michigan and Buffalo. All four of those teams received high praise at the start of the season from the MAC coaches’ poll with three of the four teams receiving votes to be conference champions.

All four of those games were different, but all had a commonality: Ohio had more than its fair share of chances to win them.

Let’s start with Western Michigan, the Bobcats’ MAC opener. Ohio started the game off allowing the Broncos to go on a 12-0 run, then the Bobcats climbed onto a 18-16 lead with 6:58 left in the first half. It was the last lead they had in a game that ended up as a 12-point loss.

Bowling Green visited The Convo on Jan. 11, and as the preseason favorites to win the MAC, the Falcons certainly didn’t show it in the first half. Ohio took advantage of that, and its more experienced players in Ben Vander Plas and Jordan Dartis seized the opportunity.

The two combined for 25 points — led by Vander Plas’ 19 — and shot a combined 64% from the field. More impressively, Vander Plas went 5-for-6 on 3-pointers. The Bobcats’ 10-point lead at halftime showed a lot of promise and a lot of potential.

Then the second half happened. They couldn’t replicate the same performance on both ends of the floor. The Fal-

cons’ 50 second-half points gave Ohio its second conference loss, this one by nine.

Buffalo was similar to Bowling Green: a strong first half and then an absent second half. The Bulls, too, scored 50 in the second half, marking another Ohio loss, this one by three.

And then Tuesday night, the Bobcats played a roughly six-to-seven minute span of great basketball in the first half against a seasoned Toledo team but went on to lose by nine.

All of these moments are starting to add up. The highs, the lows and the middles of a program that, to avoid the cliche, is in the midst of a facelift, have been the difference between two wins in the MAC, compared to four or five.

“We’re close,” coach Jeff Boals said following the Bobcats’ 83-74 loss to Toledo. “A few possessions here and there, and you’re not 2-4; you’re 5-1. It’s a matter of being consistent.”

With such a young team and for many players getting their first taste of not only mid-major basketball, but one of the more even-keeled conferences in mid-major basketball, Ohio’s constant right now is the inconsistency.

Too many times the Bobcats have relied on one player to get the job done, whether it be Vander Plas, Dartis or Jason Preston. Against the Rockets, Vander Plas fouled out, Dartis only had eight points in 31 minutes and Preston was the lone starter to have an impact.

The sophomore point guard had 27 points, but it took 21 shots to get there. Where the Bobcats received help against Toledo was their bench, who for the first time all season, has been healthy.

Freshman Ben Roderick scored 11 points, and Miles Brown had six points and made key defensive stops in his nine minutes of game time as Ohio was trying to find life in the game. Two weeks ago when it opened up its MAC schedule at Western Michigan, the bench combined for 16 points. Against the Rockets, it scored 26 points.

While the Bobcats are making the strides necessary to set up success long-term, the short term effects are starting to present themselves, too — even if the close losses are starting to show on the marquee faces of the program.

“We’re learning,” Preston said. “It’s good to get these close losses out now, but our spirits are good, and we’re just going to keep learning.”

There are plenty of lessons learned from these first six conference games. There will be more lessons in the coming months once it wraps up the season, but these lessons aren’t what define a team with a first-year head coach and seven freshmen.

The lessons from this season will go on to serve as review points for when those freshmen turn into sophomores, juniors and then seniors. For when they are down early and can rally back. For when they are up by 10 at halftime, and instead of losing by nine, they have a win.

For the Bobcats (10-9, 2-4 MAC), it’s just growing pains, and it will be, but it’s building toward something that only those within the program can see.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

Leadership Programs Career & Leadership Development Center 21st Century Leadership Program Career Readiness Training Program All six leadership program workshops offered this Saturday.

Start your training today: ohio.joinhandshake.com

A P P LY F O R A S T U D E N T L E A D E R S H I P A WA R D APPLICATIONS DUE FEB. 1 B I T. LY/ O H I O U G A L A

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Winning Versus Growing Jeff Boals reflects on winning now versus focusing on future growth after loss to Toledo ANTHONY POISAL SPORTS EDITOR Jeff Boals has been tasked all season long with a predicament that not many coaches want to go through in their first year with a new program.

Ohio is in a rebuilding phase. That means Boals has to manage a roster full of young talent every night.

He also wants to win, and that means giving ample minutes to the most experienced players on Ohio’s roster.

Boals faced that challenge Tuesday in Ohio’s 83-74 loss to Toledo at The Convo, where the Bobcats were never out of the game from a score perspective but ultimately turned to their bench of freshmen to finish a sluggish game.

“Our bench the last couple games didn’t really give us anything,” Boals said. “I thought our bench was really good today. Everybody wants to play. When you come in to impact a game, you got to have great energy, and I thought those guys did that tonight.”

Ohio’s bench scored 26 points, five rebounds and two steals against Toledo. For Boals, that quality stat line is the biggest silver lining he can take from a game that featured the Bobcats opening with a 1-for-11 shooting drought and struggling to contain Toledo’s Marreon Jackson, who dropped 29 points and leads the Mid-American Conference in points.

Mason McMurray, Miles Brown, Nolan Foster and Ben Roderick — the four Bobcats to receive time off the bench — all figure to play heavier roles in Ohio’s future. None of them are in their sophomore seasons, but Boals has no choice but to give them minutes.

16 / JAN. 23, 2020

Ohio’s Ben Vander Plas drives past Toledo’s Willie Jackson during the Bobcats’ game on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, in The Convo. Ohio lost the game 83-74. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

Jason Preston, Ben Vander Plas and Jordan Dartis — the top three Ohio starters — have all played close to 40 minutes per game. They piloted the Bobcats to reasonable success in nonconference play, but the trio doesn’t appear to be enough to match against opponents that rank in the middle of the

pack of the MAC. So, how does Boals balance winning with ensuring that Ohio’s young core can blossom into his vision?

“I think it’s about the feel (of the game),” Boals said. “Sometimes, matchup-wise, it might be difficult to play certain guys and play your bench. The tempo of the game might

dictate how much you play your bench.”

The tempo Tuesday was, well, exceptionally slow. Ohio shot a lessthan-stellar 39% from the field, and the Bobcats’ offensive struggles forced Preston to shoot 21 times, tying a career high.

Roderick, Boals’ top freshman recruit, was

arguably Ohio’s smoothest shooter against the Rockets. He scored 11 points, went 4-for-8 from the field and drained three 3-pointers.

The 6-foot-5 forward, who Boals has frequently touted the “third-best” player on Ohio, has been limited for most of the season to injuries. Roderick is

healthy now but still has an uphill battle toward acclimating to the college level.

Boals, of course, is aware. That’s why Roderick’s minutes have steadily increased since the start of conference play.

“It’s just getting confidence with me,” Roderick said. “Every day in practice, I just keep working hard and watching film. My defense has to get better. I just need to keep progressing.”

The rest of Ohio’s young roster needs that, too, so Boals slowly began to sift through his substitutions as the clock waned down to its final minutes against Toledo. Even when the Bobcats brought the deficit to nine points with two minutes left, it only felt right.

For Ohio, those endings probably won’t change soon.

The Bobcats are set to play Akron (15-4, 5-1 MAC), Northern Illinois (10-9, 3-3 MAC) and Ball State (117, 4-1 MAC) in their next three games. The Zips and Cardinals are at the top of the MAC East Division and West Division, respectively, and the Huskies are dueling with the Rockets in the middle of the West Division.

If Ohio can’t stack up with Toledo, who’s beaten the Bobcats four times in their last five meetings, then the Bobcats will struggle to compete with just about every other opponent left on its schedule.

None of that, however, is surprising, given the roster Boals inherited for his first season. But as it becomes more clear that the Bobcats will finish the year closer to the basement of the MAC than the top, expect Ohio’s bench to garner more minutes.

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU

U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

KELSEY BOEING DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY The U.S. women’s national team released the Olympic-qualifying roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics. This roster required three players to be cut from the World Cup Roster, bringing it down to 20. With Alex Morgan announcing her pregnancy, that allowed for a little bit of room to cut. However, fans were shocked when the roster was released and the young fan favorite, Mallory Pugh, was left off the roster in favor of Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams.

Let’s break down the statistics from the USWNT and the National Women’s Soccer League between Pugh, Williams and McDonald.

MALLORY PUGH In the NWSL, Pugh has struggled keeping her minutes of play. In the 2019 season, Pugh only saw 765 minutes played as opposed to her 1,082 minutes in 2018 and 1,203 in her first season.

With the decreasing minutes and only nine starts in 2019, her number of goals scored saw a hit. Pugh went from scoring six goals in her first NWSL season to scoring only two goals and two assists in the 2019 season.

But performing at a national league level is not the same as performing at the international level. While Pugh’s performance at the national league is taken into consideration, the statistics of her international time are not ignored in determining whether or not she should have a spot on the roster. With a total of 62 caps, Pugh has scored 18 goals since starting on the USWNT in 2016.

Pugh has had trouble staying healthy throughout her seasons in the NWSL as well as the USWNT. Between a strained right hamstring in 2017 that took her out for six weeks, a ligament sprain in her right knee in 2018 and a hip injury in 2019, Pugh has been battling injuries for the majority of her professional career.

JESSICA MCDONALD With veteran status in the NWSL,

McDonald got her start on the USWNT later than most, not getting her first call up until 2016 at the age of 28. However, her age doesn’t stop her from dominating the national league. With 11 starts, 16 games played and a total of 1,031 minutes played in the 2019 season, McDonald helped lead the North Carolina Courage to the championship with six goals and three assists.

However, her performance in the national league has not translated completely to the international games.

Within three years, McDonald has had 14 caps and only scored two goals. It leaves the question: “Can she perform at the international level the same way she does in the national league?”

LYNN WILLIAMS Williams has without a doubt rose to fame in the NWSL. Ranked No. 2 on the list of players, she only falls behind Australia’s Sam Kerr. Williams has acquired 2,052 minutes in the 2019 season with 23 starts out of 24 games played. Out of those games, she has scored 12 goals and provided six assists. However, with 99 shots and only 48 on target, that number seems less impressive. Overall, Williams is a solid player on offense and defense, and it translates to international play.

Acquiring 21 caps and six goals, Williams’ average goals per games equals about 0.29 each game, equaling out to about the same as Pugh. However, Williams performance in a total of only 90 minutes, having more experience in the game and her ability to stay healthy, gives her the competitive edge.

Whether or not Pugh deserved a spot on the roster, the fact remains that head coach Vlatko Andonovski had the hard decision of cutting 23 players down to 20. With the current roster, the average age of the team is 29. While Pugh could have added a younger body to the field, only time will tell if Andonovski’s choices will pay off at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

@KELSEYBOEING KB794916@OHIO.EDU

PRIME CAMPUS LOCATIONS NO HIDDEN FEES $

450

per person / per month

3 Bedrooms with 2.5 Bathrooms

PLUS 2 BONUS ROOMS & OFF STREET PARKING

$

500

16 Walker

per person / per month

3 Bedrooms with 2 Bathrooms PRIVATE PATIO & SCENIC VIEW

$

500

70 N. Lancaster

per person / per month

* for 2 person occupancy

2-3 Bedrooms with 2 Bathrooms

AWESOME FRONT PORCH & OFF STREET PARKING

$

500

102 ½ W. State per person / per month

3 Bedrooms with 1 Bathrooms

PRIVATE BACK PORCH & OFF STREET PARKING

740.594.9098

123 Lancaster

AVAILABLE 2020-2021 www.ourentals.com

Mallory Pugh left off qualifying roster as the aging team heads to the 2020 Summer Olympics

FREE PIZZA when you schedule a viewing with us!

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

The best 5 songs off Halsey’s brilliant, unabashedly honest ‘Manic’ BRE OFFENBERGER COPY CHIEF

I

Pre-Season Basketball Tournament | $25 January 18 – 19 Register today on recshop.ohio.edu Sibs Weekend Escape Room | $5 (or free for intramural pass holders) February 8 NCAA Basketball Bracket Challenge | $5 (or free for intramural pass holders) • Men’s: March 9 – April 6 • Women’s: March 9 – April 5 Moms Weekend Sand Volleyball Tournament | $15 April 4

In the case of inclement weather, the tournament will be relocated to the indoor volleyball courts at Ping Recreation Center

Register for the family weekend events or NCAA challenge on the OHIO Rec app or imleagues.com Questions? Contact imsports@ohio.edu

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS www.ohio.edu/recreation

18 / JAN. 23, 2020

n a society that thrives off of bashing pop stars without even giving them a chance, Halsey’s latest album, Manic, will naturally be overlooked. It simply takes an open mind to see its immense variety and beauty — and it also helps that this is Halsey’s most polished, brutally honest, poignant album to date.

After releasing her music online, Halsey’s career gradually took off, resulting in a signing with Astralwerks in 2014. Her debut EP, Room 93, dropped in the same year. Halsey didn’t become a household name until her debut LP, Badlands, in 2015, and she became even bigger with her smash hit of a collaboration with The Chainsmokers on “Closer” in 2016. No prior release even closely compares to any of Manic’s tracks, though.

Radio friendliness wasn’t even an afterthought for Halsey on Manic. Every song was crafted to depict the tumultuous headspace she lives with daily, and she doesn’t hold back with the candid lyrics even for a second. “Graveyard” is simply catchy goodness, as the way Halsey’s voice glistens alongside the entrancing production can’t be beat. “More” is a heart-wrenching reveal of Halsey’s battle with endometriosis and recovering from her previous three miscarriages. The album is a smorgasbord of styles, experimenting heavily but somehow knowing what to implement at the perfect time, and it’s nothing short of the reassurance that we needed that pop music is in good hands.

Here are the best five tracks from Manic: 5. “YOU SHOULD BE SAD” “You should be sad” is about as spicy as lyrical content can get, especially since everyone knows it’s about rapper G-Eazy, who cheated on Halsey more than once during their year-long relationship.

Backed by a simple yet catchy acoustic guitar and enthralling harmonies, Halsey admits she mended G-Eazy’s entire being, but it wasn’t enough. She’s evidently grateful it didn’t go any further: “I’m so glad I never ever had a baby with you / ’Cause you can’t love something unless something’s in it for you.” The obvious shade is jaw-dropping but well-deserved on G-Eazy’s part.

4. “ASHLEY” Opening the album is “Ashley,” alluding to the idea that it’s about to be her most personal track yet, and it certainly is.

Halsey’s voice is powerful yet so delicate as the slightly monotonic beat helps the

angsty lyrics stand out: “Now, if I figure this out, apart from my beating heart / It’s a muscle, but it’s still not strong enough to carry the weight of the choices I’ve made.”

The track ends with a snippet of a quote Kate Winslet from the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that sets the empowering tone for the rest of the album.

3. “CLEMENTINE” Named for Winslet’s character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, “clementine” opens up on Halsey’s bipolar disorder. The track was dropped on her birthday, Sept. 29, as a way of revealing that growing older means coming to terms with your demons. Dejected piano keys accent Halsey’s vulnerable harmonies and honeyed vocals: “I’d like to tell you that my sky’s not blue; it’s violent rain / And in my world, the people on the street don’t know my name.” The simplicity of the instrumentation juxtaposes the meticulous lyricism almost too well.

2. “FINALLY // BEAUTIFUL STRANGER” Greg Kurstin evokes a dreamlike feeling with the acoustic guitar on “Finally // beautiful stranger.” Halsey revealed at an event in London this is the first love song she’s ever written, but the intricacy of the lyrics solidifies her as a love ballad virtuoso, anyway. Though the track is about singer YUNGBLUD, who is no longer with Halsey, there’s no denying their love was fairytale-like: “And I hope, beautiful stranger, here you are in my arms / But I think it’s finally, finally, finally, finally, finally safe for me to fall.”

1. “3AM” “3am” describes Halsey’s mindset after a night out: in need of reassurance and love from anyone who will give it to her.

She calls her entire contact list, but she just wants nothing past a few nice words: “I need it digital ’cause, baby, when it’s physical, I end up alone.” Kurstin and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers create an irreproachable euphoria with the electric guitar and drums, respectively. The track closes with a voicemail from John Mayer, who congratulates her on her radio hit, “Without Me,” right before it transitions into that track. “3am” is already one of the most relatable bangers of the year, and it’s the best on Manic.

RATING: @BRE_OFFENBERGER BO844517@OHIO.EDU

EXISTENTIAL BINGE-WATCHING

‘Joker’ deserves every one of its Oscar nominations in his full makeup and The Oscars have hissuit, Joker is essentorically shut out comic tially moving art. The book fi lms, with only a few fi lm editing, along having ever pushed themwith that, flows natuselves through the cracks rally and in a way that of the Academy Awards. conveys the plot while Most notably, as of late, holding the attention Heath Ledger’s posthuof viewers. mous win for his portrayAnd, of course, we al of the Joker in The Dark have the dynamic duo Knight and Black Panther’s of Joaquin Phoenix and handful of nominations Todd Phillips. Phoenix from last year comes to JACKSON HORVAT is Arthur Fleck; he is mind. For the most part, the Joker, and there’s no is a sophomore studying though, the superhero doubt about that. What genre is largely ignored journalism at Ohio University he does in this fi lm because of its typical takes Ledger’s commitblockbuster format.

This year might finally be the year ment to the comic role and applies it to that all changes, however, as Todd Phil- fully realizing a realistic take on what is lips’ Joker leads the pack with 11 nomina- usually an ultra-fictional character. His tions. And it deserves to win every single performance is unnerving yet also relatable and one that perfectly encapsulates one of them.

It’s no secret that I’m a hardcore fan society’s ignorance toward one man’s of this fi lm. Regardless of my love for the mental illness.

Through Phoenix’s acting and Phillips’ movie, the backlash to Joker’s nominations doesn’t make any sense. Just be- directing, Joker doesn’t feel like a comic cause it’s a fi lm based on comic books book fi lm. It feels more like a beautiful doesn’t mean it has to be like others in rendition of a story that could be all too the genre. In fact, it does just as good real in our world. It honors the characa job, or even better, at telling the sto- ters that fans have come to know and ry it wants to convey as other fi lms. Ev- love but also uses them to tell a story and ery category it’s getting a nod for, from relay a message that needs and deserves to be heard, especially today. makeup to best picture, it deserves.

The fact that it doesn’t play as a tradiCostume design as well as makeup and hairstyling are a given. This version tional comic book fi lm is exactly why it’s of the Joker is already iconic because its worthy of winning any of the Oscars it’s own unique take on the character hon- been nominated for. The way it takes the ored the Clown Prince of Crime. It’s al- superhero genre and flips it on its head ready even rivaling Ledger’s version for in terms of what the movies are capable number of Halloween interpretations, of doing is why it deserves every single which, yes, I may have been guilty of do- one of these Academy Awards. It exceeds in each of these areas, and of course, ing this past October.

Sound editing and sound mixing are then is worthy of even winning best picalmost a given as well. The score, the ture this year.

Do other fi lms deserve any array of harsh undertones during Arthur’s breakdowns — it’s a dynamic mix of enlighten- these awards as well? Yes. But do not dising and haunting. The juxtaposition of regard Joker just because it’s based on a songs and white noises that will continue crazed clown from a comic book about a to ring in your head are some of the best guy dressed up like a bat. ever to be presented in fi lm.

The cinematography is brilliant, concise and meaningful in everything Please note that the views and opinions shown on the screen. Every shot of Ar- of the columnists do not reflect those of thur’s pained cackles, to the now-iconic The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by image of him dancing down the steps tweeting him at @horvatjackson.

HERE’S THE TEA

Martin Luther King Jr.’s message has been lost eracy, called Neo-Confederates, The nation is celebrating Markeep racism and white supremtin Luther King Jr. Day, a day to acy alive. It is disrespectful to commemorate one of the greatest continue to honor and celebrate civil rights activists. Martin Luther a symbol of racism, such as the King Jr. is known for his nonviolent Confederate flag, the day before approach in gaining equality for IANA FIELDS the nation celebrates a symbol of people of color. On top of equalis a freshman peace and justice. ity, King valued peace and understudying English King would be disappointed standing, which is something this creative writing at because violence has resurged nation has lost.

Ohio University since his death. The riots in CharThe lack of respect people have for each other is deeply rooted, but they are lottesville, Virginia, and the synagogue shootbecoming more comfortable with it because ing in Pittsburgh show just how aggressive of the current president. The president’s bigotry has become. One of King’s principles rhetoric in the past included calling the was that non-violence chooses love instead countries of Haiti, El Salvador and Africa “s-- of hate. King, being an advocate of nonviolent social change, was able to inspire an effective -hole countries.”

He also has made alarming comments movement that changed the nation forever. about his daughter, saying, “She does have a Society would benefit from referring back to very nice figure. I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my this principle to prevent any more casualties.

To truly commemorate King, there needs daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

It’s a lot to blame someone for an issue to be a deeper understanding of his message that has been relevant since the beginning of of equality and peace along with respecting time, but when an authority figure, such as one another. Educating others to create a the president, has no respect for women and community is key. Whether people agree or people of color, that can lead to others feeling disagree, there needs to be a mutual level of respect as the nation honors and celebrates a more justified in their bigotry.

The south further disrespects King with powerful African American man. its reluctance to acknowledge the holiday. In Alabama and Mississippi, the Sunday before Please note that the views and opinions of MLK Jr. Day, Robert E. Lee Day is celebrated. the columnists do not reflect those of The Lee was the Confederate general during the Post. Want to talk to Iana? Tweet her @ Civil War. Modern supporters of the Confed- FieldsIana.

CUMBERLAND ISLAND

CUMBERLAND ISLAND, GA | MARCH 7 - 14 $450 PER PERSON REGISTER TODAY ON RECSHOP.OHIO.EDU

www.ohio.edu/recreation

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

A

SEAT

The standing room shrank more and more as concerned students and faculty members gathered shoulder-to-shoulder inside the Walter Rotunda, some wearing Ohio “Red for Ed” shirts while many grasped picket signs.

TABLE

Led by the Ohio University chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the group stood silently before the OU Board of Trustees on Jan. 17, protesting what many believe to be unfair decision-making by OU administration regarding the university’s budget.

at the

Faculty feel left out of budget planning and decision-making

BOBCAT BARBELLES PING RECREATION CENTER February 10 – April 20

as low as

$50 for the full program, includes a Bobcat Barbelles tank top This nine-week program is designed to teach strength training fundamentals, provide fitness and nutrition information and build confidence in and out of the weight room.

REGISTER TODAY ON RECSHOP.OHIO.EDU

3BEDS.NET 475

$

per person / per month

www.ohio.edu/recreation

740.594.9098 20 / JAN. 23, 2020

NOLAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

T

he university released its “Fearlessly First” strategic framework in September 2019, which proposes ideas for how the university can keep up financially with fundamental changes affecting higher education, including declining enrollment numbers, changing technology and decreased state funding.

Among these proposals includes the shrinking of academic departments across the university, a move that has prompted outrage from faculty and students alike, who define the current situation as a crisis, like during the OU Fun Facts Protest that occurred last fall.

Others define it differently. At the Board of Trustees media availability meeting, Trustees Chair Dave Scholl said that the university will only find itself in a financial crisis if it doesn’t change with the times. It might not be a budget crisis right now but could be in the future.

But as OU seeks to remain sustainable in the changing world of higher education, many faculty members feel that they are not being given a proper seat at the table.

“We are witnessing faculty not having a contract renewed. We’re seeing documents about fundamental restructuring. We are hearing about programs for voluntary retirements of tenured faculty,” OU-AAUP President Loren Lybarger said. “This feels like a crisis.”

Last spring, the university asked the individual colleges to reduce their budgets by a collective $19.3 million over the next four years, citing issues like declining enrollment numbers and competition by for-profit universities and other alternatives to four-year universities, according to April Minutes from OU’s Budget Planning Council.

Salary and benefits for all employees make up about 64.6% of all university revenue expenditures, according to the university’s 2020 budget.

Members of OU-AAUP believe the need for the budget reduction can be primarily attributed to increased administrative spending over the past eight years, according to an OU-AAUP budget analysis.

Since the late 1970s, the ratio of faculty to students has remained relatively stable, and faculty salaries have not seen an overall increase, according to the budget analysis.

Meanwhile, the ratio of administrators to students has dramatically increased since 2010, and the number of administrators has increased from about 800 to about 1,190, around a 45% increase, according to the budget analysis.

Lybarger said that faculty accept the reality of the current situation around higher education. The state has been cutting funding for higher education, enrollment is dropping and other universities are competing for the same pool of students, he said. But faculty are worried about how the university is choosing to react.

“We accept that we’re going to have to shrink as an institution,” he said. “But we need to be talking about how that happens, and part of that discussion needs to be about the number of administrators we actually need … and then let’s talk about how many faculty we need, how many we can actually have given our constraints and what’s really important …”

And with the growth of administrative positions, some faculty feel that they have lost power in the decision-making process.

“We are asking a basic question: How is it that we’re firing faculty and seeking to shrink the size of the faculty while, at the same time, we see the administration expanding and administrative salaries at the highest level?”

Lybarger said. “That doesn’t compute. Frankly, in my view,

“

We accept that we’re going to have to shrink as an institution, but we need to be talking about how that happens, and part of that discussion needs to be about the number of administrators we actually need ...

and then let’s talk about how many faculty we need, how many we can actually have given our constraints and what’s really important.”

- Loren Lybarger, OU-AAUP President

it raises a lot of questions about the kinds of decisions that are being made here.”

Members of OU-AAUP believe that the university does not currently embrace the idea of shared governance, Lybarger said. This is an idea outlined by the national AAUP that gives faculty, who have authority over matters related to teaching and research, input in budget decisions and creating a strategic framework.

This includes giving faculty voting rights that allow them to affect budget decisions, especially as these decisions matter to their disciplines. In other words, shared governance allows faculty input to have “bite,” Lybarger said.

That loss of power can be seen in things like the Budget Planning Council, an advisory body made up of faculty, administrators and students tasked with advising the president on budget issues, financial policies and funding priorities.

Joe McLaughlin, an associate professor who used to sit on the BPC, said that over time, the body has become less of a deliberative body where decisions get made and serves more of an information-serving forum.

“At certain points in the year, the Budget Planning Council is asked to take a vote and weigh in on things like tuition increases or fees for new master’s programs. But it’s not a place where there’s a lot of debate and discussion,” McLaughlin said.

The BPC, or any other faculty-involved budget committee, has never had the power to decide on things that are given significant portions of the budget, like student affairs or athletics, McLaughlin said.

“There’s never a discussion about … those big budget

areas in the university and the relative distribution of resources among them,” he said. “The tables that we have seats at are really not the places where the important decisions are being discussed and ultimately made.”

These decisions being made go beyond the discussion of the strength of faculty input, Lybarger said. They affect students’ education, too.

“What does it mean to come in and get a liberal arts education? ” Lybarger said. “Maybe you send your kid here for something else … If it’s a top-down model, whatever the administration and the Board of Trustees decides is marketable at that particular point in time.”

Lybarger also said that the current changing environment of higher education is a chance for the university to reassess its educational programs.

“What about a strategic investment in the faculty that are here and in their programs to reinforce the strengths of this university as a liberal arts university in Southeastern Ohio and Appalachian Ohio?” Lybarger said.

After the Friday morning protest ended with faculty blowing a whistle and leaving the building, OU President Duane Nellis said at the media availability meeting that the university makes an effort to take into account faculty input for any decision made but that making large budget decisions is a process that requires many different perspectives.

OU-AAUP will hold its next meeting at 4 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Bentley 306.

@NOLANSIMMONS37 NS622217@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender The Union makes noise with Aquabear Legion KERI JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

Old faces return to create new music at The Union on Sunday.

The Athens Noise Show 2020 highlights the sounds of Athens from years ago. The noise show is put on by Aquabear Legion, an Ohio-based music collective. The show starts at 4 p.m. and wraps up around 7 p.m. at The Union, 18 W. Union St. The term “noise” appears to be more avant-garde than it really is. Bands such as Radiohead, Sonic Youth and The Velvet Underground utilize noise in their musical stylings. Noise, simply put, is the unconventional use of musical sound.

Noise shows in Athens were a monthly event for a number of years, Brian Koscho, co-founder of Aquabear Legion, said. Noise shows informally started around 2005, and the latest one was in 2011.

“A group of friends, mostly the same people as now, started back then at ARTS/West right after it first opened,” Koscho said.

When the noise shows first started, Koscho had only been playing music for a couple years. He participated in the noise shows in his formative years.

“It’s an interesting thing now to re-approach from knowing, practicing and having played a lot more,” Koscho said.

To Koscho, the upcoming noise show is a reunion of sorts. “(Noise shows are) so much fun to do,” Koscho said. “It sort of became this thing that we kicked around a lot that we could do on a semi-regular basis. We had a trial run in December in a friend’s studio, and it was a blast.”

Noise as a genre ranges in sound. The Athens Noise Show is similar to drone, experimental and improvisational music, Koscho said. It’s a liberating and loose style of music.

“You’re hard-pressed to have something that would be described as harsh noise,” Koscho said. “This probably drifts more into the end of psychedelic-experimental.”

Ostensibly, noise is less about genre and more about music, Andrew Lampela, a member of Aquabear Legion, said.

22 / JAN. 23, 2020

“(Noise music) is whatever comes out,” Lampela said.

“It’s more reacting to what’s going on, (rather) than expectation.”

The Athens Noise Show will be composed of eight to nine 20-minute sets of music in a three-hour period. All performances will be on the floor, stripped down and improvised.

Noise music utilizes unorthodox sounds through music. “(Noise music employs) techniques of weird stuff in instruments,” Koscho said.

The set-up will allow listeners to be present with the music, Koscho said.

“It’s an opportunity to get outside your com(From left to right) Jude Colagiovanni, David Colagiovanni, Andrew Lampela and Brian Koscho pose for a fort zone and get weird,” portrait with their instruments in front of The Union, where they will be performing as a part of the Athens Lampela said. “It’s a chance Noise Show. (ERIN BURK/ FOR THE POST) to freak out.” see around town,” Koscho said.

The noise show reppeople to find value in music.

To Koscho, the date and time of the show resents something more than just Aquabear “(Noise music) is a good thing to do,” AshLegion, though. For Koscho and Lampela, it is something that makes it different. Sunday er said. “As people, we have an obligation to showcases what makes Athens so special — afternoons are usually not too busy with do something with art.” events. Parking is free, and it makes for an all the artists and musicians in a rural city.

“A lot of talent is concentrated here,” early night.

“It might not be the most accessible Lampela said. “A lot of bizarre people are @_KERIJOHNSON KJ153517@OHIO.EDU concentrated here — very cool, weird people genre, but we give it a really accessible time,” Koscho said. who do awesome things.”

Koscho recommends checking out Koscho thinks the noise show is something different for The Union. Not only is Aquabear Legion’s “Athena Headache” podIF YOU GO noise a niche genre, but it’s rare to find ven- cast for a taste of noise music. He anticipates the next noise show to occur at ARTS/ ues that can support noise performances.

WHAT: Athens Noise Show “If you haven’t been to The Union be- West, 132 W. State St., in early March. Kos2020 / installment 1 fore and you are into live music, this is a cho hopes to incorporate student participaWHEN: Sunday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. really different thing,” Koscho said. “It’s tion and feature touring acts in future noise a different sort of show with a different shows, too.

WHERE: The Union Bar and Zack Asher, a senior studying journalgroup of people.”

Grill, 18 W. Union St. Koscho noted that local music figures ism, goes to shows at The Union every once in a while. He enjoys that though will be at the show.

ADMISSION: Free; donations “You’re gonna see people who you’d rec- noise music is noise, listeners still find encouraged ognize in other bands or the old dudes you meaning. He thinks it’s important for

HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ATHENS THIS WEEKEND TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST

FRIDAY Trust Me Dance Party at 10 p.m. at

Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina, 6 W. State St. It’s a celebration of DJ B-Funk’s 40th birthday at Casa Nueva with a selection of music of his choice and dancing.

This event is open to the public ages 18 and up. Admission: Free

form of functional embroidery from Japan often used to enforce points of wear on clothing. This method will be used to make coaster out of rescued denim. Admission: $30-$35 Shadow in The Moon at 6 p.m. at

Jackie O’s Brewery, 25 Campbell St. Shadow in the Moon is an “artfully spooky” folk rock duo from Lancaster. Tips are appreciated. Admission: Free

MojoFlo Single Release Party at 9

p.m. at The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. It’s celebration of MojoFlo’s new album, Perpetual Conduit of Positivity, with special guest Velvet Green. Admission: $10 Social Justice Shabbat at 6 p.m.

at Hillel at Ohio University, 21 Mill St. Hillel is hosting a social justice-themed Shabbat in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. after the service. Admission: Free

SATURDAY Winter Hike at 10 a.m. at Lake Hope

State Park, 27331 State Route 278.

Participants will be given the opportunity to hike Lake Hope’s 3-mile Peninsula Loop Trail. It’s recommended to dress in layers and wear sturdy boots.

Admission: Free

SUNDAY

OPEN STAGE

The Front Room • Baker Univ. Ctr

Donkey Coffee

The Dairy Barn Arts Center

Poetry, prose and spokenword open stage.

A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF

OPEN STAGE

Showcase your talent-or just enjoy a cup of coffee as a spectator

EVERY FRIDAY 8:00 pm

DESIGNATED SPACE EVERY TUESDAY 9-11 pm donkeycoffee.com

Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road. A slow flow practice is taught with modifications for poses to make the class open to all skill levels. Bring your own mat. Admission: Free, but donations appreciated Athens Noise Show at 4 p.m. at The Union. Prepare for a performance of experimental, improv, drone and strange music. Donations are encouraged.

Admission: Free Game Night at 3 p.m. at Little Fish.

It will feature games like D&D, Magic the Gathering, Risk and Euchre. Players are encouraged to bring any games they would like to share. Admission: Free

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

GARY JACKSON KIRKSEY on view through Feb. 8th

Admission: $5, free for members and children under 12..

Glidden Recital Hall

SPENCER MYER PIANO

Sunday, Jan. 26th 3:00 pm spencermyer.com

The Union Bar

ATHENS NOISE SHOW 2020

A few hours of experimental, improv, drone,& strange music

Stuart’s Opera House

POETRY OUT LOUD

Join us for the Southeast Ohio regional semifinal for Poetry Out Loud! This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Friday, Jan. 31st 7:00 pm

Sunday, Jan. 26th 4 - 7 pm

FREE ADMISSION

West End Ciderhouse

Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

stuartsoperhouse.org

Little Fish Yoga at 10 a.m. at Little

Shashiko Coaster Making at 1 p.m.

at The Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane. Shashiko is a

OPEN STAGE

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Join Chris Monday for Open Mic Night. $1 off most house & draft taps

EVERY MONDAY 7-10 pm

Baker Univ Ctr. • Room 403

INTL. WOMEN’S COFFEE HOUR Join us for a relaxing coffee and conversation.

Use this community to support one another as we prepare for finals and other upcoming events.

Sponsored by: Ohio University Women’s Center & International Faculty and Staff Services

Tuesday, Jan. 28th 4 - 5 pm

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/womens-center

DUSTIN LYNCH Saturday, Feb. 1st 8:00 pm $66 first 10 rows $46 Floor • $36 Balcony

ohio.edu/performing-arts

OU Gallery • Seigfred Hall AS, NOT FOR: AFRICAN AMERICAN POSTERS

An incomplete historical survey of work by African-American graphic designers. Curated by Jerome Harris

Through Feb. 22nd

dairybarn.org

Market on State ATHENS FARMERS MARKET: THE HANDS THAT FEED US The exhibit features a body of work created through a partnership between the Athens Photo Project and the Athens Farmers Market.

The exhibition features work from 22 APP artists who spent six weeks exploring and documenting many of the local farms and businesses that comprise the Athens Farmers Market.

on view Through April 30th

FREE ADMISSION athensphotoproject.org

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

$15 per week!

Kennedy Museum of Art send us an email PICTURE THE WORLD: BURHAN DOĞANÇAY postadvertising@ohio.edu AS PHOTOGRAPHER

Through Mar. 22nd

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Semester pricing and discounts are available.

Space is limited

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

Mac Miller’s ‘Circles’ confirms his musical legacy will triumph his untimely passing CAMDEN GILREATH FOR THE POST

O

ver a year after the sudden and unfortunate passing of Malcolm James McCormick, also known as Mac Miller, the family of the late star has given Warner Records permission to release his final album, Circles. It’s his only posthumous album and rounds out a prolific career that consists of six major studio albums and multiple mixtapes. Circles is Miller’s fourth album to be released through Warner Records.

It’s no secret the beloved rapper underwent a major evolution across his career since his early mixtape days in 2009. That artistic maturation has been lauded by many music snobs; however, his transition from psychedelic cloud-rap to upbeat pop-rap to neo-soul balladry on his latest projects has been divisive for some fans.

While critically acclaimed, 2018’s Swimming is arguably an inconsistent album. Since Circles was tagged as a sister album to go in conjunction with Swimming, originally conceived as part of a trilogy that Miller was unable to complete before his passing, it was easy to forecast that this latest LP would be dabbling in similar styles and themes.

Despite sharing many of the same characteristics as the malaise and often lackadaisical Swimming, Circles surpasses his last album in nearly every way. Jon Brion, an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, majorly contributed to polishing up the production on the album after Miller’s passing and is the second credit behind Miller on nearly all of the beats here. As a result, the production is paced, gentle and serene, providing a perfect platform for Miller’s emotional deluge. Brion did a masterful job arranging the album and crafting a sound that conveys the raw feelings that Miller poured out throughout the album’s 48-minute runtime.

To a degree that is unusual for most albums, the unique way Circles is arranged is supremely conducive to its success. The intimacy and closeness of its compositions gives Miller’s lyrics an impact that feels more tangible, real and crushing. Many of the tracks are so emotionally immersive that it feels like a singer-songwriter odyssey from the other side of death, given straight to us from Miller’s spirit. Hearing the subtleties in the vocals, the crispness of each word, brings a new character to the songwriting and allows it to shine brighter than ever before.

Going into the lyrics of each track in would be laborious for readers, but what’s important to note is there are many extremely revealing bars that are worth reading into, especially for Mac Miller fans.

The title track opens with the lines: “Well, this is what it looks like right before you fall / Stumblin’ around, you’ve been guessing your direction / Next step, you can’t see at all / And I don’t have a name; I don’t have a name, no / Who am I to blame?

Who am I to blame, though?”

The opening refers to the message conveyed in Swimming’s last track, “So It Goes,” and continues focusing on the themes of isolation, despair and hopelessness — themes that are prevalent throughout the whole album. Miller does a great job of varying his lyricism and delivery at various points to keep the concept from becoming stale.

That is another point of contrast from Swimming, which was sometimes banal in its portrayal of Mac’s dejection and emotional vulnerability. One of the best tracks on Circles is easily “Woods,” which presents his thoughts on fading away to something he accepts as an inevitability and also his reluctance to love, saying that attachment is futile and will only bring him pain.

“Hand Me Downs,” the following track, depicts Miller already in a relationship that he sees as being weighed down by his own flaws and destructive tendencies. He is thankful to this person for caring and

trying to keep him afloat, but he concedes the battle and warns them that he is “full of darkness.” The narrative is so strong and compelling that it makes up for much of the repetitive nature of the instrumentals and the melodies, and that goes for most of the songs on the project.

The dynamics in the storytelling and emotional vulnerability of the album exhibited on tracks like “Good News,” “Everybody” and “Complicated” reach a much higher impact than any album Miller released to this point, and that speaks to his growth as an artist.

Another area of growth the album exemplifies is Miller’s singing voice. Never before has he come off so tortured, broken and isolated, and that’s because the melodies and vocal parts are executed better than ever before. The intimacy of the mixing may also have something to do with it as well as the gentle tone that Miller rarely strays from, but there is no question the singing on this project is consistently good at enhancing the emotional dejection contained in Miller’s words alone.

The level of growth and maturation displayed across Circles is wonderful to hear — but is also tormenting at the same time. Where Miller’s talents could have taken him past this is something that fans will ponder for a very long time.

Regardless, the album is a powerful showcase of the skills that he acquired over the course of his alltoo-short career. Circles should bring consolation and confirmation to all Mac Miller fans that his musical legacy will triumph his passing and that his run as an artist ended on the strongest note it could have.

RATING:

@CAMGILREATH23 CG545216@OHIO.EDU

OU STUDENTS! L ATHENS 740-594-7272

L A I C E P S T H ATE NIG za z i P g n i p p o -T 1 Large

7.99

$

@PJAthens "LIKE" our page and Follow Us for more great specials

after 9pm

Not Valid with any other offer. Valid at Athens, Ohio location only. Customer pays all applicable sales tax. Additional toppings extra. Delivery Charge extra.