January 30, 2020

Blooming

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

through music

Athens-based band Ready Aim Flowers loves playing locally but is ready for more P20

+

Esports coming to the university P8

Hockey game day rituals and routines P12

Indoor date ideas in Athens P17

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Celebrating Student Press Freedom Day Student Press Freedom Day was celebrated nationally among student journalists on Wednesday. It is a day to celebrate the work of student journalists and is also a reminder that students should not be censored for their work.

The Post is an editorially-independent student newspaper that has been around for over 100 years.

The theme for Student Press Freedom Day is “This is What Student Press Freedom Looks Like.” Instead of me writing what I thought that meant for The Post, I wanted to give our staff a chance to express what being a part of The Post means to them.

Here are some of their responses: ELLEN WAGNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Post has given me a platform to experience and learn the most vital lessons of journalism. Students who take advantage of the benefits of student journalism will always have a bright future. — Anthony Poisal The Post has allowed me to explore and experiment with different niches within the journalism field. Without it, I wouldn’t have gained real-world journalism experience before even entering the field. — Taylor Johnston

to explain things to people in an understandable way so that everyone is informed and knows what is going on in their community. The Post has given me the opportunity to make meaningful graphics that can help people understand issues in a visual way. — Rilee Lockhart The Post allows me the opportunity to serve both the Athens and Ohio University student community as well as develop skills that are deeply important to my future career. — Taylor Burnette I’ve always thought that being educated on various topics is one of the most important things to living an informed life, and The Post lets me help in achieving that mission. — Jack Hiltner As an out-of-state student, The Post has given me the opportunity to not only learn about Athens, but about how vital local journalism is to communities nationwide. — Emma Skidmore Without student journalism, college campuses would be blindly at the will of their administrations. The Post is here to make sure that doesn’t happen. — Shelby Campbell Student journalism is critical for holding

To me, student press is all about being able

our university accountable as well as ensuring the future of a strong free press. The skills I’ve learned at The Post will help me be a better journalist after I graduate so I can play my part in promoting press freedoms. — Maggie Campbell Not only has The Post strengthened my skills as a writer and reporter, but it’s taught me so much about the role of a journalist in society.

By submitting public records requests, covering protests and more, The Post has taught me my rights as a journalist and how to defend them. — Abby Miller The Post has allowed me to build a rapport with other fantastic journalists and enhance my skills as a writer and copy editor. It has also shown me that student journalism matters now more than ever. — Bre Offenberger The Post has made me much more confident in navigating the journalism industry, which can often be confusing and hard to get started in without any help. — Eli Feazell 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.

COVER PHOTO BY ERIN BURK

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 ASST. OPINION EDITOR Noah Wright 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

ART

ART DIRECTOR Rilee Lockhart 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. 30, 2020

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Some professors say city-owned street lights could do more to reduce light pollution BEKAH BOSTICK FOR THE POST

S

treet lighting in Athens is designed with the reduction of light pollution in mind, but some astronomers say it could go a step further.

The city of Athens has followed the same standards for street lighting for nearly two decades, which was partially the result of trying to fi nd the middle ground between safety and light pollution.

The city lighting standards are designed so that streetlights shine where they are necessary while not casting too much upward lighting. This is done in order to lessen the amount of light pollution, a request made to the city by astronomy professors and stargazing hobbyists.

The idea to reduce light pollution fi rst came from Joseph Shields, an astronomy professor at Ohio University and the vice president for research and creative activity, who advocated for the city to lower the lumen level, or the amount of light produced by lighting fi xtures, in order to better see the sky at night.

George Eberts, an instructor and outreach specialist for the astronomy program, said city lighting still makes it difficult for astronomers to see at night.

“If you take a low wattage … lumen level and you direct it properly, your visibility on the ground will be much better than if you have a high lumen level blasting in every direction,” Eberts said. “Good, well-designed lighting means eliminating glare, and glare is harmful to seeing things at night. Any time you’ve put up your hand to block a light, you’re blocking the glare.

That’s glare, and you shouldn’t have to do that.”

Eberts teaches three sections of Astronomy 1400, which he tries to teach outside as much as possible.

“I’m not able to see much of what I want to show people with too much light pollution,” Eberts said. “We have ways of dealing with that, but it involves hopping in a van and going out into the country.”

Eberts also said beyond a certain point, you can’t see the Milky Way or any faint or even medium stars.

Walking around downtown, a suburb or a shopping mall parking lot at night makes it challenging to see stars. No matter how clear the night is, only a few larger stars may be visible to those who know where to look for them.

Eberts said the city could consider using total cutoff lighting, a style of streetlight that directs all of the light toward the ground, illuminating what’s necessary without any glare or light shining upward. This style

of lighting has proven its use in Tucson, Arizona, where total cutoff lighting was installed to reduce light pollution near Kitt Peak National Observatory, Eberts said.

All city-owned streetlights and traffic signals are powered by LED lighting, Andy Stone, city service safety director, said.

Stone said the city has talked about total cutoff lighting but did not say if the city is planning on using it in the future.

LED lights could be converted to full cutoff lighting, but it would be more difficult than with other kinds of lighting because LEDs cannot be fi ltered as easily, Eberts said.

“You have to make a real proactive effort to get the wattage down … so LEDs can be fi ne, but you have to understand how they work and choose them and place them carefully. All of it starts to sound like more trouble than it’s worth.”

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Incumbent county treasurer being challenged from within his own party GEORGE SHILLCOCK FOR THE POST Ric Wasserman, the incumbent Athens County treasurer, is being challenged for his seat by another Democrat, Athens City Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At Large.

Back in April 2018, former treasurer Bill Bias announced his retirement and resignation from the position about halfway through his four-year term. This caused the Athens County Democratic Party’s Central Committee to hold a vote to see who would succeed him. The candidates at the time were Wasserman and Kotses.

During this vote, it came down to a 12-12 stalemate. The two drew cards as a tiebreaker. Wasserman drew a king, and Kotses drew a 4, making Wasserman the next treasurer.

Wasserman went on to participate in a special election against Republican Gary Van Meter, who was then defeated 62% to 38%, a margin of 5,000 votes.

Wasserman took office soon after he won against Van Meter in 2018, performing duties outlined in the Ohio Revised Code as well as some new duties not yet implemented into

the Athens County position.

Kotses said he is running because he thinks he can do a better job, and he would like to hold Wasserman accountable for the job he is doing.

“Do you wait for power to be relinquished, or do you continue to make a challenge?” Kotses said. “If I hadn’t collected my signatures and put my name on the ballot, I’d be waiting four more years.”

Kotses said he believes people deserve a choice and that it is unfortunate so many races run uncontested.

Currently, there are no Republican or Independent challengers for the Athens County treasurer race.

When he took office, Wasserman focused on the land bank, a tool used to address blighted and abandoned properties that incur taxes and lower nearby property values, which was not used by the previous treasurer.

Both Kotses and Wasserman said utilizing the land bank would be a main priority for their time in office. So far since 2018, Wasserman has been able to begin the implementation of the land bank.

“All the work done on the land bank so far has been me and my partner Chris Chmiel, the county commissioner,” Wassserman said.

“We have a five-person board, but we’re the actual worker bees who do all the stuff.”

Kotses said he wants to expand the responsibilities of the county treasurer, especially with the land bank, to work more with other county agencies, such as the Athens City-County Health Department.

“Really, when it comes down to it, it’s figuring out what leadership style you want in your (elected officials) and who you want to support, which way you want the process to get done in a better, more impactful manner,” Kotses said.

Wasserman’s knew over a year ago that Kotses was going to challenge him but hopes voters recognize what he views as a job well done.

“I don’t feel like I have any right not to be challenged. I feel like I have a really good base of experience to run on. I feel like I have a lot to say on this position, and I’m happy to go out there and make my case,” Wasserman said.

Not all Democrats are excited about Ko-

tses’ challenge. John Haseley, the chairman of the Athens County Democratic Party, said he was “disappointed” in the city councilman’s decision.

“Peter is obviously a talented public servant,” Haseley said. “I encouraged him to run for a different office and not challenge an incumbent in the primary.”

Haseley said he believes both Kotses and Wasserman do a good job in their respective positions and that he is not alone in this view.

“I think that most Democrats like Peter Kotses and like Ric Wasserman and wish that there wasn’t a race between the two of them right now,” Haseley said.

The Democratic Primary on March 17 will decide who goes on to become the Democratic nominee for the November general election.

Kotses said voters will have opportunities to hear from him and Wasserman in the coming months with forums organized by the League of Women Voters in communities around the county.

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OU Fun Facts preparing for events later in the semester President Nellis deferred discussions with the group to Student Senate TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST Since returning from winter break, OU Fun Facts has focused on regrouping in preparation for its Spring Semester plans.

In December, the group held a round table meeting to sign up new members and explain their positions, which include having discussions with the university about how changes in the budget will affect faculty and students.

Recently, OU Fun Facts members supported faculty during a silent protest held by the university chapter of the American Association of University Professors during a January Board of Trustees meeting.

OU Fun Facts was founded spontaneously after Alex Armstrong, a senior studying French and one of the organizing members, had seen OU-AAUP’s budget analysis on Facebook, he said. Armstrong said the information he’d seen in the analysis shocked him to the point that he felt it was something every student on campus should know.

It led Armstrong to create a list of “fun facts” about the most eye-catching information in the OU-AAUP budget analysis.

“I took the info from that flyer, and I didn’t really have a plan. I was just angry, and I wanted to do something, so I made that little sheet,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong then printed about 20 copies of the flyers and put them in buildings around campus. The flyers made it onto Twitter, where they blew up, Armstrong said, and he began discussing with friends about what they could do.

“We all got together and … we ended up printing hundreds of copies. We just started sticking them up in all the buildings … to get the message out,” Armstrong said. “It didn’t really start turning into anything formal, like a movement or anything, until after that.”

Though winter break was approaching, OU Fun Facts held a rally to support faculty and protest the university’s changing budget before students left campus.

“This was the week before Thanksgiving,” Armstrong said. “We talked about it, and we said, ‘Now we have to try because this has really blown up in the last couple of days. We have the momentum, so we have to.’”

The rally led to discussion between OU Fun Facts members and OU President Duane Nellis.

“The thing that really struck me was … where we were sort of getting this message of ‘We’re facing problems with enrollment.

We can’t be having things that hurt our public image like rallies, and instead, we should engage in internal dialogue (with) students, administrators and faculty members,’” Armstrong said. “I didn’t sugarcoat anything. I said that we do want to engage in internal dialogue … but we recognize that unless we are coming from a position of power, from a position of leverage, you don’t have to listen to what we say,” Armstrong said.

The group was in contact with Nellis’ office during the weeks after the rally, but eventually the discussion stopped, Armstrong said. He later received an email from the president’s email account, he said. “(The email) very artfully said, ‘We really appreciate your input, and we believe that you should talk to Student Senate about your further concerns,’” Armstrong said.

Since the beginning of Spring Semester, OU Fun Facts has worked to bring in new members and reconnect with the hundreds of students who had been put on the group’s email lists.

“This started out with a couple of my friends who were really concerned and passionate, and the number of people I’ve met that have gotten on board is really inspiring,” Armstrong said.

While not affiliated with OU Fun Facts, OU-AAUP supports the students who look into how the university is spending its money, Loren Lybarger, president of OU-AAUP, said in an email.

OU-AAUP is one of many campus community stakeholders expressing concerns about equity and shifting institutional priorities at OHIO. “Students in particular experience rising costs firsthand, and cuts to faculty directly affect their education,” Lybarger said in an email. “It is therefore doubly unsurprising that students, like those in OU Fun Facts, have begun asking their own questions and holding their own events to speak with each other about the future of their university.”

At about the same time that OU Fun Facts had formed, other students, like Callie Smith, a junior studying studio art, wanted to bring attention to the discussion about the budget. Smith created a

Alex Armstrong of Ohio University’s Fun Facts organization poses for a portrait inside of Baker Center on Jan. 23, 2020. (GRACE WILSON / FOR THE POST)

popular budget zine, a small pamphlet-like circulation, after she attended an OUAAUP meeting, she said.

“We kind of were working on the same sort of things at the same time last semester,” Smith said. “We kind of had the same goals, and we were finding out the same information around the same time. We wanted to put it out there for other people to know.”

At the moment, Armstrong said OU Fun Facts is planning events that it will hold later this semester, and anyone who is interested should follow its Twitter account, @ufunfacts.

Armstrong said he hopes that OU Fun Facts will eventually contribute to a change in how the university is run.

“We hope to see a degree of shared governance, where especially students because we are a student group, but also faculty, have a really meaningful say in how the university is run,” Armstrong said. “We hope to change the culture of administrative bloat and excess.”

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

NEWS BRIEFS

Conversation on Baileys Trail funding continues; OU launches coronavirus health alert page ABBY MILLER NEWS EDITOR CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES AMENDING BAILEYS TRAIL AGREEMENT City Council discussed amending the city’s agreement Monday to fund the Baileys Trail project so the city cannot back out of the project during its completion.

The amendment was proposed by Athens Mayor Steve Patterson. The amendment would make it so if members withdraw from the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia, or ORCA, they also withdraw from the financial commitment of Baileys Trail at the end of that fiscal year.

The amendment would also prohibit the city of Athens from opting out of its financial commitment to the project.

The approved city commitment to the project is about $90,000 a year over the course of 20 years, according to a previous Post report.

Some council members voiced their concern over amending the agreement. Councilwoman Sarah Grace, D-At Large, said the city’s option to opt out of Baileys Trail is important.

The city typically does not enter such long-term financial projects, especially when those projects are outside of city limits.

Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, is disappointed by the lack of financial support in the broader Athens County. He said he is for the trail but thinks that the county isn’t reciprocating the city’s level of financial dedication to the project.

Currently, the county has not passed a resolution in support of Baileys.

OHIO GOVERNOR TO BRING CHANGE TO APPALACHIA THROUGH REGIONAL COMMISSION Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will have the opportunity to help benefit Appalachia on a national level after being elected as 2020 state co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The Appalachian Regional Commission, or ARC, is an economic development agency whose mission is “to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia,” according to its website. DeWine, a Re-

21ST ANNUAL

publican, will lead that commission alongside federal co-chair Tim Thomas.

A new state co-chair is chosen every year by the 13 states included in the ARC. The position alternates between a Republican and Democrat each year.

Dan Tierney, DeWine’s press secretary, said the governor is glad to have been elected state co-chair and that he plans to use the national platform as a way to promote the region.

Tierney also said that with the position, DeWine has distinct issues in Appalachia he wants to focus on. Those issues include unique economic development issues; promoting broadband expansion; and a lot of the health, safety and welfare issues that have been worked on throughout the state.

DeWine’s term will only last one year, but communications director of ARC Wendy Wasserman said DeWine will still have an opportune time to bring awareness to Appalachia.

Wasserman said that even though Athens County is continually ranked as an at-risk or distressed county in the ARC’s yearly rankings, the commission is hopeful that the region is improving.

www.ohio.edu/recreation 6 / JAN. 30, 2020

@ABBLAWRENCE AM166317@OHIO.EDU

POLICE BLOTTER

Man hides in garage for two hours; dirt reported on road IAN MCKENZIE ASST. NEWS EDITOR

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

OHIO UNIVERSITY PROVIDES STUDENTS, FACULTY WITH INFORMATION ON CORONAVIRUS Ohio University launched a health alerts page with the aim of informing students, faculty and more about the human coronavirus.

The health alerts page contains answers to common questions about the coronavirus, prevention tips and resources for students, faculty and staff.

OU is currently collaborating with medical professionals, the Athens City-County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health, according to an update from OU. The university will follow any recommendations those groups give.

The novel coronavirus has now been diagnosed over 4,500 times. Over 100 people have died from the virus, and there are four confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

THEY WEREN’T EVEN LOOKING FOR YOU The Athens County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bryan Parsons, of Glouster, on Jan. 23 on multiple warrants.

Deputies contacted Parsons while they were looking for a different person in the same area. Parsons locked himself in a garage and refused to come out for about two hours.

NO MORE YARD WORK Deputies responded to Nelsonville on Jan. 23 for an inactive theft.

Contact was made with the caller, who advised that he had a weed eater and a chainsaw stolen about a month ago. He said his neighbor stole the items, but he did not want to pursue criminal charges. He just wanted to ensure that a report was on file.

NOT A DIRTY ROAD! Deputies responded to Dixon Ridge Road in Coolville on Jan. 23 in regards to dirt on the roadway complaint. Deputies located dirt

and debris in the roadway near the residence.

The homeowner was located and requested to clean off the dirt and debris.

They complied, and there was no further action needed.

CRIMINAL ORGANIZING Deputies were dispatched to Jacobs Avenue in Chauncey on Tuesday for a breaking and entering report.

The unattached garage had been forcibly opened, but according to the owner, items were moved around. Nothing appeared to be missing.

MONEY REALLY DOESN’T COME FROM TREES Deputies responded to East Scatter Ridge Road on Tuesday for a report of a theft issue.

The caller said they had a service cut for walnut trees, and they take 50% of the profits from the mill. The person who cut the trees has not talked to the owner of the trees, and no money has been exchanged.

@IANMCK9 IM581017@OHIO.EDU

GAMES

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 7

Esports coming to OU Budget approved, construction slotted to begin for new esports facility

The Ohio Esports club discusses matters pertaining to the esports community at the Copeland Annex on Feb. 25, 2019. (COLIN MAYR / FOR THE POST)

TAYLOR BURNETTE FOR THE POST A new esports facility was approved by the Board of Trustees in January to be built on the bottom level of Scripps Hall.

Construction is tentatively set to begin in early summer 2020, and the project has around a $650,000 budget. The facility will include a social gaming area, a competition room, a club practice room and a broadcasting booth, according to a previous Post report.

The project was suggested and designed by Jeffrey Kuhn, an instructional designer in the Office of Instructional Innovation and the GRID Lab. Kuhn also had input from the cofounders of Bobcat Esports, Kristofer Meyeres, a senior studying quantitative business analytics, and Ivy O’Shaughnessy, a senior studying games and animation.

About two years ago, the Office of Instructional Innovation had an Academic Innovation Accelerator, a place for faculty to pitch ideas to the university for things like new programs. Kuhn pitched the idea of an esports program, he said.

Kuhn describes the future space as an environment both conducive to socializing and learning. It will also serve as a space for hosting competitions against other esports teams.

8 / JAN. 30, 2020

“There will be a place for … an area that’s more kind of socially inclined with Nintendos and Xboxes and PlayStations for people to socialize,” Kuhn said.

“The final part (will be) a kind of ... open area for students to come in and play games, but then also a good club practice space that, during the day, would serve as a teaching and learning space, basically a classroom dedicated towards, you know, gaming.”

As well as having the esports facility, Kuhn hopes to see the university build up academic programs around games.

“We don’t really have a classroom on campus dedicated to real game development,” Kuhn said. “I think universities really need to recognize games as a part of the lives of their students, then actually have them as a full-fledged field of study in our academic programs. I just really think that we’re missing a large potential opportunity to really expand and innovate across the university.”

For Bobcat Esports, the facility will create many new opportunities and allow for growth and connection within the organization.

“It’s going to be an absolute critical piece to the organization’s longevity,” Meyeres said. “Our biggest struggle at the start was we wanted to do all these things with the community … but logistically … it just wasn’t possible.”

Esports players also hope that the facility and support from the university will fight the negative stigma around people who play video games.

“A lot of times, there’s this negative stigma that surrounds video game players,” O’Shaughnessy said.

“We need to first establish the validity around esports and how much work these players put into it.”

The new facility will also allow for the facilitation of a possible program for majors relating to esports, Meyeres said. One possible major is sports medicine, where students would receive certification in esports medicine.

Other members of Bobcat Esports, like Charlie Savidge, a junior studying marketing and Bobcat Esport’s Twitch officer, are also looking forward to the project’s completion.

Savidge said that previously, players have had trouble finding places to store their equipment, and players have even had to play together remotely in their dorms due to not having a proper place to play together.

“I’m really excited for it,” Savidge said. “(It’s) been really tough not having a dedicated space.”

@THATDBEMYLUCK TB040917@OHIO.EDU

RHYME AND REASON Poetry Out Loud uplifts student involvement in arts KERI JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

I

magine a competition where being vulnerable is an advantage. Imagine putting that vulnerability under a spotlight, center stage. That’s what poetry recitation is to Krista Goosman, a junior at Nelsonville-York High School.

The Southeast Ohio regional Poetry Out Loud semifinal takes place at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville, Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide poetry recitation contest for high school students. More than 3.8 million students compete at school, regional, state and national levels each year, according to the Poetry Out Loud website. There are four school champions who will compete in this year’s regional semifinal.

At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually — but to Goosman, Poetry Out Loud isn’t all about the money.

“I loved to be involved (in extracurriculars),” Goosman, the Nelsonville-York High School Poetry Out Loud champion, who will compete in the Poetry Out Loud semifinal,

said. “I love collecting things to be a part of.”

Goosman has done Poetry Out Loud for three years. For her, poetry recitation is stressful but rewarding.

Poetry recitation is the verbal performance of a poem. It is not a reading but a recitation from memory. Reciters must convey the meaning of the poem with their voice and body language without being too theatrical.

Reciters must feel they have a personal relationship with their poem, too.

“I have to be genuine,” Goosman said.

Poetry recitation is taxing due to memorization alone, but it also requires reciters to embody the poem with their words and actions. Recitation isn’t about the reciter, Wendy McVicker, regional coordinator of Poetry Out Loud, said. It’s about the poem.

“Recitation is knowing (the poem) by heart,” McVicker said. “(Reciters) have to calm (their) body — no unnecessary gestures or anything — and become (a) vessel for the poem.”

Reciters give service to the poems of their choice, Emily Prince, education director at Stuart’s, said. Students choose poems to recite from a database of poems provided by Poetry Out Loud.

IF YOU GO WHAT: Southeast Ohio regional Poetry Out Loud semifinal WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville ADMISSION: Free Poems range from Shakespeare to contemporary poetry. Reciters must connect to the poem and demonstrate an understanding of the recited works, Prince said.

“The audience is looking for the poem,” Prince said. “(Reciters) give their body and voice and soul in service of someone’s word.”

Recitation is judged by physical presence and poise, according to the judge’s guide. Reciters must look confident but not stiff. Voice and articulation is also an area judges grade: reciters must use projection, enunciate and speak at an even pace.

Judges also gauge dramatic appropriateness and a perceived understanding of the poem, according to the guide. Judges determine if students are stressing the right words, connecting with the poem and conveying the poems using their stage presence.

For the past four years, Stuart’s has been the host of the regional Poetry Out Loud semifinal, Prince said. Most of the preliminary competitions for Poetry Out Loud take place within high schools.

Only the local champions compete at the

Opera House. There are four champions this year from the Southeast Ohio region. The champions are from Nelsonville-York High School, John Glenn High School, Logan High School and River Valley High School.

For Prince, Poetry Out Loud takes on a special meaning for rural students. It’s important for students in rural areas to have a chance to be in the national spotlight, too.

“Our idea (is that) we hope to put our students on a national stage,” Prince said. “Stuart’s participates (because) we want our students to know that they are valued.”

One of the reasons the Ohio Arts Council picked Stuart’s to host the semifinal is because of its accessibility to rural students in this part of the state. In fact, Prince said, Athens High School has a successful history in competing at state and national levels. “(We’re) trying to build up rural schools so they are competitive with better-funded city schools,” Prince said.

@_KERIJOHNSON KJ153517@OHIO.EDU

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ORANGES IN OHIO Fresh Florida citrus provides a pop of color, vitamin C to help Ohio residents

Dan Kittrel (right), the owner of Indian River Direct, hands over a tangerine to Robert Johnson after his purchase at the pop-up semi-truck in Nelsonville on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

LILY ROBY FOR THE POST Winter struck Athens this December with a strong, bitter cold. Farmers have finished their harvest, snow blanketing the fields that were abundant with fruits and vegetables just weeks prior. Even the residents of Athens already seem a few shades paler, avoiding the bleak, frosted outdoors.

However, Dan Kittrel of Fort Pierce, Florida, makes sure to bring a splash of vitamin C to the Midwest each year by selling boxes of fresh oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and more.

“We sell fresh citrus … from our Florida groves in Fort Pierce, Florida,” Kittrel, the owner of Indian River Direct, said over the phone as he drove the orange truck to its next stop.

Kittrel said farmers from Florida were looking for a way to get the public interested in its product directly. Ohio was the perfect target market for citrus sales with the harsh, prolonged winter depriving Ohioans of the fresh citrus Floridians enjoy nearly year-round.

Kittrel now works in a small operation with about four other employees, contract-carrying citrus up from Florida to be distributed from November to March in more than 50 locations across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

“Navel oranges, tangerines, ruby red grapefruit, honey tangelos and pecans — we also have shelled pecans,” Johnny Norvell of Fort Pierce, Florida, said, revealing what was on the day’s menu as he moved boxes of citrus toward the front of the truck for sales.

Sometimes, Indian River Direct will even sell fresh blueberries alongside its Florida seedless tangerines, honeybells, sugar belles and temple oranges.

Working for Indian River Direct can be unpredictable, with different varieties available at different times of the year because some fruits are seasonal. However, Kittrel can always depend on the residents of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to show up and practically raid the truck for its citrus.

“We have a good turnout,” Kittrel said. “We like the Ohio winters.”

Fans of the orange truck all wholehearted-

ly agree that Indian River Direct has the best citrus available, sold for $30 to $40 a box depending on the variety. A number of customers at the Athens dropoff location have been regularly meeting the truck to purchase fresh citrus every winter.

“I’ve bought it off them for years,” Jim Jones, of Millfield, said. “I think they’re a lot fresher and a lot better. This is the third time I’ve been here already (this season). Usually every time they come, I get at least one or two boxes.”

Jones said he is part of Indian River Direct’s mailing list. He receives a schedule of the dropoff locations and dates every year to ensure that he gets his fresh Florida citrus.

Susan Mansfield, of Pomeroy, discovered Indian River Direct through Facebook. The event caught her eye, and Mansfield now firmly prefers Indian River Direct’s oranges over store-bought citrus.

“My husband’s going to eat every one of them,” Mansfield said as the just-purchased boxes of citrus were set in the trunk of her car.

“I just think it’s great, and it’s great to be able to get them fresh, tree-ripened.”

Cheryl Boyer, of Albany, appreciates how Indian River Direct makes fresh citrus more accessible in the wintertime.

“I’m just going to eat ’em and enjoy ’em,” she said with a laugh, including that she planned on sharing the citrus with her family.

Norvell said Indian River Direct’s products are much better than buying from a regular store. The people devouring the juicy halves and quarters of grapefruit and tangerines on display outside the truck, meant for sampling to narrow down the countless options of citrus, seem to help his statement ring true.

Indian River Direct will be back to distribute citrus to the area once more this season on Feb. 18, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Cochran Transportation Service gravel pits, 7349 Circle Drive. The full Indian River Direct distribution schedule, product list and information to order citrus can be found online at indianriverfruits.com.

@THELILYROBY LR158117@OHIO.EDU

Taking a Stand The four-decade stand for peace and justice

(From right to left) Tim Dransfield, Peggy Gish, Nancy Beres and Jo Foley stand outside Athens County Courthouse at the corner of Washington Street and Court Street on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020.

The weekly vigil, held on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., has been in the same spot for 40 years.

(TANNER PEARSON / FOR THE POST)

KERI JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

O

n an overcast Monday morning, Peggy Gish stood in the same spot she has for the past 40 years. Though battling the cold, Gish has an unbeatable determination to bring awareness to something the planet never seems to have: peace.

The Stand for Peace and Justice Vigil takes place every Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Athens County Municipal Court, 8 E. Washington St. The vigil has been ongoing since 1979, Gish said. It brings weekly awareness to issues of local, national and worldwide peace and justice issues.

Gish is a lifelong peace activist. The first march she attended was the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. For Gish, the 1963 march truly galvanized her sense of urgency for change. “(After the march), I (felt compelled) to speak out and stand with people who aren’t getting proper treatment,” Gish said.

From there, though only working as a market farmer back in the day, Gish dedicated aspects of her life to peace work. She was part of the original group of local Ath-

ens residents who started an informal organization called “People for Peace.”

People for Peace was an activist group whose goal was to raise nuclear disarmament awareness. Since its inception, the informal organization evolved to cover more topics.

“From there, (the vigil) evolved into more peace and justice issues,” Gish said. “Issues like violence against women, the death penalty — the peace and justice issues people should be concerned about.”

Not much has changed in terms of peace and justice over the past 40 years, Gish said.

Systemic oppression, economic injustice and the lack of urgency for world peace are still relevant issues.

What has changed is how people talk about these issues.

“More people are recognizing the deep roots of oppression in our society,” Gish said.

Gish also said the idea of “intersectionality” is playing a bigger part in mainstream conversations surrounding injustice. Intersectionality is the cumulative way that oppression, violence and injustice affect the experiences of marginalized people.

“The problems have not gone away,” Gish said. “(But) more people are willing to be out there (with their beliefs).”

Gish has done international peace work around the world, such as Iraq and Palestine. For Gish, participating in these weekly vigils is one way she works for peace.

“Even if standing (in the vigil) doesn’t dramatically do anything, it allows us to not become apathetic for us as well as a society,” Gish said.

Through 50 years of peace work, she knows that hard, lifelong work is how change is made. Though Gish does the vigil, she wishes it wasn’t necessary.

“It’ll take more time (to establish peace),” Gish said. “I wish we could stop needing to do this.”

Jan Griesinger, who retired from her work with United Campus Ministry, or UCM, attends each weekly vigil. She’s been attending for the past 15 years.

“Both (peace and justice) are important,” Griesinger said. “We don’t have peace or justice, and we won’t until the Congress isn’t the best government money can buy.”

Griesinger encourages people to get involved in the vigil, coming and going as they please.

Jo Foley recently began getting involved in the weekly peace vigils. She wanted to become more open about her desire for peace. Though a weekly attendee, she

usually doesn’t carry a sign. Instead, she greets passersby.

“If it’s raining, I’ll say, ‘stay dry.’ If it’s cold, I’ll say, ‘stay warm,’ things like that,” Foley said. “I want them to know that they’ve been recognized and that I care about their life at that moment.”

Foley has enjoyed her involvement in the vigils and her fellow company. The people who stand in the protest are one of the reasons why she keeps coming back.

“They’re just a fabulous group of people,” Foley said. “They’re giants, and I like standing in their glow.”

Gish knows the issues will not be solved by only her work nor work from only her generation. It’s necessary for young people to stay involved in activism for progress to continue.

“We need to pass this on to the younger folks,” she said. “At any age stage in life, people can speak out on important things that we all (should) speak out about. (People) need to work with whatever abilities (they) have. (Everyone) has some role.”

@_KERIJOHNSON KJ153517@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

HOCKEY NO. 1 JACKSON CHILBERG In the afternoon before arriving at Bird Arena, Chilberg will take a nap and then complete a stretching routine. The stretches vary depending on what he feels he needs for that particular day.

“I’m not really superstitious, though,” Chilberg said. “I try to stay away from that.”

NO. 2 NICK ERKER Erker has to dress himself in a particular order to get ready for a game — right skate, left skate, left shin guard, right shin guard, right elbow pad, left elbow pad. The freshman forward says it has a particular rhythm to it that he likes.

“It just feels better when I do it that way,” Erker said.

NO. 3 RYAN HASTINGS The only routine Hastings follows is a shower before every game.

Ohio forward Tyler Harkins (No. 22) and Ryan Higgins (No. 9) perform their pre-game handshake at Bird Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2019. (COLIN MAYR/ FOR THE POST)

Super Superstitions The rituals, superstitions and game day routines of Ohio Hockey

Superstitions and pregame rituals are almost always an integral part of a hockey player’s game day schedule. // From locker room handshakes to equipment nuances, each player often has a unique twist to how they prepare for a game. // The 26 players for Ohio are no different, so The Post decided to investigate what each of them does before every game.

JACK GLECKLER SLOT EDITOR

NO. 4 TOM POKORNEY In the locker room, Pokorney dresses himself by starting with all the equipment on the left side of his body.

He’s done it for so long that he’s forgotten the reason why.

NO. 7 GIANNI EVANGELISTI After morning skate ends at 10 a.m., Evangelisti heads back to his apartment at Palmer Place to eat breakfast.

After playing Fortnite or watching Netf lix, Evangelisti will lie down for his 1 p.m. nap.

When Evangelisti wakes up, he and his roommates — Timmy Thurnau, Shawn Baird and Jimmy Thomas — are treated to a game day lunch made by Thurnau’s father, who’s known by the roommates as “Big Tim” and regularly makes the trek from his home in West Chester to Athens.

For Evangelisti, the spread is more than enough for him and his roommates. They never are served the same food twice. Chicken parmesan, brisket and a seafood medley were some of his

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NO. 8 KYLE CRADDICK Every Friday, Craddick calls his dad to catch up on the past week.

For lunch on game day, the junior forward usually eats pasta. After lunch, it’s nap time to rest for the game.

Once in the locker room, Craddick dresses his left side first like many of his teammates, but he has a story behind why.

“I played really well one time when I did it,” Craddick said, “so I just decided to keep it going.”

NO. 9 RYAN HIGGINS For the players whose parents aren’t there to feed them, their meals are limited to what the dining halls provide or what they can make themselves.

Higgins has been breaking in a new habit this season — cooking for himself.

He always eats chicken fried rice on Friday and shrimp fried rice on Saturdays, and he always eats at 3 p.m.

NO. 10 RYAN LEONARD Leonard’s entire routine happens in the locker room. He’ll put his headphones on, stretch his muscles and then tape his sticks. He doesn’t limit himself to one genre when listening to music, but he has said Juice WRLD is his favorite artist.

The Pittsburgh native will occasionally drink pre-workout powder drinks to give himself energy, and he always brings granola bars and fruit snacks to keep himself going in between periods.

While putting on his equipment, Leonard will start with his right side before he dresses his left as opposed to many of his teammates, who start with their left.

“My initials are R.L., so I always figured that to mean ‘right before left,’” Leonard said.

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HOCKEY NO. 11 JACOB HOUSTON Houston prides himself on being the only Ohio player without a single pregame ritual. He says he just likes to “show up and play.”

NO. 12 J.T. SCHIMIZZI Schimizzi re-worked his class schedule on Fridays so he could take his nap before the game.

He prefers to show up to the rink two-and-a-half hours before a game to complete hamstring and quad stretches. If he feels he needs extra work, he’ll do several other stretches with Chayse Casto, the Bobcats’ athletic trainer.

Schimizzi dresses himself 15 minutes before warmups.

“I like doing everything in 15 minute chunks,” Schimizzi said. “It keeps everything consistent. If I can do my routine, it’s some assurance that I’m ready to play.”

NO. 14 SHAWN BAIRD At 1 p.m. every Saturday, Baird eats his pregame meal as prepared by Thurnau’s father. His favorite of the meals was a sirloin steak before Ohio’s series against Calvin.

Many of the junior defenseman’s rituals are performed with his teammates. He has special handshakes with both Drew Magyar and Higgins. Baird and Higgins will also both flip a water bottle before heading to the ice.

“We always try to add more to our handshakes every time,” Baird said.

“Lots of hands and feet involved. A little bit of yelling, too.”

During warmups, Kyle Craddick always shoots a single puck between Baird’s legs.

NO. 15 ZACH CURRY Instead of loading up during lunch, Curry prefers to eat a big breakfast of omelets and toast. For the rest of the day, he’ll keep his stomach full by eating a sandwich or two, and he always keeps a bag of Sour Patch Kids in the locker room during a game.

When getting ready for the game,

the freshman forward listens to 80s rock like Journey, AC/DC and Van Halen. His favorite song for game day is “The Stroke” by Billy Squier.

NO. 16 TIMMY THURNAU Before taking a nap at 2 p.m., Thurnau digs into his father’s feast. “(The feast) started my sophomore year,” Thurnau said. “Now it’s our running tradition. For Christmas this year, I even got him an apron that says ‘Big Tim’s Kitchen’ on it.”

After his nap, Thurnau will typically drink a bottle of Uptime Energy Drink.

NO. 17 BLAKE ROSSI Rossi walks into Ohio’s locker room at Bird Arena and immediately starts chugging three bottles of Aquafina.

The water forces him to use the bathroom before warmups so he won’t need to go in the middle of the game.

Rossi will then wax his stick with Howies, the brand of wax he always uses. He then applies a new layer of stick tape, and he’s game-ready.

NO. 18 ANDREW SACCA Many of the players who live in James Hall will walk to Bird Arena when it’s time to report. Sacca is one of them, but his path to Bird is different. When Sacca walks with his teammates to the rink, his teammates will walk on the path that circles left around the patch of grass at the entrance to West Green.

Sacca always t akes the path on the r ight.

“I did it before the first game this season, and now it’s burned into my head,” Sacca said with a laugh.

NO. 19 ALEX SINGLEY On Fridays and Saturdays, Singley uses his free time after the pregame skate to do his homework.

NO. 20 ANDREW WELLS Wells said he’s very superstitious during a home series. At 4 p.m. on game day, he’ll take a quick shower so he can be out the door by 4:40 p.m. to

get a sandwich from Jimmy John’s. He switches between two sandwiches on the menu: “The Pepe” or the “The Turkey Tom.” Wells also listens to music on his way to Bird Arena. Rock ‘n’ roll is his favorite genre, and “Girls, Girls, Girls” by Motley Crue is his hype song.

NO. 21 ZACH FRANK Frank always starts with the left side of his body when he puts on his equipment.

“I feel weird if I switch it up,” Frank said. “If I accidentally put a right piece on first, I think ‘I can’t do it,’ and I start over.”

NO. 22 TYLER HARKINS Harkins shares two pregame traditions with Higgins. Both of them own green and white trucker hats from Goodguy apparel, and the two also have a handshake they perform before games.

The handshake starts by two quick claps followed by three helmet taps.

NO. 24 SCOTT BAGBY Bagby showers before every game and always wears the same outfit into Bird Arena: a black Ohio University hoodie and blue North Face shorts.

NO. 25 DREW MAGYAR At 3 p.m., Magyar cooks his pregame lunch — either pasta or rice mixed with meat and vegetables on the side.

On the way to the rink, Magyar listens to the same two songs by Future: “Codeine Crazy” and “My Savages” from the rapper’s 2014 mixtape, Monster. Although they’re some of Future’s older songs, Magyar has been listening to them for years.

NO. 26 PATRICK ROACH Roach doesn’t try to pump himself up too much before a game. Instead, he’ll channel his energy into a more calming mood so he can focus better.

He finds listening to country singers Dustin Lynch and Kenny Chesney help him the best.

“I like to get loose,” Roach said. “It gets the muscles relaxed and the head bobbing. We play music during morning skate, and that’s a great time to get loose.”

NO. 27 SAM TURNER Before heading to the ice for warmups, Turner and the rest of the Bobcats will sometimes kick a soccer ball around for fun. If it’s warm outside, they’ll play in the grass next to the arena.

After everyone else has finished, Turner will juggle the ball with his feet for 15 minutes to help stretch his leg muscles for the game.

NO. 28 TYLER KALLAY Kallay eats at Boyd dining hall before noon on game days. He always selects chicken and pasta or whatever Boyd has to offer that day. After lunch, he takes a nap.

Once in the locker room, he listens to music while he stretches and tapes his sticks. Although a big EDM fan, Kallay often listens to DaBaby or Juice WRLD. NO. 30 JIMMY THOMAS Thomas spends his Saturday afternoons watching college football. If he’s lucky, Ohio State — his favorite team — kicks off at noon, and he can watch most of the game before he leaves.

He’s also usually one of the first roommates to eat some of “Big Tim’s” pregame meal. His favorite feast so far was a seafood medley with lobster, swordfish, scallops, shrimp and pasta.

NO. 31 MASON KOSTER Koster always eats big meals before game time. His breakfast is usually a spread of egg sandwiches and pancakes.

For his 2:30 p.m. lunch, he loads up on pasta.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

A Natural Fit Ohio’s Peyton Guice dribbles the ball down the court during the Bobcats’ game versus Marshall on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in The Convo. Ohio won the game 67-51. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

Peyton Guice sets out on her own path at Ohio J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER

P

eyton Guice stared out the window of her parents’ SUV and, to their dismay, wasn’t impressed with what she saw.

“Look, Peyton,” her mom, Sara, said. “This is where I went.”

Peyton — more focused on the AAU tournament she just played — didn’t care about her mom’s alma mater.

“I don’t want to go there,” she said. “It’s a party school.”

The brick roads, green hills and 13,080seat Convocation Center weren’t enough to convince Peyton to commit to Ohio to play basketball. She was entering her senior year at Westerville South High School — the same school where her dad, Jermaine, became a basketball legend — and where she would play collegiate ball had to be as serious as she was.

As she sunk back into her seat, the thought of being a Bobcat faded while her parents and four siblings headed toward Columbus.

Then, things changed.

A few months later, with her parents flanked on both sides, Peyton smiled big while the ink dried on her letter of intent to sign with Ohio. She was headed to Athens, destined to walk the same brick roads as her mom when she was a communications student in the ’90s, bound to trek over the large green hills and ready to fill the The Convo, 14 / JAN. 30, 2020

playing the game her father introduced to her years ago.

For Peyton, her parents have always been at her side. Her dreams were once theirs.

Both played collegiate sports. Their experiences have helped her navigate through the twists and turns of adolescence. But as Peyton transitions into whom she wants to be, she’ll have to navigate and set her sights on a path not yet traveled.

To understand where the lanky, 5-foot, 11-inch freshman with a megawatt smile is headed, one must first know the path that got her here.

Peyton’s journey started in France. While Jermaine played for French basketball teams, STB Le Harve, Le Mans and Elan Chalon, Peyton embraced the culture. She started school at 3 years old and learned to speak the language fluently.

“She was our French girl,” Jermaine said.

“There were times we would be together, and someone would ask me something, and I would look to her for the translation.”

The French girl quickly picked up basketball in a league called “Baby Basket.” That was where she learned of her ability to lead. Peyton was a skilled organizer and speaker. She was vocal and passionate from a young age.

“Peyton was born a leader,” Sara said. “Her personality has always been one where she’s

willing to take responsibility.”

Sports were the perfect playground for Peyton to showcase those qualities. Sara remembers how her daughter used to organize the kids at the mall into working together to play cohesively. She was only 6.

Peyton’s ferocity helped most with her leadership skills. The girl was scary.

On the court, Peyton was a force. She could go through anyone. Foul trouble was a commonality for the girl with pigtails, goggles and pads on her knees and elbows. She looked more like a linebacker than a guard, and she played like one, too.

“I was a very, very hyper child,” Peyton said.

Peyton’s energy was one of the many things she packed when the family moved back to America. She was 7, and transition was difficult but not impossible. A close-knit family and the love of basketball was all she needed to settle into a new life. Over time, those relationships started to evolve.

It was in the eighth grade when she realized that basketball was her golden ticket.

That wasn’t surprising, considering that the game ran in the family.

Peyton’s grandpa Eddie was a basketball staple in Columbus up until his death in 2012. He was a star at Linden McKinley High School, and at one point in college, he was the third-leading scorer in the nation. When

it was time to hang up his sneakers, he became a coach and started the Ohio Hoopsters so young players like his grandchildren could hone their skills.

Grandpa Eddie’s basketball greatness transferred to his son, Jermaine. Westerville South has had dozens of great basketball players walk its halls, but Jermaine was on another level. He was the Division III player of the year his senior year before he embarked on a legendary career at Butler.

The Guice’s pedigree was hard to carry for a 14-year-old, but Peyton embraced it.

It wasn’t forced upon her, but once she decided she wanted it, Jermaine made sure he would show his daughter how to thrive in the family business.

“I never wanted it to be something I was forcing her to do,” Jermaine said. “I’m like, ‘Hey, if this is something you want to do, I’m more than willing to help you do it.’”

Jermaine and Peyton’s father-daughter relationship carried the burdens of coach-player responsibilities. Jermaine was tough. When others praised Peyton’s performances, he made sure she knew of her shortcomings. Sometimes things were rocky, but that only ended up tightening their bond.

“It made our relationship stronger and made me stronger as a person,” Peyton said.

“There were days we didn’t like each other or

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL talk to each other, but at the end of the day, we knew we loved each other.”

Ultimately, Jermaine’s influence worked.

As Peyton grew, so did her skills on the court.

That reckless tenacity that put her in foul trouble turned into a controlled, daunting defensive presence. Her hyperness turned into a quick pace that often found her points and open teammates for assists. The newest era of Guice had arrived.

As Peyton entered high school, the weight to live up to her family name grew heavier.

She was playing in the same gym her father used to run. She wore his No. 11 proudly. She had four years to prove that she was a Division I-level talent, and she wasn’t going to waste time.

Peyton made the most of her opportunities. She led the Wildcats to conference titles and deep playoff runs, even though she was one of the few consistencies of the program.

Peyton had three coaches during her time in high school, and they all coached her differently. Silas Williams was a go-getter, pushing Peyton every day up until her junior year. Then there was Tomeka-Brown Whitehead, a women’s basketball legend in Columbus whom many people looked up to.

Her arrival at the program was exciting, but her departure only three months later for personal reasons put the program and Peyton’s senior year in disarray.

While Westerville South looked for a replacement, Jermaine, who was coaching the boys as an assistant, stepped in, run-

ning the open gyms. He was always a coach she could count on.

“Even though I wasn’t under him because I’m related and talk to him every day and have seen the practices, it was almost like he was coaching me,” Peyton said.

When Westerville South finally found its replacement, Erick Herzberg, the season was just around the corner. Herzberg didn’t have time to get to know his team, but it didn’t take him long to know his senior captain was special.

“She was every bit as valuable as anybody on the team,” Herzberg said. “She was a hell of a player for us.”

A first-year head coach was just one of the many transitions Peyton had to prepare herself for. Her recruitment was in full swing, and different coaches wanted her to commit to their program. But only one’s calm, emotionless demeanor won her over.

When Ohio coach Bob Boldon set his eyes on recruiting Peyton, his work was cut out for him. She didn’t want to play at a school with a reputation for good times and cheap beer.

That wouldn’t deter Boldon, though. He knew Peyton’s skills would be a valuable addition to a team already loaded with talent, but it was her demeanor that made him feel she’d be a perfect fit.

“Peyton is an easy kid to recruit,” Boldon said. “She’s very mature for her age. She didn’t want to come here because she thought it was a party school. Usually, it’s

the other way around.”

As Boldon made his pitch to the Guice family, they became more and more impressed. There was no smoke with Boldon.

Peyton soon realized that Boldon and Ohio were about business. Her parents knew that Boldon could take their daughter to the next level.

“He wasn’t trying to sell us on anything,” Sara said. “He cares about his team. He cares about his girls.”

Boldon’s meeting with the Guice family was enough to convince Peyton to visit the campus. This time, she didn’t see an old relic from her mom’s past. She saw the beauty in the bricks, the complexity in the hills and her potential on The Convo’s court.

Ohio was the next step on her path.

A few months later, Peyton sported the No. 11 jersey for the Bobcats. Her family was in the stands, cheering for her first game.

“Being able to know I have that support still even though I’m away from home, I greatly appreciated it,” Peyton said.

Peyton’s home support was crucial many times during her first semester.

Peyton’s first semester as a freshman at Ohio was rough. The school workload was heavy, the days seemed short and her family wasn’t just outside her room. She wasn’t playing much, and the stress of it all felt overwhelming at times.

It was also hard for her family. They missed having their daughter around. Jermaine, who replaced Herzberg as head coach, can’t make

it to every game. When they did make it down to Athens, Peyton could count on some of her grandma’s famous pound cake to cheer her up.

Peyton’s struggles throughout her first semester made her put her trust in other people. The coaching staff was there for her.

It was a tough adjustment, but like many times in her life, she was able to adapt.

And her parents couldn’t have been prouder.

“Jermaine and I have been cognizant that we’ve had our own athletic careers and own experiences, and so this was Peyton’s journey,” Sara said. “As a parent watching your child, I think you feel pride and satisfaction knowing that she’s able to do what she set her mind to.”

Throughout Peyton’s life, she’s been able to see her parent’s footsteps along the path that they’ve already traveled. Those prints took her to basketball, and they took her to Athens. Now, those prints are fading, and each step she takes will lead her in the direction of something unforeseen.

It’s scary when you don’t know the outcome, terrifying when you don’t see the signs. Who knows what will lie down Peyton’s path in the future?

She does know one thing, though.

Her parents will be there every step of the way.

@JL_KIRVEN JK810916@OHIO.EDU

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 15

HOCKEY

Started from

the Bottom

Mason Koster proves himself among Ohio’s problem at goalie depth ANDREW ALLISON FOR THE POST

M

ason Koster has worn a suit, stood along the glass and watched his Ohio teammates play for every game so far this season.

The junior goaltender found his way to the bench — but not quite the ice — when backup goalie Jackson Chilberg was diagnosed with a concussion after the Illinois series at the beginning of January. From there, Koster was just one play away from stepping into the crease.

“You always have to be prepared,” Koster said. “Anything can happen as you can see with everything that has happened this year.”

In the last game against Calvin, that moment happened. The Bobcats’ starting netminder, Jimmy Thomas, was ejected from the game, thrusting Koster into action for the first time this season.

Thomas was suspended for three games. With Chilberg still recovering from a concussion, Koster was the only remaining goalie left for both games of last weekend’s series against Lindenwood and the Friday night game of the upcoming series against Robert Morris.

“I’ve always been in the weight room getting better mentally,” Koster said. “You just always have to be prepared.”

In under two weeks, Koster went from standing behind the glass to starting between the pipes.

When a player makes that big of a jump in that short amount of time, there is always some nerves involved.

Koster was no exception to that, and even Thomas could sense it.

“I know (Koster) was pretty nervous,” Thomas said. “We just prepared him mentally all week, giving a lot of confidence, talking through everything.”

Thomas helped prepare Koster for the tough task at hand in more ways than he knew. The backup had been watching and learning from Thomas since he’s been on campus.

“I’ve always taken notes of what

16 / JAN. 30, 2020

Ohio goalie Mason Koster (No. 31) poses for a portrait at Bird Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2019. (COLIN MAYR / FOR THE POST)

Jimmy’s done,” Koster said. “Just his attention to detail is absolutely phenomenal. He’s helped me a lot not only for that game, but through my college career on and off the ice.”

Koster’s first appearance was forgettable. The Lions routed the Bobcats and scored the first seven goals of the game on their way to an 8-1 victory, but Koster didn’t allow the poor performance to rattle him for the Saturday series finale.

“It gave me a boost,” Koster said. “I remember looking up at the jumbotron and was like, ‘That’s not happening (tomorrow).’”

Koster was right.

In the next game against the Lions, Koster stopped 47 of 49 shots he faced and was the top player in Ohio’s 3-2 win. On Saturday, his save percentage, 95%, was 20% higher than it was the previous night.

“I knew if I took care of stopping the

puck, the boys were going to do the rest,“ Koster said. “Sure enough, they did, and I couldn’t be happier.”

The junior goalie will have one more start in the upcoming series against Robert Morris. It might be his final start for the foreseeable future, but he doesn’t plan on changing his mentality for the rest of the season.

“Just keep going. Nothing changes mentally,” Koster said. “Anything can happen at any given moment.”

With no real time table for Chilberg to return, Koster will most likely remain the primary backup for the Bobcats throughout the remainder of the season.

If Thomas has to miss any more games for injury or any other reason, Koster would once again be back in action.

Even though it was only two games, Koster’s weekend performance could be a pivotal one in the race to see who is the starting goalie next season when Thomas graduates.

Koster showed that he can handle the pressure of a team like Lindenwood in the second game of the series.

The Lions hold the type of talent that any Ohio goalie will see in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League, one of the most difficult leagues in the American College Hockey Association.

“It’s always a good battle with them,” Thomas said. “They’re always a phenomenal team every year, especially on the road, too.”

If Koster continues to prove himself, he could hold an edge when coach Cole Bell has to make a decision about who is the starter next fall.

For Koster, that would mean his days wearing a suit rather than pads and watching the game from the glass are over.

@17_ANDREW_ AA816819@OHIO.EDU

7 indoor date ideas to stay out of the cold ILLUSTRATION BY CHERI MARSHALL

RILEY RUNNELLS ASST. CULTURE EDITOR

E. State St., there are several places to get your shop on.

As the weather gets colder, it can be hard to enjoy the wonderful outdoor activities that Athens has to offer. If you and your significant other are looking for a cute date that won’t make either of you catch a cold, never fear because Athens is a treasure trove of fun places. Here’s a list of the top seven indoor date ideas for you and your significant other to try:

A CUP OF COFFEE (OR TEA) With so many cute local coffee shops, how could you resist going on a coffee date?

Coffee dates are the easiest, most relaxed way to go on a date while truly getting to know someone. Sitting together with a cup of coffee, talking about anything and everything can be such an intimate thing. You’ll also be killing two birds with one stone by supporting local businesses.

DINNER AND A MOVIE It’s an age-old classic: going out to dinner and then seeing a movie. Athens is home to some great movie theaters, including the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., the Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St., and the Fun Barn, 14333 US-33. You and your significant other can check out any of Athens local eateries for a bite to eat and then go to one of the local movie theaters to make the night complete. Though it’s a typical date, it never fails to bring some fun.

ART MUSEUM An art museum can be a great date idea for people who appreciate art and those who don’t. Art museum dates not only provide some time to walk around and get a sense of what the other person likes and dislikes, but it can spark a lot of conversation regarding the topics of the artwork, the artwork itself and anything else under the sun. Luckily, Athens is home to a few great art museums, including the Kennedy Museum of Art, 100 Ridges Circle, and the Dairy Barn Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Lane.

This date will be very conversational, so it will be better for people who aren’t afraid to break the ice.

SHOPPING If you walk up and down Court Street, it’s easy to see the high number of boutiques and shops for people to browse. Shopping is another type of date idea that involves a lot of time to talk and get to know your significant other, and who knows, you might even be able to get a cute gift from the date.

Between walking up and down Court Street or driving over to the new Marshall’s, 743

BASKETBALL OR HOCKEY GAME For those of you who are big sports fans, another great date would be to see any indoor sporting events at OU. Whether it’s basketball or hockey, an OU sporting event is not only a way to go on a cheap and fun date, but also to show some school spirit at the same time.

BOWLING Another classic yet underrated date idea is bowling. Bowling can be a fun way to do something active with your significant other while still being able to look cute and get out of the cold. Bowling alleys like Rollerbowl Lanes, 28 Palmer St., have fun music, snacks and lots of fun to offer, so bowling can act as an all encompassing way to experience a lot of stuff in one date.

LIVE CONCERTS OR PERFORMANCES Athens is known for its rich population of performers. Be it musicians, actors or dancers, there are plenty of performances for people to enjoy. Concerts at places like The Union, 18 W. Union St., Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., or even Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, 47 E. Union St., happen at least once per week. There are several community theater groups nearby, like Lost Flamingo or ABC Players, that perform several shows each semester for people to enjoy. Facebook, the Ohio University Calendar or just a quick Google search can provide several options for a great date night with a live show.

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

NOAH’S ARK

Aaron Hernandez documentary reflects the problems with how boys are raised

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. 30, 2020

Aaron Hernaned of murder, seven dez, a disgraced NFL times the number of player and convictfemales convicted. ed murderer, was a Men are not inherentcase unlike any seen ly more violent, but before him. By age for a number of rea23, Hernandez had sons, they are largely played in a Super the perpetrators of Bowl and secured a violent crimes. While $40 million contract. this issue is intriAt 25, he was a concate and multifacetvicted murderer. And ed, Hernandez is an at 27, he was dead, example of what can found hanging in his happen when someLancaster, Massaone being raised to chusetts, jail cell. be someone they’re NOAH WRIGHT Netflix’s new not is combined with is a junior studying limited series Killa culture that not only strategic communication er Inside: The Mind rewards, but glorifies at Ohio University. of Aaron Hernanviolence in men. dez attempts to analyze the crimes and In 2019, Gillete, the namesake of death of Hernandez by delving into his Hernandez’s former home stadium, reenvironment. The most revealing aspect leased a commercial titled “We Believe: of the documentary series was Hernan- The Best Men Can Be” that challenged dez’s sexuality. Shortly before his sui- Gillete’s hyper-masculine branding of cide, Aaron Hernandez was outed as gay the past after instances like the #Meon a public radio show. The series goes Too movement. deep into his past and attempts to tell The commercial was immediatehis story as a closeted gay man living in ly challenged online for its critique of the hyper-masculine environment that masculinity, and many claimed it was is the NFL. an attack on men. Despite the obvious Hernandez was not simply a prod- holes in that logic, it reveals the larger uct of his environment. There have issue. A conservative approach to how been many closeted gay men prone to men should be raised is so deeply inhomophobia who don’t grow into mur- grained into our way of life, it will not derers. But Hernandez’s story is an ex- be easily challenged or solved quickly. treme example of the larger issue of Boys need to be told from an early toxic masculinity and male violence age their vulnerability and emotional that permeates modern culture. intelligence is just as valuable as other Hernandez is evidence the way we historically defining characteristics of raise our boys to be men is broken, and manhood. Hernandez’s case was a senwhile it has always been broken, it’s sationalized example of an everyday revolting against the changing world issue. Problems from bullying to mass we live in. The world is supposed to violence can be linked to the childhood be a more open and accepting place, of the men involved. The only way to and while problems with homopho- end this vicious cycle, and avoid raising bia and hate still exist, gender identity a man who is as tortured and troubled and sexuality are freer than they ever as Hernandez, is to revolutionize the have been. Unfortunately, through bad way we raise our boys. parenting and an environment that equates masculinity with brutality, Please note that the views and opinions of boys still grow up believing their ag- the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Noah? Tweet him gressiveness is what makes them men.

In 2018, 10,306 men were convict- @NoahCampaign.

FIVE FOR 5

An in-depth examination of the iconic Wendy’s 4 for $4

KEVIN PAN

is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University.

I

’ve always wondered how Wendy’s doesn’t require freezing for its beef patties. According to squaredealblog.com, Wendy’s sources its beef from ranches close to its restaurants and ships it through refrigerated trucks.

For my first actual review in this “worthless” column series, where I try to find a five-star meal in Athens under $5, I gave a chance to the Wendy’s 4 for $4, the inspiration behind the name of this column.

After asking a few friends, I went with what I guessed to be the most popular option: the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger sandwich and a Coke as the drink of choice.

I also asked friends in what order the sandwich, nuggets and fries should be consumed. The answers were less helpful as I was told to “start by eating the bun and drinking barbecue sauce straight out of the container,” by fellow columnist Noah Wright. One of our sports reporters, Jack Gleckler, said he preferred to eat the bag first.

I decided to start with the sandwich and not touch another piece of the meal until I was done with one. The Coke was the exception, of course.

The Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger consists

of six elements: bun, fresh beef patty, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise.

The burger was what I expected right out of the package; its size fit its junior label perfectly. The structural integrity of the sandwich was solid, with nothing sliding off once it lost the support of the wrapping surrounding it. I’m happy to say the structure remained intact throughout the meal, with only some mayonnaise dripping out the bottom — an inconvenience for any customer on the road.

The cheese itself was dry and, at parts, hard enough that it had a solid texture. Luckily, the bacon was the right amount of crispness that it didn’t distract from the cheese too much.

The beef itself certainly didn’t taste old, so I guess it falls into the fresh category. Apart from the tomato, which wasn’t really detectable throughout the eating process, all the components of the sandwich blended together very well.

I do think, however, that it could have benefited from the addition of some onions, which would have added more flavor to an otherwise one-dimensional meal item.

The nuggets were the most impressive part of the meal. I ate all four nuggets in the newsroom and couldn’t count a single crumb from the breading on my desk. For something that crispy, I certainly expected a bigger mess.

The fries and drink was where the meal fell short. The fries were a bit too moist and not crispy enough for my liking. The barbecue sauce wasn’t able to save it. Meanwhile, by the end of the meal, I was pretty sure I was just drinking water. I opened the lid to find out almost half of my small drink was filled with ice. Sure, I could have asked for no ice. But going into this column, I told myself I was going to try the meal the way the restaurant intended for it to be consumed. I guess for Wendy’s, that means exces-

sive ice, even in late January.

The Wendy’s 4 for $4 has been revolutionary for the restaurant. I remember in high school, some of my friends would go across the street during lunch to a Wendy’s, but I always felt it was too expensive. As a broke college student, I’m thankful for the existence of a satisfactory meal for only $4.08.

Add that to the fact that it took 73 seconds from getting my receipt to my name being called, it’s a meal I would recommend for anyone in a rush.

But, as convenient as it can be, the 4 for $4’s flaws in its fries and drink hurt

its rating. While I gave the sandwich a 3.5/5 and the nuggets a 4/5, the drink was only a 2/5 (for being 2/5 full of ice), and the fries were a 1/5.

RATING: 2.63/5 Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you know where Kevin can find a 5-star meal for $5? Tell him by messaging him on Instagram @thenextbigming.

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

Friendship and Flowers Athens-based band Ready Aim Flowers envelops good vibes, raw emotion in its sound BRE OFFENBERGER COPY CHIEF

Members of the band Ready Aim Flowers (from left to right) Steven Rekstad, Jeff Podolski, Caleb Cole and Dave Lawrence pose for a portrait on Jan. 20, 2020.

(ERIN BURK / FOR THE POST)

Frontman Dave Lawrence of Ready Aim Flowers, an Athens-based, adventure pop band, describes his writing process as “some poetry put to a slightly edgy nursery rhyme melody.”

He knows he can change the world with it, too.

20 / JAN. 30, 2020

“I don’t know what else to call it,” Lawrence, the band’s main lyricist, said after his bandmates, Caleb Cole, Jeff Podolski and Steven Rekstad, burst into a fit of laughter as he distilled the band’s vibe to its essence.

“And so then, I tend to take the bare-bone skeleton idea or concept, and then these guys make it good.”

Lawrence said he met Rekstad while they were playing ultimate frisbee, and they discovered they both possessed the same passion for music. Soon, they were hanging up flyers around Athens, but it didn’t amount to anything. Rekstad, however, met Cole while they were rock climbing. Cole was already friends with Podolski, connecting with him through

the video game series Super Smash Bros.

“Yeah, we met, what, my sophomore year?

Freshman year?” Podolski, who plays drums and “whatever else” is needed of him, said, facing toward Cole. “Super Smash Brothers brought us together.”

Each of the guys undergo vastly different lifestyles every day, yet they find the same yearning to construct impactful music within one another. Cole is a substitute teacher in Athens County; Lawrence teaches at Ohio University in University College or the Department of Modern Languages as a Spanish professor, depending on the semester, and is part of the faculty-in-residence program. Podolski is the production director at WATH/WXTQ Power 105.5, the local radio

station; and Rekstad is a civil engineer looking for work, though he said he may start substitute teaching as well or join Podolski at the radio station.

Originally under the moniker The Larger Sound, the band found its new name amid one of Lawrence’s dreams. In the dream, when the emcee announced the next act as Ready Aim Flowers, cannons spit out flower-shaped confetti, and Lawrence said he just knew, even though not everyone agreed.

“Our corresponding significant others were not fans of ‘Ready Aim Flowers,’ but we won them over eventually,” Lawrence, who also plays a plethora of string instruments for the band, said. “I don’t want to dive too deep into this, but I really like the idea of an active

and sort of proactive idea about good vibes, love, kindness, all that stuff. So it’s like ‘ready aim good stuff,’ not ‘ready aim bad stuff.’”

Ready Aim Flowers has two singles, “Fieldwork” and “Reckless Affection,” both of which were released 21 days apart in August 2019 and are available on all streaming platforms.

“Fieldwork,” a ukulele-driven track based on Lawrence’s two-month experience living in a tent in the desert of southern Utah, came first. On the excursion, Lawrence said he noticed a noteworthy difference in his paleontologist friend’s demeanor when he was in his workspace. Lawrence took his observations and turned them into advice for his friend as well as inspirational lyrics for “Fieldwork”: “There’s more to life than being mean or playing nice / Don’t wear a halo, even though it makes a good disguise.”

To the guys, “Fieldwork” came out better than they ever could’ve imagined, considering they almost didn’t record it.

“It was like a b-side,” Rekstad, who plays bass, guitar and keyboard on occasion, said.

“Reckless Affection,” however, is going to be reworked and re-released. Cole said its primary issues were a lack of low end, which is boosting the bass, that occurred after the mastering process, and the band tried to play the whole track to a metronome. Podolski added that the track was wholly dubbed, which means they all recorded at separate times.

The band recorded at 3 Elliott Studio with Josh Antonuccio, a lecturer in OU’s School of

Media Arts & Studies as well as an audio engineer, to knock out the track’s previous kinks.

The pop funk jam, though, will still hold the same charisma.

“It’s not going to be that different,” Lawrence said. “It’s just going to be better.”

Alongside reworking “Reckless Affection,” the band is set to drop three more singles in the next few months, and they’re nothing like the first two.

“So the first two singles we have out kind of err on the side of that optimism and affection,” Lawrence said. “Then the next three that will be released here over the next few months will end up sort of covering more of a spectrum of emotional content, be that loss or humility or understanding when you don’t have all the answers, or I guess trying to pick up the broken pieces.”

Though Ready Aim Flowers’ music technically falls under the pop genre, each of the guys believe they’re providing features not seen in mainstream music.

“A lot of music that’s sort of commercial, or sort of corporately designed, I feel doesn’t have a lot of spirit or soul to it,” Lawrence said. “I think our music definitely carries with it a sincerity, putting ourselves out there and, hopefully, connecting with sort of basic human emotions and needs and speaking to those a little bit more than average stuff.”

The band’s overarching goal is different to each member, but they all hope their music furnishes every listener with something they can’t find anywhere else.

“I think the idea is just to feel,” Cole, who plays piano, drums and bass, said. “I love that in a song, like there’s a really raw emotion in the vocal take or something, and you can hear whether that’s raw happiness or despair, loathing. It’s really nice to just hear that feeling.”

The band is grateful for the diverse array of people who come to its local shows. Each member takes pride in recognizing faces, knowing they’ve connected musically with people they never would’ve met otherwise.

“I think one of my favorite bits is when we go and play a show, it’s not just college students or just families or just older people at a bar,” Cole said. “It is really a sampler platter of people that always come to the show.”

Though the band appreciates everyone who comes to their shows, they have a favorite fan, Rekstad said.

“My favorite is that dude that we saw in the background of every Pawpaw (Festival) picture just vibin,’ and then we start seeing him everywhere around town,” Rekstad said.

At the end of every show, Ready Aim Flowers asks its audience to swing by the merchandise table and make a donation in exchange for a friendship bracelet made by Rekstad and a sticker. All donations go toward Solid Rock International, a clinic that services the impoverished in the San Juan Valley of the Dominican Republic.

“What we want people to get out of the music is it’s something that we really care about, something we want to pursue,” Law-

rence said. “It’s something that we want to share and, hopefully, give some people some food for thought and help ‘em connect with one another and maybe themselves in a different way.”

Lawrence said Ready Aim Flowers owes its morale and local success to Josh Brown, the music booking coordinator for Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina, 6 W. State St., where the band will be performing on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 9 p.m.

“Josh at Casa really gave us a boost,” Lawrence said. “He just really believed in us and encouraged us a lot and kept hooking us up with gigs every couple months at Casa. It just gave us an amazing opportunity to practice live sets, to play the different audiences opening for different fans.”

Brown said he noticed the band’s musical aptitude from its first live performance at Casa, and he believes it provides the missing link in the Athens music scene. He said he knows Ready Aim Flowers is bound to be a household name, but he hopes the four guys remember their roots amid the prosperity headed their way.

“They have a lighter, poppier flair, which I think is something that’s needed, and they pull it off really well,” Brown said. “They’re really nice, great guys, and I can see them going some place musically outside of Athens. I hope they remember the little guys like us.”

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THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Breakfast of Champions to be held in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day receive the same attention and credit as male sports.

“This day is important because we want to elevate the awareness of the inequalities in sports currently so that eventually there will be no inequalities,” Helms said.

Ali Johnstone, the OU field hockey coach, will start her third year of coaching OU this season. She highlighted the fact that sports offer several different types of opportunities for girls and women.

“The more we talk about it, the more women of any age will realize the importance sports bring to our lives … the opportunities for growth, the opportunities to mentor and more,” Johnstone said. ”If you can see her, you can be her.”

Johnstone grew up in Canada, where field hockey is quite popular. She has coached the sport at the collegiate level for 10 years, and she said she enjoys having a career coaching the game that she loves.

“It’s not a popular sport in the Midwest,” Johnstone said. “If they’ve never heard of the game of field hockey, people will fly right by advertisements for it. We’re starting to get a little bit better thinking of avenues on how to promote it.”

Following the Breakfast of Champions event, the OU Coaching Education Club is hosting a youth sports sampler clinic Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Athens Community Center. The sampler is designed to allow children to try the sports of non-contact football, basketball and soccer without having to commit to a program.

HANNAH BURKHART FOR THE POST

The Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation department is hosting Breakfast of Champions at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., Saturday morning to celebrate and bring awareness to National Girls and Women in Sports Day. National Girls and Women in Sports Day is Feb. 5. Breakfast items will be donated from various local businesses, including Tim Hortons, Athens Bread Company, McDonald’s and more. Six renowned speakers who have experience with playing as well as working in female sports will be traveling to Athens to share their stories.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was signed at the national level in 1987 by then-President Ronald Reagan. In 2019, the Athens Community Center welcomed nearly 200 guests for the first Breakfast of Champions in Athens in celebration of the day, Sowers said. The success inspired the hosts to hold the event again in 2020.

“This is truly a community event,” Laura Sowers, program specialist for the Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation department, said.

“Any time we ask for anything, we’ve never been told no.”

The keynote speaker for the event is Ann Hebert, vice president of global sales at Nike.

She’s traveling from the Nike headquarters in Portland to give her speech and bring awareness to the cause. Hebert is an OU alumna of the class of 1992 and a former women’s basketball player for OU. “It’s a funny story, really,” Sowers said. “One day, I was getting my 3-year-old ready for school, and he was looking at an OU fall sports preview book.

He just so happened to open the page that featured Ann as an alum. I knew then it was a sign that she was supposed to be the keynote.”

Dr. Claire Warren-Russell is also a speaker for the event and is staying in Athens until Sunday for a free, private viewing of Maiden, which is about a competitive, all-female sailboat crew of which Warren-Russell served as the doctor and a crew member. The documentary plays Sunday at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., at 3 p.m.

Julie Cromer, the first female director of athletics at OU, 22 / JAN. 30, 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY JELA LATHAM

will speak at the event. She moved to Athens and joined the OU faculty in fall 2019.

The list of talented speakers also includes Kermit Blosser Hall of Fame inductee and former OU women’s basketball player Caroline Mast-Daugherty; 2008 Olympic softball silver medalist Lauren Lappin; 2018 collegiate club cyclocross athlete Jen Malik; and 2020 track and field paralympian Brittni Mason.

Erin Helms, program specialist in charge of Athletics and Fitness for the Athens Community Arts, Parks & Recreation department, said the fact female sports in general do not

@HANNAHNOELBURK HB239417@OHIO.EDU

IF YOU GO WHAT: Breakfast of Champions WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m.

WHERE: Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St. ADMISSION: Free, but call Athens Community Center to reserve a seat

WHAT’S GOING ON? ERIN GARDNER FOR THE POST

FRIDAY Athena Cinema Presents: A Speakeasy Soiree with Eddy/Meyer Trio at

7 p.m. at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St. Watch a collection of rare short films from the silent film era accompanied by live music from local jazz performers, The Eddy/ Meyer Trio. There will be a cash bar with signature cocktails from West End Distillery. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Admission: $10 The Wastement with King Buu and Judge Russo at 9 p.m. at The Union

Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. Listen to the sounds of The Wastemen, an Athens EDM jazz trio, with special guests King Buu from Cleveland and Judge Russo.

Admission: $5 Jonathan Hawkins of Little Lawnmowers at 8 p.m. at Donkey Coffee

and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St. Make your way to Donkey for a night of coffee and music from Little Lawnmowers, a West Virginia-based, one-man band consisting of Jonathan Hawkins.

Little Lawnmowers performs a unique blend of world music from Spain, Brazil and the Americas.

Admission: Free Survivor Advocacy Program Outreach Benefit Concert at 7:30 p.m.

at Baker Ballroom, 1 Park Place.

Simultaneously support the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program while listening to The Picardy Thirds. All proceeds will be donat-

ed to SAOP. Admission: suggested $3 donation

SATURDAY Dustin Lynch at 8 p.m. at Temple-

ton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, 47 E. Union St. Jam out with your friends to Dustin Lynch while he’s on his Stay County Tour 2020 with special guest Travis Denning. Admission: $66 first 10 rows; $46 remainder of floor; $36 balcony Moon and Wheel Grand Opening

at 7 p.m. at Moon and Wheel, 8 N. Court St., No. 412. Moon and Wheel, a tarot reading studio, will soon call Athens home. Enjoy refreshments, mini readings and door prize giveaways. The studio is located between Fluff Bakery and Pita Pit, and you take the elevator to the 4th floor. Dress in your mythical best.

Admission: Free

SUNDAY Game Night at 3 p.m. at Little Fish Brewery, 8675 Armitage Road.

Take a break from studying, grab your friends and head to Little Fish for a game of Dungeons & Dragons, Risk, Monopoly or any game that tickles your fancy.

Admission: Free

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

@ERINGARDNER_ EG245916@OHIO.EDU

EVERY MONDAY 7-10 pm

This exhibition, from the artist’s personal archive of roughly 30,000 images taken in more than 100 countries.

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

OPEN STAGE Donkey Coffee

DESIGNATED SPACE Poetry, prose and spokenword open stage.

FREE ADMISSION

EVERY TUESDAY 9-11 pm

stuartsoperhouse.org

donkeycoffee.com

Through Mar. 22nd

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Market on State ATHENS FARMERS MARKET: THE HANDS THAT FEED US

The exhibit features a body of work created through a partnership between the The Front Room • Baker Univ. Ctr The Union• 18 W Union St Athens Photo Project and GYRATION NATION the Athens Farmers Market.

OPEN STAGE Showcase your talent-or just DANCE LIBERATION FOR The exhibition features work VOTER REGISTRATION enjoy a cup of coffee as a from 22 APP artists who A Dance Liberation for spectator spent six weeks exploring VOTER REGISTRATION! and documenting many EVERY FRIDAY featuring DJ BARTICUS of the local farms and 8:00 pm Bring your friends, register businesses that comprise to vote, and then dance the the Athens Farmers Market. night away All ages welcome, especially 17 and up. on view

OPEN STAGE

Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

DUSTIN LYNCH Saturday, Feb. 1st 8:00 pm

Friday, Feb. 6th 9 pm - 2am 21 and over FREE $2 cover charge under 21

ohio.edu/performing-arts

Strouds Run State Park Bulldog Shelter House

GROUNDHOG HIKE Hikes depart at noon and 1:30. Soup and snacks provided! If you are not a hiker, come and sit a spell around the fire for some fun conversation! This event is brought to you by the Athens Conservancy and Friends of Strouds Run State Park.

Sunday, Feb. 2nd 12:00 pm

FREE ADMISSION athensconservancy.org Click on: What’s Happening

Through April 30th

FREE ADMISSION athensphotoproject.org

theunionbaroh.com

$66 first 10 rows $46 Floor • $36 Balcony

Super Bowl LIV Watch Party at 6:30

p.m. at Eclipse Company Store, 11309 Jackson Dr., The Plains. Root for the 49ers or the Chiefs while enjoying $2.50 pork sliders, $1.50 kettle chips, $2.25 domestic beers and 32 craft beers on tap. The kitchen will be open until 10 p.m., and the game will be on upstairs and downstairs.

Admission: Free

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Kennedy Museum of Art PICTURE THE WORLD: BURHAN DOĞANÇAY AS PHOTOGRAPHER

West End Ciderhouse

The Dairy Barn Arts Center A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF

GARY JACKSON KIRKSEY on view through Feb. 8th

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

dairybarn.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!

OU Gallery • Seigfred Hall AS, NOT FOR: AFRICAN send us an email AMERICAN POSTERS postadvertising@ohio.edu

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

Through Feb. 22nd

Semester pricing and discounts are available.

Space is limited

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

The stars have aligned, and they’re bringing you coffee MIKAYLA ROCHELLE FOR THE POST

There are a plethora of places to get coffee in Athens, so it can be hard to pick where to go. The next time you go get coffee, change things up by honing in on your zodiac sign.

Here’s where you should get coffee in Athens based on your zodiac sign: ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19): COURT STREET COFFEE The Mercury-ruled Aries are known for their cheerfulness. This fire sign tends to get annoyed very quickly by unnecessary complications; Aries are very straight-forward people. The energetic Aries will find their coffee thirsts met at Court Street Coffee. Greeted by the coffee counter as soon as they walk in, Court Street Coffee is just as straight-to-the-chase as the fiery Aries.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20): CATALYST CAFE The earth sign Taurus will love the earthy vibes of the Catalyst Cafe. Ruled

by Venus, Taureans strive for aesthetically-pleasing lives, and the huge windows allowing for natural lighting paired with the

cute coordination of this cafe will live up to every Taurean’s expectations.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20): THE FRONT ROOM COFFEEHOUSE Talkative and expressive, Front Room is perfect for Geminis. This quick-witted air sign ruled by Mercury won’t hesitate to engage in civil discourse with those around them. Front Room is always buzzing and energetic just like Geminis, and it’s a vibe they can totally get behind.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22): SOUTH SIDE ESPRESSO BAR The water sign Cancer is known for being both emotional and emotionally intelligent.

The intuitive Cancer, ruled by the moon, loves to sit down and chat with friends but hates small talk. South Side Espresso is the perfect place for a small social gathering and is the exact place a Cancer would love to get coffee.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22): STARBUCKS Bold and intelligent, Leos are natural-born leaders. This fire sign is known for its strong sense of pride, but they are also very generous. The sun-ruled Leo will love to hit up Starbucks. They’ll like that it’s well-known and commands attention — just like them.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22): BRENEN’S COFFEE CAFE The practical Virgo will feel right at home at Brenen’s. Ruled by Mercury, Virgos are

BOBCAT BARBELLES

known for their need for organization and sophistication. Brenen’s practical yet homey design is the perfect place for any Virgo to grab a coffee and hit the books.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22): MCHAPPY’S BAKE SHOPPE The air sign Libra is known as one of the kindest signs. Libras care for others and are very willing to make compromises. Ruled

by Venus, Libras are great listeners. No matter what your sign, if you need a good talk, head to McHappy’s Bakery with your Libra friend for a donut and a cup of coffee to decompress.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21): TOWN’S END COFFEE The passionate water sign Scorpio will love Town’s End Coffee. Scorpios are independent and love to explore. Heading to Town’s End may seem like a hike for most, but Scorpios will see it as an adventure. Town’s End Coffee is the perfect place for this sign, ruled by Pluto and Mars, to grab some coffee.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21): DONKEY COFFEE AND ESPRESSO Ruled by the planet Jupiter, Sagittarii is known to be the most free-spirited sign.

This sign’s fiery personality comes as no surprise with fire as its element. Sagitarrius isn’t afraid to go off the beaten path, so they will feel right at home at the unconventional and boho Donkey Coffee.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19): CAFE BIBLIOTECH Known as the hardest-working signs, the earth sign Capricorn will love that they don’t even need to leave the library to get a cup of joe. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorns are known for getting whatever they set their mind to.

College student Capricorns will feel right at home in the library, making Cafe Bibliotech the perfect place for these perfectionists.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18): WHIT’S FROZEN CUSTARD Independent and enigmatic, Aquarians hate labels. This air sign is unique and quirky.

An Aquarius would love to shake things up by getting coffee at Whit’s: a place that is generally known for its frozen custard. Whit’s is the perfect place for the Uranus-ruled Aquarius to sit down for some coffee — and maybe even some frozen custard, too.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20): FLUFF BAKERY The Neptune-ruled Pisces is known as a dreamer. Pisces are creative and intuitive with a knack for knowing themselves. Fluff Bakery is a perfect place for Pisces to get a coffee and let their imaginations drift off to new places. The cupcake clouds painted on a blue sky bordering Fluff is a great backdrop for a Pisces to day-dream. @MIKAYLA_ROCH MR290816@OHIO.EDU

CORY RICHARDS N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C P H OTO G R A P H E R , A DV E N T U R E R A N D V I S U A L STO R Y T E L L E R

PING RECREATION CENTER February 10 – April 20

$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

www.ohio.edu/recreation

FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | 7:30 P.M. BAKER UNIVERSITY CENTER BALLROOM

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., un-ticketed and free to the public ohio.edu/kennedylecture

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS