February 18, 2021

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Bagel Street Deli plans to expand

PG 5

Sacrificing For Success

Brick City Records adapts to COVID-19

PG 8

OU celebrates Black History Month

PG 12

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

A behind-the-scenes look at ‘The Post’

MOLLY SCHRAMM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As a journalism publication, The Post is constantly publishing articles, photos, videos and more, but the majority of the time, the process to getting those published goes unknown by our audience. Furthermore, with “fake news” rampant as ever, journalism can be confusing to those who aren’t familiar with it.

With the appointment of next year’s editor-in-chief and a transfer of leadership on the horizon, it seems like a great time to break down the hierarchy of The Post and how we run as a publication.

Like our masthead explains, The Post runs with a few executive editors as well as a slew of section editors who run all of our many sections. From there, some of these staffs have staff writers as well as everyone else who writes/shoots/designs/contributes in whatever way to The Post. With over 100 members, The Post really would not be what it is without its staff members.

Throughout the process of one article, though, multiple Post staff members work with it.

To begin, once a writer picks up a story, they scour for sources, conduct interviews and write their piece. Once the story is written, that student will edit with their respec-

tive section editor. Throughout that editing process, facts and quotes are checked, structure is changed if need be and, most importantly for the writer, it’s a chance for the editor to help their writer grow as a journalist.

While that writer is going through their writing process, our creative teams also get looped in. No matter if the article will be accompanied by a photo, graphic or illustration, it’s assigned to either a photographer or illustrator who then creates the art for the article.

After both the art is solidified and the article is edited, the piece then goes to a copy editor who will peruse it for any missed grammar or AP Style mistakes. From there, the article will go to another copy editor — what we call slot editors — for another round of style editing. To round this out, if a story is a featured top story on our website, the piece also gets edited by our managing editor.

Then the late night editor for the evening will do one final read-through before publishing.

After all of this, our social media team whips up our attention-grabbing social posts to drive page views and engagement throughout our website. All in all, one article published at The Post goes through many people — and this doesn’t even delve into if

multimedia, coding, data visualization or more is included with it.

The point of this column isn’t to brag about how extensive what we do is but more so to introduce transparency into journalism and offer up a slice of what our evenings look like.

This process can sometimes be tiresome and grueling (many late, late nights are involved), and human error still happens despite the number of eyes that see one article.

We aren’t perfect, after all.

Nevertheless, The Post continues the work we do because we owe it to our readers, Southeast Ohio and the standards of journalism we always strive for.

Journalism is a practice like no other.

There isn’t anything really like it, but hopefully, this gives you — our beloved readers — a bit of insight into how a story goes from an idea to being published.

Molly Schramm is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions?

Email Molly at ms660416@ohio.edu or tweet her @_molly_731.

COVER PHOTO BY KELSEY BOEING

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Molly Schramm MANAGING EDITOR Baylee DeMuth DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Geiger EDITORIAL NEWS EDITORS Abby Miller, Nolan Simmons ASST. NEWS EDITOR Emma Skidmore LONG-FORM EDITOR Jillian Craig SPORTS EDITORS Jack Gleckler, J.L. Kirven CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Lily Roby OPINION EDITOR Noah Wright ASST. OPINION EDITOR Mikayla Rochelle THE BEAT EDITOR Madyson Lewellyn ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Emma Dollenmayer COPY CHIEF Bre Offenberger SLOT EDITORS Eli Feazell, Anna Garnai, Katey Kruback, Molly Powers ART ART DIRECTOR Mary Berger ASST. ART DIRECTOR Olivia Juenger DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kelsey Boeing PHOTO EDITOR Nate Swanson DIGITAL WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Brianna Lender SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Taylor Burnette DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Ethan Sands BUSINESS STUDENT MEDIA SALES INTERNSHIP MANAGER Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Grace Vannan

2 / FEB. 18, 2021

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Partying Without a Curfew Individuals predict more crowds at bars after statewide curfew lifted MAYA MORITA STAFF WRITER After Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine lifted the statewide curfew on Feb. 11 that was in place to decrease the spread of COVID-19, some individuals in Athens are expecting bars to get busier than before.

With the absence of the curfew, establishments are now able to stay open for regular business hours but will still have to follow COVID-19 guidelines.

“The curfew did not feel like it was strictly enforced,” Noah Boswell, a junior studying strategic leadership and management and business analytics, said in an email. “Some businesses were still open after the curfew hours. The only thing that changed was that some places closed earlier.”

However, some establishments enforced the curfew more than others.

Caitlyn Edwards, a server at The Pub, said her establishment tried to comply with all COVID-19 regulations, even if it may have hurt business.

“We try to be one of the stricter bars Uptown because we honestly can’t afford to sit there and get a citation,” Edwards said. “I don’t understand people that try to argue with us about it. I’d rather lose their business of their two drinks that they’re going to get versus paying a $5,000 fine.”

Despite the curfew’s purpose being to stop the spread of COVID-19, Cat Tillis, a sophomore studying environmental and plant biology, said in some situations, it seemed to do the opposite.

“Most of the time, I thought it was pointless for everything except bars, clubs, and restaurants,” Tillis said in an email. “For example, the grocery store nearest to me closed early this season, which correlated to more people concentrated within fewer hours shopping, the opposite of what was needed.”

Additionally, some people did not feel impacted by the curfew at all.

“The curfew didn’t change much that I was doing,” Boswell said in an email. “I worked and would hang out with friends after. Not much changed in my personal

life.”

However, Edwards saw a change in the behaviors of people coming to The Pub due to the curfew.

“I would say people started going out a lot earlier in the day and would day drink more than they would be out at night,” Edwards said. “A lot of people just adjusted for that, and then when the curfew went away, not a lot of people really knew what to do.”

Now that the curfew is no longer in place, Tillis and Edwards both predict an increase in people attending bars.

“I think we’ll get busier later on in the night than we were before,” Edwards said.

“When the curfew was in place, everybody was coming in earlier at 5 or 6 p.m. to start drinking. Now that the curfew isn’t there anymore, it’s not flooded. People are actually going back to kind of how it was before, not going out until 10 p.m., because they know they have more time to prepare themselves and everything.”

Lucky’s Sports Tavern, 11 N. Court St., may make changes as a result of the curfew being lifted. The bar may look to hire more

Masked individuals form a line outside Red Brick Tavern in Athens, Ohio, on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (JULIA STRAUB | FOR THE POST)

employees depending on how its current staff is able to adapt to the new hours, according to a previous Post report.

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At OHIO, we take care of our fellow Bobcats. Intervene when you see potential for harm or learn about an incident.

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

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NEWS BRIEFS

Those in dorms adapt to taking online classes with a roommate; Graduate Student Senate finalizes financial contributions for regional conference ABBY MILLER NEWS EDITOR RESIDENCE HALL ROOMMATES ADAPT TO TAKING CLASSES TOGETHER Ohio University students living in residence halls for the Spring Semester are navigating the challenges of attending online classes while in the same room as their roommate.

Some like Erin Ashley, a sophomore studying meteorology, are trying their best to be courteous during their class time. Ashley feels like she needs to leave the room to speak in class. She said it’s the biggest issue she’s ran into with having a roommate, but it’s still not a huge deal to her.

Those taking online classes requiring movement may face space issues in their shared dorms.

Joe Sarfi, a sophomore studying history and language arts education, said he is required to do yoga for one of his classes. When Sarfi is doing yoga, his roommate is also in a class. The only place big enough for Sarfi to do yoga is the middle of the room, which puts him right behind his roommate’s camera and also makes it difficult for his roommate to walk around the room.

Despite those challenges, some students are glad to be sharing a room with someone while back on campus.

Ethan Sargeant, a freshman studying journalism, said he

has some of the same classes as his roommate. He said having his roommate there to talk to face-to-face about classes is a helpful resource.

GRADUATE STUDENT SENATE ALLOCATES FUNDS FOR REGIONAL CONFERENCE Graduate Student Senate approved Tuesday the allocation of funds to pay for the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, or NAGPS, Midwestern Regional Conference.

GSS will be virtually co-hosting the NAGPS conference April 5 through April 8 alongside the University of Kentucky’s GSS. The total cost of the event is budgeted at $1,075. OU’s GSS will be giving $550 to NAGPS to cover costs and has the right to take those funds away if they are used improperly, Amid Vahedi, GSS treasurer, said.

Amal Shimiar, GSS vice president, said some of that money is going toward graduate students and appreciating them. Graduate students are invited to speak at the conference and will be paid for their efforts.

GSS has been involved in NAGPS as a body member for a number of years, but this is the first time it is getting involved on the national level. The conference will be open to all GSS members and the OU graduate student body as well. It will be a way to highlight the efforts

of GSS, Brett Fredericksen, commissioner for Student Affairs - Research, said.

The Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee also officially announced the decision during Tuesday’s meeting to change how coverage periods are billed for graduate student health insurance.

Instead of paying for six months of coverage during Fall and Spring Semesters, payments will now be split between the fall, spring and summer, Kaelyn Ferris, GSS president, said.

Starting next fall, the semester payments will decrease. However, if a graduate student is enrolled during the summer, they will be charged about $800 in premiums they did not pay during the other two semesters, Ferris said.

International graduate students and other graduate students will benefit from the change, ensuring students are not paying for a summer’s worth of health insurance coverage that isn’t being used if they don’t take summer classes, Ferris said.

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POLICE BLOTTER

Man calls 911 for medical dissatisfaction; vehicle towed from Shade Community Center ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST MYSTERIOUS CRASH

The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a single-car crash on U.S. Route 33, near Richland Avenue. Deputies searched the area but did not find the reported car or crash.

of an abandoned 2012 Toyota Corolla at Shade Community Center. When they arrived, deputies tagged the car to be towed and left the owner a voice message informing them the car would be towed.

SIKE, THAT’S THE WRONG NUMBER

Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious persons report on Highfields Drive in Millfield.

Deputies located a man walking along the side of the road and was given a ride home.

Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at Union Lane in The Plains. Deputies were told the caller was unhappy with the medical care he had received earlier in the day.

When they arrived, deputies informed the man that 911 was the incorrect number to call for his situation and gave him the proper information. He was also given a warning about calling 911 without an actual emergency.

CALL FOR A TOW

INTRUDER ALERT

BEATS WALKING

Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report

4 / FEB. 18, 2021

Athens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a bur-

glary alarm at the Albany Marathon gas station. The alarm company told deputies they had made contact with a woman who put in the wrong passcode.

When they arrived, deputies found the business to be secure.

@ANNAMILLAR16 AM157219@OHIO.EDU

Bagel Street Deli to expand next door into Mountain Laurel Gifts building TAYLOR BURNETTE SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR One of Athens’ favorite hole-in-thewall restaurants is expanding with a new bigger space and expanding its menu offerings as well.

Last week, Bagel Street Deli, 27 S. Court St., announced its intent to expand into the space next door that formerly housed Mountain Laurel Gifts. The restaurant is not moving but renovating to connect both spaces to give Bagel Street more kitchen and dining space, Megan Meyer, co-owner of Bagel Street Deli, said.

“The idea is to expand the dining in the front, and there will be a connection between the old side and the new side, an archway between the buildings,” Meyer said.

The charm of the old space will still be there, Meyer said, including the small details, like the brick wall that customers often stick tin foil onto.

The shop will remain open via the same front window-only format it has been operating in because of the pandemic during the renovations, but Meyer said they hope to have the shop opened for indoor seating in the new larger space by August.

Meyer said although Bagel Street had hoped to expand for quite some time, they didn’t want to move the business from its original location on Court Street. Although Meyer said she was sad to see Mountain Laurel Gifts go out, the space was the only way they could renovate Bagel Street to expand, Meyer said.

“We had some good soul searching,” Meyer said. “We want to double down and try to make this even bigger and better, so we’re grateful for the opportunity.”

The land and the building formerly occupied by Mountain Laurel Gifts were appraised together last year for $211,380 and was purchased for Bagel Street’s expansion Jan. 20 for an undisclosed price. The last sale of the building and land took place in 2012 for $260,000, according to the Athens County Auditor’s website.

Meyer said they are currently waiting for the state to approve the expansion plans and hope to start renovations by mid-April.

With the expansion of both their din-

Customers wait for their order outside Bagel Street Deli in uptown Athens, Ohio, on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.

(NATE SWANSON | PHOTO EDITOR)

ing and kitchen space, Meyer said Bagel Street’s staff will be growing as well, with more positions opening up. The menu will also be expanding to include new and familiar items as well as more catering options.

“We’re not looking to change our menu too drastically,” Meyer said. “We’re going to stay in our lane. We know what we do well, and we will continue to deliver that. Just adding a little variety on the side is kind of our end goal.”

Meyer hopes to see more variety in Bagel Street salads, and the expansion will open up more space and opportunities for preparation, she said. Soups will be making a return alongside other brand new side dishes, she said.

Although the project is a risk due to the pandemic, Meyer said she is excit-

ed to bring a wider offering to the community and make their longtime dreams come true.

“We want to commit to this, and we’re taking a big risk because we care about the business,” Meyer said. “It’s pretty exciting, and our employees are excited about the opportunity. It’s an exciting thing — all these ideas that we’ve been thinking about for years have the potential to come true.”

Bagel Street manager Delphine Gamin is also excited about the renovations and said in an email that she thinks the expansion will allow Bagel Street to catch up with the business’ growth in popularity over the years.

“It will overall be a more positive experience for the customers as well as a more efficient space for us to work in,” Gamini

said in an email. “When everything operates smoothly, people are groovy.” @TAYLORBURNETTE_ TB040917@OHIO.EDU

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Fahl’s Fourth Ward Challenge Councilwoman Chris Fahl faces first primary challenger since 2009

Athens City Council building located at 8 E. Washington St. in Athens, Ohio. (KELSEY BOEING | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

ANNA MILLAR FOR THE POST Athens resident Alan Swank is serving as Councilwoman Chris Fahl’s first primary challenger since she was elected in 2009.

Fahl, D-4th Ward, has long focused on environmental issues in the city, and she said she is continuing to follow that focus. Currently, Fahl is working on updating Title 37 in the Athens City Code, which deals with landscape regulations, as it has not been updated in 25 years.

“What I want people to think about is that I’ve done a lot of very progressive and sustainable things with the City Council to get the city towards a more sustainable and resilient future, because of climate change, and so I’m gonna be continuing that work,” Fahl said.

6 / FEB. 18, 2021

In her time on City Council, Fahl has served on many commissions and committees, including City and Safety Services Committee, the Athens City Comprehensive Plan, the Shade Tree Commission, the Arbor Tree Committee and the Planning and Development Committee, Clerk of Council Debbie Walker said.

Swank, however, is focusing on housing issues in the city and listening to residents — especially seniors — within the fourth ward to gauge what else he should be bringing up to Council.

“One of the first things that I heard was a real lack of affordable, quality senior housing,” Swank said. “A second thing that I heard from many, many people is that despite the fact that we have newspapers … there just aren’t that many print newspapers circulating on a daily basis. Peo-

ple say, ‘Well, I gotta go online and get it.’ Well, some people just aren’t adept at doing that.”

As part of his campaign, Swank is planning to try and connect with every voter in his ward. He will do this largely through knocking on doors and leaving flyers with contact information so citizens can contact him and let him know their concerns.

In order to connect with voters while still being cognizant of COVID-19 risks and regulations, Swank will be knocking on doors in a socially distant manner, much in the same fashion as he did when collecting signatures.

He plans to knock on citizens’ doors and then proceed to back up around 6 to 10 feet away and conduct the conversations fully masked and distanced.

“For the people that I don’t see, I will leave some sort of flyer or some sort of written statement of several things: what I’ve heard from neighbors, what I’m about and also how to get a hold of me,” Swank said. “I would think in that way I could reach those people and give those who are not comfortable talking in person the opportunity to either email me or pick up the phone and have a good, old-fashioned phone call.”

Fahl, on the other hand, has elected to avoid doorto-door communications due to the pandemic. She is, instead, currently working on finding the best ways to reach out to her constituents, especially students.

“I talk with constituents all the time because they have no problem just calling me up,” Fahl said. “I’m trying to think of creative ways of reaching out to people, so we’ll see. Most of it’s going to be personal communication but just not face-to-face.”

Fahl is not worried about the race at the moment.

“It’s Athens, and it’s early in the campaign,” she said. “I think either of us haven’t really put it out there, what we want and stuff.”

As of now, Swank is focusing on “creative problem solving” in order to get his message out and heard from voters. He is especially interested in eventually creating what he calls “street hall meetings.”

The meetings will be similar to town hall-style meetings but are intended to be on a smaller scale and more personal.

“I’m going to call street hall meetings, where we might take over on this side, these nine streets, and I do half of them this week and the other half next week,” Swank said.

“So, the people have an opportunity to not necessarily hear from me, but for me to hear from them because at the end of the day, the legislation the Council passes really needs to be driven by the citizens, not by the elected official.”

Swank said he would prefer for the meetings to be in person but is fine with conducting them through Zoom during the pandemic.

“One of the things I plan on doing is getting a Zoom account so that those who aren’t comfortable meeting in a group setting can do the whole thing by Zoom,” Swank said. “At the end of the day, my candidacy is not about my agenda. My candidacy is about the agenda of the citizens of Athens — not only those in the fourth ward, but those across the rest of the city. The only way we know what that agenda is, is to ask people. We have to ask people.”

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The Music Plays On Brick City Records produces EPs despite pandemic JILLIAN CRAIG LONGFORM EDITOR

The show goes on at Brick City Records as students continue to work and produce shows and EPs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite an ongoing pandemic, students involved in Brick City Records, a capstone course at Ohio University, have still been able to put on shows virtually and work to produce EPs. Last semester, Brick City Records had four different shows called “Baker’s Dozen,” which were streamed in Baker Center and featured 13 artists, and five separate shows streamed on Twitch called “Pregame Shows.”

“The Twitch shows in and of themselves were completely ran virtually; the artists were not in Athens,” Weiler Harmon, a senior studying music production/recording industry, said. “We had people playing in Alabama, people playing from Tennessee, people playing from Chicago, all over Ohio (obviously), and that was super awesome.”

Joseph Minde-Berman, a senior at Yellow Springs High School in Yellow Springs, is one of the four artists at Brick City Records this year and drives two hours once a month to record at Brick City Records. Because of his drive time, Minde-Berman takes his time in the studio seriously.

“The fact that I am separated also by this distance just means that the time that we have gotten to spend together has been extra valuable because it’s been pretty rare to orchestrate … We can’t just link up whenever we’re feeling like it,” Minde-Berman said. “But I think that at the end, even though that has been a challenge, it’s also been something that’s been pretty great and added the special meaning to the time and made us more productive.”

As of now, Minde-Berman has only been able to have four recording sessions, but in that time, he has recorded five songs for his EP. “I think that, at least for me, I was very impressed with that,” Minde-Berman said. “And I think that if the restric8 / FEB. 18, 2021

tion of the time and the distance hadn’t been there, I don’t know if we would have been equally productive, or if there would have been that extra just kind of drive present.”

Because he is still in high school, Minde-Berman struggles with occasional schedule overlap between Brick City Records and academics.

“I definitely think that sometimes there’s a little bit of schedule overlap,” Minde-Berman said. “I was able to incorporate some of my work with Brick City into an independent study credit, so I was able to tie that into my school year as well, so that the amount of time that I was spending was justified, and my teachers wouldn’t really look down on me for skipping a day of school to go up there and record.”

Some members of Brick City Records found the challenges in holding shows due to the pandemic forced them to get creative.

“It really made us go outside of the box with kind of finding ways to market the events and get people involved with Brick City because we didn’t have the pool of being able to do our usual actual live shows with artists and do showcases that way,” Michael Boston, a senior studying music production/recording industry, said. “So it was a learning curve for everybody.”

Traditionally, Brick City Records relied on holding live shows and word-of-

ILLUSTRATIONS BY OLIVIA JUENGER

mouth to market its artists. But because the label can’t hold live shows, Brick City Records has to find other ways to market itself and its artists.

“It’s kinda like pay to play because, other than directly messaging people and posting within the label and having your friends post, if you want to reach that wider audience, we had to go through social media ads, which cost money, so we had to sacrifice some of our budget for marketing,” Boston said.

Unlike the shows, the structure of Brick City Records has remained the same during the pandemic. Four different artists are signed onto the label each year and have their own production, marketing and publicity team, as well as an A&R, or Artists and Repertoire, representative who acts as a talent liaison.

The A&R is similar to an in-house manager, Harmon said.

“You know, we’ve still seen our artists get to make as many songs as they would, or, I mean, produce as big of a project as they would in the past, if they’re willing to do it,” Harmon said.

The recording process, however, has changed to conform to COVID-19 precautions.

“Before COVID, the OU Studio was open 24 hours a day; you could have as many people in there as you want,” Preston Lynch, a junior studying the recording industry, said. “Now, this year, you can only have three people in the control room, which is a little bit less than we would normally like. The sessions can only be about three hours long with a three-hour break in between them to let the studio air out.”

Lynch, who is the head of music production at Brick City Records, found remote work to be challenging.

“I don’t get to be there as much as I’d like to be, so they have to send me what they recorded and I’d have to listen, from a remote location and then like give feedback like all the video calls and stuff, and I’m much more of a in-person kind of guy,” Lynch said. “So that’s definitely been the biggest challenge but we made it work.”

Harmon also believes that the restrictions on recording have been challenging.

“A lot of the recording, I would say maybe doesn’t feel as organic, and maybe the artists pitching process doesn’t feel organic because, instead of all sitting in a room together and listening to people’s artists pitches, we all had to share our sound on (Microsoft) Teams and do it that way,” Harmon said. “It’s tough getting everything to feel organic and cohesive when it’s all virtual, and you’re dealing with an art, but I think we’ve done a really good job of it.”

Another change to Brick City Records is the camaraderie and bonds among everyone involved. Harmon said artists and their own teams have a better bond because they spend more time recording together and getting close as a separate team. The entire label itself, though, is not super close, Harmon said.

“I’ve made some really good friends from the label this year, but I would not say that it’s like, we all hang and do stuff together all the time,” Harmon said. “And I think that COVID has been a big part of that. Honestly, I think that’s prevented us from developing friendships and stuff more. It’s hard, especially when we’re all seniors. No one really has the drive to go out during COVID and hang out with a giant group of people.”

Boston, however, believes that bonding has gone well under the current circumstances.

“We all have this same struggle, and understanding that it’s not gonna be perfect, but we’re gonna try the best we can to make it perfect,” Boston said.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that this goes well because we want it to reflect our organization well and ourselves because we’re putting in the time.”

Lynch also thinks that people in the label would have had a better bonding experience in person but believes there were still good relationships made remotely.

“Would we have probably gotten more out of it without COVID? Yes, but like I said, we made it work: there’s been more video calls — I’ve probably done more video calls this year than I have in my whole life before — but, yeah, I think we’ve definitely established some great relationships within the label,” Lynch said. “And just working as a team and trying to figure out this whole maze trying to navigate through it together has really developed some good relationships.”

Brick City Records faced obstacles in recording, marketing and even bonding, but the difficulties faced by everyone at the label were ultimately good learning experiences.

“It was definitely like (a) ‘(you) have to think on your feet’ situation,” Lynch said.

“We’d try different things sometimes. It would work out sometimes; it wouldn’t

work out, but I think it definitely has taught us all how to kind of adapt more than anything.”

The changes that occurred were a good preparation for what the real recording industry is like, Harmon said.

“I think that, if anything, this has made us more prepared to be in an industry that is chaotic and ever-changing as this one is. The music industry is always just morphing,” Harmon said. “And sometimes something like this has made us all just really learn how to adapt.”

Like others, Boston also learned how to change methods in the face of pandemic-related difficulties.

“It’s really helped, I think me personally, just find new ways to be better at marketing, and, I guess, be better at what we do research-wise, too, like, vet artists or people we’re gonna work with to make sure that they’re actually right for our brand and not gonna represent us in the wrong way,” Boston said.

Brick City Records will be releasing four EPs this spring.

“Be on the lookout for projects coming out from Sun Boats, Fifty Three, Camille and JoJomber,” Boston said. “They should be coming out here at the end of the semester.”

@JILLIANCRAIG18 JC986517@OHIO.EDU

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A Learning Curve

Education majors adjust to online student teaching JACK KNUDSON FOR THE POST Students in the Patton College of Education have had to overcome unforeseen challenges in completing their student teaching due to COVID-19.

Education majors are normally placed in a southeastern Ohio school district for a 16-week professional internship. However, schools have been more cautious about letting interns into their facilities in order to keep students and staff safe.

Kathleen Haskell, coordinator of professional internships in teaching, said she has experienced adjustments in placing students in student teaching positions. Haskell said she places around 200 candidates a year.

Haskell said local districts that have taken multiple Ohio University student teachers in the past have chosen to not take any this year. Students living out of state due to COVID-19 had to complete an out-ofarea petition to be able to do their student teaching elsewhere, Haskell said.

“Since the pandemic, we have approved probably 10 out-of-area internships that, prior to the pandemic, we would not have because we just literally could not find

them a place,” Haskell said.

Haskell said some school districts that have enough vaccinations for staff will offer them to prospective student teachers, a hopeful sign for the gradual return of in-person internships.

The setbacks from the pandemic, though, have not stopped student teachers from making the best of their virtual internships.

Allie Davis, a junior studying early childhood education, is currently completing a virtual internship at The Plains Elementary School.

Despite teaching virtually, Davis is able to build relationships with her third grade students through activities like “morning meetings,” or through math and reading lessons in smaller breakout rooms. Davis said while she wishes these relationships could be deeper, she still enjoys bonding with the students.

“They still tell me about their lives every day, and they’re very open, even on the computer,” Davis said.

In this virtual classroom, Davis faced obstacles such as getting students to pay attention when they are distracted and showing them how to use reaction com-

mands on their computers. She said she hopes to return to a traditional classroom setting for better interaction but mostly for the students’ sake.

“I think that the students are going to be getting a better education in person than they would if they were sitting at home on a computer,” Davis said. “That’s why I really want them to go back. It’s for them, not for me, because I’ll get over it, but they really need to go to school.”

Mya Contillo, a teacher who graduated from OU in December 2020 with a major in integrated language arts, completed a virtual internship before landing her current job teaching virtually at Belpre Elementary School.

Contillo started her professional internship teaching in-person in spring 2020, but after the pandemic hit, she continued teaching online.

Learning how to teach online was a learning curve for Contillo, who said she had difficulties in creating online curriculums, teaching at a slower pace and forming relationships with students.

“And I was also just disappointed that I didn’t get to go into the classroom, of course,” Contillo said. “You learn so much just being in the field.”

Ultimately, Contillo said she finds gratification in what she is able to do for her students during the pandemic.

“You know, as crazy and difficult as it’s been for not only teachers, you have to realize, it’s 10 times harder for the students to just adapt to this learning environment,” she said. “I think that, as a teacher, it’s just made me really grateful that I do what I do because I feel like I’m bringing a sense of normalcy to the students’ everyday lives.”

@JACKKNUDSON89 JK768518@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER 10 / FEB. 18, 2021

Sojourner’s Resiliency Center offers free showers, food to public ANASTASIA CARTER FOR THE POST Sojourner’s Resiliency Center has sat mostly empty since the opening of its location on North Shafer Street until the launch of its Lunchbox Program, which offers free food and showers to those in need.

The Resiliency Center is a part of Sojourner’s Care Network, a program that works to create a community where young persons are not seen as a problem but, instead, partners in creating a better community. All of its programming follows one or more of its core basic outcomes: improving social/emotional health, increased access to education and employment, increased permanent connections and permanent housing.

“We choose to see the people that walk through our door as resilient,” Eryn Powell, the programming coordinator of the Resiliency Center, said, “As full of possibilities instead of as a nuisance, or whatever people see young people as in the community when they’re not doing great.”

The center has offered many different programs since it has been open, such as a consent and safe sex program, a musical open house and a blood drive on March 3.

It remains open during the day from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. in hopes of catching youth between the ages of 14 to 21 after work or after school.

The most recent program it has offered is the Lunchbox Program, which extends a chance to people of any age to come in for a hot shower and fill a grocery bag with needed food items. The Lunchbox Program occurs Fridays between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Some of the items available include

baby formula, snack foods, rice and more.

The center has stocked most of its food pantry using a grant, but it accepts all different kinds of donations.

“We’ve already had a few pretty great donations, (and) not just for the Lunchbox program,” Powell said. “Somebody donated a drum kit, and somebody donated a trumpet for our music program. It’s those little things, those little moments of the community interacting and the community showing through its actions that they’re interested in what this place could be.

That means a lot.”

By bringing people of the community into the building, Sojourner’s hopes to cater to the community and adapt its space to Athens youth. The space is already filled with an area for video games and other activities.

Students may not have known upon arrival to OU, but Athens County continuously struggles economically more than most counties in Ohio.

“I know (in) my sociology class, we’ve learned that Athens County is among a few hundred persistent poverty counties in the United States, and I never knew that coming here,” Ethan Brown, a freshman studying economics and sociology, said. “There’s this cycle, and I think a place like the resiliency center is important and needed everywhere. Especially in Athens, there’s a continuing need (for) that all the time.”

Even though Athens is known as a college town, there are many parts that have remained in need for years on end.

“I know that Athens is a very impoverished county,” Amanda Daro, a freshman studying entrepreneurship, said. “(This) would benefit the community for those

Sojourner’s Resiliency Center Program Director Eryn Powell stands beside personal necessities for those in need on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. (TRE SPENCER | FOR THE POST)

in need.”

The center has only seen one person take advantage of the Lunchbox program, but that still makes it worth it in Powell’s eyes.

“I can’t even explain how good it’s been to have one person walk through the door,” Powell said. “I sit here every day and look at this space, and it’s pretty big. It ... bums me out because I can only ever see the possibility.”

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OU celebrates Black History Month with virtual programming MARY JANE SANESE FOR THE POST Ohio University is going all out this February for a virtual celebration of Black History Month 2021, making it easier than ever to get involved.

This is OU’s first year going all virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are many ways people can participate. A virtual celebration gives not only OU students, faculty and alumni the opportunity to get involved, but also the Athens community at large.

OU’s celebration is centered around this year’s national theme of Black History Month, “The Black Family.”

“All of (OU’s) programs look at and celebrate the Black family in its multifaceted, eclectic way,” Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, director of OU’s Multicultural Center said.

So far this February, OU has hosted the Black Excellence Panel, a networking and social event featuring Black individuals who have found professional success and a guest lecture with Cleveland multi-genre artist and radio host Vince Robinson. Other events included Black Jeopardy, a MLK Interfaith Dialogue featuring clergymen and women from various religions and more.

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, “A Conversation with Donna Brazile” was on Zoom and featured Daytime Emmy Award-winner Donna Brazile, who is the former DNC chair and first woman to run a national presidential campaign. Chunnu-Brayda said asking Brazile to speak possessed a timely element, discussing what the Black vote means for the Black family.

“Because we just had our first Black South Asian Vice President, (and) because of what Stacey Abrams has done with flipping Georgia, we felt it would be a great year to talk about the Black vote and what that means for the Black family,” Chunnu-Brayda said. “We wanted a Black speaker, someone who has been involved in politics for a long time, understands the Black community, the historic challenges surrounding the Black vote and can speak to that.”

In addition to Brazile’s event, there are many virtual lectures and conversations covering a wide variety of topics throughout the month, including the first annual Ted Rose Lecture Series, NAACP’S Black History Month Series and many more, which can be found at OU’s Black History Month’s Event Page.

In a year plagued by unrest and protest following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Casey Goodson Jr. and other Black persons at the hands of law enforcement, Chunnu-Brayda feels it has been nothing short of a tumultuous year for the Black community.

“We talk about our country as this beacon on the hill, this place where other countries aspire to be like our democracy, (but) not every one of our citizens feel that way, and that includes the Black community,” Chunnu-Brayda said. “We want to make sure we are highlighting that there are groups in our union that are still not enjoying everything our Founding Fathers would have hoped they would be by this time.”

Chunnu-Brayda believes the best way to get involved for Black History Month is to come out, listen, learn and reflect.

“If (people) do not come out, they won’t get the message, and that is the important piece,” Chunnu-Brayda said.

12 / FEB. 18, 2021

The Booker T. Washington Wedding House is one of the historical sites featured in the virtual Black History of Athens Tour. (TRE SPENCER | FOR THE POST)

In addition to the various series of lectures, OU offers a Black History of Athens Tour, which highlights many historical sites around Athens, such as the Booker T. Washington Wedding House and the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in 1959.

People can celebrate Black History Month by doing some personal research as well. Alden Library is providing an Anti-Racism and Black Lives Matter Resources collection, which includes links to podcasts, streaming films, popular and academic articles and other web sources.

Anyone can suggest additions to the list here.

Michele Jennings, art librarian at Alden Library, knows there is a wide variety of media and something for everyone on this list, including if someone is wanting to delve deeper into this year’s theme.

“My understanding is that the theme is about Black families literally, but also about the Black family as a symbol of the diaspora, of the multiplicity of Black experiences,” Jennings said in an email. “So I hope that this list offers some views into that – in particular, the sections titled ‘Black voices and stories’ and ‘Intersectionality.’”

Another way OU is encouraging people to celebrate Black History Month is through film and other media.

Lorraine Wochna runs the Twitter page @watchfilmsOU, which is active year-round and recommends media available through the Alden Library website, focusing this month on BIPOC involved projects.

In addition, Wochna is the subject librarian for the School of Film, Theater, Department of English and Afri-

can American Studies at Alden Library and is responsible for obtaining sources for the African American Studies resource guide.

“I personally think everyone should be required to take an African American Studies class,” Wochna said.

The guide has a seemingly infinite amount of information and an infinite number of resources, which include subscriptions and archives to multiple Black-owned and operated historical newspapers, like the Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier. Wochna believes it is important to look at historical events through the lens of an African American newspaper rather than a more white, mainstream newspaper.

Chunnu-Brayda, Jennings and Wochna encourage Athens residents and OU students, faculty and staff to get involved in as many ways as they can during Black History Month.

“We’re just happy that we’re still able to do it even though we’re online and that people are excited,” Chunnu-Brayda said.

@MARYJANESANESE MS943920@OHIO.EDU

First Female Commander Collins

LILY ROBY ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Eileen Collins, the first female commander of a space shuttle, is the keynote speaker of the first event of Ohio University’s “Frontiers in Science” 2021 lecture series. Collins visited OU via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the key qualities needed to be an efficient, successful leader.

Students like Emily Harasin, a sophomore studying HTC chemistry, were eager to visit the lecture and hear Collins’ inspirational life story of joining one of the first groups of female pilots in the Air Force and then eventually rising to the top.

“Collins is a powerful role model to female-identifying people everywhere,” Harasin said in a message. “From being in the Air Force to becoming an astronaut, she shows that women are just as capable, though these fields are typically perceived as male-dominated industries.”

Collins is an idol to many because throughout her life, she pushed past boundaries and societal norms of what was expected and allowed of women, specifically in aeronautics and space. Women had been pilots before Collins became one, but none were recognized as part of the Air Force until

test pilot training programs began for women in 1978.

A large group of these female pilots were the Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as the WASPs. Although they ferried planes for the Air Force during World War II, WASPs were never considered part of the military and didn’t earn veteran benefits until the late 1970s, when some women had already passed away. Collins discussed these women, along with others, in her lecture about female leadership in space.

Collins’ interest in spaceflight began at a young age, and she remembers reading about astronauts in her local library. She grew up in Elmira, New York, and her parents used to take her to watch glider planes fly near her house.

“I was in fourth grade, and I was reading an article in Junior Scholastic Magazine about the Gemini astronauts,” Collins said.

“And that’s my first memory of really learning about astronauts and deciding that I wanted to be one of them … I wanted to be a lady astronaut, even though they were all men in those days.”

After graduating from Syracuse University through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, or ROTC, program, Collins followed her dream of the Air Force just in time to join the test pilot training program. Along with

three other women, she trained to be a pilot and was monitored closely to see if she could handle it.

“I couldn’t really call in sick,” Collins admitted. “Well, I could, but I felt like every time I called in sick and didn’t go in to fly that day, it would be a strike against the women in the future … so, the entire pilot training, I only called in sick one day.”

Being one of only four female pilots on a base of 500 was certainly different, but Collins said it was an amazing year and experience overall. Afterward, she was even asked to stay on the team as an instructor, and she now feels being in the Air Force is like being part of a big family.

“We support each other,” Collins said.

“Maybe I felt a little bit awkward at first, just kind of standing out and being a woman in a man’s world. But I think that wore off pretty fast, and I felt very accepted.”

Collins was later hired as an astronaut with NASA and flew her first two missions in 1995 and 1997 as a mission specialist, the same title held by pilots like Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and the approximately 15 other women who had flown before her. She later flew as commander of two flights, one in 1999 and one in 2005, and her flight in 1999 was the first time an American woman was commander of a space shuttle.

Being in space certainly has a learning curve, and astronauts have to grow accustomed to new habit patterns, like using strings to tether objects down or having velcro on utensils.

The first couple days are the most difficult to adapt because the human body has a fluid shift.

“Your face gets fat, your legs get skinny, your hair floats and… your head just feels full,” Collins said.

Looking back at the blue and white of the earth from the windows of the space shuttle is the most beautiful thing about the job for Collins.

“The earth is a water planet, and it really drives that point home,” Collins said. “Sometimes you look out you see land, and desert, or maybe a dull kind of dark green, which could be forests or jungles. At night, when you look out the window, you’re almost always going to see thunderstorms because around the equator, there are always thunderstorms going off somewhere, and you’ll see them flashing.”

Collins described seeing the Earth from

space as little tiny pinpoints of people living on the surface of a ball. Seeing everything from that perspective might make one feel insignificant, but Collins takes it as a challenge, seeing as humans only have earth to inhabit.

“The other thing is, you look the other way, and it’s all dark,” Collins said. “We have not found anything like the Earth in our solar system yet, or in our galaxy … so we need to take care of the Earth. Those are things you think about, maybe not while you’re up there because you’re so busy, but you definitely think about it when you come back.”

Collins emphasized that a lot of the work being done in space today is made up of doctors and researchers trying to understand how the human body adapts to space in a long-term sense. Programs such as SpaceX are pioneering commercial spaceflight, and it is essential to learn the overall health impacts of being in space.

As a pilot on her first two flights, Collins did work such as deploying a satellite, performing experiments, participating in spacewalks and helping build the International Space Station with Russian astronauts. Once she became commander, Collins deployed a large telescope called the Chandra X-ray Observatory on her third flight and helped work on the International Space Station on her fourth.

Collins’ lecture on leadership discussed communicating, knowing your job and having integrity — the traditional leadership qualities that she values most. She also focused on the history of women in space and covered the endless future possibilities for students of any major to work with space programs.

She showed an eight-minute home video of her last mission in space and had a 30-minute Q&A. “The thing I loved about working at NASA was that nobody really cared if you were a woman; nobody treated you differently,” Collins said. “The important thing was, what are you going to do for this mission that’s going to make it successful? It was just the culture, and I really enjoyed working in that culture.

I think a lot of it is because NASA is a young organization … and it was just easier for the women to integrate into that culture.”

@THELILYROBY LR158117@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 13

Say Her Name OU Women’s Center hosts Say Her Name events honoring Black women RILEY RUNNELLS CULTURE EDITOR Ohio University’s Women’s Center is holding Say Her Name events throughout Spring Semester to honor the lives and further the conversation of Black women who have faced police brutality.

The events are an extension of the Say Her Name movement, which started as a hashtag on social media and has grown into a platform to elevate the names of Black women who were killed or harmed by police brutality and are often forgotten amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

Say Her Name lives within the African American Policy Forum and the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies. The Women’s Center staff felt this was a good cause to get behind, as part of the center’s mission is to explore issues related to women through an intersectional lens.

Geneva Murray, director of the Women’s Center, wants these events to help people connect with that movement and to think about what police violence has specifically meant for Black women.

“So often, and the reason why the Say Her Name movement began: we don’t talk about Black women who have been killed by police in the same measure that we have talked about Black men,” Murray said. “That’s not to say that we are talking about Black men enough when it comes to police brutality, but it is to say that when we are looking at inequalities, we need to also be sure that we’re including a gendered lens as well as looking at things through intersectional forms of oppression — so not just gender and race, but also thinking in regards to the Trans Lives Matter Movement, etcetera.”

The center scheduled one event per month during the Spring Semester as well as a few in the Fall Semester of 2020.

The events are all virtual and free to anyone who’d like to participate. Attendees are asked to simply register online two days prior to the event, and registration can be found on the SayHerName page on the Women’s Center section of OU’s website.

January’s event was a themed discussion focused on self-care for social justice advocates. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Mayor Steve Patterson and Councilwoman Sarah Grace will be featured to speak about issues related to Say Her Name and supporting women of color at OU. From 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., people can converse with Mayor Patterson and Councilwoman Grace, and from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., there will be an optional community debriefing.

The plans for the March 17 gathering are still being finalized, but the 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. April 21 gathering will be a themed discussion focused on a letter writing campaign to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence who are incarcerated.

“The Women’s Center is very happy to provide a space to facilitate those who are in attendance of the gatherings to have these conversations and to think about the direction that they want to move forward,” Murray said.

14 / FEB. 18, 2021

The Say Her Name events are also a way to further promote diversity and inclusion between OU students, faculty and staff.

Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, director of diversity and inclusion, hopes people who know little about the movement attend to learn more and people who are active within the movement attend to continue their support and be active in raising their voices.

“As always, the event is specifically around women of color,” Chunnu-Brayda said. “It is an opportunity to bring people from all backgrounds, not just women of color because that’s what the goal of diversity is: to bring everyone together to dialogue around how we can all support each other.

That is what we always tend to see at these kinds of events.”

Students from all walks of life are looking forward to attending these events and continuing the conversation.

“I think OU’s choice of hosting SayHerName events is an excellent step in the direction of recognizing the voices of

Black women,” Julia Greenwood, a freshman studying journalism, said in a message. “The stories of all POC who have lost their lives or suffered violence at the hands of police are valid, but it seems as though the narratives of Black women and WOC are often overlooked and given less investment.

These events send the strong message that as a University, OU has decided that the stories of Black women like Breonna Taylor are valid, important and worth standing up for.”

“

@RILEYR44 RR855317@OHIO.EDU

As always, the event is specifically around women of color. It is an opportunity to bring people from all backgrounds, not just women of color. Because that’s what the goal of diversity is: to bring everyone together to dialogue around how we can all support each other. That is what we always tend to see at these kinds of events.”

- Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, director of diversity and inclusion

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER

VOLLEYBALL

2021 season comes with sacrifices MOLLY BURCHARD FOR THE POST For the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the main factor in deciding how college has been organized. Eleven months after Ohio’s athletic programs were halted in March 2020, the pandemic is still affecting Ohio’s protocols on and off the field. The Bobcats feel those effects every time they walk onto the court or into the locker room.

Ohio’s experience in The Convo is drastically different this season. Before the pandemic, the Bobcats were accustomed to the sound of trumpets and tubas rising from the band, screaming fans, blasting music and bustling energy. This season, there is none of that.

“I don’t know what home means this year,” coach Deane Webb said. “I know it doesn’t feel like most years. That’s for sure.”

Despite all the changes, Webb is appreciative that his team still gets the opportunity to play at home in what has been a crazy season thus far.

“It’s good to be any place that you’re comfortable,” Webb said. “Obviously, your home court you’re used to, used to the side-

lines; you’re used to what it feels like to play in here.”

Until it is safe to host fans again in The Convo, Ohio instead displays cardboard cutouts of its biggest fans, including Ohio alumni, former athletes and even dogs in the stands.

Not only do COVID-19 protocols make things quiet in The Convo, but they also have been somewhat of a distraction during matches. Webb said it is easy to get caught up in worrying about following all the rules instead of focusing on game play and energy.

“I would say in our first match, we were still stuck on COVID guidelines,” Webb said.

“You’ve got to stand by your chair and 6 feet away. We weren’t creating enough of our own energy from our bench.”

In addition to being spaced out on the sidelines, the Bobcats also have to wear face coverings while they play in order to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. The Bobcats have already had two of their matches against Eastern Michigan postponed due to COVID-19-related issues. As of now, there is no set date as to when or if they will be able to make up those matches.

The Bobcats have had to sacrifice many opportunities to be able to make this season

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happen, such as being able to spend New Year’s Eve with their families.

“I’d say we had to give up a lot of things,” outside hitter Mariana Rodrigues said. “But it’s worth it to be here playing.”

The players also have to be willing to make sacrifices when it comes to their social lives as well. They are only permitted to be around a select group of people outside of the team. Middle blocker Caitlin O’Farrell said this has been somewhat of a positive and has actually helped the team’s bond grow.

“We are only allowed to hang out with, like, one person outside of the team,” O’Farrell said. “Pretty much the only people we have are our team and our bubble, which is really good for team chemistry because you get a lot closer with the people.”

Webb understands the severity of the pandemic. He knows it must be taken seriously and is proud of the Bobcats’ efforts to stay safe.

“We have to win at COVID,” Webb said. “It’s something that our team has really taken seriously, and I’m really proud of them for that.”

Even in an unpredictable season that can be brought to a halt at any moment, the

Current & Former

Bobcats are as focused as ever. Their goal is simple and to the point — the Bobcats want to win.

“We’re going to make the best of it,” Webb said. “We’re going to play hard for our fans.”

@MOLLY_BURCHARD8 MB712319@OHIO.EDU

Ohio University outside hitter Mariana Rodrigues (#5) runs out on the court during “lights out in The Convo” on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (KATIE BANECK | FOR THE POST)

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

After COVID-19 shutdown, Ohio needs to get back on its feet JACK GLECKLER SPORTS EDITOR Ohio was on the path to success. It had a four-game win streak following its emotional 89-79 loss to Kent State on Jan. 16.

The rebound battle was turning in its favor every game. The Bobcats were healthy, and their roster was at nearly full strength following Jason Preston’s return to the court after a lower leg injury.

It was all too good to last. The Bobcats’ hot streak was bound to come to an end, but no one expected it to blow up in their faces.

On Feb. 6, the Mid-American Conference announced Ohio was halting all basketball operations due to COVID-19 contact tracing issues. This, in turn, postponed Ohio’s games against Bowling Green, Akron, Central Michigan and Western Michigan until further notice.

The four new postponements brings Ohio’s total up to seven games that can be rescheduled, not including the Mississippi Valley game Dec. 18 that was canceled outright. As of now, 32% of Ohio’s schedule has been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 issues with either team.

No conditioning, no practice and no games. Nothing. The Bobcats were quarantined and couldn’t so much as leave their homes or dorm rooms. For almost two weeks, Ohio has been shut out of The Convo. Coach Jeff Boals’ Monday press conference was no exception. Instead of his office in The Convo, Boals answered questions from the media at his dining room table.

Boals has been worried about his players over the past two weeks. The Bobcats who are stuck in their dorms only have so much space allotted to themselves, and Boals wonders how that may affect them once play resumes.

“For the first time in seven months, this is the first incident we’ve had,” Boals said.

“Our guys have been doing as good as they can. We gave them stuff to work out with and stretch with … but no one’s been in the gym.”

The cause for concern isn’t strictly devoted to positive tests, but also the Bobcats’ performance on the court. Unlike previous postponements, the Bobcats haven’t practiced in almost two weeks, and that doesn’t spell well when the necessity to bounce back is looming over them.

The current makeup schedule won’t be a walk in the park. MAC play is unpredictable. Ohio plays Bowling Green and Akron, who are on three-win and two-win streaks respectively, and an Eastern Michigan team 16 / FEB. 18, 2021

it has yet to face this season.

Boals is certain his team can continue the success it had before the break. There are only five games left until the MAC tournament begins, and Ohio is in crunch time.

The MAC restructured its playoffs for the 2020-2021 season so that only the top eight teams in the conference have a chance, a shift Boals and many other MAC coaches have expressed distaste for.

In previous seasons, every team entered into the bracket and had a chance to win.

Now, the teams have to scramble to avoid the bottom third of the standings. If Ohio wants to make it to Cleveland this season, there is no room for error once operations begin again.

“I think moving forward, when we do get guys back, there’s going to be no excuses, like no one’s gonna feel sorry for you,” Boals said. “We’ve got to try to get back to where we were as quick as we can from a safety and health standpoint.”

The coach sees a silver lining, however.

Ohio has had its entire roster available for 11 games this season. In those games, it is 9-2. If none of the Bobcats test positive, the jump back into a normal schedule might be easier than expected.

What’s more, Ohio might stand a better chance on paper when given a second glance. Bowling Green’s two wins have only been decided by 20 points combined and follow the Falcons’ six-game skid through late January. Eastern Michigan isn’t a MAC powerhouse, either. The Eagles are one step out of the basement in 11th place and are in the midst of a fourgame losing streak where they’ve been outscored 338-269.

Akron is the most dire threat to Ohio out of the gate. Second in the MAC, and on a three-game win streak, the Zips are burning through conference play. But there’s one glaring weakness, and it’s what Ohio has been zeroed-in on since mid-January — rebounding.

The Zips have been outrebounded by

their last three opponents 107-104. It’s not a big weakness, but it is a weakness nevertheless. Ohio won the rebound battle in the four games before its break and is arguably the reason that it beat Buffalo on its home turf. If Ohio can return to rebounding form before it faces Akron, it might be able to pull off another upset.

If Ohio gets back on its feet in time, the end of the regular season is wide open. But after being shorted two weeks of practice, Ohio needs to hustle.

“I think the big thing for us is to continue what we had been doing,” Boals said.

“It’ll be a day-by-day process and really not worrying about Buffalo, Kent or whoever else we play. We’re worrying about ourselves. Just going back to fundamentals and getting conditioning back will probably be the biggest thing.”

@THEJACKGLECKLER JG011517@OHIO.EDU

Ohio University’s Jason Preston (0) takes the ball to the basket during the home game against Western Michigan University on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Athens, Ohio. (KELSEY BOEING | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

HOCKEY

Max Karlenzig looks forward to building fun memories ELI FEAZELL SLOT EDITOR Max Karlenzig always plays hockey to win...while having as much fun as possible.

The Ohio freshman goaltender plays desperate. He dives around, throws his limbs out and will sacrifice his body to stop the puck and make a save.

But he also enjoys when he can just keep a relaxed but solid stance. Either way, Karlenzig has fun on the ice.

Growing up in Chicago, Karlenzig often rooted for the Blackhawks, but he always cheered for former Penguins and current Las Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, his favorite player. Fleury still reminds Karlenzig of why he plays in the first place. “(Fleury) always has a smile on his

face,” Karlenzig said. “He’s always having fun. It just reminds me that that’s what I’m supposed to be doing out here. The biggest factor in hockey is to have fun.

Just go out there and smile.”

Karlenzig has played hockey ever since he was a child, but a big moment in his hockey career came when he joined the Fresno Monsters of the Western States Hockey League (now a part of the United States Premier Hockey League) for the 2017-18 season. He played in Fresno for three years and had plenty of time to build memories in the central California city.

Other than playing packed games at Selland Arena with the Monsters, Karlenzig’s fondest memories come from being around his teammates. Whether it was in the locker room, on the bus or in hotel rooms, the people around Kar-

lenzig made the most of Fresno to him.

Karlenzig doesn’t know how to compare Fresno with Athens, but he seems to have a preference for his new home at Ohio already.

A lot of people around Karlenzig get the wrong idea of Fresno whenever he tells them that it’s in California. Like many, they automatically associate California with beautiful cities, coastlines and beaches. Fresno, however, is in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley, and it doesn’t have the scenic beaches and Hollywood lifestyle like coastal California cities.

He loved Fresno, but he also wanted something a bit different.

He originally wasn’t interested in playing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and, instead, had his sights on the NCAA. However, after

meeting Ohio coach Cole Bell at an annual WSHL showcase in Las Vegas, he was asked to come down to Athens for a visit on one of his free weekends.

Karlenzig met the team and staff, saw the facilities and toured the university and campus life. He knew then Athens was where he wanted to be.

“I just kind of fell in love,” Karlenzig said. “I felt like I fit right in.”

Karlenzig enjoys being on a campus that isn’t small but also isn’t as big as other colleges such as Ohio State University.

“Everything seems to be close enough to where you can walk around and get to certain places,” Karlenzig said. “Your friends aren’t too far.”

Even though Fresno State University was near his old team, he prefers the college life Athens and Ohio University have far more.

Outside of hockey, video games are one of Karlenzig’s biggest hobbies. He’s been playing them ever since he was little, and right now he enjoys Rocket League, Call of Duty, NBA 2K and FIFA. Rocket League has especially been one of his favorites ever since it was released in 2015.

“My buddy showed me that game when it first came out,” Karlenzig said.

“I was like, ‘I can’t stop playing now.’”

Other than video games, Karlenzig also enjoys playing other sports, such as volleyball or soccer, although it’s been a bit difficult for him to play those in public with the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the coronavirus stopped Karlenzig and the other Bobcats from playing much longer than they were used to, he didn’t worry about switching teams during the strange times. But he was nervous going into his first game. What would his form look like? How would it even work at the collegiate level?

Karlenzig didn’t let his nerves get to him in his first game, and now, he’s become a regular starter for Ohio as a freshman. Feeling more comfortable with the team around him, he’s now finally getting back to having fun while playing hockey.

@ELIFEAZ EF195418@OHIO.EDU Ohio goalie Max Karlenzig (#30) stands ready in complete uniform at Bird Arena on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (COLIN MAYR | FOR THE POST)

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

BENNETT’S BALLOT

Films allow for ableism, create a misrepresentation of disability KAYLA BENNETT is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University

Throughout the film industry, ableism is overlooked by the creators and viewers. Films succeed in producing Academy Award winners, but the blatant ignorance of the casting is ignored in the public eye. These movies contain some popular actors, but that still doesn’t make it right.

The classic Forrest Gump has been in question for years regarding its ableist plotline. Many have questioned why the film is so lauded when it offers little respect to people with mental disabilities.

Tom Hanks stars as Forrest in this film. He portrays a character who has an intellectual and a physical disability.

In 1993, Leonardo DiCaprio starred in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio played a character named Arnie, a young boy with a mental disability. This role earned DiCaprio an Oscar nomination.

Although his acting was well-studied and well-prepared, it proposes the concern of allowing a boy with no disabilities to play a boy who is mentally handicapped.

Recently, Maddie Ziegler was hired to play in a movie created by Sia, titled Music. Ziegler’s character has autism. However, after receiving an abundant amount of backlash on Twitter, Sia admitted that her casting

choice was ableist.

To continue the frustration displayed on Twitter, many are calling out Sia for her actions and how this movie portrays those with autism. Some are speculating this movie is over-exaggerating autism and even poking fun at those who have it.

With modern-day social media, celebrities are under fire for every wrong step they take. However, when it comes to ableism, it’s not a bad decision you make by accident, but a defining career choice. It takes thought and casting.

Me Before You is another example. Sam Clafflin, an able-bodied actor, plays a character who is wheelchair bound due to a paralyzing accident. Many were wondering why there wasn’t a search for an actor who could have played the part.

TV show franchises are able to portray people with disabilities so well that the audience is manipulated into thinking nothing is wrong with the casting. Examples include The Good Doctor and Atypical.

Movie franchises decide to cast actors without disabilities to fulfill these roles without any effort to cast a more inclusive and authentic cast. This creates controversy and neglect.

These films and shows are able to go unscathed due to the standards of mainstream media. It’s never questioned because a “good” film was produced with popular actors and actresses.

Before society was more aware of mental and phys-

ical health, ableism in film was more accepted because society did not care enough to educate themselves.

However, it’s 2021 now, and this should be basic knowledge. Society should be able to educate themselves and, if society can educate themselves, film and TV franchises should be able to as well. Besides, movies and shows have a momentous impact on how society acts and what is viewed as socially acceptable. They need to start taking responsibility for their poor choices and find a solution to their transparent ableism.

Although the media has become better educated on how to treat people with mental disabilities and some shows have tried to create a more inclusive cast, it’s not an effort being made by everyone, which is a problem.

Because society is more socially aware now, it is unacceptable for casting to not “get with the times.”

Kayla Bennett is a freshman studying journalism.

Please note that the views and ideas of columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Kayla? Tweet her @kkayyben.

THINKING IN PRINT

DeWine’s steeper laws for distracted driving are a positive CHARLENE PEPIOT is a junior studying English at Ohio University

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has recently announced plans to increase the severity of drivers caught using wireless devices while driving. For adults, they can be charged with a primary offense, and if handling a device results in serious injury or death, the punishment will mirror that of drunk driving.

In an announcement Saturday, DeWine said: “Although Ohio’s current laws are well-intended, they simply haven’t gone far enough to change the culture around using technology behind the wheel. By strengthening Ohio’s laws, we believe we can change behaviors, prevent crashes, and save lives.”

While Ohio has banned texting while driving, it is only a secondary law, meaning that Ohio law enforcement cannot stop adult drivers using wireless devices on the road unless they break a traffic law first, such as running a stoplight.

18 / FEB. 18, 2021

That means Karen can shuffle through her Spotify while going 70 mph on the interstate, and as long as she doesn’t speed or wander into the next lane, she can’t be pulled over. No matter how good Karen thinks she is at multitasking, the reality is that about 3,000 people die as a result of drunk driving each year, with the chances of having an accident being six times higher compared to driving drunk. Ohio alone was home to 1,157 traffic-related fatalities in 2019.

Driving is (at least before quarantine) a daily occurrence for many Americans, becoming routine along with brushing your teeth before work and letting the dog out. It is important to remember that driving is dangerous, and being behind the wheel of a 4,000-pound weapon should be treated with the utmost caution. When on the road with others, it is crucial to be as attentive as possible.

Perhaps DeWine’s proposal will make navigating the phone’s GPS more difficult or force you to suffer through an extra round of otherwise skippable YouTube ads, but distracted driving jeopardizes the lives of the driver and those around them. If harsher punishment is needed to keep people and those around them safe, so be it.

This isn’t the first time Ohio has passed similar legislation. In 2017, Ohio passed Ohio House Bill 95, which increased the penalties for distracted driving. DeWine’s Hands-Free Ohio Bill will seek to strengthen House Bill 95.

The proposal will be a part of DeWine’s 2022-2023 transportation budget, numbered House Bill 74. The next two hearings on the budget are set to take place Feb. 16 and Feb. 17. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) serves on the Ohio House Finance Committee, where the bill will begin its journey through the Ohio legislative process.

Charlene Pepiot is a junior studying English at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Charlene know by emailing her at cp872117@ ohio.edu.

8 budget-friendly makeup dupes you need to try Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer ($52) vs. Elf Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer ($8)

JULIANA COLANT FOR THE POST Are you tired of dropping an entire paycheck to pay for your beauty routine? Instead of heading to Sephora for your next beauty haul, try your local drugstore instead.

Sometimes with high-end makeup, you are just paying for the name brand. Other times, the product is of incredible quality, but you simply can’t afford to spend the extra $50. Take the road less traveled, and head to your local drugstore. It’s full of reliable and quality makeup products, all for a fraction of the price.

Check out this list of eight drugstore makeup dupes.

Your wallet will thank you.

The internet swears by this dupe. Both primers have a putty consistency that fills in pores, minimizing their look. Moisturizing and suitable for all skin types, the Elf brand can save you $44.

NARS Lipstick ($26) vs. Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lip Color ($1.99)

You won’t have to feel guilty having to reapply Wet n Wild Megalast Matte Lip Color. Its price is unbeatable, making it a good purchase for everyday wear or the onetime needed color. Just like NARS, it is long-wearing and pigmented.

FENTY BEAUTY Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation ($36) vs. L’Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation (14.99)

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation is the most recommended drugstore foundation on my TikTok feed. FENTY BEAUTY is a high-quality brand. But if you can’t afford to splurge, this L’Oreal Paris foundation will act as a great dupe. Smooth blending and lightweight, it’s all you need in a foundation.

@COLANT_JULIANA JC079419@OHIO.EDU

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BANECK

NARS blush ($30) vs. Milani Baked Blush ($7.99)

Milani Baked Blush is highly pigmented and buildable.

It’s perfect for giving a glamorous glow. Go as subtle or as bold as you’d like with 11 shades to choose from.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Voluminizing Mascara ($26) vs. L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara ($9.99)

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara is almost an exact dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex Voluminizing Mascara. Both have an hourglass-shaped wand designed to lengthen, define and enhance lashes.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer ($27) vs. L’Oreal Paris Infallible Wear, Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer ($9.99)

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Wear, Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer knocks out dark circles. It’ll wear all day and cover any imperfections, just like Tarte Shape Tape Concealer but for a better price.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer ($37) vs. NYX Studio Perfect Primer ($13)

Properly primed skin is key to a natural makeup look.

Both primers have a silky formula producing a smooth finish. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is the best on the market, with 4,000 five-star reviews on Sephora’s website. But if you’re on a budget, NYX Studio Perfect Primer gets the job done, creating a smooth matte surface ready for makeup.

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9 easy TikTok recipes you need to try HANNAH CAMPBELL FOR THE POST It’s almost a month into Spring Semester, and the dining hall is already getting old and boring. We would love to prepare a gourmet meal, but it’s hard to make something delicious with just a microwave. For those of us who live off-campus, it might just be difficult to figure out something healthy and delicious to eat.

TikTok has once again come to the rescue with meals, even some that are dorm-friendly. From sweet treats to delicious dinners, here are nine TikTok foods trends to try when everything else gets boring:

CUT QUESADILLA

This first trend is super simple but can be filled with almost anything. For the perfect quesadilla, use a sharp knife to cut the tortilla halfway through on one side, and fill each quadrant of the circle. Then, fold each corner in, and cook. You can use a panini pan, skillet or even a microwave on high for those still in the dorms. It’s a simple way to fit more toppings in the tortilla, and the combinations are endless.

WHIPPED COFFEE

The OG quarantine was not complete without whipped coffee. The recipe is not only straightforward, but you most likely have these ingredients around the house.

Grab two teaspoons of coffee grinds, sugar and hot water. Mix in a bowl for three to five minutes until the mixture forms peaks.

You can whisk by hand or use a hand mixer.

Once the mixture is thick, add it to a glass with milk (I prefer almond milk for a sweeter taste) and ice.

BAKED FETA PASTA

This next dish is a newer trend, but still worth all of the rage. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by-13 inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat.

Then, place the feta cheese in the center of the dish, top with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle red pepper flakes and a little black pepper around the entire dish.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the garlic has softened and tomatoes have burst from their skins.

Meanwhile, cook your choice of pasta.

Keep one cup of the pasta water, and drain the pasta. Mash the feta and tomatoes with a fork, and mix until combined. If the mixture looks a little dry, mix the sauce with pasta, and add the reserved pasta water.

20 / FEB. 18, 2021

To serve, add in basil leaves and additional salt and pepper if needed. This recipe takes more effort but is still easy and worth it.

Ingredients

Two pints (17 1/2 ounces) cherry or grape tomatoes Four cloves garlic, halved lengthwise 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt One block (seven ounces) Greek Feta cheese 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Freshly ground black pepper 12 ounces medium-length dried pasta (I recommend campanelle or farfalle) Fresh basil leaves

CLOUD BREAD

Another quarantine favorite, cloud bread is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also gluten free. Combine three egg whites, one tablespoon of white sugar and about one tablespoon of cornstarch, and beat well until the mixture is super fluffy and thick.

Then transfer the mixture to a greased baking sheet, and form it into a half-sphere shape using a rubber spatula. Lastly, cook in the oven at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes. If you want to make your bread extra pretty, add food coloring to your mixture for a heavenly snack.

MUG CAKE

For those late-night cravings, here’s a simple sweet treat that only needs a microwave. In a large mug, stir together softened butter and boiling water until the butter has melted. Stir in sugar, cocoa powder and self-raising flour until well combined.

Then, press four squares of chocolate into the batter in the center of the mug.

Microwave for one minute on high until the cake has risen.

Ingredients

Two tablespoons butter, softened Two tablespoons boiling water 1/4 cup caster sugar Two tablespoons cocoa powder 1/4 cup self-raising flour Four squares dark chocolate

NACHO TABLE

This trend is one of the most iconic yet delicious. Cover your table with tin foil, and pour tortilla chips and melted cheese. The best part is that you can pick the ingredients.

You can have your dish anyway, from taco meat, jalapenos and tomatoes. Even if you live in the dorms, you can still enjoy

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BANECK this trend by sizing the tin foil to your desk or table.

MOCHI ICE CREAM

Another recipe for the dorms, mochi ice cream is a healthy and delicious alternative for ice cream. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until smooth, then cover and microwave for one minute.

Mix and microwave for one minute two more times. After, put it onto a surface that’s covered in corn or tapioca starch and flatten with your fingers. Cut the mixture and fill with your favorite ice cream.

Ingredients

Black food coloring (optional) 1/2 cup sweet rice flour 1/4 cup blueberry juice 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup water

paste and cook.

Add heavy cream and red pepper flakes.

Stir, and add salt and pepper, then remove from heat. Add your pasta, pasta water and butter to the mixture. Stir over medium heat until the butter has melted. Lastly, add Parmesan cheese, and serve with Parmesan and basil.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil Small clove of garlic 1/4 shallot 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 pound pasta 1/4 cup pasta water 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Chopped basil (optional)

WHITE CLAW SLUSHIES

For those of us who can drink legally, here’s a recipe that only requires a few ingredients and almost zero effort. Grab some ice, a claw, vodka or rum, raspberries and ginger ale.

Blend it all together until you have a frozen consistency. It’s a sweet treat to remind you it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

GIGI HADID’S VODKA PASTA

While the famous model takes credit for this last recipe, it can still be cooked by anyone. Start by cooking garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft. Next, add tomato

@HANNAHCMPBELL HC895819@OHIO.EDU

How to master stir-fry at home JORDAN ELLIS FOR THE POST Stir-fry is a cooking technique that is a mystery to most. The act of frying is common, but what makes it a stir-fry?

The simple answer is heat.

Stir-fry is cooked at a much higher temperature than most stoves can handle. That is the reason why it’s difficult to get the taste right at home. Furthermore, Western stoves are designed to handle a flat-bottom pan, which mostly eliminates the need for a traditional wok altogether.

THE PAN

When starting stir-frying, common sense dictates the first thing you should purchase is a wok. That’s what they use at Chinese restaurants, right? Chinese restaurants, however, have the equipment necessary to use a wok: primarily, a round-bottom stove and a high BTU three-ring or jet-burner that can heat a wok to 750 degrees and above on all sides. A typical kitchen stove has a flat

With this method, you simply coat the surface of the pan with enough oil to cover it. When adding the protein, move it around constantly so that it fries on all sides until evenly browned. This makes the protein a little dryer than the deepfry method, but it is less messy.

Method 2: Deep Fry

surface that will only heat the bottom of a wok to 350-500 degrees.

So, the best approach is to ditch the wok and use a thick stainless steel or cast iron frying pan. A frying pan will heat up more evenly on a stove and, thus, transfer heat better than a wok.

For this method, you fill the pan with an inch of oil before putting the protein in. You fry the protein in the oil for one to two minutes before taking it out and draining it in paper towels. You drain the excess oil into a heat-proof container and store for reuse. When done this way, the meat is cooked perfectly, but it’s messier, and moving hot oil between containers is dangerous without the right cooking station.

THE OIL

STIRRING

Use vegetable oil. Vegetable oil has one of the highest smoke-points possible and can handle the heat of stir-frying. Canola oil can be used, but it has a higher chance of smoking.

Basics of heating the pan When stir-frying, place the frying pan on the stove cold and turn your burner up to the highest setting possible. You don’t want to heat the pan up with oil inside because the oil will smoke. Wait until the pan is either smoking or you can feel intense heat radiating an inch off the surface of the pan.

TWO PROTEIN COOKING METHODS Method 1: Limited Oil (preferred)

If you can, the best method is to toss the stir-fry by picking up the pan and flipping the contents through the movement of the pan. If you can’t, take a spatula and push the contents to the edge of the pan with the back of the spatula. Then, turn the spatula, and push it underneath the contents you moved to the edge of the pan. Lift up the contents and flip them. Do this continuously in all steps of a stir-fry.

the vegetables to the pan. Stir them until they are just cooked. Watch for the onion to be translucent. At this point, add the protein, soy sauce, salt, water, sugar and bouillon to the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil. After it boils for about two minutes, add the dissolved cornstarch, and wait for it to thicken. Serve with white rice.

Western Stir-Fry

Not every stir-fry has to be Asian-inspired. It can be argued that fajitas are a stir-fry after all. ½ to 1 pound of pork loin cut into strips One sliced onion One diced green pepper One beefsteak tomato cut into wedges 1/2 a head of green cabbage cut into strips One grated garlic clove Salt and pepper to taste Cook the protein with the preferred oil method. Add in vegetables, and cook to desired doneness. Serve with white rice.

@JORDANE42800656 JE563817@OHIO.EDU

RECIPES Basic Moo Moo Gai Pan (chicken and vegetables):

One to two chicken breasts cut into thin strips One clove of grated garlic One sliced onion 1/2 a head of bok choy cut into strips One julienned carrot One can of water chestnuts (drained) One can of baby corn (drained) One cube of chicken bouillon (crumbled) One to two tablespoons soy sauce 1.5 cups water (more for a thinner, lighter sauce; less for a thicker, more flavorful sauce) One teaspoon of sugar (optional) One heaping teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in water (add more cornstarch for thickness) Salt to taste (with the soy sauce and bouillon, it shouldn’t be necessary) Any vegetables you think are good (This is a good meal for leftover vegetables, even tomatoes)

How to cook

Use the limited oil method to cook the protein. Once done, take the protein out, and set it aside before adding

ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA JUENGER THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Athens City Schools’ Andrew Jackson Davison Club hosts Black History Month celebration KAYLA BENNETT FOR THE POST

Athens City Schools’ Andrew Jackson Davison Club is hosting a Black History Month Celebration on Tuesday, Feb 23, at 3 p.m. for the people of Athens.

Alongside the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Ohio Valley Bank, Mount Zion’s Athens Black Wall Street Project and Ohio University’s Diversity and Inclusion and Multicultural Center have come together to sponsor this event.

The event was originally thought up by members of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School.

The first of these events began last year.

In his days, Andrew Jackson Davison was the only Black attorney who practiced law in Athens. However, he wasn’t included in the composite photo of the Athens Bar Association in 1877.

“They told us it was about a man named Andrew Jackson Davison; he worked in law and stuff, and when they were taking their photos, he wasn’t included in the composite of all the other people because of his skin color,” Fabiola Keesey, a ninth grader at Athens High School and a co-founder of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, said. “We were really interested in that, and we wanted to take part and make a change, obviously, and so we worked for months.”

Keesey and others, then eighth graders, were able to hang a portrait of Andrew Jackson Davison last year in the courthouse to honor his work in Athens.

“Once the students got going and started meeting people from the Black community who were interested, it turned into the students organizing a Black History Month event here at the middle school,” Angela Hall, Andrew Jackson Davison Club adviser, said. “It was a wonderful success.

I’m a townie, so I’ve been in Athens my entire life. I’ve never seen the university, the Athens community, the school system, the city of Athens, the county engineer or the county commissioners (together), and they all came together to support this event. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it was phenomenal.”

This event holds history and meaning, and the goal is to continue to educate the people of Athens on the racial injustice in society. The event will have poetry, speeches, music and more. All the speakers hold their own story and meaning to what this event and month means to them, so they will be sharing their wisdom through different words and stories.

One of the Andrew Jackson Davison eighth grade club members, Teresa Ongoro, stepped up and took on the re22 / FEB. 18, 2021

sponsibility of reading a poem she wrote at the event. Kristyn Neckles, an OU psychologist, will also be speaking at this event.

Brandon Thompson, also known as DJ B-Funk, is a local Athens DJ and former Athens High School student who works with a lot of antiracism groups in the Athens schools and will be the event’s main speaker.

Trevellya Ford-Ahmed, board director for the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, will also be speaking during the event.

“I will probably speak about a project that Mount Zion will be doing that will involve, hopefully, some of her students as well as, perhaps, other students at Athens High,” Ford-Ahmed said. “We have received funding from the Appalachian funded network to develop a film. The film we have titled and are calling at this moment Black Wall Street Athens/Albany. In the film, we hope to tell the story of all of the buildings and structures that were built by free born and enslaved Black Americans in this region… what has happened to so many of them, as did happen to Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma and many other Black neighborhoods.”

Mount Zion is producing this film to help educate Athens about Black Wall Street and Athens, and Andrew Jackson Davison will play a pivotal role in the film. Ford-Ahmed will talk about the film’s involvement in the Athens School District and how they want them to participate in the making of this film.

The event will be live-streamed on Instagram and Facebook for those who are not able to come out to the courthouse. Any participation is encouraged and appreciated because the Andrew Jackson Davison Club has worked to create a memorable event amid the circumstances.

“I know one thing is that I think the community of Athens is great,” Emma Ulbrich, a ninth grader at Athens High School and a co-founder of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, said. “I know with doing this project last year, seeing the reaction from the Black community of Athens, it was really inspiring. Then, also being able to hear some of my peers and friends from school talk about the racism that they have experienced at the school has made me passionate about it. I have grown a lot through doing this project and learned a lot.” @KKAYYBEN KB084519@OHIO.EDU

IF YOU GO WHAT: Black History Month Celebration WHERE: Athens County Courthouse Steps, 1 S. Court St. WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m.

ADMISSION: Free

WHAT’S GOING ON? Attend OU-sponsored movie night; volunteer to fix Hickory Trail ISABEL NISSLEY FOR THE POST

FRIDAY, FEB. 19

as a part of Black History Month.

There will be free food.

Admission: Free

Linguistics Colloquium | “The Southern Ohio Language Project: Where We Are Today” at 12:55 p.m., hosted virtually by Ohio University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Explore language in Southern Ohio with Michelle O’Malley and the 2021 Southern Ohio Language Project Lab Team. The team’s work has focused primarily on raising awareness and creating opportunities for community members to catalogue and celebrate their language and stories via sociolinguistic interviews.

SATURDAY, FEB. 20

Admission: Free

Fix Hickory Trail at 10 a.m., hosted by the Athens Bicycle Club in the Thunderbunny Trailhead Parking Lot at Strouds Run State Park. Help fix a bridge and improve drainage along the Hickory Trail to better hiking conditions. Volunteers will be divided into small groups, working under a trailwork leader. Social distancing and masks are expected.

Ohio University Movie Night at 6:30 p.m., hosted by the Campus Involvement Center, Baker Center Ballroom. Join BSCPB, the Multicultural Center and OHIO Involvement for a screening of Rosewood

Athens Farmers Market at 9 a.m., hosted by Athens Farmers Market, 1002 E. State St. Shop for locally grown and locally made foods and goods at the farmers’ market. The market accepts SNAP, credit cards and wholesome wave. Masks are recommended, and social distancing protocols are in place.

Admission: Free

Admission: Free Civility on Tap at 4 p.m., hosted by Cultivating Change OU at Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant, 22 W. Union St. Join Cultivating Change OU to learn about cultivating civil change. If participants wish to dine in, they must make a reservation through Jackie O’s website.

Admission: Free Level One Ceramics at 4 p.m., hosted by the Visual Arts Center at Hocking College, 3301 Hocking Parkway in Nelsonville. Learn about wheel throwing basics and create a bowl. The class is the first of two. Participants must also attend Community Glaze Night to finish their pieces.

Admission: $35

SUNDAY, FEB. 21 “Women of Appalachia Project” Fine Art Exhibition at 12 p.m., hosted by the Dairy Barn Art Center, 8000 Dairy Lane. Explore art created by a diverse group of women.

The Women of Appalachia Project encourages the making of art that shares artists’ culture and experiences, addressing issues of stereotypes and marginalization. Reservations to view the exhibit can be made through the Dairy Barn website.

Admission: $5, free for Dairy Barn members Admission: Free

@ISABELNISSLEY IN566119@OHIO.EDU

THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

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